
All Things Policy
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.
Latest episodes

Mar 3, 2025 • 31min
The Most Dangerous Place on Earth
Cross-Strait relations between China and Taiwan have seldom been without tensions. Developments from the past few days, however, have ignited military and political skirmishes between the two sides once again. In this episode of 'All Things Policy', Amit Kumar and Anushka Saxena discuss the takeaways from China's recently concluded Taiwan Affairs Work Conference, and the latest confrontation between Taiwanese and Chinese naval vessels in Strait waters. Anushka also opines on what Trump means for Taiwan, and how the US is shaping cross-Strait relations.The PGP is a comprehensive 48-week hybrid programme tailored for those aiming to delve deep into the theoretical and practical aspects of public policy. This multidisciplinary course offers a broad and in-depth range of modules, ensuring students get a well-rounded learning experience. The curriculum is delivered online, punctuated with in-person workshops across India.https://school.takshashila.org.in/pgpAll 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/...Check out our public policy courses here: https://school.takshashila.org.in

Feb 28, 2025 • 21min
Bengaluru’s Metro Fare Hike: Necessary Move or Commuter Nightmare?
Bengaluru Metro’s recent fare hike has sparked plenty of frustration—while BMRCL insists it’s necessary to stay afloat, commuters are feeling the pinch. With rising transport costs, is public transport losing its edge as an affordable alternative?In this episode of All Things Policy, host Sourav Mannaraprayil sits down with Anisree Suresh to unpack the metro fare hike, its impact on daily commuters, and why affordability is key to a thriving public transport system. They also explore smarter ways to generate revenue, from real estate and advertising to congestion charges—without making passengers foot the entire bill.The PGP is a comprehensive 48-week hybrid programme tailored for those aiming to delve deep into the theoretical and practical aspects of public policy. This multidisciplinary course offers a broad and in-depth range of modules, ensuring students get a well-rounded learning experience. The curriculum is delivered online, punctuated with in-person workshops across India.https://school.takshashila.org.in/pgpAll 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/...Check out our public policy courses here: https://school.takshashila.org.in

Feb 27, 2025 • 29min
Out With The Old, In With The New - India's Industrial Policies
One of the key objectives of any economy’s industrial policy is to boost domestic manufacturing. India’s manufacturing sector, however, has remained stagnant. In addition, India's industrial policies have sometimes violated WTO norms and resulted in a number of trade disputes. Is India creating norms of it’s own when it comes to such policies or is it just following the crowd? In this episode of All Things Policy, Kripa Koshy is joined by Sarthak Pradhan (Assistant Professor, Takshashila), where Sarthak argues that India isn’t creating any new norms with regard to its industrial policies. Further, India should remove obstacles to private investments and implement a number of factor market reforms if it is indeed interested in boosting manufacturing.The PGP is a comprehensive 48-week hybrid programme tailored for those aiming to delve deep into the theoretical and practical aspects of public policy. This multidisciplinary course offers a broad and in-depth range of modules, ensuring students get a well-rounded learning experience. The curriculum is delivered online, punctuated with in-person workshops across India.https://school.takshashila.org.in/pgpAll 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/...Check out our public policy courses here: https://school.takshashila.org.in

Feb 26, 2025 • 26min
Takeaways from the Paris AI Action Summit
In this episode of All Things Policy, Rohan Pai and Shobhankita Reddy discuss the recently concluded Paris AI Action Summit that was co-chaired by France and India. What are the outcomes of the summit and why did the US and the UK decline to sign the summit's final statement? What are the implications of this for the global AI landscape?Tune in to read the tea leaves on the changing political winds in AI.Shobhankita's recent opinion piece on the summit here - [https://www.firstpost.com/opinion/how-paris-ai-summit-was-a-quiet-success-13864037.html]The PGP is a comprehensive 48-week hybrid programme tailored for those aiming to delve deep into the theoretical and practical aspects of public policy. This multidisciplinary course offers a broad and in-depth range of modules, ensuring students get a well-rounded learning experience. The curriculum is delivered online, punctuated with in-person workshops across India.https://school.takshashila.org.in/pgpAll 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/...Check out our public policy courses here: https://school.takshashila.org.in

Feb 25, 2025 • 19min
GOA(T): The Greatest of Agri Tourism?
In this episode of All Things Policy, Aparna Rajesh and Maya Patra discuss the Goa State Amrit Kaal Agriculture Policy 2025 and its emphasis on agri-tourism. The policy aims to integrate agriculture with tourism, providing farmers with additional income streams through farm stays, experiential visits, and rural tourism activities. They examine successful Agri-tourism models from Maharashtra and Thailand, analysing their economic impact and sustainability. The discussion also covers challenges in Goa, including infrastructure gaps, marketing constraints, and the need for policy support. With the state’s strong tourism sector, can agri-tourism be a viable strategy for rural development? The PGP is a comprehensive 48-week hybrid programme tailored for those aiming to delve deep into the theoretical and practical aspects of public policy. This multidisciplinary course offers a broad and in-depth range of modules, ensuring students get a well-rounded learning experience. The curriculum is delivered online, punctuated with in-person workshops across India.https://school.takshashila.org.in/pgpAll 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/...Check out our public policy courses here: https://school.takshashila.org.in

