Arvind's Newsletter

This is the the fourth newsletter on the new Beehiiv platform and I have been having some teething troubles on scheduling and getting the hang of the platform. Please bear with me but continue to provide feedback.

1. The first story by economist and blogger Shruti Rajagopalan of George Mason University, tells the story of India's telecom revolution, post liberalisation of the Indian economy in 1991, juxtaposing the telecom environment before liberalisation in a humorous way using snippets from old Hindi movies, with the sea change after liberalisation. While this is a story we all have experienced over the last 25 years she tells it in an unusual way with telling effect.

2. China has been flexing its muscles militarily not just on its border in the Himalayas with India. It now makes military show-of-force near Taiwan, mobilising more than 71 warplanes and seven naval vessels; the move reportedly came in response to a pro-Taiwan provision in the US omnibus bill. Taiwan, in response to growing fears of China, extended mandatory military service . From 2024, conscripts will spend a year in the military, up from four months currently. The move could increase Taiwan’s military manpower by about 40%, analysts told Reuters.  However, analysts are divided over if, or when, China intends to attack Taiwan, but tensions are rising. 

3. The editorial team at WIRED, opines that governments have been slow in adopting AI technology in delivering services. However, in 2023 the opportunities to provide effective and targeted services to citizens will prompt them to finally adopt AI and that building government AI capability is as important as for physical infrastructure like road and rail. Several governments in countries like Estonia and Finland have already started using AI to improve citizens interaction with the state. In 2022, the Estonian government launched a new AI-based virtual assistant called Bürokratt. Taking inspiration from Amazon’s Alexa and Apple’s Siri, Bürokratt provides Estonians with a voice-based way to navigate key services provided by the state, such as renewing a passport or applying for benefits.

4.The conflict in Ukraine is about to enter its second calendar year. The BBC asked several military analysts how they think events on the ground will unfold in 2023. Could it conclude in the coming year and how - on the battlefield or at the negotiating table? Or might it grind on to 2024? Read their response.

5. Lithium is often dubbed as “white gold” for electric vehicles. The lightweight metal plays a key role in the cathodes of all types of lithium-ion batteries that power EVs. Accordingly, the recent rise in EV adoption has sent lithium production to new highs.Global lithium production surpassed 100,000 tonnes for the first time in 2021, quadrupling from 2010. What’s more, roughly 90% of it came from just three countries Australia (52% of global production), Chile (25%) and China (13%). Alongside developing domestic mines, Chinese companies have acquired around $5.6 billion worth of lithium assets in countries like Chile, Canada, and Australia over the last decade. It also hosts 60% of the world’s lithium refining capacity for batteries. Read on.