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In this Special Report, India Today's Pranay Upadhyay covers the upcoming visit of Russian President Vladimir Putin to India on December 4 for the 23rd Annual Summit. The report highlights the strategic importance of the visit, focusing on defense cooperation, including the S-500 and S-400 systems, and the 'Operation Sindhur' success. Dr. Arvind Gupta, Director of the Vivekananda International Foundation, joins to discuss the future of India-Russia ties amid US tariffs and geopolitical shifts. The bulletin also features Elon Musk's bold prediction on Nikhil Kamath's podcast that 'working will be optional' within 20 years due to AI. Additionally, it covers the sentencing of British MP Tulip Siddiq in Bangladesh and US Special Envoy Steve Witkoff's peace talks in Moscow.
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00:00Hello and welcome. You're watching India Today Global. I am Pranayupadhyay.
00:04December 4 marks a crucial day for India as the country gears up to welcome its friend and ally, Russian President Vladimir Putin.
00:11Putin will attend the 23rd India-Russia Annual Summit at the invitation of Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
00:17During the Russian President's last visit to India on December 6, 2021,
00:21both leaders discussed defense cooperation, including the joint production of BrahMos missiles
00:27and expansion of ties in trade, energy and space.
00:31This visit comes at a time when U.S. has imposed additional tariffs on India for purchasing Russian oil
00:37and alleged India for fueling of Russian war machine.
00:41Though unfazed by the U.S. tariff, India and Russia are gearing up to expand their special privilege strategic partnership.
00:48This time, a big delegation is also likely to accompany President Putin,
00:52and this delegation members include and represent the areas like trade, defense, agriculture and even cultural exchange.
01:00All eyes are on Russian President Vladimir Putin, India's all-weather friend,
01:27who is just hours away from his two-day visit to India on December 4 and 5.
01:34This meet comes three months after Modi and Putin held bilateral on the sidelines of SCO in China's Tianjin.
01:42Lingering U.S. trade tensions and Russia's war with Ukraine have delayed deals like the Indo-U.S. pact.
02:11But Putin's visit can be a game-changer.
02:19Over two days, the leaders will discuss a wide-ranging agenda, defense, nuclear energy, oil, technology and trade.
02:31Defense remains a major pillar.
02:33High-end systems like the S-500 air defense platform are expected on the table,
02:39reinforcing Russia's role as India's primary partner in missile defense architecture.
02:48Even as India diversifies its defense suppliers,
02:52Russia's S-400 systems proved vital during Operation Sindur,
02:56spectacularly neutralizing Pakistan's China and Turkey-made missiles.
03:03Bilateral trade hit a record, $68.7 billion in last financial year,
03:09with India exporting machinery, textiles, chemicals and more,
03:13while imports from Russia remain dominated by crude oil, fertilizers, metals and machinery.
03:19From missile defense to energy security and billions in trade,
03:25Modi's dost Vladimir Putin's India visit is more than ceremonial.
03:30It is strategic.
03:33All eyes in global strategic sphere,
03:36especially in Trump's America, is fixated on this trip.
03:39With Shivani Sharma and Sandeep Unithan, Bureau Report, India Today.
03:49And now joining us live is Dr. Arvind Gupta,
03:52Director of Vivekananda International Foundation and former Deputy NSA of India.
03:56During his distinguished career in Ministry of External Affairs and National Security Secretariat,
04:00he played a key role in shaping India's strategic partnership with major powers,
04:04and few understand the depth and nuances of India-Russia ties better than him.
04:08So, welcome, Dr. Gupta here.
04:11And my first question to you,
04:14that India and Russia share a defense and a strategic partnership,
04:18but the Russia's share in India's arms imports have fallen to approximately 36%,
04:22and now we are also pushing Atmanirbhartha mission as well.
04:26But yet, fresh S-400 or maybe S-500 deal and even Su-57 tech transfer are reportedly on the table.
