South Asia

Assessment of South Asian regional security, India–Pakistan relations, Afghanistan stability, regional diplomacy, and cross-border security challenges.

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.

Navigating the Cautious Calibrations of Sino-Indian Relations

Navigating the Cautious Calibrations of Sino-Indian Relations Beyond the Reset: Interview of Maj Gen Dr Asthana by World Geostrategic Insight, Italy

The discourse surrounding India-China relations is often caught between the extremes of inevitable confrontation and optimistic reconciliation. However, the reality on the ground is a sophisticated "cautious re-engagement"—a strategic management of competition in an increasingly turbulent global order.

In my recent interview with an Italian international journal World Geostrategic Insights, I delve into why the 2025 "Tianjin Reset" between PM Modi and President Xi is more than just diplomatic optics. We explore the "special problem" India faces with its northern neighbor—a complexity that transcends trade and enters the realm of unsettled borders and collusive threats.

Strategy and Application of Operational Art in Operation Sindoor

As India recalls the dastardly terror attack in Pahalgam claiming lives of 26 civilian tourists, I take the opportunity to share my analysis regarding strategies, application of operational art in Operation Sindoor successfully launched by India. Besides the right strategic…

Pakistan Election 2024: Decoding Pakistan Army’s New Game Plan of Selecting the Prime Minister

Decoding Results The election results of Pakistan in 2024 indicate that if free and fair elections would have been held, the PTI under Imran Khan would have come to power, but this was not to the liking of the establishment/deep…

Why Strategies of Stakeholders in ‘Graveyard of Empires’ Failed against Taliban/Pakistan Nexus?

Sharing an updated analysis of mine on the subject as on August 15,2021. The related analysis published earlier in various international and national e-publications/newspapers are referred in URLs placed below. As Taliban enters the Presidential Palace in Kabul, and President…