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<ul class="summary-list"><li>China's Xi Jinping negotiated a truce with India's leader, Narendra Modi.</li><li>They agreed to a patrolling arrangement on a disputed Himalayan border.</li></ul>At the <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/russia-hosts-brics-summit-defy-west-us-economy-china-dollar-2024-10">BRICS summit</a> in Russia this week, China's leader Xi Jinping and India's Prime Minister Narendra Modi shook hands for the first time in five years.The symbolic moment came after a deal was struck to resolve a long-standing feud between the Asian superpowers.In the lead-up to the summit, the countries announced they had reached a patrolling agreement that would reduce tensions along a disputed <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/india-china-buying-new-light-tanks-for-himalayan-mountain-warfare-2023-6">Himalayan border.</a>The dispute had led to deadly hand-to-hand combat in recent years, taking the lives of 20 Indian troops and at least four Chinese soldiers.After their meeting at the summit hosted by Russia's President Vladimir Putin, Xi and Modi said they would continue discussions on resolving the issue.<h2 id="997cee52-7fd6-4283-bf77-94e40a12b5cc">A setback for the US</h2>Some analysts believe it is a development that's unlikely to be welcomed in Washington, DC.The US has sought to recruit India to help it contain China's growing regional aggression alongside other members of the Quadrilateral Security Dialogue, a security pact that also includes Japan and Australia."So definitely, this is a setback for the United States of America's Indo-Pacific outlook, given the kind of rapprochement we are seeing in India-China relations, and particularly India, China and Russia coming together," Jagannath Panda, head of the Stockholm Center for South Asian and Indo-Pacific Affairs, told Business Insider."Putin, Xi, and Modi meeting definitely signals that there is a kind of understanding under the carpet that has happened, which is quite subtle," he said.It's an assessment echoed by Zhiqun Zhu, professor of political science and international affairs at Bucknell University."The thaw in India-China relations is a boon to both countries. This is particularly significant for China because India may now be less inclined to confront Beijing as part of Quad," Zhu told <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.voanews.com/a/india-china-deal-raises-questions-about-us-indo-pacific-strategy-/7838623.html">Voice of America. </a>"In this sense, the effectiveness of Quad would be diluted with a less enthusiastic India."<h2 id="baf534cf-4366-41b8-b9ef-d526ffe91fda">Competition between Asia's rival powers intensifies</h2>Tensions have been building between China and India for years.As the two biggest economies in Asia, the countries have long jostled for regional power, with the dispute over the Himalayan border a flashpoint that led to clashes in 2020, 2021, and 2022.Amid the stand-off, Chinese vessels have reportedly surveilled the Indian Ocean in <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.reuters.com/world/india/another-chinese-research-vessel-spotted-off-india-fuelling-unease-2024-03-11/">what experts told Reuters</a> was a likely intelligence-gathering operation, while India has strengthened its security ties with China's chief global rival, the US.In 2017 India played a key role in restarting the Quad, an alliance designed as a bulwark against growing Chinese influence and aggression in the Asia-Pacific region.But India has long sought to balance its relationship with rival superpowers the US and China, and does not at this point want to tie itself too closely to either side, say analysts.In addition to being a member of the Quad Alliance, it is a founding member of the BRICS, an <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/russia-economy-asia-countries-flaunt-russia-putin-diplomacy-relationship-brics-2024-9">association of non-Western economies </a>that China has sought to transform into an alternative global economic power base to the US.<div type="image" title="India-China border" height="683" width="1024" msid="114594056" hostid="261" sizebytes="158650"></div>"This explains why it remains part of multilateral groupings with contradictory goals," said Praveen Donthi, a South Asia analyst with the Eurasia Group in Washington, DC, pointing to both its membership of the US-aligned Quad and China-dominated BRIC group.The truce comes with China on the back foot diplomatically, said Panda, pointing to its damaged relations with Europe and the US after its support f<a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/russia-and-china-anti-us-coalition-is-growing-more-threatening-2024-9">or Russia's invasion of Ukraine.</a>"One could draw a conclusion at this point that probably the Chinese are more interested to rebuild the ties with India than the other way round," said Panda.He said there's also the possibility that Xi has reached an agreement with Modi behind the scenes for India to remain silent if China acts on its longstanding ambition to seize back control of Taiwan.Such a move would likely draw in the US and its other regional allies, who have pledged to help defend<a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/china-taiwan-drone-swarms-uav-us-playing-catch-up-production-2024-10"> Taiwan's independence.</a>"I think China's bigger ambition and target is the Taiwan issue, and therefore they would not really like to continue the kind of tensions they were engaged in with India for the last three to four years," he said."Therefore, they would like to rebuild, and they would like to ensure that India does not react to the Taiwan issue so sensitively."In any case, its a setback in US attempts to include India in a deeper security alliance, he said."For a long time, the US has tried to develop security and defense ties with India," said Panda.For the time being, a truce suits both Russian and Chinese interests, Rahul Bhatia, an analyst at the Eurasia Group, said. But, he added, tensions remain.He said that though both parties have opened discussions about the border dispute, the underlying problem remains unresolved, and future flare-ups are likely.Donthi said the progress between the leaders could also be derailed if tensions between the US and China increase."This comes as a relief after four years of eyeball-to-eyeball troop deployment in the Himalayas. However, it's only the beginning," he said.

