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54 Articles

FROM THE EDITOR-IN-CHIEF

History across the world has shown that the greatest of men who were treated like Gods by their citizens were eventually found to have feet of clay. That’s the ultimate political paradox. This time in India, a powerful statement at the voting booths brought that diminution of stature. If it looks like a mixed mandate and not an emphatic one, that is precisely what it is meant to be. It is a correction of excess, a tempering, a recalibration. Instead of handing another blank cheque to the Narendra Modi dispensation, another gift of superabundance, the voters favoured moderation. Democracy, by definition, is ‘the rule of the people’. Governments must heed their collective will. Indeed, the Indian electorate is a great teacher. Here are some of the lessons of the 2024…

FROM THE EDITOR-IN-CHIEF

STRIKING-A BALANCE

IT is not quite the way Narendra Modi wanted to go down in India’s electoral history. When he takes oath on June 9, Modi will be only the second prime minister in six decades to have served a third consecutive term. That’s an outstanding achievement by itself. But for Modi, the outcome of Election 2024 is seen as a personal setback. Having led the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) to back-to-back majorities in the 2014 and 2019 general elections, he would have liked to equal the record set by Jawaharlal Nehru, India’s first prime minister. Nehru had a hat trick of Lok Sabha majorities for the Congress party in 1952, 1957 and 1962 elections. It was not to be for Modi, who was denied a majority in Election 2024. When the results…

STRIKING-A BALANCE

HARD BARGAIN FOR CENTRAL GRANTS

Andhra Pradesh chief minister designate N. Chandrababu Naidu and Bihar chief minister Nitish Kumar are adept at driving hard bargains. With their strong showing in the Lok Sabha polls, they are now indispensable to the BJP in forming a National Democratic Alliance government. Both are likely to reopen their old demand that Delhi accord their respective states Special Category Status (SCS)—whereby the Union government makes special financial grants for quicker development of an economically/geographically disadvantaged state—on priority. Naidu, the Telugu Desam Party (TDP) supremo, has been demanding the SCS for long. Though it was promised by the United Progressive Alliance (UPA)-2 regime at the time of Parliament adopting the Andhra Pradesh Reorganisation Act, 2014, Naidu’s demand was finally turned down in 2018, leading him to quit the NDA. This was…

HARD BARGAIN FOR CENTRAL GRANTS

A MUCH-NEEDED REALITY CHECK

More embarrassment than riches. That’s what the 2024 election results have brought for the top echelons of the Bharatiya Janata Party—a narrow face-saving win, a potentially worse fate averted, and plenty to introspect over. An unusual predicament for a party that had been lulled by a decade of unquestioned supremacy, but just about enough to put up a brave front. That allowed images coming out of the prime minister’s residence in New Delhi to exude an air of normalcy and cheer. It was a historic third straight term for Narendra Modi, after all. But among all the smiles, two faces bore visible signs of stress and exhaustion—that of Modi’s ‘Chanakya’, Amit Shah, and party chief J.P. Nadda. They had a series of unending back channel negotiations. Partners, potential friends, anyone…

A MUCH-NEEDED REALITY CHECK

VIT FOUNDER & CHANCELLOR DR. G. VISWANATHAN RECEIVED THE STATE UNIVERSITY OF NEW YORK HONORARY DOCTORATE

Founder and Chancellor of Vellore Institute of Technology (VID Dr. G. Viswanathan received the State University of New York (SUNY) Honorary Doctor of Laws Degree during Binghamton University’s convocation ceremony in the USA recently. The honorary doctorate was conferred on Dr. G. Viswanathan by Binghamton University President Harvey Stenger. Dr. G. Viswanathan has been conferred the honorary doctorate for his contributions to international higher education. "Chancellor Viswanathan has been a pioneer for expanding access to higher education in India and partnering with institutions around the world," Binghamton University President Harvey Stenger said. Binghamton University Provost Donald Hall, Dean Prof. Srihari Krishnaswamy, the Member of Assembly Ms. Donna A. Luppardo, the Member of Senate Ms. Leaa Webb, VIT Vice Presidents Mr. Sankar Viswanathan, Dr. Sekar Viswanathan and Dr. G. V. Selvam,…

VIT FOUNDER & CHANCELLOR DR. G. VISWANATHAN RECEIVED THE STATE UNIVERSITY OF NEW YORK HONORARY DOCTORATE

NO FULL STOPS IN INDIA

*Rest others A viral video of 25-year-old Sanjana Jatav breaking into a dance after winning the Lok Sabha election from Bharatpur in Rajasthan became a shining example of how the Indian National Developmental Inclusive Alliance (INDIA) succeeded in pushing the ruling BJP’s national tally below the 272 majority mark. The wife of a police constable, Sanjana defeated the BJP’s Ramswaroop Koli in the seat reserved for Scheduled Castes, ending the party’s run of two consecutive victories there. She is one of the 19 Congresspersons elected to the lower house of Parliament from SC reserved seats. Her victory is not just about adding numerical strength to Opposition forces, it will also ensure that the brute majority of the ruling party cannot silence them in Parliament. Indeed, the Opposition parties are all…

