Arshik

A Meeting of Old Partners in a New World This week, New Delhi hosts one of the most closely watched diplomatic engagements of the year: the 23rd Annual India–Russia Summit. Russian President Vladimir Putin’s arrival marks his first visit to India since 2021, a gap shaped by war, sanctions, and shifting global alignments. For Prime Minister Narendra Modi, the summit is both a reaffirmation of a long-standing partnership and a test of India’s ability to balance ties with Moscow while defining...

India’s manufacturing sector is undergoing a notable revival. In July 2025, manufacturing growth reached 5.4%, and the HSBC Manufacturing Purchasing Manager’s index (PMI) climbed to 59.3, marking its highest level in 16 months. This momentum is largely driven by strong domestic consumption, recent GST rate reductions, and renewed investment optimism. However, merchandise exports grew only 2.52% year-on-year between April and August 2025, despite a rise in overall orders. This paradox, where...

Kabul as a Threshold of Strategy and Memory India’s decision to elevate its Kabul mission from a skeletal technical team to a full-fledged embassy constitutes a substantive diplomatic measure, underscoring its intent to re-establish influence and foster bilateral stability beyond procedural formalities. It marks a deliberate shift in New Delhi’s foreign policy compass, one that acknowledges the shifting tectonics of regional power like China and Pakistan, trying to assert their influence...