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Dhruva Jaishankar

Articles by Dhruva Jaishankar

India’s uneven quest to master technology

Learnings from Delhi’s past should help in shaping the future as the country bets big on new critical technologies

Over the past two decades, successive governments have endeavoured to diversify India’s partnerships with advanced economies (REUTERS)

Opinion

Published on Mar 15, 2025 06:26 PM IST

ByDhruva Jaishankar

Why New Delhi and Brussels must reset bilateral ties

The EU and India both have apprehensions about China’s economic and manufacturing supremacy threatening employment and businesses at home.

Several recent developments create opportunities to overcome some of the old cliches Europeans and Indians have of each other and forge a forward-looking and broad-based partnership (ANI)

Opinion

Published on Feb 26, 2025 07:45 PM IST

ByDhruva Jaishankar

Foundation for layered India-America relations

The first engagement between the two countries’ leaders in Trump’s second term met most expectations. Now, resolve differences over trade and immigration

Washington, DC, Feb 13 (ANI): Prime Minister Narendra Modi and US President Donald Trump deliver a joint press statement after their meeting at the White House, in Washington, DC on Thursday. (Reuters/ANI) (REUTERS)

Opinion

Published on Feb 17, 2025 09:04 PM IST

ByDhruva Jaishankar

Reforming the UNSC remains a tough task

The absence of adequate representation from Asia and Africa betrays the UN Charter. To regain its effectiveness, the UN body must reflect the world as it is

NEW YORK, NEW YORK - MAY 13: The United Nations Security Council room is seen at the United Nations headquarters May 13, 2024 in New York City. (Photo by Michael M. Santiago / GETTY IMAGES NORTH AMERICA / Getty Images via AFP)(Getty Images via AFP)

Opinion

Published on May 15, 2024 11:03 PM IST

ByDhruva Jaishankar

Anticipating Biden versus Trump rerun

There are important differences in their approaches to alliances, climate policy, immigration, tariffs, and democracy

Donald Trump marched March 6, 2024 towards a bitter rematch against President Joe Biden in November as his final Republican rival Nikki Haley thew in the towel after a thumping defeat in the

Opinion

Published on Mar 25, 2024 11:13 PM IST

ByDhruva Jaishankar

Seeing India-China ties through Taiwan

Conflict over Taipei’s political status will have strategic and economic consequences for Delhi

Taiwanese Vice President Lai Ching-te, also known as William Lai, center, celebrates his victory with running mate Bi-khim Hsiao, right, and supporters in Taipei, Taiwan.(AP)

Opinion

Published on Jan 18, 2024 01:58 AM IST

ByDhruva Jaishankar

The tarnished legacy of Henry Kissinger

Kissinger may be remembered as the last American diplomatic celebrity. But it is equally likely that his critics will have the last word in defining his legacy

FILE PHOTO: A Code Pink demonstrator dangles a set of handcuffs in front of former United States Secretary of State Henry Kissinger at the Armed Services Committee on global challenges and U.S. national security strategy on Capitol Hill in Washington, U.S. January 29, 2015. REUTERS/Gary Cameron/File Photo(REUTERS)

Opinion

Published on Nov 30, 2023 10:31 PM IST

ByDhruva Jaishankar

The collapse of the neo-liberal consensus

Nations are preparing for a global economy characterised by gated globalisation, plurilateral or regional blocs, and competing industrial policies

It is somewhat ironic that Xi and Biden's meeting should have occurred at an occasion intended to promote international economic cooperation(Reuters)

opinion

Published on Nov 20, 2023 10:53 PM IST

ByDhruva Jaishankar

How the Czechs checkmated China

Prague’s experience with Beijing also exposes the limitations and fragility of China’s global outreach

As part of what was heralded as a ‘golden period’ in Czech ties with China, Xi Jinping himself visited in 2016.(Reuters / File)

opinion

Published on Oct 23, 2023 10:07 AM IST

ByDhruva Jaishankar

Why G20 matters to India and the world

Economic, demographic, and commercial factors are driving India’s outreach. Advancing the Global South agenda may prove to be its enduring legacy

A man rides a bicycle past installations of the G20 Summit,(PTI)

opinion

Published on Sep 04, 2023 10:40 PM IST

ByDhruva Jaishankar

NATO can help Delhi anchor Indo-Pacific

India is wary about any engagement with NATO. However, the growing strategic competition in the Indo-Pacific opens the door for deeper dialogue with India.

