Category Archives: Business & Economy

NATIONAL: DEFENCE / NAVY: Navy Showcases Twin-Carrier Operations in a Major Upgrade to Maritime Security

The exercise involved the deployment of the indigenously built INS Vikrant, the Russian-made INS Vikramaditya, and over 35 aircraft; Navy plans to ask government for one more Vikrant-size carrier.

As indigenous aircraft carrier INS Vikrant gears up to become fully operational later this year, the Indian Navy has put on display its multi-carrier operations, with the coordinated deployment of Vikrant, INS Vikramaditya and more than 35 aircraft in the Arabian Sea. This marks a significant milestone in the Indian Navy’s pursuit of enhancing maritime security and the projection of its power in the Indian Ocean and beyond, the navy spokesperson said.

“The exercise involved seamless integration of two aircraft carriers — INS Vikramaditya and the indigenously built INS Vikrant — along with a diverse fleet of ships, submarines and aircraft, showcasing India’s technological expertise in the maritime domain,” the spokesperson said in a statement. “This demonstration of naval prowess underscores India’s commitment to safeguarding its national interests, maintaining regional stability, and fostering cooperative partnerships in the maritime domain,” the spokesperson added.

Floating sovereign airfields

INS Vikramaditya and INS Vikrant, the centrepieces of the exercise, serve as “floating sovereign airfields”, providing a launch platform for a wide array of aircraft, including MiG-29K fighter jets, MH-60R, Kamov, Sea King, Chetak and Dhruv helicopters. “These mobile bases can be positioned anywhere, allowing for increased mission flexibility, timely response to emerging threats and sustained air operations to safeguard our national interests across the globe. In addition, they provide our friends with an assurance that the Indian Navy is capable and ready to support our ‘collective’ security needs in the region,” the spokesperson said.

The construction, operation and maintenance of aircraft carriers is complex and expensive and a niche capability limited to a handful of countries. Arguing that the successful demonstration of twin-carrier battle group operations serves as a powerful testament to the pivotal role of sea-based air power in maintaining maritime superiority, the spokesperson said, “As India continues to strengthen its security apparatus, significance of aircraft carriers will remain paramount in shaping the nation’s defence strategy and promoting regional stability.”

Requesting another carrier

The Russian-origin INS Vikramaditya, with a displacement of 44,500 tonnes, sailed out of the dockyard recently after a long refit.

Navy Chief Admiral R. Hari Kumar has said that INS Vikrant, with a displacement of of 42,800 tonnes and commissioned into the navy last September, will be fully operational by year-end, as reported by The Hindu earlier. Adm. Kumar had also said that the navy was finalising plans to approach the government to repeat the order for a Vikrant-sized carrier — Indigenous Aircraft Carrier (IAC)-2 — with some modifications. Given the long timelines, it is likely to end up as a replacement for INS Vikramaditya.

As part of the operationalisation, Vikrant will shortly go for scheduled maintenance within the warranty period by the manufacturer Cochin Shipyard Limited.

As part of ongoing air certification and INS Vikrant’s flight integration trials with rotary-wing and fixed-wing aircraft to reach a combat-ready state, the navy achieved a historic milestone by undertaking the maiden night landing of MiG-29K jets on May 24. Earlier, the maiden day landings of MiG-29K and the indigenous light combat aircraft took place on February 6, followed by day and night landing trials of all helicopters in the naval inventory.

source/content: thehindu.com (headline edited)

INTERNATIONAL: SCIENCE & MEDICINE : India joins Centralised Laboratory Network (CLN), a Global Collaboration for Testing Vaccines

The new members of the CLN now are Indian Council of Medical Research-National Institute of Virology (ICMR-NIV), Institut Pasteur de Dakar (IPD) (Senegal), KAVI Institute of Clinical Research (KAVI ICR) & University of Nairobi Institute of Tropical and Infectious Diseases (UNITID) (Kenya), Synexa Life Sciences (South Africa) and Uganda Virus Research Institute (UVRI) (Uganda).

