For years, the plan of creating a powerhouse followed a very obvious path. From 19th-century Manchester to 20th-century Shenzhen, the way to prosperity was built on factory floors. The logic was obvious too: move millions of workers from low-productivity agriculture to high-productivity assembly lines. Under the Make in India as the main development strategy, India operated under this framework too. Illustration by The Geostrata As the world bank has warned, over the next dec

The recent strike  by delivery partners on New Year's Eve brought the inherent issues of the gig economy to the surface. The strike conducted by thousands of delivery partners   working on delivery-based apps put forward their demands for a fair minimum income, compensation including fuel & maintenance, better health and insurance coverage for accident protection, along with formal recognition as “workers” rather than merely “partners.” Illustration by The Geostrata These dem

In an era of energy transitions and geopolitical uncertainty, Venezuela presents one of the most striking contradictions in the contemporary world. With the largest proven oil reserves at about 303 billion barrels , more than Saudi Arabia and Iran, in theory, the country should be economically viable and geopolitically relevant. Illustration by The Geostrata But the reality stands in antithesis to the expectations, becoming a textbook example of economic collapse, institutio

The air quality crisis in Northern India has led to a significant shift towards electric vehicles. In Delhi and the surrounding states, EVs are seen as a solution to reduce CO₂, NOx and particulate emissions  from vehicles. The city’s draft EV Policy 2.0 has an aggressive target of 95% of new vehicle registrations being electric by 2027 – and even phases out CNG autos and old combustion vehicles to fight smog. Illustration by The Geostrata Delhi has ambitious subsidy plans (e

Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership (RCEP) , a trade agreement linking ten ASEAN countries with five of their key Free Trade Agreement partners, is one of the largest trade blocs in the world.    Illustration by The Geostrata The RCEP treaty is significant due to its representation of nearly a third of the world’s gross domestic product , encompassing a population of over two  billion  people and an estimated $5.2 trillion  in total exports. Despite its scale and s

A diverse country like India is home to states that differ sharply in income levels, population pressures, geography, and administrative capacity, giving rise to vast and uneven fiscal pressures that can't be fulfilled with a one-size-fits-all system. Illustration by The Geostrata Fiscal Federalism is at the heart of the Indian Economy, sustaining strong Centre-State relations and upholding political legitimacy. In this backdrop, the constitution provides a balance between th

"Somewhere Europe has to grow out of the mindset that Europe's problems are the world's problems, but the world's problems are not Europe's problems” Dr S. Jaishankar (Indian External Affairs Minister) The world today has been confronted with the strange reality of trade protectionism and aggressive tariff policies, which stem from the thought of intrinsic economic development amongst multiple countries, starting with the US. What was earlier seen as protectionism and reignit

India and the European Union, after almost two decades, finally, on January 27th of 2026, concluded their negotiations for a free trade agreement, which has been, by the European Commission President Ms Ursula von der Leyen, more popularly called the “Mother of all Deals.” Cover by The Geostrata The announcement came shortly after the successful 16th India-EU Summit in New Delhi, attended by Indian PM Narendra Modi alongside the European Commission President H.E. Ursula von d

For the record 9th time , the Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman prepares to present the Union Budget for 2026-27 on 1st February 2026. This exercise has more significance than a routine fiscal update. As India emerges as one of the world’s fastest-growing economies , it faces a blend of domestic challenges, opportunities and global risks. Illustration by The Geostrata Slowing global demand, trade fragmentation, U.S. tariff pressures and weakening investor sentiments call fo

As the first month of 2026 comes to a close, the global economic establishment is less a coherent system and more a fragmented mirror of competing interests. With the EU – India summit less than a week away, the atmosphere is charged with unprecedented urgency. As the EU President Ursula von der Leyen touches down in India alongside other European leaders for Republic Day celebrations on January 26, the long-anticipated India – EU trade deal stands on the precipice of finaliz

