DEFENCE MINISTRY AND HOME MINISTRY BUDGET

 Defence Ministry Boosts Budget to Enhance National Security

 

 

 

 

The Defence Ministry has fortified its financial arsenal with a substantial ₹1.72 lakh crore allocation aimed at procuring cutting-edge weapon systems. This forms part of the ministry's broader ₹6.22 lakh crore budget, slightly surpassing the earlier interim budget allocation. There has been substantial allocation which accounts for 12.9 per cent of the total budget.

 

A substantial portion of this financial blueprint is earmarked for pensions and salaries, underscoring a commitment to both modernization and personnel welfare.

 

  

Strengthening Defence Capabilities through Strategic Investments

 

 

The capital acquisition outlay is strategically earmarked for acquiring a spectrum of new weapon systems vital for bolstering the armed forces. From fighter aircraft to ships, submarines, drones, and specialized vehicles, this allocation is pivotal for enhancing operational readiness. Noteworthy plans include the modernization of the Su 30MKI fighter fleet, additional aircraft procurement, engines for the MiG-29 fleet, and acquiring transport aircraft like the C-295 and LCA Mk1A fighter.

 

 

Strategic Procurements on the Horizon

 

 

Anticipated major procurements this year encompass diverse agreements, including acquiring additional submarines from Mazagaon Dockyards Ltd, purchasing 26 Rafale Marines from France, and securing long-range drones from the US. These strategic acquisitions signify a concerted effort to reinforce our national security apparatus.

 

 

A Boost to Flagship Schemes and Innovation

 

 

Significant hikes in allocations toward flagship schemes like the Agnipath initiative highlight a commitment to bolstering defense capabilities. Moreover, an additional ₹400 crore has been allocated for fostering innovation in defense through the Acing Development of Innovative Technologies with iDEX (ADITI) scheme, aimed at incentivizing innovative solutions within the defense sector.

 

 

Emphasizing Border Infrastructure Development

 

 

A key focus lies on enhancing border infrastructure, with a notable 30% boost in the Border Roads Organisation's budgetary allocation. Projects such as the development of Nyoma airfield in Ladakh, the Shinku La tunnel in Himachal Pradesh, and the Nechiphu tunnel in Arunachal Pradesh are slated to receive funding from this allocation. This strategic emphasis underscores a holistic approach to fortifying our border defenses.

 

Capital outlay will fortify the armed forces' capabilities while also catalyzing broader economic benefits. This robust financial commitment not only enhances our national security posture but also signals a proactive stance towards innovation and infrastructure development within the defense sector

 

 

Budget 2024 allocates Rs 2.19 lakh crore for India's internal security, intelligence

 

 

The Ministry of Home Affairs has received an allocation worth Rs 2.1 lakh crore from the Union Budget 2024. A majority of this fund has been given to central security forces like CRPF, BSF and CISF that are responsible for internal security.

 

Adequate Allotment Central Armed Police Forces

 

Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF): Rs 31,543.20 crore

 

Border Security Force (BSF): Rs 25,472.44 crore

 

Central Industrial Security Force (CISF): Rs 14,331.89 crore

 

Indo-Tibetan Border Police (ITBP): Rs 8,634.21 crore

 

SSB: Rs 8,881.81 crore

 

Assam Rifles: Rs 7,428.33 crore

 

Intelligence Bureau (IB): Rs 3,823.83 crore

 

Delhi Police: Rs 11,180.33 crore

 

Special Protection Group (SPG): Rs 506.32 crore

 

Police infra, developmental schemes

 

Meanwhile, Rs 3,756.51 crore has been allocated to the Border Infrastructure and Management, Rs 3,152.36 crore has been given for developing police infrastructure, Rs 1,105 crore for schemes related to women’s safety, Rs 9,305.43 crore for various central sector projects and schemes sponsored by the home ministry, Rs 3,199.62 crore for security-related expenditure and Rs 1,050 crore for Vibrant Villages Programme.

 

The Safe City Project has been allotted Rs 214.44 crore, the National Forensic Science University got Rs 80 crore and the Rashtriya Raksha University has been given Rs 90 crore.

