Ram Nath Kovind Narendra Modi President of India Prime Minister of India
Ambassador’s Message
n the occasion of India’s 72nd Republic Day I extend universalizing access to housing with modern sanitation infrastructure here. We are equally indebted to doctors, warm greetings and best wishes to all fellow Indi- and electricity, digitising economy, nurturing start-ups and nurses and paramedics who have been continuously on Oans and friends of India in the State of Qatar. innovations. At the same time, in pursuit of our core value the forefront of our fight against the ongoing pandemic. It I also avail of this opportunity to express our deep of “Vasudhaiva Kutumbakam’ (World is one family), India was, therefore, a proud moment to see Indian healthcare gratitude to His Highness the Amir of Qatar, Sheikh Tamim is sharing its fruits of development with the entire world. personnel being included and honoured in the big contin- bin Hamad Al Thani, His Highness the Father Amir, Sheikh The global pandemic last year presented unprece- gent of medical frontline team during Qatar’s National Day Hamad Bin Khalifa Al Thani, the other members of the Royal dented challenges for the entire humanity. In these chal- parade last month. Family and the Government of the State of Qatar for their lenging times, India and its 1.3 billion people have demon- This year we celebrated 16th Pravasi Bharatiya Divas continued patronage and support for the Indian commu- strated resolve and resilience, and ability to convert chal- on 9 January 2021. I am delighted that the Indian commu- nity in Qatar. lenges into opportunities. This is manifest in the quick nity in Qatar participated with full enthusiasm and well- Republic Day is precious. Seventy-one years ago, on manner in which we not only became self-sufficient in per- renowned member of the Indian Community Dr Mohan this historic day, the Constitution of India, which enshrines sonal protection equipment, diagnostic and therapeutic kits Thomas was awarded the prestigious Pravasi Bharatiya the ideals and aspirations that guided India’s peaceful free- but also ensured reliable supplies of the same to over 150 Samman Award by the Hon’ble President of India for his dom movement, came into effect. This is an occasion to countries. India has stood up as the Pharmacy of the world valuable contribution in the field of Medicine. reaffirm our commitment to justice, liberty, fraternity and and made available its vaccine production capabilities avail- We are proud of the Indian community organizations equality across our society and among all fellow Indians. able to the humanity. India has produced two indigenous in various parts of Qatar who have contributed immensely On this auspicious occasion, we also remember the vaccines and rolled out world’s largest mass vaccination and selflessly for welfare and wellbeing of fellow Indians, Father of the Nation - Mahatma Gandhi who was the guid- drive in the country on 16 January 2021. At the same time, especially during the challenging times of pandemic. The ing light of India’s freedom movement. His quest for equal- India also started vaccine supplies to countries in the neigh- Embassy continues to reach out to all Indians, especially ity and justice is the mantra for our Republic. Last year, we bourhood. India is playing its due role in the resurgence of imports and 15% of Qatar’s total export of LNG. Last month, the blue collar workers, with the aim to ensure their well- concluded celebrations of the150th birth anniversary of economy in post-COVID scenario too. the Energy Ministers of India and Qatar have decided to set being and deliver services to their doorsteps. The 6th meet- Gandhiji. It was a great pleasure to see the younger gen- On this day, we also recognize and celebrate our deep- up a Task Force to explore opportunities for investment by ing of the India- Qatar Joint Working Group on Labour and erations re-discover Gandhiji. rooted, historical and multi-faceted ties with Qatar, and Qatar in the entire energy value chain in India. The leader- Manpower Development was held in December 2020. Both On this Day, we also recall and acknowledge the work take this opportunity to thank the people of Qatar for their ship has also decided to set up a joint task force to fast sides agreed on institutionalizing mechanism to protect of men and women of principle and patriotism – the mem- warmth and hospitality. track investments by Qatar Investment Authority into India. and promote interests of migrant workers and facilitate bers of the Constituent Assembly. The most notable among Our bilateral relations are nurtured by the close chem- India and Qatar have close cooperation in international movement of people in a safe and secure manner. We wel- them was Dr Bhimrao Ambedkar, who chaired the Draft- istry between our leadership. Prime Minister Shri Narendra fora and India joining the United Nations Security Council come and appreciate the series of very progressive labour ing Committee and was instrumental in producing a docu- Modi and H H the Amir of the State of Qatar, Sheikh Tamim from 1 January 2021 as a non-permanent member adds law reform measures adopted by the Government of the ment that laid the foundations of the Republic and contin- bin Hamad Al Thani, have been in regular touch over the new opportunities for closer cooperation. India welcomes State of Qatar. These are very positive steps towards pro- ues to be guiding light for generations. It is only in fitness past year. Following their conversation in December 2020, the recent agreement for normalization of relations between moting and protecting the rights of the immigrant work of things that Indians have also started celebrating 26 External Affairs Minister of India, H E Dr. S. Jaishankar, paid Qatar and other countries in the region. India has always force. We remain engaged with Qatar authorities to ensure November as the Constitution Day every year to mark the an official visit to Qatar on 27-28 December, 2020. He supported resolution of issues through diplomacy and dia- the welfare of Indian workers. We deeply appreciate their day of adoption of our Constitution. handed over a personal message from the Prime Minister logue. It is hoped that the rapprochement would strengthen cooperation and support in this regard. Based on the values enshrined in our Consti- of India to High Highness the Amir, inviting him to visit India. peace, security and stability in the region. I once again warmly congratulate all members of the tution, India continues to march ahead in the journey The invitation has been kindly accepted. The Indian expatriate community is an integral part Indian community in Qatar on the Republic Day of India. I towards fulling the aspirations of our people. Today, India The multi-faceted partnership between India and Qatar of Qatar’s development journey. They have earned a well- am confident that all of you would continue to contribute is a country of over 1.3 billion people, the world’s largest continues to strengthen in various areas, including energy, deserved reputation for its commitment, hard work and towards the development, progress and prosperity of our democracy and the third largest economy in purchasing- trade, investment, security, defence, education, sports, cul- law-abiding nature. The entire community celebrates and host country and work towards further strengthening the power-parity terms. We are leapfrogging technologies, ture, people to people contact. participate in Qatar’s successes, including the return of Asian bonds of friendship and cooperation between India and attaining Aatma Nirbharta, empowering our farmers, equip- Bilateral trade and investment partnership between Games to Qatar in 2030. The two year countdown for FIFA Qatar. ping our soldiers, educating our younger generations, achiev- India and Qatar continues to grow. India is the 3rd largest World Cup 2022 has just started. We are proud of the ing universal and equitable healthcare, building infrastruc- export destination for Qatar. Qatar is the largest supplier Indian companies and workers who have been participat- Dr. Deepak Mittal ture, networking communities, eliminating poverty, of LNG to India, accounting for 55% of India’s global LNG ing in the successful and timely delivery of the associated Indian Ambassador to Qatar
