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Unveiling the mysteries: Mumbai's top 5 haunted places

<a href="http://www.businessinsider.in/searchresult.cms?query=delhi">Delhi</a>, it’s time to rejoice and stop turning green with envy every time your friend from Mumbai mentions how cool ‘The <keyword id="2461293" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="80" keywordseo="Bar-Stock-Exchange">Bar Stock Exchange</keyword> is,’ because the capital finally has a good enough reply- that too right in the heart of the city. 
 
The city’s version of the stock exchange <a href="http://www.businessinsider.in/searchresult.cms?query=bar">bar</a> has been christened ‘Café Dalal Street,’ (aptly named after the street in Mumbai where all the action takes place) and is conveniently located in <a href="http://www.businessinsider.in/searchresult.cms?query=connaught+place">Connaught Place</a>. 
 
The owners Vidit Gupta, Himanshu Gupta, Prateek Kochar and Gurcharan Singh came up with the idea for the resto bar after realizing how there is a death of good drinking places in the city- which also boast of an innovative concept. 
 
Living up to its name, the prices of the drinks at Café Dalal Street, which opened its doors to the public recently, rise and fall as per the demand and supply- replicating the workings of shares. 
 
 
Thus, expect screens showing the decreasing or increasing prices of drinks, allowing patrons to invest or order accordingly. That’s not all, similar to the stock market, the market here also crashes, as a result of which one can enjoy exquisite drinks at throwaway prices. 
 
Once you’ve made your way through the dimly lit staircase to enter the massively lit room, pick any drink off the CDS Exchange (which lists all the drinks on the menu). The TV screens plastered above your table will be your aide in keeping a strict check on the status of the drink. 
 
Alternatively, you can also download the Dalal Street App and use it to monitor the price fluctuations of every drink and sneakily place an order when the price is at an all-time low. 
 
 
 
P.S- Be alert to spot when the market crashes and be rewarded with dirt-cheap drinks! 
 
Sounds great, doesn’t it? 
 
Looks like it’s time to ditch the boring usual haunts to grab a beer and trade drinks, not shares at this <a href="http://www.businessinsider.in/A-stock-exchange-themed-bar-is-opening-in-the-City-of-London-with-prices-that-dip-and-surge-with-demand/articleshow/47647738.cms">stock exchange bar</a>, then. 
 
(We’ll see you in a bit, My Bar) 
 
Image credits: Zomato

Café Dalal Street: Trade drinks at Delhi’s first
ever stock exchange bar!

At a time when the discrimination against <keyword id="6395204" type="ORGANIZATION" weightage="100" keywordseo="HIV-positive">HIV positive</keyword> patients has still not wore down, a Mumbai-based man is quietly transforming the lives of HIV positive children. 
 <keyword id="3434116" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="100" keywordseo="Papa-Reji">Papa Reji</keyword>, as he is fondly called, is a father to over 24 children, 22 of them are HIV positive children that and his wife have adopted as their own. 
 
Over the years, they have nurtured these kids, fed them even though they had to starve and given them a place of shelter and unconditional love and ensured that these kids have a reason to laugh and live their life to the fullest. 
 <keyword id="2941350" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="100" keywordseo="Humans-of-Bombay">Humans of Bombay</keyword> recently interviewed him and gave us a peak into the inspiring tale of this man’s journey to fathering 24 kids and how it began. 
 
If there’s anything you should read today, it’s this. 
 
 
How it all started: 
 
"I was passing DY Patil hospital one day when I saw a girl sleeping outside -- weak to the point that you could see her bones. I found out that she was HIV positive and had lost both her parents. I asked what she would like to eat and she said noodles, but I couldn't find them anywhere so I promised her I would return the next day. She passed away that night and that incident kept haunting me, so I went inside the hospital and asked them to contact me if there were any such children in the future. 
 
 
At first, it was difficult to make ends meet: 
 
2 such children were sent to me for different reasons. In 2009, I took a space on rent in Navi Mumbai for my wife, my two children and the two HIV positive children. At first it was difficult to make ends meet -- we could afford one mattress on which my 4 children slept and my wife and I would make do without. Eventually, people started donating -- beds, grains and money. My family of 4 slowly expanded to 24 as more and more children with HIV were sent to me. 
 
 
‘We have tried to make sure they have a life worth living’: 
 
My wife has been a rock solid support and we've never differentiated between our children -- we scold all of them, love all of them and give them the same gifts. My wife cooks for all 24 of our children, looks after their medication and takes them for their medical check ups. We've tried to give all of them a good education and make sure that they have a life worth living. 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Love conquers all: 
 
An incident I'll never forget is of a boy who was abandoned by his parents and brought to us in the last stage of tuberculosis and HIV. We took him in, gave him all the fresh juices and lentils he needed. We began to laugh around him, make him play with us and showered him with so much love that he had to recover! Within two weeks from not being able to get up, he was running around everywhere. 
 
 
‘I am just a father looking after my children’ 
 
That's the most fulfilling part about what I do -- I can proudly say that my family of 24 is overflowing with love! Being HIV positive doesn't mean that they have to cut their life short...they can live as long as any normal person and that's what I'm here for...to save them and give them a long life. And with love and care, everything is possible. These children all call me 'Papa Reji' and it's the duty of a father to protect...so I'm not someone special -- I'm just a father looking after my children." 
 
This man is an example that one doesn’t require endless amounts of money to make a difference- all you need is compassion and lots of love. 
 
Thanks to Papa Reji, these HIV positive kids now have a family and a reason to smile.

This Mumbai superdad has adopted 22 HIV-positive kids and is raising them as his own

The memory of <a href="http://www.businessinsider.in/searchresult.cms?query=Mumbai+attacks">26/11 Mumbai attacks</a> continues to haunt us and a statement by former defence secretary might send chills again. 
 
