Search

The US is keen on investing in alternate energy sources, especially in Southern India where there is high potential for such innovations, says Samuel F Rothenberg, Political/Economic Officer at the US Consulate-General in Chennai. He said around $1 billion has been earmarked by the US Exim Bank to ensure the implementation of such plans.

The drastic and sudden drop in Venezuelan and Iranian oil exports to India in 2019-2020, due to the looming threat of US secondary sanctions, is the latest supply chain disruption to India’s energy security. To avoid similar disruptions in the future, India must act decisively to increase its Strategic Petroleum Reserves to meet at least 90 days of emergency oil stocks, and combine lobbying efforts between India’s private and public oil compa

ORF, in association with ETH, Zurich, organized a five-day workshop on 'Abundant Energy', conducted by experts from Switzerland who are trying to spread the message that shortages in global energy can be solved by generating energies from sources which are abundantly available.

Studies done in ORF estimate that even with everything in our favour, India will be hard put to exceed a thermal coal based capacity beyond 300 GW. In such a scenario, how do we better harness our oil and gas potential and fulfill the great promise that lies hidden in our vast unexplored acreages.

DEWs are yet to be deployed by any country’s military, but are widely seen as a critical part of future warfare.

The ability to partner with nations that are deeply divided by geopolitics has been a feature of Indian diplomacy since Independence. The India-Russia relationship serves not just the two countries in question, but the world

This Issue Brief gives an assessment of the gaps and shortages in climate financing flows, available monies in the global system and suggestions to mobilise resources towards mitigation and adaptation needs of developing countries.

The Russia-China partnership has grown steadily in the past decade, driven by Moscow’s widening rift with the European Union. As Western markets closed to Russia in 2014, Beijing emerged as an economic partner, importing Russian energy, defence goods, metals and minerals, timber, and other natural resources and exporting manufactured goods, technology, and dual-use goods. The partnership reached new heights following Russia’s invasion of Ukra

Bangladesh was one of the few countries in the world to sustain a positive economic growth rate during the COVID-19 pandemic. Today, however, it is experiencing symptoms that could stall such impressive record: rising divergences in the government’s fiscal balance; the precarious Balance of Payments situation; rapidly declining foreign exchange reserves; demand-supply gaps in the energy markets; and inflationary tendencies. The exogenous shocks

Recent steps forward on the trade front have also cleared the way for greater ambition in the partnership

JD Vance’s visit speeds up the recalibration of India-US ties

Pacific Small Island Developing States (PSIDS) are highly vulnerable to disasters emanating from the impacts of climate change, geopolitical tensions, and fluctuations in global energy markets. To overcome this, the PSIDS have committed to ambitious carbon reduction targets, and to adopting renewable energy and low carbon emission initiatives. However, they must contend with critical barriers, such as the lack of finance, capacity, and te

Together, Russia, India and China occupy around 50 percent of Asia's landmass. The three countries constitute some of the largest economies in Asia. There are a lot of potential synergies among the three countries, making a compelling case for their collaboration.

Both the U.S. and India are exploring additional combinations of partnerships in the Middle East.

Global temperature rise is set to exceed 1.5°C compared to pre-industrial levels by 2100. Efforts to ramp up climate action must be accompanied by an assessment of countries' existing strategies to combat climate change. At the same time, it is crucial to determine the effectiveness of multilateral institutions in mitigating climate change by galvanising member countries in this direction. This report presents a comparative analysis based on fiv

India’s government recently announced a safeguard duty (SGD) on solar cells and modules from China (and Malaysia) starting with 25% in the first year. This decision does not only jeopardise the own renewable energy targets but also harm the own economy. Why not let pay China for India's energy transition?

The geographical and socioeconomic characteristics of small island developing states (SIDS) expose them to unique challenges. Climate change, in particular, poses a severe threat to SIDS, with rising sea levels, ocean acidification, and changing precipitation patterns negatively affecting their ecosystems, economies, and communities. This brief assesses the challenges faced by SIDS in accessing traditional climate financing and analyses the effec

The global effort to meet the targets set by the Paris Agreement on Climate Change and the Sustainable Development Goals will depend crucially on reforming the structure of development finance. Mobilising private capital will be an essential part of this effort, and existing development finance institutions, led by the complex of multilateral development banks (MDBs), will have to re-orient their strategies and functioning to prioritise this mobi

India began investing in Space science and technologies in the 1960s, putting in place an administrative structure similar to that for Atomic Energy. However, unlike the atomic energy domain which came under the 1948 Atomic Energy Act (revised in 1962), the country’s space activities are yet to be regulated by specific legislation. India’s space agency, ISRO, has historically viewed space technology applications primarily for societal develop

With the Sino-American divide deepening, India is in a prime position to climb up the global hierarchy

India presents a unique case of balancing decarbonisation efforts with industrial growth. While notable progress is being made in decarbonising the power and transport sectors, reducing industrial emissions poses a formidable challenge. To meet its decarbonisation targets, India will need massive capital flows, projected at US$10.1 trillion by 2070. While green finance will support technologies that align with the Paris Agreement, transition fina

The authors propose an 'India exception' in global climate talks as the only realistic pathway to a global climate deal, which could also be a key tool in cementing stronger ties between India and the US, two critical actors in the evolving international order.

