August 7, 2025 • 21 mins
First, we talk to The Indian Express' Ravi Dutta Misra about US President Donald Trump announcing an additional 25% tariff on Indian goods, bringing the total up to 50%, in response to India’s continued purchase of Russian oil during the Ukraine war. Ravi shares what this means for the Indian economy and India US ties.
Next, we talk to The Indian Express' Amrita Nayak Dutta about the Indian Army's plan to integrate Unmanned Aerial Vehicles or UAVs more commonly known as drones to their standard weapon system. This development gained momentum after Operation Sindoor and Amrita shares what significance it holds. (10:49)
Lastly, we talk about the Jammu and Kashmir government banning the publication of 25 books that have been written about Kashmir. (18:20)
Hosted by Niharika Nanda
Produced and written by Niharika Nanda and Shashank Bhargava
Edited and mixed by Suresh Pawar
Next, we talk to The Indian Express' Amrita Nayak Dutta about the Indian Army's plan to integrate Unmanned Aerial Vehicles or UAVs more commonly known as drones to their standard weapon system. This development gained momentum after Operation Sindoor and Amrita shares what significance it holds. (10:49)
Lastly, we talk about the Jammu and Kashmir government banning the publication of 25 books that have been written about Kashmir. (18:20)
Hosted by Niharika Nanda
Produced and written by Niharika Nanda and Shashank Bhargava
Edited and mixed by Suresh Pawar
Mark as Played
Transcript
Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Speaker 1 (00:00):
In this episode, we talk about the Indian Army incorporating
unmanned aerial vehicles or drones as a standard weapon system.
We also talk about the German Kashmir government banning the
publication of twenty five books written about Kashmir. But we
begin today by discussing US President Donald Trump doubling the
tariffs on India to fifty percent. Hi i amed Hari
(00:27):
Kananda and you are listening to three things in an
Express News show. It was in Wednesday that US President
Donald Trump announced an additional twenty five percent tariff on
Indian goods, bringing the total up to fifty percent, in
response to India's continued purchase of Russian oil during the
(00:48):
Ukraine War. Trump has accused India of profiting from discounted
Russian crude and has given a twenty one day deadline
before the new tariffs come into effect now. In response,
New Delli has condemned this move as unjustified and unreasonable
economic coercion and said it will take all necessary measures
to protect its national interests and economic security. Meanwhile, Indian
(01:12):
exporters already heavily reliant on the US, which accounts for
nearly twenty percent of India's exports are scrambling to hold
on to access to their most valuable market. To understand
what this latest threat could mean for India's economy and
diplomatic ties, Michael Ekshashank Barger speaks to the Indian Expresses
Ravid the Tamisha.
Speaker 2 (01:33):
Ravida's latest threat by Trump seems to be part of
his larger efforts to put an end to the Russia
Ukraine War, which is actually something that he had promised
to do during his election campaign. In fact, he had
said that he would end the war on his day
one as president.
Speaker 3 (01:50):
Yes, so this is one of his ways of getting
a result, unasured result. He understands that, you know, if
you have to make Russia do something, you will have
to perhaps challenge China in some way or challenge India
in some way, because China and India are the top
buyers of Russian oil.
Speaker 4 (02:11):
He has tried that with China and he failed.
Speaker 3 (02:13):
So the other option he has now is India, because
we don't have that kind of leverage at the moment
like China has. They have critical mineral processing capacity and
they could leverage that to reduce their tariffs. We, on
the other hand, have gotten on the wrong side of Trump,
because one we could not sign a deal before August one,
(02:35):
and number two, we don't have anything else to kind
of prevent the Trump tariffs. So this is why I
believe Trump is getting two things done from just pressurizing one.
Speaker 2 (02:46):
Country and talk about how much oil does India actually
buy from Russia? Because we understand that it wasn't that
much earlier, but it increased a lot after COVID.
Speaker 3 (02:56):
Right, Yeah, so before the Russia, Ukraine or Russian oil
only comprised of two percent of our entire oil imports.
That number has gone above twenty five. So Russia is
our top source of oil. And this has primarily happened
because Europe decided not to buy Russian.
Speaker 2 (03:15):
Oil and rabbly fifty percent tariffs. I mean, this is
a lot Indian exporters and the Indian government any we're
concerned about the twenty five percent tariffs and now Trump
has threatened to double that. How concerned is India right now?
Speaker 3 (03:32):
So you know, before the tariffs were announced, I was
talking to an exporter and he said that orders are
on hold. US is no longer placing fresh orders because
there's concern that you know, once new tariffs come in,
the entire calculation will be of no use. And exporters
were expecting perhaps a ten of fifteen percent additional duty.