The NATO and Lithuanian flags fly in Vilnius, Lithuania on July 9, 2023, a few days ahead of a July 11-12 NATO Summit. (Photo by PETRAS MALUKAS / AFP)(AFP)

opinion

Published on Jul 09, 2023 10:04 PM IST

ByDhruva Jaishankar, Ammar Nainar

A pathway for deeper US-India ties has been laid

A shared sense of challenges, deepening people-to-people and commercial links, and diminishing relevance of obstacles have led to more meaningful India-US ties

Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s state visit to Washington represents cooperation across the wide breadth of the Indo-US relationship(AP)

opinion

Published on Jun 23, 2023 09:57 PM IST

ByDhruva Jaishankar

Indo-Pacific summits mark a global churn

This month will see a series of global summits. New kinds of ties, geopolitical competition, and plans to address global problems are likely to take shape

The next Quad summit is in Australia and the grouping is proving to be a mechanism to advance bilateral efforts between member-countries (AP)

opinion

Updated on May 16, 2023 07:51 PM IST

ByDhruva Jaishankar

A common agenda for the Global South

India’s recent embrace of the Global South represents a strategic opening to advance its objectives and push institutional reform

New Delhi, Jan 12 (ANI): Prime Minister Narendra Modi addresses at the opening session of Voice of Global South Summit 2023, via video conferencing, on Thursday. (ANI Photo) (ANI/PIB)

opinion

Updated on Apr 05, 2023 08:09 PM IST

ByDhruva Jaishankar

US has bolstered its position in the world

As the Ukraine war enters its second year, US efforts mark a good return on investment from the point of view of national security. But over the next year, further risks abound

As underlined by his surprise visit to Kyiv this week, American efforts in Ukraine represent a good return on investment from the point of view of US national security planners (AP)

opinion

Updated on Feb 22, 2023 07:43 PM IST

ByDhruva Jaishankar

Will WC final be remembered for 2 individuals or 2 teams?

Memories of individual or collective accomplishment are often made in hindsight

Could the 2022 World Cup winning team come to be known as Mbappe’s France? Or will we recall a great Argentina XI featuring Messi at the end of his career? (AFP)

opinion

Published on Dec 16, 2022 08:09 PM IST

ByDhruva Jaishankar

What midterm results will mean for US and the world

The results are a mixed bag, with the Republicans likely to win a slim majority in the House of Representatives and the race for the Senate too close to call. These dynamics will have implications for the US and the rest of the world

A divided Congress, a divided Republican Party, and a divided America may still be able to get some things done in the next two years. (Shutterstock)

opinion

Published on Nov 12, 2022 07:45 PM IST

ByDhruva Jaishankar

India plays a crucial role in US semiconductor plans

The US doesn’t have the people to help industry grow. That’s where India can step in, with its high-quality innovators and researchers. India’s own ambitions are likely to benefit from this move

The success of the US semiconductor industry — deemed a topmost economic and national security priority by the government — will depend on acquiring the requisite human capital almost overnight. (Shutterstock)

opinion

Published on Oct 18, 2022 07:10 PM IST

ByDhruva Jaishankar

Post Abe, the contours of India-Japan relations

Japan’s relations with India are currently healthy, but as structural challenges make themselves felt in the ties, the biggest tribute to Shinzo Abe’s legacy would be to find ways to surmount some of these hurdles

Shinzo Abe’s assassination less than two years after stepping down as PM leaves a political vacuum that may affect the pace — if not necessarily the direction — of Japan’s future trajectory. This, in turn, has implications for Japan’s partnership with India (PTI)

opinion

Updated on Sep 24, 2022 06:28 PM IST

ByDhruva Jaishankar

I2U2 reflects new geopolitical realities for all four nations

There is a strategic logic in the coming together of India, Israel, the US, and the UAE. But trenchant disagreements on great power politics linger. Developing the partnership from the ground up will be key

