BIC TALKS

Bangalore International Centre (BIC) is a non profit, public institution which serves as an inclusive platform for informed conversations, arts and culture. BIC TALKS aims to be a regular bi-weekly podcast that will foster discussions, dialogue, ideas, cultural enterprise and more.

393. Too Much Public Not Enough Interest 11/19/2025

392. Handlooms - Past Present Future 11/13/2025

391. Code Red: Climate in the Dock 11/05/2025

390. Confessions of a Lobbyist 11/02/2025

390. Confessions of a Lobbyist Insider accounts from political aides, bureaucrats, and diplomats have long illuminated the workings of power—but even more enigmatic were the lobbyists. Operating in the shadows, often invisible to public scrutiny, they were intimately privy to clandestine negotiations, back-channel discussions, and subtle bureaucratic skirmishes. In his new roman-à-clef For No Reason At All, Ramjee Chandran shines a light on this hidden world. Chandran—well‑known in Bangalore as a journalist, publisher, and podcaster—has, until now, remained silent about his time as a lobbyist in 1980s New Delhi, a pivotal era just before major economic reforms took hold. Drawing from real events, the novel charts the journey of a young lobbyist caught in a high-stakes conflict over silicon metal—a material deemed strategically vital. Central to the drama is Metkem Silicon, which, in collaboration with the Indian Institute of Science in Bangalore, devoted 17 years to developing indigenous silicon metal technology. Yet their efforts collided with a rival scheme spearheaded by the Department of Electronics, which wanted to bypass local innovation and import U.S. technology. What ensued was a four‑year bureaucratic war: media leaks, secret memorandums, and the covert involvement of the Soviets and other intelligence agencies—culminating in a final decision placed in the hands of Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi. Set against the backdrop of Cold War Delhi on the cusp of liberalisation, the novel paints a vivid portrait of a nation—and capital—torn between ideologies and ambitions. The Soviet Union may have vanished, lobbyists have receded from public corridors, and few can claim first‑hand knowledge of that era. In Confessions of a Lobbyist, Siddharth Raja—a lawyer, historian, and bibliophile—sits down with Ramjee Chandran to peel back the layers of this story, offering an insider’s glimpse into a world that feels at once distant and disarmingly relevant. In this episode of BIC Talks, Ramjee Chandran will be in conversation with Siddharth Raja. This is an excerpt from a conversation that took place in the BIC premises in Aug 2025. Subscribe to the BIC Talks Podcast on your favourite podcast app! BIC Talks is available everywhere, including Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Google Podcasts, Castbox, Overcast, Audible, and Amazon Music. /episode/index/show/bictalks/id/38879050

389. Aah Aha Ha-ha 10/26/2025

388. The Indo-Pacific Outlook: An Australian Perspective 10/19/2025

387. Partition: Memory, Responsibility & Voice 10/12/2025

386. Nehru’s India in the World 10/09/2025

385. The Gauri Files 10/03/2025

384. The Law Strikes Back 09/29/2025

383. What Would Dr. Ambedkar Have Made of the Republic of India Today? 09/21/2025

383. What Would Dr. Ambedkar Have Made of the Republic of India Today? Dr. B. R. Ambedkar is remembered and admired for many things: for his heroic, lifelong, campaign to eradicate the evil of untouchability; for his scholarly contributions as an economist and social theorist; for the social movements he led and the political parties he founded; for the educational institutions he nurtured; for his critical role in overseeing and directing the framing of the Constitution; for the brilliant books, essays and pamphlets that he authored on a variety of subjects. This lecture will focus on Ambedkar as a visionary and deeply insightful theorist of constitutional democracy. By juxtaposing what he said in his speeches in the Constituent Assembly to the social and political realities of contemporary India, I shall demonstrate how his ideas remain of compelling relevance to us today. While the core of the talk will be on Ambedkar the political theorist, it will end by briefly comparing his legacy with that of other remarkable Indians of his generation, such as Nehru, Gandhi, Tagore, and Kamaladevi Chattopadhyay. The National Law School of India University, Bengaluru (NLSIU) and the Ahmadi Foundation have entered into a MoU to set up the Justice Ahmadi Initiative on Rule of Law, Democracy, and Social Justice in honour of, and to preserve and promote the legacy of former Chief Justice of India, Justice Aziz Mushabber Ahmadi. The Initiative will work to advance the ideas that Justice Ahmadi championed throughout his distinguished career, including but not restricted to human rights, education, inclusion and protection of vulnerable communities, judicial independence, alternate dispute resolution mechanisms, and strengthening of democratic institutions. An annual distinguished lecture series is one of the events planned under the Initiative. Presented by: National law School of India University, bangalore In this episode of BIC Talks, Ramchandra Guha will deliver a talk. This is an excerpt from a conversation that took place in the BIC premises in Jul 2025. Subscribe to the BIC Talks Podcast on your favourite podcast app! BIC Talks is available everywhere, including Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Google Podcasts, Castbox, Overcast, Audible, and Amazon Music. /episode/index/show/bictalks/id/38294845