EDITOR-IN-CHIEF Dr. Khalid Mubarak Al-Shafi ACTING MANAGING EDITOR COVER DESIGN SUPPLEMENT COORDINATOR Mohammed Salim Mohamed Abraham Augusthy Muhammad Shammas 4
Activities held by the Embassy: Important bilateral interactions
Visit of H E Dr. S Jaishankar, Minister of External Affairs of India (EAM) to Qatar r. S Jaishankar paid an official visit Amir and H H the Father Amir as well as discussions with the H E to Qatar on December 27-28. Dur- the H E Prime Minister and Minister of In- Deputy Prime Minister Ding the visit, he called on H H the terior of the State of Qatar and held detailed and Minister of Foreign Affairs. He handed over a personal message from H E Prime Minister Narendra Modi to H H Amir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani inviting the latter to visit India and thanking Qatar for taking care of the In- dian community during COVID-19. Father Amir H H Sheikh Hamad bin Khalifa Al Thani appreci- ated the contribution of the Indian community in Qatar and recalled his visits to India. The Minister of External Af- fairs visited Ahmed bin Ali Stadium at Al Rayyan, one of the venues of the FIFA 2022 World Cup to be held in Qatar in No- vember-December 2022.
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Visit of H E Dr. S Jaishankar to Qatar and important bilateral interactions
SIXTH MEETING OF INDIA - QATAR JOINT COMMITTEE ON LABOUR AND MANPOW- ER DEVELOPMENT: The 6th Meeting of the India- Qatar Joint Working Group on Manpower was held virtually on December 9, 2020. Abbagani Ramu, Joint Secretary (Overseas Indian Affairs), Ministry of Ex- VANDE BHARAT MISSION ternal Affairs, Government of After the stoppage of all global airlines due to COVID-19 India, and Mohammed Has- outbreak, the Government of India had embarked on a san Al Obaidly, Assistant Under Mission named “Vande Bharat Mission” from May 2020 Secretary, Ministry of Admin- onwards to help all stranded Indians worldwide. istrative Development, Labour The Mission was the largest of its kind repatriation drive and Social Affairs, State of Qatar, undertaken by any government worldwide. More than 4.8 led the delegations in the con- million people have already been facilitated by Vande versation on manpower cooperation, affirming to continue well as the promising investment opportunities that would Bharat Mission. People continue to travel to & from India close coordination on reforms of Indian Labors as India con- contribute to attracting more foreign direct investments under the 24 bubble arrangements with various countries. stituent the highest number of migrant workers, a stronger and enhancing Qatar’s competitive position in the region This included around 116,000 Indians who were repatri- industry existing between the two countries. and beyond. Additionally, the Summit features looking into ated from Qatar to India. The world’s biggest repatriation The two sides underlined a joint commitment to expanding business partnership opportunities in various mission still continues strengthen cooperation on information sharing and oth- sectors of common interest. The Qatar-India Air Bubble Arrangement Phase 9 had er steps to priorities and procedures for pursuing labour been extended until January 31, 2021. This revised Air Bub- reforms and plans to expand previous collaboration and INDIA, QATAR TO SET UP ENERGY TASK FORCE ble Arrangement will also allow Indians stranded in South implement MOUs with a focus on strengthening Qatar’s Minister of Petroleum and Natural Gas and Steel of India, H E America and Africa to use the Air Bubble arrangement be- recent reforms. Dharmendra Pradhan on December 11 held a tele-conversa- tween India and Qatar so they can transit through Doha. tion with H E Saad Sherida Al Kaabi, Qatar’s Minister of State The India-Qatar Air Bubble facility is also available to the H E MINISTER OF COMMERCE AND INDUSTRY CHAIRS for Energy Affairs and President & CEO Qatar Petroleum, on citizens of Bhutan and Nepal. QATARI DELEGATION IN THE 26TH SESSION OF THE promoting Qatari investments in the entire energy value chain PARTNERSHIP SUMMIT 2020 in India. This was a follow-up to Prime Minister of India H E INDIA’S PARTICIPATION IN THE INTRA-AFGHAN H E Ali bin Ahmed Al Kuwari, Minister of Commerce and Narendra Modi’s tele-conversation with Amir of Qatar His NEGOTIATIONS Industry, chaired the Qatari delegation that participated in Highness Sheikh Tamin bin Hamad Al Thani. H E Dr. S. Jaishankar, Minister of External Affairs the 26th session of the Partnership Summit 2020, which Minister Pradhan reiterated Qatar’s role as a reliable of India participated in the inaugural session of the intra- was held through video conferencing technology, from De- supplier of LNG and LPG. Both sides agreed to further Afghan negotiations held in Doha on September 12, 2020 cember 15 until December 18, in Mumbai. strengthen cooperation in the energy sector and move be- via VTC. EAM’s participation was in response to an invitation The participation of Qatar in this year’s summit, which yond the buyer-seller relationship to a comprehensive one, extended to him by the Deputy Prime Minister and Minister was held under the theme “Partnerships for Lives, Liveli- including two-way investments. Both the Ministers have of Foreign Affairs H E Sheikh Mohammad bin Abdulrahman hood, and Growth”, comes within the framework of the agreed to set up a Task Force on Energy, represented by Al Thani. A senior official delegation led by J P Singh, Joint endeavours aimed at discussing ways to enhance trade and Vice-President of Qatar Petroleum and a senior officer from Secretary (PAI) in the Ministry of External Affairs partici- investment cooperation channels between Qatar and India, Petroleum Ministry to identify specific projects in India’s pated in the inaugural ceremony in Doha. and shedding light on Qatar’s investment environment, as energy sector for Qatari investments. 7
Ambassador’s Interaction H E Dr. Deepak Mittal, Ambassador, called on H E Ali Bin Ahmed Al Kuwari, Minister of Com- merce & Industry of the State of Qatar on August 27, 2020. They discussed the historical trade and people to people relations between India and Qatar and ways to further strengthen bilateral trade and investment partnership.
