How India is Building the India Middle East corridor? : Geopolitical Case Study

Think School
20 May 202418:24

Summary

TLDRThe video script discusses the strategic diplomatic efforts of Dr. J Shankar, India's External Affairs Minister, particularly during the Russia-Ukraine war and the Israel-Palestine conflict. It highlights how India secured discounted oil from Russia, curbing inflation, and maintained strong relations with both sides in the Middle East. The script introduces the India Middle East Economic Corridor (IMEC), a historic trade route that promises to bypass the Suez Canal, reduce shipping costs and time, and strengthen international ties. It also touches on the importance of securing undersea data cables and the potential of renewable energy corridors. The video concludes with lessons on diplomacy and strategic neutrality in international relations.

Takeaways

  • 🌟 Dr. J Shankar's diplomacy has significantly bolstered India's reputation and relationships on the global stage, particularly during the Russia-Ukraine conflict.
  • 🛢️ India secured discounted oil from Russia, which helped curb inflation in 2021, by navigating the pressure from the West.
  • 💹 The India Middle East economic Corridor (IMEC) is a strategic trade route proposed by India, US, Europe, and Arab Nations to diversify from the Red Sea-Suez Canal route.
  • 🚂 IMEC offers a faster and more cost-effective alternative to the traditional route, with the potential to reduce shipping costs by 30% and time by 40%.
  • 🌐 The IMEC also includes plans for a trans-Eurasia cable system to protect data cables from geopolitical threats and avoid maritime choke points.
  • 🔌 The interconnected solar grid and hydrogen corridor are part of IMEC, aiming to accelerate the adoption of renewable energy.
  • 🤝 India's non-alignment strategy has allowed it to maintain strong relationships with both Russia and the West, as well as with Israel and Arab countries.
  • 📈 The IMEC positions India at the center of world trade, with potential economic benefits for the country and its partners.
  • ⚖️ Dr. J Shankar's diplomatic approach demonstrates the importance of strategic economic and security considerations in international relations.
  • 👉 Entrepreneurs and businesses can learn from India's diplomatic strategies to navigate complex global situations and protect their interests.
  • 💡 The art of diplomacy, as exemplified by Dr. J Shankar, involves skillful communication and negotiation to achieve favorable outcomes.

Q & A

  • What significant actions has Dr. J Shankar taken since becoming the External Affairs Minister of India?

    -Dr. J Shankar has taken actions that have bolstered India's reputation and relationships during the Russia-Ukraine war. He protected India from Western pressure, allowing the country to secure discounted oil from Russia, which helped curb inflation in 2021.

  • How did India manage to navigate the geopolitical tensions during the Russia-Ukraine conflict?

    -India strategically sold services to the US and bought oil from Russia, positioning itself in a sweet spot of world trade without facing sanctions. This was achieved by not openly supporting Moscow's invasion and maintaining a neutral stance.

  • What is the India Middle East Economic Corridor (IMEC) and why is it significant?

    -The India Middle East Economic Corridor (IMEC) is a proposed trade route that aims to reduce dependence on the Suez Canal and provide an alternative to China's Belt and Road Initiative. It is significant because it connects countries with a combined GDP of $47 trillion and is seen as a crucial instrument for global economic growth.

  • How does the IMEC address the issue of geopolitical tensions affecting trade routes?

    -The IMEC provides an alternative trade route that bypasses traditional maritime choke points, such as the Suez Canal, by using a combination of shipping lanes, railways, and undersea cables passing through various countries.

  • What are the benefits of the IMEC for India's economy?

    -The IMEC is expected to reduce shipping costs by 30% and decrease shipping time by 40% compared to the Suez Canal route. It also strengthens relationships with Europe, the US, and Arab countries, and positions India at the center of world trade.

  • What is the importance of the undersea data cable network for global communication?

    -The undersea data cable network is crucial as it supports 95% of global communication data flows, including personal communications and digital transactions. Any disruption to these cables can lead to significant drops in internet capability or complete loss of access.

  • How does the IMEC address the risk of undersea data cable disruptions?

