Author: News Desk
Satadru Dutta, born in Rishra, Hooghly district, West Bengal, began his career in finance and investment before moving into the world of sports promotion. Through his initiative, A Satadru Dutta Initiative (ASDI), he has organised visits by some of football’s biggest legends to India and neighbouring countries. ASDI has previously facilitated high-profile events, including Pele’s first visit to Kolkata in 38 years in 2015, where the Brazilian legend attended an Indian Super League match and the Subroto Cup final. The initiative has also brought Diego Maradona, Brazil’s 2002 World Cup-winning captain Cafu, and Argentina goalkeeper Emiliano Martinez, part of the…
Rotoris, an engineering-focused analog watch startup, has raised $3 million in a seed funding round led by Nikhil Kamath (Zerodha), Vivek Anand Oberoi, Venture Catalysts, 100 Unicorns, and Tanmay Bhat. The round also saw participation from over 30 founders, including Varun Alagh (Mamaearth), Gaurav Khatri (Noise), Siddharth Dungarwal (Snitch), Nitin Jain (Of Business), Vishesh Khurana (Shiprocket), Chirag Taneja (GoKwik), Akash Gupta (Zypp), and Arjun Vaidya (Dr. Vaidya’s). Rotoris was co-founded by Aakash Anand, founder of Bella Vita Organic, along with serial entrepreneur Prerna Gupta and founding partners Anant Narula and Kunal Kapania. The startup is set to launch in January…
India and Brazil have reinforced their maritime and defence partnership by signing a tripartite Memorandum of Understanding focused on the maintenance of Scorpene-class submarines. The agreement highlights growing alignment between the two navies and defence industries amid broader strategic engagement in maritime domains. The MoU was signed by the Indian Navy, the Brazilian Navy, and Mazagon Dock Shipbuilders Limited. It emphasizes sharing information on the maintenance and life-cycle support of Scorpene-class submarines and other naval platforms, marking a significant step in formalising technical cooperation between the two countries. The agreement was concluded during the official visit of Chief of Naval…
Jewellery retailer Joyalukkas has unveiled a ₹3,600 crore expansion plan to launch 40 new showrooms across India and overseas by the next financial year, increasing its total outlets from 190 to 230. Of the new stores, 15 will be located internationally, including in new markets such as New Zealand and Canada, said Joy Alukkas, the group’s Chairman and Managing Director. The expansion is part of the company’s structured growth strategy, with revenue expected to rise to ₹35,000 crore in FY26 from ₹30,000 crore in FY25. With the addition of new showrooms and increased international presence, turnover is projected to reach…
External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar met with the top leadership of the UAE on Monday, holding discussions aimed at strengthening economic and defence ties. His visit followed the conclusion of the three-day Sir Bani Yas Forum 2025. In Abu Dhabi, he co-chaired the 16th India-UAE Joint Commission and the 5th Strategic Dialogue with HH Sheikh Abdullah bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs of the UAE. Jaishankar also met Vice President HH Sheikh Mansour bin Zayed bin Sultan Al Nahyan, describing the meeting as productive and focused on deepening cooperation in economic and defence sectors.…
Elon Musk became the first person ever to reach a net worth of $600 billion on Monday, Forbes reported, following news that his SpaceX company could go public with an $800 billion valuation. Musk, who had crossed the $500 billion mark in October, owns about 42% of SpaceX, which is expected to launch its IPO next year, Reuters reported last week. If the company goes public at that valuation, Musk’s wealth could rise by $168 billion, reaching roughly $677 billion as of noon ET on Monday, according to Forbes. His fortune has also benefited from a roughly 12% stake in…
New Delhi marked the conclusion of Lionel Messi’s GOAT India Tour 2025 with a large-scale event at the Arun Jaitley Stadium on Monday. The eight-time Ballon d’Or winner capped the three-city visit with a smoother, well-managed programme, a clear contrast to the disorder that affected the Kolkata leg. Arrival delayed, interest remains strong Messi’s chartered flight from Mumbai was delayed due to poor weather, pushing his arrival at Indira Gandhi International Airport to the afternoon. He travelled straight to his hotel for a private interaction before heading to the stadium. The delay did little to dampen enthusiasm, with fans arriving…
The metro rail network in India is rapidly expanding, with 1,083 km currently operational across 25 cities, including Regional Rapid Transit System (RRTS) corridors, according to the Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs (MoHUA). Union Minister of State Tokhan Sahu stated in a Lok Sabha reply that metro projects are capital-intensive and undergo detailed appraisal under the Metro Rail Policy, 2017. Approvals depend on feasibility and resource availability, so no fixed timeline can be assigned for new projects. In South India, 251.36 km of metro lines are under construction across Tamil Nadu, Karnataka, Kerala, and Telangana. Currently, 247.68 km of…
ISRO has scheduled seven launches by March next year, including missions to test indigenous electric propulsion systems for satellites, demonstrate quantum key distribution technologies, and conduct the first uncrewed flight of the Gaganyaan human spaceflight project. The first of these launches is expected next week. Union Minister Jitendra Singh told Parliament that India’s heaviest rocket, LVM3, will deploy the Bluebird-6 communication satellite for US-based AST Spacemobile under a commercial arrangement with ISRO’s New Space India Limited (NSIL). Early next year, the human-rated LVM3 will carry Gaganyaan’s first uncrewed mission, featuring the robot “Vyommitra” onboard the crew module. Another uncrewed mission…
Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman is reportedly considering a €10 billion bid to acquire Barcelona, according to El Chiringuito’s Francois Gallardo. The potential investment would align with Saudi Arabia’s broader strategy of expanding its footprint in global sports, either directly or through its Public Investment Fund (PIF). Barcelona currently carries over €2.5 billion in debt, which partly explains the scale of the proposed offer. A full acquisition, however, faces significant hurdles. Clubs like Barcelona and Real Madrid are owned by socios, or members, who traditionally do not permit foreign takeovers. Gallardo notes that while the PIF could technically invest…