Article below as its paywalled for many.

The Surprising Striver in the World’s Space Business

With at least 140 registered space-tech start-ups, India stands to transform the planet’s connection to the final frontier.

Pawan Kumar Chandana, center, the chief executive of Skyroot Aerospace, and his business partner, Bharath Daka, on his right. Mr. Chandana anticipates a global need for 30,000 satellites to be launched this decade.Credit...Atul Loke for The New York Times

When it launched its first rocket in 1963, India was a poor country pursuing the world’s most cutting-edge technology. That projectile, its nose cone wheeled to the launchpad by a bicycle, put a small payload 124 miles above the Earth. India was barely pretending to keep up with the United States and the Soviet Union.

In today’s space race, India has found much surer footing.

In a sleek and spacious rocket hangar an hour south of Hyderabad, a hub to India’s tech start-ups, a crowd of young engineers pored over a tiny, experimental cryogenic thruster engine. The two founders of Skyroot Aerospace, talking between blasts of hissing steam, explained their exhilaration at seeing a rocket of their own design mount India’s first private satellite launch last November. These new thrusters will guide Skyroot’s next one into orbit this year, with a much more valuable payload.

Suddenly India has become home to at least 140 registered space-tech start-ups, comprising a local research field that stands to transform the planet’s connection to the final frontier. It’s one of India’s most sought-after sectors for venture capital investors. The start-ups’ growth has been explosive, leaping from five when the pandemic started. And they see a big market to serve. Pawan Kumar Chandana, 32, Skyroot’s chief executive, anticipates a global need for 30,000 satellites to be launched this decade.

India’s importance as a scientific power is taking center stage. When President Biden hosted Prime Minister Narendra Modi in Washington last month, the White House’s statement said the two leaders “called for enhanced commercial collaboration between the U.S. and Indian private sectors in the entire value chain of the space economy.” Both countries see space as an arena in which India can emerge as a counterweight to their mutual rival: China.

For its first three decades, the Indian Space Research Organization, or ISRO, the local version of NASA, made the country proud: An image of India’s first satellite graced the two-rupee note until 1995. Then for a while India paid less attention to its space ambitions, with young researchers focused on more tangible developments in information technology and pharmaceuticals. Now India is not only the world’s most populous country but also its fastest-growing large economy and a thriving center of innovation.

The business of space has changed, too. Driven more by private enterprise than by gigantic government budgets, space technology is fulfilling smaller-scale, commercial purposes. Imaging systems feed information about the planet back to Earth, helping India’s farmers insure their crops or commercial fishing fleets track their catch. Satellites bring phone signals to the country’s remotest corners and help operate solar farms far from India’s megacities.

Since June 2020, when Mr. Modi announced a push for the space sector, opening it up to all kinds of private enterprise, India has launched a network of businesses, each driven by original research and homegrown talent. Last year, the space start-ups raked in $120 million in new investment, at a rate that is doubling or tripling annually.

As ISRO, pronounced ISS-ro, makes room for new private players, it shares with them a profitable legacy. Its spaceport, on the coastal island of Sriharikota, is near the Equator and suitable for launches into different orbital levels. The government agency’s “workhorse” rocket is one of the world’s most reliable for heavy loads. With a success rate of almost 95 percent, it has halved the cost of insurance for a satellite — making India one of the most competitive launch sites in the world.

And there is money to be made launching equipment into space: That market is worth about $6 billion this year and could triple in value by 2025.

In Hyderabad, the working loft occupied by Dhruva Space, which deploys satellites and was India’s first space start-up, is modishly littered with dummy satellites, atmospherically controlled labs known as clean rooms and an artificial-gravity testing rig. In any given month, Kranthi Chand, its head of strategy, is hardly there, as he spends about one week in Europe and another in the United States, rounding up clients and investors.

It was Elon Musk who stole India’s — and the world’s — thunder on the space business. His company, SpaceX, and its relaunchable rockets brought down the cost of sending heavy objects into orbit so much that India could not compete. Even today, from American spaceports at $6,500 per kilogram, SpaceX’s launches are the cheapest anywhere.

India has an abundance of affordable engineers, but their smaller salaries alone cannot beat the competition. That leaves an Indian company like Skyroot concentrating on more specialized services.

“We are more like a cab,” Mr. Chandana said. His company charges higher rates for smaller-payload launches, whereas SpaceX “is more like a bus or a train, where they take all their passengers and put them in one destination,” he said.

SpaceX propelled India’s start-up energies toward space. By the time Mr. Modi made it a priority, some of ISRO’s own engineers were getting into the game, including Mr. Chandana of Skyroot and his partner, Bharath Daka, 33.

