Côme Bastin is a French journalist, author, and South Asia specialist whose work examines the political, social, environmental, and cultural transformations reshaping the region. For more than six years, he was based in Bangalore as a correspondent for Radio France Internationale, reporting extensively from India, Bangladesh, Sri Lanka, and Nepal. His journalism explores democracy, youth movements, climate change, economic transformation, identity, and the relationship between citizens and political power. As a field reporter, he has covered several defining developments in contemporary South Asia, including India’s national elections, the farmers’ protests, the rise of Hindu nationalism, youth-led uprisings in Bangladesh and Sri Lanka, and the Kumbh Mela, the world’s largest religious gathering. His reporting has appeared in prominent French and international media outlets, including RFI, Mediapart, La Croix, Ouest-France, Le Temps, and TV5 Monde.
Bastin is currently writing two books that build on his regional reporting and research. The first examines India’s contemporary trajectory, exploring the contrast between its global image as an emerging superpower and the complex realities experienced by its people. The second investigates the growing wave of Generation Z-led political movements across Bangladesh, Sri Lanka, Nepal, and beyond, analysing how young citizens are demanding accountability and developing new forms of mobilisation. A graduate of CELSA, Sorbonne University, and the École des Hautes Études en Sciences Sociales, he combines field journalism with a strong interest in history, political thought, and social change. Through his reporting, writing, and public speaking, he seeks to deepen understanding between Europe and Asia while offering nuanced perspectives on South Asia’s evolving political and social landscape.
