All Things Policy
by Takshashila Institution
Ever wondered how automation will change the world? Maybe you puzzle over what India could do to ease traffic congestion, or how China's aircraft carriers will transform Indian Ocean geopolitics? All Things Policy, a daily podcast brought to you by the Takshashila Institution, brings you all the answers. Every weekday, our researchers break down complex economic and geopolitical ideas through the lens of current events. For everyone from the busy executive to the curious student, All Things Policy is all you'll need to understand the world (and appreciate your breakfast) better.
Episodes
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Tracking Maritime Disruption in Hormuz
The Strait of Hormuz has remained physically open through the West Asia crisis, but commercial shipping traffic has collapsed. In this episode of All Things Policy, Nithiyanandam Y and Shreya Ramakrishnan examine why vessels remain reluctant to use the waterway despite the absence of a physical...
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Training AI Without Giving Up Privacy
India wants to train AI on its own data: medical records, bank files, government databases. But that data belongs to real people. Can a locked digital room let the model learn without anyone’s secrets leaving? Anwesha Sen, in conversation with Kavya Rai, discusses the government’s new plan to…
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Energy Politics of the Blue Wave
With a 'blue wave' washing over republican states, energy was a key concern in flipping swing states. How did energy prices shape the outcome of the 2026 US Midterm Elections? In this episode of All Things Policy, Bhumika Sevkani, Research Analyst at the Takshashila Institution, speaks with...
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Asia is Rising, But Is The West Eclipsing?
The question of the decline of the West, and the rise of "superstates" like India and China, has no easy answers. In this episode of 'All Things Policy', however, former UK Cabinet Minister Sir Vincent Cable discusses his perceptions of the West's relative decline and argues that the 30-year...
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America Votes: Reading the Verdict
Democrats have taken the House, the Senate and a majority of governorships, and the wave reached as far as Texas, Kansas and Ohio. But what were Americans really saying? Was it a verdict on Trump himself, on prices, or on the Iran war? And why does a president who has lost Congress still stay in...
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Dissecting the US Immigration Debate
Nearly two years into the second Trump administration, immigration of both legal and illegal kind continues to be a contested issue. One latest development surrounding labour mobility was on 8 October, when the US government announced suspending large firms like Infosys, Tata and Wipro from the...
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Unlocking India’s Blue Bioeconomy
In this episode of All Things Policy, Aditi Palo and Shambhavi Naik explore the untapped potential of seaweed cultivation in India’s Blue Bioeconomy. While recent enabling statutory reforms and marine biotechnology policies in Karnataka and Gujarat mark a significant shift toward high-value...
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Smart Proteins and India's Food Future
Can the future of protein look different from what’s on our plates today? From plant-based alternatives to fermentation-derived proteins to cultivated proteins, smart proteins promise to change how we produce and consume food. What do they mean for India? In this episode of All Things Policy…
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India's Biosecurity Challenges
Recently, a researcher at a Siberian anti-plague institute died of severe pneumonia of unknown cause. Two weeks later, the US Army announced a shift to AI-driven predictive biosurveillance. Both raise a question for India, a densely populated country with a growing biotech sector: how prepared…
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Israel’s Election System Explained
In this episode of All Things Policy, Adya Madhavan and Aishwaria Sonavane break down how the Knesset election works, why winning the most votes does not necessarily mean forming the government, and how coalitions, the Haredi parties, Arab voters, security concerns and the Palestinian question…
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America Votes: What Will Decide the American Vote?
In the fourth episode of America Votes, Professor Jared McDonald of the University of Mary Washington explains how partisan identity, economic concerns and political emotions shape the American vote. We discuss the possibility of a Democratic blue wave, the voters and key contests that could...
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From PAT to Carbon Credit Trading
As the EU’s CBAM reshapes global trade, India is preparing to launch its Carbon Credit Trading Scheme (CCTS). In this episode of All Things Policy, Bhumika Sevkani and Lasya Nadimpally explore lessons from the Perform, Achieve, and Trade (PAT) scheme, implementation challenges, and how carbon...
