Once hailed as the engine of global prosperity, free trade now finds itself at a crossroads. This episode unpacks how the economic rise of China and India was made possible through global integration—and how today’s wave of deglobalization threatens that very model. In Segment 1, we revisit the 1990s, when both nations stood neck and neck, and explore how trade transformed their destinies. Segment 2 breaks down the key theories of international trade—from comparative advantage to global value chains—and reveals why they matter more than ever. In the final segment, we confront a chilling reality: supply chains are fracturing, nationalism is redrawing economic maps, and a new Iron Curtain is descending on the world economy. What does it mean for the global poor, and who pays the price when borders harden? Tune in for a deep dive into the economics, politics, and human stakes of our unraveling trade order.

From pandemics to wars, from floods to economic collapse—every global crisis seems to generate not only suffering, but also windfalls. In this episode, we trace how catastrophes become commerce. We begin with a chilling essay on how disasters shape demand, then unpack the economics of profiteering during COVID, climate crises, and wars. Finally, we look at how governments and corporations manipulate crises geopolitically—from vaccine nationalism to weaponized aid. This is not disaster response. It’s disaster capitalism.

From the flickering tube lights of a North Indian childhood to the complex economics behind power bills, this episode of Thread by Thread pulls at the wires connecting energy, equity, and everyday life. In Segment 1, I share what it meant to grow up in a world where electricity wasn’t guaranteed — and how that shaped my understanding of comfort and control. In Segment 2, we break down the real cost of keeping the lights on: subsidies, tariffs, and why access to energy remains deeply unequal.

Coming up in Segment 3: the global tug-of-war over energy supply.