Category: India

  • MIL-OSI Asia-Pac: WAVES 2025 Transforming India into a Global M&E Powerhouse

    Source: Government of India

    Posted On: 30 APR 2025 6:43PM by PIB Delhi

    Introduction

    Get ready for a landmark celebration of creativity, technology, and storytelling as WAVES 2025 — the World Audio Visual & Entertainment Summit — takes center stage in Mumbai from May 1st to 4th. Hosted by the Government of India, this first-of-its-kind global event brings the spotlight to India’s vibrant Media & Entertainment sector, transforming the Jio World Convention Centre into a dynamic hub of imagination, innovation, and opportunity.

    With over 100,000 registrations, including 1,100+ international participants, WAVES 2025 is where filmmakers, tech pioneers, creators, investors, and industry leaders come together to shape the future of entertainment. From the legendary voices of Amitabh Bachchan and Shah Rukh Khan to the tech leadership of Satya Nadella and Sundar Pichai, the summit unites visionaries across sectors in a powerful showcase of talent and ambition.

    This is more than a summit — it’s a movement to position India as a global creative and digital powerhouse. With exciting highlights like the Create in India Challenge, cutting-edge exhibitions, startup pitches, cultural performances, and high-level dialogues, WAVES 2025 marks a bold step into the future—where culture meets code, and tradition meets transformation.

    Create in India Challenge Season 1

    The Create in India Challenge (CIC) is a strategic initiative aimed at empowering India’s content creators. By providing a platform for innovation and creative expression, CIC seeks to strengthen India’s creators’ economy, enhance soft power, and position emerging talent for global recognition. The initiative supports monetization of skills and contributes to the growth of the media and entertainment industry.

    CIC brings an exciting lineup of 32 unique challenges across creative, tech and cultural fields. Launched on August 22, 2024, it attracted massive participation from across India and around the world! The challenges have attracted entries from over 60 countries, reflecting the global appeal and reach of this pioneering initiative. From this exceptional pool of talent, 750 finalists will be given the opportunity to showcase their creative skills and outcomes at Creatosphere, a specially curated platform featuring innovation across animation, comics, AI, XR, gaming, music, and more, as part of WAVES 2025. The winners of these challenges will be conferred the prestigious ‘WAVES Creator Awards’ in a grand red carpet ceremony on Day 2 of the event.

    1. WAVES Promo Video Challenge: A unique contest designed to discover powerful and inspiring audiovisual content that captures and showcases the spirit and ambition of the WAVES 2025, through a video.

    Total Registrations

    164

    Finalists

    3

    1. Truth Tell Hackathon: Tech innovators, data experts, and media professionals were called to develop AI solutions that tackle misinformation and promote credible journalism.

    Total Registrations

    5650

    International Registrations

    186

    Finalists

    5

    1. Community Radio Content Challenge: This exciting competition aims to celebrate and showcase the creativity, innovation, and impact of community radio stations across India.

    Total Registrations

    246

    International Registrations

    14

    1. WAVES Hackathon Ad spend Optimizer: Participants worked on using data science, machine learning, and statistical modeling to create solutions that help advertisers make smarter, data-driven decisions. The goal was to maximize ROI and support marketing objectives.

    Total Registrations

    115

    International Registrations

    1

    1. Make The World Wear Khadi: Aims to blend India’s rich textile heritage with global fashion trends, offering an exciting challenge to advertising professionals and freelancers.

    Total Registrations

    770

    Finalists

    5

    1. Wah Ustad: It aims to nurture exceptional talent in Hindustani, Carnatic, and soulful Sufi music while preserving and promoting India’s rich musical legacy.

    Total Registrations

    300

    International Registrations

    3

    1. Battle Of the Bands: Designed to push the limits of creativity and music, while promoting a sense of community, innovation and growth within the industry

    Total Registrations

    200

    1. Symphony Of India: The event featured a diverse range of musical performances across various genres, celebrating the broad tastes of music lovers.

    Total Registrations

    212

    1. Theme Music Competition: Songwriters, singers, performers and music creators were invited to create and share a piece of music that resembles Indian classical music or a fusion of classical and contemporary music instruments and styles.

    Total Registrations

    212

    Runner-ups

    4

    Winner

    1

    1. Resonate EDM Challenge: Aims to spotlight and celebrate global talent in production of Electronic Dance Music (EDM), fostering collaboration, innovation, and creativity in music production and live performance. This initiative aligns with the “Create in India” mission, showcasing India as a hub for global creativity and entertainment.

    Total Registrations

    394

    International Registrations

    10

    Finalists

    10

    1. India A Bird’s Eye View: Passionate drone pilots and filmmakers were invited to capture the breathtaking beauty and diversity of India in a 2-3 minute video, showcasing the country from the unique perspective of aerial drone cinematography.

    Total Registrations

    1324

    Finalists

    5

    1. Anti-Piracy Challenge: This competition focuses on encouraging and supporting innovative solutions created by local companies in fingerprinting and watermarking technologies.

    Total Registrations

    1600

    Finalists

    7

    1. Comics Creator Championship: Comic Making Competition for amateur and professional artists.

    Total Registrations

    1560

    Finalists – Professional Category

    5

    Finalists – Amateur Category

    5

    1. WAVES Anime and Manga Challenge: An innovative initiative aimed at harnessing the growing interest in manga and anime in India.

    Total Registrations

    2400

    International Registrations

    7

    Runner-Ups

    3 (5 Different Categories)

    Winners

    7 (5 Different Categories)

    1. Animation Filmmakers Competition: Aimed at uncovering and empowering India’s storytellers in the field of animation.

    Total Registrations

    1290

    International Registrations

    19

    Finalists

    42

    1. Game Jam: An exciting opportunity for India’s game developers to showcase their creativity and innovation.

    Total Registrations

    5569

    Finalists

    10

    1. Esports Tournament: The eFootball and World Cricket Championship (WCC) competitions are held in batches, each offering thrilling matchups, with the champions being crowned at WAVES.

    Total Registrations

    35008

    Finalists (All Phases)

    10

    1. City Quest: Shades of Bharat: An educational game to celebrate Bharat’s urban development.

    Total Registrations

    2594

    International Registrations

    15

    1. XR Creator Hackathon: Challenge that invites developers from across India to push the boundaries of augmented and virtual reality.

    Total Registrations

    2205

    Winners (All Themes)

    5

    1. Innovate2educate Handheld Device Challenge: Academia, designers, engineers, and innovators were invited to develop a prototype of an educational handheld device that makes learning math, solving puzzles, and boosting cognitive skills fun and interactive.

    Total Registrations

    1826

    International Registrations

    513

    Finalists

    10

    1. AI Avatar Creator Challenge: The challenge focused on creating AI avatars: personalized, interactive digital personas that engage with users like human influencers in virtual spaces.

    Total Registrations

    1324

    International Registrations

    100

    1. WAVES Awards Of Excellence: A prestigious competition recognizing outstanding showreels and AdFilms in animation, VFX, gaming, and related fields, celebrating creativity and innovation.

    Total Registrations

    1331

    International Registrations

    63

    1. Bharat Tech Triumph Program: A contest to identify and empower the top gaming and interactive entertainment innovators.

    Total Registrations

    1078

    International Registrations

    12

    Winners

    20

     

    1. WAVES VFX Competition: Participants were tasked with creating a visual effects sequence or short film featuring a superhero with extraordinary powers, but using them in the context of everyday, mundane life.

    Total Registrations

    1367

    Finalists

    14

    1. WAVES Comic Chronicles: This competition invited comic submissions on any chosen theme, requiring a minimum of 60 panels, with each image or scene representing a single panel.

    Total Registrations

    1145

    International Registrations

    62

    Finalists

    50 (Both in General and Student Track)

     

    1. WAVES Explorer: Invited participants on a captivating journey to showcase India’s rich cultural heritage and creativity. Participants created YouTube videos (up to 1 minute) or vlogs (up to 7 minutes) highlighting their favorite aspects of India.

    Total Registrations

    6932

    International Registrations

    30

     

    1. Reel Making Competition: Participants were invited to create engaging reels on themes such as food, travel, fashion, dance, music, gaming, yoga & wellness and tech.

    Total Registrations

    7812

    International Registrations

    55

    1. Young Filmmakers Challenge: The competition aimed to foster innovation, storytelling skills, and digital literacy among young participants through a concise 60-second film format.

    Total Registrations

    905

    International Registrations

    2

     

    1. Film Poster Making Competition: A unique opportunity to create innovative and visually compelling reimagined film posters to celebrate and promote the rich film poster heritage of India.

    Total Registrations

    543

    International Registrations

    29

    Finalists

    50

    Winners

    3

    1. Trailer Making Competition: Filmmakers, both seasoned and emerging, were invited to craft compelling trailers using Netflix content, offering a chance to reimagine iconic scenes or highlight fresh perspectives.

    Total Registrations

    3500

    International Registrations

    36

    Finalists

    20

    1. Unreal Cinematics Challenge: The Unreal Cinematics Challenge by TVAGA provided a platform for artists, animators, and content creators to showcase their storytelling and technical skills using Unreal Engine.

    Total Registrations

    700

    International Registrations

    1

    1. WAVES Cosplay Championship: A grand celebration of pop culture, creativity, and craftsmanship, bringing together participants showcasing their talents on the final day. It highlights genres such as Indian history, manga, anime, comics and games.

    Total Registrations

    513

    International Registrations

    3

    Finalists

     29

     

    Conclusion

    As WAVES 2025 nears its grand finale, thousands of participants from across the globe will come together to showcase their creativity, innovation, and talent. With a diverse range of challenges and an unparalleled platform for collaboration, WAVES is set to make a lasting impact on the future of India’s media and entertainment landscape.

    References

    https://cic.wavesindia.org/cic-dashboard/

    https://wavesindia.org/challenges-2025

    https://pib.gov.in/PressReleasePage.aspx?PRID=2122688

    Kindly find the pdf file

    ****

    Santosh Kumar/ Sarla Meena/ Kamna Lakaria/ Priya Nagar

    (Release ID: 2125564) Visitor Counter : 58

    MIL OSI Asia Pacific News

  • MIL-OSI Security: Fort Wayne Man Sentenced to 63 Months in Prison

    Source: Office of United States Attorneys

    FORT WAYNE – Neon L. Frazier, 50 years old, of Fort Wayne, Indiana, was sentenced by United States District Court Chief Judge Holly A. Brady following his conviction from a January 2025 jury trial for being a convicted felon in possession of a firearm, announced Acting United States Attorney Tina L. Nommay.   

    Frazier was sentenced to 63 months in prison followed by 2 years of supervised release.

    According to documents in the case, during a traffic stop on August 16. 2024, Frazier was found to be in possession of two firearms, one of which was stolen.  At the time, Frazier was prohibited from possessing firearms because of his prior Indiana state court felony robbery conviction. 

    This case was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives and the Fort Wayne Police Department. The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Stacey R. Speith and Dawn Ransom.

    This case was also part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and gun violence, and to make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. On May 26, 2021, the Department launched a violent crime reduction strategy strengthening PSN based on these core principles: fostering trust and legitimacy in our communities, supporting community-based organizations that help prevent violence from occurring in the first place, setting focused and strategic enforcement priorities, and measuring the results.

    MIL Security OSI

  • MIL-OSI: Convening of the Annual General Meeting to approve the 2024 financial statements to be held on June 13, 2025 and evolution of the Atos Board of Directors

    Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

    Press Release

    Convening of the Annual General Meeting to approve the 2024 financial statements to be held on June 13, 2025 and evolution of the Atos Board of Directors

    Paris, France – April 30, 2025

    Convening of the 2025 Annual General Meeting

    The meeting notice (avis de réunion) for the General Meeting scheduled for June 13, 2025, containing the agenda, the draft resolutions, and the participation and voting procedures for this Meeting, will be published in the Official Legal Gazette (Bulletin des Annonces Légales Obligatoires – BALO) on May 5, 2025, and will be available on the Company’s website (https://atos.net/en/investors/annual-general-meeting).

    Evolution of the composition of Atos Board of Directors

    On the recommendation of the Nomination and Governance Committee, chaired by Lead Independent Director Elizabeth Tinkham, Atos’ Board of Directors has endorsed a series of proposed changes to its composition to be submitted for approval at the General Meeting convened for June 13, 2025. The proposed changes reflect the evolving needs identified by the Board and align with the Group’s ongoing transformation.

    It will be proposed to the vote of the shareholders at the Annual General Meeting:

    • to renew the terms of office of Françoise Mercadal-Delasalles and Jean-Jacques Morin as directors, for a duration that will expire at the end of the General Meeting called to approve the financial statements for the fiscal year ending December 31, 2027;
    • to appoint Surojit Chatterjee as new independent director, for a duration that will expire at the end of the General Meeting called to approve the financial statements for the fiscal year ending December 31, 2027; and
    • to ratify the appointment of Mandy Metten as a censor, for a duration of one year expiring at the end of the General Meeting called to approve the financial statements for the fiscal year ending December 31, 2025.

    The Board of Directors has also been informed that Elizabeth Tinkham has decided not to seek renewal of her term of office as director, which will expire at the end of the General Meeting of June 13, 2025.

    Subject to approval of the proposed resolutions by the Annual General Meeting, the Board of Directors will comprise eight members (in addition to the director representing employees) and one censor, including 87.5%1independent members (seven out of eight), 50%2women and six nationalities3represented on the Board.

    Philippe Salle, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of Atos SE, declared:

    “I am pleased with the upcoming appointment of a highly qualified new director as well as the renewal of terms on our Board of Directors. These developments will support the continued effectiveness of the Board and help to strengthen its overall capabilities. I would also like to express my sincere appreciation to Elizabeth Tinkham for her commitment, which has contributed meaningfully to advancing our mission and shared vision”.

    * * *

    About Françoise Mercadal-Delasalles

    Cofounder and President at Auxo, Co‑chair of the National Digital Council (Conseil National du Numérique) and non‑executive Board Director, Françoise Mercadal-Delasalles was first appointed to the Board of Directors of Atos SE on January 2, 2024, and currently chairs the CSR Committee and sits on the Remuneration Committee. Her experience at the intersection of senior public service and the private sector, along with her recognized expertise in digital transformation and sustainability issues, are valuable assets to the work of the Board.

