India news

NEW DELHI: With Maldives’ defence minister Mariya Ahmed Didi due to visit India on her first tour this week, India plans to renew its offer to extend the coastal surveillance radar systems (CSRS) project to the island neighbour, as part of the defence cooperation dialogue. This dialogue takes up from the defence cooperation agreement signed with former president Abdulla Yameen in 2016. However, as relations between New Delhi and Male iced over, Yameen refused to allow the installation of Indian radars, preferring to turn to China. Sources said the CSRS has is being offered to other countries as well, which will contribute in creating a network of information to aid maritime domain awareness (MDA) in the Indian Ocean region. India has an older version of these radars in Seychelles and Mauritius and Sri Lanka. India has offered the system to Myanmar where discussions are reportedly at an advanced stage, as well as Bangladesh. Thailand has also been offered the radar system, while … [Read more...] about India plans to extend coastal surveillance radar system to Maldives

NEW DELHI: Former Reserve Bank of India (RBI) governor Raghuram Rajan said India is in the midst of a "growth recession" with signs of deep malaise in the Indian economy that is being run through extreme centralisation of power in Prime Minister's Office and powerless ministers. Penning down his recommendations to help the ailing Indian economy out of the ongoing slowdown in the India Today magazine, he called for reforms to liberalise capital, land and labour markets, and spur investment as well as growth. He also urged India to join free trade agreements judiciously in order to boost competition and improve domestic efficiency. "To understand what has gone wrong, we need to start first with the centralised nature of the current government. Not just decision-making but also ideas and plans emanate from a small set of personalities around the Prime Minister and in the Prime Minister's Office (PMO). "That works well for the party's political and social agenda, which is well laid … [Read more...] about India in growth recession; extreme centralisation of power in PMO not good: Raghuram Rajan

NEW DELHI: India's real GDP growth in 2019-20 fiscal is expected to be slightly below 5 per cent as the impact of stimulus measures will take time to filter through to the economy, IHS Markit has said. Latest GDP data for July-September quarter showed a significant further moderation in the pace of economic growth to 4.5 per cent, the weakest in six years with a key contributory factor being a slump in manufacturing output. This compared with the 5 per cent growth rate registered in the previous quarter and 7 per cent rate recorded a year ago in September quarter of 2018. For the first half of 2019-20 fiscal, GDP growth slowed to a pace of 4.8 per cent compared to the 7.5 per cent a year back. "Financial sector fragilities continue to weigh on India's economic growth momentum, with the high level of non-performing loans on the balance sheets of the public sector banks, constraining their new lending," IHS said in a report. Furthermore, there are also risks from potential contagion … [Read more...] about India’s real GDP growth in FY20 to come below 5%: IHS Markit

London: British Prime Minister Boris Johnson has made a pledge to partner with Prime Minister Narendra Modi on his mission to build a new India, as he and his girlfriend Carrie Symonds visited a famous Hindu temple here to woo Indian diaspora votes ahead of Thursday's General Election. Dressed in a bright pink silk sari, 31-year-old conservationist Symonds made her first official campaign tour on Saturday with 55-year-old Johnson at one of the UK's most famous temples Swaminarayan Mandir in Neasden, north-west London. Prime Minister Johnson vowed to partner with his Indian counterpart Prime Minister Narendra Modi on his mission to build a new India. "I know Prime Minister Modi is building a new India. And, we in the UK government will support him fully in his endeavour," said Johnson, whose ruling Conservative Party is currently leading in opinion polls over the Opposition Labour Party. In an indirect reference to Labour's perceived anti-India stance over the issue of Kashmir, … [Read more...] about UK PM Johnson visits Hindu temple, vows to partner with PM Modi to build new India

JHARKHAND: Union Defence Minister Rajnath Singh on Sunday said India never provoked any nation, but, if incited, it would not spare anyone. Addressing a poll meeting here, he asserted that the measures taken by the Narendra Modi-led government to curb terrorism have cemented India's reputation as one of the strongest nations in the world. "Our intention is clear. Our policy is clear... 'Hum duniya ke kisi desh ko chhedenge naihin; lekin jo hum ko chhedega, hum chhodenge nahin' (we will never provoke any country, but, if provoked, will not spare anyone)," the Union minister said here. Recounting the erstwhile BJP government's efforts to maintain "friendly relations" with Pakistan, he said former prime minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee had visited the neighbouring country to extend a "hand of friendship", and, in return, received Kargil invasion. "Atal ji used to say, friends may change in life, but not neighbours. He went to Pakistan with an objective to build neighbourly relations. … [Read more...] about India’s fight against terrorism cemented its position as one of the strongest nations: Rajnath Singh