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WEDNESDAY SEPTEMBER 10, 2014
Business Report RUSSIA&INDIA THE ECONOMIC TIMES IN ASSOCIATION WITH ROSSIYSKAYA GAZETA, RUSSIA
DIPLOMACY: The Ukraine crisis has been used to build NATO muscle on Russia’s borders, say Russian experts
STATISTICS
NATO launches Contain Russia policy, Moscow open to talks Moscow is concerned at the NATO’s decision to post Rapid Action Force on Russia’s borders and sees it as an attempt to derail dialogue to resolve the Ukraine conflict. NIKOLAY SURKOV RIBR
AFP/EASTNEWS
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he NATO summit has ended in Wales, with its leaders predictably focusing on the containment of Russia. The summit’s main highlight was the decision to deploy a Rapid Reaction Force (RAF) on Russia’s borders, which military experts view as a demonstrative gesture, rather than a real threat. At the same time, the final declaration of the summit said that the NATO “is committed to cooperation with Russia and the development of constructive relations with it.” Decisions were taken on concrete measures of deterrence, which are reminiscent of the Cold War. “We have agreed on a Readiness Action Plan to strengthen the collective defence of NATO. This is a demonstration of our solidarity and determination,” said the outgoing NATO Secretary General Anders Fogh Rasmussen at a press conference after the meeting of the North Atlantic Council. Under this plan, the NATO countries will retain a beefed up group on the eastern borders of the alliance. The Allies also promised to increase their defence budgets, and some of this money will go to the creation of a Rapid Reaction Force, which will be located as close as possible to Russia’s borders – in the Baltic States, Poland and Romania. Moscow, on its part, is in no hurry to give up dialogue with NATO. “We are ready to cooperate with the alliance, on the condition that it will take into account our national interests,” said Alexander Grushko, Russia’s envoy to NATO.
The NATO summit in Wales set the stage for aggravating the standoff between Russia and the West. Moscow is, first of all, concerned with Ukraine’s “North Atlantic” ambitions as well as placing the NATO’s troops near its eastern borders. Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov has said that the ambition of the Kiev’s authorities to revise Ukraine’s non-aligned status is undermining the efforts on peaceful settlement of the conflict in the south-east of the country. “This is a pronounced attempt to derail all the efforts to start a dialogue aimed at providing national safety,” Lavrov said. According to
Ambassador Grushko, as quoted by RIA Novosti, “The Ukrainian crisis has been used not only to strengthen the relations between Ukraine and NATO,” but also to “build up NATO muscle” on Russia’s borders. However, Russian experts have cautioned against exaggerating the military threat posed by the alliance. Alexander Konovalov, president of the Institute of Strategic Studies, told RBTH that the NATO does not particularly need the Rapid Reaction Force on the borders with Russia.
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“For the alliance, this is just a way to show the countries of Eastern and Central Europe the determination of the bloc to fulfil its obligations under the fifth article of the Washington Treaty, which states: an attack on one – is an attack on all,” he said. According to Konovalov, these are the “golden days” for Eastern European NATO members. “This is their opportune moment, and they are taking one hundred percent advantage of it, to get from Old Europe and the United States as many promises as possible, as well as real actions to guarantee their security.” “However, in general, the Rapid Deployment Force, as well as the possible establishment of military bases – is nothing more than a signal to Russia. This solution also has no material effect on the balance of power in Europe – this is more noise than real activity,” he said. The future development of relations between Russia and NATO, said Konovalov, will depend on reciprocal steps that Moscow may now take. “Rasmussen’s statement is nothing more than a demonstration that NATO is changing in response to new challenges and threats to its members,” RBTH learned from Viktor Litovkin, an independent military expert. “In recent years, the block had no real raison d’etre. There was no threat. On the other hand, this is a soothing gesture toward the “new members” of the alliance in Eastern Europe and the Baltic States, which have a paranoid fear of Russia. This is a peculiar kind of statement – that NATO does not abandon its own. However, how all this will be implemented in practice, raises a lot of questions.”
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Jointly learning tactics & precision mid-air RIA Voronezh
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he Pogonovo fighting ground near Voronezh, located 500 km south of Moscow, hosted one of the signature events of the Avia Indra 2014 Russian-Indian exercises last week. The joint Russian-Indian crew flew the Mi-35 and Mi-8, as well as the Su-30 CM. Helicopters brought down thousands of litres of water to the firing ground, practicing fire-fighting, and the fighters hit the ground targets with missiles and bombs. “The Indian Air Force is not involved in counter-terrorism operations. Their main task is to provide combat support to troops. Therefore, we have chosen operational and tactical aviation exercises at the fight-
ing grounds and practicing of special Army Aviation missions,” said Colonel Alexander Maksimtsev, deputy chief of the Russian Air Force. “This involves interception of air targets, fire-fighting, search and rescue operations and support of ground forces. The IAF has a lot of experience in the highlands.” The second phase of the exercises will be held in India in November 2014. “Russia and India have historical Air Force connections,” said Indian Air Force Commander Praveen Keshav Vora. “We are using the Russian equipment from the sixties: MiG-21, MiG-23 and Su of various types. We have similar methods, because our technique is the same. We are carrying out these exercises for the first time and expect that they will serve as the basis for the development
New Russia Direct Monthly Memo analyzes what it will cost us if the U.S. and Russia neglect counter-terrorism collaboration for short-term geopolitical gains.
