logo
PM Modi announces $200 million for modernisation of Angolan armed forces

PM Modi announces $200 million for modernisation of Angolan armed forces

In his media statement, the prime minister said Laurenco's visit to India not only gives a new direction to the bilateral relations but also strengthens the India-Africa partnership
Press Trust of India New Delhi
Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Saturday announced a $200 million defence credit line for Angola and expressed commitment to act firmly and decisively against terrorists and their backers, an assertion that came days after the Pahalgam terror strike.
Modi made the remarks after holding wide-ranging talks with Angolan President Joao Manuel Goncalves Laurenco that focused on ramping up overall bilateral ties, including in areas of digital public infrastructure.
In his media statement, the prime minister said Laurenco's visit to India not only gives a new direction to the bilateral relations but also strengthens the India-Africa partnership.
"I am pleased to announce India's $200 million defence credit line to support modernisation of Angola's defence forces," he said.
The prime minister also said that there was a discussion on repair, overhaul and supply of defence platforms as well.
India will also share its capabilities with Angola in the areas of digital public infrastructure, space technology and capacity building, Modi said. "We have also decided to further strengthen our relations in areas of healthcare, diamond processing, fertiliser and critical minerals." The prime minister also said, "We are committed to taking firm and decisive action against terrorists and those who support them."
Highlighting the importance of ties between India and the African Union, he said, "We are partners in progress, We are pillars of the Global South." Laurenco arrived in Delhi on Thursday on a four-day trip.

Orange background

Try Our AI Features

Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:

Comments

No comments yet...

Related Articles

PayNearby plans to add 500K retailers, hire 300-400 people by March 2026
PayNearby plans to add 500K retailers, hire 300-400 people by March 2026

Business Standard

time26 minutes ago

  • Business Standard

PayNearby plans to add 500K retailers, hire 300-400 people by March 2026

PayNearby has lined up an investment of $50-60 million over the next three years through internal accruals to scale its offerings and deepen its market presence Press Trust of India Mumbai Branchless banking and digital network PayNearby on Thursday said it plans to expand its national footprint by adding 5 lakh retailers over the next two years. The company also plans to hire an additional 300 to 400 team members by March 2026 to support the next phase of growth, PayNearby Founder, MD and CEO, Anand Kumar Bajaj said. The fintech firm employs more than 850 people as of March 31, 2025. "The company is focusing on strengthening platform capabilities, expanding reach, and accelerating UPI-led adoption aimed at onboarding 500 million users across India," Bajaj said. PayNearby plans to further expand its national footprint by adding 5 lakh retailers over the next two years, the official said. "Our growth plan remains centred on expanding our reach and impact across Bharat. In our next phase, we aim to become the third-largest UPI player in the country," Bajaj said. On financial performance, he said the company has recorded 12 consecutive quarters of profitability, underscoring a sustained period of strong performance. In FY25, the company reported an EBITDA of Rs 17 crore, with profit momentum accelerating in the last four quarters, he added. PayNearby has lined up an investment of $50-60 million over the next three years through internal accruals to scale its offerings and deepen its market presence. "We aim to onboard the next 500 million citizens through our distribution-as-a-service (DaaS) model. This will be achieved by deepening our presence in semi-urban and rural markets and scaling our UPI offering to the last mile," he added. PayNearby operates on a B2B2C model and partners with neighbourhood retail stores to enable them with tools to provide digital and financial services to local communities. It claims to have a network of 13 lakh retailers.

India suffered 3 setbacks from US: Cong blames govt's foreign policy
India suffered 3 setbacks from US: Cong blames govt's foreign policy

