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Anit Mukherjee

Dr Anit Mukherjee

Senior Lecturer

Biography

Anit Mukherjee is a Senior Lecturer at the King's India Institute. He joined King's after ten years in Singapore where he was an Associate Professor at the S. Rajaratnam School of International Studies (RSIS), Nanyang Technological University. From 2010-2012, he was a Research Fellow at the Institute for Defence Studies and Analyses (IDSA), New Delhi. He is also a Non-Resident Fellow at Centre for Social and Economic Progress (CSEP), New Delhi. 

He has a PhD from the Paul H Nitze School of Advanced International Studies (SAIS), Johns Hopkins University and a post doctorate at the Centre for the Advanced Study of India (CASI), University of Pennsylvania. While in the doctoral program, he worked at the Brookings Institution and was a Summer Associate at RAND Corporation.

Anit is the author of The Absent Dialogue: Politicians, Bureaucrats and the Military in India (NY: Oxford University Press, 2019), which examines the role of civil-military relations and military effectiveness. He is the co-editor of India-China Maritime Competition: The Security Dilemma at Sea (Routledge, 2019) and India’s Naval Strategy and Asian Security (Routledge, 2015).

He has published in Armed Forces & Society, European Journal of International Security, Asian Security, Asia Policy, New York Times and The Caravan, among others. His article 'Fighting separately: Jointness and Civil-Military Relations in India' was awarded the 2017 Amos Perlmutter prize by The Journal of Strategic Studies. Currently, he is working on a co-authored book on India’s defence policies.

Formerly, he was a Major in the Indian Army and is an alumnus of India’s National Defence Academy (NDA), Khadakwasla.

Research

  • India's foreign and defence policy
  • Indo-Pacific
  • Civil-military relations

Anit's research interests lie at the intersection of India’s foreign and defence policies, strategic studies and broader security dynamics across the Indo-Pacific. These interests have been shaped by his experience as an officer in the Indian Army and working in numerous think tanks. Anit has published and taught classes on civil-military relations, defence reforms and military transformation. He has co-edited special issues of several journals and edited books on India’s naval strategy and bilateral ties with the US, and China.

Teaching

  • India and Global Politics
  • Comparative Politics of the Global South

PhD supervision

Anit welcomes PhD applications on the following topics: 

  • Civil-military Relations
  • India’s military and foreign policies
  • South Asian Security
  • Strategic Studies

Events

27NovPaliwal book

India's Near East: A New History

This is a book talk by author Avinash Paliwal at King's India Institute.

28OctArmy India south asia KII

The Military and Politics in South Asia

Join the King’s India Institute and the Department of War Studies for a deep dive into the complex dynamics of civil-military relations in South Asia.

Please note: this event has passed.

04JunGen Naravane

General MM Naravane on India-China Relations

An off-the-record conversation with India's former chief of army staff.

Please note: this event has passed.

06JunIndia elections 2024 reduced

2024 and Beyond: The Implications of India’s Election Results

Roundtable discussion with Christophe Jaffrelot, Louise Tillin, Anit Mukherjee and Sunil Mitra Kumar.

Please note: this event has passed.

09MayA cover of the book 'The Unfinished Quest: India's Search for Major Power Status From Nehru to Modi'

Book talk: 'The Unfinished Quest: India’s search for major power status from Nehru to Modi'

Professor T V Paul discusses his new book on the dynamics of India's international status in domestic political contestation

Please note: this event has passed.

Events

27NovPaliwal book

India's Near East: A New History

This is a book talk by author Avinash Paliwal at King's India Institute.

28OctArmy India south asia KII

The Military and Politics in South Asia

Join the King’s India Institute and the Department of War Studies for a deep dive into the complex dynamics of civil-military relations in South Asia.

Please note: this event has passed.

04JunGen Naravane

General MM Naravane on India-China Relations

An off-the-record conversation with India's former chief of army staff.

Please note: this event has passed.

06JunIndia elections 2024 reduced

2024 and Beyond: The Implications of India’s Election Results

Roundtable discussion with Christophe Jaffrelot, Louise Tillin, Anit Mukherjee and Sunil Mitra Kumar.

Please note: this event has passed.

09MayA cover of the book 'The Unfinished Quest: India's Search for Major Power Status From Nehru to Modi'

Book talk: 'The Unfinished Quest: India’s search for major power status from Nehru to Modi'

Professor T V Paul discusses his new book on the dynamics of India's international status in domestic political contestation

Please note: this event has passed.