Author: Manish Chand

Akbar-nama: Art of truth-telling, spinning and much else

- by Manish Chand

You have only one life to live, and one question to ask. One question, one person. And don’t weave multiple questions into one, like the Matryoshka doll. And as any seasoned journalist covering India’s foreign office, better known as MEA, knows by this time that they can speculate endlessly, but he does not respond to speculation. Only hard facts, truth-telling, albeit with a bit of spinning that goes with his job.
Syed Akbaruddin’s pointed one-liners, witticisms and sharp ripostes are now part of folklore in the universe the voraciously inquisitive and intrusive media inhabits. And rightly so, for Akbar, as he is being fondly called by his colleagues in the ministry and journalists covering the MEA beat, set new benchmarks for communicating and batting for the government, regardless of the dispensation in power.
Akbar, the spokesperson of India’s external affairs ministry who makes way for his successor Vikas Swarup on April 18, will be sorely missed by his countless admirers as he moves into his next position, this time around as Chief Coordinator for the Third India-Africa Forum Summit (IAFS-III), to be held in New Delhi in October. The new interim position, till he gets a coveted ambassadorial posting, reflects the high standing he enjoys with the powers-that-be as the Narendra Modi government was looking exactly for someone like Akbar to be the face of India’s diplomatic outreach to Africa.
With his proven skills in communication and public diplomacy which he helmed for India for over three years, the government can safely bank on the suave and articulate Akbar to pull off a successful summit and the larger project of building bridges with the vibrant African continent that is set to loom large on India’s diplomatic horizons in months to come.

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Modi in Germany: India is a changed place, can’t be stopped

- by Manish Chand

The colours of India are splashed all over the Hannover Messe. And the lions are on the prowl, roaring the promise of a rising India, a roar that has acquired a powerful resonance with Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s promise of a changed India where businesses thrive and the spirit of enterprise and innovation prevails.
The message that India is a changed place and can’t be stopped — like the lion, the symbol of Make in India which is ubiquitous in this German city — rang clear and loud as Mr Modi jointly inaugurated the India Pavilion at the world’s greatest show of industry and technology, with German Chancellor Angela Merkel on April 12. There was much singing and chanting, with folk dancers donning colourful Rajasthani attire enlivening the industry show.
“The symbol of lion for Make in India has been chosen very carefully. We know that our biggest need today is to create jobs for our 65% population which is young. Hence, Make in India is the need,” the prime minister said, with Chancellor Merkel cheering on.
“Hence, the lion. Because a lion can’t be stopped. We are confident that our journey to make India a global manufacturing hub cannot be stopped that too by our own rules and regulations. We must, and we will make corrections wherever required.”
It was a grand futuristic vision of a resurgent India determined to remake its destiny that Mr Modi unveiled in Hannover. Cohering India’s ‘Act East’ with ‘Link West’ policy, the prime minister underscored that India has the potential of becoming the middle ground for East and West as a manufacturing hub that serves both our vast domestic market and becomes a base for global exports and general well-being”.
If Modi continues to tread on the reform path and backs his lion’s roar with all-too-visible actions on the ground, India will indeed be a changed place. And then world will be watching closely, and hoping to partake of India’s ongoing resurgence.

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Modi’s smart diplomacy: Unleashing lions of India in Hannover

- by Manish Chand

HANNOVER: India has unleashed lions in this German city, by launching the Make in India blitz. And these lions – the motif of Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s Make in India mission – are roaring, enticing Europe’s economic bellwether with the promise of ease of doing business and partnering the transformation of the world’s fastest growing economy.
“The lions are a symbol of a new India. They roar; but with a message of friendship and promise of partnership, from 1.25 billion people of India,” Mr Modi told hundreds of German and Indian business titans as he jointly inaugurated the Hannover Messe 2015 with German Chancellor Angela Merkel.

