Major defence purchases should be a means of helping a nation achieve its strategic objectives. It's not readily evident what strategic objectives of India are being served by choosing Rafale over Typhoon, says Harsh V Pant.
America's Asia-Pacific policy will come unhinged without Indian support and Indian desire to effectively balance China will remain just that, a desire, without American support, feels Harsh V Pant.
The strategic reality that confronts New Delhi in West Asia today is that India has far more significant interests to preserve in the Arab Gulf, and as tensions rise between the Sunni Arab regimes and Iran, India's larger stakes in the Arab world will continue to inhibit Indian-Iranian ties, says Harsh V Pant.
Regional rivalries will only intensify if the perception gains ground that the security situation in Afghanistan is deteriorating. India will have to ensure that it does not lose out as in the past as new realities emerge in the region, says Harsh V Pant.
India cannot be expected to ignore its genuine interests in Afghanistan just to keep Pakistan in good humour. While for Afghanistan, the pact is a way of trying to deal with an increasingly more menacing Pakistan, says Harsh V Pant.
India is right to forcefully reject Chinese claims of sovereignty over the entire South China Sea. It should now build credible strategic partnerships with other regional states so as to prevent a Chinese regional dominance, says Harsh V Pant.
'The breakdown in the family structure in large sections of British society and the lack of discipline in young Britons is being looked at once again as the underlying reasons for growing criminality and lack of respect for authority among the youth.'
The deteriorating regional security environment and the rising tide of Islamist radicalism in Pakistan might just force Beijing to change its course towards India, says Harsh V Pant.
'The terrorists who have done this know well that the ever-forgiving Indian government knows only one way to respond -- with high-sounding, but meaningless words.'
The China-Pakistan partnership serves the interests of both partners by presenting India with a potential two-front theatre in the event of war with either country says Harsh V Pant.
India must create firm ties among the energy exporting states of central Asia, particularly Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan, and, if possible, Turkmenistan, says Harsh V Pant.
New Delhi will have to fashion a pro-active foreign policy response that relies less on Washington in crafting an appropriate response to the changing dynamic in Af-Pak, says Harsh V Pant.
'The defence capability differential between China and India is rising at an alarming rate. This will continue to constrain India's rise as a major regional and global player of any significance.'
India will have to seriously think about its role anew as a new Iraq emerged in a new Middle East. Appointing an ambassador is a good, albeit modest, start, says Harsh V Pant.
The reality is that Indian defence modernisation is lagging behind and the government and the present defence minister is largely responsible for the sad state of affairs today in the military realm.
India and Indonesia have a vested interest in ensuring that China's hegemony in the region does not go uncontested, says Harsh V Pant.
'Despite his noble intentions, Manmohan Singh is singularly failing to either manage the country well or to provide a vision for the nation's future. He may be a nice man, but India needs an effective prime minister.'
India's candidature for permanent membership of the UN Security Council will be taken seriously only when it becomes a global economic and military power, able to protect and enhance its interests unilaterally, argues Harsh V Pant.
Delhi and Tokyo need to urgently assess the implications of their lacklustre ties and get serious about remedying this situation. The Indian prime minister's visit is a step in the right direction but much more needs to be done to enhance regional and global stability, says Harsh V Pant.
'With China investing in Iran's energy sector, India cannot afford to lag behind.'
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