Will India and China bond over Mahatma Gandhi?

Given longstanding border tensions between the two Asian neighbours, Mosiqi Acharya analyses whether today’s talks between Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Chinese President Xi Jinping will set a milestone in conventional bilateral relations.

In almost every way, President Xi’s visit to India is going to be strikingly different from the previous engagements between the two countries. Breaking away from the tradition of receiving a foreign head of state in the national capital, Prime Minister Modi will receive President Xi in Ahmedabad, the financial hub and most populated city of the state of Gujarat, different and distant from opulent New Delhi. Before the crucial talks begin, Prime Minister Modi is scheduled to take President Xi on a personal tour of Mahatma Gandhi’s abode: The Gandhi Ashram in Ahmedabad. The idea might be to draw inspiration from the Apostle of Peace as India strives to resolve its border issues with China without having to assert military might.

Disputed borders have always been and will likely always be a bone of contention between India and China. To say that discussion on border disputes will be part of the talks today would be an understatement.

You can read the full piece here.

P.S: This was first published on Australian Institute of International Affairs' Australian Outlook.

Is Australia ready for India's Gautam Adani?

Gautam Adani, is a self-made, first generation multi-billionaire in India.  Owner of India's biggest private port located on the west coast of Gujarat, Adani's business interests span across coal  mining, construction, education, power plants and resources and logistics management.

He now owns Australia's biggest coal mine, the Carmichael Project in Queensland. A lot has been written about the environmental implications of this project and its impact on the Australian economy but little is known about the man here in Australia. 

Gautam Adani - turned an arid desert in Kutch into a thriving economic hub but at the cost of locals and environment. He flouted every rule in the book to build India's largest private port. Australia has chosen to do business with Adani and therefore it is necessary to know whom are dealing with. 

Profile of Gautam Adani, his empire and his track record was first published in The Age. Full article can be read here - http://www.theage.com.au/comment/is-australia-ready-for-indias-gautam-adani-20140903-10bqbb.html#ixzz3DTBcpQq

A White Paper on The Australia India Trade Relations - Past, Present and Future possibilities

I recently authored a White Paper, which was a joint initiative of the Australia India Business Council (AIBC) and Australia India Institute (AII). This White Paper was presented to Australian foreign minister Julie Bishop and to Prime Minister Tony Abbott in the lead up to his visit to India on September 4-5 2014. 

You can access and download the report here.

Prof. Amitabh Mattoo (AII), Foreign Minister Julie Bishop and Dipen Rughani (AIBC)

Sheba Nandkeolyar (AIBC), Prime Minister Tony Abbott and Dipen Rughani (AIBC)