India’s Participation in the Quad: From Hesitation to Proactivity The ‘Indo-Pacific’ region has become one of the epicentres of global issues, with the emergence of multilateral mechanisms such as the ‘Quadrilateral Security Dialogue’ (Quad). This group comprises Australia, India, Japan and the United States of America. India is considered to be the ‘weakest link’ in the Quad. However, this is only partially true. The authors of this article are of the view that, being the only country in the group that is not a formal US ally, India’s participation in Quad has been ‘different’ rather than ‘weak’ – moving from being hesitant to being more proactive, while maintaining its strategic autonomy. Le Thi Hang Nga , Nguyen Thi Oanh , Phan Cao Nhat Anh , Temjenmeren Ao , Ha Le Huyen | January-February 2025 | Strategic Analysis
Regional Organizations and Maritime Dispute Resolution: Challenges in ASEAN and the Baltic Sea Academic research demonstrates that regional organizations have great influence in resolving maritime conflicts, as its members are immediately affected by contention in the region. However, regional organizations also face challenges stemming from the organization’s own mechanism, capacity, and role which reduces the regional organization’s active role in preventing and resolving conflicts. This article examines the case of the Baltic Sea and South China Sea regions, specifically, comparing, analysing challenges in maritime conflict resolution between the ASEAN and CBSS. Hanh Hong Bui , Huong Thu Thi Doan , Nam Thanh Bui | January-February 2025 | Strategic Analysis
Iranian Nuclear Question and Israel’s Threat Perceptions The prospects for lasting peace in the West Asian region remain minimal despite the ceasefire in the aftermath of the 12-day Iran–Israel war. Rohit Kumar Sharma , Abhishek Verma | | Issue Brief
The 12-Day Iran–Israel War and Reverberations in West Asia The Iran–Israel war will significantly impact the future geopolitics and security in the West Asian region. Prasanta Kumar Pradhan | | Issue Brief
Environmental Security Complex in the Hindu-Kush Himalayas: A Regional Perspective The Hindu-Kush Himalayas (HKH) mountains that sustain billions of livelihoods are facing transboundary environmental threats including climate change, natural disasters, air pollution, and food and water insecurity that transcend political borders. Environmental threats have, however, remained at the periphery of security discourse. By employing the ‘Theory of Regional Security Complex’ the article looks at the evolution of a security complex in the environmental sector and how it is projected to evolve further in the backdrop of increasing environmental insecurities. It argues for interdependence among States concerning transboundary environmental threats and situates the relevance of the environmental sector in the heavily politicized and militarized HKH. Akriti Sharma , Neeraj Singh Manhas | January-February 2025 | Strategic Analysis
India in Global Climate Politics: Balancing Continuity and Change India has played a key role in international processes related to global environment and the climate crisis. The nature of India’s participation has gradually shifted—from being a defensive actor to one actively shaping global efforts on climate change. Yet, some elements of India’s climate policy have remained rooted in its original ideational values. Using the qualitative content analysis method, this article traces the evolution of India’s engagement with international climate diplomacy from Kyoto (1997) to Dubai (2023), with the goal of delineating its continuity and change. The article identifies three factors to explain these shifts—systemic change, institutional reform, and proactive leadership. Robert Mizo | January-February 2025 | Strategic Analysis
What is the Great Powers Perspective on the International Order? Analysing the Content of US, Chinese, EU, and Russian Strategic Plans International order is one of the most important questions for scholars in the field of International Relations. Many efforts have been made to understand the nature and characteristics of global order, especially in recent years. This article attempts to analyse the strategic documents of four major powers (the United States, the European Union, China, and Russia) to understand and compare them. This research employs qualitative content analysis and coding techniques using MAXQDA2020 to examine the strategic documents of these powers and their perception of international order. The results of this research demonstrate that alliance is the preferred concept of the global powers. Ali Salehian , Nilofar Babak | January-February 2025 | Strategic Analysis
China’s Two Sessions 2025: Influence of CPC’s Political Ideas The Two Sessions (两会) 2025 reflected the key political ideas driving China’s pursuit of economic reforms. M.S. Prathibha | | Issue Brief
From Diffusion to Discretion: Contextualising US Pivot in Compute Control The abrupt rescission of the AI Diffusion Framework marks a significant shift in US approach to AI policy. Meghna Pradhan | | Issue Brief
The Quad and the Critical Minerals Initiative Strategic partnerships like the Quad Critical Minerals Initiative can play a crucial role in helping India secure access to critical minerals. Ajey Lele | | IDSA Comments
