Indholdsfortegnelse for November 11, 2024 i India Today

Twenty-one years ago, we devised a reliable way to map India’s mercurial realms of power and influence. Ever since, india today’s annual ‘Power List’ has always elicited great interest among the readership. It provided a revolving portrait gallery, as it were, of the most important people of the land, whose influence often touches lives far beyond their domain of activity. Even in its original conception, our lens had two focal lengths: the immediate reality and the future. For, there was always the chance that prevailing circumstances would be subject to change. As I wrote in 2003, for the first roll-call of the High & Mighty, the objective was “to create benchmarks that track long-term changes in our society and politics”. So who’s up, and who’s down? The change in power…

IT IS THE PRECISION OF A SURGEON’S SCALPEL that is the hallmark of professional skill, but it is not doctors alone who use it. A lawyer wields the same dexterity in the courtroom to excise a criminal malaise, but with the sophistication of his words. An economist does the same—steer the economy or government policy—his preferred tool a sharp insight or analysis. What of the architect? Well, he builds a whole vision, to project something that is beyond mere brick and mortar. These then are individuals who have not only scaled the pinnacle of professional excellence but also, by dint of their exceptional talent, helped define and set standards for their respective fields. Their greatness lies not just in what they do, but in the greater common good that comes out…

Daybreak parcels the elements, saturating the sky with a dull gold bruise that slowly turns to blush, separating it from the inky blackness of the waters of Lake Zurich that warm to a solemn grey. As the placid lake gradually comes alive, ducks circle Andi Braschler’s fishing boat, loudly claiming their share of his morning catch. It’s 4 am and Braschler, a passionate fisherman, who is no stranger to such dawn coasting, is hard at work, as he has been for over 30 years—the 6th generation in his family’s fishing business. But it isn’t just his passion turned profession that has drawn us to this angling expedition in near freezing temperatures. It is to experience first-hand the links in the chain that sustain Zurich’s farm to table sensibility and feed…

On the Netflix series, ‘Chef ’s Table’, Argentinian chef, Francis Mallmann celebrated open-fire cooking, revealing a movement where chefs are digging pits, firing up grills and abandoning the glistening kitchen for smoke—returning to traditional methods of cooking. Closer home, while Chef Amninder Sandhu, of Bawri, advocates gas-free cooking, Fireside—Flame Craft Dining, a Bengaluru restaurant, dedicated to woodfire cooking with different types of wood imparting unique flavours, showcases how food tasted when there was no other fuel source. Adhering to the sustainable practice of zero waste, Sienna Café, Kolkata, follows the ‘muro theke lyaja’ (nose to tail) approach, utilising every part of the raw ingredient—vegetables or meat and ‘Baajar to Table’ concept, offering the best of local produce, as Bengali and international specials, with their signature touch. At Bawri Goa and…

HIGH AND MIGHTY. The phrase evokes a narrow band of ‘the elect’ up in the sky, like the deities drawn in calendar art. A ‘power elite’ at a remote distance from the rest. As we give you india today’s High & Mighty list of 2024, allow us to add a critical caveat to that. In the old niggardly sense, power was seen to be vested in extraordinary individuals. The Great Man Theory, they called it. The idea that “the history of the world is but the biography of great men”. Who could argue with that? Well, for starters, how about women? In more refined definitions, power belongs to ideas—in their ability to influence, persuade, transform. And ideas are not born in a vacuum. Such an expanded sense guides our hand this…

DISRUPT OR BE DISRUPT-ED. That’s the reality Indian businesses are living every day. Driven by competition, India’s most powerful business leaders are solidifying their empires by exploring new frontiers, leveraging disruptive tools like artificial intelligence for speed and scale, and fostering innovation to stay ahead of the curve. Whether it’s India’s richest man Mukesh Ambani laying the groundwork for a national AI infrastructure, steel tycoon Sajjan Jindal entering the electric vehicle market, Kumar Mangalam Birla venturing into paints and jewellery, or N. Chandrasekaran of Tata Sons betting big on semiconductors, the spirit of Indian entrepreneurship and innovation shines bright. Putting wind in their sails is the Indian consumer, hungry for newer and better products, but many of these leaders also have their sights set on the global stage. Sunil Bharti Mittal’s…

