Marco Rubio India Tour To Boost Strategic Ties & more | DD India News Hour | 2 PM IST

Added: 2026-05-24

[00:00:01][music] [music] >> Now is this reflection of the changing behavior in the customers that they are building more trust in India Post and in comparison to the traditional banks that are already there. But this year we were able to increase 2,100 crore that is 10x of compared to average revenue. Putting appropriate tickets, ensuring accountability and then [music] bringing visibility, transparency in by by adding a lot of technology [music] and then also energizing the our total employer employees. And Prime Minister has always envisioned last mile delivery. [music] How do you think that central is communication infrastructure to build the mission of Viksit Bharat in 2047? 4G reaching out to every village through mobile connectivity. The other thing is providing high-speed fiber optic cable to almost every gram panchayat [music] which is BharatNet. Now that is the Modiji's vision to connect every village whether it is you know tribal village, whatever how far away forest or all those areas. We're able to install right now around 25,000 towers that is that are covering 35,000 villages.

[00:01:36]This is live from New Delhi. You're watching DD India News Hour. DD India, India's voice to the world. I'm Sakal Bhatt and coming up in the next hour.

[00:01:47]US Secretary of State Marco Rubio to meet a Prime Minister of India Narendra Modi in New Delhi in a short while from now. Rubio to participate in Quad Foreign ministers in national capital.

[00:02:01]President Putin pledges retaliation after accusing Ukraine of drone attack on student dormitory. At least six killed and several others wounded reportedly.

[00:02:13]Iran says peace negotiations with United States remain inconclusive while Washington claims recent diplomatic negotiations showed slight progress amid continued tensions.

[00:02:30]And in northern China, at least 90 killed in coal mine explosion probe ordered in a deadliest mining disaster in a decade.

[00:02:43]Ebola continues to remain a big public health emergency of international concern. World Health Organization upgrades Ebola risk from high to very high in Congo.

[00:03:19]Top story at the fire. US Secretary of State Marco Rubio began a diplomatic visit to India focusing on strengthening bilateral and regional cooperation. The top US diplomat arrived in New Delhi on a four-day diplomatic tour to hold key key meetings aimed at boosting India-US ties.

[00:03:37]Earlier, he visited Kolkata where he paid a visit to the headquarters of the late Mother Teresa's Missionaries of Charity during his visit or perhaps which is being seen as a first trip to India since taking over the office.

[00:03:52]The top US is scheduled to hold wide-ranging talks with the Prime Minister Narendra Modi in New Delhi later in the day. Ways to bolster India-US ties in energy, trade, investment, critical technology, and people-to-people ties exchange are likely to dominate the talks. The two sides are also expected to deliberate on the West Asia crisis and its economic impact, including on energy supplies.

[00:04:18]The visiting leader will be also external affairs uh Minister Dr. S.

[00:04:23]Jaishankar on Sunday in addition to attending a meeting of the Quad Foreign Ministers in New Delhi on May 26. The US Secretary of State's uh trip to India comes over 5 weeks after Foreign Secretary Vikram Misri uh undertook a 3-day visit to Washington, D.C. that focused on boosting the ties.

[00:04:45]The much-awaited Quad Foreign Ministers meeting will be held in New Delhi on 26th of May. The Foreign Ministers of India, Australia, Japan, and the US will hold talks on a free and open Indo-Pacific, building on the discussions held in Washington, D.C. in July last year. They will also exchange views on advancing the Quad cooperation across number of priority areas and other international issues as well. The visiting ministers are likely to call on Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

[00:05:18]And now is a look at Quad, which is a key partnership shaping security and cooperation in the Indo-Pacific. We can have those graphics on your screen to explain the significance of Quad. So, the Quadrilateral Security Dialogue or Quad comprises India, United States, Japan, and Australia.

[00:05:42]It also aims to ensure a free, open, secure, and prosperous Indo-Pacific region.

[00:05:49]At the same time, Quad aims to promote economic cooperation, maritime security, and regional stability.

[00:05:56]Remember, the Quad originated way back in 2004 when they came together for tsunami relief cooperation in the Indian Ocean.

[00:06:06]And in 2007 it emerged with an official meeting in Philippines.

[00:06:13]The late Japanese uh Prime Minister Shinzo Abe played a key role in proposing and promoting the very idea of Quad. Quad was also revived in 2017 with a meeting in Manila on the margins or the sidelines of the East Asia Summit.

[00:06:30]That meeting focused clearly on connectivity, maritime security, counterterrorism, and non-proliferation.

[00:06:38]Then the Quad was elevated to leaders' level in 2021 with the first virtual summit on 12th of March 2021.

[00:06:46]It launched working groups on vaccine partnership, climate change, and critical and emerging technologies.

[00:06:55]The second leaders' summit was held in September 2021 in Washington, D.C., which created working groups on infrastructure, space, and cybersecurity.

[00:07:05]It also announced a hundred STEM fellowships for graduate and doctoral students.

[00:07:13]The third summit in March 2022 was held virtually. It launched a Quad Humanitarian Assistance and Disaster Relief Partnership. And the fourth summit in May 2022 was held in Japan, where it introduced the Quad Satellite Data Portal and Q-Champ, which is a Climate Action and Mitigation Package.