Business Standard

time26 minutes ago

  • Business Standard

India suffered 3 setbacks from US: Cong blames govt's foreign policy

Jairam Ramesh said the US' recent statements were both a "challenge and a warning" and required serious thinking Press Trust of India New Delhi The Congress on Thursday claimed India has suffered three "huge diplomatic setbacks" from the US which is constantly hyphenating India and Pakistan and that the Modi government's foreign policy has "failed" as it is driven by domestic political considerations. Congress general secretary in-charge communications Jairam Ramesh said the US' recent statements were both a "challenge and a warning" and required serious thinking "when the PM is only interested in playing divisive politics". He also said Prime Minister Narendra Modi should leave aside his "stubbornness" to call an all-party meeting and a special session of Parliament. "Yesterday, Indian foreign policy and diplomacy received three huge, undeniable setbacks. The General of the US Central Command gives a statement that Pakistan is a phenomenal partner in counter-terrorism. What is phenomenal? On May 2, 2011, Osama Bin Laden was found in Abbottabad and you are calling that country a phenomenal partner," Ramesh told PTI. So, the first "setback" is the US general giving a "clean chit" to Pakistan, he said. US Army General Michael Kurilla, Commander of US Central Command (CENTCOM), has said Pakistan is "in an active counterterrorism fight right now and has been a phenomenal partner in the counterterrorism world". The United States has to have a relationship with Pakistan and with India, and noted that it cannot be a "binary switch" where Washington cannot have ties with Islamabad if it has relations with New Delhi, Kurilla said during a testimony before the US House Armed Services Committee on Tuesday. Ramesh further said, "Failed Marshal Asim Munir, who gave such inflammatory, incendiary and provocative statements, talked about the two-nation theory, Hindus and Muslims, and there is a direct relation between his statement and what happened in Pahalgam on April 22. Same Asim Munir gets a special invitation to go to America on US Army Day on June 14, which is incomprehensible." The third setback is that the US state department spokesperson again repeated that it was US President Donald Trump who was responsible for bringing about a de-escalation between India and Pakistan, the Congress leader said. He said again the US has hyphenated India and Pakistan while Prime Minister Modi and External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar are completely silent on it. "He (Modi) meets members of delegations but does not have time for an all-party meeting to meet leaders of political parties. Our democracy is based on political parties not on individuals," Ramesh said. Leaders of opposition parties have written to the PM to call a special session of Parliament but the government has rejected the request and instead announced the monsoon session from July 21. "Is he (PM Modi) going to allow a special debate on our challenges with China and Pakistan, and now our challenge with the US. We thought that we were having an extended honeymoon with the US but it has delivered three huge setbacks to Indian diplomacy yesterday," Ramesh said. This is a "failure" of the government of India, of the PM, of his External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar, of his Defence Minister Rajnath Singh and of his drum beaters, Ramesh said. "I am shocked that these setbacks have come two days after the prime minister has met the delegation of MPs," he told PTI. Ramesh accused the PM of playing politics by picking and choosing individuals. "We are saying call an all-party meeting, an all-party meeting where you don't determine who will be there like you did in picking delegations," the Congress leader said. He alleged that the government's diplomacy is "totally domestic oriented". "Whatever we do abroad -- how does it play domestically? It is for domestic consumption. All observers are saying that these delegations were for domestic consumption," he said. Ramesh claimed that the foreign policy of the Modi government is being dictated by domestic political considerations. Earlier, in a post in Hindi on X, Ramesh asserted that decades of diplomatic progress cannot be allowed to be weakened so easily. "It is reported that Pakistani Army Chief General Asim Munir has been invited to the event organised in Washington DC on the occasion of US Army Day (14 June). This news is a big setback for India from a diplomatic and strategic point of view," Ramesh said. "This is the same person who used provocative and inciting language just before the Pahalgam terror attack - the question arises what is America's intention," the Congress general secretary said. Recently, the head of the US Central Command also stated that Pakistan is a "great partner" of America in the fight against terrorism, Ramesh said. "The Modi government is saying that Operation Sindoor is still going on. In such a situation, the Pakistani army chief's participation as a guest in the US Army Day is definitely a matter of serious concern," he said. Ramesh said the Trump administration is constantly making statements which can only be interpreted to mean that it is "hyphenating" India and Pakistan. "The prime minister is welcoming the delegations that returned after informing the entire world, including the US, about Pakistan's role in supporting terrorism, and at the same time, such news is coming from Washington DC makes India's diplomatic position even more uncomfortable," Ramesh said. "The prime minister should now leave aside his stubbornness and concern for prestige and call an all-party meeting and a special session of Parliament, so that the nation can clearly express its collective will and a concrete roadmap can be presented to the country," he said. The statements from the US come days after an all-party Indian parliamentary delegation visited the country to convey India's strong resolve to combat terrorism emanating from Pakistan in the wake of the April 22 Pahalgam terror attack that claimed 26 lives.

Aid from Centre to Andhra Pradesh unprecedented: Union MoS Bandi
Aid from Centre to Andhra Pradesh unprecedented: Union MoS Bandi

New Indian Express

time35 minutes ago

  • New Indian Express

Aid from Centre to Andhra Pradesh unprecedented: Union MoS Bandi

TIRUPATI: Union Minister of State for Home Affairs Bandi Sanjay Kumar lauded the 'Double Engine Government' for bringing a 'double bonanza' to Andhra Pradesh. He asserted that the Centre is providing unprecedented funds for AP's development, the highest among all States, to help it overcome the financial crisis. Addressing the media in Tirupati on Wednesday, Sanjay hailed Prime Minister Narendra Modi's rule as a 'Golden Age'. He pointed out that India's economy has grown from USD 2 trillion to USD 4 trillion under Modi, moving from 11th to 4th place globally in economic progress. He also emphasised significant strides in infrastructure, with a 500% increase in the road budget, modernisation of 1,300 railway stations, and the increase in the number of airports from 71 to 159. Regarding Andhra Pradesh specifically, Sanjay said AP received over Rs 95,500 crore in tax and non-tax revenue for 2024-25, along with Rs 30,334 crore as special assistance. He noted that this financial aid is 263% higher than during the UPA regime. He highlighted the Centre's commitment to AP's development, including projects worth Rs 2 lakh crore inaugurated by Modi in Visakhapatnam. He also cited the allocation of Rs 11,444 crore for the revival of Visakhapatnam Steel Plant, and the sanction of Rs 12,157 crore for Polavaram project. 'Modi's 11-year rule is a historic journey from darkness to light, from despair to the realisation of hopes, and from corruption to wonderful governance,' he concluded.

DOWNLOAD THE APP

Get Started Now: Download the App

Ready to dive into the world of global news and events? Download our app today from your preferred app store and start exploring.
app-storeplay-store