Modi - Biden summit -- here's the substance.

[BacktoCricaddict]

Joint statement from GOTUS and GOI

https://www.whitehouse.gov/briefing-room/statements-releases/2023/06/22/joint-statement-from-the-united-states-and-india/

 

The following agreement made me really happy:

22.  President Biden and Prime Minister Modi underscored the important role nuclear energy plays in global decarbonization efforts and affirmed nuclear energy as a necessary resource to meet our nations’ climate, energy transition, and energy security needs.  The leaders noted ongoing negotiations between the Nuclear Power Corporation of India Limited (NPCIL) and Westinghouse Electric Company (WEC) for the construction of six nuclear reactors in India.  They welcomed intensified consultations between the U.S. DOE and India’s DAE for facilitating opportunities for WEC to develop a techno-commercial offer for the Kovvada nuclear project. They also noted the ongoing discussion on developing next generation small modular reactor technologies in a collaborative mode for the domestic market as well as for export. The United States reaffirms its support for India’s membership in the Nuclear Suppliers Group and commits to continue engagement with likeminded partners to advance this goal.

 

[BacktoCricaddict]

I am trying to be very objective in thinking about all this, but somewhere inside, I feel some emotion - mainly scorn - directed at people who think India could benefit from technology collaborations with Vlad's crumbling autocracy.

 

First thing India needs to do after this is to become self-sufficient in fertilizer and find other sources of oil. Squeeze the Ruskies out of the world economy and let them freeze into oblivion.

[sandeep]

1 hour ago, BacktoCricaddict said:

I am trying to be very objective in thinking about all this, but somewhere inside, I feel some emotion - mainly scorn - directed at people who think India could benefit from technology collaborations with Vlad's crumbling autocracy.

 

First thing India needs to do after this is to become self-sufficient in fertilizer and find other sources of oil. Squeeze the Ruskies out of the world economy and let them freeze into oblivion.

 

commodities are going to be increasingly important for India as the country attempts to expand its manufacturing sector.  Its short-sighted and emotional to try and push Ruskies to "oblivion".  Consider the very plausible scenario of a post-Putin Russia, a couple of years down the road.  What then?  India does not need to burn bridges with the 'Ruskies'.  It just needs to be patient.  

 

 

[sandeep]

1 hour ago, BacktoCricaddict said:

he following agreement made me really happy:

Post-Bhopal hangover and inability to finalize liability - this issue has had zero forward progress for over a decade.  No need to get overly happy just yet!

 

But for oldies like us, its a massive change from the 1990s when the US had banned even computers to ISRO, to now, we are going to have a Rakesh Sharma 2.0 going to the ISS courtesy NASA.  

 

Good things can happen.  I just want to see some genuine progress on the manufacturing sector in India.  Its long overdue.

[diga]

13 minutes ago, sandeep said:

 

commodities are going to be increasingly important for India as the country attempts to expand its manufacturing sector.  Its short-sighted and emotional to try and push Ruskies to "oblivion".  Consider the very plausible scenario of a post-Putin Russia, a couple of years down the road.  What then?  India does not need to burn bridges with the 'Ruskies'.  It just needs to be patient.  

China apparently has 50% of rare earth minerals & 90% of refining capacity... required for lasers, spectroscopy, batteries. Adding refining capability results in heavy pollution and Russia with its vast land could be the next candidate. 

[BacktoCricaddict]

1 hour ago, sandeep said:

Its short-sighted and emotional to try and push Ruskies to "oblivion".

Of course it is. But it feels good to think that way ;-).

[coffee_rules]

TIL, India had operating 19 nuclear reactors

 

 

https://twitter.com/stats_feed/status/1674693174206382081?s=46

[BacktoCricaddict]

18 minutes ago, coffee_rules said:

TIL, India had operating 19 nuclear reactors

 

 

https://twitter.com/stats_feed/status/1674693174206382081?s=46

Which is clear evidence that Indian scientists and engineers are top-notch.  All they need is a solid govt backing and resources. Same goes with agricultural and medical R&D.

[someone]

1 hour ago, diga said:

China apparently has 50% of rare earth minerals & 90% of refining capacity... required for lasers, spectroscopy, batteries. Adding refining capability results in heavy pollution and Russia with its vast land could be the next candidate. 

 

There can be abundance of rare metals in India, but our cost of extraction, refining, or even environment costs is very high so far. Till that later is resolved, any mines discovery is just a small part of process.

[sandeep]

2 hours ago, diga said:

China apparently has 50% of rare earth minerals & 90% of refining capacity... required for lasers, spectroscopy, batteries. Adding refining capability results in heavy pollution and Russia with its vast land could be the next candidate. 

That 'rare earth' thing is overhyped - the refining and processing requirements generate a lot of environmental toxicity and yes China has a lot of it because they have colonial land-holdings in East Turkestan, Tibet and inner Mongolia that they are free to pollute beyond normal tolerance.  

 

But even the 'non-rare' minerals is a race - and the CP has deployed its capital very smartly over the last 15 years in terms of resource acquisition in latin america and africa. 

 

India, if it keeps up its growth rates and economic trajectory, will hopefully get to a point in 5-10 years where we can start doing the same.  But that's further down the road, the more immediate urgent need is to get SEZ and manufacturing going.  Desi businessmen are all too content just to import the cheapest possible stuff from China and re-sell/re-assemble.  This needs to start changing, and yesterday.

[sandeep]

1 hour ago, BacktoCricaddict said:

Of course it is. But it feels good to think that way ;-).

tsk, tsk.

 

So unscientific of you to resort to such emotional thinking ;P

[sandeep]

1 hour ago, coffee_rules said:

TIL, India had operating 19 nuclear reactors

 

 

https://twitter.com/stats_feed/status/1674693174206382081?s=46

this stat may or may not be correct, but that handle has been called out for multiple mistakes....