India has joined the Centralized Laboratory Network (CLN) which currently has 15 partner facilities in 13 countries that works to test vaccines which can be used during pandemic, epidemic disease outbreak. CLN is a part of the Coalition for Epidemic Preparedness Innovations (CEPI) and the Network is the largest global group which has standardised methods and materials for testing.

The new members of the CLN now are Indian Council of Medical Research-National Institute of Virology (ICMR-NIV), Institut Pasteur de Dakar (IPD) (Senegal), KAVI Institute of Clinical Research (KAVI ICR) & University of Nairobi Institute of Tropical and Infectious Diseases (UNITID) (Kenya), Synexa Life Sciences (South Africa) and Uganda Virus Research Institute (UVRI) (Uganda).

CEPI-funded network aims to identify the most promising vaccine candidates rapidly and accurately against emerging infectious diseases and the expanded network is working at supporting sustainable regional outbreak preparedness infrastructure also.

source/content: thehindu.com (headline edited)

NATIONAL: ARTS & CRAFTS: 900 Craftsmen behind Carpets for new Parliament building

The intricacies of the workmanship are so grand that as many as 120 knots per square inch were woven to create the carpets — amounting to over 600 million knots approximately in total.

 At least 900 master craftsmen from two villages in Uttar Pradesh — Bhadohi and Mirzapur — worked for about 18 months and hand-knotted carpets to adorn the new Parliament building, which was inaugurated by Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Sunday. They crafted 158 carpets for Lok Sabha and 156 for the Upper House before stitching them into a single carpet in the form of a semi-circle to sync with the architecture of both Houses covering an area of 35,000 square feet (sqft). 

The intricacies of the workmanship are so grand that as many as 120 knots per square inch were woven to create the carpets — amounting to over 600 million knots approximately in total. While the carpets in Lok Sabha have the most intricate motifs of the peacock — symbolising India’s national bird, the rugs in Rajya Sabha showcase the exquisite motifs of the national flower — the lotus. Their colour has been primarily inspired by the shade of Kokum Red.

These carpets, adorned with meticulously crafted patterns and embellished with 20-25 shades, stand as a testament to India’s unparalleled artistry. The shade of floor covering in the Lok Sabha is based on Indian agave green, with inspiration from the plumes of the Indian peacock. 

Rudra Chatterjee, Chairman of Obeetee Carpets, the company which had prepared the carpets, said that the mammoth exercise to create the magnificent carpets for Parliament took over a year and a half.  “We began the project in 2020 right in the middle of the pandemic.

The weaving process started by September 2021 and it was over by May 2022, and the installation commenced in November 2022. Crafting each carpet with a high density of 120 knots per square inch took approximately seven months. Being entrusted with the Central Vista project is an incredible honour for us at Obeetee,” he said.  

The workers spent a whopping 10 lakh man-hours, Chatterjee said. The craftsmen hailing from Bhadohi and Mirzapur are carrying on a legacy dating to Mughal Emperor Akbar.  As the legend goes, Akbar had an exceptional fondness for carpets so he decided to bring the finest Persian artists and weavers to India. During that journey, when they reached Gopiganj, a small town in modern Uttar Pradesh, their caravan was attacked by bandits. The weavers who survived that onslaught took shelter in villages around that area, this making Mirzapur famous for carpet weaving. 

“The carpet designs were conceived with great reverence for the halls, exuding intricate artistry, vibrant colours, and subtle elegance. Crafted at Obeetee’s own factory headquarters in Mirzapur, the manufacturing procedure was a tedious process as the weavers had to craft the carpets for halls measuring up to 17,500 square feet each,” Chatterjee added.  Obeetee was founded around 103 years ago by three British entrepreneurs, soon after World War 1 — the name of the company resembles the initials of their three names. 

