creative writing india in 2030

The Literature Times

The Top 9 Emerging Indian Writers in 2023

Indian literature is a treasure trove of diverse narratives, captivating storytelling, and profound insights into the rich cultural heritage of the nation. From ancient scriptures to contemporary works, Indian writing encompasses a wide range of genres, styles, and perspectives. In this blog, we will delve into the vibrant world of Indian authors and their contributions to the literary landscape.

In recent years, the literary landscape in India has witnessed the emergence of a new generation of talented and diverse writers who are making a significant impact both within the country and on the global stage. These emerging Indian writers bring fresh perspectives, innovative storytelling techniques, and a deep engagement with contemporary issues, challenging conventional narratives and pushing the boundaries of Indian literature. Here are the top 9 emerging Indian writers in 2023:

Table of Contents

Raj Shamani

Raj Shamani is an entrepreneur, motivational speaker and social media influencer. He has featured on the ‘Top 5 Young Influencers of India’ list (YourStory), as well as on the ‘Top 10 Young Entrepreneurs in India’ list (Asian Age). His podcast, Figuring Out, is the top podcast on entrepreneurship in the country. He is the youngest Indian to speak at the United Nations Assembly. He has given four TEDx Talks and over 200 keynotes in over twenty-six countries.

Official Website: https://www.rajshamani.com/

Kanwalpreet Kaur

Kanwalpreet Kaur, a native of Shimla in the state of Himachal Pradesh, is a multifaceted individual with a deep passion for creative writing. With a diverse educational background that includes a Bachelor of Science (BSc) degree, a Bachelor of Education (B.Ed) degree, and a Master’s degree in Political Science, Kanwalpreet has honed her intellectual and analytical skills. Professionally, Kanwalpreet serves as an Inspector at the Food and Civil Supplies (FCS) and Consumer Affairs (CA) department, where she ensures the proper implementation of regulations and guidelines for the welfare of consumers. However, it is her creative pursuits that truly bring her joy and fulfillment.

Kanwalpreet’s love for poetry has blossomed into the creation of her debut book, “ Dhairya : Kavita Sangrah.” This Hindi poetry collection is a reflection of her profound understanding of human emotions, particularly centered around the themes of patience and positivity. Through her evocative verses, Kanwalpreet aims to inspire readers and instill a sense of hope in their hearts.

Mir Hadia Ashiq

Mir Hadia Ashiq is a talented teen writer hailing from Baramulla district in North Kashmir. At the young age of 17, she has already made a name for herself as an author and is currently pursuing her 11th grade education. Mir’s command over language allows her to effortlessly weave verses and she has showcased her skills in her anthology titled “ The Travelling Pages Everywhere Echoe s.” In addition to her poetry, she has also written thought-provoking articles on various social issues. Growing up in a time of hard work and resourcefulness, Mir’s passion for writing has propelled her forward, constantly pushing the boundaries of her craft. With each writing endeavor, she gains valuable insights and experiences that she hopes will shape her future in the field of literature.

Piyusha Pushp

Piyusha is a Masters in Bio-Chemistry and is passionate about teaching Physics & Chemistry. She is excited about reading, researching, and developing utilitarian practices from the Sanatana literature. She is also a fitness freak and passionate about Yoga.

She’s a positive-minded person who believes in strong value systems imparted by her parents. She is passionately associated with NGOs that support a chain of orphanages and old-age homes.

Piyusha is married to Pankaj Lochan, who is an author of several management books and other literature.

Official Website: https://piyushapushp.com/

Dr. Prem Prakash Pathak

Dr. Prem Prakash Pathak is an innovator, an author, a strategic analyst, and Bhakti Shastri. His educational accomplishments include PhD from CSIR-CDRI, Lucknow; Gold medalist in M.Sc. from Tezpur University, Assam; and several certificate courses on essential skills for professional career. He is author of the book – The Golden Eggs – A perspective on the education ecosystem. He has over 15 years of experience in practicing and preaching teachings of Bhagavad Gita. His preaching helps students and corporate employees in developing essential life management skills based on Bhagavad Gita.

Ashwin Sanghi

Ashwin Sanghi (born 25 January 1969) is an Indian writer and author of the novels: The Rozabal Line, Chanakya’s Chant, The Krishna Key, Sialkot Saga, Keepers Of The Kalachakra, The Vault of Vishnu and The Magicians of Mazda. Sanghi completed his schooling at the Cathedral & John Connon School, graduated with a BA (Economics) from St. Xavier’s College, and earned an MBA from the Yale School of Management. He joined his family’s business in 1993. He wrote his first novel in 2006. In 2014, Sanghi and James Patterson co-wrote a thriller titled Private India for Patterson’s Private series.

Vaibhavi Sonawane

Vaibhavi Sonawane, an Indian author hailing from the serene town of Panchavati in Nashik, proudly presents her memoir titled ‘What Do You Think? Part 2.’ With great delight, she invites readers to delve into a collection of personal stories and reflections that have profoundly influenced her journey and shaped her into the person she is today.

Within the pages of this remarkable book, Vaibhavi takes readers on an intimate exploration of her life, weaving together a tapestry of poignant experiences and profound insights. Each chapter offers a glimpse into the significant moments that have left an indelible mark on her soul. From childhood memories that evoke nostalgia to pivotal events that brought about personal growth and transformation, Vaibhavi’s memoir is a testament to the power of human resilience and self-discovery.

Dr. Pratima Vishwakarma

Dr. Pratima Vishwakarma holds an M.Sc. and Ph.D. degree, with a remarkable teaching experience of 8 years. She has made significant contributions to the field of research with a total of 18 publications, including 15 research papers and 3 book chapters. Dr. Vishwakarma has actively participated in numerous conferences and seminars, both at the national and international level, presenting her work on 19 occasions.

Her exemplary research skills were recognized at the Recent Trends in Microbiology conference organized by DDU Gorakhpur University, where she received the 3rd best oral presentation award in March 2014 and the 1st best presentation award at the same event. Dr. Vishwakarma’s research findings were also presented at the Young Scientist Program organized by the Indian Science Congress held at the University of Agricultural Sciences, GKVK Campus, Bangalore, in January 2020.

With her passion for research and a proven track record of achievements, Dr. Pratima Vishwakarma continues to make valuable contributions to the scientific community.

Shahid Saleem

Shahid Saleem is an introspective author who discovered the therapeutic power of writing from a young age. Despite experiencing grief and hardship, he never gave up on his passion for writing and has been honing his craft for years. His latest work, “The Buried Journal,” is a gripping novel that explores overthinking our past and future can totally change our lives. Through his writing, Shahid hopes to offer readers a deeper understanding of their own emotions and experiences. In addition to writing, he is a voracious reader who enjoys exploring a wide range of genres. When he’s not writing, Shahid can be found spending time with loved ones or pursuing other creative interests. He is excited to share “The Buried Journal” with readers and hopes that it will inspire them to change their approach to living life.

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India's arts economy can be major driver of growth and innovation

THE WEEK picks 40 under 40 sharpshooters of 2022 across eight creative categories

A 40-under-40 list is the most visible way to acknowledge the achievements of young and outstanding individuals in the public domain. They celebrate endeavours in business, research, philanthropy, cinema, activism, sports and what not. They are associated with “bright young entrepreneurs”, “influential leaders”, “disrupters”, and definitive “change-makers”, making it all look very slick, efficient, suited-booted corporate chic. But few have attempted to conduct a magisterial survey of list-makers entirely in the arts. Food, books, fashion, cinema, visual art, music, comedy and theatre are creative categories as old as history and coalesce together to form the culture industry. If harnessed and nurtured well, our creative economy will become the vital force in turbocharging human development.

Everything from arts and crafts to design, architecture, entertainment and advertising are meant to bring about socio-economic progress, innovation and job creation. The creative and cultural industries (or the CCIs, in formal parlance) are now one of the most compelling and fastest growing sectors in the world economy. “The value of the global market for creative goods more than doubled from $208 billion in 2002 to $509 billion in 2015. It is among the most rapidly growing sectors of the world economy, generating nearly 30 million jobs worldwide and employing more people aged 15−29 than any other sector,” states a paper published for UNESCO in April 2022, called The Creative Economy: Moving in from the Sidelines. Colombia, for instance, has had an “Orange Economy” policy since 2018—an economic movement which encourages the private sector to invest in CCIs across the arts, crafts, festivals, heritage, music, publishing, and fashion. The creative economy is expected to reach a global valuation of $985 billion by 2023, and is likely to constitute 10 per cent of the global GDP before 2030, according to the think tank, G20 Insights. Today, India is among the top 10 countries stimulating global trade in creative goods and services. We are the world’s largest producer of films. Creative content from this industry, experts say, may become the country’s greatest export.

The importance of framing CCI-friendly economic policies becomes all the more relevant as the arts industry emerges from a long spell of Covid-induced shutdowns of live and public performance venues, which had affected artist mobility, revenues, livelihood and creative freedom itself. The need for a 40-under-40 arts list has to be viewed in the context of the complete disruption that CCIs suffered in the last three years, thanks to a raging virus. Our standout performers of 2022, despite closures and distancing measures, persisted and played on. And they represent a set of professionals who push the boundaries of their craft in unusual ways as necessitated by the times.

“When you look at the creative economy, unfortunately in India we have no policy framing the sector in its entirety,” says Rashmi Dhanwani, founder of the Art X Company, a strategic consultancy for the cultural sector. “So, while there are certain pockets of very enthusiastic industries, like film and music, you can’t call theatre a creative industry in India, unlike in the UK where it is formalised; there is a profit orientation and the sector contributes actively to the overall health of the economy.”

But this list could not have come out at a better time. Although much later than most other industries, the culture industrial complex is now coming back to life, unleashing in its wake a crop of standout creative acts. “It is only this year that tourism picked up, and festivals and concerts are coming back,” notes Dhanwani. “These are extremely positive feelers. People are really coming out and saying, yes, we want to attend, we want to be a part of things, we want to perform, we want to create. Brands and sponsors are still tight-fisted, because there is also this talk of a looming recession. But on the other hand, what is interesting to notice is how art philanthropy has gone up in India.”

Now that we can experience the arts in a physical format again, the Indian art territory is fertile ground for producing some very exciting work. There are supportive enablers at play to make it happen. “Post the pandemic, we saw a resurgence of physical exhibitions and art fairs,” says Bhavna Kakar, founder and director of Latitude28 in Delhi and publisher-editor of Take on Art magazine. “In terms of audience engagement and from personal experience, we saw a great response at exhibitions. Collectors and art enthusiasts were eagerly waiting for the physical formats to open. Apart from galleries and artist residencies across India, there are foundations and organisations which are very supportive. There is the Kiran Nadar Museum of Art (KNMA), India Foundation for the Arts, Sarmaya Foundation and Foundation for Indian Contemporary Art (FICA). Other arts programming festivals such as the Kochi-Muziris Biennale, Serendipity Arts Festival and India Art Fair enable site-specific artist commissions and projects while working with non-profit organisations and providing a platform to upcoming talent in the region.”

