India and the World | India Writes

Chinese envoy bets on ‘Make in Chindia,’ signals a new phase in business ties

June 11, 2015June 11, 2015 - by India Writes Network

Underlining an emerging synergy between ‘Make in India’ and ‘Made in China’, China’s Ambassador to India Le Yucheng has projected a new template of “Make in Chindia”, which envisages closer collaboration in manufacturing and businesses between the two Asian giants.

Speaking at the China-India Industrial Cooperation Seminar, organised by the Federation of Chambers of Commerce and Industry of India (FICCI) in New Delhi on June 10, Mr Le said that China has recently rolled out “Made in China 2025” campaign, featuring innovation and high-end manufacturing among others, which he said was compatible and complementary with India’s Prime Minister Modi-led “Make in India” strategy.

Building upon the prime minister’s visit to China last month, which resulted in the signing of 26 business agreements worth $22 billion, Mr Le said that China was looking to invest in India in a range of projects, including manufacturing, human-resource, real estate and infrastructure development, smart city projects and railways.

Hot pursuit: NSA Doval to visit Myanmar to scale up war on rebels

June 11, 2015June 11, 2015 - by India Writes Network

India’s National Security Advisor Ajit Doval, the mastermind behind the audacious headline-hogging operation that liquidated militants along the India-Myanmar border this week, is set to visit Myanmar soon to explore “joint action” against insurgents by the two countries.

Mr Doval will be visiting Myanmar at the invitation of Major General (Retd) Aung Min, Minister in President Thein Sein’s office.

During his meeting with Myanmar’s leadership, Mr Doval is expected to offer intelligence support to the Myanmar government in fighting insurgents and seek stronger coordinated action against anti-India insurgent groups in Myanmar. Considering the limited capability of the Myanmar Army, he will also carry satellite images as well as communication intercepts of anti-India insurgent camps in Myanmar to help Yangon take action against th

Army’s hot pursuit of rebels inside Myanmar signals tough policy on terror

June 10, 2015June 10, 2015 - by India Writes Network

The attacks on Indians anywhere is simply not on. In a sign of India’s muscular and proactive policy to eliminate terrorists across the borders, Special Forces of the Indian Army, in coordination with Air Force, carried out surgical strikes inside Myanmar and killed nearly 20 of the insurgents responsible for attacking a convoy of 6 Dogra regiment of the Indian Army on June 4.

The attack in Manipur had killed 20 soldiers and injured 15 and was believed to be the deadliest attack on the Indian Army in over two decades.

The operation was carried out along the India-Myanmar International border. 21 Special Commandoes – a unit under Kolkata-based Eastern Command Headquarters- along with troops of Assam Rifles, handpicked by Delhi, went deep inside Myanmar and destroyed two camps of NSCN(K) and KYKL terror outfits hiding after their attacks in Manipur and Arunachal Pradesh last week.

The Great Indian Yoga Show: Projecting soft power across continents

June 9, 2015June 9, 2015 - by Manish Chand

It promises to be a spectacular show, inviting the world to revitalize its sinews through the ancient Indian practice of yoking body, mind and spirit. With barely days to go for the first International Yoga Day, the Indian government is leaving no stone unturned to showcase the country’s greatest soft power export to a global audience, cutting across hemispheres and continents.

The UN will commemorate the inaugural edition of International Yoga Day on June 21, with UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon and General Assembly President Sam Kutesa in attendance. External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj will represent India at the event, commemorating the first International Day of Yoga at the UN Headquarters in New York. It will be broadcast live at Times Square, the pulsating heart of Manhattan, to a global audience.

Showcasing Soft Power

In a curtain-raiser media event giving a peek into an array of events lined up to celebrate this high moment in yoga’s global journey, Sushma Swaraj eloquently described yoga as “the soft power of India” which can usher in lasting peace for a violence-wracked world.

Modi-fied India-Bangladesh ties: Small gestures go a long way

June 9, 2015June 9, 2015 - by India Writes Network

When Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s plane took off for Dhaka, Sheikh Hasina’s Foreign Policy Advisor said that it was to be a “landmark visit”. Living up to the expectations, the tour was very successful- Mr Modi met the political leadership across party lines and presided over the exchange of instruments of ratification on the historic land boundary agreement. The two neighbours came out with a 65-point joint declaration, signed 22 agreements and extended a whooping 2 billion USD credit line for developmental aid (regarded by some to be a coup on Chinese chequebook diplomacy in the region). Quite understandably, the media went gaga on either side, calling the visit a watershed moment in bilateral relations.

