Michael Kugelman

Michael Kugelman is the writer of Foreign Policy’s weekly South Asia Brief. He has been an analyst of the region for nearly two decades.

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Articles by Michael Kugelman
Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi waves to the media in New Delhi.
Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi waves to the media in New Delhi.

India Looks to Seize Opportunity at COP28

South Asia Brief
Michael Kugelman
Motorists ride past an upcoming residential project from Adani Realty in Mumbai on Feb. 2.
Motorists ride past an upcoming residential project from Adani Realty in Mumbai on Feb. 2.

Has India’s Adani Group Prevailed?

South Asia Brief
Michael Kugelman
U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken and Indian Foreign Minister S. Jaishankar speak to the press before talks at the U.S. State Department in Washington on Sept. 28.
U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken and Indian Foreign Minister S. Jaishankar speak to the press before talks at the U.S. State Department in Washington on Sept. 28.

America and India Expand Their Partnership

South Asia Brief
Michael Kugelman
Afghan refugees arrive on green trucks in a mountainous landscape.
Afghan refugees arrive on green trucks in a mountainous landscape.

Why Is Pakistan Expelling 1.7 Million Afghans?

South Asia Brief
Michael Kugelman
Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau shakes hand with Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi in New Delhi. Behind them are Canadian and Indian flags.
Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau shakes hand with Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi in New Delhi. Behind them are Canadian and Indian flags.

The India-Canada Rift Deepens

South Asia Brief
Michael Kugelman
People in hijabs hold up placards and a big sign that reads PALESTINE.
People in hijabs hold up placards and a big sign that reads PALESTINE.

What Pro-Palestinian Protests Mean for Pakistan

South Asia Brief
Michael Kugelman
Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu attend a conference in Tel Aviv on July 6, 2017.
Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu attend a conference in Tel Aviv on July 6, 2017.

Will India Draw Closer to Israel?

South Asia Brief
Michael Kugelman
Babar Azam of Pakistan plays a shot during the 2023 ICC Men's Cricket World Cup warmup match between Pakistan and Australia at Rajiv Gandhi International Stadium in Hyderabad, India.
Babar Azam of Pakistan plays a shot during the 2023 ICC Men's Cricket World Cup warmup match between Pakistan and Australia at Rajiv Gandhi International Stadium in Hyderabad, India.

How Cricket Is Easing India-Pakistan Tensions

South Asia Brief
Michael Kugelman
Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi, U.S. President Joe Biden, German Chancellor Olaf Scholz, and Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese arrive to pay respect at the Mahatma Gandhi memorial on the sidelines of the G-20 summit in New Delhi on Sept. 10.
Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi, U.S. President Joe Biden, German Chancellor Olaf Scholz, and Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese arrive to pay respect at the Mahatma Gandhi memorial on the sidelines of the G-20 summit in New Delhi on Sept. 10.

The U.S. Shouldn’t Worry About the India-Canada Rift

South Asia Brief
Michael Kugelman
Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau attends a press conference after the closing session of the G-20 summit in New Delhi on Sept. 10.
Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau attends a press conference after the closing session of the G-20 summit in New Delhi on Sept. 10.

Trudeau’s Allegations Upend India-Canada Ties

South Asia Brief
Michael Kugelman
Maldives presidential candidate Mohamed Muiz, a man with gray hair and beard and a light pink button-down shirt, claps his hands as he greets a crowd of supporters wearing pink at an outdoor campaign rally.
Maldives presidential candidate Mohamed Muiz, a man with gray hair and beard and a light pink button-down shirt, claps his hands as he greets a crowd of supporters wearing pink at an outdoor campaign rally.

The Maldives’ Presidential Race Has Geopolitical Stakes

South Asia Brief
Michael Kugelman
A pedestrian walks past a G-20 summit logo along a street in New Delhi.
A pedestrian walks past a G-20 summit logo along a street in New Delhi.

Will India’s G-20 Summit Succeed?

South Asia Brief
Michael Kugelman
From left: Chinese President Xi Jinping, Brazilian President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva, South African President Cyril Ramaphosa, Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi, and Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov appear at the 2023 BRICS summit in Johannesburg, South Africa.
From left: Chinese President Xi Jinping, Brazilian President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva, South African President Cyril Ramaphosa, Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi, and Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov appear at the 2023 BRICS summit in Johannesburg, South Africa.

India Can Benefit From a Bigger BRICS

South Asia Brief
Michael Kugelman
People wave Indian national flags as they celebrate the successful lunar landing of the Chandrayaan-3 spacecraft in New Delhi on Aug. 23.
People wave Indian national flags as they celebrate the successful lunar landing of the Chandrayaan-3 spacecraft in New Delhi on Aug. 23.

India’s Moon Landing Is a Big Geopolitical Step

South Asia Brief
Michael Kugelman
Lawyers supporting former Pakistani Prime Minister Imran Khan denounce his arrest outside the High Court in Lahore, Pakistan, on Aug. 7.
Lawyers supporting former Pakistani Prime Minister Imran Khan denounce his arrest outside the High Court in Lahore, Pakistan, on Aug. 7.

What’s Next for Imran Khan’s Party?

South Asia Brief
Michael Kugelman
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