South Asia Chat

Episode 181: Sustainability Issues in the Himalayas

In recent years, the discussion on the political, economic, and environmental crisis in the Himalayan region has gained significant prominence. These crises have implications not only on the ecosystem of the region but also spillover effects on aspects like border and human security, among others. In this episode, Ms Wini Fred Gurung, Research Analyst, ISAS, interviews Professor Mahendra P Lama, Senior Professor in the School of International Studies, Jawaharlal Nehru University, New Delhi and Chief Economic Advisor to the Government of Sikkim. They discuss the challenges and opportunities of sustainability in the Himalayan region.

Episode 180: Green Hydrogen in India

There is optimism around green hydrogen globally given its potential in aiding the drive towards decarbonisation and at the same time helping developing countries like India become energy independent countries. In January 2023, the Indian government launched the National Green Hydrogen Mission, which outlines an action plan to create a green hydrogen ecosystem in the country. In this episode, Mr Saeeduddin Faridi, Research Analyst, ISAS, is in conversation with Mr Hemant Mallya, Fellow, Council on Energy, Environment and Water (CEEW), New Delhi. They discuss the opportunities and challenges green hydrogen presents for India.

Episode 179: The Indian Budget 2023

On 1 February 2023, the Indian Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman presented the Budget for Fiscal Year 2023-24. Presented as the first Amrit Kaal budget, it gains importance as it comes at a time when the world faces a gloomy economic prospect. It is also the last full budget of the current Modi administration before India heads to polls in 2024. To unpack the budget in detail, in this edition of South Asia Chat, Ms Divya Murali, Research Analyst, ISAS, is in conversation with two experts – Mr Vinod Rai, Distinguished Visiting Research Fellow, ISAS and Former Comptroller and Auditor General of India, and Dr Amitendu Palit, Senior Research Fellow and Research Lead (Trade and Economics), ISAS. They discuss announcements pertaining to direct taxes, indirect taxes, growth, and the political implications of the budget. 

Episode 178: South Asia Geopolitical Outlook 2023

The year 2023 presents several geopolitical opportunities and challenges for the South Asian subcontinent. In this episode, Ms Ramita Iyer, Research Analyst, ISAS interviews Professor C Raja Mohan, Visiting Research Professor, ISAS. They cover important foreign policy issues and considerations for South Asia, including the geopolitical impact of the Russia-Ukraine war, India-Pakistan relations, Sino-Indian ties, the role of the smaller South Asian nations, India's G20 presidency, and the growing interest of Western countries in the Indo-Pacific region.

Episode 177: South Asia Economic Outlook 2023

In 2022, South Asia was impacted severely on account of global developments, such as the aftermath of the COVID-19 pandemic, supply chain disruptions due to the Russia-Ukraine war, and an impending global recession. South Asian states also faced issues due to their internal economic and political crises. In this episode, Ms Ramita Iyer, Research Analyst, ISAS, is in conversation with Dr Amitendu Palit, Senior Research Fellow and Research Lead (Trade and Economics). They discuss the economic prospects and challenges for the subcontinent in 2023. 

Episode 176: South Asia Outlook 2023

In this episode, Associate Professor Iqbal Singh Sevea talks to Dr Imran Ahmed on the year that has passed and the enduring sources and causes of political and geopolitical tension and contestation in the region. Professor Sevea touches on the political economy driving social upheaval within South Asian states, major power competition between India and China and its impact on the region, upcoming elections as well as significant turning points and future challenges for the region including inflation and food and energy security. 

Episode 175: An Overview of COP27

Climate change is developing into a terrifying truth that the world needs to address immediately. The COP27, a global summit on the climate change held by the parties to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) is the biggest and most important climate-related conference in the world. Recently held in Egypt, this year’s vision focused on 4 goals: mitigation of climate change, adaptation to face the challenges of a changing climate, financing efforts to address climate change and collaboration between member nations to achieve results in a balanced way. Ms Harpreet Kaur, Editor at ISAS, speaks to Ms Anumita Roychowdhury, Executive Director, Research and Advocacy at the Centre for Science and Environment, (CSE), in New Delhi, on the key outcomes of the summit.

Episode 174: A Tough End to 2022 for Bangladesh

It has been a tough year for South Asia. From changes in governments and terrorist traumas to climatic vicissitudes and pandemic challenges, the region is likely to continue facing several severe challenges, moving forward.  In recent times, Bangladesh has been one of the more positive stories coming out of South Asia, in terms of political stability and economic growth. However, it too seems to have fallen prey to this South Asian ‘curse’. Ms Harpreet Kaur, Editor at ISAS, speaks with Dr Masudur Rahman, Visiting Research Fellow at ISAS, as he assesses the volatile situation in Bangladesh and its repercussions.

Episode 173: State Elections in Gujarat and Himachal Pradesh

In the recently held Indian state elections, the Bharatiya Janata Party returned to power in Gujarat for the seventh consecutive time, seeing a jump in its vote share to 52.5 per cent. On its part, the Aam Aadmi Party’s entry into Gujarat dramatically changed political equations in the state. In Himachal Pradesh, the Congress returned to power, continuing the state's tradition of anti-incumbency. In this episode, Dr Ronojoy Sen, Senior Research Fellow and Research Lead (Politics, Society and Governance), spoke to Professor Sanjay Kumar, Professor and Co-Director of Lokniti, a Research Programme at the Centre for the Study of Developing Societies, India. They discussed the recent election results, the performance of the various parties, and its implications in the coming days.

Episode 172: India-Russia Relations

Russia is one of India's strongest strategic partners and its principal defence supplier. However, Russia's war in Ukraine has catapulted this relationship to public scrutiny like never before. Despite harsh criticism from the Western countries, New Delhi has defended its public position which remains averse to openly criticising Russia. India has also used the current situation to fulfil its national interests, particularly through the import of national resources from a heavily sanctioned Russian economy. In this episode, Dr Yogesh Joshi, Research Fellow, ISAS, discusses the contemporary developments and its implications with Mr Nandan Unnikrishnan, Distinguished Fellow, Observer Research Foundation, New Delhi, India.