Category Archives: Business & Economy

Tangible benefits of an intangible heritage

The UNESCO tag has given our Durga Puja an international stature and definitely boosted the economy, says former culture secretary Jawhar Sircar.

The UNESCO application

Tapati Guha-Thakurta, cultural historian

I was approached by the ministry of culture, Government of India, in 2018 to put together a dossier on Durga Puja. A joint secretary of the ministry had come across my book In the Name of the Goddess: The Durga Pujas of Contemporary Kolkata and that is how they thought of contacting me. They wanted to submit an application to UNESCO for the inclusion of Durga Puja in India in the list of Intangible Cultural Heritage.

The joint secretary told me that the government at the Centre had applied for the listing earlier, but without success.

I accepted the offer after some thought. We had four months to prepare. The application form runs into 30 pages with questions such as “Is there any part of the element that is not compatible with existing international human rights instruments or with the requirement of mutual respect among communities, groups and individuals, or with sustainable development?” Another question reads — “How would human creativity and respect for cultural diversity be promoted by the inscription of the element?” Each answer has a word limit!

My book was the product of many years of research, so in a sense I knew the answers but there was also a need to update some things.

To start with, I picked a bunch of researchers. We pored over the previous
applications and samples of successful ones. We needed to convey in our appli-
cation that this event is a public performance of religion and art and involves
the community.

The ministry’s representatives were keen on listing Durga Puja of India in the UNESCO list. But I argued that the festival has evolved into a unique community event rooted in Calcutta over the past two centuries and that it was Durga Puja in Calcutta that would tick all the requisite boxes.

We needed signatures from various community stakeholders. This was a requisite of the application. We met idol makers, artists, families hosting Durga Puja for generations, representatives of Puja committees, corporate sponsors, media, councillors and government officials. This bit of getting people to sign endorsements was a challenge.

In December 2021, “Durga Puja in Kolkata” was inscribed on UNESCO’s Representative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity. UNESCO authorities have a provision for periodic status checks to safeguard the basic elements of Intangible Cultural Heritage — inclusivity, diversity, openness and aesthetics.

Internships, sponsorships

Jawhar Sircar, former culture secretary

From the beginning of the new millennium, UNESCO came up with quite a few conventions or regulations to guide nation states in the restoration of antiquities or cultural properties. There were several successful efforts in the area of tangible heritage. But not much had been done till then to preserve intangible heritage.

UNESCO selected and approved the first lot of intangible heritage inscriptions in 2003. At the time, Atal Bihari Vajpayee was the Prime Minister. India was awarded the intangible heritage tag for Ramlila, Vedic Chanting, Kutiyattam, Ramman and Nowrouz. In 2008, UNESCO revived the convention with a modified procedure. As the Union secretary of culture, I participated in this process at the UNESCO. I learnt a lot about presenting professional proposals to the UN body.

China had obtained approval for 36 inscriptions of its ancient cultural practices. We too decided to get our act together. In 2009, India submitted 10 to 12 such dossiers.

By then we realised that the central government has its limitations when it comes to identifying things in a country as diverse as India. And so we decentralised it and involved the states. In 2016-2017, the Government of India decided it would choose the subjects and then get the dossiers prepared by those best suited for the job.

The UNESCO tag has given our Durga Puja an international stature and definitely boosted the economy. Tourism is just one benefit, it has also opened up new avenues for artists. Students from art colleges find opportunities to intern, pandal design has become a more structured affair and with the increase in footfall, more sponsors have come forward.

By Moumita Chaudhuri

Theme, preview, carnival

Bhabatosh Sutar, artist

In 2013, I went to Paris. It was my first trip abroad. Nobody knew me. No sooner than I touched down, my friend took me to an art gallery. An exhibition had been inaugurated that very day. A woman came up to me, introduced herself and addressed me by my name. I was taken aback. Eventually I learnt that she knew of me from Tapati Guha-Thakurta’s book. Though the UNESCO tag was yet to come, that day I had a preview of how international recognition of Durga Puja would translate for all involved in this effort.

My first Durga Puja was at Barisha, followed by Behala… That was at the turn of the millennium. Much has changed since. Words like theme, preview and carnival have been added to the Durga Puja lexicon. The art factor has acquired a different dimension altogether.

The UNESCO tag has meant even the smaller pujas have been catapulted into this collective fame.

If you ask me, Durga Puja right now is only just coming into its own as an art event in the global scene. It will blossom as time goes by.

By Moumita Chaudhuri

Tourism booster 

Atri Bhattacharya, former state tourism secretary

I have long believed that Durga Puja is West Bengal’s biggest tourism property. And tourism is a very important economic driver for a state like Bengal. While heavy industry comes at a price in an agrarian region, tourism must be developed to supplement industrial investment.

When I worked in the state tourism department, we did our best to promote Durga Puja as the world’s greatest public festival. The UNESCO proposal made a case for the economic importance of Durga Puja.

The state government and the British Council had commissioned a study to evaluate its economic importance. According to the 2021 report, annual estimated Durga Pujarelated profits are ₹32,000 plus crore. Today, it is estimated at close to ₹50,000 crore.