H E Dr. Deepak Mittal, Ambassador, called on H E Yousuf Mohamed Al Othman Fakhroo, Minister of Administrative Devel- opment, Labour & Social Affairs of Qatar on August 17, 2020.
H E Dr. Deepak Mittal, the Ambassador, met H E Sultan bin Saad Al Muraikhi, Minister of State for Foreign Affairs on November 16, 2020. They reviewed bilateral relations and issues of common concern.
Ambassador called on H E Lolwah Rashid Al Khater, Assistant Foreign Minister, Spokesperson for the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Spokesperson for the Supreme Committee for Crisis Management of Qatar on September 2, 2020.
Ambassador met H E Abdulla Bin Saoud Al Thani, Governor of the Qatar Central Bank, Ambassador called on H E Dr. Hamad Bin on August Abdulaziz Al Kuwari, Minister of State and 26, 2020 Cultural Advisor to H H the Amir on and discussed various matters September 14, 2020. They discussed the including ways to strengthen historical, cultural relations between India relations between the banking and Qatar and ways to further strengthen and financial institutions of India the bilateral relationship and Qatar 8
Recent activities held by the Embassy Ambassador’s Interaction
INDEPENDENCE DAY CELEBRATIONS: AUGUST 15, Indian Diaspora” on January 8, 2021. The event, livecast at 2020: The 74th Independence Day of India was cel- the Indian Cultural Centre Doha, was attended by Indian ebrated at the Embassy premises with great zeal. The youth in Qatar along with the Ambassador of India to Qatar. Ambassador of India, H E Dr. Deepak Mittal, hoisted the flag of India followed by the national anthem. The Am- bassador read out the address of the President of India. The event was live-streamed for the Indian community on Twitter, Facebook and YouTube. The event ended with the presentation of cultural programme by the students of the Indian schools. The event was attended by com- munity members and Mission’s staff and their families.
H E Dr. Deepak Mittal, Ambassador, met H E Sherida Saad Jubran Al Kaabi, Chairman of Al- Balagh Trading & Contracting Co on October 21, 2020. As the first Ambassador of Qatar to India (1974-76), he was instrumental in shaping the bilateral relations between India and Qatar.
GANDHI JAYANTI CELEBRATIONS To mark the occasion of Gandhi Jayanti, the Mission live streamed a 50-minute event titled ‘Gandhi Katha’ (Story on Mahatma Gandhi), featuring renowned Gandhian Dr Shobhana Radhakrishna, on online platforms. Embassy of India, Doha commemorated Gandhi Jayanti and 151st birth anniversary of Mahatma Gandhi with great fervour and enthusiasm. Indian Ambassador to Qatar, H E Dr. Deepak Mittal, paid floral tribute to Gandhiji and a sapling was planted in the Embassy premises to mark the occa- sion. The event began with the rendition of bhajans and a video based on Gandhiji’s quotes, and global rendition of Vaishnavo Jante. BHARAT KO JANIYE
The 16th edition of the Pravasi Bharatiya Divas (PBD) Convention was held virtually in association with the In- dian Cultural Centre, on January 9, 2021 at Indian Cultural Centre Doha. The event was attended by prominent In- dian expatriates in Qatar, and heads of apex bodies under the Embassy along with the Ambassador of India to Qatar. President of India, Ram Nath Kovind, conferred the award H E Dr. Deepak Mittal, Ambassador, received Hou- to the Indian expatriate based in Qatar — Dr. Mohan Tho- tan Homayounpour, Head of the ILO Project Office, mas Lazarus Pakalomattom — virtually on the occasion of Qatar in the Embassy on October 20, 2020. The Ministry of External Affairs of India organised Pravasi Bharatiya Divas. ‘Bharat Ko Janiye Quiz’ for all NRIs/PIOs/Foreigners from SPECIAL CONSULAR CAMP Ambassador also met Omar Abdulaziz Al Naama, November 1 till December 28, 2020. The winner of the The Embassy and ICBF organised a Special Consular Assistant Under Secretary for Private Education Bharat ko Janiye Quiz 2020-2021 from Qatar — Rohit Birla camp at the Amphitheatre, Grand Mall, Asian Town on No- Affairs on September 14, 2020 and discussed with was felicitated at the Pravasi Bharatiya Divas Event on Janu- vember 27, 2020 and facilitated passport/and attestation him issues of concern in educational affairs. ary 9, 2021 at Indian Cultural Centre Doha. services to Indian workers living in the Asian Town. Ambas- sador interacted with the applicants and announced that PRAVASI BHARATIYA DIVAS 2021 Embassy shall hold a special consular camp once every OPEN HOUSE The Embassy organised the livecast from New Delhi month in Asian Town and separate consular camps in dif- Ambassador of India held Open House in online mode of the virtual Youth Pravasi Bharatiya Divas Conference ferent parts of Qatar to facilitate passport/consular services every month to listen/redress labour and consular issues titled “Bringing together Young Achievers from India and to Indian nationals. of Indian nationals. 9
MEA launches Global Pravasi Rishta Portal and mobile app to connect with diaspora