(03:56):
But when Trump announced twenty five percent, it came as
a shock for not only the exporters but also experts
but also you know, the officials, because nobody anticipated such
a steep tariff. And it is not about oil, and
it is essentially about pressurizing India to sign a deal
because now Trump is more aggressive. He has signed a
(04:17):
deal with European Union, and he has signed a deal
with Japan South Korea. Now he has nothing to fear
and India is one large economy which has not yet
kind of signed the dotted lines. So now the tariff
gun is on India's head.
Speaker 2 (04:32):
And what position does this leave India with, Like, do
we have any idea about how it's going to approach this, which,
like you said, seems like a negotiation tactic.
Speaker 3 (04:43):
Absolutely, because for instance, we export US a lot of
textile and footwear products. If we are facing fifty percent tariffs,
there will be a bit of her consequences on the
US consumer as well. So now you know a lot
of ministries and industry they have gun working on a
plan to offer more to Trump, that these conversations are
(05:06):
actively happening. Last Saturday we reported that ministers have given
this message across all sectors, across all ministries and to
try and sweeten the deal for Trump.
Speaker 4 (05:17):
And this is what is actively being discussed.
Speaker 2 (05:20):
And just for the benefit of our listeners, you know,
this fifty percent tariff is higher than what the US
has imposed on Vietnam, Bangladesh, and it's even higher than
what it has imposed on China. So what questions does
this raise about India and US dies especially considering that
it has been one of India's major trading partners. It
(05:43):
is a strategic ally. But now, and you know, despite
the Bonhami we had seen between Trump and Pmody, we
are now being threatened with some of the highest tariffs.
Speaker 4 (05:55):
Yeah.
Speaker 3 (05:56):
So you know, the day he announced these tariffs, you know,
August one, when new tariffs were announced, things still seemed
like it is about the trade deficit. But when you
are taking it to oil, you're essentially threatening US with
higher inflation.
Speaker 4 (06:12):
You are threatening us with you know.
Speaker 3 (06:13):
Our ability to decide where we import oil from, how
do we conduct our own matters of our own economy.
So things have gotten more political than economic. And this
is the sense that I'm getting from experts, not only
in India, across the board. And why it is essentially
surprising is because when the US president was elected, even
(06:34):
his bureaucrats or people close to him, they essentially believed
that India is a strategic ally to counter China, and
this featured in a number of documents that US had released.
So that is one of the reasons why it's absolutely
a surprise. Number Two, I don't believe India US ties
hinges on Trump. There is a lot of economic integration
(06:56):
over the years that has happened, not just in the
merchandise good sector. It has happened in the service sector.
Far more than goods. There is integration in services. There
are large US companies working in India. Apple is producing iPhones,
and so our interests are aligned in a lot of fashion.
And I believe this is a negotiating tactics because Trump
(07:19):
requires one more.
Speaker 2 (07:20):
Big victory and you know this economic coersion to achieve
geopolitical goals. How effective has it been for the US
in the past, and also how frequently does it use
this approach.
Speaker 3 (07:32):
We wrote a story on this former RBA Governor og
Pateli did a study on the unseen impacts of sanctions
and according to his analysis, the US has imposed three
times more sanctions than any other international body, let alone
a country. So it is kind of the sanctionary in chief.
I mean, it's not the first time US is deciding
(07:54):
to impose a barrier on one country. It has done
it with Venezuela, it has done it with Era, and
some of these countries have been vital for US. For instance,
no small things, Iran used to buy a lot of
tea from US, and now because the trade has kind
of slowed, we are not able to sell as much
tea as we would have wanted to. And there are
multiple investments. For instance, Chabaharport in Iran. India had invested
(08:16):
heavily there, but because of those sanctions, we don't know
how much money we lost and there's no public account
for it or there's no transparency or you know, conversation
going on. So this is essentially what Uji Patl was
talking about. You know, these sanctions have had a lot
of impact on us, and that is why it is
(08:37):
time for US to look at bricks and Asian development banks.
Speaker 4 (08:41):
Just so as to de risk our sales.
Speaker 3 (08:43):
We cannot rely on one country for our economic future.
Speaker 2 (08:48):
And you know, in the beginning of this conversation you
had mentioned China, and China, of course, also trades with Russia.
It is in fact the largest buyer of Russian oil.
So has this latest execus a border by the US
mentioned China at all.
Speaker 3 (09:03):
It did not explicitly mention China, but it hints that
US officials will now produce a report or report back
to the President on countries that are buying Russian oil,
and then essentially things will move forward from there. But
it's no news that China is the biggest buyer of
Russian oil.
Speaker 4 (09:21):
It is one of the biggest buyer of Iranian oil.
Speaker 3 (09:24):
And what at the moment is a problem for Trump
is that he cannot stand up to China. He can
squeeze us because he has seen our weak points. He
has realized during negotiations that agriculture is a red line,
that is a sensitive area, and he's pressing, but with
China he doesn't have that kind of leverage. And every
other country other than China has pretty much given in
(09:45):
to his demands.
