#1 2015

January - March

INDIA Newsletter

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Sincerely

(Mrs) Banashri Bose Harrison / (श्रीमति) बनश्री बोस हैरीसन

Ambassador of India / भारि की राजदिू

Dear Friends of India in Sweden & Latvia,

This quarter began auspiciously with a vibrant celebration of our 66th Republic Day. First, we welcomed the Indian community and friends of India for the unfurling of the Tricolour at the residence and then we had a well-attended reception at the Sheraton. Our chief guest was H.E. Mr. Gabriel Wikström, Minister for Health Care, Public Health and Sport, which was very apposite as he had just been to India and could share his impressions of India to a wider audience. We were also fortunate to be able to display a photographic exhibition of tigers by Mr. Ola Jennersten, Senior Conservation Advisor of the World Wildlife Fund which commemorated the large increase in the Tiger population in India - from 1,411 tigers in 2008 to 2,226 in 2014. Today India is home to 70 percent of Tigers in the world! You should go and see them.

Keeping up the momentum of bilateral exchanges, we had the visit of the Indian delegation led by Mr. Amitabh Kant, Secretary, Department of Industrial Policy and Promotion, Ministry of Commerce and Industry for the meeting of the Indo-Sweden Joint Commission on economic, industrial and scientific cooperation. Traditional medicine systems of India and Technical textiles were two areas that we prioritized for exploring possibilities of cooperation.

I had two very important and interesting meetings - firstly with the H.E. Ms. Anna Johansson, the Swedish Minister for Infrastructure and then with Minister for Housing, Urban Development and Information Technology of Sweden, H.E. Mr. Mehmet Kaplan. I briefed them both on the new Indian Government’s focus on infrastructure and smart cities, the two areas in which there were tremendous opportunities for partnership with India and encouraged them to visit India. Minister Johansson actually did so in the last week of March and, among other things, inaugurated the new factory of Scania in Karnataka.

There was a coup for the Embassy when we managed to bring Deputy Director, Asia Pacific Department of the International Monetary Fund, Dr. Kalpana Kochhar to Stockholm for several lectures including at the Stockholm School of Economics where she participated in a seminar on, “Make in India: Global Economic Perspectives” on the 6th of March. Her concluding remarks was that if the challenges were tackled successfully, 'India could soon become an even more formidable force in the global economy'.

I went on a fascinating tour of discovery to Norrbotten. I was amazed by the numerous opportunities it offers for co-operation with India. Luleå Technological University had excellent expertise which could be utilized in the upgradation of bridges as well as the setting up of a possible joint Centre of Excellence in Railway Maintenance Technology. At Esrange, I saw the space exploration facilities and learnt that the launch and monitoring areas for Sounding Rockets and high altitude scientific balloons could be of use to Indian companies and entities. Some collaboration is already happening on the ground at the Swedish Institute of Space Physics which is working together with various Indian researchers and establishments such as the National Atmospheric lab at Gadanki, National Centre for Antarctic and Ocean Research and the Indian Arctic Research Station-Maitri. It also seemed to be mutually beneficial to explore collaboration between the Swedish Polar Research Secretariat and the Indian National Centre for Antarctic and Ocean Research.

At Jokkmokk I was received at the office of Sámi Duodji by the former Head of Sámi Parliament in Sweden, Mr Lars-Anders Baer and the CEO of Sámi Duodji, Ms Mari-Ann Nutti. I soon realised that the Sami handicrafts and clothes had striking similarities with those of North-eastern India and that there could be possibilities to cooperate in the field of traditional handicrafts.

On my trip to Borås on March 18, I came across some cutting edge technology work being done by the Borås Textilhögskola. We will be discussing the possibility of institutional collaboration between Borås Textilhögskola and India’s National Institute of Fashion Technology for fashion and with Indian Centres of

Excellence for technical textiles.

Holiday season is soon upon us and thus I attended the annual Travel and Tourism Exhibition of Gothenburg where the well-designed stands of “Incredible India” and the State of Kerala attracted the attention of a large number of visitors. India is not just a winter tourist destination given the size of the country and covers several climatic zones.

Holi, the Indian festival of colours & joy was on March 6 and it was celebrated three times in different cities in Sweden: Malmö, Gothenburg and Stockholm. This is a time of looking forward to Spring and I know our Swedish friends feel the same way so it was good to be able to share this unique festival with them.

With Latvia too, relations were active. On 3rd February, the sixth round of Foreign Office Consultations between India and Latvia took place in New Delhi. During the visit, State Secretary Andrejs Pildegovičs officially inaugurated the Embassy of Latvia in New Delhi which was a milestone in our relationship.

I visited Riga several times in this period and had interesting meetings on a variety of subjects such as Ayurveda, a subject close to my heart. With its holistic approach to wellness, it is a perfect complement to modern medicine which focuses on diseases. I am delighted to note the growing interest in Ayurveda in Latvia. A newly instituted course in Ayurveda has already attracted 43 students and the University of Latvia is planning to open a “Centre of Research for Complementary Medicine” which will, inter alia, do research on the effects on Diabetes of combining traditional medicine and modern medicine. I was also informed about the preparations for the International Seminar on Ayurveda in Riga on 28-30 May.

Now, few words about the coming events: The 2nd Cinema Indien - the festival of Indian Cinemas brought to you by the Indian Embassy and India Unlimited will in collaboration with SF BIO will take place at SF Sture, Stockholm from the 7th-10th of May. With the support of the Indian National Film Development Corporation, we have been able to get some recent and very interesting films including India’s Oscar entry for last year. Visit the website www.cinemaindien.se to get more details and be sure that you buy tickets and encourage our initiative to bring the best of Indian films to the discerning Swedish audience.

On the 23rd May we will be organizing Namaste Stockholm, an entire day of Indian festivities at Kungsträdgården and where we will be bringing together some travel agents to highlight some interesting summer destinations.

Yoga is so representative of India with its emphasis on balancing materiality and the spirituality that it deserves to be given a larger platform. It will be showcased during Namaste Stockholm and then again on June 21 in Gothenburg, when we celebrate the first international Yoga day which the United Nations declared last year, at the suggestion of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, himself a Yoga devotee. There will also be an event in Riga on the same day. So look out for this special day!

I look forward to receiving the comments and suggestions of the readers through email to ambassador@indianembassy.se. Do write.

Message from H.E. Mrs Banashri Bose Harrison,

Ambassador of India to Sweden and Latvia

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THE 66TH REPUBLIC DAY CELEBRATED IN

STOCKHOLM TWICE OVER

The 66th Republic Day was celebrated in Stockholm twice over. In the morning around 60 members of Indian Community and friends of India braced the cold weather to participate in the flag hoisting ceremony at India House. They listened with rapt attention to the President’s address to the nation which was webcast on a large screen. This was followed by brief remarks by the Ambassador on the recent highlights of India-Sweden relations. Ambassador handed over prizes for the winners of Essay/Poem/Painting competitions held for World Hindi Day and Sadbhavana Diwas. A short cultural programme featuring patriotic songs in different Indian languages was followed by a webcast of the Republic Day parade. Thereafter, the guests relished the homemade Indian refreshments.

A reception was held at the Hotel Sheraton from noon thereafter for about 300 guests. The Guest of Honour was H.E. Mr. Gabriel Wikström, Minister for Health Care, Public Health and Sport. Several Members of Parliament and Ambassadors were present. Other dignitaries who attended included Governors and high ranking officials of Stockholm City as well as other Swedish counties many of whom had come to Stockholm specially for the event. Members of the business community as well as from the Indian community were also present in large numbers.

In her remarks on the occasion, Ambassador, Mrs. Banashri Bose Harrison, told the guests about the importance of 26th January for India and the four principles on which Indian Constitution was based. She pointed out that these are principles that India shares with Sweden and which form the bedrock of strong relations between the two democracies. She also touched on the pluralism and diversity which Indian civilization celebrates. She informed the audience about the elections held in India last year and the subsequent upbeat trend of the economy. Speaking about the transformational programme “Make in India” launched by the Prime Minister in September 2014, she said that Sweden had strong capabilities in many of the priority areas that had been identified in the programme. She also made a reference to the success of India’s maiden mission to Mars.

In his address, the Chief Guest Mr. Wikström, said that he found India to be a wonderful, historic country with kind and friendly people. He said that his visit to India was very successful and that the business delegation which accompanied him had very good meetings with their counterparts and Indian agencies. He observed that there was much to learn from India because it was so different. He said that he had invited the Union Health Minister for Health and Family Welfare to visit Sweden and looked forward to welcoming him.

