Examining India's strategic role in South and Southeast Asia — as a democratic, economically growing power capable of offering a credible alternative to authoritarian-led regional order.
China's rise has fundamentally altered the geopolitical landscape of Asia. Its Belt and Road Initiative, military expansion in the South China Sea, and economic leverage over smaller nations represent a new form of regional hegemony.
This series examines India's position as a credible democratic counterbalance — its alliances, economic diplomacy, historical ties with neighbouring nations, and the strategic choices it faces in the decade ahead.
We approach this critically and without cheerleading for any state. Our analysis is evidence-based and focused on what genuine multipolarity and democratic cooperation require in practice.
Pakistan's submarine surfaced in the Bay of Bengal. Bangladesh is buying Chinese jets. China is circling Chittagong. India is spending billions to secure its eastern flank while the political situation in Dhaka unravels all of it.
India has a 22-kilometre strip connecting eight states and 50 million citizens to the mainland — and a hostile Bangladesh turns that strip into a chokepoint. The strategic case for why India cannot afford to lose its eastern neighbour.
The positive case for Bangladesh: why a stable, allied Bangladesh is a strategic multiplier for India — and what it costs India when Bangladesh becomes hostile.
Commodore Farooq's statement on PNS Hangul, the $4–5B Chinese submarine programme, and why Bangladesh's diplomatic realignment is the missing piece of Pakistan's Bay of Bengal ambitions.
Documenting how China uses debt, infrastructure, and diplomatic pressure to build dependency relationships.
The strategic case for a more proactive Indian foreign policy in South Asia.
Data-driven analysis of China's growing influence across economic, military, and diplomatic domains.
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