July 1, 2012 Vol. 8 Issue 7 - Embassy of India, Washington ... 12.pdf · July 1, 2012 n India, U.S....

A Publication of the Embassy of India, Washington, D.C.

July 1, 2012

nn India, U.S. discusssecurity, defense purchases

nn Third US-IndiaStrategic Dialogueconcludes

nn India to achieve$500 bn exports target

� Vol. 8 Issue 7 � www.indianembassy.org

India Review

Prime Minister Dr. Manmohan Singh in a group photo with the G-20 leaders at Los Cabos, Mexico, on June 18.

G-20 pledges to supportgrowth, free trade

World renews commitment to ‘The Future’Prime Minister Dr. Manmohan Singhaddressing the fourth Plenary Session of theUN Conference on SustainableDevelopment (Rio+20) at Rio de Janeiro,Brazil, on June 21.

PAGE

India ReviewJuly 2012

Ambassador’s

2

A tribute to Late Ambassador

Dr. Abid HusainON JUNE 21,2012, one ofIndia’s most dis-

tinguished public servants Dr. AbidHussain passed away in London. Dr.Abid Hussain had served as IndianAmbassador to the United States inthe early nineties and I have receivedmany messages of sympathy from anumber of his admirers and friends inthis country on his sudden demise. Ambassador Abid Hussain as we all

knew him, was a Renaissance man inmany respects, the likes of whom arebecoming a rare species in a worldthat is subject to so many rapid shiftsand changes. What set AmbassadorHussain apart was the manner inwhich the elements so combined inhim that he was both a warm, con-genial, kind and gentle man as well asa superb spokesman for India andIndianness, blending both intellectualacuity with a vision that was holisticand humane. In the last decade particularly, I was

able to interact with AmbassadorHussain on many occasions. This wasparticularly so when I served asAmbassador to China. We collaborat-ed on many occasions, in conferencesand seminars where the focus was onthe India-China relationship, and howwe might be able to better tackle thechallenges we faced as we sought tobuild better understanding betweenour two countries and peoples. It wasa task that suited Ambassador Hussainperfectly. For, he was the quintessen-tial diplomat, seeking to solve prob-lems rather than compound them,always aware of the bottom line, apathfinder through complex terrain,and perennially focused, laser like, onthe tasks before us. What also distin-guished him was that through everysituation, he was the epitome ofsportsmanship and good cheer, withhis infectious laugh, and the twinkle inhis eyes. He exuded optimism and

faith in the goodness of humankind.Through his presence and his exam-ple, he compelled us to believe in ourshared humanity, breaking barriers, a diplomat, a human being, withoutfrontiers. There were many times, when I

served as Foreign Secretary in NewDelhi, that I would run into him atmeetings, or, receive a brief notefrom him full of words of wisdom and

encouragement for the work I wasdoing. Those words of encourage-ment from him became very preciousto me because I knew they were sowell meaning and sincere. When Iwas appointed Ambassador of Indiato the United States, he was amongthe first to wish me well in my newassignment. I valued those senti-ments greatly. A few days before hisuntimely demise, I received an emailfrom him informing me that he wascoming to Washington and was look-ing forward to seeing me. I waseagerly anticipating that visit when

the tragic news of his passing reachedme.Ambassador Hussain exemplified

the best traditions of public service.He was Hyderabadi to the core in hiscourteousness and in his eloquencewith words always delivered withsweetness and light. He reached outto people everywhere he was assignedthroughout his long years in our civilservice, in India and outside India.The people of Vishakapatnam wherehe was District Magistrate, remem-ber him to this day, and there is anAbid Nagar in the city named afterhim. Here in Washington, where heserved as Ambassador in a very dif-ferent and challenging period in ourbilateral relations, he is rememberedwith deep affection as the people’sAmbassador, as a builder of bridgesbetween Indians and Americans, andas a true professional. He understoodthe value and the importance of tradeand business relationships as anengine of growth in our relations aswe worked on the architecture of a21st century India-U.S. partnership.His skill as a diplomat here inWashington will continue to inspiremany generations of our tribe as weserve in the Embassy of India. Ambassador Hussain was a true

product of the Nehruvian era, who inhis life epitomized the fundamentaltenets of secularism, who understoodthe profound meaning of our tryst withdestiny as we have sought to build abetter India for our countrymen andwomen. The power of his example is asignificant one, especially as we seek toimpart more probity, transparency,idealism, uncompromising integrityand the concept of true and selflessservice in public life. I hope generations of civil servants

to come will be energized by thepower of the example that AbidHussain personified through his lifeand work.

Dr. Abid Hussain


Strategic DIALOGUE

3

The two countries discussed a wide spectrum of issues ranging from strategic to economic to defense to fight against terrorism

Third US-India Strategic Dialogue concludes

I ndia and the U.S. committed tofurther deepening their globalstrategic partnership, charted avision for the future, centered

on promoting shared prosperity, peaceand stability during the third US-IndiaStrategic Dialogue in Washington,D.C. on June 13. India’s Minister forExternal Affairs S.M. Krishna andU.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clintondiscussed a wide spectrum of issuesranging from strategic to economic todefense to fight against terrorism atthe Strategic Dialogue. It’s a “unique opportunity to bringtogether all the threads of our

cooperation that constitute theextraordinarily rich tapestry of ourrelationship,” said EAM Krishna at theopening session of the third annualdialogue.“In the process of our engagement,we have built something more precious— friendship, goodwill, trust, mutualconfidence, candor, and belief in theimportance of a successful partner-ship,” he said.Echoing EAM Krishna, SecretaryClinton said: “The effectiveness of ourpartnership hinges on our abilitytogether to convert common interestsinto common actions.”

On the margins of this StrategicDialogue, an unprecedented numberof sub-dialogues, including the GlobalIssues Forum, Science &TechnologyJoint Commission Meeting, theCounterterrorism Joint WorkingGroup, the Higher EducationDialogue, Cyber Consultations, theInformation and CommunicationsTechnology Working Group, theWomen’s Empowerment Dialogue,Homeland Security Consultationswere held. The next meeting of the StrategicDialogue is scheduled to be held inNew Delhi in 2013.

EAM S.M. Krishna with Secretary Hillary Clinton at the U.S. Department of State on June 13. (Photo: Jay Mandal/On Assignment)


G-20SUMMIT

4

T he leaders of the G-20nations have pledged sup-port to economic growth bystrengthening demand and

restoring investors’ confidence andvowed to remove barriers to cross-border trade.“We are committed to adopting allnecessary policy measures tostrengthen demand, support globalgrowth and restore confidence,” G-20 leaders said in a declarationreleased at the end of the two-daysummit in Los Cabos, Mexico, onJune 19. The declaration endorsed by theleaders, including Indian PrimeMinister Dr. Manmohan Singh, U.S.President Barack Obama, German

President Angela Merkel, ChinesePrime Minister Wen Jiabao andRussian President Vladimir Putin,pledged all possible support to globaleconomic recovery. “Strong, sustainable and balancedgrowth remains the top priority of theG-20, as it leads to higher job cre-ation and increases the welfare ofpeople across the world,” it said. “We will implement all our com-mitments in a timely manner and rig-orously monitor their implementa-tion,” the leaders from developed aswell as emerging nations said in the declaration. They agreed to refrain from anyprotectionist measures and removebarriers to cross-border trade.

“We are firmly committed to opentrade and investment, expandingmarkets and resisting protectionismin all its forms, which are necessaryconditions for sustained global eco-nomic recovery, jobs and develop-ment,” it said. “We underline the importance ofan open, predictable, rules-based,transparent multilateral trading sys-tem and are committed to ensuringthe centrality of the World TradeOrganization (WTO),” it added. The leaders extended by one yeartheir vow not to put up new tradebarriers at the G-20 summit andpledged to roll back any new protec-tionist measure that may have arisen,including new export restrictions and

The G-20 nations have endorsed the Indian stand that investment in infrastructure is critical for sustained growth, global economic recovery, poverty reduction and job creation

Heads of the G-20 countries pose for a photo-op at the convention center in Los Cabos, Mexico, on June 18.

