1. Aid comes home knocking
The new Indian Express, 9 Nov. 2026, S Guruvanmikanathan
CHENNAI: There was a time when a slum in Chennai, Mel Naduvangarai, languished in poverty. Even one proper meal a day was a struggle for families living there. The children, too, suffered. Many were orphans and the remaining few grew up under the care of either their grandparents or single parents.
Hope was scarce... until, one day, D Malini, a 45-year-old woman of the settlement, heard a knock on her door. “I did not know who she was or why she had come to our small house but she asked about our family’s situation,” she exclaimed. It was only later that Malini realised who was actually at her door — a prosperous blessing aka Vijayalakshmi.
G Vijayalakshmi Giri (35), founder of Shiva People Foundation, had made an effort to visit each household in the settlement and identify those in need, giving them groceries, rice and money for medicines. Vijaya’s efforts were not just an act of simple altruism; they stemmed from her own childhood.
Little Vijaya was born into poverty and raised in a small hut. Knowing what it was like to grow up without basic comforts, she decided she wanted to help those whose childhoods even remotely represented hers. “I know how difficult it is for children to grow up without proper food, clothes and other basic needs. Having experienced these struggles myself, I wanted to do something for orphaned children, single-parent families, persons with disabilities, senior citizens and other underprivileged people,” she said.
Vijayalakshmi Giri distributing groceries and money for medicine to the residents of Mel Naduvangarai in Anna Nagar and to other underprivileged folks in Chennai | Express
Vijaya’s commitment to help others can also be traced to her father. He instilled in her the habit of sharing whatever little she had with those in need. However, right before she entered college, he suffered a fatal heart attack and left his wife and daughter to fend for themselves.
This didn’t stop Vijaya. She continued helping people despite everything. But during the Covid-19 lockdown, things took a turn for the worse, and Vijaya saw people unable to afford even a meal. This struck a chord with her.
“I decided that I should expand my service and reach more people who needed help. That thought eventually inspired me to start a foundation,” she said. So Vijayalakshmi quit her job and ventured into her own business. And that’s when the Shiva People Foundation was born. She has been involved in organised social service for the last eight years, and the organisation supports 50 orphaned children, 15 persons with disabilities, 25 senior citizens and 180 families living below the poverty line in the locality.
Her activities extend beyond distributing food and essential commodities to settlements like Mel Naduvangarai. Children from economically weaker families receive nutritious food, clothes and toys. The foundation also provides educational assistance, helping students continue their studies without placing an additional financial burden on their families.
Aid comes home knocking
“When I entered Class 10, my mother struggled to pay my school fees. We did not know how to overcome our financial difficulties. Understanding our situation, Vijayalakshmi came forward and paid my fees. Her support continued throughout my higher education,” said Prajan (24), who now works in the private sector.
The foundation also provides monthly financial assistance to senior citizens who have little or no family support, particularly to help them meet medical expenses. People living on the streets receive food, bedsheets, blankets and mats.
During festivals, the foundation expands its outreach, distributing new clothes, sweets and snacks to children from low-income families who cannot afford to celebrate with their families. Her help even extended to children who lost their parents in the devastating landslide in Wayanad, Keralam. For Vijayalakshmi, the appreciation she received means more than public recognition or awards. “That one word of thanks gave me the satisfaction of receiving a thousand awards,” she said.
Over the years, well-wishers have also donated money and commodities, which enables the foundation to reach more people.
Having experienced poverty first-hand, she believes that even a small act of kindness can make a lasting difference. Her mission is simple: to ensure that no child goes hungry, no older adult feels abandoned, and no struggling family or disabled person is left without a helping hand.
Supporting 180 families
After quitting her job, Vijayalakshmi ventured into her own business and eventually founded the Shiva People Foundation. The organisation supports 50 orphaned children, 15 persons with disabilities, 25 senior citizens and 180 families living below the poverty line in the locality. Kids from economically weaker families also receive nutritious food, clothes and toys.
(Edited by Jotsna Bellani)
2. Haryana farmer Arun Chauhan switched from paddy to sweet corn; now earns nearly Rs 25 lakh a year
TOI Lifestyle Desk, Oct. 27 2026
In 2004, Arun Chauhan's family earned around Rs 10,000 from paddy cultivation on their farmland in Manauli village in Haryana's Sonipat district. Nearly two decades later, the 59-year-old farmer has shifted much of his land to sweet corn and vegetables, says he earns nearly Rs 25 lakh a year from sweet corn, and has helped build a farmers' collective with 80 members and an annual turnover of nearly Rs 4 crore.
As The Indian Express reported, Chauhan decided to move away from the traditional paddy-wheat cycle after visiting a friend's farm where strawberries were being cultivated successfully. He began the change on a portion of his family's 28 acres. Initially, sweet corn was grown on 10 acres. That area has since increased to 17 acres, while seven acres are used for vegetables in polyhouses and net houses. Two acres are earmarked for a packhouse and another two for fisheries.
A crop that takes 75 days
One reason Chauhan favours sweet corn is its short growing period. The crop takes about 75 days, allowing him to cultivate three cycles in a year. According to The Indian Express, Chauhan said sweet corn fetches an average price of Rs 12-14 per kg throughout the year. With an average production of 50 quintals per acre, he estimates gross returns of Rs 60,000-70,000 per acre. After deducting cultivation expenses of around Rs 15,000–20,000, he puts the profit at nearly Rs 50,000 per acre.
Manauli becomes a 'sweet corn village'
Haryana farmer Arun Chauhan switched from paddy to a sweet corn; now earns nearly Rs 25 lakh a year
The shift has extended beyond Chauhan's own farm. He told The Indian Express that nearly all of Manauli's 2,000 acres of agricultural land had been under paddy almost two decades ago. Today, he estimates that 70% of the village's farmland is used for sweet corn and vegetables, with sweet corn alone grown on around 800 acres.
As per an earlier report by Krishi Jagran, Manauli had transitioned towards sweet corn and vegetables, including crops grown under protected cultivation. Its 2022 report said the village had become known for sweet corn and that farmers were increasingly adopting alternative crops.
The village's location also gives farmers access to a large market. Delhi's Azadpur Mandi, one of the country's major wholesale markets for fresh produce, is about 20 km away. Farmers are also looking beyond traditional wholesale markets. According to Chauhan, e-commerce companies have entered into direct arrangements with local farmers to buy sweet corn and fresh vegetables.
Why crop diversification matters
Manauli's experience comes amid broader efforts to encourage Haryana farmers to diversify beyond the paddy-wheat system. In a December 2025 statement, the Press Information Bureau, citing the Union Ministry of Agriculture and Farmers Welfare, said Haryana had been implementing the 'Mera Pani Meri Virasat' scheme since 2020 to encourage farmers to move away from paddy towards alternative crops, partly in response to declining groundwater levels. The scheme is part of the broader policy context for crop diversification, although the available information does not establish that it directly supported Chauhan's decision to grow sweet corn.
For Chauhan and the farmers working with him, the change has involved more than replacing paddy with another crop. Shorter growing cycles, access to Delhi's wholesale market, direct sales and collective processing have created additional ways to earn from their land. Manauli's experience shows how a village's farming choices can change when farmers organise production around what the market is willing to buy.
3. Maharashtra plans fifth Film City across 125 acres in Konkan's Ratnagiri district
Hindustan Times, October 19 2026, Mehul R Thakkar
Maharashtra plans to develop its fifth Film City on 125 acres in Guhagar taluka, Ratnagiri district, in the Konkan region. (Picture for representational purposes only)
Located about seven hours from Mumbai, the proposed project aims to address infrastructure gaps for film shoots along the Konkan coast and generate employment opportunities in the region.
Maharashtra Cultural Affairs Minister Ashish Shelar is spearheading the project, with the tourism and cultural affairs departments preparing a detailed project report. According to a Hindustan Times report, the facility is likely to be developed under a public-private partnership (PPP) model, involving private players from the entertainment industry.
What is a Film City?
A Film City is a dedicated complex equipped with studios, sets, production facilities and supporting infrastructure for making films, television serials and other audiovisual content. It may also provide accommodation for crews and outdoor shooting locations. By bringing these facilities together, a Film City can reduce logistical challenges and support the entertainment industry.
How many film cities are there in Maharashtra currently?
Currently, Maharashtra has one Film City in Mumbai's Goregaon, with one each proposed around Nashik and Nagpur, a second Film City proposed in Malad spanning 150 acres, and a fifth proposed in the Konkan region.
How much investment is required for the 5th Film City?
The proposed Film City will cover land in Palshet, Velneshwar, and Tavsal villages, currently under the Maharashtra Tourism Development Corporation (MTDC). The government is considering an initial investment of around ₹100 crore, expected to include two or three studios, accommodation for film crews, and locations suitable for shooting films and television serials. The project aims to provide production facilities in a coastal region that attracts filmmakers but lacks the infrastructure and logistical support shoots require.
According to the Hindustan Times report, the Maharashtra Film, Stage and Cultural Development Corporation Limited said Dapoli and Guhagar were popular destinations for television and film shoots because of their scenic beauty and coastal stretches. However, the region does not have adequate facilities for production crews.
The report said former BJP MLA Vinay Natu, who represents the Guhagar region, proposed the project after learning about the difficulties film crews face when visiting the area. Marathi films such as Kaksparsh and Bapya, along with television serials, have been shot in Dapoli and Guhagar. Natu said the region lacked facilities comparable to Film City and studios in Mumbai and Karjat, making production logistics difficult.
4. Can Himalayan trout replace imported salmon? Kashmir's aquaculture company makes its move
News 18, October 16 2026, Ieshan Wani
Khyber Aquaculture Director Yunus Trumboo said the company wants to take Kashmir's trout to global markets over the next few years as it expands production.© Copyright (C) news18.com. All Rights Reserved.
As salmon gains popularity in Indian restaurants, sushi bars and supermarkets, a fish farm in Jammu and Kashmir is preparing to offer consumers a homegrown alternative. Khyber Aquaculture, which operates an integrated, technology-driven trout farming and processing facility in the Valley, is betting that Himalayan trout can compete with salmon on freshness, quality and speed of delivery.
The company aims to take trout raised in Kashmir beyond regional markets and establish it as a premium seafood option across India, with plans to eventually enter international markets. Its strategy centres on a simple proposition: deliver locally farmed fish to consumers faster, reducing the time and distance required to bring seafood to the plate.
The company positions the facility as Asia's largest trout farm, combining fish breeding, rearing, processing, and packaging under one roof. It also uses a Recirculating Aquaculture System (RAS), a technology that treats and reuses water in a controlled environment, allowing more systematic fish production.
Speaking to News18, Khyber Aquaculture Director Yunus Trumboo said the company wants to take Kashmir's trout to global markets as it expands production over the next few years.
"The idea is to consolidate an industry that is booming in Kashmir. We have 600 farmers producing one and a half tonnes a year, and most of that is consumed in Kashmir itself. This pushed us to start Asia's largest farm. Currently, we do around 1,500 to 1,700 metric tonnes. We are expanding it to reach 7,000 metric tonnes to also go beyond India to the global market," he said.
The facility's integrated model is designed to give the company greater control over the production chain, from the early stages of fish development to the final product ready for distribution. By bringing farming and processing together, Khyber Aquaculture aims to serve different market segments, including restaurants, retailers and consumers looking for premium seafood for home cooking.
At the centre of this strategy is RAS technology, which filters, treats, and reuses water within a controlled farming environment. Unlike conventional open-water systems, RAS allows operators to monitor and manage key water-quality parameters. However, its efficiency depends on reliable energy supplies, effective water treatment, regular maintenance and careful operational management.
The company has sourced machinery and technology from Denmark and France, drawing on European aquaculture expertise to support its expansion plans.
Can Kashmir's Trout Become an Alternative To Salmon?
For Khyber Aquaculture, freshness is a key selling point. The company believes that locally farmed trout can reach consumers faster than imported salmon, which travels long distances before arriving in Indian markets.
"We have tried fish with big chefs across India, and the response is amazing. They see it as a strong alternative to salmon. Chefs and consumers know the salmon they consume isn't fresh, whereas this fish is grown in India and it reaches your plate within 36 hours," Trumboo said.
The 36-hour delivery window is central to the company's pitch to restaurants and consumers. However, trout and salmon differ in flavour profiles and culinary uses. The company aims to position trout as an alternative for certain premium seafood applications rather than a direct substitute in every market segment.
The business is also preparing to offer its products in multiple formats to broaden its reach. Its initial range will include fresh, chilled and frozen trout, allowing it to target both the food-service industry and retail consumers. It plans to introduce value-added products later, including ready-to-cook curry cuts and offerings for sushi and sashimi preparations.
The shift toward processed, convenient formats could help the company reach consumers unfamiliar with cooking trout at home. It could also let restaurants and retailers source fish in formats that suit their needs, rather than relying exclusively on whole fish.
Kashmir's Trout Industry Looks Beyond The Valley
Kashmir has long been associated with freshwater trout, supported by its cold-water rivers and streams. Much of the region's traditional trout production has catered to local demand, limiting how far the fish has reached consumers elsewhere in India.
Trumboo said hundreds of farmers produce trout in the region, with much of the output consumed locally. The company plans to expand by increasing production capacity, improving processing capabilities, and developing distribution channels beyond Jammu and Kashmir to build a larger market for the fish.
