Must Read News

Foreign investors pour US$ 1.5 billion into Indian hospitals

India’s hospital sector saw a remarkable influx of US$ 1.5 billion (Rs. 12,708 crore) in foreign direct investment (FDI) during FY23, representing half of the total healthcare FDI. This is a considerable jump from 24% in FY21 and 43% in FY20, illustrating the increasing role of hospitals in attracting foreign capital. Historically, the pharmaceuticals sector had been the primary focus for investors, but the focus is now shifting toward hospitals and diagnostic services, especially after the impact of COVID-19. Major hospital chains such as Mani ..... Read More

Harroop Singh Bola Wins Prestigious Diana Award

London-based medical student Harroop Singh Bola, 23, was honored with the prestigious Diana Award on December 5 for his groundbreaking efforts to mentor and support Indian-origin medical students. As the co-founder of the British Indian Medical Association (BIMA), Bola has been celebrated for his impactful work in promoting equity and mentorship within the British Indian medical community. The Diana Award, established in memory of Princess Diana and supported by Prince William and Prince Harry, recognizes young individuals who create meaningful ..... Read More

Jaishankar talks India-Japan ties, tourism, and China challenges.

At the inaugural session of the India-Japan Forum, External Affairs Minister (EAM) S Jaishankar noted that while India and Japan share a problem-free history, positive sentiment alone is insufficient for fostering robust cooperation. He stressed the importance of translating goodwill into actionable plans for deeper engagement. EAM Jaishankar highlighted the rise in Indian tourists, mentioning, “Our passport issuances are increasing by 10 to 15% annually, with around 13 to 15 million passports issued every year, valid for a decade. Foreig ..... Read More

Putin Praises Modi’s ‘Make in India’ Policy

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 drawin ..... Read More

Vikrant Massey Announces Break from Acting Amid Career Success

Vikrant Massey, who was recently honored with the Indian Film Personality of the Year award at the 55th International Film Festival of India (IFFI) on November 28, announced that he would take a break from acting. In a heartfelt post on Instagram, the 37-year-old actor, known for his roles in films like 12th Fail, Phir Aayi Hasseen Dillruba (2024), Sector 36 (2024), and The Sabarmati Report (2024), expressed that the time had come for him to “recalibrate” and focus on family and personal growth. His announcement surprised many of his fans, as h ..... Read More

Historic Bali Jatra Festival Celebrates Odisha’s Maritime Heritage in the UK

The historic Bali Jatra festival, marking Odisha’s ancient maritime heritage, was celebrated for the first time in the UK on November 30 at Townley Grammar School in Bexley. Organized by the Odisha Society of the United Kingdom (OSUK), the event attracted over 500 attendees, including prominent dignitaries and cultural icons from both the UK and India. The festival began with the Boita Bandana ceremony, where miniature illuminated boats were launched to honor Odisha’s historical maritime trade with Southeast Asia. The celebrations were of ..... Read More

Greenzo Energy, EODev to market hydrogen generators in India, Nepal

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 ..... Read More

Bumble Appoints Neil Shah as Chief Business Officer

Bumble has appointed Neil Shah as its first Chief Business Officer, a newly created role, to oversee the company’s strategic transformation. Shah, appointed on December 3, 2024, will be responsible for driving Bumble’s revenue model, pricing strategy, and partnerships in his new role. Shah, an Indian American, brings extensive experience from his previous role as Chief Operating Officer and Head of Business Operations at Slack, where he spent eight years overseeing strategy, data, and business operations. Shah, who started his career as a ..... Read More

Amita Shetty to Lead Data + AI Program at UIC

Amita Shetty, currently the director of Break Through Tech Chicago at the University of Illinois Chicago (UIC), will transition to lead a new Data + AI program set to launch in the 2025-26 academic year. This initiative is part of Break Through Tech Chicago, a national program focused on achieving gender equality in technology fields. The program is made possible by a generous $1 million donation from Google.org and is designed to equip undergraduate students with essential skills for succeeding in an increasingly AI-driven world. It aims to pr ..... Read More

