National Policies

Strategic evaluation of India’s defence policy, economic security policy, foreign policy decisions, and governance reforms impacting national resilience and state capacity.

An Emerald Set in Gold: Great Nicobar and India’s Strategic Reckoning with the Malacca Chokepoint

The Island That Could Change India’s Maritime Equation

Great Nicobar may be far from mainland India, but its strategic significance reaches far beyond the island itself. Located close to the Malacca Strait, the project combines maritime infrastructure, connectivity, economic ambition and defence potential at a critical Indo-Pacific chokepoint. This analysis examines why India is finally converting geography into strategic capability, what it means for China's Malacca dilemma, how it could strengthen India's maritime role, and why strategic necessity must still be balanced with environmental and tribal safeguards. This has been discussed by me in various international forums, some of which are attached in this analysis.

Is Pakistan Imploding? Can US and China Afford to Let It Fail?

Pakistan is not collapsing overnight—it is imploding in slow motion.

Despite economic bankruptcy, insurgencies, political repression and institutional decay, Islamabad continues to attract extraordinary support from Washington, Beijing and Gulf capitals.

Why?

Because Pakistan has mastered the art of remaining strategically indispensable even while becoming economically unsustainable.

Pakistan presents one of the greatest strategic paradoxes of modern geopolitics. A state battling insurgencies, mounting debt, shrinking democratic space and deep economic distress continues to command disproportionate global attention. This article analyses why the United States, China and Gulf states continue investing in Pakistan's survival, why these interventions cannot reform its structural weaknesses, and what India's long-term strategic response should be.

This analysis explains why the world's major powers keep rescuing Pakistan, why those rescues cannot solve its structural problems, and what lessons India must draw from Pakistan's paradox.

A strategic geopolitical map of the Indian Ocean Region highlighting key maritime transit routes, regional nations, and critical security zones discussed in the research.

From Sea Lanes to Strategic Fault-lines: Big Power Contestation and Maritime Security in the Indian Ocean

How the Indian Ocean is transforming from a vital transit zone into a complex arena of great-power competition—and what it means for India’s strategic future.

A podcast video screenshot of Maj Gen Asthana gesturing with a raised claw-hand, demonstrating the hidden 'Wagh Nakh' (tiger claw) tactic of Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj to explain asymmetrical and grey-zone warfare strategies in the Indian Ocean.

From Shivaji’s Ganimi Kava to the Strait of Hormuz: How Asymmetric Warfare Shapes Modern Conflict

From Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj's 'Wagh Nakh' tactic to modern grey-zone operations: Maj Gen Asthana breaks down the new rules of engagement in the Indian Ocean on @AsthanaWrites.

An Indian Army officer operating and launching a tactical military drone in the field, illustrating Maj Gen Asthana's analysis on India's requirement for 2 lakh drones monthly on AsthanaWrites.

From Prediction to Urgency: Why India Needs 2 Lakh Drones Every Month

From tactical prediction to operational urgency—why a 2-lakh monthly drone capability is non-negotiable for India's national security.

Major General (Dr.) S. B. Asthana (Veteran) standing at a podium delivering a strategic keynote on India's Security Policy at the Atal–Kalam Research Park, Ahmedabad.

India’s Security Policy: From Regional Security to Global Stability

It was an honour to deliver a talk at the National Seminar organised by Bharatiya Vichar Manch and Gujarat University on the theme “India’s Global Role: Yesterday, Today and Tomorrow” at the prestigious Atal–Kalam Research Park, Karnavati, Ahmedabad, on 16 February 2026.

The seminar brought together scholars, researchers, strategic thinkers, academicians, and enlightened citizens from various parts of India for a meaningful deliberation on India’s evolving global role and strategic trajectory in an increasingly turbulent world order. I spoke on “India’s Security Policy: From Regional Security to Global Stability,” examining India’s geopolitical security perspective, military capabilities, and the interplay of hard power, soft power, and smart power.The discussions reflected both intellectual depth and national commitment towards understanding India’s emergence as a responsible global power.

I had the privilege of speaking on the subject “India’s Security Policy: From Regional Security to Global Stability.” The deliberation focused on the evolution of India’s strategic outlook, the changing geopolitical environment, the nature of contemporary conflicts, and the role of India as a stabilising force amid global uncertainty. The discussion also covered India’s strategic conduct in the context of past and present wars, diplomacy, and its relations with Pakistan, China, and the United States. The session concluded with a lively and engaging question-and-answer interaction.

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Global Turbulence and the Testing of BRICS 2026: India’s Balancing Act at Bharat Mandapam