MUMBAI, NEW DELHI, BENGALURU, KOLKATA, CHENNAI, AHMEDABAD, HYDERABAD, CHANDIGARH*, PUNE* VOL. 4 NO. 211 Rs10.

00 16 PAGES

AGAINST THE TIDE,

IN LIFE AND WORK
SATURDAY, SEPTEMBER 4 2021 Saleem Kidwai (1951-2021) was
an icon of the queer rights
movement in India. A histo-
rian, teacher, writer and
scholar who was equally adept
at activism, he inspired genera-
tions to embrace the truth in
their lives and work.
SEE PAGE 5

STOCKS EXTEND RALLY, SENSEX CROSSES 58K | PAGE 16

HOW TO BE A
WEEKEND FARMER
CITY FOLKS LOOKING TO DIVERSIFY THEIR ASSETS ARE BUYING MANAGED FARMS
WHERE THE ACTUAL WORK OF FARMING IS DONE BY A PROFESSIONAL TEAM

FASHION
South Asian rappers pay tribute to their roots
TASTE
Flavours of the Andamans
INTRODUCING
The new-look Lounge Books page
02 SATURDAY, 4 SEPTEMBER 2021
MUMBAI FIRST

A NOTE FROM
THE EDITOR
NORTH-EAST BY DESIGN PHOTOGRAPHS COURTESY NEST BY ARPIT AGARWAL

THE LOCAL
SHALINI UMACHANDRAN Stories from the alleys
and gullies of India

In 2012, NEST by Arpit

Putting down Agarwal began with
beautiful notebooks. It
roots has grown into a line of
lifestyle products
WIKIMEDIA COMMONS inspired by local arts
Somak Ghoshal
[email protected]

A
boat sailing on the Brahma-
putra river in Assam, or along
the lush waters of Dawki in
Meghalaya, are time-hon-
oured stock photographs that
scream “North-East India”. However, Guwa-
hati-based designer Arpit Agarwal adds new something for the region,” he says, “start a A trained jewellery designer, Agarwal has
layers of beauty to these familiar scenes, venture that wouldn’t require too much AGARWAL’S worked with leading players like Tanishq.
making us—the onlookers—shift our gaze investment.” Since his father was in the sta- CREATIONS, HIGH IN The finesse of his products and their exqui-
away from the obvious, towards landscapes tionery business, Agarwal put his design QUALITY AT site finish speak for themselves. His signa-
and vistas we seldom get to witness. training to use and created the first line of RELATIVELY LOW ture style is decidedly muted, a marriage of
“When I launched my business NEST by notebooks. It was a hit with tourists, selling PRICE POINTS, elegance and minimalism, rooted to con-
Arpit Agarwal in 2012, I wanted to create from brick-and-mortar stores in Guwahati cepts that pay homage to the region he
souvenirs for tourists coming to the North- and other parts of the state. ATTEMPT TO RAISE comes from.
East, most of whom flock to Kaziranga,” Eventually, Agarwal started supplying to AWARENESS OF THE A pair of Nasoni earrings, gold-plated and
Vincent van Gogh’s ‘First Steps, After Millet’, 1890. Agarwal says. “But I didn’t want to follow any states and cities like Goa, Pune and Benga- NUANCES OF LIFE IN made with semi-precious stones, is a nod to
established trend.” In a pleasing irony, as luru, opening an online store in 2019. This THE NORTH-EAST the traditional bihu dance of Assam, while
NEST approaches its 10th proved to be a wise deci- the Genesis earrings are inspired by tattoos
My father often quotes Alexander Pope’s Ode On Solitude year, he has become a sion, enabling direct imprinted on the skins of the Konyak tribe of
while reminiscing about growing up close to nature and trendsetter of sorts, sales, as the pan- Nagaland. Markers of fertility, birth, victory
the land. Having spent most of my life in apartment albeit of the reluctant demic disrupted the and other major life events, the tattoos are
blocks in cities, I have never grasped the appeal of farming. kind. “Repeat cus- tourism industry, laden with history, meaning and mytholo-
I have the awed respect of one who does not truly tomers are always leaving its stakehold- gies, their value only magnified when rei-
understand for those whose knowledge of soil, climate, looking for new things. ers bereft of business magined as jewellery. Agarwal has also
chemistry and biology comes together to grow food for It can become challeng- for months. reproduced these intricate motifs on covers
everyone else. ing to keep up with their expec- Covid-19 may have made life more diffi- (clockwise, from top) A of the Konyak Collection of notebooks,
I don’t yearn to grow my own food but going back to the tations,” Agarwal says. “With NEST getting cult for small businesses like NEST but it model with Kadambari printed on brown paper to simulate the col-
land to farm seems to be a hunger many have—it’s common popular recognition, some other businesses hasn’t been able to stymie Agarwal’s creative earrings from the our of the skin, and rendered through screen
to hear Bengalureans talk about wanting to farm organically, started creating products inspired by us,” he energy. He collaborated with traditional Manuscript Collection; printing, an expensive process that doesn’t
grow miniature papayas and tomatoes, and live net-zero lives. adds euphemistically, “so I had to take my weavers, who had fallen on hard times, to notebooks echoing tattoos yield high margins.
And in true Bengaluru style, there are startups trying to help work to the next level.” In the last few years, help them sell their stoles. This month he of the Konyak tribe from Indeed, Agarwal’s finicky quality control,
them achieve this—“managed farms” are an emerging NEST has branched out to selling jewellery, plans to launch a new jewellery collection— Nagaland; and lapel pins coupled with his relatively low price points,
asset class for those who want to own land and feel connected stoles, masks, tote bags, and sundry lifestyle one of the more recent entrants to his inspired by Assam’s ‘bihu’ keeps his business confined to a niche, a fact
to nature without really getting their hands dirty, as our cover products, quite different from its initial expanding oeuvre. dance. he’s not unhappy with (in 2012, his most
story explains. offering of notebooks and bookmarks. expensive notebooks were selling for ₹269;
Essentially, one buys a plot that’s part of a larger farm, In his “View from the Top” collection of the amount has gone up to ₹369 after nearly
builds a house, and visits and works the land whenever one notebooks, for instance, we see vignettes of a decade). “I am proud that we have had
has the time or feels the desire to be one with nature. The rest life from a bird’s-eye perspective, painted (only) 5-10 complaints about our products in
of the year, the company has a team of real farmers who man- with pellucid colours, lyrical odes to the cul- the last 10 years,” he says. “My main reason
age every aspect of the actual and complex work of farming. tural diversity of the region. One is a top shot for not selling my products at high prices is
It’s a convenient way to buy into the dream of finding one’s of the classical sattriya dance performance because I want them to travel far and wide,
own corner of the earth. from Assam; another depicts a game of sagol and to make more people aware of the social
In this issue, we are also reintroducing our Books page, as a kanglei, or polo, in Manipur, where it is and cultural nuances in the North-East.”
fortnightly, with a new look.There are few things we love believed to have originated in 3100 BCE. With the 10th anniversary in mind, Agar-
more than books, stories, reading and writing at Lounge, While these luminous imageries open our wal has been collecting stories from custom-
and I am really thrilled that the page is back. Few publications eyes to new ways of seeing, they also serve as ers about their memories of objects from the
write on books, both fiction and non-fiction, new and old, in reminders that an umbrella term like region that they own, under #withLove-
the measured and meticulous way Lounge does. Over the past “North-East” is shockingly inadequate to fromNorthEast. Some of these are posted on
year, we have scattered our coverage throughout our pages, describe the plurality of traditions and prac- the brand’s webpage. If there are enough
and we are now bringing it all together in a dedicated space— tices that run through the region that used to stories of nostalgia, he may go on to create a
we have short, sassy reviews as well as longer, more exhaus- be referred to as the seven sister states. book as a memento of his journey, he says.
tive ones but irrespective of length, they are all done with the But the growth has been slow and intui- For now, he wants more and more people
same rigour. Enjoy your weekend read. tive. In 2010, Agarwal, who trained as a lifes- to relish his designs and be satisfied with the
tyle accessory designer, was working in exquisite quality of his products. “I don’t
Write to the Lounge editor [email protected] Ahmedabad when he fell ill. In his mid-20s want to keep churning out new designs just
@shalinimb then, he returned to Dibrugarh, in Assam, for the sake of novelty,” Agarwal says. “I need
where he was born and grew up. “During to be fully convinced first to create a new col-
that period of recovery, I decided to do lection.”

LOUNGE LIVE READ STYLE DINE

ONLINE
Acing the dating The legacy and work When artisans turn How India shaped
YOUR game in 2021 of Gail Omvedt digital entrepreneurs Mauritian cuisine
FAVOURITE
WEEKEND READ
I G I T
f you haven’t found your Lockdown ail Omvedt, who died at the age ndia’s handloom and handicrafts sec- he varied culinary traditions of
Love yet, you should probably read of 81 on 25 August, was an tor is the second largest in the country, Mauritians echo the island’s multi-
NOW THROUGH this. For, when it comes to finding “the extraordinary figure in the employing over 20 million people. Yet culturalism. Colonised by the
one”, the demands can be many and the field of Ambedkarite scholarship. An most Indian artisans and weavers con- Dutch, French and British over four cen-
THE WEEK suitors, few. To add to that, a global pan- American-born sociologist, she first tinue to be daily-wage earners, with little turies, the island saw an influx of slaves,
demic isn’t exactly the most romantic came to India in the 1960s on a Ful- social security and no formal recognition indentured labourers and migrants from
setting to go out searching for love bright scholarship. On a later visit, she of their employment. Eager to sustain Africa, India and China. More than half a
The best of Mintlounge.in from either, is it? More often met her husband, the their traditional arts while million indentured labou-
than not, when we exas- activist Bharat Patankar, living through a pan- rers from India arrived in
the week gone by and what to peratedly tell our friends with whom she settled in demic, artisans are slowly Mauritius between 1834-
look forward to in the one ahead “there’s no one for me”, a small town in Maha- picking up the skills and 1920 and their influence
the standard response is rashtra called Kasegaon. marketing spiel to con- runs deep. Indian cuisine
“Don’t worry, there’s Film-maker Somnath nect directly with custom- forms a large part of tradi-
plenty of fish in the sea”. Now while that Waghmare, who documented the last ers. With fewer exhibitions and events to tional cooking, finds Sona Bahadur dur-
may be quite true, you are most defi- years of the anti-caste scholar, speaks aim for, they are embracing social media ing a visit. Dholl puri, a lentil-stuffed
nitely not a fish, says Sitara Menon, pre- to Prachi Pinglay-Plumber about her and digital media and turning to entre- wrap filled with butter beans curry, often
paring a checklist of what to do to find legacy, her dedication and political preneurship, writes Sharda Gautam. regarded as the country’s national dish,
love, or at least start with a great date, for honesty, and why her work isn’t more Switching gears is beginning to help was introduced by immigrants from
the rest of 2021. widely recognised. them grow their businesses. Bihar.

[email protected] In Relationships >> It’s Complicated In News >> Talking Point In Fashion >> Trends In Food >> Discover
@mint_lounge
@livemintlounge

ON THE COVER: PHOTOGRAPH FROM ISTOCKPHOTO

 FIRST SATURDAY, 4 SEPTEMBER 2021
MUMBAI 03

Why your speech needs therapy CLIMATE CHANGE TRACKER

BIBEK BHATTACHARYA
THIS WEEK: The number of weather disasters is on the rise

CHEAP
THRILLS
NISHA
SUSAN

O
nline school is where parents go
to learn about the world. Instead
of the quick weird interaction
outside the school, where you participate
in shaming or being shamed, you can see
straight into other people’s homes for the
full 45 minutes that free Zoom permits.
Recently, my friend Neha was witness
to an interaction online. One mother
asked the teacher in a school Zoom meet- Weather disasters have cost India $16.9 billion in losses in 50 years. ALAMY
ing about her four-year-old, who is deal-
ing with a severe speech delay. The child
had been in speech therapy for months
and the mother wanted the teacher to
have this information. This prompted a
side question from a father who wanted to
know whether his three-year-old should
Set for disaster
H
go to a therapist because he was not speak- ow about this for a startling statistic? Between 1970-2019, on average,
ing too many words. there was a weather disaster every day around the world that killed 115
Parent No.1 suggested a single visit to a people and caused losses worth $202 million (around ₹14 billion now).
speech therapist could give them an ‘7aum Arivu’ is an exact reflection of a contemporary attitude to expertise. This startling statistic comes from a new report from the World Meteorological
assessment and then they wouldn’t have Organization (WMO), released on 31 August.
to listen to every family member’s opinion I love 7aum Arivu for so many things but Pallava king who is destined to save us all believe that they have X-ray vision and can The report, titled WMO Atlas Of Mortality And Economic Losses From Weather,
(“boys speak late.” “Put some honey on his mostly because it is an exact reflection of from Dong Lee’s pandemic. Sometimes see every last hastily eaten bite. A famous Climate And Water Extremes (1970-2019), is very clear about what caused this:
tongue.”). Parent No.2 then made this a contemporary attitude to expertise. The it’s only because you are a man. Like my dietitian once told me in a characteristi- climate change. The report finds that the number of disasters increased five times
astonishing statement: “I don’t listen to poet Kabir said, “Kasturi kundal base, father’s badminton partner in the late cally entertaining generalisation that her over the past 50 years. The silver lining to this dark cloud is that the same period
other people’s opinions. I don’t want to go mrag dhundhat ban mahi”, a superb meta- 1980s who mused aloud that he should be women clients from north India were saw rapid advances in early warning systems and better evacuation systems. As
to a therapist. I just want to know.” Parent phor for the person looking for wisdom able to take on Steffi Graf (yes, I said bad- most likely to call and “confess” and then a result, there has been a decrease in the number of deaths in recent years.
No.1’s face shut down like a shop shutter. everywhere when it lay inside her all minton). Or the man who called my thera- get upset if she didn’t scold them. How India is an excellent case in point. According to the report, 551 disasters since
I like to call this the 7aum Arivu theory along. Kabir’s musk deer metaphor did pist friend and asked her if she thought else were they to know she was devoted to 1970 claimed the lives of 134,037 across the country and resulted in losses worth
of expertise. If you have heard me quote not anticipate the human gazing into his “she could match his psychological level”. the cause of their betterment? $16.9 billion. However, better warning systems mean that the worst of the mortali-
from this seminal (in every sense of that navel and arriving at the wisdom that lime She said it was unlikely and said bye-bye. For many people, it is inconceivable ties took place in the earlier decades. While weather disasters killed an average
word) work before, it’s because this 2011 juice would cure corona. He did not arrive Therapists are frequently confronted that the person who doesn’t scold or wear of nearly 170 people every day in the 1970s and 1980s, this figure dropped to about
Tamil movie is so profound and packed at a time when that man in Neha’s parent by reluctant clients convinced they can power in a familiar way is an expert in 40 in the 2010s.
with meaning. In 7aum Arivu, aka the Sev- group wanted to deal with speech delay by always “fool the shrink”. Funnily, the cli- something. It is difficult for them to look at However, the report also shows that the number of such disasters is increasing
enth Sense, the Chinese create a pandemic just knowing. ents of dietitians are much more likely to a young woman and imagine she has spent rapidly due to climate change. Between 1970-79, there were 711 reported disasters.
in India, starting in Chennai, when a Chi- Some of the distrust of institutions has the last seven years studying the history of This jumped to 3,165 between 2010-19. The economic losses suffered around the
nese agent provocateur deliberately come from traditional hierarchies. The pensions or that the young man in sun- world over the past decade have also been among the highest, seven times more
infects a dog with a dangerous virus. wellness movement in the West grew glasses should get full credit for the weight than in the 1970s. The report identifies tropical cyclones and droughts as the dis-
This movie tells us that an ancient Pal- from an understanding of how little con- of Arivu he brings to his songwriting. asters that claimed the most lives over the past 50 years. Both are problems that
lava king had taught the Chinese karate. ventional biomedicine offers women’s But all knowledge is not 7aum Arivu sit- India is grappling with annually.
This king was full of biomedical knowl- health—mind and body. But so much of ting in your DNA waiting for you to Although the report recognises the role played by better advance warning sys-
edge. So now the only antidote to the pan- this kind of approach to expertise is a For many people, it is descend from your circus elephant. You tems in saving lives in recent years, it says that much more needs to be done. It
demic lies in activating the DNA of the Pal- resistance to other people having power can’t “just know”. Sometimes your speech especially calls on governments to safeguard climate refugees. One of the biggest
lava king in one of his descendants. In his and abilities. Which is why the same five inconceivable that the needs therapy. reasons for the rise in disasters is that while the frequency and intensity of weather
blood lies not an antigen but actual knowl- people are on TV news panels talking person who doesn’t scold events is rising, an even greater number of people are now living in increasingly
edge. Cue scientist with a distinct nativist about everything from nuclear war to epi- or wear power in a Nisha Susan is the editor of the webzine hazard-prone zones, like coastal areas. “More international cooperation is needed
bent, Shruti Haasan, chasing the descend- demics to primary school education. The Ladies Finger and author of The to tackle the chronic problem of huge numbers of people being displaced each
ant, Suriya, a circus performer, with a Sometimes it’s an imagination shaped
familiar way could be an Women Who Forgot To Invent Facebook year by floods, storms and drought,” says Mami Mizutori, head of the UN office
gleam of determination in her eyes. from caste—hence the descendant of the expert in something And Other Stories. for Disaster Risk Reduction (UNDRR).

Medium Talk More than small talk

Why Delhi loves choux

French patisseries in the
Capital infuse a sense of

Tackling whimsy with puff

pastries and choux buns

a loss of Jahnabee Borah

[email protected]

trust P
icture this: It’s a friend’s birthday in
Delhi and you are sitting thousands
of miles away. The occasion calls
for something delightful but not run-of-
the-mill. A box of assorted French
Our ability to trust others allows us to find community and invest in relationships. ISTOCKPHOTO treats—macarons, those delicate French
meringue-based confections, puff pas-
am becoming. Do you think we can work very often want to get to know. tries, croissants—will seal the deal.
HEART OF THE MATTER on what it means to rebuild trust and still A quality that lies at the very heart of so “You are the third caller from Mumbai
be hopeful?” many healthy relationships is emotional today,” said the person who took my
A fortnightly column What’s surprising is that over the last reciprocity. Relationships where people order for a box of choux buns at the Mon-
about emotional well-being year or more, many people have felt that value reciprocity and embody it are the ique patisserie in Delhi.
their relationship with trust has changed. ones where it’s easy to initiate, be atten- The French patisserie scene in the
The pandemic seems to Think of one occasion over the last year tively present and not maintain a score- Capital is, in fact, so buzzy that even folks
when you felt betrayed or not seen/ card of who’s doing what for each other. from other cities have tuned in. In April,
have eroded our sense heard. A close family member who In the pandemic, a lot of people have at the height of the second covid-19 wave, La Paris Brest at the Monique patisserie in Delhi. MONIQUE PATISSERIE
refused to follow the protocol, a friend sensed an absence of emotional reciproc- the Monique patisserie, on Chhatarpur
of trust at various levels. who didn’t check on you when you con- ity and that has made them doubt their Road in Delhi, began deliveries. Its crore in 2020, it’s projected to hit the treats, such as the decadent Le Paris
People are feeling more tracted the virus, a boss/colleague who friendships, or even their own choices. founder, Shivan Gupta of Amaara Farms, ₹100 crore category by 2026. Brest with almond and hazelnut praline,
didn’t check on your personal well-be- Reciprocity, consistency and an ability to roped in Maxime Montay, a French pas- As macarons took off, so did entremet have won it quite a fan following.
guarded and cynical ing—and the mistrust we all experienced hold a safe space and be non-judgemen- try chef. “Max is a chef by passion and his cakes—layered desserts with varied tex- Their newest offering is Charlotte, a
at a systemic level. tal are what allow the trust to cement and family has always been into traditional tures and flavours, encased in a thin delicate cake. “In Delhi right now we are
Our ability to trust others is one of the deepen. patisserie,” says Gupta. mousse coating. A chocolate entremet, blessed with a bounty of fruits. Europe
Sonali Gupta pillars of our well-being. It’s this quality I feel that learning to not look at situa- Now Ladurée, the luxury French bak- for example, could have a moist choco- might be producing strawberries in this
that allows us to find community, invest tions and people as black and white, but ery known for its macarons—think of late cake as the base, topped with hazel- season but we want to carry forward an

A
friend asked me, “What’s a con- in relationships, take on risks and even be shades of grey, allows us to give relation- them as the Tiffany’s of macarons—is set nut ganache, layered with Tahitian Indian seasonal story. Hence, in our new
cern that consistently comes up vulnerable. When our need for trust is ships a chance and even have open con- to open its first outlet in the Capital. vanilla cream and coated with Venezue- creation, Charlotte, pears have been
in therapy sessions?” As I thought met, we feel safe and start believing we versations when there is a misunder- Chandni Nath Israni, managing director lan chocolate mousse. paired with almond, vanilla and choco-
about it, I realised that over the last few can be our authentic self. The presence of standing. What goes a long way in build- of the CK Israni Group that is bringing Using high-quality ingredients—with late. Innovation is key,” says Gupta. More
months, as the world began opening up trust that is developed slowly and mind- ing trust is having realistic expectations, Ladurée to Delhi, says their chefs have a focus on provenance—is essential to signature items are in the offing. “People
and offices restarted, one concern that fully in relationships also allows us to communicating, and not putting people been trained in Paris. appeal to an aware millennial with an have appreciated the quality of ingredi-
has shown up constantly is that of trust. experience intimacy, closeness—and on a pedestal. Our ability to be compas- It all started about a decade ago, when experimental palate. Not surprisingly, ents. Some have even asked if we import
The pandemic seems to have weak- brings hope. sionate, generous towards others and let L’Opéra opened and introduced a range Monique’s flaky, puff-style French sweet the flour. We want to continue this focus
ened our sense of trust at various levels. It’s odd that we are not really taught relationships unfold with time allows us of macarons that upended the popularity on local produce par excellence.”
As a result, people are feeling more what the components of trust look like. to focus on the bigger picture and not get of cupcakes. Bani Nanda, who completed Nanda too is experimenting with fresh
unsafe, guarded and cynical. A 45-year- For people across gender and age groups, caught up in the inane and smaller a pastry course from Le Cordon Bleu in fruits for puff pastries. “You know, one
old female client tells me: “My colleague, very often the conversation in therapy things. Paris and founded Delhi’s Miam Pâtisse- might be quick to assume that French
whom I used to travel to work with and sessions is exactly about this. People who On most days when we find people we rie in 2015, says fondant cakes had puff pastries are a new find for Delhiites
have lunch with every day, texted me consistently show up for us, whether it’s trust, we also begin to feel seen and loved. reached a saturation point—people were but they were introduced by the British
yesterday saying how she missed me and by their physical presence, over text mes- Maybe all our life is spent in pursuit of looking for something new. “When my As macarons took off, Raj. Gymkhana menus and age-old bak-
is excited to see me, now that the office is sages or just the fact that they always take this. sister got married three years ago, my eries have both sweet and savoury puffs,
opening up. But the odd thing is that our call, are reliable. As a result, we are parents wanted to give macarons instead so did entremet cakes, and these are familiar to us,” she explains.
while I tried checking in early into the more likely to trust them. Sonali Gupta is a Mumbai-based clini- of mithai,” recalls the chef. layered desserts with What’s new is the hands that make the
pandemic, she never reciprocated or The second quality that allows people cal psychologist. She is the author of the A recent market research report by the varied textures and puff, turning it into a wonderful delicate
stayed in touch. I kind of now can’t trust early on in relationships to form trust is book Anxiety: Overcome It And Live chocolate brand Smoor says the macaron treat that encapsulates a sense of whimsy.
her. It’s odd but I feel more distant and warmth. People who extend warmth and Without Fear and has a YouTube channel, market in India has undergone a huge
flavours, encased in a thin
unsure of most people. I don’t like who I make us feel comfortable are the ones we Mental Health with Sonali. shift over five years: Valued at ₹41.29 mousse coating With inputs from Avantika Bhuyan.
04 SATURDAY, 4 SEPTEMBER 2021
MUMBAI HOW TO LOUNGE THIS WEEKEND

Source
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Babur is played by a sincere and committed Kunal Kapoor, who looks the part.

