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Pakistan’s Role In Khalistan Advocacy Raises Concerns

Khalistan

Documents unveiled in 2018 link Pakistan’s ISI to this initiative, painting a picture of a well-orchestrated campaign aiming to destabilize India’s northern frontier. …writes Dr. Jasneet Bedi

The recent surge in pro-Khalistan sentiments in countries like Canada, the US, the UK, and Australia has not only taken the Indian government by surprise but has also revealed the intricacies of global politics.

While these nations shelter behind the guise of ‘democratic processes’, the crux of the matter is that the Khalistan Referendum has turned into a chessboard where pawns are moved by forces external to the Sikh community.

Let’s begin by unraveling the “Referendum 2020” campaign. Touted as a grassroots movement for Sikh rights, its origins are murkier than they appear.

While the initiative supposedly stands for the independence of the Indian Punjab, there is no call for the inclusion of West Punjab, which lies in Pakistan. The glaring omission only reinforces India’s long-held suspicions about Pakistan’s Inter-Services Intelligence’s (ISI) hand in fanning the flames of separatism.

Khalistan

Documents unveiled in 2018 link Pakistan’s ISI to this initiative, painting a picture of a well-orchestrated campaign aiming to destabilize India’s northern frontier.

Pakistan’s strategy is clear: as the nation struggles with international scrutiny over its Islamist militant groups, the Khalistan agenda serves as a covert channel to achieve its objectives.

Events such as the Punjab Referendum Conference in 2018 and the London Declaration on Punjab Independence Referendum 2020 illustrate the global reach of this campaign.

However, the involvement of dubious personalities like Lord Nazir Ahmed, a convicted felon, not only challenges the legitimacy of these gatherings but also underscores Pakistan’s insidious designs.

Logo of Pakistan’s Inter-Services Intelligence organization(wikipedia)

Interestingly, the narrative is not just being driven through offline events. The surge in Twitter accounts promoting the Khalistan agenda, corroborated by Google Trends, paints a picture of a digital warfare strategy. In the age of information, it’s clear that the battle for Khalistan is as much online as it is on the ground.

The connections don’t just stop at the ISI. Pakistan’s overt support can be witnessed through figures like Ghazala Habib, head of Friends of Kashmir, and Gurparwant Singh Pannu’s audacious letter to former PM Imran Khan.

Their intertwined relationships and public endorsements are hardly covert, revealing a direct line between Khalistan advocates and Pakistan’s establishment.

While the Khalistan referendum might parade as a voice of the Sikh diaspora, its underpinnings suggest a nefarious agenda driven by external influences.

It’s high time that nations housing these activities recognize the machinations at play and prioritize global peace over localized politics. After all, in this game of chess, it’s not just India’s peace at stake but the stability of the entire South Asian region.

ALSO READ: Unmasking Khalistan’s Distorted View Of Sikh Aspirations

ALSO READ: Khalistan Extremism On The Rise In West, Says Colin Bloom

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18,000 Indians stuck as gun battles rage in Israel

Immigration of Indians to Israel started between 1950s-60s. In recent years, Jews from Mizoram, Manipur have migrated to Israel…reports Asian Lite News

Israel is battling the worst escalation in its conflict with Palestinian group Hamas which has claimed nearly 1,000 lives and women thousands more on each side. Hamas launched its massive surprise attack on Israel with a barrage of rockets and a large-scale ground assault on Saturday.

Thousands of Israeli forces were deployed to battle Hamas fighters in the south and the air force again pounded targets in the Gaza Strip

As gun battles are raging in towns and on highways, nearly 18,000 citizens are stuck in Israel. The majority of them are caregivers, IT professionals and students.

There are many agencies in Israel which hire caregivers from India for the elderly population there. There are about 85,000 Jews of Indian-origin in Israel.

“We are one hour away from the Gaza Strip. Right now, there are no attacks here but we have been hearing about other students in the southern part of Israel which is under attack,” Shweta, an Indian student in the city of Bersheva said.