Xi undercut the West by negotiating a truce in China's long feud with India

<ul class="summary-list"><li>India's Prime Minister Narendra Modi had his power pegged back in elections this week. </li><li>It was also the 35th anniversary of the Tiananmen Square massacre in China. </li></ul><a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/narendra-modi-won-already-seeing-cost-him-allies-cabinet-funding-2024-6">Narendra Modi's strongman ambitions</a> suffered a setback this week.His Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) party fell<a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/narendra-modi-win-bjp-india-election-explained-2024-6"> short of the landslide victory </a>many had predicted in the Indian elections.As Modi becomes India's prime minister for a third time, his party will have to enter into a power-sharing agreement with alliance partners.It's a chastening lesson from the Indian electorate for Modi, who, while boosting India's global standing, has been accused of stoking division and weakening India's democracy.On the same day as the Indian election results, <a target="_blank" href="https://www.state.gov/on-the-35th-anniversary-of-tiananmen-square/">the world marked the 35th anniversary </a>of the June 4, 1989 Tiananmen Square massacre, which saw a brutal crackdown on pro-democracy protesters in Beijing.In the decades since, China has slid back into Maoist-style authoritarianism.The events this week highlighted how the competition between India and China is about more than raw power. It's also a competition between two very different political ideologies.<h2 id="6acd91a8-36b3-408f-85c1-259d5944f4e0">India is a flawed but thriving democracy</h2>India is the world's largest democracy. Its first elections were held in 1951-52 after it gained independence from Britain. Free elections have been held in nearly every election cycle since, with a coup in 1975 briefly threatening India's democratic status.It is a rare bright spot in a world where democracy seems to be in retreat. Even in the US, the global champion of democracy, former president Donald Trump is accused of launching an attempt to cling to power illegally after losing the 2020 election.<div type="image" title="Indian voters" height="683" width="1024" msid="110819479" hostid="261" sizebytes="88454"></div>"India isn't a perfect democracy but it is still a role model for developing nations, large or small. And given trends in some Western democracies, I would have to say that there are several things they, too, should be learning from India," said Jabin T. Jacob, an expert on India-China relations at Shiv Nadar University, India.India's democracy, though, faces a stern test under Modi, say critics. Global democracy watchdog <a target="_blank" href="https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-asia-india-56393944">Freedom House in 2021</a> downgraded India's democratic status, saying Modi's Hindu nationalist movement had menaced journalists, attacked Muslims, and corroded civil liberties.Jacob said this week's results showed India's democracy remained resilient despite the pressures, while dealing a blow to a leader seen to have overstepped his authority."We have just seen an election in which the Indian electorate decided that their interests are best served by power shared more evenly among a set of political formations that represent diverse interests and aspirations. That is the essence of democracy," he said."The Indian electorate is a very mature one, and it has always intervened in a timely fashion against authoritarian tendencies in its rulers."It's unclear whether Modi will now double down on the nationalism he's championed or seek a more moderate path based on economic reform.<h2 id="c1fe728e-200a-4edb-8d77-94ea6111c952">China's rise comes at a high cost</h2>There are those in India, though, <a target="_blank" href="https://www.ft.com/content/daa87f88-ae0e-11e3-974d-00144feab7de">who have been astonished</a> at the speed and efficiency of China's rise to economic superpower status.China has become the world's second-largest economy, and the lives of millions of ordinary Chinese people have been transformed. Though India has made huge economic progress under Modi, it still lags behind.<div type="image" title="China high speed rail" height="644" width="1024" msid="110819477" hostid="261" sizebytes="117068"></div>"Perhaps the greatest challenge democracy faces in India is that is has failed to deliver the kind of sustained economic development enjoyed by neighbors like China over the last four decades. It has also failed to eliminate extreme poverty," wrote Chatham House <a target="_blank" href="https://www.chathamhouse.org/2022/04/democracy-india">analyst Gareth Price in 2022.</a>But with prosperity in China, has come reduced freedom.Since Tiananmen Square 35 years ago, China's Communist Party has rolled back many of the freedoms its citizens once had.Its current leader, Xi Jinping, has imposed a draconian surveillance state and is considered <a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/china-xi-jinping-ai-wreak-havoc-america-world-economy-2024-6">China's most authoritarian ruler</a> since Mao Tse Tung.Dominic Chiu, an analyst with the Eurasia Group, told Business Insider that China's system had given it an economic advantage — but at a cost."China's one-party rule in the reform era enabled consistent long-term policymaking and economic planning," he said. "This benefited China's economy immensely when the leadership decided to liberalize markets, privatize industries, and open the country up to foreign investment." But, he said, China's repressive one-party system was also deterring investors. And with China's <a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/china-falls-out-of-love-with-natural-diamonds-industry-struggles-2024-6">economy experiencing a steep </a>downturn, this poses a serious problem for its future growth.<h2 id="ebafe111-fa5e-49b8-95d3-f92a674d0da2">China and India vie for dominance</h2>Having achieved economic superpower status, China is now seeking to assert its power more aggressively both regionally and internationally.Tensions with India are increasing. In 2020, clashes along the countries' Himalayan border resulted in the death of 20 Indian soldiers and four Chinese.<div type="image" title="India-China border" height="683" width="1024" msid="110819475" hostid="261" sizebytes="158650"></div><a target="_blank" href="https://uk.news.yahoo.com/modi-mission-assert-indias-global-123002908.html">Analysts told BI</a> that building stronger alliances to counter Chinese aggression will be one of the core aims of Modi's third term.And its commitment to democracy hands it an important advantage, said Jacob."India's democratic status is critical for its international standing. It is an opportunity to develop a model of economic and political development that is both equitable and democratic and thus distinct from the aggressive capitalism of the US or the authoritarianism of the PRC," he said.In 2021, India entered<a target="_blank" href="https://uk.news.yahoo.com/modi-went-straight-reelection-needling-103142130.html"> into the "Quad" partnership </a>with democracies the US, Japan, and Australia, to counter what is perceived as growing Chinese aggression in the Pacific and Indian Ocean.It's a political alliance that would've been more difficult to broker if India was ruled by an authoritarian government,<a target="_blank" href="https://www.brookings.edu/articles/democracy-and-the-us-india-relationship/"> say observers.</a><h2 id="b9b7d5ac-0c25-43f4-adf2-9128d9242020">Competing nationalist visions</h2>Some analysts, though, say that the competition between India and China is not, at its core, about competing political systems but about competing nationalist visions.According to this interpretation, both Xi and Modi are committed to restoring what they see as their nation's rightful place at the top of the global order.But in his quest to strengthen India, critics are warning Modi not to undermine the commitment to democracy and pluralism they believe is at the heart of its post-independence success.Jacob said those in India jealous of China's economic might should look more closely at the reality."Indians who argue against democracy using the China comparison clearly don't understand anything about the reality of China and the Chinese people," he said.

The competition between India and China is about more than raw power

The <keyword id="20150760" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="SP-Global-Market-Intelligence" source="keywords" meta.keywordsubtype="org" meta.entityname="S&amp;P Global Market Intelligence" meta.hostid="261" meta.entityid="S&amp;P Global Market Intelligence">S&amp;P Global Market Intelligence</keyword> has upwardly revised <keyword id="22162557" type="General" weightage="100" keywordseo="GDP-forecasts" source="keywords">GDP forecasts</keyword> for <keyword id="19894886" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="China" source="keywords">China</keyword> in its latest report. But even with the revised forecast, China's GDP growth will be substantially lower than that of <keyword id="19895063" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="India" source="keywords">India</keyword>. According to S&amp;P, India's GDP is projected to grow at a rate of 6.7 per cent in 2024 and 6.3 per cent in 2025. In contrast, China's <keyword id="19931030" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="economy" source="keywords">economy</keyword> is now forecasted to grow at 5.0 per cent in 2024 and forecast moderately raised to 4.6 per cent from 4.5 per cent. The agency revised China's estimate due to policy tailwinds expected to extend into next year and a gradual improvement in private-sector sentiment within the country. However, the <keyword id="19899810" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="reserve-bank-of-india" source="keywords">Reserve Bank of India</keyword> (<keyword id="19899808" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="RBI" source="keywords">RBI</keyword>) in its monetary policy has raised the GDP forecast of India from 7 per cent to 7.2 per cent for FY25. RBI Governor Shaktikanta Das said, "The real GDP growth for the current financial year 2024-25 is projected at 7.2 per cent with Q1 at 7.3 per cent, Q2 at 7.2 per cent, Q3 at 7.3 per cent, and Q4 at 7.2 per cent. The risks are evenly balanced." RBI Governor further said that, "The GDP growth projection, we have increased it from 7 per cent to 7.2 per cent and the inflation projection, the average for the year, we have retained it at 4.5 per cent as it was in the last MPC meeting." The <keyword id="22162558" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="SP-Global-Market" source="keywords">S&amp;P Global Market</keyword> Intelligence however has lowered the growth forecasts of US, Canada, Brazil, and Japan for 2024, while it has revised upward the forecasts for China, the Eurozone, the UK, and Russia. Additionally, the <keyword id="22162559" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="global-growth-forecast" source="keywords">global growth forecast</keyword> for 2025 has edged up from 2.7 per cent to 2.8 per cent, with higher forecasts for some of the larger countries, including the US and China. Regarding Japan, the agency maintains that the next rate hike by the Bank of Japan is most likely to occur in October 2024, given the economic and inflationary headwinds. In the Asia-Pacific region, the agency predicts that real GDP growth, excluding mainland China and Japan, will remain broadly stable at 4.4 per cent in 2024 and 2025, driven by robust domestic demand and recovering exports. A pickup in overseas demand is seen as the key growth driver for the region in 2024.

