India-US relations: News and Discussions IV

[Rudradev]

^^^
Taza Khabar from New Delhi - - India on Tuesday cleared the project for buying 97 LCA Tejas Mark 1A fighter jets for the Indian Air Force

That's great, but what are they going to be propelled with?

[Vayutuvan]

Reeeeeal quick data point.

About 6 hours ago The Atlantic (a liberal Dem-friendly portal) posted a hit piece against Modi & India from a pure Pakistani propaganda perspective. ...
The Atlantic even temporarily (it has brazenly hosted many, many anti-India, anti-Hindu, anti-Modi hit pieces over the years and never taken one down).

How such a storied magazine has degenerated into a liberal dem mouthpiece.

From Wikipdeia

It was founded in 1857 in Boston as The Atlantic Monthly, a literary and cultural magazine that published leading writers' commentary on education, the abolition of slavery, and other major political issues of that time. Its founders included Francis H. Underwood[3][4] and prominent writers Ralph Waldo Emerson, Oliver Wendell Holmes Sr., Henry Wadsworth Longfellow, Harriet Beecher Stowe, and John Greenleaf Whittier.[5][6] James Russell Lowell was its first editor.

Now owned by Laurene Powell Jobs - widow of Steve Jobs.

Looks it is owned by this non-profit funded by Laurene Jobs who participated in the recently concluded Maha Kumbh at Prayagraj.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Emerson_Collective

Emerson Collective is an organization focused on education, immigration reform, the environment, media and journalism, and health. Founded by billionaire philanthropist Laurene Powell Jobs,[2] the collective, which operates under a limited liability company (LLC) model, uses philanthropy, impact investing, advocacy, and community engagement as tools to broadly spur change in the United States and abroad.[2] The organization is considered to be one of the leading groups engaged in philanthrocapitalism.[8] One of its most high-profile acquisitions was its majority interest in The Atlantic magazine in 2017.
...
In 1997, Powell Jobs had co-founded, together with Carlos Watson, the nonprofit organization College Track, a college completion program to combat the achievement gap among students of color.[10][11] When Emerson Collective was established in 2004, grants and investments largely focused on the education sector. When Powell Jobs began learning more about the challenges plaguing immigrant students, particularly those whose undocumented status made it difficult to attend college, Emerson Collective broadened its portfolio to include immigration reform and advocacy.[2]

Powell Jobs and Emerson Collective were strong advocates of the creation of President Barack Obama's Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) program and have continued to push for permanent legislation to provide "Dreamers" with a path to citizenship.[12] In October 2016, she wrote the article "Immigrants Fuel Innovation. Let's Not Waste Their Potential" for WIRED.[13]

[Jay]

Emerson Collective is an organization focused on education, immigration reform, the environment, media and journalism, and health. Founded by billionaire philanthropist Laurene Powell Jobs,[2] the collective, which operates under a limited liability company (LLC) model, uses philanthropy, impact investing, advocacy, and community engagement as tools to broadly spur change in the United States and abroad.[2] The organization is considered to be one of the leading groups engaged in philanthrocapitalism.[8] One of its most high-profile acquisitions was its majority interest in The Atlantic magazine in 2017.
...
In 1997, Powell Jobs had co-founded, together with Carlos Watson, the nonprofit organization College Track, a college completion program to combat the achievement gap among students of color.[10][11] When Emerson Collective was established in 2004, grants and investments largely focused on the education sector. When Powell Jobs began learning more about the challenges plaguing immigrant students, particularly those whose undocumented status made it difficult to attend college, Emerson Collective broadened its portfolio to include immigration reform and advocacy.[2]

Powell Jobs and Emerson Collective were strong advocates of the creation of President Barack Obama's Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) program and have continued to push for permanent legislation to provide "Dreamers" with a path to citizenship.[12] In October 2016, she wrote the article "Immigrants Fuel Innovation. Let's Not Waste Their Potential" for WIRED.[13]

I do not know what's "morally objectionable" anything about this.

[pravula]

^^^
Taza Khabar from New Delhi - - India on Tuesday cleared the project for buying 97 LCA Tejas Mark 1A fighter jets for the Indian Air Force

That's great, but what are they going to be propelled with?

wing and a prayer

[gakakkad]

They have been delivering engines of late it seems . How difficult would it be to reconfigure them to saffran or russky engines ? Is n^3 or any aerospace dude around ?

