Op-eds

Opinion pieces I have authored or co-authored in newspapers and magazines

Opinion pieces published in newspapers, magazines, and online outlets. Titles link to the original publication.

Date Article Publication
Apr 2026 China’s critical minerals export ban falls short Thinkchina
Apr 2026 The Real Supply Chain Crisis Times of India
Apr 2026 Opening the doors for Chinese investment again, with caution Hindustan Times
Feb 2026 Why India’s semiconductor story is a work in progress Hindustan Times
Feb 2026 Rare earths sector can do with recycling thrust Hindustan Times
Jan 2026 India is talking about critical minerals. But do we have a plan? Indian Express
Jan 2026 Inside the Tent: India and the Limits of Pax Sinica India’s World
Dec 2025 Rare earths in India, Bridging the gaps to ensure sufficiency Hindustan Times
Nov 2025 After Bihar, the vote share vs seat share debate is back again. Here’s why this matters The Print
Nov 2025 Pakistan is bluffing. There’s no proof for $6 trillion mineral wealth claim The Print
Oct 2025 Beijing’s rare earth playbook is tired. It’s time India wrote its own Times of India
Oct 2025 Tracks Without Trains The Hindu
Sep 2025 US, China bully India in global market. Delhi must get its own instruments of leverage The Print
Sep 2025 Digital Strategic Autonomy: The Case for an EU-India Open Tech Maitri India’s World
Jul 2025 Gaining Leverage: India’s Semiconductor Policy from a Strategic Perspective India’s World
Jun 2025 Reconfiguring supply chains in a world where trust’s eroding Moneycontrol
Jun 2025 The Way to Break China’s Stranglehold on Rare-earths India’s World
May 2025 What TN case tells us about the need to ease Centre-state friction Times of India
Mar 2025 Towards techno-strategic autonomy: India should spearhead an Open Technology Maitri India’s World
Feb 2025 India isn’t competing with China. It’s up against many city governments The Print
Jan 2025 China’s moves must recast India’s critical minerals push The Hindu
Dec 2024 Why India needs a Techno-strategic Doctrine India’s World
Dec 2024 Policy tweaks can push private sector R&D Deccan Herald
Nov 2024 The shifting sands within global supply chains The Hindu
Oct 2024 Chip-Sourcing: India’s Semiconductor Moonshot The Diplomat
Sep 2024 Perils of decentralisation with Chinese characteristics The Hindu
Sep 2024 India’s fiscal imbalance isn’t a North vs South problem. Here’s what lies at the ‘centre’ of it The Print
Jun 2024 Agnipath 2.0: A solution for armed forces and applicants Indian Express
Jun 2024 Dr. Jagdish Chandra Asthana Could Have Been a Good Policy Analyst Outlook
May 2024 How India is moving fast to becoming semiconductor ‘aatmanirbhar’ Firstpost
May 2024 A self-harming stance on digital trade tariffs Hindustan Times
Apr 2024 A practical agenda for India-Australia semiconductor collaboration ASPI – The Strategist
Feb 2024 Why resource distribution is creating a North-South divide Times of India
Jan 2024 Republic Day reminder: Let’s reclaim the right to economic freedom Times of India
Jan 2024 The need to overhaul a semiconductor scheme The Hindu
Jan 2024 Like Chandrayaan, India’s semiconductor push aims for the moon, but success is not guaranteed Scroll.in
Dec 2023 Pannun case: Time to reimagine spy agency for Information Age Times of India
Dec 2023 A new book examines how India can set up new and world-class semiconductor facilities Scroll.in
Dec 2023 Chandrayaan and Chips: Space Lessons for India’s Semiconductor Program? CASI, University of Pennsylvania
Oct 2023 Chipmaking subsidies are not the answer to supply security worries Nikkei Asia
Sep 2023 The essence of engineering Mint
Aug 2023 The Laptop Licence: Why are Failed Policies Being Revived Again? Times of India
Aug 2023 Learning from the CHIPS Act of the U.S. The Hindu
Aug 2023 In the Chip War, US Has the Edge Over China Hindustan Times
Jul 2023 Confronting Trade-offs for India’s Electronics Manufacturing Success Centre on Asia and Globalisation, NUS
Jun 2023 Swades sans sacrifice: How to rethink IIT brain drain puzzle Times of India
Jun 2023 A road map to propel US-India chips push Hindustan Times
