Amb D P Srivastava, Distinguished Fellow, VIF

Presently he is a Distinguished Fellow at Vivekananda International Foundation. He was the Indian Ambassador to the Islamic Republic of Iran (2011-15). During his tenure, he led negotiations on Indian Participation in Chabahar Port. In the past, he has served as Indian Ambassador to the Czech Republic, Libya and India’s High Commissioner to Malta. He joined Indian Foreign Services in 1978. After retirement, he served as Senior Advisor to ONGC Videsh Ltd (2015-16). He also served as an Independent Director on the Board of GAIL (2017-20). He is currently on the Board of Directors of India Ports Global Ltd, the company under the Shipping Ministry charged with the development of Chabahar Port. He holds a post-graduate degree in Political Science.

Contributions

India’s SCO Presidency and its implications for India-Central Asia connectivity

December 22, 2022 Amb D P Srivastava, Distinguished Fellow, VIF

India became a permanent member of SCO in 2017. Since joining, New Delhi has made a substantial contribution to this organisation by raising certain critical concerns relating to connectivity, transportation, regional security, and economic growth ...

Tags: International Relations and Diplomacy, Central Asia, INSTC, Iran, Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan, Chabahar, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan, Podcast, SCO summit

Pakistan: Bhutto Legacy

December 21, 2022 Amb D P Srivastava, Distinguished Fellow, VIF

Pakistani Foreign Minister Bilawal Bhutto Zardari in his outburst against India at the UN Security Council mentioned that Osama Bin Laden is dead. He forgot to mention that Osama died after enjoying a safe haven in Pakistan for a decade. Earlier, the...

Tags: Neighbourhood Studies, Pakistan, Commentary, Pakistan, UN, Osama Bin Laden, Ahmediyas, Bilawal Bhutto, JUI

Pakistan: The Appointment of the New COAS and the End of the Long March

November 30, 2022 Amb D P Srivastava, Distinguished Fellow, VIF

Pakistan government announced the appointment of General Asim Munir as the new Army chief on Friday. General Sahir Shamshad Mirza was appointed Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Committee. The army chief’s appointment is always watched with eno...

Tags: Neighbourhood Studies, Pakistan, Commentary, economy, ISI, Imran Khan, PTI, Gen Bajwa, Long March, Shehbaz Sharif, Asim Munir

Pakistani PM Shehbaz Sharif’s Visit to Beijing and CPEC

November 09, 2022 Amb D P Srivastava, Distinguished Fellow, VIF

Pakistan’s Prime Minister visited China on November 1-2, 2022. Shehbaz Sharif was amongst the first foreign leaders received by Xi Jin Ping soon after the latter got himself an unprecedented third term in office. This was projected in Pakistani med...

Tags: International Relations and Diplomacy, Neighbourhood Studies, China, Pakistan, Commentary, China, CPEC, Gwadar, BLA, debt restructuring

Pakistan’s Invasion of Kashmir, UN Resolutions and POK

October 18, 2022 Amb D P Srivastava, Distinguished Fellow, VIF

Pakistan had claimed in its written submission to the UN Security Council that it was not involved in the invasion of the state of J&K. However, Col. Akbar Khan, who planned and led the tribal invasion as a serving officer of the Pakistan Army, has m...

Tags: Jammu & Kashmir, Neighbourhood Studies, Pakistan, Commentary, Kashmir, Gilgit-Baltistan, Akbar Khan, demographic change, raiders

Book Published / Book Reviews

Book Review: ‘A Life Well Spent: Four Decades in the Indian Foreign Service’; Amb. Satish Chandra, Roopa Publications, 2023, ISBN: 9357020950, pp. 284, Rs 636

May 19, 2023 Amb D P Srivastava, Distinguished Fellow, VIF

The book by Ambassador Satish Chandra covers four decades he served in the Indian Foreign Service from 1965 to 2005. The book is not simply an account of his personal journey. It provides a glimpse into the making of foreign policy. It also covers In...

Tags: Jammu & Kashmir, National Security and Strategic Studies, International Relations and Diplomacy, Pakistan, foreign policy, Jammu & Kashmir, Book Reviews, Awami League, 1971, UNCHR

VIF Briefs

Pakistan: Nuclear Deterrence and Ideology

March 16, 2020 Amb D P Srivastava, Distinguished Fellow, VIF

The nuclear age coincided with the advent of the Cold War. The concept of deterrence evolved in the background of ideological divide. However, both sides kept nuclear deterrence insulated from ideological considerations. This pragmatism was born out ...

Tags: Neighbourhood Studies, Pakistan, Cold War, Pakistan Nuclear Deterrence, Helsinki Accord, Pakistan’s nuclear policy

Event Reports

Release of the Interim Report of the VIF Task Force on ‘India’s Energy Transition in a Carbon-Constrained World: The Role of Nuclear Power’ by Gurumurthy Ji, Chairman, VIF

January 27, 2022 Amb D P Srivastava, Distinguished Fellow, VIF

Shri Gurumurthy Ji, Chairman VIF made a virtual release of the Interim Report of the VIF Task Force on “India’s Energy Transition in a Carbon-Constrained World: The Role of Nuclear Power” at a function hosted by the Vivekananda International Fo...

Tags: National Security and Strategic Studies, Conferences, Climate Change, India’s energy security, Nucler power

Release of ‘Forgotten Kashmir: The Other Side of the Line of Control’ by Shri Manoj Sinha, Lt. Governor of Union Territory of J&K

May 20, 2021 Amb D P Srivastava, Distinguished Fellow, VIF

Shri Manoj Sinha, Lt. Governor of the Union Territory of Jammu and Kashmir released ‘Forgotten Kashmir: The Other Side of the Line of Kashmir’ in a virtual event on 18th March 2021. The book has been published by Harper Collins. Its author Ambass...

Tags: Jammu & Kashmir, National Security and Strategic Studies, Book Discussions, POK, Governor, Jammu and Kashmir, Gilgit-Baltistan, Manoj Sinha

Outreach

Will strategy or ideology decide the future of Pakistan occupied Kashmir?

February 18, 2021 Amb D P Srivastava, Distinguished Fellow, VIF

Published at Mint Lounge on 3rd Feb 2021....

Why India needs to ramp up nuclear power: All you need to know

July 06, 2019 Amb D P Srivastava, Distinguished Fellow, VIF

Published in Business Standard on 6 July 2019....

Rising tensions in the Gulf: US sanctions and Iran’s response point to looming danger

May 20, 2019 Amb D P Srivastava, Distinguished Fellow, VIF

Published in Financial Times on 20 May 2019....

Nehru’s Himalayan UN gaffe: File on permanent UNSC membership offer to India must be traced and declassified

May 15, 2019 Amb D P Srivastava, Distinguished Fellow, VIF

Published in Times of India on 15 May 2019....

As America looks to withdraw from Afghanistan what is that country’s future, and what are India’s options?

February 05, 2019 Amb D P Srivastava, Distinguished Fellow, VIF

Published in Time of India on 5th Feb 2019....