Author: Bhakti Narayanan

Prime Minister Narendra Modi announced a series of development initiatives in Bihar and West Bengal on Friday, launching projects collectively valued at over $1.4 billion. The Prime Minister’s Office confirmed that Bihar alone will receive infrastructure and social welfare investments totaling $866 million, while West Bengal will benefit from projects worth $602 million. In Bihar’s Motihari, Modi inaugurated and laid the groundwork for multiple developments in the rail, road, technology, rural, and fisheries sectors. Among these, railway enhancements include automatic signaling between Samastipur and Bachhwara, and the doubling of the Darbhanga-Thalwara and Samastipur-Rambhadrapur lines. These upgrades are worth more than…

Tesla Inc. officially launched operations in India on Tuesday with the opening of its first showroom in Mumbai. The state-of-the-art retail space, located in the Maker Maxity Commercial Complex in Bandra Kurla, spans 4,000 square feet and signals Tesla’s commitment to entering the world’s third-largest car market. Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis inaugurated the showroom, expressing optimism that Tesla will eventually establish research, development, and manufacturing hubs in India. According to Fadnavis, Tesla’s entry could transform India’s EV landscape by inspiring innovation and attracting further investment. At the event, Tesla displayed two of its Model Y vehicles, which will be…

Chapman University, located in Orange, California, has appointed Dr. Charu Sinha, an Indian American associate professor, as the inaugural Academic Director for its new Master of Science in Business Analytics (MSBA) program. Her leadership marks a significant milestone in the university’s commitment to advancing data and analytics education. Before accepting this new role, Dr. Sinha held positions as the Director of Continuous Improvement and Assistant Dean of Undergraduate Programs at Chapman’s Argyros College of Business and Economics. In these capacities, she was responsible for guiding the academic journey of over 1,800 undergraduate students, developing curricula, and championing student success initiatives.…

Indian astronaut Shubhanshu Shukla, along with his fellow Axiom-4 (Ax-4) mission teammates, is preparing to leave the International Space Station (ISS) aboard SpaceX’s Crew Dragon capsule, nicknamed Grace. The departure is scheduled for 4:35 PM IST on July 14, with the spacecraft expected to splash down in the Pacific Ocean near California by 3 PM IST on July 15, provided all conditions remain favorable. Before leaving the ISS, the astronauts will don their space suits and secure themselves inside Grace. After sealing the hatch connecting the capsule to the ISS, engineers will conduct thorough system checks and leak inspections to…

In a continued push for job creation, Prime Minister Narendra Modi will hand out more than 51,000 appointment letters to newly hired candidates across multiple central government departments on Saturday at 11 a.m., using video conferencing for the distribution ceremony. The event is part of the Rozgar Mela—a flagship employment initiative launched in October 2022 to fast-track public sector recruitment. During the virtual gathering, PM Modi will also speak to the new recruits, offering motivation and outlining the government’s vision for active youth participation in nation-building. The effort reinforces the administration’s commitment to accelerating job generation and enhancing the public…

In a strong early endorsement, the Indian American Impact Fund has thrown its support behind Dr. Tina Shah, a physician and former White House official, for New Jersey’s 7th Congressional District. The fund, which is dedicated to empowering South Asian and Indian American candidates across the U.S., praised Shah as “the right leader at a critical moment.” Shah, who previously served in the Obama and Biden administrations, announced her candidacy on July 1 and made headlines by raising a remarkable $260,000 on her first day in the race. Her campaign is focused on challenging Rep. Tom Kean Jr., a Republican…

In a landmark move to safeguard and promote India’s centuries-old literary treasures, the Ministry of Culture has announced the country’s first-ever global conference focused entirely on manuscript heritage. Titled ‘Reclaiming India’s Knowledge Legacy Through Manuscript Heritage’, the event will be held from September 11 to 13, 2025, at Bharat Mandapam in New Delhi. The announcement, fittingly made on Guru Purnima, honors India’s enduring guru–śiṣya tradition and intellectual history. The event is also timed to commemorate the 132nd anniversary of Swami Vivekananda’s iconic speech at the Parliament of the World’s Religions on September 11, 1893—a historic moment representing India’s global contribution…

US President Donald Trump has imposed a steep 50% tariff on copper imports, adding to previously implemented duties on steel and aluminum. He also signaled a potential 200% tariff on pharmaceuticals imported into the US starting next year. Trump confirmed that the August 1 deadline for activating higher tariffs on numerous global economies would remain unchanged. This development holds critical implications for India. The US is not only India’s top market for pharmaceutical exports but also an important buyer of copper and its related products. Speaking at a cabinet meeting on Tuesday, Trump said, “We’re doing copper today. It’ll be…

Elon Musk has officially filed to launch his own political outfit — the America Party — with Indian-origin Tesla Chief Financial Officer Vaibhav Taneja appointed as the party’s treasurer, according to documents submitted to the Federal Election Commission (FEC) over the weekend. This new political chapter comes after Musk’s public rift with former President Donald Trump and the Republican Party over legislative disagreements, including the controversial ‘Big, Beautiful Bill’. The FEC paperwork lists Elon Musk as the sole candidate representing the party, with its official headquarters located at 1 Rocker Road, Hawthorne, California — Tesla’s design and development hub. Vaibhav…