Diverse cultural programme followed which mixed tradition and modernity. The occasion was also used to showcase

INDIA IN SWEDEN

Ambassador of India hoisting the Indian tri-colour at India House

Audience at the second celebration of the Republic Day at Sheraton Hotel

Chief Guest, the Swedish Health Minister Mr. Wikström speaking at the Republic Day celebration at Sheraton Hotel

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India’s success in tiger conservation with the display of a photographic exhibition by Mr. Ola Jennersten, Senior Conservation Advisor of World Wildlife Fund. Indian tea was also promoted on the occasion by serving last year’s Nobel Banquet tea blend to the guests, which was based on Assam tea.

EXHIBITION ON TIGER CONSERVATION AT THE

EMBASSY

The exhibition is the brainchild of Mr Ola Jennersten, a biologist and associate professor of animal ecology. He is coordinator of WWF's Swedish projects and tiger projects in India. It consists of some of his exclusive photographs taken during trips to the various national parks in India, capturing the majestic animal in its natural habitat.

The magnificent tiger, with its combination of grace, strength, agility and enormous power is the national animal of India. At the turn of the 20th century, the Indian tiger population was estimated at 20,000 to 40,000 cats. However, the first country-wide tiger census conducted in 1972 estimated the population to comprise a little more than 1,800 individuals, an alarming reduction in tiger population. In 1973, Project Tiger was launched by the Government of India in the Palamau Tiger Reserve, and subsequently various tiger reserves were created in the country. The efforts in Tiger conservation have shown remarkable success wherein the Tiger population increased from 1,411 tigers in 2008 to 1,706 in 2011 and the latest census shows a massive 30% increase with 2,226 Tigers in 2014. Today India is home to 70 percent of Tigers in the world. To quote India’s Environment Minister Shri Prakash Javadekar "While the tiger population is falling in the world, it is rising in India...”

Mr Ola Jennersten’s Photo exhibition will be on display at the Embassy of India till 30th April, 2015. Don’t miss it!

VISIT OF INDIAN DELEGATION TO STOCKHOLM

FOR THE MEETING OF INDIA-SWEDEN JOINT

COMMISSION ON ECONOMIC, INDUSTRIAL AND

SCIENTIFIC COOPERATION

Mr. Amitabh Kant, Secretary, Department of Industrial Policy and Promotion, Ministry of Commerce and Industry, Government of India visited Stockholm for the 17th Session of the Indo-Swedish Joint Commission for Economic, Industrial and Scientific Cooperation which was held on 29-30 January, 2015. He was accompanied by a delegation comprising of senior officers from Departments of Commerce and Industrial Policy & Promotion and the Ministries of AYUSH (Ayurveda, Yunani, Sidha and Homeopathy) and Small & Medium Enterprises. The session was co-chaired by Mr. Oscar Stenström, State Secretary, Ministry of Enterprise and Innovation, Government of Sweden. To maintain the momentum of the

Biologist and Professor of Animal Ecology Mr. Ola Jennersten talking about successful conservation of tigers in India

Tiger Exhibition at the Indian Embassy

Mr. Amitabh Kant, Secretary (DIPP) meets the CEO of H&M

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dialogue, both sides had agreed to have the Joint Commission meeting at the State Secretary level as a one-time exception since the Indian Commerce & Industry Minister was forced to reschedule her visit due to unavoidable reasons.

At the meeting, the two sides reviewed bilateral achievements and progress made since the 16th Session of the Joint Commission held in October 2012. They expressed satisfaction at the increase in bilateral trade in the first nine months of 2014 and welcomed the strengthening of cooperation in science & technology. They noted with satisfaction the expanding collaboration in the important area of Healthcare and Public Health under the MoU concluded five years ago. The two sides also expressed satisfaction at the joint undertaking ‘India Sweden Business Accelerator’ which focuses on innovations and SMEs working with solutions for renewable energy and energy efficiency. The two sides note with great satisfaction the increased collaboration in the key areas of transportation & Urban Planning. The discussions also covered new and strategic sectors, business climate in India and company related issues. Traditional medicine systems of India and Technical textiles were two areas prioritized by the Indian side for exploring possibilities of cooperation. The Swedish side expressed interest in participating in the Make in India programme launched by the Indian Prime Minister in September 2014 as well as in India’s Smart City plans and the Digital agenda. Both sides recognized the importance of global supply chains for industrial production. The two sides agreed to work towards an early conclusion of MOUs on Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises and Sustainable Urban Development. The two sides also exchanged views on the WTO Doha Round negotiations and expressed the wish to pursue the EU-India Free Trade Agreement.

Mr. Amitabh Kant and Mr. Oscar Stenström addressed a Business Round table where they interacted with a number of Swedish companies with major investments in India. In the afternoon they participated in a seminar on the theme of ‘Swedish Technologies & Make in India: New Partnership Opportunities’. Other speakers at this event at the prestigious Stockholm School of Economics, which attracted about 300 listeners, were the CEO of Scania Mr. Martin Lundstedt, Ambassador Banashri Bose Harrison, Ms Ylva Berg, CEO of Business Sweden and Dr. A. Deedar Singh, Secretary General of the Federation of Indian Chambers of Commerce & Industry.

Mr. Amitabh Kant also had meetings with Mr. Marcus Wallenburg, the leading Swedish industrialist with diverse business interests in India and Mr Karl-Johan Persson CEO of H &M, which plans to open stores soon in India.

The Indian delegation met a large number of local business persons, media and members of the Indian community at a reception hosted by the Indian Ambassador.

Signing of the Joint Commission Protocol on January 30. From R to L: Mr. Atul Chaturvedi, Joint Secretary (DIPP), Mr. Amitabh Kant, Secretary (DIPP), Mr Oscar Stenström, State Secretary,

Ministry of Enterprise and Innovation & Ms Eva Walder, Director-General for Trade

Joint Commission Meeting

Round table with Swedish businesses

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AMBASSADOR MEETS MR. KEITH MCLOUGHLIN,

CEO OF ELECTROLUX AB

Ambassador, Mrs. Banashri Bose Harrison, met Mr. Keith McLoughlin, CEO of Electrolux AB on February 4, 2015 at the headquarters of Electrolux. She briefed him about the rapid growth in India and suggested that the company should explore establishing a manufacturing facility in India. Mr. McLoughlin said that Electrolux had been in India with own operations till seven years ago. It was aware of market opportunities that the country offered and would consider entering the Indian market again either through investment or acquisition when the time seemed right in terms of the per capita purchasing power and it became as easy to establish a business in India as in other competing investment destinations. Ambassador informed Mr. McLoughlin about the “Make in India” programme launched by Prime Minister Narendra Modi in September last year. She said that India offered a huge potential market for the entire range of products that Electrolux offers which were renowned for their technology as well as their ‘greenness’. She also added that the Indian talent could be tapped for R&D innovation as well.

Ambassador was briefed about Electrolux professionals in India and their Centre of Excellence in Gurgaon providing unlimited training for clients and end users and that they are the leading supplier of complete solutions for professional kitchens and laundry. She was shown around the R&D unit of Electrolux by Mr. Martin von Arronet, Senior Vice President who said. ‘Electrolux does not sell just products, it offers solutions not for just homes but also industries, particularly in hospitals and the hospitality sector.

INDIA DAY CELEBRATED AT KTH

"India Day" was celebrated on 6th February with fun and gaiety at KTH Royal Institute of Technology, organized at the initiative of the Indian students at KTH and Ms Alphonsa Lourdudoss, Regional Advisor / Coordinator, Erasmus Mundus A2 – India projects. The event started with lighting of the traditional Indian lamp jointly by the President of KTH Professor Peter Gudmundson and Mr J P Meena, Chargé d’Affaires of the Indian Embassy. The President’s inaugural address was followed by remarks from Prof Rajeev Thottappililil and Mr J P Meena. A videographic presentation on modern India, its diversity and vibrant democracy was shown. A cultural performance consisting of songs and dances by the Indian students of KTH concluded the event.

Ambassador with Mr. Keith McLoughlin, CEO of Electrolux

Traditional lighting of the oil lamp at KTH India Day by Mr. J. P. Meena, Deputy Chief of Mission and Prof. Peter Gudmundson,

President of KTH

Cultural performance at the KTH India Day celebration

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INDIAN-ORIGIN BADMINTON CHILD PRODIGY

MEETS AMBASSADOR

On February 24, the Indian Embassy welcomed Ashwathi Pillai (14 years old), one of the youngest stars in the Swedish badminton circuit. She is the current Swedish National Champion in the U15 category and is ranked 9th in the senior circuit. She plays around 11 international tournaments around Europe every season. She has been selected to the Swedish Olympic program for the 2020 Olympics in Tokyo. She trains 15 hours a week. She has also been admitted by the prestigious “Prakash Padukone Academy” in India to train every summer for 1 month. In this academy she is coached by Prakash Padukone (Former world no. 1 and All England champion).

