With the war between Russia and Ukraine intensifying each day, billionaire banker and CEO of Kotak Mahindra Bank, Uday Kotak on Sunday drew people’s attention to the “one thing” that this war has taught us for sure.
Kotak spoke about how geography is an important factor when it comes to wars while stressing on India’s need to be even more self-reliant with two nuclear enabled neighbours, China and Pakistan, surrounding it.
“Be Atmanirbhar!,” Kotak emphasised, referring to India’s dependence on Russia for defence supplies.
“Ukraine Russia conflict highlights that geography matters. For India, with China on one side and Pakistan on the other, both nuclear enabled, our dependence on Russian military equipment, and US far away, we have challenges. One thing this war teaches for sure : be Atmanirbhar!,” he tweeted.
India has Russia as its biggest supplier of defence equipments. Further strengthening their ties, India and Russia in December 2021 signed 4 defence pacts. The allies inked an agreement for joint production of over six lakh AK-203 assault rifles at a manufacturing facility in Uttar Pradesh’s Amethi besides firming up another pact on military cooperation for 10 years.
The rifles will be manufactured for the Indian armed forces at a cost of around Rs 5000 crore.
A few days back, Mahindra Group chairman penned his views on the ongoing Russia-Ukraine crisis, remembering how he witnessed 2 wars during his childhood.
“I have lived through two wars during my childhood: ‘65 & ‘71. And I remember how spine chilling it was when air raid sirens went off in Mumbai. This sound has reawakened those nightmarish memories,” he tweeted.
The industrialist further added that the world doesn’t seem to have learned any lessons.
Russia-Ukraine war
Russia launched a full-blown invasion of Ukraine on Thursday, February 24, displacing over lakhs of citizens. Many Ukrainians even tried to cross over into neighbouring countries such as Hungary, Poland, Romania.
Meanwhile, as Russian troops continue their invasion of Ukraine, President Volodymyr Zelenskyy on Sunday announced the formation of the ‘International Legion of Territorial Defense of Ukraine’. According to his office, the new unit will comprise of foreigners looking to join the ‘resistance against Russian occupiers’.
“Anyone who wants to join the defense of security in Europe and the world can come and stand side by side with Ukrainians,” he asserted in a statement.