Former defence secretary RK Mathur told a <a href="http://www.businessinsider.in/searchresult.cms?query=parliamentary+panel">parliamentary panel</a> that 26/11 Mumbai style attacks could take place again as a <a href="http://www.businessinsider.in/searchresult.cms?query=boats">boat</a> might still enter Indian waters undetected. 
 
Mathur feels a "whole lot of work" is needed to be done and that <a href="http://www.businessinsider.in/searchresult.cms?query=coast+guard">Coast Guard</a> was still a "long way off" from ensuring complete security of India's coastline. 
 In his frank testimony to <keyword id="81545" type="ORGANIZATION" weightage="100" keywordseo="public-accounts-committee">Public Accounts Committee</keyword> (PAC), Mathur expected that his response would be confined to a room, when he was asked if 26/11 Mumbai carnage would recur. But, the PAC report on the functioning of Coast Guard, which was eventually tabled in Parliament on Thursday, has quoted him verbatim. 
 
"If you ask me a very specific question that 'Can 26/11 be repeated? Can a boat gin without being detected?' Within the confine of this room, sir, my answer would still be 'yes'. We apprehend that. We have to improve," Mathur is quoted as telling the committee. It's not clear exactly when Mathur, who retired earlier this year, was testifying. 
 
Mathur did not react on his statement made public. He had told the committee that it was not about adding more <a href="http://www.businessinsider.in/searchresult.cms?query=indian+military">military assets</a> to the force, but also work towards overall improvement of capabilities. 
 
"We have to improve. We have to improve much more. Therefore, what I feel is that other than the assets, there is a whole lot of work which needs to be done by Coast Guard to be able to achieve that level. I think we are fairly long way off from that position," he is quoted as saying. 
 
Mathur was detailing problems faced in regulating and monitoring the unorganised fishing sector that has over 1.99 lakh boats, many of which are not even registered. 
 
(Image: Indiatimes)

Former defence secretary makes shocking statement, says 26/11 Mumbai style attacks may happen again!

Mumbai (Maharashtra) [India], March 9 (ANI): Makers of the upcoming web series '<keyword id="19983826" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="heeramandi" source="keywords">Heeramandi</keyword>: The Diamond Bazaar' starring <keyword id="20008375" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="sonakshi-sinha" source="keywords">Sonakshi Sinha</keyword>, Richa Chadha, Aditi Rao Hydari, Manisha Koirala, Sharmin Segal, and Sanjeeda Shaikh are all set to unveil its first track 'Sakal Ban' on the global stage of <keyword id="20107740" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="miss-world" source="keywords">Miss World</keyword>. This song will also be the first track from Bhansali's new music label, <keyword id="20861826" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="bhansali-music" source="keywords">Bhansali Music</keyword>. 'Sakal ban' will be a traditional song that will feature all the leading ladies of 'Heeramandi'. As per the source, "The first song of 'Bhansali Music', 'Sakal Ban' which also marks the first song of Bhansali's 'Heeramandi' will be launched on a global platform of Miss World. For the first time will see a song having a world stage launch on the prestigious podium of 'Miss World'." <keyword id="19897264" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="sanjay-leela-bhansali" source="keywords">Sanjay Leela Bhansali</keyword>, who is known for his blockbuster films like 'Hum Dil De Chuke Sanam', 'Black', 'Ram-Leela', 'Bajirao Mastani', 'Padmaavat', 'Devdas', 'Saawariya' and 'Gangubai Kathiawadi' entered the musical world and launched his own music label on Thursday. Taking to Instagram, Bhansali Productions treated fans with the exciting news and captioned it, "Music brings me great joy and peace. It's an integral part of my being. I am now launching my own music label "Bhansali Music." I wish the audience to experience the same joy and spiritual connect that I feel when I listen to or create music." With Bhansali Music, the filmmaker will extend his creative prowess to the realm of music, collaborating with talented musicians and artists to produce captivating compositions for his films and memorable independent albums. Sanjay Leela Bhansali's cinematic creations have consistently left audiences spellbound, with music playing an integral role in the narrative. From the grandeur of 'DeewMastani' to the haunting melodies of 'Black,' Bhansali's compositions resonate with depth and passion, weaving themselves into the fabric of his films. Whether it's the grandeur of 'Deewani Mastani' from 'Bajirao Mastani' or the beauty of 'Lal Ishq' or the colors of 'Ghoomar' from the movie 'Padmaavat', Bhansali's music After a hiatus of 28 years, the Miss World finale returns to India, marking a historic moment in the pageant's legacy. The event will take place at the Jio World Convention Centre in Mumbai today (March 9). For viewers in India, the Miss World Finale will be streamed live on Sony LIV. Talking about the upcoming series, 'Heeramandi' is set in the midst of multiple power struggles in Heeramandi, Lahore (now part of Pakistan), and more generally in undivided, pre-independence India, where anti-colonial freedom movements were emerging. 'Heeramandi: The Diamond Bazaar' is set to stream on the OTT platform Netflix. It also marks the OTT debut of Sanjay Leela Bhansali. (ANI)

