# India needs insulation, not isolation, says Times CEO at WLF 2026-08-24T22:32:36+00:00 | Governance | Indian Opinion Desk Corroboration: 1 independent outlet India needs insulation from global shocks, not isolation, Sivakumar Sundaram, CEO of The Times of India, said at the World Leaders Forum 2026. He defined insulation as staying open to the world without catching every draught, distinguishing it from protectionism. Sundaram said reforms such as GST, insolvency laws and digital payments infrastructure have collectively strengthened India's ability to withstand shocks. He noted that while these measures may not make headlines individually, they become critical when the road gets bumpy. ## Indian Opinion Analysis Sundaram's framing reframes resilience as an active design choice rather than a defensive posture. The metaphor echoes a recurring policy debate: how fast-growing economies balance openness with domestic buffers. India's rise to the fourth-largest economy and its push for a free trade pact with the EU are cited as proof that insulation and integration can coexist. The next concrete marker to watch is whether the government's forthcoming Union Budget introduces additional shock-absorbing measures such as expanded social safety nets or contingency funds. ## Coverage - m.economictimes.com Leads with CEO praising reform agenda and economic rise without critical counterpoint This story was synthesised by AI from the source linked above. Tags: GST, India, Sivakumar Sundaram, Times of India, World Leaders Forum Canonical: https://indianopinion.org/india-needs-insulation-not-isolation-says-times-ceo-at-wlf/ License: Summary and commentary (c) Indian Opinion, reusable with attribution. Facts belong to the linked sources. Cite: https://indianopinion.org/india-needs-insulation-not-isolation-says-times-ceo-at-wlf/#story-in-brief Review state: restored archive article, accurate at time of publication, not offered to search indexes. How this brief was made: an AI model read the report linked above and wrote this summary and analysis, which were published automatically. Published briefs are sampled every hour by an automated quality check; the editor verifies its findings and approves corrections, and corrected briefs carry a dated correction line. We do no original reporting. Methodology: https://indianopinion.org/ai-use-policy/