Modi on a plane Courtesy: MEA Flickr
21 May 2015

Modi’s global quest for clean energy

A common thread during Modi’s recent visits to China, Mongolia, and South Korea—as well as on his visits to other countries over the last year—is an attempt to move India away from coal and towards cleaner forms of energy such as solar power, natural gas, and nuclear energy. This signals a more responsible approach to development

Leaders_of_TPP_member_states- wikipedia Courtesy: Wikipedia
20 May 2015

TPP and RCEP: the hare and the tortoise?

The Trans-Pacific Partnership might soon be concluded if the U.S. Congress fast-tracks it, as recently announced, while the Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement remains on slow-track. But the TPP, although ambitious, follows an outdated template, and it is the dynamic RCEP that can be a model for a new global rules-based framework

PRISM_logo by NSA Courtesy: NSA/Wikimedia Commons
20 May 2015

Exposing NSA’s fallibility

This month’s U.S. Appeals Court ruling that deemed illegal the collection of bulk phone records by the U.S. NSA—falsely claimed by U.S. officials as having helped detect 26/11 plotter David Headley—is another nail in the coffin of the U.S. surveillance programme. However, detection of terrorist activity and prosecution of perpetrators remains as problematic as ever

Xiaomi India Courtesy: Alibaba, Xiaomi, Wechat
18 May 2015

China and Digital India

Less than two years ago most Indians would struggle to name a Chinese company. Fast forward to the present, Chinese smartphone company Xiaomi is on the tips of everyone’s tongue. Chinese internet giants Alibaba, Tencent and Xiaomi have emerged as investors and major players in India’s fast growing e-commerce and internet space. Their emergence marks a new and exciting area of cooperation and engagement between India and China

Sharif-Xi jinping Courtesy:
14 May 2015

OBOR and India’s security concerns

While China will seek India’s cooperation on its ambitious ‘One Belt, One Road’ project during Prime Minister Modi’s visit this week, Indian policy makers must soon articulate a definite stand on this transnational corridor by bridging the country’s security concerns and the benefits of such an engagement with China.

Air pollution in China- Nicolò Lazzati (Flickr) Courtesy:
14 May 2015

Asia’s environmental emergency

The idea that Asia can follow the West’s ‘get dirty, get rich, get clean’ strategy grows more absurd with every year. Nor can Asian political leaders say the region can’t afford the cost of environmental progress. It is now clear that India and other countries cannot afford the skyrocketing cost of environmental degradation.

XiJinping--621x414 Courtesy: Xinhua
12 May 2015

Xi to Modi: “Here’s my shopping list”

With a massive, yet demanding middle class, the Chinese Communist Party needs a reliable source of cheap labor to continue to allow Chinese nationals to enjoy mass-produced daily products. step forward India, mass producer.

Policy Perspectives
Tejas 2 Courtesy: Wikipedia
12 May 2015

Defence and India’s private sector

Rapidly evolving security threats in India's neighbourhood and a number of accidents means it is critical for India to invest in the modernisation as well as the indigenisation of India's rapidly obsolescing defence equipment. This policy perspective provides recommendations on what role Indian private sector can play in the modernisation of India's defence sector