Author: Malavika Subramanyan

Since Jawaharlal Nehru’s historic ‘Tryst With Destiny’ speech on August 14, 1947, India has continually made significant advancements in technology and science. Examples of this progress include the successful testing of the first nuclear bomb in 1974 and the creation of the world’s largest open application programming interface (API). Throughout its 76 years of independence, India has continually achieved remarkable feats, such as its current leadership role in the G20 forum where it is collaborating with other nations to address digital transformation, global health architecture, and sustainable energy transformations. One noteworthy achievement was the establishment of the Planning Commission in…

Hopper HQ, a platform for scheduling Instagram content, has released its list of highest earners on the platform for the year 2023. This compilation includes celebrities, influencers, and sports figures. Notably, Virat Kohli, the former captain of the Indian cricket team, is the sole Indian sports star to be featured on this list. Kohli occupies a position ahead of prominent figures like LeBron James from the Los Angeles Lakers and Neymar from Paris St. Germain soccer team. Securing the third spot on the list, Kohli is ranked below soccer stars Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi, who have both won the…

Renowned actor Amitabh Bachchan is gearing up to make a comeback with a fresh season of Kaun Banega Crorepati. While recognizing the more demanding nature of television shoots compared to films, Bachchan reveals that it’s the live and television audiences’ affection that keeps him motivated. Hosting the popular quiz show since its inception in 2000 (with an exception in the third season when Shah Rukh Khan took the reins), the 80-year-old actor reflects on his attachment to the audience by citing the example of a notable politician and businessman. Amitabh shared, “An eminent politician from the early post-Independence era was…

President Droupadi Murmu has granted approval to the Digital Personal Data Protection Act 2023. This significant legislation is aimed at regulating the handling of personal data in the digital sphere and will become effective once the Central Government notifies a date. The Act is a pivotal moment in data governance, not only introducing fresh regulations but also amending existing laws such as the Right to Information Act and the IT Act. It endeavors to establish equilibrium between individual rights to personal data protection and the legitimate necessity for lawful data processing. At its core, the Act emphasizes responsible processing of…

Renowned vocalist Asha Bhosle is set to grace Dubai with her musical prowess on September 8, marking her 90th birthday. The event, named ‘Asha@90 Live,’ is scheduled at Dubai’s Coca-Cola Arena, where the iconic singer will enthrall the audience with renditions of her most cherished tracks, celebrating her birthday in style. Engaging with the press recently, Bhosle discussed the upcoming concert, even treating them to a rendition of ‘Tu Tu Hai Wahi.’ Boasting a career spanning more than eight decades, the Padma Vibhushan recipient has left her indelible mark by recording songs in multiple languages. Her accomplishments include two National…

India and Argentina are strengthening their defense ties and ongoing strategic partnership after the visit of Argentine Defense Minister Jorge Enrique Taiana to India last month. Recently, Francisco Cafiero, Secretary International Affairs of Argentina’s Ministry of Defence, met Indian Ambassador to Argentina Dinesh Bhatia in Buenos Aires to plan the upcoming months’ work for bilateral cooperation in the defense area. During Taiana’s visit, India and Argentina signed a Letter of Intent on productive cooperation and acquisition of Light and Medium Utility Helicopters for the Argentine armed forces. The discussions between Cafiero and Bhatia centered around maximizing the potential of their…

India recently joined the race to achieve the first successful moon landing of 2023 by launching a rocket from its eastern coast. This mission, named Chandrayaan-3, aims to land a rover and a lander on the moon’s largely unexplored south pole, making India the fourth country, following the U.S., Russia, and China, to accomplish a soft moon landing. Chandrayaan-3’s spacecraft has already entered the moon’s orbit and begun transmitting its initial images. Remarkably, the entire Chandrayaan-3 mission is projected to cost only $74 million (₹6.15 billion), according to ISRO’s 2020 estimate. This is significantly lower than the cost of previous…

Despite a robust 40% growth last fiscal year, CRISIL Ratings predicts a 15% YoY revenue rise in India’s luggage industry this fiscal. This is attributed to the increased adoption of hard luggage from the organized sector and the ongoing growth in tourism and corporate travel. Demand for hard luggage has improved operating efficiencies in the organised sector, potentially leading to a 150-200 basis points (bps) YoY increase in operating margin to 16% this fiscal. While a 20% decline in key raw material prices—polypropylene, polycarbonate, and polyamide—could have further bolstered margins, more investment in marketing by organised players was needed. Main…

Prabir Purkayastha, the editor of the news website NewsClick, and other Indian Leftists engaged in discussions centered around supporting China’s stance on its management of the COVID-19 pandemic. These conversations included controversial US millionaire and Chinese propaganda advocate, Neville Roy Singham. During the early stages of the pandemic, Singham introduced his Beijing-based team to individuals like Purkayastha, Prasanth Radhakrishnan, and economist Srujana Bodapati via email. The objective was to deliberate on a “three-article series on China and its handling of the virus.” Vijay Prasad, the editor of the Left-leaning site Tricontinental where the series was eventually published, also engaged in…

Karan Johar is basking in the triumph of his recent film ‘Rocky Aur Rani Kii Prem Kahaani’, marking the end of his Bollywood directing hiatus. In an interview, he addressed the ‘Movie Mafia’ label, frequently attributed to him by Kangana Ranaut on social media and in interviews. As a celebrated director known for wit and romantic Hindi cinema, Karan has over 15 million Instagram followers, sharing candid reels, often featuring his children, Yash & Roohi. During a conversation with Sucharita Tyagi, he responded to the ‘Movie Mafia’ term: “I had to be resilient, strong for my mom and myself. I…