India Empire July 2019

India-Diplomatic, Political, Business and Diaspora Connectivity

INDIA

Editor’s Desk Winning or losing of elections is less important than strengthening the country.

—Indira Gandhi, former Indian Prime Minister

A

fter losing a couple of general elections in a short span of five years, Congress’ erstwhile party president Rahul Gandhi may or may not agree fully with the words spoken by his grandmother. Mrs Indira Gandhi, who first became India’s Prime Minister more than five decades ago, no doubt meant well when she spoke about strengthening the nation. But how do you really carry out nation building at the macrolevel unless you win the big elections, form Government, and then put pragmatic, deliverable policies and plans in place?

In politics, it’s all about winning. The BJP resoundingly won a second term to run the federal Government in 2019, riding high on the popularity of incumbent Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s first term, as well as many game-changing projects launched by the NDA Government. The BJP now truly has a chance to make the country stronger—that would mean reduction of gender disparity, doing away with hurtful appeasement, improving infrastructure, focusing harder on rural India, and creating a fertile economic territory that allows micro, small and medium businesses—the economy’s backbone—to flourish. Thanks to the party’s high-decibel digital drive, middlemen have been largely cut to size. Leakage of money going to the beneficiary is, therefore, minimized.

But for the Modi magic to weave its spell, things also have to work smoothly on the ground. There are strategists who take care of that. One of the key ones is, of course, Mr Bhupender Yadav, MP, who has made his way into the top echelons of the party (he’s currently its national general secretary) and has no doubt impressed its highest leadership. Mr Yadav likes to meticulously plan out (read about the Page Pramukh strategy in his interview) how to drive things on the ground, and deliver long-term results. When it comes to the electoral war-room machinery, he’s in the thick of things, a pivotal part of the party’s think thank that looks at the big picture and then tirelessly goes to work on the vast political canvas across the length and breadth of the country.

For being such an important part of the party’s unprecedented success in 2019 (with BJP winning 303 Lok Sabha seats, its best performance ever, followed distantly by the Congress with 52 seats in second spot), he’s on our cover. Now that the elections are done and dusted, we wanted to pick his With Mr Bhupender Yadav at his residence

EMPIRE Volume 15 No. 2 July 2019 www.indiaempire.com RNI No.: DELENG/2005/16693 GLOBAL ADVISORY BOARD

Mr Inder Singh, Dr Rami Ranger, Dr Kamalanathan Sappani, Mr Mridul Pathak, Ms Priya Tandon Editor Sayantan Chakravarty Consulting Editor Yogesh Sood (Business and Commerce) Sipra Das (Photography) Kul Bhushan Jayant Borkar (Mumbai Affairs) Sanjay Sharma (BJP Affairs) Paras Ramoutar (Caribbean Affairs) Vishnu Bisram (New York) Premchand Ramlochun (Mauritius) Liladhar J. Bharadia (Kenya) Jay Banerjei (Toronto) Head—Art and Print Jaydev Bisht Additional Contributions From Siddhi Jain, Saket Suman, Yogi Ashwini Registered Office: N-126, II Floor, Greater Kailash I, New Delhi - 110 048.

Contact: +91.11.2923.3647, +91.11.2923.1515.

Our Associate Offices: Hyderabad: Abhijit Bhattacharjee, Tel: +91.9848033874.

Mauritius: 28, Cnr. Jasmins and Lataniers Avenue Résidence Sunsetville, La Caverne, Vacoas 73310 Republic of Mauritius Trinidad and Tobago: 61 Main Road, Caparo, Trinidad, W.I. Canada: Suite 209 885 Progess Ave, Toronto, ON M1H G3G Canada New York: 260, Madison Avenue, 15th Floor, New York, NY 10016 ADVERTISEMENT AND SUBSCRIPTIONS Email: contactindiaempire@gmail.com info@indiaempire.com sales@indiaempire.com M: +91.9899117477, +91.98116.27971 Printed, published, owned by Sayantan Chakravarty. Editor is Sayantan Chakravarty. Published from N -126, II Floor, Greater Kailash I, New Delhi 110 048, INDIA. Printed at Archana Advertising Pvt. Ltd., C-78, Okhla Industrial Area, Ph-1, New Delhi 110020.

All rights reserved throughout the world. Any kind of reproduction in any media is prohibited. All disputes are subject to jurisdiction of courts in Delhi.

" !!

###

#" !! !# !!

# !!

Sayantan Chakravarty is in a select group of 12 writers alongside Nobel Laureate William Butler Yeats, RK Narayan (Padma Vibhushan and Sahitya Award winner), journalist and poet Walt Whitman, writer Saki (Hector Hugh Munro), poet Nissim Ezekiel (Sahitya Akademi Awardee), writer Jerome K Jerome (author of Three Men in a Boat), poet Edward Lear, Roald Dahl (16th on Time Magazine’s list of greatest British writers) and others chosen by Scholastic Education to promote advanced English literature for schools worldwide.

Sayantan Chakravarty’s stories featured in Best of Indian Express of 25 years and Best of India Today’s 25 years.

brains on what makes the BJP tick in the modern day Indian political landscape.

India’s advantage is that it has a sizeable chunk of young voters, many of whom are part of the work force that strengthens a nation. They are loud, aspirational and duly resent a sense of entitlement, particularly displayed by dynastic families. They give vent to their feelings unabashedly on social media, not just in English and Hindi, but their native tongues as well. If there were no real visible changes on the ground this chunk of opinionated voters would not have taken kindly to Mr Modi and backed him at the ballot box for a second term.

LATEST MONTHLY ISSUES

As it moves forward to wrest back states it had lost, and retain those it rules, the BJP’s task is cut out. “Trust is not something that’s given because you win an election, it’s something you have to earn,” American politician Tom Perez says.

It is trust quotient that the party will be looking to scale up even further. That will mean further gains for the BJP. Elsewhere in the magazine we have stories on diplomacy, business and diaspora. Hope you enjoy going through the pages, and are able to send us some valuable feedback whenever possible.

Sayantan Chakravarty sayantanc@gmail.com www.indiaempire.com

Cover PiCture by: SiPra DaS

CONTENTS

06 KEY STRATEGIST ................................................. 06 Interview with BJP National General Secretary Mr Bhupender Yadav ODISHA’S MAIN POLITICAL REPRESENTATIVE IN THE CENTRE .................................................... 10 Focus on Union Minister Dharmendra Pradhan

10

july 2019

12

BELARUS CALLING .............................................. 16 Interview with Ambassador of Belarus BRITISH POLITICS ............................................... 12 Indians in key positions in new Government AMBASSADORS’ CORNER ................................... 20 New appointments and what diplomats are telling I.E.

PiCtureS by: SiPra DaS

THE POLITICAL GALLERY

PM Mr Narendra Modi addressing the Press with Minister Pralhad Joshi alongside

Union Home Minister and BJP National President Mr Amit Shah with BJP National General Secretary Mr Bhupender Yadav, MP

Union Minister for Petroleum and Natural Gas, and Steel, Mr Dharmendra Pradhan

Union Minister for Women and Child Development, and Textiles, Mrs Smriti Irani with Mrs Mary Kom, MP

Union Minister for Finance, and Corporate Affairs, Mrs Nirmala Sitharaman, during Budget Day. Alongside is Minister of State for Finance Mr Anurag Thakur July 2019 | india empire

5

Cover: PolitiCal interview

IntervIew wIth Mr BhuPenDer YaDav natIonal General SeCretarY, BharatIYa Janata PartY

“As a party we’ll scale newer heights” Mr Bhupender Yadav, National General Secretary of the BJP, spoke to India Empire Magazine’s Editor and Publisher Sayantan Chakravarty at the former’s residence on a range of issues concerning the world’s largest political party

As a political strategist and deep thinker you are part of BJP’s top leadership—alongside PM Modi and Home Minister Amit Shah. Today the BJP is the world’s largest political party in terms of membership, ahead of the Communist Party in China and the Democratic Party and Republic Party in the USA. It also has secured an unprecedented 303 seats in the last Lok Sabha elections. As someone closely involved with the party’s evolution, how would you describe the journey?

For the Bharatiya Janata Party it has been a nearly 70year-old journey, following the independence of the nation.

Our political vision was to combine India’s value systems with modern thinking and technology. This vision was formally presented during the inception of the party (known earlier as the Bharatiya Jana Sangh) in 1951 with Dr Syama Prasad Mookerjee as founder and Pandit Deendayal Upadhyay as a co-founder and ideologue. Several eminent leaders have been part of this evolving journey—one of them, Mr Atal Bihari Vajpayee, was Prime Minister who successfully ran a coalition Government in the country.

As you know, during the course of this journey we’ve provided good governance in different states. Today, of course, it is a moment of pride as a party functionary and worker to witness the formation of a new Government in India—the nation that is also the world’s largest democracy—under the leadership of Prime Minister Narendrabhai Modi. So as the BJP has worked its way to becoming the world’s largest political party, different leaders, at different times, have played their part. Thanks to the policies of the

6

india empire | July 2019

Narendra Modi Government and the guidance and direction of Mr Amit Shah, the party has become the central focus of Indian polity. But we believe that we’ve still not reached our peak, there are goals ahead of us which we are yet looking to accomplish. As a party we’ll scale newer heights.

As a political party that is now very much a part of the national consciousness and one that also has a large following overseas, what is the vision for the future?

Our vision is to make India a very strong and self-reliant nation. In 2014, our manifesto said that we want Ek Bharat, Shrestha Bharat and it was formally announced by PM Modi in October 2015. It is aimed at strengthening the unity and integrity of India. Also, in the first five years of the Narendra Modi Government we focused heavily on being a pro-poor administration. We are still focused on that. We want the poor in India to lead a dignified life with access to basic amenities such as electricity, cooking gas, health care.

We introduced JAM—Jan Dhan-Aadhar-Mobile, the trinity of Government of India initiatives—to plug leakages in subsidies by using technology for better governance. We also firmly believe that democracy must be participatory.

The core areas in which we have placed our trust are cooperative federalism, human values and participative democracy. In the last five years there has been more communication with the people of India than ever before.

