Interpreting India

Saheb and Suyash begin by laying out where the PLA stands today in terms of its strengths, weaknesses, and the factors driving its evolution. While the PLA has made major strides in modernizing across land, air, sea, space, and cyber, it still struggles with issues like deep-rooted corruption, a lack of well-trained personnel, and delays in meeting its own ambitious goals.The discussion dives into how the PLA is preparing for a potential Taiwan contingency through new mobilization efforts, localized recruitment (especially in border regions like Tibet), and more frequent joint military exercises. Suyash argues that despite these efforts, the PLA still isn't ready for a full-scale operation anytime soon. They also examine China's changing nuclear posture, including its gradual shift toward a “launch on warning” approach. Even though both India and China adhere to no-first-use policies, new developments in missile systems and strategic signaling are quietly reshaping the region's security dynamics.Finally, the episode looks at what all this means for India. With growing military capabilities on both sides, we may be entering a period of “armed coexistence”—a tense, yet controlled standoff that defines the new normal along the India–China border.Episode ContributorsSuyash Desai is a nonresident fellow at the Foreign Policy Research Institute (FPRI) and a political scientist specializing in China's defense, foreign policies, and nuclear strategy. His research focuses on Chinese military affairs, security and foreign policy issues, nuclear strategy, India-China relations, and strategic and security developments in East Asia and the Indo-Pacific region. Saheb Singh Chadha is a senior research analyst in the Security Studies Program at Carnegie India. His research focuses on China's foreign and security policies, India-China relations, and India's military modernization. He is broadly interested in the geopolitics of South Asia and the Indo-Pacific.Additional ReadingsViews From Taipei: Essays by Young Indian Scholars on China by Vijay Gokhale, Suyash Desai, Amit Kumar, and Aadil Brar Every two weeks, Interpreting India brings you diverse voices from India and around the world to explore the critical questions shaping the nation's future. We delve into how technology, the economy, and foreign policy intertwine to influence India's relationship with the global stage.As a Carnegie India production, hosted by Carnegie scholars, Interpreting India, a Carnegie India production, provides insightful perspectives and cutting-edge by tackling the defining questions that chart India's course through the next decade.Stay tuned for thought-provoking discussions, expert insights, and a deeper understanding of India's place in the world.Don't forget to subscribe, share, and leave a review to join the conversation and be part of Interpreting India's journey.

In this conversation, Saheb and Amit examine the three major structural dilemmas facing China's economy: a persistently low domestic consumption rate of around 40 percent of GDP, making China an outlier among large economies; the Chinese state's reluctance to adopt fiscal stimulus due to its ideological opposition to welfarism; and a sharp slowdown in real estate investment that has had ripple effects across the broader economy. They also discuss how China's enduring trade surpluses, particularly with the U.S., EU, and India are generating international pushback. Despite high trade volumes, Amit highlights the limited nature of Chinese investment in India, noting that economic outreach from China is driven less by genuine market interest and more by geopolitical calculations. The episode further explores why China's engagement with regions like Africa, Latin America, and Southeast Asia cannot substitute for the demand found in Western markets. The episode also looks at how India's large and growing consumer market could make it a prime destination for companies relocating under the China Plus One strategy, even if Chinese firms themselves remain reluctant to invest directly. Finally, the discussion draws a clear line between China's diplomatic messaging and its actual economic practices, revealing a gap that continues to shape global perceptions.Episode ContributorsAmit Kumar is a Staff Research Analyst at the China desk of the Indo-Pacific Studies Programme. With a broader focus on China, he studies issues at the intersection of the economy, technology and security. His work encompasses writings on the Chinese economy, domestic politics, foreign policy, and India-China trade and security issues. Saheb Singh Chadha is a senior research analyst in the Security Studies Program at Carnegie India. His research focuses on China's foreign and security policies, India-China relations, and India's military modernization. He is broadly interested in the geopolitics of South Asia and the Indo-Pacific.Suggested ReadingsViews From Taipei: Essays by Young Indian Scholars on China by Vijay Gokhale, Suyash Desai, Amit Kumar, and Aadil BrarCrosswinds: Nehru, Zhou and the Anglo-American Competition over China by Vijay Gokhale China's Economy: What Everyone Needs to Know by Arthur R. KroeberChina's Western Horizon: Beijing and the New Geopolitics of Eurasia by Daniel S. Markey Every two weeks, Interpreting India brings you diverse voices from India and around the world to explore the critical questions shaping the nation's future. We delve into how technology, the economy, and foreign policy intertwine to influence India's relationship with the global stage.As a Carnegie India production, hosted by Carnegie scholars, Interpreting India, a Carnegie India production, provides insightful perspectives and cutting-edge by tackling the defining questions that chart India's course through the next decade.Stay tuned for thought-provoking discussions, expert insights, and a deeper understanding of India's place in the world.Don't forget to subscribe, share, and leave a review to join the conversation and be part of Interpreting India's journey.

The conversation delves into the shifting contours of global space governance, touching on the rise of dual-use technologies, the importance of transparency and norms in space activities, and the need for trusted partnerships. Samson outlines how India and the U.S. can work together to ensure space remains a stable and secure domain, citing examples from recent dialogues and space exercises. This episode underscores the importance of rules-based order in space and the benefits of integrating space cooperation into broader diplomatic frameworks of both countries, including under the Quad and the U.S.-India strategic tech and defence partnership.Episode ContributorsVictoria Samson is the Chief Director for Space Security and Stability at the Secure World Foundation, with over 25 years of experience in military space and security issues. She has served as a senior analyst at the Center for Defense Information and is a leading voice in advancing norms of responsible space behavior.Tejas Bharadwaj is a senior research analyst with the Technology and Society Program at Carnegie India. He focuses on space law and policies and also works on areas related to applications of artificial intelligence and autonomy in the military domain and U.S-India export controls. Tejas is also part of the group that works in convening Carnegie India's annual flagship event, the “Global Technology Summit” co-organized with the Ministry of External Affairs, Government of India. Every two weeks, Interpreting India brings you diverse voices from India and around the world to explore the critical questions shaping the nation's future. We delve into how technology, the economy, and foreign policy intertwine to influence India's relationship with the global stage.As a Carnegie India production, hosted by Carnegie scholars, Interpreting India, a Carnegie India production, provides insightful perspectives and cutting-edge by tackling the defining questions that chart India's course through the next decade.Stay tuned for thought-provoking discussions, expert insights, and a deeper understanding of India's place in the world.Don't forget to subscribe, share, and leave a review to join the conversation and be part of Interpreting India's journey.

Episode NotesLt Gen P. R. Shankar outlines the evolution of India's defense industry and how it is nurturing a growing ecosystem of indigenous production. He highlights that India's armed forces have always been adequately equipped for national defense, the key question being whether it can develop a defence industry that would enable it to act as a regional power.The discussion explores the historical structure of India's defence sector, traditionally dominated by public sector organizations such as the Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO). It traces the gradual but significant entry of private players into the defence industry, marking a shift towards a more diversified and dynamic ecosystem. Gen. Shankar emphasizes that meaningful reform in procurement processes does not necessarily require more rules; rather clarity of intent, domain expertise, and better coordination among the armed forces, bureaucracy, political leadership, and industry. A key highlight of the episode is the artillery modernization program, which serves as a successful case study of long-term strategic planning and sustained execution, offering valuable lessons for other sectors and weapon systems. The conversation also delves into the relevance of international defense partnerships for deeper co-development and interoperability. Finally, broader reforms such as the introduction of positive indigenization lists, a more robust export policy, and the inclusion of startups and academic institutions like the Indian Institutes of Technology, are seen as critical to strengthening India's defense industry. Episode ContributorsLt Gen P.R. Shankar (Retd.) is the former Director General of Artillery in the Indian Army and currently a professor in the Aerospace Department at IIT Madras. He has played a key role in India's artillery modernization and frequently writes on strategic and defense issues. He also runs a YouTube channel, Gunner's Shot, focusing on defense and geopolitical affairs.Saheb Singh Chadha is a senior research analyst in the Security Studies Program at Carnegie India. His research focuses on China's foreign and security policies, India-China relations, and India's military modernization. He is broadly interested in the geopolitics of South Asia and the Indo-Pacific. He is also a researcher on a project examining the nature and dynamics of cross-border violence and its impact on civilian communities.Further reading:The Indigenisation of India's Defence Industry by Dhruva Jaishankar.Framework to restrict Chinese components in military drones submitted to defence ministry by Smruti DeshpandeCCS clears mega deal for big indigenous artillery guns by Rajat PanditIndian defence firms need to invest more in innovations and R&D to keep pace with global standards: ReportDefence Procurement Overhaul: MoD Aims To Cut Delays, Faster Acquisitionshttps://pib.gov.in/PressReleseDetailm.aspx?PRID=2114546®=3&lang=1https://www.business-standard.com/external-affairs-defence-security/news/indian-defence-exports-from-brahmos-to-akash-who-are-the-major-buyers-124102800396_1.html  Every two weeks, Interpreting India brings you diverse voices from India and around the world to explore the critical questions shaping the nation's future. We delve into how technology, the economy, and foreign policy intertwine to influence India's relationship with the global stage.As a Carnegie India production, hosted by Carnegie scholars, Interpreting India, a Carnegie India production, provides insightful perspectives and cutting-edge by tackling the defining questions that chart India's course through the next decade.Stay tuned for thought-provoking discussions, expert insights, and a deeper understanding of India's place in the world.Don't forget to subscribe, share, and leave a review to join the conversation and be part of Interpreting India's journey.

Anirudh Suri outlines the current AI landscape, discussing how the U.S. and China dominate the AI space while other nations, including India, strive to carve their own niches. The discussion focuses on India's AI strategy, which has emphasized well on compute resources and the procurement of GPUs. However, Suri argues that India's AI ambitions will remain incomplete unless equal emphasis is placed on talent, data, and R&D.Key challenges in these areas include the migration of top AI talent, the lack of proprietary data for Indian researchers, and insufficient investment in AI R&D. The conversation also explores potential solutions, such as creating AI research hubs, encouraging data-sharing frameworks, and fostering international partnerships to accelerate AI innovation.Episode ContributorsAnirudh Suri is a nonresident scholar with Carnegie India. His interests lie at the intersection of technology and geopolitics, climate, and strategic affairs. He is currently exploring how India is carving and cementing its role in the global tech ecosystem and the role climate technology can play in addressing the global climate challenge.Shatakratu Sahu is a senior research analyst and senior program manager with the Technology and Society program at Carnegie India. His research focuses on issues of emerging technologies and regulation of technologies. His current research interests include digital public infrastructure, artificial intelligence, and platform regulation issues of content moderation and algorithmic accountability. Additional ReadingsThe Missing Pieces in India's AI Puzzle: Talent, Data, and R&D by Anirudh SuriIndia's Advance on AI Regulation by Amlan Mohanty, Shatakratu SahuIndia's Opportunity at the AI Action Summit by Shatakratu SahuIndia's Way Ahead on AI – What Should We Look Out For? by Konark Bhandari Every two weeks, Interpreting India brings you diverse voices from India and around the world to explore the critical questions shaping the nation's future. We delve into how technology, the economy, and foreign policy intertwine to influence India's relationship with the global stage.As a Carnegie India production, hosted by Carnegie scholars, Interpreting India, a Carnegie India production, provides insightful perspectives and cutting-edge by tackling the defining questions that chart India's course through the next decade.Stay tuned for thought-provoking discussions, expert insights, and a deeper understanding of India's place in the world.Don't forget to subscribe, share, and leave a review to join the conversation and be part of Interpreting India's journey.

Peter Harrell outlines the Trump administration's evolving approach to tariffs and their implications for U.S.-India trade relations. The discussion covers the impact of proposed reciprocal tariffs, which could significantly affect Indian exports, and explores opportunities for India to leverage cooperation with the U.S. on Chinese overcapacity as a strategic bargaining tool.The conversation also delves into India's EV policy aimed at attracting Tesla, its semiconductor supply chain challenges amid U.S. scrutiny of Chinese exports, and the potential for India to benefit from a collective tariff approach with the U.S. and the EU against Chinese overcapacity.Episode ContributorsPeter Harrell is a nonresident fellow at the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace. He also serves as an attorney advising companies and investors on international legal, regulatory, and geopolitical risks. As a member of Carnegie's American Statecraft program, Harrell's research focuses on issues of U.S. domestic economic competitiveness, trade policy, and the use of economic tools in U.S. foreign policy.Konark Bhandari is a research fellow with the Technology and Society Program at Carnegie India, focusing on U.S.-India relations, trade policy, and emerging technologies.Additional ReadingsThe U.S.–India Initiative on Critical and Emerging Technology (iCET) from 2022 to 2025: Assessment, Learnings, and the Way Forward by Rudra Chaudhuri and Konark Bhandari. The Geopolitics of the Semiconductor Industry and India's Place in It by Konark Bhandari.Time to Reset the U.S. Trade Agenda by Peter Harrell. Every two weeks, Interpreting India brings you diverse voices from India and around the world to explore the critical questions shaping the nation's future. We delve into how technology, the economy, and foreign policy intertwine to influence India's relationship with the global stage.As a Carnegie India production, hosted by Carnegie scholars, Interpreting India, a Carnegie India production, provides insightful perspectives and cutting-edge by tackling the defining questions that chart India's course through the next decade.Stay tuned for thought-provoking discussions, expert insights, and a deeper understanding of India's place in the world.Don't forget to subscribe, share, and leave a review to join the conversation and be part of Interpreting India's journey.

