Grand Tamasha

For a quarter century, Washington policymakers made a strategic bet on India premised on the belief that shared values, shared interests, and a shared strategic convergence in Asia would bind these two countries together as ‘natural allies’ in the twenty-first century. All of this optimistic talk came crashing down to Earth a few months ago with the Trump administration’s decision to slap 25 percent tariffs on Indian exports. This was exacerbated by a second decision to add an additional 25 percent tariff on India for its import of Russia oil. Taken together, these policy measures plunged U.S.-India relations into their most significant crisis since the late 1990s and the era of U.S. sanctions on India in the wake of the latter’s nuclear tests.How did we get here? Where are we now? And where might we be going? These are the questions Milan takes up on this week’s show with guest Ashley J. Tellis. Tellis is the Tata Chair for Strategic Affairs at the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace and is well-known to Grand Tamasha listeners as one of the sanest, wisest voices on South Asia and U.S.-India relations, more specifically. Milan and Ashley discuss the policy of U.S. “strategic altruism” toward India, the ongoing trade negotiations between the United States and India, and Modi’s recent visit to the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) meeting in China. Plus, the two discuss the latest turn in U.S.-Pakistan relations and whether the thaw in China-India relations is sustainable.  Episode notes: 1. Robert D. Blackwill and Ashley J. Tellis, “The India Dividend: New Delhi Remains Washington’s Best Hope in Asia,” Foreign Affairs 98, no. 5 (September/October 2019): 173-183. 2. Ashley J. Tellis, “India’s Great-Power Delusions: How New Delhi’s Grand Strategy Thwarts Its Grand Ambitions,” Foreign Affairs 104, no. 4 (July/August 2025): 52-67. 3. Lisa Curtis, Dhruva Jaishankar, Nirupama Rao, and Ashley J. Tellis, “What Kind of Great Power Will India Be? Debating New Delhi’s Grand Strategy,” Foreign Affairs 104, no. 5 (September/October 2025): 186-195. 4. Ashley J. Tellis, “America’s Bad Bet on India: New Delhi Won’t Side With Washington Against Beijing,” Foreign Affairs, May 1, 2023. 5. Milan Vaishnav, “How India Can Placate America,” Foreign Affairs, July 16, 2025. 6. “Trade Wars: Trump Targets India (with Sadanand Dhume and Tanvi Madan),” Grand Tamasha, August 12, 2025. 7. “What Kind of Great Power Will India Become? (with Ashley J. Tellis),” Grand Tamasha, July 2, 2025.

India’s once-flourishing ties with Washington have soured in Trump’s second term, marked by punishing tariffs and penalties over Russian oil. This turbulence reinforces New Delhi’s instinct for “multi-alignment,” and the desire to hedge between great powers rather than bet on any single partner.Against this backdrop, a new paper by the journalist and analyst James Crabtree argues that now is the time for Europe to shine and to make the case that it is India’s most promising alternative in a shifting global order. The paper is called, “Pivot to Europe: India’s Back-Up Plan in Trump’s World,” and it has just been published by the European Council on Foreign Relations, where James is a distinguished visiting fellow. James spent ten years as a journalist and foreign correspondent, notably for the Financial Times, where he served as the Mumbai bureau chief. He is the author of the much-celebrated book, The Billionaire Raj: A Journey Through India’s New Gilded Age, published in 2018. He is currently a columnist for Foreign Policy and hard at work on a second book on the United States in Asia.James joins Milan on the show this week to discuss the turmoil in U.S.-India relations, the historical underperformance of Europe-India relations, the looming China challenge, and the factors which have made Europe a more “geopolitically serious” actor. Plus, the two discuss the nascent thaw in China-India ties and how Europe can avoid short-termism to forge stronger bonds with India over the long haul. Episode notes: 1. James Crabtree, “Why India Should Not Walk Into the China-Russia Trap,” Foreign Policy, August 27, 2025. 2. “India and the Reordering of Transatlantic Relations (with Tara Varma),” Grand Tamasha, March 11, 2025.

A Man for All Seasons: The Life of K.M. Panikkar is the new book by the author Narayani Basu. It documents the life and times of one of modern India’s most fascinating characters. Panikkar defies simple description. He was a journalist who founded the Hindustan Times; a bureaucrat who advised India’s princely states; a poet, a philosopher, and an international relations scholar. He served as India’s ambassador to China and to Egypt. And he helped develop a critical plan to reorganize India’s states on linguistic linesBasu’s book brings Panikkar out of the shadows and, in so doing, sheds as much light on this enigmatic figure as it does on India’s quest to find its place in the world.Basu is the bestselling author of V.P. Menon: The Unsung Architect of Modern India and Allegiance: Azaadi & the End of Empire. She is a historian and foreign policy analyst, who specializes in spotlighting lesser known—but nevertheless key players—in the story of Indian independence.She joins Milan on the podcast this week to discuss the incredible personal and professional journey of K.M. Panikkar. They discuss his family circumstances, his surprising path to Oxford and his formative years in Paris, his prolific writings, and his lifelong relationships with Mahatma Gandhi and Jawaharlal Nehru. Plus, the two discuss his intimate relations with India’s princely states and his prescient vision of Indian federalism. Episode notes: 1. Shubhangi Misra, “KM Panikkar was a scapegoat. It was easier to blame him for China than Nehru,” ThePrint, August 1, 2025. 2. Narayani Basu, “How K.M. Panikkar became India’s first ambassador to China,” Mint Lounge, July 13, 2025. 3. “Jairam Ramesh on the Many Lives of V.K. Krishna Menon,” Grand Tamasha, March 24, 2021.

