SUNDAY FOCUS

UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson along with Gujarat CM Bhupendra Patel visited the JCB factory at Halol GIDC, Panchmahal in Gujarat on Thursday. The British PM climbed onto a JCB at the new factory and waved to the media.

Johnson, who arrived in India on Thursday morning, visited business tycoon Gautam Adani, who tweeted: "Honoured to host Boris Johnson, the first UK PM to visit Gujarat, at Adani HQ. Delighted to support climate & sustainability agenda with focus on renewables, green H2 & new energy. Will also work with UK companies to co-create defence & aerospace technologies. #AtmanirbharBharat."

PM Johnson will use his visit to India to boost ties with India, slashing trade barriers for UK businesses and driving jobs and growth at home.

Congress MP and man of many words Shashi Tharoor is back with a new word that is laced with sarcasm for his political opponents. “Quockerwodger” is the latest addition from the Tharoorosaurus to the Twitter lexicon and he explained the meaning of the word too.

"A quockerwodger was a type of wooden puppet. In politics, a quockerwodger was a politician acting on the instructions of an influential third party, rather than properly representing their constituents.”

Indian Youth Congress activists were detained on Thursday while staging a protest near union minister Hardeep Singh Puri’s residence against the anti-encroachment drive conducted by the North MCD in violence-hit Jahangirupri a day before, officials said. The IYC activists were detained from Akbar Road while they were trying to reach Puri’s residence, they said. In an official statement, IYC national president Srinivas BV said the BJP is pushing the country towards hatred and violence. “The ruling party is creating an atmosphere of hatred in the country. BJP’s conspiracy to trample on the truth, non-violence and justice will not succeed,” he said.

Millions of passengers everyday count on the Central Railway to lead their lives and business. Central Railway is known for its passenger-centricity and new initiatives.

Given the organization’s penchant for innovative technology usage, Central Railway under Non Fare Revenue has partnered to drive new-age conversational experiences for passengers during their journey.

Using Gupshup’s world-class conversational engagement solutions, Central Railway is making travel a richer, more intuitive and engaging experience every time. Recently, Central Railway introduced this interactive experience in Deccan Queen Express and planned to introduce in 10 more express trains.

Bengaluru based SSS Defence recently won a contract for upgradation of AK 47 rifles to the Indian Army’s Para Special Forces unit under South Western Command and has completed delivery of its Proprietary upgrade kits.

The closure of supply marked a key turning point in that SSS Defence has for the first time replaced an incumbent Israeli supplier – FAB Defence. The order was very small, however, with the ongoing Russia-Ukraine crisis; SSS Defence is expected to get a larger contract to upgrade the large number of Kalashnikov rifles in service.

Industry observers predict that the success of homegrown tech will only spur more startup’s and established OEM’s (Original Equipment Manufacturers) to venture into the area since India continues to rank among the largest importers of infantry systems.