This episode explores the trajectory of India-U.S. relations as Donald Trump embarks on his second term as president. Arun K. Singh provides a detailed analysis of the highs and lows during Trump's first administration. He highlights major milestones like the revival of the Quad, the recognition of India as a major defense partner, and the Strategic Trade Authorization-1 that enabled advanced technology access. Simultaneously, he addresses challenges such as tariffs, trade deficits, and immigration policies that strained the partnership.Looking ahead, the discussion focuses on the implications of Trump's "America First" approach, the complexities of U.S.-China competition, and its ripple effects on India. The episode unpacks the importance of the Quad framework, technology partnerships under the iCET, and defense cooperation as pillars of bilateral engagement. Ambassador Singh also reflects on Trump's political signaling, unpredictability, and how India can leverage its strong ties with the U.S. to address mutual challenges in trade, technology, and the Indo-Pacific region.Episode ContributorsArun K. Singh is a nonresident senior fellow at Carnegie India. Singh has extensive experience across the globe, including as India's ambassador to the United States, Israel, and France.Vrinda Sahai is a research assistant and program coordinator with the Security Studies Program at Carnegie India. Additional ReadingsBridging East and West: India's Pursuit of Stability Amid China, Russia, and U.S. Dynamics by Rudra Chaudhuri, Vijay Gokhale, D. B. Venkatesh Varma. The U.S.–India Initiative on Critical and Emerging Technology (iCET) from 2022 to 2025: Assessment, Learnings, and the Way Forward by Rudra Chaudhuri, Konark Bhandari. New Grammar of India-U.S. Relations by Rudra Chaudhuri. India-U.S. Relations Beyond the Modi-Biden Dynamic by Arun K. Singh. #IndiaUSRelations #TrumpSecondTerm #QuadRevival #StrategicPartnership #iCET #IndoPacific #USChinaCompetition #DefenseCooperation Every two weeks, Interpreting India brings you diverse voices from India and around the world to explore the critical questions shaping the nation's future. We delve into how technology, the economy, and foreign policy intertwine to influence India's relationship with the global stage.As a Carnegie India production, hosted by Carnegie scholars, Interpreting India, a Carnegie India production, provides insightful perspectives and cutting-edge by tackling the defining questions that chart India's course through the next decade.Stay tuned for thought-provoking discussions, expert insights, and a deeper understanding of India's place in the world.Don't forget to subscribe, share, and leave a review to join the conversation and be part of Interpreting India's journey.

This episode unpacks several critical issues shaping the future of Syria and its broader regional impact. Gaddam Dharmendra provides a historical context to Syria's crisis, beginning with the Arab Spring, the civil war, and the consolidation of Bashar al-Assad's regime with the support of Iran and Russia. He sheds light on the structural weaknesses in Syria's economy and governance that led to its fragmentation and the rise of Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS) as a significant player in the ongoing political transition.The conversation also delves into the role of international actors in shaping Syria's future:Regional Players: The ambitions of Gulf Cooperation Council countries, Iran, Turkey, and Israel as they position themselves in a post-Assad Syria.Global Powers: The recalibration of policies by Russia, China, the European Union, and the United States amid Syria's evolving dynamics.Dharmendra examines the cautious optimism surrounding Syria's future, particularly in relation to reconstruction efforts, refugee repatriation, and governance under the HTS. He also highlights India's interests in ensuring regional stability, given its strategic partnerships with the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) countries, Iran, and Israel, alongside its vast diaspora and economic engagements in West Asia. Every two weeks, Interpreting India brings you diverse voices from India and around the world to explore the critical questions shaping the nation's future. We delve into how technology, the economy, and foreign policy intertwine to influence India's relationship with the global stage.As a Carnegie India production, hosted by Carnegie scholars, Interpreting India, a Carnegie India production, provides insightful perspectives and cutting-edge by tackling the defining questions that chart India's course through the next decade.Stay tuned for thought-provoking discussions, expert insights, and a deeper understanding of India's place in the world.Don't forget to subscribe, share, and leave a review to join the conversation and be part of Interpreting India's journey.

This episode unpacks several key issues that shape India's role on the global stage. As India navigates the path to re-establishing stability along its contested border with China, Gokhale and Varma analyze what the recent BRICS Summit outcomes and new patrolling agreements mean for India-China relations. They also explore the broader implications of India's balancing act between the U.S. and Russia, especially in the context of the Ukraine crisis and India's role as a potential communicator.The conversation touches on India's long-term approach to its partnership with the U.S., considering the upcoming U.S. elections and shared interests in technology and energy. Additionally, our experts reflect on the complexities of India-China economic integration, highlighting the need to manage dependencies in critical sectors while building alternative supply chains. Together, these insights provide a nuanced perspective on India's diplomatic strategies in an increasingly multipolar world.Episode ContributorsVijay Gokhale is a nonresident senior fellow at Carnegie India and a former Indian Foreign Secretary. He has served as India's ambassador to China and Germany, with extensive expertise in Indo-Pacific affairs, Chinese politics, and diplomacy.D.B. Venkatesh Varma is a distinguished fellow at the Vivekananda International Foundation and has served as India's ambassador to Russia and the Conference on Disarmament in Geneva. He brings deep experience in India's security and defense policies.Additional ReadingsStabilizing the Border: A Possible Way Ahead in the Post-Galwan Situation by Vijay GokhaleA Conversation with His Excellency Dr. S. Jaishankar, India's External Affairs Minister by Mariano-Florentino (Tino) CuéllarCrosswinds: Nehru, Zhou and the Anglo-American Competition over China by Vijay Gokhale Every two weeks, Interpreting India brings you diverse voices from India and around the world to explore the critical questions shaping the nation's future. We delve into how technology, the economy, and foreign policy intertwine to influence India's relationship with the global stage.As a Carnegie India production, hosted by Carnegie scholars, Interpreting India, a Carnegie India production, provides insightful perspectives and cutting-edge by tackling the defining questions that chart India's course through the next decade.Stay tuned for thought-provoking discussions, expert insights, and a deeper understanding of India's place in the world.Don't forget to subscribe, share, and leave a review to join the conversation and be part of Interpreting India's journey.

India's lunar exploration journey began with Chandrayaan-1, which marked a significant milestone in 2008 by becoming the first Indian mission to orbit the moon. This mission also contributed to the discovery of water ice on the moon, catalyzing renewed global interest in lunar exploration. India has since built on this success with subsequent Chandrayaan missions, most recently Chandrayaan-3, which achieved a successful soft landing on the moon.In this episode, Jatan Mehta discusses the strategic importance of lunar exploration for India and how Chandrayaan-3 has provided India with a solid foundation for future missions. He emphasizes that while India has made significant progress, it still lags behind space giants like China in terms of capabilities and resources. However, India's increasing participation in international collaborations, such as the U.S.-led Artemis Accords and the LUPEX mission with Japan, positions it well for future advancements in lunar exploration.The discussion also touches on the challenges of lunar exploration, including the technical difficulties of landing on the moon and the uncertainties surrounding lunar resources like water ice. As nations compete for access to the moon's South Pole, Jatan explains that there is still much to learn about the actual accessibility of these resources.Furthermore, Jatan highlights the role of private space companies and the growing interest in international partnerships. He mentions how India's collaboration with NASA and Japan could enhance its lunar capabilities, and the potential for India's private sector to contribute to global lunar missions.Episode ContributorsJatan Mehta is a globally published independent space writer and the author of Moon Monday, the world's only newsletter dedicated to covering lunar exploration developments from around the globe. He also writes Indian Space Progress, a monthly report contextualizing the progress of India's increasingly relevant space capabilities in the global arena. He has also been an Editorial Consultant for space organizations globally.Tejas Bharadwaj is a research analyst with the Technology and Society Program at Carnegie India. He focuses on space law and policies and also works on areas related to applications of artificial intelligence and autonomy in the military domain and U.S-India export controls. Tejas is also part of the group that works in convening Carnegie India's annual flagship event, the “Global Technology Summit” co-organized with the Ministry of External Affairs, Government of India.Additional ReadingsMoon Monday Blog by Jatan Mehta Chandrayaan Missions - ISROArtemis AccordsChina's Lunar Exploration ProgramNASA's CLPS Program Every two weeks, Interpreting India brings you diverse voices from India and around the world to explore the critical questions shaping the nation's future. We delve into how technology, the economy, and foreign policy intertwine to influence India's relationship with the global stage.As a Carnegie India production, hosted by Carnegie scholars, Interpreting India, a Carnegie India production, provides insightful perspectives and cutting-edge by tackling the defining questions that chart India's course through the next decade.Stay tuned for thought-provoking discussions, expert insights, and a deeper understanding of India's place in the world.Don't forget to subscribe, share, and leave a review to join the conversation and be part of Interpreting India's journey.

The Modi-Biden era is characterized by a profound deepening of ties between India and the U.S., with significant cooperation in critical and emerging technologies, enhanced defense partnerships, and strengthened diplomatic ties. Arun K. Singh discusses initiatives such as the iCET and the INDUS-X, which bolster the partnership, particularly in high-tech sectors like artificial intelligence, biotechnology, and defense. The conversation also covers strategic challenges and alignments, particularly concerning China and the broader Indo-Pacific region.Throughout the episode, Singh articulates the nuanced shifts in policy and perspective shaping the relationship since the early 2000s. From nuclear agreements to the recent developments under the Quad framework, the dialogue illuminates the collaborative efforts defining current U.S.-India ties. The discussion not only explores strategic imperatives but also delves into the personal dynamics between leaders, highlighting their pivotal role in bilateral engagements. The episode underscores the complexities and strategic considerations that continue to drive the India-U.S. relationship forward in the face of global challenges.Episode Contributors Arun K. Singh is a nonresident senior fellow at Carnegie India. Singh has extensive experience across the globe, including as India's ambassador to the United States, Israel, and France. Throughout his distinguished career in the Indian Foreign Service, he has served during pivotal periods in key global capitals and was instrumental in shaping India's policies, notably the continued progress in the U.S.-India relationship, India's closer ties to Israel, and the formulation and implementation of India's policies related to Afghanistan, Pakistan, and Iran, including in the period following 9/11.Rudra Chaudhuri is the director of Carnegie India. His research focuses on the diplomatic history of South Asia, contemporary security issues, and the important role of emerging technologies and digital public infrastructure in diplomacy, statecraft, and development. Readings:The Modi-Biden Dynamic for Next Steps in India-U.S. Relations by Arun K. Singh The U.S.-India Initiative on Critical and Emerging Technology (iCET): The Way Forward by Rudra Chaudhuri, Konark Bhandari, and Ashima SinghA Quad Initiative on Digital Public Infrastructure by Rudra Chaudhuri and Aadya Gupta Every two weeks, Interpreting India brings you diverse voices from India and around the world to explore the critical questions shaping the nation's future. We delve into how technology, the economy, and foreign policy intertwine to influence India's relationship with the global stage.As a Carnegie India production, hosted by Carnegie scholars, Interpreting India, a Carnegie India production, provides insightful perspectives and cutting-edge by tackling the defining questions that chart India's course through the next decade.Stay tuned for thought-provoking discussions, expert insights, and a deeper understanding of India's place in the world.Don't forget to subscribe, share, and leave a review to join the conversation and be part of Interpreting India's journey.

There has been a significant transformation in Europe-China relations over the past decade, with a shift from economic optimism to cautious de-risking. While Europe has sought partnerships with China, particularly in industrial and technological sectors, there are increasing concerns about economic dependencies that may be leveraged by Beijing for political gain. The Russia-Ukraine war has further complicated the dynamic, as China's support for Russia has created divisions within Europe regarding how to engage with China moving forward.In this episode, Janka Oertel explains the key drivers behind Europe's changing relationship with China and the ongoing debates in European policy circles about how to reduce dependencies on Chinese goods, technology, and investments without completely decoupling. She emphasizes that de-risking is not a simple, one-size-fits-all strategy but rather a complex process that varies across European countries and industries.The episode also discusses how China has sought to deepen relationships with countries in Eastern Europe and the Western Balkans, providing investments through the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) to gain access to EU markets. Oertel notes that while some EU countries have welcomed Chinese investments, others are growing increasingly wary of Beijing's intentions.The conversation touches on how Europe is looking to collaborate with India and the Global South as part of its broader strategy to diversify partnerships and reduce its reliance on China. The discussion highlights the importance of political will on both sides to make the EU-India relationship a cornerstone of future European foreign policy.Episode Contributors:Janka Oertel is the Director of the Asia Program at the European Council on Foreign Relations (ECFR). Her research focuses on EU-China relations, US-China relations, Asia-Pacific security, and emerging technologies. She is the author of "End of the China Illusion: How We Must Deal with Beijing's Claim to Power."Shibani Mehta is a senior research analyst with the Security Studies Program at Carnegie India. Her research focuses on the India-China boundary dispute with the purpose of analyzing India's foreign and security policy decision-making. She also writes extensively on South Asian regional dynamics and minilaterals in the Indo-Pacific.Additional Readings:The End of Germany's China illusion With Janka Oertel by Janka OertelEU-China Relations: De-Risking or De-Coupling—the Future of the EU Strategy Towards China: https://www.europarl.europa.eu/RegData/etudes/STUD/2024/754446/EXPO_STU(2024)754446_EN.pdfEuropean Commission's 2019 Strategic Outlook on China: https://commission.europa.eu/system/files/2019-03/communication-eu-china-a-strategic-outlook.pdf"China's New International Paradigm: Security First" by Helena Legarda: https://merics.org/en/chinas-new-international-paradigm-security-first"This isn't a new weapon, it is a new world"—three things Oppenheimer tells us about tech. https://www.ias.edu/news/video-2024-public-policy-lecture Every two weeks, Interpreting India brings you diverse voices from India and around the world to explore the critical questions shaping the nation's future. We delve into how technology, the economy, and foreign policy intertwine to influence India's relationship with the global stage.As a Carnegie India production, hosted by Carnegie scholars, Interpreting India, a Carnegie India production, provides insightful perspectives and cutting-edge by tackling the defining questions that chart India's course through the next decade.Stay tuned for thought-provoking discussions, expert insights, and a deeper understanding of India's place in the world.Don't forget to subscribe, share, and leave a review to join the conversation and be part of Interpreting India's journey.

There are many factors that have led to China's more assertive foreign policy, especially under Xi Jinping. In this episode, Helena Legarda discusses the centralization of power within the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) and how this has influenced China's strategic ambitions on the global stage. She also highlights the increasing role of the People's Liberation Army (PLA) in defense diplomacy and how various domestic agencies, including think tanks and local governments, contribute to shaping China's foreign policy.The conversation also touches on the CCP's reliance on nationalism as a source of legitimacy, especially in the face of economic challenges. Helena discusses how this heightened nationalism impacts China's foreign relations and the challenges it poses for the international community.Additionally, the conversation explores the evolving relationship between Europe and China, particularly the European Union's strategy of "de-risking" rather than decoupling from China. Legarda provides insights into how Europe's changing stance towards China might influence global geopolitics and the role that countries like India could play in this new strategic environment.How does China balance its ambitions for global leadership with the growing challenges at home? What role does defense diplomacy play in China's foreign policy? And how are global powers like the EU and India adjusting to China's rising influence?Episode ContributorsHelena Legarda is a lead analyst with MERICS. Her research focuses on China's defense and foreign policies, including their domestic sources and drivers, and their geopolitical impact. Prior to joining MERICS she gained professional experience at the Delegation of the European Union to China and at research and advisory firm China Policy in Beijing. Shibani Mehta is a senior research analyst with the Security Studies Program at Carnegie India. Her research focuses on the India-China boundary dispute with the purpose of analyzing India's foreign and security policy decision-making. She also writes extensively on South Asian regional dynamics and minilaterals in the Indo-Pacific.Additional Readings:The Xi Jinping Doctrine of China's International Relations by Feng ZhangChina's New International Paradigm: Security First by Helena Legarda "Comprehensive National Security" Unleashed: How Xi's approach Shapes China's Policies at Home and Abroad by Katja Drinhausen and Helena Legarda EU-China Relations: De-Risking or De-Coupling − The Future of the EU Strategy Towards China  Every two weeks, Interpreting India brings you diverse voices from India and around the world to explore the critical questions shaping the nation's future. We delve into how technology, the economy, and foreign policy intertwine to influence India's relationship with the global stage.As a Carnegie India production, hosted by Carnegie scholars, Interpreting India, a Carnegie India production, provides insightful perspectives and cutting-edge by tackling the defining questions that chart India's course through the next decade.Stay tuned for thought-provoking discussions, expert insights, and a deeper understanding of India's place in the world.Don't forget to subscribe, share, and leave a review to join the conversation and be part of Interpreting India's journey.

