Sarral Sharma, PhD

Analyst & Commentator | India’s Defence & Security, India-US-China-South Asia, Emerging Tech | Formerly @IPCSNewDelhi, @StimsonCenter | Ex-NSCS Staffer, GoI

[Zalmay Khalilzad @realZalmayMK]

#Germany's state-funded international broadcasting network Deutsche Welle (DW) has released an English-language documentary video titled “Pakistan — Nuclear Power at a Crossroad". It reviews in depth the multiple crises facing the country, including the massive growth of extremism, intolerance and violence; financial insolvency and lackluster economic performance; and political polarization, its most popular political leader in jail and its most popular party marginalized, a weak and corrupt political elite; and, the military having a stranglehold on politics.  The documentary does not propose a way out for #Pakistan,  but raises the alarm that these conditions can threaten the safety and security of its significant nuclear arsenal. I urge Pakistanis to watch, debate and discuss it.

https://t.co/45QVHatj1B

[Sarral Sharma, PhD @Sarral_Sharma]

India’s Pak policy post Op Sindoor.

[रक्षा मंत्री कार्यालय/ RMO India @DefenceMinIndia]

हमारा intention साफ है कि अब पाकिस्तान से कोई बात नहीं होगी और अगर बात होगी भी तो सिर्फ PoK पर होगी जो कि भारत का हिस्सा है, जिस पर पाकिस्तान ने अवैध तरीके से कब्जा किया था: रक्षा मंत्री श्री @rajnathsingh

[The Associated Press @AP]

BREAKING: Berlin police have identified a suspect in the Pride attack and say he has ties to Islamic "circles" in the German capital. https://t.co/gaWp8wPCzh

[Sarral Sharma, PhD @Sarral_Sharma]

Creepy statement or the “super intelligence” is finally achieved?

[Kalshi @Kalshi]

JUST IN: Sam Altman says AI has entered its "singularity" moment

[Sarral Sharma, PhD @Sarral_Sharma]

It will messy if there’s further escalation on this front.

[Yaroslav Trofimov @yarotrof]

The two wars have officially merged. Iran says a Ukrainian drone attack on its ship in the Caspian has killed a sailor. Ukraine earlier said it was targeting vessels ferrying arms between Russia and Iran on the Caspian Sea. https://t.co/NK48lm6jw7

[Sarral Sharma, PhD @Sarral_Sharma]

Good one.

[Fakhr-e-Alam S.I & S.E @falamb3]

Yaar Aun bhai you are absolutely hilarious brother…. Political satire at its best 🤣

[Parimal @Fintech03]

The internet was busy debating jantar Mantar & a quiet facility in India witnessed something straight out of science fiction. An engine fired up. But it did not hum & it did not roar like a normal jet.

It detonated. Continuous supersonic shockwaves raced around a circular chamber 1000s of times/sec, harnessing controlled explosions to generate thrust.

The startup D-Propulse just gave the world a sneak peek of their air-breathing Rotating Detonation Engine (RDE) with an integrated aerospike nozzle.

Every jet engine on a commercial airliner, every fighter jet & every rocket we have ever seen operates on deflagration. We mix fuel with air/oxygen, ignite it & it burns relatively slowly at subsonic speeds. It is effective, but humanity has pushed this tech to its absolute physical limits.

RDEs throw that century-old playbook into the fire. Instead of burning fuel smoothly, an RDE explodes it intentionally. A continuous detonation wave sweeps around an annular (ring-shaped) channel at supersonic speeds, reaching over 2000 m/s. This is called Pressure-Gain Combustion.

It extracts 15-25% more thermal efficiency out of the exact same amount of fuel. In the world of high-speed flight, a 25% jump in efficiency is a completely different league.

Why this Matters for India?

For decades, the narrative surrounding Indian engineering was tied to catching up on legacy systems, spending billions trying to replicate 1970s turbofan engine metallurgy/importing critical defense tech.

D-Propulse is proving that India does not need to play catch-up anymore.

By leapfrogging straight to Pressure-Gain Combustion, an Indian deep-tech startup, guided by veteran scientists & built by young engineers is standing on the frontlines alongside research labs in the US, Japan & China.

Imagine hypersonic cruise missiles, ultra-long-range combat drones & spaceplanes that do not need heavy, complex moving turbopumps to break speed records. That is the realm this technology unlocks.

The future does not belong to those who build better versions of old machines. It belongs to those who rewrite the physics of how machines work.

[Sarral Sharma, PhD @Sarral_Sharma]

“Harder to stabilize” by who?

[farrukh saleem @SaleemFarrukh]

Pakistan is not asking the US for a $10 billion grant.

It is asking for something potentially more powerful: a $10 billion financial shield.

Stronger reserves. A steadier rupee. Lower borrowing costs. Better market access. Fewer emergency rescues.

The ESF will not make Pakistan rich.

It can make Pakistan harder to destabilise.

My column: The $10 billion idea.
https://t.co/iWid7OkZKj

[Mehlaqa Samdani @MehlaqaCAPJ]

"But back home, Pakistan’s problems are mounting in both economic and security terms, raising the question of whether Munir’s ambitions are merely a distraction from the country’s crises and whether he may ultimately be undone by them.

