Author: Samay Lund

Atmanirbhar Bharat: Makers of Indian Defence

KV Prasad Jun 13, 2022, 06:35 AM IST (Published)

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Atmanirbhar Bharat, a clarion call given by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, seeks to put India on a path of self-reliance and self-sufficiency, making India a bigger and more important part of the global economy by pursuing policies that are efficient, competitive, and resilient, as well as being self-sustaining and self-generating.

Numerous government decisions have been taken as a part of this campaign, such as changing the definition of MSMEs, boosting scope for private participation in numerous sectors, increasing FDI in the defence sector.

The government also targets a $26-billion defence industry in India and at least $5-billion defence exports, both by 2025, and as a boost to achieve this target, has approved the export of the indigenous Akash air defence missile system to friendly foreign countries.

India, which was hitherto among the top importers of arms, has in 2020 entered the list of top 20 exporters of defence equipment in the latest SIPRI report. Slowly, but steadily, the Indian aerospace and defence industry is standing up to the demands for self-reliance in arming the Indian armed forces and also boosting its business by exporting to friendly foreign nations, ably aided by policies and faster decision-making and approvals from the government.

With a view to providing a platform of visibility to such companies and industry stalwarts who have achieved success and continue to put their efforts in this direction, The Catalysts, in partnership with CNBC TV-18, a leading English Business News Channel, with a viewership of over a million per week, have put together a series that showcases the “Make in India” capabilities of defence manufacturing companies.

Speaking about the programme, Manish Chetri, Director, The Catalysts, stated that,”This series will throw light on the defence manufacturing capabilities of these organisations. It will also put the spotlight on the leaders behind these companies who are actually walking the talk in making India self-reliant in its defence needs. These companies, apart from fulfilling their Make in India vision, have also created a niche for themselves across the globe.”

Anupama Kalra, COO Inter Corp, said, “This is an ideal platform for companies in India who have done exceptionally well in this space to build credibility and be seen as industry leaders.”

NC Bipindra, editor of Defence.Capital magazine, said, “Though much is known about what Indian armed forces import, not much is known about what it acquires from Indian companies. This exclusive defence series on ‘Make in India’ will fill that gap that is always felt by Indian companies. There are also international firms who, in collaboration with Indian companies, are contributing in arming the Indian armed forces. The programme will also provide them with a platform to showcase their contribution.”

Scheduled to air from February, the series will showcase a detailed overview of participating companies. The companies participating in the television series include both Indian companies as well as international OEMs who have a strong Indian presence.

The series is an initiative of The Catalysts and is in association with CNBC-TV18. It is supported by some of the leading consultants in the defence space including Insighteon Consulting, Defence.Capital and Inter-Corp.

This is a partnered post.

Elon Musk forms several ‘X Holdings’ companies to fund potential Twitter buyout

3 Mins Read

Thursday’s filing dispelled some doubts, though Musk still has work to do. He and his advisers will spend the coming days vetting potential investors for the equity portion of his offer, according to people familiar with the matter

KV Prasad Journo follow politics, process in Parliament and US Congress. Former Congressional APSA-Fulbright Fellow

Things women on their periods should not have to deal with and how to make it stop

KV Prasad Jun 13, 2022, 06:35 AM IST (Published)

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We’re in 2020, and you’d think we’ve moved past the age-old taboos into a better-informed society. We polled several young women in offices, hospitals, schools and colleges. Yet not much seems to have changed. Here are a few things women are still being told even today.

• If you’re angry and you’re a woman, you must be on your periods.
• If you’re in pain and you’re a woman, you must be on your periods.
• If you’re walking funny and you’re a woman, you must be on your periods.
• You should have a separate room, utensils, rules even in your own home when on your periods.
• Eating cold foods or drinks can freeze your flow.
• You can’t go to the gym, places of worship, or swim during your periods.
• Cooking, washing your hair or touching milk or pickles during your periods – hell no!
• PMS is a convenient lie that women use to get out of situations.
• You cannot do a tarot reading when on your periods.
• Periods make women vulnerable to the supernatural, and they are easily possessed.
• Women’s periods can be controlled and are voluntary. They have them every month because they enjoy the drama and days off.

