India

Intelligence for Better Decision Making

Elon Musk’s Visit to India Spurs Progress in EV, Renewable Energy, and Space Sectors
April 21, 2025 | Indirect Indicator

Elon Musk’s upcoming visit to India aims to accelerate collaborations in electric vehicles, renewable energy, and space exploration.

**Elon Musk will travel to India later this year after a series of high‑level discussions with Prime Minister Narendra Modi on enhancing US‑India cooperation in technology and innovation.**
Their talks, building on an earlier meeting in Washington, D.C., spanned advancements in electric vehicles, renewable energy and space exploration, reflecting India’s interest in deepening partnerships across these strategic sectors.

**During their most recent conversation, Prime Minister Modi emphasized India’s commitment to expanding ties with Musk’s ventures, citing the country’s vast market potential and its strategic priorities in technology development.**
Musk called the dialogue an honor and pointed to the alignment of his goals with India’s objectives. His three children accompanied him to the February meeting, and he also serves in the current US administration as head of the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE), which works to streamline government expenditure and workforce.

**Negotiations on SpaceX’s Starlink project have advanced in parallel.**
In March 2025, Mukesh Ambani’s Reliance Jio announced a partnership with SpaceX to deliver Starlink satellite internet services across India, and Bharti Airtel confirmed a similar agreement to introduce high‑speed satellite broadband. These moves illustrate strong interest among leading Indian telecom operators in supplementing terrestrial networks with low‑latency satellite connectivity.

**On the electric vehicle front, Tesla is discussing a potential local manufacturing facility with Indian officials but may defer large‑scale production to secure lower import duties.**
The company is currently completing certification and homologation processes, with market entry possible within two to three months.

**Meanwhile, Tesla Inc.’s stock has fallen over 30 percent in the past month.**
Market observers attribute the decline to disappointing quarterly sales figures and investor concerns that Musk’s expanding political engagement may divide his focus from corporate responsibilities.
US Escalates F-1 Visa Revocations for Indian Students Amid Legal and Diplomatic Pushback
April 21, 2025 | Indirect Indicator

The United States has intensified its cancellation of F‑1 student visas for Indian nationals, prompting legal challenges and diplomatic action from New Delhi.


US authorities have sharply increased student visa cancellations, with Indian nationals accounting for roughly half of all recent revocations. The American Immigration Lawyers Association (AILA) surveyed more than 4,000 revocation notices issued over two months and found that about 50 percent targeted Indian students, followed by Chinese nationals. AILA also documented 327 cases of visa revocations and SEVIS terminations, half involving Indian students and the remainder including Chinese (14 percent), South Korean, Nepalese and Bangladeshi nationals.

**US officials attribute this surge to an AI‑assisted vetting program launched by Secretary of State Marco Rubio, which flags students based on politically sensitive social media posts.**
Concurrently, the Department of Homeland Security has intensified scrutiny of students whose names appear in police and immigration compliance databases. The government maintains that it reviews all foreign visa holders continuously, regardless of nationality, and denies any discriminatory targeting.

**Alongside these administrative reviews, many cancellations arose from relatively minor infractions—traffic violations, resolved low‑level criminal charges or procedural breaches—rather than explicit political activity.**
Delays in notifying students of SEVIS terminations have led to unintentional overstays and additional complications. Nearly half of those affected were participating in Optional Practical Training (OPT) after graduation, complicating efforts to restore valid student status.

**To challenge these actions, students have filed cases in several US district courts, and judges in some instances have issued temporary restraining orders allowing those students to remain enrolled pending adjudication.**
Four international students, including Indian national Chinmay Deore, sued the Department of Homeland Security over what they describe as unjust revocations. Another student, Ranjani Srinivasan, opted for self‑deportation after taking part in protests. In response, the Indian Ministry of External Affairs set up support channels and has been in contact with affected nationals.

**Back in India, Congress MP Jairam Ramesh urged External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar to raise the issue in bilateral talks.**
These revocations coincided with a 23 percent year‑on‑year increase in Indian enrollment at US higher education institutions, making Indians the largest group of foreign students in the United States. Since January, US authorities have recorded around 682 deportations, mainly for alleged illegal entry or visa status violations following SEVIS termination.

**Upcoming high‑level talks in Delhi between US Vice President J.D.**
Vance, senior State Department officials and Indian government representatives will cover a wide range of bilateral issues. It remains unclear whether they will formally address the rising number of student visa cancellations and the resulting legal, economic and diplomatic consequences.

Monitored Intelligence for India - April 22, 2025


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Erudite Risk takes an all risks approach to intelligence reporting. We categorize key intelligence into one of 40 different risk intelligence categories.

The goal is to provide intelligence that allows decision makers to avoid being blindsided by what they may have missed, while informing them to make better decisions as well.

