International Relations
Bilateral ties, multilateral forums, treaties and India's foreign policy
India plans global diplomatic push across Europe, Africa, BRICS and Quad in May
India is undertaking an intensive round of multilateral and bilateral diplomacy in May 2026, spanning Europe, Africa, and two major groupings — BRICS and the...
Shipping crisis exposes gaps in India’s maritime strategy
The ongoing conflict in West Asia triggered a severe shipping crisis in the Persian Gulf and the Strait of Hormuz, bringing into sharp focus long-standing st...
Updates on Key Sectors in View of Developments in West Asia
In response to the evolving situation in West Asia, the Government of India activated a coordinated inter-ministerial response spanning the energy, maritime,...
What rules govern international waters?
The geopolitical and legal status of the Strait of Hormuz has come under scrutiny following tensions between Iran and the United States over freedom of navig...
U.S. sanctions waiver on Chabahar port ends on April 26, could signal end of 23-year-old connectivity project
The US Treasury Department's sanctions waiver covering India's operations at Iran's Chabahar port expired on April 26, 2026, raising serious questions about ...
Bill for three-year pause on H-1B visas introduced in U.S. Congress
The "End H-1B Visa Abuse Act of 2026" was introduced in the US House of Representatives, proposing a three-year suspension of new H-1B visa petitions while t...
Aksai Chin for Arunachal: Ex-Indian Army chief Naravane backs revival of 1950s China offer on border row
A former Chief of Army Staff, in a recent interview, advocated for reviving a late-1950s Chinese proposal suggesting India accept China's administrative cont...
China acquired capacity to build 50 nuclear power reactors simultaneously: Official report
A blue book released by the China Nuclear Energy Association (CNEA) in April 2026 confirmed that China's total installed nuclear power capacity has reached 1...
A tangled tale of Tangail: How sarees wove a diplomatic knot between India and Bangladesh
A saree exhibition at Bangladesh's High Commission in New Delhi sparked diplomatic tension when India allegedly declined permission to use the Travancore Hou...
Separation between economics & strategy that was taken for granted has collapsed in 21stCentury
A CUTS International webinar under its "Global Strategies in the Age of Geoeconomics" (G-SAGE) series highlighted how global economics and geopolitics have b...
'New chapter in India-New Zealand economic ties': Piyush Goyal as FTA nears signing
India and New Zealand signed a Free Trade Agreement (FTA) on April 27, 2026 at Bharat Mandapam, New Delhi, following a meeting of the India-New Zealand Busin...
U.S. won't renew Iranian, Russian oil waivers: Bessent
The US Treasury Secretary announced that the United States does not plan to renew a waiver that had allowed certain purchases of Russian petroleum products c...
US slaps 123% anti-dumping duty on Indian solar imports
The United States Department of Commerce (USDOC) imposed a preliminary anti-dumping (AD) duty of 123.04% on crystalline silicon photovoltaic (PV) cells and m...
India-US bilateral trade agreement talks progress: Digital trade, market access in focus
An Indian delegation held in-person talks with US counterparts in Washington D.C. from April 20–23, 2026, as part of ongoing negotiations to finalise the fir...
India assured DTAA tax benefits will continue after Supreme Court ruling, Mauritius Cabinet Note says
Following a landmark Supreme Court ruling in January 2026 that upheld the application of India's General Anti-Avoidance Rule (GAAR) to override DTAA capital ...
Prolonged West Asia conflict to raise energy costs, hit trade and markets: RBI’s State of the Economy article
The Reserve Bank of India's April 2026 Monthly Bulletin, released on April 23, 2026, included a "State of the Economy" article that assessed the impact of th...
A sweeping new H-1B Bill has raised alarm. What does it mean for Indian students and working professionals?
A sweeping new piece of legislation — the "End H-1B Visa Abuse Act of 2026" — was introduced in the US legislature on April 22, 2026, with seven Republican c...
World Bank’s IFC targets $10 billion in annual investments in India by 2030
The International Finance Corporation (IFC), the private-sector arm of the World Bank Group, has announced a target to scale its annual investments in India ...
India, U.S. conclude ‘constructive’ in-person talks on trade deal, but no word on deadline
Senior Indian trade officials visited Washington, D.C. from April 20–23 for the first in-person round of trade negotiations since October 2024, holding detai...
Rupee's valuation sinks to over-a-decade low, bruised by Iran war, portfolio outflows
The Indian rupee's Real Effective Exchange Rate (REER) based on a 40-currency basket fell to 92.72 — significantly below its long-run average of 98.25 — mark...