For India, the failure is particularly significant as its presidency was an opportunity to translate “strategic autonomy”, the current buzzword in foreign policy circles, into multilateral leadership. True, its response is shaped by structural constraints. The country imports more than 85% of its crude oil, much of it from West Asia and Russia. Some nine million of its citizens live in the Gulf. The United States is its largest trading partner. Iran anchors the Chabahar port project and India’s access to Afghanistan and Central Asia. Each relationship is too consequential to risk.
A key consideration for Delhi is Bhutan’s occasional denial or downplay of any Chinese encroachment on its territory, even when satellite data suggests otherwise. This is coupled with a growing perception within Bhutan that India is preventing it from completing its border negotiations with China. Although Thimphu remains closely aligned with Delhi, there is growing interest in expanding its engagement with China.
For India, the opportunity is significant as its robust digital infrastructure and large demographic dividend can create a significant opportunity for adoption and deployment of Artificial Intelligence across sectors, particularly in the care economy. There is an ample room for the development of age-friendly products and services using AI innovation which are of scalable commercial value.
South Asia's higher education ecosystem — with over 1,500 universities and 60 million enrolled learners — is uniquely positioned to absorb and scale new models: work-integrated degrees, on-demand micro-credentials, lifelong learning. The Global South — Africa, Southeast Asia, Latin America, the Middle East — shares the same structural challenges. The solutions that work at scale in India, Bangladesh or Nepal will travel naturally to these geographies.
India’s position in the US-Russia-China tri-polar wrestling arena in 2025 is that of a clever, determined, and autonomous contender. It refuses to be pinned by Beijing’s might, Washington’s transactional approach, or Moscow’s nostalgia. Every move, whether economic, diplomatic, or military, is carefully calculated to preserve its space, grow its influence, and keep the balance constantly shifting.
Muhammad Yunus has not yet successfully connected with the broader public or the key grassroots actors of the July movement, creating a perceptible disconnect. Without national consensus, holding peaceful and participatory elections remains difficult. Excluding the deposed ruling party from upcoming elections could undermine political inclusivity, depress voter turnout, and trigger unrest.
The wars of the future will not be decided solely on land, sea, or air. They will be fought in code, space, and circuits. Nations that dominate these domains will command not just battlefields but geopolitics itself. The contest will be for speed of learning, adapting, and deploying innovation.
Left unchecked, the narco-militant networks that flourish in shadow will continue to undermine social stability across South Asia and beyond. The choice, for policymakers in Washington, New Delhi, Dhaka and capitals across Europe, is to treat the problem as a criminal, financial and geopolitical threat - and respond with the seriousness it demands.
The Taliban regime has started building a tourism complex and rebuilding a historic bazaar near the destroyed Bamiyan Buddhas without UNESCO consultations. Archaeological experts have warned that this could cause permanent damage to the UNESCO World Heritage Site. The damaged statues - where only the niches remain - are now belatedly being seen as a lucrative source of revenue for the financially crunched Taliban regime.
We are, in effect, meticulously polishing our guns while the floodwaters rise around our feet. It is time for a profound strategic recalibration. We must pivot from a security doctrine based on state-centric containment to one based on region-wide, human-centric resilience.
Initiatives under SAARC, though often criticized as politically dormant, have nonetheless sought to promote educational and cultural exchanges in fits and starts. Projects that highlight shared histories and traditions can help build a stronger regional identity and collective progress. Elements of ancient wisdom — such as holistic learning, ethical education, and personalized mentorship — continue to inspire modern educational reforms across South Asia.
The story of the alleged captured Rafale pilot is not a case of miscommunication. This is a textbook example of disinformation. It demonstrates how false narratives can be created, promoted, and weaponized in an age where information itself is a weapon of war. The lesson from this experience is plain. In this age of immediate communication, digital literacy and skepticism are critical civic virtues.
Taken together - the staged abduction drama, Zakir Naik’s planned visit, and Zaheer’s clandestine movements - paint a deeply disturbing picture of Bangladesh’s current trajectory. Since the 2024 coup, Islamist influence has expanded alarmingly under the interim regime of Muhammad Yunus, creating fertile ground for extremist ideologies to spread under official tolerance.
India and Pakistan are both interested in establishing influence over Afghanistan. In pursuing control, both adopt a zero-sum approach. India fears that Pakistan’s influence in Afghanistan could create safe havens for anti-India elements such as Lashkar-e-Taiba and Jaish-e-Mohammad. Pakistan fears that India’s presence in Afghanistan could lead to its encirclement and threaten security along its northwestern borders.
Internationally, leading medical institutions such as the Mayo Clinic, Harvard Medical School, and the National Center for Complementary and Integrative Health (NCCIH) in the United States have recognized Integrative Medicine as a legitimate, evidence-informed discipline. They are conducting research, developing protocols, and training healthcare professionals in the art and science of integration.
Bangladesh is not immune to the regional trend of rising religious and political extremism after a dramatic regime change. Credible security analyses warn that, with recent upheavals, hardline groups are reconfiguring networks and testing gaps in the state’s capacity to respond. To weaken the armed forces and other disciplined services is to invite those groups to exploit the vacuum.
This moral dissonance is far from a Bangladeshi anomaly - it echoes across South Asia. From India to Pakistan to Sri Lanka, the lines between desire, dominance, and digital depravity are blurring faster than ever.
Pakistan's transition from imminent default in 2023 to stability in 2025 exemplifies a remarkable macroeconomic reversal in South Asia. In contrast to Sri Lanka, which is mired in post-default restructuring, and Bangladesh, which is experiencing export stagnation, Pakistan's synchronized budgetary discipline and IMF-supported reforms have started to produce concrete outcomes
If there is a doctrine emerging from this moment, it is one of managed interdependence. India’s 25 percent import cap is not just a regulatory rule; it’s a political philosophy. It enshrines diversification as a matter of national security, insulating the economy from both volatility and coercion. No single country — whether Russia, Saudi Arabia, or the United States — should have the leverage to weaponize energy against India.