NO FULL STOPS IN INDIA

AKHILESH PUTS YOGI ON THE MAT

*Rest others “UP ne kamaal kar diya (UP did an incredible thing)….” That was Congress leader Rahul Gandhi when asked about the Lok Sabha result in Uttar Pradesh. It is, in fact, the “UP ke ladke”, as Rahul and Samajwadi Party chief Akhilesh Yadav are fondly called in UP, who have managed to do the ‘incredible’, stun the BJP despite the Ram temple and the Modi-Yogi double engine hype. The Congress-SP alliance won 43 of UP’s 80 Lok Sabha seats (SP 37 and Congress six), restricting the BJP-led NDA to just 36 seats in the state, a feat that has huge ramifications. UP had propelled Narendra Modi’s rise to power in 2014, sending 71 BJP MPs to the Lok Sabha; in 2019, it helped him consolidate his grip by electing 62…

AKHILESH PUTS YOGI ON THE MAT

MVA WINS THE SEMI-FINAL

*Independent, who has extended support More than numbers and victory margins, the Lok Sabha results in Maharashtra were to be a referendum on the state’s political realignments since 2022. The first true test of the public opinion after the splits in the Shiv Sena and the Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) in 2022 and 2023 respectively, they were to determine which factions deserved to be called the ‘real’ Shiv Sena or NCP. It was also to be a verdict—a legitimacy test—on a government forged out of splits and defections, toppling a democratically elected one. As it happened, it settled the second question—the more national one. It was the aggrieved Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA), the coalition of the Congress and the leftover Sena and NCP factions, that came up trumps at the…

MVA WINS THE SEMI-FINAL

DIDI AND BHATIJA SHOW SANGH PARIVAR THEIR PLACE

IN the end, it was Didi who had the last laugh. On the evening of June 4, a little after the clock struck six, Mamata Banerjee climbed the stage erected on the backyard of her residence in Kalighat in Kolkata. Clad in a brown-bordered white saree, she looked sprightly even after attending 108 campaign events over 61 days. The joyous mood—with hundreds of slogan-raising Trinamool Congress (TMC) supporters caked in trademark green gulal—was well-deserved: under her, the TMC had emerged on top in the 2024 Lok Sabha polls, wresting more than two-thirds of the 42 seats in Bengal. On the stage, she held the hand of her nephew and TMC national general secretary Abhishek Banerjee, and congratulated him for his record victory from Diamond Harbour. Before flashing cameras, the TMC chairperson…

DIDI AND BHATIJA SHOW SANGH PARIVAR THEIR PLACE

NITISH THE KINGMAKER

*Rest others Politics may have put them on different planes but fate had Bihar chief minister Nitish Kumar and his former deputy Tejaswi Yadav on the same plane on June 5. Or, more specifically the Tata Vistara flight from Patna to Delhi. The young Tejaswi, seated in Row 2, got up to greet the Janata Dal (United) patriarch, hands folded. Nitish enquired about his back, since the toll of holding 251 election rallies had evidently begun telling on the Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) scion, seen as he was campaigning in a wheelchair or with a waist belt. Lalu’s son assured Nitish that all was well. The political scars, though, may take longer to heal. Despite a spirited campaign focused on employment and livelihood, Tejaswi proved no match for the combined…

NITISH THE KINGMAKER

SHIFTING SANDS IN THE DESERT

Six months after handing the BJP a facile win in the assembly election, voters in Rajasthan sprang a big surprise in the Lok Sabha polls—handing the Indian National Developmental Inclusive Alliance (INDIA) 11 seats and reducing the BJP, which had won all 25 Lok Sabha seats in the state in 2014 and 24 in 2019, to just 14 seats. Not just that, the BJP’s victory margins have plummeted, with only six candidates winning by 300,000-plus votes, as against 16 in 2019. Its vote share, too, plunged to 49.2 per cent from 58.4 per cent. The INDIA bloc made a clean sweep in eastern Rajasthan and Shekhawati regions. The BJP lost 72 per cent of all seven reserved seats; among three seats reserved for Scheduled Tribes, the BJP won one and…

SHIFTING SANDS IN THE DESERT

A NEW KING FOR KALINGA

On June 6, two days after Odisha dealt a shocking defeat to the Biju Janata Dal (BJD), ending Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik’s 24-year rule, chief secretary Pradeep Jena released a video message assuring the state’s people about the continuance of the outgoing government’s flagship health scheme, the Biju Swasthya Kalyan Yojana (BSKY). Jena was forced to come up with the clarification following media reports that several hospitals refused to honour the BSKY cards, turning away patients. This sense of uncertainty, believe experts, is likely to be the primary challenge that the incoming BJP government will have to tackle as it starts off. The burning question on everyone’s lips is whether it will uphold the welfare initiatives pioneered by Naveen. This intrigue is fuelled by the hints dropped by various state BJP leaders,…

A NEW KING FOR KALINGA

NOW COMES THE HARD PART

IN November 2021, an emotional N. Chandrababu Naidu had made a dramatic walkout from the Andhra Pradesh assembly. Stung by abusive remarks against his wife Bhuvaneswari during a debate on women’s empowerment, a tearful Naidu vowed with folded hands not to return to the Sasana Sabha “unless as chief minister”. Nearly two and a half years later, the 74-year-old Telugu Desam Party (TDP) supremo has made good on that vow. Riding a potent anti-incumbency wave against the outgoing chief minister Y.S. Jagan Mohan Reddy’s Yuvajana Sramika Rythu Congress Party (YSRCP), Naidu has led the TDP to a resounding victory and will now hold the state’s reins for the fourth time. His party captured 135 assembly seats and swept all 16 Lok Sabha constituencies it contested, with its allies—actor Pawan Kalyan’s Jana Sena…

NOW COMES THE HARD PART

THE LAST OF KCR?