May 2023 MEA needs more hands on deck quickly. It must consider surge hiring Hindustan Times
Apr 2023 What the milk shortage saga tells us about letting government control prices Times of India
Feb 2023 A gradual approach on defence spending Hindustan Times
Jan 2023 India’s Defence Budget: As Border Tensions With China Simmer, Can Govt Level Up? The Quint
Dec 2022 Why we shouldn’t copy-paste EU’s ‘one nation, one charger’ policy Times of India
Oct 2022 The US and China are battling for semiconductor supremacy Hindustan Times
Sep 2022 India’s Russia problem will grow: Locked out of semiconductor supply, Moscow will be hard-pressed to fulfil New Delhi’s military needs Times of India
Aug 2022 Why liquor reforms in India are so complicated Times of India
Jul 2022 Whatever happens with Agnipath scheme, it offers 3 real lessons for future reform The Print
Jul 2022 India’s Semiconductor Push should Focus on Revamping the DLI Scheme Hindustan Times
Jun 2022 How the Defence Pension Bill became a Big Burden Hindustan Times
Jun 2022 Rough Calculations on Agnipath’s Pension-Saving Potential show why the Change is Crucial Times of India
Jun 2022 Now that Agnipath is here, it must be made to work Mint
Jun 2022 Four ways to stop pay, pension bill eating up our defence budget Times of India
May 2022 Harnessing trade policy to build India’s semiconductor industry Hinrich Foundation
May 2022 What the Quad must do to build a resilient semiconductor chain Times of India
Mar 2022 Atmashakti Over Atmanirbharta: Learn Right Lessons from Russia Sanctions Times of India
Mar 2022 Ukraine: India must look beyond Russia Hindustan Times
Jan 2022 Are Government’s New Schemes For Semiconductors Enough To Make India Atmanirbhar? Outlook India
Dec 2021 In Software-obsessed India, Hardware Finally Gets Place in the Sun News18
Dec 2021 Three reasons why China’s tech prowess is overhyped Times of India
Dec 2021 India Needs a 20-Year Semiconductor Strategy Hindustan Times
Oct 2021 The Quad Makes the First Siliconpolitik Move ISAS, National University of Singapore
Sep 2021 In Quad’s Semiconductor Gambit against China, India Stands to Gain News18
Sep 2021 The Taliban Government and What it Means for India Times of India
Aug 2021 Pak’s Generals and Af’s Taliban: New Delhi should know Islamabad’s military-jihadi complex will ruthlessly use Kabul Times of India
Aug 2021 What Taliban’s victory means for Pakistan and therefore India Times of India
Aug 2021 What are India’s options for deploying peace-keeping troops in Afghanistan? Telegraph India
Aug 2021 Why the govt shouldn’t decide what you pay for an air ticket Times of India
Jun 2021 How to Beat China in the High-Tech Race Times of India
May 2021 Blaming the government’s pandemic response? Do it for the right reasons Times of India
Apr 2021 Dear Govt of India, Here’s Why a Cess Needs Impact Analysis Report The Quint
Feb 2021 Making State Finance Commissions work Deccan Herald
Feb 2021 House defence panel must ask 4 key questions — from lower expenditure to pension bill The Print
Feb 2021 Does the budget meet India’s defence requirements? Hindustan Times
Jan 2021 Looking beyond the Budget numbers to see if government schemes really work Deccan Herald
Dec 2020 The Next Step for Quad: A Dialogue on High Tech Hindustan Times
Dec 2020 The world is changing. India needs to get its priorities right Hindustan Times
Nov 2020 China’s Semiconductor Gold Rush: A Reality Check South China Morning Post
Nov 2020 Managing India’s Defence Expenditure Requires a Whole-of-Government Approach The Print
Sep 2020 Pakistan’s Two-Pronged Game in Kabul The Wire
Jun 2020 How Covid-19 Changes the Geopolitics of Semiconductor Supply Chains South China Morning Post
May 2020 India’s Bargaining Power with China and US will Grow in Post Covid World The Print
Apr 2020 When Does a Crisis Become a Policy Opportunity? Deccan Herald
Mar 2020 Is India’s rising defence pension bill affecting modernisation of military? 5 myths busted The Print
Mar 2020 Karnataka Budget Could Have Done More to Spur Growth Deccan Herald
Feb 2020 On US President Trump’s India Visit The Print