Prime Minister’s communication strategies with the people are well known. We have organized hundreds of pro-

PiCtureS by: SiPra DaS

grammes cutting across the classes in order to build a strong nation and create a vibrant political party. This is the democracy that we stand for, and believe in.

Mr Bhupender Yadav—A Strategic Thinker

We were doing some research and found out that your Page Pramukh strategy has been a success in many states.

Please elaborate on this…

When you want to run a party in a democratic way, then democracy was must begin at the bottom tier, not from the top. We believe that it is at the grassroots where we must focus most to carry out a mutually respectful and active communication. We, therefore, strategized and looked at every booth. It is at the booth that the electorate casts its vote. One booth is connected to thousands of voters living in different streets. We have ensured that for every street there must be at least one BJP worker who must work for the party, promoting its ideology and addressing and resolving the local issues of the people. As we entrust the party worker at the street level with full responsibility, it will create a strong cadre. We have also seen that this will eventually make a difference at the national level.

We see politicians across parties switching over to the BJP these days on a regular basis. As a national leader this must please you immensely…

When someone joins the BJP, he or she must be clear about the party’s value system. We believe in democracy, value-based politics, and an egalitarian society.

We definitely want to welcome people to embrace the

July 2019 | india empire

7

Cover: PolitiCal interview

With Mr Amit Shah, National President of the BJP, whose mentorship Mr Yadav greatly values

party when they want to do good for the people.

What are the major schemes that the NDA Government launched that you think brought BJP its biggest victory ever at the national elections in 2019?

There are about one hundred. Many of them significantly impacted the lives of hundreds of millions in this country. You will recall that the Congress party, decades ago, came up with the slogan of garibi hatao (eradicate poverty).

But it did not deliver results, and remained merely a slogan.

We want to move away from sloganeering and execute things at the ground level for the poor and make their lives better through good governance. Schemes such as Ujjwala—LPG connections to Indian households, Saubhagya—electricity for all, Ayushman—national health protection scheme have benefited hundreds of millions. We want to champion economic inclusion, one of the ways has been to see through the opening of 350 million bank accounts. Today every village has electricity. Ninety per cent households have toilets. Over 50 million households have access to cooking gas. We delivered what we promised, and the process is ongoing. It is not about the slogan, it is about the commitment we make. Besides, if anywhere there are some lacunae, we have block pramukhs to resolve the issues.

You’ve state elections coming up in the next year or less in Delhi, Haryana, Bihar, Jharkhand, Maharashtra and Puducherry… how confident are you as on date as

8

india empire | July 2019

you prepare to wrest back most of these states, and gain ascendancy in Delhi and Puducherry?

Following our victory at the 2019 national elections, we’ll once again be reaching out to the electorate in various states. The Government has been doing good work, and it is visible. A visionary budget has been delivered. The budget does not just talk about redistribution of money, it actually paves an economic growth path for the nation. India is poised to become a five trillion dollar economy. Also, the expansion drive of our party has begun. Our cadres are at work. We are confident of delivering results.

Although it is nearly two years away, the Bengal elections in May 2021 will be watched with great interest. The party has made its presence felt in a major way at the national elections in 2019 by winning 18 of 42 Lok Sabha seats. How important is that?

Bengal is very much important for us. There is no law and order situation worth talking about in the state. The state Government has shown outright partisanship towards vote banks. Allegation of corruption is rampant. The scenario of all round development is bleak. We want that peace and harmony is restored in the state. The politics of violence that we’ve witnessed in the past has to end. Bengal needs good governance, and politics that is visionary. We as a political party provide that alternative. We believe that in the next state elections the BJP will form the Government in Bengal. ❐

PiCtureS by: SiPra DaS

THE POLITICAL GALLERY

LEFT: Union Minister for Railways, and Commerce and Industry, Mr Piyush Goyal. CENTER: Union Minister for Health and Family Welfare, Science and Technology, Earth Sciences, Dr Harsh Vardhan. RIGHT: Union Minister for Social Justice and Empowerment, Dr Thawar Chand Gehlot

LEFT: Union Minister for Agriculture and Farmers’ Welfare, and Rural Development and Panchayati Raj, Mr Narendra Singh Tomar. CENTER: Speaker of the Lok Sabha Mr Om Birla. RIGHT: Union Minister of Law and Justice, and Electronics and IT, Mr Ravi Shankar Prasad

LEFT: Union Minister for Parliamentary Affairs, and Coal, and Mines, Mr Pralhad Joshi. CENTER: Union Minister of Jal Shakti, Mr Gajendra Singh Shekhawat. RIGHT: Mr Alphons Kannanthanam, MP

Mr Sunny Deol, MP with Mrs Kirron Kher, MP

Ms Locket Chatterjee, MP with Minister Irani July 2019 | india empire

9

MiniSter watCH—Mr DHarMenDra PraDHan

Minister Pradhan sets 50 lakh BJP-membership target in Odisha

T

he Odisha BJP unit has set a target to enrol 50 lakh members as it launched its membership drive in July. Union Minister for Petroleum and Natural Gas as well as for Steel, Mr Dharmendra Pradhan launched the drive from Ekamra Assembly constituency in Bhubaneswar. “We have set a target to enrol 50 lakh members this time,” he said. The saffron party is looking to increase membership from the current level of 36 lakh to 50 lakh.

Mr Pradhan said that the party would focus to enrol more youth and respectable people from the society. He asked party workers to plant at least five saplings in every booth and undertake the Swachh Bharat campaign across the state. “@BJP4India is a party that is committed to serve the society, including people from the bottom of the pyramid. Urged people in Odisha to join #BJP and strengthen our efforts in fulfilling the aspirations of 130 Crore+ Indians,” the Union Minister tweeted.

Notably, the BJP has emerged as the second largest party in the state by winning 23 seats in state Assembly in recently concluded elections. It also bagged eight Lok Sabha seats out of 21 in the state. The vote share of the saffron party has increased significantly in the recently concluded Lok Sabha and Assembly polls.

IMPLEMETING OBC QUOTA Mr Pradhan in a letter also requested Odisha Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik to implement OBC quota in Government jobs and educational institutions. “As you are aware, OBCs and SEBCs constitute a considerable portion of the total population in Odisha, many of whom also face the scourge of poverty and illiteracy necessitating a special treatment to the communities both in the field of education and employment,” Mr Pradhan said.

He mentioned that the Centre has provided 27 per cent reservations to OBCs in Government jobs as well as in educational institutions to promote the welfare of OBCs—an area also upheld by the Supreme Court. “I would like to highlight the fact that both OBCs and SEBCs in Odisha have been de-

10 india empire | July 2019

prived from higher education as well as public employment on account of their socio-economic backwardness. Therefore, in order to ensure their representation, it is desirable that the Government of Odisha provide reservation to both OBCs and SEBCs,” said the Minister.

Government of Odisha is not providing reservation to OBCs and SEBCs in public employment or educational institutions.

TRAINS TO KALAHANDI Further Mr Pradhan has urged Railways Minister Piyush Goyal to run two independent trains—BhubaneswarJagdalpur and Bhubaneswar-Junagarh—for the convenience of the people of Kalahandi in Odisha. In a letter released to the media in July, Mr Pradhan sought the personal intervention of Mr Goyal to look into the demands of the people of Kalahandi district for running two independent trains— Bhubaneswar-Jagdalpur-Bhubaneswar and Bhubaneswar-Junagarh-Bhubaneswar.

NO MERGER The Central government has no plans under consideration for merging public sector oil and gas companies to create an integrated firm having the strength to compete with international and domestic private majors, Parliament was told in July. “At present, there is no proposal to merge state-run oil and gas entities, under consideration of the Ministry,” Mr Pradhan told the Lok Sabha in a written reply.

The minister said: “Six oil and gas public sector undertakings under the ministry are in the S&P Global Platts: Top 250 Global energy Company Rankings—2018, out of which four Oil & Gas PSUs namely, Indian Oil Corporation Ltd, Oil & Natural Gas Corporation Ltd, Bharat Petroleum Corporation Ltd and Hindustan Petroleum Corporation Ltd are in top 100.”

Last year, ONGC acquired 51.11 per cent of total paid up equity shareholding in HPCL. “Post-acquisition by ONGC, HPCL will continue to be a central government Public Sector Enterprise (PSE), having become a subsidiary of ONGC. It will maintain its ❐ cultural uniqueness and brand identity,” the Minister said.

PiCture by: SiPra DaS

Mr Dharmendra Pradhan Union Minister for Petroleum and Natural Gas, and Steel

July 2019 | india empire

11

BritiSH PolitiCS

Boris Johnson becomes British PM Boris Johnson, who took over as Britain’s 77th Prime Minister in July said he wants to “change the country for the better” and that the “work begins now”. Mr Johnson, who succeeds Ms Theresa May, said the country would definitely leave the European Union on October 31.

“No ifs, no buts... The buck stops with me,” he said, in his first speech as PM outside 10, Downing Street. “The doubters, the doomsters, the gloomsters who say Brexit cannot be done are wrong,” he added, reported the BBC. Setting out his priorities, Mr Johnson hit out at the “pessimists” who do not believe Brexit can be delivered. In what is seen as an indirect attack at his predecessor, he called for an end to the “three years of unfounded self doubt” and “indecision”.

“The time has come to act, to take decisions and change this country for the better,” said Mr Johnson, who was Foreign Secretary in Ms May’s cabinet, before quitting last year.

“Let’s get going no... And yes, let’s start now on those

Mr Boris Johnson free trade deals. All this and more we can do now and only now at this extraordinary moment in our history,” he added, reported CNN.

Infosys’ Murthy fetes son-in-law who’s a new minister in Britain

Mr N.R. Narayana Murthy

Mr Rishi Sunak Global software major Infosys’ co-founder N.R. Narayana Murthy congratulated his son in-law Rishi Sunak on his appointment as Minister in the new Boris Johnsonled British government.

12 india empire | July 2019

“Our advice to our children, including Rishi, has been to work hard, be honest and do good for society. We wish him well,” Mr Murthy told IANS. Married to Mr Murthy’s daughter Akshata, Mr Sunak, 38, the Conservative Party MP from Richmond (Yorkshire), is one of the three Indian-born leaders appointed ministers

by Mr Johnson. He takes over as the Chief Secretary to the Treasury.

