Best of BS Opinion: Tumbling through trade, oil, uncertainty, and reform

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

Lately, I’ve been watching a kid down the street master a cartwheel. He throws herself into the air like gravity is optional — sometimes flopping, sometimes flying, always laughing. It’s become a daily spectacle. What’s curious is that he doesn’t care how perfectly he lands. It’s the rhythm he’s chasing — the feeling of spinning, stumbling, regaining balance, and doing it again. Today’s stories feel similar. Let’s dive in. 

Take the global oil market. The International Energy Agency’s dramatic cut in demand forecast is a mid-air twist — 300,000 barrels per day wiped from expected growth. Trade wars, electric vehicles, macro tremors — everything’s in motion. For oil-exporting economies like Russia and the Gulf, it’s a hard pivot. But for India, it’s a complex spin: cheaper oil could ease our import bill, but the uncertainty behind it could knock us off balance, argues our first editorial. It’s like landing a clean turn only to realise the mat is moving.  

 

Meanwhile, the Centre is trying its own rebalancing act, merging the Department of Public Enterprises with Dipam. It's meant to streamline decision-making, but some worry it might sacrifice reform for bureaucratic gymnastics. Disinvestment, once a headline act, now quietly waits on the sidelines. A new configuration doesn’t mean a better performance — especially if the will to leap is missing. Here’s our editorial for more. 

Naushad Forbes takes a wider view, urging countries not to somersault into Trump’s protectionist frame. His column reminds us, we can’t let one reckless gymnast dictate the routine. A rules-based, collaborative approach is the only way to land without injury. 

And Rajesh Kumar maps the turbulence from Trump’s tariff antics. Even if the music pauses, the floor’s still slippery. For India, this means deeper EU ties, exploring the CPTPP, and letting the rupee face some volatility. Staying upright may mean leaning with the spin rather than resisting it. 

Finally, in his review of Why We’re Getting Poorer, A realist’s guide to the economy and how to fix it by Cahal Moran, Sanjeev Ahluwalia captures the core truth: the economy rewards flair over function. Moran’s realist lens shows how inequality is built into the choreography, with the bottom 15 per cent left dizzy and unseen. 

Stay tuned!