IN THE BUSTLING arena of Indian entrepreneurship, a new breed of innovators is rewriting the rules of business, technology and social impact even as there are a few veterans who are still going strong. From revolutionising food delivery to democratising space travel, these trailblazers are not just building companies—they’re reshaping entire industries and setting new benchmarks for success. At the helm of this transformation are leaders like Deepinder Goyal, who steered Zomato to its first profitable year, and the Ola founder Bhavish Aggarwal, who is now venturing into Artificial Intelligence. The list showcases a remarkable diversity of ambition: Skyroot Aerospace’s young founders Pawan Kumar Chandana and Naga Bharath Daka are bringing India’s own SpaceX moment, while boAt’s dynamic duo of Sameer Mehta and Aman Gupta have established a homegrown brand competing…

Good food is what you like; great food is what you remember. While the taste test is subjective and filtered through many a prism of treasured memory, this issue of Spice, with its focus on food and drink, has summoned a cocktail combining health-conscious precision and an indulgent dedication to la dolce vita to the table. With mindful indulgence as luxury’s favourite love child, Spice’s gastronomic journey begins surprisingly in Switzerland. While traditionally, Swiss food may not be headlined for its adventurous spirit or gourmet soul, the evolving palate of the delightful canton of Zurich weaves a different tale. We invited Michelin-awarded celebrity chef Suvir Saran to explore its sybaritic pleasures. Our cover story brings to the pages a mix of robust, flavorful traditional food as well as degustation menus…

What’s going on? How come we are licking, munching, crunching and swallowing the hallowed almost two-century-old Louis Vuitton monogram? Is it true that the houses of haute couture that have long glorified the skinny and the anorexic are now cohabiting with the decadent and the gourmet? For sure, high octane fashion houses are copulating not just with Michelin starred restaurants but also rebel chefs. The two F words ‘fashion’ and ‘food’ have been teasing and flirting with each other over the years. And doing so in multiple ways. It’s only in the recent past that the fashion houses’ passion has sashayed down the gourmet restaurant runways with oomph. THE SHOW STOPPERS LV AND GAGGAN Lets begin with my latest taste of LVMH, perched in a sprawling Bangkok shopping mall. What…

As temperatures calm down, and the sun goes balmy in the day and evenings turn crisp, the weather almost calls out to the company of convivial spirits. Winter is the perfect season to enjoy heavier whiskies, smoky and oily flavours, besides peaty and heavy bodied ones. To complement this winter cool, Spice explores an interesting pairing of traditional smoky Scotch whiskies, from the Islay region in Scotland, and also some notable Indian selections with some delectable accompaniments to ensure a flavoursome journey of tastes and textures. As the Scottish say “Slàinte mhath” A Peppery Island Experience—TALISKER 10 YO & PEPPER MUSH-ROOMS ON TOAST Talisker 10-Year-Old whisky, known for its maritime character, combines smoky peat with a peppery kick, a touch of sweetness, and briny undertones. Pairing it with pepper mushrooms…

AS SOME FRONTIERSMAN OF democracy wrote: “All political power is inherent in the people. Government is instituted for their equal protection and benefit, and they have the right to alter, reform, or abolish it.” This timeless espousal of people’s sovereignty found another iteration in India this summer. Narendra Modi won a third consecutive term, but with a reduced mandate. This subtly reshaped our political landscape: the saffron pantheon is still robust, and plugged into the resources of power, but now confronts a keener challenge from within and without. This evolving dynamic is reflected in INDIA TODAY’s 2024 political power list. The top three stay on the podium: PM Modi, RSS chief Mohan Bhagwat and home minister Amit Shah. Yet, down the list, we see the ripples—power radiating outward, as it were.…

YOU HAVE TWO FORMS OF greatness. There are those who acquire more lustre and power than their peers. Many of these happen to be in places that necessarily affect the lives of others—politicians come most obviously to mind. But the bulk of them merit comparisons only within their class. In the scales of greatness, they swim with the shoal. Then there are those who rise above their vocations, whose aggregate value has far surpassed the circumscribed limits of their day job. What they inflect is the course of society itself, in material and symbolic ways. In the following pages, we present precisely such an exalted set. Ten icons, who differ only in the life-practices they chose when they started. When they crossed over to greatness, they attained to the same…