The tourism department did its best to publicise Durga Puja worldwide. We managed to get coverage in international publications and also flooded the Internet with attractive audio-visual modules. We conveyed the sheer scale of the festival.

A lot has happened after the UNESCO tag but I think only 50 per cent of Durga Puja’s economic potential has been tapped to date. The tourism potential should be fully realised. This will then have a ripple effect on other sectors of the economy. I hope the new government accepts that while Durga Puja is a rich aspect of religion, it is also a social, cultural and economic phenomenon.

By Prasun Chaudhuri

Rural employment guarantee scheme

Purnendu Dey, artist

Iwas born into a family of carpenters in Channa near Burdwan. For generations,
our family made Durga Puja decorations for the royal family of Burdwan. The royal family’s puja centres around the worship of Pateshwari Devi, a patachitra represen-
tation of Durga.

I learnt to paint in childhood but my formal training was at Kala Bhavana, Santiniketan, and Calcutta’s Government College of Art and Craft. I arrived in Calcutta in 2003 and started taking up Durga Puja-related assignments. I started to build a team of artisans, farmers, farm labourers and students from art colleges. To date, I hire traditional wood carvers from Notun Gram in Burdwan to execute intricate installations. In addition, I train rural workers in fibre casting, sand casting and ceramics.

These indigenous artists bring to their work an innocence and sincerity, a worship-like quality. Although some of them belong to marginalised communities, everyone works as a cohesive unit. The team lives, cooks, eats and works together for three months in the pandal like a family.

Durga Puja is a traditional employment guarantee scheme. For centuries, it used to be sponsored by traders and zamindars across Bengal’s villages. Every year after the cultivation of the aman crop in July-August, most farm labourers would have no work. Between then and harvest time, the puja generated work and kept the wheels of economy turning.

In 2019, I was one of the many artists whose inputs were sought by the team of researchers who filled the UNESCO form. I pointed out that Durga Puja has been providing our rural population with more than 100 days of work.

By Prasun Chaudhuri

Art avatar

Arijit Maitra, general secretary, Samaj Sebi Sangha

In 1969, the directorate of tourism introduced the concept of awards during Durga Puja. Bagbazar topped the list, second was Samaj Sebi and Gouriberia came third. In 1976, the government introduced another award wherein people’s choice and involvement were given weightage.

The Asian Paints award of the 1980s was a game-changer. Awards began to be given for idol, pandal and lighting. I remember Adi Ballygunge, Broad Street and Bondel Road would bag the prizes for their idols, while Mudiali and Jodhpur Park would be winners in the lighting category.

Artists such as Bhabatosh Sutar, Susanta Paul and Amar Sarkar brought in the concept of theme puja in the late 1990s.

When research for the UNESCO tag began in 2019, installation art was making a debut. The festival had already become more structured. Durga Puja is now an artists’ affair, with light and music directors, theme composers, mechanism technicians, projection operators and curators all roped in.

By Moumita Chaudhuri

Before the beginning

Ruby Palchoudhuri, president emeritus, Crafts Council of West Bengal

My journey of presenting the Durga Puja of West Bengal to the global audience began many years ago. I call it my Durga yatra.

In the 1990s, I took artisans from across Bengal to the UK, Europe, the US and Australia. They made Durga idols there. It was my attempt to show the world how much we invest in Durgotsav.

Wherever we showcased our work, I would choose a theme. In 1995 at the Peabody Essex Museum, Massachusetts, US, master craftsman Nemai Chandra Pal from Krishnanagar and his assistant Biswajit Chakraborty built a 10 by 8.5 feet idol of Durga. Nemai Pal is not only an ace sculptor, he knows our culture well. He followed the description in our shastras while creating the image of the goddess. The programme was inaugurated by Siddhartha Shankar Ray, the then ambassador to the US. The Smithsonian Institution funded the whole programme.

In 2002 in Scotland, at the National Museums Scotland, Nemai Pal built a Durga using clay from River Tay. The Scottish Arts Council, now called Creative Scotland, sponsored the event. In 2006 at the British Museum, we created an 18-foot Durga protima. Gurupada Chitrakar painted the chalchitra and held workshops with school children. Our artists had great fun with the staff of the health and hazard department. They had to use scaffolds and ladders to work on the top part of the idol. They were ordered by the officials to wear boots whilst working on the ladder. Our artists were uncomfortable. When the health and hazard staff were not looking, they would take off their boots. Such are the cultural differences!

The last Durga yatra I organised was in 2007 in Australia. It was titled Goddess: Divine Energy and hosted at the Art Gallery of New South Wales museum, Sydney.

The UNESCO tag has made Durga Puja relevant and empowered artists and all those involved in this cultural festival.

By Moumita Chaudhuri

City turned art gallery

Sunanda Sanyal, professor emeritus of art history

I left India in 1988 for higher studies and eventually settled down in the US. For two decades, I did not have the opportunity to visit Calcutta during Durga Puja. In 2007, when I did, I saw how the festival had undergone a metamorphosis. I made a documentary film called A Homecoming Spectacle.

