Asia is and will be the centre of gravity for a long time to come

Shared democratic values

First, shared democratic values: When you look at the sheer magnitude of India's diversity, traditions and people, you cannot help but appreciate the energy, sacrifice and persistence that were behind India creating the largest democracy in the world.

When the two largest democracies come together, we can have a powerful impact on people's lives, not only in our two countries, but we can provide a powerful example to other nations as well.

Shared prosperity

Second, shared prosperity will be a central focus of our commercial and trade relationships. All companies want the opportunity to compete on an open and level playing field, whether it is trade in food and agricultural products or solar panels. In that spirit, Prime Minister Modi and President Obama, in their joint statement, affirmed their shared commitment to facilitating increased bilateral investment and fostering an open and predictable climate for investment. As our trade, technology, manufacturing and investment linkages between us become stronger, we will not forget our commitment to maintain labour standards in accordance with domestic law and international norms.

And what is our ultimate goal? It is recognising that more important than the fivefold growth to $100 billion per year in bilateral trade and investment; or the breakthrough WTO deals; or adding hundreds of billions of dollars to the global economy; is what all of this means for the living standards and economic well-being of average citizens and their children. We move forward with our eye on the prize; to creating opportunities for all of our people - from the street cleaner who dreams of owning a business to the student on a scholarship in Bengaluru who dreams of becoming the next big software developer, to the kids in front of the White House who dream of making the world a better place.

To this end, together we are committed to explore areas of collaboration in skill development ranging from partnerships between American skills building institutions - community colleges - and their Indian counterparts, establishing skills certification standards, nurturing and promoting social entrepreneurship and strengthening the innovation and entrepreneurship ecosystem.

Shared inclusion

Third, shared inclusion: Our nations are also strongest when we reinforce the central role of robust civil society and government engagement to advance shared goals of peace, prosperity and the well-being of all people. To put it simply, a strong civil society reminds us of why it is we are doing what we are doing, and for whom we are doing it.

One of the most enjoyable parts of my job will be to meet India's dynamic civil society leaders who are working with government to create inspirational change all over India, like women's empowerment pioneer Meenu Vadera, who is working with the government to break down barriers for women in traditionally male-dominated professions - specifically in the transportation sector - and as a result, helping women become financially independent decision-makers in their families and in society. Through her women-operated "Cabs for Women", she is also addressing one of society's most pressing challenges -women's and girls' safety - a theme the prime minister also prominently addressed in his Independence Day remarks.

Shared regional vision 

Fourth, our shared regional vision: Expanding on that regional theme, the work we do and successes we achieve in India on all of these issues will also create an opportunity for leadership in the region. We recognise that with more than two-thirds of the world's humanity, Asia is and will be the centre of gravity for a long time to come. It's important, therefore, to simultaneously focus on a strategic regional convergence of our shared democratic values.

This was the idea behind the president's and prime minister's Joint Strategic Vision for the Asia Pacific and Indian Ocean regions. It is a vision borne out of the recognition that India's Act East policy and our rebalance to Asia are complementary and have the potential to create meaningful impact in the region. But this should not be seen as a strategy that is confrontational to our relationship with China. On the contrary, as our new National Security Strategy outlines, we welcome a stable, peaceful and prosperous China and a constructive relationship that also promotes security and prosperity in Asia and around the world.

We look forward to cooperation on a wide range of issues; from implementing a global health security agenda, to enhancing connectivity and enabling the freer flow of commerce and energy in the region.

At the same time, we will continue to work with both India and Pakistan to promote dialogue, combat terrorism and advance regional economic integration in south and central Asia. This includes Afghanistan, where both India and Pakistan are key partners in that country's future.

Finally, I would like to think my story - that of an American of Indian descent - can also serve as a bridge between our two countries. My parents arrived in the United States in the 1960s with only a few belongings and even fewer dollars. Thanks to their perseverance and resilience, and with a lot of help from friends and neighbours, they raised five children. My personal story is an American story. And just like many of you, the story of President Obama and Prime Minister Modi standing outside the White House so long ago is one to which I can easily relate. Like them, I never imagined I would be in this position today.

