Over the last many decades, India has taken pride in an election process that, while allowing close to a billion people to exercise their franchise, has always been largely free and fair. However, Narendra Modi’s government has taken a series of actions that have called the sanctity of the country's 2024 general elections into question. This includ…

This Southasian Conversation looks at the costs of Reliance's wildlife ambitions, featuring conservationist M D Madhusudan, environmental lawyer Shibani Ghosh and journalist M Rajshekhar in conversation with Roman Gautam, Editor of Himal Southasian.Led by Anant Ambani and supported by the Indian government, the Reliance conglomerate’s effort to she…

Philippine journalist Beatrice Go launched Atleta Filipina in January 2024 — a feat for the sports reporter turned solo media entrepreneur. Atleta Filipina serves as a beacon for women's sports in the Philippines, or, as she put it in this interview, "the purpose is for women to have a future in sports." She spoke about how the first couple of mont…

Welcome to the Southasia Review of Books Podcast from Himal Southasian, where we speak to celebrated authors and emerging literary voices from across Southasia. In this episode, Shwetha Srikanthan, assistant editor at Himal Southasian, speaks to the author Smriti Ravindra about her debut novel 'The Woman Who Climbed Trees' and the representation of…

In this episode of State of Southasia, Nayantara Narayanan speaks to Ayesha Siddiqa, a political and military analyst from Pakistan and currently a senior fellow at the department of war studies at King’s College in London. Siddiqa is also the author of Military Inc, a revelatory book about the Pakistan military’s economic activities and their fall…

Welcome to the Southasia Review of Books Podcast from Himal Southasian, where we speak to celebrated authors and emerging literary voices from across Southasia. In this episode, the novelist V V Ganeshananthan joins host Shwetha Srikanthan, assistant editor at Himal Southasian, to talk about the books that define her latest novel, Brotherless Night…

At Screen Southasia, we host monthly online screenings of compelling documentaries from the region, including Nepal, India, Kashmir, Pakistan, Afghanistan, Bhutan, Tibet, Myanmar, Bangladesh, Maldives and Sri Lanka. We present a diverse range of films, both classic and new, that showcase the unique cultures, histories and perspectives of Southasia.…

Three years ago, disappointed with the legacy media landscape, Kassy Cho started Almost, an Instagram-first news startup focused on young people. The Taipei-based journalist saw an opportunity to deliver news to both Chinese and English audiences who were left underserved — and ignored — by mainstream media. In this episode, she spoke to us about t…

On 22 January 2024, as India’s prime minister Narendra Modi inaugurated the new Ram temple in Ayodhya, a 32-year old film was recirculated across India on social media platforms. Many Indians felt the need to watch and share the documentary Ram ke naam made by Anand Parwardhan in 1990. The film captured the mobilisation of hundreds of Hindu activis…

Anil Varghese and Nawal Kishore Kumar discuss Bihar’s caste survey and its implications for affirmative actionIn October 2023, the chief minister of Bihar, Nitish Kumar, released the results of a caste survey of his state – a landmark development given that India has not had a comprehensive count of its caste composition since 1931, and pushed thro…

Southasiasphere is our roundup of news events and analysis of regional affairs, out every two weeks. If you are a member, you will automatically receive links to new episodes in your inbox. We are in the process of upgrading and improving our podcast offerings, including experimenting with different formats. We will continue to bring you news and a…

Southasiasphere is our roundup of news events and analysis of regional affairs, now out every two weeks. If you are a member, you will automatically receive links to new episodes in your inbox. In this episode, we talk about escalating tensions between the Maldives and India, national elections in Bangladesh and Bhutan, justice for Bilkis Bano and …

Israel’s brutal bombardment of Gaza has killed over 20,000 Palestinians and wounded more than 50,000 others since the 7 October attack by Hamas.While India strongly condemned the attack and expressed solidarity with Israel, India recently voted in favour of several draft resolutions in the United Nations that criticised Israel’s conduct in Gaza and…

Exile Hub started soon after the coup in Myanmar when hundreds of journalists started flowing across into Thailand for refuge. Exile Hub's multifaceted approach includes psychosocial support, offering shelter and mental health services, as well as personal safety, border safety, and digital safety workshops. At Splice Beta 2023, December Khaing tal…

In response to the rise of fake news on social media, Philippine media startup Probe launched a fact-checking campaign called Tsek/Eks. To engage the younger demographic, they collaborated with influencers, in an initiative that was unheard of in the media space. The fact-checking campaign leaned on Probe's archives, leveraging historical videos to…

January 2024 - Updates and analysis from around the regionSouthasiasphere is our roundup of news events and analysis of regional affairs, now out every two weeks. If you are a member, you will automatically receive links to new episodes in your inbox. In this episode, we talk about truckers protesting India’s proposed hit and run laws, Pakistan’s E…

December 2023 - Updates and analysis from around the regionSouthasiasphere is our roundup of news events and analysis of regional affairs, now out every two weeks. If you are a member, you will automatically receive links to new episodes in your inbox.In this episode, we talk about flooding in Tamil Nadu, the mass suspension of India’s opposition M…