he Ministry of External Affairs on Decem- ber 30, 2020, launched the TGlobal Pravasi Rishta Portal and app in order to connect with nearly 3.12 crore Indians across the world. While speaking at the launch of the Glo- bal Pravasi Rishta app and portal, V Muraleed- haran, the Minister of State for External Affairs stated that the app aims at creating a three-way communication between the Indian missions, ministry, and the In- benefit them in various areas of interest. dian diaspora. ŭƔU°¢ƔÖÌÙã¿Ɣò²¿¿Ɣ¿ÝÌƔÝݲÝãƔã°¢Ɣ&ƲÆƔ The Minister also informed that the overseas during any crisis management and app will be used by the Indian nationals will also lend a helping hand. and diaspora, while the portal will be used ŭƔ&ãƔò²¿¿Ɣ¢Æ¿¢ƔÌÅÅèƲã²ÌÆƔÌÆƔƔÙ¢¿ƈ by the Indian missions. Currently, there time basis and will also have the ability to are around 3.12 crore overseas Indians issue advisories and emergency alerts. globally out of which 1.78 crores are NRIs ŭƔU°¢ƔÖÌÙã¿Ɣò²¿¿Ɣ°¢¿ÖƔã°¢Ɣ&ƲÆƔ²ÝÖÌÙƔ and 1.34 crore are PIOs. to reach the consular services and officers in time of emergencies. OBJECTIVE: ŭƔU°¢ƔÖÌÙã¿Ɣò²¿¿Ɣ¿ÝÌƔÌÆã²ÆƔèÝ¢«è¿Ɣ According to the Minister of State for information for the Indian diaspora such External Affairs, the government recognizes as information on passport, visa, and the significance of the Indian diaspora and other consular services. It will also have has also been engaging them in various the details about various events that are ways. One such step is the ‘Global Pravasi organized by the missions and the in- Rishta Portal’, through which the govern- vites will be sent to diaspora members ment aims at connecting with the Indian for greater participation. community overseas and not ceremonially ŭƔU°¢ƔøÆŲƔÆãèÙ¢ƔÌ«Ɣã°¢ƔÖÌÙã¿ƔÆƔ but at every step. the app will also allow the ministry to take The portal by the government will also useful opinions of the Indian diaspora on be used for sharing the latest developments policy issues, conducting surveys, sharing by the Ministry of External Affairs, the Indi- e-newsletters, etc. an government with the diaspora members. It will be a giant step in effective and inno- Why there was a need to create vative communication channels with NRIs Global Pravasi Rishta Portal? and PIOs. Till now there is no effective channel of communication available with the External GLOBAL PRAVASI RISHTA PORTAL Affairs Ministry to connect with the Indian AND APP: KEY FUNCTIONS diaspora globally. Hence, the effective con- ŭƔU°¢ƔÖÌÙã¿Ɣ°ÝƔ¢¢ÆƔÙ¢ã¢ƔãÌƔ¢Æ¿¢Ɣ nect with them has been a challenge not the registration of Indian diaspora members only during normal situations but also dur- i.e. PIOs, NRIs, and the OCIs. ing the time of emergencies. ŭƔ &ãƔ ò²¿¿Ɣ ÆÌãƔ »èÝãƔ «²¿²ãã¢Ɣ ã°¢Ɣ ¬Ìñ- With the launch of the Global Pravasi ernment to connect with the Indian Rishta Portal, there will be a three-way community overseas but will also facili- communication between the Indian mis- tate OCIs, PIOs, and NRIs community by sions, ministry, and the diaspora which will connecting them to various existing and make engaging with the Indians overseas new government schemes which will much easier. 10
Rewriting India’s growth story – the New Investment Destination
eing a major non-debt financial source, For- ticket size of FDI inflows to India for the year 2020 is $48.26m. eign Direct Investment (FDI) plays an integral This means India is as favourable and investor-friendly to a role in a country’s development. The Naren- small and emerging player as towards market leaders. dra Modi government’s favourable policy Sectoral Composition of FDI Inflows regimes and robust business approaches along The sectors receiving the highest FDI are services Bwith a highly skilled workforce in an open, well regulated, (finance, banking, and insurance), computer software and inclusive society have always ensured that foreign capi- hardware, telecommunications, and trading, respectively. tal keeps flowing to the country. They received the highest FDI with a share of 17%, 12%, The United Nations Conference on Trade & Develop- 7% and 6% respectively. Other sectors catching up fast ment (UNCTAD) has declared India’s national investment are the construction and automobile industry with 5% promotion and facilitation agency, Invest India, as the win- share each in terms of FDI inflows. ner of the 2020 United Nations Investment Promotion Award. Way ahead: Powering AtmaNirbhar The award is a testimony to India’s social resilience and the between the period from 2015 to 2020, which means more through Innovations country’s commitment to 4D’s: Democracy, Demography, than half the FDI of the past 2 decades has occurred during Over the years, FDI inflows have raised the competitive Demand & Deregulation. the period 2015-2020. level in the country thereby raising the standards of research Crossed $500bn milestone in 2020 In 2020, there were 325 announced greenfield FDI and development (R&D) requirements. Programs like Dig- Government policies since 2014 have been applauded projects in India, compared to 345, 73, & 67 projects in China, ital India, AatmaNirbhar Bharat Innovate Challenge, Make highly for understanding the global landscape well in advance Vietnam, and Malaysia, respectively. India received 154 in India, Atal Innovation Challenges have rationalized and and make necessary structural changes in the economy. Their projects are from the USA whereas China, Vietnam & Malay- expedited the investment processes in the country. efforts have been reflecting in the World Bank “Doing Busi- sia received 86, 12 & 15 projects, respectively. These challenges could reinvigorate depleted ecosys- ness Rankings” time and again, last year India improved by If we analyse country-wise, since 2014, the highest FDI tems and obsolete technologies. It will eventually help India 14 ranks and jumped to 63rd position among 190 countries. inflow has been from Mauritius. However, in the year 2019- create an army of grass root technological innovators. The India has improved its ranking by 79 positions in the five- 2020, the FDI from both Singapore and the USA have government, along with the national investment promotion years (2014-19). witnessed a whopping 179% & 167% increase in comparison agency, Invest India, are bringing transformations and help- Amid the ongoing