Beijing calling: A lifetime of learning through travel

The article appeared in the Linkedin on May 06, 2024 I was always curious to know more about China, Korea, and Japan. What makes them so advanced, even though they do not speak English—a requirement we often hold as essential for success in India? Over the last 12 months, I had the chance to visit all three countries.

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China Diaries: From Beijing to the Forbidden City

The article appeared in the Linkedin on May 07, 2024 I recently came back from an incredible 16-day expedition through China, traveling with National Geographic Expeditions on their "Imperial Cities and Natural Wonders" tour in April 2024. This journey not only introduced me to the astonishing landscapes and cities of China but profoundly transformed my understanding and appreciation of the country.

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Semiconductor company Mindgrove launches India’s first commercial MCU chip

The article first appeared in the The Economic Times India on May 06, 2024 Peak XV Partners-backed fabless semiconductor startup Mindgrove Technologies said on Sunday that it launched what it claimed is India’s first commercial high-performance SoC (system on chip). Named Secure IoT, it is designed for IoT devices and will likely cost 30% less than other chips in similar segments.

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Srikanth Bolla: First overseas blind student at MIT, entrepreneur who employs the disabled, and subject of a new bollywood film

The article first appeared in the The Forbes India on April 29, 2024 When Srikanth Bolla was born in July 1991, his farmer parents, who barely earned Rs20,000 annually, thought they had won a million-dollar lottery. “I looked like gold, I looked pretty,” he says. It was only when they bathed him for the first time and held him under a kerosene lantern at their modest home in Seetharamapuram village in Machilipatnam, Andhra Pradesh, did they realise that his eyes were shut. When they noticed that their first child wasn’t opening them at all, their worst fears came true. “They thought I wouldn’t be able to see and that’s what it turned out to be. Their entire world shattered in front of them,” explains Bolla.

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U.S. bans noncompete agreements for nearly all jobs

The article first appeared in the The WBUR on April 23, 2024

The Federal Trade Commission narrowly voted Tuesday to ban nearly all noncompetes, employment agreements that typically prevent workers from joining competing businesses or launching ones of their own. The FTC received more than 26,000 public comments in the months leading up to the vote. Chair Lina Khan referenced on Tuesday some of the stories she had heard from workers.

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Rise of Indian soft power

The article first appeared in the The Week on March 31, 2024 Soft power has never been more powerful. In an increasingly interconnected world, where borders are porous and technology has facilitated the seamless, real-time dissemination of vast amounts of information, influence is no longer geographically bound. In fact, at the most micro level, hundreds of individuals have made entire careers out of it.

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