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☆ US, India agree roadmap for defence industry cooperation
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-05 | by ( Yp Rajesh | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

NEW DELHI, June 5 (Reuters) - India and the United States have concluded a roadmap for defence industry cooperation for the next few years, the Indian government said on Monday, a move expected to bolster New Delhi's defence manufacturing ambitions. The roadmap was finalised at a meeting between visiting U.S. Defence Secretary Lloyd Austin and Indian Defence Minister Rajnath Singh. 'NEW TECHNOLOGIES'Talks between Singh and Austin had a "particular focus on identifying ways to strengthen industrial cooperation", the Indian Defence Ministry statement said. "Towards these objectives, they concluded a roadmap for U.S.-India Defence Industrial Cooperation which shall guide the policy direction for the next few years." The Biden administration is set to sign off on a deal that will allow General Electric Co (GE.N) to produce in India jet engines powering Indian military aircraft.

Persons: Washington, Lloyd Austin, Rajnath Singh, Narendra Modi, Joe Biden, Singh, Austin, Biden, YP Rajesh, Sakshi Dayal, Gareth Jones Organizations: New, U.S . Defence, Indian Defence, Indian, Indian Defence Ministry, India Defence Industrial Cooperation, General Electric Co, YP, Thomson Locations: DELHI, India, United States, Washington, Russia, U.S, France, Israel, New Delhi, People's Republic of China, Russian, Ukraine

☆ India says defence production exceeds $12 billion for first time
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-19 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

[1/2] India's "Akash" missiles, mounted on a truck, are displayed during Republic Day parade in New Delhi, India, January 26, 2020. India, the world's largest arms importer in the past decade, depends on Russia for nearly half of its military supplies. The value of India's local defence production jumped to 1.07 trillion rupees in the year that ended on March 31 and was expected to rise further once data from some private defence companies came in, the Ministry of Defence said in a statement. "The government is continuously working with defence industries and their associations to remove the challenges faced by them and promote defence production in the country," the ministry said. India's defence exports have risen too, jumping 24% to about 160 billion rupees last fiscal year, according to government data.

☆ Women, children trek miles in summer heat to get water near Mumbai
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-18 | by ( Francis Mascarenhas | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

"All the water is sent to Mumbai, we are left with nothing," said Ashok Shinde, whose village is home to about 700 people rearing poultry and livestock. The Vaitarna dam, which supplies water to Mumbai, is just 50 km (31 miles) from Telamwadi, but is not linked to it. [1/5] Women walk back home balancing pots of water on their head as other women walk towards a well to fill their pots in Telamwadi, near Mumbai, India, May 17, 2023. "Until the permanent solution is in place, we are providing water tankers to ensure residents do not face issues," state water supply officials told Reuters. One of the women usually makes the precarious journey, relying on numerous cracks in the walls to provide support.

☆ Factbox: Amazon to Walmart, investors in India boost Modi ahead of vote
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-18 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

AMAZONAmazon Web Services said it planned to invest $13 billion in India by 2030 to build its cloud infrastructure and create thousands of jobs. APPLE (AAPL.O)The U.S. tech giant launched its first company-owned store in Mumbai last month and then another in New Delhi. CISCO SYSTEMS (CSCO.O)The U.S. networking equipment maker will begin manufacturing from India as it looks to diversify its global supply chain. It has set a target of $1 billion in production and exports from India over the next few years. WALMART (WMT.N)The retail giant's CEO met Modi this month and reiterated that the company planned exports from India worth $10 billion a year by 2027.

☆ Factbox: India's Wadia Group whose Go First is in trouble
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-04 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

NEW DELHI, May 4 (Reuters) - India's Wadia Group has survived British colonial rule and fierce business rivalries to create an empire that spans industries, from aviation and real estate to retail, healthcare, engineering and chemicals. - Founded in 1736 by Loeji Nusserwanjee Wadia, the group began as a marine construction company that built ships for the British empire, according to its website. - Chairman Nusli N. Wadia is the grandson of Pakistan's founder, Muhammad Ali Jinnah. - Go First, India's third-largest airline filed for bankruptcy protection blaming "faulty" Pratt & Whitney engines for the grounding of about half its fleet. The Wadia Group said all its transactions had been conducted in compliance with the law.

Singh "categorically conveyed that development of relations between India and China is premised on prevalence of peace and tranquillity at the borders", it said. India accuses China of frequently intruding into its side of the disputed border in violation of agreements signed since the 1990s. China pushed for engagement and cooperation between the two militaries but was told by India that could happen only if there is tranquillity on the border, two Indian sources told Reuters. The two ministers met ahead of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation's (SCO) defence ministers' gathering in New Delhi. It is also the first visit by a Chinese defence minister to India since the violence in the Himalayas began in May 2020.

