Bharatvaarta

By BharatvaartaNews News Commentary

Bharatvaarta episodes

November 06 India's Semiconductor Journey: Chip Manufacturing, Global Competition & Qpportunities Ahead
The semiconductor industry is at the centre of the world's technological and geopolitical competition. From the smartphones we use to the cars we drive and the AI systems being developed, almost everything today depends on semiconductors.
But how are these tiny chips actually made? Why is their manufacturing concentrated in a handful of countries? And where does India stand in its attempt to build a semiconductor industry of its own?
In this episode of Bharatvaarta, Roshan Cariappa is joined by Gaurav Goel, Distinguished Engineer at Renesas Electronics, who has spent over 25 years working in the semiconductor industry, including experience at companies such as Intel and AMD.

In this conversation, we cover:-
- What semiconductors are and why they are essential to modern technology.
- How chips are designed, fabricated, packaged and tested.
- The difference between 2nm, 5nm and 7nm chips.
- Why semiconductor manufacturing is so complex and expensive.
- How COVID-19 exposed the fragility of global chip supply chains.
- How AI is driving demand for advanced chips and computing power.
- India's history of semiconductor manufacturing and its earlier attempts.
- What is different about the current Semicon India initiative.
- Why India needs an entire semiconductor ecosystem, not just fabrication plants.
- Opportunities for Indian entrepreneurs in chip manufacturing and allied industries.
- Taiwan's role, ASML's technology and the US-China semiconductor race.- Why semiconductor technology has become a matter of national security and geopolitical power.

TIMESTAMPS / CHAPTERS
[00:00] Introduction
[01:07] What is a semiconductor?
[02:09] How are chips made? From silicon to fabrication
[05:00] The nanometre race: 2nm vs 5nm vs 7nm
[07:00] COVID-19 and the global semiconductor wake-up call
[11:13] AI and the growing demand for semiconductors
[12:54] India's first attempts at semiconductor manufacturing
[17:03] Semicon India: What's different this time?
[21:35] Opportunities for Indian entrepreneurs in the semiconductor industry
[22:50] The geopolitics of silicon: Taiwan, China and the US

ABOUT THE GUEST
Gaurav Goel is a Distinguished Engineer at Renesas Electronics with over 25 years of experience in the semiconductor industry. Over the course of his career, he has worked across Indian services companies, startups and major technology companies including Intel and AMD. His experience spans semiconductor design and architecture, giving him a deep understanding of the technology and the industry.

ABOUT BHARATVAARTA
Bharatvaarta is a platform for conversations that help make sense of India and the world around us. Through long-form discussions with experts, policymakers, entrepreneurs and thought leaders, we explore India's economy, public policy, business, technology, history and geopolitics.Our aim is to go beyond headlines, understand the underlying issues and bring informed perspectives to subjects that shape our present and future.Subscribe to Bharatvaarta for more such conversations.

