This speech was delivered by Rajiv Bhatia, Distinguished Fellow, Foreign Policy Studies, Gateway House and Chair, FICCI Task Force on Blue Economy, at the Indian Ocean Rim Association Senior Officials Meeting in Jakarta
Perhaps South Block did not gain as much as it had hoped to: there was a gulf in member states’ perceptions. One takeaway, therefore, for policy makers was that while noise has its uses, it is now time for some quiet diplomacy
India has used two-way trade targets as a proxy for judging the temperature of its key bilateral and plurilateral relationships. But a deeper understanding is needed of the extent to which physical targets can help accomplish qualitative objectives
With the Modi government’s focus on improving neighbourhood relations, India cannot afford delays in its aid projects in the region—especially because aid is an effective foreign policy instrument. Why are these projects getting delayed? Is the government taking remedial steps to improve India’s aid programme?
The SAARC Yatra to be undertaken by foreign secretary S. Jaishankar from March 1 is an opportunity for India to improve relations, resurrect stalled projects and create new synergies with its neighbourhood. An initiative like this could hold the key to India shedding the ‘hegemon’ tag and pursuing mutually beneficial policies with its neighbours
Social media has disrupted how diplomats communicate with each other and the general public. How are diplomats using these platforms? How will future digital tools change the meaning and capabilities of digital diplomacy? Gateway House presents an educational mini-series on digital diplomacy, profiling Indian digital diplomacy, and the future trajectory of digital diplomacy.
India’s political and economic future will be determined over the next few weeks. Gateway House recommends a priority diplomacy agenda for the next government – one which puts economics at the heart of our foreign policy
India’s Foreign Minister, Salman Khurshid, faces various internal challenges in his new External Affairs portfolio – an understaffed diplomatic corps and increasingly assertive regional politicians. Will Khurshid have enough time to make significant foreign policy changes, given the upcoming elections in 2014?
Ambassador Kishan Rana, a veteran diplomat and now Author, discusses the confluence of business and foreign policy in India in an exclusive interview with Gateway House.