Army deploys drones to make rapid advances
Live Events
(You can now subscribe to our
(You can now subscribe to our Economic Times WhatsApp channel
The Army has started placing orders with Indian companies for a range of drones, loitering munitions and counter-drone systems as part of emergency procurements , cleared by the Rajnath Singh-led defence ministry, to boost operational preparedness.While some contracts have been inked to boost counterinsurgency capabilities, a much larger number is expected to be inked in the coming weeks as the ministry has given sweeping powers to the armed forces to quickly identify and purchase cutting-edge systems developed by the industry, besides replenishing ammunition and long-range, standoff weaponry.One of the systems purchased is Nagastra 1R advanced loitering system that can take down infiltrators and target enemy positions at shallow depths on the Line of Control. The Army has placed an order for 450 of the munitions with Solar Industries , valued at ₹158 crore. The cost-effective systems are already in use by the Army and the fresh batch has to be delivered within 12 months.Another order has been placed with ideaForge Secures for hybrid Mini UAVs, which have already been battle-tested and inducted into the Army's inventory for ISR (Intelligence, Surveillance, and Reconnaissance) operations. This is a fixed-wing VTOL (Vertical Take-Off and Landing) platform.The company said it went through a "rare and rigorous validation process" before the selection that included two independent high-power technical committees that verified the integrity and origin of Mini UAV's critical sub-components.The evaluation was carried out as the forces do not want any critical parts of the system to be of Chinese origin.As reported, the armed forces are focusing on long-range weapons , jammers, air defence systems and indigenous solutions for the 'new normal' approach against terrorism.The forces have drawn up a roadmap to award contracts worth thousands of crores, a large chunk of which is set to go to the private sector. Weapons worth ₹44,000 crore are likely to be ordered in the coming days, including ammunition for prolonged conflict. A special focus is on 'long range vectors', weapons that can be used from a standoff distance to strike deep into enemy territory.The forces are also looking to acquire jammers and low-level transportable radars in higher numbers in the coming months as they proved effective in thwarting large-scale drones attacks during Op Sindoor.The armed forces are also likely to go in for a range of air defence capabilities to further strengthen the network that kept the Pakistani missile and drone barrage in check.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Economic Times
39 minutes ago
- Economic Times
Now, there's more room to experience India- uniquely
Representative image New Delhi: Homegrown boutique hotels are holding ground and carving out their own unique spaces, undeterred by escalating competition from multinational and leading Indian hospitality chains. These brands are setting ambitious expansion plans, with distinctive properties and a strong focus on personalised guest experiences. They are also exploring public listings, and partnerships with states to capture a bigger slice of this expanding Hotels & Resorts is looking to open nine properties this fiscal year, a record for the 20-year-old boutique brand, said Ashish Vohra, its cofounder and chief executive. It currently runs 28 properties with over 900 rooms. Justa also operates wellbeing brand Bookmark and Nuo that is targeted at young travellers. "Till the pandemic, we were quiet and not large enough. But we pivoted, and got aggressive in expansion," said Vohra, underlining the company's "consistent profitability."Justa sees new properties across Varanasi, Rishikesh, Puducherry, Ayodhya, Indore, Chail, Jawai, Ujjain and Amritsar. Last year, it added architect IM Kadri's 150-year-old ancestral home in Ahmedabad. In the pipeline is an 80-year-old family home close to Assi Ghat in Varanasi that is being converted into a 14-room said the chain recently signed a memorandum of