#Bharatvaarta #Semiconductors #India #SemiconductorIndustry #Geopolitics #Technology #ChipManufacturing #SemiconIndia
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30 min
October 30 Manish Sabharwal Explains Why: “A BCom Is the World's Most Useless Degree”
Why degrees are overrated, why AI is reshaping the entry-level job, why plumbers and electricians can out-earn graduates, and why your first job matters far less than you think - this 15-minute mini-episode covers it all.
In this conversation, Manish Sabharwal challenges the conventional wisdom around education and employment, drawing from his own experiences and decades of working in India's jobs and skilling ecosystem. He also makes a compelling case for work experience, lifelong learning and the courage to take unconventional career decisions.
(A standalone 15-minute mini-episode from the full-length conversation with between Guest Manish Sabharwal and Host Roshan Cariappa.)
▶️ Watch the full episode here 👇
[https://youtu.be/zu3GoK_Jo-M]
📚 CHAPTERS
00:00 - “The World’s Most Useless Degree”
00:35 - Is AI Making Entry-Level Jobs Redundant?
01:22 - Why Everyone Chases Government Jobs
01:51 - Why Plumbers Can Earn More Than Graduates
02:09 - “Unemployment Is a Luxury Good”
03:17 - Your First Job Doesn’t Define You
04:13 - Look Inside, Not Outside
05:16 - “Why Were You Embarrassed?”
06:02 - Bravery: The Only Virtue You Can’t Fake
07:07 - Only Work for a Growth Company
07:35 - Stop Waiting for the Perfect Job
09:08 - Who Trains You Now That AI Does the Grunt Work?
10:13 - We Can’t Predict Which Jobs Will Be Born
11:24 - Why a B.Com Is a Mistake
12:26 - Your Kids Will Have 55-Year Careers
13:32 - The Smartest People Never Went to Top Colleges
14:53 - What India Must Fix in Education
👤 ABOUT MANISH SABHARWAL
Manish Sabharwal is the co-founder of TeamLease Services, one of India’s largest staffing and skilling companies, and one of the country’s most widely read voices on jobs, education and employability. A former independent director on the board of the Reserve Bank of India and a regular columnist, he has spent over two decades working on India’s employment and skilling challenges.
ABOUT BHARATVAARTA
Bharatvaarta is a long-form podcast focused on India’s politics, policy, economy, technology and culture — honest, in-depth conversations about what’s happening around us, and what it means for India’s future.
🌐 Website: https://www.bharatvaarta.in
✖️ X: https://x.com/bharatvaarta
📷 Instagram: @bharatvaarta
#ManishSabharwal #CareerAdvice #FutureOfJobs #Education #Bharatvaarta #RoshanCariappa
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17 min
October 23 Former RAW chief on Regime Change, Trump and India’s Strategic Future | Vikram Sood
Is India right to say no to Elon Musk’s Starlink? Does these battles in Middle east serve a greater purpose ? And why does the West fear India’s rise?
Former RAW Chief Vikram Sood Ji doesn’t hold back. “They might win battles, but they lose the war,” he says of America - pointing from Vietnam and Afghanistan to Ukraine and Iran. “It’s a civilization you’re dealing with. You think you can overpower it in two days?”
In this conversation with Roshan Cariappa, Vikram Sood Ji - former chief of India’s external intelligence agency, R&AW - breaks down the forces reshaping the world: Elon Musk and the Starlink controversy and why it’s really about sovereignty, Trump’s unpredictable decision-making, the strain in India-US relations, the fear of a Russia–China–India alignment, the protests and the question of foreign funding, the changing nature of war, and the crisis spreading across the Middle East - Ukraine, Gaza, Iran, the Houthis and Saudi Arabia.
The big question running through it all: how does India navigate a world being redrawn in real time?
📚 CHAPTERS
(00:00) — “They Win Battles, But Lose Wars”
(02:14) — Reconnecting with Vikram Sood Ji
(02:24) — Elon Musk, Starlink & India’s Sovereignty
(04:44) — “Prime Minister Ambani”: Musk’s Frustration with India
(06:45) — Can India Block These Technologies?
(07:31) — Are US Tech Leaders Part of the State?
(08:44) — Trump: “Decides First, Thinks Later”
(10:26) — The End of the Global Liberal Order
(12:40) — “Tighten Your Seatbelts” — A Warning for India
(16:56) — Is Trump an Aberration or US Strategy?
(18:58) — Has the India–US Relationship Been Hurt Permanently?
(23:49) — Why India’s Strategic Autonomy Worries America
(25:46) — The Russia–China–India Line
(26:12) — Does the US Fear Pushing India to China?
(28:21) — Are the Protests Organic or Foreign-Funded?
(29:32) — Can We Trust Our Institutions?
(32:12) — Democracy Belongs in Parliament, Not the Streets
(33:26) — Why Young People Are Targeted
(34:53) — How Should the State Handle the Protests?
(37:10) — Following the Foreign Money
(38:08) — The flydubai Hijack Attempt
(39:45) — The Middle East: A Spreading Crisis
(44:22) — How the Nature of War Has Changed
(45:51) — What Should India Do in the Middle East?
(50:54) — Israel, Gaza & the Endgame
(52:37) — Sovereignty: What India Must Never Depend On
(57:37) — Why India Underrates Itself
(59:35) — Closing Thoughts
👤 ABOUT GUEST
Vikram Sood ji is the former head of the Research and Analysis Wing (R&AW), India’s external intelligence agency, which he led until 2003. One of India’s most respected voices on intelligence, geopolitics and strategic affairs, he is the author of The Unending Game and The Ultimate Goal.
ABOUT BHARATVAARTA
Bharatvaarta is a long-form podcast on India’s politics, policy, economy, technology and culture — honest, in-depth conversations about what’s happening around us, and what it means for India’s future.
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✖️ https://x.com/bharatvaarta
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1 hr 1 min
October 16 What Makes Great Companies? Lessons from India's Best Businesses | Saurabh Mukherjea
What makes a business truly exceptional is not just how fast it grows, but how it navigates setbacks, withstands uncertainty, and emerges stronger over time.
Saurabh Mukherjea, founder of Marcellus Investment Managers and a widely read author on business and markets, joins us to explore what separates enduring businesses from the rest — and why understanding a company's fundamentals, leadership, and long-term decisions can reveal far more than its share price alone.

