The Seen and the Unseen - hosted by Amit Varma

Narayan Ramachandran, a former top banker, discusses stimulating change, building institutions, and making ideas come together. They explore the importance of long-term thinking, the Maharashtra Renaissance, leadership qualities, personalized learning approaches, and the power of hunger and initiative. The conversation also touches on writing for critical thinking, intersecting economic and sociological ideas, and navigating success and self-reflection.

Arati Kumar-Rao discusses self-discovery through travel and writing, navigating the digital age, family influences on ethical choices, balancing truth-telling in storytelling, observation in photography and writing, and unexpected discoveries in Calcutta. She also explores environmental themes, creative growth through new experiences, government intervention in environmental matters, challenges of urban migration, and unintended consequences of the Farakka Barrage.

Kushal Mehra, a dharmik skeptic, discusses his intellectual evolution and podcast journey with Amit Varma. They explore atheism in Hindu philosophy, contrasting Western and Indian secular thought, moral relativism, Hindutva origins, BJP's stance on markets, challenges in Indian democracy, and the impact of technology on societal values.

V Vinay, creator of the iconic Simputer, discusses his journey from scientist to entrepreneur, exploring topics like time travel, language evolution, childhood memories, non-traditional education, science applications, and the power of loyalty in relationships. He also delves into astrology, practical impact in science, teaching methods, financial hurdles in innovation, and the revolution of Simpute technology.

Sowmya Dhanaraj, an economist from India, discusses her journey, societal challenges, and empowering women in the workforce. Topics include gender roles, financial empowerment, societal norms, marriage complexities, biases in education selection, balancing responsibilities, applying economic thinking in daily life, and sustainable policies for working women.

Economist Lant Pritchett discusses deep questions in development economics, challenging narrow focuses. He reflects on childhood influences, data analysis integrity, and education's impact on growth. Critiquing programmatic approaches, he advocates for systemic transformations for true prosperity. Highlighting talent clustering and learning emphasis for global progress, he explores state capability and power dynamics in organizational development.

Rohit Lamba, an economist with a poetic soul, discusses economics, policy, and Urdu poetry with Amit Varma. They explore the synergy between poetry, empathy, and probabilistic thinking in public policy decisions. The conversation also delves into the challenges of communicating complex economic concepts effectively to a broader audience and the evolving landscape of knowledge dissemination. Other topics include cultural identity, societal norms, and the nuances of different types of relationships.

Journalist and author Malini Goyal shares insights on deep journalism, city exploration, and societal values. The podcast covers the rarity of curiosity in journalism, challenges of investigative reporting, career evolution, personal struggles, and embracing change. Topics include writing international research, Bangalore's evolution, tech innovation, data challenges, city culture, imposter syndrome, dating dynamics, and Bengaluru's talent landscape.

Utsav Mamoria delves into philosophy of travel, intentional living, creativity, and authenticity. Conversations on slow travel, accountability clubs, architectural narratives, childhood memories, human nature, beard trends, and unexpected Andes mountain adventures. Insights on cultural influences, market research, unique strengths, budget travel tips, and music/film recommendations.

Karthik Muralidharan, an expert on Indian state reform, delves into the challenges of bureaucracy in India with Amit Varma. Topics include state capacity in development economics, the bureaucratic maze, challenges in the Indian state bureaucracy, and the impact of government salaries on recruitment scams and staffing quality.