Sanjay Leela Bhansali to launch Heeramandi's first song on Miss World stage

India, with its rich literary heritage and diverse culture, has been a breeding ground for writers, poets, and bibliophiles for centuries. The country's bustling <keyword id="6667968" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="Book-Markets" source="Orion">book markets</keyword> are a reflection of this deep-rooted love for literature. From historic alleys lined with old bookstores to modern markets showcasing contemporary reads, India's iconic book markets are a haven for bookworms and seekers of literary gems. In this article, we'll look into the most renowned and beloved <keyword id="18480851" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="book-markets-in-India" source="Orion">book markets in India</keyword>, where the scent of pages and the thrill of discovery beckon. <cmsannotation type="cmsannotation" annotationid="Daryaganj Book Market, Delhi" comment="subhead" text="Daryaganj Book Market, Delhi"><keyword id="8107645" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="Daryaganj-Book-Market" source="Orion">Daryaganj Book Market</keyword>, Delhi</cmsannotation> Nestled in the heart of Old Delhi, the Daryaganj Book Market is a paradise for book lovers. Every Sunday, the streets come alive with makeshift stalls offering an eclectic mix of new and used books at bargain prices. From vintage editions to the latest bestsellers, this market has something for everyone, making it a treasure trove for those seeking literary delights. <cmsannotation type="cmsannotation" annotationid="College Street, Kolkata" comment="subhead" text="College Street, Kolkata"><keyword id="403902" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="College-Street" source="Orion">College Street</keyword>, Kolkata</cmsannotation> Often referred to as "Boi Para," which translates to "Book Street," College Street in Kolkata is a historic hub for bibliophiles. Lined with numerous bookstores, both old and new, this bustling street exudes an old-world charm. From rare manuscripts to contemporary novels, College Street is the intellectual soul of the city, attracting students, scholars, and readers of all ages. <cmsannotation type="cmsannotation" annotationid="Flora Fountain, Mumbai" comment="subhead" text="Flora Fountain, Mumbai">Flora Fountain, Mumbai</cmsannotation> Flora Fountain, located in South Mumbai, is a bustling center that houses some of the city's oldest and most iconic bookstores. This area is a blend of historic elegance and modern vibrancy. The bookstores here offer a diverse range of genres, catering to the varied literary tastes of Mumbaikars and tourists alike. <cmsannotation type="cmsannotation" annotationid="Blossom Book House, Bangalore" comment="subhead" text="Blossom Book House, Bangalore">Blossom Book House, Bangalore</cmsannotation> Nestled in the garden city of Bangalore, the Blossom Book House is a haven for those seeking respite from the city's chaos. This quaint bookstore boasts a vast collection of new and second-hand books across various genres. Its cozy atmosphere and friendly staff make it a favored spot for book enthusiasts to spend hours browsing and discovering hidden literary gems. <cmsannotation type="cmsannotation" annotationid="Nai Sarak, Delhi" comment="subhead" text="Nai Sarak, Delhi">Nai Sarak, Delhi</cmsannotation> Another gem in Delhi's literary crown, Nai Sarak, is a bustling market known for its collection of textbooks, academic materials, and stationery. This market is a lifeline for students and scholars seeking affordable academic resources. Amidst the vibrant chaos, one can find a wide array of educational materials that cater to various disciplines and levels of study. <cmsannotation type="cmsannotation" annotationid="Abids Book Market, Hyderabad" comment="subhead" text="Abids Book Market, Hyderabad">Abids Book Market, Hyderabad</cmsannotation> Abids Book Market in Hyderabad is a blend of tradition and modernity. With a mix of street-side stalls and established bookstores, this market offers a diverse range of books spanning multiple languages. It's a go-to place for those looking for regional literature, academic books, and even imported editions. <cmsannotation type="cmsannotation" annotationid="Avenue Road, Bengaluru" comment="subhead" text="Avenue Road, Bengaluru">Avenue Road, Bengaluru</cmsannotation> For Bengaluru students, a walk on Avenue Road is a must. The busy street is a book lover's paradise with stacks of books reaching 9 ft. high, covering every subject from management to fiction. Bibliophiles read while sellers assist. Situated near Chickpet, this bustling one-way street features heritage buildings, food carts, and numerous shops offering wholesale stationery, jewelry, and textiles. Selling old textbooks? It's one of Bengaluru's prime spots. <cmsannotation type="cmsannotation" annotationid="Moore Market, Chennai" comment="subhead" text="Moore Market, Chennai">Moore Market, Chennai</cmsannotation> Close to Chennai's busy Central Railway station, Moore Market thrives as a hub for second-hand books. Amidst its slightly shabby charm, small stores abound with an astounding range: classics, comics, fiction, non-fiction, biographies, magazines, and college textbooks. The lively market extends beyond books, offering vintage vacuum cleaners, aquariums, and collector items. Sellers' deep knowledge enhances its appeal, making Moore Market the favorite haunt of Chennai book enthusiasts for their monthly hauls. <cmsannotation type="cmsannotation" annotationid="Sankar's Bookstore, Chennai" comment="subhead" text="Sankar's Bookstore, Chennai">Sankar's Bookstore, Chennai</cmsannotation> A landmark in Chennai, Sankar's Bookstore is a treasure trove of Tamil literature and classics. It's a hub for regional literature enthusiasts, housing a wide range of books that showcase the literary diversity of Tamil Nadu. The store's heritage and commitment to promoting local literature make it a unique and beloved establishment. <cmsannotation type="cmsannotation" annotationid="Landour Bazaar, Mussoorie" comment="subhead" text="Landour Bazaar, Mussoorie">Landour Bazaar, Mussoorie</cmsannotation> Nestled in the charming hill station of Mussoorie, Landour Bazaar is home to charming bookstores that evoke a sense of nostalgia. This quiet market boasts stores where one can find a mix of literary classics, travel narratives, and local authors' works. The serene ambiance and crisp mountain air add to the enchantment of this book lover's haven. India's iconic book markets are more than just places to purchase books; they are cultural hubs that reflect the nation's diverse literary heritage. From the historic lanes of Daryaganj to the bustling streets of College Street, each market has its unique charm and a story to tell. As technology continues to reshape the way we consume information, these book markets stand as steadfast reminders of the enduring allure of printed words and the timeless joy of discovering new worlds within the pages of a book. Note: Note: The article is based on content generated by AI models like Bard and Chatgpt. <h3>SEE ALSO:</h3><a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/travel/india/top-10-cultural-gems-of-india-that-you-must-visit-for-once-in-a-lifetime-experience/slidelist/102505681.cms" data-type="tilCustomLink" target="_blank">Top 10 cultural gems of India that you must visit for once in a lifetime experience</a>

