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Two years into the COVID-19 pandemic, women have made important gains in representation, especially in senior leadership. Women have been at the forefront of solutions for managing societal crisis. The question we aim to address in this episode is- how we can rethink of women leadership in ways to craft a just, more prosperous and fairer society.

 Women are making a sufficient percentage in parliaments around the world. “Women need space, women can no more be viewed by the type of husbands they have,” says Kwati Candith Mashego-Dlamini

 Most peace processes are premised on the assumption that the actors who pursued war, primarily men, will also act as the main agents for peace. Can women’s participation in conflict prevention and resolution, improve outcomes before, during, and after conflict? We explore the question of what are the various issues that women need to manage and deal with, that are different from what men need to go through? Should women be further empowered and their potential unlocked to accelerate development?  How can female leadership be enhanced across the political sphere, boardrooms, and financial systems? What can be done to make technology more inclusive for women and to aid them in crisis response and recovery? How can education be made more accessible, not just for women as students, but for women as educators? 
In conversation with - 
Smriti Z. Irani, Minister of Women and Child Development, India

 Kwati Candith Mashego-Dlamini, Deputy Minister of International Relations and Cooperation, South Africa

 Waseqa Ayesha Khan, Chairman, Parliamentary Standing Committee on Ministry of Power, Energy and Mineral Resources; Member of Parliament, Bangladesh

 Vanita Sharma, Advisor, Strategic Initiatives, Reliance Foundation, India

 Shombi Sharp, Resident Coordinator India, United Nations 

 Moderator: Chandrika Bahadur, Former Director, SDG Academy, India
 The Raisina Dialogue is a multilateral conference committed to addressing the most challenging issues facing the global community. Every year, global leaders in policy, business, media and civil society are hosted in New Delhi to discuss cooperation on a wide range of pertinent international policy matters.
 The conference is hosted by the Observer Research Foundation in collaboration with the Government of India, Ministry of External Affairs.

Every year policymakers come together to discuss the future of this planet and make resolutions to reach their target for net-zero emissions but it’s much harder for developing nations to achieve their pledge without the commitment of climate finance from developed economies. How do you define climate finance and the significance of its adaptation to reach climate finance goals? At COP26 India highlighted that developing countries would need not billions but trillions of dollars to mitigate the process and insights for technology transfer are equally crucial to fulfilling this commitment. India’s target to produce 500 gigawatts of non-fossil fuel energy and a 30 per cent cut in global methane emissions by 2030, is this goal too ambitious to achieve? India is one of the few G20 countries that has fulfilled and achieved its target as per the Paris Climate Agreement 2015 and it now seeks to charter a role in finding solutions to the global climate crisis. But can PM Modi’s 5-point “Panchamrit” model at Cop26 provide a pathway for other developing nations to accelerate and achieve their net-zero target? In conversation with Bhupender Yadav, Minister of Environment, Forest and Climate Change, India Moderator: Sunjoy Joshi, Chairman, Observer Research Foundation, India The Raisina Dialogue is a multilateral conference committed to addressing the most challenging issues facing the global community. Every year, global leaders in policy, business, media and civil society are hosted in New Delhi to discuss cooperation on a wide range of pertinent international policy matters. The conference is hosted by the Observer Research Foundation in collaboration with the Government of India, Ministry of External Affairs.

The Modi government’s 8 years of foreign policy have exhibited a more robust, ambitious and effective engagement as compared to its neighbouring countries. How does this government’s foreign policy project India on the global stage at a time when the world is grappling with the Ukraine crisis and a pandemic? Is India already seen as a significant and more credible player in leading a new geopolitical order? President Joe Biden’s in-person visit to the Indo-Pacific aiming for a stronger alliance at the QUAD summit cannot underscore China-Russia’s close cord. Can this Sino-Russia tie have an impact on the power balance and re-shaping of the strategic partnership in the region which remains one of the most important geographies for American foreign policy? As the Taliban is trying to seek greater recognition globally as a new government, India’s continuous engagement in the region has effectively leveraged its role as a "development partner" but can India rely on the Taliban for any substantive engagement? Tune into this latest episode of Ideas Factory podcast on PolicyPod with Nagma Sahar, Senior Fellow at ORF and Harsh Pant, Director of Studies and Head of Strategic Studies Programme at ORF for the entire discussion.

The last 3 decades of globalisation have witnessed 3 big shocks- Covid, Afghanistan and recently Ukraine that have changed the balance in the current geopolitical scenario, with the West having “sharp friction” between Russia and China. India will play a crucial as well as decisive role in shaping the new world order setting its realm of “operational metrics” to respond to and deal with such scenarios. India now positions its parameters on self-reliance “Atmanirbhaar” mindset not just in capabilities, but self-reliance in terms of shouldering greater responsibilities refers Jaishankar. Can India, as the world’s largest democracy claim its leadership in defending territorial integrity, democratic and a pluralistic ecosystem? Can it help build a new multi-polar global society with the Indo-Pacific having a much more serious audience from Europe and the West? In conversation with S.Jaishankar, Minister of External Affairs, India Moderator: Samir Saran, President, Observer Research Foundation, India The Raisina Dialogue is a multilateral conference committed to addressing the most challenging issues facing the global community. Every year, global leaders in policy, business, media and civil society are hosted in New Delhi to discuss cooperation on a wide range of pertinent international policy matters. The conference is hosted by the Observer Research Foundation in collaboration with the Government of India, Ministry of External Affairs.

