"India in a Time of Change" with Dr. Oshrit Birvadker

Description

In this episode of the Middle East Forum’s weekly podcast series, host Lauri Regan is joined by Dr. Oshrit Birvadker, senior fellow at the Jerusalem Institute for Strategy and Security and a leading expert on India’s foreign and national security policy.

Birvadker examines India’s strategic realignment at a moment of global transition, focusing on India’s evolving relationships with the United States and Israel and the emerging potential for deeper trilateral cooperation. Drawing on historical context and recent developments, she explains how India’s post to Cold War trajectory, economic rise, and security concerns are reshaping its role in the international system.

The conversation explores the strains in U.S. to India relations following recent diplomatic and trade disputes, India’s calibrated outreach to China and the European Union, and the strategic logic behind New Delhi’s insistence on autonomy. Birvadker also analyzes the deepening India to Israel partnership, particularly in defense, intelligence, and counterterrorism cooperation, and assesses how the Gaza war and October 7 reshaped Israeli thinking about strategic dependence and diversification.

Additional topics include India’s relationship with Pakistan, the role of Chinese and Turkish military support in South Asia, domestic political dynamics within India, and whether India is likely to join emerging U.S.-led global security frameworks. Throughout the discussion, Birvadker argues that India is positioning itself not as a junior partner, but as a central pillar of a new multipolar order.

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