One of India’s advantages is geopolitical. Two countries that have long offered lower-cost options for launches are Russia and China. But the war in Ukraine has all but ended Russia’s role as a competitor. OneWeb, a British satellite start-up, took a $230 million hit after Russia impounded 36 of its spacecraft in September. OneWeb then turned to India’s ISRO to send its next constellation of satellites into orbit. Likewise, the U.S. government would be more likely to approve any American company’s sending military-grade technology through India than through China.

India’s vendor ecosystem is staggering in size. Decades of doing business with ISRO created about 400 private companies in clusters around Bengaluru, Hyderabad, Pune and elsewhere, each devoted to building special screws, sealants and other products fit for space. One hundred may collaborate on a single launch.

Skyroot and Dhruva work in the relatively sexy sectors of launch and satellite delivery, but together those account for only 8 percent of India’s space business pie. A much bigger slice comes from companies that specialize in collecting data beamed by satellite.

Pixxel is a notable start-up in that area. It has developed an imaging system to detect patterns on the Earth’s surface that lie outside the range of ordinary color vision. It has headquarters in Bengaluru and an office in Los Angeles — as well as a contract with a secretive agency within the Pentagon. Even bigger chunks of the satellite business will inevitably go to consumer broadband and TV services, beamed down from low orbit.

In Skyroot’s hangar, its engineers turned entrepreneurs, educated at two of the original Indian Institutes of Technology and given on-the-ground experience working at ISRO, talk the language of venture-capital funding. After “the seed round,” Mr. Chandana recounts, “next is the series A, that was around 11 million, and then there’s a bridge round of 4.5 million.”

The company has raised $68 million, after four rounds. But they have no plans to cash out anytime soon. They are palpably more excited about the science than the business, which neither of them studied. Running a company, Mr. Chandana said, is “just common sense.”

During his US trip, Rahul Gandhi denigrated India, and the Indian government and made factually inaccurate claims about India’s history, its democracy, and its leaders.

Mary Millben (left), Rahul Gandhi (right), images via The Telegraph and India Today

On Friday (June 30), American singer Mary Millben slammed Congress leader Rahul Gandhi for bad-mouthing India during his international trips. The official singer of the White House made the remarks during an interview with journalist Rohan Dua of The New Indian.

On being asked about Rahul Gandhi’s recent trip to the US, she said, “Well, I caught glimpses of his speeches and thoughts, and honestly, I don’t personally know Mr. Rahul, so I don’t want to make unkind comments.”

Mary Millben emphasised, “However, it’s difficult for any country to support a leader who constantly speaks negatively about their own nation. A true leader appreciates their heritage and values their country. That’s why Prime Minister Modi is adored in India and respected worldwide.”

White House’s official singer Mary Millben Slams Rahul Gandhi

In listening to some of the speeches by Rahul on his ambitions, I can say that it’s very hard for any country or its citizens to sign up or vote for a leader who doesn’t speak well of his own country. The mark of a… pic.twitter.com/DY4Kn5i6Bb

- Rohan Dua (@rohanduaT02) June 30, 2023

During his 10-day trip to the United States, Rahul Gandhi spoke at the National Press Club, Stanford University and also, to ‘think tanks’, allegedly discussing relations between the two countries.

He also denigrated India, and the Indian government and made factually inaccurate claims about India’s history, its democracy, and its leaders. The Congress leader also met activist Sunita Vishwanath, known for her ties with George Soros’ Open Society Foundations (OSF) and Indian American Muslim Council (IAMC).

Mary Millben on Barack Obama’s anti-India remarks

On being asked about the contentious remarks made by Barack Obama during PM Modi’s official State visit to the US, the American singer said, “I felt that it was quite arrogant of the former president to upstage the current President of the United States, who happened to be his vice president in his own party, during such an important week for both the President and the Prime Minister.”

“I found it to be quite arrogant, to be honest,” she said, adding that the world is witnessing an alarming rise in religious persecution.

International Singer Mary Millben comments on former President Obama’s comments against India. "I found it quite arrogant for the former President to upstage the current US President during such an important State Visit for the United States and @PMOIndia @narendramodi. Watch… pic.twitter.com/QOxQQr9KVV

- Mary Millben (@MaryMillben) July 1, 2023

On June 22 this year, the former US President courted controversy by virtue-signalling India about its ‘human rights’ record. Obama, who has a notorious record as a potential war criminal, suggested that the Indian Prime Minister must be told by the Biden administration about protecting the ‘Muslim minority in a majority Hindu India.’

