Undercurrents: India's Billionaires, and Sexual Exploitation in the UN

Ben meets with James Crabtree and Champa Patel to discuss inequality, corruption and capitalism in modern India, and Ben and Agnes talk to Jane Connors, the first victims rights advocate for the UN, about a new strategy to combat sexual exploitation.

Audio Updated 5 October 2020 50 minute listen

India is the world’s largest democracy, with more than one billion people and an economy expanding faster than China’s. But the rewards of this growth have been far from evenly shared, and the country’s top 1% now own nearly 60% of its wealth. James Crabtree’s new book The Billionaire Raj explores the dynamics behind the rise of a new class of Indian billionaires. Ben met up with James, and Champa Patel from the Asia-Pacific Programme, to discuss inequality, corruption and capitalism in modern India.

A series of scandals involving the sexual exploitation of vulnerable people by individuals working for, or with, the United Nations have shaken the organization in recent years. The issue is beginning to be addressed by an ambitious new strategy from Secretary-General Guterres. Ben and Agnes met Jane Connors, the first Victims’ Rights Advocate for the United Nations, to discuss the difficulties of changing the culture around sexual exploitation both inside the organization and with its external partners.

Find the Book: The Billionaire Raj: A Journey Through India’s New Gilded Age

Watch the Chatham House Event

You can also listen and subscribe here:

Listen to all episodes on the Chatham House site