understanding with the Andhra Pradesh government, and it is looking at more avenues for expansion. "We work on management and revenue share arrangements and are exploring opportunities with state governments for long-term lease partnerships of 30-40 years," he said. "It's a new dimension. You have to have a larger strategy, and plan resources accordingly." Brij Hotels will be expanding to more than 15 properties by December, with new openings in Bandhavgarh and Dalhousie. Over the next two to three years, the plan is to double the portfolio by entering micromarkets in north, central, and south India, said cofounder Udit Kumar. 'We're not trying to standardise; we're trying to personalise, and we are looking to grow meaningfully while preserving our identity,' he said. Kumar said each Brij property is designed to evoke its surroundings—whether a mud-carved cottages at a former hunting lodge in Rajasthan or a 200-year-old Maratha palace in Varanasi. 'We're also deeply focused on curated local experiences—like aarti, forest walks with naturalists, cooking with local grandmothers, or participating in local traditions that aren't on any travel brochure.' Today's travellers are looking for more than just a place to stay, seeking experiences and stories that resonate long after their visit, said Vibhas Prasad, director of Leisure Hotels Group. While Leisure Hotels Group has tie-ups with chains such as Indian Hotels Company (IHCL) for its owned assets, it is also expanding in the boutique space organically through management contracts in locations such as Ranthambore. 'We are on the cusp of opening a boutique resort in Jaipur and are also actively exploring new opportunities across Uttarakhand, Rajasthan and Madhya Pradesh,' Prasad added. Espire Hospitality, which owns Six Senses Fort Barwara, and runs mid-market resort chain Country Inn Hotels and Resorts, launched its boutique experiential brand Zana Luxury Resorts three years ago. "We have four Zana properties in Udaipur, Ranthambore, Rishikesh and Corbett currently and are planning six more Zana properties by the end of 2026 in locations such as Dubai, Nepal, Udaipur, Varanasi and North Goa,' said Akhil Arora, MD and CEo of the chain. 'We may double the number to 12 also considering the interest for the brand,' he said, adding the focus is on offering a distinct 'European look' and extending 'highly personalised service' to guests. Meanwhile, boutique hospitality chain Larisa Hotels & Resorts is aiming to go public, director Randhir Narayan told ET in May. Its brands include Larisa Resorts, AM Hotel Kollection and 8fold by Larisa. The chain also does third-party hotel property management through its AM Hotel Kollection brand. 'The business is profitable, cash flow is there, and every month, we are trying to bring to the market a rebranded or a conversion hotel from our portfolio,' Narayan had said then. 'The plan is to (launch the) IPO and our timeframe is as soon as possible. We are hopeful that sometime this year it should come to fruition.'Competition has been intensifying in the boutique experiential segment after top hotels chains ventured into the space to capture changing consumer preferences since the pandemic. IHCL unveiled the SeleQtions brand, while Radisson rolled out Radisson Individuals, aimed at incorporating smaller independent hotels in its portfolio. ITC Hotels says its Storii brand is a collection of 'handpicked boutique' properties. "IHCL is very active in the boutique segment currently. Boutique brands work in offbeat locations and leisure oriented conventional markets and are characterised by limited inventory and personalised service," said Nandivardhan Jain, founder and chief executive of Noesis Capital March, IHCL said it will launch Claridges Collection, a curated set of boutique luxury hotels, across metros and key leisure destinations in the country with the aim to reach over 20 hotels by 2030. The chain said the Claridges Collection portfolio will commence with The Claridges hotel in New Delhi, expanding to the Connemara, Chennai, and the Blue Diamond property in Pune after the latter undergoes a major renovation.
