India

Politics

Voting concluded for the second and final phase of the mineral-rich Jharkhand legislative assembly elections, as well as for the single-phase assembly elections in Maharashtra, India’s western industrial hub, India Today reported on Nov. 20.

India: Voting Concludes in Jharkhand's and Maharashtra's State Assembly Elections

United Kingdom

Economics

The United Kingdom will resume negotiations with India on a free trade agreement in the new year, U.K. Prime Minister Keir Starmer's office announced on Nov. 18 following his meeting with Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi at the G-20 summit in Brazil, Reuters reported the following day.

U.K., India: Countries To Resume Trade Talks in 2025

Voting for the first phase of the Jharkhand state assembly elections in India took place on Nov. 13, with a voter turnout of 64.86%, the Hindu reported the same day.

India: First Phase of Voting in Jharkhand Assembly Elections Held on Nov. 13

Military & Security

Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi firmly defended his Bharatiya Janata Party's controversial 2019 decision to revoke Jammu and Kashmir's partial autonomy and rejected calls to reinstate it with Article 370, Reuters reported on Nov. 8.

India: Modi Rejects Calls To Reinstate Partial Autonomy for Jammu and Kashmir

India's delayed 2021 census to update the National Population Register is expected to begin in 2025, with data likely to be released in 2026, The Times of India reported on Oct. 29.

India: Delayed Census To Resume in 2025, Potentially Leading to Delimitation

Spain

On his first visit to India, Spain's Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez inaugurated India's first private military aircraft plant alongside Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi, The Economic Times reported on Oct. 28.

India, Spain: Sanchez and Modi Inaugurate India's First Private Military Aircraft Plant

China

Indian and Chinese officials said they had begun implementing their new border patrolling arrangement, with an unnamed Indian government official saying both sides’ troops had begun withdrawing from Depsang and Demchok, the remaining regions where Indian and Chinese soldiers stood face-to-face, Reuters reported on Oct. 25.

India, China: Countries Begin Implementing New Border Agreement

Germany

Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi and German Chancellor Olaf Scholz engaged in extensive talks to strengthen strategic relations between India and Germany, Reuters reported on Oct. 25.

India, Germany: Governments Strengthen Economic and Defense Ties

Assessments

The Geopolitics of Water

Energy

Environment, Science & Technology

Science & Technology

Depleted groundwater reserves threaten India's agriculture, energy and manufacturing sectors, potentially sparking unrest and inter-state disputes in the absence of a coordinated national policy.

The Geopolitics of Water: India's Groundwater Crisis

United States

Iran

Bangladesh

Pakistan

Sri Lanka

U.S. President-elect Donald Trump (R) and India's Prime Minister Narendra Modi (L) arrive for a joint press conference at Hyderabad House in New Delhi, India, on Feb. 25, 2020.

While U.S. President-elect Donald Trump will maintain many of the outgoing Biden administration's overarching policies toward South Asia, bilateral relationships will grow increasingly transactional.

What Trump's Second Term Means for South Asia

Indian soldiers walk along a road near the Zojila mountain pass that connects to Ladakh, bordering China, on Feb. 28, 2021. 

Cyber

While their recent efforts to ease bilateral tensions will probably reduce the risk of border clashes, deep-seated mistrust between the two strategic rivals will very likely limit the scope of any reconciliation. 

After a Tense Few Years, India and China Try To Turn Down the Heat

Ethiopia

Kenya

South Africa

Brazil

Egypt

United Arab Emirates

Indonesia

Russia

Moldova

Vehicles pass by a banner thanking outgoing Indonesian President Joko "Jokowi" Widodo and congratulating President-elect Prabowo Subianto and Vice President-elect Gibran Rakabuming Raka ahead of their Oct. 20 inauguration in Jakarta, Indonesia, on Oct. 17, 2024.

A look at what the coming week will bring -- and a list of recommended RANE articles from the week that was.

The Weekly Rundown: An Impeachment Case in Kenya, an Inauguration in Indonesia

Snapshots

Canada

Indian policemen stand guard outside the entrance of the High Commission of Canada in New Delhi on Oct. 15, 2024. 

The dispute over India's alleged covert activities on Canadian soil will raise the risk of restricted consular services and protests in both countries, but major economic disruptions are unlikely.

India and Canada's Diplomatic Rift Hits a New Low

Incoming Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Omar Abdullah on Jan. 27, 2023, in the Indian city of Srinagar in Kashmir. Jammu and Kashmir's new government will attempt to seek a restoration of full autonomy or at least statehood for the territory, but it will bump up against firm resistance from New Delhi, increasing the likelihood of violent unrest and Pakistani pressure.

