Author: Shradhanjali Mukherjee

Former Indian tennis stars Leander Paes and Vijay Amritraj have made history as the first Asian men inducted into the International Tennis Hall of Fame. Paes entered the Hall as a player, while Amritraj was honored in the contributor category. The induction ceremony took place in Newport, USA, on Saturday, where veteran British journalist Richard Evans was also celebrated. The event featured a lineup of tennis legends, including Paes’ former doubles partner, Martina Navratilova, as well as Grand Slam champions Andre Agassi, Chris Evert, Stan Smith, and International Tennis Hall of Fame Honorary President Kim Clijsters. Leander Paes, who retired…

On Tuesday, the Indian startup ecosystem celebrated the Union Budget 2024’s decision to eliminate angel tax, which had been levied on funds raised by startups from angel investors. This move is seen as a significant boost for the startup community, aiming to enhance entrepreneurial activity and support innovation. Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman highlighted that the removal of angel tax is designed to strengthen the startup environment, stimulate entrepreneurship, and foster innovation. Varun Gupta, Co-Founder of BOULT, noted that this change is particularly beneficial for early-stage startups and reflects the government’s commitment to supporting startup funding. He also emphasized the…

On Tuesday, India’s Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman revealed an ambitious $576 billion spending plan for the current fiscal year. This budget, slightly above earlier estimates, is designed to stimulate manufacturing and job creation in the world’s fastest-growing major economy. The government will allocate 2.66 trillion rupees ($32 billion) specifically for rural development and introduce new programs in states governed by key coalition allies supporting Prime Minister Narendra Modi. The updated budget projects spending of 48.21 trillion rupees, marking a 1.2% increase from the interim budget’s 47.66 trillion rupees estimate. This adjustment is partly due to a substantial dividend transfer from…

The Indian economy has shown robust recovery and growth following the pandemic, with the real Gross Domestic Product (GDP) in 2023-24 being 20 percent higher than its pre-pandemic level of 2019-20, according to the Economic Survey 2023-24 presented in Parliament on Monday. This achievement is notable among major global economies. The Economic Survey highlights positive growth prospects for fiscal year 2025, contingent on geopolitical, financial, and climatic risks. In 2023, global economic growth was reported at 3.2 percent by the International Monetary Fund (IMF). However, growth patterns varied significantly among countries due to domestic structural issues, varying exposure to geopolitical…

Usha Vance has always preferred to stay in the background, quietly supporting her husband JD Vance as he earned acclaim for his memoir, Hillbilly Elegy, and pursued a U.S. Senate seat in 2022. To JD, she is a beacon of brilliance and calm, a stark contrast to the chaos of his early years. However, the third night of the Republican National Convention marked a turning point for Usha. Stepping into the limelight, she delivered a primetime speech that introduced both herself and her husband to the nation. She eloquently highlighted their journey as a testament to the American dream. The…

In a significant move to strengthen the bond between India and Mauritius, External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar has launched India’s first international Jan Aushadi Kendra in Mauritius. The inauguration, held on Wednesday, was a joint event with Mauritius Prime Minister Pravind Kumar Jugnauth. Jaishankar shared his enthusiasm on X, stating, “Thrilled to inaugurate, with Prime Minister @KumarJugnauth, the first overseas Jan Aushadi Kendra in Mauritius. This marks the fulfillment of PM @narendramodi’s commitment made earlier this year.” He emphasized that this initiative aims to enhance public healthcare by providing affordable, Made-in-India medicines. On the same day, Jaishankar also inaugurated the…

On July 18, Tesla CEO Elon Musk drew attention to a 2018 US Census report on median household incomes among ethnic minorities by reposting it on social media, remarking that “America really is the land of opportunities.” The report, titled “Median US Household Income By Selected Ethnic Groups, 2018,” highlighted that Indian Americans had the highest median household income at $119,858, followed by Taiwanese Americans at $95,736, and Chinese Americans at $81,487. In contrast, White Americans had the lowest median household income at $65,902. In 2022, the median household income for Asian households in the United States was $108,700. Musk…

Kim Kardashian, the renowned global celebrity, recently traveled to India to partake in the wedding celebrations of Anant Ambani and Radhika Merchant. During her first visit to the country, she also dedicated time to perform seva at the ISKCON temple alongside her sister Khloe Kardashian and motivational speaker Jay Shetty. On Tuesday, Kim shared photos of her sacred temple visit on Instagram. One photograph features Kim serving food to children. In the caption, she expressed her heartfelt thanks, writing, “Thank you @jayshetty and @radhidevlukia for this beautiful experience at the temple and having the opportunity to visit these small souls…

Jay Chaudhry, founder and CEO of Zscaler, never envisioned becoming an entrepreneur while growing up in India or pursuing engineering and marketing in the US during the 1980s, according to CNBC Make It. Despite securing positions at tech giants IBM and Unisys, entrepreneurship wasn’t on his radar due to his family’s background in small-scale farming. The turning point came during Silicon Valley’s dot-com boom in 1996, fueled by the success of startups like Netscape. Inspired, Chaudhry left his executive role at IQ Software in Atlanta, with his wife Jyoti also leaving her job at BellSouth. They invested their life savings…

JD Vance, selected by former President Donald Trump as his running mate to reclaim the White House, brings a unique blend of political ambition and personal evolution shaped significantly by his Hindu wife, Usha Chilukuri Vance. Usha, a distinguished attorney with roots in a San Diego suburb, has been pivotal in JD’s journey, from their initial meeting at Yale Law School to their dual wedding ceremonies that honored both their backgrounds. Usha’s Hindu upbringing and legal career have added depth to JD’s public persona, contrasting his Catholic upbringing with her non-Christian background. Their union, marked by a traditional wedding and…