Dear Reader,
Hope you're doing well! This week in Policy Charcha, we’ve handpicked the most insightful podcasts, videos, essays, and career resources from the world of policy and governance.
In our Article Highlight, explore how a collective of small grape farmers from Nashik built Sahyadri Farms; now India’s largest grape exporter with ₹1000 crore in revenue; by cutting out middlemen and accessing global markets directly.
Our Resource Highlight introduces the SIDE 2024 report, which challenges traditional global digital indices with a new CHIPS Combined Index, better capturing digital progress in countries like India, Brazil, and Indonesia.
In our Video Highlight, Neelkanth Mishra questions the very foundations of money. Is it real, or just a collective belief? Tune in to rethink everything from inflation to trust to government control.
Our Climate + Health Corner, in partnership with Swasti, dives into a sobering update: the 2°C climate goal, once a cornerstone of the Paris Agreement, is now considered unreachable due to continued emissions and faltering global action.
And in our Community Updates, we’re excited to share highlights from our recent gathering in Jaipur with Dr Arvind Mayaram, IAS (Retd), and remind you that applications for the MPP at Kautilya School of Public Policy are open. Don’t miss the chance to apply through PPI and secure scholarships of up to 100%!
Do consider supporting PPI by buying us a coffee ☕ (or two!) if you’ve found our work to be valuable :)
With that, we bring to you: Policy Post #183!
Policy Charcha 💬
The best of Podcasts, Videos, Essays, Fellowships and other Career resources from the world of Policy and Governance from the week gone by!
💡 Quick Read:
How did a group of small grape farmers from Nashik turn into a Rs 1000 crore export powerhouse? A collective of small grape farmers in Nashik built Sahyadri Farms, now India’s largest grape exporter with Rs 1000 crore in revenue. Owned and run by farmers themselves, the company has helped many of them earn lakhs; some even crores—by bypassing middlemen, improving quality, and directly accessing global markets like Tesco in the UK.
📚 Resource Highlight:
Most global digital indices miss how emerging economies are leading innovation in unique ways. The SIDE 2024 report introduces the CHIPS Combined Index, a more accurate measure of digital progress across countries like India, Brazil, and Indonesia; capturing both the scale and depth of their digital transformation.
🔎 Databases and Guides:
Discover your ultimate career resource sheets for everything related to public policy! Our comprehensive mega-lists include over 150 organisations that are always on the lookout for talent, 200+ scholarships for Indian students, and 150+ public policy courses. Dive in and unlock incredible opportunities!
▶️Video Highlight:
👉🏽 Is money truly real—or just a shared belief we all agree on? In this episode, Neelkanth Mishra unpacks the origins and value of money, questioning everything we think we know about wealth. From inflation to trust to government control, he reveals how these forces shape our financial reality. Watch till the end to challenge your understanding of what money really is.
Climate + Health Corner
In Partnership With Swasti, The Health Catalyst
👉🏽 Is the 2C Climate goal dead?
The 2°C climate goal was established under the 2015 Paris Agreement as a critical target to limit global warming and avoid the worst impacts of climate change. It aimed to cap temperature rise at well below 2°C above pre-industrial levels, with efforts to limit it to 1.5°C. Scientists believed staying under these thresholds would help prevent catastrophic consequences like rising sea levels, extreme weather, and collapse of ecosystems. The target was grounded in years of climate modelling and international consensus. However, new evidence shows that this goal is now slipping out of reach due to persistent emissions and weakened climate action.
👥 Community Updates:
Our PPI Jaipur community, in partnership with Kautilya School of Public Policy, recently came together for an engaging evening! We were joined by Dr Arvind Mayaram IAS (Retd). He has formerly served as the Finance Secretary to the Government of India. He is currently the chairman of the Institute of Development Studies Jaipur and is also a Visiting Professor of Practice at Kautilya School of Public Policy.
Admissions are now open for the Master's Program in Public Policy (MPP) at Kautilya School of Public Policy. This 2-year, full-time residential program offers a comprehensive curriculum designed to expand your knowledge and skills, while engaging with the real challenges of India. Apply now.
PS: 10 applicants who apply and secure a admit in the 2-year full-time MPP at Kautilya School of Public Policy through PPI’s link below - get a minimum 50% and up to a 100% scholarship!
Just mention Public Policy India (PPI) as the reference in your application process. Good luck!
All our communities are free to join, open to everyone and are continuously growing and evolving to maximise the opportunities and awareness about policy and careers in this broader space that we can create in cities across India’s 20 most vibrant cities.
The aim is to organise regular in-person meet-ups, workshops, and career activities throughout the year to support your growth and learning. Most knowledge in public policy and social impact resides with individuals, not institutions, and knowledge transfer happens most effectively when we meet and exchange ideas. Join us and help spread the word so we can grow this space together in your city and across India. :)
Join our absolutely free pan-India communities on WhatsApp and be a part of the next in-person meet-up!
Careers Corner 💼
A curated list of some of the best jobs and internship opportunities this week from the world of public policy, the development sector, impact consulting and communications at large.
📩 Best bit - if you know of a job/internship opening that’s not listed here, kindly just add that as a comment on the sheet: giving 20,000+ people immediate access to it!
You won’t believe it, but it’s cheaper than a cup of coffee to support our work☕
We're a community-driven platform dedicated to delivering fresh policy insights, creating career opportunities, and helping thousands thrive in India's policy space. To keep all our work free and accessible, we need your support. A small contribution of just Rs. 80 can help sustain and grow our mission. Please consider buying us a coffee and powering our work. Thank you!