In this episode, Roshan Cariappa sits down with Saurabh Mukherjea on his new book The Art of Enduring. They break down how to identify great businesses and long-term wealth creators using his toughest filters yet: 15 years of 15% return on capital, with revenue and profit growth beating GDP.

The five case studies: Bajaj Finance, Dr Lal PathLabs, Tata Elxsi, Divi’s Laboratories and Titan.

Inside the conversation: why most PSU banks and big-name companies fail the test, the brutal collection machine behind Bajaj Finance’s sub-1% NPAs, how Dr Lal PathLabs turned diagnostics into a retail powerhouse, why engineering R&D beats IT services, and why even Apple, Microsoft and Titan spent a decade in the wilderness before compounding again.

If you care about investing, the stock market, and building long-term wealth in India, this one’s essential.

📚 CHAPTERS
(00:00) - Why “Being Ruthless” Doesn’t Build Great Companies
(01:35) - Why We Stay Distant from Our Own Legends
(02:35) - The Three Tests a Company Must Pass
(09:40) - Why Regulatory Monopolies Don’t Make the Cut
(17:00) - Stock Price Is Noise, Fundamentals Are the Signal
(18:20) - What Jack Welch Got Wrong
(21:20) - Bajaj Finance: Right Place, Right Time - or More?
(25:40) - Inside Bajaj Finance’s Brutal Collection Machine
(30:50) - The Data Machine: 120 Million Indians
(34:00) - The Zero-Cost EMI Masterstroke
(35:20) - Dr Lal PathLabs: Diagnostics as a Retail Business
(47:00) - Tata Elxsi: Why Engineering R&D Beats IT Services
(50:30) - How Tata Elxsi Cracked Open Japan
(52:40) - Divi’s Labs: How India Became the Pharmacy of the World
(55:30) - Staying True to Your Strengths (The Rahul Dravid Lesson)
(57:40) - Titan: Surviving 12 Years in the Wilderness
(1:00:20) - What Really Sets These Leaders Apart

This episode is also available on Youtube: https://youtu.be/qNvzFXLqGK8

📘 ABOUT THE BOOK
The Art of Enduring: How Great Companies Turn Crisis into Opportunity breaks down five of India's greatest companies - Bajaj Finance, Dr Lal PathLabs, Tata Elxsi, Divi's Labs and Titan - and what makes them built to last through every crisis.
🛒 Get it here: https://amzn.in/d/07bfo9QK

📚 All books by Saurabh Mukherjea (The Unusual Billionaires, Coffee Can Investing, Diamonds in the Dust, The Victory Project, Behold the Leviathan & more):
👉 https://www.amazon.in/stores/author/B08GQ5H3XW/allbooks

👤 ABOUT SAURABH MUKHERJEA
Saurabh Mukherjea is the founder of Marcellus Investment Managers and one of India's most widely read voices on investing and wealth creation. A former CEO of Ambit Capital, he has spent two decades studying what makes great Indian companies - and how ordinary investors can build long-term wealth. The Art of Enduring is his latest book.

🇮🇳 ABOUT BHARATVAARTA
Bharatvaarta is a long-form podcast focused on India's politics, policy, economy, technology and culture.