Famous book markets in India every reader should explore

Delhi has served significant time as the tragic king of <keyword id="55910" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="air-pollution" source="Orion">air pollution</keyword>, crowned via the butt of countless concerns masked as jokes on the internet. However, last year, we also witnessed a tug o' war between multiple cities vying for Delhi's smoggy throne, with metro cities like Bengaluru and Mumbai usurping the national capital on many occasions. While many reports have indeed shown that <keyword id="3658" type="General" weightage="100" keywordseo="india" source="Orion">India</keyword> has been faring somewhat better than the previous years, exorbitant air pollution continues to haunt the country. This places a tremendous burden on Indian human health, and we continue populating the top spot among the world's most polluted countries year after year. Now, a new report confirms these lamentable results once again. IQAir's newly published 2022 <keyword id="7395216" type="General" weightage="50" keywordseo="world-air-quality-report" source="Orion">World Air Quality Report</keyword> measured and reviewed the 2022 <keyword id="6473846" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="pm2-5" source="Orion">PM2.5</keyword> air quality data from over 7,300 cities across 131 countries. Drum roll: we ranked eighth among the world's most polluted countries in the world. <cmsannotation type="cmsannotation" annotationid="Exceeding limits by seven times" comment="subhead" text="Exceeding limits by seven times">Exceeding limits by seven times</cmsannotation> While there was a slight overall improvement over 2021 levels, our current average PM2.5 concentration of 53.3 micrograms/cubic metre still remains a catastrophic ten times over the <keyword id="6356311" type="General" weightage="50" keywordseo="world-health-organisation" source="Orion">World Health Organisation</keyword>'s safe limit. Roughly 60% of the Indian cities in the report exceeded WHO limits by over seven times! The only countries beating us to the top spot include Chad, Iraq, Pakistan, Bahrain, Bangladesh, Burkina Faso and Kuwait. While New Delhi has held the title of the most polluted capital in the world for a while now, the 2022 report shows a clear dethroning. The country's capital was pushed to second place, after Chad's N'Djamena, with a minuscule difference of only 0.6 micrograms per cubic metre (89.1 versus 89.7). <cmsannotation type="cmsannotation" annotationid="Worsening conditions in metro cities" comment="subhead" text="Worsening conditions in metro cities">Worsening conditions in metro cities</cmsannotation> As for our metro cities, there have been ups and downs since last year. While average PM2.5 levels improved by 4.2 points in Delhi, the same improvement cannot be seen in other cities. PM2.5 levels remained the same in Kolkata as of 2021, while it increased by 0.3, 3, 2.5 and 0.1 points in Mumbai, Hyderabad, Bengaluru and Chennai, respectively. In fact, according to current rankings on the webpage, 39 Indian cities dominate the top 50 spots among the world's most polluted cities. Among the top ten, we find Rajasthan's Bhiwadi (#3), Delhi (#4), Bihar's Darbhanga (#6) and Asopur (#7), followed by the all-too-familiar New Delhi (#9) and Patna (#10). The report has clearly outlined that South Asia (including India) has a pollution problem, being home to eight of the ten most polluted cities in the world. Of the 15 most polluted cities in this region, 12 were from India. This is clearly a problem that needs prompt mitigation, considering air pollution is the second biggest risk factor for diseases based on the 2019 Global Burden of Disease report, annually slashing $150 billion dollars from our economy. <cmsannotation type="cmsannotation" annotationid="Lack of dependable emission tracking" comment="subhead" text="Lack of dependable emission tracking">Lack of dependable emission tracking</cmsannotation> As a special note, the report outlines that we need a better system to track our air pollution progress. "A 2021 study shows that global and regional estimates agree on the leading sources of air pollution in India, but they vary significantly from in terms of uncertainty associated with these estimations," the report reads. And this is true. We know that the transportation, power generation, and agriculture sectors contribute significantly to PM2.5 emissions. But delineating appropriate reduction measures requires knowing which sectors require more attention, which can only be determined once we know their exact emission contributions. "A comprehensive national emission database is critical in determining sectoral emission reductions needed to meet the targeted 40 percent reduction in particulate concentrations by 2026 outlined in the <keyword id="6331581" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="national-clean-air-program" source="Orion">National Clean Air Program</keyword>," the report recommends. <h2>Recommended stories:</h2> <div type="Article" hostid="261" msid="98544133" title="Climate change spiking ground-ozone levels, could lead to higher heart attack and stroke risk" mstype="2" mssubtype="0"></div> <div type="Article" hostid="261" msid="98610169" title="Rampant biomass burning for heating and cooking may be driving Delhi&amp;#39;s severe winter night pollution, haze problem" mstype="2" mssubtype="0"></div> <div type="QUIZ" hostid="261" msid="94051791" title="Sustainability Quiz : Climate Change" mstype="1" mssubtype="2"></div>

India 8th most polluted country in the world, 39 Indian cities among 50 most polluted: 2022 World Air Quality Report

<ul><li><keyword id="191583" type="PERSON" weightage="20" keywordseo="Jeff-Bezos">Jeff Bezos</keyword> is flying down to India to attend <keyword id="18635" type="CITY" weightage="20" keywordseo="Amazon">Amazon</keyword>’s annual event for small and medium sized businesses.</li><li>The top boss at Amazon is also likely to meet Indian Prime Minister <keyword id="6354477" type="PERSON" weightage="20" keywordseo="Narendra-Modi">Narendra Modi</keyword> during his India visit.</li><li>Regulatory uncertainties and trader grievances could figure in Bezos’ discussions with <keyword id="6354642" type="PERSON" weightage="20" keywordseo="Modi">Modi</keyword>.</li></ul>Jeff Bezos is coming to India next week, and his potential meeting with Prime Minister Narendra Modi could be critical for Amazon’s fortunes in India. Officially, the visit is timed with its annual SMBhav event, which is Amazon’s attempt at reaching out to the millions of small and medium businesses in the country. At the same time, there are many regulatory uncertainties that haunt Bezos’ India unit. 
 <div type="image" title="image" msid="73138267" hostid="261"></div>



