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This would completely change the world perception of India, and it wouldn't bode well with regards to having any sort of international support in their troubles

This would completely change the world perception of India, and it wouldn't bode well with regards to having any sort of international support in their troubles with Pakistan, China, or any other neighbors. The West ought to work with India to help with alternative sourcing of fertilizer.

jelliclesfarm 5y ago
India relies on Russian spare parts for our ships and planes. Russia has stood behind India when everyone else abandoned. USA just left behind billions of arms and weapons in Afghanistan that is being sold as parts and transported to Pakistan. With whom there is still border conflict. What do you think India should do?
- oliwarner 5y ago
  Make their own. Seriously, spare parts is such a silly reason. India has fairly diverse access to primary resources, a growing manufacturing sector, a solid education system. It's time to make your own stuff. Or they can risk it all to prop up a dictator.
  - blip54321 5y ago
    Not very practical. India is among the densest countries in the world. Resources per unit population are pathetically low. Russia is among the least dense. India is 1.4 billion people, and Russia is 140 million -- ten times as many people. Russia is 17 million square kilometers, while India is 3 million. Russia is 5-6 times as large. That's 50-60 times the density. Flow of natural resources out of Russia into India is the natural state of things. I do think India ought to decouple, but it's not that easy. The economic hit will be large. The West should take some of that hit. Without the US and Canada stepping in, India can't decouple from Russia. Both sides ought to know that, and cooperate.
    - oliwarner 5y ago
      Raw density doesn't mean nearly as much as mineral geography and availability. It's because of the number of people that there's a race to the bottom in terms of wages. Skilled labour is almost half the price in India, $7kpa vs $13kpa (old Russian XR). Secondary materials like steel are 80% the price in India. Harvest materials like cotton and rubbers come from India in the first place. I'm not suggesting that the process would be free or fast or painless, but risking sanctions for something that could be in-housed for a relatively small in-house fee, and long term savings seems like a stupid thing to do. India needs an external market more than anything; certainly more than spare parts.
- sidibe 5y ago
  I don't know but now is not the time to suck up to this Russian regime, the next one might not look kindly on it, not to mention the rest of the world
Andaith 5y ago
According to the article: "Russia and Belarus usually account for nearly a third of India's total potash imports. It would not be feasible to replace them amid a rally in fertilizer prices to a record high, a senior industry official told Reuters."
- ridiculous_leke 5y ago
  Indeed. Reportedly, Belarus and Russia have a third of world's Potash reserves.
webmobdev 5y ago
As if the west has ever cared about these things, when it comes to India. /s Our conflict with Pakistan exists because the US wants to hold back India's progress and needs an excuse to interfere in the indian sub-continent. The US is still one of the consistent arm suppliers of Pakistan that has mostly always been used against India (3+ wars and counting). This despite the fact that India is a flourishing democracy that respects western values, while Pakistan has had many dictators over the last 5+ decades. Even during the Bangladesh liberation wars, the US threatened India by sending its nuclear fleet to force it to back down. They have consistently created hurdles or denied us access to technology to cripple our defence research and development (once even offering major concessions to Russia so to deny us technology transfer of cryogenic engines used in rockets and missiles). And yet, despite the underlying US suspicion and hostility against India, we have progressed and earned the goodwill of the international community on our own merits. (And I won't even get into the geo politics of what it means for India to be under the political sphere of control of Russia ...).
- jelliclesfarm 5y ago
  My family has served in the Indian Army and Air Force for multiple generations. Still do .. to this day.. I grew up with stories..this was sent by one of my brothers.. [..] India abstained from voting against Russia today at the UN. Many in India are criticizing India for this action. There is one reason... 50 years ago, in Dec 1971, the USA threatened India to stop the 1971 war. An alarmed India sent a SOS to the Soviet Union. A story that has been nearly erased from Indian history books. When Pakistan's defeat in the 1971 war seemed imminent, Kissinger spurred Nixon to send the US 7th Fleet’s Task Force, led by the nuclear-powered aircraft carrier USS Enterprise, to the Bay of Bengal. The USS Enterprise, at 75,000 ton, was the world's largest nuclear-powered aircraft carrier in the 1970s with more than 70 fighter aircraft. A monster. The Indian Navy’s fleet was led by the 20,000-ton aircraft carrier, Vikrant, with 20 light fighter aircraft. The USS Enterprise was being dispatched to secure American citizens in Bangladesh was the official American statement. Unofficially it was to threaten the Indian forces and prevent the liberation of East Pakistan. India soon got another bad news. Soviet intelligence reported to India that a powerful British naval group led by the aircraft carrier HMS Eagle with commando carrier HMS Albion, several destroyers and other ships were approaching India's territorial waters from the west, towards the Arabian Sea. The British and the Americans planned a coordinated pincer attack to intimidate India: the British ships in the Arabian Sea will target India's western coast, while the Americans would make a dash to Chittagong. Caught between the British & the American ships was the Indian Navy. It was December 1971, and the world’s two leading democracies were now threatening the world’s largest democracy. An SOS from Delhi was sent to Moscow. The Red Navy soon dispatched 16 Soviet naval units and six nuclear submarines from Vladivostok to block USS Enterprise. Admiral N. Krishnan, the chief of the Eastern Command of the Indian Navy, wrote in his book, 'No Way But Surrender' that he was afraid that the Americans will reach Chittagong. He mentions how they even thought of attacking Enterprise, in a do or die move, to slow it down. On December 2nd week 1971, the US 7th Fleet’s Task Force, led by the monstrous USS Enterprise arrived in the Bay of Bengal. The British fleet was arriving in the Arabian Sea. The world held its breath. But, unknown to the Americans, the submerged Soviet submarines had overtaken them. As USS Enterprise moved towards East Pakistan, the Soviet submarines surfaced without any warning. The Soviet subs were now standing between India and the US naval force. The Americans were shocked. Admiral Gordon told the 7th American Fleet Commander: "Sir, we are too late. The Soviets are here!" Both the American and British fleets backed off. Today, most Indians have forgotten about this colossal naval chess battle between the two superpowers in the Bay of Bengal[..]
rramadass 5y ago
>This would completely change the world perception of India Not at all. It is a perfectly understandable tactical move in support of a "neutral" strategy in the current Russian/Ukrainian War. There is a lot of History and Relationship here which cannot be denied.
morpheos137 5y ago
Mark my words. Eurasia is uniting. Notice the Gulf Arabs don't support NATO? Notice the Indians, after having been trampled by the British a century ago. Nor do the Chinese after having been force fed dope by the same. Seems like we are fast approaching the day when Anglo emperor has no clothes.

