SPRF
Introduction The recently concluded India-UK Free Trade Agreement (FTA) is a landmark deal in the growing strategic partnership between the two countries across wide-ranging industries including fintech, renewable energy, education, and even film production. A key aspect of this revitalised economic relationship is the ‘India-UK Vision 2035’, a roadmap for renewed defence partnership, forging a […]
Framing India’s Counter-Terrorism Strategy Terrorism has been an unfortunate reality in India for several decades. In India’s independent history, the country faced several threats from internal and external terrorism groups, claiming several lives. The leadership of India has strongly opposed and drafted laws against terrorism over the decades to confront these unprompted instances of violence. […]
Introduction India’s challenge today is not a matter of choosing sides, but rather, how long it can manage not making a choice. For several decades after independence, the foreign policy of India was largely influenced by the principle of non-alignment, which meant that India did not align itself formally with any bloc, kept its strategic […]
India, today, finds herself in a sundry of diplomatic paradoxes, marked by multi-alignment and diverging stands on issues such as Israel-Palestine. The inconsistencies in our foreign policy have been cleverly brushed off under the term ‘strategic autonomy’—perpetually undefined and unboxed. Of course, as the world’s most promising emerging market with a labour surplus and the […]
‘Power in world politics’ is a phrase that directs our imagination towards the big powers of the world: huge armies, vast populations, and rich economies. The numerous small island nations rarely enter the picture. But when you look closely, these islands are not just remote holiday spots. These small dotted lands on the map of […]
Introduction Ever since independence, from the time of partition till the Kargil War in 1999, India has had to fight several wars. Safeguarding our borders from the ‘two-front threat’—that of Pakistan and China—compelled the erstwhile governments to equip the forces with the modern arms that matched in quality and quantity with the arms that America […]
Among developed nations, the European Union (EU) has remained at the forefront of environmental protection, distinguished through proactive and legally binding measures. While many countries have set ambitious climate targets, the EU has gone a step further by enacting comprehensive policies that drive sustainable practices both within its borders and globally. The European Green […]
Disclaimer: This issue brief was written before the announcement of reciprocal tariffs by the new Trump administration on 2nd April, 2025, which imposed tariffs by a baseline of 10% for all countries exporting to the USA, and additional tariffs depending on their respective MFN tariff binds, with certain exempt commodities. For India, this amounts to […]
Introduction The relations between South Asian countries are laden with historical complexities and shifting strategic concerns. India’s Agnipath scheme is a drastic change in military recruitment policy on the domestic and international levels. In this article, we will analyse the effects of the Agnipath scheme on Indo-Nepal relations, discuss the change in Nepal’s inclination towards […]
The region shares borders with Pakistan and Pakistan occupied Kashmir (PoK), China and Aksai Chin, Tibet, Nepal, Myanmar, and Bangladesh. Several of these neighbours, notably Pakistan and China, have caused conflicts in India. Additionally, border tensions with Myanmar and sporadic conflicts with Bangladesh have further highlighted the strategic importance of the Himalayas.