Dutch Ambassador Marten van-den Berg Stint Sees Big Jump In Trade, Investment Ties with India

By Deepak Arora

NEW DELHI: The manifold increase in trade and investment with India has led to stronger connection between the two countries, according to Marten van-den Berg, Ambassador of The Netherlands to India.

During Ambassador Marten van-den Berg’s five-year stint in India, the trade and commercial ties between the two countries have grown strongly and across domains and sectors. In 2022-23, the bilateral trade between the two countries increased to USD 24 billion as against USD 17 billion in 2021-22. It was about USD 10 billion in 2020-21.

In an interview with this correspondent, the Ambassador said the Netherlands is among top five investors in India. There are over 350 Dutch companies that are active in India and there are over 300 Indian companies operating in the Netherlands.

That’s why there exists a very strong business relationship between India and the Netherlands. It is increasing both ways. We have large corporations like Philips, DSM, Shell, Hindustan Liver, Akzo Nobel, KLM and Rabobank which have been in India for a long time. But also small startups in health care, agriculture, water management etc that have become more active.

And the other way round, Ola has bought a battery factory in the Netherlands. Now Ola two wheelers in India have batteries from the Netherlands. Some of the Indian companies operating in the Netherlands include all the major IT firms such as TCS, HCL, Wipro, Infosys, Tech Mahindra as well as Sun Pharmaceuticals and Tata Steel.

Thanks to the Rotterdam harbor and good connectivity, he said the Netherlands has emerged as India's third largest export destination after the US and UAE during 2022-23. The Netherlands has emerged as a hub for Europe with efficient port and connectivity with Belgium, Germany and France through road, railways and waterways.

The jump in exports can be attributed to a surge in shipment of goods such as petroleum products, electronic items, chemicals, and aluminum goods. India's trade surplus with the Netherlands has also increased from USD 8 billion in 2021-22 to USD 13 billion in 2022-23.

India's exports to the Netherlands rose by about 48 per cent to USD 18.52 billion during 2022-23 as against USD 12.5 billion in 2021-22. In 2020-21, the outbound shipments to the European country stood at USD 6.5 billion.

During his five-year stint in India, Ambassador Marten van-den Berg formed the basis of his work in the Sustainable Development Goals, the set of 17 objectives intended to make the world a better place by 2030.

The Ambassador said meeting the societal challenges to improve the lives of the people has been very inspiring for him.

He pursued multiple projects and partnerships in the areas of clean drinking water, water management, public health & health care, agriculture and food processing, urban development and smart cities, renewable energy and the climate. He had a very inspiring agenda based on social challenges that were linked to the partnerships with the private sector and NGOs.

Both countries are working on strategic partnerships in the water sector as the Netherlands is a pioneer in water management besides science and R&D.

The Ambassador said “the newer technologies have helped us make a difference in the lives of people. For example, in agriculture sector we are bringing in newer varieties that require less water and have also been monitoring agriculture production via space technologies. We have been using Information Technology applications to monitor crop production and spreading health care to Tier II and Tier III cities.”

On the Indo-Pacific, he said the Netherlands seeks to align its vision with India. The Indo-Pacific is the region of economic growth and India is the key power in that region. "The Netherlands recognises this fact and our Indo-Pacific vision seeks to closely align with India's construct," he added.

The Ambassador said the Netherlands was the first country to be part of the Indo-Pacific strategy.

Like India, he said the Netherlands favours a rule of law, regulations, transparency, dispute settlement mechanisms and international bodies to address tensions in the Indo-Pacific region. ”We are holding discussion on these issues with the EU, France and India.”

On Climate change, he said “it is one of the biggest challenges in the world today. It has huge impact on the people, environment, livelihood and nature. It’s time to act now as there is hardly any time to negotiate.”

The Ambassador said “we need to fast track our renewable energy transition and make it cheaper than fossil fuels. But we need to keep in mind economic conditions and income of the nations and that’s quite a challenge. India needs to develop at a faster growth rate and requires lots of energy. But at the same time it needs to adopt faster transition renewable energy.”

The Ambassador has maintained a deep connection with India since his student days and has brought a high level of understanding and depth to the bilateral economic relationship. Delhi was always his first choice as he was married to an Indian lady Sheila. However, he lost her few months ago.

Ambassador Marten van-den Berg said “I have many personal memories of India and this beautiful nation would stay inside me. Part of my DNA is India. I would keep coming back to India as a family and a friend.”

National Awards: Alia Bhatt, Kriti Sanon Share Best Actress, Allu Arjun Is Best Actor

NEW DELHI, Aug 24: The 69th National Film Awards were announced at a press conference in New Delhi today. The winners list was fairly Hindi film-heavy with RRR also featuring prominently. Alia Bhatt and Kriti Sanon share the Best Actress award for their performances in Gangubai Kathiawadi and Mimi. Allu Arjun was named Best Actor for the blockbuster Pushpa: The Rise. It is the first National Award for all three actors.

