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India

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Politics

Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi met German Chancellor Friedrich Merz in India's western state of Gujarat, where the two leaders sought to deepen economic and security cooperation and signed agreements covering sectors ranging from critical minerals to traditional medicine, AP reported on Jan. 12.

India, Germany: Agreements Strengthen Economic and Security Cooperation

New Zealand

India and New Zealand on Dec. 22 announced that they had reached a free trade agreement aimed at deepening economic ties, Bloomberg reported.

India, New Zealand: Free Trade Agreement Announced

Oman

During Prime Minister Narendra Modi's visit to Oman, India signed a comprehensive economic partnership agreement to strengthen bilateral trade and investment, Reuters reported on Dec. 18.

India, Oman: Governments Sign Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement

Energy

India's lower house passed legislation to open the nuclear power sector to private participation and allow foreign companies to partner with Indian companies and obtain licenses to set up nuclear power plants, Reuters reported on Dec. 17.

India: Atomic Energy Bill Passed in India's Lower House

China

India streamlined business visas for Chinese professionals by dropping a layer of scrutiny and cutting approval times to under a month, Reuters reported on Dec. 12. 

India, China: India Eases Red Tape To Fast-Track Business Visas for Chinese Professionals

Russia

During his Dec. 4-5 visit, Russian President Vladimir Putin met Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi in New Delhi, and both agreed to expand and diversify trade, Reuters reported on Dec. 5.

India, Russia: Putin and Modi Agree To Deepen India-Russia Trade

Cyber

Environment, Science & Technology

Science & Technology

India's government withdrew its mandate requiring smartphone makers to preload a state-run cybersecurity app on new devices, Reuters reported on Dec. 3.

India: Facing Backlash, Government Withdraws Cybersecurity App Requirement

India's telecommunications ministry directed smartphone manufacturers to preload all new devices with the state-run cybersecurity app Sanchar Saathi, which users would be unable to remove, AP reported on Dec. 2. 

India: Government Directs Smartphone Makers To Preload State-Run Cybersecurity App

Assessments

Nigeria

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Cuba

Mexico

United States

Venezuela

Greenland

Iran

Israel

Taiwan

Europe

Norway

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Global Trade

Russia-Ukraine Conflict

Social Issues

U.S.-China Relations

U.S.-Iran Relations

RANE's Top 10 Risks for 2026 highlights high-impact, low-probability risks and trends from the annual forecast presented in more extreme terms.

RANE's Top 10 Risks for 2026

Benin

Burkina Faso

Democratic Republic of the Congo

Madagascar

Mali

Niger

Rwanda

Canada

Paraguay

Egypt

Lebanon

Morocco

Palestinian Territories

Qatar

Syria

Turkey

Yemen

Australia

Cambodia

Timor-Leste

Indonesia

Japan

Mongolia

Myanmar

Philippines

South Korea

Thailand

Vietnam

Bulgaria

Afghanistan

Nepal

Flight routes.

As 2026 approaches, we look back at the previous year and consider the top five patterns and trends as measured by geopolitical impact.

2025: A Geopolitical Review

Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi walks alongside Oman's Deputy Prime Minister for Defence Affairs Sayyid Shihab bin Tariq al-Said upon his arrival in Muscat on Dec. 17, 2025.

New trade pacts offer gains in market access and investment but India's protectionist stance on agriculture and dairy remains an obstacle to deals with the United States and European Union. 


Oman and New Zealand Deals Indicate India's Push To Diversify Trade Partnerships

Russian President Vladimir Putin and Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi hold a meeting on the sidelines of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) Summit in Tianjin on Sept. 1, 2025.

While Putin's Dec. 4-5 visit may yield some progress in defense, energy and trade cooperation, India will likely maintain selective engagement with Russia as it navigates U.S. pressure and continues diversifying its arms suppliers.

What To Expect as Putin Visits India

Honduras

Russian President Vladimir Putin greets Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi for their bilateral meeting during the 2025 Shanghai Cooperation Organization Summit.

A look at what the coming week will bring -- and a list of recommended RANE articles from the week that was.

The Weekly Rundown: Putin-Modi Meeting, Honduras General Election

Employees work at a garment factory in Tiruppur, in India's southern state of Tamil Nadu, on Sept. 23, 2025.

While the reforms will eventually create a more competitive, transparent and predictable labor market, the potential for uneven state-level adoption and protests will create challenges for companies in the near term. 

