Israel-India Courtesy: Wikimedia commons
12 March 2015

India-Israel: A renewed confluence?

Israeli defence minister Moshe Ya'alon’s recent offer of defence technology for Prime Minister Modi’s Make in India initiative may signal expanding bilateral relations, and it is an opportune moment for the two countries to consolidate long-term common ground in areas such as counter-intelligence and naval cooperation

Under the dome_India's daughter Courtesy: YouTube
12 March 2015

India, China and censorship

In the past week two documentaries that went viral in China and India were banned. In China, a documentary about pollution. In India, a documentary about the Nirbhaya rape incident in 2012. India's decision to ban the film suggests that the government's approach to censorship is starting to look more like China's

SAARC Courtesy:
2 March 2015

An Indian democracy template for SAARC?

Indian foreign secretary S. Jaishankar’s visit to SAARC countries from March 1 is an opportunity to examine the political trajectories in the region. While democracy in some countries like Sri Lanka is on an upswing, in others, like Bangladesh, it is in decline. With China’s growing economic influence in South Asia, can Indian democracy be an effective counterpoint?

mexico bollywood Courtesy: NPR
26 February 2015

Mexican inspiration for Bollywood

Mexican director Alejendra Inarritu’s Oscar for his work on Birdman comes after his compatriot won the same category award in 2014. This is a matter of pride for the Mexican film industry which is undergoing a renaissance in the last fifteen years. Although Indian cinema dwarfs the Mexican film industry, Mexico’s success in Hollywood should hold as inspiration for Bollywood

Jaishnkar Courtesy: Saddahaq.com
26 February 2015

SAARC sojourn: surmounting the entropy

The SAARC Yatra to be undertaken by foreign secretary S. Jaishankar from March 1 is an opportunity for India to improve relations, resurrect stalled projects and create new synergies with its neighbourhood. An initiative like this could hold the key to India shedding the ‘hegemon’ tag and pursuing mutually beneficial policies with its neighbours