Speaker 2 (09:47):
And from the negotiation point of view of course, this
sports India in a very tough spot right now. What
are the things that it is not willing to compromise on.
Speaker 3 (09:57):
So at the moment, agriculture is the most sensitive thing,
and it's not just for the US. We have not
opened our aggreen market for any other trade partner meat Australia,
B to UK to perhaps also for European Union. So
we have not done it in the past because essentially
Indian farmers have smaller landholdings, you know, and all these
(10:18):
developed countries have strong subsidies that they offer to the farmers,
They have technical support and that makes a huge difference
in their production, their genetically modified products.
Speaker 4 (10:30):
And once you allow such a.
Speaker 3 (10:32):
Competition to come in, how are you going to ensure
that our farmers their livelihood?
Speaker 4 (10:37):
And that has been the case for the last several
years and that has not changed.
Speaker 3 (10:40):
And according to what Prime Minister said in the morning
that no matter what the cost is, India will continue
to protect its farmers.
Speaker 1 (10:52):
And next we talk about the Indian Army, which is
set to undergo a significant organizational overhaul. According to a
report v by The Indian Express's Amrita Nayak Data, the
army plans to integrate unmanned aerial vehicles or UAVs and
counter YUEV systems more commonly known as drones as standard
weapons systems at the battalion level across most of its arms.
(11:16):
While these plans had been under discussion for several months,
they gathered momentum after Operations Sindur in May, which followed
the Pehlgam terror attack. During the operations, drones played a
major role in targeting Pakistani sites, reinforcing their importance in
modern warfare. In fact, Chief of Defense staff Anil Jahan
(11:36):
has recently spoken about the revolutionary impact of drones on
how wars are fought today.
Speaker 5 (11:43):
As the realization of the scope of deployment, utility and
success increased, army started using drones in a revolutionary kind
of man and you've seen this a number of wars
which are being fought by US. Utility grew many folds
from being simple means of past quotation, photography or videography
to become a cost effective force multipliers for modern warfare.
(12:06):
Their unbriddle and rampant use in modern day conflicts proved
not only they're utilated, but also there ubiquity, they're augmented.
They augment maned systems and enable militaries to conduct simultaneous
operations across multiple domains with fewer sources and minimal danger
to human lives.
Speaker 1 (12:28):
Now, apart from rone integration, the transformation will also include
the formation of light commander battalions, integrated brigades, and specialized
artillery regiments and batteries, all designed with future warfare in mind.
So to understand why this shift towards drone warfare is
so significant and how these systems will be incorporated into
(12:50):
existing infantry structures, we are joined by Amretha in this segment,
Amreda tell us what led the army to take this
call now and what it's thinking behind this.
Speaker 6 (13:02):
So Niharika, drones and other new age platforms and equipment
are increasingly forming part of modern warfare. In line with that,
the Army is looking into making it a standard issue
weapon at the unit level, so for all its arms,
most of its arms, rather so that the men are
better trained on them. Their procurement cycle is hassle free.
It's easier and the manpower for it would be met
(13:25):
from within the fource, so it will not require any
additional expenditure and anything of that sort. So yes, that
is one of the reason why this is being done.
Speaker 1 (13:34):
And were drones not being used by the Indian Army before?
Speaker 6 (13:38):
They were but on an ad hoc basis. Making them
a standard issue weapon will ease the procurement and will
ensure better training on them. So earlier, various financial powers
of the commanders at the central level and at the
command level they were used to procure this drones as
and when needed. So this would make the procurement slightly
(14:00):
at hoc and also the training would be something like
people were also had other weapons to handle, so some
people had to be pulled out and they had to
be additionally retrained. So this will streamline this whole procurement
and training process once it has made a standard issue
weapon instead of letting it happen on an ad hoc basis
as was the case earlier. So to your question, they
(14:21):
were part of the infantry before, but not in the
standard way. It was on an ad hoc basis.
Speaker 1 (14:26):
And when it comes to operating these drones and putting
them to use, will the personnel be reassigned for the
task and will this require more specialized trained man power.
Speaker 6 (14:36):
So Deharika, like I said, the plans as of today
as we speak are to put people put personnel together
from existing units and let them train specially on roanes
instead of hiring any specialized manpower. This is in line
with the save and Raised concept of the Army. There
would be no additional expenditure, but it would be met
from the existing manpower. That is a plan so far
(14:59):
as you know, manpower is the people there. They're anywhere
trained on many of the sophisticated unmanned aerial vehicles that
the in and Armed forces already have. So this will
only mean more training and in a more structured way.
So this is a save and race concept. This will
not involve putting any more specialized and manpower for it.
(15:20):
It would just be rearranged from the existing units.
