Commentary
Find our newspaper columns, blogs, and other commentary pieces in this section. Our research focuses on Advanced Biology, High-Tech Geopolitics, Strategic Studies, Indo-Pacific Studies & Economic Policy
Indian Express | The colonial era of AI is here — India must chart its own course
By Arindam Goswami
The Paris AI Action Summit, with its impressive array of declarations and initiatives, could not mask a deeper geopolitical reality: We have entered the colonial era of artificial intelligence, where corporate sovereignty increasingly trumps national sovereignty, and global governance and ethics have been put on the backburner while still being paid lip service. The final declaration by the real power players— the US and the UK — speaks volumes. They are the tech giants who have effectively colonised the digital frontier.
By Arindam Goswami
Read the full article here.
The Hindu | Implications of the AI Diffusion Framework
By Ashwin Prasad
India has set ambitious goals for its space programme in the next two decades. These goals hinge on powerful, reusable rockets such as the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO)’s upcoming Next Generation Launch Vehicle (NGLV). In addition to the NGLV, India must tap into its private sector to develop more such rockets in order to secure strategic autonomy in its access to outer space.
By Ashwin Prasad
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Money Control | US BioSecure Act: Impact on India and Biotech Opportunities in Supply Chain Shifts
By Anisree Suresh
The BioSecure Act seeks to reduce US-China biotech ties, creating the potential for India to become a biomanufacturing hub. However, India's biotech sector must overcome challenges in innovation, regulatory standards, and technology to attract businesses shifting from China.
By Anisree Suresh
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Firstpost | Paris AI Summit: How Indo-French partnership can be a rule maker for future innovations
By Arindam Goswami
As co-chair of the AI Action Summit in Paris, India, under the prime ministership of Narendra Modi, has the opportunity to kickstart a new chapter in global technological cooperation. Artificial Intelligence (AI) has a pervasive impact across different sectors. In that sense, it is a general-purpose technology (GPT), to borrow the term from Jeffrey Ding’s GPT Diffusion Theory, which promises to reshape various sectors. Nations are grappling with both its enormous potential and inherent challenges. Now is the time to come together and collaborate on setting a strong foundation for the years to come.
With its considerable experience in building and running a vast digital public infrastructure, coupled with a workforce that has proven expertise in software development, India could become an important voice in the global AI discourse
By Arindam Goswami
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Firstpost | Creative insecurity: What India can learn from Chinese DeepSeek saga
By Arindam Goswami and Shobhankita Reddy
DeepSeek benefitted from a supportive structural Chinese research and development ecosystem that existed for several decades. Also, Xi Jinping’s vision for a ‘Chinese Dream’ and national rejuvenation is rooted in technological supremacy
By Arindam Goswami and Shobhankita Reddy
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The Hindu | The U.S.’s immigration blocks as a self-defeating path
By Arindam Goswami
What do we see in the bustling corridors of Silicon Valley, the research labs of Boston, and the biotech hubs of San Diego? Skilled immigrants do not just fill jobs; they create them. They launch startups, file patents and drive innovation, expanding the very foundation of American employment.
However, to understand this, we need to challenge our most basic assumptions about how labour markets work in knowledge economies.
The debate over H-1B visas in the United States seems to hinge on a seemingly very intuitive argument: that restricting skilled immigration will translate into more jobs for native workers. On the contrary, extensive research has shown that this approach is flawed and, in fact, counterproductive to innovation and job creation.
By Arindam Goswami
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The New Indian Express | Is China's mega dam project a geopolitical weapon under the guise of development?
By Y Nithiyanandam
Given the ecological, social and geopolitical impacts of the project on the Yarlung Tsangpo, known as the Brahmaputra in India, China must commit to international norms for equitable resource sharing and data exchange.
By Y Nithiyanandam
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The Diplomat | Y Nithiyanandam on the Risks of China’s Ambitious Yarlung Tsangpo Project
By Y Nithiyanandam
“Without greater transparency on the part of China and cooperative frameworks, this dam could become a flashpoint in an already delicate regional equilibrium”
By Y Nithiyanandam
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Deccan Herald | A River Beyond Borders
By Swathi Kalyani
Alterations to Brahmaputra’s flow can adversely affect the dependencies on Teesta – its major tributary – which originates from the Khangtse glacier in the northeastern Himalayas of India.
By Swathi Kalyani
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Deccan Herald | Delimitation and its complex play of disparities
By Miheer Karandikar
The past few decades have brought drastic changes in states’ populations, leading to two main problems – a high population/MP ratio and dramatic variation across states. Addressing this will require a package of solutions rather than a single silver bullet.