If you’re a woman, we’re confident you’ll have found plenty of them annoyingly familiar. Yet, if like us, you’ve rolled your eyes until they felt like they would fall out of your head, stop and ask yourself why?

Why is it that in the time of so much scientific progress, plenty of data and The Internet, we still haven’t understood the basic physiological functioning of a woman’s body? Liberated, thinking women of today may not want to have babies or be enslaved by these myths and falsehoods that surround periods. Yet, most are powerless in the face of ignorance and lack of proper education and awareness.

The thinking of our friends, colleagues, family members and neighbours all comes down to what they were taught while growing up. Whether you live in a city, a small town or a village, if having periods was considered normal instead of taboo, don’t you think we would be having a different kind of conversation?

Young women aren’t empowered with the facts of how there is nothing “impure” about periods. The need for education and awareness across the cultural and economic divide on this topic has never been more needed or necessary. Young girls should be prepared for the changes in their bodies and how to handle them. Education and introduction of sanitary napkins and proper water and toilet facilities can help girls stay in school and help working adult women even in more impoverished areas to stay gainfully occupied all through the year.

But change can only come when there is a movement that believes life can be better for all women with a simple switch. Girls and women of all ages need to start hearing new messages, not stale myths that have no foundation in reality. While women in cities have moved on to using sanitary pads, tampons or menstrual cups, 2/3rds of young girls in smaller towns and villages often don’t have a clue about what’s happening to them when they first experience periods. How and when do they deserve to know?

When they are young, and in their curriculum. While they are still in school and growing up, conversations about periods need to sound more like this:

• Spending money on hygiene and a sanitary napkin isn’t a waste of money.
• Periods are times for us to be more aware of our flow, our menstrual patterns and the possibility of infections. Yet, it doesn’t make you weak.
• You needn’t be ashamed to buy a sanitary napkin any more than you would be to buy yourself toothpaste or soap.
• Used sanitary napkins needn’t be hidden and disposed of when no one is looking.
• Using sanitary napkins can lower your risk of suffering from cervical cancer as opposed to those women who use unclean wads of cotton or rags.
• Cheaper is not necessarily better. Look for products and companies that are working to prove their commitment to timely menstrual hygiene education (especially post COVID).

Leading the charge, Whisper has provided menstrual health education and distributed free sanitary pads to 45 lakh girls across 40,000+ schools every year for the past three decades.

Not only have they confronted period taboos head-on, but they have also educated and empowered women to create a livelihood by selling sanitary pads and becoming agents of change at the fundamental levels. This should be the legacy we leave for the generations of women to come. We need to envision a world where periods aren’t a dirty word, and our government, social media and everyone around us is unafraid to address the issue, share information and help create a better and safer future for all.

If you’d like to be part of the change that will benefit women and young girls across the country, sign the petition here or give a missed call on 99996 71283 and pledge your support today.

This is a partnered post.

Elon Musk forms several ‘X Holdings’ companies to fund potential Twitter buyout

3 Mins Read

Thursday’s filing dispelled some doubts, though Musk still has work to do. He and his advisers will spend the coming days vetting potential investors for the equity portion of his offer, according to people familiar with the matter

KV Prasad Journo follow politics, process in Parliament and US Congress. Former Congressional APSA-Fulbright Fellow

Menstruation is natural – Why period shaming must stop now

KV Prasad Jun 13, 2022, 06:35 AM IST (Published)

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We don’t question the validity of a monthly mobile bill, a weekly holiday, an alternate day hair wash or a daily vitamin. So why are we still questioning the validity of periods? We’re allowed to talk about laser hair removal, what kind of makeup we wear and as many selfies as our Instagram accounts will allow, but mention menstruation in a room full of youth and you’ll probably hear pin drop silence.

