Best Shruti Rajagopalan Podcasts (2025)

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Pins: Division of Labor is Limited by Transaction Costs 22:32

6h ago22:32

22:32

Send us a text Adam Smith's pin factory example from "The Wealth of Nations" demonstrates how dividing labor into specialized tasks dramatically increases productivity. Ten workers specializing in different aspects of pin-making could produce 48,000 pins daily, while individually they might struggle to make even 20 pins each—a productivity increase…

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Ep 419: India's MSME Landscape -- Some Useful Frameworks 4:40:23

1d ago4:40:23

4:40:23

Firms are the means of economic progress. India's micro, small and medium enterprises have been hobbled for decades, and flounder even today. Sudhir Sarnobat and Narendra Shenoy join Amit Varma in episode 419 of The Seen and the Unseen to discuss this landscape -- and Sudhir's brilliant new venture that aims to tackle this. (FOR FULL LINKED SHOW NO…

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Director Tomasz Agencki on Carl Menger and the Making of "Notes on the Margin" 43:43

7d ago43:43

43:43

On this episode, Erwin Dekker chats with Director Tomasz Agencki on the making of "Notes on the Margin" (2024), a full length documentary on the life and legacy of Carl Menger, founder of Austrian economics. Despite limited archival material and conflicting accounts, Agencki crafts a visually rich story highlighting Menger’s intellectual journey an…

1
Commerce and Sociology: Novak on Entangled Political Economy 1:20:55

7d ago1:20:55

1:20:55

Send us a text What happens when we stop seeing politics and markets as separate spheres and start recognizing their deep entanglement? Mikayla Novak, senior fellow at the Mercatus Center, challenges conventional economic thinking in favor of Dick Wager's "entangled political economy." Drawing from her fascinating career path through Australia's Tr…

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Rajmohan Gandhi on Revenge and Reconciliation in South Asia 1:18:15

12d ago1:18:15

1:18:15

Today’s episode is the second part of my conversation with Rajmohan Gandhi, a historian and biographer involved in efforts for trust-building and reconciliation and author of more than fifteen books, of which the most recent is Fraternity: Constitutional Norm and Human Need. He taught history and politics at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Cha…

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Ep 418: What Just Happened Between India & Pakistan? 2:29:46

16d ago2:29:46

2:29:46

Why did the attacks in Pahalgam happen? What took place in the skirmishes after that? What have we learnt about geopolitics and our military preparedness? Pranay Kotasthane and Aditya Ramanathan join Amit Varma in episode 418 of The Seen and the Unseen to try to clear some of the fog of war. (FOR FULL LINKED SHOW NOTES, GO TO SEENUNSEEN.IN.) Also c…

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Personalization, Privacy, and Policy (with Rob Sherman) 39:40

19d ago39:40

39:40

As social media platforms integrate personalization technology, questions around privacy, transparency, and user choice are becoming increasingly pronounced. What does personalization really mean for users? How do platforms like Facebook and Instagram decide what content or ads you see? And how can companies ensure that personalization enhances use…

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Peter Boettke’s Meditations on Life After Graduation 1:23:34

21d ago1:23:34

1:23:34

On this episode of the Hayek Program Podcast, Peter Boettke reflects on the lessons he’s learned throughout his academic career, focusing on what it takes to succeed after graduate school. Boettke encourages graduates to: value the scientific pursuit of truth and scholarship; cultivate a sense of awe, wonderment, surprise, and appreciation; and to …

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Going Big on Defense: A Conversation with Chairman Mike Rogers 21:33

26d ago21:33

21:33

In this episode of Reaganism, Chairman Mike Rogers discusses the critical state of national defense funding, emphasizing the need for increased investment to address the lowest defense spending levels since World War II. He highlights the challenges facing the defense industrial base, the importance of sustained investment in munitions, and the nec…

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Rajmohan Gandhi Reflects on India's Founding Fathers 1:39:25