 

The budget also allocated Rs 1,309.46 crore (Rs 578.29 crore in 2023-24) towards work related to census and Rs 1,606.95 crore to the National Disaster Response Force (Rs 1,666.38 crore in 2023-24)

 

These aspects collectively depict Budget 2024 as a comprehensive and forward-looking financial plan that not only addresses immediate economic challenges but also lays the groundwork for sustainable growth and development in India.

 

In conclusion, Budget 2024 emerges as a well-rounded financial plan, striking a balance between fiscal prudence, strategic investments, regulatory simplification, job creation, and futuristic reforms. With its multi-dimensional approach, the budget paves the way for sustained economic growth and enhanced employment opportunities in India.

 

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Budget 2024: A Comprehensive Blueprint for Reforms | Substancial allotment For Defence Ministry & Internal Security

 

Looking towards the future, Budget 2024 sets the stage for next-generation reforms geared towards stimulating high growth and employment.

  

BRIG Hemant Mahajan

A Strategic Approach for National Growth

 

The Budget 2024 marks a strategic milestone for the Indian government, emphasizing a balanced approach towards fiscal discipline, capital expenditure, regulatory simplification, job creation, and forward-thinking reforms. This holistic strategy aims to drive robust economic growth and foster increased employment opportunities across the nation.

 

 

 

Budgets have historically been platforms for grand announcements and symbolic gestures, they have become an integral part of the budget's narrative and tradition.

 

 

Fiscal Discipline and Strategic Investments: Building a Strong Financial Foundation

 

 

This year's budget reaffirms the government's commitment to fiscal discipline, exemplified by a reduced fiscal deficit target and a clear roadmap for future reductions. With a substantial allocation towards capital expenditure, the government aims to leverage infrastructure development's multiplier effect to propel economic growth and development.

 

 

Simplification and Clarity: Enhancing Governance and Business Environment

 

 

The budget places significant emphasis on simplifying rules, statutes, and policies to reduce complexity, minimize disputes, and enhance the ease of doing business. By streamlining regulations and tax structures, the government aims to foster a competitive market environment and promote inclusive growth.

 

 

Empowering Job Creation: Prioritizing Sustainable Employment

 

 

Recognizing the importance of sustainable job creation, the budget introduces targeted initiatives to incentivize employment across various sectors. From direct benefit transfers for first-time employees to support for women's workforce participation and skilling programs, the budget prioritizes generating high-quality employment opportunities.

 

 

Next-Generation Reforms: Pioneering Economic Enhancements

 

 

Looking towards the future, Budget 2024 sets the stage for next-generation reforms geared towards stimulating high growth and employment. By focusing on enhancing productivity across key sectors like land, labour, capital, entrepreneurship, and technology, the budget outlines a comprehensive strategy to drive economic progress and innovation.

 

 

Sustainable Infrastructure Development:

 

 

The substantial allocation towards capital expenditure in Budget 2024 underscores the government's focus on sustainable infrastructure development. This investment is not only aimed at immediate economic stimulus but also at fostering long-term growth through enhanced connectivity, , in key states.

 

 

Regulatory Reforms and Business Environment:

 

 

The budget's emphasis on simplifying rules, statutes, and policies is expected to have a ripple effect on the overall business environment. By reducing complexity, streamlining regulations, and rationalizing tax structures, the government aims to enhance ease of doing business, attract investments, and spur entrepreneurial activity.

 

 

Employment Generation and Skilling:

 

 

Beyond the headline initiatives like the "Employment Linked Incentive" scheme, Budget 2024 also prioritizes women's workforce participation, skilling programs, and educational loans to support skill development and higher education. These measures are crucial for nurturing a skilled workforce and promoting inclusive growth.

 

 

Green Transition and Financial Sector Reforms:

 

 

Notable provisions in the budget include the development of a taxonomy for climate finance to support green initiatives and the introduction of a Variable Capital Company structure to facilitate flexible financing mechanisms. These reforms are aligned with global trends towards sustainable development and aim to enhance the financial sector's capabilities.

 

 

Forward-Thinking Economic Enhancements:

 

 

The budget's focus on next-generation reforms highlights the government's commitment to leveraging technology, enhancing land administration, and optimizing labor market matching. By addressing key areas such as land digitization, labor integration, and financial sector modernization, Budget 2024 sets the stage for future-proof economic growth.

 

 

Jan Vishvas Bill 2.0:

 

 

The proposed enactment of the Jan Vishvas Bill 2.0 signals the government's continued efforts to promote ease of business and living in India. This legislative initiative is expected to further streamline regulatory processes, enhance governance efficiency, and create a more conducive environment for businesses and individuals alike.

