Sagar2 Courtesy:
14 April 2016

Sagarmala or SAGAR: a maritime dilemma

After decades of passivity, India is beginning to assert itself in the maritime arena. There is a whiff of salt in the usually 'sea-blind' corridors of Delhi, where the Modi government clearly sees the linkage between the possession of maritime wherewithal, both civilian and military, and the furthering of national prosperity, through ever-increasing trade.

Carter and Parikhar Courtesy: Department of Defense, U.S. Gov
14 April 2016

Carter in India: a foundational visit

The recent visit of the U.S. Defense Secretary to India has yielded significant outcomes on streamlining bilateral military interactions, deepening maritime security cooperation and defence technology collaboration. As India grows closer to the U.S., it should be clear about the objectives of this engagement

West_Texas_Pumpjack Courtesy: Wikipedia
13 April 2016

North America: petro state

The U.S. and Canada offer an opportunity for India to acquire large scale oil and gas fields in politically stable countries at a low price. A financial investment in energy companies will protect India against a rise in energy prices without raising concerns in host countries.

Indian_Navy_flotilla_of_Western_Fleet_escort_INS_Vikramaditya_(R33)_and_INS_Viraat_(R22)_in_the_Arabian_Sea Courtesy: Wikipedia
7 April 2016

India’s future is sea-facing

India needs a more developed strategic focus on its eastern-western seaboards. Prime Minister Narendra Modi has taken the lead, investing considerable diplomatic capital and time in his visits to Saudi Arabia, the UAE, and island nations in the Arabian Sea. In the east, he is progressively engaging with ASEAN, Japan and Australia

The Prime Minister, Shri Narendra Modi with the African leaders during the special dinner hosted, on the sidelines of the 3rd India Africa Forum Summit, in New Delhi on October 28, 2015. Courtesy: MEA / Flickr
31 March 2016

Africa: diplomatic flavour of 2016?

India has hosted a plethora of India-Africa conferences, expressing commitment to deepen mutual cooperation. It is further expected that the president, vice president, and prime minister may visit Africa this year, to follow up actively. Indeed, a senior official predicts Africa will even become “the diplomatic flavour in 2016”. An analysis.

washington-2010 Courtesy: Whitehouse.gov
29 March 2016

Developing global nuclear security

Once the fourth and final global Nuclear Security Summit is held this week in Washington, D.C., the challenge will primarily be for bureaucrats to continue working and keep leaders engaged on nuclear security. Inertia on this issue, especially when there is growing intelligence on security breaches, could be deadly.

India_fields_and_wind_turbines Courtesy: Wikipedia
23 March 2016

Move over solar; welcome, wind

After the recent WTO ruling against India on the issue of local content of solar panels, India must revise its renewable energy strategy in favour of wind power. Instead of imported solar panels, India’s renewable capacities can use locally-manufactured windmills.