of our mutual cooperation. At first glance, this stage went very well, but we will discuss everything in detail when we get back to the base.” Pilots from mixed crews communicated with each other in English, and used
sign language. “We use a similar technique. Only our spillway devices are Canadian. But there is almost no difference between them. However, the weather here is different, other nuances of piloting, new people,” said IAF Commander Nikhil Purandari. Russian pilots have said that the there is almost no language barrier among the crew members, because the aviators’ language is similar. The first phase of the Avia Indra-2014 exercises started on August 29 and lasted until September 5. From the Russian side, aviation pilots from the 4th Training Centre and pilots from the 334th Centre for Army Aviation Combat Training are involved. In Voronezh, pilots are trained, using the Lipetsk Aviation Centre technology. Indian Air Force commanders have expressed interest in the Russian surfaceto-air missile systems in the course of the Avia Indra-2014 exercises, Maj. Gen. Sergey Babakov told journalists.
TAKING A STAND
It’s time to get India in SCO tent BORIS VOLKHONSKY Foreign policy analyst
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In the Avia Indra 2014 exercises, language was hardly a barrier for Indian and Russian pilots doing joint drills.
he forthcoming summit of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization in Tajikistan has the potential to become a gamechanger. The international environment is just right for the SCO’s expansion by including India and Pakistan as full members, which, in turn, would mean that the SCO itself could move from being a “Chinadominated discussion club” to a real power centre opposing the forces seeking to preserve the post-Cold War unipolar global order. One of the main question asked by political thinkers on the eve of the SCO summit, which will be held in Tajikistan capital Dushanbe on September 12, is whether India and Pakistan will be given clear assurance of full membership. It is an open secret that the main
obstacles for India’s membership is Beijing’s ambivalence. While it is obvious for everybody that the two countries’ membership may be granted only simultaneously, China has no objections against Pakistan and has demonstrated its support for Pakistan’s membership overtly on many occasions. While abstaining from open opposition to India’s membership, China has been all too careful to kick the issue into the long grass by posing endless conditions on minor issues. China’s reservations are quite understandable. However, the full membership of Asia’s third largest economy, India, would definitely change the balance within the organisation, giving space for manoeuver to other member states. The Ukrainian crisis has demonstrated that the West, and primarily the US,
has launched an open offensive on all those who are not ready to toe its line. Under such circumstances, India’s role in global affairs becomes virtually decisive. It is too important an ally for any major power to risk losing its support. China seems to have realised this plain fact. At least, some recent statements by Chinese officials tend to point in that direction. “Relevant countries have shown their willingness to join SCO. We believe that it demonstrates the vitality of SCO. It needs further development,” said Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Qin Gang. If these words of goodwill are implemented into a concrete decision in Dushanbe, and if India and Pakistan are given a clear roadmap for full membership, this would mean a real turning point in the SCO’s history, which, in turn, would reframe the whole system of international relations. Along with BRICS, which has all prerequisites to become a second global financial and economic alternative to the remainders of the Bretton Woods system like IMF and World Bank, the SCO, without even turning into a military bloc like the NATO or super-state like EU, will form a real power centre in Eastern Eurasia effectively ruining the unipolar order. The significance of India’s access to SCO is not limited to “macro-political” aspects. It will also help solve many bilateral and regional issues. One of the main restrictions for India
in building fruitful relations with the outside world is the lack of connectivity with countries lying to the North, including Russia and Central Asian republics. If India becomes a member of an international body enjoying equal rights with all its members, this would mean a real impetus for widening cooperation with a wide region encompassing Central Asia, Russia up to its Far East, as well as Eastern and Northern Europe. Therefore, India’s and Pakistan’s full membership in the SCO will help regional powers to work out a coordinated and non-confrontational approach to post-2014 Afghanistan. There can’t be any zero-sum game in Afghanistan. The only solution for Afghanistan lies in a coordinated effort of all regional power seeking to reach a “win-win” situation. The SCO, with full membership of China, Russia, India, Pakistan and others, and the observer status of Iran and Afghanistan, is the natural platform for such coordinated effort. Whether all this may be implemented will be demonstrated by the decisions taken in Dushanbe. There is not much time to wait and see. The views expressed are of the author’s only.
