Courtesy: AFP
The Mecca Accord between Saudi Arabia, Turkiye and Pakistan has raised some red flags in the region, and in India. One element remains unchanged: India’s value to Riyadh as an energy importer. With demand security holding more weight than supply security in an uncertain future, a major and growing oil importer like India is more important than the cash-for-security arrangement the Kingdom has signed with Pakistan.
Courtesy: FB / @The Statesman
India’s Vice President C. Radhakrishnan visited Sri Lanka from April 19-20, reaffirming Colombo’s importance in India’s Neighbourhood First Policy and MAHASAGAR vision. While ties remain stable, legacy issues persist: Tamil demands for devolution, illegal fishing disputes, and the stalled Economic and Technology Cooperation Agreement. The hope is for these to be resolved within Sri Lanka; till then, the unresolved challenges will continue to test the depth and durability of the bilateral.
Courtesy: Reuters
Outcomes of the Neighbourhood First policy (NFP) are often mixed, shaped by actions on both sides. Recent engagements with Bangladesh, Myanmar, Sri Lanka, and Nepal suggest an opportune moment to recalibrate NFP, enhance its effectiveness, and bridge perceptions of India as an “elder brother” rather than a “big brother.”
Courtesy: News on Air
In the shifting sands of contemporary geopolitics, terms such as ‘fluid multipolarity’, ‘multiplexity’, ‘tripolarity’, and ‘bipolarity with multipolar characteristics’ are replacing the old dogmas and orders. But what is driving the world today? How does India plan to protect its vital interests in the current age of ongoing polycrisis? The road ahead is challenging, marked by risks and uncertainty.
Courtesy: ANI
U.S. President Trump will meet Russian President Putin on August 15. A positive outcome may mean removal of punitive U.S. tariffs on India for buying Russian oil and resolving its dilemma of placating a partner country with growing commercial, geopolitical and defence ties, or pursuing strategic autonomy, keeping its old friends and take an economic hit? Is Russia the red line for India?
Courtesy: Gateway House
A slowdown of the Chinese economy, and the shift, particularly by MNCs, from China to other more competitive locations has opened up business opportunities for latecomers to supply chains in the developing world. Evidence suggests that Southeast Asia and some South Asian countries like India, Sri Lanka, Bangladesh, could be beneficiaries of the supply chain shift, particularly in labour-intensive segments.
Courtesy: U.S. Embassy & Consulates in India
The July 2 meeting of the QUAD foreign ministers in Washington, D.C., restated all the commitments of the grouping, including a condemnation of the April 22 terrorist attacks on Pahalgam. Yet, none of the QUAD countries actually came to the aid of India, despite China being a present player in the fight, in full support of its partner Pakistan.
Courtesy: Gateway House
Geopolitics is increasingly intertwined with the economic destiny of South Asia. Even before the U.S. tariffs were rolled out, growing polycrises had hit the global economy, which has been struggling since the pandemic. South Asia seems a relatively bright spark of regional trade and growth. This paper analyses South Asia’s trade architecture in the backdrop of a sluggish world economy in the 2020s, and makes recommendations for closer regional economic integration.
Courtesy: President of Russia-Events website
Europe has reduced its reliance on Russian gas following the war in Ukraine, and its chief supplier Russia is mired in western sanctions. What does it mean for Russia? It has certainly changed the fortunes for American gas to be sold to Europe: as of 2023, the US had become the world’s top exporter of gas.
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The authors convincingly analyse the bewildering diversity, size and scale of the challenges of South Asia in a volume that is a rare treasure for those interested in deciphering the history, ethnic identities, colonial legacy, political economy, environmental risks, and geopolitical dynamics of the region.