G-20 to support growth, free trade


G-20SUMMIT

5

WTO inconsistent measures to stim-ulate exports. The G-20 nations also reiteratedtheir commitment to working towardconcluding the Doha round negotia-tions of the WTO, including out-comes in specific areas whereprogress is possible, such as tradefacilitation, and other issues of con-cern for least developed countries.However, the leaders did not giveany deadline for the conclusion ofthe stalled Doha round of the WTOtalks. On oil price, the G-20 leaders saidthey requested the producing countriesto ensure appropriate level of supply. Wide fluctuations in crude oil andother commodities prices have nega-tively impacted emerging economieslike India.“G-20 members will remain vigilantof the evolution of oil prices and willstand ready to carry out additionalactions as needed, including the com-mitment by producing countries tocontinue to ensure an appropriate levelof supply consistent with demand. “We welcome Saudi Arabia’s readi-ness to mobilize, as necessary, exist-ing spare capacity to ensure adequatesupply. We will also remain vigilant ofother commodity prices,” the decla-ration added.

G-20 endorses India’s stand oninfrastructure funding

The G-20 nations endorsed theIndian stand that investment in infra-structure was critical for sustainedgrowth, global economic recovery,poverty reduction and job creation.Prime Minister Dr. ManmohanSingh said India needs at least $1 tril-lion in the next five years in infra-structure funding. He had main-tained that fiscal prudence and aus-terity in debt-ridden countries mustbe matched by measured fiscalexpansion by surplus nations.This was endorsed by the G-20 leaders in a document that isformally called the G-20 leaders’ declaration.“Investment in infrastructure is

critical for sustained economicgrowth, poverty reduction and jobcreation,” the declaration said,adding the recommendations madeby multilateral development banks inthis regard must be implemented.“The Los Cabos Declaration fullyreflects our initiative that investmenton infrastructure in developing coun-tries can play a major role in strength-ening development and in stimulatingglobal recovery,” Prime Minister Singhsaid, reacting to the document.“The declaration indicates thatmultilateral development banksshould be strengthened for this pur-pose. We would work with G-20countries to transform their commit-ment to specific action.”In his address during the plenary,Prime Minister Singh said with devel-oping countries such as India alreadyfacing serious problems due to thenegative impact of the global eco-nomic crisis, funds for growth wasgetting scarce.

“Infrastructure investment indeveloping countries assumes specialimportance in this context. It lays thefoundation for rapid growth in thelonger term, while providing immedi-ate stimulus for their economies andalso for the global economy, by pro-viding a robust source of demand,”he said.But that, he added, was possibleonly if they can get access to long-term capital to fund such investment,which was difficult when capital flowsstood disrupted.The multilateral developmentbanks can play a major role in thiscontext he said, especially after thefirst and immediate task of expandingtheir war chest to support programsin rich countries had been accom-plished.“We now need to take steps to substantially expand the resourcebase of multilateral developmentbanks so that they have the firepow-er to help developing countries pur-

Prime Minister Dr. Manmohan Singh with President Barack Obama at the G-20 Summit in Mexico.


G-20 SUMMIT

6

sue their development goals,” hesaid.The leaders made it clear thatgrowth could not be ignored and whileausterity was important for debt-rid-den countries, surplus nations mustcounter it with expansion.“My overall assessment of themeeting is that there was generalagreement that policy in all countriesmust shift to strengthening growth.There are many things that have to bedone to achieve this, but there wasalso general agreement that the mosturgent problem we must tackle is toreduce uncertainty about theEurozone,” he said in his reactions.The declaration also had severalother observations that were in tunewith what Indian interlocutors havebeen urging at successive G-20Summits and other forums. Theseinclude the joint positions in promot-ing growth and jobs, no to protec-tionism, strengthening the globalfinancial system, food security, needto arrest fluctuations in commodityprices and fighting corruption.

Excerpts from Prime Minister Dr.Manmohan Singh’s address at thePlenary Session of G-20 Summit:“Let me begin by thanking you forthe warmth of your hospitality andthe excellent arrangements made forthis Summit. The global economic situation isdeeply worrying. The economicrecovery is faltering and even the fast

growing emerging markets are slow-ing down. This calls for policy actionon several fronts. Of greatest concernat present is the uncertainty affectingthe Eurozone. The sovereign debtcrisis and the banking crisis now onthe horizon have grave implicationsfor the health of the entire globaleconomy.A new government in Greece isabout to take office. We wish themwell and are encouraged by the earlystatements of intent. However, the risks of contagion inEurope remain because they reflectweaknesses in the banking sectorarising from excessive sovereign debtand low growth prospects. A crisis inthe European banking system canchoke trade finance quite quickly,and end up choking economicgrowth not just in the Eurozone butin the world in general. This Summit needs to send astrong signal to the markets that theEurozone countries will make everyeffort to protect the banking systemsand the global community will back acredible Eurozone effort andresponse. However, there are some problemsI would like to mention.

There is concern that the firewallavailable may not be adequate to dealwith contagion. The resources cur-rently expected to be mobilized byEurope and the IMF are less than wasestimated a year ago, and the crisis isactually more serious. Part of the solution lies in providingliquidity to cope with loss of marketconfidence. But liquidity does nothelp when solvency is in question. Toaddress this problem, liquidity mustbe provided in parallel with effectiveadjustment programs that ensure anearly return to debt sustainability.The adjustment program adoptedshould lead to an acceleration ofgrowth, so that countries can growout of the debt trap. This brings me to the contentiousissue of the relationship between aus-terity and growth. It can be arguedthat austerity now will lay the basisfor sustained growth later. But thereis also an alternative view that withgrowth impulses as seriously weak-ened as they are today, synchronizedausterity across many countries maynot be the right medicine. Financial markets normally favorausterity, but even they are beginningto recognize that austerity with no

I ndia pledged $10 billion to theInternational Monetary Fund (IMF) to helpEurozone countries out of the current crisis

and prevent adverse fallout on emergingeconomies.

“The International Monetary Fund has a crit-ical, supportive role to play in stabilizing theEurozone. All members must help the fund toplay this role,” Prime Minister Dr. ManmohanSingh told the G-20 Summit.

“I am happy to announce India has decided

to contribute $10 billion to IMF’s additional fire-wall of $430 billion,” he said appealing to othercountries to make similar contributions.

He said the crisis in Eurozone remainedworrying, as it was pulling down evenemerging economies such as India and China,which were earlier on a high growth path.

“This calls for policy action on several fronts.Of greatest concern at present is the uncertain-ty affecting the Eurozone. The sovereign debtcrisis and the banking crisis now on the horizon

have grave implications for the health of theentire global economy.”

The Prime Minister said while the perform-ance of the Indian economy, now growing at6.9 percent as against 8.4 percent in 2010-11,may look good to the world outside, it was notenough and that citizens expected more.

“Yet the fundamentals of the Indian econo-my remain strong and we are confident ofbringing back the rhythm of high growth of 8-9percent per annum,” he said.

India pledges $10 bn to IMF for Eurozone

My overall assessment of the meeting is that there wasgeneral agreement that policy in all countries must shift

to strengthening growth — Prime Minister Dr. Manmohan Singh


7

G-20 SUMMIT

growth will not produce a return to asustainable debt position. I am not suggesting that fiscal pru-dence is not important. I am onlysaying that given the large adjustmentneeds, not all of it can be front-loaded everywhere. This is especiallyrelevant within a currency area.Austerity in the debt-ridden membersof the Eurozone can work only if sur-plus members are willing to expandto offset contraction elsewhere in thecurrency area. The International Monetary Fundhas a critical supportive role to playin stabilizing the Eurozone. All mem-bers must help the Fund to play thisrole. I am happy to announce thatIndia has decided to contribute $10billion to the IMF’s additional fire-wall of $430 billion. While many rich countries face dif-ficulties, the less developed anddeveloping countries are also facingserious problems because of the neg-ative impact of the global crisis.Infrastructure investment in develop-ing countries assumes special impor-tance in this context. It lays the foun-dation for rapid growth in the longerterm, while providing an immediatestimulus for their economies and also

for the global economy, by providinga robust source of demand. We have expanded the resources ofthe IMF enormously, largely to sup-port programs in rich countries. Wenow need to take steps to substantial-ly expand the resource base ofMultilateral Development Banks sothat they have the firepower to helpdeveloping countries pursue theirdevelopment goals. The G-20Framework Working Group and theFinancial Stability Board could exam-ine how to enhance investment ininfrastructure through country com-mitments and incentives in the regu-latory framework. Mr. President, let me say that Ibelieve that the G-20 agenda is get-ting over burdened. We need to refo-cus on a few goals rather than dissi-pating energies on too many fronts. Like other emerging economies,India too has slowed down. The glob-al downturn and especially the impacton capital flows have played theirpart. Internal constraints have alsoaffected performance and we areworking to correct them. Investment has been affected by theadverse global climate which impactsboth foreign and domestic investors.

