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Roads, Roads Everywhere. But No Room to Drive.
India is in the midst of a massive infrastructure boom. Cities are aggressively building new roads and flyovers, widening and resurfacing old roads. Greater Mumbai alone spends upwards of ₹10,000 crores annually (including projects funded by the Centre). Delhi is not far behind. The top 10 cities probably spend close to ₹50,000 crores a year.… Continue reading
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The End of Anonymity
Even as we fret about the loss of privacy thanks to apps, government, social media, banks and hackers; a new dimension is quietly being hyper-enabled by AI. And that’s the humble street camera. Last week, I stumbled on a link that placed Indian cities among those with the largest CCTV camera networks. Apparently, Hyderabad has… Continue reading
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You Can’t Bet Against Human Nature
Since time immemorial, humans have gambled. In Harappa, Mohenjo-Daro and other places, numerous dice were found. Our ancestors enjoyed games of strategy and chance in 2500 BC. In ancient Greece, Rome, Japan, China, and elsewhere, people loved bets and wagers, even punting on gladiator contests and animal races. But throughout history, rulers and governments have… Continue reading
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Can wars be won?
Military triumph may still be possible — but winning the peace is another matter. As millions of screens flash images of burning buildings and refineries, missiles and drones; the media (as usual) is raking in the views. Opinions abound: the Iranian leader was an evil man, Trump is crazy, the markets will crash, oil will… Continue reading
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A Fact Sheet in Search of Facts
As expected, the US-India trade deal has hogged headlines. The opposition is crying foul, the usual critics of everything have rediscovered their vocal chords, and social media has done what it does best – declared an apocalypse. Amidst all the noise and hot air, the US government bowled an unplayable googly that was later ruled… Continue reading
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Ten Predictions for 2026
Most (all?) predictions are useless, but they’re fun to make – so why not join the party? Here’s my list, in no particular order of importance. Trump will continue to create mayhem, while getting richer: This is a given. Stealing oil tankers, arbitrary tariffs and sanctions, fights with institutions and friends will no longer be… Continue reading
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Greed, fear and digital scams: When common sense logs out
Greed, fear and digital scams: When common sense logs out If you think you’re too smart to get scammed, think again. Every day, some smart and educated people are losing very real money — thanks to a variety of innovative (and sneaky) scams. A good number of these are based on simple trickery. They will… Continue reading
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Wilful destruction of the world’s most powerful economic engine
Wilful destruction of the world’s most powerful economic engine Sitting in my favourite armchair, far from the shenanigans of the US president, one can only watch with shock and awe – the haphazard (or is it systematic?) devastation of an economy that has dominated the world for almost a century. Ever since World War II,… Continue reading
