Commentary
Find our newspaper columns, blogs, and other commentary pieces in this section. Our research focuses on Advanced Biology, High-Tech Geopolitics, Strategic Studies, Indo-Pacific Studies & Economic Policy
Moneycontrol | Brownfield mining operations are enough to meet India’s rare-earth needs
By Tannmay Kumarr Baid
India does not need a maximalist mining push to meet its rare‑earth goals. A calibrated build via expansion of existing mining projects to roughly 20,000 tonnes of TREO is sufficient.
By Tannmay Kumarr Baid
Read the full article here.
Moneycontrol | How Trump and Mastercard are pushing the global financial system to an inflection point
By Lokendra Sharma
For more than a decade, cryptocurrencies have created a parallel decentralised payments architecture as opposed to the centralised global financial system dominated by select intermediaries. Trump’s championing of stablecoins along with Mastercard’s embrace of blockchain can lead to the convergence of disparate worlds.
By Lokendra Sharma
Read the full article here.
Times Of India | Unacceptable, for India
By Y. Nithiyanandam
Next month’s global geospatial meeting will be a good occasion to ask why UN’s maps distort Arunachal and J&K. Has it caved to India’s neighbours’ cartographic aggression?
By Dr. Y. Nithiyanandam
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Indian Express | India faces a Russia dilemma
By Amit Kumar
By Amit Kumar
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Times Of India | Our Eyes In The Sky
By Y. Nithiyanandam
Damage assessment of conflicts like India-Pak, Israel-Iran is shaped by satellite images. But these can be gamed. Isro & pvt companies in space sector must up the game so that Indians get good domestic data
By Dr. Y. Nithiyanandam
Read the full article here.
South Asian Voices | How the United States and India can Promote Responsible Behavior in Cyberspace Through the Quad
By Lokendra Sharma
Over the last few years, India and the United States have been at the receiving end of anything but responsible behavior in cyberspace by both state and non-state actors. From the Salt Typhoon campaign that compromised U.S. telecom networks in 2024 to the high-profile cyberattack on India’s All India Institute of Medical Sciences in 2022, cyber operations (including ransomware) have hardly left any sector untouched.
By Lokendra Sharma
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ThinkChina | Made in China or spent in China? Beijing’s impossible balancing act
By Amit Kumar
By Amit Kumar
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Deccan Herald | Oil spills call for new response
By Swathi Kalyani
The absence of mandatory state-level oil spill contingency plans for vessels transiting Indian waters represents a significant policy gap.
By Swathi Kalyani
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Moneycontrol | Reconfiguring supply chains in a world where trust’s eroding
By Lokendra Sharma and Pranay Kotasthane
Thinking about supply chains has moved from just-in-time to just-to-be secure following geopolitical turmoil. A risk-based framework for reconfiguring India’s supply chains can address security considerations without jeopardising the country's economic growth.
By Lokendra Sharma and Pranay Kotasthane
Read the full article here.
The Hindu | Fathoming America’s plan to manage AI proliferation
By Ashwin Prasad, Bharath Reddy and Rijesh Panicker
The announcement by the United States of the rescission of its Framework for AI Diffusion, a set of export controls for Artificial Intelligence (AI) technology announced earlier this year, has been viewed as a good thing. The Framework was considered counterproductive to AI technology development and diplomatic relations. However, recent developments suggest that controls on AI are likely to persist, albeit in different forms.
By Ashwin Prasad, Bharath Reddy and Rijesh Panicker
Read the full article here.
The Indian Express | As Axiom-4 and Shubhanshu Shukla lift off, so does India
By Ashwin Prasad
An Indian is in space for the first time in over 40 years. This is momentous for more than one reason. It marks the beginning of the era of Indian human spaceflight, with Gaganyaan planned for 2027, and eventually, the Indian Space Station in the next decade. There are ambitious missions that will add India to an elite club of space powers that currently consists of the US, China and Russia (formerly the Soviet Union).
Read the full article here.
By Ashwin Prasad
India’ World | The Way to Break China’s Stranglehold on Rare Earths
By Tannmay Kumarr Baid and Pranay Kotasthane
Donald Trump recently announced a new Rare Earth Element (REE) deal with China. As per the deal, China is set to lift its export controls on any REEs exported to the United States in exchange for exemptions granted to Chinese students amidst the president’s crackdown on immigrant student visas.
By Tannmay Kumarr Baid and Pranay Kotasthane
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MoneyControl | US-China trade war leaves India confronting three negative spillovers
By Manoj Kewalramani and Amit Kumar
By Manoj Kewalramani and Amit Kumar
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NDTV | Opinion: Inside China's 'Low-Cost' Arms Exports, Serving Everyone From Pak To West Africa
By Anushka Saxena and Manoj Kewalramani
China's arms exports to Pakistan are one part of a complex military production, export, and diplomacy ecosystem that Beijing has built. Over the years, China has focused on becoming self-reliant in the defence manufacturing domain. This process has included making export variants of major weapons. That said, there are challenges that China faces in its defence export agenda. These include political issues and quality-related concerns that make Beijing the lesser-preferred option over the world's top three defence exporters: the US, Russia, and France. Nonetheless, China's defence export market is expanding. And this has significant implications for India.
By Anushka Saxena and Manoj Kewalramani
Read the full article here.
StratNews Global | Stuck at Security: The Global Navigation Conundrum and Military Implications
By Y. Nithiyanandam
This Oped examines the technical and regulatory landscape of GNSS devices, the security rationale behind their restriction, and the implications for military professionals globally. Drawing on recent developments in India, we explore how outdated regulations and a lack of technical clarity can hinder both civilian and military users, and what lessons can be learned for other nations.
By Dr. Y. Nithiyanandam
Read the full article here.
StratNews Global | AI is not India’s Y2K Moment but it does Offer India a Leadership Role in the Global South
By Lokendra Sharma
I argue that the AI race is not a Y2K moment for India. There are fundamental differences between the Y2K moment of yore and the ongoing AI saga. That said, India can still emerge as a leader in the Global South if it prioritises the development of open software and hardware associated with AI.
By Lokendra Sharma
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MoneyControl | ASEAN in the Crosshairs: Balancing great powers
By Vanshika Saraf
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Moneycontrol | Geospatial technology and its role in India’s Act East policy
By Swathi Kalyani
India is enhancing regional influence through infrastructure like KMMTTP, reducing reliance on Bangladesh, while leveraging geospatial technology to manage complex terrains, monitor security threats, and counter China's growing strategic presence.
By Swathi Kalyani
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The Hindu | The political deadlock in Taiwan
By Anushka Saxena
Taiwanese President Lai Ching-te’s biggest policymaking hurdle has been that his party had failed to achieve a majority in the Legislative Yuan, with the opposition KMT winning 52 seats out of the 113 parliamentary seats. Subsequently, the KMT has blocked vital steps to secure Taiwan’s internal democratic and legal processes.
By Anushka Saxena
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MoneyControl | Invisibilising Taiwan
By Anushka Saxena
A flawed interpretation of a UN General Assembly resolution has allowed multilateral bodies such as the WHO to keep Taiwan from contributing to its work in full measure. Individual countries, too, have used this resolution to limit engagement with Taiwan. To counter China’s influence, Taiwan has to expand its diplomatic outreach to ensure it’s not shut out.
By Anushka Saxena
Read the full article here.