    -The IMEC includes the Trans EUR Asia Cable System, a 20,000 km cable network connecting Mumbai and Marseille in France. This system avoids maritime choke points and goes via land through the UAE and Saudi Arabia, providing a secure alternative to existing undersea cables.

  • What are the geopolitical implications of the IMEC for India's relationships with other nations?

    -The IMEC enhances India's strategic position by fostering strong diplomatic and trade relationships with both Western nations and Russia, as well as with Israel and Arab countries, despite ongoing conflicts.

  • What lessons can entrepreneurs learn from India's diplomatic strategy as highlighted in the script?

    -Entrepreneurs can learn to prioritize their interests and maintain healthy relationships without aligning with any particular side, focusing on strategic economic and security considerations rather than emotional affinity.

  • How does the script describe the art of diplomacy in international relations?

    -The script describes diplomacy as the art of tactfully addressing conflicts or disagreements in a way that maintains or even strengthens relationships, using Dr. J Shankar's handling of international relations as an example.

  • What is the role of the India Middle East Economic Corridor in countering China's influence in global trade?

    -The IMEC serves as an alternative to China's Belt and Road Initiative, providing a different route for global trade that does not rely on Chinese-controlled infrastructure, thus reducing dependency and potential influence of China in global trade dynamics.

Outlines

00:00

🌏 Dr. J Shankar's Diplomatic Strategies and India's Economic Growth

This paragraph discusses the diplomatic efforts of Dr. J Shankar, India's External Affairs Minister, and their impact on India's economic growth and international relations. It highlights how Dr. Shankar navigated the geopolitical tensions during the Russia-Ukraine war, securing discounted oil from Russia, which helped curb inflation in India. The paragraph also touches on India's strategic position in global trade, its non-alliance strategy, and the India Middle East Economic Corridor, which is set to become an alternative to China's Belt and Road initiative. The economic corridor is a significant development, involving multiple countries and sectors, and is seen as a counterbalance to China's rising influence.

05:02

🚢 The Red Sea Route and Its Impact on Indian Trade

This section delves into the critical nature of the Red Sea and Suez Canal route for India's trade with Europe, which carries a significant portion of India's trade and crude oil imports. It outlines the problems associated with this route, such as the risk of blockages leading to increased shipping costs and geopolitical tensions in the region. The paragraph emphasizes the vulnerability of this single shipping route and the potential economic repercussions for India if it were to be disrupted, such as the need for a lengthy detour around the Cape of Good Hope.

10:02

🔄 The India Middle East Economic Corridor (IMEC): A New Trade Route

The paragraph introduces the India Middle East Economic Corridor (IMEC) as an innovative solution to the challenges posed by the traditional Red Sea route. It describes the two legs of the IMEC, which offer an alternative route for trade that bypasses the Suez Canal. The Eastern leg involves shipping goods from Indian ports to a Middle Eastern port, followed by rail transport through Saudi Arabia and Jordan to Israel's Mediterranean coast. The Western leg then ships the goods to European ports. This new route is presented as a means to reduce dependence on the Suez Canal, offering faster and cheaper shipping options while strengthening relationships with Europe, the US, and Arab nations.

15:04

🌐 The Importance of Undersea Data Cables and the Trans EUR Asia Cable System

This section discusses the vital role of undersea data cables in global communication and the risks associated with them, such as potential damage that can disrupt internet access and telecommunication traffic. It highlights the strategic competition between China and the US in controlling these cables and China's aggressive expansion in this area. The paragraph introduces the Trans EUR Asia cable system, a 20,000 km network planned under the IMEC, which aims to connect Mumbai and Marseille, bypassing maritime choke points and offering a secure and direct route for data transmission.

🤝 Lessons in Diplomacy and Strategic Business Relations

The final paragraph reflects on the lessons that can be learned from India's diplomatic strategies and their application to business. It emphasizes the importance of focusing on one's own interests, especially in times of conflict, and the need for strategic economic and security considerations in international relations. The paragraph also touches on the art of diplomacy, suggesting that it involves tactfully navigating disagreements while maintaining positive relationships, a skill that entrepreneurs can apply in their business dealings.

