'India Was, Is, And Will Remain A Maritime Nation': Naval Chief Inspires Future Leaders At IIM Rohtak
Admiral Dinesh K Tripathi, Chief of the Naval Staff, in his address to the students of IIM Rohtak, emphasised India's deep-rooted maritime identity, tracing its origins to the ancient Harappan port city of Lothal, over 6,000 years ago. Declaring that 'India was, is, and will always remain a maritime nation,' he underscored the strategic significance of the seas in India's past, present, and future. With 95% of the nation's trade by volume traversing maritime routes and 99% of global internet data flowing through undersea cables, he stressed that India's journey toward becoming 'Viksit Bharat' by 2047 will be powered significantly by maritime strength. Highlighting the Indian Navy's critical role in protecting these lifelines, he cited recent operations that saved over 400 lives and secured cargo worth more than USD 5.3 billion amidst crises in West Asia. He also noted the Navy's role as a first responder during the 2025 Myanmar earthquake, reinforcing its position as a humanitarian force in the region. Transitioning to the second part of his address, Admiral Tripathi shared five key leadership lessons from his four-decade career: first, the importance of reading, writing, and reflecting as a means to develop clarity, judgment, and deeper understanding; second, the value of teamwork, stressing that collective success depends on mutual trust and collaboration; third, the essence of leadership, which he defined as empowering others, communicating effectively, taking risks, delegating wisely, and always thinking ahead; fourth, the necessity of sound decision-making, particularly under pressure—a skill critical in both naval command and business leadership; and fifth, the need for resilience, urging students to never give up, as adversity is inevitable but surmountable with self-belief and perseverance. In closing, Admiral Tripathi advised students to take their duties seriously while remaining humble and grounded, reminding them that humility, gratitude, and compassion are vital attributes of lasting leadership. Concluding with a powerful quote from Dr. A.P.J. Abdul Kalam, he urged students to 'dream, dare, and deliver,' inspiring them to pursue excellence and contribute meaningfully to India's future. His address was received with great enthusiasm and appreciation from both students and faculty.
Justice Jain, Judge at the High Court of Punjab and Haryana, delivered an inspiring address that urged students to look beyond the boundaries of textbooks and rote learning. He shared his '4R' mantra: Read, Research, Reflect, and Revisit, encouraging students to go beyond superficial learning and truly engage with knowledge by revisiting concepts, participating in discussions, and applying their understanding in real-world contexts. Justice Jain reminded students that true resilience lies not in never falling, but in rising stronger each time.
Professor Dheeraj Sharma, Director, IIM Rohtak, set the context by outlining the Institute's vision for management education rooted in purpose, discipline, and national service. He elaborated on IIM Rohtak's pedagogy of case-based teaching, the rural engagement programme, a strong industry interface, and a focus on yoga and holistic well-being. He emphasized the importance of self-discipline, critical thinking, and responsibility as non-negotiable traits of effective leadership. Drawing from his observations on human behaviour, he reflected on the need for consistency in conduct and urged students to continuously question, learn, and evolve in their leadership journey. He stated that the youth of the nation is most important for India's VIKSIT BHARAT mission.
Building on these reflections around leadership and responsibility, Lt. Gen. Balbir Singh Sandhu, AVSM, VSM (Retd.), brought a new perspective grounded in the realities of military service. He delivered an insightful address highlighting the enduring values that shape exemplary leaders. Emphasizing that qualities like courage, discipline, and perseverance are not merely desirable traits but foundational pillars of leadership, he shared how these principles guide action in the face of uncertainty.
Panel discussions on 'Expected Competencies of Management Graduates in Today's Business Landscape' and 'Leadership in the Age of AI' featured insights from seven distinguished leaders representing renowned companies across diverse sectors. As part of its continued efforts to promote intellectual engagement and policy-oriented research, the Institute organized an Essay Writing Competition 2025 for doctoral scholars across the nation on the theme 'Contribution of the Indian Armed Forces: Pillars of National Security and Pride.' Four winners were announced for cash prizes ranging from ₹10,000 to ₹25,000.
Continuing this theme of reflection, Professor Sharma also launched his latest book, Power of Movies, during the ceremony. The book, rooted in the idea that life—much like cinema—unfolds in episodes, invites readers to explore how films reflect the evolving dynamics of society. He encouraged students to observe how cinema goes beyond entertainment to mirror the complexities of the human condition. By engaging critically with films, students can begin to understand the deeper values, emotions, and contradictions that shape individual and collective experiences. Through this launch, Professor Sharma reinforced the importance of thoughtful observation and reflection in developing a more nuanced understanding of the world.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
India.com
15 minutes ago
- India.com
Meet West Bengal's richest person, who has a massive net worth of Rs 631200000000, lives in lavish mansion, his name is…, business is...
