Rajendra M. Abhyankar

Professor, School of Public and Environmental Affairs, Indiana University

RajendraAbhyankar129Rajendra Abhyankar was the Indian Secretary of External Affairs from 2001-2004 and has served as the Indian Ambassador to the European Union, Belgium and Luxemburg, Azerbaijan, Turkey, Syria, and Cyprus. He was also the Consul General of India in San Francisco, California. He currently teaches at the School of Public and Environmental Affairs, Indiana University, Bloomington and was former Chairman of the Kunzru Centre for Defence Studies and Research, Pune. Disclaimer: External experts are not affiliated with Gateway House and have been presented here for reference only.
Expertise

India; International Relations

Last modified: November 23, 2017

Recent projects

Modi and Sisi Courtesy: Ministry of External Affairs / Flickr
31 August 2016 Gateway House

India-Egypt: renewing old ties

Egyptian president, Abdul al-Fattah al-Sisi, is set to arrive in New Delhi on 1 September 2016 with a delegation of important ministers and business leaders. This marks an important opportunity for the two countries to connect on a much wider range of regional and international issues than earlier.

Modi Obama Wiki Courtesy: Wikipedia
21 October 2015 Gateway House

Building on India-U.S. meeting points

Modi’s second visit to the U.S. in September indicates a growing partnership in such areas as business, technology, and climate change. Though gaps too remain—for example, India is not part of the TPP and its bid for a UNSC seat is on hold—for now, it is time to consolidate bilateral meeting points, and India can start by simplifying its trade policy and tariff structure
Political Indian Courtesy: The Political Indian
19 August 2015

Reassessing our Israel, Arab engagement

Rajendra Abhyankar, Columnist, Gateway House, wrote an article on 'Reassessing our Israel, Arab engagement' for The Political Indian.

Israel-Saudi Courtesy: Wikipedia
13 July 2015 Gateway House

Reassessing our Israel, Arab engagement

The announcement in June of a Saudi-Israeli alliance against Iran has to be seen in the context of the strategic dimensions of India’s relations with Saudi Arabia, Israel, Iran, and the U.S. And it has far-reaching implications for India’s policy towards West Asia

Jaishnkar Courtesy: Saddahaq.com
26 February 2015 Gateway House

SAARC sojourn: surmounting the entropy

The SAARC Yatra to be undertaken by foreign secretary S. Jaishankar from March 1 is an opportunity for India to improve relations, resurrect stalled projects and create new synergies with its neighbourhood. An initiative like this could hold the key to India shedding the ‘hegemon’ tag and pursuing mutually beneficial policies with its neighbours
Saudi Arabia_King Salman Courtesy: sodere.com
5 February 2015 Gateway House

Prioritising Saudi Arabia

The last ten years had signalled the Saudi intention of building closer relations with India based on their immense crude oil resources and India’s growing market and skill sets. With a new king on the throne and the on-going turmoil in West Asia it is in New Delhi’s interest to initiate high-level visits with Riyadh as soon as possible
IS Courtesy: U.S. Staff Sergeant Aaron Allmon
16 September 2014 Gateway House

Modi, Obama and the Islamic State

Obama’s strategy to target the IS in Syria within the framework of a U.S.-led international coalition has met with a tepid response. There are reports that the U.S may offer India a non-NATO ally status during Modi’s upcoming visit in a bid to seek greater support – a gesture that India will do well to disregard.
ISIS and India
11 July 2014

ISIS and India

Rajendra Abhyankar, former Indian ambassador to Syria, Turkey and Egypt, puts into context the Islamic State leader (formerly ISIS) Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi's inclusion of India in its global jihad and assesses the threat that India faces