obamarouhaniwikimediacommons Courtesy: Wikimedia Commons
6 February 2014

P5+1-Iran: U.S. in search of a new game

The P5+1 negotiations with Iran, mostly a Washington-Tehran affair, may be a means to a complex and ambitious end: a new strategic and energy equation in Southwest Asia. U.S. President Barack Obama’s recent State of the Union address indicates that to reach this goal, the U.S. is steering away from war to diplomacy

obama-xi2 Courtesy: Secretary of Defense/Flickr
23 January 2014

China is America’s biggest challenge

U.S. President Barack Obama’s focus on domestic issues has sidelined his country’s foreign policy at a time when China is ascending as a superpower. With China’s economy set to surpass the U.S.'s by 2017, a recent report presents a ‘grand strategy’ for the U.S. to counter China’s economic and strategic expansion

rbi Courtesy: Government of India
27 December 2013

Curbing India’s dependence on FII flows

The extent of the rupee’s depreciation in 2013 demonstrates the Indian market’s dependence on overseas portfolio investments. Can developing domestic institutional bulwarks allay anxieties during similar crises? Is tapping into India’s deep pool of domestic savings, by modifying archaic regulations, an option?

devyani Courtesy: Asia Society/Flickr
20 December 2013

Nanny-gate dogs strategic partnership

The recent arrest and alleged mistreatment of Indian diplomat Devyani Khobragade by the U.S officials has cast a cloud over decades of Indo-U.S. partnership. With the furore showing little sign of dying down soon, could this impact bilateral ties at a time when the two nations need to work together in South Asia?

abdulla yameen The President's Office Republic of Maldives Courtesy: The President's Office, Republic of Maldives
13 December 2013

Maldives: Stability after a storm?

The November 16 election of Abdulla Yameen as president of the Maldives may have ended the two-year long political turmoil, but for the country’s economy to recover Yameen must ensure the stability of his government. He also has to consolidate ties with India, and his visit here on December 23 will be a start

Bangladesh flag Mostaque Chowdhury flickr Courtesy: Mostaque Chowdhury/Flickr
12 December 2013

India, U.S: Divided over Dhaka

Come January, Bangladesh will elect its next prime minister. Although it has emerged as a significant player in the region, India and the U.S. are yet to develop a synergy in their policies towards this important nation – even as the deeper struggle for influence and resources in Asia continues