FO° Podcasts: Recent Episodes
Fair Observer
Fair Observer is an independent, nonprofit media organization that engages in citizen journalism and civic education.
Our digital media platform has 2,500 contributors from 90 countries, cutting across borders, backgrounds and beliefs. With fact-checking and a rigorous editorial process, we provide diversity and quality in an era of echo chambers and fake news.
The pandemic killed the world of hiking, one of the world’s most beloved outdoor activities. In the years that followed, hiking came back even stronger than ever before. Despite its being around for hundreds of years, hiking still has been ever-evolving. How has hiking survived all this time? What do we enjoy about the wilderness? How are changing landscapes affecting our hiking? What challenges do we face hiking in unfamiliar territory, and what impact does our hiking have on the generations after us?
Hiker Christine Gabriel joins Fair Observer’s Editor-at-Large Ranjani Iyer Mohanty to take a deep dive into these thought-provoking matters. The conversation offers a guide to hiking on trails in areas all across the world (such as Canada, Portugal, Spain, New Zealand and Turkey), the trails near one’s own home, hiking after COVID, how to start hiking, why hiking is so beloved and more!
As they discuss their journeys, they reminisce and discover the joys and impact that hiking makes on so many lives. Want to be involved in the conversation? Subscribe, share and discuss and become a part of the Fair Observer community!
Digital nationalism has been one of China’s most defining focuses in the last decade, influencing much of the globe. And yet, world discussions about China often ignore much of what’s going on behind the curtains. What is digital nationalism, and what can it tell us about modern day China and its future?
Author and Modern China Studies professor of Leiden University Florian Schneider joins Eminent Geopolitical Analyst Haruko Satoh to explore these subjects. The conversation examines the role online spaces play in the shaping of national identity, recent visa policy and more.
As they discover China’s evolving role in the world and how digital nationalism plays into its evolution as a global powerhouse, a question arises: if China is neither the country its critics nor its supporters describe, what does the real China look like?
Narco-terrorism sits at the intersection of organised crime and political violence — but its implications extend far beyond either domain.
In this FO Podcasts episode Fair Observer’s Founder, CEO and Editor-in-Chief Atul Singh speaks to former counterterrorism operative Jeffrey James Higgins examines how illicit drug networks have evolved into sophisticated actors capable of funding insurgencies, destabilising states and undermining institutions. From the Taliban’s historic reliance on opium to the rise of synthetic opioids such as fentanyl, the relationship between narcotics and conflict has become increasingly entrenched.
The discussion explores how cartels in Latin America are acquiring paramilitary capabilities, how transnational gangs like MS-13 operate across borders and how drug economies erode state authority over time. It also considers the broader policy debate: should narcotics be treated primarily as a public health issue or as a national security threat?
As criminal networks grow in scale and influence, the boundary between crime and warfare is becoming harder to define.
Why do Americans support strict border control—but oppose mass deportations?
In this podcast, Fair Observer’s Founder, CEO and Editor-in-Chief Atul Singh speaks to Kent Jenkins on the “immigration paradox” shaping US politics today. While Donald Trump’s policies successfully reduced illegal border crossings, they also triggered widespread backlash when enforcement moved into American cities.
This conversation examines the psychological and political divide at the heart of the issue: people fear immigration as an abstract problem, yet empathize deeply with individual immigrants in their communities. Through real-life cases, historical research, and political analysis, this discussion reveals why public opinion shifted so dramatically.
From border security to deportation policies, and from public outrage to political strategy, this episode unpacks one of the most complex debates in modern America.
00:00 Immigration Paradox
05:30 Trump’s ICE Deployment
11:00 Open Borders
19:00 Racism and Anti-Migrant Sentiments
28:00 Democrats vs Republicans
What is the Muslim Brotherhood and how did it shape modern Islamist movements?
In this episode of the Fair Observer podcast, Egyptian author and political activist Cynthia Farahat joins us to explore the origins, ideology and evolution of the Muslim Brotherhood. Founded in 1928 by Hassan al-Banna in Egypt, the organization grew into one of the most influential Islamist movements in the world.
We discuss the historical context of its creation, the influence of thinkers like Sayyid Qutb and Syed Abul A'la Maududi, and how the movement expanded across the Middle East and beyond. The conversation also examines the Brotherhood’s political strategies, its role during the Arab uprisings and the presidency of Mohamed Morsi, and the broader debate about political Islam.
This discussion provides historical context and analysis of a movement that has influenced politics, security debates and ideological conflicts across the Middle East for nearly a century.
Watch the full conversation and join the discussion.
00:00 What is the Muslim Brotherhood?
07:00 The Concept of Jihad
12:30 Dawah vs Dawla
19:00 Evolution of the Muslim Brotherhood
31:30 London vs Istanbul
40:30 Today’s Muslim Brotherhood
44:00 A Peaceful Muslim Brotherhood?
For years, Washington framed its confrontation with Venezuela as part of the war on drugs — a narrative questioned by critics who argued that narcotics enforcement masked a deeper geopolitical objective. That debate has now reached its dramatic conclusion. The Trump administration has carried out a special operation in Caracas, capturing Nicolás Maduro and his wife and flying them to the United States to face drug-related charges.
Fair Observer’s Founder, CEO and Editor-in-Chief Atul Singh sat down with Benjamin Delile, Foreign Correspondent for the French Newspaper Liberation on December 15. Together, they examined Washington’s Venezuela policy through the lenses of geopolitics, military strategy and great-power competition.
Benjamin Delille explains why claims about fentanyl and drug trafficking do not align with available data, and why Venezuela’s strategic importance goes far beyond narcotics. From oil reserves and critical minerals to China’s growing influence in Latin America, the discussion reveals the deeper forces shaping US actions.
They also discuss Venezuela’s political crisis, the disputed 2024 election and the rise of opposition leader Maria Corina Machado Finally, the conversation situates Venezuela within the broader Trump-era revival of the Monroe Doctrine, raising uncomfortable questions about regime change, intervention and the future of US power in the Western Hemisphere.
00:00 America’s War on Drugs
09:30 America’s Arc of Influence
13:10 Maria Corina Machado’s Popularity
21:00 Hugo Chavez & Maduro
26:20 Trump’s Maximum Pressure Campaign
33:00 Trump’s Endgame in Venezuela
Myanmar is heading into elections on December 28 while the country remains trapped in a brutal civil war. More than 6,000 people have been killed, over 3.5 million displaced, and nearly half the population pushed into poverty since the 2021 military coup.
In this episode of FO Talks, Rohan Khattar Singh speaks with Asanga Abeyagoonasekera, Executive Director of the South Asia Project at the Millennium Project, to unpack why Myanmar’s military junta is holding elections at its weakest moment. The discussion examines the collapse of state control, the rise of resistance forces, ethnic armed groups, and why the opposition has been entirely excluded from the vote.
