India is no longer a silent player in world politics. As the U.S. courts New Delhi, Russia relies on Indian markets, China looms across the border, and Pakistan remains a constant rival, India stands at the centre of global geopolitics.

In this episode of The Focus, Dr. John Bruni speaks with Professor Salvatore Babones (University of Sydney) about India’s bold gamble on its future. Will New Delhi define the Indo-Pacific century—or be defined by it?

Show Notes

🔗 Contact Salvatore:

Website: https://www.salvatorebabones.com/

X: @ProfBabones

UoS: https://www.sydney.edu.au/research/opportunities/3231.html Salvatore’s

YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@SalvatoreBabones

*Top 5 Books by Salvatore:*

Dharma Democracy: How India Built the Third World’s First Democracy (2025) – His most recent work is an empirical assessment of India’s democratic evolution.

The New Authoritarianism: Trump, Populism, and the Tyranny of Experts (2018) – Named among the Best on Politics 2018 by The Wall Street Journal

BRICS or Bust? Escaping the Middle Income Trap (co-authored with Hartmut Elsenhans) (2017) – A comparative study of BRICS economic trajectories

American Tianxia: Chinese Money, American Power and the End of History (2017) – Challenges the narrative of a looming Chinese century

Sixteen for ’16: A Progressive Agenda for a Better America (2015) – A policy manifesto outlining a forward looking progressive platform

*Top 5 Articles by Salvatore:*

“Global Kondratiev Waves and Political Transformations in Russia since 1800: A Relative Deprivation Approach” (with Philipp Babcicky & Oleg Gubin) – International Politics (2023)

“Mobile Netware, Social Graphs, and the Reconfiguration of Space” (with Colin Agur) – New Media & Society(2023)

“International Student Revenue and International Rankings Success: A Case Study of Australian University Research Strategies” – Youth and Globalization (2022)

“China’s Development Model: Can it Be Replicated in Sub Saharan Africa?” – Politics & Policy (2020)

“From Tianxia to Tianxia: The Generalization of a Concept” – Chinese Political Science Review (2020)

#IndiaUS #SalvatoreBabones #Geopolitics #Modi #TheFocusPodcast #IndoPacific #Trump2024 #Quad

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We sit down with Yuki Tatsumi to explore foreign policy in the Indo-Pacific. From the US-Japan alliance to ties with Australia, India, and the Quad, we unpack how regional countries and the US navigate today’s shifting fault lines.

We also examine the legacy of Shinzo Abe—including his reputation as the “Trump whisperer”—and how it has shaped the West’s foreign policy under Trump 47.

Show Notes:

Contact Yuki

IIPS https://indopacificsecurity.org/team-member/yuki-tatsumi/

IIPS website https://indopacificsecurity.org/

LinkedIn https://www.linkedin.com/in/yuki-tatsumi-166a4b21/

Books by Yuki:

• Lost in Translation? U.S. Defense Innovation and Northeast Asia(2017)
• U.S.-Japan-Australia Security Cooperation: Prospects and Challenges(2015)
• Opportunity out of Necessity: The Impact of U.S. Defense Budget Cuts on the U.S.-Japan Alliance(2013)
• Global Security Watch: Japan(co-author, 2010)
• Japan’s National Security Policy Infrastructure: Can Tokyo Meet Washington’s Expectations?(2008)

Articles by Yuki:

August 28, 2025

Economic Coercion from the People’s Republic of China Stimson Center

June 4, 2025

Trump’s Green Light: Can Tokyo Replicate Nippon Steel Deal? Stimson Center

April 4, 2025

Back to the Future? The Implications of Growing Strategic Competition in the Arctic for the US-Japan Alliance Stimson Center

February 14, 2025

Trump and Ishiba Meet for the First Time—Success, Maybe? Stimson Center

November 6, 2024

Trump Wins—Can the Indo-Pacific Region Withstand? Stimson Center

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India is rising — but what does that mean on the frontlines? 🇮🇳 In this episode of The Focus, Dr. John Bruni speaks with Lt. Gen. Ravi Shankar (Retd.), former Director General of Artillery and the bold voice behind The Gunner’s Shot. Unapologetic and unfiltered. This is India’s rise told from the inside.

Show Notes

Connect with Ravi

The Gunners Shot YouTube Channel: https://www.youtube.com/@gunnersshot

Website: https://gunnersshot.com/

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/palepu-ravi-shankar-084980214/

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