[00:07:36]Whereas it also strengthened humanitarian assistance and disaster relief cooperation.

[00:07:41]The fifth summit then in May 2023 in Hiroshima in Japan also released a statement and a vision statement.

[00:07:49]Joint statement and a vision statement which emphasized a free, open, inclusive Indo-Pacific. It reaffirmed sovereignty, territorial integrity, and peaceful dispute resolution principles. The sixth Quad Leaders Summit was held in the US on 21st September 2024.

[00:08:07]It adopted the will It adopted a declaration.

[00:08:12]Quad joint statement fact sheet and Quad Cancer Moonshot fact sheet.

[00:08:19]It also announced new initiatives such as Quad at Sea ship observer mission, Indo-Pacific logistics network pilot, and ports of the future partnership. It also focused on maritime security, health, connectivity, and digital infrastructure.

[00:08:38]The Quad foreign ministers have uh remember met 10 times since 2019 and the 10th Quad foreign ministers meeting was held on 1st of July 2025 in Washington, D.C. and the 11th Quad foreign ministers meeting is scheduled now for 26th May in New Delhi here in India.

[00:09:01]Let's quickly go live across to DD India's Jessica Taneja to understand the significance and the broader agenda of Marco Rubio's uh made in India visit, but four days packed schedule diplomacy and a lot of substantive elements are part of his India itinerary. Jessica, over to you. Explain to our viewers what makes this very significant.

[00:09:24]Well, this visit is coming at a time, of course, look at the geopolitical background as well. There are conflicts continuing both in West Asia as well as with Russia and Ukraine. And it's not just the change in the geopolitical climate, but how important an ally India is for the United States at this point in time.

[00:09:42]Remember when in last year the first foreign ministers that Secretary Rubio had met was the Quad foreign ministers. The first meeting he held with other you know counterparts was with the Quad leaders.

[00:09:56]So there is of course a lot of significance to this. The Quad foreign ministers have met 10 times before as you pointed out last year as well in Delaware before before the Quad you know heads of state meeting. So there has been a lot of build up to this, but Secretary of State Marco Rubio's visit also signals on a deepening cooperation not just within the Quad, but also with India when it comes to energy cooperation. You heard his remarks before he went to arrive in India where he said that we are ready to sell more oil to India, more energy as per their requirements. So expect a lot on that front as well. Some announcements or maybe some indication on what the defense cooperation would look like between the two nations apart from of course meeting the Quad leaders, which also includes Japan, Australia, India and the United States.

[00:10:44]>> He's scheduled to meet Prime Minister later today and his meeting with EM tomorrow, but specifically with the meetings and the conversations he's going to have with India's top leadership, how critical are those conversations uh you know in the context of current global energy crises, energy security and the wars looming large.

[00:11:09]Uh you know before arriving in India had spoken to reporters on the plane where he had seemed to suggested that in you know he's looking at more cooperation in the energy sector particularly where point where he pointed out that America is producing and exporting more oil and more energy than it did before. So it's ready as a market to expand those ties with India.

[00:11:31]Now one will wait for the details as to what emerges from that because these are sensitive and critical information.

[00:11:37]Uh so, you know, there will be some announcement to that effect that we will wait for. But yes, a bigger, you know, a larger indication of sorts rests on the energy cooperation because remember India imports 80% of its energy needs.

[00:11:50]Although it has been able to diversify its energy imports in the last few years, but there is still a lot that comes from West Asia and particularly uh where the price crisis seems to continue where the naval blockade uh continues. So, there'll be a lot of discussions in that effect. But let's also not forget how uh you know, United States and India also collaborate on different fronts on technology, AI. Let's not forget critical minerals and critical emerging technologies. So, there's also a lot to do with uh the kind of collaborations they've had in the past. Even during the impact AI summit, there was a lot of discussion on uh and you saw the two big uh AI giant companies, both uh uh you know, Claude's uh Daniel Amodei as well as ChatGPT's Sam Altman who had arrived in India. So, there's a lot to discuss with uh what United States now calls India a great power and an important ally. In that sense, very significant. Thank you very much as of now, Jessica, for uh putting this uh lead story of the day in wider perspective. Thank you for joining.

[00:12:52]And now let's move on and take a look at the updates coming on the Ebola virus front.

[00:13:00]Well, the World Health Organization has upgraded the public health risk posed by uh the Bundibugyo strain Ebola outbreak in the Democratic Republic of Congo from high to very high. WHO chief has stated that the organization's updated Ebola assessment categorizes the risk as very high at the national level, high at the regional level, and low worldwide.

[00:13:25]Tedros added the outbreak remains a deep concern noting that there have been 82 confirmed cases including seven deaths as well as approximately 750 suspected cases and 177 suspected deaths so far.

[00:13:42]The provincial authorities have also banned funeral wakes. In a directive the government stated that only trained teams are allowed to carry out burials and that bodies cannot be moved using non-medical vehicles. It also restricted public gatherings to a maximum of 50 people. The outbreak is caused by the rare Bundibugyo strain of Ebola which has sadly no approved vaccines or treatments so far.

[00:14:17]Meanwhile the leaders in the rebel controlled Goma have made their first public appeal for international assistance on Friday warning that the deadly virus could spread across the Great Lakes region without coordinated intervention. At Goma's port arriving passengers from Bukavu are now required to wash their hands as they disembark.