S&P Global Market raised growth forecast of China, still significantly lower than India

<ul class="summary-list"><li>Russia's hybrid warfare tactics against the US and Europe are reaching new levels.</li><li>The disinformation efforts seek to influence elections and stir chaos in domestic politics.</li></ul><a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/front-line-nato-allies-baltics-face-russian-hybrid-threats-2024-6">Russian disinformation and interference</a> — hybrid warfare tactics — are on the rise and again showed up in the US presidential election, but this is a problem for more than just America.Earlier this week, NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte said that Russia was conducting "an intensifying campaign of hybrid attacks across our allied territories, interfering directly in our democracies, sabotaging industry, and committing violence," echoing long-standing concerns.Russian tactics were on full display in the 2024 US presidential election. On Tuesday, various polling sites in five battleground states were the targets of <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/georgia-poll-bomb-threats-russia-election-harris-trump-2024-11">hoax bomb threats from Russian email domains</a>, the FBI said, and that was only part of Russian actions.Georgia's Secretary of State accused Moscow of being "up to mischief," saying that "they don't want us to have a smooth, fair and accurate election, and if they can get us to fight among ourselves, they can count that as a victory."The Russian embassy in Washington denied the accusations as "malicious slander" and said "Russia has not interfered and does not interfere in the internal affairs of other countries," including the US, but such activities are well documented.<h2 id="193769f6-1321-4ffb-b08c-2325bce96246">Rising levels of interference</h2><div type="image" title="Russian President Vladimir Putin and then-US President Donald Trump sit in chairs opposite each other, shaking hands." height="3327" width="4889" msid="115115440" hostid="261" sizebytes="445288"></div>Experts and officials began to seriously take note of efforts by Russia and other US adversaries, such as China and Iran, to disrupt US politics in 2016, and it's continually gotten worse."Undoubtedly we've seen an uptick in the scope and scale and, really, the kind of brazenness of Russian election interference in the information environment," Doug Livermore, a member of the US special operations community and the director of engagements at the Irregular Warfare Initiative, told Business Insider.<a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.nato.int/docu/review/articles/2024/04/26/russias-hybrid-war-against-the-west/index.html">Hybrid warfare</a> covers a range of tactics, such as assassinations, espionage, cyberattacks, electoral interference, and disinformation, intended to deniably influence or disrupt national security and domestic affairs.2016 saw the rising influence of Russian bot farms and mass disinformation while the 2020 election saw major efforts by Russia and other US foes to stoke violence and unrest, particularly as then-President Donald Trump contested the results and inspired the January 6th insurrection on the US Capitol.A month prior to the 2024 election, the National Intelligence Council released a report <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.dni.gov/files/ODNI/documents/assessments/NICM-Declassified-Foreign-Threats-to-US-Elections-After-Voting-Ends-in-2024.pdf">warning that Russia, China, and Iran were better equipped to influence the election</a> and undermine confidence in the results due to lessons from 2020; the council cited a range of tactics that could be used, including cyberattacks, artificial intelligence, and encouragement of electoral chaos and violence.<div type="image" title="capitol riot january 6" height="1666" width="2500" msid="115115445" hostid="261" sizebytes="414688"></div>Then, on Monday, the head of the US Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency said disinformation was being spread by US adversaries "at a greater level than ever before."The efforts were designed to prompt distrust, fear, and misunderstanding in American voters and raise doubts over the integrity of US democracy. The 2024 presidential election was likely of particular interest to Russia, though, because of what was on the line: <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/trumps-win-clocking-ticking-on-ukraine-aid-2024-11">US support for Ukraine</a>, of which Trump has been less supportive.<h2 id="a4700f32-0a7c-4d04-93ea-ed4b4b837c59">More than an American problem</h2>This hybrid warfare is a broader problem for other Western countries, too. In recent months, Russia was accused of attempting to undermine Moldova's election in favor of a pro-Moscow candidate, using tactics such as a vote-buying scheme, organizing transportation to get Russians to vote at Moldovan missions in other countries, and cyberattacks and fake bomb threats to out-of-country voting operations.Russia was also recently accused of attempting to interfere in the Republic of Georgia's parliamentary election, as well as elections in France, the UK, Germany, and others. The big difference between <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.atlanticcouncil.org/blogs/ukrainealert/the-west-must-respond-to-russias-rapidly-escalating-hybrid-warfare/">how Russia engages in hybrid warfare in the US versus some European democracies</a> comes down to the political systems that exist in those countries, Livermore said. In the US' two party system, Russia's focuses on creating discontent within a certain party or between the parties.<div type="image" title="An older woman puts a paper ballot in a box at a voting location in a basketball gym." height="5119" width="7678" msid="115115442" hostid="261" sizebytes="993200"></div>In European democracies, Russia's focus often appears to be creating cracks within how the various parliamentary parties interact and form coalitions. Pro-European Union or NATO groups or candidates are often targeted, too, as was the case in Moldova's election.Across the board, Russia is opportunistic. "They don't really care about the ideology of the organizations," Livermore said, so long as it "advances the Kremlin's interests."These interference efforts also undermine democracy more generally, working in favor of autocratic governments. In the run-up to the US presidential election, Chinese state media emphasized deep divisions, dysfunction, and fears of violence in the US.The state-run Beijing Daily, for example, wrote: "the US election, once considered a highlight of the so-called 'beacon of democracy,' may now become the starting gun of 'social unrest.'"Livermore said such efforts allow Russia and China to indict democracy in favor of their authoritarian governments. Notably, experts have assessed Russia, China, and Iran are growing increasingly closer in efforts to challenge the US-led world order. North Korea, too, is right there with them.<h2 id="68359602-dfe7-4892-949e-9a8712a6b38f">Weakening the intended effect</h2><div type="image" title="Vice President Kamala Harris stands at a podium delivering her concession speech." height="3182" width="4773" msid="115115448" hostid="261" sizebytes="1578158"></div>After it Trump won the presidency, Vice President Kamala Harris conceded quickly. Her call for a peaceful transfer of power was echoed by President Joe Biden."For over 200 years, America has carried on the greatest experiment in self-government in the history of the world," he said, "where the people, the people vote and choose their own leaders and they do it peacefully. And where in a democracy, the will of the people always prevails."Livermore said that because this election's results, unlike in 2020, aren't being contested, that could mean failure for any hybrid warfare tactics from US adversaries in the months ahead of Inauguration Day. He said Russia, China, and Iran were likely "hoping that they were going to have a couple of months of chaos in the US," but that is now much less likely.US stability in the transition of power can be attributed to lessons learned from 2020, from local and federal governments to law enforcement, on how to maintain trust in the election process and suppress post-election violence.

