Saurav Jha

In February, Japan reportedly offered civil nuclear cooperation to Saudi Arabia to help the kingdom boost oil exports by freeing up supplies used in domestic electricity generation. Given its plans for a massive nuclear buildout, Saudi Arabia seems a logical destination for the Japanese nuclear sector. But Motegi's offer also reflects a desire not to concede strategic space to the Chinese in the Persian Gulf. more

The U.K., France and Germany are engaging with New Delhi by vying for a share of the Indian market for higher-end goods and services. Although their respective technical and industrial strengths help determine their relationships with India, their efforts to forge deeper ties will ultimately depend on India’s political comfort levels with each, as well as on what each has to offer India’s development strategy.

more

The South China Sea has emerged as a vital sea corridor for India, and security there will grow even more important in the years to come as India looks to link itself to East Asian supply chains and Indian energy imports grow. These trends explain why Indian defense officials have reiterated their commitment to maintaining freedom of navigation on the seas in general and the South China Sea in particular. more

Russian President Vladimir Putin’s recent deferral of a planned visit to India encapsulates a bilateral relationship buffeted by shifting global geo-economics but still lucrative for both parties. The postponement reflects the fact that euphemisms such as “strategic partnership” do not automatically translate into preferential treatment in commercial matters in a world driven by interests. more

With India increasingly turning to developed countries for energy and food security, Canada’s profile seems to have grown considerably. Significant hydrocarbon resources, uranium deposits and a lack of geopolitical risk all make Canada a natural partner to feed India’s rise. However, there are still some issues that need to be resolved before an even deeper relationship can take root. more

Home to a large Muslim minority consisting of both major sects of Islam, India has recently found itself forced to deal with increasing fallout from the Middle East's ongoing Shiite-Sunni cold war. Given India’s dependence on Middle East energy exports and its history of Hindu-Muslim violence, the coming decade will be a test of India’s diplomacy and its ability to promote intercommunity dialogue. more

Recent high-level visits by Russian officials and an upcoming trip by Russian President Vladimir Putin are highlighting Russia’s efforts to bolster strategic ties with Pakistan. While looking to secure its near abroad in advance of the U.S. withdrawal from Afghanistan, Russia is also moving to deepen its geo-economic ties with South Asia, with Pakistan serving as a gateway for energy trade to the region. more

The steadily increasing complexity of Indo-U.S. naval force coordination has been a standout feature of an otherwise interest-driven relationship, suggesting the U.S. sees India as the western hinge of its pivot to Asia, with the U.S. Navy backstopping the shift from the Pacific. However, before the Indo-U.S. naval entente becomes a full-blown condominium, more dialogue between the two navies will be necessary. more

The Turkmenistan-Afghanistan-Pakistan-India (TAPI) pipeline project is seen by the United States as a way to isolate Iran from regional integration efforts and showcase the potential of its New Silk Road Initiative. But New Delhi sees TAPI more as a test-bed for energy projects involving Pakistan, as well as a way to contract cheaper gas supplies from Central Asia before they end up being locked in by China. more

The Asian Development Bank recently confirmed that Pakistan’s lackluster economic performance in recent years is essentially a reflection of its ongoing energy crisis. An improvement in Pakistan’s energy situation requires both increasing the share of coal in its power-generating portfolio and enhancing the availability of natural gas. Neither course is likely without a rapprochement with India. more

With the Iran-Pakistan-India natural gas pipeline project a casualty of U.S. opposition and persistent mistrust between New Delhi and Islamabad, India has increasingly turned to Qatar to meet its growing natural gas needs over the past decade. But after the recent visit of Qatari Emir Sheikh Hamad bin Khalifa Al Thani to India, the two states are looking to broaden their ties beyond trade in energy.
more

Piracy has steadily risen as a threat to India’s security, menacing its energy trade with the Middle East as well as its future energy sourcing opportunities. With vast untapped oil reserves reported in Somalia, the nexus between Somali pirates and the al-Qaida affiliate al-Shabab could lead India to coordinate with Somalia’s neighbors and the U.S. to contain the group and stabilize the area. more

Even as India refuses to join the U.S.-led sanctions regime on Iran, it is simultaneously cementing ties with Tehran’s long-standing rival, Saudi Arabia. Last month's first-ever visit by an Indian defense minister to the kingdom signals both India’s willingness to emerge as a net provider of security to Saudi Arabia and Riyadh’s desire to look beyond Pakistan for its security needs.
more

The United States' oft-expressed desire to support India’s emergence as a great power in fact reveals the distance that still separates the two. The U.S. struggles with India’s non-alignment impulses, while India sees relations in a globalized era as depending on balance of interests, not balance of power. This differing approach to globalization prevents the two from fully consolidating relations. more

The recent thaw in India-Australia relations comes at a time when U.S. President Barack Obama is orchestrating Washington’s strategic pivot to Asia and signals that space is being negotiated for India in the regional order. Washington seems to be using its military allies such as Australia and Japan to explore Indian participation in an evolving Indo-Pacific security and economic architecture.
more

Indian Army chief Gen. V.K. Singh’s recent visit to Uzbekistan and Kazakhstan is less indicative of a new initiative than of existing relationships being taken to the next level. The deeper strategic cooperation with the two largest Central Asian republics will not only help New Delhi secure its economic engagement with both countries, but also increase its own geopolitical space more broadly.
more

India’s engagement with Central Asia on strategic military concerns is gathering pace, with high-level visits and cooperation deals underscoring the immense value New Delhi attaches to the region. The strengthened Indian presence in the area is driven by New Delhi’s desire not only to protect its investments in Central Asia, but also its interests in Afghanistan after NATO withdraws in 2014. more

An Indo-Japanese entente in Asia has been a much-discussed, but somewhat amorphous proposition -- till now. China’s belligerent posture in the South China Sea and the perceived decline of U.S. influence has managed to focus minds in both Tokyo and New Delhi. Japan and India are moving to put in place a strategic economic structure that can enrich both sides while maintaining the Asian balance of power. more

In a move that signals India's resolve to stay the course in Afghanistan, Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh signed a Strategic Partnership Agreement with visiting Afghan President Hamid Karzai in New Delhi last week. The deal includes a major security component. However, India's plans in Afghanistan go well beyond a simplistic security rubric and are increasingly driven by longer-term geo-economic interests.

While much has been written about China's port development projects in the Indian Ocean region, Beijing's undersea activities in the area could also pave the way for a naval presence and may prove to be the greater source of consternation for India and its navy. The cornerstone of China's undersea resource ambitions is its manned submersible program, which seems to have made some impressive strides of late.