Let us all wish her all the best in her future sporting career.

WORLD NATIONS IN GOVERNMENT OFFICES OF

SWEDEN CELEBRATES INDIA DAY

On 2nd March, 2015, World Nations in Government Offices of Sweden (ViR) initiated its new programme of celebrating “International Days” to give the public servants an exposure to global environment. It was India’s privilege to be chosen as the first country under this programme. The event began with a short informational film on modern India. This was followed by key note remarks by the Indian Ambassador. She thanked the ViR and emphasized that India was a round-the-year tourist destination due to its diverse geography and climate. She said that she had really been struck by the large number of Swedish people who were posted to India for work and came back with India in their heart. Ambassador ended with an open invitation to the audience to participate in the “Namaste Stockholm” festival on 23rd May in Kungsträdgården, the most central park of the city which, she said, would bring India to Stockholm for one day with Yoga, Ayurveda, hand crafted products, culture and tourism destinations. The main organizer of the event Mr. Nasser Faridoon said that he was confident that these days will lead to more tourism to India. The event continued with singing of a patriotic song by the melodious amateur singer Ms. Nandita Singh and a highly appreciated Kathak dance by Ms Sunita Singh, the well-known danseuse.

Around 200 officials from different Swedish Ministries/Departments were present. They had the opportunity to taste Indian cuisine and the restaurants at the two major Government offices served Indian dishes throughout the week.

Thank you ViR!

Ms. Ashwathi Pillai with Ambassador

Ambassador of India speaking at the India Day in the Government Offices

Cultural programme at the India Day in the Government Offices

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STOCKHOLM SCHOOL OF ECONOMICS HOSTS

SEMINAR ON ‘MAKE IN INDIA: GLOBAL

ECONOMIC PERSPECTIVES’

On the 6th of March, the audience braved the rain to hear Deputy Director, Asia Pacific Department of the International Monetary Fund Dr. Kalpana Kochhar and Mr Klas Eklund, Chief Economist of Sweden's leading Bank SEB discuss Prime Minister Narendra Modi's 'Make in India' programme from a global economic perspective today at the Stockholm School of Economics.

In her remarks setting the agenda for the presentations by the two well-known economists, Ambassador Banashri Bose Harrison said that 'Make in India' had the potential of making India grow at 8 to 9% over the next decade, thereby making India a force to counterbalance the deflationary tendencies threatening to engulf Europe. She urged Swedish companies to join the Make in India initiative and to grow with India.

Dr Kochhar noted that India's economic growth had gone from being anaemic to one of the strongest in the world. She felt that somewhat in contrast to China, India's domestic growth drivers were relatively well-balanced. There was a huge demographic bulge with more than 50 percent of the population being under the age of 25 which could become a real asset with education and skilling. There were large infrastructure gaps but the scope for catching up was very high. She advocated a strategy that focuses on expanding its participation in both manufacturing and services and in both global markets as well as in the massive market at home: that is both Make in India and Make for India. She concluded that if the challenges were tackled successfully, 'India could soon become an even more formidable force in the global economy'.

In his remarks on 'India & the Global Economy', Mr. Eklund talked about the sluggish global economy and felt that India offered 'a Window of Opportunity'. He listed the many well-known advantages that India offered: Size and persity, home market, labour skills and costs. There were also many challenges such as education, risks in links in global value chains, logistics and infrastructure etc. However, the new Government had made a new start and was tackling these issues in a systematic manner. The Prime Minister had started with administrative reforms aimed at, among other things, improving the 'Ease of Doing Business' Index. He also commented on the economic reform measures included in the new budget such as introduced of the GST in 2016, support to SMEs, lowering of corporate tax rate, actions against 'black money' and improved healthcare. His conclusion was that the long-term GDP growth target of 8.5% which Indian government had set seemed feasible.

Mr. Torbjörn Becker, Director SITE, Dr. Kalpana Kochhar, IMF Deputy Director, Mrs. Banashri Bose Harrison, Ambassador of

India, Mr. Klas Eklund, Chief Economist SEB before the seminar at the Stockholm School of Economics (SSE)

Audience participating in the seminar ‘Make in India: Global Economic Perspectives seminar’ at SSE

Panel discussion at the ‘Make in India: Global Economic Perspectives’ seminar

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HOLI CELEBRATIONS IN MALMÖ, GOTHENBURG

AND STOCKHOLM

Holi, the Indian festival of colours & joys was on March 6 and it was celebrated three times in different cities in Sweden. Malmö kicked off the celebrations on 7th March, 2015 with the Indian Association organizing an event full of fun, gaiety and enthusiasm. Around 300 members of the Association and their guests participated in the event. Special guests were a Swedish couple Mr Johnny Ekdahl and Ms Anna who have extended hospitality to various cadets from Indian Coast Guard who have studied at the World Maritime University, Malmö. Mr J P Meena, Minister and Deputy Chief of Mission from the Embassy was the guest of honour participated in the event and spoke to the audience about recent developments in India including the economic acceleration.

A five minute video titled “Modern India-Unity in Diversity” was screened and much appreciated by the audience. Several cultural performances were presented on the theme of Holi as well as some humorous skits. The event ended with a lunch where Indian delicacies were served, followed by playing of Holi with coloured powder and dancing to foot-tapping Bollywood songs.

ON MARCH 29, INDIA’S MOST COLOURFUL AND

JOYOUS FESTIVAL WAS CELEBRATED IN

STOCKHOLM

On March 29, the capital Stockholm saw the newly established Indian Cultural Centre of Scandinavia join hands with the Embassy to celebrate Holi innovatively with colourful petals of flowers. 300 guests listened to Ambassador Harrison speak on the significance of Holi - a festival of integration and inclusion. The guest of Honour, Mrs Margareta Cederfeldt, Member of Parliament shared her views followed by a variety cultural programme with the Indian community demonstrating their artistry in dance and music. Naturally the event included delicious food and snacks and the fun-filled evening continued with a Bollywood dance party.

NORRBOTTEN OFFERS MANY OPPORTUNITIES FOR

INDIA-SWEDEN COLLABORATION

The Ambassador, Mrs Banashri Bose Harrison toured the Norrbotten region from 11 to 17 March and had several fruitful interactions. On the first leg of her tour she visited Luleå Technological University (LTU) on 12 March. She was received by the Pro-Vice Chancellor, Mr Erik Höglund who was accompanied by senior members of the faculty, including Mr Örjan Johansson, the Head of Department for Environment (Civil & Mining), Dr. Lennart Elfgren, Prof Emeritus of Structural Engineering, a leading expert on bridges; Professor Uday Kumar, Prof and Head of

Holi Celebration in Malmö

Holi Celebrations at Sheraton Hotel, Stockholm

Ambassador with Governor of Norrbotten Mr. Sven-Erik Österberg

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Operation and Maintenance Engineering with vast experience in Railways sector, Mr Pär Weihed, Vice Rector (Mining) and Professor Aditya Parida. After an informal discussion during which the Ambassador and the members of the faculty discussed the broad possibilities of cooperation between LTU and India in important areas like

Railway maintenance including safety and sustainability and in mining technology; she was given a detailed presentation on LTU by the Pro-VC followed by presentations in the field of Operation and Maintenance Engineering, Bridge technology and Mining by the concerned faculty members. After further fruitful discussions, several areas of common interest were identified for follow-up including exploration of a possible joint Centre of Excellence in Railway Maintenance Technology and cooperation in upgradation of bridges and training in the field of mining as well as other areas where LTU had expertise.

The Ambassador also met the Mayor Ms Yvonne Stålnacke who told her about the presence of 86 nationalities in Luleå and its vision of becoming a global city. One of The Ambassador's suggestion of celebrating International days which would make the foreign-origin residents feel included and give all residents a chance to enjoy different cultures was warmly welcomed by the Mayor who proposed that a beginning be made with an India Day. Ambassador responded enthusiastically and said that the Embassy would be delighted to organize Indian cultural programmes in Luleå.

The Ambassador was then taken to visit various laboratories where path breaking research was being conducted; including one on tribology headed by Dr Braham Prakash, from Indian Institute of Technology; on e-Maintenance headed by Professor Uday Kumar and on bridge engineering headed by Dr. Lennart Elfgren.