A worsening kind of Russian warfare was on display in the US presidential election, but it's a much bigger problem

<ul><li>Apple today launched the <keyword id="16032878" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="iPhone-16-Pro" source="Orion">iPhone 16 Pro</keyword> and the <keyword id="16141032" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="iPhone-16-Pro-Max" source="Orion">iPhone 16 Pro Max</keyword>, the company’s latest flagship devices.</li><li>The iPhone 16 Pro is priced starting at ₹1,19,900, while the iPhone 16 Pro Max is priced starting at ₹1,44,900.</li><li>Here’s everything you need to know about the latest premium iPhones from Apple.</li></ul>After launching the Apple Watch Ultra 2, Watch Series 10, new AirPods, the <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/tech/mobile/news/apple-iphone-16-iphone-16-plus-price-specs/articleshow/113203568.cms">iPhone 16 and iPhone 16 Plus</a>, Apple launched the highlight of its Glowtime event – the iPhone 16 Pro and iPhone 16 Pro Max. <keyword id="19954680" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="tim-cook" source="keywords">Tim Cook</keyword> dubbed the new devices as the “first devices developed from the ground up for Apple Intelligence". Cook also claimed that the iPhone 16 Pro and the iPhone 16 Pro Max have the “best iPhone display ever” and the “best iPhone battery life ever”. <div type="Article" hostid="261" msid="113203568" title="iPhone 16, iPhone 16 Plus launched with new chipset, AI features and more" mstype="2" mssubtype="0"></div> <h2>iPhone 16 Pro and <keyword id="16319463" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="iPhone-16-Pro-max-price" source="Orion">iPhone 16 Pro Max price</keyword> and availability</h2>The iPhone 16 Pro is priced at ₹1,19,900 for the 128GB variant, ₹1,29,900 for the 256GB variant, ₹1,49,900 for the 512GB variant and ₹1,69,900 for the 1TB variant. The iPhone 16 Pro Max is priced at ₹1,44,900 for the 256GB variant, ₹1,64,900 for the 512GB variant and ₹1,84,900 for the 1TB variant. The device comes in four colour options – Black Titanium, White Titanium, Natural Titanium and the new Desert Titanium colour option. <div type="image" title="iphone-16-pro-finish-select-202409-6-3inch_GEO_EMEA" msid="113204390" hostid="261" caption="&amp;lt;p&amp;gt;iPhone 16 Pro colour varaints&amp;lt;/p&amp;gt;"></div> The device comes in four colour options – Black Titanium, White Titanium, Natural Titanium and the new Desert Titanium colour option. <h2>iPhone 16 Pro and iPhone 16 Pro Max specifications</h2>The iPhone 16 Pro features a larger 6.3-inch display, while the iPhone 16 Pro Max features a 6.9-inch display, up from 6.1-inch and 6.7-inch respectively. The iPhone 16 Pro and iPhone 16 Pro Max are built using Grade 5 titanium. The iPhone 16 Pro and iPhone 16 Pro Max are powered by the new A18 Pro chipset based on second-gen 3nm process. It comes with six cores - two performance cores and six energy efficient cores. The chipset is faster and more power efficient compared to the A18 chipset used on the iPhone 16 and iPhone 16 Plus. The A18 Pro chipset comes with a 16-core neural engine, which is faster and more efficient compared to the neural engine on the A17 Pro chipset. It is claimed to offer two times faster ray tracing than its predecessor and 15% improved performance. The A18 Pro chipset is equipped with a six-core GPU that’s 20% faster than the iPhone 15 Pro’s A17 Pro chipset. The new Pro models come with several upgrades to the cameras. The primary camera on the device is a 48MP Fusion Camera that offers 2x telephoto, second-gen sensor-shift OIS and second-gen quad-pixel sensor with zero shutter lag. The iPhone 16 Pro models feature a 48MP ultra-wide-angle camera and a 12MP 5x telephoto camera. The new camera control feature will allow you to easily switch between the different lenses, giving you more control over your images and videos. Apple has said that an update later this year will add a two-stage shutter to the devices with camera control. The camera comes with 4K videos at 120FPS with frame-by-frame colour grading. The new devices come with spatial audio capture during video recording. The iPhone 16 Pro and iPhone 16 Pro Max are equipped with bigger batteries and offer 25W charging. SEE ALSO: <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/tech/mobile/news/apple-iphone-16-iphone-16-plus-price-specs/articleshow/113203568.cms">iPhone 16, iPhone 16 Plus with A18 chipset launched starting at ₹79,900</a> <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/tech/news/iphone-16-apple-intelligence-features-include-a-smarter-siri-ai-powered-photo-editing-and-more/articleshow/113204555.cms">iPhone 16 Apple Intelligence features include a smarter Siri, AI-powered photo editing and more</a> <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/tech/news/apple-watch-series-10-and-airpods-4-launched-specifications-price-availability-and-more/articleshow/113203853.cms">Apple Watch Series 10 and AirPods 4 launched: Specifications, price, availability and more</a>

iPhone 16 Pro and iPhone 16 Pro Max with bigger displays, A18 Pro chipset launched starting at ₹1,19,900

