Indian companies are looking to get a piece of the action in the $300 billion global space industry.
South Asia
Now home to over two billion people, the balance of power in South Asia is changing as China makes inroads into India’s backyard. But the political order in region states is also transforming, headlined by the rise of Hindu nationalists in New Delhi. Elsewhere, it seems to be more of the same. Bangladesh remains a one-party state. And Pakistan seems trapped in a permanent state of crisis.
New Delhi is working to develop counter-space capabilities like laser weapons and co-orbital killers.
India’s space program has come a long way since transporting rocket parts on bicycles.
The Indian space agency says the expected date for its latest moon mission is three years ahead of schedule.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s vision of a “New India” poses a danger to Muslims and other minorities, free speech, and academic inquiry in India.
Relations between Beijing and Islamabad ascend “higher than the Himalayas” as bilateral space cooperation grows.
Pakistan’s space program was advanced among developing countries in the 1960s and 1970s, but has fallen behind since.
Austerity and an economic slowdown stand in the way of Prime Minister Imran Khan’s pledge to build a “New Pakistan.”
Bad actors in India leverage WhatsApp to promote alternative historical narratives, spread rumors, mobilize vigilante groups, and demonize religious minorities.
An informal dialogue between Afghans has been canceled, making Trump’s push for a negotiated settlement to the war more difficult.