Having gotten used to being lionised in foreign capitals, as his most recent performance in Paris showed, Mr Modi robustly held aloft the torch of the India Story and weaving a captivating narrative of the country’s ongoing transformational journey.
Cutting out florid clichés, Mr Modi dived straight into the heart of his story. His message to the German and global corporate world was: India is open for business, do more business and make in India.The German chancellor, for one, looked radiant and smiled a lot as Mr Modi spoke, indicating Berlin’s enthusiasm for optimising the India opportunity.

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Hannover Messe: Betting on The India Story

- by Manish Chand

There is no show like Hannover Messe – cutting-edge technology and innovation blends with enterprise and ingenuity to bring together the world’s leading players in industry and high engineering to this German town every year. This year, Hannover Messe will have a special guest – India’s Prime Minister Narendra Modi and the spotlight will be on the unfolding story of India’s resurgence and renewal.
It promises to be an evening to remember as Prime Minister Modi and German Chancellor Angela Merkel will formally open the Hannover Messe 2015 on April 12. Looking on will be a galaxy of the world’s leading industrialists and players in high technology from over 100 countries. The next day, Prime Minister Modi will inaugurate the sprawling 7000-square meters India Pavilion amid much fanfare, singing and beating of drums. More than 400 Indian companies, including IT giants Infosys and TCS, will be showcasing their innovations at the fair. More than 100 Indian top business honchos, Union and state-level ministers, Chief Ministers of various state will be present at this showpiece event of technology, industry and engineering.
The Hannover Fair this year will underscore key overarching themes of Prime Minister Modi’s trip to Germany and his trip to Europe: Make in India, Smart Cities, Skill India, business and technology. These core themes will also frame full-spectrum talks between the leaders of India and Germany in Berlin on April 14.
In this journey of remaking India, Germany, Europe’s most powerful economy and an engineering giant, is India’s preferred partner, and will remain so for years to come. It’s time for India to fly, and India is itching to reclaim its place under the global sun.

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From Rafale & nuclear energy to commerce & culture, India-France ties ride high

- by Manish Chand

PARIS: The radiant smiles said it all: India’s Prime Minister Narendra Modi and French President Francois Hollande sported ‘Paris in April’ radiance as they unveiled 17-odd pacts in areas ranging from civil nuclear energy, defence and space to smart cities, business, tourism and the promotion of cultural heritage.
Celebrating this new spring in the multi-hued India-France relations, the two leaders went on a boat ride on the lovely Seine caressed by the gently fading sun. It was a time for bonding, camaraderie, small talk and big dreams.
The new Rafale deal was easily the show-stealer as Mr Modi announced at a joint press conference on April 10 with the French president that India will buy 26 Rafale jets from France in fly-away condition, ending months of “deal or no deal” speculation that has stalked this multi-billion dollar plan. The announcement triggered a wave of jubilation among the top French leadership, with Mr Hollande profusely thanking the Indian prime minister for his decision to do the 36-jet deal in an inter-governmental agreement.
Mr Modi, too, has many reasons to be pleased at the big thumps-up he got from the French leadership and the elite French business community for his Make in India campaign. The business confidence in the India Story was reflected in the two round tables Mr Modi addressed on infrastructure and defence with the crème de la crème of French corporate world present at the interactive meetings. The Make in India commitment was reflected in a pact on forging cooperation between Indian and French railways for semi-high speed rail link and station renovation and pledges by French defence majors to undertake co-development of high-value weaponry.
Underscoring a striking convergence of interests on strategic issues, the leaders of India and France spoke about building closer cooperation in a host of cross-cutting areas, including terrorism, cyber security and maritime security.

