Ross Douthat

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From New York Times Opinion, I'm Ross Douthat, and this is Interesting Times.

Right now, 21st century geopolitics seems like it's defined by the struggle between America and China.

But the major power with the world's fastest growing economy and largest population isn't China, it's India.

And right now, India has a unique role in global politics, doing deals with Europe one day and with Donald Trump the next, all while maintaining a strong partnership with Vladimir Putin's Russia.

Its large and spreading diaspora gives it a unique cultural influence around the world, one that may only increase as other major powers grow old and people remain India's most important export.

My guest today is a prominent international relations scholar who's written about what he calls a multiplex world order, a future where diverse powers compete to shape the world.

I wanted to talk to him about India's role in this order and also whether there might be an Indian century waiting to be born.

Amitav Acharya, welcome to Interesting Times.

Thank you very much.

I'm glad to be here.

So I want to talk today about two big related subjects, which are India as a great power in its own right, and also the impact of the Indian diaspora of India on the move on the entire world.

But I thought we could start with the story of the last 25 years that I think a lot of Americans who think about the world and great power competition have in their minds, which is a story where both India and China have modernized, have developed, have grown, but China has had the faster path.

China has sort of roared to global prominence, and India has taken a slower path.

So could you just talk about...

India's path to development and power just over the last couple decades and what that looks like.