Switching Sides and Swiping Left: Geopolitics in the Age of Desi Hustle

Right then, gather 'round, because if there’s one thing a good brew and a keen eye for the absurd have taught me, it’s that the world's gone utterly crackers. I recall a chap in Hyderabad, my neighbour actually, mending his ancient scooter’s seat with a rather vibrant, discarded shoelace. Utter genius, everyone declared. A spot of 'jugaad', they called it – that wonderfully Indian art of ingenious improvisation. But good heavens, cast an eye over the global map in 2025, and it seems every nation on earth has pinched a page from that very playbook. International diplomacy, once a rather serious affair, a grand chess match perhaps, now feels suspiciously like a rather disorganised group project amongst teenagers, all vying for the highest marks whilst doing the absolute bare minimum.

Remember those halcyon days of "eternal alliances" and friendships as solid as a good fruitcake? Gone, I tell you. Vanished. Nowadays, allegiances are flimsier than a politician's promise, shifting with the capricious whims of a WhatsApp group admin. Today you're chums, tomorrow you're out, all because you hogged the metaphorical TV remote or dared to keep your choicest memes to yourself. Take the United States and China, for instance. Once locked in a trade tiff as dramatic as a particularly dreary soap opera, they now perform regular pantomimes of reconciliation. Tariff threats fly about with all the gravity of two uncles bickering over who's picking up the tab at the local curry house, everyone knowing full well the real answer, as ever, is 'let's split it and blame the rising cost of living'.

Then there’s the grand old dame, the European Union. You'll find their seasoned diplomats looking "deeply concerned" with all the earnestness of a B-movie actor, yet they'd swap loyalties faster than you can say 'Brexit' for the right discount on imported Gouda or, dare I suggest, a premium streaming service subscription. The so-called Global South, bless its cotton socks, throws rather frequent shindigs touting new economic paradigms, but everyone’s secretly peering over their shoulder, hoping someone else is reaching for the bill, praying it isn't their turn.

And oh, the sheer theatricality with which these nations all chant the mantra of 'atmanirbhar', or self-reliance! The comedy, however, inevitably spills forth at every shipping port. America, bless its technologically advanced heart, needs microchips, but procures them from Taiwan and its mobile phones from Vietnam. China, whilst swearing fidelity to its homegrown tech, remains stubbornly tethered to global markets. India, with a splendid flourish, insists on settling its Russian oil debts in UAE Dirhams, leaving everyone rather delightfully befuddled as to who, precisely, is actually getting paid. Germany, with a magnificent display of indignation, rails against Chinese steel, yet its latest electric vehicle battery arrives fresh off the boat from Shanghai. It’s rather like an overconfident bachelor declaring he's a dab hand in the kitchen, whilst surreptitiously popping round to his mum's for a decent Sunday roast.

One mustn't forget the TikTok kerfuffle. When in diplomatic doubt, ban something! One day, it’s TikTok for grave data security concerns. The next, someone’s having a quiet rethink, terribly worried their latest viral dance sensation might be tragically curtailed. It seems the world’s leaders, much like the teenagers they lecture, are rather frightfully addicted to those sweet, sweet dopamine hits.

Watching this delightful farce unfold, I can’t help but chuckle at the sheer spectacle. It reminds me of those heady days trying to decide dinner plans in a WhatsApp group. One minute, everyone's craving biryani. The next, someone suggests pizza, and suddenly half the group is inexplicably gluten-intolerant. Nations, you see, switch allegiances for the juiciest deal: today, the US is your "strategic partner" in defence; tomorrow, they're hiking tariffs because you had the audacity to blink at the wrong ambassador.

And throughout these whispered backdoor deals and earnest summit selfies, everyone, absolutely everyone, insists they're championing "strategic independence." But the moment there’s a spot of bother, a minor shortage perhaps, suddenly old contacts are being rung up with frantic promises for a timely shipment of lithium or wheat, or even just a perfectly timed meme about their rivals’ latest diplomatic faux pas.

This, my dear reader, is geopolitical jugaad in its purest, most unadulterated form: not neat, certainly not tidy, but wonderfully, chaotically improvised. When trade deals collapse in a heap, nations simply ban an app. When bans inevitably backfire, it’s time for some hastily scribbled new treaties. And when treaties turn sour, one merely blames another country’s "influence operations," offers a wry smile, and shuffles off to the next negotiation table, probably striking deals over lukewarm samosas and dreadful puns about sanctions. The real winners in this circus, it turns out, aren't the superpowers with their colossal armies, but those with the best side-hustle spirit – always ready to pivot, partner, and pretend absolutely nothing untoward has happened.

So, yes, in 2025, the world has truly embraced the gloriously chaotic spirit of Indian jugaad. If your first cunning plan spectacularly unravels, simply improvise, switch sides with a disarming grin, and for goodness sake, never, ever let on that you didn’t really have a plan in the first place. It’s comedy, it’s chaos, and perhaps, just perhaps, it’s how we’ll all muddle through the next global summit. Cheerio!

The Absurd and Noble Adventure: A Blog Post

What if the entire history of political systems boils down to one simple, even absurd, question: Who should tell everyone else what to do?

In my book, From Dharma to Democracy: The Absurd and Noble Adventure of Political Systems, I invite you on a journey through six thousand years of humanity's attempts to answer this fundamental question. This is not a dry, academic treatise. It's a grand historical survey delivered with a "constructively skeptical" tone and a touch of wit, because frankly, the history of governance is often more bizarre than fiction.

