Astra Microwave gains on joint venture with Rafael

 

Shares of Astra Microwave Products have moved higher by 7% to Rs 119, bouncing back 17% from their intra-day lows on the BSE in an otherwise weak market, after the company announced the formation of a joint venture company (JVC) with M/s Rafael Advanced Defence Systems Ltd., Israel, for joint production and supply of tactical radio communication systems, electronic war-fare systems and signal intelligence systems.

The JVC will operate from Hyderabad and is expected to start business development activities in the first half of 2016. About US $20 million is expected to be invested in the first two years in the JVC, Astra Microwave said in a filing.

To start with, Astra and M/s Rafael will own 51:49 in the JVC and will become 50:50 subject to regulatory approvals, the company added.

Businessstandard

China to deploy 3 more radars in Tibet along India border

 

China will soon deploy three more unmanned radars in Tibet in addition to the one stationed there for the past eight years to strengthen air surveillance in the Himalayan region along the border with India.
China's first unattended radar station has stood for eight years on top of Ganbala Mountain. This year another three unattended radars are going to be installed in order to form a radar network with the previous ones, state-run People's Daily reported.
China completed construction of Ganbala radar station in 1965 which is the highest manned radar station in the world at a height of 5,374 metres above sea level. The percentage of oxygen in the air on Ganbala Mountain, located not far from Sikkim and Bhutan borders, is only 48 per cent of that at sea level. That is why the mountain is viewed as a "life forbidding zone".The report has not mentioned whether the manned radar station is replaced by the new unmanned ones. For over 40 years, this radar station has been used to secure surveillance and provide civilian air navigation services in Tibet, the report said.

dna

BALUCHISTAN :: The people the World forgot

 

Open source data compiled by the New Delhi-based South Asia Terrorism Portal in 2014, listed recovery of 153 bullet-riddled bodies in Balochistan as against 39 in the previous year. Most of these were recoveries from three mass graves in the Khuzdar district in southern Balochistan, where Baloch separatism is stronger. These recoveries confirmed the assessment that a sustained campaign by the state’s covert agencies to target Baloch nationalists had been launched, which meant disappearances accompanied by a ‘kill and dump’ policy.

Killings since 2004 have been through its favourite terror groups, Lashkar-e-Tayyaba, and Lashkar-e-Jhangvi (aka Ahle Wal Sunnat Jamat) which primarily targeted the Shia Hazaras, Tehrik-e-Taliban Pakistan as well as Ahrar-e-Hind (pompously describes itself as the Liberators of India). The usual technique has been to introduce religious fanatics into the process so that religious overtones make elimination of secular nationalists that much easier. Mama Qadir, a veteran Baloch, had led a long march last year from Quetta to Islamabad to highlight the nearly 19,000 disappearances since 2001, but there was no government response and there was little coverage of this effort.

The latest onslaught by government forces has been in many parts of the Awaran district. This was launched by Pakistan military using helicopter gunships and aerial support beginning on Eid (July 18). The operation was accompanied by a media blackout and there were massive casualties and abductions. According to reports filtering out from the locked-out province, more than 100 civilians, including women and children, have died early in the attack with the casualties expected to mount as more succumb to their injuries. The Baloch also fear that the military operation in the area will not be terminated until all evidence of the killings has been removed.

The campaign of Baloch nationalists gets muddied in the profitable business of protection money earned by the Frontier Corps from the coal mines in the Harnai and Zarkoon districts. There are 250 coal mines in Balochistan producing an estimated 188 million tonnes of coal. On any given day, the mines produce 4,000 to 5,000 tonnes and the FC pockets about a million rupees a day. These are the profits of war for the FC. Then there are copper mines, gas fields with the Chinese and Fauji Foundation interests in all the development projects.

If Twitter were the yardstick of modern-day communication then on my timeline, the largest number of tweets in the last few weeks was from the Baloch. In one representative day, at least 80-100 tweets feature with a rising graph in the days preceding August 11, the day Baloch nationalists describe as their Independence Day. Their tweets speak of their tragedy, sorrow and forlorn hope; of missing sons, husbands and fathers, torture and staged encounters. Above all, they speak of a yearning desire for independence.

