A Star Banker and a Scandal That Shook India’s Banking Sector Chanda Kochhar was once hailed as a trailblazer in Indian finance—a symbol of merit, ambition, and women’s leadership in corporate India. As CEO and Managing Director of ICICI Bank, the country’s second-largest private lender, Kochhar wielded significant influence over India’s banking landscape. However, that…
Sanctions, Strategy, and a Risky Trade Since Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022, the United States has warned the world of severe consequences for aiding Moscow’s war effort. A critical part of this deterrence campaign involves sanctions targeting entities supplying military-grade materials to Russia. Despite this, a startling revelation has emerged: an Indian company shipped $1.4 million…
The SIR Controversy That Rocked the Monsoon Session India’s democratic institutions are once again under intense scrutiny as tensions boil over in Parliament over the Election Commission’s Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls in Bihar. The revision—aimed at updating the voter list ahead of the upcoming state elections—has been sharply criticised by opposition parties, who…
A Historic Bond Finds New Strength India and the United Kingdom share centuries of entwined history — a relationship marked by colonial legacy, post-independence diplomacy, and modern economic collaboration. In recent years, both nations have sought to recast their bilateral engagement as one based on equality, innovation, and strategic convergence. Central to this evolution has been the…
From Billionaire Tycoon to Regulatory Target Anil Ambani, once counted among the world’s richest men, is now at the center of a sprawling investigation by India’s Enforcement Directorate (ED). Chairman of the Reliance Anil Dhirubhai Ambani Group (ADAG), his empire once spanned telecommunications, infrastructure, power, financial services, and media. Carving his own path after the 2005 split of the Reliance empire with…
The Incident: A Diplomatic Illusion in a Delhi Suburb In a case that sounds like it’s straight out of a thriller, a man from Ghaziabad, Uttar Pradesh, was arrested for running a fake embassy for over seven years under the guise of representing a so-called “micronation” named Westarctica. The accused, Harshvardhan Jain, turned an upscale…
SIR: A Routine Revision or a Political Flashpoint? The Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of the voter list, a standard exercise by the Election Commission of India (ECI) to clean and update electoral rolls, has triggered political ripples in Bihar. Designed to ensure that only eligible voters are listed, SIR often becomes a contentious issue—particularly in…
Understanding FEMA The Foreign Exchange Management Act (FEMA), 1999, governs foreign exchange dealings in India, ensuring that external trade and payments align with national financial policies. It is particularly significant for sectors attracting Foreign Direct Investment (FDI), such as e-commerce, which must comply with specific norms governing ownership, control, and operations. How Myntra Operates Myntra, a…
From Confrontation to Cautious Engagement India and China, two of Asia’s most powerful neighbours, have experienced a turbulent relationship marked by deep-rooted border tensions and geopolitical rivalry. Relations reached a boiling point after the Galwan Valley clash in June 2020, which led to a prolonged freeze in diplomatic and people-to-people exchanges. Now, five years later,…
A Diplomatic Balancing Act: Why These Visits Matter India’s growing influence on the global stage is being strategically consolidated with Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s two-nation visit to the United Kingdom and Maldives from July 23 to 26. The tour reflects New Delhi’s commitment to nurturing vital bilateral relationships—one with a major global power undergoing geopolitical…
