Courtesy: Gateway House
The state elections in the eastern states of Bengal and Assam have given a massive mandate to the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party. The opportunity for transformation and progress is enormous, especially as both these states are the crucial connectors to India’s Act East Policy. Harsh Shringla, Member of Parliament and former Foreign Secretary of India, says India’s foreign policy will see multiple benefits from these states.
Courtesy: Gateway House
history, the Palestine issue, the creation of Israel, and strained U.S.-Iran ties. India’s former ambassador to India, Saurabh Kumar, witnessed the hope of the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action and its collapse. Unfulfilled hopes have led to reignited tensions. The U.S.-Israeli objectives of regime change are still unmet, and Iran’s survival marks a strategic outcome, despite its domestic economic and military strain. Ambassador Kumar discusses Iran and the ongoing crisis in West Asia.
Courtesy: Gateway House
The Scottish imprint on India, starting in the British era, is visible even today. Roger Jeffery and Friederike Voigt explore historical ties between Scotland and India, drawing on their recent visit to Mumbai, its Scottish heritage, and their new book, Perceptions of Empire: Edinburgh’s Engagement with India. They dwell on how shared histories in education, trade, missionary activities, and institution building can inform a deeper engagement between Indians and Scots.
Courtesy: Gateway House
Following the U.S.–Iran ceasefire and partial reopening of the Strait of Hormuz, energy flows may resume, but uncertainty persists. Robin Mills, CEO of Qamar Energy, and Amit Bhandari, Senior Fellow on Energy, Investments and Connectivity, Gateway House, note that Iran will retain leverage and will continue influencing prices and supply chains. Natural gas shortages will further disrupt fertiliser production and fuel inflation world-wide.
Courtesy: Gateway House
The assumption that the Iranian public will rise up against its religious and political leadership, seizing the opportunity provided by Israel and U.S. strikes against Iran, may not prove true. Iran’s civilisational structure is resilient, and its educated population may not like being dictated to by the West. Raja Karthikeya, a former international civil servant based in Tehran, examines the escalating U.S.-Israel conflict with Iran, its regional and domestic implications and the tenacity of Iran’s political system amid external pressure.
Courtesy: Gateway House
Tarique Rehman has been elected as the new Prime Minister of Bangladesh following the recent elections. Nayanima Basu, Adjunct Fellow at Gateway House, visited Bangladesh and shares her on-ground impressions of the country and its people, the continued influence of student movements, concerns over minority rights, and the resurgence of Jamaat-e-Islami. The future of India-Bangladesh ties must be closely watched as a new chapter begins, underscoring the need for a recalibrated, trust-based bilateral approach.
Courtesy: Gateway House
In February 2026, India and the U.S. announced an Interim Trade Agreement framework, advancing toward a full bilateral trade pact and deeper economic integration. Beyond government ties, the relationship is increasingly shaped by supply chains and diaspora influence. Now over five million strong, the Indian diaspora plays a pivotal role across technology, finance, and innovation, creating new pathways for cooperation in a rapidly transforming global order.
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India and Oman signed the Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement (CEPA) on December 18, 2025. The agreement reflects India’s approach to engaging with trusted partners while rediscovering its historic trading ties. Ambassador Anil Wadhwa explains what CEPA means for India: it is less about becoming a global gateway and more about anchoring a strategic economic partnership in a geopolitically sensitive region.
Courtesy: Gateway House
India and the U.S. share a comprehensive global strategic partnership across trade, technology, defence, and education, yet high school exchanges remain overlooked. The ecosystem depends on two U.S. government-backed programmes, which have recently faced budget cuts of 90% and have both been paused, putting their future at risk. Nina Robinson, CFR International Affairs Fellow, explains why these exchanges matter and how their loss would limit opportunities for young students.
Courtesy: Gateway House
A former diplomat and a journalist came together in 2009 to build what would become Mumbai’s first foreign policy think tank – Gateway House. It is India’s first women-founded think tank, and among the few globally established by two women. In this conversation with Akshobh Giridharadas of USISPF, co-founders Manjeet Kripalani and Neelam Deo reflect on Gateway House’s origins and the epiphany that India needed to shape global conversations with its own perspective, one that extended beyond New Delhi.