Where this was said
The Iran War's Economic Fallout in India and Modi's Political Future
At 1:20:00 · chapter starts 1:18:40
The Iran war has had immediate and tangible consequences for ordinary Indians. Modi has asked citizens to stop buying gold, stop flying, work from home, and carpool — implicitly admitting a fuel crisis that small business owners and restaurants are being crushed by. At least one major Indian airline has threatened to shut down without government intervention. [1] — Rana Ayyub "The Iran war has triggered fuel shortages, rising petrol prices, shuttered small businesses, and an airline threatening closure in India. M…" 1:18:20 This is happening in Modi's 12th year in power, and Ayyub says his popularity has genuinely declined as a result. To distract from the economic crisis, she says, Modi has intensified anti-Muslim rhetoric to divert public attention. Ayyub argues India now looks diplomatically isolated in a way that contradicts Modi's 'Vishwa Guru' self-branding — the Pakistani prime minister and field marshal are getting more international attention than India. Ben asks about the path forward for the opposition: Ayyub says Modi retains enormous structural advantages — co-opted opposition parties, a compromised Election Commission, central agencies used to intimidate rivals — and could plausibly win a third term. But the resentment on the ground is real, and the Cockroach Janta Party is the most visible sign of it. Ben and Ayyub close warmly; Tommy does a brief outro and wraps the full episode with production credits.
The Iran war's economic fallout is hitting India during Modi's 12th year in power, with fuel prices rising, small businesses shutting down, and airlines threatening closure if the government doesn't act.
