Opinion

Budget Unlikely to Offer any Succour to Capital Markets

Despite a ₹50-trillion market-cap wipeout, fiscal constraints, weak tax buoyancy and currency pressures leave little room for the Budget 2026 to offer direct relief to capital markets.

Chokkalingam G

January 24, 2026 at 6:38 AM IST

iStock.com

Opinion

GAIL is Embedding Itself at Scale into India's Energy Infrastructure

GAIL continues to be perceived as a mature utility even as it invests in becoming a total infrastructure play.

Dev Chandrasekhar

January 24, 2026 at 5:13 AM IST

iStock.com

Opinion

The Budget Through a Political Lens

With key elections due in states considered difficult terrain for the ruling BJP, the Budget could double as a political opportunity.

Rajesh Ramachandran

January 23, 2026 at 12:15 PM IST

@narendramodi

Opinion

India and Trump’s Gaza Peace Board: A Risky Invitation

The US-dominated structure offers little clarity on Gaza’s future governance, borders or sovereignty.

Ajay Srivastava

January 20, 2026 at 12:06 PM IST

Jaber Jehad Badwan/Via WikiCommons

Opinion

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

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

Opinion

Indian Oil’s Hefty Green Transition Bill Comes With Struggling Payback

The prospects of IOC's green energy initiative appear shaky, forcing costly capital choices between profitable fossil operations and renewables commitments.

Dev Chandrasekhar

January 16, 2026 at 8:36 AM IST

iStock.com

Opinion

Disengaging with Iran Only Sensible Way Out

US secondary tariffs put India–Iran trade in a bind, forcing New Delhi to weigh strategic ties against far larger economic exposure to the US market.

G. Chandrashekhar

January 14, 2026 at 7:33 AM IST

iStock.com

Opinion

ICICI Lombard’s WhatsApp Slip Will Test SEBI’s Resolve

A WhatsApp status leak at ICICI Lombard raises hard questions on UPSI discipline, draft disclosures, and how serious SEBI is about enforcement.

Krishnadevan V

January 13, 2026 at 4:13 AM IST

iStock.com

Opinion

Why Steel Sector Protection Must be Reviewed

The CCI has reportedly found evidence of cartelisation by steel producers, but is yet to issue a final order. Downstream industries though have already paid the price.

Ajay Srivastava

January 8, 2026 at 9:32 AM IST

iStock.com

Opinion

Why L&T’s Defence Business Feels Strategic but Not Profitable

L&T has built India’s broadest private defence platform, but slow procurement, falling margins and long gestation test whether patience can still pay investors.

Dev Chandrasekhar

January 8, 2026 at 9:10 AM IST

PIB

Opinion

Aravallis: Making a Molehill out of a Mountain

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

Opinion

SME Credit: Too Political to Fail, Too Risky to Fund

SME credit isn’t stalled for lack of schemes, but because banks are asked to lend politically and price risk commercially—an impossible mix that turns credit into entitlement and caution into policy failure.

R. Gurumurthy

December 29, 2025 at 7:36 AM IST

IStock.com/paulprescott72

Opinion

Caveat Emptor: A Warning for Small-cap Investors in Volatile Times

Small-caps have stumbled while benchmarks hold firm. A reminder to focus on diversification, patience and professional management, not quick wins.

Manoj Rane

December 29, 2025 at 5:53 AM IST

Opinion

Import Barriers on Metallurgical Coke Are Raising the Cost of Making Steel in India

Over the past 1 year, India has progressively tightened controls on LAM Coke imports through safeguard measures, quantitative restrictions, and provisional anti-dumping duties, creating a double barrier on both volumes and prices.

Ajay Srivastava

December 28, 2025 at 4:42 AM IST

Opinion

How to and How Not to Privatise Airports

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

Opinion

Urban Company Investors Discover the True Cost of Daily Housekeeping

InstaHelp’s rapid expansion has pushed Urban Company back into losses, testing investor faith after the IPO.