🌐 Website: https://www.bharatvaarta.in
✖️ X: https://x.com/bharatvaarta
📷 Instagram: @bharatvaarta

SaurabhMukherjea #TheArtOfEnduring #StockMarket #Investing #MultibaggerStocks #BajajFinance #Marcellus #WealthCreation #Bharatvaarta #RoshanCariappa

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1 hr 5 min
October 09 Why Are Insurance Commissions Becoming a National Debate? | Monika Halan
What really happens to your money when you buy an insurance policy in India? Monika Halan explains - and it’s a question the whole industry is suddenly being forced to answer.
Insurance mis-selling is finally India’s biggest money debate. IRDAI’s new consultation paper has capped commissions, exposed how insurance is really sold - and sent stocks like PolicyBazaar crashing. Monika Halan explains what it all means for your money.
For over 20 years, Monika Halan has warned about how insurance is mis-sold in India - and now the regulator’s own data is proving her right. In this conversation with Roshan Cariappa, she breaks down the IRDAI paper (“Recalibrating Economics of Insurance Distribution”) that has rattled the industry: commissions running as high as 90%, growing 4-5x faster than premiums, and savings policies that quietly turn a 7% return into 2-4%.
They get into why so few policies survive their full term, why you can’t compare policies before you buy, what this means for banks and PolicyBazaar-style distributors, and the exact questions to ask before you buy any financial product.
📚 CHAPTERS
(00:00) — Intro
(01:06) — Why This Consultation Paper Changes Everything
(04:28) — Why Markets Crashed - and the 92% Commission Problem
(08:09) — How Did Commissions Get This High?
(09:41) — “Insurance Is Sold, Not Bought” - The Agent Myth
(14:05) — The Shocking Truth About Persistency
(16:33) — How Do You Actually Grow Insurance in India?
(18:16) — Why You Can’t Compare Policies - and the Hidden Returns
(21:26) — Fixing the Product, Not Just the Sales
(24:02) — Why Financial Products Are So Confusing
(25:27) — Buyer Beware vs Seller Beware
(28:37) — What This Means for Banks
(30:52) — India’s Quiet Healthcare Advantage
(34:08) — How Much Should the State Step In?
(36:40) — The Questions to Ask Before You Buy Anything
(38:24) — Should You Stop Your SIPs Right Now?
(41:23) — How India’s Money Mindset Has Changed
(44:05) — What Monika Is Hopeful About
👤 ABOUT MONIKA HALAN
Monika Halan is a bestselling author and one of India’s most trusted voices on personal finance. Her books Let’s Talk Money and Let’s Talk Mutual Funds have helped millions of Indians understand investing and build better portfolios. A financial educator and columnist, she has served on SEBI’s mutual fund advisory committee and has spent over two decades campaigning for transparency, consumer protection and an end to financial mis-selling.
🇮🇳 ABOUT BHARATVAARTA
Bharatvaarta is a long-form podcast focused on India’s politics, policy, economy, technology and culture — honest, in-depth conversations about what’s happening around us, and what it means for India’s future.
🌐 Website: https://www.bharatvaarta.in
✖️ X: https://x.com/bharatvaarta
📷 Instagram: @bharatvaarta
#MonikaHalan #Insurance #PersonalFinance #MutualFunds #IRDAI #MisSelling #Bharatvaarta #RoshanCariappa
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46 min
October 03 If AI Changes How We Work, How Do You Stay Relevant? Manish Sabharwal
India doesn't have a jobs problem. It has a wages problem.

That reframe from Manish Sabharwal sets up one of our sharpest conversations on why India keeps producing record numbers of graduates who still feel stuck - and what a young person should actually do about it.

Roshan Cariappa sits down with Manish Sabharwal - co-founder of TeamLease and Ashoka University - to ask questions that are useful at any age: government job, private job, or building your own thing? And in a world where AI can do the "quick and dirty" first draft, what keeps a human relevant?

They get into India's 200-year-old education crisis, why our exams reward memory over judgement, why education became "the filling of a bucket" instead of "the lighting of a fire," and why your first job has almost nothing to do with where you end up. Manish makes the case that a skilled electrician now out-earns many salespeople, that "unemployment is a luxury good," that bravery is the one virtue you can't fake - and that the people who pull ahead are the ones who treat learning as a lifelong habit, not a one-time degree.