We are determined to create an envi-ronment that would boost investorsentiment and promote an atmos-phere conducive to enterprise andcreativity. Our policies will be trans-parent, stable and designed to pro-vide a level playing field to bothdomestic and foreign investors. We are focusing heavily on infra-structure investment and in this con-text we have set ambitious targets tokeep infrastructure investment ontrack and also put in place a problemresolution mechanism to overcomeimplementation bottlenecks. Like other countries, we too allowedthe fiscal deficit to expand after 2008to impart a stimulus. We are nowfocussing on reversing the expansion.This will require tough decisions,including on controlling subsidies,which we are determined to take. In this context, I would like to men-tion a landmark effort underway inIndia to provide unique identity num-bers for all residents with capture ofbiometric data. This massive databasecovering over a billion people willfacilitate delivery of a whole range offinancial and other services, througheffective targeting and reduced leak-ages in subsidy schemes.”

T he BRICS nations — Brazil,Russia, China, India, and SouthAfrica — on June 18 explored mech-

anisms, such as swap arrangement and areserve fund to protect their currenciesagainst external risks. The mechanismswere discussed during a meeting hostedby Prime Minister Dr. Manmohan Singhwith BRICS leaders on the margins of theG20 Summit in Los Cabos, Mexico.

“They (G20 leaders) agreed to ask theirfinance ministers and central bank gover-nors to work on this important issue, in amanner compatible with internal legalframeworks, and report back to the leadersat the 2013 BRICS Summit.” Under swaparrangements, one country with a weakercurrency seeks to hedge the exchange rate

risk by swapping it with another currencywith the hope that the transaction will besettled when the situation improves.

Besides Prime Minister Singh, the meet-ing was attended by Brazilian PresidentDilma Rousseff, Russian President VladimirPutin, Chinese Premier Wen Jiabao andSouth African President Jacob Zuma.

The leaders primarily discussed the cur-rent global financial crisis. They said thetrouble in Eurozone threatened financialand economic stability across the world,and required cooperative solutions.

In this context, they agreed to increasetheir contributions to global financial insti-tutions such as the InternationalMonetary Fund. India, later announced$10 billion to the institution.

BRICS nations explore options to protect currencies

Prime Minister Dr. Manmohan Singh with the leaders ofBRICS nations on the sidelines of the G-20 Summit.


Rio+20SUMMIT

8

P articipating at the UnitedNations Conference onSustainable Development(Rio+20) held in Rio de

Janeiro, Brazil, from June 20 to June22, the Heads of the States of variouscountries renewed their political com-mitment to sustainable developmentand agreed to establish a set of sustain-able development goals (SDGs) and ahigh-level political forum on sustain-able development.The Rio+20 outcome documententitled ‘The Future We Want’ calledfor a wide range of actions, such asdetailing how the green economycould be used as a tool to achieve sus-tainable development; taking steps togo beyond gross domestic product toassess the well-being of a country;strengthening the UN EnvironmentProgram (UNEP); developing a strate-gy for sustainable development financ-ing; promoting corporate sustainabilityreporting measures; and adopting a

framework for tackling sustainableconsumption and production. “We consider green economy in thecontext of sustainable developmentand poverty eradication as one of theimportant tools available for achievingsustainable development and that itcould provide options for policymak-ing but should not be a rigid set ofrules. We emphasize that it shouldcontribute to eradicating poverty aswell as sustained economic growth,enhancing social inclusion, improvinghuman welfare and creating opportu-nities for employment and decent workfor all, while maintaining the healthyfunctioning of the Earth’s ecosys-tems,” the outcome document noted. Through the outcome document,the heads of the States and other par-ticipants at the Conference acknowl-edged the need to “further mainstreamsustainable development at all levels,integrating economic, social and envi-ronmental aspects and recognizing

their interlinkages, so as to achievesustainable development in all itsdimensions.”More than 40,000 people, includingparliamentarians, mayors, UN offi-cials, chief executive officers and civilsociety leaders, attended theConference. The event followed onfrom the Earth Summit held in Rio deJaneiro in 1992, during which thecountries adopted Agenda 21 — ablueprint to rethink economic growth,advance social equity and ensure envi-ronmental protection. Speaking at a plenary session of theSustainable Development Summit,Prime Minister Dr. Manmohan Singhemphasized that economic develop-ment, social inclusion and environ-mental sustainability were three equal-ly critical components of sustainabledevelopment. “The task before us is togive practical shape and content to thisarchitecture in a manner that allowseach country to develop according to

World renews commitment to ‘The Future’At Rio+20, the Heads of the States agreed to establish a set of sustainable development

goals and a high-level political forum on sustainable development

Prime Minister Dr. Manmohan Singh addressing a Plenary Session of the UN Conference on Sustainable Development, at Rio de Janeiro, Brazil on June 21.


Rio+20SUMMIT

9

its own national priorities and circum-stances,” he said. Saying that the current consumptionpatterns in the industrialized worldwere unsustainable, the Prime Ministeremphasized the need to find new path-ways for sustainable living. “At the global level, our approach tothe problem should be guided by equi-table burden sharing. It is for this rea-son that the first Rio Summitenshrined the principle of common butdifferentiated responsibilities. I amhappy we have reaffirmed this princi-ple as well as the principle of equityduring this Summit,” he said.

Excerpts from the speech of PrimeMinister Dr. Manmohan Singh atthe Fourth Plenary Session of theUnited Nations Conference onSustainable Development Summit“We meet at a time of serious eco-nomic crisis and political ferment inthe world. The Rio+20 Summit onSustainable Development is timelybecause it focuses our minds on “thefuture we want” and how to realize it.Difficult though it may seem, we haveto summon the imagination to balancethe costs that we will incur in the pres-ent with the benefits that will accrue tofuture generations. Economic Development, socialinclusion and environmental sustain-ability are all equally critical as compo-nents of sustainable development. Thetask before us is to give practical shapeand content to this architecture in amanner that allows each country todevelop according to its own nationalpriorities and circumstances. For developing countries, inclusivegrowth and a rapid increase in percapita income levels are developmentimperatives. The 1992 Rio Summitcorrectly acknowledged that povertyeradication must remain the over-rid-ing priority for developing countries.Those living at the subsistence levelcannot bear the costs of adjustmentand their livelihood considerations areimportant in determining how scarcenatural resources such as land, waterand forests are used. Sustainable development also man-

dates the efficient use of available nat-ural resources. We have to be muchmore frugal in the way we use naturalresources. A key area of focus is ener-gy. We have to promote, universalaccess to energy, while, at the sametime, promoting energy efficiency anda shift to cleaner energy sources byaddressing various technological,financial and institutional constraints.In India, we are implementing anambitious National Solar Mission as acritical option for our energy security. Moreover, current consumption pat-terns in the industrialized world areunsustainable. We need to find newpathways for sustainable living. Environmental sustainability is thethird leg of the sustainable develop-ment architecture. Economic activityinvariably results in negative spinoffs,either by way of local pollution, or byway of global effects such asGreenhouse Gas emissions. We needto tackle both.