Jan 2020 5G infrastructure in India: Holistic assessment of security, economic, strategic concerns needed Telegraph India
Dec 2019 The Battle in Pakistan’s Military-Jihadi Complex Telegraph India
Nov 2019 Crystal Gazing into Afghanistan’s Political Future Telegraph India
Oct 2019 The opinion of Western liberals or conservatives is inconsequential for the J&K situation The Print
Sep 2019 Howdy Modi: Does it serve India’s diplomatic interests? The Print
Aug 2019 Neither is Russia a reliable friend nor is US a fickle one The Print
Aug 2019 Finance Commission’s New Problem: A Separate Defence Fund Deccan Herald
Jun 2019 पूर्वी पड़ोसी के साथ रिश्तों की नई पहल Patrika
Jun 2019 संकट में भी छिपे हैं अवसर Patrika
May 2019 Misguided Talks With the Taliban Won’t Bring Peace to Afghanistan The Wire
May 2019 Misguided Talks With the Taliban Won’t Bring Peace to Afghanistan The Wire
May 2019 Equity sans reservations: Imagining alternate ways for affirmative action Firstpost
May 2019 Foreign Policy: Time to Be a Major Player ThinkPragati
Apr 2019 Focus on Voting Security Instead of Just EVM Security Ozy
Mar 2019 Why Pakistan’s Deep State Needs Jaish-e-Mohammad and Masood Azhar Telegraph India
Mar 2019 Ten Takeaways from the Recent India-Pakistan Escalation The Print
Jan 2019 How India Should Respond to Donald Trump’s Barbs on Afghanistan The Wire
Jan 2019 How India Should Respond to Donald Trump’s Barbs on Afghanistan The Wire
Jan 2019 We Live in Multiple Neighbourhoods ThinkPragati
Nov 2018 India Will Stay Relevant in Afghanistan, Taliban or No Taliban Telegraph India
Nov 2018 India will stay relevant in Afghanistan, Taliban or no Taliban Telegraph India
Nov 2018 Time to Shift Gears on Afghanistan ThinkPragati
Oct 2018 Israel, States, and India ThinkPragati
Oct 2018 Time to refresh the Afghan relationship The Hindu
Oct 2018 Here are 3 ways Imran Khan can fix Naya Pakistan’s terrible economic woes The Print
Mar 2018 Why the south-vs-north debate is a flawed way to analyse the 15th Finance Commission formula The Print
Feb 2018 Don’t Ignore External Affairs ThinkPragati
Jan 2018 Discard the Emigration Clearance System ThinkPragati
Nov 2017 Ingredients of a New World Order ThinkPragati
Oct 2017 India and the World Order ThinkPragati
Oct 2017 Anticipating Pakistan’s Next Moves in Afghanistan The Wire
Jun 2017 Pakistan’s Two-Pronged Game in Kabul The Wire
Apr 2017 Spare a thought for Kashmir The Hindu
Apr 2017 Right and Wrong: Ages Past ThinkPragati
Mar 2017 Trapped in a Municipal Mindset ThinkPragati
Mar 2017 The Sinister History of the ISI ThinkPragati
Feb 2017 Choosing Between Taliban and ISIS: A Dangerous False Dilemma The Wire
Dec 2016 India, Iran, Russia and Afghanistan: Have Interests Diverged? The Wire
Dec 2016 Are India, Iran and Russia Parting Ways on Afghanistan? The Wire
Nov 2016 Love thy nation, watch thy government The Hindu
Nov 2016 A South Asian Manifesto for the Next U.S. President South Asian Voices (Stimson Center)
Oct 2016 Anticipating Pakistan’s Next Moves in Afghanistan The Wire
Sep 2016 Balochistan and the ‘India’ Factor in Pakistan’s Civil-Military Equation The Wire
Sep 2016 The Ins and Outs of the India-US-Afghanistan Trilateral Dialogue The Wire
Aug 2016 Responding to the US Outreach in Afghanistan The Wire
Aug 2016 India, US Collaboration In Afghanistan Could Herald Change for Region The Wire
Aug 2016 Karnataka’s Changing Fiscal Landscape Economic and Political Weekly
Jun 2016 Seven Steps India Must Take to Help Afghanistan in Its War for Survival The Wire
Mar 2016 State budget: Time to set its priorities right Deccan Herald
Mar 2016 The Shifting Political Economy of Centrally Sponsored Schemes The Wire
Jan 2016 Talks about talks with Pakistan Mint
Nov 2015 Impact of Fourteenth Finance Commission Economic and Political Weekly
Jul 2015 What Value Does BRICS Really Add to India NDTV
Jul 2015 India, and the Taliban’s Changing Dynamics The Hindu
Mar 2015 Afghanistan: New Entente in Place? The Hindu
Dec 2014 Afghanistan’s Quest for Strategic Autonomy Mint
Jul 2014 The lure of legalising bilateral disputes Business Standard
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