South Asia

The Viability of the India-Middle East-Europe Economic Corridor

We live in an age of interregional connections. China’s Belt and Road Initiative, after a decade and hundreds of billions of dollars in spending,...

China, India and the Path to Escalation

There is growing international concern about a potential conflict between China and India over their disputed border in the Himalayas. However, the possibility of...

A US-Led Network to Contain China Takes Shape

On Aug. 18, U.S. President Joe Biden hosted the leaders of Japan and South Korea at Camp David for talks aimed at creating a...

India, China and Setting the Right Expectations

The Chinese economy’s extended tumble is undoubtedly being watched from India with glee and opportunism. Ever since India became the world’s fifth-largest economy a...

Iran, Afghanistan and the Problem With Islamist Rule

A French scholar of Islamism named Olivier Roy wrote in 1994 that, as a form of governance, political Islam was doomed to fail. He...

India’s Massive Military Restructuring

India’s strategic posture has been in a state of churn for several years now, compelling New Delhi to embark on the biggest military reorganization...

Why France and India Are Natural Partners

Less than a month after his visit to the United States, Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi visited France and discussed ways the two states...

Make Some Room for the Global South

The world is in the throes of an economic and political reorganization. The COVID-19 pandemic made virtually every country rethink the fundamental structure of...

Washington’s Opportunity in India

India is drawing closer to the United States. After decades of being heavily dependent on Moscow for its military hardware, New Delhi is no...

In Pakistan, the Military Sustains Its Dominance for Now

For over a year, the Pakistani military has been trying to solve a political problem of its own making: the ascendance of Imran Khan,...

India’s Emerging Foreign Policy

India’s economic rise has validated its historical efforts to maintain a diverse set of foreign relations. Russia’s war in Ukraine is both an opportunity...

The Ukraine War, One Year In

It’s been a year since Russia invaded Ukraine, and what many believed would be a short-lived conflict rages on. That’s not to say it’s...

The Limits of India’s Maritime Capabilities

Perhaps the most important dynamic to follow as the U.S.-China competition intensifies is U.S.-India cooperation. Beijing certainly realizes as much and understands further that...

Why Russia and Iran Need India’s Help

Last week, Iran’s central bank deputy governor said Iran and Russia had connected their bank messaging systems, a move that should bolster cooperation and...

Pakistan’s Meltdown

Decades-old political economic problems in Pakistan are coming to a head. The South Asian nation needs billions of dollars in financial assistance to avoid...

Forecast for 2023

Our 2023 Annual Forecast, like those before it, is an attempt to provide a sense of the direction of the world. We do this...

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.

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Required Reads: South Asia

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

Daily Memo: France Offers Armenia Weapons, Russia Plans More Eyes in Space

Europe to the rescue. France agreed to sign future contracts with Armenia to provide it with military equipment, French Foreign Minister Catherine Colonna said...

In the Balkans, Another Borderland Conflict Flares Up

On Oct. 1, following a request from the supreme allied commander Europe and approval by the North Atlantic Council, the United Kingdom announced that...

Daily Memo: Armenian Defiance, Azerbaijani Drills

Affront to Moscow. Armenia’s parliament voted to ratify the International Criminal Court’s founding statute, a move that will be seen as an affront to...

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