Local pollution can be regulated andsuch regulation may impose costs onvarious economic actors. To ensureequity, there may be a case for target-ed assistance to small producers tomeet part of these costs and thisshould be built into policy. At the glob-al level, our approach to the problemshould be guided by equitable burdensharing. I am happy we have reaf-firmed this principle as well as theprinciple of equity during this Summit.This does not, however, mean thatcountries should not take proactiveactions to promote sustainable devel-opment. In India, our efforts over thelast two decades have yielded positiveresults. Over the period 1994-2007,our emissions-GDP intensity, exclud-ing agriculture, has declined nearly25%. Looking ahead, we have set atarget to further reduce the emissionsintensity of GDP by 20-25 percentbetween 2005 and 2020. Over the period 1994-2007, ouremissions-GDP intensity, excludingagriculture, has declined nearly 25%.Looking ahead, we have set a targetto further reduce the emissions inten-sity of GDP by 20-25% between2005 and 2020. Many countries could do more ifadditional finance and technologywere available. Unfortunately, there islittle evidence of support from theindustrialized countries in these areas.The ongoing economic crisis has madematters worse. One of the key challenges thatdemands urgent global action is theworrying depletion of bio-diversityacross our planet. The EleventhConference of Parties on Conventionon Biodiversity is being hosted byIndia in October this year atHyderabad. We look forward toworking with the global communityto make it a success. The future we want should be afuture in which there is ecologicaland economic space for sustainablegrowth for all. Let us work together to attain thefuture that we all desire. With thesewords I once again thank you Mr President.”

What is Rio+20?

Rio+20 is the short name for the UnitedNations Conference on SustainableDevelopment held at Rio de Janeiro fromJune 20-22, twenty years after the land-mark 1992 Earth Summit in the same city.

Why do we need Rio+20?According to the United Nations, if we

are to leave our children and grandchildrena livable world, the challenges of wide-spread poverty and environmental destruc-tion need to be tackled now.

ThemeThe official discussions focussed on two

main themes — how to build a green econ-omy to achieve sustainable developmentand lift people out of poverty; and how toimprove international coordination for sus-tainable development.

SustainabilitySustainability calls for a decent standard

of living for everyone without compromis-ing on the needs of future generationswhile protecting the environment.

Quickfix guide to Rio+20


BilateralNEWS

10

India, US discuss security, defense purchasesA wide range of issues relating to the neighborhood and the region were discussed

T he regional situation andIndia’s purchases of militaryhardware were discussed onJune 6 by Defense Minister

A.K. Antony and his visiting U.S.counterpart Leon Panetta.

“A wide range of issues relating tothe neighborhood and the region werediscussed in detail. The ongoingdefense cooperation and India’s pur-chases of military hardware from theU.S. also came up for discussion,” saidan official of the meeting in New Delhi.

Secretary Panetta, who arrived inNew Delhi on June 5 on a two-dayvisit, earlier laid a wreath at the IndiaGate memorial to the unknown sol-dier. He had met Prime Minister Dr.Manmohan Singh and NationalSecurity Advisor Shivshankar Menonafter his arrival.

Secretary Panetta’s visit, the lastleg of a nine-day swing through Asia,came ahead of the June 13 India-U.S. Strategic Dialogue inWashington between External AffairsMinister S.M. Krishna and U.S.Secretary of State Hillary Clinton.

Pentagon has described India as aglobal power, which is meeting itsresponsibilities, and appreciated itswork to help provide continuing sup-port in Afghanistan.

“India is a global power, and theyare meeting their responsibilities andwe welcome that,” Department ofDefense spokesman Captain JohnKirby said in Washington on June 5.

“With regard to the security con-cerns in the Asia-Pacific, MinisterAntony conveyed that India supportsunhindered freedom of navigation ininternational waters for all,” thespokesman said.

During the talks, “both sides tooknote of the ongoing bilateral cooper-ation between India and the U.S. inthe area of defense. They agreed thatthere were opportunities for enhanc-ing bilateral ties in areas of mutual

interest and concern,” Kar said.On defense trade, Minister Antony

“emphasized that the priority for Indiais to move beyond the buyer-sellertransactions and to focus on transferof technologies and partnerships to

build indigenous capabilities”.Secretary Panetta assured the

Indian side that the U.S. governmentwould “initiate measures to facilitatetechnology access and sharing”, heinformed.

Defence Minister A. K. Antony with the U.S. Secretary of Defence Leon E. Panetta, in New Delhi onJune 06, 2012.

The U.S.-India defense partnership “is com-ing of age” but both countries need to cut

through the red tape to realize its full poten-tial, particularly in the area of technologytransfer, Secretary Panetta said on June 6.

“Expanded military exercises, defense sales and intelligence sharing are key exam-ples of the relationship’s maturation. Last year

alone we held more than 50 co-operativedefense events,” he said while delivering alecture on Indo-U.S. relations at the Instituteof Defense Studies and Analyses.

“But to realize the full potential of defensetrade relations, we need to cut through thebureaucratic red tape on both sides,” headded.

‘Our defense partnership coming of age’

Ambassador’sENGAGEMENTS


I naugurating the JCK Las Vegas,a trade show for the jewelryindustry, on June 1,Ambassador Nirupamam Rao

said that intra-industry trade in dia-monds had been an important contrib-utor to the growing commercialengagement between India and the U.S. “Indian exports of diamond and dia-

mond jewelry to the U.S. touched $8billion in 2011, whereas the U.S.exported $4.6 billion worth of dia-monds to India during the same peri-od,” she said. Noting the contributionof the gems and jewelry industry to thegrowth of the Indian economy, shepointed out that Indian gems and jew-elry sector, which currently pegs ataround $36 billion, was poised torecord a compound annual growth ofapproximately 13 percent.

Excerpts from Ambassador Rao’sspeech on the occasion:I must at the outset thank the organ-

izers for inviting me to inaugurate theJCK Las Vegas 2012, the premium andthe most comprehensive jewelry showin the United States. It is indeed amatter of pleasure and privilege for meto be at this important event. At JCK 2012, GJEPC is also display-

ing a ‘Brand India’ product gallery,which is a presentation of the best jew-elry from India. Indeed, GJEPC hasplayed a key role in making India aworld leader in diamonds and gem-stones and studded jewelry, as alsogold and silver jewelry.Jewelry, both gold and diamond,

forms an intrinsic part of India’s cul-ture and heritage. History is adornedwith references to the great diamondsof India. Many of you may remember the very

popular “Song of India” by the Russiancomposer Rimsky Korsakov and it’smemorable opening lines which said:

“Thy hidden gems are rich beyondall measure

Unnumbered are the pearls thyoceans treasure Oh wondrous land! Oh land ofIndia!”

You will witness a glimpse of thatwondrous, incredible India at the IndiaShow later this evening. While we areproud of our tradition in jewelry mak-ing and design, we have also kept pacewith the latest in sophisticated worldclass manufacturing in this field. I ampleased to note that the industry inIndia has responded well to global con-temporary market trends and to theevolving demand for new designs andproducts including couture jewelry.Indian exports of diamond and dia-

mond jewelry to the U.S. touched $8billion in 2011, whereas the U.S.exported $4.6 billion worth of dia-monds to India during the same peri-od. This trade therefore contributessignificantly to the growing trade andeconomic partnership between our twocountries.

The full text of Ambassador Rao’sspeech can be read at:

http://www.indianembassy.org/prde-tail1956/remarks-by-ambassador-at-the-inauguration-ceremony-at-jck-las-

vegas-on-1st-june%2C-2012

‘Diamonds big contributor to India-US biz’

Key to San Diego India Abroad ‘Friend of India Award’

11

Ambassador Nirupama Rao inaugurating the JCKLas Vegas 2012.

San Diego Mayor Jerry Sanders presenting Key tothe City to Ambassador Nirupama Rao in SanDiego on June 21.

Ambassador Nirupama Rao addressing the India Abroad Awards ceremony in New York onJune 29 .

Ambassador Nirupama Rao presenting IndiaAbroad ‘Friend of India Award’ to ProfessorLloyd I Rudolph at the awards ceremony.


Ambassador’sENGAGEMENTS

12

A sserting that MahatmaGandhi’s message is still rel-evant for the world today,Ambassador Nirupama Rao

has called for a pooling of individualcapabilities for the advancement of theAsia-Pacific region.

“When we see the divisions andfrontiers that divide humanity today,we must understand that the power toovercome them can only come fromwithin ourselves,” she said deliveringthe 29th Annual Mahatma GandhiMemorial Lecture at the University ofCalifornia at San Diego on June 21.

