A storm is sweeping across the global job market — and it’s made of code. In this episode of Thread by Thread, we dive into the unsettling rise of artificial intelligence and what it really means for the future of work. From warehouse robots to generative models writing ad copy, the line between human and machine labor is blurring fast.

I once wrote about the future of work before ChatGPT existed — and now, much of what seemed speculative back then is unfolding in real time. In Segment 1, we trace the economic shockwaves: mass layoffs, vanishing middle-skill jobs, and a world where having a degree may no longer protect your paycheck. Then we scale up in Segment 2 — where AI isn’t just an economic force, but a geopolitical weapon. Who’s winning the AI arms race? Why are some countries pulling ahead while others get left behind?

In this episode, we shift focus from headlines to riverlines—exploring the politics, economics, and science of the world’s most undervalued resource: WATER. I am joined by Robin Singh from TU Dresden, a hydroscience researcher specializing in mathematical flood risk prediction, to unpack how rising water stress, floods, and failing infrastructure are reshaping the world.

From urban water wars and megadroughts to climate injustice and global inaction, we discuss how a warming planet is rewriting the rules of survival—and how geopolitics, inequality, and misplaced priorities make everything worse.

This isn't just a climate conversation. It's about data, denial, and decision-making in an era when even water can become a weapon.

Markets were supposed to save us. Carbon offsets, ESG funds, green subsidies, climate finance — the financialization of climate policy promised to align profits with the planet’s future. But somewhere between good intentions and boardroom strategies, something broke.

In this episode, we follow the money: how climate action became a trillion-dollar market, who profits from “carbon neutrality,” and why well-meaning policies often miss the mark. From phantom offsets and greenwashed portfolios to carbon border taxes and climate diplomacy, we unpack the tools, the loopholes, and the politics that define the fight for a livable future.

We’ll also examine the myths that still persist — from climate denial to delay — and spotlight the power struggles behind the world’s most urgent crisis.

This isn’t just about emissions. It’s about economics, geopolitics, and how the climate crisis is reshaping both.

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.

What does a passport really buy — freedom, identity, or just paperwork?
In this opening episode of Thread by Thread, follows a story that begins with a travel delay and unravels into a global question.

Structured in three parts:

• A personal moment that sparked a deeper curiosity

• A powerful real-world narrative that reframes citizenship

• A breakdown of the economic and geopolitical forces shaping who gets to move — and who doesn't

This episode invites you to rethink something we often take for granted: the right to belong.

Thread by Thread is a new podcast by Dheeraj Kumar that unravels the quiet forces shaping our world — one story at a time. Each episode pulls a single thread from geopolitics, economics, or human experience… and follows it wherever it leads.

From invisible power games to the price we pay for mobility, this is where curiosity meets consequence.

No soundbites. No breaking news.
Just thoughtful journeys through the seams of the global story.

New episodes every Friday. Subscribe now and pull the first thread.