The next engagement was an address by the Ambassador to about forty students and faculty members of LTU where she spoke on "India -Sweden relations, Past Present and the Future". She described the enormous potential for collaboration that exists between the two countries including through the "Make in India" programme launched by the Prime Minister last September where a big focus had been put on infrastructure creation and upgradation. Her talk was well received and generated a very lively interaction.

Later in the day, the Ambassador interacted with members of the local Indian community. The day ended with an evening reception hosted by LTU, which was attended by the Governor of Norrbotten region His Excellency Mr Sven-Erik Österberg.

The second leg of the Norrbotten tour of Ambassador Harrison was again action-packed. The day started with a five hour journey from Luleå to Esrange Space Station in Jukkasjärvi, where she was received by the Director, Mr Anders Jörle. He along with the Station's head of Strategic Development, Mr Michael Liljeblad briefed the Ambassador

Pro Vice Chancellor and the head of departments at LTU with the Ambassador

Ambassador at LTU next to the green car invented by students which uses only one litre of fuel to go from Luleå to Umeå!

Ambassador speaking at LTU

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on the history, capabilities and the operational model of the Station. The Ambassador invited the Director to visit her in Stockholm with the aim of exploring possible areas of collaboration and business between Esrange and Indian entities, both Public and Private. The Ambassador was then shown the various facilities in the station, including the launch and monitoring areas for Sounding Rockets and high altitude scientific balloons. During her tour of the facility, she also interacted with a group of International students carrying out scientific experiments at the station.

The Space station visit was followed by a visit to another premier Swedish establishment, the Swedish Institute of Space Physics (IRF) at Rymdcampus near Kiruna town. At the institute she was received by the Director General, Dr (PhD) Lars Eliasson. He along with two senior researchers, Prof Sheila Kirkwood (Head of the atmospheric research group) and Dr (Ph D) Urban Brändström (Head of the Aurora research group) briefed the ambassador on the specific research areas and competencies of the Institute. She was also briefed on the collaboration being done by the Institute with various Indian researchers and establishments such as the National Atmospheric lab at Gadanki, National Centre for Antarctic and Ocean Research and the Indian Arctic Research Station-Maitri. Prof Sheila Kirkwood explained in detail the field experiments and observation being done by their Institute in close cooperation with Indian Antarctic Station, Maitri. During the interactive session post the briefings it emerged that the Swedish Institute had been part of India's moon mission Chandrayaan 1, wherein they had sent some of their instruments on the mission for the purpose of data collection.

The long day ended with the Ambassador setting course for the Polar Research Station at Abisko where the next day, she was briefed by its knowledgeable Director Mr. Magnus Augner. The director highlighted the significance of the Station in terms of its location in the Arctic region and the easy accessibility which allows researchers and scientists to conduct their research with minimum logistical requirements. The station is fully equipped for conducting tests and collecting data in the fields of Climate, Hydrology, Flora and Fauna. The Ambassador said that it would be mutually beneficial to explore the possibility of an MoU between the Swedish Polar Research Secretariat and the Indian National Centre for Antarctic and Ocean Research.

The focus of the last leg of the Norrbotten tour of Ambassador Banashri Bose Harrison was the rich and colorful cultural heritage of the Sami. In the municipality of Jokkmokk in the Lapland province she was received at the office of Sámi Duodji by the former Head of Sámi Parliament in Sweden, Mr Lars-Anders Baer and the CEO of Sámi Duodji, Ms Mari-Ann Nutti. Ms Nutti explained the meaning of Duodji, which is the Sámi word for handicrafts and applies to all handicraft made by Sámi artists, based on Sámi traditions, designs and colours. The CEO explained that Sámi Duodji is the foundation established to promote, support and develop Sámi handicrafts and cultural heritage.

Ambassador at Esrange Space Station with the Director Mr. Anders Jörle. Also in the picture Mr. Gareth Harrison, spouse of Ambassador and Mrs Savita Chaudhry, spouse of the Defence

Attaché at the Embassy

Ambassador with the Director General of the Swedish Institute of Space Physics in front of a display regarding Chandrayaan 1,

India’s moon mission

Ambassador and Director Mr. Magnus Augner at Abisko Scientific Research Station

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It also owns the "Sámi Duodji" trademark used for authentic Sámi handicrafts. During the discussions, the Ambassador spoke of India's ethnic diversity which had strengthened and enriched the national identity and commented on the striking similarity of how Sámi handicrafts to the handicrafts from the North Eastern region of the country. She mooted the idea of cooperation in the field of traditional handicraft, which was well received. It was agreed that the proposal be discussed further when Ms Nutti visits Stockholm next.

The Ambassador was thereafter taken on a fascinating tour of Ájtte, the Sámi museum where the curator Ms Elina Nygård told Ambassador about the Sámi way of life and their ancient history.

Later in the evening, the Ambassador visited Umeå where she met Ms Rupali Bhalerao, the Director of the Nordic Study Centre in India which is currently based in the University of Umea and Ms Elin Ljungström, who coordinates the India programme of the University. They briefed her on the growing collaboration between the University and a number of leading Indian institutions in several areas including architecture and design.

The last engagement was a meeting with local musician Rickard N. Jokela who told the Ambassador about his deep interest in Indian classical musical traditions and the inspiration he was drawing from his collaboration with the well-known Indian musician Bahauddin Dagar. He also told her about the longstanding links between the Dagar musical family and the Swedish Jazz musician Bengt Berger.

INDIA COMES TO TUR 2015@GOTHENBURG

In the annual Travel and Tourism Exhibition of Gothenburg, large number of travel agencies from India participated including under the banner of “Incredible India” and from the State of Kerala. The well designed stands of “Incredible India” and the State of Kerala were attracted the attention of large number of visitors. Among the visitors was the Ambassador of India, Mrs. Banashri Bose Harrison and Mrs. Cecilia Magnusson, Member of Parliament from Gothenburg.

For 20 minutes, the audience were given visual experience of India. To begin with, the Ambassador showed slides of the many summer destinations that India offer such as Uttarakhand, Jammu and Kashmir including Ladhak, Arunachal Pradesh, Himachal Pradesh and Sikkim. She invited the Swedish tourists to enjoy India in all season.

Mrs. Cecilia Magnusson, spoke to the audience next about the great experience that she had when she visited India in February 2013. The audience regaled by mixture classical dances from Kerala and colourful Bollywood dances. The visitors were also given a taste of Indian food.

Presentation on the Sami People by Mr. Lars-Anders Baer, former President of the Sami Parliament

Ambassador at Travel and Tourism Exhibition of Gothenburg at the Kerala stand with the Deputy Director (Tourism) Ms Anuparna and

MP Mrs Cecilia Magnusson

Ambassador with Mr. Lars-Anders Baer, Ms Mari-Ann Nutti and Mr. Gareth Harrison outside the Sámi Duodji

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AMBASSADOR VISITS BORÅS AND GOTHENBURG

Ambassador visited Borås on March 18 and had productive meetings with Rector Björn Brorström. She was given a fascinating overview of the cutting edge work being done by the Borås Textilhögskola. She also met Prof. Clemens Thornquist. The possibility of institutional collaboration between Borås Textilhögskola and India’s National Institute of Fashion Technology for fashion and with Indian Centres of Excellence for technical textiles was discussed in this meeting. The Ambassador also met Ms Nelly Hayek, responsible for business development in the Borås municipality and discussed the possibility of organising India Days in the city in May-June 2015.

Ambassador went to Gothenburg on March 19. She called on the Lord Mayor Ms Anneli Hulthén and discussed closer ties between Gothenburg and India. The Lord Mayor said that as a city which had a long tradition of being open to the world, she welcomed more active exchanges with India. Later in the day, Ambassador held discussions with Ms Gunilla Bökmark, Head of International Department of the City of Gothenburg and Ms Camilla Nyman, CEO Göteborg & Co regarding plans for business and cultural events in May-June 2015 in Gothenburg under the India Unlimited platform as well as the celebration of the first international Yoga day on June 21.

Ambassador also met with Mr. Per Borgvall, CEO of Gunnebo and Mr Tom Johnstone, Board member of SKF and Ms Carola Kylin, Director, Group Communications at SKF.

