Website articles  (61) Courtesy: Ruby Myers / Alchetron
9 April 2026

European Jews in Bombay’s film industry

The high point of Jewish glamour in Hindi films were led by Indian Baghdadi Jewish women – but also by German-speaking European Jewish male refugees in Bombay. Music composer-conductor-musician Walter Kaufmann, and his friend, scriptwriter Willy Haas, both German-speaking  Czech Jews, introduced a new sensibility and modern techniques into the early talkie era of Hindi cinema

rk (2) Courtesy: Gateway House
9 April 2026

The future of Persian Gulf oil flows

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.

Website articles  (74) Courtesy: Presidential Communications Office
9 April 2026

ASEAN challenged by the Iran crisis

The West Asia conflict has disrupted global stability, impacting ASEAN economies and diplomacy. As chair, the Philippines balances its alliance with the U.S. and regional neutrality, while Indonesia and Malaysia reflect domestic support for Arab states. With energy shocks, remittance risks, and inflation rising, ASEAN’s limited influence is evident. Has ASEAN once again been drawn into a vortex of crises beyond its control?

Website articles  (73) Courtesy: AFR
2 April 2026

India’s options after the Persian Gulf war

The Persian Gulf conflict has already impacted India’s oil imports and financial security. However, India has not created meaningful options to protect itself from oil shocks over the last decade – and such shocks will continue. Now is the time for India to make equity investments in oil and gas companies in stable economies like the U.S., Canada and Australia, to protect itself from future energy crises.

Website articles  (68) Courtesy: AFP
2 April 2026

Modi’s Israel visit brings defence and tech

It is important to take an objective review of PM Modi’s visit to Jerusalem and its implications for India’s security. New Delhi will have to demonstrate its strategic autonomy by managing heterogeneous and often contrapuntal relationships and strike a balance in its ties with the U.S. and Israel on the one hand and Iran and the Arab world on the other hand.

Anjuman Atash Bahram, Mumbai, with the winged Farohar symbol at the top. Courtesy: Heritage Institute
2 April 2026

The Persian-Parsi identity

Persia and India’s impact on each other go back to antiquity, but the extent of the Persian influence on the Parsi identity is more difficult to quantify. Despite their deep cultural connection, Parsis do not identify with Iran as the mother country. Reza Shah Pahlavi, impressed with their achievements in India, wanted them to return to Iran, but they could not be enticed to leave India.

Website articles  (60) Courtesy: MSN
19 March 2026

Gulf War pinches South Asia

The war in the Persian Gulf has already caused significant disruption in India’s South Asian neighbours. A prolonged conflict is likely to push the region back into economic and political crises from which it had been hopeful of emerging this year.

Website articles  (61) Courtesy: Ruby Myers / Alchetron
19 March 2026

European Jews in Bombay’s film industry

The high point of Jewish glamour in Hindi films were led by Indian Baghdadi Jewish women – but also by German-speaking European Jewish male refugees in Bombay. Music composer-conductor-musician Walter Kaufmann, and his friend, scriptwriter Willy Haas, both German-speaking  Czech Jews, introduced a new sensibility and modern techniques into the early talkie era of Hindi cinema

Website articles  (52) Courtesy: AFP
9 March 2026

Iran regime change unlikely

The U.S.–Israel war against Iran will alter the geopolitical landscape of West Asia and adversely impact the global economy, including India. Vali Nasr, Majid Khadduri Professor of International Affairs and Middle East Studies at Johns Hopkins University School of Advanced International Studies, analyses the conflict and its implications in an exclusive conversation with Nayanima Basu.

Website articles  (13) Courtesy: Gateway House
5 March 2026

The geometry of attrition: Iran-Israel-U.S. theatre

Early indicators of the ongoing war in West Asia point to a conflict trajectory from the rapid decision to the controlled escalation to distributed strike capacity, advanced military integration and mounting regional exposure. Much like Johann Goethe’s Sorcerer’s Apprentice, conflicts initiated based on assumptions of control can acquire a momentum of their own.