He also hinted at another ‘partition’ if India, under the Modi government, did not mend its ways. The ex-US President said, “If President (Joe Biden) meets with Prime Minister (Narendra) Modi, the protection of Muslim minority in a majority Hindu India is something worth mentioning.”

Barack Obama also claimed, “If I had a conversation with Prime Minister Modi, then, part of the conversation would be that if you do not protect the rights of minorities, then there is a strong possibility that India at some point starts pulling apart…That would be contrary to the interests of India.”

The former US President made the contentious remarks during an interview with CNN news host Christiane Amanpour, just hours before PM Modi made his historic address at the joint session of the US Congress.

Reports suggest that the woman came in contact with a local man via the online game PUBG. The man, a Greater Noida resident, has also been detained by the police.

On 3rd July, Noida Police said they had detained a Pakistani woman and her four children who were staying illegally in Greater Noida. Deputy Police Commissioner (Greater Noida) Saad Miya Khan said in a statement, “The Pakistani woman and the local man have been detained. The woman’s four children are also in police custody.”

Reports suggest that the woman came in contact with a local man via the online game PUBG. The man, a Greater Noida resident, has also been detained by the police.

DCP Khan said, “The man and the woman are being questioned right now. Further details and facts will be shared once the questioning is over.” As per the police, the woman, identified as Seema, entered India via Nepal around a month ago. She met Greater Noida resident 22-year-old Sachin till 30th June night. Police said she did not have any valid documents to stay in India. Sachin and Seema were trying to get married.

However, the police were informed about the woman over suspicion of being a spy. When the police started investigating her, they all fled from the house. The police are investigating if it was just a matter of a love affair or if there was a conspiracy behind it.

As per Amar Ujala’s report, Seema met Sachin online while playing PUBG. They shared numbers soon after and started talking to each other. After a few days, they fell in love with each other. Seema told Sachin she was a resident of Sindh province. Later, they decided to live together. Seema got a visa for Nepal and entered India illegally.

The police learned about the woman and her four children when the couple gathered information on how they could get married. Reports suggest that the advocate whom they approached got suspicious and informed the police as she told him that her brother was a Pakistani Army personnel. Sachin told the advocate that he wanted to complete the process quickly, as Seema was forcing him to take her on a Delhi tour. The advocate got suspicious and informed the police.

Earlier in March this year, Khalistan supporters attacked the Indian consulate in San Francisco, damaged the property and waved Khalistan flags.

Indian consulate in San Francisco on fire, images via AP and Twitter/ Diya TV

On Sunday morning (July 2, local time), Khalistanis carried out an arson attack on the Indian consulate in San Francisco city of United States.

As per reports, the extremists set the building on fire between 1:30 am and 2:30 am on Sunday. However, the damage was limited and the staffers escaped unharmed.

The fire was quickly doused by the San Francisco fire department. The local, State and federal authorities were also notified about the incident. A video of the incident has now gone viral on social media.

ARSON ATTEMPT AT SF INDIAN CONSULATE: #DiyaTV has verified with @CGISFO @NagenTV that a fire was set early Sunday morning between 1:30-2:30 am in the San Francisco Indian Consulate. The fire was suppressed quickly by the San Francisco Department, damage was limited and no… pic.twitter.com/bHXNPmqSVm

-Diya TV – 24/7 * Free * Local (@DiyaTV) July 3, 2023

In a statement, the official spokesperson of the US State Department Matthew Miller said, The U.S. strongly condemns the reported vandalism and attempted arson against the Indian Consulate in San Francisco on Saturday. Vandalism or violence against diplomatic facilities or foreign diplomats in the U.S. is a criminal offense.

The U.S. strongly condemns the reported vandalism and attempted arson against the Indian Consulate in San Francisco on Saturday. Vandalism or violence against diplomatic facilities or foreign diplomats in the U.S. is a criminal offense

-Matthew Miller (@StateDeptSpox) July 3, 2023

Earlier in March this year, Khalistan supporters launched an attack on the Indian consulate in San Francisco. A video of the attack surfaced on social media wherein Khalistani elements were damaging the property and waving Khalistan flags.

The extremists broke through makeshift security barriers installed by the local authorities, installed two Khalistani flags inside the consulate, and caused significant damage to the building. Two consulate personnel later removed the flags.

