PM receives reprint of 18th-century Sanskrit grammar from Croatian counterpart
Croatian Prime Minister Plenkovic took to social media to highlight the historical and symbolic importance of the gift given to PM Modi. He noted that Vezdin had written the grammar based on the knowledge he acquired from Kerala Brahmins and local Indian manuscripts. Plenkovic called the reprint "a symbol of the early cultural ties between Croatia and India." He added that Vezdin was among the first European scholars to deeply engage with Indian languages and culture.
advertisement
Welcoming PM Modi to Zagreb, Plenkovic said in another post that the Indian leader's visit came at a crucial geopolitical moment and marked the beginning of a new chapter in the political and economic cooperation of the two countries. He added that India was one of Croatia's key Asian trading partners, with bilateral trade amounting to USD 242 million last year.Trade figures in the first quarter of 2025 had already shown a 10 percent increase, he added, and noted the growing number of Indian tourists visiting Croatia.
Both countries signed agreements aimed at boosting collaboration in agriculture, science and technology, culture, and university partnerships. Plenkovic said Croatia was keen to strengthen ties in sectors such as ICT, pharmaceuticals and maritime transport. He also showcased Croatia's strategic importance as the Mediterranean gateway to Central Europe.The leaders also held detailed discussions on the ongoing situation in the Middle East and broader global security challenges. Emphasising the need for stronger India-EU relations, Plenkovic reiterated the importance of collective efforts on the global stage.
As part of the ceremonial exchange, PM Modi was presented with the book "Croatia & India, Bilateral Navigator for Diplomats and Business", written by Croatian diplomat Dr Sinisa Grgic. The book offers a comparative overview of the two nations and highlights their diplomatic and business engagements. Plenkovic said that the book symbolised the achievements of both countries and expressed hope that it would further inspire cooperation and deepen bilateral ties.In response, PM Modi thanked the Croatian Prime Minister for the warm gesture and hospitality. In a post on X, he expressed gratitude for being shown around the historically and culturally rich city centre of Zagreb. He added that his talks with Plenkovic were highly productive, covering a wide range of sectors to reinforce the India-Croatia bond.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi said that both countries would work closely in areas such as defence and security, pharmaceuticals, agriculture, IT, renewable energy and advanced technologies. He also pointed out future cooperation opportunities in shipbuilding, semiconductors and connectivity.Plenkovic, in his post on X, also extended his condolences to the Indian people and the families affected by the tragic Air India plane crash near Ahmedabad.Must Watch
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
The Hindu
13 minutes ago
- The Hindu
Omar Abdullah seeks centre's intervention in securing release of abducted Indian in Niger
Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Omar Abdullah on Sunday (July 20, 2025) sought the Centre's intervention in seeking the release of a resident of Ramban district, who was allegedly abducted by terrorists in the West African country of Niger a few days ago. Mr. Abdullah's request to External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar comes a day after Rankeet Singh's wife made a fervent appeal for his release. "Chief Minister has expressed concern over the abduction of Ranjeet Singh, a resident of Ramban, in Niger. He urges the Hon'ble EAM @DrSJaishankar and @MEAIndia to urgently intervene to secure Ranjeet's safe and swift return," Abdullah's office posted on X. Chief Minister has expressed concern over the abduction of Ranjeet Singh, a resident of Ramban, in Niger. He urges the Hon'ble EAM @DrSJaishankar and @MEAIndia to urgently intervene to secure Ranjeet's safe and swift return. — Office of Chief Minister, J&K (@CM_JnK) July 20, 2025 Sheela Devi, Rankeet's wife, on Saturday said that her husband works as a senior safety officer at Transrail Lighting Limited, an integrated power transmission and distribution company, in Niger and the family lost contact with him on July 15. According to the Indian embassy, two Indians were killed and one abducted following a terrorist attack in southwest Niger. "In a heinous terror attack on July 15 in Niger's Dosso region, two Indian nationals tragically lost their lives and one was abducted," the embassy said in a social media post on Friday. According to Niger media, unidentified gunmen attacked an army unit guarding a construction site in Dosso, about 130 kilometres from capital Niamey. "We talked on WhatsApp on July 15 and since then, I have not been able to contact him. I called his management and was initially told that there is no network at the work site," Sheela Devi said. She said she learned about her husband's abduction the next day through his friend, even as the management maintained that he had fled deep into the forest following the terror attack. "It has been four days since then. I believe that there is no effort to secure my husband's release from his captors," the mother of three children, said. She alleged that her repeated attempts to reach out to the company were being met with cold response. "I do not know what kind of situation my husband is in. I do not have any idea about the efforts of the local government," Sheela Devi said. She said she has also met Ramban Deputy Commissioner Mohammad Alyas Khan. "The deputy commissioner said he will do everything in his capacity, but I know the main work is that of our external affairs ministry. If they want, my husband will come home safely," she said.
