obama putin pete souza Courtesy: Pete Souza/WikimediaCommons
16 September 2013

Badi Soch: Putin’s Weapon of Mass Diplomacy

This daily column includes Gateway House’s Badi Soch – big thought – of the day’s foreign policy events. This Badi Soch analyses the open letter in The New York Times from Russian President Vladimir Putin to American citizens, arguing against a military strike in Syria.

assadobama Courtesy: Freedom House/Flickr
6 September 2013

Syria: An unwarranted intervention

Despite rising international opposition, U.S. President Barack Obama is ready to penalise the Syrian regime for an alleged chemical attack in Ghouta, Syria, last month. The justifications given by the U.S. for an armed attack are questionable, and such retaliatory action will destabilise the entire region

Asitimes - Flickr Courtesy: Asitimes/ Flickr
31 July 2013

A new blueprint for China

Indian and Chinese companies routinely bid against each other in their quest to secure oilfields and other resource pools resulting in rising prices. However, a preferable recourse would be for the nations, along with ASEAN, to collaborate as there is enough for all

BRICS Summit Courtesy: Blog do Planalto
12 July 2013

A clarion call to study BRICS

The launch of the BRICS Universities League in Shanghai is an important effort for the five nations to understand each other and define their place in global governance

Commentary: A BRICS bank for the South
30 March 2013

Commentary: A BRICS bank for the South

In 1990, the erstwhile South Commission recommended the creation of a 'South Bank' to aid the economic emancipation of the global South. Can the BRICS bank, which was discussed in length at the 5th BRICS Summit, provide a solution to the problems of the crisis-ridden African continent? Devaki Jain blogs

Ministry Of External Affairs, India Courtesy: Ministry Of External Affairs, India
29 March 2013

Beijing banks on BRICS

Indian foreign policy has not yet addressed the ramifications of Chinese economic dominance in BRICS. Nor have we matched China’s engagement within the group to ensure that the BRICS vision of a new international order for emerging economies actually works in their favour.

BRICS flags Courtesy: Government/ZA/Flickr
26 March 2013

A mandate for BRICS Bank

At the 5th BRICS Summit that begins in South Africa today, the heads of state of Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa are expected to ratify the creation of the BRICS Bank. After discussion and study for over a year by the respective governments, the bank will be launched with seed money estimated at between $50 billion to $100 billion, and most likely an equal share of voting rights for the management of the bank. What remains

Gateway House Courtesy:
15 March 2013

Shyam Saran: BRICS must deliver a Development Bank

The establishment of a BRICS Development Bank will be among the prime topics of discussion at the BRICS Summit on March 26. Gateway House’s Akshay Mathur interviews former Indian Ambassador and Foreign Secretary, Shyam Saran, on the prospects and viability of alternate financial architectures.

parliament Courtesy: Shwkyn231/Flickr
31 December 2012

India’s foreign policy: A year in review

The year 2012 has been a busy one for foreign policy: from escalating disputes in the South China Sea to alternate financial instruments from the emerging world. India’s foreign policy too has its shown strengths and weaknesses. We present our top foreign policy Hotspots, Sweet spots and Blind spots for 2012.

Courtesy: Secretary of Defense
28 November 2012

What China learned from Russia

The Chinese have learned from Russia’s past mistakes at reforming state-owned enterprises (SOE), and some well-connected politicians have reaped the economic benefits that followed. Will the new administration in Beijing reform China’s SOEs or maintain the large role of government in industry?