An M.I.T. study found that 95% of companies that had invested in A.I. tools were seeing zero return. It jibes with the emerging idea that generative A.I., “in its current incarnation, simply isn’t all it’s been cracked up to be,” johncassidysays.bsky.social writes.

The FT story we were all waiting for but never expected. Lovely, but tragic piece.

Out this month: "Between Worlds: The IF Anthology of New Indian SFF" -- scroll.in/article/1084...

India's disaster management systems excel in saving lives quickly but are hamstrung in planning for risk mitigation and resilience. www.theindiaforum.in/climate-chan...

‘The Blaft Book of Anti-Caste SF’ demonstrates the power of speculative and science fiction as instruments of the anti-caste struggle in Southasia, and these genres’ connections to the wide traditions of Dalit and Adivasi literature. Sreyartha Krishna:

The career of M. Visvesvaraya, arch-technocrat and statesman, throws much light on how India embraced the idea of modernisation through industrialisation. Aashique Iqbal reviews Aparajith Ramnath's book www.theindiaforum.in/book-reviews...

The 2023 Nobel winner’s story reminds us of the power of persistence, and teamwork in science. As science comes under siege in the US, the memoir underscores the need for a more inclusive scientific community that welcomes talent regardless of background or race. www.theindiaforum.in/book-reviews...

As much of North India melts amidst a heat wave, great podcast with Aditya Pillai from @sustainablefutures.org by Namrata Raju on The Migration Story. open.spotify.com/episode/2jkU...

Strange Horizons’ annual fund-drive is now live: www.kickstarter.com/projects/str... We are entirely community-funded, and this is our main source of income. Help us enter our 26th year?

Sign up for the second Himal Fiction Fest 2025 panel event, "Caste, gender and resistance in Southasian speculative fiction", held in partnership with the Armory Square Prize for South Asian Literature in Translation. 🗓 Monday, 16 June ⌚ 7:30 pm IST buff.ly/kzL5ZID

📢 HIMAL FICTION FEST 2025: Celebrating Southasian speculative fiction 🔮 Join us this Monday (9th June) for the first panel event! Sign up here: buff.ly/AupIohy

A 'Coal in India' explainer for @drilledmedia.bsky.social. Historical roots to nationalisation & back to privatisation, worker issues, Adani & state favour, resistance by Adivasi communities & police action & underground mining. Context: non-existent energy transition drilled.media/news/india-c...

Great overview piece by Rishika Pardikar on the complexity of India's coal sector and the energy transition. With some valuable insights from the field. drilled.media/news/india-c...

📢 HIMAL FICTION FEST 2025: Celebrating Southasian speculative fiction ⏳ Join us this Monday (9th June) for the first panel event! Sign up here: buff.ly/AupIohy

“The thing that protects you against substandard medicines is a good drug controller. Countries that don’t have that shield are suffering.” Write Vidya Krishnan & Arshu John

In the absence of timely data from official agencies, pvt org & researchers have turned to designing large data surveys, often promoted by global philanthropies. There are questions about the transparency, accountability & working conditions of the enumerators. www.theindiaforum.in/public-polic...

Listen to VSE Professor @nathannunn.bsky.social in two recent podcasts, one with @causalinf.bsky.social discussing his career beginnings and how he came to study Economic History and Development... causalinf.substack.com/p/s4e17-nath... (1/2)

Fantastic book review combined with broader reflection on the evolution of nationalism over the last century.

Very timely book by @fudaoge.bsky.social et al on contemporary state capitalism. Since it’s coming back into fashion, might as well read all about it www.cambridge.org/core/element...

About a year and half ago, @sandeeppai.bsky.social , Suravee Nayak, Sree Harica and I started putting together a review article for WIRES Climate Change on India's complicated relationship with its coal industry.

Platforms may start with the intent of increasing competition, but we've seen many of them (including most of Big Tech) eventually move towards reducing competition and trying to undermine the very companies who used their platform to provide value.

As David Graeber explains, the Neo-Liberal myth that Free-Market policies will end bureaucracy, is well a Myth!

Amiya Bagchi's Private Investment In India was a fantastic book to read as a young PhD student interested in understanding Indian economic history. Managing agencies, banks, industrial geography, political economy and so much more in a single book.

Surprisingly honest inward reflection by former Harvard professors on why they left the university to work in the private sector (public health, drug discovery etc.). www.harvardmagazine.com/2025/01/harv...

The work of Taiwanese sculptor Hsu Tung Han 韓旭東 - of wood sculptures carved as if pixelated and uploading [Via his Flickr www.flickr.com/photos/hsutu...

Paperback day!

My colleague @MacabeKeliher just published this excellent article about the role of Taiwan Machinery Manufacturing Corporations, as SOE, in Taiwan's postwar economic development. Part of what he calls the "archival turn" in studies of the developmental state. Interesting stuff!

Our investigation into three share pledge agreements entered into by Adani Green subsidiaries shows they signed undertakings before March 2023—when AGEL first became aware of the FBI’s probe—to inform lenders of any such matters, which they haven't. themorningcontext.com/business/ple...

Useful historical reflection by Harish Damodaran on business-state relations, the Dalmia-Jain incident and its meaning for the current moment post-indictments. indianexpress.com/article/opin...

Matt Shutzer has some interesting thoughts on India's fossil fuel history and its relationship with modern climate discussions. timesofindia.indiatimes.com/empire-to-na...

Adding to this, his curation of the SBI archives, his multiple volumes on the evolution of SBI are also landmark works. Inspirational reading for any scholars looking to understand the political economy of finance in pre independence India. Truly a scholar for the ages.

Strong piece on the emerging issues with India's solar e-auctions m-economictimes-com.cdn.ampproject.org/c/s/m.econom...

Call for Papers for the Yale Modern South Asia Workshop, to be held June 7-8, 2025. Travel, accommodation, and meals will be provided to all selected candidates for the duration of the Workshop in South Asia. macmillan.yale.edu/southasia/mo...

Brutal realities of India's power market. Putting the generation cart before the utility finance and market design horse has its consequences. www.thehindubusinessline.com/economy/rene...

🚨 Advanced Aerosol Science Intensive Course 🚨 📍 IIT Delhi Sonipat Campus 📅 3–13 Feb 2025 A joint course by CAS, IIT Delhi and INAR, University of Helsinki. 🧪For Indian PhD students (2nd year & above) ⏳Apply by: 31 Dec 2024 🌐https://forms.office.com/r/DjA74Hm8RZ

I'm an Atmospheric Scientist at IIT Delhi. I work on Air Pollution, Atmospheric Aerosols, Climate Change, and Science Communication. #AirPollution #SciComm #ClimateScience #ClimateChange Please tag people who work on these themes.

A view from India on the Adani indictment and what it means for much-needed investment in renewable energy in India: scroll.in/article/1075... #EnergySky #ClimateSky

Some thoughts on the recent Adani indictments t.co/i6LWcrFTzs

New issue of the Words for Worlds newsletter out: gautambhatia.substack.com/p/words-for-... feat. Silo and Philip K Dick, Blood in the Machine, new work by @architamittra.bsky.social, and a Palestinian fabulist novel. [Subscription link at the end of the newsletter.]

Delighted to be a guest on The India Energy Hour podcast with Ann Josey. If you're in interested in the role of India's states in the energy transition, do have a listen. Thanks to Shreya Jai for hosting us. open.spotify.com/episode/7KF5...

The Hindenburg report lays bare many of the problems in business-state relations in India today. Our October 2020 issue of Seminar delved into the many systemic problems leading to lack of trust between businesses and the Indian state today. www.india-seminar.com/2020/734.htm