Best of BS Opinion: India's magic act in policy, business, and industry

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

Have you ever noticed, great magic isn’t about deception; it’s about precision, about turning chaos into an elegant performance. The audience sees only the flourish — the coin vanishing, the ace appearing from nowhere, or the dove flying off the hat. But behind it lies mastery, control, and an understanding of the smallest movements. Governments, businesses, and even individual lives work the same way: the trick is making complexity look effortless. Let’s dive in. 

Take India’s deregulation drive — a grand illusion in the making. Prime Minister Modi’s promise of a deregulation commission aims to free businesses from the bureaucratic web, but real transformation demands more than trimming excess, explores our first editorial. A magician doesn’t just remove distractions; they control what the audience sees. The commission must do the same — sifting through old regulations, assessing their impact, and ensuring they serve the economy rather than stifle it.  

Meanwhile, the IT industry is pulling off its own feat of reinvention. AI has upended the classic model — where more employees meant more revenue. Now, the best firms must master the art of doubling output with half the workforce. Our second editorial highlights that the industry’s future hinges on its ability to blend AI into its DNA while keeping its workforce skilled and relevant. It’s a delicate balancing act, where those who adapt thrive, and those who resist risk being left behind. 

Even in the realm of taxation, the hand must be quicker than the eye, argues R Kavita Rao. India has spent decades fine-tuning its tax system, oscillating between incentives and simplifications. The government’s new approach favours a tax structure without exemptions, a cleaner, more transparent model. Just like in magic, simplicity is deceptive — it takes immense effort to make something look effortless. 

Regulation, too, requires a light but firm touch. Eliminating unnecessary rules without creating a governance vacuum is the key to responsible deregulation. As India revises its financial and non-financial sector laws, the challenge is to strip away what’s obsolete while ensuring oversight remains sharp, reveals MS Sahoo in his column. The best regulation, like the best magic, guides rather than obstructs. 

And then there’s the story of Lt General Nanavatty — no magician, but certainly a master of controlled execution. In his review of Shooting Straight: A military biography of Lt Gen. Rostum K. Navnatty by Arjun Subramaniam, Devangshu Datta writes that as a soldier’s soldier, he understood the art of war, the need for precision, and the power of meticulous planning. His career was defined by a kind of strategy that mirrored the best illusions — not reactive chaos, but deliberate, calculated movement.  

Stay tuned, and remember, the difference between a messy trick and a seamless illusion lies in the control of the unseen!