Mindmap

Keywords

💡Dr. J Shankar

Dr. J Shankar is mentioned as India's External Affairs Minister who has played a significant role in shaping India's foreign policy and economic strategies. In the video's narrative, he is credited with protecting India from Western pressure to buy oil at a premium during the Russia-Ukraine war, thus securing discounted oil from Russia and helping India curb inflation. His name is synonymous with the diplomatic efforts that have positioned India favorably in international trade.

💡Russia-Ukraine War

The Russia-Ukraine War is a central context in the video, illustrating the geopolitical tensions that have influenced global trade dynamics. The script discusses how India, under Dr. J Shankar's leadership, navigated this conflict by maintaining a balanced stance, allowing the country to secure energy resources without aligning with either side, which is a key example of India's diplomatic strategy.

💡Inflation

Inflation is an economic term referring to the rate at which the general level of prices for goods and services is rising, and subsequently, purchasing power is falling. In the video, it is mentioned that securing discounted oil from Russia helped India curb inflation in 2021, showcasing the direct impact of international relations on domestic economic stability.

💡Energy Purchases

Energy purchases are a significant aspect of international trade, especially in the context of the video which discusses India's strategic buying of oil from Russia. The script suggests that while Europe's focus should be on its own energy needs, India's purchases, though substantial, are less than what Europe does in a day, indicating the scale of global energy trade.

💡Diplomatic Non-Alliance Strategy

The diplomatic non-alliance strategy is a key concept in the video, highlighting India's approach to international relations, particularly during conflicts like the Russia-Ukraine war and the Israel-Palestine conflict. This strategy has allowed India to maintain friendly relations with multiple nations and avoid sanctions, which is crucial for the country's economic growth and stability.

💡India Middle East Economic Corridor (IMEC)

The India Middle East Economic Corridor (IMEC) is a proposed trade route discussed in the video as a revolutionary alternative to existing maritime routes. It is designed to reduce dependence on the Suez Canal and provide a more efficient, faster, and cheaper route for trade between India, the Middle East, and Europe. The IMEC is an example of India's diplomatic and economic foresight.

💡Suez Canal

The Suez Canal is a crucial maritime route that connects the Mediterranean Sea to the Red Sea, facilitating trade between Europe and Asia. In the video, it is highlighted as a potential chokepoint for global trade due to geopolitical tensions and its single-lane nature. The IMEC is presented as a solution to bypass these vulnerabilities.

💡Undersea Data Cables

Undersea data cables are critical infrastructure for global internet connectivity, as mentioned in the video. They are vulnerable to disruptions, which can have significant impacts on a nation's communication capabilities. The IMEC includes plans for a trans-Eurasia cable system to avoid maritime chokepoints and ensure data security.

💡Geopolitical Tension

Geopolitical tension refers to the strain and conflicts between nations due to various factors such as territory, resources, or political ideologies. The video discusses how such tensions, particularly in regions like the Red Sea and the Suez Canal, can disrupt trade routes and have economic repercussions, emphasizing the need for alternative strategies like the IMEC.

💡Renewable Energy

Renewable energy is a broad term encompassing energy from sources that are naturally replenishing, such as sunlight, wind, and water. The video briefly mentions the interconnected solar grid and hydrogen corridor as part of the IMEC, indicating India's commitment to adopting clean energy and reducing its carbon footprint.

💡Diplomacy

Diplomacy is the art and practice of conducting negotiations between representatives of groups, especially in international relations. The video concludes with the importance of diplomacy in securing a nation's interests, using Dr. J Shankar's strategies as examples of effective diplomatic practices that benefit India's economy and global standing.

Highlights

Dr. J Shankar's diplomatic efforts have bolstered India's reputation and relationships, particularly during the Russia-Ukraine war.

India secured discounted oil from Russia, helping to curb inflation in 2021 without succumbing to Western pressure.

India's energy purchases from Russia are minimal compared to Europe's, suggesting that buying Russian gas does not significantly fund the war.

India strategically sold services to the US and bought oil from Russia, positioning itself advantageously during the Russia-Ukraine conflict.