The facility's reported production figures and proposed expansion indicate the scale of the company's ambitions. Khyber Aquaculture aims to increase output to 7,000 metric tonnes, positioning the operation to serve a wider domestic market and potentially export internationally.
To achieve that ambition, the company will need to scale production while maintaining quality, build a reliable cold chain, manage transport costs, and establish consistent demand among restaurants, retailers, and households. Competing in the premium seafood market will also depend on pricing, consumer awareness and the ability to deliver a consistent product.
If its plans succeed, Kashmir's trout could move beyond its identity as a regional speciality and gain a wider presence in India's premium seafood market. The longer-term ambition is to take a fish raised in the Himalayas to consumers across the country and, eventually, to international markets.
5. The growing role of philanthropy in nation-building
Hindustan Times, 1st Nov. 2026, Zahan N Sawhney
Philanthropy
India's development story has been shaped not only by government policies and public investment but also by contributions from individuals, business families, and community-led philanthropic initiatives. Across generations, private wealth has played an important role in supporting education, healthcare, scientific research, cultural preservation and social welfare. As the country continues to pursue economic growth, the relationship between wealth creation and social responsibility is becoming increasingly important.
Philanthropy in India has a long history, with charitable giving traditionally rooted in religious values, community obligations and the belief that prosperity carries a responsibility towards society. Over time, these practices have evolved beyond individual acts of charity into organised efforts to establish institutions and support long-term development. Hospitals, schools, libraries, research centres and cultural organisations have benefited from contributions made by business leaders and philanthropic foundations. Many of these institutions have continued to serve communities long after their founders' lifetimes, demonstrating how private contributions can create lasting public value.
One of the most significant aspects of philanthropy is its ability to address gaps in essential social infrastructure. While public institutions remain central to national development, private foundations and charitable organisations can complement these efforts by supporting underserved communities and investing in areas that require sustained attention. In healthcare, philanthropic funding has helped expand access to specialised treatment, medical research and preventive care. In education, contributions have supported scholarships, infrastructure development, research facilities and opportunities for students from economically disadvantaged backgrounds.
The role of business families in this process is particularly noteworthy. Entrepreneurship creates employment, generates economic activity and contributes to national wealth, but its influence can extend beyond commercial success. Several business groups have invested in institutions focused on public welfare, recognising that an economy's long-term strength depends partly on the quality of its human and social infrastructure. Initiatives involving worker housing, healthcare facilities, sanitation, education and community development demonstrate how businesses can contribute to the environments in which they operate.
This relationship between entrepreneurship and social responsibility has also changed significantly. Philanthropy is increasingly viewed not simply as an act of generosity but as a structured approach to addressing complex social challenges. Corporate social responsibility initiatives, charitable trusts, and independent foundations are adopting more organised methods to identify needs, allocate resources, and assess outcomes. Areas such as rural development, women's empowerment, environmental sustainability, skill development, and public health are receiving greater attention as organisations seek to create measurable, sustainable impact.
However, the effectiveness of philanthropic initiatives depends on more than the amount of money contributed. Understanding local needs, involving communities in decision-making and ensuring transparency are equally important. Projects designed without adequate knowledge of the people they intend to serve may struggle to create meaningful change. Sustainable philanthropy therefore requires a shift from short-term assistance towards long-term engagement. Instead of focusing exclusively on distributing resources, organisations must consider how their interventions can strengthen existing systems and help communities become more self-reliant.
India's diverse social and cultural landscape also highlights the importance of community-led contributions. Different communities have historically participated in nation-building through entrepreneurship, education, public service and institution-building. Their experiences demonstrate that national development is not the responsibility of a single institution or group. It emerges through the collective efforts of people with different cultural backgrounds, professional experiences and social commitments. Recognising these contributions is important not only for understanding India's history but also for appreciating the role of diversity in shaping its institutions.
Preserving these histories is another important dimension of social development. The contributions of individuals, families and communities can gradually disappear from public memory if they are not documented. Oral histories, archival research, biographies, and community-led storytelling can help preserve experiences that might otherwise be overlooked. Such documentation also helps younger generations understand how institutions were established, how social challenges were addressed, and how individual initiatives influenced wider public life.
At the same time, the future of philanthropy will depend on how effectively the next generation engages with questions of social responsibility. Younger entrepreneurs, professionals and researchers are increasingly exploring ways to combine innovation with public purpose. Their participation can introduce new approaches to funding, technology-led interventions and community engagement while ensuring that established philanthropic traditions remain relevant to contemporary challenges.
Ultimately, economic progress cannot be measured exclusively through business growth, infrastructure expansion or rising incomes. A nation's strength also depends on the institutions it builds, the opportunities it creates, and how far its development reaches across society. Philanthropy, when guided by accountability, sustained commitment and an understanding of public needs, can contribute meaningfully to this process. Wealth creation may provide the resources for development, but its lasting significance lies in how those resources are used to improve lives and strengthen society's foundations.
This article is authored by Zahan N Sawhney, co-founder, Model United Nations Society, Tonbridge School. The views expressed are personal.
- Agriculture, Fishing and Rural Development
6. ₹2800 from one avocado tree: How Palakkad farmer boosts income through intercropping
Manorama, October 21 2026
₹2800 from one avocado tree: How Palakkad farmer boosts income through intercropping
"The older generation of farmers was often hesitant to experiment with intercropping, fearing it would dent their coconut yields. But that mindset shifted dramatically when younger farmers stepped in. They began tapping into every possible resource, especially social media, to learn and try innovative farming techniques. The transformation they've brought to the Chittur-Pollachi coconut belt over the last decade is remarkable," says Mahendran Ravishankar, a young farmer from Meenakshipuram Kaikatti in Perumatty, Palakkad, along the Tamil Nadu border.
A mechanical engineer who previously worked in Pollachi, Mahendran belongs to this new breed of agriculturists. When he quit his corporate job a decade ago to take charge of his family's 10-acre coconut plantation, intercropping was at the very top of his agenda.
His 10-acre estate hosts around 600 mature palms, all over 25 years old. Because these tall palms have formed a high canopy, ample sunlight reaches the ground, creating ideal conditions for intercrops like avocado, black pepper, and nutmeg.
According to Mahendran, nutmeg has emerged as the most popular intercrop across the Chittur-Pollachi region. Given the area's relatively low rainfall, coconut palms need year-round irrigation, which naturally suits nutmeg. He plants one nutmeg tree for every four coconut palms, opting for the heat-resilient 'Round Leaf' variety, which thrives even in hot weather.
Farmers planted avocados along sun-drenched boundaries and in clearings where diseased palms were felled. For this, Mahendran selected 'Arka Supreme' and 'Arka Ravi', two tropical varieties developed by ICAR-IIHR's Central Horticultural Experiment Station in Chettalli, Coorg.
"Their biggest advantage is that they thrive and yield consistently even at temperatures up to 38°C," Mahendran explains. He started with a trial batch of 100 saplings alongside indigenous varieties. Arka Supreme produces fruits averaging 450 grams; IIHR data indicates that a 12-year-old tree can yield around 290 kg annually, with outstanding flavour.
Arka Ravi produces slightly heavier fruits (450–600 grams) with a higher pulp content, though its overall yield is marginally lower. Pairing Arka Supreme (a Type-A avocado) with Arka Ravi (Type-B) ensures effective cross-pollination. The trees flowered in their fourth year, and commercial harvesting began last season, fetching ₹80 per kilogram this year.
"At an average yield of 30 kilograms per tree annually, that translates to an effortless ₹2,400 per avocado tree," Mahendran calculates. The economics of nutmeg are just as compelling. A five-year-old nutmeg tree typically yields around 3 kg of nuts and 500 grams of mace annually. With current market rates hovering at ₹440 per kg for the nut and ₹3,000 per kg for mace, each tree generates an average income of ₹2,800, with production increasing by about 10% every year. While coconut farming remains lucrative at current prices, market volatility makes stable, high-value intercrops like nutmeg and avocado an absolute necessity.
Both crops also require significantly less maintenance than coconut palms. Encouraged by these results, Mahendran has also introduced black pepper into the grove, cultivating 200 vines across resilient varieties like Karimunda, Kuthiravally, Neelamundi, and Panniyur-1.
"Due to the intense heat, farmers in the Chittur region traditionally steered clear of these crops. But the younger generation actively sought out climate-resilient varieties suited to our terrain, completely turning the tide," he says.
In another cleared patch of the plantation, he is experimenting with tissue-culture teak, planting 250 saplings across half an acre; within just three years, the trunks have attained a girth of 12 to 15 inches. Blending traditional crops like areca nut and turmeric into his diversified ecosystem, Mahendran has also set up a state-of-the-art on-farm unit to produce next-generation organic bio-fertilisers.
7. Kerala woman turns Rs 250 mushroom farming experiment into Rs 90 lakh business, trains 10,000 people
Moneycontrol, October 21 2026, Shubhi Mishra
Kerala woman turns Rs 250 mushroom farming experiment into Rs 90 lakh business, trains 10,000 people© Moneycontrol
A Kerala homemaker who began growing mushrooms as a small experiment at home has built a business generating annual revenue of Rs 80 lakh to Rs 90 lakh, with plans to double it to Rs 1.6 crore. Shije and her husband, Thankachan, started their mushroom cultivation venture in 2007 with an investment of just Rs 250. Nearly two decades later, their business has expanded into a commercial mushroom farm and a training initiative that has reached around 10,000 people.
According to a Startuppedia report cited by The Economic Times, Shije, 57, initially turned to mushroom cultivation to keep herself occupied while her husband worked and her children were in school. From an agricultural background, the couple experimented with growing oyster mushrooms and gradually built their knowledge through trial and error.
What began as a modest home-based activity eventually became Coon Fresh, a business that now produces mushrooms and sells a range of mushroom-based products.
How a Rs 250 investment started the business
Shije and Thankachan began experimenting with oyster mushroom cultivation in 2007, spending Rs 250 on mushroom beds and spawn, the material used to grow mushrooms.
In the early stages, they learned the cultivation process through experimentation. The couple continued developing their skills and, in 2008, invested approximately Rs 50,000 to establish 600 mushroom beds on their agricultural land.
A year later, in 2009, they launched Coon Fresh and began selling fresh mushrooms, mushroom spawn and products made using the crop.
Their product range expanded beyond fresh produce to include mushroom momos, cutlets, sandwiches, bread rolls, pickles and chutney powder. The business also diversified into products such as millet payasam and fortified cake.
The move let the couple add value to their harvest rather than relying solely on selling fresh mushrooms.
From monthly earnings of Rs 5,000 to annual revenue of Rs 90 Lakh
Coon Fresh had a modest beginning, generating between Rs 2,000 and Rs 5,000 a month during its first three to four months, according to the report. However, the business gradually gained traction, with reported revenue reaching Rs 3 lakh in 2009.
The couple continued expanding their cultivation operations over the years. From an initial five mushroom beds, the farm has grown to approximately 6,000 beds and now produces around 12 tonnes of mushrooms annually.
The operation has also developed into what the report describes as a bio-high-tech mushroom farm, incorporating biodiversity, bioprocessing, biocontrol and bioefficiency.
Shije said the business currently generates annual revenue of around Rs 80 lakh to Rs 90 lakh. The couple now hopes to increase that figure to Rs 1.6 crore, nearly doubling the venture's current annual revenue.
Beyond mushroom cultivation and food production, Coon Fresh has expanded into training programmes for college students and farmers interested in learning about mushroom farming.
According to the report, the business charges Rs 500 for couples attending its training programmes, while groups of six or more are charged Rs 3,000.
The initiative has trained approximately 10,000 people so far, extending the couple's work beyond their own farm and introducing others to mushroom cultivation.
8. Delhi family's Organic Theo farm inspires with sustainable ventures
Asianet News Central, October 21 2026
Delhi family's Organic Theo farm inspires with sustainable ventures.
From a family-run organic farm in Delhi to green hydrogen research at IIT Jodhpur, young Indian innovators are turning practical ideas into ventures focused on sustainable agriculture, value addition, employment and clean energy. Organic Theo, a family-led venture, combines organic farming with food processing to create products such as jams, ketchup and ice cream. Eesha, who works with her parents, Rakesh and Roopika Anand, also uses the venture's website and social media platforms to share information about growing produce naturally.
Organic Theo: A Model for Sustainable Agriculture
"It's not just about showing what is growing on Organic Theo's page. The aim is to explain how people can grow it themselves. I create informative videos for those who have farms or want to grow things at home," said Eesha, founder of Organic Theo. Her parents left their corporate careers to focus on natural farming.
Over the past four years, the family has worked to develop its farm into a model that combines cultivation with food processing. "We have been farming here for four years and are trying new methods to show people what can be done differently. Some things have been forgotten, and eating habits have changed, so we are trying to bring them back," said Rakesh Anand, Eesha's father.
The venture also focuses on reducing post-harvest waste by processing farm produce into value-added products. Eesha's brother, Anshul Anand, who co-founded the venture, said the idea emerged when freshly harvested fruits didn't reach the market in time. "I started this venture with my parents six to seven years ago and later began working on value-added products. We noticed that fresh fruits from our farm were going to waste because they were not reaching the market. So, we started making products such as jams and ice cream," he said.
The business also provides employment opportunities in food preparation, marketing, and packaging. "I have found employment here and also bring other people to work. Many people are involved in different activities, including marketing and packaging. We make paneer, ice cream and jams," said Sakshi, an employee at Organic Theo.