In this special 5th-anniversary episode of Interpreting India, the Carnegie India team reflects on five years of insightful conversations that have shaped the podcast. With over 100 episodes produced, the podcast has consistently explored crucial topics influencing India and the world, from technology and geopolitics to economic policies and urban governance.The episode features reflections from various hosts who discuss their favorite episodes, the most impactful discussions, and the enduring themes that have resonated with the audience. The hosts also share their plans for the future, aiming to delve even deeper into the issues that matter most, with more extended and in-depth conversations. Every two weeks, Interpreting India brings you diverse voices from India and around the world to explore the critical questions shaping the nation's future. We delve into how technology, the economy, and foreign policy intertwine to influence India's relationship with the global stage.As a Carnegie India production, hosted by Carnegie scholars, Interpreting India, a Carnegie India production, provides insightful perspectives and cutting-edge by tackling the defining questions that chart India's course through the next decade.Stay tuned for thought-provoking discussions, expert insights, and a deeper understanding of India's place in the world.Don't forget to subscribe, share, and leave a review to join the conversation and be part of Interpreting India's journey.

The episode provides an in-depth analysis of the structural challenges that led to the slowdown in private investment in India from 2011, highlighting the impact of policy uncertainty, weak rule of law, and central planning on business confidence. Ajay Shah advocates for broader policy reforms that enhance the institutional environment, making it more conducive to private sector participation in the economy.He also discusses the strategic importance of fiscal discipline in the context of India's economic challenges. He emphasizes the need for a prudent approach to deficit management, arguing that a flexible fiscal policy, which adapts to economic cycles, is more suitable for India than rigid deficit targets. The discussion also explores the role of infrastructure investments, questioning whether the current government-led infrastructure push effectively addresses the deeper issues of private sector investment and economic growth.Additionally, Shah touches upon the ongoing debate around tax policy, particularly the potential overhaul of India's direct tax code and the implications of capital gains taxation. He underscores the importance of aligning tax policy with the broader goal of promoting capital formation and economic growth in India.How can India balance fiscal discipline with the need for economic growth? What are the underlying reasons for the private sector's reluctance to invest in India? How can tax policy reforms contribute to India's economic objectives?Additional Readings In Service of the Republic: The Art and Science of Economic Policy by Vijay Kelkar and Ajay ShahForeign Investors Under Stress: Evidence from India by Ila Patnaik, Ajay Shah, and Nirvikar SinghScale Economies, Product Differentiation, and the Pattern of Trade by Paul KrugmanThe Case for Trade Barriers Against Chinese Imports by Ila Patnaik and Ajay ShahThe State of the Economy by Ajay ShahGovernment Programs Have a Limited Impact on Employment by Ajay Shah Where Has All the Infrastructure Gone? | Episode 55 | Everything is EverythingStrategic Thinking on Fiscal Policy by Ajay Shah Where Has All the Infrastructure Gone? | Episode 55 | Everything is EverythingEpisode Contributors: Ajay Shah is a senior research fellow and co-founder of XKDR Forum. He has held positions at the Centre for Monitoring Indian Economy (CMIE), the Indira Gandhi Institute for Development Research (IGIDR), the Department of Economic Affairs at the Ministry of Finance, and the National Institute for Public Finance and Policy (NIPFP). His research lies at the intersection of economics, law, and public administration.Suyash Rai is a deputy director and fellow at Carnegie India. His research focuses on the political economy of economic reforms, and the performance of public institutions in India. His current research looks at the financial sector, the fiscal system, and the infrastructure sector. Every two weeks, Interpreting India brings you diverse voices from India and around the world to explore the critical questions shaping the nation's future. We delve into how technology, the economy, and foreign policy intertwine to influence India's relationship with the global stage.As a Carnegie India production, hosted by Carnegie scholars, Interpreting India, a Carnegie India production, provides insightful perspectives and cutting-edge by tackling the defining questions that chart India's course through the next decade.Stay tuned for thought-provoking discussions, expert insights, and a deeper understanding of India's place in the world.Don't forget to subscribe, share, and leave a review to join the conversation and be part of Interpreting India's journey.

Space sustainability has become a critical issue with the increasing presence of space debris. In this episode, Quentin Verspieren provides insights into the ESA's zero-debris approach and the collaborative efforts needed to achieve it. The conversation focuses on the importance of developing advanced technologies for debris mitigation and remediation and how private companies can drive innovation to contribute to space sustainability. Verspieren also discusses the role of global partnerships in promoting a zero-debris approach and how the Zero-Debris Charter complements international space law norms.Additionally, the conversation addresses the financial and technological challenges faced by emerging spacefaring countries in adopting sustainable space practices. Verspieren emphasizes the need for a comprehensive approach involving all stakeholders, including governments, private companies, and international organizations, to ensure space remains a viable environment for future generations.Episode ContributorsQuentin Verspieren is the Space Safety Programme and Protect Accelerator Coordinator at the Directorate of Operations, European Space Agency. In this role, he leads the development of ambitious European initiatives on debris mitigation and remediation, and space weather services. Verspieren is a visiting assistant professor at the Science, Technology, and Innovation Governance (STIG) Program, University of Tokyo's Graduate School of Public Policy. He has two master's degrees in aerospace engineering from ISAE-SUPAERO and The University of Tokyo and a Ph.D. in public policy. Tejas Bharadwaj is a research analyst with the Technology and Society Program at Carnegie India. He focuses on space law and policies and works on areas related to applications of artificial intelligence and autonomy in the military domain and U.S.-India export controls. Tejas is also part of the group that convened Carnegie India's annual flagship event, the Global Technology Summit, co-organized with the Ministry of External Affairs, Government of India. Suggested ReadingsThe Zero Debris Charter, European Space AgencyZero Debris Charter Aims to Boost International Cooperation on Cleaning up Earth's Space Junk Problem, Space.comGuidelines for the Long-Term Sustainability of Outer Space Activities, UNCOPUOSIndia's Intent on Debris-Free Space Missions, ISRO Every two weeks, Interpreting India brings you diverse voices from India and around the world to explore the critical questions shaping the nation's future. We delve into how technology, the economy, and foreign policy intertwine to influence India's relationship with the global stage.As a Carnegie India production, hosted by Carnegie scholars, Interpreting India, a Carnegie India production, provides insightful perspectives and cutting-edge by tackling the defining questions that chart India's course through the next decade.Stay tuned for thought-provoking discussions, expert insights, and a deeper understanding of India's place in the world.Don't forget to subscribe, share, and leave a review to join the conversation and be part of Interpreting India's journey.

India's quest for military modernization has been marked by significant reforms in recent years. In this episode, Raj Shukla provides insights into the progress and challenges faced in this transformation. He highlights the importance of technological integration, jointness, and civil-military fusion in strengthening India's deterrence.The conversation delves into the need for a comprehensive national security makeover, emphasizing reforms like integrated theater commands, and a cultural transformation in civil-military relations. Shukla also discusses the impact of geopolitical shifts, particularly the rise of China, on India's strategic imperatives.How have reforms fared over the past ten years? What is the way forward for defense industry, tri-service jointness, and civil-military relations? Does India's nuclear posture need a rethink?  Does it need to raise new forces in the emerging domains of space and cyber?Episode ContributorsRaj Shukla is a member of the Union Public Service Commission, Government of India, and a former general officer commanding in chief of the Indian Army's Army Training Command (ARTRAC). With over four decades of distinguished service, he has a deep interest in strategic military affairs and is a distinguished fellow at the Center for Land Warfare Studies.Yahoo: rajshukla35@yahoo.comYouTube: @LtGenRajShuklaInstagram: @ltgenrajshuklaTwitter: @Gen_RajshuklaFacebook: @Raj ShuklaSaheb Singh Chadha is a research analyst in the Security Studies Program at Carnegie India. His research focuses on China's foreign and security policies, India-China relations, and India's military modernization. He is broadly interested in the geopolitics of South Asia and the Indo-Pacific. He is also a researcher on a project examining the nature and dynamics of cross-border violence and its impact on civilian communities. Twitter: @SahebSChadhaAdditional ReadingsThe Absent Dialogue: Politicians, Bureaucrats, and the Military in India by Anit Mukherjee Nuclear War: A Scenario by Annie JacbosenFrom Surprise To Reckoning: The Kargil Review Committee Report What is Shekatkar Report, Defence Ministry's First Order of Business After Lockdown by Snehesh Alex PhillipNaresh Chandra Task Force's Report on National Security: An Appraisal by Nitin GokhaleMOMENTOUS CHANGES: Defence Reforms, Military Transformation, and India's New Strategic Posture by Anit Mukherjee, Rajeswari Pillai Rajagopalan, Nishant Rajeev Every two weeks, Interpreting India brings you diverse voices from India and around the world to explore the critical questions shaping the nation's future. We delve into how technology, the economy, and foreign policy intertwine to influence India's relationship with the global stage.As a Carnegie India production, hosted by Carnegie scholars, Interpreting India, a Carnegie India production, provides insightful perspectives and cutting-edge by tackling the defining questions that chart India's course through the next decade.Stay tuned for thought-provoking discussions, expert insights, and a deeper understanding of India's place in the world.Don't forget to subscribe, share, and leave a review to join the conversation and be part of Interpreting India's journey.

India's rapid urban growth has brought to light numerous challenges, including unmanageable expansion, inadequate housing, and air pollution. Vidyadhar Phatak discusses how historical planning models and regulatory frameworks have contributed to these issues and offers insights into potential solutions. The conversation highlights the importance of adapting urban planning to market realities, enhancing regulatory frameworks, and improving planning education to better address the needs of Indian cities.In Planning for India's Urbanization (2024), Phatak provides a comprehensive analysis of urban development in India, focusing on the links between economic growth and urbanization, the importance of land use, housing affordability, and metropolitan governance. The episode emphasizes the need for localized and context-specific planning to foster sustainable urban development.How can historical planning models be reformed to meet the needs of modern Indian cities? What are the advantages and disadvantages of different land assembly methods? How can redevelopment be facilitated in already built-up areas? What are the challenges and opportunities in planning education and the profession?Episode ContributorsVidyadhar Phatak is a renowned urban planner with over forty years of professional experience. He has extensively researched housing affordability, public land use, and urban planning reforms. Phatak retired as the Principal Chief of the Town and Country Planning Division of the Mumbai Metropolitan Region Development Authority in 2004. He has served on the Planning Commission Task Force on Urban Development and the National Commission on Urbanization. His book, Planning for India's Urbanization, offers a collection of essays on urban development based on his observations of Mumbai and Maharashtra, with broader applicability to other Indian cities.Anirudh Burman is an associate research director and fellow at Carnegie India. He works on key issues relating to public institutions, public administration, the administrative and regulatory state, and state capacity.  He has also worked extensively on financial regulation and regulatory governance. Burman brings a nuanced perspective to urban planning and development discussions, drawing on his extensive knowledge and research experience.Additional ReadingsPlanning for India's Urbanization by Vidyadhar PathakScaling Heights: Affordability Implications of Zoning Deregulation in India by Geetika Nagpal and Salil Gandhi Every two weeks, Interpreting India brings you diverse voices from India and around the world to explore the critical questions shaping the nation's future. We delve into how technology, the economy, and foreign policy intertwine to influence India's relationship with the global stage.As a Carnegie India production, hosted by Carnegie scholars, Interpreting India, a Carnegie India production, provides insightful perspectives and cutting-edge by tackling the defining questions that chart India's course through the next decade.Stay tuned for thought-provoking discussions, expert insights, and a deeper understanding of India's place in the world.Don't forget to subscribe, share, and leave a review to join the conversation and be part of Interpreting India's journey.

In the past two years, artificial intelligence (AI) has rapidly evolved from a burgeoning technology to a transformative force, reshaping industries and everyday life. Enthralled by AI's promises and potential, the tech world and society at large have surged ahead, often without pausing to consider the technology's broader implications. In her book, Code Dependent: Living in the Shadows of AI, Madhumita Murgia talks about the crucial gap in the discourse—the unintended consequences of AI. As AI redefines what it means to be human, it poses profound questions about its impact on individuals, families, societies, and cultures worldwide. A key concern is the concentration of power within a few large tech companies that control extensive data, capital, and infrastructure. The discussion extends to the impact of AI on labor, emphasizing the importance of ethical labor practices and fair wages for data workers, the challenges of biases in AI systems, and the inclusion of diverse voices in AI development to mitigate potential harms and ensure equitable advancements in technology. What are the unintended consequences of AI on global societies and cultures? Will AI deepen existing inequalities or serve as a tool for greater equity? Will it centralize power among a few or democratize access to resources and opportunities? How does the concentration of AI power affect global politics and economics?In this episode of Interpreting India, Madhumita Murgia joins Anirudh Suri to answer these pressing questions and discuss the ever-evolving nature of AI and its implications.Madhumita Murgia is the AI editor of the Financial Times, where she writes on data and emerging technologies. She was previously tech editor at The Daily Telegraph and associate editor of Wired UK. Her latest book, Code Dependent: Living in the Shadows of AI, was shortlisted for the 2024 Women's Prize for Non-Fiction.Anirudh Suri is a nonresident scholar with Carnegie India. His interests lie at the intersection of technology and geopolitics, climate, and strategic affairs. He is currently exploring how India is carving and cementing its role in the global tech ecosystem and the role climate technology can play in addressing the global climate challenge. Suri is the author of The Great Tech Game: Shaping Geopolitics and the Destinies of Nations and has also written extensively on foreign policy, geopolitics, cybersecurity, climate, technology, and entrepreneurship. Additional ReadingsCode Dependent: Living in the Shadows of AI by Madhumita MurgiaThe Great Tech Game: Shaping Geopolitics and the Destinies of Nations by Anirudh Suri Every two weeks, Interpreting India brings you diverse voices from India and around the world to explore the critical questions shaping the nation's future. We delve into how technology, the economy, and foreign policy intertwine to influence India's relationship with the global stage.As a Carnegie India production, hosted by Carnegie scholars, Interpreting India, a Carnegie India production, provides insightful perspectives and cutting-edge by tackling the defining questions that chart India's course through the next decade.Stay tuned for thought-provoking discussions, expert insights, and a deeper understanding of India's place in the world.Don't forget to subscribe, share, and leave a review to join the conversation and be part of Interpreting India's journey.