The conversation also explores China, India, ASEAN, regional spillover risks, illicit trade networks, and why this election is widely viewed as an attempt to manufacture legitimacy rather than restore democracy.
Is this election a step toward stability or a move that deepens Myanmar’s fractures? This episode explains what is really at stake.
00:00 Myanmar’s First Election Since 2021 Coup
05:30 Myanmar’s Junta Buying Time?
09:00 Opposition Silenced in 2025 Election
13:15 What Does the Junta Want?
16:00 What Do the Ethnic Groups Want?
20:00 Is the Election Fair?
24:00 Global Silence on Myanmar
27:30 Peace in Myanmar
Why is the word class almost never spoken in American politics, despite shaping elections, identity, and power? In this episode of FO Podcasts, Fair Observer’s Founder, CEO and Editor-in-Chief Atul Singh, examines the hidden class system in the United States with former Washington Post journalist Kent Jenkins.
Drawing from his journey from a blue-collar upbringing to elite Washington institutions, Jenkins explains how class operates through education, accents, culture, and unspoken social rules. The conversation explores why American politics avoids class language, how elite institutions dominate political discourse, and why working-class voters across racial lines have drifted away from the Democratic Party.
The episode also unpacks Donald Trump’s appeal, elite condescension, identity politics, and the widening divide between metropolitan professionals and rural or industrial America. With comparisons to Europe and the United Kingdom, this discussion shows why class, not race alone, has become a defining fault line in US democracy.
00:00 Class in America
04:30 Atul’s Family in India
06:30 Kent’s Family in America
10:00 Class Politics in the US
15:00 What Trump Did Right
21:00 Class in Europe vs America
35:00 The Impact of Class on Community
40:00 Democrats and Zohran Mamdani
45:00 Race and Class in America
55:00 Republicans vs Democrats
In this episode of FO° Podcasts, Fair Observer’s Editor-in-Chief Atul Singh speaks with Lauren Greenberg, Deputy General Counsel at White & Case LLP, about the transformative impact of Title IX on women’s sports in the United States. From founding Dartmouth’s first women’s softball team to filing a landmark Title IX complaint, Greenberg shares how law became her tool for creating equal opportunity. The conversation explores the evolution of women’s athletics, the life skills sports cultivate, gaps in media representation, and why true gender parity still requires cultural change. They also discuss the next frontier — pay equity, leadership roles and expanding support for underrepresented sports. A powerful discussion on rights, opportunity and the future of women in sport.
In this episode, Founder, CEO & Editor-in-Chief Atul Singh sits down with Dr. Edmund Ghareeb, renowned scholar, historian and author of Enemy of the Sun: Palestinian Poetry of Resistance. Together, they explore the remarkable story behind the book’s publication, its connection to the Palestinian struggle, and how poetry became a powerful voice of identity, resistance and survival.
Ghareeb recounts how the book, Enemy of the Sun, featured works by iconic poets such as Mahmoud Darwish, Samih al-Qasim and Rashid Hussein — figures who turned Palestinian poetry into political testimony. The conversation traces the book’s unlikely publishing journey, its ties to calls for resistance like the Black Panther movement and its rediscovery decades later.
The discussion delves into the intersection of politics, literature, and history, exploring how Palestinian poetry connects with broader human struggles, from apartheid and exile to freedom and dignity.
This powerful conversation captures not just the Palestinian cause, but the universal resilience of those who fight to be heard.
In this episode of FO° Podcast, Producer Rohan Khattar Singh speaks with Zweli Martin Dlamini, investigative journalist from Eswatini, about a shocking new policy under the Trump Administration — the deportation of third-country migrants to Eswatini, a tiny landlocked kingdom in southern Africa.
The conversation uncovers the controversial “Dollars for Deportees” deal, exploring whether Eswatini’s monarchy, led by King Mswati III — is financially benefitting from US deportations. Dlamini explains how this arrangement, which sends non-Eswatini nationals to the country, has raised serious human rights and legal concerns.
Why would one of Africa’s smallest nations sign such a deal? Is the US outsourcing its migrant crisis to weaker states, and at what cost?
This episode investigates power, money, and exploitation behind an agreement many call modern-day dumping by the West. Join Rohan Khattar Singh and Zweli Martin Dlamini as they unpack the ethics, economics, and silence surrounding one of America’s most disturbing foreign policy moves.
In this episode of FO° Podcasts, Fair Observer’s Founder and Editor-in-Chief Atul Singh speaks to American voting rights attorney and Washington D.C’s Shadow Senator, Ankit Jain, on US President Donald Trump’s policy of deploying thousands of National Guard troops and federal agents in the nation’s capital. Jain and Singh discuss crime in Washington, D.C. and why it has been a top concern among D.C’s voters. Jai speaks about why Washington, D.C. should be a state and how the national capital suffers for being a federal district. Listen to the full podcast to learn more about what the Trump Administration is doing in the national capital.
In this episode of FO° Podcasts, Fair Observer’s Founder and Editor-in-Chief Atul Singh speaks to foreign affairs analyst William McChesney about the Syrian refugee crisis. They talk about the fall of former Syrian leader Hafez al-Assad, his son Bashar al-Assad, and the current interim government under former Al Qaeda member Ahmed al-Sharaa. They also discuss the role of Turkey in Syria’s politics and why Ankara has backed Ahmed al-Sharaa. Singh and McChesney then dive into the sectarian violence and tensions in Syria which have forced millions to leave the country. Watch the full episode to know more.
The Iranian regime’s network of terror in the Middle East has been greatly reduced to rubble over the past year. With US President Donald Trump back in office the frenzied Ayatollah is adapting to the new reality and Tehran leaping for a nuclear bomb appears to be among the cards. In this episode we talk all that and more.
Note: After this episode was recorded, Trump reinstated the Maximum Pressure campaign from his first term on the Islamic Republic. Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei reacted by saying that talks with the United States were “not smart, wise, or honorable.”
HTS, an Islamist group with al-Qaeda roots, is now the strongest force in Syria. The fallen Assad regime, while brutal, was formally socialist and secular, allowing a degree of religious freedom. Syria is now in danger of losing this relative freedom.
Flavius Mihaies is an investigative journalist with extensive field experience in Syria, Iraq, Lebanon, Eastern Europe, and Africa. His journalism primarily focuses on conflict, the experiences of minorities at war, and the effects of economic sanctions. Before his journalistic career, Flavius worked with the US Congress, think tanks, international organizations, and private sector entities in development and foreign policy. HuffPost, the Atlantic Council, and Al Jazeera have featured his work. Flavius frequently travels to the Middle East, where he has firsthand experience working in a Syrian refugee camp, touring towns in the Kurdish region, and visiting local Christian communities. He has also completed a book on Syria.
Antoine van Agtmael, a sage of our times who coined the term “emerging markets” in 1981, discusses Donald Trump’s victory, its reasons, its significance and its consequences in this episode of FO° Podcasts. He says it is the end of an era, but the world is still much better off than a hundred years ago, and there is reason for hope.
