Amit's Blog

Geopolitics: The Hidden Hand That Stacks the Economic Deck Geopolitics ruthlessly distorts the global economic canvas, favoring powerful nations like the U.S. and EU while constraining the Global South, former colonies, and non-aligned energy producers. Colonial legacies lock in extractive economies, with nations like the DRC losing wealth to foreign firms. The dollar’s dominance, enforced by sanctions and debt traps, chokes non-aligned states, as seen in Iran’s GDP plummeting 10% post-SWIFT ban. Technological monopolies in AI and semiconductors widen the innovation gap, with Africa’s 29% internet penetration trailing the North’s 90%. Environmental burdens fall on the South, with Nigeria’s oil wealth enriching Western firms while 50% of its people live in poverty. Military might, via U.S. bases and proxy wars, secures economic control, while cultural hegemony—through Hollywood and English—marginalizes local models. Global governance, skewed by IMF voting and WTO rules, favors the pow...

  Navigating the Multipolar Maze: India's Geoeconomic Strategy in a Fractious World In an emerging multipolar world, India faces a tightrope walk as the U.S., a key trade partner ($120 billion in 2023), turns "nasty" with sanctions and trade pressures, while China and others vie for influence. Geoeconomics—using economic tools for geopolitical ends—shapes this landscape, with hegemons wielding market access, sanctions, and aid as weapons. India, intertwined with the U.S. for IT and defense, must diversify trade, leverage BRICS and QUAD, and bolster domestic resilience to navigate U.S.-China rivalries. Sanctions ripple beyond targets, pressuring non-sanctioned states like India to comply via trade disruptions or financial exclusion. A multipolar world dilutes U.S. dominance, offering India alternatives like China’s CIPS or Russia’s oil. By hedging strategically, India can balance autonomy with engagement, emerging as a Global South leader. This note outlines India’s prag...