AMBASSADOR CALLS ON H.E. MR. MEHMET

KAPLAN, SWEDISH MINISTER FOR HOUSING,

URBAN DEVELOPMENT AND INFORMATION

TECHNOLOGY

Ambassador, Mrs. Banashri Bose Harrison, called on the Minister for Housing, Urban Development and Information Technology of the Government of Sweden, H.E. Mr. Mehmet Kaplan on March 23, 2015. After an initial exchange of pleasantries, Ambassador briefed him regarding the excellent potential of cooperation between India and Sweden in the areas of Urban Development and Information Technology. She informed the Minister about the focus of the new Indian Government on urban transformation of the country with 100 new smart cities. She pointed out that the Sweden was an excellent source of technologies, products and services which could contribute to the building of these smart cities. She recalled that an Agreement of Cooperation in the field of Sustainable Urban Development was ready for signature and would provide an optimum framework for expanding and strengthening bilateral collaborations in this important area.

Ambassador informed the Minister about the 3rd Conference on Cyber Governance and Cyber related issues

Ms Gunilla Bökmark, Head of International Department of the City of Gothenburg and Ms Camilla Nyman, CEO Göteborg & Co with

Ambassador

Ambassador with Ms Carola Kylin, Director, Group Communications at SKF

Ambassador with Minister Mr. Mehmet Kaplan

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to be held in India in October, 2015 and hoped that Sweden would consider becoming a special partner in this event. She told the Minister that his leading the Swedish delegation to India to attend this Conference would provide an opportunity for him to meet with his Indian counterpart and discuss new steps for reinforcing collaboration between the two countries.

Minister Kaplan thanked Ambassador for the briefing and said that he held India in very high regard. He told her that the Swedish Government valued the relationship with a democracy like India and was keen to develop it to mutual benefit. She agreed with the Minister that the areas under his charge i.e., Urban Development, Housing and Information Technology, held a huge potential for mutually beneficial cooperation. He said that his Government was looking forward to the first ever State visit of President of India to Sweden in the coming months which would be a very good occasion to sign the agreement on “Cooperation in the field of Sustainable Urban Development”. He added that the visit would be a “new landmark” in bilateral relations between the two countries. He praised the Indian Government’s initiatives such as “Make in India”, “Smart Cities” and “Digital India”, which Sweden was following very closely. He stressed that having a direct air links between Sweden and India would give a strong boost to bilateral relations. He noted after going through the CV of his Indian counterpart which the Ambassador had given him that Minister Venkaiah Naidu had visited many countries but not Sweden and invited him to visit Sweden in the near future.

Ambassador suggested the establishment of a Joint Working Group on ICT to develop collaborations in e-innovations. The Swedish side welcomed the idea and noted that it had been agreed at the last meeting of the bilateral Joint Commission that this possibility should be explored.

The meeting ended with an exchange of gifts.

AMBASSADOR CALLS ON H.E. MS. ANNA

JOHANSSON, MINISTER FOR INFRASTRUCTURE

On March 24, Ambassador called on H.E. Ms. Anna Johansson, the Swedish Minister for Infrastructure. The Minister said that she is looking forward to visiting India for the first time in the coming days. She added that her father had worked in SKF in India and her parents had often talked about India so she was very curious to visit India.

Ambassador briefed her on the new Indian Government’s focus on infrastructure and smart cities, the two areas in which there were tremendous opportunities for partnership with India. Ambassador told the Minister that her visit to India would be seen as a signal for Sweden's interests in collaborating in these areas and welcomed the fact that the Minister would be meeting the Indian Ministers of Transport, of Urban Development and also possibly the Minister of Railways. Ambassador said that since Sweden has great

Ambassador with Minister Mr. Mehmet Kaplan

Ambassador with Minister Ms. Anna Johansson

14

expertise in turning waste to energy, an area in which India is interested and infrastructure in smart sustainable way. Ambassador suggested that the Swedish companies should come together and build up one smart city in India like the Swedish smart city like Symbiocity, which could be a smart city that India could have. Ambassador informed the Minister about her recent visit to Luleå Technical University and her interaction with Prof. Uday Kumar, the Indian origin Professor and Holder of a Chair at the Department of Civil, Environmental and Natural Resources Engineering. She said that inclusion of such experts in the Ministerial delegation could lead to very fruitful discussions on in the important area of like Railway maintenance and efficiency, including possible collaboration in establishing an India-Sweden Joint Centre of Excellence in this field.

Speaking about Sweden's strong mining sector and the impressive competence of institutions like Luleå Technical University in the field of Mining, Ambassador suggested to the Minister that she may consider meeting the Indian Minister of Mines to discuss possible cooperation in sustainable, safe and efficient mining.

Minister Johansson welcomed the suggestions made by the Ambassador. She told Ambassador that Sweden is planning to have high speed trains with the collaboration of Japan and is interested in knowing India's plans in this area so that Sweden could contribute either with technology or in infrastructure. Another area Sweden is interested in India is aviation safety and environment-friendly technologies in this field. She spoke about Sweden's innovation of Remote Tower for aviation safety, which would be tested soon. She went on to speak about Sweden's strong interest in having a direct air connection between Sweden and India which would boost the interaction between the two countries across all sectors. She informed the Ambassador that Sweden's Arlanda Airport could soon become a free clearance airport for the US. If that materialized, it would be an additional ground for having direct connections between Stockholm and New Delhi.

Ambassador informed the Minister about the short transit visit of Mr. Nitin Gadkari, Hon’ble Minister of Road Transport & Highways to Stockholm last year during which he had the chance to learn about many smart transport solutions that Swedish companies can provide. Minister Johansson who is also in-charge of Transport in the Swedish Government said that she would certainly invite Minister Gadkari to pay a longer official visit to Sweden when she meets him.

The meeting ended with an exchange of gifts.

Ambassador with Minister Ms. Anna Johansson

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CINEMA INDIEN 2015

India Unlimited 2015 kicks off with the launch of the second Indian film festival, Cinema Indien/Indian Cinemas, held in collaboration with SF BIO it will take place at SF Sture, Stockholm from the 7th-10th of May with the support of the Indian National Film Development Corporation. Covering different genres, this is a selection that offers the best of Indian and regional films. Cinema Indien 2015 is set to challenge the popular notion that Indian cinema is nothing more than song-and-dance Bollywood films. Visit www.cinemaindien.se for more information.

NAMASTE STOCKHOLM IN KUNGSTRÄDGÅRDEN

On the 23rd of May, we dedicate the entire day to provide you a sneak peek into India, its dizzying creative burst of cultures. On this day we are creating a panorama for Stockholmers to experience the different aspects and amalgamation of several uniquely Indian attractions, from Yoga to Dance and Fashion, from Art and Crafts to mouth-watering Indian Cuisine.

In the morning, we invite all the different Yoga centers and Yoga studios, their teachers and students, in fact all Stockholmers, children & adults to come and participate in our grand Yoga Event. The idea is to spread the yoga mats around the pool of water and make the magic of Yoga come alive! We, thereby, also prepare for a grand celebration of the first International Yoga Day on June 21.

In addition to Yoga we will present the wonderful diversity of Indian cuisine from a select handful of Stockholm's approximately 130 Indian restaurants. Also Travel and Tourism operators will be present to offer attractive new Indian destination packages. Designers will give you an unique opportunity to discover Indian designs and craftsmanship. Cultural performances from different areas of India will be shown. Visit www.indiaunlimited.se for more information.

We look forward to seeing you in Kungsträdgården!

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AMBASSADOR ATTENDS FOREIGN POLICY DEBATE

IN THE LATVIAN PARLIAMENT (SAEIMA)

Ambassador Mrs. Banashri Bose Harrison visited Riga from 22-23 January, 2015. On Thursday the 22nd, she witnessed the Foreign Policy debate in the Latvian Parliament (Saeima) and then called on the Speaker Ms. Inara Murniece. She also met Mr. Atis Lejins, who was re-elected as the Chairman of the India-Friendship Group which has been reconstituted in the new Parliament. In the evening, she also attended a Reception hosted by President Andriz Berzins. On Friday the 23rd she had meetings with senior officials in the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and attended a lunch hosted by Foreign Minister Mr. Edgars Rinkevics.

FOREIGN OFFICE CONSULTATIONS HELD

BETWEEN LATVIA AND INDIA

On 3 February, the 6th round of Foreign Office Consultations between India and Latvia took place in New Delhi between Mr. Navtej Sarna, Secretary (West) in the Ministry of External Affairs of the Republic of India and Mr. Andrejs Pildegovičs, State Secretary of the Foreign Ministry of Latvia.

The consultations covered bilateral issues as well as regional and multilateral issues of common interest including the EU-India Summit in April and the EU-India Free Trade Agreement. Mr. Andrejs Pildegovičs informed the Indian side about Latvian government’s plans to organize an Asia Week in Latvia with the aim of forging closer cooperation between Europe and Asia. He also mentioned that Latvia would be hosting the ASEM Education Ministers’ Meeting and the ASEM Transport Ministers’ meeting in April and hoped that India would participate.

