German Institute for Global and Area Studies | Leibniz-Institut für Globale und Regionale Studien

German Institute for Global and Area Studies | Leibniz-Institut für Globale und Regionale Studien

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India

With a population of 1.4 billion, a dynamic economy, and growing political weight in the global order, India has become an important partner for Germany in the EU. GIGA researchers analyse India’s foreign policy, digital policy, the role played by its media, and the country’s role in forums for global governance, including the climate regime and BRICS. 

  • Experts

    Contact

    Current Research

    Countries and Regions

    Dr. Sangeeta Mahapatra

    Dr. Sangeeta Mahapatra

    Research Fellow

    T. +49 40 428874-40[email protected]
    • Geopolitics of Tech
    • Digital Politics
    • Digital Authoritarianism
    • Disinformation and Counter-Disinformation
    • Hybrid Threats, Information Warfare, Cyber Resilience
    • AI and Internet Governance
    • South and Southeast Asia
    • India
    • Bangladesh
    • Indonesia
    • Singapore
    Dr. Sharinee Jagtiani

    Dr. Sharinee Jagtiani

    Associate

    [email protected]
    • Geopolitics and Technology
    • US-China strategic technology competition
    • EU-India Relations
    • AI and Democracy
    • Indo-Pacific
    • India
    • EU
    • US
    Dr. Sazana Jayadeva

    Dr. Sazana Jayadeva

    Associate

    [email protected]

    • Transnational student mobility

    • Migration infrastructures

    • Social media

    • Indian middle classes

    • Social mobility

    • South Asia

    • Europe

    Prof. Dr. Manjeet Pardesi

    Prof. Dr. Manjeet Pardesi

    Associate

    [email protected]
    • Power, Ideas, and International Order
    • Historical International Orders in Asia
    • The Sino-Indian Rivalry
    • Asia/the Indo-Pacific
    Dr. Johannes Plagemann

    Dr. Johannes Plagemann

    Senior Research Fellow / Editor GIGA Focus Global

    T. +49 (40) 428874-23[email protected]

    • Multipolarity, Rising Powers, and International Politics

    • Legitimacy and International Institutions

    • Populism and Foreign Policy

    • India

    • South Asia

    Prof. Dr. Miriam Prys-Hansen

    Prof. Dr. Miriam Prys-Hansen

    Lead Research Fellow / Head of Research Programme "Global Orders and Foreign Policies"

    T. +49 (40) 428874-30[email protected]

    • Regional and emerging powers

    • Global and regional environmental politics

    • Global climate regime

    • India

    • BRICS

    Dr. Amrita Saikia

    Dr. Amrita Saikia

    Associate

    [email protected]
    • Conflict and peace
    • Women in peacebuilding
    • South Asia
    • India
    • Northeast India
    Prof. Dr. Chanchal Kumar Sharma

    Prof. Dr. Chanchal Kumar Sharma

    Associate

    [email protected]

    • Fiscal Federalism: Theory and Practice

    • Distributive Fiscal Politics

    • Multi-level Politics and Party System Change

    • Foreign Relations of Subnational Units

    • Federalism and Disaster Management

    • India

    • South Asia

    In Brief

    How Unpredictable Is Trump's Foreign Policy Set to Be?

    GIGA Insights | 24/11/2024

    How Unpredictable Is Trump's Foreign Policy Set to Be?

    Donald Trump's likely foreign policy is widely deemed unpredictable. Political observers from other countries recognise in Trump their own right-wing populist leaders past and present. From Erdoğan in Turkey, to Duterte in the Philippines, Orbán in Hungary, and Modi in India: the foreign policies of populists in power are more predictable than is often assumed.

    BRICS Summit 2023: Union of the Global South

    GIGA Insights | 23/08/2023

    BRICS Summit 2023: Union of the Global South

    The alliance of Brazil, Russia, India, China, and South Africa is meeting for the 15th BRICS Summit in Johannesburg. The grouping wants to reposition itself, and many countries of the Global South are interested in joining. GIGA experts observe and analyse these developments.

