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The article has been authored by Premesha Saha, an associate fellow, Strategic Studies Programme, Observer Research Foundation.

The region’s geostrategic and trade dynamics are already in flux and may throw up opportunities for India to capitalize on

The Indo-Pacific region is increasingly being viewed as a global centre of gravity, both for its economic and demographic potential, and the security challenges that could frustrate those possibilities. India—as a champion of the principle of ‘Free and Open Indo-Pacific’ or FOIP—has initiated engagements with its partners in the region, such as the Indo-Pacific Oceans Initiative (IPOI) that aims to ensure the security and stability of the

The Quadrilateral Security Dialogue (Quad)—comprising Australia, India, Japan and the US—has outlined a collective vision that recognises each country’s peculiarities in their approach to the Indo-Pacific while building upon the areas of convergence. Maritime security will continue to be a key pillar in this vision, although there is a shift towards making the Quad’s objectives more broad-based and relevant to the emerging global geopolit

The Russia-Ukraine war has confounded observers, as much as it did the Russians themselves. Since erupting in late February, the war has not shown signs of abating any time soon. This brief argues that by its very nature, the war has lessons not just for the adversaries, but also the NATO alliance that is backing Ukraine, and even geographically distant China and India. For one, the war has both elements of the old eras—such as the mass

China’s growing naval force projection has sparked anintense maritime contest in the Indo-Pacific, where traditional notions of spheres of influence are being challenged.

India’s northeast region (NER) features prominently in its Indo-Pacific vision and strategic calculations. The vast natural resources of NER and its geographical proximity to neighbouring countries in the Indo-Pacific region make it attractive for increased involvement of industry and the development of trade linkages. Socio-cultural affinities found across the borders of the region also carry potential for synergy in cooperation endeavours. Th

As India, Japan, Australia and the United States renew their quadrilateral cooperation in the Indo-Pacific, there are suggestions to expand the ‘Quad’ into a ‘Quad-plus’ grouping to include the countries of the Association of South East Asian Nations (ASEAN). This brief argues that the Quad will not have much to offer to ASEAN; it has, in fact, the potential to dilute ASEAN centrality which is the pillar of the regional bloc.  India, too

The group’s big challenge is to define the security dimension of its agenda more robustly even as economic talks get underway

India’s position made others buy into the idea and incorporate it in their security outlooks

When the United Kingdom (UK) releases the highly anticipated integrated review of its foreign, defence, security and development policy in March, it will mark the first formal iteration of the UK’s Indo-Pacific strategy. This brief explores the dynamics that are driving the UK’s tilt to the Indo-Pacific. It identifies three key drivers that are prompting the shift: a reappraisal of China, the economic fallout of Brexit, and the UK’s close t

Stability in Russia-US ties will alleviate pressure on India at a time when the rise of China has changed the geopolitical calculus for  the Indo-Pacific

The Indo-Pacific region is confronting emerging challenges that go beyond the traditional definition of “security.” Among the most crucial are threats to the environment, including natural hazards such as cyclones and tsunamis; illegal, unregulated and unreported (IUU) fishing and overfishing; and marine pollution. This report underlines the strategic implications of these environmental issues in the Indo-Pacific. It outlines the measures tha

India must enhance cooperation with like-minded partners on key issues that count for the region’s pursuit to progress and prosperity.

The changing distribution of power and the Chinese challenge to US primacy demands that countries like India and Australia bear larger responsibility for security. The future of the Indo-Pacific can't be tied solely to the twists and turns of the dynamic between Washington and Beijing.