04:33So, after Operation Sindhu showcased the Russian systems and their effectiveness,
04:37what are the real strategic gains India can lock now?
04:41This visit is very important because it is taking place in the backdrop of tectonic shifts in the global landscape.
04:55And as your report said,
04:57this is the first visit Putin is paying to India
05:00after the special military operations began in 2022.
05:05And since then, of course, Prime Minister Modi and Putin have met several times.
05:11So, it's not that there has been lack of contacts.
05:14But this visit, I think, gives us a chance to reimagine India-Russia partnership
05:21in the backdrop of a major political shift, geopolitical shift that is taking place.
05:27And the relationship, I think, needs to go just beyond the defense.
05:32India is diversifying its relationships.
05:34That is, I think, the key priority that India has today in its foreign policy
05:38in order to deal with these massive changes.
05:41And I think Russia also understands.
05:43Russia's foreign policy has also changed quite dramatically.
05:46But India and Russia, the strategic partnership,
05:51special privileged strategic partnership,
05:54that has remained intact.
05:55And this has withstood all the major changes.
05:59So, today,
06:00Amdu Upta, yeah, please, please go ahead, sir.
06:02Apart from defense, there are many other areas in which the two countries can
06:06consolidate their relationship and also look for new areas.
06:10So, it's a good opportunity for both countries to diversify the relationship
06:16and deepen it, particularly in the area of technology,
06:20the area of trade,
06:22connectivity.
06:24Defense, of course, is important.
06:26But energy is also extremely important.
06:27Absolutely, Dr. Gupta.
06:28You mentioned about trade.
06:29And we have been given to understand that President Putin and Prime Minister Modi
06:32are likely to address a business forum.
06:34And a large business relocation is also likely to accompany President Putin.
06:38But a bilateral trade, you know, has remained a matter of concern for India and Russia.
06:43Of late, it has touched a high mark of $70 billion.
06:47But this is only, you know, entirely fueled by the discounted Russian oil,
06:51leaving India with a huge deficit.
06:53And at a time when U.S. tariffs are, you know, India is facing penal 50% U.S. tariff
06:59and 25% is a penal tariff for the Russian oil purchase.
07:03How will Prime Minister Modi and Putin actually address this imbalance
07:06and still hit a target of $100 billion by 2030, in your opinion?
07:10So, the answer is simple.
07:13They should look at a long-term horizon, 2030 and beyond,
07:19and try and understand where are the opportunities both for Russia and India
07:24and India and Russia, India and Russia.
07:26And if you go beyond this, you know, this blip that has happened in terms of tariffs, etc.,
07:32these penal tariffs online,
07:34you will see that there are many opportunities that are opening up.
07:37Russia's economy, despite the war, has held on.
07:45And India's economy is going very fast.
07:47In 2019, India and Russia had identified several new opportunities,
07:53including a new Eastern Maritime Corridor,
07:55which would have opened Indian investment in Russia's Far East.
08:01Absolutely, sir.
08:02I actually want you to elaborate more on the different opportunities
08:06because beyond defense and energy and agenda,
08:09that also includes the Arctic project, the critical minerals,
08:12AI investment funds, and even the labor migration pact.
08:15Which of these, you know, less hyped areas could truly reshape India-Russia ties
08:20over the next decade, in your opinion?
08:22These are precisely the areas that I think can provide trigger for India-Russia relationship
08:28for the next 10 years or even more.
08:32Russia's Arctic is today fueling Russia's growth.
08:36The Arctic region, per se, has become a geopolitical hotspot.
08:41And Russia is offering you a chance for investing in the Arctic,
08:46in the vast mineral resources, including the critical minerals in Russia.
08:50There is a lot of coal in Russia.
08:53There is a lot of oil in Russia.
08:54There is a lot of gas in Russia.
08:56And Russia is also today a very important agriculture power.
08:59Food security is also very important.