[00:14:37]Similar health screening measures have been put in place or implemented at the entrances to the city from the north where all arrivals must have their temperature checked and sanitize their hands. Also public transport has been suspended between Goma which is the rebel headquarters in North Kivu and Butembo which is a major northern tower near Ituri province in Congo.

[00:15:06]Meanwhile the United States has temporarily expanded its Ebola-related entry restrictions to United Ebola-related restrictions to include lawful permanent residents who have recently traveled to Democratic Republic of Congo, Uganda or south of Sudan. The move affects individuals who have been in the these countries within the past 21 days as health authorities seek to reduce the risk of Ebola transmission.

[00:15:33]The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said the extending the restriction to green card holders was necessary to help prevent the virus from entering the country. The change marks a shift from previous policy as green card holders were typically exempted from such restrictions.

[00:15:55]Meanwhile, a 12th hantavirus case has been confirmed after a crew member of the MV Hondius cruise ship, which arrived in the Netherlands last week for disinfection, tested positive, the World Health Organiza- Organization said on Friday. At a press conference, WHO Director-General Tedros has said that the Netherlands have confirmed the additional case and that the crew member had disembarked in Tenerife, but was uh repatriated to the Netherlands, where the person has been kept in isolation. The incubation period of hantavirus is up to 6 weeks. Uh there are now 12 reported cases and three reported deaths, he said. There have been no new deaths since May 2nd, when the outbreak was first reported to World Health Organization. Meanwhile, Dutch authorities say the crew member had been taken to hospital.

[00:16:48]Now, a brief update on the hantavirus outbreak among passengers and crew on board the cruise ship MV Hondius.

[00:16:57]Today, the Netherlands confirmed an additional case among a crew member who disembarked in Tenerife, was repatriated to the Netherlands and has been isolating since then.

[00:17:10]There are now 12 reported cases and three reported deaths.

[00:17:16]No deaths have been since the 2nd of May when the outbreak was first reported to WHO.

[00:17:25]And still to come on DD India News Hour.

[00:17:27]Coming up next.

[00:17:30]Tulsi Gabbard resigns as Trump's national intelligence director. We'll get you more updates on that big news break in US. And also coming up on the other side, SpaceX completes its [music] 12th test flight of Starship with a great splashdown in Indian Ocean.

[00:17:52]We'll get you more on that.

[00:17:55]And Bolivia to open humanitarian [music] corridors on Saturday to move supplies through these blockages.

[00:18:12]Now, is this reflection of the changing behavior in the customers [music] that they are building more trust in India Post and in comparison to the traditional banks that are already there?

[00:18:21]>> But this year we were able to increase 2,100 crore. That [music] is 10x of compared to average revenue. Putting appropriate targets, ensuring accountability, and then bringing visibility, transparency in by by adding a lot of technology, [music] and then also energizing the total employees employees. And Prime [music] Minister has always envisioned last mile delivery. How do you think that central [music] is communication infrastructure to build the mission of Viksit Bharat in 2047? 4G reaching out to every village through mobile connectivity. The other thing is providing high-speed fiber optic cable to almost every gram panchayat, [music] which is BharatNet. Now, that is the Modi ji's vision to connect every village, whether it is, you know, tribal village, whatever, how far away, forest, or all those areas. We're able to install right now around 25,000 towers, that is that are covering 35,000 villages.

[00:19:31]You're watching DD India News Hour. I'm Sakal But, and let's get you some more news on to Russia-Ukraine conflict, where it seems that the tension still continues between the top leadership. Uh President Russian Russian President Vladimir Putin on Friday ordered his military to prepare options to retaliate against Ukraine for what he described as a drone attack on a student dormitory that killed six people and has wounded dozens with the reports saying that 15 are still unaccounted for.

[00:20:03]President Putin has said that the attack had struck the dormitory in Starobilsk in Luhansk district, which is a Russian-controlled region in eastern Ukraine. He also said that Kyiv's military must have known what it was targeting.

[00:20:19]Amidst all of this, new US proposals on how what how the diplomacy will be conducted, Ukrainian President Zelenskyy said the diplomatic efforts to end the conflict should be reinvigorated or re-energized. He further added that the battlefield trend was, and I quote, "not in the interest of the occupier," referring to Russia, "and will continue to increase the rate at which we are destroying." Unquote. "We are destroying the Russian personnel." Unquote. Now, this together with sanctions of all forms is forcing Russia towards choosing diplomacy.

[00:20:56]Meanwhile, UNSC, or United Nations Security Council, held an emergency session on Friday following a deadly drone strike on a student dormitory in Russian-controlled Starobilsk in Luhansk district as we mentioned earlier.

[00:21:09]Russian Ambassador Vasily Nebenzya condemned the attack as a deliberate strike on a civilian facility and a war crime. While Ukrainian representative Andriy Melnyk rejected the claims as a pure propaganda show and a textbook disinformation campaign asserting that Kyiv's forces only strike legitimate military targets.

[00:21:32]So, the standoff of words at least continues between the two sides. And from Russia-Ukraine moving on to West Asia tensions where Iran has insisted that ongoing peace negotiations with the United States remain far from a final agreement even when Washington described these recent diplomatic efforts as showing slight progress amid continued tensions. On Saturday, Iran accused the United States of imposing unreasonable demands during ongoing peace talks amid reports that Washington could be weighing fresh military action. Iran also accused Washington of imposing paralyzing sanctions for more than five decades under various pretexts.