Karl Mehta highlights the critical role of trustworthy tech supply chains and the necessity for international collaboration among partner nations. Mehta examines the potential of India's national AI mission and the growing space tech ecosystem, including opportunities for lower-cost payload launches and downstream activities. This episode provides an overview of the strategic integration of advanced technologies in India's growth and development framework. Karl Mehta explains the critical role of patient capital in promoting deep tech innovations and discusses the Indian government's recent initiatives to stimulate technological advancements through policies focused on deep tech and domestic manufacturing. What is the significance of patient capital in the development of deep technology? How do current Indian government policies support the innovation ecosystem, particularly in deep tech? In what ways can trustworthy tech supply chains bolster India's position in the global tech landscape?Episode contributors  Karl Mehta is a serial entrepreneur, author, investor, engineer, and civil servant with over thirty years of experience in founding, building, and funding high-tech companies in the United States and international markets. Prior to leading the Quad Investors Network, Karl was the founder and CEO of an artificial intelligence-powered knowledge cloud platform EdCast Inc., which was backed by Stanford University and acquired by Cornerstone Inc. He was also a former venture partner at Menlo Ventures, a leading Silicon Valley firm.  Karl is also the founder of several non-profit organizations, including Code For India, and the author of Financial Inclusion at the Bottom of the Pyramid. His new book, AI for Digital Public Infrastructure, is slated to be released in Fall 2023. Konark Bhandari is a fellow with Carnegie India. He is a lawyer who has researched certain areas in the digital economy, focusing primarily on approaches to antitrust regulation of companies in the digital realm. He had earlier worked at India's antitrust regulator, the Competition Commission of India (CCI), where he worked closely with senior officials on a variety of matters. He is also an avid follower of the regulation of the space technology ecosystem and is keen to contribute to that discipline. Additional readings:   Every two weeks, Interpreting India brings you diverse voices from India and around the world to explore the critical questions shaping the nation's future. We delve into how technology, the economy, and foreign policy intertwine to influence India's relationship with the global stage.As a Carnegie India production, hosted by Carnegie scholars, Interpreting India, a Carnegie India production, provides insightful perspectives and cutting-edge by tackling the defining questions that chart India's course through the next decade.Stay tuned for thought-provoking discussions, expert insights, and a deeper understanding of India's place in the world.Don't forget to subscribe, share, and leave a review to join the conversation and be part of Interpreting India's journey.

India, a continent-sized country, exhibits profound regional economic disparities, with some regions having economic outputs comparable to upper-middle-income countries, while others resemble the impoverished regions of sub-Saharan Africa. Dore discusses how these disparities affect development and the importance of focusing on regional nuances to foster equitable growth across India. The book provides a deep dive into these issues, offering lessons and insights on leveraging regional strengths and addressing challenges through targeted development strategies. The episode highlights the need for precise regional analysis and development policies that consider the unique economic landscapes of India's diverse regions. What is more conducive to the economic development of a nation—specialisation or diversification? What is the role of data in harnessing regional potential effectively? How can India implement lessons from global economic governance to improve its regional development strategies?Episode ContributorsPoornima Dore is a practicing economist, driving impact through finance, innovation and digital transformation. She previously served as director of analytics, insights and impact at Tata Trusts and is a highly sought-after advisor for leaders across diverse sectors. With a management degree from Xavier School of Management and a PhD in Economics from the Indian Institute of Technology, Bombay, she has, over the years, driven large programs at the intersection of business, philanthropy, academia and government, activated private sector investments in data-driven governance, digital public goods, regional growth, urbanization, and migration, and designed special institutional programs on impact and SME financing. She serves on the board of select institutions as well as ministerial committees and has been recognized as one of the top 100 Analytics Leaders in South Asia. Suyash Rai is a deputy director and fellow at Carnegie India. His research focuses on the political economy of economic reforms, and the performance of public institutions in India. His current research looks at the financial sector, the fiscal system, and the infrastructure sector.Suggested Readings:Regional Economic Diversity: Lessons from an Emergent India, by Poornima Dore and Krishnan Narayanan Every two weeks, Interpreting India brings you diverse voices from India and around the world to explore the critical questions shaping the nation's future. We delve into how technology, the economy, and foreign policy intertwine to influence India's relationship with the global stage.As a Carnegie India production, hosted by Carnegie scholars, Interpreting India, a Carnegie India production, provides insightful perspectives and cutting-edge by tackling the defining questions that chart India's course through the next decade.Stay tuned for thought-provoking discussions, expert insights, and a deeper understanding of India's place in the world.Don't forget to subscribe, share, and leave a review to join the conversation and be part of Interpreting India's journey.

In the current era of space exploration, various countries and private space companies have targeted celestial bodies like the moon, Mars, and asteroids for exploration. To facilitate their long-term presence on these bodies, programs such as Artemis led by the United States, and the International Lunar Research Station led by China plan to study the feasibility of extracting resources found on these celestial bodies.There are also ambitious plans to extract potentially valuable resources from the moon and asteroids and bring them back to Earth for utilization. This has led countries to enact policies and legislations to promote space resource activities and claim ownership over the resources extracted. India too has successfully performed missions to the moon through its Chandrayaan program and is planning to conduct more in the future, including collaboration with other international partners. Non-governmental entities in the country have also been encouraged to engage in the commercial recovery of space resources in accordance with applicable law, including its international obligations, under the Indian Space Policy, 2023. However, it is important to ensure that such activities are carried out in accordance with obligations under international law. For example, Article II of the Outer Space Treaty prohibits the appropriation of outer space including celestial bodies. There are also concerns that if space resource activities are not governed properly, conflicts may arise in outer space and back on Earth. To facilitate an inclusive and multi-stakeholder dialogue on this issue, the UN COPUOS established the Working Group on Legal Aspects of Space Resource Activities.How will this multilateral initiative function? What promises does this initiative hold in shaping the norms and future of space resource activities? And what is India's possible role in this initiative?Episode ContributorsSteven Freeland is emeritus professor of international law at Western Sydney University, where he was previously the dean of the School of Law. He represents the Australian Government at UN COPUOS meetings, and in June 2021, was appointed vice-chair for the Working Group on Legal Aspects of Space Resource Activities. Before academics, Freeland had a twenty-year career as an international commercial lawyer and an investment banker. He is a member of the Australian Space Agency Advisory Board and has been an advisor to governments in Australia, New Zealand, and Norway, among many others, on issues relating to national space legislative frameworks and policy.He has also been a visiting professional within the appeals chamber at the International Criminal Court, and a special advisor to the Danish Foreign Ministry in matters related to the International Criminal Court. In addition to co-editing the Annotated Leading Cases of International Criminal Tribunals book series, he also sits on the editorial and advisory Board of several internationally recognized academic journals. He has authored approximately 400 publications on various aspects of International Law and has been invited to present over 2,000 expert commentaries by national and international media outlets worldwide on a wide range of legal, policy and geopolitical issues.Tejas Bharadwaj is a research analyst with the Technology and Society Program at Carnegie India. He focuses on space law and policies and works on areas related to applications of artificial intelligence and autonomy in the military domain and U.S.-India export controls. Tejas is also part of the group that convened Carnegie India's annual flagship event, the Global Technology Summit, co-organized with the Ministry of External Affairs, Government of India. Currently a prospective member of the International Institute of Space Law (IISL), Tejas was part of its working group on “light pollution of the night sky from the space law perspective” from 2021 to 2023. He has contributed to UNOOSA, IAU, and ESO's Dark and Quiet Skies for Science and Society Working Group. Suggested ReadingsWorking Group on Legal Aspects of Space Resource Activities, UNOOSAThe Future of Geography: How Power and Politics in Space Will Change Our World by Tim MarshallSpace Resource Activities and the Evolution of International Space Law by Melissa De Zwart, Stacey Henderson and Michelle NeumannInternational Conference on Space Resources  Every two weeks, Interpreting India brings you diverse voices from India and around the world to explore the critical questions shaping the nation's future. We delve into how technology, the economy, and foreign policy intertwine to influence India's relationship with the global stage.As a Carnegie India production, hosted by Carnegie scholars, Interpreting India, a Carnegie India production, provides insightful perspectives and cutting-edge by tackling the defining questions that chart India's course through the next decade.Stay tuned for thought-provoking discussions, expert insights, and a deeper understanding of India's place in the world.Don't forget to subscribe, share, and leave a review to join the conversation and be part of Interpreting India's journey.

The recent war in Ukraine and the Israel-Hamas conflict in the Middle East have provided valuable lessons when it comes to the nature of future military modernisation and defense innovation. While traditional warfare remains relevant, we are seeing a shift towards multi-domain operations that are more kinetic and are increasingly utilizing autonomous weapons. As India seeks to boost its defence exports, its domestic industry will have a role to play. Several factors have played a role in the recent spike in defence exports—regulatory initiatives, enhanced capability of the private sector, and the desire among other countries to diversify away from their traditional defence partners and look at India instead. Additionally, the INDUS-X initiative between India and the U.S. has also been noted as a welcome mechanism to encourage further defence cooperation in other emerging technologies such as quantum computing, space, cyber-security, and deep-sea technology.What are the potential opportunities that international collaborations present? Will India's domestic industry be able to meet the armed forces' requirements? In this episode of Interpreting India, Ajay Kumar and Konark Bhandari talk about the current status of defence innovation in India and the emerging trends in this space.  Episode ContributorsAjay Kumar is a nonresident senior fellow at Carnegie India. He served as the defense secretary of India between August 2019 and October 2022 and is the longest serving secretary in the Ministry of Defence, where he also served as secretary in the Department of Defence Production. As defense secretary, Ajay Kumar was the key architect for several major transformations, including the restructuring of higher defense management in the country and formation of the chief of defense staff in the Indian Armed Forces; the launch of the Agniveer scheme—a historic reform in recruitment, training, and retention of personnel in the Armed Forces. Konark Bhandari is a fellow with Carnegie India. He is a lawyer who has researched certain areas in the digital economy, focusing primarily on approaches to antitrust regulation of companies in the digital realm. He had earlier worked at India's antitrust regulator, the Competition Commission of India (CCI), where he worked closely with senior officials on a variety of matters. He is also an avid follower of the regulation of the space technology ecosystem and is keen to contribute to that discipline. Additional ReadingsINDUS-X: Charting the Way Ahead for India-U.S. Defense Industrial Cooperation, by Konark Bhandari. Can a Defense Innovation Bridge Elevate India-U.S. Defense Cooperation? by Konark Bhandari. Sameer Lalwani on India-U.S. Defense-Industrial Cooperation.U.S.-India Defense Innovation Collaboration: Building on a Promising Start by Konark Bhandari. Every two weeks, Interpreting India brings you diverse voices from India and around the world to explore the critical questions shaping the nation's future. We delve into how technology, the economy, and foreign policy intertwine to influence India's relationship with the global stage.As a Carnegie India production, hosted by Carnegie scholars, Interpreting India, a Carnegie India production, provides insightful perspectives and cutting-edge by tackling the defining questions that chart India's course through the next decade.Stay tuned for thought-provoking discussions, expert insights, and a deeper understanding of India's place in the world.Don't forget to subscribe, share, and leave a review to join the conversation and be part of Interpreting India's journey.

South Asia is a region of remarkable diversity, encompassing countries such as Sri Lanka, Pakistan, India, Bangladesh, Nepal, Bhutan, Afghanistan, and Myanmar. Typically, India has been considered the power most capable of exercising its influence in the region. Yet, in recent years, there has been another power that has laid claim to South Asia as part of its periphery and has sought to expand its influence in the region. For the past decade and a half, China has made deeper inroads into South Asia, not only offering capital and infrastructure, but also deepening political ties and people-to-people relations. When did we begin seeing China's interest in the region? How does China interact differently with South Asia compared to other powers like the United States? How does China's slowing economy affect its economic engagement in the region?In this episode of Interpreting India, Jabin Jacob joins Saheb Singh Chadha to answer these pressing questions and discuss recent developments in South Asia. Episode ContributorsJabin Thomas Jacob is associate professor at the Department of International Relations and Governance Studies at the Shiv Nadar Institute of Eminence, a nonresident fellow at the Centre for Social and Economic Progress, and adjunct research fellow at the National Maritime Foundation, New Delhi. Jacob holds a PhD in Chinese Studies from the School of International Studies, Jawaharlal Nehru University, New Delhi and has spent time as a researcher in Taiwan, France, and Singapore. His research interests include Chinese domestic politics, China-South Asia relations, Sino-Indian border areas, Indian and Chinese worldviews, and center-province relations in China.Saheb Singh Chadha is a research analyst in the Security Studies Program at Carnegie India. His research focuses on China's foreign and security policies, India-China relations, and India's military modernization. He is broadly interested in the geopolitics of South Asia and the Indo-Pacific. He is also a researcher on a project examining the nature and dynamics of cross-border violence and its impact on civilian communities.Additional ReadingsHow China Engages South Asia: Themes, Partners and Tools, edited by Constantino Xavier and Jabin JacobG20 in Delhi, US Ties, Global South Leadership: Decoding Beijing Worldview Through Chinese Press by Jabin JacobA Fresh Look at India's Neighborhood First Policy, by Constantino Xavier and Milan VaishnavChina's Influence in South Asia: Vulnerabilities and Resilience in Four Countries by Deep Pal Every two weeks, Interpreting India brings you diverse voices from India and around the world to explore the critical questions shaping the nation's future. We delve into how technology, the economy, and foreign policy intertwine to influence India's relationship with the global stage.As a Carnegie India production, hosted by Carnegie scholars, Interpreting India, a Carnegie India production, provides insightful perspectives and cutting-edge by tackling the defining questions that chart India's course through the next decade.Stay tuned for thought-provoking discussions, expert insights, and a deeper understanding of India's place in the world.Don't forget to subscribe, share, and leave a review to join the conversation and be part of Interpreting India's journey.