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Green Cards, Leverage, Alliances
On 8th October, the US Labour Secretary, with Vice President JD Vance beside him, suspended eight companies from PERM. This is the first step towards an employer-sponsored green card. Four of the eight are India's largest IT firms. Microsoft and Adobe are on the list too. The same day, a US…
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Can the UN Still Deliver for All?
The United Nations was created to make the behaviour of states more predictable through dialogue, law, and multilateral cooperation. Yet, the UN today faces a trust deficit of its own. In this episode, Vanshika Saraf joins Raja Karthikeya, who has worked within the UN in various capacities over…
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Trump 2.0’s Indian Subcontinent Strategy
Tariffs of nearly 50%, Washington warming up to Pakistan after Pahalgam, and a sanctions bill aimed at India’s Russian oil purchases. Is the US still betting on India in our neighbourhood? Astha Rastogi speaks with Abhishek Kadiyala about his new Takshashila discussion document, Trump 2.0’s…
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America Votes: The Final Two Weeks
Are the 2026 US midterm elections a referendum on Donald Trump, or will local candidates and electoral dynamics shape the outcome? In this episode of America Votes, Takshashila speaks to Professor Jim King about presidential popularity and its influence on congressional elections. We examine how...
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Senior Care: Where Do The Markets Stand?
Malathi Renati is in conversation with Asheesh Gupta, co-founder of Samarth, one of India’s leading eldercare organisations, about how India is building, staffing and paying for care for its senior citizens. Fact: India has close to 16 crore people aged 60 and above, and that number is expected…
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The Road to 100 GW Nuclear Energy
India has an ambitious target of 100 GW of nuclear energy by 2047. The historic SHANTI Act of December 2025 and the second-stage PFBR reaching criticality in April 2026 have added the necessary momentum. But recent parliamentary committee reports reveal the troubles facing the nuclear...
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Starlink and the Price of Dependence
In this episode, Aditya Ramanathan and Ashwin Prasad Rao discuss the ongoing debate over Starlink’s entry into India and the national security questions it raises. Beyond market competition and internet access, they examine the risks of relying on a foreign-controlled satellite network, the…
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America Votes | What Are We Watching?
In this second episode of America Votes, the All Things Policy series on the 2026 US midterm elections, Brig. Raman speaks with Professor Ryan Williamson of the University of Wyoming about what the 3 November vote may reveal. The conversation focuses on President Trump's push to nationalise his...
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AI and India’s Electricity Market
India’s power system is becoming more complex as renewable energy grows and electricity demand becomes harder to predict. In this episode of All Things Policy, Gopal Tomar speaks to Dinker George Mattam about how AI and machine learning could make India’s electricity markets smarter. They explore...
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The Inverse Law of Innovation
How does a young officer’s “Why not?” become a senior officer’s “Better not”? In this episode of All Things Policy, Dr Y. Nithiyanandam, Professor at the Takshashila Institution, speaks with Cmde (Dr) Arun Pratap Golaya (Retd) about The Inverse Law of Innovation: the idea that openness to new…
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How China Makes Policy
China is often seen as a highly centralised system where policy is decided at the top and simply implemented by the bureaucracy. But is Chinese policymaking really that straightforward? In this episode, Shreya Ramakrishnan speaks with Shobhankita Reddy about how policymaking actually works in...
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A New Congress, A New Challenge for India-US Ties?
In this episode of All Things Policy, Aditi Palo speaks with Abhishek Kadiyala about the impacts of an altered US Congress composition on India-US ties. In the past, the US Congress has proven to be a relatively consistent element in India-US ties and a reliable institution in times of political...
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America Votes | Why should India care?
In this inaugural episode of 'America Votes', All Things Policy's series covering the US mid-terms, Brigadier Anil Raman and Abhishek Kadiyala cover the early trends in November elections. They discuss the process, the politics and its relevance for India. It frames the midterms as a contest for...
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The Limits of US-China Cooperation on AI Safety
Can the US and China cooperate on AI safety while competing to lead the technology’s development? Bharath Reddy and Shobhankita Reddy examine what the Trump–Xi summit revealed, why calls to slow the AI race face resistance and what areas they might possibly cooperate on going forward. All Things...
