South Asia is characterized by a geopolitically volatile environment within contemporary global power dynamics. Once viewed as an arena where India’s influence was unquestionable, it is now marked by political uncertainty, regime shifts, never-ending hostilities, security tensions, and competitiveness, along with external influence, particularly China. Collectively, these developments have changed the landscape of South Asia into a contested domain rather than a collaborative

The India-ASEAN narrative has evolved from a position of optimism in 2017 as the dialogue partnership turned 25, to a narrative of resurgence in 2022, and finally, the narrative of strategic repositioning and imperative reclamation as of today. What started as an executionary mechanism to India’s Look East Policy has now given rise to a regional partnership that has withstood geopolitical tremors and a systemic dismantling of the global order.

NATO-India relations have evolved significantly into a global defence and political importance. In an ever-evolving global trend marked by realignment and cataclysmic effects of globalisation, the participatory framework of partnerships with non-member states from different geographical regions shapes the democratic and security interests of nations beyond the transatlantic community. Cover by The Geostrata The relations between NATO and India go back to the events of ‘9/11’,

Why empathy, identity, and collective behaviour shape the future of diplomacy “Behind every handshake and policy lies something subtler, the sociology of human behaviour.” Every summit hall, joint statement, and diplomatic gesture carries more than strategic intent; it carries emotion, memory, and meaning. While diplomacy is often framed as the language of power and national interest, the forces that sustain trust, legitimacy, and influence are deeply social. Illustration by

The Sahel is a thin stretch of dry land that cuts across Africa. It sits between the Sahara and the savannas. The resources are scarce, and power is in a vacuum; these pressures pit groups against each other,  making the Sahel account for 51 per cent of all terrorism deaths in 2024 . Ethnic tensions run deep. In central Mali and parts of Burkina Faso, the clashes between herders and farmers are now more frequent . These fights didn’t just start recently - instead, they’ve wor

The Blue Shirt Regiment (BSS), also known as the Blue Shirts Society (Lanyishe 蓝衣社), was a nationalist paramilitary organisation in China. It emerged on March 1, 1932, as a faction within the Kuomintang (KMT), the Nationalist Party. The BSS was composed mainly of graduates from the Huangpu (Whampoa) Military Academy, young men aged twenty to thirty, many of whom had overseas education and had pledged unquestioned loyalty to Chiang Kai-shek. Illustration by The Geostrata Accor

Sudan's devastating civil war erupted in   April 2023  between the Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF) under Abdel Fattah al-Burhan and the Rapid Support Forces (RSF) led by Mohamed Hemedti. Sudan faces a challenge not to cease the ongoing violence but to prioritise the discussion on “rebuilding approach” in the aftermath of the civil war. Illustration by The Geostrata In the absence of tangible plans to rebuild infrastructure, revitalise the supply chain, and ensure access to necess

July 2024 marked the collapse of Sheikh Hasina’s unshakable regime, but also the beginning of a recalibration that is still unfolding. Illustration by The Geostrata Following the exit of Hasina, who was regarded as the architect of Bangladesh’s non-aligned foreign policy, what appears to be unfolding is a deliberate shift from a peripheral focus to a more region-centric posture of Dhaka's foreign policy. From allowing a Chinese-funded port project near St. Martin’s Island  to

Secession, the separation of a territory from an established state, is one of the most disruptive moments in international politics. If accompanied by conflict, the relations between the two sides are unsurprisingly complex and turbulent. The new country attempts to define itself in opposition to the state from which it broke away. While the parent state, as the original state is called, may harbour feelings of resentment and humiliation. Illustration by The Geostrata When co

Syria has experienced a shift in power with new actors emerging. The larger shift comes from how global powers view ongoing events in the country. Ahmed al-Sharaa came to power in Syria as part of a dramatic political transition.  In addition to signaling the end of Syria's previous leadership, his ascent has drawn attention from all over the world due to his remarkable personal development of Ahmed al Sharaa, from being an al-Qaeda militant commander to a Syrian ‘revoluti

