Introduction

Dr Sandeep Bhardwaj is a Visiting Research Fellow at the Institute of South Asian Studies at the National University of Singapore. He is a scholar of contemporary and modern South Asia, specialising in current and historical issues relating to Indian foreign policy, Indian economic relations, India-Southeast Asia relations and the politico-economic order in the Indo-Pacific.

Previously, Dr Bhardwaj was a visiting faculty in the International Relations department of Ashoka University, India. He holds a PhD in international history from the Ashoka University and a Master’s degree from the University of Chicago, United States. He is a Fulbright Scholar. He has worked for a decade as a foreign policy researcher in several Indian think tanks, particularly the Centre for Policy Research, New Delhi. He was part of the authorial team of the Official History of the Kargil War for the Indian Ministry of Defence. His latest publication is ‘Three Meanings of Colonialism: Nehru, Sukarno, and Kotelawala Debate the Future of the Third World Movement (1954-61)’ in the Journal of Global History (2024). He regularly writes in mainstream media outlets such as India Forum, The Diplomat, The Hindu, Open Magazine, Mint and The Print.

Areas of Interest and Expertise

• Indian Foreign Policy
• India-Southeast Asia Relations
• Regional Order in the Indo-Pacific
• International History of South and Southeast Asia