09:02So today, if Indian businessmen begin to look at the opportunities
09:05in Russia's Arctic and Russia's Far East,
09:09you will see that a lot of new areas will arise.
09:12And tourism can also be a very important thing.
09:14You mentioned mobility.
09:16I think mobility of Indian workers in Russia,
09:20that is an issue to be discussed.
09:23Today, we have something like 30,000, 40,000 Indian students in Russia,
09:27which was unheard of.
09:29There are about 60,000 Indian diaspora in Russia.
09:34And Russians want Indians to come there
09:36and in a systematic, in a regulated fashion.
09:39So I think that's a very big opportunity
09:42that is opening up for India and Russia.
09:45Thank you very much, sir.
09:46And I can tell you one more.
09:46Yeah.
09:46And I can identify one more.
09:49Let us not make a mistake of thinking
09:52that Russia is a second-rate technology power.
09:55Often people think that, you know, Russia, what is there?
09:58But actually, Russia is also very strong
10:00in some of these technologies,
10:02like the artificial intelligence or quantum computing.
10:04Yes, in some areas, they may not be as strong
10:07as, for instance, others, like in semiconductors.
10:11But there are a lot of complementarities
10:13between India and Russia.
10:16Absolutely, sir.
10:17That's why it's being said that, you know,
10:19this is the time for India and Russia
10:20to take their strategic partnership to another level.
10:22Thank you very much for your time, sir,
10:24and sharing this perspective.
10:25And we hope that India and Russia
10:27will be able to gain more from this partnership.
10:30But now, let us focus on another front of Russia,
10:33which is effort to end the war with Ukraine.
10:36Because the talks have entered a crucial phase
10:39with the United States official pushing forward.
10:41A revised plan and a special envoy, Steve Witkoff,
10:44is now headed to Moscow amid political turmoil in Kiev
10:47and fresh attacks on the ground.
10:49Here is a report by Maheshwita Lala.
10:51After U.S. top officials met Ukrainian delegation
10:57in Florida, special envoy of President Donald Trump
11:00will meet Russian President Vladimir Putin on Tuesday.
11:04Witkoff, who has set off for Moscow,
11:06will talk on the revised 19-point peace plan
11:09to end the war in Ukraine.
11:11Ukrainians have expressed their willingness
11:14to accept the new proposal.
11:16But the Russian side has not made any statement
11:19or commitment in this regard.
11:22Speaking to reporters,
11:23President Trump said the talks in Florida
11:25were going along well.
11:27Can you give us an update on what took place
11:30in South Florida today,
11:31those talks between the U.S. and the Ukrainians?
11:33Well, they're going along, and they're going along well.
11:35We want to stop people from being killed.
11:38It doesn't have much to do with us,
11:40but I'd like to see if we can save a lot of souls.
11:42A lot of people are being killed.
11:44Last month, we had 27,000 people killed
11:47in that ridiculous war that should have never happened
11:49and would have never happened if I was president.
11:52But he said the corruption situation in Ukraine
11:55is creating problems.
11:57Ukraine's top officials are embroiled in a corruption scandal
12:00which forced Vladimir Zelensky to take action.
12:03As a result, Ukrainian anti-corruption agencies
12:06searched the residence of President's Chief of Staff,
12:10Andrei Yarmak,
12:10following which he submitted his resignation.
12:13Have you spoken with Rubio and Wyckoff since that meeting?
12:16I have, yeah.
12:17I've spoken to them, and they're doing well.
12:20Ukraine's got some difficult little problems.
12:24They have some difficult problems.
12:26But I think Russia would like to see it end,
12:30and I think Ukraine, I know Ukraine would like to see it.
12:33You just said that Ukraine has a little bit of problems.
12:35Well, we have a corruption situation going on, which is not helpful.
12:40Earlier, U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio described the talks
12:43with Ukrainian officials productive,
12:46but said work remains to be done
12:48for a prospective and peaceful future of Ukraine.