T
he Empire—a new Disney+ Hotstar epic about the reluctant rise of the
Mughal emperor Babur—cannot be faulted on scale, or ambition, or
grandiosity. The show is (mostly) impressively mounted and reasonably
well-performed, and while the historical novels it is based on may be exces-
sively dubious, that is not the way to judge a sprawling sword-and-sandal
POP OF COLOUR epic. Even falling back on period tropes is forgivable. The biggest chink in this
Payal Khandwala Printed Maxi Dress show’s armour is, tragically, the one least possible to overlook: The Empire is
With a bold digital print on silk organza, this unspeakably dull.
maxi dress makes a statement with its bell We begin with a barely adolescent Babur, wielding a wooden sword as he
sleeves, halter-neck inner and neck sash. trains, preparing to someday fight his way out of a skirmish. The princeling
Available on Ensembleindia.com; ₹28,500 isn’t good enough; his sister—who is more gifted—learns from a distance,
since women aren’t allowed to learn the art of combat. Babur recognises this
injustice and announces that once he is king, all that will change. As a viewer,
however, nothing appears to have changed at all, this scene itself feeling like it
could have come from any number of old historical soaps or films.
The Empire may be created by Nikkhil Advani but it bears the distinct scent
of another director, Sanjay Leela Bhansali. The show’s director, Mitakshara
Kumar, assisted Bhansali on Bajirao Mastani and Padmaavat, while its writer,
Bhavani Iyer, wrote Black and Guzaarish. They not only pay homage to Bhan-
sali’s signature opulence but also borrow characters and motivations from his
movies, while also unwisely lifting scenes and plot points directly from Game
Of Thrones and even Baahubali.
It is likely the actual source material didn’t inspire them. The show is based
on books by “Alex Rutherford”, a pen name for British writers Diana and
STREET SMART Michael Preston, who clearly enjoy writing silly, sensationalist historical fic-
First Trip by Tyler Street Art tion. I couldn’t make it through the first page of Raiders From The North, the
A digital print of an artwork by anonymous novel this first season is based on. It is tragic that the life of Babur—an emperor
Mumbai street artist Tyler, originally created who was known, above all, for being an excellent and thorough diarist—has
FEATHER LIGHT using city walls as canvas. Tyler’s work has been reduced to this generic, unorigi-
Navy Feathers Envelope Sleeve been exhibited in group shows in India and nal story of power and succession.
Handcrafted from a mix of real and vegan Amsterdam. Available on Babur is played by a sincere
leather, this peacock feather print laptop Shopthemethod.com; ₹5,000 and committed Kunal
sleeve is sleek and lightweight. Available Kapoor, who looks the part, STREAMING TIP
on Dailyobjects.com; ₹1,999 but a fundamental issue in OF THE WEEK
Curated by Shrabonti Bagchi.
following this narrative Audiences eager for a great
of growth and rise is that historical series should head to
the emperor never actu- Rome on Disney+ Hotstar. The
ally seems to age as an magnificent HBO show depicts
adult, even as the eight- ancient Rome going from Republic
CENTRE STAGE episode series spans dec- to Empire, and it will have you
ades. Bafflingly, it even devouring encyclopaedia entries
KOEN BROOS
hops across timelines to keep up. As Caesar said,
while the principal cast
An experimental retelling stubbornly looks the same,
from fiery grandmothers to bit-
ter warlords. Shaibani Khan, the vil-
“Alea iacta est.”

T
he Chennai-based Prakriti voices she had chosen to Krishnan , author of Hitched: lain of the series, first terrorises the teen-
Foundation, in collaboration include in the narrative. “The The Modern Woman and aged Babur (where he was played mercifully by a child actor) and goes on to
with the Ambassade de France people whose names and Arranged Marriage (Random battle Babur the thoughtful Emperor, but Dino Morea, who plays Khan, stays
en Inde, French Institute in India accounts never appear on House, 2013) and Invisible Men: the same while the child grows into a contemporary.
and Alliance Française of Madras, edifices, whether of myth or Inside India’s Transmasculine Shaibani Khan could have been an interesting adversary, and Morea has an
will hold a dramatised bilingual history,” she said, indicating that Networks (Penguin Random infectiously good time playing a maniac, but the character is too ridiculous for
reading of Karthika Naïr’s Until The this fit in with the title of the House, 2018). a show that pretends to take itself seriously. He plays chess with big rocks and
Lions on 4 September. book, which offers the The event is part of the swings around a sword shaped like a can-opener. He’s clearly modelled on
The book, whose title is derived perspectives of the epic’s ongoing Poetry with Prakriti Ranveer Singh’s bloodthirsty Alauddin Khilji from Padmaavat, but in an early
from an African proverb—Until the marginalised characters Festival, an annual event scene he skins a bear menacingly mid-conversation, the way Tywin Lannister
lion has his or her own storyteller, All these voices will come alive started by the NGO in 2007 once skinned a stag in Game Of Thrones. Later, as Babur’s sister Khanzada gets
the hunter will always have the best in today’s reading, which will be that is now continuing in an a Daenerys Targaryen arc, Shaibani becomes a Khal Drogo stand-in who kills
part of the story—is an performed by the Paris-based online format.— PZ an aspiring king with the crown he wants.
experimental retelling of the theatre actor and dancer To their credit, Kumar and Iyer create some interesting and complicated
Mahabharat through 18 voices, Nirupama Nityanandan. The event will be held female characters who seem to be the real ones controlling the chessboard. It
mostly the epic’s women. The reading will be followed by today, at 7pm. For details, is historically chronicled that women behind the crown held together the
In a 2015 interview with The a discussion with Naïr, visit the Prakriti Foundation’s Mughal empire—from Babur’s grandmother and sister (whom we meet in The
Hindu, she had talked about the Nityanandan and writer Nandini Karthika Naïr. Facebook page. Empire) to Akbar’s foster mothers to Jahangir’s wife Noor Jahan, who ruled
the empire alongside him—and the series rightly lauds them. Shabana Azmi
invariably shines as Babur’s overpowering grandmother Ehsan Daulat
Begum, bestowing credibility merely by appearing on screen. Yet the show
STATE OF THE ART offers more conversations about strategy than it does actual strategy. It never
feels compelling enough.
COURTESY THE ARTIST AND TARQ The Empire gets better. Each episode is more tolerable than the last. Half-

Nourishing the earth way through, some characters seemed to find their footing—but that could
also be me making peace with the tedium on offer. This turquoise-coloured
season features dodgy visual effects, poignant moments underscored by tin-

A
t a new exhibition at Tarq, Mumbai, one after a hiatus of five years. Through her wood- kly ambient massage parlour music, and one scene where I swear a drowning
sees a gentler and more reflective side cut prints and etchings, she has always been woman actually shouted “Humein bacha leejiye please!” At this rate of
of the artist Soghra Khurasani. As art very vocal about religion and ethnicity. In this improvement, season 2 ought to be solid. In which case I recommend you
critic Nancy Adajania writes in the catalogue show, she expresses solidarity with those who read a summary of this season instead of actually watching it.
essay: “The fissured earth and volcanic cra- nourish the earth instead of exploiting its Palace intrigue as a genre can take on many shapes: a melodramatic soap
ters are no longer cast in harsh reds and resources. “She finds a natural affinity with opera, an excuse for jingoistic chest-thumping, an exploration of realpolitik, a
pinks. The artist now dwells on luminous the farmers whose protests have spear- cautionary tale drawing parallels with real-world leaders, a fantasy pulling
evocations of night, quiet fields, emerald headed a resistance to the Indian State’s together multiple strands of journeying heroes. The only real requirement is
islands and wetlands that nurture processes attempt to privatise agriculture and concen- right there on the label: palace intrigue must intrigue. There is no edge to The
of germination.” The subtle landscapes look trate it in the hands of a corporate oligarchy,” Empire. It never draws blood. All the swords are wooden.
at the connections between human bodies states the curatorial note. —AB
and nature. Khurasani’s reflections on growth, Raja Sen is a film critic and the author of The Best Baker In The World
hope and life are extremely poignant. Shadows Under My Sky can be viewed at (2017), a children’s adaptation of The Godfather.
Titled Shadows Under My Sky, this is the Tarq, Mumbai, till 23 October, Tuesday-Satur-
‘Peeled-1’ (2021), woodcut print on paper, Soghra Khurasani. Vadodara-based artist’s first show in India day, by appointment only. @rajasen
 THINK SATURDAY, 4 SEPTEMBER 2021
MUMBAI 05

Episode
Episode 40 40: The birth of a salesman Birth of A Salesman
In the concluding episode of Phantomgarh, Sarnath Banerjee reflects on the tradition of selling family
heirlooms—and what it means when nations begin to follow the same path

In the town of Aligarh, a little before dusk, in a quiet little study Tillat Beg has great faith in the role of the imagination. While Tillat’s fable talks about her family, it also speaks of an
overlooking the university hockey stadium, Tillat Begum is imaginary country whose leaders, too, have taken to selling
sitting down with a pot of saffron tea (from Iran) to begin the their things. Forests, rivers, architecture, industries, harbours,
daily ritual of writing her family history. It is written in the form railways, airports and personal data.
of a fable.
After trying out many forms, Tillat has arrived at children's
literature as her preferred style.

It gives me maximum
freedom, particularly
in times when freedom
is constantly
threatened.

Imagination is our protection against an increasingly alien society

and a hostile world. The more we lose it, the more we make
ourselves susceptible to received wisdom. We outsource imagination
to others. Imagination provides us with the language of protest,
without it we are just trolls.
Tillat’s story revolves around her ancestor Mirza Zubair Ali Beg,
who started the trend of selling family heirlooms to feed his
failing printing press. The tradition was continued by his sons
and grandsons, Tillat’s father and uncles. But there is a key difference between her ancestors and the
fictitious state in her story. The Begs had at least inherited the
Thangkas hang on the walls, while thick hand-woven carpets and objects they sold. In the case of the latter, the things being sold
rosewood bookcases ensure that the threatening din of the don’t even belong to the seller.
war-drums of an impending election doesn’t enter her study.

Kids are merciless. The story

either works or doesn’t. There is
no hiding behind social-science
jargon or theories of dead white
philosophers. But as a
trade-off, you can say a lot
without the risk of being frisked
by political or moral authorities.

Once great noblemen, the Begs were inept at business and lost
everything except the house and some farmland. They sold,
auctioned, pawned away jewellery, cars, Burma teak furniture,
Ming dynasty porcelain, miniature paintings, emerald-handled
guptis, jade teapots, gem-encrusted betel-leaf boxes, gold and
mother-of-pearl snuff boxes, goblets made of ruby, first-edition
books, and gramophone records. Birth of a salesman. Death of a nation.

Sarnath Banerjee is the writer and illustrator of several books, including All Quiet In Vikaspuri and Doab Dil. He is currently working on a series of theatrical lectures with the economics department of MIT and the Media Lab.

LOUNGE TRIBUTE | SALEEM KIDWAI (1951-2021)

The icon who stood against the tide

From colonial-era timony, which upended this premise by This was the intellectually rich, occa-
demonstrating that such love had long-es- sionally argumentative world of older
courtesans to queer tablished roots in India. Another base, queer activists Sunil and Saleem wel-
rights, Saleem Kidwai’s communal, yet fashionable assertion sug- comed me into. Saleem always encour-
gested that Hinduism was uniquely recep- aged young students, treating us with
life and work combined tive to same-sex love; there existed no grace and kindness, even if we disagreed
rigorous scholarship with room for queerness within Islamic tradi-
tions. Saleem’s translations from the Per-
with him. I once shared an essay I had
written, in which I challenged some of the
committed activism sian challenged this contention, arguing arguments in Same-sex Love In India. He
that plurality and inclusivity have always took no offence, nor did he ignore the
been the cornerstones of our history. essay. Instead, he thanked me for sending
Mario da Penha Queer people wielded the book as a it his way and soliciting his opinion. It was
shield against bigots, who found our iden- a hallmark of Saleem’s approach to schol-
first encountered Saleem Kidwai (who tities vulgar. Here, finally, was an exten- arship; he loved engaging with younger

I died on 30 August), via his writing, in

2001. I was at the Oxford Bookstore
near Churchgate, Mumbai, to purchase
sive tome that celebrated a love that did
dare speak its name—in narratives of gen-
der fluidity and sexual diversity, from
queer generations in acts of mutual peda-
gogy. He was also keen that our own histo-
ries be documented, admiring the posters,
Same-sex Love In India: Readings From Sikhandin in the Mahabharata, through memos and assorted scraps that Anjuman,
Literature And History, the path-breaking the medieval Sufi poetry of Amir Khusro, the students’ queer collective at JNU, had
scholarly masterpiece he co-edited with Shah Hussayn and Sarmad, to the modern carefully archived and preserved. At a
Ruth Vanita, which had just been pub- fiction of Ismat Chughtai and Bhupen time when the law still designated us all
lished to universally enthusiastic reviews. Khakhar, in most of India’s major langua- criminals, a new generation was nurtured
Brimming with the passion of a wide-eyed ges. The book also located the emergence and taught by those who came before us.
undergraduate in the history programme of a new, modern homophobia in social For the greater part of his life, Saleem
at St Xavier’s, newly out of the closet, I transformations around the colonial also lived as a single man. This was, per-
picked up the volume and presented it at imposition of Section 377 in 1860. It made haps, a conscious choice. He certainly met
the book store’s checkout counter. Ruth and Saleem our spokespersons and other men, because he once described the
A customer in the next line pointed to champions; it made them beloved. electricity supply in Lucknow to be as
the cover featuring two women in an amo- I first met Saleem at the home of a com- erratic as his love life. In a recent interview
rous embrace, and giggled. This form of mon friend, Sunil Gupta, in Delhi in 2005. with Sunil and his husband, Charan Singh,
public discomfort with queerness was rou- I had graduated from a master’s pro- Saleem said he was happy being unteth-
tine at the time. Sometimes, though, mild gramme in history at Jawaharlal Nehru Saleem Kidwai, London Underground 1985, by Sunil Gupta. COURTESY THE ARTIST AND HALES GALLERY, STEPHEN BULGER GALLERY AND VADEHRA ART GALLERY ered to a partner, and that although he was
discomfort gave way to outright hostility. University (JNU), and was enamoured of single, he was not lonely. In this choice,
In 2001, four queer men were arrested his work, not just on same-sex love but udice and humiliation. In 1977, he was at a was the campily-named Red Rose at the indeed in his many accomplishments that
and imprisoned for 47 days in Lucknow, also on the ganewali, the female singing gay bar, one of two raided by the police. He Indian Coffee House in 1990, where an spanned different worlds, he resembled
Saleem’s home town. They were charged courtesans of colonial India. Sunil, a gay was arrested, along with 145 other gay identificatory red rose was placed on a the autonomous colonial-era courtesans,
under Section 377 of the Indian Penal photographer who is out about being HIV- men, under a law—inherited, unsurpris- table, alerting and beckoning queer peo- whose lives and contributions he wrote
Code, even though there was no evidence positive, had recently moved back to India ingly, from the UK—which criminalised ple to join the meeting, discreetly. about passionately. Like same-sex desire,
against them—a move that precipitated a from a life in Canada and the UK. Saleem being “found, without lawful excuse, in a Another was Humrahi in 1999, which courtesans too were neglected, margina-
climate of fear within the queer commu- and Sunil met first in Montreal in 1976, common bawdy house”. The arrests at hosted film screenings and ran a phone lised and written out of history.
nity. That same year, the Naz Foundation where Sunil’s natal family lived, and Truxx and Le Mystique transformed gay helpline out of the Naz Foundation office. Saleem’s life and work stood against this
and Lawyers Collective petitioned the where Saleem was pursuing a PhD at activism in Canada: Quebec became the One of Saleem’s significant friendships tide, and against this instinct to forget. He
Delhi high court against the colonial-era McGill University. Before Montreal, first province to outlaw discrimination in these years was with the young, charis- once told me to follow the path of life’s
anti-sodomy statute. As the case pro- Saleem lived a complete, sexually active based on sexual orientation later that year. matic gay activist Siddhartha Gautam, many journeys, no matter where they took
ceeded over time, and public opinion gay life in Delhi. In his friendship with However, they also transformed Saleem: who too had returned from an education me. Many, like me, found the courage to
intensified in favour of decriminalisation, Sunil, however, he encountered some- He was determined now to return to India Saleem always encouraged abroad. After Siddhartha’s untimely follow these paths because he had already
Ruth’s and Saleem’s opus transformed thing new: camaraderie with another gay and fight for gay rights in the country of death, Saleem and others helped organise set a trail for us. Many, like me, found the
how Indians perceived homosexuality. man with whom he was not sexually his birth and belonging. young students, treating us the Siddhartha Gautam Film Festival, the courage to speak our truths because he
Before its publication, conservative involved, an element that cemented and Over the next decades, Saleem taught with grace and kindness, even Capital’s first queer film festival, in 1993. had spoken out before us, for us all.
sentiment typically cast same-sex love as greatly strengthened their relationship. history at Delhi University. He built inti- if we disagreed with him. He When the Section 377 case was being
a foreign import in spite of traces of evi- Montreal introduced another novelty mate friendships with queer people in the heard in the Delhi high court, he also Mario da Penha is a queer historian and
dence to the contrary. Their research to Saleem’s life: activism, a vocation that city, initiating and participating in various
was also keen that our own helped gather support for the case from activist. He is a doctoral candidate at Rut-
compiled these traces into a wealth of tes- summoned him after he experienced prej- efforts at political organising. One of these histories be documented eminent personalities. gers University.
06 SATURDAY, 4 SEPTEMBER 2021
MUMBAI TASTE

A TASTE OF
LUXMI TEA

THE EAST IN
ANDAMANS
Communities from TEA NANNY
ISTOCKPHOTO
Bengal and Burma have
made the islands their
home. Today home-
The local cuisine is ever-evolving. Earlier,
when it used to be difficult to get ingredients
from the mainland, communities learnt to
adapt to local ingredients, incorporating coco-
The smoky
stays and home cooks
are showcasing the fare
nut, papaya, the elephant ears plant, nalli
leaves and local pineapple in their dishes. “In
the Andamans, you will find a huge bhindi that
looks like it is on steroids. The one essential
roasted brew
of the settlers cooking item is mustard oil, which is brought Aravinda Anatharaman
in from outside,” says Kutty.

