India Foreign Policy
India’s foreign policy operates at the intersection of strategic autonomy, neighbourhood management, and great power alignment. I write on India’s relations with China, Pakistan, and the countries of the Indian subcontinent, the Quad and Indo-Pacific strategy, and how domestic political economy shapes foreign policy choices.
Book
Missing in Action (Penguin India, 2023) includes chapters on India’s foreign policy frameworks and how to think about national interest.
Talks & Slides
The Situation in the Strait of Hormuz and Its Potential Impact on India
Event: Indian Danish Chamber of Commerce — Quarterly Seminar
Date: June 2026
Selected Writings
117 pieces across blog posts, op-eds, and publications.
Chinaâs critical minerals export ban falls short
Op-ed · Thinkchina · Apr 21, 2026
Should the US Sell Advanced GPUs to China? An Indian Perspective
Publication · Takshashila Issue Brief 2026-15. · Apr 2026
An Analysis of the India-EU Technology Action Agenda
Blog · Jan 2026
The Reported Solutions for Allowing Chinese Investment in India
Blog · Jan 2026
Pakistan is bluffing. There’s no proof for $6 trillion mineral wealth claim
Op-ed · The Print · Nov 2025
China Doubles Down on Weaponising Antitrust Regulations
Blog · Nov 2025
What India and Canada Can Do Together
Blog · Oct 2025
US, China bully India in global market. Delhi must get its own instruments of leverage
Op-ed · The Print · Sep 2025
Blog · Sep 2025
Digital Strategic Autonomy: The Case for an EU-India Open Tech Maitri
Op-ed · India’s World · Sep 2025
Blog · Jul 2025
Towards techno-strategic autonomy: India should spearhead an Open Technology Maitri
Op-ed · India’s World · Mar 2025
Digging Deep: Tunnel Boring Machines and India’s China Challenge
Blog · Jan 2025
Why India needs a Techno-strategic Doctrine
Op-ed · India’s World · Dec 2024
Environmental Cooperation: An Imperative for Subcontinental Thinking
Publication · Takshashila Discussion Document · with Adya Madhavan, Nitin Pai, Anand Arni, Y. Nithiyanandam · Oct 2024
A practical agenda for India-Australia semiconductor collaboration
Op-ed · ASPI – The Strategist · Apr 2024
Pannun case: Time to reimagine spy agency for Information Age
Op-ed · Times of India · Dec 2023
The Techno-Economic Impact of the Israel-Hamas War
Publication · Takshashila Working Paper · with Aditya Ramanathan, Sarthak Pradhan, Satya Shoova Sahu · Dec 2023
A road map to propel US-India chips push
Op-ed · Hindustan Times · Jun 2023
Interrogating Power and Legitimacy in the Information Age from an Indian Perspective
Publication · Book Chapter · with Nitin Pai · May 2023
Time to Launch the US-India Trade Relationship into Another Orbit
Publication · Takshashila Publication · May 2023
MEA needs more hands on deck quickly. It must consider surge hiring
Op-ed · Hindustan Times · May 2023
India’s Defence Budget: As Border Tensions With China Simmer, Can Govt Level Up?
Op-ed · The Quint · Jan 2023
Op-ed · Times of India · Sep 2022
What the Quad must do to build a resilient semiconductor chain
Op-ed · Times of India · May 2022
Complement to Succeed: A Case for India-Taiwan Collaboration on Semiconductors
Publication · Taiwan Asia Exchange Foundation · with Arjun Gargeyas · May 2022
The Semiconductor Question in the Russia-Ukraine Conflict
Publication · Takshashila Discussion Document · with Arjun Gargeyas and Aditya Prateek · Mar 2022
Ukraine: India must look beyond Russia
Op-ed · Hindustan Times · Mar 2022
The Quad Makes the First Siliconpolitik Move
Op-ed · ISAS, National University of Singapore · Oct 2021
In Quad’s Semiconductor Gambit against China, India Stands to Gain
Op-ed · News18 · Sep 2021
The Taliban Government and What it Means for India
Op-ed · Times of India · Sep 2021
Op-ed · Times of India · Aug 2021
What Taliban’s victory means for Pakistan and therefore India
Op-ed · Times of India · Aug 2021
What are India’s options for deploying peace-keeping troops in Afghanistan?
