External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar met former Iceland President and Chairman of the Arctic Circle Olafur Ragnar Grimsson and discussed the activities of the Arctic Circle. It marks an important step in India’s global environmental diplomacy.

“Pleased to meet former President of Iceland and Chairman of @_Arctic_Circle @ORGrimsson. Discussed the activities of the Arctic Circle and the potential for deeper cooperation”, Mr Jaishankar posted on X.

Pleased to meet former President of Iceland and Chairman of @_Arctic_Circle @ORGrimsson.

Discussed the activities of the Arctic Circle and the potential for deeper cooperation. pic.twitter.com/mchwJyrSVP

— Dr. S. Jaishankar (@DrSJaishankar) January 2, 2025

The Arctic Circle India Forum will be held in New Delhi in May this year, along with the Observer Research Foundation think tank.

“In addition to @_Arctic_Circle #India Forum in May and next Assembly the discussion with FM @DrSJaishankar included the #PolarDialogue, #geopolitical and #geoeconomic importance of the #Arctic, #Greenland and #Trump + more,” Mr Grimsson posted on his X account.

Mr Jaishankar had posted a year-ender video on X and said,  “2024 saw a foreign policy that positioned Bharat as a #Vishwabandhu. Here’s to another year of new opportunities, deepening partnerships and a steadfast commitment to Bharat First and Vasudhaiva Kutumbakam!”

2024 saw a foreign policy that positioned Bharat as a #Vishwabandhu.

Here’s to another year of new opportunities, deepening partnerships and a steadfast commitment to Bharat First and Vasudhaiva Kutumbakam!#HappyNewYear2025 pic.twitter.com/SzYaCC888p

— Dr. S. Jaishankar (@DrSJaishankar) January 1, 2025

The Arctic Circle is a network of international dialogue and cooperation about the future of the Arctic and planet Earth. Participants range from governments, organisations, corporations, universities, think tanks and others.

Through this engagement, India is prioritising scientific collaboration, and also integrates its strategic, environmental and economic interests with the Arctic’s changing dynamics.

Moreover, India adopted its own Arctic Policy in 2022, titled, ‘India and the Arctic: Building a Partnership for Sustainable Development’. The policy is based on six pillars, strengthening India’s scientific research and cooperation, climate and environmental protection, economic and human development, transportation and connectivity, governance and international cooperation and national capacity building in the region.

India has been overseeing polar research through its Himadri Research Station in Svalbard, Norway and its Arctic Policy can play an important role to enable the country to tackle challenges through collective will and effort.
 

Indian tyre manufacturing company CEAT chairman Harsh Goenka on Saturday shared glimpses of the company’s management team testing its winter tyres near the Arctic Circle.

The industrialist dropped videos and a couple of pictures on X (formerly Twitter), along with a note that revealed that this test was conducted 300 km north of the Arctic Circle at Finland’s Ivalo.

Mr Goenka also revealed that the management team tested these tyres on both external snow as well as the interior snow tunnel, which he had never seen before.

The first frame shows the massive tunnel, covered with a white sheet of snow. The pictures also show countless tyre marks on the floor.

Following that was a clip depicting a car navigating across a slick layer of snow, considered one of the most treacherous surfaces for driving.

The video also shows the management team standing on the side of the sleet-covered road. Another clip shows a car speedily drifting on powdered snow.

The post was concluded with a group picture of the entire CEAT management team.

Sharing the post, Mr Goenka wrote, “CEAT management team while testing winter tyres 300 km north of Arctic Circle at Ivalo, Finland – on external snow as well as an interior snow tunnel (never seen one before).”

Check out the glimpses here:

CEAT management team while testing winter tyres 300 km north of Arctic circle at Ivalo, Finland – on external snow as well as an interior snow tunnel (never seen one before). pic.twitter.com/JFTVGU0I7Z

— Harsh Goenka (@hvgoenka) March 23, 2024

A few days back, Harsh Goenka shared a video of Mahindra Group chairman Anand Mahindra, addressing the fourth Atal Bihari Vajpayee Memorial Lecture. Mr Goenka was intrigued by the part where Mr Mahindra shared a personal anecdote involving his youngest daughter’s accident to point out that solutions to problems often lie in “your own backyard”

Sharing the video, Mr Goenka wrote, “A lovely story from my friend Anand Mahindra.”

A lovely story from my friend @anandmahindra ???????????? pic.twitter.com/GjlgSqWYs8

— Harsh Goenka (@hvgoenka) March 19, 2024

In the clip, Mr Mahindra opened up about the distressing time, when his daughter suffered a hand injury that required microsurgery.

Even though Mr Mahindra sought care from famous surgeons in Paris and London, the successful operation was eventually performed by a surgeon from Mumbai.

“I have told and retold this story because it taught me one powerful lesson: always look for solutions in your backyard before you think that the best solution lies overseas. And how did this affect me and my career? Well, I’m certain that after that, when it came to making big decisions and big bets in business that were based on homegrown technology, I never again lacked the courage to do so,” he said.