Geographically, the neighbourhood is typically a country’s first point of diplomacy. India’s relationship with its neighbouring countries (NCs)—Afghanistan, Bangladesh, Bhutan, Maldives, Myanmar, Nepal, Pakistan and Sri Lanka—has similarly been key to its foreign policy. This is certainly true of the past decade (2010-2020), especially since 2014, when the Prime Minister Narendra Modi-led government first enunciated its ‘Neighbourhood First’ Policy (NFP), […]

Russian President Vladimir Putin visited India for a few hours on 6 December 2021 for the 21st Annual Summit between India and Russia. Putin decided to go ahead with this visit although the clouds of confrontation over his country’s border with Ukraine loomed menacingly. As Covid-19 cases in Russia continue to surge, with about 32,000 cases and 1,200 deaths being […]

India has been endeavoring to move faster towards self-reliance in the field of defence production. This would also help India to mark its presence in global supply chain of international arms market. Thus, India has rightly articulated the meaning of its ‘Atmanirbhar Bharat’ as “Make in India for the World.” India seems to be well on track to its avowed […]

India has been endeavoring to move faster towards self-reliance in the field of defence production. This would also help India to mark its presence in global supply chain of international arms market. Thus, India has rightly articulated the meaning of its ‘Atmanirbhar Bharat’ as “Make in India for the World.” India seems to be well on track to its avowed […]

For Indian politicians, it is time again for temple runs as five crucial states, including the largest, Uttar Pradesh in the north, prepare to go to the polls in the first quarter of 2022. And besides making a public display of offering flowers and milk to a plethora of gods, the usual election talk to polarize the electorate into majority […]

The head of India’s armed forces, General Bipin Rawat, was among 13 people killed on Wednesday when the military helicopter they were travelling in crashed, the air force said, Reuters reported. According to the report they were en route from an air force base to a hillside military college in the southern state of Tamil Nadu when the Russian-made Mi-17V5 […]

Over 100,000 Indian and Chinese troops are preparing to spend another brutal winter confronting each other at high altitudes along the Indian-Chinese border. A year and a half after Chinese soldiers seized territory on the boundary, preventing Indian patrols from going where they had gone for years, both sides have increased military deployments, accelerated the construction of permanent infrastructure throughout […]

Russian President Vladimir Putin arrives in India Monday for a summit as Moscow begins the delivery of air defense missile systems to India that could spur U.S. sanctions. India’s $5.4 billion deal with Russia to purchase S-400 air defense missile systems highlights New Delhi’s challenge in maintaining its partnership with Moscow, even as it embraces closer strategic ties with the […]

On December 2, 2021, United Liberation Front of Asom-Independent (ULFA-I), in its bi monthly magazine Swadhinta, asked the Government of India (GoI) to send political envoys and not the military, if it decides to discuss its (ULFA-I’s) core demand of creating a ‘sovereign Assam.’ The rebel group argued, “Otherwise, we know that the dialogue would be nothing else but a […]

It is not yet clear how the U.S. will respond to India’s receipt of Russia-made S-400 air defense systems. India appears to be going ahead with the controversial Russian S-400 air defense system. Dmitry Shugaev, director of Russia’s Federal Service for Military-Technical Cooperation (FSMTC), recently stated that Russia has started the scheduled delivery of S-400s to India. The delivery of […]