The Japan Bank for International Cooperation listed India as the most attractive investment destination, yet Prime Minister Fumio Kishida’s visit to Delhi failed to generate that investment buzz, writes S. Majumder for South Asia Monitor
When a Chinese company won the contract to establish hybrid wind and solar energy projects on three islands off the northern Jaffna peninsula—just 45 km from Rameswaram in Tamil Nadu—the security implications extended far beyond economics. Against this backdrop, India’s concerns are entirely justifiable. Sri Lanka faces a pressing question: how will the nation confront the infiltration of Chinese global criminal networks? Since Mahinda Rajapaksa’s tenure, Chinese presence in Colombo has steadily increased, with Sri Lanka positioned as a partner state in Beijing’s Belt and Road Initiative.
The growing role of middle powers adds another layer of complexity. Yet the term itself remains imprecise. Not every country outside the United States and China qualifies as a middle power, and many reject the label altogether. India, for example, increasingly sees itself as a leading power pursuing strategic autonomy rather than as a middle power seeking alignment with one bloc or another.
If India and Japan genuinely envision Northeast India as the gateway connecting South Asia with the Bay of Bengal and the Indo-Pacific, then the next chapter of the partnership cannot remain confined to New Delhi and Tokyo. It must also be written in Guwahati, Shillong, Aizawl, Imphal, Agartala, Kohima, Gangtok and Itanagar
In several neighbouring countries, including Bangladesh, Sri Lanka and Nepal, China has demonstrated an ability to move from agreements to implementation far more rapidly than many competitors. India, despite enjoying unmatched geographic and cultural advantages, has often struggled with delays
The Japan Bank for International Cooperation listed India as the most attractive investment destination, yet Prime Minister Fumio Kishida’s visit to Delhi failed to generate that investment buzz, writes S. Majumder for South Asia Monitor
With its strategic position in the Indian Ocean, India has a vital role in America’s Indo-Pacific Strategy, writes Lt Gen P. C. Katoch (retd.) for South Asia Monitor
Enhanced ties between Bangladesh and Myanmar can contribute to the growth of trade and investment relations with ASEAN and BIMSTEC countries, writes Jubeda Chowdhury for South Asia Monitor
The international community needs to appreciate that against all odds and the trauma of partition, India’s culture is composite and represents her civilizational heritage, writes Amb Bhaswati Mukherjee (retd) for South Asia Monitor
After Basil Rajapaksa's current visit, Modi is likely to fly from New Delhi to Jaffna to mark the reopening of Palaly Airport for commercial operations, writes Sugeeswara Senadhira for South Asia Monitor
One of the major lessons of the assembly election results is that a fragmented opposition cannot take on the mighty electoral might of BJP-RSS, writes Dr Ram Puniyani for South Asia Monitor
Because of Dhaka’s economic success, Saudi Arabia now perceives Bangladesh as a lucrative investment destination, writes Hussain Shazzad for South Asia Monitor
It is a no-brainer that Arvind Kejriwal’s victory speech was sharply focused on issues of governance, writes Jagdish Rattanani for South Asia Monitor
Tatmadaw, the Myanmarese junta, must be pressured to allow the Rohingya in Bangladesh to return to their homes with full dignity and civil rights, writes Kyaw Min for South Asia Monitor
The mystical traditions of South Asia transcend apparently rigid religious boundaries, write Priyanka Singh and Beena Sarwar for South Asia Monitor
In the wake of the result in Uttar Pradesh, it is clear that 2024 is for Modi to lose since there does not appear to be any comparable singular figure who can defeat him, writes Mayank Chhaya for South Asia Monitor
It is now almost a certainty that the AAP will replace the Congress as the BJP’s main challenger in Gujarat later this year, marking its emergence as a major alternative to the BJP at the national level, writes Amulya Ganguli for South Asia Monitor
The US and its allies will never lose sight of Afghanistan's strategic importance in a vital region, writes Saed Mansoor Sadat for South Asia Monitor
Criminal justice has its own logic at present and its discrepancies are not matching with the democratic ethos of India's secular constitution, writes Ram Puniyani for South Asia Monitor
Aurat March in Pakistan has proved to be a phenomenal success, forcing society to acknowledge women’s efforts, writes Nadra Huma Quraishi for South Asia Monitor