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Time of India
11 minutes ago
- Time of India
India may need up to $13.4 trillion for urban climate resilience by 2070: Report
New Delhi: As India's cities expand rapidly, building climate-resilient infrastructure will come at a massive cost. A new report by World Resources Institute (WRI) India and GIZ estimates that India may need as much as $13.4 trillion by 2070 to prepare its urban areas for climate risks, including floods, heatwaves, and other extreme weather events. Based on a moderate urbanisation projection of 54 per cent by 2050 and 66 per cent by 2070, the total investment needed would be $2.9 trillion by 2050 and $13.4 trillion by 2070. Even under a conservative urbanisation scenario—where 43 per cent of the population is urban by 2050 and 52 per cent by 2070—the estimated funding requirement is $2.4 trillion and $10.9 trillion, respectively. The report titled 'Mainstreaming Urban Climate Resilience: A Policy and Institutional Framework for India' underlines that more than 80 per cent of the infrastructure that will exist in Indian cities by 2050 is yet to be built, and unless resilience is embedded in future construction, India could face massive financial, social, and environmental losses. By 2030, India's urban population is projected to reach 600 million, accounting for 40 per cent of the national population. These urban centres will be responsible for more than 70 per cent of India's GDP, consume 75 per cent of natural resources, and emit 80 per cent of the country's greenhouse gases, the report notes. 'Integrating climate resilience in urban infrastructure is a necessity. Without it, the cascading impacts of urban floods, heatwaves and other climate-induced events could have serious consequences for energy, water, housing and transport systems,' said Madhav Pai, CEO of WRI India. The report identifies key institutional, governance, and financing gaps and proposes a roadmap for integrating resilience into urban development. It recommends the formation of dedicated climate resilience cells at city and state levels, integrating resilience into financial planning and public budgets, and strengthening risk-informed planning through data and digital platforms. The study also calls for streamlining roles among central, state, and local agencies, aligning existing urban missions such as Smart Cities Mission, AMRUT, and National Mission on Sustainable Habitat with climate resilience goals, and attracting long-term investments through appropriate policy reforms. The report supports India's commitments under the Paris Agreement and the Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs), and aligns with national programmes such as the Smart Cities Mission, AMRUT, and the National Mission on Sustainable Habitat. It also calls for streamlining responsibilities among central, state and local agencies and creating enabling conditions to attract long-term infrastructure investments aligned with climate resilience goals.
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Business Standard
11 minutes ago
- Business Standard
Student-built radar-evading drones from BITS Pilani enter Army service
Two second-year engineering students from BITS Pilani's Hyderabad campus have designed and delivered radar-evading kamikaze drones to the Indian Army, according to a report by The Times of India. Their drones are now deployed across multiple operational zones, marking a rare instance of undergraduate-led defence innovation entering active military service. Jayant Khatri, a mechanical engineering student from Ajmer, and Sourya Choudhury, an electrical engineering student from Kolkata, co-founded their start-up Apollyon Dynamics just two months ago. The firm focuses on designing custom unmanned aerial systems (UAS) tailored for India's defence and surveillance needs. Deployed across four states The Indian Army has begun using these indigenously developed drones in units stationed at Jammu, Chandimandir (Haryana), Panagarh (West Bengal), and Arunachal Pradesh. Built using commercially available components, the drones were customised for varied Indian terrain and climatic conditions. The students initially reached out to Army officers via LinkedIn, eventually securing live demonstration opportunities. Khatri said he started sending cold emails to Army contacts until a colonel responded and invited them for a demonstration in Chandigarh. The students showcased bomb-dropping and high-speed racing drones, which led to more trials and subsequent procurement orders. These events marked the formal launch of Apollyon Dynamics. 300-kmph radar-evading kamikaze drone According to the report, the flagship drone from the start-up is a radar-evading kamikaze UAV capable of reaching speeds over 300 kmph—around five times faster than commercial drones—and delivering payloads of up to 1 kg with high accuracy. In addition to the hardware, the company also offers training programmes to help military personnel with no prior experience become capable drone operators quickly. Choudhury said the drones were not just fast but also undetectable by radar. The duo's collaboration began in a defence-tech club on campus, fuelled by a shared interest in robotics. With orders coming in, they quickly scaled up operations, bringing in six more students from BITS Pilani. Next-gen drone development underway The start-up is now developing next-generation vertical take-off and landing (VTOL) and fixed-wing drone platforms. Their goal is to expand India's indigenous drone capabilities while continuing to deliver agile, cost-effective, and combat-ready UAV systems to the armed forces.
