Deepak Disagrees

Ep 18: Do you own what you create? | Rahul Matthan on intellectual property, ownership, and AI

Rahul Matthan believes intellectual property is not like real property. It's a legal fiction the state grants to protect publishers and incentivize innovation. But if you spent years writing a novel or a lifetime developing a drug, don't you own that? And if AI can train on your life's work without asking, who does it really belong to? Rahul is India's most prominent technology lawyer, a partner at Trilegal, and author of The Third Way. He has written the weekly column Ex Machina in the Mint since 2016, on the intersection of law, technology, and society.

Ep 17: In federalism we trust! | Abishek Choutagunta on political power, devolution, and why federalism works

Abhishek believes that federalism is a good idea. Power should devolve across political levels, and there should be multiple tiers of elected government. But doesn't federalism make politics more dysfunctional? What kind of federal system is best? And why do states need to be part of a nation at all? Abhishek Choutagunta is a political economist with a PhD in economics. His research examines India’s federal structure, including his work on “centripetal federalism,” the use of President’s Rule, and how institutional design shapes governance outcomes. Podcast website [https://deepakvs.com/podcast]

Ep 16: Nationalism ain't so bad! | Pranay Kotasthane on what liberals get wrong about nationalism

Pranay believes that nationalism is not only unavoidable, but unfairly criticised by liberals and libertarians. But what exactly is a nation? Isn't nationalism often linked with violence and exclusion? And is it fair to say that liberals aren't nationalists? Pranay Kotasthane is the Deputy Director of the Takshashila Institution, where he also leads the High Tech Geopolitics programme. He co-hosts the Puliyabaazi podcast, and authors the Anticipating the Unintended newsletter. He’s also co-authored several widely read books on public policy, including Missing in Action, When the Chips Are Down, and We, the Citizens. Episode notes [https://deepakvs.com/podcast]

Ep 15: Open borders, free trade! | Ajay Shah on autarky, globalisation, and pragmatism

Ajay Shah believes that global free trade is good, and that state autarky is a bad idea. Borders, he says, should be relatively open, and there should be low levels of control on people, goods, services and capital moving across borders. But what does openness really mean? Can controls on individual liberties ever justified? And what about bad actors like China? Ajay is one of India's most prominent economists, the co-founder of the XKDR Forum, and co-author of the widely-acclaimed In Service of the Republic. His work spans financial markets, public finance, state capacity, and economic reform in India. Episode notes [https://deepakvs.com/podcast]

Ep 14: More liberty is always better! | Kumar Anand on freedom, coercion and the role of the state

Kumar Anand believes that more liberty is always better than less liberty. As a libertarian, he argues that many problems can be traced back to too much state power and too little individual freedom. But what is liberty? Is it possible without coercion? And why is trading liberty for security a bad idea? Kumar is an economist at the Centre for Civil Society, one of India’s leading market-liberal think tanks. His work spans public choice, regulatory reform, school choice, and urban governance. Episode notes [https://deepakvs.com/podcast]