Country's largest solar park set up

Reliance Power today inked a pact with Rajasthan government to develop a 6,000 MW solar park in the state over the next 10 years.

An MoU in this regard was signed by state Chief Minister Vasundhara Raje and Chairman of Reliance Power Anil Ambani here today.

Raje also dedicated Reliance Power's 100 MW Concentrated Solar Project (CSP) located at Pokhran in Jaisalmer district to the nation.

Rajasthan Sun Technique Energy, a wholly-owned subsidiary of Reliance Power, was awarded the CSP project in 2010 based on a international competitive bidding.

"The CSP plant is expected to generate about 250 million kilowatt hours of clean and green energy annually, equivalent to consumption of 2,30,000 households," the company said.

Reliance Power claims to have the largest portfolio of power projects in the private sector based on coal, gas, hydro and renewable energy with an operating portfolio of nearly 6,000 MW.

Earlier this week, Gautam Adani-led Adani Enterprises also signed a pact with the Rajasthan government to develop the country's largest solar park in the state with 10,000 MW capacity over the next 10 years at an estimated investment of about Rs 40,000 crore.

Indian talent abroad

India matters. That is the one clear take-away when the dust settles on Barack Obama's visit. Despite all the gloss put on the high profile meetings and breakthroughs, the leader of the world's largest and newly resurgent economy travelled half way across the world essentially to grace a ceremonial parade. It is not as if the US president, fighting a recalcitrant Republican Congress with his back to the wall, had time hanging on his hands. So, India matters, and not merely because of strategic and commercial factors, which could have been dealt without the grand spectacle of symbolic significance. India matters because Indians matter.

That was not the case always. India of yore was known for its fabled wealth, silks and spices. Indians were early seafarers and traders. They remained abroad as well, but only sometimes as voluntary migrants. They were the descendants of indentured labourers. England had South Asians running its textile mills in Bradford and crowding Southall. California had Sikh farmers. But Indians were not honoured members of the host society anywhere.

All that changed in the last 50 years - and how! I belong to a generation of engineers heading westward in the early 1960s which brought this about. When I first went to the US in 1965 as a graduate student fresh out of Indian Institute of Technology, Bombay, it was news that Indians could speak English, leave alone be good engineers. At the end of our first semesters at leading American schools, many of us had straight A records. Our universities entreated us to recommend more Indians to take in. Thus began the legend of the techie Indian.

But things were not exactly easy in those halcyon days. We were on our own, manifestations of what was rather infelicitously called the brain drain. PIO, OCI and NRI were just jumbles of alphabets with one common letter. We were too few and too poor to welcome the new prime minister Indira Gandhi to the US, nor did she consider us worthy of an audience. Jobs were available in those booming years of the American age of technology, albeit not the best ones.

Indian engineers did well at Boeing and GE not because they believed their ancestors flew aircraft millennia earlier but by mastering modern aeronautics. They slogged in steel, petrochemicals, electrical and car factories, steadily rising in the corporate hierarchy, bagging patents along the way, not because of their ancestry but because of their ingenuity.

As did the increasing number of doctors, who diligently honed and performed modern techniques and procedures, not making fanciful claims of Indians of antiquity having invented them. They were the ladder on which later generations climbed to the top of their professions and broke the glass ceilings. This ascendancy of Americans of Indian origin would not have been possible but for the signal role of the pioneers.

Rise of the IT giant

In 1985, Rajiv Gandhi invited Satyanarayan Pitroda, a self-made telecommunications entrepreneur of Chicago to advise him. In no time, district towns were all hooked up. Call booths mushroomed. With falling tariffs, telephony was within everybody's reach. My friend Kirit Bakshi of Detroit brought personal computers to India. He also set up a chain of centres to impart training for programming and computer languages. Because of him and Pitroda, India was poised to take advantage of the Y2K opportunity, using the vast army of underqualified engineers. The rest, as they say, is history of India's blooming as an IT giant.