The upcoming second Trump administration has ignited a debate about its economic impact, referred to as "Trumponomics." This approach diverges from traditional Republican free-trade principles while keeping elements like deregulation, lower taxes, and a strong stance on China. The effectiveness of these policies will largely depend on the administration's appointees in key departments, but Trump's unpredictable nature introduces further uncertainty. The outcome remains uncertain.
South Africa's history is a journey from colonization and racial injustice to resistance and the overthrow of apartheid. In this episode of FO° Podcasts, we peel back the many layers of the country’s past, make sense of the present and ponder the future.
Switzerland continues to navigate complex global challenges while maintaining its traditional neutrality and economic interests. The country's diplomatic efforts, economic partnerships, and strategic approach to international relations demonstrate its commitment to fostering peace, stability, and prosperity on the world stage.
The Horn of Africa is a region facing complex and interconnected challenges with potential conflict and instability. Understanding the historical context, current geopolitical landscape and the role of external powers is crucial for comprehending the dynamics of this volatile region.
Professor Haruko Satoh from the Osaka School of International Public Policy and Dr. Satu Limaye, Vice President and Research Program Director at the East-West Center in Washington, discuss the evolving role of the Quadrilateral Security Dialogue, a strategic partnership between four of the most important democracies in the Indo-Pacific: Japan, the US, Australia and India.
In this episode, Atul Singh chats with Nadia Oweidat, a professor at Kansas State University and an intellectual historian. Nadia discusses her book "Reform and its Perils in Contemporary Islam," which delves into the challenges of reforming Islamic thought. The conversation highlights the work of Islamic philosopher Nasr Hamid Abu Zayd, exploring his contributions and the difficulties faced in modernizing Islamic perspectives.
In this podcast episode, the host interviews Nadia Oweidat, a professor at Kansas State University and an intellectual historian. Nadia discusses her book, "Reform and its Perils in Contemporary Islam," which delves into the challenges of reforming Islamic thought. The conversation highlights the work of Islamic philosopher Nasr Hamid Abu Zayd, exploring his contributions and the difficulties faced in modernizing Islamic perspectives.
In this episode of FO° Podcasts, host Atul welcomes back Flavius Mihaies to discuss the recent political unrest in the French overseas territory. Flavius explains that the crisis stems from the indigenous Kanak population's demands for greater autonomy and potential independence. The Kanaks, comprising 41% of the population, are concerned about proposed changes in voting laws by the French government, which they see as undermining their political power. The episode delves into New Caledonia's colonial history, its strategic importance, and the economic and healthcare benefits provided by France. Efforts at resolution and the island's divided stance on independence are also explored.
In this episode of FO Podcasts, Atul Singh and independent journalist Flavius Mihais discuss NATO's expansion and its implications, particularly in relation to Russia and Eastern Europe. They explore the historical context of NATO's formation and its growth from 12 to 32 members, emphasizing the shift towards Eastern Europe. The conversation delves into differing perspectives on Russia's actions, with some viewing them as a continuation of Soviet aggression and others seeing them as a defensive stance against NATO's proximity. They also highlight the varied responses of European countries, influenced by historical traumas and current geopolitical realities, that shape NATO's strategic direction.
In this podcast episode, Atul Singh and Gary Grappo examine the repercussions of Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi's death. They analyze potential causes, including challenging flight conditions and political motives, and discuss the impact on Iran's political landscape. Grappo offers insights into the country's autocratic structure, the IRGC's role, and religious councils' influence on governance. The episode also explores the succession of the supreme leader, the aspirations of the Iranian youth, and the nation's strained international relations. The conversation finally provides a deep dive into the complexities of Iranian politics and its global implications.
In this episode of the Fair Observer podcast, Anton Schauble and Nick Henninger discuss the significant economic repercussions of a bridge collapse in Baltimore. They cover the city's historical and industrial importance, the immediate effects on local communities, and the logistical challenges posed by the disruption of traffic. Nick also touches on bipartisan efforts to secure federal funding for bridge restoration and the regional and national consequences, including the rerouting of cargo and long-term implications for the port's business contracts. He concludes with a focus on the commitment to rebuilding a stronger port infrastructure, supporting workers, and leveraging the new bridge for the port's resurgence.
In this episode of FO Podcasts, Atul Singh and FO contributor Nasir Khiliji discuss remittances. They focus on Pakistan and Israel to explore the positive and negative effects of remittances on economies that rely heavily on them.
In this episode of FO Podcasts, Atul Singh sits down with Flavius Milhaes, who recently got back from Ukraine. They delve into a critical but often overlooked aspect of the war: the religious conflict. Flavius offers his firsthand observations on how the war is impacting religious communities, public attitudes, and the relationship between faith and society in Ukraine.
Josep Colomer explains why political polarization and infighting are so rampant in the United States. The framers of the Constitution designed it with more "checks" than "balances," making it far easier to stop rather than pass legislation. The framers did not anticipate how the two-party system would emerge and weaponize the mechanisms they created. Yet a few simple measures can go a long way in alleviating the worst of polarization.
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"Loopster" Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com)
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French President Emmanuel Macron has taken a surprisingly aggressive stance on the Russia-Ukraine war. His recent pronouncements, including hinting at NATO intervention and calling Putin "evil," have sparked criticism.
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Former South Carolina Governor Nikki Haley is the last woman standing against Donald Trump in the Republican primary elections. While most look at the race as a foregone conclusion, Trump’s legal headaches, including both civil suits and criminal charges, may catch up to him yet. The world is bracing for the possibility of another protectionist Trump presidency, which could destabilize the international system.
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"Loopster" Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com)
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Martin Plaut went from a part-time South African labor activist to the full-time Africa secretary for the British Labour Party. There, he got the inside scoop on the action between the African National Congress (ANC) in South Africa, the Labour Party in Britain, and the Communist Party in the USSR. From its days as the vanguard of a coming revolution, the ANC has now become a corrupt ruling party that might finally be in trouble in the coming elections.
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"Loopster" Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com)
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Glenn Ojeda and Atul Singh discuss the recent referendum in Venezuela on the incorporation of the Essequibo territory in neighboring Guyana. Venezuela eyes Essequibo because it is oil-rich. Despite past agreements to settle the border dispute, Venezuela is testing the waters for the use of military force.
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"Loopster" Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com)
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Africa has had over 100 coups in the last 50 years. Ancient ethnic conflicts and post-colonial hangovers make African governments unstable. Now, Russia is exploiting the instability to expand its influence.
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"Loopster" Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com)
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Richard Fontaine, CEO of the Center for a New American Security, shares his insights on the Israel–Hamas war, the Russia–Ukraine war and a rising but economically troubled China with Fair Observer. In all three theaters, unpredictability reigns. The predictions that have become orthodoxy today may be reversed tomorrow.
