Abhinav Pandya - From Sindoor to Syunik: India’s New Geopolitical Frontline | Ep 443, June 5, 2025 [EP443]
Posted on Tuesday, May 27, 2025 | Category: Armenia, Geopolitics, Iran | Series: cog, video
Groong Links:
Guest:
- Dr. Abhinav Pandya, Founder, President and CEO of Usanas Foundation Think Tank.
Topics:
- Turkey-Pakistan-Azerbaijan Axis
- Operation Sindoor
- Armenia As a Strategic Partner
- West Asia and Eurasia Context
- Future Outlook
Episode 443 | Recorded: June 3, 2025
Show Notes
In this episode of Conversations on Groong, we speak with Abhinav Pandya about the emerging Turkey–Pakistan–Azerbaijan axis and its implications for India’s security and regional posture. We explore the symbolism behind the opening of an empty airport in Berdzor (Lachin), the broader strategic coordination among these three nations, and how India responded with Operation Sindoor following a major terror attack in Pahalgam. The conversation also looks at Armenia’s growing role as a strategic partner for India, the complexities of managing ties with Iran, and the challenges facing multilateral projects like IMEC. Pandya outlines the ideological and hybrid threats India faces and what it must do to stay ahead in a shifting geopolitical landscape.
Main Topics Addressed
- The Turkey–Pakistan–Azerbaijan strategic axis and its growing cooperation
- Symbolism and significance of the Berdzor (Lachin) airport opening in occupied Artsakh (Nagorno Karabakh)
- India’s Operation Sindoor: strategic intent and regional reactions
- Armenia’s strategic pivot from Russia to India
- The role of Iran, Chabahar Port, and India’s Eurasian connectivity ambitions
- IMEC’s viability and the challenges of multilateral infrastructure projects
- Turkey’s ideological influence operations in India and South Asia
- Future flashpoints and the need for India’s strategic countermeasures
Key Questions Discussed
- What does the emerging Turkey–Pakistan–Azerbaijan axis aim to achieve?
- How did Operation Sindoor reshape India’s regional military posture?
- Is Armenia becoming more than just a defense client for India?
- How does India manage its complex relationship with Iran, especially around Chabahar?
- Is the IMEC project dead on arrival, and what are India’s alternatives?
- How can India confront ideological and cyber threats in this evolving geopolitical landscape?
Referenced Articles & Sources
- India’s Russia Option – The National Interest
- India’s China Challenge – The National Interest
- The U.S. Doesn’t Understand Indian Diplomacy – The National Interest
- Are India and Armenia Moving Toward a Strategic Partnership? – The National Interest
- The Evolution of Terror Financing in Kashmir – The National Interest
- Turkey and Bangladesh: From the Rift of Jamaat-e-Islami to Defence Cooperation – Manara Magazine
- Turkey Comes Out as Pakistan’s Ally – Middle East Forum
- How Turkey Spreads Radical Islamic Ideology in the Indian Subcontinent
- India Must Prepare for a Final Showdown with Pakistan – Usanas Foundation
- Armenian–Indian Cooperation: Obstacles and Strategic Perspectives – Usanas Foundation
- Erdogan’s South Asia Playbook: Why India Is Angry with Turkey – ETV Bharat
- The Geopolitical Aspects of the India–Armenia Partnership – APRI Armenia
- Turkey Off the Table: Indian Weddings, Events Leave Turkey – The Economic Times
- Understanding India’s Armenia Outreach – Firstpost
- India–Afghanistan Diplomatic Ties Post Operation Sindoor – ETV Bharat
- An India–Armenia Intelligence Partnership for the 2020s – Observer Research Foundation (ORF)
- Can IMEC Emerge as an Alternative to BRI? – The National Interest
- Disquiet on the West Asian Front – Carnegie Endowment
- Turkey’s Islamist Agenda in India – VIF India
- India-Armenia: New Delhi’s Entry Points to the Caucasus – ThePrint
- Erdogan Calls for Firming Up Pakistan–Turkey–Azerbaijan Axis – ThePrint
Books by Dr. Abhinav Pandya
- Radicalization in India (2019)
- Terror Financing in Kashmir (2023)
- Inside the Terrifying World of Jaish-e-Mohammed (2024)
Wrap-up
That’s our show! We hope you found it useful. Please find us on Social Media and follow us everywhere you get your Armenian news.
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Guests
Abhinav Pandya
Dr. Abhinav Pandya is a counterterrorism and foreign policy analyst, and the founder and CEO of the Usanas Foundation, a security think tank based in India. He holds degrees from Cornell University, St. Stephen’s College, and OP Jindal Global University. Pandya has authored three books, including Inside the Terrifying World of Jaish-e-Mohammed and Terror Financing in Kashmir. He has written for major outlets such as The National Interest, Haaretz, and ORF, and has lectured at international forums including NATO and the St. Petersburg Economic Forum. He advised the Governor of Jammu & Kashmir during the abrogation of Article 370.
Hosts
Asbed Bedrossian
Asbed is founder of the Armenian News Network Groong and co-founder of the ANN/Groong podcast.
Hovik Manucharyan
Hovik Manucharyan is an information security engineer who moved from Seattle to Armenia in 2022. He co-founded the ANN/Groong podcast in 2020 and has been a contributor to Groong News since the late 1990s.
Disclaimer: The views expressed by Hovik Manucharyan on the ANN/Groong podcast are his own and do not necessarily reflect the opinions of his employer or any other organization.