Jagannath P. Panda

Research Fellow, IDSA, Dr. Jagannath Panda's co-authored piece, titled ‘Time for thinking the Australia-India relationship afresh’ has been published as a lead commentary at the East Asia Forum.

The commentary argues that 'recent signs suggest that the Australia–India strategic relationship has been put in the fridge' and calls for thinking through the relationship afresh because of the fundamental misunderstandings of both sides of the other's strategic interests. 'Without addressing their strategic bilateral differences', the commentary further argues, 'the promotion of an Indo-Pacific security partnership will fall short'.

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• Published: 31 March, 2019

Research Fellow, IDSA, Dr Jagannath Panda's piece on ‘What the Trump-Kim Summit Means for India’ was published in The Diplomat on February 26, 2019.

Dr. Panda essentially argues that the wisdom of Delhi’s insistence on ‘dialogue diplomacy’ with North Korea is finally being acknowledged.

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• Published: 26 February, 2019

Research Fellow, IDSA, Dr Jagannath Panda's commentary on India-North Korea relations, titled ‘Pyongyang and India: Strategic Choices on the Korean Peninsula’ was published by the Asia-Pacific Bulletin of the East West Centre, USA on February 20, 2019.

The commentary argues that India has not been constrained by broader diplomatic concerns in pursuing a forward-looking approach toward North Korea.

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• Published: 20 February, 2019

Research Fellow, IDSA, Dr Jagannath Panda's Chapter on India and the Pacific Ocean, titled ‘India and the Pacific Ocean: The "Act East" Between Trade, Infrastructure and Security’ has been published in Axel Berkofsky and Sergio Miracola (eds.) ‘Geopolitics by Other Means: The Indo-Pacific’ in ISPI Report on February 01, 2019.

Dr Panda argues that as India’s ‘Act East’ policy is witnessing changes in political, economic, and security outreach in the larger Indo-Pacific calculus, the Pacific Ocean will undoubtedly continue to grow as an important geo-strategic maritime region in Indian policy configuration. India’s growing adherence to the Pacific world is an undertaking moving beyond limited engagement in the immediate maritime periphery and enriching its overall Indo-Pacific stature as a power through improved presence in the Pacific Ocean and particularly, among the Pacific Island Countries (PICs).

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• Published: 1 February, 2019

Research Fellow, IDSA, Dr Jagannath Panda's Co-authored paper titled 'Managing Connectivity Conflict: EU-India Cooperation and China's Belt and Road Initiative' has been published as Asia Paper (December 2018) at the Institute for Security & Development Policy, Sweden.

The paper argues that Connectivity initiatives are the latest geopolitical tool for advancing influence in international relations and diplomacy. Against the backdrop of an emerging connectivity conflict, the responsibility is on likeminded countries and organisations to promote initiatives that embody transparency and universalism in connectivity projects and that benefit citizens in the long term. The EU and India are two important actors in this regard. This paper analyses the scope of cooperation in the field of connectivity between EU and India, arguing that they are two important strategic poles of the current world order with shared interests. Europe and India are key actors of the western and non-western democratic liberal order that aims to strengthen “open, transparent and rules-based system of international politics and economics.” Realizing this potential requires candid and engaged strategic and economic exchange between the two sides.

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• Published: 28 December, 2018

Research Fellow, IDSA, Dr Jagannath Panda’s opinion piece on India’s stance toward China’s revisionist proposals, titled ‘Does India Perceive China as a Revisionist Power?’ was published at the Pacific Forum's (Honolulu) PacNet Commentary.

Dr Panda argues that New Delhi has supported Chinese-led change that facilitates India's own progress, while firmly opposing China’s unilateral revisionism in the Indo-Pacific through its development projects. A more determined Indian stance toward China’s revisionist proposals is becoming visible, which is a contrast with the earlier discourse that saw China as a prospective revisionist partner a decade-back.

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• Published: 28 November, 2018

Research Fellow, IDSA, Dr Jagannath Panda’s article on India-Japan relations, titled ‘India-Japan embrace should stretch out to Eurasia’ was published at the East Asia Forum (EAF) on November 13, 2018.

No other partnership has witnessed the kind of unprecedented progress that the India–Japan partnership has over the last two decades. The new India–Japan Vision Statement reiterates the two countries’ commitment to work together in the Indo-Pacific and the world at large, writes Dr Panda.

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• Published: 13 November, 2018

Research Fellow, IDSA, Dr Jagannath Panda's article, titled 'India's Strategic Moments in US-China Tug-of-War', was published in The Asian Age on October 21, 2018.

America-China relations are witnessing a confrontationist-competitive shift. India must plan to take advantage of anti-Chinese measures the USA is internationalising.

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• Published: 22 October, 2018

Research Fellow, IDSA, Dr Jagannath Panda's article on India’s approach to the Quadrilateral Consultative Forum (Quad), titled ‘India's Call on China in the Quad: A Strategic Arch between Liberal and Alternative Structure’ was published in a special issue of the Rising Powers Quarterly, Volume 3, Issue 2, August 2018,. The special issue was titled ‘The "Indo-Pacific"- Regional Dynamics in the 21st Century's New Geopolitical Center of Gravity’.

The competing India-China interests in securing energy resources, protecting maritime and other national interests are bound to collide, coupled with the boundary dispute. India’s pluralistic foreign policy under Narendra Modi and Chinese leader Xi Jinping’s “new era” foreign policy have manifested obstructing national trajectories. However, for India, its relationship with China is most imperative, with their relationship now playing a more defining role in the Indo-Pacific construct. Likewise, India’s approach to the Quad should not be construed as an anti-China proposition, writes Dr Panda.

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• Published: 11 October, 2018

Research Fellow, IDSA, Dr Jagannath Panda’s article on India’s approach towards Quadrilateral consultative forum (Quad), titled ‘India’s Continental Connect on Indo-Pacific and Quad 2.0’ was published in the Asia Pacific Bulletin on September 26, 2018.

Except for a few official statements, India has avoided terming this four-country consultative meeting as a 'quadrilateral' forum, and has preferred to officially term it as 'India-Australia-Japan-U.S. Consultations on Indo-Pacific, Says Dr Panda.

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• Published: 26 September, 2018