pandemic, breaking all rules of the to the year 2014. ing India continue its journey in the right trajectory towards game, India made history by successfully crossing the $500bn Being one of the top 5 consumer markets in the world, India remaining the world’s most attractive destinations for for- milestones in FDI equity inflows. India received $261bn is an attractive destination for foreign investors. The average eign investment. First lithium refinery to be set up in Gujarat ISRO to launch first crewless he first lithium refinery of India will soon not usually found in India. Gaganyaan flight by year end be set up in Gujarat to boost the nation’s ŭƔ&ƲƔèÙÙ¢Æã¿øƔÙ¢¿²¢ÝƔÌÆƔƔÌã°¢ÙƔÆã²ÌÆÝƔ¿²½¢Ɣ efforts towards electrification of transport. China, Japan and Taiwan for its electrical batteries. The refinery will process Lithium ore to pro- ŭƔ&ƲƔ²ÝƔ¿ÝÌƔ¿Ì̽²Æ¬ƔãÌƔ¢ÝÝƔÙòƔÅã¢Ù²¿ÝƔ he first crewless Gaganyaan Flight which was earlier pushed to be Tduce battery-grade material. like Lithium needed to produce batteries. launched in the first half of 2021 due to the COVID-19 pandemic, will The lithium ore will be imported from Australia ŭƔU°¢Ɣ¿²ã°²èÅƈ²ÌÆƔãã¢ÙøƔÅÆè«ãèٲƬƔÙ¢«²Æ¢ÙøƔ Tnow be launched only by the end of 2021. The crewless flight which and processed in the refinery. Manikaran Power is expected to become operational by January-Feb- is a part of ISRO’s ambitious Gaganyaan Project was originally planned Limited, which is one of the largest power trading ruary 2021 to be launched in 2020 but was postponed due to the ongoing pandemic. and renewable energy companies in India will be What is Lithium? Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) will also eventually launch investing heavily in the refiner,y, almost around Rs Lithium is generally very light due to its low den- a second crewless flight in 2022 before launching humans to space. K Sivan, 1,000 crore. Manikaran Power Limited and Austral- sity and despite being metal it can be cut easily with ISRO Chairman, has informed that the process of human rating has been ian firm Neometals have entered a knife. Chemically, it is a progressing well and is expected to be complete in the second half of 2021. into an agreement to produce member of the alkali metal Crewless Gaganyaan Flight: lithium in India. group and, like other alkali As part of the unmanned Gaganyaan Flight, ISRO has planned on send- Why is the lithium refin- metals, is highly reactive. It ing a humanoid which has been developed indigenously. In June 2020 ery important? reacts rapidly with other sub- once it became clear that the first crewless flight will not be launched The demand for lithium in stances. India’s main sources this year, ISRO Chief stated that whether two unmanned missions will be India is driven by the nation’s of lithium imports are coun- launched in 2021 will depend on the emerging situation and the decision vision to become one of the largest tries like China, Hong Kong will be taken based on what happens in the coming months. In case, the electric car market of the world. and Vietnam. Recently, India effects of Coronavirus continue, the space agency may have to revisit India has set an ambitious target also gained access to Boliv- some of the plans. to increase the number of electric ian lithium reserves. In November 2020, ISRO also flagged off the first human-rated S200 vehicles by 30 percent by 2030. Background motor case for the first crewless mission of Gaganyaan. According to ISRO, India needs lithium to produce Manikaran Power had the high thrust solid propellant strap-on boosters- S200 motor case-will lithium ion batteries used for electrification of trans- collaborated with Neometals in 2019 to tap the Mount be playing a significant role in human-rated GSLV Mkll. Many new design port and storage of renewable energy. The Lithium Marion Lithium mine in Western Australia. The pro- features, in order to human rate the booster, have been introduced in the refinery will help make Gujarat a hub for Lithium ion posed project will help Gujarat secure the required hardware. ISRO Chairman informed that the first critical booster segment batteries, as there are already few Lithium ion battery raw material for domestic manufacturing of Lith- of the motor case with a length of 8.5 meter, a diameter of 3.2 meter, and manufacturing plants that are being set up in Gujarat. ium batteries. According to the data tabled in the weighing 5.5 tonnes has been indigenously developed and delivered by L&T. Key Highlights Parliament in February 2020, the import of Lithium- K Sivan described it as a major achievement and stated that the next ŭƔ&ƲƔ²ÅÖÌÙãÝƔ¿¿Ɣã°¢Ɣ¿²ã°²èÅƔÆ¢¢¢ƔãÌƔŽ¢Ɣ ion batteries almost quadrupled from 175 million step will be to achieve a human rating of all the hardware that is required lithium ion batteries, as lithium is a rare element in 2016 to 712 million batteries in 2018. for the Gaganyaan mission. 11
