The current economic narrative often masks deep-seated tensions between the organized elite and the marginalized masses. As global pressures mount, these internal fractures threaten to transform manageable challenges into a systemic crisis.

This conversation with Professor Arun Kumar delves into why the coming months represent a critical period for national stability. We examine how the loss of strategic autonomy in technology and recurring shocks to the agricultural sector are squeezing the economy from both ends.

• The displacement of mental labor by AI and its immediate effect on the skilled workforce.
• Agricultural vulnerability due to extreme weather events and fertilizer shortages.
• The shift from multilateralism to bilateralism and its impact on international trade.
• Why a "feudal" institutional culture  ...