One of the guiding norms that has shaped the internet over the last few decades is that of online free speech. This norm is protected in many countries by exempting online platforms and intermediaries from liability for the user-generated content published on these platforms. For example, in India, Section 79 of the IT Act of 2000 protects intermediaries from such liability. However, over the last few years, these exemptions have been under scrutiny. Many have called for greater regulation of the practices of platforms such as Facebook, WhatsApp, Twitter, and Reddit. Some reasons for this are the problems related to disinformation, instances of incitement to violence through these platforms, and the censorship of free speech in some cases. To address such concerns, some legislation has been floated or enacted in jurisdictions such as the United States, India, and the European Union. How will these laws alter the digital economy and the norm of protecting free speech online? What are the risks associated with implementing such legislation? What should policymakers keep in mind as these developments pan out?In this episode of Interpreting India, Anupam Chander joins Anirudh Burman to discuss these pressing questions.Episode ContributorsAnupam Chander is the Scott K. Ginsburg Professor of Law and Technology at Georgetown University Law Center. He is the author of The Electronic Silk Road and an expert on the global regulation of new technologies. He practiced law in New York and Hong Kong with Cleary Gottlieb Steen & Hamilton. He has been a visiting law professor at Yale, the University of Chicago, Stanford, Cornell, and Tsinghua. He previously served as the director of the California International Law Center and the Martin Luther King, Jr. Professor of Law at UC Davis. Anirudh Burman, is an associate research director and fellow at Carnegie India. He works on key issues relating to public institutions, public administration, the administrative and regulatory state, and state capacity. He has also worked extensively on financial regulation and regulatory governance.Readings:Facebookistan by Anupam ChanderFree Speech by Anupam Chander and Uyên P. LêGoogling Freedom by Anupam ChanderThe Electronic Silk Road by Anupam Chander Gonzalez v. Google LLC, 598 U.S. ___ (2023)The Digital Services Act Every two weeks, Interpreting India brings you diverse voices from India and around the world to explore the critical questions shaping the nation's future. We delve into how technology, the economy, and foreign policy intertwine to influence India's relationship with the global stage.As a Carnegie India production, hosted by Carnegie scholars, Interpreting India, a Carnegie India production, provides insightful perspectives and cutting-edge by tackling the defining questions that chart India's course through the next decade.Stay tuned for thought-provoking discussions, expert insights, and a deeper understanding of India's place in the world.Don't forget to subscribe, share, and leave a review to join the conversation and be part of Interpreting India's journey.

In this episode of Interpreting India, we delve into the often-overlooked history of India's early relationship with China. Author Vijay Gokhale former Indian Foreign Secretary, takes us back to the 1940s and 50s, exploring pivotal moments like India's quick reaction of the People's Republic of China and its involvement in the Taiwan Straits crises. Beyond familiar narratives of border disputes and Tibet, Gokhale sheds light on a "forgotten" rivalry: the struggle between a declining British Empire and a rising United States, which powerfully shaped India's diplomatic dance with both China and the West. We navigate the complex alliances under Prime Minister Nehru, gleaning valuable lessons for understanding India's present approach to Asia and China. Gokhale's book, "Crosswinds," offers a new perspective on this crucial period, prompting us to reconsider the forces that shaped a nation's foreign policy. So, tune in as we unpack the past, revealing its enduring relevance for the present and the future.EPISODE CONTRIBUTORSVijay Gokhale is a nonresident senior fellow at Carnegie India. Mr. Gokhale retired from the Indian Foreign Service in January 2020 after a diplomatic career that spanned thirty-nine years. From January 2018 to January 2020, he served as the foreign secretary of India.Srinath Raghavan is a nonresident senior fellow at Carnegie India. He is also a professor of International Relations and History at Ashoka University. His primary research focus is on the contemporary and historical aspects of India's foreign and security policies.ADDITIONAL READINGSCrosswinds: Nehru, Zhou and the Anglo-American Competition over China, by Vijay Gokhale After Tiananmen : The Rise of China by Vijay GokhaleThe Long Game: How the Chinese Negotiate with India, by Vijay GokhaleTiananmen Square: The Making of a Protest, by Vijay GokhaleThe Security Dilemma and India-China Relations, by Srinath RaghavanVijay Gokhale on China's India Policy and India-China Relations  Every two weeks, Interpreting India brings you diverse voices from India and around the world to explore the critical questions shaping the nation's future. We delve into how technology, the economy, and foreign policy intertwine to influence India's relationship with the global stage.As a Carnegie India production, hosted by Carnegie scholars, Interpreting India, a Carnegie India production, provides insightful perspectives and cutting-edge by tackling the defining questions that chart India's course through the next decade.Stay tuned for thought-provoking discussions, expert insights, and a deeper understanding of India's place in the world.Don't forget to subscribe, share, and leave a review to join the conversation and be part of Interpreting India's journey.

India has seen superlative progress in electrical connectivity, achieving 96.7 percent connectivity to the grid as of 2020 from around 67 percent over a decade ago. For context, the electricity sector can be broadly split between generation, transmission, and distribution. Despite recent progress, electrical connectivity is still racked by problems such as irregular supply and voltage fluctuations, and distribution companies face losses. Much of the electricity generated is derived from coal, which serves to impede our climate goals, and renewable alternatives require energy storage mechanisms that are technologically complex and depend on locally unavailable raw materials.In this episode of Interpreting India, Karthik Ganesan joins Sayoudh Roy to delve further into the issues ailing electrical connectivity in India.Episode ContributorsKarthik Ganesan is a fellow and director for research coordination at the Council on Energy, Environment and Water, where he ensures cross-team coherence for CEEW's research direction and imperatives. He also acts as an internal adviser across research teams and creates institutional platforms that spur innovation. In addition, he holds a master's degree in public policy from the Lee Kuan Yew School of Public Policy at the National University of Singapore, an undergraduate degree in civil engineering, and an MTech in infrastructure engineering from IIT Madras.Sayoudh Roy was a senior research analyst with the Political Economy Program at Carnegie India. His work focuses on the macroeconomic implications of frictions in labor and financial markets and how interactions between them can affect macroeconomic aggregates.Additional ReadingsState of Electricity Access in India, by Shalu Agarwal et al.What Smart Meters Can Tell Us, by Shalu Agarwal et al. Mapping India's Energy Subsidies 2021, by Balasubramanian Viswanathan et al.Developing Resilient Renewable Energy Supply Chains for Global Clean Energy Transition, by Akanksha Tyagi et al.

There are similarities between the UN's efforts to pursue a disarmament strategy for nuclear weapons and the regulation of the military applications of AI. Given the multiple parallel initiatives on this issue, inputs would also have to be gathered from a range of stakeholders already working on the issue, such as the REAIM participants, the United States, and other countries, in order to regulate AI in the military domain. The private sector has a role here to drive governance on this topic as well, given that most of the technology emanates from their R&D efforts. Here, more regulation should not be seen as a roadblock to innovation; instead, it can accelerate it. This is because empirically-based regulations would allow the adoption of such AI systems to be faster. The lack of any such regulation could even lead to undesirable outcomes, which may hamper the growth of the industry.  In this episode of Interpreting India, Izumi Nakamitsu joins Konark Bhandari to discuss the military applications of AI.EPISODE CONTRIBUTORSIzumi Nakamitsu assumed her position as under-secretary-general and high representative for disarmament affairs on May 1, 2017. Prior to taking on this post, she served as assistant administrator of the Crisis Response Unit at the United Nations Development Programme since 2014. She has many years of experience within and outside the UN system, most recently as special adviser ad interim on follow-up to the Summit on Addressing Large Movements of Refugees and Migrants between 2016 and 2017. She was previously director of the Asia and the Middle East Division of the UN Department of Peacekeeping Operations between 2012 and 2014 and director of the Department's Division of Policy, Evaluation and Training from 2008 to 2012. She holds a Master of Science degree in foreign service from Georgetown University in Washington, DC, and a Bachelor of Law degree from Waseda University, Tokyo.Konark Bhandari is a fellow with Carnegie India. He is a lawyer who has researched certain areas in the digital economy, focusing primarily on approaches to antitrust regulation of companies in the digital realm. He had earlier worked at India's antitrust regulator, the Competition Commission of India (CCI), where he worked closely with senior officials on a variety of matters. He is also an avid follower of the regulation of the space technology ecosystem and is keen to contribute to that discipline. While at the CCI, he was a member of the Internal Coordination Committee on the Think Tank on Digital Markets. Konark was also attached to the office of the chairperson of CCI, where his duties involved providing a briefing on live cases as well as speechwriting responsibilities. Konark has published papers in the areas of antitrust, intellectual property, and corporate law. 

With the onset of winter, severe levels of air pollution have reemerged as a concern in North India. Various factors have been put forth to explain this malaise: stubble burning in farms, vehicular pollution, and pollution due to the construction sector. But even outside of the winter months, the National Capital Region maintains poor air quality, with an AQI of over 200. Can clean transportation help?To speak of clean transportation, which is key to addressing the issue of vehicular pollution, we must first speak of electric passenger and commercial vehicles, low-emission zones, and so on. Each option comes with its own set of challenges. Electric vehicle uptake is low in India and hovers at around 2 percent owing to relatively higher prices, range anxiety, lengthy charging times, a lack of standardized charging points, and a lack of charging infrastructure. However, there are concerted efforts to promote electric vehicles and alternative forms of cleaner transportation in India. The auto PLI scheme and Delhi's electric vehicle (EV) policy provide incentives that can potentially spur the uptake of electric vehicles. Delhi's EV policy also addresses the issue of scarce charging infrastructure. This appears to have had results since Delhi's electric vehicle sales rose to 9 percent in the September–November quarter of 2021 from around 1 percent in 2019–2020. Nor is price as much of a deterrent as it may initially appear, since initial high costs may be offset by long-term gains from heavy usage, such as low fuel and running and maintenance costs.In this episode of Interpreting India, Amit Bhatt joins Sayoudh Roy to discuss these key questions around clean transportation.Episode ContributorsAmit Bhatt is the India managing director at the International Council on Clean Transportation (ICCT). He is based in New Delhi and has over twenty years of experience in transportation, urban development, and management. Before joining ICCT, Amit was executive director for integrated transport at WRI India for twelve years. Prior to this, he worked with the Urban Mass Transit Company, India's leading urban transport consultancy, and with infrastructure leasing and financial services. Sayoudh Roy is a senior research analyst with the Political Economy Program at Carnegie India. His work focuses on the macroeconomic implications of frictions in labor and financial markets and how interactions between them can affect macroeconomic aggregates.Additional ReadingsIndia's Path to Clean Transport is Electric, Strong Central Policies on Zero-Emission Vehicles by Amit Bhatt and Harsimran KaurWhere Are India's Electric Trucks? by Amit Bhatt and Aviral YadavBattery Swapping for Electric Two-Wheelers in India: Strategy Hinterlands, by Pramoda Gode, Sumati Kohli, and Jennifer Callahan How Delhi Is Becoming a Lighthouse City for Electric Mobility in India by Amit BhattImproving Air Quality in Cities Through Transport-Focused Low- and Zero-Emission Zones: Legal Pathways and Opportunities for India by Anuj Dhole, Sandra Wappelhorst, and Amit Bhatt

The last publicly available nation-wide caste census in India was conducted in 1931. Now, a state-wide caste census has become available from the government of Bihar. Even though we know the Indian state collects data on a variety of markers and indicators, whether socioeconomic or health-related, there seems to be a reluctance when it comes to collecting data on caste. What is the reason for this? What are the complexities involved in capturing caste in India? How should we think about the categorization and sub-categorization of caste? What will the politics of caste look like going forward? What are the ways in which a caste census can be conducted more efficiently? What are the different aspects of the politics of social justice in India? What have been the successes and failures of social justice in India?In this episode of Interpreting India, D. Shyam Babu joins Suyash Rai to discuss these questions and more.Episode ContributorsD. Shyam Babu is a senior fellow at the Centre for Policy Research. His current research interests include socioeconomic mobility among Dalits, liberalization and social justice, and the role of entrepreneurship in mobility. He has also collaborated with Devesh Kapur and Chandra Bhan Prasad to conduct socioeconomic surveys to map social change and its linkages with public policies and entrepreneurship among Dalits. Their 2014 co-authored book, Defying the Odds, has received critical acclaim.Suyash Rai is a deputy director and fellow at Carnegie India. His research focuses on the political economy of economic reforms and the performance of public institutions in India. His current research looks at the financial sector, the fiscal system, and the infrastructure sector.Additional ReadingsMandal's Original Sin, Surveyed by D. Shyam BabuRethinking Inequality: Dalits in Uttar Pradesh in the Market Reform Era by Devesh Kapur, Chandra Bhan Prasad, Lant Pritchett, and D. Shyam BabuDefying the Odds: The Rise of Dalit Entrepreneurs by Devesh Kapur, D. Shyam Babu, and Chandra Bhan Prasad Reimagining Merit in India: Cognition and Affirmative Action by D. Shyam Babu, Chandra Bhan Prasad, and Devesh KapurDalits in the New Millennium by Sudha Pai, D. Shyam Babu, and Rahul VermaKey Moments(00:00); Introduction(01:47); Chapter 1: Why Was There Hesitance in Conducting Caste Census?(10:43); Chapter 2: The Complexity of Caste and Its Relationship With the State(15:45); Chapter 3: Potential Purposes of Caste Census(20:49); Chapter 4: Scope of Improvement in Politics of Caste Census(23:29); Chapter 5: Ways to Mitigate the Negative Consequences of Caste(30:13); Chapter 6: Public System and Caste (35:35); Chapter 7: Consequences and Limitations of Economy on Social System(42:18); Chapter 8: Caste Issues and Public(44:28); Chapter 9: The Making of Citizens: Social Identity and Community (52:08); Chapter 10: Structural Incompetence of Caste on Social System(54:16); Chapter 11: Cultural Determinism and Nationalism(57:24); Chapter 12: Social Justice in Relation to Caste(58:25); Chapter 13: Recommended Books (59:10); Outro---From December 4–6, 2023, Carnegie India will convene the eighth Global Technology Summit, co-hosted with the Ministry of External Affairs, Government of India. This year, we will discuss key technology policy issues concerning digital public infrastructure, artificial intelligence, critical and emerging technology, space, semiconductors, national security and technology, data protection, and more.  To register for the summit, visit gts2023.com. Make sure you follow our Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram accounts for more updates on the event.