“Communication, as Gandhiji willedit, has to rest on openness, transparen-cy, and truth. It has to rest on educa-tion,” she said.

Noting that education, research &development, innovation are crucialand expanding areas of cooperationbetween India and the United States,she said: “It is our cooperation in thisvital field that can provide intellectualsustenance to the idea of a strongIndia-U.S. partnership.”

Excerpts from AmbassadorNirupama Rao’s speech on theoccasion:

In the troubled world we live in,where we are constantly searching foranswers to the challenges that face somany regions, the talisman of non-violent action, and the passionateadvocacy of inclusiveness, tolerance,cultural sensitivity, respect for diver-sity, and the understanding of themultiple identities that constituteeach and everyone of us today, allGandhian values, are precious lega-cies which we must constantlyuphold.

In November 2010, before theIndian Parliament President BarackObama spoke of how he was influ-enced and inspired by MahatmaGandhi.

He said, “I am mindful that Imight not be standing before youtoday, as President of the United

States, had it not been for Gandhiand the message he shared with andinspired America and the world”.

I thought I should highlight a fewpoints relevant to contemporary lifein my talk today. All of them drawtheir inspiration from Gandhiji. Thefirst is awareness, which I see as rid-ding oneself, of what RabindranathTagore called “ the sheath of self”and to realize the infinite reserves ofgoodness and compassion that existwithin the human mind.

It is understanding the strength ofthe spiritual reserves within us thatinstinctively make us bond with ourfellow human beings.

The second point is about connect-edness and connectivity and under-standing the meaning of pluralismand diversity. Parochialism andclosed mindsets lead us forth intoviolence and conflict.

The third point is communication:and communication, as Gandhijiwilled it, has to rest on openness,transparency, and truth. It has to reston education. It must involve theimaginative use of technology,including social media, as we sawbeing used by young Egyptian blog-gers during the Arab Spring.

We share, as humans, the funda-mental urge to learn and share (com-municate) and prosper. We live todayin a world of Internet search enginesand collaborative systems of knowl-edge like Wikipedia.

Gandhiji was certainly an activistfor free knowledge. He reachedacross geographical and politicalfrontiers in an instantly appealingand comprehensible way: in the man-ner of all great communicators, as avotary for development, as a practi-tioner of peace. He is not dated inany manner.

He wished to create that communi-cations software that enables theexchange of ideas, best practices ineducation, the study of foreign cul-tures, and the promotion of dialoguebetween civilizations, the mainte-nance of that harmony between heav-en and earth.

The full text of Ambassador Rao’sspeech can be read at:

http://www.indianembassy.org/prde-tail1989/29th-annual-mahatma-

gandhi-memorial-lecture-by-ambas-sador-nirupama-rao-%2821-june-2012%2C--university-of-california-

at-san-diego%29

‘Gandhi’s message very relevant today’

The video of the speech can be viewed at: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JWvWyQProfw&feature=plcp


13

EmbassyEVENTS

Indian classical dance gurus visit Embassy

1. Deepti Mukund, Chairperson, IndianDance Educators Association (IDEA),introducing Indian classical dance gurus— Shobha Naidu (Kuchipudi) andManeesha Sathe (Kathak) — at a lecture-demonstration event at the Embassy onJune 21. The Embassy hosted the eventin collaboration with IDEA.

2. Indian classical dance guru Shobha Naidugiving a presentation on Kuchipudi.

3&4. Disciples — Lavanya and Nithya — ofIndian classical dance guru Shobha Naiduperforming at the Embassy.

5. Indian classical dance guru ManeeshaSathe giving a presentation on Kathak.

6. Disciple Purvi Bhatt of Indian classicaldance guru Maneesha Sathe performingat the Embassy.

7. Disciples — Uttara Bhave and RupaliBhave — of Indian classical dance guruManeesha Sathe performing at theEmbassy.

8. Shruthi Mukund proposing the vote ofthanks.

9. Indian classical dance gurus — ShobhaNaidu (Kuchipudi) and Maneesha Sathe(Kathak) — with their students who per-formed at the Embassy.

10. Guests in attendance.

1 2 3

5 6

87

9

10

4

14


EmbassyEVENTS

Consulate EVENTS

Consul-General’s engagements

1. Ambassador Nirupama Rao welcoming andaddressing the guests at a reception for theNational Federation of Indian AmericanAssociations (NFIA) delegates at theEmbassy on June 7.

2. Lal K. Motwani, President, NFIA speakingon the occasion.

3. Dr. Parthasarthy Pillai, ChairmanCongressional Luncheon Committee, NFIAproposing the vote of thanks.

4. Guests in attendance.

Consul-General Sanjiv Arora withDr. Vinjamuri (Avasarala) AnasuyaDevi, recipient of North AmericanTelugu Association (NATA) LifetimeAchievement Award; Dr. RathnaKumar, Director, Anjali Center forPerforming Arts and A.V. N. Reddy,President, NATA at the AwardCeremony for the first NATA convention in Houston on June 29.Consul-General Arora was the chief guest at the event.

Consul-General Sanjiv Aroraaddresses the Young ProfessionalsGroup (YPG) of the World Affairs

Council of Houston on June 27.Ronan O’Malley, Coordinator of

YPG, is at his right.

1 2 3

4

NFIA delegates visit Embassy

15

Embassy


NEWS

Economy NEWS

W ith a view to dispensingfunds to foreign countrieswith greater transparency

and swiftness, External AffairsMinister S.M. Krishna said India hadinitiated a host of steps, including thesetting up of a central aid agency.

“We believe in providing totaltransparency in all our operations.It’s a fact that in the last four-fiveyears India has emerged as one of thebig donors among developing coun-tries for less developed and smallercountries,” Minister Krishna said onJune 11.

“We have worked out a system toensure transparency and will not befound wanting,” he said.

India has scaled up aid and softloans of over $11 billion to develop-ing countries. It includes $7.5 billionto Africa, $2 billion to Afghanistan,$1 billion to Afghanistan, $1 billionto Myanmar and substantial aid toneighboring countries like Nepal,Bhutan, Sri Lanka and the Maldives.

“It’s one of our key priorities to pro-vide a structural framework for dis-pensing aid. All aid is now being chan-nelized through the DevelopmentPartnership Administration (DPA),”Minister Krishna said. He said theDPA’s strength would be doubled overthe next six months in view of the needto fast-track commitments made byIndia to various countries.

‘India to make foreign aid more transparent’

External Affairs Minister S.M. Krishna

Deputy Chief of Mission Arun K. Singh at the India Pavilion of the Summer Fancy Food Show held at the Walter E. Washington Convention Center on June 19.

Tastes of India reach Fancy Food Show

F ourteen Indian companiesexhibited their products,including basmati rice,Indian mangoes, spices, cake

mixes, ready-to-eat foods, fruit juices,Indian beer and several other productsat the Summer Fancy Food Show held

at the Walter E. WashingtonConvention Center on June 19.Deputy Chief of Mission, Arun K.Singh visited the India Pavilion at thefood show.

The Ministry of Food ProcessingIndustries, Government of India, had

also put up a stall to highlight the gov-ernment policies in the food processingsector and the incentives being offeredfor foreign direct investment in thissector. A large number of visitorsshowed considerable interest in theIndian pavilion.

16

EconomyNEWS


I n a bid to control high infla-tion, the Reserve Bank of India(RBI) on June 18 kept keylending rates unchanged but

said it was ready to provide relief in aturbulent global economic situation.

The move assumes significances asthe RBI was expected to cut these keyrates that would have translated inlowering of interest being paid byconsumers on their loans for con-sumer durables, homes or automo-biles.

Economic experts feel that thebearish consumer sentiment onaccount of high interest rates willcontinue.

However, the RBI said that thoughthe economy was slowing down andthat there was inflationary pressure, itwould step in to pump more moneyinto the system when required.

“Management of liquidity remainsa priority. Even as the liquidity situa-tion converges to the comfort zone,the Reserve Bank will continue to useopen market operations (OMOs) asand when warranted to contain liq-uidity pressures,” the apex bank saidin a statement.

