Page 28 - Opinion

Inconsistent solutions: Recent telecom directives must be reconsidered

This would in effect install in every smartphone a backdoor, which could be a threat to privacy and security

Best of BS Opinion: Policy heat, tech pushback, and strategic moves

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

RBI policy in a season of contradictions: Mixed signals ahead of December 5

HSBC economist argues GDP overstated, inflation structural, and currency depreciation acts as a needed shock absorber

A defence link that lasts: India-Russia summit to test future ties

Summit may address missile buys, fighter jet co-production despite supply delays and India's diversification push

Big banks, or more agile banks? Sector ripe for disruption amid tech shift

As data, payments, and deposits shift to tech giants, regulators must rethink corporate ownership and competitive rules

Protecting revenue: GST may need further reforms to safeguard collections

Govt hikes excise on tobacco, levies pan masala cess amid tepid GST growth, raising concerns over divisible pool

India's trade crossroads: Navigating global headwinds, building resilience

The challenge is not reversal but recalibration: India must redesign its external strategy even as domestic engines stay strong

Best of BS Opinion: Turning up the music while the smoke thickens around us

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

Govt needs to balance high growth with quality of life for citizens

As air quality worsens, balancing 8% GDP growth with cleaner air requires stricter enforcement and new policy focus

Unsettled designs: India's regulators, tribunals need deeper reform

Supreme Court's recent judgment continues a three-decade cycle of invalidations; a regulatory reset is overdue

Hardware for AI: Google's entry will increase competition in market

However, Google's recent launch of Gemini3 has served as a good advertisement for the capability of its TPUs, which were used to develop the new model

Withering heights: Supreme Court verdict impacts the future of Aravallis

This much is clear from an internal assessment of the Forest Survey of India, which is reported to have stated that more than 90 per cent of the Aravallis falls below 100 metres

How consumers perceive quality in an era where branding dominates

There was a time when brands used to proudly display quality marks like 'Agmark' and 'ISI' mark in their advertising and on their packaging

Best of BS Opinion: Will a 25% rate cut make any meaningful difference?

Today's Best of BS Opinion looks at India's real GDP growth contrasts with weak nominal growth, persistent air pollution, confusion over AI , and uncertain labour-code implementation and more

December monetary policy a close call; all eyes on RBI's communication

With inflation at a record low of 0.25% and robust GDP growth, the RBI faces a close call between supporting the economy and a weakening rupee

Quality control order rollbacks should be the start of bigger cleanups

The government defers quality control orders on steel and chemicals, signaling a shift from a protectionist trade regime that hurt downstream industries

A binding national plan is urgently needed to tackle air pollution

The key message from this 10-year study is that despite policy intervention and technological improvement, India's major cities continue to suffer major air-quality challenges

Beating expectations: Recent reforms will improve the business environment

India's GDP surged 8% in the first half, defying global headwinds, but weak nominal growth and slowing tax revenues raise fresh questions ahead of the MPC's policy review

New Labour Codes: The main challenge with Indian policy is its execution

India's new labour Codes promise sweeping reform, but weak state capacity, patchy data, and political risk may once again turn ambitious legislation into uneven, middling execution

Relax, enjoy the dawn of the AI era, and disregard frightening headlines

From 1980s fears over banking computerisation to today's worries about AI, the author argues that technological change inspires anxiety before it ultimately reshapes society for the better