Chants of ‘Desh ka neta KCR’—the national leader KCR—had echoed in the Telangana Bhavan as K. Chandrashekar Rao announced the rechristening of his Telangana Rashtra Samithi (TRS) to Bharat Rashtra Samithi (BRS), and with it his intent to make a national foray. That was on October 5, 2022. Now, barely six months after its drubbing in the assembly polls, yielding power to the A. Revanth Reddy-led Congress in the state, the once formidable BRS has suffered another humiliating rout in the Lok Sabha polls. The party that had won nine of the state’s 17 parliamentary seats in 2019 failed to net even one seat, as its vote share plummeted to a dismal 16.7 per cent from 41.3 per cent in 2019. Conscious of the BRS’s declining fortunes post the state…

THE LAST OF KCR?

DR ANEEL KASHI MURARKA & THE ART OF GIVING GENEROUSLY

Dr. Murarka hails from a family of legends. His grandfather, Late Chiranjilal Murarka of Lachhmangarh of Sikardistrict, Rajasthan, was a Freedom Fighter and Philanthropist. His father Kashi Murarka made significant philanthropic contributions to society. Dr Murarka is upholding this legacy, focusing on achieving tangible outcomes, exploring and implementing innovative solutions to address the pressing issues facing our society and nation. His son Sidhaant is now actively engaged in social work and leads a dedicated team of young members at Ample Missiion. Under his leadership, numerous innovative social campaigns have been successfully initiated across India, with a particular focus on reaching out to economically disadvantaged youth. Ample Missiion, founded by Dr Murarka, is dedicated to fostering societal progress for a better India through collaborative endeavors. He spearheads adiverse array of social…

DR ANEEL KASHI MURARKA & THE ART OF GIVING GENEROUSLY

REVENGE OF THE TRIBALS

Did Jharkhand Mukti Morcha (JMM) leader and former Jharkhand chief minister Hemant Soren’s being in custody in an alleged land scam case result in sympathy voting for his party in the just-concluded Lok Sabha election? Yes and no. While the Bharatiya Janata Partyled National Democratic Alliance (NDA) won nine out of Jharkhand’s 14 Lok Sabha seats, it lost all five seats reserved for the Scheduled Tribes (STs) in the state, bringing its tally down by three from the 12 seats it had won in the previous election in 2019. The JMM and its allies have projected Hemant’s arrest by the Enforcement Directorate (ED) in January as an example of the anti-tribal stance of the ruling BJP at the Centre. On June 4, while the JMM picked three of the ST…

REVENGE OF THE TRIBALS

WIN SOME, LOSE SOME

In late April, amid the high-voltage campaigning leading up to the first phase of the Lok Sabha election in Karnataka on April 26, Chief Minister Siddaramaiah was thrilled to receive a unique souvenir from a law student in the state’s Arsikere region. Strung together into a garland were the ‘zero fare’ bus tickets she had collected since bus travel was made free for women in Karnataka by the Siddaramaiah government after taking office last year. The Congress’s welfare schemes have been a hit, especially among women, and it was this goodwill that the party was counting on for a double-digit haul in the Lok Sabha polls. The jury is still out on whether these welfare schemes paid off. The Congress’s vote share has risen significantly but the Karnataka result hasn’t…

WIN SOME, LOSE SOME

STALIN SECURES THE SOUTHERN CITADEL

Chief Minister M.K. Stalin’s rallying cry of ‘Naarpathum Namathe’ (All Forty are Ours) resounded loudly, enabling his Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam-led Secular Progressive Alliance (SPA) to sweep all 39 Lok Sabha constituencies in Tamil Nadu, along with the lone Puducherry seat. For the All India Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (AIADMK), hoping to reverse its fortunes after the 2019 setback—when it had won just one seat, down from 37 in 2014—this complete rout proved to be yet another disappointment. In the wake of the Bharatiya Janata Party’s push into the southern citadel, the contest was also seen as a clash between Hindutva and the Dravidian ideology. Denying the saffron party a toehold, the DMK chief came up trumps in that battle too. “It’s a massive, historic victory for our DMK-led alliance,” Stalin declared…

STALIN SECURES THE SOUTHERN CITADEL

SAFFRON TSUNAMI

IN the Lok Sabha election held in 1984, shortly after the assassination of party leader and then prime minister Indira Gandhi in October, the Congress won all 40 seats in united Madhya Pradesh. Four decades on, the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) seems to have returned the favour this summer, winning all of the state’s 29 seats, the number it was left after Chhattisgarh was carved out of it in 2000. The Congress didn’t manage to win any of the 27 seats it contested (Khajuraho was given to ally Samajwadi Party but the candidate’s nomination was rejected, while the Congress’s Indore candidate withdrew his nomination and defected to the BJP). MP—often called the laboratory of the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS), the “ideological fountainhead” of the BJP—has seen a gradual but consistent…

