Courtesy: Consulate General of France in Mumbai
All eyes are on the outcome of the French elections next month with its portents of a far right president being the people’s choice. But it was 200 years ago that Bombay forged its French connection. Trade with France ushered in cultural influences while the city’s early nationalists were drawn to the French Revolution’s political philosophy of ‘Liberty, Equality and Fraternity’
Courtesy: Gateway House
Trends in technology, geopolitics and geoeconomics have dramatically transformed the global energy scenario in the last two years. This means favourable conditions for import-dependent India, which must use the opportunities available to reduce its vulnerability to high energy prices. The jump in oil prices past the $60 mark suggests that India must act with alacrity. India’s Energy Footprint Map offers a profile of India’s global trade and investment in energy, and indicates what India can do to access cheap and reliable supplies
Courtesy: MEA/ Flickr
The Indo-Pacific region is home to some of the largest and most rapidly growing economies as also powerful military forces. Nuclear threats, international terrorism and climate change are some of the issues that define the region. Uncertainty dogs relations among the four nations in the top league—U.S., China, India and Japan—but what is emerging is a hawkish, policy stance from the U.S. as opposed to an isolationist outlook apprehended earlier
Courtesy: Gateway House
In Alexis Dalem's interview he discusses areas on which Thales and India have collaborated in the past and can collaborate in the future, in the defense, security and aerospace spheres, and under the Make in India policy. He laid emphasis on Thales's policy of willingness for technology transfer and production in India and their ambition to co-develop products and export from India, since they have a strong belief in India's industrial competitiveness and skilled workforce. He further applauds Modi's recent FDI changes in India as it allows for this technology transfer, enables Thales to retain a certain level of control in their subsidiaries in India and creates an investment positive business environment.
Courtesy: Gateway House
In this interview Anastasia Likhacheva discusses the impact and a few of the positive externalities of the oil price drop, sanctions and counter sanctions on the Russian economy. Despite Trump’s obvious warmth towards Russia, she doesn’t foresee any major agreements signed between the two countries due to the roadblocks that can be placed by the U.S. Congress and the U.S. Senate. She further describes the role she sees Russia undertaking in Asian financial institutions like the NDB and the AIIB in the future.
Courtesy: IB Times
The era of globalisation is drawing to a close and a new one is emerging—an era of bilateralism over globalisation, of domestic over foreign focus, and reality-based policy-making
Courtesy: Wikipedia
European defence companies can contribute significantly to India’s military modernisation under the ‘Make in India’ campaign. But before this can happen they will have to deepen their interactions in the country at the political and strategic levels to identify common areas of interest and understand India’s technological priorities in the sector
Courtesy: Wikipedia
India-EU space collaboration is still nascent largely due to the EU’s limited autonomy over its space programme. Astro-geopolitics, an inevitable successor to geopolitics, requires confidence-building and furthering strengthening of bilateral linkages
Courtesy: Flickr/ResoluteSupportMedia
The Russians have concluded that the Afghan Taliban offer a better shield against the Islamic State than the old Northern Alliance. A negotiated settlement in Afghanistan could be achieved if Washington and New Delhi join Moscow, Beijing, Islamabad and Tehran in a joint effort.
Courtesy: Wikipedia
Cyber cooperation between India and the European Union currently lacks a security focus despite the common threats they face. Differences persist on both sides regarding India’s data adequacy status which has resulted in a blocking of the Bilateral Trade and Investment Agreement negotiations.