The Palk Strait Link

The Palk Strait Link: Sri Lanka’s Unresolved Question With India

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.  

Disruptive Diplomacy: Why India and China Must Lead Humanity Beyond Fossil-Fuel Chokepoints

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.

Bridging Oceans, Building Regions: India–New Zealand FTA and Potential of South Asian Integration

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.

A New Era in India–ADB Relations: Will Play a Defining Role in Shaping Asia's Economic Future

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.

More on Geoeconomics, Trade and Development

Immediately evacuate citizens from China: Nepal NHRC

Nepal's National Human Rights Commission directed the government to immediately bring back Nepalis from Hubei, the epicentre of coronavirus outbreak, as students stuck in the Chinese province have started making frantic calls for evacuation

CPEC: China says it is committed to Pakistan

China has asserted that it is not wavering from its commitment to assist Pakistan in the second, people-centric phase of the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC)

Humanitarian agency seeks Pakistan government's permission to repatriate stranded students from Wuhan

Pakistan's Edhi Foundation has written a letter to Foreign Minister Shah Mehmood Qureshi, seeking permission to “evacuate students from Wuhan city of China”.

Sri Lanka plays down China’s statement on interference

Sri Lanka says it did not take a statement made by Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi seriously on interference in Sri Lanka.

Nepal still preparing to evacuate citizens from Wuhan

A week after Nepalis in China's Hubei province asked the Nepal government to evacuate them, officials in Kathmandu have little idea how the evacuation will progress.

Modi offers help to Xi in coronavirus crisis

Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi has offered assistance to Chinese President Xi Jinping in the fight against the ongoing novel coronavirus epidemic that has killed over 800 people and infected around 35,000 in China.

171 Bangladeshis asked to wait in Wuhan

The failure to arrange a flight has forced the government to scrap its plans to bring back 171 Bangladeshis from the locked-down cities in China amid a deadly coronavirus outbreak.  

'India offered to evacuate people from all neighbouring countries from Wuhan'

India had offered to evacuate people from all the neighbouring countries while bringing back Indian students from the Chinese city of Wuhan in the wake of the deadly coronavirus outbreak, External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar told the Rajya Sabha on Friday.

India ‘can look into’ evacuating Pakistani students in Wuhan

India can consider evacuating Pakistani students from the coronavirus-hit Hubei province “if such a situation arises” and resources are available, the Ministry of External Affairs said on Thursday, while making it clear that Pakistan had made no request for it till now

Nepal-China meetings, projects delayed amid NCoV outbreak

Crucial meetings between the governments of Nepal and China, along with a number of Beijing-led infrastructure projects, have been delayed amid the fast-spreading novel coronavirus outbreak.
 

Chinese ships' crew, passengers barred from Mumbai port

The crew and passengers of ships arriving from China or certain other South-East Asian countries have been barred from entering Mumbai port as a precautionary measure to prevent the spread of novel coronavirus.
 

SriLankan Airlines slashes flights to China

SriLankan Airlines is rationalizing its services to China in accordance with current market conditions as per its long-held commercial policies, with a temporary reduction of frequencies to several cities, the airline said

Coronavirus and the Wuhan spirit: India could have done more than just evacuation

India, in 1938, was the first Asian country from where real help came for China. Today, India is the first Asian country to evacuate its citizens from China, writes Rajendra Shende for South Asia Monitor

India completes evacuation of nationals from Wuhan

India's evacuation of its nationals who were stranded in China's Wuhan, the epicentre of the novel coronavirus epidemic, was completed on Sunday with around 650 people brought back in two phases

India suspends e-visa entry from China

The Indian government temporarily banned the e-visa entry of Chinese and other foreign nationals into India in view of the novel coronavirus outbreak in Wuhan