Best of BS Opinion: Keeping growth from flickering or burning out

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

Have you ever gone on a camping trip in the mountains with your friends? As the sun dips and the chill sets in, everyone gathers around a fire, sharing stories and warmth. But keeping that fire going isn’t as simple as it seems. Add too much wood, and the flames roar out of control. Add too little, and the embers die out. And if a sudden gust of wind catches the flames, things can spiral into chaos quickly. Tending a fire requires constant care — a delicate balance of feeding, monitoring, and adjusting. Today’s stories are not too different. Let’s dive in. 

 

As our first editorial highlights, India’s rupee has been flickering between gains and losses, reflecting external gusts from shifting US policies and volatile capital flows. After strengthening for nine straight sessions in March, the rupee still posted a 3 per cent loss for the current financial year. Trade negotiations with the US remain a critical spark especially amid declining US-China ties, ensuring that the fire of economic growth burns steadily. 

Yet, unattended embers can lead to crises, as noted by our second editorial on India’s pollution challenge. Despite ₹858 crore allocated for pollution control, less than 1 per cent has been used, leaving schemes like the National Clean Air Programme to burn slowly but without impact. Without prompt action, the flames of environmental neglect could grow into a wildfire, threatening public health and urban life. 

And as Dharmakirti Joshi points out, India’s GDP growth forecast of 6.5 per cent for FY26 signals a fire burning bright amid global economic chill. Strong external buffers and easing inflation provide stability, but domestic bottlenecks and sluggish private investment remain damp logs that need clearing. Strengthening trade alliances and enhancing ease of doing business will be crucial to keeping this growth fire alive. 

Meanwhile, in the energy space, Sharath Rao and Rahul Tongia caution that India’s solar power surge faces a delicate balance. Rooftop solar (RTS) adoption is rising, but adding battery storage to manage grid intermittency comes at a high cost, almost doubling system expenses. India must ensure that technical and financial adjustments fan the flames rather than smother them. 

Finally, as Sanjay Kumar Singh reviews in Long and Short: 72 stories by Groww to unravel stock markets, Groww’s storytelling prowess has brought investing wisdom to the masses. Much like keeping a fire alive by feeding it small, steady logs, stories about WeWork’s IPO or Tata Nano’s struggles remind investors that staying the course requires patience. 

Stay tuned, and remember, when fire is lit—let’s keep it burning!