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"Loopster" Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com)
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Republicans have elected a new Speaker of the House, Mike Johnson — a name unknown to many before this moment. Who is he, what does he believe and how will he behave? We ask our Contributing Editor, Washington-based policy wonk Christopher Roper Schell, to explain.
Washington-based policy wonk and former Republican Congressional candidate Christopher Roper Schell shares his thoughts on the new Speaker of the House of Representatives, Mike Johnson. The new speaker is an unexpected choice that has left many Republican insiders, including Members of Congress, bewildered.
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"Loopster" Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com)
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In this episode of FO° Podcasts, Fair Observer’s Editor-in-Chief Atul Singh speaks to retired US Treasury economist Nasir Khilji about controversial Pakistani leader Zulfikar Ali Bhutto. They discuss Bhutto’s rise to power, his role in creating Bangladesh, and the events leading to his eventual downfall. They answer an abiding question: was Bhutto a hero or a villain, or a bit of both?
Zulfikar Ali Bhutto was a Pakistani politician who was the fourth president of Pakistan from 1971 to 1973 and the ninth prime minister of Pakistan from 1973 to 1977. During his time as a legislator, he founded the Pakistan People’s Party (PPP), a social-democratic political party in Pakistan, promoting social democracy, equality, and social justice, along with maintaining a strong military. Bhutto also declared Ahmedi non-Muslims, allowed feudal lords into the political system, and destroyed bureaucracy and state ventures. Two opposing narratives surround Bhutto’s reputation as a leader on this episode of FO° Podcasts. One narrative sees him as a great hero of Pakistan who was unfairly killed by a murderous military dictator. The other paints him as a villain who destroyed the economy and established a corrupt dynasty that is still looting Pakistan. Nasir Khilji takes a step back, takes a deep breath and examines Bhutto’s legacy.
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"Loopster" Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com)
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In this episode of FO° Podcasts, Fair Observer’s Editor-in-Chief Atul Singh speaks to Afghan journalist and intellectual Bilal Rahmani. They discuss hunger, displacement, ethnic strife, and gender-based violence, painting a picture of Afghanistan in turmoil and examining potential consequences for the country and the region.
Afghanistan under the Taliban’s leadership is a place of incredible confusion and ambivalence. Economic growth stagnates, rival leaders jostle for power, rebellions break out repeatedly, the Taliban crush them ruthlessly even as they pay lip service to the international community while silencing women and minorities, and foreign relations rapidly deteriorate as mistrust mounts.
Bilal Rahmani explains exactly how the Taliban are transforming Afghanistan into an oppressive pariah state through rank incompetence and self-enriching policy decisions. Eventually, this downward spiral of corruption and violence could spell an end to the modern borders of Afghanistan.
Author Bio
Bilal Rahmani is the director of training and development at Foreign Brief, a geopolitical risk publication. He holds a master of arts in law and diplomacy from the Fletcher School at Tufts University, where he extensively researched international security in Asia. Prior to his work in geopolitics, Bilal worked as an Asia domain expert at Dataminr and as a lecturer and teacher throughout mainland China.
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/bilalrahmani/
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Hoshang Billimoria reminisces about J. R. D. Tata, the senior managers he chose for the Tata Group and what made them special. He explains how business was extremely difficult in the days of socialism and how private equity can destroy a successful business.
Author Bio
Hoshang Billimoria
Hoshang Billimoria is an accomplished professional with a background in commerce and accountancy. After working as a partner at S.B. Billimoria & Co., Hoshang joined the Tata Group in 1989, where he served as Deputy CEO of Tata Sons and then Managing Director of Tata Press. At this company, Hoshang oversaw the company’s transformation, expanding operations into new fields. Subsequently, he played a crucial role in establishing Next Gen Publishing Ltd. in 2005, where he served as the CEO until 2020. Hoshang has also served as an independent director on several boards, including Thomas Cook, HDFC AMC, Fenner Conveyor Belting and Indian Card Clothing. Academically, Hoshang is a topper from Bombay University and also twice winner of the Deloitte Plainder Prize at the examinations conducted by the Institute of Chartered Accountants of England and Wales.
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India’s top economic adviser argues that the government has created one common national market, facilitated creative destruction through IBC, helped SMEs survive COVID, built infrastructure at record speed, and stimulated fast growth. He candidly admits that the Indian state machinery is designed to control thanks to its colonial origins and socialist path, and administrative and judicial reforms are essential to put India on a higher growth trajectory.
Author Bio
Sanjeev Sanyal is the Principal Economic Advisor to the Government of India. Until 2015, he was the global strategist and managing director at Deutsche Bank. In 2007, he was awarded the Eisenhower Fellowship for his work on urban dynamics. He has been a Visiting Scholar at Oxford University, Adjunct Fellow at the Institute of Policy Studies, Singapore, and a Senior Fellow of the World Wide Fund for Nature. Environmentalist, martial arts practitioner, and adventure sports enthusiast, this bestselling author’s books include Revolutionaries, Land of the Seven Rivers, The Indian Renaissance, and The Ocean of Churn. In 2014, he received the inaugural International Indian Achievers Award for contributions to Literature. He was educated at Shri Ram College of Commerce and as a Rhodes Scholar at the University of Oxford.
Twitter: @sanjeevsanyal
Email: sanjeev.sanyal@gov.in and jyoti.mirani27@gov.in
Credits:
"Loopster" Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com) Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 4.0 License http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/
In this episode of FO° Podcasts, Fair Observer’s Editor-in-Chief Atul Singh is joined by Sharad Kumar Saraf, a legend in Indian manufacturing. Saraf braved the license-permit-quota raj of Indian socialism to take on an American giant and emerged as a world leader in his field. He explains how he got started and how India can achieve manufacturing success.
Sharad Kumar Saraf graduated from the Indian Institute of Technology (IIT), Bombay, in 1969 when IIT Bombay was churning out talent for American universities. Almost 69% of his classmates left for the US, but Saraf stayed on to achieve a rare and spectacular success in manufacturing in India.
Saraf himself had scholarships to two American universities. However, one night he asked himself what was wrong with his country and decided to stay back. Of course, his mother was chuffed. Saraf did not have a clue as to what to do but soon began working for his cousins who manufactured electric motors. Today, the REMI Group is recognized as a pioneer in manufacturing electric and geared motors in India.
His relatives packed him off to the German Democratic Republic, better known as East Germany, where Saraf learned the tricks of the trade. He stayed on after work to observe their processes and copied the industrial secrets they had not shared with this young Indian engineer. Saraf did what the Americans did to the British and what the Chinese are doing to the Americans in the never-ending cycle of acquiring technology.
