ADVANCED OCEAN GOING TUG

Guardians of the sea: Indian Navy has its job cut out in unstable waters

The maritime threat perception around India is at its highest level in decades. India's rise as an economic and growing military power has come with its own set of challenges -- the Army got tested on the Ladakh border by a belligerent China, the Air Force was called in to deliver strikes deep into Pakistan to respond to terror threats and the Navy is now facing multi-dimensional opponents in the Indian Ocean.

China increases defence budget by 7.2% to accelerate military modernisation; Here's how India's preparedness holds up

China has announced a significant 7.2% increase in its defence budget, surpassing $230 billion, which is more than three times India's military expenditure. This increase comes despite China's economic slowdown and refusal to de-escalate tensions with India along the Line of Actual Control (LAC). China aims to modernize its two-million-strong armed forces to deter US interference, especially regarding Taiwan. This includes strengthening conventional military and nuclear forces and strategic moves in the Indian Ocean Region (IOR), such as a military assistance pact with the Maldives.

Defence Minister Rajnath Singh commissions INS Sandhayak, warns pirates

INS Sandhayak, the first Survey Vessel Large (SVL) ship, was commissioned into the Indian Navy in Visakhapatnam. The SVL ship will obtain information about the oceans, protect the country, and combat maritime piracy and smuggling. Its primary role is to conduct hydrographic surveys for safe marine navigation.

Expand SDGital Solutions: Leveraging DPI for global problem-solving

Digital Public Infrastructure (DPI) emerges as a crucial tool for solving complex global challenges. The Global Fishing Watch, a DPI platform, tracks illegal fishing, demonstrating how interoperable digital systems can address issues like biodiversity, climate, and food security. A G20 India report advocates for DPI's potential to accelerate progress across all 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). While DPI offers transformative solutions, challenges like inclusivity, data protection, and privacy concerns need addressing for its full benefits to be realized.

The best and most frivolous car tech is going straight to EVs

Gone is the jaundiced bulb that blinks on when a car door is opened, the one your parents warned had to stay off while the vehicle was in motion. In its stead? A veritable LED disco. Today the interior of nearly every battery-powered car is veined with lights in the dashboard, door frames, foot wells and ceiling.

UK to send warships to Indian Ocean as sign of close strategic ties with India: Defence Secy Shapps

Building on the existing strategic partnership, some new joint initiatives highlighted by the MoD during Rajnath Singh's UK visit include Launching Defence Partnership-India, a bespoke office designed to further defence collaboration between the two countries; a commitment to several instructor exchanges between UK Officer Training Colleges and specialist schools, alongside a Youth Exchange MOU to solidify the already strong relationship between our cadet organisations.

How could a COP28 climate deal advance protection of nature?

As the U.N. climate talks enter their final week in Dubai, Colombia and Germany called in an open letter for the U.N. climate summit's outcome to formally support efforts to combat land degradation, reverse biodiversity loss and restore ecosystems, among other nature protection measures.

India, US in agreement on strategic issues, countering China's aggression: Rajnath Singh

Countering China's aggression, promoting a free and open Indo-Pacific and addressing regional security challenges were some of the key issues that US and India agreed on. Singh made the remarks at a bilateral meeting with his American counterpart, Lloyd Austin, that took place shortly after the conclusion of the fifth edition of the India-US "2+2" ministerial dialogue.

Indian Predator drones help Navy keep a close watch over Indian Ocean Region

The Indian Navy has utilized Predator drones to conduct over 13,000 hours of missions in the Indian Ocean Region. The drones, leased from American firm General Atomics, have the capability to cover the entire region in one go, with a range of 4,000-8,000 km and a flight time of over 30 hours. The Navy plans to acquire 15 more advanced drones equipped with weapons and detection kits under a tri-services deal with the US. The drones have been effective in monitoring the movement of Chinese warships and vessels in Indian areas of interest.