We delve into the rise and fall of civilizations, exploring everything from the ancient Indian concept of Dharma—righteous and ethical governance—to the messy, glorious, and chaotic reality of modern constitutional democracy. We explore how kings, emperors, philosophers, and revolutionaries have grappled with power, and we find that the more things change, the more the fundamental questions remain the same.

The book is for anyone who has looked at the world and wondered, "How did we get here?" It's a guide to understanding the systems that shape our lives and the grand human experiment that continues to unfold. Ultimately, it reveals that the best form of government is not one that claims to be perfect, but one that is humble enough to learn from the lessons of history.

Join me on this adventure and discover why democracy, for all its faults, is still our best bet. You can get your copy and start the adventure here:

Buy From Dharma to Democracy on Amazon     (International Readers)

Buy From Dharma to Democracy on Pothi.com (Indian Readers)

India at the Crossroads: The Revolution That Was and Wasn't

We are often told that India’s economic growth is a modern marvel, a story of explosive progress and a new global order. But what if we're missing the bigger picture? What if, in our haste to celebrate the gains, we've overlooked a far greater potential—a trillion-dollar revolution that we have, for all our ambition, missed?

This is the intellectual terrain I explore in my book, India at a Crossroads: The Trillion Dollar Missed Revolution. This isn't a critique born of pessimism, but an examination rooted in a fundamental question: Is our current path truly sustainable, or are we repeating the same cycles of economic and social policy that have held us back for generations?

The book dissects the paradoxes of modern India. We are a nation capable of sending rockets to Mars, yet we struggle to build and maintain fundamental urban infrastructure. We have world-class technology hubs, yet our small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs), the true engines of employment and innovation, are hobbled by bureaucracy and a lack of access to capital. We speak of a "demographic dividend," yet we continue to underskill our youth, turning a potential strength into a looming liability.

The "trillion-dollar missed revolution" is not an abstract concept; it is the untapped potential of a decentralized, democratized economic model. It is the wealth we could create by moving beyond top-down mandates and embracing a system where every district, town, and village becomes a self-sustaining economic powerhouse.

This revolution requires a shift in mindset—from grand, centralized projects to granular, local innovation. It demands that we empower entrepreneurs, streamline governance, and, most importantly, redefine our understanding of progress. Is true progress merely a rising GDP number, or is it a society where dignity, opportunity, and prosperity are accessible to all?

India at a Crossroads is an argument for a different future. It is a roadmap to a more resilient, equitable, and ultimately more prosperous India, a nation that finally realizes its full, monumental potential.

Buy your copy here on Amazon (International Readers)

Buy Your Copy on Pothi.com (Indian Readers)

Beyond the Freebie: Rebuilding an Economy

For India, have hinged on the promise of "freebies." These short-term populist measures—from free electricity to subsidized goods—are an easy way to win votes, but they come at a steep price.¹ They stifle innovation, weaken the foundation for long-term growth, and ultimately trap a society in a cycle of welfare dependency.

It’s a truth I’ve explored in my book, From Freebies to Factories: Rebuilding Telangana's Economy for India's Future.

Buy here from Pothi (Pothi.com)

This book is a direct challenge to that philosophy. It's a call to action for policymakers, entrepreneurs, and citizens to look beyond the quick fixes and embrace a more sustainable, and ultimately more prosperous, future. Using Telangana as a central case study, I lay out a strategic roadmap for a new kind of growth—one grounded in decentralized, grassroots industrialization.

I believe the path to prosperity isn't paved with handouts, but with factories. In the book, I delve into the economic history of India, critically examining the pitfalls of "vote-bank economics" and contrasting our experience with the strategic approaches of global manufacturing titans. I argue that by empowering local mandal clusters and nurturing localized industry, we can not only create jobs but also build a resilient, innovative, and equitable economy.

This work is personal to me. It is born from a deep-seated belief that a country’s true strength comes not from what its government gives to its people, but from what its people are empowered to build for themselves. This book is a blueprint for that future—a future where innovation is rewarded, hard work is celebrated, and growth is both sustainable and shared.

Welcome to the Crossroads

Hello, and welcome to my corner of the internet.

For over two decades, I’ve navigated two seemingly disparate worlds: the high-stakes, data-driven reality of business and the boundless, imaginative cosmos of speculative fiction. In one, I was a strategist trying to make sense of profits and losses; in the other, a storyteller grappling with cosmic paradoxes and the nature of reality. The more I wrote, the more I realized these two worlds aren't so different after all.

This blog is where those worlds collide.

Here, you’ll find me exploring the very same themes I tackle in my books—whether it's the uncomfortable truths of an industry or the profound, mind-bending questions about our universe. You can expect posts on:

• The Business of Reality: No-holds-barred takes on entrepreneurship, economics, and the policies shaping our world. I'll be sharing lessons learned and candid insights from the business world's front lines.

• The Fabric of Fiction: Dive deep into the philosophical and scientific ideas that fuel my writing. We’ll talk about consciousness, memory, the nature of truth, and how to build a universe from scratch.

• The Craft: I'll pull back the curtain on my writing process, sharing my thoughts on storytelling, character development, and the art of shaping a narrative, whether it’s a policy blueprint or a sci-fi epic.

In essence, this is a space for those who are just as fascinated by the bottom line as they are by the final frontier. Thank you for stopping by. I'm excited to have you on this journey.