BIMSTEC Courtesy: Google Earth
20 October 2016

BRICS/BIMSTEC’s maritime portents

The recent BRICS summit and BIMSTEC outreach highlighted some laudable maritime endeavours linking geographically distant, emerging economies within the grouping. The BIMSTEC platform is also crucial to India's efforts to create a peaceful Bay of Bengal community through economic and cultural linkages.

GH_EcoSummit-4x6 Courtesy: Gateway House
6 October 2016

BRICS: expectations from the Goa Summit

The 8th BRICS summit in Goa comes in the midst of major geopolitical events; Brexit, the U.S. elections, the South China Sea dispute, and the terror attacks in Uri. There is much need for BRICS to demonstrate to the world, its capability to manage internal differences and showcase a collective sense of cooperation

gwadar cpec Courtesy: AP
6 October 2016

Balochistan: all sides may lose

India’s new focus on Balochistan has more to do with the China Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) than with Kashmir. China understands that CPEC may not be achievable. But there are real dangers in reviving Pakistani fears of secessionism and in broadening the field of Indo-Pakistani conflict beyond the confines of Kashmir.

hong kong election Courtesy: AFP
8 September 2016

Hong Kong’s divided political landscape

The unanticipated success of "radical" candidates in Hong Kong's Legislative Council election, including student activists central to the "umbrella revolution" of two years ago, has shaken the territory's pro-Chinese establishment and seized ground from more moderate pro-democracy voices. More fractious politics look set to continue in the immediate future.

INS_Vikramaditya_in_Baltic_Sea Courtesy: Wikipedia
6 September 2016

India’s ocean strategy crystallises

India's policy towards the Indian Ocean has begun to take a clear, coherent form with the signing of the Logistics Exchange Memorandum of Agreement with the United States, an important bilateral visit to Vietnam by Prime Minister Modi, and an ambitious future being laid out by Foreign Secretary Jaishankar

china oil Courtesy: Yahoo
1 September 2016

China’s oil paralysis, our gain

The sheen is coming off China’s state-owned oil companies, which have been hit by the country’s political churning and by their own excesses of buying assets at the peak of the cycle. Now with oil prices low, India has the chance to make well-priced acquisitions without Chinese competition.

135618503_14717392190131n Courtesy: Xinhua News Agency
21 August 2016

Suu Kyi in China: Asian balancing act

Aung San Suu Kyi’s recent visit to China heralds the return of Myanmar into the geo-strategic fold. The visit has demonstrated the Chinese willingness to woo its neighbour, and is an indicator that India needs to step up its relations with Myanmar.

bank-getty-images-harold-cunningham Courtesy: Quartz
27 July 2016

Imperatives of regulatory diplomacy

Regulations are the new focus of economic statecraft. Their increasing importance is reflected in the negotiations on global financial standards, plurilateral trading rules, and regional economic unions.

Wah_Umngot_River_Dawki_Meghalaya_Border_Crossing_Bangladesh_India Courtesy:
27 July 2016

Listening to the Rivers

India's North Eastern States are part of one of the largest fluvial regions, they share this region with five other nations. At a recent conference, held on the sidelines of the the Nadi Festival in Shillong, the message of 'Listen to the dignity of the river' struck a chord with all present, and is a message which should be carried across the region.