Innovating Clean Energy: Green Hydrogen Research
Beyond agriculture, researchers at IIT Jodhpur are exploring ways to make hydrogen storage more practical. Anant Prakash Pandey, founder of Anant IKP Technologies, and his team are developing a storage system to support research into solid-state hydrogen storage.
Storing hydrogen as a gas or liquid can be costly and energy-intensive, prompting the team to explore alternative materials and storage methods. "Storing hydrogen in gaseous form or liquefying it can be energy-intensive and expensive. So, why not explore solid-state storage? For that, we need measurements and characterisation, and we must first demonstrate at the laboratory level that the technology can work," said Pandey.
The team is also developing a lightweight carbon structure intended to improve mechanical stability for potential storage applications. "The carbon structure we have developed is among the lightest of its kind. Through modification, we have been able to improve its mechanical stability significantly," said Rishabh Raj Upadhyay of Anant IKP Technologies.
From reducing food waste through farm-based processing to exploring alternative hydrogen storage methods, these initiatives show how entrepreneurs and researchers are developing local solutions to practical challenges. Together, they highlight innovation's role in supporting sustainable livelihoods and India's clean-energy ambitions.
(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by Asianet Newsable English staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)
9. At 32, this Amritsar farmer quit his engineering job to build an organic farm in his village
TOI Lifestyle Desk, October 22 2026
When Jobandeep Singh completed his mechanical engineering degree, he could have followed a familiar path: find a job, build a career and perhaps move abroad, as many of his classmates did. Instead, the 32-year-old made a decision that took him back to his village in Punjab. In 2015, after just four months, he quit and returned to his family's land in Mala Khedi village in Amritsar district.
His ambition was not simply to become a farmer. He wanted to build an agricultural business that would let him grow a variety of crops, find his own customers, and make farming economically viable on a relatively small landholding.
More than a decade later, Singh cultivates organic crops on four acres of his five-acre holding, keeps livestock, practises poultry farming and beekeeping, and sells his produce directly to around 50 regular customers. His farm, marketed under the brand Asees Natural Farm, is also certified by Punjab Agro. His efforts have earned him the Surjit Singh Dhillon Outstanding Small Farmer Award from Punjab Agricultural University (PAU), Ludhiana.
In a state where agriculture is closely tied to the wheat-paddy cycle, Singh grows a wider range of crops and connects production with the people who buy his food.
From a small beginning to a diversified farm
Singh didn't start by cultivating all five acres. His family had owned 12 acres before the land was divided, leaving him with five acres. Much of the land had been leased out, and after completing his studies, he gradually brought it back under cultivation.
In 2017, he began growing turmeric on two kanals, or a quarter acre. He also cultivated traditional basmati rice on one acre during the kharif season and wheat during the rabi season. The response to his produce encouraged him to expand.
By 2019, he had introduced vegetables, millets such as ragi and kangni, fodder crops and more turmeric. Over time, the farm became more diversified, with different crops grown in smaller plots rather than concentrating on the conventional wheat-paddy combination.
"Today, four of my five acres are under organic cultivation. Instead of concentrating on the wheat-paddy cycle that dominates Punjab agriculture, I have divided my fields into small plots, growing a range of crops, including fennel, flaxseed, black gram, white chickpeas, lentils, mustard, peas, vegetables and basmati," Singh told The Indian Express.
The crop choices change with the agricultural season. During rabi, he grows organic wheat, mustard, lentils, black gram, white chickpeas, peas, and fodder. During kharif, his farm produces basmati varieties 1121 and 1509, among other crops.
For Singh, diversification is not merely about having more varieties of produce available. It is central to how he wants to run his farm. "I always wanted to do business and started directly with organic farming instead of sowing MSP crops," he said.
He estimates his model can generate a net profit of up to Rs 3 lakh per acre, provided the farm is well managed and weather conditions remain favourable. This is his estimate of the model's potential, not a guaranteed return for every farmer. The remaining acre of his holding accommodates his house, cattle shed and fodder for the animals.
He also says the farm meets more than 90% of his household's daily needs, leaving the family to purchase only a few essentials from the market.
The business is not just about growing crops.
A farm may produce good-quality food, but finding people willing to buy it regularly is another challenge. Singh's early experience outside farming helped him address that problem.
After graduating, he spent a few months working at his brother-in-law's dairy, helping deliver milk to households in Amritsar. The work gave him a chance to build relationships with customers before he developed his own farming enterprise.
"When I started growing crops, several of those households began buying my products. That encouraged me because I already had customers before developing my farming model," Singh said. That initial network gave him a starting point for direct sales. Today, he sells produce at the Sunday market in Company Bagh, Amritsar, and markets his products under the Asees Natural Farm brand. He has around 50 regular customers, including people from lower-income households.
Instead of relying entirely on an intermediary to sell what he grows, Singh has made customer relationships part of his agricultural business. Buyers know where their food comes from, while he has a more direct route to the market.
But the arrangement also demands more of his time. "Unlike conventional wheat-paddy farming, my model requires daily involvement, from tending crops and managing livestock to processing and selling produce," he said.
Dairy, poultry and beekeeping complete the picture
Crop cultivation is only one part of Singh's farm. His dairy unit has five animals, including indigenous and crossbred cows and Murrah buffaloes. The milk supports his household and his brothers' families, who use it to prepare curd, lassi, paneer and desi ghee. Any surplus is sold.
The animals also provide manure for the fields, linking livestock management with crop cultivation. Rather than treating the different activities as separate businesses, Singh uses them to support one another.
He relies on farmyard manure and prepares jeevamrit, a mixture of cow dung, cow urine, jaggery, besan, and water. The mixture is left to ferment before being applied to the fields through spraying or irrigation. Depending on the season, fermentation takes four to five days in summer and up to 15 days in winter.
He also grows green manure, uses crop residues sourced from neighbouring fields for mulching and relies on manual weeding instead of chemical weedicides. He says these practices help him avoid spending on chemical fertilisers and pesticides.
He developed his approach through practical experience and training. He has attended programmes associated with Punjab Agricultural University, Krishi Vigyan Kendra and Punjab Agro.
The economics of organic farming
For Singh, the case for organic farming is also a business question. He believes that a diversified farm can offer an alternative to dependence on crops whose procurement prices are determined through the minimum support price (MSP) system. However, he is clear that growing organically does not automatically translate into higher profits.
Organic crops may produce lower yields than conventionally cultivated crops. Singh argues that the higher prices such produce can command may compensate for the difference, provided farmers manage their operations well and find buyers willing to pay for the produce.
His model also creates seasonal employment. Despite cultivating a relatively small area, he employs at least five people regularly for around six months each year.
He wants consumers to look beyond the price of individual products and understand the work involved in producing them. In his view, greater demand for genuine organic produce can strengthen the market and eventually make such food more accessible at competitive prices.
At the same time, the economics remain important for the future of farming. In a May 2026 interview with The Tribune, Singh spoke about the need for farmers to earn enough to sustain their livelihoods. "For passion, a person may continue farming throughout life. But if income is insufficient, the next generation will leave the profession," he said.
This concern goes beyond his own farm: a farming model can be environmentally conscious, but it must also provide a viable livelihood if younger people are to consider agriculture a long-term career.
A different idea of success
Singh's journey has not been about expanding into a large landholding or abandoning agriculture for a more conventional career. Instead, he has focused on making the land work for him in different ways, through crop diversity, livestock, natural inputs, and direct relationships with customers.
PAU recognised his work with the Surjit Singh Dhillon Outstanding Small Farmer Award, which honours his adoption of organic farming practices and eco-friendly agricultural technologies. The award was also mentioned in The Times of India's September report on farmers selected for recognition at the joint Kisan Mela and Pashu Palan Mela organised by PAU and Guru Angad Dev Veterinary and Animal Sciences University.
Singh's experience does not suggest that every farmer can replicate his model or earn the same returns. Crop choices, weather, labour, local demand and access to customers all influence whether a diversified organic farm succeeds.
It does show that farming can be more than cultivating a single crop for sale. By starting on a small patch, expanding gradually and building a customer base alongside production, Singh has created an agricultural enterprise around the resources available to him.
For someone who left an engineering job after four months, the return to his village was not a retreat from business. It was a decision to pursue it on his own terms - with the farm, its produce and the people who buy it at the centre of the enterprise.
10. She quit her Rs 1 crore-a-year Dubai job to start oat milk brand in India. It now earns Rs 2.2 crore
Moneycontrol, October 22 2026, Shubhi Mishra
She quit her Rs 1 crore-a-year Dubai job to start oat milk brand in India. It now earns Rs 2.2 crore© Moneycontrol
An oat milk brand launched with Rs 65 lakh from its founders' personal savings reported annual revenue of Rs 2.2 crore in FY25, after expanding to more than 1.25 lakh customers and over 500 cafés and restaurants across India.
Aarohi Surya and her husband, Anmol Goel, founded Dancing Cow in 2022 after Surya left a Dubai job that paid her more than Rs 1 crore a year. She had spent seven years in Dubai before deciding to build a dairy-free food business in India.
The idea took shape after Surya returned to Lucknow and found it difficult to access the variety of plant-based products she had been accustomed to in Dubai. Vegan food and dairy-free alternatives were readily available there, but finding similar options in India proved harder.
A personal concern added to her interest in the sector. Around the same time, Surya's mother was diagnosed with diabetes, and her doctor advised her to remove dairy from her meals. Surya began exploring plant-based alternatives, particularly oat milk, as a possible substitute for conventional milk.
In 2022, she and Goel decided to turn that interest into a business, funding the venture with Rs 65 lakh of their own savings. Their goal was to develop an alternative that offered the taste, consistency and versatility of regular milk, including for people seeking to avoid lactose.
Why developing the product took nearly 10 months
The founders soon discovered that creating a suitable oat milkrecipe would require considerable experimentation. Their team spent almost 10 months testing ingredients and refining the formulation to achieve the right flavour, nutritional profile and consistency.
The product also had to work in everyday food and drink preparations. Rather than creating a beverage meant only to be consumed on its own, the founders wanted their oat milk to be suitable for tea, coffee, porridge and desserts.
Finding a manufacturer was the next obstacle. According to the venture's account, only a small number of plant-based milk companies in India had their own manufacturing facilities at the time.
Surya travelled to Pune several times to explore potential manufacturing partners. After speaking with different dairy producers, the founders selected a facility that met their hygiene and sanitation requirements.
Dancing Cow launched commercially in March 2023 with two products under its Oatish range.
Oatish Extra Creamy Oat Milk was designed for consumers looking to replace regular milk in drinks and cooking. The second product, Oatish Rich Chocolate Milk, offered a convenient chocolate-flavoured alternative.
From Rs 90 lakh in first-year revenue to Rs 2.2 crore
Dancing Cow's early growth was reflected in its customer numbers and revenue. According to Startup Pedia, the company served nearly 30,000 customers and generated Rs 90 lakh in its first year.
The founders also worked to establish a presence in the food-service sector, building relationships with cafés and restaurants that use oat milk in beverages and desserts. The brand eventually supplied more than 500 cafés and restaurants across India.
By FY25, its customer base grew to more than 1.25 lakh, and annual revenue reached Rs 2.2 crore, according to the report.
Surya's educational background includes an MBA from IMT Dubai, according to her LinkedIn profile.
- Industry and Manufacture
11. U-turn: The high cost of cheap urea
Hindustan Times, October 16 2026, Mridula Ramesh
(Right) A farmer scatters fertiliser on a banana field in Nashik. Convincing farmers that cheaper urea isn't necessarily better won't be easy. The aim should be to protect farm incomes while encouraging more balanced nutrient use.
From the comfort of a full stomach, it seems churlish to complain about urea. So, let me acknowledge that without Messrs Haber and Bosch's gift of synthetic urea, half of humanity would likely have starved.
Synthetic urea was not just vital; it was seductive.
Now, it was unnecessary to gather and manage food waste, urine, and faeces to turn them into manure. Or plant nitrogen-fixers such as pulses, clover or dhaincha, wait for them to grow and mulch them back into the field. Synthetic urea compressed all that labour and waiting into the time, effort and cost of buying and spreading a few bags. It's hard to resist this convenience.
Then came India's Green Revolution. Stung by being held "ship to mouth" by the US in the 1960s, India's leaders set about securing the country's food supply. Giving more fertiliser or water to the old, hardy crop varieties did not coax more grain from them. But the new cultivars from Mexico lapped up both and delivered in spades. Urea, with its comrade, the borewell, made each acre and each hour of a farmer's time far more productive.
Grain production shot up.
Synthetic urea created new vulnerabilities. As this new habit took hold, global oil and gas prices surged. The government wanted farmers to keep using fertilisers, but it also wanted domestic fertiliser manufacturers to keep producing them. So, it capped fertiliser prices and subsidised producers. A later scheme effectively guaranteed factories a meaningful return regardless of their productivity.
In the following years, a slew of farmer protests ensured, among other things, that urea prices remained sticky. Accommodation during a crisis has a funny way of turning permanent, especially when a powerful interest group benefits.
Squeezed by populism and crony capitalism, fertiliser prices stayed unchanged while the subsidy ballooned.
Something had to give. When India faced a balance-of-payments crisis in 1991, the government cut fertiliser subsidies. But efforts to raise urea prices met fierce opposition. The government compromised by decontrolling phosphorus and potassium while keeping urea protected. As prices of phosphorus and potassium rose, farmers responded rationally by using more cheap nitrogen. India's NPK ratio, the ratio of fertiliser supply nitrogen, phosphorus and potassium, rose from 6:2.4:1 in 1990-91 to 10:2.9:1 in 1996-97.
