The current crisis between India and Canada over the issue of Khalistani separatism has been festering for decades. Gateway House has been tracking the global Khalistani network and its impact on the India-Canada bilateral since 2018.
The announcement of the India-Middle East-Europe Economic Corridor (IMEC) has the potential to make India an Asian hub in global supply chains. India’s renewed emphasis on trade agreements and export-oriented foreign direct investment presents a significant opportunity for the country to promote industrialisation across South Asia and make the region less vulnerable to Chinese enticements.
The admission of the African Union to the G20 marks the multilateral's first ever expansion. The G20 will now speak for 80% of the world's population. For Africa, this means an opportunity to mainstream its concerns and priorities in global decision-making. Lastly, as the inclusion of AU in G20 took place during India’s presidency, New Delhi can enjoy the fruits of its creative diplomacy as Voice of the Global South.
India’s presidency of the G20 has put a premium on its role as “the voice of the Global South”, even as it serves as the bridge between the Global South and the Global North. The upcoming Delhi Summit’s success will depend on India’s ability to balance diverse interests while broadening the areas of convergence and narrowing those of disagreement within the grouping.
The U.S. dollar’s position as the world’s dominant currency has come under pressure as countries and central banks explore alternative currencies and diversify their reserve compositions. While the U.S. continues to dominate global financial markets and the dollar is unlikely to be unseated anytime soon, the challenge to the dollar-dominated uniform currency system has begun.
The decision to invite six countries — Argentina, Egypt, Ethiopia, Iran, Saudi Arabia, and the UAE — to join BRICS as full members has opened the grouping to a new geopolitical era. India can now play a seminal but challenging role in this evolved dynamic, given its growing cooperation with the West on the one hand and its active pursuit of the interests of the Global South on the other.
The disruptive impact of Generative AI models like ChatGPT and Copilot will be felt across information-processing sectors including customer service, research and blue-collar jobs. India must develop a comprehensive national AI strategy that connects stakeholders to provide a roadmap for responsible AI deployment and increase funding for AI research.
In West Asia, nations such as Saudi Arabia and other Gulf countries are starting to understand their pivotal geopolitical positioning in world affairs – and are making calibrated and strategic moves to preserve or recover global stability. It’s welcome at a time when more than two dozen conflicts are ongoing, when geopolitical rivals have hardened their positions, and diplomacy has failed to de-escalate in the primary contests.
The 15th BRICS summit is set to take place on August 22-24 in Johannesburg. Against a backdrop of escalating global tensions, the summit's agenda encompasses crucial topics including greater representation of the Global South, reform of MDBs, and geopolitical flashpoints like the Ukraine crisis. The summit's outcomes will extend beyond the grouping and redefine the landscape of international cooperation among emerging economies.
The Italian Navy sees in its multicultural "Mediterranean" nature, a similarity with the Indian Ocean as a connecting fabric that has enabled civilizations to flourish and prosper through the centuries. The shared concerns and cooperation between the Italian and Indian navies, now renewed, can bring prosperity with contemporary connectivity.