In this Security Nexus Perspective by Shyam Tekwani, a professor at the Daniel K. Inouye Asia-Pacific Center for Security Studies, “Ghosts at the Border: Unfinished Conflicts in South Asia,” examines a region where the past persists. From the bloodied hills of Balochistan to the curfewed valleys of Kashmir, South Asia’s unfinished wars simmer beneath the surface, flaring up when least expected. Tekwani challenges official narratives of peace and progress to expose a harsher reality: silence is not stability, and development cannot erase memory. Across diasporas and front lines, rebellions once thought defeated are mutating, crossing borders, and complicating diplomacy. With a journalist’s insight and a sharp memory for unresolved truths, the essay warns that the ghosts of state violence do not vanish—they organize, vote, agitate, and, when ignored, return with force.

A Security Nexus perspective, “From Factory to Frontline: Why U.S.–India Drone Collaboration Could Shape the Next Era of Deterrence,” by Shyam Tekwani, professor at the Daniel K. Inouye Asia-Pacific Center for Security Studies, argues that the future of deterrence in the Indo-Pacific will depend not on prestige platforms, but on scalable, attritable defense systems co-developed by the United States and India. The article highlights that traditional assets—such as aircraft carriers and stealth fighters—are becoming too slow, costly, and vulnerable to serve as the foundation of modern deterrence. Drawing lessons from the Ukraine conflict, Tekwani emphasizes the impact of unmanned aerial vehicles, electronic warfare units, and mass-manufactured, low-cost systems. These platforms create uncertainty for adversaries and can be deployed in high volumes, offering both presence and flexibility without escalating tensions.

A Security Nexus perspective, “Cartographers of Quiet Power,” by Shyam Tekwani, professor at the Daniel K. Inouye Asia-Pacific Center for Security Studies, explores how India, Vietnam, and the Philippines are quietly redefining regional cooperation in the Indo-Pacific—not through formal alliances but through pragmatic, flexible partnerships shaped by the realities of a multipolar wor

A Security Nexus perspective, “Deterrence Needs a Factory: Fixing the U.S.–India Industrial Gap,” by Shyam Tekwani, professor at the Daniel K. Inouye Asia-Pacific Center for Security Studies, argues that while strategic alignment between the United States and India has advanced, their defense industrial cooperation remains underdeveloped. The essay highlights how both countries share mutual goals—resilient supply chains, forward deterrence, and defense innovation—yet continue to fall short on implementation. Tekwani urges both nations to shift from high-level dialogue to ground-level execution, including co-investment in manufacturing and defense technologies.