I
Everyday fare is heavily influenced by Ben- first heard of roasted Darjeeling from Sparsh Agarwal of
Avantika Bhuyan gali cuisine and the typical breakfast is panta Dorje Teas. He was dismayed that monsoon flush teas were
[email protected] bhat, or fermented rice soaked overnight, with dismissed out of hand, with only the first and second flush
small fish. On a festive occasion, this is paired teas making the cut. The rainy season is not seen as one that

I
n the 1920s, the chief commissioner with aloo bhorta. produces quality of note. And quite often, it’s this season’s tea
of the Andaman Islands, Lt Col M.L. The islanders eat three-four meals a day. that makes its way to blends.
Ferrar, wrote to his cousin Rev. Harry “People on the island are very laid-back. Agarwal said Dorje Teas was taking a different path,
Ignatius Marshall, head of the Ameri- Lunch consists of rice, veggies, dal with fish acknowledging every season’s harvest as special and different
can Baptist Mission in Burma (now head or some curry. Dinner is the most impor- rather than ranking it by quality. And with his monsoon flush,
Myanmar), about the need for a “self-con- tant meal as the entire family eats together. It he chose to high-fire the teas to make a roasted black.
tained group of people to settle in the islands usually comprises a fish or egg curry, a raw Goodricke, the group that owns the famous Darjeeling
as labourers and cultivators”. Soon a clutch of banana preparation, aloo chorchori, or thinly estates of Castleton, Margaret’s Hope and Badamtam, also has
families—from the Karen ethnic community— sliced, deep-fried potatoes, cabbage and a roasted black tea in its portfolio. The packaging describes it
was heading to the Andamans, ready to make pumpkin. It is rare for Bengalis to eat coconut- as being perfect for a Bengali adda session and it is, in fact, said
the thick forested areas of the archipelago’s based gravy but one thing they eat is the khatta to be the largest selling brand in West Bengal.
middle island home. They took with them saar, or tamarind fish curry,” says Kutty. Unlike Dorje, though, Goodricke’s roasted teas are not lim-
five-six rice varieties, including chowchiminai. Fish is an essential ingredient in the cuisine ited to the monsoon flush alone. “Roasting imparts a unique
Saw John Aung Thong’s family was part of of the Karen community as well. “In the eyes flavour to the already existing inherent flavour in the tea,” says
this group. Today John, 49, who was born in of the other settler communities of the Anda- Binod Gurung of Goodricke, comparing it to the way a bit of
the Andamans, and his wife, Doris, run a mans, the Karen identity is closely associated fire by grilling adds flavour to yakitori dishes or a bit of smoki-
home-stay, Koh Hee, in Mayabunder tehsil. with food items such as ngapi (fermented ness makes some single malts so sought after.
They showcase these varieties on their menu, paste of dried shrimp or fish)...” explains a Not much has been said or written about the roasted Dar-
with dishes such as moloyebau, or boiled rice chapter, Place, Space, Identity And Transform- jeeling, though it has been around for a long time. No one has
balls soaked in sugar water, and meiseepaw, ing Cuisine Among The Karen Of The Anda- celebrated it the way the spring flush or muscatel is. It’s a tea
rice cooked in bamboo. John is also support- mans, in the 2020 book Food And Power: that has a fan following in Kolkata but few outside West Bengal
ing a Karen cooperative society in a bid to keep Expressions Of Food-Politics In South Asia, know of it, possibly because brands haven’t needed to look
alive the community’s food, arts and culture. edited by K. Mukhopadhyay. The chapter has beyond the state for a market. In fact, Makaibari launched its
The initiatives include a restaurant. been authored by Shiba Desor, Manish Chandi roasted black teas in 2019 to cater to a Bengali clientele.
The Andaman and Nicobar islands, where The various communities have combined flavours from the places they came from with local and John of the Koh Hee home-stay. The processing for roasted tea includes high-firing the
the indigenous tribes remain reclusive, have produce in the Andamans to create eclectic dishes. COURTESY JALAKARA The chapter highlights how the Karen in leaves, which has to be done carefully so they don’t get burnt.
seen waves of settlers from the mainland and the Andamans developed their own markers The result is a distinctive, pleasant smokiness that comes
parts of South-East Asia: Labourers from the wood fire and chutneys made out of locally the Scoville measure, fragrant wild coriander of identity. For instance, the me-to-pi, a typical through in the flavour. Interestingly, it’s also a Darjeeling tea
Indian mainland, ferried there by the British grown chillies. I thought of sharing this with and wild curry leaves. Karen dish in Myanmar that is made by that accommodates milk, which may make it more appealing
to build the Cellular Jail, preceded the Karen, my guests but in a way that was not touristy or Kutty is one of the first to have started work- pounding glutinous rice, is not common in the to palates accustomed to chai.
and refugees from what would become Bang- disrespectful to the family,” says Kutty. So, ing with home cooks—women whose hus- Andamans. On the islands, a typical Karen I made two cups of a roasted Darjeeling, one black and
ladesh were given shelter on Havelock, one of small groups are taken from Jalakara to the bands work as labourers—to create a thali of meal would consist of soup, ngapi, taado (raw, another with milk and sugar. Both work equally well.
the islands, in 1971. forest for this experience. authentic cuisine for the staff of 16 at Jalakara. boiled or steamed veggies), fish or meat. “The Who should try it?
The cuisine, quite naturally, reflects these The Taj Exotica Andamans, too, showcases “We have also put this up on our hotel menu.” Karens in Andamans cultivate 14 varieties of If you have avoided Darjeeling tea simply because it’s too
myriad flavours, with recipes passed down indigenous produce and flavours. Custom- The women, initially hesitant, use ingredi- rice, 31 types of trees, 42 kitchen vegetables delicate/posh/intimidating/subtle for your taste/only for con-
through generations and ingredients tweaked ised meals have replaced the typical city-style ents such as the banraj, a tough country and herbs and 14 medicinal plants. These fig- noisseurs/cannot be drunk with milk, then this is a tea you
to adjust to what is available locally. Today, a buffet format. The local cuisine at The Set- chicken, which is immensely flavourful and is ures indicate that unlike common perception, should try. Feel free to blend some with your staple black.
handful of restaurants and home-stays are tlers restaurant is a tribute to the communi- made into a spicy dish. “Most guests enjoy it. the Karens are not only paddy cultivators, but If you enjoy the lapsang souchong, this is a tea to try; the sim-
going beyond the usual Oriental-Continental ties from Tamil Nadu, Andhra Pradesh, Ker- And this helps motivate our home cooks. also avid gardeners dependent on kitchen gar- ilarities and differences between the two make it interesting.
fare to create a map of local flavours for travel- ala and West Bengal that have made the Guests also take cooking classes from them,” dens and orchards for many supplementary, If you are a coffee drinker, you may enjoy this tea far more
lers, adjusting to the safety requirements man- islands their home. “We travelled to different adds Kutty. medicinal and flavouring additions to their than others. The colour of a roasted Darjeeling with milk too
dated by the pandemic. parts of the islands, such as Mayabunder and cuisine,” notes the chapter. is closer to coffee than tea.
Varun Sankaran Kutty and Kirti Kalyan- Diglipur, to understand how cooking evolved For Smita Madhusoodhan, an architect and
durgmath of the boutique hotel Jalakara, on in the islands. These insights have informed artist based on Havelock, the ability of Karen TEA TAKES
Havelock island, have even created a sensitive the six-course menu at the restaurant,” says families such as John’s to forage medicinal Lopchu Tea, Goodricke’s Roasted Darjeeling, Makaibari’s
dining experience for guests in collaboration Brij Bhushan Rajpali, the hotel’s general ingredients from the forest and use them in Smoky Mountain, Dorje Teas’ Monsoon Flush and Gopald-
with one of the families living in the interiors manager. Settlers have kept their cooking with spices, Burma dhaniya, plant hara’s Darjeeling Roasted Tea.
of a forest. They got to know them through There is, of course, seafood on the menu. shoots is simply delightful.
one of their cooks, who used to visit this fam- There are dishes of raw banana, which is found cuisines alive while “The families here are proud of hosting and Tea Nanny is a weekly series steeped in the world of tea. Ara-
ily, the Mridhas. “They were very warm and in abundance on the islands. The two-acre incorporating local ingredients, cooking for people,” notes Kutty. “They have vinda Anantharaman is a Bengaluru-based tea blogger and
had not been exposed to tourism much. The farm on the property, managed by two locals such as coconut, papaya, protected the recipes, passed down from gen- writer who reports on the tea industry.
house had a wooden and tin roof, one could of Bengali origin, grows indigenous ingredi- erations of original settlers.” This, he believes,
find charpoys around with suparis (betel nut) ents such as vine spinach, a type of chilli typi-
the elephant ears plant is what will save the unique island cuisines of @AravindaAnanth1
drying on them, chicken being cooked on a cal to the Andamans that rates quite high on and local pineapple the Andamans.

The complex, earthy flavours of gingelly oil

never use the strongly flavoured gin- and cut into 1cm thick slices. Heat 2-3 Ingredients
gelly oil in my idlis or dosas. I preferred tbsp of oil in a heavy pan. Fry the bhindi 4 tbsp sesame oil
DOUBLE the unflavoured refined oil. If you ask
me now, though, my very reason to eat
slices on a medium to high flame, stir-
ring continuously until it is browned in
1 sprig curry leaves, finely minced
1 dried red chilli, crushed coarsely
TESTED an idli or dosa is to enjoy the deep aro- places and half-cooked. Remove the Quarter tsp mustard seeds
mas of cold-pressed gingelly oil. bhindi to a bowl. 2 cloves garlic, grated
N A N D I TA Sesame oil is the olive oil of south Heat the remaining 2 tbsp oil in the 1 tsp white sesame seeds
IYER India. Its complex, earthy flavour is like pan. Add asafoetida, mustard seeds, fen- 1 tbsp molagapodi (gunpowder)
no other, tough for children to appreci- ugreek seeds, dried red chillies and 1 tsp powdered jaggery
ate or love. It does grow on you, how- curry leaves. Once the mustard seeds 1-2 tbsp lime juice

I
n my grandparents’ Mumbai home, a ever, and you look forward to its charac- splutter, fry the sambhar powder in the
small cast-iron bowl was reserved for teristic aroma in certain dishes, like oil on a low flame for a few seconds. Method
heating gingelly oil with whole black tamarind rice or kuzhambu. Many tradi- Pour in the prepared tamarind In a small pan, combine all the ingredi-
peppercorns for “oil bath” purposes. A tional south Indian pickles are made extract (around one cup), along with ents except lime juice and warm it over
spot in the balcony, away from walls and with sesame oil as it is said to balance jaggery and salt. Let this come to a boil. low heat for around five minutes. Turn
furniture, was designated for the weekly out the heat from the chillies, giving the Reduce the flame and simmer for off the flame and stir in the lime juice.
oil massage. My weekly head massage pickles a more rounded flavour. It also around five minutes. Add up to half a As the molagapodi already has salt,
was my grandfather’s job. As a child, it has a long shelf life. cup of hot water if the masala in the pan check for salt once the oil is ready
was not something I looked forward to. In Tamil cooking, kuzhambu/ (left) ‘Bendekayi gojju’; and sesame oil dressing. PHOTOGRAPHS BY NANDITA IYER gets too thick. Transfer the bhindi to the and mix in the required quantity
It was no fun to be soaked in oil for an kulambu is a light tamarind-based curry pan, stir to combine well. Simmer the accordingly.
hour or so. Moreover, while washing made without adding cooked dal. Tam- with regular vegetables like ladies’ fin- 2 dried red chillies gojju for another five minutes so the You can also prepare this dressing in
the hair, the shikakai and reetha would arind extract forms the backbone of this ger and bitter gourd, it can also be given 1 sprig curry leaves bhindi is fully cooked and absorbs the a larger quantity, using garlic powder
invariably seep into the eyes, making curry, which uses a fair bit of sesame oil an exotic touch with ingredients like 1-2 tbsp sambhar powder* flavours. The result should be thick but instead of grated garlic. If you are new to
them smart and burn. for the tempering and for frying the orange peel, pineapple or grapes. Try 1 tbsp crushed jaggery pourable, with a fine balance of salty, the flavour of sesame oil, replace half
After the bath, it truly felt like the vegetables, like small brinjals or sun- out the gojju made using bhindi along 1 tsp salt heat, tangy and sweet. You can adjust the quantity with neutral-flavoured oil
calm after the storm. I would feel raven- dried ingredients like cluster beans, tur- with steamed rice for a comfort meal. the flavours as you prepare the dish. to get a milder dressing.
ous and the afternoon nap that followed key berries or nightshade. Kulambu can Method Serve hot with rice and a drizzle of Use this dressing on roasted vegeta-
was true bliss. also be fish- or meat-based, or a combi- BENDEKAYI GOJJU Soak the tamarind in one cup of hot raw sesame oil. bles, lentil-grain based salads, boiled
Gingelly oil, as sesame oil is known in nation, with vegetables like brinjal, Serves 2 water for 30 minutes. Squeeze and It can also be prepared with bitter- potatoes or to drizzle over idlis or dosas.
the south, was used not only for mas- drumstick, shallots, etc. The unctuous extract all the pulp into the water. Pass gourd slices. Gojju will stay a week in the
sage but also in everyday cooking. layer of umami-rich sesame oil floating Ingredients through a sieve to collect the extract in a fridge if kept in a clean dry container. Double Tested is a fortnightly column
At home, dosas always use sesame oil. on top of the kuzhambu is sure to send 2 tbsp packed tamarind bowl. Repeat with quarter-cup water, *Bisi bele baath masala /powder also on vegetarian cooking, highlighting a
Steaming hot idlis are served with a your salivary glands into hyperactive 250g bhindi (tender) squeezing the tamarind to extract any works very well in this recipe. single ingredient prepared two ways.
generous drizzle of raw sesame oil. It is mode. 4-5 tbsp sesame oil remaining pulp. Add it to the bowl and Nandita Iyer’s latest book is Everyday
also the favoured oil to mix molagapodi Gojju, a tamarind-based curry from A pinch of asafoetida discard the remaining tamarind. (FLAVOUR) BOMB SESAME Superfoods.
(gunpowder). As a child, I had a special Karnataka, tastes great when it’s made Half tsp black mustard seeds Wash and dry the bhindi with an OIL DRESSING
standing request for my grandma— with sesame oil. While it can be made Quarter tsp fenugreek seeds absorbent cloth. Top and tail the bhindi Serves 4 @saffrontrail
 STYLE & SMART LIVING SATURDAY, 4 SEPTEMBER 2021
MUMBAI 07

When fashion meets

music meets identity PHOTOGRAPHS COURTESY GAJAN BALAN

Rapper Pavan Mukhi opted

for an Avatar-esque look for
his solo outing as PAV4N.

Pixel Buds-A will fit the needs of early adopters and real tech enthusiasts.

LOUNGE REVIEW | GOOGLE PIXEL BUDS-A

A TWS with the

Google Assistant
The Pixel Buds-A’s pricing could make it a
hard sell for regular Indian customers
Prasid Banerjee
Tamil-Canadian artist Navz-47 in an outfit styled by Kyle Gervacy. [email protected]

T
he sub-$100 (around ₹7,300) Google Pixel Buds-A fall squarely in the
How musicians of “I have never done a music video like affordable segment of true wireless headphones (TWS) in the US but
this. We had stylists on set. We had bikers fit around the mid-range, at ₹9,990, in India—and if you are still using
South Asian origin are on set. I even had a snake in my hand! It your old wired, in-ear earphones, they may seem quite expensive.
was an amazing experience,” says Navz-47 Like most things Google, the Pixel Buds-A are all about the software. An
using clothes and aka Naveeni Athanasious Philip. “Fashion intelligent algorithm enhances volume based on your surroundings, though
make-up to express plays a big part when you are making a
music video because you have to grab the
the impact of this wasn’t too evident during my week-long use of the device.
They also have dual-beamforming mics to pick your voice from ambient
their individuality audience. What you wear, and how you
perform in front of the camera, makes a
noise when you are on calls, which works quite well. I have used them to take
phone calls in the gym and outdoors, with very few complaints.
really big difference than your vocals,” However, they don’t have active noise cancellation (ANC), a technology
Mahalakshmi Prabhakaran says the Tamil-Canadian artist. that even the much cheaper Nothing Ear 1 offers. Interestingly, though, ANC
When it came to grabbing attention, on the Ear 1 is about as good as passive noise cancellation (PNC) on the Pixel
n the music video for the bilin- rapper and music producer Pavan Mukhi Buds. I often heard the loud Punjabi tracks over my own music at the gym,

I gual rap song Neeye Oli, which

dropped early July on A.R. Rah-
man-backed Maajja’s YouTube
channel, what pops out, besides
the incredible rap vocals by creator Shan
Vincent de Paul (SVDP) and Navz-47, is
the fashion. The song has Paul playing
certainly cracked the code when he opted
for an all-blue Avatar-esque look for his
solo outing as PAV4N after a 17-year gig as
part of the erstwhile hip hop and dubstep
act Foreign Beggars. “You have to catch
someone’s attention in the first second,”
he says. Like the others, he has survived
or a car honking relentlessly on the road, on both. ANC uses real circuitry
to recognise noise and produces sound waves to cut it out, while PNC
depends on the earplugs to physically block out sound. If headphones cost
₹10,000, they should have ANC as a rule.
The actual sound signature on the Pixel Buds is what gives some indica-
tion of the direction Google is taking. They are quite good with high and
mid-frequencies, and decent with bass. This tells me that Google wants you
with a range of head accessories, includ- his share of trolling on social media. to use these to listen to podcasts, take calls and speak to the Google Assistant.
ing silk scarves, bandanas and a jewel-en- Mukhi defines his bold blue look as “a They are not meant simply for music, something most Indian users buy
crusted face mask that seems like the per- visual representation of music, fashion TWS products for. For, if the Pixel Buds-A are good for music, so are the less
fect post-pandemic fashion must-have. and art coming together”. Citing musi- is a South Asian renaissance and I want pop song showed Valayil and her friends expensive Ear 1 mentioned above. In fact, bass-driven tracks, like Live In
The song credits mention the stylists, cians like FKA Twigs, he notes: “There are people to sit up and take notice of us.” having the time of their lives, bedecked in Fear by Mark Crozer or even Linkin Park’s Wretches And Kings, aren’t as
Zola Zee and Kyle Gervacy, up front, certain hip hop artists who have taken While Mukhi’s blue avatar also repre- Banarasi saris and Kerala’s kasavu set impactful on the Pixel Buds as they should be. My playlist includes Bangla
rather unusual till you read the video’s music-making to another level. So it is not sents his spiritual philosophy, he uses it to mundu and traditional gold jewellery. music, Salman Khan songs, classical rock bands and much more, and the
concept note, which explains that SVDP only about music now but also about the make multiple statements. “The tattoos I The inspiration, she says, came from Pixel Buds-A don’t particularly fail any genre. Could they be better? Sure.
chose to team up with Zee, his personal cinematography, the dance choreogra- paint on my face (for each video) allow me her multicultural background—she grew Are competitors in this or lower price ranges any different? No.
stylist, and Gervacy, a Toronto, Canada- phy, the fashion...it really is the whole to collaborate with different artists. And up in India, Nigeria and Australia—and a The Pixel Buds-A also have the Google Assistant built in. Other than ges-
based St Lucian designer, for this second package today, and seeing that level of the make-up and the gold jewellery I wear need to assert her Malayali identity. “I am ture controls to play, pause and skip tracks, you can long-press on either
single from his third album, Made In content art got my mirrors turned.” also allows me to represent drag artistry.” a third culture kid who was born in India earbud to call the Assistant and give commands. It will also read out notifica-
Jaffna, which released on 3 September. For musicians from the South Asian Navz-47 wears the “pottu” in most and raised elsewhere. Whilst studying in tions, including text messages on WhatsApp. Good luck, though, if you are
“SVDP creates a fantastical sci-fi world diaspora, going fashionable in the pursuit music videos, the motivation stemming Australia, I would have Koreans say that I trying to understand the “Hinglish” messages spoken out by the Assistant.
driven by fashion. The sartorial splendour of music is about factoring in clothes, from her memories as a 12-year-old who was Sri Lankan and north Indians calling If you happen to be abroad, the Pixel Buds-A will also help you with trans-
of the video represents Toronto’s diversity make-up and style sensibilities to paint a had just migrated to Canada. “At the time, me Madrasi. My ethnicity was so invisible, lation. A combination of the Buds and Google Translate app can be used to
as the three bring forth their respective visual imagery to normalise how South I was bullied for wearing the pottu, for eat- I was in oblivion. It almost felt like my line- translate spoken word in real time, although this is neither intuitive nor
cultures—Tamil, Jamaican and St Lucian, Asians actually look—distinct from the ing with my hands and speaking my lan- age had ceased to exist, so when I was truly dependable. But these are features no other TWS buds will give you
respectively—to create a larger vision of Bollywood interpretations. It is, as the title guage. And so today, as a musician who is planning to do Bless Ya Heels, I was sure I right now. The Pixel Buds app for Android allows users to download firm-
what their Toronto looks like,” reads the of a song of Indian-origin rapper Raja placed right in the middle of Western and was going to show that I am a Malayali. ware updates when needed and try a “bass boost” option that marginally
note. “I wanted the aesthetic of this video Kumari goes, a lot of rapping in “bindis Tamil culture, I want to influence the What I have tried to do with my song is to enhances the bass response. None of this is available for an iOS device. You
to represent me and my collaborators, and and bangles”. For Paul, it’s about showing younger generation and show them that educate people about who I am, who my can only tap to play, pause and skip.
fashion was that catalyst. This is Toronto people an image that’s not shown in the being Tamil is cool,” she says. people are about, how we dress, how we That brings us full circle. Apple’s AirPods Pro are notably better in
meets Tamil Eelam. It’s a place where cou- media. “The Tamil Eelam experience is In early February, singer-songwriter eat, and how magnificent we are,” says the terms of audio quality, albeit more expensive. Nothing’s Ear 1 is compara-
ture meets the ancient past, avant-garde always shown through the lens of oppres- Anna Katharina Valayil, who goes by the Kottayam, Kerala-based musician. ble, cheaper and better-looking. So Google is really charging the premium
intersects with traditional gowns,” says sion and suffering and I want to show peo- moniker Tribemama Marykali, released for the Google Assistant, which may be a hard sell for the regular Indian
Paul, who is best known in India for his ple our glory and innovation, a world the single Bless Ya Heels. Directed by Len- Mahalakshmi Prabhakaran is a Bengalu- customer.
Mrithangam Raps series. which is futuristic and avant-garde. There drick Kumar, the music video for the Afro- ru-based journalist.

