TK Arun

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

Death Syrup: Why Licences Cannot Be Wished Away in All Sectors

The government should mandate traceability of every ingredient used in the pharma industry by deploying tokenisation facilities of the blockchain.

TK Arun

October 8, 2025 at 6:04 AM IST

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Unguarded Lending Won’t Fix Investment Demand

Monetary Policy

RBI holds rates but eases bank lending curbs—IPO, M&A, securities finance. Yet without investment demand or PPP reforms, such a leeway won’t fix growth.

TK Arun

October 2, 2025 at 11:53 AM IST

Not Just Make in India, Chips Need to be Made by India

Without owning semiconductor IP, India risks dependence. Building and backing its own chips is the real test.

TK Arun

September 24, 2025 at 6:46 AM IST

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Little Impact on IT, But Trump’s H-1B Visa Fee Could Reverse Indian Brain Drain

The new $100,000 H-1B visa fee may cause short-term headaches for Indian IT firms, but it could strongly deter students from pursuing US admissions without a clear job path.

TK Arun

September 20, 2025 at 11:11 AM IST

White House

GST Exemptions, Nil Rates and Other Smoke and Mirrors

GST relief looks big on paper, but gaps in input credit and energy taxes mean consumers will see less benefit than portrayed.

TK Arun

September 9, 2025 at 8:13 AM IST

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Why India Should Continue to Buy Oil from Russia

India’s Russian oil imports aren’t about cheap barrels—they’re about strategic autonomy. Stopping now could weaken India’s leverage between the US, China, and Russia.

TK Arun

August 30, 2025 at 9:20 AM IST

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Why India’s Health Crisis Isn’t Just Personal Choice

India’s wellness boom hides a paradox: health isn’t just about diet and exercise. Air, water, urban design, stress, and social systems shape well-being far more than individual choices.

TK Arun

August 28, 2025 at 5:59 AM IST

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The Many Winners of the Alaska Summit

At the Alaska Summit, Trump backed away from harsher Russia sanctions, aligning with Putin on lasting peace over ceasefire. This can shield India from bigger trade blows.

TK Arun

August 18, 2025 at 4:50 AM IST

Kremlin

Chuck the Ethanol Blending Programme, E27 Petrol Will Be a Disaster

Ethanol blended petrol is eating into foreign exchange reserves, besides the exchequer and the area under oil seeds

TK Arun

August 4, 2025 at 6:18 AM IST

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Time to Launch Strategic AI Limitation Talks?

For India to have a serious voice in the debate, it will have to produce cutting edge AI models of its own

TK Arun

July 28, 2025 at 8:29 AM IST

Dragon Claws/iStock.com

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

Opinion

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

The Right Time for Some Aid Diplomacy, Specifically AIDS Diplomacy

As the US retreats from global health aid, India has a chance to fill the void, especially in AIDS relief across Africa, strengthening both its soft power and historic ties with the continent.

TK Arun

July 15, 2025 at 2:18 AM IST

iStock.com

Innovation Needs Risk Capital, Not Moneylenders

R&D Scheme

India's ₹1-trillion R&D push sounds bold, but if it's built on loans, not risk capital, it may smother innovation before it starts. Research needs backing, not bankers.

TK Arun

July 5, 2025 at 4:07 AM IST

iStock.com

The Message From Migrating Millionaires

Millionaires are on the move, seeking better taxes, freedom, and living standards. What does this mass migration mean for countries like India, and how can they stop the wealth drain?

TK Arun

June 30, 2025 at 6:17 AM IST

iStock.com

Promise The Moon, Then Blame The Stars

Cash-strapped states are hitting pause on promises. As expenses soar and income lags, India’s welfare politics faces a fiscal reckoning.

TK Arun

June 16, 2025 at 10:49 AM IST

AI Generated

When Guns Get The Budget And Bread Gets Crumbs

Rising global conflicts are driving up defence spending, forcing nations to divert resources from welfare to weapons. The guns-over-butter tradeoff is reshaping economies worldwide.

TK Arun

June 3, 2025 at 3:23 AM IST

The China Challenge And How To Meet It

China’s tech and strategic dominance is rising as India remains mired in structural gaps. India must invest deeply in education, R&D, and systemic reform to stay relevant.

TK Arun

May 22, 2025 at 3:17 AM IST

Of Ukraine’s Allies And Fair-Weather Friends

The West sees Putin's war as imperial; Moscow calls it NATO deterrence. But peace remains hostage to territory, aid and politics with global economies caught in the crossfire.

TK Arun

May 18, 2025 at 5:34 AM IST

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Uncertainty, Not Inventory, Is Hurting The American Economy

There is more than just excessive imports behind the American economy's contraction in January–March. And it may be a portent.

TK Arun

May 6, 2025 at 7:40 AM IST

Becker1999/ Via Wiki Commons

Clearing The Air: How Carbon Removal Can Rewrite Our Future

The world has just scratched the surface of what is possible by turning captured carbon dioxide into usable products. Possibilities are limitless, at least in theory.

TK Arun

April 28, 2025 at 4:28 AM IST

iStock.com

The Bureau

Too Much Paper, Too Little Appetite: State Bond Strains Persist

Markets Cautious Despite Hopes of Trump–Xi Meeting

India’s September Retail Inflation Lowest Since 2017; Core Rises to 4.5%

Gold ETFs Log Record Inflows in September; Equity Fund Inflows Ease for Second Month

Steel Industry Gets Temporary Relief on BIS Rule; GTRI Urges Full Rollback

As Bihar Turns Into a Battleground, Swing Voters Could Rewrite the Map

India’s Biggest Investor Base Is Still on the Sidelines

Will India's Ban on Online Money Games Work? Or Will It Meet the Same Fate as Liquor Prohibition?

Jallikattu: Tamil Nadu’s Ancient Bull-Taming Tradition