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The Great Power Show: India & Europe's Strategic Rediscovery
In a world shaped by war in Europe, strategic rivalry with China, and growing uncertainty about the United States, the India–Europe relationship is quietly undergoing a major transformation. Once seen as slow-moving and largely transactional, ties between New Delhi and Brussels have accelerated dramatically over the past two years. On India’s Republic Day this year, the government hosted European leaders, led by European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen, as special g
Feb 22 min read


The Great Power Show: A New Scramble for Africa
The Horn of Africa has long been described as one of the world’s most unstable regions. But instability, as we know, is rarely accidental. It is often the outcome of history, geography, and politics colliding over time. From contested borders drawn at the end of colonial rule, to unresolved questions of statehood and sovereignty, the region has been shaped by incomplete state formation and recurring external intervention. Add to this competition over resources, ethnic fragmen
Jan 232 min read


The Great Power Show: The Americas as a Strategic Battleground
We are entering a dangerous phase in global politics, one where speed, force, and unilateral action are beginning to matter more than law, legitimacy, or restraint. Great powers are increasingly willing to test the boundaries of sovereignty. Just hours after this episode of The Great Power Show was recorded, the United States carried out a military operation in Venezuela, capturing President Nicolás Maduro and his wife, Cilia Flores. The operation sent a troubling signal of h
Jan 31 min read


The Great Power Show: National Supremacism - The New Ideology of Global Politics
We’re living through a moment of profound global churn. Trust in politics is eroding. Nationalism is surging. Great powers are retreating from the idea that the world can grow together. Instead, they are embracing zero-sum competition, technological supremacy, and national power as the primary source of legitimacy. In this episode of The Great Power Show, Manoj Kewalramani is joined by Pratap Bhanu Mehta , political theorist, public intellectual, and one of sharpest thinkers
Dec 19, 20251 min read


The Great Power Show: Europe Needs Vision, Not Instruments
Europe today finds itself at a geopolitical crossroads. From Brussels to Berlin, Paris to Warsaw, policymakers are grappling with a world order that is undergoing fundamental changes. At one level, there is a growing sense of clarity: Europe today sees a world shaped by intensifying great-power rivalry, fragile economic interdependence, and political currents that are tugging the continent in different directions. But beneath that clarity lies deep uncertainty. What role is t
Dec 5, 20252 min read


The Great Power Show: Where is China Heading?
Late in October, the Communist Party of China concluded the Fourth Plenary session of the 20th Central Committee. Plenums as critically important gatherings of the Party’s elite. This one outlined the vision for China’s overall development for the next five years. The nutshell version of the long document that was issued was that Xi Jinping’s leadership has taken China down the right path of development and amassing power. So, we should expect more of that—more continuity in
Nov 19, 20251 min read


The Great Power Show: India & Russia - Between Trust and Tension
There’s a paradox at the heart of the India–Russia relationship. On one level, there are no direct conflicts of interest. In fact, at a moment like the present, when even trusted partners like the United States appear willing to coerce New Delhi, Moscow seems like a reliable friend. It remains a key defense supplier, and now also an important energy partner, offering deep discounts to keep its own economy afloat. And yet, there are growing limitations, and increasing costs, t
Oct 31, 20251 min read


The Great Power Show: Finding the Substance amid Geopolitical Signalling
Look around the world today; there are few certainties. The global order is in a state of flux. And that means that every country is...
Sep 30, 20251 min read


The Great Power Show: MAGA & Global Trade - Reset or Rupture?
The past eight months have been among the strangest in recent times. The Trump administration has given substance to its rhetoric on...
Sep 19, 20251 min read


The Great Power Show: The Revolt of the Orchestra
At the beginning of 2025, if you asked someone in New Delhi, you probably would have heard a response of cautious optimism. India seemed...
Sep 8, 20252 min read


The Great Power Show: From Plato to Populists - Political Philosophy for Our Times
Prof. Steven Smith’s Open Yale Course on Political Philosophy is not just a masterful survey of Western political thought, from Socrates...
Aug 17, 20251 min read


The Great Power Show: International Relations & the Indian Mind
India’s global profile is rising. By the end of this decade, India will be the world’s third-largest economy. Diplomatically, it is also...
Aug 7, 20251 min read


The Great Power Show: Decoding Chinese Politispeak
In this episode of The Great Power Show, Manoj Kewalramani speaks to Katja Drinhausen , who heads the Chinese Politics & Society research...
Jul 24, 20251 min read


The Great Power Show: Cinematic Geopolitics - The Search for New Identities & Order
On this episode of The Great Power Show, Manoj Kewalramani converses with Bruno Maçães , former Portuguese Secretary of State for...
Jul 11, 20251 min read


The Great Power Show: Tech Tussle - Chips, Containment & Industrial Policy
On this episode of The Great Power Show, Manoj Kewalramani speaks with Ryan Fedasiuk , former Advisor for Bilateral Affairs at the U.S....
Jun 22, 20251 min read


The Great Power Show: Power, Politics & the Indian News Media
On this episode of The Great Power Show, Manoj Kewalramani speaks with veteran journalist Sachin Kalbag who has held top editorial...
Jun 8, 20251 min read


The Great Power Show: Manufacturing Might - Power in the Age of Decoupling
On this episode of The Great Power Show with Manoj Kewalramani, geopolitical analyst Yanmei Xie unpacks the essential aspects of Sino-US...
Jun 1, 20251 min read


The Great Power Show: Bilahari Kausikan on Competition being the Natural State of the World
As great power rivalry deepens, old assumptions are crumbling, and the rules of the international order are up for renegotiation. This...
May 19, 20251 min read


The Great Power Show: France in a Fractured World
In this episode of The Great Power Show, Manoj Kewalramani speaks to Philippe Le Corre , Senior Fellow at the Asia Society Policy...
Apr 27, 20251 min read


The Great Power Show: In Defense of Economic Globalisation
In this episode of The Great Power Show, Manoj Kewalramani speaks to Anupam Manur—Professor of Economics at The Takshashila Institution,...
Apr 15, 20251 min read
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