The inaugural Bibek Debroy Memorial Lecture celebrated the life and legacy of Dr. Bibek Debroy, the prominent scholar known for his translations of Indian epics and contributions to economic policy. The event featured heartfelt tributes from his wife, Suparna Banerjee, and Shaktikanta Das, Principal Secretary to the Prime Minister of India, who highlighted Debroy's impact on India's economic transformation and the importance of self-reliance in the current global landscape. The lecture emphasized India's journey towards becoming a credible economy through stability, structural reforms, and strategic initiatives. Chapters 00:00 - 07:56 - Inaugural Bibek Debroy Memorial Lecture 07:57 - 18:15 - Celebrating Bibek Debroy's Life and Legacy 18:14 - 50:59 - Shaktikanta Das: A Tribute to Bibek Debroy 51:00 - 54:28 - India's Economic Transformation and Future #BibekDebroyMemorialLecture #ShaktikantaDas #IndianEconomy #EconomicReforms #AtmanirbharBharat #PolicyDialogue #ThoughtLeadership

Dr Gautam Sen argues that while the US hopes to draw India deeper into its Indo-Pacific strategy, New Delhi has little interest in any Taiwan conflict and maintains a broad political consensus on staying out. He says Washington’s real expectation from India is to act as a continental counterweight to China on land, while limiting cooperation at sea to logistical support rather than direct involvement. Watch the full interview here - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6xyu2ZO27q0

Dr Gautam Sen notes that while India has political reasons to be uneasy, an increase in Venezuelan oil supply could push global prices down—benefiting India through lower inflation and stronger foreign reserves. He adds that despite contradictions, India is broadly well placed, with the key question being how quickly cheaper oil translates into gains for the economy and the exchequer. Watch the full interview here - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6xyu2ZO27q0

Dr Gautam Sen situates Maduro’s incarceration within a historical pattern of US-backed regime change, arguing that the move is intended less as a legal process and more as a public spectacle of humiliation. He adds that such acts are designed to demoralize entire nations, sending a message that sovereignty and democratic choice count for little against imperial power. Watch the full interview here - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6xyu2ZO27q0

Dr Gautam Sen explains how the looming decline of US shale oil could push America back into Middle Eastern dependence, making control over Venezuelan oil a key strategic motive. Watch the full interview here - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6xyu2ZO27q0

Dr Gautam Sen argues that Venezuela’s economy is near collapse after a mass exodus of its educated population, leaving the state fragile despite limited oil revenues sustaining political support. He warns that the arrest of an elected president signals how decisively and professionally US interventions can be executed. Watch the full interview here - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6xyu2ZO27q0&t=3s

In this wide-ranging and incisive conversation, Hindol Sengupta speaks with Dr Gautam Sen, political economist, on the shifting contours of global power, U.S. interventionism, and the strategic implications for regions far beyond Latin America. Moving past headline-driven narratives, the discussion examines U.S. involvement in Venezuela through multiple lenses: political control versus regional destabilisation, historical parallels with Iraq, and the unintended consequences of regime change. Dr Sen unpacks how interventions framed as short-term solutions often evolve into long-term entanglements, reshaping regional and global priorities. The conversation also explores the ripple effects of these actions on India and the Indo-Pacific, raising critical questions about international precedent, great-power behaviour, and whether selective silence today could legitimise future interventions elsewhere, particularly in contexts such as China and Taiwan. Energy politics form a crucial part of the discussion, as the speakers analyse the contradictions of falling oil prices, U.S. extraction profitability, and the broader uncertainties shaping global energy markets. This conversation also delves into: •⁠ ⁠U.S. intervention in Venezuela and possible future trajectories •⁠ ⁠Regime change, power vacuums, and the risk of regional conflict •⁠ ⁠Implications for India’s strategic autonomy •⁠ ⁠The Indo-Pacific, China, and the Taiwan question •⁠ ⁠Oil prices, energy markets, and geopolitical uncertainty 📌 Watch to understand: •⁠ ⁠How U.S. actions in Latin America affect global power balances •⁠ ⁠Why regional interventions rarely remain regional •⁠ ⁠What these shifts mean for India’s foreign policy choices •⁠ ⁠How energy and geopolitics intersect in shaping world order Chapters - 0:00-1:33 Opening 2:12-6:33 Trump, Venezuela, and the Donroe Doctrine 8:04-16:54 U.S. Intervention in Venezuela: Managed Control or Regional Entanglement? 17:43-19:16 The Risk of Destabilisation in Latin America 19:54-22:17 Regional Stability and the Future of Latin America 22:43-28:30 Implications for India and the Indo-Pacific 28:32-28:51 Closing #Geopolitics #InternationalRelations #USForeignPolicy #VenezuelaCrisis #IndiaAndTheWorld #IndoPacific #ChinaTaiwan #PoliticalEconomy #EnergyPolitics #OilMarkets #WorldOrder #ForeignPolicy #GlobalPower #PolicyDiscussion #StrategicAutonomy

Watch the full conversation - https://youtu.be/AQM-9ShQsRw