EVENTS

Abstract 

China’s growing power is an increasing worry for Indian decision-makers. Despite rising trade between the two countries, political relations are hampered by a variety of issues, including an unresolved border dispute, China’s strategic ties and support to Pakistan, China’s undermining of Indian goals in multilateral agencies, China’s expanding footprint in areas proximate to India through its expanding international infrastructure and India’s growing closeness to the United States and its allies in the region. My presentation will seek to understand some of the Indian efforts to limit the vulnerabilities and maximise the strategic options for India.

About the Speaker  

Dr. Rajeswari Pillai Rajagopalan is Senior Fellow and Head of the Nuclear and Space Policy Initiative at Observer Research Foundation. She is also a senior Asia defence writer for The Diplomat. Dr. Rajagopalan joined ORF after a five-year stint at the National Security Council Secretariat (2003-2007), where she was an Assistant Director. Prior to joining the NSCS, she was Research Officer at the Institute of Defence Studies and Analyses, New Delhi. She was also a Visiting Professor at the Graduate Institute of International Politics, National Chung Hsing University, Taichung, Taiwan in 2012.  She is the author of four books: Nuclear Security in India(2015), Clashing Titans: Military Strategy and Insecurity among Asian Great Powers (2012), The Dragon's Fire: Chinese Military Strategy and Its Implications for Asia(2009), and Uncertain Eagle: US Military Strategy in Asia (2009). She has also co-authored and edited five other books, including Space Policy 2.0: Commerce, Policy, Security and Governance Perspectives (2017); Nuclear Security in India (Second Edition) (2016); Iran Nuclear Deal: Implications of the Framework Agreement (2015); Awaiting Launch: Perspectives on the Draft ICoC for Outer Space Activities (2014). Her research articles have appeared in edited volumes, and in peer reviewed journals such as India Review, Strategic Studies Quarterly, Air and Space Power Journal, International Journal of Nuclear Law, Strategic Analysis and CLAWS Journal. Other writings have appeared in the Journal of Strategic Studies, Journal of Peace Research and Contemporary South Asia and she has also contributed essays to newspapers such as The Washington Post, The Wall Street Journal, Times of India, Hindustan Times, Economic Times and The Pioneer.  Dr. Rajagopalan has lectured at Indian military and policy institutions such as the Defence Service and Staff College (Wellington), National Defence College (New Delhi), Army War College (Mhow), and the Foreign Service Institute (New Delhi). She has also been invited to speak at international fora including the UN COPUOS (Vienna), Conference on Disarmament (Geneva), UNIDIR (Geneva), ASEAN Regional Forum (ARF) and the European Union.