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.
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.
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.
Host Milan Vaishnav speaks with Ambassador Pankaj Saran about the significance of Rubio’s visit, the structural shifts in America’s strategic orientation, and the limits and opportunities in China-India ties. Plus, the two discuss Russia-India ties, the significance of the BRICS, and the lasting impacts of Operation Sindoor.
Milan Vaishnav, Pankaj Saran
On the show this week, Ambassador Vijay Gokhale joins Milan to discuss the India-China relationship. His latest book examines how Beijing uses coercion, diplomacy, and military force to advance its interests—and what those patterns can tell us about China’s behavior today.
Milan Vaishnav, Vijay Gokhale
Vince Cable joins Milan on the show this week. The two discuss Vince’s first visit to India as a student in the mid-1960s, the contrasting reception to his writings on China and India, and the concept of “superstates.”
Milan Vaishnav, Vince Cable
This week, Grand Tamasha is launching a new four-part series on energy and climate issues in collaboration with CASI—the Center for the Advanced Study of India—at the University of Pennsylvania. To discuss why toxic air has proven so politically challenging in India—and what it might take to change that—Milan is joined on the show this week by Vaishnavi Chandrashekhar and Tariq Thachil.
Milan Vaishnav, Tariq Thachil, Vaishnavi Chandrashekhar
This week, host Milan Vaishnav is joined by Sarthak Pradhan and Pranay Kotasthane to discuss their new book, Fiscal Fables: A Citizen’s Guide to Public Finance. The book demystifies India’s public finances for a lay audience—and explains public finance concepts using relatable stories and examples.
Milan Vaishnav, Pranay Kotasthane, Sarthak Pradhan
