Month: June 2023

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India and Vietnam to forge stronger marine research and connectivity

During the dialogue, the two sides deliberated on ways to sustain a secure maritime environment conducive for inclusive growth and global well-being….reports Asian Lite News

India and Vietnam pledged to further strengthen their shared efforts and existing frameworks in areas such as marine scientific research, Humanitarian Assistance and Disaster Relief (HADR), maritime connectivity and maritime security, including Navy and Coast Guard co-operation, maritime law enforcement and capacity building, the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) said on Wednesday.

The 3rd India-Vietnam Maritime Security Dialogue was held in the national capital, New Delhi, on Wednesday. The Indian delegation was led by Muanpuii Saiawi, Joint Secretary (Disarmament and International Security Affairs), Ministry of External Affairs and the Vietnamese delegation by Ambassador Trinh Duc Hai, Vice Chairman, National Boundary Commission. The delegations comprised senior officials from the respective ministries and services concerned with maritime affairs.

During the dialogue, the two sides deliberated on ways to sustain a secure maritime environment conducive for inclusive growth and global well-being. They reviewed ongoing cooperation in the maritime domain and avenues of reinforcing international and regional mechanisms for comprehensive maritime security.

India and Vietnam also discussed ways to maintain a maritime environment that is secure and supportive of inclusive growth for both nations.

“3rd India-Vietnam Maritime Security Dialogue held today in New Delhi. Senior officials from the respective Ministries and Services concerned with maritime affairs participated in the Dialogue,” the official spokesperson of the Ministry of External Affairs, Arindam Bagchi, tweeted on Wednesday.

“Also reviewed maritime cooperation initiatives and avenues of reinforcing international and regional mechanisms for comprehensive maritime security,” Bagchi added.

Notably, the second India-Vietnam Maritime Security Dialogue was held in April 2021 in the virtual format while the first was held in Hanoi in March 2019. “India and Vietnam held their second maritime security dialogue in a virtual format on 6 April 2021. The consultations involved exchanges on developments in the domain of maritime security, regional cooperation activities and opportunities for cooperation between the two countries,” the MEA said in a statement.

The two nations share warm and cordial ties. Recently, at the G7 Summit in Hiroshima, Japan, Prime Minister Narendra Modi held a bilateral meeting with his Vietnamese counterpart Pham Minh Chinh.

Both leaders discussed various aspects of the partnership between the two nations, including in defence.

“Prime Ministers @narendramodi and Pham Minh Chinh held talks in Hiroshima. They discussed different aspects of India-Vietnam friendship, particularly in areas like energy, technology, commerce and defence,” the Prime Minister’s Office tweeted. (ANI)

ALSO READ: EU seeks role to connect India with Nepal, Bhutan and B’desh

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-Top News India News World News

India expands mineral hunt to South America

The International Energy Agency (IEA) revealed that Latin America has not yet attracted sufficient investment in line with its potential….writes Mahua Venkatesh

India is going beyond Africa and Australia to set up a steady supply chain of minerals, including the 17 -metal rare earth elements. It is now eyeing the large mineral resources in the South American countries including Argentina, Bolivia and Chile. Many of the mineral rich countries such as Bolivia remain untapped and offer “huge opportunities.” Besides, Russia is also sitting on a rich pile of rare earth mineral reserves.

The Khanij Bidesh India Ltd, a joint venture between National Aluminium Company Ltd.(NALCO), Hindustan Copper Ltd.(HCL) and Mineral Exploration Company Ltd. (MECL), set up in 2019 on the lines of ONGC Videsh Limited, has started looking at untapped markets in Latin America.

Starting from identification and acquisition, KABIL is expected to carry out exploration and development activities as well.

At present China leads the world’s production in rare earth minerals.

The International Energy Agency (IEA) revealed that Latin America has not yet attracted sufficient investment in line with its potential. A mere 7 per cent of the global exploration budget for nickel and rare earth elements is allocated to the region, it said.

The IEA also pointed out that mining, which has historically accounted for between 13 per cent and 19 per cent of Latin America’s incoming foreign direct investment (FDI) offers “great development potential,” though it is also fraught with “high risk of environmental degradation and adverse impacts on local communities.”