382. Mobile Merchant Bankers of South India 09/16/2025

381. The Third Moment 09/15/2025

380. The Twist in the Odyssey of Naxalism in Karnataka 09/11/2025

380. The Twist in the Odyssey of Naxalism in Karnataka Around 15 years ago, the then UPA government had launched an all-out offensive (commonly known as ‘Operation Greenhunt’) targeting the armed cadres of the Communist Party of India (Maoist) (also known as Naxalites) across the ‘Red Corridor’ which consisted of Naxal-affected districts spanning Central and Eastern India and spilling into Southern India as well. According to reports at the time, Naxal cadres were active (to varying degrees) in at least 165 districts across this corridor which was also coterminous with the most backward, primarily tribal and the most resource rich parts of the country. The BJP government, which came to power in 2014, continued this policy of an all-out offensive against the Naxalites extending this to target the urban activists/ sympathisers of the CPI (Maoist) as well. There has been a marked decline in Naxalite activity since then with the number of affected districts falling to 70 in 2021 and newer reports suggesting that the Naxalite presence is restricted to fewer than 50 districts now. In a strong policy statement, Home Minister Amit stated that “Naxalism will be completely eliminated by 2026.” Human rights activists have questioned the state’s all-out approach of using overwhelming force to quash Naxalism as this method is not addressing the fundamental grievances of the residents of these tribal parts which is of their displacement and exploitation of the rich natural resources by large corporations. Several Naxalites have surrendered over the past two decades but questions have also been raised on the efficacy and sincerity of the surrender policy. Karnataka was also impacted by the wave of Naxalism and, commencing in the 1980s, cadres were recruited for this cause in the State as well. In the 1990s, it seemed like the movement was spreading its base in Karnataka aggressively but a series of encounters including that of Saketh Rajan, the charismatic Naxal leader, in 2005, ensured that the movement did not become widespread in Karnataka. There was also intense churn among a section of the cadres of the CPI (Maoist) in Karnataka after this as well with one group exiting the party as it had ideological differences with the central leadership of the party. Over the two decades since that time, the Naxalite movement has ebbed in Karnataka with several Naxalites also surrendering. Early in 2025, with the “surrender” of the last group of Naxalites in Karnataka, Chief Minister Siddaramaiah declared the state to be Naxal-free. The Karnataka model presents a template of how Naxalism, in its violent form, can be ended. By all accounts, the Karnataka model is unique for the manner in which former Naxalites joined the mainstream of activism. The role of the mature civil society in Karnataka that played a crucial role in facilitating this process is also important. The discussion proposes to dwell on the trajectory of Naxalism in Karnataka from its inception in the 1980s till early 2025, and whether the state is willing to seriously engage with the grievances of marginalised people who became Naxals. Is the state empathetic to the concerns of the Naxalites who came overground? The discussion proposes to dwell on all these aspects while broadly focussing on the success of the Karnataka model of mainstreaming Left-Wing Extremists. In this episode of BIC Talks, K P Sripal, Noor Sridhar and Tara Rao will be in conversation with Vikhar Ahmed Sayeed . This is an excerpt from a conversation that took place in the BIC premises in Jun 2025. Subscribe to the BIC Talks Podcast on your favorite podcast app! BIC Talks is available everywhere, including Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Google Podcasts, Castbox, Overcast, Audible, and Amazon Music. /episode/index/show/bictalks/id/38176820

379. Sustainable Development & Public Policy 09/08/2025

379. Sustainable Development & Public Policy Institutions and Public Policy for India’s Sustainable Development – Perspectives on Governance, Technology, and Finance, is an edited volume in honour of Professor Vinod Vyasulu (Edited by – Sukhpal Singh, Jyotsna Jha, A. Indira and A. V. Arunkumar). The book addresses one of the most urgent challenges of our time – sustainable development. Across the globe economies are grappling with the combined pressures of climate change, inequality, and unsustainable growth. Basic needs remain unmet for large sections of the population, prompting a growing recognition that we must rethink how we define and pursue development. Sustainability is no longer a peripheral concern—it is central, complex, and evolving, requiring new approaches and frameworks. The book brings together diverse perspectives on the critical drivers of sustainable development, namely, governance through institutions, readiness through technology and accessibility to finance. While technology is often seen as a key enabler, its transformative potential depends deeply on the institutional and policy environment in which it is embedded. Institutions—formal and informal—shape development outcomes, and public policy plays a crucial role in aligning these efforts with sustainability goals. Focusing on the Indian context, the book event will have eminent panel members exploring the three interconnected themes of (1) Institutions and Development; (2) Technology and Innovation; and (3) Policy and Governance. In this episode of BIC Talks, Vinod Vyasulu, Ashwani Saith, Chiranjib Sen and Supriya Roy Chowdhury will be in conversation with Gurucharan Gollerkeri. This is an excerpt from a conversation that took place in the BIC premises in Jun 2025. Subscribe to the BIC Talks Podcast on your favorite podcast app! BIC Talks is available everywhere, including Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Google Podcasts, Castbox, Overcast, Audible, and Amazon Music. /episode/index/show/bictalks/id/38124995

