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Data-driven policy recommendations to strengthen nutrition interventions in India
Sep 28, 2023

Data-driven policy recommendations to strengthen nutrition interventions in India

Data-driven, context-specific, integrated, and holistic policy interventions at the state level are needed to address acute and chronic malnutrition i

Policy Recommendations for Achieving India’s Defence-Export Ambitions
Nov 23, 2023

Policy Recommendations for Achieving India’s Defence-Export Ambitions

This brief assesses the recent trends in India’s defence exports and analyses the institutional and policy frameworks that have enabled a change in the country’s approach towards defence exports, resulting in an upward trajectory. It offers specific policy recommendations to allow India to pursue its target of US$5 billion in defence export revenue. However, a discussion on the types and forms of weapons, platforms, systems, or sub-systems ex

Indian investments in Africa: Scale, trends, and policy recommendations
May 24, 2017

Indian investments in Africa: Scale, trends, and policy recommendations

Indian investments in Africa, from both public and private sector entities, have increased considerably in the last decade. Yet despite the growing importance of Indian investments in Africa, only a few empirical studies have been carried out on the subject. This paper undertakes a disaggregated analysis of Indian foreign direct investment outflows to Africa from 2008 to 2016, and presents three main findings. First, it confirms earlier analyses

India’s Coastal Security Challenges and Policy Recommendations
Jul 31, 2023

India’s Coastal Security Challenges and Policy Recommendations

The November 2008 terrorist attacks on Mumbai the commercial capital of an economically resurgent India?left a deep and indelible impact on the Indian security psyche. The attacks exposed the lackadaisical attitude of the Government, at both the Central and state level, towards coastal security and the sheer illpreparedness of the country to combat such terror threats from the seas.

Water Security in South Asia: Issues and Policy Recommendations
Aug 10, 2023

Water Security in South Asia: Issues and Policy Recommendations

This brief is largely based on several discussions organised at Observer Research Foundation over a period of time. These discussions were enriched by the presence of some of the well-known experts on water issues in the country, like former Union Minister for Water Resources, Dr. Suresh Prabhu, current High Commissioner of Bangladesh, Tariq Ahmad Karim, Mr. Sunjoy Joshi, Director, Observer Research Foundation, Ms. Clare Shakya, Senior Regional C

Breaking Glass Ceiling? Mapping EU-India Security Cooperation
May 11, 2023

Breaking Glass Ceiling? Mapping EU-India Security Cooperation

This year marks the 15th year since India and the European Union (EU) agreed on a Strategic Partnership in 2004. Over the years, despite robust bilateral relations between individual European states and India, the EU-India relations have largely been in the area of potential rather than accomplishment. This brief evaluates the emerging security partnership by focusing on three key areas, viz. peacekeeping, nuclear issues, and maritime security. I

Cyber Mercenaries: The Failures of Current Responses and the Imperative of International Collaboration
Dec 11, 2023

Cyber Mercenaries: The Failures of Current Responses and the Imperative of International Collaboration

Digital adoption, hastened globally by the COVID-19 epidemic, brought along with it both benefits and threats, including concerns of safety and security of the cyberspace. Current geopolitical dynamics, ongoing strategic and economic disputes, as well as attempts by authoritarian regimes to preserve power have allowed companies with malicious intent—known as ‘cyber mercenaries’—to develop and deploy offensive cyber capabilities. The tools

Developing a policy framework for emerging crowdfunding ecosystems
Jul 12, 2019

Developing a policy framework for emerging crowdfunding ecosystems

Crowdfunding is a concept that refers to an open call for finances, often for innovative or unique projects and campaigns. Crowdfunding platforms act as intermediators between supporter and project, investor and investee, or lender and lendee. The platforms intermediate this process by arranging the payment process between the parties. This brief outlines the benefits of crowdfunding for improving access to financing for small and medium enterpri

Elected Women Representatives in Local Rural Governments in India: Assessing the Impact and Challenges
Jan 31, 2024

Elected Women Representatives in Local Rural Governments in India: Assessing the Impact and Challenges

India’s 73rd Constitutional Amendment Act, which empowered local self-governments (Panchayati Raj Institutions) and reserved one-third of electoral seats in these bodies for women, has elevated women’s participation in rural governance. India is among the foremost countries for women’s participation in local governments, with over 1.45 million women shaping local decision-making. Women leaders are a critical link between local governance, s

Estimating the Productivity of India’s Agricultural Waters: Towards Water and Nutritional Security Through Crop Choices
Apr 05, 2022

Estimating the Productivity of India’s Agricultural Waters: Towards Water and Nutritional Security Through Crop Choices

This paper presents an approach towards promoting nutritional security on one hand, and water security on the other, in an integrated framework. Using econometric models, it delineates water use efficiency on the basis of calorific estimates of the productivity of agricultural water use in the context of various crops. Based on the estimated marginal product of water across the various crops, the paper finds that alternative crops such as maize a

Former PM Envoy launches "Nuclear Security in India" report
Jun 01, 2015

Former PM Envoy launches "Nuclear Security in India" report

'Nuclear Security in India' Report, launched recently by former PM Envoy on Non-Proliferation Rakesh Sood, sets out a list of policy recommendations which essentially seeks to address the gaps that still remain in the overall architecture of nuclear security in the country.