Rocketry: The Nambi Effect was awarded Best Film. Kriti's Mimi co-star Pankaj Tripathi won Best Supporting Actor and Pallavi Joshi won Best Supporting Actress for her role in The Kashmir Files which also won Best Film on National Integration. Both Pankaj Tripathi and Pallavi Joshi have won special awards before.

RRR won a slew of awards including Best Popular Film. It shared the Best Music prize and Kaala Bhairava won Best Male Playback Singer for Naatu Naatu; Shreya Ghoshal won Best Female Playback Singer. Gangubai Kathiawadi and Sardar Udham, which was named Best Hindi Film, also won several awards - Gangubai Kathiawadi won Best Screenplay, among other honours. Shershaah received a Special Jury award.

The feature film awardees were announced by jury head filmmaker Ketan Mehta.

The Dadasaheb Phalke Award, India's highest film honour, will be announced later.

The National Awards will be handed out by President Droupadi Murmu in a ceremony later in the year. Last year's winners included Suriya and Ajay Devgn who shared the Best Actor prize for their roles in Soorarai Pottru and Tanhaji: The Unsung Warrior. Suriya's co-star Aparna Balamurali.

Elon Musk's 'Chicken' Jab After Mark Zuckerberg Calls Off Cage Fight

SAN FRANCISCO, Aug 14: Mark Zuckerberg, CEO of Meta Platforms Inc., said it's "time to move on" from speculation that there will be a cage fight match between him and Elon Musk.

"I think we can all agree Elon isn't serious and it's time to move on. I offered a real date. Dana White offered to make this a legit competition for charity. Elon won't confirm a date, then says he needs surgery, and now asks to do a practice round in my backyard instead. If Elon ever gets serious about a real date and official event, he knows how to reach me. Otherwise, time to move on. I'm going to focus on competing with people who take the sport seriously," Zuckerberg posted on Threads.

Responding to Zuckerberg's announcement, Musk took to X, formerly known as Twitter, and termed him a "chicken"

"Zuck is a chicken," he wrote on X.

Public rivalry between Musk, 52, and Zuckerberg, 39, intensified after the initial success of Meta's Threads social media platform in July. Threads, which allows users to post short blurbs in a similar fashion to X, the Musk-owned platform formerly known as Twitter, reached 100 million users within a week of its launch.

Musk, the world's richest person, talked up possibilities of a fight between him and Zuckerberg for weeks. Musk then posted last week that he will receive an MRI of his neck and upper back, which may require surgery.

'Ancient Rome, Epic Location': Elon Musk-Mark Zuckerberg Fight Details

SAN FRANCISCO, Aug 11: Tech moguls Elon Musk and Mark Zuckerberg have been talking about getting into a "cage fight" for over a month now and recently, the Tesla CEO took to his newly rebranded platform X and informed the users that the fight will take place in Rome, which according to him is an "epic location". He also added that it will be livestreamed on both Meta and X.

"The fight will be managed by my and Zuck's foundations (not UFC). Livestream will be on this platform and Meta. Everything in camera frame will be ancient Rome, so nothing modern at all. I spoke to the PM of Italy and Minister of Culture. They have agreed on an epic location," Mr Musk said in a post. A few days ago, he had also mentioned that all proceeds from the fight will go to charity for veterans.

In another post on the social media platform last week, the Tesla CEO had said that he was "lifting weights throughout the day, preparing for the fight", adding that he did not have time to work out so brings the weights to work. Replying to the same, Mr Zuckerberg said that he is "not holding his breath" over the proposed cage fight with Mr Musk, as he revealed that he had suggested a date of 26 August for the contest.

"I'm ready today. I suggested August 26 when he first challenged, but he hasn't confirmed," Mr Zuckerberg wrote in the reply, adding, "Not holding my breath".

It is to be noted that the tech billionaires agreed to a "cage match" face-off in late June. It all started when Mr Musk tweeted that he would be "up for a cage match" with Mark Zuckerberg, who has trained in jiujitsu. A day later, the Meta CEO asked Mr Musk to "send location" for the proposed fight. To this, the Tesla chief replied, "Vegas Octagon" - an arena in Las Vegas where mixed martial arts (MMA) championships bouts are held.

This exchange between the two has ignited a social media firestorm, with many users betting on the potential winner. It was earlier expected to be held either in the UFC Octagon in Las Vegas or the ancient Colosseum in Rome.

'Barbie' Crosses $1 Billion At Box Office, Record For Solo Woman Director

LOS ANGELES, Aug 7: Barbie, Warner Bros.' hit movie based on the popular doll, crossed $1 billion in global box-office sales in its third week in release, becoming only the second picture to hit that mark this year.

Warner Bros. said on Sunday the movie took in $53 million in the US and Canada in its third week, as well as an additional $74 million internationally. The movie has now made $459.4 million domestically and $1.03 billion on a worldwide basis.

