Manohar Parrikar Institute for Defence Studies and Analyses
मनोहर पर्रिकर रक्षा अध्ययन एवं विश्लेषण संस्थान

Maldives, Populism and Politicisation of Foreign Policy: India in between India First and India Out?

 This article posits that Mohamed Muizzu coming to power, and the shifting tectonics of India First and India Out fits in the template of populism, and politicisation of foreign policy. Deploying the discursive method, the article focuses on Muizzu’s speeches (2023–2025), and argues that the India factor was deployed for the purpose of politicisation and domestic mobilisation. However, I underline that politicisation of foreign policy may not always lead to tangible shifts in foreign policy orientation. This highlights the limits of populist politicisation by Muizzu, especially in the wake of economic crisis, and strategic passivity by China. Read More

From Cold War Distance to Indo-Pacific Partnership: An Overview of the Past, Present, and Future of India-ASEAN Strategic Engagement

 The year 2022 marked the 30th anniversary of diplomatic ties between India and ASEAN and its progression into a comprehensive strategic partnership. Meanwhile, the unfolding geopolitical developments in the form of great power competition are fast eroding ASEAN’s centrality, thereby shrinking the diplomatic space that ASEAN needs to balance the two big powers (Zhiqun Citation2024). Amid increasing great power competition, ASEAN’s act of straddling between the US-led security guarantee and the economic benefits of engaging with China is becoming increasingly difficult (Thompson Citation2024). This shift in the geopolitical environment in Southeast Asia is also pressurising India to recalibrate its regional strategies. A historical analysis of Indo-ASEAN relations is necessary for situating the evolving dynamics between the two in the Indo-Pacific context, as past choices and constraints continue to shape Indo-ASEAN engagement. This Commentary analyses three major geopolitical factors involving India and ASEAN from India’s independence to the Indo-Pacific era. The factors are: the similarity in their geopolitical objectives, the degree of convergence in their geopolitical alignment with the United States (US) and China, and the relative power dynamics between India and ASEAN. Drawing on this analysis, the Commentary highlights the extent of strategic convergence between India and ASEAN during each period, showing how Indo-ASEAN relations have evolved from symbolic diplomacy to substantive strategic cooperation. Read More

Friends: India’s Closest Strategic Partners

 In an era marked by geopolitical flux, strategic rivalries, and an increasingly multipolar world order, the question of how India can safeguard its national interests while asserting itself as a global power has become more pressing than ever. In his book titled Friends: India’s Closest Strategic Partners, Sreeram Chaulia offers a compelling response: the key lies in cultivating and sustaining dependable international partnerships. Through detailed case studies of India’s bilateral relations with seven pivotal countries—Japan, Australia, the United States, Russia, France, Israel, and the United Arab Emirates—Chaulia examines how strategic friendships are shaping India’s foreign policy and global positioning. His analysis provides a timely reflection on the evolving nature of diplomacy and India’s quest for strategic autonomy amid shifting global dynamics. Each of these countries gets its own chapter in the book, where Chaulia explains how the friendship with India developed over time, what it looks like today, and what challenges lie ahead. Read More

Emerging from the Shadows: Essays on Disarmament by Indian Women

 After prolonged negotiations, 94 non-nuclear weapon States signed the Treaty on the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons (TPNW) in 2017 without the participation of any nuclear weapons States. In February 2023, Russia suspended its participation in New START, the nuclear arms reduction treaty signed in 2010, citing the Russia-Ukraine conflict. The doomsday clock is ticking alarmingly, 89 seconds away from midnight mayhem. How does one make sense of a world where humanity has chosen to co-exist with nuclear weapons? Emerging from the Shadows: Essays on Disarmament by Indian Women is a series of essays discussing the art of nuclear non-proliferation and disarmament and its journey, fused with India’s engagement with the issue. The diverse topics it addresses range from the interlinkage of non-proliferation, disarmament and foreign policy, confidence building measures, verification processes, nuclear risk reduction, nuclear energy market and its trends, biosecurity and the Women, Peace, and Security (WPS) agenda. It is an analytically crafted account and a review of contemporary discourse around disarmament entwined with non-proliferation. The authors place great emphasis on the interconnected nature of the disarmament and non-proliferation approaches, where the latter draws credibility from, and lays groundwork for, the former. Read More