    Biography of Françoise Mercadal-Delasalles

    Françoise MercadalDelasalles began her career in senior public service at the Ministry of the Economy and Finance from 1988 to 1992, then at the Caisse des Dépôts from 2002 to 2008. Appointed Director of Resources and Innovation at Société Générale in 2008, she sat on the Group’s Executive Committee and steered its digital transition project. In 2018, Françoise Mercadal-Delasalles became CEO of Crédit du Nord, where she introduced digital tools to position the Group in new banking services and integrated ecological concerns into the company’s business model. In 2023, she co-founded Auxo, an integrated platform to manage extra-financial data and support companies in their transition to sustainability.

    Françoise Mercadal-Delasalles holds various non-executive positions on boards of directors and supervisory boards, notably that of Eurazeo. She has co-chaired the Conseil National du Numérique since 2021. She is a Chevalier de la Légion d’Honneur (Knight of the Legion of Honor), Officier du Mérite (Officer of the Order of Merit) and Chevalier du Mérite Agricole (Knight of the Order of Agricultural Merit).

    Françoise Mercadal-Delasalles holds a degree in literature and law, and is a graduate of the Institut d’Études Politiques (IEP) de Paris, Sciences Po Paris and the École Nationale d’Administration (ENA).

    * * *

    About Jean-Jacques Morin

    Deputy CEO of the Accor Group and CEO of the Premium, Midscale & Economy Division, Jean-Jacques Morin was first appointed to the Atos SE Board of Directors on January 2, 2024, and currently chairs the Audit Committee. His strong financial background and strategic insight are major assets in helping Atos meet its current challenges, and he would continue to bring his valuable expertise and leadership to the Board’s work.

    Biography of Jean-Jacques Morin

    Jean-Jacques Morin began his professional career with Deloitte, where he spent five years in auditing and consulting roles in Paris and Montreal. From 1992 to 2005, he held various international positions, notably in the semiconductor sector with Motorola Semiconductors (USA, Switzerland, and France), ON Semiconductor (USA) and Communicant AG, a start-up in Berlin. In 2005, Jean-Jacques Morin joined Alstom as CFO of the Power sectors in Zurich, then in Transport, before being appointed Group CFO from 2013 to 2015. In 2015, Jean-Jacques Morin joined Accor’s Executive Committee as CFO. He is then appointed Group Deputy CEO in charge of Finance, Strategy, IT, Legal, Purchasing and Communications. In June 2023, in addition to his position as Group Deputy CEO, Jean-Jacques Morin took over the Premium, Midscale & Economy Division under his leadership, as CEO of the Division.

    Jean-Jacques Morin has held various non-executive positions, including with Orbis from 2016 to 2020 as a member of the Supervisory Board and the Audit Committee, and with Vallourec from 2018 to 2021 as a member of the Supervisory Board and Chairman of the Finance and Audit Committee. He is currently Chairman of the Board of Directors of Adagio since 2022 and a member of the Board of Directors of AccorInvest since 2018. He was appointed Chairman of the Audit Committee of GROUPE REEL in 2024.

    Jean-Jacques Morin is a graduate of the École Nationale Supérieure de l’Aéronautique et de l’Espace, holds an MBA from Thunderbird (Arizona State University) and a DSCG from the Ordre des Experts Comptables.

    * * *

    About Surojit Chatterjee

    Founder and CEO of Ema Unlimited, a generative AI company, Surojit Chatterjee is a seasoned technology executive with over two decades of experience driving innovation across global companies. His deep expertise in artificial intelligence, combined with extensive product leadership at firms like Google, Coinbase and Flipkart, would bring strategic insight and forward-thinking vision to the Board.

    Biography of Surojit Chatterjee

    Surojit Chatterjee began his career in 1999 as a Software Developer at IBM before joining Oracle Corporation in a technical role. In 2005, he moved into product management at Symantec Corporation. He joined Google in 2007, where he held several leadership roles across payments, mobile products, and advertising. In 2015, he became Senior Vice President and Head of Product at Flipkart, before returning to Google in 2017 as Vice President of Product Management for Google Shopping. He joined Coinbase as Chief Product Officer in 2020 and founded Ema Unlimited, a generative AI startup, in 2023.

    Since 2024, Surojit Chatterjee has served on the Board of Directors of Meesho, a privately-owned Indian e-commerce company.

    Surojit Chatterjee holds a Bachelor in Technology in Computer Science and Engineering from the Indian Institute of Technology, Kharagpur, an MS in Computer Science from the University at Buffalo (SUNY), and an MBA from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT).

    * * *

    About Mandy Metten

    Head of Group Executives and Strategic Functions in Atos and a long-standing leader within the Group, Mandy Metten was a member of the Board of Directors representing employees until January 31, 2025, when she was appointed censor subject to the General Meeting’s ratification. Her experience across organizational change, diversity initiatives and people development would continue to bring valuable insight to the Board’s work.

    Biography of Mandy Metten

    Mandy Metten began her professional journey within the ATOS Group as an Executive Management Consultant specializing in Digital Transformation, Innovation, and Change from October 2007 to June 2014, during which she demonstrated expertise in critical strategic areas. In June 2014, she assumed the role of Manager of Atos Young Professionals, designing and overseeing a comprehensive 2-year development program for young professionals, providing development with training, mentoring and client exposure. As from November 2018, Mandy Metten served as Global Head of Group Campus Management, defining and implementing the Group campus strategy globally, including diversity and inclusion initiatives. Mandy Metten took additional responsibilities at Eviden in April 2023 and currently serves as Head of Group Executives & Strategic Functions.

    Mandy Metten was Chairman of the works council of Atos from 2010 to 2015. She also served as the Dutch delegate on Atos Societas Europaea Council (SEC) from 2012 to January 2024 and was a member of the Board Participating Committee (2017- January 2024). From August 2023, she became a Commissaris (Member of the Board of Directors) for Atos Nederland, contributing to the company’s governance.

    Mandy Metten holds a master’s degree in social and organizational Psychology. She completed a multi-level curriculum in Strategy, Economy, and Finance at the LeFebvre Institute.

    * * *

    About Atos

    Atos is a global leader in digital transformation with circa 74,000 employees and annual revenue of circa €10 billion. European number one in cybersecurity, cloud and high-performance computing, the Group provides tailored end-to-end solutions for all industries in 68 countries. A pioneer in decarbonization services and products, Atos is committed to a secure and decarbonized digital for its clients. Atos is a SE (Societas Europaea) and listed on Euronext Paris.

    The purpose of Atos is to help design the future of the information space. Its expertise and services support the development of knowledge, education and research in a multicultural approach and contribute to the development of scientific and technological excellence. Across the world, the Group enables its customers and employees, and members of societies at large to live, work and develop sustainably, in a safe and secure information space.

    Contacts

    Investor relations:

    David Pierre-Kahn | investors@atos.net | +33 6 28 51 45 96

    Sofiane El Amri | investors@atos.net | +33 6 29 34 85 67

    Individual shareholders: +33 8 05 65 00 75

    Press contact: globalprteam@atos.net


    1         In accordance with article 10.3 of the AFEP-MEDEF Code, the director representing employees is not taken into account in determining the percentage of independent members.
    2           In accordance with the law, the director representing employees is not taken into account in determining the parity ratio on the Board of Directors.
    3         Seven nationalities if the censor is taken into account.

    Attachment

    The MIL Network

  • MIL-OSI Global: China is reshaping central Asia’s energy sector as Russian influence fades

    Source: The Conversation – UK – By Lorena Lombardozzi, Senior Lecturer in Political Economy of Global Development, SOAS, University of London

    China has been developing closer ties with countries in central Asia over recent years. Trade between China and the central Asia region grew to US$89 billion (£69 billion) in 2023, an increase of 27% on the previous year. Chinese trade rose with every country there except Turkmenistan.

    In my paper from June 2024, which is part of a collection of studies looking at the impact of China’s sprawling belt and road initiative in low- and middle-income countries, I explored how Chinese investment is affecting Uzbekistan’s energy sector.

    Chinese investment in Uzbekistan has grown significantly since 2020. By the end of 2022, it had reached US$4.5 billion, up from US$2.8 billion one year before. There are now over 3,450 Chinese companies in Uzbekistan, accounting for roughly 20% of all foreign companies in the country.

    One of the main reasons for China’s expanding footprint in central Asia is to intensify energy cooperation. By becoming a major buyer, lender and investor in the region’s energy sector, China is hoping to reduce its dependence on countries such as Russia.

    Central Asia is a region of Asia consisting of Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan and Uzbekistan.
    Peter Hermes Furian / Shutterstock

    Central Asia has been politically and economically dependent on Russia since the Soviet Union invaded the region in the 19th century. Much of its infrastructure was built to provide commodities like cotton and energy to Russia, with the latter selling it at high prices to Europe. This infrastructure has, until relatively recently, remained largely unchanged.

    However, some central Asian countries have been able to reduce their dependence on Russia over the past decade or so. China has become the main importer of Uzbek gas, with a peak share of more than 80%. And Uzbekistan exported almost US$2 billion worth of goods to China in 2022, matching its volume of trade with Russia.

    Investment in energy infrastructure is taking place in a reflection of these trade patterns. Central Asia boasts significant reserves of oil and gas. But most of the region’s pipelines were traditionally directed towards Russia and, to a lesser extent, south-west to Turkey.

    Pipelines have been built and maintained with China’s support that are directed towards the east. These pipelines have facilitated trade with China and have helped reduce operational waste in the energy sectors of Turkmenistan, Kazakhstan and Uzbekistan.

    In 2025, China plans to resume the construction of a pipeline stretching from Turkmenistan through Uzbekistan, Tajikistan and Kyrgyzstan, pending the finalisation of a gas supply contract with Turkmenistan. This will further strengthen China’s energy ties with the region.

    A few years ago, while I was carrying out fieldwork in Uzbekistan, I interviewed policy experts and those involved in the Uzbek energy industry. My interviewees saw deals with China as more reliable than Russia, which has in the past renegotiated the terms of long-term energy contracts with central Asian countries or has added unfair clauses in its favour.

    In 2018, for example, the Uzbek government needed additional gas to meet domestic demand. Russia’s Lukoil energy company agreed to sell the gas from a joint Lukoil-Uzbek production facility to Uzbekistan, but at a hefty price. The Uzbek government incurred debt to Lukoil worth US$600 million.

    A train transporting gas parked in Samarkand train station, Uzbekistan.
    Lewis Tse / Shutterstock

    Chinese involvement in the Uzbek energy sector is also having an indirect effect on Uzbekistan’s green economy. During the pandemic, Uzbekistan’s gas exports to China dropped significantly, exposing operators to the vulnerability of relying on a single energy source.

    Gas exports to China have recovered since 2021. But this shock prompted policymakers to explore ways of diversifying Uzbekistan’s energy production away from fossil fuels. Over the past few years, Uzbekistan has invested over US$4 billion in renewable energy production, with the technology and expertise often coming from China.

    With the support of Chinese companies, vast solar power plants have been planned and developed near the Uzbek capital, Tashkent, as well as other cities like Navoi. Wind turbines have been supplied by Chinese firms for projects in Ferghana, near the border with Kyrgyzstan.

    Chinese-led investment in the renewable energy sector has created further demand for skilled and semi-skilled labour, such as translators, logistics operators and engineers. My interviewees noted positive – albeit limited – effects on employment and wages in the sector.

    New challenges ahead

    There are, however, also drawbacks to Chinese involvement in central Asia’s energy sector. Uzbekistan’s gas trade with China is a possible source of political and economic vulnerability.

    The export price of Uzbek gas is more profitable for energy companies than the local subsidised price, so exports have taken priority over the domestic market. Uzbek consumers often have to contend with rationed gas supplies or no access to gas at all, especially during the winter when demand is at its highest.

    This has led to dissatisfaction among the Uzbek population, especially in rural areas where people have had to resort to burning alternative sources of fuel like coal, firewood and animal dung. These energy sources are harmful to health and the environment.

    Western sanctions on Russian oil and gas since 2022, when Russia launched its invasion of Ukraine, have also created further competition for Uzbek gas. Russian gas suppliers have sought alternative markets in Asia to circumvent the sanctions. Trade flow data shows that India, Turkey and even China have increased the amount of Russian fossil fuels they buy.

    But, by and large, the state of play in the global energy market seems to be changing. Central Asia is in a strong position to benefit.

    Lorena Lombardozzi does not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organisation that would benefit from this article, and has disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.

    ref. China is reshaping central Asia’s energy sector as Russian influence fades – https://theconversation.com/china-is-reshaping-central-asias-energy-sector-as-russian-influence-fades-245232

    MIL OSI – Global Reports

  • MIL-OSI USA: ODHS announces new online training on recognizing and reporting child abuse

    Source: US State of Oregon

    he Oregon Department of Human Services (ODHS) has launched its first-ever interactive online training for the public about reporting suspected child abuse. The training rollout coincides with Child Abuse Awareness Month and the announcement of a new safety initiative underway in Child Welfare.

    Safety priorities in the initiative include improving safety for children in foster care and children who come to the attention of Child Welfare in addition to providing training to the public and professionals known as mandatory reporters. Mandatory reporters are required by law to report suspected child abuse, and include professionals in healthcare, law enforcement, social work and education fields, among others.

    The new online training helps reporters identify types of child abuse, learn how to report, and recognize when a family needs material or economic assistance. Across the country and in Oregon, efforts to better distinguish between child abuse and neglect and family needs related to poverty are driving family support programs, sometimes called family preservation or prevention.

    “We all contribute to child safety not only by being mandatory reporters, but by being mandatory supporters,” said Aprille Flint-Gerner, ODHS Child Welfare Division director. “This training provides the public with the tools needed to recognize signs of abuse that must be reported, as well as understanding when a family needs a community resource or support, rather than a report to the hotline.”