[00:22:15]Iran stressed that the primary objective of negotiations should be ending the war and halting hostilities across the region.

[00:22:24]Meanwhile, US President Donald Trump has struck a tougher tone declaring that Iran is never going to have a nuclear weapon and predicting that the conflict would be over with soon. Further, the US official stated that Trump convened a meeting of senior national security advisers to review diplomatic developments and also discuss possible military options if negotiations fail.

[00:22:50]Earlier, Iran, the US, and Israel reached a ceasefire on April 8th after 40 days of fighting, but subsequent peace talks failed to produce an agreement with major differences still hampering efforts to end the war despite ongoing mediations within and between these three sides.

[00:23:11]A gas explosion occurred at the Lushan You Coal Mine in Shanxi province in northern China on Friday. The death toll from the coal mine explosion has risen to 90 as of now, and of the 247 workers who were underground at the time of the blast, 23 have been rescued so far.

[00:23:32]Tulsi Gabbard has resigned from her job as President Donald Trump's director of national intelligence, saying her husband had been diagnosed with a rare form of bone cancer and she was leaving her role to help him. Resignation is effective from 30th of June. In a resignation letter posted on platform X, Tulsi Gabbard says or perhaps she told Trump President Trump that she was deeply grateful for the trust he placed in her and for the opportunity to lead the office of the director [clears throat] of national intelligence for the last year and a half.

[00:24:11]President Trump on his Truth Social platform that said that principal deputy director of national intelligence Aaron Lucas would become the acting director.

[00:24:20]Lucas is a former CIA officer and analyst who serves on the who served on the National Security Council during Trump's first term.

[00:24:30]President Trump said that Gabbard had done a great job, but with her husband's cancer diagnosis, she rightfully wants to be with him bringing him back to good health as they currently fight a tough battle together.

[00:24:44]President Trump has also hinted in the past at differences with Gabbard on their approach to Iran, saying in March that she was softer than him on curbing Tehran's nuclear ambitions.

[00:24:57]The US Defense on Friday released a second batch of previously classified files on alleged UFO sightings, including reference to people reporting unexplained green orbs, discs, and fireballs.

[00:25:10]One of the 222 files released contained 116 pages of documentation relating to a series of reported sightings and investigations in the top secret facility in New Mexico from 1948 to 1950.

[00:25:26]Defense Secretary Pete Hoekstra said that these documents, photos, and videos related to the officially designated unidentified anomalous phenomena have uh fueled speculation for years, adding that it's time the American people see it for themselves. And at the order of President Donald Trump, the first batch was made public on May 8th.

[00:25:51]In other news, SpaceX has completed its 12th test flight of Starship with splashdown in Indian Ocean after the company performed a test flight of the latest version of this enormous rocket.

[00:26:04]The voyage was not without a few glitches, but SpaceX employees roared in delight in a livestream following the trial flight that comes as the firm prepares a potentially record initial public offering. Elon Musk's SpaceX on Friday launched its latest Starship, sending the mammoth rocket soaring into the Texas skies after its initial attempt was scrubbed due to some technical glitches.

[00:26:36]A US jury has found that aerospace giant Boeing was not liable for lost revenue in a lawsuit involving its 737 Max jets, which were grounded for 20 months following two deadly crashes in 2018 and 19. Polish airline LOT had accused Boeing of fraud and sued for whopping 250 million US dollars in lost income after the company's alleged purposeful and negligent false representations and omissions concerning the 737 Max aircraft. The case stemmed from claims by LOT that Boeing had to Boeing had to compensated for the lost business due to the lengthy Max grounding in the aftermath of Lion Air's 2018 crash and Ethiopian Airlines' 2019 crash that claimed a joint total loss of 346 lives.

[00:27:33]Well, tens of thousands of people were ordered to leave their homes in California on Friday after a huge chemical tank began leaking with warnings it might blow up sending toxic fumes over a heavily populated area. The tank contained 7,000 gallons of methyl methacrylate, which is a volatile and flammable liquid used to make plastics with firefighters warning the situation was looking grim. The incident unfolded in the Garden Grove area of Orange County, which is in the southeast of Los Angeles.

[00:28:08]An explosion at a dry dock in New York City's Staten Island on Friday killed one person and injured 36 others. The blast occurred while firefighters were on the scene responding to a fire and attempting to rescue two people who were trapped. The firefighters were hospitalized including a fire marshal who suffered a fractured temple and a brain bleed and was in incu- intubated.

[00:28:32]The other firefighter was in a serious condition but showed signs of improvement. The victim was reportedly a civilian.

[00:28:43]Bolivia's government says police and armed forces will open humanitarian corridors in La Paz to allow food, medicine, and oxygen supplies through protest blockades. The move comes as a week-long nation-wide or weeks-long nation-wide protest over austerity measures and rising living costs continue to intensify pressure on President Rodrigo Paz's government.

[00:29:07]Officials say the operation will remain peaceful with the Red Cross and Catholic Church set to assist. Authorities will prioritize the key Oruro-La Paz route to restore the movement of essential goods through these blockades.