<ul class="summary-list"><li>US lithium production is set to spike with new projects advancing in Nevada and California.</li><li>The expansion aims to reduce reliance on China for critical minerals and electric-vehicle batteries.</li></ul>The US is on the cusp of a lithium boom after years of laying the groundwork for an electric-vehicle supply chain that doesn't rely on China.Within the past month, the Biden administration has approved the Rhyolite Ridge lithium-boron mine in Nevada and loaned $2.6 billion to the company developing Thacker Pass, another lithium mine in the state. A project in California's Salton Sea started construction earlier this year. The three sites, expected to come online between 2026 and 2028, would massively increase the US's lithium supply. Since the 1960s, only one site, Silver Peak, in Nevada, has operated in the country.The expansion is aimed at curbing China's control over the metals used in EV batteries and other renewable-energy technologies that countries need to decarbonize their economies. While most of the world's lithium is produced in Australia and South America, some two-thirds of it is processed in China, which also dominates EV-battery manufacturing. The US imports about 25% of its lithium supply from Chile and Argentina, but an analysis of federal data by the Atlantic Council found that it relied on China for about 70% of its lithium-ion batteries in 2023."If we're electrifying the transportation industry, you don't want to rely on any one country," Bernard Rowe, a managing director of Ioneer, which is developing Rhyolite Ridge, told Business Insider. "There was a recognition that there had to be domestic production."<div type="image" title="A customs officer holds powdery white lithium carbonate during an inspection at Shanghai İnternational Port on June 6, 2022." height="683" width="1024" msid="114817441" hostid="261" sizebytes="27062"></div>The Biden administration is encouraging US mining and manufacturing through a mix of loans, grants, tax breaks, and research and development programs — a lot of which was authorized under the Inflation Reduction Act. The incentives cover activities including extracting critical minerals like lithium; manufacturing solar, wind, and battery parts; buying EVs; and recycling components.Rowe argued that while the US alone can't meet the skyrocketing demand for lithium due to rising sales of EVs and battery storage, some of the supply has to be sourced domestically for national security reasons.Karl Friedhoff, a fellow for Asia studies at the Chicago Council on Global Affairs, agreed. He said there's no world in which the US and its partners can quickly compete with China on critical minerals; China already has so much capacity that it sets global prices."The question then is, can the US and other partner countries create a supply chain that meets their basic requirements," Friedhoff, who's part of a project exploring how the US, Japan, Australia, and India can cooperate to shift supply chains away from China. "Can we supply our own batteries? Can we build our own battery technologies? Do we have enough rare-earth elements for defense?"Based on estimates from Ioneer and other lithium project developers, the US could produce more than enough supply for the 1.4 million EVs sold in the country last year, which accounted for 7% of the auto market.The Biden administration wants EVs to account for at least 50% of car sales by 2030, and states like California and Texas are quickly deploying more battery storage to help balance stressed power grids. In September, the White House said US lithium production was on track to meet one-fifth of global demand outside of China this decade.<h2 id="c11b28df-2899-481e-8b55-b52898315793">Some environmentalists, Native tribes are alarmed</h2>The lithium projects haven't been without controversy, however. The Center for Biological Diversity <a target="_blank" href="https://biologicaldiversity.org/w/news/press-releases/blm-grants-final-approval-to-nevada-lithium-mine-threatening-biodiversity-cultural-landscapes-2024-10-24/?_gl=1*jmu4dt*_gcl_au*MTc3Mjg1OTA3Ni4xNzI5ODYzNzkz">has threatened to sue the Biden administration</a> over its permit for Rhyolite Ridge, arguing that the project could drive an endangered wildflower to extinction. The Western Shoshone Defense Project, which works to protect the Western Shoshone peoples' native homelands, says the mine threatens local water sources and culturally important sites.<div type="image" title="A Tiehm's buckwheat plant in Esmeralda County, Nevada, grows beside where the Rhyolite Ridge lithium-boron mine is planned." height="682" width="1024" msid="114817435" hostid="261" sizebytes="82450"></div>Thacker Pass faced similar opposition, but a federal judge last year dismissed a lawsuit from three Native tribes who argued that the mine's construction near a sacred site along Nevada's border with Oregon violated the law, <a target="_blank" href="https://apnews.com/article/lithium-mine-tribes-climate-energy-lawsuit-nevada-7a65eee7d78d93a1e44e3f8e10445143">the AP reported</a>.Rowe said Ioneer redesigned the Rhyolite Ridge mine to limit its footprint in the critical habitat of the endangered wildflower, Tiehm's buckwheat. He said Ioneer would also monitor the pollinator population and adopt dust-control strategies. The Biden administration, in issuing the permit for the mine, said it would not jeopardize the flower's survival.Some companies are working on <a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/lithium-mining-electric-vehicles-climate-crisis-2023-5">direct lithium extraction techniques</a> that don't involve open-pit mining or large evaporation ponds and therefore could require less land and water and produce less toxic chemical waste. Controlled Thermal Resources is developing such a project in the Salton Sea, where lithium-rich brine is already being used to power geothermal plants.Tapping the US's newly discovered lithium resources likely hinges on the new extraction techniques, which currently cost more than traditional methods and still haven't been used commercially. The US Geological Survey this month estimated that there's enough lithium underneath southwestern Arkansas to meet the projected global demand for car batteries in 2030 nine times over.Actually extracting that lithium, including from brines left over from oil and gas production in the region, depends on whether the direct extraction techniques are viable, USGS researchers said.

The US is on the cusp of a lithium boom to loosen China's grip on EVs

<ul><li>The <keyword id="20859837" type="General" weightage="100" keywordseo="oneplus-13" source="Orion">OnePlus 13</keyword> smartphone will be launched in India and globally on January 7, 2025.</li><li>The device is equipped with the Snapdragon 8 Elite chipset and comes with a 6,000mAh battery</li><li>Here’s everything you need to know about the upcoming flagship smartphone.</li></ul> Chinese smartphone maker <keyword id="19900518" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="OnePlus" source="keywords" meta.keywordsubtype="org" meta.entityname="OnePlus" meta.hostid="261" meta.entityid="OnePlus">OnePlus</keyword> announced its latest flagship device, the<a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/tech/mobile/news/oneplus-13-announced-with-snapdragon-8-elite-6000mah-battery-and-more/articleshow/114842638.cms"> OnePlus 13,</a> in November in its home country. The company has confirmed that the device will be launched in India and globally on January 7, 2025. The OnePlus 13 is the successor to the<a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/tech/mobile/news/oneplus-12-review/articleshow/108723955.cms"> OnePlus 12,</a> which was launched in India in January 2024. It has several improvements over its predecessor, including the new<a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/tech/mobile/news/snapdragon-8-elite-announced-to-power-iqoo-13-oneplus-13-xiaomi-15-series-and-more/articleshow/114463844.cms"> Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Elite</a> chipset, a bigger battery, improved cameras, and more. As the device has already been announced, the specifications are already known. <h2>OnePlus 13 specifications</h2>The OnePlus 13 runs on Android 15 out of the box with OxygenOS 15 on top. The device features a 6.82-inch 2K+ LTPO AMOLED display with a 1-120Hz refresh rate and Crystal Shield super ceramic glass protection. It offers up to 1600 nits of typical brightness and up to 4500 nits of peak brightness. It also offers 2160Hz high-frequency PWM Dimming. The OnePlus 13 is equipped with the Snapdragon 8 Elite and was launched in four variants in China: 12GB RAM + 256GB internal storage, 12GB RAM + 512GB internal storage, 16GB RAM + 512GB internal storage, and 24GB RAM + 1TB internal storage. Currently, there is no information about which variants will be launched in India. The OnePlus 13 features a triple camera setup at the back consisting of a 50MP primary camera with Sony LYT-808 sensor, OIS, a 50MP ultra-wide-angle camera with the Samsung JN1 sensor and a 50MP periscope telephoto camera with Sony LYT-600 sensor with 3x optical zoom, 6x in-sensor zoom and up to 120x digital zoom. On the front, the device sports a 32MP selfie camera with a Sony IMX615 sensor, offering 4K 30fps video recording. The OnePlus 13 is powered by a 6,000mAh battery, 100W SuperVOOC fast charging support and 50W wireless charging support. It can be charged from 0 to 100% in 36 minutes with the 100W charger. It is IP68 + IP69 certified rated for water and dust resistance and comes with an in-display fingerprint sensor. SEE ALSO: <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/tech/news/openai-rolls-out-chatgpt-search-to-all-free-users-with-voice-and-map-features/articleshow/116392567.cms">OpenAI rolls out ChatGPT Search to all free users with voice and map features</a> <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/tech/mobile/news/vivo-x200-and-x200-pro-launched-in-india-starting-at-65999/articleshow/116248162.cms">Vivo X200 and X200 Pro launched in India starting at ₹65,999</a> <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/tech/mobile/news/indias-refurbished-smartphone-market-witnesses-accelerated-growth/articleshow/116203370.cms">India's refurbished smartphone market witnesses accelerated growth</a>