    The interactive training takes about an hour to complete and is considered the official Oregon Health Authority and ODHS state course with the most up-to-date guidance on child abuse and effective reporting. Prior to the new training, ODHS used a shorter explanatory video about reporting child abuse.

    The course, Mandatory Reporting of Child Abuse in Oregon, teaches:

    • How to recognize signs of child abuse and understand the definitions.
    • The role and impact of personal biases when determining whether a report is required.
    • How to make a report and what information to provide to the Oregon Child Abuse Hotline.
    • What happens after a report is made.
    • How to connect a family with resources.

    The training also aims to prevent unnecessary abuse reports. The Oregon Child Abuse Hotline (ORCAH) receives a high number of calls that are neither reports of child abuse nor require Child Welfare intervention. In 2024, ORCAH received 176,393 contacts, resulting in 96,246 documented screening reports. Of the documented reports, 46,483, or 27% resulted in Child Protective Services completing an assessment. ORCAH data shows that 80% of reports are from mandatory reporters, largely from representatives of law enforcement, education and the medical field.

    Data in Oregon and nationally show that Black and/or African American and American Indian/Alaska Native families are disproportionately reported to child welfare. The training addresses how reporters can recognize their personal biases and how they view a child or family in need.

    “We hope the training will help reduce disproportionality in reporting and get families connected to the services they need to thrive,” Flint-Gerner said. “Child safety is about early intervention in communities whenever possible, so that children who are unsafe get help quickly, and families who need resources get connected to supports. Prevention and early intervention are where the public and mandatory reporters can really make a difference.”

    The new training is available on the Reporting Child Abuse web page in partnership with Oregon State University’s Professional and Continuing Education (PACE).

    Resources

    Additional learning materials and guides about child abuse reporting.

    Find local resources financial assistance, food pantry information and other free or reduced-cost help at 211info.org, via phone at 211, or via text 898211.

    Information about how youth in foster care can file a complaint: email fco.info@odhsoha.oregon.gov or call 855-840-6036.

    MIL OSI USA News

  • MIL-OSI: Mimecast Appoints Ranjan Singh as Chief Product & Technology Officer

    Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

    LEXINGTON, Mass., April 30, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — RSA Conference 2025, San Francisco – Mimecast, a global cybersecurity leader transforming the way businesses manage and secure human risk, today announced that Ranjan Singh has joined its executive leadership team as Chief Product & Technology Officer.

    Singh brings more than two decades of experience leading product innovation and delivering exceptional, customer-focused cybersecurity solutions. His appointment marks a significant milestone in Mimecast’s evolution, bringing together its product and engineering teams under one unified organization, focused on accelerating transformation, expanding market leadership, and redefining how organizations secure their human layer against modern threats.

    Prior to joining Mimecast, Singh spent more than three years as Chief Product Officer at Kaseya, where he helped drive the company’s rapid global expansion, managing a portfolio of more than 40 SaaS products and contributing to more than $1.5 billion in revenue. His leadership roles at Crestron Electronics and IPC Systems further cemented his reputation for delivering product excellence at scale.

    “We’re thrilled to welcome Ranjan to Mimecast during such a pivotal time for our company,” said Marc van Zadelhoff, CEO of Mimecast. “Ranjan’s deep experience in scaling world-class products, his passion for innovation, and his relentless focus on customer outcomes makes him the ideal leader to drive our Human Risk Management platform forward.”

    Singh’s leadership will be crucial as Mimecast has increased research and development investment by almost 50% over the last two years to deliver adaptive, AI-driven solutions that empower organizations to better manage insider risk, protect email and collaboration environments, and enhance overall cyber resilience.

    Mimecast also recently appointed Rob Juncker as Chief Product Officer. Juncker, who will report directly to Singh, held the role of Chief Technology Officer at Code42 prior to Mimecast’s acquisition in July 2024. These key executive appointments underscore Mimecast’s commitment to excellence in delivering the best possible platform for their global customer base. Preceding both was the earlier appointment of Igor Shmukler as Chief Development Officer, and the addition of Amol Kulkarni to the Mimecast Board of Directors. Kulkarni is a long-time technology executive, most recently at CrowdStrike where he held the title of Chief Product and Engineering Officer.

    “I’m incredibly excited to join Mimecast at a time when securing human risk has never been more important,” said Ranjan Singh. “Mimecast’s vision, culture, and commitment to customer success are what drew me here. I look forward to working alongside very talented colleagues to deliver an exceptional platform that makes organizations more secure, resilient, and empowered to meet the future with confidence.”

    Singh holds a bachelor’s degree from Victoria University in Melbourne, Australia, and a master’s degree from New York University. Originally from India and having lived in Australia and the United States, Singh’s global perspective and cross-market leadership experience will further strengthen Mimecast’s innovation and growth.

    About Mimecast 

    Mimecast is a leading cybersecurity company transforming the way businesses manage and secure human risk. Its AI-powered, API-enabled connected human risk platform is purpose-built to protect organizations from the spectrum of cyber threats. Integrating cutting-edge technology with human-centric pathways, our platform enhances visibility and provides strategic insight.

    By enabling decisive action and empowering businesses to protect their collaborative environments, our technology safeguards critical data and actively engages employees in reducing risk and enhancing productivity. More than 42,000 businesses worldwide trust Mimecast to help them keep ahead of the ever-evolving threat landscape.

    From insider risk to external threats, customers get more with Mimecast. More visibility. More agility. More control. More security.

    Mimecast is a registered trademark or trademark of Mimecast Services Limited in the United States and/or other countries. All other products and/or services referenced are trademarks of their respective companies.

    Press Contacts

    Tim Hamilton
    Principal, Global Corporate Communications Manager
    +1 603-918-6757
    thamilton@mimecast.com

    General inquiries
    press@mimecast.com

    A photo accompanying this announcement is available at https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/ef4b4592-eb73-417d-a00a-963944252864

    The MIL Network

  • MIL-OSI USA: U.S. imports of major transportation fuels decreased in 2024

    Source: US Energy Information Administration

    In-brief analysis

    April 29, 2025


    U.S. imports of petroleum products decreased by 210,000 barrels per day (b/d) in 2024 to average 1.8 million b/d. Imports of all major transportation fuels, such as motor gasoline, diesel, and jet fuel, as well as other products, such as unfinished oils, decreased.

    Motor gasoline makes up the largest share of U.S. petroleum product imports because it is the most widely consumed petroleum fuel in the United States. In 2024, the United States imported 651,000 b/d of motor gasoline, about 36% of all petroleum product imports and 75,000 b/d less than in 2023. U.S. gasoline consumption in 2024 was largely unchanged from 2023; inventories fell in 2024 after they had increased in 2023, reflecting the decrease in imports.

    Although the United States imports more gasoline than any other petroleum product, the United States exported 226,000 b/d more gasoline than it imported in 2024. The United States has been a net exporter of gasoline every year since 2016.

    U.S. petroleum product exports primarily originate from the Gulf Coast due to the region’s concentrated refining capacity and proximity to major ports. U.S. Gulf Coast refinery production exceeds regional market demand, resulting in exports by waterborne tankers. Although Gulf Coast refineries have a wide distribution network, infrastructure constraints limit their ability to supply fuels to all parts of the country. Consequently, certain regions rely on imported petroleum products instead of transporting them from the Gulf Coast.

    U.S. gasoline imports came from a variety of countries, but the largest five suppliers were Canada, the Netherlands, India, the United Kingdom, and South Korea. All these countries except Korea are among the top five sources for U.S. gasoline imports over the last 10 years (2014–23). Imports from Canada are the primary source of gasoline for several northeastern states and make up a small share in other markets throughout the country.


    Canada is also the largest source of distillate imports into the United States. The United States imported 144,000 b/d of distillate fuel oil in 2024, 95% of which came from Canada. U.S. imports of distillate primarily come into the East Coast (112,000 b/d, or 78%). In addition to use as a transportation fuel, distillate imports are also the primary source of home heating oil for the U.S. Northeast.

    Jet fuel imports in 2024 totaled 109,000 b/d, down from 127,000 b/d in 2023. Jet fuel imports flowed primarily to the West Coast. South Korea supplied 77,000 b/d, or 71%, of U.S. jet fuel imports last year. The next-largest suppliers were Canada, China, India, and Kuwait.

    Imports of petroleum products other than gasoline, distillate fuel oil, and jet fuel primarily consisted of residual fuel oil for use as a marine bunker fuel and unfinished oils used as feedstock for U.S. refineries to produce other finished products.

    Principal contributor: Kevin Hack

    MIL OSI USA News

  • MIL-OSI: Flywire and Avanse Financial Services Announce Strategic Partnership to Digitize Student Loan Disbursements from India

    Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

    Integrated solution enables Flywire to unlock new payment flows from India to academic destinations worldwide

    Flywire further expands footprint in India, capitalizes on the billions of dollars of payment volume from education loans

    BOSTON and MUMBAI, India, April 30, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Flywire Corporation (Nasdaq: FLYW) (Flywire), a global payments and enablement and software company, today announced its strategic partnership with Avanse Financial Services, India’s second-largest education-focused non-banking financial company (NBFC). The collaboration simplifies the process of disbursing education loan payments for Indian students pursuing education opportunities abroad. The collaboration helps Flywire capitalize on tuition loan disbursements initiated by Avanse in Indian Rupees (INR) and builds on Flywire’s existing banking and loan integrations in India. The solution is available immediately and supports payment flows from India to academic destinations worldwide.

    Through this integration, Flywire streamlines the entire payments experience for students who opt to get educational loans from Avanse. After loan approval, students process payments via Flywire entirely in Indian rupees, with the ability to monitor transactions until funds reach their university. Flywire ensures transparency over all loan disbursements, facilitates efficient refunds, and automates the complex Tax Collected at Source (TCS) calculations—ultimately saving both students and providers valuable time and resources while ensuring adherence to relevant tax guidelines.

    “We’re excited to collaborate with Avanse to enhance the process of student loan disbursements from India,” commented Mina Fakhouri, SVP, APAC & Global Agents at Flywire. “The combination of Avanse’s presence in India and Flywire’s innovative payment technology addresses a crucial market gap for both students and lending institutions. India remains an important market for Flywire, and we’re excited to work together to deliver value to our partners, payers, educational institutions and beyond.”

    Additional benefits of the integration between Flywire and Avanse are expected to include:

    • Competitive foreign exchange conversion rates for students
    • Providing transparent payment tracking for students, schools and financial institutions
    • Enhancing compliance with international banking regulations
    • Managing TCS calculations for payments
    • Simplifying the documentation requirements for both students and institutions

    Rajesh Kachave, Chief Business Officer – Student Lending International Business of Avanse Financial Services, commented: “We believe in providing a holistic education financing experience. This collaboration with Flywire will create compelling and sustaining value for our customers, enabling them to focus entirely on their academics while leaving the financial complexities to us.”

    About Flywire

    Flywire is a global payments enablement and software company. We combine our proprietary global payments network, next-gen payments platform and vertical-specific software to deliver the most important and complex payments for our clients and their customers.

    Flywire leverages its vertical-specific software and payments technology to deeply embed within the existing A/R workflows for its clients across the education, healthcare and travel vertical markets, as well as in key B2B industries. Flywire also integrates with leading ERP systems, such as NetSuite, so organizations can optimize the payment experience for their customers while eliminating operational challenges.

    Flywire supports more than 4,500 clients with diverse payment methods in more than 140 currencies across more than 240 countries and territories around the world. The company is headquartered in Boston, MA, USA with global offices. For more information, visit www.flywire.com. Follow Flywire on X , LinkedIn and Facebook.

    About Avanse Financial Services
    Avanse Financial Services Limited is an education-focused non-banking financial company (NBFC) on a mission to provide seamless and affordable education financing for every deserving Indian student. The company offers loans across three key segments:

    Student Loan – International – Customized education financing solutions for Indian students pursuing undergraduate & postgraduate courses overseas
    Education Loans Domestic – Customized financing solutions for Indian students seeking higher education at domestic institutions. It also includes loans for professionals engaging in executive learning programs, as well as financing for both curriculum fees for students enrolled in accredited schools and non-curriculum fees associated with skilling programs, executive education, and test preparation courses, all in India.
    Educational Institution Loans – Collateral-backed financing solutions to private educational institutions, generally K-12 schools, located in peripheral areas of tier I cities and in tier II and beyond cities in India. For more information, please click here.

    Safe Harbor Statement

    This release contains forward-looking statements within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995, including, but not limited to, statements regarding Flywire’s expectations regarding the benefits of its education clients and business, Flywire’s business strategy and plans, market growth and trends. Flywire intends such forward-looking statements to be covered by the safe harbor provisions for forward-looking statements contained in Section 21E of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 and the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. In some cases, you can identify forward-looking statements by terms such as, but not limited to, “believe,” “may,” “will,” “potentially,” “estimate,” “continue,” “anticipate,” “intend,” “could,” “would,” “project,” “target,” “plan,” “expect,” or the negative of these terms, and similar expressions intended to identify forward-looking statements. Such forward-looking statements are based upon current expectations that involve risks, changes in circumstances, assumptions, and uncertainties. Important factors that could cause actual results to differ materially from those reflected in Flywire’s forward-looking statements include, among others, the factors that are described in the “Risk Factors” and “Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations” sections of Flywire’s Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2024, which is on file with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) and available on the SEC’s website at https://www.sec.gov/. The information in this release is provided only as of the date of this release, and Flywire undertakes no obligation to update any forward-looking statements contained in this release on account of new information, future events, or otherwise, except as required by law.