In this video you can see how Khalistani elements attacked the Indian consulate in San Francisco after Indian officials removed Khalistani flags from consulate property. #india #indiansinusa #bharat pic.twitter.com/LT1fz8GoPA

-PunFact (@pun_fact) March 20, 2023

On Monday (June 3), External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar said that India would take up the issue of Khalistanis, threatening Indian diplomats in posters circulated in Canada, with the Trudeau government.

While speaking to the media, he added that India has urged its partner countries like Canada, the United States, the UK, and Australia not to give space to the Khalistanis. “This will affect our relations. We will raise this poster issue with the government of these countries,” he said. The statement came after Khalistani posters carrying threats to Indian diplomats were circulated in Canada.

Chandrayaan-3 be launched by Geosynchronous Satellite Launch Vehicle Mark-III from the Satish Dhawan Space Centre in Sriharikota

ISRO on Wednesday announced that the launch of Chandrayaan-3 has been scheduled for mid-July. ISRO Chairman S Somnath said the agency is now awaiting its integration with the rocket.

“The Chandrayaan-3 is already fully built, assembled inside the fairing and we are waiting for integration with the rocket. Currently, the window of opportunity is between 12-19 of July, and we will take the earliest possible date,” Somnath said.

VIDEO | Chandrayaan-3 to be launched in July. "The Chandrayaan-3 is already fully built, assembled inside the fairing and we are waiting for integration with the rocket. Currently, the window of opportunity is between 12-19 of July, and we will take the earliest possible date,"… pic.twitter.com/oQhTARAJu9

-Press Trust of India (@PTI_News) June 28, 2023

The ISRO chief said that the window of opportunity to launch is between 12-19 July and the exact date will be announced once all tests are complete. Even so, some reports say the launch date has been fixed 13 July at 2.30 pm. It will be launched by Geosynchronous Satellite Launch Vehicle Mark-III from the Satish Dhawan Space Centre in Sriharikota.

Chandrayaan-3 is India’s third lunar mission and a follow-on mission to Chandrayaan-2 to demonstrate end-to-end capability in safe landing and roving on the lunar surface. Chandrayaan-3 consists of an indigenous Lander module (LM), a Propulsion module (PM) and a Rover with the objective of developing and demonstrating new technologies required for Interplanetary missions.

The GSLV-Mk3 will place the integrated module in an Elliptic Parking Orbit (EPO) of around 170 x 36500 km size.

The propulsion module will carry the LM from launch vehicle injection till final lunar 100 km circular polar orbit and separate the LM from the PM. The propulsion module has a Spectro-polarimetry of Habitable Planet Earth (SHAPE) payload to study the spectral and Polari metric measurements of Earth from the lunar orbit. It has been added as a value addition which will be operated after the separation of the Lander Module.

The Lander will have the capability to soft land at a specified lunar site and deploy the Rover which will carry out in-situ chemical analysis of the lunar surface during the course of its mobility. The Lander and the Rover have scientific payloads to carry out experiments on the lunar surface.

The Lander will carry several instruments to study the lunar surface. These include Surface Thermophysical Experiment (ChaSTE) to measure the thermal conductivity and temperature, an instrument for Lunar Seismic Activity (ILSA) for measuring the seismicity around the landing site, and Langmuir Probe (LP) to estimate the plasma density and its variations. A passive Laser Retroreflector Array from NASA is also accommodated for lunar laser ranging studies.

The rover module will carry Alpha Particle X-ray Spectrometer (APXS) and Laser Induced Breakdown Spectroscope (LIBS) for deriving the elemental composition in the vicinity of the landing site.

The mission objectives of Chandrayaan-3 are:

To demonstrate Safe and Soft Landing on Lunar Surface To demonstrate Rover roving on the moon and To conduct in-situ scientific experiments.

The launch was originally scheduled for 2021 but was postponed owing to the Covid-19 pandemic.

Aditya-L1 Mission

The ISRO chief also gave an update on Aditya-L1 Mission, India’s first mission to study the sun. “Satellites are now getting integrated. Payloads have been developed by various agencies. It has reached the satellite center. Payloads are getting integrated into satellites and it will go through a series of testing,” he said.

#WATCH | ISRO chief S Somanath gives an update on Aditya-L1 Mission, India's first mission to study the Sun.

He says, "…We are targeting that by August end, Aditya can go." pic.twitter.com/qyOexGlUfw

-ANI (@ANI) June 28, 2023

ISRO’s target is to launch Aditya-L1 by the end of August this year.

Aditya L1 will be the first space-based Indian mission to study the Sun. The spacecraft shall be placed in a halo orbit around the Lagrange point 1 (L1) of the Sun-Earth system, which is about 1.5 million km from the Earth. A satellite placed in the halo orbit around the L1 point has the major advantage of continuously viewing the Sun without any occultation/eclipses. This will provide a greater advantage of observing the solar activities and their effect on space weather in real-time.