Part of it focused on a select group of theme artists and their creations. These creators — modern visual artists — had bridged the gap between highbrow gallery art and popular, large-scale public spectacles. They transformed the city into an open-air art gallery every Durga Puja.

Four years later, in 2010, I saw another big shift. I captured this in a sequel A Homecoming Spectacle: Issues. That year, the trend was to showcase folk arts and artists in the Durga Puja pavilion. Some pandals were criticised for going “overboard”, taking unlimited creative license. An image of the asura as Osama bin Laden and a pandal showing a train wreck were criticised.

In 2019, when Tapati Guha-Thakurta was asked to fill out the UNESCO application form, I was among the many people who supported the effort. Two years later, when UNESCO granted the heritage tag, we were excited. We expected the inscription would enhance the already growing international face of Durga Puja and add a new dimension of artistic creativity.

By Prasun Chaudhuri

A package deal

Shailaja Mundra, Kolkata unforgettable

About 15 years ago, when no one was thinking about a UNESCO tag, my husband Sudarshan and I would go around pandal hopping come Durga Puja.

We met the organisers, spoke to the artists and labourers and gathered stories from the people of the city. We discussed themes and took photographs of the Durga idols. I created albums on my social media page. Our event management company started getting the occasional enquiry from people outside of Bengal about Durga Puja.

Post the UNESCO tag, things changed dramatically. Three years ago, a group of eight people from New Delhi contacted me. They wanted to come to Calcutta to experience Durga Puja. They wanted a luxury travel experience, avoid crowds
and queues while still soaking in the spirit of the festival.

We went around looking for luxury buses but nothing was available. So we decided to book cars. Then we roped in Khelat Bhavan of Pathuriaghata, where we organised a 45-minute dance drama wherein we showcased all the rituals of Durga Puja from agomoni to pushpanjali to sindur khela to bisarjan. It was an interactive programme.

In 2024, this number went up to 240 and in 2025, 600. People come from Mumbai, Kochi, Visakhapatnam, Hyderabad, Ludhiana, Delhi, Chennai, Indore…We customised our tour plan. Included dance dramas and cruises on the Hooghly, heritage walks, visits to the Kalighat Temple, a taste of Bengali food.

My daughter Vasudha Pachisia is planning to take our effort forward. She says artists from Bengal are now being called to Bengaluru to set up studios.

By Moumita Chaudhuri

From Tallah to Times Square

Abhishek Bhattacharya, Forum for Durgotsav

Durga Puja is a huge industry, running into thousands of crores; one crore households benefit from it. But it is a completely unorganised sector. There are no official documents to show the spending. There are no GST bills. Payments are made at various levels. There are labourers, decorators, lightmen, idol makers, dhakis, purohits, electricians, the stalls outside the pandals… The list is long. People shop more during Durga Puja. Even the car manufacturing industry gets a boost.

The UNESCO tag means a lot for the artists. The competition among them has increased so much that they now plan, coordinate and work year-round for Durga Puja. The moment one puja ends, the organisers start planning for the next year. The artists are booked a year ahead.

Earlier, the puja carnival had foreigner footfalls. Recently, we learnt that a pre-Puja event will be organised at the Eden Gardens this year. This too is likely to draw tourists.

It is important that Calcutta gears up to entertain this crowd in terms of infrastructure and traffic management.

The UNESCO tag has done its bit. Last year, Durga Puja was celebrated for two days at New York’s Times Square. This year, it will be live screened on premium digital boards in Times Square, in Dubai’s Burj Khalifa and in London’s Piccadilly Lights to give a realtime feel. The 2026 theme of the tourism department is Bishwajure Bangalir Abeg — Durga Puja Global Connect 2026. With the new government in the state, the expectations are higher.

By Moumita Chaudhuri

source/content: telegraphindia.com (headline edited)

Sun Pharma to acquire US-based Organon & Co at $11.75 billion, among largest overseas buys by Indian firm

Organon is a global healthcare company formed through a spinoff from Merck, known as MSD outside of the US and Canada, in 2021.

Sun Pharmaceutical Industries Ltd will acquire US-based Organon & Co in an all-cash deal at an enterprise valuation of USD 11.75 billion in one of the largest acquisitions by Indian firms overseas.

The company has signed a definitive agreement under which Sun Pharma will acquire all outstanding shares of Organon for USD 14 per share in an all-cash transaction with an enterprise valuation of USD 11.75 billion, Sun Pharmaceutical Industries said in a statement on Monday.

Organon is a global healthcare company formed through a spinoff from Merck, known as MSD outside of the US and Canada, in 2021. It has six manufacturing facilities across the European Union and emerging markets.

Upon successful consummation of the transaction, Sun Pharma is poised to be among the top 25 global pharmaceutical companies with a combined revenue of USD 12.4 billion, a leading player in established brands and branded generics, the company said.