To be a musician anywhere in the world is tough. But to be a practitioner of classical music in India comes with its own peculiar set of challenges, notes Shubha Mudgal, one of our experts for the music category, which is a mix of independent, playback, rap and classical. Her choice included a hindustani vocalist and a harmonium artist! While we could not make space for technicians and instrumentalists this year, her shortlist is indicative of the ground that needs to be covered and the inadequacies of lists to fully do justice to all.

THE WEEK’s 40-under-40 arts list is a labour of love comprising a core team of four reporters constantly going back and forth with hectic rounds of debates and discussions. Our long-lists have been further processed and pruned by experts who are masters of their domain. The final 40 is not the last word; they only represent a bunch who have been incredibly proactive in the last one year and produced a major new film, book, performance piece or album. Namrata Zakaria, our resident expert for all things fashion, firmly believes that younger designers today are much more exciting than the previous lot. “While the ‘seniors’—those who have been designing for 25 years or more—have built mini empires making bridal wear, the younger designers are so much more fashion forward,” she says. “Their sensibilities are more personal, they want to reflect an India of today, that wears an interesting mix of traditional heritage, but in contemporary clothing. You will see shift dresses, pants-suits, and modernised saris, all in fabulous textiles and clever textures. The young guns are far more professional, too. They come armed with international degrees, CEOs and PR teams.”

In the hope that CCIs in India are taken more seriously at the policy level, THE WEEK’s 40-under-40 brings forth a constellation of creatives who birthed something of consequence in the most uncertain of times and reminded us how the arts can save us.

Small-town girl

In 2018, Village Rockstars, directed, edited and produced by filmmaker Rima Das, became India’s first official selection from Assam for the Oscars. The film was about a young girl, Dhunu, who dreamt of owning a guitar and forming a rock band. It bagged the national award for best film that year. And that was just her second film in two years as a filmmaker. Her next, Bulbul Can Sing (2018), conveyed a powerful message, and her latest is Tora’s husband (2022), which tells the story of a loving father and a kind neighbour who struggles to keep his small-town business afloat amidst loss and lockdowns. It was produced by her own production company, Flying River Films, and premiered recently at the Toronto International Film Festival. Next on Rima Das’s bucket list is to rope in some of the biggest Bollywood stars for her upcoming projects. And she sees it happening soon!

- Pooja Biraia Jaiswal

The Midas touch

American actor Lauren Bacall once said, “Stardom isn’t a profession; it is an accident.” But Bollywood’s undisputed queen and its reigning superstar Alia Bhatt has proved it wrong. Donning multiple hats at the same time—that of an actor, producer, investor and entrepreneur—Bhatt has shown that her fame is no accident. She is the first actor to have delivered two 0100 crore blockbusters back to back this year with RRR and Brahmastra. Through ‘Eternal Sunshine’, her recently-launched production company, she brought to the fore women-centric narratives in Hindi cinema, the kind we have rarely seen among Bollywood’s commercial offerings. She made a great beginning with Darlings, a dark comedy by screenwriter Jasmeet K. Reen, centred around domestic violence. “It is the kind of narrative we want to build,” she said in an interview. “We want to give new writers and directors an opportunity.” As she was expecting her first child with husband Ranbir Kapoor, a restless and “hugely ambitious” Bhatt launched her homegrown maternity wear line, alongside the existing Ed-a-Mamma, her kidswear line which turned into a 0150 crore business within a year of its launch.

In a career that marked a decade this year, Bhatt has consistently delivered hits year on year, with Gangubai Kathiawadi (2022), Gully Boy (2019), Raazi (2018), Badrinath Ki Dulhania (2017), 2 States (2014), and Humpty Sharma Ki Dulhania (2017). As filmmaker Sanjay Leela Bhansali once said, “Every time I throw an ace at her, I get two aces thrown back at me. She is too special. I tell her, ‘You have the potential to go global and make India proud’.”

Caste conversations

If there is one person who can take credit for kick-starting the conversation around anti-caste politics and social exclusion in mainstream Tamil cinema, it is Ranjith Pandurangan, popularly known as Pa Ranjith. Ten years and seven films are all it took for this ace filmmaker to shake the very consciousness of a society which had for long glorified the life and culture of upper caste feudalism. A deep desire to combine activism and entertainment came as a result of his own experiences as a dalit. As he says, “For a long time there was no one telling stories about me and my community. Cinema was only upper and middle caste, and there was no point in waiting. I had to resist.”

His success started right from his debut film, Attakathi (2012), a light-hearted romantic comedy which was critically acclaimed. His next two films, Kabali (2016) and Kaala (2018), with Rajinikanth in the lead, talked about oppression and land rights. Both films hit it big, with Kabali grossing 0650 crore in the box office. Over the years, Sarpatta Paramparai (2021), the anthology film Dhammam (2022) and his latest, Natchathiram Nagargirthadhu, in which he explores the politics of love, were all attempts to give equal space to a diverse set of voices and gender perspectives. A graduate of Fine Arts College in Chennai, Ranjith, 39, continues to tell stories with a difference.

Bird’s eye view

All That Breathes, a ‘mood’ documentary based on two brothers who devote themselves to rescuing migratory black kites in Delhi, even as deteriorating air quality and stifling social issues continue to make headlines, was the only film from India to win the Gotham awards, the ‘L’Oeil d’Or’ (Golden Eye) at Cannes, and the World Cinema Grand Jury Prize at Sundance this year. Basking in the glory is the film’s director, Shaunak Sen, 34, who is known to possess a keen interest in “the visceral, heavy, opaque, greyness of the air in Delhi and a philosophical interest in the figure of a grey, monotone heavy sky in which birds float like tiny dots....”

An alumnus of Jamia Millia Islamia who is currently pursuing his PhD at JNU, Sen is not new to awards. His first documentary film, Cities of Sleep (2016), bagged six international awards. For All That Breathes, he did not use the usual telephoto lens to film birds in the sky, instead focusing on long takes with slow, languorous tilts and pans to juxtapose some elements of urban life in the film. Non-fiction to him is “more hospitable and accommodating of personal interests and smaller budgets”, while he finds “the Bollywood behemoth” intimidating. As someone who watches a lot of fiction, Sen’s next is most likely going to be a fiction film, though he is not clear yet on the subject.

Magic in his moves

In these high-stress, cut-throat and competitive times, Jitendra Kumar, the hero of The Viral Fever (TVF) classics like Kota Factory and Panchayat, comes across as a breath of fresh air. The IIT-Kharagpur graduate with the boy-next-door looks fits perfectly into the “chase-your-dreams-follow-your-passion” mould. His parody of Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal (which impressed Kejriwal himself) became the stuff of millennial legend. His Tech Conversations with Dad, a comedy sketch where he explains Twitter, Facebook and online shopping to his tech-challenged dad, soon made it to canteen conversations in colleges. He can make you laugh, think, scoff, frown or smile. Kumar came to Mumbai when YouTube really took off and in that way, he says, he “never had to struggle”. He wanted to act and he got to act from Day 1.

Things really kicked off when a senior from IIT, Biswapati Sarkar, invited him to join TVF in 2012. Ever since then, he has made inroads into Bollywood through Shuruaat Ka Interval (2014), Gone Kesh (2019) and Shubh Mangal Zyada Saavdhan (2020). His latest, Jaadugar (2022), is a heartfelt, slice-of-life dramedy in which he plays a village magician who turns footballer to impress his lady love. Its magic worked well for the 32-year-old “method actor”. Having firmly established himself in Bollywood, he is now eyeing bigger projects.

Rogue in vogue

Nearly 15 lakh people follow him on social media. According to his bio, he is ‘living a jedi life’. In other words, he belongs to the mystical knightly universe of Star Wars, where knowledge replaces ignorance, passion gives way to serenity, harmony replaces chaos and love triumphs over crime. These lines of poetry and philosophy seem incongruous with the onscreen image of the Hyderabad boy, who has become famous for his flawed and devious characters—be it the crooked street hustler of Zoya Akhtar’s Gully Boy (2019), the wicked-yet-charming drug dealer of Imtiaz Ali’s She (2020) or the abusive and remorseless roadside romeo of Jasmeet K. Reen’s Darlings (2022).

The desire was always to be a hero, but the passion to do his work well was more important. Deep inside, he knows that the opportunity to essay the “masala film ka romantic hero” will come by soon enough. First noticed as a rookie cop in the neo-noir action thriller Monsoon Shootout (2013), Varma’s talent was reportedly spotted by Irrfan Khan, who recommended the FTII graduate to several film producers. After nearly a decade as an actor, Varma now has an exciting roster of upcoming releases—from Sujoy Ghosh’s The Devotion of Suspect X with Kareena Kapoor Khan to Reema Kagti’s Dahaad, opposite Sonakshi Sinha. In a complete role reversal, he voiced the lead, Morpheus, in the Audible adaptation of Neil Gaiman’s Sandman in Hindi, alongside Tabu and Manoj Bajpayee.

In Malayalam cinema, there have always been “hero-dyads”: one who represents the masculine, patriarchal order and the other who is the fragile, feminine and romantic boy-next-door. This trend manifests through male star duos like Sathyan-Nazeer, Sudheer-Raghavan and Mammootty-Mohanlal. Faasil belongs to the Nazeer-Raghavan-Mohanlal lineage in that sense, says celebrated film critic C. S. Venkateswaran. “Faasil also represents the hero figure of the post-1990s or post-globalisation generation in Malayalam cinema,” he adds. “He plays the hero who is most often fragile and impotent, someone who is unable to take control of the world and women. He represents, in many ways, all the uncertainties and ambivalences of the post-political era that we live in, where everything is fluid, changeable and uncertain.” A deep sense of vulnerability marks his star persona. It is one that is dominated and threatened by the outside world, as evidenced by his characters in 22 Female Kottayam (2012), Maheshinte Prathikaram (2016), Thondimuthalum Driksakshiyum (2017), Joji (2021) and Varathan (2018). His roles can take on a very diabolical turn when pushed to the wall, but mostly invite sympathy and identification. “I tend to get bored of what I am doing very quickly,” Faasil once said in an interview. “I set out on long drives and a few hours into it, I change my destination.”

