In this episode of the South Asia Democratic Forum podcast, host Tapas Kanti Baul is joined by Paulo Casaca, Executive Director of SADF, to unpack the geopolitical and economic fallout of the Trump administration’s steep tariff regime targeting India.
Following the August 6 announcement of a 50% tariff on Indian imports, Prime Minister Modi swiftly met with Presidents Xi Jinping and Vladimir Putin in China—signaling a potential strategic realignment.
Meanwhile, South Asian neighbors like Bangladesh and Pakistan were spared the harshest penalties, raising questions about regional winners and losers.
We explore:
a. The rationale behind the U.S. tariff decision
b. India’s diplomatic response and its implications
c. How Bangladesh and Pakistan may benefit
d. The future of multilateral trade frameworks like the WTO, and
e. Strategic recommendations for South Asian policymakers
🎙️ Stay tuned for a concise, 25-minute deep dive into one of the most consequential trade shifts in recent South Asian history.
Hosted by: Tapas Kanti Baul, South Asia Democratic Forum (SADF)
🔗 Visit www.sadf.online for more insights.
Madalena Casaca
Madalena Casaca is SADF’s Editor and part-time Researcher for the Democracy Research Programme. Ms Casaca is a graduate in European Studies (graduated 2008) from the University of Lisbon, where she explored with high productivity not only European and Western Social Sciences but also African Studies, Russian Studies, and Anthropology. Ms Casaca also completed a yearly Documentary Programme in Prague in 2012/2013 and attended the Film School of the University of Wales in Newport in 2011/2012, where all the basics of visual communication were explored and developed. Less
A one-year investment was made in Moscow studying the Russian language, of which she holds the B2 degree. Madalena began a Master’s degree in World History at the Moscow State University, where she completed the first semester, receiving the highest marks in all courses. She had to return to Portugal for personal reasons and now raises her young daughters in Lisbon. She is transforming her Masters’ Diploma on World History into a non-academic book.