As we grow older and settle comfortably into the respectable category of septuagenarians, do we gradually withdraw from the messier troubles of the real world? Do we, cocooned in the comparative safety and warmth of a reasonably comfortable retired life, begin to lose interest in anything that does not directly intrude upon our dinners, digestion,…
A friend of mine working in food industry has recently been assigned a strategy and planning team role in a higher office. This is a shift from his current leadership (and importantly, more visible) profile, though in a lower office. While he was still mulling over the reassignment, and fighting the dilemma of joining or…
It must be said to the credit of President Donald Trump that he is a pastmaster in making somersaults. He does so because it becomes necessary when he gets entangled through his own miscalculations and misadventures. He then resorts to self-delusional bombast though the world is not bamboozled and can see through his facade. It’s…
For years, most of us have been taught to think about heart health in silos. Cholesterol here, blood pressure there, and maybe a statin if things crossed some magic number. But the body doesn’t work that way. Your heart is not independent of your kidneys, your metabolism, your weight, or your blood sugar. They are…
The recent escalation of conflict in the Middle East – a region that supplies a significant portion of India’s crude oil – has reintroduced the menace of energy insecurity. For a country that imports over 85% of its crude oil, the Strait of Hormuz is not just a geopolitical chokepoint; it is a lifeline. Against…
The resilience of the financial sector is essential for maintaining growth and inflation dynamics, but recent rises in collateral risks due to ongoing geopolitical risks threaten its stability. As a key player in the economy, the banking sector faces major challenges from interconnected geopolitical risks. The banking sector and the economy are mutually supporting and…
When West Asia goes on a boil, the Israel Palestine conflict and “warring” becomes the order of the day as one can trace out the exchange of missiles and dreaded drone attacks to the twin arch antagonists of the order of Israel and the non state actors which surround Tel Aviv to surmount the Jew…
I may need care. There is nothing embarrassing about it. There are waiting rooms. And then there are the kind that stay with you, long after you have left. A dental hospital. Sharp with antiseptic. The faint smell of clove oil hanging in the air. Machines humming in the background. It is hardly where you…
Think of the Indian Army — what comes to mind? Large battalions of soldiers walking in unison, guns slung over their shoulders? Tanks and cannons? Long convoys of defence vehicles? You are not wrong. This is what most armies look like, and India is no exception. In fact, we have one of the biggest armies…
As the latest Gulf war heads into its fifth week, President Trump’s 15-point proposal for a negotiated settlement has run smack into Iran’s 5-point response. While Iran’s nuclear and missile programmes and its proclivity to use armed proxies for pursuing its strategic perspectives remain the perennial sources of discord, much of the focus during this…