An extraordinary entrepreneurial journey
Eventually, Saraf and his brother (also an IIT Bombay alumnus) decided to make closures for 200-liter steel drums, which store oil, chemicals and other liquids. Drums have two screwed openings, one two-inch and the other three-quarters-inch. The two brothers took on an American company that monopolized the drum closure market—and won. Today, Technocraft Industries India Limited, the company started by the Saraf brothers in 1972, is the only other market player in the space.
Making these screwed closures is complicated. Technocraft Industries’ secretive American competitors shredded their scrap to avoid anyone reverse engineering their product. The Saraf brothers nearly went bankrupt in trying to crack the code for making these closures. They made many mistakes and managed to succeed despite having no resources.
Saraf credits his education at IIT Bombay, which taught him and his brother to think outside the box, go deep and never give up. Both brothers plowed profits back into the business. They kept improving their technology and reducing their workforce every year. Efficiency gains helped Technocraft Industries become a world leader by 1990. They were exporting to more than 40 countries.
About 135 million steel drums are produced every year. Saraf’s company produces 65 million closures and, unlike their competitors, they do not make their own drums. Therefore, they have no captive market and give their customers a top product as well as many value-added services.
Earlier, Technocraft Industries imported its steel. Since 1995, Saraf’s company has been buying all its steel from Jindal Steel Works (JSW). Today, the company has two factories in India and one in China. This factory serves the Chinese market and produces 15 million closures per year. This figure is in addition to the 65 million produced in India.
Manufacturing: India v China
Because the Saraf brothers are in India, quality control is better, supervision is easier and volumes are higher. In China, manufacturing costs are higher. Power costs more, as does labor. Chinese steel is cheaper but medium, small and micro enterprises (MSME) pack what they produce and do not do quality control. So, Technocraft Industries Limited would have to send eight to ten people to train their suppliers. Now, things are better.
The biggest disadvantage in India is the bureaucracy, the red tape and the corruption. Saraf takes the view that corruption in India is far worse than in China. Thankfully, in over ten years, no inspector has ever visited Saraf’s factory in Anhui to ask for a bribe or cause Saraf any grief. In India, the laws are unclear, bureaucrats have far too much discretion and no deadlines when it comes to making decisions. In fact, India’s officials can sit on a file for years. There is no accountability for these officials. Furthermore, goalposts change constantly and decisions of officials are arbitrary. In contrast, Chinese officials make decisions in a time-bound manner. In business, time is money and India’s officials make life very difficult for manufacturers.
India’s colonial state was anti-manufacturing and anti-business. Its job was to cut Indian competition off at the knees so that British industry could use India as a captive market. Since independence, the government has tried to industrialize, but officials have become corrupt and want bribes. So, transaction costs have simultaneously gone up and are not accurately measurable. Manufacturers have to show false profits to pay venal officials.
Why are Indian bureaucrats anti-business?
After independence in 1947, the government turned socialist and made the paternalistic assumption that Indians were ignorant and all sectors needed regulation. This mindset is fallacious because Indians have proven themselves to be an entrepreneurial lot around the world. The license-permit-quota raj hobbled the Indian economy. Till 1991, this shackled the Indian economy.
Officials gave manufacturers a license to manufacture. They set production limits. This penalized efficiency gains. The government was obsessed with controlling the economy. The Aditya Birla Group wanted to produce pulp in India, but the government refused permission, and this led the industrial group to set up its factory in Thailand. Today, the Aditya Birla Group imports pulp from its own factory in Thailand. As a result, India missed out on the multiplier effect of jobs, incomes and wealth.
This Kafkaesque system encouraged shady players. For example, the Steel Controller of India gave licenses for steel production. There were such controllers for all sorts of industries. Shady operators got licenses without having factories. This operator could not have used the steel he hypothetically produced because the license had a user condition: the one with a license had to use the steel himself. However, this operator was neither manufacturing nor using steel. Honest manufacturers were forced to buy steel in the black market from this operator, though, because he owned a license. The system was incorrigibly corrupt and horribly inefficient, holding India back for decades.
What must the government do?
Saraf points to the success of Indians in information technology (IT) and other sectors. In 1998, the IT industry was $40 million and today it is $200 billion, a figure IT pioneer Ashank Desai points to very proudly. Saraf attributes this success to the lack of controls over the IT sector.
As a man with dirt under his fingernails, Saraf proposes reforms. He advises the government to incentivize revenue collectors in each district to promote industry. If industry does not increase in their district, then the district officials should suffer. With 766 districts, India should have 600 industry clusters. The government must emulate Germany and create its own Mittelstand, the MSME of that European industrial superpower.
Saraf suggests simplifying extremely complicated land laws. Converting land to industrial use is still extremely hard. The government has realized the need for industrialization and brought in schemes like Production Linked Incentive. Yet, things have still not changed at the ground level. For instance, India’s forest laws are crazy, and officials are worse. They have designated land without a single tree as “forest.” This means no manufacturer can start a factory on such so-called forest land.
Instead of such insane classification, the government could require manufacturers who cut trees for new factories to plant and maintain 20 trees for every tree they cut down. The Chinese and, especially, the Swiss have this policy. Forest cover in European countries has increased because of incentives to plant trees, not barriers to starting factories.
The government must lower transaction costs as well. It must make banking policy simpler. Currently, banks ask for high collateral. This shuts out new entrants. As a result, entry barriers are the biggest obstacle to growth in manufacturing. Saraf remarks that, after a successful entry, life is easy even as compared to China, but the first five years are hell.
Saraf is no free-market absolutist though. He believes that there is a case for government intervention. The state has a role to play. India suffers from an extraordinary skill shortage. The country of over 1.4 billion people lacks good engineers and technicians. Currently, the government is paying dole to encourage people to get technical training, but the carrot approach is not working.
So, the government must use a stick instead. The government must make it mandatory for industry to employ only certified skilled labor. This would lead to the quality of masons, plumbers and electricians improving. This approach would be cheaper and better. India would produce higher-quality goods, and the economy would grow faster.
Sharad Kumar Saraf is an industrialist. He is the founder and chairman of Technocraft Industries India Limited, a major producer of steel hardware and cotton products for export. Sharaf holds a B.Tech from the Indian Institute of Technology (IIT), Bombay. He has chaired the board of governors of IIT Bombay, IIT Jammu, and the Bombay Textile Research Association. He also served as president of the Council of EU Chambers of Commerce in India. A student of history and cultures, he has visited over 50 countries. He is a social activist and has taken part in initiatives including the rejuvenation of Powai Lake, improving cotton cultivation in the Vidarbha region, and technical education and skill development programs.
Email: sksaraf@technocraftgroup.com & ps@technocraftgroup.com
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In this episode of FO° Podcasts, Fair Observer’s Editor-in-Chief Atul Singh speaks to Kartik Kilachand who has returned to give back to India after much entrepreneurial success in the US. Kartik shines the light on business climate and entrepreneurship over the years and many other aspects of life in India.
