The Writer’s Flight

  New tech-enabled spectacles are transforming passive music listening into deep, multi-sensory experiences India’s organised live-events industry was worth $2.5 billion in 2024 and it is expected to reach $5.8 billion by 2030. Namrata Kohli  New Delhi A new luxury is drumming up patrons in India: Immersive music events that blend sound, story and space. Indians are opening their wallets for tech-enabled performances that turn music into a “multisensory experience”. It’s no longer just handbags, watches, or five-star meals that define luxury for urban India. The new aspirational splurge? Immersive music experiences — events that blend sound, story, and space to create emotional theatre. Across metros and even Tier 2 cities, Indians are opening their wallets for tech-enabled, sensory-rich performances that turn music into a full-body experience. From Global Garba festivals at heritage venues like Delhi’s Sunder Nursery to avant-garde audio-visual spectacles like YOUFORIA: ...

  Celebrating without guilt: The rise of health-first festive gifting By Namrata Kohli For decades, Diwali gifting was synonymous with pyramids of laddoos, boxes of kaju katli, and overflowing trays of barfi. But 2025 is telling a different story. Urban consumers—especially millennials and Gen Z—are looking beyond sugar-laden sweets and mass-produced hampers. Instead, they are gravitating towards thoughtful, mindful, and wellness-first gifting options. The new gift economy is driven by health consciousness, a preference for artisanal over industrial, and a desire to make gifting more personal than perfunctory. From sugar-free mithais and protein-rich dry fruit hampers to wellness teas, artisanal honey, handcrafted chocolates, and immunity-boosting superfoods, this year’s festive tables are being reshaped by a blend of indulgence and intention. As Bharat Shishodia, Centre Head at Lakeshore Mall in Pune, puts it:  “We’re seeing a sharp rise in wellness hampers—dry fruits, cold-p...