For decades, Indian employees have powered through stress, anxiety, and burnout under the weight of a culture that glorifies overwork. But a quiet revolution may be on the horizon, inspired by a daring experiment in China. Earlier this year, South China Morning Post reported that Pang Dong Lai, a retail company in Henan, introduced “Unhappy Leave”—10 days off per year, no explanations required, simply because employees didn’t feel happy enough to work. The news, also covered by Money control and Business Standard, sparked a global debate about the future of humane work policies.
Category: Authoritative Insights
Not Louder Ads, but Fresher Connections: The Matcha Effect is India’s New Branding Mantra
The production of matcha tea has historically represented a commitment to authenticity and meticulousness in Kyoto. In the crowded digital landscape of India, professionals are keenly searching for that ideal blend of innovation, energy, and trustworthiness. Every company is competing for a limited chance in the smartphone screen market, ranging from beauty brands to food delivery apps. Traditional marketing approaches often struggle to keep pace in this competitive landscape. Introducing the Matcha Effect Model, an innovative framework designed to transform conventional brand development tactics for today’s digital landscape.
Tariffs ≠ Collapse: India’s Trade Journey through Trump-Era Tariffs
When the “America First” trade policy was declared by U.S. President Donald Trump in his previous term, he framed it as a move to protect U.S. workers from what he labeled unfair foreign competition. India, even as a long-time U.S. ally, found itself squarely in the crosshairs. Trump claimed that India charged high tariffs on American products while gaining preferential entry into U.S. markets. Such a disparity, he said, required a corrective measure. The tariffs did not come as a blanket measure initially but were developed incrementally through a series of increments.
2+2=5, the Mathematical Fallacy Distorting Truth through Politics
In George Orwell’s 1984, “2 + 2 = 5” is used a metaphor of power over truth i.e., if the government regime says something is true, you’re forced to believe it. In this commentary, I will explore this simple arithmetic falsehood that is often used metaphorically to represent government propaganda, symbolising the manipulation of truth across different periods of modern history, including the World Wars and contemporary times. I will also interpret this fallacy in the context of the Kashmir’s Pahalgam terror attack by Pakistan-backed militants.
Book Review: “Does the Elephant Dance?”
Does the Elephant Dance? Contemporary Indian Foreign Policy is a study of Indian foreign policy and its evaluation on various parameters. The author of this book, David M. Malone, a diplomat, author, and former Rector (leader) of the United Nations University, has witnessed the firsthand development of Indian foreign policy and held discussions with the key decision-makers. Throughout ‘Does the Elephant Dance?’ Malone exercises this confluence of diplomatic and scholarly authority artfully, tracing the key tenets of Indian foreign policy from its independence, till 2011.
Original Sin: Israel, Palestine and the Revenge of Old West Asia
West Asia is crucial for its geostrategic location, energy security and homes for the oldest religions. Despite its importance, wars and conflict have been contentious affairs in the region. The conflict between Israel and Palestine for their homeland has been the centre of the regional countries’ domestic and foreign politics. Every event has stories of two sides: the one Western media, governments, and diplomats tell or write about, and the second one is what really happened during the events. The first sets the narrative according to their requirements, and the second one will bring people closer to the truth, where they are free to perceive or understand the events according to their observation.
Is Luxury Losing its Spark? Affordable Exclusivity to the Rescue
The global luxury industry, long reliant on the wealthiest clientele, is facing a critical crossroads. As prices soar, even the affluent are beginning to feel the pinch, particularly in key markets like China. Luxury brands, which have historically thrived on exclusivity and high margins, are now confronting the dual challenge of maintaining their elite status while appealing to a broader, more aspirational customer base. The question at the heart of the industry’s future: Can luxury remain exclusive without pricing itself out of the market?
Why Nuclear Weapons Remain the Privilege of the Few?
While a lot of countries associate the possession of nuclear weapons as a huge plus to their geopolitical power, there are still some that fear the consequences and stay within the protected boundaries of conservatism while going international. No matter how awed we can be when seeing nuclear missile tests or new launches happen, we still have a long way to go to see what constitutes hegemony very easily here and how only 9 countries in the world have gone nuclear so far. The problem with this distinction is, it is no longer dependent on resources or military strength, but rather a very calculative set of steps that go beyond what a simple human can imagine.
The Role of Women in Terrorism Financing
Terrorism is a complex and multifaceted phenomenon characterised by the use of violence and intimidation, especially against civilians, in the pursuit of political, ideological, or religious aims. Changing government policy, gaining independence for a territory, furthering religious views, or promoting a certain ideology are some of the objectives that motivate terrorism. The primary objective of terrorism is to evoke fear and panic in people who are not the direct victims. This kind of anxiety has the power to topple governments, undermine public trust in the government, and destabilise nations. Terrorist acts are often designed to attract media attention and spread the group’s message to a broader audience.
Racial Slurs: A Study of Words that Wound
The term “Pajeet.”, originally confined to undercover illegal internet corners, is a slur used to refer to Indians, particularly Hindus. It has gradually crawled into mainstream discourse under the garb of referring to the right political language and woke ideology. It is not surprising to see South-Asians themselves designating Indians as “Pajeet” and believing they will escape bullying in America or elsewhere.