Carrying on Akbar legacy 
The craftsmen from Bhadohi and Mirzapur are carrying on a legacy dating to Emperor Akbar. As the legend goes, Akbar had fondness for carpets so he decided to bring the finest Persian artists, and weavers to India. 

source/content: newindianexpress.com (headline edited)

NATIONAL: SCIENCE & MEDICAL TECHNOLOGY: VACCINES: India Develops First Local Test to Detect Flu, Covid in Single Swab

The Pune-based National Institute of Virology (NIV) has developed the kit, known as a multiplex single tube realtime RT-PCR test.

The National Institute of Virology has developed the first indigenous testing kit to detect three infections—Influenza A, B and SARS-CoV-2—through a single kit, and wants interested companies to take it to the mass market.

The kit is what is known as a multiplex single tube realtime RT-PCR test to detect Influenza A, B and Covid-19, said Dr Varsha Potdar, head of NIV Pune’s influenza division.

“This will be an easy, time saving and efficient way of detecting three infections through a single test,” she said. “Single tube essentially means that using a person’s single sample, we will be able to diagnose multiple infections. Technicians will not have to test the sample separately.”

Symptoms of the three infections tend to overlap, making a kit such as this particularly useful during flu seasons.

The institute, a constituent of the Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR), on May 15 invited expressions of interest (EoI) from companies to manufacture the kits in bulk, Dr Potdar said.

The test kit will use nasal and throat swabs of a patient, similar to the Covid-19 testing kits, but technicians will be able to use the sample for multiple disease detection, she added.

The institute now wants to hand over the technology to licensees or manufacturers “to enable them to commercialise the technology for societal benefit.”

“The company chosen shall undertake the scale-up as required, manufacturing and commercialiation of the technology and will share the technical data with ICMR,” the EoI document said.

Multiplex testing in molecular tests refers to polymerase chain reaction (PCR) tests that simultaneously detects multiple pathogens in a single reaction with a single sample.

While such technology is in different stages of development in various countries, this is the first indigenously developed kit that India will produce.

“We have set June 14 as the last date for companies to submit their interest,” Dr Potdar said. “Based on the applications we receive, we will evaluate the best candidate.”

The Centre for Disease Control and Prevention is also working on the Influenza SARS-CoV-2 (Flu SC2) Multiplex Assay, which is a real-time reverse-transcription PCR laboratory test that can simultaneously detect and differentiate between Influenza A, Influenza B, and SARS-CoV-2 in upper or lower respiratory specimens.

The test is a highly accurate, nucleic acid-based diagnostic tool to evaluate specimens from patients who are in the acute phase of infection, the centre said.

source/content: hindustantimes.com (headline edited)

INTERNATIONAL: ARTS & CULTURE / DIPLOMACY: PM Modi releases Tamil classic ‘Thirukkural’ in Tok Pisin language of Papua New Guinea

Tok Pisin is the official language of Papua New Guinea.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi along with his Papua New Guinea counterpart James Marape on May 22 released the Tamil classic ‘Thirukkural’ in the Tok Pisin language to bring the Indian thought and culture closer to the people of this southwestern Pacific nation.

Modi arrived here on May 21 on his maiden visit to Papua New Guinea, becoming the first Indian prime minister to visit the country. He co-hosted with Marape a key summit between India and 14 Pacific island countries to boost bilateral ties.

Tok Pisin is the official language of Papua New Guinea.

“Indian diaspora keeping alive connect with the motherland! PM@narendramodi & PM James Marape launched a translation of the Tamil classic ‘Thirukkural’ in the Tok Pisin language of Papua New Guinea,” the Ministry of External Affairs tweeted.

Co-authored by Subha Sasindran and Governor Sasindran Muthuvel of West New Britain Province, the book brings Indian thought and culture closer to the people of Papua New Guinea, it said.