“The situation is very unpredictable. But the city is safer than the other parts of Israel as of now,” said another student.

Immigration of Indians to Israel started between 1950s-60s. In recent years, Jews from Mizoram, Manipur have migrated to Israel.

The Indian embassy at Jerusalem and the Representative Office of India in Palestine on Saturday issued advisories asking Indian nationals in respective countries to “remain vigilant” and “directly contact the Office” in case of emergency as a full-fledged war broke out between the ruling Hamas  group in the Gaza Strip and Israel.

Gunmen from the Hamas rampaged through Israeli towns on Saturday, killing and escaping with dozens of hostages in by far the deadliest day of violence in Israel since the Yom Kippur war 50 years ago.

Bodies of Israeli civilians were strewn across the streets of Sderot in southern Israel, near Gaza, surrounded by broken glass, reported news agency Reuters.

The escalation comes against a backdrop of surging violence between Israel and Palestinian terrorists in the Israeli-occupied West Bank, where a Palestinian authority exercises limited self-rule, opposed by Hamas that wants Israel destroyed.

ALSO READ-Gaza Nears Humanitarian Breaking Point

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India and Italy agree to fight terror, organised crime

The 4th meeting of the India-Italy Joint Working Group on Counter-Terrorism and Organised Crime was held at the Ministry of External Affairs, Government of India on Friday….reports Asian Lite News

India and Italy have once again jointly condemned terrorism in all its forms and reaffirmed their commitment to a zero-tolerance, comprehensive approach to prevent and combat terrorism based on the rule of law, informed the Ministry of External Affairs.

The 4th meeting of the India-Italy Joint Working Group on Counter-Terrorism and Organised Crime was held at the Ministry of External Affairs, Government of India on Friday.

High-level Indian and Italian officials met to share views, assess domestic, regional and international terrorist threats and discuss bilateral and multilateral cooperation in fighting terrorism and transnational organised crime, the official release said.

Joint Secretary for Counter-Terrorism in the Ministry of External Affairs KD Dewal and Deputy Director General for Political Affairs/Principal Director for Security at the Italian Ministry of Foreign Affairs Alessandro Azzoni, led their respective Inter-Departmental delegations.

The two sides condemned terrorism in all its forms and manifestations and shared their experience in preventing and countering terrorism, violent extremism, radicalisation, cross-border terrorist travel and financing of terrorism, it added.

They also recalled their support for a zero-tolerance, comprehensive approach to prevent and combat terrorism based on the rule of law and emphasized the importance of effective prosecution of those responsible for terrorist acts while condemning all forms of State-sponsored terrorism.

The two delegations also exchanged views on cooperation at the multilateral fora, such as the UN, FATF and GCTF. They also expressed commitment to advance the ongoing negotiations on a number of bilateral agreements in the spheres of judicial and police cooperation. The meeting set the path for future joint training and capacity-building programs, the release said.

Earlier, Union Minister of State for Home Nityanand Rai said India is committed strongly to combating and uprooting organised crimes in all its manifestations.

He was speaking at the two-day Ministerial Conference organised on September 29, by the Government of Italy and the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crimes (UNDOC) Secretariat.

Rai’s remarks came on the concluding day of the conference that marked the 20th anniversary of the United Nations Convention against Transnational Organised Crimes (UNTOC) at Palermo in Italy.

Noting that organised crime signifies a major global threat, the MoS said such crimes cannot be seen in isolation.

He mentioned that advances in technology have been leveraged by organised criminals to rapidly expand their networks.

“This includes serious challenges posed by illicit trafficking in arms, drug trafficking, organized cyber-crimes, human trafficking, corruption, money laundering and international dispersal of proceeds of crime,” he said.

He also mentioned that organized crime has emerged as one of the sources of terrorism and terror financing.

Pointing that organised crime networks often have deep links with terrorist outfits and activities like money laundering and financial crimes have been known to help terror funding, the minister expressed hope that the deliberations during the Ministerial Conference will give impetus to the cause of strengthening international cooperation to combat organised crime.