Both sides agreed that the opening of the Embassy of Latvia in Delhi will promote bilateral ties. Mr. Andrejs Pildegovičs conveyed invitations to visit Latvia for External Affairs Minister of India, Her Excellency Mrs. Sushma Swaraj, and the Hon’ble Speaker of the Lok Sabha Mrs. Sumitra Mahajan.

The two sides welcomed that cooperation in culture and education has considerably increased over the past decade. They noted the contribution of the Centre for Indian Studies and Culture that was established at the University of Latvia in September 2013 to strengthening of cooperation in these sectors.

During the visit, State Secretary Andrejs Pildegovičs officially inaugurated the Embassy of Latvia in New Delhi.

INDIA IN LATVIA

Ambassador at Saeima with Speaker Ms. Inara Murniece

On 3 February, the Embassy of Latvia in India was officially opened in the presence of Rahul Chhabra, Secretary (East) from the Ministry of External Affairs of the Republic of India, diplomats accredited in India, business people from Latvia, friends and supporters.

17

AMBASSADOR HARRISON VISITS RIGA FOR A DAY

FOR IMPORTANT MEETINGS

Ambassador Banashri Bose Harrison visited Riga on Friday, March 28, 2015 for a number of important meetings. The visit started with a breakfast meeting to discuss the possible ways in which modern medicine system could be combined with traditional medicine systems of India, particularly Ayurveda and Yoga so as to benefit the patients. Prof. Dr. Valdis Pirags, Faculty of Medicine, University of Latvia and Dr. Sigma Ankrava, Acting Director of Centre for Indian Studies and Culture, University of Latvia informed the Ambassador about the success of the new module launched recently for this purpose. Dr. Somit, an Indian Ayurvedic Expert from Arya Vaidya Chikitsalayam & Research Institute, Coimbatore with which the University of Latvia had signed an MoU last year, said that there was a growing interest in Ayurveda in Latvia, as reflected in the fact that the course he had just begun to teach had already attracted 43 students. He told her that he would be taking about 30 of them to India for two months on study visit to gain practical knowledge. He also informed Ambassador that the Latvian University is planning to open a “Centre of Research for Complementary Medicine” which will, inter alia, do research on the effects on Diabetes of combining traditional medicine and modern medicine.

Dr. Pirags informed the Ambassador about the preparations for the International Seminar on Ayurveda in Riga on 28-30 May, which was being organized at the suggestion of the Ambassador. He said that the seminar would be for three days and the first day would focus on talks by policy makers of Latvia and India on Ayurveda and related subjects and the next two days would focus on technical aspects. Ambassador informed him that she had requested the Department of AYUSH, New Delhi to participate in this conference.

The meeting was joined by Mr. Astitva Ginters, Yoga Expert and Ms. Premal Madina, Oddisi Dancer, teacher and Choreographer in Riga. The Ambassador informed the participants in the meeting that at India’s initiative, the United Nations had declared June 21 to be the “International Yoga Day”. She sought their assistance in celebrating this day appropriately in Riga, and briefed them on the vision of the Indian government. She said that she would be sending a representative from the Embassy to Riga for this celebration, since she herself has to be in Gothenburg for doing a similar event on that day.

Later in the day Ambassador visited the University of Latvia and interacted with the students studying Ayurveda and spoke to them about the importance of Ayurveda in the modern day.

The second programme was a seminar on “Promotion of Indian Agriculture Products” which was organized for the second time by the Embassy in collaboration with the Indo-Latvian Chamber of Commerce (ILCC) and Agricultural and

Breakfast meeting to discuss ways to combine modern and traditional medicine systems of India

Breakfast meeting to discuss ways to combine modern and traditional medicine systems of India

Breakfast meeting to discuss ways to combine modern and traditional medicine systems of India

18

Processed Food Products Export Development Authority (APEDA), India. The President of ILCC, Mr. Kartik Desai, welcomed the guests and read out the Latvian Minister of Agriculture’s speech which was followed by a short film made by the Public Diplomacy division entitled “India – A Profile” Thereafter Ambassador Mrs. Banashri Bose Harrison gave a presentation on India’s agricultural sector which includes fresh/processed fruits and vegetables, floriculture, organic products, wheat, rice, cereals, pulses and spices. She spoke about India’s enormous potential in these areas. She informed the audience that India is exploring the benefits and feasibility of planning to build a cold storage in Riga Port to make Riga as an hub for Indian products.

Then the Ambassador invited H.E. Mr. Atis Lejins, Member of Parliament and Co-Chairman of India-Latvia Friendship Group to address the audience. Mr. Lejins talked about the warmth of the relations between Latvia and India and thanked the Ambassador for organizing such an event which would promote further bilateral cooperation between the two countries and said that he is looking forward to getting Indian Basmati Rice in Latvian markets. He further said that he would be visiting India shortly at the invitation of the Indian Council of Cultural Relations and said that he and his wife were looking forward to this visit. The next speaker was Mr. Peter Odintsov, a Member of the Council of Norvik Bank. In his address, Mr. Odintsov mentioned that this was an historic opportunity for Latvia with the Prime Ministership of Modi Government so keen to further enhance international trade and business relations. He stressed that Latvia is the best transit/distribution center to CIS/Northern European countries. He told the audience that the Norvik Bank is trying to build Indian export and import communities and he had himself visited India and witnessed the quality of production. He said that India produces very quality products but lacks packing capability while Latvia has very good technology in packing. If Indian products are exported to Latvia, Latvia would help in packing in smaller quantities as required to further export to CIS and other European countries. He mentioned that the Norvik Bank and eromar Cargo Services are doing feasibility study with APEDA to build cold storages in Riga. They planned to have 6000 sq.mtr for this purpose, equally divided for cold storage, temperature control and for warehouses. During the visit of a delegation from the APEDA to Riga, they would finalize the plans for construction of an APEDA certified Riga Export Hub facility.

Next the Ambassador had a meeting with Ms. Judite Dobele, Head, Department of Asia and Oceania in the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. They inter alia discussed about on Education Exchange Programme between Latvia and India which could perhaps be signed during the Latvian Education Minister’s visit to India. They also discussed some bilateral matters as well as India’s participation in the forthcoming ASEM meetings.

Ambassador speaking at the University of Latvia about the importance of Ayurveda in the modern day.

Ambassador speaking at the University of Latvia about the importance of Ayurveda in the modern day.

Ambassador speaking at the seminar on “Promotion of Indian Agriculture Products”

19

DR S. JAISHANKAR ASSUMES CHARGE AS FOREIGN

SECRETARY OF INDIA

Dr. S. Jaishankar assumed his responsibilities as Foreign Secretary of India on 29 January 2015.

Dr. Jaishankar has more than three decades of diplomatic experience. Joining the Indian Foreign Service in 1977. In his long career he has served as Indian Ambassador to the United States, China, the Czech Republic, and as High Commissioner to Singapore. Dr Jaishankar also played a key role in negotiating the Indo-US civilian nuclear agreement. At the HQs, he has held important assignments such as Director of East Europe Division at MEA and Press Secretary for the President of India. He also led the Americas Division in the Ministry of External Affairs before taking over as the High Commissioner to Singapore.

An experienced and erudite diplomat, he has an MA in Political Science and an MPhil. and PhD in International Relations from Jawaharlal Nehru University (JNU), where he specialised in nuclear diplomacy. He is a member of the International Institute for Strategic Studies in London.

13TH PRAVASI BHARATIYA DIVAS CELEBRATED

WITH NEW VIGOUR

The 13th Pravasi Bharatiya Divas was held during 7–9 January 2015 at Gandhinagar, Gujarat . The Theme for this year was "Apna Bharat, Apna Gaurav". The event is celebrated on 9th January each year to mark the contribution of the overseas Indian community to the development of India. The day commemorates the return of Mahatma Gandhi from South Africa in Bombay on 9 January 1915. During the event, distinguished individuals are honoured by the President of India with the prestigious Pravasi Bharatiya Samman Award, the highest honour conferred on overseas Indians, for their role in India's growth. The event also provides a forum for discussing key issues concerning the Indian Diaspora. Mr Bicky Chakraborty, from Sweden was a recipient of the award in 2008.