Was this a problem?
While no single NPK ratio is ideal (different crops need different ratios of these nutrients on different soils at different stages of their lives), 10:2.9:1 was, by any measure, too skewed. Agricultural economists like Ashok Gulati have spent decades railing against this skew and the subsidy, saying the industry captures much of the subsidy while public agricultural investment remains subdued.
But decontrolling urea is such a potent political landmine that few dare tread on it.
Political wisdom holds that attempts to reform subsidies were one reason the NDA government lost the 2004 general election, partly because it was perceived as "anti-farmer".
So reforms stalled, even as urea costs kept rising.
In 2010, the government launched a nutrient-based subsidy scheme to tame the subsidy. But by leaving urea out, it pushed Indian prices of phosphorus and potassium closer to international levels while urea remained far cheaper.
A decade or so later, the Russia-Ukraine war made the distortion stark. Indian farmers paid only about a tenth of the American retail price for urea, nearly a third for phosphate fertiliser, and about 60% of what American farmers paid for potash. Unsurprisingly, they used comparatively far more urea. India's average NPK ratio reached 10.9:4.4:1; in Punjab, it was an extraordinary 50:2:1.
BEYOND THE BOUNTY
Naturally, there were consequences.
First, feeding a crop nitrogen without enough of what it needs is the plant equivalent of eating mostly protein shakes. That's not the path to optimum health or yield.
Second, pulses lost their old allure. Why grow a crop that performs the expensive trick of fixing its own nitrogen when that nitrogen now comes in a cheap bag? Between 1960-1961 and 2000-2001, India's pulse production fell even as the country's rice production rose two-and-a-half times and wheat rose sixfold.
Pulses have recovered in the past decade, helped by higher support prices and procurement, but India remains partly dependent on imports for its dal.
Third, climate was impacted. A global cradle-to-grave analysis estimated that making, transporting and using synthetic nitrogen fertiliser emitted about 1.13 billion tonnes of CO2-eq. in 2018. About 2% of global greenhouse gas emissions. Just a touch less than the total emissions from India's electricity and heat sectors.
More than half of these emissions occur in the field, where unused nitrogen can turn into nitrous oxide, a greenhouse gas 273 times as powerful as CO2. Excess urea can seep underground, pollute aquifers, and harm the communities that depend on them for drinking water. Search for "Blue Baby Syndrome".
Unused urea also washes into a nearby lake or river, where algae, delighted by this free nitrogen, bloom. Their subsequent decay fouls the water and kills fish. This is a tragic farce – fertiliser meant to nourish one ecosystem suffocating another.
Then there is the bill to the exchequer. The Union Budget for 2026-27 earmarked an estimated ₹1.71 lakh crore to the Department of Fertilisers. Some of that money subsidises fertilisers that plants never use, which end up polluting air and water.
Finally, consider the blow to geostrategic autonomy. Measuring Atmanirbharta solely by domestic grain availability conceals that urea is, in essence, solid natural gas. Between April 2025 and January 2026, India's fertiliser sector imported about 85% of the gas it used. The Ukraine and the Hormuz crisis exposed that vulnerability. When LNG (liquefied natural gas) imports were hit, India's urea production fell from 24.7 lakh tonnes in March 2025 to 17.5 lakh tonnes in March 2026, recovering only after it secured alternative supplies.
After six decades and trillions of rupees, and after India fought to pry another country's hand from its mouth, we have found a different hand on the gas tap. We may have more food, but we are not secure: with a billion more mouths to feed, the vulnerability remains.
WHAT CAN BE DONE?
We can use less and differently. In 1971, the EU used roughly six times as much nitrogen fertiliser per hectare as India; by 2001, the two were about level; and by 2021, the EU used around 40% less per hectare. China uses far more fertiliser per hectare than India, but it has been bringing that figure down from its 2011 peak. That can happen, but not at current prices.
But reform needs political capital—and a better story. In a 2024 paper, Ashok Gulati and fellow researcher Ritika Juneja argue for replacing part of the fertiliser subsidy with direct cash transfers to farmers, while allowing fertiliser prices to better reflect their true cost. The aim is to protect farm incomes while encouraging more balanced nutrient use.
Their case is strengthened by an uncomfortable finding from Soil Health Card data: much of India's cropland is in poor health, with around 70% of samples deficient even in nitrogen. They suggest a possible explanation: much of the subsidised granular urea never becomes available to the plant. Convincing farmers that cheaper urea isn't necessarily better urea will be hard. But a crisis that exposes the cost of the current system may also create the political space to change it.
We should also redirect part of the subsidy to pulses. Pulses are domestic nitrogen producers – why are they being left out in all this subsidising? A 2025 paper analysing 3,160 observations from 35 countries found that legume cover crops raised yield by 16.0%, especially in soils poor in organic carbon.
One more intimate blow to consider. By making nitrogen cheap, we changed what India grew and what we eat. That created a very personal vulnerability—one we turn to next time.
(Mridula Ramesh is a climate-tech investor and author. She can be reached on tradeoffs@climaction.net.The views expressed are personal)
12. India's textile industry targets $350 billion by 2030 as exports rebound, costs rise: report
The Economic Times, October 26 2026
India's textile industry targets $350 billion by 2030 as exports rebound, costs rise: Report
New Delhi: India's textile industry expanded to nearly USD 190 billion in FY26 and now targets USD 350 billion by 2030, driven by domestic demand, manufacturing investments, and export opportunities, according to the latest report by Rubix Data Sciences.
The report noted that the sector remains a primary employment generator, while the central government is considering a Rs 400 billion, five-year Textile Expansion and Employment (TEEM) Scheme to upgrade machinery, deploy advanced technology, and modernise traditional clusters.
The expansion comes as outbound shipments rebound. Textile exports, including handicrafts, grew by 10.3 per cent year-on-year in the April-August 2026 period. The recovery follows a 2.7 per cent decline to USD 35.8 billion in FY2026, even as imports climbed 17.1 per cent to USD 9.6 billion.
Despite the divergence, India remained a net exporter, with total outbound shipments at nearly 3.7 times the value of inbound shipments. Readymade garments retained a 44 per cent share of exports, while man-made fibre textiles accounted for 15 per cent.
Tushar Bhaskar, President of Rubix Data Sciences, noted that the sector continues to navigate external headwinds alongside domestic growth.
"India's textile industry has shown resilience, with exports growing 10.3% in April-August 2026 after a 2.7% decline in Dollar terms in FY2026," Bhaskar said.
"At the same time, trade uncertainty in the US market, a rise of approximately 60% in cotton yarn prices, and freight disruptions are adding to the pressure," he added. "This reinforces the importance of diversifying India's export destinations and improving cost competitiveness."
According to the report, the United States remained India's largest destination, taking 31 per cent of shipments in FY2026, followed by the European Union at nearly 16 per cent. However, trade dynamics shifted after the US introduced an additional 10 per cent duty under Section 301 measures in July 2026 concerning forced-labour enforcement, while broader negotiations stalled.
In response, domestic manufacturers accelerated market diversification. Shipments to the US fell approximately 7 per cent in FY2026, while deliveries to major European markets grew 9 per cent. Raymond Lifestyle plans to reduce its US export share from 65 per cent to 55-60 per cent within two years, while Kitex Garments plans to lower its exposure from nearly 100 per cent to 30-35 per cent over the next two to three years.
Input cost inflation also affected the domestic value chain. Cotton yarn prices climbed roughly 60 per cent to Rs 400 per kilogram in September 2026 from Rs 250 per kilogram in early 2026. The increase coincided with local cotton production dropping to 290.91 lakh bales in the 2025-26 season, down from 352.48 lakh bales in 2020-21. To assist mills, authorities granted an exemption on the 11 per cent cotton import duty through October 31, 2026.
Industrial infrastructure activity provided capital momentum. Investment proposals under the seven approved PM Mega Integrated Textile Region and Apparel Parks reached Rs 685.9 billion by August 2026, led by major expansion outlays from corporate producers including Grasim Industries and Vardhman Textiles.
13. Lessons from Made in India success stories
Hindustan Times, 3 Nov. 2026, Vivek Wadhwa
Domestic founders are more likely to build companies that scale efficiently and profitably under Indian conditions.
In 2009, I moved to Silicon Valley to study immigrant entrepreneurship. As an immigrant myself, I wanted to understand why people like me were so successful at building technology companies in the US, and what the rest of the world could learn. At the time, Silicon Valley was still the centre of the technology universe.
I was building on the work of UC Berkeley professor AnnaLee Saxenian, whose research fundamentally changed how scholars and policymakers understood global talent flows. Her research showed that immigrants founded roughly a quarter of Silicon Valley startups, led at the time by Taiwanese entrepreneurs, with Indians close behind. When I updated her work, I found that what began in Silicon Valley had become a nationwide phenomenon. Immigrants were founding about 25% of technology startups across the US. In comparison, their share in Silicon Valley had risen to 52%, with Indian entrepreneurs overtaking the Taiwanese and founding about 15% of the Valley’s startups.
All of this was happening as US immigration policy grew increasingly hostile and incoherent. Visas became harder to secure, green cards dragged on for decades, and the message to immigrant entrepreneurs was clear enough: Contribute, but do not expect to stay. I documented how these brain-dead policies were driving founders away and predicted that India and China would begin to rival the US in technology and innovation. The assumption was that returnees would lead this shift, a process Saxenian called brain circulation.
There is no doubt that the diaspora made a difference. Overseas Indians opened doors, invested capital, shared knowledge, and connected India to global markets. The returnees, including Sridhar Vembu, Kiran Mazumdar-Shaw, and Vani Kola, showed how global exposure could translate into entrepreneurial impact at home. I assumed that as more Indians returned, their impact as founders would only grow. And having moved the R&D operations of my own company, Vionix Biosciences, to India, I also assumed, with the usual NRI arrogance, that we brought something special to the table.
That assumption did not survive the data. In late 2024, Saxenian and I launched a research project with colleagues at the Indian Institute of Science in Bengaluru, including Professor MH Bala Subrahmanya and DPK Muthukumaraswamy, to study returnee entrepreneurs in India. This was meant to extend our earlier work at Berkeley, Duke, and Harvard. I expected it to confirm what we had been saying for years. Instead, it forced a reckoning. Our paper, just published by the Observer Research Foundation, shows that returnees are not driving India’s entrepreneurial success; they are being outperformed by founders who never left.
India’s most successful technology entrepreneurs of the past decade are overwhelmingly homegrown. Founders such as Nithin Kamath, Vijay Shekhar Sharma, and Bhavish Aggarwal built category-defining companies without foreign credentials or Silicon Valley seasoning. They succeeded by understanding India deeply and executing relentlessly within its constraints. Our research revealed that, by nearly every meaningful business metric, startups founded by returnee entrepreneurs underperformed those founded by domestic entrepreneurs. The returnee-led startups raised less capital, achieved lower valuations, generated less revenue, and operated at a net loss, while domestically founded startups were profitable. The one consistent exception was employment. Returnee startups employed more people on average, which turned out not to be a virtue but a symptom of higher cost structures imported from capital-rich environments.
I was very surprised and turned to IT leaders, including Arjun Malhotra, Kris Gopalakrishnan, and CP Gurnani, to get their insights. They explained that domestic founders understand Indian markets, price sensitivity, regulatory friction, and the realities of scaling across a vast and uneven economy. They know how things actually get done in India because they have learned it the hard way, on the ground. Many returnees left India young, spent decades in structured and capital-rich systems, and returned assuming those operating models would translate smoothly. In reality, they do not.
Frugality is the second difference. Domestic founders grow up conserving cash, controlling headcount, and reaching profitability early. These are survival skills in India. Returnees often bring habits shaped by abundance, including higher burn rates and longer runways, which quickly become liabilities. Seen this way, the results are not that surprising. Returnees often do well early, especially in fundraising, where foreign credentials help. Domestic founders are more likely to build companies that scale efficiently and profitably under Indian conditions. What works in Silicon Valley does not automatically work back home.
This has serious policy implications. Prime Minister Narendra Modi has repeatedly invited the diaspora to return, assuming India needs its returnees, as have leaders in China and elsewhere, often backed by tax breaks, preferential funding, and special programmes. Saxenian’s research inspired some of these policies. But even she acknowledges that the era of easy brain circulation is ending in a world shaped by nationalism, geopolitics, and tighter borders.
There are two lessons here. For India, the priority should be nurturing domestic entrepreneurs through better access to capital, regulatory clarity, and stronger research–industry links. For the US, this should be a wake-up call. It no longer has a monopoly on innovation and entrepreneurship. The world has learned what it needs to and moved on. When the US pushes talent away, it does not just lose people; it accelerates the rise of competitors who no longer need Silicon Valley’s permission.
Vivek Wadhwa is CEO, Vionix Biosciences. The views expressed are personal.
14. He saw his farmer father struggle to earn; IIT-BHU graduate has helped farmers earn from solar power
The Times of India, 12 Nov. 2026
Growing up in a farming family in Khalghat, Madhya Pradesh, Bhavesh Patidar saw how difficult it was for his father to make a steady income from agriculture. Despite spending his entire life working on the farm, his father struggled to achieve financial security. One sentence he often repeated stayed with Bhavesh even after he left home to pursue higher education.