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DIPLOMACY: Moscow’s top priority is to prevent Ukraine from becoming an outpost of the West
NEWS
Russia’s balancing act: Promoting unified Ukraine
Summit in 2015 will target Russian companies
PRESS PHOTO
Kremlin’s grand strategy seeks to promote direct negotiations between Kiev and representatives of breakaway republics to ensure autonomy for Donbass within broad framework of unified Ukraine. GEVORG MIRZAYAN
A high-level business delegation led by Girish Chandra Murmu, the Principal Secretary to the Gujarat Chief Minister, Anandiben Patel, is currently on a visit to Moscow to mobilise the support of Russian companies to participate on a larger scale in the biennial 7th Vibrant Gujarat Summit-2015 to be held on January 11-13 in Gandhinagar. (RIBR)
Specially for RIBR
Galactika Group in talks with Amul for import prospects The Galactika Group, one of the major manufacturers and distributors of dairy products in Russia, is in talks with Amul for the import of cheese and milk powder, Amul’s Managing Director Rupinder Sodhi told Itar-Tass. “Amul has not decided on the volume of dairy products supplies to Galactika yet. It would all depend on the market,” said Sodhi, who is a part of a Gujarat government delegation, which is visiting Moscow. (RIBR)
Kudankulam-1 to start commercial operations soon The first unit of the Kudankulam Nuclear Power Plant will start commercial operations in September, informed sources told RIBR. The Nuclear Power Corporation of India Ltd is expecting a green light from the India’s Atomic Energy Regulatory Board to start commercial operations. The plant’s second unit is expected to attain criticality by the second week of November. (RIBR)
INTERVIEW
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oscow is interested in maintaining a unified Ukraine, in which the authorities will consider views of the pro-Russian southeastern regions. The main goal of these efforts is to prevent Ukraine’s entry into the NATO and to keep its non-aligned status. Moscow has officially made it clear that Kiev must listen to the opinions of Novorossiya (New Russia) – the southeastern regions of the country, where the population speaks mostly Russian and traditionally gravitates towards Russia. This is why the Kremlin is seeking direct negotiations between Kiev and representatives of the breakaway republics in the southeast, at which they should agree upon the principles of the future government. “We need to immediately begin substantive, meaningful negotiations, and not just on technical issues, but on the political organisation of society and statehood in the southeast of Ukraine, in order to unconditionally guarantee the legal interests of the people who live there,” said Russian President Vladimir Putin. According to the results of such negotiations, Ukraine may become a confederation. This is what representatives of Donbass talked about in the September 1 consultations in Minsk. They propose that the self-proclaimed republics be given a special status, with their own armed forces and judicial system, as well as a special foreign
Some Russian political scientists believe that putting off the talks may result in the collapse of the Ukrainian state, after which Moscow would have no choice but to support Novorossiya’s demands for independence, a scenario Moscow is trying to avoid. trade rights – including the right to join the Customs Union. In this case, there would be domestic customs borders between various parts of Ukraine – something that in a confederation is not something out of the ordinary. In return, the government of Novorossiya promises to “make every effort to support peace and maintain a single
According to Sergey Markedonov, Associate Professor at the Russian State University for the Humanities, it does not matter to Russia how the peace agreement between Kiev and Novorossiya is formalised. “The question of status is secondary – it does not matter whether this process is called federalisation or confederation. This
ANALYSIS
RAFEEQUE AHMED
‘Sanctions can be a big chance Silk Road: Russia’s for Indian exporters’ inclusion may allay The FIEO chief is upbeat about India Show in India’s concerns Moscow and enchancing bilateral trade.
Russia, India to jointly build transport airliner
Iran. We will explore this opportunity by finding out what Indian goods we can supply, which are not coming from some other market.
Is there any plan of action for promoting Indian goods in the Russian market? We are preparing the list of items, which should benefit India. We are analysing which items are imported from those countries which are facing the ban, and where we can replace. We are jointly working with the Commerce Ministry. We are also asking for a lot of data. We will come out with a plan on how India may be able to take advantage of the sanctions.
PHOTOSHOT/VOSTOCK-PHOTO PRESS PHOTO
Russia’s Sukhoi Aviation Holding Company (JSC) and its Indian partners plan to embark on the joint construction of multipurpose transport airliner, United Aircraft Corporation’s president Mikhail Pogosyan told RIA Novosti recently. “In 2013, we finished the stage of preliminary design. Today, we are at the stage of discussing further implementation program and shifting to engineering development,” Pogosyan said. RIBR
Raising the Bar: Rafeeque Ahmed, FIEO president (left), is optimistic about India and Russia scaling up bilateral trade to $15 billion by 2015. ALESSANDRO BELLI Specially for RIBR
Ship of Theseus wins Grand Prix at Sakhalin film festival
ITAR-TASS
Indian film Ship of Theseus won the main prize at the 4th Sakhalin International Film Festival. The film, directed and written by Anand Gandhi, was awarded the Grand Prix and 1 million roubles ($27,000). Neeraj Kabi, who played Maitreya the Jain monk, received the prize for Best Actor. Jury chairman Vadim Abdrashitov, announced the winners. (RIBR)
economic, cultural and political space in Ukraine.” At the same time, Moscow is strongly opposed to the collapse of Ukraine. This was indicated by Vladimir Putin’s address to the leadership of Novorossiya, requesting them to maintain the formal territorial integrity of Ukraine.