कारगिल पुन्हा घडेल का? | Hemant Mahajan | Kargil War | Kargil Vijay Diwas

कारगिल युद्धाच्या 25 वर्षानंतर कसा बदलला आहे भारत आणि भारताची संरक्षण नी...

A Summary of the Kargil Review Committee's Recommendations

 

1. A thorough review of the national security system in its entirety should be undertaken by an independent body of credible experts, whether a national commission or one or more task forces or otherwise as expedient.

2. Having a National Security Advisor who also happens to be Principal Secretary to PM can only be an interim arrangement. There must be a full time NSA and a second line of personnel should be inducted into the system urgently and groomed for higher responsibilities.

3. There must be periodic intelligence briefings of [the] Cabinet Committee on Security with all supporting staff in attendance.

4. Every effort must be made to ensure that a satellite imagery capability of world standard is developed indigenously and put in place in the shortest possible time.

5. Acquisition of high-altitude Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAVs) should be undertaken and institutionalized arrangements made to ensure that imagery generated by them is disseminated to concerned intelligence agencies as quickly as possible.

6. Communication interception equipment needs to be modernized and direction-finding equipment augmented.

7. The establishment of a single organization like the National Security Agency of the USA, grouping together all communication and electronic intelligence efforts, needs to be examined.

8. Adequate attention has not been paid to develop encryption and decryption skills.

9. The issue of setting up an integrated Defence Intelligence Agency needs to be examined.

10. There is no institutionalized mechanism for coordination or objective oriented interaction between intelligence agencies and consumers at different levels. Similarly, there is no mechanism for tasking the agencies, monitoring their performance and reviewing their records to evaluate their quality. Nor is there any oversight of the overall functioning of the agencies. Accordingly, a thorough examination of the working of the intelligence system with a view to removing these deficiencies is called for.

11. Though the efficacy of the Joint Intelligence Committee has increased since it became part of the National Security Council Secretariat, its role and place in the national intelligence framework should be evaluated in the context of the overall reform of the system.

12. The development of country/region specialization along with associate language skills should not be further delayed. It is necessary to establish think tanks, [to] encourage country specialization and to organize regular exchange of personnel between them and the intelligence community.

13. In order to have a young and fit Army, colour service [service before a soldier is required to retire or to go as a reservist] should be reduced from seventeen years to between seven to ten years. Released officers and men should then be diverted to paramilitary formations. Subsequently, older cadres might be further streamed into regular police forces.

14. Improved border management necessitates a detailed study in order to evolve appropriate force structures and procedures to deal with the inflow of narcotics, illegal migrants, terrorists and arms. 1

5. Many experts have suggested the need to enhance India's defence outlay as budgetary constraints have affected modernization and created operational voids. Government must determine the level of defence spending in consultation with the concerned Departments and Defence Services.

16. Armed forces headquarters are outside the apex governmental structure. This had led to many negative results and it is felt that the Services headquarters should be located within the Government. The entire gamut of national security management and apex decision making and the structure and interface between the Ministry of Defence and Armed Forces’ headquarters should be comprehensively studied and reorganized.

17. Beginning with Indira Gandhi, successive Indian Prime Ministers have consistently supported an Indian nuclear weapons programme but enveloped it in the utmost secrecy not taking into confidence their own party colleagues, the Armed Forces and senior civil servants. [Records in government files] establish that the Indian nuclear weapons programme had a much wider consensus than is generally believed. Accordingly, the publication of a white paper on the Indian nuclear weapons programme is highly desirable.

18. On many vital issues, sufficient public information is not available in a single comprehensive official publication. The Government must review its information policy and develop structures and processes to keep the public informed of vital national issues.

19. One of the major factors influencing Pakistan's aggressive behaviour in 1947, 1965, 1971 and 1999 has been a deliberately cultivated perception of an ineffectual Indian Army and a weak and vacillating Indian Government. Though Pakistan was discomfited in all the four military adventures it undertook, it has attempted to portray each as a narrowly missed victory. It is, therefore, necessary to publish authentic accounts of the 1965 and 1971 wars to establish the facts. It is also recommended that an authoritative account of the Kargil conflict be published at an early date.

