 "Best of BS Opinion: Moving cautiously like a street under VIP movement")
There’s a particular kind of tension you feel when your street suddenly slows down because someone important, some VIP is expected to pass through. Shop shutters quickly start to roll down, traffic slows down to a suspicious crawl, and the neighbours whisper theories that get wilder with every passing second. You step out and instinctively adjust your pace, unsure whether to cross the road or retreat indoors. Everyone becomes instinctively careful, adjusting their pace without being told, waiting for something they can sense but not see. Everything feels normal, yet not normal enough. Let’s dive in.
Take the draft CAFÉ III norms, where India’s automobile sector is behaving exactly like residents waiting for a motorcade, as our first editorial notes. The rules push manufacturers to tighten CO₂ reductions between FY28 and FY32, but the real tension lies in who must slow down more. Smaller cars face a steeper cut, splitting the industry over whether incentives should tilt towards tiny hatchbacks or indulgent SUVs. Proponents say boosting small cars will ease congestion and pollution, while critics worry weight-based exemptions could trim away safety features.
Across continents, the mood shifted a bit recently but the caution remains, as our second editorial observes. PM Modi’s call for a global AI compact echoes the need for guardrails in a world where 90 per cent of online content may be AI-generated by 2026. Global rule-making, however, is scattered with too few nations dominating discussions, and only a handful commanding the compute power needed to build advanced models. As India prepares for the 2026 AI Impact Summit, the call is for stronger shared standards, transparent practices and cheaper access for the developing world.
In domestic policy, A K Bhattacharya writes that the government’s recent notification of the Labour Codes signals reform, but with the caution of a street adjusting to VIP movement. Early attempts at lateral entry were rolled back, yet pension reforms are progressing, and several protectionist measures have been eased or delayed. Committees, consultations and incrementalism dominate the third Modi term, which has so far been a quieter, slower recalibration aiming to reduce regulatory burdens without triggering political backlash.
Meanwhile, Rajeev Kher and Anshuman Gupta note that with the US stepping back from COP30, the EU, China and India must shoulder more climate responsibility even as geopolitics strain their fiscal and diplomatic bandwidth. Whether they can support the Global South, sustain research, and maintain climate ambition amid such pressures remains unclear for now, as all the nations remain caught between whether to move forward or retreat indoors.
And finally, Ambi Parameswaran reviews Rajeev Roy’s The Niche Code, a book that argues that “small can be beautiful.” From table-tennis equipment to vacuum furnaces, the book shows how focused, deliberate specialisation can build resilient, high-impact businesses, a reminder that sometimes stepping aside from the main road opens the most promising paths.
Stay tuned!