Page 29 - Bs Opinion

As the left fades from Bengal's landscape, BJP makes a fervent pitch

In West Bengal, the Left is in a dead heat with the Congress for the wooden spoon; Maoism in the tribal heartland has been entombed; and in Kerala, the Left fights double incumbency

Infosys picks Alcaraz as brand ambassador, but can it leverage his reach?

B2B companies hiring global celebrities at colossal prices does not really make sense

BJP's alliance bind in Andhra Pradesh complicates long-term growth strategy

With the two most powerful political forces falling over each other to support it in Andhra Pradesh, the BJP gains and loses at the same time

Delimitation and devolution must advance together for India's democracy

One cannot keep kicking two contentious cans down the road forever

But for the RBI's management, rupee would have been far more volatile

Global shocks from pandemics to wars are reshaping currencies and capital flows, raising questions on RBI's role and India's external stability strategy

Impact of GST rate cuts appears to be more nuanced than widespread

GST rate cuts may not immediately boost demand; study by National Institute of Public Finance and Policy shows delayed, nuanced impact on consumption and income

With Cook's exit, AI will be biggest challenge for new Apple CEO Ternus

Apple's leadership shift to John Ternus comes at a critical moment as the company races to catch up in AI and defend its dominance in a rapidly evolving tech landscape

Fed Watch: Change of guard at US cenbank will have implications for markets

A leadership shift at the US Fed amid political pressure and policy debates could test central bank independence and shape global financial stability

Ground realities: Ceasefire extended, but path ahead remains unclear

If, as reported, the powerful Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) is actively sidelining the political authorities, it is difficult to see scope for common ground

AI can compress drug discovery timelines, unlock real-world health gains

Health data remains in silos across hospitals, insurers, and geographies, often locked behind incompatible systems

Gatekeeping professions: Fit-and-proper tests must be principled and fair

The fit-and-proper test is neither novel nor uniquely Indian

Urban incomes rise fast, but inequality widens within and beyond cities

Urban India's income distribution deserves to be looked at distinctly from rural India's

Chips to ships: South Korea, India must collaborate in additional sectors

Lee Jae-Myung's India visit highlights untapped potential in India-South Korea ties, from semiconductors to shipbuilding, amid a shared push for a stable Indo-Pacific

Crisis response: Things could get tough if the conflict continues

Fragile West Asia ceasefire and oil risks test India's economy, as the RBI balances rupee stability, inflation control, and growth amid rising global uncertainty

The West Asia Challenge: Govt must revisit its macroeconomic assumptions

West Asia tensions threaten India's fiscal balance, growth outlook, and external stability, forcing a rethink of macroeconomic assumptions

India's data collection needs to go local to capture finer details

As the economy becomes more regionally differentiated, national and state averages are no longer enough to track growth

India's buffers can steady markets, but hard policy choices lie ahead

India's buffers can manage markets for now, but hard policy choices still lie ahead

Let the rupee move freely: RBI intervention risks more harm than good

Attempts by the central bank to hold back the rupee risk doing more harm than good

The world of Mythos: Need for structures to ensure governance, regulation

When Anthropic realised the capability of the new model, it acknowledged CMP was too dangerous for general release

Reservations about quotas: Universities must eliminate faculty ward quotas

It may be argued that the quota acts as a perk of sorts for faculty in the absence of other key benefits