TK Arun

T.K. Arun, ex-Economic Times editor, is a columnist known for incisive analysis of economic and policy matters.

Why India Must Stay the Course on US Trade Deal

Opinion

The US ruling trims presidential power, not trade risk. India’s answer lies in deeper competitiveness, not reclaiming lost protection.

TK Arun

February 21, 2026 at 8:27 AM IST

iStock.com/MAGNIFIER

Beyond the Summit: Why the Government Must Put Money Where Its Mouth Is

AI sovereignty is not about apps or agents. It rests on GPUs, high-bandwidth memory, chip fabrication, political will, and the capital to fund long-term risk.

TK Arun

February 17, 2026 at 11:39 AM IST

PIB

Is the AI Panic Artificial?

Opinion

Markets are pricing in mass job destruction, but history suggests AI will disrupt selectively, not obliterate whole sectors overnight.

TK Arun

February 13, 2026 at 9:54 AM IST

Damien VERRIER/iStock.com

We Don’t Need No Data-Centre Coddling

Budget 2026

Data-centre tax holidays represent oodles of government cash to favoured Indian businesses for little public benefit

TK Arun

February 10, 2026 at 6:28 AM IST

Istock.com

Grandfathered, Then Burned: Why the Government Must Lead the Tiger Appeal

Opinion

India promised tax certainty through grandfathering. The Supreme Court's Tiger Global verdict undermines that. It’s the government that must restore credibility.

TK Arun

February 5, 2026 at 4:54 AM IST

iStock.com/naveen0301

Accountability as Publishers, Not Bans, Is the Solution to Social Media Harm

Protecting young users and democratic discourse requires platform accountability, not age bans that are hard to enforce and easy to evade.

TK Arun

January 31, 2026 at 5:10 AM IST

iStock.com

Spotlight Back on Process Patents

Indian pharma companies, and the regulatory and judicial support system, must wake up to the challenges of personalised medicines and the changes this would necessitate in formulating and approving drug trials and patenting of drugs and production processes.

TK Arun

January 28, 2026 at 10:02 AM IST

iStock.com

How Federal Drift Is Starving Strategic Priorities

Budget 2026

As the Centre expands into state subjects, defence, R&D and strategic autonomy suffer. India’s budget problem is not size, but misplaced priorities.

TK Arun

January 21, 2026 at 8:15 AM IST

iStock.com

Say No to Trump’s Offer of a Seat at the Board of Peace

Opinion

It is a Board for Undermining the UN and the rest of the multilateral framework

TK Arun

January 19, 2026 at 10:44 AM IST

White House

Global Capability Centres: The Brain Drain Under Our Nose

It is welcome that millions of Indian graduates get decent jobs, but they toil to create intellectual property for foreign firms, rather than to strengthen India’s strategic muscle

TK Arun

January 12, 2026 at 9:54 AM IST

iStock.com

Aravallis: Making a Molehill out of a Mountain

Opinion

When mountains are measured by committees and metres, what’s under threat is not just geology but the idea of environmental protection itself.

TK Arun

January 5, 2026 at 10:38 AM IST

iStock.com

The Yen Carry Trade, a Piano and Trump’s World View

From the Plaza Accord to the yen carry trade, Japan’s monetary history shaped global finance—and helped forge Trump’s tariff-driven worldview rooted in 1980s economic anxieties.

TK Arun

December 31, 2025 at 7:32 AM IST

Via WikiCommons

How to and How Not to Privatise Airports

Opinion

When airport privatisation rewards revenue maximisation without cost discipline, passengers end up paying the price through rising fees and opaque regulatory pass-throughs.

TK Arun

December 23, 2025 at 3:24 AM IST

iStock.com

When Legacy is an Externality for a Commercial Ops, Who Should Pay to Sustain it?

As Annapurna Bhandar of Chandini Chowk faces closure, can Indian cities take a cue from Paris or San Francisco to protect legacy shops?

TK Arun

December 17, 2025 at 1:33 PM IST

Via WikiCommons

Why Intel’s Chip Deal May Undercut India’s Push for Self-Reliance

China, facing US chip bans, doubled down on indigenous chipmaking—with success. If India leans on Intel instead of investing in homegrown R&D, it could miss its chance to replicate that model.

TK Arun

December 12, 2025 at 11:14 AM IST

iStock.com

SIM-Binding Necessary Evil, But Govt Must First Win Trust

SIM-binding and mandatory apps signal a push for stronger security—but without transparency and oversight, they could widen the trust deficit.

TK Arun

December 3, 2025 at 3:25 AM IST

iStock.com

Don’t Censor Content, Make Social Media Platforms Accountable

Opinion

Bringing social media platforms under the same responsibility standards as traditional media can curb harm without curbing speech.

TK Arun

November 28, 2025 at 9:56 AM IST

iStock.com

The Dangerous Shortcut in India’s Renewable Journey

A rushed battery-led transition stabilises the grid today but imports vulnerabilities tomorrow. India’s missing storage policy is becoming a strategic liability.

TK Arun

November 20, 2025 at 7:51 AM IST

Via WikiCommons

Why the Swiss Court’s AT1 Ruling Shouldn’t Influence YES Bank Case

AT1 bonds carry the risk of abatement. In order to compensate for this risk, the bonds offer rates of interest higher than regular bonds.

TK Arun

November 13, 2025 at 4:08 AM IST

iStock.com

Yes, Open Up Ecommerce Inventory to FDI — Just for Export

A wedge has a thin edge for a reason. The export crisis sparked by Trump-era trade shocks is a chance for India to reform e-commerce—starting with allowing inventory for exports.

TK Arun

November 9, 2025 at 5:23 AM IST

iStock.com/MAGNIFIER

The Bureau

Bears Dominate Dalal Street, Equities Log Decline Led by Financials

Pakistan Bombs Afghan Cities, Minister Says it is ‘Open War’: Reports

Risk Appetite Wavers After Nvidia Slide and Iran Talks Stall

SEBI Overhauls Mutual Fund Categories, Ends Solution-Oriented Plans

Stablecoins Are Raising New Risks for Emerging Markets

FTA Revival and Uranium Deal Could Define Carney’s Visit: GTRI

US Slaps 126% Duty on Indian Solar Exports, Subsidised Parts From China Under Lens

Duvvuri Subbarao on India’s Growth, Inflation Targeting and Centre–State Faultlines

Learning to Shoot: I Tried to Fly Before I Could Walk