

All Things Policy
Takshashila Institution
Ever wondered how automation will change the world? Maybe you puzzle over what India could do to ease traffic congestion, or how China's aircraft carriers will transform Indian Ocean geopolitics? All Things Policy, a daily podcast brought to you by the Takshashila Institution, brings you all the answers. Every weekday, our researchers break down complex economic and geopolitical ideas through the lens of current events. For everyone from the busy executive to the curious student, All Things Policy is all you'll need to understand the world (and appreciate your breakfast) better.
Episodes
Mentioned books

Oct 21, 2025 • 32min
Peaking through the AI Investment Bubble
Every day it is a new astounding figure. Investments in AI by major companies in the US, China and Europe are running into billions. And they are only increasing. According to an estimate by Gartner, global AI spending will total about 1.5 trillion dollars in 2025. Are we heading into yet another tech bubble that will soon burst? Is it like the dotcom bubble? Can AI companies realistically recover their investments?In this episode of All Things Policy, Lokendra Sharma sits down with Bharath Reddy and Rijesh Panicker, the resident AI experts at Takshashila, to discuss multiple themes surrounding the ongoing AI investment hype cycle.All Things Policy is a daily podcast on public policy brought to you by the Takshashila Institution, Bengaluru.Find out more on our research and other work here: https://takshashila.org.in/research-areasCheck out our public policy courses here: https://school.takshashila.org.in

Oct 17, 2025 • 23min
Trump, Dollar, and Gold
Traditionally, central banks hold different assets such as US Treasuries, gold, and foreign currencies. For many years, US Treasuries have enjoyed a strong position as a major part of these reserves. This trend is now shifting in a big way, and gold has started to play a much bigger role wherein it recently surpassed the Euro to become the second-largest global reserve asset after the U.S. dollar and, for the first time since 1996, gold now represents a bigger share of central banks' reserves than Treasuries. In this episode of All Things Policy, Anwesha Sen and Anisree Suresh discuss the possible impact that Trump’s policies might be having on this trend.All Things Policy is a daily podcast on public policy brought to you by the Takshashila Institution, Bengaluru.Find out more on our research and other work here: https://takshashila.org.in/research-areasCheck out our public policy courses here: https://school.takshashila.org.in

Oct 16, 2025 • 38min
China is Making China+1 A Reality
In this episode of 'All Things Policy', Shobhankita Reddy speaks to Anushka Saxena on China's latest export restrictions on rare earth elements and magnets, and what it says about China's perception of leverage in its technological competition with the US. They also dive deep into the context of China's rare earth supply chain dominance, and whether in the long term, the restrictions harm or aid its interests. Shobhankita also sheds light on India's options in the face of these restrictions.All Things Policy is a daily podcast on public policy brought to you by the Takshashila Institution, Bengaluru.Find out more on our research and other work here: https://takshashila.org.in/research-areasCheck out our public policy courses here: https://school.takshashila.org.in

Oct 15, 2025 • 25min
US Government Shutdown: Causes, Issues and Resolution Scenarios
In this episode of All Things Policy podcast, Swathi Kalyani is in conversation with Abhishek Kadiyala to discuss the ongoing U.S. government shutdown. A U.S. government shutdown occurs when the Congress fails to pass appropriation bills that allocate funding to various government agencies before October 1 each year.This year, the shutdown has resulted from disagreements over the Affordable Care Act (ACA) premium subsidies and Medicare funding cuts introduced by the Trump administration. An overarching issue is also the Trump administration’s impoundment of appropriated funds with the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) and USAID cuts. Republicans are calling for a “clean” Continuing Resolution that excludes healthcare provisions for future negotiations, while Democrats reject any resolution that omits healthcare funding, as the shutdown is set to enter its third week.All Things Policy is a daily podcast on public policy brought to you by the Takshashila Institution, Bengaluru.Find out more on our research and other work here: https://takshashila.org.in/research-areasCheck out our public policy courses here: https://school.takshashila.org.in

Oct 14, 2025 • 25min
Increasing India's R&D Spending: PGP Students Weigh In
India's gross expenditure on research and development (GERD) is approximately 0.6%- 0.7% of its GDP and has remained relatively stagnant over the last 20 years. Its relatively low R&D spending contributes to India's lag in innovation and adoption of advanced technologies, which in turn slows technological adoption and weakens its global competitiveness. What could be some possible policy solutions for this challenge? Meher and Rohan, students from Takshashila's Post Graduate Programme in Public Policy, weigh in and propose the development of what they and their cohortmates call Bharat AVISHKAAR Yojana (Advancing Vigyan, Innovation, Skill-development, Human Capital, Knowledge-economy, and Advanced Research). All Things Policy is a daily podcast on public policy brought to you by the Takshashila Institution, Bengaluru.Find out more on our research and other work here: https://takshashila.org.in/research-areasCheck out our public policy courses here: https://school.takshashila.org.in

Oct 13, 2025 • 18min
The Future of Nepal
Nepal is navigating a critical phase of political transition, economic reform, and evolving regional dynamics. In this episode of All Things Policy, Wini Fred Gurung speaks with Professor S. D. Muni, Professor Emeritus at Jawaharlal Nehru University and India’s former Special Envoy to Southeast Asian countries, to discuss these developments and what the future holds for Nepal.All Things Policy is a daily podcast on public policy brought to you by the Takshashila Institution, Bengaluru.Find out more on our research and other work here: https://takshashila.org.in/research-areasCheck out our public policy courses here: https://school.takshashila.org.in

Oct 10, 2025 • 33min
India's Grand Strategy Towards Pakistan
Aishwaria Sonavane, a researcher in Pakistan Studies at the Takshashila Institution, provides an insightful analysis of India's grand strategy toward Pakistan. She discusses the continuity of India's approach since the 1990s, focusing on limiting Pakistan's ability to disrupt India's growth. Key points include the economic reforms boosting defense spending, tactical military responses, and framing Pakistan's military-jihadi complex. Aishwaria highlights the importance of backchannels for crisis management and the challenges posed by Pakistan's resilient military posture.

Oct 9, 2025 • 24min
AI and National Power
In this episode of All Things Policy, Ashwin Prasad and Adya Madhavan explore the connection between artificial intelligence and how it augments and changes different aspects of power. All Things Policy is a daily podcast on public policy brought to you by the Takshashila Institution, Bengaluru.Find out more on our research and other work here: https://takshashila.org.in/research-areasCheck out our public policy courses here: https://school.takshashila.org.in

Oct 8, 2025 • 25min
PPPs for India’s Monuments
India is opening core conservation to private participation. In this episode of All Things Policy, Arindam Goswami and Ashwin Prasad break down the rationale, the problems it aims to solve, the guardrails needed to prevent commodification and more. All Things Policy is a daily podcast on public policy brought to you by the Takshashila Institution, Bengaluru.Find out more on our research and other work here: https://takshashila.org.in/research-areasCheck out our public policy courses here: https://school.takshashila.org.in

Oct 7, 2025 • 37min
Gender, Data, and Policy
Shreya and Anwesha explore the critical gender data gap that's woven into our policies and systems. They highlight how female-specific data is often overlooked, affecting everything from healthcare to urban design. Surprising examples illustrate the real-world implications, like post-disaster rebuilding biases. They discuss how user-centered design can bridge this gap, along with the need for equitable funding in women's health innovations. The conversation emphasizes the importance of inclusive research and policy that considers diverse experiences.