process is the only way to achieve the goal – which is that Ukraine becomes a buffer state that does not become a tool for the containment of Russia or for putting pressure on it,” says Professor Markedonov. And the only way to achieve this is by keeping the Russian-speaking regions within Ukraine (which will counterbalance the anti-Russian elites in the west of the country) and providing them with tools to monitor state policies in the field of foreign relations, the economy, and even education. Political scientists contend that the Kremlin simply will not allow a military defeat of Novorossiya, because if Donetsk and Lugansk surrender, it will lead to the transformation of the entire Ukraine into an outpost of the West, directed against Russia. In fact, Ukraine is important not in itself, but in the light of Russia’s relations with the West. Its neutral status is of paramount importance for the Kremlin. This point has been made crystal clear by statements of Russian officials. “If Ukrainian authorities abandon neutrality, this will have very far-reaching consequences. Calls for the abolition of non-aligned status of Ukraine have caused particular alarm in Moscow, on the background of NATO’s plans for moving its infrastructure closer to the borders of Russia,” Kommersant learned from a Russian diplomatic source. Some Russian political analysts warn that delaying the negotiation process may lead to the collapse of the Ukrainian state, after which Moscow would have no choice but to support the demands for independence of Novorossiya. However, contrary to popular opinion in the West, Russia would like to avoid such a scenario. Firstly, this is because the gas pipeline from Russia to Europe runs through Western Ukraine, the safety of which would be jeopardised under this scenario. Secondly, it is clear that Moscow would have to maintain and rebuild these territories, and this under conditions of their internationally unrecognised status.
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ederation of Indian Export Organizations (FIEO) is organising the “India Show” at Moscow, an initiative of the Department of Commerce, Ministry of Commerce & Industry, Government of India, on September 24-26. About 120 companies are participating in the show. Rafeeque Ahmed, FIEO president, talks to RIBR about the upcoming event in Moscow and how to enhance Indo-Russian trade. Are you happy with the list of participants? Are they the best of the best in their spheres of activity? Most of them. I can’t say that in every field the best will come, but in the pharmaceutical, leather, textiles and machinery tools, the best will be represented. What are your expectations from the India Show? The final result is when the participants are happy. Our main aim is that they should get the visitors. Whatever they are exhibiting, businessmen of
the respective sector should visit them and they should get positive results out of their discussion. About one year back, you had some kind of India Show in St. Petersburg. Now you are coming to Moscow. Are there any plans to reach other regions in Russia? It is easier to have it in Moscow. Many companies are there. If we want to go to the other regions of Russia, we will not take all the products, but will have to look at the products which haves good buisness potenial in that area only. Moscow is a centralised place where we can have many items. Let us see the result after we go back from Moscow. After that, we will review and get information about all the other items and regions. Then decide which region is necessary; we will go with items we will promote in that region. Earlier, Russia had imposed a ban on some products import from Canada, European Union and the US. Do you see this as an opportunity for Indian exporters? Yes, this is an opportunity for us, we have to be there. We have seen a similar opportunity coming to us from
So you prepare the list. And then? What we want to do is to take the specific item delegations and meet those people in Russia. Like if it is machinery tools for example, then we will take a delegation of machinery tool manufacturers there and have a one-on-one business meeting and we will see. India and Russia are planning to scale up bilateral trade to $15 billion by 2015. Do you think it’s a realistic target? We should be able to achieve the target. The only thing is that we have to provide a lot of information to Indian exporters as they are afraid about the payment schedule. We had two meetings with the exporters. I said this is possible, this is easier than what you think. Our target is to double that number in the next five to six years. Any suggestions on how to achieve that? We are suggesting to the government that we should focus on Russia. We should take a lot of delegations there. We should also ask more Russian delegations to come here. The Indian government should also assure businesses through the credit policy and credit guarantee schemes. Once the business is established, they will do the business themselves. Indians are very conservative and they do not change to the new markets quickly. That’s why our effort is to push them there in the Russian market and there is such a big opportunity there.
DEBIDATTA AUROBINDA MAHAPATRA Foreign policy analyst
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he Chinese government recently invited India to participate in its initiative to link old network of routes in the greater Eurasian region with a new set of routes. Russia had already been invited to be a part of this initiative, which the state apparatus of China is vigorously pursuing. A few weeks back, a group of journalists, including from Russia, started exploring the Silk Road in China’s northwestern province Gansu, one of the hubs of trade in the past. India has not yet articulated its position whether to go with the Chinese initiative. On one side of the spectrum, there is optimism that the initiative will bring economic development to the region and on the other side, it is perceived as a threat to interests of weaker countries participating in the initiative. The initiative has three components: linking India, Bangladesh, Myanmar and China; linking China’s western part through the Karakoram Range to Pakistan’s port with possible extension to further West; and linking China’s eastern part to countries through a sea route. These routes are to be connected to the old network of routes called the Silk Road. The benefits will be mainly three-fold. It will foster regional economic integration. It will help develop infrastructure for the flow of energy. It will also help develop coordination among participating countries to fight religious extremism and terrorism. Once this initiative concretises, it will help India to have access to Russia through the Central Asian region. It will also help move the idea of the North-South corridor from Russia to India in a positive direction. The Chinese grand initiative looks positive as it aims to connect all the
countries of the Eurasian region, including the regions, which are not easily accessible. China’s invitation to India to be a part of this grand project needs to be weighed carefully, but not necessarily in a negative spirit, by the Indian policy makers. This Chinese invitation can be juxtaposed to an early Chinese offer to India to play a larger role in organisations such as the AsiaPacific Economic Cooperation and Shanghai Cooperation Organisation. India’s apprehension of a possible China’s encirclement is not absolutely devoid of reason. China is a close friend with Pakistan. In India’s strategic circle, there is a belief that China is developing a string of pearls to encircle India. However, Russia’s inclusion may moderate India’s apprehensions about China’s manoeuvre in the implementation of the project. The Russian-led Eurasian Economic Union can be benefitted from this economic initiative by working in coordination with other regional organisations such as SAARC, ASEAN and BIMSTEC. Last month, during the meeting of foreign ministers of Shanghai Cooperation Organization, Russian Foreign Minister, Sergei Lavrov and Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi met separately and emphasised the importance of maintaining strategic communication and coordination in areas of mutual interest including in the areas of trade and energy. In the end, one must caution against possible dominance of a single power in the implementation of the new idea. For the initiative to be a fair game, China needs to be clear about its objectives and expectations and convey them in detail to other participants, including India and Russia.
