The intersection

Both sides are under pressure. (REUTERS)

Trade face-off: Will Trump’s America back down first or Xi’s China?

4 min read . 20 Apr 2025

A self-sufficient India cannot be prosperous without political and fiscal federalism, all the way down to the level of local governments. (ANI Photo)

Let fiscal federalism and economic freedom drive prosperity in times of a trade

4 min read . 06 Apr 2025

Trump has been clear that Europe, Canada, China and the rest of the world have been unfairly benefiting from the global economic system at the United States’ expense. (AP)

Nitin Pai: Trump’s tariffs serve political ends even if they lack economic logic

4 min read . 23 Mar 2025

India is a swing power between the US and China, and to a lesser extent between the US and Europe. (AFP)

Nitin Pai: India has some big cards to play in negotiations with Trump

4 min read . 09 Mar 2025

In addition to economic, health and environmental costs, traffic congestion corrodes our social capital. (Hindustan Times)

Urban congestion: Let’s use parking fees to unclog Indian streets

4 min read . 23 Feb 2025

The winners in the age of AI will not only be those who’ve built the smartest machines, but also those who make use of those machines most effectively.

Nitin Pai: India can shape how artificial intelligence diffuses through society

4 min read . 09 Feb 2025

Harnessing national capabilities requires programme structures that enlist capital, human resource and knowledge residing across the country. (Photo: AFP)

A cabinet committee on science and technology is a strategic imperative today

4 min read . 26 Jan 2025

More resources must be pumped into defense. Yet, for the additional defence rupee to work, the defence ecosystem needs a thorough mental and structural rehaul.

Nitin Pai: India’s Air Force can’t afford to fall short of combat aircraft

4 min read . 12 Jan 2025

Whether or not you believe in the existence of a middle-income trap, promoting competition, leveraging human capital and improving energy efficiency are sensible policy directions. (Roslan Rahman/AFP)

India must go beyond economic efforts to dodge a middle-income trap

4 min read . 29 Dec 2024

Whether we frame the challenge as one of forging an Indian nation, creating an egalitarian society or building social capital, it essentially boils down to dealing with caste-community divisions.

We need a reformation: Caste salience must fall for social capital to rise

4 min read . 15 Dec 2024

Not just Delhi but every Indian city has its own big bad pollution story that follows a similar pattern. (PTI)

Smog and us: Environmental movements should lead our fight against air pollution

4 min read . 01 Dec 2024

It will be extremely hard for the US to regain the moral high ground and epistemological dominance that it enjoyed for decades and that reduced the costs of its diplomacy. (AFP)

Geopolitical shake-up: Trump’s return will make countries scurry for new options

4 min read . 17 Nov 2024

Small changes can yield big improvements, but we also need a national policy commitment towards transforming law enforcement. (PTI)

It’s about effective law enforcement: Let’s recommit the country

4 min read . 08 Sep 2024

Ottawa is within its rights to protest, but I am unsure of the wisdom of the course it is pursuing. (AFP)

Covert action is a troublesome but often useful tool of statecraft

4 min read . 25 Sep 2023

We have ‘hustle culture,’ which refers to a mode of life where one works long hours, is constantly responding to emails, is on calls at ungodly hours, postpones vacations and trades off leisure for business targets and higher valuations.

Hustles could yet trip up Indian startups if we don’t take due care

4 min read . 10 Sep 2023

In March 2018, soon after Xi Jinping changed the rules to allow him to remain president for as long as he likes, I argued that it was the beginning of the end of China’s rise.

China’s economic troubles mark the end of its geopolitical ascent

4 min read . 28 Aug 2023

The Niti Aayog expects 200% growth in gig employment by 2030.

Indian gig workers ought to get a well-crafted social security net

4 min read . 31 Jul 2023

Recent immigrants are more likely to be engaged with the politics of their home countries.

We can expect more turbulence ahead in Indian diaspora politics

4 min read . 17 Jul 2023

Swish expressways must go with public education on using them

4 min read . 02 Jul 2023

Photo: Bloomberg

The UN needs structural reform to establish its relevance again

3 min read . 07 May 2023