Ashley Tellis, an eminent Indian-American expert at the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace, recently remarked that the relationship between India and the United States was bound to deepen as long as China posed a threat to both countries.

Speaking to an audience in Washington this week, Tellis said, “This (India-US) relationship is destined to deepen as long as China remains out there as something that both countries will have to manage.”

He also said that the coming years will not see a deepening of ties between the two countries, but also between both societies. Notably, the US in recent times has focused on strengthening relations with India, one of the world’s fastest-growing economies, amid tensions with China.

It is worth mentioning the relations between Washington and Beijing have become increasingly fraught lately over issues including trade, climate change, the South China Sea, Taiwan and the COVID-19 pandemic. The two nations have been locked in an escalating trade spat since early 2018, raising import tariffs on each other’s goods.

India’s relations with China also nosedived significantly following the fierce clash in the Galwan Valley in June 2020 that marked the most serious military conflict between the two sides in decades.

“So, in some sense, success is fated; simply because the structural factors will not give us the luxury of pulling apart. …There’s a caveat though, and the caveat should also remind us about the contingency of that success. Should things happen to China, this relationship could also go in other directions, right? So the structural factors work both ways,” Tellis said.

Tellis further remarked that both Indian and American societies will be intertwined in terms of labour mobility and technology, although divergences will exist in values and interests sometimes. He also warned that the Indian diaspora is more divided than at any time in the past.

“You didn’t care what the politics of individual Indian Americans was. Today, I fear that the cleavages in the diaspora are becoming more and more pronounced and in years to come may not be as unified as I’ve seen them in the past,” he added.

India-China relations
The eastern Ladakh border dispute, which started in May 2020, severely strained relations between India and China. The Indian and Chinese troops have been engaged in an over three-year-long conflict in certain friction in eastern Ladakh even though the two sides completed their disengagement from a number of regions after protracted diplomatic and military talks. Notably, India has been consistently maintaining that peace and tranquillity along the LAC were key for the normalisation of overall ties.

India has called on China repeatedly to observe international norms and respect the sovereignty and territorial integrity of other countries.

At the recent Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) event, External Affairs Minister Dr S Jaishankar took an apparent dig at China, when he said that countries should work together to promote stability and prosperity in the region by strictly adhering to the principles of international law, respecting the sovereignty and territorial integrity of each other and encouraging economic cooperation.

India and China’s strained relationship has been fueled by recent Chinese provocations, including releasing the 2023 edition of its “standard map”, staking a claim over Arunachal Pradesh, Aksai Chin region and denial of visas to Indian athletes in the Hangzhou Asian Games.

India recently overtook China as the world’s most populous nation and the two are rivals in computers, steel-making, space exploration and other high-tech fields.

An influential Jewish group has felicitated Indian-American physician Dr Bharat Barai for his relentless effort to strengthen ties between India, the US and Israel and his stand against antisemitism.

“We stand with you, our Jewish brothers and sisters,” said Dr Bharat Barai, an ardent advocate of the India-Israel relationship who has made six trips to Israel, adding that the collaborative relationship between the Hindu and the Jewish communities has benefited both.

Dr Barai was presented the award “for standing against antisemitism” at the “Campus Championship Gala” of StandWithUS on Sunday.

“Hindus all over the world, along with most of the civilised world have condemned these brutal barbarian Hamas, affirming their solidarity with the Jewish people, and supporting the right of Israel to defend itself and demolish the demand of mass,” Barai said amidst standing ovation from the hall full Jewish people in a suburb of Chicago.

He hoped that after Hamas is eliminated by Israel, more countries from the Middle East would join the Abraham Accord.

Referring to some of the news reports, he said these are by individuals who are misinformed or uninformed or hardcore religiously indoctrinated individuals. These are fabricated narratives, playing the victim card after committing a barbaric atrocity.

Peggy Shapiro Director of Special Projects “Stand With US” praised Dr Barai for his relentless support of the Jewish communities and the relationship between India, the US and Israel. She referred to the ongoing atrocities against the Jews by Hamas this month.

“That’s the special level of evil,” said Peggy Shapiro Director of Special Projects “Stand With US” referring to the recent brutalities and atrocities perpetrated by Hamas against innocent Jews in particular young children and calling for the destruction of the only Jewish State. “We are all here in solidarity,” she said, “Never again is not an expired slogan,” she asserted.

Born in Mumbai, Dr Barai is a distinguished physician, a respected leader of the Hindu American community, and an outspoken Zionist who helped pave the road for closer ties between Israel and India as well as between the Hindu and Jewish American communities.

“Dr Barai has been very active in promoting India, US, and Israel relations,” StandWithUS said.

In his leadership role in the Indian-American community, Dr Barai has made it a priority to establish and strengthen ties to the Jewish and Pro-Israel community, it said.

Barai was instrumental in StandWithUs’s outreach. He made it possible for StandWithUs to host events such as “Ancient Cultures-Modern Miracles,” a community celebration of 65 years of India and Israel’s independence, a Hindu-Jewish Festival of Lights Celebrating Chanukah and Diwali, and dozens of programs, including a memorial for Daniel Pearl, underscoring the commonalities between the two communities, it said.

“When Israel was under attack by Hamas and in the media, Dr Barai mobilised Hindu support for three Interfaith Vigils for the Victims of Hamas,” the organisation said.