PM Modi to Address BAPS Golden Jubilee Celebration

Prime Minister Narendra Modi is set to deliver a virtual address at the ‘Karyakar Suvarna Mahotsav’ of the BAPS Swaminarayan sect this Saturday in Ahmedabad, as announced by a sect leader. The grand golden jubilee event, hosted at the Narendra Modi Stadium, will also feature Union Home Minister Amit Shah, Gujarat Chief Minister Bhupendra Patel, and several state ministers and former officials. The celebration aims to honor the contributions of 100,000 BAPS volunteers from around the world and pay tribute to the late Pramukh Swami Maharaj on his ..... Read More

Two Cheetahs Released at Kuno on Cheetah Day

On International Cheetah Day, two male cheetahs, Agni and Vayu, were reintroduced into the wild at Kuno National Park in Sheopur district, Madhya Pradesh. The release, conducted in the Palpur East region across the Kuno River, marked a crucial advancement in India’s initiative to restore cheetahs, a species that has been extinct in the country for almost 70 years. This project aims to enrich the region’s biodiversity by bringing back the world’s fastest land animal. A steering committee, led by Chairman Rajesh Gopal, had reviewed the fina ..... Read More

Captain Avhilash Rawat receives IMO Bravery Award

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 onboa ..... Read More

BBC’s 100 Inspiring and Influential Women of 2024: Indian Trailblazers Among Them

The BBC has unveiled its prestigious list of 100 inspiring and influential women for 2024, recognizing the contributions of women across various fields globally. This year’s list includes several remarkable Indian women, such as social activist Aruna Roy, who co-founded the Mazdoor Kisan Shakti Sangathan (MKSS) and played a pivotal role in securing transparency and fair wages for rural communities in India. Her tireless advocacy helped bring about a landmark law in 2005, empowering citizens to demand accountability from the government. ..... Read More

Dr. Satheesh Kathula meets Indian MPs to discuss healthcare

Dr. Satheesh Kathula, President of the American Association of Physicians of Indian Origin (AAPI), stressed the urgency of addressing cancer and heart disease through lifestyle modifications and technological advancements during a meeting with Indian Parliament members at the Indian Consulate in New York. He highlighted that chronic diseases like cancer and cardiovascular illnesses are significant health threats, and preventive measures such as early detection and lifestyle changes are essential. Dr. Kathula called for increased efforts from th ..... Read More

‘Vivek, Jay, and Kash’: Trump’s spiritual advisor praises Indian-origin nominees

In a bold move for his potential second term, Donald Trump plans to elevate several influential Indian-American figures to critical positions. Highlighting the growing significance of the Indian-American community, Trump’s former spiritual advisor, Johnnie Moore, shared on social media a list of key appointees, including Usha Vance (wife of Vice President-elect JD Vance), Vivek Ramaswamy, Jay Bhattacharya, and Kash Patel. Moore emphasized their pivotal role, saying, “The Indian-American/Hindu-American community will be at the very heart of the ..... Read More

India leads in AI upskilling, says Udemy’s Carlos

Ms. Caoimhe Carlos, Vice President of Global Customer Success at Udemy, recently praised India’s leadership in artificial intelligence (AI) upskilling during her visit. She highlighted that 2025 would be a pivotal year for Udemy in India, with plans to hire a head of customer success, expand its research and development (R&D) center, and introduce new AI features. Carlos observed a shift in how employees interact with generative AI (GenAI), from technical training to practical applications aimed at improving productivity. She highlighted th ..... Read More

