India’s Global Gamble

India is no longer a silent player in world politics. As the U.S. courts New Delhi, Russia relies on Indian markets, China looms across the border, and Pakistan remains a constant rival, India stands at the centre of global geopolitics.

In this episode of The Focus, Dr. John Bruni speaks with Professor Salvatore Babones (University of Sydney) about India’s bold gamble on its future. Will New Delhi define the Indo-Pacific century—or be defined by it?

Show Notes

🔗 Contact Salvatore:

Website: https://www.salvatorebabones.com/

X: @ProfBabones

UoS: https://www.sydney.edu.au/research/opportunities/3231.html Salvatore’s

YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@SalvatoreBabones

*Top 5 Books by Salvatore:*

Dharma Democracy: How India Built the Third World’s First Democracy (2025) – His most recent work is an empirical assessment of India’s democratic evolution.

The New Authoritarianism: Trump, Populism, and the Tyranny of Experts (2018) – Named among the Best on Politics 2018 by The Wall Street Journal

BRICS or Bust? Escaping the Middle Income Trap (co-authored with Hartmut Elsenhans) (2017) – A comparative study of BRICS economic trajectories

American Tianxia: Chinese Money, American Power and the End of History (2017) – Challenges the narrative of a looming Chinese century

Sixteen for ’16: A Progressive Agenda for a Better America (2015) – A policy manifesto outlining a forward looking progressive platform

*Top 5 Articles by Salvatore:*

“Global Kondratiev Waves and Political Transformations in Russia since 1800: A Relative Deprivation Approach” (with Philipp Babcicky & Oleg Gubin) – International Politics (2023)

“Mobile Netware, Social Graphs, and the Reconfiguration of Space” (with Colin Agur) – New Media & Society(2023)

“International Student Revenue and International Rankings Success: A Case Study of Australian University Research Strategies” – Youth and Globalization (2022)

“China’s Development Model: Can it Be Replicated in Sub Saharan Africa?” – Politics & Policy (2020)

“From Tianxia to Tianxia: The Generalization of a Concept” – Chinese Political Science Review (2020)

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