But this isn’t TMI! This is the natural cyclic discharge of the lining of the uterus. While it needs no introduction on its own, yet we all shy away from mentioning it, learning about it and teaching young women about how they can manage those seven days better. Who would believe we live in the year 2020? All we still seem to be doing is encouraging ignorance, myths, period shaming and tell girls either directly or subliminally that getting their periods makes them weak. Our conversations or lack of them tell them they are vulnerable and that menstruation is an embarrassing, dirty secret that no one wants to hear about.

Periods can be painful and exhausting and like it or not; they are here to stay. But young girls all around India would say the stigma and relentless persecution is sometimes far worse. Add to it the old ways of thinking that say women are unclean and must stay in a separate room during ‘that’ time of the month and grown men not understanding that its rude to assume a woman is PMSing if she is ever upset, sad or emotional.

Sometimes the crisis is far simpler. Young women in some remote places lack access to clean water and sanitary conditions to keep themselves clean. Others don’t know the first thing about using sanitary napkins, tampons or menstrual cups. With one entire half of the gender divide living with body aches, cramps, and stomach upsets before and during their periods, it’s a testament to women’s strength and resilience that can still accomplish so much despite it all.

There is a tidal wave of RED coming, and it’s crashing down on the shores of ignorance hard. Everything from our culture to our media channels is beginning to register that change is coming.

City dwellers might get their information from peers, media and the internet. But in rural areas, where data isn’t as accessible, young women may not have a female figure to guide them through their first cycle or what comes after. Many of them may not even have access to hygiene products and are often forced into using wads of cotton, ash, sand or folded rags. The risk of infection is very high and can lead to several unfortunate cases where girls either stay away from school for a week every month or drop out entirely. Yet, we know that knowledge is power and educating school-going children across the nation will go a long way to creating change and more options for young girls to succeed.

Young girls should be prepared for the changes in their bodies and how to handle them. Young boys should be introduced to the idea that this is normal and perhaps even how they can help their mothers, sister and future wives and daughters navigate this tricky time. When parents, children and educators can have open, meaningful conversations about periods, they remove the power that myths and superstition have over us.

Starting meaningful conversations about menstruation and period safety, Whisper has been working hard to change the status quo. Besides providing menstrual health education and distributing free sanitary pads to 45 lakh girls across 40,000+ schools every year for the past three decades, they are continually breaking down barriers and bringing meaningful change to communities.

Yet this is not only about talking the talk; they even empowered women to create a livelihood by selling sanitary pads and becoming agents of change in their own micro circles. Things are changing slowly, and you needn’t stand on the periphery, feeling helpless. This is your chance to stand up for a worthy cause that can have repercussions for generations to come. You can be a part of the drive to make menstruation a part of our school’s curriculum where it can be quickly disseminated, discussed and understood from a factual point of view. It’s vital, necessary and long overdue.

If you believe that this shift in thinking is long overdue and want youth across the country to grow up with better ideals and information than the decades before, sign the petition here or give a missed call on 99996 71283 and pledge your support today.

This is a partnered post.

Elon Musk forms several ‘X Holdings’ companies to fund potential Twitter buyout

3 Mins Read

Thursday’s filing dispelled some doubts, though Musk still has work to do. He and his advisers will spend the coming days vetting potential investors for the equity portion of his offer, according to people familiar with the matter

KV Prasad Journo follow politics, process in Parliament and US Congress. Former Congressional APSA-Fulbright Fellow

The Audi Q2: Sporty, elegant, and luxurious

KV Prasad Jun 13, 2022, 06:35 AM IST (Published)

Listen to the Article (6 Minutes)

Known for curating unbeatable and unmatchable premium cars, Audi now enters into the other end of the spectrum with its most affordable offering yet in the form of Audi Q2.

