India and the World

Modi at Madison Square Garden: It will be a coming-out party for Indian-Americans

- by Manish Chand

India’s Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s visit to the US will put the spotlight on the growing profile of the about 3-million strong Indian-American community. Cutting across castes, provinces and religions, around 20,000-odd Indian-Americans will be travelling from all over America for the largest-ever civic reception in honour of the Indian leader at the iconic Madison Square Garden.

In this interview with Mr Manish Chand, Editor-in-Chief, India Writes Network, Ronen Sen, India’s former ambassador to the US, speaks glowingly about the multifarious success stories of Indian-Americans in their adopted homeland and their role as bridge-builders in bringing the two vibrant democracies together in an arc of intersecting national interests.

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India over the moon with Mars success

- by India Writes Network

Mars at last! Indeed, India’s maiden Mars mission has been a grand success as its Mars Orbiter Mission (MOM), named Mangalyaan, and entered the Martian orbit on the morning of September 24.

Heralding this epoch making event in Bengaluru, India’s Prime Minister Narendra Modi tweeted: “India is the only country, to have succeeded in its very first attempt.”

Further complimenting the team of scientists from Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO), he commented, “I congratulate, all ISRO scientists, as well as, all my fellow Indians, on this historic occasion.”

With this hallmark in the annals of Space Odyssey, India now joins an elite club of Mars explorers which includes the United States, European Space Agency and the former Soviet Union.

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Cautious optimism, Modi’s US visit to rejuvenate India-US relations: Ronen Sen

- by Manish Chand

It promises to be a diplomatic blockbuster. India’s Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s maiden visit to the US is bristling with new possibilities for rejuvenating and revitalising what US President Barack Obama has famously called “the defining partnership of the 21st century.” Prime Minister Modi’s visit is being closely tracked by hundreds of adrenalin-charged journalists and will be monitored the world over, with speculation swirling about possible outcomes which could impact not just bilateral ties, but the shifting international order. Amid all this feverish chatter and inspired guesswork, Ronen Sen, India’s former ambassador to the US, clears a lot of clutter and provides insights into the significance of the forthcoming prime ministerial trip to New York and Washington.

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Modi’s ‘Make in India’ global outreach plan set for take-off

- by India Writes Network

With an aim to enhance India’s reputation as a manufacturing hub and a business-friendly country, India’s Prime Minister Narendra Modi is expected to launch the ‘Make in India’ campaign ahead of his maiden trip to the US.

This initiative, set for launch in New Delhi on September 25, seeks to showcase India as a global hub for a wide range of products and services. On this score, the Indian government has identified 25 priory sectors that it will focus on and these include ‘Make in India-Pharma’, ‘Make in India-Auto Component’ and ‘Make in India-Bio-Tech’ among others.

The campaign will also push for policy reforms that will make it easier for prospective investors from across the world to explore, start and conduct business in India. The World Bank in its report ‘Doing Business 2014’ has ranked India 134 among the 189 economies.

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