Making Tesla cars in China and selling in India is not good for us: Nitin Gadkari to Elon Musk As the world grapples with the energy transition from fossil fuel to green energy India has chalked out a definite roadmap for this shift aligning with its commitments to COP 26. But with the impact of the current geopolitical constraints and challenges on energy security, can India accelerate this move? Speaker: Nitin Gadkari, Minister of Road Transport and Highways, India Moderator: Shereen Bhan, Managing Editor, CNBC TV-18, India The Raisina Dialogue is a multilateral conference committed to addressing the most challenging issues facing the global community. Every year, global leaders in policy, business, media and civil society are hosted in New Delhi to discuss cooperation on a wide range of pertinent international policy matters. The conference is hosted by the Observer Research Foundation in collaboration with the Government of India, Ministry of External Affairs.

India is committed to helping Sri Lanka during its worst times of economic and political distress. India is playing a crucial role in assisting the island state from destabilising and reviving its economy. The new leadership in Pakistan has a very tough challenge ahead. We see a rising anti-China sentiment in Balochistan, which has been at the heart of CPEC. As we look towards the east, our north-east has to be the bridge that connects India to South East Asia. In light of this, Sheikh Hasina's offer is in line with the sentiment. Biden's visit has given a message that Washington's focus is not entirely on Ukraine and Europe, it does not intend to leave the Indo-Pacific alone. In the latest episode of “The Ideas Factory”, Naghma Sahar, Senior Fellow at ORF, and Harsh V. Pant, Director of Studies and Head of Strategic Studies Programme at ORF, analyse Challenges in India’s Neighbourhood; Modi in Lumbini; Sheikh Hasina’s Offer and Biden in Asia.

India has had remarkable economic transformational growth over the years. India has been shaping its own destiny and has evolved as a significant global actor. This panel seeks to discuss the dynamic evolution of India and its role in various issues, from responding to climate change and humanitarian crises to global peace and security, to technology and digital frontiers. India’s availability now has enhanced to impact and shape the world that we are living in. India is deeply thinking about the kind of international governance it can contribute to. Going forward we also look at how India’s actions will shape the 21st-century world and the pathways that lie ahead. What will shape India’s decisions for the future? What is driving global expectations from a resolute India that is increasingly focused on creating favourable outcomes for its people and the world? How will India’s transformation contribute to global well-being? S. Jaishankar, Minister of External Affairs, India João Gomes Cravinho, Minister of Foreign Affairs, Portugal Stephen Harper, Former Prime Minister, Canada Jeff M. Smith, Senior Research Fellow, Asian Studies Center, The Heritage Foundation, United States Velina Tchakarova, Director, Austrian Institute for European and Security Policy, Austria Moderator: Samir Saran, President, Observer Research Foundation, India

How can the EU–India partnership help define the New World Order? Do EU initiatives like Global Gateway represent a strategy of complementary competition or a new way forward for infrastructure delivery? Can India and the EU forge a third way on technology in an era of intense confrontation? What’s next for Europe after Ukraine: Are we in a new cold war or is there an offramp to peace? What lessons has China learnt from Ukraine and what will be the EU position on Beijing going forward? With European security facing its greatest challenge since the end of the Cold War, will we see the EU emerge as a significant military actor? Ursula Von Der Leyen, President, European Commission, at the inaugural of Raisina Dialogue 2022 Terranova, and in conversation with Dr Samir Saran, President, Observer Research Foundation. The conference is hosted by the Observer Research Foundation in collaboration with the Government of India, Ministry of External Affairs.

In this episode of “The Ideas Factory”, Naghma Sahar, Senior Fellow at ORF, and Harsh V. Pant, Director of Studies and Head of Strategic Studies Programme at ORF, analyse - Prime Minister Narendra Modi's visit to Europe; with the centre of power strategically shifting to the Indo-Pacific; India and the European Union are trying to work out a new arrangement, to accommodate the new geopolitical reality. China's rising presence in the Indo- Pacific and South China Sea region with Russia challenging Europe on its very doorsteps, it becomes extremely crucial for the European Union to declare its ambitions much more openly. Engagement of India with Germany has been evolving, with the focus on green and sustainable partnerships, and the professional mobility agreement. The big crisis going on in neighbouring Sri Lanka is a big cause of worry for India. We are seeing a cascading effect, with countries like Nepal, and Pakistan facing enormous political and economic challenges.

Today's discussion brought forward concerns of tech divide, its repercussions on the international supply chains and a resultant East-West rift that may aggravate existing differences in the world. Can we prevent a bipolar world by guaranteeing tech regulation? Will the international community be ready to ensure prevention of tech misuse? This episode of India's World was featured on Raisina Dialogue 2022, India’s flagship conference on geopolitics and geo-economics.

Is this a moment of reckoning for the west, Europe in particular? That Europe is not at the heart of global geo-strategy today. The Russian invasion, and Ukrainian pushback, have contributed to a new kind of geopolitical complexity. The spillover effect is already being experienced on a global level, especially by the neighbouring European countries. Unlike the West, India has made it very clear that it does not see itself either marginalising, isolating, or sanctioning Russia. India has also had to maintain a tough balancing act, as it faced a lot of pressure from QUAD members. Dramatic developments in Pakistan and Sri Lanka have taken place. The vulnerability of Pakistani democratic institutions poses challenges for India in managing its relationship with Pakistan.

The war in Europe is now set to hit people’s lives and livelihoods, and unleash social and political turmoil in economies that were already struggling to recover from Covid-19 across the world. The US, having thrown US$ 5 trillion at the pandemic, is itself staring at high interest rates coupled with the high inflation, as it is forced to turn back from quantitative easing. Simultaneously, surging Chinese Covid cases in Shanghai are again affecting already creaking supply chains. Of all these disruptive events, the one and only event that is yet within the hands of global powers to control, remains Ukraine. Will they be equal to the task of guiding it to a negotiated peace settlement? The writing on the wall is clear — war needs to stop.