jelliclesfarm 5y ago

India relies on Russian spare parts for our ships and planes. Russia has stood behind India when everyone else abandoned. USA just left behind billions of arms and weapons in Afghanistan that is being sold as parts and transported to Pakistan. With whom there is still border conflict. What do you think India should do?

oliwarner 5y ago
Make their own. Seriously, spare parts is such a silly reason. India has fairly diverse access to primary resources, a growing manufacturing sector, a solid education system. It's time to make your own stuff. Or they can risk it all to prop up a dictator.
- blip54321 5y ago
  Not very practical. India is among the densest countries in the world. Resources per unit population are pathetically low. Russia is among the least dense. India is 1.4 billion people, and Russia is 140 million -- ten times as many people. Russia is 17 million square kilometers, while India is 3 million. Russia is 5-6 times as large. That's 50-60 times the density. Flow of natural resources out of Russia into India is the natural state of things. I do think India ought to decouple, but it's not that easy. The economic hit will be large. The West should take some of that hit. Without the US and Canada stepping in, India can't decouple from Russia. Both sides ought to know that, and cooperate.
  - oliwarner 5y ago
    Raw density doesn't mean nearly as much as mineral geography and availability. It's because of the number of people that there's a race to the bottom in terms of wages. Skilled labour is almost half the price in India, $7kpa vs $13kpa (old Russian XR). Secondary materials like steel are 80% the price in India. Harvest materials like cotton and rubbers come from India in the first place. I'm not suggesting that the process would be free or fast or painless, but risking sanctions for something that could be in-housed for a relatively small in-house fee, and long term savings seems like a stupid thing to do. India needs an external market more than anything; certainly more than spare parts.
sidibe 5y ago
I don't know but now is not the time to suck up to this Russian regime, the next one might not look kindly on it, not to mention the rest of the world

Andaith 5y ago

According to the article: "Russia and Belarus usually account for nearly a third of India's total potash imports. It would not be feasible to replace them amid a rally in fertilizer prices to a record high, a senior industry official told Reuters."

