Meet India’s Gen Z

How a middle power is reshaping the world. APRIL 9, 2024  |  [VIEW IN BROWSER](  |  [SUBSCRIBE](     Matthieu Bourel Illustration for Foreign Policy For FP’s Spring 2024 print issue, which focuses on India, we set out to explore some of the biggest questions about this rising power and its place in the world, such as: How has Narendra Modi [changed the country]( he has now led for a decade? In what way is Modi, and his chief messenger S. Jaishankar, carving out a [distinctive foreign policy](? And is India really the next China, economically speaking? To answer that last one, we turned to Arvind Subramanian, a former chief economic advisor to the Modi government. Together with Josh Felman, who headed up the International Monetary Fund’s India office, Subramanian offers a nuanced perspective on an often-made analogy. It “is true that the Chinese experience of the last 40 years was a very specific type of miracle that is unlikely to be replicated,” Felman and Subramanian write. “Even so, there is a case for India because it is no longer the economically constrained giant that it once was.” They point to a transformed national infrastructure, including in the digital realm; an enhanced quality of life for ordinary Indians through Modi’s New Welfarism; and a major new impetus to the country’s skill-based service exports. On the other hand, though, the authors note India has so far managed to capitalize on only a small portion of the new opportunities created by the relative economic decline of China. For more on why that might be, [read on](. What do the people who came of age in Modi’s India—Generation Z—make of this new India? There will be millions of young people voting for the first time in elections this year, and Snigdha Poonam has [interviewed more than 100]( of them for a new project in collaboration with photographer Prarthna Singh. While their portraits are fascinatingly varied, one finding that stuck with me was that young women are angrier than young men. As Poonam writes, they are angry “at their families, for not allowing them even small freedoms; at society, for judging them; and at the political system, for keeping India from becoming a place that values women’s ambitions.” Next week, I’ll be interviewing FP’s editor in chief, Ravi Agrawal, about his [deeply reported feature]( in this issue. It’s about how Modi has imagined India into a very different place from his predecessors, and you have the chance to be a part of it. Sign up [here]( to join the conversation. —Amelia Lester, executive editor P.S. The new magazine features a diversity of stories about India; an [FP subscription]( connects you to the rest of the world. Every feature from the issue, plus insights from regional briefs, daily news and analysis, and on-the-ground dispatches, is one click away. [Become an FP subscriber]( today for geopolitical analysis you won’t find anywhere else.   New and Noteworthy - Not Just Netanyahu: Solely focusing on how Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has navigated the crisis in Gaza “misses the point,” Mairav Zonszein writes in an [argument](. By narrowing the blame, Zonszein argues that the Israeli electorate—and a majority of Jewish Israeli citizens—has evaded accountability for coming to terms “with their country’s system of military occupation and dehumanization of Palestinians.” - Digital Harms: Big Tech is looking to expand its influence on society, government, and trade. While lobbyists are seeking to establish constraints on government oversight on “digital trade,” Joseph E. Stiglitz [argues]( that a discussion on “how best to promote competition consistent with a reasonable interpretation of the Constitution and our values” is an essential precursor. - Putin’s Spiritual Guru: Amid a collapsing Soviet Union, Nobel Prize-winning author Aleksandr Solzhenitsyn hypothesized what a “unified” Russia could look like, bundling his ideas into a book, Rebuilding Russia. In that book, he “structured the diffuse strands of Russian nationalism in a way that proved irresistible”—a project reminiscent of the goals that drive Russian President Vladimir Putin in today’s ongoing [war in Ukraine](, Casey Michel [writes](.   Unlimited analysis, arguments, ideas and more. [Read anywhere. Cancel anytime.](   [FP Live]( The Crisis in Haiti April 11 | 11 a.m. EDTJacqueline Charles, a reporter for the Miami Herald who has covered Haiti for more than a decade, and Jake Johnston, the author of Aid State: Elite Panic, Disaster Capitalism, and the Battle to Control Haiti, will join FP Live to discuss how the international community should aid Haitians amid gang violence, food shortage, and government disarray. [Register now](. The Return of Great Powers On DemandWill historians remember 2024 as another 1939? According to CNN’s Jim Sciutto, there are troubling parallels between the state of the world today and the years preceding World War II. Drawing on more than two decades of reporting around the world, Sciutto joined FP Live to highlight themes and ideas from his new book, The Return of Great Powers: Russia, China, and the Next World War. [Watch]( the conversation now, or [read]( the edited transcript.   