India

India’s Quest for Indigenous Pseudo-Satellites

The advent of technology has compelled states to revolutionise their security structures which can withstand the escalating threats concerns vis à vis land, sea, and airspace domains. Over time, an integral component in the domain of warfare has gained exponential importance i.e., space and satellites.
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India

India’s Indigenous Aircraft Manufacturing: A Reality Check

Narendra Modi initiated an ambitious ‘Make in India’ project in 2014 emphasising domestic manufacturing and removing hurdles that prevented foreign collaboration in the defence sector because of the government’s strict foreign investment and joint venture regulations. Since he arrived in Panchavati (the official residential complex of the Indian PM), the indigenisation drive accelerated considerably.
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Emerging technologies

‘Made in China 2025’ : Blueprint for Future Industries

The foundation of a nation’s progress lies in its robust industrial sector, shaping its economic vitality and strategic influence. China, having a formidable industrial base, has secured a prominent global standing across diverse sectors. Its ‘Made in China’ (MIC) 2025 project marks a paradigm shift with a primary focus on becoming a global leader in high-tech industries through a dual-pronged approach.
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Emerging technologies

Role of Big Data in the Predictive Modelling of Conflicts

Big Data is an integral domain of emerging technologies, with one of its applications being predictive modelling of future events. It consists of large volumes of data generated from multiple sources, being subjected to real-time processing and analysis through advanced systems such as Artificial intelligence (AI). Moreover, predictive modelling is a statistical technique that taps into historical and current data to predict future outcomes.
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Peace and Conflict

Boycotts in Flux: Trends & Challenges of Pro-Palestinian Consumer Campaigns

In the wake of Israel’s ongoing genocidal aggression in Gaza, Pakistanis have rallied in solidarity with the Palestinians in large numbers through street demonstrations, digital activism, and by responding to the calls for a boycott of products belonging to companies complicit in Israel’s violation of Palestinian rights.
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Emerging technologies

Project AVATAR: AI Future of Border Security?

Artificial Intelligence (AI) seems to be on the cusp of automating border security protocols and customs operations. The National Centre for Border Security and Immigration at the University of Arizona has developed an AI prototype called the ‘Automated Virtual Agent for Truth Assessments in Real Time’ (AVATAR). Funded by the US Department of Homeland Security (DHS), it has been designed on the principles of Machine Learning (ML), computer vision, and Natural Language Processing (NLP).
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Emerging technologies

Oppressive Automaton: Israel’s AI-Enabled Warfare

As militaries around the world contemplate the use of Artificial Intelligence (AI) in warfare, the onslaught of Israel in the Gaza Strip offers an important point of reflection. This article explores the AI system called ‘Gospel’ or ‘Habsorah’, pioneered by Unit 8200 – an Intelligence Corps Unit – of the Israeli Defense Forces (IDF).
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Economic Affairs & National Development

Making Pakistan’s Economic Recovery Sustainable

2023 began on a dismal note for Pakistan’s economy, as foreign exchange reserves were fast-depleting, remittances and exports were declining, the rupee was depreciating, industrial production was decreasing, and inflation surged – resulting from a confluence of multiple internal and external factors. In the months leading up to June, newspaper and media headlines continued to warn that the country’s economic crisis could soon morph into a sovereign default without a bailout loan from the International Monetary Fund (IMF).
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Aerospace

Aerospace Superiority: A New Normal in US-China Competition

In recent decades, there have been substantial developments in the aerospace industry around the globe. With considerable increase in funding, innovation in the aerospace sector has gained significant momentum, fostering more competition in the respective domain. In 2021, around USD10 billion capital was invested in space companies.
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Emerging technologies

Playing Catch Up: US-China Li-ion Battery Competition

As the world struggles to decouple from fossil fuels under the umbrella of a green future, the demand for critical minerals is increasing. The clean technology industry, like many others, relies upon critical minerals or ‘Rare Earth Elements’ extracted from the ground. Lithium is one such metal critical for electric rechargeable batteries heavily used in Electric Vehicles (EVs) and electrical grid storage.
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