February 13, 2025
Dhruva Jaishankar, Executive Director, ORF America, spoke with Ramananda Sengupta of StratNews Global on “Vishwa Shastra: India and the World”, explaining the central importance of China, why Europe’s role is evolving, the importance of history:
February 10, 2025
Dhruva Jaishankar, Executive Director, ORF America, was interviewed by Thomas Porteus of NewsX on “Vishwa Shastra: India and the World” and India's role in shaping the modern world:
February 5, 2025
Dhruva Jaishankar, Executive Director, ORF America, spoke with Puliyabaazi on “Vishwa Shastra: India and the World” and unpacks India’s relationship with the US, China, the neighbourhood, and the Global South:
February 1, 2025
Dhruva Jaishankar, Executive Director, ORF America, was interviewed by Adithya Kashyap of On The Record on “Vishwa Shastra: India and the World” and the impact he wishes to create with the book:
AK: You mentioned that you wanted students, particularly those studying international relations, to read this book to become familiar with the changing nature of India’s foreign policy. For those of us at Georgetown passionate about international affairs, what common misconceptions about India's grand strategy do you believe persist in mainstream narratives? How might they adversely impact international engagement with India?
DJ: I think the biggest problem in the United States is simply a lack of knowledge or awareness about India. There are very few university courses on contemporary India and almost no study of modern languages at major universities. Moreover, what little commentary on India exists in the United States is heavily influenced by personalities or ideological factors. But beyond that, I think there’s too much emphasis on vague notions of “non-alignment,” “post-colonialism” and “strategic autonomy,” terms that are often mischaracterized and confusing, and in some cases no longer used in official parlance. Moreover, these terms often conflate means and goals. So a much-needed emphasis on empiricism—basic facts about what happened, when, and why – is often subordinated to an odd obsession with textualism. I don’t think this problem applies to the study of foreign policy of any other major country.
January 31, 2025
Dhruva Jaishankar, Executive Director, ORF America, spoke with Manoj Kewalramani of The Great Power Show podcast on India’s engagement with the U.S., China, and the world at large in his new book, “Vishwa Shastra: India and the World”.
January 31, 2025
Dhruva Jaishankar, Executive Director, ORF America, was interviewed by Koushiki of the Chanakya Policy & Research Foundation (CPRF) on India's evolving global strategy, its quest for major power status, and the real-world implications of policy ideas turning into action, which are outlined in his new book, “Vishwa Shastra: India and the World”.
January 26, 2025
Dhruva Jaishankar, Executive Director, ORF America, was interviewed for Connected with Divya Gopalan on TaiwanPlus on how India’s evolving global presence is reshaping its political landscape, that is detailed in “Vishwa Shastra: India and the World”.
January 17, 2025
Dhruva Jaishankar, Executive Director, ORF America, was interviewed by India Abroad on “Vishwa Shastra: India and the World”.
January 17, 2025
Dhruva Jaishankar, Executive Director, ORF America, was interviewed by Nayanima Basu of ABP LIVE on “Vishwa Shastra: India and the World” and how he aimed to provide a concise history of how India's foreign policy has shaped up since 1947 through the book.
December 25, 2024
Dhruva Jaishankar, Executive Director, ORF America, was interviewed by Saurabh Dwivedi of Lallantop on “Vishwa Shastra: India and the World” and the foreign policy implications of India's strategic objectives.
December 23, 2024
Dhruva Jaishankar, Executive Director, ORF America, was interviewed by Divya A of The Indian Express on India's foreign interactions that are mentioned in his new book, “Vishwa Shastra: India and the World”:
You say in the book that India’s future will be largely shaped by its foreign interactions. How is that something new?
The book provides plenty of examples of how India has always been shaped in some way by its foreign interactions, whether its lucrative exports of commodities, its religious composition, the structures of its bureaucracy and military, its educational systems, or even the food Indians eat. Consider the examples of the regimental names and cultures in the Indian Army, or more recently the Indian Institutes of Technology (IITs) originally established with foreign assistance. Looking ahead, the world at large offers both incredible opportunities for India to make itself stronger and more prosperous, but also risks and challenges that will have to be countered and mitigated.
