The latest issue of Sharp Scope (Vol. 2 | No. 1 | October 2025), authored by Riddhik Parashar, delves into the strategic and developmental significance of Assam in advancing India–Bhutan relations. As India deepens its neighbourhood diplomacy, this brief highlights how subnational engagement — or paradiplomacy — can bridge traditional diplomacy with regional aspirations.
From cross-border cultural exchanges and hydropower cooperation to the proposed Gelephu–Kokrajhar rail corridor, Assam stands as a linchpin in India’s eastern diplomacy. This issue brief examines the state’s evolving role in security coordination, ecological collaboration, and people-to-people connectivity — positioning it as a new frontier of India–Bhutan cooperation.
Read the full issue brief in the PDF below ↓↓↓
Series: Sharp Scope | SamvadaWorld Think-Tank Series
Volume: 2 | Issue: 1 | Date: October 2025
Riddhik Parashar holds an MA in IR and Area Studies from Jamia Millia Islamia, New Delhi. He has experience in policy research, political consulting, and freelance writing on international affairs and policy issues. He has also qualified for the UGC-NET in International Relations. Views expressed are personal.
Archita Gaur 
Dr Lakshmi Karlekar 
Divyanka Tandon
Really compelling piece. The role of Assam as a bridge in the Bhutan–India dynamic is often overlooked, but the article nails how sub-national diplomacy (or paradiplomacy) changes the game. The mention of the Gelephu–Kokrajhar rail corridor in particular opens up fresh angles on linkage beyond border security. Good depth.
A solid read. The piece rightly asserts that diplomatic engagement doesn’t just happen in Delhi or Thimphu – it happens at the grassroots, through states like Assam that sit on the frontier. The work on hydropower, people-to-people links – all very encouraging. As always though, implementation will be the real test. Hope to see follow-ups that track how these lofty intents turn into concrete outcomes for Assam and Bhutan.
Author links cultural, ecological and infrastructural threads in this frontier region. Too often we treat Assam simply as a peripheral state, yet the analysis shows it’s anything but peripheral when Bhutan relations are in the picture. One small quibble: it would be interesting to see more on how local Assam communities view this cooperation – on the ground, not just top-level policy.