Jammu and Kashmir's new government will attempt to seek a restoration of full autonomy or at least statehood for the territory, but it will bump up against firm resistance from New Delhi, increasing the likelihood of violent unrest and Pakistani pressure.

Frustration Will Build in Kashmir as India Ignores the Movement to Restore Autonomy

Israel

Israel's Iron Dome air defense system intercepts rockets fired from southern Lebanon on Sept. 27, 2024, over the Upper Galilee region in northern Israel. The Security Cabinet of Israel has yet to decide exactly how to retaliate against Iran for its Oct. 1 missile barrage against the country, but Israel clearly is seeking U.S. approval for an operation that might yet pull the U.S. back into active defense.

U.S.-Iran Relations

The Weekly Rundown: A Shanghai Cooperation Organization Meeting, Chinese Financial Support Measures

Maldives

An aerial view of the island of Male, which is the capital of the Maldives.

If it defaults on its Islamic bonds, the island nation will be forced to seek more financial aid from India and China, which would heighten macroeconomic instability and erode investor confidence.

Trouble in Paradise: The Maldives' Looming Debt Default

A protest in Dhaka, Bangladesh, on Aug. 15.

Social Issues

In Bangladesh, improving security will not eliminate the high risk of additional violence and protests in the coming weeks, while policy uncertainty and severe political tensions in the coming months will continue to threaten the operating environment for businesses.

In Bangladesh, Improving Security Does Not Spell Stability

Ukraine

Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi arrives for a working session on the second day of the G-7 summit in Schloss Elmau, Germany, on June 27, 2022. 

Russia-Ukraine Conflict

The trip is likely aimed at addressing backlash from the prime minister's recent visit to Russia, as India tries to mitigate Western criticism and reinforce its neutrality in the Ukraine conflict.

Modi's Upcoming Visit to Ukraine Reflects India's Balancing Act

Muhammad Yunus (4R) on Aug. 9, 2024, in Dhaka, Bangladesh.

Global Elections

While Bangladesh's interim government is unlikely to make drastic changes in foreign policy, the government that emerges after new elections could seek closer ties with China and distance from India. This would delay bilateral projects with India, increase security challenges for India and lead to greater Chinese influence in the region.

After Elections, Bangladeshi Foreign Policy Will Drift in China's Favor

Indian Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman (fifth from left) poses for photos in New Delhi before presenting India's budget to parliament on July 23, 2024. 

The budget is set to attract foreign capital and could boost the Indian economy, but addressing youth unemployment and passing structural reforms will remain key challenges.

A Deep Dive Into India's Newly Unveiled Budget

<p>India is endowed with favorable geographic barriers. Surrounded by oceans on three sides and the formidable Himalayan Mountains to the north, what is now modern India has been free of outside interference for much of its long history. Its large geographic size and population, coupled with weaker peripheral nations on much of its boundaries, have allowed India to become the dominant force in South Asia. Home to the world&rsquo;s second-largest population, India&rsquo;s 1.3 billion people are spread out across the peninsular nation, from the foothills of the Himalayas to the tropical south. India&rsquo;s population core is settled along the Ganges river basin, a densely populated swath of fertile land that extends across the northern Himalayan border. India&rsquo;s primary geographic challenge comes from a lack of strong internal boundaries. Modern-day India struggles to rectify the ambitions of a relatively weak national government that competes with the prerogatives of strong, diverse states &mdash; a legacy of a long history of domestic infighting between various dynasties uninhibited by mountains or other defining geography. A similar lack of defining geography still plagues India&rsquo;s northwest border. Waves of Greek, Persian, and Mongols invaded, culminating in the Mughal Empire, which united much of the subcontinent prior to British conquest. The northwestern border still poses national security risks, due to ongoing disputes with Pakistan. But rising domestic consumption means India is increasingly dependent on imported goods from distant suppliers. Surrounded by water or impassable mountains, New Delhi now faces the additional task of developing naval capabilities to secure its critical supply routes, risking maritime tensions with China in the broader Indo-Pacific basin.</p>

SITUATION REPORTS

India: Voting Concludes in Jharkhand's and Maharashtra's State Assembly Elections

U.K., India: Countries To Resume Trade Talks in 2025

India: First Phase of Voting in Jharkhand Assembly Elections Held on Nov. 13

India: Modi Rejects Calls To Reinstate Partial Autonomy for Jammu and Kashmir

India: Delayed Census To Resume in 2025, Potentially Leading to Delimitation

India, Spain: Sanchez and Modi Inaugurate India's First Private Military Aircraft Plant

India, China: Countries Begin Implementing New Border Agreement

India, Germany: Governments Strengthen Economic and Defense Ties

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