The Audi Q2 is engineered to provide a thrilling driving experience. Commenting on the launch, Mr. Balbir Singh Dhillon, Head of Audi India, said, “The Audi Q2 is a car we are beyond thrilled to introduce to our India line-up. We’ve listened to customer demand and brought in the fantastic, yet practical Audi Q2”. This explicitly signifies that the company is confident that this sixth launch of the year will not only increase the Audi portfolio but give the Indian customer base an array of choices.

A Statement Piece

The Audi Q2 comes in a conspicuous design. The bold Singleframe grille, stunning roofline, and sporty spoiler are some of the key design highlights of this compact yet premium model. The grille in octagonal design and four chrome rings embellished on the grille with a criss-cross structure reminds one of the signature Audi Q family design. Adding to its beauty is the intermittent use of Y-shape in the LED headlamp and tail light cluster.

A low roof design with far greater width also give the Audi Q2 its muscular stance. The Audi Q2 is 1548 mm tall, 1805 mm wide, 4318 mm long, and has a wheelbase of 2593 mm, and the high shoulder line converging into a long roof spoiler and diffuser give it a sporty appeal.

Impressive & Smart Inside Out

Empowered with several smart technologies the Audi Q2 gives the feel of a car designed for the future. The virtual cockpit screen comes in a classic and dynamic display and can exhibit detailed data. Make the most of the different features and technologies that come in Audi Q2 using the easy to operate MMI system. It offers controls using natural language operation and built-in MMI search.  It is inlay LED ambient lighting that offers ten different colours that can be controlled using MMI.

At the centre of the console is the Audi phone box that offers wireless charging. There are also 2 C-type USB ports for rear passengers for easy charging and connectivity. Enhancing the connectivity experience is the Audi smartphone interface that gets Apple CarPlay and Android Auto on the high-resolution TFT MMI. This fully digital instrument cluster can double up for many things providing unique and fun experiences.

Connect, access apps on the MMI menu with ease and be entertained as the Audi Q2 comes with a powerful sound system. Featuring 10 loudspeakers including a subwoofer, and six-channel amplifier, it takes the audio experience to the next level. Lastly, but certainly not the least, the Audi Q2 also features  Audi Connect,  an app that enables a completely customisable driving experience among other awesome features from the world of Audi.

Unmatched Comfort & Driving Experience

Along with being a powerhouse of technology and smart features, the Audi Q2 is unmatched when it comes to comfort. With a high entry and seating position, it ensures perfect visibility. The driver seat position is also such that it offers optimum visibility making the driving experience amazingly comfortable. A car designed for driving enthusiasts, the Audi Q2 comes with a power-packed engine. The 2.0 Litre, 4-cylinder turbocharged petrol engine creates 320 Nm torque and 190 PS of power. This car can do a 0-100 km/h sprint in just 6.5 seconds.

Enhancing its performance is the 7-speed-dual-clutch-transmission that makes changing gears a breeze. Experience the traction and grip that comes with the quattro Permanent all-wheel-drive system. Great around the corners the suspension and chassis are on point as well, and brakes offer good feedback too.

An Epitome of Luxury 

Step into luxury with the comfort key feature, customize the temperature according to passenger and driver convenience with the 2-zone air conditioner and enjoy the drive. Starting at INR 34,99,000 ex-showroom, this luxury all-rounder is coming with a complimentary “Peace of Mind” offer. Get a 5-year comprehensive service package with 2+3 years extended warranty, 2+3 years roadside assistance and an exchange bonus of INR 1.25 lakhs.

Perfect for city and adventure trips, the smart and compact Audi Q2 from the house of Audi is sure to strike a chord with the young and progressive. As Mr. Balbir Singh Dhillon, Head of Audi India comments, “the characterful design, plush interior, and long list of features are just one part of the appeal. Having driven it extensively, I can vouch that the Audi Q2 is a thrilling drive.”

For those looking for a compact and luxurious car that delivers a flawless driving experience with expandable luggage room, the Audi Q2 should make it to the top of your list of cars to consider.

This is a partnered post.

