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The India Briefing

The India Briefing

Written by: Radio O
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 The India Briefing for the India Curious. TIB offers a deep dive into India’s dynamic landscape. Hosted by academic Mukulika Banerjee and journalist Pragya Tiwari, this podcast delivers insightful updates on India’s politics, economy, and culture. Whether you’re studying, investing, or simply curious about the country, join us for crisp conversations and debates that decode India’s role in global affairs.Radio O Politics & Government
Episodes
  • The State of the Indian Economy with Arvind Subramanian

    The State of the Indian Economy with Arvind Subramanian
    May 8 2025

    In this episode of The India Briefing, former Chief Economic Advisor Arvind Subramanian joins hosts Mukulika Banerjee and Pragya Tiwari for a wide-ranging and incisive conversation on the state of the Indian economy. Drawing on decades of experience as a policy insider and analyst, Subramanian offers a candid assessment of India’s growth narrative, the reliability of GDP data, and the deeper structural challenges facing the economy today.


    From the persistent divide between richer southern and western states and the poorer Hindi heartland, to the ongoing struggles with informality, underemployment, and regional inequality, the discussion delves into the complexities that headline numbers often obscure. Subramanian also reflects on India’s missed opportunities in manufacturing, the risks posed by regulatory overreach, and the challenges of attracting private and foreign investment amidst political and economic uncertainty.

    With insights on India’s welfare state, fiscal policy, the future of agriculture, and the geopolitical forces shaping India’s economic options, this episode is essential listening for anyone seeking to understand where the Indian economy is headed—and what needs to change to make growth more inclusive and sustainable.


    Produced by Oijo Media Pvt Ltd | www.oijo.in


    Further Links –

    • https://www.business-standard.com/opinion/columns/reducing-gdp-discrepancies-india-needs-radical-improvements-in-estimation-125040701339_1.html - Reducing GDP Discrepancies by Arvind Subramanian

    • https://www.indiabudget.gov.in/economicsurvey/ - Economic Survey (2024-25)

    • https://asercentre.org/aser-2024/ - ASER Reports on Education in India

    • https://www.hks.harvard.edu/centers/cid/publications/faculty-working-papers/india-gdp-overestimate - India's GDP Mis-estimation: Likelihood, Magnitudes, Mechanisms, and Implications by Arvind Subramanian

    • https://ashoka.edu.in/static/doc_uploads/file_1602585593.pdf - India’s Inward (Re)Turn by Arvind Subramanian & Shoumitro Chatterjee

    • https://www.mercatus.org/ideasofindia/rohit-lamba-reimagines-indias-economic-policy-emphasis - Rohit Lamba Reimagines India’s Economic Policy Emphasis

    • https://indianexpress.com/article/opinion/columns/narendra-modi-modinomics-foreign-investment-make-in-india-foreign-direct-investment-9429419/ - Why Modinomics has failed to attract foreign investment by Arvind Subramanian & Josh Felman

    • https://casi.sas.upenn.edu/sites/default/files/iit/Growth%20in%20India%27s%20States%20-%20UK%2C%20AS.pdf - Growth in India's States in the First Decade of the 21st Century: Four Facts by Arvind Subramanian & Utsav Kumar
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    56 mins
  • Nobel Laureate Esther Duflo on Poverty, Inequality, and Policy

