The Writer’s Flight

  Picture this: A disc-shaped device gliding across your living room, mapping, sweeping, mopping—cleaning your floors while you sip your chai or take Zoom calls. Once a futuristic luxury, robotic vacuum cleaners have now entered the Indian mainstream. The question is—are they worth the investment? Rise of the robot cleaners: Are robotic vacuums worth the hype—and the spend? By Namrata Kohli Delhi based (retired) Indian Navy Officer Niladri Bose and his wife Priyanka, recently went for an overhaul in their lifestyle, from a servant cleaned home to a cleaning robot. Says Niladri Bose- “Over the years, we found ourselves increasingly dissatisfied with the way our home was being cleaned. While our domestic help was sincere, the quality of cleaning was inconsistent and often left much to be desired. The situation became particularly frustrating on days when she was unavailable. With our busy schedules and the desire for a consistently clean-living space, we began thinking: is there a be...

From monkey butlers to custom wall murals, statement pieces are those few special things that instantly catch your eye and give the space its personality. This bespoke home décor is no longer just about good taste—it’s about making a statement and telling a story.  By Namrata Kohli A wolf table in the foyer, a chandelier made of wine bottles, or a gramophone-shaped speaker that actually works—statement décor pieces are redefining Indian homes. They're bold, quirky, one-of-a-kind, and unapologetically personal. Designers swear by the power of a single bold piece to transform a room—and lift its mood.  “Don’t clutter your space with too many small things,” says Sidhant Lamba, founder of Delhi-based design studio STRROT. “Choose fewer pieces, but make them count. In a world flooded with mass production, the charm of the one-of-a-kind has only grown stronger.” Lamba believes in breaking the rules, but not at the cost of harmony. “You can go bold, quirky, even rebellious—but t...

  Pickleball India: From Backyard Game to Breakout Sport “Pickleball is my 3F formula—Fitness, Friends, and Fun!” – Says Rihanna Anand, a 35 year old Delhi based homemaker – “I’m no athlete, but even I can smash it on court. Every morning at 8 sharp, you'll find me and my Vasant Vihar gang swinging paddles and laughing our way through doubles. Who needs a gym when you’ve got this?” It all began with a paddle and a plastic ball. Today, pickleball—the quirky lovechild of tennis, badminton, and table tennis—is the fastest-growing sport in India. From luxury townships and corporate campuses to schools and weekend turf courts, the game is sweeping the country with a racket. What is Pickleball—and Why is Everyone Obsessed? Invented in 1965 on Bainbridge Island, Washington, pickleball was designed as a backyard game for families. Played on a court similar to badminton with a 34-inch net, it involves smacking a perforated plastic ball with a paddle. The rules are easy to learn, the rallies...

                                                                                          If the US shuts its visa door, Europe may just leave a window open. As America turns inward, is Europe and rest of the world, stepping up to woo Indian talent? The Global Access to Talent from India (GATI) Foundation was launched on May 6 at The Oberoi, New Delhi, with External Affairs Minister Dr. S. Jaishankar as Chief Guest and Minister of State Jayant Chaudhary as Guest of Honour. Incubated by Ashish Dhawan (The Convergence Foundation), Manish Sabharwal (TeamLease), and Omar Momin (Godrej Foundation), GATI is a non-profit aiming to position India as a global hub for skilled talent. With the world facing a projected shortfall of ...

  Do you look at Art as an asset, emotion or legacy? Know the reasons why you want to buy art With record-breaking sales, Indian Art finds its voice—and value—at home and abroad. From Husain to the next Gen, Indian Art enters a golden phase By Namrata Kohli  There is a new found buoyancy in the Indian art market and excitement amongst artists and art collectors in India. A landmark event was the sale of Maqbool Fida Husain’s 1954 painting  Untitled (Gram Yatra)  for $13.7 million, (about 118 crore rupees),  making it the most expensive work of Modern Indian art ever sold in a public auction. According to Roshini Vadehra, Director, Vadehra Art Gallery and Trustee, Foundation for Indian Contemporary Art, “Overall, South Asian art is having a great moment, with mostly the domestic market driving the scene and people buying across generations and mediums. The masters are of course at the top end because of the rarity of the works. But the collector today is well edu...