Ajey Lele

Deputy Director General, Manohar Parrikar IDSA, Gp Capt (Dr) Ajey Lele’s article ‘Space cargo: the next frontier in global logistics’ has been published in Volume 9 Issue 3 of MedCrave, Physics & Astronomy International Journal Having operational space based systems for delivery of cargo on the earth would immensely help the defence forces and simultaneously there could be significant commercial benefits too, writes Gp Capt Lele. Read Complete Article [+] Disclaimer: The views expressed by the author are personal and do not in any way reflect the views of MP-IDSA or the Government of India.

The February 2026 New Delhi AI Impact Summit is expected to reorient the global conversation on AI from principles to their practical, tangible impact.

• Ajey Lele, Meghna Pradhan |
• January 01, 2026 |
• Special Feature

Deputy Director General Manohar Parrikar IDSA, Gp Capt (Dr) Ajey Lele’s article ‘Why Did Trump Designate Fentanyl a Weapon of Mass Destruction?’ has been published in ‘The Wire’ on 27 December 2025. By attaching a WMD designation to fentanyl, the Trump administration gets wider legal and political space to pursue a military action against various groups in Mexico, writes Gp Capt Lele. Read Complete Article [+] Disclaimer: The views expressed by the author are personal and do not in any way reflect the views of MP-IDSA or the Government of India.

Deputy Director General, Manohar Parrikar IDSA, Gp Capt (Dr) Ajey Lele’s article ‘ISRO’s BlueBird launch is a new phase in India-US space ties—denial to cooperation’ was published in ‘The Print’ on 25 December 2025. In the early 1990s, the US actively worked to block India’s access to cryogenic engine technology. Today, a US private company has approached ISRO to launch its satellite, writes Gp Capt Lele. Read Complete Article [+] Disclaimer: The views expressed by the author are personal and do not in any way reflect the views of MP-IDSA or the Government of India.

The shift away from a state-dominated nuclear governance framework towards an investment-friendly regime could enable the Indian nuclear industry to prosper.

• Ajey Lele |
• December 17, 2025 |
• IDSA Comments

Deputy Director General, Manohar Parrikar IDSA, GP Capt (Dr) Ajey Lele’s commentary ‘Biological Disasters, Climate Extremes, and India’s Air Power–Driven Humanitarian Outreach’ has been published by the Society for the Study of Peace and Conflict (SSPC) on 10 December 2025. The article offers a broad overview of disaster relief operations with a specific focus on biological disasters and climate-induced emergencies, two categories that pose distinct operational, logistical, and governance challenges for Humanitarian Assistance and Disaster Relief (HADR) frameworks. Read Complete Article [+] Disclaimer: The views expressed by the author are personal and do not in any way reflect the views of MP-IDSA or the Government of India.

Deputy Director General, Manohar Parrikar IDSA, Gp Capt (Dr) Ajey Lele’s article ‘Chandrayaan-3 successfully undertakes lunar flybys’ has been published in ‘The Space Review’ on 01 December 2025. These missions are keeping India’s scientific footprint active on the Moon and prove India’s technological maturity in the era when some major programs for the Moon are in making, says Gp Capt Lele. Read Complete Article [+] Disclaimer: The views expressed by the author are personal and do not in any way reflect the views of MP-IDSA or the Government of India.

China has demonstrated the ability to ensure continuous human-occupied space station operations, even during emergencies.

• Ajey Lele |
• November 27, 2025 |
• IDSA Comments

The US's absence from the 2025 G20 discussions on critical minerals weakens collective efforts to counterbalance China’s influence.

• Ajey Lele |
• November 24, 2025 |
• IDSA Comments

Deputy Director General, Manohar Parrikar IDSA, Gp Capt (Dr) Ajey Lele’s article ‘ISRO’s Findings about CMEs Impacting the Moon’ has been published in the Taaza Khabar News on 19 November 2025. The recent findings by ISRO about the impact of solar storms on the lunar surface holds particular importance at a time when some key space agencies are planning new missions to enhance our understanding of the Moon. These include lunar sample return missions, human flyby missions, and crewed landings on the lunar surface, says Gp Capt Lele. Read Complete Article [+] Disclaimer: The views expressed by the author are personal and do not in any way reflect the views of MP-IDSA or the Government of India.