Screenshot 2023-11-29 at 6.07.50 PM Courtesy: The Indian Express
29 November 2023

Hamas’ ideology minus trust

Hamas faces an existential crisis in Gaza now that the Israeli army has captured its military headquarters and operating tunnels in northern Gaza. So far Israel has successfully ignored international pressure to limit its ground operation. In between are the Gazans, caught within an ideology they don’t trust.

FILE PHOTO: A worker walks past the logo of Reserve Bank of India (RBI) inside its office in New Delhi, India July 8, 2019. REUTERS/Anushree Fadnavis Courtesy: Reuters
14 July 2022

The rupee as regional currency

The Reserve Bank’s move to enable international trade in INR is a step towards regaining Indian primacy in the Indian Ocean region that the Indian Rupee once enjoyed. It is also an essential financial dimension that will add heft to India’s strategic SAGAR policy.

shutterstock_365191952 (1) Courtesy: Shutterstock
19 March 2020

Good and bad of low oil prices

The Coronavirus pandemic has caused crude oil prices to crash almost 40% even as Saudi Arabia and Russia pump more oil into the market. Fears are rife that this crisis will hit demand. There are repercussions on the U.S., the world’s top oil producer, on India, one of its new clients, and on the Gulf Cooperation Council countries

1234 Courtesy: MEA/Flickr
23 January 2020

Javad Zarif’s India outreach

Iran’s foreign minister Javad Zarif was in Mumbai on 16-17 January 2020, just days after the Iran-U.S. showdown in Iraq and the assassination of Iran’s top general. Zarif explained Iran’s dilemma to audiences in India and was hoping for public support. But the fact is that the January tensions are not Iran’s problem alone; it’s a global game-changer that has propelled the formation of new alliances

Global Energy Forum Courtesy: Atlantic Council
16 January 2020

A post-Soleimani energy world

The Atlantic Council Global Energy Forum, held in Abu Dhabi on 10-12 January 2020, had the top businesses and analysts of the global energy industry. It was also part of a larger event, the annual Abu Dhabi Sustainability Week, which aims to be a global platform for sustainability in various industries

shutterstock_1221395809 Courtesy: Shutterstock
19 December 2019

The mystery of Aramco’s stock price

The rise in Saudi Aramco’s stock price within two days of its IPO in November 2019, has taken the company’s market value past the $2-trillion mark. This valuation should not be taken at face value for the offering is miniscule, and closely linked to the ruler's prestige rather than stock market fundamentals

IMG_51561_small Courtesy: Princess Nora bint Abdul Rahman University
3 October 2019

Post-Abqaiq Saudi Arabia

The immediate panic in the aftermath of the missile attack on Saudi Aramco’s facility at Abqaiq underlines the still-critical role of the Kingdom to the world economy. The subsequent recovery of oil production – with no disruption – showed that Saudi Arabia is a reliable partner/guarantor of energy supplies. Our Energy and Environment fellow Amit Bhandari was in Riyadh recently for a conference, and describes a post-Abqaiq Saudi Arabia

merlin_155315436_159aa613-01d1-4b5e-8c01-f33ad69d0626-superJumbo Courtesy: NY Times
30 May 2019

Foreign policy continuum with the BJP

India’s foreign policy is increasingly blended in with its domestic agenda – and vice versa. Prime Minister Modi’s past proactive foreign policy has paid dividends in bringing global attention to India, a fact young voters have noticed and approved. In his second term, what will India’s foreign policy look like? A continuum of the past, but also new frameworks for the future