Others too would also have received similar tweets and Facebook posts, many of which are addressed to politicians, newspapers and TV .Yet for some unknown reason, the Baloch get no attention in India media or think tanks or other discussion groups.

Unfortunately, the Baloch have received little attention as the rest of the world is more involved with what is happening in West Asia and the rise of the ISIS. In the region itself, the US and the West are more concerned with pulling out of Afghanistan with some reputation of invincibility intact. Highlighting the plight of the Baloch would mean criticising Pakistan, on whom the West depends to extricate itself. It is much easier instead to assuage national conscience by talking of the Rohingyas because Myanmar enables the West the luxury to safely exhibit its human rights beliefs.

Current Western disinterest is in contrast to the time when in the mid-1940s, the British were agonising about ways to secure the interests of the Empire against Stalin after their departure from India. An unsigned British memorandum of May 19, 1948 mentioned that “The Indus Valley, western Punjab, and Baluchistan [the north west] are vital to any strategic plans for the defence of the important Muslim belt … the oil supplies of the Middle east.” Today, as the Chinese solidify their presence in Gilgit-Baltistan, bordering Xinjiang and Afghanistan, and control over Gwadar overlooking the entry to the Persian Gulf, the US seems to have ceded ground to the Chinese in this region.

Time will tell if the US is retreating or drawing the Chinese in to the quagmire. Neither is likely to give any solace to the Baloch.

The writer is an Advisor to Observer Research Foundation and a former chief of Research and Analysis Wing

Eurasia/defencenews

India’s MMRCA: Implications for Russia

 The continuing saga of the Indian Air Force’s Medium Multi-Role Combat Aircraft (MMRCA) has again arrived at an impasse, providing opportunities again for Russia.

The serial drama of the MMRCA tender; for purchase and licensed production of 126 medium multi-role combat aircraft; reached an intermediate junction.
During a visit in April 2015 to France by Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi, an announcement was made about the signing of an ‘agreement in principle’ on direct purchase of 36 fighter jets by the Rafale Company which, in 2013, was declared the formal winner of the MMRCA Tender.
Since then, for over two years, India and France continued commercial negotiations to finalize the contract, but could not arrive at a mutually acceptable compromise to implement the deal. The scale of the purchase announced in April was significantly smaller than initially expected, and, with this deal, production of aircraft in India is no longer part of the agreement.
There was uncertainty for a while about the future plans of the Indian government and its national Air Force about the licensed production of Rafale fighter jets. It was not known whether this purchase of 36 aircraft was a separate deal, implemented over and above the MMRCA Program, or the purchase constituted just the first tranche of the planned purchase of 126 fighter jets. If the latter was true, then how many planes would be built under license in India?

Some weeks later, India’s Defence Minister Manohar Parrikar made a sensational announcement; India was going to purchase 36 aircraft from Rafale, and nothing more. The funds thus saved, which should have gone towards the purchase of licensed production of Rafale aircraft, would now be directed to the purchase of 200 Tejas light fighter jets that are produced in India.
Notwithstanding this announcement, in early August, reports started circulating in the Indian press that the government was going to announce a new tender for the licensed production in India of 90 MMRC fighter jets, but the accuracy of this information is in question.
If the announcement, made by the Indian minister, reflects the real intentions of the Indian leadership, and is not just an element in the bargaining game with the French, it signifies the actual cancellation of this ambitious project: “the mother of all tenders”. In essence, this means the Indians have gone back to a different, higher quality and lower quantitative level, at which they initially began; the direct purchase from the French of fourth-generation multi-role fighter jets.