Southern delight

Other than being a gifted performer who sizzles onscreen, Prabhu, 35, is one of the few actors who is known for her sharp, tongue-in-cheek humour. Recently in news for undergoing treatment for myositis, an autoimmune disease, Prabhu told some overly curious fans not to worry too much, as she is not “dying anytime soon”.

On the recently-concluded seventh season of Koffee With Karan, a glamorously-attired Prabhu called out Johar for hypocrisy. You are, on some level, the reason for unhappy marriages, she told him. Because you have marketed this idea of marriage, wedding attires and wedding songs. From our youth, you have portrayed life to be K3G [Kabhi Khushi Kabhie Gham] when, in fact, the reality is K.G.F.

In 11 years, she has to her credit over 40 Telugu and Tamil films, most of which have gone on to be blockbusters. These include Dookudu (2011), Eega (2012), Neethaane En Ponvasantham (2012), Mersal (2017), and the period action film Rangasthalam (2018), which is her highest grossing film. Post her treatment, she has got a line-up of several glossy, high-budget films. Her latest item number, ‘Oo Antava’, in Pushpa became viral and topped the charts here and abroad.

Going loca(l)

Thomas Zacharias’s passion for understanding informed food choices has been shaped through experiences as diverse as memories of his home kitchen, his stint as a chef with Le Bernardin in New York City and his years of exploration of Indian cuisine at the Bombay Canteen, Mumbai, where he worked until 2020, earning multiple accolades for his innovation as head chef.

In 2022, Zacharias started The Locavore, a venture which raises the right kind of questions for someone who wants to take the first step towards eating healthy and practising sustainability in a world trying to tackle the effects of climate change. Bringing farmers, producers and entrepreneurs together, Locavore is an online platform for sharing stories related to sustainable food production, India’s food markets and culinary memories.

A recent Locavore initiative, in association with OOO Farms, involved documenting wild food that grows naturally in our forests and marshlands and the communities they feed. Called The Wild Food Project, it saw 15 Mumbai-based individuals from different fields spend three months in Maharashtra’s Palghar district and study the flavour and texture of the wild food harvested during monsoon as also the culinary tradition of the region.

Just as some of us are learning to unthread the binaries of home-cooked food and exotic dishes on the menu of fine dining restaurants, Locavore’s effort to champion regional gastronomies and encourage social and cultural exchange on food and farming is truly life-sustaining.

- Sneha Bhura

The trailblazer

Born in Mumbai, Aditi Dugar grew up surrounded by food from her mother’s and grandmother’s kitchens. She started to cook at 16 and discovered a passion for baking. After the birth of her first child, Aditi left a career in finance to launch a niche catering company called Sage & Saffron. A self-taught cook, Aditi refined her baking talents in London at two Michelin starred restaurants, Le Gavroche and La Petite Maison. Working with one of the city’s best flower companies, Aditi was inspired by the level of creativity and finesse in event décor—something she felt was lacking in India’s culinary scene. Aditi soon ventured out of London to study with other chefs around the world. This led her to Chef Prateek Sadhu, who shared the same vision of using purely local ingredients to create seasonal and sustainable dishes. After almost two years of R&D, setting up supply chains with farmers across India, as well as the restaurant’s own farm, Masque opened its doors in the heart of Mumbai in September 2016.

Masque has blazed its own trail through India’s culinary landscape, garnering a reputation for constant innovation and numerous accolades along the way. In March 2021, Masque was ranked 32 on the list of Asia’s 50 Best Restaurants, and in 2022, ranked 21 on the same list, as India’s Best Restaurant. While Sandhu is no longer with Masque, Aditi acts as founder and director of the company, simultaneously running her catering company, Sage & Saffron, a newly launched bakery this year called TwentySeven Bakehouse, as well as the kitchens at ARAKU Café in Bengaluru and Seesaw in Mumbai.

There was a time not so long ago when the only Indian gin we knew was the Blue Moon. People willing to shell out more would opt for “foreign” brands like Beefeater, Bombay Sapphire or Tanqueray. The birth of Greater Than in 2017 revolutionised gin drinking in India, with several new craft companies following in its wake. Today, almost 900 bottles of Greater Than are consumed every day on an average.

Anand Virmani, as cofounder and CEO of Nao Spirits that brings out Greater Than and Hapusa, represents possibly the most inventive and successful gin company in India. Having previously worked with Perch Wine & Coffee Bar, Rémy Cointreau and Moet Hennessy, Virmani, along with co-conspirators Aparajita Ninan and Abhinav Rajput, has brought out limited edition gins infused with cold brew coffee and juniper berry and has won medals at the  International Wine & Spirit Competition. This year, they commissioned five artists to create their own modern and more relevant interpretation of William Hogarth’s famous painting Gin Lane, which once argued against the merits of drinking gin. To chime with  the T20 World Cup, they also launched Broken Bat, a limited edition gin aged with cricket bats made of Kashmiri willow.

Moreover, Diageo India announced an investment to acquire a 22.5 per cent stake in Nao Spirits. The company is now set to place Indian gin on the world map. “Gin is one spirit that is made with spices, herbs, botanicals, all of which are at the heart of the spice trade,” says Virmani. “So when we start talking that ‘hey, we are a craft gin company from India’, people actually sit up and listen.”

Momo maverick

It is fair to say that Kolkata’s love affair with momos really started with The Blue Poppy in Sikkim House. Started in 2003 by Doma Wang, it is the city’s beloved outpost for Tibetan food. With the restaurant being reborn as The Blue Poppy Thakali, all eyes are now on Wang’s eldest child Sachiko Seth—head chef since 2018. For Sachiko, who prefers he/him as pronouns, momo is an emotion when others peddle the Asian dumpling as a highly saleable business proposition. If one momo is wrapped lopsided—be it from crescent to leaf to the potli—the entire batch goes out of the window in his kitchen.

With an illustrious heritage to carry—from a noodle-maker grandfather, a Tibetan-Chinese mother who is also the bona fide momo queen in Kolkata, and a Bengali father who grew up in Bihar—Sachiko is ready to offer an exciting blend of the tried and true along with something less obvious and new. Going beyond chilli chicken and fried rice, he wants a change-averse Kolkata to heartily embrace Nepali thali with its paraphernalia of choila, aloo ka achar and Sel roti—almost like a love child between a donut and malpua. He stuffs his aloo cheese momos, a hit even among pork momo mavericks, with spicy Kolkata aloo dum instead of the regular boiled-and-mashed potatoes. Working with his mother since class 10, he never really required any hotel management or culinary school training. After opening an Asian bakery last year with a friend, inspired by their love for K-pop, Sachiko is ready to spread his wings beyond the city of joy. New outlets of Blue Poppy Thakali are in the offing in Mumbai and Delhi.

Survive and sustain

Chef Vanshika Bhatia has been cooking and baking since she could reach the stovetop. “Home food” is a profound sentiment for this culinary star whose family ancestry goes back to pre-partition Bannu in what is now Khyber Pakhtunkhwa. In India, the Bannuwals have preserved their distinct linguistic and culinary heritage, and Vanshika uses the language of food to bring it front and centre. Bannu as a region was characteristically arid. In many ways, Bannuwal food evolved in response to both climate and circumstances, revolving around the use of simple grains and grain flours, dry spices, or pickling as a preservation method.

Taking inspiration from the survival-driven ingenuity of her grandparents’ generation, Vanshika wants to elevate her sustainability story in cooking by reviving anecdotes that could soon be lost in the dusty corridors of time. In 2012, she pursued her formal training in culinary arts from Le Cordon Bleu, London. As soon as the course concluded, she began working in some of the world’s best restaurants: Noma (Copenhagen), Gaggan (Bangkok) and Junoon (Dubai). Her first professional role upon her return to India was with none other than the iconic Olive Bar and Kitchen, New Delhi, after which she was made head chef at Ek Bar, one of the restaurants under the Olive umbrella.

During lockdown, Vanshika found herself working with baking recipes. This sparked the initial ideas for the award-winning Petite Pie Shop, a bistro with Parisian flair. She was also cofounder and head chef at Together at 12th, Le Meridien, Gurugram. This year, she became chef partner at OMO, a “soul food community” serving contemporary vegetarian cuisine. She recently opened a second Petite Pie Shop in South Delhi, and plans on making the brand national very soon.

Postcards from home

When artist Saju Kunhan was a child growing up in Palakkad, Kerala, he would hear stories of his ancestors’ migration from north Kerala during Tipu Sultan’s time. Fear propelled them to escape in the middle of the night, and eventually settle in the remote forests of central Kerala. During the pandemic, when Kunhan spent time in his village, he had plenty of time to recollect these stories. Using materials like red oxide floor pieces from his ancestral home, he recreated them in his second solo exhibition, Home Ground, which was held at TARQ, Mumbai, earlier this year.

In fact, it was at the first Kochi-Muziris Biennale in 2012, when he was part of a group show on 100 years of Malayalam periodicals, that his interest in history was sparked. He spent hours scouting for old books and magazines at flea markets and researching with a friend at the archival library in Thrissur. Since then, he has participated in several group shows and held his first solo show, Stained Geographies, at TARQ in 2017. Now, he wants to dig deeper into his ancestors’ history in his show at the Kochi-Muziris Biennale 2022-2023. But, as he emphasises, his art is not solely concerned with the historical or the factual. As an artist, he does not merely chronicle the past; he imagines it into being.

- Anjuly Mathai

Show master

Art curation, for Premjish Achari, goes much beyond art. He wants to bring together different stakeholders, explore the political, economic and cultural ramifications of a theme and make it a layered experience. “Curation is like research,” he says. “If I have an important question that I want to ask, I turn it into an exhibition.”

That is why he started Future Collaborations in 2015, a curatorial platform aimed at “politically and theoretically informed curation”. “The dependency on the market was big then,” he says. “Artists were leading individualistic lives with isolated art practices. There was no community feeling in Indian art. I wanted to create a platform where artists and curators could work in a collaborative way to share resources, ideas and insights. I wanted to develop a third voice.”

The Delhi-based curator and writer, who also teaches art history and theory at Shiv Nadar University, played a seminal role in bringing about a paradigm shift in the idea of curation in Indian art. As a result, he was awarded with the Art Scribes Award by the Prameya Art Foundation in 2018 and the Pro Helvetia Art Writers’ Award in 2021.

Achari is currently working on a number of shows, including a trilogy of exhibitions themed on the concept of chaos for the 25th anniversary of The Guild, an art gallery in Mumbai.