The Silk Road

 Historical background Traditionally, an improvised caravan route used by both the Chinese and European traders for transporting once famous Chinese silk to West Asia and Europe, the legendary ‘Silk Road’ between Chinese-occupied Sinkiang and Gilgit (Pakistan-occupied Kashmir) has become the focus of world attention with the re-opening on August 24, 1969, of Pakistan-China border trade on this route after 20 years (since 1949). The subject has assumed further importance recently as it came to light that the Chinese were building a new road connecting the Tibet-Sinkiang road with the Gilgit-Sinkiang road through Khunjerab Pass (16,000 ft). Read More

Colonial Legacies and Contested Territories: Unravelling UK-PoK Relations with a Focus on Mirpur

 This Article examines the UK’s historical and contemporary ties with PoK, focussing on ‘AJK’, and, in particular, the Mirpuri diaspora in the UK, through the lenses of colonial legacies, mass migration, and recent developments. Focusing on the 1967 Mangla Dam-induced migration as a pivotal moment, it analyses the socio-political influence of the Mirpuri diaspora in the UK and the geopolitical implications of recent events like British Envoy Jane Marriot’s 2024 Mirpur visit, which sparked India’s protest. By focusing on human-centric dimensions—migration patterns, identity tensions, diaspora activism—the Article highlights the complexities of UK-PoK relations and their ripple effects on India-UK-Pakistan ties. Colonialism, Kashmir, Migration, Diaspora, Identity, Radicalisation. Read More

Xi’s Call to ‘Tell the China Story Well’ – An Understanding of China’s Discourse Power

 To contest the discursive hegemony of the West, China has been striving to have a greater say in the way it is represented on the world stage. It is believed that China’s voice in international affairs is not commensurate with its increasing hard power. In this context, the article seeks to approach China’s quest for international discourse power from a three-fold framework: first, explore the concept of discourse power; second, assess the Chinese understanding of discourse power; and third, examine China’s efforts to enhance its discourse power with a special focus on the role of the Chinese State media. Read More

Competitiveness in India’s Defence Industry Ecosystem: An Analysis

 India has undertaken multi-pronged reforms to achieve self-reliance in defence sector. It has gained momentum based on the success of the indigenous weapon system during Operation SINDOOR. However, creating an ecosystem for defence industrialisation or indigenisation is an arduous and protracted journey. It calls for constant review of the system and dynamic formulation of strategies. This article attempts to assess the competitiveness of the defence industry ecosystem in India by using Porter’s Diamond Model. It emerges that India is moving in fast-track mode to promote indigenous development and manufacturing of defence products and achieve atmanirbharta or self-reliance. The analysis also discusses the ‘Way-Ahead’ to maintain momentum for indigenisation and ensure the competitive advantage of the Indian defence industry. Read More

The Geopolitical Trap: War in Ukraine and Strategic Takeaways

 Russia invaded Ukraine on February 24, 2022, and the Ukraine–Russia War began in Europe.Footnote1 The War has lasted for more than three years, resulting in around 43,000 Ukrainian soldiers killed, 370,000 injured (as of December 2024), and 6.8 million Ukrainians displaced across Europe (as of January 2025), including women, children, and the elderly (Binley and Beale Citation2024; Statista Citation2025). Russia has also suffered significant deaths and casualties in the War, as well as faced economic sanctions from Western powers. Read More

Chinese Air and Missile Power

 Air force Built up with Russian aid in the wake of the Korean War in the early fifties, the Chinese Air Force grew up around 1960 to be the third-largest in the world with about 3,000 fighter interceptors (mostly MiG-15s, MiG-17s and a few MiG-19s) and about a thousand light jet bombers (mostly JL-28s) and transport aircraft. There were about 10,000 pilots. Flying schools, training depots and instructional centres were developed under Russian guidance and there was a regular flow of supply and replacement of craft and spares. A division of parachute troops was also in the process of formation during 1959–60 with Russian help. China’s first Air Force Chief Liu Ya-lou spelt out the magnitude of Soviet assistance, when he said in July 1957 that, ‘the Soviet Union has not only given us first-class modern equipment, but also sent here a large number of very learned and experienced experts to teach us aviation science, tactics, superior aviation techniques and air force tactics, and all kinds of advance experience’. Read More
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