Interpreting India Carnegie India

In this episode of Interpreting India, Vidyadhar Phatak, a leading urban planner, joins host Anirudh Burman to discuss the complexities of urban planning in India. Their conversation centers around the themes explored in Pathak's latest book, "Planning for India's Urbanization," which examines the historical evolution, current challenges, and future prospects of urban development in India. They delve into the impacts of market forces, planning models, and regulatory frameworks on Indian cities, and explore solutions for addressing these persistent issues.

How have historical planning models shaped the current state of Indian cities? What are the impacts of market forces on urban planning? How can regulatory frameworks be adapted to better address urban challenges? What role do planners and planning education play in shaping the future of India's urbanization?

In this episode of Interpreting India, Anirudh Suri is joined by Madhumita Murgia, author and AI editor of the Financial Times, to examine the profound impacts of artificial intelligence on society in her new book, Code Dependent: Living in the Shadows of AI. Their conversation centers around the human stories behind AI, spotlighting the inequalities and unintended harms its implementation can catalyze.

How is AI changing what it means to be human? How is AI altering the human experience and societal structures? What are some of the policy implications arising out of these unintended consequences?

In this episode of Interpreting India, Konark Bhandari is joined by Karl Mehta, Chairman of the Quad Investors Network, to explore the integration of advanced technologies into the Indian context. The discussion spans artificial intelligence (AI), fundraising, friendshoring, and defense innovation—all considering India's national AI mission and emerging deep tech policies. Karl Mehta, with his experience as a serial entrepreneur, author, investor, and engineer, brings deep insights into how these technologies can shape India's future, both economically and socially.

In this episode of Interpreting India, Poornima Dore, an economist and business leader, joins host Suyash Rai to discuss the nuances of regional economic development in India. Their conversation centers around the themes explored in her co-authored book, “Regional Economic Diversity: Lessons from an Emergent India,” which delves into the dynamics of regional development and the stark economic disparities that exist within the country.

How should we measure regional economic development? What are the patterns of divergence and convergence across regions, if any? What factors explain these patterns? What are some institutional changes required to make a focus on regions more effective?

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?