In the 1990s, scientific entrepreneurs Dr Anji Reddy and Dr Parvinder Singh cloned generic off-patent molecules using similar armies of underqualified chemists. They sold these drugs at a fraction of what they used to cost. Laksmi Niwas Mittal employed engineers stagnating in Indian public sector steel works to turn around a slew of moribund steel mills worldwide and climbed to the top. Anil Agrawal, a scrap dealer who never went to college, displayed remarkable tenacity and judgment to emerge as a global leader in the non-ferrous minerals business, including oil.

These recent successes show that Indians in India as well as emigrants overcame the dearth of capital and opportunities through intellect and innovation. The much-misused phrase, thinking out of the box, defined Indians, be they scientists attempting Mars landing on a shoestring budget, computer geeks in Silicon Valley or Bengaluru, technocrats in Fortune 500 corporations or metallurgy colossi straddling the global stage.

The veteran diplomat K Shankar Bajpai recently bemoaned that at Plassey in 1757, "Just 3,000 [British] men dispersed nearly 1,00,000 [Indians]... A handful of islanders needing over six months to reach us, took us over in bits and pieces because we lacked their organisation, discipline, conscientiousness - and, above all, their modernity" ("Nightmare of unreason", The Indian Express, January 19, 2015). His anguish is understandable.

But 190 years later, the same islanders were sent home by a frail man without guns and regiments. He used a subversive, innovative idea: unite a subcontinent to demand freedom through non-violent struggle. A fitting remembrance and tribute to that most famous Pravasi Bhartiya's return a century ago would be to banish obscurantism by espousing innovation and ideas.

Good ideas are like forest fires. They spread on their own and become all-consuming. Better, faster, safer and cheaper are the watchwords of the modern global economic Olympiad. Together they constitute innovation. India can certainly use it to build smart cities, a string of ports or providing affordable medical care to everyone, priority concerns all, of this government and others to come in the future. Without a doubt, a wealth of experience and information exists among Indians everywhere, on these and other related issues. That is our Republic of ideas.

Concern combined with realism

The year 2015 began with clear indications of how the Narendra Modi Government intends to position itself in global affairs. The Prime Minister’s invitation to the Heads of SAARC Governments for his swearing-in was followed by intensive interaction in Yangon and Brisbane with regional and global leaders, during the East Asia and G-20 Summits. The focus was very clearly on sending out the message that India was determined to return to a high-growth path economically. It would play a proactive role not only in regional economic integration with its ASEAN neighbours and major economies like Japan and South Korea, but also in fashioning new security dynamics across the Indo-Pacific region. India’s security perimeter was no lager confined to the Indian Ocean rim, but extended across the South China Sea and the Pacific Ocean.

While the Xi Jinping visit to India was marred by the Chinese military intrusion in Chumar, the message to Beijing was that while India would resist territorial incursions, it was ready for dialogue to end tensions, expand economic cooperation and widen interaction in forums like BRICS and G 20. But the event that received widespread global attention was the visit of President Obama on India's Republic Day. That visit clearly signalled that India was opening its doors to foreign investment, expanding the scope of bilateral cooperation in defence and seeking solutions constructively to issues of environment, energy, intellectual property rights and climate change.  New Delhi recognises the reality that the US is going to remain the pre-eminent global power for at least the next two decades. At the same time, one has to recognise that differences in areas like Intellectual Property Rights, especially in pharmaceuticals and in climate change, posed difficult challenges.  Moreover, the road ahead in nuclear power cooperation with the US is going to be bumpy. Legal challenges on issues of compensation appear inevitable. It also remains to be seen if American reactors can supply power at reasonable and competitive rates.

While India can be satisfied at signs that the US support for the Afghan armed forces will continue together with air support, American ambivalence on the Taliban will remain a matter of concern. India will have to now seek greater cooperation on the Afghanistan issue in interactions with members of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation, including particularly China and Russia. The Americans clearly understand that India will not join the Western efforts to isolate and condemn Russia. The recent trilateral India-Russia-China ministerial meeting in Beijing has made it clear that India has serious concerns about the challenges China poses to its national security along its borders and by its nuclear, missile and military relationships with Pakistan and its assertiveness across the India Ocean littoral. Despite this, every effort will be made to address differences on the border issue seriously, while expanding trade, industrial and investment ties, equitably and realistically.