MANY INTERNATIONAL LEADERS ATTEND

VIBRANT GUJRAT SUMMIT 2015

The 7th edition of Vibrant Gujrat Summit was held at Gandhinagar, Gujrat from 11-13th Jan 2015. Vibrant Gujarat Summit is a Biennial Global Investment Summit organized by Government of Gujarat. Apart from United Nations Secretary General Ban Ki-Moon and US Secretary of State John Kerry, Prime Minister of Bhutan Tshering Tobgay, Macedonia Prime Minister Nikola Gruevski, World Bank President Jim Yong Kim, several ministers from Europe, Japan, Australia and Canada and over 50 CEOs of top Indian as well as international companies participated in the summit. Eight countries, including the US, Canada and

INDIA IN THE WORLD

US Secy of State John Kerry and UNSG Ban ki Moon with PM Narender Modi at the Vibrant Gujrat Summit 2015

Dr. S. Jaishankar, Foreign Secretary of India

Prime Minister Mr. Narendra Modi at the Pravasi Bharatiya Divas

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Japan have for the first time become partner nations for the summit.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi, while addressing the inaugural session, said that his government is committed to changing and improving economic, social condition of India. Addressing global leaders, PM Modi said, India offers the world 3Ds – Democracy, Demography and Demand and this is what global investors are looking for.

PRESIDENT OBAMA IS THE GUEST OF HONOUR

FOR REPUBLIC DAY 2015 PARADE

The President of the United States of America, Barack Obama, accompanied by First Lady Michelle Obama, visited India from 25-27 January 2015. The President of India and the Prime Minister of India welcomed the U.S. President as the Chief Guest at India's 66th Republic Day celebrations, the first U.S. President to grace this historic event and also the first US President to visit India twice during his Presidency.

Noting that the multifaceted partnership between the United States and India is rooted in shared values of democracy and strong economic and people-to-people ties, the two leaders agreed to elevate the bilateral relationship through their endorsement of a new India-U.S. Delhi Declaration of Friendship which builds on their 30 September Vision Statement by articulating tangible principles to guide ongoing efforts to advance mutual prosperity, a clean and healthy environment, greater economic cooperation, regional peace, security and stability for the larger benefit of humankind. This was summarized in the motto: "Sanjha Prayaas, Sab ka Vikaas - Shared Effort, Progress For All.

President Obama also reiterated his support for Prime Minister Modi's vision to transform India, and recognized that India's focus on its development priorities presented substantial opportunities for forging stronger India-U.S. economic ties and greater people-to-people contacts. The two leaders also agreed to collaborate in the implementation of India's ambitious Digital India programme and to expand commercial cooperation, including by encouraging investment engagement in the Information and Communication Technology (ICT) sector.The Defence Framework Agreement for the next ten years was also finalised during the visit. In the field of energy, President Obama has expressed American interest in participating in India’s ambitious 100 GW solar energy programme.

Reflecting the strong personal relations, the two leaders engaged on an informal one-on-one meeting “Chai pe Charcha” and also took on questions from the public in a special edition of the radio programme of “Mann Ki Baat”.

President and Mrs Obama being received by Prime Minister Modi

President Obama inspecting the ceremonial Guard of Honour led by Wing Commander Pooja Thakur

The US First couple being welcomed by President Pranab Mukherjee at the Rajpath

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EXTERNAL AFFAIRS MINISTER VISITS CHINA

External Affairs Minister, Smt. Sushma Swaraj, paid an official visit to the People’s Republic of China from 1 to 3 February 2015 at the invitation of the Foreign Minister of China, Mr. Wang Yi. During her visit, the Minister discussed bilateral, regional and global issues of concern to both sides. She inaugurated the 2nd India-China High-Level Media Forum and attended the launch of Visit India Year during her stay in Beijing.The Minister also participated in the 13th Foreign Ministers’ Meeting of Russia-India-China Trilateral, and met Russian Foreign Minister Mr. Sergei Lavrov on the sidelines of the Meeting.

VISIT OF SRI LANKAN PRESIDENT TO INDIA

The newly elect Sri Lankan President Maithripala Sirisena and his wife Mrs Jayanthi Sirisena visited India from 15 to 18 February. He was accompanied by a high level delegation, comprising Foreign Minister Mangala Samaraweera, Health Minister Rajitha Senaratne, Minister of Power Champika Ranawaka, Minister for Settlements & Reconstruction DM Swaminathan and Governor of the Eastern Province Austin Fernando and senior government officials.

India was the first foreign destination for the Sri Lankan President after taking over the Presidency. During his visit, President Sirisena met both President Pranab Mukherjee and Prime Minister Modi. He also held talks with the External Affair and Finance Minister as well as Raksha Mantri. In his statement, Prime Minister Modi, congratulated President Sirisena on his historic win which reflecting the democratic strength of the island nation. The delegation also visited Bodh Gaya and Tirupathi.

Wide ranging issues were discussed during the delegation level talks and four bilateral agreements were also signed during the visit. These included the agreement on bilateral Civil-Nuclear cooperation for the Peaceful uses of Nuclear Energy, Work Plan on Agricultural cooperation, Cultural Cooperation and an MoU on Nalanda University which allows Sri Lanka to participate in the Nalanda University Project. In addition, the Prime Minister announced reducing the fees for Sri Lankan nationals desirous of visiting the National Museum in New Delhi to pay homage to the Kapilavastu relics. The two leaders also expressed their satisfaction at the progress of the Indian assisted projects for Internally Displaced Persons in Sri Lanka. This includes the Housing Project, under which more than 27,000 houses have already been constructed.

The Sri Lankan President extended an invitation to Prime Minister Modi for visiting Sri Lanka, which was accepted for a visit in the month of March.

Courtesy call on President Xi Jinping of People's Republic of China by Ms Sushma Swaraj, External Affairs Minister of India

The President of Sri Lanka and his wife were received by President Mukherjee and PM Modi at the Rashtrapati Bhawan

Four Agreements were signed during the visit

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INDIAN OCEAN OUTREACH: PRIME MINISTER’S

VISIT TO SEYCHELLES, MAURITIUS AND SRI

LANKA

As part of the government’s desire to further strengthen its ties with friendly foreign countries in the Indian Ocean Region, describes the Indian Ocean as critical to the future of the world. Prime Minister Narendra Modi embarked on a five-day visit to Seychelles, Mauritius & Sri Lanka from 10th to 14th March. The visit saw the Prime Minister unveiling developmental and commercial projects, reinforcing the boundless spiritual ties that transcend the national boundaries and engaging with the Indian community in all enthusiasm.

The first port of halt was Seychelles on 11 March, where the Prime Minister had bilateral discussions with President James Alexis Michel on bilateral maritime ties and the development cooperation. Referring to Seychelles as a vital partner in our Indian Ocean neighbourhood, the Prime Minister reiterated India’s commitment to developing the security capabilities of Seychelles. Launching the Coastal Surveillance Radar Project, the Prime Minister announced that India will be giving one more Dornier aircraft to Seychelles.

Thereafter, on 11th-12th March, the Prime Minister visited Mauritius where he was the Chief Guest at the National Day celebrations. Prime Minister Modi had extensive meetings with Prime Minister Sir Anerood Jugnauth in which they discussed shared interests in a safe and secure Indian Ocean and a stable and prosperous Indian Ocean Region. Stating how India values value the leadership by Mauritius in this area, Prime Minister announced a concessional line of credit of 500 million U.S. dollars for civil infrastructure projects including a petroleum storage and bunkering facility in Mauritius. Reiterating India’s commitment as a reliable partner for helping Mauritius develop its security capabilities, the Prime Minister commissioned the Offshore Patrol Vessel (OPV) Barracuda, built by Garden Reach Shipyards, Kolkata into the service of the Mauritian Coast Guard. The Prime Minister also addressed members of the National Assembly of Mauritius.

The last leg was the visit to Sri Lanka on the 13th - 14th March. Coming so soon after the Sri Lankan President’s visit to India, the visit was all the more significant as it was the first standalone bilateral visit to Sri Lanka by an Indian Prime Minister since 1987. In Sri Lanka, the Prime Minister had meetings with President Maithripala Sirisena and other senior leaders across the political spectrum. He also addressed the Sri Lankan Parliament. The Prime Minister, in his statement, referred to the economic ties as the key pillar of Indo-Sri Lankan relationship. To bolster people to people contact, he announced extending the facility of "Tourist Visa on Arrival - Electronic Travel Authorization” Scheme to Sri Lankan citizens from the Sinhala and Tamil New Year on 14 April 2015 along with direct flights by Air India between New Delhi and Colombo. The Prime Minister

Prime Minister’s meeting with President James Michel of Seychelles in State House, Mahe

Prime Minister’s meeting with Prime Minister of Mauritius Mr. Anerood Jugnauth in Port Louis

Prime Minister’s meeting with President of Sri Lanka Mr. Maithripala Sirisena in Colombo

23

announced a fresh Line of Credit of up to US$ 318 million for the railways sector.In his interaction with President Sirisena, Prime Minister Modi conveyed India’s sincere support and good wishes for Sri Lanka's new journey of peace, reconciliation and progress.

