• Research
  • About
  • Experts
Carnegie India logoCarnegie lettermark logo
AI
Podcast Episode
Carnegie India

Karl Mehta on India's Tech-Driven Future

In this episode of Interpreting India, Konark Bhandari is joined by Karl Mehta, Chairman of the Quad Investors Network, to explore the integration of advanced technologies into the Indian context.

Link Copied
By Konark Bhandari and Karl Mehta
Published on May 9, 2024

Subscribe on

SpotifyApple PodcastsAmazon MusicYoutube
Project hero Image

Project

Technology and Society

This program focuses on five sets of imperatives: data, strategic technologies, emerging technologies, digital public infrastructure, and strategic partnerships.

Learn More

EPISODE SUMMARY

In this episode of Interpreting India, Konark Bhandari is joined by Karl Mehta, Chairman of the Quad Investors Network, to explore the integration of advanced technologies into the Indian context. The discussion spans artificial intelligence (AI), fundraising, friendshoring, and defense innovation—all considering India's national AI mission and emerging deep tech policies. Karl Mehta, with his experience as a serial entrepreneur, author, investor, and engineer, brings deep insights into how these technologies can shape India's future, both economically and socially.

EPISODE NOTES

Karl Mehta highlights the critical role of trustworthy tech supply chains and the necessity for international collaboration among partner nations. Mehta examines the potential of India’s national AI mission and the growing space tech ecosystem, including opportunities for lower-cost payload launches and downstream activities. This episode provides an overview of the strategic integration of advanced technologies in India’s growth and development framework. Karl Mehta explains the critical role of patient capital in promoting deep tech innovations and discusses the Indian government's recent initiatives to stimulate technological advancements through policies focused on deep tech and domestic manufacturing. 

What is the significance of patient capital in the development of deep technology? How do current Indian government policies support the innovation ecosystem, particularly in deep tech? In what ways can trustworthy tech supply chains bolster India's position in the global tech landscape?

Hosted by

Konark Bhandari
Fellow, Technology and Society Program
Konark Bhandari

Featuring

Karl Mehta

Carnegie India does not take institutional positions on public policy issues; the views represented herein are those of the author(s) and do not necessarily reflect the views of Carnegie, its staff, or its trustees.

More Work from Interpreting India

  • Podcast Episode
    The India-EU Trade Deal: What It Delivers and What It Doesn't

    In this episode of Interpreting India, Vrinda Sahai is joined by Nicolas Köhler-Suzuki, Advisor for Trade and Economic Security at the Jacques Delors Institute, for a detailed conversation on the India-EU Free Trade Agreement. After decades of slow-moving negotiations, both sides have arrived at what is shaping up to be the most ambitious trade deal India has ever signed. Nicolas unpacks what is in the agreement, what is missing, and what its success will depend on in the years ahead.

      Vrinda Sahai, Nicolas Köhler-Suzuki

  • Podcast Episode
    From Bletchley Park to Delhi and What Comes Next | AI Summit Special

    In this episode of Interpreting India, Nidhi Singh is joined by Mariano-Florentino (Tino) Cuéllar, President of the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace and one of the very few people to have attended all four global AI summits, from Bletchley Park to Delhi. The conversation traces the arc of AI summit diplomacy, what has been accomplished, where the gaps remain, and what the process reveals about how different parts of the world are thinking about a technology that is moving faster than any single government or institution can keep up with.

      Nidhi Singh, Mariano-Florentino (Tino) Cuéllar

  • Podcast Episode
    Data, AI, and the Laws Trying to Keep Up

    In this episode of Interpreting India, Nidhi Singh is joined by Nikhil Narendran, Partner at Trilegal, for a conversation on two of the most pressing issues shaping India's digital future: data protection and AI governance. From the nuts and bolts of India's Digital Personal Data Protection Act to deeper questions about regulating artificial intelligence, Nikhil brings the perspective of a technology lawyer who is not just advising on these issues but actively living them.

      Nidhi Singh, Nikhil Narendran

  • Podcast Episode
    Inside the Iran Conflict: Power, Strategy, and India’s Balancing Act

    In this episode of Interpreting India, Srinath Raghavan speaks with Gaddam Dharmendra, Nonresident Senior Fellow, Carnegie India and India’s former Ambassador to Iran about the ongoing U.S.-Israel conflict with Iran and what it means for the region. The conversation looks at Iran’s response to sustained attacks, the wider impact on energy markets and regional stability, and the changing relationships between Iran, the Gulf countries, and global powers. It also reflects on India’s position as it balances its ties across West Asia while navigating strategic and economic pressures, and what lies ahead as the conflict continues to shape the region.

      Srinath Raghavan, Gaddam Dharmendra

  • Podcast Episode
    Recalibrating BRICS: India’s Moment in a Fragmented World

    In this episode of Interpreting India, Vrinda Sahai is joined by Ana Garcia, Associate Professor at PUC-Rio and Coordinator at the BRICS Policy Center, to discuss the evolving direction of BRICS as India assumes the 2026 presidency. The conversation reflects on Brazil’s 2025 chairship, the bloc’s continued focus on reforming global financial governance, and the cautious progress on issues such as local currency trade, financial coordination, and institutional reform. Ana Garcia also highlights the limits of BRICS as a unified geopolitical actor and outlines key priorities for India, including strengthening financial mechanisms, advancing climate and health cooperation, and consolidating the expanded BRICS membership.

      Vrinda Sahai, Ana Garcia

Get more news and analysis from
Carnegie India
Carnegie India logo, white
Unit C-4, 5, 6, EdenparkShaheed Jeet Singh MargNew Delhi – 110016, IndiaPhone: 011-40078687
  • Research
  • About
  • Experts
  • Projects
  • Events
  • Contact
  • Careers
  • Privacy
  • For Media
Get more news and analysis from
Carnegie India
© 2026 Carnegie Endowment for International Peace. All rights reserved.