The Real Science Behind Interstellar | Rana Adhikari x Mukesh Bansal | SparX

More from SparX by Mukesh Bansal

1. 

   11 Oct 2025 · 1 hr 1 min

   Why Indian CEO’s are not investing in R&D (Concerning) | Manish Gupta | SparX

   In this episode of SparX, Mukesh Bansal speaks with Manish Gupta, Senior Director at Google DeepMind. They discuss how artificial intelligence is evolving, what it means to build truly inclusive AI, and why India must aim higher in research, innovation, and ambition. Manish shares DeepMind’s vision of solving “root node problems,” fundamental scientific challenges that unlock breakthroughs across fields, and how AI is already accelerating discovery in areas like biology, materials, and medicine. They talk about: What AGI really means and how close we are to it. Why India needs to move from…

2. 

   4 Oct 2025 · 1 hr 8 min

   ​​The Harsh Truth About Women in Leadership | Mukesh Bansal | SparX

   In this episode of SparX , Mukesh Bansal sits down with Roopa Kudva , former head of CRISIL and Omidyar Network India, to discuss her new book Leadership Beyond the Playbook and her powerful reflections on leadership. Roopa shares why leadership is not about following fixed frameworks but about writing your own playbook, shaped by values, lived experiences, and conscious choices. They explore: The toughest transition from middle to top management and why so few make it How leaders can build breadth of experience and step out of silos Why authenticity and developing your unique leadership…

3. 

   27 Sep 2025 · 1 hr 3 min

   Why America Is Shutting the Door on Indian Talent | Mukesh Bansal | SparX

   In this episode of SparX, Mukesh Bansal takes a hard look at the state of India’s deep tech ecosystem. While the world races ahead with AI, semiconductors, and frontier science, India is at a crossroads: will we be creators of technology, or just consumers? Mukesh argues that true deep tech is only possible when rooted in deep science, a culture of research, curiosity, and discovery. He unpacks why India risks being left behind if we don’t invest in science the way the US, Europe, and China have, and what it will take for India to build original IP, Nobel-worthy science, and globally…

4. 

   13 Sep 2025 · 1 hr 15 min

   Former RBI Governor Exclusive: US Tariff Shock! Raghuram Rajan Calls It A 'Wake-Up Call' For India

   In this episode of SparX, Mukesh Bansal speaks with Raghuram Rajan (Former RBI Governor) on India’s economic crossroads, tariff wars, shifting geopolitics, AI disruption, and the urgent need for jobs and human capital investment. They discuss: India’s position between the U.S. and China. The real impact of tariffs on trade, GDP, and livelihoods. Why 7.8% GDP growth isn’t the full story. The jobs crisis and AI’s disruption of tech roles. Building human capital: world-class universities, R&D, and upskilling. Strategic autonomy in AI and reducing vulnerabilities. Dr. Rajan’s message to India’s…

5. 

   6 Sep 2025 · 1 hr 24 min

   Tech Expert: India Did What US & China Couldn’t Do it in decades! | Mukesh Bansal | SparX

   In this episode of SparX, Mukesh Bansal speaks with Sharad Sharma, one of the key minds behind Aadhaar and UPI. Sharad shares why he left a successful corporate career to focus on nation building, and how India can avoid becoming a trade colony of China or a tech colony of the US by doubling down on deep tech and research-driven innovation. They discuss: - The origins of India Stack and Digital Public Infrastructure. - How UPI really scaled and the lessons for entrepreneurs. - Why India must build a strong R&D and product innovation ecosystem. - The urgent need for new research institutions,…

6. 

   E139 · 2 Oct 2026 · 48 min

   Nobel Prize Winner: Quantum Is The Next Big Advance After AI

   AI is getting better at answering questions. But what happens when it starts asking and solving the questions scientists haven’t answered yet?In this episode of SparX, Mukesh Bansal sits down with Paras Chopra, founder of Wingify and Lossfunk, to explore AI research, scientific discovery, consciousness, and India’s place in the global AI race.

7. 

   E138 · 2 Oct 2026 · 53 min

   India's Top AI Researcher: Can Indian IT Services Survive AI?

   AI is getting better at answering questions. But what happens when it starts asking and solving the questions scientists haven’t answered yet?In this episode of SparX, Mukesh Bansal sits down with Paras Chopra, founder of Wingify and Lossfunk, to explore AI research, scientific discovery, consciousness, and India’s place in the global AI race.

8. 

   4 Sep 2026 · 56 min

   Can One AI Model Control Every Robot? | Sergey Levine

   What will it take to build robots that can truly operate in the real world? 🤖 In this episode of SparX, Mukesh Bansal is joined by Sergey Levine, computer scientist and co-founder of Physical Intelligence, to explore the future of AI and robotics and why giving machines physical intelligence is one of the hardest problems in AI. From Moravec’s Paradox and imitation learning to general-purpose robots and robot learning, we explore why AI that can write, reason and talk still struggles with the physical world, and what it will take to build robots that can learn, adapt, and perform a wide…

9. 

   E136 · 24 Aug 2026 · 1 hr 3 min

   India’s ₹1 Lakh Crore Deep Tech Innovation Mission: A Game Changer

   What does the roadmap to a "Viksit Bharat 2047" look like from the very top? 🇮🇳In this special episode of SparX, Mukesh Bansal is joined by Professor Ajay Sood, the Principal Scientific Adviser to the Prime Minister of India. As a key architect of India’s scientific policy and a Padmashri awardee, Professor Sood offers an exclusive look into the government’s strategic vision for technology as the ultimate pillar of national sovereignty and economic growth.From the explosion of space-tech startups like Skyroot to the revolutionary ₹1 Lakh Crore R\&D fund, we dive deep into the missions that…

10. 

    E134 · 8 Aug 2026 · 42 min

    Nick Bostrom on Sycophantic AI and Who It Really Serves | Sparx

    Description- Is superintelligence a few years away, and would we even notice if the systems we built started to matter morally?- Nick Bostrom is the philosopher who put superintelligence on the map. His 2014 book defined the field, and his recent Deep Utopia asks the harder question: what is life for once machines can do everything better than us?- In this episode of Sparks, he tells [Host] that we don't have superintelligence yet but are seeing limited forms of AGI, that frontier labs using AI to accelerate their own research could trigger recursive self-improvement, and that he can no…

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