Abhishek Choudhary, author of 'Believer’s Dilemma' and a keen observer of Indian politics, dives into the complex life of Atal Bihari Vajpayee. He shares insights on Vajpayee's evolution within the Sangh Parivar, his pivotal role as foreign minister, and the ideological shifts of the BJP. The discussion extends to his partnership with L.K. Advani, and how the aftermath of the 2002 Gujarat riots shaped his relationship with Narendra Modi. Choudhary also reflects on the challenges of writing political biographies in a nuanced and multifaceted context.

Sadanand Dhume is a resident fellow at the American Enterprise Institute and a columnist for the Wall Street Journal, while Tanvi Madan is a senior fellow at the Brookings Institution with expertise in Indian foreign policy. They dive into the recent 25% tariff imposed by Trump on India and the resulting diplomatic crisis. The duo explores India’s strategic response, the complexities of trade negotiations, and the implications for India’s foreign policy amid U.S.-Pakistan dynamics. They also discuss the potential for resolution in the U.S.-India trade spat.

Two summers ago, Ashley J. Tellis published an essay in Foreign Affairs titled, “America’s Bad Bet on India,” which led to an extended, highly charged debate about the future of the U.S.-India relationship.Just a few weeks ago, Ashley published another big-picture piece in Foreign Affairs titled, “India’s Great-Power Delusions,” which has once again got people talking.In his new piece, Ashley argues that India is on its way to becoming a great power, but perhaps not the kind of power that many in the world are expecting.On this week’s season finale of Grand Tamasha, Ashley makes his return to the show. Ashley holds the Tata Chair for Strategic Affairs at the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace. He served in the U.S. government during the George W. Bush administration, where he was intimately in involved in negotiating the U.S.-Indian civil nuclear deal.Ashley and Milan discuss the U.S. policy of “strategic altruism” toward India, compare India and China’s growth record, and unpack the drivers of India’s quest for multipolarity. Plus, the two discuss India’s growing illiberalism and the complex ways domestic politics shapes foreign policy. Episode notes: 1. “Reexamining America’s Bet on India (with Ashley J. Tellis),” Grand Tamasha, June 21, 2023. 2. Ashley J. Tellis, “Great Expectations: India amid US-China Competition,” in Hal Brands, ed., Lessons from the New Cold War: America Confronts the China Challenge (Baltimore: Johns Hopkins University Press, 2025). 3. Ashley J. Tellis, “India Sees Opportunity in Trump’s Global Turbulence. That Could Backfire,” Carnegie Endowment Emissary (blog), April 9, 2025. 4. “Trade, Tariffs, and India's Silver Lining (with Shoumitro Chatterjee),” Grand Tamasha, April 16, 2025. 5. “The Precarious State of U.S.-India Ties (with Rajesh Rajagopalan),” Grand Tamasha, February 26, 2025.

Edward Anderson, an Assistant Professor of History at Northumbria University, explores the rise of Hindu nationalism among the Indian diaspora since 1947. He dives into the historical context of Indian migration to Britain and discusses the founding of the first Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) shakha abroad. Anderson also examines the impact of India’s Emergency on diaspora activism and how it fueled new political movements. The conversation reveals the complex relationship between diaspora communities and contemporary Hindu nationalism, including the rise of neo-Hindutva.

Indira Gandhi’s ascent as prime minister of India in 1966 seems obvious with the benefit of hindsight, but it was entirely unforeseen at the time.Within years—if not months—she emerged as one of the most powerful political leaders of her era—serving as prime minister for fifteen years, leaving behind a complex and deeply controversial legacy. A new book by the historian Srinath Raghavan, Indira Gandhi and the Years that Transformed India, unpacks that legacy, uncovering fresh material that challenges much of the conventional wisdom we’ve accumulated over the years.Srinath is professor of international relations and history at Ashoka University and nonresident scholar at Carnegie India. He is the author of several celebrated books, including India’s War: The Making of Modern South Asia and Fierce Enigmas: A History of the United States in South Asia.He joins Milan on the show this week to discuss Gandhi’s unforeseen right to power, the daunting conditions which greeted her premiership, and her improvisatory leadership during the 1971 war. Plus, the two discuss Gandhi’s mixed economic legacy, the onset of the Emergency, and how our understanding of the “long 1970s” must be updated. Episode notes: 1. Soutik Biswas, “The forgotten story of India's brush with presidential rule,” BBC News, June 9, 2025. 2. TCA Srinivasa Raghavan, “Indira Gandhi and the Years that Transformed India,” Hindu Business Line, May 27, 2025.

In a captivating discussion, Meenakshi Ahamed, author and journalist, dives into her latest work on the remarkable ascent of Indian Americans across technology, medicine, and public policy. She highlights the pivotal role of mentorship and the unique challenges faced by Indian American women. The conversation also uncovers the influence of caste on success narratives, and examines the societal pressures that often dictate career paths. Ahamed’s insightful anecdotes reveal the secret ingredients behind this inspiring community's success in America.

Sandipto Dasgupta, Assistant Professor of Politics at the New School for Social Research and author of "Legalizing the Revolution," dives into India's unique constitutional journey post-decolonization. He discusses how anticolonial movements shaped radical ideas of freedom and how those translated into institutional frameworks. The conversation tackles the disconnect between the Congress Party and the masses, the belief in a planned economy to avert social upheaval, and the troubling rise of majoritarianism amid diminishing parliamentary power.