All Things Policy

The Iran Brief: The Democratisation of Drone Warfare?

08 May 2026

Contributed by Lukas

Today, drones have become front and centre in modern warfare. Despite having lost much of its military infrastructure to the war in West Asia, Iran ha...

Why India's DISCOMs Are Trapped in a Doom Spiral

07 May 2026

Contributed by Lukas

Power cuts have become so routine that we've stopped noticing them. But this normalisation of unreliability has a cost — and it's a cost tha...

The Iran Brief: US Blockade as a Leverage

06 May 2026

Contributed by Lukas

Six weeks of US-Israel strikes on Iran destroyed infrastructure, eliminated leadership, and degraded Iran's missile arsenal. Yet when peace talks ...

Across the Strait: KMT-CPC Ties and the Future of Taiwan

05 May 2026

Contributed by Lukas

The recent meeting between Taiwanese Kuomintang party Chairwoman Cheng Li-Wun and Chinese President Xi Jinping in Beijing marked a new effort between ...

The Iran Brief: Impact on the Indian Economy

04 May 2026

Contributed by Lukas

In this episode of All Things Policy, Bhumika Sevkani and Anisree Suresh examine the impact of the war in Iran on the Indian economy, tracing how the ...

The Iran Brief: Airpower Paradox

30 Apr 2026

Contributed by Lukas

In this episode of All Things Policy, Brigadier Anil Rahman and Air Marshal P.D. Joseph are joined by Dr. Kelly Grieco, Senior Fellow at the Stimson C...

The Iran Brief: US Congress and Trump

29 Apr 2026

Contributed by Lukas

In this episode of the All Things Policy podcast, Abhishek Kadiyala and Brigadier Anil Raman speak with Soren Dayton about why the U.S. Congress has r...

India’s Critical Minerals Challenge

28 Apr 2026

Contributed by Lukas

The global conversation on power is evolving, from energy security to supply chain resilience, and now to the minerals that underpin modern technology...

Inside China’s Energy Fortress

27 Apr 2026

Contributed by Lukas

China's 15th Five-Year Plan (2026–2030), formalised, inter alia, its "dual-track" energy strategy investing in coal and renewable ener...

The Iran Brief: Pakistan's Moment in West Asia

24 Apr 2026

Contributed by Lukas

Pakistan finds itself in a critical mediatory position as the US and Iran navigate a fragile ceasefire, and add to that, decades of mistrust. Pakistan...

Trust Before Policy: Why Communities Matter

23 Apr 2026

Contributed by Lukas

In a society marked by a trust deficit, even the best solutions run into limits. This episode explores how intentional, hyper-local communities can lo...

AI-Powered Cyber Defence and Offence

22 Apr 2026

Contributed by Lukas

Anthropic just revealed an AI model that found a 27-year-old bug in one of the world's most secure operating systems. In this episode, Col KPM Das...

SMR for India's Energy Security

21 Apr 2026

Contributed by Lukas

Small Modular Reactors (SMRs) represent a significant technological shift in nuclear power generation, offering scaled-down versions of traditional nu...

How India Counts its Future

20 Apr 2026

Contributed by Lukas

India’s Census 2027 promises to be more than just a population count. With digital tools, geospatial mapping, and innovations like DigiPin, it could...

AI Enters the Classroom: What Indian Schools Need to Know

17 Apr 2026

Contributed by Lukas

AI isn't coming to Indian schools; it's already there, and students are embracing it. But is the Indian school system ready? Survey findings b...

The Iran Brief: West Asia in Historical Perspective

16 Apr 2026

Contributed by Lukas

In this conversation, Professor Kingshuk Chatterjee joins Aishwaria Sonavane to place the current West Asian conflict in its deeper historical context...

India’s Sporting Achilles’ Heel: Age Fraud, Doping, Coaching Gaps

15 Apr 2026

Contributed by Lukas

Is India's sports integrity on the line? Listen to the latest podcast: "India’s Sporting Achilles’ Heel: Age Fraud, Doping, Coaching Gaps...

A Blueprint for City Finance in India

14 Apr 2026

Contributed by Lukas

Cities are the engines of economic growth - generating the bulk of GDP, driving innovation, and shaping the everyday lived experience of millions. Yet...

BIRSA101 and The Future Of Gene Therapy In India

13 Apr 2026

Contributed by Lukas

November 2025 saw the launch of BIRSA 101- India’s first indigenous CRISPR-based gene therapy for sickle cell disease. What does this mean for affor...

Artemis II and Return To The Moon

10 Apr 2026

Contributed by Lukas

Amid the bleak news coverage of the projectile war in West Asia, there was one development that served as a glimmer of hope for humanity at large. NAS...