Sun Pharma’s acquisition of Organon will be among the top overseas acquisitions by Indian firms, which include Tata Steel’s USD 12 billion takeover of Corus for USD 12 billion in 2007 and Bharti Airtel’s USD 10.7 billion deal to buy Kuwait-based Zain Telecom’s African business in 2010.

Commenting on the acquisition, Sun Pharma Executive Chairman Dilip Shanghvi said, “This transaction represents a significant opportunity for Sun Pharma to build on its vision of ‘reaching people and touching lives. Organon’s portfolio, capabilities and global reach are highly complementary to our own, and we believe that bringing the two organisations together can create a stronger and more diversified platform.” Organon Executive Chair Carrie Cox said, “Following a comprehensive review of strategic alternatives, our Board determined that this all-cash transaction offers compelling and immediate value to Organon stockholders. We believe Sun Pharma is well-positioned to support Organon’s businesses, employees and patients globally, and to further advance our commitment to delivering impactful medicines and solutions.” Post the transaction, Sun Pharma said it will also become a top-three company in global women’s health, creating a commercial platform for future growth and the 7th largest global biosimilar player.

It will have a presence in 150 countries, with 18 large markets, each generating over USD 100 million in revenues after the deal is completed.

In an investor presentation, Sun Pharma said the combined business will unlock several vectors of value creation with potential synergies of over USD 350 million in 2-4 years.

The transaction has been approved by the boards of directors of both Sun Pharma and Organon and is expected to close in early 2027 subject to customary closing conditions, including receipt of required regulatory approvals and approval by Organon stockholders.

For Sun Pharma, the Organon acquisition is the latest in a series of successful acquisitions which include the USD 4 billion takeover of erstwhile Ranbaxy in 2014 and the acquisition of Israel’s Taro Pharmaceutical Industries in a deal valued at USD 454 million in 2007.

Organon is a global leader in women’s health. It has a portfolio comprising over 70 products across women’s health and general medicines, which includes biosimilars, commercialised across 140 countries, with the US, Europe, China, Canada, and Brazil among its largest markets, the statement by Sun Pharma said.

For the year ended December 31, 2025, Organon reported USD 6.2 billion in revenue and adjusted EBITDA of USD 1.9 billion. It had debt of USD 8.6 billion and cash balance of USD 574 million, the statement said.

Organon had recently closed on a divestiture of a product for which it received an upfront payment of USD 440 million, the net proceeds of which will further contribute to its March 31, 2026 cash balance, it added.

Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by The Telegraph Online staff and has been published from a syndicated feed.

source/content: telegraphindia.com (headline edited)

Rajasthan Royals become first IPL team to be sold for more than USD 1 billion, Kal Somani-led consortium buys franchise

According to several reports, the Rajasthan Royals have been acquired by a consortium led by Kal Somani.

The sale is over. A consortium led by Kal Somani has acquired the Indian Premier League (IPL) franchise Rajasthan Royals for USD 1.63 billion. According to the Times of India, Somani has received backing from American businessman Rob Walton, of the Walmart family, and the Hamp family, which also has majority stakes in the NFL’s Detroit Lions. As a result of this sale, the Royals have become the first IPL team to be sold for more than USD 1 billion.

Earlier, Sanjiv Goenka’s RPSG group had acquired the Lucknow Super Giants for USD 940 million, while the Torrent group purchased a 67 per cent stake in the Gujarat Titans for USD 575 million.

The current owners of the Rajasthan Royals have been in talks to sell 100 per cent of the team for the past six months. The deal has been officially signed, and formalities are expected to be completed before the conclusion of the IPL 2026 season. A formal takeover will be completed once the upcoming 19th edition of the T20 tournament concludes.

It is worth noting that Somani, a US-based entrepreneur, has held a minority stake in the Rajasthan Royals until now. It is worth noting that Somani has led enterprises in education technology, data privacy, AI governance and sports technology. He is also the founder of global giants such as IntraEdge, Truyo, Truyo.AI and Academian. He is also the co-owner of Motor City Golf Club and is an early investor in TMRW Sports and TGL Golf League.

“We see huge potential with this investment and are excited for the future of the IPL,” Somani had said in 2021 when he invested in the Royals.

Previously, the Royals were owned by Emerging Media Ventures, led by British Indian businessman Manoj Badale. Before the inaugural season of the IPL, the Royals were among the eight starting franchises to play in the first-ever season of the IPL. Before the 2008 IPL, the Rajasthan-based franchise was bought by Emerging Media Ventures for USD 67 million. They were the cheapest franchise sold by BCCI ahead of the inaugural edition.

RCB sale to be completed soon

The Royals are not the only franchise to go for USD 1 billion. The Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) are expected to go for a much higher sum when the franchises’ sale ends later this year.

The final bid value for RCB is expected to exceed USD 2 billion.

source/content: hindustantimes.com (headline edited)

India and EU launch first security and defence partnership amid global strategic shift

Pact opens annual dialogue, joint naval exercises, space security talks and defence industry collaboration as both sides seek resilient supply chains.