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The Medical Wild East
A Chinese company engaged in semi-invasive brain-computer interface became the first firm globally to get regulatory approval for commercial use. Within 12 days, different arms of the Chinese government - both at the national and local level - worked together to assign the product a medical...
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Should Governments Read Science Fiction?
Science fiction has a habit of describing inventions decades before they're built: the submarine, the mobile phone, even the phrase "atomic bomb." Astha Rastogi and Ashwin Prasad Rao ask whether that same imaginative power can help governments make sense of technologies that don't yet exist. All...
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Civic Innovation: What Works, What Doesn’t
In this episode, Sowmya Prabhakar is in conversation with Kuldeep Dantewadia about Civic Innovation: What Works, What Doesn't. The framework and tools that Kuldeep shares give enough pointers to convene people to bring about change. We also discuss how this works at the intersection of society,...
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Cross-Border Strikes and Pakistan-Afghanistan Relations
In this episode of All Things Policy, Aishwaria Sonavane joins Adya Madhavan to unpack Pakistan’s escalating military strikes in Afghanistan. They discuss the deep-rooted ideological and tribal ties binding the Afghan Taliban to the TTP, the limits of regional mediation by actors like China and...
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Saudi Arabia’s Houthi Problem
In this episode of All Things Policy, Aishwaria Sonavane speaks to Raja Karthikeya about the origins of the Saudi-Houthi conflict, the evolution of the Houthis' military capabilities, and why Saudi Arabia’s considerable military and financial resources have not translated into an easy victory.…
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Mining, Money and the States
Mining in India is subject to a remarkably high number of levies, from royalty and auction premiums to DMF, NMET, cess and state-level charges. A new amendment has raised even more questions. In this episode, Suman Joshi, along with Sarthak Pradhan and Shobhankita Reddy, unpacks the recent legal...
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Who Owns the View from Above?
Satellite imagery is no longer just about having better satellites or sharper images. In this episode of All Things Policy, Gopal Tomar speaks to Dr Y. Nithiyanandam about how commercial satellite access, AI, and private companies are changing who can see and interpret the Earth. They look at…
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Senior Citizen Policies: The Kerala Model
Kerala's 60-plus population has grown from 12.6% in 2011 to 18.7% today. The state's own projections put it near 30% by 2051. India as a whole won't reach that share for decades. In the first episode of a series on active ageing, Malathi Renati speaks with Dr Praveen Pai, gerontologist and the…
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India's Electricity Woes & Solutions
Over the last decade, India's power sector has done few things correctly. Almost every household is connected, and we're adding solar and wind faster than most countries. But if you talk to someone who runs a distribution company, a solar park or a factory, you hear a different story. DISCOMs...
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The Real Economics of Innovation Hubs
State governments love lobbying for premier institutes, hoping they'll magically turn into the next Silicon Valley. But without the right ecosystem, top talent just takes the first flight out. In this episode of All Things Policy, host Kavya and guest Arindam unpack the real blueprint for…
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What If Your Biggest Launch Customer Is Yourself? | Space Launch 4
Rockets need things to launch. Increasingly, that demand comes from large satellite constellations whose spectrum and orbital filings are mediated by states. Lokendra Sharma and Ashwin Prasad Rao discuss how Starlink and China’s megaconstellations are reshaping launch demand, why orbital rights...
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Brahmaputra: The Risk of a River Changing Slowly
China’s mega-dam on the Yarlung Tsangpo has raised concerns about downstream risks for India. Beyond the prospect of sudden floods, how could gradual changes in river flows and sediment reshape the Brahmaputra and the lives that depend on it? In this episode of All Things Policy, Kavya Rai speaks...
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What Happens After a Rocket Fails? | Space Launch 3
Failure is an unavoidable part of developing launch vehicles, but not every launch company survives it. Lokendra Sharma and Ashwin Prasad Rao discuss why states sometimes continue supporting launch firms after expensive failures and sometimes allow them to disappear. Drawing on cases from the...