“In Papua New Guinea, PM James Marape and I had the honour of releasing the Thirukkural in Tok Pisin language. Thirukkural is an iconic work, which provides valuable insights across different subjects,” Prime Minister Modi tweeted.

Thirukkural, a collection of couplets on ethics, political and economic matters, and love, is written by Poet Thiruvalluvar.

“I would like to commend @pngsasi, Governor of the West New Britain Province and Mrs. Subha Sasindran for their effort to translate the Thirukkural in Tok Pisin. Governor Sasindran has done his schooling in Tamil while Mrs. Subha Sasindran is a respected linguist,” he said in another tweet.

Prime Minister Modi has previously released a translation of the book in his mother tongue Gujarati.

He has praised Thirukkural on many occasions.

In one of his speeches, the Prime Minister said, “Thirukkural is not only a literary masterpiece but an extraordinary guide for common living. It shows us the path of righteousness and inspires us to lead a selfless life.” He also stated that Thirukkural “remains relevant even today and can serve as an inspiration for the present generation.” The prime minister has often quoted Thirukkural in his speeches and tweets and even gifted a copy of the book to the late Japanese PM Shinzo Abe in 2014.

“Thirukkural is a treasure trove full of inspiring ideas that youngsters all over the world can read and benefit from,” he had said.

source/content: thehindu.com (headline edited)

NATIONAL: BUSINESS & ECONOMY / ARTS & CULTURE / G.I. Tags: UP now holds 02nd position in GI products as three more crafts bag coveted tag

While Tamil Nadu leads with 55 GI-tagged goods, UP and Karnataka follow with 48 and 46 GI products, respectively.

Uttar Pradesh now holds second position in the country in terms of having the maximum number of Geographical Indication-tagged goods after receiving GI tags for three more crafts.

The crafts that have received GI tags include Mainpuri tarkashi, Mahoba Gaura stone craft, and Sambhal horn craft.

While Tamil Nadu leads with 55 GI-tagged goods, UP and Karnataka follow with 48 and 46 GI products, respectively.

According to GI expert Rajni Kant, a Padma Shri awardee, and head of the Human Welfare Association (HWA) that facilitated these handicrafts to get the GI certification, of the 48 GI goods of UP, 36 products belong to the handicraft category. In the Varanasi region alone, 18 GI-tagged goods out of 23 belong to the handicraft category.

“Uttar Pradesh is not only the biggest exporter of GI-tagged products but it also involves the largest amount of manpower in this sector, making the highest annual turnover in the country,” claimed Kant.

Kant added that 20 more applications from UP for the GI certification are in the final stages.

He said that so far, his organisation has provided technical facilitation to file 175 applications in 18 states, out of which 46 products received GI certification.

“Maximum applications were filed during the Covid period after 2019,” he said.

“With the financial support of NABARD, Uttar Pradesh, Lucknow, the HWA along with local producer organizations and the state government MSME initiative, prepared the technical documents of the three goods and sent them to the GI Registry in Chennai in 2019 during the difficult times of Covid, and after a long legal and technical process the GI tags were received in May 2023,” he said.

Sambhal horn craft

The horn-bone handicraft products made in Sambhal are immensely popular. The raw material used for making these craft items is procured from dead animals that makes this industry environment friendly. Sambhal’s horn and bone products are known all over the world. Sambhal offers a wide range of decorative horn-bone handicrafts that are available in different attractive looks, designs and patterns.

Mahoba Gaura stone craft

Mahoba is known nationwide for its exquisite Gaura stone craft. Gaura stone craft is made of radiant white-coloured stone that is predominantly found in this region. Gaura stone has a soft texture. It is cut into several pieces which are then used for making various craft items that are used for ornamental purposes.

