The State, the Economy, and the Art of Podcasting

Grand Tamasha

This week, we conclude Season Six of Grand Tamasha with a bang. Before Milan was a podcast host, he was a podcast consumer. And two of his favorite India podcasts are “The Seen and the Unseen” with Amit Varma and “Ideas of India” with Shruti Rajagopalan. So, what better way to end our season than with a massive mash-up of three leading India podcasts.

Amit and Shruti join Milan on the show this week to discuss the relevance of Lant Pritchett’s popular characterization of India as a “flailing state” and whether there is such a thing as the “Modi economic doctrine” eight years into his prime ministership. Plus, the three discuss the art and science of podcasting.

Grand Tamasha will be taking a little holiday break, but we will be back in late January with a new season of insightful conversations on Indian politics and policy. Stay tuned for more information about our new season!

1. Lant Pritchett, “Is India a Flailing State?: Detours on the Four Lane Highway to Modernization,” Harvard Kennedy School.
2. Shruti Rajagopalan and Alex Tabarrok, “Premature Imitation and India’s Flailing State,” The Independent Review.
3. Keshava Guha, “In Farmers vs Modi, A Big Lesson For Congress,” NDTV.com.
4. Amit Varma, “Narendra Modi Takes a Great Leap Backwards,” Times of India.
5. Amit Varma, “#9: Why Are My Episodes so Long?” The India Uncut Newsletter.
6. Emergent Ventures, Mercatus Center at George Mason University.
7. “The Seen and The Unseen” book project.
8. Amit Varma, “We Are Fighting Two Disasters: Covid-19 and the Indian State,” Times of India.
9. Amit Varma, “Lessons from an Ankhon Dekhi Prime Minister,” Times of India.
10. W.S. Merwin, “Separation.”