Podcasts · Government · Technology

Interpreting India

Carnegie India

155 episodes

In Season 5 of Interpreting India, we continue our exploration of the dynamic forces that will shape India's global standing. At Carnegie India, our diverse lineup of experts will host critical discussions at the intersection of technology, the economy, and international security. Join us as we navigate the complexities of geopolitical shifts and rapid technological advancements. This season promises insightful conversations and fresh perspectives on the challenges and opportunities that lie ahead.

Episodes page 1 of 4

  1. India, China, and the U.S. in the Age of the Technology Race

    · 35 min · S5 E51

    This episode is part of our curtain raiser series ahead of the tenth edition of the Global Technology Summit, Carnegie India’s flagship annual event, co-hosted with the Ministry of External Affairs, Government of…

  2. Subsea Cables, AI Infrastructure, and Africa's Connectivity Gap

    · 45 min · S5 E50

    Jane opens with a framing that runs through the entire conversation: for Africa, the subsea cable story is not primarily about geopolitics. It is about connecting citizens and translating that connectivity into…

  3. India, Australia, and the Critical Minerals Opportunity

    · 50 min · S5 E49

    The conversation opens with a useful baseline on both countries. Australia has world-class mining equipment, technology, and services capabilities, and its mining sector contributes roughly 10 to 15 percent of GDP, yet…

  4. Chokepoints, Economic Warfare and India's Strategic Options

    · 34 min · S5 E48

    Edward lays out three criteria for what makes something a genuine choke point: dominant market share, difficulty to substitute, and the ability to weaponize it with asymmetric impact, hurting the adversary far more…

  5. India's AI Ambitions and the Road to Viksit Bharat | AI Summit Special

    · 33 min · S5 E47

    This is the final episode of our special series on the India AI Impact Summit, examining the conversations, decisions, and debates that are shaping global AI governance. This episode explores: • India has a clear…

  6. Did India's AI Summit Get Safety Right? AI Summit Special

    · 40 min · S5 E46

    This episode is part of our special series on the India AI Impact Summit, examining the conversations, decisions, and debates that are shaping global AI governance. Professor Ravindran addresses early on the…

  7. Subsea Cables, Trusted Networks, and India's Strategic Opportunity

    · 46 min · S5 E45

    Pooja opens with a mismatch that frames the entire conversation. India consumes around 20% of global internet traffic but accounts for just 2% of global subsea cable infrastructure. Even with the expansion of landing…

  8. AI Literacy and the Future of Work in India

    · 45 min · S5 E44

    Jaspreet's framing for the AI and work debate is worth staying with. He is not dismissive of disruption: he thinks AI will destroy certain jobs, create new ones, and the rupture will be real. But he pushes back on the…

  9. Can AI Resources Be Democratized? AI Summit Special

    · 28 min · S5 E43

    This episode is part of our special series on the India AI Impact Summit, examining the conversations, decisions, and debates that are shaping global AI governance. The working group was designed from the start to be…

  10. Space Security in the Age of AI

    · 1 h 07 min · S5 E42

    Almudena opens with a distinction that anchors the entire conversation: space security, unlike space safety, is about intentional harm. It concerns deliberate attempts to disrupt, deny, or destroy space systems and the…

  11. An African Perspective for Building AI for Global South | AI Summit Special

    · 48 min · S5 E41

    This episode is part of our special series on the India AI Impact Summit, examining the conversations, decisions, and debates that are shaping global AI governance. Raymond draws a distinction early in the…

  12. The India-EU Trade Deal: What It Delivers and What It Doesn't

    · 51 min · S5 E40

    For most of the last decade, a trade deal between India and the EU seemed unlikely. The nudge came as the world changed around both. Nicolas points to three converging forces: the pressure of US tariffs under Trump,…

  13. From Bletchley Park to Delhi and What Comes Next | AI Summit Special

    · 55 min · S5 E39

    This episode is part of our special series on the India AI Impact Summit 2026, examining the conversations, perspectives, and debates that are shaping global AI discourse. Tino has been in the room at all four AI…

  14. Data, AI, and the Laws Trying to Keep Up

    · 43 min · S5 E38

    The conversation begins with a close look at India’s data protection regime, particularly the DPDP Act and its emphasis on consent. Nikhil challenges the perception that the law is overly consent-driven, pointing to a…

  15. Inside the Iran Conflict: Power, Strategy, and India’s Balancing Act

    · 1 h 08 min · S5 E37

    The conversation begins with a look at where the conflict stands today and how Iran has managed to absorb significant military pressure while still responding in a measured way. Dharmendra explains how the conflict has…

  16. Recalibrating BRICS: India’s Moment in a Fragmented World

    · 54 min · S5 E36

    The episode begins with a reflection on Brazil’s 2025 BRICS presidency, which emphasized continuity with the bloc’s original reformist agenda—particularly the push for reform of global financial institutions and…

  17. Deciphering the “Mother of All Trade Deals”: The India–EU FTA

    · 37 min · S5 E35

    Kumar frames the India–EU FTA as a deal India needed, not one it merely chose, arguing that with the multilateral trade system weakened, FTAs have become the practical route to secure market access and signal openness…

  18. AI Adoption Journey for Population Scale: The UCAF Framework

    · 47 min · S5 E34

    AI progress is often measured by the number of pilots launched, but this episode argues the real unit of progress should be how many AI use cases are reliably in production and embedded into everyday systems. Shalini…

