Page 28 - Bs Opinion

FIFA's own goals: Revenue maximisation is tarnishing sporting values

Ticket prices for the final stand at over $7,500, more than four times the price of the 2022 final

Ethanol Gambit: E85 push must be matched by a long-term transport strategy

Every increase in ethanol content requires engineering changes, recalibrating engines, testing, certification, and modifications to components exposed to fuel

Priority sector lending must reflect India's changing economy

In 2025-26, micro and small enterprises, for the first time, overtook agriculture as the single-largest component of PSL

India's political class remains irrationally uneasy about youth dissent

Let's just enjoy the rare spectacle of peaceful youthful defiance

Real cost of freebies is the erosion in quality of public spending

State debt and deficits do not capture the damage that doles inflict on the quality of public spending

Smart Courts: AI can improve India's justice delivery with human oversight

Judicial officers, the registry personnel, lawyers and other court staffers, especially in the lower courts, will require extensive training to understand the capabilities and limitations of AI tools

Fixing Fertiliser: Urea subsidy cannot be allowed to continue unreformed

With fertiliser subsidies set to hit record levels, India faces growing pressure to reform urea pricing and shift support directly to farmers

Rules for market infrastructure institutions must be subject to oversight

Institutions exercising public regulatory power must not remain outside meaningful oversight

Clear and present dangers: Citizens pay the price for municipal negligence

The deadly Delhi B&B fire highlights a deeper crisis of weak municipal oversight, routine safety violations and the urgent need for urban governance reforms

India needs patient capital to build atmanirbhar industrial capacity

Every major industrial power has relied on long-duration strategic capital. If India insists on pure market competition, the playing field will remain inherently asymmetric

Fake plays, music and video: Copyright fraud was there, AI amplified it

Across the world, streaming brings in 70 per cent of revenues, with the next-largest chunk, 16.6 per cent, coming from physical sales, which saw a growth rate of 8 per cent last year, thanks to boomin

Reflections from the road: On India, the mood remains sombre, even bleak

The sense of excitement and infinite possibilities are visible in every interaction with corporate America, public investors, and venture capitalists

Gauging price pressures: New WPI and PPI hold promise, updates are key

The revised WPI expands the basket from 697 to 957 items, and improves the methodology to prepare weightings by using gross value of output instead of net traded value

Epic stalemate: US-Israel war on Iran hasn't achieved any of its objectives

Key global market indices around the world have plummeted; India alone has lost trillions in investor wealth with a steadily weakening rupee

Best of BS Opinion: When systems face the stress test

From oil shocks and capital flows to climate stress and chess scandals, today's opinions examine how credibility, resilience and institutions hold up under pressure

Capital flows can support the rupee, but exports must sustain its strength

Tax breaks and RBI measures may attract foreign funds and support the rupee, but lasting currency strength depends on exports, FDI and competitiveness

The new environmentalism: Why sustainability must begin with inclusion

World Environment Day 2026 calls for a new environmentalism that links sustainable growth with inclusion, climate resilience and stronger governance

A growth surprise: Healthy Q4 GDP print lends cushion amid hazy outlook

India's economy grew 7.8% in Q4 FY26, beating forecasts, but risks from the West Asia crisis, higher oil prices and a weak monsoon cloud the outlook

Tango and Cash: Choreographed moves of RBI, Centre good for bond markets

The government and RBI have unveiled tax and policy measures to revive foreign investment, strengthen the balance of payments and support the rupee

EMs in the oil shock: Policymakers are going into an examination hall

The 2026 oil shock is testing emerging economies, with fuel pricing, exchange-rate flexibility and inflation control set to determine growth outcomes