OnePlus 13 to launch in India on January 7 – Here’s everything we know so far

<ul class="summary-list"><li>The high demand for advanced semiconductors is increasing tensions between the US and China.</li><li>Production power is key to the conflict, but tensions have shifted to the supply of raw materials.</li></ul>In the race against the US for global tech supremacy, China has the upper hand in at least one critical area: rare earths.The term refers to a group of 17 elements required to make tech products ranging from semiconductors to industrial magnets and some solar panels — the same items embroiled in the US-China trade war.For more than a year, Beijing has slowly been tightening its grip on critical minerals and rare earths.In December, <a target="_blank" href="https://m.mofcom.gov.cn/article/zwgk/gkzcfb/202312/20231203462079.shtml">China banned</a> the export of a range of rare earth processing technologies. Last month, <a target="_blank" href="https://www.gov.cn/zhengce/content/202406/content_6960152.htm">China</a> further tightened its grip on the sector. Citing resource protection and national security, Beijing made it mandatory for exporters to track how rare earth minerals are used in supply chains.Now, there are fears that China could tighten the global rare earths supply chain even more.Here's what you need to know about rare earths, what makes them so valuable, and how they play into the tech war between the US and China.<h2 id="3f9ba9c5-7a71-4e19-80b7-4398490d1924">China's rare earth dominance</h2>China has long dominated the rare earths market due to supply, low labor costs, and <a target="_blank" href="https://www.reuters.com/markets/commodities/chinas-rare-earths-dominance-focus-after-mineral-export-curbs-2023-07-05/">lax environmental standards.</a>The country produces<a target="_blank" href="https://www.iea.org/reports/energy-technology-perspectives-2023/clean-energy-supply-chains-vulnerabilities"> 60% of the world's rare earth mineral supply</a> and accounts for <a target="_blank" href="https://www.iea.org/reports/the-role-of-critical-minerals-in-clean-energy-transitions/executive-summary">90% of global refined output.</a>The late Deng Xiaoping — the Chinese leader who spearheaded the country's economic reforms in 1978 —<a target="_blank" href="https://nm.cnr.cn/nmzt/60dq/tjnmg/200704/t20070412_504442760.html"> recognized their strategic importance</a> in 1992, saying, "The Middle East has oil, China has rare earths."Under the new regulations introduced last month, China's rare earth resources now belong to the state. Two Canadian-owned rare earth refineries in China are also being acquired by state-owned companies.This is not the first time Beijing has placed restrictions on rare earths. In 2010, China imposed strict rare earth quotas, citing environmental concerns and resource preservation. The move sent prices up sharply and prompted the US, the European Union, and Japan to file a complaint against China for unfair trade practices at the <a target="_blank" href="https://www.wto.org/english/tratop_e/dispu_e/cases_e/ds431_e.htm">World Trade Organization</a>. China lost the case and lifted exported quotas in 2015.Various countries tried to <a target="_blank" href="https://www.circularise.com/blogs/the-rare-earth-problem-sustainable-sourcing-and-supply-chain-challenges">diversify</a> their rare earth supply chains in the wake of China's quotas in the 2010s, but success has been limited due to the high cost of investment and environmental concerns.There are renewed efforts to boost global production in the face of rising tensions.In 2022, the US <a target="_blank" href="https://www.whitehouse.gov/briefing-room/statements-releases/2024/09/20/fact-sheet-biden-harris-administration-takes-further-action-to-strengthen-and-secure-critical-mineral-supply-chains/">Department of Defense</a> awarded $45 million to MP Materials for rare earth oxide processing, and in 2023, it awarded over $288 million to <a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessdefense.gov/news/2023/DoD-Awards-Key-Contract-for-Domestic-Heavy-Rare-Earth-Separation-Capability.html">Lynas USA</a> to set up commercial-scale rare earth oxide production facilities.<h2 id="c8073b51-666c-4b37-8da2-99bb4249c25d">How is China leveraging rare earths?</h2>Beijing's moves to control critical minerals and rare earths are part of a toolbox Beijing has developed over the last four years, Rick Waters, the managing director of Eurasia Group's China practice, said at a press briefing.During President Donald Trump's first term, the US and China slapped retaliatory tariffs on each other. However, China has less leverage in a tariff fight because it exports more to the US than it imports, so it came up with another regulatory framework — this one involving rare earths — that it can use in a trade dispute."They're experimenting with its use, and I think, in a way, they could go further — if they perceive they need to," said Waters.Any further tightening of rare earth supplies — which are a subset under critical minerals — could leave the US vulnerable to supply shocks."China has cornered the market for processing and refining of key critical minerals, leaving the US and our allies and partners vulnerable to supply chain shocks and undermining economic and national security," the White House said in a<a target="_blank" href="https://www.whitehouse.gov/briefing-room/statements-releases/2024/09/20/fact-sheet-biden-harris-administration-takes-further-action-to-strengthen-and-secure-critical-mineral-supply-chains/"> statement</a> in September.<h2 id="a846860e-2bcb-4815-adc9-5f8fef9eaa09">What do the restrictions on rare earths mean for TSMC and Nvidia?</h2>China's control over rare earths could weigh heavily in the trade war between Washington and Beijing, with chips in the center of the conflict.Chips are found in everything from computers to cell phones, cars, and<a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/us-rare-earth-minerals-stockpile-mystery-opacity-worries-experts-2024-6"> defense equipment</a>. Taiwan dominates the market, producing over 60% of the world's chips and over 90% of the most advanced ones.One company — Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company — is responsible for most of the output and is the key supplier to AI chip giant Nvidia, which is in the thick of the tech rivalry.The US has already moved to block the export of advanced chips and chipmaking equipment to China.If the trade tiff escalates — such as in the form of higher tariffs — China could pull its rare earth card, Oxford Economics wrote in a report published in July."China's dominance in the battery supply chain accords policymakers with leverage to withhold industry-specific inputs from Western manufacturers, which could prove inflationary and economically disruptive," wrote Louise Loo, the lead economist for Greater China at Oxford Economics.This could involve further controls on critical commodity exports, particularly in rare earth minerals, Loo added.As happened with China's rare earth export curbs in 2010, prices are likely to spike if supply is tightened, so any prolonged supply crunch could drive up inflation for end products.<h2 id="41f10c92-fd52-4452-af13-c2607b378399">The tech Cold War</h2>The US and China's moves to outmaneuver each other in the tech race have some analysts drawing parallels to the Cold War.Zongyuan Zoe Liu, a senior fellow for China studies at the Council on Foreign Relations, told Business Insider the idea that the US ought to out-compete China and prevent the nation from developing advanced chips plays into a "bigger power competition narrative."She said the tensions are similar, though not identical, to the tensions between the US and Soviet Union that began after the end of World War II.As<a target="_blank" href="https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2024-10-15/us-weighs-capping-exports-of-ai-chips-from-nvidia-and-amd-to-some-countries"> Bloomberg</a> reported last month, the US is considering limiting export licenses for both Nvidia and AMD chips in an unfolding trade war that has also hit several sensitive industries, including<a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/white-house-joe-biden-hikes-tariffs-on-chinese-made-evs-2024-5"> electric vehicles, batteries, and some solar panels.</a>The US imposed similar trade limits, embargoes, and economic sanctions on the Soviet Union, North Korea, China, and North Vietnam during the Cold War."I think the heart of the issue is concern about how China will use AI chips for military applications and surveillance," Chris Tang, a UCLA professor and expert in global supply chain management and the impact of regulatory policies, told BI. "It's a different type of Cold War."Beyond a tense relationship, the dynamics between the US and China are also creating parallel systems, with the US and its allies on one side, and China and its allies on the other, Nick Vyas, the founding director of USC Marshall's Randall R. Kendrick Global Supply Chain Institute, told BI.Vyas said he's concerned the tension could escalate from this new Cold War to a hot one between global powers."When we stop transacting horizontally with each other, that's only creating a larger conflict," Vyas said. "And then with a<a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/seal-team-6-fight-with-china-over-taiwan-2024-10"> South China Sea conflict</a>, the geopolitical conflict could turn into a larger conflict, which can lead to a major situation that leads up to a war."Representatives for Nvidia declined to comment for this story. Representatives for AMD and the Bureau of Industry and Security didn't respond to requests for comment from BI.