Meet Kolkata's richest man, richer than Narayana Murthy, owns luxurious mansion, his net worth is Rs 55732 crore, his business is... New Delhi: The City of Joy, Kolkata, is home to many industries operated by leading public and private sector companies, with major sectors including steel, mining, minerals, cement, and more. But do you know who the richest man in Kolkata is? Meet Benu Gopal Bangur, the man who is at the helm of the multimillion-dollar business empire Shree cement. Benu Gopal Bangur, the former Chairman of Shree Cement, is Kolkata's richest man. According to Forbes, Bangur has a real-time net worth of a massive USD 7.6 billion (approximately Rs 63,120 crore). Cement czar Benu Gopal Bangur gets his wealth from a majority stake in Shree Cement, one of India's most cost-efficient cement producers. The business magnate's humongous wealth is attributed to a majority stake in the cement manufacturing company, with a market capitalization of Rs 87,351 crore (as of August 2023), according to DNA India. According to the company website, Shree Cement is 'one of India's top three (and one of the most cost-efficient) cement producers with an installed cement production capacity of 50.4 MTPA and power generation Capacity of 742 Mega Watts including renewable energy sources.' All you need to know about Benu Gopal Bangur: Benu Gopal Bangur is the richest man in Kolkata Shree Cement was started in 1979 in Jaipur The company used to sells branded cement under the names of Shree Ultra Jung Rodhak, Bangur Cement and Rockstrong. Bangur hails from a storied business clan in Kolkata and got control of Shree Cement in the 1990s after a family split. Today the company is run by his son Hari Mohan, who was appointed chairman in 2022 after Bangur stepped down. His grandson Prashant is vice chairman. In July 2023, the federal Ministry of Corporate Affairs issued an inspection order alleging improper filing of income tax returns by Shree Cement. Education Benu Gopal Bangur holds a B. Com (Hons.) degree from Calcutta University. In October 2022, the 92-year-old businessman stepped down as Chairman of the Board of Shree Cement. His son Hari Mohan Bangur, a chemical engineer and IIT Bombay alum, is currently the Chairman of Shree Cement. Moreover, Benu Gopal's grandson and Hari Mohan's son Prashant Bangur is the Vice Chairman of the company. He holds an MBA in finance and logistics from the Indian School of Business, Hyderabad, and a Mathematics Honours from St. Xavier's College, Kolkata. Benu Gopal Bangur is widowed with two sons.
Time of India
29 minutes ago
- Time of India
Trump dying to announce victory in trade talks; India should not cave in: Swaminathan Aiyar
Live Events You Might Also Like: Analysis shows Trump's tariffs would cost US employers USD 82.3 billion You Might Also Like: Jerome Powell says Fed would have cut rates already, but Trump's tariffs are getting in the way (You can now subscribe to our (You can now subscribe to our ETMarkets WhatsApp channel , Consulting Editor,, argues that India's decision to forgo the Google tax was a flawed strategy, citing examples from Japan and Europe. He believes India should leverage its need for oil and gas to reduce its trade deficit with the USA, a unique position compared to countries like Vietnam.: It is not just Vietnam, he is anxious to come and announce a number of deals before July 9th. In fact, at one point of time, he said, he was going to announce 90 deals, which I very much doubt given the very few days left and the way Japan and the European Union have dug their heels in and said they are not ready. But he is desperately keen to announce a victory. Just like in the Indo-Pak conflict that we had recently. He is dying to announce that I have brought about peace and I want a Nobel he is dying to announce a number of victories. He has done it with Vietnam. He is close to having an interim deal if not a full deal with India. He wants to be able to announce a number of victories on trade by July 9th. Let us see on what terms those are being made. What is clear at this point is that neither Japan nor the European Union says that they are so afraid of the US and are going to give in. They are saying that they are going to continue and have very serious problems with US proposals, we are not going to keel those two biggest trading partners are not going to cave under. And if they continue, then in some sense it is a sign to India and others not to cave in. I have long said that one thing I could not understand is that we gave up the Google tax getting nothing in return, even before all this started. People said it is like putting sugar inside the other guy's mouth so that they will be in a more happy mood. I am sorry that is a stupid strategy as the Japanese have shown, as the Europeans have shown.I really think we should be tough and hold out. Our strength is that because we are short of oil and gas, we can be among the very few countries that are going to shrink their trade deficit with the USA. For most other countries including Vietnam, it is very difficult for the trade deficit to come down. But India can offer that because of our need for oil and gas. Once you put that in, even in the interim, he can claim partial was certainly open to saying there will be zero duty on US goods. The plain and simple fact is that they import very little from the USA. And if that comes in on zero duty, I mean they are perfectly happy to import a little more from the USA. Trump's problem is that the USA is uncompetitive on most items. So, if they say that import duty on cars comes down to zero, how many American companies are going to be competitive compared with the