The other two are Mr Alok Sharma and Ms Priti Patel.

Elected for the first time to the House of Commons in the 2015 general election, Mr Sunak was also a minister in the previous Theresa May Government.

BritiSH PolitiCS

Priti Patel is

HOMe secretary

Ms Priti Patel

B

ritain’s new Prime Minister Boris Johnson appointed Indian-origin politician Priti Patel as Home Secretary. The 47-year-old who was a Member of Parliament (MP) from Witham in Essex since 2010 and has played a leading role in Boris Johnson’s leadership campaign, takes over from Sajid Javid, who has been appointed Chancellor by the Prime Minister.

Mr Javid, who was in the prime ministerial race, will be replacing Philip Hammond, who resigned in protest against the election of Mr Johnson as the PM. Ms Patel has supported Johnson’s bid for an early Brexit. She was sacked by former PM Theresa May in 2017 for breaching the ministerial code after holding unauthorized meetings with Israeli politicians.

Mr Johnson also named Brexit hardliner Dominic Raab as the Foreign Secretary. Mr Raab, 45, was also named as Mr Johnson’s effective deputy.

He had resigned as Brexit minister in May’s government last year objecting to the divorce deal struck with Brussels, saying it offered too many compromises.

July 2019 | india empire 13

BritiSH PolitiCS

PM JohnSon haS CloSe InDIan ConneCtIon

S

et to be the new British Prime Minister, Boris Johnson has a close India connection. His estranged wife Marina Wheeler, whom he married in 1993, is half Indian. Ms Wheeler is the niece of late editor and writer Khushwant Singh. Before they announced their separation last year after 25 years of marriage, Mr Johnson had travelled several times to India with Marina. They have four children together. Mr Johnson, who won the race within the Conservative Party to become the country’s next Prime Minister, is expected to rely on his declared personal connect with Prime Minister Narendra Modi to deliver a “truly special” UK-India relationship.

In his letter to the Indian diaspora Tory membership base, Mr Johnson wrote that during his meeting with Mr Modi he had stressed upon how India and UK were modern democracies and should work together to promote trade and prosperity. Mr Johnson told Mr Modi that the two nations should work closely to tackle the challenges that their 14 india empire | July 2019

Mr Boris Johnson

countries face. The former Mayor of London and former Foreign Secretary, 55, has earlier referred to himself as the son-in-law of India. Marina’s mother, Dip Singh, who is still alive, was married to Khushwant Singh’s youngest brother, Daljit Singh.

In a column for The Tribune, veteran journalist and Khuswant Singh’s son Rahul Singh writes that Johnson visited the Ranthambore tiger reserve along with Marina and three of their children in 2018. During a family get-together, Rahul Singh got to meet Mr Johnson.

“Though I had met him once before in Mumbai some years earlier, this was the first time I got a chance to talk to him one-to-one, at some length. I was surprised that he knew so much about India and its politics. Should he become Britain’s next PM, I think those Indian insights, thanks mainly due to his 25-years of marriage to Marina, however rocky it may have been, and personal visits to this country, should augur well for better Indo-British ties.” ❐

SoUtH PaCiFiC

Invest in Fiji: Envoy

F

iji’s High Commissioner to India and infrastructure—these are sectors where Yogesh Punja in July said bilatpeople in Fiji are interested to find partners eral trade between India and his from India. The cost of labour is significantly Pacific Ocean island country has less in Fiji as compared to countries like Ausmassive growth potential as it tralia. So we are looking to set up a logistical can be used as a “bouncing board” to the hub in Fiji,” he said. Fiji is referred to as the markets of Australia and New Zealand. Not‘gateway to the Pacific’ as it acts as a platform ing that the current annual trade between to make way into 14 Pacific island countries, India and Pacific Island Countries (PICs) with a combined population of about 2.3 milcurrently hovers at around $300 million, he lion people, a release issued at the event said. said the trade is low in volume due to their The envoy said the annual tourist traffic from H.E. Mr Yogesh Punja small population, market sizes and long disacross the globe in Fiji is around nine lakh, tance from India. “Invest in Fiji and use that which is almost equal to the present populaas a bouncing board into Australia, New Zealand and tion of the island but pointed out that the country is ready to Southeast Asia. Parts of Southeast Asia have the fastest- take another 10 per cent tourists immediately. growing population. Countries like Indonesia will have “We can take another at least 10 per cent immediately. shortage of food in due course. So the food needs to come The number of total Indian tourists is only around 5,000. from people who can supply food chain. Australia is in- So it is very low. People do not need visas to enter Fiji. So vesting around $600 billion to service Asia as it is very close we certainly hope to increase the tourist traffic from India,” to that region,” Punja said at an event promoting India-Fiji he said. Referring to the deep cultural and historical linkpartnership organised by the Calcutta Chamber of Com- ages between the two nations, he said at least 37 per cent of merce in Kolkata.

Fiji’s current population comprises Indo-Fijians who take “Renewable energy, agriculture, business process out- pride in their connection with India and serve as a valuable sourcing (BPO), hospitality, gold jewellery, pharmaceuticals, art conduit to enhance the bilateral ties. ❐ July 2019 | india empire 15

DiPloMatiC interview

IntervIew wIth h.e. Mr anDreI rzheuSSkY aMBaSSaDor of BelaruS to InDIa

“Ties with India have been strengthened considerably” H.E. Mr Andrei Rzheussky, Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of Belarus to India speaks to India Empire on the eve of the National Holiday of Belarus

In July the Republic of Belarus celebrates National Holiday-the Independence Day. What does the National Day of the Republic of Belarus mean to you?

Thе people of the Republic of Belarus marked the National day—the Independence Day of Belarus оn 3rd July.

This day is associated with the liberation of Minsk, capital of Belarus, from fascism on 3rd July 1944 and with the liberation of the entire territory of the сountry from fascist invaders. This year we celebrate the 75th anniversary of the liberation of Belarus.

The days of the Great Patriotic War (GPW) of 19411945 (major battlefield of World War II) became the most tragic period throughout the entire history of the Republic of Belarus. Being totally occupied by the foreign invaders, Belarusian people never stopped fighting continuously showing examples of staunchness and self-sacrifice. They struggled in the rows of the Red Army, in partisan detachments and underground resistance groups.

Victory over the enemy in GPW was achieved at the cost of great sacrifice and huge loss of lives amongst the Belarusian people. The figure of the financial damage caused by the war was 35 times higher of the entire Belarusian budget for pre-war year of 1940. Over 1.4 million citizens were killed in the territory of Belarus in more than 260 places of forced detention or so called concentration camps. Nearly every third citizen of Belarus died in the war.

Today numerous monuments in each city, town and village of Belarus are silent reminders of those terrible times.

Being part of the Soviet Union, Belarus alongside with other independent nations became a founding member of the UN as a reward to its noticeable contribution to the victory in WW II. The Belarusians survived as a nation. Today Belarus plays its own constructive role at the international arena. Thanks to the multi-vectoral policy, we have achieved a new perception of the Republic of Belarus in the world as an independent, peace-loving state, a kind of security donor in the region. Belarus is the initiator and co-author of vari-

16 india empire | July 2019

ous initiatives at such important international platforms as the UN, OSCE, NAM, CIS and other equally important and authoritative regional organizations. Personally for me, the forthcoming Independence Day celebrated in the warm sunny summer day is associated with freedom and independence of my beloved country, creative peaceful work of its citizens for the benefit and progress of Belarus.

When it comes to bilateral ties, India and Belarus enjoy a comprehensive partnership. With the NDA Government now back with greater majority, where do you see ties going as we move forward?

The Belarusian-Indian relations are an example of the practical embodiment of equal and mutually respectful cooperation between States of different size and economic potential. The Republic of Belarus develops comprehensive relations with India, based on the principles of friendship, high trust and mutual benefit. For us, the Republic of India is a key partner in the South Asian region.

Relations with India throughout the history of independent Belarus are characterized by constructive political dialogue, positive dynamics of trade and economic relations, scientific and technical cooperation, and constant mutual support in the international arena. The ties of friendship are strengthened, including through the exchange of visits at the highest and high levels. The President of the Republic of Belarus visited the Republic of India three times (in 1997, 2007, 2017). Heads of the Belarusian Government, Parliament, Ministry of Foreign Affairs and other republican bodies of state administration of Belarus also paid visits to New Delhi.

Official visits to Belarus were made by the President of India, heads of a number of Indian state structures. In June 2018, Speaker of the Lok Sabha of Parliament of India H.E. Mrs Sumitra Mahajan visited Minsk. During the visit, an Agreement on cooperation between the House of Representatives of the National Assembly of the Republic of

H.E. Mr Andrei Rzheussky Ambassador of Belarus to India Belarus and Lok Sabha of the Parliament of the Republic of India was signed.

The issue of establishing an inter-parliamentary friendship group is being worked out. On the Belarusian side, a working group of the National Assembly of the Republic of Belarus on cooperation with the Parliament of the Republic of India has been established in the National Assembly of the sixth convocation. I am sure that in the near future a similar group will be formed in the Parliament of India of the 17thconvocation. The honorary consulates of the Republic of Belarus in the cities of Kolkata and Mumbai contribute to the development of bilateral relations within their competence.

The dynamic nature of cooperation between Belarus and India in the UN is noted. The positions of Belarus and India are similar or coincide on the main issues of maintaining international peace and security. Both states have similar approaches to the implementation of the goals and objectives of the Agenda 2030 for sustainable development.

In 2014, Belarus co-authored the Indian resolution on the proclamation of June 21stas the International Day of Yoga, which was recently widely celebrated, including in the Republic of Belarus. Belarus supports the initiative to include India in the enlarged UN Security Council. For India, Belarus is a reliable and proven partner. Both states have similar strategic objectives, dictated by a common vision of the world’s main problems and ways to overcome them.

Both the states support each other in the UN and other international organizations. We continue to work together to bring the Belarusian-Indian relations to a qualitatively new, strategic level.

For Indian businesses, what are the major areas open for investment in Belarus?