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Laughs and SCO-ffs At Bishkek
In this episode of All Things Policy, Anisree Suresh sits with Manoj Kewalramani and Anushka Saxena to unpack the 26th SCO Summit. They analyse the key takeaways from the Summit and its Bishkek Declaration, the utility of the Organisation itself from an Indian perspective, and its wider impact on...
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What India Gains from BRICS and the SCO
India’s participation in BRICS and the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation often appears contradictory. New Delhi shares the table with China, Russia, Iran and Pakistan even as it deepens ties with the United States, Europe and other Indo-Pacific partners. In this episode, Vanshika Saraf and…
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NPC Watch: China's Defence in Jeopardy?
In this episode of 'All Things Policy', Aditi Palo quizzes Anushka Saxena on her takeaways from the recently concluded session of the 14th Standing Committee of the Chinese National People's Congress. They discuss the revisions to China's National Defence Mobilisation Law, removals of key members...
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Reading the Himalayan Warning Signs
The devastating floods in Nepal are a reminder of how hazards in one part of the Himalayas can cascade into disasters hundreds of kilometres downstream. In this episode, Nithiyanandam Y, Head of Takshashila’s Geospatial Programme, speaks with Shreya Ramakrishnan about what triggered the recent...
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Navigating the Ice Silk Road
A Chinese shipping company – Sea Legend- announced that it will be starting container shipping services between China’s east coast and the UK through the 'Ice Silk Road'. In this episode, Bhumika Sevkani and Anushka Saxena talk about the potential of the alternative route, the China-Russia...
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What Does The Mecca Pact Actually Change?
What does the emerging Mecca Pact mean for regional security and, more crucially, for India? In this episode of All Things Policy, Research Analysts Aishwaria Sonavane and Adya Madhavan deliberate on the trilateral defence arrangement between Saudi Arabia, Turkiye and Pakistan, analysing its...
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Semicon 2.0 Focuses on Getting India's Chip Design Game Right
On 31 August 2026, the Ministry of Electronics & Information Technology (MeitY) notified Semicon 2.0 – Scheme for the development of Semiconductor Design and Manufacturing Ecosystem in India. To discuss the hits and misses of this new architecture, Pranay Kotasthane speaks to Sunil Acharya,...
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You Can Have a Rocket and Still Lose Access to Space | Space Launch 2
A rocket is only useful if it has somewhere reliable to launch from. Lokendra Sharma and Ashwin Prasad Rao discuss how geography, launch ranges, sea launch and access to foreign spaceports shape national launch capacity. They also examine India’s dependence on Sriharikota, the role of...
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Who Pays for Private Rockets? | Space Launch 1
Private rockets may be built by companies, but who gives them enough demand to survive and scale? Lokendra Sharma and Ashwin Prasad Rao discuss how government procurement has shaped launch capacity in the United States and China, why India has largely supported the supply of rockets rather than...
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Should India Aspire to Have 15-Minute Cities?
A 15-minute city is an urban planning concept where all daily essential services are accessible within a 15-minute walk or bike ride from any resident's front door. Developed by Franco-Colombian scholar Carlos Moreno and popularised in Paris, the model aims to reduce car dependency, lower carbon...
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How Is The Iran War Impacting US Midterms?
In this episode of All Things Policy, Vanshika Saraf and Abhishek Kadiyala examine what the war on Iran means for the November 2026 midterm elections in the U.S. The joint U.S. and Israeli strikes that began on 28 February 2026 have not become a campaign issue in their own right, with only 4 per...
About this show
Ever wondered how automation will change the world? Maybe you puzzle over what India could do to ease traffic congestion, or how China's aircraft carriers will transform Indian Ocean geopolitics? All Things Policy, a daily podcast brought to you by the Takshashila Institution, brings you all the answers. Every weekday, our researchers break down complex economic and geopolitical ideas through the lens of current events. For everyone from the busy executive to the curious student, All Things Policy is all you'll need to understand the world (and appreciate your breakfast) better.
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