Economic Times
39 minutes ago
- Economic Times
Students go Jekyll and hide online to pass visa scrutiny
Representative image. New Delhi: About three years ago, Sameer (name changed to protect identity) was attending a college on the East Coast where he was on the editorial team of his student magazine. Yet, his name was conspicuously absent from any articles critical of US government policies. The student deliberately kept a low profile in public. Online, though, he was bolder. As the admin of a spoof Instagram account, Sameer posted memes mocking then-presidential candidate Donald Trump's immigration policies and voiced support for a two-state solution to the Israel-Palestine conflict. Now, in 2025, the same student is preparing to move to the West Coast for his master's degree and is staring down the US State Department's advisory to disclose all social media handles used over the past five years. To ensure a clean slate, he turned to a "digital undertaker" - a professional who sanitises online presence, effectively scrubbing away years of potentially problematic posts. Sameer is not alone. Indian students seeking to study in the US are walking a fine line between digital expression and caution, say experts. Dreams at Risk They are finding ways to game the system—curating public profiles while offloading their real thoughts to 'spam' or pseudonymous accounts, using encrypted apps and niche platforms. 'Students applying for F, M or J visas have been creating alternative social media accounts for some time,' said Manisha Zaveri, joint managing director of Career Mosaic. 'It allows students to maintain a curated, public-facing profile for visa scrutiny while preserving a private space for personal expression.' Zaveri said these dual identities are not new, but the motivations have evolved. What once began as a teenage desire for anonymity now serves a more strategic purpose, say Jain, founder of ForeignAdmits, noted a sharp rise in digital self-monitoring since the Israel-Gaza conflict flared up in 2023.'Some students have deleted their LinkedIn accounts altogether. Others have erased pro-Palestine posts after realising that their study-abroad dreams might be at risk,' he has built AI tools to pre-screen social media profiles for potential red flags, and consultations now routinely include deep dives into students' digital he warns against abrupt deletions. Given the possibility of embassies serving notices to social media platforms to provide additional access to certain suspect profiles on the pretext of national security, he said, 'Visa counsellors have advised students not to delete posts abruptly, warning that sudden changes could also raise red flags.'Students are now in a Catch-22 situation. Jain adds 'Your online persona now carries legal weight. It is not just about filtering out hate speech or extremist views. It is about every casual political opinion, every meme, every reposted reel from your student days.'Vibha Kagzi, founder of advises students to steer clear of certain topics: 'Consular officers will look for posts, comments, or associations that indicate hostility towards the US, connections with banned groups, or hateful commentary.'For Sachin Jain, country manager India and South Asia, ETS India, this digital duality is less a red flag and more a sign of sophistication.'Students are learning to treat online identity as an extension of their application. They are segmenting communication, with one profile for university interactions and another reserved for peer networks,' he shift, he argues, is part of a broadening of digital literacy, where students are segmenting their audiences just as professionals are simply relocating their online personas to alternative platforms that offer anonymity and addition to platforms like Telegram and Discord, nowadays 'students are increasingly using Reddit to express themselves openly as it doesn't reveal their original identity,' said Aditya Shanker Raghuwanshi, founder of Masterclass communication over Snapchat has also become an alternative due to its built-in privacy features and focus on ephemeral content, he added. (Join our ETNRI WhatsApp channel for all the latest updates) Elevate your knowledge and leadership skills at a cost cheaper than your daily tea. The bike taxi dreams of Rapido, Uber, and Ola just got a jolt. But they're winning public favour Second only to L&T, but controversies may weaken this infra powerhouse's growth story Punit Goenka reloads Zee with Bullet and OTT focus. Can he beat mighty rivals? 3 critical hurdles in India's quest for rare earth independence HDB Financial may be cheaper than Bajaj Fin, but what about returns? Why Sebi must give up veto power over market infra institutions These large- and mid-cap stocks can give more than 23% return in 1 year, according to analysts Are short-term headwinds from China an opportunity? 8 auto stocks: Time to be contrarian? Buy, Sell or Hold: Motilal Oswal initiates coverage on Supreme Industries; UBS initiates coverage on PNB Housing
Time of India
43 minutes ago
- Time of India
Now, there's more room to experience India- uniquely
