Army chief General MM Naravane to visit Saudi Arabia, UAE next week

‘Slightly lagging behind…’: Army chief pushes for self-reliance in defence sector

Observing that India has "lagged behind slightly" in terms of the quick pace modernisation undertaken by our adversaries, and dependence of Indian armed forces on equipment of foreign origin needs to be addressed, Army chief General Manoj Mukund Naravane on Thursday said self-reliance in the defence sector has become a strategic necessity. While addressing the arms-industry partnership virtually, the Army Chief pitched for a self-reliant India to become the main player in the global economy. "Today self-reliance in defence has become a strategic necessity. It is imperative for us to invest in building long term indigenous capabilities for application across the entire spectrum of conflict. Considering the quick pace of defence modernisation being undertaken by our adversaries, we are lagging behind slightly. The continuous and heavy dependence of Indian armed forces on equipment of foreign origin needs to be addressed through indigenous capability development," he said. Watch the full video for more details.

Self-reliance in Defence a strategic necessity: Army Chief

The Indian Army Chief MM Naravane attended '25 years of Army Industry - Partnership' in Delhi on January 21. "2020 was a unique year with twin challenges of the COVID pandemic and the belligerence on the northern borders. The events of the past year have brought to the fore the vulnerability of global supply chains, underscoring the need for self-reliance. Today self-reliance in Defence has become a strategic necessity. It is imperative for us to invest in building long term indigenous capabilities for application across the entire spectrum of conflict," said the Army Chief. He also said, "Considering the quick pace of Defence modernisation being undertaken by our adversaries, we are lagging behind slightly. Continuous and heavy dependence of Indian armed forces on equipment of foreign origin needs to be addressed through indigenous capability development."

Watch: Nepal's Foreign Minister meets EAM Jaishankar in Delhi l Key details

External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar met his Nepalese counterpart Pradip Kumar Gyawali at the Hyderabad house in the capital. The two sides discussed all bilateral issues with focus on economy, trade, power, oil and gas, water resources, political and security issues, border management. Nepal also congratulated India on the remarkable success in the production of Covishield and Covaxin vaccines in India and requested for early provision of vaccines to Nepal. The two delegations included Foreign Secretary Harsh Vardhan Shringla and Foreign Secretary of Nepal, Bharat Raj Paudyal and other senior officials from both sides. Discussions were also held on expediting joint hydropower projects, including the proposed Pancheshwar Multipurpose Project, which have numerous benefits for the people of both countries. Watch the full video for all the details.

Nepal: Protest against PM Oli in Kathmandu; Foreign minister on India visit

Nepal's Foreign Minister Pradeep Kumar Gyawali Thursday arrived in India. He will attend the 6th meeting of the Nepal-India Joint Commission and discuss the entire gamut of relations, including COVID-19 cooperation and border disputes, with his Indian counterpart S Jaishankar. Gyawali is the senior-most political leader from Nepal to visit India after Prime Minister K P Sharma Oli triggered a border row last year by publishing a new political map that showed the three Indian territories - Limpiyadhura, Kalapani, and Lipulekh - as part of Nepal. Meanwhile, protesters were detained in Nepal’s Kathmandu city. Watch the full video for more details.

Meet the Indian with an unusual Guinness record

Ramkumar Sarangpani, 41, a businessman based in the UAE, currently holds the record for Indian with the most Guinness world records. His specialty is "largest and longest", he says. Biggest visiting card, world's largest e-greeting card, tiniest deck of cards and most gigantic calendar... and those are just a few from a very long list. What does it take to set these records? What does it cost? How does he do it and why? Take a look.

Gulf leaders arrive for key Saudi Arabia summit

Gulf Arab leaders arrived in Saudi Arabia on Tuesday for a summit focused on ending a long-running dispute with Qatar, at a time of heightened regional tensions with Iran. Adam Reed reports.

Army Chief General Naravane on 3-day South Korea visit: All you need to know

Chief of Indian Army General MM Naravane has left for a three day visit to South Korea. General Naravane will hold talks with both civilian and military leadership on expanding defence ties between the two countries. Gen Naravane is scheduled to meet the country's minister for national defence, army chief and chairman of joint chiefs of staff, the officials said. The Chief of Army Staff will also meet South Korea's minister of defence acquisition planning administration. The Army Chief will also visit the Korea Combat Training Centre in Gangwon province and Advance Defence Development facility at Daejeon. This visit comes weeks after he concluded a six-day crucial tour of the United Arab Emirates and Saudi Arabia. The Indian Army Chief had also travelled to Nepal last month. Watch the full video for all the details.

Saudi crown prince MBS courts a wary Biden

After staying out of the spotlight, Saudi Arabia's Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman is retaking center stage with some high-profile diplomatic and economic steps. It's all about wooing the support of Joe Biden, who is expected to be less accommodating to Saudi on Iran and human rights than his predecessor. Lucy Fielder reports.