Dr. J Shankar criticized Europe's mindset that its problems are everyone's, but not vice versa.

India's non-alignment strategy has provided economic growth opportunities, such as the India Middle East economic Corridor.

In September 2023, India, US, UAE, Germany, Italy, and EU signed an agreement to place India at the center of world trade.

The India Middle East economic Corridor is being built as an alternative to China's Belt and Road Initiative.

Global leaders recognize the corridor as crucial for the world economy, with components like shipping lanes, railways, and undersea cables.

The corridor will pass through countries with a combined GDP of $47 trillion, offering significant economic potential.

Transcripts

play00:01

hi everybody ever since Dr J Shankar has

play00:04

taken office as the external affairs

play00:05

minister he has done some incredible

play00:07

things for the reputation and

play00:09

relationship of India during the Russia

play00:10

Ukraine war when the entire world was

play00:12

pressurizing us to buy oil at a premium

play00:15

Dr J Shankar protected us from the

play00:17

pressure of the West so that we could

play00:19

get discounted oil from Russia and that

play00:21

helped India curb inflation in 2021 if

play00:24

you're looking at energy purchases from

play00:26

Russia I would suggest that your

play00:28

attention should be focused on Europe

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but I suspect looking at the figures

play00:32

probably uh our total purchases for the

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month would be less than what Europe

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does in an afteron tell me buying

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Russian gas is not funding the W I mean

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why is it's only Indian money and oil

play00:44

coming to India which funds but it's not

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gas coming to Europe which FS while the

play00:48

entire world got divided between

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supporting the US and Russia during the

play00:51

Russia Ukraine war we were very

play00:53

strategically able to sell our services

play00:55

to the US and buy oil from Russia the

play00:57

Russian military has began a brutal

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assault on on the people of

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Ukraine without provocation without

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justification without necessity this is

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a premeditated attack he's attacked a

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friendly country without any

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[Music]

play01:20

provocation while didn't openly support

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Moscow in its invasion of Ukraine Europe

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has to grow out of the mindset that

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Europe's problems are the world's

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problems but the world's problems are

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not Europe's problems so we were

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literally in The Sweet Spot of World

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Trade without getting sanctioned

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similarly now when the world is divided

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into two parts because of the Israel

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Palestine conflict because of our

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diplomacy again we are best friends both

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with the Israelis as well as the Arabs

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now 99% of India Only Knows up to this

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point but what they don't know is that

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this diplomatic non-alliance strategy

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even during the most critical times has

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given India a golden instrument of

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growth this instrument is called the

play02:03

India Middle East economic Corridor to

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tell you about it in September 2023 in

play02:09

the G20 Summit India us UA Germany Italy

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and EU we all came together to sign an

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agreement that will put India at the

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center of World Trade global leaders

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announced a historic economic

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trade Asia or Europe economic

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and the upcoming economic Corridor is

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being built as an alternative to China's

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PR and this agreement is so so crucial

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that all leaders across the world from

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Muhammad bin Salman to Netanyahu to even

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Biden have addressed this Corridor as a

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crucial instrument of growth for the

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world economy and this route has

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everything from shipping lanes to

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Railways to even under sea cables and

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solar grids passing through countries

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with a GDP of $47 trillion

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and cherry on the cake this is perhaps

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the best strategy for us to counter the

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rising power of China this is one of the

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most important contributions of Dr J

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Shankar and his diplomatic Mastery over

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international relations so in this

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episode today let's try to understand

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what is this India Middle East economic

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Corridor how did J Shankar's diplomacy

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help us build the India Middle East

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economic Corridor how will it help the

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economy of India and most importantly

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what are the business lessons that we

play03:26

can learn from this diplomatic Mastery

play03:28

of India

play03:31

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play04:53

[Music]

play04:56

out as usual let's start with the basics

play04:59

you see the EU and us are India's

play05:01

biggest trading partners and we trade

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more than100 billion worth of goods and

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as of now our trade happens through a

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single shipping route this route is none

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other than the Red Sea Swiss Canal route

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and here's where there is a big big

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problem so if a cloth manufacturer in

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Mumbai wants to send his products to

