India and the World
U.S. and India to Increase Bilateral Trade to $500 Billion
U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry said that the United States wanted to increase bilateral trade with India to $500 billion a year, a five-fold jump from $97 billion in 2013. He was in India for a two-day visit to set the stage for U.S. President Barack Obama's visit in two weeks. read more
Govt Finally Bans Islamic State, Cracks Down on Sympathizers
@ShamiWitness, a pro-IS Twitter account, served as a wake up call for the Indian government. Run by a 24-year-old food company executive, Mehdi Masoor Biswas, he had 17,800 followers, including hundreds of foreign fighters in Syria and Iraq. A Channel 4 News investigation revealed recently that this Twitter handle extolling the group's military campaign was run, not from somewhere in the Middle East, but from Bengaluru, 4,000 kilometres away. read more
Back to the Future: Defence and Energy Warm Indo-Russian Ties
Russian President Vladimir Putin visited India for one day, and was rewarded with a helicopter deal worth $3 billion and large energy deals. Prime Minister Narendra Modi also reassured Putin that Russia would remain India's top defence supplier, even though Delhi's options have widened since the end of the Cold War. read more
Modi to Settle Boundary Issue With Bangladesh
During his first visit to Assam as prime minister, Narendra Modi has announced that India will go ahead with the ratification of the previous administration’s land boundary agreement with Bangladesh. In doing so, he has placed national interest above the regional populism favoured by the state unit of his own party. read more
India and Nepal Cooperate in Energy Ahead of SAARC Summit
India and Nepal have made a significant breakthrough in energy cooperation. Our neighbour has given an Indian company permission to build a 900 megawatt hydropower plant, government officials said on Monday, in a win-win for both sides. The Himalayan state is set to ease its chronic energy shortages by opening up its rivers to Indian companies – this will provide Nepal with free electricity and India with energy for our power-hungry economy, read more
Trade Blossoms Between India and Israel
With Prime Minister Narendra Modi coming to power in May, the bilateral relationship between India and Israel as gone into overdrive. Two major defence deals have been signed in the past two months as both countries are moving ahead with a commercial and political relationship that is no longer burdened by the unease felt by the previous UPA government over the reaction of the country’s Muslim minority. read more
Taliban Targets India
The new Pakistani Taliban group behind the suicide bombing on the Wagah border said the attack was aimed at India as much as Pakistan, suggesting that Indian targets might be next. Ehsanullah Ehsan, a prominent militant and spokesman for Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan Jamaat Ahrar (TTP-JA), claimed that attacks on India were in the pipeline. read more
India and Vietnam Send Strong Signal to China
India and Vietnam have decided to ramp up their defence ties and raise Indian involvement in Vietnam's energy sector. Delhi will supply four naval patrol vessels to Hanoi and to increase training of its military personnel. This decision by Prime Minister Narendra Modi and his visiting Vietnamese counterpart Nguyen Tan Dung is likely to irk China. read more
NIA Says Burdwan Bombs Were Aimed at Bangladesh
The National Investigation Agency (NIA) has confirmed the view held by most analysts that the accused persons arrested in the Burdwan blast case and their associates had been preparing IEDs for possible terror attacks in Bangladesh. According to Hindustan Times, the interrogation reports reveal a larger cross-border design to destabilise Bangladesh and short-circuit its bilateral relationship with India. read more
Firing Along Border Threatens India-Pakistan Ceasefire
Thousands of civilians fled the areas along the international border with Pakistan and the Line of Control (LoC) in Jammu and Kashmir as Indian and Pakistani troops continued to exchange fire and engage in their most serious confrontation in over a decade. Both countries also sparred at the United Nations over the ceasefire violations and New Delhi made it clear that its armed forces are "fully ready" to respond to "provocation". read more
India and U.S. to Cooperate Further in Defence and Security
While rejuvenating the sluggish Indian economy is the main mission of the new NDA administration, a growing area of cooperation with the U.S. will be in defence and security. This partnership is expected to address the threat of terrorism, including from Pakistan-based groups, and heightened defence and space cooperation, including a joint mission to Mars. read more
Modi Begins Landmark U.S. Visit
Prime Minister Narendra Modi landed in New York on Friday on a hectic visit that will see him make a speech at the UN General Assembly, meet President Barack Obama at the White House, speak to a sold-out crowd at Madison Square Garden, and have several one-to-one meetings with American business leaders. Yet none of this would have appeared possible even a year ago. read more
Modi Launches ‘Make in India’ to Turn India into Manufacturing Hub
Prime Minister Narendra Modi launched his ‘Make in India’ campaign on Thursday, inviting both foreign and domestic manufacturers to invest in the country, while promising to make it easier to do business. read more
India Beats China to Mars
India has made history by becoming the first country to enter the orbit of Mars on its maiden attempt. The Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) successfully inserted the Mangalyaan spacecraft into the red planet's orbit on Wednesday, following its 11-month journey from Earth. read more
Border Tensions Flare Up Ahead of Chinese President’s Visit
Border tensions have flared up between India and China ahead of President Xi Jinping’s maiden visit to India this week. India said on Tuesday it would firmly defend its 3,500-km-long border with China after the Hindustan Times reported an incursion by 200 soldiers of the People's Liberation Army into Ladakh last week. Both countries are expected to ramp up commercial ties with Xi's visit, but their contested border remains a stumbling block to better political ties. read more
Al Qaeda Targets South Asia in Bid to Stay Relevant
The formation of a new wing of al Qaeda in South Asia is being seen as the last roll of the dice by the terror organisation to stay relevant after the spectacular success of the Islamic State in Syria and Iraq. In a video posted online, al Qaeda chief Ayman al Zawahri promised to spread Islamic rule and "raise the flag of jihad" across the "Indian subcontinent". The Indian government has warned state governments to be on increased alert. read more