    Contacts

    Flywire

    Media:
    Sarah King
    Media@Flywire.com

    Investor Relations:
    Masha Kahn
    IR@Flywire.com

    Avanse Financial Services
    Koeli Dutta | Lead – Corporate Communication & Content
    Mobile: +91 8879330544
    Email ID: koeli.dutta@avanse.com   

    The MIL Network

  • MIL-OSI Europe: EUROPE/ITALY – Pope Francis’ “recommendations” to his cousin Ana Rosa Sivori, a missionary nun

    Source: Agenzia Fides – MIL OSI

    Wednesday, 30 April 2025

    FMA

    by Antonella PrennaRome (Fides Agency) – “I insist that this donation be made available to those most in need,” said Sister Ana Rosa Sivori, cousin of Pope Francis, quoting the Pope himself, who in a conversation with Sister Ana Rosa recommended that a sum of money donated to him and entrusted to the community of the Institute of the Daughters of Mary Help of Christians (FMA), to which Sister Ana Rosa belongs, be used for the construction of homes for needy families in Bam Pong.The 83-year-old cousin of Pope Francis, who originally comes from Buenos Aires, has been a missionary in Thailand for 60 years. She began her journey in Turin, where she was sent from Argentina to study, then moved on to India, where she spent three years, and finally to Thailand.“I arrived in Rome on the night of April 23 and didn’t manage to pay my last respects to Francis in St. Peter’s Basilica until April 25. I stayed from 9 in the morning until 6 in the evening. I prayed and talked with him in front of his coffin, and I am sure he was listening to me. I was very impressed by the enormous influx of people from all over the world,” reports the nun.“This morning, April 30, I was able to say goodbye to him at his grave in the Basilica of Santa Maria Maggiore,” Sister Ana Rosa continued. ”It made a deep impression on me to stand in front of the white marble, and I was very happy that he is exactly where he always wanted to be. We are a very close family, and although we hadn’t spoken to each other for a long time, we always knew everything about each other. My father was very close to ‘Jorge’, as he continued to call him, and he always knew everything he was doing. We were baptized in the same basilica in Buenos Aires where the Don Bosco sisters work. He celebrated the funerals of my parents, our grandfather, and my sister’s wedding. We knew that he always called his sick sister on Sunday afternoons and that we talked about family matters. I celebrated my 80th birthday with him here in Rome after I had been in Argentina and before I returned to Thailand.“We often spoke with him about missionary work. He wanted to learn about the relationship between priests and Buddhists, who make up the majority of the population in Thailand. We always shared the idea of looking into each other’s faces and seeing what the other person needs. I hope that the cardinals who will meet in the conclave will follow Francis’ line for a Church of the people,” emphasizes the missionary.The FMA are represented in Thailand by eight communities and are active in the field of education. Specifically, they are located in the northwest of the country in the city of Chom Tong, in the northeast in the cities of Phon Sung and Udon Thani, further south in the city of Bam Pong, in San Phran, and finally with two communities in Bangkok.Sister Ana Rosa is currently working in the community in Bam Pong. Due to her age and health, she no longer teaches, but helps where needed and assists with the “chronicles” that the house collects every year from January to December.“There are 80 FMA sisters throughout Thailand,” explains the nun, ”and 17 of us are in Bam Pong. Our community is the first house that the FMA sisters opened in this country in 1933. Our pioneers supported and trained the local sisters and took in the first sisters who had been expelled from China. There are very few Christians in Bam Pong, but we have a very good relationship with the Buddhists, who also attend our schools. Education is of fundamental importance to us, and in order to give as many people as possible a chance, we have the lowest school fees of any school in the country. Our schools are overcrowded; in Bam Pong alone, we have 3,200 students, of whom at most a hundred are Christians. We teach the young girls the charisma of our founder, Mother Mazzarello. The schools in our communities range from nursery to middle school. They are mainly girls’ schools, with the exception of the kindergarten, which is mixed, and another school located outside the city. In this school, we have accepted the request of parents who have several children to accompany them all, so boys and girls can attend school together until the third grade.”“The Catholic community has a strong presence in Bam Pong,” concludes Sister Ana Rosa. ”There is a Capuchin monastery, a hospital run by the Camillian Missionaries, a Salesian Don Bosco school, the parish of St. Joseph, which is very large and run by the Salesians of Don Bosco, and a cemetery right next to our parish.” (Fides Agency 30/4/2025)
    FMA

    Share:

    MIL OSI Europe News

  • MIL-OSI Security: LaPorte Man Found Guilty by Jury

    Source: Office of United States Attorneys

    SOUTH BEND – Yesterday, Ron Deming, 38 years old, of LaPorte, Indiana, was found guilty today of receipt of child pornography and possession of child pornography after a two-day jury trial presided over by United States District Court Judge Damon R. Leichty, announced Acting United States Attorney Tina L. Nommay.

    Sentencing is scheduled for August 14, 2025. Any specific sentence to be imposed will be determined by the District Court Judge after consideration of federal statutes and the United States Sentencing Guidelines.

    This case was investigated by Homeland Security Investigations with assistance from the Indiana State Police and the LaPorte County Sheriff’s Office. The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Hannah T Jones and Katelan McKenzie Doyle.

    The case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood. In 2006, the Department of Justice created Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative designed to protect children from exploitation and abuse. Led by the U.S. Attorneys’ Offices and the DOJ’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who exploit children, as well as identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.projectsafechildhood.gov.

    MIL Security OSI

  • MIL-OSI Security: FBI and Gary Police Seek Help Locating Missing Gary Teen

    Source: Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) State Crime News

    Ja’Niyah McMichael Would Be 14 Years Old Today

    The FBI and Gary Police Department are asking for the public’s help to locate Ja’Niyah McMichael, a teenager, who has been missing since August 12, 2024. Ja’Niyah was reported missing by her mother from their home in the 1900 block of Malcom X Blvd in Gary, Indiana.

    Investigators believe Ja’Niyah may be the victim of foul play and the search for her remains an active and ongoing investigation.

    At the time of her disappearance, Ja’Niyah was last seen wearing black pajama pants, a black hooded sweatshirt, and red and black shoes. She has known connections to Gary and East Chicago, Indiana.

    Today, Ja’Niyah would be 14 years old.

    In an effort to bring Ja’Niyah home and hold those responsible accountable, there is a $20,000 reward for information that leads to the arrest and conviction of the individual(s) responsible for her disappearance. The FBI is offering a reward of up to $10,000 and the City of Gary is also offering a $10,000 reward.

    Anyone with information—no matter how small—is urged to come forward. Tips can be submitted anonymously to the FBI at 1-800-CALL-FBI (1-800-225-5324), Gary or online at tips.fbi.gov.

    MIL Security OSI

  • MIL-OSI Economics: Lending and Deposit Rates of Scheduled Commercial Banks – April 2025

    Source: Reserve Bank of India

    Data on lending and deposit rates of scheduled commercial banks (SCBs) (excluding regional rural banks and small finance banks) received during the month of April 2025 are set out in Tables 1 to 7.

    Highlights:

    Lending Rates:

    • The weighted average lending rate (WALR) on fresh rupee loans of SCBs stood at 9.35 per cent in March 2025 (9.40 per cent in February 2025).

    • The WALR on outstanding rupee loans of SCBs declined to 9.77 per cent in March 2025 from 9.80 per cent in February 2025.1

    • 1-Year median Marginal Cost of Funds based Lending Rate (MCLR) of SCBs remained unchanged at 9.00 per cent in April 2025.

    Deposit Rates:

    • The weighted average domestic term deposit rate (WADTDR) on fresh rupee term deposits of SCBs stood at 6.65 per cent in March 2025 as compared to 6.49 per cent in February 2025.

    • The weighted average domestic term deposit rate (WADTDR) on outstanding rupee term deposits of SCBs was 7.03 per cent in March 2025 (7.02 per cent in February 2025).1

    Ajit Prasad          
    Deputy General Manager
    (Communications)    

    Press Release: 2025-2026/223


    MIL OSI Economics

  • MIL-OSI Economics: Data on India’s Invisibles for Third Quarter (October-December) of 2024-25

    Source: Reserve Bank of India

    The Reserve Bank today released data on India’s invisibles as per the IMF’s Balance of Payments and International Investment Position Manual (BPM6) format for October-December of 2024-25.

    Ajit Prasad          
    Deputy General Manager
    (Communications)    

    Press Release: 2025-2026/221

    MIL OSI Economics

  • MIL-OSI Economics: Monthly Data on India’s International Trade in Services for the Month of March 2025

    Source: Reserve Bank of India

    The value of exports and imports of services during March 2025 is given in the following table.

    International Trade in Services
    (US$ million)
    Month Receipts (Exports) Payments (Imports)
    January – 2025 34,726
    (12.0)
    16,706
    (12.6)
    February – 2025 31,625
    (11.6)
    14,506
    (-4.8)
    March – 2025 35,600
    (18.6)
    17,475
    (5.3)
    Notes: (i) Data for January-March are provisional; and
    (ii) Figures in parentheses are growth rates over the corresponding month of the previous year which have been revised on the basis of balance of payments statistics.

    Ajit Prasad          
    Deputy General Manager
    (Communications)    

    Press Release: 2025-2026/222

    MIL OSI Economics

  • MIL-OSI Asia-Pac: Cabinet approves Fair and Remunerative Price of sugarcane payable by Sugar Mills to sugarcane farmers for sugar season 2025-26

    Source: Government of India

    Cabinet  approves Fair and Remunerative Price of sugarcane payable by Sugar Mills to sugarcane farmers for sugar season 2025-26

    Fair and Remunerative Price of Rs. 355/qtl approved for Sugarcane Farmers  

    Decision will benefit 5 crore sugarcane farmers  and their dependents, as well as 5 lakh workers employed in the sugar mills and related ancillary activities

    Posted On: 30 APR 2025 4:09PM by PIB Delhi

    Keeping in view interest of sugarcane farmers (GannaKisan), the Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs chaired by the Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi has approved Fair and Remunerative Price (FRP) of sugarcane for sugar season 2025-26 (October – September) at Rs.355/qtl for a basic recovery rate of 10.25%, providing a premium of Rs.3.46/qtl for each 0.1% increase in recovery over and above 10.25%, & reduction in FRP by Rs.3.46/qtl for every 0.1% decrease in recovery.

    However, the Government with a view to protect interest of sugarcane farmers has also decided that there shall not be any deduction in case of sugar mills where recovery is below 9.5%. Such farmers will get Rs.329.05/qtl for sugarcane in ensuing sugar season 2025-26.

    The cost of production (A2 +FL) of sugarcane for the sugar season 2025-26 is Rs.173/qtl. This FRP of Rs.355/qtl at a recovery rate of 10.25% is higher by 105.2% over production cost. The FRP for sugar season 2025-26 is 4.41% higher than current sugar season 2024-25.

    The FRP approved shall be applicable for purchase of sugarcane from the farmers in the sugar season 2025-26 (starting w.e.f. 1st October, 2025) by sugar mills. The sugar sector is an important agro-based sector that impacts the livelihood of about 5 crore sugarcane farmers and their dependents and around 5 lakh workers directly employed in sugar mills, apart from those employed in various ancillary activities including farm labour and transportation.

    Background:

    The FRP has been determined on the basis of recommendations of Commission for Agricultural Costs and Prices (CACP) and after consultation with State Governments and other stake-holders.

    In the previous sugar season 2023-24, out of cane dues payable of 1,11,782 crores about Rs.1,11,703 crores cane dues have been paid to farmers, as on 28.04.2025; thus, 99.92% cane dues have been cleared. In the current sugar season 2024-25, out of cane dues payable of Rs.97,270 crore about Rs.85,094 crores cane dues have been paid to farmers, as on 28.04.2025; thus, 87% cane dues have been cleared.

    ****

    MJPS/BM

    (Release ID: 2125471) Visitor Counter : 170

    MIL OSI Asia Pacific News

  • MIL-OSI Asia-Pac: Cabinet approves development of Greenfield High-Speed Corridor of 166.80 km (NH-6) from Mawlyngkhung (near Shillong) in Meghalaya to Panchgram (near Silchar) in Assam on Hybrid Annuity Mode (HAM)

    Source: Government of India

    Cabinet approves development of Greenfield High-Speed Corridor of 166.80 km (NH-6) from Mawlyngkhung (near Shillong) in Meghalaya to Panchgram (near Silchar) in Assam on Hybrid Annuity Mode (HAM)

    Total capital cost of the corridor is Rs.22,864 crore

    Posted On: 30 APR 2025 4:05PM by PIB Delhi

    The Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs chaired by the Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi has approved the proposal for Development, Maintenance and Management of  4-lane Greenfield Access Controlled 166.80 km of National Highway No. 06 from Mawlyngkhung (near Shillong) in Meghalaya to Panchgram (near Silchar) in Assam on Hybrid Annuity Mode as an access controlled greenfield High-Speed Corridor at a total capital cost of Rs.22,864 Crore. The project length of 166.80 km lies in Meghalaya (144.80 km)  and Assam (22.00 km).

    The proposed Greenfield high-speed corridor will improve the service level for the traffic moving from Guwahati to Silchar. The development of this corridor will improve the connectivity to Tripura, Mizoram, Manipur and the Barak Valley region of Assam from mainland and Guwahati with substantially reduced travel distance and travel time. This will, in turn, contribute to the enhancement of logistics efficiency of the nation.

    The corridor will improve connectivity between Assam and Meghalaya and will spur economic development, including development of industries in Meghalaya, as it passes through cement and coal production areas of Meghalaya. This corridor will cater to the national and international tourists coming from well-connected Guwahati Airport, Shillong Airport, Silchar Airport (via existing NH-06) connecting Guwahati to Silchar. This would connect scenic places of tourist attraction in the North-East and promote tourism.

    This critical infrastructure project will improve inter-city connectivity between Guwahati, Shillong & Silchar traverses through Ri Bhoi, East Khasi Hills, West Jaintia hills, East Jaintia hills in Meghalaya and Cachar district in Assam reduce congestion on existing NH-06 and enhance transport infrastructure development in line with the PM Gati Shakti National Master Plan.

    The project alignment integrates with major transport corridors, including NH-27, NH-106, NH-206, NH-37 providing seamless connectivity to Guwahati, Shillong, Silchar, Diengpasoh, Ummulong, Phramer, Khlieriat, Ratachera, Umkiang, Kalain..