The 2023 United Nations Climate Change Conference, more commonly known as COP28, was held from 30 November to 12 December in Dubai. This year the main focus was global progress on the Paris Agreement, a crucial legally binding climate change deal signed by the parties in 2015. For Southasia, the conference was primarily about finding financial assi…

Bangladesh’s parliamentary elections are scheduled to be held on 7 January. In the run up to the elections, there have been escalating protests led by the opposition Bangladesh Nationalist Party calling for Bangladesh’s prime minister, Sheikh Hasina, to resign and transfer power to a non-partisan caretaker government to ensure a free and fair elect…

December 2023 - Updates and analysis from around the regionSouthasiasphere is our roundup of news events and analysis of regional affairs, now out every two weeks. If you are a member, you will automatically receive links to new episodes in your inbox.In this episode, we talk about Uttar Pradesh’s halal ban, Myanmar’s armed groups exposing the weak…

TNL MediaGene, formerly the News Lens, is a case study in strategic media company acquisitions. Over the past four and a half years, they executed nine acquisitions — averaging one every six months. Originally focused on independent digital news in Taiwan, they expanded across Asia and recognised the need to pivot as growth plateaued. This led to a…

In his recent session at Splice Beta 2023, Tanmoy Goswami shares his entrepreneurial journey, highlighting the evolution of his mental health storytelling platform, Sanity by Tanmoy. The article summarizes key points from the transcript, emphasising the challenges and successes in building a unique and impactful venture. Tanmoy begins by recounting…

Southasiasphere is our roundup of news events and analysis of regional affairs, now out every two weeks. If you are a member, you will automatically receive links to new episodes in your inbox.In this episode, we talk about armed groups challenging the military junta across Chin, Shan and Rakhine states, Sri Lanka’s budget for 2024, the collapse of…

Southasiasphere is our roundup of news events and analysis of regional affairs, now out every two weeks. If you are a member, you will automatically receive links to new episodes in your inbox. In this episode, we talk about Apple’s alerts warning of potential state-sponsored cyberattacks targeting Indian opposition leaders and journalists, an expl…

Southasiasphere is our roundup of news events and analysis of regional affairs, now out every two weeks. In this episode, we talk about fresh scrutiny on the Adani group in the wake of recent reporting, Pakistan’s deportation order impacting Afghan refugees, the release of two rights activists in Bangladesh on bail, China replacing the name ‘Tibet’…

In this episode, we talk about the Delhi Police raid on the office of the Indian news outlet Newsclick as well as numerous journalists’ homes; and debates around delimitation and the women’s reservation bill in India’s parliament. In “Around Southasia in 5 minutes”, we talk about the presidential election results in the Maldives, the reimposition o…

Southasiasphere is our roundup of news events and analysis of regional affairs, now out every two weeks. If you are a member, you will automatically receive links to new episodes in your inbox. If you are not yet a member, you can still get episode links for free by signing up here.In this episode, we talk about the G20 summit in Delhi and allegati…

Southasiasphere is our roundup of news events and analysis of regional affairs, now out every two weeks. If you are a member, you will automatically receive links to new episodes in your inbox. If you are not yet a member, you can still get episode links for free by signing up here.In this episode, we talk about the blocking of The Kashmir Walla an…

Southasiasphere is our roundup of news events and analysis of regional affairs, now out twice a month. If you are a member, you will automatically receive links to the new episodes in your inbox. If you are not yet a member, you can still get it for free by signing up here.In this episode, we talk about upcoming elections in the Maldives and Pakist…

Southasiasphere is our roundup of news events and analysis of regional affairs, now out every two weeks. If you are a member, you will automatically receive links to new episodes in your inbox. If you are not yet a member, you can still get episode links for free by signing up here.In this episode, we talk about the recent suicide bomb attack on a …

Southasiasphere is our roundup of news events and analysis of regional affairs, now out twice a month. If you are a member, you will automatically receive links to the new episodes in your inbox. If you are not yet a member, you can still get it for free by signing up here.In this episode, we talk about the disturbing video footage of sexual assaul…

At Screen Southasia, we host monthly online screenings of compelling documentaries from the region, including Nepal, India, Kashmir, Pakistan, Afghanistan, Bhutan, Tibet, Myanmar, Bangladesh, Maldives and Sri Lanka. We present a diverse range of films, both classic and new, that showcase the unique cultures, histories and perspectives of Southasia.…

Southasiasphere is our roundup of news events and analysis of regional affairs, now out every two weeks. If you are a member, you will automatically receive links to new episodes in your inbox. If you are not yet a member, you can still get episode links for free by signing up here.In this episode, we talk about crackdowns on online publishers and …

Southasiasphere is our roundup of news events and analysis of regional affairs, now out every two weeks. If you are a member, you will automatically receive links to new episodes in your inbox. If you are not yet a member, you can still get episode links for free by signing up here.This episode, we talk about Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s r…