Inrecentyears,Indiaincreasesitsroleasaserious and reliable investor in Đ’elarusian economy.

The parties are working to attract direct investments, including within the framework of the concept of the Belarusian-Indian production and investment cluster in Special Economic Zone Bremino-Orsha. A draft decree of the President of the Republic of Belarus has been prepared, the adoption of which will enhance the attractiveness for Indian investors of the project to create a Belarusian-Indian production and investment cluster. A corresponding Belarusian-Indian working group has been formed.

The legal framework in the field of investment is upgrading. In 2017, a Memorandum of Understanding was signed between the National Investment and Privatization Agency of the Republic of Belarus and the National Investment Promotion Agency of India. On sidelines of the 9thmeeting of the Belarusian-Indian Intergovernmental Commission on Economic Cooperation in Minsk in September 2018, an Agreement on Investments was signed between the Republic of Belarus and the Republic of India.

July 2019 | india empire 17

DiPloMatiC interview A view of the Belarusian capital city of Minsk

Cooperation in pharmaceutical field is developing dynamically. A number of joint projects in this area are being implemented in Belarus with the involvement of capital and technologies of such Indian companies as “Cipla”“LokBeta Pharmaceuticals Ltd.”, “NatcoPharma”, “Hetero”. For example, company “Cipla” together with the Belarusian partner participates in the construction of a Joint Scientific and Technological Center for the full cycle of production of new drugs in Minsk. The Indian company transferred the first tranche to the development of this project.

What is the volume of bilateral trade between the two countries and the major items that are imported and exported?

In 2018, the volume of Belarusian-Indian trade amounted to over $ 470 million, including Belarusian exports of $ 300 million. Belarus is the largest supplier of potash fertilizers to India. In 2018, large capacity mining dump trucks, commercial cargo trucks, metalworking machines, linen fabrics, newsprint, petroleum products, wood products, and other Belarusian goods were exported to the Indian market. For its part, the Republic of Belarus imports such Indian goods as medicines, seafood, numerous chemical products, rice, coffee, tea and many other. In 2018, Belarus and India provided services to each other in the amount of over $ 62 million dollars. The predominant share belongs to transport services.

Kindly elaborate on cooperation in science and technology, and in culture.

Belarus and India have the same approaches to practical

18 india empire | July 2019

nature of research and innovationfocusing on applied results of science. Meetings of the Joint Belarusian and Indian Commission for Cooperation in Science and Technology are held regularly. A list of research projects for joint implementation in 2019-2020 has been agreed.

Cultural ties are also developing. Days of Culture of Belarus in India were held in January 2017. In 2020, the Days of Indian Culture in the Republic of Belarus will take place.

Belarusian universities providing a qualitative education at reasonable cost are attractive for studies of Indian citizens. The number of Indian citizens studying in Belarusian higher education institutions is increasing. Direct contacts between universities of Belarus and India are continuously expanding.

HowaboutBelarusasatouristdestinationfromIndia?

Is there an increase in traffic, and also are there possibilities for investments in the tourism sector?

The simplification of visa regime by the Republic of Belarus results in the expansion of humanitarian contacts. An annual increase in the number of Indian citizens visiting Belarusis noted. India, in turn, is an attractive tourist destination for the Belarusians. Work is underway to open a Tourist Center in India.

The opening of direct flights between Belarus and India would contribute to the expansion of tourist exchanges. Recently, the study of this issue has intensified.

In August 2019, a group of 13 Indian children and two accompanying persons will rest and improve their health in the Belarusian camp “Zubrenok” at the expense of the Belarusian side. ❐

qUote UnqUote

DIPLOMATS TO INDIA EMPIRE AFRICA FIRST “Chalo Zambia. Chalo is a Hindi word literally translated as ‘Let’s Go’ hence Let’s Go Zambia. With 54 countries in the African continent, it makes sense for an investor to select a host country for investment especially that which is targeting regions and the whole continent. Having changed Presidents six times democratically without any upheaval, Zambia boasts of being a haven of peace harboring refugees from many parts of the world. One of the reasons why India’s investment in Africa and Zambia in particular witnessed a slump in the past is that some traditional investors looked at the continent with less degree of seriousness. The other challenge was lack of high level exchange visits that left a bad taste among African leaders many of whom held India in high esteem especially that some were trained in India. Special thanks to Prime Minister Mr Narendra Modi ji who has added impetus to the Indo-Zambia relations in particular and Africa in general. During the last five years, more than 26 outbound visits by the Indian President, Prime Minister and Ministers have been held with the first ever visit to Zambia in 2018 by an Indian President in 30 years.

Remember that the continent signed an African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) which will provide great opportunities for Indian investors to tap into a larger, unified, simplified and more robust African market. It is critical for India to view Africa and Zambia in particular not just as a destination for short-term returns but as a partner for medium and long-term economic growth. The AfCFTA agreement represents a historic development in Africa’s journey towards a single, common and integrated market for the continent. The free trade area aims to deepen the African integration process and will allow free movement of people and trade across and continent. The United Nations Economic Commission for Africa (UNECA) forecasts that simplification of border controls and the reduction in duties to the AfCFTA will boost intra-regional trade by 52 percent in five years. Once you invest in Zambia, it will be easy to transport your goods across the continent. The other benefit is that you can trade back with India through the Duty Free Tariff Preference (DFTP) scheme for Least Developed Countries (LDCs) which India offers. With this background, we once again say Chalo Zambia!”

—H.E. Mrs Judith K.K. Kan’goma Kapijimpanga High Commissioner of Zambia to India

“Nigeria is an economic power house in Africa and presents a vast opportunity for economic cooperation and investment to all and sundry. With a landmass of almost a hundred thousand square kilometers, enormous untapped natural and diverse resources that traverse all sectors, a growing population of about 200 million of mainly youthful ages, she is the investors’ destination. India stands to benefit massively from this huge potential albeit with the right investments made on a winwin basis, and without vacillation. India can make her engagement with Nigeria, nay Africa more robust by, among others, lessening red-tapism in implementing its acclaimed lines of credit, holding regular business conclaves, improving the treatment of Nigerians and Africans in general in its territory and in particular students who will become leaders tomorrow, reciprocating work permits for Nigerians alongside giving them opportunities to do legitimate business, changing the penchant of Indian businesses in Nigeria-cum Africa from short term trading to long term engagement in agriculture, manufacturing, mining, beneficiation and adding value to primary products within Nigeria itself. She can also strengthen her ties with Nigerian industry via transfer of technology.”

—H.E. Maj. Gen. (Red.) Chris Sunday Eze High Commissioner of Nigeria to India

We would welcome views and comments from Missions at sayantanc@gmail.com July 2019 | india empire 19

qUote UnqUote

BILATERAL RELATIONS “In recent years, India has increased its role as a serious and reliable investor in Belarusian economy. The parties are working to attract direct investments, including within the framework of the concept of the Belarusian-Indian production and investment cluster in Special Economic Zone Bremino-Orsha. A draft decree of the President of the Republic of Belarus has been prepared, the adoption of which will enhance the attractiveness for Indian investors of the project to create a BelarusianIndian production and investment cluster. A corresponding Belarusian-Indian working group has been formed.”

—H.E. Mr Andrei Rzheussky Ambassador Belarus to India

INDO-KUWAIT RELATIONS AFTER PM MODI’S VICTORY AT 2019 ELECTIONS The Emirof Kuwait HH Sheikh Sabah AlAhmed Al-Jaber Al-Sabah and H.H. The Prime Minister Sheikh Jaber Mubarak AlHamad Al-Sabah were amongst the first leaders to congratulate Prime Minister of India Mr. Narendra Modi for his re-election on May 24, 2019. Earlier in 2017 during the private visit of HH the Emir of Kuwait to India, an invitation was extended to the honorable Prime Minister of India to visit the State of Kuwait. Kuwait is an important trading partner of India with a total volume of US$ 6 billion in 2016-2017. Kuwait Investment Authority (KIA) has also invested US$ 5 billion in various sectors of the economy. The State of Kuwait was also the seventh largest crude supplier to India in 2016-17.

There is a lot of trade and investment opportunities between the two countries to be enhanced further. Kuwait’s global profile and importance has increased after it became a nonpermanent member of United Nations Security Council during 2018-19. It also chaired the Security Council for the third time in its history on June 1, 2019. Recently, in June

2019, UN Security Council adopted its first ever resolution 2474 (2019) proposed by the State of Kuwait on persons reported missing during armed conflicts and aimed at sparing civilians. The Council called upon parties to armed conflict to take all appropriate measures, to actively search for persons reported missing, to enable the return of their remains and to account for persons reported missing “without adverse distinction”.

Kuwait’s contribution in promoting regional stability has come in for high praise from International bodies. In April 2019, the World Bank honored his Highness Sheikh Sabah Al-Ahmed Al-Jaber Al-Sahab, the Emir of the State of Kuwait, for his exemplary role in supporting social and economic development at the global level and appreciated His Highness’s vital role in supporting the stability of countries in the Middle East and North Africa through its direct financing, as well as its contribution through the Kuwait Fund for Arab Economic Development and to other Arab funds.

NeW aPPOiNtMeNts–aMBassaDOrs aND HiGH cOMMissiONer H.E. Dr Tizita Mulugeta Ambassador of the Federal Democratic Republic of Ethiopia

H.E. Mr Rodrigo Coronel Kinloch Ambassador of the Republic of Nicaragua

H.E. Mr Ramon S. Bagatsing Ambassador of the Republic of Philippines

H.E. Mr Rahimzoda Sulton Ambassador of the Republic of Tajikistan

20 india empire | July 2019

oPPortUnitieS in inDian StateS

Karnataka woos uS businesses Showcasing Karnataka as a favourite investment destination in India, Chief Minister H.D. Kumaraswamy in July invited US businesses to invest in the southern state. “I seek your investments in our state, which offers huge opportunities in manufacturing and services sectors for US businesses,” Mr Kumaraswamy told investors at a seminar in Maryland’s Silver Spring near Washington.

During a week-long private visit to the US in June-July 2019 the Chief Minister addressed US investors and NRIs at the seminar on “New business opportunities in Karnataka”, organised by the US-India Small and Medium Enterprise Council.