One of the most visible signs of India's economic development in the past seventy-five years has been the growth of its cities. Some of them are now among the largest on the planet, both in terms of area and population. However, Indian cities are far from perfect. They're often not well planned, coping with problems of rapid growth and inefficient use of land and other resources. Indian cities are also plagued by a lack of basic amenities, such as clean drinking water, sanitation, and solid waste management systems, as well as safety-related problems.What is the scale of the challenges facing India's cities? What are some of the ideas and themes that are unique to India's experience of urbanization? What is the global significance of the trends underway in Indian cities?Devashish Dhar discusses many of these questions in his recent book, India's Blind Spot: Understanding and Managing Our Cities. In this episode, he joins Anirudh Burman to unpack them further.Episode ContributorsDevashish Dhar is a former public policy specialist at NITI Aayog. He is a Mason Fellow from the Harvard Kennedy School and a Li-Ka Shing Scholar from the Lee Kuan Yew School of Public Policy in Singapore.Anirudh Burman is an associate research director and fellow at Carnegie India. He works on key issues relating to public institutions, public administration, the administrative and regulatory state, and state capacity. He has also worked extensively on financial regulation and regulatory governance.Additional ReadingsIndia's Blind Spot: Understanding and Managing Our Cities by Devashish DharUnderstanding Indian Cities by Anirudh BurmanKey Moments00:00); Introduction(02:25); Chapter 1: What Prompted Devashish to Study Indian Cities?(04:55); Chapter 2: Why is Urbanization a Binding Constraint?(07:17); Chapter 3: Transforming Cities: Economic Growth and Socio-Economic Factors (11:50); Chapter 4: Unique Features of India's Urbanization and Cities (21:49); Chapter 5: Infrastructure, Housing, and Utility Issues in India (29:10); Chapter 6: Are There Any Solutions to High Rents? (36:18); Chapter 7: Causes of Failure to Redevelop Land Property (42:45); Chapter 8: Urban Governance(51:23); Chapter 9: Urban Reforms in Small Cities(54:54); Chapter 9: Children as Figures of Urban Research(01:01:45); Closing Comments (01:02:55); Outro  

The U.S.-India initiative on Critical and Emerging Technology (iCET) was launched during the Quad Summit in Tokyo in May 2022. The purpose of the iCET was to expand partnerships in critical and emerging technologies, including semiconductors. As part of the iCET, the Semiconductor Industry Association and India Electronics and Semiconductor Association agreed to undertake a “readiness assessment” to identify near-term industry opportunities and facilitate the longer-term strategic development of their complementary semiconductor ecosystems. The Information Technology and Innovation Foundation (ITIF), a Washington, DC-based science and technology policy think tank, was commissioned to undertake authorship of this assessment.In this episode, Stephen Ezell, vice president for global innovation policy at ITIF, joins Konark Bhandari to discuss the opportunities and obstacles involved in cultivating robust semiconductor supply chains.Episode ContributorsStephen Ezell is vice president for global innovation policy at the Information Technology and Innovation Foundation (ITIF) and director of ITIF's Center for Life Sciences Innovation. He also leads the Global Trade and Innovation Policy Alliance. His areas of expertise include science and technology policy, international competitiveness, trade, and manufacturing. Ezell is also the co-author of Innovating in a Service-Driven Economy: Insights, Application, and Practice and Innovation Economics: The Race for Global Advantage.Konark Bhandari is a fellow at Carnegie India. He is a lawyer who has researched certain areas in the digital economy, focusing primarily on approaches to antitrust regulation of companies in the digital realm. He had earlier worked at India's antitrust regulator, the Competition Commission of India, where he worked closely with senior officials on a variety of matters. He is also an avid follower of the regulation of the space technology ecosystem and is keen to contribute to that discipline. Additional ReadingsIs India “Ready” for Semiconductor Manufacturing? by Konark BhandariThe Geopolitics of the Semiconductor Industry and India's Place in It by Konark BhandariKey Moments(00:00); Introduction(02:23); Chapter 1: Offshoring Operations Outside China(05:52); Chapter 2: Utilization of ITSI Funds(09:19); Chapter 3: Friendshoring Initiatives(13:35); Chapter 4: Survival of Supplier Companies (19:06); Chapter 5: Semiconductor Fabrication Ecosystem in India(21:44); Chapter 6: Financial Investments(25:28); Chapter 7: Why Hasn't India Leveraged the Chip-Designing Ecosystem?(27:48); Chapter 8: Role of Trade Policy in Company Investment(32:26); Chapter 9: Red Tape to Red Carpet: Readiness in India on Investment(35:36); Closing Comments(36:32); Outro 

Even though India and France have had a strategic partnership for twenty-five years now, the bilateral relationship between these countries has received substantial impetus recently. The relationship spans common interests in the Indian Ocean Region and the Indo-Pacific, a robust military and defense partnership, cooperation in high-tech areas such as space and nuclear, and, of course, a growing economic and trade relationship. What lessons can both countries offer each other? And what are some of the commonalities and differences in the French and Indian approaches to global governance and global challenges such as climate change in a multipolar world? What are the challenges in taking this relationship to the next level?In this episode of Interpreting India, Emmanuel Lenain joins Anirudh Suri to discuss these questions.Episode ContributorsEmmanuel Lenain is the Ambassador of France to India. He began his diplomatic career in 1997, serving in the French Foreign Ministry's United Nations Department, where he took part in peace negotiations on Kosovo. Since then, he has served in France's Permanent Mission to the United Nations in New York, the Embassy of France in Beijing as the Prime Minister's technical adviser on multilateral affairs, the French Embassy in Washington, DC, as Consul General of France in Shanghai, Director for the Asia-Pacific Division of the French Ministry of Foreign Affairs, and as Diplomatic Adviser to the Prime Minister.Anirudh Suri is a nonresident scholar with Carnegie India. His interests lie at the intersection of technology and geopolitics, climate, and strategic affairs. He is currently exploring how India is carving and cementing its role in the global tech ecosystem and the role climate technology can play in addressing the global climate challenge.

In the last decade, there has been a growing convergence of global powers in the Indo-Pacific, evident from the proliferation of multilateral initiatives in the region. It has also emerged as an arena for geopolitical competition between China and the United States. As the competition intensifies, how does China see the Indo-Pacific? How has Beijing's understanding of this region changed over time? What can India learn from the way China sees the Indo-Pacific?In this episode of Interpreting India, Manoj Kewalramani joins Shibani Mehta to answer these questions and more. Episode ContributorsManoj Kewalramani is a fellow in China Studies and the chairperson of the Indo-Pacific Studies Programme at the Takshashila Institution. His research interests range from Chinese politics, foreign policy, and approaches to new technologies to addressing questions on how India can work with like-minded partners to address challenges presented by China's rise. Manoj is the author of Smokeless War: China's Quest for Geopolitical Dominance, which discusses China's political, diplomatic, economic, and narrative responses to the COVID-19 pandemic. Shibani Mehta is a senior research analyst with the Security Studies Program at Carnegie India. Her research focuses on the India-China boundary dispute with the purpose of analyzing India's foreign and security policy decisionmaking.Additional ReadingsSmokeless War: China's Quest for Geopolitical Dominance by Manoj KewalramaniIndo-Pacific Empire: China, America and the Contest for the World's Pivotal Region by Rory Medcalf

The past week has been momentous for those awaiting the enactment of a legal framework for data protection in India. India's parliament passed the Digital Personal Data Protection Act, 2023, and the law has now also received the assent of the President of India. This law has been enacted after multiple rounds of deliberations and consultations. Multiple committees have submitted reports on the proposed legislation, and three previous drafts of the legislation have been circulated for public consultation. What changes has this law undergone? How will the cost of data protection and privacy compliance impact Indian businesses?In this episode of Interpreting India, Rahul Matthan joins Anirudh Burman to give us insights into these questions and more.Episode ContributorsRahul Matthan is a partner at Trilegal, one of India's leading law firms, and heads the technology, media, and telecommunications (TMT) practice of the firm. He has extensive experience advising on high-value TMT transactions in the country. Rahul's expertise spans several sectors in the technology space, including data protection, digital finance, cryptocurrencies, e-commerce, and more. Rahul has advised the government on the data privacy law and has served on the Kris Gopalakrishnan Committee on Non-Personal Data. He has authored numerous articles and thought pieces on various topical issues relating to computers, the internet, and other new technologies.Anirudh Burman is an associate research director and fellow at Carnegie India. He works on key issues relating to public institutions, public administration, the administrative and regulatory state, and state capacity.  He has also worked extensively on financial regulation and regulatory governance.He has published works related to parliamentary oversight in India, the freedom of movement and residence, measuring the responsiveness of independent regulators in India, the design of insolvency professionals as a regulated profession, and the right to information.Additional ReadingsGet On with Data Protection Now That the Law's Enacted by Rahul MatthanCompanies Must Work Hard to Ensure Data Protection by Rahul MatthanResisting the Leviathan: The Key Change in India's New Proposal to Protect Personal Data by Anirudh BurmanWill India's Proposed Data Protection Law Protect Privacy and Promote Growth? by Anirudh Burman—-Key Moments:(0:00); Introduction (3:00); Chapter 1: The Journey of This Act(7:03); Chapter 2: Data Protection in India(10:58); Chapter 3: Key Components of the Data Protection Act (14:19); Chapter 4: Applying GDPR Compliance in India(22:00); Chapter 5: Right to Data Portability(27:57); Chapter 6: Consent Manager Framework (32:44); Chapter 7: The Indian Government's Data Accessing Powers(37:30); Chapter 8: Restrictions on Data Fiduciaries(42:46); Chapter 9: Blocking Data Fiduciaries' Access to Public Information  (45:18); Chapter 10: Data Localization(46:56); Chapter 11: Establishing a Data Protection Board(49:48); Closing Comments(52:40); Outro

The role of the private sector in facilitating the climate transition journey of our world has been much talked about recently. While many corporations, including those in the fossil fuel sectors, have started drafting out their own journeys to “net zero,” Ajay Banga, the newly appointed president of the World Bank, has also emphasized the need for active private sector finance in the climate transition. There is a growing realization that governments alone cannot do all that is needed to prevent the worst-case scenarios that the world is increasingly faced with. And yet, the full scope of how the private sector can actually expedite this once-in-an-era transition has not been explored enough. In this episode, Suresh Narayanan joins Anirudh Suri to explore the role of the private sector in the climate transition journey.Episode ContributorsSuresh Narayanan is the chairman and managing director of Nestlé India Limited. He has been in this role since August 2015. He also serves as the chairman of the CII National Committee on Food Processing Industries. Under Mr. Narayanan's leadership, Nestlé India has received several accolades, including, most recently, “MNC in India of the Year” in 2022 by the All India Management Association, “Outstanding Company of the Year 2021” by CNBC TV18 India Business Leader Awards (IBLA), and “MNC of the Year” by Business Standard in 2020.Mr. Narayanan joined Nestlé in 1999 as executive vice president for sales in India. His international career commenced at Nestlé Indochina in 2003, and he has also served in the Philippines, Singapore, Egypt, and the Northeast Africa Region. He was honored as the “Entrepreneurial CEO” at the EY Entrepreneur of The Year™ Awards 2020. Business Today awarded him “Best CEO-FMCG” for two consecutive years in 2019 and 2020.Anirudh Suri is a nonresident scholar with Carnegie India. His interests lie at the intersection of technology and geopolitics, climate, and strategic affairs. He is currently exploring how India is carving and cementing its role in the global tech ecosystem and the role climate technology can play in addressing the global climate challenge.He is the author of The Great Tech Game: Shaping Geopolitics and the Destinies of Nations (HarperCollins, 2022) and is currently the managing partner at India Internet Fund, a technology-focused venture capital fund based in India and the United States. He has also written extensively on foreign policy, geopolitics, cybersecurity, climate, technology, and entrepreneurship in publications such as the Indian Express, Times of India, Hindustan Times, Foreign Policy, The Print, The New Republic, Economic Times, MoneyControl, and Asia Times. --Additional ReadingsA Comprehensive Framework for India's Climate Finance Strategy by Anirudh SuriWhy Banga  Being a Corporate Czar is Good for World Bank by Anirudh Suri—-Key Moments:(0:00); Introduction (4:29); Mr. Narayanan's Journey(9:45); The Private Sector's Role in Combating Climate Change(15:49); Nestle's Application of Common But Differentiated Responsibilities (20:09); Nestle's Science and R&D-Based Approach (27:51); Obstacles to India's Private Sector Spending on R&D(37:15); On Packaged Foods and Food Security (38:53); Policy Hurdles in Public-Private Collaborations (42:42); India's Climate Opportunity Strategy (48:41); Concluding Remarks (49:15); Outro   

Defense cooperation is central to the India-U.S. partnership, and it has served as a key enabler for stronger collaboration at the multilateral level. While defense ties between the two countries have gone from strength to strength over the last two decades, defense-industrial cooperation has notably failed to take off thus far. However, of late, the two countries have made a renewed push toward furthering defense-industrial cooperation. They released a roadmap in June 2023, and Prime Minister Narendra Modi's recent state visit to the United States has given the process further impetus.In this episode of Interpreting India, Sameer Lalwani joins Rahul Bhatia to discuss these points and more.Episode ContributorsSameer Lalwani is a senior expert on South Asia at the U.S. Institute of Peace. He is also a nonresident senior fellow with the Center for Strategic and Budgetary Assessments. His research interests include nuclear deterrence, interstate rivalry, alliances, crisis behavior, counterinsurgency, and Indo-Pacific security. Sameer has been widely published in academic journals and print media alike. He was the co-editor of the book Investigating Crises: South Asia's Lessons, Evolving Dynamics, and Trajectories, which was published by the Stimson Center in 2018.Rahul Bhatia is a research analyst with the security studies program at Carnegie India. His research focuses on India's borders and India's foreign and defense policies. He is currently working on a project that looks at India's military modernization with a focus on indigenization. He also has a keen interest in the changing geopolitical landscape in the Indo-Pacific.---Additional ReadingsModi's Trip to Washington Marks New Heights in U.S.-India Ties by Sameer P. Lalwani, Daniel Markey, Tamanna Salikuddin, and Vikram J. SinghA Big Step Forward in U.S.-India Defense Ties by Sameer P. Lalwani and Vikram J. SinghWhat the GE Engine Deal Means for India's Military Diversification by Rahul BhatiaCan a Defense Innovation Bridge Elevate India-U.S. Defense Cooperation? by Rahul Bhatia and Konark Bhandari--Carnegie India Socials:Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/carnegieindia/ (@CarnegieIndia)Twitter: https://twitter.com/CarnegieIndiaWebsite: https://carnegieindia.orgYouTube: https://www.youtube.com/c/CarnegieIndia/

