All Things Policy

In this episode of All Things Policy, Adya Madhavan, Yusuf Unjhawala, and Aniket Vijayvargiya delve into the intricacies of India's defence ecosystem. They explore the nation's defence imports and procurement processes, aiming to understand the needs of 21st-century warfare, the evolving requirements of the Indian armed forces, and the ongoing modernisation efforts within the sector. All T...

In this episode of All Things Policy, Vanshika Saraf is joined by Dr. Chietigj Bajpee, Senior Research Fellow at the Asia-Pacific Programme at Chatham House, London. They discuss how India is managing the intersection between its neighbourhood constraints and its global power aspirations. From India’s recent charm offensive in the international realm to the illusion of regional peace and security,...

In this episode of All Things Policy, Sowmya Prabhakar , COO of Takshashila Institution, is in conversation with Uday Vijayan , Managing Trustee & President of Beyond Carlton , a citizen-led fire safety initiative established after the 2010 Carlton Towers fire tragedy in Bangalore. We unpack lived experiences, gaps in the system, and the sparks of hope through citizen action, responsible gover...

In this episode of 'All Things Policy', Col. KPM Das and Anushka Saxena talk about the story of the SATHI Handheld Battle Computer—a pioneering but ultimately shelved project that could have transformed the Indian Army’s battlefield operations. As a leading army officer for the project, KPM sheds light on how the product was developed, what SATHI aimed to do, and why it was a unique device...

The final ban on bike taxis in Karnataka is the culmination of a legal tussle between the government and commercial operators. The ban is not only deeply misguided, but also a reflection of the gap in governance that exists in the state and how it has been exploited by incumbent vested interests. In this episode of All Things Policy, Leah Govias and Anupam Manur discuss the government's cited safe...

In this episode, Maya Patra and Astha Rastogi break down the UK government's 2025 immigration white paper introduced by Prime Minister Keir Starmer. They discuss how the proposed policies—from extended residency timelines to new restrictions on international students and care workers—reflect a broader shift toward nationalism. What’s at stake as the UK risks becoming less welcoming to immigrat...

China's arms exports are enhancing, in both absolute numbers and quality. The construction of an expansive internal military-industrial complex is underway, fulfilling the purposes of both self-reliance and market capture. As war becomes the norm, how do China's arms sales fare? What is it selling, and to whom? And which are the conglomerates responsible for enabling Beijing's dominanc...

In this episode of All Things Policy, Swathi Kalyani, research analyst with the Geospatial Programme at the Takshashila Institution and Akhil Siddharth, Part of the Product Team for the Health Campaigns Management platform at eGov Foundation — helping governments in Africa run better vaccine and health campaigns, dive deep into the transformative intersection of geospatial technology and public he...

In this episode of All Things Policy, Anisree Suresh is in conversation with Sowmya Prabhakar to peel the unexpected ban on Thotapuri mango procurement from Karnataka & Tamil Nadu by Chittoor. What actually happened? Is it about quality, pricing, politics or all of these? We invoke all the stakeholders - States, factories & farmers. We also dwell in the dynamics of supply chains and liveli...

Join Yusuf Unjhawala and Arindam Goswami in this episode of All Things Policy, where we examine the escalating tensions and military exchanges between Israel and Iran. The Middle East today stands at a dangerous crossroads. In June 2025, the long-simmering shadow conflict between Israel and Iran erupted into open warfare, with Israel launching unprecedented airstrikes deep inside Iran and Tehran r...

Join Yusuf Unjhawala and Arindam Goswami in this episode of All Things Policy, where we examine the escalating tensions and military exchanges between Israel and Iran. The Middle East today stands at a dangerous crossroads. In June 2025, the long-simmering shadow conflict between Israel and Iran erupted into open warfare, with Israel launching unprecedented airstrikes deep inside Iran and Tehran r...

In this episode of All Things Policy, Carl Jaison sits down with Suryaprabha Sadasivan, Senior VP of Public Policy and FIPRA India Lead at Chase Advisors, to unpack what truly drives policy success in India’s complex political economy. Drawing from her cross-sectoral experience, Suryaprabha reflects on navigating Union–State dynamics, building multi-stakeholder coalitions, and helping clients shif...

In this episode of All Things Policy, Anisree Suresh sits with Anupam Manur to analyse the verdict by the US Court of International Trade, which ruled his Liberation Day tariffs illegal. They discuss the legal possibilities, alternative scenarios, and what the new uncertainty offers to the global economy. All Things Policy is a daily podcast on public policy brought to you by the Takshashila Insti...