The next meeting of the joint working group will be held in Rome in 2024 on a mutually convenient date. (ANI)

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Divided on Ukraine, United on India’s Choice: Indian-American Lawmakers Weigh In

war in Ukraine.(photo:Instagram)

Ami Bera, another Indian-American lawmaker, was frustrated about India’s purchase of Russian oil disregarding the US-led coalition’s sanctions…reports Yashwant Raj

Indian-American lawmakers have been divided on military assistance to Ukraine, but are somewhat united in calling upon India to align itself with the US, choosing it over its long and historical ties with Russia.

“It’s obvious that the United States would stand against Chinese aggression on the Line of Control (Line of Actual Control) far more than Russia or Putin would, and that we really need to press India to not be as dependent on Russian defensively and to be willing to condemn Putin’s aggression in Ukraine, just like we would condemn Chinese aggression beyond the Line of Control (Line of Actual Control),” said Ro Khanna, one of the four Indian-American members of the House of Representatives, at a congressional hearing in March 2022, just days after India abstained on a UN vote to condemn Russian invasion of Ukraine.

India has since abstained in all Ukraine votes.

Ami Bera, another Indian-American lawmaker, was frustrated about India’s purchase of Russian oil disregarding the US-led coalition’s sanctions.

“Even worse, India is now reportedly looking to bypass international sanctions and buy Russian oil at a steeply discounted rate, potentially giving Putin an economic lifeline at a time when the Russian economy is reeling from international sanctions,” he has said in a statement.

All five Indian-American lawmakers have condemned the Russian invasion of Ukraine and supported the military assistance to help Ukraine defend itself.

But two of them broke with the Joe Biden administration’s “as long as it takes” stand.

In a joint letter written in October 2022 with other progressive members of the Democratic caucus called upon President Biden to focus more on the diplomatic effort to end the war.

Pramila Jayapal, chair of the progressive caucus, led the effort leading up to the letter; Khanna was among the other signatories. Indian-American lawmakers who did not sign were Bera and Raja Krishnamoorthi. The fifth, Shri Thanedar, became a member in 2023.

Jayapal withdrew the letter in the storm that followed its release. Khanna defended the letter calling it a “commonsense letter”. But he has since dialed down his calls for India to condemn Russia in strong terms or curtail its oil purchases,

Krishnamoorthi has been aggressive on Ukraine, using the bully pulpit of the position of the Ranking Member of a committee of the House set up to focus on the US competition with China.

“This year, we celebrate with a heavy heart as our friends and allies in Ukraine continue to battle against Russia’s vicious, imperialistic invasion,” he said in September at an event to celebrate Ukrainian independence day. “I remain committed to standing with Ukraine.”

Krishnamoorthi has not been critical of India for its stand on Ukraine unlike Khanna and Bera. But he did warn New Delhi to be careful of the weapons it gets from Russia.

“We don’t want to be in a situation where for some reason, the Russians somehow have given technology that’s compromised by the CCP to India or others that could be taken advantage of by the CCP,” Krishnamoorthi said in an interview.

“I think there’s just a very detailed conversation that’s probably happening and should happen between our governments with regard to a whole range of technology now that we believe that it’s critical to our collective security,” he added.

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Lavrov Finds G20’s Ukraine Stance ‘Objective’

The Declaration, which was the result of India’s consensus-building, did not mention Russia, but had elements that could be seen as critical of Moscow’s actions in Ukraine….reports Asian Lite News

Russia’s Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov has called the G20 Leaders’ Declaration adopted in New Delhi this month “objective” about Ukraine and the geopolitical situation.

“I think that the text of that summit was objective, not only when it comes to Ukraine, which is only mentioned once but it was objective about the geopolitical situation as a whole,” he said on Saturday at a news conference here.

The Declaration, which was the result of India’s consensus-building, did not mention Russia, but had elements that could be seen as critical of Moscow’s actions in Ukraine.

It said: “All states must act in a manner consistent with the Purposes and Principles of the UN Charter in its entirety. In line with the UN Charter, all states must refrain from the threat or use of force to seek territorial acquisition against the territorial integrity and sovereignty or political independence of any state.”

