India and the World

Business Diplomacy: Modi set for power breakfast with top US CEOs

- by India Writes Network

B for Business, and India’s Prime Minister Narendra Modi surely means business as he braces to unleash a charm offensive at a breakfast with top American CEOs in New York.

In his forthcoming visit, business diplomacy will be high on Mr Modi’s agenda as he looks to drum up support from corporate America for partnering in his development agenda for India.

Making India a more business-friendly nation has been a key priority for the new administration in Delhi, and this attitude will be showcased to America’s corporate elite.

Before he heads to Washington for his first meeting with US President Barack Obama, it will be business from the word go as Modi is scheduled to meet a select group of 10 American CEOs for a breakfast meeting in New York.

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Bridging past and future: Nalanda University comes alive after 8 centuries

- by India Writes Network

After 821 years Nalanda, an ancient seat of learning and cultural exchange located in India’s eastern state Bihar, has once again come alive, linking the past and the present and building a bridge to the future. India’s External affairs minister Sushma Swaraj inaugurated the academic session at the Nalanda University’s reincarnation into a modern global knowledge hub on September 19.
“Today is a historic day for Nalanda University. It is a day when a vision has become a reality. It is a day when all roads are leading to Nalanda. For us, Nalanda University is the link between the past and the present and the bridge to our future,” the minister said while planting a ‘peepal’ sapling which will blossom into a sturdy tree of knowledge in days to come.

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Al Qaeda delusional, Indian Muslims will live & die for India: Modi

- by India Writes Network

In an unambiguous response to extremist Islamic organisations seeking recruits from India, India’s Prime Minister Narendra Modi has expressed his belief that Indian Muslims will live and die for India, and stressed that Al Qaeda is “delusional” if it thinks they will join its barbaric campaign for global jihad.

“My understanding is that they are doing injustice to the Muslims of our country. If anyone thinks Indian Muslims will dance to their tune, they are delusional. Indian Muslims will live for India, they will die for India — they will not want anything bad for India,” said Modi in an interview to CNN’s Fareed Zakaria.

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Scotland says ‘No’ to independence from UK

- by India Writes Network

After a long and sometime bitter campaign, voters in Scotland overwhelmingly chose to preserve its 307-year union with England, Northern Ireland and Wales. The final results showed that the unionist “No” side received 55.30 percent of the votes, while the separatist “Yes” side received a little less than 45 percent. “There can be no disputes, no reruns – we have heard the settled will of the Scottish people,” said Britain’s Prime Minister David Cameron on September 19. “They have kept our country of four nations together. As I said during the campaign it would have broken my heart to see our United Kingdom come to an end,” said a distinctly relieved Mr Cameron

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‘Modi’s Madison Square Garden address will be historic’

- by India Writes Network

All eyes will be on Prime Minister Narendra Modi when he addresses 20,000-plus strong Indian-American community at Madison Square Garden in the heart of Manhattan on September 28. This will be the first time an Indian prime minister will be accorded a public reception by NRIs on such a grand scale. In this interview with Manish Chand, Editor-in-Chief, India Writes Network (www.indiawrites.org), Vijay Jolly, a senior BJP leader and global convenor of BJP Overseas Affairs, speaks about ongoing preparations for making Modi’s visit a grand success, the role of NRIs in enriching their adopted homeland and the growing public image of Prime Minister Modi in the US as a leader who can walk the talk.

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Peace on border central to stronger India-China relations: Modi

- by India Writes Network

Setting the framework for accelerating India-China relations across the spectrum, India’s Prime Minister Narendra Modi has conveyed to President Xi Jinping New Delhi’s concerns over repeated incidents on the border and underlined that maintaining peace on the un-demarcated frontier will be a prerequisite for fructifying the full potential of the bilateral relationship.
The first full-spectrum talks between the leaders of India and China in New Delhi culminated in the two sides signing 16 pacts in diverse areas ranging from trade and investment to culture and films. China pledged around $20 billion for infrastructure development in India, which will ensure that despite differences over border and security issues, the economic relationship will continue to gain strength in days to come.

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