Opinion

The Creamy Layer Was Never the Real Problem. Caste-as-Proxy Is.

Fixing reservation's income thresholds treats a symptom. The real question India keeps avoiding is whether caste, alone, is still the right way to identify who needs help — 75 years after the Constitution first asked that question.

Opinion

Mamdani Isn't Being Hypocritical About the RSS. He's Doing Something Harder — and More Honest.

The obvious take on Mamdani opposing the RSS chief while campaigning as "the first Indian American mayor" is that it's a contradiction. I think that take mistakes two very different kinds of identity politics for the same thing — and the mistake matters.

Opinion

Sudan Isn't a Failure of the World's Conscience. It's a Failure of Five Specific Chairs.

We keep describing Sudan as a crisis "the world forgot," as if collective amnesia were the problem. It isn't. The problem has a precise institutional address: a Security Council structurally incapable of acting when none of its five permanent members has a strategic stake in doing so.

Opinion

Water Treaties Have Outlasted Wars Armies Couldn't End. That Should Embarrass Every Peace Negotiator Alive

India and Pakistan have fought four wars and still, until very recently, kept sharing the Indus. Meanwhile, Sudan's warring parties couldn't hold a ceasefire declaration for six months. What does it say about peace diplomacy that water outperforms it so consistently?

Opinion

Nature Is Becoming an Asset Class

For centuries, forests, rivers and wetlands were treated as resources to extract or protect. Today, they are increasingly being valued as economic assets. From biodiversity credits to natural capital accounting, governments and financial markets are beginning to price ecosystems—but doing so raises profound questions about economics, conservation and ownership.

Opinion

The Geopolitics of Rare Earths: The New Great Game

Rare earth elements are no longer just obscure minerals buried beneath the earth—they have become the foundation of the modern global economy. From electric vehicles and smartphones to fighter jets, wind turbines and advanced semiconductors, these seventeen elements power the technologies that define the twenty-first century. As countries race to secure reliable supplies, control over rare earths has emerged as a new source of geopolitical influence, reshaping trade, diplomacy and national security. With China dominating global processing and nations like the United States, India, Australia and the European Union scrambling to diversify supply chains, the competition for these strategic resources is increasingly being described as the "New Great Game." This opinion examines why rare earths matter, how they have become instruments of geopolitical power, and what India's strategy should be in an era where mineral security may prove as important as energy security.

Opinion

Can India Become the World's Next Research Superpower?

India has achieved remarkable progress in science, technology and innovation over the past decade, yet it continues to invest significantly less in research and development than many of the world's leading economies. Recent data showing that the private sector has overtaken the government as India's largest contributor to R&D spending marks a turning point, suggesting that the country's innovation ecosystem is beginning to mature. But becoming a true research superpower will require far more than higher investment. It demands world-class universities, stronger industry-academia collaboration, long-term scientific funding, intellectual property creation and a culture that rewards curiosity and experimentation. As the global economy increasingly revolves around knowledge, technology and innovation, the question is no longer whether India should invest more in research—it is whether the country can transform scientific ambition into sustained global leadership.

Opinion

The E20 Debate Is Missing the Point: India’s Fuel Policy Deserves Better Than Political Soundbites

The recent political controversy surrounding E20 and allegations of ethanol imports from the United States have reignited public debate over India’s biofuel programme. But the discussion has become narrowly focused on political claims rather than the policy itself. India’s ethanol blending initiative was never conceived as a short-term fuel experiment—it is part of a broader strategy to strengthen energy security, reduce crude oil imports, support farm incomes, and diversify the country’s energy mix. While legitimate concerns over imports, feedstock sustainability and vehicle compatibility deserve serious scrutiny, they should not overshadow the larger question: Is India’s ethanol policy moving the country towards greater energy resilience, or does it require recalibration? Understanding that distinction is essential if the debate is to move beyond headlines and towards informed public policy.

Opinion

The Next World Power May Not Be a Country

For centuries, global power has been measured through states—their militaries, economies, and territories. But the twenty-first century is witnessing the rise of a different kind of power: technology companies that command digital infrastructure, artificial intelligence, financial networks, and billions of users across borders. The next superpower may not fly a national flag.

Opinion

India Must Stop Measuring Energy Security by Imports Alone

India's energy strategy must move beyond reducing import dependence and focus on building resilient, competitive and technologically advanced domestic energy capabilities.

Opinion

India Cannot Become a Semiconductor Power Without Fixing Its Research Gap

India has announced billions in semiconductor incentives and attracted global investments, but manufacturing alone will not secure technological leadership. Without sustained investment in research, design, and talent, India risks remaining an assembly hub instead of becoming a semiconductor powerhouse.

Opinion

India Can't Build a Manufacturing Superpower on Cheap Labour Alone

India has a historic opportunity to become a global manufacturing hub as supply chains diversify beyond China. But low wages alone will not determine the winners. Infrastructure, productivity, logistics, technology, and regulatory certainty will matter far more.