The Iran Brief: The US-Iran Air & Missile Campaigns

09 Apr 2026

Contributed by Lukas

The opening campaign of the US/Israeli - Iran War has witnessed an asymmetric fight between the two parties, playing to their different strengths. The...

NavIC - Navigation, Power, Sovereignty

08 Apr 2026

Contributed by Lukas

Navigation satellites are invisible infrastructure - until they aren't. In an era where GPS signals are being jammed over conflict zones, spoofed ...

The Quiet Decline of NavIC: India’s Geospatial Sovereignty at Risk?

07 Apr 2026

Contributed by Lukas

Following the failure of the last atomic clock on IRNSS-1F, India’s homegrown navigation system, NavIC, has fallen below operational strength. In th...

The Iran Brief: Chink in the CRINK

06 Apr 2026

Contributed by Lukas

In this episode of the Iran Brief of Takshashila’s All Things Policy podcast, Amit Kumar discusses with Anushka Saxena the reactions of three of the...

Charting a Shared Maritime Future

02 Apr 2026

Contributed by Lukas

As the Indian Ocean grows in strategic importance, India and Australia are increasingly seen as key partners in shaping its future. In this episode, V...

The Iran Brief: Why Is US Congress Failing To Stop Trump On Iran?

01 Apr 2026

Contributed by Lukas

In this episode of the All Things Policy podcast, Abhishek Kadiyala and Bhumika Sevkani examine why the US Congress has repeatedly failed to restrain ...

The Iran Brief: Does the AI Boom Run Through the Strait of Hormuz?

31 Mar 2026

Contributed by Lukas

What happens to the AI boom when data centres become military targets? Shobhankita Reddy and Bharath Reddy discuss how the Iran war is stress-testing ...

Data, Decisions, and the Future of Farming

30 Mar 2026

Contributed by Lukas

AgriStack represents India’s ambition to build a digital public infrastructure for agriculture, linking farmer, land, and crop data to improve credi...

The Iran Brief: The Saga of Iranian Nuclear Programme

27 Mar 2026

Contributed by Lukas

For decades, the Iranian nuclear programme has caused consternation in Western capitals. Despite US and Israeli efforts involving negotiations, cyber ...

Technology in Welfare: Ground Realities

26 Mar 2026

Contributed by Lukas

Digital technology is often seen as a fix for inefficiency and corruption in government welfare programmes—but does it actually deliver on that prom...

On Norms, Habits, And Incentives

25 Mar 2026

Contributed by Lukas

Think about the last time you were in a crowded metro station. Did you consciously decide what to do, or did you simply follow what everyone else was ...

The Iran Brief: War and MAGA fissures

24 Mar 2026

Contributed by Lukas

As the projectile war continues to rage on in West Asia, engulfing multiple Gulf states in addition to Israel, the US and Iran, fissures are developin...

The Iran Brief: Theory of Victory and Global Energy Anxieties

23 Mar 2026

Contributed by Lukas

In this episode of The Iran Brief by All Things Policy, we take a closer look at how the West Asian conflict is evolving as it enters its fourth week ...

The Iran Brief: China’s Stakes and Strategies

20 Mar 2026

Contributed by Lukas

In this episode of All Things Policy, Bhumika Sevkani speaks with Anushka Saxena, Staff Research Analyst at the Takshashila Institution, to unpack Chi...

Urban Heat: A Society, Market, and Government Perspective

18 Mar 2026

Contributed by Lukas

In this episode, Sowmya Prabhakar is in conversation with Dr Y Nithiyanandam to vent about the heat. We will examine it through the lens of Society, M...

Invisible Data Workers Powering Machine Learning Models

17 Mar 2026

Contributed by Lukas

AI systems depend on vast amounts of labelled data, produced by “data workers” who tag images, categorise text, and review content so machine-lear...

Behind the Scenes of Conflict Mediation

16 Mar 2026

Contributed by Lukas

In this episode of All Things Policy, Pakistan researcher Aishwaria Sonavane speaks with peace mediation expert Ameya Kilara. Drawing on her experienc...

Can India Solve the LPG Crisis?

14 Mar 2026

Contributed by Lukas

In this episode of All Things Policy, Bhumika Sevkani and Anisree Suresh unpack India’s LPG supply challenges amid the ongoing crisis in West Asia. ...

Financing The Future Of Indian Sport

13 Mar 2026

Contributed by Lukas

In this episode of All Things Policy, Malathi Renati gets an insider view from Anil Kumar, Founder of Great SportsTech, on Financing the Future of Spo...

