Search Result - MP-IDSA

High Energy Materials: Contemporary Warfare and India’s Defence Industrial Policy

The global high-energy materials/thermobaric munitions market is expected to expand significantly as states pursue futuristic, technology-driven systems.

Türkiye–Egypt Rapprochement: Regional Implications

Türkiye’s President Erdoğan’s February 2026 visit to Cairo consolidates the structured strategic engagement between Türkiye and Egypt.

Jihadism and the Neo-Colonial Great Game for Africa

Sub-Saharan Africa has become the eye of the global jihadist storm, with the Sahel region accounting for over half of terrorism-related fatalities worldwide in 2024.

The Dokdo/Takeshima Islands: A Flashpoint of ‘Competitive Nationalisms’?

Heightened activity around Dokdo/Takeshima by the ROK could generate a ‘clash of nationalisms’ with Japan and endanger delicate bilateral relations.

The Gulf Regional Stability under Strain

The rapidly evolving political and security dynamics in the Gulf are likely to have significant repercussions for broader strategic stability.

SHANTI Act and India’s Nuclear Energy Governance Framework

The SHANTI Act establishes a unified legal framework designed to address India’s contemporary and future energy requirements.

Niranjan Chandrashekhar Oak , Bhawna Budhwar
2026 |
Issue Brief

India’s BRICS Presidency: Challenges and Opportunities

India’s success as the 2026 BRICS Chair will depend on its ability to keep the group focused on functional cooperation, including health, climate finance and multilateral reform.

The Political Economy of South Korea’s Arms Trade with India: Challenges and Prospects

South Korea’s rapid rise as a manufacturing powerhouse and a leading export-oriented economy was made possible due to the active role of the ‘developmental state’ in the country. Despite adopting several neoliberal policies after the devastating Asian financial crisis of 1997, the South Korean state did not fully abandon its role in the country’s economic development. In recent years, selling of military hardware has emerged as one of the ‘new engines of economic growth’ for this export-oriented nation. Furthermore, South Korea’s economic and strategic relations with India have developed significantly, particularly after the end of the Cold War. The arms trade between the two countries has also grown notably. While India’s developing economic and strategic relations with South Korea are well-documented, there is a lack of literature on New Delhi’s increasing arms trade with Seoul. This article explains the challenges and prospects of South Korea’s trade of weapons with India.

Jordan’s Tightrope Walk: Strategy and Survival in the Israel-Palestine Conflict

Despite its limited resources and modest military capabilities, Jordan has long exercised outsized influence in West Asia through its central role in the Israel-Palestine conflict and its credibility as a security partner of the United States. The kingdom's strategic interests are deeply intertwined with developments in the West Bank and Gaza due to its geography, demographic sensitivities, and custodianship over Islamic holy sites in Jerusalem. The Israel–Hamas war has intensified Amman's anxieties over potential displacement scenario and unilateral Israeli expansionist ambitions. This paper examines the drivers of Jordan's foreign policy, its historical approach to the Palestinian question, its evolving engagement with Israel, and the kingdom's diplomatic and security posture during the said war and potential post-war dynamics.

India’s ‘Pacific Islands’ Outreach: Understanding Regional Narratives, Geopolitics & Opportunities

The narrative of ‘the return of geopolitics’ to the Pacific Island Countries (PICs) is gaining traction in the larger discourse of the Indo-Pacific, primarily driven by the anxiety over People’s Republic of China’s (PRC’s) expanding engagement in the region. The exacerbation of international tensions, amplified by the Sino-US rivalry, comes even as the Islands navigate intra-regional frictions, challenges of economic development, illegal fishing, climate change and issues related to self-determination and decolonisation. India’s renewed outreach to the PICs under PM Modi’s leadership has found wide appeal, as was visible during his visits to the Pacific Islands and his interaction with leaders via the Forum for India-Pacific Islands Cooperation (FIPIC). Given this context, this monograph will attempt to briefly introduce the relevance of this contested geography to regional and extra-regional players. It will unpack the internal dynamics of regional tensions and examine the agency of PICs. It will expand on how China’s actions are redefining geopolitics in the region and discuss these contested narratives. Within this backdrop, it will also explore how Indian engagement has been perceived in the region and conclude with prescriptive options of steps India could take, including with regional partners, to anchor meaningful presence in the PICs region.