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Rail India Technical and Economic Service (<keyword id="6592972" type="CITY" weightage="100" keywordseo="rites">RITES</keyword>), a railway PSU headquartered in Gurgaon, has secured a substantial export order worth Rs 680 crore from Sri Lanka Railways. This is the biggest ever order for <a href="http://www.businessinsider.in/latest/railways-plan-to-promote-tourism-in-luxury-and-budget-sections/articleshow/58206522.cms">Indian Railways</a>, and comprises of the supply of 10 broad gauge diesel locomotives and six DMU (diesel multiple units) train sets. Also read: <a href="http://www.businessinsider.in/private-companies-can-run-their-own-freight-trains-says-railway-ministry/articleshow/58123561.cms">Private companies can run their own freight trains, says railway ministry</a> All the said locomotives and train sets would be manufactured in Varanasi and Chennai and would be installed with state-of-the-art technology. The contract will be funded under the Indian Line of Credit to Sri Lanka that was announced in 2011, and the order will be completed over the next two years. Also read: <a href="A%20rail%20regulator%20is%20coming%20up%20to%20recommend%20passenger%20and%20freight%20fares">A rail regulator is coming up to recommend passenger and freight fares</a> As of now, RITES is fulfilling an order from Myanmar Railways for the supply of 18 locomotives. In the past, RITES has exported 20 DMU train sets and three locomotives to Sri Lankan railways. Not only this, from 2008 to 2012, it also made available its expertise for setting up their railway maintenance facilities, while imparting training for their railway officials. Also read: <a href="http://www.businessinsider.in/sixty-year-relief-period-to-private-investors-for-railway-stations-revamp/articleshow/57790089.cms">Sixty-year relief period to private investors for railway stations’ revamp</a> (Image source Urban News Digest)

Indian Railways gets its largest export order worth Rs 680 crore from Sri Lanka

<ul><li>The government has asked railway company <keyword id="65866" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="irctc" source="Orion">IRCTC</keyword> to share 50% of its revenue from convenience fees.</li><li>The development may impact the company’s revenues going ahead.</li><li>Shares of the company ended nearly 12% higher today as the stock got split in the ratio of 1:5.</li></ul>India’s Ministry of Railways has asked the Indian Railway Catering and Tourism Corporation (IRCTC) to share 50% of revenues coming from service charts on e-ticketing, i.e., convenience fees, with the government. The company will start sharing half of the convenience fees with the government from November 2021. The development might impact the company’s revenue coming from the e-ticketing service charge segment. In FY21, IRCTC earned ₹299 crore from this segment, which is almost 40% of its revenue from operations of ₹783 crore. So far, IRCTC did not share revenues from this segment with the Indian government. <table style="border-width: initial; border-style: none; table-layout: fixed; width: 468pt;" class="redcator-table-advance"></colgroup><tbody><tr><td style="border-left:solid #000000 1pt;border-right:solid #000000 1pt;border-bottom:solid #000000 1pt;border-top:solid #000000 1pt;vertical-align:top;padding:5pt 5pt 5pt 5pt;overflow:hidden;overflow-wrap:break-word;">Convenience fees </td><td style="border-left:solid #000000 1pt;border-right:solid #000000 1pt;border-bottom:solid #000000 1pt;border-top:solid #000000 1pt;vertical-align:top;padding:5pt 5pt 5pt 5pt;overflow:hidden;overflow-wrap:break-word;">Charges per ticket </td></tr><tr><td style="border-left:solid #000000 1pt;border-right:solid #000000 1pt;border-bottom:solid #000000 1pt;border-top:solid #000000 1pt;vertical-align:top;padding:5pt 5pt 5pt 5pt;overflow:hidden;overflow-wrap:break-word;">AC class </td><td style="border-left:solid #000000 1pt;border-right:solid #000000 1pt;border-bottom:solid #000000 1pt;border-top:solid #000000 1pt;vertical-align:top;padding:5pt 5pt 5pt 5pt;overflow:hidden;overflow-wrap:break-word;">₹30 plus goods and services tax (GST) per ticket` </td></tr><tr><td style="border-left:solid #000000 1pt;border-right:solid #000000 1pt;border-bottom:solid #000000 1pt;border-top:solid #000000 1pt;vertical-align:top;padding:5pt 5pt 5pt 5pt;overflow:hidden;overflow-wrap:break-word;">Non AC class </td><td style="border-left:solid #000000 1pt;border-right:solid #000000 1pt;border-bottom:solid #000000 1pt;border-top:solid #000000 1pt;vertical-align:top;padding:5pt 5pt 5pt 5pt;overflow:hidden;overflow-wrap:break-word;">₹15 plus GST per ticket </td></tr></tbody><tbody></tbody></table> Shares of the company ended nearly 12% higher on October 28 as the stock got split in the ratio of 1:5. SEE ALSO: <a target="_blank" class="c-link c-message_attachment__title_link" href="https://www.businessinsider.in/business/news/easemytrip-makes-its-first-acquisition-in-13-years-to-strengthen-its-hotel-offerings/articleshow/87337496.cms">EaseMyTrip makes its first acquisition in 13 years to strengthen its hotel offerings</a> <a target="_blank" class="c-link c-message_attachment__title_link" href="https://www.businessinsider.in/stock-market/news/adani-ports-share-price-tumbles-due-to-poor-results-myanmar-exit/articleshow/87328012.cms">Adani Ports share price tumbles due to poor results, Myanmar exit</a>

