Author: NNI Editor

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…

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),…