Unlike Pakistan, which reacted immaturely and churlishly to the Obama visit, the Chinese reacted with a measure of concern combined with realism. The Chinese were unquestionably unsettled by the readiness of the US and India to expand military ties, while enunciating a common vision for the Indian Ocean and Asia-Pacific regions, “from Africa to East Asia”.  The references to the need to avoid the threat of use of force and abide by the provisions of the UN Convention on the Law of the Sea clearly conveyed concerns over Chinese behaviour in its maritime disputes with South Korea, Japan, Taiwan, Vietnam, the Philippines, Brunei, Malaysia and Indonesia. It was also asserted that there would be strengthening of India-Japan-US trilateral cooperation. The Chinese responded by expressions of concern together with rolling out the red carpet for Mrs. SushmaSwaraj and welcoming a proposed visit by Mr Modi in May 2015.  One can reasonably expect that at the very least, such a visit will lead to measures that ensure that border incursions like those which occurred in Depsang and Chumar in 2013-2014 are avoided.

It would be too much to expect China to proceed more cautiously in its policies of military, nuclear and missile technology and weapon transfers to Pakistan. China will also proceed ahead with enhancing support for its Maritime Silk Route, designed to surround India, across its entire coastal periphery. But recent developments in Sri Lanka and Myanmar should serve as a caution to the Mandarins in Beijing about getting overzealous on “strategic containment” of India. The recent agreements with the US, Japan and Vietnam should also serve as a signal to Beijing that a determined India can, at the very least, respond diplomatically to its moves in the Indian Ocean by counter-measures, leveraging its partnerships with China's immediate coastal neighbours and the USA.  Following a categorical US commitment to back India for APEC membership, China has indicated that it will not be an obstacle on this score. The time has also perhaps come to informally sound out the US, Australia, Japan and ASEAN States like Vietnam and Singapore for exploring possibilities of India joining the Trans-Pacific partnership in course of time.

There are indications that Mr Modi will visit France, Germany and the UK this year, apart from a visit to Russia. With a number of its members afflicted by serious economic maladies, the European Union appears to be increasingly looking inwards. But its major powers do have the potential to contribute significantly to Mr Modi's “Make-in-India” programme and its defencemodernisation. The proposed visit to Israel has also to be looked at in this context. Missing from this schedule are possible visits to Gulf countries like Oman, Qatar, Iraq and, circumstances permitting, even Iran, especially if we are able to finalise long-term contracts for the import of LNG. There is now every indication that, like the prices of oil, the prices of LNG are also set to fall in the coming years as global shale gas production rises. Success on such an active foreign policy agenda will naturally depend on the government's success in getting its economic reforms agenda and legislation approved by Parliament.

First Renewable Energy Global Investor Meet

The Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi, will inaugurate the first Renewable Energy Global Investors Meet & Expo, Re-invest 2015 on the 15th February (Sunday) at 10.30 am in Vigyan Bhawan, New Delhi. The Minister of State (I/C) for Power, Coal & Renewable Energy, Shri. Piyush Goyal and the Minister of State (I /C) for Commerce & Industry Ms. Nirmala Sitharaman will also grace the occasion. The venue of the three day global meet, organized by Ministry of New and Renewable Energy (MNRE) will be Hotel Ashok, New Delhi.

Elaborating the details of Reinvest 2015 at a news conference here, the Minister of State (I/C) for Power, Coal & Renewable Energy, Shri. Piyush Goyal said the aim of the event is to evolve innovative financial models for funding and to ensure the partnership of states and the Centre in harnessing renewable energy. It will also showcase the Government of India's commitment to the development and scaling up of renewable energy to meet the national energy requirement in a socially, economically and ecologically sustainable manner.

Shri Piyush Goyal said the government is looking at embedding rooftop power, off- grid power in new buildings and embedding green energy features in Building Code. He said the renewable energy industry would be able to stand on its feet in next three years and would not need any subsidy.  The Minister said Re- Invest will be a platform to engage various stakeholders and to have a clear understanding of the difficulties faced by them.

