Poornima Naik Joins RMRN CT as LRGA
Indian international relations researcher brings experience in geopolitical risk assessment, open-source intelligence and media analysis to regional research and dialogue.
The Regional Media Research Network (RMRN) has welcomed Poornima Naik of India to its Core Team (CT) as Lead, Research & Geopolitical Analysis, strengthening the network’s capacity to examine regional developments through research, evidence-based analysis and cross-border perspectives.
RMRN connects journalists, media professionals and researchers across South Asia, Southeast Asia and the Middle East. Through media monitoring, Focus Group Discussions (FGDs), verification and collaborative analysis, the network aims to understand how regional issues are reported and interpreted across different media environments.
In her role, Naik will contribute to research on regional affairs, geopolitical developments and the wider political, economic and security contexts behind major news stories. She will help the Core Team move beyond immediate headlines to examine the underlying factors shaping regional events and their implications for neighbouring countries.
Naik currently works as a Media Analyst at Kanalytics (KA) in Mumbai, a position she has held since August 2025. Her responsibilities include analysing television, web and print coverage for banking and government clients, assessing indicators such as reach, engagement, tonality and prominence. She uses open-source intelligence techniques to develop data-driven insights into media narratives and emerging trends.
Previously, she worked as a Research Intern at Geojuristoday in New Delhi from June to August 2025. She produced research-based articles on geopolitical developments, contributed to report writing and editing, and monitored international media coverage. Her work examined developments in diplomacy, technology, economic policy and security, with a focus on their implications for regional and global stability.
From July to October 2024, Naik served as a Geopolitical Risk Analyst (Project Intern) at the Johnson Odakkal Initiative in Mumbai. She conducted geopolitical risk assessments focused on Venezuela and Mexico, using open-source intelligence to prepare a Geopolitical Risk Report. Her research addressed issues including humanitarian intervention, narco-warfare, energy diplomacy and political-economic stability, alongside risk forecasting and mitigation strategies.
She also interned at the Maritime History Society (MHS) from November 2024 to March 2025. There, she researched and wrote about India’s maritime domain, naval history, technological developments and maritime diplomacy, with particular attention to maritime security and geopolitical risks in the Indo-Pacific and South China Sea.
Naik holds an MA in International Relations and Area Studies from Ramnarain Ruia Autonomous College in Mumbai, completed in April 2025. She previously earned a BA in Economics/Commerce from the same institution.
Her skills include geopolitical analysis, open-source intelligence (OSINT), risk assessment, qualitative research, report writing, statistical analysis using R and professional communication. She has full professional proficiency in English, Marathi and Hindi.
Her research projects have explored a range of international issues, including disputes over the Spratly and Paracel Islands in the South China Sea, India’s strategic engagement with Pacific Island nations, South Korea’s use of cultural diplomacy, women’s role in peacebuilding during the Yemen crisis, and immigration policy in the United States and Mexico.
These interests reflect a focus on the relationship between geopolitics, security, diplomacy and regional stability.
As Lead, Research & Geopolitical Analysis, Naik will help the RMRN Core Team assess the wider context behind important regional stories and identify questions requiring deeper investigation.
Her responsibilities will include contributing to geopolitical research, examining the strategic implications of regional developments, supporting comparative analysis and helping connect media coverage with relevant political, economic, diplomatic and security factors.
She will work alongside colleagues responsible for media monitoring, research verification, FGD hosting, editorial communications and digital outreach. This collaborative approach will help ensure that regional discussions are supported by relevant evidence and informed by perspectives from different countries.
For RMRN, geopolitical analysis is not simply about explaining events after they occur. It also involves examining how countries interpret the same developments, why media narratives may differ, and how historical, strategic and economic factors influence regional perceptions.
Naik’s experience in geopolitical risk assessment and media analysis will contribute to this work as the network develops its research activities across South Asia, Southeast Asia and the Middle East.
RMRN aims to create a space where media professionals and researchers can compare coverage, investigate sources, discuss competing interpretations and develop a more informed understanding of regional affairs.
Naik’s appointment supports this objective by bringing together geopolitical research, open-source intelligence and media analysis within the network’s broader framework.
Through collaborative research and discussion, RMRN seeks to encourage a more contextual understanding of regional developments—one that recognises different perspectives while maintaining a commitment to evidence, verification and responsible communication.
About RMRN: The Regional Media Research Network is a regional initiative connecting journalists, media professionals and researchers across South Asia, Southeast Asia and the Middle East through media monitoring, research, verification, narrative analysis, Focus Group Discussions and cross-border dialogue.
