Policy Perspectives
India-Africa Courtesy: MEA/Government of India
9 January 2015

Indian banks in Africa: change agents

India’s engagement with Africa currently is trapped in a discourse from another era. With a change in governance structures and demographics, African countries are keen to elevate the level of trade and investment ties. India is in an advantageous position due to historical linkages but China and the U.S. are already ahead in the game

Fidel Castro with Nixon Courtesy: Getty Images
19 December 2014

Cuba: end of isolation

The U.S. has finally ended its outdated policy of isolating Cuba. It is a triumph for the proud and courageous Cubans who have withstood so many overt and covert destabilisation attempts by the U.S. It is also a victory for Latin America which has opposed the U.S. embargo and advocated normalization of relations with Cuba

Xi_Modi Courtesy: Narendra Modi (wikimedia.org)
27 November 2014

China’s connectivity tips for India

A major theme at the multilateral summits this month was connectivity, with China at the forefront. India is trailing behind due to a shortfall in investment and political will, among other factors. Prime Minister Modi must follow up on his meetings at the SAARC Summit by robustly taking forward India’s connectivity agenda

michaelfroman Courtesy: wikimedia
11 November 2014

How fair is America’s ‘fair trade’?

There is a sense in Washington that if the U.S. is not tough with India, it will send a wrong signal to other countries. But the ongoing investigations by the Obama administration into India’s IPR regime and trade practices have become an unpleasant part of doing business with America

mia-main Courtesy: wikimediacommons
31 October 2014

India needs an anti-tapering strategy

India faces heightened geoeconomic risks as the U.S. exits its unconventional monetary policy and the value of the dollar appreciates against major currencies. We can mitigate the risks with a multilateral safety net to provide liquidity, and by attracting FDI through the ‘Make in India’ programme

Policy Perspectives
WTO Courtesy: wikimedia
15 October 2014

India’s curious stand at WTO

India’s decision to block the Trade Facilitation Agreement at the World Trade Organisation in July was perplexing; the confusion was compounded because India was almost alone in its position. This policy perspective explains the reasons for India’s curious stand