 Sale of in-house brands Indian government has<a href="https://www.ft.com/content/29a96ff6-2615-11e9-8ce6-5db4543da632"> tightened rules</a> around foreign investment in multi-brand retail, <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/business/ecommerce/news/india-e-commerce-policy-will-mean-trouble-for-flipkart-and-amazon/articleshow/72119136.cms">placing restriction</a>s on e-commerce players which operate on the inventory-based model. This forced Amazon to pull several product lines from its website from Amazon Basics, Solimo, Presto, and even Shoppers Stop. However, domestic e-commerce players like Snapdeal and Paytm Mall can accept foreign investments since they operate on a marketplace model. Amazon and its multinational peers including Walmart-owned Flipkart believe that this is unfair. However, this has not deterred Amazon from <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/amazon-india-finds-way-around-new-e-commerce-rules-for-cloudtail-and-appario/articleshow/67831376.cms">finding loopholes in the system</a> that it can work to its advantage. To discount or not, is the question The Indian government<a href="https://consumeraffairs.nic.in/draft-rule"> introduced</a> draft policy Consumer Protection (e-commerce) Rules, 2019 that is aimed at protecting consumers against fraud and unfair trade practices. However, this draft policy prohibits e-commerce players from influencing the price and offering deep discounts. Essentially, Amazon will not be able to attract buyers by offering deep discounts, which could have an effect on its revenue. The government hopes that this will create a level playing field for both Amazon on one hand, and smaller e-tailers as well as physical retailers on the other. However, this policy will offer more advantage to someone like <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/mukesh-ambani-may-be-the-surprise-winner-from-indias-new-rules-hurting-amazon-and-walmart/articleshow/67751026.cms">Mukesh Ambani who has deep pockets as well as both online and offline retail business</a>. For Amazon and Jeff Bezos, this was an unexpected turn in legislation after years of investment in building a market for online retail. As it stands right now, it looks unlikely that the government will yield to Bezos’ request on allowing deep discounts to gain more market share or yield on the issue of allowing Indian data to leave the country. Recently, Indian commerce minister Piyush Goyal had summoned both Amazon and Flipkart in a bid to thaw the standoff between the e-commerce giants and the traders’ body CAIT (Confederation of All India Traders). However, the meeting <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/business/ecommerce/news/india-e-commerce-policy-will-mean-trouble-for-flipkart-and-amazon/articleshow/72119136.cms">reportedly</a> ended with Amazon and Flipkart executives being reprimanded by the minister. The question of data localisation Another facet of India’s National E-Commerce policy is data localisation. Something that’s also a part of the Personal Data Protection Bill currently being discussed by Parliamentary joint committee. The issue for Amazon is not the provision of servers since Amazon Web Services (AWS) already has data centres in Mumbai so data can be stored locally. However, if it needs to be sent to external servers for processing — Amazon will have to re-create those provisions within India. What’s in it for Modi? Given the <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/policy/economy/news/moodys-cuts-indias-fy20-growth-forecast-to-4-9-citing-a-sharp-fall-in-consumption/articleshow/72767514.cms">fragility of India’s economy</a>, and its need for fresh investments, combined with the stature of Bezos, Amazon may get an audience at the highest level even though the outcome of lobbying effort may be uncertain. India matters for Amazon India remains one of the fastest growing markets for Amazon. The company has pumped in over $5 billion in its Indian arm since launching here. Regulatory uncertainties could have a serious impact on the company’s revenues from India, which have the potential to touch $10 billion. For context, the Indian e-commerce market is <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/business/news/india-internet-industry-goldman-sachs-investment-ideas-for-future/articleshow/72326122.cms">predicted</a> to touch $113 billion by 2025. If Amazon can manage to persuade the Indian government to stabilize its ecommerce rules, <keyword id="6354743" type="COMPANY" weightage="20" keywordseo="Amazon-India">Amazon India</keyword> has the <a href="https://economictimes.indiatimes.com/news/politics-and-nation/jeff-bezos-to-visit-india-in-january-may-meet-pm-modi/articleshow/72118227.cms">potential</a> to become the largest overseas subsidiary by displacing countries like the UK, Germany and Japan. See Also: <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/stock-market/news/jeff-bezos-rupert-murdoch-and-other-billionaires-lost-money-in-2019-these-are-the-10-biggest-losers/articleshow/73048111.cms">Jeff Bezos, Rupert Murdoch, and other billionaires lost money in 2019. These are the 10 biggest losers</a> <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/tech/news/a-founding-amazon-employee-supports-the-idea-of-splitting-jeff-bezos-empire-in-two/articleshow/72939448.cms">A founding Amazon employee supports the idea of splitting Jeff Bezos' empire in two</a> <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/tech/enterprise/news/we-compared-the-leadership-philosophies-of-amazon-ceo-jeff-bezos-and-microsoft-ceo-satya-nadella-and-it-shows-the-major-differences-between-the-two-companies/articleshow/72961178.cms">We compared the leadership philosophies of Amazon CEO Jeff Bezos and Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella and it shows the major differences between the two companies</a>

Jeff Bezos may have a laundry list of requests for Narendra Modi when he visits India next week