ridiculous_leke 5y ago
Indeed. Reportedly, Belarus and Russia have a third of world's Potash reserves.

webmobdev 5y ago

As if the west has ever cared about these things, when it comes to India. /s Our conflict with Pakistan exists because the US wants to hold back India's progress and needs an excuse to interfere in the indian sub-continent. The US is still one of the consistent arm suppliers of Pakistan that has mostly always been used against India (3+ wars and counting). This despite the fact that India is a flourishing democracy that respects western values, while Pakistan has had many dictators over the last 5+ decades. Even during the Bangladesh liberation wars, the US threatened India by sending its nuclear fleet to force it to back down. They have consistently created hurdles or denied us access to technology to cripple our defence research and development (once even offering major concessions to Russia so to deny us technology transfer of cryogenic engines used in rockets and missiles). And yet, despite the underlying US suspicion and hostility against India, we have progressed and earned the goodwill of the international community on our own merits. (And I won't even get into the geo politics of what it means for India to be under the political sphere of control of Russia ...).

jelliclesfarm 5y ago
My family has served in the Indian Army and Air Force for multiple generations. Still do .. to this day.. I grew up with stories..this was sent by one of my brothers.. [..] India abstained from voting against Russia today at the UN. Many in India are criticizing India for this action. There is one reason... 50 years ago, in Dec 1971, the USA threatened India to stop the 1971 war. An alarmed India sent a SOS to the Soviet Union. A story that has been nearly erased from Indian history books. When Pakistan's defeat in the 1971 war seemed imminent, Kissinger spurred Nixon to send the US 7th Fleet’s Task Force, led by the nuclear-powered aircraft carrier USS Enterprise, to the Bay of Bengal. The USS Enterprise, at 75,000 ton, was the world's largest nuclear-powered aircraft carrier in the 1970s with more than 70 fighter aircraft. A monster. The Indian Navy’s fleet was led by the 20,000-ton aircraft carrier, Vikrant, with 20 light fighter aircraft. The USS Enterprise was being dispatched to secure American citizens in Bangladesh was the official American statement. Unofficially it was to threaten the Indian forces and prevent the liberation of East Pakistan. India soon got another bad news. Soviet intelligence reported to India that a powerful British naval group led by the aircraft carrier HMS Eagle with commando carrier HMS Albion, several destroyers and other ships were approaching India's territorial waters from the west, towards the Arabian Sea. The British and the Americans planned a coordinated pincer attack to intimidate India: the British ships in the Arabian Sea will target India's western coast, while the Americans would make a dash to Chittagong. Caught between the British & the American ships was the Indian Navy. It was December 1971, and the world’s two leading democracies were now threatening the world’s largest democracy. An SOS from Delhi was sent to Moscow. The Red Navy soon dispatched 16 Soviet naval units and six nuclear submarines from Vladivostok to block USS Enterprise. Admiral N. Krishnan, the chief of the Eastern Command of the Indian Navy, wrote in his book, 'No Way But Surrender' that he was afraid that the Americans will reach Chittagong. He mentions how they even thought of attacking Enterprise, in a do or die move, to slow it down. On December 2nd week 1971, the US 7th Fleet’s Task Force, led by the monstrous USS Enterprise arrived in the Bay of Bengal. The British fleet was arriving in the Arabian Sea. The world held its breath. But, unknown to the Americans, the submerged Soviet submarines had overtaken them. As USS Enterprise moved towards East Pakistan, the Soviet submarines surfaced without any warning. The Soviet subs were now standing between India and the US naval force. The Americans were shocked. Admiral Gordon told the 7th American Fleet Commander: "Sir, we are too late. The Soviets are here!" Both the American and British fleets backed off. Today, most Indians have forgotten about this colossal naval chess battle between the two superpowers in the Bay of Bengal[..]

rramadass 5y ago

>This would completely change the world perception of India Not at all. It is a perfectly understandable tactical move in support of a "neutral" strategy in the current Russian/Ukrainian War. There is a lot of History and Relationship here which cannot be denied.

morpheos137 5y ago

Mark my words. Eurasia is uniting. Notice the Gulf Arabs don't support NATO? Notice the Indians, after having been trampled by the British a century ago. Nor do the Chinese after having been force fed dope by the same. Seems like we are fast approaching the day when Anglo emperor has no clothes.