Speaker 1 (15:23):
And Amrita, we understand that the Army is also planning
to establish Rudra brigades. Can you tell us why this
is being done and what purpose will they serve?
Speaker 6 (15:32):
So Deharika, the Rudra brigades, they are somewhat on the
lines of the integrated Battle groups that it's a concept
that was developed a couple of years ago by the
Army ibgs or integrated battle groups. They were restructuring initiative
of the Army to create self contained, agile and deeply
deployable brigade sized units, so they would be tailored for
(15:53):
specific tasks and specific operational needs based on threat, terrain, etc.
And they would comprise elements of different terms of the Army.
So similar to this concept, the Rudra brigades are being established,
which will again be an all arms brigade. It will
have uaves, it will have other logistical elements. It will
(16:14):
have people from arms like infantry, armored, artillery, so it
will be like an all arms brigate along with uaves
and other logistical elements. So this will involve restructuring the
existing infantry, armored and artillery brigades and this will allow
Rudra brigades to function independently across various sectors as integrated
units for future wars, and these brigades are likely to
(16:37):
be deployed for both conventional and hybrid operations. The logistics
and network center operations for Search Brigade will be tailored
to specific missions and operational areas.
Speaker 1 (16:47):
And AMRIDA this development has grown out of operations in
THERE and the lessons learned from it and some similar
initiatives were also announced by Army Chief General Upendrad Vivid
on Cargill Divas on twenty six of July.
Speaker 6 (17:01):
Can you tell us what those initiatives are?
Speaker 4 (17:03):
So?
Speaker 6 (17:03):
Nijharigatha's plans were under discussion for several months and they
have gained pace after the operations in duran By. Some
of the changes that are being made are from lessons
obtained during this operation. The restructuring will be done at
different levels. For example, in the Regiment of Artillery, establishing
two batteries with an increased number of guns each as
well as adding a third drone battery equid with serveillance
(17:26):
and combat drones are being considered. Additionally, the Divastra artillery
batteries they will be created. The announcement was made by
Army Chief General Devedi during his cargo which they were speech.
He said that the Diva Astra artillery batteries are being
created and these will have next generation long range guns
and loitering munitions which would be capable of conducting surveillance
(17:47):
and identifying and engaging targets in depth areas. Right now,
there's a Reiki platoon that is responsible for navigating and
leading units to their targets alongside the three squadns and
companies in armored and mechanized infantry. Italians their plans to
enhance this REKI platoons with surveillance and strike drones. So similarly,
for the EAME their plans to enhance repair capabilities in
(18:11):
order to improve drone repair capabilities within the core zone workshops.
So these are some of the various plans that are
being considered, discussed and will be put on paper.
Speaker 1 (18:26):
And in the end we talk about the Jammu and
Kashmir Home Department banning the publication of twenty five books
on Kashmir, including books by authors such as Arundhati Roi
and aij Nurani, saying that they propagate secessionism. According to
a report by The Indian Express's Basharat Masud, a notification
issued by the Principal Secretary of the Home Department, chandraiker Bharti,
(18:49):
by order of Lieutenant Governor Manote Sinha said quote, it
has come to the notice of the government that certain
literature propagates false narrative and secessionism in Jamu and Kashmir.
This literature would deeply impact the psyche of youth by
promoting a culture of grievance, victimhood and terrorist heroism.
Speaker 4 (19:08):
Quote.
Speaker 6 (19:09):
The notification further added quote Some of the.
Speaker 1 (19:12):
Means by which this literature has contributed to the radicalization
of youth in GNK include distortion of historical facts, glorification
of terrorists, vilification of security forces, religious radicalization, promotion of alienation,
pathway to violence and terrorism, etcot Masoud reported that the
(19:34):
notification identified twenty five books which, according to it, were
inciting secessionism and endangering the sovereignty and integrity of India,
and hence we're attracting the provisions of sections one fifty two,
one ninety six and one ninety seven of Bhartiyan Nyai
Sanheta twenty twenty three. The books include political commentaries and
historical accounts such as The Kashmir Dispute nineteen forty seven
(19:58):
to twenty twelve by no noted constitutional expert Nurani, Kashmir
at the Crossroads and Contested Lands by Sumantra bos In
Search of a Future, The Kashmir Story by David Devdas
royz Azadi and a Dismantled State. The Untold Story of
Kashmir After Article three seventy by journalist Anrada Vassin and more.
(20:20):
According to the notification Masud Rights, the government has declared
the publication of these books and their copies on other
documents quote need to be declared as forfeited unquote in
terms of section ninety eight of Bartya Nagrik Suraksha Sanhita
twenty twenty three. The international books that are banned include
Kashmir American author Hafsa kan Jwal's Colonizing Kashmir State Building
(20:44):
under Indian Occupation, Hailey the Shinski's Resisting Occupation in Kashmir,
Victoria Skowfield's Kashmir in Conflict and Christopher Snedden's Independent Kashmir.