IRCTC will lose a chunk of its revenue to the Indian government starting next month

<ul class="summary-list"><li>Russia could become black listed by the Financial Action Task Force in June.</li><li>To avoid this, Moscow is pressuring India to help thwart the blacklisting effort, Bloomberg reported.</li></ul>Russia is asking for India's support to avoid getting on a black list that would further isolate Moscow from global finance, <a href="https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2023-05-23/putin-pushes-india-to-help-russia-avoid-fatf-global-financial-blacklist" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Bloomberg reported</a>.The pressure comes as the Financial Action Task Force — an intergovernmental group focused on combating money laundering and terrorist financing — prepares for a June meeting, during which members could implement restrictions on Russia. Though its invasion of Ukraine had already made Russia the world's most heavily sanctioned country, an FATF blacklisting would put Moscow in the same category as North Korea, Iran, and Myanmar.If Russia is added to the black list, FATF members, banks, investment firms, and payment-processors must perform additional due diligence and could even enact countermeasures, according to Bloomberg.Because Russia was suspended from FATF in February, it's urging other countries like India to help thwart the blacklisting effort.The Kremlin has warned India that defense, energy, and transportation deals between the two countries would be at risk under the designation. They include weapons exports, cooperation between oil firms Rosneft and Nayara Energy Limited, and the development of a railway corridor. Russia is India's top arm supplier and has emerged as a major oil supplier in the last year.Russia has also said that even being added on the FATF's "gray list" — a less severe measure — would still threaten deals. Moscow believes that India has "special credibility" within the FATF that should be used, but has also turned to other governments for similar support, sources told Bloomberg. Meanwhile, Ukraine has championed the black listing, but is not a member itself.

Russia pleads with India for help avoiding financial black list, warning oil and weapons deals are at risk, report says

Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi is slated to attend the East Asia summit in <keyword id="6356970" type="COUNTRY" weightage="20" keywordseo="Myanmar">Myanmar</keyword> in November. Speculations are rife that investments that will be made in the country.

	 
	According to a senior official of Indo-Myanmar Chamber of Commerce and Industry, several Indian companies may expand enormously in Myanmar. He said that “There is little happening on that front. While we have been getting queries from Indian firms regarding business opportunities in Myanmar, we cannot really call them substantial yet.” 
	 
	He further added that Myanmar is strategically important for India both economically and politically. “India, if it is successful in making inroads to Myanmar, can to a large extent control insurgency in the Northeast,” said the official. 
	 
	It should be noted that FMCG firms are aggressively exploring the consumer products market in Myanmar. Several consumer products giants have entered into agreements with local distributors in order to cater to the rising consumer needs in the market. Some of these sectors include consumer goods, auto parts and pharmaceuticals. 
	 
