India, as you of course know, is on a China-purge these days. It’s crazy. The image below from a recent made-for-camera protest offers a tremendous window. People who could not be bothered with social distancing or masks have taken great care to ensure that Chinese President Xi’s effigy is wearing a tie. The use of … Read more Hikvision and the wait for the next Chinese shoe to drop
A bureaucracy that had grown by nearly 50% over the last decade, as the state kept getting bigger and bigger. A central government that resorted to increasing taxes on anything in order to fund its ballooning expenditure bill. Stagnating real incomes and growing unemployment for the average citizen. And fuel prices that kept on rising, … Read more 1979-80 to 2019-20: A four-decade cycle
Something big happened last night. India banned a host of popular apps in India because they were Chinese and ‘threatened the sovereignty and security’ of Indian citizens. It decided to make this “emergency move” as the Home Ministry and the Indian Cyber Crime Coordination Centre were concerned about the security of data. Here’s the … Read more TikTok ban and a government-given equaliser
In June 323 BCE, as Alexander the Great lay on his deathbed, surrounded by his anxious generals, his Eurasian empire stretched from Greece’s Mediterranean Ocean all the way to India’s Indus River Valley. They asked him to whom should they bequeath his empire? Many versions exist of what he might or might not have … Read more TikTok and the Digital Diadochi Wars
When India imposed its nationwide lockdown on 25 March, cinemas were shut and concerts and comedy shows were cancelled. That forced BookMyShow (BMS), India’s largest online ticketing platform, to carry links to TikTok videos and movies on Netflix and Disney+ Hotstar. Three months later, movie halls have still not reopened and musicians and comics … Read more The show must go on