Morning Brief: India Finally Reveals Pakistan's Losses During Op Sindoor — Six Fighters, One C-130J, And More; Another Jaish Commander Drops Dead; India’s Outward FDI Hits $25 Billion

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India Finally Reveals Pakistan's Losses During Op Sindoor

An assessment by the Indian Air Force (IAF) has revealed that six Pakistani fighter jets, two high-value aircraft, over ten unmanned combat aerial vehicles (UCAVs), and a C-130 transport aircraft were destroyed by India during Operation Sindoor.

According to ANI, Indian air-launched cruise missiles and air defence systems successfully targeted these assets, with one long-range strike by the S-400 took out a high-value aerial asset—either an electronic warfare or AEW&C aircraft—at a distance of nearly 300 km.

Another AEW&C aircraft of Swedish origin was reportedly destroyed during strikes on the Bholari airbase, along with several Chinese-made Wing Loong drones inside hangars. While inputs suggest more fighter jets may have been destroyed on the ground, the IAF has withheld confirmation due to the lack of debris removal by Pakistan.

Another Jaish Commander Drops Dead

Maulana Abdul Aziz Esar, a senior Jaish-e-Muhammed commander and prominent advocate of Ghazwa-e-Hind, was found dead under mysterious circumstances in Bahawalpur on 2 June. Esar was believed to be involved in planning several major terror attacks in India, including the 2019 Pulwama bombing.

Jaish Telegram channels have claimed that he died of a heart attack. His death comes amid a growing pattern of unexplained killings of top terror operatives in Pakistan by "unknown gunmen". Esar had recently threatened infiltration into India and called for continued jihad. His elimination, though officially unacknowledged, fits the recent trend of quiet, targeted removals of high-value terror assets.

India Inc’s Outward FDI  Jump 80 Per Cent To $25.6 Billion

India Inc’s overseas direct investments surged 80 per cent to $25.6 billion in FY25, driven primarily by large corporates diversifying operations and mitigating risks. Tata Steel, Vedanta, and Samvardhana Motherson International led the outbound flows, with Tata Steel alone committing $3 billion to investments in Singapore.

Vedanta and Samvardhana Motherson each invested $1.8 billion across countries including Saudi Arabia, Germany, the Netherlands, the UAE, and Mauritius. Other top investors included Bharat Petroresources, Biocon Biologics, Sun Pharma, Restocraft Hospitality, Oravel Stays, Praj Industries, and Mahindra & Mahindra. These investments were mainly aimed at establishing joint ventures or wholly-owned subsidiaries.

Other Developments

Quad FMs To Meet In US Ahead Of India Summit

Quad foreign ministers are expected to meet soon in Washington, likely in late June or early July, to prepare the groundwork for the upcoming summit that India is set to host later this year. The summit later this year is expected to bring US President Donald Trump, Japanese PM Shigeru Ishiba, and Australian PM Anthony Albanese to India. The summit could follow shortly after the SCO leaders’ meeting in China.

The foreign ministers’ meeting is likely to address counterterrorism, including a condemnation of the Pahalgam terror attack. External affairs minister S Jaishankar is also expected to hold bilateral talks with US Secretary of State Marco Rubio.

Musk’s Starlink To Get Licence To Operate In India Soon

Elon Musk-owned Starlink is set to receive its licence to operate satellite communications in India within the next few days, The Hindu BusinessLine has reported. A Starlink team is scheduled to visit India soon to secure the crucial approval needed to launch its services. The company had earlier received a Letter of Intent after agreeing to the government’s revised security and data localisation norms.

Starlink has also secured clearance from India’s space regulator, making it the third operator in the country after Bharti Airtel-backed Eutelsat OneWeb and Mukesh Ambani’s Jio Satellite Communication. Partnerships with Airtel and Reliance Jio announced earlier this year aim to expand Starlink’s high-speed satellite Internet.

China’s Rare Earth Magnet Supply Halt Hurting Indian Auto Industry

India’s automobile sector faces significant disruption as China continues to restrict supplies of critical rare earth magnets, despite nine Indian component makers receiving import endorsements from the Chinese embassy. These magnets are vital for electric vehicles and key parts like gear systems and drive trains.

Indian officials are engaging Beijing through diplomatic channels to resolve the issue, as imports have been stalled for two months. The Society of Indian Automobile Manufacturers warned that dwindling magnet inventories could halt production within weeks. India imported 870 tonnes of these magnets worth Rs 306 crore in FY25.

Musk Calls Trump’s Bill A ‘Disgusting Abomination’

Elon Musk condemned the latest tax-and-spending bill passed by Congress, calling it a “disgusting abomination” that will push the federal deficit to $2.5 trillion and saddle Americans with unsustainable debt. Musk expressed his frustration on X, saying, “I just can’t stand it anymore,” and criticised lawmakers who supported the bill.

Musk's remarks came days after stepping down as head of the Department of Government Efficiency, where he advised on spending reforms. The bill, backed by President Trump, has faced sharp criticism from fiscal conservatives.

Nvidia Tops Microsoft As World’s Most Valuable Company

Nvidia has overtaken Microsoft to become the world’s most valuable publicly traded company, reaching a market capitalisation of $3.45 trillion after its shares rose 3 per cent to $141.40 on Tuesday. Microsoft now trails slightly with a market cap of $3.44 trillion.

This marks a major milestone in Nvidia’s dramatic rise, driven by surging demand for its AI chips, which power everything from OpenAI’s ChatGPT to infrastructure at Microsoft, Meta, Google, Amazon, Oracle, and Elon Musk’s xAI. Over the last month alone, Nvidia’s stock has jumped nearly 24 per cent, defying concerns over export controls and tariffs.

From The States

Assam: CM Sarma Rejects Pakistan’s Claim On Brahmaputra

Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma refuted Pakistan’s warning that China could reduce the Brahmaputra’s flow to India, saying such a move would actually benefit Assam by helping control floods. Responding to Pakistan’s scare tactics following India’s suspension of the Indus Waters Treaty, Sarma said China contributes only 30-35 per cent of the river’s flow, mainly from glacial melt and limited Tibetan rainfall.

The majority—65-70 per cent—comes from within India, fed by heavy monsoon rains and tributaries across Arunachal Pradesh, Assam, Nagaland, Meghalaya, and surrounding regions. Sarma called the claim a “manufactured threat”.

AIMIM Seeks Alliance With INDIA Bloc For Bihar Polls

AIMIM has expressed its desire to contest the upcoming Bihar assembly elections in alliance with the INDIA bloc. Party chief Asaduddin Owaisi is confident of winning at least 24 seats, mainly in the Muslim-dominated Seemanchal region.

AIMIM’s Bihar leader Akhtarul Iman said they have reached out to RJD’s Tejashwi Yadav with a proposal for a joint fight. While RJD and Congress are open to talks, Left parties within the alliance remain opposed. AIMIM warned that if an alliance fails, the blame for vote division should not fall on them.

You’re all caught up—until next time.