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Swasti Rao

Swasti Rao

Indian Express

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Trump has driven up NATO’s defence spending. Why that’s good for India

While India may not export complete platforms to Europe, like it does for Armenia, there is a large market for secondary equipment, components, and...

27.06.2025 20

ThePrint

Swasti Rao

Iran has fewer options & more risks than before. Its choices will affect all of Middle East

Autocratic regimes are seldom inclined toward humility. Some form of face-saving retaliation seems inevitable before diplomacy can resume.

22.06.2025 10

ThePrint

Swasti Rao

Turkey’s ‘Asia Anew’ isn’t just a slogan—it’s a growing strategic surprise for India

While Turkey has expanded arms sales to Pakistan and Bangladesh, India has been conspicuously excluded, or rather blacklisted.

20.06.2025 2

ThePrint

Swasti Rao

Anything that weakens Iran’s proxies is a win for India. Even Israel’s Operation Rising Lion

India is deeply entwined with the Gulf. Its abstention from the latest UNGA vote on Gaza ceasefire speaks volumes: Neutrality, in this case, is not...

13.06.2025 10

ThePrint

Swasti Rao

Trump’s flip-flop to China’s aggression—What’s bringing India and Australia closer

Australia could serve as a bridge between European institutional expertise and Indo-Pacific realities.

06.06.2025 10

ThePrint

Swasti Rao

Ukraine’s Operation Spider’s Web is a breakthrough in asymmetric warfare. What India can learn

The reported destruction of Russia’s strategic bombers isn't just a staggering financial loss but also a profound blow to Russia's military prestige...

02.06.2025 20

ThePrint

Swasti Rao

Armenia’s buying Indian weapons. This opens entry points to Caucasus, Central Asia & beyond

Yerevan has not only bought several Indian platforms, but has also closely observed the performance of India’s indigenous systems in combat...

30.05.2025 20

ThePrint

Swasti Rao

Countering Pakistan isn’t India’s only challenge. We need doctrinal clarity on China factor

India is in a strategic matrix of discomfort. All-party delegations aren't enough to counter it.

23.05.2025 4

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Swasti Rao

Operation Sindoor is a springboard in India’s new confidence in Make in India weapons

Operation Sindoor represents a movement away from dependency and toward self-sufficiency, from imitation to innovation, from ‘assembled in India’...

16.05.2025 6

ThePrint

Swasti Rao

Minerals deal shows Trump is learning to cooperate with Ukraine

In Trump’s first 100 days in office, dominated by scattershot tariff wars and chaotic foreign policy manoeuvers, the deal stands out for its sheer...

02.05.2025 8

ThePrint

Swasti Rao

Who is backing Pakistan? India must guard against Turkey & China’s dirty games

India's military is preparing a suitable retaliatory strategy in response to the Pahalgam attack. But these actions are only the beginning—a more...

25.04.2025 20

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Swasti Rao

Trump only offers chaos, not clarity. A 90-day tariff pause won’t fix strategic stupidity

New Delhi’s studied silence on all things Trump shows how India’s multi-alignment has long ceased to be evenly distributed. It now exists mostly...

21.04.2025 10

ThePrint

Swasti Rao

Watch out for Beijing’s grey zone warfare. Bangladesh’s China tilt should worry India

Beijing may avoid a full-scale war with India due to its own commercial interests and because of cross-strait stakes, but its exponentially rising...

18.04.2025 9

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Swasti Rao

Trump’s ‘Liberation Day’ tariffs are tone deaf theatrics. India must weather the storm

Trump’s ‘Liberation Day’ tariffs have been unleashed on India despite its efforts to appease the US, leaving New Delhi with little to show for...

04.04.2025 30

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Swasti Rao

Why’s Turkey erupting for Ekrem İmamoğlu? He’s the biggest threat to Erdoğan yet

İmamoğlu emerged from obscurity in 2019, defeating the candidate supported by Erdoğan's Justice and Development Party by 13,000 votes.

28.03.2025 8

ThePrint

Swasti Rao

Europe is vital for lasting solution in Ukraine. Trump’s Nobel obsession is blocking this

For Trump, a stronger Europe is crucial, not only to confront China in the Indo-Pacific but also to compete in the Arctic, where Russia alone remains...

