61XgnQBhwiL._SY425_ Courtesy: Amazon India
27 November 2025

Indo-Pacific Strategic Churn: Challenges and State Responses

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Rajiv Bhatia explains how this book brings together perspectives on the geostrategy, geopolitics, and geoeconomics of the Indian and Pacific Oceans. Edited by Chintamani Mohapatra, it features 16 essays by experienced yet young academics. It highlights how the world changed after 2020, the ‘Age of Polycrisis’, COVID-19, conflicts in West Asia and Europe, and other global flashpoints. The book offers analysis that seeks to reposition the Indo-Pacific as vital to India’s strategic interests.

indo pacific (4) Courtesy: X / PMOIndia
31 July 2025

India-Maldives reset

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The India-Maldives bilateral, so fraught till recently, has seen a positive reset. This was evident in Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s July 25-26 visit to Male. Using patience, quiet diplomacy and a consultative process with the Maldivians, India is now on the path to achieving its bilateral and regional goals in tandem with its strategically critical neighbour in the Indian Ocean.

trump - japan (1) Courtesy: Gateway House
24 July 2025

Unfolding Geopolitics Episode 20 | PM Modi’s Maldives visit

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All eyes are on the July 25-26 visit of Prime Minister Modi to Maldives as chief guest for the Maldivian Independence Day celebrations. It’s a remarkable turnaround by Maldivian President Mohamed Muizzu, who won the 2023 election on an “India Out” campaign. What caused the change? Proximity and geopolitics, says Rajiv Bhatia transformed Maldivian view.

Gateway House Courtesy: Gateway House
3 July 2025

China Plus One and global supply chains

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A slowdown of the Chinese economy, and the shift, particularly by MNCs, from China to other more competitive locations has opened up business opportunities for latecomers to supply chains in the developing world. Evidence suggests that Southeast Asia and some South Asian countries like India, Sri Lanka, Bangladesh, could be beneficiaries of the supply chain shift, particularly in labour-intensive segments.

Getty (1) Courtesy: Gateway House
15 May 2025

The New Geopolitics and South Asia’s Trade Architecture – What Next?

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Geopolitics is increasingly intertwined with the economic destiny of South Asia. Even before the U.S. tariffs were rolled out, growing polycrises had hit the global economy, which has been struggling since the pandemic. South Asia seems a relatively bright spark of regional trade and growth. This paper analyses South Asia’s trade architecture in the backdrop of a sluggish world economy in the 2020s, and makes recommendations for closer regional economic integration.

160067 Courtesy: Al Majalla
17 January 2024

Unfolding Geopolitics | Episode 3, Understanding the Maldivian position

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Maldives’ President Mohammed Muizzu’s desire to have an independent foreign policy has steered it away from India and closer to China. It has added a new dimension to the strategic contestation in the Indian Ocean. Rajiv Bhatia, Distinguished Fellow, Foreign Policy Studies, shares his insights on the Maldives’ strategic importance in the region, the ‘India Out’ campaign, and the way forward for Indian diplomacy in South Asia.

Amb Gurjit Singh Courtesy: ANI
17 August 2022

75 years of development cooperation

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Since 1947, India has had a proud record of development cooperation. It began even though it was newly independent and itself developing, but created a camaraderie with movements in other emerging countries. Now after 75 years, its time to move toward an FDI-led model, which will particularly help reduce the rising indebtedness in the developing world.

AI-agriculture v1 Courtesy: Billionphotos.com
11 August 2022

Artificial Intelligence for India’s Agriculture Security

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Agriculture has been integral to India’s food security and employment. While salient policies are in place, India has yet to achieve its food security and farmer-income goals. Artificial Intelligence (AI) offers innovative solutions for the agriculture sector. AI technologies will help India take the necessary leap forward to enhance agriculture productivity, farmer income and food security.

bimstec 2022 Courtesy: BIMSTEC
31 March 2022

BIMSTEC steps forward

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BIMSTEC is of special importance to India as it is a crucial link between the Neighbourhood First and Act East policies. This almost 25 year old multilateral can contribute to the Indo-Pacific region by addressing challenges in strategic areas of regional connectivity, security cooperation, free trade, and geoeconomic ties with external partners.