Hans India
13 minutes ago
- Hans India
BJP tears into Rahul Gandhi over Trump's jet remark, calls him 'Pakistani propaganda campaigner'
New Delhi: The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) on Sunday launched a scathing attack on the Leader of Opposition in the Lok Sabha, Rahul Gandhi, for demanding a clarification from the government over US President Donald Trump's ambiguous statement about five jets being shot down during Operation Sindoor. Dubbing him as the "star campaigner" for Pakistan, the BJP accused Rahul Gandhi of undermining the bravery of the Indian armed forces and amplifying the narrative pushed by Pakistani media. The criticism followed Gandhi's reaction to Trump's remarks made during a private dinner on Friday. US President stated that five jets were shot down amid Operation Sindoor, India's military retaliation to the Pahalgam terror attack in April, however, he did not clarify whether the aircraft in question belonged to India or Pakistan. Rahul Gandhi took to X on Saturday to share the video clip of Trump's statement and wrote in Hindi, "Modi ji, what is the truth behind the five jets? The country has a right to know." The BJP condemned the Congress leader's post, stating that while opposing Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Rahul Gandhi ends up questioning the integrity of the country and its armed forces. The party accused him of consistently demoralising the armed forces with such remarks. Speaking to IANS, BJP MP Praveen Khandelwal said, "This is not the first time. It has been the history of Congress and opposition parties to question the bravery and valour of our armed forces. They should remember that this is PM Modi's India, and he knows how to make decisions and execute them. Hence, if someone thinks that India will be dominated, it is wrong." BJP National General Secretary Tarun Chugh also hit out at Gandhi, saying, "Under the leadership of Rahul Gandhi and Mallikarjun Kharge, the Congress and the INDIA bloc have become star campaigners for the Pakistani army and Pakistani media propaganda. The only aim of the Opposition is to spread misinformation. This is unfortunate." Chugh added that by opposing the government's diplomatic and military moves, the Opposition was beginning to sound like "the tukde-tukde gang" and had started opposing the country itself. JD(U) MP Sanjay Kumar Jha echoed the sentiment and said that Gandhi's statements repeatedly hurt the morale of the armed forces. "They should be asked whether they are talking about India's interests or against India. Whenever they make such statements, it demoralises the country and the army. What happened internationally? His party leaders also went in that delegation and presented their side, and the Indian Army held a press conference to explain everything. How did the Indian Army respond?" Jha asked. He went on to say, "While opposing PM Modi, he goes on to oppose the nation. He doesn't know when to speak on what. Even the nation has started to dismiss his statements. That is why Congress party repeatedly gets defeated in every election." Speaking to IANS, BJP MP Sanjay Jaiswal also criticised Gandhi, saying, "He did the same after Pulwama and the surgical strikes. He doesn't care for India. When the Galwan Valley clashes happened, he was busy dining with the Chinese ambassador. He also attended the wedding party of the son of George Soros, whose only goal is to destroy the democracy of India. One cannot expect patriotism from Rahul Gandhi."
Time of India
13 minutes ago
- Time of India
More women, more profit: So why is corporate India still male at the top?
