Yameen Courtesy: Ministry of External Affairs, India
3 January 2014

The Maldives: small gains

Maldivian President Abdulla Yameen’s visit to India this week aims to repair ties, strained after the Maldives terminated a $500 million contract to the Bangalore-based infrastructure company, GMR. Yameen’s conciliatory stand stems from the need for international help, including India’s, to fix an economy in decline

rbi Courtesy: Government of India
27 December 2013

Curbing India’s dependence on FII flows

The extent of the rupee’s depreciation in 2013 demonstrates the Indian market’s dependence on overseas portfolio investments. Can developing domestic institutional bulwarks allay anxieties during similar crises? Is tapping into India’s deep pool of domestic savings, by modifying archaic regulations, an option?

afflag Courtesy: isafmedia/Flickr
26 December 2013

Non-violence in Afghanistan

Gateway House recently co-hosted the premiere show of the documentary ‘Frontier Gandhi’ in Mumbai. But do the ideals of non-violence have any active adherents in Afghanistan today? A search reveals a remarkable variety of passionate action in the legacy of Mahatma Gandhi, Martin Luther King Jr. and Badshah Khan

devyani Courtesy: Asia Society/Flickr
20 December 2013

Nanny-gate dogs strategic partnership

The recent arrest and alleged mistreatment of Indian diplomat Devyani Khobragade by the U.S officials has cast a cloud over decades of Indo-U.S. partnership. With the furore showing little sign of dying down soon, could this impact bilateral ties at a time when the two nations need to work together in South Asia?

rr2 Courtesy: World Economic Forum/Flickr
16 December 2013

Decoding RBI’s invite to foreign banks

The recent statement by the governor of the RBI that foreign banks might be allowed to take over Indian banks, has rekindled the debate on the status of foreign banks. What has prompted the RBI’s new position and how does it weigh against the existing policy landscape? Why are foreign banks waiting and watching?

abdulla yameen The President's Office Republic of Maldives Courtesy: The President's Office, Republic of Maldives
13 December 2013

Maldives: Stability after a storm?

The November 16 election of Abdulla Yameen as president of the Maldives may have ended the two-year long political turmoil, but for the country’s economy to recover Yameen must ensure the stability of his government. He also has to consolidate ties with India, and his visit here on December 23 will be a start

Bangladesh flag Mostaque Chowdhury flickr Courtesy: Mostaque Chowdhury/Flickr
12 December 2013

India, U.S: Divided over Dhaka

Come January, Bangladesh will elect its next prime minister. Although it has emerged as a significant player in the region, India and the U.S. are yet to develop a synergy in their policies towards this important nation – even as the deeper struggle for influence and resources in Asia continues

Mandela UN NMF Photo Matthew Willman UN Courtesy: Matthew Willman/UN/NMF Photo/
6 December 2013

Honouring Nelson Mandela

In 1993, Nelson Mandela said: “We will have to go on striving to prove that King was right…when he said that humanity can no longer be tragically bound to the starless midnight of racism and war.” By learning from the tenacity of this striving, rather than by measuring outcomes, we can best honour Mandela

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