For decades we have seen a continuation of colonial approaches to development. These ideas are being challenged for a few years now. There is a realisation that development needs to be decolonised.…

After years I am once again filled with hope. Young students fearlessly taking on the regime and demanding a better future has enlivened me. I come from a generation that, along with the generation…

David Oks’ piece Why China got rich and India didn’t got me thinking. In this post I capture those thoughts. Briefly, David got it absolutely correctly, but there are some aspects that …

I introduce Suzy Hansen’s Notes on a Foreign Country. The book is a journey of discovery for Suzy herself, and also a damning critique of decades long US foreign policy; policy that has run t…

When I learned that Shefaly had finally decided to put pen to paper and write a book about her experiences as a Board member, I knew she would challenge, provoke and point a way forward. She did al…

Rules are good. Following processes makes sense. TILL IT DOESN’T. Knowing the difference on when to insist on process and when to think bigger picture is critical. Lest one make a fool of one…

My thoughts on the IYC protest at the Global AI summit and the reactions it has provoked.

With Republic Day coming up, I reflect on what it means to ‘celebrate’.

I managed to read some great books this year; apart from consuming podcasts that kept me seeking more like an addict. From my 2025 reading, these are the books I would like to recommend.

Conversations with university mates reminds me of Douglas Adams, the Hitchhikers guide to the galaxy and Somebody Else’s Problem Field.

I watched The Great Shamsuddin Family on the weekend and thoroughly enjoyed it. In the middle of macho, hate-filled, nationalistic nonsense that passes for mainstream Hindustani cinema these days, …

Recent conversations with friends makes me ruminate over the challenges that care-givers of parents face.

The one way to not feed war machines is TO NOT PROMOTE AND/OR START WARS. The WSJ article “How Humanitarian Aid Feeds War Machines” by Netta Barak-Corren who is a law professor and the …

The Image by Daniel Boorstin was written 64 years ago. It remains extremely pertinent even today. While the book focused on the USA, the message it delivers is relevant to the whole world. The mess…

The Image by Daniel Boorstin was written 64 years ago. It remains extremely pertinent even today. While the book focused on the USA, the message it delivers is relevant to the whole world. The mess…

The 1985 Govind Nihalani movie Aghaat triggers a lot of reflections on how things have changed in India since then and how things haven’t really changed. The challenges remain similar; they p…

A tweet extolling efficiency sends me down the memory lane and leads to a mini-rant on how we over-glorify the wrong things (in my opinion, of course) and miss out on what it means to be human.

To counter the frequent and vile rants about slums in Indian cities, I post an answer that I wrote on Quora many years ago. Point is that, slums are a manifestation of a failed rural livelihood and…

I saw Stolen on Amazon Prime and loved it. I write here to say why, without giving too much of the plot away. The film has been made brilliantly. It’s taut with no wasted moments, no diversio…

Robert F. Mager’s “Goal Analysis” provides a practical method for converting abstract goals into concrete actions. By following Mager’s five-step process, individuals and or…

A Brief History of the Mitanni

My take on Santosh, a movie that may never see release in India because of an over-reaction by government of India. I cannot figure this out. It is not as if these things have been not been shown e…

My reflections on the Netflix mini-series Adolescence. The questions it raised. The thoughts it provoked. And why you should watch it.

I write to introduce Manu Pillai’s book “Gods, Guns and Missionaries The Making of the Modern Hindu Identity” and to recommend that you read it.

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