Unpacking the 16th Finance Commission Recommendations

12 Mar 2026

Contributed by Lukas

Federalism is a defining feature of India’s republic. It shapes the relationship between the Union government and the states. One of the important a...

Anthropic's Pentagon Problem and the Inevitability of AI Diffusion

11 Mar 2026

Contributed by Lukas

Two recent developments have thrust Anthropic into the centre of AI geopolitics. The company has accused three Chinese research labs of running “ind...

Why the Last Internet Shutdown Has Already Happened

10 Mar 2026

Contributed by Lukas

In this episode of All Things Policy, Shobhankita Reddy and Ashwin Prasad on satellite internet, smuggled Starlink terminals in Sudan and Iran, Africa...

The Newer Era of China's Socio-Economic Trajectory

09 Mar 2026

Contributed by Lukas

As China convenes its 'Two Sessions', the draft of Beijing's 15th Five-Year Plan is grabbing global attention. The plan features, among ot...

India’s Trade Strategy for the Emerging World

06 Mar 2026

Contributed by Lukas

In this episode of All Things Policy, Aishwaria Sonavane and Anisree Suresh explore India’s evolving trade strategy in a volatile global environment...

The War That Changed West Asia Overnight

05 Mar 2026

Contributed by Lukas

The US and Israel struck Iran on the morning of February 28.  Israel's Air Force said it flew over 200 fighter jets and fired 1,200+ munitions at...

Congress and the Making of India-U.S. Relations

03 Mar 2026

Contributed by Lukas

In this episode of the All Things Policy podcast, Vanshika Saraf and Abhishek Kadiyala examine the often-overlooked role of the U.S. Congress in shapi...

Technology Denial Regimes and the Limits of Containment

02 Mar 2026

Contributed by Lukas

In this episode of All Things Policy, Arindam Goswami speaks with Shreya Ramakrishnan about the findings and lessons from his discussion document on t...

Analysing India's AI Ecosystem

27 Feb 2026

Contributed by Lukas

In this episode of All Things Policy, Adya Madhavan speaks with Bharat Reddy and Anwesha Sen about the AI Impact Summit and their insights on some of ...

Samaj, Sarkar, Bazaar: Why Domestic Founders Are Winning

26 Feb 2026

Contributed by Lukas

From local market immersion (Samaj), to capital maturity (Bazaar), to digital public goods and regulatory shifts (Sarkar), Sowmya Prabhakar and Shobha...

Takeaways from Munich Security Conference

25 Feb 2026

Contributed by Lukas

Closely following the heels of the World Economic Forum meeting in Davos in January 2026, the conversations in the Munich Security Conference (MSC) ce...

Key Provisions in the India-US Trade Deal

24 Feb 2026

Contributed by Lukas

In this episode of All Things Policy, Bhumika Sevkani speaks with Anisree Suresh, Research Analyst at the Takshashila Institution to break down the In...

The Momentum of Japan’s New Mandate

23 Feb 2026

Contributed by Lukas

Japan is at a political turning point. In this episode, Leah Govias and Vanshika Saraf break down how Japan’s system of government and electoral rul...

Understanding India's Mineral Diplomacy

20 Feb 2026

Contributed by Lukas

Over the past year, India has stepped up its critical mineral diplomacy with a notable urgency. There has been a flurry of activity with several inter...

What Could Model High Court Rules Look Like?

19 Feb 2026

Contributed by Lukas

High Courts across India have evolved their own unique sets of rules and processes for litigation practices and judicial administration in the courts....

India Should Double Down On Rare Earth Recycling

18 Feb 2026

Contributed by Lukas

Critical minerals are materials and, unlike oil, can be recovered and reused from end-of-life products. Importantly, recycling offers a pathway to red...

Limits of China-Pakistan Interoperability

17 Feb 2026

Contributed by Lukas

In this episode of All Things Policy, Vanshika Saraf speaks with Aishwaria Sonavane, Research Analyst for Pakistan Studies, about her paper “Limits ...

VB-GRAM-G And The Future Of Employment Guarantees

16 Feb 2026

Contributed by Lukas

With MNREGA set to be replaced by VB‑GRAM‑G, the implications for rural livelihoods are profound. In this conversation, Ameya Naik and Suman Joshi...

Sectoral Plurilateralism to Overcome Geopolitical Coercion

13 Feb 2026

Contributed by Lukas

India’s current multialignment strategy is buckling under the pressure of a volatile, transactional US and a structurally aggressive China. In this ...

Can Tax Breaks Make India a Cloud Hub?