“I spent my entire life farming, but never earned a truly good income,” his father would say.
Years later, after studying at IIT-BHU and building a career in technology, Bhavesh decided to tackle the problem he witnessed growing up. He founded SolarSure, an Indore-based renewable energy company that helps farmers set up solar power projects on their land and earn an additional income by selling electricity to the grid.
As reported by Nishtha Kawrani for The Better India, the company says it has reached more than 50,000 farmers across six states and commissioned over 300 MW of solar capacity since its launch in November 2024. Its projects operate across Madhya Pradesh, Rajasthan, Chhattisgarh, Telangana, Uttar Pradesh and Odisha.
The idea is to give farmers another source of income alongside agriculture, which remains dependent on weather conditions, crop prices and other factors beyond their control.
From a farming family to IIT-BHU and the technology sector
Bhavesh grew up in Khalghat, where he closely observed the financial uncertainty farming households face. His father's experience shaped his understanding of the problem long before he began working on renewable energy. Speaking to The Better India’s Nishtha Kawrani, Bhavesh explained why he didn't need extensive research to understand the difficulties farmers face. “The problem was never something I discovered through research. I had lived it and seen it every day growing up,” he said.
He went on to study at IIT-BHU and later entered the technology sector. He also founded an agritech startup called Neurafarms, which was subsequently acquired. His professional experience included working with data-driven systems and climate technology. However, the financial difficulties he had seen in his own family remained a concern.
The opportunity to address them came through the government's PM-KUSUM scheme, which encourages the use of solar energy in agriculture. The programme allows farmers to install solar-powered irrigation pumps and develop grid-connected solar power plants, through which they can supply electricity to the grid.
Instead of limiting solar power to irrigation, Bhavesh became interested in helping farmers generate and sell electricity.
He first tested the idea on his family's land. Under the scheme, he set up a 2 MW solar plant and began selling the electricity generated to the grid. According to The Better India, the project offered a more predictable income than relying entirely on agricultural earnings.
Other farmers in the neighbourhood noticed the installation and began asking him how they could set up similar projects. That experiment eventually led to the launch of SolarSure in November 2024.
How his company helps farmers earn from solar power
He saw his farmer father struggle to earn; IIT-BHU graduate has helped farmers earn from solar power
Founded in November 2024, SolarSure is an engineering, procurement and construction (EPC) company headquartered in Indore. It helps farmers and landowners develop solar power projects on underused or less-fertile agricultural land.
According to the company’s official website, its PM-KUSUM services include helping farmers understand their land's potential, develop solar infrastructure, and access renewable energy solutions. Its services cover project design, installation and other technical requirements.
SolarSure also assists farmers with financing, government approvals, installation, maintenance and grid integration. The company develops both ground-mounted and rooftop solar systems.
Before setting up a project, it uses artificial intelligence and satellite data from agencies such as ISRO and NASA to assess climate risks, wind conditions, and a location's long-term suitability. This helps estimate how effectively a solar installation can generate electricity.
The company says it has commissioned more than 300 MW of solar capacity and has a project pipeline exceeding 1.5 GW. It also estimates that farmers participating in its projects have seen income increases of more than 30 per cent.
Bhavesh believes the larger opportunity lies in changing how farmers use the energy available to them. He believes solar power can give agricultural families a second income that is less dependent on changing weather conditions and market prices.
The idea behind the business
For Bhavesh, the venture is connected to the financial uncertainty he saw his father face while farming. He wants agricultural families to have an additional source of earnings rather than depend entirely on crop production.
SolarSure is a renewable energy infrastructure developer working with farmers, landowners and industries. It is headquartered in Indore and lists operations in Madhya Pradesh, Rajasthan, Gujarat, Uttar Pradesh, Chhattisgarh, Maharashtra and Telangana. The company says its work combines engineering and technology to expand access to solar energy.
For Bhavesh, however, the purpose goes beyond installing solar panels. He wants farmers to use their land and available sunlight to generate electricity and improve their financial security.
15. 10 inspiring stories of entrepreneurs who started with very little
The Daily Jagran, 1st Nov. 2026
We often get surprised when we see a business empire built by a successful entrepreneur; however, if we look at their background, most successful businesses started in humble circumstances. Fueled by determination, vision, and relentless work, founders have made history: many started in small towns and scaled to the global stage, while others failed many times before finding a path to success.
In India, too, many entrepreneurs turned small initiatives into massive conglomerates by identifying market gaps and overcoming economic hurdles. Their journeys tell a story of resilience, demonstrating that innovation and consumer insights can reshape a nation's economic landscape. Below are the stories of ten visionaries who started with very little and built legacies that define modern India.
10 Entrepreneurs Who Started With Very Little And Built Big Businesses
Dhirubhai Ambani
Dhirubhai Ambani started his journey by leaving his village in Gujarat for Yemen, where he worked as a gas station attendant and clerk.
Returning to India with just Rs 1,000, he set up a tiny yarn trading business operating out of a shared 350-square-foot room in Mumbai. Facing immense competition from established colonial-era trading houses, Ambani leveraged aggressive marketing and innovative equity-based financing.
Later, he played a master stroke. Ambani began backwards integrating from textiles into petrochemicals, oil refining, and telecommunications; he created India’s largest private-sector conglomerate. His journey remains the ultimate blueprint for rags-to-riches success in Indian corporate history.
Narayana Murthy
Narayana Murthy co-founded Infosys in 1981 alongside six engineer friends with a capital of just Rs 10,000, which he borrowed from his wife, Sudha Murthy. Initially, he operated the company from a small front room in a residential flat. Murthy, through his high ethical corporate governance, championed a unique global delivery model.
He faced severe bureaucratic hurdles during India's pre-liberalisation era, including taking a year just to get a telephone connection or import a computer. Despite these roadblocks, he kept working toward his vision of transforming India into a global software powerhouse.
Later, Infosys became the first Indian-registered company to list on NASDAQ, the key US stock exchange.
Shiv Nadar
Shiv Nadar left a secure corporate job in 1976 to venture into the nascent field of computer hardware. Starting a garage in Delhi, with a collective seed capital of Rs 1.83 lakh, Nadar founded HCL alongside five other partners. He identified the potential and future impact of personal computers long before global tech giants dominated the Indian market.
Over the decades, Nadar successfully pivoted the business from hardware manufacturing to high-end IT services and global software consulting. His leadership skills turned HCL into a multi-billion-dollar enterprise operating in dozens of countries, cementing his legacy as one of the ultimate pioneers of India's technology revolution.
Karsanbhai Patel (Nirma)
Karsanbhai Patel was once working as a lab technician in Gujarat. In 1969, he began mixing a phosphate-free detergent powder in his backyard and started selling it himself. In an era dominated by expensive multinational brands, Patel priced his product at just Rs 3 per kilogram when competitors sold theirs for Rs 13. He personally cycled through neighbourhoods to sell his product door to door.
Nirma disrupted the FMCG sector by targeting low-income and rural households. Through brilliant marketing and advertising strategies and an unmatched price-to-quality strategy, Patel scaled his kitchen operation into a massive conglomerate, proving that a deep understanding of local consumer needs can defeat global monopolies.
Brijmohan Lall Munjal (Hero Group)
Brijmohan Lall Munjal came to Amritsar as a displaced refugee following the partition of India. He started his first business of trading bicycle components and manufacturing small parts to support his family.
He later shifted his base to Ludhiana, and Munjal founded Hero Cycles in 1956. The brand eventually grew into the world's largest bicycle manufacturer.
Munjal played a masterstroke in the 1980s, forging a joint venture with Japan’s Honda to manufacture fuel-efficient motorcycles.
His hands-on relationship management with dealers and deep understanding of the Indian consumer’s need for affordability transformed Hero MotoCorp into the world's largest manufacturer of two-wheelers, embodying resilience and immense industrial foresight.
Gautam Adani (Adani Group)
Gautam Adani, a college dropout, moved to Mumbai with nothing but a few hundred rupees in his pocket. He initially worked as a diamond sorter, then returned to Gujarat to run a plastics factory.
He founded Adani Exports in 1988, which originally focused on agricultural and power commodities. Over the decades, Adani strategically expanded into heavy infrastructure, acquiring and building ports, airports, power grids, and green energy plants.
Through aggressive capital allocation and infrastructure scaling, he turned his small trading house into a massive global conglomerate.
Radhakishan Damani (DMart)
Radhakishan Damani grew up in a single-room apartment in Mumbai. He started his journey trading ball bearings. After his father's death, he moved into the stock market and became an exceptionally successful investor and trader.
Despite his immense market wealth, Damani entered brick-and-mortar retail in 2002 by launching DMart.
He adopted a highly conservative, unique business model that focused on owning properties rather than leasing them, allowing the company to cut operational costs drastically. This cost advantage was passed directly to everyday consumers through heavy discounts, turning DMart into a highly profitable retail empire.
Dr Pratap C. Reddy (Apollo Hospitals)
Dr Pratap C. Reddy was a highly successful cardiologist practising in the United States. He returned to India to revolutionise the country's struggling healthcare landscape.
Reddy risked his savings to launch India's first corporate hospital network, Apollo Hospitals, in 1983.
He had to fight rigorous bureaucratic systems to get healthcare recognised as an official industry sector. Today, the brand is known as one of India's best healthcare brands.
Grandhi Mallikarjuna Rao (GMR Group)
Grandhi Mallikarjuna Rao started his career in a small village in Andhra Pradesh, managing a modest family commodity business and trading jute. He gradually used those initial profits to venture into asset-light industries like banking, insurance, and manufacturing.
Recognising India's massive infrastructure deficit during the economic liberalisation era, Rao pivoted his company entirely toward heavy infrastructure development.
Under his leadership, the GMR Group won competitive bids to construct and modernise massive public assets, including the world-class Delhi and Hyderabad international airports.
Sunil Bharti Mittal (Bharti Airtel)
Sunil Bharti Mittal borrowed Rs 20,000 from his father in 1976 to set up a small business manufacturing bicycle crankshafts. Earning a decent amount from the venture, he pivoted to importing portable electric generators and push-button telephones. His breakthrough came in the early 1990s, when the Indian government opened the telecommunications sector to private players.
Spotting the massive future potential of mobile connectivity, he secured licenses and launched Bharti Airtel. With his commitment, Mittal built a telecom giant that now connects hundreds of millions of subscribers across Asia and Africa.
- Services (Education, Healthcare, IT, R&D, Tourism, etc.)
16. How a Goa couple created a unique travel brand that empowers local communities
Newsabla Asianet News, 8 Nov. 2026, Nancy Tiwari
How a Goa Couple Created a Unique Travel Brand That Empowers Local Communities
What began as a search for purpose during uncertain phases of life has today grown into one of India’s most unique experiential travel ventures. Through heritage walks, food trails, and immersive cultural experiences, Goa-based Make It Happen is redefining tourism by putting local communities and authentic storytelling at the centre of every journey.
Founded by Maria Victor and later joined by co-founder Murali Shankaran, the organisation has hosted over 65,000 travellers while creating sustainable opportunities for local residents across Goa, Bengaluru, and beyond.
From Corporate Life to Meaningful Travel
Maria Victor’s journey into travel entrepreneurship started long before Make It Happen became a recognised name. Despite having a stable corporate career, she often questioned whether her work truly fulfilled her.
In 2011, she stepped away from her job and began travelling slowly across India. From Ladakh and Spiti to Nagaland and Gujarat, her journeys focused less on sightseeing and more on understanding people, traditions, and local cultures.
As she started organising small group trips, she noticed travellers wanted deeper connections instead of checklist tourism.
“Travel, for me, was never about ticking off places. It was about awakening and genuinely engaging with the world,” she says.
This idea led to the creation of Make It Happen, initially launched as a small travel club offering intimate, community-driven experiences.
A Village Encounter That Changed Everything
A turning point came during Maria’s visit to Dhampus village in Nepal. A local shawl seller asked her to take his photograph
and said something that stayed with her forever: “Even if we cannot see the world, the world can see us.”
That single moment transformed her understanding of tourism. She realised travel could benefit not only visitors but also the communities hosting them.
Over time, Make It Happen evolved into a platform where locals became storytellers, hosts, and cultural ambassadors. The company began creating experiences rooted in heritage, food, music, farming, and everyday life.
When Two Paths Crossed in the Himalayas
Around the same time, Murali Shankaran, who had been working in the gaming industry, was also exploring India through long backpacking trips. The two met during a journey in Lahaul-Spiti and instantly connected over their shared vision for meaningful travel.
By 2017, Murali officially joined the company as co-founder, helping expand the idea into a structured experiential tourism venture.
Today, Make It Happen offers more than 50 curated experiences, including heritage walks in Goa’s Fontainhas, island explorations, food trails, and art-based workshops.
Building Livelihoods Through Storytelling
Beyond tourism, the organisation has created employment and pride within local communities. Around 50 to 55 per cent of its revenue flows back to community partners, and more than 100 locals have become part of the ecosystem.
Associate storyteller Pawan Gorantla says the work transformed his life after the pandemic disrupted his earlier jobs. “Today, I lead tours and meet people from across the world. It never feels like work,” he shares.
Now aiming to expand to 20 locations across India over the next few years, the founders believe experiential travel can become a powerful tool for cultural preservation and sustainable livelihoods.
