Eyes of the India

  Rajeev Jhawar , the son of Brij Kishore Jhawar, is an Indian industrialist with over three decades of experience in strategic management. He is an alumnus of Ranchi University and London Business School. He started his journey as Sr. Vice President (Commercial) and became the Managing Director of Usha Martin Limited in 1998. He has been the Managing Director at Usha Martin Limited since May 19, 2008, and in the three decades that he has been at the helm of the Usha Martin Group, he has accelerated growth, built a meritocracy and enhanced stakeholder value. Usha Martin started its business as a wire rope manufacturing company. The group has set new standards in the manufacture of wire rods, bright bars, steel wires, specialty wires, wire ropes, strand, conveyor cord, wire drawing and cable machinery. The company is also in the business activities of Steel, Wire & Wire Ropes. Rajeev Jhawar is the Director of Neutral Publishing House Ltd. He graduated from London Business Scho...

 In November last year, I woke up to find two messages on my mobile phone that were sent by my bank. One of the messages was a one-time password number and the other informed me that Dh53,000 ($14,431) had been deducted from my account. The transaction was carried out from Baku, Azerbaijan. The money that had been taken was my life savings. I immediately contacted my bank, the police and the Central Bank of the UAE to inform them that my money had been stolen without my knowledge. The police investigated my case and gave me a letter detailing the incident, which I then gave to the bank for its investigation into the matter. However, the bank told me that it was a secured, authorised transaction and it was not responsible for my money disappearing. I don’t understand how this happened as I did not give the OTP to anybody and it happened while I was sleeping. I have since lodged a complaint with the bank as I am unhappy with their decision. I have also made a formal complaint with th...

Analysts say that volatility will continue to remain high, and suggest investors to focus on stocks selection and traders to keep hedge positions. Share Market News Today LIVE: Domestic equity market benchmarks BSE Sensex and Nifty 50 were trading over half a per cent higher on Wednesday, a day before monthly F&O expiry, as Russia-Ukraine talks progressed.  BSE  Sensex was hovering around 58400, while NSE Nifty 50 tops 17400. Bharti Airtel, Maruti Suzuki, Nestle India, Bajaj Finance, Asian Paints, Housing Development Finance Corporation (HDFC) were top Sensex gainers. Tech Mahindra, Tata Steel, Sun Pharma, NTPC, and ITC were among top index laggards. Barring Nifty Metal, and Nifty Oil & Gas, all the sectoral indices were trading with the gains.

 Ukraine’s President Volodymyr Zelenskyy says that the talks with Russian negotiators have had some positive signs but warned that Moscow could not be trusted. Russia announced after Tuesday’s talks between the delegations in Istanbul, Turkey, that it would significantly reduce military operations near Ukraine’s capital, Kyiv, and the northern city of Chernihiv. The US and others earlier expressed scepticism about Russia’s announcement. “Yes, we can say that the signals we hear from the talks are positive, but these signals can’t silence the explosions of Russian shells," Mr Zelenskyy in a video address on Tuesday evening. "Of course, we are seeing all of the risks. Of course, we are not seeing grounds to trust the words coming from representatives of the country that continues fighting to destroy us.” He said Ukrainian troops’ “courageous and effective actions” forced Russia to reduce its action around Kyiv and Chernihiv. Mr Zelenskyy said Ukraine would continue the negotiat...

 U.S.-India bilateral relations for decades had more form than substance. Gauzy rhetoric about “shared democratic values” papered over tensions rooted in differences over the Cold War. The U.S. wanted India to choose sides; Indian leaders, fresh from an anti-colonial struggle, preferred charting an independent course to being trapped in the slipstream of others’ disputes. But if India’s leading role in the Nonaligned Movement — and its arms deals with the Soviet Union — put a ceiling on the bilateral relationship, the American public’s generally positive view of India’s struggle for freedom and commitment to democracy established a floor. As a result, even when political tensions arose, the U.S. provided development assistance to India, people-to-people exchanges expanded, and scientific cooperation grew. The collapse of the Soviet Union signaled an opportunity for a new chapter in the  bilateral relationship. The respective governments in the 1990s in Washington and New Delhi...

 Sanctioned billionaire Roman Abramovich was in Turkey for the start of peace talks between Ukraine and Russia on Tuesday. He was at the Dolmabahce Palace in Istanbul, where the talks are taking place, and listened to a speech by Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan but it was not immediately clear what role he has, if any, in the ceasefire negotiations. Mr Abramovich, the owner of Chelsea Football Club which is up for sale, was among a group of people who suffered symptoms consistent with poisoning after attending earlier peace talks in Ukraine. The Russian oligarch, who is involved in negotiations between Kyiv and Moscow, is understood — along with at least two Ukrainian negotiators — to have developed red eyes, constant and painful tears and peeling skin on their faces and hands since the meeting at the beginning of this month. Mr Abramovich, whose superyacht is also reportedly in Turkey, has had a number of his assets targeted by international sanctions after the Russian war ...

