lng Courtesy: Jeremy Edmunds/Flickr
7 March 2014

Decoding natural gas pricing in India

The issue of gas pricing is in the public discourse after the Aam Aadmi Party questioned the logic of linking domestic prices to global rates. In the absence of a single global marker price, it is time India, and other large importing countries in Asia, develop a pricing mechanism that reflects regional realities

west asia W123 Wikimedia Courtesy: W123/WikimediaCommons
6 December 2013

Orienting to the new West Asia

Whether backdoor geopolitics rather than careful negotiations brought about the interim agreement on Iran’s nuclear programme, the next six months will determine its fate. Reactions have ranged from a furious and mistrustful Israel to collective relief by many countries, and a worried India welcoming the agreement

Eu iran Courtesy: European External Action Service
26 November 2013

Iran-P5+1 interim accord: An assessment

On November 24, the P5+1 and Iran reached a consensus on the interim agreement regarding Tehran’s long-disputed nuclear program. How comprehensive is this agreement, and what are its potential upshots for U.S., and West Asia – especially Israel and Saudi Arabia? More importantly, can India play a positive role?

Karanarticle Courtesy: Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development/Flickr
16 October 2013

India needs business activism

In the face of a severe economic slowdown and an impending balance-of-payment crisis, the Indian business community has a clear opportunity to pull the country out of the current crisis. However, this can only achieved if the apex chambers of commerce restructure themselves

Indira Lyndon Jerchel wikimediacommons Courtesy: Jerchel/WikimediaCommons
24 September 2013

The case for India-Alignment

India often finds itself in the right place at the wrong time or vice versa, as our dogma of non-alignment trumps honest calculations of self-interest in policy-making – rendering it unfavourable. The national interest, hence, calls for selective alignment on some issues with Washington and on others with Beijing

Untitled Courtesy: Center for American Progress Action Fund/Flickr
21 June 2013

Kerry: Stepping onto an Asian merry-go-round

The U.S. Secretary of State’s visit to India comes at a time when India is witnessing significant realignments in its domestic politics while the U.S. is busy tackling its cyber-spying allegations. Amidst these preoccupations, will the upcoming India-U.S. talks churn out substantive outcomes?

Are political parties failing democracy Courtesy: Somenametoforget/Flickr
12 April 2013

Are political parties failing democracy?

Conventional political parties around the world seem to be on the decline, and there are common factors too – precarious economies and a leaching of ideology, for example. How can countries achieve grassroots empowerment in their village republics, and those of ordinary citizens the world over?

Furmeyer/WikimediaCommons Courtesy: Furmeyer/WikimediaCommons
13 March 2013

Historical Perspectives on Piracy: The British Empire in the Persian Gulf

Maritime piracy is one of the several grave security issues faced by today’s world. This problem, however, isn’t a new phenomenon, and nations have long-battled this issue. How did piracy manifest itself in the Indian Ocean in the 19th century, and what was the nature of counter-piracy efforts during that period?