17. Healthcare needs stronger partnerships between hospitals and insurers
The Economic Times, 9 Nov. 2026
Healthcare needs stronger partnerships between hospitals and insurers.
Healthcare's purpose is to help people lead healthier lives and, when they need treatment, to ensure they receive appropriate care at the right time and in the right setting.
This depends on patients, providers and payers working as one connected system. Their roles are distinct, but their interests converge on a common objective: better outcomes for patients through care that is high-quality, accessible and financially sustainable.
Historically, the relationship between hospitals and insurers has been transactional: one delivers care, and the other pays for it. Given the growing complexity of healthcare and rising patient expectations, this model is no longer adequate. The opportunity before us is to evolve the payer-provider relationship into a genuine partnership.
Payers and providers share an interest in clinical outcomes. Hospitals are committed to delivering evidence-based care that achieves the best possible results, and insurers are committed to ensuring access to care while providing financial protection. When the two work together, the conversation can move beyond cost to the patient's health outcome.
Such collaboration supports early detection, appropriate treatment, better management of chronic conditions and stronger post-discharge care. It also helps reduce avoidable complications, unnecessary procedures and readmissions. Patients receive well-timed care, providers can deliver better care, insurers serve a healthier population, and healthcare expenditure becomes more sustainable over the long term.
Appropriate care is central to any well-functioning healthcare system. The objective should be to ensure each patient receives the care clinical evidence supports, when they need it, rather than to maximise treatment or simply minimise cost.
Greater sharing of clinical guidelines and evidence-based treatment pathways will strengthen confidence between providers and insurers. In due course, this should shift discussions from individual approvals and claims towards agreed standards of care and outcomes. Such an approach respects clinical judgement while offering patients and payers greater predictability.
Trust is essential in healthcare, and it rests on transparency. Patients should understand the treatment they are receiving, the reason for it, its cost and the extent of their insurance coverage. Any lack of clarity adds to the anxiety of patients and families who are under considerable stress.
Providers and insurers can address this together. Digital integration between hospitals and insurers can simplify pre-authorisations, documentation and claims, reducing the administrative burden for all parties. The principle should be clear: patients should not have to act as intermediaries between their hospital and their insurer. Advances in technology and process integration now make it possible for both to coordinate behind the scenes, allowing patients to focus on recovery.
Healthcare is increasingly extending beyond the hospital. Patients require support across prevention, screening, diagnosis, inpatient treatment, rehabilitation, home care, medication, remote monitoring and the long-term management of chronic conditions.
Collaboration between payers and providers is critical here. Together, they can develop programmes that encourage healthier lifestyles and earlier disease detection, so insurance plays a role well before hospitalisation.
Preventive health checks, disease management programmes, teleconsultations, home care, rehabilitation and remote monitoring can increasingly form part of an integrated continuum of care. For chronic conditions such as diabetes, heart disease and cancer, success is determined by how effectively a patient's health is managed over months and years, rather than by a single hospital stay.
Providers have visibility into the clinical journey, while payers have insight into long-term health patterns and claims. When these datasets are combined responsibly, the industry can shift its focus from procedure volume to clinical outcomes, early intervention, and long-term health.
At the same time, as healthcare becomes more digital, it must remain human. Hospitals must provide compassionate care, and insurers must ensure approvals are simple and predictable and coverage is easy to understand.
The future of healthcare will require a fundamental shift from treating individual episodes of illness to managing health over a person's lifetime. No single stakeholder can achieve this.
The next phase of healthcare should be defined by collaboration around the patient rather than negotiation between payer and provider. Progress will be evident when providers and payers share information more effectively, coordinate around evidence-based care, improve transparency, simplify the patient journey, and measure success by health outcomes rather than transactions.
Ultimately, healthcare needs partnerships that ensure every patient receives appropriate care, achieves better outcomes and can access that care with confidence.
Bathwal is CEO, Aditya Birla Health Insurance. Jose is MD-CEO, Manipal Hospitals
18. From family resistance to respect: How 20 women in Jhansi built a business
India Today News Desk, October 26 2026
When women in Bhojla village in Uttar Pradesh's Jhansi district decided to join self-help groups and set up a plant, not everyone in their families supported the move. Some faced resistance at home, while their financial circumstances often left them struggling to provide their children with the education they wanted.
Today, women say their circumstances have changed. The plant they set up with government support supplies supplementary nutrition to anganwadis, giving them a regular source of income. They say they can now contribute to household expenses, send their children to private schools and, most importantly, command greater respect within their families.
At the Saksham Prerna Small Industries unit in Bhojla gram panchayat, 20 women produce food items supplied to anganwadis. Their journey began with self-help groups, savings, and a collective decision to invest in their own business.
From family resistance to respect: How 20 women in Jhansi built a business
From self-help groups to a nutrition plant
Draupadi, who heads the Shiv Mandir self-help group, said a team that visited their area first introduced the women to the initiative and informed them about government schemes.
"Initially, 10 women joined our group. Later, the group developed into a village organisation, followed by a cluster-level federation," she said.
The village organisation is called Nari Shakti Prerna Sangathan, while the cluster-level federation is Lakshya Prerna Samiti, Bhojla.
The women were later informed that a Take-Home Ration (THR) plant would be set up. Each woman was required to contribute Rs 30,000 through her self-help group towards establishing the facility. The women pooled the money, and the plant was installed.
From family resistance to respect: How 20 women in Jhansi built a business
Draupadi said the work had brought a significant change to their lives. Regular wages have helped them manage household expenses and provide better schooling for their children.
Before joining the self-help group, she earned a living through sewing and agricultural work. She said meeting basic household needs could be difficult, and the family could not afford to send the children to better schools.
"After joining the group, our lives changed considerably," she said, adding that women who had once faced opposition from family members were now treated with respect.
She also thanked the state government for providing the women with an opportunity to work and earn.
From government schools to private education
Saroj, a resident of Behta village and president of the Jai Maa Ratan Wali self-help group, said the plant prepares several food products for children at anganwadis, including besan barfi, besan halwa and porridge made with moong dal.
The women gradually built their savings through the self-help group before setting up the plant with government assistance.
Saroj said the change in their earnings had affected how they could plan for their children's future.
"Earlier, our children studied in government schools. Now we are able to send them to private schools. The biggest thing is that we are standing on our own feet," she said.
From family resistance to respect: How 20 women in Jhansi built a business
For the women, the income from the plant has meant more than an additional contribution to the household budget. It has given them greater financial independence and the ability to decide what their families need.
'We were discouraged from joining the groups'
Vinita, another woman employed at the plant, said each self-help group typically has 10 members and that 17 groups are active in the area. Women in these groups take part in different activities, she said.
She recalled that some women were initially discouraged from joining self-help groups. But those who persisted have gradually become financially independent.
"Earlier, we could not go out freely. After joining the group and starting to earn, our lives changed. We never imagined that we would become independent," she said.
Vinita added that earning an income had enabled women to contribute to their husbands' earnings and household expenses. She said family members who had once opposed their participation in the groups now treated them with respect.
The women's experience in Bhojla shows how collective savings, government support and access to paid work can create new economic opportunities in rural communities. For the women working at the nutrition plant, the most visible changes are their ability to support their children's education, contribute to household income, and have a greater say in family life.
19.1. 7 Indian companies achieved the status of unicorn in 2026
Financial Express, 4 Nov. 2026, Kushan Shah
Financial services and healthcare were the dominant sectors among the newly added unicorns, accounting for six of the seven companies (three each). (Photo source: Image is AI-generated).
Seven Indian companies that received valuations in the $500 million – $1 billion range last year recorded valuations over $1 billion in 2026 to achieve unicorn status, according to the 2026 ASK Private Wealth Hurun India Gazelle Index. US-based digital health company Twin Health recorded the highest valuation of over $2 billion, with its valuation growing more than 3x in the last year. The company’s India headquarters is in Chennai, and it uses AI to build a “digital twin” of a patient’s metabolism and guide them in reversing chronic conditions like type II diabetes, where India has one of the highest rates in the world. Other companies that achieved unicorn status include Bengaluru-based digital lender KreditBee, Bengaluru-based hospital chain Cloudnine Hospitals,
Mumbai-based investment and broking platform Dhan, Ahmedabad-based pharmaceutical company La Renon Healthcare, Mumbai-based wealth and asset management firm Neo Wealth Management and AI-based video editing software provider InVideo AI. Financial services and healthcare were the dominant sectors among the newly added unicorns, accounting for six of the seven companies (three each).
The index also shared that 2026 recorded an addition of 15 ‘‘gazelles’, unlisted companies that were founded after the year 2000, whose current valuations are in the $500 million to $1 billion range and which are likely to become unicorns within the next three years. The report also shared that India ranks third globally in companies classified as gazelles, behind the US and China.
Indian founders built 323 unicorns globally; 61% are based in the US: Report.
Nine of these companies saw their valuations rise from the $200 million–$500 million range to become gazelles, while six became gazelles directly. The six direct entrants include two US-based artificial intelligence companies, Ema AI and UnifyApps, and two enterprise services companies, Bengaluru-based Tablespace Technologies and Noida-based Businessnext. Bengaluru-based fintech company Scapia and Bengaluru-based electric vehicle (EV) company Simple Energy also saw their valuations rise above $500 million directly.
Overall, 51 companies are currently classified as gazelles, up from 47 in 2025. These companies were collectively valued at Rs 3.3 lakh crore ($34.1 billion), with an average valuation of Rs 6,400 crore. The fintech sector led the gazelle cohort with 13 gazelles, while SaaS and e-commerce sectors recorded five gazelles. Three frontier sectors, artificial intelligence, cleantech and aerospace & defence, accounted for eight gazelles. Six of these gazelles were in the AI and cleantech sector, while two came from the aerospace & defence sector. These companies also contributed significantly to the workforce by employing over 60,000 people.
Geographically, 36 of the 51 gazelles came from three cities: Bengaluru, NCR and Mumbai. Bengaluru led the gazelle cohort with 17 gazelles, while NCR and Mumbai contributed 11 and 8 gazelles, respectively. Ten gazelles maintain a headquarters outside India: seven in the United States, two in Singapore and one in the United Kingdom.
19.2. India’s next unicorns are already here: Meet 51 gazelles worth Rs 3.3 lakh crore
The Financial Express, 4 Nov. 2026, Anjana PV
The 2026 ASK Private Wealth Hurun India Gazelle Index, released in Mumbai on November 3, identifies 51 such companies that could become unicorns within the next three years (AI-generated)
India’s next generation of unicorns is taking shape, and the race to the billion-dollar club is gathering pace. Behind the country’s celebrated start-up success stories is a new group of 51 high-growth companies that could soon join the ranks of India’s most valuable private businesses.
These companies are valued at a staggering Rs 3.3 lakh crore ($34.1 billion). The 41 Gazelles that reported revenue clocked a combined Rs 33,233 crore in FY25, averaging 50% growth in a single year. They also employ more than 60,000 people, telling us how these businesses are moving beyond the start-up stage to become significant employers and economic players. These are not just companies chasing the next funding round. They are businesses building scale, attracting investors and positioning themselves for the next big leap.
What makes a start-up a Gazelle?
The 2026 ASK Private Wealth Hurun India Gazelle Index, released in Mumbai on November 3, identifies 51 such companies that could become unicorns within the next three years. A Gazelle is an unlisted start-up founded in 2000 or later, valued between $500 million and $1 billion, with the potential to cross the $1-billion mark within three years. Hurun calculates valuations based on each company’s most recent sizeable funding round. The conversion rate used is $1 to Rs 95.71.
For the first time, Hurun has released separate reports for its Cheetah, Gazelle and Unicorn cohorts, offering a closer look at companies at different stages of growth. The Gazelle club has come a long way. From just 32 companies in 2021, the list has expanded to 51 in 2026, a 59% increase. The number reached 51 in 2022 amid a funding boom, remained unchanged in 2023, slipped to 46 in 2024 after valuation corrections, and recovered to 47 in 2025. The average valuation of a Gazelle now stands at around Rs 6,400 crore. India ranks third globally in the number of Gazelles, behind the US and China.
Fifteen newcomers enter, seven graduate to unicorn status.
The latest list shows how quickly the start-up landscape is changing. Fifteen companies entered the Gazelle club in 2026, while 11 exited, leaving the cohort with a net addition of four companies. Nine of the new entrants graduated from the Cheetah category. These include Seekho, Mosaic Wellness, GIVA, KukuFM, Agnikul, Miko, Atomberg Technologies, DeHaat and Practo.
Six others entered the list directly. They include AI companies Ema AI and UnifyApps, enterprise services firms Tablespace Technologies and BUSINESSNEXT, fintech player Scapia and electric vehicle maker Simple Energy. Interestingly, Ema AI and UnifyApps, both founded in 2023, are the youngest companies in this year’s cohort. Seven companies graduated to unicorn status, two went public, and two were removed from the list. Shadowfax, which listed in January, and Turtlemint, which went public in June, were among the companies that exited.
Seven companies cross the billion-dollar mark.
2026 proved to be the year seven Gazelles crossed the coveted $1-billion valuation threshold. This takes the total number of companies that have graduated from the Gazelle list to unicorn status since 2021 to 34. The biggest leap came from Twin Health, the Menlo Park-based metabolic health company, whose valuation jumped from $700 million to $2 billion.