Exercise Your Mind Which African leader was sworn in for a third term last Tuesday? - Mozambiquan President Filipe Nyusi - Cameroonian Prime Minister Joseph Ngute - Beninese President Patrice Talon - Egyptian President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi You can find the answer to this question and learn more at the end of this email.   FROM FP EVENTS [Ensuring Economic Equity for Women]( On the heels of the 68th Commission on the Status of Women concluding in New York City, and before the IMF/World Bank spring meetings in Washington, D.C., join Foreign Policy for the sixth annual Her Power Summit. Hear from policymakers, global innovators, and the private sector as they bridge the conversation on how economic empowerment for women is economic empowerment for the world. Free and open to all. [LEARN MORE](   Most Popular [A woman carrying a child looks at the wall of names of victims of the 1994 Rwandan genocide at the Kigali Genocide Memorial in Kigali, Rwanda, on April 8, 2019.]( [The Long Cultural Legacy of the Rwandan Genocide]( Over 30 years, the event became synonymous with the moral failures of a state-bound foreign-policy order. By Bronwen Everill [An image from the opening scenes of 3 Body Problem. ]( [America’s New Expression of Soft Power]( “Shogun” and “3 Body Problem” show U.S. pop culture can thrive without putting Westerners front and center. By Howard W. French [A dog walks next to the damaged Erez crossing area between the Gaza Strip and southern Israel on Jan. 3.]( [Israel Approves Reopening Key Border Crossings]( U.S. pressure to protect aid workers and civilians in Gaza is forcing Israel to address the region’s humanitarian crisis. By Alexandra Sharp [U.S. Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen attends a press conference at the U.S. Ambassador’s residence in Beijing on April 8.]( [Janet Yellen Has a Three-Body Problem With China]( The U.S. treasury secretary blasted Beijing’s industrial overcapacity, but it’s a tough message to carry off convincingly. By Keith Johnson [The Long Cultural Legacy of the Rwandan Genocide]( Over 30 years, the event became synonymous with the moral failures of a state-bound foreign-policy order. By Bronwen Everill [America’s New Expression of Soft Power](“Shogun” and “3 Body Problem” show U.S. pop culture can thrive without putting Westerners front and center. By Howard W. French [Israel Approves Reopening Key Border Crossings](U.S. pressure to protect aid workers and civilians in Gaza is forcing Israel to address the region’s humanitarian crisis. By Alexandra Sharp [Janet Yellen Has a Three-Body Problem With China](The U.S. treasury secretary blasted Beijing’s industrial overcapacity, but it’s a tough message to carry off convincingly. By Keith Johnson   From Around FP - New From FP Studios: What strategies do global leaders use to negotiate and compromise on the world stage—and how can those tools shape your own world? Join Northwestern University law professor Annelise Riles to examine how small decisions make big impacts in a new podcast series, [Everyday Ambassador](, with support from the Humboldt Foundation. Look out for new episodes every Wednesday on [Apple](, [Spotify](, or wherever you enjoy podcasts. - Shout-Outs: Foreign Policy’s weekly economics podcast, [Ones and Tooze](, was recently [nominated as an honoree]( for business podcasts at the Webby Awards, the leading international award honoring excellence on the internet. Listen to FP economics columnist Adam Tooze and deputy editor Cameron Abadi discuss the economics of a bridge disaster in the latest episode on [Apple](, [Spotify](, or wherever you listen.   Are you interested in learning more about FP Analytics’ cutting-edge research services, hosting an FP Virtual Dialogue event, or building a podcast with FP Studios? [Explore partnership opportunities](. Answer: D. Egyptian President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi. Sisi’s sham reelection last year highlights Egypt’s failed democratic transition, Shady ElGhazaly Harb [argued]( last month. [Subscribe to Foreign Policy]( [Save up to 50%]( [Choosing an annual plan for your FP subscription allows you to save up to 50%. For nuanced perspectives and insightful geopolitical analysis, subscribe today.]( [SUBSCRIBE NOW](   [Facebook]( [Twitter]( [Instagram]( [LinkedIn]( You’re receiving this email at {EMAIL} because you signed up for FP's This Week newsletter. [MANAGE YOUR EMAIL PREFERENCES]( | [VIEW OUR PRIVACY POLICY]( | [UNSUBSCRIBE]( Interested in partnering with FP on events, podcasts, or research? [Explore FP Solutions](. [Foreign Policy]( is a division of Graham Holdings Company. All contents © 2023 Graham Digital Holding Company LLC. All rights reserved. Foreign Policy, 655 15th St NW, Suite 300, Washington, DC, 20005.