The Declaration also “highlighted the human suffering and negative added impacts of the war in Ukraine.”

As for geopolitics, Lavrov noted that it said that “all conflicts need to be considered not just those that one has a specific interest in.”

For example, it also mentioned the Palestine situation, he said.

Lavrov contrasted the G20 Declaration with outcome documents from other forums where he said the West insisted on condemning Moscow.

“They just completely exhausted everyone with their incessant demands for the outcome documents to denounce Russia,” he said.

“It is the West that is trying to blame Russia and Russia’s actions in Ukraine for all the world’s problems and they’re not successful in this,” he said referring to the G20 Declaration.

Lavrov criticised the working of the UN and said that Moscow supports Security Council reform to make the organisation “sustained and legitimate in nature”.

He shot down Secretary-General Antonio Guterres’ proposal for restarting the Black Sea Grain Initiative as well as the peace plan proposed by Ukraine.

He bristled at suggestions that he had “rejected” Guterres’ with a semantic twist that Moscow only said elements of it were unacceptable, citing problems with receiving payments for the grain exports because of sanctions on banking.

The Grain Deal brokered by the UN and Turkiye allowed for exports of food grains from Russia and Ukraine through the Black Sea amid naval blockades and war.

The peace plan proposed by Ukraine’s President Volodymyr Zelensky, which includes the withdrawal of Russian troops from occupied territories, and restoration of Ukraine’s territorial integrity, was unacceptable and the war will go on, he said

ALSO READ: Final G20 FWG Meet Explores Future Areas of Work

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India Aims to Become Semiconductor Hub

Rajeev Chandrasekhar, Union Minister of State for Electronics and IT, said that for a country that has missed several opportunities for the last 70 years, this is a historic and epic moment…reports Nishant Arora

Union IT Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw on Saturday said that India has embarked upon its journey to become a semiconductor hub, as US-based Micron Technology broke grounds for its about Rs 22,500 crore ($2.75 billion) chip assembly and test facility here.

Stressing that India will soon need Rs 5 lakh crore worth chips to meet the growing demand, the minister said within three months of Prime Minister Narendra Modi meeting Sanjay Mehrotra, the President and CEO of Micron Technology in the US, the company has started construction on its plant which is unprecedented.

Micron has committed to investing up to $825 million in building the semiconductor assembly and test facility in India, with support from the government.

The combined investment of $2.75 billion is projected to create around 5,000 direct jobs and offer 15,000 community job opportunities over the next five years.

Rajeev Chandrasekhar, Union Minister of State for Electronics and IT, said that for a country that has missed several opportunities for the last 70 years, this is a historic and epic moment.

“We have made tremendous strides in the last 9-10 years. It is certainly a very important milestone and I have absolutely no doubt that this Micron’s state-of-the-art plant will be a beacon to all investors, other manufacturers and participants in the global semiconductor ecosystem,” Chandrasekhar told the gathering.

The Assembly, Test, Marking and Packaging (ATMP) of the company is being set up on 93 acres in Sanand GIDC-II industrial estate and is expected to be commissioned within 18 months. The facility will focus on transforming wafers into Ball Grid Array (BGA) – integrated circuit packages, memory modules and solid-state drives.

In July, Prime Minister Narendra Modi promised 50 per cent financial assistance to players wishing to set up semiconductor manufacturing facilities in the country.

At the SemiconIndia 2023 in Gandhinagar, he had said that “we are continuously carrying out policy reforms to accelerate the growth of the country’s semiconductor sector”.

Micron’s ‘Make in India’ Chip Expected in December 2024

Global chip manufacturers have realised India’s potential and US-based Micron Technology breaking grounds for its Rs 22,500 crore facility here will set a benchmark for our semiconductor journey, Union IT and Railways Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw told IANS on Saturday.

Saying that the first ‘Make in India’ chip from Micron’s plant is most likely to come in December 2024, the minister said the pace at which Micron kicked off work on the Sanand project is highly commendable.

