Globalindianstories

   “ When my programme came on air, there were n’t any Indian cuisine shows, it was an immediate megahit, ” Madhur Jaffrey told the BBC, talking about her ground breaking cuisine programme that premiered in the United Kingdom 40 times agone    The Padma Bhushan 2022 honoree grew up in Delhi and left for London in her 20s to study at The Royal Academy of Dramatic Art. She came an actress and latterly, turned to writing cuisine books and presenting cuisine shows. Little did she know that this career transition would turn out to be a significant step towards introducing India’s soft power to the western world. Her debut cookbook, an Assignation to Indian cuisine( 1973) introduced Indian food to western semicircle for the first time. It was latterly instated into the James Beard Foundation’s Cookbook Hall of Fame in 2006.    When she was hired by BBC to present her cuisine show – Madhur Jaffrey’ s Indian cuisine, it was meant to be an educational p...

Growing up, The Jetsons was one of my favourite cartoons. I was fascinated by the visionary widgets on the show – especially their flying buses . And relatively lately, I had an occasion to interact with a scientist who's actually working on the conception of a ‘ flying vehicle ’ that can be used by individualities for their diurnal commute, easing road transportation across the globe. Dr. Kaushik Rajashekara , one of the world’s commanding experts in the field of transport technologies, is working on several futuristic systems that hold the eventuality to change the world and the way we travel. The philanthropist of the Global Energy Prize 2022 – the loftiest award in the field of energy –Dr. Rajashekara was one of the first masterminds to work on conceptualising and also erecting an electronic vehicle, far before the technology came extensively known.    “ When I entered thee-mail about my selection, I couldn't believe it for a moment. This award shows the significance o...

  When Melbourne-based Veena Nair got a call from Australian Minister for Industry and Science, Ed Husic, she thought it was probably a scam. So much so that when she decided to call back thinking that he wanted to comment on one of her LinkedIn posts, she was taken by surprise when informed that she had won the 2022 Prime Minister’s Prize for Science. Just to be assured, the Indian-origin mustered the courage to ask, “Are you sure?” And sure, she is. The head of technology at Melbourne’s Viewbank College, Veena has been awarded for demonstrating the practical application of STEAM to students, and how they can use their skills to make a real impact in the world. “To be recognised in the Prime Minister’s prizes for science, I am deeply humbled. I am very grateful to my school, to my colleagues, to my students, and my family,” Nair said in a video message, adding, “Many people know about STEM — science, technology, engineering, and maths, but STEAM is with an A, which is for Art. A...

  “When I was leaving India, I knew I would do something for Manipur one day. I just didn’t know what and when.” Dr Shachi Gurumayum ’s determination only grew over the years and in 2017, he started the MaolKeki Foundation. Named after his grandparents, the foundation works to uplift people in Manipur through social initiatives in agriculture, education and healthcare. In 2021, his efforts earned him the Pravasi Bharatiya Samman.    Shachi Gurumayum during a field visit in Manipur Born and raised in Manipur, S h achi is the founder and director of Switzerland-based Agri M ayum ,   which stands for ‘House of Agriculture’. He also advises  the World Benchmarking Alliance  ( Amsterdam ), LadyAgri (Brussels) and is part of the Board of Sahel Consulting (Lagos).   Giving back   “I believe that if you are blessed, you share your blessings,” Shachi tells  Global Indian  connecting from Switzerland. Growing up in Manipur, the son of an engineer father an...

    On June 19 this year, when one of the engines of the Delhi-bound Boeing 737 SpiceJet aircraft caught fire mid-air, moments after take-off from Patna airport, the top most priority before Captain Monicaa Khanna, the Pilot-in-Command of the aircraft, was the safety of passengers. After all, there were 185 passengers on board and their lives depended entirely on Captain Monicaa and her moves. The situation was grave and one wrong move could up in a disaster of enormous proportions.  But Monicaa kept her cool and so did the first officer Balpreet Singh Bhatia. She swiftly took the well-thought-out call of switching off the affected engine, followed all SOPs and made an emergency landing at Patna airport saving all lives on board. Captain Monicaa Khanna “Duty comes first in such challenging times. My job demands situation awareness and spontaneity,” smiles Captain Monicaa Khanna, speaking exclusively to  Global Indian .  Her wit and bravery not only earned her ac...

  Australians still remember the Black Summer bushfires of 2019 that destroyed 24 million hectares across the country, including New South Wales. At a time when the government and locals came together to help, a non-profit, Turbans 4 Australia, spearheaded by an Indian-origin Sikh, was among those who jumped into action to deliver food, water and groceries to New South Wales’ South Coast throughout the bushfire season. For an organisation that was launched just four years prior, founder Amar Singh did everything possible to serve the locals in their darkest time. “From 2015 to 2019, it was a slow start for Turbans 4 Australia as I was busy running my business simultaneously. However, it was after the 2019 bushfires that Turbans 4 Australia really took off, and we haven’t stopped since then,” says Singh, whose nonprofit has supported the community during floods, bushfires and the pandemic. His untiring work for the people of the country helped him win  NSW Australian of The Yea...

  Introduction Dr Siddhartha Mukherjee is a cancer physician and researcher. He is also the Pulitzer Prize-winning author of ‘The Emperor of All Maladies: A Biography of Cancer’. In this book, he gives an intimate and sweeping account of cancer: its first documented appearances thousands of years ago; the groundbreaking discoveries of early scientists; and the fierce battles against it waged by millions of patients and doctors over the past century. Cancer cells have a unique way of communicating with each other. They sing. Dr Mukherjee is looking at new ways to treat cancer by targeting these songs. A brilliant start In 2010, Dr Siddhartha Mukherjee published The Emperor of All Maladies: A Biography of Cancer, which won the Pulitzer Prize. The book traced the history of our understanding of cancer, from its earliest origins in human civilization to the latest developments in treatment. Now, Mukherjee is turning his attention to the future of cancer treatment. In a recent int...

They are stylish, sassy, funny and witty — meet the Indian influencers who have taken over social media and how. This social media brigade is presenting a slice of India to the world, one post at a time, and is loved by its army of followers. Every post, reel or story is smothered with thousands of likes and comments in no time. Welcome to the world of Instagram and influencers. In a world where millennials are literally living and breathing on the digital platforms, there are a handful of content creators who are putting Brand India on the global map with their creatives. If some are brushing shoulders with the likes of Michelle Obama, others are strutting the red carpets of the biggest international events. Here are five Indian influencers who are living it up on social media and making a difference. Masoom Minawala Masoom Minawala With 1.3 million followers on Instagram, Antwerp-based fashion influencer and entrepreneur Masoom Minawala is a woman on a mission — to make Indian fashio...

  Two weeks after   Ajit Mohan ‘s resignation from Meta caused a stir in business circles, the social media giant appointed Sandya Devanathan as the Vice President of its India operations. “Sandhya has a proven track record of scaling businesses, building exceptional and inclusive teams, driving product innovation and building strong partnerships,” Meta’s Chief Business Officer Marne Levine said, commenting on the appointment. Who is Sandhya Devanathan Devanathan graduated with a BTech degree from the Andhra University College of Engineering, Vishakhapatnam, in 1998, completed her MBA at the Faculty of Management Studies and attended a course in leadership from Said Business School, Oxford University. She began her career in 2000, as Webmaster & Product Manager, Citibank Online, e-Business. Sandhya Devanathan , Vice President, Meta India With an international career spanning over two decades, Sandhya Devanathan doesn’t come with the usual set of tech credentials. Instead,...