    Upon completion, the Shillong – Silchar Corridor will play a pivotal role in regional economic growth, improving connectivity between Guwahati, Shillong, Silchar, Imphal, Aizawl and Agartala. The project aligns with the government’s vision of Atmanirbhar Bharat, enhancing infrastructure while generating employment and fostering socio-economic development in Meghalaya, Assam, Manipur, Mizoram and Tripura.

    Feature

    Details

    Project Name

    Development, Maintenance and Management of 166.80 km of National Highway No. 06 from Mawlyngkhung (near Shillong) in Meghalaya to Panchgram (near Silchar) in Assam on Hybrid Annuity Mode

    Corridor

    Shillong – Silchar (NH-06)

    Length (km)

    166.8 Km

    Total Civil Cost

    Rs. 12,087 crore

    Land Acquisition Cost

    Rs. 3,503 crore

    Total Capital Cost

    Rs. 22,864 crore

    Mode

    Hybrid Annuity Mode (HAM)

    Major Roads Connected

    NH-27, NH-106, NH-206, NH-37, SH-07, SH-08, SH-09, SH-38

    Economic / Social / Transport Nodes Connected

    Airports: Guwahati Airport, Shillong Airport, Silchar Airport

    Major Cities / Towns Connected

    Guwahati, Shillong, Silchar, Diengpasoh, Ummulong, Phramer, Khlieriat, Ratachera, Umkiang, Kalain.

    Employment Generation Potential

    74 lakh man-days (direct) & 93 lakh man-days (indirect)

    Annual Average Daily Traffic (AADT) in FY-25

    Estimated at 19,000-20,000 Passenger Car Units (PCU)

     

    ****

    MJPS/BM

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    MIL OSI Asia Pacific News

  • MIL-OSI Asia-Pac: Pilot Study on Annual Survey of Services Sector Enterprises (ASSSE) to capture insights into the Incorporated Service Sector

    Source: Government of India

    Posted On: 30 APR 2025 4:00PM by PIB Delhi

    The pilot study was carried out in two phases using a GSTN frame primarily with an objective to test the suitability of the GSTN database as sampling frame, verify and update selected frame information (in Phase-I) and to test the operational modalities such as, response of the enterprises, adequacy of the instruction, structure of the questionnaire, collectability of information, etc. (in Phase-II).

    The pilot study covered those service sector enterprises from the GSTN database which are registered under Companies Act, 1956 or, Companies Act, 2013 or Limited Liability Partnership (LLP) Act, 2008.

    The pilot provides valuable operational insights and a foundation for launching a robust, full-scale annual survey of incorporated service sector enterprises from January 2026.

    Objective of the Pilot Survey on ASSSE

    1. The service sector is a key driver of India’s economy, contributing more than 50% to the country’s GDP and providing millions of jobs. Accurate and comprehensive data on this sector is crucial for informed policymaking, strategic planning, and investment decisions. While the unincorporated part of the service sector is covered in Annual Survey of Unincorporated Sector Enterprises (ASUSE) conducted by National Statistics Office, there is a lack of granular data on the economic and operational characteristics, employment, and other related aspects of the incorporated service sector. This gap in data is primarily due to the absence of a regular national-level survey covering the various sub-sectors of the incorporated non-agricultural non-manufacturing sectors.
    2. The main objective was to test operational processes – enterprise response, clarity of survey instructions, efficacy of the questionnaire and the availability of key data from official records such as books of accounts, profit and loss statements, and labour registers.

    Requirement of Pilot Study before launching full-fledged ASSSE

    To firm up the methodology, survey instruments and other operational aspects of conducting a full-fledged pan-India survey (ASSSE), there was a felt need to undertake a pilot. Accordingly, the Ministry of Statistics and Programme Implementation (MoSPI) has conducted the Pilot Study on ASSSE and releases its findings as a Technical Report in this press note.

    This pilot marks a pioneering effort in the Indian official survey ecosystem, utilizing a GSTN-based enterprise frame for the first time comprising of incorporated enterprises across the Construction, Trade, and Other Services categories including transport, accommodation and food services, information and communication, health, education, real estate, etc. Technical Report available in the website of the MoSPI viz. https://www.mospi.gov.in.

    Modalities of conducting the Pilot Study

    The Pilot Study on ASSSE has been conducted using an ‘enterprise approach’ where the term ‘enterprise’ is referred to as a GSTN unit conducting operations in a particular state. As per GSTN nomenclature, the term enterprise is analogous to ‘principal place of business’ which may have one or more ‘additional place of business’ (establishments) in the state. Combined data of all the additional places of businesses have been collected from the principal place of business in this pilot study.

    The two-phase pilot study, conducted through CAPI (Computer-Assisted Personal Interviewing) on tablets, aimed to test the suitability of GSTN database as sampling frame, validate and update selected frame information, test operational processes, and assess data availability from business records including balance sheets, books of accounts and labour registers maintained by the enterprises for the financial year 2022–2023.

    Phase I of the pilot was conducted during May 2024–August 2024 covering 10,005 enterprises primarily to verify and update address and activity information along with collecting some quantitative information such as gross sale value, employment, etc.

    Phase-II of the Pilot Study on 5020 enterprises selected from the list of eligible enterprises of Phase-I took place during November 2024 to January 2025. Data for this phase were collected under the Collection of Statistics Act, 2008 (as amended in 2017), with notices issued in October 2024.

    Major takeaway from the pilot study

    • Majority of the enterprises were found to be existent and operational.
    • Units with headquarters in other states required significant effort to collect the relevant data. Also, challenges were faced in bifurcating the GSTIN level information pertaining to the selected enterprises from Pan-India centralized records (often CIN based) maintained at headquarter level.
    • Majority of the responding units were found to be cooperative in furnishing information/data.
    • Barring a few blocks, the questionnaire was found to be reasonably easy to fill in.
    • The instructions were found to be mostly clear and unambiguous and easy to understand.

     

    Key finding of the pilot study (based on unweighted i.e without applying any multiplier on sample observations):

    1. Distribution of Enterprises by type of organization

    In Figure 1, distribution of enterprises by type of organization is presented. It can be seen that majority of the corporate entities in the pilot study on ASSSE are Private Limited Companies (82.40% at overall level) during FY 2022-23 followed by Public Limited Company and Limited Liability Partnership (each having nearly 8% share). The same trend is noticeable for all the Broad Activity Categories (BAC) i.e., Construction, Trade and Other Services.

    Figure 1: Distribution of enterprises by type of organization for each BAC

    1. Percentage share of economic indicators by different size classes of output (FY 2022-23)

    Size Class of Output (Rs.)

    No. of enterprises surveyed

    Indicator*

    Fixed Assets

    Net Fixed Capital Formation

    Gross Fixed Capital Formation

    Gross Value Added

    Net Value Added

    Total persons engaged

    Total compensation

    all-India

    Less than 10 cr.

    2720

    2.64

    2.19

    2.44

    1.19

    1.07

    9.28

    3.17

    10 cr. or more, but less than  100 cr.

    927

    9.58

    6.00

    8.32

    9.45

    9.38

    20.03

    11.43

    100 cr. or more, but less than 500 cr.

    326

    25.00

    29.08

    26.96

    19.90

    19.33

    33.73

    22.24

    500 cr. or more

    113

    62.77

    62.73

    62.28

    69.47

    70.21

    36.96

    63.17

    All

    4086

    100.00

    100.00

    100.00

    100.00

    100.00

    100.00

    100.00

     

    The following Table presents the percentage share of different important indicators over different size-classes of output.

    * generated based on sample data without using weights

    The data reveals that larger enterprises with output Rupees 500 crores and above dominate in terms of asset ownership (62.77%), net fixed capital formation (62.73%), gross value added (69.47%) and total compensation (63.17%). Further, data also reveals that enterprises (having output below Rupees 500 crores) make up almost  account for 63.03% of total employment and 36.84% of total compensation.

     

    Fig. 2: Enterprises with additional places of businesses in the state for each Broad Activity Categories.

    The above Figure (Figure 2) shows that overall, 28.5% of enterprises reported having additional places of business within the state. This percentage was observed to be the highest in the Trade sector with around 41.8% of enterprises belonging to this sector reported additional places of business in the state. As per GSTN nomenclature, the term enterprise is analogous to ‘principal place of business’ which may have one or more ‘additional place of business’ (establishments) in the state.

    Way Forward

    1. The pilot study on ASSSE represents a significant milestone in strengthening India’s statistical infrastructure for the service sector, a key contributor to both GDP and employment.
    2. The findings from the pilot study provide a strong foundation for launching the full-scale annual survey starting in January 2026.
    3. The pilot study confirmed the suitability of the GSTN database as a sampling frame for the survey.
    4. It highlighted the importance of proper verification and validation of survey instruments, the collectability of data from records maintained by selected enterprises and the challenges encountered during data collection.
    5. The pilot study offers valuable insights for planning and finalizing the sampling design, determining the sample size and refining the questionnaire for the full-fledged survey in consultation with major stakeholders.
    6. The major indicators of the survey include percentage share of Fixed Assets, Net fixed Capital Formation, Gross Fixed Capital Formation, GVA, NVA, number of persons engaged and compensation etc. over different size-classes of output.

     

    Important Caveat

    The basic purpose of the pilot study was experience gathering on various aspects of the survey (as mentioned in previous paras) rather than generating estimates. Considering the small sample size of only 5020 units and the fact that a number of selected units were found to be non-existing and/or non-responding for various reasons, no design-based estimate (using sampling weights) has been attempted in this pilot study. Hence the estimates of any sector or Broad Activity Category (BAC) obtained by summing the estimates of all enterprises belonging to that sector/BAC tend to be skewed towards the estimates of large units present in that sector/BAC. Thus, the estimates are not indicative of or comparable to the overall actual aggregates of the sector/BAC.

    ****

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    MIL OSI Asia Pacific News

  • MIL-OSI Asia-Pac: Ministry of Tribal Affairs and Bharat Petroleum Corporation Limited to Set Up 75 Space Labs in EMR Schools under ISRO’s Technical Guidance

    Source: Government of India

    Ministry of Tribal Affairs and Bharat Petroleum Corporation Limited to Set Up 75 Space Labs in EMR Schools under ISRO’s Technical Guidance

    19 states in the country to be benefitted

    Under CSR initiative around Rs 12 crores sanctioned

    It could bridge educational gaps and open new avenues for tribal youth in the fields of space science, technology, engineering, and maths (STEM)

    Posted On: 30 APR 2025 4:00PM by PIB Delhi

    In a historic step Ministry of tribal affairs and Bharat Petroleum Corporation Limited (BPCL) announced the setting up of “Space Labs” in 75 Eklavya Model Residential School (EMRS) across 19 states in the country.

    Ministry of Tribal Affairs, Government of India establishes EMRS to impart quality education to ST children thereby enabling them to avail of opportunities in high and professional educational courses and get gainful employment in various sectors. EMRS in addition to imparting high quality education also takes care of their nutrition and overall health and development. As on date there are 470 functional EMRS across the country.

    BPCL has announced that it will support the tribal affairs Ministry under its Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) initiatives to set up the Space Labs and has sanctioned around Rs 12 crores towards the same.

    Through this initiative, the Ministry seeks to bridge educational gaps and open new avenues for tribal youth in the fields of space science, technology, engineering, and maths (STEM). By providing exposure to space sciences at a young age, the ministry aims to lay the foundation for nurturing future scientists, technologists, and innovators from tribal communities. This project marks a significant step towards mainstreaming tribal students into India’s scientific advancement. It reflects the Government’s broader efforts under the NEP 2020 framework to create equitable and inclusive educational opportunities for all sections of society.

    The initiative will be technically supported by the Space tutor agencies recognized by Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO).Each such lab will have the advanced scientific equipment including the following components:

    1. LVM3 Launch Vehicle and EO satellite demo model with all dub system details
    2. Static model launch vehicles (PSLV, HRLV, IRNSS, GSAT)
    3. Table Top demo models of solar System, lunar Eclipse, phases of the moon, day and nights, 4 seasons, globe and time indicator
    4. Star tracker telescope 150/750mm and Cansat working model
    5. Space, Science, and Maths Teaching Learning Material (TLM) kits
    6. ISRO space bookand timelineexhibit

    These labs are to be established in EMRS of 19 states in India and includesAndhra Pradesh, Arunachal Pradesh, Chhattisgarh, Dadra and Nagar Haveli, Gujarat, Himachal Pradesh, Jammu & Kashmir, Jharkhand, Karnataka, Madhya Pradesh, Maharashtra, Mizoram, Odisha, Rajasthan, Telangana, Tripura, Uttar Pradesh, Uttarakhand, West Bengal. More than 50,000 tribal students shall benefit through this initiative.

     

     

     

     *******

    RN/PIB

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    MIL OSI Asia Pacific News

  • MIL-OSI Asia-Pac: Union Minister of Jal Shakti, Shri C.R. Patil reviews the Jalaj initiative and charts a new path for river conservation and livelihood generation

    Source: Government of India

    Union Minister of Jal Shakti, Shri C.R. Patil reviews the Jalaj initiative and charts a new path for river conservation and livelihood generation

    Along with conservation, Jalaj aims at creating economic opportunities and enhancing community participation in river rejuvenation efforts: Shri C R Patil

    Union minister lauds the innovative models developed under Jalaj and emphasizes the need to scale up successful practices across other major river basins

    Jalaj has empowered over 5,000 members of the boating community and supported more than 2,400 women in 42 districts across nine states

    Posted On: 30 APR 2025 3:50PM by PIB Delhi

    Union Minister of Jal Shakti, Shri C.R. Patil, chaired a review meeting to assess the progress of the Wildlife Institute of India’s livelihood-focused project JALAJ. The Jalaj program under the aegis of National Mission for Clean Ganga (NMCG), is a significant component of the Government’s Arth Ganga vision — linking people to rivers through sustainable economic activities. Along with livelihood focus, the project aims at creating societal awareness towards aquatic biodiversity conservation.

