Tariffs—taxes on imports—have long been a powerful tool in economic policy, shaping global trade for centuries. But are they always harmful, or can they serve a strategic purpose? In this episode, we trace the history of tariffs from the British East India Company to modern trade disputes between the U.S., China, India, and Europe. William Dalrymple, in The Anarchy, writes about how Britain used tariffs to cripple India’s textile industry while strengthening its own, showing how trade policy can...
Mar 10, 2025•50 min
In this debate, we explore the tension between structure and spontaneity, discipline and serendipity, as it plays out in the lives of ambitious professionals. For young professionals navigating packed calendars, hustle culture, and the constant pressure to optimize every minute, the debate is real: Does saying “yes” to unexpected opportunities fuel growth, or does it lead to chaos and burnout? Does strict scheduling drive focus, or does it suffocate the very creativity and innovation that lead t...
Feb 24, 2025•43 min
Elon Musk’s $56 billion compensation package from Tesla sparked intense debate and legal scrutiny. Approved in 2018, the performance-based package hinged on Tesla reaching ambitious market and operational milestones. As Tesla’s stock price soared beyond expectations, the package’s value ballooned to $101.4 billion by 2024. Notably, Musk would have earned nothing had Tesla not achieved these metrics at the time, few could imagine the company’s stock crossing $400. Was Musk simply rewarded for cre...
Feb 11, 2025•57 min
Today it is easier than ever to stay in touch with friends, check out their updates, milestones, and everyday moments even when life gets busy. For those separated by distance, platforms like social media and messaging apps help us remain part of each other’s lives. Work friendships often flourish thanks to digital tools, and technology has made possible countless improbable connections, offering opportunities for both straight and LGBTQ relationships that may not have existed offline. But are t...
Feb 03, 2025•53 min
Alok Sama was the chief dealmaker at SoftBank, the backer of Arm Holdings, Yahoo, Nvidia, TikTok, Uber, T-Mobile, Alibaba and WeWork. In his first book The Money Trap, Sama discusses the inside story of some of these deals and presents a stranger-than-fiction personal odyssey featuring his experiences alongside SoftBank's iconic founder, Masayoshi Son, a maverick who wants to be remembered as “the crazy guy who bet on the future” and whose mission is “happiness for everyone.” Sama takes us on a ...
Jan 30, 2025•51 min
Justice delayed is justice denied. Given how much time trials take, the emotional toil, and the reputation damage that comes with it, is it ethical for people to turn to media for justice? This is a question relevant to both prominent celebrities and regular citizens as they figure out appropriate redressal mechanisms in an increasingly connected world. In this episode, we explore whether media trials—where the court of public opinion takes precedence over formal legal proceedings—are morally de...
Jan 26, 2025•1 hr 2 min
In this Episode, you will learn 1. How to think about problems from first-principles 2. Why digital public infrastructure of India could propel the GDP 3. How to build in India for India Deepak and Dipankar embarked upon the mission of democratizing quick commerce in India by launching Kirana Pro, a cutting-edge e-commerce platform that leverages ONDC (Open Network For Digital Commerce) to address systemic challenges in the industry. Having known each other for over a decade, they decided to bui...
Dec 27, 2024•1 hr 1 min
A crypto entrepreneur bought a banana taped to a wall for several millions. Jaguar launched a widely watched advertisement that confused and irritated the fans. Zomato announced a new position that got 18,000+ applications, even though the selected candidate would have to pay $25,000 to join. In this debate, we analyse the short and long term impact of publicity stunts. Do they work? If yes, under what conditions? When does publicity become toxic? Join the debate to learn more...
Dec 05, 2024•1 hr
This American election was a battle of narratives. One side won. Dhruva and Utkarsh debate the key constructs and analyse macro implications. Most media outlets would have you believe that this election was the outcome of a supremely popular candidate vs one who wasn’t. That doesn’t quite capture the essence. Tune in for a deep dive
Nov 17, 2024•1 hr 22 min
Voters often face a dilemma: should they vote based on ideology or pragmatism? This podcast delves into the tension between these two approaches, exploring questions like: What is ideology, and how does it shape our values and worldview? When do pragmatic considerations—those based on practical outcomes and interests—come into conflict with ideological commitments? William Clay once said, “This is quite a game, politics. There are no permanent enemies, and no permanent friends, only permanent in...