	Apart from these sectors, banking, infrastructure and transport also hold tremendous potential for Indian companies. At present, state run banks such as State Bank of India, Punjab National Bank and United Bank of India have representational office in the country. It was expected that investments would be made in the banking sector but nothing has been done so far. 
	 
	The country also requires huge investments in roads, hospitality, medicine, telecom and aviation among others. “Only a few Indian firms are present in these sectors. Indian companies can establish a strong base in Myanmar but they are not harnessing the full potential of these sectors. Myanmar needs good commercial vehicles for transportation. And Indian commercial vehicles have been received well in the market”, stated the official. 
	 Currently, Indian companies such as Telecommunications Consultants India Limited, GAIL India, <keyword id="81864" type="CITY" weightage="20" keywordseo="ONGC-Videsh">ONGC Videsh</keyword>, <keyword id="6368035" type="CITY" weightage="20" keywordseo="essar">Essar</keyword>, Indian Railway’s Rites, J K Paper, VNL, <keyword id="6369697" type="COMPANY" weightage="20" keywordseo="Godrej">Godrej</keyword> and Jubilant Energy have a presence in the country. FMCG giant <keyword id="6391475" type="CITY" weightage="20" keywordseo="Coca-Cola">Coca-Cola</keyword> too has entered into a partnership with local distributors for distribution of its products in the country.

