IAFI's Bharat Bhatia appointed as vice chairman of APG-27
Bharat Bhatia
, the president of the
ITU-APT Foundation of India
(
IAFI
), has been appointed as the vice chairman and chair of the editorial committee of the
Asia-Pacific Telecommunity
's Conference Preparatory Group for the World Radiocommunication Conference-2027 (WRC-27).
Bhatia's nomination, proposed by the Chairman of APG27, was endorsed unanimously by the heads of delegation of 30 Asian countries, the IAFI said in a statement, adding that the appointment was announced during the plenary conference on July 28, 2025.
The 2nd Meeting of APG‑27 (APG27‑2), held from July 28 to August 1, marks a pivotal moment in the expansion of India's role in international
spectrum policy
.
Established at the inaugural APG‑27 meeting in Shanghai in June last year, APG‑27 serves as the Asia‑Pacific's coordinating body to develop regional consensus and common proposals on all spectrum regulations that will be considered at WRC‑27, in particular, spectrum for 6G and Direct-to-Device (D2D) satellite services, among other 25 agenda items.
'Being entrusted with the Chair of the Editorial Committee at APG‑27 is both a deep honour and a reflection of India's serious commitment to global spectrum governance. This recognition underscores the technical rigor and spirit of collaboration that IAFI brings to every international telecom forum,' Bhatia said.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Mint
2 hours ago
- Mint
India dismisses Fake News claiming govt reviewing list of US goods exempted from tariffs
The Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) fact-checking handle on Sunday dismissed a fake news which claimed that the Indian government is currently reviewing a list of US-made products exempted from the tariffs after US President Donald Trump announced 25 per cent tariffs plus a penalty on domestic exports to America from August 1. An X handle named 'China in English' claimed 'The Indian government begins reviewing the list of U.S. products exempted from tariffs… and declares: No privilege without mutual respect' However, MEA FactCheck, the official social media handle of the fact-checking arm of the Ministry of External Affairs on the social media platform X, said, "This is FAKE News!.' MEA FactCheck on Sunday, 3 August 2025, refuted the post on U.S. products exempted from tariffs on the social media platform X. The fact-checking account also debunked another 'fake news' report floating around social media in order to prevent the spread of further disinformation amongst the people through the platforms. MEA FactCheck also refuted the claim that the government is 'considering suspending or reviewing certain bilateral agreements with the United States if hostile economic policies continue.' 'Fake News Alert! This is FAKE News. No such statement made,' according to the post from MEA on Sunday, highlighting that no such statement was made by the Indian government. Last week, US President Donald Trump imposed 25% tariff on all imports from India along with some additional undisclosed penalties. Trump cited the Asian nation's high tariff rates and its relationship with Russia as being the 'vast majority' buyer of military equipment and crude oil. Later, Trump called out both India and Russia as 'dead economies' amid the ongoing trade talks with India. In a suo motu statement in both the houses of Parliament, Commerce and Industry Minister Piyush Goyal said said, the government is examining the implications of these tariffs and is engaged with all stakeholders including exporters and industry for taking feedback of their assessment of the situation. "The government attaches the utmost importance to protecting and promoting the welfare of our farmers, workers, entrepreneurs, exporters, MSMEs and all sections of industry. We will take all necessary steps to secure and advance our national interest," he said. The commerce minister also said that in just over a decade, India has rapidly transformed from being one of the fragile five to the fastest growing major economy in the world and it is also widely expected that India will become the third largest economy in a few years.
Time of India
5 hours ago
- Time of India
From Kalyan to world stage: How dhaba owner's daughter Vaishnavi Patil, chases Olympic dream
Vaishnavi Patil made a strong impression with her speed and excellent mat awareness during the selection trials for the upcoming World Wrestling Championships, earning a well-deserved spot in the national team for the women's 65kg category. The prestigious event will take place next month in Zagreb. Despite having just four years of mat wrestling experience and little exposure to major tournaments, Vaishnavi displayed remarkable tactical sense and defensive skills that belied her limited background in the sport. Explore courses from Top Institutes in Please select course: Select a Course Category Management Artificial Intelligence Data Analytics Product Management MBA Design Thinking Data Science Leadership MCA Finance others Healthcare healthcare Project Management Cybersecurity Public Policy Digital Marketing Technology Data Science CXO Degree PGDM Operations Management Others Skills you'll gain: Duration: 9 Months IIM Calcutta CERT-IIMC APSPM India Starts on undefined Get Details Skills you'll gain: Duration: 11 Months IIM Kozhikode CERT-IIMK General Management Programme India Starts on undefined Get Details Skills you'll gain: Duration: 10 Months IIM Kozhikode CERT-IIMK GMPBE India Starts on undefined Get Details For most Indian wrestlers, the transition from junior to senior level involves competing in local events, followed by appearances in Asian tournaments, before graduating to senior-level international competitions and the World Championships. Vaishnavi, however, has accelerated through this path rapidly after starting relatively late. by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like An Phu Tay: Unsold Furniture Liquidation 2024 (Prices May Surprise You) Unsold Furniture | Search Ads Learn More Undo The 22-year-old, whose father owns a dhaba in Kalyan near Mumbai, has swiftly climbed the ranks to become one of the top contenders in the country. "I started mat wrestling around the end of 2020. Before that I was doing only mud wrestling. When I saw Sakshi Malik win that medal in 2016 Rio, I decided what I needed to do, I just wanted to pursue this sport," Vaishnavi told PTI after defeating Muskan 7-2 in the final. Live Events "My father runs a dhaba and my mother is a housewife. My parents are managing everything for me. There weren't many good academies in Maharashtra, so I shifted to Hisar," she added, mentioning her coach Jasbeer at the Sushil Kumar Akhada. Vaishnavi looks