Your guide to buying the right refurbished smartphone

Battery health or cost? If wasn’t always possible to walk into a show- depends on the consumer,” says Singh. “In
you want to purchase a
used or refurbished
room and get their hands on the latest
gadgets.”
Industry analysis firm Counterpoint
terms of value proposition, it is important
to check if you are being offered a war-
ranty on the device. Always ensure that
CHOOSE
smartphone, here’s what
Research noted in a report in July that the
global refurbished smartphone market
saw healthy growth across most regions,
the phone you are buying is from a trusted
seller.... You have to ensure that the bat-
tery health is good.”
WISELY
you should know including India, in the second half of Most certified players in the refur- SMART CHOICES: Refurbished
2020. The market more than made up for bished smartphones market check phones often come attached
Nitin Sreedhar a slump in the first half of 2020 with a whether a phone has good battery health with a stigma but they are not a
[email protected] modest 4% increase compared to 2019 or not. Refurbished phones should have bad choice. The terms “pre-
volumes, the report explains. the ability to retain at least 80% of the bat- owned’, “refurbished” or

O
ver the past five years, Delhi- In 2019, India was one of the top mar- tery life. If it doesn’t meet this standard, “renewed” mean the same thing.
based advertising professional kets showing promise for smartphones in the battery is replaced with a new one.
Vipul Shastri has become quite the secondary market, says Glen Cardoza, A user can check this metric on their FACTORY SETTINGS: Apart
comfortable with the thought of buying senior analyst at Counterpoint Research. own as well. In case you are buying a refur- from the physical aspects, check
refurbished smartphones. In 2016, when This year, he adds, sales of refurbished bished iPhone, you can check the battery if your refurbished phone has
Flipkart had just begun offering such smartphones have gone up “drastically” health in the phone’s settings. For any information, data from the
phones through a third-party seller, he for online players such as Amazon, Flip- Android, you can try third-party apps such previous owner. It should be
purchased a Redmi 3S Prime phone, kart, Cashify and Yaantra. “Such devices as AccuBattery and Kaspersky Battery Life restored to factory settings.
which originally cost ₹8,999, for around cost 30-40% less than the market price. If that inspect the device’s battery health,
₹4,000. “I used it for a year and then Cash- the quality is maintained, people would capacity and actual battery usage. DO YOUR RESEARCH: While it’s
ified it for the same price when upgrading definitely go for the economical option,” A refurbished smartphone can offer good value for money. ISTOCKPHOTO The screen quality comes next. “That’s important to buy such phones
to a Samsung Galaxy S9+,” recalls Shastri, adds Cardoza. something you will be looking at all the from a trusted source or market-
referring to Cashify, one of the biggest Cost is a crucial factor while deciding then it will be slightly expensive. The ceil- brands in the market today, including time. Too many scratches would hamper place, always aim for maximum
online marketplaces for refurbished devi- whether you should buy new or refur- ing for discounts on such refurbished Apple, OnePlus and Samsung. your experience,” says Singh. The next value. Some websites might offer
ces. bished. For instance, how much should phones is usually around 20% on the origi- Blynk and other players ensure a rigor- step is to check the basic features: ensure a better deal or additional acces-
More customers entered this market you be paying for a refurbished iPhone, if nal price,” says Rohan Singh, co-founder ous quality check of each device. Every a functioning camera, Wi-Fi connectivity sories, such as a charger, head-
during the pandemic, when people were its original cost was, say, ₹60,000? and COO of Blynk, an online marketplace refurbished device at Cashify goes and Bluetooth. The device generation is phones, USB cables or a protec-
forced to work and study from home. This varies from model to model. Let’s for refurbished smartphones. through 32 quality checks; each carries a an important aspect, says Kumar, since it’s tive case.
Families needed more devices and it made say you are purchasing a refurbished “You are essentially recycling or reus- six-month warranty. At Blynk, refur- crucial to check if the device has features
sense to buy refurbished phones at an eco- iPhone XR, released originally in 2018, in ing the phone, which has been augmented bished phones go through multiple layers or is upgraded enough to support tasks. RETURN POLICIES: A warranty
nomical price. “Once remote working and 2021. The chances of getting a great dis- with certain new parts. It not only helps in of quality checks through an automated “I think people have realised the value of at least six months is essential
learning started, it became essential to count are higher in this case. “Phones also cutting down on electronic waste but also system. A diagnostic and quality check of money a little more during the pan- but a return policy is even better
possess individual devices,” says Nakul depreciate over time. If you are buying a saves you money,” adds Singh, who says report is included in the box for consum- demic,” says Singh. “Refurbished phone in case a device malfunctions
Kumar, co-founder and chief operating refurbished smartphone which was that consumers are even buying refur- ers when they purchase a device. customers should think of it as a smart once you start using it.
officer (COO) of Cashify. “For most, it released recently, in the last year or so, bished models of some of the biggest What should you look out for? “It purchase, not an apologetic buy.”
08 SATURDAY, 4 SEPTEMBER 2021
MUMBAI
COVER
ISTOCKPHOTO

HOW TO BE A
WEEKEND
FARMER In cities like Bengaluru, the well-to-do have
found a new way to diversify their
investments and satisfy an itch to be closer
to nature: managed farmlands
Shrabonti Bagchi
[email protected]

hen I was a little girl, I wanted to live in a forest,

W
I wanted to live in the hills, I wanted to live on a
farm. I wanted to live in a rustic mud house with
goats and cows wandering around. I wanted to
stare at the clear sky and floating clouds in the day-
time and lie under a canopy of stars in the night. I
wanted to get up each morning to the sound of birds
chirping, to be able to see trees and greenery from
every window of the house and to be able to touch
nature with my bare feet as soon as I stepped out,”
wrote Ramya Ranganathan, a leadership coach and
adjunct faculty at the Indian Institute of Management
(IIM), Bangalore, in a post on LinkedIn last December.
Like many of us, Ranganathan, a resident of Bengaluru,
had dreamt of a back-to-nature kind of life for many years.
With degrees from the Indian Institute of Technology
(IIT), Madras and IIM, Ahmedabad under her belt, she had
spent several years in the corporate sector and had
increasingly found herself asking questions like “Why do
we work”, “What makes us happy?” These questions led
her to reinvent her career with a PhD in organisational
behaviour from the London Business School and become
a certified life coach. They also led her to the farm she had
always dreamt of owning.
“Covid-19 has had strange effects on many of us, affect-
ing us on the outside in terms of how we work, interact
and live, and on the inside in terms of making us take an
honest look at the things we deeply value. For me, the
lockdown has rekindled my childhood dreams of farm,
forest, and also my more adult dreams of growing and eat-
ing fresh, communing with nature, working on regenerat-
ing the earth …” says Ranganathan, who became part of
the Rose Valley Farming Collective, a managed farmland
run by the Bengaluru-based company WeCommunities,
earlier this year.
The pandemic has made us more aware of how fragile
life is; more practically, it has created a need to have geta-
ways outside the city where you can enjoy a change of
scene and a slower pace of life if you can
afford it. And while many of us have
harboured dreams of spend-
ing time in the country- nity, typically situated within a two- to three-hour drive quarter-acre to a full acre or more. They can earmark a Some of those who own farm plots at the
side and waking up to the from the city. portion of this to build a house on. Some farm manage- Rose Valley collective gather there on
sound of birds chirping, There is no consensus on who came up with the term ment companies give you this as an option while others, weekends to learn more about farming.
it always seemed “managed farmlands”. Several of the companies around like WeCommunities, make it mandatory. While owners
impractical. Who would Bengaluru that are in the process of developing this sector are encouraged to spend as much time on the farm as pos-
look after the farm when claim that they did; certainly, it is a term that has become sible (especially once their homes are built), it’s not essen-
you returned to your life increasingly common in conversations among a certain tial—the company employs a full-fledged team to take
in the city? How would class of Bengalureans, who are looking to not only diver- care of every aspect of the actual farming. Most of the
you know which crops to sify their investments but also do so more meaningfully. labour is drawn locally, from surrounding villages.

‘
plant, when to seed and While the concept is showing up in different formats in Ironically, many of the actual farmers from these areas
harvest, which animals to cities like Delhi, Hyderabad and Pune as well, none of the now work as hired hands on these professionally managed
keep—essentially, the markets is as well-developed or organised as the one in farms, especially those who had smaller land holdings—
actual work of farming? Bengaluru, which seems to be pioneering the idea. If the a ruined soil structure, falling yields, debts, and the pau- Don’t fall for pitches about high
This is where the concept idea does catch on in other parts of the country, the proc- city of finding labour due to migration to cities made their
of “managed farmlands”, ess will take its own form, since the rules on ownership of incomes smaller and smaller, till selling the land to these returns and investment growth—
which made an entry into Ben- agricultural land differ from state to state. In Bengaluru, companies was perhaps the only option left to them. This farming is risky business, get into it
galuru a few years ago, comes however, several startups and established real estate com- became even more predominant after the pandemic only if you can park away the money
into play. Search for the term on panies are getting into the game; examples of the former forced many of them into unemployment and a return to
Google and you get several include Hebbevu, Vibez Estates and Santulum Habitat, their villages. for some years.
pages of ads and results while some of the older players include Hosachiguru, Jain The peculiar geography of Bengaluru makes it possible PRIYA SUNDER
pointing you to companies Farms and Holiday Valley. for this farmland to be situated in any of three states—Kar- CO-FOUNDER, PEAKALPHA
that help you own, manage nataka, Tamil Nadu, Andhra Pradesh—and still be within
and do all the actual work of HOW IT WORKS a two- to three-hour drive from the city. Although the
raising crops on a plot of Typically, the farmland is spread over 40-100 acres, with major catchment area for clients is Bengaluru, the first few
ISTOCKPHOTO land in a farming commu- individual buyers being offered plots that range from a managed farmlands came up in nearby rural areas in
STORY SATURDAY, 4 SEPTEMBER 2021
MUMBAI 09
ISTOCKPHOTO

Typically, the farmland is spread

over 40-100 acres, with
individual buyers being offered
plots that range from a quarter-
acre to a full acre or more; and
(below) families are encouraged
to spend time on the farms.

Tamil Nadu and Andhra Pradesh. after working in merchandising for a few years. “When
Until recently, people from a non-agricultural back- people got to know about Ashok and Sriram’s work, they
ground, who would typically not have the required rights, asked for help in managing their farms. It was while doing
tenancy and crops (RTC) licence, or the pahani khata as this that the two realised some people had ancestral farm-
it is locally known, were not permitted to buy agricultural lands and didn’t know how to manage them, others had the
land in Karnataka. The removal of this restriction through will and resources to buy farms but didn’t know how to go
an ordinance in July 2020 has led to the current boom in about it,” says Setty. Creating a professionally managed
real estate and land management companies offering company that would bring together these needs and create
managed farmlands around the city, says Anup Heggar, a new asset class for those looking to diversify their invest-
co-founder of BookAProp Estates Pvt. Ltd. His company ment portfolios, seemed like an idea whose time had come.
is developing a gated farming community, Urban Farm-
ers, on Kanakapura Road, on the outskirts of Bengaluru. NOT A REAL ESTATE COMPANY
“Earlier, people would find loopholes to buy farmlands “The first thing I want to tell you is that we are not a real
but it was always under a cloud of illegality, and they estate company,” says Varun Kumar Pandey, co-founder of
didn’t know how to manage it. Now there’s a solution for Vivasv Infra Pvt. Ltd, the land management company that
both these problems and it has led to the current spike in owns WeCommunities, during a Zoom call. “What we offer
interest. Of course, because of the pandemic, suddenly a is a way of living and a way to connect back with the earth.
lot of people want to get closer to nature,” says Heggar, a Owning a property is just a part of it. The ‘community’ part
former IT consultant who got into land and farm manage- of WeCommunities is actually its most crucial part.”
ment about a decade ago. WeCommunities is a six-year-old company with two
Of course, you need to be careful about what you are collectives in various stages of completion near Benga-
buying. Most of the professionally managed companies luru. It is expanding with an upcoming project near the
will be transparent and share detailed land records, muta- Tijara Fort in Rajasthan, about 100km from Delhi.
tion records, updates on the legal status of the land, its It started with a 90-acre plot of arid, barren land in
topography and layout, and details of physical features Thagathy village in Tamil Nadu, about 90km from Benga-
like soil quality, aridity, rainfall data and a lot more. luru, in 2017. After decades of conventional monoculture
“Ask for all these documents, and get them farming, the soil had been destroyed and nothing much
checked by your own lawyers. Don’t fall grew there. Along with a few enthusiastic advisers and
for pitches about high returns and early adopters who wanted to practise sustainable farm-
investment growth—farming is risky ing, Pandey and his partner Yathesh Kumar set up a col-
business, get into it only if you can lective to raise money to buy the land. Members of this
park away the money for some “seed community” were both investors and evangelists—
years,” says Priya Sunder, the 50-plus units of the Tamarind Valley Collective (TVC),
co-founder of the Bengaluru- as it came to be known, were sold mostly through word-
based wealth management city are tired of At Hosachiguru wish to. Next, he takes me around the half-acre vegetable of-mouth and without any formal marketing effort, recalls
company PeakAlpha. buying yet another Bristlecone, owners garden in a corner of the farm where there are, indeed, Pandey.
flat in the ghost often spend time at the ripening tomatoes. Most of the produce from the vegeta- Three years down the line, through a concerted effort
LIFE ON THE FARM towns of Sarjapur community cottages on ble patch is used in the community kitchen on the farm, using permaculture and organic forestry methods, there
To reach Hosachiguru Bris- and Whitefield,” the farm during which has four neat cottages that can be booked by own- is a small thriving forest on the land. Unlike, say, the tim-
tlecone, a 46-acre farm near says Setty, naming weekends and ers to get a taste of farm living till their houses are built. ber farms of Hosachiguru, the Tamarind Valley commu-
Cholemarri village in Andhra massively overde- increasingly, even on The other lesson in how farming is changing across the nity wants to keep at least 30-40 acres as forested area and
Pradesh’s Anantapur district, veloped areas on the weekdays. country comes from seeing a mix of ancient and modern use the rest to create a fully self-sustained community that
you drive about three hours outskirts of Benga- technology at work here too. On the one hand, the farm grows its own food, generates its own electricity, harvests
from Bengaluru on a pillowy luru. “For them, a houses compost pits and large vats of liquid organic fertil- its own rainwater—or at least that’s the dream. “It is a bit
smooth road, past low hills and managed farmland rep- isers like panchagavya (a concoction of cow dung, cow of a utopia, yes, but the community is involved in every
windmills, till you reach, incredibly resents not just a way to urine, milk, curd and ghee) and jeevamrutha (made of cow step of decision-making and everything is settled after a
and incongruously, a Korean super- invest in land, which holds a dung, cow urine, jaggery, pulse flour and garden soil). On lot of debate and discussion. This is not an ‘asset diversifi-
market. There is a Kia Motors factory, and primitive appeal for all of us, but the other, there are IoT monitors throughout the farm cation’ thing for them but a way of contributing to land
numerous ancillary factories, nearby and the the comforting knowledge that you that continuously collect data related to soil quality, irri- rejuvenation. These intangibles are of immense value to
area has a sizeable Korean population to support a are contributing to something larger than gation, humidity, wind speed, pests and diseases, and feed us,” says Pandey. Encouraged by the success and enthusi-
supermarket that sells kimchi and seaweed and a dizzying yourself, which is benefiting the planet. So why not?” them to an app called Fasal. The app interprets the data in asm of TVC, the company has launched similar projects,
array of instant ramen alongside regular Indian fast food Taking a walk around the farm with P. Shrikanth, one a way that is useful to agronomists like Shrikanth to make such as the Rose Valley Farming Collective, an 80-acre
and soft drinks. Drive another 14km or so from this of the company’s agronomists, I get a small lesson in the crucial decisions: How much irrigation is required for a managed farmland near Thally, Tamil Nadu, of which
unmissable landmark and you reach Bristlecone—named principles of the permaculture-based farming practised particular soil type? Is there an imminent threat of plant Ranganathan is a part.
after the pine that’s said to be the oldest living tree species here. Firstly, my notions about farming being all about edi- diseases? What type of fertiliser should be used? Sunder of PeakAlpha agrees. “Go for it if it’s something
on the planet. ble crops is shattered—Bristlecone, like several of the Hosachiguru was founded by former IT executives you are doing for yourself and your family as a lifestyle
The property is managed farmland, developed by the other farms managed by Hosachiguru, is primarily an Ashok Jayanthi and Sriram Chitlur, who started their decision,” she says. That’s largely what compelled Rohan
Bengaluru-based Hosachiguru; with 18 farms spread organic timber farm. Around 60% of the young trees farming journey as “weekend farmers” in 2005, scouting Lobo, a 40-something Bengalurean who is a partner at a
across the three states, it’s the biggest player in this sector. around us are tissue-culture teak and native teak plants, for land and encountering many of the problems people Big 4 consulting firm, to look at managed farmlands. “My
Bristlecone, which was launched in January 2019, was another 30% are sandalwood trees. Only about 10% of the face even today in buying farmland. Finally, they found parents come from farming stock, and although they had
sold out within three months of opening up its farm plots, land is given over to fruit trees like mango. “King of the some land near Jayanthi’s ancestral village of Rayadurg to move to the city for jobs while the holdings back home
in parcels of 0.25 acre, 0.5 acre and one acre. It charges its woods is teak, queen of the woods is sandalwood,” says in Anantapur district, Andhra Pradesh, and set up their got smaller and smaller, divided among many claimants,
customers a land fee of ₹80 per sq. ft and an annual farm Shrikanth, proudly displaying a cluster of teak, casuarina semi-experimental project, Jayanthi Farms, growing san- they always had this dream of retiring and living on a farm.
maintenance fee—you can own a 0.25 acre plot (around and sandalwood trees that support each other in symbiotic dalwood, amla (Indian gooseberry) and other native trees. I am actually doing this for my mother,” says Lobo, who
10,000 sq. ft) for as little as ₹10-12 lakh. At that price, you ways. “I know each tree and each square foot here,” he says. A few years down the line, after getting a government has purchased around four acres on two farms managed
can’t even buy a studio apartment anywhere in Benga- Sensing my disappointment at the shattering of a vision grant to set up a private sandalwood nursery based on by Hosachiguru. “Initially, I thought of it as an investment
luru, points out Srinath Setty, director of business devel- of families working together, harvesting ripe red toma- organic farming methods, they quit their jobs at Tech to be honest, but now as I visit the farms and see barren
opment, Hosachiguru. toes and brilliant greens, Shrikanth says that owners of the Mahindra and Infosys, respectively, to start Hosachiguru. land being converted into a food or timber forest, I come
“People who already own apartments and homes in the farm plots have the choice to do that as well, should they Setty, Jayanthi’s nephew, joined the company in 2013 away with a positive feeling.”
10 SATURDAY, 4 SEPTEMBER 2021
MUMBAI VANTAGE

How anxiety is Around the world, anxiety rates

among children have shot up
sharply since the start of the
covid-19 pandemic. Changes in

scarring childhood
Avantika Bhuyan
behaviour could tell you if your
child needs help

ILLUSTRATION BY JAYACHANDRAN

tions,” she explains. Changes in sleep

[email protected] rhythm can be another indicator of stress.
Nair recounts instances involving a

S
even-year-old ML was always friend’s eight-year-old son. Having
shy, but never sad or morose. absorbed the panic around covid-19, he
The class II student, who lives would refuse to go out in the apartment
in Gurugram, Haryana, and is complex, and started having nightmares.
part of a big joint family, was His mother tried talking to him but he
attentive in class, polite with acquaintan- couldn’t articulate his feelings. Nair asked
ces, and happy in the company of friends him to draw whatever he felt. The child
and family. It all changed this summer, drew elaborate visuals about schools
when the second, devastating wave of cov- being shut and changes to his routine.
id-19 engulfed the country. These helped his mother understand his
His paternal uncle—a regular playmate fears. “He wasn’t depressed but had a lot of
of his—had to be hospitalised in May-end. fear and anxiety. Using play and drawing
He recovered but in the weeks following is therapeutic and helpful in a situation
the diagnosis, ML withdrew into a shell. where kids don’t have words to express
He would be distracted in class and what they feel,” says Nair.
extremely quiet at home. The spells of qui- Updates on the number of covid-related
etude were interspersed with irritability deaths have been a major trigger. Chil-
on being asked to finish homework or a dren now feel stressed about anything
task. His mother, a teacher, would find they consume through newspapers and
him awake at night, unable to sleep. In TV channels. “Do you think the Taliban
July, he began asking for the lights to be will come to India?” I was asked by a nine-
switched on at night. “I still remember the year-old girl—a friend of my daughter’s.
first night when he mentioned he was “Isn’t covid-19 enough of a problem in the
feeling scared in the dark. That’s when I world? Why are people fighting?”
decided to see a counsellor,” she says. Dr Vijay Sagar says children in the sev-
In the counselling sessions, he was en-nine age group may have a lot of ques-
asked to draw whatever he felt. The draw- tions and if these are not answered prop-
ings were filled with greys, blacks and erly, may become fearful and withdrawn.
browns, with just the lone figure of a child “Very young children, up till the age of six,
in an empty home. “That’s when we real- may start clinging to parents. When the
ised how badly the uncertainty of the situ- fear or anxiety becomes severe, one will
ation was affecting him,” says his mother. notice a persistent sadness around some
ML is not alone. According to an article kids. Even preschoolers get stressed out.
published by the Centre for Infectious Sometimes you will find older kids
Disease Research and Policy, University of expressing death wishes,” he explains.
Minnesota, US, on 9 August, anxiety rates Since children have been cooped up at
in children around the world may have home, “they are not even getting a chance
shot up sharply since the start of the pan- to think for themselves. In school, on occa-
demic. “(This is) according to the results of sions such as Independence Day, children
a meta-literature review published in get to perform or recite something. If they
JAMA Pediatrics. The researchers looked forget something, the teacher gives them
at 29 general-population studies, one of ample time to recall. But now, with online
which was not peer reviewed, and found children vulnerable to online offenders. In young children, until the age has seen posts, often anonymous, from tions, including Attention Deficit Hyper- classes, they just look at the parent for
pooled depression and anxiety rates at “I would change the word to emotional of seven-eight, parents need to parents about changes in their children’s activity Disorder (ADHD) and Autism reminders,” says Noras. This is leading to
25.2% and 20.5%, respectively.” The difficulties. For small kids, we don’t have watch out for symptoms like behaviour during the pandemic. There Spectrum Condition (ASC), might strug- lowered self-worth. They are constantly
researchers write that the sharp rise was the usual tests but projective techniques decreased food intake and are concerns about moodiness, or chil- gle with the lack of structure and routine wondering: Am I capable of doing this, or
associated with the pandemic’s later sta- through which you can figure out if a child low self-esteem. dren snapping when they are asked a during the pandemic. This may, in turn, am I doing well only because my mom and
ges. Till the pandemic, anxiety rates were is going through some emotional issue. I question. Some are refusing to go out and impact mental health. “In fact, one origi- dad are present?
estimated to be 11.6%. wouldn’t want to pinpoint and label it just play, even when offered a safe environ- nal study measured children’s ADHD Noras is currently working with a five-
If the study is to be believed, one in five as depression but I can call it emotional ment to do so. “This is being reported behaviors during the covid-19 outbreak year-old who has had learning difficulties.
children is reporting anxiety. The reasons difficulty,” says Khushnaaz Noras, a Mum- across age groups, not just in teens but in and found them worse compared with “Earlier, he would say ‘my teacher did this,
are several: social isolation, loss, financial bai-based consulting psychologist. younger kids as well,” she says. their normal state, showing increased irri- my friend did that’. But now that he is at
stressors, disruptions, and, most impor- In young children, until the age of sev- For children with pre-existing health tability and more challenging behaviors,” home, there is no one to blame for the dif-
tantly, a drastic change in routine. en-eight, parents need to watch out for conditions, the pandemic has brought states the study. ficulties. So he has turned the emotions
Usually, childhood is a period of excit- symptoms like decreased food intake, low new challenges. “One is seeing a relapse or Radhika Nair, a Mumbai-based clinical inwards and feels that the learning diffi-
ing new experiences that help tiny tots self-esteem and withdrawal from activi- worsening of those problems due to stress psychologist, says anxiety or emotional culty is his fault,” she says. He has started
inch towards independence in thought ties they might have loved doing other- caused by the pandemic,” says K. John difficulty doesn’t reflect just as sadness. In daydreaming, to the extent that he doesn’t
and action. This happens through big and wise. Watch out if any of the troublesome Vijay Sagar, professor and head of depart- very young children, regardless of respond even when his parents call him.
small incidents, such as going to school on or peculiar behaviours is magnified. In an ment of child and adolescent psychiatry, whether they have a neurodevelopmental “He has gone into his own shell. This can
a bus, making friends, working in a team. already timid child, the timidity might be National Institute of Mental Health and condition or not, it also manifests as anger. be considered depression that is veiled,”
The pandemic has disrupted all this, lead- amplified by pandemic-related fears. “I According to one study, one Neurosciences (Nimhans), Bengaluru. “There is this emotional discomfort and says Noras. “Regarding emotional difficul-
ing to increased dependency on parents. also see many kids becoming very dis- According to the study How Is COV- children don’t have the words to articulate ties, parents should be a little watchful
The reassurance of a regular schedule tracted. Sometimes parents feel it’s nor- in five children is reporting ID-19 Pandemic Impacting Mental Health it. If your child’s behaviour has changed— about what is happening in the house,”
has vanished. Not all homes are comfort- mal, especially during these unprece- anxiety. The reasons range Of Children And Adolescents?, published in eat very little, or a lot, isolate themselves, she advises. Most of the issues are due to
ing spaces, with children being subjected dented times. However , it could be a from social isolation to loss September 2020 in the PubMed Central cry over something that may seem trivial environmental factors in the house, and
to abuse, or being witness to acrimony marker of emotional difficulties,” she says. repository of the US National Institutes of to adults, and sleep a lot—you need to take fights between people. “If you see persist-
between family members. More screen Ruchita Dar Shah, founder of the global
and, most importantly, a Health’s National Library of Medicine, note. This is happening because they are ent changes in behaviour lasting beyond
time, often unsupervised, is also making community for mothers, First Moms Club, drastic change in routine children with neurodevelopmental condi- too choked up and overwhelmed by emo- a few weeks, do seek professional help.”