According to a copy of his speech shared with media by the Chief Minister’s Office in Bengaluru, Mr Kumaraswamy invited US businesses to participate in the ‘Global Investors’ Meet’ that the state would host in January 2020 on opportunities, incentives and facilities it offers to potential investors. “I seek your participation to make the Global Investors’ Meet a success as it is meant to attract investments from domestic and overseas firms with global linkages for job creation,” he said. Holding his state was ready for business as never before, the Chief Minister said his coalition government made doing business easier and smarter by ensuring 98.6 per cent compliance to the Business Reforms Action Plan norms.

“Our government is drafting a new industrial policy for

2019-24 to offer a robust ecosystem to spur economic growth, create jobs and make the state a global manufacturing and services hub,” he told the gathering. Claiming that Karnataka was ranked first in the country to attract investments and Bengaluru rated as the world’s most dynamic city, Mr Kumaraswamy said the state’s growth was due to its pro-active, business-friendly policies, good infrastructure, skilled manpower and ecosystem for nurturing innovation. “Karnataka contributes 50 per cent to the country’s machine tool production, 39 per cent to IT exports, 67 per cent to making aircraft and helicopters for defence services and 33 per cent to biotech exports,” he said.

Document on trillion dollar economy for Odisha released Odisha Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik in July released the vision document ‘Economic Possibilities for Odisha towards a One Trillion Dollar Economy’. The document has been jointly prepared by the JSW Group and PwC India.

Releasing the report the Chief Minister said Odisha, having huge natural resources, is on its way to achieve this objective through its investment-friendly policies, infra connectivity and skilled manpower. Odisha will take a central role in driving national growth as a manufacturing hub, he added.

The global economy has grown over three times in the past three decades and it is projected that it could grow more than double in size by 2050. The potential of mineralbased industries in Odisha along with other sectors like agriculture, food processing, creative industries, MSMEs, women entrepreneurship will play an important role in making Odisha a one trillion dollar economy, said a statement from the Chief Minister’s Office (CMO).

Speaking on the occasion, JSW Chairman Sajjan Jindal emphasised on the role of regional economies in boosting

India’s economy. He described Odisha as the ‘hidden gem’ of India.

The vision document stresses on the unique competitive advantages of Odisha over other states and its potential to become the export hub for metal products across the world.

July 2019 | india empire 21

BUSineSS lanDSCaPe

HimacHal cm in Dubai to woo investors Himachal Pradesh Chief Minister Jai Ram Thakur was in Dubai in June, aiming to attract investments for the hill state. Accompanied by Industries Minister Bikram Singh and a high-level delegation, including senior officials of the state, Mr Thakur was on a four-day visit to the UAE. The purpose of the visit was to project Himachal Pradesh as an attractive investment destination in horticulture, tourism, pharmaceuticals, energy, food processing, logistics, education and skill development, a Government spokesperson told IANS. The Chief Minister held highlevel meetings at ministerial and official levels as well as with the chambers of commerce and leading investors.

The Chief Minister and his delegation did a roadshow on ‘Rising Himachal: Global Investors’ Meet 2019’, at an event being organised by the Indian Business and Professional Council of Dubai.

The Global Investors’ Meet 2019 is the flagship business event of Himachal Pradesh and its inaugural edition will be held in Dharamsala on November 7 and 8.

The Chief Minister interacted with prominent businessmen and professionals at the Business Leaders’ Forum,

Himachal Pradesh CM Mr Jai Ram Thakur singed an MoU with Sharaf Group to explore investment possibility in logistic park, dry port and supporting infrastructure

the Institute of Chartered Accountants of India - Dubai Chapter, and the People of Indian Origin Chamber of Commerce and Industry and with the Indian community.

Samsung VC arm invests $8.5 million in 4 Indian start-ups Samsung Venture Investment Corporation (SVIC), the venture capital arm of Samsung, in July announced its maiden investments in India, totaling $8.5 million (nearly Rs 60 crore) across four Indian start-ups.

“SVIC is planning to make 100 investments (each amounting $1 million to $5 million) in India in the next three to five years,” Mr Aloknath De, Corporate Vice President and Chief Technology Officer, Samsung R&D Institute Bengaluru, told IANS in a telephonic conversation.

The four start-ups in which SVIC has invested so far in the country are system apps company OSLabs (Indus OS), speech technology startup Gnani.ai, IoT solutions provider Silvan Innovation Labs and an early stage computer vision start-up the name of which has not been disclosed. Mumbai-based OSLabs has developed a curated app store, Indus App Bazaar, which has a collection of over 400,000 mobile apps in multiple Indian languages.

Bangalore-based Gnani.ai works in the space of automatic speech recognition and natural language processing in Indic languages for building voice assistants and for speech analytics. Speech recognition is today an important part of human to machine interactions and there is a rising need for automated speech recognition (ASR) in the vernacular languages space.

22 india empire | July 2019

Mr Aloknath De

On the other hand, Bengaluru-based Silvan Innovation Labs is a leader in Internet of Things (IoT) solutions for homes and enterprises and has pioneered solutions for smart spaces. The startup provides solutions that address safety, security, comfort, convenience and energy management. The Indian startup ecosystem has matured over the last few years with early stage companies working on top of the line technology and services, especially in areas like Artificial Intelligence, IoT, cloud and other emerging technology solutions as well as services.

BUSineSS lanDSCaPe

Macawber Beekay expects revenue growth of 20-30% Coal and ash handling company Macawber Beekay expects 20-30 per cent increase in its revenue in the financial year 2019-2020, with likely recovery in the power sector. In an interaction with IANS, Mr Gautam Gupta, joint Managing Director at Macawber Beekay, also said that its order book has witnessed a growth of 30-40 per cent so far in the current fiscal and noted that the power sector has started to revive after the recent instances of stressed assets.

“We are now seeing the upswing in this sector. We have crossed the period when it was at the lowest phase for the power industry. With more and more power projects being added, capaciy being added, our portion of the business is getting boost,” he said. “All the previous money which was held up as bad debt has been dealt with and certain portions have been written off. So now our balance sheets have become clear, we have even posted profits. For this financial year, we are going to easily see a growth of about 20-30 per cent.”

On its plans of expansion, Mr Gupta said that the com-

pany is looking for expansion in the country and deepen its market in South East Asia. Currently, it has installations in China, Vietnam, Malaysia, Indonesia and Philippines.

“We are aggressively pursuing the power projects in South East Asia because there will be more upswing in the power sector in South East Asia. Electricity demand will be there at least for the next 10 years. We are going to see lot of projects coming up in 5-10 years,” he said.

The company is working on an 800 MW power project of BHEL in Bangladeshwhich will come up in the next two to three years. Mr Mr Gautam Gupta Gupta further said, “We are doing the largest coal handling plant in India which is going to come up in two to three years from now in Patratu, Jharkhand. BHEL is the EPC contractor and order value is to the tune about Rs 250-300 crore.” On the demand for power in India, he said that the power demand in India is set to grow as there is a deficit of power supply and projects and capacities will have to be set up.

Stanza living gets Series C funding of around $50 million Student housing company Stanza Living has raised around $50 million (Rs 342 crore) in its Series C funding round led by Falcon Edge Capital, sources said. Other participants in the funding round incldued its existing investors Sequoia Capital, Matrix Partners and Accel Partners.

Present across the key educational hubs of Delhi-NCR, Bengaluru, Pune, Hyderabad, Chennai, Coimbatore, Indore, Vadodra and Dehradun, the company is targeting an inventory of one lakh beds by 2021 and has also committed an investment of Rs 250 crore to strengthen its pan-India presence. Although the company did not confirm the amount raised in the Series C funding round, Anindya Dutta,

Mr Anindya Dutta

Managing Director and co-founder, Stanza Living, said: “We are excited to welcome Falcon Edge Capital at this strategic point in our growth journey, where we are consolidating our presence as India’s largest student housing operator.

“To build our capabilities and strengthen footprint, we are considering a healthy balance of organic and inorganic growth measures, including potential acquisitions of competitors.

We will be deploying a significant part of the raised capital towards these efforts.”

The total funding raised by the company in the past was $16.7 million (Rs 115 crore), including debt financing of $4.4 million.

July 2019 | india empire 23

FoCUS on toP ConGloMerate

ITC eyeIng sTraTegIC aCquIsITIons In FMCg busIness

D

iversified conglomerate ITC Ltd is engaging with and investing in start-ups while looking at strategic opportunities for acquisitions to accelerate growth in the FMCG business, its Chairman-cum-Managing Director (CMD) Sanjiv Puri said in July.

“Today, around 25 per cent of ITC’s segment revenue is from newer FMCG businesses...

To accelerate growth in the FMCG businesses, the endeavour is not only to fortify the existing categories towards delivering industry leading performance but also to foray into newer categories and sub-segments,” Mr Puri said, addressing shareholders at the company’s Annual General Meeting. “This would he supported by multi-dimensional investments as also strategic opportunities for acquisitions,” he said delivering the Chairman’s speech.

He said that over the last two to three years, ITC has expanded its fast moving consumer goods (FMCG) portfolio by foraying into new segments. Over 50 products were launched last year to strengthen existing categories and enter newer segments. “A strong pipeline of products is constantly being readied for progressive launch,” Mr Puri said. Later, he told reporters that the company would lay stress on its health and wellness products in the FMCG space in a bid to scale up business 24 india empire | July 2019

in the sector to Rs 1 lakh crore in the long term from the existing Rs 12,000 crore turnover from the vertical. Acording to Mr Puri, the company’s target is to emerge as leader in every segment where it has its footprint.

“That will drive the investments. We will invest in areas where we are leaders, and in areas where we will acquire leadership position in a period of time,” he said. Reponding to the shareholders’ demand that the company demerge its cigarette and non-cigarette FMCG businesses, Puri said it depends on what can create a better value.

Earlier, in his chairman’s speech, Mr Puri said the company seeks to be an engine of growth for the Indian economy through a vibrant portfolio of future-ready businesses “that are well poised to serve the emerging needs of a growing market through world-class Indian brands.”