“This plant sets a major milestone for Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s vision of making India a semiconductor hub — the way the country has achieved in sectors like mobile, electronics, defense, railways, aviation and multiple other areas where progress is visible,” Vaishnaw emphasised.

The Micron plant at Sanand will work as a foundational industry, in order to create such foundational industries across the country, the minister emphasised.

The Assembly, Test, Marking and Packaging (ATMP) of Micron is being set up on 93 acres in Sanand GIDC-II industrial estate and is expected to be commissioned within 18 months. 

The facility will focus on transforming wafers into Ball Grid Array (BGA) – integrated circuit packages, memory modules and solid-state drives.

According to the minister, the government has also received a couple of more semiconductor manufacturing proposals and an announcement will be made soon.

“Chips today are an integral part of our lives. The semiconductor manufacturing is also going to help the IT hardware PLI 2.0 in a very big way because this PLI has special incentives for chips which are manufactured in India,” Vaishnaw told IANS.

More than 45 companies have submitted applications under PLI Hardware 2.0 and “many of them are already in the process of setting up their plants,” the minister noted.

From about Rs 2 lakh crore as of now, India will see demand for semiconductors to increase to Rs 5 lakh crore in the next few years, he added.

Vaishnaw also said a high-speed train will start plying between Ahmedabad and Sanand in the next six months.

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Asia Cup Final Controversy Sparks Calls for Probe

The chairman of the organisation, C. Kamantha Thushara, complained that there is a serious suspicion over match fixing as Sri Lanka was all out for 50 runs within just 15.2 overs…reports Asian Lite News

Cricket fans and anti-corruption activists have demanded for a police probe on malpractices and alleged match fixing over Sri Lanka’s humiliating defeat against India at the Asia Cup final on Sunday.

A civil rights organisation, Citizen Power Against Bribery, Corruption and Wastage filed a complaint at the Police Headquarters in Colombo alleging that there is a serious suspicion over Sri Lankan cricketers’ performance and specially getting out for such a small number of runs.

The chairman of the organisation, C. Kamantha Thushara, complained that there is a serious suspicion over match fixing as Sri Lanka was all out for 50 runs within just 15.2 overs.

“Within 19 minutes in 15 overs, 50 runs were scored. This is one run per over in the 50 over game. There are suspicions in the way the cricketers play in that game. While fans were at the queues to enter the ground, the match was over,” Thushara charged.

“We are suspicious about Sunday’s game and we want an immediate investigation. With an extensive investigation including telephone conversation recordings of the Sri Lanka Cricket (SLC) officials and players should be done. Cricket has become a gamble that was ruled by money. The SLC is corrupt and there is a responsibility on the Sports Minister to investigate on this,” the organisation complained.

“If a school team played, there would have been much more runs in the scoreboard,” the chairman charged.

While India recorded the eighth and the most Asia Cup ODI victories, Sri Lanka recorded the lowest-ever total in the Sub Continent tournament.

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‘Summit an opportunity to showcase India’

In the fintech sector, the Central Bank Digital Currency (CBDC) will also be demonstrated practically…reports Asian Lite News

The G20 Summit has provided India with an opportunity to showcase its diversity, legacy and digital public infrastructure, Chief Coordinator of India’s G20 Presidency, Harsh Vardhan Shringla said on Wednesday.

“G20 Summit is an opportunity to showcase our diversity, legacy and development, and we will fully utilize this opportunity. At the G20 venue, there will be ‘Mother of Democracy’ exhibition, cultural corridors, where we will present our cutting-edge technologies, especially our digital public infrastructure. An innovation hub has been opened by RBI, A Digital India experience zone has also been opened, where initiatives like Aadhar, and UPI will be displayed. The e-Sanjeevani app will also be present at the delegate centre. This app can quickly arrange doctors and arrange medicines and treatment,” he said.

In the fintech sector, the Central Bank Digital Currency (CBDC) will also be demonstrated practically.