Krishnadevan V

December 22, 2025 at 7:42 AM IST

AI Photo

Opinion

Coal India Chooses Ops Expertise over Strategic Transformation

The world’s largest coal producer appears all set hunker down on optimising coal infrastructure even as demand and supply turn towards renewables, abandoning transformation for managed decline

Dev Chandrasekhar

December 19, 2025 at 12:13 PM IST

iStock.com

Opinion

Paytm’s Payments Story Is Solid, but the Communication Is Not

Paytm’s AI and Postpaid pitch impressed on growth but unsettled investors on cash flow, disclosure clarity, and whether its bigger story still fits the numbers.

Krishnadevan V

December 19, 2025 at 7:49 AM IST

iStock.com

Opinion

A Year of Recalibration at Mint Street

Governor Malhotra’s first year at the RBI brought cleaner rules, quieter reversals, and a distinct shift in tone as the technocrat adjusted to the institution’s rhythm.

Kalyan Ram

December 11, 2025 at 5:25 AM IST

RBI Tweets

Opinion

IndiGo’s Meltdown Exposes Loss of Regulatory Control

IndiGo’s crisis saw domestic routes descend into chaos while high-margin international operations stayed largely protected, raising hard questions.

Srinath Sridharan

December 6, 2025 at 6:24 AM IST

iStock.com

Opinion

Whose Reputation Crisis Is It?

IndiGo’s chaos became a stress test for Indian aviation, exposing fragile oversight, furious flyers, and a sector running out of reputation to lose.

Minari Shah

December 6, 2025 at 6:04 AM IST

Simply Aviation/Via WikiCommons

Opinion

Malhotra Keeps Rate Cuts in Play, but Will He Move Again?

Governor Malhotra kept the easing cycle alive on Friday, yet his real objective may be to extract transmission rather than commit to another cut.

Kalyan Ram

December 5, 2025 at 11:06 AM IST

Poonam Gupta

Opinion

Don’t Censor Content, Make Social Media Platforms Accountable

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

Opinion

The Illusion of Reform in India’s Healthcare-Insurance Crisis

India’s healthcare-insurance crisis is rooted not in market forces alone, but in regulatory hesitation and a long-standing political reluctance to confront structural distortions. Cosmetic appeals for cooperation cannot repair a system.

Srinath Sridharan

November 20, 2025 at 2:51 AM IST

IRDAI

Opinion

A Bharat Ratna Is Not a Prison of Virtue

Sachin Tendulkar’s Titan ad has sparked a misplaced moral storm. Public recognition does not erase private rights. Freedom, even for a Bharat Ratna, must remain indivisible.

Srinath Sridharan

October 29, 2025 at 7:22 AM IST

iStock.com/rvimages

Opinion

Is Strategic Disinvestment the Next Frontier in Economic Reform?

Following the GST 2.0, the government should aggressively pursue strategic divestment in PSUs to strengthen its finances and enhance shareholder value.

Nilanjan Banik

October 14, 2025 at 3:11 AM IST

iStock.com

Opinion

Vote Buying: Does Household Consumption Rise During Elections?

New research using NSSO data shows consistent spikes in household consumption around election dates, particularly for food items such as pulses and meat.

Amitrajeet A. Batabyal*

October 13, 2025 at 6:28 AM IST

Istock.com

Opinion

Gold’s Rational Resilience in an Irrational World

For central banks, gold is not a relic of history but a rational hedge against the politics for & of money, the fragility of debt, and the unpredictability of power.

Srinath Sridharan

October 12, 2025 at 3:33 PM IST

Screengrab from "RBI Unlocked: Beyond the Rupee" series (JioHotstar)

Opinion

Tata Trust Crisis: Silence Is Not a Strategy

A silence this loud can be deafening. As factional rifts shake the Tata Trusts, the Group’s famed moral halo is being tested fully by questions of both ownership and governance it cannot ignore.

