Indo-Mayanmar_Friendship_Bridge_MOREH Courtesy: Jurist
11 January 2024

Good fences and good neighbours

The parallel political and security crises in Myanmar and Manipur have led Indian authorities to consider abolishing the Indo-Myanmar Free Movement Regime (FMR). However, without long-term policy efforts to ameliorate the political and economic situation along the border, ending the FMR and fencing the Indo-Myanmar border is unlikely to resolve India’s security problems in the region.

nawaz-modi-saarc-reuters Courtesy: The Wire
9 January 2024

India and South Asia: what to expect in 2024

The more India enjoys cooperative relations with its neighbours, the greater its ability to exert influence in the world. Meanwhile, neighbours looking at India with a reasonable mindset may internalise that cooperating with the world’s fifth largest economy is clearly in their interest.

20231118_TWLDD002 Courtesy: The Economist
4 January 2024

Reading the tea leaves for 2024

After a year affected by a sustained polycrisis, global geopolitics in 2024 remains a delicate dance between hope and realism. Ongoing conflicts in Ukraine and Gaza cast uncertain shadows, while Taiwan and the South China Sea present potential flashpoints. Indian diplomacy will have to navigate old and new challenges, while promoting India’s expertise in digital technology, as also managing its own upcoming parliamentary elections.

Screenshot 2023-12-21 at 2.27.40 PM Courtesy: Swarajya
21 December 2023

New Delhi’s quest for AI collaboration

The inaugural summit of the Global Partnership on Artificial Intelligence (GPAI), hosted by India earlier this month, drew special attention given the dramatic strides made in the field in the past year. As it prepares to chair the GPAI in 2024, India can draw on its large workforce, the university system and the technology stack to steer conversations on AI regulation, innovation and deployment towards a balanced and equitable path.

Screenshot 2023-12-21 at 10.24.21 AM Courtesy: Le Monde
21 December 2023

Political risks to Sri Lanka’s economic stability

A stabilising economy in Sri Lanka has eased inflationary pressures and foreign exchange liquidity crises in the past year. As economic recovery steps up, Sri Lanka has also sought free trade agreement-led Asian regionalism. However, with presidential and parliamentary elections scheduled for 2024 and an opposition that wants to renegotiate the IMF agreement, A lasting economic recovery may be derailed by political risks.

124675-zcjjvgapsv-1640766266 Courtesy: Scroll
7 December 2023

Navigating terminological dilemmas on “Climate Refugees”

From COP to COP, the discussions focus on climate change and its impacts. But none have yet addressed a critical issue: the definition of a “climate refugee” or climate-related forced migration. Some contend that the issue requires a revision in the 1951 Refugee Convention. But with refugee and migrant flows to the borders of Western democracies, the term “refugee” is often re-framed as a concern about preservation of culture and values.

2n d voice of globa;l south summit Courtesy: DD News
23 November 2023

Maintaining the Global South momentum

On November 17, India hosted the Voice of the Global South Summit – the second such meeting this year. While the first summit helped India mould the agenda for its G20 presidency, this latest meeting, convened towards the end of the presidency, was aimed at sustaining the momentum, with the support of developing countries, for the implementation of G20 decisions.

China-Flag-Country-Africa-Map-Silhouette_News Courtesy: Global Trade Observer
23 November 2023

How will 2023 BRI Reset Impact Africa?

President Xi’s speech at the 3rd BRI Forum for International Cooperation in October 2023 has grabbed the headlines in suggesting a vision for a reset BRI, ten years on. Is it a case of ‘old wine in new bottles’ or something radically different? And what does it mean for African development, the poorest continent on the planet?

G20-1 Courtesy: Times Now
16 November 2023

The road ahead for G20

The outbreak of the Israel-Hamas war less than a month after the conclusion of the New Delhi Summit has heightened the geopolitical anxieties that hovered over India’s G20 presidency year. As the baton passes to Brazil, purposeful action, careful diplomacy and managing conflicting interests will be key to the implementation of the Summit’s commitments.