TK Arun

WORLD

Batten down the hatches, Uncle Sam wants a deal

The televised blowup between Trump and Zelensky encapsulates the essence of America’s foreign policy today. Backed by the largest and most expensive military force, the security blanket provided by the leader of ‘free world’ comes at a cost. The recipients of the security blanket can’t negotiate the deal, they just have to accept it. Watch out, Japan and South Korea

BUSINESS

On fiscal federalism, all CMs sail in the same boat

Gujarat, Haryana and Odisha joined Kerala and Tamil Nadu in asking the Finance Commission for a 50 percent devolution in central taxes. It shows that the fiscal pressure states experience is structural in nature and has nothing much to do with the political colour of the chief minister

BUDGET

Budget floats on some risky bets

The budget identifies trade as an engine of growth. That engine is likely to stall, under the assault on global trade that the newly elected US president Donald Trump is rolling out. India would need to make other engines tick.

POLITICS

Psst, want a drink?

Face-off between United Breweries and Telangana government encapsulates the hypocrisy and the attendant distortionary policy which influence alcohol sale and consumption in India. We need to lift both hypocrisy and state control over liquor, save for some age-related controls, and let it take its place among other fast-moving consumer goods

WORLD

French President Emmanuel Macron takes a step back, to go two steps forward

French President Emmanuel Macron's calculated decisions, including appointing a conservative prime minister and proposing a budget with spending cuts, aim to strengthen his centrist party and block the rise of the far-right National Rally, while also asserting EU influence

BUSINESS

RBI’s misdirected regulatory approach

Cracking down on NBFCs disbursing small loans on the grounds they are charging usurious rates only pushes borrowers towards informal markets where rates are higher. Instead of removing barriers towards the flow of credit to the bottom of the pyramid, there are hurdles placed in the name of systemic stability when this risk can be tackled through other means

INDIA

COP29: Time to shift gears on climate change with carbon removal

COP29 must focus on carbon removal, not just emission reduction, to combat climate change. The current pace of mitigation is insufficient, and carbon removal technologies can achieve net negative emissions, making it a more urgent, effective, and fair strategy

WORLD

US Presidential election is not just about the public persona of Trump and Harris. Policies and principles matter more

India-US ties are growing on the back of strategic convergence. An election outcome won’t alter the long-term trend. However, America has the world’s most impactful culture and what happens there ripples out. Donald Trump negativity, therefore, represents a problem for everyone

BUSINESS

States shouldn’t shy away from taxing agriculture

States’ deficit indicators are set to worsen as spending spigots open up in a competitive political environment. To compensate they need to find an additional source of revenue. Agriculture income tax, which comes under the control of states, holds the potential of being an important revenue source if a beginning is made now

ASSEMBLY-ELECTION

Assembly elections results show that voters seek empowerment, not patronage

Haryana’s outcome show that people can still trust a political leadership that disappointed earlier, provided it promises something better. India’s political leadership should read that as a chance to revive farm reforms. States retain their specificities that make local the decisive factor. J&K’s results prove that

BUSINESS

Swachh Bharat Mission is not just about sanitation, but also a pathway to empowerment

Modi is the first PM to raise the issue of sanitation from Red Fort ramparts. His personal commitment raised the profile SBM which has been instrumental in millions having access to toilets, which has other positive spin-offs. It’s now time to focus on qualitative aspects which lead to mass empowerment

POLITICS

Sitaram Yechury: 25 years too late

Indian communism was at the crossroads in 1992 when the world changed. If Yechury, the communist who got it, had been given leadership then, Indian politics may have had a different trajectory 

BUSINESS

India needs to implement Catastrophe Bonds to boost disaster recovery funding

There is a strong case for augmenting the recovery and reconstruction funds with extra-fiscal finance, funds mobilized through risk transfer mechanisms similar to insurance, tapping the risk appetite of investors with large and diverse portfolios of investments, who stand to gain by allocating tiny fractions of their corpus to high-risk but high-reward instruments

INDIA

Australia enacts right to disconnect; why implementing it in India may be challenging

Australians can now ignore work communications after hours without repercussions. This right, initially for lower-paid workers without out-of-office expectations, reflects similar laws in about 20 countries. India might face challenges bringing such norms due to intense work cultures and global demands

BUSINESS

Organic Farming vs Food Security: India should focus on effective plant protection and sustainability

India has a competitive advantage over plant protection chemicals, policy needs to further strengthen and refine that competitive advantage instead of chasing the illusional glory of organic farming. India, with the world’s largest population, needs to prioritise food security over a pricey fad that is unsustainable except as a niche activity

BUSINESS

India 2047: A vision of prosperity, equality, and innovation for the brave, new citizen of Viksit Bharat

By 2047, citizens of a prosperous India would be creative, collaborative, and liberated, embracing a modernity shaped by historical and cultural richness. What is living in the tradition would be celebrated and carried forward, what is rotten would be discarded

POLITICS

Wayanad — Mudslide along a slippery moral slope

It’s the victim of twin betrayals: by the Church privileging material wealth over its core spiritual calling, and by the Communists, of its core constituency, the poor. Behind the failure to respect expert advice on protecting fragile ecosystems is greed

POLITICS

Rahul Gandhi scores on performance but questions on substance remain unanswered

The point, ultimately, is to create a political discourse that makes democracy and its enrichment the focal point of political mobilisation, so that rejection of majoritarian politics and of minority appeasement meld seamlessly into that discourse

BUSINESS

Byju’s was the problem, not edtech

Questioning the relevance of edtech for India is short-sighted. Schools will always play the primary role in building foundational skills, but online courses are indispensable for constant skill upgradation 

TRENDS

As iconic cities tackle overtourism with travel restrictions, it is time for India to step up

India should capitalise on the travel impositions brought in by some of the most popular tourist destinations in the world. A look at the how India can address the challenges it faces and how to build on its marketing strategies

INDIA

Not by Accident: World class airports and roads require institutional change

Infrastructure development is not just about building it. It requires governance standards and political financing benchmarks to evolve

BUSINESS

Hyundai’s IPO can internationalise India’s capital market

The pool of sound listed companies for domestic investors is not the only advantage if other MNCs list Indian arms. India can become a market of choice for firms from EMEs 

WORLD

Why India and Russia have overlapping interest in a bipolar world

Neither country wants to be dominated by their main ally, the US and China. Looking out for one another is way to achieve this goal