In this episode of Interpreting India, Steven Freeland, vice-chair of the United Nations Committee on Peaceful Uses of Outer Space (UN COPUOS) Working Group on Legal Aspects of Space Resource Activities, joins Tejas Bharadwaj to discuss space resource activities and governance. What are some ongoing initiatives that aim to govern space resource activities? What challenges and opportunities do they present? And how can active spacefaring countries like India contribute to these initiatives?

In this episode of Interpreting India, former defence secretary Ajay Kumar joins Konark Bhandari to discuss defense innovation in India and the role of the partnerships in catalyzing defense projects. What have been the recent trends in military modernization? What role can India's indigenous industry play? What explains the recent surge in defence exports from India?

In this episode of Interpreting India, Jabin Thomas Jacob joins Saheb Singh Chadha to discuss China’s growing interest in South Asia and the drivers of its foreign policy. Why does China care about South Asia? How has China sought to engage the region to protect its interests? And what sort of influence has that resulted in?

In this episode of Interpreting India, Anupam Chander joins Anirudh Burman to explore the evolving landscape of online free speech. What is the best model for protecting free speech online? What are the benefits of the way online speech is regulated today? Are community guidelines for regulating online speech better than state regulations?

This episode of Interpreting India dives into the history of India's relationship with China during the first decade of the People's Republic of China's existence (1949-1959). It explores how India navigated the complex geopolitical landscape amidst the "forgotten" competition between the declining British Empire and the emerging superpower, the United States.

In this episode of Interpreting India, Karthik Ganesan joins Sayoudh Roy to discuss the present and future of the electricity sector in India. Why do some Indian households still lack an electricity connection? What are some common electrical connectivity issues faced by Indian households? What are some problems that distribution companies face, particularly in terms of finance?

In this episode of Interpreting India, UN Under-Secretary-General and High Representative for Disarmament Affairs Izumi Nakamitsu joins Konark Bhandari to discuss the military applications of AI and the role of the UN in driving international governance on this issue. Who are the multiple stakeholders that have a voice when it comes to establishing a regulatory framework for military applications of AI? Why does the private sector need to be co-opted when discussing such regulatory frameworks?

In this episode of Interpreting India, Amit Bhatt joins Sayoudh Roy to discuss issues pertaining to clean transportation. What does the Delhi state EV policy get right? What are some legal pathways available to us to implement low-emission zones or zero-emission zones? Why must trucks be included in the conversation about the electrification of vehicles?

In this episode, D. Shyam Babu joins Suyash Rai to discuss the complexities and implications of conducting a caste census in India. Despite the changes in India’s ruling parties and their corresponding ideological differences, why has the country not seen a nation-wide caste census since 1931? How will a nation-wide caste census help the Indian state with efficient public administration? How has the politics of social justice evolved in India?

In this episode of Interpreting India, Devashish Dhar joins Anirudh Burman to discuss one of the most enduringly important subjects of modern India: the Indian city. How are India’s cities doing? What role will they play in India’s growth story? Is low-quality urbanization a binding constraint on India’s long-term development?

In this episode of Interpreting India, Stephen Ezell joins Konark Bhandari to discuss the semiconductor ecosystem. What is stopping India from cultivating a local chip design ecosystem? Why is it unable to leverage its considerable talent pool, which constitutes approximately 30 percent of the global chip design talent? Is India's aim of setting up a fabrication facility too ambitious?

In this episode, Emmanuel Lenain joins Anirudh Suri to discuss India-France relations. What are the recent economic, military, and geopolitical developments involved in this relationship? What were some of the major accomplishments from the French premier’s India visit and PM Modi’s visit during the Bastille Day celebrations? What are the challenges involved in taking this relationship to the next level?

In this episode of Interpreting India, Manoj Kewalramani joins Shibani Mehta to discuss how China views the Indo-Pacific region. As the geopolitical competition between China and the United States intensifies, how does China conceptualize its role in this region? How will Beijing’s foreign policy choices impact the region’s security environment? What can India learn from the "mental map" through which China views the Indo-Pacific?

In this episode of Interpreting India, Rahul Matthan joins Anirudh Burman to discuss the Digital Personal Data Protection Act, 2023. What were the main points of contention in the making of this law? How have debates on data protection over the past decade shaped this law? What are the key strengths and weaknesses of this law? How will this law be implemented in the coming years?

In this episode of Interpreting India, Suresh Narayanan joins Anirudh Suri to discuss the role of the private sector in climate change. What can the private sector contribute beyond just committing to net-zero timelines? What role will science, R&D, and technological innovations by private sector corporations play in our climate transition? How are companies planning out their own net-zero journeys, and what are the key obstacles and risks they encounter as they embark on this process?

In this episode of Interpreting India, Sameer Lalwani joins Rahul Bhatia to discuss India-U.S. defense-industrial cooperation. What is the scope of defense-industrial cooperation between the two countries? Why have past efforts produced suboptimal results? What is the significance of the newly launched India-United States Defense Acceleration Ecosystem (INDUS-X)? What are the likely obstacles to furthering defense-industrial cooperation between the two countries?

In this episode, Rahul Verma joins Suyash Rai to discuss the debate on democratic backsliding. Are claims regarding the death of Indian democracy exaggerated? Are such claims conflating a dominant party system marked by polarization with democratic backsliding? Are the measures used to analyze Indian democracy conscious of the complexity of Indian polity?

In this episode of Interpreting India, Vaidehi Tandel and Sahil Gandhi join Anirudh Burman to discuss the effect of regulatory reforms in India’s real estate sector on housing prices in Maharashtra. In what context did the Real Estate (Regulation and Development) Act, 2016, emerge? How has this regulatory change benefited consumers? What changes did this Act try to bring in?

In this episode of Interpreting India, Arun K. Singh joins Konark Bhandari to discuss the Initiative on Critical and Emerging Technology (iCET), Prime Minister Narendra Modi's upcoming state visit to the United States, and the future of India-U.S. tech ties. Is the iCET more than just a 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"...

In this episode of Interpreting India, Shirin Rai joins Shibani Mehta to discuss gender parity in the Indian Parliament. Has the increase in women’s participation in the Indian Parliament 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, Varad Pande joins Anirudh Suri to discuss India's climate finance and technology strategy. 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, Radhicka Kapoor joins Sayoudh Roy to discuss the state of labor-intensive manufacturing in India. What is the importance of labor-intensive manufacturing for a country like India? What hurdles does labor-intensive manufacturing face? What has led to the present circumstances in labor-intensive manufacturing?

In this episode of Interpreting India, Susmita Mohanty joins Konark Bhandari to discuss recent developments in India'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?

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. In this episode of Interpreting India, Philipp Ackermann joins Anirudh Suri to discuss India and Germany's strategic...