Securing Space: Opportunities for U.S.-India Cooperation in a New Strategic Frontier

More from Interpreting India All episodes →

1. 

   S4 · E28 · 10 Jul 2025 · 39 min

   Beyond Superintelligence: A Realist's Guide to AI

   In this episode of Interpreting India, host Nidhi Singh is joined by Sayash Kapoor, co-author of AI Snake Oil, to unpack the myths, misconceptions, and exaggerated expectations around artificial intelligence. Kapoor challenges the dominant narratives of both utopian and dystopian AI futures and advocates instead for a more grounded perspective, viewing AI as a “normal technology,” akin to electricity or the internet, whose impact will unfold gradually over decades. Through a wide-ranging conversation, the episode examines the limitations of benchmark-based evaluation, the dangers of…

2. 

   S4 · E27 · 26 Jun 2025 · 56 min

   Navigating the Open v. Closed Source AI Debate with Kailash Nadh

   In this episode of Interpreting India, host Shruti Mittal is joined by Kailash Nadh, chief technology officer of Zerodha and co-founder of FOSS United, to provide a technologist’s perspective on one of the most consequential debates shaping the future of artificial intelligence: the open versus closed source AI debate. Against the backdrop of a rapidly evolving AI landscape, this conversation examines risks, rewards, and the strategic implications of open-source AI for India.

3. 

   S4 · E26 · 12 Jun 2025 · 38 min

   Interpreting China: From the LAC to Taiwan – Mapping China’s Assertiveness

   In this episode of Interpreting India, host Saheb Singh Chadha is joined by Aadil Brar, reporter at TaiwanPlus News and contributor to "Views from Taipei", to examine China’s evolving strategy across its contested borders. What connects China’s actions across these frontiers? How is it creating a new military normal around Taiwan? And has its assertiveness resulted in negative consequences for itself? This is the third and final episode in our special Interpreting China series, based on Views from Taipei, a collection of essays by young Indian scholars on China. Aadil’s essay, "From Land…

4. 

   S4 · E25 · 29 May 2025 · 41 min

   Interpreting China: The People’s Liberation Army—Reforms and Challenges

   In this episode of Interpreting India, host Saheb Singh Chadha is joined by Suyash Desai, nonresident fellow at the Foreign Policy Research Institute, to explore the transformation and challenges facing China’s military, the People’s Liberation Army (PLA). Over the past decade, the PLA has seen rapid changes under Xi Jinping, from sweeping structural reforms to new mobilization and training strategies. But how ready is it really for a conflict over Taiwan? And what do these changes mean for India? This is the second episode in our special three-part Interpreting China series, based on Views…

5. 

   S4 · E24 · 15 May 2025 · 45 min

   Interpreting China: The Economy and its Impact on Foreign Policy

   In this episode of Interpreting India, host Saheb Singh Chadha is joined by Amit Kumar, staff research analyst at the Takshashila Institution, to explore the structural imbalances in China’s economy and what they mean for the world. The conversation delves into three major dilemmas facing the Chinese economy—fiscal stimulus, property sector instability, and domestic consumption rebalancing. Together, they examine how these economic dynamics impact China’s foreign policy, foreign economic relations and China’s outreach to countries like India. India–China economic relations are also…

6. 

   S4 · E22 · 27 Mar 2025 · 45 min

   India's Defence Industry: The State of Play

   In this episode of Interpreting India, Lt Gen P. R. Shankar (Retd.) joins host Saheb Singh Chadha to unpack the state of India’s defense industry. While India has made gains in modernizing its military and expanding domestic defense production, challenges persist, for example, in research and development, and procurement. Gen. Shankar also provided recommendations that would allow India to reduce its imports, diversify dependence, and export indigenous systems.

7. 

   S4 · E21 · 13 Mar 2025 · 49 min

   The Missing Pieces in India’s AI Puzzle: Talent, Data, and R&D

   In this episode of Interpreting India, Shatakratu Sahu engages with Anirudh Suri, a non-resident scholar at Carnegie India, to discuss the gaps in India’s AI ecosystem. They explore India’s National AI Mission, which prioritizes compute infrastructure and can build focus on talent, data, and research and development (R&D). The conversation highlights why these three elements are crucial to India's AI ambitions and how the country can build a globally competitive AI ecosystem.

8. 

   S4 · E20 · 14 Feb 2025 · 33 min

   Trade, Tariffs, and Technology: U.S.-India Relations in Trump’s Second Term

   In this episode of Interpreting India, Konark Bhandari engages with Peter Harrell, non-resident fellow at the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace, to discuss the implications of U.S. trade policy under President Trump’s second term. They examine potential universal and reciprocal tariffs, the U.S.-India trade dynamic, and India's role in addressing Chinese overcapacity. The conversation explores how India's recent tariff reforms and EV policy efforts may factor into negotiations with the Trump White House.

9. 

   S4 · E19 · 23 Jan 2025 · 39 min

   Trump 2.0: Navigating the India-U.S. Relationship in a New Era

   In this episode of Interpreting India, host Vrinda Sahai engages in a comprehensive discussion with Arun K. Singh on the evolving India-U.S. relationship under Donald Trump's second term as president. The conversation delves into key developments during Trump's first term, including challenges like trade disputes and immigration issues, and successes such as the revival of the Quad, defense partnerships, and technology cooperation. As Trump 2.0 begins, how can India navigate a complex geopolitical landscape shaped by U.S.-China competition, the Quad framework, and India's own strategic…

10. 

    S4 · E18 · 26 Dec 2024 · 49 min

    Syria in Transition: Regional Dynamics and India's Interests

    In this episode of Interpreting India, host Saheb Singh Chadha engages in an in-depth conversation with Gaddam Dharmendra, a nonresident senior fellow at Carnegie India, on the evolving dynamics in Syria following the fall of the Bashar al-Assad regime. They explore the implications of this political transition on Syria's domestic politics, regional players like Iran, Turkey, and Israel, and global powers including Russia, China, and the United States. The discussion also touches upon India’s strategic interests in Syria and the broader region as it navigates a rapidly changing West Asian…