Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership (RCEP) , a trade agreement linking ten ASEAN countries with five of their key Free Trade Agreement partners, is one of the largest trade blocs in the world.    Illustration by The Geostrata The RCEP treaty is significant due to its representation of nearly a third of the world’s gross domestic product , encompassing a population of over two  billion  people and an estimated $5.2 trillion  in total exports. Despite its scale and s

The ocean has always represented a kind of duality for India: it has offered far-reaching opportunities while exposing subtle weaknesses. The extent of India’s maritime footprint, with 7,516 kilometres of coastline and more than 2.4 million sq kilometres of Exclusive Economic Zone, dwarfs India’s landmass. While the Indian Ocean Region holds strategic significance for India, it also represents the economic lifeblood of the world. Approximately 40% of the physical oil trade a

The map of the world represents more than the geography of land and water; it is a cartography of power that the historic aggressors hold. For almost two centuries, invisible lines have crisscrossed the globe, not just representing sovereign borders, but also demarcating “backyards” – zones where great powers are asserting the unspoken rule that “might is right”. Illustration by The Geostrata In 1823, a ghost was born in the United States of America that continues to haunt t

Myanmar represents far more than a neighbouring Southeast Asian nation to China; it is a strategically indispensable asset upon which Beijing has constructed an intricate system of economic, military, and political dependency. China, over the years, has increased its role in the nation, especially its hold in Myanmar, which has increased after the military coup of 2021. Illustration by The Geostrata The Chinese have made sure that Myanmar's dependency on them remains intact,

Southeast Asia’s geopolitics and cultural diplomacy have become essential tools in the 21st century for establishing relationships that go beyond political strategies and economic interests. The relationship between China, India, and the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) is the best example to understand the point of culture in International Relations. Illustration by The Geostrata Southeast Asia has been considered where East and West civilisations met, India an

For India, Bangladesh has never been just another neighbour. Geography would have made that impossible, but history sealed it. The two countries share memories of 1971, which still shape political instincts on both sides, and there are dense economic and social ties; this means that developments in Bangladesh are seldom distant events for New Delhi. Illustration by The Geostrata They are experienced, discussed, and in many cases privately fretted about. For most of the last d

As the first month of 2026 comes to a close, the global economic establishment is less a coherent system and more a fragmented mirror of competing interests. With the EU – India summit less than a week away, the atmosphere is charged with unprecedented urgency. As the EU President Ursula von der Leyen touches down in India alongside other European leaders for Republic Day celebrations on January 26, the long-anticipated India – EU trade deal stands on the precipice of finaliz

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

India’s nuclear trajectory is marked by scientific ambitions, technological self-reliance and isolation from international politics. The nuclear sector was mainly governed by the Atomic Energy Act, 1962, which was a highly centralised and state controlled framework, prioritising safety and sovereignty. Later legislations, like Civil Liability for Nuclear Damage Act, 2010 addressed accountability and victim compensation for nuclear incidents. 

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

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

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

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

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

Today, power is not simply quantified in terms of military or economic power, but it increasingly resides in the ability to shape knowledge and guide societal perceptions toward an understanding of reality. At every point on our planet, states and networks are using advanced tactics to drive public perception, well beyond the raw propaganda of yesteryear. Illustration by The Geostrata But rather than trying to prove one argument, these operations seek to push the larger conv

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 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