Oct 26, 2024•49 min
TikTok has over 1 billion users globally. Instagram has 2 billion. If these apps were countries, they would be some of the most highly populated countries in the world. As concerns grow about misinformation, addiction and foreign control of these apps, how should governments respond? Are attempts to ban social media apps, like the Indian government’s TikTok ban in 2020, legitimate? These are questions that have political, economic and cultural implications that go much beyond your ability to wat...
Oct 13, 2024•51 min
In this episode, we explore the complex intersection of climate change, environmental conservation, and human rights with environmental lawyer and legal scholar Arpitha Kodiveri. While nations of the Global North focus on emissions trading and alternative energy sources, communities in the Global South—especially forest-dwelling communities in India—face life-and-death decisions about natural resource use. Kodiveri, who has worked closely with these communities, shares stories of how they endure...
Oct 02, 2024•51 min
Should popular media always seek to have storylines and characters with different ethnicities, religious backgrounds, and sexualities? In this episode, Dhruva and Utkarsh debate whether the growing focus on diversity has gone too far. They explore how diversity of ideas, origin, conviction, and orientation make the world a more vibrant and interesting place, but question whether mandating it furthers the cause it aims to champion. Is the push for diversity diluting authenticity by prioritizing r...
Sep 29, 2024•1 hr 10 min
Ashoka University, India’s top liberal arts university, charges over a million rupees per year in tuition - three times the yearly income of the average Indian. Williams College, one of America’s best-known liberal arts colleges, charges 68,000 dollars per year - more than the average yearly income in the US. Despite its cost, the popularity of the liberal arts system is growing. Many new universities across the world - such as Krea in India or Ashesi in Ghana- are using the liberal arts model o...
Sep 20, 2024•56 min
385,000 children are born every day, around the world. Should we be contributing to that? Welcome to a new episode of Arguable, where we dig into the heart of controversial debates and ask the questions others shy away from. Is it ethical to have a child in today's world? Do they truly consent to being born? And when it comes down to it, is life filled with more joy or pain? As we ponder these questions, we explore what it really means to bring a new human into existence and how that decisio...
Sep 08, 2024•1 hr
Unicorns! Edtech! Startup bros! Welcome to a new episode of Arguable, where we dive into the world of venture capital and startups and try to separate hype from truth. Seven of the world’s eight most highly-valued public companies were once venture capital-based tech startups. Venture capital and technology are eating the world. But what is VC, really? How does it work, and how does it make decisions about which startups to invest in? As we celebrate billion-dollar startups and as venture capita...
Aug 27, 2024•1 hr 4 min
Building Your Category of One with Ex-KKR India CEO Sanjay Nayar Points discussed in the podcast 1. Mental models for shaping the early stages of your career 2. Decision frameworks for making big career transitions 3. Frameworks for investments, the new world order, and India's role in shaping it 4. Insights on work-life integration, family, and a being supportive partner
Aug 19, 2024•1 hr 13 min
Welcome to the third episode of "Arguable," where we, Utkarsh and Dhruva, dive into the changing nature and value of work as we know it. We kick things off by dusting off John Maynard Keynes' crystal ball from 1930. Remember when he boldly predicted we'd all be living the 15-hour workweek dream by now? Spoiler alert: we're not. But why? We'll unpack this economic plot twist and why we're still chained to our desks instead of sipping piña coladas on the beach. Fast f...
Aug 19, 2024•59 min
In this podcast, we discussed Vishal’s new book on the politics of education in India. Education offers a lot of promises, it is considered an engine for social and economic mobility, it promises a path to development, to empowerment, to jobs. But what happens when some of these promises are not upheld? We deep dive into some chapters of Vishal’s book and he explains what ‘more’ is there to education and how deeply caste, class and gender are tied to this
Aug 15, 2024•50 min
Welcome to the second episode of "Arguable," where Dhruva Bhat and Utkarsh Amitabh engage in a discussion about the role of universities in political discourse. Between them, Dhruva and Utkarsh have studied at some of India and the world's top universities: Harvard, Oxford, Wharton, INSEAD and Ashoka. They bring their experience in education to the question: should universities take political stances, or should they remain neutral? In this podcast, we talk about the history of prot...
Aug 05, 2024•57 min
Welcome to the inaugural episode of "Arguable," where friends and debate enthusiasts Utkarsh Amitabh and Dhruva Bhat kick off a series designed to challenge your thinking and sharpen your ability to navigate tricky debates. In this episode, they tackle a compelling question: can you achieve more good by earning as much money as possible and donating it, or by choosing a career with a direct impact? Along the way, we dissect the principles of Effective Altruism, explore the power of role models, ...