Opportunities for Russia

The actual cancellation of the MMRCA Tender, theoretically improves Russia’s chances in two ways. First, there is the opportunity to sell one more tranche of Su-30MKI fighter jets to India. The decision on the direct purchase of Rafale fighter jets answers the interests of the military, but it does not solve the issue of new orders for the Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL) Corporation. By early 2015, this company had already manufactured 150 licensed units, and the Indian aircraft manufacturers still had orders for several dozen Su-30MKI. At the present rate of production, in a couple of years, HAL will have completed this order, and then there will be no more work for the company.
It is logical to assume that, in anticipation of the start of licensed production of the Rafale, if a contract should still be signed or, which is more likely, before the production of the fifth-generation fighter FGFA can start, HAL would have to be given work for another two or three years. Which means India will need to purchase rights to the licensed production of slightly more than 40 Su-30MKI. From a military standpoint, this will create two more squadrons, and cover the normal attrition of these aircraft through accidents and disasters. It would be advisable to build the new technologically modernized version of the Su-30, referred to as the Sukhoi Super.
Second, and most important, a direct and immediate threat to the joint Russian-Indian fifth-generation fighter aircraft (FGFA) project has been removed. The danger in the MMRCA Program lay in the fact that the purchase and licensed production of the obsolescent and extremely expensive French aircraft would have deprived India of resources needed for funding the fifth-generation fighter jets.
The Rafale was like a vampire – being able to kill the FGFA, and thus rob India of possible access to fifth-generation fighter jet technologies. Over the past two to three years, the real competition in the Indian military aviation market was between the Rafale and FGFA. Among other things, it has become clearly understood that the campaign in the Indian press against FGFA was initiated and financed by the French. Now the Indians have found a compromise (which satisfies neither the French nor the Russians, and this is the best indicator that this solution is best for India), which leaves India with the opportunity to develop in both directions; to purchase the Rafale, while not killing the FGFA.

 rbth

Pak a nuclear power, we know how to defend ourselves: Sartaj Aziz

 

Pakistan’s National Security Advisor Sartaj Aziz has accused “Modi’s India” of acting like a regional superpower and said his nuclear-armed country was capable of defending itself.

Aziz’s comments came after the proposed talks with his Indian counterpart, scheduled for Monday, collapsed over New Delhi’s objection to the Pakistani NSA’s invitation to Hurriyat leaders for a breakfast meeting.

India has accused Pakistan of going beyond the framework for talks agreed upon by the Prime Ministers of the two countries Narendra Modi and Nawaz Sharif during their meeting in the Russian city of Ufa last month.

“Modi’s India acts as if they are a regional superpower, we are a nuclear-armed country and we know how to defend ourselves,” Aziz was quoted as saying by the Dawn newspaper.

“India should realise after the current episode that their tactics are not working, and they need to be sincere about dialogue with Pakistan.”

He also asked India to hold a referendum in “occupied Kashmir” and the people would decide their own fate.

Aziz also said that while Pakistan has evidence of India’s involvement in terrorism in his country, New Delhi has just propaganda against Pakistan.

“Propaganda against Pakistan is more important for the Indians, rather than giving us evidence,” Aziz, who is also the adviser to the Prime Minister on foreign affairs, was quoted as saying in the report.

‘Sabotaging talk’
Pakistani defence minister Khawaja Muhammad Asif, on the other hand, accused India of "sabotaging" the NSA-level talks last week with a "fanatic approach" while showing a "negative attitude" aimed at disrupting peace in the sub-continent, a PTI report said.

Asif was quoted by the state-run Radio Pakistan as saying that the "negative attitude of Modi government was to disrupt peace in the region”.

He added, "India sabotaged the Pak-India talks scheduled to be held in New Delhi today due to its fanatic approach".

