This year, India's defence diplomacy has ramped up. In 2015 alone there have been 18 military exercises- naval, army and air force- with 13 countries, among the largest engagements the country has had. Most significant is Japan joining the Malabar exercises in the Bay of Bengal and the first-ever maritime exercise with Australia. This is increasing India's presence from the Arabian Sea to the Bay of Bengal. As these exercises intensify India will be better positioned to handle regional security challenges. Courtesy:
12 November 2015

India’s defence diplomacy

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This year, India's defence diplomacy has ramped up. In 2015 alone there have been 18 military exercises- naval, army and air force- with 13 countries, among the largest engagements the country has had. Most significant is Japan joining the Malabar exercises in the Bay of Bengal and the first-ever maritime exercise with Australia. This is increasing India's presence from the Arabian Sea to the Bay of Bengal. As these exercises intensify India will be better positioned to handle regional security challenges.

narendra modi Courtesy: Narendra Modi official
12 November 2015

An agenda for India’s G20 success

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Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s initiatives like the Make in India campaign, Digital India, Skill India, Smart Cities, et al, are all designed to attract much needed foreign capital into the country. However, a lot of global investors are still sitting on the fence. PM Modi, thus, must use the G20 Summit to assure investors and countries that India is open for business.

Ansari Rouhani 2013 MEA Flickr Courtesy: MEA Flickr
12 November 2015

Berthing a new era at Chabahar

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The strategic and geopolitical importance of Iran’s Chabahar Port is not lost on India. It is for this reason that India is keen to partner with Iran on investing in developing berths at the Port. Although the relationship between the two have had its ups and downs, it is time that with a nuclear deal in place between Iran and the P5+1, India realises that it has much more at stake in its relationship with Tehran.

nuclear-reactors-499907_640 Courtesy: Pixabay
5 November 2015

Quiet burial for the nuclear deal?

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Solar power developers have offered to sell electricity in India at less than Rs 5/unit. This makes solar competitive with traditional forms of energy, and makes new nuclear power plants financially unviable. India must register the changed reality, and discard the idea of expensive Western reactors. Time to scrap the India-U.S. nuclear deal?

reset africa strategy Courtesy: MEA / Flickr
5 November 2015

India resets Africa strategy

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Changes in how India plans to approach its relationship with Africa were evident at the recent India-Africa Forum Summit, including the wider representation of African countries, and Modi’s push to forge a united front with Africa at multilateral institutions on trade and other issues. But beyond these, gaps in the India-Africa alliance remain to be addressed.

Modi Obama Wiki Courtesy: Wikipedia
21 October 2015

Building on India-U.S. meeting points

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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

Merkel Modi Courtesy: MEA / Flickr
15 October 2015

Moving ahead after Merkel’s visit

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German Chancellor Merkel’s recent visit to India with a high-powered entourage showed the weight attached to this bilateral relationship. German companies want to gain more access to the Indian market and be part of Prime Minister Modi’s high-tech initiatives—and it is up to India to surmount political hurdles and tap into this potential.

nuke power plant Courtesy: Pixabay
15 October 2015

Why India-U.S. energy ties are stuck

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Even as India and Germany move ahead on energy cooperation, India-U.S. energy collaboration is stranded in the three key areas: nuclear power, shale gas, and solar energy. But with cheaper energy imports due to the fall in fossil fuel prices over the past 12 months, India can wait till it gets a better deal from the U.S.