Beyond the diplomatic talks, policy briefings and economic discussions, a quiet layer of soft power was at work during the 18th BRICS Summit in New Delhi. India showcased its rich cultural heritage through arts, crafts and thoughtful diplomatic gifting to create an environment of warmth and mutual respect, making delegates feel welcomed. This was diplomacy meeting culture, where culture acted as an informal ambassador to build connections. It shows how connections extend beyo

The problem facing global governance today is not simply that its institutions are outdated as much as it is that the world has changed faster than our ability to respond to it. New centres of economic and political power have emerged, developing countries are demanding greater representation, and the interests of major powers have become harder to reconcile. Yet the institutions through which these competing interests are meant to be negotiated remain tied to an earlier dist

Indian foreign policy is reaching a stage where its relations with the US are too significant to give up but too unclear to stake everything on. New Delhi is strengthening its ties with Russia and China through its involvement in BRICS and the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation, while bolstering its partnership with the United States in defence, technology, trade, and the Indo-Pacific region. Illustration by The Geostrata This growing strategic engagement with multiple power c

The architecture of global finance has rested on two interconnecting pillars for decades: the US dollar and the SWIFT messaging network. SWIFT (Society for Worldwide Interbank Financial Telecommunication) connects over 11,500 institutions in more than 200 countries and handles around 44 million messages a day. It does not move money itself but coordinates the instructions that enable cross-border payments. All while the dollar sits at the centre of this system as the dominant

India is set to host two key summits in 2026, the Quadrilateral Security Dialogue (QUAD) and the BRICS, assuming crucial geopolitical significance across the Indo-Pacific, Africa, and Latin America. New Delhi’s active role in the BRICS underscores India's outreach to the Global South, working towards a multipolar world order. The QUAD, on the other hand, has a diversified agenda ranging from maritime security to developmental partnerships in the Indo-Pacific. 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

As the tectonic plates of geopolitics shift, so does the global order. The world, since 1947, has been accustomed to the US playing the...

Being a fully democratic nation adopting its constitution on January 26th, 1950, India guts the rocky way, manifests, and experiences the...

The BRICS (Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa) forum comprises one of the world’s top economies. These countries account for...

In February 2024, Argentina and India celebrated 75 years of diplomatic relations, reflecting upon their shared journey, and envisioning...

The upcoming G20 Summit in Delhi is being seen as a defining event in diminishing the dichotomy between the developed Global North and...

“We are a way for the cosmos to know itself.” ~ Carl Sagan "We have achieved a soft landing on the moon; India is on the moon,” were the...

Professor Bann Seng Tan is an Assistant Professor of Political Science and International Relations at Ashoka University. This interview...