The India paradox: Trusted more, but not understood

The India paradox: Trusted more, but not understood

July 8, 2026 · 26 min

About this episode

The episode discusses the paradox of increased trust in India among Australians despite a lack of understanding of its leadership.

As India’s Prime Minister Narendra Modi visits Australia for the third time, new Lowy Institute polling reveals a curious paradox: Australians now trust India more than the United States or China, yet many Australians can't name its leader. The Lowy Institute’s Dr Ram Sethi Fellow, Dhruva Jaishankar, joins India Chair Shruti Pandalai to analyse what's driving the relationship's rapid growth in defence, trade and education — and why understanding remains stubbornly shallow. More episodes of the Lowy Institute's podcasts are available on your favourite podcast apps, including  Spotify ,  YouTube  and  Apple . Follow the Lowy Institute on our  website ,  X ,  Instagram  or  LinkedIn. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

People in this episode

Host: Shruti Pandalai

Guest: Dhruva Jaishankar

Topics covered

Keywords

Mentioned in this episode

Organizations: Lowy Institute

Places: India, Australia, United States, China

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