Soul stirrings

A terminarch is the last known individual of a lineage, species or sub-species. Once the terminarch dies, the species or sub-species becomes extinct. It is a concept that fascinated artist Divya Singh. So, she created a set of videos that looked at this theme through a poetic, philosophical and spiritual lens. “The project starts from the notion that the earth might not go on forever,” she says. “I am thinking of death as the final act. What about all the knowledge we have gained, all that we have achieved? There is so much emotional charge in being the last and then to fade away.”

In fact, death, mortality and the vagaries of time are recurring motifs in the work of the 27-year-old artist, ever since her first solo show—Notes for Tomorrow—at Shrine Empire, Delhi, in 2021. Since then, she has participated in several group shows and art fairs, including the India Art Fair (2022), and the Artissima International Fair of Contemporary Art (2021) in Turin, Italy. She is a recipient of the Space118 Fine Arts Grant in 2021.

In many ways, there is both youth and age in her work. In the way she multitasks through technology and experiments with mediums like photography, writing, cinema and painting, she is a product of her generation. Yet, in the way she addresses age-old traditions and post-human spirituality, she skids close to immortality. Age, in fact, loses its relevance in the universality of her universe.

Inheritance of loss

In ‘Waiting’, artist Sudipta Das’s mixed media work that was recently exhibited at the Delhi Contemporary Art Week, a group of people wait in a single line. The scene has no historical context; these could be people anywhere, anytime. This adds to its poignancy; it is redolent with the sense of loss and isolation that is common to the exiled everywhere.

The tableau might be historically unmoored, but it has its origins in Das’s past. Her ancestors migrated before partition from Sylhet in Bangladesh to Assam’s Barak Valley. She grew up listening to stories of migration from her grandparents, which left a deep impression on her.

Her medium of choice—paper—moulds itself to her art. Although she started with watercolour on paper at Santiniketan, she soon shifted to the Dakojee doll-making technique that she learnt at her residency in South Korea in 2017. A merit scholar from Visva Bharati, she is a recipient of the Kanoria Residency at Ahmedabad, the Saavad Residency at Santiniketan and Khoj at Kolkata.

In a world beset by war, violence and climate change, it is not just physical displacement that Das’s work speaks to. It is the sense of unbelonging that is increasingly becoming common to the human condition. It reminds us that we are all sojourners in this curious planet we call home. And that sometimes, as English writer G.K. Chesterton says, it is possible to feel homesick at home.

Through the looking lens

Taha Ahmad’s photographs in In Search of an Oasis, the recent exhibition at the India Habitat Centre—of people caught in the cross-hairs of climate change—beautifully captures life in Lucknow, Chitrakoot and Kanpur. That is Ahmad for you; he goes the extra mile to get the photographs he wants. It usually takes the documentary photographer years to complete a project. His first project, Swan Song of the Badlas—on the mukaish badla embroidery artists of Lucknow—took him two years to complete. The one on the superstitious beliefs of people being exploited by god-men (A Displaced Hope) was completed in five and a half years.

Ahmad is one of the 150 photographers to be featured in Dr Paul Lowe’s book, Photography Rules: Essential Do’s and Don’ts from Great Photographers. He was listed in the ‘Regenerative List’ of 100 next-gen and current leaders compiled by Gucci, the United Nations and Irregular Labs in 2020. Currently, he has his hands full with projects on partition, life along the Yamuna and Gomti rivers, and the Sunni-Shia conflict in Awadh. “All my projects are an exploration, not just of my subjects, but of myself,” he tells THE WEEK. “My roots, why I do what I do, my experiences on the field….”

Engineering a bestseller

At 27, Anirudh Kanisetti relishes the weight of centuries. Lords of the Deccan: Southern India from Chalukyas to Cholas (2022), a sweeping history of the medieval south, took him three years to write, but made him an instant hit. An engineer, Kanisetti pivoted—a word that has been embraced by his generation not just as a verb but very much as a quality to possess—to making history accessible. His blog on history is wildly popular and now he has two podcasts—one on the medieval sultanate and another on military history.

Breathlessly told, Lords of the Deccan is history for binge-watchers. This is no sanitised version of history; there is plenty of drama, blood, ambition, betrayal and family feuds to keep readers hooked. But it is not just the writing—which Kanisetti certainly has the gift for, describing the landscape and battle scenes in cinematic detail—it is the sheer depth of scholarship. The elaborate notes at the end of the book are testimony to his research.

Popular history in India is dominated by the north. Apart from the very capable Manu S. Pillai, who, too, found his niche with his first book, there are very few others who have ventured south for history. Kanisetti not only fills in a geographical vacuum, but also a historical one. He will be a name to be watched and read for a long time.

- Mandira Nayar

Rebel, rouser

There are no empty words in her writing. For Meena Kandasamy, words are weapons and she writes to stir revolution and incite rebellion. She battles the demons of patriarchy, caste and inequality to win. She was awarded the Hermann Kesten Prize 2022 for being “a fearless fighter for democracy and human rights”.

Writer, poet, translator, activist—these labels are political for her. She believes that dissent is at the heart of being a writer. She was 12 when she started her career in activism. Her mother spent two decades fighting for the reservation policy to be implemented in the mathematics department of IIT Madras. Her father belongs to a nomadic tribe, and was the first graduate from his village near Trichy. Their marriage was considered anti-caste. A witness to their battle against caste, Kandasamy chose words to fight.

Her first book of poetry—Touch—came out in 2006. In the powerful Ms Militancy (2010), she uses mythological women to attack patriarchy. “I do not write into patriarchy,” she writes in its preface. “My Maariamma bays for blood. My Kali kills. My Draupadi strips. My Sita climbs on to a stranger’s lap. All my women militate. They brave bombs, they belittle kings. They take on the sun, they take after me.”

Kandasamy experiments with form in each book. But it was her second novel, When I Hit You: Or, A Portrait of the Writer as a Young Wife (2018), inspired by her brief and abusive marriage, that spiralled her into fame. She is back to poetry—audiences got a taste of a poem at the Jaipur Literature Festival.

Verse worth

Akhil Katyal straddles the worlds of academia and Instagram. He spends his day teaching creative writing at Dr B.R. Ambedkar University in Delhi, and also frequently posts his poems on social media. Katyal is one of the strongest and most loved voices of his generation. Accessible and contemporary, he turns the mundane poetic.

Katyal grew up in Lucknow. His grandparents crossed over from Pakistan during partition, and his poetry reflects this milieu or the aab-o-hawa. A poet of the city, Katyal captures the arrogance of Delhi, its snobbery, its ugliness but also aspiration and hope. He also captures the language of the city—whether Hindustani, Urdu, Hindi or English.

The World That Belongs to Us: An Anthology of Queer Poets from South Asia (2020) that he edited with fellow poet Aditi Angiras, is a mammoth project. Each poem is carefully chosen and reflects desire, loneliness, love, vulnerability and heartbreak.

Be it capturing the universal appeal of actor Shah Rukh Khan at a time when son Aryan was in jail or writing about cricketers Babar Azam and Virat Kohli or the Wagah border, Katyal may be popular but he is also political.

Memory keeper

Books are in her bones. Aanchal Malhotra grew up in her grandfather’s bookstore, surrounded by books and soaking in the story of how Bahrisons came to be. In a city littered with stories of partition, Balraj Bahri Malhotra, a 19-year-old refugee from Pakistan, and the bookshop that he started—which went on to become a landmark—is the story that has paved Delhi’s history and defined its spirit.

It was natural that Malhotra was drawn to the story. Yet, what makes her special is that she has managed to breathe fresh air into the much-told partition story. It is very difficult to break new ground in a space that has been documented extensively. Yet, Malhotra has done that—and very well.

Her first book, Remnants of a Separation (2017), grew out of a picture exhibition of the one object that her family carried across the border. In the Language of Remembering: The Inheritance of Partition (2022) is monumental. The Book of Everlasting Things, out in December, is her foray into fiction. A love story between a Hindu perfumer and a Muslim calligrapher set during partition, the book is vividly written.

And, at 32, Aanchal has only started out.

Phrase turner

At 23, Himadri Agarwal has two translated books under her belt. She translated Banaras Talkies (2022) by Satya Vyas—a bestselling writer in Hindi—into English. A campus novel, the book is a coming-of-age story about friendship, love, cricket and bad mess food. Agarwal grew up in Kolkata, a city that breathes books. The first book she translated was Three Stories by Rashid Jahan in 2020.

Yet, Banaras Talkies was not an easy book to translate.

Written in the characteristic Banarasi style with humour, plenty of colour and hint of politics, the biggest challenge was translating the humour and the colourful bits. Agarwal ensured that the translation lived up to the punch.

The power of translation may be evident with Geetanjali Shree’s International Booker win, but it is still very much a grey haired-profession. Agarwal is on the right side of 20, and is now doing her PhD in English Literature from the University of Maryland in another continent. You will probably find her lost in translation.

Word weaver

Avinuo Kire’s luminous book, Where the Cobbled Path Leads, was published this year. The book that weaves in Naga folklore and spirit stories—stories that Kire grew up listening to—is magical, evocative, eloquent and deeply felt.

An English teacher in Kohima, Kire dabbles in poetry, too. She burst onto the literary scene with her short stories collection—The Power to Forgive—by Zubaan in 2015. The title story of the collection is told through a rape survivor just at the threshold of her wedding looking back at the moment that changed her life and her relationship with her father. Powerful, the story offers a glimpse into Kire’s talent.

Her short story has made it to David Davidar’s A Case of Indian Marvels: Dazzling Stories from the Country’s Finest New Writers—very much an endorsement of her talent.

And, at 35, Kire has many stories to tell.

Commercial hit

It is a two-book year for Novoneel Chakraborty. In July came A Thousand Kisses Deep, a sequel to That Kiss in the Rain (2009). And come Christmas month, there is Heart on the Edge. Chakraborty is the wunderkind of commercial fiction, a writer who has churned out 17 books—many of them bestsellers. This is no small feat.

He is referred to as the Indian Sidney Sheldon, but for a generation that has not grown up reading the master of twist, Chakraborty’s specialty is that he often explores the genre through the prism of love. It is difficult to keep an audience glued to the page, and Chakraborty has done so consistently, like with The Stranger trilogy, which was acquired by Goldie Behl for a web series. He emerged onto the publishing scene when commercial fiction was not embraced with enthusiasm by big publishing houses. His first book, A Thing Beyond Forever (2008), published by Shristi Publications, became a hit. Chakraborty’s success ensured that he soon found the biggest publishers on the block—Penguin—where he is very much at home.

His books have been translated into many languages. His fans adore him—and he has plenty. And that is what it boils down to.

The Italian job

Fashion designer Dhruv Kapoor is the love child of the two countries that have shaped him—India and Italy. His design ethic is shaped by the maximalism of his Indian heritage—the colours, patterns and embellishments—and the minimalism of his Italian training—the cut, finish and precision of tailoring.

