India and Japanese PMs in New Delhi

The New Economic-Military Architecture of India-Japan Ties

Amid concerns regarding U.S. reliability on trade and defence commitments under the current White House, both India and Japan are leaning on each other to build supply chain and economic resilience—acting as a pragmatic "middle power" buffer rather than purely relying on Washington.

The Changing Transatlantic Relationship: Why Europe is Reluctant to follow Donald Trump on Iran

For decades, Europe generally followed Washington when American and European strategic interests broadly coincided. Iran exposes what happens when they do not. Europe still needs the United States for security—but increasingly wants to retain the right to say: “We share your objective, but we do not necessarily accept your method.”

Downturn in India-Bangladesh Relations Needs Deft Handling: Dhaka's Alienation Has Security Fallouts for India

Rather than relying solely on high-level political rhetoric, India can employ a combination of economic diplomacy, institutional de-escalation, water-sharing agreements, and people-to-people engagement to rebuild trust and stabilize relations with Bangladesh. 

Ghost Communities of the Wakhan: How an Imperial Buffer Zone Became China’s Next Frontier

The Wakhan Corridor has become a possible trade road for China's economic expansion. The corridor provides China with strategic advantages. First, it offers potential overland access to Afghanistan and on to Pakistan and the Arabian Sea

More on Geopolitics, Security and Strategic Affairs

Rising interest rates and looming dangers for South Asia

South Asia will require at least another decade to recover from the sociological maladies of the post-pandemic global transformations. The looming economic crisis in South Asia may also cause multiple regime changes in the region, potentially producing greater political instability

India-Bangladesh summit: Interlinked destinies, great expectations

Therefore, to create greater understanding between the civil societies of South Asia, we must encourage far more civil society interaction on B2B and people-to-people basis. 

Sheikh Hasina's visit to Delhi amid shifting geopolitical sands: Can India-Bangladesh ties rise above Asia-Pacific rivalries?

Now India and Bangladesh have to look for a new foundation to take the relationship between the two countries to a higher level. And deepening of economic ties can create that new foundation. 

Sheikh Hasina visit to India: Needed a landmark agreement on water sharing, better border management

Overall, many of the vexing problems of long standing can be mitigated quickly by bold and quick measures, denying ammunition to detractors of India-Bangladesh ties on both sides and letting our relationship flourish to its full potential

India-Bangladesh ministerial meet on rivers: A precursor to a larger deal next week but without Teesta?

The JRC discussion should have recognised the sufferings of the people of both sides because of the water scarcity during the lean season flows of the Teesta river and struck a win-win deal that was beneficial to both sides

Gwadar and Mundra: Strategic importance of two ports to Pakistan and India

Both Gwadar and Mundra ports are close to a turbulent region that is violent and militancy-prone. If Gwadar has security problems from within, Mundra has them from without

Chronicles of Rohingya genocide in Myanmar and international failure

India has repositioned its earlier policy of providing a home to refugees from Tibet, Afghanistan, Bhutan and Sri Lanka and is forcefully deporting Rohingya refugees

Who can take on Narendra Modi in 2024? Contradictions and ego hassles mar opposition unity

Given these roadblocks, it is not a surprise that the BJP, led by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, is a runaway winner in every opinion poll to the dismay of its adversaries who wonder why the economic difficulties of inflation and unemployment are not holding it back

India’s coastal security challenge - and preventing another 26/11

While this exercise was a long overdue and necessary measure, the whole gamut of India’s coastal security in view of terrorist threats and other crimes must function effectively and consistently as there have been instances of breaches in coastal security after 26/11

Sri Lanka allays Indian concerns, says it believes in regional solidarity; extra regional powers have no strategic leeway in South Asia

Defence sources said it was significant that the Dornier was handed over to Sri Lanka by India a day before the high-tech Chinese satellite tracking ship docked at Hambantota

Indian outreach to Latin America and Caribbean: Needed more frequent and diversified interactions

India should also project the values and aspirations of the Indo-Pacific into Atlantic waters to help global development. The SAGAR (Security And Growth for All in the Region) model can be extended to a much larger canvas of mutual cooperation and benefit

International education as a building block in growing India-Australia relations

If Australia is to emerge as the destination of choice for Indian students, its India strategy needs to be rethought. If this were to happen, international education and institutional collaboration would emerge as a critical building blocks in the bilateral space

Will Michelle Bachelet’s visit to Bangladesh expedite Rohingya repatriation?

The world must remember the refugees’ lives depend on how the international community responds to caring for them as Bangladesh alone cannot afford to support this huge Rohingya population

Pakistan@75 does some welcome introspection on minority persecution

The question being raised in Pakistan@75 should be welcomed, that how come Pakistan, carved out as a safe home for the Muslim minorities of the Indian subcontinent, has failed to provide safety to its own minorities? Only Pakistan has the answer

India's weak-kneed response to Beijing's bullying sets a bad example for neighbours

We need to learn a lot from China’s foreign policy; and when our own response to China is weak-kneed, how do we expect Sri Lanka to take up cudgels with Beijing?