SAFFRON TSUNAMI

A BLIP CALLED BANASKANTHA

The BJP maintained its dominance in Gujarat on expected lines, albeit with a loss in one seat—Banaskantha—in north Gujarat. Not the ideal outcome for a party that strives for perfection in the prime minister and home minister’s home state, a script that had been unwavering in the past two elections, when the BJP won all 26 seats. Assured of that unassailability, the ruling party had set an even more ambitious target—to win each seat by 500,000 votes. Three seats answered to that call—Amit Shah in Gandhinagar, C.R. Paatil in Navsari and Vadodara, where a new candidate, Hemang Joshi, was contesting. Notably, Rajkot candidate Parshottam Rupala won by a margin of 484,260 votes, despite his comment about Rajput maharajas kicking off a right royal storm, with the Kshatriya community demanding his…

A BLIP CALLED BANASKANTHA

BJP RULES THE ROOST

To someone not from the state, the results of the past three Lok Sabha elections in Chhattisgarh would suggest a political placidity. The BJP won 10 of the 11 Lok Sabha seats in the state in 2014, lost one to the Congress in 2019 to reach a tally of nine (against the Congress’s two), and reclaimed it again this year for a score of 10, to the Congress’s one. The difference in vote share between the two principal challengers has also remained more or less the same in the past decade, around 10 per cent. For political observers on the ground though, the just-concluded election presents a nuanced design. Chhattisgarh was one of the three states where the BJP won assembly elections held in November last year. Despite that, the…

BJP RULES THE ROOST

THE CONGRESS RISES, AGAIN

*Rest others In the past 10 years, Prime Minister Narendra Modi has often talked about developing India’s northeast—a marginalised region that has lagged in terms of infrastructure and socio-economic progress. Blaming it on the political apathy of the previous governments at the Centre, the BJP stalwart never misses an opportunity to point out that he, as PM, has paid more visits to the northeast than the combined trips of all his predecessors. Yet, when Manipur remained engulfed in ethnic violence for more than a year, claiming the lives of more than 200 people and displacing 60,000, the PM did not pay a single visit to the strife-torn state, ruled by his own party. He even took more than two months to break his silence on the sensitive issue. In contrast,…

THE CONGRESS RISES, AGAIN

THE LOTUS BLOOMS

*The United Democratic Front includes three allies who won in four seats The last redoubt has fallen, the saffron charge has finally breached the Kerala fortress. The BJP has opened its Lok Sabha account in Thrissur, and it took an ageing Mollywood superstar to do it. Suresh Gopi, 65, the hero of umpteen action thrillers, hit the political box office jackpot in his fourth attempt here (assembly and Lok Sabha), winning by 74,686 votes against two formidable rivals, V.S. Sunilkumar of the Communist Party of India (CPI) and ex-Congress MP K. Muraleedharan, son of the late chief minister, K. Karunakaran. It was the split in party votes that did in the Congress in their central Kerala bastion. Gopi, talking to india today, sounded overwhelmed, but not so much that he…

THE LOTUS BLOOMS

CAUGHT IN A QUAGMIRE

For the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP), embattled as it is with its convenor Arvind Kejriwal back in jail, the news from Punjab would have been of little solace. In a virtual mid-term referendum on the Bhagwant Mann regime’s performance, the party managed to win just three of the 13 Lok Sabha seats in the border state, its vote share plummeting to 26.3 per cent from the 42 per cent it had cornered in the assembly election just over two years ago. The AAP, in a seat-sharing agreement with the Congress elsewhere, decided to go solo in Punjab. And it was Mann who took it upon himself to lead the party’s campaign, holding 122 public rallies and roadshows over 25 days besides travelling to Delhi and other states to canvass for…

CAUGHT IN A QUAGMIRE

HOODA IS BACK IN THE GAME

IN a wake-up call for the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), coming just months ahead of the assembly election in Haryana, its Lok Sabha tally in the state has dropped from a perfect 10 to just five. And, what’s more, the saffron party’s vote share has plummeted to 46.1 per cent from the 58 per cent it cornered in 2019, also falling short of the combined numbers of the Congress and the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP)—47.6 per cent—who took on the saffron juggernaut as part of the Indian National Developmental Inclusive Alliance (INDIA). Much of the credit for the Congress’s resurgence and the ruling BJP’s plight goes to former chief minister Bhupinder Singh Hooda, who has also consolidated his position as a pre-eminent Jat leader in the state. Through deft political manoeuvring,…

HOODA IS BACK IN THE GAME

Your Career Goldmine

Search for Colleges, Courses, Exams, Jobs in Demand & more COLLEGE & RANK PREDICTOR >>> JEE Main College Predictor >>> NEET College Predictor >>> JEE Main Rank Predictor Website: https://bestcolleges.indiatoday.in/ INSTITUTE RANKINGS 2,000-plus colleges in 14 major streams, and 160 universities in over 4 streams ↘ Arts ↘ Science ↘ Commerce ↘ Medical ↘ Dental Sciences ↘ Engineering ↘ Architecture ↘ Law ↘ Mass Comm. ↘ Hotel Mgmt ↘ BBA ↘ BCA ↘ Social Work ↘ Fashion COLLEGE VS COLLEGE Find a suitable college on the basis of… ↘ 6-year results (2018-2023) ↘ National rankings ↘ By state ↘ By city ↘ Government vs private ↘ Best emerging colleges BONUS THE JOBS IN DEMAND… Positions available, salary information IMPORTANT EXAMS… JEE, NEET, CUET, LSAT, BITSAT, etc KEY PARAMETERS College performance rated…

