Researcher & Analyst

Anushka Saxena

Staff Research Analyst at the Takshashila Institution's Indo-Pacific Studies Programme. Doctoral Scholar at Manipal Academy of Higher Education. Specialising in Chinese military affairs, China-Taiwan relations, and India's foreign policy.

Takshashila Institution
Manipal Academy (PhD)
India
Anushka Saxena

Anushka Saxena

Indo-Pacific Studies Programme

45+
Papers
141+
Articles
58+
Media

Profile

Anushka Saxena is a Staff Research Analyst with Takshashila's Indo-Pacific Studies Programme. She is also a Doctoral Scholar at the Manipal Academy of Higher Education's Department of Geopolitics and International Relations. Her research focuses on the Chinese People's Liberation Army and its reforms, China-Taiwan Relations, and India's Foreign Policy. She also curates the weekly Newsletter, 'Eye on China'.

She has previously worked with think tanks such as the Observer Research Foundation, Institute of Chinese Studies, and Centre for Social and Economic Progress, and has written for reputed platforms such as MP-IDSA, Centre for Land Warfare Studies, and Vivekananda International Foundation. She obtained her Master's degree in International Relations from the O.P. Jindal Global University, Sonipat, in 2023, and completed her Bachelor's (Honours) in History from Lady Shri Ram College for Women, University of Delhi, in 2021.

Research Interests & Areas

🏯

Chinese Military Affairs

PLA reforms, military modernisation, political-military dynamics under Xi Jinping, and corruption purges within China's armed forces.

🌎

China-Taiwan Relations

Cross-strait dynamics, military exercises, escalation scenarios, and the geopolitical implications of a potential Taiwan Strait crisis.

🗺

India's Foreign Policy

India-China relations, India's neighbourhood diplomacy, economic diplomacy frameworks, and multilateral engagement strategies.

Indo-Pacific Strategy

Regional security architecture, maritime dynamics, ASEAN perspectives, and the evolving Indo-Pacific geopolitical landscape.

🚀

Defence Technology

Drone warfare, AI in military operations, space policy, counter-space capabilities, and critical technology landscapes.

📚

Chinese Economy & Governance

Economic reforms, Politburo study sessions, third plenums, and the interplay between China's economic and military ambitions.

Experience & Education

Staff Research Analyst

Takshashila Institution — Indo-Pacific Studies Programme
Current

Leading research on Chinese military affairs, curating the "Eye on China" newsletter, and publishing policy analysis on Indo-Pacific dynamics.

Doctoral Scholar

Manipal Academy of Higher Education
Ongoing

Department of Geopolitics and International Relations, pursuing research at the intersection of Chinese military reform and regional security.

Former Researcher

Observer Research Foundation / Institute of Chinese Studies / CSEP
Previous roles

M.A. International Relations

O.P. Jindal Global University
2023

B.A. (Hons) History

Lady Shri Ram College for Women, University of Delhi
2021