[00:29:27]Let's now take a look at other stories making news around the world.

[00:29:32]In the United States, singer and actress Miley Cyrus received a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame, celebrating a career that evolved from child stardom to global pop success. Surrounded by family, friends, and fans, Miley unveiled the honor on Hollywood Boulevard.

[00:29:53]Over in Mozambique, a solar-powered mobile community tablet is helping poor and remote rural areas to access digital service despite limited electricity and internet connectivity. The traveling system provides news, educational support, weather forecast, and market information, reducing the need for long journeys in search of online services.

[00:30:18]And coming up next on DD India News Hour. On the other side, we'll get you more details of Prime Minister Narendra Modi's where he distributed >> [music] >> more than 51,000 appointment letters to newly recruited youth under the 19th Rozgar Mela, which was held across the country through video conference.

[00:30:39]And a project Virangana trains girls for defense in Jammu.

[00:30:50]Displayed for the first time in Mumbai, Indrajal Ranger, which is India's first artificial intelligence-driven fully mobile anti-drone patrol vehicle, draws massive attention.

[00:31:09]>> [music] >> Every week, we choose what makes it into the show, but there's more that doesn't make the cut. That's why we made Eco Draw. Despite of the presence of large amounts of food, there are threats that could wipe out these birds. Karez or the qanat [music] technique basically works as a conveyance system where water table is breached on top of a hillock or a mountain, and through these aqueducts, [music] through these underground aqueducts, the water is transported to settlements. By recycling it into floor mats, we are preventing large-scale pollution, helping to clean the riverbed, and providing work for many women.

[00:31:56]You're watching DD India News Hour. I'm Sakal Bhatt, and let's move on to some more stories, news, and updates. Prime Minister Narendra Modi distributed more than 51,000 appointment letters to newly recruited youth under the 19th Rozgar Mela held across the country through video conferencing.

[00:32:14]This Rozgar Mela was organized at 47 locations nationwide, where candidates received an appointment letters for various central government departments, including railways, home affairs, and health.

[00:32:26]Addressing the new recruits, Prime Minister said that the youth would become partners in India's developmental journey and help realize the vision of developed India or Viksit Bharat. He also highlighted growing global interest in India's technological progress and employment potential. In Mumbai, Union Minister of State Harsh Malhotra also distributed appointment letters to around 250 newly recruited candidates.

[00:32:52]The Prime Minister said that India is building a complete electronics manufacturing value chain leading to record production and creating lakhs of jobs for the youth through major public and private investments.

[00:33:17]complete value chain Joe PLI scheme till the heat Who's say?

[00:33:30]This may record electronics production or a half.

[00:33:34]Are you want to lock on case and camera?

[00:33:40]Jobs be middle right?

[00:33:43]Satyu I say on the Obiano but Bharat car public or private sector milk car Bahadur and the wish color of her.

[00:34:00]You may wish this to you want to This may he jobs there are a half.

[00:34:10]Okay, so funny for you to come around.

[00:34:14]The Prime Minister also said that leaders in global companies across several countries are showing strong enthusiasm for India's youth and technological growth with new partnerships aimed at expanding jobs and global exposure opportunities for young Indians.

[00:34:29]man Watch the show key after Kirk Kirk a no time Can I go to your mind the other thing?

[00:34:42]Looking at the door on.

[00:34:45]Mary Dar Jano Deschanel P.

[00:34:48]Buddy buddy company leaders say.

[00:34:52]But they would be with Nancy we will not we.

[00:34:57]Or her Jaguar.

[00:34:59]Money make bad someone say my shoes key.

[00:35:07]Dunya.

[00:35:08]Bharat you are on.

[00:35:11]Or Bharat key technological progress liquor.

[00:35:17]But would say hey.

[00:35:21]I do Nia.

[00:35:24]Bharat because you have to get his stubborn Jackie.

[00:35:29]Bharat the bee.

[00:35:31]Dunya Allah Allah Deschanel Assad.

[00:35:35]Partnership rah.

[00:35:38]Is God you hear me?

[00:35:41]Give Bharat you are on Google.

[00:35:44]Also Malay.

[00:35:46]Rose Garden Malay.

[00:35:49]On Casa Martha.

[00:35:51]Kill you too.

[00:35:53]South South.

[00:35:55]But you have to marry this cannot go.

[00:35:59]Global exposure be Malay.

[00:36:03]In other news, India's Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman on Friday chaired a high-level review meeting on the progress of Gift City and its evolving international financial services ecosystem at Gujarat's Gandhinagar. The meeting reviewed the Gift City's progress across multiple sectors and assessed its overall development as an international financial hub.

[00:36:26]Discussions focused on improving infrastructure, strengthening the talent ecosystem, enhancing ease of doing business, refining the taxation framework, and developing residential ecosystem.

[00:36:38]Finance Minister underlined the GIFT City's role in strengthening India's integration with global financial markets, and also attracting international capital, describing it as an important part of the country's financial system that reflects its economic growth and global ambitions.

[00:36:58]Maharashtra Tourism hosted India's Festival of Technology and Innovation, ImagineX 2026, in Mumbai, bringing together founders, policy makers, investors, and global tech leaders.