Barsha Nag Bhowmick has an opinion on anything and everything. A scribe for more than two decades, she writes on various topics including art, literature, relationships, lifestyle and anything that arouses her interest from time to time. When not into writing, she paints. Follow @barshanag on Twitter LESS ... MORE If numbers are the most convincing argument in a boardroom, then Indian companies have no excuse left. A new report by HR advisory firm Marching Sheep shows that businesses with more women in leadership outperform their peers by up to 50% in profit after tax (PAT). But here's the catch: over 63% of organisations still have zero women in key managerial positions. The contradiction is sharp, even predictable. Inclusion works, but remains absent. The Marching Sheep Inclusion Index 2025, based on data from 840 listed companies across 30 sectors, including manufacturing, steel, BFSI, pharma, FMCG, infrastructure and IT, offers one of the most detailed mappings of gender representation across India Inc. It finds that gender-balanced leadership teams report 20–50% higher PAT, depending on the industry. Yet in most sectors, women remain outnumbered and sidelined at the top. In fact, women account for only 22% of the total workforce in corporate India, lower than the 28% female workforce participation reported in the Periodic Urban Labour Force Survey 2023-24. 'We don't just need more women in the room; we need them at the table, influencing decisions and shaping strategy,' says Sonica Aron, Founder & Managing Partner at Marching Sheep. 'True inclusion isn't about counting numbers. It's about redistributing power. And that shift is still painfully absent.' The hourglass effect One of the most striking patterns the report reveals is the growing 'hourglass' trend. Thanks to campus hiring and entry-level recruitment, gender ratios are somewhat healthier at the bottom of the pyramid. Statutory mandates have also ensured token representation on boards. But in the middle, where strategy is shaped, promotions decided, and pipelines built, women vanish. 'The pressures of caregiving, lack of mentorship, and unconscious bias all converge there,' says a senior HR advisor at a global FMCG firm. 'What makes it worse is that no one really owns the pipeline. It's not just an HR issue, it's a leadership one.' Tokenism vs transformation Diversity, in many companies, is still treated as a compliance checkbox. A woman on the board, a Women's Day panel, or an annual mentorship programme. But new data from Marching Sheep reinforces what global studies have shown for years: inclusion isn't just optics. It directly correlates with business performance. A 2025 McKinsey study places India among the lowest in the G20 for women in senior business roles. It found women hold only 24% of managerial roles, 17% of C‑suite positions, and 20% of board seats in India. The reasons are well known: broken leadership pipelines, structural bias, motherhood penalties, and the persistent stereotype of what a leader 'should' look like. 'The business case is closed,' says Aron. 'The call to action is urgent.' What needs to change To its credit, the Marching Sheep report goes beyond diagnosis. It offers a sector-wise roadmap, from equitable hiring to mid-career support, inclusive succession planning, and targeted leadership development. Inclusion, it argues, must go beyond visibility. It must translate into influence, authority, and accountability. It also urges women professionals to hold their workplaces to higher standards, not just for being present, but for being heard and taken seriously where it matters most. Says Kanishka Mallick, Vice President–HR, Clix Capital, 'Women aren't underrepresented due to lack of talent. They now make up almost half of all graduates in India. But once they enter the workforce, things start to shift. Cultural expectations, outdated systems, and quiet biases still get in the way of real progress.' Adds Mallick, 'Low recruitment, high attrition, and limited promotions stem from deep-rooted expectations around caregiving and old-school leadership mindsets. It has taken generations to hold women back. Change is slow, but I believe it's happening. I've seen women around me rise through challenges. My wife, for instance… she works full-time and still takes care of the home. It's not easy, but she does it. Equal credit goes to women who run households, they are the backbone of many lives.' If it works, why resist it? Corporate India finds itself at a crucial crossroads. The evidence is in. The numbers are clear. The payoff is real. A senior corporate leader, speaking on condition of anonymity, observes, 'At every level, I find women more focused and accountable. If you assign a task to a woman, she owns it. You rarely need to follow up. With their male counterparts, there are often a thousand excuses and a thousand coffee breaks.' She then adds with a smile, 'Of course, I don't mean all men lack accountability, but the difference in consistency is hard to miss.' The numbers say it all: more women at the top means better results. So why does it still feel like we are moving in circles? How much more proof do we need? Maybe the real question is: why do we need a report at all to value inclusion? Facebook Twitter Linkedin Email Disclaimer Views expressed above are the author's own.
