Rephonic
Artwork for Ideas of India
Hindi Cinema
Gulzar
Javed Akhtar
Indian State
Guru Dutt
Lata Mangeshkar
India
Governance
A. R. Rahman
AR Rahman
Zakir Hussain
Education
Decentralization
Uttar Pradesh
World Trade Organization
Fisheries
Semiconductors
Public Expenditure
Bureaucracy
Economic Development

Through conversations with top thinkers in the social sciences and beyond, economist Shruti Rajagopalan explores the ideas that will propel India forward.

PublishesTwice monthlyEpisodes162Founded6 years ago
Number of ListenersCategories
Society & CultureScienceSocial Sciences

Listen to this Podcast

Artwork for Ideas of India

Latest Episodes

Today my guests are Arvind Subramanian and Devesh Kapur. Arvind is a Senior Fellow at the Peterson Institute for International Economics and a former Chief Economic Advisor to the Government of India. Devesh is the Starr Foundation Professor of South... more

Today my guest is Dr. V Anantha Nageswaran, who is currently serving as the Chief Economic Advisor to the Government of India. He is also the co-author of the books Economics of Derivatives and The Rise of Finance: Causes, Consequences and Cures.

... more

YouTube

Today my guests are Ornit Shani and Rohit De, historians and the authors of the latest book Assembling India's Constitution. Ornit Shani is an associate professor of history at the University of Haifa and the author of How India Became Democratic: Ci... more

YouTube

Today my guest is Pranay Kotasthane who is the deputy director of the Takshashila Institution and chairs the High Tech Geopolitics Programme.

Pranay co-writes Anticipating the Unintended, a newsletter on public policy ideas and frameworks, and co-... more

YouTube

Key Facts

Accepts Guests
Contact Information
Podcast Host
Number of Listeners
Find out how many people listen to this podcast per episode and each month.

Similar Podcasts

People also subscribe to these shows.

Grand Tamasha
Grand TamashaCarnegie Endowment for International Peace
Conversations with Tyler
Conversations with TylerMercatus Center at George Mason University
EconTalk
EconTalkRuss Roberts
Dwarkesh Podcast
Dwarkesh PodcastDwarkesh Patel

Recent Guests

V. Anantha Nageswaran
Chief Economic Advisor to the Government of India
Government of India
Episode: V. Anantha Nageswaran on Surveying the Growth and Financialization of the Indian Economy
Ornit Shani
Associate Professor of History, University of Haifa; author
University of Haifa
Episode: Ornit Shani and Rohit De on Assembling India's Constitution
Rohit De
Associate Professor of History, Yale University; author
Yale University
Episode: Ornit Shani and Rohit De on Assembling India's Constitution
Dr. Nachiket Mor
Health economist focusing on the design of national and regional health systems.
Banyan Academy of Leadership in Mental Health, IIIT Bangalore, Lancet Citizens' Commission
Episode: Nachiket Mor on Rethinking India's Healthcare System
Akshay Jaitly
Co-founder of Trilegal and author of 'Trilegal, The Making of a Modern Indian Law Firm'
Trilegal
Episode: Akshay Jaitly on the Making of a Modern Indian Law Firm
Renuka Sane
Managing Director of Trustbridge, expert in Indian pensions and regulation
Trustbridge
Episode: Renuka Sane on Regulatory Frameworks, Rule of Law, and Pensions Reforms in India
Snigdha Poonam
Journalist and writer
Episode: Snigdha Poonam on the Political Economy of Transnational Scams
Ammu Lavanya
PhD candidate in economics at George Washington University
George Washington University
Episode: Ammu Lavanya on How Foreign Capital Changed Indian Bank Lending
Nayantara Biswas
Postdoctoral research fellow at Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center
Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center
Episode: Nayantara Biswas on Demand- and Supply-Side Interventions in India's Maternal Health Policy

Host

Shruti Rajagopalan
Host of Ideas of India, with a focus on economics, public policy, and institutional reform in India.

Reviews

4.8 out of 5 stars from 181 ratings
  • Passionate Guests and Host

    This is a great source of quality information about India. I am thoroughly impressed by the knowledge and passion exhibited and the sincerity of their ideas Thank You. These learned guests seem to care a lot about unemployed youth in India and are cautioning us to avoid a demographic curse.

    Apple Podcasts
    5
    SomaTekumalla
    United States2 years ago
  • Shruti is exceptional

    Almost every episode is fascinating and enlightening. Thanks for sharing and teaching.

    Apple Podcasts
    5
    totally disappointed 123
    United States2 years ago
  • Solid and interesting discussions.

    (Importantly, very little crap like minute-long songs, "let's take a break", minute-long roadmaps of the podcast, as is the case with too many other podcasts like Brookings Cafeteria.)

    Podchaser
    5
    John
    3 years ago
  • Recording of Khushdeep is very poor.

    Podcast Addict
    3
    Vijay Modi
    3 years ago
  • Dont miss these episodes

    Shruthi’s knowledge is impeccable

    Apple Podcasts
    5
    ksnsimha
    Australia6 years ago

Listeners Say

Key themes from listener reviews, highlighting what works and what could be improved about the show.

A few listeners feel the host can dominate the pace; guests' lucid ideas are still praised.
summary_explanation_is_likely_to_be_roughly_accurate
A well-received first solo-run episode with notable guests; interest in more mind-nourishing conversations.
Some listeners find certain episodes slow unless they have deep ties to India, suggesting a niche appeal.
Passionate guests and host with quality information and sincere ideas; listeners appreciate deep expertise and candor from guests and host.
Dont miss these episodes; the host's depth is evident and compelling.
Shruti is exceptional; episodes are often fascinating and enlightening.