[00:37:10]Minister of State for Science and Technology, Dr. Jitendra Singh, attended the inaugural session of the event and said India is increasingly seen as a strong, profitable global business partner, highlighting one of its best periods for international economic opportunities.

[00:37:26]I think the world is now started looking up to us as potential partners. That too is a change. The way the world looks up to us, they look up to us as a profitable business partner. They say it is one of the best times happening for India in the last 80 years as far as science technology is concerned. We have political patronage in abundance, and we have opened up in a big way to the private sector because the age of silos is over, and we have this realization, very conscious realization, that if you have to move on from where we are, we have to move on in an integrated fashion.

[00:38:03]Displayed for the first time in Mumbai, Indrajāl Ranger, which is India's first artificial intelligence-driven fully mobile anti-drone patrol vehicle, drew attention at this event. Developed by Hyderabad-based defense technology company Indrajāl, the system is designed to detect, track, identify, and neutralize hostile drones in real time using artificial intelligence, surveillance systems, and electronic warfare capabilities. The anti-drone platform reflects India's growing focus on indigenous defense innovation under the flagship program Make in India, and also it seeks to address emerging threats from unauthorized drones that those drones that swarm and aerial aerial surveillance intrusions.

[00:38:50]We are in Mumbai, and debuting here in Mumbai is the Indrajal Ranger. It is AI-driven, and it is also the anti-drone vehicle.

[00:39:00]It has been developed by the Indrajal company, and it's known as the Indrajal Ranger. You can see this is the Toyota's vehicle, and it has been fully equipped with all the necessary equipments over here, which is required to bring down a bad drone, which is a rogue drone. We also have Jay with us. Uh he is the chief marketing officer of Indrajal. Indrajal is the world's first autonomous anti-drone patrol vehicle, right? And what it does is it it basically is is created to protect protect borders, areas, etc., infrastructure, right? That's the primary use case out here. So, what it does is basically it identifies, tracks, and neutralizes drones. So, I'll I'll show you how it does that, right? So, out here, what we have is a screen. So, if you see the blue outer ring, it's basically the identification zone, right? And then when it Let's say, for example, a rogue drone is coming in, it's identifies the drone, okay, it's coming to that zone, right? And that's where it starts tracking. The circle that you see is the neutralization zone. If it crosses that zone, it comes into that zone, right? We neutralize it, right? So, that's how the principle works on. And the way to do that is through cyber takeover, right?

[00:40:13]Or there is GNSS spoofing and jamming as well, right? That's one of the soft kill options, and if soft kill options don't work, then we have a hard kill option, which is the launching of the Kamikaze drones. It's a make in India product, right? We're very proud of uh you know, what we've done here. So, interestingly, we will also be enabled to, you know, um uh in one of the trials, we were able to capture uh you know, cross-border narcotics being smuggled and small arms being smuggled smuggled. Uh it's AI driven, and as he was mentioning, uh we are all talking about AI, and the language that everybody is using these days is AI, but it also comes with its side effects, bad effects. And Indrajal over here is just going to uh deal with those bad drones and make the nation safer. With camera person Aditya Kasare, this is Shyama Mishra for DD India, Mumbai.

[00:41:01]On to some news on weather front, well, after days of intense heat wave conditions and soaring temperatures, changing weather patterns have brought much-needed relief to several parts of Delhi.

[00:41:12]Several regions of the national capital witnessed cloudy skies, cool winds, and pleasant morning weather after days of extreme heat. Residents stepped out to enjoy the sudden change in weather conditions as temperatures eased slightly across many parts of the city.

[00:41:27]The shift in weather brought temporary relief from the scorching heat wave that had gripped national capital over the past past few days.

[00:41:39]And now, let's take a look at other stories making news.

[00:41:44]Madhya Pradesh's Dindori is witnessing large-scale public participation in water conservation under the Jal Ganga Samvardhan campaign.

[00:41:53]Villages are reviving traditional water-saving methods through plantation drives, soak pits, and farm ponds aimed at ensuring sustainable water management and livelihood generation.

[00:42:10]Project Veerangana is training young women from border districts of Union Territory of Jammu for defense and security services through free fitness and residential camps. The initiative is being run by Sewa Bharati in collaboration with NHPC and Jammu based NGO Shakti Utkosh Foundation.

[00:42:31]Uttarakhand Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami has ordered the recruitment of 1,000 forest guards to strengthen wildfire control efforts after 309 forest fire incidents were reported this season. The state government has also directed faster response measures and expanded community-based fire prevention initiatives.

[00:42:54]And still to come up on DD India's News Hour on the other side, Kevin Warsh has been sworn in as the chair of the United [music] States Federal Reserve.

[00:43:08]And it's curtains down for 79th Cannes Film Festival, which comes to a close today.

[00:43:19]And England drops star names from FIFA World Cup squad. We'll get you more on that as well.

[00:43:35]Now, is this reflection of the changing behavior in the customers that they are building more trust in India Post and in comparison to the traditional banks that are already there?

