Vikram S Mehta

Trump may have triggered the process of regime change — but not in IranSign In to read

March 30,2026 06:15:58 AM

It would be ironic if the theocratic regime in Iran survives, but the Republican Party loses its hold over the US Congress in November in a prelude to the loss of the Presidency in 2028

In a fragmented world order, AI and energy will hold the key to rewriting rulesSubscriber Only

February 07,2026 06:45:28 AM

Structurally, oil supply exceeds demand, and so despite the collapse of the Venezuelan petroleum industry, the sanctions on Russian oil exports, the threat of bomb strikes in Iran and mudslinging between Saudi Arabia and the UAE, the price of oil has held relatively steady. The consequence is the narrowing of the competitive corridor between fossils and renewables

In the era of AI disruptions, business principles that guarantee successSubscriber Only

January 05,2026 06:35:48 AM

In time, srtificial generative intelligence will surpass human cognitive intelligence. But if, as a result, human judgment is supplanted or subverted, the pillar upon which the arc of four industrial revolutions was built would be knocked down

In era of AI and climate change, energy policy must navigate new trade-offs and dilemmasSubscriber Only

December 01,2025 06:36:22 AM

Should we turn to the cheapest supplier to accelerate the competitiveness and pace of the green transition? Or should we be cautious because of the security implications of overdependence on one supplier — China, at that?

In Trump era, energy trade is changing. New skills will be needed to manage itSubscriber Only

November 03,2025 07:24:01 AM

There are four structural developments that, while not initiated by Trump, have been influenced by his transactional style: The strategic significance of critical minerals, the electricity demand of companies like Meta and Amazon and their data centres, the growing complexity of the regulatory landscape and a changed balance of power in the petroleum sector

An Energy Atmanirbharta ActSubscriber Only

October 06,2025 07:14:08 AM

It is needed. Because even as contours of the energy map have changed, energy security remains a national priority

India can leverage this period of Trump-induced uncertaintySubscriber Only

September 01,2025 07:15:21 AM

Clear the miasma of regulatory compliance and make it easier for international companies to do business here

Vikram Singh Mehta writes: For energy security, a redesignSubscriber Only

August 04,2025 07:40:23 AM

To achieve this goal, India must focus on not just conservation of the usage of fossils, but also the simplification and coherence of the energy regulatory system.

With every fragile ‘peace’ in Middle East, the West sows seeds of a conflictSubscriber Only

July 07,2025 07:27:08 AM

By failing to use their heft to address humanitarian needs, the genocide in Gaza, by ignoring the cascading anger and resentment Western countries are in fact creating the conditions for nuclear proliferation, conflict.

If you want migration to work, look at the success storiesSubscriber Only

March 03,2025 07:11:51 AM

Migration can work for all if governments across countries collaborate with successful immigrants.

Despite Donald Trump’s loud claims, why ‘baby may not drill’Subscriber Only

February 03,2025 06:55:46 AM

His pronouncement most likely won't lead to a substantive change in the international energy market

Steering towards stability after a year of uncertaintySubscriber Only

January 06,2025 06:55:38 AM

The year ended with the world at the junction of multiple crossroads — geopolitics, geoeconomics, geoenergy and geotechnics. The global community should create multidisciplinary institutions and respond to these uncertainties collectively

To crack the profit vs principles puzzle in business, an ancient Sumerian solutionSubscriber Only

December 02,2024 04:20:19 AM

The ‘Gilgamesh solution’ suggests a two-pronged approach. One, it endeavours to build institutions that facilitate cooperation and not competition. Two, find the ‘narrow corridor’ that balances divergent interests and expectations of society, shareholders and the regulator

Why I hope India participates in the Champions Trophy in Pakistan next yearSubscriber Only

November 05,2024 04:55:43 AM

What bridges the border between the often opposed nations is their shared joy for cricket. India’s participation in the championship emerges as an unlikely aid

In 2024, a world driven dangerously close to the edgeSubscriber Only

October 07,2024 04:00:46 AM

Narrow nationalisms and leaders with large egos have pushed the world towards a wider, prolonged conflict. But there is hope in power pivoting away from politicians towards those who can use technology to forestall it

Why there is a need to reimagine corporate governance in the AI ageSubscriber Only

September 02,2024 07:35:22 AM

Indian boards comprise, in the main, elderly individuals with similar experiences. This results in the homogenisation of corporate thinking and (inadvertently perhaps), the shrinkage of space for contemplating ‘out of the box’ alternatives. This needs to change.

From Uttarakhand to Wayanad: Balancing realpolitik with green transitionSubscriber Only

August 07,2024 07:05:03 AM

Challenge for our leaders is to walk the line between sustainability and demands of national security and economic growth

Uttarakhand forest fires: Why villagers don’t help the state in risk managementSubscriber Only

July 01,2024 07:57:02 AM

The forest department has, in local expertise, a valuable asset. They must harness it even if to do so they have to reintroduce an incentive scheme.

Why the old script can’t work for India’s green transitionSubscriber Only

June 03,2024 08:36:09 AM

India’s energy sector is on a cusp. Fossil fuels will dominate it for decades more, but the overriding priority is to reduce its share. The next government’s challenge is to accelerate the latter against the backdrop of a polarised international geopolitical context and exponential technological innovation

The clean energy transition has become messySubscriber Only

May 06,2024 08:17:44 AM

The war in the Middle East, Russia and Ukraine, and sanctions by the US have created a fragmented market in the petroleum industry. It is facing a set of challenges that may be the most complicated to date.

Even under capitalism, there is hope for climate change solutionsSubscriber Only

April 01,2024 07:55:23 AM

The book contains several more stories. ‘The Reformer’ is about the CEO of a US oil MNC who is investing cash generated from the production of oil in carbon capture. ‘

This is what’s slowing down the clean energy transitionSubscriber Only

March 04,2024 08:00:09 AM

With Big Oil's 2050 forecast that places oil and gas at the centre of energy basket, it will be difficult, if not impossible, to achieve net-zero carbon emissions targets

Ukraine war, Gaza conflict and Middle East strikes: It’s time businesses prepare for political riskSubscriber Only

February 05,2024 08:00:19 AM

Scenario planning is not a panacea, but it does offer a methodological process for better preparing corporate leaders to respond to the unexpected

How the psychology of Benjamin Netanyahu, Joe Biden and MBS is driving oil pricesSubscriber Only

December 02,2023 18:00:08 PM

The dominant drivers of the crude oil market today are not the fundamentals of demand and supply, but the non-fundamentals, the psychology of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, President Joe Biden and Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman.

The self-serving overreach of Benjamin Netanyahu in GazaSubscriber Only

November 06,2023 05:35:48 AM

Democracy has the built-in check of electoral accountability. But that happens only every 4- 5 years. In the interim, leaders have considerable latitude to exercise power ostensibly for the purpose of ‘national security’