Category Center for International Relations and Strategic Studies

India–Maldives: Sustainable Tourism Cooperation (2025)

Policy Update, Center for Environment, Climate Change and Sustainable Development, Center for International Relations and Strategic Studies, Economy and Infrastructure, Environment, Energy, Climate Change and Sustainable Development, Insights, International Relations and Strategic Studies, Livelihoods, Employment and Well-being, South Asia Studies Center

The Republic of Maldives, located on the Indian subcontinent, consists of 1,190 coral islands grouped into 26 natural atolls. Following the Maldives' independence in 1965, India was one of the first countries to recognise and establish diplomatic relations with them. India and the Maldives have had long-standing ethnic, linguistic, cultural, religious, and economic links. Physical proximity, cultural links, and development collaboration have all contributed to the two countries' close, friendly, and diverse relationship.

In Small Island Developing States (SIDS) such as the Maldives, where tourism is the principal source of foreign exchange profits and government revenue, the business is growing.

IMPRI Desk
December 31, 2025

How to and How Not to Privatise Airports

Insights, Center for International Relations and Strategic Studies, Center for the Study for Finance and Economics, Governance and Law, Livelihoods, Employment and Well-being, Public Policies, Programs and Schemes, Social Sector, Urbanization, Habitat, Transportation and Regional Development

Airports are local monopolies, for the most part. Who gets to operate them and on what terms matter to the public at large. Sure, there is a regulator, the Aeronautic Economic Regulatory Authority of India to regulate aeronautical and other charges at any given airport.

TK Arun and IMPRI Desk
December 31, 2025

Trump, AI and the Global Growth Test of 2026

Insights, Center for International Relations and Strategic Studies, Center for the Study for Finance and Economics, Center for Work and Welfare, Economy and Infrastructure, Gender Impact Studies Center, Governance and Law, International Relations and Strategic Studies, Livelihoods, Employment and Well-being, Public Finances and Macroeconomics, Public Policies, Programs and Schemes

Earlier this month, Sam Altman of OpenAI declared Code Red at the company: the latest version of its chatbot was underperforming Google’s latest offering, Gemini 3. That panic had one simple explanation: he believes artificial intelligence (AI) to be yet another technology service in which the winner takes all.

TK Arun and IMPRI Desk
December 31, 2025

How Big Shifts Are Remaking the World

Insights, Agriculture, Food, Nutrition Security and Rural Development, Center for Environment, Climate Change and Sustainable Development, Center for Human Dignity and Development, Center for ICT for Development, Center for International Relations and Strategic Studies, Center for the Study for Finance and Economics, Entrepreneurship, ICT and Innovation, Environment, Energy, Climate Change and Sustainable Development, Gender Impact Studies Center, Gender, Pluralism and Social Inclusion, International Relations and Strategic Studies, Livelihoods, Employment and Well-being, Science and Technology

A remarkable feature of the world in the wake of President Trump’s assault on the global trading and security system is the resilience of global interdependence.

TK Arun and IMPRI Desk
December 30, 2025

FDI in E-commerce Inventory Can Work—If It’s Export-Focused

Insights, Center for ICT for Development, Center for International Relations and Strategic Studies, Center for the Study for Finance and Economics, Economy and Infrastructure, Governance and Law, International Relations and Strategic Studies, Public Policies, Programs and Schemes

The government is considering allowing e-commerce companies with foreign direct investment to hold inventory, strictly for the purpose of exports. This is welcome. The government should go ahead and convert the proposal into policy action.

TK Arun and IMPRI Desk
December 30, 2025

The G2 Illusion: Why Dual Global Hegemony Remains Elusive

Insights, Center for International Relations and Strategic Studies, International Relations and Strategic Studies

Multiple other power centres operate in the world are crystallising, and it's time India stepped up its R&D efforts to keep pace.

A command by the leader of the world's most powerful nation to resume nuclear testing is not meant to offer reassurance. But that is precisely what US President Donald Trump's instruction to his Department of War provides to anyone who took his reference to G2, prior to his summit with China, a little too literally.

TK Arun and IMPRI Desk
December 30, 2025

Presidential Reference: Why the Supreme Court’s Response Falls Short

Insights, Center for Habitat, Urban and Regional Studies, Center for International Relations and Strategic Studies, Center for the Study for Finance and Economics, Center for Work and Welfare, Governance and Law, Public Finances and Macroeconomics, Public Policies, Programs and Schemes

The Supreme Court’s reply to the Presidential reference is a big letdown. The Constitution Bench’s task was to ascertain if the Court can prescribe timelines for Governors and the President to decide on a Bill that comes up before them, and whether the conduct of Governors and the President is justiciable.

TK Arun and IMPRI Desk
December 30, 2025