Author: NNI Editor

The Allium lehenga set with cape | Photo Credit: Special Arrangement Hyderabad-based design house Mishru is best known for its surface textures and contemporary interpretations of Indian wear. Yet again, it proved its mastery of this craft with its recent couture edit ‘Resonance 2024/2025’ held in New Delhi. Set against the backdrop of the stately Belgium Embassy in New Delhi, Mishru’s presentation brought alive elements of urban architecture and untamed Nature in every creation. “There’s a story behind the title, Resonance. I believe natural elements help us vibrate with higher energy,” says Swapna Anumolu, the brain behind the couture brand. “Besides…

Tesla electric vehicles. File | Photo Credit: Reuters Tesla has selected locations for two showrooms in the Indian cities of New Delhi and Mumbai, moving closer to its long-delayed plans to sell its electric cars in the country, sources familiar with the matter said. The U.S. carmaker has been hunting for showroom space in India since late last year in order to start sales in the world’s third-biggest auto market, after putting market entry plans on hold in 2022. Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi met Tesla CEO Elon Musk in the United States last week and discussed issues including space,…

Hello Kitty is not a cat, she was born in the suburbs in London and her hobbies include baking cookies and making new friends. Earlier this year, when entertainment company Sanrio reiterated that their beloved cartoon character with whiskers and pointy ears was a little girl, it still came as a surprise to some. Sanrio deals in all things kawaii or “cute” and with the totemic Japanese brand completing five decades, perhaps they wanted to leave no room for confusion. At Péro’s Spring Summer ’25 show at Lakme Fashion Week on Wednesday night, a Hello Kitty mascot walked around in…

Bombay Stock Exchange (BSE). | Photo Credit: ANI Benchmark indices Sensex and Nifty began the trade on a weak note on Wednesday (February 19, 2025), but later bounced back, driven by buying in blue-chip bank stocks and fresh foreign fund inflows.The 30-share BSE benchmark Sensex declined 386.01 points to 75,581.38 in early trade. The NSE Nifty dropped 130.45 points to 22,814.85.However, later both the benchmark indices recovered the early lost ground and were trading in the green. The BSE benchmark gauge quoted 134.16 points higher at 76,120.85, and the Nifty traded 38.60 points higher at 22,983.90.From the Sensex pack, Zomato,…

Keshav and Bina Rao of Creative Bee show a prototype of a lifestyle accessory made with water hyacinth fibres | Photo Credit: Nagara Gopal In the compact office of Creative Bee studio in Banjara Hills, Hyderabad, are samples of lifestyle accessories such as pen stands, coasters, table mats, baskets and lampshades made of water hyacinth fibre, priced between ₹300 and ₹5,000. Some of the sturdy baskets and lampshades are at least a decade old. Bina and Keshav Rao, founders of the organisation, which is reputed in the handloom and craft sector, have helmed skills training projects. After training women in…

KASSIA President M. G. Rajagopal addressing a press conference in Mysuru on February 18, 2025. | Photo Credit: M A Sriram While demanding separate industrial areas for small and micro enterprises (SMEs) in the State, Karnataka Small Scale Industries Association (KASSIA) has urged the government to bring amendment to the Land Reforms Act suitably for enabling Karnataka State Small Industries Development Corporation (KSSIDC) to acquire land directly. Otherwise, the Karnataka Industrial Areas Development Board (KIADB) should allocate 30% of land it acquires to KSSIDC at the acquired price without charging any development fees.Addressing mediapersons in Mysuru on February 18, KASSIA…

A craftsman displays a fabric with batik design in Hyderabad | Photo Credit: Special Arrangement A team of young, accomplished artisans is in Hyderabad to share stories of the unique batik handicraft of Kutch and showcase products created with innovative patterns/designs. In collaboration with the Crafts Council of Telangana (CCT), the four-day exhibition Batik of Kutch attempts to highlight the traditional batik craft and the role played by Kutch-based NGO Khamir in reviving and helping it adapt to changing times. Celebrating the city“Some of the artisans have individually showcased their collection in Hyderabad, but it is the first time that…

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…