Author: Sharad Natani
India’s fast-growing gig economy is headed for major disruption as delivery and platform workers across the country have announced an All-India strike on December 25 and December 31, demanding safer working conditions, fair pay, and social security protection. The strike has been jointly called by the Indian Federation of App-Based Transport Workers (IFAT) and the Telangana Gig and Platform Workers Union, and is expected to see participation from delivery partners associated with Swiggy, Zomato, Zepto, Blinkit, Amazon, Flipkart, and other major platforms. Union leaders say the protest is a response to falling incomes, excessive work pressure, unsafe delivery models, and…
The Covid-19 pandemic changed lives in ways few could have imagined. For one man, it wiped out nearly everything he had built over years—yet failed to crush his faith or determination. In a now-viral post shared on social media, a Rapido rider’s story has struck a chord across the internet. During a casual conversation with a passenger, the rider revealed that his family had once run multiple businesses. When Covid hit, lockdowns forced operations to shut overnight. The losses, he said, were devastating—₹13–14 crore vanished as businesses collapsed during the pandemic. With income streams drying up and no financial cushion…
Trade frictions between Asia’s two largest economies have escalated after China formally approached the World Trade Organization (WTO) against India, challenging New Delhi’s import duties on IT products and the Production-Linked Incentive (PLI) scheme for solar PV modules. China has requested formal dispute consultations, the first step under the WTO’s dispute settlement mechanism, signalling a new phase of strain in India–China trade relations. China Flags IT Import Duties as WTO Violation In its complaint, Beijing alleges that India has imposed customs duties on certain information technology products that exceed the tariff limits committed under WTO agreements, including the Information Technology…
When people think of the world’s most expensive materials, gold, diamonds, and rare artworks usually top the list. But far beyond the reach of luxury markets lies an extraordinary category of substances so rare, complex, and scientifically vital that their value defies all conventional measures of wealth. These materials are not traded on exchanges, displayed in showrooms, or worn as status symbols. In some cases, they exist only in microscopic quantities inside secure laboratories—yet a single gram could be worth more than the GDP of several countries combined. At the pinnacle of this list stands antimatter, widely considered the most…
In a ruling that could dramatically reshape America’s skilled immigration landscape, a US federal court has upheld former President Donald Trump’s decision to impose a staggering $100,000 application fee on new H-1B visas, dealing a major blow to technology companies, universities, hospitals, and thousands of foreign professionals eyeing US careers. US District Judge Beryl Howell ruled that Trump acted within his statutory authority, effectively endorsing one of the most aggressive immigration cost hikes in US history. The decision strengthens the executive branch’s power to regulate immigration through presidential proclamations, especially when national or economic security is cited. Court Backs Trump’s…
From pandemics to cyber warfare, and from geopolitical instability to AI disruption, the world’s risk landscape has changed dramatically over the last five years. A new global risk outlook highlights a striking shift: climate change has now emerged as the single biggest threat to humanity, overtaking pandemics, economic shocks, and terrorism. According to global risk experts surveyed across 57 countries, climate change has steadily climbed to the top of the risk rankings from 2021 onwards and continues to dominate projections through 2025. What began as an environmental concern has now evolved into a multidimensional crisis, influencing food security, energy supply,…