Kartik Kilachand's years of entrepreneurship and business acumen are now being put to good use. This alumnus of the Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) Bombay made his name in the US in the food and beverage industry and also worked in technology. Kilachand has returned to serve the country he grew up in and is now based in India.
In this episode of FO° Podcasts, he gives an intimate perspective on India's economic choices after independence in 1947, India’s IIT experience, and his own entrepreneurial journey. He points out how India has come a long way from the days of Nehruvian socialism but still has a long way to go.
About one million people enter the workforce every year. Many people with higher education, including PhDs, take up low-skilled jobs and struggle to have decent careers. Kilachand believes that India can do much more to drive growth and jobs. Its teeming millions could contribute to national growth with the right policies and investments.
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Since 1954, the internal borders have changed more in India than in the rest of the world. The retired director of the Lal Bahadur Shastri National Academy of Administration, which trains Indian Administrative Service (IAS) officers, explains the story of the formation of new states and India’s changing internal borders.
Even before independence, linguistic identity mattered to Indians. In fact, the independence struggle became a mass movement because leaders even before Mahatma Gandhi adopted their native tongues to rouse the masses. Gandhi himself ran three newspapers, one in English, another in Hindi, and a third in his native Gujarati.
Chopra argues that India’s earliest self-conception is a union of diverse cultures. The British divided the country into 11 provinces for administrative convenience. Linguistic considerations did not matter to them. Of course, there were over 500 princely states as well.
In 1947, India inherited nine provinces from the British. The incorporation of princely states by this young country was a feat of extraordinary statesmanship by Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel. For a while, the country retained the borders of the imperial states until linguistic identity asserted itself.
This identity led to new linguistic states. Most recently, the formation of Telangana after splitting up Andhra Pradesh has boosted the demand for smaller states.
The formation of states is a story of the growing democratization of Bharat, as Sanjeev Chopra’s book, We, the People of the States of Bharat. You can buy the book here.
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Over 90% of start-ups fail. To say they are a risky business is an understatement. For the first time, G20 has put startups on the agenda. India has led that move and Chintan Vaishnav of NITI Aayog—the Indian government’s public policy think tank—discusses startups in India and the G20.
This edition of FO° Podcasts examines start-ups. Historically, the US has given birth to this strange beast. Since the 2007-08 crash in Western economies, things have changed. Start-ups are starting to take off in poorer economies, especially India. As chair of the G20 this year, India has put startups on the agenda for the first time.
In emerging markets, start-ups were not always popular. People were afraid to take risks. With economic growth, broader access to technology, and changing demographics, start-ups are on the rise in many G20 countries.
India has been a shining example of rising entrepreneurship. Forbes estimates that there are now 100 unicorns in the country. As per Pew Research Center, 40% of India’s population is under 25. This population is more educated and technologically savvy than ever before, producing a huge demand for goods and services. Naturally, entrepreneurs are emerging to serve this demand.
Vaishnav takes the view that entrepreneurship is just getting started in India and many other G20 countries and start-ups have a long way to go. He explains what makes a healthy start-up ecosystem possible, the national and international forces that influence such an ecosystem, and how it can be a driving force for economic and social good.
Vaishnav also outlines why India has placed start-ups front and center of the G20 agenda.
Author Bio
Chintan Vaishnav is a socio-technologist, an engineer trained to design and build large-scale systems that possess both human as well as technological complexities. Presently, he serves as the Mission Director for the Atal Innovation Mission (AIM), a flagship initiative of the government of India under the auspices of the NITI Aayog. Chintan is on leave from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) for his present assignment. As a teacher, innovator, and entrepreneur, he has split his time between teaching and research at MIT, and living and working with rural communities in India to build solutions that improve living conditions despite resource constraints.
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Email: chintan.vaishnav@gov.in
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[Matthew Knudson produced this podcast.]
To most people, cryptocurrencies are an abstract and complicated financial system. So what exactly are they, who uses them, and why? Former British MP Oonagh McDonald, awarded the Commander of the British Empire (CBE) for her contributions to financial regulation and business, makes sense of cryptocurrencies in 2023.
This edition of FO° Podcasts examines the rise of cryptocurrencies and their place in the international banking system. Crypto set itself as an alternative to banks and regulation, promising anonymity. Over the years, the value and success of crypto skyrocketed. However, scandals like the collapse of the FTX demonstrate have taken the sheen off crypto recently. Clearly, these new currencies have unique pitfalls and are hence increasingly volatile.
In a wide-ranging conversation with editor-in-chief Atul Singh, McDonald explains the workings of crypto, its counterculture origins, recent scandals, and these currencies are being used today.
Author Bio
Dr Oonagh McDonald CBE, author and international expert in financial regulation, was a British Member of Parliament, and Opposition Spokesman on Treasury and the City. She subsequently became a board member of the Gibraltar Financial Services Commission and worked under the auspices of the Asian Development Bank, advising newly established financial regulatory authorities in Sri Lanka, Indonesia, Nepal, Brunei, and Mongolia. Onnagh has also worked with USAID, more recently in Ukraine and Moldova. She has written numerous articles, published in leading academic Journals and The Times and The Financial Times. Oonagh’s books include Lehman Brothers: A Crisis of Value and Holding Bankers to Account. In 1998, she was awarded the Commander of the British Empire (CBE) by the Queen for her services to financial regulation and business. Oonagh now resides in Washington, DC where she swims almost every morning and cooks exotic curries for friends.
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As Pakistan’s inflation rate soars, retired US Treasury economist Nasir Khilji discusses the country's dire economic crisis with editor-in-chief Atul Singh. The two dive deep into history and envisage what lies around the corner for this deeply troubled nation.
This edition of FO° Podcasts examines Pakistan’s turbulent past and current economic crisis. Nasir Khilji has five decades of experience as an economist. He worked in many departments for the US government before retiring as a senior economist from the Treasury.
Although Khilji is American, he grew up in Pakistan. He has been a regular visitor to the country and has observed the Pakistani economy closely.
In a wide-ranging conversation with Fair Observer’s editor-in-chief Atul Singh, Khilji addresses Pakistan’s struggles with its political leadership, military involvement in politics, persistent instability, and rampant corruption. The two also discuss inflation, brain drain, and more.
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In this not-so-new series for FO° Podcasts—The Hot Mic—Atul Singh and Christopher Roper Schell examine the US debt ceiling, the latest developments in the Russia-Ukraine War, and the new great game over the melting Arctic.
The two hosts are back after a hiatus to dive into things that matter.
US Debt Ceiling
The debt ceiling is in the news again. Fundamentally, the US has a legal mechanism that caps the total amount of debt that the US Treasury can issue. Congress has to approve spending beyond the debt ceiling and this sometimes causes friction with the president.
Republicans have a majority in the House of Representatives. They want the government to cut costs. Democrats in the White House want the House to raise revenues by raising taxes. If the two cannot agree, the government can grind to a halt and it has in the past.