Myanmar
Offers Growth Opportunities To Indian Companies

<ul><li>Singer Babul Supriyo, the BJP MP from Asansol in West Bengal swears into Modi’s cabinet. Sadhvi Niranjan Jyoti from Fatehpur in Uttar Pradesh was also sworn in as a Minister of State.</li><li>Former Power and Railways Minister Dr Arvind Sawant from Mumbai South who defeated Milind Deora of Congress too has taken oath. </li><li>Among those who have taken oath include Thawar Chand Gehlot, S Jaishankar (former Foreign Secretary), Ramesh Pokhriyal, Arjun Munda, Dr Harsh Vardhan (former Science Ministry), Prakash Javadekar (former HRD minister), and Piyush Goel (former coal minister).</li><li>Narendra Modi has taken charge as the Prime Minister of the country for the second time in a swearing in ceremony that just concluded.</li></ul> Update at 09:05 pm Debut MP Debasree Chaudhuri of Raiganj in West Bengal takes oath as Minister of State in Modi’s cabinet. Sanjeev Balyan, Dhotre Sanjay Shamrao, Anurag Singh Thakur from Hamirpur, Suresh Angadi, Nityanand Rai, Rattan Lal Kataria, V Muraleedharan, Renuka Singh Saruta, Som Prakash, Rameshwar Teli, Pratap Sarangi, Kailash Chaudhari, Debasree Chaudhuri were also sworn in as Ministers of State. Update at 08:30 pm Ramdas Athawale from Maharashtra’s Sangli district was sworn in as Minister of State, along with Parshottam Rupala. Update at 08:25 pm Secunderabad BJP MP Kishan Reddy takes oath. Ashwini Kumar Choubey, Shri Arjun Ram Meghwal, Gen V K Singh, Krishan Pal Gurjar from Faridabad, and Raosaheb Danve too were sworn in. Update at 08:10 pm Prahlad Patel, Raj Kumar Singh from Arrah constituency, Hardeep Singh Puri, Mansukh Mandavia, Faggan Singh Kulaste also take oath. Update at 08:02 pm Shripad Yesso Naik from North Goa is inducted into Modi’s cabinet. Dr Jitendra Singh, the current MP of Haridwar is also sworn in. Update at 08:00 pm Rao Inderjit Singh BJP’s MP from Gurugram, Gajendra Singh Shekhawat, Santosh Kumar Gangwar from Bareily in Uttar Pradesh were sworn in. Update at 07:55 pm Giriraj Singh from Bihar’s Begusarai who defeated Kanhaiya Kumar, the former student leader and a candidate of Communist Party of India (CPI) was also sworn in. Update at 07:50 pm Former Power and Railways Minister Dr Arvind Sawant, Shiv Sena MP from Mumbai South who defeated Milind Deora of Congress too has taken oath. Dr Mahendra Nath Pandey, former Petroleum Minister Dharmendra Pradhan, Mukhtar Abbas Naqvi (former Minority Affairs Minister), Pralhad Joshi, too have taken oath. Update at 07:40 pm Piyush Goel and Prakash Javadekar take the oath. Update at 07:35 pm Smriti Irani who won at Amethi against Congress Party leader Rahul Gandhi as its MP, also took oath to cheering public. She was the textiles minister in the earlier cabinet. Update at 07:25 pm Narendra Singh Tomar (formerly Rural Development Minister, Ravi Shankar Prasad (former Telecom and Law Minister); Harsimrat Kaur Badal (former food processing minister) too have taken oath. Update at 07:19 pm Ram Vilas Paswan also takes the oath of office and secrecy. Update at 07:16 pm Incumbent Defence Minister Nirmala Sitharaman also takes the oath. Update at 07:12 pm Shri Rajnath Singh follows Modi to take oath. He was home affairs minister in the last cabinet. Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) President Amit Shah has also taken oath. He did not hold a portfolio in the last cabinet Update at 07:07 pm Narendra Modi takes charge as India’s PM for the second time Update at 07:00 pm <keyword id="6354814" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="20" keywordseo="prime-minister-narendra-modi">Prime Minister Narendra Modi</keyword> has also arrived at the event. As many as 50 ministers of the cabinet will take oath after the PM today. The ceremony will start at 7 PM. Bollywood actor Shahid Kapoor and Kangana Ranaut have already arrived at the event at Rashtrapati Bhavan. Bangladesh President Abdul Hamid along with his first lady too arrived at the event. Update at 06:30 pm Dignitaries and top industrialists like Ratan Tata, Mukesh Ambani and Gautam Adani; along with Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) President Amit Shah have already arrived at the venue, to view Narendra Modi take the oath as the Prime Minister for the second time. It’s a big day for India and Narendra Modi who will once again take oath as India’s Prime Minister for a second consecutive term. The master communicator, who has stormed back to power with yet another thumping majority, will once again use the moment and the stage as effectively as it can be. The oath taking ceremony will be held at 7 pm on Thursday (May 30), ensuring that all the attention of prime time television viewers are solely on him. He gave <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/full-text-of-modi-speech-lok-sabha-election-2019/articleshow/69467611.cms" data-type="tilCustomLink" target="_blank">over an hour long victory speech</a>, again on prime time, after the election results were declared on May 23. Run up to the event Modi has kickstarted his oath-taking day, early this morning by saluting his heroes. He paid a tribute at the National War Memorial in the morning. The PM from Guajrat won a second consecutive term with a thumping majority, also paid tribute to Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP)’s prominent former Prime Minister, Atal Bihari Vajpayee. This charismatic former Prime Minister was instrumental in creating the National Democratic Alliance (NDA) in 1998. Modi who hails from Gandhinagar which was also home to father of the nation, Mahatma Gandhi, also visited Rajghat today to pay homage. The newly elected PM’s oath taking ceremony promises to be interesting as <a data-type="tilCustomLink">8,000 guests</a> from within and outside the country are expected to pour in for the event. It is being touted as the biggest ever event that takes place at Rashtrapathi Bhavan. The event also promises to be star-studded as many Bollywood celebrities including Vivek Oberoi who played the role of Modi, in a now-released movie ‘Modi’, are expected to attend the event. Invites have also gone in for <a data-type="tilCustomLink">BIMSTEC leaders</a>—which includes Bangladesh, Myanmar, Sri Lanka, Thailand, Nepal and Bhutan. However, it is now known that leaders from Kyrgyzstan and Mauritius will be attending the event. The swearing in ceremony is striving to make Modi’s guests from his constituency in Varanasi feel special. A special gallery called ‘Kashi Sankul’ is being set-up to accommodate 250 special guests from Uttar Pradesh. The event however is not without its controversies. The winning party BJP invited the families of those killed in the West Bengal political violence which erupted just before the last phase of polling. This move angered Mamata Banerjee the chief minister of the state and the head of Trinamool Congress, who declined an invitation to the attend the ceremony. BJP’s ally in Maharashtra, Shiv Sena slammed Banerjee for this move, in an editorial published in its mouthpiece Saamna. SEE ALSO: <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/modis-swearing-in-ceremony-is-set-to-be-the-biggest-event-ever-with-8000-guests/articleshow/69571352.cms" data-type="tilCustomLink" target="_blank">Modi's swearing in ceremony is set to be the biggest event ever, with 8,000 guests</a> <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/full-text-of-modi-speech-lok-sabha-election-2019/articleshow/69467611.cms" data-type="tilCustomLink" target="_blank">Full text of Modi’s first speech after historic election victory</a>