378. Iron Lady, Velvet Glove? 08/26/2025

377. Adolescence & Algorithms 08/23/2025

376. Queering Law 08/10/2025

376. Queering Law What would justice look like if it spoke in a queer voice? How might legal judgments shift if they were written through the lived experiences and realities of LGBTQIA+ individuals? In this session, we explore the bold and imaginative work of The Queer Judgments Project, an initiative that seeks to re-think, re-write, and re-invent legal judgments through queer and complementary perspectives. Emerging from a series of conversations among scholars, activists, and legal thinkers, the project asks a vital question: how could legal decisions involving sexual orientation, gender identity and expression, and sex characteristics be expressed differently, more inclusively, more justly? At the heart of the discussion is the project’s first major output: an edited collection that offers 26 re-imagined judgments and commentaries from across the globe. Through this collection, contributors bring their diverse disciplinary backgrounds and personal insights to bear on the law, queering traditional frameworks and imagining alternative approaches to legal reasoning. This session will engage with the creative, critical, and deeply personal work that underpins these re-written judgments. It will reflect on how the project aims not just to critique existing legal structures but to open up new possibilities for justice that better reflect the experiences of LGBTQIA+ and other minoritized communities. This year, BIC celebrates Pride Month through a series of programs that embrace Queerness as it is — unconforming, changing and alternative. Every program aims to embody the fluid and non-normative possibilities of existence that queerness creates, while fostering a community that welcomes difference in an unbending society, whether that be through new models of living or unique modes of self-expression. Pride, Insists Upon Itself! In this episode of BIC Talks, Divya Kandukuri, Siddharth Narrain, Manavi Atri and Senthorun (Sen) Raj will be in conversation with Raju Behera. This is an excerpt from a conversation that took place in the BIC premises in Jun 2025. Subscribe to the BIC Talks Podcast on your favorite podcast app! BIC Talks is available everywhere, including Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Google Podcasts, Castbox, Overcast, Audible, and Amazon Music. /episode/index/show/bictalks/id/37746950

375. First Movers in Second Life Start-Ups 08/04/2025

374. A Perfect Storm 07/29/2025

373. EMIs & Other Existential Crises 07/27/2025

372. Uniformity or Justice? 07/20/2025

371. Gurudev and Bapu 07/13/2025

370. Chaturanga to Chess 07/07/2025

370. Chaturanga to Chess From boasting of a lone International Master (IM) in Manuel Aaron in 1962, India has come a long way in the world of chess, particularly in the last two-and-half decades of the new Millennium. Today, India has 85 Grandmasters, including three women, 23 Woman Grand Masters, 140 International Masters and 42 Woman International Masters while the list of FIDE masters is growing by the day. In the top 10 of any category or age group, Indians figure so prominently that they are second only to the US and China in the men’s and women’s section respectively. The double-gold at the 2024 Olympiad and India’s superb performance in the Candidates added to its growing reputation as a superpower. But if you look from an historic perspective, our champions of today are merely continuing the legacy of a 5,000-year-old tradition which can be traced back to the Indus Valley Civilization when chess (called Chaturanga then) was, among other things, used for war stimulation. According to legend, Ravan’s wife Mandodari taught him Chaturanga so that he could plan battle strategies. Later, Chaturanga became Chatrang in Persian and Shatranj in Arabic before travelling to Spain and the rest of the western world. In the modern era, chess is looked at in different ways. A gymnasium of the mind. A cerebral tug-of-war. For India, Anand can be the best reference point to start any debate involving chess. In fact, Indian chess can be neatly divided into Pre-Anand and Post-Anand eras. The Pre-Anand period was nascent with not many players around, no infrastructure to talk about or any support from the government or the private sector. Indian chess style was one of the many variants of the official chess as recognized by the ruling body FIDE. By the time Anand became India’s first Grandmaster in 1987 and triggered the post-Anand era, chess was a rapidly growing sport. Let’s look at some figures. Till the start of the new Millennium, India had just three GMs with Dibyendu Barua (1991) and Pravin Thipsay (1997) following in the footsteps of Anand. The first decade of the new century produced 20 GMs and the next 10 a staggering 44. The present decade has already witnessed 16 GMs to take the tally to 85. In this episode of BIC Talks, MS Thej Kumar, Aravind Shastry, Manisha Mohite and Saritha M Reddy will be in conversation with Vijay Mruthyunjaya. This is an excerpt from a conversation that took place in the BIC premises in May 2025. Subscribe to the BIC Talks Podcast on your favorite podcast app! BIC Talks is available everywhere, including Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Google Podcasts, Castbox, Overcast, Audible, and Amazon Music. /episode/index/show/bictalks/id/37303970

369. Living with Many Loves 07/07/2025

368. Farooq and I 07/02/2025

367. Taking the Temperature of Society 06/27/2025

366. A Date With Bangalore 06/26/2025

365. Forgotten Fire 06/11/2025

364. Repositioning Indian Aesthetics 06/08/2025

BIC TALKS

TOPICS