☆ India's Rahul Gandhi appeals after court denies stay of defamation conviction
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-25 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

NEW DELHI, April 25 (Reuters) - Indian opposition leader Rahul Gandhi on Tuesday appealed to the High Court in the western state of Gujarat seeking a stay of conviction in a defamation case, challenging a lower court's ruling against his plea, his lawyer said. The 52-year old scion of India's Congress party was sentenced to two years' imprisonment. His petition seeking a stay of conviction was rejected last week. Gandhi also lost his parliamentary seat following the conviction since lawmakers sentenced to jail terms of two years or more are automatically disqualified and barred from running for election. Two more defamation cases have also been filed against Gandhi elsewhere in India relating to the same comment.

[1/2] A man charges an electric vehicle (EV) at the charging hub of Indian ride-hailing BluSmart Electric Mobility in Gurugram, India, December 9, 2022. SCALING UPIndia's ride-hailing market is currently worth $13.4 billion - a tenth of China's - and penetration is just 7%, according to Statista, making the country of 1.4 billion a lucrative opportunity. BluSmart, which operates in just two cities with 5,000 vehicles, says it commands 9% market share of Delhi's ride-hailing market. In February, Uber's India chief Singh dismissed concerns about BluSmart, saying Uber still offered more diverse ride options, including scooters and autorickshaws. "In a way it (BluSmart) has forced Uber to reimagine how it wants to play in India," WEF's Khurana said.

☆ India opens new investigation into BBC in widening crackdown
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-13 | by ( Aftab Ahmed | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

NEW DELHI, April 13 (Reuters) - India's financial crime-fighting agency has opened an investigation into alleged violations of foreign exchange rules by the BBC, a source told Reuters on Thursday, months after tax officials searched the broadcaster's Mumbai and Delhi offices. The latest investigation is being conducted by the Enforcement Directorate (ED) under India's Foreign Exchange Management Act. British Foreign Minister James Cleverly, during a visit to New Delhi in March, raised the BBC tax searches with his Indian counterpart. The British government said this week they were working to "review security and make changes to ensure the safety of its staff". Reporting by Aftab Ahmed, writing by Sakshi Dayal Editing by Krishna N. DasOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

☆ Indian court seeks govt response on comedian's challenge to IT rule changes
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-11 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

NEW DELHI, April 11 (Reuters) - An Indian court on Tuesday directed the government to respond to an appeal submitted by a comedian challenging recent changes to the country's IT rules, which prevent social media platforms from hosting information that the government terms "fake". The rules dictate that social media platforms "make reasonable efforts" to not "publish, share or host" any information relating to the government that is identified as "fake, false or misleading" by a government appointed fact-checking unit. The Bombay High Court, hearing a petition filed by comedian Kunal Kamra, asked the government to file a reply on the plea and scheduled the next hearing for April 21. In his petition, Kamra said that the amendments "constitute unreasonable restrictions to freedom of speech and expression". Prime Minister Narendra Modi's government has been in repeated tussles with various social media platforms when they failed to take down certain content or accounts that it accused of spreading misinformation.

☆ India stalls trade talks with Britain over Sikh extremist group -The Times
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-10 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: 1 min

NEW DELHI, April 10 (Reuters) - India has "disengaged" from trade talks with Britain after accusing it of failing to condemn the Sikh extremist group that attacked the Indian High Commission in London last month, The Times reported on Monday, citing British government sources. The incident occurred on March 19, when protesters with 'Khalistan' banners staged a demonstration at the High Commission and took down an Indian flag from the building's first floor balcony to denounce recent police action in Punjab. "Indians don't want to talk about trade until they get a very public demonstration of condemnation of Khalistan extremism in the UK," a Whitehall source told The Times. Reporting by Sakshi Dayal; Editing by Christopher CushingOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

☆ India has not suspended trade talks with UK, officials say
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-10 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

NEW DELHI, April 10 (Reuters) - Trade talks between India and Britain have not been suspended and will continue this year, three officials said on Monday, responding to a British newspaper report that said India had "disengaged" from the talks after London failed to condemn Sikh separatists. An official in India's foreign ministry said progress in the trade talks and New Delhi's concerns around Sikh separatist activities in Britain should not be interlinked. A diplomatic official in the British High Commission in New Delhi said trade talks will continue in a scheduled manner and security officials in London were addressing India's concerns about Sikh separatist activities in Britain. "Both the UK and India are committed to delivering an ambitious and mutually beneficial FTA and concluded the latest round of trade talks last month," a spokesperson for Britain's Department for Business and Trade said. A second Indian foreign ministry source said that trade talks with Britain had not been suspended, and described the media report to be "baseless".