The spacecraft carries seven payloads to observe the photosphere, chromosphere and the outermost layers of the Sun (the corona) using electromagnetic and particle and magnetic field detectors.

The training module covered issues like conduct during the mission, actions required during medical exigencies, and technical aspects of aircraft and rescue equipment.

First batch of Crew Module Recovery Team Completes Phase-1 Training (Image Credit - PIB/Ministry of Defence)

The first batch of crew module recovery for Mission Gaganyaan has successfully completed Phase-1 training at the Indian Navy’s Water Survival Training Facility (WSTF) in Kochi, reported the Ministry of Defence’s official statement dated 2nd of July.

As per Ministry’s statement, the team includes Indian Naval divers and the Marine Commandos. They utilised state-of-the-art facilities and underwent recovery training of crew modules in varied sea conditions.

The team underwent rigorous training for two weeks. The training module covered issues like conduct during the mission, actions required during medical exigencies, and technical aspects of aircraft and rescue equipment. Notably, the standard operating procedures (SOPs) have been jointly formulated by the Indian Navy and ISRO.

The Ministry said. “The two weeks training capsule covered a brief on the conduct of the mission, actions to be taken during medical exigencies, and familiarisation with different aircraft and their rescue equipment.”

As per Times of India, this team will participate in the recovery of the unpressurised crew module that will be used in the first abort test mission, which ISRO has planned in August.

Subsequently, the team was greeted by Dr. Mohan M, Director of the Human Space Flight Centre, ISRO.

After the completion of the initial phase of training for the first batch, the recovery training program will progress incrementally. It will include unmanned recovery followed by manned recovery training in both harbor and open sea conditions.

The Indian Navy, in collaboration with other government agencies, is taking the lead in overseeing the recovery operations.

As per media reports, the crew trained here at Indian Navy’s WSTF will now be involved in the recovery of test launches planned by ISRO in the forthcoming months.

Mission Gaganyaan

Notably, Mission Gaganyaan is India’s first manned space mission. It was announced by PM Modi during his Independence Day speech in 2018. The mission aims to demonstrate India’s human spaceflight capability. Additionally, with the manned space mission, India wants to join the League of elite nations that are capable of sending humans to space.

As per the mission statement, a three-member crew will be launched to an orbit of 400 km for a three-day mission. Subsequently, they will be brought back safely to earth, by landing in Indian sea waters.

The estimated timeframe for the final launch with Indian astronauts onboard is the fourth quarter of 2024.

Cisco, a global technology leader, announced today that it will start manufacturing in India, a major step in the expansion of its footprint in the country. This move is a part of Cisco’s strategy to create an even more diverse and resilient global supply chain and support India’s vision of becoming a global manufacturing hub. With this latest investment, Cisco will cater to the growing demand from customers in India and aims to drive more than $1 billion in combined domestic production and exports in the coming years.

The creation of a new manufacturing operation was announced by Cisco Chair and CEO Chuck Robbins in New Delhi, following a meeting with Prime Minister Narendra Modi, and a series of strategic engagements with Dr.S. Jaishankar, External Affairs Minister, Rajeev Chandrasekhar, Union Minister of State for Entrepreneurship, Skill Development, Electronics & Technology, B.V.R. Subrahmanyam, CEO of NITI Aayog, and K. Rajaraman, Telecom Secretary.

“Today, we are announcing strategic investments in Indian manufacturing capabilities as the next step in delivering cutting-edge technologies to our customers in India and across the globe,” said Chuck Robbins, chair and CEO of Cisco. “Fueled by a rapidly developing digital economy, India is a focal point of innovation and business for Cisco, and we remain deeply committed to our partnerships here.”

As organizations in India and across the globe fast-track their digitization, their technology needs are growing and evolving rapidly. The manufacturing facility will build Cisco’s best-in-class technology, designed to provide flexible, cost-effective delivery of next-generation services and applications and support complex cloud computing environments. The products can meet companies’ dynamic demands as they strive to foster agility in an increasingly hybrid, digital-first world.

Cisco is now building core manufacturing capabilities in India, including testing, development and logistics, and expanding in-house repair operations. In addition to supporting supply chain resiliency, reducing lead times, and elevating customer experience, this will add further impetus to the local economy.

