SOURCE: AFI

Saif Automations Services LLP, a pioneering robotics and automation startup based in Visakhapatnam, has made significant strides in maritime safety by supplying over 200 remote-controlled life buoys to the Indian Navy. These innovative, battery-powered, self-propelled devices, co-engineered with India’s Ministry of Defence, have already been credited with saving 10 lives in real-world rescue operations, marking a transformative step in water rescue technology.

The remote-controlled life buoy, developed under the Innovations for Defence Excellence (iDEX) challenge for Unmanned Surface Vehicles, is designed to perform swift and safe rescues in challenging aquatic environments, including seas, lakes, and rivers. Weighing just 12 kilograms, the buoy is lightweight, portable, and equipped with a high-powered battery that supports up to 90 minutes of operation at moderate load and eight hours of GPS tracking. With a top speed of 7 knots (approximately 14 meters per second), it outpaces human swimmers, reaching distressed individuals faster than traditional rescue methods. Its robust 3-kilometer radio communication range, independent of internet or tower signals, ensures reliability even during adverse conditions like cyclones or network disruptions.

SOURCE: AFI

In the wake of the April 22, 2025, terror attack in Pahalgam, Jammu and Kashmir, which claimed 26 lives, Bharat Karnad, Senior Fellow in National Security Studies at the Centre for Policy Research, New Delhi, has proposed bold and decisive military objectives for India’s retaliation against Pakistan. In a blog post published on April 30, 2025, Karnad argues that capturing the Haji Pir Salient and Skardu, both strategically critical locations in Pakistan-occupied Kashmir (PoK), is “eminently doable” and should be the Indian military’s primary goals to deliver a lasting blow to Pakistan’s asymmetric warfare tactics.

Karnad’s proposal comes amid heightened India-Pakistan tensions following the Pahalgam attack, attributed to The Resistance Front (TRF), a proxy of Pakistan-based Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT). India has already suspended the Indus Waters Treaty, closed its airspace to Pakistani aircraft, and revoked visas for Pakistani nationals, signaling a shift from strategic restraint. However, Karnad criticizes the Indian government’s initial response, including Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s efforts to seek international support, which failed to secure even a mention of “Pahalgam” in a UN Security Council resolution. He urges India to act unilaterally, emphasizing that “India does not need anybody’s permission or support to retaliate harshly against Pakistan for its asymmetric terrorist warfare undermining national security.”

SOURCE: AFI

In the wake of the April 2025 Pahalgam terror attack, which killed 26 civilians in Jammu and Kashmir, some Pakistani commentators, including veteran journalist Najam Sethi, have revived claims labeling India’s past terror incidents, such as the 2016 Pathankot airbase attack, as “false flag” operations orchestrated by India to malign Pakistan. Sethi’s assertions, echoed in a recent interview flagged by X user @DrAyeshaRay on April 28, 2025, align with a broader Pakistani narrative dismissing cross-border terrorism links.

However, these claims are directly contradicted by credible evidence, including investigative reporting by Pakistani journalist Ahmad Noorani, who confirmed in January 2016 that the Pathankot attackers infiltrated from Pakistan, a fact acknowledged by Pakistan’s civilian intelligence and even the Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI). This article debunks Sethi’s false flag narrative, leveraging Noorani’s reporting, official investigations, and strategic context to affirm the Pathankot attack’s Pakistani origins.

SOURCE: AFI

Abhijit Iyer-Mitra, a noted defense analyst, has sparked a critical discussion on India’s strategic approach to potential military strikes against Pakistan. In a recent post on X (@Iyervval ), Iyer-Mitra outlined India’s historical weaknesses in escalation management, the need for public humiliation to deter Pakistan, and the risks of inter-service rivalry complicating operations. With speculation of imminent Indian strikes, his analysis highlights the delicate balance India must strike to achieve its objectives while minimizing the risk of spiraling conflict. This article delves into Iyer-Mitra’s arguments, their implications, and the broader strategic context of India-Pakistan tensions as of April 26, 2025.

Iyer-Mitra identifies India’s primary strategic weakness as its inability to accurately predict escalation dynamics and define clear de-escalation pathways. “India’s great weakness, historically, has been escalation prognostications (how will they respond) & de-escalation pathways (essentially what war termination would entail),” he writes. This refers to India’s challenges in anticipating Pakistan’s response to military actions and planning how to end a conflict without uncontrolled escalation.