12 Feb 2026

Contributed by Lukas

The Union Budget 2026-27 makes one of the most far-reaching moves we have seen so far to attract global cloud players to build and run their infrastru...

Universal Patterns in Elections

11 Feb 2026

Contributed by Lukas

Elections often seem messy and chaotic, shaped by multiple interactions among various agents. Different countries vary widely with respect to the rule...

Climate change & Sport

10 Feb 2026

Contributed by Lukas

In this episode of All Things Policy, Malathi Renati chats with veteran sports journalist Sharda Ugra on reshaping the sports landscape through the 3 ...

Rupee Beyond India

09 Feb 2026

Contributed by Lukas

In this episode of All Things Policy, Anisree Suresh and Vanshika Saraf examine the strategic, institutional, and economic rationale for advancing rup...

The China–EU Battle Over Electric Vehicles

06 Feb 2026

Contributed by Lukas

Electric vehicles have become a frontline issue in global trade politics. In this episode of All Things Policy, host Kavya Rai speaks with Bhumika Sev...

Clean Energy, Hard Power: Tibet as Leverage

05 Feb 2026

Contributed by Lukas

Yusuf Unjhawala sits down with Dr. Y. Nithiyanandam to unpack his latest piece in the Takshashila Geospatial Bulletin, a deep dive into the rapid expa...

One License, Many Problems

04 Feb 2026

Contributed by Lukas

Is the proposed copyright framework to protect content creators actually going to stifle the AI revolution? Shobhankita Reddy and Bharath Reddy dive i...

Evaluating India and Japan’s Techno-Economic Cooperation

03 Feb 2026

Contributed by Lukas

In this episode, Professor Eri Ikeda, a leading scholar of Japan’s political economy joins Vanshika Saraf to explore how India-Japan economic and te...

How Satellite Megaconstellations are Entrenching Space

02 Feb 2026

Contributed by Lukas

Companies like SpaceX are launching satellites rapidly to lock up resources in the global commons of outer space. In this episode of All Things Policy...

The Infrastructure of Convenience

30 Jan 2026

Contributed by Lukas

Quick deliveries have become part of urban life in India. Against the backdrop of recent moves to drop the “10-minute delivery” messaging, Sridhar...

Increasing Labour Productivity With Robots

29 Jan 2026

Contributed by Lukas

Despite being the fifth largest country by GDP, India has a very low per capita income and has a long way to go before we can become an affluent natio...

Iran in a Broken Order

28 Jan 2026

Contributed by Lukas

Join Yusuf Unjhawala and Arindam Goswami in this episode of All Things Policy, where we discuss the recent unrest in Iran and its ramifications.Recent...

What Davos Means for India and the World

27 Jan 2026

Contributed by Lukas

Every year, the annual gathering of political and business leaders from across the world makes headlines. But this year's gathering is unusual. Ca...

A Nuclear Reform Long Overdue

26 Jan 2026

Contributed by Lukas

India’s new Shanti Act promises to modernise nuclear power, open the sector, and accelerate decarbonisation. But it also rewrites rules on liability...

America Authorises a New Defence Strategy

22 Jan 2026

Contributed by Lukas

The US National Defence Authorisation Act for FY 2026 aims to create partnerships based on mutual defence investment, a diversified military-industria...

Book Discussion | The Groundbreaker by Kanwal Rekhi

21 Jan 2026

Contributed by Lukas

Shobhankita Reddy sits down with Kanwal Rekhi to discuss key milestones from his autobiographical memoir, The Groundbreaker. Kanwal was part of the fi...

Red Pill or Blue Pill? China's K-Visa Examined

20 Jan 2026

Contributed by Lukas

China’s new K-Visa policy, introduced in October 2025, intends to attract global STEM talent by allowing young graduates and researchers to enter Ch...

Drum-Sticks and Carrots

19 Jan 2026

Contributed by Lukas

In this episode of 'All Things Policy', Anushka Saxena and Vanshika Saraf discuss the nitty-gritty of East Asia's evolving geopolitical an...

ASEAN's navigating the US-China Rivalry

16 Jan 2026

Contributed by Lukas

Have Southeast Asian economies truly gained from the China+1 strategy, or are they merely navigating the spillovers of great-power rivalry? In this ep...

Why India Needs Unified Geospatial Data Portal System

14 Jan 2026

Contributed by Lukas

We generate geospatial data every day, often without noticing it. From navigation apps to environmental monitoring, location data quietly shapes how w...

Why Modern Slavery Persists

13 Jan 2026

Contributed by Lukas

Modern slavery is often thought of as a problem of the past. However, it continues to shape labour migration and conflict today. This episode with Res...