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New Deal: India to buy 36 Rafale jets, France bets on Modi mission

- by Manish Chand

It was a piece of news French President Francois Holland was itching to hear. And he got it from the horse’s mouth. Ending months of speculation over the big-ticket defence deal, India’s Prime Minister Narendra Modi told the French leader that his government has decided to buy 36 Rafale jets “in fly-away condition as quickly as possible.” The announcement by Mr Modi at a joint press meet lit up the face of the French leader and is set to bring the smiles to Dassault, the manufacturer of Rafale, and the French defence industry.
The details of the new contract in the making are not clear, but the new deal could be valued at around $4-6 billion.
“The two leaders agreed to conclude an Inter-Governmental Agreement for supply of the aircraft on terms that would be better than as conveyed by Dassault Aviation as part of a separate process underway,” said a joint statement at the end of wide-ranging talks between Mr Modi and Mr Hollande at the majestic presidential palace, Palais de L’Elysees in the heart of Paris. The delivery of the jets would “in time-frame that would be compatible with the operational requirement of IAF,” said the statement.
The aircraft and associated systems and weapons would be delivered on the same configuration as had been tested and approved by Indian Air Force, and with a longer maintenance responsibility by France, he added.

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Modi showcases India’s soft power in Paris

- by Manish Chand

India’s soft power glowed on a radiant spring morning in Paris. Yoga, sustainable development, cultural connections, the transformative power of education and the spirituality of Sri Aurobindo vied for the attention of a mixed audience of the French and the Indian community as Prime Minister Narendra Modi spoke at the UNESCO headquarters.

Amid chants of Modi, Har Har Mahadev and Vande Matram, the Indian leader, dressed nattily in bandgala suit, walked inside the UNESCO headquarters and unveiled his vision of an empowered India animated by universal education, religious pluralism, modern technology and harmony of man with nature.

He began his visit April 10 to the UNESCO headquarters by paying homage to the statue of Shri Aurobindo, India’s sage-philosopher-poet, and lauded his “belief in the unity of individual consciousness with the world outside.”

“There is much that we can learn from his humanism and spiritualism, from his belief in the unity of individual consciousness with the world outside; the enlightened purpose of education; the service of science; and, the unity of world, founded on national freedom, diversity of civilizations and autonomy of culture,” Mr Modi said.

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Bonjour Paris! Boat ride, business and new energy

- by Manish Chand

Paris has rolled out the red carpet and springtime chestnut blossoms to serenade India’s Prime Minister Narendra Modi, kindling hopes for flowering ties and fructifying deals in a host of areas, ranging from civil nuclear energy and defence to trade and investment.

It seems nothing can wrong on this beautiful and blessed day in Paris as the leaders of India and France get ready for full-spectrum talks and a boat ride on the sinuous Seine. Paris is determined to charm Mr Modi and honoured him with a majestic welcome at Elysee Palace. It’s business from the word go as the prime minister braced for two back-to-back round tables: one with French CEOs discussing infrastructure as a theme, and the second one will deal with defence technology, France’s forte.

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Remaking of India: Dovetailing Diplomacy & Development

- by Manish Chand

It’s time for making and remaking of India, an ancient rainbow civilisation transforming into a modern nation and an emerging powerhouse that is spawning a new narrative of renaissance, resurgence and renewal. The India Story is back in global circulation, with international rating agencies and bankers conjuring up cheery forecasts for growth prospects of Asia’s third largest economy. The IMF and the World Bank have already predicted that India’s economic growth will surpass that of China’s by 2016-2017, a prognosis that has been reinforced by Asian Development Bank and other trend-trackers.

The Economist has encapsulated this new mood of ‘India Optimism’ in its recent cover story entitled “A chance to fly.” The prestigious British magazine says India has a rare opportunity to become the world’s most dynamic big economy,” but adds on a cautionary note: “The potential is there; the question has always been whether it can be unleashed.”

If the potential of 1.2 billion people of India and their surging dreams has to be realised, the Modi government in India will have to walk the talk on second-generation economic reforms (and it is already doing so by going ahead with crucial reforms in a host of areas, including raising the FDI cap in insurance and telecom). But the success of the India story in the coming months and years will also depend on how New Delhi leverages its growing global stature and harnesses its external relationships and multiple strategic partnerships through smart diplomacy to stimulate an Indian renaissance.

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