Amidst the prolonged Russia-Ukraine war, the continuing attention being given by the United States (US) to the Indo-Pacific region has been remarkable, belying widespread expectations that it would refocus its resources. This brief posits that the US interest in its Indo-Pacific strategy has not diminished as the region continues to represent an important pillar of overall US geostrategy. Its involvement in the region is not simply being

There is no dearth in analyses that sound the alarm on the current United States (US) administration’s policy in the Indo-Pacific. This paper conducts an evaluation of the US’ engagement in the region, and finds it to be contrary to alarmist predictions. President Donald Trump’s administration has reaffirmed commitments towards traditional allies, built on the predecessor president’s courtship of nascent partners, and encouraged partners

As of now, the Quad’s formal agenda is modest. It remains a platform for leaders of the four countries to meet each other collectively and bilaterally. Meetings have so far taken up the issue of providing vaccines, building supply chains, mitigating climate change and providing humanitarian relief. An unstated aspect of the Quad grouping is supply-chain resilience and the need to have a chain which is not linked to China.

While the new Indo-Pacific construct continues to grab headlines, India's recent diplomatic orientation points to a renewed appreciation of what American strategist Zbigniew Brzezinski called the world’s “decisive geopolitical chessboard”: Eurasia. In order to grasp the significance of this strategic space, it is useful to compare it with the dynamics of the Indo-Pacific.

This new mini-lateral grouping of the US and three of its allies could coordinate actions with the Quad for regional stability

The Biden administration's Indo-Pacific strategy was announced days before the conflict between Ukraine and Russia took a turn for the worse, necessitating that the US turns its focus sharply on Russia and Europe once again.

A recent engagement spotlighted the broader strategic collaboration between the two countries in this realm.

For now, India’s role in the Western Pacific region remains symbolic, and in the Indo-Pacific context, confined to the Indian Ocean Region.

With more nations building their nuclear arsenal, the Indo-Pacific is becoming a high-risk place.

A closer look at what the recently released US Missile Defense Review means for New Delhi.

A proactive Europe is welcomed by many in the Indo-Pacific, a reality highlighted by a recent ministerial forum focused on cooperation in the region.

As the European Union has recently started to look beyond China, labeling it as a strategic competitor in 2019, new partnerships would be needed and are being codified. Italy too needs to respond fast to this evolving strategic reality by framing its own approach to the Indo-Pacific in general and India in particular.

हिंद प्रशांत क्षेत्र में अमेरिका को मात देने के लिए चीन कुछ भी करने को तैयार है. वह ऑस्ट्रेलिया और दक्षिण कोरिया को भी गले लगाने का तैयार है. इस तरह चीन ने अपनी कूटनीति को धार

श्रीलंका में भारतीय और चीनी राजनयिक मिशन के बीच एक चीनी मिलिट्री रिसर्च पोत के वहां पहुंचने को लेकर सोशल मीडिया पर बहस छिड़ गई.

ख़ुशहाल और समृद्ध देशों में शुमार श्रीलंका की आर्थिक बदहाली के बाद दुनिया के इन मुल्‍कों की चिंता बढ़ गई है. इसमें पाकिस्तान और नेपाल भी शामिल हैं. बता दें कि श्रीलंका अपनी आ�

सवाल यह है कि क्या क्वॉड या इस तरह का कोई प्लैटफॉर्म एशियन नेटो की तरह उभर सकता है?

Relations between India and Australia have reached a new maturity, based on deepening connections between their societies, economies, education sectors and policy establishments. This positions these two democracies well to work together to advance their interests in a shared Indo-Pacific region.

The release of the National Defense Strategy, the Nuclear Posture Review and the Missile Defense Review reinforces the central message of the Biden administration’s National Security Strategy, which focuses on the current decade as being a ‘decisive’ one

Shipbuilding capability has emerged as a key component of sea power in the contemporary strategic competition in the vast Indo-Pacific. Over the past few decades, there have been concerns that the United States (US) is falling behind in the competition, particularly in comparison to China. Meanwhile, US partners in the Indo-Pacific region with strong shipbuilding capabilities, such as South Korea and Japan, have risen as potential providers of sh

It’s too soon to say whether the Indo-Pacific will remain a lasting picture of 21st-century geopolitics.