Meanwhile with sanctions underway, Russia, a rather slow-starter in rare earth mining, is also now aggressively developing its supply chain for these critical elements. New Delhi may look at deepening trade opportunity in minerals with Russia. “India and Russia can look at this area for boosting trade partnership,” an industry body member said.

For India, which is aiming to achieve net-zero carbon emissions by 2070, mineral security has come to the fore. “Mineral security in today’s world is as critical as energy and food,” he said. Several experts have even opined that wars will not be limited to energy and food but in the future, but will extend to minerals.

According to a Takhshashila research “India must not only secure its national interests in the rare earth sector but also take advantage of the current geopolitical and trade situation to become a major player globally.” However, this will require liberalising the mining of rare earth, increasing extraction, production, and processing capacity, and building a high-value supply chain including in the renewables and electronics sector, it added.

Why is mineral security critical for India?

Several minerals and rare earth components are key for acquiring clean energy. That apart, these components, which are otherwise not very rare even as their mining is a tedious and risky exercise, are the basic raw materials required for electric vehicles, defence equipment, smartphones, batteries, television sets and computers among others.

India has the fifth largest rare earth mineral reserves but its output is low. While it is exploring ways to mine rare earth minerals within the country to achieve mineral security, it is also looking at markets outside its borders.

ALSO READ: EU seeks role to connect India with Nepal, Bhutan and B’desh

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-Top News EU News Europe

EU-India conference to focus on energy, transport

EU-India Human Rights Dialogue. (Photo:Ugo Astuto Twitter)

The objective of the conference is to explore possibilities of boosting connectivity investments in India’s North Eastern States and with India’s neighbours…reports Asian Lite News

In a bid to enhance connectivity in the North Eastern States of India, the Ministry of External Affairs, EU Delegation to India and the Asian Confluence are jointly organizing the India-EU Connectivity Conference in Meghalaya on June 1 and 2.

The objective of the conference is to explore possibilities of boosting connectivity investments in India’s North Eastern States and with India’s neighbours; Nepal, Bhutan and Bangladesh. The Conference is an outcome of the India-EU Connectivity partnership launched during the India-EU Leaders’ Meeting in May 2021.

The Conference would focus on connectivity through three pillars namely: Digital, Energy and Transport with an aim to identify concrete projects for joint implementation. This was also recognised as a key deliverable in the recently concluded Ministerial Meeting of the India – EU Trade and Technology Council (TTC).

The Conference would be inaugurated by Conrad Kongkal Sangma, Chief Minister of Meghalaya and Rajkumar Ranjan Singh, Minister of State for External Affairs.

Senior officials of the Government of India, EU Commission, Government(s) of the North Eastern States of India, Government(s) of Nepal, Bhutan and Bangladesh and stakeholders from the private sector are expected to participate and provide their insights and views on the subject.

The Northeast region of India is located east of Bangladesh and north of Myanmar and is connected to the rest of India by a narrow strip of land between Bangladesh and Bhutan.

Northeast India faces several challenges, including infrastructure development, lack of connectivity, and insurgency issues in some areas. The region also experiences frequent floods and landslides, which can cause significant damage to infrastructure and disrupt daily life. However, the government is working to address these issues and promote development in the region.

Meanwhile, the economic ties between India and the EU are being strengthened based on new trade and tech plans amid scepticism over China, reported Daily Mirror Online (DMO).

The European Union (EU) is seeking deeper ties with New Delhi as Europe-China ties are strained by sanctions spat over accusations of rights abuses in Xinjiang that left progress on a 2020 investment agreement frozen.

After the first meeting of the EU-India Trade and Technology Council in Brussels, EU officials spoke of “very promising beginnings.”

“Moreover, the EU wants to “de-risk” China ties as many countries are moving away from China’s dominance in the sector due to supply chain vulnerabilities and geopolitical pressures.

However, Brussels does not want to cut off ties with Beijing altogether, but it does want to diversify its supply chains. That’s where India comes in.

A large part of semiconductor manufacturing involves design and intellectual labour. India has an advantage here, as a large portion of semiconductor design engineers globally are of either India or Indian origin; chipmaking firms such as Intel and NVIDIA have large facilities in India that are already flush with Indian talent working on design problems.

