Middle class aspirations harming BRICS integration By 2022, those living in poverty will be a minority for the first time, as the global middle class- particularly from BRICS (Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa) nations-surges. Increasingly, the emerging middle class in BRICS countries is becoming one of the most important international customer bases. Over the past decade in Brazil, about 20 million people joined the middle class, which now comprises about 50 percent of… Read More »Scuttling rise

Trilateral trade between Afghanistan- Pakistan-India Manmohan Singh’s wish, to be able to have breakfast in Amritsar, lunch in Lahore and dinner in Kabul, may finally see the light of day now that Nawaz Sharif is re-elected as Pakistan’s leader. Back in 1999, as Prime Minister, Nawaz Sharif initiated an ambitious process of planning a super-express highway that would connect Afghanistan and India through Pakistan. Although this plan made a rough progress during Musharraf’s and Zardari’s… Read More »Connecting hope

Early resolution of Palestine issue and implications for India The resumption on Palestine-Israel peace talks in late July 2013 after four year interregnum at the behest of US has evoked positive response from India, which is indicative of India’s deep interest in the early resolution of the conflict. India needs cordial relations and close partnership, both with the Jews and the Arabs, hence the early resolution of the longstanding conflict will be in India’s national… Read More »Maintaining balance

Sikkim tri-junction and importance of Chumbi Valley The tri-junction of India, Bhutan and China is like a Chinese dagger held at India’s throat. At this point the Chumbi valley which is part of southern reaches of the Tibetan Autonomous Region along the Line of Actual Control is like a pointed kris dagger thrust between Sikkim and Bhutan, giving access to China directly into West Bengal. China has been trying to maximize this geographical advantage because… Read More »Slitting throat

Future trend of electronic warfare and counter measures The modern trends in Electronic Warfare have brought lot of changes in recent times to incorporate large volume of electronic activities which can give the battlefield commander a variety of choice to choose the target and timing of launching the counter strike against enemy electronic fortifications. The miniaturization of electronics and digital signal processing have led to the development of a processor architecture made up of a… Read More »Computing targets

Conventional threats and use of air defence systems For most nations air defence is a multilayered proposition. Given the threat perception most nations have to set up a triple barrier of surface-to-air missiles capable of stopping an enemy barrage at high altitude, at medium altitude, and, as a last resort, at very short distances from the intended target. Most nations confront only a conventional weapons threat of high-explosive warheads intended to demolish the landscape and… Read More »Altitude defence

India’s approach towards tackling China There is a great deal of puzzlement in India about why a newly-elected Prime Minister of China should indulge in so blatant a violation of the concept of peace and tranquillity along the Line of Actual Control so close to his impending visit to India. That the platoon of 30 soldiers and their guard dogs finally withdrew after about three weeks when New Delhi hinted that External Affairs Minister Salman… Read More »Assessing strength

Deploying tanks in the mountainous region With the arrival of the first of ten C-17 Globemaster heavy lift aircraft from the US the possibility of India being able to deploy tanks in support of ground operations against the Chinese People’s Liberation Army north of the Himalayas has improved exponentially. India’s ability to deploy its armored corps, mechanized infantry and artillery regiments along the Line of Actual Control in the Himalayas was severely constrained by the… Read More »Assured destruction

US woos Maldives with SOFA As Maldives prepares for Presidential election in September, a fierce debate is going on in the Maldivian political circles about the US offer to sign a Status of Forces Agreement. With the US focusing its strategy towards Asia Pacific by promoting its new Rebalancing Asia earlier called Pivot to Asia policy among the Asian powers, it seems to have chosen Maldives as one of the pivots on which it will… Read More »Cajoling act

India’s Africa safari opens new opportunities As compared to the four China-Africa summits held since2000, Indiacould organize only two. But the second India-Africa summit held in Addis Ababa on May 25 can be termed as a landmark event inpushing India’s engagementwith Africa to a new height. With large parts of Africa now enjoying peace and stabilityand democratic governance, it was high time that India engaged with the Africanleaders at the highest level and reassures them… Read More »Continent future