IN ASSOCIATION WITH ROSSIYSKAYA GAZETA, RUSSIA
T |E |C |H |N |O |L |O |G |Y WEDNESDAY SEPTEMBER 10, 2014
Building a scientific bridge and lab of bright ideas
A young Indian scientist hopes Dubna will be a hub of Indo-Russian scientific collaboration.
PRESS PHOTO
Mridupawan Deka, an Indian researcher at the Laboratory of Theoretical Physics in Dubna, at the India-JINR Forum held in June 2014 (4th from the right). VICTORIA ZAVYALOVA RIBR
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Mridupawan Deka is all praise for professionalism of Russian scientists and plans to form a group of Indian and Russian students. gaining significant research experience in Germany, the US and other countries. Asked why he chose Dubna for his research, Deka replies: “It was always on the back of my mind that someday I would come to Russia. Our countries have such a long history of cooperation in the field of physics.”
Deka considered many countries, but finally zeroed in on Russia as he is convinced that it is difficult to find elsewhere people that are engaged in similar research and at the same time have a high level of professionalism. He says although Russian universities do not conduct high-voltage advertising campaigns like the American ones, Russian scientific development has an unrivalled stature and is recognised worldwide. Deka, who is working on fundamental research, explained that high professionalism of Russian scientists as well as their determination to foresee all the details became decisive factors that inspired him to stay in Russia. “If we start discussing something, it is not just small talk. The conversation ends only when all understand everything from beginning to end. It does not matter how long the discussion lasts. This is something rare in other countries. A similar approach is used in the United States, where they also seek to achieve clarity, but not to such an extent,” Deka believes. “Secondly, here people are highly motivated and they are very sincere. Russian scientists go beyond the limits, and I have not seen this in any other country in the world,” he adds. Deka is studying the internal structure of the proton, in order to understand the fundamental forces acting within it. He says that for now, it is hard to talk about the practical application of this research. “We conduct certain studies in physics to understand how to use such forces as nuclear energy. That is why, in particular, I like working in Dubna – the Russians are ready to undertake long-term projects, and they have a great history of fundamental research,” Deka says. There are not that many people in that field, because in order to engage in such calculations, it is necessary to have computer skills. This area requires the collaboration of many people – physicists and mathematicians. Compared with other fields, where two people can work on one project, a team of at least six people is needed, Deka says. Deka is upbeat about his future plans. “I hope that at this institute, I can help create such a group. I plan to involve Russian students in my work, and now we are discussing this idea with colleagues. In the future, Indian students might become involved as well. I plan to spend another year or two in Dubna in order to create such a group,” he says. The young Indian scientist sees bright prospects for further cooperation between scientists from Dubna and India. After a succesful India-JINR Forum in July, a state delegation comprising of Indian experts will come to Dubna in October, and they will visit many institutions in Russia. Deka hopes that they will be able even to reach some agreements. “In Russia, there is vast knowledge that is not used – perhaps this is due to a shortage of human resources, while in India, there is a huge population that is hungry for knowledge. Here, I see many opportunities for collaboration,” says Deka.
A new model of tech and innovation cooperation The India-Russia strategic partnership is developing into a global technology alliance. VICTORIA ZAVYALOVA RIBR
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he old model of India-Russia buyer-seller relationship in the areas of defence, technology and innovation has morphed into one of dynamic collaboration and coproduction. Most of joint projects in science and technology have centred around defence technology, space, and nuclear energy. In most cases, Russia acted as the “seller”, and India was the “consumer” of technology and innovative solutions. The defence technology cooperation has transformed in recent years. Innovative projects or production involving joint research and development are happening more and more often – and often they involve private companies. In this new phase of cooperation, it’s not two states, but people doing business. In July, the private Russian space company Dauria Aerospace received an order for the production of two telecommunications satellites from Aniara, an Indian company. The launch is scheduled for 2018, with the project estimated to cost $210 million. Aniara
provides operators with an opportunity to enter the Asian and Middle Eastern satellite communications and broadcasting markets. The Indian company had the opportunity to choose any high-tech vendor, but the offer from Dauria Aerospace interested them due to the low cost, small size and weight of the platform, as well as the possibility of a cluster running multiple devices with one launcher, including the Indian PSLV and GSLV. During his visit to India in February, Deputy Prime Minister Dmitry Rogozin reaffirmed the commitment to bolster cooperation in civil space exploration. Today, Russia and India are implementing a slew of joint space projects, including plans in 2017 for a Russian landing probe to take an Indian mini-rover to the moon. The Russian side is going to start preparing for joint lunar exploration with the launch of “Luna - Globe – 1” probe in 2015 and the “Moon – Globe – 2” in 2016. India’s achievements in space are highly appreciated by Russian specialists. Russian Academy of Cosmonautics Academician Alexander Zheleznyakov Tsiolkovsky believes that by 2015 India may enter the carrier rocket market. The
country already has rocket boosters to deliver cargo to geostationary orbit. In the area of defence, joint projects like BrahMos for the production of supersonic tactical cruise missiles are becoming the new trend. This new model of joint collaboration will be in focus at the October 14-16 Moscow Open Innovation Forum, which is unique in terms of scale, presentation of the latest developments and visionary ideas. Moreover, it is the focus of global debate on key aspects of innovation. The visitors to the forum include senior managers and founders of major Indian companies. Tata Group, Strand Life Sciences, HCL Technologies, Indian Oil Corporation, Infosys Technologies will be among those looking to explore new possibilities offered by Russian technology manufacturers. Experts from more than 40 countries will discuss a gamut of issues, including the development of modern technologies in areas such as science, education, business, space, biomedicine, healthcare, energy, and other areas. The forum aims at providing meaningful global dialogue on the model of competitive innovation development in the 21st century, reformatting and retuning the markets. Open Innovations Expo, which is a part of the Forum, seeks to promote international technological partnerships.