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Greece he would load his Goods in a ship

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at gmpt Port and then this ship would

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pass through the Arabian Sea get into

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the Red Sea via babble day and then it

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would cross the busy Swiss Canal to get

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into the Mediterranean Sea and finally

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it would reach Europe this journey takes

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anywhere between 15 to 16 days similarly

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65% I repeat 65% of India's crude oil

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imports from Iraq and Saudi Arabia pass

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through the Swiss canal and even a trade

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with North Africa depends on this exact

play05:51

same route now the reason why this is a

play05:54

big big problem is because if anything

play05:57

happens to this route our crude oil

play05:59

prices will will Skyrocket our exports

play06:01

will become costly and the Indian

play06:03

economy will be drastically affected

play06:05

because if this route is closed then the

play06:07

ships will have to go all the way down

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to the Cape of Good Hope around Africa

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and then reach India and this route will

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add another 8,900 km to the shipping

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route and two more weeks to the shipping

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time as a result the cost of a Goods

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will shoot up and inflation will happen

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in India now you might say bro what are

play06:25

you saying we've been using this route

play06:27

for 150 years now then how is this

play06:29

suddenly a problem

play06:31

today well firstly it is estimated that

play06:34

30% of the container volumes and 12% of

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the international trade occurs through

play06:38

this region so there is a lot of traffic

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in this single Channel and what makes

play06:42

matters worse is that out of this 190

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kilom odd Swiss Canal about 80 km as in

play06:49

half of this canal is just a single Lane

play06:51

so if any ship gets stuck over here or

play06:53

even if there is a minor bombing that

play06:55

happens in this Lane this Lane will be

play06:57

closed for a very long time in fact we

play06:59

all know what happened in 2021 when a

play07:02

ship got stuck in this canal for just 6

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days right now it's one of the world's

play07:06

most important shipping routes and it's

play07:08

blocked a giant container ship wedged

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from bank to bank blocking one of the

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world's most important shipping lanes

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but this is no ordinary Highway blockage

play07:18

nearly 19,000 ships pass through a year

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more than 50 a day carrying around 12%

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of the World's Trade volume ever given

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which I'm sure you've been following is

play07:29

is 400 m long carrying 18,000 containers

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and it's been wedged across the canal so

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just because of this one ship a large

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chunk of the World Trade was stopped

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there were huge delays and losses to the

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Traders and insurance premiums went up

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as a result there was a temporary Trade

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crisis a shipping crisis and shortage of

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goods were felt all across the world so

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in short this is a very small and

play07:53

congested route for World Trade secondly

play07:56

there is a lot of geopolitical tension

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in this region and a classic example the

play07:59

same is the Red Sea conflict the war in

play08:01

Gaza has spilled over into the Red Sea

play08:04

with the hoodis attacking commercial

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vessels in the globally critical

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water Iran is not doing anything hisbah

play08:16

is not retaliating but Yemen's huis are

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doing a lot and if you remember from our

play08:22

example because of the Red Sea conflict

play08:24

because this region was blocked again

play08:27

the ships had to go all the way down to

play08:29

the ape of Good Hope and around Africa

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to reach Europe so again shipping cost

play08:34

and time both shot up this is how this

play08:36

conflict alone increased the shipping

play08:38

cost by 40 to 60% and caused delays of

play08:41

re-rooting by 20 days eventually to lead

play08:44

to a 15 15 to 20% high in insurance

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premium and a ton of headache to the

play08:48

Indian Industries this is a second

play08:51

problem with the existing trade route

play08:53

and lastly whenever a ship passes

play08:54

through the Swiss Canal they have to pay

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$400,000 to 700 ,000 to Egypt as a form

play09:01

of tax almost like toll tax which again

play09:04

increases the cost of trade these are

play09:06

the major problems with the existing

play09:08

Swiss Canal route so now the question is

play09:10

what do we do we can't stop the

play09:12

terrorist from attacking and we cannot

play09:13

control geopolitics and the only

play09:16

alternate route that we have adds

play09:17

another 8,900 km to the shipping route

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so what exactly is the

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solution well it is shocking to know

play09:25

that the entire world has been stuck

play09:28

with this problem for one 150 years so

play09:31

the question is what can we do

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differently now well ladies and

play09:35

gentlemen this is a reason why we have

play09:37

something called the India Middle East

play09:39

economic Corridor which has been

play09:41

proposed by India us Europe and the Arab

play09:44

Nations so the question over here is

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what is so magical about this route that

