SOURCE: ANI

As the Russia-Ukraine conflict raged in 2022, the United States started “preparing rigorously” for a potential nuclear strike by Moscow against Kyiv, in what would have been the first nuclear attack since the US dropping atomic bombs on Hiroshima and Nagasaki nearly eighty years before, CNN reported citing two senior administration officials.

The report stated that outreach from Prime Minister Narendra Modi and other countries also played an important role in averting the crisis.

SOURCE: ANI

Anand Mahindra, the Chairman of the Mahindra Group stressed the importance of private industrial corporations in developing military power while stating that there is a huge opportunity for an Indian version of a military-industrial partnership.

He was addressing the fourth Atal Bihari Vajpayee Memorial lecture, which was organised by the Ministry of External Affairs. Addressing the lecture, Mahindra said, “Without industry, as an actor first two prongs military and soft power would only be pale shadows of themselves. Let’s take military power, to begin with. The development of the military-industrial complex in America was the pivotal factor in building the might of its armed forces and of course.”

SOURCE: AFI

Thales, a leading defense contractor headquartered in Paris, is setting its sights on India’s defense market. The company plans to establish local production of weapon systems and is actively seeking partnerships with Indian firms like L&T Defense, Bharat Forge, and Munitions India Limited (MIL).

Indian foreign policy mandates collaboration with domestic companies for foreign defense firms. Ashish Saraf, Thales’ Vice President and Country Director for India, acknowledged this requirement. He highlighted their existing partnership with MKU, an Indian defense company, for infrared camera manufacturing.

SOURCE: PTI

Prime Minister Narendra Modi will witness ‘Bharat Shakti’, a synergised demonstration of indigenous defence capabilities in the form of a tri-services live fire and manoeuvre exercise, in Rajasthan’s Pokhran on March 12.

Modi will also visit Gujarat on Tuesday to launch multiple development projects, the Prime Minister’s Office (PMO) said in a statement on Sunday.The ‘Bharat Shakti’ will have on display an array of indigenous weapon systems and platforms as a demonstration of the prowess of the country, premised on the nation’s self-reliance initiative, the statement said.

SOURCE: ANI

Defence Minister Rajnath Singh on Sunday said that the world’s leaders and people have a very positive perception of India adding that the country is taking rapid strides internationally.

While addressing the ‘Kayasth Parivar Abinandan programme,’ in Lucknow, the Defence Minister said, “India is taking rapid strides internationally. You people would have gone to foreign countries, today’s situation is highly different from previous days; it’s like poles apart. Earlier during our visits to foreign countries, when we used to give suggestions on International forums, people didn’t take them seriously, but now if we say something, then even a country like America, listens to us and pays attention to our suggestions.”

SOURCE: PTI

Peoples Conference president Sajad Gani Lone on Sunday sought support of the electorate in the Baramulla Lok Sabha constituency and said he will restore the region’s glory and voice the aspirations of the people in the Parliament.

“These elections will undoubtedly pave way for the collective betterment of our region, provided the right choices are made by sending representatives who can truly convey the aspirations and pain of the people of Kashmir in the Parliament,” Lone, who is the party candidate for the Baramulla constituency, said at a convention of the party workers at Baramulla town.

SOURCE: PTI

Union Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw on Saturday hailed Nivetti Systems for the indigenously developed 2.4 tbps router. He termed it a momentous achievement for the country. “I came to Bengaluru for a very special purpose. First indigenously developed 2.4 tbps router. It’s not a very small thing. It’s really a momentous achievement for our country,” Vaishnaw, who holds the Electronics, Communication, Information Technology and Railways portfolios, said at the launch here.

“This is indeed a very big milestone that we have achieved,” he noted.

SOURCE: PTI

Top commanders of the Indian Navy carried out a comprehensive review of the security challenges facing the nation in the maritime domain and vowed to work towards boosting the combat capabilities of the force including in the strategically-located island territories.