Joint Institute for Nuclear Research, Dubna
RUSLAN SUKHUSHIN
ridupawan Deka, a young Indian scientist, is brimming with bright ideas at the Laboratory of Theoretical Physics at the Joint Institute for Nuclear Research in Dubna. After the recent India-JINR Forum held here this June, they started calling this institute a “bridge between two countries”. Mridupawan says he came here to study the “Russian approach” to science. In the near future, he hopes to attract Russian students to work on his research project in the field of lattice quantum chromodynamics. The India-JINR Forum, held in Dubna in July 2014, brought together representatives from more than 18 countries – the founders of the institute and India’s leading scientists, including those from Tata Institute of Fundamental Research (TIFR) and Bhabha Atomic Research Centre (BARC) in Mumbai and Indian Institute of Science (IISc) in Bangalore. India plans to build, with the help of Rosatom, about 16 nuclear power plants by 2017. Traditionally, the Indo-Russian collaboration in the nuclear field has been associated with the construction of nuclear power plants. The Kudankulam NPP built by the Nuclear Power Corporation of India with the assistance of the Russian State Nuclear Energy Corporation (Rosatom) is a shining example of this cooperation. However, bilateral nuclear cooperagoes beyond building nuclear power plants and extends into the field of fundamental research projects for better understanding on how to use to nuclear energy. Dubna Science City is located 125 km from Moscow, on the border with the Tver Oblast. The rare electric trains and buses that travel in that direction are usually only half-full during weekdays. When somebody asks: “How do I get to Dubna for 7 a.m.?,” they answer: “And why do you need to go there? Planning a terrorist attack or what?” This is not surprising – after all, Dubna is the nucleus for research in the field of nuclear physics, the “city
of one hundred and fifth element” (Dubnium). The few people that come here do so out of pure curiosity. Dubna gives the impression of a European scientific center, with classical buildings surrounded by greenery. On the streets, one can meet scientists from all over the world. Over 18 countries participate in the activities of the institute, and joint work is carried out with hundreds of international research institutes. Deka landed in Dubna a little more than a year ago, after already
NEW FRONTIERS: Focus on space, bioscience, healthcare, energy
NASA
RESEARCH: Over 18 countries participate in activities of Dubna institute
Joint Institute for Nuclear Research in Dubna in Moscow Oblast is one of the largest research centers in Russia. Many new elements of the periodic table were synthesised here, including the least studied element – atomic number 117. The International Union of Pure and Applied Chemistry even named element 105 after Dubna – Dubnium. The Insti-
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tute was founded in 1957. It specialises in theoretical and experimental research in nuclear physics, elementary particle physics and condensed matter research. By this time, the world had come to realise that only cooperation can ensure future development in this field and ensure use of nuclear energy.
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IN ASSOCIATION WITH ROSSIYSKAYA GAZETA, RUSSIA
F |E |A |T |U |R |E WEDNESDAY SEPTEMBER 10, 2014
SOCIETY: Russian women could be role-models for budding female entrepreneurs in India as they enter the corporate world
From wife to boss, they show the way... In Mumbai, a few Russian women who are married to Indians have moved on from being loving wives to businesswomen. And it ain’t easy. management, Yuliya Pednekar finally got into the beauty business, first as a make-up artist and then as a hair stylist. “I didn’t have any education or training as hair stylist when I was offered the job. They convinced me that I’ll manage,” she recalls. “Well, I messed up a couple of times initially, but I believe a common sense of aesthetics helped me a lot.” After six months of working for a leading beauty brand, Pednekar went to Kazakhstan to study hair dressing. In the last couple of years, she obtained the international CIDESCO and CIBTAC certificates. “My aim was to be independent, financially and practically, and to realise my potential, skills, talents and knowledge,” says she. Today, she is managing a salon and leading a team of five beauticians. Fluent in Marathi and Hindi, she manages her employees and customers with great ease. “Sometimes, people are confused seeing a firangi, but the moment you relate yourself to them discussing kids or Punjabi outfits, they accept you,” she says.
