Editorial Analysis

India continues to lag on the core drivers of innovation i.e. low R&D intensity, weak private-sector participation, limited global technological impact, and poor research-to-market translation.

The ongoing conflict in the Middle East i.e. West Asia highlights the intersection of geopolitics, energy security, global trade, and domestic economics.

Recent developments involving major artificial intelligence (AI) companies from the USA and China have highlighted the growing intersection between technology competition and national security.

The Union Budget 2026–27 proposed major reforms to expand the Trade Receivables Discounting System (TReDS), including mandatory use by CPSEs, credit guarantees through CGTMSE, and integration with GeM to improve MSME liquidity.

Comparative international experience and constitutional principles raise concerns regarding federalism, democratic accountability, and institutional design for the proposed ‘One Nation, One Election’ (ONOE) in India.

Women’s contributions to agriculture remain largely invisible, as land titles and property ownership continue to remain in men’s names, limiting women’s access to resources, institutional support and decision-making power, despite legal reforms such as equal inheritance rights.

The 2026 theme of International Women’s Day as ‘Rights, Justice, Action: For All Women and Girls’ highlights the need to move beyond symbolic commitments and ensure concrete action toward gender equality, particularly in a world increasingly marked by armed conflicts, displacement and humanitarian crises.

Israeli pre-emptive strikes in Iran, with US support, have raised concerns about possible escalation into a wider West Asian conflict, impacting global energy security and geopolitics.

The RBI Bulletin has begun publishing data on invoicing and settlement of India’s exports and imports in rupees since January 2026, marking an important step in the long-term process of rupee internationalisation.

India needs to prioritise financing for resilience in its agricultural food production system to ensure long-term food security and protect the livelihoods of millions of small and marginal farmers.