21.03.2025 20

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Swasti Rao

Strategic affairs are in full Holi mode—tariff war, land grabs, and leaders lost in chaos

As we enter this Holi season of international relations, let's remember that strategy can always use a little colour. But, of course, this battlefield...

14.03.2025 10

ThePrint

Swasti Rao

India-UK ties have underperformed. Britain must do more to build strategic trust

EAM Jaishankar is on a tour of the UK and Ireland, where he will give momentum to a £41 billion trade partnership. Despite the progress, skepticism...

07.03.2025 10

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Swasti Rao

All Trump wants is a good deal. Ukraine war shows he’ll even risk Europe for it

Trump’s unpredictability is a deliberate tool. He will continue using inflammatory rhetoric to keep European leaders on edge. This is precisely...

28.02.2025 20

ThePrint

Swasti Rao

India’s maritime vision is not just maturing—it’s gearing up to lead the Indo-Pacific arena

With a fresh wave of naval upgrades and smart partnerships, India is stepping up its maritime game to secure trade routes, boost stability, and carve...

23.02.2025 10

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Swasti Rao

India needs access points into Europe beyond Marseille. Ports in Italy & Greece are the answer

In a world where global supply chains are being restructured as geopolitical uncertainties reshape trade routes, India must rethink its access points...

19.02.2025 7

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Swasti Rao

IAF Chief’s anger at HAL is justified. The cost of inefficiency is borne by pilots

The ongoing debate between self-reliance and imports in India’s defence sector is often riddled with misinformation and confusion, where facts...

14.02.2025 10

ThePrint

Swasti Rao

Indian Navy modernisation riddled with binaries. Maritime strategy is directionless

Vulnerability of critical infrastructure, China’s destabilising activities, and unregulated AI use make it clear that waiting for a full-fledged...

07.02.2025 3

ThePrint

Swasti Rao

China’s AI dominance overblown—DeepSeek creators used ChatGTP, exploited US export loopholes

Between 2022 and 2023, exporting the H800 chips to China was entirely legal. Not only DeepSeek but many other Chinese firms stockpiled them in...

31.01.2025 4

ThePrint

Swasti Rao

Trump is more about drama than change. He knows he doesn’t have powers like France’s Macron

Trump understands the shock value of his actions and uses it to great effect. He enacted orders focusing on low hanging fruits like immigration, but...

24.01.2025 6

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Swasti Rao

India’s naval advancements will fuel its Indian Ocean ambitions. Focus on 5 key areas

India’s commissioning of new naval platforms, while a milestone, highlights persistent challenges. Particularly in achieving technological...

17.01.2025 10

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Swasti Rao

Trump’s expansionist tactics blend legalities with half-truths. Will they get results for US?

‘Grumpy granddad’ Trump knows his limits—when to push, and when to pull back

10.01.2025 10

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Swasti Rao

Taliban-Pakistan war threatens India’s security—New Delhi must reimagine defence capabilities

India faces a precarious task of securing itself from a fractured Pakistan, an increasingly radicalised Bangladesh, and the refugee crisis on its...

03.01.2025 4

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Swasti Rao

India should do more than just watch US-China chip war. It’s a strategic opening

Shakti Fab and the Lobito Corridor both offer India strategic opportunities to play a pivotal role in this broader geopolitical realignment.

27.12.2024 3

ThePrint

Swasti Rao

Reciprocity will define Trump 2.0 – trade ties with India will be purely transactional

From the perspective of India, bilateral ties with the US will be transactional – New Delhi will concede more benefits to Washington, with a likely...

20.12.2024 3

ThePrint

Swasti Rao

India-Russia defence ties are waning. Crude oil supply is the centerpiece of relationship

The once-dominant India-Russia defence relationship is waning. In its place, crude oil supplies have become the centrepiece of bilateral ties,...

13.12.2024 20

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Swasti Rao

Hayat Tahrir al-Sham’s rise in Syria concerns everyone. It’s the era of indivisible security

The question is whether India is prepared to take on a more prominent role in the security domain within a global dynamic where geopolitical...

06.12.2024 5

ThePrint

Swasti Rao

India-Italy ties went from strained to strategic. Now, it’s time to realise the potential

The dynamic relationship between Prime Minister Modi and Prime Minister Meloni has injected fresh vitality into bilateral ties, transforming...

