Off to a flying start.

"According to the pre-budget survey by Deloitte Touche Tohmatsu India LLP, that collated a total of 163 responses from 10 industries, more than 75 percent respondents were positive about India's growth and expansion," ET. "The survey further noted that about 91 percent respondents (compared with 58 percent last year) believe that the 'Atmanirbhar Bharat' initiative, coupled with monetary policy actions by the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) did contribute to bringing the economy back on track." "As per the survey, about 59 percent of respondents believe that India provides a favorable atmosphere to run a business." 'Atmanirbhar Bharat', meaning 'self-reliant India', is an initiative of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, wikipedia. "When India speaks of becoming self-reliant, it doesn't advocate a self-centered system. In India's self-reliance, there is concern for the whole world's happiness, cooperation and peace. Hon'ble PM, Shri Narendra Modi," mygov. The world must be so grateful. Of course, India cannot be self-reliant without the 'Make in India' project, another initiative of Modi, wikipedia. In accordance with this policy, the government "is going to shelve a number of defence import projects being acquired through the Buy (Global) route", ET. At a high level meeting of the Defence Ministry (MoD) "all the import projects under Buy (Global) category would be reviewed and are likely to be scrapped or put on hold by the government". "The foreclosure and deferment lists include deals like the Very Short Range Air Defence Systems, towed artillery guns. vertically launched surface-to-air missiles, shipborne unmanned aerial systems, additional P-81 surveillance aircraft along with the MIG-29 combat aircraft," TOI. "The multi-billion-dollar Kamov-226 helicopter deal with Russia has also been put on the list." Meanwhile, "According to satellite imagery posted by the Twitter user who uses the handle @detresfa_, China has built at least four new villages nearly three to four kilometres within disputed territory along the border with Bhutan," HT. "The satellite imagery showed several rows of houses and new roads at all the four villages." "New satellite images accessed by NDTV show that China has constructed a second enclave or cluster of at least 60 buildings in Arunachal Pradesh." This enclave is 93 km east of the first encroachment and did not exist in 2019. China's new land border law took effect from 1 January 2022, which "specifies that the People's Liberation Army (PLA) and the paramilitary People's Armed Police (PAP), both under the command of the Central Military Commission, will bear the major responsibility for safeguarding land border, resisting armed invasion, and responding to major contingencies," Brookings. In a display of impolite audacity, "China's embassy in Delhi, in a show of impudence, sent a letter to Indian lawmakers and ministers castigating them for attending a dinner reception hosted by the Tibetan Parliament-in-exile on December 22. It expectedly triggered a strong reaction in India," Firstpost. The MoD notified "a list of 2,500 items indigenised by the defence public sector undertakings (DPSUs) and another 351 items that will be indigenised by them by December 2024", saving Rs 30 billion, wrote Amit Cowshish. "The list includes several types of nuts, bolts, screws, bushes, washers, gaskets, pins, hoses, sealing rings, rivets, clamps, plugs, elbows, valves, nozzles, pipes and jets," You need buts, bolts and rivets to hold a helicopter together. The MoD has hit the ground running. Well done.