Obama also said he had emphasised the need for religious tolerance and the right to practise one's own faith during closed door talks with Prime Minister Narendra Modi during his last trip to India in 2015.
'That is important for Modi politically when he launches a do-or-die campaign seeking a renewed mandate in the 2019 poll,' says Ambassador M K Bhadrakumar.
The Prime Minister Manmohan Singh on Tuesday mooted an Asian Economic Community encompassing ASEAN, China, Japan, Korea and itself to integrate Asia and promote regional cooperation.
The BRI, a pet initiative of President Xi, is aimed at promoting network of roads, ports and rail networks all over the world to spread China's influence.
The chip maker is putting money in his low-cost Braille printer project.
Sitharaman also highlighted the steps taken by the government to achieve ease of doing business by digitisation of approvals and making more stable policies to make India a favourable destination for investors.
The omission of historical responsibilities, implying the build-up in the atmosphere of 165 years of greenhouse gas emissions from industrialised countries, is a body blow to the notion of climate justice, sums up Darryl D'Monte, reporting exclusively for Rediff.com from COP21.
'India should be adequately prepared for further Chinese mis-adventures at any time in the next few years.'
India boycotted the Belt and Road Forum held from May 14-15.
While the Washington nuclear summit was a good gathering of international leaders, nobody believes its joint declaration will ensure nuclear security, says Prakash Shah.
The stagnation in US-Russia relations does not augur well for New Delhi's strategic interests, says Harsh V Pant and Raj Kumar Sharma.
'This novel format of diplomacy -- the informal summit -- will not only facilitate bilateral communication and reduce miscalculations at the very top level of the two governments, but possibly open the space for China and India to speak in one voice on various issues of mutual concern,' note Feng Renjie and Ding Kun Lei
'Given this dissonance between India's age-old multicultural tenets and the anti-minority temper of the present times, it cannot be easy for the BJP to maintain its balancing act to convince the world that all is well,' observes Amulya Ganguli.
The India-Japan joint naval exercises are a strategic signal for China, observes Dr Rajaram Panda.
'The potential of one such LAC engagement going out of control and leading to heavy casualties cannot be ruled out,' warns Lieutenant General Syed Ata Hasnain (retd).
Domestic and foreign companies pour in a slew of investments in Gujarat.
'Cyrus was always very different. He would think before acting.'
Sirajuddin Qureshi, India's leading meat-exporter to the world and president of the India Islamic Cultural Centre, said being at the summit "was a unique experience."
'Over the last two decades, the India-French relationship has grown steadily, no major political difference having darkened the sky between Paris and Delhi,' says Claude Arpi.
'It's the brazen corruption involving politicians that makes you sit up years after the event,' notes Nivedita Mookerji after reading B K Syngal's Telecom Man.
The Uttar Pradesh Defence corridor is estimated to attract Rs 20,000 crore investment and create 250,000 jobs.
'Both have a very nationalistic view of foreign policy.' 'They think they are shrewd and clever diplomats.'
Modi said a separate rating agency would help the economies of the member countries as well as other developing nations.
Pakistan is once again becoming a frontline State in big-power rivalry. But this time around, Pakistan stands to gain out of its geography, observes Ambassador M K Bhadrakumar.
'In India foreign policy is generally handled by the prime minister.' 'One can clearly see the Vajpayee stamp on all this.' 'Only a person with poetic imagination can weave such a complex web,' says Colonel Anil A Athale (retd).
'Without doubt, General Bajwa has deliberately snubbed India.' 'But why did he do that?' 'The Male leadership is simply fed up with Indian interference,' says Ambassador M K Bhadrakumar.
'Relations between India and Japan are robust and devoid of either shadow of history or any irritant.' 'In fact, there is plenty of warmth and goodwill earned over history. There are no negatives but only opportunities,' notes Dr Rajaram Panda.
The Infosys' founder expressed the inability of Indians to exchange ideas.
'We must compartmentalise issues, ensuring that one disagreement does not sour everything,' advises Ambassador Kishan S Rana.
With Beijing having had a profound rethink on India's admission as a full member of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation, the tectonic plates of the geopolitics of a massive swathe of the planet stretching from the Asia-Pacific to West Asia are dramatically shifting. That grating noise in the Central Asian steppes will be heard far and wide -- as far as North America, says Ambassador M K Bhadrakumar.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi has favoured broadening of the strategic partnership with Russia in nuclear, defence and energy sectors and invited President Vladimir Putin to visit Kudankulam atomic power project during his trip in December for his annual summit.
'Now, no one can stop me from making music till the day I die.'
As the South African city of Pretoria gears up to host the second IBSA (India, Brazil, South Africa) summit, rediff.com provides you a ready reckoner.
Modi will participate in the first-ever trilateral meeting between Japan, America and India and the 2nd Russia, India China trilateral, which is taking place after an interval of 12 years, on Friday.
'We don't need to hinge India-UK relations on shared hostility toward China,' observes Ambassador M K Bhadrakumar.
'We will not accept these misadventures by the Chinese.'
Addressing a joint media event with Macron, Modi said the two countries have robust cooperation in the fields of defence and security.
We can expect to see more Chinese wolf warrior diplomats on the prowl, in India's neighbourhood, though its mailed fist is not so visible while dealing with India, observes Colonel R Hariharan (retd).
'Nanda Devi is not an easy mountain to climb.'
Celebrities are taking a stand on gender equality.
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