Idea Exchange

V D Satheesan at Idea Exchange: ‘Leaders should discuss the future of the states. Only then will we be able to come back to power in many states’

May 14, 2026 2:25 pm

A six-term MLA, VD Satheesan is widely credited as a key architect behind the Congress-led UDF’s renewed strength in Kerala. The 62-year-old Congress leader played a pivotal role in reorganising the Opposition and sharpening its political strategy against the LDF government.

Idea Exchange: INTUC's Ashok Singh and BMS's Pawan Kumar speak on workers' protest, demands and handling of outcry by states

April 20, 2026 10:32 am

Congress’s Indian National Trade Union Congress (INTUC) vice president Ashok Singh and RSS-affiliated Bhartiya Mazdoor Sangh’s (BMS) vice president Pawan Kumar have been at the forefront of efforts to mediate between workers, employers and state authorities.

‘Coaching culture trains students to game exams, not build concepts’: IIT Bombay Director Shireesh Kedare at Idea Exchange

April 06, 2026 11:49 am

Director of the Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) Bombay, Professor Shireesh Kedare, an environmental science engineer, is a strong voice in India’s energy policy sector.

Vivek Katju at Idea Exchange: ‘Can’t imagine Netanyahu bucking Trump if Trump lays the law. He may turn and twist but he will listen’

April 01, 2026 12:13 pm

Veteran Indian diplomat Vivek Katju, from the 1975 IFS batch, dealt with Iran, Pakistan and Afghanistan during his career. He watched the 1979 Iran Revolution from Abu Dhabi, was part of policy-making during the time of Delhi-Lahore bus service, Kargil war and Agra summit, managed negotiations with the Taliban during IC-814 hijack and dealt with the file on Iran’s nuclear programme.

Karen Hao: ‘The guardrails will come from the people, they are finding a reason to push back against the AI empire’

March 09, 2026 9:37 pm

Journalist and AI insider Karen Hao on what is most troubling about Artificial General Intelligence, why data centres are unsustainable, how safety and accountability mean different things in the AI world and why her book, Empire of AI, is not kind to OpenAI CEO Sam Altman. The session was moderated by Amitabh Sinha, Deputy Editor, The Indian Express

'No other source': Why Justice Abhay Oka says 'divine' or 'bovine' intervention has no place in Indian courts

December 30, 2025 12:18 pm

Judicial Independence India: Former Supreme Court judge Justice Abhay S Oka said judges have “taken oath under the Constitution” to decide issues in accordance with law and the Constitution.

'As sitting judge, don't talk to media': Ex- Supreme Court's Justice Abhay S Oka on environmental activism, admitting errors and why comedians are important

December 29, 2025 5:58 pm

Indian Supreme Court Reforms: At an Idea Exchange session, the former SC judge reflected on the apex court being Chief Justice-centric, judicial appointments, gender diversity in civil courts and entry-level pay for lawyers and underlined why sitting judges shouldn't be talking to the media.

Retired SC judge Abhay S Oka at Idea Exchange: ‘It’s been 75 years of the Constitution and we are still not doing our duty of protecting the environment’

December 29, 2025 12:05 pm

Justice Abhay Shreeniwas Oka, who recently retired from the Supreme Court, is widely seen as a conscience keeper of the judiciary. His elevation to the Supreme Court itself was a victory for judicial merit. He has taken a stand in matters of liberty.

Manindra Agrawal at Idea Exchange: ‘While we provide freedom to our faculty to pursue their own activities, we have a very permissive attitude towards non-performance’

November 17, 2025 7:52 am

As Director of IIT Kanpur, Manindra Agrawal heads one of the most prestigious research and innovation hubs in the country. Under his leadership, IIT Kanpur has emerged as a key centre to build India’s self-reliance in critical technology sectors, including defence, telecommunications and sustainability.

‘IITians should transform their viewpoint from being job seekers to being job creators’: IIT Kharagpur director at Idea Exchange

November 03, 2025 6:40 am

A mechanical engineer by training, he is known for his work in fluid mechanics, biomedical engineering and affordable health and diagnostics

Best of The Idea Exchange in 2015

December 27, 2015 9:20 pm

The best of Idea Exchange in 2015

Today in pics: Idea Exchange with Piyush Goyal

September 04, 2014 12:20 pm

PM Narendra Modi met Facebook COO Sheryl Sandberg in New Delhi on Thursday.

Tried to connect Modi with every booth in UP: Amit Shah at Idea Exchange

September 04, 2014 12:20 pm

Bharatya Janata Party's poll in-charge in Uttar Pradesh, Amit Shah was the guest at the Idea Exchange programme on Tuesday.

Idea Exchange | Senior Lawyer H S Phoolka

June 22, 2020 6:06 pm

Idea Exchange | Senior Lawyer H S Phoolka

Why a leader is aligning with someone is more important that who aligns with who; Mamata Banerjee has a major role: Amit Mitra, Bengal Finance Minister

June 22, 2020 6:10 pm

Bengal FM Amit Mitra talks about demonetisation, the problems with GST, failing Centre-state relations, the need for protecting and building institutions such as the RBI and CBI, investments in the state, and what the BJP “doesn’t get about Bengal".

'The patriarchal notion that women are not in the right place when working outside homes, persists... Need sensitisation in every workplace'

June 22, 2020 6:12 pm

Justice (retired) Sujata Manohar talks about the importance of #MeToo as a women's empowerment movement, why there is a need for 'fresh thinking' on the 2013 sexual harassment guidelines and more.

'Capital is the best way to fight caste. Market and money will defeat anti-capital Marx and Manu'

June 22, 2020 6:15 pm

Idea Exchange With Ramdas Athawale

June 22, 2020 6:19 pm

A prominent Dalit leader from Maharashtra, Ramdas Athawale has been raising the issues concerning the Dalits in the government. In this edition of Idea Exchange, he talks about the community’s issues and answers questions on how India can counter cas

India is the biggest, most influential, growing democracy: South Korean Ambassador

June 24, 2018 10:00 am

Ambassador of South Korea to India Shin Bong-kil said that he believes PM Modi's pledge to make India a $5 trillion economy is not just propaganda and calls for a new economic partnership with India.

Our levels of cooperation & friendship with India are increasing: Japanese Ambassador Kenji Hiramatsu

June 06, 2018 8:54 am

Japanese ambassador to India Kenji Hiramatsu talks about the ‘exponential increase’ in India-Japan ties and the Indo-Pacific Strategy.

Idea Exchange With TRAI chairman R S Sharma

May 06, 2018 11:11 am

TRAI chairman R S Sharma also said that monitoring apps is not within TRAI’s domain, and blamed inadequate investment and overloaded networks for increase in call drops.

Sports Minister Rajyavardhan Singh Rathore On How ‘Khelo India’ Will Be Beneficial For Indian Sports

June 08, 2020 12:40 pm

Sports Minister Rajyavardhan Singh Rathore gives an insight how the ‘Khelo India’ project can improve the state of sports in India at the grassroots level.

Idea Exchange With Union Minister Rajyavardhan Singh Rathore

June 08, 2020 12:37 pm

In this edition of the Idea Exchange by Indian Express, Union Minister Rajyavardhan Singh Rathore talks about his ministry’s plans for improving the state of sports in India at the grassroots level, and also shares his ideas on bringing transparency, good sports governance, efficiency and professionalism in sports federations.