India’s Stance on the ‘Asian NATO’: Between ‘Status’ and ‘Security’ Dilemmas ‘Security’ and ‘status’ complexities are critical impediments for any state’s foreign policy; and India is no different. This article argues that as the China threat looms large, New Delhi will not be in complete repudiation of an ‘Asian NATO’ (or “Indo-Pacific NATO”), despite strategically refraining from being party to a definitive military alliance and an age-old non-alignment principle. However, India’s support will be contingent on the future trajectory of its ties with Beijing. Jagannath P. Panda | January 2022 | Strategic Analysis
Southeast Asian Defence Markets: Opportunities for India A larger exchange of defence business between India and Southeast Asia may consolidate India’s position in the regional security architecture, and also forge greater political alignment with important ASEAN partners. Akash Sahu | December 29, 2021 | IDSA Comments
The Biden Administration and the Future of ‘No First Use’ Although the ideas of nuclear arms control, nuclear security and nuclear disarmament have featured in several US official statements and joint statements with other countries, will US adopt the ‘No First Use’ policy, remains to be seen. Rajiv Nayan | December 28, 2021 | IDSA Comments
Various Facets of the ‘Traffic Light Coalition’ in Germany With few convergences among partners, the path of the “traffic light coalition” headed by Olaf Scholz is laden with challenges, but also offers spaces for positive action. With several new faces in key positions, its success would lie in maintaining continuity, and tweaking it to accommodate necessary changes when required. Swasti Rao | December 23, 2021 | IDSA Comments
Re-thinking Gulf Security The Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) remains an inadequate and ineffective instrument to pursue regional security. Rajeev Agarwal | February 01, 2021 | IDSA Comments
China–Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC): The Project and its Prospects The China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) has been earmarked as a flagship project of the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI), which is described as Chinese President Xi Jinping's signature foreign policy initiative and a grand strategy aimed at restoring China's “rightful'' great-power status in the world. It is a major plank in China's geo-strategic and economic architecture for the region, using Pakistan to secure an exploitative strategic perch in South Asia and the Arabian Sea, overlooking the crucial Persian Gulf, the west coast of India, and the east coast of Africa. Amb. Sujan R. Chinoy | | Occasional Papers
Putin’s Visit to India: Launch of a Revitalised Partnership President Putin’s short but highly consequential visit to India and the launch of the 2+2 format have imbued new dynamism into the bilateral partnership. There might be a few areas of divergence between the two sides but spheres of convergence are much greater. Ashok Sajjanhar | December 16, 2021 | IDSA Comments
Institutions That Shaped Modern India: ISRO Publisher: Rupa An introduction to ISRO, the organization that took India to space. The end of colonial rule was an important milestone worth celebrating, but what lay ahead was a long journey towards the making of modern India. The narrative of ‘modern India’ would be incomplete without the stories of institutions that helped shape India as we know it today. This volume, part of a series on Institutions that Shaped Modern India, offers an in-depth introduction to one such institution—the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO). It tells the story of ISRO from its inception to present times. Capturing its history and its evolution, dotted with several achievements and some setbacks, and offering deep insights into ISRO’s key projects—past, present and future—the book is an ode to an institution that has been at the steering wheel of India’s journey into space and has played a seminal role in nation-building. ISBN: 978-93-90356-56-0, Price: ?. 395/- Ajey Lele | | Book
Quantum Technologies and Military Strategy Publisher: Springer This book is about the strategic relevance of quantum technologies. It debates the military-specific aspects of this technology. Various chapters of this book cohere around two specific themes. The first theme discusses the global pattern of ongoing civilian and military research on quantum computers, quantum cryptography, quantum communications and quantum internet. The second theme explicitly identifies the relevance of these technologies in the military domain and the possible nature of quantum technology-based weapons. This thread further debates on quantum (arms) race at a global level in general, and in the context of the USA and China, in particular. The book argues that the defence utility of these technologies is increasingly becoming obvious and is likely to change the nature of warfare in the future. ISBN: 978-3-030-72720-8 , Price: EUR 89.99 Ajey Lele | | Book
Pentagon Report and the Chinese Nuclear Forces Assessment The rapid increase in the nuclear forces of China, as revealed in the 2021 Pentagon Report, is a matter of serious concern. Several countries are undertaking exercises to ascertain the strategic and security implications of the feared expansion of the Chinese nuclear stockpile. Rajiv Nayan | December 14, 2021 | Issue Brief