Kapoor had moved to Milan in 2011 and completed his master’s degree at the Instituto Marangoni. After a brief stint at ETRO, he moved back to India and showcased his first capsule collection in Mumbai in 2014. Nine years after he started his eponymous label, he became the first Indian to show a menswear collection at the Milan Fashion Week this year. “Dhruv’s clothes are usually exaggerated tailoring, oversized jackets, pop colours as well as neutrals,” says fashion expert Namrata Zakaria. “I remember when I first saw his collection, around eight years ago. I went up to his mother and hugged her in congratulations. I thought he was so slick.”

Whether it is his asymmetrical empire line dress, embellished tile print shirt or midnight bloom co-ord set, there is power in his designs. There is also playfulness. Together, it is an irresistible combination.

Flawed & fab

Masaba Gupta wears many designer hats—she debuted her collection at the Lakme Fashion Week in 2014, soon afterwards established her eponymous label, starred in Masaba Masaba, a semi-autobiographical Netflix show, in 2020, and then launched a beauty and wellness brand cheekily named Love Child (she is famous for being the love child of actor Neena Gupta and West Indies cricketer Viv Richards). This year itself, she acted in the Amazon Prime Video anthology series, Modern Love: Mumbai and the second season of Masaba Masaba.

The best part about this whiz kid is that she is real—there is nothing gimmicky about her. She does not put up a front; instead, she proudly flaunts her flaws. Her Instagram post about living with acne was humble and brave at the same time. Known for her colour, bold designs and “kitsch sensibilities”, she has designed for Bollywood’s crème de la creme—from Katrina Kaif and Kareena Kapoor Khan to Priyanka Chopra and Karan Johar. While the rest of us in our 30s are plodding forward with flailing careers and wailing babies, Masaba accomplished all this before she turned 35.

If a material has a character or personality, what happens when you play with that personality? Ask designer Rimzim Dadu, who has made a career out of it. The material—whether leather, cord or paper—becomes putty in her hands. She turns steel soft and chiffon, grunge. It is not easy. The silicon jamdani sari she made for the Devi Art Foundation in 2015 took her two years to complete. Her steel sari, launched the following year by Sonam Kapoor Ahuja at Cannes, has become a signature piece. “Rimzim has to be among India’s most iconic designers,” says fashion expert Namrata Zakaria. “I always say her work is more art and less fashion, especially in the way she twists, turns and manipulates cords as surface textures. Her clothes are a new bridge between premium and couture.”

In fact, this is a milestone year for the young designer. Her label completes 15 years in 2022, to celebrate which a fabulous show was held in August, at Delhi’s Kiran Nadar Museum of Art. Interestingly, Dadu, though a rebel in her fashion, is a recluse in life. Her silence, however, is compensated by the spectacle in her couture. It is both regal and plebeian. How? That’s a puzzle she does not try to solve. She cruises along the contradiction. Wearing her feels like wearing an enigma.

Viral fever

Unfettered by expectations and traditions, Dhee has carried forth that uninhibited attitude that has seen her become one of India’s most distinctive voices with viral hits like ‘Rowdy Baby’ and ‘Enjoy Enjaami’. Born in Colombo to Carnatic musician and singer Meenakshi Iyer, Dhee grew up in Sydney with sounds of music all around her. At home, she spent time watching her paati (grandmother) and mother teach Carnatic music. With friends, Dhee fell in love with hip-hop and jazz. Her summer trips to Chennai presented Dhee with an opportunity to work with music directors like A.R. Rahman and Yuvan Shankar Raja, and kickstart a career that has seen chartbusters and critically acclaimed hits. ‘Rowdy Baby’ from Maari 2 won her the best female playback singer award at the 8th South Indian International Movie Awards in 2019. As the accolades increased, so did Dhee’s desire to become an artiste in her own right. Her debut single as an independent artist, ‘Enjoy Enjaami’, featuring rapper and lyricist Arivu, was the first step in that direction. Dhee is currently working on her debut album, slated to release early next year.

“Dhee’s voice is an incredible tool that she adapts so effortlessly for rambunctious songs like ‘Rowdy Baby’ or ‘Enjoy Enjaami’ and emotional songs like ‘Anbarey’,” says Ruhi Batra, independent music publicist based in Delhi. “She sounds unlike anyone else. And when people listen to her upcoming English album, they will be introduced to a completely new side of her as an artiste.”

Chasing the raga

Being the grandson of the famed Marathi music director and classical vocalist, Pandit Ram Marathe, Bhagyesh had an early tryst with music—he started learning tabla at four. For 15 years, he was tutored by several illustrious gurus before he decided to embark on a serious music career while pursuing information technology in college. Inspired by his grandfather’s gayaki, he took up singing as a profession and started learning under the guidance of his father, Pandit Sanjay Marathe, and later under Pandit Kedar Bodas of Dr Gangubai Hangal Gurukul in Hubli. Today, he is a fixture at sangeet mahotsavs and recipient of several youth awards, gradually carving a niche in khayal gayaki while also being social media savvy. “His taaleem/training is of sterling quality, but that alone would not be sufficient to make him stand apart from the many who enjoy the same privilege,” says Shubha Mudgal, well known for a specialisation in the Hindustani classical genres of khayal and thumri-dadra. “Along with the excellent taaleem and riyaaz he must surely be committed to it. There is an expressive, communicative quality in his music that shows the promise and potential of a vocalist who may soon find his own voice. This individual quality of finding one’s own voice while being steeped in tradition and being deeply reverential towards it is not one that every talented youngster is blessed with.”

Hitmaker of the heart

Hailed as one of the leading singer-songwriters of our times, Prateek Kuhad is an indie darling easily accessible to a wide audience for his syrupy sweet ballads on love and longing. In less than a decade, he has carved a unique space for himself and birthed in his wake a legion of musicians who want to sing like him, almost like a formula. Originally from Jaipur, Kuhad, who sings in Hindi and English, ditched his corporate job in the US to become a full-time musician. When he entered Barack Obama’s annual playlist in 2019, the world sat up and noticed this rather quiet and unobtrusive prodigy. Earning comparisons to stalwarts like Sufjan Stevens and Jose Gonzalez, Kuhad has generated universal praise and accolades for his pop and folk-driven songs.

His debut album In Tokens & Charms was gold, earning him an MTV Europe Music Awards win, Indie Album Of The Year honors from iTunes, and the title of Best Pop Artist at the Radio City Freedom Awards. The album’s opening track, ‘Oh Love’, captured first place in the prestigious International Songwriting Competition, which previously helped launch artistes like Gotye and Passenger to global audiences. Kuhad has sold out auditorium and amphitheatre dates across India, landed arena support slots with the likes of Alt-J and Mike Posner, and travelled the world for headline and festival performances. He announced his signing with Elektra Records in 2020, making history as the first solo Indian act to join the storied label.

His third studio album, The Way That Lovers Do, arrived in 2022 and featured 11 brand-new tracks about human love, friendship, and connectivity. Recorded at Seattle’s secluded Bear Creek Studio with Ryan Hadlock (The Lumineers, Vance Joy), the pop titan is now on a world tour with the album; the India leg across 15 cities is wrapping up on December 18.

Music was nowhere on his radar when he grew up in his village near Arakkonam in Tamil Nadu. As both his parents were teachers, all Arivu heard and read during his childhood were the writings of Periyar and Dr B.R. Ambedkar and songs of Arivoli Iyakkam (a Tamil literary movement). He was raised by his grandmother, whose bedtime stories had a touch of social justice and equality. His ‘entertainment’ was reading his father’s research papers on dalit icons and the magazines, Dalit Murasu and Kodangi. All of this later became fodder for his music, which found a way out during his engineering days. A rap in a play during a cultural event earned him a place in the college band. The poetry in his lyrics was widely appreciated. Music had finally found him, and it was to be his medium. But neither work nor recognition came quick. Even as he looked for opportunities, he did his MBA and prepared for civil service exams.

And then Arivu met filmmaker Pa Ranjith, who helped him become a band member of The Casteless Collective and later a lyricist for film songs. He rapped his way to fame with ‘Enjoy Enjaami’, which has elements of R&B and oppari (a Tamil folk music style) and is a tribute to his grandmother and “landless tea plantation slave ancestors”. It became the most popular indie Tamil rap song, its video garnering millions of views on YouTube within days of its release. It epitomises his music in a way—political yet catchy and celebratory. This year, he came out with another political song—’Ceylonkaar’—on the protests in Sri Lanka.

Today, at 27, music rules Arivu’s world. As he rises to the top, he remains rooted. For, he is ‘Therukural’ (voice on the street).

- Lakshmi Subramanian

Carnatic magic

Carnatic musician, playback singer, music producer, R&B songwriter, Sid Sriram is a rage machine capable of churning out back-to-back hits in Tamil, Telugu, Kannada, Malayalam, Hindi, Marathi and English. A wunderkind whose soul is deeply wedded to Carnatic music, the California resident trained in the Berklee College of Music and was picked up by A.R. Rahman quite early in his career. Anthemic, hypnotic numbers like ‘Adiye’ from Kadal and ‘Inkem Inkem’ from Geetha Govindam cemented his standing in cinema music. The 32-year-old is also a fixture in the December Margazhi music season in Chennai and is responsible for converting his massive fanbase into appreciating Indian classical music.

Highly prolific, Sriram’s discography is a chockful of smash hits year-on-year and 2022 was also no stranger to near-constant work under several big-banner productions including ‘Theethiriyaai’ and ‘Deva Deva’ in Brahmastra. When Swedish streaming giant Spotify released its annual Wrapped report on December 1 to track the most streamed artistes and songs for 2022, it was not a surprise to find Sriram on it alongside Arijit Singh, AP Dhillon, Shreya Ghoshal and Sidhu Moose Wala.

Common Man’s Champion

On September 20, a spiffily dressed Palawat posted a picture of himself on Instagram—with thick black-rimmed glasses and a patchy beard. The caption, “I’m imperfect and that is perfection in itself”, captured the essence of the man, his moods and his methods in one line. In Palawat’s diverse characters one can find the common man whose identity gets lost somewhere in the din of a humdrum life. He breathes life into the mundane and ebullience into fringe roles, say those who know him well. It is evident from the variety of characters he has essayed so far in over 40 plays. His role as conflicted ACP Harsh Pradhan in Hotstar’s Criminal Justice, or as Sundar Raja in Netflix’s Aranyak helmed by Raveena Tandon, lingers in the mind long after.