Reinvest 2015 will include several sessions headed by senior representatives from the renewable energy industry, equipment manufacturers, global financial institutions, Public Sector Enterprises, regulatory authorities, Central and state governments, research institutions and academia. After the inauguration, there will be a session to deliberate and evolve success strategies for financing Renewable energy, which will be chaired by
Chief Economic Adviser Shri Arvind Subramanian and will include prominent environmentalist and scientist Dr. R K Pachauri, and CMDs & CEOs of major banking and financial institutions from India and abroad. The afternoon sessions of the day will be on the key policy interventions and support mechanisms to incentivize domestic production & also Renewable Energy manufacturing for exports, Renewable Energy Roadmap 2030 and Investment opportunities in Bio-Energy in India. Secretaries from Government of India and Heads of International Agencies like International Energy Agency, International New & Renewable Energy Agency and also of MNCs will be participating in these sessions.

The second day will start with a session on India as a New Investment Destination for Renewable Energy which will be chaired by Union Minister for Renewable Energy Shri. Piyush Goyal, and will have participation of dignitaries from World Bank, United Nations, and many foreign Governments as well as Non-Governmental Agencies. Another session chaired by Shri. Suresh Prabhu, Union Minister of Railways, will be to showcase the policy incentives by states. The afternoon sessions will be chaired by Dr. Harsh Vardhan, Union Minister of Science and Technology and Earth Sciences and also by Secretaries to Government of India. It will be attended by representatives of international financial institutions, foreign Ministers and CEOs of several Multi National Companies. Sessions on “Different country experiences,” “Equity perspective on financing renewables” and “Sustainable renewable energy storage” are scheduled. The Asian Development Bank, United States Agency for International Development, British High Commission, Bridge to India and several Banks will also be participating.

The final day will start with simultaneous sessions on Innovative Financing Models; Grid connected Wind Power, Approaches to tackle high costs of capital in RE Financing chaired by Secretaries to the Govt. of India, and heads of International Organisations. On the same day, a CEOs Roundtable chaired by Union Minister Shri Piyush Goyal will be conducted. Union Minister of Urban Development, Shri Venkaiah Naidu will chair a conference on showcase of policy incentives by states.

In the valedictory session there will be a panel discussion chaired by the Union Finance Minister Shri. Arun Jaitley and the panel will include Union Ministers Shri. Piyush Goyal, Shri. Suresh Prabhu, Shri. Prakash Javadekar,   Chief Economic Advisor Shri. Arvind Subramanian and NITI Aayog Vice Chairman Shri Arvind Panagariya.

 RE-INVEST 2015 will be the first major platform for investment promotion in this sector to connect the global investment community with the renewable energy stakeholders in India. Over 2500 delegates including exhibitors from 45 countries will be attending this event.

Government Initiatives in Renewable Energy Sector:-

 The government plans to accelerate the deployment of renewable energy to more than 160 GW by 2022 including 100 GW solar energy and 60 GW wind energy. Increased focus is being given on small hydro, bio energy, new and emerging technologies. The government also aims setting up RE manufacturing bases in the country and establishment of RE University and creating multiple job opportunities.

Giving a fillip to the country’s renewable energy programme, the government has taken a slew of decisions in the last few months to boost “Clean Energy” in the country.  In order to facilitate the speedy growth of Renewable energy Power generation in the country, the Ministry of New and Renewable Energy (MNRE) is preparing a Renewable Energy Bill. There are several schemes in pipeline which include providing support of Rs 1000 crore to Central Public Sector units to set up over 1,000 MW grid connected solar photovoltaic power projects, setting up of over 300 MW of  Grid-Connected Solar PV Power Projects by Defence, Ultra Mega Solar Power projects in Rajasthan, Gujarat, Tamil Nadu and Ladakh, 25 solar energy projects with 20,000 MW capacity to be developed by 2019 and setting up of over 300 MW of solar power projects by Defence and Para military establishments. The  Government  has also approved the Scheme for setting up of 1000 MW of Grid-Connected Solar PV Power Projects with VGF (Viability Gap Fund) support of Rs.1000 crore, in three years period from 2015-16 to 2017-18.