The US-China tech race is moving from chips to the raw materials they're made of

Ah, <keyword id="18712" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="Gold" source="Orion">gold</keyword>! The shiny metal that's been making humans lose their minds since time immemorial. And yet, from King Midas to our neighbourhood aunty and even our moms (and secretly dads), everyone seems to have a super soft spot for the bullion. But here's the kicker: right now, gold prices are breaking all records on their upward trajectory! As of today, prices of 24k carat gold have passed the Rs 80,000 mark per 10 grams. And if experts are to be believed, this train isn't stopping anytime soon! So, as shiny as gold might look, adding even a bit of its glitter as we start decking up for the festive season might not be so easy on your pockets. But let's admit it—we love our gold and can't live without it. No wonder India is the second-largest consumer of the yellow metal in the world, only behind <keyword id="1334" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="China" source="Orion">China</keyword>. Such is our fondness for the metal that the <keyword id="20195223" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="world-gold-council" source="keywords">World Gold Council</keyword> had to up our 2024 annual demand forecast to 850 tonnes, up from the previously estimated 750 tonnes. However, our love for gold isn't just about looking fabulously embellished and blinding people with its bling. Indians also see gold as a long-term, trusty investment, supporting our other hard-earned assets, especially when high <keyword id="22195" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="Inflation" source="Orion">inflation</keyword> rates pull our returns down. After all, while inflationary pressures generally weaken the purchasing power of our regular paper money, gold is built differently. When the world is buckling to inflation, gold gains value during these times. This is also why it is considered a solid hedge against inflation. With Diwali and Dhanteras knocking at our doors, the inflation demon continued to bother India like a guest who refused to leave. Just last month, the Consumer Price Index (CPI) stood at 5.49%, much higher than the anticipated levels. Moreover, the diverging policy stances among central bankers worldwide, growing geopolitical tensions, tough job markets, and extreme weather events are only adding to the uncertainty. In such economically uncertain times, what should your gold strategy be this festive season? To buy or not to buy, that is the question. Well, let’s get to it. <h2><keyword id="20050894" type="General" weightage="100" keywordseo="gold-etfs" source="keywords">Gold ETFs</keyword> to the rescue</h2>See, buying physical gold jewellery is certainly a flex, but also a financial fuss. First, you pay a heavy amount to buy gold. Not to mention all those extra, hefty jewellery-making charges. And then you pay even more money to keep it safe in a bank locker, lest it get stolen. But what if we tell you that you can own pure <keyword id="3311599" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="24K-gold" source="Orion">24k gold</keyword>, minus all these frills? Welcome, Gold ETFs (Exchange Traded Funds). Simply put, gold ETFs are like the cool cousins of your traditional gold investments. Instead of stashing gold bars under your mattress like those maniac millionaires we see in Bollywood films, you can now invest and trade in gold through the stock market. It's basically buying units of an ETF on the stock exchange that directly mirror the ongoing domestic prices of gold. Generally, gold ETFs are equivalent to 99.5% pure physical gold bars, and each ETF unit denotes actual, one gram of gold. And let's face it, who would not want that golden glow in their lives? Gold ETFs have witnessed an over seven-fold surge in their AUM (assets under management) in just the last five years. From Rs 5,613.22 crore in September 2019 to Rs 39,823.50 crore in September 2024, gold ETFs seem to be in-thing. Inflows in gold ETFs have shot up by a whopping 2,695% over the last 5 years. In September 2019, gold ETFs had garnered a mere Rs 44.11 crore. Compare that to the inflows worth Rs 1,232.99 crore gold ETFs received last month. Talk about growing, or glowing popularity! In fact, in just 2024, inflows in gold ETFs have surged by nearly 88% since the beginning of this calendar year. From Rs 657.46 crore in January 2024 to Rs 1,232.99 crore in September 2024, good old gold is never out of season. <h2>So, how do these ETFs work? Should I invest in them now?</h2>All you need is a Demat account. Log into your account, choose the gold ETF scheme you want to invest in, and voila! You’re now a bullion-aire! All your gold ETF units will be stored in this account. Then, you can buy and sell gold ETFs just like you buy shares—in real-time. So, if gold prices inch upwards, which is where gold is currently going, the value of your ETF units will also rise in lockstep. Ashwini Kumar, Senior Vice President and Head of Market Data at ICRA Analytics, says that of late, gold ETFs have been increasingly gaining popularity among investors due to the liquidity, safety and transparency they offer. "With the escalating global geopolitical tensions boosting the ‘safe-haven’ appeal of the bullion, investors are preferring to park their funds in gold ETFs as compared to investing in physical gold, as there is no hassle of storing it. The heightened activity in gold ETFs is also driven by the prospects of an imminent further interest rate cut by the <keyword id="20078761" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="u-s-federal-reserve" source="keywords">U.S. Federal Reserve</keyword> in the coming months,” he added. “Investors with a short- to medium-term investment horizon may consider investment through gold ETFs. A buy-on-dips strategy here may help investors capitalise on a temporary correction in prices. Also, given the current market dynamics where equities are showing mixed trends, a modest, 5-10% allocation to gold may serve as a hedge against inflation and market volatility, which may help you balance risks in an optimum manner,” Kumar noted. <h2> Wait, there is no dearth of options</h2>But if ETFs make you go WTF, there’s always digital gold. You can invest in the yellow metal without actually physically holding it for as low as Rs 1. The best part? You can buy or sell this gold 24 X7 seamlessly via multiple apps without having to pay storage costs. On your behalf, your gold is stored in insured vaults by the seller. But remember, digital gold continues to remain unregulated territory in the country, where you venture at your own risk. In 2021, market watchdog SEBI had even asked its members to desist from selling digital gold. Then there are gold mutual funds and the Sarkari SGBs, or sovereign gold bonds. While gold mutual funds invest primarily in gold ETFs, SGBs are issued by the <keyword id="19899808" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="rbi" source="keywords">RBI</keyword> and are also a reliable substitute for holding physical gold. However, with the RBI currently putting brakes on issuing SGBs, investing in them is out of the question. Plus, you should only get your hands on SGBs if you're in for the long haul. Apart from a 2.5% p.a. interest, you don't have any yearly earnings from them. Moreover, no premature redemption is allowed before 5 years, and you'll have to wait a good 8 years to maximise your returns. <h2> Okay, tell me about returns</h2>In contrast, the seventeen gold ETF schemes currently present in the market offer an average one-year return of 29.12%. Stay with it a little longer, and you can end up with returns worth 16.93% and 13.59% over a 3 and 5-year period, respectively. If you look at it, these returns are comparable with the returns delivered by actual, physical gold. Data from Value Research indicates that gold, as a commodity, has delivered returns worth 27.24%, 16.53%, and 14.18% over a 1, 3, and 5-year period, respectively. So, worth investing, right? <h2>What are the risks?</h2>See, stock markets are as unpredictable as monsoons in Mumbai. One significant market correction can wash away your returns, and one sunny day or an upswing can leave you wallowing in wealth. Since your gold investments are directly linked to these markets, you should steel yourself up for some volatility. Plus, international gold prices are in dollars. So, if our rupee decides to take a nosedive, your returns might look a bit tarnished. Also, know that your ETF might not always perfectly mirror gold prices, which is also known as a tracking error. It's like expecting your Zomato-ordered food to look exactly like the picture on the menu—it's close, but not quite. Then there’s the taxation bit. The budget this year brought down the <keyword id="20552259" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="ltcg" source="keywords">LTCG</keyword> (long-term capital gains tax) on gold ETFs from the previous 20% to 12.5% (sans indexation). LTCG is what you pay if you sell your ETF units after 12 months. If you sell your gold ETF units within a year and make handsome returns, the tax you’ll have to pay will be equivalent to your income tax slab rate. <h2>Is gold just for old?</h2>A survey by fintech firm Moneyview thinks otherwise. Per their findings, over 85% of the 3,000 respondents it talked to considered gold to be a valuable asset for wealth preservation, with its intrinsic value and historical performance continuing to drive consumer confidence. Particularly, young investors in the age group of 25–40 years are also investing in gold via both physical and digital ways to build wealth for retirement and other long-term goals. So, young or old, everyone’s going for gold. So, this festive season, with gold prices going north, investing in gold can add that much-needed glitz to your financial attire. But remember, don't go overboard since gold isn't exactly a high-return-yielding asset. But whether you're a seasoned investor looking to diversify or a newbie trying to make their way in the markets, investing in gold offers you a glittering safety cushion. Just remember, while gold can make your portfolio shine, it's your smart investment decisions that truly make you golden. Disclaimer: The content on this website is for informational purposes only and should not be construed as investment advice. We recommend readers consult certified, qualified, and registered advisors for professional and personalised financial advice.