WORDS, WISDOM AND WIT ARE THE TOOLS OF THEIR TRADE. And social media their big worldwide stage. Which they use to astounding effect, leaving their considerable following with lighter hearts, enlightened minds and a definite worldview. These are individuals who help you make sense of the world when it seems to be spinning too fast around you, offer salve for the soul when you feel out of synch with the universe or help take your minds off troubles by teaching you not to take the world—or yourself—too seriously. Or if serious is how you want to appear, they guide you on the things that matter, moulding your opinion and expanding the horizon of your thoughts. And so you have a Dhruv Rathee or a Ravish Kumar, one who strayed into the…

COLLECTOR’S EDITION FELINE CHARM The House of Cartier is well known for its obsession with nature and its exotica. This flirtation and fixation discovers a new artistic outlet with the Maison’s Sauvage High Jewellery collection, which reveals some rather unique and unexpected encounters with fauna. In a series of creations that use precise design and inspired savoirfaire, these bold expressions create an air of mystery and awe to ignite the imagination. With the Panthere Chatoyante necklace, Cartier circles back to the panther, which has been emblematic animal for the House since 1914. With its precise design, the feline holds your gaze with its emerald eyes, enhanced by touches of black lacquer. The necklace unfurls in a flurry of vivid colours, featuring rubellites, chrysoprases and emeralds. The diamonds and onyx evoke…

Hot Chocolate Switzerland and chocolate are like bread and cheese, a marriage made in culinary heaven. In Zurich, hot drinking chocolate is known as “Heisse Schoggi”. Imagine the autumnal nip in the Alpine air and a steaming mug of decadent, chocolaty sludge to revive the body and warm the soul. You can get it at any street corner or café but we recommend the liquid dream at master chocolatier, Sprüngli with multiple locations throughout the city. https://spruengli.ch John Baker Bread is literally Manna from Heaven in Zurich with artisanal bread ruling the roost and palates. And this is the coolest baker in town. At John Baker, everything is homemade, with ingredients from sustainable and fair production across multiple branches. Give us this day our daily bread… https://johnbaker.ch/ Food Tour Zürich-West…

The last two decades have been watershed years for the Indian alco-bev industry with a new breed of producers cropping up on the scene. This was a younger demographic, and comprised of those who were fed-up of being offered sub-par drinks to stock their bars and had realised that there was nothing stopping them from producing world class spirits right here on Indian shores. It certainly helped that many of them didn’t enter this realm to earn their daily bread but more so as a passion project. In other words, it was more a matter of pride and prestige than profit and payrolls so it was easy to bring a ‘no compromise’ attitude to the table and make it stick. What made these passion projects viable entrepreneurial ventures was that…

Just when you thought, your wrist had seen every trick up Apple’s sleeve, along comes the Series 10 to prove that timepieces can still turn heads. So, is the Series 10 a timely masterpiece or just another notch on Apple’s timeline? Familiar yet refreshingly new Apple hasn't reinvented the wheel, but they've certainly polished the rims. The Series 10 comes in new 42mm and 46mm sizes, with a display that subtly wraps around the edges. It’s up to 40 per cent brighter—hitting a dazzling 2,000 nits—making it brighter than your future (or at least your smartphone screen). Surprisingly, it’s lighter than its predecessor at just 35.3 gm for the aluminium model. Timed right Powered by the S10 SiP 64-bit dualcore processor, the watch runs smoothly without breaking a sweat. It’s…

IT’S SMALL WONDER that when it comes to size, there are such distinct preferences, particularly when it comes to watches. Victorinox has recently enhanced its I.N.O.X. Chrono collection by introducing automatic and smaller versions of the popular watch—the I.N.O.X. Automatic and the I.N.O.X. Small. With this recently redesigned I.N.O.X. watch, the brand has upped the elegance quotient of these slightly resized models. The new I.N.O.X. Automatic, on the other hand, offers a diverse array of colour and material combinations, offering a watchcase crafted from either steel or carbon. Carbon models come in a set with a matching Special Edition Swiss Army KnifeTM, featuring matte scales and black tools exclusively bundled with the watch. While the more petite I.N.O.X. Small offers a striking contrast with its robust steel case and a choice…