In the last 15 years, ever since he graduated from the National School of Drama, Palawat became a renowned face in theatre, with Kavalam Narayana Panicker’s Shakuntalam, Anuradha Kapur’s Virasat and K.S. Rajendran’s Vikramorvashi, among others. “His versatility and energy, coupled with a great sense of timing, make him a very gifted actor who is an absolute delight to work with,” says Rajit Kapur, a renowned veteran who has worked with Palawat. With the coming of OTT, it seems as if life has transformed into a prismatic palette, full of opportunities and grander projects. At the moment, as he juggles both theatre and OTT, Palawat says he has never been so busy in his life.

Stage might

Early on, it was inculcated in me that one must do a full-time job and think about the arts only as a hobby,” says Pune-based Nipun Dharmadhikari, who just turned 35. “I was given the examples of veterans of Marathi theatre such as Shreeram Lagoo, Dr Mohan Agashe and Dr Jabbar Patel, all of whom are well-educated and pursued the arts only later in life. So, I never thought I would ever pursue films and theatre on a full-time basis.” He took a leap of faith and dropped out of his chartered accountancy course to pursue theatre full time. There was no godfather to guide him and no Plan B to fall back on. Yet, at 18, he made his first commercial play and soon shifted to Marathi musicals and films.

Today, he is an established name in Marathi films and theatre, with a production company (Sixteen by Sixty-four) to boot. Of late, he has successfully made inroads into Hindi cinema. His directorial debut, Ishq Vishk Rebound, is set to release in 2023. Dharmadhikari—best known for directing the first season of the Netflix franchise Mismatched and the Marathi film Mee Vasantrao (2021), which won two national awards—commands a huge fan following. One day, he hopes to complete his chartered accountancy, “even if just for the heck of it”. But he knows in his heart that the arts will always remain his first love.

Let there be light

Train yourself to be spontaneous”—that’s the mantra by which Gurleen Judge, theatre writer, director and light designer, lives. At 30, she has directed six full-length plays, and has lent her lighting expertise to several others. A while ago, she got the Vinod Doshi and Tendulkar-Dubey Fellowship for Performing Arts for her “investment and dedication to the field of theatre”. In 2019, Judge directed The Hunger Artist, a play based on Franz Kafka’s eponymous short story. “Inside a steel cage, the hunger artist makes a living by fasting. Outside, we, the well-fed, watch on”, reads the play’s synopsis. Known for her peculiar knack for translating thoughts into compelling narratives, Judge says she lives and breathes theatre. She calls it her oasis.

An army kid, Judge’s journey into direction began with Tennessee Williams’s hauntingly provocative work, The Two-Character Play. Post that, she directed Ambu and Rajalakshmi in 2015, which was staged at the Centrestage Festival of Mumbai’s National Centre for Performing Arts (NCPA). This year she has been focusing on light designing, with Akvarious Productions’ There’s Something in the Water and A Small Family Business, and Gillo Repertory Theatre’s The Ghost of the Mountains. Besides, Judge has to her credit Postcards from Bardoli, The Boy Who Stopped Smiling, Dohri Zindagi and Chuhal. “I have just about started,” she tells THE WEEK. “It is a long journey.”

The multi-hyphenate

Sumukhi Suresh does not do ‘knock, knock’ jokes. It is more effective to kick down the door to the boys’ club. Earlier this year, she launched Motormouth, a content company based on three words: ‘Flawed, female, funny.’ Think Fleabag, but desi. The company is already writing two movies and a series for an OTT platform. Suresh is also part of BAFTA Breakthrough India, a programme that promotes talent in the country.

A few years ago, she created Pushpavalli, a comedy about a female stalker that waded into some uncomfortable territories. It was refreshing and popular, and came back for another season. She also won a Filmfare for the show in 2020.

A better actor than a stand-up, Suresh is sort of a mother hen to upcoming female comics and is making footholds for others in her flock. “There are a thousand men for one woman who make horrible things,” she had told Firstpost in 2018. “Let us at least come ahead and start doing things…. I used to be a food inspector, and now I am a comedian. If I can do it, lots of other girls can.”

- Anirudh Madhavan

Techie who tickles

How many software engineers does it take to change a lightbulb? None, it’s a hardware problem. Kanan Gill might not make that joke, but he is a former techie from Bengaluru.

The 32-year-old hit internet gold when he, along with Biswa Kalyan Rath, started making fun of trashy old Bollywood films in a YouTube series called Pretentious Movie Reviews. Almost a decade on, Gill now has two specials—one each on Amazon Prime Video and Netflix—and is one of the more cerebral comics on the scene. Which is why you will hear applause and guffaws in equal measure when he is on stage. He recently toured Europe, and he also hosts the hilarious No New Notifications podcast with friend Manek D’Silva.

Gill’s comedy and audience are both urban. He likes surreal humour, or stuff that does not fit into a structure, which tends to make it even funnier. Incisive and reflective, Gill seems like a comedian who will only get better with age.

Glam and the ‘Gram

What do you call an infection that promotes shampoos online? An Instagram influenza.

During the pandemic, anyone with a phone and a little confidence became an influencer. Kusha Kapila, though, was an early bird. A fashion writer, Kapila first started making comedy videos impersonating South Delhi women. She would take digs at the elite, and her audience lapped it up. As the view count grew, Kapila added more characters. Having written clickbait-y articles earlier, she knew what worked online. And she built on that to make a career that spans social media, OTT, television and cinema.

She has hosted Comicstaan, acted in a Karan Johar short film and is working on expanding her YouTube presence.

“I talk about body positivity, about loving yourself, about sexism, about feminism, I speak about all the issues that must be spoken about, but obviously infuse them with my humour,” she said in a Vogue interview. “But I do attract a lot of hate from men. If you are getting offended with the work that I am doing, I think I am making a difference.”

Lawyer with the laughs

A stand-up comic walks into a bar…. Only, Anubhav Singh Bassi actually did. Not to tipple, but as an advocate. A lawyer before picking up the mic, the Meerut-born comedian has found his fans in what you would call the “launda” (brat) crowd. An anecdotal artist who prefers Hindi, Bassi draws on his own experiences as a boy from Uttar Pradesh, a UPSC aspirant and a man of the law to extract belly laughs from his audiences.

Whether he is talking about getting his hairy back waxed, cheating in an exam or throwing a water cooler off a hostel balcony, he does so with a chuckle himself, as if to say it is absurd these things are happening to him.

Though his first four YouTube videos have a combined view count of 233 million, Bassi prefers live shows—he has toured many cities in India and was recently on the road in the US. “Live shows are more fun,” he says in an interview. “And anyway, there are no good movies nowadays. You might as well come watch us.”

• 40 Under 40

Essay on India in 2030

As we stand on the threshold of the next decade, envisioning India in 2030 opens a window to a future shaped by innovation, progress, and societal evolution. The trajectory of the nation is marked by ambitious goals, technological advancements, and a commitment to sustainable development. In this essay, we explore the potential contours of India’s journey in 2030, envisioning a landscape where progress harmonizes with inclusivity and environmental stewardship.

Quick Overview:

• India in 2030 is likely to witness a further surge in technological advancements, with a robust digital infrastructure becoming a cornerstone of everyday life.
• Increased internet penetration, smart cities, and cutting-edge innovations are expected to redefine the way Indians live, work, and connect with the world.
• A heightened awareness of environmental issues is anticipated to drive sustainable development initiatives across the country.
• India is likely to invest in renewable energy, green technologies, and eco-friendly practices to address climate change concerns and ensure a greener and more sustainable future.
• The Indian economy is poised for continued growth, bolstered by strategic economic policies, international collaborations, and a focus on enhancing global competitiveness.
• Sectors such as technology, healthcare, and renewable energy are expected to play pivotal roles in India’s economic landscape.
• A commitment to education and skill development is likely to empower the youth, positioning them as catalysts for innovation and social progress.
• The education system is expected to evolve, emphasizing not only academic excellence but also fostering creativity, critical thinking, and problem-solving skills.
• India’s cultural diversity is set to remain a defining feature, celebrated and preserved through various mediums.
• Social harmony initiatives are expected to strengthen, promoting inclusivity, tolerance, and understanding among the diverse communities that constitute the fabric of the nation.

Conclusion:

In conclusion, India in 2030 is envisioned as a dynamic tapestry of progress and inclusivity, guided by a vision that balances economic growth with environmental responsibility. The technological landscape is poised for transformation, with innovations shaping the way people interact, learn, and conduct business. As the nation advances, a commitment to sustainable development is expected to be at the forefront, ensuring that growth is mindful of its impact on the environment.

Crucially, the youth of India will emerge as architects of this future, armed with a blend of traditional values and modern skills. Education and skill development initiatives will empower them to contribute meaningfully to the nation’s growth story. Moreover, India’s cultural richness and diversity will continue to be a source of strength, fostering social harmony and national unity.

While the vision of India in 2030 is optimistic, it is also a call to action. It requires collective efforts, innovative solutions, and a commitment to inclusive development. By navigating this future with a focus on sustainable practices, technological prowess, and social cohesion, India has the potential to emerge as a global leader, setting an example for harmonious progress in the 21st century.

Rahul Kumar is a passionate educator, writer, and subject matter expert in the field of education and professional development. As an author on CoursesXpert, Rahul Kumar’s articles cover a wide range of topics, from various courses, educational and career guidance.

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The Future of Content Writing Services in India: Trends and Predictions

The uprise of the digital economy and the rising need for high-quality content have made India become a hub for content writing services. In order to make wise judgments for organizations and content writing experts alike, it is crucial to comprehend the present landscape, anticipated future trends, and forecasts.

Analyzing the Current State of Content Writing Services in India

The content writing industry in India is experiencing rapid growth. This is primarily due to the increasing number of online businesses and digital platforms that require high-quality content to engage their target audience. In addition, the availability of a large, skilled workforce and cost-effective services has made India an attractive destination for outsourcing content needs. 

The Indian content writing market comprises various segments, including technical writing, creative writing, copywriting, and SEO writing, among others. Each segment caters to the specific needs of businesses, helping them communicate effectively with their audience. Another significant aspect of the Indian content-writing industry is the rise of freelancing platforms and content-writing agencies. These platforms have made it simpler for businesses to connect with skilled content writers and outsource their content requirements.

How Content Writers Contribute to India's Digital Growth

Content writers play a crucial role in India's digital growth. By producing high-quality content that resonates with the target audience, they help businesses improve their online presence, drive traffic, and generate leads. According to a recent study, the Indian digital economy is projected to reach $1 trillion by 2025. 