Your Career Goldmine

THE LUXE FACTOR

The Indian passenger car market continues to show strong growth and, despite the blip caused by Covid-19, disruptions in the global supply chains and the semiconductor shortages, is back on a steady growth curve. The surge may not be as strong as the previous couple of years which saw the market scrambling to keep up with pent-up demand but it has been consistent. This is despite the added costs from emission norms and safety requirements. At over eight per cent growth in 2023, auto sector growth was among the highest in what is now the third biggest market in the world. Perhaps this was only to be expected as car penetration in our country is amongst the lowest in the world (India is ranked closer to 200th than to 100th…

THE LUXE FACTOR

A HERO’S JOURNEY

The year 2024 holds a special place in Hero MotoCorp’s illustrious journey. It marks the 40th anniversary of the indigenous two-wheeler brand as well as the centennial year of Hero MotoCorp’s Founder & Chairman Emeritus, Dr. Brijmohan Lall Munjal. Furthermore, the company held the second edition of the Hero World at the company’s state-of-the-art research and development hub, the Centre for Innovation and Technology (CIT), located in the pink city of Jaipur, India. The one-of-a-kind event served as a platform to unveil the brand’s promising future roadmap. The latest production-ready vehicles in ICE segment, customer-centric solutions, technological innovations, electrification and sustainability took centre stage and opened the door for a number of exciting announcements. The first step of this journey was the launch of the Hero Xtreme 125R. As the…

A HERO’S JOURNEY

Engine 1.2-litre petrol Power 82 bhp Price `6.5-9.7 lakh (ex-showroom) MARUTI SUZUKI SWIFT The fourth-gen version of one of India’s most popular hatchbacks has gone on sale with prices starting from Rs 6.5 lakh (ex-showroom). Beneath the evolutionary design that makes it instantly recognisable as a Swift, the big change is the introduction of a new 1.2-litre 3-cylinder petrol engine offered with a 5-speed manual and a 5-speed AMT. Six airbags offered as standard ensure improved safety. MERCEDES-AMG S63 The Mercedes-AMG S63 E Performance is based on the S-Class platform. Playing a starring role is the 4.0-litre turbo-charged V8 petrol hybrid powertrain with a combined output of 802 bhp and 1,430 Nm! Mated to a 9-speed multi-clutch transmission and 4MATIC+ all-wheel drive, the AMG S63 goes from 0 to 100…

THROTTLE BATTLES

Engine 249 cc Power 24.5 bhp Price `1.51 lakh (ex-showroom) PULSAR N250 The Bajaj Pulsar N250 comes with new 37mm upside-down fork finished in a golden colour, a traction control system along and three ABS modes—Road, Rain and Offroad. There’s also a new fully-digital LCD screen which now supports Bluetooth connectivity and turn-by-turn navigation through the Bajaj Ride Connect app. The updated Pulsar N250 gets wider tyres and also comes in three new colours with updated graphics. Engine Electric motor Power 5.8 bhp Price `1.1 lakh (ex-showroom) ATHER RIZTA Ather Energy’s Rizta has a starting price of Rs 1.1 lakh (ex-showroom). The ‘family scooter’ comes in two models, Rizta S and Rizta Z. The former comes with a 2.9 kWh battery pack (range: 123 km), while the latter has a…

THROTTLE BATTLES

LOCKED AND LOADED

Mahindra XUV 3XO AX7 L Engine: 1.2-litre turbo petrol Power: 131bhp@5,000rpm Torque: 230Nm@1,500rpm Gearbox: 6-speed AT Wheelbase (mm): 2,600 Price: `15.49 lakh(ex-showroom) The Mahindra XUV 3XO gets a properly modern design well suited to the needs of the day. The front end comes with big light panels which incorporate C-type LED DRLs that give it an aggressive look. The blacked-out grille section also looks cool and a closer view reveals small elements on it which add to the character of the SUV. The front end also comes with cameras and sensors all around as it now gets features like Level 2 ADAS and even blind spot cameras. In profile, the silhouette of the erstwhile 300 remains. However, there is a generous dollop of cladding added. Wheels now are 17-inch units…

LOCKED AND LOADED

Maruti Suzuki Swift Engine:1.2-litre petrol Power: 82bhp@5,700rpm Torque: 112Nm@4,300rpm Gearbox: 5-speed MT/AMT Price: `9.00/9.50 lakh (ex-showroom) This new fourth generation model is still distinctly identifiable as a Swift. The front end is the most distinctive part with the sinewy flares of the fenders, a clamshell-like design for the bonnet and the headlamps that house LED projectors and boomerang DRLs. It gets 15-inch alloy wheels on the top-spec variant that look pretty cool, as do the smoked LED taillamps. Inside, Maruti Suzuki has used contrasting textures like the silver inserts on the dashboard and the door panels that add to the premium perception. There’s a 9-inch SmartPlay infotainment, the Arkamys audio system, and even wireless charging. The infotainment comes with wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto connectivity. The steering wheel is…

