In this episode, journalist Puja Mehra speaks to economist and Director of the Delhi School of Economics, Ram Singh about why India's income tax base remains so narrow. Why do the richest Indians pay a smaller share of their income in taxes than the middle class? Drawing on his research, Ram Singh explains how India's tax system unintentionally favours the wealthy, and why income reporting becomes less honest as wealth increases. They talk about changes in compliance between 2014 and 2019, the role of GST, digital trails, and behavioural nudges like faster refunds in improving tax honesty. Should India introduce a wealth tax to plug the gap? Is the current tax structure fair? And what policy tweaks could make India’s tax regime more equitable without causing unintended harm? Tune in for insights on the disparity, psychology, and economics of taxation in India.For more of our coverage check outthecore.inSubscribe to our NewsletterFollow us on:Twitter |Instagram |Facebook |Linkedin |Youtube
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27:37
The Sovereign Push Fueling India’s AI Aspirations with Payal Malik
In this episode, journalist Puja Mehra speaks to economist and competition law expert Payal Malik about India’s push to become an AI powerhouse. While India has advantages in data and digital talent, Malik argues that inadequate computing infrastructure, limited R&D spending, and over-reliance on big tech threaten to stall its progress.They discuss how initiatives like AIRAWAT aim to build indigenous capacity, but without strong competition policy and sustained investment in innovation, India risks repeating past mistakes—ceding control of critical digital infrastructure to global giants. With countries like China far ahead in AI funding, Malik warns that unless India builds open, contestable markets and ramps up support for startups, its AI ambitions may remain just that—ambitions.Tune in for analysis of the political economy shaping India’s AI future.For more of our coverage check outthecore.inSubscribe to our NewsletterFollow us on:Twitter |Instagram |Facebook |Linkedin |Youtube
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35:58
Why Optimistic Economists are Getting Trump’s Tariffs All Wrong with Abhijit Das
In this episode, author and journalist Puja Mehra speaks to trade policy expert Abhijit Das. President Donald Trump's Liberation Day, as Trump calls it, is a serious blow to the rules-based global trade order that the US had led as a champion of free trade for 80 years. This trading system was biassed against developing countries like India and in favour of developed countries, but the rise of low-cost manufacturing in China has meant that the US no longer dominates the world economy. At the core of Trump's blow to the trading system is the US' frustration over unequal market access. What are the implications for India? Is the old world trade order lost forever? What should replace it? Tune in for insights into the current state of Trump's trade war.For more of our coverage check outthecore.inSubscribe to our NewsletterFollow us on:Twitter |Instagram |Facebook |Linkedin |Youtube
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46:13
How India’s Power Sector is Blocking its GDP Growth with Subhomoy Bhattacharjee
In this episode, author and journalist Puja Mehra speaks to Journalist and Consulting Editor at Business Standard, Subhomoy Bhattacharjee. They discuss the deficiencies within the power sector, why it is incurring losses, the parallels between Power Sector Policy and GST policy, how the power sector disincentivises business and much more. Tune in for insights into the absurdities into one of the most important sectors of the economy.For more of our coverage check out thecore.inSubscribe to our NewsletterFollow us on:Twitter |Instagram |Facebook |Linkedin |Youtube
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47:23
Trump’s Trade War Has Begun: Understanding What US Is Trying To Do To Global Trade with Abhijit Das
In this episode, author and journalist Puja Mehra speaks to trade policy expert Abhijit Das. They discuss the recent spat of Trump Tariffs, the implications it has for the world and how it fits in the context of the overall US trade strategy. Tune in for insights into the current state of Trump's trade war.For more of our coverage check outthecore.inSubscribe to our NewsletterFollow us on:Twitter |Instagram |Facebook |Linkedin |Youtube
Join journalist Puja Mehra as she breaks down one story to give you all the context you need to understand how it fits into the larger picture of India's economy.
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