India on Wednesday commissioned a new naval base, INS Jatayu, at Minicoy in Lakshadweep islands to enhance its combat prowess amid China’s increasing forays into the Indian Ocean region. Ways to further strengthen India’s maritime prowess figured prominently at the naval commanders’ conference that concluded on Friday.

SOURCE: IANS

The Manipur government will deport 77 Myanmar nationals, including 55 women and five children, by Monday, officials said here. The Myanmar nationals fled to Manipur after the Military junta seized power in that country on February 1, 2021. A senior official said here on Sunday that the first batch of seven Myanmarese was deported on March 8 through the Moreh border town in Manipur’s Tengnoupal district.

The state home department had sought the Assam Rifles support for necessary assistance to the Deputy Commissioner and Superintendent of Police of Tengnoupal district in the deportation process.

SOURCE: AP

Hundreds of Tibetans in exile marched on the streets of New Delhi on Sunday to commemorate the 65th Tibetan National Uprising Day against China. Over 300 protesters gathered near India’s Parliament House and chanted slogans including “Tibet was never a part of China” and “China should leave Tibet.”

The protesters carried Tibetan flags and photographs of their spiritual leader, the Dalai Lama. The 88-year-old Dalai Lama has made the Indian hillside town of Dharmsala his headquarters since fleeing from Tibet after a failed uprising against Chinese rule in 1959. India considers Tibet to be part of China, though it hosts the Tibetan exiles.

SOURCE: PTI

The Adani Group is going to make big investments in the defence sector in the next 10 years in line with the government’s push for achieving self-reliance in defence manufacturing, a top executive of the company said. Ashish Rajvanshi, the CEO of Adani Defence and Aerospace, said the company is complementing the government’s efforts towards ‘Make in India’, noting that “everyone will have to work together” to realise the desired goal.

“We are going to make big investments in the defence sector in the next 10 years,” he said at NDTV’s ‘Defence Summit’ on Thursday. Rajvanshi, however, did not elaborate on the investments.

SOURCE: PTI

Within days of the Maldives inking a defence deal to obtain non-lethal weapons from China, the archipelago nation in the Indian Ocean has acquired drones from Turkey for patrolling its vast exclusive economic zone, according to a media report on Saturday.

The Maldives government is likely to start operations of the drones within the next week. However, the exact number of drones was not clear nor was there any official confirmation from the Maldives’ Ministry of Defence or Foreign Ministry, the report said.

SOURCE: ANI

In a decisive call for urgent action, India’s Permanent Representative to the United Nations, Ruchira Kamboj, emphasised the imperative need for immediate reforms to the United Nations Security Council (UNSC).

Speaking during the 78th session’s informal meeting of the plenary on the reforms of the Security Council, Kamboj expressed frustration over the prolonged discussions, highlighting that nearly a quarter century has passed since world leaders committed to comprehensive reforms at the Millennium Summit in 2000.

SOURCE: AFI

Chennai-based Big Bang Boom Solutions Private Ltd (BBBS) stole the show at the recent India-Nigeria DefExpo, showcasing India’s cutting-edge military technology to the world. Dr. Shiva, a prominent figure at BBBS, unveiled the Vajra Sentinel Systems, an impressive anti-drone system that recently secured a game-changing ?200 crore contract with the Indian Air Force (IAF).

Beyond the Vajra: BBBS didn’t stop there. They also presented a range of other innovative solutions, highlighting India’s advancements in modern warfare tech. The Yudhikshana system impressed with its day and night situational awareness capabilities for armored vehicles, while the Mayil Drone showcased its agility and versatility in confined spaces. Additionally, the AgniQuell system, though not explicitly detailed, likely represents another technological leap forward from BBBS.

SOURCE: REUTERS

India and a trade group of four European nations signed an economic agreement on Sunday aimed at increasing trade and investment, capping nearly 16 years of negotiations, said Union Trade Minister Piyush Goyal.

The deal is a binding agreement for the European Free Trade Association – Switzerland, Norway, Iceland and Liechtenstein – to invest $100 billion over 15 years in the fast-growing market of 1.4 billion people, Mr Goyal said.