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As anticipated, the much-touted and ill-prepared protest by the Bhiku movement and Sarath Fonseka's Democratic National Alliance (DNA), seeking to replace the Executive Presidency, has Sri Lanka ended in a whimper.

For Japan, which deployed missile destroyer J S Fuyuzuki and SH 60K helicopters on India's invitation, the Malabar Exercise signals the growing importance of ties between the two nations as well as the personal importance that PM Modi has attached to India's strategic ties with Japan.

why should Delhi have a monopoly on good ideas? While Mumbai is the economic capital of India, its history has also forced it to be a center of strategic and policy thought from which Delhi remains divorced

India’s West Asia engagement must focus on strengthening its presence as an economic and security partner

ISRO should embrace a civilian identity and, aided by legislation, form partnerships with the industry and entrepreneurs.

Gen. Mattis' visit underscored the growing salience of defence ties in shaping the trajectory of Indo-US relations.

In the next Budget Finance Minister Pranab Mukherjee will have to strive hard to reduce fiscal deficit because a big fiscal deficit gives wrong signals to investors. The current year's Central and state combined fiscal deficit stands at 8.5 per cent.

The government will need a lot of explaining to do about the rising corruption in the Budget session and will have to cast its tax net wider to catch the tax dodgers. What it will do to make the tax base bigger could be an interesting feature of Budget 2013.

Maharashtra imposed alcohol prohibition in the Chandrapur district in April 2015. However, in 2021, the state government annulled the liquor ban as evidence indicated that the district administration had failed to comprehensively implement it, with several social and economic consequences that compromised the wellbeing of Chandrapur. Experiments in prohibition in India and the US show that it is nearly impossible for such widespread socia

Outlining the need for a concerted effort to deal with water challenges in South Asia, experts at a roundtable suggested that there was a strong reason to create collaborative rather than competitive frameworks.

ORF, the Public Diplomacy Division of the Ministry of External Affairs of India and CERI - Sciences Po and Centre d'analyse Stratégique (CAPS) of France have begun an Experts Policy Dialogue to delve into key areas, opportunities and challenges that will shape, enrich and confront the India-France relationship in the coming years.

Canada-India relations are entering a cool period.

Last week’s clash near Tawang is only the latest along the increasingly tense China-India border. A lack of clarity on where the border lies foments continued trouble.

Heightening great-power rivalry has impeded consensus-making in multilateral institutions. This has given rise, in recent years, to minilaterals especially in the Indo-Pacific. Even as there are criticisms that minilaterals are too informal and lacking in structures that are required for focused debates, China’s belligerence has galvanised support for, and focus within minilateral groupings in the region. Over the past year, the fallout of the

In recent years, both nations have displayed a renewed focus and prioritisation of establishing strong relationships with each other and the neighbouring ASEAN countries.

This report makes an appraisal of the geopolitical, geostrategic and geoeconomic dimensions of the linkages between India’s east coast and the ‘extended Bay’—Thailand, Malaysia, Singapore and Indonesia—with respect to port logistics, trade interactions, disaster management and strategic convergences. The aim of this study is three-fold: a) to examine the existing nature of port and commercial linkages between India and the aforesaid lit

With India seeking to connect the next billion, and becoming a key player in the global Internet debate, it is important to have clearly formed domestic policies. The combination of regulatory interest, corporate opposition and constitutional rights suggest that the time is right for a nuanced debate on net neutrality in India.

The 70th anniversary of Russia-India relations is an opportune time to make a comprehensive assessment of the current state of their cooperation, keeping in mind the long history of friendship between the two countries. In the last few years, India and Russia have been struggling to retain the legacy of their long-term relationship while moving beyond the traditional spheres of cooperation to reach new heights. To expand their bilateral agenda,

This brief examines the efficacy of the inclusion of private capital in development finance, using the cases of certain countries that have met with success in utilising such a strategy. It underlines the experiences of institutions like the Japan Bank for International Cooperation (JBIC) and the United States International Development Finance Corporation (US-IDFC) that use innovative financial tools to support international financial institution

In today’s digital economy, the United States (US) remains a market leader in many digital technologies; meanwhile, China is fast catching up. In Europe, foreign technology companies have a strong presence, often creating dependencies that can undermine digital sovereignty. Digitisation, therefore, is high on the European Union’s (EU) political agenda. This paper analyses recent key policy responses by the EU, and finds that the union

