Page 60 - Opinion

Beyond a bank's balance sheet: Customer service takes centre stage

Rankings based on redressal of customer complaints are finally making banks and insurance companies realise the importance of customers service

Private capex remains tepid for lack of wage growth that could boost demand

Overall, government capex averaged 4.1 per cent of gross domestic product (GDP) over FY22-25, up from 2.8 per cent in the pre-pandemic days

Will artificial intelligence become a Damocles sword over humanity's head?

The big question today in every corner of the world, including India, is this: Will the new technology wave AI create similar violent protest movements and what kind of resolution will be reached?

Quarterly or bi-annual: Will reducing financial reporting frequency help?

Moving to a biannual reporting cycle will inevitably increase information asymmetry between management and shareholders, potentially leading to greater volatility in financial markets

Rising and shining: Global uncertainty is pushing precious metal prices

One factor driving prices is currency-market volatility. A weaker USD, in particular, is often the trigger for bull runs - international prices of both metals are USD-denominated

AI framework charts next chapter for Indian banking, drives innovation

The framework emphasises robust governance, clear accountability for AI, drafting of policy, risk management, and ethical guardrails

Loan rates should mirror unfinished homes' higher risk, highlight gap

Requiring banks to hold more capital for under-construction loans and less after completion would make their higher risk evident through the resulting interest-rate differential

Anti-Indianism, not Islam, is the ideology that keeps Pakistan going

Pakistan's army has been a rentier force available to a reasonable bidder. It has never come to the aid of any Muslims, including Palestinians or Gazans, except for making noises here and there

A handshake before a game is a show of respect, but what if there is none?

Refusing to shake hands in public by top sportspersons - not for Covid-like precautions, but for other reasons - is a big statement and can cause a lot of social uproar

Off the cricket pitch, Pakistan has outplayed India on the world stage

The Chinese might have lost some enthusiasm for their "iron friends" in Islamabad and Rawalpindi, but they are not turning off the tap completely

TikTok: When an unstoppable app meets an immovable political force

TikTok has been banned in the US since January 2025. There have been back-and-forth negotiations about an enforced selloff of TikTok US for years

India's economy is stronger than Trump thinks, but needs structural reform

The most urgent challenge facing Indian policymakers is weathering the escalating trade war

OpenAI's Sora makes disinformation extremely easy, real with AI clips

The app, called Sora, requires just a text prompt to create almost any footage a user can dream up

Best of BS Opinion: A sobering set of data reveals India's infirmities

From low workers' wages to suspect GDP to scary rankings for pilot training schools to self-serving protectionism, today's pieces paint a sobering picture of what ails India economy and policy

Government must protect domestic manufacturing from self-serving forces

What matters, however, is the manufacturing environment India is building

How exclusive partnerships shape the AI landscape and competition

Despite perceived short-term consumer gains, studies show that long-term competition suffers due to the powerful "status-quo bias" created by pre-installed services

To beat slow growth, India needs to create better-paying jobs at scale

The combination of slower productivity and a shrinking formal sector has substantially restrained wage growth, undermining both worker income and domestic demand

DGCA's ranking reveals serious quality problems in India's pilot training

A granular look at the ranking criteria the DGCA has applied is concerning.

UP's bottom-up model can show the way to measuring India's true economy

The headline numbers are based on currently available, measurable data and represent the best possible estimates within the existing system

The wisdom of waiting: Why RBI held back despite inflation plunging

With inflation easing to 2.6%, RBI opts for caution, saving rate cuts for later