    Research Projects

    Research Project | 01/02/2023 - 31/01/2025

    Mapping and Strengthening Civil Society Response to Disinformation

    Governments in autocratic and autocratizing contexts may use anti-fake news laws to discredit critical civil society actors as agents of “disinformation” and punish them. Through comparative and cross-learning insights derived from field studies, we seek to map civil society responses against the autocratic use of disinformation laws and strengthen policies for right to information and freedom of speech and expression.
    NED, 2023-2025

    PD Dr. Andreas Ufen

    Dr. Sangeeta Mahapatra

    Dr. Janjira Sombatpoonsiri

    Research Project | 01/07/2022 - 31/03/2023

    Platforms and Online Workers in India and Africa: Challenges and Opportunities for Decent Work

    Technological advances and digitalisation are rapidly transforming the world of work, and the emergence of online labour platforms is one manifestation of this. The resulting labour market outcomes and dynamics are not well understood, particularly in the Global South. This project consists of a series of four studies that contribute to understanding the characteristics and dynamics of online work in India and selected African countries.
    GIZ, 2022-2023

    Prof. Dr. Jann Lay

    Tevin Tafese

    Dr. Otto Kässi

    Elvis Melia

    Research Project | 01/09/2021 - 29/02/2024

    Performance Monitoring Asia-Pacific Research Area (APRA), Phase II

    The Asia-Pacific research area (APRA) comprises about half of the world's population and some of its most dynamic economies. The importance of the region as producer of knowledge is reflected in its growing number of international publications and patents, as well as development of new (digital) business models. By analysing the performance of science, technology, and innovation in the APRA, the project aims at supplying an empirical-evidence base for the strategic further development of cooperation with countries in Asia-Pacific.
    BMBF, 2021-2024

    Dr. Margot Schüller

    Dr. Iris Wieczorek

    Dr. Marcus Conlé

    Dr. Yun Schüler-Zhou

    Publications

    Digital Cooperation with Global Partners - Policy Study | 04/2025

    Ethical Governance of AI and the Prevention of Digital Authoritarianism in South and Southeast Asia: Case Studies of India and Singapore

    The 2025 Paris AI Summit marked a shift from global to national AI strategies. This paper explores India’s and Singapore’s AI governance, offering insights for the EU, with a focus on Germany, on cooperating with these emerging AI powers to advance ethical, sustainable AI.

    Dr. Sangeeta Mahapatra

    Research Fellow

    Chapter in Edited Volume | 2025

    India’s Multi-Platform Election Campaigns for Voter Mobilisation

    This chapter examines multi-platform and multi-discourse political messaging during the 2019 Indian General Elections by India's two largest political parties. It demonstrates how multi-platform partisan messaging enables certain discursive and leadership styles for voter outreach and mobilization.

    Dr. Sangeeta Mahapatra

    Research Fellow

    Chapter in Edited Volume | 2025

    Populism and the Centralisation of Foreign Policy Decision-Making: Paths and Patterns

    Populist leaders claim to embody the popular will and greatly personalize their countries’ policy processes. The chapter outlines patterns of centralization in foreign policy making with reference to populist governments in Bolivia, India, Italy, and the Philippines.

    Dr. Johannes Plagemann

    Senior Research Fellow / Editor GIGA Focus Global

    Prof. Dr. Sandra Destradi

    Former Associate

    Aus Politik und Zeitgeschichte | 12/2024

    Souveränität, territoriale Integrität, Nichteinmischung: BRICS als sicherheitspolitischer Akteur

    Trotz ihrer Heterogenität sollte die Bedeutung der BRICS auch in sicherheitspolitischer Hinsicht nicht unterschätzt werden. Während interne Spannungen fortbestehen, gewinnt die Gruppe sowohl symbolisch als auch diskursiv an Einfluss – gerade im Globalen Süden.

    Prof. Dr. Miriam Prys-Hansen

    Lead Research Fellow / Head of Research Programme "Global Orders and Foreign Policies"

    Journal of Asian Security and International Affairs | 10/2024

    India's Security and Climate Policy: Navigating the China Challenge

    This paper focuses on India’s multifaceted approach to its “China challenge” with and outside the climate regime. It examines whether this rivalry might lead to a breakdown of cooperation and an increased potential for conflict and weaponisation of seemingly disconnected issue-areas.

