Page 10 - Bs Opinion

Best of BS Opinion: Competitiveness is built by openness and clarity

Whether in retail, football, industry, capital flows or public finance, the systems that win are those willing to open up, disclose more, compete harder and adapt faster

Can India innovate? The innovation gap starts with its largest companies

India has the talent and startup momentum, but unless its largest companies invest boldly in R&D, the country risks falling behind in global innovation

Off-field divide: European football teams racially diverse but Europe isn't

White Europeans may be happy to watch foreign players from the distance of a football stadium win sporting laurels for their nations but are unlikely to welcome them elsewhere

Retail rulebook: India needs a clear policy framework for growth

With ecommerce emerging as the biggest disruptor, international marquee brands entered this space and, more recently, the quick-commerce segment

Best of BS Opinion: The missing links beyond visible progress

Visible progress matters, as these pieces show, but missing links decide how far it can go

The missing human growth factor: Bridging India's human-capital deficit

Human capital - not geography, culture or natural resources - now explains why some nations become wealthy while others remain stagnant

The poor's savings: The next frontier for NPCI and RBI Innovation Hub

For savings, the risk of default or malfeasance is borne by the vulnerable customer and, therefore, the regulator is cautious in allowing any latitude in experiments with savings products

Indo-Pacific push: Modi's 3-nation visit strengthened geostrategic doctrine

The three-nation visit offered a coherent articulation of New Delhi's geostrategic aims at a time when trade and political relations with the US remain unpredictable

Boosting manufacturing: Lower import barriers will increase exports

While the decision on duty exemption must be welcomed, the end date underlines India's inherent reluctance in liberalising imports

Film celebrity held liable for no-show at event, ordered to refund fee

The actress failed to appear at the event, ruining the well-planned programme that had generated considerable expectations

How the controversy over 'Satluj' could reshape Punjab's electoral politics

The Diljit Dosanjh-starrer Satluj doesn't blame any political party or individual politicians. We only know the demographic in Punjab it's bound to trigger the most

Should the world adopt a law to recognise ecocide as a global crime?

From the Vietnam War to the crisis in West Asia, the environment is no longer just collateral damage. It is becoming a target in its own right

AI export curbs blur the line between security and mercantilism

Are restrictions on frontier models really driven by national-security concerns?

Brazil's ethanol journey offers India both lessons and cautionary tales

Brazil avoided it, but India seems to be rushing through the ethanol transition at consumers' expense viewpoint

The politics of image: How the World Cup became a battlefield of symbols

As several scholars have written, a symbol has language. But a symbol also has multivale¬n¬ce. It can mean many things at the same time

States' fiscal realities vary widely as debt, revenue and capex diverge

Revenue gaps and structural spending imbalances weigh on their finances, squeezing crucial infrastructure growth

For India's urban rejuvenation, the case for practical, scalable fixes

Skipping the ideal and pushing doable urban reforms immediately is key to reviving India's sputtering city growth engines

Social welfare spending is improving quality of lives across states

Devolved funds and tailored welfare schemes empower grassroots development, lifting poor families and driving rural equality

State legislatures shape the destiny of people; they must act like it

They handle Budgets and laws, but their dismal sitting days shows a lack of debate & scrutiny

16th Finance Commission's balance and tilt in Centre-state fiscal ties

The 16th Finance Commission tilts Centre-state fiscal ties by retaining 41% tax devolution while ending revenue deficit grants, raising concerns over fiscal balance