Narendra Modi Oath Taking Ceremony Live Updates:  Amit Shah enters Narendra Modi’s cabinet; Smriti Irani welcomed with loud cheers

<div class="KonaFilter image-container display-table"><div><div class="image on-image">REUTERS/Raheb HomavandiA speed boat passes oil docks at the port of Kalantari in the city of Chabahar, 186 miles east of the Strait of Hormuz, January 17, 2012.</div></div></div><ul><li>India is working with Iran to develop and overland route to Afghanistan.</li><li>The US, which wants India's help in Afghanistan, appears to have accepted that India and Iran will have some kind of relationship going foward.</li><li>India is also trying to build influence around the Indian Ocean.</li></ul> Just days after the first shipment of Indian wheat arrived in the southeastern Iranian port of Chabahar on its way to Afghanistan, Indian officials <a href="http://www.reuters.com/article/india-iran-port/india-cracks-open-iran-sea-route-to-afghanistan-bypassing-rival-idUSL3N1NC54V" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">said</a> they were in talks with Tehran to begin interim operations at the port.India's activity at Chabahar is more than <a href="https://thediplomat.com/2017/10/first-indian-wheat-shipment-leaves-for-afghanistan-via-irans-strategic-chabahar-port/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">a decade</a> in the making, but the country now finds itself steering between its own rival in Pakistan and an arch US foe in Iran in order to reach Afghanistan, where the Trump administration is eager to see New Delhi offer economic and security assistance.India's and Afghanistan's foreign ministers <a href="http://mea.gov.in/press-releases.htm?dtl/29062/Flag_off_of_the_first_consignment_of_wheat_assistance_to_Afghanistan_through_Chabahar_port" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">heralded</a> the first of seven shipments of 1.1 million metric tons of wheat headed to the latter country."The shipment of wheat is a landmark moment as it will pave the way for operationalisation of the Chabahar port as an alternate, reliable and robust connectivity for Afghanistan" and "enhance trade and commerce between the three countries and the wider region," India's Ministry of External Affairs <a href="http://mea.gov.in/press-releases.htm?dtl/29062/Flag_off_of_the_first_consignment_of_wheat_assistance_to_Afghanistan_through_Chabahar_port" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">said</a> in a statement.<div class="KonaFilter image-container display-table"><div><div class="image on-image">Google Maps</div></div></div>India <a href="https://thediplomat.com/2016/04/india-iran-afghanistan-finalize-chabahar-port-agreement/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">signed</a> the Chabahar Agreement with Afghanistan and Iran in spring 2016, allowing India to access Afghanistan through the port. India has committed <a href="http://www.reuters.com/article/india-iran-port/india-cracks-open-iran-sea-route-to-afghanistan-bypassing-rival-idUSL3N1NC54V" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">$500 million</a> to develop the port, alongside plans for overland-transit routes, including a railway for which India has said it would supply <a href="https://economictimes.indiatimes.com/news/economy/foreign-trade/india-afghanistan-and-iran-finalise-chabahar-agreement/articleshow/51867141.cms" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">$400 million worth</a> of steel rails.Washington is keen to see India do more to help stabilize Afghanistan, where the Trump administration has recommitted the US to its <a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/mattis-us-not-winning-longest-war-in-afghanistan-photos-2017-6" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">16-year-long war</a>. Earlier this year, Trump appeared to <a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/ap-trumps-afghanistan-strategy-includes-new-ultimatum-on-india-2017-8" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">to tie India's</a> trade relationship with the US to its role in Afghanistan, and his administration has <a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/us-holds-255-million-pakistan-for-afghanistan-2017-8" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">withheld</a> hundreds of millions from Pakistan in order to get it to do more to secure the war-torn country.India also has its own interest in developing new routes to Afghanistan.India is Afghanistan's top destination for exports, receiving $220 million of the latter country's $483 million in total trade in 2016, <a href="https://thediplomat.com/2017/10/first-indian-wheat-shipment-leaves-for-afghanistan-via-irans-strategic-chabahar-port/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">according</a> to The Diplomat. A significant portion of Afghanistan's manufactured goods have traveled through Karachi in Pakistan on their way to India; however, deteriorating relations with Islamabad have <a href="https://thediplomat.com/2016/04/india-iran-afghanistan-finalize-chabahar-port-agreement/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">severely crimped</a> that flow.Pakistan has had poor relations with India and Afghanistan, and it does not allow those two countries to use its territory for overland trade. Pakistan has also accused India of using Afghanistan as a base from which to undermine Pakistan - though a Pakistani Foreign Office official reportedly <a href="https://tribune.com.pk/story/1550999/1-chabahar-port-not-alliance-pakistan-fo/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">said this week</a> that Islamabad does not see India-Afghanistan trade via Iran as "any kind of alliance against us."Developing an overland route through Iran is also a potentially touchy subject with the US.