Praktical Economics

The news from Venezuela is unsettling. The images and headlines are hard to ignore: a regime collapsing, a population caught in the middle, and yet another reminder of how abruptly global powers can reshape smaller nations. I find myself conflicted. On one hand, there’s hope that people who’ve suffered under a broken economic model might finally see relief. On the other, there’s discomfort — because history tells us that great powers stepping in is rarely a clean or altruistic story. But sitting in India, this episode also triggered a broader reflection. Venezuela is a reminder of how fragile transactional alliances really are. When relationships are built primarily on cheques, loans, or convenience, they tend to hold only until stress arrives. This pattern is visible across many Chinese partnerships. In several cases, economic and political models prove unsustainable, and domestic support for China remains shallow or partisan. Change the regime, and the loyalties often change with it....

For years, India’s rise was discussed in the language of potential. In 2025, that language became obsolete. The defining moment was Operation Sindoor - not for what it destroyed, but for what it revealed: a transition from restraint-based legitimacy to enforcement-based credibility. The signal wasn't bravado, but method. Speed and precision showed a state no longer seeking moral permission to act on the existential. 𝗧𝗵𝗲 𝗦𝘆𝘀𝘁𝗲𝗺 𝗣𝘂𝘀𝗵𝗲𝘀 𝗕𝗮𝗰𝗸 Strategic divergence with the US spilled into economics via punitive tariffs. This wasn't a diplomatic breakdown; it was the system testing a rising power’s tolerance for pressure. Every power reaches this phase: when partnership gives way to calibration. 𝗧𝗵𝗲 𝗦𝗵𝗼𝗰𝗸 𝗧𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝗪𝗼𝗸𝗲 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗦𝘁𝗮𝘁𝗲 The tariff shock changed internal incentives. Suddenly, delays and complexity had a cost. What followed was survival adaptation: ◈ GST 2.0 & New Labour Codes ◈ The SHANTI Bill: Opening nuclear energy as industrial in...

2025 has been a pivotal year in geopolitics. Arguably the most intense of this century so far. Here’s why 1. Trump-era trade shock finally hollowed out the global system World Trade Organization has effectively been rendered toothless. Unilateral tariffs, selective enforcement, and power-based bargaining forced countries to urgently redesign supply chains - not just for trade, but for critical minerals, energy, and semiconductors. Result: De-globalisation accelerated, regional blocs strengthened, and “trusted supply chains” became state policy. 2. Ukraine war reached strategic normalisation Russia’s territorial gains in Ukraine became grudgingly accepted across parts of the Western strategic establishment. At the same time, the North Atlantic Treaty Organization security guarantee visibly weakened as the United States pulled back from being the default guarantor. Result: A massive surge in defence spending across Europe, Japan, and other US allies - rearmament is no longer taboo. 3. C...