Courtesy: Gateway House
A conference of the BRICS 2017 Think Tank Forum, held in Beijing recently, showed that the grouping had progressed in influencing global governance despite some persistent intra-member differences
Courtesy: Igor Peraza
Speakers at the ‘1st BRICS Think Tank Forum on Pragmatic Cooperation’, held in Shanghai last month, discussed ways to tackle new challenges as globalisation moves into the next phase where the BRICS countries will take the lead
The past decade has witnessed an evolution of India-Africa relations especially since the implementation of Modi's Act East policy. There is also a growing realisation of the strategic and geopolitical value of the Indian Ocean region. This speech highlights the policies needed to strengthen India-Kenya relations and tap the wealth of resources in this Blue Economy.
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: Flickr/U.S. Army Africa
New Delhi now has the capacity to move beyond the basics of economic diplomacy by using the strengths of India's private sector in healthcare. Africa would welcome such an initiative, which will improve the health and development capabilities of African countries. This will also serve India’s geopolitical objectives and can precede a similar healthcare rollout to other regions
Courtesy: Gateway House
Prime Minister Narendra Modi's announcement on November 8 to demonetise notes of the denomination of Rs 500 and Rs 1000 has a precedent. This infographic traces some interesting demonetisation initiatives around the world. From discontinuation of high denomination notes due to lack of circulation, to the use of beer and water as 'real assets' in place of hyper-inflated currency.
Courtesy: MEA India / Flickr
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
Courtesy: Gateway House
This infographic seeks to trace the evolution of BRICS from O’Neill’s original vision to its current form, while illustrating how intra-BRICS trade has evolved over the past 15 years.
Courtesy: Dr. Jehangir Sorabjee
The recent inauguration of the New Development Bank in Shanghai has made that city a focal point of international financial transactions between the five BRICS countries. This occasions revisiting some of the ways in which Bombay has been historically linked to it
Courtesy: Google Earth
The recent BRICS summit and BIMSTEC outreach highlighted some laudable maritime endeavours linking geographically distant, emerging economies within the grouping. The BIMSTEC platform is also crucial to India's efforts to create a peaceful Bay of Bengal community through economic and cultural linkages.