14th July 1904 Courtesy: Consulate General of France in Mumbai
6 October 2016

Mumbai’s historic diplomatic enclave

A vibrant foreign diplomatic corp that has been present in Mumbai for the last 200 years has contributed both to its political and economic life and imparted a social and cultural cachet

GH_EcoSummit-4x6 Courtesy: Gateway House
6 October 2016

BRICS: expectations from the Goa Summit

The 8th BRICS summit in Goa comes in the midst of major geopolitical events; Brexit, the U.S. elections, the South China Sea dispute, and the terror attacks in Uri. There is much need for BRICS to demonstrate to the world, its capability to manage internal differences and showcase a collective sense of cooperation

gwadar cpec Courtesy: AP
6 October 2016

Balochistan: all sides may lose

India’s new focus on Balochistan has more to do with the China Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) than with Kashmir. China understands that CPEC may not be achievable. But there are real dangers in reviving Pakistani fears of secessionism and in broadening the field of Indo-Pakistani conflict beyond the confines of Kashmir.

russia pak military exercises Courtesy: Ministry of Defence of the Russian Federation
29 September 2016

Russia’s zero sum games in Asia

Russia's decision to go ahead with joint military exercises with Pakistan is the latest move in Putin's flexible and pragmatic Asian foreign policy playbook. However, whether it will be worth having provoked Indian ire remains to be seen.

Россия. Владивосток. 3 сентября 2016. Президент РФ Владимир Путин во время пресс-конференции по итогам встречи с президентом Южной Кореи Пак Кын Хе на II Восточном экономическом форуме на территории Дальневосточного федерального университета (ДВФУ) на острове Русский. Дмитрий Серебряков/фотохост-агентство ТАСС|Russia’s President Vladimir Putin speaks at a news conference following talks with South Korea'''s President Park Geun-hye at the 2016 Eastern Economic Forum at Far Eastern Federal University on Russky Island, Vladivostok, Russia, on September 3, 2016.Dmitry Serebryakov/TASS Host Photo Agency Courtesy: Eastern Economic Forum
29 September 2016

Eastern Economic Forum: India misses out

The Second Eastern Economic Forum, held last month in Russia, could have been a time for India to forge stronger trade links, but the governments of both countries have to be more supportive before this can happen.

farc peace Courtesy: Cubasi
25 September 2016

Colombia and FARC: peace at last?

The Colombian government will sign a final and comprehensive peace agreement with the Revolutionary Armed Forces, a national guerrilla movement, on September 26. This is momentous, bringing to a close an insurgency that has inflicted widespread bloodshed and displacement. But making reparation may take an unpredictable course

merkel g20 Courtesy: AP
19 September 2016

Assessing G20: accent remains on growth

The IMF warned at the G20 Summit, held last week-end, that the world economy was growing “too slow for too long” and the G20, as a group, needed to provide some clear answers. What did the Chinese G20 presidency achieve? And what will Germany have to look at in 2017?

degrowth 2 Courtesy: Common Dreams
15 September 2016

Degrowth: a “bomb-word” comes of age

A decade after the term ‘degrowth’ was first deployed by a small group of European academics, it draws unconventional thinkers, not mainstream policy makers. The recent Degrowth Conference in Budapest made perpetual growth, not degrowth, seem utopian.

Modi in Vietnam Courtesy: Ministry of External Affairs/Flickr
12 September 2016

India-Vietnam: setting a new benchmark

Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s recent trip to Vietnam had both heads of state announcing an upgrade of their ‘Strategic Partnership’ into a ‘Comprehensive Strategic Partnership’. This added term captures the importance both sides have vested in the need to deepen the relationship and the prospect for future cooperation.

hong kong election Courtesy: AFP
8 September 2016

Hong Kong’s divided political landscape

The unanticipated success of "radical" candidates in Hong Kong's Legislative Council election, including student activists central to the "umbrella revolution" of two years ago, has shaken the territory's pro-Chinese establishment and seized ground from more moderate pro-democracy voices. More fractious politics look set to continue in the immediate future.