In recent years, international indices and rankings such as the Democracy Index and the V-Dem Index have downgraded India's democracy. Although there are significant differences in the degrees of downgrading, most major indices suggest that Indian democracy is backsliding.Meanwhile, India is witnessing an increase in voter turnout, and people continue to participate actively and vociferously in politics. What is the reason for this disconnect between scholarly understandings of Indian democracy and ground realities?To help us make sense of this dichotomy, Rahul Verma joins Suyash Rai to discuss his recent essay titled “The Exaggerated Death of Indian Democracy.” In the essay, Dr. Verma argues that the claims of democratic backsliding in India are somewhat exaggerated.Episode ContributorsRahul Verma is a fellow at the Center for Policy Research and a visiting assistant professor at Ashoka University. His research interests include voting behavior, party politics, political violence, and the media. Dr. Verma has published papers in Asian Survey, Economic & Political Weekly, and Studies in Indian Politics. His book, co-authored with Professor Pradeep Chhibber, Ideology and Identity: The Changing Party Systems of India, develops a new approach to defining the contours of what constitutes an ideology in multiethnic countries such as India. He has a PhD in Political Science from the University of California at Berkeley.Suyash Rai is a deputy director and fellow at Carnegie India. His research focuses on the political economy of economic reforms and the performance of public institutions in India. His current research looks at the financial sector, the fiscal system, and the infrastructure sector.---Additional ReadingsThe Exaggerated Death of Indian Democracy by Rahul Verma“Symposium: Is India Still a Democracy?” Journal of Democracy, July 2023The Possibilities of Indian Electoral Politics by Suyash RaiUnderstanding the Debate on Democratic Backsliding Through Two Papers by Suyash RaiIdeology and Identity: The Changing Party Systems of India by Pradeep K. Chhibber and Rahul VermaThe Rise of the Second Dominant Party System in India: BJP's New Social Coalition in 2019 by Pradeep K. Chhibber and Rahul VermaDalits in the New Millennium, edited by Sudha Pai, D. Shyam Babu, and Rahul VermaHow India's Ruling Party Erodes Democracy by Ashutosh VarshneyThe Expanding Role of Majoritarianism in India by Suhas PalshikarUnderstanding the Nature of Party Competition and Politics of Majoritarianism by Suhas PalshikarFor India, ‘Middle' Democracy Works by Subrata K. Mitra---Key Moments(00:00); Intro(4:24); Chapter 1: Why Rahul Wrote the Essay(9:53); Chapter 2: Paradoxes in Indian Polity (12:14); Chapter 3: Biases in Ranking Measures(18:53); Chapter 4: Comparing the Present with the Past(21:22); Chapter 5: Conflating Other Phenomena for Backsliding(29:20); Chapter 6: Party Dominance and Partisanship(35:03); Chapter 7: Unpacking Mass Polarization(41:00); Chapter 8: The Frequency of Protests in Past Years(49:22); Chapter 9: The Pew Survey on Religion in India(50:53); Chapter 10: Scholarly Discourse vs. Public Opinion(55:38); Chapter 11: The Current State of Indian Democracy(1:04:47); Chapter 12: Remaining Hopeful About Indian Democracy(1:08:18); Chapter 13: Closing Remarks by Suyash(1:11:52); Outro--Carnegie India Socials:Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/carnegieindia/ (@CarnegieIndia)Twitter: https://twitter.com/CarnegieIndiaWebsite: https://carnegieindia.orgYouTube: https://www.youtube.com/c/CarnegieIndia/

The Real Estate (Regulation and Development) Act was introduced in 2016 to protect consumers who had invested in residential real estate projects from malpractices by real estate developers. After the law was passed, most states established real estate regulatory authorities to register and oversee the conduct of real estate developers. What changes did this act try to bring in, and how has this regulatory change benefited consumers? Is the increased information about property litigation that the Maharashtra RERA provides affecting housing prices? Does RERA reduce information asymmetry in the housing market?In this episode of Interpreting India, Vaidehi Tandel and Sahil Gandhi join Anirudh Burman to give us insights into these issues and more. They discuss their recent working paper, co-authored with Anupam Nanda and Nandini Agnihotri. Their study analyses how housing prices change in response to mandatory disclosures under the RERA. The paper is titled, “Do Mandatory Disclosures Squeeze the Lemons? The Case of Housing Markets in India.”Episode ContributorsVaidehi Tandel is an economist working in the areas of urban economics, political economy, and public finance, with a focus on India. Currently, Dr. Tandel is a lecturer in real estate and urban economics at the University of Manchester, UK. Her research has been featured in The Financial Times, The New York Times, The Straits Times, Livemint, and others. Her papers have been published in the Journal of Development Economics, the Journal of Urban Economics, the Journal of Regional Science, Environment and Urbanization, Cities, and BMJ Open, among others. Her current work looks at the politician-builder nexus in Mumbai, agglomeration economies in India, and climate change and adaptation across cities in developing countries.Sahil Gandhi is an urban and real estate economist. Dr. Gandhi is a lecturer at The University of Manchester's School of Environment, Education and Development. His research is in the fields of urban economics, real estate, and land economics. His recent papers are on vacant housing in India, migration and tenure choice, housing supply in Mumbai, and so on. His research has been published in the Journal of Urban Economics, the Journal of Development Economics, the Journal of Regional Science, Environment and Urbanization, and Cities, among others. He has also led a report on affordable housing in India. Dr. Gandhi has bylines in international and Indian media outlets such as The Washington Post, The Hindu, Hindustan Times, The Economic Times, and Livemint, among others. His research has also been cited in The Financial Times, The BBC, The Straits Times, Livemint, and more.---Key Moments(0:00); Introduction(2:39); Chapter 1: The Context Behind RERA(9:56); Chapter 2: Key Regulatory Changes(15:21); Chapter 3: The Case of Maharashtra's RERA(17:27); Chapter 4: Mumbai's High Proportion of Litigated Projects(23:04); Chapter 5: The Aim and Findings of the Study(27:35); Chapter 6: Variations Across Housing Submarkets (32:35); Chapter 7: Luxury Housing and Mandatory Disclosures(35:02); Chapter 8: Non-Luxury Housing and Litigation Costs(36:10); Chapter 9: RERA's Impact on Low- and Middle-Income Consumers(40:36); Chapter 10: Types of Litigation Faced by Projects(43:44); Chapter 11: Future Research in Urban Economics(48:22); Outro---Additional ReadingsDo Mandatory Disclosures Squeeze the Lemons? The Case of Housing Markets in India by Vaidehi Tandel, Sahil Gandhi, Anupam Nanda, and Nandini AgnihotriToo Slow for the Urban March: Litigations and the Real Estate Market in Mumbai, India by Sahil Gandhi, Vaidehi Tandel, Alexander Tabarrok, and Shamika RaviView: Time to Make RERA Roar by Nandini Agnihotri and Sahil GandhiIndia Has to Attack Causes of Land Litigation. Modi's Ease of Doing Business Depends on It by Anirudh Burman Making Land Titles in India Marketable: Using Title Insurance as a Viable Alternative to Conclusive Titling by Anirudh Burman--Carnegie India Socials:Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/carnegieindia/ (@CarnegieIndia)Twitter: https://twitter.com/CarnegieIndiaWebsite: https://carnegieindia.orgYouTube: https://www.youtube.com/c/CarnegieIndia/

The iCET was launched on the sidelines of the Quad Summit in Tokyo in May 2022. Both U.S. President Biden and Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi welcomed the launch of this initiative, which was to be spearheaded by the National Security Councils of the two countries to expand partnership in critical and emerging technologies. Is the iCET more than just a deal? What is the case for comparisons between the iCET and the landmark India-U.S. Civilian Nuclear Deal? What makes the iCET different from earlier initiatives between India and the United States? Does Prime Minister Modi's upcoming state visit to the United States put the iCET under pressure to "deliver" something? What is the importance of export control measures in India-U.S. tech ties?In this episode of Interpreting India, Arun K. Singh joins Konark Bhandari to discuss these questions and more.Episode ContributorsArun K. Singh is a nonresident senior fellow at Carnegie India. Mr. Singh has extensive experience across the globe, including as India's ambassador to the United States, Israel, and France. Throughout his distinguished career in the Indian Foreign Service spanning thirty-seven years, he has served during pivotal periods in key global capitals and was instrumental in shaping India's policies, notably the continued progress in the U.S.-India relationship, India's closer ties to Israel, and the formulation and implementation of India's policies related to Afghanistan, Pakistan, and Iran, including in the period following 9/11.Konark Bhandari is an associate fellow with Carnegie India. Konark is a lawyer who has researched on certain areas in the digital economy, focusing primarily on approaches to antitrust regulation of companies in the digital realm.---Key Moments:(0:00); Chapter 1: Introduction(2:00); Chapter 2: iCET vs. India-U.S. Civilian Nuclear Deal(10:10); Chapter 3: Private Sector Involvement in the iCET(14:26); Chapter 4: An AUKUS-like Carve-Out for India?(17:48); Chapter 5: The Pressure to "Deliver" Under the iCET(21:25); Chapter 6: Likely Deals and Expectations During PM Modi's Visit(24:15); Chapter 7: Indian Tech Talent and U.S. Immigration Reforms(26:47); Chapter 8: Arriving at a Consensus Under the iCET(29:11); Chapter 9: The Key Factors Making the iCET a Great Bet(32:17); Outro---Additional ReadingIndia and the United States' Good Bet: One Year of the U.S.-India Initiative on Critical and Emerging Technology (iCET) by Konark Bhandari,  Arun K. Singh,  and Rudra ChaudhuriTo Compete With China on Tech, America Needs to Fix Its Immigration System by Eric SchmidtAmerica's Bad Bet on India by Ashley J. TellisForging a High-Technology Partnership Between the United States and India in the Age of Export Controls by Konark BhandariWhat is the United States-India Initiative on Critical and Emerging Technologies (iCET)? by Rudra ChaudhuriThe U.S.-India Initiative on Critical and Emerging Technologies (iCET): The Way Forward by Rudra Chaudhuri, Konark Bhandari, and Ashima SinghHow Washington and New Delhi Can Further Tech Ties by Rudra Chaudhuri, Priyadarshini D., Konark Bhandari, Arjun Kang Joseph, and Shatakratu SahuIndia-U.S. Emerging Technologies Working Group--

The 17th Lok Sabha has seventy-eight women MPs, the highest since independence. Has the increase in women's participation been meaningful? What narratives of equality and citizenship have framed the issue of electoral representation? Do women MPs carry the burden of shifting welfare policy in a gender-sensitive direction? In this episode of Interpreting India, Shirin Rai joins Shibani Mehta to discuss these questions on gender parity and disparity in the Indian Parliament.Episode ContributorsShirin Rai is an interdisciplinary scholar of international relations, area studies, political economy, history, and comparative politics. She has written extensively on issues of gender, governance and development, and gender and political institutions. Her work within feminist political economy examines gendered regimes of work and survival under globalization, which include the privatization of natural resources and the changing nature of work. Professor Rai is a distinguished research professor of politics and international relations at SOAS, University of London. She is a fellow of the British Academy. In 2022, she was awarded the Distinguished Contribution Prize by the British International Studies Association for her contribution to the promotion of excellence in the discipline of international studies over a substantial period of time. Shibani Mehta is a senior research analyst with the Security Studies Program at Carnegie India. Her research focuses on the India-China boundary dispute with the purpose of analyzing India's foreign and security policy decisionmaking.-- Key Moments:(0:00); Introduction(2:11); Reflection on the newly built parliament building and its implications for society(7:32); Analysis of the evolution of the Indian Parliament(14:39); Examination of women's representation in Parliament throughout the years(23:33); Discussing boardroom politics and advocating for women's participation in parliament(31:26); Exploring whether women bear the burden of welfare and equality in this debate(43:55); Comparison of women's reservation in parliament at different levels of governance(50:27); Outro Additional Reading70 Years of Parliament by PRS Legislative ResearchPerforming Representation: Women Members in the Indian Parliament by Shirin M. Rai and Carole SparyThe Oxford Handbook of Politics and Performance, edited by Shirin M. Rai, Milija Gluhovic, Silvija Jestrovic, and Michael SawardExplained | On Reservation for Women in Politics by Radhika SanthanamIndian Women Are Voting More Than Ever. Will They Change Indian Society? by Milan Vaishnav--

Climate finance and technology is one of India's priorities as part of its ongoing G20 presidency. Financing the climate transition of developing countries and the Global South is a complex but critical issue, as is the development, transfer, and sharing of critical climate technologies. What should India's climate finance and technology strategy be? What role will the various pools of capital—private, public, philanthropic, impact, and multilateral development banks—play in mobilizing the necessary climate financial support for this transition? Will the new World Bank president, Ajay Banga, succeed in leveraging private capital for climate and ultimately make the Bank fit for purpose for the coming decades? Which areas of climate technology should India prioritize? Will India's EV, solar, green hydrogen, and biofuels push suffice to position it as a climate leader? What lessons can India learn from the journeys, strategies, and priorities of other countries?In this episode of Interpreting India, Varad Pande joins Anirudh Suri to discuss these key issues around India's climate finance and technology strategy.--Episode ContributorsVarad Pande is a partner at BCG. Formerly, he was a partner with Omidyar Network India.Anirudh Suri is a nonresident scholar with Carnegie India. His interests lie at the intersection of technology and geopolitics, climate, and strategic affairs.--Additional ReadingA Comprehensive Framework for India's Climate Finance Strategy by Anirudh SuriThe Case for a Comprehensive Indian Climate Bill by Anirudh SuriWhy Banga  Being a Corporate Czar is Good for World Bank: Activists Are Wrong Because ex-Mastercard Boss Can Mobilise Climate Finance by Tapping Private Sector Capital by Anirudh Suri--

