SOURCE: Muscat Daily

The seminar provided an opportunity for government-owned and private defence companies from India to come together with officials from the ministries of defence, agriculture and fisheries, and transport, communications and IT in Oman to hold discussions on cooperation in defence production and procurement, a press release stated.

The Indian delegation was headed by Sanjay Mehrishi, Deputy Director General of Exports, Department of Defence Production in the Ministry of Defence, who provided an overview of the advances made by India in the field of defence production.

SOURCE: AFI

Bengaluru-based spacetech startup SatSure has announced an investment plan of $35 million for launching four earth imaging satellites by 2025. Founded in 2017 by former ISRO scientists Prateep Basu, Rashmit Singh Sukhmani, and spacetech entrepreneur Abhishek Raju, SatSure offers high-resolution optical and multispectral data for various applications, including risk management, crop insurance, agriculture, and credit assessment.

Previously relying on third-party satellite imagery, SatSure established a subsidiary called KaleidEO last year for backward integration. KaleidEO’s satellites offer 65 km coverage with one-meter resolution and onboard edge processing capabilities, allowing data customization to meet customer needs.

SOURCE: AFI

Indian security officials have stated that Canada has not shared any evidence with India regarding the alleged involvement of Indian intelligence agencies in the murder of Khalistan terrorist Hardeep Nijjar, who was based in Surrey. Despite meetings between Canadian National Security Advisor Jody Thomas and Indian intelligence officials before the G-20 summit in Delhi, no intelligence or evidence was provided to implicate India in Nijjar’s killing.

Indian officials have deemed Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau’s allegations as politically motivated and unsupported by credible evidence. They argue that the US and Canada’s other Five Eyes and G7 alliance partners have been drawn into the issue without proper substantiation. While US Ambassador to Canada David Cohen mentioned “shared intelligence among Five Eyes partners,” Indian officials maintain that no credible evidence has been shared with India.

SOURCE: AFI

Amid escalating diplomatic tensions between India and Canada, Indian higher education platforms are advising students to consider universities in the UK and the US as alternative study destinations. The Indian government suspended visa services for Canadian nationals starting September 21, 2023, raising concerns among students planning to study in Canada or already in the application process.

Canada, historically a top destination for Indian students, has now lost its appeal due to the uncertain situation. Educational counselors are suggesting other options, leading to a shift in preferences among Indian students.

SOURCE: PTI

Defence Minister Rajnath Singh on Monday inaugurated a mega drone show being hosted at the Hindon airbase here. The show — Bharat Drone Shakti 2023 — is being jointly organised by the Indian Air Force and Drone Federation of India (DFI).

Mr Singh opened the mega drone show and also watched a few aerial demonstrations of the drones. Later, he also visited the exhibition area and some of the stalls.

SOURCE: PTI

The first C-295 medium tactical transport aircraft was inducted into the Indian Air Force on Monday, boosting its logistics capabilities. The induction ceremony took place at the Hindan Air Force Station here in the presence of Defence Minister Rajnath Singh. He later took part in a ‘Sarva Dharma Pooja’ that was performed in the hangar to mark the occasion.

IAF chief Air Chief Marshal V R Chaudhari along with senior officials of the IAF as well as of Airbus attended the induction ceremony.

SOURCE: ANI

Indian army contingents participating in joint military exercise ‘Yudh Abhyas 2023’ with the US army on Monday departed New Delhi for Alaska. “#IndianArmy contingents participating in the Joint Military Exercise #YudhAbhyas with #USArmy and ‘ADMM plus EWG’ with #ASEAN Nations departed from #NewDelhi,” Additional Directorate General of Public Information of the Indian Army wrote on ‘X’ formerly Twitter on Monday.

“Before departure, Director General #Infantry interacted with the contingents and encouraged the contingents to display the highest standards of training & imbibe the best practices of the participating nations,” the tweet read. The exercise will entail exchanging the best practices, enhancing interoperability and strengthening the bond between the two Armies. “Indian Army contingent will be participating in 19th Edition of joint military Exercise Yudh Abhyas at Fort Wainwright, Alaska, USA.

SOURCE: PTI

Amid controversy over China’s decision to deny visas to three Indian wushu players from Arunachal Pradesh for the Asian Games, Chinese envoy Zha Liyou has called for strengthening bilateral relations on a healthy and stable track.

Currently, relations between the two countries are “generally stable, and the leaders of the two countries maintain dialogue and communication”, said Liyou, Chinese consul general in Kolkata.

SOURCE: AFI

India and Australia are recognizing the growing importance of addressing subsurface challenges in their shared maritime domain, especially as they expand their submarine fleets. With nearly 15 countries operating submarines in the Indian Ocean region, there’s a critical need to develop underwater search and rescue capabilities, making collaboration between India and Australia highly relevant.

In 2021, both nations responded swiftly to assist Indonesia in locating the disabled submarine KRI Nanggala, underscoring the necessity for improved underwater search and rescue capabilities in the region. This tragic incident highlighted the complexities and challenges of conducting such operations in the Indian Ocean.

SOURCE: REUTERS

A bitter row between India and Canada over the murder of a Sikh separatist is being felt in Punjab. Sikhs in the north-western Indian state fear both a backlash from the country’s Hindu-nationalist government and a threat to their prospects for a better life in North America. The slain Sikh separatist was Mr Hardeep Singh Nijjar, who left Punjab a quarter century ago and became a Canadian citizen.

Mr Nijjar advocated the creation of an independent Sikh state out of Indian Punjab. India labelled him a terrorist in 2020.

SOURCE: AFI

In a concerning development, the Indian government has issued a cybersecurity advisory warning of cyberattacks targeting Indian defence personnel. These attacks are orchestrated by Pakistani cyber attackers who have adopted a new tactic by using websites registered under the .IN domain.

This tactic is significant because the .IN domain is India’s top-level country code internet domain, making it challenging to determine the true origin and operators of these websites. As a result, it becomes more challenging for potential victims to discern the legitimacy of these sites.

SOURCE: ANI

The Indian Community in Canada is concerned over the recent strain in relations between the two countries following Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau’ allegations regarding the Indian government’s involvement in the fatal shooting of Khalistan Tiger Force chief Hardeep Singh Nijjar in Canada.

Senior Canadian Journalist Harleem Sadia said that the Indian community has concerns which are very genuine. She said common people are now finding it difficult to travel to India and Canada. It is difficult for people who lead normal lives, have regular jobs.

SOURCE: IANS

Punjab Police on Monday conducted raids on premises of the associates of Khalistani extremist Lakhbir Singh Sandhu, alias Landa, who is on the radar of National Investigation Agency (NIA) in Ferozepur district, bordering Pakistan, officials said.

Raids have been conducted at 48 places and many people have been detained. Landa and Harwinder Singh Sandhu, alias Rinda, both ISI-backed operatives have been accused of promoting the terror activities of Babbar Khalsa International (BKI) in India.