• Research
  • Emissary
  • About
  • Experts
Carnegie Global logoCarnegie lettermark logo
DemocracyIran
  • Donate
Podcast Episode

Grand Tamasha's Best Books of 2024

Grand Tamasha is gifting listeners a bonus episode to close out season 12! Listen as Milan shares the top books of 2024 on Indian politics and policy, whose authors have also appeared on this season of the podcast.

Link Copied
By Milan Vaishnav
Published on Dec 19, 2024

Subscribe on

Apple PodcastsOvercastSpotifyYoutube

Grand Tamasha is Carnegie’s weekly podcast on Indian politics and policy co-produced with the Hindustan Times, a leading Indian media house. For five years (and counting), Milan has interviewed authors, journalists, policymakers, and practitioners working on contemporary India to give listeners across the globe a glimpse into life in the world’s most populous country.

For the past two years, in anticipation of the show’s holiday hiatus, we’ve published an annual list of our favorite books featured on the podcast over the previous twelve months.

In keeping with this tradition, here—in no particular order—are Grand Tamasha’s top books of 2024.

Savarkar and the Making of Hindutva
By Janaki Bakhle. Published by Princeton University Press.

Accelerating India's Development: A State-Led Roadmap for Effective Governance
By Karthik Muralidharan. Published by Penguin Viking India.

The Identity Project: The Unmaking of a Democracy (published in the United States and the UK as The New India: The Unmaking of the World’s Largest Democracy)
By Rahul Bhatia. Published by Context (South Asia); Little, Brown (UK); and PublicAffairs (United States).

In this special bonus episode, Milan talks about why he loved each of these books and includes short clips from his conversations with Janaki, Karthik, and Rahul.

This is the final episode of our twelfth season. Thanks to our listeners to being such loyal followers of the show. We’re excited to kick off our thirteenth season in mid-January after taking a short holiday break.

Episode notes:

1. Milan Vaishnav, “Grand Tamasha’s Best Books of 2023,” Carnegie Endowment for International Peace, December 19, 2023.

2. Milan Vaishnav, “Grand Tamasha’s Best Books of the Year,” Carnegie Endowment for International Peace, December 20, 2022.

3. “Identifying the New India (with Rahul Bhatia),” Grand Tamasha, September 25, 2024.

4. “A Blueprint for India’s State Capacity Revolution (with Karthik Muralidharan),” Grand Tamasha, May 22, 2024.

5. “Savarkar, In His Own Words (with Janaki Bakhle),” Grand Tamasha, March 27, 2024.

Hosted by

Milan Vaishnav
Director and Senior Fellow, South Asia Program
Milan Vaishnav

Carnegie 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 Grand Tamasha

  • Podcast Episode
    Populism and the Politics of India’s Foreign Policy

    We tend to think of populist leaders around the world as disruptive. But a new book by scholars Sandra Destradi and Johannes Plagemann argues that the extent of change depends on key factors. Milan and Sandra discuss the definitional debates around populism, the conditional effects of populism on foreign policy, and the reasons for the Modi government’s differential approach to Pakistan and China.

      Milan Vaishnav, Sandra Destradi

  • Podcast Episode
    Europe’s Discovery of India

    Over the past year, Europe–India relations have entered a markedly upbeat phase. What was once a diffuse partnership now looks far more purposeful. To unpack what’s driving this convergence Milan is joined on the show this week by German Marshall Fund senior fellow Garima Mohan to discuss the geopolitical drivers that are bringing the EU and India closer together, Europe’s views on the limits to India’s potential, and the key takeaways from the EU-India FTA.

      Milan Vaishnav, Garima Mohan

  • Podcast Episode
    India’s Return to the Trade Game

    After years of trade skepticism, India appears to be back in the deal-making business—signing new agreements, reviving stalled talks, and announcing ambitious frameworks with key bilateral partners. To help make sense of what’s changed—and what hasn’t—Milan is joined by Mark Linscott, a nonresident senior fellow on India at the Atlantic Council who previously served as the assistant US trade representative for South and Central Asian Affairs from 2016 to 2018.

      • Mark Linscott

      Milan Vaishnav, Mark Linscott

  • Podcast Episode
    How India Lost the Neighborhood

    Over the past few years, South Asia has witnessed a striking wave of mass protests toppling governments and upending long-standing political arrangements in countries ranging from Bangladesh to Nepal and Sri Lanka. University of Pennsylvania Fellow Muhib Rahman joins Milan to discuss India’s illiberal hegemony in its neighborhood, the downturn in Bangladesh-India ties, and the enabling role of the United States.

      Milan Vaishnav, Muhib Rahman

  • Podcast Episode
    Can the U.S. Salvage Its Relationship with India?

    U.S.-India relations were once described as one of Washington’s MOST important strategic bets in the twenty-first century. But over the past year, that partnership has come under serious strain—buffeted by trade disputes, sharp rhetoric, and deep disagreements over Pakistan and Kashmir. Lisa Curtis joins Milan for a conversation on India’s relationship with the U.S.

      Milan Vaishnav, Lisa Curtis

Get more news and analysis from
Carnegie Endowment for International Peace
Carnegie global logo, stacked
1779 Massachusetts Avenue NWWashington, DC, 20036-2103Phone: 202 483 7600Fax: 202 483 1840
  • Research
  • Emissary
  • About
  • Experts
  • Donate
  • Programs
  • Events
  • Blogs
  • Podcasts
  • Contact
  • Annual Reports
  • Careers
  • Privacy
  • For Media
  • Government Resources
Get more news and analysis from
Carnegie Endowment for International Peace
© 2026 Carnegie Endowment for International Peace. All rights reserved.