Japanese, the Koreans, and even with the Europeans. Vietnam was willing even earlier to say okay we are willing to do a zero of the big things is Trump says that all the Chinese goods are coming through you and also the Chinese companies are investing in you and they claim that this is a Vietnamese product and it is not because the value added is so little. That is some of the most difficult part. Apple and various other people have investments in Vietnam and if you say that I will put a very high duty on you because you are shipping parts from China, then it would make things very difficult. There is a Chinese company called Jinko Solar which made a huge investment in putting up solar panels and suddenly Americans are saying the value added is not enough and are threatening with a very high tariff. So, let us see how that works Vietnamese recognise that the United States is an important market. They have no problem opening their market and they will do what they can. I would simply say that in the history of all this, cheating always has not allowed Chinese companies to invest in India. So, the problem that the Chinese will be shifted to India is not an issue. What has been brought up as an issue is Apple because Apple is importing components massively from China and in India all that we are doing is assembling. There is no serious manufacturing of components. So, he is saying that India just adds 6% in value and moves it on. Why should I treat this as an Indian product, why should I not treat this as a Chinese product? So, I think that is the difficult area we as I said, India's advantage is that we can import oil and gas from the US and lower the trade deficit. China could also do that if it gives up Russia, but China will not give up Russia. So, I would say, India can massively increase its imports of oil and gas and therefore be in a better negotiating position. Other countries will find it very difficult because I do not think they are in a position to massively increase imports of energy. They will not be able to have a massive increase in exports of almonds, pistachio, and cashew which the USA wants them to do. They all have sensitive agricultural sectors. Nobody wants to open up their agricultural sectors. There is also the problem that America has genetically modified crops in the case of soybean and in the case of maize and in the case of wheat. If we allow this in, then we will not be allowed to export to Europe because Europe won't take genetically modified there is going to be action because Mr Trump wants to announce victories. If he has said, I am going to do 90 deals, imagine how many deals he will attempt to do in the next week, a very large number. And he will want to use the numbers to create an impression of a major victory. Without doubt, he is a stage actor who will attempt to show a very large number of victories. Even where there are partial agreements, as may be the case with India, he will play that up. If with Vietnam, there is zero import duty, he will play that up, even though Vietnam's imports are so small that it will not make a significant difference. He is an excellent actor. He is a performer on TV. He is a performer on the Trump is not going to find it easy to get everybody to agree to his terms, even though he is trying. Above all, he is treating the current account deficit of the United States of America as being a consequence of unfair trading by others. In terms of economics, that is dead wrong. A current account deficit represents a shortage of money to finance your own investment. Therefore, you have to get the money from outside. And the mirror image of that is a current account deficit. So, the plain and simple fact is that the Americans are spending too much compared with their own savings and because of that they run a trade is not going to be put right by these so-called deals. In a year or two from now, of course, you may say that the MAGA crowd, Trump supporters, do not understand why a current account deficit should be equal to a savings investment gap. Right? He may get away with fooling a large number of them. But the fact is it is not going to change. In fact, with this new budget package, the debt is going to increase even more, which means that the trade deficit overall may get bigger and not smaller. Let us see how Mr Trump explains that to his supporters in the next two oil he is keen and ,Modi says absolutely. So, the fact that the two of them agree on such a large area has made the negotiation relatively easy. As far as agriculture is concerned, Mr Trump knows a very large number of agricultural states in the United States. They are with him, they are his backers and they are all saying what is going to happen to us? If you start putting up tariff barriers and there are retaliations, the retaliations will come on agriculture. So, what you are doing is you are cutting our Mr Trump is very keen on showing victories on agriculture to mollify the farm belt in the United States which constitutes a solid backing for him. He is going to push that. Others will push back, as Japan has pushed back so conclusively. In India, the Jagaran Manch is dead against agricultural imports. You saw the impact of the farmers' protest against the reforms that were proposed a couple of years these circumstances, it is very difficult to see India giving way in agriculture. Maybe we can import some more pistachios and cashews. more apples and pineapples. do. On the serious areas of importing more genetically modified corn, maize and wheat, I just do not see India giving way at this stage and that may hold up a final agreement. Finally, we are not close to any kind of deal.