“We have also opened a Crafts Bazaar, which will showcase ODOP and GI items from 30 states and UTs. All of this will be compatible with UPI and digital currency. During the dinner, traditional instrumental music will be performed, which will have representation from across the country, which will also be another important opportunity for us,” he added.

As India is known as the “Mother of Democracy”, Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s aim was to expand the scope of G20 event beyond the confines of Delhi and the government has made comprehensive preparations across the country for hosting the Summit, he said.

By the end of India’s G20 Presidency, more than 220 meetings will have been hosted in various states and union territories across the country.

Speaking to ANI, Shringla said, “It’s the Prime Minister’s vision. His vision says that when we as the Mother of Democracy are hosting such a large event, which has never been hosted before, we need to take it beyond the confines of Delhi, to take it across the country. By the time, we finish the presidency, we would have held over 220 meetings in every State and Union Territory of the country”.

He said that taking the summit across the country makes every section of the citizen a partner and stakeholder in the G20 process, facilitates urban transformation and also gives confidence to tier-2 and tier-3 cities.

“It makes every section of our citizenship, partner and stakeholder in the G20 process. They feel that it has come to our part of the country, so we are also part of the G20. It popularizes our message in the G20. In many senses, it facilitates urban transformation, it facilitates augmentation of capacity,” the chief coordinator said.

He added, “And most importantly, it gives confidence to these tier-2 and tier-3 cities, which have got minimal international exposure, into a sense that they can host other international events in the future. I think it’s a real game changer in many senses of the world”.

The Chief Coordinator further said that India has made all the necessary arrangements, well on time with a coordinated approach.

“We have made all the arrangements necessary for hosting such a mega event well on time. Planning and preparation for our G20 presidency started well before we took on this presidency. And it’s been a continuous process. We are also comforted by the fact that this is a whole-of-government approach led by the Prime Minister himself. It’s been a very coordinated approach. All government departments and agencies have been part of that endeavour. And in hosting the G20, of course, we work closely with the state governments, we have worked with municipalities, we work with partners and stakeholders across the country,” Shringla added.

India is all set to host the G20 Summit scheduled to be held in New Delhi from September 9-10. World leaders will arrive in New Delhi to attend the G20 Summit. Notably, India assumed the G20 presidency on December 1 last year and about 200 meetings related to G20 were organized in 60 cities across the country.

The summit will be hosted at the state-of-the-art Bharat Mandapam Convention Centre at Pragati Maidan, New Delhi. (ANI)

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Israeli PM to visit India on April 2

The visit also aims to expand the cooperation between the two countries in the areas of innovation and technology, security and cyber, and agriculture and climate change, reports Asian Lite News

Stressing that Indo-Israel ties are based on mutual “appreciation and meaningful collaboration”, Israeli Prime Minister Naftali Bennett has said he will be visiting India in the first week of April to mark the 30th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between the two countries.

The visit also aims to expand the cooperation between the two countries in the areas of innovation and technology, security and cyber, and agriculture and climate change.

“Prime Minister Naftali Bennett will pay his first official visit to India on Saturday, 2 April 2022, at the invitation of Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi,” the Israeli PM’s Foreign Media Adviser said in a statement.

The two leaders had first met on the sidelines of the UN Climate Change Conference (COP26) in Glasgow last October when PM Modi had invited PM Bennett to pay an official visit to India, the statement said.

“This visit will reaffirm the important connection between the countries and the leaders, and will mark the 30th anniversary of the establishment of relations between Israel and India,” it added.

Informed sources said that it will be a four-day visit from April 2-April 5.

“The purpose of the visit is to advance and strengthen the strategic alliance between the countries, and to expand bilateral ties. In addition, the leaders will discuss the strengthening of cooperation in a variety of areas, including innovation, economy, research and development, agriculture and more”, the media adviser said.

Bennett will be meeting his Indian counterpart, senior government officials and also the local Jewish community during his visit.

The full schedule of the visit and additional details will be issued separately, the statement said.

“I am delighted to pay my first official visit to India at the invitation of my friend, Prime Minister Modi, and together we will continue leading the way for our countries’ relations,” Bennett was quoted as saying in the press statement.

