Best of BS Opinion: India has to tackle air, energy, and AI challenges

Here are the best of Business Standard's opinion pieces for today

Air quality in the National Capital Region has worsened after Diwali, though stubble burning has not been the main cause so far. Between mid-September and mid-October, farm fire cases fell 64 per cent in Punjab and 96 per cent in Haryana. States credit better incentives and machinery, but with harvesting delayed, a late-October surge could still test these gains. Read our first editorial for more. 

Meanwhile, India’s 11,000-km coastline and vast Exclusive Economic Zone remain underused despite huge marine potential. A new NITI Aayog report says India has only four deep-sea fishing vessels, compared with nearly 2,000 from Sri Lanka, though its waters could yield over 7 million tonnes of fish. Our second editorial calls for new regulations, modern fleets, and market diversification to unlock a sustainable blue economy. 

A K Bhattacharya writes that the Draft Electricity (Amendment) Bill, 2025 seeks to revive India’s debt-laden power distribution sector by mandating cost-reflective tariffs and allowing competition within states. It empowers regulators to set tariffs suo motu and requires state governments to provide direct subsidies instead of cross-subsidies. The bill also proposes an Electricity Council for consensus-building, though political and labour resistance remain major hurdles. 

And Amit Tandon examines India’s plan to create a sovereign wealth fund to manage public assets more strategically. With Rs 44 trillion in listed government equity, India could rank among the world’s top 10 such funds if these holdings were consolidated. A “Bharat Sovereign Wealth Fund” could invest in clean energy, infrastructure, and semiconductors while attracting global partners, marking a shift from ministries to markets in managing state wealth. 

Finally, Ambi Parameswaran reviews Human Edge in an AI Age: Eight Timeless Mantras for Success by Nitin Seth, which explores how people can thrive amid rapid automation. Seth predicts three waves of job disruption that could eliminate up to half of existing roles by 2040, yet offers eight “mantras” for resilience built around problem-solving, adaptability, and self-awareness. Dense but practical, the book reads like a roadmap for staying relevant in the AI era. 

Stay tuned!