Also, New Delhi-Beijing relations are also complicated by a border dispute.

Europe-China ties, meanwhile, have long been strained by sanctions spat over accusations of rights abuses in Xinjiang that left progress on a 2020 investment agreement frozen, reported DMO.

European Commission Executive Vice President Margrethe Vestager pointed to Indian plans to boost semiconductor production as an example of how EU-India ties could “give muscle” to Brussels’ idea of “de-risking.”

She cited quantum computing and “technologies developing beyond 5G” as areas where India could offer “trusted vendors” for Europe in the future.

“We’ve seen that many companies which are leaving China also prefer to go to Southeast Asian countries. So, India is here in competition with other Asian players,” Berlin-based analyst Christian Wagner, a researcher with the German Institute for International and Security Affairs, told DW.

“But when we look at the geostrategic landscape,” he said, “I think India has certainly a much bigger profile,” said Wagner.

He said that India at the moment is in a very favourable position, because both the Western countries, the United States, the European Union, as well as Russia, as well as China, are wooing India and trying to intensify their relations, reported DW. (ANI)

ALSO READ: EU seeks role to connect India with Nepal, Bhutan and B’desh

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-Top News Arab News India News

Erdogan’s chance to mend fences with India

Turkey has every reason to pursue good relations with India. Putting economy back on track will be Erdogan’s prime concern. For this he will need strong economic partnerships. India can offer one such partnership, writes Aditi Bhaduri

President Recep Tayyip Erdogan is back in power in Turkey in widely-watched elections, which The Economist had billed as “The Most Important Election of 2023.” Many had expected him to lose to his rival Kemal Kilicdaroglu, who many had believed would win. Ultimately the Turks voted for Erdogan, who has been in power for two decades. While the Turkish economy is struggling – one of the reasons many believed would see a change of power in Turkey, it remains to be seen if there will be any changes in the country’s internal polity. Externally, however, Erdogan has been on a course correction for some years now, though this has not extended to India. Which is why, here is an opportunity for the Turkish President to mend fences with India.

India and Turkey have no inherent conflict or problems in their bilateral relations. Turkey’s courting of Pakistan from the time of its inception had created barriers for closer relations with India. Nevertheless, over the years, trade, commerce, tourism, people-to-people contacts have flourished, however, under Erdogan, ties have nose-dived but for no good reason.

Erdogan and his Justice and Peace Party (AKP) who have been dominating Turkish politics for more than two decades had taken Turkey on a path quite different from that envisaged by the country’s father figure Mustafa Kemal Ataturk. While promising to restore the glory of the Turks by reclaiming the glory of its Ottoman past, with himself as the new Caliph, Erdogan has put Turkey on a marked Islamist path, truly winning hearts and minds across the Muslim world, including in India. What is troubling is that in doing so Turkey began interfering in India’s domestic politics.

Erdogan has been consistently raking up the Kashmir issue – it was one of the three countries, together with China and Pakistan, to condemn India’s decision to revoke Jammu and Kashmir’s (J&K) special status. Erdogan even raised the issue in the UN General Assembly. During his February 2020 visit to Pakistan, Erdoğan compared the struggle of Kashmiris with the Ottoman Empire’s fight during World War-I.  Even as his regime clamps down on liberties, minorities, and the media inside Turkey, the State-controlled Turkish media has kept up a steady diatribe against India. Even more damaging, is that Turkey has allowed Kashmiri separatists and radicals to set up shop on its territory, while reaching out to Indian activists and wooing them to speak out against India. More recently, Turkey stayed away from the G20 meet in Srinagar, (though Turkish contractors are being allowed to build a railway tunnel there).

But here’s the thing: Erdogan’s concern for the ummah does not extend, for instance, to the Uyghur Muslims under duress in China. While relations with China have been burgeoning – Turkey is an enthusiastic participant in the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI), and  a priority country with the China-led Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank (AIIB) – it has not only turned a blind eye to China’s well-documented oppression of the community, but has gone a step further by taking measures to assuage China’s concerns. First, it has announced the East Turkestan Islamic Movement (ETIM) to be a terrorist organization and, has even been deporting Uyghur Muslim dissidents back to China via third countries like Tajikistan.