Content writers contribute to this growth by Enhancing website visibility: Through SEO-optimized content, writers help businesses rank higher in search engine results, improving organic traffic and brand exposure. Boosting social media engagement: Engaging and shareable content encourages social media users to interact with the brand and spread the word. Establishing thought leadership: By creating informative and insightful content, writers position businesses as industry leaders and drive trust among their audience. Supporting content marketing efforts: High-quality content helps businesses generate leads and increase conversions, ultimately boosting revenue.

Predicting the Future Trends and Technologies

The content writing industry in India is expected to evolve with the integration of new trends and technologies. Some of the major developments to watch out for include: 

• Artificial intelligence (AI): AI-driven content writing tools will become more sophisticated, automating mundane tasks and allowing writers to focus on more creative aspects of content creation. 
• Voice search optimization: With the growing adaption of voice assistants, writers will need to adapt their content to cater to voice search queries. 
• Video content: The popularity of video content will continue to rise, leading to increased demand for scriptwriters and video content creators. Personalization: As consumers seek more personalized experiences, content writers will need to create content that caters to individual preferences and behaviors. 
• Multilingual content: To cater to India's diverse linguistic landscape, content writers will need to develop expertise in multiple languages, expanding their reach and market potential.

Discussing the Challenges and Opportunities

While the content writing industry in India is poised for growth, it also faces certain challenges and opportunities: 

• Talent development: As the demand for content writers grows, there will be a need for skilled professionals. Continuous learning and skill development will be crucial to meet industry requirements. 
• Maintaining quality: With the increasing volume of content, maintaining high-quality standards will be a challenge. Content writers must focus on originality, relevance, and accuracy to stand out in the competitive market. 
• Adapting to new technologies: Content writers must stay abreast of emerging technologies and adapt their writing techniques accordingly to maintain relevance in the evolving digital landscape. 
• Intellectual property rights: As more content is created, there will be increased concerns about plagiarism and copyright infringement. Writers and businesses will need to ensure that their content is original and legally compliant. 

On the other hand, opportunities in the content writing industry include: 

• Niche specialization: By focusing on specific industries or topics, content writers can differentiate themselves and cater to unique market demands. 
• Expanding to international markets: Indian content writers can tap into global markets, leveraging their cost advantage and language skills to cater to international clients. 
• Collaboration with other professionals:  Content writers can collaborate with other digital professionals like graphic designers, web developers, and digital marketers to offer comprehensive solutions to clients.

Implications for Businesses and Service Providers

As the content writing industry in India continues to grow and evolve, businesses and service providers need to adapt to stay competitive. Some of the key implications include: 

• Investing in talent development: Businesses must invest in upskilling their content writers, enabling them to meet the changing market requirements and maintain quality standards. 
• Embracing technology: Businesses should be open to adopting new technologies and tools that can streamline their content creation processes and improve efficiency. 
• Focusing on audience engagement: Businesses must prioritize creating content that aligns with their target audience, driving engagement and conversions. 
• Partnering with reliable content writing agencies: Partnering with reputable agencies like Text Mercato can help businesses access a pool of skilled writers, ensuring consistent quality and timely delivery of content.

The future of content writing services in India looks promising, with significant growth potential driven by digital transformation, emerging technologies, and the increasing demand for quality content. To stay ahead of the curve, organizations and content writing professionals must embrace these trends and continuously adapt to the evolving landscape. Partnering with experienced content writing agencies like Text Mercato can help businesses navigate this dynamic market, ensuring access to skilled writers and quality content that drives their digital growth. 

FAQs: 

1.   What are the emerging trends and predictions for the future of content writing services in India? 

Emerging trends in content writing services in India include artificial intelligence, voice search optimization, video content, personalization, and multilingual content creation.

2 . How is the content writing industry in India expected to evolve in the coming years?  

The industry is expected to grow rapidly, driven by digital transformation and the increasing demand for quality content. Writers will need to adapt to new technologies, maintain quality standards, and develop niche specializations to stay competitive.

3. What are the potential opportunities and challenges for content writing services in India in the future? 

Opportunities include niche specialization, expansion to international markets, and collaboration with other digital professionals. Challenges include talent development, maintaining quality standards, adapting to new technologies, and addressing intellectual property rights concerns.

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• India of My Dreams Essay

Essay on India of My Dreams

Everyone has dreams to make his/her country big and democratically successful. A country where there is equality in all areas, and for all genders, it witnesses progress. Like others, I also have a dream for my India and the way it should be, so I can be proud to live and the coming generation too. Furthermore, a country where there is no discrimination of caste, color, gender, and economic status, sees development in a true sense. People in such countries also progress well in all senses.

Descriptive Essay India of My Dreams

The India of my dreams would be a country that is entirely self-sufficient in all areas. I want India to be technologically advanced, agriculturally advanced as well as scientifically better. Every barren land in the country, which has not witnessed crop in ages, would be cultivated for achieving food grains. I am proud of my country, where agriculture is the backbone and pushes the GDP ahead. 

I am proud that I live in a country with so rich soil containing suitable minerals that help in agriculture and promote farming. Different states of India have different varieties of soil, such as Gujarat has black soil that is suitable for growing cotton, Kerala has soil that is suitable for rice cultivation, and so on. One of the best things that happened in the country was the Green Revolution, offering intensive agricultural programs for farmers.

Women Empowerment

My biggest dream is to see women’s empowerment in all areas. I am happy to see women are becoming independent and can take up family responsibilities. However, many things need to work for women’s empowerment, such as stopping female feticide, promoting safety and equality in the organisation, etc. In rural areas of India, there are still many cases of women feticide and physical attack, endangering a woman’s life. 

The patriarchy is still in existence in many places in India, that needs to be taken into consideration. Several jobs are still not open for women. For things to change in a better way, along with the government and other citizens, women as a community should also normalise certain things to change the mindset of the people and the society. For instance, generally, everywhere, the delivery person that comes to our door are men. There are nearly zero women who accept such jobs. Instead, they choose to be a housewife, which should not be the ideal situation. Society should normalise things for women that men have done for decades. Various types of reservations are also provided in education or jobs to uplift women and encourage better participation.

Thankfully, the Indian government, along with NGOs and social groups, are working towards the safety and empowerment of women in India. I want women in my country to be free from social stigma and live independent lives.

Empowering Poor

The rich are becoming richer, and the poor are becoming poorer. The middle class has been standing in the same situation ever since. This should not be the ideal situation for India. The more this gap will be, the more our country and people will suffer. India of my dreams should be a place where poor people get empowerment, face no poverty, do not starve, and get the proper roof to live. 

Poor kids should get an education, so they are confident in facing the world and living a successful life. There should be no gap between the rich and the poor. The national income should be distributed rationally among different sections of society. In my opinion, socialism is the only remedy that can help to overcome the problem.

Employment Opportunity

The India of my dream should be where every individual should get employment opportunities. People must have a decent job that offers good pay, which will help in fulfilling dreams. Unfortunately, many young people with great talent are unable to find the right job due to corruption, quota, and reference.

Reservation has been the major hindrance in the path of growth of deserving candidates. Many of the young experts end up shifting abroad for job opportunities, helping the growth of the GDP of the respective country. India of My dream is a place where the deserving candidate must get a job. A country where young experts get a proper job will certainly witness profitable growth of GDP.

No More Caste Discrimination

Right from independence until now, caste discrimination has been the major hurdle in the growth of Indian society. In many villages of the country, some people still face caste discrimination issues. It is certainly shameful to see how people are denied their rights due to the caste issue. Thankfully, certain social groups work hard to bring down caste discrimination and give equal opportunities to people.

Reservation is also the major factor in promoting caste discrimination. The deserving candidate, be it of any caste, has to suffer more, and the non-deserving ones, be it of any caste, get admission easily into top-notch colleges of India. Students shift abroad for their higher studies or their jobs. They think that the education system of India is not up to the mark and the employment industry is also not very welcoming to keep the students in their company.

I want India to be corrupt-free, which will help in the growth of the nation. One of the reasons the country, even after all these years, is not able to develop is because of the corruption practised by people. No matter how big or small the work is, you need to give the money to get it done.

However, there are government policies that strike hard on such people who look for a bribe to perform the task. I dream of a country where people perform a task without taking any bribes.

Good Infrastructure and Sanitation

I dream of India, which has good infrastructure and sanitation. There are many villages, which lack poor sanitation and infrastructure. The Government of India needs to work on these, so people get what they deserve. Adequate sanitation is very important; it helps people in the village, especially women, to avoid going to open places and face health issues.

The Indian defence forces should be equipped with technologically advanced weapons. All the three military units, the army, the navy, and the air force, should be given extra attention by the government of India as the defence force of any nation is the most significant part of any country. The soldiers should be well-trained and have enough facilities, especially those serving at the borders.

India of my dream should be an ideal country, which I can be proud of and live with confidence. I want the coming generation to have a better life and get everything they deserve for living in this country. I want my country to be politically sound and unbiased, the democracy of my country to be the strongest and successful. Corruption should be eliminated from every aspect of our lives. 

Taxes should be practically and judicially imposed, the difference between rich and poor should be eliminated, and there should not be any kind of inequalities. This dream nation should be the dream of every citizen living here, and then only the desired result will be seen. Every citizen should work and act accordingly so that our future generation will be proud of the nation they are born in, and the other countries of the world will take inspiration from India.

FAQs on India of My Dreams Essay

1) Why is India's Dream of becoming self-reliant difficult?

Many obstacles make this country less self-reliant. The first thing is the high tax levied by the government. There are taxes an individual needs to pay for running a business, and most of the profit is taken away by the taxes. People take a step back to invest in the business. However, the time has come where the government is stepping in to offer assistance on a monetary basis, helping young investors to come up with ideas and work on producing products in and for India.

2) Will caste discrimination ever be eliminated in India?

No, caste discrimination in India may never be eliminated. This is because people are caste-oriented, and they prefer accepting others based on caste. This discrimination has led to many problems in various places of India like mob lynching, social isolation, and others.

3) What are the major challenges in achieving the India of our dreams?

Various social, economic, political, and cultural concerns exist in our country. India being a vast and diverse country with a huge population, it is difficult but not impossible to achieve the India of my dreams. Also, the efforts made for betterment are few and everyone just wants their desired results with no efforts by them. This is what makes it altogether a dream to be achieved.

4) What are the factors that stop India from being a developed nation?

Various negative factors stop India from flourishing as a developed nation are corruption, poverty, illiteracy, employment issues, etc. Efforts need to be placed in order to eliminate the above factors for a better tomorrow.  

5) What does the India of my dreams look like?

India of my dreams will be developed, advanced, happy, peaceful, filled with harmony, and equality in every aspect of life. It will be a place to live in where everyone would be content with what they have and there is understanding within the fellow citizens.