Fifth Scorpene-Class Submarine BrahMos Cruise Missile tested ndian Navy on December 1, 2020 successfully test-fired Vagir of Indian Navy launched the naval-version of BrahMos supersonic cruise missile Iin the Bay of Bengal. The test-fire was part of a series of trials that are being carried out by the three defence services he Fifth Scorpene-Class Indian navy. It was then decommis- of India. Similar test-firing of BrahMos missile was conducted Submarine Vagir of the In- sioned after almost three decades of by the Indian Navy in the Arabian Sea in October 2020. Brah- dian Navy was launched on service to the nation on June 7, 2001. Mos Aerospace is an India-Russian collaboration. It produces November 12, 2020, at the Functions of Vagir Submarine: a supersonic cruise missile that can be launched successfully TMazagon Dock in South Mumbai. The ŭƔU°¢ƔÝèÅٲƢÝƔÙ¢Ɣ¿¢ƔãÌƔÖ¢Ù- from aircraft, ships, submarines, or land platforms. The BrahMos submarine comprises of superior form missions like anti-submarine supersonic cruise missile is also the fastest operating system stealth features such as advanced and anti-surface warfare, intelligence in the world in its class. The Defence Research and Develop- acoustic absorption technique. gathering, and area surveillance. ment Organisation has recently extended the missile system’s Building the Scorpene was a ŭƔU°¢Ɣãã½ƔÆƔ¢Ɣ¿èÆ°¢Ɣò²ã°Ɣ range from the existing 298km to 450km. challenge as the complexities of the both tube and torpedoes anti-ship Other test-fires done by India: simplest tasks had increased exponentially because of missiles, whilst on surface or underwater. ŭƔ&ÆƔ9Ìñ¢Å¢ÙƔċĉċĉůƔƔ¿Æƈãã½Ɣñ¢ÙݲÌÆƔÌ«Ɣ Ù°8ÌÝƔ all the work that had to be done in the most congested of ŭƔU°¢ƔÝèÅٲƢƔ°ÝƔ¢¢ÆƔ¢Ý²¬Æ¢ƔãÌƔÌÖ¢Ùã¢Ɣ²ÆƔ¿¿Ɣã°¢Ɣ supersonic cruise missile was test-fired from the Andaman spaces. With the launch of Vagir, India has also confirmed theatres of operations, showing the interoperability with and Nicobar Islands territory and the test-fire was successful. its position as a submarine building nation. It is also in sync the Naval task Force’s other components. The range of the land-attack version of the BrahMos missile with the current vision of government towards Atma Nirb- Technology and features of Submarine: has also been extended to 400km which was earlier 290km. har Bharat and Make in India. MDL informs that the state-of-the-art-technology has ŭƔ&ƲƔ¿ÝÌƔã¢Ýãƈ«²Ù¢ƔÆƔÆã²ƈÙ²ã²ÌÆƔŲÝݲ¿¢ƔLèÙÅƈĊƔ About Submarine Vagir: been used in the submarine to ensure the stealth features which can be inducted into service by 2022. It is a part of the six Kalvari-Class submarines that have such as low radiated noise-levels, acoustic absorption tech- ŭƔ?ÆƔ?ãÌ¢ÙƔČĉůƔċĉċĉůƔã°¢Ɣ&ƲÆƔ²ÙƔ ÌÙ¢Ɣã¢Ýãƈ«²Ù¢Ɣ been built in India and is designed by DCNS, a naval de- niques, ability to attack the enemy using precision-guided the air-launched version of the BrahMos Missile from a fence, and the energy company of France. It is built as part weapons, and hydro-dynamically optimized shape. Sukhoi fighter aircraft in the Bay of Bengal. of the Indian Navy’s Project- 75. The submarine is named The stealth of the potent platform has been enhanced ŭƔU°¢Ɣ&ƲÆƈ²ÙƔ ÌÙ¢Ɣ°ÝƔ¿ÝÌƔ¢¢ÆƔ²Æ㢬Ùã²Æ¬Ɣã°¢Ɣ Vagir which is a sandfish and a deadly deep-sea predator by giving special attention to underwater signatures. The BrahMos supersonic cruise missile on over 40 Sukhoi of the Indian Ocean. The first Vagir which was a submarine stealth features give submarine invulnerability, which is fighter jets that have been aimed at bolstering the overall from Russia was commissioned on December 3, 1973, in the unmatched by most submarines. combat capability of the force. 12 Meet the successful entrepreneurs of 2020
he year 2020 has been challenging both personally Flying high Beauty first and professionally for everyone. From being stuck Business- Falguni Na- at home for days, to seeing businesses shutting to-business yar’s omnichannel, down, the list of woes seems endless. But despite platform multi-brand all this some entrepreneurs innovated and were Udaan beauty, well- Tnoticed for their work. Here’s a look at some of the achievers. launched by ness and lifestyle Urban Company: Banking on beauty segment Amod Malvi- company Nykaa is The lockdown might ya, Vaibhav also known as the have ended but people are Gupta and Sephora of India. still wary to go out for their Sujeet Ku- Probably that’s salon treatment, haircut and mar, saw why despite the other services as the risk of some dark gloom of Covid-19 getting COVID-19 was very days in the this company en- high and the chances of early days of tered the elite unicorn club. The company even raised finding oneself on a waiting the pandemic but it has gone on a hiring spree and is pick- close to Rs 1 crore towards the PM CARES Fund during the list was not unusual. Urban ing up entry to mid-level talent from brick-and-mortar pandemic and donated personal protection and hygiene Company, co-founded by companies. Udaan is also planning to set up offline fresh equipment to the police and local governance authorities in Varun Khaitan, saw an expo- and grocery retail stores in Bengaluru through franchises. several cities across the country. Nykaa saw its online orders nential jump, with services It has forged partnerships with more than 2,500 brands, from small cities go up significantly during this time. The like servicing air conditioners to giving people a haircut one-fourth of which were onboarded amid the COVID-19 company had switched to a 100% prepaid model during the being most in demand. Since June, the business has been pandemic. Udaan connects manufacturers and brands with lockdown months. For the first few months of the lockdown on a very positive trajectory and customers have trusted small retailers across three categories - food (staples and they allowed orders only above Rs 1,500 which helped in Urban Company to enter their homes for both their beauty fresh vegetables), non-food (electronics and fashion), and improving their Average Order Value (AOV). and home service needs. Its revenue had more than doubled pharmaceuticals The new unicorn to Rs 216 crore in FY20 over the previous fiscal, while the The man with a Midas touch It has been a net booking value of all transactions through the Urban Sachin Bansal who good year for Ra- Company platform grew 138 per cent