[00:43:44]>> But this year, we were able to increase 2,100 crore. That is 10x of compared to average revenue. Putting appropriate targets, ensuring accountability, and then bringing visibility, transparency in by by adding a lot of technology, and then also energizing the total employees employees. And Prime Minister has always envisioned last mile delivery. How do you think that central is [music] communication infrastructure to build the mission of Viksit Bharat in 2047? 4G reaching out to every village through mobile connectivity. The other thing is providing high-speed fiber optic cable to almost every gram panchayat, which is Bharat Net. Now, that is the Modiji's vision to connect every village, whether it is, you know, tribal village, whatever, however forest or all those areas. We're able to install right now around 25,000 towers that is that are covering 35,000 villages.

[00:44:53]You're watching DD India News Hour. I'm Sakal Bhatt. Let's move on to some more news and updates. Kevin Walsh was sworn in as a chair of the United States Federal Reserve or Fed Reserve at a very important juncture for an American economy where surging gasoline prices due to the Iran war are pushing up inflation and also eroding consumer sentiment, uh potent ingredients for a policy dilemma with political implications. Calling it the honor of a lifetime to be called back into the public service, Walsh in a brief comments afterwards being sworn in at the White House said, and I quote, "To fulfill this mission, I will lead a reform-oriented Federal Reserve learning from past successes and mistakes, both escaping static frameworks and models, and also upholding clear standards of integrity and performance." Unquote.

[00:45:47]Our mandate at the Fed is to promote price stability and maximum employment.

[00:45:53]When we pursue those aims with wisdom and clarity, independence and resolve, inflation can be lower, growth stronger, real take-home pay higher, and America can be more prosperous.

[00:46:09]And no less important, America's place in the world more secure.

[00:46:15]US President Donald Trump on Friday said that he wanted incoming Fed chair Kevin Warsh to be totally independent in his new role.

[00:46:25]Kevin will restore confidence in the Fed, which is so important and among Americans all across the political spectrum and people from all over the world, and they're going to be looking to Kevin uh probably and possibly more than any other person that's had your esteemed position before. I think that's true, Kevin. You got a lot of people watching.

[00:46:45]I fully expect that with the greatest Fed chairs before him, Kevin will safeguard the Fed's integrity.

[00:46:54]The European Union and Mexico have signed a new trade agreement reducing tariffs on goods as both sides look to diversify trade away from the United States. The The undated deal signed at the EU-Mexico Summit expands a 2000 accord and removes most remaining barriers on trade and investment across key sectors, including auto, food, and agriculture. Leaders say the pact aims to strengthen global competitiveness with Mexico seeking to balance ties between the US, European Union, and China amid shifting trade tensions.

[00:47:30]Officials add the agreement will boost exports, attract investments, and deepen the EU-Mexico strategic partnership.

[00:47:43]US stocks closed higher on Friday capping off a volatile trading week ahead of the Memorial Day weekend. The yield on the benchmark 10-year US Treasury note shed nearly three basis points to settle around 4.56% on Friday afternoon, while the 30-year bond yield lost more than four basis points to trade near 5.06%.

[00:48:05]Nine of the 11 primary Standard & Poor's 500 sectors finished the session in positive territory. Healthcare and utilities climbed 1.19% and 0.8% respectively. On the other hand, communication services and consumer staples place the legards dropping 0.6% and 0.9% respectively.

[00:48:32]You're watching DD India News Hour and now it's time for some sports action.

[00:48:36]In IPL today, Punjab Kings are heading into their final league match against Lucknow Super Giants with no room for mistakes. After losing six matches in a row, Punjab now must win on Saturday and also depend on other results to keep their playoff hopes alive. Just a few weeks ago, they were among the top teams of Indian Premier League. Their powerful batting and fearless approach has made them strong title contenders. Punjab know that they still possess a possess enough batting firepower to change a game quickly if their key players can rediscover rhythm at the right time, that is. Meanwhile, Lucknow may already be out of the playoff race, but at the Ekana Stadium, they have recently defeated strong teams like Royal Challengers Bengaluru and Chennai Super Kings, so one doesn't know. There could be a big surprise in this game.

[00:49:33]England coach Thomas Tuchel dropped a clutch of big names, star names for the upcoming FIFA World Cup. The coach axed Phil Foden, Cole Palmer, Trent Alexander-Arnold, Harry Maguire, Adam Wharton, and Luke Shaw from the 26-member squad. There was a surprise recall for striker Ivan Toney despite him playing only 7 minutes of international football since Euro 2024.

[00:50:00]Midfielder Kobbie Mainoo too was selected after return to form.

[00:50:05]Defender John Stones got the nod for a sixth tournament despite making only a handful of league appearances this season. The tournament will be co-hosted by United States, Mexico, and Canada from 11th of June to July 19.

[00:50:23]And now on to some updates from Cannes Film Festival where the 79th star-studded Cannes Film Festival comes to close today. The closing ceremony starts at 8:15 p.m. local time in France, which is 11:50 11:15 p.m. Indian Standard Time. The jury chaired by South Korean director, screenwriter, and producer Park Chan-wook will announce the list of winners from among the 22 films in competition.

[00:50:50]The awards include the Palme d'Or, the Grand Prix, the Jury Prize, Best Director, Best Screenplay, Best Actress, and Best Actor.

[00:51:00]The Palme d'Or, which will crown the list of award winners, will be presented by Scottish actress Tilda Swinton.

[00:51:09]The 22 films competing for the 2026 Palme d'Or include Amar Akbar Anthony by Pedro Almodóvar, Parallel Mothers by Asghar Farhadi, and Paper Tiger by James Gray among others.

