3W7A1100 Courtesy: Gateway House
14 February 2017

GOIGD 2017: Valedictory Address by Gen. (Retd) Dr. V.K. Singh

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Hon'ble Gen. (Retd) Dr. V.K. Singh, Minister of State for External Affairs, Government of India delivered the Valedictory Address on Aligning Foreign Policy with Domestic Interests at India’s second Gateway of India Geoeconomic Dialogue conference in Mumbai, organised in association with the Ministry of External Affairs. Singh speech discussed the importance of the implementation of foreign and domestic policies to further domestic economic interests.

28912263963_0b75893744_h Courtesy: MEA/ Flickr
14 February 2017

Indo-Pacific: a scenario of possibilities

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The Indo-Pacific region is home to some of the largest and most rapidly growing economies as also powerful military forces. Nuclear threats, international terrorism and climate change are some of the issues that define the region. Uncertainty dogs relations among the four nations in the top league—U.S., China, India and Japan—but what is emerging is a hawkish, policy stance from the U.S. as opposed to an isolationist outlook apprehended earlier

1200px-Malabar_07-2_exercise Courtesy: Wikipedia
14 February 2017

A democratic quadrilateral in Asia?

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A strategic coming together of the U.S., Japan, Australia, and India was close to fruition some years ago, impelled initially by the tsunami of 2004. The spirit of the enterprise remains alive even now, and there are many merits in India joining the quad, but such an arrangement can skew existing Asian equations, jeopardising the Act East policy

3W7A1043 Courtesy: Gateway House
14 February 2017

India-Israel: potential for collaboration on defence and cybersecurity

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In his interview, Rear Admiral (Retd.) Ophir Shoham discusses Israel’s liberal cybersecurity policies and the high levels of export in the cybersecurity sector. According to him, transfer of technology is imperative for Digital India, as for a country to become digital, Infrastructure is most important which is protected by cybersecurity. In the defence space, he mentions the close relationship India and Israel share despite it being a sensitive area. He prescribes a collaboration between the two countries to build weapon systems that they can use to customize defense equipment for the Indian defense system and the Israeli defense system.

3W7A1058 Courtesy: Gateway House
14 February 2017

India-Thales: Transfer of technology and developing supply chains

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In Alexis Dalem's interview he discusses areas on which Thales and India have collaborated in the past and can collaborate in the future, in the defense, security and aerospace spheres, and under the Make in India policy. He laid emphasis on Thales's policy of willingness for technology transfer and production in India and their ambition to co-develop products and export from India, since they have a strong belief in India's industrial competitiveness and skilled workforce. He further applauds Modi's recent FDI changes in India as it allows for this technology transfer, enables Thales to retain a certain level of control in their subsidiaries in India and creates an investment positive business environment.

Rohingya Courtesy: Wikimedia Commons
6 February 2017

Minority report: a bleak road ahead?

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Even nearly 70 years after independence, the people of Myanmar are struggling to complete nation-building and resolve the Rohingya issue. Is the million-strong community an ethnic group native to Myanmar or is it of South Asian origin, and, therefore, a part of Bangladesh? Evading the issue may not hasten national reconciliation

28455374735_17cf79553a_b Courtesy: Flickr
31 January 2017

Saudi prince: not quite a game changer?

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Prince Salman’s accession to the throne after the death of Saudi King Abdullah on 23 January 2015 has been a game changer, both domestically and in West Asian politics. Within days, he sidelined rivals within the House of Saud, and took on Iran with a confrontational policy. But two years later, the results of his new strategy disappoint

uae prince india Courtesy: MEA/Flickr
25 January 2017

India-UAE: time to foster mutual interests

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The West Asian monarchies are being forced to ‘look East’ due to a range of factors: the rise of the Islamic State, their need to boost falling oil revenues and doubts about the United States continuing to remain a guarantor of regional stability. Quite coterminously, India is looking towards the Gulf for energy security besides fulfilling other geostrategic goals: this is an ‘East’ and ‘West’ where the ‘twain will meet

31668713074_d6ee271be8_k Courtesy: MEA flickr
25 January 2017

Revisiting India’s ‘Link West’ policy

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The choice of the Crown Prince of the United Arab Emirates (UAE) to be the chief guest at India’s 2017 Republic Day celebrations is an indication of the enhanced attention that the Indian government is according the Gulf countries. Many trade interests ally India to the UAE, but a deeper engagement is called for even as instability grows in the region