Page 48 - Bs Opinion

The small picture: Tracing the subtle trends behind India's capex growth

Remember that the government had for the first time in the last five years projected a single-digit growth in capex in 2025-26 to just 6.5 per cent

The macro view on micro dramas: Shorter, faster, and more addictive

From two- to-three-hour films to one- to two-minute micro-dramas, online content consumption is getting shorter, faster, and arguably more mindless

Listen to NITI Aayog: Boost trade competitiveness to strengthen economy

It is important for India to focus on expanding exports. External demand can be an important source of sustaining high growth, as demonstrated by several Asian countries in recent decades

Cracking pollution: Green fireworks are not India's long-term solution

Burning crackers during the paroxysms of celebrations that erupt during Diwali and continue after the festival add significantly to the pungent particulate matter in the air

Best of BS Opinion: India's ambitions and the cape it keeps tripping on

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

Unhealthy practices: Regulatory vigilance on pharma needs a relook

Deaths from ingesting contaminated cough syrups in India have occurred with distressing frequency for decades

Pulses push: New govt mission should help reduce import dependence

Past experience in India shows that production, higher minimum support prices, and procurement alone cannot solve the problem

Bengaluru at a crossroads as urban decay threatens its IT-driven growth

This sub-optimal delivery of urban services stems from a combination of governance, planning, and funding issues that Bengaluru is grappling with

Why India needs more engineers in power, not just in classrooms

As India struggles to build its manufacturing sector and quality physical infra, we could consider what leadership role engineers should play in politics and the administration, writes T N Ninan

Beyond a bank's balance sheet: Customer service takes centre stage

Rankings based on redressal of customer complaints are finally making banks and insurance companies realise the importance of customers service

Private capex remains tepid for lack of wage growth that could boost demand

Overall, government capex averaged 4.1 per cent of gross domestic product (GDP) over FY22-25, up from 2.8 per cent in the pre-pandemic days

Will artificial intelligence become a Damocles sword over humanity's head?

The big question today in every corner of the world, including India, is this: Will the new technology wave AI create similar violent protest movements and what kind of resolution will be reached?

AI framework charts next chapter for Indian banking, drives innovation

The framework emphasises robust governance, clear accountability for AI, drafting of policy, risk management, and ethical guardrails

Anti-Indianism, not Islam, is the ideology that keeps Pakistan going

Pakistan's army has been a rentier force available to a reasonable bidder. It has never come to the aid of any Muslims, including Palestinians or Gazans, except for making noises here and there

A handshake before a game is a show of respect, but what if there is none?

Refusing to shake hands in public by top sportspersons - not for Covid-like precautions, but for other reasons - is a big statement and can cause a lot of social uproar

Off the cricket pitch, Pakistan has outplayed India on the world stage

The Chinese might have lost some enthusiasm for their "iron friends" in Islamabad and Rawalpindi, but they are not turning off the tap completely

TikTok: When an unstoppable app meets an immovable political force

TikTok has been banned in the US since January 2025. There have been back-and-forth negotiations about an enforced selloff of TikTok US for years

India's economy is stronger than Trump thinks, but needs structural reform

The most urgent challenge facing Indian policymakers is weathering the escalating trade war

OpenAI's Sora makes disinformation extremely easy, real with AI clips

The app, called Sora, requires just a text prompt to create almost any footage a user can dream up

Government must protect domestic manufacturing from self-serving forces

What matters, however, is the manufacturing environment India is building