Minari Shah

October 11, 2025 at 2:26 PM IST

tata.com

Opinion

Reading Sanjay Malhotra’s Silent Dialogue

India’s newest central banker reveals more than he says in his latest MPC press conference. Beneath his composure lies a technocrat negotiating with himself.

Kirti Tarang Pande

October 6, 2025 at 5:37 AM IST

Opinion

Air India 171: Why a Flawed Probe Risks Burying the Real Story

Three months after 260 lives were lost, India’s crash probe raises more doubts than answers. Truth and data must surface before trust collapses.

Sanjay Mansabdar

September 25, 2025 at 6:29 AM IST

PMO

Opinion

Information Asymmetry Creates Chaos While Exchanges Pursue Profit Path

Exchanges must master data duality—balancing mandated market transparency with monetisable analytics magic while meeting regulatory rules.

Indra Chourasia

July 23, 2025 at 3:29 AM IST

Opinion

Niti Aayog’s China Proposal Like Letting the Fox Guard the Henhouse

Chinese investment should be eased not on the basis of the size of the foreign stake but by the strategic significance of the sector in question

TK Arun

July 21, 2025 at 2:24 AM IST

Opinion

MS Dhoni’s Birthday Highlight Should Not Mask A Trademark Fiasco

Fame should not override law. “Captain Cool” cannot become private property simply because a celebrity wants exclusive rights.

Nilanshu Shekhar

July 7, 2025 at 1:03 PM IST

Bollywood Hungama/Via WikiCommons

Opinion

Corporate Houses As Bankers? Not So Fast

India needs more banks, but not at the cost of its financial integrity. Allowing corporate houses into banking risks turning institutions of public trust into instruments of private influence.

Srinath Sridharan

May 23, 2025 at 8:05 AM IST

RBI

Opinion

Trump Tariffs Make Americans ‘Yippy’, And China Goes ‘Yippee’

The trade war helps China come out as the more stable, respectable and respectful superpower

TK Arun

April 11, 2025 at 2:05 PM IST

iStock.com/Rawf8

Opinion

Verdicts Diluting Sexual Assault Charges Hurt Not Just Gender Justice But Economy Too

The safety of women outside the home is a major determinant of women’s willingness to be part of the workforce.

TK Arun

March 28, 2025 at 2:11 PM IST

iStock.com/naveen0301

Opinion

Delimitation: A Ticking Time Bomb That Can Test India’s Federal Fabric

No easy answers on delimitation—will India tackle it now or kick the can down the road, leaving our children to handle the political fallout?

BasisPoint Groupthink

March 25, 2025 at 8:57 AM IST

A screengrab from television series "Panchayat"

Opinion

India’s Banks Need Stronger Boards And Risk Controls

The IndusInd Bank episode underscores governance gaps that banks can no longer ignore. Independent directors must have real market expertise.

Manoj Rane

March 18, 2025 at 12:50 PM IST

Anupamdutta73/Creative Common

Opinion

Derivatives Volumes Fall As SEBI Serves Unpalatable Detox

SEBI’s measures aimed at curbing excessive speculation have led to sharp contraction in volumes and growing unease among market participants.

Sunil Goel

March 10, 2025 at 6:44 AM IST

Jimmy vikas/cc

Opinion

Lost Speeches, Lost Wisdom: SEBI’s Institutional Gap

The absence of Madhabi Puri Buch’s speeches from SEBI’s website raises serious concerns about regulatory memory and transparency.

Krishnadevan V

March 10, 2025 at 5:44 AM IST

Opinion

MPC Must Abandon Neutrality To Reignite Growth Before It’s Too Late

With weakening growth and easing inflation, the RBI must abandon caution to spur investments and the economy.

BasisPoint Groupthink

March 6, 2025 at 6:17 AM IST

RBI Tweets

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