India's Labor Code Reforms: Opportunities and Implementation Challenges

Chile

Saudi Arabia

People watch the USS Gravely, a Navy warship, departing the Port of Spain on Oct. 30, 2025. The U.S. warship arrived in Trinidad and Tobago on Oct. 26, 2025, for joint exercises near the coast of Venezuela, as Washington ratcheted up pressure on drug traffickers and Venezuelan leader Nicolas Maduro.

The Weekly Rundown: U.S.-Saudi Meeting, Military Escalation in the Caribbean

Firefighters douse a car at the suicide blast site in Islamabad, Pakistan, on Nov. 11, 2025. 

While unlikely to trigger immediate retaliation, recent explosions in both New Delhi and Islamabad will sustain the risk of renewed cross-border strikes should either country determine the other was culpable.

Back-to-Back Blasts in India and Pakistan Raise Fears of Another Escalation

Snapshots

A digital illustration of the Indian and Canadian flags.

India and Canada's efforts to improve relations could see them resume trade talks after a two-year hiatus. But lingering mistrust, particularly over Sikh separatist activity in Canada, may hinder deeper progress.

India and Canada's Diplomatic Reset: Opportunities and Challenges

Columns

On Geopolitics

Bangladesh

Sri Lanka

Protesters gather at the Singha Durbar, the main administrative building for the Nepal government, in Kathmandu on Sept. 9, 2025. 

Widespread discontent with corruption and economic mismanagement is fueling movements that demand greater accountability across South Asia.

Political Instability Roils South Asia

A department store on Sept. 5, 2025, in Mumbai, after the Indian government slashed GST rates. While the government's tax changes will support growth by boosting disposable incomes and household consumption, they are likely only a short-term measure that threatens to strain some Indian states' budgets.

While the government's tax changes will support growth by boosting disposable incomes and household consumption, they are likely only a short-term measure that threatens to strain some Indian states' budgets.

India's GST Reforms Will Weigh on State Finances 

Participants of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) Summit 2025 pose for photos in Tianjin, China, on Sept. 1, 2025.

U.S. trade uncertainty will help China deepen trade ties with its Central Asian neighbors and infrastructure ties with Russia, but its relations with India will remain inhibited by border disputes and differing defense priorities.

China Positions Itself as Growth Catalyst for Central Asia at SCO Summit

<p>India is endowed with favorable geographic barriers. Surrounded by oceans on three sides and the formidable Himalayan Mountains to the north, what is now modern India has been free of outside interference for much of its long history. Its large geographic size and population, coupled with weaker peripheral nations on much of its boundaries, have allowed India to become the dominant force in South Asia. Home to the world&rsquo;s second-largest population, India&rsquo;s 1.3 billion people are spread out across the peninsular nation, from the foothills of the Himalayas to the tropical south. India&rsquo;s population core is settled along the Ganges river basin, a densely populated swath of fertile land that extends across the northern Himalayan border. India&rsquo;s primary geographic challenge comes from a lack of strong internal boundaries. Modern-day India struggles to rectify the ambitions of a relatively weak national government that competes with the prerogatives of strong, diverse states &mdash; a legacy of a long history of domestic infighting between various dynasties uninhibited by mountains or other defining geography. A similar lack of defining geography still plagues India&rsquo;s northwest border. Waves of Greek, Persian, and Mongols invaded, culminating in the Mughal Empire, which united much of the subcontinent prior to British conquest. The northwestern border still poses national security risks, due to ongoing disputes with Pakistan. But rising domestic consumption means India is increasingly dependent on imported goods from distant suppliers. Surrounded by water or impassable mountains, New Delhi now faces the additional task of developing naval capabilities to secure its critical supply routes, risking maritime tensions with China in the broader Indo-Pacific basin.</p>

SITUATION REPORTS

India, Germany: Agreements Strengthen Economic and Security Cooperation

India, New Zealand: Free Trade Agreement Announced

India, Oman: Governments Sign Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement

India: Atomic Energy Bill Passed in India's Lower House

India, China: India Eases Red Tape To Fast-Track Business Visas for Chinese Professionals

India, Russia: Putin and Modi Agree To Deepen India-Russia Trade

India: Facing Backlash, Government Withdraws Cybersecurity App Requirement

India: Government Directs Smartphone Makers To Preload State-Run Cybersecurity App

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