South Asia Chat

Over the past few weeks, the Election Commission of India (ECI) has been in the eye of a storm primarily due to a media report on disagreements among the three election commissioners over the ongoing Special Intensive Review of electoral rolls and the role of the Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar. To discuss the controversy over the ECI and what it means for Indian democracy, Senior Research Fellow Ronojoy Sen spoke to Tarunabh Khaitan, Professor (Chair) of Public Law at the LSE Law School.

In this episode of South Asia Chat, Ms Divya Murali, Research Associate at ISAS, speaks with Mr Edgard Rodriguez, Senior Development Economist at Canada’s International Development Research Centre, about the Canada–India Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement and Canada’s broader engagement with South Asia. They explore how trade and energy cooperation can strengthen economic resilience and support inclusive, sustainable development.

Disclaimer: The views expressed herein do not necessarily represent those of IDRC or its Board of Governors.

As global supply chains shift and digital trade expands, is the India–ASEAN economic partnership ready to meet emerging challenges? In this episode of South Asia Chat, Ms Divya Murali, Research Associate at ISAS, speaks with Professor Evelyn Devadason of Universiti Malaya about the evolving economic relationship between India and ASEAN, the ongoing review of their free trade agreement, and opportunities to strengthen regional trade and economic integration.

Ambassador Jaideep Mazumdar, Distinguished Visiting Research Fellow, ISAS-NUS, in conversation with Dr Sandeep Bhardwaj, Research Fellow, ISAS-NUS, unpacks India's multifaceted relationship with Southeast Asia.

Disruptions in the Strait of Hormuz due to the hostilities between the US and Iran have significantly impacted South Asian countries. There was some hope of a return to normalcy after the two countries agreed to a ceasefire. However, with the breakdown of the ceasefire agreement and the resumption of hostilities between the two countries, South Asia faces significant challenges in its energy landscape and its potential repercussions in other social, economic, and political areas. In this episode of South Asia Chat, Dr Puspa Sharma, Senior Research Fellow, ISAS-NUS, speaks to Assistant Professor Rohit Chandra, School of Public Policy, IIT-Delhi, on the impacts faced by the South Asian countries due to the crisis in West Asia, how they have coped with it, and the outlook for the future.

Despite the football World Cup, regarded as the greatest show on earth, having expanded to 48 participating countries in 2026, we are once again in the all too familiar situation of no country from South Asia, including the world’s most populous nation India, being present in the tournament. To discuss the reasons behind the perennial absence of India from the World Cup, Senior Research Fellow Ronojoy Sen spoke to two senior sports journalists -- former Gulf News Senior Associate Editor Gautam Bhattacharyya and Hindustan Times' Dhiman Sarkar.

In this episode, we speak with Patrick Olivelle, author of Ashoka: Portrait of a Philosopher King. The author is in conversation with Imran Ahmed, Research Fellow, ISAS.

The electoral verdict in West Bengal, where the Bharatiya Janata Party won a landslide victory against the three-term Trinamool Congress government, and the emergence of a new force in the shape of film star Vijay in Tamil Nadu were the real highlights of the Assembly elections held in India in April 2026. In this episode, Ronojoy Sen, Senior Research Fellow, ISAS, is in conversation with Kolkata-based senior journalist Shikha Mukherjee and Deputy Resident Editor of the Hindu, Tamil Nadu, D. Suresh Kumar about the Bengal and Tamil Nadu election results and their impact.

In this episode, we speak with Paul McGarr, author of Spying in South Asia: Britain, the United States, and India's Secret Cold War. The author is in conversation with Ivan Lidarev, Visiting Research Fellow, ISAS.

Iqbal Sevea speaks with Moeed Yusuf, former National Security Advisor to Pakistan’s Prime Minister and Vice Chancellor of Beaconhouse National University, about how Pakistan is negotiating strategic and economic challenges arising out of the ongoing Iran war. They examine Pakistan’s delicate balancing act between key regional powers, its energy security challenges, and its complex relationships with Saudi Arabia, Iran, and Afghanistan. They also discuss Pakistan’s potential role as a mediator in an escalating crisis.

In this episode, we dive into Bangladesh’s February 12 elections and referendum—a pivotal moment that brought a familiar party back to power while calling for deep structural change. The central question is whether a status-quo political force can carry forward an agenda born out of anti-establishment protest, and what this means for Bangladesh’s democratic trajectory. To discuss this unfolding situation, Saeeduddin Faridi, Research Analyst, ISAS-NUS is in conversation with Professor Asif M. Shahan, Professor, Department of Development Studies, Dhaka University and Senior Research Fellow, BRAC Institute of Governance and Development. They discuss the expectations around institutional reforms, the fragmented political landscape in the country, issues of inclusion and representation and the foreign policy challenges.

