Best Milan Vaishnav Podcasts (2025)

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From Convergence to Confrontation: Trump’s India Gambit 39:33

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2d ago39:33

39:33

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 th…

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Can Europe be India's Plan B? 44:24

9d ago44:24

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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 …

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SPOTLIGHT on Abhijit Bansod and cultural design 36:10

10d ago36:10

36:10

Summary In this SPOTLIGHT episode, Abhay shares a conversation with Abhijit Bansod, an award-winning designer, discusses his journey as a cultural designer, emphasizing the importance of storytelling, the influence of Indian culture on design, and the continuous evolution of a designer's mindset. He explores the complexities of defining Indian desi…

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K.M. Panikkar and the Making of Modern India 1:03:38

16d ago1:03:38

1:03:38

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 i…

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Shefali Razdan Duggal ... on serving as US Ambassador to the Netherlands 55:25

17d ago55:25

55:25

Abhay is joined by Shefali Razdan Duggal, the recently retired United States Ambassador to the Netherlands. They explore Shefali's journey as a diplomat, her experiences from Ohio to serving on political campaigns, and her unwavering commitment to authenticity and kindness. Shefali shares insights on breaking cultural norms, the importance of stayi…

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Vajpayee and the Making of the Modern BJP 1:04:17

23d ago1:04:17

1:04:17

Believer’s Dilemma: Vajpayee and the Hindu Right’s Path to Power, 1977-2018 is the much anticipated second volume of author Abhishek Choudhary’s biography of former BJP prime minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee. The book traces his life from his stint as external affairs minister in the short-lived Janata government to his death in 2018 following a perio…

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Ojas Adhiya ... on playing tabla and being in the moment 51:36

24d ago51:36

51:36

Abhay shares a conversation with virtuoso tabla artist Ojas Adhiya, who shares insights into his life as a musician, discussing the importance of routine, the balance between music and life, and the connection he feels during performances. He reflects on the evolution of his listening skills, the impact of AI on music, and the delicate balance betw…

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Vijay Kumar ... on SEMMA and creating unapologetically Indian food 42:11

1M ago42:11

42:11

Abhay is joined by Chef Vijay Kumar, who shares his journey as the executive chef of SEMMA in New York City, discussing the importance of authenticity in Indian cuisine, the balance between tradition and innovation, and the emotional connections that food creates. Vijay reflects on the challenges and responsibilities that come with recognition in t…

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Báyò Akómoláfé & Catherine Keller: Crossroads, Creation, and Artificial Intelligence 1:23:04

1M ago1:23:04

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In this episode of Curiosity Entangled, philosopher and psychologist Báyò Akómoláfé joins theologian Catherine Keller for a searching dialogue on artificial intelligence, theology, and what it means to be human at the crossroads of technology. What begins with the question of AI’s place in creation unfolds into a meditation on race, mortality, auth…

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Trade Wars: Trump Targets India 1:03:14

1M ago1:03:14

1:03:14

Last week, U.S. President Donald Trump issued an executive order slapping India with a 25 percent special tariff due to its purchases of Russian oil. This surprise measure raised the total tariff on Indian exports to the United States to 50 percent—among the highest rates imposed by the United States on any country in the world. But India is not ju…

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Milan Vaishnav... on India - America relations and diaspora politics 51:29

1M ago51:29

51:29

Abhay shares a compelling discussion with Milan Vaishnav, director of the South Asia program at the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace. They chatted about the intriguing shifts in political allegiances among the Indian Americans, the concept of "Modi Democrats," the broader implications of US- India relations, and the optimism he has for co…

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Shweta Katti... on KRANTI and empowering girls from India's red-light areas 51:47

2M ago51:47

51:47

Abhay delves into the transformative journey of Shweta Katti, the Director of Education at KRANTI. Discover how KRANTI empowers daughters of sex workers from India's red light districts, turning adversity into strength and resilience. Shweta shares her inspiring journey from growing up in a red light district to empowering girls from similar backgr…

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SPOTLIGHT... on Abhi Gholap and the North American Film Association (NAFA) 31:32

2M ago31:32

31:32

Periodically on TRUST ME I KNOW WHAT I’m DOING , we share a SPOTLIGHT conversation and feature brief chats with an individual or a group from the community about a special topic or a unique endeavor. I grew up in a Marathi American household and even as a born and raised Californian, there was a lot of attention at my house to Marathi film and cine…