At Screen Southasia, we host monthly online screenings of compelling documentaries from the region, including Nepal, India, Kashmir, Pakistan, Afghanistan, Bhutan, Tibet, Myanmar, Bangladesh, Maldives and Sri Lanka. We present a diverse range of films, both classic and new, that showcase the unique cultures, histories and perspectives of Southasia.…

Southasiasphere is our roundup of news events and analysis of regional affairs, now out every two weeks. If you are a member, you will automatically receive links to new episodes in your inbox. If you are not yet a member, you can still get episode links for free by signing up here.In this episode, we talk about communal misinformation connected to…

We're featuring some of the best sessions from Splice Beta 2022! What's holding you back from starting a YouTube channel? In this episode, Mongolian creator Anu Harchu explains how you can start a YouTube channel today. Subscribe to Anu on YouTube https://www.youtube.com/c/AnuHarchu Connect with Anu on LinkedIn https://www.linkedin.com/in/anuharchu…

Southasiasphere is our roundup of news events and analysis of regional affairs, now out every two weeks. If you are a member, you will automatically receive links to new episodes in your inbox. If you are not yet a member, you can still get episode links for free by signing up here.In this episode, we talk about the political implications of contin…

In December 2022, Colombo-based Himal Southasian appointed Roman Gautam as its chief editor. Six months into the job, he spoke with Splice's Alan Soon and Rishad Patel about how he plans to get the right membership strategy in place for the South Asia region. Read Himal SouthAsian https://www.himalmag.com/ Follow Roman on Twitter https://twitter.co…

In this episode, we talk about the violence in Manipur in the past few weeks, and the latest developments following Imran Khan's arrest in Islamabad. For 'Around Southasia in 5 minutes', we talk about the recently held Karnataka Assembly election and Adani Ports' recently completed sale of its port in Myanmar - at far below the value of the conglom…

We're featuring some of the best sessions from Splice Beta 2022! In this episode, we learn from Jacopo Ottaviani of Code for Africa about how to write an amazing grant application… and what to do when it all goes pear-shaped. Connect with Jacopo on LinkedIn https://www.linkedin.com/in/jacopo-ottaviani/ Learn more about Code for Africa https://githu…

At Screen Southasia, we host monthly online screenings of compelling documentaries from the region, including Nepal, India, Kashmir, Pakistan, Afghanistan, Bhutan, Tibet, Myanmar, Bangladesh, Maldives and Sri Lanka. We present a diverse range of films, both classic and new, that showcase the unique cultures, histories and perspectives of Southasia.…

We're putting together some of the best sessions from Splice Beta 2022. Hear from PumaPodcast's Carl Javier, who spoke about the importance of listening to your audience... but more importantly, what to do when you realize that what you create isn’t what they come to you for. This is an important lesson on how to create true value for your users. C…

We're putting together some of the best sessions from Splice Beta 2022. In this pod, meet Koreel Lahiri, the Investment Director for Asia at the Media Development Investment Fund. He talks about how to build a business plan for potential investment, and how to operationalize it. Connect with Koreel on LinkedIn https://www.linkedin.com/in/koreel/ Le…

In this episode, we talk about ongoing court cases on marriage equality in India, decriminalisation of same-sex relationships in Sri Lanka, and recognition of foreign same-sex spouses in Nepal. We also talk about the fencing of the Durand Line between Pakistan and Afghanistan.For “Around Southasia in 5 minutes”, we'll be talking about April marking…

We're putting together some of the best sessions from Splice Beta 2022. In this pod, Splice's co-founder Rishad Patel talks about the importance of getting your About page right, and how to use that to actually explain what your business does. This is how you put your mission front and center. Read Rishad's article https://www.splicemedia.com/stori…

We're putting together some of the best sessions from Splice Beta 2022. In this episode, Woody Milintachinda, the creator and founder of the hit Woody World talks about his strategy around short videos -- what works and what doesn't. He also spoke about team organization and logistics behind the scenes. Woody was joined on stage by Pacharapun Petch…

We're putting together some of the best sessions from Splice Beta 2022. This episode features Sonny Swe, the founder of Frontier Myanmar. After the coup in his country, Sonny pulled his newsroom out of Myanmar and rebuilt the business in Chiang Mai, Thailand. This is how he did it. Connect with Sonny on LinkedIn https://www.linkedin.com/in/sonnyswe…

Southasiasphere is our roundup of news events and analysis of regional affairs, now out every two weeks. If you are a member, you will automatically receive links to new episodes in your inbox. If you are not yet a member, you can still get episode links for free by signing up here: https://bit.ly/3GVBb3o In this episode, we talk about recent airst…

The Adani Group has been making big news for the wrong reasons. Hindenburg Research’s report accusing the group of “the largest con in corporate history” sent Adani stocks plummeting, wiping well over USD 100 billion off the group’s valuation even as the conglomerate denied doing any wrong. Suddenly Adani is facing extra scrutiny from investors, go…