“Recognizing that the global situa-tion is turbulent, the Reserve Bankstands ready to use all availableinstruments and measures to respondrapidly and appropriately to anyadverse developments.”

The apex bank stressed that sincethe last rate cut, global macroeco-nomic indicators have deterioratedand that the headline inflation num-bers are far above the comfort range.

“Since the RBI’s annual policy state-ment in April, global macroeconomicand financial conditions have deterio-rated. At the same time, the domesticmacroeconomic situation too raisesseveral deepening concerns.”

By not cutting rates, the apex bankhas shown resistance to the pressurethat was being built on it to cut rates.The pressure was exerted followingthe recent data which showed that theeconomy was facing low growth.

As per the recent data released bythe Central Statistics Office, India’sindustrial output grew marginally by0.1 percent in April due to poor showof capital intensive mining and man-ufacturing sectors.

The factory output, measured interms of the Index of IndustrialProduction (IIP), declined by 3.5percent in March, the first such con-

traction in factory output sinceOctober 2011, when it shrank by

4.7 percent. The manufacturing purchas-

ing managers’ index (PMI) forMay suggested that industrialactivity remains in an expan-

sionary mode, and there is noquestion that the pace of expan-

sion has slowed significantly.However, the RBI cited that infla-

tion continues to remain very highand much above the comfort level.“While growth in 2011-12 has mod-erated significantly, headline inflationremains above levels consistent withsustainable growth. Importantly,retail inflation is also on an uptrend,”the apex bank said.

To tackle inflation, RBI raised itskey lending rate 13 times since March2010 but began reversing the ratecycle by cutting the repo rate by 50basis points in April.

RBI keeps key lending rates unchanged

Following are the

unchanged policy rates

and ratios in percentage:

n Bank Rate: 9.00

n Repo Rate: 8.00

n Reserve Repo Rate: 7.00

n Marginal Standing Facility Rate: 9.00

n Cash Reserve Ratio: 4.75

n Statutory Liquidity Ratio: 24.00

The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) on June25 announced a series of measures,

including raising limits for external com-mercial borrowings and government secu-rities that would help revive the batteredcurrency and the economy.

RBI said in a statement that it had takenmeasures in consultationwith the government toliberalize capitalaccount transac-tions.

It has beendecided to allowIndian companies inthe manufacturingand infrastructure sec-tor and earning foreignexchange to avail of externalcommercial borrowing (ECB) for repaymentof outstanding rupee loans toward capitalexpenditure and/or fresh Rupee capitalexpenditure under the approval route, theRBI said. “The overall ceiling for such ECBswould be $10 billion,” the central bank said.

The existing limit for investment bySecurities and Exchange Board of India(SEBI) registered foreign institutionalinvestors (FIIs) in government securitieshas been enhanced by a further amount of$5 billion.

RBI takes steps to revive rupee

17

Economy


NEWS

HCC among 10 global companiesfor green initiative

M umbai-based infrastructuremajor HindustanConstruction Company has

got the rare distinction of being theonly Indian company to feature in theClimate Report released by the UNGlobal Compact and UN EnvironmentProgramme, an official said in Mumbaion June 20.

The UN report, titled “CaringBusiness & Climate ChangeAdaptation: Toward ResilientCompanies & Communities” presents10 case studies from around the world.

The case studies illustrate how busi-nesses are responding creatively andeffectively to address climate changeopportunities, risks and impact indeveloping countries and emergingeconomies.

HCC’s initiatives feature along withCoca Cola, Nokia and Eskom amongthe 10 global companies featured inthe report, an official said. The HCCcase study highlights its efforts towardwater neutrality and focuses on two ofits projects, the ‘strategic oil storagecavern project’, in Visakhapatnam andDelhi-Faridabad Elevated Expressway.

In Visakhapatnam, HCC hasinstalled a waste water treatment plantto utilize the seepage waste water forconstruction, thus completing con-struction without external water supplyto the project even during severe waterscarcity in the region.

Installation of the plant enabledthem to recycle and reuse nearly 95percent of the waste water for drilling,dust suppression, concrete curing andother activities, saving an amount ofwater equivalent to nearly half year’ssupply for Vizag city.

On the Delhi-FaridabadExpressway, owing to the low rainfallin that region, HCC implemented sev-eral measures to conserve, recycle andreuse water, including creating an arti-ficial rainfall-fed pond and rooftoprainwater harvesting.

The most notable part was a uniquemodel for harvesting run-off rainwaterfrom the expressway itself as a way torecharge aquifers in the surroundingareas. HCC Chairman and ManagingDirector Ajit Gulabchand termed thedevelopment as a great honor for thecompany and the country.

India’s forex reserves growto $287.37 billion

A fter falling for five straight weeks,India’s foreign exchange reserves grew

by $1.52 billion to $287.37 billion for theweek ended on June 8, 2012, official data

showed.The reserves had

plunged by $2.40 bil-lion to $285.85 billionfor the week ended

June 1, apparently due to the Reserve Bank ofIndia (RBI) selling dollars to defend the rupee.

Anand Mahindra gets global leadership award

Anand Mahindra, Vice-Chairman &Managing Director of Mahindra Group,

and Alan Mulally, President & CEO, FordMotor Company, have been honored withGlobal Leadership Awards for their out-standing contributions to the US-Indiagrowth story. The Indian and U.S. business

leaders were given theawards at the 37th

anniversary leadershipsummit of the US-IndiaBusiness Council compris-ing about 350 top U.S.and Indian companies.

I ndia is on course to increaseexports to $500 billion in 2013-14 from around $300 billion inthe last fiscal, helped by market

and product diversification strategypromoted by the government,Commerce and Industry MinisterAnand Sharma said on June 8.

Addressing a seminarorganized by theFederation of IndianChambers of Commerceand Industry (FICCI) inNew Delhi, Minister

Sharma said the strategy of reachingout to newer markets in Asia, Africaand Latin America and provision of astable policy environment would help

achieve the exports target. He pointed out that the addi-

tion of seven new markets tothe Focus Market Scheme and46 new items to the Market

Linked Focus ProductScheme would furtherboost exports. India’s

exports increased by20.94 percent to

$303.71 billionin the financialyear that ended

on March 31, 2012, surpassing thegovernment target of $300 billion.

“We were clear in our mind that wecould not wait for demand to revive inour traditional markets of the U.S. andEurope after these countries sufferedthe severe fallout of the global financialcrisis,” Minister Sharma said.

We recognized the need to expandthe scope and coverage of the FocusMarket Scheme which now covers 112markets across the world,” Sharmaadded. He said the strategy of diversi-fication had paid off, and India’sexports to Asia, Africa and LatinAmerica had gone up significantly inthe last three years.

‘India to achieve $500 bn exports target’

Commerce and IndustryMinister Anand Sharma

18

ScienceNEWS


D ibyendu Nandi of theIndian Institute of ScienceEducation and Research,Kolkata has been awarded

the prestigious Karen Harvey Prize for2012 by the American AstronomicalSociety (AAS).The first scientist from the Asia

Pacific to get the prize, Nandy wasawarded for his “advances in the use ofkinematic dynamo models to elucidatethe typical and atypical solar cycle, andfor his outstanding leadership withinthe solar physics and space climatecommunities.”The prize, according to an official

announcement, is in “recognition for asignificant contribution to the study ofthe sun, early in a person’s profession-al career.”“The main thrust of my discovery is

that the sun’s memory regarding itspast activity is very short. This impliesthat very long term forecasting of solaractivity and space weather is ruledout,” he told Asian Scientist Magazine.Nandi said that he did his research at

the IISER and a student from the

Indian Institute of Science, Bangalore,Bidya Binay Karak, collaborated withhim.Nandi has published a series of

papers on solar activity, including onethat explained for the first time the dis-appearance of sunspots. He was the lead author for this paper

which was published in the journalNature.He is a part of ISRO’s Aditya’s mis-

sion to the sun which is slated for liftoff later this year or in 2013.