Op-ed · Telegraph India · Aug 2021
Siliconpolitik: The Case for a Quad Semiconductor Partnership
Publication · ISAS Working Paper · Apr 2021
The Next Step for Quad: A Dialogue on High Tech
Op-ed · Hindustan Times · Dec 2020
The world is changing. India needs to get its priorities right
Op-ed · Hindustan Times · Dec 2020
Constraining the Pakistani Military-Jihadi Complex in a Post-COVID World
Publication · CLAWS Journal Article · Oct 2020
Pakistan’s Two-Pronged Game in Kabul
Op-ed · The Wire · Sep 2020
COVID-19 Warrants Long Overdue Doctrinal Shifts in Military Planning
Publication · IPPR Journal Article · Sep 2020
National Security Preparedness & Planning for COVID-19
Publication · Takshashila Discussion SlideDoc · Jun 2020
India’s Bargaining Power with China and US will Grow in Post Covid World
Op-ed · The Print · May 2020
India in the Post COVID-19 World Order
Publication · Takshashila Discussion SlideDoc · May 2020
China’s Foreign Policy in the Post-Covid World Order: An Assessment
Publication · Takshashila Discussion Document · Apr 2020
The Economics and Politics of Pakistan’s COVID-19 Response
Publication · Takshashila Strategic Assessment · Mar 2020
On US President Trump’s India Visit
Op-ed · The Print · Feb 2020
The Battle in Pakistan’s Military-Jihadi Complex
Op-ed · Telegraph India · Dec 2019
Crystal Gazing into Afghanistan’s Political Future
Op-ed · Telegraph India · Nov 2019
The opinion of Western liberals or conservatives is inconsequential for the J&K situation
Op-ed · The Print · Oct 2019
Howdy Modi: Does it serve India’s diplomatic interests?
Op-ed · The Print · Sep 2019
A Human Capital Investment Model for India’s National Security System
Publication · Takshashila Discussion Document · Sep 2019
Neither is Russia a reliable friend nor is US a fickle one
Op-ed · The Print · Aug 2019
पूर्वी पड़ोसी के साथ रिश्तों की नई पहल
Op-ed · Patrika · Jun 2019
Misguided Talks With the Taliban Won’t Bring Peace to Afghanistan
Op-ed · The Wire · May 2019
Misguided Talks With the Taliban Won’t Bring Peace to Afghanistan
Op-ed · The Wire · May 2019
Foreign Policy: Time to Be a Major Player
Op-ed · ThinkPragati · May 2019
Why Pakistan’s Deep State Needs Jaish-e-Mohammad and Masood Azhar
Op-ed · Telegraph India · Mar 2019
Ten Takeaways from the Recent India-Pakistan Escalation
Op-ed · The Print · Mar 2019
How India Should Respond to Donald Trump’s Barbs on Afghanistan
Op-ed · The Wire · Jan 2019
How India Should Respond to Donald Trump’s Barbs on Afghanistan
Op-ed · The Wire · Jan 2019
India’s External Intelligence Agency: Managing the Human Resources Challenge
Publication · Takshashila Discussion Document · Jan 2019
We Live in Multiple Neighbourhoods
Op-ed · ThinkPragati · Jan 2019
India Will Stay Relevant in Afghanistan, Taliban or No Taliban
Op-ed · Telegraph India · Nov 2018
India will stay relevant in Afghanistan, Taliban or no Taliban
Op-ed · Telegraph India · Nov 2018
Time to Shift Gears on Afghanistan
Op-ed · ThinkPragati · Nov 2018
Op-ed · ThinkPragati · Oct 2018
Time to refresh the Afghan relationship
Op-ed · The Hindu · Oct 2018
Here are 3 ways Imran Khan can fix Naya Pakistan’s terrible economic woes
Op-ed · The Print · Oct 2018
Deriving India’s Strategies for a New World Order
Publication · Takshashila Discussion Document · Jul 2018
Op-ed · ThinkPragati · Feb 2018
Ingredients of a New World Order
Op-ed · ThinkPragati · Nov 2017
Op-ed · ThinkPragati · Oct 2017
Anticipating Pakistan’s Next Moves in Afghanistan
Op-ed · The Wire · Oct 2017
The Other Pakistan: Understanding the Military-Jihadi Complex
Publication · Book Chapter · Sep 2017
A Framework to Model the India-Pakistan Conflict Escalation
Publication · Takshashila Working Paper · Jun 2017
Pakistan’s Two-Pronged Game in Kabul
Op-ed · The Wire · Jun 2017
Op-ed · The Hindu · Apr 2017
The Sinister History of the ISI
Op-ed · ThinkPragati · Mar 2017
Choosing Between Taliban and ISIS: A Dangerous False Dilemma
Op-ed · The Wire · Feb 2017
India, Iran, Russia and Afghanistan: Have Interests Diverged?