Elon Musk forms several ‘X Holdings’ companies to fund potential Twitter buyout

3 Mins Read

Thursday’s filing dispelled some doubts, though Musk still has work to do. He and his advisers will spend the coming days vetting potential investors for the equity portion of his offer, according to people familiar with the matter

KV Prasad Journo follow politics, process in Parliament and US Congress. Former Congressional APSA-Fulbright Fellow

How to Maintain a Positive State of Mind During the COVID-19 Pandemic

KV Prasad Jun 13, 2022, 06:35 AM IST (Published)

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With the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic being the primary topic on the news and concerns increasing over the economic impact of government shutdowns, it’s natural that business owners would have trouble maintaining a positive state of mind. However, maintaining a positive attitude can help better support your employees and make rational, proactive decisions to handle the weeks and months of changes ahead.

Facts about positive thinking

As most of us already know, a positive state of mind can help you stay level-headed during the big decisions to come.

Tips for staying positive
No matter your work circumstances, here are a few basic practices to stay healthy and productive in the midst of COVID-19:

1. Remember what’s most important. While a sudden shift in your employment, even if small, can feel alarming and confusing. Be patient with yourself and those around you while adjusting, and remember that it’s perfectly acceptable to prioritise the health of you and your loved ones.

2. Practice patience. This can be a stressful time, and while you may feel frustrated, it can help to feel empowered by taking action for yourself when it comes to your job. Between all the unanswered questions, figuring out the best steps to take in your specific circumstance is the important part. Have patience with yourself, your employer and those around you while we all figure out what’s best.

3. Stay healthy. One of the most important aspects of staying healthy is reducing stress. Take time to focus on your mental and physical state by taking small actions such as going for a walk, drinking enough water and getting enough sleep. Doing so will help you focus at work or set you up for success when finding new work.

This is a partnered post.

Elon Musk forms several ‘X Holdings’ companies to fund potential Twitter buyout

3 Mins Read

Thursday’s filing dispelled some doubts, though Musk still has work to do. He and his advisers will spend the coming days vetting potential investors for the equity portion of his offer, according to people familiar with the matter

KV Prasad Journo follow politics, process in Parliament and US Congress. Former Congressional APSA-Fulbright Fellow

How to get a gig job in a pandemic

KV Prasad Jun 13, 2022, 06:35 AM IST (Published)

Listen to the Article (6 Minutes)

The gig economy has redefined traditional employment. If you rely on opportunities like these, the spread and impact of COVID-19 may have put you in a position to require good, relevant gig work.

Here are four steps you can take to find reliable gig work, including examples of jobs you can consider.

• Network (from a distance)

Though many companies are now operating remotely, there is still work to be done. Reach out to contacts in your personal and professional networks about “meeting up for coffee”—via video chat—to ask for help discovering freelance jobs that you can complete virtually.

• Update your profile and portfolio

Take this time to update your resume and online profile. Ensure it showcases your ability to simultaneously juggle multiple projects as an experienced gig worker, as well as examples of any freelance work that you’ve completed in the past.

• Consider your transferable skills

Consider the range of skills that you draw on daily to complete your varied “gigs” and how you might be able to apply them to a different type of job.

• Keep a routine

Keeping to a routine can help you stay motivated and productive. To maintain a fixed schedule (including a consistent wake-up time and breaks throughout the day), make a to-do list for the week and check accomplishments off as you go. Keep a calendar of virtual coffee calls you’ve scheduled with people in your network to stay updated on opportunities.Taking the steps outlined above will hopefully bring you closer to finding fulfilling, flexible gig work, but be sure to also make time for meals, exercise, sleep, and family. It’s important to stay positive and motivated amid uncertainty.

This is a partnered post.

Elon Musk forms several ‘X Holdings’ companies to fund potential Twitter buyout

3 Mins Read

Thursday’s filing dispelled some doubts, though Musk still has work to do. He and his advisers will spend the coming days vetting potential investors for the equity portion of his offer, according to people familiar with the matter

KV Prasad Journo follow politics, process in Parliament and US Congress. Former Congressional APSA-Fulbright Fellow