Best of BS Opinion: Defence reset, urban push, and the politics of Keeladi

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

India’s latest defence Budget signals a clear strategic reset shaped by recent combat experience and the pressures of a difficult neighbourhood. Air defence, undersea naval capability and long-range strike systems are priorities, though salaries and pensions still absorb over half the allocation. The gradual impact of the Agneepath scheme may ease this burden, yet the real test, as our first editorial notes, will be whether domestic manufacturers can deliver modern platforms on time and whether the services can integrate them quickly enough to close gaps such as fighter-squadron strength. 

The Union Budget 2026-27 also marks a decisive urban turn, betting on high-speed rail corridors, metro expansion and City Economic Regions to lift growth. However, congestion is already eroding productivity, with Indian cities ranking among the most clogged in the world. Despite large investments, mobility outcomes remain poor because buses are inadequate, first- and last-mile links are weak and private vehicles dominate road space. Our second editorial argues for people-centric planning that expands bus fleets, improves walkability, integrates shared mobility and uses technology and parking policy to manage demand, warning that assets alone will not revive urban economies. 

 

Meanwhile, Ajay Chhibber writes that India weathered the 2025 Trump tariff shock better than expected, with growth above 7 per cent aided by services exports, remittances and discounted energy. Swift trade deals with the EU and the US have reinforced an export- and FDI-led strategy and supported markets, though American policy unpredictability remains a risk. The Budget backs resilience through public capex and support for AI and semiconductors, yet Chibber cautions that slow fiscal consolidation and rising public debt could limit India’s ability to face future crises. 

In his column, Ajay Kumar explains how acoustics is becoming a core military technology well beyond its traditional naval role. Advances in signal processing and artificial intelligence allow networks of small sensors to detect drones and submarines across difficult terrain. Major powers are investing heavily in this field, and India faces unique challenges in the warm waters of the Indian Ocean. Kumar proposes a National Ocean Acoustic Grid, a dedicated warfare agency and stronger domestic research to secure strategic advantage. 

Finally, Arundhuti Dasgupta reviews Sowmya Ashok’s The Dig: Keeladi and the politics of India’s past, which recounts how discoveries at Keeladi in Tamil Nadu unsettled established ideas about India’s early urban history. Artefacts indicated a sophisticated settlement contemporary with the Harappan period, but the scientific debate soon gave way to political and linguistic contestation. The book places Keeladi within global archaeological research and uses genetic studies to show that India’s past has always been diverse and mixed. Its most persuasive sections focus on the researchers who continue to work amid pressure, making a case for evidence and patience rather than ideology in understanding the country’s civilisational story. 

Stay tuned!