Ex-diplomat concerned over delay in artillery modernisation

Former diplomat Gopalaswami Parthasarathy has expressed concern over the delay in the modernisation of the Indian Artillery.
Delivering a lecture at the launch of Delhi School of Transnational Affairs at Delhi University, the former high commissioner to Pakistan pointed out that the Indian Artillery had not been modernised since 1986.
"If your artillery has not been modernised since 1986, there is something wrong. The defence ministry should work and review its functioning," he said yesterday.
Parthasarathy said India could do better in the trade and investment sectors.
"Focusing on trade and investment is important for India. We have free trade agreements with our neignbours, we have comprehensive economic cooperation agreements with Japan and South Korea. We are focussing on these, but we could do better," he said.

He said China wanted to have "dominance in Asia to counter the US".
The former diplomat said India should aspire to increase its GDP to spend more on military.
The university said School of Transnational Affairs is a platform to promote "excellence in transnational, comparative and inter-disciplinary research.