Feb 24, 2025 • 25min
Howdy Modi 2.0?
India's PM Narendra Modi became one of the first state leaders to pay a visit to the US as Trump 2.0 completes a month in office. Join Anushka Saxena and Amit Kumar in this episode of ATP where they discuss whether Modi's visit succeeded in assuaging the anxieties surrounding the Indo-US ties.The PGP is a comprehensive 48-week hybrid programme tailored for those aiming to delve deep into the theoretical and practical aspects of public policy. This multidisciplinary course offers a broad and in-depth range of modules, ensuring students get a well-rounded learning experience. The curriculum is delivered online, punctuated with in-person workshops across India.https://school.takshashila.org.in/pgpAll 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/...Check out our public policy courses here: https://school.takshashila.org.in

Feb 21, 2025 • 32min
Metropolis Matters: India’s Urban Challenges & Fixes
Have you found yourself frustrated with some of the issues you face every day in your city? Be it real estate prices or public transport systems? In this episode of All Things Policy, Miheer Karandikar unpacks some of the problems that plague India's cities today and outlines some measures that can be taken to mitigate them. The PGP is a comprehensive 48-week hybrid programme tailored for those aiming to delve deep into the theoretical and practical aspects of public policy. This multidisciplinary course offers a broad and in-depth range of modules, ensuring students get a well-rounded learning experience. The curriculum is delivered online, punctuated with in-person workshops across India.https://school.takshashila.org.in/pgpAll 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/...Check out our public policy courses here: https://school.takshashila.org.in

Feb 20, 2025 • 31min
'Loiter'-ally Speaking: Gender Responsive Urban Design in India
How can cities be designed to be more inclusive and accessible for women? In this episode of All Things Policy, Maya and Aparna explore gender-responsive urban design in India—examining how public transport, street lighting, and city planning impact women's mobility and safety. They discuss global best practices, community-driven initiatives, and policy solutions India can adopt to transform urban spaces. From innovative planning strategies to grassroots efforts, they unpack ways to help women reclaim their right to roam.The PGP is a comprehensive 48-week hybrid programme tailored for those aiming to delve deep into the theoretical and practical aspects of public policy. This multidisciplinary course offers a broad and in-depth range of modules, ensuring students get a well-rounded learning experience. The curriculum is delivered online, punctuated with in-person workshops across India.https://school.takshashila.org.in/pgpAll 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/...Check out our public policy courses here: https://school.takshashila.org.in

Feb 19, 2025 • 25min
Landmarks and Legends: How Maps Led the Way
Throughout history, Humans have crossed forests and the sea using their navigation skills. Europeans leveraged maps for conquering foreign lands and improving their administration. As we rely so much on technology for our movements in the present, how did people of the past navigate unfamiliar lands? What kind of maps did they create? What relevance do maps hold today? Join Sowmya and Swathi Kalyani of the Takshashila Institution as they sit down with Anirudh Kanisetti, historian and author of Lords of Earth and Sea, to answer these questions.The PGP is a comprehensive 48-week hybrid programme tailored for those aiming to delve deep into the theoretical and practical aspects of public policy. This multidisciplinary course offers a broad and in-depth range of modules, ensuring students get a well-rounded learning experience. The curriculum is delivered online, punctuated with in-person workshops across India.https://school.takshashila.org.in/pgpAll 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/...Check out our public policy courses here: https://school.takshashila.org.in

Feb 18, 2025 • 42min
Decoding R&D in the Union Budget 2025-26
A budget reflects the government's priorities. The union finance minister presented the budget a few days back. Given the role of research and development (R&D) in fostering innovation and driving economic growth, it is worth exploring the union budget provisions to facilitate R&D in India - What does the government's R&D spending look like? What about prominent policies like the Anusandhan National Research Foundation or One Nation, One Subscription? How will the Finance Minister's announcement of a ₹20,000 crore loan to private sector research play out? Sarthak Pradhan and Shambhavi Naik dive into these questions in this episode of All Things Policy.The PGP is a comprehensive 48-week hybrid programme tailored for those aiming to delve deep into the theoretical and practical aspects of public policy. This multidisciplinary course offers a broad and in-depth range of modules, ensuring students get a well-rounded learning experience. The curriculum is delivered online, punctuated with in-person workshops across India.https://school.takshashila.org.in/pgpAll 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/...Check out our public policy courses here: https://school.takshashila.org.in