Nikhil Inamdar

UK universities flock to India - but will they succeed? bbc.in/4rMqsND

Seven dogs stolen from their owners have gone viral after escaping from an illegal transport truck and making their way home. They traveled around 17 km together, led by a corgi across highways and fields, now safely back with their respective owners..🐶🐾🥺❤️

Even the most remote landscapes in this country now lie vandalized by plastic trash! 👎🏻👎🏻👎🏻👎🏻

After much reflection, I have decided to resign from my position as Director of the National Counterterrorism Center, effective today. I cannot in good conscience support the ongoing war in Iran. Iran posed no imminent threat to our nation, and it is clear that we started this war due to pressure from Israel and its powerful American lobby. It has been an honor serving under @POTUS and @DNIGabbard and leading the professionals at NCTC. May God bless America.

New PIIE paper from @abhishekecon @FelmanJosh & @arvindsubraman argues historical growth has been revised downward too much, and growth from "2012 and 2023 may have been overestimated by about 1½-2 percentage points" piie.com/publications/w…

I write in @FT that Iran is playing the long game. In war, geography matters as much as technology. Iran commands the entire northern shore of the Gulf, looming large over energy fields on its southern shore and all that passes through its waters. Its Houthi allies are perched at the entrance to the Red Sea and along the passage to the Suez Canal; Iran is thus perfectly positioned to squeeze the global economy from both sides of the Arabian Peninsula. Those in command of Iran today are veterans of asymmetric wars in Iraq and Syria. They are now applying the same strategy to fighting the US on the battlefield of the global economy. Drones, short-range missiles and mines setting tankers and ports on fire can have the same effect IEDs had in Iraq, only with greater impact — disrupting global supply chains and sending oil prices higher. Iran could sustain its counteroffensive more easily and for far longer. Furthermore, a ceasefire alone will not lift the shadow of risk that Iran has imposed over the Gulf, which is now experiencing its nightmare scenario. That is why Iranian leaders are saying they will not accept a ceasefire until Washington fully grasps the global economic cost of waging this war. Businesses, investors and tourists may not return to the Gulf states if they assume that war could resume again. Unless the US is prepared to invade Iran to remove the Islamic republic’s leaders and then stay there to ensure stability and security, confidence in the Gulf will only return if the US and Iran arrive at a durable ceasefire. Iran says it will only accept a ceasefire with international guarantees for its sovereignty, which would probably mean a direct role for Russia and China. It may also demand compensation for war damages and a verifiable ceasefire in Lebanon. The US would then have to agree to some form of the nuclear deal it left on the table in Geneva in February and commit to lifting sanctions. Iran’s leaders entered this war with the goal of ensuring it will be the last one. Either it breaks them or radically changes the country’s circumstances. They are betting on surviving long enough and squeezing the global economy hard enough to realise that goal. Read full article ft.com/content/93b7b6…

Dear @Dev_Fadnavis - Mahabaleshwar is my second home & #Maharashtra’s favourite hill station. The utterly appalling state of the roads here - a place that contributes millions of dollars of tourist revenue to the exchequer - reflects poorly on the government. The issue needs your urgent attention.

Breaking: US has reached out to India for help to reduce oil prices "We have reached out to our friends in India to buy stored Russian oil. That pulls oil into Indian refineries and releases pressure on other global refineries," says US Energy Secretary Chris Wright

THREAD: Verified videos of the Iran/US/Israel war - 28 February Smoke rises in the air near Tehran's City Theatre metro station following air strikes by the US and Israel. Video: instagram.com/reels/DVSpdmjC… Location: 35.7011766,51.4054869 @GeoConfirmed

How budget fast fashion is taking small-town India by storm bbc.in/4b36ZCW

India's FTAs are just a start & not a silver bullet for export dominance. My piece for @BBCWorld @BBCIndia with views from @Pri_Kishore @ajaydgft @KiranKotlaIN #IndiaUSTradeDeal bbc.com/news/articles/…

@joyjitguha Did you not read 'aspiring for?'

@Nik_Inamdar lol! If you think we are anyway where near the pole position in any technology forget frontier technology, thats your delusion speaking

Probably the most embarrassing of a long line of complaints about mismanagement at the #AIImpactSummit. Worth asking ourselves why we can't get basics right while aspiring for pole position in frontier tech! Same story everywhere - can't fix potholes but want musical roads! 🙄

Yesterday I was standing right next to the Taj and the shoreline looks like a landfill. Not exaggerating. It smells. It’s layered. It’s been sitting here. There are yachts parked out there. People dressed up for some event 20 metres away. Tourists pointing cameras at the Gateway. And then you look down. How does this exist in the same frame? We keep talking about pride and progress and optics. This is the optics. It’s embarrassing. @mybmc @CMOMaharashtra

@suhasinih Yam, raw banana, brinjal…Good way to punish unsuspecting trade negotiators for asymmetric deals.

Since many wanted to know what the main dishes were too...thrilled to see such a lively debate on Indian cuisine here, learnt a lot too!

While India recently celebrated its tariffs to US dropping to 18%, a pact b/w U.S. & Bangladesh has thrown a wrench into the works ? ! 10 quick points. Bolded some points 👇 1. While India got 18% tariff from US & it (rightly) felt like a massive win for Indian exporters - it looks like it set a floor that US is now using as a bargaining chip with others. 2. Last evening, US & Bangladesh signed a Agreement on Reciprocal Trade - similar to ours. While Bangladesh’s base reciprocal tariff will be 19% (slightly higher than India's 18%).. the fineprint has a 'zero-duty'clause that India doesn't have. 3. Here is what is says -> "The United States commits to establish a mechanism that will allow for certain textile and apparel goods from Bangladesh to receive a zero reciprocal tariff rate". Basically if Bangladesh buys " U.S. produced cotton & man-made fiber textile inputs" it's garment exports into the U.S. get tariffed at 0% ! 4. Why does this matter for India ? Historically, Bangladesh has been a massive buyer of Indian yarn. If Bangladesh pivots to buying US cotton - they get the twin benefit of raw materials & 0% entry into the US. 5. India, China, Brazil. U.S. are the biggest cotton growers. China & India also have some of the largest spindle capacity in the world. 6. China cotton has been out because of the allegations of forced labour etc (Xinjiang cotton). So Indian cotton was dominant here - and as I said we/India also has some of the largest spinning capacity in the world. 7. Fundamentally, India is already struggling to match Bangladesh’s competitiveness in the garment sector due to their lower labor costs & big scale. If Bangladesh now gets a 0% tariff while India stays stuck at 18%, the price gap is quite big. 8. By the way, Bangladesh has committed to 'protect internationally recognized labor rights' & 'adopt high levels of environmental protection'. By aligning with US regulatory standards, they are removing the 'ethical/quality' shield that Indian exporters (sometimes) have used to justify higher prices. 9. Our textile hubs like Tirupur, Surat etc are now not just fighting against a plain competitor anymore - they are fighting a US-Bangladesh supply chain pact (Maybe Iam exaggerate here to make a point) 10. As the management of Pearl Global told us this morning - prima-facie - it looks like the advantage for Bangladesh continues. What else ? Thoughts welcome ! #GIFTNIFTY #Nifty #BankNifty #Trump #Modi #TradeDeal #Cotton #Apparel #Garments #Textiles #China #Yunus

Beautiful!