India’s World Closed-Door Roundtable Series | New Delhi, March 2026

India’s World Closed-Door Roundtable Series | New Delhi, March 2026

On 5–6 March 2026, India’s World convened an intensive series of six closed-door roundtable dialogues at ITC Maurya, New Delhi, bringing together diplomats, policymakers, military veterans, and strategic experts from across India, Europe, Asia, and beyond. Held under the Chatham House Rule, the dialogues were conducted in partnership with the Norwegian Centre for Conflict Resolution (NOREF), the Sasakawa Peace Foundation, the delegation of Stiftung Mercator, NATO, the Taipei Economic and Cultural Centre (TECC), and the International Crisis Group (ICG). The series examined some of the most pressing questions in India’s foreign and security policy — from bilateral relations with Bangladesh and Japan, to great-power competition, European security, Taiwan, and the future of multilateralism.

India–Bangladesh Relations at a Strategic Inflection Point

Chaired by Prof. Happymon Jacob, India’s World, in collaboration with NOREF Norwegian Centre for Conflict Resolution, convened a closed-door roundtable on 5 March 2026 at ITC Maurya, New Delhi, to reflect on the evolving trajectory of India–Bangladesh relations in the post-election context. The discussion explored how both countries can navigate political transition while sustaining cooperation across security, connectivity, economic engagement, and regional stability.

Participants Included:

Major General (Retd.) S.B. Asthana, Veteran Infantry General
Ms. Nayanima Basu, Independent Journalist
Prof. Sreeradha Datta, Professor, O.P. Jindal Global University
Ms. Sodal Tonje Flatmark, Embassy of Norway
Ambassador Riva Ganguly Das, Distinguished Fellow, CSDR
Dr. Rishi Gupta, Assistant Director, Asia Society Policy Institute
Ambassador H.E. Riaz Hamidullah, Ambassador of Bangladesh to India
Mr. Andreas Indregard, Regional Representative (Southeast Asia), NOREF
Prof. Happymon Jacob, Founder and Editor, India’s World; Director, CSDR (Chair)
Prof. Mahendra P. Lama, Professor, Centre for South Asian Studies, JNU; Chief Economic Adviser, Government of Sikkim
Mr. Are Nagoda, Political Counsellor, Embassy of Norway
Dr. Sripathi Narayan, Research Fellow, ICWA
Dr. Sidharth Raimedhi, Fellow, CSDR
Prof. Elizabeth Roche, Associate Professor, JSIA
Ambassador Pankaj Saran, Convener, NatStrat

India–Japan Maritime Cooperation in the Indian Ocean Region

Chaired by VAdm. Anil Chawla, India’s World, in collaboration with the Sasakawa Peace Foundation, convened a closed-door dialogue on 5 March 2026 at Chaitya Hall, ITC Maurya, New Delhi, bringing together maritime practitioners, diplomats, strategic experts, and industry representatives from India and Japan. The discussion examined the evolving landscape of maritime cooperation in the Indian Ocean Region, including operational collaboration, emerging grey-zone challenges, and opportunities to align maritime security with infrastructure development and sustainability initiatives.

Mr. Anil K. Antony, BJP National Secretary & Spokesperson
Maj. Gen. (Retd.) S.B. Asthana, Director, Centre for Professional Military Education, USI
Capt. Anurag Bisen, Senior Fellow, Vivekananda International Foundation (VIF)
VAdm. (Retd.) Anil Chawla, Distinguished Fellow, CSDR (Chair)
VAdm. (Retd.) Pradeep Chauhan, Director General, National Maritime Foundation (NMF)
VAdm. (Retd.) Anil Chopra, Distinguished Fellow, Delhi Policy Group
Dr. Eri Ikeda, Assistant Professor, Department of Management Studies, IIT Delhi
Dr. ISHIDA Yasuyuki, Visiting Fellow, NMF; Research Director, Institute for Free and Open Indo-Pacific (I-FOIP), Tokyo
Prof. Happymon Jacob, Founder & Director, CSDR; Editor, India’s World
Capt. Abhishek Jain, Captain Foreign Cooperation, Indian Navy
Ms. Rupal Kalebere, Senior Researcher, SAMDeS; Program Manager, Indo-Japan Business Council
Capt. Kosuga Hiroyuki, Naval Attaché, Embassy of Japan to India
Mr. Ippeita Nishida, Senior Fellow (Security Studies), Sasakawa Peace Foundation
Mr. Dinakar Peri, Fellow, Security Studies Programme, Carnegie India
Brig. (Retd.) Arun Sahgal, Executive Director, Forum for Strategic Initiative; Founding Director, Office of Net Assessment (HQ IDS)
Cmde. (Retd.) Sujit Samaddar, Founder/Secretary, SAMDeS
Cmde. (Retd.) Abhay Kumar Singh, Research Fellow, Southeast Asia and Oceania Centre, MP-IDSA
Mr. Takeuchi Takuro, Chief Representative, JICA India Office
Amb. Sanjay Kumar Verma, Chairperson, RIS; Former Ambassador to Japan
Amb. Tomoyuki Yoshida, Chief Executive Director, Japan Institute of International Affairs (JIIA)