The country of 255mn is mired in debt and restrained by the IMF, which has bailed it out 25 times. Last year, the official poverty rate shot up to a decade-high of 29 per cent. Meanwhile, Pakistan’s forces are fighting Baloch separatists and the Pakistani Taliban, who are both gaining strength in the west, hampering plans to turn the country’s poorest regions into resource-extraction hubs."

https://t.co/E0L2sW9F2F

[Sarral Sharma, PhD @Sarral_Sharma]

“At the time of his promotion to the rank of a four-star general and appointment as the CNSC, he ranked eighth in the army’s seniority list of lieutenant generals.
His elevation superseded Lt Gen Inam Haider Malik, Lt Gen Fayyaz Hussain Shah, Lt Gen Nauman Zakaria, Lt Gen Muhammad Zafar Iqbal, Lt Gen Ahsan Gulrez and Lt Gen Shahid Imtiaz, while the senior most officer, Lt Gen Asim Malik, who also serves as director general of the Inter-Services Intelligence and National Security Adviser, continues to perform his role on an extended tenure.”

The “OTS” angle is clear.

[Dawn.com @dawn_com]

Gen Raza’s appointment is also expected to trigger a cycle of promotions and transfers in the army’s senior leadership. With the highest four-star appointment now completed, officials expect a wider reshuffle of principal staff officers and corps commanders in the coming weeks.

https://t.co/jiHXy0I40x

[Sarral Sharma, PhD @Sarral_Sharma]

No wonder Field Marshal has been running around to win energy + money favors from all stakeholders in the ME and U.S.

[Jacob Magid @JacobMagid]

🧵New: Pakistan military chief Asim Munir leveraged joint oil transport venture w/ IRGC chief Ahmad Vahidi to secure agreement between Iran & Saudi under which Tehran agreed to halt attacks against Gulf kingdom, three officials told @TimesofIsrael (1/10) https://t.co/qw1fHHkcOe

[Sarral Sharma, PhD @Sarral_Sharma]

Is the situation further escalating or it’s the negotiation pressure?

[Fox News @FoxNews]

B-1 bombers are launching from the U.K. for the first time, and Iran is now warning the British bases hosting them are legitimate targets.

The U.S. says more than 50,000 American troops are now in the region as additional personnel, including combat medics, deploy to support operations.

At the same time, U.S. forces carry out a 12th straight night of strikes on Iranian military targets, while President Trump warns civilian infrastructure could be targeted if Iran continues threatening commercial shipping.

[Sarral Sharma, PhD @Sarral_Sharma]

The kind of deep analysis/prediction I was looking for on X! It doesn’t disappoint. My Jupiter, with its ongoing mahadasha, is happy now.

[Astro Sharmistha @AstroSharmistha]

Gen Z protest in Delhi will make the Home security department so efficient that such protest will never take place in India after 2026. Just like USA created Department of Homeland Security in 2002 with Jupiter in Cancer, Indian Govt too will work on security gaps, intelligence failure & strict home security like never before. Check my last month prediction in below tweet. Do not take Home Ministry lightly, Amit Shahji will ensure such foreign backed protest never happen in India in decade. Wait till mid of September. MARK IT. @AmitShah #ArtOfPrediction

[Sarral Sharma, PhD @Sarral_Sharma]

Another escalation in ME.

[OSINTdefender @sentdefender]

Following reports that the Yemeni Houthis struck a Saudi tanker 70nm west of Al-Shuqaiq, Saudi Arabia, the Houthi military spokesperson has said that they in fact struck two tankers, LAYLA and ENCELIA, for violating he Houthis’ self-imposed blockade of vessels traveling to and from Saudi ports.

[Sarral Sharma, PhD @Sarral_Sharma]

It’s admirable that panelists are confidently asking (as if it’s their right) for $ 10 billion, and more, from the U.S. for doing the mediation work. Absolutely no shame in asking for money.

[Elian Peltier @ElianPeltier]

Amnesty International on Pakistan’s strikes on the Omid drug rehabilitation center in Kabul in March: “possible war crime.”

“Amnesty International open-source investigators and weapons experts analyzed these videos, as well as evidence directly received from local sources and online. The videos consist of black and white drone and fighter aircraft feeds that show the air strikes from various angles. None of these videos, nor footage gathered from ground sources, allow the identification of conclusive evidence of weapons, ammunition or other explosive goods stored in the area. The footage does not show secondary explosions immediately following the strikes, which would constitute evidence of a possible ammunition storage.”

https://t.co/lWBJrp9shh

[Hussain Nadim @HNadim87]

All that "geopolitical relevance" comes down to a military dictatorship in Pakistan seeking few billions to sustain itself for an extra few months.

I've seen failed startups run in a better way.

[Sarral Sharma, PhD @Sarral_Sharma]

Bhai’s take on the issue is noteworthy. Very sensible.

[Salman Khan @BeingSalmanKhan]

It was such a peaceful movement, feel so sad that it had to take a violent turn. My heart goes out to the students and their families who were hurt. Paper leak is a very serious issue, and I am glad to know n see that the kids of our country have come together for a better educational system, and their parents supported them.

I truly appreciate the stand they have taken, showing dedication, sincerity, and keenness to study hard n make their future and a greater, educated India. This andolan, this protest, is the right way to go abt it, n the students have done this peacefully. So courageous and brave. Driven and motivated towards education, this generation will make India proud.

This issue is between the students and the educational system, it should not be hijacked politically, the credit should only go to the students of our country, and I am sure the government will also give them all the support n make it a stronger educational system. It’s a win-win situation. Hoping n praying for a positive decision. God bless all of you who wanna be educated.

Education should be the next trend and fashion, and should get trendier n more fashionable yr by yr, itna k bahar se log come to India to study and India becomes an educational hub.