Opinion

Census 2027 will inform policy, but it could also reshape India's politics

The Census exercise will be carried out in two phases. The first phase will be a house-listing and housing Census, which will be conducted between April and September over a period of 30 days

Don't waste the oil shock, use it to secure India's energy future

Crude oil imports alone in 2025-26 are around 225 Mt. At $120 per barrel, the annual import bill for crude oil will be around $160 billion, compared with $80 billion at a crude price of $60 per barrel

Best of BS Opinion: Budget math meets oil shock as global faultlines widen

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

Clouded year ahead: Economic conditions have changed since February 1

Multiple sectors will come under pressure, complicating the government's plans for the year

Fractured future: MC14 exposes the limitations of WTO amid deep divisions

The larger takeaway from MC14 is the fragmentation of global trade governance

Custodian, not owner or promoter: Listing key to Tata Sons control debate

Following the unexpected turn of events, it may help to take a closer look at what Tata Trusts, its trustees, its chairman, and the nominee directors stand for vis-a-vis Tata Sons

Priced out of India's digital revolution: Taxes weigh on smartphone demand

The smartphone is now part of basic economic infrastructure. A farmer in Vidarbha uses his phone to check mandi prices before selling his produce

Big business groups' diversification game amid slowing growth, rising risks

Slowing growth and volatile earnings are pushing India Inc. to diversify aggressively-even as weak R&D spending raises concerns about long-term competitiveness

Best of BS Opinion: All eyes on RBI's policy meeting amid Iran conflict

From Sebi's governance gaps and inflation targeting to investor protection concerns, AI-led consumer insights, and evolving global discourse, today's BS Opinion offers sharp perspectives

Inflation dynamics: Ongoing Iran conflict will complicate policy choices

Research has shown that both the inflation rate and volatility moderated after the adoption of the flexible inflation-targeting framework

Trust deficit: Sebi's move to address conflict of interest needs more heft

Sebi moves to tighten conflict norms, but limited disclosures and voluntary code risk falling short of restoring investor trust in the regulator's independence

New Securities Code misses its statutory purpose, leaves investors exposed

The Code is an ambitious attempt to consolidate three securities laws into a single, modern statute

Digital data can't match managerial intuition on consumer needs, trends

The point often missed is that the data and dashboards tend to be supply-sided chronicles of company effort rather than customer outcomes

Best of BS Opinion: Iran conflict gives India a chance for energy reform

From the US-Iran conflict's global fallout to social media accountability, India's energy challenges and corporate law reforms, today's BS Opinion offers a wide-ranging policy perspective

West Asia conflict: Anti-dumping duties need a downstream impact test

A surge in DGTR anti-dumping actions may protect producers but risks raising costs for downstream industries, reviving concerns over creeping protectionism

India must overhaul its electricity model to reduce energy vulnerability

A tenfold increase in the share of renewables in the total energy supply is needed

New corporate law is welcome push for less friction, stronger governance

The Bill has been referred to a joint parliamentary committee for scrutiny and stakeholder inputs before it returns for final consideration

Restricting social harm: US verdicts expose social media's design flaws

Regulation must engage with the architecture of platforms rather than rely solely on blunt prohibitions

No end in sight: West Asia conflict escalating costs for global economy

Countries in Asia heavily dependent on West Asian fossil fuel are already struggling to contain the inflationary impact and hardships of fuel shortages

DigiHaat gives small sellers AI power in ecommerce for wider reach

DigiHaat rolls out AI tools to help small-town sellers list, price and deliver products online, deepening access to ecommerce via ONDC