📚 CHAPTERS

⁠(00:00)⁠ — The Questions This Conversation Answers
⁠(01:19⁠) — Are the Student Protests a Warning Sign?
⁠(01:42⁠) — India's 200-Year-Old Education Crisis
⁠(05:18⁠) — Medical Seats: Scarcity by Design
⁠(07:13⁠) — Should the Government Run Education?
⁠(10:17⁠) — When a Degree Stops Meaning Anything
⁠(12:41⁠) — What Questions Are Worth Asking?
⁠(15:34⁠) — The Three Intelligences AI Can't Replace
⁠(20:29)⁠ — Why Outrage Is a Poor Fuel for Change
⁠(24:14⁠) — Student Activism: Get Stronger First
⁠(28:52⁠) — The Social Contract That Was Never Real
⁠(30:21⁠) — How Manish Would Redesign Education
⁠(33:00)⁠ — "A Wages Problem, Not a Jobs Problem"
⁠(36:17⁠) — Why the Next 20 Years Belong to India
⁠(40:31⁠) — Everyone Wants a Bank Job. Plumbers Earn More.
⁠(41:38⁠) — "Unemployment Is a Luxury Good"
⁠(44:43⁠) — Bravery: The Virtue You Can't Fake
⁠(48:38⁠) — Is AI Killing the Entry-Level Job?
⁠(54:43⁠) — You Can't Outsource Your Own Destiny
⁠(01:00:46⁠) — The Doom and Victimhood Narrative
⁠(01:03:05⁠) — How Parenting Quietly Changed
⁠(01:08:41⁠) — Advice to an Anxious 21-Year-Old

👤 ABOUT MANISH SABHARWAL
Manish Sabharwal is the co-founder of TeamLease Services, one of India's largest staffing and skilling companies, and a co-founder of Ashoka University. A long-time columnist and former independent director on the board of the Reserve Bank of India, he is the author of Made in India. He has spent over two decades working on India's jobs, skilling and education reform.

🇮🇳 ABOUT BHARATVAARTA
Long-form conversations on India's politics, policy, economy, technology and culture — beyond the headlines.