In this episode of South Asia Chat, Iqbal Sevea discusses India’s 2026 Union Budget with Vinod Rai and Amitendu Palit. The discussion focuses on the budget’s approach to macroeconomic stability, including managing inflation, fiscal deficit and growth amid global uncertainty. Key themes include manufacturing and investment policies, incentives for cloud computing and data centres, the India Semiconductor Mission, and measures supporting MSMEs. The conversation also covers India’s evolving semiconductor strategy, challenges in attracting private and foreign investment, and budget priorities related to energy security, critical minerals and carbon capture.

In this episode, we speak with Bart Klem, author of Performing Sovereign Aspirations: Tamil Insurgency and Postwar Transition in Sri Lanka. The author is in conversation with Rajni Gamage, Research Fellow, ISAS.

In this episode of South Asia Chat, host Iqbal Sevea speaks with Amitendu Palit, Senior Research Fellow at the Institute of South Asian Studies, to assess how the Indian economy navigated global shocks in 2025 and what lies ahead in 2026. The discussion explores the impact of US tariffs, domestic demand, inflation trends, trade reforms, and India’s evolving free trade strategy, offering insights into the challenges and opportunities shaping India’s economic trajectory in a changing global order.

Held in the Amazon, COP30 carried significant political and symbolic weight for global climate negotiations. Positioned by the Presidency as an “implementation COP,” the conference was intended to pivot the focus from setting goals to tackling the practical challenges of delivery. The summit highlighted both renewed momentum and familiar tensions around finance, forests, trade measures and fossil fuels alongside participation from a broad range of stakeholders. To discuss these developments, in this episode of South Asia Chat, Mr Saeeduddin Faridi, Research Analyst, ISAS-NUS, is joined by Ms Avantika Goswami, Programme Manager, Climate Change, Centre for Science and Environment, New Delhi. They discuss the outcomes on trade and fossil fuels, as well as the expanding role of developing countries in pushing the frontiers of climate leadership.

Russian President Vladimir Putin visited India on 4th and 5th December- marking it his first trip in the last four years. This visit comes at a very delicate geopolitical moment. With the Ukraine war approaching its fourth year and Russia -US relations warming, major power relations are likely to see a critical shift. In this episode of South Asia Chat, Ms Devyani Chaturvedi, Research Analyst at ISAS, speaks with Professor C Raja Mohan, Visiting Research Professor, ISAS on what the visit meant and what would be the future of this partnership.

In this episode, we speak with Rochona Majumdar, author of Art Cinema and India's Forgotten Futures: Film and History in the Postcolony. The author is in conversation with Tanujja Dadlani, Research Analyst, ISAS.

The 2025 Bihar Assembly elections have delivered a decisive victory for the National Democratic Alliance. The outcome has renewed discussions on the state’s long standing social coalitions, organisational strategies, and shifting political narratives that shaped voter behaviour. From the performance of the Grand Alliance to the limited electoral impact of new entrants such as the Jan Suraaj Party, the results offer important insights into Bihar’s political landscape. At the same time, debates around the voter roll revision process have raised questions about electoral credibility and institutional trust. In this episode of South Asia Chat, Raghaw Khattri, Research Analyst at ISAS, speaks with Dr Neelanjan Sircar, Associate Professor at Ahmedabad University, to unpack the elections.

The Afghanistan-Pakistan border, long defined by porous boundaries and competing national interests, has once again become a flashpoint for regional instability. In recent months, tensions have escalated over border management, cross-border conflict, and the broader geopolitical implications of the Taliban’s return to power in Afghanistan. To discuss the evolving border tension and its context, Ms. Tanujja Dadlani, Research Analyst, ISAS, is in conversation with Dr. Zahid Shahab Ahmed, an honorary fellow at Deakin University, and a researcher specializing in peace and security across South Asia and the Middle East. His work explores how sectarianism and extremism shape domestic, regional, and global stability.

In this episode, we speak with Aditya Balasubramanian, author of Toward a Free Economy: Swatantra and Opposition Politics in Democratic India. The author is in conversation with Sandeep Bhardwaj, Visiting Research Fellow, ISAS.