Chart Rankings

How this podcast ranks in the Apple Podcasts, Spotify and YouTube charts.

Talking Points

Recent interactions between the hosts and their guests.

Pranay Kotasthane on the Political Economy of Rare Earths and Critical Minerals
Q: What can India realistically do to improve its position in the rare earths value chain?
India should focus on becoming a strategic node in the supply chain, invest in exploration subsidies, expand recycling capacity, and form bilateral/multilateral arrangements to share stockpiles and guarantees, rather than attempting to mirror China's entire approach.
Pranay Kotasthane on the Political Economy of Rare Earths and Critical Minerals
Q: Why is China so dominant in rare earths, and what are the consequences for global markets?
China dominates both mining and refining, creating leverage that can influence prices and supply stability; this has driven other countries to pursue substitutes, recycling, and diversified partnerships to reduce vulnerability.
Pranay Kotasthane on the Political Economy of Rare Earths and Critical Minerals
Q: What makes rare earths and other critical minerals 'critical' beyond their chemical properties?
They are essential in use and subject to supply risks due to a combination of geological, environmental, and geopolitical factors, which can disrupt production and industrial output if not diversified.
2025 in Review
Q: Where does Shruti get the time to read so much?
I read every day, and I will read anywhere, enjoying a wide variety of genres.
2025 in Review
Q: How does Shruti pick the young PhD scholars to feature on the podcast?
We just try to include as many as possible and don't gatekeep in any way.

Audience Metrics

Listeners, social reach, demographics and more for this podcast.

Listeners per Episode
Gender Skew
Location
Interests
Professions
Age Range
Household Income
Social Media Reach

Frequently Asked Questions About Ideas of India

What is Ideas of India about and what kind of topics does it cover?

A thoughtful series that centers on Indian public policy, economics, and social science ideas through long-form conversations with researchers, practitioners, and writers. Episodes span critical minerals geopolitics, health systems design, law and regulation, pensions, education policy, monetary policy, electoral politics, and social norms, with a consistent emphasis on how policy design, institutions, and empirical research shape India's development trajectory. Noteworthy is the willingness to bridge theory and real-world impact, featuring guests who are researchers or practitioners with deep regional or sectoral expertise, and a host who steers wide-ranging discussions into actionable insights.

Listeners can expect rigorous, idea-forward... more

Where can I find podcast stats for Ideas of India?

Rephonic provides a wide range of podcast stats for Ideas of India. We scanned the web and collated all of the information that we could find in our comprehensive podcast database. See how many people listen to Ideas of India and access YouTube viewership numbers, download stats, audience demographics, chart rankings, ratings, reviews and more.

How many listeners does Ideas of India get?

Rephonic provides a full set of podcast information for three million podcasts, including the number of listeners. View further listenership figures for Ideas of India, including podcast download numbers and subscriber numbers, so you can make better decisions about which podcasts to sponsor or be a guest on. You will need to upgrade your account to access this premium data.

What are the audience demographics for Ideas of India?

Rephonic provides comprehensive predictive audience data for Ideas of India, including gender skew, age, country, political leaning, income, professions, education level, and interests. You can access these listener demographics by upgrading your account.

How many subscribers and views does Ideas of India have?

To see how many followers or subscribers Ideas of India has on Spotify and other platforms such as Castbox and Podcast Addict, simply upgrade your account. You'll also find viewership figures for their YouTube channel if they have one.

Which podcasts are similar to Ideas of India?

These podcasts share a similar audience with Ideas of India:

1. In Focus by The Hindu
2. Grand Tamasha
3. Conversations with Tyler
4. EconTalk
5. Dwarkesh Podcast

How many episodes of Ideas of India are there?

Ideas of India launched 6 years ago and published 162 episodes to date. You can find more information about this podcast including rankings, audience demographics and engagement in our podcast database.

How do I contact Ideas of India?

Our systems regularly scour the web to find email addresses and social media links for this podcast. We scanned the web and collated all of the contact information that we could find in our podcast database. But in the unlikely event that you can't find what you're looking for, our concierge service lets you request our research team to source better contacts for you.

Where can I see ratings and reviews for Ideas of India?

Rephonic pulls ratings and reviews for Ideas of India from multiple sources, including Spotify, Apple Podcasts, Castbox, and Podcast Addict.

View all the reviews in one place instead of visiting each platform individually and use this information to decide if a show is worth pitching or not.

How do I access podcast episode transcripts for Ideas of India?

Rephonic provides full transcripts for episodes of Ideas of India. Search within each transcript for your keywords, whether they be topics, brands or people, and figure out if it's worth pitching as a guest or sponsor. You can even set-up alerts to get notified when your keywords are mentioned.

What guests have appeared on Ideas of India?

Recent guests on Ideas of India include:

1. V. Anantha Nageswaran
2. Ornit Shani
3. Rohit De
4. Dr. Nachiket Mor
5. Akshay Jaitly
6. Renuka Sane
7. Snigdha Poonam
8. Ammu Lavanya

To view more recent guests and their details, simply upgrade your Rephonic account. You'll also get access to a typical guest profile to help you decide if the show is worth pitching.

Find and pitch the right podcasts

We help savvy brands, marketers and PR professionals to find the right podcasts for any topic or niche. Get the data and contacts you need to pitch podcasts at scale and turn listeners into customers.
Try it free for 7 days