'The tools of warfare are changing. The MoD must deepen its engagement with technology thinkers that can present compelling visions of where warfare may be heading.'
'What the government is doing would be a drop in the ocean. It has to be matched by investments by industry.'
F1 aspirant Karun Chandhok finished a lowly 19th in the feature race of the GP2 Main Series, thus failing to buttress his case for a seat with the Force India Formula One team.
'The Pacific crossing was the longest and toughest leg.' 'Temperatures dropped near zero and they navigated through two cyclones.'
'When I crossed that point where I had the accident, I felt light and that was a very physical experience. I felt something leave me.' Shyam G Menon chronicles the voyages of that incredible Indian sailor, Abhilash Tomy.
'If you align your ambition with India's rise, the peak of your careers will unfold alongside the peak of India's power.'
Karun Chandhok came all the way from the rear of the grid only to finish seventh, just outside the points, in the GP2 race on Sunday.
Karun Chandhok drove an amazing race to finish third at the British Grand Prix and secure Ocean Racing Technology's (ORT) first podium finish in the GP2 series in Silverstone on Sunday. The Chennai-born driver, who had finished sixth in the feature race, ended up ahead of series leader Romain Grosjean.
Ocean Racing Technology (ORT) secured a top driver contract for the GP2 Main Series with Indian driver Karun Chandhok joining forces with the Portuguese team, making him the first driver confirmed for the outfit directed by former Formula One driver Tiago Monteiro. Chandhok has two seasons in the series under his belt, which saw him secure several podium finishes and therefore brings great experience with him that will be decisive for the all new team in the GP2 Main Series.
China has deployed a fleet of underwater drones called Sea Wing (Haiyi) glider in the Indian Ocean, which can operate for months on end and make observations for naval intelligence purposes, according to defence analyst HI Sutton.
In an address at the Global Dialogue Security Forum, he underlined the need for India to put greater focus on having strong bilateral, trilateral and multilateral arrangements with like-minded countries to maximise its strategic leverage in the region.
The National Security Strategy document should flag all major issues concerning security strategy and provide guidelines to concerned departments to work out suitable action plans. Since the global and regional geopolitical canvas is dynamic, the NSS document should be deliberated at length before formulation and should be reviewed periodically, recommends Commodore Venugopal Menon (retd).
Pakistan has alleged that India was pursuing conventional, nuclear and missile development programmes which can lead to nuclearisation of the Indian Ocean and can disturb the "balance of power" in the region.
After being caught in the perfect storm and conquering near death at sea four years ago, Abhilash Tomy has made seafaring history by coming second in the world's most difficult ocean race. As he sailed to the finish line to welcoming cheers, holding the Indian flag, his remarkable story tells us the amazing things human beings can do.
Retired from the Indian Navy, his passage in the Golden Globe Race wasn't easy. Although he kept himself in the basket of race leaders, the position revealed little of what he was actually enduring. Shyam Menon captures the drama of Abhilash Tomy's incredible solo voyage across the world.
Beyond a point, competition is boring. The fun is in the doing, irrespective of outcome. By the time I was in college, I knew I valued awareness more than success, notes Shyam G Menon.
India on Thursday approved proposals for purchasing 26 Naval variant of Rafale jets from France and procuring three French-designed Scorpene class submarines, a day ahead of Prime Minister Narendra Modi's wide-ranging talks with French President Emmanuel Macron in Paris.
Although the pact would focus mainly on the Pacific and the South China Sea region, any action designed to deter China with or without New Delhi's active participation is a welcome move, notes Commodore Venugopal Menon (retd).
"Most worrisome are China's technological advances in the spheres of cyber and space domain, which often transcend beyond the military, to include critical national infrastructure as well," General Bipin Rawat said at the three-day Indian Air Force Conclave.
The naval officer's father said he was tensed in the last three days after hearing the news about the incident. He said the family members would go Australia to meet his son he was taken there.
India's national security strategy needs to be revised periodically since the global and regional geopolitical situation is dynamic, points out Commodore Venugopal Menon (retd).
Ashish Narsale/Rediff.com brings you some of the innovative cars presented at the latest edition of the Consumer Electronics Show.
'Very thankful to #IndianNavy & all who rescued me,' Tomy was quoted as saying in the Indian Navy spokesman's tweet.
The agreement would divert China's attention and keep them busy in the Pacific theatre, probably resulting in a reduction in threat perception in our area of interest in the Indian Ocean, notes Commodore Venugopal Menon (retd).
According to rescue officer Phil Gaden in Australia, Tomy had a severely injured back.
Tomy was battling for life on the dismasted sailboat Thoriya with a severe back injury, the officials said.
Commander Abhilash Tomy of the Indian Navy sailed the oceans and conquered likely death after a storm badly injured his spine and destroyed his boat. Archana Masih/Rediff.com met the decorated sailor who fought all odds to return home alive.
'We need to retell this history from many different perspectives.'
As the world grapples with extreme weather events and climate change becomes the buzzword of contemporary times, author Amitav Ghosh says the crisis has been in the making since the 17th century and it is imperative to take into account history before beginning to tackle the issue.
The rover, Zhurong, named after a god of fire and war in Chinese mythology, landed at the pre-selected area in Utopia Planitia on Mars, the state-run Xinhua news agency reported.
'Even among scientists and technology mavens -- typically communities that tend to view the world through the lens of logos or reason and not mythos, there is a shiny-eyed enthusiasm for the mythical world,' says Arundhuti Dasgupta.
Three Chinese astronauts on Thursday entered the country's new space station after their spaceship successfully docked with it, just over seven hours after the launch from the Gobi Desert, in a major milestone for the Communist giant's space exploration plans and its bid to become a leading space power.
'If you are caught in a violent storm at sea you have to deal with it and find a way out which Abhilash Tomy did.'
'If the Chinese intent is to be gauged based on its aggression in the South China Sea, greater forays in the Indian Ocean, a hawk's attitude towards Taiwan, flying its fighters repeatedly over the Senkaku islands in the East China Sea and creating strategic assets globally, there would be a requirement for strategic partnerships for India,' says Brigadier S K Chatterji (retd).
Asserting that "maritime muscle flexing" by some countries and other factors have made the Indo-Pacific region "more contested and more volatile," naval chief Admiral Sunil Lanba on Tuesday said that the Indian Navy has its task cut out as it has been a major security provider in the region.
Given the importance of equipment modernisation, the overall defence budget should rise at least at the same pace as salaries and pensions, so that equipment modernisation is not hit.
'What motivated us was that a lot of people, especially youngsters, had a negative image about India.'
A consortium of three US-based firms - AECOM, KPMG and IBM - was given the task of developing the master plan.
In a few years from now, India will be looking at an entirely different type of military adversary across the borders, in our waters, in the air, in space and in our communication networks, says Nitin Pai.
Pacific Rim is possibly the best and the grandest belated gift a man can offer his childhood, writes Sukanya Verma.