IBSA Courtesy: Gateway House
15 July 2014

Time to revive the IBSA Dialogue Forum

Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s visit to Brazil for the BRICS summit is an opportunity for India to intensify its engagement with South America and reactivate the long-dormant IBSA (India, Brazil and South Africa) grouping. This grouping is a promising partnership comprising of different models of democracies spread over three continents

Modi with Tobgay Courtesy: MEA/Government of India
10 July 2014

Time for economic diplomacy

The Narendra Modi government’s first budget comes at a time when the prime minister has been substantially responsive to the world that has reached out to him. It is apparent that the new government will combine politico-strategic concerns with economic advantage

US_Flag_Backlit Courtesy: Jnn13/Wikimedia Commons
9 July 2014

Awaiting an American ambassador

The U.S. has not yet appointed a new ambassador to India. But this absence of urgency is less a ‘signal’ to India and more a result of factors such as a backlog of appointments awaiting approval in the Senate and candidates unwilling to accept the post only for the remaining period of the Obama administration

brics Courtesy: wikimedia/commons
4 July 2014

Mandate for BRICS Bank

Brazil is all set to host the 6th BRICS Summit from July 15. In light of the fact that most developing nations have concerns over the pro-western bent of the World Bank and the IMF, the BRICS initiative of setting up of a Development Bank needs to gain momentum and the nations should finalise the mandate on a priority basis

turkey Courtesy: Gateway House
27 June 2014

India-Pakistan bonhomie

The deliberations during a India-Pakistan young scholars’ workshop in the historic city of Istanbul held out a renewed hope for the bilateral relationship and a genuine desire for peace. The magnificent city of Istanbul offered an excellent backdrop to the serious, often heated discussions.

latam2 Courtesy: wikimediacommons
17 June 2014

Mann-India goes to Macondo

Even small Indian IT companies have managed to succeed in the Latin American market. Understanding the local culture is one of the main keys to success as illustrated in the case of Mann India Technologies, which was one of the earliest Indian entrants in the Latin American IT market.

Modi with Jigme Wangchuk Courtesy: MEA/Government of India
13 June 2014

India-Bhutan: a unique bond

Narendra Modi has picked Bhutan for his first foreign visit after taking charge, a sign that the neighbourhood is a foreign policy priority for the new government. Bhutan’s economy is closely linked to that of India’s, and despite pressures from powerful countries, Bhutan has always kept Indian interests paramount.

Shanghai Forum 2_210x140 Courtesy: Akshay Mathur
2 June 2014

Shanghai Forum: reflections

Shanghai Forum has emerged as a leading platform for discussing geopolitics in Asia. This year’s forum focused on the impact of rising geopolitical tensions in Asia and the need for Asian countries to develop creative approaches to economic development in the wake of the western financial crisis

Paradigm change in Pakistan
30 May 2014

Paradigm change in Pakistan

The newly elected Modi government in India must acknowledge the paradigm change in internal Pakistani politics, and pursue normalization in ties, through an innovative approach.