The Union Government had restored Accelerated Depreciation benefit in the Union Budget 2014 to give the much-needed relief to wind power developers and to ensure ramp-up of production The Government approved continuation of: (i) National Biogas and Manure Management Programme (NBMMP), (ii) Scheme to Support Promotion of Grid-Interactive Biomass Power and Bagasse Co-generation in Sugar Mills, (iii) Programme for the Development of Small Hydro Power, and (iv)Off-grid and Decentralized Solar Applications under JNNSM, during the 12th Plan period. The Government amicably resolved the anti-dumping duty dispute. A whole host of measures have been undertaken to make India a “Solar manufacturing hub” with priority for domestic players in line with “Make in India” programme.

India improves press freedom rank

India was ranked 136 out of 180 nations worldwide in terms of press freedom in 2015, which marks an improvement from its rank of 140 in 2014, even though its absolute score declined from 40.34 to 40.49.

In the annual World Press Freedom Index (WPFI) produced by Reporters Without Borders (RSF), India’s “abuse score,” which reflects the intensity of violent harassment faced by journalists was 59.58, which is higher than Sri Lanka’s score of 40.6 but below Pakistan’s score of 64.91 and China’s score of 89.64.

Regarding the country performance the WPFI report said “One journalist and no net citizens were killed.”

The WPFI ranks the performance of countries according to a range of criteria that include media pluralism and independence, respect for the safety and freedom of journalists, and the legislative, institutional and infrastructural environment in which the media operate, according to its producers.

While the top of the list was this year and in previous years dominated by Scandinavian nations such as Finland, Norway and Denmark, at the other end of the scale, Turkmenistan, North Korea and Eritrea, were the worst performers.

Russia, Iran and China also performed poorly, ranking respectively at 152, 173 and 176 place.

The U.S. was down three places at 49 in 2015, which according to reports was due to the U.S. government’s “persecution of New York Times reporter Jim Risen, as well as the fact that the U.S. ‘continues its war on information in others, such as WikiLeaks.’”

Also cited in the U.S. case were the numerous arrests of journalists covering the police protests in Ferguson, Missouri.

Overall RSF said there was a “sharp decline in freedom of information [and] two-thirds of 180 countries performed less well… and press freedom declined in all continents in 2014.”

Parrikar Gets a Glimpse of Navy’s Operational Capability on Western Seaboard

MiG 29K Aircraft Carry out Manoeuvres from INS Vikramaditya BrahMos Fired from INS Kolkota Hits Target with Precision

