imperial bank bldg Courtesy: Bombay 100 Years Ago
13 January 2022

The Imperial Bank of India

The Imperial Bank of India completed a hundred years in 2021. This Bombay Presidency institution is the precursor of the State Bank of India, which was a retail bank but also performed central bank duties. In this podcast, Sifra Lentin discusses the legacy of what was once the Indian subcontinent's oldest, largest bank.

Countering China's grand tech strategy Courtesy: Shutterstock
21 October 2021

Countering China’s grand tech strategy

In 'A Grand Strategy: Countering China, Taming Technology, and Restoring the Media', a new book on China's technological ambitions, author William J. Holstein explains China's push to advance its technological prowess, exploring ​the link between technology, politics and economics in today's world. In this podcast, he tells us more about this connection, which has often been overlooked by the American media.

Countering unmanned systems Courtesy: Presidency of Defence Industries, Turkey
30 September 2021

Countering unmanned systems

The use of unmanned systems has increased in the 21st century, employed by great powers, medium powers and non-state actors alike. Zachary Kallenborn, Research Affiliate, Unconventional Weapons and Technology Division of the National Consortium for the Study of Terrorism and Responses to Terrorism (START) explains the growing proliferation of unmanned systems and ensuing threats on a state and global level.

Imperial powers: Leaving chaos behind Courtesy: U.S. Air Force
9 September 2021

Imperial powers: Leaving chaos behind

The withdrawal of U.S. and NATO troops from Afghanistan is not the first time that a hasty and messy departure of foreign forced has taken place. History is replete with examples of imperial powers suddenly leaving countries that they secured for years, without ensuring a peaceful transition of power. The sub-continent has now seen it twice, the last time was in 1947, when the British preponed their withdrawal from India, hastily partitioning the country and leaving a region at war with itself. Ambassador Neelam Deo, co-founder, Gateway House, explains why and how this happens.

Demystifying Maritime Lawfare Courtesy: Shutterstock
2 September 2021

Demystifying Maritime Lawfare

A new maritime law in China allows it to supervise all foreign vessels which appear in the country's "territorial waters" - many parts of which are internationally disputed. Nationalistic maritime actions such as China’s aggression in the South China Sea and Russia’s actions in the Black Sea, has revived international focus on maritime law. In this podcast, Dr Stefan Talmon, professor and co-director at the Institute of International Law, University of Bonn, interprets maritime law in the two hotly contested seas.

jpg Courtesy: The Times of India
12 August 2021

Deep dive: The Quad

In an interview with Garrison Moratto of The New Diplomatist, Amb. Rajiv Bhatia, Distinguished Fellow, Foreign Policy Studies, counters China's claims that the Quad is an "Asian NATO." He highlights how the India-U.S.-Japan-Australia Quadrilateral initiative aims to increase cooperation in the Indo-Pacific on international law and security. This podcast delves into the history of the Quad's formation, current strategic characteristics, and future geopolitics, ahead of the fall in-person Leaders' Summit in the U.S.

Zomato IPO Courtesy: Shutterstock
22 July 2021

India invests in Indian start-ups

Last week, Indian tech start-up Zomato's Initial Public Offering raised over a billion dollars. This is a welcome new trend in domestic financing for start-ups in India, with more gaining unicorn status in the past year. It is also indicates a sector independent of Chinese backing. In this podcast, Amit Bhandari, Fellow, Energy and Environment Studies Programme, discusses the positive outcome of Press Note. 3 on the sector.

attributing cyber-attacks Courtesy: Shutterstock
15 July 2021

Attributing cyber-attacks

A ransomware attack recently targeted Kaseya, a software services company in the U.S., for $70 million, incapacitating hundreds of its clients globally. There is an increasing incidence of such attacks, with perpetrators targeting government agencies and high-tech companies, leading to considerable economic losses. How can governments mitigate these threats and attribute responsibility to those accountable?

First,Space,Shuttle,Launch,On,April,12,,1981.,Astronauts,John Courtesy: Shutterstock
8 July 2021

Economic goals will drive space exploration

With the U.S.-led Artemis Accords gathering momentum, and China and Russia joining hands, space exploration is becoming economically important. Countries increasingly want to participate in the space exploration economy and are partnering with space superpowers that have aligned geopolitical and geoeconomic interests. India, too, must do the same, says Dr. Chaitanya Giri, Fellow, Space and Ocean Studies Programme.