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Shruti Pandalai is an Associate Fellow at the Manohar Parrikar Institute for Defence Studies and Analyses, primarily working on issues closely related to India’s national security and foreign policy. Attached with the Centre for Military Affairs, she has worked on projects requiring research and recommendations for the National Security Council Secretariat, Ministry of External Affairs and Ministry of Home Affairs. India’s strategic thought and practice, its military history - the wars of 1962 and 1965 and their impact on contemporary foreign policy, emerging challenges to national security and forecasting and scenario projection are some of the themes she has worked on at MP-IDSA. She has also published widely on the subject of Media and National Security, looking at the larger issues of strategic communication in diplomacy and conflict resolution in India.
Previously, Shruti was a broadcast journalist, a News Anchor and Senior Correspondent with a leading national English news network specialising in international affairs. She contributes columns/op-eds/blogs to leading national and international publications on matters of national security, foreign policy and on the media.She has most recently been honoured with the MP-IDSA President's Award 2015 for her research paper on India's 1965 War with Pakistan and how it shaped the geopolitics of South Asia.She is part of many emerging leaders fora including the New America Foundation's South Asia 2020 initiative, the Global Young Leaders Programme "The Asian Forum of Global Governance 2017” organised jointly by the ZEIT-StiftungEbelin und GerdBucerius, Germany and the Observer Research Foundation, New Delhi, and was also among the first batch of Raisina Young Fellows participating in the MEA-ORF annual Raisina Dialogue 2017. She is an alumna of St Xavier's College Calcutta, The Asian College of Journalism, Chennai, and The Centre for International Studies and Diplomacy, SOAS, University of London.
Quad 2.0: Beyond “Not Making Choices”, Giving ASEAN a Slew of Options
Associate Fellow, Manohar Parrikar IDSA, Ms Shruti Pandalai's commentary "Quad 2.0: Beyond 'Not Making Choices', Giving ASEAN a Slew of Options" has been published in Fulcrum, ISEAS – Yusof Ishak Institute, Singapore, on May 17, 2021.
The piece argues that India’s grappling with the second wave of the Covid-19 pandemic at home has only highlighted the need for greater “issue-based” coalitions in the Indo-Pacific and maybe the assurance that countries within the ASEAN need.
The Quad has a plan and it’s not all about China
Associate Fellow, Manohar Parrikar IDSA, Ms Shruti Pandalai’s Op-Ed ‘The Quad has a plan and it’s not all about China’ has been published in Singapore based Channel News Asia, on April 06, 2021.
Countries of the Quad are moving forward in concrete cooperation that benefits the Indo-Pacific region as a whole. That is a positive direction it should continue with capacity building at its core, says Shruti Pandalai.
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Voices from Ground Ziro: Against Chinese Claims, It’s Time for the Arunachali Frontier to be Heard
Associate Fellow, Manohar Parrikar IDSA, Ms. Shruti Pandali’s opinion piece ‘Voices from ground Ziro: Against Chinese claims, it’s time for the Arunachali frontier to be heard’ has been published in Times of India on October 22, 2020.
As India stands firm on its resolve to improve last mile connectivity, it’s an opportune moment to mainstream voices from India’s frontiers who keep the flag flying and let them shape conversations from the ground, writes Ms. Pandalai.
Sustaining the Momentum in the Indo-Pacific: The US Presidential Elections and Priorities for Indo-US ties
Associate Fellow, Manohar Parrikar IDSA, Ms. Shruti Pandalai’s essay ‘Sustaining the Momentum in the Indo-Pacific: The US Presidential Elections and Priorities for Indo-US ties’, has been published by ‘The Asan Forum’ on October 07, 2020. The Asan Forum is a bimonthly journal for in-depth interpretation of rapid changes across the Asia-Pacific.
Lessons for India After the Galwan Valley Clash
Associate Fellow Manohar Parrikar IDSA, Ms. Shruti Pandalai’s article ‘Lessons for India After the Galwan Valley Clash’ has been published in ‘The Diplomat’, on July 31, 2020.
Today, the mainstreaming of anti-China sentiment in India has driven an articulation of policy options where proverbial red lines are being crossed. It is essential now to have a reset in ties, one that ensures that the strategic narrative on China in India’s public square reinforces cold facts and moves on from the shibboleths of the past.
Seizing the chance to chart “The India Way”
Associate Fellow, Manohar Parrikar IDSA Ms. Shruti Pandalai’s article on India’s COVID-19 diplomacy, titled ‘Seizing the chance to chart “The India Way”’, has been published by the Australian Think Tank Lowy Institute’s ‘The Interpreter’ on June 12, 2020.
COVID-19 has allowed New Delhi to show a collaborative and constructive brand of diplomacy, instead of zero-sum rivalry, writes Ms. Pandalai.
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Pandemics and Power Narratives: The Rashomon Effect
China has faced international condemnation and domestic unrest over its manipulation of information relating to the COVID-19 global pandemic.
Combating Terrorism: Evolving Asian Perspectives
Post Doklam, India needs to watch China’s bullish economics led cultural embrace of South Asia
Doklam brought into perspective the fractured relationship between India and China on the global stage and increased fears of China’s growing unilateralism as it inexorably broadens its interests and sphere of influence, especially in South Asia.
The 'Social Media'Challenge to National Security: Impact and Opportunities A Conceptual Overview
The monograph hopes to succeed in providing a conceptual framework to understanding this emerging challenge and draw up a set of best practices and recommendations for policy makers and law enforcement agencies to move forward with.