“India is of strategic importance for Cisco, and we continue to bet on India. Today’s announcement marks a significant milestone to power the next phase of growth for Cisco. This investment will enable us to bring state-of-the-art technologies to more people and businesses and help accelerate India’s transition into a leading digital economy,” said Daisy Chittilapilly, President, Cisco India & SAARC.

India is a key market for Cisco and its second largest R&D center outside the US. Since commencing operations in India in 1995, Cisco has focused on helping the country digitize at scale and speed, including accelerating the transformation of critical sectors like transport, agriculture, including through the Country Digitization Acceleration program, and building a skilled workforce through the Cisco Networking Academy program.

The Artemis Accords is a non-binding multilateral arrangement between the United States government and other world governments.

The National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) and the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) are developing a strategic framework for human spaceflight operations this year according to senior US Administration officials.

This comes amidst Prime Minister Narendra Modi's first State visit to the US.

"In the space sector, we will be able to announce that India is signing the Artemis Accords, which advance a common vision for space exploration for the benefit of all humankind," Senior US Administration officials said on Thursday.

Also, they said that NASA and Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) are developing a strategic framework for human spaceflight operations this year.

The Artemis Accords is a non-binding multilateral arrangement between the United States government and other world governments participating in the American-led effort to return humans to the Moon by 2025.

The senior officials also said that the Indian National Semiconductor mission will receive $800 million (roughly Rs. 6,600 crore) from Micron Technology in setting for setting up semiconductor assembly and test facilities in India.

Recently, India and the US signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) on establishing the Semiconductor Supply chain during India - USA 5th Commercial Dialogue 2023, which can help India realize its long-nurtured dream of becoming a hub for electronic goods.

Speaking to ANI, the officials said, "With respect to semiconductors, Micron Technology with support from the Indian National Semiconductor mission announced an investment of more than $800 million (roughly Rs. 6,600 crore) that together with additional financial support from the Indian authorities up to a $2.75 billion (roughly Rs. 22,600 crore) semiconductor assembly and test facility in India".

"In the semiconductors sector, another semiconductor manufacturing equipment company is going to announce a training programme for 60,000 Indian engineers in the country," they added.

The officials said that the two governments are working together on advanced telecommunications including 5G and open routing systems.

"On advanced telecommunications, we are working together on 5G and other technologies, including open routing systems. We will be announcing partnerships on open field trials and rollouts, including scale deployments in both US and India with operators and vendors, markets. This will involve backing from the US International Development Finance, cooperation, and to promote the deployments in India," they told ANI.

The officials further said that US intends to open two new consulates in India.

"The United States intends to open a new consulate in Bengaluru and one other city. India looks forward to announcing new consulates in the United States," the US administration officials said.

Taiwanese companies operating in China are looking at "decoupling" the global supply chain from that country.

Leading Taiwanese technology firms are looking at relocating their manufacturing bases to India to bring down their exposure to the Chinese market, top policymakers in the Taiwan government have said, amid the self-governed island's increasingly tense relations with China.

Deputy Minister for Taiwan's National Development Kao Shien-Quey said there is huge scope for collaboration between New Delhi and Taipei in areas of emerging and critical technologies including manufacturing of semiconductors and electronics equipment.

In an interaction with a group of international journalists, she said major Taiwanese technology giants are looking at India as a key destination to strengthen their global supply chains.

Kristy Tsun-tzu Hsu, the director at premier policy think-tank Taiwan ASEAN Studies Center at Chung-Hua Institution of Economic Research, described India as an important country for Taiwan and said Taiwanese companies operating in China are looking at "decoupling" the global supply chain from that country while maintaining it for the domestic consumers.

Leading Taiwanese companies are increasingly looking at relocating their production bases from China to countries in Europe, North America, the US and India in view of Washington's trade dispute with Beijing and the Chinese military's increasing muscle-flexing around Taiwan.

The relationship between China and Taiwan has become increasingly strained after US House Speaker Nancy Palosi's visit to the island in August last year.

India is keen on having production facilities of leading Taiwanese chip producers including Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Corporation (TSMC), the world's largest chipmaker whose clients included Apple.

"With the larger context of global supply chain restructuring and the 'China plus one' strategy, I am sure that we will see an acceleration of collaboration between the two sides in the field of semiconductor and information and communication industry," Shien-quey said.

It is learnt that a sizable number of Taiwanese companies are going to set up production bases at two industrial parks in India which are being set up exclusively for leading industries from Taiwan.

Talks are in the final stages for a Taiwanese semiconductor company to set up a manufacturing facility in India, an official said on condition of unanimity.