[Amber G.]

^^^ ^
FWIW: Tejas Mk 1A Production: Engine delays resolved; Nashik rollout July 2025; 12 jets in 2025; 16–24/year after 2025–26; deliveries begin by March 2026
Kaveri Engine Program: Decades-long challenges; revival underway; flight trials (2025–26); KDE flight testing in Russia by late 2025, certification in 2026
Tejas Mk 2 Prototype : >60% built; unveiling late 2025; first flight early 2026; induction by 2028–29; cockpit tech demo showcased..
Discussions are underway for collaboration with international firms like Safran (France) for future engine development—possibly to power Tejas Mk 2 or even AMCA - India’s 5th-gen fighter
- HAL is also employing digital manufacturing and laser-guided precision to fast-track assembly..etc

Some links: (Last few weeks)
Large touch screen, side joystick & less switches: Tejas Mk2 simulator provides first details look of India's 4.5 gen fighter jet


Engines of Independence: Why the heart of India’s fighter jets must beat at home


LCA Tejas on fast track: GE to supply two F404 engines a month; India plans to buy Javelin missiles, Stryker vehicles, says Def Secy ((July 2025 Article)

Also see viewtopic.php?p=2657236#p2657236

[chetak]

Someone should tell bessent that china not only buys russian oil, it also buys sanctioned iranian oil.

But there is precious little he can do about it so he bows and scrapes to the chinese and tries to bully India.

[Amber G.]

Meanwhile about that oil import from Russia ..

Taza Khabar:
Amid US tensions, Indian Oil, BPCL resume buying Russian oil for September as discounts widen

[uddu]

https://x.com/MeghUpdates/status/1957968424245895238
Megh Updates ™
@MeghUpdates
Indian students heading to the US drop 46% after visa policy changes. China down 26%.

With Asia being the world’s biggest education market, US universities now face major financial strain during peak summer intake.

Policy shift or self-sabotage?

[chanakyaa]

Meanwhile about that oil import from Russia ..

Taza Khabar:
Amid US tensions, Indian Oil, BPCL resume buying Russian oil for September as discounts widen

Taking a step back and focusing on the demand from the US for India to reduce Russian oil, wondering who stands to benefit, Cui Bono?? Is the US actually helping China? There are not many countries around the world with the size, scale and wherewithal to deal with the Russian crude in size. If India reduces, it makes Russians more dependent on China, and the Chinese can demand more reduction in price, which increases profits and helps their economy. We are talking $billions here. Who is the US trying to help and hurt (G2 better than G3, G4...)?

[Ambar]

https://x.com/MeghUpdates/status/1957968424245895238
Megh Updates ™
@MeghUpdates
Indian students heading to the US drop 46% after visa policy changes. China down 26%.

With Asia being the world’s biggest education market, US universities now face major financial strain during peak summer intake.

Policy shift or self-sabotage?

It is mostly because of visa rejections and not due to lack of interest. Although i do question the sanity of those who take over Rs 50 lakh+ in education loans with high interest rates to study in US given the current job market, H1b lottery system and the current political climate.

[Amber G.]

Meanwhile about that oil import from Russia ..

Taza Khabar:
Amid US tensions, Indian Oil, BPCL resume buying Russian oil for September as discounts widen

Another taza khabar ..this time reported in Reuter:
Russia expects India to keep buying its oil and seeks China-India-Russia talks

--
Meanwhile:

Addressing a press conference in the national capital, Russian Deputy Chief of Mission Roman Babushkin said the US' pressure on India over the latter's procurement of Russian crude oil was "unjustified" and "unilateral".

"..If Indian goods are facing difficulties entering the US market, the Russian market is welcoming Indian exports....," he said. "The sanctions are hitting those who are imposing them. It is a challenging situation for India but we have trust in our ties. We are confident that India-Russia energy cooperation will continue notwithstanding the external pressure."

"Let's proceed from the fact that Russia is the biggest supplier to India of crude oil. And India's demands are growing year by year. Certainly, this is a perfect case of mutual accommodation and complementarity of our economies. We are quite certain that our cooperation will continue," he added

[g.sarkar]

It is mostly because of visa rejections and not due to lack of interest. Although i do question the sanity of those who take over Rs 50 lakh+ in education loans with high interest rates to study in US given the current job market, H1b lottery system and the current political climate.