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India, Malaysia to co-chair 14th ADMM-Plus Experts Working Group meeting on Counter-Terrorism in New Delhi

Indonesia News | English | News | April 21, 2025 | Terrorism

The 14th meeting of the ASEAN Defence Ministers' Meeting-Plus (ADMM-Plus) Experts Working Group (EWG) on Counter-Terrorism will take place in New Delhi from March 19 to 20, 2025. India and Malaysia will co-chair this significant event, marking India's first time in this role. The meeting will be attended by delegations from ten ASEAN nations, eight dialogue partners, Timor Leste, and the ASEAN Secretariat.

Keynote address will be delivered by Defence Secretary Shri Rajesh Kumar Singh at the opening ceremony on March 19. The discussions will aim to develop a comprehensive strategy to address the evolving threats of terrorism and extremism, while sharing on-ground experiences of the Defence Forces from participating countries. This meeting sets the groundwork for various planned activities for the EWG on Counter-Terrorism for the cycle spanning 2024 to 2027.

The ADMM-Plus, a collaboration platform for defence establishments of participating countries, focuses on seven practical cooperation areas, including counterterrorism and maritime security. Each EWG is co-chaired by an ASEAN member and a dialogue partner, with their responsibilities including establishing objectives and conducting regular meetings, culminating in exercises to evaluate progress at the end of the three-year cycle.

NVIDIA: Can the world’s top AI chipmaker survive without China? $5.5B wiped as Washington tightens grip on trade

The Economic Times | English | News | April 18, 2025 | Geopolitical Conflict and Disputes

Nvidia is facing significant financial challenges as the U.S. government imposes new restrictions on the sale of its H20 AI chips to China. In a recent stock market filing, the company revealed that these changes would result in a $5.5 billion write-off due to the need for special export licenses, which are expected to remain in place indefinitely. This move, part of a broader initiative by the Trump administration to limit China's access to advanced technology, has caused Nvidia's stock to drop over 6% in after-hours trading.

The U.S. Commerce Department justified the restrictions on national security grounds, citing fears that advanced AI technologies could be used for military purposes in China. Previously, Nvidia had adjusted the H20 chip to comply with earlier regulations that prohibited the sale of its most advanced chips to China, hoping to maintain its market presence. However, the new licensing requirements effectively eliminate Nvidia's ability to sell the H20 in China, which had been crucial for the country's AI development, particularly for projects like the generative AI model R1 developed by DeepSeek.

Analysts have expressed concern over the strategic implications of these restrictions, as Nvidia had relied on China for 13% of its sales last year. While some argue that the financial impact may be manageable, industry experts warn that this could compound China's efforts to become technologically self-reliant. Companies such as Huawei and Cambroon are reportedly intensifying their development with the aim of closing the performance gap with Nvidia and other American chipmakers. The underlying concern is that escalating tech tensions could hinder global innovation and economic growth.

The restrictions have broader ramifications for global markets, as the World Trade Organization lowers its growth forecasts amid rising anxiety over the U.S.-China tech battle. Nvidia's stock drop has contributed to declines in major stock indexes like the Nasdaq and S&P 500. The ongoing conflict extends beyond chips, encompassing areas of AI, military capabilities, and geopolitical dominance, raising questions about the sustainability of innovation and cooperation in the global tech landscape.

Deal: Trilegal assisted Poppe + Potthoff in a joint venture with Lal Baba Engineering

Trilegal | English | AcademicThink | April 18, 2025 | UndeterminedBizdev-Partnering

Trilegal has provided legal assistance to Poppe + Potthoff, a leader in fuel injection tube technology, in forming a joint venture with Lal Baba Engineering, an Indian manufacturer of seamless pipes and tubes. This collaboration is focused on developing a modern manufacturing facility in India that will produce mother hollows and cold-drawn tubes, specifically targeting the automotive sector.

The Joint Venture Agreement includes a technological and knowledge-sharing component along with a complex tripartite supply arrangement between entities of Poppe + Potthoff and Lal Baba Engineering. This initiative is intended to contribute to the Make in India program, leveraging Poppe + Potthoff's expertise in cold-drawn seamless tubes and Lal Baba's capabilities in manufacturing mother hollows. The facility is expected to bolster both domestic and international markets, reinforcing India's position as a hub for automotive components.

The Trilegal Corporate Team handling this deal was led by Partners Delano Furtado, Kosturi Ghosh, and Adhunika Premkumar, with support from Senior Associates Rohit Beerapalli and Aakarsh Kumar, and Associates Pranika Correa, Anoushka Gahilot, and Punit Sanwal. Trilegal is recognized as one of India’s leading law firms, with accolades that include M&A Firm of the Year by IFLR Asia-Pacific 2024 and recognition for Client Service Excellence by Asia Law Awards 2021.

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