South Asia today is the world’s most populated region and fastest growing, in a global economy experiencing a period of tepid growth and suddenly faced with mounting risks. This economic reality has put the international spotlight on South Asia with some economic historians drawing parallels between the gloomy world economy today and the economic uncertainties and trade protectionism of the 1930s era. This paper critically analyses South Asia’s trade architecture in the sluggish world economy in the 2020s and makes read more

On 31st March 2025, the U.S. imposed sanctions on six Chinese and Hong Kong individuals that were involved in undermining Hong Kong’s democratic freedoms and autonomy . This is part of its crusade to “protect democracy” around the world and specifically to step up pressure against China. China is just one of 31 countries that currently face sanctions by the U.S., where various entities and individuals are targeted for reasons ranging from “human rights violations” to corruption and activities read more

The traditional label of middle power fails to capture India’s growing status. Its ability to shape international discourse is no longer in question. This is why India has moved beyond seeing itself as merely an emerging middle power, to a key player shaping the global order. read more

The bullets that echoed in the Baisaran Valley in Pahalgam, killing 25 Indians and one Nepali citizen on April 22, shook India out of its slumber. The executions, perpetrated and claimed by the Resistance Front, an offshoot of Pakistan’s Lashkar-e-Taiba, brought back memories of the Uri (2016) and Pulwama (2019) attacks. India’s response — surgical strikes on terrorist camps after the former, and air strikes on terrorist installations near Balakot after the latter — seemed as if they brought down the levels read more