From Exclusion to Alignment: India, the UAE, and West Asian Geopolitics

Shreyas Deshmukh

Research Associate Delhi Policy Group

Shreyas Deshmukh is a Research Associate with the National Security Program at Delhi Policy Group, a think tank in New Delhi, India. Prior to joining DPG, he worked with MitKat Advisory Services as a geopolitical risk analyst and Research Assistant at the Centre for Land Warfare Studies (CLAWS). He holds a master’s degree in Defence and Strategic Studies from the University of Pune. He frequently writes about the geopolitical developments in Afghanistan and Pakistan. His academic focus is socio-political and security issues in South Asia and the Indo-Pacific region.

Dr. Devendra Kumar

Independent Researcher

Devendra Kumar has been awarded PhD in Political Science in October 2022 by the University of Hyderabad for thesis titled Domestic Politics and International Order: A Constructivist Analysis of Chinese Discourses on Territorial Sovereignty. His research interests lies in understanding linkages between domestic politics and foreign policies of China and political legitimacy of the Communist Party of China (CPC).

Prakash Raj

Doctoral Student, University of Hyderabad

Prakash Raj is a Doctoral Candidate in the Department of Political Science at the University of Hyderabad, India. He has an MBA from Cosmic Business School, New Delhi and a Masters in International Relations from the University of Madras, Chennai. He has published several articles in Journals, online magazines and contributed papers in books on the Belt and Road Initiative and China. He has presented papers in several international conferences and attended workshops on international platforms. His research interests are focussed on Belt and Road Initiative, China’s Security Policy, China’s Economic Policy, Geopolitics in South Asia and Maritime Silk Route.

Commodore SeshadriVasan

Director General C3S, Chennai

An Alumnus of the Defense Services Staff College, the Naval War College and the International Visitor Leadership Programme, Commodore SeshadriVasan has a distinguished service of over 34 years in the Navy and the Coast Guard. His appointments include command of warships, two major air stations and a maritime air squadron. He has participated both in the 1971 war and IPKF operations.  He was an instructor at the Naval War College, India. Prior to retirement, he was the Regional Commander of the Indian Coast Guard Region East overseeing EEZ Patrol, SAR, Anti-Piracy, Fisheries protection, Maritime Border Control, Marine Pollution prevention and other maritime tasks in the Bay of Bengal.

Post retirement he has served in many think tanks and is a regular speaker at many International and national conferences. He was also the Chairman of Aeronautical Society of India, Chennai Charter and the Director of the Asian Bureau of the World Border Police. He has many publications to his credit in journals, websites, edited books and media. The details of the papers are at https://centerforasiastudies.academia.edu/SeshadriVasan. The think thanks that he has served in include the Observer Research Foundation where he steered the Maritime Security Programme and the Center for Asia Studies where he was the Head Strategy and Security Studies. He is presently the Director General of the Chennai Centre of China Studies, the Regional Director of the National Maritime Foundation Tamil Nadu and the President of the Navy Foundation Chennai Chapter. He is also a visiting faculty at the Indian Maritime University, Academy of Maritime Education and Training, Great Lakes Institute of Management and Hindustan Institute of Engineering Technology. He is also on the Board of Advisors at the Madras University, the Stella Maris College and the Puducherry University.

Lt Col Prashant Mishra

The College of Defence Management

Col Prashant Misra is an alumnus of NDA, Khadakwasla and was commissioned into 25 RAJPUT Regiment in December 2000. The officer has served in all terrains and operational environments in Indian Army. The Officer is an alumnus of Defence Services Staff Collegeand CDM. The Officer has tenated the appointment of GSO1 of an Infantry Brigade and commanded a Rashtriya Rifles Battalion. The officer is presently posted as Directing Staff at College of Defence Management, Secunderabad.

Ashish Phanithi

Works with a leading technology services company.

Ashish Phanithi is currently working with a leading technology services company. Ashish holds dual master’s degrees (MBA from IIM Kozhikode and MA in Political Science from University of Hyderabad). Additionally, he is a UGC Junior Research Fellowship holder in Political Science. He has previously worked in Business Development for an e-commerce startup. He has also volunteered with multiple NGOs and interned with other startups. His personal interests include reading fiction and non-fiction and he tries to write as much as he can

Michael Kugelman

Director of South Asia Institute at the Wilson Centre in Washington.