As global efforts to decouple from China intensify, there has been a lot of hope and optimism about India being the benefactor of a China+1 strategy. However, it is safe to say that this has not materialised for India. Instead, Vietnam, Thailand, Cambodia, Malaysia and to some extent, Bangladesh have seen increased investments and manufacturing activity. Shobhankita Reddy sits down with Rahul Jaco...

In this episode of All Things Policy, Aishwaria Sonavane speaks with Ambika Vishwanath, Director at the Kubernein Initiative, to revisit the Indus Water Treaty, long regarded as a rare success in India-Pakistan cooperation. As tensions persist and climate change reshapes regional water dynamics, they explore whether the treaty can endure, what its suspension means for future diplomacy, and how bot...

In this episode of All Things Policy, Wini Fred Gurung is in conversation with Professor Mahendra P Lama to discuss the remarkable journey of Sikkim from a Himalayan monarchy to becoming India's 22nd state in 1975. Marking 50 years since that pivotal transition, they discuss internal push for democracy, regional strategic shifts, and Sikkim’s evolving identity. Professor Lama is a Senior Profe...

In this episode of All Things Policy, Anwesha Sen and Anisree Suresh examine Pakistan's economic history with the International Monetary Fund (IMF) and deconstruct why it never sparked a reform moment. They also unpack Pakistan’s political economy - its policies, weaknesses and potential. They also unpack Pakistan's political economy, exploring the interplay between its policies, inherent weakness...

In today’s episode of All Things Policy, Adya Madhavan speaks with Karthik Bappanad and Lokendra Sharma about India’s cyber defence capabilities. Karthik and Lokendra situate Operation Sindoor within the wider landscape of cyber defences. They look at successful models such as RBI’s ReBIT, and areas that require further capacity building. Lokendra and Karthik also shed light on some of the challen...

In this episode of All Things Policy, Shobhankita Reddy is in conversation with Adya Madhavan on her paper, "Revisiting Arms Control Paradigms in the Age of LAWS." They tackle the global debate over 'killer robots,' exploring the ethical and accountability dilemmas that arise when machines make lethal decisions. Adya breaks down why countries are so divided on governance; many ad...

In this episode of All Things Policy, Kripa Koshy (Programme Manager, Takshashila Institution) speaks to Surya Prakash (Programme Director and Fellow, DAKSH) and Rohith (Data Analyst, DAKSH) about the role of the Finance Commission in strengthening judicial reform. They discuss the budgeting process and the allocation of funds to the judiciary, and examine how fiscal decisions impact the functioni...

In an era prioritising rapid technological output, this episode explores a crucial counterbalance: the need for deep investment in fundamental science. There is a symbiotic relationship between science and technology, which brings with it societal values and thinking. Join Shambhavi Naik and Ashwin Prasad as they discuss why a robust scientific foundation is indispensable for India's aspiratio...

In this episode of All Things Policy, Manoj Kewalramani and Astha Rastogi unpack the shifting dynamics of media consumption — from the rise of emotional content and algorithmic curation to the erosion of trust in traditional news. Together, they explore what it means to engage meaningfully with media in an age of noise, distraction, and disinformation. 'Introduction to Geospatial Science &...

After a lull of many years, there’s so much happening in India’s nuclear energy sector this year. On 1 Feb 2025, when Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman presented the first full budget of Modi 3.0, she made a major policy announcement related to nuclear energy: the intention to amend the liability law, also referred to as CLNDA in short. But what is this law about, why is it being amended? Would...

Urban floods in cities like Bangalore are becoming more frequent and disruptive. In this episode of All Things Policy, Avinash Shet and Dr Y. Nithiyanandam, a professor and the head of the Geospatial Program at the Takshashila Institution, explore how geospatial technologies—maps, sensors, and AI—can aid in planning, mitigation, and sustainable flood management. 'Introduction to Geospatial Sci...

India's defence ecosystem needs a refined approach to fighting the next generation of battle, and that needs a vision for developing next-gen jet engines. In this episode of All Things Policy, Avinash Shet and Anushka Saxena discuss India's fighter jet engine ecosystem and the challenges facing the LCA Tejas and Kaveri engine programmes. Avinash also sheds light on how to approach co-produ...