    Highlighting its pivotal role, the Union Minister emphasized that along with conservation, JALAJ aims at creating economic opportunities and enhancing community participation in river rejuvenation efforts. Jalaj has successfully connected river conservation with livelihood generation by promoting eco-tourism, sustainable farming, skill development, and artisanal production across the Ganga basin. The initiative aims at establish 75 Jalaj centers, with various models such as Dolphin Safaris, Homestays, Livelihood Centers, and Awareness & Sale Points etc. Jalaj has empowered over 5,000 members of the boating community and supported more than 2,400 women in 42 districts across nine states.

     

    It emerged in the review that JALAJ aims at symbiotic linkage between river and communities and helps in educating people on values of conserved Ganga river. The review noted that Jalaj has conducted 263 training programs and mass outreach efforts through digital and print media, including YouTube channel. Shri C.R. Patil reviewed efforts to further enhance the livelihood potential of Jalaj and stressed its role as a bridge connecting communities to river ecosystems, making river conservation an economically rewarding endeavour. He appreciated the innovative models developed under Jalaj and emphasized the need to scale up successful practices across other major river basins like the Godavari, Periyar, Pampa and Barak whose ecological assessments were also reviewed in the meeting.

    To further strengthen outreach and awareness, a dedicated Jalaj informative website was launched by Sh. C.R. Patil. The website serves as a comprehensive resource hub, offering detailed insights into various Jalaj models such as Homestays, Dolphin Safaris, Livelihood Training Centers, and Awareness and Sale Centers. It also showcases success stories on how the Jalaj initiative has empowered community members, particularly women, by linking them to marketing centers. The website displays a range of eco-friendly products crafted by Ganga Praharis and aims to create widespread awareness about threatened aquatic biodiversity, including the Ganga River Dolphin, crocodilians, freshwater turtles, and water birds.

    Additionally, a Jalaj Products Catalogue was launched which has been developed, profiling sustainably produced goods prepared at Jalaj Production Centers, categorized into stationery items, home décor, apparels, body and skincare, and edibles. Furthermore, “SaanskritikLehren,” a special feature under Jalaj, was released by Sh. C.R. Patil which highlights the cultural ecosystem service value of the Ganga River, emphasizing its deep connection with India’s heritage, traditions, and the livelihoods of millions. Jalaj’s success has been widely recognized. The Hon’ble President of India lauded it during Gaj Utsav 2023, and Hon’ble Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi mentioned Jalaj as a model for freshwater conservation in his “Mann Ki Baat” address and at ICCON 2023, Mysore.

    The Jalaj initiative, by linking conservation efforts with livelihood generation, stands today as a shining example of how environmental protection and socio-economic development can go hand-in-hand — truly realizing the vision of Arth Ganga.

    ***

    Dhanya Sanal K

    Director

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  • MIL-OSI: Onity Group Announces First Quarter 2025 Results

    Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

    WEST PALM BEACH, Fla., April 30, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Onity Group Inc. (NYSE: ONIT) (“Onity” or the “Company”) today announced its first quarter 2025 results and provided a business update.

    First Quarter 2025:

    • Net income attributable to common stockholders of $21 million; diluted EPS of $2.50; ROE of 19%
    • Adjusted pre-tax income* of $25 million, resulting in annualized adjusted ROE* of 22%
    • Book value per share improved to $58 as of March 31, 2025, up $2.15 year-over-year
    • $17 billion in total servicing additions
    • Average servicing UPB of $305 billion, up $13 billion year-over-year

    2025 Outlook:

    • Confirmed previous guidance including 2025 adjusted ROE* range of 16% – 18%
    • Some or all of $180 million deferred tax valuation allowance (US) as of December 31, 2024, could be released by year-end 2025

             * See “Note Regarding Non-GAAP Financial Measures” below

    “We are thrilled to report another strong quarter, with growth in revenue, adjusted pre-tax income, adjusted ROE, and book value per share compared to a year ago,” said Onity Group Chair, President and CEO Glen Messina. “Our results demonstrate the success of our strategy coupled with strong execution. Our balanced business continues to perform well regardless of interest rate cycles.”

    Messina continued, “We believe our demonstrated resiliency, customer focus, and award-winning servicing platform will enable us to successfully navigate interest rate volatility and economic uncertainties. We expect our actions to deliver balanced MSR and subservicing additions, expand high-margin products, and continuously strengthen recapture performance, will drive our growth in the coming quarters.”

    Additional First Quarter 2025 Operating and Business Highlights

    • Funded recapture volume up 2.7x year-over-year; refinance recapture rate is 1.6x industry average based on ICE Mortgage Monitor report as of April 2025
    • Originations volume of $7 billion, up 53% year-over-year, exceeding 8% industry growth
    • MSR additions (bulk purchases and originations) of $12 billion, up more than 2x year-over-year
    • Expanded high-margin products with launch of enhanced home equity and proprietary reverse mortgage (EquityIQ®) loans
    • Effective MSR hedge strategy resulting in minimal MSR fair value volatility in the quarter and continued alignment with operating and financial performance
    • Total liquidity (unrestricted cash plus available credit) at $239 million as of March 31, 2025

    Webcast and Conference Call

    Onity will hold a conference call on Wednesday, April 30, 2025, at 8:30 a.m. (ET) to review the Company’s first quarter 2025 operating results and to provide a business update. All interested parties are welcome to participate. You can access the conference call by dialing (800) 579-2543 or (785) 424-1789 approximately 10 minutes prior to the call; please reference the conference ID “Onity.” Participants can also access the conference call through a live audio webcast available from the Shareholder Relations page at onitygroup.com under Events and Presentations. An investor presentation will accompany the conference call and be available by visiting the Shareholder Relations page at onitygroup.com prior to the call. A replay of the conference call will be available via the website approximately two hours after the conclusion of the call. A telephonic replay will also be available approximately three hours following the call’s completion through May 14, 2025, by dialing (844) 512-2921 or (412) 317-6671; please reference access code 11158988.

    About Onity Group

    Onity Group Inc. (NYSE: ONIT) is a leading non-bank financial services company providing mortgage servicing and originations solutions through its primary brands, PHH Mortgage and Liberty Reverse Mortgage. PHH Mortgage is one of the largest servicers in the country, focused on delivering a variety of servicing and lending programs to consumers and business clients. Liberty is one of the nation’s largest reverse mortgage lenders dedicated to providing loans that help customers meet their personal and financial needs. We are headquartered in West Palm Beach, Florida, with offices and operations in the United States, the U.S. Virgin Islands, India and the Philippines, and have been serving our customers since 1988. For additional information, please visit onitygroup.com.

    Forward Looking Statements

    This press release contains forward-looking statements within the meaning of Section 27A of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, and Section 21E of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended. These forward-looking statements may be identified by a reference to a future period or by the use of forward-looking terminology. Forward-looking statements are typically identified by words such as “expect”, “believe”, “foresee”, “anticipate”, “intend”, “estimate”, “goal”, “strategy”, “plan” “target” and “project” or conditional verbs such as “will”, “may”, “should”, “could” or “would” or the negative of these terms, although not all forward-looking statements contain these words, and includes statements in this press release regarding our 2025 outlook and guidance, our expectation of releasing our deferred tax valuation allowance by year-end 2025, our ability to drive growth, and navigate interest volatility and economic uncertainties. Forward-looking statements by their nature address matters that are, to different degrees, uncertain. Readers should bear these factors in mind when considering such statements and should not place undue reliance on such statements.

    Forward-looking statements involve a number of assumptions, risks and uncertainties that could cause actual results to differ materially. In the past, actual results have differed from those suggested by forward looking statements and this may happen again. Important factors that could cause actual results to differ materially from those suggested by the forward-looking statements include, but are not limited to, the potential for ongoing disruption in the financial markets and in commercial activity generally as a result of U.S. and global political events, changes in monetary and fiscal policy, and other sources of instability; the impacts of inflation, employment disruption, and other financial difficulties facing our borrowers; whether we will release some or all of the valuation allowance offsetting our net U.S. deferred tax asset, and the timing and amount of such release; the adequacy of our financial resources, including our sources of liquidity and ability to sell, fund and recover servicing advances, forward and reverse whole loans, future draws on existing reverse loans, and HECM and forward loan buyouts and put backs, as well as repay, renew and extend borrowings, borrow additional amounts as and when required, meet our MSR or other asset investment objectives and comply with our debt agreements, including the financial and other covenants contained in them; our ability to interpret correctly and comply with current or future liquidity, net worth and other financial and other requirements of regulators, the Federal National Mortgage Association (Fannie Mae), and Federal Home Loan Mortgage Corporation (Freddie Mac) (together, the GSEs), and the Government National Mortgage Association (Ginnie Mae), including our ability to implement a cost-effective response to Ginnie Mae’s risk-based capital requirements by the extended deadline granted to us by Ginnie Mae of October 1, 2025; our ability to timely reduce operating costs, or generate offsetting revenue, in proportion to the industry-wide decrease in originations activity; the impact of cost-reduction initiatives on our business and operations; the impact of our rebranding initiative; the amount of senior debt or common stock or that we may repurchase under any repurchase programs, the timing of such repurchases, and the long-term impact, if any, of repurchases on the trading price of our securities or our financial condition; breach or failure of Onity’s, our contractual counterparties’, or our vendors’ information technology or other security systems or privacy protections, including any failure to protect customers’ data, resulting in disruption to our operations, loss of income, reputational damage, costly litigation and regulatory penalties; our reliance on our technology vendors to adequately maintain and support our systems, including our servicing systems, loan originations and financial reporting systems, and uncertainty relating to our ability to transition to alternative vendors, if necessary, without incurring significant cost or disruption to our operations; the future of our long-term relationship with Rithm Capital Corp. (Rithm); our ability to close acquisitions of MSRs and other transactions, including the ability to obtain regulatory approvals; our ability to grow our reverse servicing business; our ability to retain clients and employees of acquired businesses, and the extent to which acquisitions and our other strategic initiatives will contribute to achieving our growth objectives; increased servicing costs based on increased borrower delinquency levels or other factors; uncertainty related to past, present or future claims, litigation, cease and desist orders and investigations regarding our servicing, foreclosure, modification, origination and other practices brought by government agencies and private parties, including state regulators, the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB), State Attorneys General, the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC), the Department of Justice or the Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD); the reactions of key counterparties, including lenders, the GSEs and Ginnie Mae, to our regulatory engagements and litigation matters; increased regulatory scrutiny and media attention; any adverse developments in existing legal proceedings or the initiation of new legal proceedings; our ability to effectively manage our regulatory and contractual compliance obligations; our ability to comply with our servicing agreements, including our ability to comply with the requirements of the GSEs and Ginnie Mae and maintain our seller/servicer and other statuses with them; our ability to fund future draws on existing loans in our reverse mortgage portfolio; our servicer and credit ratings as well as other actions from various rating agencies, including any future downgrades; as well as other risks and uncertainties detailed in our reports and filings with the SEC, including our annual report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2024. Anyone wishing to understand Onity’s business should review our SEC filings. Our forward-looking statements speak only as of the date they are made and, we disclaim any obligation to update or revise forward-looking statements whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise.

    Note Regarding Non-GAAP Financial Measures

    This press release contains references to adjusted pre-tax income (loss) and adjusted ROE, both non-GAAP financial measures.

    We believe these non-GAAP financial measures provide a useful supplement to discussions and analysis of our financial condition, because they are measures that management uses to assess the financial performance of our operations and allocate resources. In addition, management believes that this presentation may assist investors with understanding and evaluating our initiatives to drive improved financial performance. Management believes, specifically, that the removal of fair value changes of our net MSR exposure due to changes in market interest rates and assumptions provides a useful, supplemental financial measure as it enables an assessment of our ability to generate earnings regardless of market conditions and the trends in our underlying businesses by removing the impact of fair value changes due to market interest rates and assumptions, which can vary significantly between periods. However, these measures should not be analyzed in isolation or as a substitute to analysis of our GAAP pre-tax income (loss) or GAAP pre-tax ROE nor a substitute for cash flows from operations. There are certain limitations to the analytical usefulness of the adjustments we make to GAAP pre-tax income (loss) and GAAP pre-tax ROE and, accordingly, we use these adjustments only for purposes of supplemental analysis. Non-GAAP financial measures should be viewed in addition to, and not as an alternative for, Onity’s reported results under accounting principles generally accepted in the United States. Other companies may use non-GAAP financial measures with the same or similar titles that are calculated differently to our non-GAAP financial measures. As a result, comparability may be limited. Readers are cautioned not to place undue reliance on analysis of the adjustments we make to GAAP pre-tax income (loss) and GAAP pre-tax ROE.

    The Company has not provided reconciliations of guidance for adjusted ROE, in reliance on the unreasonable efforts exception provided under Item 10(e)(1)(i)(B) of Regulation S-K. The Company is unable, without unreasonable efforts, to forecast certain items required to develop meaningful comparable GAAP financial measures. These items include the change in fair value of our net MSR exposure due to changes in market interest rates and assumptions which can vary significantly between periods and are difficult to predict in advance in order to include in a GAAP estimate.

    Notables

    In the table below, we adjust GAAP pre-tax income for the following factors: MSR valuation adjustments, expense notables, and other income statement notables. MSR valuation adjustments are comprised of changes to Forward MSR and Reverse mortgage valuations due to rates and assumption changes. Expense notables include significant legal and regulatory settlement expenses, severance and retention costs, LTIP stock price changes, consolidation of office facilities and other expenses (such as costs associated with strategic transactions). Other income statement notables include non-routine transactions that are not categorized in the above.

    Beginning with the three months ended December 31, 2024, for purposes of calculating Income Statement Notables and Adjusted Pre-Tax Income, we changed the methodology used to calculate Other Income Statement Notables to include change in fair value due to interest rates for reverse loan buyouts (reported in gain/loss on loans held for sale, at fair value). We made this change to align with the change to our risk management approach to include changes in fair value of reverse loan buyouts due to interest rates in our MSR hedge strategy, consistent with other notables, such as Forward MSR Valuation Adjustments due to rates and assumption changes, net and Reverse Mortgage Fair Value Change due to rates and assumption changes.

