Episode 52: The Big Tech Affair in India

India has witnessed huge developments in the technology space in the recent past. First, it welcomed investments from American tech companies and now is witnessing collaborations between US and Indian firms such as Facebook and Reliance Jio. However, there are challenges that come with these. Recently, Facebook has come under heavy scrutiny in India for not acting against hate-posts targeting one of the minority groups in India. This has opened debates about the intervening role of big tech companies in democracy. Besides, with the investments, come other concerns regarding data privacy and market monopolisation. To understand the role of big tech companies, Karthik Nachiappan, a Research Fellow at ISAS, spoke to Urvashi Aneja, the founder of Tandem Research. Aneja’s recent report studies the influence these big tech companies wield on the Indian markets, civil society, and the policy pathways.