20. A true partnership must be established between the Services and the DRDO [Defence Research and Development Organization] to ensure that the latter gets full backing and funding from the Services and the former get the indented equipment they require without delay.

21. Establishment of a civil–military liaison mechanism at various levels from Command Headquarters to operative formations at the ground level is essential to smoothen the relationship during times of stress and to prevent friction and alienation of the local population.

22. A rehabilitation programme for soldiers who were wounded in the Kargil war and [for] others must be put in place.

23. The dedication and valour of Ladakh Scouts and J&K Light Infantry merit recognition through raising of additional units of these regiments locally.

24. The country must not fall into the trap of Siachenization of the Kargil heights and similar unheld gaps. The proper response would be a declaratory policy that deliberate infringement of the sanctity of the LOC and crossborder terrorism will meet with retaliation in a manner, time and place of India's choosing.

25. Credible measures must be undertaken in J&K to win back alienated sections of the population and attend to genuine discontent.

26. Neither the Northern Army Command nor HQ 15 Corps nor the lower field formations had media cells, which could cater to the requirement of the press corps. It must also be recognized that the media has to be serviced at many levels – national, local and international.

27. The US Armed Forces usually operate dedicated radio and TV channels to entertain and inform their armed forces when deployed overseas. The Government should seriously consider similar dedicated facilities for the Indian Armed Forces. If such facilities had been available at the time of Kargil, some of the misleading reports and rumours that gained currency could have been effectively countered.

28. The committee was informed that Prasar Bharati [India's public sector broadcasting organization] in J&K lacks Balti and other linguistic skills to reach the people across the LOC. Unless such software and programming aspects are taken care of, mere hardware expansion may not be cost effective.

SOFT POWER-The Influence of the Indian Diaspora in the US,Advantage India-Philippines wants to point more BrahMos missiles at China

Excitement over Usha Chilukuri

 

 

The Indian diaspora in the United States, particularly those involved in technology and finance, has found new political excitement with Usha Chilukuri. The wife of Trump VP pick JD Vance, Usha's Indian origins have energized the Indian diaspora. The prospect of a "son-in-law" as the US Vice President has engaged this community in the November elections, not just as voters but as campaign contributors, volunteers, and supporters. This development is particularly significant considering the rapid growth of the Indian diaspora, which has become the fastest-growing Indian ethnicity in the US over the past two decades.

 

 

Growth in the Tech Sector

 

 

The US-based Indian community has grown rapidly, driven by the tech boom, especially around the Y2K era. The number of Indian speakers in the US increased from 320,000 in 2016 to 1.23 million in 2024. Among the Indian diaspora, which is 4.9 million strong and growing, Telgu has become the third most spoken Indian language in America, after Hindi and Gujarati. With their tech orientation, most Indian speakers reside in California, Texas, and New Jersey. By 2017, the community had grown strong enough in California to establish the University of Silicon Andhra, offering courses in Carnatic music and Kuchipudi dance.

 

 

Rising Affluence

 

According to the Indian Mobility Report 2024, Andhra Pradesh and Telangana form the largest cohort of Indian students in the US, making up 12.5% of the total, with the majority pursuing STEM fields. Indians have long been considered the "model minority" but have faced backlash in recent times. This backlash has led Indian associations to advise their members not to flaunt their wealth and to engage locally in politics to ensure their concerns are addressed. With average household earnings exceeding $100,000, Indian-Americans are the highest-earning ethnic group in the US, with 70% holding college degrees, surpassing the American average in both wealth and education.

 

 

Political Engagement

 

 

Voter turnout among Indian Americans is higher than among other Asian-American groups, with a tendency to vote Democrat. The Chilukuri connection might sway some voters, but Indian-Americans make up only 1.3% of the US population and are scattered across states, limiting the overall impact of their votes. However, the influence of Indian-origin politicians is notably outsized, as seen with Kamala Harris and the two Indian-Americans on the 2024 presidential campaign trail, Ramaswamy and Haley. The affluent and educated Indian political touch is likely to have an impact that extends beyond the election.

 

 

#COUNTERING CHINESE MULTI DOMAIN , GREY ZONE, HIGH BREED WARFARE

 

 

Advantage India-Philippines wants to point more BrahMos missiles at China

 

 

 

 

Manila seeks additional India-made supersonic anti-ship missiles amid escalating sea tensions with China and doubts about US mutual defense backing. After a series of major maritime standoffs, the Philippines is in hot pursuit of more India-made BrahMos supersonic cruise missiles to point at China in the contested South China Sea.