12:50Much work remains, but today was, again, a very productive and useful session
12:56where I think additional progress was made.
12:59And we continue to be realistic about how difficult this is,
13:02but optimistic, particularly given the fact that,
13:04as we've made progress, I think there is a shared vision here
13:07that this is not just about ending the war, which is very important.
13:10It is about securing Ukraine's future,
13:13a future that we hope will be more prosperous than it's ever been.
13:15We were discussing about the future of Ukraine.
13:17We discussed all the important matters that are important for Ukraine,
13:24for Ukrainian people, and the U.S. was super supportive.
13:28We worked. We already had a successful meeting in Geneva,
13:31and today we continue this success.
13:34Meanwhile, former Russian President Dmitry Medvedev
13:37hit out at Ukrainian President Zelensky over the corruption scandal
13:42and posted on X that Zelensky might not be the one
13:45who would be signing the peace deal.
13:49Meanwhile, four people were killed and 40 wounded
13:51in a Russian missile attack on the eastern-central Ukrainian city of Dnepro.
13:56Emergency services published videos showing first responders
14:00carrying wounded people on stretchers
14:03and firefighters extinguishing flames.
14:07Ukrainian Security Service released a video
14:10purporting to show two Russian shadow-free tankers
14:13being struck in the Black Sea.
14:15The SBU official said both tankers,
14:18identified as Kairos and Virat,
14:20were on their way to the port on Novoro CX,
14:23a major Russian oil terminal.
14:25With Mahasweta Lala, Bureau Report, India Today.
14:28And now let's talk about tech billionaire,
14:35or you may call him tech trillionaire, Elon Musk,
14:37who has stirred a fresh debate
14:38with a series of bold predictions
14:40and candid revelations on a new podcast
14:43with Zerodha co-founder Nikhil Kamath
14:45from calling work optional
14:47in the future of commenting on U.S. visas,
14:51global talent, technology, tariffs,
14:52and even his personal connection to India.
14:55The world's richest man and trillionaire, Elon Musk,
15:07made some stunning predictions during a podcast
15:10with Zerodha co-founder Nikhil Kamath
15:12on his popular WTF podcast.
15:17The former Doge head predicted
15:20that working would become optional
15:22or a hobby in 20 years.
15:24Well, I think it'll actually be
15:26that people don't have to work at all.
15:30It may not be that far in the future.
15:32It may be only, I don't know, 10,
15:34I'd say less than 20 years.
15:38My prediction is in less than 20 years,
15:40working will be optional.
15:41Working at all will be optional.
15:44At a time when the U.S. administration's
15:46H-1B visa policy and immigration
15:49have challenged Indians
15:51and others who aspire to live and work in America,
15:55Tesla boss recognized the role of Indian brains
15:58playing an important role in the American growth.
16:02This is in the contrast to the U.S. government's stand
16:04that U.S. has talent
16:06and should be given priority in U.S. companies
16:09over talents from outside.
16:10Yes, I think America has benefited immensely
16:14from talented Indians that have come to America.
16:17That seems to be changing now, though.
16:21And I think there's been some misuse
16:24of the H-1B program.
16:27It certainly would be accurate to say
16:30that some of the outsourcing companies
16:33have kind of gamed the system
16:36on the H-1B front,
16:38and we need to stop the gaming of the system.
16:41Elon Musk, who founded XAI in 2023,
16:46and Grok, an AI chatbot,
16:48as one of the flagship products,
16:50accepts that technology can be destructive.
16:53In a recent controversy,
16:55Grok claims that XAI owner, Elon Musk,
16:58is fitter than American basketball legend,
17:01Lebron James.
17:03A powerful technology can be potentially destructive.
17:06So, there's obviously many AI dystopian novels
17:12and books, movies.
17:16So, it's not that we're guaranteed
17:18to have a positive future with AI.
17:22Don't force an AI to believe falsehoods.
17:25I think that can be very dangerous.