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it is now able to solve a 150y old

play09:51

problem well let's try to understand

play09:53

this by taking the same example as

play09:54

before so let's say the same Trader in

play09:56

Mumbai wants to send his clothes to

play09:58

Europe and he's not not able to use the

play10:00

Red Sea route due to the geopolitical

play10:01

conflict but this time instead of the

play10:04

long route from the Cape of Good Hope he

play10:06

has a better alternative and that is the

play10:09

IMC or India Middle East economic

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Corridor IMC has two legs an Eastern leg

play10:15

and a western leg in the Eastern leg he

play10:17

would simply use the Indian ports like

play10:19

Mundra or gmpd and this ship would take

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his Goods to a middle eastern Port like

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jabali port in the UA then these Goods

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would move by rail from the jabel port

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in UAE to Israel's hafia port on the

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Mediterranean Coast after transiting

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through Saudi Arabia and Jordan and then

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the Western leg of the corridor would

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put these containers back on the ships

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in hafia and then take them to European

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ports across the European Union and

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here's where we have territories like

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France Italy and Germany eventually all

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these Goods will reach their respective

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destinations in Europe so do you realize

play10:54

people we are breaking the 150y old

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bottleneck and more importantly the

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Israeli and the Arabs have never had

play11:01

such a wonderful relationship in the

play11:03

history of the world and this route

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ladies and gentlemen is so so crucial

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that it gives us three incredible

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superpowers firstly it reduces our

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dependence on the Swiss Canal secondly

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it could be 40% faster because

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high-speed freight trains would travel

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at 120 km per hour which is literally

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four times faster than the ships so this

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route is both 30% cheaper and 40% faster

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as compared to the Swiss Canal route and

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cherry on the cake this route will

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strengthen our relationship with Europe

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us and the Arab countries by a large

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large extent so do you realize in spite

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of being best friends with Russia Europe

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and us both are signing such an

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important deal with us in spite of the

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Israel Palestine conflict we are best

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wins both with the Israelis and the

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Arabs so much so that we are building

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the most revolutionary trade route in

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the history of the world and that to

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together this is the power of having a

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strong diplomatic relationship even

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during the times of conflict and this is

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what I consider to be one of the most

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important contributions of Dr ja Shanker

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and guess what the story doesn't end

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here do you see this map these are

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nothing but data cables that connect the

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entire world to the internet and every

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single country and continent that has

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internet today is directly or indirectly

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connected to this vast network of cables

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so when you send an Instagram real to

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your friend in the us the data typically

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travels through a series of cables it

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starts from your device and each packet

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of data including video text or image it

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is rooted through the most efficient

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path possible to reach its destination

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and this packet travels through

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thousands of miles under the ocean to

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reach your friend's phone in the US and

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this infrastructure is extremely crucial

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because it supports not just personal

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Communications but even digital

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Communications like business

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transactions streaming services and much

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more and this cable infrastructure is so

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so important that 95% I repeat 95% of

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our communication data flows through

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these cables so if someone cuts off

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these cables that particular country or

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continent will either lose access to the

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internet or will see a significant drop

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in its internet capability and just like

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how the Red Sea route is a maritime

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choke point this is an undersea data

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choke point of the world and you know

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what guys just like the houti rebels

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attacked cargo ships in the Babel Monday

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they even attacked the undersea cables

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in March and damaged these cables and

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this is what happened after that cable

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Warfare is Raging posing a grave threat

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to Global Communication three undersea

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cables in the Red Sea have been cut as a

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result global internet and

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telecommunication traffic of Asia

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including India Europe and the Middle

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East has been rerooted the Red Sea is

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the chief Target for ven's Ry Rebels and

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you know they say that if you blind a

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soldier for a minute you have control of