He said Pakistan was “serious” in conducting talks with India since that is the “best way to resolve bilateral issues”.

 hindustantimes

Pakistan quits NSA talks because of strong evidence of its involvement in terror attacks: India

 

Just hours after Pakistan called off National Security Advisor-level talks with India, the Narendra Modi government said that the neighbouring country forced their exit from talks because it has strong evidence of Pakistan's involvement in terror attacks, according to sources.
The sources said that the government will now take the evidence to the international forum and Pakistan should respect the agenda laid out in the Ufa agreement. It added that the Pakistan's evidence against India is baseless and fabricated.
Pakistan wanted to have Kashmir on agenda and meeting of NSA Sartaj Aziz with Hurriyat leaders which was unacceptable to India. With both sides refusing to budge down, the talks were called off by Pakistan on Saturday.
External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj had made it clear that the NSA-level talks would focus only on the issue of terrorism and nothing else.
While addressing a press conference, Swaraj said, "There cannot be talk with terror, but there can be talk on terror, and it is a must. The understanding in Ufa clearly stated in writing that the agenda was decided."
In the talks, India was planning to raise five major terror related issues with Pakistan and back it with hard evidence. The main evidence for India is Lashkar-e-Toiba terrorist Mohammad Naved alias Usman Khan's confirmation that he is a Pakistani national. Naved was captured in Udhampur in Jammu & Kashmir after he and his accomplice Mohammad Noman attacked a Border Security Force convoy in which two troopers were killed.
India NSA Ajit Doval was supposed to confront his Pakistani counterpart Sartaj Aziz with three specific addresses of Dawood and details of his three Pakistani passports. Dawood is the prime accused in the 1993 serial bomb blasts in Mumbai in which at least 257 people were killed and hundreds injured.
According to a report in English daily 'Hindustan Times', Indian security agencies have been able to gather evidence that Dawood is living in the port city of Karachi in Pakistan.
The third evidence is unabated ceasefire violations and cross border infiltrations by Pakistan. India had summoned Pakistan High Commissioner Abdul Basit three times over this issue.

 ibnlive

No other country can match 'shameless' Pakistan, Yashwant Sinha taunts NSA Sartaj Aziz

 

Former External Affairs Minister Yashwant Sinha on Saturday said that there was no other country in the world as 'shameless' as Pakistan in defending its right to meet leaders of the Hurriyat on Indian soil, when the agenda for the proposed talks at the national security advisor-level was solely focused on the issue of terror and the way forward in terms of countering it.
Sinha told ANI here, "I have heard Pakistan NSA Sartaj Aziz's statement and I am not at all surprised by that statement."
"In sheer shamelessness, there is no other country which can match Pakistan," Sinha added.
Sinha's acerbic comment came shortly after Pakistan's National Security Advisor Sartaj Aziz had said that no serious discussion could take place with India if the Kashmir issue was not included in the agenda.
Addressing a press conference in Islamabad this afternoon, Aziz said, "We have already stated that no serious dialogue with India is possible unless Kashmir is on agenda. That is the core issue."
Aziz further said that whenever he had visited India in the past, he had been given the opportunity and freedom to meet a cross-section of the Indian leadership, and therefore, he could not now understand New Delhi's move to prevent him from meeting leaders of the Hurriyat at the Pakistan High Commission in New Delhi on Sunday.
"When I go to India, I meet different political leaders. When they come, they meet the (Pakistan) opposition and other leaders. This is strange that they (India) will expect that discussion or a meeting with the Hurriyat will become part of agenda. In Pakistan's view, it is not a substantial item," said Aziz.
Recalling the discussions between the two Prime Ministers and their respective delegations in Ufa, Russia, on the sidelines of the SCO Summit, Aziz said, "We agreed on discussing all outstanding issues, and who doesn't know what is the most important outstanding issue between the two countries. It is Kashmir."
He further stated that issues like Kashmir or meetings with the Hurriyat leadership are not put on the agenda when the Indian and Pakistani leaders or their officials meet, but the fact that they are linking this Hurriyat, and that Kashmir was not on agenda, and that is incorrect.
Earlier, he said that India would be blamed by Islamabad if the talks scheduled to be held in New Delhi on Sunday and Monday is not held.
Aziz said India was responsible for the cancellation of the foreign secretary-level talks that were scheduled to be held on August 25, 2014, and added that New Delhi would also be held responsible if the talks of August 23 and 24, 2015 were cancelled.
"The reason for this regretful second cancellation, if it happens, will be the same," said Aziz.
The Pakistan NSA said that if India would be presenting documentary evidence of alleged terrorism from Pakistani soil to Islamabad, Pakistan would also not be backing down and would be carrying at least three dossiers on the involvement of the Research and Analysis (the external intelligence agency of India) in Pakistan, most notably in Balochistan, and other evidence.
"We will carry dossiers carrying information of RAW's involvement in Pakistan," said Aziz.
He also said that it was India that had introduced new conditions in the agenda and format of the forthcoming NSA talks with its advice that Pakistan could not meet Hurriyat leaders.
"We are very disturbed about the arresting of the Hurriyat leaders, as it is a violation of their fundamental rights," said the Pakistan NSA.
"I urge Mr. Modi (Indian Prime Minister) to ponder over what I call the most important part of the Ufa statement that India and Pakistan have a collective responsibility to ensure peace in South Asia," he added.
"On my part, I'm still prepared to go to New Delhi for the NSA talks, but without any preconditions," Aziz said.
"As far as we are concerned, we are still ready to hold the talks. We have not formally cancelled the talks. The Indian External Affairs Minister (Sushma Swaraj) is holding a press conference this afternoon. We will see what comes out of it," Aziz said.
Sushma Swaraj will address a press conference in New Delhi at 4 p.m. today, said an Indian Ministry of External Affairs statement.
Though no details were immediately available on what would be the agenda taken up at the press conference by the minister, media circles here believe that it could focus on the Indian Government's position on the forthcoming NSA talks.
The two press conferences are taking place a day after India and Pakistan sparred through verbal and written statements over Islamabad's determination and intention to meet with separatist leaders from Kashmir ahead of the proposed August 23 and 24 NSA talks.
Pakistan's Ministry of Foreign Affairs issued a statement saying that its High Commissioner's invitation to the Kashmiri Hurriyat leadership on August 23 was very much in keeping with the practice and tradition of the past many years.
While India's Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) sent across a strong message to Pakistan, insisting that there are only two stakeholders in the talks between India and Pakistan and added that New Delhi is committed to discuss the issues peacefully and bilaterally.
National Security Advisor Ajit Doval is scheduled to meet his Pakistani counterpart Sartaj Aziz for the talks in the national capital on Monday.