Following the blueprint of Quad by having identified working groups to achieve specific outcomes in a certain timeframe will signal a seriousness and indicate that the group will not just be a talk shop (ANI/PIB)

opinion

Published on Jul 15, 2022 09:11 PM IST

ByDhruva Jaishankar

The Ukraine war exposes glaring analytical gaps

Some are questionable assumptions that took hold among analysts of international relations. But other gaps have been exposed in India’s independent analytical capability

A woman cries as she tries to find a body of her son among debris of a residential building destroyed during Russia’s invasion in the town of Borodianka, Kyiv, Ukraine April 9. (Reuters)

opinion

Updated on Apr 11, 2022 08:26 PM IST

ByDhruva Jaishankar

India should integrate into global value chains

Creating goods and services not just for India, but for the world, is critical to ensuring large-scale employment, wealth creation, and human development

Is India set to seize this opportunity? Not yet. (AFP)

opinion

Updated on Mar 04, 2022 03:55 PM IST

ByDhruva Jaishankar

What the crisis in Ukraine reveals

It exposes the limitations of both hard and soft power. And, there are cautionary lessons for India from both the European and Russian experiences

Rumia, 59, a member of Ukraine's Territorial Defense Forces, trains close to Kyiv, Ukraine, February. 5, 2022 (AP)

opinion

Updated on Feb 14, 2022 08:54 PM IST

ByDhruva Jaishankar

Democracy and the US-India relationship

While both recognise the value of democracy and the importance of demonstrating the success of democratic governance, the two differ on their approaches to democratic promotion and coalition building

India proved an active participant in the summit, as reflected in the prime minister’s brief but pointed country statement. That statement reinforced the importance to India of democracy, including at the State and grassroots levels, which — among other things — has witnessed the increased participation of women. (ANI)

opinion

Updated on Dec 26, 2021 08:38 PM IST

ByDhruva Jaishankar

Will the US reset ties with China, Pakistan?

While the prospect of a US-China deal is limited, US cooperation with Pakistan is possible in the near-term

Some in the Democratic national security firmament believe that the Biden administration has adopted far too adversarial a tone with China, although such criticism overlooks Beijing’s contributions to strained relations (REUTERS)

opinion

Updated on Nov 16, 2021 07:24 PM IST

ByDhruva Jaishankar

The collective complicity for AQ Khan

The notion that Khan operated a rogue proliferation network is useful fiction. His death leaves many questions unanswered

The irony is that Khan’s technological contributions were often failures. Iran abandoned Khan’s secondhand P-1 centrifuges because they proved faulty, while North Korea forsook that method, remaining reliant on plutonium. China continued its struggles with centrifuges in the 1980s until it received assistance from Russia. (REUTERS)

opinion

Updated on Oct 11, 2021 06:49 PM IST

ByDhruva Jaishankar

Twenty years later, a fractured world

In a post-9/11 world, four geopolitical contests are playing out. In Afghanistan, all strands intersect

The return of Taliban control in Afghanistan brings all these dynamics into clearer focus (AFP)

opinion

Updated on Sep 08, 2021 09:45 PM IST

ByDhruva Jaishankar

A tale of four presidents, Afghanistan, and India

Bush, Obama, Trump and Biden took steps which aligned with Indian goals. But their policies also frustrated, undercut, or harmed Indian interests

Afghans residing in India take part in a demonstration outside the UN Refugee Agency ( UNHCR) office in New Delhi on August 23 to protest against the Taliban's military takeover of Afghanistan. (AFP)

opinion

Updated on Aug 23, 2021 06:16 PM IST

ByDhruva Jaishankar

How the US lost the plot in Afghanistan

In some ways, the real war began after 2009, as the US forces drew down from Iraq. The result was a carrots and sticks approach; the swelling to over 60,000 US troops in Afghanistan (with another 30,000 committed during the “surge”) coupled with greater economic assistance to Pakistan

