Swasti Rao

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Dr. Swasti Rao is Associate Fellow at the Europe and Eurasia Center, Manohar Parrikar Institute for Defence Studies and Analyses.

She has a Masters in Politics (spl’n. IR) and an M.Phil in East Asian Studies from Jawaharlal Nehru University, New Delhi. She has completed her PhD in Advanced International Politics from Tsukuba University, Japan. She is a recipient of Japanese Education Ministry Fellowship (MEXT) in 2011 and also a recipient of the ‘Okita Memorial Scholarship’ in 2010 from ICCR.

She holds an adjunct position at the Tokai University, Japan in the capacity of a foreign collaborator for the Japan Society for Promotion of Science (JSPS) funded research project on “Civil Society and Urban Governance in Asia, 2020-2025”

Her current research project at IDSA is on Conflicts in Europe amidst shifting Global Power Structures: Geometries of Deterrence and Europe’s Indo Pacific outreach as strategies for Threat Balancing. Her other work and research interests explore dimensions of the securitization debate in Europe , Migrant Crisis, Europe’s Outreach to Indo -Pacific, Defence Cooperation between India and Major European Players, Multilateral Cooperation for Space Situational awareness and Maritime Domain Awareness. She also explores Europe- Japan relations and its global implications. She has published with Routledge on intelligence sharing in the Indo Pacific and her forthcoming work with them is on Climate Change and Space Debris issues with special focus on emerging space race.

Before joining MP-IDSA she was Assistant Professor in the Department of Strategic and Security Studies, AMU where she taught courses on European Security, Rise of China and implications for World Order, Research Methodology and UN Peacekeeping.

She has also been Research Associate at the Graduate School of Humanities and Politics at the University of Tsukuba, Japan from 2011-2016.

She has been a Principal Investigator in Japan Society for Promotion of Science (JSPS) funded project,”A Comparative and Empirical Study of the Structural Changes in Politics” from 2011-2014.

She is the editor of Either/Or, an academic journal dedicated to international and political affairs.

Dr. Rao has published extensively, delivered talks and lectures at various international universities like Australian National University, Canberra; Gakushuin University and Tokai University, Japan; Giresun University, Turkey; National Autonomous University of Mexico, Mexico; Thammasat University, Thailand and writes regular Op-ed columns for leading dailies.

She has been involved in syllabus writing for Political Science, CBCS, IGNOU for the year 2020 and has been associated with the National University of Educational Planning and Administration (NUEPA), for collating International Relations Resources and Research Methodology Resources for teachers in Higher Education in 2020 funded by the National Resource Centre for Education, NEUPA
Other Publications

  • Associate Fellow
  • Email: rswasti[dot]mpidsa[at]gov[dot]in
  • Phone: +91 11 2671 7983

Publication

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Germany Is Undergoing End-Of-An-Era Change. But it’s National Security Strategy Still Half-Baked

Associate Fellow, Manohar Parrikar IDSA, Dr Swasti Rao’s article ‘Germany is undergoing end-of-an-era change. But its National Security Strategy still half-baked’ has been published in ‘The Print’ on 16 June 2023.

The Ukraine war highlighted Europe’s vulnerabilities in three critical dependencies on Russia, China, and NATO. Berlin's increased defence spending shows its awakening, says Dr Rao.

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  • Published: 16 June, 2023
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NATO Knocking on Indo-Pacific Door. How India Can Make the Best of This Opportunity

Associate Fellow, Manohar Parrikar IDSA, Dr Swasti Rao’s article ‘NATO knocking on Indo-Pacific door. How India can make the best of this opportunity’ was published in ‘The Print’ on 02 June 2023.

From India’s perspective, it is important that a more global avatar of NATO has been engaging with its arch rivals China and Pakistan, says Dr Rao.

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  • Published: 2 June, 2023
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Pakistan’s Oil Deal with Russia Shows It’s Getting Best of ‘Both Worlds’. India Must Take Note

Associate Fellow, Manohar Parrikar IDSA, Dr Swasti Rao’s article ‘Pakistan’s oil deal with Russia shows it’s getting best of ‘both worlds’ India must take note’ has been published in ‘The Print’ on 19 May 2023.

Pakistan’s oil deal with Russia is being touted as a major success story of a Western ally circumventing Western sanctions. Nothing could be more half-baked, says Dr Rao.

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  • Published: 19 May, 2023
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Russian military showing cracks within. Rise of two private army leaders proves that

Associate Fellow, Manohar Parrikar IDSA, Dr Swasti Rao’s article ‘Russian military showing cracks within. Rise of two private army leaders proves that’ has been published in ‘The Print’ on 05 May 2023.

Extra-legal PMCs are crucial to Russia due to their grey zone status. But Chechen leader Kadyrov and PMC Wagner's Prigozhin might be aiming bigger, says Dr Rao.

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  • Published: 5 May, 2023
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Macron’s gaffes in China open a door for India — unwavering French support at the UNSC

Associate Fellow, Manohar Parrikar IDSA, Dr Swasti Rao’s article ‘Macron’s gaffes in China open a door for India — unwavering French support at the UNSC’ has been published in ‘The Print’ on 21 April 2023.

Macron’s views do not and will not change his policies either towards the Indo-Pacific or towards Taiwan and least of all towards Ukraine, says Dr Rao.

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  • Published: 21 April, 2023
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Era of peace for Europe has ended. Future depends on how it deepens its ties with NATO

Associate Fellow, Manohar Parrikar IDSA, Dr Swasti Rao’s article ‘Era of peace for Europe has ended. Future depends on how it deepens its ties with NATO’ has been published in ‘The Print’ on 07 April 2023.

Europe’s focus on equal and flexible partnerships for more comprehensive security mean EU has struck right opening notes to emerge as a global security provider, says Dr Rao.

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  • Published: 7 April, 2023
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India-France space alliance key to Delhi’s ambitions. But it must deepen ties with Quad too

Associate Fellow, Manohar Parrikar IDSA, Dr Swasti Rao’s opinion piece ‘India-France space alliance key to Delhi’s ambitions. But it must deepen ties with Quad too’ has been published in ‘The Print’ on 24 March 2023.

The IAF's revised doctrine aims to transition India from an air power to an aerospace power. But can India do it by itself in time and cost-effectively?, says Dr Rao.

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  • Published: 24 March, 2023
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India’s G 20 Presidency: A Thematic Overview of its Origin, Evolution, Structure, Function, Priorities and Challenges amidst the present geopolitical context

Associate Fellow, Manohar Parrikar IDSA, Dr Swasti Rao’s chapter ‘India’s G 20 Presidency: A Thematic Overview of its Origin, Evolution, Structure, Function, Priorities and Challenges amidst the present geopolitical context’ has been published in the edited volume by the Government of Uttar Pradesh.

  • Published: 13 March, 2023
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China-Russia cybersecurity ties taking darker turns. India needs to worry too

Associate Fellow, Manohar Parrikar IDSA, Dr Swasti Rao’s article ‘China-Russia cybersecurity ties taking darker turns. India needs to worry too’ has been published in ‘The Print’ on 10 March 2023.

Huawei is instrumental in strengthening the backbone of Kremlin statecraft. Does India have capabilities lest Huawei's spying is rerouted through Russia’s channels?

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  • Published: 10 March, 2023