Page 6 - Editorial Comment

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

Nuclear energy can help power India's economic growth, private push welcome

For decades, state control was justified by concerns over radiation safety, misuse of nuclear material, and strategic security

Govt must bite the bullet on land reforms to ease manufacturing growth

How to make land available quickly and cheaply for development, without alienating landowners or eroding their rights, remains a point of contention

Not just 'friendly critics': Independent directors need more accountability

This era of the sinecure may be changing, however, with Sebi and the courts increasingly holding independent directors liable for corporate malfeasance

Independence Day resolve: India must work to strengthen its institutions

What India achieves in the coming years and decades will depend a lot on how its politics and governance evolve

Revenue milestone: Airtel is leading the way with record-high Arpu

As Arpu is a key yardstick of a telecom company's financial health, telcos must work on effective monetisation strategies

Recharging the old: How retrofitting can help improve green mobility

Unlike new EV purchases, which remain unaffordable for many low-income users and small fleet operators, retrofitting leverages existing assets

Weighty issues: India's rush to make weight-loss drugs demands user caution

The global market for weight-loss drugs is estimated at $100 billion by the end of the decade

Unfair and unwarranted: US action will result in undesirable outcomes

The initial imposition of a higher 25 per cent tariff last week was also devoid of economic logic

Collaboration for future: Isro and India will benefit from Nasa

Artemis signup allows Isro and the fast-growing Indian aerospace sector to bid for Nasa tenders and the famously frugal Indian engineering sector could find opportunities there and pick up new skills

US tariffs should not be cause for disengaging from trade talks, blocs

The fundamental challenge for the Indian economy is to increase productivity and competitiveness

Back in the sun: Patient and constructive diplomacy pays off in Maldives

As the recent reset with Sri Lanka has demonstrated, mature responses to geopolitical pressures can be as effective as the exercise of hard power

Signs of the future: India must prepare to deal with AI adoption

The fast-changing technology landscape, with the growth and adoption of AI, is making not only tech firms but businesses across the spectrum adapt

An inclusive index: More data needed to strengthen financial inclusion

The index is composed of three key parameters - access, usage, and quality - all of which have shown improvement this year