As the world has been becoming increasingly influenced by digital infrastructure, a rising trust gap is developing around global tech ecosystems. Countries are becoming increasingly cautious about the excessive use of Western or Chinese platforms  due to data colonisation, spying, and economic blackmail. Illustration by The Geostrata The concept of digital non-alignment has gained popularity: as geopolitical fault lines become more pronounced, the concept of developing sovere

With the establishment of formal bilateral ties in 1951, both India and Myanmar have faced multiple crests and troughs in maintaining a steady balance of geopolitical interests, sailing through various coups, tension struggles and internal strife. India and Myanmar share a particularly sour relationship, wherein the effects of internal turbulence are seen on the emotional, social and economic aspects of the other. These include border tensions, immigrant management issues, re

Every smartphone you tap, e very glass window you look through , and every road you drive or walk on has one common, silent but irreplaceable ingredient: sand. The world uses more than 50 billion tonnes of sand a year , the equivalent of building a wall 27 meters high and wide, surrounding the entire planet! Far from being an infinite source, high-purity silica sand is not a trivial and plentiful resource. Illustration by The Geostrata Rather, it's purified into silicon, wh

The Hindu epic Mahabharata is far more than just an epic poem featuring noble ideals, supernatural characters, and atrocious conflicts that end in a manufactured peace. It's not a moral and theological discourse built around a long story, as many academics would have us believe; it stands for the very contemporary notions of policy and diplomatic tactics that we see in the world today, and its lessons echo through our administrative institutions. Illustration by The Geostrata

“The winds of change are with us now.” When U.S. President George H.W. Bush spoke these words in 1991, he expressed hope for a " new world order ." The Cold War was about to end, and the ideological hostility between Moscow and Washington was receding. This seemed to suggest that a much more cooperative international security system might be possible, one in which nuclear dangers could be contained through ambitious arms control measures .  Illustration by The Geostrata With

The Russia-Ukraine conflict of 2022 has triggered significant disruptions in the global value chain, particularly affecting the food and fuel sectors. Stemming from historical tensions and contemporary geopolitical dynamics, the conflict escalated, raising concerns about regional stability and global economic repercussions. Cover by The Geostrata This paper examines the multifaceted impact of the conflict, focusing on the disruption of oil supply chains and agricultural expor

‘The supreme art of war is to subdue the enemy without even fighting’- Sun Tzu, The Art of War.  The Asian dragon and its growing relevance in global affairs have persistently dictated the geopolitical sphere and shaped global policies. From dominating global supply chains to an established hegemony in rare earth resources, China is no longer just an active player in a rapidly evolving global order, emerging at the helm of affairs. Illustration by The Geostrata As the geopol

It is a challenging time to be a US ally. America is withdrawing from its role as system administrator in favour of becoming just another self-interested great power. To make matters worse, an informal alliance of China, Russia, Iran, and North Korea, called the “Axis of Evil”   by Western officials, is emerging.  Illustration by The Geostrata The region most anxious about these developments is the Indo-Pacific, the new theatre of great power competition. For Asia, Donald Tru

Across the shifting landscape of global politics, facts bend and twist under the weight of rival agendas. Global trade is no longer limited to goods; they trade choreographed realities. In that subterranean theatre, half-truths and outright fabrications stated briefly as “official facts”, their purpose not merely to deceive but to anchor diplomatic leverage, with an intention to lead allies down false paths of trust. Illustration by The Geostrata Similar to the society George

Geopolitics enthusiasts, we smell the brewing of the New World Order, and yes, of course, it does involve China, but here is a slight twist to it. The Big Three or the Asian Tigers, whatever you would like to call them, are gaining significant traction, primarily due to their proactive effort to safeguard regional and economic stability. But the larger question remains: is this convergence limited to strengthening the regional order, or does it extend to challenging America’s