Sharif-Xi jinping Courtesy:
14 May 2015

OBOR and India’s security concerns

While China will seek India’s cooperation on its ambitious ‘One Belt, One Road’ project during Prime Minister Modi’s visit this week, Indian policy makers must soon articulate a definite stand on this transnational corridor by bridging the country’s security concerns and the benefits of such an engagement with China.

17111184050_a38f69f6cb_z Courtesy: MEA/Flickr
29 April 2015

Ghani and India: circles of separation

Afghan president Ashraf Ghani visited India from April 27-29. Ghani accords a very different priority to India than his predecessors – both the timing and the outcome of his visit reflected this. He is choosing to play to Pakistan, by keeping India out of Afghanistan's security sector

Ghani-Sharif Courtesy: Arya News
29 April 2015

India’s game of patience with Afghanistan

Afghanistan president Ghani has placed his eggs in the Pakistani basket and is waiting to see whether its actions match the plentiful words. However, New Delhi knows it enjoys a depth of support in Afghan society and can bide its time while Ghani tests the waters, as he will likely reach the same conclusions as most others

BJP-PDP Courtesy: South Asia Media
26 March 2015

Coalitions of opposites

Representative democracy has resulted in coalition governments, comprising parties with opposing agendas, gradually being formed across the world. The Afghan unity government and the BJP-PDP coalition in Jammu and Kashmir are two such coalitions that share numerous similarities, not least of which is the role of Pakistan.

picstitch (5) Courtesy: Wikimedia commons
19 March 2015

Assessing India’s infrastructure aid diplomacy

With the Modi government’s focus on improving neighbourhood relations, India cannot afford delays in its aid projects in the region—especially because aid is an effective foreign policy instrument. Why are these projects getting delayed? Is the government taking remedial steps to improve India’s aid programme?

SAARC Courtesy:
2 March 2015

An Indian democracy template for SAARC?

Indian foreign secretary S. Jaishankar’s visit to SAARC countries from March 1 is an opportunity to examine the political trajectories in the region. While democracy in some countries like Sri Lanka is on an upswing, in others, like Bangladesh, it is in decline. With China’s growing economic influence in South Asia, can Indian democracy be an effective counterpoint?

Jaishnkar Courtesy: Saddahaq.com
26 February 2015

SAARC sojourn: surmounting the entropy

The SAARC Yatra to be undertaken by foreign secretary S. Jaishankar from March 1 is an opportunity for India to improve relations, resurrect stalled projects and create new synergies with its neighbourhood. An initiative like this could hold the key to India shedding the ‘hegemon’ tag and pursuing mutually beneficial policies with its neighbours

Philippine peace Courtesy: khabrsoutheastasia
8 January 2015

War and Peace

The Islamic State’s violence dominated 2014’s news headlines, masking important non-violent initiatives around the world. But endeavors for peaceful solutions are thriving, and India, with its legacy of a non-violent freedom struggle, must contribute to this process as a counter-force against the advocates of violence

Modi at G20 Courtesy: Ministry of External Affairs/GoI
26 December 2014

India’s foreign policy reimagined

The style and substance of the foreign policies of Narendra Modi’s six-month-old government have been remarkably different from those of his predecessors. Gateway House examines the changes in India’s equations with three critical countries—the US, China and Pakistan—and outlines a foreign policy forecast for 2015