Taiwan produces over close to 70 percent of the world's semiconductors and over 90 percent of the most advanced chips that are required for almost all electronic equipment such as smartphones, car components, data centres, fighter jets and AI technologies.

The 'China-Plus-one' strategy aims at encouraging businesses to expand their operations outside of China while maintaining their presence in that country.

"We are actively promoting the diversification of the production bases of the Taiwanese companies and we would like them to move their production bases to other countries with a like-minded value system," Shien-quey said.

Tsun-tzu Hsu said the Indian economy is significantly large and the view is that it can provide some opportunity for Taiwan to change its trade dynamics with China.

"It is not only about trade. It is more about strategic collaboration. Our companies were considering moving to India even before the beginning of the US-China trade war because the Indian economy is so large that it can provide some opportunity to Taiwan to change the dynamics with China and reduce its dependence on China," she said.

Tsun-tzu Hsu said the Taiwanese government has been trying to negotiate a trade deal with India to expand the trade basket.

Taiwan-based Foxconn, which is Apple's largest supplier, has an iPhone manufacturing facility in Tamil Nadu.

The company is now setting up another iPhone production facility in Karnataka that is expected to start production by April next year.

New Delhi and Taipei inked a landmark bilateral investment pact nearly five years back that seeks to protect Taiwanese investment in India.

The bilateral trade between India and Taiwan is on an upswing. The volume of trade increased from $2 billion (roughly Rs. 16,361 crore) in 2006 to $8.9 billion (roughly Rs. 72,806 crore) in 2021.

"Recently, we see new momentum in Taiwanese companies moving to India and expanding their operations. The expansion of Foxconn is one such example," Tsun-tzu Hsu said.

Deputy Minister Shien-quey said there is a lot of room for collaboration between India and Taiwan in the area of semiconductor manufacturing.

"India is strong in its software capabilities while Taiwan is strong in hardware and manufacturing in the ICT sector. There is a lot of room for complimentary collaboration here. Secondly, India enjoys a very huge domestic market. So this is also an incentive for investment," she said.

The deputy minister said the operations by Foxconn in India are expected to encourage more technology companies to invest in India.

"Since Foxconn is already there (India) and some of the suppliers in the lower part of the supply chain for Foxconn are also in India, I am sure that this will attract more companies to invest in the upstream of the value chain," she said.

China considers Taiwan as its breakaway province and insists it should be unified with the mainland, by force if necessary. Taiwan, however, sees itself as completely distinct from China.

India does not have formal diplomatic ties with Taiwan but both sides have trade and people-to-people relations.

Following the eastern Ladakh border row with China, some experts in India have been pushing for upgrading New Delhi's ties with Taipei, especially in the trade and investment sectors.

Despite his active war-mongering and mass killing of civilians in the name of drone attacks against terror groups, Barack Obama was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize in 2009.

On Thursday (June 22), former US President Barack Obama courted controversy by virtue-signalling India about its ‘human rights’ record.

Obama, who has a notorious record as a potential war criminal, suggested that the Indian Prime Minister must be told by the Biden administration about protecting the ‘Muslim minority in a majority Hindu India.’ He also hinted at another ‘partition’ if India, under the Modi government, did not mend its ways.

The former US President made the contentious remarks during an interview with CNN news host Christiane Amanpour, just hours before PM Modi made his historic address at the joint session of the US Congress.

He said, “If President (Joe Biden) meets with Prime Minister (Narendra) Modi, the protection of Muslim minority in a majority Hindu India is something worth mentioning.”

Barack Obama also claimed, “If I had a conversation with Prime Minister Modi, then, part of the conversation would be that if you do not protect the rights of minorities, then there is a strong possibility that India at some point starts pulling apart…That would be contrary to the interests of India”

The former US President, who is now mouthing platitudes about protecting the interests of Muslims in India, has been single-handedly responsible for the death of 100s of innocent people in Muslim-majority countries.

Human rights record of ‘war monger’ Barack Obama

Barack Obama scripted history in 2008 by being the first African-American man to become the President of the United States. In 2016, he also created another record of being the only President to take the country to war during the entirety of his 8-year term.

As per a report by the ‘Bureau of Investigative Journalism’, Obama oversaw more drone strikes (54) in his first year than George W Bush did in his entire term. Prior to his Presidency, he would talk about ending ‘dumb wars’ but did the opposite when he came to power.

Barack Obama, who holds the distinction of being a Nobel Peace Prize Winner, reportedly launched airstrikes in at least seven Muslim-majority countries of Afghanistan, Yemen, Somalia, Iraq, Syria, Libya and Pakistan.

