Author: NNI Editor

Mira Murati, pictured above [File] | Photo Credit: AP Thinking Machines Lab, an AI startup founded by former OpenAI Chief Technology Officer Mira Murati, has tapped about 30 leading researchers and engineers from competitors such as OpenAI, Meta and Mistral, it said in a blog post on Tuesday.The team — roughly two-thirds of which comprises former OpenAI employees — includes Barret Zoph, a prominent researcher who left the ChatGPT maker on the same day as Murati in late September. Zoph will serve as the startup’s technology chief.OpenAI co-founder John Schulman is the startup’s chief scientist. Schulman left OpenAI for rival…

In tandem with Navaratri and Durga Puja, a different festivity unfolded in Delhi: the latest edition of Lakmé Fashion Week (LFW) in partnership with the Fashion Design Council of India (FDCI). Hosted between October 9 and 13 across The Grand hotel in Delhi and a few off-site venues such as The Imperial hotel and a colonial building in Barakhamba, this edition of LFW — which will celebrate its silver jubilee next year — presented collections from over 45 designers, plus student shows and retail brand presentations from Marks & Spencer and Kalki. Additionally, the calendar included the R|Elan Circular Design Challenge (CDC),…

Over 80% of urban consumers said spending on essential items has increased. | Photo Credit: STAFF Urban consumers in India began the new year with both hope and concern. On the one hand, India’s retail inflation eased to a five-month low of 4.31% in January, providing some relief to consumers by reducing the pressure on their household expenses. On the other, worries about the employment scenario continued to weigh on them. Income levels too have been stagnant — in January, 55% of urban consumers reported that their income levels had remained unchanged compared to the same period last year. This…

Last month, Maison Christian Louboutin made a splash with “Paris is Louboutining,” a synchronised swimming spectacle at the Piscine Molitor, which is incidentally where the bikini was born about 78 years ago. It was Paris Fashion Week SS25 and Louboutin, 60, had the French Olympic artistic swimming team perform underwater in his new Miss Z pumps. Art and fashion intersected as film director and photographer David LaChapelle and choreographer Blanca Li presented a hypnotic aquatic performance that included colourful projections, fountains, even a giant pair of Christian Louboutin mules that served as a pool slide. Also read:https://www.thehindu.com/life-and-style/luxury/christian-louboutins-red-stamp-of-approval/article26819055.eceLouboutin knows how to make…

Representative image | Photo Credit: Reuters The rupee depreciated 8 paise to 86.96 against the U.S. dollar in early trade on Tuesday (February 18, 2025), weighed down by sustained foreign fund outflows and a negative trend in domestic equities. Forex traders said there is a negative bias for the USD/INR pair as foreign investors continue to sell domestic equities and the RBI support is tapering off slowly. At the interbank foreign exchange, the rupee opened at 86.94 then fell further to 86.96 against the American currency, registering a decline of 8 paise over its previous close. On Monday, the rupee…

As we walk into Gaurav Mehta’s store in Jaipur, located within the Rambagh Palace, Jaipur, we expect a large, swanky setting befitting the founder-designer of Jaipur Watch Company (JWC) and his latest collection, Brides of Jaipur. But it is an intimate space (less than 100 sq ft) without any external branding, tucked into a corner of the sprawling early 20th-Century palace, now operated as a five-star hotel by the Taj Hotels Group.It evoked the charm of the small, family-run shops nestled in the bazaars of traditional Jaipur. Rambagh Palace is, nevertheless, a prime location for Gaurav’s clientele. Those who can…

Only a fraction of the envisaged allocations was actually spent on justice-related schemes The Central government has consistently reduced budget allocations to certain justice-related schemes and projects since 2019, shows the recently released India Justice Report 2025-26.Data also show that not only have allocations reduced, but also, only a fraction of the envisaged allocations was actually spent on these schemes. The Modernisation Fund for the State Police Forces was formed to assist special projects and schemes that would upgrade the infrastructure of States’ police as well as Crime and Criminal Tracking Network and Systems. Chart 1 shows the Budget Estimates (BE),…

A fashion showcase by Anavila Misra at the Chettinad Heritage Festival. | Photo Credit: Special Arrangement In early October, famed fashion designer Anavila Misra launched her latest collection Payanam, inspired by the fabrics of Chettinad, at the Chettinad Heritage Festival. This week, the collection was previewed at The Folly, Amethyst along with jewellery by Sheetal Zaveri.An insightful talk by photographer Bharath Ramamrutham about how architecture has had an impact on fashion over the ages, was a prelude to the exhibition and showcase. The talk took the audience through the journey of how different styles of architecture, right from Spanish to Gothic…

Adani Group Chairman Gautam Adani. File | Photo Credit: PTI The U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission has requested assistance from Indian authorities in its investigation of Adani Group founder Gautam Adani and his nephew Sagar Adani over alleged securities fraud and a $265 million bribery scheme, a court filing showed on Tuesday (February 18, 2025).Also Read | U.S. case against India’s Gautam Adani appears strong but extradition unlikely, experts sayThe SEC told a New York district court its efforts to serve its complaint to Gautam and Sagar Adani were ongoing and that it is seeking help from India’s Ministry of…

Sawai Padmanabh Singh is not an easy man to catch. Yes, the 26-year-old titular maharaja of Jaipur (Pacho to his close friends and half a million followers on Instagram) has been generous in opening his home, the City Palace Jaipur, to creatives from across the country for evenings curated around fashion and culture in recent months. But glamorous soirees are only a small helping on his very full plate. His calendar is bursting with polo tournaments and training sessions, the opening of an upcoming arts centre, and the myriad ceremonial duties attached to his royal title.We finally manage to catch…