year-on-year to Rs deployed all the pro- zorpay as it entered 918 crore in FY20. ceeds from the sale of his the coveted unicorn Jet, set, go stake in Flipkart, into his club in 2020. This The founder of Jet- financial services ven- fintech company SetGo, Kanika Tekriwal, ture Navi Technologies. has been helping has seen it all. She beat During the pandemic his small businesses cancer at the age of 21, new company became since 2014. It re- started the company in one of the top three digit- cently launched 2014 when she was sur- al lenders in the country. Payment Buttons rounded by naysayers Bansal aims to simplify that enables businesses and freelancers to add a single line and is now the young- and improve accessibil- of code on their website or blog and go live with an integrat- est on the Kotak Wealth ity and affordability of financial services for a billion users ed payment gateway, in less than five minutes. This provides Hurun- Leading Wealthy with Navi. Navi offers unsecured loans of up to Rs 5 lakh for businesses the option of accepting payments for multiple Women, 2020 list. The a 12-24 month period and underwrites it digitally. products, services and events with different price ranges - pandemic has propelled the private chartered aviation Going hyperlocal all through a single button. The company also introduced sector with the super rich opting for it. JetSetGo saw its Ashish Kumar launched his plug-and-play hyperlocal RazorpayX Corporate Cards which aims to provide relief demand increase by manifolds when the lockdown start- startup Near.store in February to help kirana stores go on- and stabilize the financial operations of SMEs. It has also ed to ease as people who were away from their homes line. It was a business as usual scenario until the nationwide partnered with PayPal to enable international payments for many months decided to opt for their services rather lockdown hit the country. As people could not step out of for MSMEs from 200 markets in a secure manner, reducing than commercial planes. their houses, many found it convenient to order food, veg- wait time from days down to minutes. (Pic: Shashank Kumar, Zerodha founders get rich etables and necessary household items online. This helped CTO & Co-Founder, Razorpay) Zerodha co-found- in the growth of Near.store. Between February and March, Zooming ahead ers Nithin and Nikhil the startup had onboarded 4 housing societies in Mumbai Online used car marketplace Cars24 became the Kamath made it to the and 120 kirana stores. A month into lockdown, it had over first startup in the auto sector to enter the unicorn club list of self-made richest 128 housing societies in its kitty and was helping with nearly this year. Founded in 2015 by Vikram Chopra and Mehul Indians under 40 this 300-500 orders per week. Agrawal, Cars24 allows car owners to sell their vehicles, year. Their wealth went Hiring during pandemic and get paid almost instantly after the customary vehicle up by 58 per cent this Pine Labs was launched in 1998 and is a merchant inspection. It then sells the cars through its proprietary year to Rs 24,000 crore, commerce fintech firm that enables such transactions. The auction platform to businesses dealing in pre-owned according to IIFL Wealth company came in great demand when everyone moved to vehicles. The company is developing its consumer fi- Hurun India 40 & Under digital payments during the pandemic. The Mastercard- nancing division, for which the company had received a Self-Made Rich List 2020. Zerodha is a financial service backed company is emerging as one of South Asia’s foremost non-banking financial company licence from the Reserve company that was launched in 2010. In June this year the payment technology players, working closely with banks, Bank of India in 2019. Demand for personal mobility company entered the unicorn club with a valuation of about card networks and regulators in India, Malaysia, and Sin- has risen as people are wary of taking public transport $1bn. The company claims that it has been adding more gapore. Amid all the news of layoffs Pine Labs was looking during a pandemic and Cars24 is a beneficiary of that than 200,000 new customers every month. to hire 150 sales executives. change in habit. 13
Indian-origin teen scientist and Women bag honours for exemplary service he Nari Shakti Puraskar, India’s highest known female temple mural artist in Ker- inventor Gitanjali Rao named civilian honour for women, was first ala. She has painted, preserved and restored Tintroduced in 1999 to recognise exem- mural art in several temples throughout TIME’s first ‘Kid of the Year’ 2020 plary service to the cause of upliftment of the state. women, irrespective of the field. The women 5) ANITA BHARADWAJ, a medical prac- he 15-year-old Indian-American being honoured are from fields ranging from titioner, has undertaken rescue operations Gitanjali Rao, a “brilliant” young sci- sport, art and social work, to science and during the Uttarakhand flood, Nepal earth- entist and inventor, has been named agriculture. Putting service before self, they quake and the Amarnath Yatra attack. by TIME magazine as the first-ever have worked tirelessly toward a just cause. 