A Kolkata engineer has designeda cycle-rickshaw that uses pas-senger load to push the vehicle

and reduces the puller’s drudgery byusing bumps on the road for propul-sion.Pratik Kumar Ghosh’s wonder vehi-

cle, which promises to improve thelives of thousands of rickshaw pullers,is easy to make and is also cheap.“The rickshaw resembles conven-

tional rickshaws and can be assembledwith the same parts which are current-ly in use,” Ghosh, 55, said about hisdesign that won a federal governmentinnovation award.The innovator, who works as an

Assistant General Manager with

Shriram EPC Ltd, said his designwould make bumps and unevenness ofthe road favourable to the rickshawpuller — converting the shock andvibration to a propulsive force.“No parts need to be redesigned.

The design of the rickshaw is very sim-ple and its manufacture will be equallyeasy. The cost of production will beclose to the existing ones,” he said.“I’m an innovator, not entrepreneur.

I can’t manufacture the rickshawswhen more than eight million existingrickshaws are to be replaced. Since theproduction requirement is huge, I wishbig cycle and rickshaw manufacturerscome forward and manufacture therickshaw,” Ghosh said.

Indian solar physicist winsprestigious US prize

Indian elected nuclear

operators’ group chief

S .K. Jain, the former Chairman andManaging Director of Nuclear Power

Corporation of India Ltd (NPCIL) was electedas the Chairman of Governing Board ofWorld Association of Nuclear Operators’(WANO) Japanese chapter, to which India isaffiliated.

“Jain will also represent WNO TokyoCenter in main WANO Governing Board,”said a statement issued by NPCIL. NPCIL isa member of WANO and affiliated to theTokyo Center. WANO has four regionalcenters besides a corporate office inLondon.

Kolkata engineer designs wonder rickshaw

Dibyendu Nandi (in pic) is the first scientist fromthe Asia Pacific to get the prize. Sekhar Basu is new

BARC director

Anuclear submarine propulsion andnuclear reprocessing and waste man-

agement expert, Sekhar Basu took charge asthe new Director of the Bhabha AtomicResearch Centre, an official said.

Basu, 59, was the Chief Executive Officerof the Nuclear Recycling Board and assumedhis new charge on June 19.

An alumnus of the Victoria JubileeTechnical Institute, Mumbai, he started hiscareer with BARC in 1974.

19

Diaspora


NEWS

I ndian-Americans continued todemonstrate their spellingprowess when SnigdhaNandipati, a 14-year-old girl,

correctly spelled “guetapens”, Frenchword for ambush, to win the 2012Scripps National Spelling Bee crown.She thus retained the coveted nationalhonor for the community, that hasbeen steadily growing in profile andinfluence, for the fifth straight year.“It’s a miracle,” said Nandipati from

San Diego, California, as she pippedfellow Indian American Stuti Mishra,14, of West Melbourne, Florida whostumbled over “schwarmerei”,German for extravagant enthusiasm, inthe last round of the final at a conven-tion center outside Washington.Nandipati, an avid reader and coin

collector who aspires to become a psy-chiatrist or neurosurgeon, gets$30,000 in cash, a trophy, a $2,500savings bond, a $5,000 scholarship,$2,600 in reference works from the

Encyclopedia Britannica and an onlinelanguage course.Nandipati plays violin and is fluent in

Telugu. She is the fifth consecutiveIndian-American winner and 10th inthe last 14 years. The Indian-Americancommunity’s victory run began in 1999when Nupur Lala captured the crownand was later featured in the documen-tary Spellbound. Anamika Veeramaniscored a hat-trick for Indian-Americansby taking the crown in 2010.

— IANS

M itra Dutta, a distinguishedIndian American engineer-physicist, who has studied at

Guwahati and Delhi universi-ties, has been named ViceChancellor for Research at theUniversity of Illinois atChicago.Dutta, a former senior exec-

utive with the U.S. ArmyResearch Office, has served asinterim vice chancellor at oneof America’s leading researchuniversities since January,overseeing a research enterprise withannual expenditures of more than$340 million. Announcing her appointment,

Chancellor Paula Allen-Meares said:

“Dr. Dutta’s outstanding performanceas interim Vice Chancellor and her dis-tinguished record as a researcher,

administrator and teachermake her the ideal choice totake on this vital role.”In accepting the position,

Dutta said, “It’s a privilege toserve in this position and workwith so many excellentresearchers across our campus.We want to provide the bestenvironment possible to carryon their important work.”

Dutta joined Illinois University in2001 to head the newly formed department of electrical and computerengineering.

— IANS

Indian American wins USspelling contest for fifth year

Yale names IIM-Aalmunus to top post

The prestigious Yale School ofManagement has appointed Indian

American Professor Anjani Jain as SeniorAssociate Dean for the full-time MBA pro-gram as part of the school’s expansion pro-gram.

Jain, an Indian Institute ofManagement, Ahmedabad, graduate whohas served inmultiple leader-ship roles at theWharton Schoolof the Universityof Pennsylvania,would joined Yaleon July 1, DeanEdward A. Snyderannounced.

The school recently introduced a Masterof Advanced Management programmeand participated in the launch of theGlobal Network for AdvancedManagement, a collective effort by 21international business schools to under-stand the challenges posed by complexglobal markets. — IANS

Snigdha Nandipati is the fifth consecutive Indian-American winner and 10th in the last 14 years.

Indian American engineer-physicistnamed US varsity VC

Mitra Dutta

Anjani Jain

The 11th edition of the annual diasporaconclave — Pravasi Bharatiya Divas

2013 — will be held in Cochin, Kerala’scommercial capital, Minister for OverseasIndian Affairs Vayalar Ravi announced. Ravisaid over 2,000 delegates from across theworld are likely to participate in the three-day event to be held from January 7-9. “Onrequest of the Kerala government, we havedecided to hold the next Pravasi BharatiyaDivas in Cochin,” Ravi said.

He said the Prime Minister would deliverthe inaugural address at the event onJanuary 8, 2013, while the President woulddeliver the valedictory address and conferthe Pravasi Bhartiya Samman awards onJanuary 9. Pravasi Bharatiya Divas is cele-brated in an effort to reach out to nearly 30-million Indian diaspora. — IANS

Cochin to host next annual

Indian diaspora meet

20


M ore and more globalfirms are keen to enterthe fledgling Indianearthmoving and con-

struction equipment (ECE) marketthrough subsidiaries or joint venturesto cash in on the opportunities in thebooming infrastructure sector, indus-try experts said.“With the government projecting a

whopping $1 trillion investment inthe infrastructure sector during the12th Plan period (2012-17), severalforeign firms are mulling to set upwholly-owned subsidiaries or jointventures for manufacturing and mar-keting construction equipment andcomponents in the Indian market,”Indian ECE Industry Association

Chairman Glenville da Silva said. Though global players such as JCB

from Britain, Hitachi, Kobelco andKomatsu from Japan, Volvo fromSweden and Caterpillar and Terexfrom the US entered the Indian mar-ket during the past decade, the revivalof the ECE industry with about 30percent growth in 2010 has attractedmany firms from China, Finland,Germany, Italy, South Korea, Spainand Turkey to plan assembly andmanufacturing facilities in the coun-try.“As potential for investment in

infrastructure and allied sectors isimmense, the Indian ECE industryrevenue is set to grow six-fold to $23billion in 2020 from $3.3 billion in

2010 with a CAGR (cumulative aver-age growth rate) of 21 percent asagainst 18 percent CAGR registeredin the past five years (2006-10) toreduce the deficit and meet the grow-ing demand from urban to ruralareas,” Silva said on the margins ofthe industry’s five-day internationaltrade fair (Excon 2011) that conclud-ed on November 27.According to London-based global

consulting management firm Off-Highway Research, the growthmomentum of the global ECE indus-try is shifting to emerging marketslike India and China from maturedmarkets (North America andEurope), where finance has becomescarce and business confidence is low

The government has projected a whopping $1 trillion investment in the infrastructure sector during the 12th Plan period (2012-17).