The New Middle Power Consensus: Navigating US–China Bi-polarity

Chaired by Amb. Ashok K. Kantha, India’s World convened a closed-door roundtable on 5 March 2026 at ITC Maurya, New Delhi, bringing together senior policymakers, diplomats, strategic experts, and industry representatives, with participation from Stiftung Mercator. The discussion focused on how middle powers can navigate intensifying US–China competition while advancing strategic autonomy, economic resilience, and cooperation in emerging security and technology domains.

Amb. Dr. Philipp Ackermann, Ambassador of Germany to India
Mr. Anil K. Antony, BJP National Secretary & Spokesperson
VAdm. (Retd.) Adhir Arora, Veteran Navy Officer
Prof. Dr. Senem Aydin-Duzgit, Director, Istanbul Policy Center
Maj. Gen. Bipin Bakshi, Deputy DG, MP-IDSA
Cdre. (Retd.) C. Uday Bhaskar, Director, Society for Policy Studies
Dr. Pradnya Bivalkar, Senior Project Manager, Robert Bosch Academy
VAdm. (Retd.) Anil Chopra, Distinguished Fellow, Delhi Policy Group
Ms. Grace Corcoran, Senior Policy and Projects Manager for Security and Geopolitics, Australia India Institute
Dr. Pietro De Matteis, Officer, Indo-Pacific Section, Political Affairs & Security Policy Division
Mr. Ivano Di Carlo, Senior Policy Analyst, European Policy Centre
Prof. Derek Grossman, Professor of the Practice of Political Science and International Relations, University of Southern California
Ms. Kira Huju, Journalist, The Economist
Prof. Happymon Jacob, Founder & Director, CSDR
Amb. Ashok K. Kantha, Former Ambassador to China (Chair)
Mr. Pavlo Anatoliiovych Klimkin, Former Foreign Minister of Ukraine
Ms. Helena Legarda, Head of Program, Foreign Relations Team, MERICS
Ms. Almut Moller, Director for European and Global Affairs, EPC; Former State Secretary and Plenipotentiary
Dr. Jana Puglierin, Head of Office Berlin; Senior Policy Fellow, ECFR
Ms. Manisha Reuter, Deputy Programme Director, Asia Programme, ECFR
Brig. Arun Sahgal, Executive Director, Forum for Strategic Initiative; Founding Director, Office of Net Assessment (HQ IDS)
Mr. Michael Scharfschwerdt, Senior Advisor Geopolitics, Kearney
Dr. Adam Segul, Ira A. Lipman Chair in Emerging Technologies and National Security and Director, Digital and Cyberspace Policy Program, CFR
VAdm. S.J. Singh, Director General, USI
Amb. Sabine Sparwasser, Former Ambassador of Germany to Canada; Dean, Mercator Fellowship on International Affairs
Ms. Teresa Spancken, Project Manager, Europe in the World Team; Programme Lead, Mercator Fellowship in International Affairs, Stiftung Mercator
Amb. Nalin Surie, Distinguished Fellow, DPG
Dr. Jannes Tessmann, Head of Istanbul Office, Stiftung Mercator
Amb. Anil Wadhwa, Distinguished Fellow, VIF

Exchange of Perceptions: India and Europe on Regional Security

Chaired by VAdm. Anil Chawla, with Amb. Boris Ruge, India’s World, in collaboration with NATO, hosted a closed-door dialogue on 6 March 2026 at ITC Maurya, New Delhi. The discussion brought together Indian and European experts to examine evolving regional security dynamics, including maritime security, cyber and hybrid threats, counterterrorism, and the implications of emerging technologies like artificial intelligence.