The other banned books include USA and Kashmir by doctor
Shamshat Shan and Tariki sias At Kashmir by doctor Afak.
Speaker 4 (21:03):
The list includes.
Speaker 1 (21:04):
Twenty five such books. You were listening to Three Things by.
Speaker 6 (21:10):
The Nien Express.
Speaker 1 (21:12):
Today's show was edited and mixed by Sirish Pawar and
produced by Shashank Pargev and Niniharri kan Nanda.
Speaker 6 (21:18):
If you like the.
Speaker 1 (21:19):
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Indian Express dot com
In this episode, we talk about the Indian Army incorporating
unmanned aerial vehicles or drones as a standard weapon system.
We also talk about the German Kashmir government banning the
publication of twenty five books written about Kashmir. But we
begin today by discussing US President Donald Trump doubling the
tariffs on India to fifty percent. Hi i amed Hari
(00:27):
Kananda and you are listening to three things in an
Express News show. It was in Wednesday that US President
Donald Trump announced an additional twenty five percent tariff on
Indian goods, bringing the total up to fifty percent, in
response to India's continued purchase of Russian oil during the
(00:48):
Ukraine War. Trump has accused India of profiting from discounted
Russian crude and has given a twenty one day deadline
before the new tariffs come into effect now. In response,
New Delli has condemned this move as unjustified and unreasonable
economic coercion and said it will take all necessary measures
to protect its national interests and economic security. Meanwhile, Indian
(01:12):
exporters already heavily reliant on the US, which accounts for
nearly twenty percent of India's exports are scrambling to hold
on to access to their most valuable market. To understand
what this latest threat could mean for India's economy and
diplomatic ties, Michael Ekshashank Barger speaks to the Indian Expresses
Ravid the Tamisha.
Speaker 2 (01:33):
Ravida's latest threat by Trump seems to be part of
his larger efforts to put an end to the Russia
Ukraine War, which is actually something that he had promised
to do during his election campaign. In fact, he had
said that he would end the war on his day
one as president.
Speaker 3 (01:50):
Yes, so this is one of his ways of getting
a result, unasured result. He understands that, you know, if
you have to make Russia do something, you will have
to perhaps challenge China in some way or challenge India
in some way, because China and India are the top
buyers of Russian oil.
Speaker 4 (02:11):
He has tried that with China and he failed.
Speaker 3 (02:13):
So the other option he has now is India, because
we don't have that kind of leverage at the moment
like China has. They have critical mineral processing capacity and
they could leverage that to reduce their tariffs. We, on
the other hand, have gotten on the wrong side of Trump,
because one we could not sign a deal before August one,
(02:35):
and number two, we don't have anything else to kind
of prevent the Trump tariffs. So this is why I
believe Trump is getting two things done from just pressurizing one.
Speaker 2 (02:46):
Country and talk about how much oil does India actually
buy from Russia? Because we understand that it wasn't that
much earlier, but it increased a lot after COVID.
Speaker 3 (02:56):
Right, Yeah, so before the Russia, Ukraine or Russian oil
only comprised of two percent of our entire oil imports.
That number has gone above twenty five. So Russia is
our top source of oil. And this has primarily happened
because Europe decided not to buy Russian.
Speaker 2 (03:15):
Oil and rabbly fifty percent tariffs. I mean, this is
a lot Indian exporters and the Indian government any we're
concerned about the twenty five percent tariffs and now Trump
has threatened to double that. How concerned is India right now?
Speaker 3 (03:32):
So you know, before the tariffs were announced, I was
talking to an exporter and he said that orders are
on hold. US is no longer placing fresh orders because
there's concern that you know, once new tariffs come in,
the entire calculation will be of no use. And exporters
were expecting perhaps a ten of fifteen percent additional duty.
(03:56):
But when Trump announced twenty five percent, it came as
a shock for not only the exporters but also experts
but also you know, the officials, because nobody anticipated such
a steep tariff. And it is not about oil, and
it is essentially about pressurizing India to sign a deal
because now Trump is more aggressive. He has signed a
(04:17):
deal with European Union, and he has signed a deal
with Japan South Korea. Now he has nothing to fear
and India is one large economy which has not yet
kind of signed the dotted lines. So now the tariff
gun is on India's head.
Speaker 2 (04:32):
And what position does this leave India with, Like, do
we have any idea about how it's going to approach this, which,
like you said, seems like a negotiation tactic.
Speaker 3 (04:43):
Absolutely, because for instance, we export US a lot of
textile and footwear products. If we are facing fifty percent tariffs,
there will be a bit of her consequences on the
US consumer as well. So now you know a lot
of ministries and industry they have gun working on a
plan to offer more to Trump, that these conversations are
(05:06):
actively happening. Last Saturday we reported that ministers have given
this message across all sectors, across all ministries and to
try and sweeten the deal for Trump.
