Best of BS Opinion: Reforms will deliver 10x, A 'balanced' CM and more

From reform over austerity to 1973 echoes and brands chasing tattoo culture, today's BS Opinion tracks power and identity

Hello and welcome to Best of BS Opinion, a wrap of columns on today’s Opinion page.

 

R Jagannathan argues in his column that India’s response to an external economic shock cannot rest on austerity appeals alone. Calls to save fuel, work from home, curb gold purchases or reduce avoidable consumption may signal seriousness, but they can deliver only limited savings. The larger gains will come from reforms that improve productivity, reduce waste, lower the cost of doing business and make the economy more resilient.

 

The real test for a chief minister is not just winning power but maintaining political and administrative balance after victory, Aditi Phadnis writes. The column looks at the demands placed on a leader who must manage allies, voters, fiscal limits, governance promises and competing social expectations. It suggests that political instinct alone is not enough once the campaign is over. The harder work lies in turning a broad mandate into delivery without alienating key groups or stretching state finances. Phadnis frames balance as both a political skill and a governing necessity.

 

 

Shekhar Gupta compares the present political-economic moment with 1973, when Indira Gandhi faced a difficult mix of oil shocks, inflation, centralised power and political pressure. He argues that there are echoes today as Prime Minister Narendra Modi confronts external shocks, economic anxieties and the temptation to use strong political authority to manage uncertainty. The piece is not a simple equivalence between the two leaders, but a warning against repeating old mistakes. Gupta suggests that crises test not only economic management but also institutional restraint, political judgement and the ability to avoid excessive centralisation.

 

Sandeep Goyal notes in his column that legacy brands are increasingly borrowing from tattoo culture because they want what conventional advertising often cannot provide — authenticity, edge and emotional permanence. Tattoos represent deep personal identification, not casual consumer preference, and that makes them attractive to brands trying to stay relevant with younger audiences. He observes that the move reflects a wider shift in branding, where companies want to be seen less as distant institutions and more as cultural symbols.