🌐 ⁠https://www.bharatvaarta.in⁠
✖️ ⁠https://x.com/bharatvaarta⁠
📷 @bharatvaarta

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1 hr 13 min
September 29 What Is the Real Business Model Behind AI? Ft. Vivek Raghan, Co-Founder Sarvam AI
AI is getting better. AI models are getting more capable. And yet, in many cases, the cost of using AI keeps falling.
So… who is actually paying for all of this?
In this conversation, Roshan Cariappa sits down with Vivek Raghavan, Co-founder of Sarvam AI, to unpack one of the biggest questions around the AI boom: what is the real business model behind AI?
We talk about why companies can spend billions building AI and still offer powerful models to users at little or no upfront cost. What exactly are we giving up when we use “free” AI? And if India is among the world's biggest users of AI, are we simply exporting our data and importing intelligence?
The conversation then goes much deeper.
Vivek explains how large language models actually work, why training frontier AI is so expensive, and why rapidly improving GPUs and smaller, specialised models could make advanced AI dramatically cheaper to build.
We also discuss India's AI strategy, sovereign AI, China’s approach to technology, the growing geopolitical importance of AI, and whether India can build foundational AI capabilities of its own.
And perhaps most importantly: has India actually missed the AI bus—or is the economics of AI changing fast enough for India to catch up?
⏱️ CHAPTERS
(00:00) – The AI question nobody is asking
(00:19) – Who actually controls the AI world?
(00:58) – Meet Vivek Raghavan & Sarvam AI
(01:28) – How does an AI model actually work?
(03:32) – What are the “parameters” inside an AI model?
(04:58) – How AI actually generates an answer
(05:44) – Does AI really “learn” when we use it?
(07:19) – Why should India build its own AI?
(08:37) – Where should Indian data actually live?
(09:26) – If AI is free, what are we really paying for?
(10:34) – India: exporting data, importing intelligence
(11:52) – What did China do differently?
(14:34) – Should India create space for Indian AI companies?
(15:10) – AI has become a geopolitical game
(15:45) – Will AI create a new global power hierarchy?
(16:36) – How do you actually build sovereign AI?
(18:00) – Why building AI is getting cheaper
(19:30) – Why India may NOT be too late to AI
(20:16) – Do we really need the biggest AI models?
(21:48) – Why sovereign AI matters in the long run
(23:13) – Can smaller AI models beat frontier models?
(23:35) – India’s unique advantage in AI
(24:34) – What exactly is Sarvam AI building?
(25:21) – Why voice could be the future of Indian AI
(26:09) – “We are at the base of the mountain”
(26:24) – The road ahead for India’s AI ambitions
🎙️ ABOUT VIVEK RAGHAVAN
Vivek Raghavan is the Co-founder of Sarvam AI, an Indian company building a full-stack sovereign AI platform focused on India's languages, context and everyday needs.
Before Sarvam, Vivek was involved in building India's digital public infrastructure, including work connected with Aadhaar and UIDAI. He brings that experience in building technology at population scale into the AI ecosystem.
Sarvam is now building foundational models, AI infrastructure and applications designed for India, with a particular focus on multilingual and voice-first AI.
🇮🇳 ABOUT BHARATVAARTA
Bharatvaarta is a long-form podcast focused on India's politics, policy, economy, technology and culture.
We bring together founders, policymakers, technologists, academics, writers and thinkers to have honest, in-depth conversations about what is happening around us — and what it means for India's future.
Subscribe to Bharatvaarta for more conversations that go beyond the headlines.
🌐 Website: https://www.bharatvaarta.in
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28 min
September 18 If God is Formless, Why Do Hindus Worship So many Idols? Ft. Ami Ganatra
Who is a Hindu? And what does it really mean to be one?

Many of us grew up calling ourselves Hindu, but the deeper we look, the more questions emerge. Is Hinduism a religion or a way of life? How did the gods and deities we worship today evolve? And what ideas hold together such a diverse philosophical tradition?

In this conversation, Roshan Cariappa sits down with author Ami to explore the foundations of the Hindu worldview — from karma, rebirth and moksha to dharma, the cosmic order, questioning, pluralism and the evolution of Hindu deities.

The conversation also looks at how Vedic gods evolved over time, why personal forms of the divine became important, and what makes the Hindu worldview inherently plural and comfortable with different schools of thought.

This is a shorter version of the full conversation, bringing together some of the key questions and ideas from the original episode.

📚 CHAPTERS
(00:00) — Who Is a Hindu?
(02:25) — What Does It Mean to Be a Hindu?
(04:45) — Hindu vs Abrahamic Worldviews
(05:44) — Karma, Rebirth & Moksha
(08:00) — Why Sanatan Has Never Become Stagnant
(08:43) — Is Hinduism a Religion or a Way of Life?
(09:07) — Dharma & The Cosmic Order
(12:10) — Can Islam & Christianity Be Darshanas?
(14:48) — Why Questioning Matters
(15:27) — How Did Our Gods Evolve?
(16:52) — Why Ancient Humans Created Gods
(19:01) — From Vedic Gods to Personal Deities
(22:18) — How Local Deities Became Part of a Larger Tradition
(23:05) — Why Do We Worship Murtis?
(25:00) — How Ganesha's Form Evolved
(26:47) — What Makes the Hindu Worldview Different?
(28:33) — Why Hinduism Is Inherently Plural
(29:12) — Understanding a Nuanced Tradition

👉 If you found this conversation valuable, subscribe to Bharatvaarta.
We bring you serious, long-form discussions on civilisation, philosophy, and the ideas shaping India’s future.

🎧 Listen & Subscribe

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⸻
👤 Guest — Ami Ganatra
Author | Researcher | Indian Knowledge Systems
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Tags:
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👤 Host — Roshan Cariappa
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In this clip, we explore questions around what it means to be Hindu and the diverse interpretations of this ancient tradition. Ami Ganatra explains that understanding hinduism goes beyond a singular definition, encompassing a broad cultural identity and the concept of dharma. This discussion provides insight into the essence of Hindu religion and sanatan dharma, highlighting its multifaceted nature.