Michael Kugelman, the Deputy Director of the Asia Program and Senior Associate for South Asia at the Wilson Center, is a leading specialist on Afghanistan, India, and Pakistan and their relations with the United States. The editor or co-editor of 11 books, he has written for The New York Times, Foreign Policy, Foreign Affairs, and other publications, covering topics ranging from U.S. policy in Afghanistan to terrorism to water, energy, and food security in the region.

Antara Goshal Singh

Fellow at the Strategic Studies Programme at Observer Research Foundation, New Delhi.

Antara Ghosal Singh is a Fellow at the Strategic Studies Programme at Observer Research Foundation, New Delhi. Her area of research includes China-India relations, China-India-US triangle, China in South Asia, Chinese foreign policy, China’s domestic development among others. She is a graduate from Tsinghua University, School of Public Policy and Management, People’s Republic of China and has been a Chinese language fellow at National Central University, Taiwan. Prior to ORF, she has worked at Centre for Social and Economic Progress (CSEP), New Delhi, Delhi Policy Group, National Maritime Foundation, Manohar Parrikar Institute of Defence Studies and Analysis (MPIDSA) and has a list of publications in national/international peer-reviewed journals, magazines, and newspapers. Before starting her career in academics, she has worked as a journalist with the Times of India and the Deccan Chronicle Group. She is also an alumna of the Indian Institute of Mass Communication. She speaks Bangla, Hindi, English, and Mandarin Chinese.

Kallol Bhattacherjee

Senior Assistant Editor, Foreign Affairs, The Hindu

KallolBhattacherjee studied political theory and international affairs at the University of Delhi and Jawaharlal Nehru University (JNU). A journalist for the last 18 years, he has written extensively on some of the enduring conflicts in South Asia, West Asia and North Africa. He takes special interest in the political elite of South Asia and the actual conduct of foreign policy in the South Asian region.

Prof JLN Rao

Director Institute of the Indo-Pacific Studies and Senior Fellow, ICSSR 

J.L.N.Rao is Professor of Political Science at Osmania University and having more than three decades of research and teaching experience. His specialisation is International Relations, Foreign Policy and taught various aspects of IR including Regional Studies, Security Studies, Feminist perspective of IR, Chinese Studies, Public Policy, International Law, etc. He worked on “India’s Foreign Policy towards South-East Asia” to obtain Doctoral Degree. Published more than two dozen research papers in various periodicals and edited volumes on issues related to Foreign Policy and Security Studies, and edited three volumes entitled ‘International Relations’, ‘Higher Educations and Contemporary Issues’, ‘Gandhi and Current  Issues of the world’. He participated in various National and International Conferences and presented more than 50 academic papers.

Rao is a visiting faculty to College of Air-Warfare, College of Defense Management, Ministry of Defense, Government of India and Resource Person to various Human Resource Development Colleges of different Universities and other institutions offering Civil Services guidance. He is also associated with Centre for Human Security Studies, Hyderabad and a former member of Executive Committee, ALL INDIA POLITICAL SCIENCE ASOCIATION, and was Associate Editor, OUCIP Journal of International Studies.

He was also a member of Governing body and Academic Council of a few colleges affiliated to Osmania University. He also held the position of ADDITIONAL CONTROLLER OF EXAMINATIONS (CONFIDENTIAL) and Director, University Foreign Relations Office (UFRO) which looks after internationalisation of higher education of Osmania University.

At Present he is a Senior Fellow, Indian Council of Social Science Research(ICSSR) and Director, Institute of Indo-Pacific Studies.

Dr.V Srilatha

Head, Department of Political Science, Telangana MahilaViswavidyalayam

Dr V.Srilatha , Assoc .Professor of Political Science  is presently   Head,  Dept of Political Science, Telangana MahilaVishwavidyalayam [formerly   University College for Women ,Osmania University ]. She is also Director, Women Studies Centre and Coordinator for BA Pol Science   Honors at the University  introduced by Telangana State Council for  Higher  Education .Presently she has taken charge has Chairman, Board of Studies , Dept of Pol Science , Osmania University. She has been associated with Centre for Indian Ocean Studies, Osmania University for 11 years She has participated and presented papers in both national and international conferences in India and abroad. Participated and presented papers at   Conferences at Nantes[France] ,Hongkong, Singapore and  New York. Her areas of research interests include Maritime Studies, South & Southeast politics, Indo US relations.