Speaker 4 (05:17):
And this is what is actively being discussed.
Speaker 2 (05:20):
And just for the benefit of our listeners, you know,
this fifty percent tariff is higher than what the US
has imposed on Vietnam, Bangladesh, and it's even higher than
what it has imposed on China. So what questions does
this raise about India and US dies especially considering that
it has been one of India's major trading partners. It
(05:43):
is a strategic ally. But now, and you know, despite
the Bonhami we had seen between Trump and Pmody, we
are now being threatened with some of the highest tariffs.
Speaker 4 (05:55):
Yeah.
Speaker 3 (05:56):
So you know, the day he announced these tariffs, you know,
August one, when new tariffs were announced, things still seemed
like it is about the trade deficit. But when you
are taking it to oil, you're essentially threatening US with
higher inflation.
Speaker 4 (06:12):
You are threatening us with you know.
Speaker 3 (06:13):
Our ability to decide where we import oil from, how
do we conduct our own matters of our own economy.
So things have gotten more political than economic. And this
is the sense that I'm getting from experts, not only
in India, across the board. And why it is essentially
surprising is because when the US president was elected, even
(06:34):
his bureaucrats or people close to him, they essentially believed
that India is a strategic ally to counter China, and
this featured in a number of documents that US had released.
So that is one of the reasons why it's absolutely
a surprise. Number Two, I don't believe India US ties
hinges on Trump. There is a lot of economic integration
(06:56):
over the years that has happened, not just in the
merchandise good sector. It has happened in the service sector.
Far more than goods. There is integration in services. There
are large US companies working in India. Apple is producing iPhones,
and so our interests are aligned in a lot of fashion.
And I believe this is a negotiating tactics because Trump
(07:19):
requires one more.
Speaker 2 (07:20):
Big victory and you know this economic coersion to achieve
geopolitical goals. How effective has it been for the US
in the past, and also how frequently does it use
this approach.
Speaker 3 (07:32):
We wrote a story on this former RBA Governor og
Pateli did a study on the unseen impacts of sanctions
and according to his analysis, the US has imposed three
times more sanctions than any other international body, let alone
a country. So it is kind of the sanctionary in chief.
I mean, it's not the first time US is deciding
(07:54):
to impose a barrier on one country. It has done
it with Venezuela, it has done it with Era, and
some of these countries have been vital for US. For instance,
no small things, Iran used to buy a lot of
tea from US, and now because the trade has kind
of slowed, we are not able to sell as much
tea as we would have wanted to. And there are
multiple investments. For instance, Chabaharport in Iran. India had invested
(08:16):
heavily there, but because of those sanctions, we don't know
how much money we lost and there's no public account
for it or there's no transparency or you know, conversation
going on. So this is essentially what Uji Patl was
talking about. You know, these sanctions have had a lot
of impact on us, and that is why it is
(08:37):
time for US to look at bricks and Asian development banks.
Speaker 4 (08:41):
Just so as to de risk our sales.
Speaker 3 (08:43):
We cannot rely on one country for our economic future.
Speaker 2 (08:48):
And you know, in the beginning of this conversation you
had mentioned China, and China, of course, also trades with Russia.
It is in fact the largest buyer of Russian oil.
So has this latest execus a border by the US
mentioned China at all.
Speaker 3 (09:03):
It did not explicitly mention China, but it hints that
US officials will now produce a report or report back
to the President on countries that are buying Russian oil,
and then essentially things will move forward from there. But
it's no news that China is the biggest buyer of
Russian oil.
Speaker 4 (09:21):
It is one of the biggest buyer of Iranian oil.
Speaker 3 (09:24):
And what at the moment is a problem for Trump
is that he cannot stand up to China. He can
squeeze us because he has seen our weak points. He
has realized during negotiations that agriculture is a red line,
that is a sensitive area, and he's pressing, but with
China he doesn't have that kind of leverage. And every
other country other than China has pretty much given in
(09:45):
to his demands.
Speaker 2 (09:47):
And from the negotiation point of view of course, this
sports India in a very tough spot right now. What
are the things that it is not willing to compromise on.
Speaker 3 (09:57):
So at the moment, agriculture is the most sensitive thing,
and it's not just for the US. We have not
opened our aggreen market for any other trade partner meat Australia,
B to UK to perhaps also for European Union. So
we have not done it in the past because essentially
Indian farmers have smaller landholdings, you know, and all these
(10:18):
developed countries have strong subsidies that they offer to the farmers,
They have technical support and that makes a huge difference
in their production, their genetically modified products.
Speaker 4 (10:30):
And once you allow such a.
Speaker 3 (10:32):
Competition to come in, how are you going to ensure
that our farmers their livelihood?