India and the European Union on Tuesday signed a landmark security and defence partnership, covering maritime security, cybersecurity and counter-terrorism, similar to the tie-ups the EU has with two other Asian countries — Japan and South Korea.

The partnership comes at a time India is trying to reduce its dependence on Russia for military hardware by diversifying imports and pushing its domestic manufacturing. Europe is also trying to reduce its dependence on the US and deepen its diplomatic and economic ties with other regions.

Speaking about the defence and security partnership, European Commission president Ursula von der Leyen said: “We are not only making our economy stronger, we are also delivering security for our people in an increasingly insecure world. And today, the world’s two largest economies and democracies launched their first-ever security and defence partnership. This is a landmark departure and a trust-based platform for cooperation on the strategic issues that matter most.”

“In doing so, we will help to build each other’s resilience. Europe and India have a long history of cooperation in the defence industry. Now we will enhance this teamwork even further. We will deepen our cooperation on maritime security, for example, joint naval exercises, to tackle piracy,”
she said.

“And we will step up our work on countering cyber and hybrid threats, which are getting more sophisticated by the day. Our partnership includes a dedicated dialogue on space security, from situational awareness to secure connectivity and stronger cooperation on counterterrorism. Finally, we are launching negotiations on a Security of Information Agreement. Europe and India have chosen to be reliable partners to one another, and this is how we demonstrate the trust we share,” she added.

Earlier in the day, defence minister Rajnath Singh said he discussed a range of bilateral security and defence issues with European Commission vice-president Kaja Kallas, including opportunities to integrate supply chains to build trusted defence ecosystems and develop future-ready capabilities.

He said India’s defence industry “can play a meaningful role in the EU’s ‘ReArm initiative’, especially when the EU was seeking to rapidly diversify suppliers and derisk dependencies”.

Kallas, after signing the defence partnership, said the pact “launches an annual security and defence dialogue and deepens cooperation on maritime security, cyber issues, and counterterrorism”.

Rajnath emphasised that Indian and EU defence industries must synergise their efforts for the larger global good as it “complements India’s vision of self-reliance while aligning with the EU’s pursuit of strategic autonomy”.

source/content: telegraphindia.com (headline edited)

‘Voice of India’ William Mark Tully no more; BBC journalist who chronicled three Indian decades dies

Tully was made an Officer of the Order of the British Empire in 1985 and received the Padma Shri in 1992. He was knighted in 2002 and was awarded the Padma Bhushan in 2005. He was a British national and an Overseas Citizen of India.

William Mark Tully, the celebrated BBC journalist who chronicled three eventful decades of Indian history with insight and integrity and sometimes collided with its more authoritarian trajectories, died at a private hospital here on Sunday. He was 90.

The British Broadcasting Corporation’s “Voice of India” was born to British parents in Tollygunge, Calcutta, in 1935. He left with his family soon after the Second World War, only to return to India as a BBC operative in 1965.

William Mark Tully, the celebrated BBC journalist who chronicled three eventful decades of Indian history with insight and integrity and sometimes collided with its more authoritarian trajectories, died at a private hospital here on Sunday. He was 90.

The British Broadcasting Corporation’s “Voice of India” was born to British parents in Tollygunge, Calcutta, in 1935. He left with his family soon after the Second World War, only to return to India as a BBC operative in 1965.

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It was here that he lived and died, but for a break between 1975 and 1977 when he and other foreign correspondents were expelled during the Emergency.

Tully wrote about this in the Hindustan Times in 2023, and about other instances when the BBC was at loggerheads with the Centre, drawing parallels with the backlash the broadcaster faced after it telecast a documentary on Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

“…Indira Gandhi imposed a stringent Emergency, which included a code for foreign correspondents. Almost all foreign correspondents refused to subscribe and were given 24 hours to leave the country,” he wrote.

“Back in London, Swaraj Paul or Lord Paul as he now is, an Indian Briton close to Gandhi, realised how damaging this would be for her and persuaded her to send the information minister to London to negotiate our return.

“The minister was so aggressive — some said offensive — that the BBC called off the negotiations and sent my wife to Delhi to close our house and office. Not much later, Gandhi declared an election and lifted the ban, so I returned.”

He added: “It is hard to get the BBC to apologise, but in the current case, India needs to realise that the BBC does not spew out colonialist propaganda. It’s a journalists’ organisation, and millions of Indians choose to listen to and watch it.”

The condolences pouring in from across the Indian political spectrum bore witness to this.

Prime Minister Modi posted on X: “Saddened by the passing of Sir Mark Tully, a towering voice of journalism. His connect with India and the people of our nation was reflected in his works. His reporting and insights have left an enduring mark on public discourse. Condolences to his family, friends and many admirers.”

In a post on X, Union minister Hardeep Puri said: “For generations across our subcontinent, his calm and unmistakable voice was synonymous with news. As the BBC’s long-time correspondent and bureau chief in India, the Kolkata-born Tully reported on some of the most defining moments in the region’s history…. His reportage during the emergency was incisive, insightful and credible.”

Congress spokesperson Pawan Khera wrote: “Many like me grew up listening to his voice, reading his books. I ended up living in the very locality in which he lived for years and fell in love with.”