 Top Volkswagen shareholder Porsche Automobil Holding supports plans to list luxury sports car maker Porsche but the conflict in Ukraine could affect the timing of the proposed initial public offering, the holding company said on Tuesday. Volkswagen aims to conduct the Porsche IPO in the fourth quarter of 2022, though that may change if the conflict in Ukraine drags on, Porsche Automobil Holding's finance chief said. "We cannot rule out, if the conflict lasts a longer time, that this could have potential implications on the listing," Johannes Lattwein told a news conference, without elaborating on how it would affect plans. No final decision has been made on the proposed IPO, the company said. A framework agreement for the listing proposed by Volkswagen in February includes selling 25 per cent plus 1 ordinary share in the car maker to Porsche Automobil Holding as well as listing up to 25 per cent of Porsche's preferred stock. Volkswagen aims to conduct the Porsche IPO...

 At least 80 per cent of Britain’s gas supplies and 70 per cent of oil must be sourced from abroad by 2030, a UK oil and gas trade body said on Tuesday, unless there is investment to boost North Sea output. Offshore Energies UK (OEUK) said major investment is needed to offset a reliance on imports after Norway became the leading supplier of gas to Britain last year – the first time a single country has become the primary source. Deirdre Michie, chief executive of Offshore Energies UK, said Britain’s overall oil and gas production will fall by up to 15 per cent a year unless there is rapid investment in new infrastructure. “This decline is much faster than the predicted reduction in UK energy demand so, if there is no such investment then, by 2030, we will be reliant on other countries for at least 80 per cent of our gas and 70 per cent of our oil,” Ms Michie said. “That gap will have to be filled by imports, meaning the UK will become ever more dependent on other countries.” This r...

 Security services in Germany are monitoring the use of the pro-Russian Z symbol as Ukraine urged its allies to ban an emblem it described as showing “public support of barbarism”. A symbol resembling the Roman letter, which does not exist in the Cyrillic alphabet, was painted on Russian tanks when they rolled into Ukraine. It has also been adopted by civilians as a show of support for Moscow’s troops. One suggestion is that it was painted on Russian tanks to distinguish them from those of Ukrainian forces. The symbol has been compared to Nazi and communist iconography and was worn by presenters at a pro-war rally addressed by Russian President Vladimir Putin in Moscow. On Tuesday, Dmytro Kuleba, Ukraine’s Foreign Minister, urged countries to criminalise what he said was a symbol of support for the month-long invasion. “Z means Russian war crimes, bombed-out cities, thousands of murdered Ukrainians. Public support of this barbarism must be forbidden,” he said. Several German states...

 A Russian soldier laid down his weapons and offered a T-72B3 tank to the Ukrainian military in exchange for £7,500 because he “didn’t see the point in war”, authorities in Kyiv said. The member of the invading forces deserted the Red Army after his two crewmates fled and returned to Russia and his commanding officer threatened to shoot him. Members of the Ukrainian Volunteer Corps prepare howitzer, as Russia's attack on Ukraine continues, at a position in the Zaporizhzhia region of Ukraine on Monday. Victor Andrusiv, the Ukrainian minister of internal affairs, posted a photo on Facebook showing a soldier lying face down in the ground near a tank, while another soldier points a gun at him. The soldier known as “Misha” phoned Ukrainian police to arrange to meet them after authorities had sent messages to Russian soldiers with information about how to surrender, Mr Andrusiv said. He will have a chance to obtain Ukrainian citizenship, authorities said. Misha’s account adds to reports ...

  New Delhi:   Nearly a week after the Common University Entrance Test (CUET) was made mandatory for admission into all 45 Central Universities, the Jamia Millia Islamia (JMI) has announced that it will admit students to eight courses through CUET in its undergraduate programmes during the 2022-23 academic session. The decision has been communicated to the University Grants Commission (UGC) and the National Testing Agency (NTA), said an official statement. Also Read -  CUET 2022: Over 8 Deemed Universities Interested in Common University Entrance Test, Claims UGC Chairman The university has kept a minimum eligibility criterion of 50 per cent marks in Class 12 Boards for all eight courses. It was decided in a meeting attended by the top officials of the university that admissions to selected undergraduate courses will be done through CUET. These courses are BA Hons (Hindi), BA Hons (Sanskrit), BA Hons (French and Francophone Studies), BA Hons (Spanish and Latin American St...

  Usha Martin is one of the world’s leading manufacturers of wire rope. Established in the year 1960, today Usha Martin is a multi-unit and multi-product organization. The wire rope manufacturing facilities located in Ranchi, Hoshiarpur, Dubai, Bangkok and UK produce one of the widest ranges of wire ropes in the world. The infrastructural facilities are equipped with the latest state-of-the-art high-capacity machines to manufacture world-class products. Our Global R&D centre located in Italy is actively engaged in designing wire ropes and uses proprietary design software to develop products that are the best in class. Rajeev Jhawar has been the Managing Director of Usha Martin  Usha Martin also has a comprehensive R&D facility in their manufacturing unit at Ranchi in India. Long-standing application in diverse sectors like Oil & Offshore, Mining, Crane, Elevator, Infrastructure etc. is the testimony of their expertise in manufacturing high-quality wire rope...

