Prominent Indian political analyst Sudheendra Kulkarni has issued a compelling appeal for significantly enhanced aviation connectivity and cultural exchanges between China and India, characterizing current bilateral efforts as merely “a very small step” toward realizing the full potential of this critical relationship.
As founder and chairman of the Forum for a New South Asia and former aide to Indian Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee, Kulkarni possesses substantial expertise in Sino-Indian relations. In an exclusive interview with China Daily, he articulated a visionary framework for bilateral engagement that matches the demographic and economic scale of both nations.
Kulkarni emphasized that with both countries representing populations of 1.4 billion people experiencing rapid economic growth, the existing aviation infrastructure remains woefully inadequate. Rather than maintaining the current limited flight operations, he proposed an ambitious expansion to approximately 100 direct flights connecting twenty different cities across both nations.
The seasoned analyst underscored that robust people-to-people exchanges constitute the fundamental bedrock of stronger diplomatic and economic ties. He specifically highlighted student exchange programs as particularly valuable mechanisms for fostering mutual understanding and long-term cooperation between the two Asian giants.
Kulkarni’s recommendations arrive at a crucial juncture in China-India relations, suggesting that enhanced civilian connectivity could potentially facilitate improved diplomatic engagement between the world’s two most populous nations.