Mazagon Dock Shipbuilders given go-ahead to construct three Scorpene submarines for Indian Navy

The procurement of additional submarines, emphasizing a higher indigenous content, is viewed as crucial not only for strengthening the Indian Navy but also for promoting self-reliance and expertise in submarine construction. Mazagon Dock Shipbuilders stands to benefit from this contract, further enhancing its capabilities in the field.

Deeply concerned about impact of Russia-Ukraine conflict on Global South: PM Modi

"Our interests in the Indo-Pacific region are vast, and our engagement is deep. I have described our vision for this region in one word - SAGAR, which stands for Security and Growth for All in the Region. While peace is necessary for the future we seek to build, it is far from assured," PM Modi said.

Money can buy a visit to space or the deep sea, but it can't guarantee safety

The deaths of five people aboard the Titan submersible, along with its hefty price tag of $250,000 a person, emphasize the lack of safeguards when something goes wrong in the world of extreme travel. Innovations in technology have opened up the possibilities of travel, and wealthy travelers are willing to spend more to go further, especially when it comes to space travel and underwater exploration.

Drones, jet engines fly ties to sky & beyond; underscore India’s recalibration of strategic calculus

India’s proposed $3.5 billion acquisition of the 31 MQ­9B high­ altitude, long­ endurance drones — 15 Sea Guardians for Navy and eight Sky Guardians each for Army and IAF — under the US government’s foreign military sales (FMS) programme will eventually have to be cleared by the Indian Cabinet Committee on Security (CCS) before the final contract is inked.

Deep-sea craft carrying 5 people to Titanic wreckage reported missing, search underway

A submarine that was on a tourism expedition to explore the wreckage of the Titanic has gone missing off the coast of Canada. Private company OceanGate Expeditions is currently mobilizing a rescue operation for those on board, and it is unknown how many people are missing. At $250,000 per person, the expedition begins in Newfoundland and takes passengers inside the five-person submersible Titan, which takes about two hours to descend to the Titanic wreckage site approximately 400 miles out into the Atlantic.

Ajit Doval - Jake Sullivan discuss Chinese ambitions in Indian Ocean Region

It has been learnt that China’s expanding footprints across Asia with specific focus on its long-term designs in the IOR received considerable focus in the talks here held a day after the second edition of iCET dialogue aimed at advancing critical technology cooperation.

How shocking the ocean could turn it into a carbon removal powerhouse

While the ocean is already Earth's most powerful tool for carbon removal, we need it to do some more to reach net zero emissions.

The World vs India's economy, S2 Ep 1

​​Each of these does, indeed, pose a threat. But India has remedies by way of access to discounted Russian oil, and food, foreign exchange and banking capital buffers. Besides, external shocks this year are unlikely to be as intense as last year's Russia-Ukraine conflict and ensuing Western sanctions, or the pace of coordinated liquidity tightening by central banks.

Scientists sound alarm as ocean temperatures hit new record

India’s SME segment is going to be a driving force for India’s output, but tech penetration remains low to help it, says GoTo Inc’s CEO

"Two trillion of India’s five trillion dollar economy ambition, 40% of the country’s output is going to come from the SMBs. The new workforce is going to come into the picture through SMEs. There is a tremendous amount of need emerging for technology and the penetration of technology in SMB is probably not that high at all."

Ongoing protests may delay completion of Adani port in Vizhinjam

The government claimed it has accepted almost all demands of the protesters. However, the protesters are not ready to budge, alleging the project will adversely affect the livelihood of the fishermen, coastal eco-system and the ecology of the Western Ghats due to mining of granite stones for the same.

Significant drop in SO2 levels in India in last decade: IIT KGP

The study represents temporal changes in SO2 concentrations across India in the last four decades (1980-2020). While thermal power plants contributed 51 per cent to SO2 concentration, the construction sector's share was 29 per cent, as per the estimate during that period.

Miniature swimming robots may soon explore 'ocean worlds' of the Solar System

The environment in these oceans may be very similar to that on Earth at the time life began.

For $3 mn, you can go sailing on an atomic superyacht with scientists and billionaires to examine the state of the oceans

The ship, called Earth 300, was designed by superyacht specialist Ivan Salas Jefferson.