Chapter 69: The European Chessboard & Silent Rearmament

As the 1930s drew to a close, Europe spiraled towards another catastrophic conflict. Nazism's rise in Germany and its aggressive expansionist policies sent ripples of fear and persecution across the continent. Adav, viewing Europe's turmoil through the lens of pure opportunity, maintained India's official neutrality, but quietly took advantage of the escalating crisis.

India became a quiet haven for brilliance. Adav personally oversaw a clandestine program to offer asylum to Jewish scientists and engineers fleeing persecution in Germany and other parts of Europe. Bharat Corporation, disguised as a philanthropic foundation, provided safe passage, comfortable living arrangements, and, crucially, unparalleled resources for their research. These were brilliant minds – physicists, chemists, aeronautical engineers, metallurgists – whose talents were being wasted or suppressed in Europe. Adav absorbed them into India's burgeoning scientific and military research programs, leveraging their expertise to further accelerate India's own technological development, particularly in advanced materials, rocketry (initially for meteorological purposes), and sophisticated armaments.

Simultaneously, India's military build-up, funded directly by Bharat Corporation's immense profits, accelerated dramatically. While officially for defense, the scale of production indicated a far greater ambition. India began developing its own advanced arms industry, producing modern artillery, armored vehicles, and, critically, indigenous fighter aircraft and modern warships. This was achieved with a combination of American manufacturing know-how, Japanese naval and aeronautical designs, and the newly acquired European scientific talent. India was transforming into a formidable military power, silent and unseen by a world focused on Europe's impending inferno, ready to capitalize on the coming chaos.