Author: Akancha Mishra

Anirban Kundu, a former executive at Uber, has been appointed as the Chief Technology Officer (CTO) at Instacart, the online grocery delivery service, the company announced on October 16 through a blog post. Kundu, an Indian American, will officially join Instacart later this month, following his recent position as Vice President and Head of Engineering for Uber Delivery. In his new role, Kundu will be tasked with leading Instacart’s technical team as the company continues to grow its influence in the grocery industry. The blog post praised Kundu’s deep expertise in managing multi-sided marketplaces, calling him the ideal person to…

On Tuesday, India and the United States finalized agreements worth $3.87 billion for the procurement of 31 Predator drones for the three armed services and the establishment of a Maintenance, Repair, and Overhaul (MRO) facility in India. The contracts were signed in the presence of senior defence officials. The Cabinet Committee on Security (CCS) approved the acquisition of the 31 drones last week. Out of these, 15 will be allocated to the Indian Navy, while the remaining drones will be evenly distributed between the Air Force and the Army. Defence officials confirmed to ANI on Monday that the foreign military…

Dr. Nandika D’Souza has been appointed as associate dean of strategic initiatives at The University of Texas at Dallas in the Erik Jonsson School of Engineering and Computer Science. While engineering was an unconventional field for girls during her youth, her mother encouraged her to pursue it as a path to financial stability after the death of her father. D’Souza’s passion for engineering was sparked during her studies, especially in a statics class where the design of structures captured her imagination. In her new role at UT Dallas, Dr. D’Souza aims to dismantle barriers and create opportunities for students from…

Dr. Sampat Shivangi, an Indian American physician and community leader, attended the Republican National Convention in Milwaukee in July as an elected delegate, where former President Donald Trump was nominated as the Republican candidate for president. He believes that U.S. Vice President Kamala Harris, despite her Indian heritage, does not connect with Indian Americans as a viable presidential candidate. This perception stems from a belief that she is not particularly friendly towards the community. Shivangi noted that many in the Indian American community, including professionals and small business owners, find it challenging to embrace Harris due to her perceived weak…

India has expressed deep concern regarding the theft of a religious article from the Jeshoreshwari Temple in Bangladesh and has urged local law enforcement to thoroughly investigate the incident and hold the responsible parties accountable. The High Commission in Dhaka is actively engaged with Bangladeshi authorities concerning this matter. The stolen crown belonged to the Goddess Kali and was presented by Prime Minister Narendra Modi during his visit to the temple in March 2021. The theft allegedly took place on Thursday between 2:00 PM and 2:30 PM, shortly after Temple Priest Dilip Mukherjee finished the day’s worship. The crown was…

In Washington, renowned music composer AR Rahman is set to perform at a live concert celebrating Kamala Harris’ groundbreaking candidacy for U.S. President, as announced by an Indian-American fundraising group. The Asian American Pacific Islanders (AAPI) Victory Fund, which has endorsed Vice President Harris for the upcoming election, shared this exciting news on Thursday evening. The AAPI Victory Fund described the event as “A very special evening with A R Rahman,” inviting fans to join in celebrating Harris’s historic campaign through a world-class concert streamed directly to their homes. Although no specific date has been disclosed for the concert, and…

Mr. Mukesh Aghi, President and CEO of the US-India Strategic and Partnership Forum (USISPF), emphasized that India is becoming a key player in global geopolitics and offers a significant opportunity for U.S. companies to decrease their dependence on China for manufacturing. He emphasized India’s impressive economic expansion, noting that it is one of the few large economies consistently achieving 7-8% growth rates. With this robust growth, India is becoming a key market for US businesses and is fast evolving into a significant manufacturing hub, particularly with the establishment of global capability centers. Looking ahead, the Indian economy is expected to…

On October 10, Prime Minister Narendra Modi stated that the East Asia Summit would serve as a platform to address the challenges to peace, stability, and prosperity in the Indo-Pacific region. This remark was made as he began a two-day visit to Laos for the 21st ASEAN-India Summit and the 19th East Asia Summit, invited by Laos Prime Minister Sonexay Siphandone. “This year marks a decade of our Act East Policy,” Modi noted, expressing his intent to engage with ASEAN leaders to review the progress of their Comprehensive Strategic Partnership and outline future cooperation. He emphasized the cultural and civilizational…

The National Cricket League (NCL) has made a landmark announcement with the inclusion of cricketing icon Sachin Tendulkar in its ownership group. This development underscores the growing enthusiasm for cricket in the United States, a country where the sport is steadily gaining popularity. Tendulkar, widely revered as the “God of Cricket,” will also have the honor of presenting the championship trophy during the league’s inaugural tournament, heralding a new chapter for cricket in America. In a recent statement, Tendulkar shared his enthusiasm for contributing to the elevation of cricket in the U.S. He expressed that cricket has been the greatest…

Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Maldivian President Mohamed Muizzu engaged in bilateral talks at Hyderabad House on Monday, followed by delegation-level discussions. External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar and Defence Minister Rajnath Singh were among the Indian delegates attending the talks. Randhir Jaiswal, the Spokesperson of the Ministry of External Affairs, posted on X, highlighting the significance of the meeting, stating that Prime Minister Modi warmly welcomed President Muizzu and that extensive discussions on strengthening India-Maldives ties were held. President Muizzu, who arrived in India on Sunday for a five-day official visit, was given a ceremonial reception at Rashtrapati Bhavan earlier…