  

The Philippine Marine Corps (PMC) plans to bolster its coastal defenses with two additional batteries of the shore-based supersonic anti-ship missile by 2026.

 

 

Xi Jinping Continues Business Power Grab Despite Economic Setbacks

 

 

Setting Economic Priorities Amid Slowing Growth

 

 

Chinese President Xi Jinping will set his economic priorities and reinforce his control at a Communist Party meeting this week, amid slowing growth and struggling consumers. Xi plans to appeal to private businesses to support his personal vision for China’s future as he outlines a much-heralded economic reform program.

 

 

Meeting with Business Leaders

 

 

In the lead-up to this important meeting, Xi has been engaging with business leaders, addressing the growing unease among foreign companies about the tightening restraints on their operational freedom. Despite these concerns, Xi shows no sign of altering his approach to powerful tycoons, whom he views as threats to party orthodoxy.

 

  

Stance on Over-Indebted Companies

 

 

Additionally, Xi remains steadfast in his refusal to allow over-indebted companies to collapse, indicating his commitment to maintaining strict control over China's economic landscape

 

 

How China Could Hobble the Internet: The Threat to Undersea Cables

 

 

Growing Concerns Over Undersea Infrastructure

 

 

Not long ago, a part of the British government asked RAND Europe, a think tank in Cambridge, England, to research undersea critical infrastructure. The think tank studied publicly available maps of internet and electricity cables, interviewed experts, and held focus groups. Halfway through the project, Ruth Harris, the leader, realized they had inadvertently unearthed many sensitive details that could be exploited by Russia or other adversaries.

 

 

Discovery of Sensitive Information

 

 

When Harris approached the unnamed government department with this discovery, they were shocked. "Oh my god. This is secret," was their reaction. Upon learning that Harris's team was drawn from all over Europe, the department demanded that the project be overhauled to include only UK personnel, saying: "This needs to be UK eyes only."

 

 

Undersea Cables as Military Targets

 

 

Western governments have quietly been concerned about the security of undersea cables, which carry most of the world’s internet traffic, for many years. However, this issue has recently come into sharp focus due to a series of murky incidents from the Baltic Sea to the Red Sea and a broader realization that infrastructure, of all sorts, is a target for subversion and sabotage.

 

 

Previously, a part of the British government asked RAND Europe, a think tank in Cambridge, England, to research undersea critical infrastructure. The think tank studied publicly available maps of internet and electricity cables, interviewed experts, and held focus groups. Halfway through the project, Ruth Harris, the leader, realized they had inadvertently unearthed many sensitive details that could be exploited by Russia or other adversaries.

 

 

Discovery of Sensitive Information

 

 

When Harris approached the unnamed government department with this discovery, they were shocked. "Oh my god. This is secret," was their reaction. Upon learning that Harris's team was drawn from all over Europe, the department demanded that the project be overhauled to include only UK personnel, saying: "This needs to be UK eyes only."

 

 

Undersea Cables as Military Targets

 

 

 

 

 

Western governments have quietly been concerned about the security of undersea cables, which carry most of the world’s internet traffic, for many years. However, this issue has recently come into sharp focus due to a series of murky incidents from the Baltic Sea to the Red Sea and a broader realization that infrastructure, of all sorts, is a target for subversion and sabotage.

 

 

Countering Internal & External Security Challenges --TECHNOLOGICAL SECURITY-India AI Mission: Bridging the Digital Divide

 

The Importance of Compute Capacity

 

 

Artificial intelligence (AI) development requires more than just hardware. It involves establishing local data centers, adopting cloud solutions, and building the software necessary to manage AI systems. India, following its Public-Private Partnership (PPP) philosophy, would benefit from a holistic view of compute.

 

 

Global AI Prioritization

 

 

Vladimir Putin's declaration in 2017 that the nation leading in AI "will be the ruler of the world" put AI on every country's priority list. Since then, global leaders have echoed this sentiment. For instance, China has made AI a national priority, the US under President Joe Biden issued an executive order on AI, the UK hosted a global summit on AI, and AI development and safety have become top agenda items for both the G7 and G20.

