7 Must-Read Books on Geopolitics for Understanding India and the World

If you’re looking for a book that moves beyond the notion that national security and geopolitics are subjects reserved only for policymakers and defence experts, this one’s for you. General’s Jottings Rearmed offers a refreshing shift in perspective.

Lt Gen KJ Singh, PVSM, AVSM & Bar presents a comprehensive and practical guide to India’s security landscape through a geocentric lens. The book examines critical issues, highlights recent developments — including Operation Sindoor — and distils key takeaways that make complex national security themes accessible to all readers.

Buy here: General’s Jottings Rearmed: National Security, Conflicts and Strategies (Including Operation Sindoor) (Signed Edition)

When it comes to geopolitics, it’s crucial to view the full spectrum — the past, present, and the evolving future. Strategic Challenges: India in 2030 does exactly that. With an insightful introduction by former Foreign Secretary Vijay Gokhale, this book examines the pressing strategic challenges India is likely to face by 2030.

From the shifting dynamics of the China–Russia relationship to the growing influence of the Indo-Pacific, it offers a panoramic look at the world in transition. Featuring essays by some of India’s foremost thinkers and strategists, Strategic Challenges pieces together the complex mosaic of India’s geopolitical future with depth and clarity.

Equally valuable for policymakers, students, and curious readers, India and Asian Geopolitics traces India’s strategic evolution from Independence to the Modi era. Former National Security Advisor Shivshankar Menon examines India’s policy choices, its responses to China’s rise, and its shifting place in Asia’s power dynamics. Offering an insider’s perspective, Menon explores how India’s domestic priorities and global ambitions intersect — and what that means for the future of an open, inclusive Asian order.

Also read: From the Trenches to Gallipoli: Books That Chronicle the Indian Army in World War I

Change has always been the constant in geopolitics — and the past few years have proved it yet again. From the pandemic and the Afghanistan crisis to the Ukraine conflict and shifting great-power equations, the global order is being redefined.

In The India Way, India’s External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar examines how India can navigate this turbulent landscape, balancing national interests with global responsibilities. Drawing from history, tradition, and real-world diplomacy, he outlines how India can think, act, and lead as a confident civilisational power in an increasingly uncertain world.

Buy here: The India Way

For readers interested in India’s eastward diplomacy and its strategic contest with China, India’s Near East is an essential read. Avinash Paliwal unpacks India’s “Act East” policy through the lens of history, insurgency, and regional rivalry — spanning Myanmar, Bangladesh, and the country’s own northeastern frontier.

Blending narrative depth with sharp analysis, Paliwal traces how India has navigated war, displacement, and intervention, revealing both the potential and the limits of its influence in the region.

Buy here: India's Near East: A New History

How does geopolitics play out along one of the world’s most enduring fault lines? India–Pakistan: The Intractable Conflict and the China Factor offers a deep exploration of that question.

Drawing from first-hand experiences from the 1971 War to the historical influences behind Operation Sindoor, Maj Gen Virender Singh Budhwar examines subcontinent’s volatile equation between India, Pakistan, and China. Moving beyond the battlefield, he delves into the psychology of enmity and the shifting global order, revealing why peace in South Asia remains so elusive.

Buy here: India-Pakistan: The Intractable Conflict and the China Factor

When two nuclear-armed neighbours share a tense history, even limited conflict carries enormous risks. The Strategy Trap explores how India’s military strategy has evolved under the nuclear shadow and asks the difficult questions: Can wars truly deliver lasting political outcomes? What happens when confusion and misjudgment take over on the battlefield? And most crucially, what if nuclear deterrence fails?

Drawing on deep strategic insight, Lt Gen Prakash Menon dissects India’s military and geopolitical dilemmas under the nuclear shadow. This is a must-read for anyone seeking to understand modern warfare and the geopolitical landscape in South Asia.

Buy here: The Strategy Trap: India and Pakistan Under the Nuclear Shadow

As the global balance of power continues to shift, India stands at a defining crossroads — one where its choices will shape not just its own future, but that of the broader region. The books in this list together chart how India’s strategic thinking and geopolitical participation have evolved through history, war, diplomacy, and reform. Understanding this journey through the lens of these books offers a deeper view into how India sees the world — and how the world increasingly looks to India.

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