Secondly, Turkish intervention in foreign wars, for instance, like in Libya and Syria, has only meant suffering for Muslim populaces of those countries.

It, therefore, stands to reason that Turkey’s Kashmir-obsession does not stem from a genuine concern of Muslims. We do not know if it is conducted at the behest of other powers, but to do so only for Pakistan is to be, mildly put, foolish.

On the other hand, Turkey has every reason to pursue good relations with India. The Turkish economy is in crisis. The Turkish lira has plummeted, inflation is at an all-time high, at 85.51 per cent in October 2022, and much of the devastation that the earthquake caused in the country earlier this year, is believed to have been a result of the poor policies of the incumbent government. Putting the Turkish economy back on track will be Erdogan’s prime concern. For this he will need strong economic partnerships. India can offer one such partnership.

Despite Turkish belligerence, India-Türkiye bilateral trade has grown over the past couple  of years from US$8.7 billion in 2018 to over US$10.70 billion in 2021-22. Tourism is one of the mainstays of the Turkish economy and Indian tourists make up a chunk of the tourist footfall there. Turkey has in particular been a favourite with Bollywood, which apart from other things, generates local employment.  The Indian market offers strong incentive to many Turkish products.

India is a major investment hub and was the fifth largest FDI recipient in the world in 2020, according to UNCTAD data, proving its economic and political resilience, offering stability to companies and investments. Its huge infrastructural needs are well poised to offer booming business to Turkish construction companies. All of this makes India a reliable economic partner.

On the other hand, Turkiye’s pal Pakistan is on the brink of a civil war and is imploding economically.

Even the Chinese economy is on the backfoot – hit first by Covid, then the war in Ukraine, and now the accumulation of international bad debts. More recently, Germany – Turkey’s most important trading partner, has announced recession.

Even though India has been at the receiving end, it has made overtures towards Turkey. Prime Minister Narendra Modi had a one-to-one meeting with Erdogan in Samarkand last year on the sidelines of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation, where Turkey is a dialogue member.  After wheat supply chains were disrupted in the wake of the Ukraine crisis, India increased wheat imports to Turkey.  When Turkey was hit by the devastating earthquake earlier this year, India immediately responded by rushing in plane loads of earthquake relief material, humanitarian aid, medical supplies, advanced drilling equipment, etc. Turkey’s ambassador Firat Sunel has thanked the Indian government. “Dost is a common word in Turkish and Hindi… We have a Turkish proverb: ‘Dost kara günde belli olur’ (A friend in need is a friend indeed). Thank you very much,” he posted on Twitter.  Yet, soon after, Turkey once again raised Kashmir at the UN Human Rights Council.

Now, after Erdogan’s victory Modi has again reached out with congratulatory message, tweeting “Congratulations @RTErdogan on re-election as the President of Turkiye! I am confident that our bilateral ties and cooperation on global issues will continue to grow in the coming times”. Erdogan now has the opportunity to reciprocate accordingly, and smoothen the ruffles in bilateral ties, which otherwise have tremendous potential for the welfare of both nations.

ALSO READ: Turkey’s Erdogan stresses on ‘unity, solidarity’

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-Top News EU News India News

EU seeks role to connect India with Nepal, Bhutan and B’desh

The India–EU Connectivity Partnership was launched during the India–EU Leaders’ Meeting in May 2021…reports Asian Lite News

India and the European Union (EU) are holding the Global Gateway Conference in Meghalaya on Thursday. The two-day meet seeks to boost connectivity in India’s North-East region as well as integrate it with neighbouring countries like Bhutan, Bangladesh and Nepal for improved trade and economic uplift of the region.

The conference will also seek to “explore possibilities of boosting connectivity investments in India’s North-Eastern States and with India’s neighbours”, says the Ministry of External Affairs. The connectivity project stands on three pillars of strengthening Digital, Energy and Transport links, and aims to identify projects for joint implementation.

For India, the two-day meet will ignite action around connectivity issues in South Asia which are being implemented through the Bangladesh-Bhutan-India-Nepal (BBIN) initiative in an effort to build a seamless movement of people and cargo traffic. Connectivity between the four nations is expected to lead to regional economic integration and better people-to-people contacts, which have remained tethered to tensions among the South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation (SAARC) nations.