Indians are now less averse to planning funerals

ISTOCKPHOTO

Funeral service providers had swept through large parts of the coun-
try. Over the last six months, says Gutgu-
“It’s Your Day”. “The business was grow-
ing 100% every year but the pandemic has
ate in were enforcing strict protocols. “But
with ease in restrictions things have
say the pandemic has tia, Last Journey has received more than put a dent in it,” says Kannampuzha—they improved. From June, we started receiv-
a dozen pre-bookings. “Children living weren’t able to transition smoothly ing at least four clients a day,” Mohapatra
forced the elderly living abroad or senior citizens in old-age homes online. However, he believes that though says.
alone to plan their opt for this package.” covid-19 protocols bar large gatherings at Even an online ritual services platform
The outbreak of covid-19 has put the present, the market “will grow exponen- such as Guruji On Demand, which offers
funerals in case family focus on death and the funeral industry tially, especially in Kerala, which has a priests for religious ceremonies, shifted
members can’t be like never before. As the pandemic limited
gatherings, the industry diversified into
large NRI population and seniors living
alone”.
focus to funeral management last year.
“Due to the pandemic, a lot of pujas and
present digital obituaries and started live-stream- Delhi-based Antim Yatra, which was gatherings at home came to a standstill. So
ing prayer meetings and cremations. “For launched in 2014, has grown 150% in reve- our focus shifted to ‘Moksh’, which is our
families living in other cities and coun- nue every year. “We try to be there like an brand for funeral services,” says Abhishek
Smitha Verma tries, we would live-stream the prayer extended family member, set up What- Kulkarni, co-founder and director of the
meetings,” says Shruthi Reddy, CEO of sApp groups to inform about various ritu- firm based in Pune, Maharashtra.

S
ometime last year, a septuagenarian Anthyesti Funeral Services, which oper- als and coordinate everything from meals The major challenge is to find custom-
couple living in a senior living facil- ates in six cities, including Kolkata and to flowers,” says the founder, Daljit Sean ers, and go about it sensitively. For a fam-
ity in Gurugram, Haryana, started Bengaluru. Singh. ily that is grieving, a sales pitch call won’t
thinking about their post-death rituals. Obituary portals like Tributes.in, run by After the outbreak of covid-19, Antim work, and many Indians still don’t like to
Deaths due to covid-19 had peaked and Pan India Internet Ltd, a Noida, Uttar Pra- Yatra started a counselling service to help discuss death, says Singh. Empathy, com-
loss and grief filled the air. The worry of desh-based website design and develop- people who couldn’t be with their families passion, allowing a family time are key, he
not having anyone around if they were to ment firm, added more features last year. after a tragedy. “There have been cases adds. The companies rely mainly on word-
die—their only daughter is settled in the “When we launched in 2015, the market Funeral service providers organise everything from last rites to prayer meetings. where we stored ashes of the deceased for of-mouth.
US—made them pre-book funerals for was not ready for a digital way to pay last three months before the family could Mohapatra agrees: “The primary chal-
themselves with a Delhi-based company. respects but the pandemic has changed Last Journey in the last few months,” he communities following different rituals return home from abroad,” Singh says. lenge is reaching out to people. No one
“Even though the couple had no major things,” says Rajkumar Jalan, CEO and says. In March, the company organised and hiring local priests and vendors. This It was, in fact, a personal tragedy that wants to hear what service we provide but
ailments, they were anxious about who co-founder of Tributes.in. Since October close to 400 funerals. In May, it provided has started changing. “Just like wedding prompted Plaban Mohapatra to start when there is an incident, they don’t know
would carry out their last rites if they were last year, traffic on the site has increased 1,500 families various services, including planners, the demand for funeral planners Swargadwara, which offers funeral servi- whom to contact in that moment.”
to die during the pandemic,” says Vikaas over 200%, he says. The site allows people funerals, online prayer meetings and post- has started growing, especially among the ces across religious lines, in 2016 in Bhub- Death is inevitable and not talking
Gutgutia, managing director and founder to create a page for the deceased on which cremation services. “We have grown Christian community in Kerala,” says Raju aneswar, his home town, and Bengaluru, about it isn’t the answer, says Gutgutia.
of Ferns N Petals, which started the Last anyone can post memories, share anec- 25-30% month-on-month,” he adds. Kannampuzha, managing director of where friends could supervise the logis- With nuclear families now the norm,
Journey funeral service just ahead of the dotes—or just grieve. According to an August report by Tech- Executive Events, an event management tics. “Unlike the West, our rituals change many do not know about rituals and prac-
pandemic, in December 2019. The ₹2 lakh Business, as dark as it may sound, has navio, a London-based market research company headquartered in Kochi, with as per religion and region. So it’s no sur- tices. “The pandemic has further added to
package included conducting the last rites never been so good. Gutgutia launched firm, the funeral homes and services mar- branches in several cities in Kerala. prise that we are yet to be an organised the isolation,” he says. The practice of hir-
in Haridwar with five priests, a 50-mem- Last Journey as a streamlined solution, ket is expected to reach a value of ₹27.82 He chanced upon the funeral business setup like the US,” he says. ing funeral directors, he believes, will
ber guest list and details about the kind of offering everything from posting obituar- billion (around ₹2 trillion), at a compound in 2017, when a client who had booked Between 2017-20, the company’s soon become the norm here, as it is in the
food to be served (at the post-funeral cere- ies in newspapers to arranging prayer annual growth rate of 5.85%, between Kannampuzha for his son’s Holy Commu- cumulative revenue was ₹1.3 crore, but it West.
mony). meeting halls for funerals. “I have run 2021-25. nion asked him to be the funeral director has seen a minor slump since the covid-19
He say they started getting pre-book- many businesses in the last 25 years but In India, funeral and allied rituals had so for his father. Another client followed and outbreak. They suffered losses in the ini- Smitha Verma is a Delhi-based journal-
ings only from June 2020, after covid-19 am yet to see anything grow as steadily as far remained an unorganised sector, with soon Executive Events created a brand, tial few months since the cities they oper- ist.
 CULTURE SATURDAY, 4 SEPTEMBER 2021
MUMBAI 11

THE MAN WHO LIVED

MANY LIVES IN ONE
The late Girish
Karnad’s memoir,
recently translated
into English, is a
testament to his richly Pages from ‘Portrait Of A House’.

diverse beliefs, ideas

and personality
Deepa Ganesh
Building a house
of love and light
I
n 2011, when Girish Karnad
released his autobiography,
Adaadata Ayushya (recently
translated into English as This
Life At Play), the Kannada literary Dayanita Singh and B.V. Doshi, two of India’s
world’s response was mixed—surprise, finest minds, come together to create magic
disbelief and disagreement.
Those who had met, known, read or
heard of Karnad in the “here and now” Somak Ghoshal
found his early life a surprise—it was as [email protected]
normal, simple and modest as that of any

I
other middle-class family. A life that had n 2018, when Architectural Digest commissioned Dayanita Singh to photograph
its fair share of struggles, disappoint- B.V. Doshi—who had been awarded the Pritzker Prize that year—at Kamala
ments and small joys. When the autobi- House, his home in Ahmedabad, their meeting set off a chain reaction that has
ography was published, Karnad clearly now yielded several outstanding works of art. The latest iteration in Singh’s ongo-
belonged to the cultural elite of modern ing dialogue with Doshi, also vividly captured in her previous work BV Box, is
India, and most believed that he came Portrait Of A House, a book that belies the simple claim of its subtitle: Conversa-
from there. tions With BV Doshi.
The disbelief was related perhaps to the In Girish Karnad, one sees the existence of many Indias, the East and the West. GETTY IMAGES Singh’s latest offering abjures her usual formalist adventures and looks very
way the tale was told. Bare and sparkling much like a book—yet it is also so much more. As you open it and turn the early
with the bluntness of truth, Karnad’s work (now Mumbai), and beyond. He was a ary and theatre associations with Mano- pages, alluding to the blueprint grid paper on which architects typically sketch
is a stoic narration of him as a person of the hybrid of the global and local, something hara Grantha Mala’s G.B. Joshi, Da. Ra. the schema of their creations, you are released into a space of pure reflection and
past, locating his self in relation to others, he often discovered with surprise. As he Bendre, Kirthinath Kurthukoti or, later, creativity. The voices of the master-artists complement each other, like the sawal-
and displaying the rare courage to face used to say: “I was 10 years old when India with U.R. Ananthamurthy, B.V. Karanth, jawab between classical musicians, as Singh said in a recent interview, opening
himself. Abstaining from self-glorifica- attained freedom. In the 50s it was Satyajit K.V. Subbanna, P. Lankesh, T.N. Seeth- our eyes and minds to new ways of seeing and
tion, the narrative glows in the candour of Ray, followed by the parallel cinema aram, S.G. Vasudev, and so on. Karnad also thinking.
imperfections. “That’s not true,” many movement. When New India was emerg- worked closely with personalities such as For a book made with (seemingly) still photo-
argued about episodes from his public life, ing in the 60s, I returned from a very Satyadev Dubey, Ebrahim Alkazi, Raj graphs, Portrait Of A House is remarkably alive.
“there are other sides to the story.” Disa- momentous period in Oxford. I was lucky Kapoor, Shashi Kapoor, Shyam Benegal, That’s partly because the dialogues between Singh
greements, counter-stories, and retelling to return when I had no clue what the Govind Nihalani, Mrinal Sen, Tom Cowan and Doshi, recorded at his home in 2018 and on
of incidents with altered focalisation future had for me. But doors kept opening, and A.K. Ramanujan, becoming a pan-In- Zoom in 2020, are free of the fusty formalism of
could be attributed to the inevitable sub- one after the other. The Academies came dian figure. public performance. Like a flow-chart, sparks and
jectivity of narration, taking us back to into existence and the National School of In conversations, Karnad often spoke of flashes connect the free-flowing ruminations of
basic questions around autobiography as Drama was established, television came in a second part of his autobiography, taking their agile minds, building bridges between their
a literary genre. Could it be the blurring the 80s.... there were many firsts and I was it beyond the 1980s, where this one stops. practices. The other reason behind the shimmer of
lines of real and creative forms of recollec- at the forefront of that experience. It was That didn’t happen, so This Life At Play life on the pages is Singh’s gift of making photo-
tion? Some felt so. It certainly stirred the an exciting period in the life of the nation This Life At Play By Girish remains an incomplete record of his life. graphs “speak”—a quality that Doshi had asked her
Kannada world. as well as mine.” Karnad, translated by the Any commentary on his autobiography about when they first met.
Karnad had undertaken the English It may not be easy to unpack the com- author and Srinath Perur, will also remain incomplete—the dignity Singh’s photographs of Doshi and his family—
translation of this work but could not fin- plexities of Karnad as a playwright and HarperCollins India, he gave to the women in his life and work wife, daughters, grandchildren, the peahen that struts around Kamala House—are
ish it—he died in 2019. Completed by Srin- thinker but it is difficult to miss the central 320 pages, ₹799. could be a study in itself. In his last years, reminiscent of her earlier works of portraiture, especially Privacy and Ladies Of
ath Perur, it flows smoothly in tone and figure in his life: aayi (mother). A strong Karnad became an activist of exceptional Calcutta. But Portrait Of A House is singular because of the vantage points offered
language. To imagine that you have come woman who thought ahead of her times, courage, one of the strongest voices by Doshi and Singh as they go over the photographs one by one. With each frame,
to “know” the teller after you read an auto- and spoke her mind, she dreamt of higher against injustice and the establishment. It there’s a feeling of sitting in on a masterclass on architecture and photography,
biography, however, doesn’t work in Kar- things, which her son aspired to in his own would have been interesting to hear this especially as the two of them frequently return to the alchemy of light—a common
nad’s case. You may, at best, get a glimpse life. His book is also full of stories of story from his mouth, his struggle to pre- concern for both makers of buildings and images. Once you have looked at these
of his life and literature, the people who intense friendships, some abrupt, some serve the intellectual and cultural diver- photographs, guided by Doshi’s and Singh’s masterly eyes, even the most mun-
inhabited it, his pursuits, achievements— generous, some tense, some tumultuous, sity of India from which he richly gained dane nooks and crannies of homes beloved to you, parts of them you never paid
the external details. You can perceive the reading, at times, like a handbook of and contributed to. any heed to, will return to claim their share of attention.
making of the individual in the throes of human behaviour. Karnad rightly picked up poet Bendre’s “When I design a building, I conceive stories, I conceive narratives,” Doshi tells
historical, political and cultural forces. Karnad held several positions of national lines for the title of his book. The latter Singh, as she teases out the reality of this statement in each frame. All the people
The reflective moments do offer insights eminence but the writer in him was always uses the more colloquial word adaadata who enter Kamala House, Tejal House and Maneesha House—designed by Doshi
into the persona but an individual is inva- at the forefront. He was able to perceive for the leela of Indian philosophy. The and named after his wife and daughters, respectively—seem to succumb to the
riably more than the sum of many parts. with humility and grace the major turning world is seen as an active principle of magic of memories created by these spaces. Arms and legs akimbo, bodies held
The narrative, rich in languages, places, points of life—for instance, the moment “play” (creative activity of the cosmic in warm embrace, sitting or lying, alone or together, there is an overwhelming
people, emotions, episodes and letters that made him a playwright, that too in Karnad’s work is a stoic power), where everything is dynamically sense of peace and surrender in their bodies. As Singh puts it, “Kamala House is
that altered the direction of his thinking, Kannada, or the moment that inspired him connected with everything else. In his really like a house of love,” an allusion perhaps to her earlier work, House Of Love.
makes it a compelling story. In Karnad, to return from Oxford to India. narration of him as a case, Karnad led us to a unity of idea, even Her readers must thank her for letting them step inside this abode of affection.
one sees the existence of many Indias, the The first half of the book traces the story person of the past, locating as we see him playing out many roles.
East and the West, and a passage from one of his making, while the second captures his self in relation to others, Portrait Of A House, Conversations With BV Doshi by Dayanita Singh is pub-
kind of cosmopolitanism—which is palpa- an exciting phase in theatre, literature and Deepa Ganesh, a Bengaluru-based jour- lished by Spontaneous Books and priced at ₹1,800. It is available for purchase only
ble in his growing years in Sirsi—to films in India. Karnad had strong connec-
and displaying the rare nalist, is executive director, Centre for at Gallery White (Vadodara), Sangath (Ahmedabad), Offset Projects (Delhi) and on
another, as he moves to Dharwad, Bombay tions in the Kannada world—be it his liter- courage to face himself Visual and Performing Arts, RV University. their official websites.

Rediscovering the youngest Beatle’s masterpiece

overpowering sound used by Spector believed to be among Harrison’s per-
THE LOUNGE that often relegated Harrison’s vocals to sonal favourites on the album. My Sweet
FIRST LIST
the background. Harrison, as Dhani has
recounted in recent interviews, never
Lord, with its chant of “Hare Krishna”
in the chorus, went on to become a
B E AT Five tracks by George
liked the recurring reverb. The new mix spiritual anthem (it also reflected Har-
is a complete makeover. rison’s immersion in spirituality, Hindu
SANJOY Harrison to bookend The project was a difficult one. Dhani philosophy and meditation), of course,
N A R AYA N and his team of producers and sound and is probably the best-known song
your week engineers delved into the vault to get from the album.
1. ‘I’d Have You Anytime’ from ‘All dozens of original recordings and There are some surprises. It seems

G
eorge Harrison would usually Things Must Pass 2020 Mix’ demos. The end result is a beautiful rec- Eric Clapton played the guitar on nearly
get to write only two songs on a reation. The sound, in a 5.1 Surround/ every one of the original tracks, though
Beatles album, one on each side 2. ‘My Sweet Lord’ from ‘All Things Atmos format, sounds sparklingly alive, he isn’t credited for all of them. In the
of the vinyl. The lead guitarist and Must Pass 2020 Mix’ the reverb that had annoyed Harrison is interview a few months before his
youngest Beatle, a very good songwriter gone, and his vocals are more upfront. death, Harrison explained that record
himself, would be eclipsed by his band- 3. ‘Wah-Wah’ from ‘All Things Must The 2001 reissue doesn’t come close to labels in the 1970s were extremely pos-
mates John Lennon and Paul McCart- Pass 2020 Mix’ the extensive and exhaustive remixed sessive about the musicians they had
ney. This, however, didn’t deter the pro- and remastered version that has just signed on. If you had been signed on by
lific songwriter, who had finished pen- 4. ‘Isn’t It A Pity’ from ‘All Things been released. one label, you couldn’t be credited on
ning a huge number of songs by the Must Pass 2020 Mix’ There is much history in All Things an album released by another owing to
time the band broke up in 1969. Must Pass. For instance, its opening royalty and other related issues.
It was, however, only his third solo 5. ‘Thanks For The Pepperoni’ song, I’d Have You Anytime, is co-written The striking thing is that the songs
album, All Things Must Pass (1970), that from ‘All Things Must Pass Remas- with Bob Dylan. In an interview a few still seem contemporary and timeless.
really showcased his talent. His first two tered 2020’ months before he died of cancer in Those who grew up with The Beatles
solo albums—Wonderwall Music (1968) George Harrison at the Concert for Bangladesh, in August 1971. INSTAGRAM/HARRISONARCHIVE 2001, Harrison recounted how he had have always cherished the original
and Electronic Sound (1969)—were been invited by The Band to Woodstock album and for many of them the new
mainly instrumental. co-produced with Phil Spector, is con- tracks across eight LPs or five CDs, and figurines of the late Beatle and in upstate New York and had been hang- remix will be a pleasantly heady nostal-
All Things Must Pass, released in 1971, sidered to be among the best rock music including outtakes, jams and demo other merchandise. ing out with Dylan when the two wrote gic trip. But for later generations and
was a mega album of three LPs, with a albums of all time. recordings, many of which have never You may choose to describe this as a the song together. Much later, in 1988, those who might have missed listening
playtime of more than 105 minutes and This month, Harrison’s son, Dhani, been released before. marketing gimmick, which it probably Harrison would join Dylan, Jeff Lynne, to it, the recreation is an opportunity
23 songs, including the superhit My and his team have come up with an epic The Super Deluxe edition, a treat for is, but the music makes it all worth- Roy Orbison and Tom Petty to form not to be missed.
Sweet Lord, which became a cult favour- remixed reissue to celebrate the Harrison fans, comes with annotations while. what is considered one of the earliest
ite and is believed to have contributed album’s half-century. Apart from the of every track and a scrapbook of archi- The reissue irons out the flaws in the supergroups, The Travelling Wilburys. First Beat is a column on what’s new
to the rush of young Westerners joining usual vinyl and CD editions, there are val notes. There is also an Uber Deluxe original, something even a 30th-year There are many great tracks, songs and groovy in the world of music.
the Hare Krishna movement in the five-LP and three-CD editions. The edition, which includes a book on the reissue supervised by Harrison himself that question life and love—such as
1970s. The album, which Harrison Super Deluxe edition, a box set, has 70 creation of the original album in 1970 in 2001 didn’t do. One flaw was the What Is Life and Isn’t It A Pity, the latter @sanjoynarayan
12 SATURDAY, 4 SEPTEMBER 2021
MUMBAI BOOKS

Start them early

‘I treasure the LOUNGE
QUICK
TAKES
Making
history cool
unsaid in fiction’ I
n this intriguing,
provocative book,
Jena and Hari call
out the fundamental
Anuradha Roy speaks flaws in management
and organisational
about the alchemy of systems that make
workplaces deeply
pottery, people and unequal and unjust.
In the past 15-18
dogs in her latest novel, months, we have seen
‘The Earthspinner’ corporations issue
statements of
Diversity
Beyond
solidarity against Tokenism: By
racism and injustice Swati Jena and
Nawaid Anjum but also take down T.N. Hari, Sage,
advertisements with 308 pages, ₹550.