What Works For China

12 Jan 2026

Contributed by Lukas

China’s economic and technological success continues to stoke a sense of awe and envy among observers and watchers. China’s successes so far in th...

Why More Jobs Might Not Mean More Growth

09 Jan 2026

Contributed by Lukas

Arindam Goswami, Sridhar Krishna and Ashwin Prasad discuss why prioritising "job counts" over productivity might be a mistake in an AI-drive...

Parasport: More Than Just Medals

08 Jan 2026

Contributed by Lukas

Manasi Joshi (Para-badminton world champion) & Malathi Renati (Head of Policy School, Takshashila) contemplate what it truly takes to build a stro...

Venezuela Intervention: Causes, Impact and Aftermath

07 Jan 2026

Contributed by Lukas

In this episode of All Things Policy, Abhishek Kadiyala is in conversation with Brig. Anil Raman to explore the causes, impact and the potential conse...

Single Windows, Many Systems

06 Jan 2026

Contributed by Lukas

Single-window clearance systems are everywhere right now, from investment approvals to film permits, promising faster decisions and smoother coordinat...

The MNREGA vs VB- RAM-G Debate

05 Jan 2026

Contributed by Lukas

The VB-RAM-G Bill was passed last week. While it is being positioned as a reform of MNREGA, it alters the very premise of employment guarantees. What ...

Unpacking the New US National Security Strategy

02 Jan 2026

Contributed by Lukas

Even as Trump 2.0's first year in office draws to a close, the ideological contestations unleashed by the MAGA base continue. The latest example i...

India’s Brahmaputra Bet

31 Dec 2025

Contributed by Lukas

In this episode of All Things Policy, host Kavya Rai speaks with Dr Y Nithiyanandam about the growing geopolitical and ecological stakes surrounding t...

Is The World Doing Enough To Govern AI

30 Dec 2025

Contributed by Lukas

 Listen to Ray Eitel Porter, an expert and best-selling author of "Governing the Machine - How to navigate the risks of AI and unlock its pote...

US's Plans To Sell H200 Chips To China

29 Dec 2025

Contributed by Lukas

In this episode, Shobhankita Reddy and Ashwin Prasad try to make sense of the year in Chip Wars that 2025 has been and especially, Trump's recentl...

Adaptive Tech Strategies amidst U.S.–China tech rivalry

26 Dec 2025

Contributed by Lukas

In this episode of the All Things Policy podcast, Abhishek Kadiyala is in conversation with Kashish Parpiani to explore how countries are navigating t...

India's Innovation Paradox

24 Dec 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Join Swati Joshi and Arindam Goswami in this episode of All Things Policy where we discuss some uncomfortable truths about India's innovation ecos...

AI in India’s Defence Strategy

23 Dec 2025

Contributed by Lukas

AI in warfare is not about robots taking over the battlefield. It is about decision advantage, geospatial intelligence, and operational readiness. In ...

When India Ages: The Policies We Need Today

22 Dec 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Leah Govias speaks with Malathi Renati to examine India’s demographic transition and what it means for senior citizens. The discussion explores elde...

Rebuilding the First Responders

19 Dec 2025

Contributed by Lukas

In this episode of All Things Policy, Astha Rastogi talks to forensic science researcher and trainer Devina Sikdar about what really happens at crime ...

Burden of Non-Communicable Diseases (NCDs)

18 Dec 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Non-communicable diseases (or NCDs) account for nearly two-thirds of the world’s total mortality and morbidity, led by ischaemic heart disease, stro...

Clean Tech in China's Decarbonisation Journey

17 Dec 2025

Contributed by Lukas

China recently released its 2035 NDC targets and the Recommendations of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of China for Formulating the 15th...

Balochistan: History, Insurgency, and Politics

16 Dec 2025

Contributed by Lukas

In this episode of All Things Policy, host Aishwaria Sonavane explores Balochistan, Pakistan’s largest province, where history, insurgency, and grea...

The New Labour Codes: What Really Changes Now?

15 Dec 2025

Contributed by Lukas

In this episode of All Things Policy, Sowmya Prabhakar and Anisree Suresh sit down to unpack the new Labour Codes. In this conversation, they explore ...

Pakistan's Crypto Adoption & Implications for India

12 Dec 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Pakistan is making a big bet on Crypto - announcing its plans to hold it as a strategic reserve and potentially make it legal tender. Shobhankita Redd...

Cybersecurity's Surveillance Trap

11 Dec 2025

Contributed by Lukas

India has had a chaotic two-week telecom cybersecurity sprint with DoT's now-retracted Sanchar Saathi app mandate, SIM binding rules forcing platf...