Fintech company KreditBee also recorded a sharp rise, moving from $700 million to $1.5 billion. Its financial performance shows a glimpse into the growth behind the valuation. Revenue increased 37% to Rs 2,869 crore, while profit rose 40% to Rs 458 crore. Cloudnine Hospitals' valuation climbed from $600 million to $1.3 billion. The healthcare company employs around 8,000 people, making it one of the group's largest employers.
Stockbroking platform Dhan, the youngest among the seven new unicorns, saw its valuation rise from $500 million to $1.2 billion. Its revenue more than doubled from Rs 373 crore to Rs 887 crore, while profit increased from Rs 159 crore to Rs 408 crore. Pharmaceutical company La Renon moved from $800 million to $1.2 billion, backed by revenue of Rs 1,686 crore and profit of Rs 248 crore. Neo Wealth Management also joined the billion-dollar club, with its valuation rising from $640 million to $1.1 billion in less than five years.
The seventh entrant is InVideo AI, headquartered in San Francisco. It is the only AI company among this year’s seven new unicorns. Financial services and healthcare account for six of the seven companies that crossed the billion-dollar mark, showing the growing scale of businesses operating in these sectors.
Revenue is rising, and so is the ambition.
The Gazelles are not just attracting billion-dollar valuations. Their business performance is also gathering momentum. The cohort’s combined revenue has increased from Rs 18,963 crore in FY22 to Rs 33,233 crore in FY25, growing at a compound annual rate of around 21%. Eleven companies have crossed the Rs 1,000-crore revenue mark. Captain Fresh leads the pack with Rs 3,466 crore, followed by DeHaat at Rs 3,041 crore and Rayzon Solar at Rs 2,833 crore.
Another 14 companies reported revenue between Rs 500 crore and Rs 1,000 crore, while 16 remained below the Rs 500-crore mark. Some of the fastest-growing companies are also among the newer names. KGeN recorded an extraordinary growth rate of 2,112%, followed by Seekho at 1,021% and Simple Energy at 357%. The numbers show that the next wave of unicorns is being built not just on investor enthusiasm, but also on rapidly expanding business operations.
Nearly Rs 88,000 crore in funding, 60,000 jobs
Investor confidence in these companies is reflected in the money they have attracted. Together, the 51 Gazelles have raised around Rs 87,780 crore in funding. Ninjacart leads the fundraising chart with Rs 4,919 crore, followed by InsuranceDekho at Rs 3,465 crore and Tablespace Technologies at Rs 3,139 crore.
The companies are also creating substantial employee ownership opportunities. Infinx has the largest employee stock ownership pool at 30.7%, followed by Practo at 13.2% and InsuranceDekho at 12%. In terms of employment, Infinx is the biggest employer, with around 7,000 employees. Finova Capital follows with 5,118 employees, while Pocket FM employs around 4,000 people. With more than 60,000 people employed across the cohort, these companies are increasingly becoming important players in India’s employment landscape.
Fintech leads, but AI and clean energy are gaining ground.
Fintech continues to dominate the Gazelle ecosystem, accounting for 13 companies in the latest list. SaaS and e-commerce follow with five companies each, while edtech and agritech have four each. However, companies in artificial intelligence, clean technology, and aerospace and defence point to the growing diversity of India’s start-up economy. Together, these three areas account for eight Gazelles, including Ema AI, Lohum, Rayzon Solar and Agnikul.
Bengaluru remains the country’s leading start-up hub, housing 17 Gazelles. NCR follows with 11, while Mumbai is home to eight. Together, these three regions account for 71% of the list. Ten companies are headquartered overseas, including seven in the US, two in Singapore and one in the UK. Overall, 21 Gazelles have operations outside India. MoEngage has the widest international footprint, with offices in 12 countries. Captain Fresh and Servify follow with operations in seven countries each.
Who is building India’s next billion-dollar businesses?
Behind these fast-growing companies are founders with diverse backgrounds, though engineering and management institutions continue to dominate the talent pool. Two-founder teams lead the list, accounting for 20 Gazelles. Another 18 companies have three founders, while 10 are led by solo founders.
Women remain underrepresented, with just six companies having a woman founder. They include Prukalpa Sankar of Atlan, Shruti Aggarwal of StashFin, Sunita Sahney of Finova Capital, Amrita Sirohia of INDMoney, Pallavi Shrivastava of Progcap and Nikita Prasad of GIVA. At 31, Yash Banwani of Seekho is the youngest founder in the cohort. Keertay Agarwal, also from Seekho, and Vikas Goyal of KukuFM follow at 32.
The IIT ecosystem continues to have a strong presence. IIT Kharagpur leads in undergraduate education, with 13 founders, followed by IIT Bombay and IIT Kanpur with six each. At the postgraduate level, IIT Bombay tops the list with seven founders, ahead of IIM Ahmedabad with five.
The investors placing their bets on tomorrow’s unicorns.
The race to build India’s next unicorns is also a race among investors to identify promising businesses early. Peak XV Partners has backed the highest number of Gazelles, with investments in 13 companies. Tiger Global follows with nine, Elevation Capital with eight, and Accel and Z47 with seven each.
Among individual angel investors, Kunal Shah leads with investments in five Gazelles. Anand Chandrasekaran, Amrish Rau, Jitendra Gupta, Kunal Bahl and Rohit Bansal have backed three companies each. Anas Rahman Junaid, Founder and Chief Researcher of Hurun India, said: “Everyone knows India’s unicorns, but the unicorns of 2029 are on this list today.”
He added that these businesses were no longer experiments, but companies with real customers and growing operations that remained relatively undiscovered by the wider world. Rajesh Saluja, Co-Founder, CEO and MD of ASK Private Wealth, said the journey from Gazelle to unicorn and eventually to a public listing was rarely straightforward. Each stage, he noted, brought new financial needs, from capital planning and liquidity to diversification and succession.
20. Tamil Nadu leads India's research and patent race, tops NITI Aayog scoreboard
India Today Education Desk, 6 Nov. 2026
Tamil Nadu leads India's research and patent race, tops NITI Aayog scoreboard
Tamil Nadu leads Indian states in research publications and patent applications. At the same time, Uttar Pradesh, Maharashtra and Karnataka also feature among the top contributors, according to the India Science and Technology (S&T) Scoreboard launched by NITI Aayog.
The data provides a state-wise picture of research activity and raises questions about the link between higher education spending and innovation.
Tamil Nadu recorded 44,611 research publications in 2024-25, followed by Uttar Pradesh with 29,298 and Maharashtra with 28,947. Karnataka recorded 27,970 publications, while Delhi had 24,417.
The patent data also places Tamil Nadu at the top, followed by Maharashtra and Karnataka. Uttar Pradesh and Telangana also have a significant number of patent applications.
RESEARCH PUBLICATIONS AND PATENT APPLICATIONS
The difference between publication and patent rankings offers insight into how states perform across different areas of research.
Uttar Pradesh ranks second in research publications but fourth in patent applications. Maharashtra and Karnataka feature among the leading states in both categories.
Research publications indicate academic output, while patent applications reflect efforts to protect inventions and new technologies. However, patent filings do not necessarily result in commercial products or successful businesses.
The comparison raises questions about how much university and institutional research is converted into patents and products.
DOES HIGHER EDUCATION SPENDING MAKE A DIFFERENCE?
The NITI Aayog scoreboard brings together data on research publications, patents, startups, research funding, higher education institutions and state science and technology policies.
It covers 36 states and Union Territories and includes information on 1,260 higher education institutions, 356 centrally funded research and development institutions, 38,553 deep-tech startups and 390 incubators.
The data can be compared with state-wise spending on higher education to examine whether states investing more in universities and research infrastructure are also recording higher research output.
However, the number of institutions or spending on higher education alone may not explain research performance. Faculty strength, research facilities, project funding, and industry partnerships also influence university output.
RESEARCH QUALITY AND COMMERCIAL OUTCOMES
The scoreboard also includes indicators such as research citations, journal quality and international collaboration. These indicators help assess research quality and reach beyond the number of papers published.
India recorded 2,23,005 research publications and 62,934 patent applications in 2024-25. Its Category Normalised Citation Impact (CNCI) stood at 0.89, against the global average of 1. Indian publications accounted for 8.5 per cent of the world's top 10 per cent most-cited papers.
The state-wise data provides a basis for examining whether research output is translating into patents, startups and commercial applications. It also allows governments to compare their research ecosystems and identify areas where more investment may be needed.
The key question is whether states can convert spending on higher education and research institutions into measurable scientific and technological outcomes.
INDIA and the World
21. India-New Zealand FTA Takes Effect, Centres of Excellence Planned for Apple, Kiwifruit and Honey Production
The India-New Zealand FTA took effect on October 20 2026, giving Indian exporters 100% duty-free access to the New Zealand market. The agreement includes technology and productivity initiatives for apple, kiwifruit and honey producers, while excluding dairy, sugar and edible oils from tariff concessions to protect domestic farmers.
The India-New Zealand Free Trade Agreement (FTA) came into force on Tuesday, opening new opportunities for Indian exporters through 100% duty-free access to the New Zealand market. The agreement combines improved market access with agricultural cooperation, including technology transfer, training, and productivity-enhancement initiatives for Indian farmers.
Announced by Union Minister of Commerce and Industry Piyush Goyal and New Zealand Minister for Trade and Investment Todd McClay, the agreement aims to strengthen bilateral trade, create employment opportunities and expand cooperation across agriculture, manufacturing and services.
For agriculture, the agreement places particular emphasis on apples, kiwifruit and honey, while protecting sensitive domestic sectors such as dairy, sugar and edible oils from tariff concessions.
Agricultural Productivity Partnership to Support Farmers
The Agricultural Productivity Partnership is a key component of the agreement, extending cooperation beyond tariff reductions to bring global technology, training and best agricultural practices to Indian farmers.
The partnership includes dedicated action plans for apples, kiwifruit and honey, with broader cooperation covering horticulture, forestry, livestock and fisheries. The initiatives aim to improve cultivation practices, reduce post-harvest losses and enhance agricultural productivity.
New Zealand will provide technical assistance to establish Centres of Excellence for kiwifruit, apples, and honey.
Under the first phase of the Kiwifruit Action Plan, sites have been identified at Pfutsero in Nagaland and Magra in Uttarakhand. The plan proposes two additional Centres of Excellence for apple production in Himachal Pradesh and Uttarakhand, while the Honey Action Plan envisages centres in Uttar Pradesh and West Bengal.
The initiatives are expected to support technology transfer, improved orchard management and better production practices. Their impact on farm incomes will depend on implementation and how much farmers can access the resulting technology and training.
Market Access Linked to Farmer Welfare
The agreement links tariff-rate quotas (TRQs) for apples, kiwifruit and Mānuka honey to implementing the respective action plans. A Joint Agriculture Productivity Council will oversee the process.
The government says this arrangement aims to link market access to farmer welfare, rather than treating trade liberalisation as a standalone objective.
For Indian horticulture producers, the combination of technical support and access to overseas markets could create opportunities to improve product quality and competitiveness. Better post-harvest management, storage, packaging, and supply-chain infrastructure will also help farmers benefit from export opportunities.
Dairy, Sugar and Edible Oils Excluded From Concessions
To safeguard domestic producers, the agreement excludes sensitive products such as dairy, sugar, edible oils, and key agricultural commodities from tariff concessions.
The exclusions aim to protect farmers, dairy producers, fisherfolk, and rural communities from the potential adverse effects of increased import competition.
The agreement also incorporates Rules of Origin, a bilateral safeguard mechanism and anti-circumvention provisions. These measures are designed to ensure that eligible exporters receive preferential trade benefits and that the agreement's provisions are not misused.
Indian Products Get Duty-Free Access
New Zealand has eliminated customs duties across all tariff lines covering Indian exports, removing peak tariffs of up to 10%. On the occasion, the first-ever export of a JCB machine from India to New Zealand was flagged off by the Union Minister of Commerce and Industry.
Agricultural products and processed foods are among the categories expected to benefit, alongside textiles, footwear, engineering goods, pharmaceuticals and other manufactured products.
Duty-free access could improve the price competitiveness of Indian products in New Zealand. However, turning this advantage into higher farm incomes will require exporters to meet quality and food-safety standards, build reliable supply chains, and connect effectively with producers and farmer organisations.
New Zealand Commits to Facilitate USD 20 Billion Investment
New Zealand has committed to facilitate USD 20 billion in investment into India. The proposed investment is expected to benefit agriculture, manufacturing, infrastructure, and startups, supporting innovation, entrepreneurship, and job creation.
The India-New Zealand FTA supports the countries' Strategic Partnership Roadmap to 2030, which sets an aspirational target of doubling bilateral trade in goods and services to NZ$7 billion, equivalent to approximately Rs. 35,000 crore, by 2030.
Negotiations began on March 16 2025 and concluded on December 22 2025. The two countries signed the agreement on April 27 2026.
22. Why India is winning global entrepreneurial talent
Hindustan Times, 22 Out. 2026, Richa Bajpai
Startup
For a long time, the Indian founder journey followed a fairly predictable geography. You studied in India, went abroad for a Master's and stayed back for a few years, built your network, raised capital, and often incorporated your company somewhere else. India was where you came from. The US, UK or Singapore was where you built.
More Indian students and young professionals who have studied and worked abroad are choosing to return and build companies here. But another, perhaps even more interesting, signal is emerging. India is also beginning to attract non-Indian founders. Take Adrian Schmidt, the German co-founder of Bengaluru-based Sarla Aviation, who chose India to build an electric air mobility company. The question, therefore, is becoming larger than brain gain. What has changed enough for founders, Indian or otherwise, to see India as a credible place to build from?
