Gateway Features
BRICS’ Delhi summit: an intense agenda
Courtesy: Facebook / The Bharat Post
India hosts the 18th BRICS summit, a major plurilateral grouping of the 21st century, amid adverse geopolitical circumstances. Russia, a leading member, remains involved in its war against Ukraine, which began out in February 2022. Three of its members – Iran, the UAE and Saudi Arabia (which mostly absent itself from meetings or observes silence) – have been engaged in the U.S.-Israel war against Iran. The U.S., the lone superpower with an expressed anti-BRICS sentiment, has issued an unmistakable threat to read more
China and Economic D-Day vs. Iran
Courtesy: The Economic Times
Last week, on August 24, U.S. Secretary of the Treasury Scott Bessent announced “Economic D-Day”, also known as “Operation Economic Outcast”. The objective was to warn and put on notice any government, company, or party in the world facilitating trade, investment, money transfers, swap lines, maritime business, cryptocurrency movement, free trade zones, entrepôts, or other financial activity with the Islamic Republic of Iran that it could be subjected to sanctions by the U.S. Treasury. The announcement was accompanied by commentary read more
Modernising the India-Sri Lanka FTA
Courtesy: Indian Navy Website
The India–Sri Lanka Free Trade Agreement (ISFTA), implemented in 2000, has significantly expanded India–Sri Lanka trade, investment and tourism. But it now needs to be deepened beyond goods to make the most of the modern, supply-chain-driven global economy. Any ISFTA 2.0 should update rules of origin, liberalise services, digitise customs, strengthen investment protections and deepen connectivity to help Sri Lanka integrate into India-centred supply chains. read more
Mecca Accord and India’s energy security
Courtesy: AFP
The Mecca Joint Defence Agreement, the tripartite security agreement between Saudi Arabia, Turkey, and Pakistan has raised some concerns in India. While terms of the Accord have not been made public, lazy commentary has termed it an ‘Islamic Nato’ – where an attack on one member will be considered an attack on all members. This seems unlikely as the three countries have different motivations that have prompted them to create the alliance, and different capabilities that they bring in. Two of read more
Research
India and Indonesia have a comprehensive strategic relationship built on their ancient and modern histories, and a flourishing relationship sustained by trade, economic exchange and people-to-people contact. The India-Indonesia Track 1.5 Dialogue, hosted by Gateway House and the Centre for Strategic and International Studies, Indonesia, aims to provide policy recommendations to promote innovation and navigate evolving governance issues through bilateral and multilateral cooperation.
Foreign Affairs
Not long ago in the sweep of history, countries that had once been buried behind the Iron Curtain, and even some Soviet republics, were transformed into members of the solidly democratic club. Some of those that weren’t, such as Ukraine, Georgia, and Kyrgyzstan, experienced mass revolts against rigged elections and corrupt misrule amid widespread public yearning to join the West. Free trade was again celebrated as an instrument of peace; Kant’s “democratic peace theory” enjoyed a revival.
Book Reviews
In this book, C. Raja Mohan analyses Asia’s shifting political, economic, military, and technological balance, with particular focus on U.S.-China and India-China relations. He argues that India’s rise from a middle power to an emerging great power will require stronger hard power, diplomatic creativity, economic vitality, and domestic consensus. Yet, amid tensions over tariffs, Russian oil, Gaza, and the U.S.-Iran conflict, India’s strategic path remains challenging.
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