☆ Ukraine wants tighter ties with India, visit by Modi
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-10 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

India holds the rotating presidency of the Group of 20 this year and hosts a leaders summit in September. Dzhaparova, who is on a four-day visit to New Delhi, told the broadcaster: "We believe India should be engaged and involved in the Ukraine issue to a great extent". India has sought a diplomatic solution to the conflict in Ukraine, while Modi told Russian President Vladimir Putin in September that now is "not an era of war". India has also boosted its purchases of Russian oil, taking advantage of the deep discounts following a European ban on Russian oil imports. Dzhaparova will meet India's deputy national security adviser and a junior foreign minister during her visit and address a world affairs think tank.

☆ Four killed in blast targeting police vehicle in Pakistan's Quetta
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-10 | by ( Gul Yousafzai | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

QUETTA, Pakistan, April 10 (Reuters) - Four people were killed and fifteen injured in a bombing targeting a police vehicle in a marketplace in the southwestern Pakistani city of Quetta on Monday, a hospital official said. "The injured numbers reached fifteen, and four dead,” Wasim Baig, a spokesperson for the Quetta hospital, told Reuters. He said initial reports showed an improvised explosive device was planted in a motorcycle parked behind the vehicle. Two police officers who were sitting in the vehicle were among the dead, SSP operations Zohaib Mohsin Baloch said. Reporting by Gul Yousafzai in Quetta, Gibran Peshimam; Writing by Sakshi Dayal and Gibran Peshimam; Editing by Toby Chopra and Jan HarveyOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

☆ Indian police open investigation into London embassy protest - media
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-24 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

NEW DELHI, March 24 (Reuters) - Indian police have opened an investigation into a protest this week outside its High Commission in London, Reuters partner ANI reported on Friday, pursuing action on an incident that has raised tension in relations with Britain. Protesters with "Khalistan" banners took an Indian flag down from a first-floor balcony of the High Commission in the British capital on Sunday to denounce recent police action in India's Punjab state, British and Indian media reported. Khalistan is the name of an independent Sikh homeland that some members of that community aspire to, both at home in India and in countries where Sikhs have settled. British Foreign Secretary James Cleverly said acts of violence towards staff at the High Commission in London were unacceptable and British police were investigating. Police officials and the British embassy in New Delhi did not immediately respond to calls and messages seeking comment.

☆ Explosion kills 15 in crowded market in Bangladesh capital
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-07 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

[1/5] Firefighters and rescue workers are seen on the site of an explosion in a multi storey building in Dhaka, Bangladesh, March 7, 2023. REUTERS/Mohammad Ponir HossainDHAKA, March 7 (Reuters) - At least 15 people were killed and several others injured in an explosion in a crowded market area in Bangladesh's capital Dhaka on Tuesday, a local fire service official said. A bus standing on the opposite side of the building was also damaged in the blast," fire service official Dinomoni Sharma said. It follows the death of three people in an explosion in Dhaka on SundayOn Sunday, three were killed in a suspected gas explosion in Dhaka. On Saturday, seven people were killed and several injured when a fire broke out following an explosion at an oxygen plant in southeastern Bangladesh.

Two Marion directors were "out of the country and will be arrested as soon as they land in India," senior police official Ram Badan Singh told Reuters. Uzbekistan in December said the children died after consuming Marion's cough syrups. The same toxin was found in cough syrups exported to Gambia by another Indian company, Maiden Pharmaceuticals. India in October suspended production at Maiden for violations of manufacturing standards after the World Health Organization said four of its cough syrups may have killed dozens of children in Gambia. The deaths in Gambia and Uzbekistan have dented the image of the $41 billion pharmaceutical industry in India, which is known as the "pharmacy of the world."

☆ India's top court overhauls election commissioner appointment in 'historic' judgment
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-02 | by ( Sakshi Dayal | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

Joseph, delivering the order of a constitution bench that heard several petitions calling for an independent committee to appoint election commissioners. "The election commission of India is to perform the arduous and unenviable task of remaining aloof from all forms of subjugation by and interference from the executive." "They have said the independence of the election commission is absolutely essential for democracy, and for that independence to be assured, you cannot have a system where the government alone appoints the election commissioners," he told reporters outside the court. India's former chief election commissioner, S.Y. Good for the perception of neutrality of the Election Commission."

☆ India to get heat waves this year after hottest February on record
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-28 | by ( Rajendra Jadhav | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

"Enhanced probability of occurrence of heat wave during March to May season is likely over many regions of Central and adjoining Northwest India," the India Meteorological Department (IMD) said in a statement. In March, the crucial month for the maturity of winter-sown crops, above normal maximum temperatures are likely over most parts of the country except peninsular India, it said. India grows only one wheat crop in a year, with planting in October and November, and harvesting from March. A heat wave curtailed India's wheat production in 2022 and forced the world's second largest producer to ban exports. Average maximum temperature in February was 29.54 degrees Celsius, the highest since 1901, when the IMD started keeping weather records.

