Iranian foreign minister’s first visit to Mumbai came just days after heightened tensions in the Persian Gulf between the U.S. and Iran. A sophisticated and flawless diplomat, Javad Zarif presented the Iranian side well. But clearly, the killing of General Soleimani by the U.S. has rattled the region and, as Zarif said, created an unnecessary crisis. Indian experts on Iran say that while General Soleimani may evoke mixed feelings in his own constituency read more

In December 2019, India obtained a written assurance from the U.S. government for the waiver from U.S. sanctions on Iran for investment and the development of Chabahar port, a counter to Pakistan’s Gwadar port. In light of current regional tensions in West Asia, this is an achievement, especially given the monumental losses to business in and around Iran because of the U.S. sanctions. Sanctions have evolved from being a tool read more

Abu Dhabi sits at the very heart of the global oil industry, with rich oil reserves of 95 billion barrels – the seventh largest in the world – and its location in the Persian Gulf. It is sandwiched between Saudi Arabia and Iran and lies just a few miles from the Straits of Hormuz. While the Emirate’s prosperity rests on oil, it is now looking towards a future that is less dependent on oil Abu Dhabi has just completed its first nuclear reactor (one of four units) read more

At the 10th Biennale Aero India held in Bangalore this week, among the many global defence giants was Brazil’s Embraer (Empresa Brasileira de Aeronautica) selling both defence and executive aircraft. Embraer’s story is one that India’s own Hindustan Aeronauticals Ltd (HAL) should emulate. Embraer was created in 1969 by the Brazilian government, just a few years after HAL was established. HAL had a head start over read more