Left-wing extremism, also called Naxalism, or Maoism has been around since the late 60s. After 60 years, the movement may be down but not out. The UPA government had described the Maoist movement as the greatest internal security threat. In the last few years, the government has been proactive in dealing with the Naxalist violence. A judicious mix of security and developmental measures have put considerable pressure on the movement. According to government figures, there has been a significant decline in moist violence since 2014.

The Vivekananda International Foundation (VIF) strives to ensure relevant geo-strategic discussions by different Expert Groups covering global as well as regional issues. In that vein, the groups hosted by VIF not only focused on foreign relations but prioritised discussions on the economic aspects. This issue consists of deliberations on U.S, Pakistan, India-Sri Lanka, India-Germany, and enhancing the regional value chain in South Asia.

The COVID-19 crisis has exposed the world’s inability to deal with impending non-traditional security threats. India is confronted with the pandemic leading to a wide range of issues on the domestic and international fronts Under these circumstances, Vivekananda International Foundation (VIF) has been actively engaging in discussions with a host of experts on a variety of issues to help charter a course for India’s next steps in the neighbourhood, bilateral relations with China, and other major powers.

Four broad concerns capture the current context surrounding India’s external trade. First is our sluggish export performance for the last several years owing to global slowdown and also due to our declining competitiveness. With a share of 1.65 per cent in world goods exports today, India ranks 19th among all countries that is way below its size or GDP. India’s merchandise imports has also gone past US$ 500 billion now. The trade deficit at US$ 176 billion in 2018-19 as a result is over 50 per cent of exports. The need for a strong push for manufacturing exports is compelling.