The India–EU Connectivity Partnership was launched during the India–EU Leaders’ Meeting in May 2021 with Prime Minister Narendra Modi, 27 EU Member States and the President of the European Council and the European Commission. The ambitious ‘connectivity partnership’ is focused on enhancing digital, energy, transport and people-to-people connectivity, through private and public financing of these projects.

It also looks at supporting connectivity initiatives in Indo-Pacific nations.

The EU-India connectivity partnership aims at supporting sustainable digital, transport and energy networks besides promoting the flow of people, goods, services, data and capital. The conference in Meghalaya will also scout for investments in the areas of health and education, clean and renewable energy and transport connectivity consisting of roads, bridges and railways.

Besides India and the EU, the conference will be attended by stakeholders from the private sector as well as representatives from the three South Asian nations.

The Global Gateway Strategy of the EU, which was launched in December 2021, builds on the priorities of the Paris Agreement and the UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), along with linking to its Indo-Pacific strategy and separate connectivity partnerships with Japan and India.

For India, the experiences of an integrated EU will come in handy for linking South Asia along with the benefits of strengthening the Indo-Pacific framework.

One that is important to highlight is the Joint Declaration of Intent (JDI) on the implementation of Triangular Development Cooperation projects in Third Countries between India and Germany. Leading on this, India’s foreign minister S Jaishankar agreed to evaluate such economic outreach with Svenja Schulze, Federal Minister for Economic Cooperation and Development.

The concept led to the “Global Gateway” – an infrastructural and connectivity development program. Global Gateway (GG) is the EU’s €300 billion international investment project. This is the biggest investment roadmap ever.

In terms of financial commitment, several agencies within the EU–the Neighbourhood, Development and International Cooperation Instrument (NDICI)-Global Europe, InvestEU and European Fund for Sustainable Development all together commit upto €135 billion for guaranteed investments for infrastructure projects between 2021 and 2027.

Global Gateway is intended to shape and redefine the norms of global infrastructure projects from Asia to Africa.

At the heart of the GG is the connectivity that puts India at the centre stage amidst ongoing great-power competition. It derives its strength from the EU Strategy for Cooperation in the Indo-Pacific which was laid down by European Council in April 2021.

The joint communication on the strategy, released in September, highlighted seven priority areas for action: “Sustainable and inclusive prosperity; green transition; ocean governance; digital governance and partnerships; connectivity; security and defence; and human security.

Under the GG, the EU is also finding ways to embrace opportunities for Indian infrastructure developmental projects and connectivity in the Indian subcontinent.

“You’re all very well familiar that India and EU have a very strong element of connectivity partnership. And this connectivity partnership structures across a range of areas, you could call it infrastructure connectivity, digital connectivity, financial connectivity, and physical connectivity across a range of areas. Now, Global Gateway is an EU initiative and I think that is something on which the EU would be a far better place to elaborate on,” Foreign Secretary Vinay Kwatra said.

While the EU-India dialogue under the GG is still confined within the stretch of the Indian subcontinent, questions remain if India could directly participate in such a global alliance.

In that case, it opens opportunities to plan and implement big-scale global projects with the consortium of EU countries.

Fundamentally, the initiative seeks to align on mutual development and transparency in taking up global projects.

As the emphasis of such alignment remains on financial transference and accountability, it certainly hints at countering the troubled Chinese Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) which has received flanks for its dubious financing and investment, leading to the ‘debt trap’ for many countries across Asia and Africa.

ALSO READ-Tibetans irked over China’s eviction order for dam project

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India News Sport Sports

‘Switching to Test after T20 big challenge for India’

Coming from T20 where the bat speed is very fast to test cricket where the bat speeds have to be a lot more controlled, that is something they’ll need to do, says Gavaskar

Batting great Sunil Gavaskar feels that the Indian batters will have to work on their bat speed control in order to make that transition from the fast-paced T20 format to the Test cricket as they are going to face Australia in the upcoming World Test Championship final from June 7 at The Oval.