Azerbaijan has become an attractive investment destination, connecting Europe, Central Asia, Russia, and the Indian subcontinent via the International North-South Transport Corridor (INSTC) and the Trans-Caspian International Transport Route (TITR). Indeed, over the years, India has explored various options to enhance connectivity with Russia and Europe via Azerbaijan. This brief assesses how the Western Route of the INSTC and the TITR can improv

Their established ties rest on a foundation of common values and goals

The Northeastern states of India have massive potential for harnessing hydroelectricity. While the government has rightly recognised this capacity as crucial to boosting the growth of the region, the pace of development has remained slow, and marred by many problems. This brief builds on the “43rdReport on Hydro Power” presented in Parliament in January 2019 by the Standing Committee on Energy, to assess the prospects of the hydropower sector

The Ambassador of France to India, H.E. Mr. Francois Richier, has underlined the importance of a comprehensive agreement on migration and mobility, which would feed into increasing bilateral education and business opportunities.

Over the last few decades, a global climate finance architecture has emerged to channel domestic and international funds towards climate change mitigation and adaptation efforts. However, mobilising climate capital at scale has been a challenge, particularly in the Global South, since the current financial system is inept at including climate change metrics in its capital allocation and disbursement processes, and applying a climate justi

The metaverse is a real-time, three-dimensional world that is accessible through Virtual Reality (VR) head-mounted display. Called ‘the next Internet’, the metaverse is multi-technology and incorporates hardware infrastructure with immersive technology, blockchain technology, computer vision, and ubiquitous interfaces. Globally, metaverse is still in the nascent stage as stakeholders work to figure out its innovative and practical app

China’s tech giants and venture capital funds are making increasing amounts of investment in startups abroad. Startups, being key drivers of digital innovation, are attractive investment targets; the capital can in turn help them grow and scale. These Chinese investments, however, are also the subject of increasing concern, amidst heightening global competition around digital technologies. Investments can lead to a sell-out of technology, an in

The unguarded optimism about reconciliation with the Taliban may seem misplaced, but the proponents of the concept are increasing in number. The success of a negotiated peace deal with the Taliban, however, will hinge on the sustainability of the power-sharing arrangement that emerges as a result of conciliatory talks. Whether the Afghan government, or the international community will be able to devise an effective peace-building strategy in the

Delhi—a city and union territory of India containing the country’s capital, New Delhi—continues to grow in population, posing challenges to civic agencies in the provision of citizens’ essential needs. This brief examines the experience of Delhi’s water agency in obtaining raw water, amid the growing gap in supply and demand that is only being exacerbated by climate change. The brief finds multiple reasons for the inadequacy of raw wate

Taking note of the winds of change sweeping through the resource-rich and people-rich African continent, ORF organised a day-long round-table to unravel the implications of the resurgence of Africa for the India-Africa partnership.

The " China Daily" reported on January 22,2005, that 13 persons were killed and 18 others injured in two separate explosions in China's Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region coinciding with the Eid-al-Adha religious festival.

This paper attempts to make a contribution in the context of the recent push in making India an e-empowered economy for promoting exports. The study stems from the premise that exports respond significantly to the costs associated with breaking into foreign markets and sustaining in those markets, whereas e-commerce offers a ready platform to minimise such costs. The empirical exercise focuses on export decision and export intensity, after adjust

India has moderated its position on the Israel-Palestine conflict over time, exchanging statements of condemnation for those "expressing concern". But behind India's strategic balancing act there also lies a precise domestic calculus.

Among the most severe consequences of climate change is the global rise in average temperatures, and the resultant increase in the frequency and intensity of heatwaves. Cities are particularly vulnerable to heatwaves as their high built density absorbs and retains heat, leading to higher temperatures than the surrounding areas and causing the ‘heat island’ effect. India’s northwest region routinely experiences abnormally hot days during the

The US Quadrennial Defense Review panel's recent (July 29, 2010) report to the US Congress had a very telling remark about Pakistan Army and its intelligence agencies which raises a whole new spectre of violence the world is likely to confront in the years ahead.

Social media is becoming an increasingly useful tool for radicalisation and the recruitment and mobilisation of individuals for extremist activities. India, with its unique socio-political landscape, is particularly susceptible to the misuse of social media. This brief explores the challenges posed by social media extremism in India and globally. It examines the psychological and societal impacts of platforms like X, the interplay between local a

Economic experts firmly believe that FDI is the need of the hour and with political will and good governance measures, it could prove to be crucial in enhancing development in the region.