A country is ultimately just a group of people inhabiting a shared geography. But the prosperity of a country is not determined by its land, its history, or even the individual abilities of its people. It is determined by whether its subgroups can align around long-term national objectives, especially wealth creation. Wealth is created by… Continue reading How a Nation Becomes Rich: The case of India
Author: Yash Tambawala
The Financial Reckoning Is Coming
Since 2019, something quiet but profound changed in the global financial system. Foreign governments stopped buying U.S. debt at scale. For decades, the world absorbed America's borrowing habit, holding Treasuries as reserves. This allowed the U.S. to carry on with it's global and domestic agenda - project power, and maintain a lifestyle that was unsustainable… Continue reading The Financial Reckoning Is Coming
The Status Illusion: Why Affirmative Action Misunderstands the Problem
Throughout history, societies have addressed inequality by the use of various mechanisms. Among the most time-tested —and debated—tools is affirmative action: the preferential treatment of certain groups in education, employment, or politics in order to correct for historical setbacks. Variations of this exist everywhere—India’s reservation system, America’s race-conscious admissions, Malaysia’s Bumiputera policy, Brazil’s racial quotas.… Continue reading The Status Illusion: Why Affirmative Action Misunderstands the Problem
Legacy Thinking in a Leverage World: The Geography Obsession of South Asian Leadership
Across South Asia, a peculiar and persistent pattern defines the political imagination: a deep obsession with geography. Maps, borders, ancestral lands, and physical control dominate national discourse. Whether it’s calls to reclaim PoJK, dreams of an undivided subcontinent, or fixation on redrawing lines of control, the mindset remains rooted in the past. Leaders compete not… Continue reading Legacy Thinking in a Leverage World: The Geography Obsession of South Asian Leadership
India Won’t Innovate Until We Make Failure Livable
We've achieved impressive economic growth, spawned startups, and won Olympic medals. Yet, our indigenous innovation remains inconsistent, relegated to an elite minority rather than a societal norm. The reason lies in our inability to tolerate uncertainty and failure. A Legacy of Extraction Centuries of colonial rule taught us that systems are designed to extract value, not protect… Continue reading India Won’t Innovate Until We Make Failure Livable
India’s Urgent Need for Digital Sovereignty
A few weeks back, something important slipped under the radar. India scrapped the 6% Equalization Levy, a digital ad tax meant to ensure global tech giants like Google, Meta, and Amazon paid at least some tax on revenue earned from Indian users. On paper, it looks like a diplomatic concession to the U.S. in ongoing… Continue reading India’s Urgent Need for Digital Sovereignty
The Struggles of Coffee and Tea Chains in India: A Market Misalignment?
After a recent visit to Chaayos, where my wife and I noticed a severe lack of footfall, I became curious about its financials and how it manages to survive. A quick dive into the numbers revealed that Chaayos generated only ₹248 crore in revenue in FY24, with a mere 5% growth, while posting losses of… Continue reading The Struggles of Coffee and Tea Chains in India: A Market Misalignment?
Why I returned back to India
It’s been over a year since my wife and I returned to India after spending 7+ years in the U.S. I’m forever grateful for the incredible opportunity to be a part of the Silicon Valley ecosystem—it truly is a special place that fosters innovation, diversity, and excellence. The experience shaped me in countless ways, and… Continue reading Why I returned back to India
What’s in a language?
Whenever debates about language in South India surface, uncomfortable questions flood my mind—questions that few want to confront. Is language truly the core issue for people in Karnataka? Or did this so-called "language conflict" emerge because of North Indians moving to Karnataka, pushing up living costs? Let’s be honest—is it really about language, or is… Continue reading What’s in a language?
Think Big, Think Practical: Guide to Indian startup success
In the 21st century, so far, no country comes close to China for the economic miracle it has undertaken. While this miracle can be attributed to the policies of that era and being on the right side of the US, there is still a lot to be learnt from how they approached things. Deng Xiaoping,… Continue reading Think Big, Think Practical: Guide to Indian startup success
Yash Tambawala 