Op-ed · The Wire · Dec 2016
Are India, Iran and Russia Parting Ways on Afghanistan?
Op-ed · The Wire · Dec 2016
Analysing India Post-Uri Through a Conflict Escalation Framework
Publication · Takshashila Discussion SlideDoc · Dec 2016
A South Asian Manifesto for the Next U.S. President
Op-ed · South Asian Voices (Stimson Center) · Nov 2016
Anticipating Pakistan’s Next Moves in Afghanistan
Op-ed · The Wire · Oct 2016
Balochistan and the ‘India’ Factor in Pakistan’s Civil-Military Equation
Op-ed · The Wire · Sep 2016
The Ins and Outs of the India-US-Afghanistan Trilateral Dialogue
Op-ed · The Wire · Sep 2016
Responding to the US Outreach in Afghanistan
Op-ed · The Wire · Aug 2016
India, US Collaboration In Afghanistan Could Herald Change for Region
Op-ed · The Wire · Aug 2016
Seven Steps India Must Take to Help Afghanistan in Its War for Survival
Op-ed · The Wire · Jun 2016
Talks about talks with Pakistan
Op-ed · Mint · Jan 2016
Publication · Takshashila Publication · Jan 2016
Sustained Dialogue Process as India’s Pakistan Policy: An Assessment
Publication · Takshashila Discussion Document · Jan 2016
The Looming United States Pivot Towards Containing China’s Influence
Publication · Takshashila Discussion Document · Aug 2015
The India-Pakistan Conflict Escalation Framework
Publication · Takshashila Discussion Document · Jul 2015
What Value Does BRICS Really Add to India
Op-ed · NDTV · Jul 2015
India, and the Taliban’s Changing Dynamics
Op-ed · The Hindu · Jul 2015
ICT Governance Agenda for BRICS: An Eightfold Path
Publication · Takshashila Working Paper · May 2015
The Eightfold Path to India’s Nuclear Fuel Supply Security
Publication · Takshashila Discussion Document · May 2015
Afghanistan: New Entente in Place?
Op-ed · The Hindu · Mar 2015
Blog · Mar 2015
Deciphering the Signals Behind Asad Durrani’s Utterances
Blog · Mar 2015
Pakistan’s Depiction in Homeland: Sign of a Deeper Malaise
Blog · Feb 2015
Good Sugar, Bad Sugar; Good Terrorist, Bad Terrorist
Blog · Jan 2015
Afghanistan’s Quest for Strategic Autonomy
Op-ed · Mint · Dec 2014
Publication · Takshashila Publication · Nov 2014
Risks to India’s National Security from Tensions Along the Iran-Pakistan Border
Publication · Takshashila Strategic Assessment · Nov 2014
A Rousing Rendition of an Iconic Pakistani Poem
Blog · Oct 2014
The lure of legalising bilateral disputes
Op-ed · Business Standard · Jul 2014
Resolving the Indo-Bangladesh Maritime Dispute
Publication · Takshashila Discussion Document · Jun 2014
PoJK: The Geopolitics of Names
Blog · Jun 2014
What’s Common to Money, Terrorism and Weapons?
Blog · May 2014
Observations on the Kashmir Valley — Part 2
Blog · Nov 2013
Observations on the Kashmir Valley — Part 1
Blog · Nov 2013
Blog · Oct 2013
A Brief About Chinese Cultural Geography
Blog · Sep 2013