Britain’s negotiations with Iran aimed at securing the release of dual citizen Nazanin Zaghari-Ratcliffe are “going right up to the wire”, Prime Minister Boris Johnson said. Mr Johnson said talks with Tehran over the fate of the mother of one were “moving forward” but he could not say more as “negotiations continue to be under way”. Liz Truss, the UK’s foreign secretary, said the government’s priority is to pay Iran the £400 million debt and reach an agreement with Tehran to allow Mrs Zaghari-Ratcliffe, 43, to return to Britain. Richard Ratcliffe, the husband of imprisoned Nazanin Zaghari-Ratcliffe, and their 7-year-old daughter Gabriella hold up pictures of Nazanin in Parliament Square in London in September 2021, to mark the 2,000 days she has been detained in Iran.  Hopes were raised on Tuesday that she might finally be freed after six years when a London MP disclosed that her British passport had been returned to her. Labour’s Tulip Siddiq said Mrs Zaghari-Ratcliffe has been ta...

 Britain's Prime Minister Boris Johnson landed in Abu Dhabi on Wednesday for talks with senior officials over the war in Ukraine and the global energy crises. Mr Johnson was greeted at Abu Dhabi airport by British Ambassador to the UAE Patrick Moody and UAE presidential adviser Anwar Gargash. He was guided through a guard of honour before travelling across the city to Emirates Palace. Boris Johnson, who will later on Wednesday visit Riyadh, will talk to officials about boosting oil production to ease spiking fuel prices linked to Russia's war in Ukraine, the UK's Press Association agency reported. Britain's Prime Minister Boris Johnson arrives at Abu Dhabi airport on March 16, 2022.  Speaking to British media at the Emirates Palace hotel, Mr Johnson said: “It’s not just a question of looking at the Opec countries and what they can do to increase supply, though that is important, there’s also the issue of Emirati investment in UK wind farms, already huge, what more can t...

 North Korea fired a suspected ballistic missile that exploded in mid-air shortly after launch, South Korea said on Wednesday. The failed launch was likely a test of Pyongyang's so-called "monster missile", analysts have warned. The suspected ballistic missile "seems to have exploded in mid-air shortly after launch," Seoul's Joint Chiefs of Staff told AFP. The launch was North Korea's 10th suspected weapons test this year. The US said the nuclear-armed country was preparing to fire an intercontinental ballistic missile [ICBM] "at full range" for the first time since 2017. North Korea, despite international sanctions, conducted seven missile tests in January and twice launched components of what it claimed was a "reconnaissance satellite". South Korea and the US said last week those tests were actually of a new ICBM system that has never been launched before. The Hwasong-17, dubbed a "monster missile" by analysts, was first u...

The UAE's biggest telecom operator e& owns a 28 per cent stake in Saudi Arabia's Mobily The UAE’s biggest telecoms operator, e&, said on Wednesday that it has made an offer to increase its stake in Saudi telecoms company Etihad Etisalat, better known as Mobily, to 50% and one share. Formerly known as Etisalat, e& owns a 28 per cent stake in Mobily, which was founded in 2004. "The purpose of the discussions is for e& to come to an understanding with the Mobily board of directors in respect of the conditions applicable to the potential offer (including its implementation) which the Mobily board would be able to recommend to Mobily’s shareholders," e& said in a  regulatory filing  to Abu Dhabi Securities Exchange, where its shares are traded.

 Philippine economic managers rejected calls to suspend excise taxes on petroleum products, instead pitching for more subsidies to affected sectors and a shorter work week to cut costs. The government is expecting to collect 131.4 billion pesos ($2.5bn) this year from excise taxes on fuel, Finance Secretary Carlos Dominguez said on Wednesday. Yielding to some politicians and transport groups’ call to suspend the levy will cut this year’s revenue by 0.5 per cent of gross domestic product, he said. Protesters holding placards stage a rally in front of a petrol station in Manila City Instead, Economic Planning Secretary Karl Chua pitched for more direct aid to affected sectors including the poorest 50 per cent of households. He also proposed a four-day work week to reduce costs for businesses and workers, a move done in past oil shocks. A three-month wage subsidy has also been proposed by the country's Department of Labour and Employment. Russia’s military offensive in Ukraine has fan...

  The seven-year war in Yemen will only end by forcing the Iran-backed   Houthi   rebels to the negotiating table, the United States' senior diplomat in the UAE said. The conflict has sparked one of the world's worst humanitarian crises and also threatens the stability of the wider region. The Houthis have also targeted the UAE and Saudi Arabia with ballistic missiles and drones. "Right now the Houthis are the aggressor in that war. And we are working very, very intensely with our partners in the region, with the UAE, with Saudi Arabia and also with the United Nations to try to bring the fighting to a stop," Charge d'Affaires Sean Murphy said. The rebel Houthis in Yemen have shown themselves to be more interested in fighting over peace, says US official Sean Murphy. Efforts to  broker a peace   between the Houthis and the internationally recognised-government, who are backed by a Saudi-led coalition, stalled last summer after the rebels ...