This podcast examines the hullabaloo about the debt ceiling and makes sense of it all.
Russia-Ukraine War
The Russia-Ukraine War has been in a stalemate for a while. In the early phases of the war, the Russians got a beating. Then, they regrouped and made some advances. For months, there has been a stalemate.
With spring thawing the snow, a Ukrainian offensive seems to be in the offing. Some believe that Ukraine has the advantage. After all, the country will be getting F-16 fighter jets. The US is still pouring in aid and arms. Others argue that there are too many different weapons needing different types of ammunition. The Russians are using prisoners as cannon fodder and killing the flower of Ukrainian youth.
The next few weeks might be a critical period of this war.
The Arctic Great Game
Once, great powers played the great game over Afghanistan. Now, it has shifted to the Arctic. As Atul Singh wrote in an earlier piece, “The melting of polar ice caps opens up new opportunities for resource extraction and sea routes. This has sharpened rivalries between the US-led West and a China-backed Russia. Tensions are increasing and so are the possibilities of conflict.”
Russia has used the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS) astutely to claim the continental shelf. Note that the US does not recognize UNCLOS. Other Arctic powers such as Canada, Denmark, Norway, Sweden, Finland, and Iceland have been late to the party. So, Russia has the legal lead.
At the same time, Russia is building military bases in this region. As Singh wrote, “Russia has seven nuclear-powered icebreakers and around 30 diesel-powered ones. The US and China have just two diesel-powered icebreakers each in operation. The US is the global superpower but Russia is the Arctic superpower.”
China claims to be a near-Arctic power and is funding Russian military development. China is looking to bypass two choke points that could cut off its energy supplies, block its exports and bring its economy to a standstill. These choke points are the Suez Canal and the Straits of Malacca. China desperately wants another sea route.
The melting of the Arctic is opening up new trans-Arctic routes that China desperately craves. In the past, a Russian tanker sailed from Norway to South Korea in 19 days. A passage through the Suez Canal would have taken over 50 days. As the factory of the world with an insatiable appetite for commodities, the oil, gas, and minerals along with a shorter sea route is China’s wet dream. No wonder the stage is set for yet another great game.
Learn more about Atul and Christopher, and read their work on the two links below:
https://www.fairobserver.com/author/atul-singh/
https://www.fairobserver.com/author/christopher-schell/
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In this episode of FO° Podcasts, Fair Observer’s Editor-in-Chief Atul Singh is joined by Jean AbiNader, a veteran expert on the Middle East and a Lebanese American who is closely connected to his ancestral land to analyze Lebanon’s endangered economy and political instability.
Jean AbiNader was born in Lebanon and has spent the last 40 years traveling and working in the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) region. He has worked in marketing, public affairs, and project management. AbiNader has a wealth of knowledge and experience in the MENA region.
AbiNader paints a dire picture of Lebanon’s current problems. He makes sense of Lebanon’s gutted and struggling economy, entrenched government corruption, identity politics and instability.
For nearly three years, Lebanon has suffered the most devastating, multi-pronged crisis in its modern history. The unfolding economic and financial crisis started in October 2019. COVID-19 and the 2022 explosion in the Beirut port exacerbated this crisis.
The World Bank’s Spring 2021 Lebanon Economic Monitor found that Lebanon’s crisis ranks among the worst economic crises since the mid-19th century. Nominal GDP plummeted from $52 billion in 2019 to $23.1 billion in 2021. The GDP per capita fell by 36.5%. Incomes fell and jobs vanished.
Lebanon was an upper middle-income country despite the ethnic conflict and the refugee burden. In July 2022, the World Bank reclassified it as a lower-middle income country. Such a brutal contraction is usually associated with conflicts or wars.
AbiNader makes sense of Lebanon’s crisis, examines why things have come to such a pass and posits solutions for the future.
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In this episode of FO° Podcasts, Canadian Defense Attaché Major-General Michel-Henri (Mike) St-Louis speaks to Fair Observer’s Editor-in-Chief Atul Singh about conflicts in Ukraine, Afghanistan, Iraq, the changing nature of war, and more.
Major-General Michel-Henri St-Louis is an experienced soldier. He has deployed on missions in Bosnia, Croatia, Afghanistan, and Iraq. In this podcast, Major General St-Louis shares his insights from his distinguished military career to analyze the Russia-Ukraine War. He talks about the lessons of this war from proper training and sensible doctrines to empowering field commanders and maintaining morale.
The eloquent general goes on to share his insights on the complex political and military situation in Afghanistan over the past 20 years. He served twice in the country and shares his rich insights here. The Canadian Defence Attaché also speaks about Iraq, the rise of ISIS, the Syrian civil war, and Qasem Soleimani of Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps. He shares many lessons relevant for military members, diplomats, and all students of history, geopolitics, and international relations.
Author Bio
Major-General Michel-Henri (Mike) St-Louis currently serves as Canada’s Defence Attaché to the United States. His career highlights include serving as the Acting Commander of the Canadian Army, Commander of Canada’s Joint Task Force—IMPACT—in the Middle East, Deputy Commanding General for Operations of America’s First Corps, command of 5e Groupe Brigade Mécanisé du Canada, and the last Canadian Battle Group overseeing combat operations in Afghanistan. Maj Gen St-Louis is a graduate of the National War College (US), Canadian Forces College, Canada’s Collège Militaire Royal de Saint-Jean, Royal Military College in Kingston, and the Canadian Army Command and Staff College. He is an officer within the Legion of Merit (US) and Canada’s Order of Military Merit and also received the Meritorious Service Cross and Medal.
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In a new series for FO° Podcasts—The Hot Mic—Atul Singh and Christopher Roper Schell examine Donald Trump's falsifying business records, Taiwan's precarious relationship with the U.S., and how the Russia-Ukraine war is causing OPEC to reevaluate its relationship with the West.
Learn more about Atul and Christopher, and read their work on the two links below:
https://www.fairobserver.com/author/atul-singh/
https://www.fairobserver.com/author/christopher-schell/
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In the second of this two-part series, retired US Treasury economist Nasir Khilji discusses the American economy with editor-in-chief Atul Singh.
In a wide-ranging conversation, this edition of FO° Podcasts examines the American economy. Nasir Khilji has five decades of experience as an economist. He worked in many departments for the US government before retiring as a senior economist from the Treasury.
Khilji speaks about both the challenges and the prospects of the American economy. He speaks about inflation, debt, healthcare, and more in this podcast. Khilji discusses oil prices, inflation, growth prospects, and more with editor-in-chief Atul Singh, the host of FO° Podcasts.
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In the first of this two-part series, retired US Treasury economist Nasir Khilji discusses the global economy with editor-in-chief Atul Singh.
In a wide-ranging conversation, this edition of FO° Podcasts examines the global economy. Nasir Khilji has five decades of experience as an economist. He worked in many departments for the US government before retiring as a senior economist from the Treasury.