<div class="KonaFilter image-container display-table"><div><div class="image on-image">REUTERS/Kevin LamarquePresident Donald Trump with Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi during a joint news conference at the White House, June 26, 2017.</div></div></div>New Delhi has <a href="http://www.reuters.com/article/india-iran-port/india-cracks-open-iran-sea-route-to-afghanistan-bypassing-rival-idUSL3N1NC54V" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">framed its engagement</a> with the Chabahar project as more about reaching Afghanistan than about building ties with Iran, and India has in the past cut its oil imports from Iran in response to international sanctions.And Washington appears to be assenting to limited cooperation between India and Iran. Secretary of State Rex Tillerson <a href="http://www.reuters.com/article/india-iran-port/india-cracks-open-iran-sea-route-to-afghanistan-bypassing-rival-idUSL3N1NC54V" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">said</a> during a visit to India in October that the US would not block projects to help Iranians (though he stressed that the US would act against financial benefits reaped by Iran's Revolutionary Guard Corps).Jeff Smith, a South Asia expert at The Heritage Foundation in Washington, told Reuters he had the impression conservative analysts in the US "have accepted" that India and Iran will maintain some kind of relationship."They recognize that for India, Iran is more about a transport corridor to Afghanistan; that it has no interest in advancing Iran's agenda in the Middle East; and that whatever space India evacuates there will be filled by China," Smith <a href="http://www.reuters.com/article/india-iran-port/india-cracks-open-iran-sea-route-to-afghanistan-bypassing-rival-idUSL3N1NC54V" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">said</a>.Balancing against China in the Indian and Pacific Oceans is an important goal for the US and India, but perhaps more so for India.<div class="KonaFilter image-container display-table"><div><div class="image on-image">REUTERS/Romeo RanocoIndian sailors aboard INS Kadmatt arrive for a four-day goodwill visit, aiming to strengthen ties between India and the Philippines, in Manila, October 3, 2017.</div></div></div>China has in recent years developed a string of bases and ports along the Indian Ocean coast and signed on to infrastructure deals with countries in the region - ranging from <a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/r-china-launches-charm-offensive-for-first-overseas-naval-base-2016-3" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Bangladesh to Myanmar</a> to <a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/indias-concern-with-beijing-expansion-grows-with-sri-lanka-port-deal-2017-8" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Sri Lanka</a> to <a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/china-troops-to-overseas-base-operational-security-concerns-for-us-2017-7" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Pakistan</a> to <a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/china-troops-to-overseas-base-operational-security-concerns-for-us-2017-7" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Djibouti</a>.India appears to be taking a <a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/amid-simmering-tension-with-china-india-is-increasing-naval-strength-2017-11" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">more muscular approach</a> to defending its interests in the region, expanding its weapons purchases - particularly of naval armaments - and investing in its domestic <keyword id="6354810" type="ORGANIZATION" weightage="100" keywordseo="Defense">defense</keyword> industry.While India remains wary of <a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/video-of-chinese-indian-troops-fighting-with-stones-at-himalaya-border-2017-8" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Chinese activity</a> along their shared northern border, its attention now appears to be turning to its southern, maritime approaches."This is a tectonic shift in India's security calculus, that it has to protect its southern flank," Brahma Chellaney, a strategic-studies professor at the Center for Policy Research, <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2017/07/10/world/asia/india-us-japan-war-games-china.html?smid=tw-nytimesworld&amp;smtyp=cur&amp;_r=0" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">told</a> The New York Times this summer. <div class="margin-top"> <h3>NOW WATCH: <a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/animated-map-changes-way-see-world-india-greenland-texas-united-states-africa-south-america-2017-4">These 10 maps will change the way you see the world</a></h3> <div> </div> </div>

