Why is China investing in belts and roads, building infrastructure from the Balkans to Sri Lanka? Why is India building roads in Afghanistan or wants to build train lines connecting India's Northeastern states with Myanmar and Thailand? Is this all because of grand geopolitical considerations, or is it mainly just economics that drives these ideas?

Ambassador Shivshankar Menon talks to guest host Pranay Kotasthane about connectivity on Episode 82 of The Pragati Podcast.

Amb. Shivshankar Menon is the former National Security Advisor to Government of India, and India's former Foreign Secretary before then. In his career as an IFS officer, he's served as the Ambassador to China and Israel, and High Commissioner to Pakistan and Sri Lanka. He is the author of Choices: Inside the Making of Indian Foreign Policy. https://www.amazon.in/Choices-Inside-Making-Indias-Foreign-ebook/dp/B06XXTB4M3

Kannada barutta? Check out the Thale-Harate Kannada Podcast, co-hosted by Pavan Srinath. This week on Episode 8, Alok Prasanna Kumar talks the evolution of Aadhaar and how Indians secured a fundamental right to privacy in the process. ಬನ್ನಿ ಹರಟೆ ಹೊಡಿಯೋಣ! http://ivmpodcasts.com/harate-kannada-podcast

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