Khilji speaks about the US, Europe, and emerging markets in this podcast. He discusses oil prices, inflation, growth prospects, and more with editor-in-chief Atul Singh, the host of FO° Podcasts.
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In a new series for FO° Podcasts—The Hot Mic—Atul Singh and Christopher Roper Schell examine US President Joe Biden’s State of the Union address, US-China tensions over the Chinese spy balloon, and the ramifications of Russian oil production cuts for the global economy.
Learn more about Atul and Christopher, and read their work on the two links below:
https://www.fairobserver.com/author/atul-singh/
https://www.fairobserver.com/author/christopher-schell/
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In this third entry of a three-part series, investor, philanthropist, and author Antoine van Agtmael and editor-in-chief Atul Singh discuss the future of emerging markets. They also analyze India’s rise as an economic powerhouse as well as the causes and consequences of inequality.
Agtmael is a legendary investor who came up with the term “emerging markets” and was the chair of the board of trustees of National Public Radio (NPR). Agtmael’s distinguished track record as an investor and his rich professional career make him uniquely suited to read the tea leaves for the global economy and the future of clean tech.
With Fred Bakker, Agtmael is the author of The Smartest Places on Earth: Why Rustbelts Are the Emerging Hotspots of Global Innovation. Earlier in his career, Agtmael authored The Emerging Markets Century: How a New Breed of World-Class Companies Is Overtaking the World. Few understand the big trends shaping the world better than Agtmael. Given his track record, his views on the future of our planet are immensely important.
Learn more about Atul and Antoine, and read their work on the two links below:
https://www.fairobserver.com/author/atul-singh/
https://foreignpolicy.com/author/antoine-van-agtmael/
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In this second of a three-part series, investor, philanthropist, and author Antoine van Agtmael and editor-in-chief Atul Singh discuss the troubled European economy, the challenge of demography, and China’s economic and technological future.
Agtmael is a legendary investor who came up with the term “emerging markets” and was the chair of the board of trustees of National Public Radio (NPR). Agtmael’s distinguished track record as an investor and his rich professional career make him uniquely suited to read the tea leaves for the global economy and the future of clean tech.
With Fred Bakker, Agtmael is the author of The Smartest Places on Earth: Why Rustbelts Are the Emerging Hotspots of Global Innovation. Earlier in his career, Agtmael authored The Emerging Markets Century: How a New Breed of World-Class Companies Is Overtaking the World. Few understand the big trends shaping the world better than Agtmael. Given his track record, his views on the future of our planet are immensely important.
Learn more about Atul and Antoine, and read their work on the two links below:
https://www.fairobserver.com/author/atul-singh/
https://foreignpolicy.com/author/antoine-van-agtmael/
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In a new series for FO° Podcasts—The Hot Mic—Atul Singh and Christopher Roper Schell examine a divided US Congress, German tanks and China’s COVID catastrophe.
Learn more about Atul and Christopher, and read their work on the two links below:
https://www.fairobserver.com/author/atul-singh/
https://www.fairobserver.com/author/christopher-schell/
You can follow Fair Observer on social media:
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In this first of a three-part series, investor, philanthropist and author Antoine van Agtmael and editor-in-chief Atul Singh discuss the global economy, the return of stagflation, the US-China clean tech race and the drivers of transformation to a green energy economy.
Agtmael is a legendary investor who came up with the term “emerging markets” and was the chair of the board of trustees of National Public Radio (NPR). Agtmael’s distinguished track record as an investor and his rich professional career make him uniquely suited to read the tea leaves for the global economy and the future of clean tech.
Learn more about Atul and Antoine, and read their work on the two links below:
https://www.fairobserver.com/author/atul-singh/
https://foreignpolicy.com/author/antoine-van-agtmael/
You can follow Fair Observer on social media:
Newsletter: https://www.fairobserver.com/newsletter/
LinkedIn: https://in.linkedin.com/company/fair-observer
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/c/FairObserver
Twitter: https://twitter.com/myfairobserver
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/fairobserver/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/fairobserver
In a new series for FO° Podcasts — The Hot Mic — Atul Singh and Christopher Roper Schell examine the tussle for the leadership of the Republican Party between Donald Trump and Ron DeSantis, the looming recession and the recent India-China border clash.
Learn more about Atul and Christopher, and read their work on the two links below:
https://www.fairobserver.com/author/atul-singh/
https://www.fairobserver.com/author/christopher-schell/
You can follow Fair Observer on social media:
LinkedIn: https://in.linkedin.com/company/fair-observer
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/c/FairObserver
Twitter: https://twitter.com/myfairobserver
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/fairobserver/
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Join Haruko Satoh in a three-part series exploring the impact of the war in Ukraine in Asia. The second episode explores how India and Japan have been impacted by the rupture in the international system following the invasion of Ukraine.
Haruko is Co-Director of the IAFOR Research Centre, Osaka School of International Public Policy.
This podcast series is part of the IRC project “Peace & Human Security in Asia; Towards a Meaningful Japan-Korea Partnership” and is sponsored by the Korea Foundation.
In this episode, Haruko is joined by Dr Satu Limaye, Vice President of the East-West Center, Dr Taku Tamaki, Lecturer in International Relations at Loughborough University, and Atul Singh, Founder, CEO & Editor in Chief of Fair Observer.
Join Haruko Satoh in a three-part series exploring the impact of the war in Ukraine in Asia.
Haruko is Co-Director of the IAFOR Research Centre, Osaka School of International Public Policy.
This podcast series is part of the IRC project “Peace & Human Security in Asia; Towards a Meaningful Japan-Korea Partnership” and is sponsored by the Korea Foundation.
In this episode, Haruko is joined by Bryce Wakefield, Executive Director of Australian Institute of International Affairs, and Jaewaoo Choo, Professor of Chinese foreign policy in the Department of Chinese Studies at Kyung Hee University, Korea.
Kenya is facing national elections this year. Raila Odinga, the former prime minister, is reportedly the favorite to win the elections. He is enjoying a massive amount of airtime on mainstream media. William Ruto, the deputy president, is Odinga's top challenger. Ruto is a canny political operator who has mastered the use of social media. However, there is a new entrant in the political race who is upsetting old calculations. George Wajackoya is running an unconventional presidential campaign that includes comical theatrics, dancing to reggae music, Rastafari attire and colorful headgear. Wajackoya has taught law and economics, human rights, and comparative constitutional and international law at US, UK and Kenyan universities. He is also promising to clear Kenya's loans through sale of marijuana.
Swaleh Idris is a Kenyan journalist, author, and media entrepreneur who covers humanitarian crises, conflict, and disasters. Prior to founding Najm Media; a multimedia communications agency based in Nairobi, he worked at Kenya's oldest media organization; Standard Media Group as a creative. He has also written a book inspired by the South Sudan conflict and short stories on humanitarian issues.
Find his writing on Fair Observer