Udai Bhanu Singh

India and Indonesia recently upgraded bilateral ties to a Comprehensive Strategic Partnership, a move that comes on the eve of 70 years of diplomatic relations between the two countries. This deeper engagement serves to highlight the importance of the Indo-Pacific for both countries. India and Indonesia have recently witnessed some intensive engagement in the political, strategic, defence, security, and economic spheres.

• Published: July-September 2018
• Journal of Defence Studies

Senior Research Associate, IDSA, Dr Udai Bhanu Singh’s article on India-Indonesia bilateral relations, titled ‘Emerging India, Indonesia maritime axis’ was published in Free Press Journal (Newspaper) on June 1, 2018.

The article analyses the bilateral relations between the two countries, which after a long hiatus, seem to be headed in a direction where the immense potential may begin to be realised.

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• Published: 1 June, 2018

Senior Research Associate, IDSA, Dr Udai Bhanu Singh’s commentary on ‘Indonesian President Joko Widodo's Visit to India’ was published in Volume 5 of ‘Diplomatist’ in January 2017

• Published: 27 January, 2017

The process of active collaboration between the practitioner and the scholar can sometimes result in desirable policy outcomes. The book under review is one such commendable initial attempt. Ambassador Navrekha Sharma retired from the Indian Foreign Service (IFS); her assignments included Joint Secretary (JS) South (1999–2001) and Ambassadorial posting to the Philippines and Indonesia. In fact, she had two postings in Jakarta, first as Minister-Counsellor (1993–1996) and later as Ambassador (2006–2008).

• Published: July 2016
• Strategic Analysis

Australia’s comprehensive strategic approach towards the Indo-Pacific region and a renewed interest in the Indian Ocean has served to rekindle its relationship with India. Australia’s recently released 2016 Defence White Paper (DWP 2016) demonstrates that a growing convergence in strategic approaches can be discerned as Australia looks West and India begins to ‘Act East’.

• Published: April 2016
• Journal of Defence Studies

Aung San Suu Kyi’s National League for Democracy (NLD) won by a landslide majority in the openly contested elections Myanmar held on Sunday, November 8, 2015.The NLD won a convincing majority with 255 seats in the lower house, 135 in the upper house and 496 seats in the state and regional legislatures. This paves the way for election of President of its choice and forming a government. The election had 33.5 million eligible voters (over 18 years) of Myanmar’s 52 million population.

• Published: March 2016
• Strategic Analysis

Myanmar is an underrated neighbour with the potential to influence India’s vital strategic and economic interests. To keep track of the pulse of the mystic nation that is India’s closest Southeast Asian neighbour demands not just a scholarly approach but an empathy and an emotional connect. Rajiv Bhatia’s book, India–Myanmar Relations, is timely as it comes during a period when Myanmar is going through a significant phase of transition. Myanmar today stands at a crossroads confronted by a combination of developments on the domestic, regional and global planes.

• Published: January 2016
• Strategic Analysis

The ability of history to intrude into the present has often been underestimated. Nowhere is this more evident than in India’s relations with territories to its immediate east. Colonial rule by the British in Northeast India and Myanmar left a lasting impact on the two countries, which is felt to this day. Japanese control of the Andaman and Nicobar Islands also left its own historical imprint.

• Published: July 2015
• Strategic Analysis

Maritime security in the Indo-Pacific (or the Indian Ocean–Pacific Ocean continuum) has acquired salience following the shift of the centre of gravity from the Atlantic. It has brought the focus onto the trade, resources and energy lifelines that run across it. The emerging power equations marked by an assertive China, a rising India, a resurgent Japan, together with a rebalancing United States make for a potentially turbulent region.

• Published: January 2015
• Strategic Analysis

With increased cross-border mobility, instantaneous access to information and easy reach to small arms, terror attacks in India are finding new targets.

• Published: July 25, 2013
• IDSA Comments