29.11.2024 3

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Swasti Rao

3 Indians are chronicling war in Kyiv through art & aid. They’re making the country proud

Names like Vasyliy Tsagolov, Anton Popernyak, Koterlin Rostyslav, Petro Antyp and many more graced the collection of Indians chronicling the...

27.11.2024 4

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Swasti Rao

I saw Ukraine’s resilience from an air shelter in Odesa—it simply refuses to fall

Many of Odesa's grand structures had their shattered windows replaced with temporary coverings—a stark reminder that glass is often the first...

22.11.2024 8

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Swasti Rao

Why is France eyeing India’s Pinaka launch rocket tech? Its cost & efficiency are tempting

The high cost of HIMARS has prompted France to consider alternatives. The August 2024 sale of 22 HIMARS units to Australia was valued at nearly $1...

15.11.2024 7

ThePrint

Swasti Rao

Trump-proofing Europe is a real project. And India can benefit in this

Poland PM Donald Tusk highlighted that the ‘Trump pill’ will serve as a much-needed wake-up call for Europe to make painful but necessary...

08.11.2024 10

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Swasti Rao

No matter who wins this American election, US foreign policy won’t see a dramatic shift

How should India respond if Trump returns? Rethink its own need for external validation.

01.11.2024 9

ThePrint

Swasti Rao

Germany’s looking for FTA. What India wants is a strategic gateway to Europe

Germany is already India’s largest trading partner in Europe and has been pushing to overcome hurdles in the ongoing negotiations for an EU-India...

25.10.2024 10

ThePrint

Swasti Rao

Is Five Eyes destabilising India’s rise as non-white power? Idea is as old as Cold War era

Anti-Westernism was once a dominant response in Indian strategic thinking. As global alignments evolve, it's crucial for India’s strategic...

19.10.2024 2

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Swasti Rao

China-Pakistan SCO presence threatens India. Strategic engagement helps in other ways

India's participation at the Islamabad SCO summit remained restrained, with sharp rebuttals to any attempts to thaw tensions with Pakistan.

18.10.2024 20

ThePrint

Swasti Rao

Proxy war makes perfect sense for Israel. Tel Aviv to weaken Tehran’s financial networks now

A ceasefire is unlikely until Israel significantly weakens Iran's proxies and all Israeli hostages are returned. Until then, the conflict will...

11.10.2024 3

ThePrint

Swasti Rao

Sweden’s Indo-Pacific strategy has an India-sized gap. Piggybacking US allies won’t work

The strategy is expected to create further opportunities for investment across Indo-Pacific capitals, including India, which must be strategically...

04.10.2024 4

ThePrint

Swasti Rao

Nuclear submarine will be a leapfrog for India-France ties, bring New Delhi into exclusive club

France’s offer could catapult India into yet another exclusive club of a select few countries that possess a whole range of submarines.

27.09.2024 5

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Swasti Rao

Should India trust US? Answer that with strategic realism, not Cold War conspiracy theories

It is not only about strengthening India's defence capabilities but also carries a clear geopolitical message: Empowering India is in the West’s...

26.09.2024 2

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Swasti Rao

India is exploiting a power vacuum in the Caucasus. It can affect ties with Russia

In siding with Armenia, India also enjoys support from Greece. The country has many an axe to grind with Turkey over disputed gas fields in the...

20.09.2024 10

ThePrint

Swasti Rao

Draghi report wants EU to have an edge in competitive world. It’s just too hard to implement

The next five years, with a second term for EU Commission President Ursula Von der Leyen, will shape the future course of the European project, and...

13.09.2024 6

ThePrint

Swasti Rao

Defence ministry on its way to finalising Rafale-M deal. It is both good & bad news

With plans to be integrated with most other indigenously designed aircraft, it makes sense for India to push for integrating the Uttam AESA radars...

06.09.2024 3

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Swasti Rao

Telegram crackdown is a boon for India. The app was a haven for terrorists

Pavel Durov made millions playing hide and seek with data regulation. His arrest highlights a new global vulnerability.

30.08.2024 2

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Swasti Rao

India is de-hyphenating ties with Ukraine-Russia—5 key verticals of Modi’s historic Kyiv visit

The interconnectedness of issues that New Delhi responds to with fervour, strategic pragmatism and resilience now will go a long way in shaping the...

24.08.2024 10

ThePrint

Swasti Rao