17:27Elon also shared how he tried to dissuade
17:30his former buddy and U.S. President Donald Trump
17:33from imposing tariffs, but failed.
17:37Would you want tariffs between each state
17:39within the United States?
17:40It's like, no, that would be disastrous
17:42for the economy.
17:44So, then why do you want tariffs between countries?
17:46The president has made it clear he loves tariffs.
17:48You know, I've tried to dissuade him
17:50from this point of view, but unsuccessfully.
17:53Musk also revealed his personal India Connect.
17:56He told Kamath that his partner, Shivam Zilis,
17:59was born in India and raised by Canadian parents.
18:02He also said one of his sons
18:04has the middle name Shekhar.
18:07He revealed choosing this name
18:08in honor of Subramanyam Chandra Shekhar,
18:11the Indian-American astrophysicist
18:14who won the 1983 Nobel Prize
18:16for his work on stellar evolution.
18:20With Mahasweta Lala, Bureau Report, India Today.
18:26And now, let's see what else is making headlines
18:30across the globe in World at a Glance.
18:37President Donald Trump confirmed
18:39that he had spoken with Venezuelan president
18:41Nicolas Maduro,
18:43but did not provide details
18:44on what the two leaders discussed.
18:47Earlier, Trump said the airspace
18:49above and surrounding Venezuela
18:50should be considered closed in its entirety,
18:54but gave no further details.
18:57Meanwhile, Maduro made his first public appearance
18:59on Sunday,
19:00putting to an end speculation
19:02with the country
19:03that he had fled amid escalating tensions
19:06with the U.S.
19:07He was not seen since Wednesday.
19:13Conservative National Party candidate
19:15leads the Honduran presidential election
19:18with 34% of votes counted,
19:21according to the country's electoral authority.
19:23Nasri Asfura, who is 67 years old,
19:27is the former mayor of Tegulsi Galpa
19:29and the candidate backed by U.S. President Trump,
19:32his party's last president.
19:34Whichever candidate wins a simple majority
19:36will govern the country between 2026 and 2030.
19:41Protesters rallied outside Israeli president
19:49Isaac Hegshock's private residence,
19:51demonstrating against Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's request
19:55for a pardon in his corruption trial
19:57before a verdict was reached.
19:59In a letter,
20:00lawyers for Netanyahu argued
20:02that criminal proceedings were hindering
20:04his ability to govern
20:05and a pardon would be good for Israel.
20:08Demonstrators gathered outside Tel Aviv court
20:11where Israeli Prime Minister
20:13Benjamin Netanyahu's trial is being held
20:15to protest against what they see
20:17as his unacceptable request for pardon
20:20for the country's president.
20:22Netanyahu has denied the bribery,
20:24fraud and breach of trust charges.
20:28Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu
20:30submitted a request to the country's president
20:32for a pardon in his years-long corruption trial,
20:36arguing that criminal proceedings
20:37were hindering his ability to govern
20:39and a pardon would serve the interests
20:41of Israeli society.
20:47A Bangladesh court-sentence British parliamentarian
20:51and former minister Tulip Siddiq
20:52in absentia to two years in jail
20:55in a corruption case
20:56involving the alleged illegal allocation
20:59of a plot of land.
21:00Former Bangladesh Prime Minister
21:02Sheikh Hasina,
21:03who is Siddiq's aunt,
21:04was sentenced in absentia
21:06to five years in jail
21:08and her sister Rihanna to seven.
21:10The court said all three were fined
21:13100,000 taka each
21:15and failure to pay will result
21:16in additional six months in prison.
21:19Siddiq, who resigned in January
21:20as the UK's minister
21:22responsible for financial services
21:24and anti-corruption efforts
21:26following scrutiny over financial ties
21:28to Hasina,
21:29has previously dismissed
21:31the allegations
21:32as a politically motivated smirk.
21:35Britain does not have
21:36an extradition treaty
21:37with Bangladesh.
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