“In terms of annual consumer spend, ‘Aashirvaad’ is today over Rs 4,500 crore; ‘Sunfeast’ over Rs 3,800 crore; ‘Bingo!’ nearly Rs 2,500 crore; ‘Classmate’ over Rs 1,400 crore; ‘YiPPee!’ over Rs 1,100 crore while ‘Vivel’, ‘Mangaldeep’ and ‘Candyman’ are over Rs 500 crore each,” he said. The company was expanding its footprint in value-added products while marketing “attribute-specific” products like high curcumin turmeric, low-sugar potato and organic pulp. It is also promoting wax-free apples.

Mr Sanjiv Puri, CMD, ITC Ltd.

He said the company’s Life Sciences and Technology Centre (LSTC) has been mandated to develop future ready products and processes. Around 830 patents have already been filed. “Your company (ITC) is engaging with startup ecosystem and, wherever appropriate, making investments,” he said. To cut down on imports and create livelihood opportunities by promoting bamboo cultivation in India, the company is in the process of building a “bamboo-to-agarbatti value chain” anchored by the Mangaldeep brand. It has already established an all-women nursery in Tripura.

“Currently 180 billion bamboo sticks are imported to India for the agarbatti industry. Substitution of bamboo imports with domestic cultivation has the potential to generate employment opportunities of around 22 million person days per annum, translating to additional farmer income of around Rs 1,300 crore,” he said.

Mr Puri said ITC is making substantive investments to expand its formidable distribution network through which

“

it places products in over six million retail outlets.

It is also developing alternate and emerging channels such as modern trade, on-the-go food services, end-to-end cold chain and e-commerce, among others.

He said the integrated fruits, vegetables and perishables value chain has enabled the company to foray into new segments with a wide range of offerings including frozen food, dehydrated onions, potatoes, mango pulp and prawns.

The company is pumping in money to build a state-ofthe-art manufacturing infrastructure across India for rapid growth of its FMCG businesses, and establish an extremely competitive supply chain in order to contribute to the country’s Make in India vision.

“The 20 Integrated Consumer Goods Manufacturing and Logistics (ICML) facilities being progressively built will provide formidable strength to the company’s FMCG brands by enhancing cost efficiency, economies of scale, freshness and close-to-market distribution,” he said. ❐

Mr Puri said the company seeks to be an engine of growth for the Indian economy through a vibrant portfolio of future-ready businesses “that are well poised to serve the emerging needs of a growing market through world-class Indian brands”

July 2019 | india empire 25

BUSineSS lanDSCaPe

Qatar Investment Authority leads $150 million funding in Byju’s Bengaluru-based edtech company Byju’s in July announced it has received an investment of $150 million led by Qatar Investment Authority (QIA)—the sovereign wealth fund of Qatar.

The fresh funding would support Byju’S’ aggressive plans of international market expansion and creation of world-class Mr Mansoor Al-Mahmoud learning products for students across the globe, the company said in a statement. This round also includes first-ever investment from Owl Ventures in an Indian start-up.

“Indian ed-tech firms attracting interest from eminent investors demonstrates that India is pioneering the digital learning space globally,” said Mr Byju Raveendran, Founder and CEO, Byju’s. Byju’s offers learning programmes for students from classes 1 to 12 in India.

Transforming the offline to an online learning experience, BYJU’S has also acquired Osmo, a Palo Alto-based education game making company. With increased brand

awareness and strong adoption among students, BYJU’S tripled its revenue to Rs 1,430 crore in the financial year 2018-19 and also turned profitable on a full-year basis.

BYJU’S has already crossed Rs 200 crore in monthly revenue and is estimating revenue of Rs 3,000 crore this year.

Mr Byju Raveendran “High adoption and 85 per cent annual renewal from small towns and cities shows the increasing acceptance of digital learning as a primary tool for learning at home. This partnership will support and strengthen our vision of creating and delivering personalised learning experiences to students,” said Mr Raveendran.

“This investment underscores QIA’s strong commitment to the education sector and our focus on investing in leading innovators in the technology, media and telecom (TMT) industry globally,” added Mr Mansoor Al-Mahmoud, CEO of QIA.

Rs 1,200 crore comes to Punjab

Walmart labs acquires startups

Union Food Processing Industries Minister Harsimrat Kaur Badal in July said Punjab had received an investment of Rs 1,200 crore in the food processing sector, which would result in employment opportunities to 45,000 persons besides Ms Harsimrat Kaur Badal benefiting 1.30 lakh farmers. Ms Badal said while her ministry had given sanction to mega food parks at Ladhowal and Kapurthala which were near completion, it had operationalised an international food park at Fazilka. The Union Minister said these and other initiatives had resulted in attracting private investment of Rs 800 crore through 41 projects, including 19 cold chains, seven food testing laboratories, three clusters, four food processing units and four backwardforward linkage projects. “The ministry has given a grant of Rs 400 crore for these projects,” she added.

Walmart Labs has acquired two Bengaluru-based start-ups—FloCare and BigTrade—for an undisclosed sum. FloCare is a health-tech company that organises all the work a clinician needs to do in one place and aims to make “ageing at home” more Mr Hari Vasudev affordable and scalable. BigTrade offers a wholesale trading platform which provides an “end-to-end” business solution from the discovery of the product or supplier to payment of the product. FloCare which also has an office in California’s Palo Alto has joined Walmart Labs’ customer technology team. BigTrade became part of the organisation’s supply chain team. “We are in an exciting phase of transformation and it feels great to add terrific minds from the startup ecosystem in India to our growing team,” Mr Hari Vasudev, Center Head & Vice President, Walmart Labs India, said.

26 india empire | July 2019

BUSineSS lanDSCaPe

Anshula Kant appointed MD

B S Dhillon to head Audi India

State Bank of India’s Managing Director Anshula Kant has been appointed as Managing Director and Chief Financial Officer of the World Bank Group. The appointment was announced in July by World Ms Anshula Kant Bank Group President David Malpass. Ms Kant is currently a Managing Director of SBI where she previously also served as Chief Financial Officer. “Anshula brings more than 35 years of expertise in finance, banking, and innovative use of technology through her work as CFO of the State Bank of India,” Malpass said in a statement. According to the statement, as Managing Director and Chief Financial Officer, Ms Kant will be responsible for financial and risk management of the World Bank Group, reporting to the President. As CFO of SBI, Ms Kant managed $38 billion of revenues and total assets of $500 billion.

German carmaker Audi announced a major management change in its India division as it named Balbir Singh Dhillon as the new head of Audi India with effect from September 1.

The company in a statement said that its current Mr Balbir Singh Dhillon India head Rahil Ansari has been selected for a position at the finance division of the company’s headquarter in Ingolstadt, Germany. In his new assignment Mr Ansari would take the role of Senior Director, Central Sales Controlling (Global).

“Balbir Singh Dhillon who is currently heading Dealer Development has been elevated as Head, Audi India to be effective from September 1, 2019. An experienced automotive professional, Dhillon joined Audi India for his second stint in July 2018 and brings with him 23 years of automotive experience,” the company said in a statement.

Airtel and Shaw Academy partner

Vistara’s August operations

Bharti Airtel in July said it has partnered with edutech platform Shaw Academy to offer free access to online courses to its customers.

“As part of the fast expanding range of exciting benefits under its refreshed #AirtelThanks programme, Bharti Airtel (“Airtel”) has now partnered with Irish and India based global EdTech, Shaw Academy to offer popular online courses to its mobile customers,” Airtel said in a statement. “Airtel Platinum customers will get free access to one year courses worth Rs 6,000 as part of their plan benefits,” it added.

Shaw Academy offers courses focused on developing practical skills and subjects including music, photography, language, fitness, financial trading among others.

Tata Sons and Singapore Airlines promoted Vistara will start its international operations in August with flights to Singapore from Delhi and Mumbai. In a statement, Vistara said that it will operate two daily flights to Singapore, one each from New Delhi and Mumbai, starting August 6 and August 7, respectively.

“Vistara will operate two daily flights to Singapore, one each from Delhi and Mumbai, providing its globally applauded service to travellers on these routes. Customers can also take convenient one-stop connections to and from several other Indian cities beyond Delhi and Mumbai, including but not limited to Amritsar, Chandigarh, Jammu, Lucknow, Ranchi, Raipur, Srinagar and Varanasi,” the statement said.

The airline will soon expand its international network further to other destinations, it added. Vistara will fly its Boeing 737-800NG aircraft with two-class cabin configuration to Singapore.

July 2019 | india empire 27

GUlF DiaSPora

First GOlDeN carD visa

s

Mr Lalu Samuel (Center)

harjah’s first Golden Card visa was in July issued to an Indian expat businessman, as part of the permanent residency system tailored for investors. The recipient was Lalu Samuel, Chairman and Managing Director of Kingston Holdings and Chairman of Sharjah Industry Business Group, which functions under the Sharjah Chamber of Commerce and Industry, reports WAM news agency.

The Golden Card is a 10-year long-term visa eligible for investors and entrepreneurs and aims to attract capital, investments, and owners of leading companies with international experts as well as professionals in all vital sectors of the national economy, researchers in scientific fields and outstanding students, so as to engage them in the renaissance and development of the UAE. The card-holders are entitled to a host of privileges and facilities including a residency visa without a sponsor to them and their families (spouse and children). They can also sponsor up to three workers and obtain a residency visa for one of his/her senior employees.

Samuel thanked Sharjah’s Directorate of Residency and Foreigners Affairs for its initiative, stressing its importance in supporting the United Arab Emirates’ (UAE) investment sector, ensure family stability, and highlight the importance of cultural diversity, tolerance and acceptance of others within the UAE community. ❐

28 india empire | July 2019

DiaSPora Down UnDer anD inDian CaPital newS

INDIAN-ORIGIN CROWNED MISS UNIVERSE AUSTRALIA Indian-origin Priya Serrao celebrated with family and friends after she was crowned Miss Universe Australia in June, a title she intends to use to raise awareness about diversity and multi-culturalism. The 26-year-old policy advisor from the state of Victoria edged out over a dozen other finalists in Melbourne.