Air India, the national carrier of India, has deployed its newly inducted Boeing 777 aircraft to all three of its US destinations: New York JFK, Newark Liberty, and San Francisco. The airline has six new Boeing 777-300ER aircraft in its fleet, which are being used to upgrade its existing flights to the US

The Boeing 777-300ER is a long-range wide-body aircraft that is capable of flying non-stop from India to the US. It offers passengers a comfortable and spacious cabin with a variety of amenities, including in-flight entertainment, Wi-Fi, and a premium economy class.

Air India declared that one of their two daily flights between Mumbai and London Heathrow (AI130/AI131), will now be operated on the state-of-the-art Boeing 777 aircraft. The strategically upgraded aircraft offers modern generation interiors creating a more luxurious expanse for passengers. A key highlight in this upgrade is the introduction of First-Class cabins, enhancing the overall travel experience.

“In addition, one of the two daily Air India flights between Mumbai and London Heathrow (AI130/AI131) will now also operate on the new B777 aircraft offering modern generation interiors, as well as introducing First Class cabins,” the company said in a press note.

The B777-200LR aircraft serving San Francisco and New York-JFK comprises 28 Business, 48 Premium Economy and 212 Economy Class seats. Additionally, the B777-300ER offering a service between Newark-Liberty and London has 8 First Class, 40 Business and 280 Economy Class seats.

Bookings for the flights on the all-new product are available on all channels, including Air India’s website: (www.airindia.com), mobile apps, and through travel agents (including online travel agents).

Campbell Wilson, MD & CEO, Air India said, “We are delighted to now offer an elevated experience on all routes from Mumbai to the United States, and to upgrade one of our London services. This is part of the ongoing product transformation underway at Air India, with 7 new B777s inducted over the last year to be followed by 4 more, along with 6 new Airbus A350s, over the coming months. All of these aircraft feature much-improved interiors and pave the way for the full interior upgrade of our entire widebody fleet commencing in the middle of 2024.”

The Institution of Engineering and Technology (IET), UK, awarded the 2023 Faraday Medal to Stanford University Professor Emeritus and Celesta Capital Advisor Arogyaswami Paulraj. Awarded at a ceremony in London this past weekend, Dr Paulraj became the 100th recipient of the medal, with his citation reading, ‘For the invention, advancement, and commercialization of MIMO Wireless’. The Faraday Medal is one of the world’s most prestigious awards for engineers and scientists who advance technologies with global impact.

MIMO (Multiple In, Multiple Out) wireless technology powers 4G, 5G mobile, and WiFi networks, with far-reaching impacts, including the revolution of high-speed wireless access, connecting 6.5 billion smartphone users and another 12 billion personal and machine-type devices to the internet. The ubiquitous broadband wireless connection to the internet would not be possible without MIMO. According to mobile and WiFi industry groups, the global economic value of MIMO-powered wireless networks was US $7.6 trillion in 2022.

MIMO uses multiple antennas at the transmitter and receiver in a wireless link, along with signal encoding at the transmitter and decoding at the receiver, to boost wireless data rates. Thousands of researchers and engineers in the US, China, and Europe advanced MIMO, noted by more than 400,000 research publications and 450,000 patents.
First awarded in 1922 to Oliver Heaviside, the Faraday Medal is the longest-standing global recognition in science and technology. Named after Michael Faraday, the father of electromagnetism, early medalists included J.J. Thompson (discovery of the electron) and E. Rutherford (discovery of the atomic nucleus). More technology-focused winners include V. Zworykin (television) and R. N. Noyce (semiconductors). In recent years, the award has also recognized business leaders, and honored Wipro founder Mr. Azim Premji from India.

Commenting on the honor, Dr Paulraj said, “I am extremely honored to be awarded with the IET Faraday Medal. I believe digital access is truly an equalizer in terms of opportunity creation, and with 5G, India clearly has the potential to enter and succeed in deep technology industries. Since almost all the value addition in these industries comes from innovation and IP ownership, the industry has many barriers to entry. Going forward, India must thoroughly understand all the industry dynamics to frame a successful path.”

From a Naval officer to a Stanford professor
Currently an emeritus professor at Stanford, Dr Paulraj has received many global honors for his contributions to MIMO technology. He serves as a Senior Advisor to Celesta Capital, a Silicon Valley-headquartered venture capital firm focused on deep tech within the India-US corridor. Dr Paulraj serves on several advisory committees across the India and US R & D ecosystem, including serving as the Fabless Committee Chair with the Indian Semiconductor Mission.

Born in Pollachi, Tamil Nadu, India, in 1944, Paulraj joined the Indian Navy at age 16 and was commissioned in 1965. He served for 25 years before moving to Stanford University. His contributions from that period included well-known mathematical breakthroughs for signal estimation and high-resolution parameter estimation. He also led two successful projects in India to develop anti-submarine sonar systems. Notably, the APSOH sonar, developed between 1977 and 1983, was perhaps the world’s most advanced sonar system and India’s most successful military technology achievement from that period.

Dr Paulraj also founded/cofounded three national laboratories in India, spanning AI and robotics, military electronics, and high-performance computing. But circumstances led him to leave India in 1991 and join Stanford University. Dr Paulraj invented the MIMO technique in 1992, while working on a DARPA project for US defense.