“Modi restarted relations between India and Israel, and this is of historic importance. The relations between our two unique cultures – the Indian culture and the Jewish culture – are deep, and they rely on deep appreciation and meaningful collaborations,” he said.

“There are many things we can learn from the Indians, and this is what we strive to do. Together we will expand our cooperation to other areas, from innovation and technology, security and cyber, to agriculture and climate change,” the Israeli Prime Minister emphasised.

ALSO READ-Israel now open to travellers from UAE

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‘India, Israel, UAE and US to collaborate on projects’

According to the Foreign Secretary, one of the greatest resources of the relationship is the 3.5 million Indians who live in the UAE. This represents the single largest Indian community abroad, he informed…reports Asian Lite News.

Foreign Secretary Harsh Vardhan Shringla has said India, Israel, UAE and the US will collaborate on projects in the four countries and in West Asia by leveraging synergies and complementarities in technology, skills, finances, and project execution capacities to augment global good.

Speaking at the India Global Forum 2021 in Dubai on Monday he said: “There are new and emerging areas of partnership that could underpin a 21st century India-UAE relationship. Startups and the tech space provide an arena where Indian capacities and markets can be combined with UAE investments.”

“This is the spirit that underlies the new partnership between India, Israel, UAE and USA – to collaborate on projects in our countries, and in West Asia. We intend to leverage synergies and complementarities in technology, skills, finances, and project execution capacities to augment global good,” he said.

The templates that we develop can be used for enhancing our presence in other regions of the world, the Foreign Secretary added.

Noting that sectors identified for collaboration are Energy, Food, Water, Health, Transportation and Space, he informed that 4 specific projects are being identified in consultation with industry and will be finalised at a Foreign Ministers meeting in Dubai in March 2022.

Semiconductors, Green Hydrogen, Food Security, and 5G are other areas in which industry is being consulted about the potential for joint collaborations, he pointed out.

According to the Foreign Secretary, one of the greatest resources of the relationship is the 3.5 million Indians who live in the UAE. This represents the single largest Indian community abroad, he informed.

Stating that healthcare and Information Technology have emerged as major economic drivers, Shringla said the application of IT to healthcare will transform both.

“India has emerged, after the pandemic, as one of the major suppliers of healthcare capacities in the world. More importantly, in a world that is now seeking resilient and dependable supply chains, India literally walked the talk,” the Foreign Secretary said.

Even during the bleakest days of the pandemic, India did its utmost to live up to its commitments as a global citizen and exported vaccines and critical pharmaceutical products for the benefit of all, he recounted.

Mentioning that India’s strengths in IT are well known, he said India is a source of intellectual property.

“India has one of the fastest-growing start-up ecosystems in the world,” Shringla added.

Explaining that India generates ideas and solutions, whether it is Aadhar, or the CoWin app, or the Direct Benefit Transfer schemes, or digital payment interfaces, or fintech solutions, he said India has and continues to use IT to deliver value and services that improve the lives of hundreds of millions.

“The economic benefits of these synergies, with the direction of a visionary leadership, will generate a virtuous cycle in the years to come,” Shringla observed.

“The Indian economy is rapidly recovering from pandemic induced downturn and is returning to its trajectory as a rapidly growing economy,” he claimed.

“The Economic Survey 2020-21 pointed to a strong V-Shaped Recovery of Economic Activity According to the RBI, Indian GDP grew 20% year on year in the first quarter of this year,” the Foreign Secretary said.

“The IMF has projected a 9.5% growth rate for this year – close to double digits. Total FDI inflow during FY21 stood at US$ 81.72 billion, the highest ever. Trade figures are promising,” he added.

He said that an ambitious target of USD 400 billion of exports has been set up by India for the year 2021-22.

“An unprecedented push has been given to negotiating trade agreements. Trade agreements are currently being negotiated with a large number of countries including the UAE. Talks are currently underway with the UK, the EU, Israel and with several other countries and in plurilateral formats,” Shringla recounted.

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