Serrao will represent Australia at the Miss Universe competition next year in South Korea. She was born in Belmannu, Karnataka, but spent most of her early childhood in Oman and the United Arab Emirates. Serrao moved to Australia when she was 11.

Having graduated from law she said her proudest moment is completing an internship with the UN Development Programme in Timor-Leste.

Delhi’s Connaught Place world’s 9th most expensive office area The Connaught Place area of the national capital retained its tag of the ninth most expensive office space during the January-March period of 2019 with an average occupancy cost of $143.97 (Rs 9,800) per square feet, a CBRE report said in July.

At the top of the list was Hong Kong (Central) for the second consecutive year with an average price of $322 per square feet, followed by London (West End) with an average occupancy rate of $222.7 per square feet. Hong Kong’s Kowloon area achieved the third spot ($208.67 per square feet). In the fourth and the fifth positions of the list were New York’s Midtown Manhattan area ($196.89) and Beijing’s Finance Street ($187.77), respectively.

As per the report, Mumbai’s Bandra Kurla Complex (BKC) and Nariman Point-Central Business District (CBD) ranked at 27th and 40th positions, respectively. In the given position, the current annual prime rent of BKC is valued at

$90.67 (Rs 6,213.39) per square feet and the Nariman PointCBD is valued at $68.38 (Rs 4,685.91) per square feet.

Commenting on the report, Anshuman Magazine, Chairman and CEO, India, Southeast Asia, Middle East and Africa, CBRE said: “Indian markets continued to have greater investment grade space in the CBDs (Central Business District) of the different cities as prominent domestic and global corporates continued to favour investment grade space for setting up front offices in these cities.”

July 2019 | india empire 29

DiaSPora in tHe USa

Indian-American teen wins $100K quiz show prize

A

Avi Gupta, a 2019 “Jeopardy Teen Tournament” contestant (left) with the show’s host, Alex Trebek (right)

n Indian-American youth has won the 2019 Teen Jeopardy contest taking the $100,000 prize in America’s most-watched individual quiz show. Avi Gupta’s victory televised in June marks a near-clean sweep of popular student contests in the past year by Indian-Americans. He is from Portland, Oregon, and completed high school recently, although he was still a high schooler when the programme was pre-recorded several weeks ago.

He beat out three other Indian-American teens in the contest, which featured a total of 15 students. During the show, he told the host, Alex Trebek, that people questioned the value of accumulating a trove of trivia when they could be googled. But he said that building a wide range of knowledge was important because arguments and ideas can be 30 india empire | July 2019

built only on facts.

The 2018 College Jeopardy, which also carried a prize of $100,000, was won by Dhruv Gaur. The 2019 National Geography Bee, which tests knowledge of geography, was won by Nihar Janga. In the 2019 National Spelling Bee last month seven of the eight co-winners were of Indian descent. In the previous 10 years, only Indian-Americans had been winners.

Indian-Americans have made their mark in science contests also. Although there were no winners among them, 16 of the 30 finalists in the nation’s top contest, the Regeneron National Science Talent Search, were on Indian descent. In the Broadcom Masters science contest for middle school students, eight of the 30 finalists were IndianAmericans. ❐

BottoM line

QUARTERLY LEDGER

Q1 Rs 3,768 crore profit for Infosys

Q1 Rs 1,433 crore profit for IndusInd

Global software major Infosys in July reported Rs 3,798-crore consolidated net profit for the first quarter (Q1) of fiscal 2019-20, registering 5.1 per cent annual growth from Rs 3,612 crore in the same period a year ago. In a regulatory filing on the BSE, the city-based IT behemoth said consolidated revenue for the quarter under review (Q1) grew 14 per cent Year-on-Year (YoY) to Rs 21,803 crore from Rs 19,128 crore in the like period a year ago. The company added 906 techies during the quarter, taking the total headcount to 2,29,029 from 2,28,123 a quarter ago. The addition for the last 12 months however, was 19,124 from 2,09,905 a year ago, with women accounting for 37 per cent in Q1 from 36.7 per cent a quarter ago and 36.5 per cent a year ago. Addition of 70 new clients during the quarter has taken their total number to 1,336, against 1,279 a quarter ago and 1,214 a year ago.

Private lender IndusInd Bank on Wednesday reported a 38 per cent increase in its net profit for the first quarter (Q1) of 2019-20. Accordingly, the bank’s net profit during the quarter under review rose to Rs 1,433 crore from Rs 1,036 crore in the corresponding pe-

riod of last fiscal.

IndusInd Bank’s MD and CEO Romesh Sobti said: “We have begun the first quarter of this financial year on a positive note, as we have successfully completed the merger with BFIL. During this quarter, the bank has witnessed healthy growth in its top line as well as in operating profits and will now push forward into the subsequent quarters basis our strong belief in new opportunities, especially in rural India,” he added.

Q1 Rs 8,153 crore net profit for TCS

Q1 Rs 89 crore profit for HFCl

Software major Tata Consultancy Services (TCS) in July reported a 10.74 per cent rise in its consolidated net profit for the April-June quarter, on a year-on-year (YoY) basis. Its consolidated net profit in the first quarter of financial year 2019Mr Rajesh Gopinathan 2020 increased to Rs 8,153 crore, against Rs 7,362 crore reported for the corresponding period of last year, the company said in a regulatory filing. TCS reported a 12.29 per cent increase in its consolidated total income for the period under review at Rs 39,847 crore, from Rs 35,486 crore in Q1, 2018-19.

Commenting on the performance, Mr Rajesh Gopinathan, CEO and MD, TCS said: “We have had a steady start to the new fiscal year. We see customers continuing to spend on their growth and transformation initiatives, and that is showing in our strong order book and deal pipeline this quarter.”

Himachal Futuristic Communications (HFCL) in July reported a rise of 102 per cent in its standalone net profit for the first quarter 2019-20. The company’s net profit (profit after tax for the period from continuing operations) during the quarter under review Mr Mahendra Nahata grew to Rs 89 crore from Rs 44 crore reported for the corresponding period of 2018-19.

Himachal Futuristic Communications operates as telecom infrastructure developer, system integrator and manufacturer of high-end telecom equipment and optical fibre cables. The company’s revenue from operations rose 16 per cent to Rs 1,201 crore from Rs 1,032 crore reported for the Q1 2018-19.

Commenting on the performance, Mr Mahendra Nahata, Managing Director, Himachal Futuristic Communications, said: “The holistic strengthening of organisational capabilities undertaken over the last 7-8 quarters is beginning to show the results.”

Mr Romesh Sobti

July 2019 | india empire 31

DelHi FeatUre

art of CoMMutInG:

DelhI Metro StatIonS

DouBle uP aS art GallerIeS

by Siddhi Jain

M

ost Indians may still need a push to visit art galleries and museums, but when the national capital’s favourite commuting mode Metro Rail doubles up as a contemporary art gallery itself, it is not uncommon to see Delhiwallahs stop, look and even click an occasional selfie.

Whether it is abstract or realistic art, colourful ceramic tiles or informative panels, the wide station network of Delhi Metro Rail Corporation (DMRC) seems to have it all covered, as the modern transport service that began in 2002 and continues to expand, zooms in on art and culture.

The artworks at Pink Line’s Johri Enclave station are a tribute to the eminent classical artists of India. Creative portraits of great artists like shehnai maestro Bismillah Khan, noted flautist Hariprasad Chaurasia, popular vocalist Shubha Mudgal and sitar maestro Pandit Ravi Shankar dot the station premises. The Pink Line and Indian cultural symbols seem to coalesce in more stations, especially Gokulpuri and Shiv Vihar, which exhibit different dance cultures of our country: Dhunuchi, Bhangram, Dandiya Raas, Bharatanatyam, for the former and Chhau, Cham and Kathputli for the latter.

On the Hauz Khas station, an intersection of the Yellow and Magenta Lines, historical monuments galore. Lodhi Tombs, the Gurudwara Bangla Sahib, Jama Masjid, and Humayun’s Tomb reflect the diverse cultural fabric of India.

Many other metro stations are ready takers of art on history and heritage. Mandi House comes first to mind.

The works here chronicles the journey of the area from 32 india empire | July 2019

brick kilns to a culture hub. Its panels display digital prints of original maps and vintage photographs, like a rare aerial view of the Modern School at Barakhamba, an old photograph of India’s first Prime Minister Jawaharlal Nehru opening the Sapru House, and actor Naseeruddin Shah in a 1973 theatre production by theatre doyen Ebrahim Alkazi.

Rare images of Dadi Pudumjee, under whom the Sri Ram Centre established the first modern puppet theatre are also on display. At the INA metro station, the DMRC, in collaboration with the Ministry of Textiles, has also installed 58 panels of handicrafts and handlooms created by craftsmen from across India - from Mithila paintings from Bihar to terracotta tiles from Rajasthan. Two stations on the long and busy Blue Line, Karol Bagh and Karkardooma, use ceramic artworks and painted wall works to show signs of a modern, progressive society. While the Karol Bagh murals feature development aspects like education and technology, the Karkardooma station, which opens near the Karkardooma District Court, has references to the judiciary: a set of scales and hands, handcuffs, police and a colossal Ashok Chakra.

Nature enthusiasts who commute by metro are not disappointed as well, as Mandawali-West Vinod Nagar has its focus on flora and fauna, and the walls of this station feature vibrant paintings of leaves, flowers, toucans and koi fish. Serene! Regular metro commuters would also know of the Metro Museum at the Patel Chowk Metro Station, which traces the genesis of the Delhi Metro which took 32 years to reach the operational stage from the drawing boards. ❐

PiCtureS by: SiPra DaS

THE POLITICAL GALLERY

Mr Gautam Gambir, MP and Mr Ravi Kishan, MP

Mr T Subbarami Reddy, MP and Swami Sakshi Maharaj

LEFT: Union Minister of State for Environment, Forest and Climate Change, and Heavy Industries and Public Enterprises, Mr Babul Supriyo. CENTER: Mr Manoj Tiwari, MP. RIGHT: Mr Prasun Banerjee, MP

Mr Shantanu Thakur, MP

Mr Nisith Pramanik, MP

Mr L Suryanarayana Tejasvi, MP July 2019 | india empire 33

PiCtureS by: SiPra DaS

CHIEF MINISTER’S GALLERY

Mr Naveen Patnaik, Odisha (right)

Mr Y S Jaganmohan Reddy, Andhra Pradesh (right)

Mr Pramod Pandurang Sawant, Goa

Mr Kamal Nath, Madhya Pradesh (left)

Mr Nitish Kumar, Bihar (right) 34 india empire | July 2019

Motivation

One hour a day can change your life: Robin Sharma

By Saket Suman MrRobin RobinSharma Sharma Mr

P

rivate lessons that leadership and elite performance expert Robin Sharma has been imparting to billionaires and celebrities have now found their way into his new book “The 5 AM Club”, which the globally renowned author of “The Monk Who Sold His Ferrari”, says can change the life of its readers. Sharma, whose books have sold over 15 million copies and have been translated into at least 92 languages, spoke to IANS during his ongoing book tour in the country.

