Courtesy: BSS News
Beijing has agreed to fund a port in Bangladesh, the third port funded by foreign governments. This shouldn’t be a concern for India, because unlike Pakistan and Sri Lanka, it has a diversified lender base. Japan and Russia are the large infrastructure funders, with China in the third place, while the U.S. and the EU are key export markets. India lags as an investor.
Courtesy: Gateway House
The India-Middle East-Europe Economic Corridor, currently stalled due to conflicts in the Gulf, may be an answer to the disrupted energy flows from the Persian Gulf. The proposed route, which connects the interior of Saudi Arabia to the Arabian Sea on one side and the Mediterranean Sea on the other, has immense value as a conduit for West Asian oil, as well as global data flows.
Courtesy: Gateway House
The sustainability of the Mecca Accord is determined by its response to three geopolitical challenges represented by India, Iran, and Israel. The India test centres on preventing the export of South Asian conflicts to the Gulf, the Iranian test rests on institutionalising sustainable deterrence beyond formulas of perpetual clash, and the Israeli axis tests the mechanisms for reshaping Saudi ties with American security and the future of regional normalisation.
Courtesy: AFP
The Mecca Accord between Saudi Arabia, Turkiye and Pakistan has raised some red flags in the region, and in India. One element remains unchanged: India’s value to Riyadh as an energy importer. With demand security holding more weight than supply security in an uncertain future, a major and growing oil importer like India is more important than the cash-for-security arrangement the Kingdom has signed with Pakistan.
Courtesy: Gateway House
India’s sovereign AI strategy prioritises chips, compute, data, models, and talent, but overlooks a critical pillar: energy security. As AI-driven electricity demand surges globally and the IndiaAI Mission rapidly expands computing capacity, reliable power is becoming a defining constraint on AI ambitions. Energy security must therefore be recognised as a core pillar of India’s sovereign AI strategy, not merely as supporting infrastructure.
Courtesy: KNN
The UAE’s recent exit from OPEC, and the U.S. push to sell more oil to India are markers of a new order in the oil world with demand security at a premium. As a major oil importer, India must respond to it smartly. It must develop deeper partnerships with both the UAE and U.S., and a new financial ecosystem and benchmarks for the new order.
Courtesy: Gateway House
history, the Palestine issue, the creation of Israel, and strained U.S.-Iran ties. India’s former ambassador to India, Saurabh Kumar, witnessed the hope of the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action and its collapse. Unfulfilled hopes have led to reignited tensions. The U.S.-Israeli objectives of regime change are still unmet, and Iran’s survival marks a strategic outcome, despite its domestic economic and military strain. Ambassador Kumar discusses Iran and the ongoing crisis in West Asia.
Courtesy: @DrJaishankar/X
South Korea and India have much in common – both are Indo-Pacific players, oil importers and business-oriented economies. Yet, despite the ubiquitious and successful presence of Korean companies in India’s markets, the political relationship has been weak, and underperformed. The recent state visit by South Korean President Lee Jae-myung to India along with a slew of economic and strategic agreements signed, is an effort to recalibrate the relationship.
Courtesy: Gateway House
The West Asian conflict is raising questions about Iran’s performance. Tehran appeared well-prepared, having expanded its low-cost drone and missile capabilities. It also widened the conflict by targeting U.S. bases in the Gulf. The key lesson is that eliminating leadership does not guarantee regime change. The conflict underscores that modern warfare depends not just on battlefield gains, but also on economic resilience, trade leverage, and technological strength.
Courtesy: Gateway House
Following the U.S.–Iran ceasefire and partial reopening of the Strait of Hormuz, energy flows may resume, but uncertainty persists. Robin Mills, CEO of Qamar Energy, and Amit Bhandari, Senior Fellow on Energy, Investments and Connectivity, Gateway House, note that Iran will retain leverage and will continue influencing prices and supply chains. Natural gas shortages will further disrupt fertiliser production and fuel inflation world-wide.