Can investing in gold this festive season add the much-touted Midas touch to your investments?

According to a new analysis, <keyword id="19895063" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="India" source="keywords">India</keyword> contributed $1.28 billion in <keyword id="20000757" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="climate-finance" source="keywords">climate finance</keyword> through <keyword id="20401772" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="multilateral-development-banks" source="keywords">multilateral development banks</keyword> (MDBs) in 2022, surpassing the contributions of many developed countries. The study, conducted by the UK-based think tank ODI and the <keyword id="23038658" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="Zurich-Climate-Resilience-Alliance" source="Orion">Zurich Climate Resilience Alliance</keyword>, comes amid a renewed push by some developed countries to broaden the donor base for climate finance to include developing countries like China and <keyword id="50996" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="Saudi-Arabia" source="Orion">Saudi Arabia</keyword>. The report reveals that only 12 developed countries provided their fair share of international climate finance in 2022. These countries are -- Norway, France, Luxembourg, Germany, Sweden, Denmark, Switzerland, Japan, the Netherlands, Austria, Belgium and Finland. Researchers noted that the significant gap in climate finance is largely due to the United States failing to contribute its fair share. Australia, Spain, Canada and the United Kingdom also performed relatively poorly in this regard. The analysis has identified the top 30 non-Annex II countries that provided substantial climate finance to developing countries in 2022 through multilateral contributions to development banks and climate funds. This group includes former economies in transition like Poland and Russia, countries that have achieved high-income status since 1992, such as Chile, Kuwait, Saudi Arabia and South Korea, and middle-income countries with large populations, including Brazil, China, India, Indonesia, Mexico, Nigeria, the Philippines and Pakistan. India provided $1.287 billion in climate finance to other developing countries through MDBs in 2022, a sum larger than what was contributed by some developed countries like Greece ($0.23 billion), Portugal ($0.23 billion), Ireland ($0.3 billion) and New Zealand ($0.27 billion). China provided $ 2.52 billion in climate finance through MDBs in 2022, Brazil gave $ 1.135 billion, South Korea gave $1.13 billion and Argentina gave $1.01 billion. According to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (<keyword id="21931277" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="UNFCCC" source="keywords">UNFCCC</keyword>), adopted in 1992, high-income, industrialised countries (referred to as Annex-II countries) are responsible for providing finance and technology to help developing countries combat and adapt to climate change. These countries, including the US, Canada, Japan, Australia, New Zealand and European Union (EU) member states, such as Germany, France and the UK, have historically benefitted from industrialisation and contributed the most to greenhouse gas emissions. At COP15 in Copenhagen in 2009, these developed countries pledged to jointly provide $100 billion each year by 2020 to help developing countries mitigate and adapt to climate change. However, this target has not been fully met, leading to a significant finance gap. This shortfall has eroded trust and hindered climate action in developing countries. In May, the Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development (<keyword id="19916574" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="OECD" source="keywords">OECD</keyword>) claimed that developed countries had met the long-standing $ 100 billion-a-year promise by providing nearly $ 116 billion in climate finance to developing countries in 2022, with nearly 70 % of the money given in the form of loans. The ODI researchers pointed out that many developed countries, despite performing well in terms of climate-finance contributions, would make "markedly less progress towards meeting their fair share if the finance provided was accounted for on grant-equivalence terms" -- in other words, if it reflected their real fiscal effort. The report calls for the inclusion of a "burden-sharing mechanism" in the New Collective Quantified Goal (NCQG) to provide clarity on each country's obligations and hold countries accountable. The NCQG refers to the new, larger amount that developed nations must mobilise annually, starting 2025, to support climate action in developing countries. Countries are expected to finalise the NCQG at this year's UN climate conference -- <keyword id="20082972" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="COP29" source="keywords">COP29</keyword> -- in Baku, Azerbaijan in November. The current $100 billion annual climate-finance goal is a collective commitment by developed countries. Its collective nature has meant that individual developed countries are not accountable for specific sums of money, potentially reducing the overall amount of climate finance provided due to the lack of individual scrutiny. The inclusion of a burden-sharing arrangement among developed countries could potentially strengthen the NCQG by fostering greater accountability and trust among parties, according to the ODI researchers. Many developing countries, including India, have recently advocated for such an arrangement to enhance accountability among developed countries.

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