A
nuradha Roy’s new novel, The messages of inclusion
Earthspinner (Hachette India), is that caused outrage among conservative
shot through with her trade- groups. Corporate India does need a
mark subtlety, elegance and lyri- reminder that diversity is not about ticking
cism. Its foremost concern, an boxes for the annual presentation but truly
echo from her previous novel, All The Lives We understanding inclusion and equal
Never Lived, is creativity and how artists battle opportunity, which build stronger, more
constraints to assert its absolute importance in successful, companies. While this is a timely
Avantika Bhuyan their lives. book, it restricts itself to discussing women
[email protected] Elango, a potter, lives on the edge, like most in the workplace. The biases in Indian
of the finest craftspeople in India, and yet is society, and offices, run far deeper—caste,

D
urga, a young girl in Pataliputra who driven by the need to make art, like Gayatri Sen gender, sexuality, religion, region, even
aspired to be the first lady vaid (healer), Rosario, the carefree protagonist of All The food habits can be reasons why someone
the son of a village temple priest who Lives, who rebels against tradition and marital does or does not get a job, or even a fair
grows up to become the legendary singer Mian entrapment to pursue a career as an artist. chance. The book’s lessons could apply to
Tansen, and Padmalaya, who dances like a All Elango wants to do is translate his vision any of these pet hates but it would have
swan in the court of King Krishnadevaraya: of a clay horse on fire into a terracotta sculpture been good to see the authors address the
Such stories from the annals of history feature and marry a Muslim woman he loves. “These many ways in which we discriminate.
in Let’s Go Time Travelling Again!—Indians are not impossible desires. But in our country,
Through The Ages. These are some of the char- what you paint or write, who you marry, what

A
acters from author Subhadra Sen Gupta’s last you eat, what you name your child—all of it is a work of keen
book for young readers, completed before she battleground. There is only one right way, and research and
died of covid-19 earlier this year. it is the one dictated by the majority; (George) reportage, this
The first book in the Let’s Go Time Travelling Orwell saw it coming years ago, in Animal book aims to tell “The
series looked at notable personalities and Farm,” says Roy in an email interview from Sensational Story Of
events, taking readers on a journey from the Ranikhet, Uttarakhand, where she lives with The Tycoon Who
alleys of Harappa to Emperor Akbar’s court. her husband, author and publisher Rukun Founded Saravana
The new one is about ordinary citizens who Advani, and their four dogs—Piku, Soda, Bar- Bhavan”, as the
did extraordinary things—craftspersons, auni and Biscoot. “We are being asked to dis- subtitle puts it. P.
poets, storytellers, dancers, playwrights, gar- solve our individuality and humanity into Rajagopal, the
deners and cooks, people who enriched the state-directed worship. I see this as the central “tycoon”, rose from
sociocultural fabric of the subcontinent conflict in my previous novel as much as in my rags to riches, Murder On The
through the centuries. latest.” becoming one of the Menu: By
T old i n S en The Earthspinner shuttles between India and most successful Nirupama
Gupta’s trademark England, past and present, and unfolds over restaurateurs in Subramanian,
style, the stories eight months. It is narrated in large parts by India, building an Juggernaut,
make history enter- Sara, who is studying English literature on a empire that saw 208 pages, ₹399.
taining and accessi- scholarship in England and spends her free franchises opening in
ble to children. Sen time in a pottery studio near her college, brush- Dubai, Malaysia, the UK and the US.
Gupta covers a ing up on the lessons imparted to her during Popularly called India’s “Dosa King”,
broad canvas and her childhood by Elango, and finding herself Rajagopal was also a notorious “sari chaser”,
doesn’t hesitate to having imaginary conversations with her Author Anuradha Roy with one of her dogs. RUKUN ADVANI drunk enough on power to believe he could
tackle difficult top- deceased father. The past is not bygone, but get away with forcing married women to
ics such as caste exists alongside the present, and is outlined in between the potter and middle-class children, vision of the mythic horse, from mundane leave their husbands and re-marry him.
and religion. “In recollections. including Sara and her sister Tia, whom he fer- things such as clay supplies and the weather, to While he successfully achieved this aim
Western countries, Elango’s life had been upended by petty vio- ries to school. “Animals have a way of melting complex matters like the forces of hatred with his second wife, the third time, a feisty
artists like Miche- lence engineered by a set of motivated individ- barriers that humans don’t,” Roy says. within his community. “What happens to the young woman fought back, especially after
langelo and Leon- Let’s Go Time uals but the incident continues to reverberate Though there are strands in the novel— potter and the clay horse he makes are like a Rajagopal had her husband murdered by
ardo da Vinci are Travelling Again! By through the present. The bond between Sara including Roy’s love for lost pups and pottery, parable,” Roy says. “It is a story we have seen his henchmen. In Subramanian’s
celebrated, while in Subhadra Sen Gupta, and Elango, which begins in her infancy, turns her other passion—that echo her life, it is no play out in many ways over the last decades and meticulous reconstruction, the story is
India, our artists with illustrations by power and class privileges on its head: “And yet autofiction: “Fiction gives me room to move we will continue to.” rivetingly told and has an especially sharp
have been forgot- Tapas Guha, Puffin, class is a slippery thing—Sara may idolise the away from my own life even as it allows me to As with all her novels, Roy is as much attuned bite in the MeToo era.
ten with time— 176 pages, ₹250. potter but he has a sharper, more visceral explore themes that are urgent and important to the intricate workings of language and
their art is not cele- awareness of difference. Even so, most cen- for me.” Roy says she has euphonies as she is to silence.

L
brated because of their caste,” she writes in a trally, the impulse to creativity is not class- always thought of writing as a “I treasure the unsaid in fic- ong before “flash
section devoted to the varnas. bound or restricted to the rich,” says Roy. kind of making, like pottery— tion—when reading as well as fiction” became a
“The book was going to be nothing like the Several of the novel’s concerns emerged all-consuming. “There are an writing,” she says. “However, I social media
history textbooks that you have to study in from the soil of Roy’s own experiences: what infinite number of parallels don’t want the unsaid to build trend, it was honed by
school. It would have no kings or queens, no creating means to the artist, in intellectual and you can draw between the up to confusion or incoher- great masters of the
economic policy or battles. Best of all, I would practical terms; how great loss, such as that of transformation of a pail of slop ence; I want it to make room shorter form, like
ignore dates completely…,” writes Sen Gupta a parent, affects a child; why animals rank so into an elegant vase and the for meaning, thought, and Franz Kafka, Kurt
in the introduction. “When I showed my text low in our hierarchies; and how hatred destroys slow gathering of words from memory—the space created Vonnegut and Kate
to the illustrator Tapas Guha, he laughed and lives. “Because all of this matters so much to chaotic, half-formed ideas and by the silences in the narrative Chopin. The form’s
said, ‘You are being funny about history. So me, I think I have been making my way towards images until there is a narra- must expand it, give it elastic- crisp brevity doesn’t
can I do cartoons?’” it for many years by writing shorter pieces, tive. In a metaphorical sense, ity so readers can wander.” mean it’s easy to pull
Guha has been a long-time collaborator of some published and some not. Maybe I was try- almost every stage of making a The Earthspinner is steeped off. Rather, good flash The Full Platter:
Sen Gupta’s, working with her on books such ing to find the nerve to actually write it, by tak- pot could be set against the in many aspects of loss: places, fiction is like trying to By Abha Iyengar,
as The Constitution Of India For Children. His ing small, experimental steps.” writing process and a compar- people, animals, faith. Almost describe a whole new Hawakal,
illustrations, together with Sen Gupta’s wit, Chinna, a dog who is abandoned and rehabil- ison derived. In concrete every character in the book world, populated 136 pages, ₹250.
encourage readers to take a lighter view of his- itated many times over, is one of the novel’s terms, I think both writing and experiences loss of some kind with well-rounded
tory. This is especially significant today, when main characters. “Like there is a dog in a great pottery demand that you dig but the novel, says Roy, is characters, in 280 characters on Twitter,
certain versions of history are considered sac- many of Gauguin’s paintings, there have always deep into your reserves of about survival rather than without giving in to the temptation of a
rosanct, with no room for differing narratives. been dogs in my novels. But I had never dared patience and persistence and the ability to live mourning: “If I can borrow an image from thread. Abha Iyengar’s new collection rises
“If the narrative is fun, people find it easier place one at its centre though I have long with failure,” says Roy. ceramics—pots emerge stronger and their col- to the challenge bravely. In the best of her
to read and assimilate history,” says Guha. He wanted to write a novel about a dog that was not As the dream of a clay horse on fire—which ours and shapes are fully realised only after stories, there’s quirky comedy (Bringing
reminisces about the time when Sen Gupta a ‘cute’ one,” says Roy. Chinna becomes an Roy links with myths about a “submarine they are put through fire.” The Bacon Home) and flashes of violence
would come over to discuss their books. “She agent of change: He brings out tender, caring horse” that roams the ocean floor—grows stat- (Avatar). A few appear anodyne in their for-
was never interfering and left it to me to visual- aspects Elango didn’t know he had; sharing the uesque in Elango’s imagination, impelling him Nawaid Anjum is a Delhi-based culture jour- mulaic neatness (Blue Sky) but every other
ise the stories,” he adds. dog “knocks off-balance” the class divide to make it a reality, many things obstruct his nalist. story makes you pause, re-read, and engage.

PHOTOGRAPH BY ASHWIN VASWANI ON UNSPLASH

Murders most foul in Mumbai

Journalist Mohamed world, where Thaver works as a crime reporter. The perpetrator of these heinous crimes makes bing others in the back (no pun there). Thaver
Apart from his insider’s knowledge of the beat, a couple of false moves but then covers up humanises the world of breaking news, warts
Thaver’s foray into fiction his insights into the working methods of the deftly, eventually emerging as a master at hid- and all, especially the people who go out every
yields a satisfying thriller set police play a role in shaping the
plot—especially those cruxes that
ing all the traces.
Thaver’s story moves with the
day, despite palpable dangers, and learn to
walk a fine balance between cultivating police
in the world of news make or break a crime thriller. pace and suspense of a satisfying sources and being critical of them.
In Plain Sight begins with thriller but it does far more than It may be possible to make an informed guess
Rohan, a rookie reporter who join the dots. Interspersed with about the murderer’s identity three-quarters
Somak Ghoshal must learn the ins and outs of his the narrative are glimpses into the into the story, and even get it right. Indeed, the
[email protected] beat quickly, hitting the streets of politics of the police force, riddled book’s title teasingly alludes to how obvious the
Mumbai, under the hawk eyes of with intrigues hatched by inse- solution to the mystery is (it really isn’t). How-

O
ne of Mumbai’s most memorable liter- his boss, Ritwik. While the early cure officials, and passages that ever, Thaver manages to hold the reader’s
ary sleuths, the kanjivaram-clad Lalli pages establish Rohan’s career— reveal dodgy journalistic ethics, attention till the very end as he takes us
from writer Kalpana Swaminathan’s the ups and downs, false starts and also corrupted by envy and the rat through the nitty-gritties of establishing a
Lalli mysteries, has close competition in the petty betrayals that are part of his race to get exclusive stories, no watertight case for conviction.
equally unlikely figure of Inspector Wagh- learning curve—the action gains matter what the cost. As a newbie Inspector Waghmare, crafted in the mould
mare, the eccentric investigator in journalist momentum with a series of rapes in a major newsroom, Rohan is of the classic oddball investigator, remains a
Mohamed Thaver’s first novel, In Plain Sight and murders in the Nehru Nagar witness to the pressures under flawed hero, opting for a rural posting in the
(HarperCollins India). A police procedural with neighbourhood. Three juvenile girls go miss- which news hounds must deliver. He is thrown end, away from the big city teeming with evil.
a twist, the story is set in India’s business capi- ing, one after the other, and their mutilated into the deep end, where seemingly cordial col- As readers, however, we hope to see him back
Thaver draws on his experience as a crime reporter. tal, also famous as the hotbed of the under- bodies are found hours later around the area. leagues don’t feel squeamish at all before stab- in action before long.
LIVEMINT.COM NEWS SATURDAY, 4 SEPTEMBER 2021
MUMBAI 13

m MINT SHORTS
AstraZeneca and EU strike deal to
Snapdeal mulls India listing
end covid vaccine supply dispute
New Delhi: AstraZeneca Plc and the European Union (EU) ended
months of bitter legal wrangling over vaccine supplies with a deal
to provide an extra 200 million doses to the bloc. “This will bring
the total number of doses delivered to 300 million doses as agreed
in ’22 to raise $300-400 mn
under the contract,” the EU’s executive said in a statement on Fri-
day. The EU had accused AstraZeneca of failing to provide suffi- Former promoters of Religare
cient vaccine doses as European inoculation campaigns fell behind Shivinder Singh (left) and
the US and the UK earlier this year. BLOOMBERG The company is in talks with bankers and expected to arrive at a final decision in 3-4 weeks Malvinder Singh have been
accused of financial fraud. MINT

SpiceJet staff go on strike over Tarush Bhalla reported earlier.

SC asks cops
[email protected] Last week, software unicorn Fresh-
salary issues at Delhi airport BENGALURU works Inc. filed for its initial public
MINT
offering worth $100 million with the for timeline
E
commerce marketplace Snap- US Securities and Exchange Commis-
deal is in initial talks with
Indian bankers to explore a
public listing in India that
sion (SEC).
“In their early talks with the com-
pany, the bankers are saying that there
on probe in
could see the company raise
$300-400 million, four people close to
is a strong story for Snapdeal to tell.
While the company has gone through Religare case
the development said. its share of ups and downs, it has made
The company is expected to arrive at a transition. Further, Snapdeal’s differ- Utkarsh Anand
a final decision about the listing in entiator in the market will be that it is a [email protected]
three to four weeks, said two of the four brand which caters to Bharat and has NEW DELHI
people aware of the discussion. built a presence in the value e-com-

T
The company is talking to JM Finan- merce segment,” said the second per- he Supreme Court on
New Delhi: A section of staff of no-frills airline SpiceJet Lim- cial Ltd and another local banker, they son. Friday asked the Eco-
ited on Friday went on a strike due to non-payment of sala- said, requesting anonymity. The company was also considering nomic Offences Wing
ries by the airline. About 150 staff of the airline participated Snapdeal declined to comment on listing in the US through a special-pur- (EOW) of Delhi Police to give a
in the protest at the New Delhi airport, which the airline said Mint’s queries on the matter. Snapdeal has raised close to $1.77 billion till date from the likes of SoftBank, pose acquisition company (SPAC) route timeline for completing its
didn’t impact its operations and had been resolved by noon. If the company goes ahead with its BlackRock, Temasek, Foxconn and Alibaba, and was last valued at $1.2 billion. MINT towards the end of last year. However, probe against former Fortis
RHIK KUNDU listing plans, it is expected to ask for a it has abandoned that plan, said one of Healthcare promoter Shivin-
valuation of more than $2 billion, said done for the company to now turn this year is expected to see unicorns, the people cited above. der Mohan Singh in a case of
one of the four people. towards the public market,” the person including beauty marketplace Nykaa, Bloomberg first reported the IPO alleged misappropriation of
FSDC asks govt, regulators to keep “While the company is in talks with added. insurtech and lending platform Poli- development on Friday afternoon. funds of Religare Finvest Ltd.
bankers, it is still formulating its plans The news around Snapdeal’s listing cyBazaar, logistics major Delhivery and Snapdeal reported marginal growth “How much time should it
strict vigil on financial conditions on the listing. Currently, Noida-based financial in its revenues in fiscal year 2019-20. Its take to complete the investiga-
New Delhi: Financial Stability and Development Council (FSDC), the float size and valua- IPO FRENZY major Paytm, list on consolidated revenues for FY20 stood tion? It cannot be an unending
the apex body of regulators, on Friday discussed matters relating tions are being discussed Indian exchanges. at ₹846.4 crore, compared to ₹839.4 story,” observed a bench
to management of stressed assets, the framework for resolution of and the bankers are IF the company goes THE news comes at a THE second half of Other names include crore in the previous year. headed by Chief Justice of India
financial institutions and issues related to the Insolvency and expected to come back ahead with its listing
plans, it is expected
time when unicorns
and startups are
this year is expected
to see PolicyBazaar,
MobiKwik, Traxcn and While investing in market expan- N.V. Ramana as it took a peti-
Bankruptcy Code (IBC), the finance ministry said in a statement. with a formal reply in the to ask for a valuation lining up to list on Nykaa, Delhivery and MapMyIndia, which have sion, it reported a loss of ₹274 crore in tion by Singh against cancella-
The meeting chaired by finance minister Nirmala Sitharaman coming three to four of more than $2 bn Indian exchanges Paytm launch IPOs filed their initial public FY20 from about ₹186 crore in FY19. tion of his bail in May.
noted that there was a need to keep a continuous vigil by the gov- weeks, post which Snap- offering (IPO) documents Snapdeal has raised close to $1.77 bil- Appearing for Singh, senior
ernment and all regulators on the financial conditions, the state- deal will make a final over the past two months. lion till date from the likes of SoftBank counsel Sidharth Luthra com-
ment said. STAFF WRITER decision,” said the first person among comes at a time when Indian unicorns Hospitality unicorn Oyo and cab Group, BlackRock, Temasek, Foxconn, plained that his client has been
the four individuals. and startups are lining up to list on aggregator Ola are also preparing for Alibaba and eBay and was last valued at made to suffer for the inability
“Most of the groundwork has been Indian exchanges. The second half of public listings by early next year, Mint $1.2 billion, according to Traxcn data. of the EOW in completing the
Bikayi raises $10.8 mn in funding probe. “I (Shivinder) have been
in jail for 23 months. If the
round led by Sequoia Capital India agency is dragging its feet and
Mumbai: Bikayi, a mobile-commerce enabler, has raised $10.8
million in Series-A funding round led by Sequoia Capital India.
Earlier in August 2020, the company had raised $2 million as a part
Central universities told to fill TCPL rolls out new not filing its final chargesheet,
how can I be at fault? After all,
this is an offence with seven
of its seed round of funding led by Y Combinator. With the aim to
scale up product offerings, the company plans to use this capital to
accelerate product development, acquisition, and talent hiring.
6,200 vacancies of professors logo for Tata Soulfull Suneera Tandon
years in jail as the maximum
punishment. Due to this con-
tinuous incarceration, I cannot
KALPANA PATHAK the distribution network of defend myself,” said Luthra.
Prashant K. Nanda and allied issues over the next [email protected] Soulfull. Luthra said it was not a case
[email protected] four days. NEW DELHI “Over the last three to four where an accused was never
Bansal moves HC challenging NEW DELHI During the meeting with months we have integrated considered entitled to bail but

T
VCs, Pradhan also backed the ata Consumer Products across all our functions. We the high court had decided to
ED notice on FDI violations
T
he Union government on Jawaharlal Nehru University Ltd (TCPL) has rolled out were at 10,000 stores, we are cancel the relief even though
MINT
Friday asked central uni- (JNU) for starting a course on a new branding for its today at around 50,000. We there was no change in circum-
versities to fill 6,200 counterterrorism, days after Soulfull range of health and were in 20 cities, we are today stances. At this point, senior
vacant posts of professors in the the university courted contro- wellness products by integrat- in 60 towns,” Prashant Param- advocate R. Basant appearing
next two months and start the versy over the matter. He also ing the Tata logo into the Sou- eswaran, managing director for Religare, pointed out that
process from Monday. backed Delhi University, which full portfolio, the company said and chief executive, Tata Con- the case related to siphoning off
During a meeting with vice- is facing protests from a section on Friday. sumer Soulfull, said. of around ₹2,400 crore.
chancellors (VCs) of central of teachers over changes in Tata group acquired Kochi- The integration led to mov- But the bench said that
universities, Union education some course structures and based Kottaram Agro Foods, ing the Soulfull instant dosa investigations must come to an
minister Dharmendra Pradhan curriculum. the owner of Soulfull, in Febru- mixes to Sampann, enabling end at some time and decided
said updated data shows 6,229 Union education minister The JNU academic council ary. Subsequently, it was the latter to become a kitchen- to issue a limited notice to Delhi
vacant teaching posts, includ- Dharmendra Pradhan. PTI on 17 August had approved rebranded as Tata focused brand. Police’s Economic Offences
ing 1,767 posts for OBC candi- three new courses, including Consumer Soul- The new Tata TCPL will now Wing. “We are not passing any
dates, and more than 1,000 multiple entry and exit system “counterterrorism, asymmet- full Pvt. Ltd, a Soulfull logo will patriciate in sta- order at this stage. Let the
Chennai: Flipkart co-founder Sachin Bansal has moved the posts for scheduled caste can- and undergraduate system ric conflicts and strategies for 100% subsidiary be integrated with ples as well as the agency come and tell us when
Madras High Court challenging a showcause notice (SCN) didates. having three-year degree and cooperation among major of TCPL. The all online and healthy snacking they are going to complete the
dated 1 July 2021 issued by the Enforcement Directorate He asked VCs of central uni- four-year degree both as well as powers”. Some JNU teachers company plans to category with the investigation,” the bench told
offline touch
(ED), which held that he and another individual were person- versities that they should one-year and two-year post- and students opposed the add new products two packaged the counsel while adjourning
ally responsible for the alleged violation of foreign direct advertise for the posts between graduate programmes. move, alleging that the course under the Tata points and food brands. the case by two weeks.
investment (FDI) policy involving a staggering amount of 6 and 10 September and urged He said as campuses gradu- states that “jihadi terrorism” is Soulfull brand. packaging “While Sam- In May, the Delhi high court
approximately ₹23,000 crore. PTI them to fill the positions by the ally reopen, university authori- the only form of “fundamental- TCPL, which pann plays in the had cancelled Singh’s bail, not-
end of October. ties need to accelerate teach- ist-religious terrorism”. sells packaged pantry, and it is ing that his detention was nec-
The minister’s statement ing-learning activities and look Pradhan said he gathered coffee, tea, spices and pulses primarily everything that you essary to unearth the “conspir-
India, Russia can bring stability to assumes significance as it at exams and declaration of that how the internet is going to under the Tata Sampann need in the kitchen to cook your acy hatched by him” and trace
comes days after higher educa- results with equal seriousness. be used increasingly for terror- brand, said it will continue to food, such as pulses, spices, the alleged siphoned off
global energy market: PM Modi tion secretary Amit Khare He, however, indicated that ism activities from his interac- innovate and push new prod- mixes ...and a range of products money. The order was passed
New Delhi: Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Friday said India- wrote to the varsities on filling university authorities need to tion with American security ucts into the market as it hopes that is planned for the future. on a plea by Religare challeng-
Russia friendship has stood the test of time and asserted that the the vacancies within a year. be accommodative with stu- experts. “Why cannot our stu- to double the share of sale from Soulfull will play on-the-go, on ing the 3 March order of the
two countries together can help bring stability to the global energy In his address to VCs, Prad- dents on the campus within the dents, engineering students new launches by the end of the the table, which is outside the trial court granting bail to
market. In his virtual address at the plenary session of the Eastern han also asked the varsities to constitutional framework. learn this,” he said, and added financial year. kitchen,” said Sunil D’Souza, Singh in the case registered
Economic Forum (EEF) being held in the Russian city of Vladivos- implement three key provi- The minister said both Presi- that at the end of the day, these The Tata Soulfull logo will be managing director and chief against him by the EOW under
tok, Modi noted the “robust” cooperation between the two coun- sions of the new national edu- dent Ram Nath Kovind and students will deal with similar integrated with all online and executive, TCPL, adding that charges of cheating, criminal
tries during the covid-19 pandemic, including in the vaccination cation policy (NEP), including Prime Minister Narendra Modi problems once they graduate offline touch points and pack- both brands will see “aggressive conspiracy and criminal breach
programme. PTI the academic bank of credit, will speak on education, NEP and resolve such issues. aging. TCPL has also expanded growth”. of trust.