26d ago1:39:25

1:39:25

Today my guest is Rajmohan Gandhi, a historian and biographer involved in efforts for trust-building and reconciliation and author of more than fifteen books, of which the most recent is Fraternity: Constitutional Norm and Human Need. He taught history and politics at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign from 1997 until his retirement in …

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Ep 417: Caste and the Census 2:15:39

30d ago2:15:39

2:15:39

Data is apolitical and always useful, right? Then why is the caste census so controversial? Pranay Kotasthane and Raghu S Jaitley join Amit Varma in episode 417 of The Seen and the Unseen to discuss its history, context and implications. (FOR FULL LINKED SHOW NOTES, GO TO SEENUNSEEN.IN.) Also check out: 1. Pranay Kotasthane on Twitter, LinkedIn, Am…

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Episode 151: Witold Więcek discusses statistics and academic research 46:14

1M ago46:14

46:14

Note: this episode was recorded in August of 2022. In the latest Elucidation, Matt talks to Witold Więcek about the difficulties that come up for researchers who would like to draw upon statistics. Lots of academic fields need to draw heavily on statistics, whether it’s economics, psychology, sociologym, linguistics, computer science, or data scien…

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Margaret Levi — 2024 Markets and Society Conference Keynote 59:30

1M ago59:30

59:30

On this episode of the Hayek Program Podcast, Margaret Levi delivers a keynote lecture at the 2024 Markets & Society conference, exploring her latest research on political equality and arguing that it has been poorly conceptualized and measured in comparison to economic equality. She frames political equality around three dimensions: participation,…

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The Paradox of Political Rationality: Lynch 1:08:00

1M ago1:08:00

1:08:00

Send us a text Why do harmful policies like tariffs keep coming back despite universal condemnation from economists? The answer lies in the dynamics of collective action and concentrated interests. In this eye-opening conversation with G. Patrick Lynch, Senior Fellow at Liberty Fund, Mike Munger explores the fascinating world of public choice theor…

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Writing for the Crusader with Dr. Paul Kengor 42:50

1M ago42:50

42:50

On this episode of Reaganism, Reagan Institute Director Roger Zakheim is joined by Dr. Paul Kengor a prominent scholar on Ronald Reagan, and author of ‘The Crusader’. They discuss the significance of the ‘Evil Empire’ speech, exploring how it framed the Cold War in moral terms and the role of speechwriting in shaping Reagan’s legacy as a communicat…

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Ep 416: Kavitha Rao Chases Chatto and Roy 2:55:15

1M ago2:55:15

2:55:15

The most astonishing men lie in the far, forgotten corners of history. Kavitha Rao joins Amit Varma in episode 416 of The Seen and the Unseen to shed light on the life and times of two magnificent failures, Chatto and Roy. (FOR FULL LINKED SHOW NOTES, GO TO SEENUNSEEN.IN.) Also check out: 1. Kavitha Rao on Twitter, Instagram, Amazon and her own web…

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Taking Stock of the Indian Economy with Prachi Mishra 1:25:20

1M ago1:25:20

1:25:20

Today my guest is Prachi Mishra, who is a Professor in the Department of Economics, and Director and Head of Isaac Center for Public Policy at Ashoka University. Prior to joining Ashoka, Prachi was Chief of the Systemic Issues Division and Advisor in the Research Department at the International Monetary Fund. We spoke about the current state of the…

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The Significance of US-India Relations with Shruti Rajagopalan 49:27

1M ago49:27

49:27

On this episode of Reaganism, Reagan Institute Director of the Center for Civics, Education, and Opportunity Dan Rothschild is joined by Shruti Rajagopalan who is a Senior Research Fellow at the Mercatus Center. They discuss the evolving relationship between the United States and India, emphasizing the significance of economic engagement, the impac…

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Women and Policy — How Do Female Property Rights Impact Economic Development? 1:07:02

2M ago1:07:02

1:07:02

On this episode, Jessica Carges chats with Karol Boudreaux on female land and resource rights in Sub-Saharan Africa and their impact on economic development. Karol discusses how even when property rights are granted, formal documentation and cultural backgrounds pose challenges to control over land use, and she shares the success story of Rwanda, h…