6) CHIROM INDIRA, a social worker, T‘Kid of the Year’ for her “astonishing work” Here are 8 of these remarkable women! contributed towards women empowerment, using technology to tackle issues rang- 1) CK DURGA, a doctor, is responsible for development of socio-economic conditions ing from contaminated drinking water to a path-breaking technique in breast cancer of the weaker sections of society. opioid addiction and cyberbullying. surgery. According to her methods, the can- 7) AMBICA BERI, an artist, is credited “The world belongs to those who shape about her “astonishing work using technol- cerous tissue is surgically removed, and a with single-handedly establishing ‘Art Ichol,’ it. And however uncertain that world may ogy to tackle issues ranging from contaminated new breast is constructed using the native India’s only permanent creative retreat for feel at a given moment, the reassuring real- drinking water to opioid addiction and cyber- tissue of the patient. artists and sculptors in Ichal, a small village ity seems to be that each new generation bullying, and about her mission to create a 2) JUSTICE GITA MITTAL, Acting Chief around 140km from Khajuraho (Madhya produces more of what these kids have global community of young innovators to solve Justice of Delhi High Court, is credited with Pradesh). The retreat is home to three estates— already achieved: positive impact, in all problems the world over. spearheading a judicial intervention to save the Maihar Heritage Home, the Ichol Art sizes,” Time said. Ms Rao was selected from “Even over video chat, her brilliant mind victims of sexual violence during trials, Justice centre and Amariya, a writer’s retreat. a field of more than 5,000 nominees as and generous spirit shone through, along Gita Mittal, is credited with the Vulnerable 8) SINDHUTAI SAPKAL, a social worker, TIME’s first-ever ‘Kid of the Year’. She was with her inspiring message to other young Witness Project. left school in Class 4. Later, she was married interviewed by actor and activist Angelina people: don’t try to fix every problem, just 3) SABARMATEE TIKI, Scholar, is a con- off as a 10-year-old to a cowherd and was Jolie for the TIME special. focus on one that excites you,” Time said. “If servationist and scholar and the founder of thrown out of the house with a newborn “Observe, brainstorm, research, build I can do it,” she said in the interview, “any- Sambhav. Her venture is an NGO that runs girl child. That prompted her to decide to and communicate,” Ms Rao told about her body can do it.” Ms Rao said her generation vast organic and training farms near Bhu- raise orphans. Struggling and earning just process during a virtual talk with Ms Jo- is facing many problems that they have baneshwar in Odisha. for the betterment of orphans, she is affec- lie from her home in Colorado. She spoke never seen before. 4) K SYAMALAKUMARI is the first tionately known as the “Mother of Orphans”. 14
The Genome India Project
aking inspiration from the Human Genome Project, the Depart- ment of Biotechnology (DBT) initiated the ambitious “Genome India Project” (GIP) on January 3, 2020. The GIP aims to col- lect 10,000 genetic samples from citizens across India, to build a reference genome. This is no mean feat, given that Tthe genome contains all the genetic matter in an organism, i.e., the complete set of DNAs. Whole-genome sequencing and subsequent data analysis of the genetic data of these 10,000 individuals would be carried out. This would aid our understanding of the nature of diseases affecting the Indian population, and then ultimately support the development of predictive diagnostic markers. This is a landmark initiative, partic- ularly because it would bring valuable addition to existing genome research, which has so far been limited to the Western context. It allows India to draw upon its tremendous genetic diversity, given the series of large migrations historically, and thus, add greatly to the current information about the human species. Through whole-genome sequencing, the plan is to build an exhaus- tive catalogue of genetic variations for the Indian population. This would aid in the designing of genome-wide association chips which will facilitate further large-scale genetic studies in a cost-effective manner. Furthermore, it would also open new vistas for advanc- ing next-generation personalized medicine in the country, paving the way for predicting health and disease outcomes and modulating treatment protocols based on the genome sequences. The initiative would also support the development of targeted preventive care, as it has the potential to help identify those popu- lation groups which are more susceptible to various risk factors for certain diseases. For instance, if a region shows a tendency towards a specific disease, customized interventions can be made in the region, accordingly, leading to more effective treatment overall. This project is led by the Centre for Brain Research at Bengaluru-based Indian Institute of Science, which acts as the central coordinator between a collaboration of 20 leading institutions, each collecting sam- ples and conducting its own research. Institutes involved include the Indian Institute of Science (IISc) in Bengaluru as well as several Indian Institutes of Technology (IITs). For conducting the project, investiga- tors in hospitals will lead the data collection through a simple blood test from participants and the information will be added to biobanks. Some of the priority areas are Precision health, Rare genetic dis- orders, Mutation spectrum of genetic and complex diseases in the Indian population, Genetic Epidemiology of Multifactorial Lifestyle Diseases, and Translational Research. This initiative reflects India’s progress in gene therapies and preci- sion medicine, and its movement towards emerging next-generation medicine which yields the possibilities for greater customization, safety, and earlier detection. This initiative would help lay the foun- dation of personalized healthcare for a very large group of persons on the planet.