Neutrality and balance — Colombo’s habitual vocabulary — have yielded little economic benefit. Ultimately, Sri Lanka slid into bankruptcy. Given this background, the land link is not merely a strategic starting point but a necessity. India’s strategic position on Sri Lanka is perennial; whether the bridge is built or not, India’s concerns remain fundamental. As an immediate neighbour and rising global power, India will not allow rivals to use Sri Lanka as a base.
If India and China choose collaboration by setting aside strategic suspicion in the climate domain, they could fundamentally reshape the trajectory of the 21st century, as they have already demonstrated individually through their pursuit of clean energy over the past decade. More importantly, such a coalition could revive the COP28 fossil-fuel phase-down pledge, which stalled at COP29 in Baku and appears to be drifting further at COP30 in Belém.
Increased industrial activity in India could generate demand for raw materials, intermediate goods, and services from countries such as Nepal, Bhutan, Bangladesh, and Sri Lanka. Bangladesh’s textile industry could strengthen its links with Indian manufacturing networks, while Sri Lanka may gain from expanded opportunities in tourism, logistics, and services.
ADB’s role has evolved beyond financing into shaping India’s structural transformation into a high-growth, technology-driven, and climate-conscious economy. Compared to other multilateral institutions, it offers a more agile, implementation-focused, and regionally attuned approach. As India moves toward becoming one of the world’s largest economies, this partnership will play a defining role in shaping not only India’s growth trajectory but also the broader economic future of Asia.
Indian Railways on Friday cancelled the tender for the manufacturing of 44 rakes of Train 18, which has been re-christened as Vande Bharat Express, and said a fresh tender will be floated within a week's time, focusing on Make in India as a Chinese Joint Venture also applied as a foreign bidder
Issuance of visa to people associated with Chinese think tanks will be scrutinised by the security establishments, the government has decided
China has allowed Pakistan for utilising its $1 billion deposited in the State Bank of Pakistan (SBP) for financing budgetary support, The News has learnt
Pakistan is all set to use Chinese homegrown navigation system BeiDou for both military and civil purposes, ending their dependence on the US-based Global Positioning System (GPS), sources in Indian security establishments stated
Pakistan Foreign Minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi met with his Chinese counterpart on Friday and discussed bilateral relations and other matters of mutual interest, Radio Pakistan reported
China-Maldives relations are of mutual benefit to both countries, China’s Ambassador to the Maldives Zhang Lizhong has stated
The Communist Party of China (CPC) and Pakistan’s mainstream political parties agreed to preserve, protect and promote China Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC)
It was the statement of Pakistan Foreign Minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi against the Saudi-led Organisation of Islamic Cooperation (OIC), pertaining to the Kashmir dispute, which attracted irked response from the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (KSA)
The Indian government is looking to bar Chinese firms from participating in government contracts in the sensitive power sector, especially for procurement of digital products that are prone to malware threats
Pakistan Foreign Minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi on Thursday left for a two-day visit to China to attend the second round of the China-Pakistan Foreign Ministers Strategic Dialogue
China has increased its troop deployment near Lipulekh, the place that became a trigger for strained relations between New Delhi and Kathmandu. Lipulekh is tri-junction between India, Nepal and China situated atop the Kalapani Valley in Uttarakhand
Nepal Airlines has said goodbye to the four pilots hired to fly its Chinese-made Y12e and MA60 after grounding the aircraft permanently since mid-July as they were a drain on resources
The Confederation of All India Traders (CAIT) has strongly criticized ICICI Bank for allowing Peoples Bank of China to invest in the bank despite strong sentiments prevailing in the country against China and its anti-India policies
After the disclosure of a holding in HDFC, the Chinese central bank Peoples Bank of China has now acquired an equity stake in ICICI Bank
Even though New Delhi and Washington have become closer strategic partners, especially in the past two decades, India has never openly aligned with the United States on China, despite US pressure to do so, writes Frank Islam for South Asia Monitor