Engine: 124.7cc single cylinder Power: 11.4bhp@8,250rpm Torque: 10.5Nm@6,500rpm Gearbox: 5-speed Kerb weight: 136kg Price: `95,000 (ex-showroom) Hero MotoCorp recently added a new member to its family, and before you make any assumptions, no, we aren’t talking about the Mavrick 440. It is the ‘other’ new motorcycle to come from the home-grown manufacturer’s stable—the Xtreme 125R. It is now the smallest member of the Xtreme family. So, where does the 125R fit into the mix? At first glance, the Xtreme 125R looks quite radical. Take for example the front projector LED headlamps, indicators and that funky headlamp cowl design. The tank extensions, alloy wheel design and extended rear section look rather sleek and sporty. Even subtle nuances like the reflector on the tyre hugger mudguard and well-integrated sari guard really blend…

GET SET, UPGRADE

HYUNDAI TUCSON The Tucson is Hyundai’s bestseller in North America and making its debut at the recent New York auto show was the car’s new, updated model. There have been limited changes made to the car’s exterior—a slightly revised front section sports rejigged LED DRLs, along with a redesigned grille and bumper. The dashboard has got a new dual-screen setup, housing the digital instrument cluster and infotainment screen, both measuring 12.3 inches. The steering wheel has been updated as well, ditching the old Hyundai logo for a strip with four dots that reads ‘H’ in Morse code. A column-mounted gear selector frees up space in the centre console. The Tucson is available in petrol, hybrid and plug-in hybrid powertrains. NISSAN KICKS The entry-level, second-generation SUV gets a completely new design…

GET SET, UPGRADE

‘SAFE & SECURE’

SANTOSH IYER MD & CEO, Mercedes-Benz India The ‘Mercedes me’ application is the stepping stone to the connected world of Mercedes-Benz and is extremely popular amongst our customers, with more than 80,000 connected cars. Customers love connected features like geo-fencing, advanced navigation, vehicle stats-check, location, car to X communications and a host of other features like pre-climatised cabin, remote start-stop, remote lock-unlock and also setting up service appointments. Through regular over-the-air (OTA) updates, our vehicles easily cater to customers’ ever-changing preferences and desires. Mercedes-Benz pioneered ADAS [advanced driver assistance systems] features in India and we are glad to see them widely adopted now, enhancing customer safety and convenience. In addition to ADAS features, for the first time in India, Mercedes-Benz offered Level 2 Autonomous Driving with ‘evasive steering assist’ and…

‘SAFE & SECURE’

THE GLOBAL STANDARD

World Car of the Year 809 Kia EV9 804 Volvo EX30 774 BYD Seal World Electric Vehicle# 804 Kia EV9 789 Volvo EX30 752 BMW i5 Kia EV9won double titles at the 2024 World Car Awards, winning the World Car of the Year title and the World Electric Vehicle title. This takes Kia’s award tally to five in the World Car Awards’ 20-year-old history. Last year, the Kia EV6 GT won the World Performance Car title. In 2020, Kia won the World Car of the Year title for the Telluride and the World Urban Car title for the Soul EV. “This triumph is a testament to our unwavering commitment to pushing the boundaries of technology and design excellence. The Kia EV9’s continued success will drive us to keep delivering exceptional vehicles…

THE GLOBAL STANDARD

Melodic Maestro

Q. You sang ‘Doubtwa’ in Laapataa Ladies. Tell us about your experience of being a part of the song. ‘Doubtwa’ is my kind of song because it has a good melody with chatpata lyrics. I must thank composer Ram Sampath for giving me the opportunity to sing it. It’s an important piece that takes the narrative forward. Q. What was it like getting back to romantic tracks with Gabru Gang’s ‘Mujhe Ishq Hua’? In the past few years, I have largely sung motivational title tracks in films like Singham, Tiger Zinda Hai, Dabangg, and Dabangg 2. I was aching to be a part of romantic and club songs with good lyrics; thus, I reached out to new-age music directors who are masters of their craft. That’s how ‘Mujhe Ishq Hua’…

Melodic Maestro

LETTER FROM THE EDITOR-IN-CHIEF

STORY TELLING IS AN ESSENTIAL ELEMENT OF A GREAT design; it piques interest, adds another dimension, and inspires a compelling narrative. That is precisely what a meteorite dial delivers: literally something out of this world. Meteorites are rare, accounting for their value at auction houses and their choice as a new precious component for watch designers. Of the three main categories of meteorite, stony, iron and stony-iron, it is the iron type (an iron-nickel alloy) that is most preferred for watch dials because of its density, strength and the characteristic Widmanstatten pattern, which features geometric striations resembling a vintage textile design. Swiss watchmaker Omega’s recently launched Constellation Meteorite collection, features dials in gold, grey, ice-blue and lilac that reveal natural Widmanstatten patterns. On the other hand, Hermès’ Arceau L’heure de…

LETTER FROM THE EDITOR-IN-CHIEF

An anniversary is usually the choice of occasion that any brand uses to showcase the finest of its provenance and trace the trajectory of its future. The year 2024 marks the 20th anniversary of the first Grand Seiko watch powered by the 9R Spring Drive movement series, which powers all Grand Seiko Spring Drive watches. In celebration of this milestone year, Seiko has launched a new Spring Drive Chronograph GMT, inspired by the Hotaka mountain ranges in the Shinshu region of central Japan. The mountainous landscape in summer proved the perfect muse for the new colour-changing dial that evocatively captures the shifting hues of a Shinshu sunrise against the backdrop of the Hotaka landscape at dawn, transforming from pink to orange as the early morning journeys through the day. The…