Tully’s obituary on the BBC website recalled the dangers he sometimes faced.

“In the small north Indian city of Ayodhya in 1992, he faced a moment of real peril. He witnessed a huge crowd of Hindu hardliners tear down an ancient mosque,” it said.

“Some of the mob — suspicious of the BBC — threatened him, chanting ‘Death to Mark Tully’. He was locked in a room for several hours before a local official and a Hindu priest came to his aid.”

Max Super Speciality Hospital, where Tully was admitted, said he passed away at 2.35pm. The cause of death was multi-organ failure following a stroke.

Back in India in 1977, Tully had settled near the Hazrat Nizamuddin shrine in Delhi, first in the upmarket Nizamuddin East and finally with hoi polloi in Nizamuddin West after he retired and could no longer afford the rent. He lived with his partner Gillian Wright and their two Labradors.

Tully was made an Officer of the Order of the British Empire in 1985 and received the Padma Shri in 1992. He was knighted in 2002 and was awarded the Padma Bhushan in 2005. He was a British national and an Overseas Citizen of India.

His BBC obituary says: “He spent more than 20 years as the BBC’s head of bureau in Delhi, leading the reporting not simply of India but of South Asia, including the birth of Bangladesh, periods of military rule in Pakistan, the Tamil Tigers’ rebellion in Sri Lanka and the Soviet invasion of Afghanistan.

“Over time, he became increasingly out of step with the BBC’s corporate priorities, and in 1993 he made a much-publicised speech accusing the then director general, John Birt, of running the corporation by ‘fear’. It marked a parting of the ways.

“Sir Mark resigned from the BBC the following year. But he continued to broadcast on BBC airwaves notably as presenter of Radio 4’s Something Understood, turning back to issues of faith and spirituality which had engaged him as a student.”

Tully had studied theology, but stopped short of being ordained as a clergyman.

At a Press Club of India event in 2017 that marked 25 years of the demolition of the Babri Masjid, Tully said: “Many said that it was the end of Indian secularism. In my experiences things go up and down in India…. Events of history up until Modi’s election indicated that I had been right…. I still fervently believe that Indian secularism will survive.”

source/content: telegraphindia.com (headline edited)

Rajnath, Yogi flag off first BrahMos missiles made in Lucknow, boost for ‘Make in India’

This state-of-the-art unit, which was inaugurated on May 11, 2025, houses all modern facilities for missile integration, testing and final quality checks.

Defence Minister Rajnath Singh and Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath flagged off the first batch of BrahMos missiles manufactured at the BrahMos Aerospace unit here on Saturday, officials said.

According to an official statement, this is not only a milestone for the Uttar Pradesh Defence Industrial Corridor (UPDIC) but will also provide a new energy to India’s resolve to achieve self-reliance in defence manufacturing.

BrahMos Aerospace, the manufacturer of the BrahMos supersonic missile system, has successfully produced the first batch of the missile system from its new integration and test facility in Sarojini Nagar, Lucknow, the statement said.

This state-of-the-art unit, which was inaugurated on May 11, 2025, houses all modern facilities for missile integration, testing and final quality checks. After successful testing, the missiles are prepared for deployment by the Indian armed forces.

Uttar Pradesh Deputy Chief Minister Brajesh Pathak, Minister Nand Gopal Gupta Nandi and various officials were present on the occasion.

Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by The Telegraph Online staff and has been published from a syndicated feed.

source/content: telegraphindia.com (headline edited)

Meet Neelam Kaur Gill, the only Indian-origin model to walk the ramp at Victoria’s Secret Fashion Show 2025

The 30-year-old walked the ramp for the American lingerie label for the first time in 2024.

Neelam Kaur Gill, the only Indian-origin model to have walked the ramp at Victoria’s Secret Fashion Show in New York on Wednesday, turned heads in a shimmering pink set on the runway. However, this is not the first time Gill has walked for the American lingerie label.

Gill made her Victoria’s Secret Fashion Show debut last year. But her modelling career began when she was only 14. 

The 30-year-old was born in Coventry, England on April 27, 1995. Her grandparents were born in India and are Sikhs from Punjab.  

Gill started her modelling career after being discovered at The Clothes Show Live. 

In 2013, she was the first Indian-origin model to appear in a Burberry campaign at the London Fashion Week.

She has worked with several other international brands like Dior, Givenchy and Elie Saab. 

 Gill also appeared in Kanye West’s Yeezy Show.

Following her appearance at Victoria’s Secret Fashion Show this year, Gill posted about the show’s commitment to inclusivity and diverse representation.  

“Punjabi princess for @victoriassecret. I’m still floating on cloud 9. Thank you to my Desi community for all the love. I’m so proud of where I’m from & that will never change. THANK YOU @adamselman for making this brown girl feel so seen, loved, confident and empowered. Thank you @piergiorgio for making my dream come true again,” she wrote, sharing photos from the event. 

According to media reports, Gill is dating a close friend of Hollywood star Leonardo DiCaprio.