[00:51:26]The short film Palme d'Or will be awarded to the best short film in competition.

[00:51:31]The Golden Camera will be awarded to the best first feature film during the ceremony. An honorary Palme d'Or will be also awarded to American multi-hyphenate artist Barbra Streisand who will not be able to attend Cannes.

[00:51:49]At uh Shristi stand's request, French actress Isabelle Huppert will present the honorary Palm d'Or and pay tribute to her career as well.

[00:52:03]Indian filmmaker Ashutosh Gowariker, best known for film like Lagaan, is the director of the 57th International Film Festival of India to be held in Goa this November. DD India's Monmon Bhattacharya spoke exclusively with him in Cannes about his vision for IFFI, his return to acting, and how filmmakers should respond to the growing influence of artificial intelligence in cinema. Take a look.

[00:52:27]There's a lot of fear around artificial intelligence I see in every sector. It is not just about films, but in other sectors as well, in media, uh in um engineering, and so on and so forth.

[00:52:38]But, uh how do you create a system through uh IFFI that uh uh uses AI more as an enabler for filmmaking? Already there is AI in IFFI, and here I see IFFI is in the Cannes Film Festival, AI is more on the sidelines, but IFFI has sort of integrated it into its programming.

[00:52:56]So, tell us that how do you uh plan on um making it more an enabler, especially for young filmmakers, or even those who would want to experiment, who may just be uh somewhere in the middle of their career? Yeah. So, there are a couple of aspects to it. One is the uh regarding AI, the policies that for copyright and you know, who's the creator, IP goes to whom, all that needs to be sorted. But, having said that, I feel that uh AI should be used mainly for aiding our professional work that we're doing, especially in post, for example. You know, whether it's dubbing or VFX or animation, it can definitely aid us in in uh uh enhancing our work.

[00:53:38]But, I strongly recommend to any writers or directors that, you know, do not use AI to create your story.

[00:53:44]It's It's important to try and create the story from your mind and not with artificial artificial intelligence. Uh simply because there's more fun and joy and pride when you create your own story, which is special.

[00:53:58]And if you fall into the trap of using AI for creating a story, then that that is a that's a black hole.

[00:54:07]Because then you will want things easy all the time. You will keep referring to it, using it for purposes which you don't need to use it for.

[00:54:16]So, I strongly recommend that that's also going to be my focus in IFFI that how can we use it to our advantage to only enable us, to only aid us in something that we're already creating and not focus on only for writing.

[00:54:32]DD India's Munmun Bhattacharya gets us that exclusive interview. You can watch it at 7:30 p.m. tonight in DD India. You can also catch it on live streaming also on DD India's YouTube channel.

[00:54:45]And uh moving on next, Mark Cousins, The Story of Documentary Film The 1970s is a 2-hour documentary that brings together some of the finest documentaries of the 1970s decade. The film was screened in the Cannes Classics section at the 79th Cannes Film Festival. Munmun Bhattacharya of DD India spoke exclusively with Cousins, an Irish-Scottish filmmaker and film historian after the screening of his film on his portrayal of Pakistani army's atrocities during Bangladesh's War of Independence in War of Independence.

[00:55:21]Mark, uh now coming to South Asia, when I saw your film, I noticed the entire episode where you talk of the Bangladesh War of Independence and the atrocities by the Pakistani army. There is that bold statement made without a flicker of the eye Yes. by a person who's narrating what happened. He says that the Pakistani army men had looted the shops or had asked people to loot the shops and it was on their directions that they were made to loot, but they made it appear as if it was a sovereign act of the people to loot. So, uh what made you pick up that part from the documentary?

[00:55:58]The intensity of the filmmaking, I think, you know, when you watch lots of films, when people make statements to camera, they it doesn't feel real or honest. And I think what he's saying is so intensely felt. As you say, his eyes don't He doesn't blink. You can see the burning in his eyes. And I think I think this is a very good filmmaker.

[00:56:22]Uh and I think this is a sincere piece of work, wherever you stand politically on it. I think it's a very sincere piece of work. With close-up image and direct camera, speaking with moral authority.

[00:56:35]And it's not a I don't personally think it's propagandistic. I think it's a sincere piece of work.

[00:56:41]You can watch the full interview with with Mark Cousins, the acclaimed filmmaker, at 7:30 p.m. IST tonight in DD India and also catch the live streaming on DD India's YouTube channel.

[00:56:52]And with that, it's time to wrap up this edition of DD India News Hour. But you can always let us know your thoughts on the news of the day. We are just a click away. For those on the go, get all the latest updates from India and across the world in DD India mobile app right on your screens.

[00:57:11]App is available on both iOS platforms [music] as well as Android. All you have to do is to scan the QR code that you see on your screen to download it.

[00:57:20]And we will be back with more news as it breaks here on DD India. I'm Sakal Bhatt and from all of us here in Delhi, me and my entire news team, thanks for watching DD India News up.

[00:57:31]Namaste.

[00:57:58]Now is this reflection of the changing behavior in the customers that they are building more trust in India Post and in comparison to the traditional banks that are already there?

[00:58:06]>> But this year we were able to increase 2,100 crore. That is 10x up compared to average revenue. Putting appropriate targets.