Gavaskar emphasised the need for batters to play as late as possible in English conditions, allowing for swing and avoiding the mistake of reaching out for the ball.

IND v NZ: Sharma and Dravid are quite similar temperament wise, says Gavaskar.

“I think they are going to look at their bat speed. Coming from T20 where the bat speed is very fast to test cricket where the bat speeds have to be a lot more controlled, that is something they’ll need to do. They’ll need to play in England as late as possible to allow for the swing to do its bit, not to reach out for the ball which often a lot of people make the mistake of having played on good pitches,” said Gavaskar on Star Sports’ ‘Follow the Blues’.

“Wherever you play on good pitches, you tend to play through the line, not necessarily half volleys, but in England those deliveries can move just that little bit. So, I think those are the things that as a batter you need to watch out for. As a bowling unit also you’ll need to bowl a much fuller length for your new ball, for the bowlers to be able to get the movement in the air as well as after pitching,” he added.

Former India captain also highlighted the challenges Team India would face playing in English conditions, including the overcast weather and swing in the air, aspects unfamiliar to Indian, West Indian, and Sri Lankan players.

“I think the English conditions are challenging because firstly we are used to playing with the sun on our backs. When you are playing in England, often you are playing in conditions where there is no sun, it’s a little overcast, the weather is a little bit cooler, so you sometimes wear a jumper. That’s something that you know, the Indian players, West Indian players and Sri Lankan players are not really used to so that can be just a little bit of a dampener, little sort of light but you just feel a little bit encumbered by that,” he said.

So, that is one thing and because in these conditions the ball tends to swing in the air not just after pitching which doesn’t happen in India and therefore the swing in the air is what sometimes can take you some time to get used to and which is a reason people generally when you are going overseas suggest that you should may be play two or three warm-up matches, which will give you a better idea of what to get when you are playing in a test match,” he added.

The 73-year old feels that Cheteshwar Pujara can give some valuable insights to the team having experienced the conditions at The Oval.

“The fact that he has been around will mean that he will have also seen how the pitch has been behaving at The Oval. He might not have played at The Oval, he might be in Sussex not too far away from London but he will have kept an eye on what is happening and his inputs will be invaluable as far as the batting unit is concerned or even as far as the captaincy is concerned,” said Gavaskar.

“He will have the captains here as far as the Oval pitch is concerned and don’t forget he has also captained the team, so he definitely will have worked out quite a few strategies seeing that Steve Smith, the Australian is his teammate at the moment,” he added.

ALSO READ: Ambati Rayudu bids adieu to cricket

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Business Economy STARTUPS News

Microsoft, Accenture to support 13 Indian startups

Microsoft, Accenture to empower 13 Indian social impact startups.

The programme will also support the startups with testing and validating proofs-of-concept…reports Asian Lite News

Microsoft and Accenture on Wednesday announced the third cohort of the Project Amplify programme, which will support 13 Indian startups with solutions focusing on clean tech, circularity, regenerative agriculture, education and skilling.

The programme will also support the startups with testing and validating proofs-of-concept, reimagining the impact of their solutions through design thinking sessions, access to the latest technologies and guidance from experts at Microsoft and Accenture.

“Through our continued collaboration with Microsoft, we are applying our joint expertise to support social impact startups and help bring their solutions to our enterprise clients across the globe, scaling their impact,” Sanjay Podder, managing director and Technology Sustainability Innovation lead at Accenture, said in a statement.

Moreover, the programme will offer startups access to Microsoft technologies, including up to $1,50,000 in Azure credits, M365 and D365, Visual Studio and GitHub Enterprise access, enterprise-grade Azure engineering support, networking opportunities with other global social entrepreneurs and an array of go-to-market resources.

“In collaboration with Accenture and as part of our Entrepreneurship for Positive Impact Initiative, we are humbled to support bold innovators in India, driving systemic change through their sustainable businesses,” Jean-Philippe Courtois, Executive Vice President and President, National Transformation Partnerships, Microsoft, said in a statement.

Launched in 2020, previous cohorts of the programme focused on addressing issues in food safety, livelihood, education, sustainability, and skilling.