TrendsIN SOCIETY

As the earthmoving and construction equipment market in India booms, more andmore global firms want a share of the pie through subsidiaries or joint ventures

Global firms eye Indian ECE market

21


due to slower growth and sovereigndebt crisis.“While the industry worldwide

staged a modest recovery in 2010from the impact of global recession in2008 and 2009, rules of the gamehave changed during the last threeyears with India, China and Brazilmaking up for the declining growthin the developed countries,” Off-Highway managing director David C.Philips said at the trade conference.Besides meeting need of the bur-

geoning Indian market, Japanesefirms are looking at the cost arbitrageof setting up export base for SouthAsian markets with the mantra of‘Japanese technology at Indian cost’. “Having a manufacturing base in

India will give the advantage of sell-ing our products and services costeffectively to local customers as wellas Japanese firms’ operating in SouthAsian countries,” Japan ExternalTrade Organization (JETRO) DeputyDirector-General Osamu Taki said.Noting that India was emerging as

one of the most exciting markets inthe world, Philips said the infrastruc-ture deficit across the country wouldforce the central and state govern-ments as well as the stakeholders toput the sector on fast track to attractforeign and domestic investments inbuilding and expanding roads, high-ways bridges, dams, ports, airports,power plants and housing.“Global majors have started shift-

ing production to developing coun-tries like India so as to capitalize onthe opportunities unfolding in emerg-ing markets where pro-active govern-ment policies, access to financial andhuman capital and infrastructuredeficit will drive the industry’s growthin this decade,” Philips said.A study by another global manage-

ment consulting firm, Accenture,revealed that private sector participationin infrastructure development wouldincrease to 40 percent by 2020 from 25percent currently on account of growingurbanization and government’s thruston building social and rural infrastruc-ture for inclusive growth.“Planned and proposed invest-

ments in the infrastructure sector willdrive the construction industry tolook at increasing mechanization andusage of specialized equipment tomeet project deadlines and addressskilled labor shortage, as workforcerequirement is expected to be abouttwo million in the ECE industry,” thestudy pointed out.With demand for energy efficient

products and need for product cus-tomization growing, German compa-nies find the business outlook prom-ising as they have the technology andequipment developed for global mar-kets, where emission norms are strict.“We see a huge potential for our

companies to grow in the Indianmarket despite competition fromother global players. By setting uplocal plants and providing quickafter-sales support, we will be able to

lower products costs and promotesetting up of a quality supplierbase for components,” Germanengineering federation (VDMA)head Sebsastian Popp said.

A study by Accenturerevealed that private

sector participation ininfrastructure develop-ment would increase to

40 percent by 2020 from25 percent currently

TrendsIN SOCIETY

Planned investments in the infrastructure sectorwill increase mechanization and usage of spe-cialised equip-ment to meetproject dead-lines andaddress skilledlabour short-age.

22

CinemaNEWS


O n behalf of the FOKANAWashington Regionalcommittee and the largerMalayali community,

Ambassador Nirupama Rao presenteda plaque of appreciation to PrashantNair, director of the awards winningmovie Delhi in a Day. It was one of themovies chosen to be screened at theInternational South Asian Film Festivalat the Universities at Shady Grove,Rockville, Maryland, USA.

Besides Ambassador Rao, Prashant’swork was commended by FOKANA2014 presidential candidate SanilGopinath, FOKANA RVP Vipin Raj,FOKANA Foundation Vice-ChairShahi Prabhakaran, NationalCommittee members ManojSreenilayam and Jacob Verghese, Ben

Paul, KAGW President ShajuSivabalan and others from the Indian-American community. Prashant’s par-

ents and Indian Ambassador (Rtd.)Bhaskar Balakrishnan also attendedthe function.

A cclaimed actor Seema Biswasof Bandit Queen and Waterfame looks at Indian-

American director PrashantBhargava’s award winning first fea-ture film Patang (Kite) as an extraor-dinary film.

“It’s not a conventional kind offilm,” she said of the film about fam-ily conflict set in Ahmedabad.

“It’s totally different, totally uniqueand totally unconventional in itstreatment, whether it’s handling ofthe camera or handling the actors.”

“No one can make out that one isacting. Everyone is in character allthe time performing in a naturalisticway,” Biswas said about her role inthe film which has won rave reviewsnot only for its lyrical visual quality,but also the performance of its castlargely made up of non-actors.

“So that attitude attracted me,” shesaid on what made her acceptBhargava’s offer to act in his first fea-ture film. “I always listen to my heartand then I decide. I don’t care

whether I should do this with a firsttime director or not. I only go for it ifI find the director is intelligent andknows what he wants.”

It was indeed a big challenge to actin a film which has only three professional actors, said Biswas, whoplays the role of the widowed sister-in-law of an affluent business-man from Delhi who comes home to

visit his family in Ahmedabad. “What touched me about Gujarat

was the way people handled tragedy— riots, natural disasters. And kiteflying played such an important rolein providing them that momentum topursue (happiness) and persevere,”Bhargava said. “For me kite flyingwas a meditation and a purifyingexperience,” said Bhargava.

From left, Vipin Raj, Sanil Gopinath and Ambassador Nirupama Rao presenting a plaque of appreciationto Prashant Nair. Manoj Sreenilayam and Shahi Prabhakaran are also seen.

Director Prashant Nair felicitated

Patang is an extraordinary film: Seema Biswas

Prashant Bhargava Seema Biswas

23

Travel &


TOURISM

Spread over 40 acres,the majestic BekalFort was built by thePortuguese in 1640.

Bekal iSDeStiNatioN Next

A fter firmly placing stationssuch as Kovalam andKumarakom on the globaltourism map, the Kerala

government has picked this idyllictown of beaches and backwaters asdestination next for visitors to ‘God’sOwn Country’.“Bekal is the next amazing destina-

tion for tourism in Kerala. Our effortsthat started 17 years ago have nowbegun to bear fruit. Our top priority isto improve road, rail and air connectiv-ity,” Chief Minister Oomen Chandysaid.He was referring to the state-run

Bekal Resorts Development Corp thatwas set up in 1995 with the specifictask of capacity-building and infra-structure development in Bekal.“Where else can you find beaches,

backwaters and hills all within a fewkilometers?” asked the Chief Minister,referring to the variety of optionsoffered by this town, which has settingssimilar to Goa.“Bekal received some 320,000 last

year. We would like the numbers to goup to more than 600,000 by 2015.That is our target, that is our aim.”The chief minister also said this

resort destination was the fifth to comeup under the Kerala Government’s

drive to promote sustainable andresponsible tourism — after Kovalam,Kumarakom, Wayanad and Thekkady.Otherwise on National Highway 17,

less than 10 km from Kasaragod innorth Kerala, Bekal is also easily acces-sible by rail network. The nearest air-port is at Mangalore in Karnataka, 70km north.Talks are on with the central govern-

ment to upgrade the railway station,improve the national highway andbuild an airstrip. To develop resorts,230 acres were acquired and a part of

it was allotted for six private projects.“As of now, two resorts have already

come up Vivanta by Taj and the LalitResort and Spa. Four more projects areunder various stages of development,”said Rani George, Director of KeralaTourism.“Around 50 other properties in the

area offer around 1,000 rooms. Youalso have home-stays villas andAyurvedic centers. Accommodationwill be expanded and people are wel-come to invest, especially in budgethotels,” George said.Detailing the major attractions in

and around Bekal, she not onlyreferred to the majestic Bekal Fort, butalso those at Hosdurg and Chadragiri.Spread over 40 acres, the Bekal Fortwas built by the Portuguese in 1640.“There are also many stunning

beaches, backwaters and hill stations inand around Bekal,” she added.Ancient temples and mosques, hand-

icraft like lamps, utensils and curiosmade of bell metal, and preservation ofrich culture like Theyyam dance formand Kalaripayattu martial arts areother attractions, George said.“Most other resort destinations are

close to urban centers and thereforeover-developed. Bekal, on the otherhand, is still virgin and pristine.”

GettiNG there

v Nearest railway station:Kasaragod, about 16 km.

v Nearest airports: Mangalore,about 70 km; KaripurInternational Airport,Kozhikode about 200 km.

n Beauty spot on the Sun...

A view of Venus (black spot) passing by the Sun on June 6. This celestial event generally repeats every 243 years. (PIB Photo)

Printed and Published by the Press & Information Office, Embassy of India, 2107 Massachusetts Avenue, NW Washington, D.C., 20008Content, design and production by IANS. www.ianspublishing.com

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