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 ha ..read more

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, inclu ..read more

2022 has been a year of geopolitical conflict and tensions. If we were expecting a quieter end to the year, then we were apparently mistaken. On December 9, Chinese and Indian troops had a face-off along the Line of Actual Control (LAC) in the Tawang sector of Arunachal Pradesh. While we don’t have many details yet, it appears that a few hundred soldiers were involved in a physical scuffle, and some thirty to forty, on both sides, sustained injuries. The Indian defence minister, Rajnath Singh, told the Parliament that the Chinese People’s Liberation Army troops had tried to transgress the LAC ..read more

How far has India come since independence, and where is it going? What are the opportunities and challenges it has witnessed in the past, and what all awaits it in the near future? In this episode, Suyash Rai invites his colleagues who have previously hosted episodes of Interpreting India to share insights from their work. Anirudh Burman talks about land markets and policy framework for India’s new technology sectors. Konark Bhandari explicates India’s role in semiconductor supply chains and commercialization of space. Rahul Bhatia sheds light on the indigenization of defense manufacturing. Sh ..read more

Collaborative technologies like blockchain promise the ability to improve business processes between entities in any domain, radically lowering the "cost of trust." Sarang Bhoyar joins Priyadarshini D. to discuss the adoption and limitations of blockchain in the Indian context. -- Episode Contributors Sarang Bhoyar is currently the head of blockchain (Centre of Excellence) at the National Payments Corporation of India (NPCI). He has more than two decades of rich IT experience across technologies, roles, and geographies. Previously, he has worked with Infosys, with his last appointment at ..read more

The Indo-Pacific has emerged as a region of great significance. China is cementing its strategic presence in the region with a push toward financing infrastructure, announcements of alternative security and development mechanisms, and security pacts, most recently, with the Solomon Islands. Meanwhile, the United States remains preoccupied with its various priorities including the war in Ukraine and a broader engagement with European security. As regional dynamics continue to evolve, actors like India and Australia find themselves facing common concerns, as well as opportunities that continue t ..read more

The Indo-Pacific has emerged as a region of great significance. China is cementing its strategic presence in the region with a push toward financing infrastructure, announcements of alternative security and development mechanisms, and security pacts, most recently, with the Solomon Islands. Meanwhile, the United States remains preoccupied with its various priorities including the war in Ukraine and a broader engagement with European security. As regional dynamics continue to evolve, actors like India and Australia find themselves facing common concerns, as well as opportunities that continue t ..read more

Ever since its adoption in October 2000, the Women, Peace and Security (WPS) agenda has emerged as the landmark global framework promoting women’s participation in conflict resolution and achieving sustainable peace. Through its four pillars, participation, conflict prevention, protection, and relief and recovery, the WPS agenda aims to provide a holistic approach to international security. Since the adoption of the agenda, 103 countries have adopted National Action Plans (NAPs) to enhance women’s participation in the security domain at a domestic level. Regional Action Plans (RAPs) have also ..read more

Lately, Turkey’s actions have come into the limelight. It notably delayed Sweden's and Finland’s memberships in NATO in exchange for fulfilling its own security demands. Meanwhile, it continues to supply drones and other weapons to Ukraine to resist Russian aggression while maintaining its relationship with Moscow at the same time. Turkey has further been involved in the conflict between Azerbaijan and Armenia as well as in civil wars in Syria and Libya. It has also sought to expand its influence in South Asia by deepening its multifaceted cooperation with Pakistan.  In this episode ..read more

Today, semiconductors are ubiquitous—whether it’s the device on which you’re streaming this episode, the drive assist or safety features of a car, or aerospace and defense equipment. In the last couple of years there has been a dearth of semiconductor supply. The semiconductor shortage today can be attributed to supply chain disruptions and several geopolitical factors that have their origins in the early days of COVID-19. Realizing the importance and potential of semiconductors, countries around the world, including India, have been investing in the semiconductor capabilities. In December 202 ..read more