Page 2 - Editorial Comment

India must invest in sovereign data infra, AI skilling for a new economy

NITI Aayog projects AI could add up to $1 trillion to India's GDP by 2035, but success depends on sovereign infrastructure, skilling, and responsible adoption

Basic issues in discoms must be addressed to root out persistent problems

Discom losses and distorted tariffs threaten India's power reforms; a consensus on cost-reflective pricing and transparent subsidies is crucial for sustainable growth

Nepal on the brink: Ruling elites increasingly out of sync with the people

Nepal's youth-led protests, triggered by a sweeping social media ban, have exposed deep political and economic rot, forcing PM Oli's resignation and leaving the country at a crossroads

Trade overtures: India should support exporters, affected businesses

With the US imposing steep tariffs on Indian exports, New Delhi must support affected firms while pursuing new markets, as trade talks with Washington remain uncertain

Why the Supreme Court is right to question ECI's voter review in Bihar

The court has correctly stepped in to point out that, under the law as written, a unique ID must be accepted as proof of identity, more so as the ECI plans a countrywide SIR

India's contract labour surge carries risks for jobs and the economy

Contract workers are typically not directly employed by factories but are hired through third-party agencies

Healthy outcomes: Address key gaps to make infant survival universal

India's infant mortality rate hits a record low, but stark regional gaps in nutrition, immunisation, and newborn care threaten to slow public health gains

Market signals: A combination of factors has pushed up bond yields

Bond yields rise despite RBI rate cuts as fiscal risks, GST revenue loss, and global conditions fuel market anxiety, dimming hopes of easing borrowing costs

Bima Sugam can deepen insurance penetration, but must be fair, transparent

Bima Sugam aims to transform insurance with a digital one-stop platform for buying, managing, and claiming policies, targeting "Insurance for All by 2047

Updated industrial classification will help capture new economy data

India's NIC-2025 update to include digital, green, and gig sectors, ensuring accurate economic data, global comparability, and better policy planning

It's raining crises: Cities need urgent plans for climate change impacts

At first glance, the easy culprit to pinpoint is growing indiscriminate urbanisation

A new GST: The indirect tax system simplified for greater efficiency

The removal of the 12 and 28 per cent slabs and the shifting of items from these slabs to 5 and 18 per cent will make a large number of consumer items cheaper

Fighting air pollution will take more than masks and symbolic fixes

The human cost is staggering. If India were to bring its pollution levels down to WHO norms, life expectancy will increase for everyone

Chips on the table: Phase 2 of semiconductor mission must shift the focus

Modi says India will capture a major share of global semiconductors as ISM Phase 2 shifts focus to ecosystem support and supply chain resilience

Horticulture push: Diversification can lift farm incomes, living standards

If India can align technology adoption, efficient market integration, and supportive policies, horticulture has the potential to become the durable engine of farm growth

A GST reset: Simplify the tax structure to boost revenue collection

Prime Minister Narendra Modi had announced in his Independence Day address that the GST system would be rationalised

Faltering ties with US drive deeper bilateral ties between India, Japan

Modi's Tokyo visit boosts India-Japan ties with 21 pacts, $67 bn investment push, and deeper cooperation amid US trade tensions and Indo-Pacific challenges

Among the challenges ahead for India, trade is the biggest risk to growth

Nearly all segments of the economy supported growth in the first quarter

Policy models will need to evolve as OpenAI, others make their India play

OpenAI Chief Executive Officer Sam Altman has argued that this is, in some sense, a test launch into its second-largest market, and it will roll out similar plans worldwide

The RBI's monetary policy framework has worked well, change not required

The trend-inflation rate has hovered close to the target, except mostly in times of excess volatility, and the credibility of the central bank has visibly strengthened