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Sanjeev Bhaskar... on being a work in progress 59:58

2M ago59:58

59:58

Abhay is joined by the singular and superb actor, writer, and presenter, Sanjeev Bhaskar, as he shares his artistic journey and navigation through the complexities of identity, success, and creativity with humility, engagement in the present, and humor. No chuddies were harmed, kissed, or soiled in the making of this episode. (0:00 - 2:53) Introduc…

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Geeta Gandhbir... on documentary filmmaking 50:38

3M ago50:38

50:38

Abhay is joined by award winning filmmaker Geeta Gandbhir, as she discusses her journey in making documentary films, the importance of empathy in storytelling, and the challenges faced by marginalized voices in the industry. She reflects on her personal experiences, the influence of her mentors, and the need for representation and trust. Geeta also…

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What Kind of Great Power Will India Become? 47:42

3M ago47:42

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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 aga…

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Gurcharan Das & Milan Vaishnav: The Bhagavad Gita, War Ethics, Liberalism, and Global Power Shifts 1:12:21

3M ago1:12:21

1:12:21

In this episode of Curiosity Entangled, author and philosopher Gurcharan Das joins political economist Milan Vaishnav for a wide-ranging conversation on the ethics of war, the future of liberalism, and the enduring tensions between statecraft and morality. What begins as a thought experiment—could the targeted assassination of a tyrant prevent a fu…

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Hindutva Politics in the Diaspora 46:53

3M ago46:53

46:53

How and why did Hindu nationalism become popular among India’s diaspora after India’s independence in 1947? This is the central question of Hindu Nationalism in the Indian Diaspora: Transnational Politics and British Multiculturalism, a 2023 book by the historian Edward Anderson. The book interrogates the distinctive resonance Hindutva ideology has…

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The Decline and Fall of an Indian Ed Tech Empire 47:45

3M ago47:45

47:45

India’s celebrated education technology company Byju’s went from being one of the world’s most hyped start-ups to being sued for fraud in a Delaware court and accused of engaging in unethical, if not illegal, behavior. The episode serves as a cautionary tale about the world of start-ups, venture capital, and the crushing social pressures Indian chi…

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A Reappraisal of Indira Gandhi’s Life—and Legacy 56:56

4M ago56:56

56:56

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 ne…

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Pramod Varma... on digital architecture and creating hope 1:02:51

4M ago1:02:51

1:02:51

Abhay chats with Pramod Varma, the visionary technologist who helped architect India’s digital transformation, enabling over a billion people to access digital identity, banking, payments, and verifiable credentials, fundamentally reshaping India’s social and economic landscape. (0:00 - 3:41) Introduction (3:41) Part 1 - Describing what he does, tr…

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The Secret to Indian Americans' Success 57:47

4M ago57:47

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Indian Genius: The Meteoric Rise of Indians in America is a new book by the author and journalist Meenakshi Ahamed. While many immigrant groups have found success in the United States, few have excelled as far and as fast as Indian Americans, reaching heights in a single generation that many thought would take the better part of a century to achiev…

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Madame Gandhi... on lifelong learning and LET ME BE WATER 40:26

4M ago40:26

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Abhay shares a conversation with Kiran Gandhi, also known as the award-winning world stage performer Madame Gandhi, as they discuss her journey of personal growth, the creative process behind her latest album 'Let Me Be Water', and the balance between power and stillness in her life. She reflects on the importance of learning, the challenges of bei…

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SPOTLIGHT... on Dr. Amit Anand, pranayama, and 'Breathonance' 31:57

4M ago31:57

31:57

Periodically on TRUST ME I KNOW WHAT I’m DOING , we share a SPOTLIGHT conversation and feature brief chats with an individual from the community about a special topic or a unique endeavor. Now while we truly should strive for mental wellness all the time, May is mental health awareness month, and there’s no more obvious place to focus our energy th…

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Decolonization and India’s Constitutional Order 54:14

4M ago54:14

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Anticolonial movements of the 20th century generated audacious ideas of freedom. After decolonization, however, the challenge was to give an institutional form to those radical ideas. Legalizing the Revolution: India and the Constitution of the Postcolony is a new book by the scholar Sandipto Dasgupta which provides an innovative account of how Ind…