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How will India be in 2030 - a new book charts the course

Prashant Sood | Updated: Jan 25, 2021 10:58 IST

New Delhi [India], January 25 (ANI): India wants to be the third-largest economy in the world by the end of this decade, raise Gross Enrolment Ratio in higher education to 50 per cent, end extreme poverty and produce 450 GW of renewable energy. The Narendra Modi government has undertaken bold reforms to meet the manifold aspirations across sectors and usher the country on a faster growth path. A new book looks at the journey that India will undertake in the next ten years as it meets challenges in the neighbourhood and beyond and gets rid of bottlenecks and inefficiencies to realise its inherent strengths. The book 'India 2030: The Rise of a Rajasic Nation' seeks to capture the India of 2030, walks a decade-long journey with all its major and minor trails and tells what India will look like 10 years from now. Edited by Observer Research Foundation Vice President Gautam Chikermane , the book has essays by 20 thought leaders on themes that will impact and influence India through the 2020s. It carries advanced praise from Prime Minister Narendra Modi. Experts who have contributed to the book include former Supreme Court Judge BN Srikrishna, former R&AW chief Vikram Sood , Vedic teacher David Frawley, former CSIR director general RA Mashelkar and Bibek Debroy , chairman Economic Advisory Council to the Prime Minister. Chikermane notes that it is not a prescriptive but predictive book and is a "definite envisioning of the future". The book has been published by Penguin Random House. In his essay 'Politics: Return to Conservatism, Rise to Great Power' BJP leader Ram Madhav , who is also a member of Governing Board of India Foundation, says that 2020s will see India return to its conservative roots. He says this decade will belong to India, its resurgence will be driven by Bharat. He also says that the decade will lay the foundations for a Right-dominated discourse. "Politically, the decade will consolidate the change that gained strength in 2014 but began earlier. It will lay the foundations for a Right-dominated discourse. A new nationalism will flourish in a variety of ways. Neither caste nor religion will drive politics, but performance and trust will. This philosophical change will express itself through politics, of course. But equally, it will drive new streams of narratives around economics, development, infrastructure, enterprise, technology and culture. This decade will belong to India, and its resurgence will be driven by Bharat. Prime Minister Narendra Modi will be the driver of this resurgence. Modi stands on the shoulders of several other leaders such as Atal Bihari Vajpayee and Shyama Prasad Mukherjee. But the final change will be driven by citizens who will oversee the rise of the Indian economic miracle, watch as it grows towards becoming a great power, and ensure the rise is peaceful, inclusive and integral." He says that the Congress party under Nehru had started representing Centre-Left politics, while the Jan Sangh emerged as a Centre-Right alternative to it. He refers to the birth of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) in 1980 and "its meteoric rise in just a decade's time to emerge as India's principal opposition" and says the erosion of the influence of the Congress in Indian politics and the rise of the BJP at the same time are not just two political developments. "They signify the decisive ideological shift that has taken place among the Indian polity over the course of the past four decades." "Under Vajpayee, the country witnessed the transformation of Indian politics into a Right nationalist mould. The culmination of this process happened when Narendra Modi stormed his way into the Indian parliament in 2014 with a 282-seat absolute majority for BJP. Prior to becoming prime minister of the country, Modi became the rallying point for the cultural nationalists in the country. As chief minister of Gujarat, Modi cultivated a development-focused, industry-friendly and progressive image for himself that was clearly in line with the conservative economic ideas of the Indian Right. As a core cadre of the RSS, he also represented the socio-cultural ideas of the Indian Right. The emergence of Modi on the Indian political horizon has marked the beginning of a new phenomenon in Indian politics. Modi emerged as the most iconic leader in the country, with no other leader in the Opposition coming anywhere near him. The BJP too has grown to become the only party with a pan-Indian presence, while the influence of the other national party, the Congress, has shrunk to an all-time low." Ram Madhav notes that liberals dismiss it as 'identity politics', but the Indian mind responds affirmatively to the idea of a cultural-civilizational identity. "Gandhi used it to the hilt, but Nehru, even though he wrote extensively about its richness, nevertheless rejected its role in the country's politics. Modi's style is to wear his cultural-civilizational identity on his sleeve." He says Panchamrit, or the five pillars are PM Modi's contribution to foreign policy. "Samman--the dignity and honour of every Indian; Samvad--greater engagement; Samruddhi--economic prosperity; Suraksha--internal and external security; and Samskriti--culture and civilization, have become the new pillars. Modi's diaspora diplomacy is a path-breaking initiative." Ram Madhav notes that the coming decade is going to be dominated by the nationalist politics of PM Modi and the BJP. In his essay 'Defence: Nine Trends Will Dominate the 2020s', Abhijit Iyer-Mitra , a senior fellow at the Institute of Peace and Conflict Studies, says that the 2020s will be a breakaway decade for defence. "This decade will see major changes in the way the sector has been seen, politically, economically and technologically. Among the major changes will be a shift from offsets to work share, big business to small and medium defence-focused enterprises, and a shift to air from ground-centrism. And while there will be a greater reliance on Russia for weapons sourcing, the decade ahead will simultaneously see a closer alignment with the West. These changes will be driven by a larger economy and a greater role for India in international affairs." He says that nine trends will start emerging this decade as a result of economics, politics, technology and circumstances, should optimal policy prevail. "A shift from offsets to work share; shift from big conglomerates to MSMEs in defence production; shift from a government-run model of defence production to a private sector one; streamlining of what technologies and projects the government invests in; steady synchronization of Indian defence production and purchases with the Occidental military-industrial complex; an ever-decreasing reliance on Russia; bifurcation of economic and security policy; shift to air-centrism from ground-centrism, prioritization of interoperability, ISR and network centricity over an outright purchase of platforms." "It remains to be seen how effectively and smoothly these changes will occur. In open societies like India, naturally, changes are accompanied by significant public acrimony. The real challenge will be managing and smoothening these clashes. In many ways, these challenges are a microcosm of the challenges India faces as a society." He says perhaps the most important shift that India will see in the 2020s will be the swing from warfighting to war-winning, which now depends overwhelmingly on air combat. The essay also talks about the lessons and positives of Balakot air strikes. "Any proper introspection will accelerate the process towards optimization of the air combat paradigm, making it a highly reliable, flexible and precise tool for policymakers to use in times of crisis. Indeed, this will quite possibly become one of the most significant trends of the 2020s and will herald a shift to full air-centrism." In his essay, Foreign Policy: India Will Be a 'Bridge Nation', Samir Saran , President of Observer Research Foundation, says that India's journey towards a $10 trillion economy by the mid-2030s will shape and be shaped by its foreign policy priorities in the decade ahead. "After all, India will be the first major power to transition from a low- to middle-income economy amid the fourth industrial revolution, the disenchantment with globalization and in the backdrop of a global pandemic which has all but exposed the frail ethics and malicious influence that have now come to define global governance. India will indeed be a 'bridge nation' in the coming decade. India will continue responding to its twentieth-century development challenges (albeit constrained by a modest per capita GDP and a low tax-GDP ratio), even as millions of Indians embrace digital technologies to influence political outcomes and create new pathways for social and economic mobility. He says multipolarity will be the norm and multilateralism will be contested and the coming decade will test India's ability to 'behave'--or wield its influence--as a great power does. "The past two decades witnessed India emerge as a global actor through sheer size. In essence, its massive demography, rapid economic rise and geographical importance have made it indispensable to global conversations of any consequence. The coming decade will test India's ability to 'behave'--or wield its influence--as a great power does. There is a large potential in such a future: India will be the first power that has identified itself with the equitable governance of the global commons." Author and writer Monika Halan, in her essay 'Money: A Brief History of the Future' looks back at India's economic journey and progress from what it will be in 2030. "The savings bank in your phone will become the investment bank in the 2020s. Money will flow seamlessly across all financial transactions, go where it's needed at a tap--data will become the new oil. This faster velocity of money will bring with it a greater transparency and a higher accountability in the financial system. This will result from and simultaneously drive the democratization of finance. But no surprises here: as the world's third-largest economy in the decade, Indians expect nothing less but will get a lot more. The marriage of technology with money will produce several changes in the way India consumes, grows, creates, builds, invests and transacts. "Writing in 2030, I see that the face of money and its expression have changed beyond recognition over the last decade, arguably the fastest change since Independence," she says. She says regulatory and legislative changes that began in 2014 "have been consolidated and strengthened over the last ten years". "Citizens have finally monetized the data they create; ownership rights over data have been streamlined and legislated by law. This has empowered the poor in ways we couldn't imagine in 2020." Chikermane notes in the preface of the book that India stands at a crossroads of several simultaneous disruptions at the start of the decade. "Not all disruptions of the 2020s will be government-led and several sectors will be driven by private actors, for profits as well as not-for-profits, and will contribute to the flowering of India." Chikermane says that beyond all other transformations in India, the 2020s will see a rajasic reawakening of the nation. In his essay 'Forces: Consolidation of a Rajasic India', he says that the discovery and organization of this rajasic force have been enurmerated, analysed and its principles extracted into former knowledge through Sankhya, one of the six intellectual traditions of India. Other essays in the book are - Health: Looking Beyond a Cultural Extinction Event by Rajesh Parikh; Economy: From Wealth Redistribution to Wealth Creation by Bibek Debroy ; Justice: Technology Will Deliver Exponential Efficiency by BN Srikrishna; Spying: Intelligence Will Need to Rethink, Reinvent Itself by Vikram Sood ; Multilateralism: From Principles to Transactions, and Back Again by Amrita Narlikar; Energy: Powering GDP, Fuelling Development by Kirit S. Parikh; Urbanization: India Finally Lives in Liveable Cities by Reuben Abraham; Work: Citizen-Firm Productivity through Effective Governance by Manish Sabharwal; Education: Four 'Fantastic' Forecasts by Parth J. Shah; Policymaking: The Coming Rise of Science in Policy by Ajay Shah; Science and Technology: India Will Be a Producer of Knowledge, Not Just a Consumer by Raghunath Anant Mashelkar; Soft Power: India Will Be the Confluence of Materialism and Spiritualism by Amish Tripathi; Friendships: Ideology and Technology Will Unfriend Society by Sandipan Deb; Nationalism: An Integral Union of the Nation with the Self by Devdip Ganguli; Civilizational Resurgence: India Will Reconnect with Its Ancient Past to Ride into a Dharmic Future by David Frawley. (ANI)

India 2030: The rise of a Rajasic Nation

Gautam Chikermane

Bibek Debroy

Abhijit Iyer-Mitra

Vikram Sood

Monica Halan

Samir Saran