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of his life and if you blind a nation

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for 24 hours you can take control of

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that nation and these data cables are a

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gateway to choke Us in such a way that

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Any Nation can take control of us if

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they blind us for 24 hours so in short

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we need to protect this data cable choke

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point at any cost the question is how do

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we do it well this is where there is a

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battle between China and the US to

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capture the undersea cable network to

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tell you about it as of now American

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companies have most of the control of

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these undersea cables but in the past 10

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years China has been laying its own

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cables and it's been connecting Europe

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Africa and Asia with its own data cables

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in fact by 2025 they aim to have 60%

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market share in the undersea data cable

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market so if you see this chart there's

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a company called hmn Tech which is a

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Chinese cable company their undersea

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cables are connecting Africa South

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America Pakistan Sri Lanka and even

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other European and Middle Eastern

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countries but just like solar ingots and

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lithium here if we become dependent on

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China we are literally giving away our

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Lifeline to our Rivals so India just

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cannot afford to let this situation

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happen this is the reason why again IMC

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has planned something called trans EUR

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Asia cable system this is a 20,000 km

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cable network which will connect Mumbai

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and martial in France and just like the

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imsc trade route avoided the Swiss Canal

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route this submarine cable will avoid

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the maritime choke point and go via land

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through UAE and Saudi Arabia this is a

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second risk that IMC is helping India

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avoid and lastly there's something

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called the interconnected solar grid and

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hydrogen Corridor solar grid is

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something that I've already covered in

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our previous case stud so we attach the

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link to it in the description for

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hydrogen we will again cover it in a

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separate episode if you would love to

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know about the hydrogen Corridor but as

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of now I think it's already information

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overload so let's SK it for this time

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but long story short both the

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interconnected solar grid and the

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hydrogen Corridor will help us adopt

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renewable energy faster than ever this

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is how the Diplomatic Master stroke of

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India is giving us the superpower of

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bypassing the Swiss Canal is helping us

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bring down the cost of shipping by 30%

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it is helping us bring down the time of

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shipping by 40% it is helping us protect

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our data cables and most importantly

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this route will put us in the perfect

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sweet spot to trade with the West while

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holding a healthy relationship with

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Russia this is the power of diplomacy in

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international relations and event

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actually it brings us to the last part

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of the episode and that are the lessons

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that we need to learn from this iconic

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position of India in World economy

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lesson number one unless a conflict

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happens in your backyard it is not your

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business to be worried about others

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problems in this case while Russia

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Ukraine have been fighting while us and

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Russia have been fighting we minded our

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own business and did what is best for us

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and did not align with anyone lesson

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number two there is a wise saying which

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says that in geopolitics there are no

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friends only interests which means

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international relations are priv

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primarily driven by strategic economic

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and security considerations rather than

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emotional Affinity in this case no

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matter how much we feel for the people

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of Ukraine we cannot align ourselves

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with anyone because if we do we will put

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our economy at risk and our people at

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risk and as much as this sounds brutal

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even as entrepreneurs we need to

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understand that a business relationship

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with no economic or Strategic Benefit is

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not a business relationship at all so

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have healthy relationships but not at

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the cost of your business and this

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especially applies for those clients who

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say do this project for us for free and

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we will get you more clients with our

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referrals and lastly always remember

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diplomacy is the art of telling people

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to go to hell in such a way that they

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start asking you for directions I repeat

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diplomacy is the art of telling people

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to go to hell in such a way that they

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start asking you for directions and Dr J

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Shanker is clearly great at it so the

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question is as entrepreneurs are we

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mastering the art of diplomacy reflect

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on this question and let me know in the

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comments that's all from my side for

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today guys if you learn something

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valuable please make sure to hit the

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like button in order to make you baba

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happy and for more such insightful

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business and political case studies

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please subscribe to our Channel thank

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you so much for watching I will see you

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in the next one bye-bye

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[Music]

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[Music]

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Related Tags
DiplomacyGlobal TradeIndiaRussia-UkraineEconomic CorridorGeopoliticalTrade RoutesData CablesRenewable EnergyShipping CostsInternational Relations