Micro, Small, and Medium Enterprises (MSMEs) constitute over 95% of formal enterprises in both ASEAN Member States and India, serving as a critical engine for employment, innovation, and inclusive economic growth. Despite their significance, MSMEs continue to face deeply rooted structural constraints ranging from financing gaps and limited technological capacity to regulatory fragmentation and exclusion from regional value chains. Illustration by The Geostrata The COVID-19 pa

The Defence Procurement Manual (DPM) 2025 is a revision of DPM 2009, which instates the rule for revenue procurement (spares, repairs, MRO, ICT, services). The DPM 2025 came into force on 1st November 2025. This roughly governs Rs. One Lakh Crore of annual revenue procurement by the three Services and MoD Organisations. Cover by The Geostrata DPM 2025 is divided into two volumes: Volume I- This highlights the principles, procurement methods, delegated authorities, contract ru

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 US Department of War (formerly Department of Defense) submitted its latest annual report on Chinese military and security developments to the US Congress, highlighting Beijing's military expansion, both horizontal and vertical, its growing dominance in artificial intelligence, semiconductors, cyber warfare, etc., leading to wider implications in the Indo-Pacific, Africa, and Latin America. Illustration by The Geostrata The report also claims that the Indian northeastern s

India-Pakistan relations, marred by historical rivalry, extend beyond the creation of the Radcliffe Line. The roots lie far deeper, predating the partition by almost a century. The Two-Nation theory, often regarded as the ideological framework that stemmed from the idea of a separate nation, with Mohammad Ali Jinnah as its key proponent, has a civilisational history of a series of movements that contributed to institutionalising the concept of Pakistan.

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

Security and strategy have been the guiding principles in today’s geopolitical scenario. The ASEAN, or Association of Southeast Asian Nations, has been at the forefront of ensuring a secure and stable world. At the core of it lies a critical region, the Indo-Pacific. The Indo-Pacific has been witnessing an evolving nature of geopolitics and is significant for regional groupings like ASEAN and QUAD. Illustration by The Geostrata The QUAD, comprising the United States, India, A

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

Investment is a small but highly volatile component of a nation’s gross domestic product. As domestic belief in the future of a country’s growth feeds more into investments than corporate necessity, most fluctuations in terms of investment, particularly business fixed investment, or private capital expenditure, can be traced back to demand-side catalysts.  Illustration by The Geostrata THE THEORETICAL FOUNDATIONS   Investment is not merely an autonomous activity, but is under

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

Shubanshu Shukla, an Indian astronaut, travelled to the International Space Station in 2025. This is a significant moment that goes beyond simple patriotism. India’s missions like Mangalayaan and Chandrayaan are praised for their low cost and efficiency all over the world. Nevertheless, despite this achievement, India continues to be marginalised in the global space economy, which is expected to reach a value of $1 trillion this decade. Illustration by The Geostrata This arti

Underneath the dust stirred by the crossfires between India and Pakistan in Jammu and Kashmir lies the untold story of developmental disparities between regions separated by misconceived boundaries of baseless claims. Illustration by The Geostrata Boundaries that, by their very nature, separate the two by a margin that is only negligible compared to that separating the economic, social and medical realities of Jammu and Kashmir and the part of it that remains under unlawful P

The relationship between India and ASEAN goes way far, beyond trade and strategy, rooted in centuries of cultural exchanges and shared heritage. India and ASEAN both recognise and underscore the importance of people-to-people diplomacy, and how it is becoming an important element of state-led initiatives as both regions continue to negotiate a multipolar world. India-ASEAN relations are often narrated through a simplified filter: India is seen as a counterbalance to U.S. inte

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

A democracy is ultimately judged not only by the laws it enacts but by how swiftly and fairly those laws are enforced. In India, this test is now being failed in slow motion. The National Judicial Data Grid reports over 5.1 crore cases pending across all courts as of December 2025, with district courts alone holding 4.69 crore. That turns the constitutional promise of speedy justice into a distant ideal for millions. Illustration by The Geostrata Every statistic hides a human

India's trade policy since independence has been rooted in self-sufficiency and protectionism, which makes India's trade remarkably different. The first three and a half decades after independence were governed by very high tariffs, tight import restrictions, and a complex 'licence raj'   system to encourage young Indian industries, while protecting many sectors. Illustration by The Geostrata This self-sufficiency encouraged domestic manufacturing, but at the same time, it ha

For decades now, an enigma called Pakistan has been a question of perpetual quandary for analysts and strategists of the globe due to the hybrid nature of the polity the country follows, where the role of the military outwits that of elected civilian leaders. Many scholars have analysed this complicated relationship from many perspectives. Illustration by The Geostrata The most recent of those accounts will be The Zardari Presidency (2008-2013): Now It Must Be Told by Farhatu

India’s multi‑vector foreign policy in 2025  reflects a refined combination of adaptability and strategic depth in an increasingly complex world. In this new order, India carefully balances among the United States, China, and Russia while maintaining its strong influence within its South Asian neighbourhood. Illustration by The Geostrata The identified strategy, based on the belief in strategic autonomy, allows New Delhi to maneuver in unforeseen crises and take opportunities