Opinion
The 16th Finance Commission opts for continuity over disruption, but its new devolution formula and scrapping of revenue-deficit grants raise key federal equity concerns
 "M Govinda Rao")
 "Finance Commission")
 "Kanika Datta")
 "Nivedita Mookerji")
 "A K Bhattacharya")
 "Tamal Bandyopadhyay")
 "Laveesh Bhandari")
 "Debashis Basu")
 "M S Sriram")
 "Business Standard Editorial Comment")
More on Opinion
Best of BS Opinion: Climate finance gaps and the strain on federalism
Here are the best of Business Standard's opinion pieces for today
 "Best of BS Opinion: Climate finance gaps and the strain on federalism")
Bharat Taxi's cooperative promise meets India's tough mobility market
Bharat Taxi's cooperative, zero-commission model challenges ride-hailing incumbents, but its long-term viability and regulatory neutrality will be key to fair competition
 "Bharat Taxi's cooperative promise meets India's tough mobility market")
India's net-zero ambition is clear, but the climate finance gap looms
A NITI Aayog study flags a multi-trillion-dollar climate finance gap, urging institutional reform and new green funding mechanisms to keep India on track for net zero
 "India's net-zero ambition is clear, but the climate finance gap looms")
Trade agreements open doors, but India still isn't investment-ready
Creating the groundwork for shovel-ready investment would require hard work to reverse all of India's deep-seated problems
 "Trade agreements open doors, but India still isn't investment-ready")
The Sixteenth Finance Commission and the problem of uneven states
The 16th Finance Commission opts for continuity over disruption, but its new devolution formula and scrapping of revenue-deficit grants raise key federal equity concerns
Best of BS Opinion: Growth revival, Japan's break, and labour's new mood
Here are the best of Business Standard's opinion pieces for today
 "Best of BS Opinion: Growth revival, Japan's break, and labour's new mood")
Gig workers find their voice: Push grows for welfare and protections
Back-to-back service sector strikes underline rising worker assertion in the gig economy and test whether new labour reforms can deliver real security
 "Gig workers find their voice: Push grows for welfare and protections")
Capital expenditure, not just revenue spending, needs close monitoring
After years of rapid expansion, the Centre's capital spending growth eases as private investment shows early signs of revival
Japan's Thatcher: Sanae Takaichi's win may reshape Indo-Pacific geopolitics
On the external front, Ms Takaichi has eschewed Japan's traditional equidistance between the United States (US) and China
 "Japan's Thatcher: Sanae Takaichi's win may reshape Indo-Pacific geopolitics")
Exports can be a powerful driver of investment and economic growth
Private investment has been constrained by several factors over the years
 "Exports can be a powerful driver of investment and economic growth")
Wanted: A new model for microfinance as MFIs explore secured products
Some MFIs are turning into business correspondents. They are also looking for more secured loans, one of the products being loan against gold
 "Wanted: A new model for microfinance as MFIs explore secured products")
Best of BS Opinion: Automation surge and the fragile nuclear peace
Here are the best of Business Standard's opinion pieces for today
 "Best of BS Opinion: Automation surge and the fragile nuclear peace")
CPI base revision reflects both methodological rigour, practical relevance
MoSPI's revised CPI modernises price collection, updates weights and aligns with global standards, reshaping how inflation trends are measured and interpreted
 "CPI base revision reflects both methodological rigour, practical relevance")
Overhaul the labour regime: Unions ill-prepared for tech reshaping work
India needs simpler, more flexible labour Codes and modernised trade unions, not a return to 29 outdated laws that hurt productivity, formalisation and competitiveness
A paradigm shift: Threat is increasing for routine IT roles across services
The advent of useful new technology always leads to disruption as some functions are phased out. For example, horse breeders suffered an apocalypse when the automobile arrived
 "A paradigm shift: Threat is increasing for routine IT roles across services")
A START for multilateralism: Nuclear proliferation needs a global treaty
The US and Russia currently account for 90 per cent of all nuclear weapons. But there are now a total of nine nuclear-armed states, which collectively account for 12,241 warheads as of January 2025
 "A START for multilateralism: Nuclear proliferation needs a global treaty")
Best of BS Opinion: Trade deals a positive, but more reforms required
Today's Best of BS Opinion explores India's trade deals, RBI's stance amid base-year revisions, co-operatives' regulatory dilemma, equity market challenges, and Russia's wilderness in history
 "Best of BS Opinion: Trade deals a positive, but more reforms required")
Stable environment: Base-year revisions may not have immediate implications
The RBI's MPC held rates steady, citing improved growth and benign inflation, while announcing regulatory steps to boost credit flow and strengthen digital payment safety
 "Stable environment: Base-year revisions may not have immediate implications")
After the trade deal: Exporters will benefit if New Delhi stays active
The India-US interim trade framework signals a thaw in ties, tariff relief for exporters, protected farm interests, and a renewed push for reforms to make trade gains sustainable
 "After the trade deal: Exporters will benefit if New Delhi stays active")
Recent trade deals are a relief, but high valuations remain a headwind
Trade deals ease risks for Indian equities, but weak demand and stretched valuations raise questions over whether optimism-especially in smallcaps-can turn into a sustained bull run
 "Recent trade deals are a relief, but high valuations remain a headwind")