The 2025 Victoria’s Secret Fashion Show saw a star-studded lineup featuring fashion icons like Adriana Lima, Alessandra Ambrosio, and sisters Gigi and Bella Hadid.  

Indian actress Triptii Dimri was also present on the front row, joining global luminaries at the glamorous New York event.   

source/content: telegraphonline.com (headline edited)

Sriram Krishnan – The Indian-American who could decide the AI arms race

Sriram Krishnan is the 6ft 6in tech guru steering US policy in the battle for AI supremacy with China.

Who’s the most powerful Indian-American on the planet right now? Toss the big names into a hat and pull them out one by one.

Could it be Microsoft’s quietly effective Satya Nadella, who turned the software giant into an AI powerhouse? Or Sundar Pichai, steering the Google juggernaut from one innovation to the next? Or Vinod Khosla, billionaire and Silicon Valley oracle for decades, though a vocal anti-Trumper, which rules him out for Washington’s inner circle.

Still wondering? There’s a newer star already ensconced in the White House. Enter Sriram Krishnan, 41, the White House policy adviser on Artificial Intelligence – and at 6ft 6in, a man who literally towers over his rivals.

He’s at the cutting edge of the most transformative technologies of our time that are about to change the world beyond recognition.

Krishnan sees AI not just as an innovation but as the new frontier of world domination.

‘If we don’t win the AI race with China, the consequences are catastrophic,’ he warned on a podcast. To him, AI is the new 21st-century arms race – one that will decide who runs the world in the decades ahead and who becomes the next superpower.

Krishnan has been in the thick of AI action ever since he parachuted into the upper ranks of the US government. Soon after the Trump administration took charge, he was at the Paris AI Summit in February, where he made his presence felt by pushing aggressively for the adoption of US AI technology with the message: buy American AI or get left behind.

His firm conviction that the US must dominate AI technology was once again on display, though more controversially, when Trump struck a string of chip deals with Saudi Arabia and the UAE, under which the US would sell cutting-edge AI chips to the Gulf kingdoms in huge quantities.

The deals sparked strong criticism, with detractors pointing out that the Chinese could quickly get their hands on the advanced chips being sold. Krishnan disagrees, arguing that it’s a win if US companies are selling billions of dollars’ worth of hardware.

Krishnan had already been a technology evangelist long before entering the White House. Together with his wife Aarthi Ramamurthy, he has hosted one of Silicon Valley’s most popular podcasts, The Aarthi and Sriram Show.

Drawing on their deep tech-world contacts, they have pulled in industry mega-stars like Facebook’s Mark Zuckerberg and Marc Andreessen (of Andreessen Horowitz fame, Silicon Valley’s ‘super-angel’ venture capitalist). Elon Musk’s appearance on the podcast sent listenership numbers soaring, pushing it into tech stratosphere mode.

The couple like to joke they’re ‘outsiders who crashed the gates’ of Silicon Valley through sheer drive and talent. Recently, they chatted with Aravind Srinivas, the 31-year-old CEO of Perplexity, which calls itself a ‘free AI-powered answer engine.’ At one point, Krishnan joked to his wife about Srinivas: ‘He’s calling us old!’ – a reminder that even tech veterans age fast in a world moving at warp speed.

A Chennai native, Krishnan studied at SRM Institute of Science and Technology, earning a Bachelor of Technology in IT, before moving to the US in 2007. He went on to lead engineering teams at Microsoft, Yahoo, Facebook and Snap.

His name even surfaced as a potential CEO for Twitter when Musk took over the platform for a staggering $44 billion. Of Musk, he says admiringly: ‘He tries to push things to the absolute simplest. His ability to take risk is beyond what most human beings are capable of.’

When the Trump government moved into office and his transition team began building its tech roster, Krishnan received a call from the government’s new AI czar, David Sacks, who offered him a chance to shape the ‘right’ AI policies.

Krishnan didn’t hesitate when Sacks came knocking. He told Politico: ‘I thought we were heading in the wrong direction with AI. I thought we were in a precarious position when it came to all things China.’ That sense of urgency and rivalry continues to define his approach to policy.

Krishnan doesn’t toe the MAGA line on everything. He has opposed country-based Green Card quotas, arguing that the rule works against skilled migrants from populous countries like India. His call for a global merit-based system that attracts ‘the very best talent from around the world’ hasn’t sat well with Trump’s anti-immigration supporters, who vociferously opposed his hiring as AI adviser.

MAGA stalwarts believe no outside talent is needed and that America has more than enough homemade talent to get ahead in the world of technology. But Krishnan’s not backing down.

To him, it’s simple: innovation wins wars, and talent wins innovation.

It’s impossible to talk about Krishnan without mentioning his wife Ramamurthy. They met online – but not on a dating app, as they like to joke. They both pride themselves on their nerdiness and were discussing coding issues online.

Ramamurthy was a prodigy at Coimbatore’s PSG College of Technology and was hired by Microsoft before she finished college. Later, she joined Netflix before striking out as a venture capitalist. This year, she launched Schema Ventures, which has a $20 million kitty and has made bold early investments in the start-up world.

