Best of Opinion: The hard work behind big ambitions

Today's columns examines the gap between ambition and action in climate policy, the impact of AI on jobs, India's battery-storage opportunity, energy transition and the power of brand storytelling

Big ambitions often begin with bold promises. But between setting a target and achieving it sits the harder task of building institutions, capabilities and systems that can turn aspirations into results. Our first editorial, “Insalubrious climate for reform”, examines how global climate negotiations continue to falter as commitments outpace action, financing remains contentious and environmental concerns struggle for meaningful attention. “Shifts in labour market”, the second editorial, considers how AI could reshape employment, arguing that skill development and institutional support would be essential to managing the transition. Laveesh Bhandari's column, “India's grid-scale moment”, sees an opportunity for India to build a globally competitive battery-storage industry, provided industrial policy, innovation and manufacturing capabilities develop together. In “COP31 and the 35x35 ambition”, R R Rashmi explores what it would take to raise electricity's share of India's energy consumption to 35 per cent by 2035, highlighting the infrastructure and investment needed to support that transformation. “Short stories about successful brands”, Ambi Parameswaran’s review of Sanjay Arora's Brief Case, shows how storytelling helps products earn recognition, trust and cultural relevance. Ambition matters everywhere — whether in policy, technology, industry or branding — these pieces show. But what ultimately counts is the work that gives it substance.