I am shocked at the incidents of sexual violence against women in Bengaluru over the past few days. As a Bengalurean I have always been fiercely proud of the city’s reputation as one of the safest places for women in India. So the horrific incidents of women being molested openly in public places came as … Continue reading Let’s Make Bengaluru Safe Again
CRISPR: A Game Changing Technology for a More Equitable Future
2016 was a landmark year for the biotechnology industry as it was for the first time that the revolutionary CRISPR-Cas9 gene-editing technique was used in humans. With more human trials involving CRISPR-Cas9 scheduled to be conducted, I believe 2017 will be the year when the technology’s potential to treat human diseases could receive strong clinical … Continue reading CRISPR: A Game Changing Technology for a More Equitable Future
Transforming India into a digital society that is less cash dependent
As the debate on the pains and gains of India’s move to demonetize high-value currency notes continues to rage, I firmly believe that the digital payments economy is an idea whose time has come. History shows us how money as a ‘medium of exchange’ has evolved over several millennia from cowry shells to gold and … Continue reading Transforming India into a digital society that is less cash dependent
Stamp Out Sexual Violence Against Women
Today, women can be seen in greater numbers in what were previously perceived as “male-dominated” professions. Attitudes towards women at the workplace have changed a lot from the time I started Biocon in 1978 as a young, 25-year-old woman entrepreneur, with no business background and limited financial resources. Professionals did not want to work for me … Continue reading Stamp Out Sexual Violence Against Women
Yusuf Arakkal – A Loss to the Art World
I woke up in Barcelona to the sad news of Yusuf's passing away this morning. My mind immediately flooded with memories that date back almost 4 decades. I vividly remember the day I met Yusuf Arakkal, a budding artist who was exhibiting his works at ITC Windsor Manor in November 1980. I was a struggling … Continue reading Yusuf Arakkal – A Loss to the Art World
An Open Letter to Citizens of Karnataka
The last two days of outrage expressed against my innocuous tweet on Bangalore bandh, has hurt me and pained me to the core. My tweet has been distorted and misinterpreted and used to hurl abuse and shame me, which is most unfair. I am shocked to see such negative vile being hurled at me from … Continue reading An Open Letter to Citizens of Karnataka
Ethics of Winning
I feel honoured to address the Fifth Convocation of the O.P. Jindal Global University. I am given to understand that this University is unique in many of its programs be it the multidisciplinary Masters of Arts program in Diplomacy, Law and Business or the Bachelor of Arts programs in Liberal Arts, Humanities and Global Affairs … Continue reading Ethics of Winning
Breaking the Stereotype
Today’s Indian woman is making a mark across diverse fields – from business and politics to sports and social work – breaking stereotypes and smashing glass ceilings along the way. It is interesting to note that 6 of the Top 10 Banks in India are headed by women and 12% of India’s 5,100 pilots are … Continue reading Breaking the Stereotype
Innovation, not price control is the answer to affordable Bt cotton technology
The biggest threat to cotton farmers is the bollworm, because of its ability to cause extraordinary damage to crops and livelihoods. In the 1990s, pesticides were the only weapon farmers had against the bollworm. Half of all the pesticide consumption in India was accounted for by just one crop – cotton. Yet, the ability of … Continue reading Innovation, not price control is the answer to affordable Bt cotton technology
A ‘People’s Budget’ to Spur Inclusive Economic Growth
Budget 2016 can be described as a ‘people’s budget’ that is aimed at spurring inclusive economic growth through measures that will drive rural development, relieve agricultural stress and boost farmers’ welfare. The Budget however has missed out on outlining innovative policies to spur India’s manufacturing sector to drive growth at a time when the economic … Continue reading A ‘People’s Budget’ to Spur Inclusive Economic Growth