Modi Asean Courtesy:
12 May 2016

India’s Act East Policy so far and beyond

In two years, the Modi government’s Act East Policy has gone well beyond the focus on economic ties of its predecessor, the Look East Policy. It has made progress on many wider fronts, including connectivity and defence collaboration. India must now build on this success and further consolidate relations and trade links with ASEAN and beyond

Indian Finance Minister Arun Jaitley arrives at parliament house to present federal budget 2016-17, in New Delhi, India, Monday, Feb. 29, 2016. It was Jaitley’s second full budget since Prime Minister Narendra Modi won a huge majority in national election in 2014, on the back of promises to turn around the economy and boost job creation. There have been few sweeping reforms in the past two years that the government has been promising. (AP Photo/Manish Swarup) Courtesy: AP
17 March 2016

Budget 2016: the challenge begins now

Two weeks after Finance Minister Arun Jaitley announced the Union Budget 2016-2017, it continues to be a hotly discussed topic. This pro-farmer budget has laid down great plans, but in a nation where Mars Missions and farmers suicides occur simultaneously, aspirations will have to take a backseat until the way forward has been paved.

Modi Obama Wiki Courtesy: Wikipedia
21 October 2015

Building on India-U.S. meeting points

Modi’s second visit to the U.S. in September indicates a growing partnership in such areas as business, technology, and climate change. Though gaps too remain—for example, India is not part of the TPP and its bid for a UNSC seat is on hold—for now, it is time to consolidate bilateral meeting points, and India can start by simplifying its trade policy and tariff structure

BRICS_summit_2015_18 Courtesy: Wikipedia
7 October 2015

New concepts for BRICS

At a recent international seminar on BRICS Studies, in addition to the predictable themes such as building a multipolar world order and the One Belt One Road project, fresh ground was also covered, including the contours of the New Development Bank and the potential impact of the refugee crisis on BRICS countries.

Tech startups Courtesy: John Fischer/Flickr
6 August 2015

An agenda for Modi in Silicon Valley

Prime Minister Narendra Modi's outreach to the influential Indian diaspora in Silicon Valley in September should be centered on creating an Indian ecosystem for tech start-ups

Shanghai_pudong Courtesy: Wikipedia
7 July 2015

Ideas for the NDB’s institutional design

The New Development Bank initiated by BRICS countries can reform and democratise global economic governance. But to reach this goal, in this critical period when the bank is preparing to operationalise, it must formulate an innovative institutional design. This article outlines four guiding principles for such a structure