    Nobel Laureate Esther Duflo on Poverty, Inequality, and Policy
    Apr 16 2025
    In this special episode of The India Briefing, Nobel Laureate and development economist Esther Duflo joins hosts Mukulika Banerjee and Pragya Tiwari for a wide-ranging conversation on poverty, inequality, and evidence-based policymaking in India. Duflo, whose path breaking work on Randomised Controlled Trials (RCTs) has transformed development economics, reflects on two decades of field research across India through the lens of J-PAL—the global research centre she co-founded to reduce poverty by ensuring policy is informed by scientific evidence.From Tamil Nadu’s welfare innovations to the promise and pitfalls of cash transfers, the episode unpacks the structural realities of India’s poverty alleviation strategies, and the urgent need for better data. Duflo also speaks candidly about common misconceptions about the poor, why children from low-income households struggle in school, and how the role of economists has shifted—from prescribing grand theories to fixing the plumbing of policy.With insights into the gender gap in labour force participation, the unequal impact of climate change, and the evolving welfare state, this episode is essential listening for anyone seeking to understand how India can shape a more equitable future.Produced by Oijo Media Pvt Ltd | www.oijo.inFurther Links - Good Economics for Hard Times: Better Answers to Our Biggest Problems byEsther Duflo & Abhijit V. Banerjeehttps://open.spotify.com/episode/2avs2N1iDzeE5rbGgWj7Jw - Podcast EP: Cash Transfer for Women: The New Trend Shaping Indian Electoral Politicshttps://www.povertyactionlab.org/ - J-PAL: Abdul Latif Jameel Poverty Action Labhttps://poverty-action.org/study/graduating-ultra-poor-india - Graduating the Ultra Poor in Indiahttps://pubdocs.worldbank.org/en/394531465569503682/Esther-Duflo-PRESENTATION.pdf - Randomized Controlled Trials, Development Economics and Policy Making in Developing Countries by Esther Duflohttps://wid.world/www-site/uploads/2024/03/WorldInequalityLab_WP2024_09_Income-and-Wealth-Inequality-in-India-1922-2023_Final.pdf - Income And Wealth Inequality In India, 1922-2023: The Rise Of The Billionaire Rajhttps://www.aeaweb.org/articles?id=10.1257/pandp.20181073#:~:text=We%20plot%20the%20curve%20of,growth%20rates%20at%20the%20top. - The Elephant Curve of Global Inequality and Growthhttps://www.ideasforindia.in/topics/poverty-inequality/weighty-evidence-poverty-estimation-with-missing-data.html - Weighty evidence? Poverty estimation with missing data by Jean Drèze & Anmol Somanchihttps://www.povertyactionlab.org/case-study/teaching-right-level-improve-learning - Teaching at the Right Level to improve learninghttps://news.mit.edu/2025/study-shows-kids-use-different-math-skills-work-vs-school-0205 - Study in India shows kids use different math skills at work vs. schoolhttps://www.ft.com/content/2fa5787c-7139-405d-aecc-b07a493cb304 - Esther Duflo: Rich world owes $500bn in ‘moral debt’ to poor countrieshttps://www.weforum.org/stories/2024/08/india-economy-natural-climate-solutions/#:~:text=India's%20economy%20will%20be%20severely%20affected%20by%20climate%20change&text=Some%2033%25%20of%20its%20GDP,and%20water%20utilities%20and%20construction. - Climate Action; World Economic Forumhttps://www.preventionweb.net/news/women-frontlines-heat-surveys-informing-climate-resilience#:~:text=In%20informal%20settlements%2C%20women%20are,their%20days%20on%20household%20chores. - Women on the frontlines of heat: the surveys informing climate resiliencehttps://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0305750X17301663#:~:text=Female%20LFPR%20has%20been%20declining,for%20skilled%20female%20job%20seekers - Why is the Labour Force Participation of Women Declining in India?https://idronline.org/article/gender/whats-going-on-with-indias-female-labour-force-participation/?gad_source=1&gclid=CjwKCAjw5PK_BhBBEiwAL7GTPRT1BYa4BJs3Rs25kySfpFmdw-ZRfk5URqf4jIIN05Po0tMzup4xpBoCvX4QAvD_BwE - India’s female labour force participation..
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    1 hr
  • Mughal History as a window to Modern India

    Mughal History as a window to Modern India
    Mar 22 2025

    This episode of The India Briefing delves into The Great Mughals exhibition at the Victoria & Albert Museum, which celebrates the artistic and cultural achievements of the Mughal Empire’s golden age (1560–1660). Hosts Mukulika Banerjee and Pragya Tiwari are joined by historian and author Ira Mukhoty to explore the dynasty’s true origins, the influence of Mughal women, and the rich artistic legacy left behind by Akbar, Jahangir, and Shah Jahan. Through a discussion of rare artifacts—including Persian manuscripts, mother-of-pearl shields, and European-inspired paintings—this episode unpacks how the Mughals shaped India’s pluralistic identity and aesthetic traditions.

    The conversation also highlights the cosmopolitan nature of the Mughal court, the interplay of different cultural influences, and the lasting imprint of Mughal art and patronage on Indian history. As the exhibition runs until 5th May, this episode serves as a compelling companion for those looking to understand the deeper historical context behind the objects on display.

    Produced by Oijo Media Pvt Ltd | www.oijo.in

    Show notes

    • https://www.vam.ac.uk/exhibitions/great-mughals-art-architecture-opulence?srsltid=AfmBOoofJC4kPAJ8bGyjUeo3pExEK2yls2AmqUwpvdMUiQiruLx460KP - V&A Exhitbition

    • https://books.google.co.uk/books/about/Daughters_of_the_Sun.html?id=XjaYuQEACAAJ&source=kp_book_description&redir_esc=y - Daughters of the Sun: Empresses, Queens and Begums of the Mughal Empire by Ira Mukhoty
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    1 hr and 3 mins
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