The US misadventure in Afghanistan did not necessarily have to end this way (AFP)

opinion

Updated on Jul 13, 2021 08:27 PM IST

ByDhruva Jaishankar

The promise and perils of Artificial Intelligence partnerships

AI can be a force for good. It has emerged as one technology of particular importance because of its role as an accelerator, its versatility, and its wide applicability. But challenges include standards-setting, supply chain resilience, talent retention, and data policy

AI (Artificial Intelligence) concept. (Getty Images/iStockphoto)

opinion

Updated on Jun 16, 2021 03:21 PM IST

ByDhruva Jaishankar

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Dhruva Jaishankar

Learnings from Delhi’s past should help in shaping the future as the country bets big on new critical technologies

The EU and India both have apprehensions about China’s economic and manufacturing supremacy threatening employment and businesses at home.

The first engagement between the two countries’ leaders in Trump’s second term met most expectations. Now, resolve differences over trade and immigration

The absence of adequate representation from Asia and Africa betrays the UN Charter. To regain its effectiveness, the UN body must reflect the world as it is

There are important differences in their approaches to alliances, climate policy, immigration, tariffs, and democracy

Conflict over Taipei’s political status will have strategic and economic consequences for Delhi

Kissinger may be remembered as the last American diplomatic celebrity. But it is equally likely that his critics will have the last word in defining his legacy

Nations are preparing for a global economy characterised by gated globalisation, plurilateral or regional blocs, and competing industrial policies

Prague’s experience with Beijing also exposes the limitations and fragility of China’s global outreach

Economic, demographic, and commercial factors are driving India’s outreach. Advancing the Global South agenda may prove to be its enduring legacy

India is wary about any engagement with NATO. However, the growing strategic competition in the Indo-Pacific opens the door for deeper dialogue with India.

A shared sense of challenges, deepening people-to-people and commercial links, and diminishing relevance of obstacles have led to more meaningful India-US ties

This month will see a series of global summits. New kinds of ties, geopolitical competition, and plans to address global problems are likely to take shape

India’s recent embrace of the Global South represents a strategic opening to advance its objectives and push institutional reform

As the Ukraine war enters its second year, US efforts mark a good return on investment from the point of view of national security. But over the next year, further risks abound

Memories of individual or collective accomplishment are often made in hindsight

The results are a mixed bag, with the Republicans likely to win a slim majority in the House of Representatives and the race for the Senate too close to call. These dynamics will have implications for the US and the rest of the world

The US doesn’t have the people to help industry grow. That’s where India can step in, with its high-quality innovators and researchers. India’s own ambitions are likely to benefit from this move

Japan’s relations with India are currently healthy, but as structural challenges make themselves felt in the ties, the biggest tribute to Shinzo Abe’s legacy would be to find ways to surmount some of these hurdles

There is a strategic logic in the coming together of India, Israel, the US, and the UAE. But trenchant disagreements on great power politics linger. Developing the partnership from the ground up will be key

Some are questionable assumptions that took hold among analysts of international relations. But other gaps have been exposed in India’s independent analytical capability

Creating goods and services not just for India, but for the world, is critical to ensuring large-scale employment, wealth creation, and human development

It exposes the limitations of both hard and soft power. And, there are cautionary lessons for India from both the European and Russian experiences

While both recognise the value of democracy and the importance of demonstrating the success of democratic governance, the two differ on their approaches to democratic promotion and coalition building

While the prospect of a US-China deal is limited, US cooperation with Pakistan is possible in the near-term

The notion that Khan operated a rogue proliferation network is useful fiction. His death leaves many questions unanswered

In a post-9/11 world, four geopolitical contests are playing out. In Afghanistan, all strands intersect

Bush, Obama, Trump and Biden took steps which aligned with Indian goals. But their policies also frustrated, undercut, or harmed Indian interests

In some ways, the real war began after 2009, as the US forces drew down from Iraq. The result was a carrots and sticks approach; the swelling to over 60,000 US troops in Afghanistan (with another 30,000 committed during the “surge”) coupled with greater economic assistance to Pakistan

AI can be a force for good. It has emerged as one technology of particular importance because of its role as an accelerator, its versatility, and its wide applicability. But challenges include standards-setting, supply chain resilience, talent retention, and data policy

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