Economic Times
29 minutes ago
- Economic Times
Trump dying to announce victory in trade talks; India should not cave in: Swaminathan Aiyar
Swaminathan Aiyar, Consulting Editor, ET Now, argues that India's decision to forgo the Google tax was a flawed strategy, citing examples from Japan and Europe. He believes India should leverage its need for oil and gas to reduce its trade deficit with the USA, a unique position compared to countries like Vietnam. ADVERTISEMENT Your initial thoughts on this trade deal that the United States has signed with Vietnam? There were some differences with Vietnam. There were differences with Japan as well. The Japanese deal that has not been signed, that has not been announced, but this one coming through with Vietnam. Swaminathan Aiyar: It is not just Vietnam, he is anxious to come and announce a number of deals before July 9th. In fact, at one point of time, he said, he was going to announce 90 deals, which I very much doubt given the very few days left and the way Japan and the European Union have dug their heels in and said they are not ready. But he is desperately keen to announce a victory. Just like in the Indo-Pak conflict that we had recently. He is dying to announce that I have brought about peace and I want a Nobel Prize. So, he is dying to announce a number of victories. He has done it with Vietnam. He is close to having an interim deal if not a full deal with India. He wants to be able to announce a number of victories on trade by July 9th. Let us see on what terms those are being made. What is clear at this point is that neither Japan nor the European Union says that they are so afraid of the US and are going to give in. They are saying that they are going to continue and have very serious problems with US proposals, we are not going to keel under. Analysis shows Trump's tariffs would cost US employers USD 82.3 billion So, those two biggest trading partners are not going to cave under. And if they continue, then in some sense it is a sign to India and others not to cave in. I have long said that one thing I could not understand is that we gave up the Google tax getting nothing in return, even before all this started. People said it is like putting sugar inside the other guy's mouth so that they will be in a more happy mood. I am sorry that is a stupid strategy as the Japanese have shown, as the Europeans have shown. I really think we should be tough and hold out. Our strength is that because we are short of oil and gas, we can be among the very few countries that are going to shrink their trade deficit with the USA. For most other countries including Vietnam, it is very difficult for the trade deficit to come down. But India can offer that because of our need for oil and gas. Once you put that in, even in the interim, he can claim partial victory. It is very interesting that you talk about the fact that countries need to perhaps stand up to Donald Trump's tariff tactics and of course, this strategy of pressurizing countries into bowing down to the United States and agreeing to the terms and conditions that the United States set. But from the messaging that Donald Trump has put out on his social media platform, he says that Vietnam will pay the United States a 20% tariff on all goods and a 40% tariff on trans shipping. Vietnam will be doing something that they have never done before, give the United States of America total access to their markets for trade. In other words, he says that they will open their market to the United States. Does it indicate that Vietnam has caved in? Swaminathan Aiyar: Vietnam was certainly open to saying there will be zero duty on US goods. The plain and simple fact is that they import very little from the USA. And if that comes in on zero duty, I mean they are perfectly happy to import a little more from the USA. Trump's problem is that the USA is uncompetitive on most items. So, if they say that import duty on cars comes down to zero, how many American companies are going to be competitive compared with the Japanese, the Koreans, and even with the Europeans. Vietnam was willing even earlier to say okay we are willing to do a zero tariff. ADVERTISEMENT One of the big things is Trump says that all the Chinese goods are coming through you and also the Chinese companies are investing in you and they claim that this is a Vietnamese product and it is not because the value added is so little. That is some of the most difficult part. Apple and various other people have investments in Vietnam and if you say that I will put a very high duty on you because you are shipping parts from China, then it would make things very difficult. There is a Chinese company called Jinko Solar which made a huge investment in putting up solar panels and suddenly Americans are saying the value added is not enough and are threatening with a very high tariff. So, let us see how that works out. The Vietnamese recognise that the United States is an important market. They have no problem opening their market and they will do what they can. I would simply say that in the history of all this, cheating always succeeds. ADVERTISEMENT In all likelihood, you are suggesting that Vietnam might have opened up its economy to the United States, but the bigger question is since it is in our neighbourhood, what is the likely impact on India because we are competing with countries like China and Vietnam so far as manufacturing is concerned and Vietnam happens to be a big manufacturing for electronics and components and related industries. Swaminathan Aiyar: India has not allowed Chinese companies to invest in India. So, the problem that the Chinese will be shifted to India is not an issue. What has been brought up as