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DOGE’s Impact on Government Efficiency with Joseph Lonsdale 29:31

2M ago29:31

29:31

On this episode of Reaganism, Reagan Institute Director Roger Zakheim is joined by Joseph Lonsdale who is Founder and Managing Partner at 8VC. They discuss the impact of Doge on government transparency and efficiency, the need for budget cuts in Congress, and the importance of technology in improving government operations. Mr. Lonsdale also address…

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Ep 415: Ramki and the Ocean of Stories 4:49:24

2M ago4:49:24

4:49:24

He observed our society from up close as an advertising man -- and then became an iconic storyteller on Twitter. Ramakrishna Desiraju aka Ramki joins Amit Varma in episode 415 of The Seen and the Unseen to talk about his journey, and all that it taught him. (FOR FULL LINKED SHOW NOTES, GO TO SEENUNSEEN.IN.) Also check out: 1. Ramakrishna Desiraju a…

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Sajith Pai on India's Digital Divides 1:23:09

2M ago1:23:09

1:23:09

Today my guest is Sajith Pai, who is a Partner at Blume Ventures, an early stage Indian venture fund. He is also a well known writer, and the author of the annual Indus Valley Report. We spoke about the trends in the latest Indus Valley Report, the stratifications in Indian consumer markets, investor sentiment, policies and infrastructure to foster…

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Trump’s Foreign Policy with Alexander B. Gray 42:49

2M ago42:49

42:49

On this episode of Reaganism, Reagan Institute Director Roger Zakheim is joined by Alex Gray who serves as CEO of American Global Strategies LLC. They discuss the strategic importance of Greenland and the Panama Canal in U.S. foreign policy, particularly during the Trump administration. Gray emphasizes the historical context of U.S. interest in Gre…

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Nava Ashraf — 2024 Markets and Society Conference Keynote 1:02:38

2M ago1:02:38

1:02:38

On this episode of the Hayek Program Podcast, Nava Ashraf delivers a keynote lecture at the 2024 Markets & Society conference, exploring the role of trust and institutions and focusing on female entrepreneurship in developing countries, particularly Zambia. Ashraf argues that trust, institutional fairness, and negotiation skills matter for gender e…

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Inside the White House: Policy Making Unveiled with Dr. Tevi Troy 32:53

2M ago32:53

32:53

On this episode of Reaganism, Reagan Institute Director Roger Zakheim is joined by Dr. Tevi Troy who servces as a Senior Fellow at the Ronald Reagan Institute. They discuss the intricacies of how the White House makes policy, the evolution and role of various policy councils, and the dynamics of President Trump’s second term, particularly focusing …

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Ep 414 : The Spectacular Life of Prahlad Kakar 3:37:11

2M ago3:37:11

3:37:11

He learnt his craft from Shyam Benegal, became a pioneer & a legend of advertising filmmaking, learnt & taught scuba diving, started the Prithvi Cafe, and lived every moment to the full in a million different ways. Prahlad Kakar joins Amit Varma in episode 414 of The Seen and the Unseen to talk about his long and wondrous life. (FOR FULL LINKED SHO…

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Jasti Chelameswar on Constitutional Interpretation and Judicial Independence 1:16:24

2M ago1:16:24

1:16:24

Today my guest is Justice Jasti Chelameswar, who is a former justice of the Supreme Court of India. Prior to his elevation, he served as chief justice in High Courts in Gauhati and Kerala and as a justice in the Andhra Pradesh High Court. We spoke about his judgments on electoral qualifications, judicial conduct, transparency in judicial appointmen…

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Curation Bubbles, Verification, and the Splintering of Ideology: Green 56:55

2M ago56:55

56:55

Send us a text What happens when we no longer consume scarce information through trusted, verified institutions, but instead through an abundance of unbundled content without context or curation? John Green, rising star in political science from Duke University, takes us on a tour of the rapidly evolving landscape of political information. Green ch…

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Women and Policy — Why are Fertility Rates so Low? 1:23:10

