Access only begins the story; capability decides what comes next

From electronics and trade to global influence and forestry, today's opinion pieces argue that access creates opportunity, but capability determines lasting success

Access can open a door, but it does not decide what happens after entry. A country might enter global supply chains, sign a trade agreement, command geopolitical attention, possess valuable natural resources, or connect millions through the internet. But the gains depend on what lies behind that access: The capability to produce, compete, govern, innovate, protect and use opportunity well.

 

Our first editorial today, “Electronics push”, makes this point through India’s electronics ambitions. The government’s new Mobile Phone Manufacturing Scheme and India Semiconductor Mission 2.0 aim to move India beyond smartphone assembly towards deeper domestic value addition. India is already the world’s second-largest mobile-phone manufacturer by volume, and smartphones have become an important export item. But high-value components, design, semiconductors, memory chips and intellectual property remain largely controlled by overseas suppliers. The editorial argues that fiscal incentives are necessary but not enough. The country will need reliable infrastructure, engineering depth, R&D, policy certainty, faster approvals and integration with global supply chains if it wants to build genuine electronics and semiconductor capability.

 

 

The second editorial, “Declining relevance”, applies the same idea to global power. The US still has unmatched reach, but its credibility has weakened sharply. A Pew Research Centre survey shows, for the first time, more respondents in many countries hold a favourable view of China than of the US. The shift reflects concern over Washington’s recent conduct, including immigration crackdowns, military action and withdrawal from global aid and sustainable-development initiatives. The editorial warns that power alone does not guarantee leadership. Global influence depends on trust, restraint and consistency.

 

Ajay Shah’s column, “Gains from the UK FTA”, turns to trade. The India-UK free-trade agreement is an important step, especially because it is deeper than India’s older agreements and covers areas like government procurement, labour, environment, digital trade and services. But the agreement is only partly liberalising. India has retained phased tariff cuts, protection in sensitive sectors, limited procurement access and unfinished commitments on investment and data flows. The glass, Shah argues, is both half-full and half-empty. The real gain will come if India uses this agreement as a platform for greater openness and productivity, not as a cautious exception.

 

Surinder Sud’s column, “Teak is out of the woods”, brings the theme to agriculture and forestry. India has large teak resources and enormous demand for teakwood, yet it remains the world’s biggest importer. The opportunity lies in expanding domestic teak cultivation through agroforestry, subsidies, easier harvesting and transport rules, and modern tissue-culture technology that can shorten maturity periods. Natural advantage matters, but without policy support and improved cultivation practices, it cannot become farmer wealth.

 

“Global crimes of the heart”, Nicolas Niarchos’ review of Carlos Barragán’s The Yahoo Boys shows the darker side of access. The internet connected young Nigerians in poverty with lonely people across the world. But in the absence of opportunity, safeguards and accountability, that connection became a channel for romance scams and emotional exploitation.

 

Access, as these pieces show, only begins the story. Capability decides whether it becomes progress, power or peril.