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.

obama Courtesy: Pete Souza/The White House
22 February 2013

The pacific pivot: A decade late and five years too soon

The announcement of the Pacific pivot by the U.S. in 2001 has led to several nations making bold political moves. However, the U.S. isn’t yet ready to be a regional protector against China. What does Washington have to do to prepare itself for the Pivot?

khurshid+chile Courtesy: Ministry Of External Affairs, India
8 February 2013

India-Chile: Transcending geography

Indian Foreign Minister Salman Khurshid’s February 5 visit to Chile and Argentina is emblematic of the new era in Indo-Latin America relations. What does this increased engagement mean for India and Chile, two rapidly growing economies of the Global South?

afghan soldier 1_0 Courtesy: Matanya/WikimediaCommons
31 January 2013

Afghanistan’s military-industrial complex

Since 2002, a large amount of U.S. funds flowing into Afghanistan has been diverted to the Taliban by local strongmen, resulting in a continued presence of the militia. The challenge post-2014 will be to reverse the West’s top-down strategy, creating a grassroots-driven incentive for peace and development.

Prime Minister's Office Courtesy: Prime Minister's Office
15 January 2013

India-U.S.: Realizing full potential

Although the India-U.S. relationship has seen steady improvement over the past few years, it hasn’t garnered the amount of high-level attention necessary to actualise the massive potential of this liaison. What are the key areas both the nations need to focus on, to achieve outputs for maximum mutual benefit?

U.S. Department of Defense Courtesy: U.S. Department of Defense
11 January 2013

Chuck Hagel: Revising U.S. strategic postures?

The nomination of Chuck Hagel for the post of the U.S. Defense Secretary has garnered severe criticism from Israel and the Jewish lobby. Given the geopolitical changes unfolding in the Middle East and the rest of Asia, what will Hagel’s assumption of office mean for Israel, India and the rest of the world?

john kerry seema piece Courtesy: Officer/WikimediaCommons
3 January 2013

John Kerry: To the job born

U.S. Senator John Kerry will officially take office as the Secretary of State, later this month, replacing Hillary Clinton. Given his background of foreign policy, and his proven competency in related matters, what can India and South Asia look forward to, during his term in his new office?