2026: The Outlook for South Asia

About this episode

The episode discusses the outlook for South Asia in 2026, focusing on key developments and challenges in the region.

Beyond the Indus host Tushar Shetty sits down with Michael Kugelman, senior fellow at the Atlantic Council and South Asia analyst, to discuss his outlook for South Asia in 2026. We review the major developments in the region in 2025, the upcoming elections in Bangladesh and Nepal, the India-Pakistan conflict and the reinvigoration of Pakistan’s diplomatic strategy, the downturn in the India-U.S. relationship and how the shifting global security and economic landscape will impact South Asia in 2026.

People in this episode

Host: Tushar Shetty

Guest: Michael Kugelman

Topics covered

• South Asia
• politics
• elections
• India-Pakistan conflict
• diplomatic strategy
• global security
• economic landscape

Keywords

• South Asia
• 2026
• politics
• elections
• India-Pakistan
• diplomatic strategy
• global security

Mentioned in this episode

Organizations: Atlantic Council

Places: Bangladesh, Nepal, India, Pakistan

More episodes of Beyond the Indus

• Democratizing Technology: India Stack 3.0 and the Future of Digital Public Infrastructure · June 10, 2026 · 1h 14m
• Pakistan and the Economics of Diplomacy · May 26, 2026 · 48 min
• The Thorium Gamble: India’s Nuclear Breakthrough · May 12, 2026 · 54 min
• Is the Indian Army Ready for the Next War? · April 28, 2026 · 54 min
• India on the High Seas: Hormuz and the Future of Maritime Security · April 13, 2026 · 1h 4m
• The War on Oil: Iran Conflict and the Global Energy Crisis · March 23, 2026 · 41 min