☆ World Bank's IFC to provide Sri Lanka with $400 mln financing
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-27 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

COLOMBO, Feb 27 (Reuters) - The International Finance Corporation (IFC), the World Bank's investment arm, said it will provide Sri Lanka a $400 million cross-currency swap facility to help fund essential imports. Three private banks, which together deal with over 30% of Sri Lanka's remittances and exports, will receive the facility to fund essential imports, including medicine, food and fertiliser, the IFC said in a statement on Monday. The funds will provide a much needed foreign exchange cushion for Sri Lanka, which is grappling with its worst financial crisis in over seven decades partly triggered by a severe shortage of dollars. IFC is also working on further plans to support client banks with other long-term funding and advisory services in the future, the statement added. Sri Lanka signed a preliminary agreement with the International Monetary Fund (IMF) for a $2.9 billion bailout last September but has to put its debt on a sustainable repayment track before the funds can be disbursed.

☆ Please go home! Indian firm deploys software for work-life balance
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-20 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

The measure comes amid an increased focus on and research into the adverse effect of long working hours on the health and relationships of employees across the world. "The thought behind this is providing employees a good work-life balance so that they can spend time with their families and loved ones," Chief Executive Ajay Golani told Reuters partner ANI. The pop-up created a social media buzz recently when an employee, Tanvi Khandelwal, shared a picture of the warning on a company desktop. "They put this special reminder, which locks my desktop after business hours and issues a warning," Khandelwal shared on LinkedIn a week ago. Kritika Dubey, one of 40 people employed at the company, told ANI that the pop-up helped her leave on time and fulfil other responsibilities at home.

☆ Adani Group reels after report from U.S. short-seller Hindenburg
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-10 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +4 min

It says it holds short positions in Adani Group companies through U.S.-traded bonds and non-Indian-traded derivative instruments. JAN. 26* Adani Group says it is evaluating "remedial and punitive action" against Hindenburg under U.S. and Indian laws. JAN 28* Index provider MSCI says it is seeking feedback on Adani Group and associated securities and is aware of the Hindenburg report. JAN 30* Adani Group issues a detailed riposte to the Hindenburg report, saying it complies with all local laws and had made the necessary regulatory disclosures. * Index provider MSCI says it will cut weightings of four Adani Group companies, including Adani Enterprises, in its indexes after reassessing the number of freely traded shares.

☆ In a first for India, transgender couple become biological parents
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-09 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

NEW DELHI, Feb 9 (Reuters) - A transgender couple are the first in India to become parents biologically, after one of the partners gave birth on Wednesday in Kerala state. The birth of the baby is a milestone for the South Asian nation, where transgender people continue to face discrimination and stigma despite being officially recognised as a "third gender" since 2014. Both Ziya Paval, who was born a man, and her partner, Zahad, who was female by birth, were going through hormonal therapy to change their sex when they conceived. Zahad gave birth at a government hospital on Wednesday and, along with the newborn, is currently under observation in the hospital's intensive care unit. Today is the day I got to hold my baby," Paval told Reuters partner ANI, smiling widely.

☆ India finds Lithium deposits for first time in country
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-09 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: 1 min

NEW DELHI, Feb 9 (Reuters) - The Geological Survey of India (GSI) said on Thursday it has found lithium deposits for the first time in the country. India has lately been looking to strengthen its supply of key minerals, including lithium, that will be critical for furthering its electric vehicle plans. The 5.9 million tonnes of Lithium inferred resources have been established in the Reasi district of the northern union territory of Jammu and Kashmir, the GSI said in a statement. Reporting by Sakshi Dayal; editing by Sudipto GangulyOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

BENGALURU, Feb 7 (Reuters) - Adani Total Private Ltd expects to receive 2.2 million tonnes of liquefied natural gas (LNG) at its terminal at Dhamra on India's eastern coast during the year ending March 2024, the company's chief executive told Reuters on Tuesday. Adani Total has a 20-year take-or-pay contract to provide regasification services to state-run Indian Oil Corp (IOC.NS) for 3 million tonnes of LNG per annum at the Dhamra terminal. Government-run gas distributor GAIL (India) Ltd (GAIL.NS) has a similar 1.5 million tonnes per annum deal. The energy-hungry country expects deeper penetration of city gas distribution to drive LNG demand in the coming years. Global LNG prices eased off record highs in the second half of 2022, amid ample inventories in North Asia and Europe.

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