He sanctioned the use of a whopping 563 drone strikes and killed 3797 people in this process. In one instance, a CIA drone strike targeted a funeral in Pakistan, which led to the death of 41 civilians in Pakistan.

More than 89 civilians in the same country were killed by the Obama administration over the course of 128 targeted drone strikes. The US President was aware that the drone strikes were far from accurate and were increasingly leading to the death of civilians.

But this did not stop him from continuing with such attacks in Somalia (2010) and Yemen (2011). Reportedly, 21 children and 12 women (five of them being pregnant)were killed by the Obama administration’s first strike in Yemen, with the aim of targeting Al-Qaeda.

It also came to light that in 2016 alone, the US government under Obama carried out at least 26,171 bombings, which translates to 72 bombings every day on civilians in other countries.

Mass civilian casualties were also reported in Afghanistan. An average of 582 people were killed annually in Afghanistan by the US, its allies and the Afghan government in Kabul between 2007 to 2016.

The Obama administration has also been accused of conducting ‘double-tap drone strikes’, which means that the site of a drone strike is attacked again. This is despite knowing the fact that such follow-up strikes lead to the death of first responders, which is against the guidelines laid down by the 1948 Geneva Conventions.

Obama administration warmed up to Muslim brotherhood, oversaw the rise of ISIS

During the tenure of Barack Obama, the US government warmed up to the radical Islamist outfit ‘Muslim Brotherhood’ in Egypt during the Arab Spring. It was a complete departure from the approach undertaken by previous US administrations.

According to author Hany Ghoraba, Barack Obama believed that he could separate the terror outfit ‘Al-Qaeda’ and Muslim Brotherhood. “Empowering the Muslim Brotherhood would, according to Obama, weaken Al-Qaeda in a decision that can be considered as one of the severest cases of political naiveté in modern times,” he noted.

“The core fault of the Obama administration was its adoption of a false rhetoric, presented for years by Islamist activists and later liberal Western politicians and pundits, that there is a distinction between the Muslim Brotherhood and Al-Qaeda,” Ghoraba pointed out.

The Arab Spring led to significant political changes in several countries, including the ousting of long-standing autocratic leaders. In Egypt, the Muslim Brotherhood’s political arm, namely, the Freedom and Justice Party, emerged as a major political force.

In 2011, the Obama administration thought it was a great idea to engage with the Muslim brotherhood-led- government, mistaking it to be a ‘new democratic force’ and looking past its radical Islamism, dangerous ideology and its mistreatment of religious minorities.

Later when protests erupted against the government in Eqypt, the Obama administration quickly took a U-turn and called for the removal of the Muslim Brotherhood-backed-Egyptian President Mohammed Morsi. Documents now reveal that the US government funded anti-Morsi activities.

The Presidential tenure of Barack Obama was also marked by the rise of the dreaded terrorist organisation, the Islamic State of Iraq and Syria aka ISIS.

One of the major contributing factors was the withdrawal of the US troops, failed negotiations with the Iraqi government and lack of residual US military presence in the country. The security vacuum left in Iraq gave opportunities for radical Islamist groups to expand.

Conclusion

Barack Obama has been at the helm of building secret drone bases in the Middle East and Africa and increasing the deployment of warships and troops in the Western Pacific and Eastern Europe.

He has been accused by his first three Defense Secretaries at the Pentagon of micro-manging the military from the White House. Through the killing of dictator Muammar Gaddafi, Barack Obama ensured that Libya plunged into complete chaos.

Later, the oil-rich nation became a magnet for terrorist groups. Despite his active war-mongering and mass killing of civilians in the name of drone attacks against terror groups, he was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize in 2009. With the left media acting as his PR agent, Obama has been able to keep up with the false image of being a ‘great ex-President.’

At the time of PM Modi’s visit to the US on the invite of the incumbent President Joe Biden, Barack Obama is pontificating the Modi administration about human rights and peddling the distorted narrative of ‘Muslims being in danger in India.’

Forces have recovered 44 kilos of heroine worth more than Rs 200 crore on the international market, along with weapons, Pakistan-made medicine and money.

Why you're reading this: The India Meteorological Department (IMD) has issued a red alert for Cyclone 'Biparjoy' which is expected to make landfall near the Jakhau Port in Gujarat's Kutch district today (June 15). The 'very severe cyclonic storm' (VSCS) is likely to cause potential damages in the Gujarat coastal regions. The disaster management authorities are deployed on the ground to conduct swift rescue and relief operations. So far, more than 74,000 people near coastal regions have been shifted to temporary shelters as part of the government's precautionary measure.