By Miheer Karandikar
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News18 | Opinion | Atal Innovation Mission: Building An Ecosystem For Technological Diffusion
By Arindam Goswami and Bhaskari J
AIM focuses on accelerating innovation; the path to that is not just via capturing first-mover advantage, but also by creating linkages to enable cross-sectoral adaptation of technologies
By Arindam Goswami and Bhaskari J
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Deccan Herald | DPDP Rules and a missed opportunity
By Anwesha Sen
The draft DPDP Rules fail to address many of the ambiguities and concerns surrounding the DPDP Act. Additionally, some provisions in the rules appear to undermine rather than protect individual privacy, raising further doubts about their effectiveness.
By Anwesha Sen
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Outlook Business | How Satellite Internet Can Bridge India’s Digital Divide and Expand Its Strategic Heft
By Ashwin Prasad & Rakshith Shetty
Recent events in India highlight the growing prevalence of satellite-based internet technologies. In the Northeast state of Manipur, Indian security forces recovered a Starlink dish and router with weapons during a raid. This is not an isolated occurrence; another Starlink device was recently found in a drug-bust off the Andaman coast. Authorities suspect that these devices were smuggled in from Myanmar, where Starlink is reportedly active despite lacking regulatory approval. It is likely being used to circumvent government-imposed internet restrictions there. These incidents highlight the potential as well as the penetration of space-based technologies like satellite internet.
By Ashwin Prasad & Rakshith Shetty
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Deccan Herald | Soaring over traffic
By Avinash Shet
The rise of eVOTL technology demands new governance structures distinct from conventional aviation. This includes rules for aircraft certification, urban operations, pilot training, and vertiport construction. For a growing economy like India, seizing this opportunity early is vital to realising the potential benefits of eVTOL technology. The country must address regulatory gaps with air traffic management and pilot training rules and develop a roadmap to support eVTOL technology and infrastructure for building a robust urban air mobility ecosystem.
By Avinash Shet
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Moneycontrol | COP29 hyped nuclear energy but it won’t last
By Lokendra Sharma
The hype surrounding nuclear energy in the aftermath of the COP29 would only translate into growth of the nuclear industry if the theoretical solution to highly-radioactive nuclear waste — deep geological repositories — translates into reality. A safe answer which has been adequately tested is not yet available.
By Lokendra Sharma
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The Federal | China’s super dam on Brahmaputra: Why it's a geopolitical challenge and concern for India
By Y Nithiyanandam
With the region already prone to landslides and floods, the massive project undertaken by China could prove catastrophic, says Geospatial expert, Dr. Y. Nithiyanandam, Head of Geospatial Program at the Takshashila Institution.
By Y Nithiyanandam
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The Hindu | India’s reliance on China for critical minerals
By Rakshith Shetty
Does China have unparalleled dominance in the critical minerals sector? How was it able to do so? What are the minerals for which India is heavily dependent on China? Why has India not been able to excavate the lithium reserves found in Jammu and Kashmir?
By Rakshith Shetty
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Deccan Herald | AI and data centres: Misplaced focus in the energy demand
By Rakshith Shetty
The narrative linking electricity demand growth to artificial intelligence (AI) and data centres has been exaggerated, diverting attention from more significant drivers of energy consumption. The International Energy Agency’s (IEA) analysis presents a sobering reality check: data centres are projected to account for only about 5 per cent of global electricity demand growth by 2030. This modest contribution is dwarfed by other sectors, yet media coverage and public discourse often inflate its significance.
Read the full article here.
Life of Soldiers | Anti-Submarine Warfare: Doctrine and Capabilities of the PLA Navy
By Anushka Saxena
At the recently concluded Zhuhai Airshow in Guangdong, China, a new unmanned combat vessel of the People’s Liberation Army Navy (PLAN), the ORCA, made its debut as part of the Asian giant’s naval arsenal. As official sources highlighted, this 500-tonne displacement high-speed stealth unmanned surface combat vessel, equipped with a diesel-electric dual-mode propulsion system, is capable of performing a host of tasks including Beyond-Visual-Range (BVR) fire strike, and air and missile defense. But perhaps what is most interesting, is its reported ability to perform anti-submarine search and strike autonomously. If true, the PLAN may just be ushering in a transformed era for China’s undersea warfare capabilities.
By Anushka Saxena
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Hindustan Times | Power shifts in China’s defence establishment
By Anushka Saxena
Xi’s anti-corruption campaign aims to consolidate power and ensure loyalty within the PLA but has inadvertently exposed factional divides.
By Anushka Saxena
Read the full article here.