Sanjay Pulipaka

Chairperson of the Politeia Research Foundation

Sanjay Pulipaka is the Chairperson of the Politeia Research Foundation. He was previously a Senior Fellow for Research Programmes and Strategic Neighbourhood at the Delhi Policy Group; Senior Fellow at the Nehru Memorial Museum and Library; and Senior Consultant at the Indian Council for Research on International Economic Relations (ICRIER).

Sanjay Pulipaka was a Pavate Visiting Fellow at the University of Cambridge, UK, and a former Fulbright Fellow in the Conflict Transformation Programme, in the United States. Sanjay’s areas of interest include India’s foreign policy, Democracy, Indian Politics, India’s immediate neighbourhood, political transition, connectivity frameworks, India-China relations, India-US Relations, regionalism, and other related domains.

Further, he has been closely following the political transition in Myanmar and conducted field research in that country and in Northeast India. Sanjay also has extensive work experience with think-tanks and civil society organisations in India. He has considerable work experience in strengthening participatory political processes, governance frameworks and platforms for wider consultation. He has substantive publication record with three co-edited volumes, policy reports, numerous research papers and Op-Ed essays.

Shri Mohan Guruswamy

Freelance Commentator & Writer on Politics, Economy, and Security

Mohan Guruswamy had his undergraduate education in Mathematics, Physics and Chemistry at Nizam College, Hyderabad, India. He has post-graduate qualifications in Public Policy, International Affairs and Management. He is an alumnus of the John F. Kennedy School of Government, Harvard University and the Graduate School of Business, Stanford University. With an interesting career path that included teaching, senior management, journalism and in government as the Advisor to the Finance Minister with the rank of Secretary to the Government of India, his astute analytical expertise is well known.

Mohan Guruswamy is widely travelled in India and abroad, and is the author of several books on policy issues, some of the recent books being:

• The Looming Crisis in India’s Agriculture; India: Issues in Development
• India’s World: Essays in Foreign Policy and Security Issues
• India China Relations: The Border Issue and Beyond
• The latest being Chasing the Dragon: Will India Catch-up with China?

He is a frequent commentator on national and international TV and Radio on matters of current interest and writes a widely read and disseminated newspaper and magazine column. His papers on Redefining Poverty, Income Inequality, Backwardness of Bihar, Economic Development in West Bengal, FDI in Retail have been published in well-regarded journals like the Economic and Political Weekly, Seminar and the Journal of Public Policy, UK.

Ambassador D.B.Venkatesh Varma

Former Ambassador of India to the Russian Federation

Ambassador D.B.Venkatesh Varma ( DOB : 07-10-61) was a Member of the Indian Foreign Service from 1988 to 2021. During his diplomatic career, he has worked in the Ministry of External Affairs, in the Office of External Affairs Minister and in the Prime Minister’s Office. He served as India’s Ambassador to Conference on Disarmament in Geneva, to the Kingdom of Spain and to the Russian Federation, until October 2021.

He has vast experience in India’s Security and Defence policies, including its nuclear, missile, and space programs. He has more than 12 years of experience in the field of multilateral non-proliferation and disarmament—nuclear, chemical, biological and conventional weapons, having served three postings in the Conference on Disarmament in Geneva. He also served as Joint Secretary in charge of Disarmament and International Security in the Ministry of External Affairs between 2010-2013. He was a member of the UN Group of Government Experts on Missiles and on Disarmament and Nuclear Nonproliferation Education. He was also a Member of the Indian Delegation to the UNGA in 1998-1999, 2003- 2005 and 2008-2016. He has attended 9 Sessions of the UN First Committee and 7 Sessions of the United Nations Disarmament Commission.

He was a key member of the Indian negotiating team involved in the Civil Nuclear Initiative with the US during his tenure as Director in the Prime Minister’s Office during 2004-2007, and as a member of Indian Delegation to Conference on Disarmament and as Joint Secretary in the Ministry of External Affairs. He was involved in negotiations relating to all stages of the Civil Nuclear Initiative—the bilateral negotiations with the US, including the 123 Agreement; negotiations with the Nuclear Suppliers Group; and negotiations with the International Atomic Energy Agency. He has vast experience with respect to India’s Civil Nuclear Programme. Amb. Varma was key member of India’s delegation to the Nuclear Security Summits during 2010-2013.

