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Examining the potential of India–Australia partnerships in mining
International Affairs | Indian Foreign Policy | Economic Diplomacy Apr 17, 2019

Examining the potential of India–Australia partnerships in mining

Contemporary India–Australia relations can be best described as being loaded in intent but limited in action. Over the years, pledges of “common destiny” have repeatedly been made, only to remain unfulfilled. The 2018 release by the Australian government of its India Economic Strategy 2035 is ...

Russia’s tilt towards Asia and its implications for India
International Affairs | Indian Foreign Policy | Great Power Dynamics Apr 09, 2019

Russia’s tilt towards Asia and its implications for India

Russia has always been actively involved with European politics. Its genesis in Kiev—close to the European borders—allowed it to participate in the affairs of the continent. Although Russia’s geographic expanse has been more in Asia, Russian political elites have traditionally identified the country as a ...

India’s peri-urban regions: The need for policy and the challenges of governance
Development | Urbanisation in India | Urbanisation Mar 26, 2019

India’s peri-urban regions: The need for policy and the challenges of governance

Population relocations driven by economic reasons or caused by land speculation have led to people settling in peri-urban areas (or areas in the periphery of the urban). The in-migration of population and emergence of new activities is transforming such areas, as seen in changes in ...

China’s military modernisation: Recent trends
China Military Mar 26, 2019

China’s military modernisation: Recent trends

Since the assumption of Xi Jinping to the post of General Secretary of the Communist Party of China (CPC) in 2013, the People’s Liberation Army has undergone numerous changes, both in its modernisation and organisation, that are meant to ensure that the PLA forces will ...

Financing development: Fintech in Africa
Development | Cyber and Technology Mar 22, 2019

Financing development: Fintech in Africa

In many African countries—some of the most unbanked areas in the world—digital banking applications are redefining what it is to bank in economies with shallow penetration of the formal banking sector, representing an innovative force that is breaking new ground in the long-standing challenge of ...

The role of public-private partnerships in innovation for development: Lessons from Africa
Development Mar 13, 2019

The role of public-private partnerships in innovation for development: Lessons from Africa

The UN Sustainable Development Goals aim to “leave no one behind”, and developed countries are being urged to increase aid to poor countries. While this is a worthwhile effort, however, the key to genuine and sustainable development of poor countries lies not in aid, but ...

Greening the GDP: Valuing natural capital in India
Indian Economy | Climate Change Mar 12, 2019

Greening the GDP: Valuing natural capital in India

It is important to differentiate between physical capital as produced means of production in contrast to natural capital which is naturally endowed. The latter facilitates a host of ecosystem services[i] that flow through human processes, both societal and economic. Unlike physical capital, natural capital cannot be ...

Southeast Asian space programmes: Capabilities, challenges and collaborations
Great Power Dynamics | Space Mar 07, 2019

Southeast Asian space programmes: Capabilities, challenges and collaborations

Space technology has manifold applications in areas as wide-reaching as disaster management, resource management, meteorology, governance, and military and security. Southeast Asian countries, recognising the importance of space technologies, have made investments quite early on. While some of these countries already have established institutions and ...

Institutionalising India-US defence ties in American legislative precedents
US Domestic Politics Feb 26, 2019

Institutionalising India-US defence ties in American legislative precedents

This brief probes the role of the current 116th US Congress in strengthening India-US relations in the realm of defence trade and technology transfers. The analysis is done in the context of the Trump administration’s relaxation of arms export policies, as well as a rise in ...