Speaker 4 (10:37):
And that has been the case for the last several
years and that has not changed.
Speaker 3 (10:40):
And according to what Prime Minister said in the morning
that no matter what the cost is, India will continue
to protect its farmers.
Speaker 1 (10:52):
And next we talk about the Indian Army, which is
set to undergo a significant organizational overhaul. According to a
report v by The Indian Express's Amrita Nayak Data, the
army plans to integrate unmanned aerial vehicles or UAVs and
counter YUEV systems more commonly known as drones as standard
weapons systems at the battalion level across most of its arms.
(11:16):
While these plans had been under discussion for several months,
they gathered momentum after Operations Sindur in May, which followed
the Pehlgam terror attack. During the operations, drones played a
major role in targeting Pakistani sites, reinforcing their importance in
modern warfare. In fact, Chief of Defense staff Anil Jahan
(11:36):
has recently spoken about the revolutionary impact of drones on
how wars are fought today.
Speaker 5 (11:43):
As the realization of the scope of deployment, utility and
success increased, army started using drones in a revolutionary kind
of man and you've seen this a number of wars
which are being fought by US. Utility grew many folds
from being simple means of past quotation, photography or videography
to become a cost effective force multipliers for modern warfare.
(12:06):
Their unbriddle and rampant use in modern day conflicts proved
not only they're utilated, but also there ubiquity, they're augmented.
They augment maned systems and enable militaries to conduct simultaneous
operations across multiple domains with fewer sources and minimal danger
to human lives.
Speaker 1 (12:28):
Now, apart from rone integration, the transformation will also include
the formation of light commander battalions, integrated brigades, and specialized
artillery regiments and batteries, all designed with future warfare in mind.
So to understand why this shift towards drone warfare is
so significant and how these systems will be incorporated into
(12:50):
existing infantry structures, we are joined by Amretha in this segment,
Amreda tell us what led the army to take this
call now and what it's thinking behind this.
Speaker 6 (13:02):
So Niharika, drones and other new age platforms and equipment
are increasingly forming part of modern warfare. In line with that,
the Army is looking into making it a standard issue
weapon at the unit level, so for all its arms,
most of its arms, rather so that the men are
better trained on them. Their procurement cycle is hassle free.
It's easier and the manpower for it would be met
(13:25):
from within the fource, so it will not require any
additional expenditure and anything of that sort. So yes, that
is one of the reason why this is being done.
Speaker 1 (13:34):
And were drones not being used by the Indian Army before?
Speaker 6 (13:38):
They were but on an ad hoc basis. Making them
a standard issue weapon will ease the procurement and will
ensure better training on them. So earlier, various financial powers
of the commanders at the central level and at the
command level they were used to procure this drones as
and when needed. So this would make the procurement slightly
(14:00):
at hoc and also the training would be something like
people were also had other weapons to handle, so some
people had to be pulled out and they had to
be additionally retrained. So this will streamline this whole procurement
and training process once it has made a standard issue
weapon instead of letting it happen on an ad hoc basis
as was the case earlier. So to your question, they
(14:21):
were part of the infantry before, but not in the
standard way. It was on an ad hoc basis.
Speaker 1 (14:26):
And when it comes to operating these drones and putting
them to use, will the personnel be reassigned for the
task and will this require more specialized trained man power.
Speaker 6 (14:36):
So Deharika, like I said, the plans as of today
as we speak are to put people put personnel together
from existing units and let them train specially on roanes
instead of hiring any specialized manpower. This is in line
with the save and Raised concept of the Army. There
would be no additional expenditure, but it would be met
from the existing manpower. That is a plan so far
(14:59):
as you know, manpower is the people there. They're anywhere
trained on many of the sophisticated unmanned aerial vehicles that
the in and Armed forces already have. So this will
only mean more training and in a more structured way.
So this is a save and race concept. This will
not involve putting any more specialized and manpower for it.
(15:20):
It would just be rearranged from the existing units.
Speaker 1 (15:23):
And Amrita, we understand that the Army is also planning
to establish Rudra brigades. Can you tell us why this
is being done and what purpose will they serve?
Speaker 6 (15:32):
So Deharika, the Rudra brigades, they are somewhat on the
lines of the integrated Battle groups that it's a concept
that was developed a couple of years ago by the
Army ibgs or integrated battle groups. They were restructuring initiative
of the Army to create self contained, agile and deeply
deployable brigade sized units, so they would be tailored for
(15:53):
specific tasks and specific operational needs based on threat, terrain, etc.
And they would comprise elements of different terms of the Army.