This report explores the economic and geopolitical impacts of climate change, highlighting the mitigated energy crisis in Europe, inflation trends, and global monetary policies. It discusses investment opportunities in sustainable travel and emerging markets, particularly in Asia, amidst the evolving energy landscape and consumer behaviors post-COVID, in the year 2023.

Artificial Intelligence (AI) has led to a fundamental shift in the human-machine interface, with massive implications for the future. AI today has known applications across multiple domains—including agriculture, defence, healthcare, finance, manufacturing, and nuclear energy—and the potential appears limitless. Justifiably then, the discourse surrounding AI is becoming increasingly more vibrant. Yet, the inner workings of AI are often shroud

The Biden administration’s climate agenda is a crucial plank to restore American commitments to climate actions and reinstate US leadership globally. However, the agenda has been slow on results. Although the climate fight has been linked to most other federal goals, such as economy, jobs, infrastructure, and procurements, the Biden administration faces both domestic and external challenges that continue to limit how much it can achieve

At the International Atomic Energy Agency’s general conference last week, India backed AUKUS in the face of Russian and Chinese opposition.

Australian premier Anthony Albanese’s consequential visit to India unveils opportunities for trade, investment, energy cooperation and greater naval engagement in the Indo-Pacific. If these take off, the strategic architecture of the Indo-Pacific could be poised for a big transformation

Securing Bangladesh's energy supply in the face of its growing needs has been the primary motivation for the country to sign the recent agreement with Russia for cooperation in the peaceful use of nuclear technology.

How India and its BIMSTEC partners can prosper together

This paper is an outline of existing energy systems - the demand and supply factors and trends seen within the framework of demographic pressures, environmental concerns and eventual possibility of fossil fuels running out.

The Bay of Bengal Initiative for Multi-Sectoral Technical and Economic Cooperation (BIMSTEC) is standing on the threshold of a new inning, as it marks its 25th year in 2022. The past months have been momentous for BIMSTEC, as it adopted a charter at the fifth Summit Meeting in March to outline a clearer purpose for the organisation. During the summit, BIMSTEC rationalised its 14 diverse sectors of cooperation into seven core areas of inte

India’s outreach to the Caribbean, Latin America and Africa can be a game-changer for the Global South

Ambitious expansion meets internal divisions as the bloc strives to redefine global power dynamics.

India’s power sector requires sustained efforts to achieve the power generating capacity target of approximately 1.2 terawatts by 2047. It needs such capacity to meet the demands of economic growth and achieve the Sustainable Development Goal 7 of providing universal electricity access. At the same time, the country also needs to reduce its greenhouse gas emissions to meet commitments to global climate action agreements. This paper revi

The deal with Iran should boost efforts to do an Iran with North Korea's nuclear programme as well. This would be more difficult given the authoritarian nature of the regime in North Korea but is still an idea worth pursuing. The major powers should carry forward the momentum and energy to solve other issues in the Middle East.

US’ expected policy shift favouring Moscow aligns with its renewed focus on the Indo-Pacific.

Pragmatism is redefining India-Sri Lanka relations

Iran's cancellation of $500 million funding to Pakistan for the Iran-Pakistan gas pipeline indicates Iran's clout in regional energy affairs. It is unclear why Iran took this sudden step. Is President Rouhani merely fine-tuning some of the policies of his predecessor? But there is certainly more to this than meets the eye.

Indonesia is increasing its military presence in the region and upgrading its forces in the Natuna Islands as it seeks to challenge China and maintain its control over an important sea domain containing abundant marine food and energy resources.

Iran and Saudi Arabia resumed bilateral relations in March 2023, following a deal brokered by China and ending a hiatus of seven years. The diplomatic breakthrough underlined Beijing’s political inroads into the Middle East. Indeed, China’s relations with Iran have grown in recent years due to an alignment in their geopolitical interests, while China-Saudi Arabia relations have also notably strengthened. The deepening of the strategic partner

The policy implications of a change in administration at Washington will raise valid concerns on the continuity of policies that came out at Apuli

If China wins the race in developing Space Based Solar Power as a feasible source of energy, which would meet the world's growing energy demand, it will result in huge economic and strategic gains for China.

Two examples-the first from the aviation and the second from the renewable energy industries-demonstrate how China has used unfair rules and regulations to fuel its meteoric rise.