Strategic Analysis
Strategic Analysis is the bimonthly journal of the Manohar Parrikar Institute for Defence Studies and Analyses (MP-IDSA), New Delhi. It is published by Routledge, an imprint of the Taylor & Francis Group, United Kingdom.
For subscription and other details, please visit the Taylor and Francis Online webpage.
The Journal provides a forum for independent research, analyses, and commentaries on national, regional and international security issues that have policy relevance. It seeks to promote a better understanding of Indian thinking on contemporary national and international themes. The Journal reflects a diversity of views from the strategic and international relations studies community both from within and outside India. The flagship in the IDSA stable of publications, Strategic Analysis began as a monthly journal in April 1977 and served as a medium for publishing commentaries on current events. From early 1987, its contents came to include both research articles as well as commentaries on national and international developments. It was transformed into a quarterly, refereed, journal in 2002. Routledge has been publishing the journal in a bi-monthly format since January 2007.
Scholars and analysts are welcome to submit well-researched papers for publication in this refereed journal.
Submissions should be directed to the T&F Group Submission Portal.
Guidelines for contributors [+]
Current Issue: January-February 2026
The first Issue of 2026 presents a diverse set of scholarly contributions examining the changing contours of regional security, strategic competition, and emerging policy challenges across Asia and beyond. The opening article investigates the evolving counter-terrorism landscape in Afghanistan, analysing how growing engagement between China and the Taliban is reshaping regional security dynamics while eroding Pakistan’s long-held strategic leverage. This is followed by an assessment of the shifting geopolitical equations in the Himalayas, exploring the complex interactions among China, Nepal, Bhutan, and India and their implications for regional stability. Broadening the discussion, another contribution revisits the concept of Ostpolitik through a Eurasian perspective, critically evaluating the possibilities and limitations of normative geo-economics in an increasingly contested international environment. The Issue also addresses the intersection of technology and security by examining AI and cybersecurity in border management, highlighting their transformative role in responding to non-traditional threats along the India–China frontier. Complementing these discussions, a study on India’s response to China’s illegal, unreported, and unregulated fishing activities in the Southwest Indian Ocean examines the convergence of maritime security, environmental governance, and sustainable resource management.
The Commentaries engage with pressing contemporary concerns that extend beyond conventional security debates. One contribution reassesses the future of the Indus Waters Treaty, arguing for a broader framework that moves beyond water-sharing arrangements to accommodate changing political and strategic realities. Another commentary highlights the often-overlooked environmental consequences of armed conflict, examining the profound ecological damage it inflicts on societies and ecosystems alike.
The Strategic Essay explores the ongoing transformation of India’s military logistics architecture, assessing how the National Logistics Policy and the PM GatiShakti initiative are enhancing operational preparedness, improving infrastructure integration, and strengthening the country’s strategic capabilities.
The Book Reviews examine two significant recent works in international relations and strategic affairs. Finally, the From the Archives section revisits enduring strategic questions through two historically significant contributions. The first considers Iran’s aspirations and constraints as a regional power, while the second reflects on debates surrounding peaceful nuclear explosions, offering perspectives that continue to resonate in contemporary discussions on regional security, technological advancement, and strategic policy.
Archives [+]