So similar to this concept, the Rudra brigades are being established,
which will again be an all arms brigade. It will
have uaves, it will have other logistical elements. It will
(16:14):
have people from arms like infantry, armored, artillery, so it
will be like an all arms brigate along with uaves
and other logistical elements. So this will involve restructuring the
existing infantry, armored and artillery brigades and this will allow
Rudra brigades to function independently across various sectors as integrated
units for future wars, and these brigades are likely to
(16:37):
be deployed for both conventional and hybrid operations. The logistics
and network center operations for Search Brigade will be tailored
to specific missions and operational areas.
Speaker 1 (16:47):
And AMRIDA this development has grown out of operations in
THERE and the lessons learned from it and some similar
initiatives were also announced by Army Chief General Upendrad Vivid
on Cargill Divas on twenty six of July.
Speaker 6 (17:01):
Can you tell us what those initiatives are?
Speaker 4 (17:03):
So?
Speaker 6 (17:03):
Nijharigatha's plans were under discussion for several months and they
have gained pace after the operations in duran By. Some
of the changes that are being made are from lessons
obtained during this operation. The restructuring will be done at
different levels. For example, in the Regiment of Artillery, establishing
two batteries with an increased number of guns each as
well as adding a third drone battery equid with serveillance
(17:26):
and combat drones are being considered. Additionally, the Divastra artillery
batteries they will be created. The announcement was made by
Army Chief General Devedi during his cargo which they were speech.
He said that the Diva Astra artillery batteries are being
created and these will have next generation long range guns
and loitering munitions which would be capable of conducting surveillance
(17:47):
and identifying and engaging targets in depth areas. Right now,
there's a Reiki platoon that is responsible for navigating and
leading units to their targets alongside the three squadns and
companies in armored and mechanized infantry. Italians their plans to
enhance this REKI platoons with surveillance and strike drones. So similarly,
for the EAME their plans to enhance repair capabilities in
(18:11):
order to improve drone repair capabilities within the core zone workshops.
So these are some of the various plans that are
being considered, discussed and will be put on paper.
Speaker 1 (18:26):
And in the end we talk about the Jammu and
Kashmir Home Department banning the publication of twenty five books
on Kashmir, including books by authors such as Arundhati Roi
and aij Nurani, saying that they propagate secessionism. According to
a report by The Indian Express's Basharat Masud, a notification
issued by the Principal Secretary of the Home Department, chandraiker Bharti,
(18:49):
by order of Lieutenant Governor Manote Sinha said quote, it
has come to the notice of the government that certain
literature propagates false narrative and secessionism in Jamu and Kashmir.
This literature would deeply impact the psyche of youth by
promoting a culture of grievance, victimhood and terrorist heroism.
Speaker 4 (19:08):
Quote.
Speaker 6 (19:09):
The notification further added quote Some of the.
Speaker 1 (19:12):
Means by which this literature has contributed to the radicalization
of youth in GNK include distortion of historical facts, glorification
of terrorists, vilification of security forces, religious radicalization, promotion of alienation,
pathway to violence and terrorism, etcot Masoud reported that the
(19:34):
notification identified twenty five books which, according to it, were
inciting secessionism and endangering the sovereignty and integrity of India,
and hence we're attracting the provisions of sections one fifty two,
one ninety six and one ninety seven of Bhartiyan Nyai
Sanheta twenty twenty three. The books include political commentaries and
historical accounts such as The Kashmir Dispute nineteen forty seven
(19:58):
to twenty twelve by no noted constitutional expert Nurani, Kashmir
at the Crossroads and Contested Lands by Sumantra bos In
Search of a Future, The Kashmir Story by David Devdas
royz Azadi and a Dismantled State. The Untold Story of
Kashmir After Article three seventy by journalist Anrada Vassin and more.
(20:20):
According to the notification Masud Rights, the government has declared
the publication of these books and their copies on other
documents quote need to be declared as forfeited unquote in
terms of section ninety eight of Bartya Nagrik Suraksha Sanhita
twenty twenty three. The international books that are banned include
Kashmir American author Hafsa kan Jwal's Colonizing Kashmir State Building
(20:44):
under Indian Occupation, Hailey the Shinski's Resisting Occupation in Kashmir,
Victoria Skowfield's Kashmir in Conflict and Christopher Snedden's Independent Kashmir.
The other banned books include USA and Kashmir by doctor
Shamshat Shan and Tariki sias At Kashmir by doctor Afak.
Speaker 4 (21:03):
The list includes.
Speaker 1 (21:04):
Twenty five such books. You were listening to Three Things by.
Speaker 6 (21:10):
The Nien Express.
Speaker 1 (21:12):
Today's show was edited and mixed by Sirish Pawar and
produced by Shashank Pargev and Niniharri kan Nanda.
Speaker 6 (21:18):
If you like the.
Speaker 1 (21:19):
Show, then do subscribe to us wherever you get your podcasts.
You can also recommend the show to someone you think
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at Express Audio and write to us at podcasts at
Indian Express dot com
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