Shubanshu Shukla, an Indian astronaut, travelled to the International Space Station in 2025. This is a significant moment that goes beyond simple patriotism. India’s missions like Mangalayaan and Chandrayaan are praised for their low cost and efficiency all over the world. Nevertheless, despite this achievement, India continues to be marginalised in the global space economy, which is expected to reach a value of $1 trillion this decade. Illustration by The Geostrata This arti

Underneath the dust stirred by the crossfires between India and Pakistan in Jammu and Kashmir lies the untold story of developmental disparities between regions separated by misconceived boundaries of baseless claims. Illustration by The Geostrata Boundaries that, by their very nature, separate the two by a margin that is only negligible compared to that separating the economic, social and medical realities of Jammu and Kashmir and the part of it that remains under unlawful P

India's trade policy since independence has been rooted in self-sufficiency and protectionism, which makes India's trade remarkably different. The first three and a half decades after independence were governed by very high tariffs, tight import restrictions, and a complex 'licence raj'   system to encourage young Indian industries, while protecting many sectors. Illustration by The Geostrata This self-sufficiency encouraged domestic manufacturing, but at the same time, it ha

The Hindu epic Mahabharata is far more than just an epic poem featuring noble ideals, supernatural characters, and atrocious conflicts that end in a manufactured peace. It's not a moral and theological discourse built around a long story, as many academics would have us believe; it stands for the very contemporary notions of policy and diplomatic tactics that we see in the world today, and its lessons echo through our administrative institutions. Illustration by The Geostrata

In India’s financial pulse, Non-Banking Financial Companies (NBFCs) — Micro Finance Institutions (MFIs) are key factors for development. NBFCs are entities that provide similar services to banks but do not hold a banking license, for instance, engaged in the business of loans and advances, acquisition of shares/debenture/securities, leasing, hire-purchase, insurance, and more. Illustration by The Geostrata It has emerged as a vast source of financing for individuals as well a

With the advancement of technology, the global retail sector has undergone a profound shift in the last two decades, defined by the rise of e-commerce. Once seen as a rival threatening the survival of retail businesses, e-commerce has now become a catalyst for transformation. On the one hand, e-commerce has changed consumer behaviour by making it more convenient. Illustration by The Geostrata On the other hand, it has compelled retailers to restructure their strategies to sus

We live in a world of glaring, debilitating contradictions where we produce more food than any civilisation in history, but hunger remains a chronic, worsening crisis. Global agriculture produces trillions of calories of food every year, enough to feed every man, woman, and child, and yet there is the painful reality that over 295 million people in the world today are facing acute hunger, pushing them to the brink of catastrophe. Illustration by The Geostrata This crisis i

Under the multifaceted networks of economic safety, cross-connections that exceed traditional supply-chain models can be found in complex geotechnical, technological, and financial networks  that redesign the business at a distant level. Illustration by The Geostrata Mapping these constellations of conflict and the relative permanence of ProKin, researchers shed light on the interdependence and dependence of risk and opportunity inherent in interlinkages of semiconductor sup

Imagine a time when the Romans believed in “ Roma Aeterna”, an empire eternal, invincible and destined to last forever. Today, what remains of that grandeur is a viral TikTok trend. The British Empire, once so vast that the sun never set, is now reduced to nostalgic relics like the royal family, gilded castles, and colonial territorial disputes. Illustration by The Geostrata This is history’s brutal lesson: Power is Transient. According to Modelski and Thompson’s Long Cycle T

Urban cities, which were once the centres of commerce, civilisation, and culture, are now increasingly being transformed into battlegrounds of modern-day conflicts. Modern warfare is no longer confined to frontlines, but is now playing out more in densely populated urban spaces. From Kyiv and Gaza to Khartoum and Aleppo, urban cities have become spaces of warfare. This highlights the fact that the lines between war zones and civilian spaces are blurring.  Illustration by The