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er day starts with laundry. Dozens of bedsheets and towels travel from her salon to her home, then go for bleaching, cleaning, drying. It’s a ritual that has been followed every single day for the last five years. “I want to be sure that hygiene standards are met. This is something I cannot compromise on,” says Yuliya Pednekar, the owner of Oracle Salon in the Mumbai suburb of Malad. It took her a long time to get the courage to open her own business after coming to Mumbai from Almaty, Kazakhstan, with her Indian husband in 1997. Pednekar is not alone in her quest for professional and financial independence. Driven by enterprise and the gift for self-invention, many Russian women married to Indians and living here have graduated from being housewives to doing corporate jobs, part-time projects or work with NGOs. Russian style A few Russian wives even run their own businesses and inspire others to be daring. A graduate in hospitality
a Russian family settled in Donetsk, Ukraine, joined her Indian husband’s travel company in Cochin, Kerala, when her twins were still small. Her twins are now grown-ups while her younger daughter is just six. About two years ago, Paul and her husband Sony quit the travel business and started a new venture. “I was always keen on working with nails. I went back to Russia and then Europe to study to be a nail technician,” Paul says. After coming back to India, she worked as a nail artist in Cochin, and managed to attract top-level customers. As the trend was quite new in India, Olena could not find affordable materials for nail art. The couple decided to fill this gap by creating their own brand of products for nail care and nail art – ‘Nails&Toes’. They moved to Mumbai a year ago, opened an office-cum-training centre and are now planning to start their own nail salon chain in future. A successful couple could be good a model for women-entrepreneurs across India. Using their training facilities they are planning to cooperate with NGOs working with girls and women, victims of human trafficking and abuse, and provide them opportu-
Business with a vision Olena Paul’s story has a slightly different twist. Paul, who hails from
Olena Paul with her husband Sony.
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ALEXANDRA KATZ
Yuliya Pednekar, the owner of Oracle Salon
Natalia Arantseva.
nity to learn nail art, medical manicure and pedicure techniques to become self-sufficient professionals.
wards women in this business, first of all from colleagues,” she says. “When male photographers rent my studio, they always seek for some guy to adjust the lights. They just can’t believe I can do it myself.” It took her some time to get used to India after coming here with her Indian husband. She opened a studio about five years ago and is now specialising in family photo, art portraits, and
Lights, camera, action For Natalia Arantseva, originally from Ufa, photography proved to be her passport to freedom and money. “This industry is very competitive, and being a lady, and a foreigner, is tough. There is a lot of prejudice to-
SPORT: All hopes are on Russian coach to realise Olympic dream
Translating Master’s many voices
Race-walking for Olympic glory PRIYANKA GERA RIBR
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he Athletics Federation of India (AFI) is betting big on race walking and is confident that it can produce one of the first medals in athletics for India at the Olympics. To get there, the AFI is banking on prowess of the head coach Alexander Artsybashev, who hails from the Siberian city of Chelyabinsk. “Alexander has made a huge difference to the team performance. Over the last couple of years, race walking has become quite a buzzword among our athletes,” says Manish Kumar, Chief Operating Officer (COO) of the AFI. Artsybashev is also equally upbeat. “My first project with the Indian team was to prepare for the 2011 World Championships,” says the coach. “At that time, two athletes could qualify. Today, I am confident that there are about 15-20 athletes who have the skill and talent to qualify for the Olympics.” Indian race walkers have already made their presence felt at the Asian level. Gurmeet Singh and Khushbir Kaur won bronze medals in the 20km men’s and women’s events respectively at the Asian Race Walking Championship in March this year. “Khushbir Kaur’s bronze was a high point for me. She was leading for the first 14kms. She gave a fright to better seeded competitors,” Artsybashev
Alexander Artsybashev with Federation Cup Gold medalist Rani Yadav and other officials. and two more walkers, Manish Singh Rawat and Surinder Singh, notched up their personal bests. While Russians went on a rampage, sweeping top four honours and the team title in 50km walk, the Indians attained seventh spot in the team event. These are encouraging figures in the run-up to the Asian Games next month. “It’s definitely a positive trend that we are regularly updating national and personal records. I am particularly hopeful from the season leaders to carry their good form into the Asian Games,” says an enthusiastic Artsybashev.
Artsybashev is confident that there are about 15-20 Indian athletes who have the skill and talent to qualify for the Olympics. fondly recalls, adding that “he cherishes all the milestones” his protégés achieve. In May, at the World Race Walking Cup, Khushbir Kaur beat her own national record; Sandeep Kumar set a new national record in 50km walk;
The next step, and almost always the ultimate target for any athlete, is the Olympics. Artsybashev also has his task set out for the Rio de Janeiro Olympics in 2016. But like all foreign coaches, his efficacy also depends on being able to clearly communicate with the athletes. “The athletes come from different states of India and initially they don’t even understand each other,” the coach says. “We all manage to communicate in bad English.” A lot of talent comes from rural regions of the country and it is only in the national camps that they begin using English. The coach addresses such communication gaps by using sports psychology. “I believe that there should be a strong emotional connect between the coach and the athletes. As in any form of learning, the trainer and the trainee must have absolute belief in each other,” Artsybashev says. “Sportspersons can be like children, sometimes naïve and at other times cunning. But they are all good at heart and have a strong value system. The Indian tradition of respecting elders is one of their strengths.” Some of the athletes, however, prefer to train with Indian coaches. At the Asian Games in September, the Indian team will face stiff competition from countries like Japan, Korea, and Kazakhstan. In this they have their coach’s faith. “I appreciate the hard work and sincerity they’ve invested in their trainings. They’ll put up a strong fight. After all, every competition is another step towards the Olympic glory. This is just the beginning.”