Keeping it Simple

Disha Patani knows a thing or two about survival. The Bareilly girl started her Bollywood journey with a bang landing a supporting part in MS Dhoni: The Untold Story (2016). It wasn’t long before the tall, lean actress caught attention. Since then, she has seen her share of highs (Baaghi 2, Malang) and lows (Radhe, Ek Villain Returns, Yodha). 2024 may just shape up as the year she wanted all along. Later this month, Patani scores the biggest win of her career with the release of the sci-fi action drama Kalki 2898 AD, starring Amitabh Bachchan, Prabhas and Deepika Padukone. Her Tamil-language debut film, Kanguva, with Surya is slated for release later this year. “Highs and lows are pretty common in the profession I belong to, but I think the…

Keeping it Simple

PLAYING WITH FIRE

Watching Grant Garmezy mould a beautiful fish out of molten glass reminded me of the words of famous science fiction writer Arthur C. Clarke, that any sufficiently advanced technology is indistinguishable from magic. Garmezy’s finished products, which often integrate glass into performances is a dance between alchemy and art. “Glass is so interesting because you can’t touch it. It’s 1200 degree Celsius. That’s really hot. We use special tools, timing and gravity to manipulate the material, which is constantly moving while hot. But I can sculpt it to look like anything---stone, fur, bone, ice, water, fire. There is no other material in the world that offers such optics. I have been playing with it for 20 years and have loved every minute of it,” says Garmezy an acclaimed glass sculptor…

PLAYING WITH FIRE

If fashion is religion, then the Met Gala is surely your Mecca. Held on the first Monday of May, fashion’s biggest night sees celebrities, designers and stylists all wowing for attention on the red carpet. Officially, it is the Metropolitan Museum of Art Costume Institute benefit, a black-tie extravaganza meant to raise money for the museum’s fashion wing. But unofficially, it is the party of the year—the ultimate celebrity power cocktail of famous names from fashion, film, politics, tech, sports and social media. Entry is by invitation only and this year around 400 lucky people were the chosen ones. However, it is not just about the price, which was US$75,000 per person this year with brands purchasing tables for US$350,000, but more to do with achievement and news worthiness. So,…

Men and their BAGGAGE

Men today are not entirely uncomplicated. While our ancestors could roam the earth with no more than a sickle by their side—and Douglas Adams said that a towel was the go-to travel accessory for everyone saddling around the universe—today we all have our little parcels of knick-knacks that we desperately need to bring with us everywhere we go. I remember taking a flight about two decades ago and almost never having anything by way of hand luggage, maybe a book. Today, I need separate trays for my electronics, my hand creams and sunscreens, and other paraphernalia that make up the compilation also known as the insides of my bag. So what kind of bag is the best to carry? Are there brands one must consider first? Is there a flaunt-to-functionality…

Men and their BAGGAGE

BUYING A VINTAGE watch is exciting—not only because of the old-school design but the history it has witnessed. Imagine, then, how inspiring it would be to glance at your wrist and see a fragment from a heavenly body that’s billions of years old and, just as incredibly, has travelled from outer space. That’s what meteorite dials deliver. Most meteorites were formed early in the history of the solar system—about 4.5 billion years ago. Made up of rock and metal debris, these solid masses that crash to Earth are the result of asteroid collision in the belt between Mars and Jupiter, or are fragments of Mars or the Moon. As one of these objects enters the Earth’s atmosphere it heats up, because of friction, pressure and interaction with atmospheric gases, and…

Redefining Adornment

Geneva in May is a flurry of activity as passionate purveyors of beauty—buyers of watches, jewellery, precious stones, and natural pearls—descend on this picturesque city. Industry sources estimate that Geneva carves out a global market share of approximately 30 per cent in luxury watches and jewellery. Beyond the million-dollar sales figures achieved for established brands, since 2018 an international gem and jewellery show in Geneva, aptly titled GemGenève, has served as an incubator for emerging talent and new designers specialising in contemporary jewellery. Select designers featured in past editions have, in fact, sold their creations at special exhibitions organised by auctions houses such as Sotheby’s. Discover contemporary jewellery masterpieces from the eighth edition of GemGenève. Sugar High A.win Siu’s pop art jewels from her ‘Something Sweet’ collection will definitely…

Redefining Adornment

ADVENTURES IN MOROCCO

Morocco simmers, stews, and sizzles, in imagination, literature, and reel much as it does on the magical streets of its charming cities. With its epic landscapes and ancient mystique, it makes for prime road trip territory. This is where our journey unfolded; an experience that transcended mere travel to venture into the realm of the unforgettable. The idea: to odyssey through the vibrant landscapes and cultural tapestry of this ancient land in the Mercedes-Benz GLS. With the vehicles working not just as transport but as companions in a voyage of discovery and indulgence, we began our journey at Marrakesh with a grand welcome at Hotel La Mamounia. As the sun began its descent over the enchanting city of Marrakesh, the legendary La Mamounia unveiled her grandeur and elegance in true…

ADVENTURES IN MOROCCO

Ageing Gracefully

Bukhara at the ITC Maurya is a culinary conundrum. Here is a restaurant that has not only survived but thrived for well over four decades. In a food landscape where establishments open and shut with alarming frequency, this is certainly cause for celebration. But what’s the secret sauce that keeps the fires at Bukhara burning? The closest analogy I can think of is—Rolex. Hear me out. The luxury watchmaker is known for being allergic to trends, which are ephemeral at best, and tweaks its products at a pace that can be best described as glacial. The same approach has served Bukhara well. In fact, it does not tweak anything at all. The motto seems to be: “If it ain’t broke, don’t fix it”. And that’s why loyal patrons keep going…

