In this episode of The India Briefing, our hosts Mukulika Banerjee and Pragya Tiwari speak with Navtej Sarna and Ashley Tellis to analyse the evolving India-US bilateral relationship, particularly in light of Prime Minister Modi's recent visit to Washington. Our guests help untangle the complexities of trade dynamics, immigration issues, and the interplay between domestic politics and foreign policy. Listen in for insights into the challenges and opportunities that lie ahead for both nations, emphasizing the importance of strategic convergence amidst a changing global order.
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More about Navtej Sarna -
Navtej Sarna was born in 1957 to Punjabi litterateurs Mohinder Singh Sarna and Surjit Sarna. He joined the Indian Foreign Service in 1980 and served as an Indian diplomat for the next 38 years. His diplomatic journey included assignments in places as diverse as Moscow and Warsaw, Thimphu and Tehran. He held several critical appointments including as the Foreign Office Spokesman, India’s Ambassador to Israel, High Commissioner to the UK and Secretary to the Government of India. He retired from diplomatic service in 2018 as India’s ambassador to the United States.
Pursing a parallel passion as a writer, Navtej Sarna has written ten books that explore different genres – novels, short stories, travel, literary essays and translations. He has been a prolific columnist and commentator on policy, literary and cultural matters, contributing regularly to journals in India and abroad.
Sarna is now a full-time writer, dividing his time between New Delhi and Mashobra in the Shimla Hills. His latest work is the highly acclaimed historical novel, Crimson Spring.
www.navtejsarna.in | X - https://x.com/navtejsarna
https://www.navtejsarna.in/post/how-to-do-business-with-donald-trump-in-his-second-term
Ashley Tellis
Ashley J. Tellis is the Tata Chair for Strategic Affairs and a senior fellow at the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace, specializing in international security and U.S. foreign and defense policy with a special focus on Asia and the Indian subcontinent.
While on assignment to the U.S. Department of State as senior adviser to the undersecretary of state for political affairs, he was intimately involved in negotiating the civil nuclear agreement with India.
Previously he was commissioned into the U.S. Foreign Service and served as senior adviser to the ambassador at the U.S. Embassy in New Delhi. He also served on the National Security Council staff as special assistant to President George W. Bush and senior director for strategic planning and Southwest Asia. Prior to his government service, Tellis was senior policy analyst at the RAND Corporation and professor of policy analysis at the RAND Graduate School.
He is a counselor at the National Bureau of Asian Research, the research director of its Strategic Asia program, and co-editor of the program’s eighteen most recent annual volumes, including this year’s Strategic Asia: Reshaping Economic Interdependence in the Indo-Pacific.
He is the author of Striking Asymmetries: Nuclear Transitions in Southern Asia (2022) and India’s Emerging Nuclear Posture (2001), the co-author of Interpreting China’s Grand Strategy: Past, Present, and Future (2000), and the co-editor of Getting India Back on Track (2014) and Grasping Greatness: Making India a Leading Power (2022) among other significant publications.
https://carnegieendowment.org/people/ashley-j-tellis
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.
56 mins