Courtesy: PTI
Just four months ago, India and Bangladesh seemed determined to move beyond the difficulties faced during the two-year transition of Mohammad Yunus. But former PM Sheikh Hasina’s audio address to her constituents via Delhi changed the mood. Can the realists and pragmatists in Delhi and Dhaka rebuild and strengthen a coalition of mutual interests?
Courtesy: PTI
There is a positive reset in India-Canada relations, and this is being strengthened through cooperation in security, trade and education ties. Both countries believe in the strategic value of the Indo-Pacific, and both have been at the receiving end of rough geopolitical treatment by the U.S. They see their salvation in putting the past behind them and deepening bilateral relations.
Courtesy: X/@narendramodi
The Modi-Prabowo summit is a shared commitment to enhance strategic cooperation between two major Asian powers. This is necessitated by the dominance of China and the weakening U.S. pledges to regional security. Bilaterally, there has been political progress but limited economic engagement. The key now is to step up the trade and investment pillar, with energetic follow-up action for a strong trajectory.
Courtesy: South China Morning Post
Prime Minister Modi’s Indo-Pacific tour begins in Indonesia in early July. The two countries are expected to achieve a more aligned worldview, especially with the wars in Ukraine and the Gulf. The emerging entente cordiale between the U.S. and China will have a significant impact on the region, where India and Indonesia are leading players with the Indo-Pacific as their shared home.
Courtesy: Prime Minister's Office of Japan
The 52nd G7 Summit, held in Evian-les-Bains from June 15-17, reflected both the challenges and continued relevance of the grouping. While the G7’s share of global GDP has declined, it remains influential. India’s participation as an invited guest drew attention as a major representative of the Global South. As BRICS chair this year, India has an opportunity to explain the motivations of both the G7 and BRICS to each other's members.
Courtesy: Gateway House
After eight years of its nomenclature, on 16th June the U.S. Pacific Command dropped the 'Indo' from its military command title. It reflects clearly that the U.S. does not consider the Indo-Pacific region to be the most consequential theatre of geopolitics today. Yet its significance as the platform on which great-power contestation in political, military, technological, and economic domains will play out cannot be overstated.
Courtesy: x/@MEAIndia
The recent visit of Myanmar President Min Aung Hlaing to India has re-engaged the two neighbours politically after a six-year gap. Critics and pragmatists had much to say, but the outcome spoke for itself: constructive border management, defence agreements and economic cooperation. And a reminder that India has not forgotten about Daw Aung San Suu Kyi, the democracy icon.
Courtesy: Rajiv Bhatia
Myanmar’s latest political transition offers the illusion of closure, but little clarity. After years of conflict triggered by the 2021 coup, a new administration under Min Aung Hlaing takes charge amid continuing resistance and fragmentation. Is this consolidation or another phase of instability? Reflecting on this question, Ambassador Rajiv Bhatia draws upon his three-decade-long association with Myanmar, including serving as India’s Ambassador from 2002 to 2005.
Courtesy: Gateway House
The Smackover Formation in south Arkansas and east Texas holds vast reserves of lithium — the critical mineral powering electric vehicles, energy storage systems, and data centres. If successfully tapped, those reserves could drastically reduce America's dependence on China. Arkansas has a stable, proven, predictable regulatory and statutory framework and familiarity with the production process. Policymakers in India would be wise to follow developments closely.
Courtesy: Gateway House
The most significant election of the five states going to the polls in India in April is that of West Bengal. The state, once India’s trading hub and entrepreneurial centre, now lags its counterparts. The big battle is between the regional Trinamool Congress and the Bharatiya Janata Party, both of which have pulled out their big guns and are wooing the state’s voters as never before.