Ageing Gracefully

This Party’s Getting Started

There is much to say in favour of festivals. They frequently act as the great equaliser, as people from all walks of life congregate to celebrate the history, traditions and culture of a place. Not infrequently, I plan a journey to a distant land around a festival time, if only to be transported off the straight-and-narrow, into a world that deviates from the routine of the everyday and invites new ways of being. The talent and passion on display at the festivals listed here, is a reminder that an enthusiastic youthful spirit can be awakened in us all. Bayreuth, Germany, Musical Chairs—July 24 to August 28 Each year, the Richard Wagner Opera Festival unfolds in Bayreuth. This hugely popular event, a dominant feature of Bayreuth’s cultural calendar, has been a…

This Party’s Getting Started

Does Size Matter?

At London’s iconic Battersea Power Station, now home to Apple’s gargantuan UK headquarters, global media and tech creator royalty gather to hear Tim Cook’s signature keynote address. While Apple’s on-ground events usually occur at their Cupertino home base, the choice of conducting this mega launch at their London headquarters is interesting. Be that as it may, in the cavernous interiors of the Battersea Power Station, I get my hands on the newly released iPad Air and Pro models, along with their ancillary accessories. For context, I am a heavy iPad Air (5th generation) user, and excessively dependent on the Apple Pencil too (more on that later). When coupled with the Magic Keyboard, the lines between working on an iPad Air and a MacBook are significantly blurred, the former offering more…

Does Size Matter?

Mistress of Spices

Gourmet dining is a transformational experience. It’s not just about taste and textures, and fuss and flavours, but recreating a sense of time and space. That’s precisely why a restaurant like The Spice Route makes it to iconic status. However, the problem with icons is that it’s tough to best, and nigh impossible to institute change. It makes purists pout, disappoints fans and you run the risk of overreaching. So when The Spice Route unveiled an all-new menu, it did raise some eyebrows, especially since this for the first time in 27 years that the Imperial has endeavoured any kind of revamp. The genius of the redo, however, has mercifully retained the spectacle of its architectural and design masterpieces that had always lent it that edge. The familiar charm of…

Mistress of Spices

BREAKFAST (AND MORE) ATTIFFANY’S

Tiffany & Co. has redefined the experience of the iconic film Breakfast at Tiffany’s by offering an elegant morning meal inspired by Holly Golightly, the lead character played by the legendary Audrey Hepburn. The chic setting at The Blue Box Café, (Middle East’s first) ensures that today’s Golightlys have an array of delectable options to savour, and not just nostalgia to revel in. Right on cue, the windows are dressed up in gorgeous jewellery, which is the brand’s signature, while the elegant interiors simulate the experience of dining inside one of Tiffany’s iconic blue boxes as if a Tiffany’s-adoring genie, with a penchant for sharp angles over soft curves, had orchestrated the setting. Young diners who may have missed watching ‘Breakfast at Tiffany’s are more likely to know Audrey Hepburn…

BREAKFAST (AND MORE) ATTIFFANY’S

A Tale of Two Whiskies

There’s never a dull moment in the Indian alco-bev scene. Something’s always brewing. Two recent launches are testimony to the ethos of innovation and craftsmanship that drives the creation of whisky, which remains the top-selling spirit in India. Single, Ready to Mingle April saw the understated launch of the McDowell’s & Co Distiller’s Batch Indian Single Malt in Gurgaon in the presence of Ruchira Jaitly, CMO and Vikram Damodaran, Chief Innovation Officer, Diageo India. The launch was ground-breaking for several reasons. India’s beloved blended whisky brand has waded into the single-malt space (truth be told, they did launch a single malt in the 1990s as well, but that’s well before Diageo came into the picture). Front and centre in the storytelling is the manufacturing location. The spirit has been crafted…

A Tale of Two Whiskies

The German Swiss Knife

What happens when you blend an eight-cylinder powerhouse with a plug-in hybrid system, all wrapped up in a three-tonne sports utility vehicle? You get the BMW XM, a marvel of modern engineering. The 2023 BMW XM is one of the most sophisticated automobiles ever created. This 644-horsepower plug-in hybrid SUV can glide silently through city traffic or unleash its full power on the open road with equal ease. As the first electrified vehicle from BMW’s M performance division, the XM stands out not just for its impressive specs but also for its sheer versatility. The first thing you notice about the XM is its size. It’s just massive. The width of its cabin is more than the entire Mercedes S Class. Then there is the design. With its aggressive bulges,…

The German Swiss Knife

Aviator watches are attention grabbers; there’s scarcely a second opinion on that. But the pilot watches from Breguet are also carriers of their history and symbols of their performance. The marque has recently launched a new generation of the Type XX pilot’s watches, which the brand is now presenting in a new stainless steel bracelet, offering versatility and sleek lines. This three-link bracelet features mainly satin brushed finishes, which are secured to the wrist by a triple folding clasp with security push-pieces that are comfortable to wear, and perfectly lightweight. Additionally, the new metal bracelet adds a subtle hint of contemporary to a popular classic design, without diluting its time-honoured aesthetic. The Type XX flyback chronograph in steel comes with a selfwinding movement with date and subdial for the seconds,…

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