The new tally makes Barbie the No. 2 film of the year behind The Super Mario Bros. Movie from Comcast Corp.'s Universal Pictures. That picture, released in April, has taken in $1.35 billion in ticket sales.

Two new films opened this week in the US. Meg 2: The Trench, also from Warner Bros., finished in second place with $30 million in ticket sales, according to estimates from Comscore Inc. Paramount Pictures' Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Mutant Mayhem brought in $28 million to finish fourth behind Universal Pictures' Oppenheimer.

Barbie is delivering a much-needed boost to the studio's parent, Warner Bros. Discovery Inc., along with theater chains including AMC Entertainment Holdings Inc. and Cinemark Holdings Inc.. Directed by Greta Gerwig, the film stars Margot Robbie in the title role and Ryan Gosling as Ken. Gerwig becomes the first woman with sole director credit to have a film pass the $1 billion mark, Warner Bros. said.

The picture was produced in partnership with Mattel Inc., the toymaker that makes and sells Barbie dolls.

Mattel Chief Executive Officer Ynon Kreiz, who's seeking a larger role in entertainment for his El Segundo, California-based company, said in a July 27 interview with Bloomberg TV that it's too early to confirm a sequel.

The company is looking to "create film franchises that have cultural resonance," he said. "The opportunity for Barbie is pretty obvious given the success of the Barbie movie."

Barbie opened on July 21, the same weekend as Christopher Nolan's Oppenheimer, creating a social media frenzy around the "Barbenheimer" meme.

"This shows that compelling stories that are well-executed and creatively marketed can capture the zeitgeist and get people excited," Gabelli Funds' analysts Hanna Howard and Paul Fanelli said an emailed statement.

The Barbie soundtrack, featuring songs by artists such as Lizzo and Dua Lipa, is also doing well for Warner Music Group, they said.

World's Largest Ferris Wheel Mysteriously Stops Turning In Dubai

DUBAI, Aug 7: Two years ago, Dubai's skyscraper-studded skyline welcomed a Ferris wheel touted as the world's largest, but it mysteriously stopped turning just months after opening.

The much-touted Ain Dubai (Dubai Eye) was designed as a tourist-luring landmark in the United Arab Emirates' glam-hub, which is home to the world's tallest building.

But now it stands idle for undisclosed reasons, its extravagant light fixtures the only parts seemingly still working.

"Ain Dubai remains closed until further notice," says an official website for the attraction.

"We continue to rigorously work on completing the enhancement works that have been taking place over the past months."

The wheel was supposed to close for just a month but its reopening has since been postponed indefinitely.

Those behind the project inaugurated in 2021 have failed to reply to enquiries.

At restaurants, shops and cafes built around the attraction, employees remain sceptical that the structure, which took around six years to build, will ever turn again.

"Last year they promised us that in winter it will be open, even now, they are saying that in (the coming) winter it will be open again," said one employee at a nearby shop.

"But we're not sure... it will," said the man who asked to remain anonymous due to fear of reprisal.

The Dubai Eye, built by a consortium of international companies, is located in Bluewaters -- a man-made island designed as a retail, residential and entertainment hub.

For more than a year, the main entrance to the attraction has remained closed and ticket booths abandoned. Only a slow trickle of tourists visit the site, snapping pictures of LED lights mounted on its exterior.

"I asked a security guard here about it and he told me that it doesn't work," said Marwan Mohammad, an Egyptian tourist.

"I asked him for the reason but he did not give me an answer," said the 33-year-old business consultant.

In a city filled with record-breaking landmarks, the Dubai Eye stands at a height of 250 metres (825 feet), each of its legs the length of 15 London buses, according to Dubai's tourism department.

Nearly twice as tall as the London Eye, it is the largest of its kind in the world.

Its 48 passenger cabins, all of them air-conditioned, can carry around 1,750 passengers on a single ride.

Ticket prices range between 100 dirhams (about $27) and 4,700 dirhams (about $1,280), with luxury passes and private cabins on offer.

"The view was very beautiful from above," said Mohammad who experienced the 38-minute ride before it closed, adding however, that it moved "too slowly".

With no official explanation, rumours are rife on the Ferris wheel's apparent technical issues, especially among employees at Bluewaters.

They all spoke on condition of anonymity, fearing repercussions from authorities or their employers.

"This is a man-made island. I heard that (the wheel) is heavier than the island itself, that's why it is very dangerous," said a waiter at a nearby restaurant, adding that it had been noisy during its few months of operation.

"Now... it's only for show, just for the lighting and that's it".

The giant wheel, made of more steel than the Eiffel Tower, features prominently on the list of Dubai's top tourist attractions.

They include the Dubai Frame monument and Burj Khalifa, the world's tallest building.

Patrick Clawson, research director at the Washington Institute for Near East Policy, said official silence on the Ferris wheel suggested a complicated problem.

UAE authorities are generally "quick to provide information if they" have a solution, he said.

But with the Dubai Eye, "whatever the problem, the authorities are not confident they have a solution," he said.