5 min readNew DelhiFeb 21, 2026 09:52 AM IST
First published on: Feb 21, 2026 at 09:52 AM IST
Good morning,
While artificial intelligence may be moving at breakneck speed, OpenAI CEO Sam Altman is already focused on the bigger question: how countries like India plan to keep up. Speaking at Express Adda in conversation with Anant Goenka, Executive Director, The Indian Express Group, Altman described India as a rapidly emerging AI powerhouse powered by strong “builder energy” and the world’s fastest-growing Codex market. He highlighted OpenAI’s growing India push, including partnerships with Tata Consultancy Services and plans to open offices in Bengaluru and Mumbai. While acknowledging AI will eliminate some jobs, Altman said new and better roles will emerge, warning that countries and companies slow to adopt the technology risk falling behind. The real test, perhaps, is whether India can match its AI ambition with the speed and scale the moment demands.
With that, let’s move on to the top five stories from today’s edition:
🚨 Big Story
“Nothing changes. They’ll be paying tariffs”
Barely slowed by a court setback, US President Donald Trump has fired off a fresh tariff move, signalling his trade strategy is far from over. Trump signed an order imposing a 10% tariff on imports from all countries, saying the measure will take effect “almost immediately.” The move comes on the heels of a 6–3 ruling by the United States Supreme Court striking down his sweeping reciprocal tariffs on goods from nearly all trading partners for violating federal law. Trump, however, signalled he would press ahead using alternative legal routes. He also indicated that India would continue to face 18% tariffs. Under an interim trade pact between the United States and India, Washington had earlier reduced duties to 18% from 50%, while New Delhi agreed to impose zero tariffs on US goods.
Court vs Tariffs: The United States Supreme Court ruling may complicate President Donald Trump’s tariff strategy, but it does not take tariffs off the table, it simply means Congress would now need to be involved. Whether lawmakers will back such a move remains uncertain. The court held that Trump lacked the authority to impose sweeping import tariffs on trading partners under the International Emergency Economic Powers Act (IEEPA), rejecting his use of the national economic emergency law for broad trade measures. The ruling effectively upholds earlier decisions by two lower courts and deals a blow to Trump’s use of tariffs as a foreign policy lever. Read.
⚡ Only in Express
In today’s sports column, Sandeep Dwivedi turns the spotlight on a familiar nightmare for Pakistan — Jasprit Bumrah. Dwivedi writes that Bumrah’s sharp LBW dismissal of Saim Ayub was not just a turning point in the match but a telling technical examination of Pakistan’s young opener. Ayub, who has been aggressively backed as part of Pakistan’s new-age top order, looked uncertain against Bumrah’s late movement and relentless accuracy. With the upcoming ICC Men’s T20 World Cup in South Africa, it leaves Pakistan with an uncomfortable question: have they found a way to counter Bumrah or are they heading into another high-stakes encounter still searching for answers?
💡 Express Explained
For India, the United States Supreme Court ruling against President Donald Trump offers some relief, but far from closure. In policy circles, the view is that the court order complicates Trump’s tariff playbook without dismantling it. If the earlier duties are eventually struck down, the United States could face pressure to refund billions in collected tariffs, potentially reshaping recent trade equations. Yet Indian officials are unlikely to rush into concessions. Instead, India is expected to link any meaningful market-access commitments to the formal signing of a trade pact. Trump’s tariff hand may be legally weakened, but the uncertainty has not disappeared, and India is negotiating with that reality firmly in mind. Read.
✍️ Express Opinion
In today’s Opinion section, Pratap Bhanu Mehta argues that artificial intelligence is not just a technological leap but a structural shift in the relationship between state power and capital. He warns that AI’s capital-intensive and concentrated nature could deepen big tech dominance even as governments grow more dependent on these firms for growth and governance, creating a new regulatory paradox. The real disruption, Mehta suggests, is institutional, with control over data, chips and computers fast becoming the new axis of geopolitical and economic power. The implication is clear: the AI debate is not only about innovation or jobs, but about who ultimately holds power in the digital age.
🎬 Movie Review
Wondering what to watch this weekend? Well, we’ve got you covered. Taapsee Pannu and Kani Kusruti starrer Assi, directed by Anubhav Sinha, is designed to unsettle and stay with you long after the credits roll. The film follows schoolteacher Parima, whose life is upended after a brutal assault, and traces the emotional and social aftermath with stark honesty. As Shubhra Gupta notes in her review, the film’s impact comes from Kusruti’s quietly searing performance and its unflinching look at the attitudes that sustain rape culture.
That’s it for today, have a lovely weekend!
Until next time,
Anupama
Top news on February 21, 2026. 
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