 DNA

No talks if any issue other than terror brought up, says Swaraj

 

External affairs minister Sushma Swaraj addressed a press conference in New Delhi ahead of the scheduled talks between Pakistan's National Security Advisor Sartaj Aziz with his Indian counterpart Ajit Doval. Aziz is scheduled to arrive in New Delhi on Sunday and hold talks with Doval on Monday.

Below are the highlights fom her conference:
*All talks between India and Pak can't be called dialogue

*Composite dialogue ended after 26/11 attacks, when dialogue was resumed but Mumbai trial progress was added to discussion

*Terror and talks can't go together, productive talks can take place in an environment free of terror and violence

*It was decided at Ufa that terror and talks would be delinked and counter-terrorism and LoC violations to be discussed at NSA talks
*After facing criticism in Pakistan, PM Nawaz Sharif decided that something should be done that NSA talks aren't held

*There was pressure even on us to call off talks after ceasefire violations
*After Udhampur attack, we were under pressure to cancel talks: Sushma Swaraj
*India will talk on all outstanding issues, including Jammu & Kashmir, when terror & violence end: Swaraj
*Will talk on all outstanding issues, including J-K, when terror ends

*We are not running away from dialogue but right atmosphere necessary

*Pakistan NSA Sartaj Aziz is welcome to come to India for talks
*In keeping with spirit of Shimla accord, please do not include Hurriyat or any other third party in talks
*In keeping with spirit of Ufa statement, please do not extend NSA talks to any issue beyond terror
*No other issues can be clubbed along with talks on terror at NSA level
*In Indo-Pak dialogue, Kashmir is never discussed at the level of NSAs
*India is not running away, we want to create the right atmosphere for talks
*Topics to be discussed at each level was mentioned clearly in Ufa statement

*Talks will not happen if third party involved or any issue other than terror brought up.