Glamour, glory and soaring expectations: Sochi looks all set for F1 Grand Prix pageant Race director says the track and all other arrangements are of the highest standards. GEORGE MANAEV
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he finish line is in sight – or should that be the start line? Two months away from hosting Russia’s first Formula One Grand Prix on October 12, the Sochi Autodrom circuit is ready to go. The 5.8 km track winds around several of the venues from February’s Winter Olympics. The asphalt has been laid, the race control building is packed with high-tech gear and the stands are waiting for up to 46,000 spectators. “Everything is in an extremely good
condition. Everything has been done to the highest standards and I’m extremely pleased,” says F1 race director Charlie Whiting, the man who has the final say over whether a track is fit to host top-level racing. For the Russian government , the Sochi F1 race is a
key part of its Olympic legacy plans for Sochi. The Russian Grand Prix will be by far the biggest post-Olympic sports event to be held in the city until World Cup soccer games are played there 2018. If the race fails, it would weaken the case for the Sochi Olympics, so the government is unlikely to let that happen. Hosting the race in Sochi has helped save on costs, as part of the track design could be built into the Olympic construction plans as access roads. The government says it has spent around $200 million to build the track, a reasonably low figure. The Olympic venues certainly bring glamour to the track, while nearby hotels that once accommodated speed skating fans now prepare to welcome
those who prefer their racers to be petrol-powered. However, there’s an element of risk too. Big crowds turned up for the Sochi Olympics and Paralympics despite its 850-mile distance from Moscow. Organisers say 30,000 tickets out of 50,000 have already been sold! The crisis in Ukraine has triggered calls from some British politicians that the race should be boycotted. Sochi is less than 200 miles from the nearest point in Crimea, and 320 miles from the war-torn city of Donetsk. However, a boycott seems highly unlikely. Formula One Management boss Bernie Ecclestone has tight control over the teams and has shown no sign of reconsidering his plans.
Oliver Ready speaks about the challenges of translating Dostoevsky’s Crime and Punishment
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India’s athletics body is banking on Alexander Artsybashev, who has been coaching the Indian race walk team since 2011, to deliver Olympic gold.
wedding photography as well as rents out the studio. But her real passion is travelling. “Whatever I earn, I spend on travelling,” she confesses. Natalia would like to open her own photography school, and make it more professional rather than commercialised. She loves India, but sometimes, she misses Russia badly. “After so many years in India, I now miss Russia the air, the food, the culture,” she says.
Fyodor Dostoyevsky. Artist Ilya Glazunov’s illustration for the story «White Nights». GEORGE MANAEV
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ut this year in Penguin Classics, Oliver Ready’s new translation of Fyodor Dostoevsky’s Crime and Punishment aims to bring the reader as close as possible to the troubled and manyvoiced narrative of the original. Previous translations, which Ready studied thoroughly, tended to smooth over Dostoevsky’s stylistic peculiarities, which robbed the novel of its unique, jagged, repetitive tone that best describes the anxious state of Raskolnikov, the anti-hero of the story. Capturing the right tone, according to the translator, is the essence of any good translation. He has done his best here, following the author’s intention to construct his characters by their speech and their writing; the latter features prominently in the novel in the form of letters, newspaper articles and diaries. Ready’s main point is that the novel is really a self-reflective text, centred on the perception of reality through literature. In this classic, Raskolnikov reads a lot, and his actions are influenced by his reading, which makes him similar to such characters as Don Quixote or Eugene Onegin. Ready, a research fellow in Russian society and culture at St Antony’s College, Oxford, says that, in his translation, he chose not to use the English of the 19th century or contemporary language. Instead, his vo-
cabulary comes from the middle of the 20th century, and he does not use words that appeared after the sixties – which makes the language of the new translation “modern, but not contemporary”. Murder in mind: the “Obviously, I didn’t use locu- cover of crime and tions, which are Punishment in Oliver Ready’s translation. specifically of today, which in a few years’ time would be dated, but I did allow myself at times to use types of humour, which are more modern than Dostoevsky’s time and therefore have a bit more force for the contemporary reader,” Ready told Podularity.com. It took him five years to complete the translation, and to get closer to Dostoevsky’s own style, Ready did it all longhand, creating the most precise translation of the immortal novel to date. Completed in 1866, Crime and Punishment immediately garnered great acclaim. Its first partial translation into French appeared the same year, and by the end of the 19th century, the novel had been translated into German, Polish, Italian and some other European languages. The novel’s impact on world literature was noticeable through the whole 20th century, and it is still relevant today.