Strategic Analysis


On Subrahmanyam

The best way to remember and commemorate K. Subrahmanyam is to do it in a way he would have approved – by examining his own career and ideas, and their impact on the larger questions of Indian security and defence policy, and India's relations with the rest of the world. Above all, we need to ask why he was so important. To do this would require much more than a brief note. It would require a deep and broad discussion, which will hopefully include a biography by someone who takes his life and work seriously but does not engage in uncritical adulation.

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Strategic Importance of Turkmenistan for India

This article examines the strategic importance of Turkmenistan for India in respect of: energy resources; transit potential; and proximity to Afghanistan and Iran. It argues that India's economic potential, its liberal-democratic values, its pluralistic structure, secular fabric, military strength, strong financial, scientific and technological capabilities make it the most desirable partner for all the five Central Asian republics.

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The Domestic Determinants of Iranian Foreign Policy: Challenges to Consensus

The foreign policy of the Islamic Republic of Iran is widely misunderstood. On the one hand many experts regard the Iranian foreign policy as being essentially ideology driven while on the other hand a significant body of opinion believes that ideology is a convenient smokescreen for Iran's pursuit of its national interests. This paper examines the role of ideological, political and institutional actors in the context of the Islamic Republic's quest for consensus and cohesion.

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