  19. Scarcity, Sovereignty, Strategy: Mapping the Political Geography of AI Compute

    · 45 min · S4 E33

    As AI systems grow more powerful, the computational infrastructure behind them has become a strategic resource, one that is unevenly distributed across the world. This episode takes a deep look at the three layers of…

  20. Cybersecurity in Outer Space: A Growing Concern

    · 37 min · S4 E32

    The conversation explores how cybersecurity is integral to space operations, drawing parallels with traditional air defense strategies. Blount discusses the historical context of cybersecurity in space, the role of…

  21. Unbundling AI Openness: Beyond the Binary

    · 48 min · S4 E31

    The episode challenges the familiar “open versus closed” framing of AI systems. Sharma argues that openness is not inherently good or bad—it is an instrumental choice that should align with specific policy goals. She…

  22. India’s Air Defense After Operation Sindoor: Lessons and the Road Ahead

    · 50 min · S4 E30

    India’s air defense has transformed from sparse radars in the 1960s to a multilayered network anchored by the Integrated Air Command and Control System (IACCS), linking radars, interceptors, and layered missile systems…

  23. Military AI and Autonomous Weapons: Gender, Ethics, and Governance

    · 55 min · S4 E29

    The episode opens with Bhatt framing the global stakes: from drones on the battlefield to AI-powered early warning systems, militaries worldwide are racing to integrate AI, often citing strategic necessity in volatile…

  24. Beyond Superintelligence: A Realist's Guide to AI

    · 39 min · S4 E28

    The episode begins with Kapoor explaining the origins of AI Snake Oil, tracing it back to his PhD research at Princeton on AI's limited predictive capabilities in social science domains. He shares how he and co-author…

  25. Navigating the Open v. Closed Source AI Debate with Kailash Nadh

    · 56 min · S4 E27

    The episode opens with an in-depth discussion about the value of open source as a model of development and how the definitional contours of open-source AI differ from those of traditional open-source software. The…

  26. Interpreting China: From the LAC to Taiwan – Mapping China’s Assertiveness

    · 38 min · S4 E26

    In this conversation, Aadil Brar and Saheb Singh Chadha examine how China's strategic behavior across the India-China border, Taiwan Strait, and South China Sea reflects a broader effort to create regional influence…

  27. Interpreting China: The People’s Liberation Army—Reforms and Challenges

    · 41 min · S4 E25

    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,…

  28. Interpreting China: The Economy and its Impact on Foreign Policy

    · 45 min · S4 E24

    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…

  29. Securing Space: Opportunities for U.S.-India Cooperation in a New Strategic Frontier

    · 48 min · S4 E23

    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…

  30. India's Defence Industry: The State of Play

    · 45 min · S4 E22

    Episode Notes Lt 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…

  31. The Missing Pieces in India’s AI Puzzle: Talent, Data, and R&D

    · 49 min · S4 E21

    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…

  32. Trade, Tariffs, and Technology: U.S.-India Relations in Trump’s Second Term

    · 33 min · S4 E20

    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…

  33. Trump 2.0: Navigating the India-U.S. Relationship in a New Era

    · 39 min · S4 E19

    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…

  34. Syria in Transition: Regional Dynamics and India's Interests

    · 49 min · S4 E18

    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…

  35. Bridging East and West: India’s Pursuit of Stability Amid China, Russia, and U.S. Dynamics

    · 56 min · S4 E17

    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…

  36. India's Lunar Exploration: Past, Present, and Future with Jatan Mehta

    · 51 min · S4 E16

    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…

  37. The U.S.-India Partnership Under Modi and Biden with Arun K. Singh

    · 32 min · S4 E15

    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…

  38. Europe’s China Policy with Janka Oertel

    · 45 min · S4 E14

    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…

  39. Understanding Drivers of China's Foreign Policy with Helena Legarda

    · 49 min · S4 E13

    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)…

  40. 5 Years of Interpreting India

    · 5:38 · Bonus

    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…

  41. Ajay Shah on Union Budget 2024: Fiscal Policy and Economic Challenges

    · 1 h 00 min · S4 E12

    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…

  42. Quentin Verspieren on a Zero Debris Approach in Space Exploration

    · 51 min · S4 E11

    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…

  43. Raj Shukla on Modernizing India’s Armed Forces and Defense Industry

    · 1 h 15 min · S4 E10

    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…

  44. Vidyadhar Phatak on Urban Planning Challenges and Solutions in India

    · 46 min · S4 E9

    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…

  45. Madhumita Murgia on Addressing Unintended Harms of AI

    · 48 min · S4 E8

    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…

  46. Karl Mehta on India's Tech-Driven Future

    · 37 min · S4 E7

    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…

  47. Poornima Dore on the Dynamics of India’s Regional Economies

    · 58 min · S4 E6

    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…

  48. Steven Freeland on the Governance of Space Resource Activities

    · 59 min · S4 E5

    In the realm of space exploration, there's a growing focus on extracting resources from celestial bodies like the Moon and asteroids. This calls for a strong governance framework to ensure responsible and sustainable…

  49. Ajay Kumar on Defense Innovation in India

    · 29 min · S4 E4

    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…

  50. Jabin Jacob on China’s Increased Presence in South Asia

    · 50 min · S4 E3

    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…

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