36820431323_9e78ceff8c_o Courtesy: MEA/ Flickr
18 October 2017

ICT is focus of India-Africa ties

President Ram Nath Kovind’s first official visit as Indian president to Djibouti and Ethiopia earlier this month marks a continuation of the diplomatic outreach to Africa even though the proposed Asia Africa Growth Corridor seems to have received small mention

chinese congress Courtesy: South China Morning Post
17 October 2017

19th Congress is CCP dominance on display

At the Chinese Communist Party’s 19th Congress, President Xi Jinping will surely consolidate and project his power within the Chinese Communist Party. But, there are other crucial elements to be observed and studied beneath the obvious grandeur of the Congress, such as, how it has retained its longevity and tenacity, how it commands loyalty and ideological compliance, and how change gets institutionalised. This week-long event will yield important clues

feature picture Courtesy:
12 October 2017

Discussing river preservation

Rivers bestow blessings and those thus blessed are duty-bound to nurture them in return – or face the catastrophes that climate change will bring

Djibouti - Title Card Courtesy:
3 October 2017

Djibouti’s ‘military base’ diplomacy

Indian President Ram Nath Kovind leaves for Africa on his first foreign visit as president on October 3. His first port of call will be Djibouti, which occupies a strategic location in the Horn of Africa. The country has assumed significance for hosting multiple foreign military bases on its territory, the latest entrant being China. This infographic illustrates Djibouti’s ‘military base’ diplomacy.

Secretary of Defense Jim Mattis and India's Defence Minister Nirmala Sitharaman address the press in New Delhi on Sept. 26, 2017. (DOD photo by U.S. Air Force Staff Sgt. Jette Carr) Courtesy: Jim Mattis/ Flickr
3 October 2017

Indo-U.S.: gains from a ‘new phase’

India and the Trump administration are on a mutually appreciative footing. Two significant visits have given the bilateral a renewed focus and both countries are seeking ways to put their strategic and political convergence into practice

_MG_8960 Courtesy: Western Naval Command
28 September 2017

China in IOR: ‘peaceful rise’ no more

China has expanded its presence in the Indian Ocean Region. President Xi Jinping has abandoned Deng Xiaoping’s conciliatory posture for an aggressive, money-fuelled search for super power status

8280608775_77c4f1e35b_b Courtesy: Flickr
28 September 2017

Modi in Myanmar: not a time to be preachy

Prime Minister Modi’s visit to Myanmar gave the bilateral a substantive boost, but the exodus of over half a million Rohingya refugees dominated the discourse. India’s response has shown a balancing of compulsions, both humanitarian and strategic

36843552602_703ea5608f_o Courtesy: MEA/ Flickr
14 September 2017

After Xiamen, a stronger BRICS?

The ninth BRICS summit represented the victory of pragmatism over narrow nationalistic impulses. All BRICS members are likely to craft the grouping’s future script as it enters its second decade, but more crucially, the Big Three will have to show a large dose of statesmanship

VizagPort Courtesy: Wikimapia
6 September 2017

Innovation’s role in the Blue Economy

The new global emphasis on the Blue Economy is attracting the interest of governments, development agencies, and more recently, social impact investors. A marked change from previous years is the increased participation of developing and coastal economies, which are its very beneficiaries

25898612650_ca634e3dbc_o Courtesy: MEA/ Flickr
31 August 2017

India in Canada’s worldview

India hardly figures in current discourse on Canadian foreign policy. Yet, the two countries are important to each other: one, a source of investment, technology and energy, the other an attractive market. The current challenge is to conclude negotiations on long-pending trade and investment agreements