 

 

India's Early AI Initiatives

 

 

India was an early mover in AI with Niti Aayog's publication of the National Strategy for Artificial Intelligence in June 2018. This strategy focused on "AI for All," targeting five priority sectors: healthcare, education, agriculture, smart cities, and smart mobility. In March 2024, the government followed up with the IndiaAI Mission, emphasizing the need to stay ahead in the global race of generative AI and Large Language Models (LLMs).

 

 

Funding and Key Pillars

 

 

The Cabinet has allocated Rs 10,372 crore (approximately $1.3 billion) towards the IndiaAI Mission. This initiative includes building dataset platforms, innovation and application development centers, and developing future skills. It also focuses on startup financing and ensuring safe and trusted AI. The central pillar, with nearly half the budget (Rs 4,568 crore), aims to build cutting-edge compute capacity to meet local demand and bridge the "AI divide" by providing affordable compute for prioritized sectors.

 

 

Evaluating Compute Capacity Goals

 

 

The Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology's plan to deploy over 10,000 Graphics Processing Units (GPUs) through strategic public-private collaborations is ambitious. However, this number seems low compared to global standards. For instance, Meta possesses 60 times more GPUs, and even small AI startups globally have more. LLMs and generative AI require massive compute capacity for training and inference; OpenAI used 3,640 petaflops of compute to train GPT-3, whereas 10,000 GPUs translate to just around 25 petaflops.

 

 

Governance and Strategic Alternatives

 

 

Governance is crucial in managing this initiative. While India has successful national bodies like ISRO and BARC, a central repository of resources managed by bureaucracy has not always been effective. Although the PPP mechanism is mentioned, details are still unclear.

 

Investing heavily in GPUs may not be the best approach due to the rapid pace of technological advancements. With new models emerging every 12 months and other companies developing AI-specific chips, a strategic alternative could be renting compute from AI cloud providers. This would offer flexibility and potentially more capacity within the same budget. The government should establish strong contractual alliances to ensure sovereign AI capacity is hosted within India's borders.

 

 

Holistic Approach to Compute

 

 

 

 

 

Compute involves more than just hardware; it includes local data centers, cloud adoption, and software development. As part of the PPP philosophy, India should adopt a comprehensive approach to compute. Both the AI for All strategy and the IndiaAI Mission are commendable steps. The government must now collaborate with industry and geopolitical allies to execute these initiatives effectively and position India as a leader in the AI era.

 

 

The Big Computer Problem

 

 

Yesterday, something unexpected happened: many computers around the world simultaneously stopped working. Their screens turned blue, a clear sign of malfunction.

 

 

Initial Assumptions

 

 

Initially, people suspected a major cyber attack. However, it turned out to be a mistake by a company meant to protect these computers.

 

 

The Source of the Problem

 

 

CrowdStrike, a cybersecurity firm, sent out a security update intended to enhance computer safety. Unfortunately, this update contained an error that caused the computers to crash.

 

 

Widespread Impact

 

 

This issue was significant because so many daily activities rely on computers. Essential services such as banks and airlines experienced disruptions.

 

 

Public Reaction

 

 

Many people are upset, believing that CrowdStrike should have tested their update more thoroughly before its release.

 

Dependence on Technology

 

This incident highlights our heavy dependence on computers and the internet. When problems arise, they can have global repercussions.

 

 

A Silver Lining

 

 

Not all computers were affected by this issue. Only Windows-based systems experienced crashes.

 

 

Lessons Learned

 

 

People are suggesting a need for diversity in the types of computers used for critical functions. Using different systems could prevent widespread disruption if one type encounters problems. It's a reminder not to put all your eggs in one basket.

 

 

FOOD SECURITY-India-The world’s next food superpower

 

 

Farming in India should be about profits and productivity, not poverty

 

 

For years the Araku Valley, deep in the mountains on India’s east coast, was mired in poverty and rocked by Maoist violence. The government classifies most of its inhabitants as “particularly vulnerable tribal groups”; for generations they relied on slash-and-burn farming to scrape by. But now locals grow high-grade coffee that is sold at high prices to posh Europeans. Araku Coffee, the company that processes and markets their berries, runs cafés in fancy bits of Bangalore, Mumbai and Paris. The valley’s transformation is an agricultural success story. It is also a glimpse of what—with the right policies—the rest of rural India might achieve.