3M ago1:23:10

1:23:10

On this episode, Jessica Carges chats with Catherine Pakaluk on her latest book, Hannah's Children: The Women Quietly Defying the Birth Dearth (2024). Pakaluk describes the economic consequences of dropping fertility rates, explores the reasons for why women choose to have children, explains how we can increase fertility rates, and more. Catherine …

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Ep 413: Shaheen Mistri Goes to School 3:12:53

3M ago3:12:53

3:12:53

One of India's tragedies lies in the schooling of our children. We have let our kids down. Can we fix this problem? Shaheen Mistri joins Amit Varma in episode 413 of The Seen and the Unseen to describe her journey -- and what she has learnt about education. (FOR FULL LINKED SHOW NOTES, GO TO SEENUNSEEN.IN.) Also check out: 1. Shaheen Mistri on Inst…

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The Spectrum Exchange: Networks, Security, and Innovation (with Peter Rysavy) 31:01

3M ago31:01

31:01

Amid debates over spectrum allocation, critical questions about national security, communication infrastructure, and connectivity continue to take center stage. What does spectrum sharing involve? How does spectrum sharing enhance the efficiency of limited spectrum resources? And what impact does it have on deploying emerging technologies like 5G a…

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Akshay Jaitly on India's Energy Sector Challenges, Reforms, and Future Pathways 1:18:07

3M ago1:18:07

1:18:07

Today my guest is Akshay Jaitly, one of the founders of Trilegal, one of India’s leading law firms. He specializes in advising on energy and infrastructure projects. His research interests include power sector reform, the energy transition and public-private contracting. We talked about the top-down nature of electricity regulation and pricing in I…

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The Untold Story of Jimmy Lai with Dr. Mark Clifford 44:27

3M ago44:27

44:27

On this episode of Reaganism, Reagan Institute Policy Director Rachel Hoff is joined by Dr. Mark Clifford who serves as President of the Committee for Freedom in Hong Kong and author of the book, “The Troublemaker: How Jimmy Lai Became a Billionaire, Hong Kong’s Greatest Dissident, and China’s Most Feared Critic.” They discuss Jimmy Lai’s early lif…

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Reagan and the Cold War: A Battle of Ideas with Dr. Henry Nau 47:56

3M ago47:56

47:56

On this episode of Reaganism, Reagan Institute Director Roger Zakheim is joined by Dr. Henry Nau who serves as Distinguished Scholar at the Ronald Reagan Institute. They discuss the legacy of President Ronald Reagan, exploring his economic policies, leadership style, and the significance of his ideas in shaping contemporary politics. Dr. Nau emphas…

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Shruti Rajagopalan and Chris Coyne on War, Conflict, and the Quest for a Stable Peace 1:45:28

3M ago1:45:28

1:45:28

On this special crossover episode, Ideas of India podcast host, Shruti Rajagopalan, interviews Christopher J. Coyne on the economics of conflict and peace, the history of the U.S. security state, the US intervention in Afghanistan, domestic consequences of militarism abroad, and much more! For the full length transcript and for more episodes like t…

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Ep 412: Probal DasGupta Goes to the Himalayas With Books in His Bag 6:03:17

3M ago6:03:17

6:03:17

So much in history never made it to the popular imagination -- such as the battles of 1967 in which India beat China. Probal DasGupta joins Amit Varma in episode 412 of The Seen and the Unseen to discuss his time in the Indian army -- and his fascinating discoveries as a military historian. (FOR FULL LINKED SHOW NOTES, GO TO SEENUNSEEN.IN.) Also ch…

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Christopher Coyne on War, Conflict, and the Quest for a Stable Peace 1:45:49

3M ago1:45:49

1:45:49

Today my guest is Christopher J Coyne, who is a Professor of Economics at George Mason University, the Associate Director of the F.A. Hayek Program at the Mercatus Center. We talked about the economics of conflict and peace, history of the US security state, the US intervention in Afghanistan, domestic consequences of militarism abroad, and much mo…

Podcasts Worth a Listen

Shruti Rajagopalan Podcasts

Podcasts Worth a Listen