shutterstock_1042736410 Courtesy: Shutterstock
11 July 2019

Chandrayaan-2: presaging private participation

On 15 July, the Indian space programme will achieve a feat with the Chandrayaan-2 mission. Two challenges lie ahead: the speedy construction of Chandrayaan-3 and the development of a public-private ecosystem of space capabilities

Mainimage(2) Courtesy: Gateway House
4 July 2019

Decoding data localisation

Data localisation, or the practice of physically storing data on servers located within a country, has become a subject of robust debate after India introduced data localisation provisions in its domestic laws. India’s position is not unique; China and Russia too have similar laws. It has pitted countries against each other. This Gateway House primer explains the complexities of data localisation and its elements

shutterstock_561677989 Courtesy: Shutterstock
4 July 2019

Major digital black market sites

Innovation has its dark side, and digital black market sites are a shady offshoot. Hackers and terrorist networks use these portals to carry out their activities, mostly undetected, but as this infographic shows, the law does catch up with them frequently

MzExMjcwMA Courtesy: IEEE Spectrum
6 June 2019

BECA and the 5G-weather clash

The Basic Exchange and Cooperation Agreement for Geospatial Cooperation (BECA), the last of the India-U.S. foundational agreements, will enable India to avail of U.S. expertise on geospatial intelligence and to sharpen the accuracy of weapons and automated hardware systems used for military purposes. But the over-emphasis on imaging in the agreement overlooks the likelihood of a clash between the telecom and meteorological technologies, which can hurt India’s crucial capabilities in space-based weather forecasting and disaster management

Bilateral Courtesy: Gateway House
24 May 2019

A case for balanced BITs

The Bilateral Investment Treaty has been losing favour as a dispute resolution mechanism since the recession of 2008. India has terminated several BITs after receiving an unfavourable award in a 2012 case. These terminations have created uncertainty regarding existing foreign investments and are not the answer to disputes. A balance is needed, especially for emerging markets, which must protect against claims whilst ensuring confidence in business. The analysis below provides some options

Cryptocurrency-Bitcoin-Blockchian Courtesy: exit.al
2 May 2019

Chronicling strikes on digital black markets

Digital black markets or “dark net marketplaces” which facilitate the transaction of contraband and illegal services, pose a silent, relatively unnoticed threat to the economy. Hackers, organised criminal networks and terrorist groups use these sites, their advanced security features enabling anonymity when executing cybercrimes. This infographic looks at some of the security crackdowns that have eliminated only some of these sites as they have proved to be resilient

regan Courtesy: Pacom
11 April 2019

Canada in the Indo-Pacific

Canada, which has been slow to respond to a changing trans-Pacific neighbourhood, can join India and the ASEAN member states to embark on a trilateral dialogue on the Indo-Pacific’s importance in terms of political, strategic and other domains. An alignment in outlook can strengthen the security and prosperity of a region, currently mired in U.S.-China rivalries

e comm Courtesy: Medium
4 April 2019

A critique of India’s Draft National e-Commerce Policy

The Draft Policy, issued by the Department for Promotion of Industry and Internal Trade in February, is a welcome step for India and globally, but its all-inclusive definition of a fast, click-and-buy world requires some refining: is it intended to be an internet policy or a specific e-Commerce policy?

960x0 Courtesy: Forbes
14 March 2019

India’s evolving Fintech laws

Fintech refers to a service or product which cuts across technology and finance. Covering everything from blockchain/cryptocurrency and Artificial Intelligence to data and the Internet-of-Things, it is becoming integral to India’s development agenda. This table sets out the various constituents of fintech and the regulations governing them