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In this edition of India Today Global, the focus is on the upcoming visit of Russian President Vladimir Putin to India on December 4 for the 23rd Annual Summit.
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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.
21:58the Ken and I think
22:04the
22:06are
22:08the
22:08the
22:09the
22:10the
22:10the
22:23the
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