V. Venkateswara Rao

The author is an alumnus of IIM, Ahmedabad and a retired senior corporate professional.

80 Years of Liberation of Auschwitz – Has the World Learnt Its Lessons?

"The act of remembering the evils of the past remains a vital task, and in so doing we inform our present and shape our...

Dr. Manmohan Singh – an Unusual Saviour and an Accidental Prime Minister

Former Prime Minister of India Dr Manmohan Singh passed away at the age of 92 on Thursday. "India feels the absence of a PM with...

Assad Has Fled, What Next for Syria?

The dethroned Syrian President Bashar al-Assad had all the makings of a 'reformer' when he took over power at the age of 34 in...

The Roman Wars and the Tech Wars

The history of Roman Empire and its legendary emperors like Julius Caesar, Augustus Caesar, Nero Claudius Caesar etc. never fail to fascinate the public....

India’s Quest for Building a Formidable Military-Industrial Complex

Rajnath Singh, the Defence Minister of India and the chief guest at the inaugural session of Firstpost Defence Summit held in New Delhi in...

Poland Shows That Populists Are Not Invincible

The two most recent attempts to defeat populists in power in Hungary and Turkey failed. Moreover, the populist coalition won the election in Italy....

Oppenheimer and the Politics of Nuclear Proliferation

Oppenheimer, a blockbuster biographical film directed by Christopher Nolan, is showing on the big screen in many countries. Julius Robert Oppenheimer was an American...

Sudan: Rule by Sword

Tensions have been reportedly brewing for weeks between the two most powerful generals of Sudan, who just 18 months earlier had jointly orchestrated a...

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Kazakhstan’s “Multi-vector” Energy Policy: Diversifying Exports and Strengthening Global Partnerships

Kazakhstan eyes a bigger role in global energy: from rare earths to uranium and renewables. Astana seeks fairer oil deals, export diversification, and green power, while deepening multi-vector partnerships.

The J-20’s Silent Flight Through the Korea Strait and What It Means for a Dual Contingency

China’s J-20s transiting the Korea Strait show Beijing probing allied radar gaps. For U.S.–Japan–ROK planners, the risk is clear: stealth patrols could erode deterrence in a Taiwan–Korea dual contingency.

Soft Power, Diaspora and Para-diplomacy: Important Dimensions of India’s Foreign Policy

India’s foreign policy now goes beyond Delhi: para-diplomacy by states, diaspora influence, and soft power—from Amaravati to Rajinikanth—are reshaping how New Delhi engages the world.

The Deep State, Artificial Intelligence, and the New Architecture of Control

The “deep state” has fused with Silicon Valley. Palantir, DARPA, OpenAI—where AI, surveillance, and secrecy converge. America’s algorithmic deep state is no conspiracy theory—it’s already here, reshaping democracy.

Geopolitics of ‘Deals’: Trump, Putin, Zelenskyy, and the Price of Peace in Ukraine

Trump in Alaska with Putin, then in DC with Zelenskyy: Ukraine peace talks look less about borders, more about minerals. Deals, not principles, shape the war’s future.