Author: Bhakti Narayanan

The Union Cabinet, led by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, has recently approved the development of 12 industrial smart cities across six major industrial corridors in ten states under the National Industrial Corridor Development Programme (NICDP). These states include Uttarakhand, Punjab, Maharashtra, Kerala, Uttar Pradesh, Bihar, Telangana, Andhra Pradesh, and Rajasthan. An Industrial Smart City is a modern urban area that uses advanced technology and data analytics to enhance industrial efficiency and promote sustainable development. The cities aim to attract foreign investment, boost domestic manufacturing, and create employment opportunities. Key features of these cities include ‘plug-and-play’ industrial parks, which provide ready-to-use…

RBI Governor Shaktikanta Das highlighted a significant uptick in rural demand within the Indian economy, driven by growth in private consumption and investment as reflected in the latest GDP figures. Addressing the FIBAC 2024 conference in Mumbai, Das pointed out that recent data from FMCG companies indicates a revival in rural demand. He noted that private consumption, making up around 56 percent of total demand, has seen a significant growth rate of 7.4 percent. This represents a substantial rebound from a mere 4 percent growth in the latter half of the previous year, reinforcing the recovery of rural demand.” Das…

The World Bank has upgraded India’s growth outlook for this financial year, boosting it from 6.6% to a vibrant 7%. This upward adjustment is largely attributed to the government’s increased focus on infrastructure spending. According to the World Bank’s India Development Update, this surge in growth is fueled by heightened public investment in infrastructure and a rise in household investments within the real estate sector. On the supply side, the manufacturing sector demonstrated remarkable strength, growing by 9.9%, while the resilient services sector helped offset weaknesses in agriculture. Although growth slowed to 6.7% in the first quarter of FY25 due…

Mr. Jaideep Mazumdar, Secretary (East) at the Ministry of External Affairs, announced that Prime Minister Narendra Modi is set to visit Brunei from September 3-4 and Singapore from September 4-5. This trip marks Modi’s first return to the region in six years. Mazumdar emphasised India’s keen interest in advancing semiconductor collaboration with Singapore, citing the country’s extensive experience and integration into the global semiconductor market. He expressed anticipation that this visit will strengthen the partnership, particularly as Singapore expands its operations in India. Mazumdar also pointed out that Singapore’s Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) reached US$ 11.77 billion last year. On…

On Monday, Jaideep Mazumdar, Secretary East of the Ministry of External Affairs, announced that maritime security discussions will be a key topic during Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s visit to Singapore. In a special briefing about the upcoming trip, Mazumdar highlighted that both India and Singapore share similar views on maritime security and safety. Mazumdar emphasised that discussions on maritime security, particularly concerning the South China Sea, will be part of the agenda. He noted that Singapore, like India, values the safe and secure maintenance of sea lines of communication. While he could not specify the extent of the discussion, Mazumdar…

During her visit to Taiwan, former US ambassador to the United Nations, Nikki Haley, expressed her support for Republican nominee Donald Trump, urging her party to reject isolationism and stand by America’s allies. Having previously competed against Trump for the GOP presidential nomination, Haley emphasized the importance of backing countries such as Ukraine, Israel, and Taiwan—a region Beijing asserts as its own and has threatened to seize by force if needed. “An isolationist approach isn’t healthy,” Haley emphasised in Taipei, stressing that the U.S. cannot afford to believe it won’t be impacted by global events. Despite the U.S. not formally…

Republican presidential candidate and former US President Donald Trump criticized his opponent Kamala Harris following her first significant interview since entering the election after Joe Biden’s exit. “I just saw Comrade Kamala Harris’ response to a very poorly framed question. It seemed more like a defensive gesture than a genuine inquiry, but her answer was disjointed and lacked coherence, stating that her ‘values haven’t changed…'” Trump made a comment on his social media platform, Truth. “On that point, I agree—her values haven’t changed. The border will stay open, not closed. Trump plans to provide free healthcare for illegal immigrants, maintain…

The Journal of the Association for Information Systems (JAIS), a prestigious publication in the information systems domain, has announced the appointment of Indian-American scholar Monideepa Tarafdar as its new editor-in-chief, beginning September 1, 2024. Tarafdar will take over from Dorothy E. Leidner, who has held the position since 2018. In her new role, Tarafdar will oversee the journal’s operations, including managing submissions, pre-prints, copy editing, and production. She will also spearhead updates to the journal’s logo, page template, website, and manuscript review system, among other responsibilities. Reflecting on her upcoming role, Tarafdar expressed, “I see my role as a steward,…

Pop star Taylor Swift has yet to publicly endorse a presidential candidate this election season, but her dedicated fanbase, known as Swifties, is actively supporting Vice President Kamala Harris. Recently, Senators Elizabeth Warren and Kirsten Gillibrand, along with singer-songwriter Carole King, joined around 15,000 others on a video conference to launch “Swifties for Kamala.” During the call, participants shared their favorite Taylor Swift songs, including Senator Ed Markey from Massachusetts, who mentioned “Snow on the Beach.” The Zoom event raised over $113,000, a number notably significant since Swift revealed in July that 113 is her favorite number during an Eras…

Indian-American entrepreneur and prominent Republican figure Vivek Ramaswamy recently shared an intriguing video of him engaging in a game of tennis with legendary player Andre Agassi. Reflecting on his past, Mr. Ramaswamy disclosed that he once served as a ball boy for the former World Number 1, and now, they’ve become hitting partners. “I used to be a ball boy for @AndreAgassi, and today we were hitting partners,” he remarked, emphasising the significance of the moment. The 39-year-old Ramaswamy also conveyed some insightful wisdom imparted by the tennis icon. He shared Agassi’s wisdom: “The greatest gap lies between your mind…