Carnegie India
The geopolitical legacies of Partition remain the biggest drag on India’s larger global aspirations. China has benefited from the division and its penetration of the subcontinent is becoming increasingly difficult to counteract.
Creating 12 million jobs a year is a challenge for any government and Prime Minister Narendra Modi seems well aware of it.
The tragedy of partition was compounded by the economic division of South Asia, an outcome that did not need to accompany the political separation. India’s efforts at regional economic integration will have implications for both peace and development.
Increasing connectivity has raised fundamental questions about data ownership and user privacy that have not been adequately addressed in current legal and policy frameworks.
The emerging concept of India as a “first responder” reflects the country’s growing capability and increasing willingness to assume the role of a leading power.
One of the unintended consequences for China from the Doklam crisis would be an India that is forced to think far more strategically about coping with China’s power.
The Silicon Valley ethos of ‘too big to fail’ and ‘lean startups’ do not always work—especially not for a national identification project, where nothing can be left to scale, chance, or improvisation.
India’s traditionally neutral position in the Middle East has ended with the landmark Israel visit. The future balancing of India’s westward pivot will be determined by a new regional order led assertively be Saudi Arabia, and one which sees Iran as enemy number one.
As India settles into an extended military standoff with China in the Himalayas, it can’t afford to take its eyes off Beijing’s maritime forays in the Indian Ocean.
While India’s current approach is focused on connectivity and friendly delivery, one should not forget that its geostrategic and democratic concerns about Sri Lanka can often induct a sudden policy shift.
Stay connected to the Global Think Tank with Carnegie's smartphone app for Android and iOS devices