up to American wrestling icon Helen Maroulis , who has an Olympic gold, bronze medals from Tokyo and Paris, and seven World Championship medals to her name. "She is an amazing wrestler. I watch her bouts on YouTube. I want to do well for myself and for the country. I am confident of winning a medal at the Worlds and eventually I want to win an Olympic medal." Coach Jasbeer credited her commitment and the decision to limit her visits home as crucial to her recent growth. "She used to stay here for two-three months in Hisar and go back to her native place for two months. I told her parents that she needs to be at the training centre for one year. They agreed and she is a very dedicated wrestler, and the result is there," he told PTI. "She is very disciplined, she works very hard. We have good wrestlers at our centre and practicing with them has also helped her. She is technically sound and her counter-attacks are pretty good." Interestingly, before wrestling, Vaishnavi was a competitive swimmer, having secured two medals at the state level. Her passion for wrestling was sparked when she attended a felicitation event for wrestlers and witnessed the admiration they received. Her father, Dilip Patil, recalled how her childhood dream of becoming a fighter pilot shifted due to a medical limitation. "When she was in class IX, she said she wanted to become a fighter pilot and serve the country. We searched for training centres, but realising that her eyesight number was 9.7, we knew she wouldn't make it. "We put her in swimming and one day she said she wants to change the sport. The centres were far away in Kolaba, Sangli, Satara and we did not want to send her too far. But seeing her passion, we introduced her to Jasbeer sir and sent her to Hisar." Vaishnavi's mother initially accompanied her to Hisar to help her adjust. The family has sacrificed greatly to support her dream. "I run a dhaba near the bus stop in our village and all our earning go into her training. My bank balance is zero. I manage my house with some income from farming but all the dhaba earning is transferred to Vaishnavi. "She showed promise quite early. During her first competition, without much training she won a silver in the junior state competition and then won back-to-back gold. We speak to her only once, on Sunday, as she is not allowed to keep a mobile phone by the coaches at the akhada," said Patil. Living in Haryana meant adapting to a new lifestyle and culture, but Vaishnavi embraced the changes wholeheartedly. "Most people do not eat non-vegetarian food in Haryana. They rely more on milk, curd, all these things. Ghee, almonds, and all dairy products have been added to my diet, though I continue to take non-veg food. I now understand Haryanvi as well," said Vaishnavi with a big smile. [With PTI inputs]
Mint
5 hours ago
- Mint
EM Funds Adjust Bets as ‘Sell the Dollar' Trade Loses Appeal
(Bloomberg) -- The dollar's bounceback in July is convincing some emerging-market investors to bet it will keep rising in coming months. T. Rowe Price Group Inc. says it now favors dollar-denominated emerging market bonds rather than local-currency ones as a tactical trade. Barclays Plc is telling its clients to avoid shorting the greenback versus its Asian peers, while Fidelity International says the higher-for-longer US interest rates make it less attractive to borrow the dollar to fund carry trades. Fund managers and analysts alike are reappraising the 'Sell the Dollar' trade as the greenback's revival sapped some of the optimism toward developing-nation assets. Bets the dollar would continue to fall pushed the MSCI emerging-market equity index to a more than three-year high last month, and a similar gauge of currencies to a sixth monthly gain in June. 'I'm weighted towards' dollar-denominated emerging-market bonds for now, given their attractive coupons, said Leonard Kwan, a fund manager at T. Rowe Price in Hong Kong. There's likely to be a 'consolidative period for the dollar over the next three-to-six months,' which will challenge the returns from local-currency debt, he said. Emerging-market dollar bonds handily outperformed their local-currency counterparts last month, with a Bloomberg gauge of the securities returning 0.9%, while one measuring local-currency debt fell by the same amount. A similar trend was seen in currencies. Bloomberg's dollar spot index climbed 2.7% in July, snapping a six-month losing streak, while MSCI's emerging-markets currency index fell 1.2%. On Friday, the greenback tumbled after soft US jobs data prompted traders to boost bets that the Federal Reserve will cut rates as soon as next month. The dollar gauge still gained 1% for the week, its best since November. 'We remain reluctant to jump into outright' trades betting the dollar will weaken against Asian currencies into the summer, Barclays strategists including Lemon Zhang wrote in July 24 note. 'Instead, we have recommended going long the US dollar against some low yielders in the region with stretched valuations and idiosyncratic risks,' such as the Thai baht and Hong Kong dollar, they said. Barclays also favors what it calls relative-value trades that avoid the dollar altogether — such as betting the Singapore dollar will weaken against its Chinese counterpart, and going short the baht versus the South Korean won. Investors who have been using the dollar as a funding currency for carry trades may also want to seek other options, according to Fidelity. Carry trades involve borrowing in a currency with relatively low interest rates and investing in another offering higher returns. 'Given that US dollar interest rates may remain relatively higher for some time, it may be worth considering alternative funding currencies that offer lower costs while maintaining similar risk profiles,' said Lei Zhu, head of Asian fixed income at Fidelity in Hong Kong. Possibilities include borrowing in the Hong Kong dollar, which has lower short-term fund rates than the greenback, or even the Chinese yuan, she said. Meanwhile, the dollar's revival in July is making it cheaper for Asian funds to hedge their holdings of greenback-denominated assets. The aggregate hedging cost for local-currency funds, as measured by dollar-Asia forward implied yields from eight economies and the equivalent US secured overnight refinancing rate, fell five percentage points last month, the first drop this year, data compiled by Bloomberg show. 'With the dollar strengthening again, unhedged or underhedged entities may view this as an opportunity to reduce their US dollar foreign-exchange exposure and to rebalance their positions,' Fidelity's Zhu said. --With assistance from Matthew Burgess and Malavika Kaur Makol. More stories like this are available on