One of the biggest shifts is that risk capital has been domesticated. This is not simply about more money being available. The source of that money has changed. Indian AIFs, family offices, HNIs and domestic fund managers are now a meaningful part of the ecosystem. Estimates suggest domestic investors accounted for around 38-40% of venture capital deployed in India in 2025, the highest share on record. Indian wealth is now increasingly funding Indian risk.
That matters. A founder considering India today is no longer looking at an ecosystem that depends overwhelmingly on foreign venture capital. Capital is certainly not fully solved, particularly for businesses that need large, patient pools of money. Still, the funding base is much broader than it was a decade ago, and it is getting broader quickly.
Government support has changed too. Both the Centre and states increasingly see entrepreneurship, technology and manufacturing as strategic priorities. The ₹10,000 crore Startup India Fund of Funds 2.0 is one example, but it sits alongside a much wider capital architecture. SIDBI-backed funds, the ₹1 lakh crore Research, Development and Innovation Fund, BIRAC programmes and initiatives in sectors such as space are creating different pools of capital for different kinds of innovation. Importantly, there is also greater recognition that deeptech and R&D cannot always be funded like conventional startups. They need patient capital, longer time horizons and, depending on the problem, instruments ranging from grants to long-term financing and equity.
This matters when you are building beyond the familiar software playbook. Space, semiconductors, climate technology and advanced manufacturing need an ecosystem around the founder. Policy and infrastructure can matter almost as much as venture capital.
Then there is AI.
For years, a genuine knowledge arbitrage existed between Silicon Valley and the rest of the world. The newest technology, research and tools often emerged there first. Today, a frontier model can become available to a developer in Bengaluru and San Francisco on the same day. The Valley still has enormous advantages in capital depth, distribution and networks. But it no longer has the same monopoly on know-how.
AI has changed two other things. First, the cost of building has fallen sharply. Small teams can now ship products that would previously have required much larger engineering and product organisations. Second, some of India's hardest markets are becoming commercially serviceable in ways they were not before. Vernacular users, voice-first consumers, lower-ARPU customers and users in Tier II and III India can increasingly be served with viable economics.
That's where being in India becomes an advantage. You are close to the customer and to all the complexity of this market. An offshore team can study that complexity. A founder building here lives it. Some of the things that once made India difficult to build for may now become precisely what gives Indian founders an edge.
Another shift I think is still underrated: The endgame has moved onshore.
For years, India lacked a sufficiently credible exit market for many venture-backed technology businesses. Incorporating in Delaware or Singapore often made sense because that was where deeper capital pools and eventual exits existed. That has changed substantially. Indian public markets are far more receptive to technology and consumer businesses today, and companies including PhonePe, Groww and Meesho have gone through the cost and complexity of moving their corporate structures back to India.
When the endgame comes home, incorporation follows. And eventually, founders do too.
Then there is talent. Ten years ago, a returning founder could come back with ambition and capital and still face a basic problem: who here had actually scaled something before? Who had built a large engineering organisation, managed hypergrowth or taken a product from thousands of users to millions?
Today, there is an operator bench. Alumni of Flipkart, Ola, Freshworks, Zerodha and dozens of other startups have gone on to become founders, senior operators, angels and mentors.
A founder building in India today can find people who have already made mistakes at scale and learnt from them. That was far less true a decade ago.
Visa restrictions and geopolitical uncertainty may now be pushing some Indian talent to make decisions sooner. But I would still call them an accelerant, not the cause. The push matters because the pull has become credible.
For the earlier generation of Indian founders, returning to India could feel like a trade-off. Today, it can be a strategic choice. And increasingly, India is becoming a choice even for founders who have no ancestral reason to be here. That, to me, is the more interesting shift.
The foundations are now in place for this advantage to compound further: deeper domestic pools of capital, more patient funding for frontier technologies, an experienced operator base, stronger public markets and a huge, complex home market that increasingly rewards those close enough to understand it.
The question is, therefore, no longer only, "Why should I come back?"
For the next generation of founders, wherever they come from, it may increasingly be: "Why not build from India?"
(The views expressed are personal)
This article is authored by Richa Bajpai, CEO, Campus Fund.
23. BL Agro to Invest Rs 7,000 Crore in Tanzania in First Overseas Expansion
Team RuralVoice, October 22. 2026
BL Agro will invest Rs 7,000 crore in Tanzania over the next decade in its first overseas expansion. The phased investment spans edible oils, dairy, agriculture and manufacturing, and is expected to create about one lakh local jobs.
BL Agro, the Bareilly-headquartered FMCG and food manufacturing company, announced today that it will invest Rs7,000 crore in Tanzania over the next 10 years, marking its first move into the global market. The investment will be made in phases and will cover edible oils, dairy and animal husbandry, agriculture, research and manufacturing. The company expects the projects to generate about 1 lakh local jobs.
The expansion is part of BL Agro's goal of becoming a Rs30,000 crore group by 2030. The company says it plans to build an integrated ecosystem in Tanzania that combines the country's agricultural resources with Indian technology and processing expertise. It also sees Tanzania as a possible gateway to the wider East African market.
Timed with presidential visit
The announcement follows a recent visit to Tanzania by a five-member BL Agro delegation, which met with government representatives and stakeholders to discuss investment opportunities and a project roadmap. It also coincides with Tanzanian President Samia Suluhu Hassan's visit to India, during which the two countries discussed deepening bilateral cooperation and investment.
Ashish Khandelwal, Managing Director of BL Agro, said Tanzania offers immense growth potential. "Tanzania is an agriculture and livestock powerhouse with significant headroom to raise productivity, and that is where Indian technology and processing expertise can make a real difference," he said. He added that the investment aims to create long-term partnerships and value for local communities, and that the company looks forward to working with the Tanzanian government and local stakeholders to build a sustainable, mutually beneficial business ecosystem.
Anisa K. Mbega, High Commissioner of the United Republic of Tanzania to India, welcomed the proposal. She said it reflected Tanzania's potential in agriculture, edible oils, dairy and food processing, and the growing warmth of India-Tanzania trade and investment ties. "This collaboration will bring valuable technology, create jobs, nurture skills, and most importantly empower our farmers," she said, describing it as the beginning of a long-term, mutually beneficial friendship.
Edible oils at the core
Edible oils will be the primary focus. Tanzania is one of the world's leading sunflower producers and has significant oilseed potential. BL Agro plans to set up production and processing facilities that add local value and meet growing domestic demand.
Beyond oils, the company will draw on its animal husbandry and dairy experience to explore modern dairy infrastructure and strengthen Tanzania's livestock sector. It is also evaluating contract farming arrangements and agricultural supply-chain development with local farmers, which could link growers more closely with processing facilities and markets.
BL Agro is also exploring opportunities aligned with Tanzania's Building a Better Tomorrow (BBT) programme, with an emphasis on technology transfer, employment generation, agricultural development and local value addition.
24. Medical tourism to India could spike if global insurance firms cover treatments: Sangita Reddy
Press Trust of India, 9 Nov. 2026
Medical tourism to India could spike if global insurance firms cover treatments: Sangita Reddy© PTI
Bangkok, Nov 8 (PTI) Once insurance companies start covering treatment expenses for foreign patients coming to India, medical tourism numbers could shoot up exponentially, a top Apollo Hospitals official has said.
"Global insurance companies enabling international usage automatically... and not just enabling... (but) encouraging will help save (patients) a lot of money," Apollo Hospitals Joint Managing Director Sangita Reddy said.
Speaking to PTI on the sidelines of the Garmin Health Summit in Bangkok, Reddy said, "We have requested the government to lead us on a delegation to work with the insurance companies. If they start covering... then you will see a large segment of the Western world coming here".
"We have a significant number of NRIs coming in. It is a win-win for all sides," she said.
According to official figures, the global medical travel market was valued at around USD 115.6 billion in 2022 and is projected to reach around USD 286.1 billion by 2030.
India has emerged as one of the most significant destinations in this evolving global landscape. Industry estimates place the medical tourism market at around USD 8.7 billion in 2025, with projections of USD 16.2 billion by 2030, according to government figures.
PREVENTIVE HEALTH CHECK-UPS
The preventive health check-up market has grown manifold over the past several years, and Apollo Hospitals alone did over 4 million such check-ups in 2025.
"Apollo started preventive health care 40 years ago with our health check-ups. Slowly, others have followed, and now you have many players offering such packages," Reddy said.
Apollo Hospitals is not looking at health check-ups as a pure business model, but a clinical model driven towards deep prevention and early detection.
"I think AI will enable that. Patient knowledge, the consumerism that is happening, is the other thing driving awareness," she said.
"In India, what's happening is patients show up, and they're sick. What we're detecting in our preventive checks is sometimes very advanced, where you need an angiogram or a stent the next day... (or) cancers which are advanced.
"The preventive check is not just a cholesterol. It's really about looking at the whole person over time. So it's an engagement model," she explained.
AI AND PREVENTIVE HEALTHCARE
The world is increasingly adopting artificial intelligence (AI) in healthcare, and India has started catching up, too, though there is a long way to go.
According to Reddy, the practice should start by using AI to pick up symptoms and using these "digital signals" to reprogram one's daily plan.
"There is genetics, and there is epigenetics. Epigenetics is the result of your lifestyle on your genes. And this is beginning to show as gene expression in your telomeres.
"Studying the telomere length gives you an indication of longevity. So, our health check-up actually looks at this comprehensively and builds corrective plans for us," Reddy said.
Apollo is looking at the hospital operating system and rebuilding it as a native AI-first platform to automate unnecessary tasks. "You integrate interpretations, knowledge, algorithms into day-to-day care into the clinical intelligence engine.
"Then you share and do data research to get net new knowledge. And you combine this with devices or digital layers, like embedding AI into the ultrasound probe. So, we're looking at it at the operational level, the clinical risk prediction, the clinical scoring so that one can get to better medicines and the clinical research," she said.
GARMIN HEALTH SUMMIT
US-based Garmin's digital health solution arm, Garmin Health, organised a two-day health summit in Bangkok last week, bringing together innovators and collaborators in the medtech space from around the world to showcase their products.
Garmin Health Global Sales Senior Director Jorn Watzke said, "Garmin Health has seen great interest from early collaborators like Apollo Hospitals and hopes to continue growing its presence in India across many different industries".
Apollo Hospitals and Garmin Health joined hands for a scheme called 'Grameen by Gramin', wherein the healthtech company provided 100 watches to residents of Aragonda village in Andhra Pradesh.
As part of the programme, Apollo is looking at patients with diabetes and hypertension and measuring their health indicators.
"So, what we are doing is to try to measure standard indicators you'd use in somebody with diabetes and hypertension, but then track it over time to see how we actually make an impact even in a rural population," Reddy added. PTI TRB BAL
25. Jeffrey Sachs calls the US, India, China, and Russia the world's four superpowers, urges cooperation over confrontation
ETNow, 4 Nov. 2026
Jeffrey Sachs calls the world's four superpowers India, China, US and Russia, urging cooperation over confrontation.
American economist and foreign policy expert Jeffrey Sachs has described India, the United States, China, and Russia as the world's four superpowers, urging them to cooperate and respect one another's sovereignty. He said the countries should avoid interfering in each other's internal affairs, positioning their militaries against one another or forming alliances against each other.
Jeffry Sachs explains why India should not fear China.
US economist Jeffrey Sachs has called for greater cooperation between India and China, saying that collaboration between the two Asian powers could help create a multipolar world. The two Asian economic powerhouses can help to build a truly multipolar world, the economist argued. He also said India should not fear China and that Beijing should promote New Delhi as the 6th permanent member of the UN Security Council.
"Understand that China and India working together makes the multipolar world, not the competition between them," Sachs said.
"I strongly believe that India will not be the new world hegemon, and China will not be the new hegemon," he argued.
Jeffrey Sachs is the director of the Centre for Sustainable Development at Columbia University and president of the UN Sustainable Development Solutions Network. He was speaking at the World Symposium in Varanasi on Monday, which brought together 200 scholars, philosophers and experts from across the world.
The economist projected that by the end of this century, India would have twice China's population and emerge as the single largest economy. "This is absolutely in the deep trends," he said.
Sachs cautions India against joining anti-China groupings like the Quad and calls for improved ties with Beijing.
India, the world's most populous country, has an economy valued at around $4 trillion, compared with China's $19.5 trillion. According to the IMF, the two Asian neighbours are projected to record GDP growth of 7% and 4.5%, respectively, in 2026.
New Delhi and Beijing were locked in a years-long diplomatic and economic battle following a border standoff in 2020. In 2024, the two neighbours' leaders met at the BRICS summit in Russia's Kazan and announced their willingness to improve ties.
Speaking on Monday, Sachs cautioned India against joining alliances such as the Quadrilateral Security Dialogue (Quad), an informal grouping comprising Australia, India, Japan and the United States, widely viewed as aimed at countering China's influence. He described the grouping as an example of "Western attempts to prolong their declining power."
Sachs described American ideology as being stuck in 1950. "We should have a president who is stuck somewhere around age three in his development, and his world is a world in which the US is the boss," he argued. Europe, too, is "stuck" in a world in which the West is "the boss," the academic said.
***
No comments:
Post a Comment
Note: only a member of this blog may post a comment.