 hindustantimes

CAG calls for better management, execution of Tejas aircraft project

The Comptroller and Auditor General (CAG) has underlined the need for more efficient management, planning and execution of the Light Combat Aircraft (LCA) development programmes.
According to the performance audit of LCAs done by the national auditor, in the case of the Tejas LCA project, which has been in the works for over three decades, there is a need for closer interaction and coordinated efforts among all the stakeholders. This, it said, would ensure effective indigenisation efforts and the creation of adequate local manufacturing facilities in a timely manner.
LCA Mark-I, which achieved initial operational clearance (IOC) in December 2013 has significant shortfalls (53 permanent waivers/concessions) in meeting the air staff requirement (ASR), as a result of which, it will have reduced operational capabilities and reduced survivability, thereby limiting its operational employability when inducted into Indian Air Force squadrons.
The problems are expected to be overcome by developing the LCA Mark-II, an aircraft with lower weight and a higher-thrust engine that is likely to meet the ASR, which has been taken up by the Aeronautics Development Agency (ADA) in November 2009 and is scheduled for completion by December 2018.
The ADA’s decision to advance build two prototypes from full-scale engineering development (FSED) Phase-II to FSED Phase-I on the ground of accelerating the development process of the LCA, failed to yield the desired results as the FSED Phase I was closed in March 2004, involving a delay of six years and without the completion of all the activities that were carried forward to FSED Phase-II.
More importantly, according to the the CAG, this decision of ADA rendered the prototypes deficient of critical onboard systems (multi-mode radar, self-protection jammer, radar warning receiver) and led to ADA using the Limited Series Production aircraft (meant for IAF use) towards flight testing/evaluation of these critical onboard systems, in contravention to the commitment given to the GoI while obtaining sanction (November 2001) for the building of these aircraft.
The addition of new weapons by IAF for operational edge of the LCA in March 1997 and December 2009, necessitating design changes on the aircraft, coupled with delayed specifying the requirement of integrating R-73E missile with multi-mode radar/helmet-mounted display and sight and delayed identification of beyond-visual range missiles, also contributed to the delays in achieving IOC/FOC by the LCA, the auditor noted.
The LCA Mark-I is deficient in electronic warfare capabilities as specified by IAF, as the self-protection jammer could not be fitted on the aircraft due to space constraints and the radar warning receiver/counter-measure dispensing system fitted on the aircraft are having performance issues, which are yet to be overcome.
In June 1993, the government had emphasised on increasing the indigenous content of the LCA while sanctioning FSED in a phased manner, but ADA did not make any roadmap for indigenisation during LCA development. As a result, indigenous content of the LCA estimated by ADA as 70 % actually worked out to about 35%.
LCA systems such as Kaveri engine, multi-mode radar, radome, multi-functional display system and flight control system actuators taken up for indigenous development could not be developed successfully, resulting in the LCA’s continued dependency on the import of these systems. Development of a jet fuel starter, though achieved indigenously, had performance issues that are yet to be resolved.

  Financialexpress

France, India to conclude Rafale jets deal within 10 days - source

India's purchase of French Rafale fighter jets could be concluded in about 10 days, a source with knowledge of talks on the deal told Reuters on Friday.
Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi said in April he had ordered 36 Rafale fighters to modernise his country's warplane fleet, though detailed terms and conditions remained to be settled.
Modi had opted to deal directly with the French government after three years of inconclusive negotiations with the plane's manufacturer, Dassault.
"Things are getting better with India," the source said. "An agreement could be seen in about 10 days."
Dassault Aviation was not immediately available to comment.
India's announcement came after Dassault in February won its first export order for the jets from Egypt. Since then, Qatar has also placed an order, and talks are under way with Malaysia and the United Arab Emirates.
But the Indian deal ran into trouble, with both sides wrangling over the unit price of the aircraft and a condition that Dassault should invest a big percentage of the value of the multi-billion dollar contract in India, sources said earlier this month.
India is keen to modernise its ageing airforce, with military officials having warned of a major capability gap opening up with China and Pakistan without new Western warplanes, or if local defence contractors cannot build what the military needs in a timely manner.

 reuters

US keen on defence, aerospace industry in Haryana

The US has expressed keen interest in expansion of defence and aerospace industry in Haryana with Chief Minister Manohar Lal Khattar on a visit to the country to seek investments for his state.

