Impact

Policymaker impact

I have assumed several roles to advance impact with policymakers. 

These include:

• Freedom House, South Asia Advisor, 2019–present.

• Academic Advisory Board, Indian School of Public Policy, 2018–present.

• World Economic Forum, Global Futures Council Fellow, 2016–18.

• Asia Business Council, Prize Committee, 2020–22.

• Myanmar Election Observer, Carter Center Mission to Myanmar, 2015.

Media engagement

In addition, I have engaged with the public on a regular basis through podcasts and panels, as well as writing for BBC News,The Economist, Foreign Affairs, The Guardian, Washington Post, New Statesman, The Hindu, India Express, The Scotsman and the Journal of Democracy. My recent public engagement appearances include:

• “What Democracy Does… And Does Not Do?” Review of Democracy podcast guest, 14 November 2025.

• “Democratic Transition: with H.E Danny Faure, former Seychelles President, and Professor Maya Tudor, University of Oxford” UK Parliamentary Conversations podcast, June 30, 2025.

• “Why India and Pakistan fight over Kashmir and what’s at stake for US and China” BBC World Service, June 2025.

• What is Nationalism? Explainer. Blavatnik School of Government, April 24, 2025.

• Bangladesh elections and crisis commentary on BBC Television and radio, including January 7, 2024 and July 20, 2024.

• “Decoding the Indian elections, part I and part II” Blavatnik School of Government Public Election Panel. June 11, 2024.

• Indian election commentary in The Wall Street Journal, The Washington Post, The Guardian, June 4, 2024.

• “Looking for Modi.”  Australian Broadcasting Corporation podcast. April 22, 2024.

• ‘The crackdown on India’s political opposition.’ Al Jazeera TV, March 21, 2024.

• “Why Democracy is Dying in India.”  Two Nobodys podcast.  March 10, 2024.

• “Ballots and Beyond: Understanding Pakistan’s 2024 Elections.” Blavatnik School of Government Public Election Panel. February 22, 2024.

• “Pakistan Votes.”  Blavatnik School of Government Public Election Panel. February 12, 2024.

• ‘Pakistan Election Commentary.’  BBC Newsnight. February 9, 2024.  Over 200 quotations in BBC, Al Jazeera, Independent, Daily Mail, Dawn.

• ‘Why India’s Democracy is Dying.’ Journal of Democracy. July 2023.

• ‘Democracy at Death’s Door in Modi’s India.’  May 3, 2023.  Index for Censorship.

• ‘The Nature of Nationalism.’  Canadian Broadcasting Corporation (CBC). ‘The New World Disorder’ Ideas podcast series.  September 27, 2022.

• ‘The Making and Unmaking of Nations.’ Islamabad Policy Research Institute, Distinguished Lecture Series. October 8, 2021.

• ‘Priorities for Asian Development.’ Asia Business Council, Fireside Chat. September 2021.

• ‘Using the battery of nationalism.’ Northern Ireland Democracy and Peacebuilding Executive Education Fellowship Programme for MPs and civic leaders of Northern Ireland. September 22-23, 2021.

• “Why Religious Tolerance Won in Indonesia But Lost in India.” (with Dan Slater) Foreign Affairs. May 2019.

• “Why nativism rather than nationalism represents Southeast Asia’s democratic danger.” Asia Dialogue. March 2019.

• “Can Nationalism Be a Resource for Democracy?” The Long Now. April 16, 2019.

• “How Nationalism Can Actually Help Democracy.” The Washington Post. April 25, 2018.

• Global Futures Council on Economic Growth and Social Inclusion Fellow, World Economic Forum.

• “Can a Coup in Zimbabwe Really Usher in Democracy?” The New Statesman. November 24, 2017.

• “Nationalism Can Be a Force for Good As Well As Evil.” The Scotsman. October 31, 2017.

• “The Case for Inclusive Nationalism” Oxford Government Review. October, 2017.

• “Future of Malaysia” workshop, Oxford. September 2016.

• “Four developments to watch after Burma’s historic elections.” The Washington Post. November 19, 2015.

• “Promise of Power: Lessons for Today.” Oxford and Cambridge Alumni Association, New Delhi, India. October 2015.

• Official Election Observer, Carter Center Mission to Myanmar. November 2015.

• “Congress, Muslim League, and Urban-Rural Alliances.” Indian Express. January 9, 2014.

• “Against the Odds of History” Indian Express. 27 June, 2013.

• “Sixty Years of Electoral Democracy” India in Transition (Philadelphia: Center for the Advanced Study of India, University of Pennsylvania). September 2012.