Junaid Kathju
SCMP Contributor
Junaid Kathju is a freelance journalist based in India whose work has been published in publications including Al Jazeera, Foreign Policy magazine, NBC News, The Quint and more.
Junaid Kathju is a freelance journalist based in India whose work has been published in publications including Al Jazeera, Foreign Policy magazine, NBC News, The Quint and more.
Languages Spoken:
English
Despite the forthcoming transfer from a state agency, Indian firms are still years away from being able to make advanced missiles.
The move could boost strategic cooperation with France and ensure India has a credible sixth-generation fighter jet option, analysts say.
Six years after Nathu La’s closure and the deadly Galwan border clashes, its reopening throws local traders a lifeline.
Even the resignation of education chief Dharmendra Pradhan may not be enough to placate rising anger against the ruling BJP.
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Analysts say a large defence budget will not ‘automatically’ resolve combat aircraft gaps that are affecting India’s overall air power.
Private firms now drive nearly a quarter of domestic production, but analysts warn a lack of R&D leaves New Delhi tethered to foreign tech.
Analysts say the satirical party reflects real discontent but remains far from matching the movements that toppled neighbouring governments.
The proposed Integrated Theatre Commands would unite the army, navy and air force in India’s biggest military shake-up since independence.
While India could become a valuable part of an alternative supply chain, analysts say it is unlikely to replace China any time soon.
India’s diplomatic thaw with China is causing films about the 2020 Galwan Valley clash to be retitled, reshot or shelved entirely.
As a joint Indo-Russian venture, BrahMos offers a supersonic, non-Western alternative to US hardware with no Nato-linked conditions.
With Brics members Iran and the UAE as belligerents, the bloc has failed to reach a common position on the Middle East conflict.
Deeper defence ties are expected to boost India’s maritime modernisation efforts and Europe’s security role in the Indo-Pacific, experts say.
Analysts say the two sides are returning to a state of ‘managed coexistence’ after their Shanghai Cooperation Organisation talks.
The two sides aim to keep their energy trade flowing despite sanctions while balancing against the US and China, analysts say.
India’s ‘surprising’ silence on Iranian attacks amid uneasy ties with Tehran could affect its strategic relevance in the Gulf, analysts warn.
India has to carefully navigate the fallout from the war, given its huge stakes in the Middle East, analysts say.
Despite official saying the US wants to work with India, it is likely to maintain a ‘transactional approach’ towards New Delhi, analysts say.
New Delhi has long prided itself on being friends with everyone in the Middle East. The killing of Khamenei just made that much harder.
Brazil says there has been no proposal or talks within Brics to create a common currency across the bloc.
While the pact demands a halt to Russian oil imports, analysts say New Delhi’s military dependence on Moscow is non-negotiable.
Pakistan and China have been drawing closer to Bangladesh and Myanmar in areas such as defence and trade at India’s expense, analysts say.
India plans to remove curbs that effectively shut Chinese firms out of most of its government projects in a bid to ease shortages and delays.
While US$30 billion of defence packages for weapon buys and others have been approved, the pace of roll-out is worrying, analysts say.
The winter smog has widened the affordability gap among residents, with many lower-income families lacking the means to buy an air purifier.
A key hurdle hampering the progress of the India–Middle East–Europe Economic Corridor is the lingering uncertainty over Gaza.
New Delhi is emerging as a serious alternative security partner for Southeast Asia, offering hi-tech arms without ‘hegemonic baggage’.
The Indian Navy’s self-reliance drive is being undercut by chronic ‘sluggishness’ in procurement, analysts say.
The deal cements defence ties amid tariff tensions, even as analysts say Pakistan’s Chinese-made fighters still hold a technological edge.