Hype apart, small gestures go a long way in building a relationship, but often remain unnoticed. In the slow moving wheels of international diplomacy, it is necessary to not see them merely as photo ops, but as genuine steps towards winning over the hearts of people, which in the long run generate tangible benefits. These measures, which go beyond the stuffiness of formalities and protocols which shroud diplomatic interactions, show a more humane face and build on people-to-people contacts, a major focus area for Mr Modi in his foreign policy efforts. With the savvy use of technology, and a strong social media presence, External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj has been making it a point to highlight these aspects to build on India’s soft power.

Greedy little worlds: Need to reconsider ‘responsible consumerism’

June 7, 2015October 30, 2022 - by India Writes Network

The “greedy little world” that Shania Twain alludes to in her superhit single is not something which we can unfortunately hum along and forget about. The World Environment Day, celebrated globally on June 5, passed by with nothing much happening in India, except the usual call for planting more trees. An interesting comment, however, was made by Union Minister for Science & Technology, Dr Harsh Vardhan, who bringing in the theme of this year’s global events (‘Seven billion dreams. One planet. Consume with care.’), called for “a culture of responsible consumerism”.
Given that revisiting the past glories (imagined and real) of India is in vogue, it may be worthwhile to recall that the pursuit of ‘the good life’ through practice of renunciation of material goods- Vairāgyara (loosely translated as detachment towards worldly possessions) – and respect for all forms of life (with animism surviving even in mainstream religion) has a strong lineage in several socio-religious-cultural traditions of the subcontinent. Invoking these cultures of sharing, community living and responsibility towards all living creatures rather than a watered down Western ideal when giving a broad brush theme for environmental conservation, could then be more useful.

India, Bangladesh sign historic territory swap deal

June 6, 2015June 7, 2015 - by India Writes Network

In a historic step that brought to a closure the decades-old territorial dispute, India and Bangladesh signed a path-breaking agreement June 6 that formalized the 40-year-old Land Boundary Agreement with Bangladesh, enabling the two countries to exchange land enclaves in each other’s territory.

The historic agreement was signed by the foreign secretaries of India and Bangladesh in the presence of India’s Prime Minister Narendra Modi and his Bangladeshi counterpart Sheikh Hasina Wajed.

Marking a transformational moment in relations between the two neighbours, the Indian parliament had unanimously approved a Constitution Amendment Bill to give full effect to the Land Boundary Agreement of 1974 with Bangladesh and the related 2011 Protocol.

$2 billion boost for India-Bangladesh ties

June 6, 2015June 6, 2015 - by India Writes Network

DHAKA: Taking developmental cooperation with Bangladesh to new heights and projecting New Delhi as a partner in the success of Dhaka, India’s Prime Minister Narendra Modi has unveiled a new line of credit of $2 billion for Bangladesh, the largest single LOC for any country committed by India.

The $2 billion LOC has raised the bar for India’s engagement with Bangladesh and is set to bring the two neighbours in a web of trade, connectivity and shared prosperity. The previous Manmohan Singh government had announced $1 billion Line of Credit during Sheikh Hasina’s visit to New Delhi in 2010.

“Our development partnership is scaling new heights. The quick implementation of the line of credit of $800 million and full disbursement of $200 million in grant is a tribute to our cooperation,” said Mr Modi at a joint media interaction with Sheikh Hasina.

Netherlands upbeat on Make in India, to help Clean Ganga mission

June 6, 2015June 6, 2015 - by India Writes Network

Throwing its weight behind the “Make in India” campaign, the Netherlands has forged a multi-faceted development partnership with India and pledged support for the Clean Ganga mission.

The Netherlands’ Prime Minister Mark Rutte, who is on a two-day visit to India, met his Indian counterpart Narendra Modi in New Delhi on June 5, and held wide-ranging discussion on an array of bilateral and global issues.

The meeting followed a luncheon discussion hosted by Mr Modi with 35 CEOs of leading industries of both countries. The European country’s enthusiasm for Make in India was evident in the agreement signed between Cochin Shipyards Limited (CSL) of India and Dutch Shipbuilder Royal IHC to build dredges in India, which included transfer of technology from IHC to CSL.

Maggi noodles ‘safe’ for consumption, but removed from market

June 5, 2015June 5, 2015 - by India Writes Network

Though Nestle made a presentation to India’s Health Ministry on June 4th defending its star product- the Maggi instant noodles- saying that the samples detected with excess lead were past the expiry date, the food giant has decided to withdraw the product from sales in India. The company said the nation-wide uproar over the product has “created an environment of confusion” for consumers. Since consumers’ trust was a key priority, the company had taken a decision to withdraw the product from the market.

A Nestle spokesperson said, “Unfortunately, recent developments and unfounded concerns about the product have led to an environment of confusion for the consumer, to such an extent that we have decided to withdraw the product off the shelves, despite the product being safe”.