<ul><li>The pandemic has completely changed how and where we work, forcing companies to be more flexible and to imbibe contemporary ways of working. </li><li>As businesses seek to return to some form of pre-Covid buoyancy and start to think about the right mix of work-from-home and work-from-office, they can't just return to their former workplaces without reimagining the experience in its entirety for employees.</li><li>At some point, companies will have to go back to their office and collaborate physically.</li><li>So, as companies rethink workspace design for a post-COVID world, we reached out to a few design experts to understand how the concept of workspaces has changed after COVID-19 and what the future offices would look like once we resume normalcy. </li></ul>It was in this month last year that India found its first few patients of Coronavirus and who knew the world would never be the same again. What followed was a bunch of emails from our HR teams announcing cancellations of conferences, there was a ban on international flights and uncertainty started lurking around. A few days later, on March 24, 2020, PM Narendra Modi ordered a nation-wide lockdown. With it, offices and public transport was shut down and all Indian companies had to shift their operations onto a cloud and start working from home. A year later, we are used to working from home in our pajamas and jumping from one Zoom call to another has become our daily routine. We will soon have to bid adieu to many privileges that work-from-home has offered us and a recent rant by Instagram user Harjas Sethi highlighted these advantages of working remotely. Her video quickly went viral for its highly relatable content. Even organisations have realised that the lockdown was a boon in a way of demonstrating that remote working can be a success as it reduces capital and operational costs. However, with the roll-out of the COVID vaccine and a dip in infection rate than before, many organisations have started slowly returning to offices and some have started planning to make their environment more comfortable and safe for their employees when they do return to work at full occupancy. Businesses are trying to figure out the right balance between work from home and office. The traditional approach of everyone having their own desk is now gone, perhaps forever. <cmsannotation type="cmsannotation" annotationid="How organisations and agencies are preparing for this new world order" text="How organisations and agencies are preparing for this new world order">How organisations and agencies are preparing for this new world order</cmsannotation> With vaccines being rolled out later this year, companies are planning to combine work-from-home and work-from-office to make the future of the workplace hybrid. Kiran Khadke, Co-Founder &amp; Creative Head of Hyper Connect Asia has made up his mind about adopting a hybrid-model post-pandemic. He said, “We are actually rethinking the way we would conduct our office. The whole WFH situation made us realize that a lot of things can be managed over a video call. So in the times to come, we plan to work on a hybrid model, where not everyone has to come to the office every day. Teams will have to plan their office meets, to align crucial projects and then they can WFH Considering this, we will have a flexible office structure with more conference rooms, spaces for collaboration and no fixed workstations. With that, we are also getting our tech upgraded to be able to work from anywhere.” Shashwat Das of Almond Branding helped us look at the brighter side of 2020. He had always dreamt of running a location-independent business, where his employees can work remotely from anywhere in the world as long as they are connected virtually, and his dream seems more achievable now. He said, “Earlier, one of the purposes of an office was access to shared infrastructure like computers, printers, xerox machines, etc. Now with documents moving to cloud with secured access, the focus shifts to building social bonds, foster corporate culture and host clients. While the trend of paperless offices was just picking up, the pandemic has fast tracked the transformation by leaps and bounds. Some of our traditional style working clients, who would otherwise insist on an invoice hardcopy citing audit reasons, have now become comfortable with e-invoices. That’s such a good news for us and mother earth. I think work from anywhere rather than WFH will be the future.” <cmsannotation type="cmsannotation" annotationid="Rethinking design for open space offices and co-working spaces" text="Rethinking design for open space offices and co-working spaces">Rethinking design for <keyword id="10851343" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="20" keywordseo="open-space-offices">open space offices</keyword> and co-working spaces </cmsannotation> Even if employees do go to the office for 3 days a week, businesses can't just return to their former workplaces without reimagining the experience in its entirety for employees. Co-working spaces have already taken a hit as employees don’t feel safe sharing desks and common areas with unknown people as they used to do earlier. Before COVID, the advertising industry had the culture of working out of open spaces. There are many Indian agencies like Leo Burnett, 82.5 Communications who didn't believe in having glasses and closed spaces in their offices. However, to facilitate social distancing, it is now important to rethink interiors of our offices and add more walls. So, how should they go about redesigning their offices? Ashwini Deshpande, Co-founder &amp; Director, Elephant Design, answered,“It is very difficult for me to visualize how people work in cubicles or glass spaces inside tall towers. We chose to work out of Pune for better quality of life and air. Our studios are spread across two bungalows and an open space in-between. We have a casual outdoor cafe and many other outdoor nooks. No matter where you are working, an open outdoor space with greenery and wifi is always a few steps away. Agencies should move to open spaces outside Mumbai. This may sound radical, but going back to my earlier point, companies need to create spaces just for those activities that need to be done together and not for anything that is perfectly done remote.” <cmsannotation type="cmsannotation" annotationid="What should the offices of future look like" text="What should the offices of future look like">What should the offices of future look like</cmsannotation> Following the pandemic, new considerations have come to light. The future of work will be new: environment-friendly, technologically-advanced and inclusive. Telling us what the <keyword id="10851341" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="20" keywordseo="future-of-offices">future of offices</keyword> should look like, Deshpande said, “We need to begin by rethinking the role of a fixed office/ workspace post pandemic. Work from home seems to have served well for most creative agencies besides many others. Every organization has had to rethink the workspace design. But only few would be able to change things significantly. I know of smaller studios, media teams, animation &amp; editing set-ups, publication houses, restaurants, coaching classes completely switching to remote working having given up their workspaces. Hybrid ways of working are being devised and spaces are being reimagined around activities that need people to come to office." Businesses are being advised to transfer physical records that dominate the workspace onto a digital cloud and rethink furniture that can prevent safe social distancing. Apart from altering physical social-gathering spaces like buffet sections and conference rooms, designing is also about developing a future-ready organisation that isn’t just about the physical space. Businesses need to apply design thinking into their daily operations to build a great working environment and connect office design to brand. After COVID, according to Lulu Raghavan, Managing Director, Landor &amp; Fitch India, the most progressive businesses will be thinking about the six imperatives of Workspace Design: culture, interaction, function, sustainability, architecture and technology. Raghavan said, “Workspace design is a deeper discipline and mindset that connects office design to brand. It dictates the journey, the overall experience and ensures that the brand’s values and function are reflected in the physical, human and digital space, much like retail. A well thought-through strategy on Workspace Design could help businesses to forge stronger relationships with their employees who in turn will become great brand ambassadors.” As uncertainty still continues to haunt our office corridors and our open-desks, it will be a challenge for companies to continue to foster their corporate culture and practices like employee training and development. Puneet Pandey, Strategy Head and Managing Partner, Open Strategy and Design said the element of uncertainty has been the biggest challenge that the pandemic imposed on our deeply inter-connected worlds. Pandey said, “Creating ‘physically distanced cohesion’ is going to be the trickiest problem to solve for business leaders in their organisations. Especially now that we are already a year into the post-pandemic world. There will be newer teams and newer expected behaviours and a whole lot of social tentativeness to punctuate an otherwise seamless flow of interactions inside our work-cultures. A sharply defined and well-designed internal culture acts as the internal compass and a vital behaviour guide, that make us hive-creatures continue to create and build even in the face of tentativeness Going forward, while organisations rethink their physical/virtual workspaces, leaders will place a lot more emphasis on communicating sharply defined cultural values within their organisation. This ‘cultural software’ will be key in ensuring predictable and productive outcomes possible in the coming times. " There will still be room for Zoom calls and virtual brainstorming sessions. Khadke said, “The future of offices should purely be a place to collaborate, to overcome the challenges that we face while working online. It may no longer be an everyday thing. Every aspect of the office (Design, Furniture, Tech, Facilities etc.) will be defined around this.” Using new technologies to facilitate social-distancing will be one of the key goals for organisations rethinking their workspace design. Das said, “Post the pandemic, hygiene considerations reign high and touch-free technology is going to become increasingly important in workspaces. Companies are re-imagining elevator designs and security access. They may also adopt a health screening process at the security gates. As more companies adopt the concept of remote working, decentralisation is an eventuality. Instead of asking everyone to travel to a single headquarter building, companies will have satellite offices or hubs that allow employees greater flexibility and choice. Simple practices like more frequent and visible cleaning schedules might contribute to a feeling of safety. Air-filters are getting installed in offices and regular air-quality assessments will become more important.” Experts said that the future-workspace design needs to be flexible enough to quickly adopt to meet tenant needs. Modularised designs will help in managing fluctuations in employee strength and technology will play an increasingly critical role in offices of tomorrow.