ESDS Software files draft papers

with Sebi to raise funds via IPO Services see Future seeks urgent hearing Stocks extend rally,
Mumbai: Nashik-based cloud services and data center firm ESDS
fastest growth
Software Solution Pvt. Ltd has filed a draft paper with Securities
Exchange Board of India (Sebi) to raise funds via initial public offer-
ing (IPO).The IPO consist of a fresh issue of ₹322 crore and an offer since last Feb FROM PAGE 16
Sensex crosses 58k
for sale of up to 21.53 million shares by its existing shareholders and up because of the single judge
promoters. RAVINDRA SONAVANE FROM PAGE 16 order,” he said. FROM PAGE 16
Justice Ramana said he
ment that a substantial pickup would look into the file to pass ing increasing anxiety and
Ami Organics IPO subscribed 65 in domestic demand under- an appropriate order on listing. nervousness among investors.
pinned the strongest monthly In a major victory for e-com- Analysts at BofA Securities
times; Vijaya Diagnostic 4.5 times increase in new business for merce company Amazon, the said exports could comple-
Mumbai: Specialty chemicals maker Ami Organics Ltd was sub- over eight-and-a-half years and Supreme Court had on 6 ment the domestic capex
scribed 64.59 times on the final day of its initial public offering renewed growth of activity. August ruled that Future upcycle. “Management com-
(IPO), with strong investor interest. The IPO attracted bids for “Service providers foresee a Group is bound by an emer- mentaries already show early
more than 422.24 million shares compared with an issue size brighter outlook, with firms gency award that restrains it signs of a likely pickup in
(excluding the anchor book) of 6.54 million shares. Meanwhile, indicating that the economic from a $3.4 billion sale of retail export traction, with most
Vijaya Diagnostic Centre Ltd IPO managed to subscribe fully on recovery could be sustained if assets to RIL. major economies globally hav-
the final day amid tepid demand from investors. Overall, subscrip- restrictions continue to be It said that the EA award, Amazon claims that Future’s decision to sell its assets to Reliance ing rebounded ahead of
tion was at 4.54 times till the end of day. RAVINDRA SONAVANE lifted and further waves...can passed in October 2020, was violated the former’s 2019 contract with it. REUTERS domestic market recovery and Large caps offer better margin
be avoided,” the statement enforceable under Indian arbi- have plans of pursuing large of safety and may continue to
said further, quoting Lima. tration law and will bind Future Court had also revived the high Meanwhile, on 17 August, the capex programmes,” they said remain in focus, say analysts. HT
India, US ink pact for cooperation in While demand conditions Group to pertinent agreements court’s March order that had single judge took up Amazon’s in a note on Friday.
in the domestic market were with Amazon, which claimed held Kishore Biyani and other plea for enforcement of the EA Markets in other most Asia The Indian rupee settled
development of air-launched UAV generally conducive to that Future’s decision to sell its directors guilty for going ahead award by Singapore’s emer- Pacific countries were also with a marginal gain of 4 paise
New Delhi: India and the US signed an agreement for cooperation growth, companies saw a fur- assets to Reliance violated the with the deal and had issued a gency arbitrator and deferred it higher. Shares in Japan at 73.02 against the US dollar
in the development of air-launched unmanned aerial vehicle ther decline in new export former’s 2019 contract with it. show-cause notice to him and by four weeks, making it clear jumped after Prime Minister on Friday.
(ALUAV), in what is seen as a new step to further expand their bilat- orders due to the pandemic The top court accepted Ama- other directors as to why they that the high court will initiate Yoshihide Suga said he will not At the interbank forex mar-
eral defence and military cooperation. The agreement was signed and travel restrictions. The zon’s argument that the single should not be sent to prison, as implementing the March order be running in the upcoming ket, the local unit opened at
by the ministry of defence and the US department of defence. The rate of contraction in new judge order could not be chal- sought by Amazon. if Future Group does not get a party leadership election. The 73.05 against the greenback
pact falls under the ambit of the Research, Development, Testing business from abroad lenged before the high court’s Subsequently, Future filed full stay from the apex court Nikkei closed 2.05% higher and witnessed an intra-day
and Evaluation (RDT&E) agreement that was first signed in 2006 remained sharp, the statement division bench. its appeal against the single before 17 September when the while Hong Kong’s Hang Seng high of 73.01 and a low of 73.15.
and renewed in January 2015. ELIZABETH ROCHE said. With its ruling, the Supreme judge order in the top court. case is listed next. index shed 0.72%. PTI contributed to the story.
14 SATURDAY, 4 SEPTEMBER 2021
MUMBAI NEWS LIVEMINT.COM

Biological E gets Byju’s losses jump 30 times; Taliban’s

Baradar to
DCGI nod to test
its covid vaccine device sales boost revenue lead new
Afghan govt
Neetu Chandra Sharma Reuters
[email protected] [email protected]
NEW DELHI Despite a steady momentum in topline growth, consolidated losses widened to ₹262 crore
T
aliban co-founder Mul-

H
yderabad-based Bio- lah Baradar will lead a
logical E has received Debjyoti Roy new Afghan government
the Indian drug regula- [email protected] set to be announced shortly,
tor’s approval to conduct two NEW DELHI sources in the Islamist group
separate clinical trails—one on said on Friday, as its fighters

D
adults, and the other on chil- evice sales fetched the battled forces loyal to the van-
dren and adolescents—for its highest revenues for Byju’s quished republic in the
covid-19 vaccine candidate, in 2019-20, regulatory fil- Panjshir Valley north of Kabul.
Corbevax, the Department of ings showed, even as losses The new government’s most
Biotechnology (DBT) said. at the edtech giant swelled immediate priority, however,
“Biological E has received nearly 30 times. should be to stave off the col-
Drugs Controller General of Biological E got the approval The company, which recently lapse of an economy grappling
India (DCGI) approval for con- to conduct separate trials became the most valued startup in with drought and the ravages of
ducting phase 3 comparator on adults and children. AFP India, witnessed around 80% growth in a conflict that killed an esti-
safety and immunogenicity consolidated net sales in FY20 as com- mated 240,000 Afghans.
trial in adults after the subject Biotech’s Covaxin and Zydus pared to the previous year. Baradar, who heads the Tali-
expert committee’s review of Cadila’s ZyCoVD. Byju’s, operated by Bengaluru-based ban’s political office, will be
phase 1 and 2 clinical trials Corbevax is a protein subu- Think and Learn Pvt. Ltd, had ₹2,380 joined by Mullah Mohammad
data,” the ministry of science nit vaccine, comprising only crore income in FY20, as compared to Yaqoob, the son of late Taliban
and technology said. “Addi- spike proteins that are injected ₹1,305 crore in the previous year. co-founder Mullah Omar, and
tionally, Biological E received to trigger immune response. Even though the company continues Sher Mohammad Abbas
approval on 1 September to ini- “BIRAC is committed to to maintain a steady momentum in Stanekzai, in senior positions in
tiate the phase 2-3 study to develop safe and efficacious topline growth, consolidated losses the government, three sources
evaluate safety, reactogenicity, covid vaccines. We look for- widened to ₹262 crore in FY20 from said.
tolerability and immunogenic- ward to the clinical develop- ₹8.82 crore in FY19. “All the top leaders have
ity of Corbevax vaccine in chil- ment of candidate Corbevax for The company, which got some of the arrived in Kabul, where prepa-
dren and adoles- paediatric and biggest cheques this year from institu- rations are in final stages to
cents.” This is the third adults,” said Dr tional investors, utilized a considerable announce the new govern-
Biological E vaccine to be Renu Swarup, part of the funding in expenses, partic- Sales of tablets and SD cards accounted for 63% of the company’s business in FY20, compared to 55% in FY19. MINT ment,” one Taliban official said,
received a govern- developed in secretary, DBT, ularly on the advertorial front. on condition of anonymity.
ment grant of India after Bharat and chairperson, However, the expenditure couldn’t earned ₹1,334 crore. with at least 25 million new users sign- firm Aakash Educational Services as Haibatullah Akhunzada, the
₹100 crore under
Mission Covid
Biotech’s Covaxin BIRAC. deliver the expected income for the Byju’s valuation has skyrocketed ing up to use its platform after the cov- well as WhiteHat Jr, Great Learning Taliban’s supreme religious
“We are edtech major. The company saw its since last year, as the pandemic has id-induced nationwide lockdown was and Toppr. leader, will focus on religious
Suraksha to and Zydus delighted to annual expenses jump by 119.50% to fuelled an online learning boom with announced last year in March. In June this year, Byju’s raised $1.5 matters and governance within
develop the vac- Cadila’s ZyCoVD receive the signif- around ₹3,022 crore during FY20. billion from UBS Group, Abu Dhabi the framework of Islam,
cine with Baylor icant approvals Also, the sale of devices edged PERFORMANCE METRICS sovereign fund ADQ, Blackstone another Taliban source said.
College of Medi- from DCGI. The out reference books, possibly the Group, among others, at a valua- The Taliban, which seized
cine, Houston, and California- approvals encourage our orga- biggest sales churner for the com- BYJU’S had ₹2,380 THE company saw THE firm’s valuation THE edtech giant tion of $16.5 billion. power in Kabul on 15 August
based Dynavax Technologies nization to move forward,’’ said pany. crore income in its annual expenses has skyrocketed since has more than 65 mn In April, Byju’s had raised more after sweeping across most of
FY20, as compared jump by 119.50% to last year, as the subscribers, with 25
Corp. Mahima Datla, managing Sales of tablets and SD cards, to ₹1,305 crore in the around ₹3,022 crore pandemic has fuelled mn new users signing than $1 billion from investors led by the country, have faced resist-
Biotechnology Industry director, Biological E Ltd. usually sold to students as part of previous year during FY20 an e-learning boom up sice March 2020 Baron Funds, Facebook ance in the Panjshir Valley,
Research Assistance Council “We are grateful to BIRAC the package, accounted for 63% of co-founder Eduardo Saverin’s B where there have been reports
(BIRAC) supported Biological for their support and we are the business in FY20, compared to Capital Group and US-based of heavy fighting and casual-
E’s candidate from preclinical enthused that these approvals 55% in the previous year. parents enrolling kids in online classes. In a bid to make it a one-stop plat- investment hedge fund XN Exponent ties. Efforts to negotiate a set-
stage to phase 3 studies. would help support our subse- Interestingly, the edtech giant had to Byju’s has more than 65 million sub- form for educational requirements, the Holding. tlement appear to have broken
This is the third vaccine to be quent filings with WHO as spend ₹277 crore for the devices it scribers, but the edtech startup has company has struck some of the largest The fundraising valued the company down, with each side blaming
developed in India after Bharat well,” she said. offered to students in the fiscal year and seen faster growth over the past year, acquisitions, including test preparation at around $15 billion. the other for the failure.

Apple delays RIL arm acquires Strand Life Sciences for ₹393 crore Govt eyes $100 bn
plan to scan
iPhones for
Kalpana Pathak
[email protected]
from textile exports as it does not fall within relat- presence in the segment
ed-party transactions and through its digital arm Jio Plat-
MUMBAI none of RIL’s promoter, pro- forms Ltd by creating a bou-
child abuse moter group, or group compa- quet of services that can be Gireesh Chandra Prasad that the government was con-

R
eliance Strategic Busi- nies “have any interest in the monetized through delivery, [email protected] sidering a production-linked
ness Ventures Ltd transaction”, RIL said. transaction-based services and NEW DELHI incentive scheme for techni-
Bloomberg (RSBVL), a wholly- Last September, RIL subscription services. Net- cal textiles and man-made

T
[email protected] owned subsidiary of Reliance acquired a 60% stake in online meds has been integrated with o increase textiles fibre segments. The govern-
Industries Ltd (RIL), has pharmacy Net- Reliance Retail’s exports by up to three- ment is also working on a

A
pple Inc. is delaying a acquired about 22.8 million meds for ₹620 RSBVL is online grocery fold to $100 billion at mega investment for textiles
system that would have equity shares of ₹10 each of crore not only to expected to make platform, JioM- the earliest, the Centre is in parks under the Mitra
scanned customers’ Strand Life Sciences Pvt. Ltd strengthen its a further art. talks with state governments scheme. “We need competi-
photos for signs of child sex for a cash consideration of e-commerce play investment of During the first to help businesses get land, tion among states to capture
abuse after fierce criticism ₹393 crore, it said on Friday. The investment in Strand comes amid RIL’s plans to integrate its but also to add to quarter of this fis- power and other utilities at business opportunities and
₹160 crore in
from privacy advocates, who The company is expected to brick-and-mortar presence in the healthcare and pharma its healthcare cal, RIL had oper- attractive rates to set up mega we will see that competition
feared it could set the stage for make a further investment of segment through Jio Platforms . MINT portfolio that it is Strand by ationalized 114 textile parks, trade and tex- in the Mitra scheme. We have
other forms of tracking. ₹160 crore by March 2023, to building on the March 2023 pharmacies and tiles minister Piyush Goyal to finalize 6-7 textile parks.
The company had take its holding in Strand to cians, hospitals, medical devi- years. back of Jio. had begun hyper- said on Friday. States will have to commit for
announced the feature in early 80.3% of equity share capital ces manufacturers and phar- The investment in Strand is RIL has been local delivery with Goyal, who is also in charge land, labour laws, infrastruc-
August, along with other tools on a fully diluted basis, RIL maceutical companies. part of the Reliance group’s building the pharma and a pilot project in Bengaluru. Its of the consumer ture and power
meant to protect children and said in an exchange filing. Strand had a turnover of digital health initiatives to fos- healthcare portfolio over the pharmacy sections are embed- affairs and public Union minister at attractive
root out illicit pornography, and Strand, incorporated in ₹88.70 crore, ₹109.84 crore, ter affordable access to world past few years through a series ded within its Smart Points distribution min- Piyush Goyal said rates.” “I have
quickly faced concerns that it India on 6 October 2000, is and ₹96.60 crore in the previ- class technology and innova- of acquisitions in the health- stores that serve as the last-mile istry, told indus- that export of started a dia-
would create a backdoor engaged in genomic testing in ous three financial years. It tion-led healthcare ecosystem care space, including Net- delivery hub for all digital try leaders that textiles, apparel l o g u e with
through the company’s highly India with bioinformatics soft- reported a net profit of ₹8.48 in India. meds, Karexpert, and orders. The company has been export of textiles, states. Some
and handicraft
prized privacy measures. Apple ware and provision of clinical core in FY2021 and net loss of “No governmental or regu- C-Square. holding camps, society interac- apparel and have shown will-
scrambled to contain the con- research solutions to health- ₹25.04 crore and ₹21.66 crore latory approvals were The company plans to inte- tions, and door-to-door mar- handicraft should should reach $44 ingness to come
troversy in the following weeks, care providers, including clini- in the preceding two financial required” for the investment grate its brick-and-mortar keting to further its reach. reach $44 billion billion in FY22 forward,” he
saying it would tap an inde- in FY22. At said.
pendent auditor to oversee the present, textile States must
system, but the outcry persisted. exports are valued at around supply power for 10 years at a
“Last month we announced
plans for features intended to
help protect children from
RIL targets green hydrogen output at a cost of $1/kg $33 billion. pre-defined formula-based
“I am sure nothing less than cost, land at attractive rates
$100 billion will satisfy any of and other utilities that would
predators who use communi- you and certainly will not sat- encourage the industry to set
cation tools to recruit and Kalpana Pathak world’s largest green energy to achieve $1 per 1 kilogram in a isfy the government led by up textile parks, Goyal said,
exploit them, and limit the [email protected] facilities, and that RIL was on decade—the 1-1-1 target for Prime Minister Narendra adding that his ministry was
spread of child sexual abuse MUMBAI track to become a net-zero car- green hydrogen,” Ambani said. Modi. He is a person with very working with the finance
material,” Apple said in a state- bon company by 2035. RIL has been focusing on a high expectations from the ministry to resolve certain

R
ment Friday. “Based on feed- eliance Industries Ltd “Although the cost of green shift from oil and gas to new textile industry,” he added. export incentive dues.
back from customers, advocacy (RIL) chairman Mukesh hydrogen energy is currently energy at a time when globally, His appeal seeks to high- Talks are also being held
groups, researchers and others, Ambani on Friday reiter- high, they are expected to fall a consensus is building for light the increasing impor- with the UK, European Union
we have decided to take addi- ated his commitment to invest significantly. New technologies action against climate change. tance of cross-border trade in and Australia, to expedite free
tional time over the coming ₹75,000 crore over the next are emerging for storage and Energy majors including Royal India’s economic recovery. trade and preferential trade
months to collect input and three years in green energy ini- transportation of green hydro- Dutch Shell, Chevron Corp., Goyal assured the industry deals, the minister added.
make improvements before tiatives, including the Dhirub- gen which will lead to a further and Exxon Mobil Corp. are
releasing these critically hai Ambani Green Energy Giga reduction in costs,” Ambani being pushed by environmen- CORRECTIONS AND CLARIFICATIONS
important child safety fea- Complex in Jamnagar, as the said. tally concerned investors to cut
tures.” global energy behemoth shifts “The government is plan- Addressing the International Climate Summit, Mukesh Ambani emissions. Mint welcomes comments, suggestions or complaints about errors.
The backlash has added to its focus from hydrocarbons to ning to create an enabling said RIL was on track to become carbon neutral by 2035. MINT As part of the plan with an
growing scrutiny of Apple in renewable power. green hydrogen ecosystem investment of ₹60,000 crore, Readers can alert the newsroom to any errors in the paper by
recent months. Earlier this Ambani had first made the which will attract invest- rooftop solar and decentralized green hydrogen the most RIL will build an integrated emailing us, with your full name and address to
[email protected].
week, the company agreed to announcement at RIL’s annual ments,” he added. solar installations in villages. affordable fuel option by bring- solar photovoltaic module fac-
change its App Store policies to general meeting on 24 June. India has set the goal to reach “This will create a pan-India ing down its cost initially to tory, an advanced energy stor- It is our policy to promptly respond to all complaints. Readers
address criticism that it’s anti- Addressing the International 450 gigawatts (GW) of renewa- network of kilowatt and mega- under $2 per kg. age giga factory and an electrol- dissatisfied with the response or concerned about Mint’s journalistic
competitive. Employees have Climate Summit 2021, Ambani ble energy capacity by 2030, of watt scale solar energy produc- “I am sure that India can set yser giga factory to manufac- integrity may write directly to the editor by sending an email to
also become increasingly vocal said that work was happening which RIL plans to establish ers who can produce green even more aggressive target of ture modular electrolyzers [email protected]
about problems within the at a brisk pace to develop the and enable at least 100GW of hydrogen for local consump- achieving under $1 per kg used for captive production of
Mint’s journalistic Code of Conduct that governs our newsroom is
company, including what they 5,000-acre giga complex, solar energy by 2030. A signifi- tion,” Ambani said, adding that within a decade. This will make green hydrogen for domestic available at www.livemint.com
say is a lack of pay equity. which would be one of the cant part of this will come from efforts are on globally to make India the first country globally use as well as for global sale.