In a meeting with Khattar, US Assistant Secretary of State for South and Central Asian Affairs Nisha Biswal also has affirmed deep interest of US companies in making investments in the state.

Expressing keen interest in expansion of defence and aerospace industry in the state, Biswal said she would visit Haryana during her next tour to India.

During the meeting, Khattar said he was very much concerned about the issues industry had faced in Haryana during the last few years.

Now his government has launched its new Entrepreneur Promotion Policy 2015 which emphasises on ease-of-doing business, enhancing competitiveness of industry by reducing cost of doing business, and single-window clearance, Khattar said according to a media release. The new policy also has the provision of no enhancement once the cost of land is fixed.

He said that the insurance sector is also being strengthened to ensure stability of industry.

Haryana, he said, has locational advantage as it surrounds national capital Delhi on three sides.

Opening a broad window on Haryana, Khattar said that a vibrant and fast growing industrial powerhouse and a veritable hub of knowledge, the state offered tremendous scope for investment in several fields.

The state government has signed an MoU with Pratt and Whitney of United Technologies in Connecticut state.

"We would also support your efforts towards making more investments in Haryana," the chief minister said.

Haryana Industries and Commerce Minister, Capt Abhimanyu said that state had already witnessed presence of 200 out of 500 Fortune companies.

"We are leading in automobile manufacturing sector besides the strategic advantage of Delhi market. The KMP expressway, whose work was pending for over last decade would be completed in next 2.5 years. It would be a six-lane expressway that would open new avenues of industrial growth in Haryana," he said.

 business-standard

Over 10 countries to join China's military parade, India says no

China today said many world leaders and over 10 foreign military forces will participate in its huge WWII memorial parade on September 3 here to mark the 70th anniversary of the victory of China's resistance against Japan.

Military units from Russia, Kazakhstan and other countries will join, said Qu Rui, deputy chief of the Operations Department of the General Staff Headquarters of the People's Liberation Army (PLA).

India, however, will have a low-key participation in the event.
Indian officials said that while Indian troops will not take part in the parade, an Indian delegation headed by Minister of State for External Affairs, Gen. (Retd) V K Singh is expected to attend the parade and the reception to be held on the occasion.

India had a high-level representation at the 70th WWII anniversary event organised in Russia in May this year.

While President Pranab Mukherjee headed the Indian delegation, a contingent of Indian troops also took part in the parade.

Qu said 12,000 troops will take part in the parade, along with 27 formations of military equipment and 10 formations of helicopters and fixed-wing aircraft.The Chinese event has evoked guarded response as it was at highlighting the excesses committed by Japanese troops in China over which Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe has expressed "deepest remorse" and "sincere condolences" to Japan's wartime victims.
Qu did not provide a full list of the countries, only saying that "countries that will send formations and representative teams to the parade are from all the continents of Asia, Europe, Africa, Oceania and America".

"Their participation in the parade is a clear indication of the attitude of commemorating the victory of the world anti-fascist war jointly, and a symbol of the pursuit and aspiration to the enduring world peace," state-run Xinhua news agency quoted him as saying.

Russian President Vladimir Putin and several other leaders were expected to join. Chinese official media today said South Korean President Park Geun-hye will attend the celebrations.

There were speculations that Abe will visit China on September 3 even though he will not attend the parade as it was primarily aimed at highlighting the Japanese force's atrocities against Chinese during the eight-year war in China.Chinese foreign ministry, however, said there is no word from Japan over Abe's visit.
When asked whether there was an anti-Japanese element to the parade, Qu said the war had brought great suffering to the people of both Japan and of Asia but the event aimed to look toward the future and was "not directed at any third parties".

 deccanherald