JD Vance and His Indian Family: A Thanksgiving Dinner Photo Goes Viral

A heartwarming photo of US Vice President-elect JD Vance enjoying a Thanksgiving dinner with his wife Usha Vance’s Indian family has gone viral. The picture, shared by Silicon Valley venture capitalist Asha Jadeja Motwani, showcases Vance with his son on his shoulders, and Usha holding their daughter, surrounded by 21 family members dressed in traditional Indian attire. The family, seen celebrating in a backyard, is admired for its connection to Indian culture, with many praising Vance for embracing his wife’s heritage. The viral photo has spar ..... Read More

Chandigarh adopts new criminal laws; PM hails reform

Prime Minister Narendra Modi announced the successful implementation of three new criminal laws—Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita, Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita, and Bharatiya Sakshya Adhiniyam—in Chandigarh, making it the first city in India to fully adopt these modern legal reforms. These laws, which came into effect on July 1, replace the outdated Indian Penal Code, Code of Criminal Procedure, and Indian Evidence Act, which were remnants of British rule. During his speech, PM Modi emphasized that these new laws will protect citizens’ rights ..... Read More

ISRO’s PSLV-C59 Set for PROBA-3 Satellite Launch

The Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) is preparing to launch the PSLV-C59 mission from the Satish Dhawan Space Centre (SDSC) in Sriharikota, Andhra Pradesh, on December 4, 2024. The mission involves deploying satellites weighing approximately 550 kilograms into a highly elliptical orbit. This mission carries ESA’s PROBA-3, an In-Orbit Demonstration (IOD) mission showcasing international cooperation. ISRO announced the launch on social media, emphasizing the PSLV-C59’s engineering excellence and its role in strengthening global spa ..... Read More

India Joins Top 10 Global High-Value Exporters

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 marke ..... Read More

Chaudhry Family Donates $4 Million to UC to Support First-Generation Students

Jay and Jyoti Chaudhry, prominent Indian-American entrepreneurs, have established the Chaudhry Family Scholarship Fund with a generous $4 million donation to the University of Cincinnati (UC). The fund will assist first-generation, Pell-eligible students in UC’s Gen-1 1MPACT House, a residential community that provides support and resources to these students. Jay, CEO of Zscaler, a leader in cloud security, and his wife Jyoti co-founded several successful companies before Zscaler, including AirDefense and CipherTrust. Hailing from a sm ..... Read More

Power Consumption Increases by 5.14% in November FY24

Power consumption in November FY24 saw a 5.14% increase, reaching 125.44 billion units (BU), up from 119.30 GW during the same month in FY23, according to government reports. This growth in consumption was accompanied by a slight uptick in peak power demand, which climbed to 207.42 GW in November FY24, compared to 204.56 GW the year before. The highest peak demand recorded thus far was in May FY24, when it reached about 250 GW, surpassing the previous record of 243.27 GW set in September FY23. Earlier projections by the Ministry of Power had ..... Read More

Indian-American Community Takes Center Stage in Trump’s Incoming Administration

Several Indian-origin individuals have been appointed to prominent roles in Donald Trump’s incoming administration, reflecting the growing influence of the Indian-American and Hindu-American communities. Johnnie Moore, former Commissioner of the U.S. Commission on International Religious Freedom, highlighted the importance of the Indian-American community in Trump’s second term, saying, “Usha, Tulsi, Vivek, Jay and now Kash. The Indian-American / Hindu-American community will be at the very heart of the second Trump administration.” Usha ..... Read More

Bela Bajaria Named One of ‘Changemakers 2024’ by The Wrap

Bela Bajaria, Netflix’s Chief Content Officer, has been named one of the leading figures in The Wrap’s ‘Changemakers 2024,’ a list celebrating women in entertainment. Bajaria, whose strategic decisions shape what millions of viewers watch globally, is credited for overseeing Netflix’s diverse and successful film and series lineup, including major hits like Squid Game, Bridgerton, and Wednesday. Under her leadership, Netflix earned 24 Emmys in 2024 and saw a 15% increase in revenue, surpassing $9.8 billion in Q3. ..... Read More

Housing Prices Rise 11% in Top Indian Cities

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 ..... Read More