Understanding Urban Digitalisation Projects in India: Platformisation, Infrastructuring, and Datafication

EPW Editorial | Vol. 61, Issue No. 44, 31 Oct, 2026Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva’s victory in the Brazilian presidential election is a moment of progressive democratic resilience in the face of a right-reactionary upsurge in Latin America. Listen to this week's editorial, or access it on our website: https://www.epw.in/

EPW Editorial | Vol. 61, Issue No. 44, 31 Oct, 2026The Annual Survey of Industries 2024–25 presents a picture of expanding employment alongside persistent structural weaknesses. Listen to the entire editorial here, or read it at https://www.epw.in/journal/2026/44/editorials/annual-survey-industries-2024-25.html.

The Project for Holistic Development of Great Nicobar Island, a large-scale infrastructure project, is more folly than national gain. The project remains a purely commercial endeavour built on large-scale destruction of the ecologically pristine islands and the alienation of their indigenous people. In this edition of EPW Conversations, we speak with Pankaj Sekhsaria, researcher and author with three decades of work in the Andaman and Nicobar Islands, on the theme of ‘The Great Nicobar Project: A Holistic Folly.' The discussion delves into why the costs of such construction projects, especially in an ecologically vulnerable and tectonically volatile landscape, could be much higher than anticipated. To access our recent EPW ⁠#editorial⁠ on this matter, which explains why the economic logic and strategic relevance of the project are questionable, tap on the link below: https://www.epw.in/journal/editorials/great-nicobar-project-holistic-folly.html 

On this episode of Research Radio we have Sreenath V S and Mini Chandran discussing their paper To Write Was to Cense: Kāvyaśāstra and Creative Freedom in Premodern India Sreenath V S teaches at the Department of Humanities and Social Sciences, IIT Madras. Mini Chandran teaches at the Department of Humanities and Social Sciences, IIT Kanpur.. For more episodes and to listen to EPW's other podcast Supplement head to ⁠⁠⁠https://www.epw.in/podcasts⁠⁠⁠ Subscribe to EPW to access all our content including the archives of The Economic and Political Weekly and The Economic Weekly dating back to 1949. ⁠⁠⁠https://www.epw.in/subscribe.html⁠⁠ Sound Effect from Pixabay

On this episode of Research Radio we have Chakali Chandra Sekhar discussing his paper titled “⁠Dalit Women and Colonial Christianity: First Telugu Bible Women as Teachers of Wisdom”. Chakali Chandra Sekhar is currently working as a lecturer in English at SRR & CVR Govt Degree College, Vijayawada, in Andhra Pradesh, India. For more episodes and to listen to EPW's other podcast Supplement head to ⁠⁠https://www.epw.in/podcasts⁠⁠ Subscribe to EPW to access all our content including the archives of The Economic and Political Weekly and The Economic Weekly dating back to 1949. ⁠⁠https://www.epw.in/subscribe.html⁠

On this episode of Research Radio we have Inderjeet Parmar discussing his paper titled “Poly Crisis or Organic Crisis?: The Crisis of the United States and the US-led World Order”. Inderjeet Parmar teaches international politics at City, University of London. For more episodes and to listen to EPW's other podcast Supplement head to ⁠https://www.epw.in/podcasts⁠ Subscribe to EPW to access all our content including the archives of The Economic and Political Weekly and The Economic Weekly dating back to 1949. ⁠https://www.epw.in/subscribe.html⁠

On this episode of Research Radio we have A Suresh discussing his paper titled "Reinventing Agricultural Extension System in India: The Road Ahead" which he co-authored with V K Sajesh, R N Padaria, and A K Mohanty. Dr. A Suresh is Principal Scientist and Professor of Agricultural Economics at the Indian Council of Agricultural Research – Central Institute of Fisheries Technology in Kochi. For more episodes and to listen to EPW's other podcast Supplement head to https://www.epw.in/podcasts Subscribe to EPW to access all our content including the archives of The Economic and Political Weekly and The Economic Weekly dating back to 1949. https://www.epw.in/subscribe.html

On this episode of Research Radio we have Anish Tiwari discussing his paper titled “⁠The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly of ‘Startup India": A Review of India’s Entrepreneurship Policy” which he co-authored with Teresa Hogan and Colm O’Gorman. Anish Tiwari is a former Marie S Curie doctoral fellow, Dublin City University, Ireland. He is currently Senior Associate at PWC, Ireland. For more episodes and to listen to EPW's other podcast Supplement head to https://www.epw.in/podcasts Subscribe to EPW to access all our content including the archives of The Economic and Political Weekly and The Economic Weekly dating back to 1949. https://www.epw.in/subscribe.html

On this episode of Research Radio we have Khaliq Parkar discussing his paper titled “Platformisation, Infrastructuring, and Datafication: Regional Variations in the Digitalisation of Indian Cities” which he co-authored with Marie-Helene Zerah and Gaurav Mittal. Khaliq Parkar is with the Centre d’études en sciences sociales sur les mondes africains, américains et asiatique (CESSMA) Université Paris Cité, Paris. For more episodes and to listen to EPW's other podcast Supplement head to https://www.epw.in/podcasts Subscribe to EPW to access all our content including the archives of The Economic and Political Weekly and The Economic Weekly dating back to 1949. https://www.epw.in/subscribe.html

In this episode of Research Radio, we have with us Sanjana Meshram and Aditya Rawat discussing conservation law in India and how it perpetuates Brahminical environmentalism. Today's discussion is based on their paper titled "Entrenching Brahminical Conservation: An Analysis of the Wild Life (Protection) Amendment Act". Sanjana Meshram is a lawyer and heads the litigation team at the Criminal Justice and Police Accountability Project, Bhopal. Aditya Rawat is a law student and an intern with the Criminal Justice and Police Accountability Project, Bhopal. For more episodes and to listen to EPW's other podcast Supplement head to https://www.epw.in/podcasts Subscribe to EPW to access all our content including the archives of The Economic and Political Weekly and The Economic Weekly dating back to 1949. https://www.epw.in/subscribe.html