He said that the twilight period in the morning is of utmost “peace and tranquility”, and tranquility being a “luxury” in our times, should not be missed.

“People are very attracted to the idea of an hour for themselves before the day gets busy. It is almost like a retreat to the simpler times. I have been teaching the 5 AM club method for above 20 years. The book is not just about waking up at 5 a.m., but there is a specific morning routine—20: 20: 20— which I urge the readers to follow. I have been teaching that to my high-profile clients like billionaires, sports superstars and celebrities, CEOs. It has brought tremendous change in their lives,”Sharma told IANS in his characteristic inspirational tone.

He said that upon realising the “magic” that the 5 AM Formula had done for the successful people, he wrapped it around a story, like he did in “The Monk Who Sold His Ferrari”, and published it in the form of a book.

He has divided the first hour of the day into three equal segments of 20 minutes each. The first sequence is for sweating—to do some physical activity. The second, he says, is for reflection, through prayer, meditation or writing a journal. And finally the last 20 minutes before the day gets busy, says Sharma, is for growing by reading, watching a useful video or listening to a podcast.

“There are a lot of people with a lot of money but money is all they have. It’s very inspiring to see how many people want to be the heroes of their lives, how many people want to grow and rise above their circumstances.

One of the keys to my longevity is that I want to help people, I don’t just write books but I am putting down the information that is not superficial but really creates change,” he said, pointing out that one hour a day, if utilised in the manner that he has put forth in his new book, can change lives. He said he wrote “The 5 AM Club” for over four years because he wanted it to be a beautiful and powerful book. “I wanted every line to be hand crafted and so I put my heart and soul into it.”

Although a phenomenon today, Sharma had self-published “The Monk Who Sold His Ferrari”, and at a bookshop met a publisher from HarperCollins, who then acquired the book and published it globally. That changed his life and Sharma said that it is love that keeps him going; the more he works with love, the more he is able to connect with people. ❐ July 2019 | india empire 35

ColUMn: yoGi aSHwini

MinD anD BoDy

ESSENCE OF THE GURU

by Yogi Ashwini yogi aShwini

T

here is pyramidal structure to Creation, your position in the pyramid is determined by your desire. As one holds the hand of the Guru, he/she moves to that level of the pyramid and the desire manifests. The problem begins after; usually the person gets caught in the desire and is unable to move further. So he/she slips, and begins the downwards journey.

The problem of kalyug is that our desires are embedded in the physical, so even when one sets on a search for Guru, one measures him on physical yardsticks—how big is his ashram, how many factories does he own. Beyond that, one is unable to comprehend, missing out on the essence of the Guru.

Today, one would give more respect to a Math’s teacher than a Guru, thinking, ‘At least he will teach me something, which I can use’. What the Guru has to offer, hardly anyone can comprehend or has the desire to receive.

It’s okay to be embedded in the physical because for majority that is the starting point, but if you have found a Guru and are walking his path and over a period of time your desires are still as they were, then you need to think, whether you are wrong or you are in the wrong place.

Long back, a Babaji came to meet me from Gyanganj (a village en route Kailash Mansarovar, where many yogis dwell). He was in Delhi for treatment of cancer, which was yet to manifest in his body, but which had been intimated to him by his Guru. He spoke of a lake of crocodiles in the forests of Madhya Pradesh, where a Mata ji does her sadhna. The crocodiles do her no harm. I said, “I will go to meet

36 india empire | July 2019

her.” Babaji replied, “What will you achieve by meeting her? Her sadhna is her state of mind, the level you are at, you will not be able to comprehend.”

Yoga is not about achieving more in the physical, it is the journey of leaving the physical and achieving sidhhis to go beyond. You need not leave immediately, but the desire to leave should be there in you.

Rahim in a couplet explains that bishop, a powerful piece in the game of chess, can never become the queen. He walks diagonally, kills powerful pieces, achieves physical feats, but cannot achieve the ultimate (the queen in chess). While an ordinary pawn, walks straight, has little capacity, but if its focus is fixed on the last square, it becomes the queen. Similarly in life, if you have focus and desire for the last square, you too will achieve that. It is Guru and focus on desire for the Ultimate that will take you up the pyramid of evolution.

Today innovative terms like ‘love guru’, ‘business guru’, ‘management guru’ are popular. Earlier there was just Guru. This is indicative of the wrong thought process. Even pilgrimages have turned into picnic spots, where people go in the hope of fulfilling material aspirations. If your desires are rested in the physical, then you need not go to a Guru. Simple charity and service and following the laws of creation are enough to achieve physical desires.

Guru is needed when you want to understand what lies beyond. ❐ —Yogi Ashwini is the guiding light of dhyan foundation and can be reached at www.dhyanfoundation.com

,

-

,

- %/%* ' -% .3.78*6 +46 4&) 6&375468 &3) .,-;&=7 #&8*6 *7496(*7 .:*6 *:*1452*38 &3) &3,& */9:*3&8.43 &3) -.55.3,

- $ -)!* - - $ * #-*3 .3.78*6 4+ 8&8* .3.786= 4+ *8641*92 &3) &896&1 &7

- * */$ 0) .3.78*6 +46 -*2.(&17 &3) *68.1.>*67

- $ 0 $ -3 %-!* !%*#$ .3.78*6 +46 8**1

. )-%/% - *% #-*3 .3.78*6 +46 92&3 *7496(* *:*1452*38

$ +$ * %*#$ .3.78*6 +46 ,6.(91896* &3) &62*67 #*1+&6*

- ) %( . .2 * .3.78*6 +46 43792*6 ++&.67 44) &3) 9'1.( .786.'98.43

. ) $ -/% #-*3 .3.78*6 +46 #&8*6 *7496(*7 .:*6 *:*1452*38 &3) &3,& */9:*3&8.43

- $ 2 - $ * !$(+/ .3.78*6 +46 4(.&1 978.(* &3) 254;*62*38

-. 0.$) 2 - & .3.78*6 +46 <8*63&1 ++&.67 &3) .3.78*6 +46 :*67*&7 3).&3 ++&.67

- & 3 +!( #-*3 .3.78*6 4+ 8&8* +46 $498- ++&.67 &3) 54687

0( 0,-%3+ .3.78*6 4+ 8&8* +46 *&:= 3)9786.*7 &3) 9'1.( 38*656.7*7

- &%1 - / , 0 3 < !3.43 .3.78*6 4+ 8&8* +46 0.11 *:*1452*38 &3) 386*56*3*967-.5

- $-%, %' .3.78*6 4+ 8&8* $!

- * */ *# - ) !!/! .3.78*6 +46 *&:= 3)9786.*7 &3) 9'1.( *(846 38*656.7*7

-

-!* - %*#$ +) #-*3 .3.78*6 +46 8**1 &3) .3*7

BUSineSS anD DiPloMaCy

Minister Goyal, japanese PM’s advisor discusses bullet train project Railway Minister Piyush Goyal met Hiroto Izumi, Special Advisor to Japan Prime Minister Shinzo Abe, in New Delhi in July and discussed the progress on the 508 km Mumbai-Ahmedabad high-speed rail (HSR) project, railway officials said.

The Railway Minister apprised the Japanase PM’s advisor about the progress in the project. The National HighSpeed Rail Corp Ltd (NHSRCL), carrying out the project (commonly known as bullet train project) is hopeful of acquiring a major chunk of land required by the end of this year. The NHSRCL had acquired 39 per cent of the 1,380 hectares of land till last month.

The bullet trains are expected to run at 320 km per hour, covering the 508-km stretch in about two hours. Trains plying on the route take over seven hours and planes about an hour. Prime Ministers Narendra Modi and Premier Shinzo

Mr Piyush Goyal (centre)

Abe of Japan on September 14, 2017 laid the foundation stone for the Rs 1.08 lakh crore ($17 billion) HSR project.

Australian delegation, Israeli envoy call on Andhra CM Mr Y S Jagan Mohan Reddy (3rd from left) with Australian delegation

CM (left) with H.E. Mr Ron Malka

An Australian business delegation in July met Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister Y.S. Jagan Mohan Reddy and discussed the investment opportunities in the state.

The delegation led by Australian Consul General Susan Grace included 22 delegates from Western Australia, Queensland and Victoria. The delegates were from various sectors like mines, fuel, lithium batteries manufacturing, education, logistics and airport management. Mr Jagan Reddy assured them he would give full support that will result in the development of the industrial sector of the state. He said transparency in the governance would help in the growth of industrial sector. The Chief Minister expressed his interest in introduction of electric buses in the state to reduce pollution and for better transportation. The Aus38 india empire | July 2019

tralian delegation, which was on a two-day visit, met various ministers, secretaries and entrepreneurs. Meanwhile, Israeli Ambassador to India Mr Ron Malka also called on Mr Jagan Reddy. The Chief Minister emphasized on strengthening bilateral relations between Andhra Pradesh and Israel for mutual benefit. They discussed water management and desalination of sea water in the areas where supply of treated water is difficult.

Mr Malka explained how Israel is re-cycling 94 per cent of its waste water. They also discussed about possible technological agencies collaborations in the fields of robotics and Artificial Intelligence. Mr Malka said he was impressed by the Chief Minister’s vision and offered his help in furthering Andhra-Israel relations.