ALSO READ: Apparel Group wins CSR Award

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Lite Blogs Travel & Tourism

Pack your bags, book your car, and be on your way

Speaking of getting to your destination, there’s nothing that gives you the freedom of travelling and exploring a place quite like a self-drive getaway. And the best way to do that? Car sharing…reports Naveen Gupta

Summer is here, and temperatures are soaring across the country, with the scorching heat being almost unbearable in several places. The torrid weather makes our daily, mundane routines even more boring, making us long for a break.

The impact of mundane life and the need for a getaway

As the popular adage goes, “All work and no play make Jack a dull boy.” Working without proper breaks and at least a few days off from work can have a detrimental effect on your physical, mental, and emotional well-being.

Contrary to misconceptions, taking frequent breaks at regular intervals, both during the workday and dedicated time off from work, can go a long way in ensuring your well-being. Not only does it help you refresh and reset, but it can also make you more productive.

In fact, living a monotonous lifestyle without a proper break and time off from work can impair your ability to perform daily tasks, impact your well-being, and result in frustration. Especially for those who work 9-5 corporate jobs, it often happens that the weekends are when they can truly unwind. This is true irrespective of whether they work from the office or their homes.

Now, what if you were to wake up at a cozy place amid nature and sip your morning brew, taking in gorgeous views? Sounds like an ideal way to start the weekend, doesn’t it? A short weekend getaway comes with several benefits besides being a way to rejuvenate and recharge yourself.

Unlike a week-long or fortnight-long vacation that you plan for months and will almost certainly be heavy on your wallet, a weekend getaway is simple, convenient, and easy to plan. You needn’t spend too much time planning a packed itinerary and saving up every penny. Weekend getaways require minimal planning and are significantly more cost-effective than a full-fledged vacation. All you need to think about is where you’re going, when you want to go, and how to get to your destination.

The transport factor.

Speaking of getting to your destination, there’s nothing that gives you the freedom of travelling and exploring a place quite like a self-drive getaway. And the best way to do that? Car sharing.

So, what do we mean by car sharing? No, we aren’t talking about hailing a cab and sharing the vehicle with other passengers. We mean any car you choose and will be yours for the duration of your getaway for a reasonable fee but without any added costs like insurance premiums or maintenance costs. Yes, leasing a car might be the ideal way to go when you’re going on a weekend trip. But why? Before we delve into the benefits of leasing a car, here are some places you can visit to enjoy a leisurely weekend.

Theog, Himachal Pradesh

Located around 30km from Himachal’s capital city of Shimla, Theog is a quaint town engulfed in nature. It’s the perfect destination to reconnect with nature and get lost in its tranquility. A quiet escape on the borders of the Himalayas, Theog is a gem that is well-connected to the rest of Himachal via road, specifically National Highway 5 and National Highway 705. You can drive to the destination to enjoy the locals’ annual Summer Festival with plenty of delicacies and pahadi folk music.

Yercaud, Tamil Nadu

Nestled in the hills of the Western Ghats, Yercaud exudes a magical charm. With panoramic views, breathtaking roads, majestic waterfalls, and pristine lakes, this hill station in Tamil Nadu is a must-visit, especially during summer, as the weather is pleasant. Yercaud also has remarkable trails for hiking, cosy cottages, and plenty of coffee plantations, making for a refreshing getaway.

Ponmudi, Kerala

Surrounded by misty slopes, wild mountain flowers, and breathtaking valleys, Ponmudi is one of the best places for a weekend trip, especially if you wish to be away from the bustle of the cities. This exotic destination has everything that can rejuvenate your soul – from picturesque hills to mighty rivers, magnificent waterfalls, and incredible wildlife. While you’re here, make sure to visit the treehouse tower!

Rishikesh, Uttarakhand

A trip to Rishikesh can be anything you want it to be. While it’s true that it’s often considered a spiritual destination, this town has much to offer. From views of the Ganges to majestic mountain ranges, yoga ashrams, and cafes where you can simply unwind, Rishikesh is a place that’s sure to captivate any traveller. The town is also easy to reach by road, being well-connected and just 12km from Dehradun.

Once you’ve picked a destination, it’s time to think about the transport. And as mentioned earlier, car sharing is the way to go.