The Defence Minister Shri Manohar Parrikar today said the Indian Navy must remain a superior Force in the Indian Ocean Region and the Government will give all support to the Navy so that it becomes a truly Blue Water Navy. Addressing the sailors and officers of the INS Vikramaditya after witnessing two days’ of Theatre Readiness Operational Level Exercise (TROPEX-2015), off the coast of Goa in the Arabian Sea, Shri Parrikar said his stay on board INS Vikramaditya has helped him understand many a difficult situations that the Defence Forces especially sailors and officers of the Indian Navy face while ensuring the safety and security of the nation. TROPEX provides the Navy a valuable opportunity to validate its concept of operations and integration of new acquisitions with the Fleet. Shri Parrikar was accompanied by the Minister of State for Defence Rao Inderjit Singh, the Chief Minister of Goa, Shri Laxmikant Parsekar, the Chief Naval Staff, Admiral RK Dhowan and Flag Officer Commanding-in-Chief, Western Naval Command Vice Admiral AK Chopra. The two completely networked fleets of the Indian Navy- the Eastern and the Western- were kept widely dispersed across seas in the Indian Ocean, operating in a dense electronic environment to match their professional and technical proficiency. All the operations were facilitated by a robust and seamless communication network, including satellite communications under the Navy’s overall thrust on Network Centric Operations, aligned with the Prime Minister’s vision of ‘Digital India’. Shri Parrikar also released a postage stamp commemorating the indigenous Naval communication satellite Rukmani, which is a dedicated Naval satellite, taking the Navy to the step in achieving complete digitisation of communications. The Stamp Release which took place on board the aircraft carrier INS Vikramaditya was relayed live to naval units at sea, as well as to Maritime Operations Centres ashore. Rukmani has been pivotal in ensuring seamless connectivity between the triad of surface, sub-surface and air platforms of the Navy. New weapons, sensors, communication systems and tactics were being tested and tried to optimize the net combat power of the fleets. Over forty surface combatants of various classes including the two aircraft carriers (Vikramaditya and Viraat), submarines including the INS Chakra, a large number of aircraft and UAVs are participating in the exercise. As would be the case in any operation of the twenty first century, the exercise had a jointmanship element of IAF with participation by aircraft such as Sukhois, Mirages and Jaguars. During the embarkation, the dignitaries were provided an overview of the multi-dimensional capabilities of the Indian Navy. The Navy demonstrated multiple facets of operations during the period which encompassed a variety of weapon firings, MiG 29K and Sea Harrier operations from the two aircraft carriers, integration of the P8I aircraft with fleet, and operations by the Navy’s Marine Commandos. Notably, after many years, the Navy has deployed two Carrier Task Forces during the exercise. The Defence Minister also witnessed a successful and impressive vertical launch of the Brahmos, supersonic long range anti- shipping cruise missile, from the recently commissioned stealth destroyer INS Kolkata, a major milestone in itself. This was particularly satisfying as the launch of the missile was an affirmation of our indigenous weapon capabilities. In pursuit of the Navy’s thrust to inspire the young generation, 30 NCC cadets from 8 Karwar NU NCC embarked onboard INS Mumbai and witnessed the operations. Two of these cadets also got an opportunity to be transferred at sea to INS Vikramaditya by ‘Jackstay’ – an evolution wherein ships transfer men and material between them. Shri Parrikar hoped this practice will be continued with larger number of cadets being given exposure to the ways of our Forces so that they understand their valour and inspire them to join the Navy, Army and Air Force in large numbers. Shri Parrikar’s embarkation provided the Navy an opportunity to re-emphasise the Indian Navy’s readiness, whilst showcasing the high levels of motivation and professionalism of the officers and men who man the Navy’s ships, submarines and aircraft. Whereas the quick integration of new ships was a reflection of the Indian Navy’s high standards of professionalism in operations and training, the sustenance of potency and combat efficiency of a couple of surface combatants over a few decades old, reflected the Indian Navy’s sound maintenance practices and technical prowess. The transformation of the Indian Navy to a future- ready network- enabled force was epitomised in the operations room of INS Vikramaditya, the Flag ship of the Western Fleet. The power of a networked force was demonstrated as operational plots and pictures from remote sensors were transferred and collated, in a flash, to present a comprehensive picture of the battle- space and effect optimal use of the weapons on board the various potent ships. A critical part of Anti- Missile Defence being Surface to Air Missiles (SAM), the Defence Minister witnessed the successful interception of a fast, low flying, Surface to Surface missile by a SAM. A clear dark night laid an ideal setting for this demonstration of precision targeting. Shri Parrikar also witnessed a full scale air power demonstration from INS Vikramaditya and INS Viraat with MiG 29 Ks, Sea Harriers, Seakings, UH3H, ALHs and Chetaks participating. The recently acquired MiG 29Ks proved their mettle by showing the STOBAR operations including the bombing runs. Shri Parrikar was also shown the reputed professionalism of the MARCOS as they carried out a demonstration of insertion and extraction in the middle of the ocean by slithering. During this battle, the Defence Minister also witnessed, first hand, the potency of the upgraded Sea Harriers particularly in the networked environment. In addition to operational activities, various in-house innovations and efforts towards increased indigenisation were also presented to the RM, which helped showcase the Navy’s efforts towards self-reliance. TROPEX 2015 will continue over the next few days and the successful missile launches and interceptions, uninterrupted seamless operations in a networked condition with BVR interceptions herald the emergence of a capable and potent `future ready` Indian Navy.