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Sanjay Sharma... on margins and mainstream in media and storytelling 52:12

4M ago52:12

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Abhay welcomes Sanjay Sharma, founder and CEO of Marginal Media Works, for a candid and thought-provoking conversation about the power of the margins in shaping culture, creativity, and identity. Sanjay shares his journey from growing up immersed in subcultures like skateboarding, heavy metal, and hip hop, to building a media company dedicated to a…

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How This India-Pakistan Conflict Will Shape the Next One 51:16

4M ago51:16

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At this point, you’ve probably read 1,001 post-mortem analyses of the India-Pakistan conflict, desperately searching for some new nugget or data point that helps you understand this brief, but intense clash between these two South Asian rivals. In this sea of hot takes, one essay stands out both for its analytical clarity and its wisdom. That piece…

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How Earth Shaped Life and Life Shaped Earth: A Conversation Across Deep Time | Sean B. Carroll x Andrew H. Knoll 1:10:33

4M ago1:10:33

1:10:33

In this episode of Curiosity Entangled, evolutionary biologist Sean B. Carroll and paleontologist Andrew H. Knoll dive deep into the intertwined story of life and Earth—how genetics and geology, extinction and emergence, have sculpted the living world as we know it. From early microbial life and the Cambrian explosion to mass extinctions and planet…

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Amit Tandon... on honest comedy and storytelling 44:13

4M ago44:13

44:13

Abhay is joined by comedian Amit Tandon for a broad conversation sharing insights into his journey in comedy, discussing the importance of relatability, the art of writing jokes, and the challenges of maintaining relevance in a rapidly changing industry. He reflects on the evolution of his craft, the significance of audience observation, and the ba…

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Operation Sindoor and South Asia’s Uncertain Future 51:50

5M ago51:50

51:50

On Saturday, India and Pakistan announced a ceasefire, ending—at least for now—the latest bout of armed conflict between the two South Asian rivals. The announcement followed the launch of “Operation Sindoor”—India’s response to the April 22nd terrorist attack in Kashmir, which claimed the lives of 26 innocent civilians. India’s strike prompted a w…

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Recovering the Lost Indosphere 55:01

5M ago55:01

55:01

The Golden Road: How Ancient India Transformed the World is the new book by the celebrated historian William Dalrymple. For listeners of Grand Tamasha, Dalrymple surely needs no introduction. He is the bestselling author of nine books, including The Last Mughal, The Anarchy, and City of Djinns. He is cofounder of the Jaipur Literature Festival and …

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Karan Soni... on "A Nice Indian Boy", lessons in Hollywood, and his life on both sides of the camera 54:37

5M ago54:37

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Actor, director, and producer, Karan Soni joins Abhay to talk about his latest film A Nice Indian Boy (directed by Roshan Sethi), share lessons from his journey, and some of the cultural nuances of being an Indian American in Hollywood. He reflects on the importance of versatility in acting, the duality of creative roles, and the significance of do…

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Terror, Trade, and Trump’s India Policy 49:43

5M ago49:43

49:43

It’s been a typically busy few months in the world of Indian politics and policy. To roundup all the latest developments from India, Milan is joined on the show this week by Grand Tamasha regulars Sadanand Dhume of the American Enterprise Institute and the Wall Street Journal and Tanvi Madan of the Brookings Institution. The trio discuss the recent…

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Vani Kola... on daily anchors, guardrails, and venture capitalism in India 57:23

5M ago57:23

57:23

Abhay is joined by pioneering seed-stage venture capitalist Vani Kola, founder and managing director of Kolaari Capital. They talked about rituals and routines, dealing with ambiguity and guardrails, and how accelerate closing the equity gap for women entrepreneurs in tech. (0:00 - 3:04) Introduction (3:04) Rituals, basic skills and values, anchors…

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Scott Aaronson x Zvi Mowshowitz | Why the AI Revolution Won’t Look Like You Expect—And Why That’s More Dangerous 1:40:01

5M ago1:40:01

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This podcast is produced by volunteers at Accelerator Media, a nonprofit educational media organization. Our work is supported by listeners and viewers like you. If you’d like to help us ignite curiosity and inspire long-term thinking about our shared future, please consider making a donation: https://acceleratormedia.org/donate/ In this episode of…