Mainpuri tarkashi

Tarkashi is a technique of inlaying brass, copper or silver wires in wood. It is a unique and artistic product of Mainpuri district. It is used for decorating jewellery boxes, name plaques and other similar items. The amazing art of tarkashi can also be seen in door panels, trays and lamps, sandook (chest), decorative pieces, tables, flower pots.

source/content: newindianexpress.com (headline edited)
 

NATIONAL: HEALTH & MEDICAL SERVICES: First Time India saw Record over 15,000 Organ Transplants in 2022: Union Health Secretary

Rajesh Bhushan says there has been a fast resurgence in organ transplant activities post Covid, and for the first time, the country has achieved more than 15,000 transplants a year.

India has witnessed a fast resurgence in organ transplant activities post COVID-19 and, for the first time, achieved more than 15,000 transplants a year in 2022, Union Health Secretary Rajesh Bhushan said on February 19.

Along with this, there was an annual increase of 27% in the transplant numbers, Mr. Bhushan said at the “National Organ and Tissue Transplant Organisation (NOTTO) Scientific Dialogue 2023”, organised by the Union Ministry of Health.

The event was organised to bring all the stakeholders under one roof to brainstorm ideas about interventions and best practices in the field of organ and tissue transplant that can be taken up for saving lives.

Mr. Bhushan said there has been a fast resurgence in organ transplant activities post Covid, and for the first time, the country has achieved more than 15,000 transplants a year (2022). There was an annual increase of 27% in the transplant numbers, he added.

The Health Secretary underlined three priority areas — programmatic restructuring, communication strategy and skilling of professionals.

Highlighting the need to update the existing structures and guidelines, he said, “Though we have existing structures at various governance levels like NOTTO at the national level, SOTTOs at the State level and ROTTOs at the regional level, it needs to be ensured that they work as a well-oiled machinery while performing their mandate.” Mr. Bhushan welcomed the changes that have taken place, such as updated guidelines and the domicile requirement being done away with.

He stressed the need for a rational use of the country’s technical manpower and training and channelising them efficiently, along with optimal utilisation of the physical infrastructure and equipment, such as in tertiary care facilities.

Underscoring the changing demography of the country, the Health Secretary noted that India has a growing geriatric population and to ensure quality of life for them, it is critically important to update the communication and awareness strategy, so that potential organ donors come forward.

He suggested wide orientation and re-orientation through training programmes, newly-designed courses and digital interventions for healthcare professionals and domain knowledge experts. He further added that “along with training programmes, wide publicity and awareness through not just print and electronic media but engaging with local stakeholders and non-governmental organisations [NGOs] can be taken up”.

Thus, he pushed for a multi-stakeholder exercise for communicating effectively and making people realise their contributions towards a greater good.

Highlighting the need for capacity building of the country’s medical institutions, Mr. Bhushan said, “Despite having 640-plus medical hospitals and colleges, transplants remain a specialised service limited to some hospitals only. There is a need to expand the number of institutions where surgeries and transplants are undertaken.” Thus, to increase the number of surgeries and transplants in the country, along with sensitisation and training for healthcare professionals, the physical infrastructure must be optimally utilised, he said, adding that there is also a need to identify the high-caseload institutions and bring them under the NOTT programme network.

The Health Secretary suggested that consultations and discussions can lead to memoranda of understanding (MoUs) and consequentially, creation of centres of excellence at the State and regional levels where these specialised services can be provided to the needy.

source/content: thehindu.com (headline edited)

NATIONAL: INFRASTRUCTURE FOR CITIZENS: Now Track, Block Lost Mobile Phones via Sanchar Saathi Portal 

After the identity verification, the portal will interact with law enforcement agencies and telecom service providers and block your lost mobile phone.

People will be now able to block and track their lost or stolen mobile phones across India via the Sanchar Saathi Portal launched by the Department of Telecom on Tuesday.

Union telecom minister Ashwini Vaishnaw said that through Sanchar Saathi Portal, people will be able to block, track and check the genuineness of a used device before buying them.