Global Internet Governance: India’s Search for a New Paradigm
Aug 23, 2023

Global Internet Governance: India’s Search for a New Paradigm

What should be India's approach towards the international internet governance discourse? This Issue Brief attempts answer this question by examining the Indian government's engagement with the global community, using the recently concluded NETmundial conference on internet governance as a case study. It also provides policy recommendations for the way forward.

India-Bangladesh Connectivity: A Year after Modi's Visit
Jun 18, 2016

India-Bangladesh Connectivity: A Year after Modi's Visit

Keeping in mind the historical and civilisational ties of India and Bangladesh and their geographic proximity, ORF-Kolkata undertook a year-long study on India-Bangladesh connectivity, using extensive field visits and interviews with relevant stakeholders. The findings of the study were collated in a report, titled, India-Bangladesh Connectivity: Possibilities and Challenges, and released just before the visit of Prime Minister Narendra Modi

Mapping the Literature on Development Assistance in Health: A Bibliometric Analysis
Apr 22, 2024

Mapping the Literature on Development Assistance in Health: A Bibliometric Analysis

This paper presents a bibliometric analysis of the literature on private health aid and official health assistance between 2000 and 2022. It provides an overview of the sites and themes in the literature pertaining to development assistance in health, and collates the significant policy recommendations presented therein. Several crucial findings emerge from the bibliometric analysis: 44.2 percent of the 489 papers/articles assessed focused on low

Nepal’s Rahughat Hydropower Project and Indian LOCs
May 12, 2023

Nepal’s Rahughat Hydropower Project and Indian LOCs

India's flagship economic diplomacy programme, the grant of Lines of Credit (LOC), has had immense success in expanding the country's development cooperation around the world. In the African region, for instance, countries have found LOCs to be appropriate alternatives to traditional development assistance. LOCs are a popular tool among countries looking to fund their development goals. Closer to home, Nepal has received more than $1 billion in d

Social protection to mitigate poverty: Examining the neglect of India’s informal workers
Aug 21, 2023

Social protection to mitigate poverty: Examining the neglect of India’s informal workers

Social protection is crucial in tackling extreme poverty and ensuring equitable development, thus catalysing the transition to a more stable and robust economy. About 50 percent of India’s economy hinges on its informal workers, who comprise 90 percent of the country’s total workforce. Yet, these informal workers continue to be excluded from current social-protection schemes, leaving them with no social or financial safety net and trapping th

Strengthening CBRN Security in India: Domestic Strategies and Global Collaborations
Nov 06, 2024

Strengthening CBRN Security in India: Domestic Strategies and Global Collaborations

India’s geopolitically sensitive location and complex relationships with neighbours, global powers, and non-state actors necessitate national security strategies that include the Chemical, Biological, Radiological, and Nuclear (CBRN) domain. This paper discusses the current threat scenario related to CBRN technologies; it makes a case for leveraging multilateral cooperation through alliances like the Quad and regional partnerships to strengthen

Taiwan’s Battle for Diplomatic Space
Sep 22, 2022

Taiwan’s Battle for Diplomatic Space

Taiwan is facing an existential identity crisis, one whose consequences can go well beyond the region. The island exists between two sovereignties: it has domestic sovereignty and is secure in its identity as a democracy and an economic powerhouse; at the same time, it has an uncertain international sovereignty and is insecure in a larger battle with China about that identity. From a traditional international-relations perspective, Taiwan meets e

The Role of Commercial Ties in Advancing India-Taiwan Relations
Aug 30, 2023

The Role of Commercial Ties in Advancing India-Taiwan Relations

India and Taiwan have historically maintained ‘unofficial’ ties. There have been notable shifts in recent years, as seen in the creation of representative offices in both that serve de facto as embassies. Today the two are aiming to foster more robust economic ties. The COVID-19 pandemic, China’s assertive behaviour, and the growing significance of Taiwan in regional geopolitics, have prompted India to pay greater attention to the island na

The Social and Political Dimensions of Ethnic Conflicts in Manipur
Nov 11, 2023

The Social and Political Dimensions of Ethnic Conflicts in Manipur

The state of Manipur has been steeped in violent conflicts between ethnic groups for decades. The latest, ongoing strife between the Kukis and the Meiteis that erupted in early May has exposed the failure of state forces to contain the violence, even as it reflects the deep-rooted hostility between the two ethnic groups. This brief attempts to engage with the multifaceted, historical ethnic conflict between the Kukis and the Meiteis of Manipur. I

The state of India's pulses sector
Dec 08, 2016

The state of India's pulses sector

Pulses are the cheapest source of protein for Indians – and thus a favoured food item nationwide. The Indian pulses sector, however, faces numerous challenges. Scrutiny of the sector increased sharply after price fluctuations in 2015-16 and the increase in import of pulses. Government interventions, as part of the anticipated supply response to the shortfall in availability of pulses, did not entirely mitigate the problem. The sector stands at

Understanding Sino-Indian border issues: An analysis of incidents reported in the Indian media
Feb 12, 2018

Understanding Sino-Indian border issues: An analysis of incidents reported in the Indian media

Reports of incursions by the Chinese People’s Liberation Army along the Line-of-Actual Control (LAC) are rife in the Indian media. A commonly held opinion is that the Indian media tend to sensationalise their reportage of these incursions, or “China’s transgressions”, as the Indian government calls them. This paper analyses these incidents, as reported in select Indian newspapers, over a period of 12 years. It outlines the nature of these