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LIVEMINT.COM NEWS SATURDAY, 4 SEPTEMBER 2021
MUMBAI 15

GAYATRI BIOORGANICS LIMITED

Persistent’s Deshpande Regd.Office: B3, 3rd Floor, 6-3-1090,T.S.R.Towers,
Rajbhavan Road, Somajiguda, Hyderabad TG 500 082 IN
Ph.: 040-66100111; E-mail: [email protected];
Website:www.gayatribioorganics.com
CIN: L24110TG1991PLC013512

joins club of billionaires NOTICE

ANNUAL GENERAL MEETING, E VOTING AND BOOK CLOSURE
NOTICE is hereby given that the 30th Annual General Meeting of GAYATRI
BIOORGANICS LIMITED, will be held on Monday, 27th September, 2021 at 11.30
a.m. through video conferencing (VC)/other Audio Visual means (OAVM) as per the
guidelines issued by the Ministry of Corporate Affairs (MCA) vide circulars dated April
8, 2020, May 5, 2020 and April 13, 2020 and SEBI circular dated May 12, 2020 in
view of ongoing pandemic situation to transact the business as set out in the notice of
His wealth surges to over $1 bn as Persistent stock sees a 126% rise in 2021 AGM dated 31st August 2020.
As per the circulars above, the copy of the Annual report including the notice convening
the AGM is sent to all the shareholders whose email IDS are registered with the
Ravindra Sonavane Company/Depositories owing to the difficulties in dispatching of physical copies of the
Annual Report. The same is also being made available on the Company’s website at
[email protected] In the top league https://www.gayatribioorganics.com/. Those members whose email IDs are not
MUMBAI Anand Deshpande owns 29.9% stake in Persistent Systems and the gains in registered, are requested to register their email with Registrar & Transfer Agent i.e.,
the stock have lifted his net worth to $1 bn, showed BSE data. [email protected] by writing an email either to the RTA at [email protected] or
the Company at [email protected] carrying the following details or through

A
nand Deshpande, the No. of shares in Persistent's last Net worth their respective depositories: Name as registered with the RTA/Depository, Address,
founder, chairman and Persistent Stake traded price $1.08 bn email, copy of PAN, DPID/Client ID/Folio Number, Number of shares held.
managing director of IT 22.85 mn 29.9% 3,441.35 (7,863 cr) In compliance with the above said circulars, Section 108 of the Companies Act, 2013
services company Persistent 240
226.8 read with Rule 20 of the Companies (Management and Administration) Rules, 2014 as
Systems Ltd, has seen Persistent Systems amended and Regulation 44 of the SEBI (Listing Obligations and Disclosure
220
Sensex Requirements) Regulations, 2015:
his wealth surge to more than a billion
dollars, as the shares of the mid-size
200 Shareholder will be provided with a facility to attend the AGM through VC/OAVM
180 through the CDSL eVoting system. Shareholders may access the same at https://
Pune-based company jumped an aston- www.evotingindia.com under shareholders/ members login by using the remote e-
ishing 126% this year. 160 voting credentials. The link for VC/OAVM will be available in shareholder/ members
Deshpande owns 29.90% stake in the 140 login where the EVSN of Company will be displayed
121.7
firm and the gains in the stock have lifted BOOK CLOSURE: Notice is also hereby given that pursuant to Section 91 of the
120
his net worth to $1 billion, according to Companies Act, 2013 read with Rule 10 of the Companies (Management and
100 Administration) Rules, 2014 the Register of Members and Share Transfer Books of the
BSE data. Company will remain closed from 9th September, 2021 to 13th September, 2021 (both
On Friday, the scrip closed at 80
days inclusive).
31 Dec 2020 3 Sep 2021
₹3,440.70 on the BSE, up 1.61% from its Anand Deshpande All Members are hereby informed that:
Base value taken as 100
previous close.  The remote e-voting shall commence from 24th September, 2021 (9:00 A.M.) and
Deshpande began his professional ends on 26th September, 2021 (5.00 P.M.).
career at Hewlett-Packard Laboratories tion in the services business. Ebit (earn- robust pipeline and order book. Strong  The cut-off date for determining eligibility to vote shall be 17th September, 2021.
in Palo Alto, California, where he worked ings before interest and taxes) margins quarterly net additions also indicate that  Members attending the meeting, who have not casted their vote by remote e-
as a member of the technical staff from expanded 100 basis points (bps) sequen- management is preparing for a surge in voting, shall be eligible to exercise their right at the AGM.
May 1989 to October 1990, the year he tially to 14.1%. broad-based demand, which is not only  Members who have casted their vote by remote e-voting may attend the AGM
founded Persistent Systems. A basis point is equal to one-hun- from Persistent top clients but a sector- but shall not be entitled to cast their vote again at the AGM
Deshpande started the firm with an dredth of a percentage point. wide phenomenon,” said Dalal & Broacha  Persons whose name is recorded in the Register of Members or in the register of
Beneficial owners maintained by the Depositories as on Cut-off date i.e. 17th
initial investment of $21,000 from his The company signed deals worth Stock Broking.
September, 2021 only shall be entitled to avail the facility of voting at the AGM
savings and loans from his father and $244.8 million in the first quarter, Going forward, the company aims to
In case of any queries / grievances relating to e voting, members may contact M/s
friends. including $147.7 million in new business. roll out a wage hike. This, coupled with Venture Capital and Corporate Investment Pvt. Ltd., (RTA), H.No.12-10-167,
Persistent is known for an increase in travel and Bharatnagar, Hyderabad-500018. Tel: 040-23818472/ 23818476/2386, Fax: 040-
digital engineering, data and COMPANY SNAPSHOT attrition is expected to 23868024, Email: [email protected] or [email protected] or
artificial intelligence. Nearly impact margins. [email protected].
80% of its annual revenue DESHPANDE began HE worked there as a PERSISTENT listed However, analysts expect By Order of the Board of Directors
For GAYATRI BIOORGANICS LIMITED
comes from the US, with the his career at
Hewlett-Packard
technical staff from on the Indian
May 1989 to Oct 1990, exchanges in 2010,
higher utilization, fresh hir-
Place: Hyderabad C.V. Rayudu
rest from Europe and India. Laboratories in Palo the year he founded and has a 14,000- ing, price increases and reve-
Date: 1/09/2021 Whole- time Director
The firm currently employs a Alto, California Persistent Systems strong workforce nue growth to offset margin
14,000-strong workforce. pressure.
In 2000, Intel Capital Analysts expect Persistent
invested $1 million for a 3.5% stake in his This was the third quarter of an earnings Systems to register margin expansion of
company. Five years later, Persistent surprise coupled with a strong outlook 120bps to 17.5% in FY21-23.
raised $20 million from Norwest Venture and robust demand environment. Brokerage firm Kotak Securities said
Partners and Gabriel Venture Partners. “Persistent is currently trading at 37.9x that it remains positive on the growth
The company listed on the Indian of fiscal year 2022 estimates of EPS on story of Persistent, but that the valuation
exchanges in 2010. the back of highest quarterly growth in looks expensive.
For the June quarter, its revenue grew the history; management is confident of “Key risk to our earnings projection is
9.2% sequentially and 27.3% year-on- maintaining growth momentum and meaningful rupee appreciation against
year to $166.8 million, ahead of analysts’ continues to give a strong outlook for the US dollar and tax hikes in the USA,”
expectations, driven by continued trac- Services as well Alliance business due to the brokerage said.

DELHI JAL BOARD, DELHI SARKAR

OFFICE OF THE EXECUTIVE ENGINEER (SOUTH)-II
JAL SADAN, LAJPAT NAGAR, NEW DELHI-110024
STOP CORONA; “Wear Mask, Follow Physical Distancing, Maintain Hand Hygiene”
NIT No. 16/S-II/2021-22
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e-procurement through e-procurement
solution solution
1. Improvement of sewerage system by rectification of 59,70,889/- 2021_DJB_207807_1 15.9.2021 upto
outfall main sewer line at East of Kailash SPS under 01.09.2021 2.00 PM.
EE(S) II (AC-42 Kasturba Nagar)
Further details in this regard can be seen at govtprocurement.delhi.gov.in
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Saturday, September 4, 2021

Persistent Systems’ Deshpande Taliban co-founder Baradar

livemint.com joins billionaire club uP15 to lead new Afghan govt uP14

SENSEX 58,129.95 277.41 NIFTY 17,323.60 89.45 DOLLAR ₹73.02 ₹0.05 EURO ₹86.72 ₹0.02 OIL $73.47 $0.44 GOLD ₹46,998 ₹100

Stocks extend rally, Maruti recalls

over 181,000
petrol cars to
Future moves SC for
early hearing of plea
DON’T MISS

Sensex crosses 58k fix motor fault

Ravindra Sonavane
against HC order
Strong economic data back upward trend despite high valuations [email protected] Utkarsh Anand
MUMBAI [email protected]
NEW DELHI Byju’s sees losses rise 30-fold; sales
Nasrin Sultana

M
aruti Suzuki India Ltd of devices boost revenue in FY20
UP, UP AND AWAY
F
[email protected] on Friday said it will uture Group on Friday Sales of devices was the biggest revenue
MUMBAI recall over 181,754 of urged the Supreme Court contributor at Byju’s in FY20 even as losses grew
Bulls continued to be on a its petrol variant cars to to grant an urgent hearing nearly 30 times during the period under review.

S
tock markets soared to rampage in the domestic 58,130 WHAT’S NEXT inspect and fix faults in their of its appeal against a Delhi Byju’s saw consolidated net sales grow 80%
3 Sep 2021
another record on Friday market on Friday, backed by MARKETS may stay the motor-generator unit, in the high court order stalling its $3.4 when compared with a year ago, according to
amid widespread investor favourable global cues and second-largest such safety billion sale of retail assets to the regulatory filings of the company. >P14
course as vaccinations pick
positive domestic economic
optimism after the August up pace, economy recovers action by an automaker in the Mukesh Ambani’s Reliance
data. India’s stock market
services PMI rose to its has outperformed Asian country. Industries Ltd (RIL) and attach-
highest in 18 months. peers so far this year. India’s largest carmaker said ing the assets of group chair- Reliance Industries targets green
BUT valuations are
The BSE Sensex closed above it will recall its Ciaz, Ertiga, man Kishore Biyani and other hydrogen output at $1 per kg
moving beyond inves-
58,000 for the first time, with the tors’ comfort zones
Vitara Brezza, S-Cross and directors. Reliance Industries chairman Mukesh Ambani has
30-share index gaining 277.41 XL6 models manufactured Senior advocates Harish Future Group chairman outlined a ‘1-1-1 vision’ to reduce the cost of green
points, or 0.48%, to 58,129.95. The BOUTS of profit-booking
between 4 May 2018 and 27 Salve and Mukul Rohatgi, Kishore Biyani. MINT hydrogen to under $1 for 1kg in one decade. Ambani,
Nifty rose 0.52% to 17,323.60. Sensex October 2020. appearing for the group com- while speaking at the International Climate Summit
and increase in volatility 2021, said RIL will initially aim at reducing the cost of
The stocks’ performance was 47,751.3 are around the corner
Such recall campaigns are panies, requested Chief Justice court hearing should be kept
backed by favourable global cues 31 Dec 2020 undertaken globally to rectify of India N.V. Ramana to hear off or grant us a hearing on 9 making green hydrogen to under $2 per kg. >P14
and positive domestic economic LIQUIDITY has been
faults that may cause potential the appeal preferably on 9 Sep- September so that we have
data, said Vinod Nair, head of strong in the local mar-
safety issues, the company said. tember, a week before the enough time,” Salve requested
research at Geojit Financial Services. kets in the past few days
“In the interest of custom- Delhi high court is set to con- the chief justice. RIL subsidiary acquires Strand
“Anxiety over the Jackson Hole Source: Bloomberg ers, Maruti Suzuki has decided sider initiating compliance The single judge order of the Life Sciences for ₹393 crore
symposium subsided due to the to voluntarily recall the proceedings. Delhi high court has gone Reliance Strategic Business Ventures Ltd, a
SARVESH KUMAR SHARMA/MINT
dovish tone of the Fed chair, which affected vehicles for inspection Salve informed the chief jus- beyond the scope of the wholly owned unit of Reliance Industries Ltd
helped global markets to start the Markit Ltd said on Friday. economic recovery and vaccination or replacement of the motor- tice that the high court order, if enforceability of a Singapore- (RIL), has acquired 22.8 million equity shares
week on a strong footing. The posi- The seasonally adjusted India Ser- continue to improve. generator unit, free of cost. implemented at the instance of based emergency arbitrator of ₹10 each of Strand Life Sciences Pvt. Ltd
tive sentiments in the domestic mar- vices Business Activity Index surged “However, valuations are also Affected vehicle owners would Amazon.com Inc., will have far- (EA) award in favour of Ama- for a cash consideration of ₹393 crore, it said
ket remained throughout the week to 56.7 in August, up from 45.4 in moving beyond comfort zones and, be receiving a communication reaching consequences. Thus, zon, Salve contended. in an exchange filing on Friday . >P14
as domestic economic data releases July, IHS Markit said, adding that this hence, could lead to bouts of profit from Maruti Suzuki-autho- Future Group sought a hearing Rohatgi, on his part, submit-
were in favour of bulls. Strong was the first time it had crossed the booking and increase in volatility. rized workshops,” Maruti said by the top court before the high ted that the single judge had on
domestic economic numbers are 50 mark that separates expansion Large caps offer a better margin of in a notice to the exchanges. court considered the matter on 17 August given Future Group Snapdeal in talks with bankers
supporting the upward movement from contraction in four months. safety in the current environment The company asked custom- the next date, he said. four weeks to obtain a stay from for India listing by early next year
in the market even in these high lev- Siddhartha Khemka, head of and could continue to remain in ers to avoid driving in water- “The urgency is that single the Supreme Court, failing
E-commerce marketplace Snapdeal is in
els of valuation,” Nair said. retail research at Motilal Oswal focus in the near term as well,” logged areas, and direct water judge has passed certain orders which it will restore the 18 initial talks with Indian bankers to explore a
India’s August services sector Financial Services Ltd, said liquidity Khemka added. sprays on the vehicles’ electri- on 18 March prescribing vari- March order on stalling the public listing in the country that could see
activity expanded for the first time in the domestic market has been The India volatility index (VIX) cal or electronic parts until the ous sanctions. These will have deal with RIL. “Our entire deal the company raise between $300 million
in four months, recording the fast- strong for the past couple of days. increased over 2% to 14.54, indicat- affected part’s replacement, far-reaching consequences. of ₹25,000 crore has been held and $400 million, according to four people
est growth in one-and-a-half years, The markets are likely to continue which will start from the first The single judge has fixed it on aware of the development. >P13
market information provider IHS with the positive momentum as TURN TO PAGE 13 week of November. 17 September. Either the high TURN TO PAGE 13

Strong rebound
The India Services Business Activity Index crossed the 50 mark
Vodafone Idea pays interest to FT HDFC Life to acquire Exide’s
for the first time in four months, surging to 56.7 in August.
Purchasing managers’ index (India)

60
Manufacturing
52.7
Services
56.7
amid ambiguity over reset clause insurance unit for ₹6,687 cr
50 Neil Borate answered till the time of going Beena Parmar Insurance Co. Ltd approved the
40 52.3 [email protected] to press. [email protected] transaction involving the sale
50.2 MUMBAI The Vodafone Idea expo- MUMBAI of Exide Life Insurance to
30
Composite PMI sure is present in five of the six HDFC Life, the statement said.
20

F H
August 2021: 55.4 ranklin Templeton has debt schemes that were DFC Life Insurance Co. The deal is expected to
10 (vs 49.2 in July)
received ₹148.75 crore in wound up in April 2020. How- Ltd agreed to buy Exide “enhance insurance penetra-
0 interest from cash- ever, it was side-pocketed Life Insurance Co. Ltd, a tion and further our purpose of
May 2019 Aug 2021
strapped telecom operator (placed in a separate portfolio) unit of battery maker Exide providing financial protection
The 50-level separates expansion in activity from contraction.
Source: Bloomberg, IHS Markit Vodafone Idea Ltd, avoiding a in January 2020 by Franklin Industries Ltd, for ₹6,687 crore, to a wider customer base”,
default. Templeton, before the wind- allowing the country’s most val- HDFC Life chairman Deepak
PARAS JAIN/MINT
The asset management ing up of these schemes. Inves- uable private insurer to bolster Parekh said in a statement.

Services sector company (AMC) wrote down

and then segregated its expo-
sure to Vodafone Idea in Janu- Franklin Templeton has an
tors in side-pocketed units
cannot enter and exit at will.
They are repaid money as and
its presence in south India.
Of the total deal value, HDFC
Life will pay ₹725.98 crore in
The deal, which comes at a
time state-owned Life Insur-
ance Corp. of India is preparing

grows at fastest
ary last year, following an exposure of around ₹1,250 cr when it is recovered from debt cash and the rest by issuing 87 HDFC Life will pay ₹725.98 cr in to go public, may accelerate
adverse Supreme Court ruling to the telecom firm. BLOOMBERG issuers. million shares at ₹685 apiece to cash and the rest by issuing 87 mn consolidation among the 24 life
on the telco’s liabilities. This week, Franklin Tem- Exide Industries, HDFC Life shares at ₹685 apiece to Exide insurers in India. Earlier this
Franklin Templeton is the reference to the put and call pleton began payment of a said in a regulatory filing. Industries. year, India cleared a plan to

pace in 18 months
MINT
negotiating with Vodafone portion, citing implementation fresh tranche of ₹2,918.5 crore The purchase will help raise foreign direct investment
Idea over an interest rate reset of a change effected by valuation to unitholders in the six HDFC Life deepen its presence upon completion of the acqui- in insurance to 74% from 49%
clause in the Vodafone paper, agencies under the guidance of schemes under winding-up. in south India, especially sition, the insurer said. to help local insurers meet their
Gireesh Chandra Prasad this week had shown that a person aware of the matter the Association of Mutual Funds With this, the schemes will smaller towns, complementing Bengaluru-based Exide Life growing capital requirements.
[email protected] manufacturing and construc- said, requesting anonymity. in India’s valuation committee. have cumulatively returned its market footprint, the firm has a customer base of around Housing Development and
NEW DELHI tion activities have already The asset manager has an It is unclear whether Franklin ₹23,998.84 crore, or 96.18% of said, adding that it will also pro- 1.19 million and assets of over Finance Corp. owns 49.95% in
reclaimed some of the ground exposure of around ₹1,250 Templeton will be able to force the net asset value of the six vide access to a wider market. ₹18,781 crore as of 30 June. HDFC Life, while its British joint

I
ndia’s services sector lost in the same quarter a year crore to the telecom firm. Vodafone Idea to exercise the schemes that were wound up The acquisition is expected Exide Life’s total premium venture partner Standard Life has
resumed growth in August ago, while agriculture, which The debt has a provision for put option if the company can- on 23 April 2020. The wind- to be completed by next June income rose to ₹3,325 crore in been trimming its stake to help the
for the first time in four proved to be last year’s silver ‘interest rate reset’ on 3 Septem- not pay the interest rate. ing-up of the schemes is being and is subject to regulatory and the year to 31 March from ₹3,220 insurer meet minimum public
months, staging the fastest lining, has improved further in ber. However, in a notice to Text messages to a Franklin implemented by SBI Funds other approvals. The merger crore in the previous year. shareholding norms for listed
expansion in a year and a half, the first three months of this unitholders on 16 August, Templeton spokesperson Management Pvt. Ltd under process of Exide Life into The board of HDFC Life, companies. As of June end, Stan-
market information provider fiscal. Franklin Templeton dropped seeking clarity were not Supreme Court orders. HDFC Life will be initiated Exide Industries and Exide Life dard Life held 3.89% in HDFC Life.
IHS Markit Ltd said. IHS Markit attributed the
The seasonally adjusted service industry growth to
India Services Business Activ- improving vaccine access and a
ity Index surged to 56.7 in
August, up from 45.4 in July,
IHS Markit said in a statement
receding pandemic. Companies
indicated that the reopening of
several establishments and
FAA says Virgin Galactic can’t fly spaceship during probe
on Friday, adding that this was increased consumer footfall
the first time it crossed the 50 boosted sales, which in turn Micah Maidenberg flight to the edge of space, established for the mission, and fly four people, including two During missions, the agency
mark in four months. A read- supported the first expansion in [email protected] which attracted extensive that those on board were never members of the Italian Air restricts airspace, seeking to
ing above 50 indicates an over- output in four months and a attention. in any danger. Force and a researcher, to avoid potential accidents. The

V
all increase when compared rebound in business confi- irgin Galactic Holdings The company said it has An FAA spokesman said space in late September or early FAA said in July it had activated
with the previous month. dence. Where growth was Inc. won’t be allowed to been working closely with the Thursday the Unity ship can’t next month. a new system to track in real
The index is compiled based reported, businesses surveyed operate space flights FAA to support a thorough be operated until the agency Virgin Galactic described time launch and re-entry vehi-
on responses from around 400 mentioned strong inflows of until aviation regulators finish review of the flight and resolve approves a final report on the that planned mission as its first cles, saying the tool would help
service sector companies new work and improved investigating an earlier mission the matter in a timely way. The July 11 matter, or determines focused on commercial minimize the impact of air-
across segments such as con- demand conditions. carrying billionaire entrepre- company on Wednesday the issues related to the Unity’s research, with crew members space closures due to space
sumer (excluding retail), trans- As far as new orders in August neur Richard Branson, the Fed- attributed shift out of studying how the transition trips.
port, information, communi- were concerned, the pace of eral Aviation Administration the devia- its planned from gravity to microgravity The agency’s approach to
cation, finance, insurance, real expansion was the quickest in said Thursday. tion in its trajectory affects the human body, and space at times has drawn criti-
estate and business services. over eight-and-a-half years. Virgin Galactic on Wednes- flight path that day conducting other tests. The cism. A flight planned by Space
The resumption of growth According to survey respon- day said the spacecraft, called on July 11 to wind, and said didn’t affect public safety. company has said it would Exploration Technologies
in the service industry, which dents, sales growth stemmed the Unity, shifted out of its pilots who commanded the The FAA spokesman Virgin Galactic founder charge the equivalent of Corp. for late June was delayed
has been badly hit by the pan- from greater consumer footfall, planned trajectory for one min- ship responded appropriately declined to comment on how Richard Branson. FAA’s probe $600,000 per seat for research one day after an aircraft
demic and the resultant loss of the reopening of several firms ute and 41 seconds as it to changing conditions as they long the agency’s investigation could delay the company’s and astronaut training mis- entered into restricted air-
consumer confidence, is wel- and successful advertising. returned to the ground on July brought the Unity back to the would last. So-called mishap next planned space launch. AFP sions, and at least $450,000 space, according to a tweet at
come news for policymakers, Pollyanna De Lima, eco- 11, prompting the FAA to exam- Spaceport America facility in probes generally can be fin- per seat for space tourism the time by Elon Musk, founder
as services account for more nomics associate director at ine what happened. New Mexico. Virgin Galactic ished in a matter of weeks, he the July 11 flight may delay Vir- flights. of the company also called Spa-
than half of India’s economy. IHS Markit, said in the state- Three Virgin Galactic also said then that the Unity said, but more complex ones gin Galactic’s next expected The FAA’s role in space ceX. He called that restricted
June-quarter economic employees joined company never went outside of the geo- may take several months. space flight. The company said includes regulating launches area “unreasonably gigantic.”
growth figures released earlier TURN TO PAGE 13 founder Mr. Branson for the graphic confines that had been The agency’s examination of earlier Thursday it planned to and re-entries of space vehicles. © 2021 DOW JONES & COMPANY, INC