Best of BS Opinion: Why energy without direction won't lift AI, or trade

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

Have you ever noticed that some birds are built for flight, their wings engineered to cut through air with precision? Others flap with all their might, rustling leaves, disturbing the dust, but never lifting off. It’s not a lack of effort — it’s a failure of connection. Either the wind isn’t right, the lift isn’t strong, or the force needed to break free simply isn’t there. Across the world, we see the same pattern — energy without direction, movement without momentum.   

Consider Ukraine. As Donald Trump shifts US foreign policy, his private negotiations with Russia in Saudi Arabia — without Ukraine at the table — suggest an unsettling reality. As our first editorial explores, Trump’s rhetoric hints at cutting off military aid unless Kyiv concedes territory. Worse, his proposal that Ukraine “pay” for its weapons with access to its rare earth minerals, turns a geopolitical crisis into a cold transaction. As Europe watches and Nato braces — with Washington pulling back, the war effort flaps, struggling to hold altitude.   

India’s AI sector faces a similar contradiction, as our second editorial highlights. The country produces some of the world’s brightest AI minds, yet they continue to leave for better-funded opportunities abroad. Despite government initiatives, India ranks only 13th in AI talent retention. A national AI push exists in theory, but without strong research funding or computing infrastructure, it remains an idea that flutters rather than soars.   

Then there’s Trump’s trade war. As Shang-Jin Wei examines, his 25 per cent tariffs on steel and aluminum imports have sparked global retaliation. Countries like China and the EU are considering countermeasures, but retaliatory tariffs alone won’t stop Trump’s economic nationalism. The risk? A liquidity squeeze, inflation, and rising debt — forces that, instead of pushing forward, might stall global markets.   

Even at the Kumbh Mela, the largest religious gathering on Earth, the contrast is stark. Amit Kapoor describes how a bustling, functional city rises out of nothing every few years, only to vanish. It is an engineering marvel, yet its temporary nature exposes the cracks — stampedes, fires, environmental damage. A city that flaps into existence, but fades before it can truly evolve.   

And in investing, as Sanjay Kumar Singh reviews, Money, Myths and Mantras: The ultimate investment guide by Devina Mehra warns against believing in stories over data. She argues, true success lies in discipline, not illusion — because not every flapping wings will fly.