Projects
Security Studies
About the Project

India’s evolving role in regional and global security is shaped by complex dynamics. Experts in the Security Studies Program examine India’s position in this world order through informed analyses of its foreign and security policies, focusing on the relationship with China, the securitization of borders, and the geopolitics of the Indo-Pacific. 

Our team

Ajay Kumar

Nonresident Senior Fellow, Technology and Society Program

Ajay Kumar is a nonresident senior fellow at Carnegie India. He served as the defense secretary of India between August 2019 and October 2022 and is the longest serving secretary in Ministry of Defence, where he also served as secretary in the Department of Defence Production. 

Arun K. Singh

Nonresident Senior Fellow, Carnegie India

Arun K. Singh is a nonresident senior fellow at Carnegie India. He has extensive experience across the globe, including as India’s ambassador to the United States, Israel, and France.

Gaddam Dharmendra

Nonresident Senior Fellow, Carnegie India

Gaddam Dharmendra is a nonresident senior fellow at Carnegie India. He joined the Indian Foreign Service in 1990 and served in various capacities in Indian Missions across the world and at the Ministry of External Affairs, South Block. His overseas assignments include stints at Indian Missions in Tehran, Dushanbe, Washington D.C., and Dhaka.

Rudra Chaudhuri

Director, Carnegie India

Rudra Chaudhuri is the director of Carnegie India. His research focuses on the diplomatic history of South Asia, contemporary security issues, and the important role of emerging technologies and digital public infrastructure in diplomacy, statecraft, and development. He and his team at Carnegie India chair and convene the Global Technology Summit, co-hosted with the Ministry of External Affairs, Government of India.

Saheb Singh Chadha

Senior Research Analyst, Security Studies Program

Saheb Singh Chadha is a senior research analyst in the Security Studies Program at Carnegie India. His research focuses on China’s foreign and security policies, India-China relations, and India’s military modernization.

Shibani Mehta

Senior Research Analyst, Security Studies Program

Shibani Mehta is a senior research analyst with the Security Studies Program at Carnegie India. Her research focuses on the India-China boundary dispute with the purpose of analyzing India’s foreign and security policy decision-making.

Srinath Raghavan

Nonresident Senior Fellow, Security Studies Program

Srinath Raghavan is a nonresident senior fellow at Carnegie India. His primary research focus is on the contemporary and historical aspects of India’s foreign and security policies.

Vijay Gokhale

Nonresident Senior Fellow, Carnegie India

Vijay Gokhale is a nonresident senior fellow at Carnegie India and the former foreign secretary of India. He has worked extensively on matters relating to the Indo-Pacific region with a special emphasis on Chinese politics and diplomacy.

Security Studies Dialogue

The Security Studies Dialogue brings together scholars and practitioners to discuss critical geopolitical issues and India’s policy responses to them. Held in a closed-door setting, the event attracts participants from across academia, think tanks, government, military, and industry. Previous editions of the dialogue have highlighted fresh perspectives of emerging analysts and young professionals. 

Security Studies Seminar

The Security Studies Program conducts a monthly seminar series to discuss a new piece of academic research on matters relating to Indian and international security.

Chaired by Srinath Raghavan, a nonresident senior fellow at Carnegie India, the series provides a platform for scholars to present their work to a curated audience including academics and policy practitioners. It aims to encourage exchange of ideas and purposeful dialogue between an author and the participants.

event
Security Studies Seminar with Avtar Singh Bhasin
December 12, 2024
  • Avtar Singh Bhasin
event
Security Studies Seminar with Paul McGarr
September 26, 2024
  • Paul McGarr
event
Security Studies Seminar with Avtar Singh Bhasin
December 12, 2024
  • Avtar Singh Bhasin
event
Security Studies Seminar with Paul McGarr
September 26, 2024
  • Paul McGarr

All work from Security Studies

240 Results
podcast
Syria in Transition: Regional Dynamics and India's Interests

In this episode of Interpreting India, host Saheb Singh Chadha engages in an in-depth conversation with Gaddam Dharmendra, a nonresident senior fellow at Carnegie India, on the evolving dynamics in Syria following the fall of the Bashar al-Assad regime. They explore the implications of this political transition on Syria's domestic politics, regional players like Iran, Turkey, and Israel, and global powers including Russia, China, and the United States. The discussion also touches upon India’s strategic interests in Syria and the broader region as it navigates a rapidly changing West Asian geopolitical landscape

In The Media
in the media
Why Ajit Doval’s China Border Meeting Matters? Saheb Singh Chadha answers

India's NSA Ajit Doval and China's Foreign Minister Wang Yi held the 23rd Special Representatives meeting in Beijing to address border tensions and boost bilateral ties. Why does this meeting matters?

· December 20, 2024
India Today Global
video
Negotiating the India-China Standoff (2020-2024) | Insights with Saheb Singh Chadha

In this episode of Carnegie Insights, Saheb Singh Chadha unpacks his working paper, Negotiating the India-China Standoff: 2020–2024. Saheb provides a detailed analysis of the four-and-a-half-year standoff between India and China in Eastern Ladakh, marked by military buildup, clashes, and intense diplomatic negotiations. This episode dives into the complex evolution of the standoff, highlighting the key phases, pivotal moments, and lessons for future India-China relations.

· December 18, 2024
event
Security Studies Seminar with Avtar Singh Bhasin
December 12, 2024

Carnegie India hosted author Avtar Singh Bhasin for a discussion on negotiating India’s landmark agreements. The discussion was moderated by Srinath Raghavan.

  • Avtar Singh Bhasin
paper
Negotiating the India-China Standoff: 2020–2024

India and China have been engaged in a standoff at their border in eastern Ladakh since April–May 2020. Over 100,000 troops remain deployed on both sides, and rebuilding political trust will take time.

· December 11, 2024
In The Media
in the media
Trump 2.0: Impact on India and the World

This session of explained live explore the potential global impact of Donald Trump's second term, particularly on India and the world at large.

· November 28, 2024
The Indian Express
In The Media
in the media
India-China: Tactical Détente, Strategic Differences

The path forward remains long and complex, requiring careful navigation of immediate security needs while pursuing longer-term strategic goals.

· November 27, 2024
Firstpost
event
West Asia Today: Actors, Interests, and Prospects
November 26, 2024

Carnegie India is hosting a zoom webinar on the conflict in West Asia.

  • +1
In The Media
in the media
Understanding China Part I : Military

In the first episode of a special three-part interview series on 'Understanding China', Vijay Gokhale spoke to Ishan Dhar about the history of the People's Liberation Army (PLA) and, the changes in China's military doctrine.

· November 18, 2024
Global Order
paper
The Next Dalai Lama: Preparing for Reincarnation and Why It Matters to India

The aim of this paper is to look beyond the India-China dynamic on the Dalai Lama and Tibet, to how the PRC shapes its approach to the reincarnation question based on its broader domestic and foreign policy. This paper identifies the key questions that might assist policy makers in India to generate appropriate policy to handle the same.

· November 11, 2024