Jul 27, 2024•1 hr 14 min
Lord Karan Bilimoria CBE, DL is the founder of Cobra Beer, Chairman of the Cobra Beer Partnership Limited, a Joint Venture with Molson Coors, and Chairman of Molson Coors Cobra India. In the Monde Selection, one of the most prestigious quality awards in the world for beer, the Cobra range have collectively been awarded a total of 110 Gold medals since 2001, making it one of the most awarded beers in the world. Lord Bilimoria is the Founding Chairman of the UK India Business Council, a Deputy Lie...
Jul 23, 2024•51 min
In this podcast, we cover - 1. Blending Creativity Across Disciplines: Puneet shares insights on how her diverse experiences in news writing, advertising, and acting have shaped her approach to storytelling and creativity. She emphasizes the importance of adaptability and continuous learning in the ever-evolving media landscape. 2. Discipline and Rigor of Writing: How Puneet finished her book and found a publisher 3. Writing with Authenticity: Drawing from her debut novel, Puneet delves into...
Jun 19, 2024•39 min
David works at the intersection of technology and teams. He holds a PhD in Computer Science from Cambridge University. He has worked on the Android team at Google, and managed Facebook's internal videoconferencing and collaboration team. He has also been Head of Engineering at a number of startups, supervising the growth of digital product teams from 10 to 100+ engineers. David is now an independent consultant and owner of Simplified Systems Consulting, helping clients as an Interim VP Engin...
Jun 11, 2024•35 min
In this podcast, we cover - 1. Mental models for figuring out what to do with your life 2. Nuances of career transitions 3. Doubling down on the things you care most about Dhruva Bhat is an entrepreneur and researcher with extensive experience in educational innovation and international development. He co-founded and directs Lumiere Education, a company that delivers advanced extracurricular programs focusing on research, AI/ML, and professional development to high school students worldwide. Und...
May 27, 2024•47 min
In this podcast, we cover - 1. Thinking about your career in phases 2. Figuring out what matters and why 3. Working like a lion: Sprint, rest, repeat Abhilasha is a graduate of IIT Delhi and Harvard Business School. Over the years she has worked at the intersection of tech and innovation across diverse industries such as digital healthcare, blended education, and consumer tech across Asia and North America. She was previously the Chief Growth Officer at Open Secret. Outside her professional car...
May 27, 2024•54 min
Heidi Roizen is a venture capitalist, corporate director and former technology CEO/entrepreneur. Today, Heidi is a partner at leading venture firm Threshold Ventures and serves as a board member for private companies Upside Foods and Polarr in the Threshold portfolio. She is currently also an independent corporate director for Invitation Homes (NYSE:INVH) and Planet Labs PBC (NYSE:PL). Heidi is also an Adjunct Lecturer at Stanford University and leads Stanford’s Threshold Venture Fellows Program...
May 17, 2024•59 min
In this podcast, we cover - 1. Understanding various contributions of one of the most iconic, but understudied leaders of modern India 2. Women in politics during the early years of post independence India 3. Powerful friendships and fall outs Pallavi Rebbapragada is a journalist and public policy consultant based in Delhi. She started her career at India Today as a features writer and journeyed through Europe, the Middle East and the Far East capturing life and culture in her stories. She the...
May 08, 2024•28 min
In this podcast, we cover - 1. The ethics of career choice 2. Critical analysis of the structural badness of work 3. AI ethics and achievement gaps John Danaher is a lecturer in the Law School. He holds a BCL from University College Cork (2006); an LLM from Trinity College Dublin (2007); and a PhD from University College Cork (2011). He was lecturer in law at Keele University in the UK from 2011 until 2014. He joined NUI Galway in July 2014. John's research focuses on the ethical, legal and ...
Apr 18, 2024•58 min
In this podcast, we cover - 1. Taking an idea from a side hustle to a thriving business 2. Understanding the nuances of content moderation 3. How humour and kindness scale Noel is the founder of CurryTraits, a leading private group boasting over 1 million members. With a background in Product Management, Social Media Management, and Community Management, Noel brings a wealth of experience to the table. Additionally, Noel has founded a Social Media Consultancy and has worked for one of Australia’...
Apr 13, 2024•26 min