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31 min
September 12 How Much of "Made in India" Defence Is Actually Indian?
India wants to become a defence superpower. But how can that happen when we still depend heavily on foreign technology, engines, sensors and weapons?

In this conversation, Roshan Cariappa sits down with Vivek Krishnan, CEO & Co-Founder of SSS Defence, and Dinesh Shivanna, Co-Founder & CTO of SSS Defence, to unpack one of India's biggest strategic challenges: building a genuinely self-reliant defence industry.

Why does India still import so much of its military equipment? Why have we struggled to build indigenous engines? Why isn't simply having more defence startups enough? And what has the Indian Navy done differently when it comes to building capability?

Vivek and Dinesh argue that becoming Atmanirbhar in defence requires much more than assembling imported components. India needs long-term investment in R&D, engineering talent, domestic supply chains, sensors, engines and manufacturing capability — even if some of those bets fail.

This is a blunt conversation about what it will actually take to build India's military-industrial complex.

⏱️ CHAPTERS
(00:00) - Why Does India Import Most of Its Weapons?
(00:20) - The Cost of Buying Foreign Weapons vs Building at Home
(01:25) - India’s Missing Engine Ecosystem
(02:14) - Why India Must Start Building Even Small Engines
(03:38) - Why Defence Startups Alone Cannot Solve the Problem
(04:20) - The Danger of Depending on Foreign Sensors & Components
(04:58) - What Happens When Foreign Supply Chains Are Cut?
(05:18) - Why Government + Industry Must Think Long-Term
(06:20) - Why India Must Be Ready for War
(07:15) - Defence R&D Requires Failure
(08:35) - Why the Indian Navy Has Done Better
(09:15) - The Talent India Needs to Bring Back
(10:06) - Where India’s Defence Procurement Goes Wrong
(11:03) - When Indian Radar and Missiles Don't Even Talk to Each Other
(12:23) - The Mindset Problem: Why Foreign Weapons Were Trusted More
(13:27) - Why Defence Trials Take Years
(15:16) - How Procurement Can Become Faster
(16:00) - The Cost of Living With Foreign Weapons
(17:10) - Should Indian Defence Companies Get Priority?
(18:45) - What “Atmanirbhar Bharat” Should Actually Mean
(20:13) - What India Can Learn From the Navy
(22:21) - What India Can Learn From Israel
(23:35) - Israel’s Defence-Tech Ecosystem
(24:53) - A Call to Indian Engineers
(25:34) - “You Need to Be at War to Be at Peace”

🎙️ GUESTS
Vivek Krishnan — CEO & Co-Founder, SSS Defence
Dinesh Shivanna — Co-Founder & CTO, SSS Defence

SSS Defence is an Indian defence OEM established in 2017, focused on designing, developing and manufacturing small arms, precision weapon systems and other defence technologies in India.

🎙️ HOST
Roshan Cariappa — Bharatvaarta

▶️ WATCH THE FULL CONVERSATION:
[ https://youtu.be/0IsnmQMnvrE ]

The full episode goes deeper into India's defence imports, military-industrial complex, defence startups, engines, sensors, drones, procurement, Israel, indigenous weapons and the path to genuine defence self-reliance.

#India #Defence #DefenceTechnology #IndianDefence #AtmanirbharBharat #MakeInIndia #Military #DefenceIndustry #Bharatvaarta #airforce #Indiannavy

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28 min
September 04 The World Is Changing. How can India Become the Voice of the Global South?
The world is changing - and India is being forced to make choices.

China has transformed itself into an economic and strategic superpower. The United States is still the world's dominant power, but its relationship with China is changing. Russia remains a major geopolitical force. And the Global South is demanding a greater say in how the world is governed.

So where does India stand?
In the run-up to India's BRICS 2026 Summit, Bharatvaarta brings together perspectives from three of India's leading thinkers and practitioners to examine India's position in this emerging world order.

From India's economic race with China to the future of US-China relations, from BRICS and the Global South to strategic autonomy and India's ability to become a power that can choose its own path — this is a conversation about the choices that will shape India's next chapter.

