experts
Milan Vaishnav
Director and Senior Fellow, South Asia Program

about

Milan Vaishnav is a senior fellow and director of the South Asia Program and the host of the Grand Tamasha podcast at the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace. His primary research focus is the political economy of India, and he examines issues such as corruption and governance, state capacity, distributive politics, and electoral behavior. He also conducts research on the Indian diaspora.

He is the author of When Crime Pays: Money and Muscle in Indian Politics (Yale University Press and HarperCollins India, 2017), which was awarded the Kamaladevi Chattopadhyay New India Foundation book prize for the best non-fiction book on contemporary India published in 2017. He is also co-editor (with Devesh Kapur) of Costs of Democracy: Political Finance in India (Oxford University Press, 2018) and (with Pratap Bhanu Mehta and Devesh Kapur) of Rethinking Public Institutions in India (Oxford University Press, 2017). His work has been published in scholarly journals such as American Journal of Political Science, Asian SurveyGovernanceIndia ReviewJournal of Democracy, Perspectives on Politics, PS: Political Science and Politics, and Studies in Indian Politics. He is a regular contributor to several Indian publications.

Previously, he worked at the Center for Global Development, where he served as a postdoctoral research fellow, the Center for Strategic and International Studies, and the Council on Foreign Relations. He is an adjunct professor in the Edmund A. Walsh School of Foreign Service at Georgetown University (currently on leave) and has previously taught at Columbia and George Washington Universities. He holds a Ph.D. in political science from Columbia University.

education
PhD, Political Science, Columbia University, MA, MPhil, Political Science, Columbia University, BA, International Relations, University of Pennsylvania 
languages
English
featured work
article
Decoding India’s 2024 Election Contest

As India gears up for general elections in 2024, the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party of Prime Minister Narendra Modi sits comfortably in pole position as the opposition struggles to play catch up.

article
In India, Foreign Policy Is on the 2024 Ballot

In the lead-up to the general elections, India’s rising status on the world stage is a big win for Modi in the eyes of many Indian voters.

commentary
2024 Election to Watch: India

Modi and the BJP face an opposition coalition that has struggled with defections and other setbacks.

All work from Milan Vaishnav

filters
387 Results
podcast
The Dilemma of an Indian Liberal

Leading author and thinker Gucharan Das joins Milan Vaishnav for Grand Tamasha's season finale. Das shares his personal journey to becoming a liberal, which largely mirrors India's own democratic struggle.

· June 25, 2024
podcast
India's 2024 Election—and its Aftermath

Sadanand Dhume and Tanvi Madan join Milan Vaishnav to discuss the outcomes and aftermath of India’s 2024 election.

· June 18, 2024
podcast
Making 'Make In India' Come Alive

Trinh Nguyen joins Milan Vaishnav to discuss the steps that the third Modi government must take in response to the country's broader economic challenges.

· June 11, 2024
In The Media
in the media
Why Modi Underperformed

India’s prime minister will balk at needing allies to stay in power, but coalition rule has proved to have benefits for large democracies.

· June 6, 2024
Foreign Policy
In The Media
in the media
Looking Back Before Looking Ahead in 2024

Three things stood out during the election campaign: Rising unemployment, divisive political rhetoric, and the decline of institutions.

· June 5, 2024
Hindustan Times
In The Media
in the media
A Stunning Election Result in India as Modi and BJP Fall Short

Narendra Modi’s Bharatiya Janata Party lost its majority in India’s parliament. The stunning blow is forcing Modi to rely on allies to form a government for the first time since he stormed to power a decade ago.

· June 5, 2024
Big Take Asia Podcast (Bloomberg)
In The Media
in the media
Analyzing India’s Election Results

Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi has declared victory in the country’s elections and will secure a rare third consecutive term in office.

· June 5, 2024
FP Live
podcast
The Lessons of Gujarat Under Modi

Scholar Christophe Jaffrelot joins Milan Vaishnav to discuss his new book, Gujarat Under Modi: Laboratory of Today's India, an analysis of how Modi's tenure as chief minister of the state set the stage for his political career.

event
Decoding the 2024 Indian General Elections
June 5, 2024

On June 4, the ballots of roughly 650 million Indian voters will be counted in the culmination of the country’s eighteenth general election. Join this expert panel as they analyze the results of the election and its implications for India’s future. 

  • Rahul Verma
  • Sunetra Choudhury
podcast
A Blueprint for India’s State Capacity Revolution

Economist Karthik Muralidharan joins Milan Vaishnav to discuss his latest book, Accelerating India's Development: A State-Led Roadmap for Effective Governance, a deep dive into the challenges of governance & delivering public services.

· May 21, 2024