Mr Suraj Palavalsa

Mr Suraj Palavalsa

Research Associate

Areas of Research

  • “Reviving India’s maritime consciousness through an interdisciplinary approach.”
  • Maritime geostrategies of the Indo-Pacific
  • Project ‘Mausam’
  • “Underwater Cultural Heritage” and  “Tourism.”

Education

  • MA in South Asian Studies – Pondicherry University
  • BA in Sociology, History, Political Science and Economics – Banaras Hindu University
  • Secondary Education – FIITJEE, Visakhapatnam

Experience

Aug 2024 – Jan 2025

  • Research Intern, National Maritime Foundation (NMF)

Jan-Apr 2024

  • Research Assistant, Kutumb Aspirations – Worked on a Research Project on Foreign Direct Investments (FDI) and Intellectual Property Rights (IPR).

Oct-Dec 2023

  • Project Assistant, The Consortium for Educational Communication and Pondicherry University – Developed a SWAYAM MOOC Course on “India’s Foreign Policy in a Globalised World”

Aug-Nov 2023

  • Research Assistant, Kutumb Aspirations – Worked on a Research Project on “Subaltern communities under the Hyderabad Nizam’s Rule.”

Jun-Nov 2023

  • Content Developer, Kaizen Young Consultants – Writing Blogs and Market Analysis.

Presentations

  • Addressal of Legal Challenges to Underwater Cultural Heritage in India, presented at the NMF–KAS PIML Seminar (LAWSEA2025).
  • Presented a Paper on “China’s Upper Riparian Hegemony” conducted by The Asia Foundation (TAF) and Jawaharlal Nehru University (JNU) (April 2024)
  • Presented a Paper on “Myanmar’s Dual Struggle: Quest for Democracy and the Rohingya Crisis” at IPRI Third Annual Residential Workshop conducted by the National Institute of Advanced Studies and Konrad-Adenauer-Stiftung (KAS). (Dec 2023)
  • Chaired a Panel Discussion on the Climate Crisis and Contemporary Politics in Africa and Latin America at IPRI Third Annual Residential Workshop conducted by the National Institute of Advanced Studies and Konrad-Adenauer-Stiftung (KAS). (Dec 2023)
  • Presented a paper on “Special and Differential Treatment for Global South: India’s Advocacy in WTO” at a national webinar conducted by the University of Calicut. (Oct 2023)
  • Presented a Paper on “Peace through the SDGs: Targets, Indicators, Issues & Challenges” conducted by the National Institute of Advanced Studies (NIAS) (Aug 2023)
  • Presented a paper on “The Ideological Nexus: How Pink Tides Have Catalysed Latin America’s Shift in Alignment from the United States to China.” during my Summer Camp on Latin American Politics, Literature and Culture (May 2023)

All Publications

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RECONNECTING ANCIENT SEA LANES THROUGH THE INDIA–OMAN MARITIME HERITAGE MEMORANDUM OF UNDERSTANDING

Author:     The signing of the Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) on Maritime Heritage and Museums during Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s visit to the Sultanate of Oman on 18 December 2025 marks a pivotal moment in India-Oman relations.[1]  While contemporary joint statements understandably foreground trade, energy cooperation, and maritime security, this MoU carries a deeper and […]
  1. “Project MAUSAM and revival of Indian Maritimity” in Maritime Perspectives 2025 (Enhancing India’s Maritime Consciousness)
  2. “Policy Lessons for India from Australia’s Approach to Underwater Cultural Heritage,” in Maritime Perspectives 2025 (Enhancing India’s Maritime Consciousness)
  3. Book Review – “How Maritime Trade and the Indian Subcontinent Shaped the World,” by Nick Collins in Maritime Perspectives 2025 (Enhancing India’s Maritime Consciousness)
  1. India in the Indo-Pacific: Vision, Strategies and Partnerships, in Routledge Handbook of Maritime India, Routledge India, 27 June 2025.
  2. Sruthylacshmi B Bhat and Suraj Palavalsa, “India’s Multilateral Diplomacy: Key Engagements at the UN, G20, and BRICS in 2024,” Diplomatist, 15 Jan 2025. https://diplomatist.com/2025/01/15/indias-multilateral-diplomacy-key-engagements-at-the-un-g20-and-brics-in-2024/
  3. Suraj Palavalsa and Sruthylacshmi B Bhat, “The Future of Global Governance: Southeast Asia’s Integration with BRICS,” Diplomatist, 20 July 2024. https://diplomatist.com/2024/07/20/the-future-of-global-governance-southeast-asias-integration-with-brics/
  4. Suraj Palavalsa, “The Nizam-English Camaraderie and the 1857 War of Independence”, Dakshinapatha, 29 Oct 2023. https://dakshinapatha.com/2023/10/30/the-nizam-english-camaraderie-and-the-1857-war-of-independence/#:~:text=This%20association%20that%20the%20state,officially%20become%20a%20British%20protectorate