an issue is Apple because Apple is importing components massively from China and in India all that we are doing is assembling. There is no serious manufacturing of components. So, he is saying that India just adds 6% in value and moves it on. Why should I treat this as an Indian product, why should I not treat this as a Chinese product? So, I think that is the difficult area we have. But as I said, India's advantage is that we can import oil and gas from the US and lower the trade deficit. China could also do that if it gives up Russia, but China will not give up Russia. So, I would say, India can massively increase its imports of oil and gas and therefore be in a better negotiating position. Other countries will find it very difficult because I do not think they are in a position to massively increase imports of energy. They will not be able to have a massive increase in exports of almonds, pistachio, and cashew which the USA wants them to do. They all have sensitive agricultural sectors. Nobody wants to open up their agricultural sectors. There is also the problem that America has genetically modified crops in the case of soybean and in the case of maize and in the case of wheat. If we allow this in, then we will not be allowed to export to Europe because Europe won't take genetically modified crops. ADVERTISEMENT We were given to understand from sources that when the United States announced these reciprocal tariffs on April the 2nd, Apple actually shipped iPads Max from countries like not just India but also China and Vietnam and Vietnam has more zero duty tariff lines as compared to India. So, the impact of that on the electronics industry in India remains to be seen as to whether there will be any supply chain shifts so far as these two countries are concerned. But coming back to the India-US negotiations, do you think that the deal is imminent and should come in perhaps the next two-three days? Swaminathan Aiyar: No, there is going to be action because Mr Trump wants to announce victories. If he has said, I am going to do 90 deals, imagine how many deals he will attempt to do in the next week, a very large number. And he will want to use the numbers to create an impression of a major victory. Without doubt, he is a stage actor who will attempt to show a very large number of victories. Even where there are partial agreements, as may be the case with India, he will play that up. If with Vietnam, there is zero import duty, he will play that up, even though Vietnam's imports are so small that it will not make a significant difference. He is an excellent actor. He is a performer on TV. He is a performer on the stage. But Trump is not going to find it easy to get everybody to agree to his terms, even though he is trying. Above all, he is treating the current account deficit of the United States of America as being a consequence of unfair trading by others. In terms of economics, that is dead wrong. A current account deficit represents a shortage of money to finance your own investment. Therefore, you have to get the money from outside. And the mirror image of that is a current account deficit. So, the plain and simple fact is that the Americans are spending too much compared with their own savings and because of that they run a trade deficit. It is not going to be put right by these so-called deals. In a year or two from now, of course, you may say that the MAGA crowd, Trump supporters, do not understand why a current account deficit should be equal to a savings investment gap. Right? He may get away with fooling a large number of them. But the fact is it is not going to change. In fact, with this new budget package, the debt is going to increase even more, which means that the trade deficit overall may get bigger and not smaller. Let us see how Mr Trump explains that to his supporters in the next two years. ADVERTISEMENT When it comes to negotiations that the United States is holding with India, some tensions and some challenges are coming in the talks on agri and dairy sectors. The Trump administration is using agriculture as a prop to gain elsewhere because we have seen statements from the Donald Trump administration whether it is related to having more deals with India on defence or procuring more oil from the United States and reducing supplies from Russia. Swaminathan Aiyar: On oil he is keen and ,Modi says absolutely. So, the fact that the two of them agree on such a large area has made the negotiation relatively easy. As far as agriculture is concerned, Mr Trump knows a very large number of agricultural states in the United States. They are with him, they are his backers and they are all saying what is going to happen to us? If you start putting up tariff barriers and there are retaliations, the retaliations will come on agriculture. So, what you are doing is you are cutting our throat. So, Mr Trump is very keen on showing victories on agriculture to mollify the farm belt in the United States which constitutes a solid backing for him. He is going to push that. Others will push back, as Japan has pushed back so conclusively. In India, the Jagaran Manch is dead against agricultural imports. You saw the impact of the farmers' protest against the reforms that were proposed a couple of years ago. In these circumstances, it is very difficult to see India giving way in agriculture. Maybe we can import some more pistachios and cashews. more apples and pineapples. do. On the serious areas of importing more genetically modified corn, maize and wheat, I just do not see India giving way at this stage and that may hold up a final agreement. Finally, we are not close to any kind of deal. (You can now subscribe to our ETMarkets WhatsApp channel)