India is steering a tricky path through US allies and foes in South Asia

REUTERS/StringerChina People's Liberation Army (PLA) soldiers at a military port in Zhanjiang, Guangdong province, July 11, 2017.Chinese military personnel departed a naval base in Zhanjiang on Tuesday, destined for Beijing's new base in the East African country of Djibouti.China started construction on the base, which it officially calls a "logistics facility," in February 2016, and it has not said when the base might formally start operations.The Chinese navy has been assisting anti-piracy efforts in the Gulf of Aden and peacekeeping missions in Africa for some time, but the base in Djibouti will be Beijing's first such facility overseas."The base will ensure China's performance of missions, such as escorting, peacekeeping and humanitarian aid in Africa and west Asia," state news agency <a href="http://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy-defence/article/2102266/china-sends-troops-first-overseas-naval-base-djibouti" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Xinhua said</a>. "The base will also be conducive to overseas tasks including military cooperation, joint exercises, evacuating and protecting overseas Chinese and emergency rescue, as well as jointly maintaining security of international strategic seaways."Djibouti, home to about 800,000 people, also has French and Japanese troops, is strategically located in the Horn of Africa, sitting on the Bab el-Mandeb Strait, a gateway to Egypt's Suez Canal and one of the world's busiest shipping corridors.And the new Chinese base is just a few miles from Camp Lemonnier, a major US special-operations outpost.Google MapsCamp Lemonnier, a US military base in Djibouti, is strategically located between the Horn of Africa and the Arabian Peninsula."We've never had a base of, let's just say a peer competitor, as close as this one happens to be," US Africom Command chief Marine Gen. Thomas Waldhauser <a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/chinese-base-in-djibouti-near-camp-lemmonnier-africa-us-concern-2017-3" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">said in March</a>."Yes, there are some very significant operational security concerns, and I think that our base there is significant to US because it's not only AFRICOM that utilizes" it, Waldhauser said at the time. US Central Command, which operates in the Middle East, Joint Special Operations Command, and European Command are active there as well.A Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman <a href="https://www.yahoo.com/news/china-ships-troops-first-overseas-africa-092502098.html?soc_src=social-sh&amp;soc_trk=tw" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">said Wednesday</a> that the Djibouti base was "primarily used for the better fulfillment of international obligations," and that, "China's defence policy is defensive in nature. This has not changed."State-run media outlet the Global Times was less reserved, saying <a href="https://www.yahoo.com/news/china-ships-troops-first-overseas-africa-092502098.html?soc_src=social-sh&amp;soc_trk=tw" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">in an editorial</a> on Wednesday, "It is certainly the PLA's first foreign naval base ... It is not a supply point for commercial use."REUTERS/StringerChina's People's Liberation Army soldiers sail from a military port in Zhanjiang, July 11, 2017.The base in Djibouti is just one project China has undertaken in the East African country. Chinese banks have funded at least 14 infrastructure projects in the country, including a railway connecting Djibouti and Ethiopia, <a href="https://www.yahoo.com/news/china-ships-troops-first-overseas-africa-092502098.html?soc_src=social-sh&amp;soc_trk=tw" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">valued at $14.4 billion</a>. Beijing has made similar investments throughout the continent.US officials, as well as countries in the region, have expressed concern about the capabilities the new base gives Beijing and what it may augur about Chinese ambitions abroad.The US Defense Department said in <a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/pentagon-report-on-china-military-base-expansion-2017-6" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">a June report</a> that the Djibouti base, "along with regular naval vessel visits to foreign ports, both reflects and amplifies China's growing influence, extending the reach of its armed forces.""China most likely will seek to establish additional military bases in countries with which it has a longstanding friendly relationship and similar strategic interests, such as Pakistan, and in which there is a precedent for hosting foreign militaries," the report said.Other countries in South Asia - India in particular - are concerned about Chinese activity in the region and see the Djibouti base as another part of Beijing's "<a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/r-china-launches-charm-offensive-for-first-overseas-naval-base-2016-3" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">string of pearls</a>," which refers to Chinese facilities and alliances among Indian Ocean countries, including Bangladesh, Myanmar, and Sri Lanka.REUTERS/Jim BourgMilitary vehicle parades pass sailors during India's Republic Day parade in New Delhi, January 26, 2015.China is <a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/ap-chinese-ship-opens-new-trade-route-via-pakistani-port-2016-11" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">already heavily involved</a> in the Pakistan port of Gwadar and is building a network of roads and power plants under a project known as China-Pakistan Economic Corridor. Civilian ports that Beijing has helped build in places like Pakistan and Sri Lanka <a href="https://www.yahoo.com/news/china-ships-troops-first-overseas-africa-092502098.html?soc_src=social-sh&amp;soc_trk=tw" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">can also receive naval vessels</a>, fueling suspicions that China aims to deepen its strategic capacities in the region.India sees the Djibouti base as <a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/pentagon-report-on-china-military-base-expansion-2017-6" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">a potential hub</a> for Chinese surveillance operations and has objected to China's planned shipping network with Pakistan, saying it cuts through disputed parts of Kashmir.Analysts have also said <a href="http://www.defensenews.com/articles/us-india-and-japan-launch-naval-exercises" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">New Delhi is worried</a> by Chinese submarines, warships, and tankers present in the Indian Ocean. India has tracked Chinese submarines entering the Indian Ocean since 2013, and a 2015 US Defense Department report <a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/chinese-base-in-djibouti-near-camp-lemmonnier-africa-us-concern-2017-3" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">also confirmed</a> that Chinese attack and missile submarines were operating in the Indian Ocean."The pretext is anti-piracy patrols in the Gulf of Aden," a Indian defense source <a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/pentagon-report-on-china-military-base-expansion-2017-6" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">told The Times of India</a> in May. "But what role can submarines play against pirates and their dhows?""If I were Indian I would be very worried about what China is up to in Djibouti," a Western diplomat briefed on Chinese plans <a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/pentagon-report-on-china-military-base-expansion-2017-6" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">said</a> in March 2016.ReutersChinese submarines and warships during an international fleet review to celebrate the 60th anniversary of the founding of the People's Liberation Army Navy, in Qingdao, April 23, 2009.Other countries in the region have looked for ways to balance against what is seen as China's growing influence. Australia and India, along with countries like Vietnam and Japan, have <a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/unsure-of-the-future-of-us-leadership-asian-countries-consider-alliances-to-counter-china-2017-6" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">considered informal alliances</a> to bolster regional security in light of <a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/afp-china-concerns-spark-australia-spy-law-review-2017-6" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">growing Chinese influence</a> and doubts about US commitment under President Donald Trump.This week, the Indian, Japanese, and US navies started the Malabar 2017 exercise in the Bay of Bengal. The exercise, which this year features three aircraft carriers, is <a href="http://www.defensenews.com/articles/us-india-and-japan-launch-naval-exercises" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">seen by some</a> as a effort to check Chinese activity in the region.China has <a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/pentagon-report-on-china-military-base-expansion-2017-6" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">criticized</a> such military balancing and has dismissed suggestions that it plans to expand its footprint abroad. After the US Defense Department report issued in June, Beijing <a href="https://www.yahoo.com/news/china-ships-troops-first-overseas-africa-092502098.html?soc_src=social-sh&amp;soc_trk=tw" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">said</a> it did "not seek a sphere of influence." <h3>NOW WATCH: <a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/china-unveiled-first-homemade-aircraft-carrier-uss-military-army-navy-naval-video-2017-4">China just unveiled its first homemade aircraft carrier</a></h3> Please enable Javascript to watch this video

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