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Wednesday, April 22, 2026
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Opinion

India can’t sit at high table with this defence budget. Viksit Bharat 2047 is impossible

Adopting a similar model to China, India should transform its armed forces to be in a position to challenge Beijing by 2035 and seek parity in military prowess by 2047.

2 years after Manipur violence. The govt doesn’t care to fix the pain

The people of Manipur find themselves stuck in a limbo of unfulfilled promises. Over the months, their hopes from the government have turned into a bitter disillusionment.

TV coverage of Delhi polls was about freebies, potholes & sewers. No Hindu-Muslim politics

A reporter on Mirror Now hit the spot when she said, "Delhi is the only place we report on problems—the open drains, sewage, garbage."

Air India has a problem. It should be much better run now without the political meddling

Ratan Tata once told me that if the Tatas ever took over Air India, he would complete the job he was unable to. The company needs to make good on that promise & not besmirch the memory of Ratan and JRD.

Losing 175-yr-old Munshi Naan, 400-yr-old Darul Shifa to Metro. My Hyderabadi heart aches

All the Western structures in Hyderabad are going to be affected by the metro rail expanding into the Old City. The state government has already marked the main road for expansion.

China’s message to FS Vikram Misri—deepen thaw & stay away from Trump

China appears impatient and sensitive to the prospect that India might have the appetite for only a shallow thaw that could be easily reversed or adjusted.

‘All-weather friendship’ with Pakistan is increasingly becoming a liability for China

A spate of terrorist attacks targeting Chinese nationals in Pakistan has only deepened China’s scepticism regarding Pakistan’s reliability as a key partner.

RSS, power politics, and the Deep State—transparency is the only antidote

When any political executive has to choose between loyalty and competence, the former takes priority. And I say this with authority, having worked with multiple parties and governments.

Real estate market is waging a war against Goa’s soul

The future of Goa can no longer lie in the endless parcelling of its paradise, but in reimagining what makes a place truly valuable.

Deep State is the convenient bogeyman of modern politics. It’s entered India too

Sometimes, those who claim to be part of the deep state ascribe to themselves a larger-than-life role in state affairs—for example, AS Dulat and Asad Durrani in their 2018 book.

On Camera

University townships — India’s chance to build its own version of what America got right

India’s university towns initiative is an opportunity to do something we have never managed at scale: build knowledge ecosystems rather than knowledge silos.

FTA partners drive India’s trade surge as reliance on non-FTA countries dips, says NITI Aayog report

Share of trade with FTA partners rose from 4.6% in 2006 to 28.8% in 2024. India is currently negotiating or advancing agreements with US, Israel, GCC, Canada & Mexico.

Japan overhauls post-World War II pacifist military approach, lifts restrictions on defence exports

Since October last year, Japan PM Sanae Takaichi has planned to increase defence spending target to 2 percent of GDP.

Trump, Netanyahu’s Iran gamble: The regime change rebound

American objectives are unmet. They neither have muscle nor motivation to resume the war. As for Iran, the regime didn’t just survive, it’s now led by more radical individuals.