India's development has not been uniform and has leapfrogged from agriculture to services, skipping over a manufacturing phase. However, the agriculture and services sectors typically do not create enough productive jobs for those at the bottom of the education and skills ladder. Thus, there is a need for labor-intensive manufacturing to absorb those with low levels of education and skills, but only around 11–12 percent of the total employment is in manufacturing, and this share has been essentially flat for two decades. There is also too much labor employed in the low-productivity unorganized sector, and there are too few jobs in the high-productivity formal sector. As recently as 2015–16, the unorganized sector continued to employ over 70 percent of total manufacturing employment. Inclusive growth would require us to find ways to enable formal manufacturing to prosper.In this episode of Interpreting India, Radhicka Kapoor joins Sayoudh Roy to discuss the state of labor-intensive manufacturing in India.--Episode ContributorsRadhicka Kapoor is a visiting professor at the Indian Council for Research on International Economic Relations, in addition to having previously worked at the Planning Commission and at the International Labour Organization, Geneva. Her research interests include poverty and inequality, labor economics and industrial performance, and she has published extensively on labor-intensive manufacturing in India. Most recently, she has edited A New Reform Paradigm, a collection of essays written in honor of Isher Judge Ahluwalia.Sayoudh Roy is a senior research analyst with the Political Economy Program at Carnegie India.  His work focuses on the macroeconomic implications of frictions in labor and financial markets and how interactions between them can affect macroeconomic aggregates.--Additional ReadingA New Reform Paradigm: Festschrift in Honour of Isher Judge Ahluwalia, edited by Radhicka KapoorCreating jobs in India's organised manufacturing sector by Radhicka KapoorExplaining the contractualisation of India's workforce by Radhicka Kapoor and P. P. KrishnapriyaStylized Facts on the Evolution of the Enterprise Size: Distribution in India's Manufacturing Sector by Radhicka KapoorEmployment in India by Ajit Kumar GhoseIndia Employment Report by Ajit Kumar GhoseStructural Change and Employment in India by Nomaan MajidSmall-Scale Industry Policy in India: A Critical Evaluation by Rakesh MohanIndustrialisation for Employment and Growth in India: Lessons from Small Firm Clusters and Beyond, edited by Rayaprolu Nagaraj--

Recently, there have been certain key developments in India's space sector. There are questions that need to be probed for a better understanding of the country's space sector. What does it take to set up a successful space company? What should be made of the space sector reforms unveiled three years ago? How does the recent iCET framework play out when it comes to space cooperation between India and the United States?In this episode of Interpreting India, Susmita Mohanty joins Konark Bhandari to discuss recent developments in India's space sector. --Episode ContributorsSusmita Mohanty is a spaceship designer and serial space entrepreneur. Susmita is the only space entrepreneur in the world to have co-founded companies on 3 different continents: EARTH2ORBIT Bangalore (2009-2021), MOONFRONT, San Francisco (2001-2007) and LIQUIFER Systems Group, Vienna (2004-ongoing). Her latest endeavor launched in October 2021 is Spaceport SARABHAI - India's first dedicated space think tank that hopes to re-center the global space narrative, give India an international voice, grow the body of knowledge that informs critical areas of space law and policy, and help transform India into a developed space economy by 2030.Konark Bhandari is an associate fellow with Carnegie India. Konark is a lawyer who has researched on certain areas in the digital economy, focusing primarily on approaches to antitrust regulation of companies in the digital realm.--Additional ReadingAre we there yet? The Artemis Accords, India, and the Way Forward by Konark BhandariWhat Does the United States' MTCR Policy Reform Mean for India's Space Sector? by Konark Bhandari--

The relationship between India and Germany doesn't receive as much attention as it deserves. In recent years, however, the bilateral partnership has received a big impetus, both economically and geopolitically. India and Germany have had a strategic partnership since 2001, but have recently also embarked on a Green Strategic Partnership for green and sustainable development. What is that about? Where does this relationship stand currently? What are the challenges in taking this relationship to the next level? What are the economic, military and geopolitical drivers of this relationship? And what can India learn from how Germany has become an economic and industrial superpower? What can Germany learn from India's own dynamic startup ecosystem? And finally, how can the two countries cooperate on major global challenges such as climate?In this episode of Interpreting India, Philipp Ackermann joins Anirudh Suri to discuss India and Germany's strategic partnership and the economic, military, and geopolitical drivers of this relationship. --Episode ContributorsPhilipp Ackermann is the current ambassador of Germany to India. He has studied art history and economics in Bonn, Heidelberg and Utrecht, and received his doctorate in art history in 1993, the same year that he joined the German Foreign Service. Before becoming Ambassador to India, he was Director General for Africa, Latin America, Near and Middle East at the Federal Foreign Office for five years.Anirudh Suri is a nonresident scholar with Carnegie India. His interests lie at the intersection of technology and geopolitics, climate, and strategic affairs. --Additional ReadingGermany woos India as an ally against Russia by Christoph Hasselbach--

A major puzzle for the Indian economy in the last one decade has been the weak performance in the textiles and apparel sectors. In real terms, the apparels sector has grown marginally and the textiles sector has witnessed a decline. India's share in world trade in textiles and apparels has also declined considerably. Between the late-1990s and early 2010s, India's share in the textiles trade has doubled, as the Indian economy revealed its comparative advantage in a variety of products in this category. But since then, India's share in textiles trade has declined, even as many other countries have increased their share. The causes for this sudden reversal in a crucial sector is worth understanding. In this episode of Interpreting India, Abhishek Anand and Naveen Joseph Thomas join Suyash Rai to discuss how India can  reignite its manmade clothing sector. --Episode ContributorsAbhishek Anand is a consultant with PwC Middle East. Earlier, he has worked at the World Bank as a Robert S. McNamara Fellow and prior to that as a career civil servant with the Government of India. His research interest lies at the intersection of macroeconomics and economic development. Naveen Joseph Thomas completed his Ph.D. in Economics at the Department of Economics, Delhi School of Economics, University of Delhi. He received his M.Sc. in Economics from the TERI School of Advanced Studies and his B.Sc.(H) in Physics from St. Stephen's College, University of Delhi. His research interest lies in the areas of Household Economics, Growth Theory, Labour Economics and issues of the MSME sector. His current research focusses on the role of intra-household conflict in explaining low labour force participation of women in patriarchal societies, the scope of Mutual Credit Guarantee Schemes for the development of the MSME sector in India, and the analysis of education choice of parents under constrained supply of public-funded education in rural India using the ASER dataset.Suyash Rai is a deputy director and fellow at Carnegie India. His research focuses on the political economy of economic reforms, and the performance of public institutions in India. --Additional ReadingReigniting the Manmade Clothing Sector in India by Abhishek Anand and Naveen Joseph Thomas --

In accordance with the G20 presidency conversations, one of the key conversations that has been missing from the main discourse has been the relationship between Brazil and India. Brazil will be taking over the G20 presidency from India. Therefore, it is imperative that these two countries think about some of the issues around climate finance, energy, technological innovation, global governance, and the SDGs. In this episode of Interpreting India, André Aranha Corrêa do Lago joins Anirudh Suri to discuss issues around climate finance, energy, technological innovation, global governance, and the SDGs. --Episode ContributorsAndré Aranha Corrêa do Lago is the former ambassador of Brazil to India. A recognised architecture critic and writer, has has been a member of the prestigious Pritzker Prize jury, and has served as the curator of the Brazilian Pavilion in the 2014 Venice Architecture Biennale. Between 2011 and 2013, he was also Brazil's Chief Negotiator for Climate Change and Sustainable Development, including for the Rio+20 UN Conference, which launched the Sustainable Development Goals. Between 2005 to 2016, André served as a member of the Architecture and Design Committee of the Museum of Modern Art (MoMA), New York, and is currently a member of the International Council of MoMA.Anirudh Suri is a nonresident scholar with Carnegie India. His interests lie at the intersection of technology and geopolitics, climate, and strategic affairs.--Additional ReadingBrazil, India can steer global transportation towards biofuels by André Aranha Corrêa do LagoBrazilian ambassador offers green growth solution to stubble burning in India by André Aranha Corrêa do LagoThe case for a comprehensive Indian climate bill by Anirudh Suri --

Since their independence from the Soviet Union, the Central Asian countries, namely Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan, and Uzbekistan, have maintained close ties with Moscow. However, Russia's invasion of Ukraine has complicated the relationship. None of the Central Asian countries have expressed support for Russia's war and are all abiding by the western sanctions imposed on Moscow. While economic ties between the region and Russia remain strong as of now, Central Asian countries are looking to diversify their economic relations, thereby opening up avenues for other powers.In this episode of Interpreting India, Jennifer Brick Murtazashvili joins Rahul Bhatia to discuss Central Asia and the Russia-Ukraine war. How are the Central Asian countries responding to Russia's invasion of Ukraine? What could Russia's preoccupation with the war in Ukraine mean for China's role in the region? And, what are the implications of this on India and South Asia? --Episode ContributorsJennifer Brick Murtazashvili is a nonresident scholar in the Asia Program at the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace. She is the founding director of the Center for Governance and Markets and a professor at the Graduate School of Public and International Affairs at the University of Pittsburgh. Her research focuses on issues of self-governance, security, political economy, and public sector reform in the developing world. Her book Informal Order and the State in Afghanistan was published by Cambridge University Press in 2016.Rahul Bhatia is a research analyst with the Security Studies Program at Carnegie India. His research focuses on India's borders and India's foreign and defense policies.--Additional ReadingKazakhstan's Tokayev Is Playing With Fire at Home—and With Russia by Jennifer Brick MurtazashviliThe Source of Ukraine's Resilience by Jennifer Brick Murtazashvili--

Over the last three decades, cross-border violence between India and Pakistan has been interspersed with periods of relative peace. Until 2003, ceasefires along the Line of Control and International Border in Jammu and Kashmir (in 1949, 1965, and 1971) were preceded by war between India and Pakistan. On the night of November 23, 2003, an announcement of a unilateral ceasefire, starting on Eid-ul-Fitr, was made by then prime minister of Pakistan Mir Zafarullah Khan Jamali. Following this, during their weekly call, the Director Generals of Military Operations or DGMOs from the two countries agreed on a ceasefire along the Line of Control, International Border, and Actual Ground Position Line. And so, the ceasefire came into effect from 25 November 2003.Given the violence of the previous 14 years, the ceasefire was a welcome move. The years between 1989 and 2003 saw cross-border violence touch record levels. 2001 and 2002 saw 4,134 and 5,767 ceasefire violations respectively by Pakistan, as reported by India. Thus, the ceasefire resulted in a stable border and immediate relief for civilians. According to some reports, there was not a single ceasefire violation between India and Pakistan between 2004 and 2006, while others report that the number was negligible. The larger change in India-Pakistan relations following the institution of the composite dialogue process also enabled different confidence-building measures on the LoC, such as the opening of passenger routes on the Poonch-Rawalakot and Srinagar-Muzaffarabad axes, enabling bus traffic and eventually cross-border trade. The period also saw the completion of border fencing on the LoC as a measure to prevent infiltration. From 2007 onwards, ceasefire violations began to rise, intensifying after 2013. The larger relationship too started to see tensions due to terror attacks in India, civil-military dynamics in Pakistan, cross-border retaliatory actions such as the surgical strikes in 2016, and the Balakot airstrikes in 2019. In 2020, India reported 5,133 CFVs on the border. A reaffirmation of the ceasefire through a DGMO conversation and a subsequent joint statement by India and Pakistan in February 2021 was a major effort to arrest this trend.--Episode ContributorsArun K. Singh is a nonresident senior fellow at Carnegie India. He has extensive experience across the globe, including as India's ambassador to the United States, Israel, and France. Throughout his distinguished career in the Indian Foreign Service spanning thirty-seven years, he has served during pivotal periods in key global capitals and was instrumental in shaping India's policies, notably the continued progress in the U.S.-India relationship, India's closer ties to Israel, and the formulation and implementation of India's policies related to Afghanistan, Pakistan, and Iran, including in the period following 9/11.Surya Valliappan Krishna is the associate director of projects and operations at Carnegie India. His research interests are India-Pakistan relations, border security, and cross-border violence. In particular, he works on the nature and dynamics of cross-border violence and its impact on civilian communities.--Additional ReadingBordering on Peace: Evaluating the impact of the India-Pakistan Ceasefire by Surya Valliappan KrishnaCaught in the Crossfire: Tension and Trade Along the Line of Control by Surya Valliappan KrishnaSending the Right Signal: Telecom Connectivity along the Line of Control by Surya Valliappan KrishnaMental Health on the Line (of Control) by Surya Valliappan Krishna--

India's patterns of urban growth came under sharp focus during the Covid-19 pandemic. Many highlighted the poor quality of urban services as contributors to the spread of the same. The pandemic laid bare many pre-existing deficiencies in urban governance that have continued to plague India's urban areas.As India continues to grow and urbanize, the municipal bodies that govern our cities are increasing in relevance. There is a huge diversity of municipal bodies in India—from nagar panchayats or town panchayats at the lowest level to municipalities and municipal corporations. In addition, we have specialised bodies like the DDA in Delhi and the MMRDA in Mumbai responsible for urban planning and development.Cities also have specialized bodies for water and sewerage, transport, and electricity services. The composition, lines of responsibility and accountability, and the manner of appointment and selection varies for each type of body. In most cases, both the state and the local governments have complementary or overlapping powers with respect to such services. And, few municipal bodies are completely financially autonomous of state governments and completely responsible to the residents of the municipality.Given this institutional structure for urban governance, how do we achieve better outcomes in terms of service delivery? Do we need to change how these institutions are designed and their composition and powers? Or are there other solutions that we should explore? In this episode of Interpreting India, Matthew Glasser joins Anirudh Burman to answer these questions.--Episode ContributorsMatthew Glasser is currently the director for municipal law and finance at the Centre for Urban Law and Finance in Africa. Prior to this, he has been the lead urban specialist for the World Bank and has also worked extensively in India and the United States. He has authored a World Bank report titled “Institutional Models for Governance of Urban Services”.Anirudh Burman is an associate research director and fellow at Carnegie India. He works on key issues relating to public institutions, public administration, the administrative and regulatory state, and state capacity.--Additional ReadingInstitutional Models for Governance of Urban Services: Volume 1—Synthesis Report December 2021 by Matthew GlasserUnderstanding Institutions and Accountability Mechanisms in Urban Governance by Anirudh Burman--

Welcome to a new season of Interpreting India! Last year, amid the shadow of the coronavirus pandemic, precarious geopolitical relations, and a rapidly evolving technological landscape, the second season of Interpreting India explored the many challenges and opportunities that India will confront in the coming decade. This year as well, we at Carnegie India will continue to bring voices from India and around the world to examine the role of technology, the economy, and international security in shaping India's future as geopolitical realignments, sustainable growth, healthcare financing, inclusive digital transformations, climate change, urbanization, supply chain disruptions, and several other critical global matters envelope the world in light of India's G20 presidency.--