The visits to the three friendly maritime neighbours reiterated the bonds of friendship and people to people ties with the three island nations. It was a reflection of India’s desire to further strengthen its ties in the Indian Ocean region and provided opportunities to build on the close contacts at the highest political level as well as enhance mutual cooperation and understanding on major issues of common interest.

STATE VISIT OF EMIR OF THE STATE OF QATAR TO

INDIA

His Highness Sheikh Tamim Bin Hamad Al-Thani, Emir of the State of Qatar was on a State Visit to India on the invitation of Hon’ble President Shri Pranab Mukherjee, from March 24-25, 2015. HH the Emir was accompanied by a high level delegation comprising Ministers, senior officials, business leaders and captains of industry.

During the visit, the Emir met President Shri Pranab Mukherjee and held detailed bilateral discussions with Prime Minister Narendra Modi. Vice President Shri M. Hamid Ansari, Minister of External Affairs and Overseas Indian Affairs Smt Sushma Swaraj and Minister of State (Independent Charge) Petroleum and Natural Gas Shri Dharmendra Pradhan. The two sides underlined the close and friendly bilateral ties, deep-rooted in shared history and sustained and nourished through growing economic linkages, multi-faceted cooperation and vibrant people to people contacts. Various Agreements and MoUs were also signed covering areas such as mutual cooperation between the Foreign Service Institute (India) and the Qatar Diplomatic Institute, cooperation in the field of Information and Communication Technology, Scientific and Technical cooperation in the field of Atmospheric and Ocean Sciences, cooperation in the field of Radio and Television between Prasar Bharati and Qatar Media Corporation and a similar cooperation between Qatar News Agency and United New Agency. In the course of the wide ranging discussions, the Qatari side expressed keen interest in Prime Minister Modi’s flagship-"Make in India” programme. The Indian side also informed the Qatari side of the Clean Ganga Programme and Digital India Programme.

Prime Minister flags off the Talaimannar-Mannar train at Talaimannar

President Mukherjee and PM Modi receiving the Emir at Rashtrapati Bhawan

Delegation level talks with Prime Minister Modi and HH sheikh Tamim Bin Hamad Al-Thani

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ONLINE CONSULAR GRIEVANCE SYSTEM

LAUNCHED BY MEA

Indian citizens living abroad will now be able to file consular grievances online as the government launched an e-portal to address such complaints promptly with a high degree of “accountability”.

The portal ‘Madad’ (Help) was launched at the MEA headquarters by External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj, who said the grievance monitoring facility would enhance “accessibility” for people and fix greater “accountability and responsibility” on officials.

Among the chief characteristics of ‘Madad’ are to speed up forwarding and handling of complaints, improve tracking and redressal and escalate unresolved cases. All the stakeholders, in this consular grievance monitoring, are tightly linked to the portal, including Missions and Posts abroad and MEA’s Branch Secretariats in Chennai, Guwahati, Hyderabad and Kolkata. The portal has also been added to the website of the Indian Embassy in Sweden and can be accessed at https://org2.passportindia.gov.in/AppConsularProject/welcomeLink/

THREE INDIANS AMONGST 100 SHORTLISTED FOR

A ONE-WAY TRIP TO MARS

Three Indians, two women and one man, have made it to the list of 100 applicants who will move on to the next round of an ambitious private mission that aims to send four people on a one-way trip to Mars in 2024. From the initial 202,586 applicants, only 100 hopefuls have been selected to proceed to the next round of the Mars One Astronaut Selection Process, The Netherlands-based non-profit organisation Mars One has announced. The project aims to set up a human colony on Mars and eventually around 40 people will be sent to the red planet on a permanent basis. The finalists will train for seven years and Mars One will begin sending out four at a time from 2024. The Indian candidates include 29-year-old Taranjeet Singh Bhatia, who is studying Doctorate in Computer Science at the University of Central Florida. The other two are Ritika Singh, 29, who lives in Dubai, and Shradha Prasad, 19, from Kerala.

TOP RESEARCH INSTITUTIONS CONDUCTING

MEGA STUDY ON AYURVEDA'S HEALING POWERS

A major study on Ayurveda's healing powers is being conducted at the Chopra Center for Wellbeing in California by looking at the genetic and cellular response to a whole systems approach on health and well-being. The research is titled Self-Directed Biological Transformation Initiative (SBTI) Research Study. It will measure the total effects of an intensive immersion into a systemic program to check for a person's connection to the healing process.

SNIPPETS

External Affairs Minister launches MADAD - Online Consular Grievances Monitoring System in New Delhi

The three Indians selected for the next round for a one-way trip to Mars

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The study involves top research and medical institutions in the US-Harvard University, Scripps Clinic, University of California San Diego, Mt Sinai University, University of California San Francisco and Duke University. The study is also an attempt to scientifically establish the efficacy of Ayurveda which is largely seen as pseudoscience. Commenting on the beneficial gene activity of ashwagandha, one of Ayurveda's primary medicine, on Alzheimer, Dr Rudolf Tanzi, a professor at the Harvard University and a co-researcher at the SBTI study argues the case for studying the branch of medicine.

MAKE IN INDIA THEME FOR AERO INDIA 2015

The tenth edition of Aero India was held from 18 to 22 February 2015. The main attraction of this year was the Make in India campaign by Prime Minister Narendra Modi. Prime Minister Modi, while inaugurating the show, mentioned that the need of the hour was to have strategic partnerships rather than buyer seller relationships. He invited the particpants to use the opportunity arising from the reforms initated for making theie products in India. The aim is to ensure that 70 percent of the defense equipment are made within the country in the next five years from the current 40 percent. Over 600 aerospace companies and 300 CEOs from India and abroad including delegates from 42 countries participated in the five-day aerospace exhibition. Sixty-four of those companies hailed from the U.S.; 58 came from France. There were 48 companies from the UK, 41 from Russia, 25 from Israel and 17 from Germany. All of them expressed support for the ‘Make in India’ theme.

NOTED WATER CONSERVATIONIST FROM INDIA

WINS 2015 STOCKHOLM WATER PRIZE

Mr. Rajendra Singh of India was named the 2015 Stockholm Water Prize Laureate, for his innovative water restoration efforts, improving water security in rural India, and for showing extraordinary courage and determination in his quest to improve the living conditions for those most in need.

Mr Singh, born in 1959, lives and works in Rajasthan, which is mainly a desert state. Also known as the "Waterman of India", Mr Singh won the Ramon Magsaysay Award for community leadership in 2001 for his pioneering work in community-based efforts in water harvesting and water management. He runs an NGO called 'Tarun Bharat Sangh' (TBS), which follows a Gandhian approach to empower communities. It has helped villagers take charge of water management in the semi-arid areas they inhabit close to Thar Desert, through the use of johad, rainwater storage tanks, check dams and other time-tested as well as new techniques. Starting from a single village in 1985, over the years TBS has helped build over 8,600 johads and other water conservation structures to collect rainwater for the dry

Wellness guru Deepak Chopra's centre for Wellbeing is undertaking a major study on the powers of Ayurveda"

Mr. Rajendra Singh – Water man of India

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seasons and has brought water back to over 1,000 villages and revived five rivers in Rajasthan.

On receiving news about the prize, Mr Singh said "this is very encouraging, energizing and inspiring news. Through the Indian wisdom of rainwater harvesting, we have made helpless, abandoned, destitute and impoverished villages prosperous and healthy again. The Stockholm Water Prize Committee says that "today's water problems cannot be solved by science or technology alone. Rajendra Singh's life work has been in building social capacity to solve local water problems through participatory action, empowerment of women, linking indigenous know-how with modern scientific and technical approaches."

Commenting on the prize, Ambassador Bose Harrison said, ‘By honouring India’s Waterman, SIWI has encouraged the whole world to focus on the critical challenge of managing one of the scarcest resources of the planet responsibly, wisely, imaginatively and collectively. Mr Rajendra Singh has demonstrated the country’s amazing capacity to find innovative effective solutions drawing on traditional time-tested knowledge. The Indian community in Sweden looks forward to welcoming him to Stockholm for the prize ceremony.’’

H.M. King Carl XVI Gustaf of Sweden, Patron of the Stockholm Water Prize, will present the prize to Rajendra Singh at a Royal Award Ceremony during 2015 World Water Week in Stockholm on 26 August.

Stockholm International Water Institute