“First leg of Sanchar Saathi portal is CEIR (Central Equipment Identity Register). If you lose your mobile phone, then you can visit this portal. There will be some identity verification, requirement of undertaking and immediately after this the portal will interact with law enforcement agencies and telecom service providers and block your lost mobile phone,” Vaishnaw said.

He said that Prime Minister has a clear vision that a lot of attention needs to be paid to user safety and the facilities under Sanchar Saathi portal are aligned to his vision.

When asked about measures that the government is taking to check fraud through calls on WhatsApp, the minister said that Meta owned app has agreed to deactivate services linked to any mobile phone number engaged in fraudulent activities.

“We have actively engaged with WhatsApp and they have agreed that customer safety is most important. All the OTT platforms are actively cooperating to deregister the users which have been detected as fraud users,” Vaishnaw said.

He said that 36 lakh mobile connections have been disconnected for fraud and simultaneously their WhatsApp account has been blocked.

The minister said that there is Know Your Mobile facility Sanchar Saathi which help users verify the genuineness of second-hand mobile phone before buying them.

“We feel confident that at least with these reforms, at least the rising trends in cyber frauds will be seriously controlled and we will be able to bring them down,” Vaishnaw said.

He said that there is TAFCOP facility on Sanchar Saathi to help people check if there are other mobile numbers working in their name without their permission or knowledge.

The Sanchar Saathi facilities have been developed by C-DoT.The technology development arm under the Department of Telecom has been able to add feature to check use of cloned mobile phones across all telecom networks.

The government has made it mandatory to disclose IMEI– a 15-digit unique numeric identifier of mobile devices before their sale in India. The mobile networks will have access to the list of approved IMEI numbers which will check the entry of any unauthorised mobile phones on their network.

Telecom operators and CEIR system will have visibility into IMEI number of the device and mobile number linked to it and the information is being used in some states to track your lost or stolen mobiles through CEIR. One of the common practices is that miscreants after stealing mobile phone change IMEI number of the device which prevents tracking and blocking of such handsets.

The CEIR will be able to block any cloned mobile phones on the network with the help of various databases. C-DOT has been running the pilot of the technology in some of the telecom circles including Delhi, Maharashtra, Karnataka and North East.

Recently, Karnataka Police recovered and handed over 2,500 lost mobile phones to their owners using the CEIR system.

Apple already has a system to track lost mobile phones with the help of Apple id but major issues have been around Android mobile phones.

With the new system in place, it will be futile to use stolen mobile phones. The system developed under Sanchar Saathi can also help in curbing the smuggling of phones.

source/content: newindianexpress.com (headline edited)

REGIONAL: ARTS & CULTURE / CINEMA: Bangladesh Audiences see First Indian Movie in 50 years

Cinemas used to be a mainstay of Bangladeshi social life.

Thousands flocked to cinemas in Dhaka on Friday as Shah Rukh Khan’s blockbuster “Pathaan” hit the big screens, the first Bollywood movie to get a full release in Bangladesh in more than half a century.

The action-packed spy thriller smashed box office records when it opened in India in January and the star has a huge fan following around the world.

But Dhaka banned films from its neighbour soon after its independence in 1971, in the face of lobbying from local movie-makers, despite India backing it in its independence war with Pakistan.

“I am so excited because a Hindi film is being released in Bangladesh for the first time,” said Sazzad Hossain, 18, at a cineplex in the capital.

“We are all Shah Rukh Khan fans. For the first time I’ll watch Shah Rukh Khan on a giant screen.”

Bangladeshi cinemas have gone into steep decline, with poor-quality local films unable to match Bollywood’s glitz and glamour or draw audiences, and the ageing Shakib Khan its only bankable star.

Some movie houses even switched to illegally showing pornography to try to remain viable, but more than 1,000 have shut their doors in the last 20 years, many of them to be converted to shopping centres or apartments.

At the Modhumita Cinema Hall, once Dhaka’s most luxurious movie theatre, heroin addicts sat outside this week in front of posters for Jinn, a newly released Bangladeshi movie.

