In this episode, we talk to renowned environmentalist Ashish Kothari on the need to reorient mainstream economic models towards Localisation in the context of the Covid-19 pandemic. Here we discuss not only the existing governmental policies with regards to being 'Atmanirbhar' and 'Vocal for Local' but also look at communities and collectives in India that have been doing so for years. Join us as we dive into questions of how do alternative policies scale up into the Indian policy ecosystem? Or how do we merge localised practices into a universal framework? Listen in to find answers!

Ashish Kothari is a founder of the Indian environmental group Kalpavriksh. He has taught at the Indian Institute of Public Administration, coordinated India’s National Biodiversity Strategy and Action Plan process, and served on Greenpeace International and Greenpeace India boards. An active participant in people’s movements, he helps coordinate the Vikalp Sangam Global Tapestry of Alternatives processes and Radical Ecological Democracy network.