Gateway Features
Digital services across verticals: Jio, Alibaba and Amazon
Courtesy: Shutterstock
Jio has ambitions to be the next digital behemoth with plans to aggressively expand digital services and e-commerce platforms across India. Recent investment by Facebook, and private equity firms Vista Equity Partners and Silver Lake, could well be the infusion of capital and expertise Jio needs to compete with Alibaba and Amazon. The infographic compares the number of services offered by these companies across read more
Is ASEAN really calling out China?
Courtesy: ASEAN
The 36th ASEAN Summit was held virtually on 26 June 2020, with Vietnam as the Chair. It will be followed by another summit, usually held in November coinciding with the East Asian Summit (EAS). The current summit was more of an in-house affair with no interaction with Dialogue Partners or other EAS members. The summit has drawn attention for its perception on the issue of the South China Sea (SCS). The U.S. Secretary of State read more
Radical reform spurts space start-ups
Courtesy: Shutterstock
The industry, unlike governments, seldom uses the word reforms. Improvements in industrial processes have different definitions. The meticulous Japanese put impetus on Kaizen (continuous improvement) and Hansei (self-reflection). The assiduous Americans emphasise Six Sigma and Lean Six Sigma (for reducing or eliminating errors). Prime Minister Narendra Modi and his administration's recent'space sector reforms' read more
China’s “little blue men”
Courtesy: Tasnim News Agency
On 15 Jun 2020, in the dark of the night, there was a scuffle on a high ridge at the Line of Actual Control (LAC) in Ladakh between the Indian Army and Chinese troops. There were significant casualties on either side and the incident has brought India and China to the brink of an escalated conflict. Technically, the Chinese did not violate the 1996 bilateral agreement of not using firearms within two kilometers of the read more
The GH Podcast
Research
On 16 May, the government introduced a huge reform that liberalised India's space sector, leveling the field and propelling the space ambitions of private players. Corporations such as L&T and Godrej Aerospace, can now compete and collaborate with the Indian Space Research Organisation, to build an indigenous Boeing or Lockheed Martin, and be part of global, private, space industry syndicates. The timing is significant, as the space race has accelerated with the U.S. and China marking their space territories through Accords and SEZs. India now is much better equipped to launch its space agenda. This paper analyses India's future potential.
Foreign Affairs
The U.S.-China relationship, which has wavered between cooperation and competition, has, over the past few years, veered more sharply towards confrontation – possibly because of China’s own more assertive stance. Now, Beijing’s confidence is under test, not only by these fractious relations, but also COVID-19 and an economic slowdown. Will these factors reveal its weaknesses?
Book Reviews
China’s dramatic political and economic rise over the past three decades has been well recorded. Less known is the effort of China's rural labourers and migrants, which has largely enriched the coastal elites, instead of creating the egalitarian, capitalist, society China espouses. Dexter Roberts’ book takes us deep into the story of China’s rise, and exposes this reality. Roberts chronicles the lives of the many rural folk he has met during two decades of work and travels in China. It gives the book a personal and compassionate note, with the authenticity of a hands-on China expert.
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