“I haven’t seen such a poor crowd in many years,” said one theatre employee. “Only a few rows have been filled up. Nobody watches these local art movies or films with poor storylines.”

Cinemas used to be a mainstay of Bangladeshi social life.

“This hall was like a great meeting place of the Old Dhaka community,” Pradip Narayan told AFP at the Manoshi Complex, a 100-year-old movie theatre turned into a market in 2017.

“Women used to come in the night to watch films here. Our mothers and sisters from neighbouring areas would come here, and when the show ended at midnight or 12:30 at night, it looked like a fair here.

“A woman even gave birth to a child in this cinema hall. Such was the craze for movies back then.”

Authorities attempted to lift the ban on Indian movies in 2015 when two Bollywood hits — “Wanted” and “The Three Idiots” — were screened, but protests by local movie stars forced theatres to stop the shows.

The government finally issued a decree last month allowing the import of 10 movies a year from India or South Asian nations.

“In Pakistan the number of cinemas came down to 30-35 once. Then they allowed importing Indian Hindi films,” said information minister Hasan Mahmud.

“The number of cinemas has since risen to about 1,200 and the standard of Pakistani films also improved.”

“Pathaan” was released in 41 theatres across the country and many shows in the capital were already sold out, said distributor Anonno Mamun.

Allowing the screening of Bollywood movies would prove to be a “game-changer”, he told AFP. “Everyone loves Hindi movies here. Many also love southern Indian movies,” he said.

The Modhumita cinema’s owner Mohammed Iftekharuddin — a former president of the Bangladesh Motion Picture Exhibitors Association — is hoping for a business turnaround.

“I think 200-300 more cinema halls will reopen after this,” he said.

“Monopoly destroys business. When there is competition, there will be business.”

But Bangladeshi filmmakers are alarmed at the prospect, with some threatening to protest by wearing white shrouds of death to symbolise the demise of the local industry.

“Don’t they know about the Nepalese film industry?” asked director Khijir Hayat Khan.

“Don’t they see that the Mexican film industry was destroyed after opening the market (to Hollywood’s products)?”

Nonetheless, there is undoubtedly unsatisfied demand among audiences.

Forest department official Raj Ahmed, 30, travelled 250 kilometres (155 miles) from Khulna in southern Bangladesh to see “Pathaan”, but could not secure a ticket.

“I feel very bad,” he said. “I was waiting for many days to watch Shah Rukh Khan on a big screen.”

source/content: thehindu.com (headline edited)

NATIONAL: DEFENCE: Indian Navy Test-Fires BrahMos Supersonic Cruise Missile

BrahMos Aerospace Pvt Ltd, an India-Russian joint venture, produces the supersonic cruise missiles that can be launched from submarines, ships, aircraft, or land platforms.

A BrahMos supersonic cruise missile was successfully test-fired from the Indian Navy’s frontline guided missile destroyer INS Mormugao, officials said on May 14.

The missile firing demonstrated the Indian Navy’s firepower at sea, they said.

“INS Mormugao, the latest guided-missile destroyer, successfully hit ‘bulls eye’ during her maiden BrahMos supersonic cruise missile firing,” a Navy official said.

“The ship and her potent weapon, both indigenous, mark another shining symbol of ‘AatmaNirbharta’ and Indian Navy’s firepower at sea,” the official added.

The location of the test-firing of the missile is not immediately known.

BrahMos Aerospace Pvt Ltd, an India-Russian joint venture, produces the supersonic cruise missiles that can be launched from submarines, ships, aircraft, or land platforms.

BrahMos missile flies at a speed of 2.8 Mach or almost three times the speed of sound. India is also exporting the BrahMos missiles.

In January last year, India sealed a $375 million deal with the Philippines for supplying three batteries of the missile.

source/content: thehindu.com (headline edited)