Together, Aarthi and Sriram are something of a power couple for the digital age: entrepreneurs, podcast influencers and policy-shapers all rolled into one.

With their success, they’re also eager to ‘give back’ and believe they have valuable counsel to offer youngsters looking to make it big in technology. Two years ago, they hosted a seminar in Chennai for college students keen to make their mark in the ‘big bad world of tech’, offering tips from two people who know what it takes to make the leap from outsider to insider.

For now, though, Krishnan’s focus remains squarely on the race that could define the next century. He has one goal in mind: keeping the US on top in the AI age.

As the man helping steer US AI policy from the White House, his decisions could help determine whether America or China rules the future of artificial intelligence. If Krishnan gets his way, that future won’t just be ‘Made in America’ – it’ll be powered by it.

source/content: telegraphindia.com (headline edited)

PM to flag off first indigenous locomotive for export to Guinea on June 20 in Bihar

The Marhowrah facility will supply 150 locomotives worth more than ₹3,000 crore for the iron ore project in Guinea.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi will flag off the first locomotive manufactured at the Marhowrah factory in Bihar for export to the Republic of Guinea on June 20, the Railway Ministry said on Wednesday (June 18, 2025).

“On June 20, 2025, Prime Minister Narendra Modi will flag off the first locomotive being exported to the Republic of Guinea,” said Dilip Kumar, Executive Director of Information and Publicity, Railway Board.

The Marhowrah facility will supply 150 locomotives worth more than ₹3,000 crore for SimFer’s Simandou iron ore project in Guinea, Africa, in three years.

According to Mr. Kumar, 37 locomotives will be delivered in the current financial year, 82 in the next, and the remaining 31 in the third year.

All locomotives will feature air-conditioned cabins and will be capable of hauling 100 wagons in pairs at maximum permissible speed, he said.

The Ministry noted that three types of tracks— broad gauge, standard gauge and cape gauge— have been laid at the Marhowrah factory for manufacturing these locomotives. The export project was secured through global competitive bidding, highlighting India’s capabilities in world-class manufacturing.

Mr. Kumar said the locomotives will come equipped with best-in-class emission standards, fire detection systems and ergonomic crew cabins with modern amenities such as a refrigerator, microwave and waterless toilet.

“They are fitted with DPWCS (Distributed Power Wireless Control System) for synchronised operations and superior freight handling. This positions the Marhowrah factory as a global hub for locomotive exports, boosting local employment and technology,” he said.

The Ministry said the export will help build infrastructure for Guinea’s largest iron ore project and strengthen India-Africa economic ties.

“This is a shining example of Atmanirbhar Bharat powering global infrastructure through innovation and quality manufacturing. We hope that Indian firms receive more such orders from other countries in future,” Mr. Kumar added.

source/content: thehindu.com (headline edited)

Dassault Aviation partners with Tata Advanced Systems for Rafale fighter fuselage production in India

Describing it as a significant step forward in strengthening the country’s aerospace manufacturing capabilities and supporting global supply chains, Dassault Aviation said the facility represented a vital investment in India’s aerospace infrastructure.

Dassault Aviation and Tata Advanced Systems Limited have signed four Production Transfer Agreements to manufacture the Rafale fighter aircraft fuselage for India and other global markets.

Describing it as a significant step forward in strengthening the country’s aerospace manufacturing capabilities and supporting global supply chains, Dassault Aviation said the facility represented a vital investment in India’s aerospace infrastructure and would serve as a critical hub for high-precision manufacturing.

Under the agreement, Tata Advanced Systems will set up a production facility in Hyderabad for the manufacture of key structural sections of Rafale, including the lateral shells of the rear fuselage, the complete rear section, the central fuselage, and the front section.

The first fuselage sections are likely to roll off the assembly line in 2028, with the facility expected to deliver up to two complete fuselages per month.

“For the first time, Rafale fuselages will be produced outside France. This is a decisive step in strengthening our supply chain in India. Thanks to the expansion of our local partners, including TASL, one of the major players in the Indian aerospace industry, this supply chain will contribute to the successful ramp-up of the Rafale and, with our support, will meet our quality and competitiveness requirements,” said Eric Trappier, chairman and chief executive officer (CEO) of Dassault Aviation.

Sukaran Singh, CEO and managing director, Tata Advanced Systems Limited, said: “This partnership marks a significant step in India’s aerospace journey. The production of the complete Rafale fuselage in India underscores the deepening trust in Tata Advanced Systems’ capabilities and the strength of our collaboration with Dassault Aviation.”

“It also reflects the remarkable progress India has made in establishing a modern, robust aerospace manufacturing ecosystem that can support global platforms,” he said.

“The signing of these contracts reflects Dassault Aviation’s strong commitment to India’s ‘Make in India’ and AtmaNirbhar initiatives. This partnership aims to strengthen India’s position as a key player in the global aerospace supply chain while supporting its goal of greater economic self-reliance,” said Dassault Aviation.

source/content: thehindu.com (headline edited)