Nato Delegation:

Ambassador Boris Ruge, Assistant Secretary General for Political Affairs and Security Policy, NATO
Ms. Sophie Briquetti, Political Officer, Political Affairs and Security Policy Division, NATO
Dr. Pietro de Matteis, Political Officer, Political Affairs and Security Policy Division, NATO
Mr. Ruben Diaz-Plaja, Head, Policy Planning Unit, Office of the Secretary General, NATO

India’s World:

Mr. Anil K. Antony, National Spokesperson, Bharatiya Janata Party
Vice Admiral (Retd.) Adhir Arora, Maritime Strategy Adviser
Colonel (Retd.) Shailender Arya, Senior Advisor, The Asia Group; Former Advisor for International Cooperation, Ministry of Defence
Mr. Tejas Bharadwaj, Senior Research Analyst, Carnegie India
Professor Nicolas Blarel, Associate Professor of International Relations, Leiden University
Vice Admiral (Retd.) Anil Kumar Chawla, Distinguished Fellow, CSDR (Chair)
Vice Admiral (Retd.) Anil Chopra, Distinguished Fellow, Delhi Policy Group
Air Vice Marshal (Retd.) Anil Golani, Director General, Centre for Air Power Studies (CAPS)
Professor Happymon Jacob, Founder and Editor, India’s World; Director, CSDR
Ambassador Gaitri Kumar, Former High Commissioner to the UK; Former Ambassador to the EU, Belgium and Luxembourg
Professor C. Raja Mohan, Chair, India’s World Editorial Board; Foreign Policy Expert
Mr. Klas Nyman, Counsellor and Head of Political Affairs, Diplomatic Mission in India
Brigadier (Retd.) Arun Sahgal, Senior Fellow for Strategic and Regional Security, Delhi Policy Group
Lieutenant General (Retd.) Raj Shukla, Former GOC-in-C, Army Training Command (ARTRAC)
Ambassador Raj Kumar Srivastava, Dean, Sushma Swaraj Institute of Foreign Service, Ministry of External Affairs
Ambassador Anil Wadhwa, Senior Fellow, Vivekananda International Foundation; Former Secretary (East), Ministry of External Affairs

India–Taiwan Strategic Roundtable

Chaired by Commodore (Retd.) C. Uday Bhaskar, India’s World, in collaboration with the Taipei Economic and Cultural Centre (TECC), convened a closed-door roundtable on 6 March 2026 at ITC Maurya, New Delhi. The discussion explored opportunities for cooperation in technology, supply-chain resilience, and economic engagement, alongside broader Indo-Pacific strategic dynamics.

Taiwan Delegation

Mr. Cai-Han CHEN, Assistant Representative, Taipei Economic and Cultural Centre (TECC), India
H.E. Mumin CHEN, Representative, Taipei Economic and Cultural Centre (TECC), India
Mr. Yi-Sheng CHEN, Officer, Ministry of Foreign Affairs
Mr. Vincent Yi-hsiang CHAO, Deputy Secretary-General, National Security Council (Head of Delegation)
Ms. Amber HUANG, Assistant Director General, National Security Council
Dr. I-Chung LAI, President, The Prospect Foundation (Co-Head of Delegation)
Mr. Ting-Sheng LI, Deputy Representative, Taipei Economic and Cultural Office in the Philippines
Mr. Po Horng-Huei, Deputy Chief Executive Officer, INDSR
Ms. Jen-Chun TSAI, Assistant Director General, Ministry of Foreign Affairs
Dr. Wu Tsun-Ghan, Research Fellow, INDSR

India’s World:

Vice Admiral (Retd.) Adhir Arora
Mr. Subimal Bhattacharjee, Independent Adviser, Cyber Security, Defence and High-End Technology Policy
Vice Admiral (Retd.) Anil K. Chawla, Distinguished Fellow, CSDR
Vice Admiral (Retd.) Anil Chopra, Distinguished Fellow, Delhi Policy Group
Commodore (Retd.) C. Uday Bhaskar, Director, Society for Policy Studies (Chair)
Dr. Wondeuk Cho, Research Professor, Centre of ASEAN-Indian Studies, IFANS, Korea National Diplomatic Academy
Professor Happymon Jacob, Founder and Editor, India’s World Magazine
Professor Srikanth Kondapalli, Professor of China Studies, Jawaharlal Nehru University (JNU)
1Dr. Anand P. Krishnan, Fellow, Shiv Nadar University (SNU)
Professor C. Raja Mohan, Chair, India’s World Editorial Board
Mr. Karthik Nachiappan, Research Fellow, Institute of South Asian Studies, NUS
Mr. Santosh Pai, Partner, Dentons Link Legal
Brig. Arun Sahgal, Senior Fellow for Strategic and Regional Security, Delhi Policy Group
Lieutenant General (Retd.) Raj Shukla, Former GOC-in-C, Army Training Command
Dr. Prashant Kumar Singh, Research Fellow, Institute for Defence Studies and Analyses (IDSA)

The Board of Peace: Multilateralism, Institutions, and India’s Strategic Calculus

Chaired by Lt. Gen. (Retd.) Raj Shukla, and Dr. Comfort Ero, President ICG, India’s World, in collaboration with the International Crisis Group, held a closed-door dialogue on 6 March 2026 at ITC Maurya, New Delhi. The session examined the proposed Board of Peace initiative, its relationship with existing multilateral institutions, especially the UN Security Council, and its strategic implications for India.

Mr. Anil K. Antony, National Secretary and National Spokesperson, Bharatiya Janata Party
Mr. Sathish Balakrishnan, Under Secretary, Ministry of External Affairs, Government of India
Mr. Ville Brummer, Director of Peace Mediation and Global Partnerships, Office of the President of the Republic of Finland
Prof. Sreeram Chaulia, Professor and Dean, Jindal School of International Affairs; Director General, Jindal India Institute, O.P. Jindal Global University
Mr. Praveen Donthi, Senior Analyst for India, International Crisis Group
Dr. Comfort Ero, President and CEO, International Crisis Group
Mr. Anish Gawande, National Spokesperson, Nationalist Congress Party (Sharadchandra Pawar); Rhodes Scholar
Prof. Derek Grossman, Professor of Political Science and International Relations, University of Southern California; Former Defence Analyst
Prof. Happymon Jacob, Founder and Director, CSDR; Editor, India’s World
Ms. Suzannah Jessep, Chief Executive, Asia New Zealand Foundation; Former Deputy Head of Mission, New Delhi (2016-2019)
Dr. Tara Kartha, Director of Research and Academics, Centre for Land Warfare Studies (CLAWS); Former National Security Council Secretariat (17 years)
Mr. Atul Keshap, President, U.S.-India Business Council; Senior Vice President for South Asia, U.S. Chamber of Commerce; Former U.S. Ambassador to Sri Lanka and the Maldives
Mr. Pavlo Klimkin, Former Minister of Foreign Affairs of Ukraine
Prof. C. Raja Mohan, Foreign Policy Analyst and Scholar of International Relations and Strategic Affairs
Mr. Klas Nyman, Counsellor and Head of Political Affairs, Diplomatic Mission in India
Mr. Pierre Prakash, Director, Asia Program, International Crisis Group
Ambassador Nirupama Rao, Former Indian Foreign Secretary (2009-2011); Former Ambassador to the United States and China; Trustee, International Crisis Group
Prof. Gulshan Sachdeva, Jean Monnet Chair, Jawaharlal Nehru University; Chief Coordinator, DAKSHIN at RIS
Lieutenant General (Retd.) Raj Shukla, Chair; Former GOC-in-C, Army Training Command (ARTRAC)
Mr. Dushyant Singh, Director General, Centre for Land Warfare Studies (CLAWS)
Cmde. Anil Jai Singh, Honorary Adjunct Fellow, National Maritime Foundation; Vice President, Indian Maritime Foundation
VAdm. Sanjay Jasjit Singh, Director General, United Service Institution, New Delhi; Former FOC-in-C Western Naval Command, Indian Navy
Ambassador Raj Kumar Srivastava, Dean, Sushma Swaraj Institute of Foreign Service, Ministry of External Affairs
Dr. Leslie Vinjamuri, President and CEO, Chicago Council on Global Affairs; Professor of Practice in International Relations and Diplomacy, SOAS University of London