Oddly, the Bay of Bengal Initiative for Multi-Sectoral Technical and Economic Cooperation (BIMSTEC) is a sub-regional grouping named after a sea body, but the graphics in its logo are devoid of blue colour. Of course, the etymology of BIMSTEC originated from the names of its members in 1997, but the fact remains all its members […]
The results of the Maldivian elections, held on 23rd September, have surprised many, particularly in India. The authoritarian tendencies of President Yameen and news emanating from Male thus far had suggested that the Maldivian strongman may not be willing to step down, the results of the elections notwithstanding. It was the general perception that Yameen […]
The transformation of anxiety into joy upon receiving intimation, confirming that one has been selected for an internship at a prestigious think-tank, is always a memorable event. Sometimes, however, the lessons you gain from such attachments are not transient but provide lasting value that persists over an entire lifetime. For me, interning at the ‘National […]
In his recent article published by the Lowy Institute, titled “Glug, Glug, Glug: India’s interest in unsinkable Aircraft Carriers”, David Brewster[1], probes India’s medium term plan to develop into a three carrier fleet. Brewster cites huge costs (acquisition, maintenance and operational) and vulnerability issues attached with the Carrier Task Force (CTFs) in support of his […]
Introduction The epic sea battles between aircraft carriers never recurred after the Second World War. In the post-war period, most carriers began to retire without even having participated in battle. Many countries that possessed carriers or were aspiring to do so thus began to re-assess the military-strategic utility of such platforms in the radically altered […]
The spillover of India’s determination to counter US trade threats could endanger nascent security dialogues in the Indo-Pacific. The idea of the Quadrilateral Security Dialogue or Quad, as it is often called, was mooted by Japanese premier Shinzo Abe in 2007. The officials of the four countries in Abe’s proposal – India, US, Australia and […]
In the taxonomy of ‘Geopolitics’ and ‘Geo-strategy’, the prefix ‘geo’ refers to a country’s strategic geography, which is the core underpinning of its national-strategy. Geopolitics involves the satiation of the country’s geo-economic and other objectives, which are sought to be met through coherent geo-strategies in various domains. The military domain merely represents an ‘assurance’ and […]
India and Indonesia are maritime neighbours with a symbiotic relationship which can be utilised towards developing maritime cooperation in the region. The distance between India’s Andaman Islands and Indonesia’s Aceh is not more than 80 nautical miles. Additionally, the fact that the Indian naval ships have been making visits to Indonesia ports and coordinated patrolling […]