I think Indian students want to study in a country that has English spoken and a chance to get PR. This reduces the popularity of Germany and France. Seeing the long waiting time for PR and Citizenship, US can not be that popular anymore.
Gautam

[Rudradev]

Disinfo Lab, an OSINT source with a solid track record, exposes the Paki-Trump crypto deal in substantial detail here:

https://x.com/DisinfoLab/status/1958140 ... 85395?s=19

[g.sarkar]

There is not much going on in Paklands that R&AW does not know. If Trump has a deal India will know.
Gautam

[Vayutuvan]

I do not know what's "morally objectionable" anything about this.

American billionaires are "philanthropists" while Indian capitalists are bloodsuckers. They suck blood of the downtrodden and support a "dictatorial" party which oppresses the common abdul and ayesha.

[Vayutuvan]

They have been delivering engines of late it seems . How difficult would it be to reconfigure them to saffran or russky engines ? Is n^3 or any aerospace dude around ?

Wellneigh impossible, especially at this stage where the assembly is setup and popping out the aircraft at a regular rate. ll jigs, fixtures, overhead gantries, and in general the entire workflow has been mapped out already. All that process has to be redesigned completely.

In medical terms, it is like redesigning your operating theatre for a brand new procedure with a totally new critical instrument instead of the old one.

[Rudradev]

There is not much going on in Paklands that R&AW does not know. If Trump has a deal India will know.
Gautam

Actually, I have a feeling RAW & GOI knew well *before* Op Sindoor. All the WLF - PCCC deals were finalized as of April 26th.

Think about what was hit inside Pakistan and where. If India & US were truly in a state of great bonhomie and trusted strategic partnership in early May 2025, would GOI have allowed certain installations (and assets, and staffers) to be hit by the IAF? Not even by mistake.

[Amber G.]

Sharing a few tweets:

n Moscow, EAM Jaishankar says "India, Russia relationship has been one of the steadiest relationship"
<full remarks>

Some of very well known Trump supporters:

Is Bessent really saying what I’m hearing?? . That Trump will direct the use of other countries’ sovereign wealth funds.? - Asha Motwani

<Problem for India is that Europe, Japan & Korea are swallowing extreme levels of humiliation

Trump's Treasury Secretary says that US will treat their money as its own "sovereign wealth fund" to be used at "discretion of the President"

So they will be colonial subjects ... openly.

Trump is saying that if all others can openly agree to be servants, why not India?

US is not offering alliance, deal, anything ... just pure master-servant relationship

Scuttling 25 years of momentum with the only country, India, that can serve as a counterweight to Chinese dominance in Asia would be a strategic disaster"- Nikki Haley

[Amber G.]

There is not much going on in Paklands that R&AW does not know. If Trump has a deal India will know.
Gautam

Pak terror group goes for digital fundraising to rebuild structures destroyed during Op Sindoor

In what is seen as “digital hawala”, money is being transferred to digital wallets used by Masood Azhar’s family members. Several social media posts have been intercepted as well, urging the need to raise funds with the aim of building new training centres. Use of digital spaces to fund terrorism is not new. In fact, a July report of FATF, quoting the Indian finance ministry, said that online payment services are being used to fund terror attacks.

[Vayutuvan]

Who is the US trying to help and hurt (G2 better than G3, G4...)?

Wowo. Great point. I think both the US and China want a G2. European folded. Russia and the US will kiss and make up (at least in the short term). Brazil is ghar kee murgi. SA doesn;t have the same heft as India. That leaves only India of the BRICS to be dealt with.

[Vayutuvan]

... sanity of those who take over Rs 50 lakh+ in education loans with high interest rates to study in US given the current job market, H1b lottery system and the current political climate.

I think Indian students want to study in a country that has English spoken and a chance to get PR. This reduces the popularity of Germany and France. Seeing the long waiting time for PR and Citizenship, US can not be that popular anymore.

@ambar ji, in addition to @Gautam ji's observation, those who are unable to get H1B in the US will get good offers all over the world including Germany, Australia, NZ, UAE, Saudi (especially for Chem/process engineers), Singapore, even China and South American countries. While they are not as good as the US, they pay well enough to be able to pay off a loan of INR 50 lacs in 2-3 years if the person lives frugally and not take on new debt, i.e. buy a house/flat with mortgage and buy luxury vehicles/EVs instead of the good old Honda Civic/Toyota Camry or equivalent.