The Gulf countries on Monday welcomed a peace deal reached between the US and Iran to end their conflict and called for protection of maritime routes and freedom of international navigation, including the uninterrupted flow of traffic through the Strait of Hormuz.
Experts' worries intensified after Pakistan commissioned its first Chinese-built Hangor-class submarine, PNS Hangor, last month.
Japan is deepening its defence relationship with India while simultaneously expanding its economic, infrastructure and security engagement with countries around India -- particularly Bangladesh. The result is an emerging Japanese conception of South Asia in which India remains the strategic anchor, but the geography surrounding India is becoming increasingly important, points out Varun Arya.
In many ways, 17th century India occupied a position in the global economy comparable to that of the United States today. Just as millions of people now look towards America because of its economic opportunities, merchants, adventurers and trading companies once looked towards India.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi addressed the Indonesian parliament, emphasising India's commitment to development over expansionism and advocating for a free, open, and inclusive Indo-Pacific. He highlighted the strong historical ties between India and Indonesia, calling for enhanced cooperation in various sectors, including defence, technology, and counter-terrorism, amidst growing concerns over regional security.
The Bombay High Court has approved the removal of mangroves for the Vadhvan Port Project in Palghar, Maharashtra, citing its public importance and economic significance. This clearance paves the way for accelerated execution of the Rs 76,220 crore project, which aims to position India among the top 10 container port nations globally.
Modi's comments on underlining the importance of ensuring the safety of seafarers came against the backdrop of growing anger in India over the killing of the three Indian crew members in a US military attack on a merchant ship off the coast of Oman last week.
Tamil Nadu's new government, led by C Joseph Vijay, is committed to advancing the ~38,000 crore shipbuilding project with HD Hyundai in Thoothukudi, securing bipartisan support from the Opposition DMK, despite initial industry concerns about policy continuity after the change in leadership.
US President Donald Trump claimed on Tuesday that Tehran has consented to long-term, comprehensive monitoring of its nuclear infrastructure. Concurrently, Washington will ease shipping constraints in the Strait of Hormuz and release bound financial concessions, subject to stringent American oversight.
History may remember Takaichi Sanae not as the leader who simply accelerated Japanese rearmament, but as one who governed during Japan's transition from an industrial-age security model to a post-industrial strategic member of the global order, points out Varun Arya.
Successful interceptor, anti-ship, MIRV and hypersonic technology tests have strengthened India's position among a select group of advanced missile powers.
Notwithstanding the economic complementarities and the host of agreements for deepening economic relation on a host of areas, both sides share common viewpoints on the foreign policy domain and seek common grounds to serve as a counterweight to China, notes Dr Rajaram Panda.
The plan includes three such formations: A China-focused Northern Theatre Command, a Pakistan-focused Western Theatre Command, and a Maritime Theatre Command.
The coast guards of India, Japan, the US and Australia have launched the first-ever "Quad-at-sea" mission to boost operational coordination and interoperability in the Indo-Pacific.
Speaking at the 'Samudra se Samruddhi' event, where he inaugurated and laid foundation stones of projects worth Rs 34,200 crore, Modi said all the problems of India have only one solution, and that is self-reliance.
A senior US official has emphasised India's crucial role in maintaining peace and stability in the Indo-Pacific region and ensuring a balanced power dynamic in Asia, advocating for stronger defence ties between the two nations.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi was conferred with the Order of Oman by Sultan Haitham bin Tarik for his contribution to India-Oman ties and his leadership.
The government is developing ports across the country as centres for green hydrogen production and export, Sarbananda Sonowal, minister of ports, shipping and waterways (MoPSW) said on Tuesday. "Across the country, over 12 million tonnes of green hydrogen-based e-fuel capacity has been announced.
India and Israel have elevated their relationship to a special strategic partnership, focusing on enhanced cooperation in trade, technology, and defense, while also addressing regional peace initiatives.
What we are watching is something different: A fog manufactured and maintained by the people who started the war, so that the question of why it was started never has to be answered, observes Prem Panicker in his must read blog on the war in the Middle East.
'Raj Thackeray is working at the behest of Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis.'
India's Chief of Naval Staff, Admiral Sureesh Mehta set the cat amongst the pigeons recently when he hinted in a speech that India could not match China military force.
Chief of the Naval Staff Admiral Sureesh Mehta, who retires from the Indian Navy at the month-end, delivered a powerful speech on 'National Security Challenges' at a conference organised by the National Maritime Foundation in New Delhi on Monday. Not surprisingly, for an admiral known for speaking his mind, it was a speech marked by characteristic candour.
Former Foreign Secretary Shiv Shankar Menon, on Friday, dismissed the view that China plans to encircle India through military bases in the Indian Ocean, saying the 'string of pearls' is a "pretty ineffective murder weapon".
"Targeting ships at high seas is not an easy task or as simple as land warfare," Admiral Verma told media persons on the sidelines of a seminar on aircraft carriers organised by the National Maritime Foundation in New Delhi.
Gen Chauhan said a "whole of the nation" approach will be required to develop the shield.
The India-Japan joint naval exercises are a strategic signal for China, observes Dr Rajaram Panda.
'At Keeladi, we have not come across any evidence for organised religion.'
Mere shuffling of resources or cosmetic changes to prove a point would be counterproductive in the long run, observes Commodore Venugoptal Menon (retd).
The 'mediation' by the United States from behind the scene on the diplomatic track appears to be once again working, which calls on both Delhi and Islamabad to show restraint and pull back from a military confrontation, notes Ambassador M K Bhadrakumar.
The high-voltage Malabar exercise featuring the navies of all four Quad countries -- India, the US, Australia and Japan -- began on Thursday off the coast of Guam against the backdrop of a resolve by the four nations to solidify cooperation for a free and open Indo-Pacific in view of China's rouge behaviour in the region.
The China threat continues to resonate in the strategic partnership between India and the USA, points out Rup Narayan Das.
Reports (not denied by India) that the USA had 'for the first time provided real-time details to their Indian counterparts on the Chinese positions and force strength in advance of a PLA incursion' into Tawang at the LAC in December 2022, helping India thwart China's expansionist designs, show how operationally effective the USA-India friendship has become on the ground. A engaging excerpt from Sreeram Chaulia's must-read new book, Friends: India's Closest Strategic Partners.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi and his Spanish counterpart Pedro Sanchez on Monday inaugurated the Tata Advanced System Limited (TASL)-Airbus facility in Vadodara to manufacture C-295 military aircraft in India.
Nationhood is constituted by people who share a "common sense of their history" and a "common vision of their future", National Security Advisor Ajit Doval said as he released an 11-volume book series that charts different phases of the history of ancient India and its accomplishments.
Jimmy Carter, the 39th US president and a champion of peace and human rights, has died at the age of 100. Carter, who was known for his work with the Carter Center, promoting democracy and conflict resolution, was also a close friend of India. He visited the country in 1978, forging a lasting relationship between the two nations.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Friday apologised to Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj and those hurt by the collapse of the warrior king's statue in Maharashtra's Sindhudurg district, an act coming in the backdrop of a huge row over the crash which provided ammunition to the opposition to target the Mahayuti government ahead of assembly polls.
Navy chief Admiral R Hari Kumar on Monday flagged concerns over growing geo-political power play in the Indo-Pacific, and noted that the US-China rivalry in the region is likely to be a "marathon".
'We have to keep a watch because India-Sri Lanka has a history that whenever there has been a change in government, either the connectivity projects have been questioned or cancelled or revived.'
'Modi knows the people here are opposed to this project, but he is using the might of government to push this port down our throats.'
