India-Cyprus Relations: Need for Consistency and Diversity New Delhi should leverage the prospective post-Brexit scenario as well as the enormous goodwill India has enjoyed consistently since Cyprus`s independence, to boost and deepen bilateral trade and investment relations with Nicosia. Gautam Sen May 08, 2017 IDSA Comments
FDI in Defence: Need for Liberalisation and Simplification The government should set up a task force to engage with potential investors and investees and evolve a simplified FDI policy, which has different slabs for different kinds of activities and is free from terms and conditions that are difficult to understand and implement. Amit Cowshish May 04, 2017 IDSA Comments
The North Korean Nuclear Conundrum A rational decision maker in the White House does not have all options on the table and cannot start a war without South Korea’s consent. Diplomacy is the only option and this is as obvious as obvious can be. K. P. Fabian May 03, 2017 IDSA Comments
Conflicts in Sunni Political Islam and Their Implications Traditionally, the Shi’a–Sunni divide and the associated dynamics of the geopolitical struggle for power and dominance, between the minority Shi’as and the majority Sunnis, have defined intra-Islamic relations. Often sidelined were the political differences between and among groups and movements within Shi’a as well as Sunni Islam. Mohammed Nuruzzaman May 2017 Strategic Analysis
State-Building in the Steppe: Challenges to Kazakhstan’s Modernizing Aspirations The Republic of Kazakhstan seeks to undergo modernization over the course of the next several decades and transform into one of the world’s top 30 economies. To fulfil this aim, the Kazakhstani government has designed a programme known as the ‘100 Steps’. If faithfully implemented, this package of reforms will gradually revolutionize the nature of Kazakhstani state–society relations, by remaking Kazakhstan into a more economically dynamic and politically pluralistic country. Charles J. Sullivan May 2017 Strategic Analysis
India’s Stance and Renewed Commitment to UN Peacekeeping The United Nations (UN) adopted UN Peacekeeping, during its initial years, to restore international peace and security. As the world body celebrated 70 years of its existence in 2015, UN Peacekeeping continues to play an important role in maintaining peace and security, by protecting civilians and preventing human rights violations arising from violence and conflict. India has emerged as one of the frontrunners in the shared responsibility of ushering in peace and stability in the world, under the umbrella of the UN. Montgomery Blah May 2017 Strategic Analysis
Impact of Political Economy on Economic Strategy Making in India (1947–1991) What has been the impact of Political Economy and ideational factors such as formative experiences of a State, ideas of strategic thinkers and history on the strategic economic choices made by nation-states? While many authors have used the political economy framework to analyse global and domestic change, it is surprising that not many scholars have adequately explored the impact of political economy and ideational factors on economic strategy making in the Indian context. Akshay Joshi May 2017 Strategic Analysis
Japan’s Proactive Pacifism: Investing in Multilateralization and Omnidirectional Hedging Since 2012, Japan’s foreign policy under Prime Minister (PM) Abe has been characterized as assertive, welcome or provocative. By employing the fear of abandonment/entrapment theory as the analytical framework, this article finds that Japan’s regional foreign policy under Abe is characterized by consolidation and investment in broad-based multilateralism, proactive engagement with partners in the region, including China, and strategic hedging. Stephen R. Nagy May 2017 Strategic Analysis
China’s Naval Base(s) in the Indian Ocean—Signs of a Maritime Grand Strategy? The article assesses China’s Indian Ocean strategy against the backdrop of its naval base development in Djibouti. It argues that China’s naval force posturing stems from a doctrinal shift to ocean-centric strategic thinking and is indicative of the larger gameplan of having a permanent naval presence in the Indian Ocean. China’s maritime strategy comprises four key components. First, to channel naval reinforcements for securing its maritime trade and economic interests in the Indian Ocean Region (IOR)—even as it strengthens the Maritime Silk Road initiative. Jayanna Krupakar May 2017 Strategic Analysis
India’s look east to act east policy: tracking the opportunities and challenges in the Indo-Pacific The 21st century is known as the Asian Century, and the Indo-Pacific is the most dynamic region of this century in terms of economics, security challenges and demographics. Against this backdrop, the book is a timely publication that focuses on the issues that are relevant to this region and analyses as well as proposes Indian policy responses to these emerging challenges. The book is divided into four themes: dynamics of India’s engagement with the Indo-Pacific region; key regional developments in the Indo-Pacific; maritime security challenges and cooperation; and conflict resolution. Niranjan Chandrashekhar Oak May 2017 Strategic Analysis