⏱️ TIMESTAMPS
(00:00) — India, China & the changing world order
(00:36) — Why did China pull so far ahead of India?
(02:43) — The policy risks that powered China's rise
(03:41) — Why India's size can become a weakness
(05:21) — How can India become export competitive?
(06:23) — What China did differently
(10:34) — Can India reach 9–10% growth?
(10:53) — How should India deal with China?
(11:54) — The future of US-China relations
(13:17) — Why India cannot afford a confrontation with China
(16:09) — China's rise and the challenge to American power
(16:38) — Can the West accept a powerful India and China?
(18:07) — India, Russia & China: a new geopolitical equation
(18:35) — Who are the real hegemons?
(19:43) — Is the West trying to keep India down?
(20:06) — Was bringing China into the WTO America's biggest strategic mistake?
(21:41) — The Thucydides Trap: Is US-China conflict inevitable?
(24:12) — Is American power declining?
(24:26) — India between the US and China
(24:40) — Where does India go from here?
(25:00) — The difficulty of strategic policy in a democracy
(26:35) — India's battle-tested military advantage.
(27:06) — What India needs to get right.

ABOUT THE GUESTS
👤 MANISH SABHARWAL- Economist, entrepreneur and public-policy thinker. Co-founder of TeamLease Services, economist and public policy thinker. He has served on multiple government and policy bodies, including the RBI Board, and writes extensively on employment, education, economic growth and India's reform agenda.
Connect:
LinkedIn → https://www.linkedin.com/in/manish-sabharwal-187827176

👤 NEELKANTH MISHRA
Chief Economist, Axis Bank and Head of Global Research, Axis Capital. A prominent economist and policy thinker, Mishra has spent over two decades working across Indian and global markets, with a particular focus on India's growth, capital formation, productivity and economic policy.
Connect:
X → https://x.com/neelkanthmishra
LinkedIn → https://www.linkedin.com/in/neelkanth-mishra-46629b

👤 AMBASSADOR DR. MOHAN KUMAR
A veteran Indian diplomat with 36 years in the Indian Foreign Service, Ambassador Dr. Mohan Kumar served as India's Ambassador to France and Bahrain. He was also India's lead negotiator at GATT and the WTO, dealing with issues including trade, intellectual property, services and dispute settlement. He brings the perspective of a practitioner who has spent decades negotiating India's interests in a changing international system, and examines the choices confronting India between the world's major powers.
Connect:
X → https://x.com/AmbMoKumar
LinkedIn → https://www.linkedin.com/in/dr-mohan-kumar-76027834
Website → https://ambmokumar.com

👤 VIKRAM SOOD
Former Secretary of India's Research and Analysis Wing (R&AW), where he served from 2000–2003. He is currently an adviser at the Observer Research Foundation and the author of The Unending Game and The Ultimate Goal. His work focuses on intelligence, geopolitics, national security and strategic affairs.
Connect:
X → https://x.com/Vikram_Sood
LinkedIn → https://www.linkedin.com/in/vikram-sood-1b009715

FULL EPISODE LINKS:
1. Manish Sabharwal: Deregulation, Civil Service Reform & India's Growth Story (https://youtu.be/f1hRTb6MIZ8)

2. Neelkanth Mishra: India vs China: What's Holding Us Back? (https://youtu.be/d4ouuGUv6mQ)

3. Ambassador Dr. Mohan Kumar: Former Ambassador Reveals What Happens Inside India's Toughest Global Negotiations (https://youtu.be/Ys99H7_WjcM)

4. VIKRAM SOOD: Understanding the Deep State | Former R&AW Chief Vikram Sood (https://youtu.be/TomnFVq3Bt4)

ABOUT BHARATVAARTA
Bharatvaarta is a long-form podcast focused on politics, policy and culture in India. We bring together policymakers, founders, officers, technologists, writers and thinkers for honest, in-depth conversations about what is happening around us — and what it means for India's future.

If this conversation made you think, subscribe to Bharatvaarta.

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28 min

About Bharatvaarta

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Bharatvaarta podcast is a commentary on politics, policy and culture focused on India. The podcast brings together people from different walks of life who have varied and interesting perspectives on…