    Other Income Statement Notables (a component of Other Notables) for the first three quarters of 2024 have been revised from prior presentations to reflect the methodology we adopted during the fourth quarter of 2024.

     (Dollars in millions) Q1’25 Q4’24 Q1’24
    I Net Income (Loss) Attributable to Common Stockholders 21 (29) 30
      A. Preferred Stock Dividend (1) (1)
    II Reported Net Income (Loss) [I – A] 22 (28) 30
      B. Income Tax Benefit (Expense) 13 6 (2)
    III Reported Pre-Tax Income (Loss) [II – B] 9 (34) 32
      Forward MSR Valuation Adjustments due to rates and assumption changes, net (a)(b) (12) 14 18
      Reverse Mortgage Fair Value Change due to rates and assumption changes (b)(c) 10 (15) 1
    IV Total MSR Valuation Adjustments due to rates and assumption changes, net (2) (1) 19
      Significant legal and regulatory settlement expenses (14) (2) (2)
      Severance and retention (d) (0) (0) (2)
      LTIP stock price changes (e) 0 (1) 3
      Office facilities consolidation (0) (0) (0)
      Other expense notables (f) 1 (0) (1)
      C. Total Expense Notables (14) (4) (2)
      D. Gain (loss) on extinguishment of debt (51) 1
      E. Gain on sale of MAV canopy 14
      F. Other Income Statement Notables (g) (0) (3) (2)
    V Total Other Notables [C + D + E + F] (14) (44) (2)
    VI Total Notables (h) [IV + V] (16) (45) 17
    VII Adjusted Pre-Tax Income (i) [III – VI] 25 11 15
    a) MSR valuation adjustments that are due to changes in market interest rates, valuation inputs or other assumptions, net of overall fair value gains / (losses) on MSR hedge, including FV changes of Pledged MSR liabilities associated with MSR transferred to MAV, Rithm and others and ESS financing liabilities that are due to changes in market interest rates, valuation inputs or other assumptions, a component of MSR valuation adjustments, net
    b) The changes in fair value due to market interest rates were measured by isolating the impact of market interest rate changes on the valuation model output as provided by our third-party valuation expert
    c) FV changes of loans HFI and HMBS related borrowings due to market interest rates and assumptions, a component of gain on reverse loans held for investment and HMBS-related borrowings, net
    d) Severance and retention due to organizational rightsizing or reorganization
    e) Long-term incentive program (LTIP) compensation expense changes attributable to stock price changes during the period
    f) Contains costs associated with but not limited to rebranding and other strategic initiatives and transactions
    g) Contains non-routine transactions including but not limited to fair value assumption changes on other investments recorded in other income/expense
    h) Certain previously presented notable categories with nil numbers for each period shown have been omitted
    i) Effective in Q4’24, change in fair value due to interest rates for reverse loan buyouts is now recognized as a notable (previously reported in gain/loss on loans held for sale, at fair value); presentation of past periods has been conformed to the current presentation; without this change, adjusted PTI would be $14M in Q1’24 and $8M in Q4’24; see note titled “Note Regarding Non-GAAP Financial Measures” for more information
       

    Adjusted ROE Calculation

    (Dollars in millions) Q1’25 Q4’24 Q1’24
      GAAP ROE (after tax) 19% (25%) 29%
    I Reported Net Income (Loss) 22 (28) 30
    II Notable Items (16) (45) 17
    III Income Tax Benefit (Expense) 13 6 (2)
    IV Adjusted Pre-Tax Income (Loss) [I – II – III] 25 11 15
    V Annualized Adjusted Pre-tax Income [IV * 4 for qtr.] 102 46 59
      Equity      
           A Beginning Period Equity 443 468 402
                C Ending Period Equity 460 443 432
                D Equity Impact of Notables 16 45 (17)
           B Adjusted Ending Period Equity [C + D] 477 488 415
    VI Average Adjusted Equity [(A + B) / 2] 460 478 408
    VII Adjusted ROE (a) [V / VI] 22% 10% 14%
    a) Effective in Q4’24, change in fair value due to interest rates for reverse loan buyouts is now recognized as a notable (previously reported in gain/loss on loans held for sale, at fair value); presentation of past periods has been conformed to the current presentation; without this change, adjusted pre-tax income would be $14M in Q1’24 and $8M in Q4’24; without this change, adjusted ROE would be 14% in Q1’24 and 7% in Q4’24; see note titled “Note Regarding Non-GAAP Financial Measures” for more information
       

    Condensed Consolidated Balance Sheets (Unaudited)

    Assets (Dollars in millions) March 31,
    2025
    December 31,
    2024
    March 31,
    2024
    Cash and cash equivalents 178.0 184.8 185.1
    Restricted cash 58.9 80.8 66.1
    Mortgage servicing rights (MSRs), at fair value 2,547.4 2,466.3 2,374.7
    Advances, net 514.0 577.2 602.7
    Loans held for sale, at fair value 1,402.2 1,290.2 1,028.9
    Loans held for investment, at fair value 10,812.5 11,125.3 8,130.5
    Receivables, net 222.3 176.4 152.1
    Investment in equity method investee 37.6
    Premises and equipment, net 10.8 11.0 11.8
    Other assets 106.0 111.3 84.3
    Contingent loan repurchase asset 407.2 412.2 416.3
    Total Assets 16,259.3 16,435.4 13,090.1
           
    Liabilities, Mezzanine & Stockholders’ Equity (Dollars in millions) March 31,
    2025
    December 31,
    2024
    March 31,
    2024
    Home Equity Conversion Mortgage-Backed Securities (HMBS) related borrowings, at fair value 10,587.6 10,872.1 7,945.0
    Other financing liabilities, at fair value 835.5 846.9 906.8
    Advance match funded liabilities 377.5 417.1 440.2
    Mortgage loan financing facilities, net 1,577.4 1,528.2 1,108.9
    MSR financing facilities, net 1,136.0 957.9 964.1
    Senior notes, net 488.0 487.4 552.0
    Other liabilities 340.0 420.6 324.7
    Contingent loan repurchase liability 407.2 412.2 416.3
    Total Liabilities 15,749.2 15,942.5 12,658.0
    Mezzanine Equity 49.9 49.9
    Stockholders’ Equity 460.2 442.9 432.1
    Total Liabilities, Mezzanine and Stockholders’ Equity 16,259.3 16,435.4 13,090.1
           

    Condensed Consolidated Statements of Operations (Unaudited)

      For the Quarter Ending
    (Dollars in millions) March 31, 2025 December 31, 2024 March 31, 2024
    Revenue      
    Servicing and subservicing fees 203.3 206.0 204.5
    Gain on reverse loans held for investment and HMBS-related borrowings, net 23.8 0.6 15.4
    Gain on loans held for sale, net 11.8 5.9 10.9
    Other revenue, net 10.9 12.4 8.3
    Total revenue 249.8 224.8 239.1
    MSR valuation adjustments, net (38.9) (20.4) (11.6)
    Operating expenses      
    Compensation and benefits 57.4 64.3 53.6
    Servicing and origination 13.0 12.3 15.0
    Technology and communications 15.0 14.1 12.7
    Professional services 22.6 12.5 12.0
    Occupancy, equipment and mailing 8.2 8.3 7.7
    Other expenses 3.6 4.1 3.4
    Total operating expenses 119.9 115.6 104.4
    Other income (expense)      
    Interest income 26.2 28.8 17.5
    Interest expense (67.0) (74.2) (67.4)
    Pledged MSR liability expense (41.9) (42.1) (44.9)
    Gain (loss) on extinguishment of debt (51.2) 1.4
    Earnings of equity method investee 16.2 2.7
    Other, net 0.9 0.1 (0.6)
    Other income (expense), net (81.9) (122.4) (91.3)
    Income before income taxes 9.1 (33.7) 31.8
    Income tax expense (13.0) (5.6) 1.7
    Net Income (Loss) 22.1 (28.1) 30.1
    Preferred stock dividend (1.0) (0.5)
    Net Income (Loss) attributable to common stockholders 21.1 (28.6) 30.1
    Basic EPS $2.68 ($ 3.63) $3.91
    Diluted EPS $2.50 ($ 3.63) $3.74
           

    For Further Information Contact:

    Investors:

    Valerie Haertel, VP, Investor Relations
    (561) 570-2969
    shareholderrelations@onitygroup.com

    Media:

    Dico Akseraylian, SVP, Corporate Communications
    (856) 917-0066
    mediarelations@onitygroup.com

    The MIL Network

  • MIL-OSI Europe: ASIA/INDIA – Bishop in Madhya Pradesh: “Pope Francis’ welcoming approach has improved interreligious coexistence”

    Source: Agenzia Fides – MIL OSI

    CBCI Matters india

    Indore (Fides) – “What surprised us positively is like a surprise from the Holy Spirit: so many people, so many non-Christians, who spontaneously appreciate Pope Francis as a man of dialogue, welcome, and compassion, have somehow changed their attitude towards us Catholics. Many non-Christians, Muslims, Hindus, and Sikhs came to offer their condolences and express their solidarity. Pope Francis’ approach has had a positive impact on our lives, in terms of coexistence with people of other faiths. And this is very important and a beautiful legacy in our diocese (18,000 Catholics out of a population of 8 million, ed. ) and in a state like Madhya Pradesh, where there are sometimes interreligious tensions, is very important and a beautiful legacy,” Bishop Thomas Mathew Kuttimackal of Indore, a diocese in the Indian state of Madhya Pradesh, the second largest and fifth most populous state in India with over 72 million inhabitants, told Fides.The proportion of Christians in Madhya Pradesh is small: less than 0.3% compared to a national average of 2.3%. Catholics in the Diocese of Indore, as in other dioceses in the central Indian state, watched the funeral Mass for Pope Francis on television and celebrated memorial Masses in memory of the late Pope in their parishes. Bishop Kuttimackal remarked, “We remember him as a shepherd of dialogue and mercy: our Catholic communities feel a sense of gratitude, also because they see how the Pope’s words and gestures in recent years have touched hearts, even here in our area, which is so far from Rome and which Francis never visited in person.”Recently, tensions have also arisen in the state with radical Hindu groups accusing Christians and Muslims of “proselytism.” And the state government, led by the nationalist Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), has at times supported this narrative. Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Mohan Yadav said in a public speech last March that he wanted to “introduce the death penalty to punish what he called ‘forced religious conversion of women.’”Radical Hindu groups sometimes accuse Muslims and Christians of converting members of tribal groups from lower castes using allegedly illicit means, such as money. In Madhya Pradesh, a so-called “anti-conversion law” has been in force since 2021, which provides for penalties of up to 10 years in prison for those who use violence or deception to persuade people to convert to another religion. In this context, according to the bishop, “the faithful of Indore are experiencing the Holy Year as ‘pilgrims of hope’, also with a view to improving the climate of interreligious coexistence.”The evangelical message proclaimed and lived by Pope Francis is also represented in Indore by the “Forum of Religious for Justice and Peace,” a network of Catholic religious communities of men and women who are particularly committed to humanitarian issues and the “care of our common home.” The religious are committed to implementing the “integral ecology” mentioned and described in the encyclical Laudato si’, starting from their closeness to the poorest and most marginalized communities, but also promoting respect for natural resources and the promotion and dissemination of sustainable lifestyles. (PA) ( Fides Agency 30/4/2025)
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    MIL OSI Europe News

  • MIL-OSI Economics: Sectoral Deployment of Bank Credit – March 2025

    Source: Reserve Bank of India

    Data on sectoral deployment of bank credit for the month1 of March 2025 collected from 41 select scheduled commercial banks (SCBs), accounting for about 95 per cent of the total non-food credit deployed by all SCBs, are set out in Statements I and II.

    On a year-on-year (y-o-y) basis, non-food bank credit2 as on the fortnight ended March 21, 2025, grew3 by 12.0 per cent as compared to 16.3 per cent during the corresponding fortnight of the previous year (i.e., March 22, 2024).

    Highlights of the sectoral deployment of bank credit3 are given below:

    • Credit to agriculture and allied activities registered a growth of 10.4 per cent (y-o-y) as on the fortnight ended March 21, 2025 (20.0 per cent in the corresponding fortnight of the previous year).

    • Credit to industry expanded by 8.0 per cent (y-o-y) as on the fortnight ended March 21, 2025, same as in the corresponding fortnight of the previous year. Among major industries, outstanding credit to ‘petroleum, coal products and nuclear fuels’, ‘basic metal and metal products’, ‘all engineering’ and ‘construction’ recorded an accelerated y-o-y growth. However, credit growth in the infrastructure segment decelerated.

    • Credit to services sector increased by 13.4 per cent (y-o-y) as on the fortnight ended March 21, 2025 (20.8 per cent in the corresponding fortnight of the previous year), primarily due to decelerated growth in credit to ‘non-banking financial companies’ (NBFCs). Credit growth (y-o-y) to ‘professional services’ and ‘trade’ segments remained robust.

    • Credit to personal loans segment registered a growth of 14.0 per cent (y-o-y) as on the fortnight ended March 21, 2025, as compared with 17.6 per cent a year ago, largely due to decline in growth in ‘other personal loans’, ‘vehicle loans’ and ‘credit card outstanding’.

    Ajit Prasad          
    Deputy General Manager
    (Communications)    

    Press Release: 2025-2026/217


    MIL OSI Economics

  • MIL-OSI Asia-Pac: Prime Minister condoles the loss of lives due to the collapse of a wall in Visakhapatnam, Andhra Pradesh

    Source: Government of India

    Prime Minister condoles the loss of lives due to the collapse of a wall in Visakhapatnam, Andhra Pradesh

    PM announces ex-gratia from PMNRF

    Posted On: 30 APR 2025 9:36AM by PIB Delhi

    Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi today condoled the loss of lives due to the collapse of a wall in Visakhapatnam, Andhra Pradesh. He announced an ex-gratia of Rs. 2 lakh from PMNRF for the next of kin of each deceased and Rs. 50,000 to the injured.

    The PMO India handle in post on X said:

    “Deeply saddened by the loss of lives due to the collapse of a wall in Visakhapatnam, Andhra Pradesh. Condolences to those who have lost their loved ones. May the injured recover soon.