New Delhi: Homegrown boutique hotels are holding ground and carving out their own unique spaces, undeterred by escalating competition from multinational and leading Indian hospitality chains. These brands are setting ambitious expansion plans, with distinctive properties and a strong focus on personalised guest experiences. They are also exploring public listings, and partnerships with states to capture a bigger slice of this expanding market. Justa Hotels & Resorts is looking to open nine properties this fiscal year, a record for the 20-year-old boutique brand, said Ashish Vohra, its cofounder and chief executive. It currently runs 28 properties with over 900 rooms. Justa also operates wellbeing brand Bookmark and Nuo that is targeted at young travellers. "Till the pandemic, we were quiet and not large enough. But we pivoted, and got aggressive in expansion," said Vohra, underlining the company's "consistent profitability." Justa sees new properties across Varanasi, Rishikesh, Puducherry, Ayodhya, Indore, Chail, Jawai, Ujjain and Amritsar. Last year, it added architect IM Kadri's 150-year-old ancestral home in Ahmedabad. In the pipeline is an 80-year-old family home close to Assi Ghat in Varanasi that is being converted into a 14-room hotel. Vohra said the chain recently signed a memorandum of understanding with the Andhra Pradesh government, and it is looking at more avenues for expansion. "We work on management and revenue share arrangements and are exploring opportunities with state governments for long-term lease partnerships of 30-40 years," he said. "It's a new dimension. You have to have a larger strategy, and plan resources accordingly." Live Events Brij Hotels will be expanding to more than 15 properties by December, with new openings in Bandhavgarh and Dalhousie. Over the next two to three years, the plan is to double the portfolio by entering micromarkets in north, central, and south India, said cofounder Udit Kumar. Local Culture Focus 'We're not trying to standardise; we're trying to personalise, and we are looking to grow meaningfully while preserving our identity,' he said. Kumar said each Brij property is designed to evoke its surroundings—whether a mud-carved cottages at a former hunting lodge in Rajasthan or a 200-year-old Maratha palace in Varanasi. 'We're also deeply focused on curated local experiences—like aarti, forest walks with naturalists, cooking with local grandmothers, or participating in local traditions that aren't on any travel brochure.' Today's travellers are looking for more than just a place to stay, seeking experiences and stories that resonate long after their visit, said Vibhas Prasad, director of Leisure Hotels Group . While Leisure Hotels Group has tie-ups with chains such as Indian Hotels Company (IHCL) for its owned assets, it is also expanding in the boutique space organically through management contracts in locations such as Ranthambore. 'We are on the cusp of opening a boutique resort in Jaipur and are also actively exploring new opportunities across Uttarakhand, Rajasthan and Madhya Pradesh,' Prasad added. Espire Hospitality , which owns Six Senses Fort Barwara, and runs mid-market resort chain Country Inn Hotels and Resorts, launched its boutique experiential brand Zana Luxury Resorts three years ago. "We have four Zana properties in Udaipur, Ranthambore, Rishikesh and Corbett currently and are planning six more Zana properties by the end of 2026 in locations such as Dubai, Nepal, Udaipur, Varanasi and North Goa,' said Akhil Arora, MD and CEo of the chain. 'We may double the number to 12 also considering the interest for the brand,' he said, adding the focus is on offering a distinct 'European look' and extending 'highly personalised service' to guests. Listing Ahead Meanwhile, boutique hospitality chain Larisa Hotels & Resorts is aiming to go public, director Randhir Narayan told ET in May. Its brands include Larisa Resorts, AM Hotel Kollection and 8fold by Larisa. The chain also does third-party hotel property management through its AM Hotel Kollection brand. 'The business is profitable, cash flow is there, and every month, we are trying to bring to the market a rebranded or a conversion hotel from our portfolio,' Narayan had said then. 'The plan is to (launch the) IPO and our timeframe is as soon as possible. We are hopeful that sometime this year it should come to fruition.' Competition has been intensifying in the boutique experiential segment after top hotels chains ventured into the space to capture changing consumer preferences since the pandemic. IHCL unveiled the SeleQtions brand, while Radisson rolled out Radisson Individuals, aimed at incorporating smaller independent hotels in its portfolio. ITC Hotels says its Storii brand is a collection of 'handpicked boutique' properties. "IHCL is very active in the boutique segment currently. Boutique brands work in offbeat locations and leisure oriented conventional markets and are characterised by limited inventory and personalised service," said Nandivardhan Jain, founder and chief executive of Noesis Capital Advisors. This March, IHCL said it will launch Claridges Collection, a curated set of boutique luxury hotels, across metros and key leisure destinations in the country with the aim to reach over 20 hotels by 2030. The chain said the Claridges Collection portfolio will commence with The Claridges hotel in New Delhi, expanding to the Connemara, Chennai, and the Blue Diamond property in Pune after the latter undergoes a major renovation.