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Business Standard
11 minutes ago
- Business Standard
Explained: What the India-UK free trade deal means for both economies
Prime Minister Narendra Modi 's two-day visit to the United Kingdom on July 23-24 will mark a milestone in India-UK ties, with the Free Trade Agreement (FTA) likely to be signed during his stop in London on July 24. This would be PM Modi's fourth visit to the UK as Prime Minister and the first under the new British leadership of Prime Minister Keir Starmer. PM Modi would also call on King Charles, and will be accompanied by Commerce and Industry Minister Piyush Goyal for the formal signing of the agreement. Following this, Modi will visit the Maldives on July 25–26, becoming the first foreign leader to do so under President Mohamed Muizzu's administration. What is the India-UK Free Trade Agreement? The FTA aims to boost bilateral trade, eliminate or reduce tariffs on goods and services, and facilitate investment and collaboration between the two nations. The pact has been three years in the making, with negotiations beginning in 2022 and officially concluding on May 6. According to Britain, the deal is its 'biggest and most economically significant' bilateral agreement since exiting the European Union. Bilateral trade between India and the UK stood at £42.6 billion in 2024, and the agreement is expected to increase this by £25.5 billion annually by 2040. Which sectors will benefit the most? The agreement is expected to boost labour-intensive Indian exports such as: -Leather -Apparel and footwear -Toys -Marine products -Gems and jewellery India, in return, will reduce tariffs on a range of British goods, including: -Whisky and gin: Tariffs will fall from 150 per cent to 75 per cent immediately, and to 40 per cent by the 10th year -Automobiles: Duties will be lowered from over 100 per cent to 10 per cent, under a quota regime -Medical devices, cosmetics, soft drinks, chocolates and biscuits -Machinery and aerospace equipment British textile tariffs will also be removed, supporting India's large apparel industry, which employs millions. What does the FTA mean for India? The deal will give Indian exporters zero-duty access for 99 per cent of their products into the UK market. It is significant for sectors like engineering goods, auto components, electric vehicles, and sports goods. The agreement includes a double contribution convention, which will exempt Indian professionals and companies from social security contributions in the UK for three years — a move described by the Indian government as a 'huge win'. The FTA also opens up opportunities for Indian businesses under Britain's public procurement market, including in healthcare, transport, and energy sectors. Additionally, British firms investing in India could receive preferential treatment under the 'Make in India' policy. India-UK trade deal: What are the exclusions? India has excluded some agricultural goods from the agreement. This includes products like apples, dairy, and cheese, to protect local farmers and producers. The deal also comes with phased timelines. While whisky duties will drop in stages, automotive tariff reductions will happen under a managed quota regime over time. Why was the UK-India FTA deal stalled for so long? The most prominent reason for the stalling of the UK-India Free Trade Agreement (FTA) negotiations was that both countries entered their general election cycles around the same time. This led to the 14th round of talks being paused as political focus in both countries shifted towards campaigns. The proposed FTA is highly comprehensive, including 26 chapters that include goods, services, investment, and intellectual property rights. This prolonged the time required for consensus and finalising the draft. Both countries are also negotiating a separate Bilateral Investment Treaty (BIT), which may have further delayed the process. What happens after the deal is signed? If signed on July 24, the FTA will need to be ratified by the British Parliament and approved by India's Union Cabinet. The implementation is expected to take up to a year from the date of signing. Both sides are betting on this deal to double bilateral trade to $120 billion by 2030. With India's import demand projected to rise significantly and its middle class expected to reach 60 million by 2030, the agreement could reshape the economic relationship between the two nations.
