'We have been found seriously wanting in addressing our undersea warfare capability and China's emergence is a cause for concern.'
The Indian government allowed foreign airlines to buy up to 49 per cent stakes in Indian carriers in September 2012.
Rahul Bedi explains how 'miscellaneous' factors have posed a major hurdle in negotiating the Rafale deal.
'People have been flying for years on the basis of a police clearance and an airport entry pass.' 'Then they came out with a convoluted thing -- that your police clearance must be from your place of residence.' 'Now if a pilot is sitting in Delhi but is from Timbuktoo, the papers will have to come from there.' 'So at any point, you have a certain number of pilots sitting on the ground because his AEP has expired and the papers haven't come.' Revealed: India's bizarre processes to get pilots to fly planes.
Finalisation of the date for joining the elite club will be decided only by Air India, Star Alliance vice-president for corporate office, Christian Klick, told reporters here during a media interaction.
The 'nonsense' slur hurled at the Cabinet approved ordinance cannot apply only to the PM and his ministers. Soniaji must also share responsibility, says Bharatiya Janata Party patriarch L K Advani in his blog.
In a powerful signal to New Delhi that the United States is a reliable defense partner, Senators Mark Warner and John Cornyn introduced US-India Defense Technology and Partnership Act in Senate
But could the information in these declassified reports just be tales of fantasy?
'India has been placed at a level, which would ensure that red tape is cut away. That's the biggest assurance that one can get -- the biggest takeaway.'
'This is the first time the US has formally recognised the threat India faces from terrorist organisations based in Pakistan.'
US Defence Secretary Ashton Carter will sign a fresh 10-year defence framework agreement with India on Wednesday
'The government has belied the hope that many harboured of change, efficiency and dismantling old practices as the defence ministry continues to pursue the same well trodden and wasteful path.'
'There are thousand ways to pressure Pakistan to make it behave.' 'Going to the ICJ was the worst possible option,' says Colonel Anil A Athale.
In a major liberalisation, the government on Thursday allowed manufacturing of several hundreds of equipment and products in the defence sector without licence.
The finance minister hiked the total defence expenditure from Rs 203,672 crore in FY 2013-2014 to Rs 229,000 crore for FY 2014-2015. Though the increase appears substantial, it is insufficient to undertake the military modernisation necessary to meet the emerging threats, feels Brigadier Gurmeet Kanwal (retd).
Realty plans hit roadblock; delay could hit modernisation
'Every single American act to weaken Syrian forces would only tilt the military balance in favour of ISIS whom Trump pledges to vanquish from the face of the earth,' says Ambassador M K Bhadrakumar.
The President has approved award of 398 gallantry and other defence decorations to armed forces personnel and others on the eve of the 68th Republic Day Celebrations.
'... it must network its battlefield units quickly, securely, robustly,' notes Ajai Shukla.
Indian Navy Chief Admiral R K Dhowan enumerated a three-pronged strategy to counter the country's minified submarine fleet.
The CMD's focus on raising employee morale and cutting costs is paying off. The airline's operating losses have shrunk and earnings are looking up
"A mere 5-6 per cent of defence budget for R&D is inadequate to meet the aspirations of India's defence needs especially when China spends about 20 per cent of their defence budget for R&D," said the DRDO chief.
More than four decades ago, the Nixon administration knowingly broke United States law to help the Pakistani army against Bangladesh and encouraged China to mass troops on Indian border to oppose the strong stand taken by the then Prime Minister Indira Gandhi, according to a new book.
In another retrospective change, which forms part of the Securities Laws Amendment Ordinance promulgated by the President of India last week, the individuals and companies being probed by Sebi can settle their pending investigations.
The order also prevents all persons from Iraq, Syria, Iran, Sudan, Libya, Somalia or Yemen from entering the country for 30 days.
Airline now financially more stable but still in the doldrums as the operating environment remains tough.
The government has made its initial moves, good and not-so-good, while the roll-out in some cases has been slow.
The two countries also asked all nations to stop cross-border movement of terrorists and asserted that a decisive collective response from the international community without 'double standards and selectivity' was required to combat the threat of terrorism.
Armed with fresh powers to conduct search and seizure operations and attach properties and bank accounts, the Securities and Exchange Board of India (Sebi) is going all out to use these effectively.
Contradicting L K Advani, former external affairs minister Jaswant Singh has said the then home minister was aware of the controversial decision about his travelling to Kandahar along with three terrorists released in exchange for the hostages of hijacked Indian Airlines plane in 1999.
From 'Mera Wala Shah Rukh' to Salman's Being Hygienic ways, my super filmi week, says Sukanya Verma, has a lot on its mind.
The airline has launched a series of discount offers since January this year.
The Delhi high court on Thursday set aside the look out circular issued against Greenpeace activist Priya Pillai, who was offloaded from a flight to London two months back, saying her fundamental right to travel cannot be curtailed.
We get tangled up in our own crooked web on purchases, and the murky arms bazaar knows it, says Shekhar Gupta.
'Here in Delhi, the Modi government is supposedly looking at 'options' to hit back at Pakistan in any whichever way it can, while in Washington, the Obama administration is looking for ways to strengthen US military cooperation with Pakistan,' says Ambassador M K Bhadrakumar.
Instead of announcing new schemes, focus will be on those already announced and key sectors.
'The armed forces have been given clear indication that they have to give priority to Make in India and indigenisation and dependence on foreign source should be reduced.' 'Almost Rs 90,000 crores contracts have been signed during my tenure. Another almost Rs 70,000 crores are in the pipeline.'
Some have welcomed this shift in the government's stance.
A financial turnaround with the Etihad partnership and debt restructuring has not fully materialised.
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