How are Indian organisations and agencies redesigning their office spaces for a post-COVID world

<ul><li>Three major films – <keyword id="198679" type="PERSON" weightage="20" keywordseo="Haider">Haider</keyword>, Fanaa and Mission Kashmir – offer a more nuanced look at the most militarised zone in the world than Indian history books. </li><li>the New Delhi board-designed syllabus of the Indian Council of School Examinations did not mention the special status of the state of <a href="https://www.scmp.com/topics/kashmir" class="link-text">Jammu and Kashmir</a>, the only Muslim-majority state in <a href="https://www.scmp.com/topics/india" class="link-text">India</a></li></ul> In school, the New Delhi board-designed syllabus of the Indian Council of School Examinations did not mention the special status of the state of <a href="https://www.scmp.com/topics/kashmir" class="link-text">Jammu and Kashmir</a>, the only Muslim-majority state in <a href="https://www.scmp.com/topics/india" class="link-text">India</a>.There are separate Indian state boards as well. I studied under a central board. We did not learn about the circumstances under which the state joined the Indian Union, nor that Kashmir is the most militarised zone in the world in terms of the number of armed forces personnel per square km of territory. Through my school years in the 1990s, there were news stories from the state about blasts and killings and terrorists, seemingly always about violence. Did they delve into the background of the anger? I don’t know because I did not go beyond the headlines. There was a sameness and one-sidedness to them – invariably images of fire and guns and empty streets – that never invoked interest. When the television news business arrived in a big way in India, this impression was amplified – Hollywood action movie-style visuals of gunfire and explosions and people running for cover, or reporters reporting amid the silence of empty streets patrolled by army men with enormous guns strapped to their bodies. Bombast with no context. This is unsurprising, because journalists’ access to the Valley is mediated through the army, making them structurally dependent on the armed forces and predisposing them to be favourable to their perspective. When <a href="https://www.scmp.com/topics/narendra-modi" class="link-text">Narendra Modi</a> ran for prime minister in 2014, his Bharatiya Janata Party’s manifesto promised that <keyword id="405091" type="PERSON" weightage="20" keywordseo="Article-370">Article 370</keyword>, which spelt out the special conditions under which the province joined the Indian Union at the time of Independence, would be removed. For a populace that was, like me, mostly unaware of its content, it was easy to latch on to simplified nuggets such as the fact that Kashmir does not allow land to be sold to Indians from other states. It sounds like a concession made to a Muslim-majority state but this land restriction exists in several states in India, and is important to prevent heedless development in ecologically sensitive areas. Strange as it may sound, it is the <a href="https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/society/article/2184614/triumph-modi-propaganda-bollywood" class="link-text">Hindi film industry</a> that has taught me the little I understand about the anger in Kashmir, about the “special” powers of the armed forces stationed there and the “special” consequences they inflicted. Three Bollywood films in particular have left an impact – Haider (2014), Fanaa(2006) and Mission Kashmir (2000). There have been several indie films, extremely well-regarded, but I choose to focus on the big-budget, big star projects of the film industry because these arguably had the widest release and reach. Haider is a reworking of Shakespeare’s Hamlet, set in the “rotten state” of Kashmir in place of Denmark. The setting is much more central to the drama here than it is in Hamlet where the rottenness of Denmark was expressed only in the suspicious death of the king. Here, politics is central to Haider’s father’s disappearance from Kashmir. We never know for certain if he is alive or dead, and this, as we see in the film, is the situation that many Kashmiri families find themselves in. <h3 style="margin-bottom: 1.42857rem; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: 300; font-stretch: inherit; font-size: 1.71429rem; line-height: 2.35714rem; font-family: Roboto, sans-serif; vertical-align: baseline; display: inherit;"> </h3>The evocative term half-widow has arisen from this waiting without end – this is the status of Haider’s mother and many other wives who don’t know what has become of their husbands. In the uncertainty about his father (and the many fathers and brothers and sons who have been taken into custody by the forces in Kashmir and never returned), Haider (and Kashmir) is going mad. Gravediggers sing songs, they are so inured to death. Citizens hesitate to enter their own homes without a pat-down security check, they are so conditioned to being checked. Mothers beg that their sons are sent away from them because they are so afraid of losing them to the insurgency or to the limitless powers of the Indian army. Most of all, the film articulates the Armed Forces Special Powers Act (AFSPA) that the Indian government has imposed on the Valley, how terrifying it is when men with guns have boundless power and no one to question them. Rapes and disappearances ensue, and there is no need to answer what happened because Afspa gives you “special powers”. “Do we exist or do we not”, the film asks in a haunting choral crescendo reminding us of that original line in Hamlet, “to be or not to be”. In Fanaa (2006), a blind Kashmiri