Convenience, safety, and affordability

Car sharing has become a game-changer for people worldwide, and the concept has gained traction in India as well.

Given the convenience, seamlessness, and cost-effectiveness of leasing a car, an increasing number of people are taking this route. Car-sharing platforms like Zoomcar also offer a plethora of vehicle options to suit every budget and requirement, and top-notch safety, making them a preferred choice.

Further, car-sharing platforms also leverage cutting-edge technology, offering 24×7 customer support, GPS tracking, keyless entry systems, maintenance checks, and contactless pickups and drop-offs. This makes the end-to-end experience safe and seamless. Car sharing also has the potential to reduce the number of private vehicles, benefitting the environment and our health

ALSO READ-Travel…relax…and indulge in opulence

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Business Economy

Nvidia joins the $1 trillion club

It’s just the ninth company globally to have achieved such a feat, and only five other companies worldwide currently have the distinction…reports Asian Lite News

Booming demand for its AI chips has landed Nvidia a prime spot in one of the most exclusive clubs on Wall Street as the chipmaker hit a market cap of $1 trillion, CNN reported.

It’s just the ninth company globally to have achieved such a feat, and only five other companies worldwide currently have the distinction: Apple, Microsoft, Alphabet, Amazon and Saudi Aramco.

Nvidia took Wall Street by surprise last week when it reported gangbusters earnings and an exceedingly strong revenue forecast for the year ahead. Fuelled largely by the recent boom in AI, the report pushed share price higher and secured its position as the one of the largest publicly traded companies in the world, CNN reported.

Nvidia makes chips that power generative AI, a type of artificial intelligence that can create new content, such as text and images, in response to user prompts. That’s the kind of AI underlying ChatGPT, Google’s Bard, Dall-E and many of the other new AI technologies.

Last quarter, the company’s profit surged 26 per cent to $2 billion, and sales rose 19 per cent to $7.2 billion, each easily surpassing Wall Street analysts’ forecasts. Nvidia’s outlook for the current quarter was also significantly — about 50 per cent — higher than analysts’ predictions. Its stock is up about 180 per cent so far this year, CNN reported.

Nvidia gave jaw-dropping robust guidance that will be heard around the world and shows the historical demand for AI happening now in the enterprise and consumer landscape,” said Dan Ives, an analyst at Wedbush Securities. “For any investor calling this an AI bubble (crypto, metaverse, now AI bubble thesis) we would point them to this Nvidia quarter and especially guidance which cements our bullish thesis around AI and speaks to the 4th Industrial Revolution now on the doorstep with AI.”

Nvidia shares need to remain above $404.86 to retain a trillion dollar market cap. Shares of the stock are currently trading at $408.50, CNN reported.

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LG teams up with Canadian startup for AI chips

LG Electronics.(photo:pixabay.com)

The collaboration is expected to boost “AI-enhanced features and high-performance computing in LG’s future premium TVs…reports Asian Lite News

LG Electronics and Canadian AI computing startup Tenstorrent said on Wednesday they are working together to develop next-generation chips that could potentially power the South Korean tech company’s smart consumer appliances and automotive products.

Tenstorrent, founded in 2016, builds computers for artificial intelligence (AI). CEO Jim Keller is a microprocessor engineer, best known for his work at AMD and Apple, reports Yonhap news agency.

The collaboration is expected to boost “AI-enhanced features and high-performance computing in LG’s future premium TVs, high-performance automotive chips and other smart products,” the Toronto-based tech company said.

“This collaboration is just the beginning. Tenstorrent’s market leading AI and RISC-V CPU technologies will strengthen SoC competitiveness of LG’s future products, while our longtime proven video codec technology will help Tenstorrent take control of data center high-performance processor markets,” said Byoung-hoon Kim, CTO of LG.

“Chiplets will be tested through this collaboration to see whether they can become a technology platform of collaboration. Tenstorrent and LG will share technology road maps and keep extending the scope of collaboration,” Kim added.

LG has stepped up its efforts to diversify its business portfolio in recent years, aggressively advancing into the electric vehicle (EV) component business, robotics and EV charging services, among others.

Its shares hit a 52-week high to close at 124,900 won on Tuesday over the rosy growth prospects for its future businesses.

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