December 23, 2024
Dhruva Jaishankar, Executive Director, ORF America, was interviewed by E-International Relations on his new book, “Vishwa Shastra: India and the World”:
As India seeks to become a hub for global innovation, what are the key policy areas that need attention to foster an environment conducive to research and development, especially in high-tech sectors like AI, semiconductors, and outer space?
One of the interesting things I learned to appreciate while writing my book was that India has been on a quest for technological mastery almost since its independence in 1947, in fact slightly before that time. Some of the same challenges bedevilled India’s quest for defence, nuclear, space, and computing technologies from the 1950s to the 1980s. Ultimately, no amount of political intent can make up for creating policy priorities, incentives, and financial outlays, but the good news is we are beginning to see some useful steps being taken now. The power of replication and external competition is also valuable: never waste a good crisis.
December 22, 2024
Dhruva Jaishankar, Executive Director, ORF America, was interviewed by Barkha Dutt of Mojo Story on India’s foreign policy issues that are chronicled in his new book, “Vishwa Shastra: India and the World”.
December 21, 2024
Dhruva Jaishankar, Executive Director, ORF America, was interviewed by NDTV on India's growth story, its tech revolution, the impact of AI, and its evolving role in world politics that are highlighted in his new book, “Vishwa Shastra: India and the World”.
Watch the full interview here.
December 12, 2024
Dhruva Jaishankar, Executive Director, ORF America, was quoted in an article by Keshav Padmanabhan of ThePrint on the release of his first book, “Vishwa Shastra: India and the World”:
“It aims to be a jump-off point for UPSC aspirants or for foreign diplomats coming to India and needing to understand the country,” said Jaishankar, the Executive Director of the Observer Research Foundation (ORF) America, during the near–houseful event.
December 6, 2024
Dhruva Jaishankar, Executive Director, ORF America, was mentioned in an article by The Indian Express on the release of his first book, “Vishwa Shastra: India and the World”:
Usually among the most sought-after guests in a room, External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar made his presence felt as an unassuming audience member at the launch of Dhruva Jaishankar’s book on Thursday evening in New Delhi. Among the first ones to arrive and the last ones to leave the venue, the Union Minister cheered for the first book of his son, who helms foreign policy think tank Observer Research Foundation’s US arm. Unlike the usual format, the book launch had no chief guest or any presence from the ruling dispensation.
December 6, 2024
Dhruva Jaishankar, Executive Director, ORF America, was interviewed by CNN-News18 on the release of his first book, “Vishwa Shastra: India and the World”.
December 4, 2024
Dhruva Jaishankar, Executive Director, ORF America, was mentioned in ThePrint’s Intellectuals List:
In 2018, ThePrint’s list of India’s leading intellectuals captured the zeitgeist like nothing else. Public conversation about it lasted for weeks.
This year, we bring you a new list—the intellectuals to watch out for in the next decade.
ThePrint formed a jury panel of field experts to nominate a list of thinkers in the fields of geostrategic affairs, economy, social science, and political thought. Members of the jury decided the names individually and in complete secrecy.
For the geostrategic affairs list, jury members identified the following Indians who are thinking, speaking, and writing in transformative ways.
November 28, 2024
Dhruva Jaishankar, Executive Director, ORF America, was featured in an article by Amrita Priya of Global Indian on the release of his first book, “Vishwa Shastra: India and the World”:
Dhruva is now gearing up for the release of his first book, Vishwa Shastra, published by Penguin Random House India. The book provides a comprehensive exploration of India’s interactions with the world, blending historical insights with forward-looking strategies. Dhruva’s research on foreign policy, defence, security, and globalization, has appeared in several books, policy reports, and prominent publications, cementing his reputation as a thought leader.
November 25, 2024
Dhruva Jaishankar, Executive Director, ORF America, was interviewed by the Mero Tribune on the release of his first book, “Vishwa Shastra: India and the World”:
What are you currently working on?
It’s been a productive year. In addition to Vishwa Shastra, which I largely completed in April and May this year, I have co-edited a volume with one of my colleagues on the Global South’s perspectives on rebalancing globalization. I also chaired a task force of young China scholars from the Quad countries, whose report is also coming out now.
I hope to use next year to get this story abroad, where there’s growing interest in Indian perspectives on international affairs. I also came across so many interesting primary sources that perhaps an accompanying reader – of Indian thinkers and exponents of statecraft in their own words – might be useful.