woman and a terrorist fall in love with each other during India’s Independence Day celebrations in Delhi. He is there to carry out a blast and she to dance at the national celebration: classical opposites, the nationalist and the revolutionary. After the blast, the terrorist disappears because he comes to the realisation that he would put the woman in danger because of his work. The nationalist’s blindness means she cannot locate him. Years later, fate returns him to her doorstep in Kashmir and the two reconcile briefly before she hands him over to the Indian national forces. Fanaa is nowhere near as compelling or thought-provoking as Haider, it is simply a star-crossed romance set in Kashmir. But it ends on a pointedly ambiguous note. When the couple’s son asks the mother why his father was a terrorist, she replies that he did what he thought was right. The film clearly argues that the terrorist is misguided by malevolent forces yet it refrains from making a moral call on the terrorist’s actions. Mission Kashmir (2000) is about a powerful policeman whose son dies when militants forbid doctors from treating the child. In an episode of poetic justice, the policeman kills a boy’s family in an encounter and adopts the traumatised boy. This encounter is likely carried out with the vast powers granted to Indian forces under the Afspa, certainly no questions are asked of the policeman after the encounter. But the man himself is hollowed by remorse, especially at the sight of the boy who lived. He becomes a terrorist, determined to avenge his family’s gruesome end. That classic divide is set up again, terrorist against dutiful nationalist in a land where loyalties are sharply divided. Eventually, the terrorist comes around to the Indian nation’s view, that Islamist groups are provoking young men like him to divide India. Like Haider, Mission Kashmir questions the actions of Indian forces in Kashmir, though the conclusions the two films come to are different. The policeman’s remorse suggests that the Indian state has a lot to think about and apologise for, that the unchecked power that it has granted its forces leads to <a href="https://www.scmp.com/thisweekinasia/topics/human-rights" class="link-text">human rights</a> violation that feeds the insurgency in the Valley. Haider on the other indicts the Indian state for unleashing this unapologetic, shameless military strength on the Valley. Incidentally, Mission Kashmir is made by a director who is from Kashmir himself. Haider, similarly, is written by Basharat Peer who is also a Kashmiri and has written a highly-acclaimed book on Kashmir called Curfewed Night. Both films are informed by a lived perspective of Kashmir. On August 8, 2019, when Prime Minister Modi addressed Indian citizens on Kashmir, he mentioned the prospects for films. “I urge the Hindi, Telugu and Tamil film industry to come to J&amp;K for shooting their projects,” said Modi. The Hindi film industry has long indicated that Kashmir has a special place by marketing movies filmed in the Valley, naming films using Kashmir in the title and using iconography identified as Kashmiri like the houseboat and the chinar leaf. No other Indian state has been marked as “special” like this by the Hindi film industry. There are films named after big cities like Kolkata and Mumbai and Delhi, but nothing after an entire cultural identity. Until Mission Kashmir, however, these films only did lip service to Kashmir, promoting a tourist’s view of the state, a natural “paradise” where hero and heroine fell in love. These films were not rooted in Kashmir, disengaged from its problems. Mission Kashmirnaturally is a product of its times, born out of a decade-plus of the insurgency that flared in the Valley in the late 1980s. Thereafter, as the unrest never subsided, there have been several films which offer an insider’s view of Kashmir. <h3 style="margin-bottom: 1.42857rem; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: 300; font-stretch: inherit; font-size: 1.71429rem; line-height: 2.35714rem; font-family: Roboto, sans-serif; vertical-align: baseline; display: inherit;"><a href="https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/3022046/indias-kashmir-move-attempt-shift-its-muslim-demographic" class="link-text">India’s Kashmir move: an attempt to shift its Muslim demographic? </a></h3>I’ll end with one of the opening sequences of Haider, where his (Hamlet’s) mother, a schoolteacher, is teaching the children of her class the meaning of home. “It is brothers and sisters and fathers and mothers. It is unselfish acts and kindly sharing and showing your loved ones you are always caring.” It is an obvious metaphor for the Indian nation and its fraught relationship with Kashmir, the parents and the estranged child. The filial bond is often invoked for India and <a href="https://www.scmp.com/topics/pakistan" class="link-text">Pakistan</a>– brothers separated in a bloodied moment.But there is also another metaphor here: the Indian state teaching us the history of our “home”, and our duties as citizens and how we should live like brothers and sisters at home, “unselfish acts and kindly sharing”. It brings me back to where I started, what we are taught about our home and what we are not. Every nation controls its citizenry through education and so does India. We never learned the conditions in which Kashmir joined the Indian Union, and the circumstances we created to keep it at any cost. Perhaps it is not so strange then that I learned what little I did about Kashmir from our biggest film industry. For all its commercial inclinations, its lessons feel less biased than that of the Indian state’s.

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