Foreign and Defence Policy

The Need to Digitise Diplomacy: Politics of Connectivity

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 […]

Small Island Nations and Great Power Politics

‘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 […]

India’s Defence Manufacturing Ecosystem: Between Ambition and Execution

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 […]

Indian Exports Amid EU Deforestation Regulation

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 […]

India and Trump 2.0: Reciprocal Tariffs and the Case of India’s Manufacturing Exports

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 […]

Impact of the Agnipath Scheme on Indo-Nepal Relations, China’s Involvement, and Way Forward for India

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 […]

Towards Enhanced Security: Proposing a Himalayan Guard for India

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.

India’s Maritime Security Operations – What does India gain?

Introduction Connecting the Far East countries to Europe, the Indian Ocean Region (IOR) is strategically crucial for global trade and connectivity, playing a pivotal role in shaping regional and international dynamics. Roughly 80% of the world’s maritime oil trade flows through the IOR (Ghosh, 2020). More than 60% of the $17.43 trillion worth of global […]

COP27 – Balancing Global Environmental Concerns Amidst Political Inequalities

Conference of Parties: A Talk Shop? The 27th United Nations Climate Change Conference of Parties [COP] was held in Sharm-El Sheikh, Egypt, between November 6 and November 18, 2022. Although touted as the authority on climate action decision-making, the long-term effects of COP remain to be seen.  Over the years, representatives have repeatedly called for […]