South Asia

Russia’s Calculated Silence on the India-Pakistan Conflict

Last week, the special assistant to Pakistan’s prime minister arrived in Moscow to discuss his country’s recent military skirmish with India and appeal to...

Pakistan’s Crucial Role in China’s Military Strategy

Had India not conducted unprecedented airstrikes in Pakistan on May 7 – retaliation for a terrorist attack in Kashmir two weeks earlier – Chinese-made...

A New Reality in the India-Pakistan Conflict

India and Pakistan this week became the only nuclear powers to engage in a significant conventional military conflict with one another, but there are...

Red Alert: India Strikes Pakistan

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On May 6, India launched Operation Sindoor in retaliation to the April 22 militant attack on Pahalgam, Jammu and Kashmir, which left 26 civilians...

America’s New Threat Assessment

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(click to enlarge) The 2025 Annual Threat Assessment from the U.S. Intelligence Community presents a detailed overview of a rapidly evolving threat landscape defined by...

What the Latest India-Pakistan Conflict Means for the US

A recent attack in the India-controlled region of Kashmir, reportedly conducted by Pakistan-backed militants, came at a bad time for the government in New...

As Trade Changes, So Does US Defense

Reports from around the world suggest U.S. military policy is at odds with itself. On the one hand, the United States has pledged to...

The World in 2025

Editor's note: Below are the compiled links to our entire 2025 annual forecast. Please follow the links for quick navigation, or download the PDF...

2025 Forecast: India

India is a rapidly emerging global player with immense potential, but its rise is encumbered by its complex domestic politics and challenging strategic environment....

2025 Forecast: A World Without an Anchor

Throughout history, world order has been shaped by great powers. In the competition with them – and sometimes among them – lesser powers would...

China and Strategic Realignments in South Asia

South Asia is in the throes of a major geopolitical realignment. In the east, Bangladesh is gravitating away from India following the ouster of...

China and India Are Still Rivals

By Andrew Davidson In late October, Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Chinese President Xi Jinping met on the sidelines of the BRICS assembly in...

Graphic Essay: Energy Market Volatility

For many countries, including major geopolitical players, energy resources rank among the most politically and economically sensitive commodities. Prices for these resources are shaped...

Daily Memo: Georgian Elections, British Military Reforms

Results are in. Georgian President Salome Zourabichvili vowed not to recognize the results of parliamentary elections held over the weekend that saw the governing...

BRICS Runs Into a Wall

For leaders such as Vladimir Putin and Xi Jinping, the annual BRICS summit is an excellent opportunity to present a vision of a world...

India’s Northeastern Borderlands at Risk

Between discontented citizens and disputed borders, India’s northeast has long posed challenges for the government in New Delhi. The area is cut off from...

Latest Posts

The heartland of South Asia is the Indo-Gangetic Plain, a large and fertile region based around the Indus and Ganges river systems, as well as the Bramaputra in Bangladesh and eastern India.

The center of gravity of South Asia is the balance of power between Pakistan and India. Historically, India has struggled to assert itself within the subcontinent because of its complex internal divisions.

The future of Afghanistan matters to the degree it could weaken Pakistan, thereby tipping the balance of power in India’s favor.

There is an intense rivalry between China and India, but the geography of the region, including the existence of buffer states such as Nepal and Bhutan, typically prevents them from coming to blows.

Read Regional Assessment

The Future of India...

India will work to improve ties with Central Asia and strengthen alliances with secondary powers like Japan and Australia.

South Asia in our Memos

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Latest Posts

How Israel Caught Iran Off-Guard

Ever since its establishment in 1948, Israel has been conscious of its precarious security situation, which is a result of its small geographic size...

Daily Memo: Israel-Iran Conflict Continues, US Pushes Diplomacy

Israel-Iran latest. Israel and Iran continued to exchange missile and drone fire overnight. Israel reportedly requested U.S. participation in a joint military campaign against...

Ukraine and Russia, Israel and Iran: Searching for the Significant

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The Ukrainian drone attack on Russia at the beginning of this month and the Israeli attack on Iran have some striking similarities. 1. Both attacks...

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