By Udaibir Das
Global financial institutions continue to frame the 2026 outlook for emerging markets through a familiar cyclical lens. The consensus assumes U.S. monetary easing, a softer dollar and a modest global slowdown will favor local-currency assets, credible disinflation paths and balance-sheet repair. This narrative is historically grounded and internally coherent. It is also increasingly insufficient.
By Medha Prasanna
Without intentional strategies to strengthen energy infrastructure, the Global South will remain largely a consumer of AI technologies.
By Brian Webster, Alan Gelb, and Anit Mukherjee
Shifting the payment of social transfers from cash to direct deposit via bank or mobile money accounts can directly improve efficiency for governments and convenience for beneficiaries. It may also produce positive spillovers such as boosting financial inclusion and empowering women. But do these spillovers materialize, and under what circumstances?
By Udaibir Das
The Trevor Manuel G20 Africa Expert Panel Report reframes Africa’s constraints as a single system of mispricing, debt compression and governance asymmetry. Its proposals for refinancing, collective bargaining and International Monetary Fund quota reform mark the first coordinated attempt to shift power within the international financial architecture.
"Rebalancing Globalization: Perspectives from the Global South" attempts to provide a framework for the next phase of globalization that is rebalanced and sustainable and can address issues that matter to the Global South.
Edited Volume
By Anit Mukherjee, Dhruva Jaishankar, Alan Gelb, Pamla Gopaul, Marta Bengoa, Shayak Sengupta, Aude Darnal, Elizabeth Sidiropoulos, Udaibir Das, Veronica Jijon, and Lorrayne Porciuncula
Editors: Anit Mukherjee and Dhruva Jaishankar
By Surjit S. Bhalla, Karan Bhasin, and Tirthatanmoy Das
Using a structural micro-econometric model, the roles of both the labor market and the household sector in female labor participation are evaluated to analyze the evolution of India’s labor market.
By Vivek Mishra
While Trump's choices reflect his desire for a loyal team, they also signal his intention to challenge traditional governance structures and pursue a different vision for America's future.
While there is no shortage of analysis and speculation of China’s capabilities and behavior today, it is imperative to keep an eye on longer-term developments and remain open to uncertainties that could shape China’s strategic outlook.
Joint Report
By Shikha Aggarwal, Divyank Chaudhary, Lily McElwee, Aaron Glasserman, Keshav Kelkar, Kento Mashiko, Takuya Matsuda, Helen Mitchell, Philip Rogers, Rena Sasaki, David Saultry, and Neil Thomas
Editors: Dhruva Jaishankar and Greg Brown
By Vivek Mishra
While the Indo-Pacific will continue to receive attention in U.S. policy circles, the approach under Trump may be two-pronged.
By Vivek Mishra
Trump’s recent reelection signals a possible shift in global stability, with a hardline stance on China and strategic alliances in the Indo-Pacific.
By Vivek Mishra
How might Trump’s second administration stay similar to and differ from his first term?
By Udaibir Das
Where do Brics, the International Monetary Fund, and the World Bank overlap in their newly released communiques on the global economic landscape?
By Vivek Mishra
How have the Trump and Harris campaigns done so far in the views of the American public as Election Day nears?
By Vivek Mishra
What might America’s foreign policy with India look like if led by a Trump administration or a Harris administration?
By Vivek Mishra
How does India’s shift towards individualism impact its relationship with Washington as tensions with China grows?
By Vivek Mishra
How does the recent MQ-9B drone deal between India and the United States foster deeper defense and technology cooperation between the two countries?
By Vivek Mishra
As Washington navigates pressures in Latin America, it remains to be seen how the next U.S. administration will deal with Russia and China in America’s backyard.
By Udaibir Das
How do sovereign wealth funds navigate current times while building portfolio resilience?
By Vivek Mishra
External factors are likely to weigh heavily on US commitments in the Indo-Pacific under the next administration, which will in turn influence the evolution of the India-US security partnership.
By Vivek Mishra
Faced with low approval ratings, Justin Trudeau seems to be using foreign policy as a tool to distract from his domestic failures. Not just India, but another unresolved issue of Trudeau's tenure has been his handling of Chinese interference in Canadian elections.
By Vivek Mishra
As Arab-Americans hope for Harris’ distance from Netanyahu, currently, there isn’t much difference between Biden’s and Harris’ Middle-East approach, as she could inherit an increasingly volatile Gulf
By Dhruva Jaishankar
While the direct implications for India might be less than for others, the 2024 U.S. presidential election will undoubtedly have indirect effects on India.
By Udaibir Das
How can countries with small and shallow financial markets adopt financial stability reports that are more suited for their economic conditions?
Observer Research Foundation America, 1100 17th St. NW, Suite 501, Washington DC 20036 USA