With three separate postings in Moscow, spanning three decades, he has vast experience in India’s defence and strategic relations with Russia. He has excellent contacts in the Russian leadership. As Ambassador, he was closely involved with developing India’s relations with Russia including Prime Minister Modi’s Act Far East Initiative, deepening of India’s Defence, Nuclear, Space, Energy, Commercial, Science & Technology and Cultural relations with Russia. He has spoken at the St. Petersburg Economic Forum and the Eastern Economic Forum in Vladivostok.

Varma was the first Recipient of the S.K.Singh Award for Excellence in the Indian Foreign Service in 2011 for his contribution to the negotiations of the Civil Nuclear Initiative.

He has an M.Phil in International Relations (Disarmament Studies) from the Jawaharlal Nehru University, Delhi. He has spoken at numerous think-tanks in Geneva, Washington, New York, Monterey, Vienna, Brussels, London, Melbourne, The Hague, Seoul, Madrid and Moscow. He has lectured at the Russian Diplomatic Academy, the Russian General Staff Academy in Moscow, the National Defence College, Institute of Defence Studies and Analyses and Foreign Service Institute, New Delhi, and the College of Defence Management, Secunderabad.

Shri K. Padmanabhaiah

Chairperson, Administrative Staff College of India (ASCI)

Shri K. Padmanabhaiah was born on 6th Oct, 1938 in a village in Krishna District, Andhra Pradesh. He obtained a Masters degree in Science from Andhra University and a Masters degree in Financial Management, from the prestigious Jamnalal Bajaj Institute of Management, Mumbai. In 1961, he joined the Indian Administrative Service (IAS) in Maharashtra cadre. He served Government of Maharashtra in a variety of important positions like Director of Sugar Co-operatives; District Collector, Nashik; Principal Secretary, Planning; Principal Secretary, Finance and Municipal Commissioner of Greater Bombay. His tenure as Director of Sugar Co-Operatives (1970-74) saw the most spectacular growth of Sugar Industry in the State and it received national and international recognition. He was invited by various State Governments to advise them on development of co-operative sugar factories. During his tenure as Collector (1975-77), Nashik district was adjudged as one of the best districts in the country in performance of the 20-point program of the Prime Minister and his initiatives were widely appreciated by the National press.

He performed a stellar role as Municipal Commissioner, Greater Bombay (1990-91) and he was awarded the prestigious Gaints International’s Award for excellence in Civic Administration.He served Government of India as Joint Secretary, Petroleum (1982-84); Joint Secretary, Power (1984-86); Minister Economic in Indian High Commission in London (1986-1989) and Secretary, Urban Development and Housing (1993). In 1993, Maharashtra and Karnataka States were struck by a devastating earthquake.

The Government asked him to chair an ‘Advisory Committee of International Experts’ on reconstruction and rehabilitation of the earthquake affected areas. The Committee’s report served as a blue-print for the entire rehabilitation and reconstruction work with aid from the World Bank. Subsequently he worked as Secretary Civil Aviation; Chairman of both ‘Air India’ and ‘Indian Airlines’ (1994) and as Union Home Secretary and Secretary, Jammu & Kashmir Affairs (1994-1997).By 1994 the entire civil administration and political process in the Kashmir valley was in disarray, and insurgency was at its peak. As Union Home Secretary, he played an extremely crucial role in reviving the political process in Jammu & Kashmir State during 1994-1997, and in holding the very first elections in the insurgency ridden State after a gap of nine years. His work received nation-wide recognition and he was awarded the ‘Shiromani Award’ for National Development and Integration (1996) and the ‘Priyadarshini Award’ for outstanding Public Service (1996). After retirement in 1997 he was appointed as the Government of India Representative for Naga Peace talks. He persuaded the Naga rebel leadership who were based abroad for decades, to come back to India, persuaded them to move away from their rigid stand of sovereignty, continued the dialogue with patience & perseverance, and persuaded them to continue the ceasefire which led to peace in Nagaland and Naga-inhabited areas of the North East. He relinquished this post on 31st August 2009 on completion of the tenure.He also chaired the Committee on Police Reforms (2000), the Committee on Re-organization of S.S.B., and the Committee to Review the working of National Institute of Urban Management. Most of his recommendations on police reforms have been accepted for implementation by the Government. In 2008, he was awarded ‘Padma Bhushan’ by the President of India for outstanding contributions to the Nation in the field of Civil Service.