Indian states’ weaknesses outweigh their strengths as they battle the Coronavirus (Covid-19) pandemic and they need financial support from the federal government, which is already dealing with drastically reduced revenue, according to S&P Global Ratings. The Covid-19 pandemic could increase budget deficits and indebtedness of state governments as spending needs to exceed revenue collected, S&P Global analysts YeeFarn Phua and Ruchika Malhotra said in a report. The federal government and the Reserve Bank of India will remain key pillars for states’ fiscal framework and performance, they said. Strengths India’s well-established federation, with state governments having a strong voice in intergovernmental affairs