    An ex-gratia of Rs. 2 lakh from PMNRF would be given to the next of kin of each deceased. The injured would be given Rs. 50,000: PM @narendramodi”

    ***

    MJPS/SR

    (Release ID: 2125333) Visitor Counter : 74

    MIL OSI Asia Pacific News

  • MIL-OSI Asia-Pac: ECI strengthens field readiness with 2-day training for electoral officers at IIIDEM

    Source: Government of India

    Posted On: 30 APR 2025 12:24PM by PIB Delhi

    Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) of India Shri Gyanesh Kumar inaugurated a two-day capacity-building training programme for Electoral Registration Officers (EROs) and Booth Level Officers (BLOs) from Bihar, and EROs and BLO Supervisors from Haryana, NCT of Delhi, and Uttar Pradesh at the India International Institute of Democracy and Election Management (IIIDEM), New Delhi today. The training programme is part of the Election Commission of India’s ongoing preparations for the upcoming General Elections to the Legislative Assemblies. A total of 369 grassroots election officials are taking part in this mixed-batch training programme.

    2. In his inaugural address CEC Gyanesh Kumar said that the BLOs and EROs along with the Booth Level Agents (BLAs) are responsible for ensuring correct and updated electoral rolls and they are to function strictly as per the Representation of People Act 1950, Registration of Electors Rules 1960 and instructions issued by the ECI from time to time. Earlier this month, around 280 BLAs from Bihar of 10 recognised political parties were also trained at IIDEM.

    3. The training is designed to enhance participants’ practical understanding especially in the areas of voter registration, form handling, and field-level implementation of electoral procedures. The officials will also be provided technical demonstrations and training of EVMs and VVPATs. The participants were also familiarised with the provisions of first and second appeals against the final electoral rolls as published with the DM/District Collector/Executive Magistrate under section 24(a) of RP Act 1950 and Chief Electoral Officer (CEO) of the State/UT under section 24(b) respectively. It may be recalled that no appeals were filed from Bihar, Haryana, Uttar Pradesh and NCT of Delhi after the completion of the Special Summary Revision (SSR) exercise as of 6th-10th of January 2025.

    4. The curriculum includes interactive sessions, role plays simulating house-to-house surveys, case studies, and hands-on exercises for filling Forms 6, 6A, 7, and 8. Additionally, participants will receive practical training on the Voter Helpline App (VHA) and the BLO App.

    5.   Sessions are being conducted by experienced National Level Master Trainers (NLMTs) and expert Resource Persons from the IT and EVM Divisions of the Commission. The sessions are interactive and will address common field-level errors and how to avoid them.

    ******

    PK/GDH/RP

    (Release ID: 2125387) Visitor Counter : 139

    MIL OSI Asia Pacific News

  • MIL-OSI Asia-Pac: Prime Minister condoles the loss of lives in a fire mishap in Kolkata

    Source: Government of India

    Prime Minister condoles the loss of lives in a fire mishap in Kolkata

    PM announces ex-gratia from PMNRF

    Posted On: 30 APR 2025 9:34AM by PIB Delhi

    Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi today condoled the loss of lives in a fire mishap in Kolkata. He announced an ex-gratia of Rs. 2 lakh from PMNRF for the next of kin of each deceased and Rs. 50,000 to the injured.

    The PMO India handle in post on X said:

    “Anguished by the loss of lives due to a fire mishap in Kolkata. Condolences to those who lost their loved ones. May the injured recover soon.

    An ex-gratia of Rs. 2 lakh from PMNRF would be given to the next of kin of each deceased. The injured would be given Rs. 50,000: PM @narendramodi”

    ***

    MJPS/SR

    (Release ID: 2125332) Visitor Counter : 77

    MIL OSI Asia Pacific News

  • MIL-OSI Asia-Pac: Support for sports and academic infrastructure under PMJVK in Mizoram being explored by Ministry of Minority Affairs

    Source: Government of India

    Posted On: 30 APR 2025 11:51AM by PIB Delhi

    Joint Secretary of the Ministry of Minority Affairs, Shri Ram Singh visited Mizoram University to explore support for sports and  academic infrastructure under PMJVK.

    Given the hilly terrain, innovative ideas were discussed to develop a state of the art football stadium and an integrated sports complex despite the limited flat land resource availability in the State.

    PMJVK, a Centrally Sponsored Scheme (CSS), is an area development programme under which community infrastructure and basic amenities are being created in identified areas.

    ******

    SS/ STK

    (Release ID: 2125371) Visitor Counter : 95

    MIL OSI Asia Pacific News

  • MIL-OSI Asia-Pac: Commerical Operations begins at Multi Modal Logistic Park in Nagpur

    Source: Government of India

    Posted On: 30 APR 2025 8:53AM by PIB Delhi

    Under the PM Gati Shakti initiative of Hon’ble Prime Minister with the aim to provide seamless and efficient connectivity for the movement of people, goods and services across various modes of transport, thereby enhancing last-mile connectivity and reducing travel time, and under the guidance of Union Minister of Road Transport and Highways, Shri Nitin Gadkari, the Multi Modal Logistics Park Limited, Nagpur (MMLP Nagpur) at Sindi, near Wardha commenced its commercial operations with a goal to establish a faster link.

    The MMLP Nagpur established by National Highway Logistics Management Limited (NHLML), a 100% owned company of National Highways Authority of India (NHAI) received its first rake of 123 Maruti Cars from Ex-Farukhnagar on 28th April marking a major achievement for the facility.

    NHLML has signed an agreement with a private developer for the Multi Modal Logistics Park (MMLP) in an area of 150 acres in three phases under Public-Private Partnership model with Concession Period of 45 years, at an estimated cost of Rs.673 crore.  Phase-I will be developed with an investment of Rs. 137 crore. 

    An Authority SPV, Maharashtra MMLP Pvt. Ltd., is formed between National Highways Logistics Management Limited (NHLML) and Jawaharlal Nehru Port Authority (JNPA). The Authority SPV has to provide land, external rail and road connectivity as well as water and power supply for development of MMLP.

    The MMLP will provide facilities such as warehouses, cold storages, intermodal transfers, handling facilities for container terminals, bulk / break-bulk cargo terminals along with Value Added Services such as sorting / grading and aggregation / desegregation areas, bonded warehouse and customs facilities as well as support logistics facilities such as offices for freight forwarders and transporters and truck terminals.

    Development of MMLP Nagpur will help improve country’s freight logistics sector by enabling efficient inter-modal freight movement to lower overall freight costs and time; providing efficient warehousing, improved tracking and traceability of consignments, thereby enhancing efficiency of the Indian logistics sector. It will further create employment opportunities and bring in economic development in the region.

    ***

    GDH/HR

    (Release ID: 2125325) Visitor Counter : 77

    MIL OSI Asia Pacific News

  • MIL-OSI Asia-Pac: IGNCA Honours Padma Awardees in a Celebratory Gathering

    Source: Government of India

    Posted On: 29 APR 2025 10:05PM by PIB Delhi

    A grand felicitation ceremony was held at the Indira Gandhi National Centre for the Arts (IGNCA) on Tuesday to honour five distinguished personalities who have been conferred with the Padma Shri award for their outstanding contributions in the fields of art and temple architecture. The IGNCA specially invited these eminent figures to recognise and celebrate their exemplary work. The awardees honoured at the event included: renowned art historian Prof. Ratan Parimoo for his contributions to the field of art; eminent musicologist and educationist Prof. Bharat Gupt for his work in the field of classical arts; acclaimed sculptor Shri Adwaita Charan Gadanayak; distinguished temple architect Shri Radhakrishnan Sthapathy; and celebrated Maand and Bhajan singer Begum Batool for her contribution to the preservation and performance of traditional music. The event was envisioned by Dr. Sachchidanand Joshi, whose initiative brought together this celebration of distinguished contributions. It was presided over by Padma Vibhushan Dr. Sonal Mansingh, renowned Nritya Guru, scholar, and former Rajya Sabha member, who chaired the session with grace and insight.

    In her address, Dr. Sonal Mansingh began by warmly congratulating the Padma awardees and acknowledged their contributions as an integral part of India’s cultural heritage. She remarked that such individuals serve as an inspiration to society and play a vital role in preserving and sustaining our traditions. Reflecting on the unique spirit of the IGNCA, Dr. Mansingh observed that those who become associated with the institution often develop a bond that endures for a lifetime. She reaffirmed IGNCA’s standing as a centre of excellence, recognised for fulfilling its responsibilities with precision, consistency, and unwavering commitment. Even the most demanding tasks, she remarked, are carried out with exceptional efficiency and integrity at IGNCA. She added that this

    ‘National Centre for the Arts’ stands as a true emblem of Indian art.

    On this occasion, Member Secretary of IGNCA, Dr. Sachchidanand Joshi, in his welcome address, remarked that each of the Padma Shri awardees being honoured shares, in one way or another, a deep connection with the Indira Gandhi National Centre for the Arts. He expressed that it is a matter of pride and honour for IGNCA to be able to felicitate such distinguished scholars from its own platform. Referring to Adwaita Gadanayak, he said, “Adwaita is truly Advitiya (unique).” Dr. Joshi affectionately addressed Begum Batool as an elder sister and highlighted that Radhakrishnan Sthapathy, though a trained engineer by profession chose to leave engineering behind to carry forward his father’s tradition of temple architecture. He emphasised that the bond being celebrated today is not merely one of recognition, but of a deeply rooted familial and emotional connection with IGNCA.

    Reflecting on the significance of this year’s Padma Awards, Dr. Joshi noted that while the annual announcements always bring pride, this year felt particularly personal. On the night the honours were declared, he personally called twenty-two individuals to extend his congratulations. Among those recognised were President of IGNCA, Shri Ram Bahadur Rai, conferred with the Padma Bhushan, and Trustee of IGNCA, Shri Vasudev Kamath, along with Prof. Bharat Gupt-both recipients of the Padma Shree. Their long-standing and meaningful association with IGNCA, like that of the other awardees being felicitated, made this celebration especially memorable.

    Prof. Sudhir Lall, HoD, Kalakosh Division, IGNCA, offered an insightful introduction to the distinguished contr

    ibutions of Prof. Bharat Gupt and Prof. Ratan Parimoo, highlighting their enduring impact in the realms of classical thought and art history. Prof. Achal Pandya, HoD, Conservation and Cultural Archives Division, IGNCA, elaborated on the life and work of Shri D. Radhakrishnan Sthapathy, drawing attention to his dedication to the sculptural traditions of South India and his commitment to preserving indigenous forms. Prof. Richa Kamboj, HoD, Kaladarsana Division, IGNCA, presented a comprehensive profile of Shri Adwaita Gadanayak, delving into his significant achievements as a sculptor and arts administrator. Shri Anurag Punetha, Controller, Media Centre, IGNCA, introduced Begum Batool with warmth and reverence, offering a detailed account of her contributions to the preservation and promotion of oral and folk traditions.

    On this occasion, all five Padma Shri awardees also shared their thoughts and expressed their heartfelt gratitude to IGNCA for organising this felicitation ceremony. Begum Batool delighted the audience by singing the famous Rajasthani folk song “Kesariya Balam Padharo Mhare Des” in her resonant voice.

    Held at the Samvet Auditorium, the event saw participation from scholars, students, and art connoisseurs from Delhi and across the country. The speakers lauded the contributions of the awardees, describing them as guardians of India’s cultural consciousness. Organised by IGNCA, the ceremony was not only a gesture of honour but also an inspiring initiative to carry forward the legacy of Indian artistic traditions to the younger generation.

    *****

    Sunil Kumar Tiwari

    pibculture[at]gmail[dot]com

    (Release ID: 2125327) Visitor Counter : 37

    MIL OSI Asia Pacific News

  • MIL-OSI Asia-Pac: NHRC, India takes suo motu cognizance of the reported abduction, rape, and murder of a minor girl and the death of the arrested accused in a police encounter in Hubballi, Karnataka

    Source: Government of India

    NHRC, India takes suo motu cognizance of the reported abduction, rape, and murder of a minor girl and the death of the arrested accused in a police encounter in Hubballi, Karnataka

    Issues notices to the Chief Secretary and the DGP calling for a detailed report within four weeks

    The report is expected to include the post-mortem examination and the Magisterial Enquiry Reports of both the deceased

    Posted On: 30 APR 2025 3:13PM by PIB Delhi

    The National Human Rights Commission (NHRC), India has taken suo motu cognizance of a media report about the abduction, rape and murder of a minor girl and the death of the arrested accused in a police encounter in Hubballi, Karnataka. Reportedly, the incident happened on 14th April, 2025.

    The Commission has observed that the contents of the news report, if true, raise a serious violation of the human rights of the victim minor girl, and the arrested suspected perpetrator, killed in an alleged encounter. Therefore, the Commission has issued notices to the Chief Secretary and the Director General of Police, Government of Karnataka, calling for a detailed report in the matter within four weeks. The report is expected to include the post-mortem examination and the Magisterial Enquiry Reports of both the deceased.

    According to the media report, carried on 14th April, 2025, soon after the girl’s body was recovered from the bathroom, the angry residents protested outside Ashok Nagar police station, demanding the arrest of the accused. Reportedly, he was nabbed by the police within hours of the incident and was being taken for questioning when he tried to attack them, resulting in gunshot injuries to him, leading to his death.

    *****

    NSK

    (Release ID: 2125449) Visitor Counter : 69

    MIL OSI Asia Pacific News

  • MIL-OSI Asia-Pac: Prime Minister pays tribute to Jagadguru Basaveshwara on Basava Jayanti

    Source: Government of India

    Posted On: 30 APR 2025 8:55AM by PIB Delhi

    On the auspicious occasion of Basava Jayanti, Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi paid homage to the profound wisdom and enduring legacy of Jagadguru Basaveshwara. Remembering the 12th-century philosopher and social reformer, the Prime Minister stated on X in different posts:

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    MJPS/SR

    (Release ID: 2125326) Visitor Counter : 78

    MIL OSI Asia Pacific News