    Prof. Dr. Miriam Prys-Hansen

    Lead Research Fellow / Head of Research Programme "Global Orders and Foreign Policies"

    Events

    Many Friends, Few Responsibilities? India’s Sweetspot in Global Geopolitics

    Panel discussion | 24/06/2025

    Many Friends, Few Responsibilities? India’s Sweetspot in Global Geopolitics

    India is an active BRICS member also deepening its ties with the West. With its strategy of “multi-alignment,” India claims to be a leader of the Global South. The GIGA’s team of India experts, Sharinee Jagtiani (German Marshall Fund), and Germany’s ambassador to India, Philipp Ackermann, debate the country’s geopolitical sweet spot.

    Media Contributions

    F.A.Z. PRO Weltwirtschaft | Expert Comment / Guest Contribution | 10/07/2025

    Kolumne Weltblick: Die Risse im BRICS-Bündnis wachsen

    Die Ergebnisse des BRICS-Gipfels bleiben vage. Die gewachsene Gruppe des Globalen Südens vertritt keine gemeinsame Linie, stellt Prof. Dr. Christian von Soest fest.

    Prof. Dr. Christian von Soest

    Lead Research Fellow

    ARD-Podcast Welt.Macht.China | Interview | 27/05/2025

    Grenzkonflikt im Himalaya: Warum streiten China und Indien?

    Die Rivalität zwischen Indien und China hat sich in den letzten Jahren zugespitzt, auch weil Grenzstreitigkeiten ungelöst blieben. GIGA-Wissenschaftler Dr. Johannes Plagemann diskutiert die Beziehungen der zwei bevölkerungsreichsten Staaten der Erde im ARD-Podcast Welt.Macht.China.

    Dr. Johannes Plagemann

    Senior Research Fellow / Editor GIGA Focus Global

    The Hindu | Interview | 17/04/2025

    The Many Factors At Play in Content Moderation

    'In Focus' Interview with The Hindu on different forms of content moderation, factors that influence it, and comparing different legal frameworks across the world on regulating content moderation and how this impacts state-platform-civil society power dynamics and relations. Also available on Spotify.

    Dr. Sangeeta Mahapatra

    Research Fellow

    Lectures

    The London Story | 17/03/2025

    Excluded by Design: Tech Regulation's Racial Bias

    Organiser: The London Story Dr. Sangeeta Mahapatra (Speaker)

    Invited Speaker at the Panel organised by The London Story, as part of the Pakhuis De Zwijger event, to discuss how EU digital, especially AI policies shape and impact human rights and suggest solutions for fair and just AI and tech regulations.

    Dr. Sangeeta Mahapatra

    Research Fellow

    German Institute for Global and Area Studies | 20/11/2024

    4th Indo-German Track 1.5 Strategic Dialogue

    Organiser: German Institute for Global and Area Studies Prof. Dr. Patrick Köllner (Organiser, Panelist, Chair)

    At the 4th Indo-German Track 1.5 Strategic Dialogue, Patrick Köllner offered a German perspective on cooperation with India in the Indo-Pacific. The strategic dialogues are co-organised by the GIGA and the SWP on the German side and the ICWS and the RIS on the Indian side.

    Prof. Dr. Patrick Köllner

    Director of the GIGA Institute for Asian Studies / Vice President

    German Institute for International and Security Affairs (SWP) | 18/11/2024 - 19/11/2024

    Talk on 'Securing Digital Societies' at the 17th Berlin Conference on Asian Security

    Organiser: German Institute for International and Security Affairs (SWP) Dr. Sangeeta Mahapatra (Speaker)

    This invited talk was on 'Securing Digital Societies' at the 17th Berlin Conference on Asian Security. The Conference comprised experts from Europe, Asia, and the United States to examine the domestic factors shaping economic, foreign and security policies of countries across the Indo-Pacific.

    Dr. Sangeeta Mahapatra

    Research Fellow

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