Author: Bhakti Sharma

India’s surging interest in live entertainment, particularly among young, affluent individuals, is attracting global music icons to perform in the world’s most populated nation. Over the past week, Mumbai hosted performances by Dua Lipa and Maroon 5. Upcoming shows by Coldplay, Ed Sheeran, Shawn Mendes, and Green Day are scheduled over the next three months. The appeal of seeing these artists live is immense, especially for fans like 23-year-old Aseem Khan from Bhopal, who expressed his excitement while waiting in line for Dua Lipa’s concert. Around 20,000 fans attended this show, many in their 20s, having traveled from various parts…

Tejaswini (Teja) Sudhakar, a Master of Fine Arts (M.F.A.) ’25 candidate at Indiana University’s College of Arts and Sciences, has been honored with the Aliki Perroti and Seth Frank Most Promising Young Poet Award. This recognition comes from the Academy of American Poets. This prestigious recognition, established in 2013, honours a poet under 23 years old with a $1,000 cash prize and publication on the Poets.org website. Born in Chennai, India, and raised partly in Lexington, Kentucky, Teja’s love for language was sparked by her middle school tutor, Carole Johnston, who made learning vocabulary fun through creative writing exercises. Teja…

Elon Musk and Vivek Ramaswamy, key figures in President-elect Donald Trump’s push to overhaul the federal government, visited Capitol Hill on Thursday for private discussions with lawmakers. The two entrepreneurs are set to lead Trump’s proposed Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE), a panel dedicated to cutting federal jobs, eliminating programs, and rolling back regulations under his “Save America” agenda for a second term. House Speaker Mike Johnson invited Musk and Ramaswamy to Capitol Hill to outline their strategy, marking the first step toward securing legislative support for their ambitious plans. This advisory body, free from the typical federal employment checks,…

Russian President Vladimir Putin applauded Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s ‘India-first’ policy and the ‘Make in India’ initiative during the 15th VTB Russia Calling Investment Forum in Moscow, as per a release by the Ministry of Commerce & Industry on Thursday. He highlighted India’s consistent efforts in establishing a stable environment for economic growth, crediting these policies for driving significant progress. The ‘Make in India’ initiative, aimed at boosting manufacturing and drawing foreign investment, has positioned India as a global economic force. Putin acknowledged India’s advancements under Modi’s leadership and emphasized the initiative’s role in fostering small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs).…

Greenzo Energy, an Indian green energy solutions provider, has entered into a partnership with France-based Energy Observer Developments (EODev) to market hydrogen fuel cell power generators in India and Nepal. The collaboration will distribute EODev’s GEH2® hydrogen fuel cell generators, which use Toyota technology, across key sectors such as agriculture, telecom, and transportation. These generators generate electricity and heat through hydrogen and oxygen electrochemical reactions, replacing traditional diesel generators and supporting India’s drive to reduce fossil fuel dependency. Greenzo Energy will also handle maintenance services and local assembly of EODev products to meet the growing demand for clean energy solutions…

Captain Avhilash Rawat, commanding the oil tanker Marlin Luanda, was honored with the prestigious 2024 International Maritime Organization (IMO) Award for Exceptional Bravery at Sea. The award was presented during a ceremony in London on December 2, 2024, recognizing his extraordinary courage in handling a severe crisis when his ship was hit by an anti-ship missile. The incident occurred under challenging maritime conditions, requiring exceptional leadership from Captain Rawat and his crew. They successfully managed to control a dangerous onboard fire, ensuring the safety of all crew members and averting a potential environmental catastrophe from the ship’s cargo. The IMO…

India witnessed significant growth in exports across major industries, strengthening its position among the top ten global suppliers. According to data from the Commerce and Industry Ministry, figures in several categories exceeded $1 billion in 2023. The country’s performance reflects its expanding economic influence, particularly in sectors like semiconductors and electronics. Semiconductor exports skyrocketed from $230 million in 2014 to $1.91 billion in 2023, elevating India’s global rank from 20th to 9th, capturing 1.4% of the global market. This growth underscores India’s pivotal role in the semiconductor supply chain, thanks to domestic innovation and manufacturing initiatives. India’s dominance in precious…

During the July-September quarter of FY24, housing prices across eight major Indian cities saw an 11% year-on-year increase, as per the ‘Housing Price-Tracker Report Q3 FY24’ by CREDAI, Colliers, and Liases Foras. This marked the 15th consecutive quarter of rising prices, with the average housing price reaching US$ 129.91 (Rs. 11,000) per square foot in Q3 FY24. Among the top cities, Delhi-NCR recorded the highest increase, with a 32% rise, bringing the average price to US$ 135.08 (Rs. 11,438) per square foot, up from US$ 102.21 (Rs. 8,655) the previous year. Bengaluru followed with a 24% price rise, reaching US$…

Union Minister Piyush Goyal on Monday celebrated India’s growth, highlighting the nation’s strength in speed, scale, and determination, all while staying connected to its rich cultural heritage. Speaking at the inaugural session of the 29th Confederation of Indian Industry (CII) Partnership Summit 2024 in Delhi, Goyal emphasized India’s commitment to both progress and innovation. He also addressed the shared global challenges, calling for a collective effort toward sustainability and environmental protection. Goyal emphasized that while the Global South and less-developed nations are not the main contributors to environmental degradation, they must play an active role in building sustainable solutions. He…

Sriram Krishnan, a prominent Indian-American venture capitalist and general partner at Andreessen Horowitz (a16z), has announced his resignation from the firm. Krishnan has hinted that he may be stepping into a new role with the Department of Government Efficiency, a project co-led by Elon Musk and Vivek Ramaswamy. According to reports, Krishnan has already held discussions with Musk about joining this advisory group outside of the Trump administration. In a post on X, Krishnan confirmed his departure from a16z and teased his future endeavors, stating that he would soon share more details. He expressed his excitement about diving into something…