The Takshashila Podcast

President Vladimir Putin is consolidating his power both internally and along Russia's peripheries. Is there a method that underlies Moscow's behaviour? Anirudh Kanisetti and Aditya Ramanathan dive into the world of Russian ideologue Alexander Dugin an

India is one of the most oil-dependent countries in the world. But what can it do when hydrocarbon supplies are disrupted? Anupam Manur and Narayan Ramachandran talk about their new research into how India can build its Strategic Petroleum Rese

The military reforms initiated by President Xi Jinping have brought sweeping changes to the People's Liberation Army (PLA). But are these measures making China more secure? In this episode, Manoj Kewalramani and Suyash Desai discuss their new research on

The Yes Bank crisis has spurned the government to send State Bank of India (SBI) to its rescue. This has led to a further consolidation of public sector banks in India. Why are some banks struggling? In this episode, Pranay Kotasthane sits d

From the COVID-19 outbreak to the Yes Bank crisis, the Indian and the world economy are being buffeted by relentless waves of crises. Anupam Manur talks to Takshashila's founders, the two Ns: Narayan Ramachandran and Nitin Pai, to take stock of th

Is the global Covid-19 outbreak a pandemic? What must India do to contain its fallout? Nitin Pai and Shambhavi Naik join Aditya Ramanathan to discuss this unprecedented health crisis and what we can expect next.

VP Menon rose from nothing to become a critical figure in both the transfer of power from the British and the integration of India's states. In this episode, historian Narayani Basu joins Anirudh Kanisetti, Sowmya Nandan and Aditya Ramanathan to talk ab

In the murky depths below Asia's oceans, competition is brewing between major powers as they seek to protect and expand their fleets of ballistic missile submarines. What's driving this competition? And what role does geography play? Aditya Ramanathan,

From Wuhan to Chennai, both China and India have reiterated that they must not let differences turn into disputes.

The humble potato emerged from the mountains of Peru to become a staple food around the world. Today, the potato suffers from inbreeding or 'depression' that's reducing its nutrition and productivity. What can be done? Shambhavi Naik joins Aditya Ramanat

India continues to have too few women at work even in white-collar jobs. What can be done to increase their numbers? Anupam Manur asks Sowmya Nandan and Shambhavi Naik why women in India find it difficult to pursue careers and how workplaces

The decision by the streaming service Hotstar to withhold the show Last Week Tonight has stirred controversy. In this episode, Manoj Kewalramani, Prateek Waghre and Utkarsh Narain discuss the repercussions of Hotstar's decision and the rationale behin

America's deal with the Taliban is being celebrated by some as a step towards peace. Are they right? Anand Arni and Pranay Kotasthane join Aditya Ramanathan to dissect the deal and highlight the many perils it is likely to bring to Indians and Afghans.

With the U.S. looking for a quick exit from Afghanistan, should India consider putting boots on the ground? Pranay Kotasthane is joined by Manoj Kewalramani and Aditya Ramanathan as he makes the case for India to provide specific kinds of support to Afgh

Slowly but surely, China is developing expeditionary capabilities that will allow it to project power in the overseas territory. What's driving it to develop such forces? And should India be worried? Suyash Desai and Pranav RS join Aditya Ramanathan to

While the number of new coronavirus cases are falling in China, Xi says the situation remains “grim and complex.” What’s worse, there are new hotspots emerging internationally. Manoj Kewalramani and Shambhavi Naik discuss all this and more in this weekly

As gene-editing technology advances, the social contexts within which it will unfold need to be understood and integrated into policy planning. Shambhavi Naik and Anirudh Kanisetti discuss the dark history of eugenics, its recent resurgence, and what Ind

French President Emmanuel Macron wants European Union countries to discuss the possibility of giving France's nuclear forces a broader role in European security. Is this a feasible idea? What is Macron's game plan? Aditya Ramanathan, Nischitha Suresh an

Even as India receives US President Donald Trump with fanfare it remains committed to a multipolar world order. But is such an order really conducive to India's rise?

A new speech by Xi Jinping shows that the Chinese leadership was aware of the outbreak well before strict measures were taken. Is this an admission of systemic failure or signalling of strength? Manoj Kewalramani and Shambhavi Naik take stock of all the