 "Best of BS Opinion: The retreating chill and India's blossoming ambitions")
Winter has started to make its slow retreat, leaving the air crisp with anticipation of the upcoming spring. There’s a sense of transition that fills the horizon. And much like the changing season, India stands at a crossroads, ready to shed old challenges and embrace fresh growth. Although the fog and chills of stagnation linger in some corners, with bold choices, the spring of prosperity could be within reach. Let’s dive in.
At the World Economic Forum in Davos, India is planting the seeds of ambition. With six states, including Andhra Pradesh and Tamil Nadu, making a strong investment pitch, the effort feels urgent, akin to the first buds breaking through the winter chill. But as developed states dominate the stage, our first editorial today wonders why the more barren economic lands of northern India remain absent.
And India’s automotive sector, once a sturdy oak, now faces the winds of change. Global EV trends demand adaptation, yet restrictions on investments, particularly from China, leave the ecosystem vulnerable to stagnation. BYD’s billion-dollar interest in Indian EV production could be the sunlight this sector craves, but geopolitical frost threatens to cloud its growth. Read our second editorial for more.
Meanwhile, strong, independent regulators are like careful gardeners, ensuring the ecosystem grows equitably. Yet, in India, the soil feels compacted by overlapping mandates and government interference. Ajay Tyagi’s column calls for weeding out inefficiencies and nurturing regulators with operational independence and accountability.
As the Union Budget approaches, the nation awaits a transformative bloom. Structural reforms — liberalising tariffs, overhauling taxes, and incentivising state-level labour and land changes — are the nutrients needed for sustained growth. Rajeswari Sengupta highlights a blueprint for revival, urging bold measures akin to the transformative reforms of 1991. Only with such a vision can India’s dual economy — its blooming "new" and struggling "old" — find harmony.
Sanjeev S Ahluwalia’s review of Tarmac to Towers: The India Infrastructure Story by Pratap Padode brings perspective to India’s infrastructure journey, likening it to a sapling’s growth amid storms. From the Golden Quadrilateral’s robust roots to the persistent challenges of urban inefficiency, the story is one of resilience and ambition.
Stay tuned, and as the season is changing — let’s hope the economy follows suit!