India's ancient stepwells, some 3,000 of them, are engineering miracles, illustrating such sophisticated water management. Art and sustainability are firm partners in each of these wondrous projects that have so much use and yet boundless beauty. Partially underground, their design is native to India and were used for storing water and as social and religious gathering places too.
The wide variety of street food defines the culinary adventure India is. We love gorging on Bhel Puri, Papdi Chaat, pakoras, Dabeli, momos? The list is exhausting. And there are lots of lesser-known snacks too! Mayur Sanap/Rediff.com takes you on a tour.
India has issued over 3,000 postage stamps since Independence -- stamps that are reminders of who we are & our rich inheritance. They honour our identity, culture, leaders, legends, land, animals, plants, monuments, historical events, institutions, scientific achievements.
An Indian train journey is a life experience. Some sweet, some bitter. Either way it is unforgettable, if not memorable.
India has withdrawn the transhipment facility it extended to Bangladesh for exports to third countries, citing congestion at ports and airports. The decision comes after Bangladesh's interim government halted yarn imports from India and closed three land ports. The move has raised concerns about a downturn in India-Bangladesh relations following political instability and attacks on minorities in Bangladesh.
India is a Blessed Land. Which place in the world has as so many exquisite living shrines of all faiths? Of the estimated 450,000 notable Indian religious sites, 55,000 are mosques.
Fitch Ratings on Thursday cut India's GDP growth estimate by 10 basis points to 6.4 per cent for the current fiscal, but retained the projections for the next financial year, on concerns over a 'severe' escalation in global trade war. "It is hard to predict US trade policy with any confidence. Massive policy uncertainty is hurting business investment prospects, equity price falls are reducing household wealth, and US exporters will be hit by retaliation," Fitch said in its special update to quarterly Global Economic Outlook (GEO).
Anurag Kashyap has expressed his frustration over the release issues faced by Ananth Mahadevan's biographical drama Phule.
iPhone maker Apple has met its replenishment target for freshwater withdrawals for corporate operations in India in 2023, the company said in its environmental progress report released on Wednesday. Globally, Apple has set a goal to replenish 100 per cent of corporate freshwater withdrawals in high-stress locations by 2030.
US Vice President JD Vance and his wife Usha, the first Indian-American Second Lady, are set to visit India early next week. Vance will hold talks with Prime Minister Narendra Modi during his visit. The visit comes amid global concerns over President Donald Trump's policy on tariffs. Vance's visit is likely to be more of a private trip though it will have official components.
In all, seven countries have expressed interest in hosting future Commonwealth Games with five of those focused on staging the centenary edition.
India is preparing to resume the Kailash Mansarovar Yatra, a pilgrimage to Mount Kailash in Tibet, after a three-year hiatus. The decision comes as part of efforts to improve relations between India and China, which have been strained since a military standoff in 2020. The two countries have also agreed in principle to resume flight services between them.
The US remained India's largest trading partner for the fourth consecutive year in 2024-25 with bilateral trade valued at $131.84 billion, while the country's trade deficit with China widened to $99.2 billion during the same period, government data showed. In the last fiscal, India's exports to China contracted 14.5 per cent to $14.25 billion as against $16.66 billion in 2023-24. The imports, however, rose by 11.52 per cent in 2024-25 to $113.45 billion against $101.73 billion in 2023-24.
Ace shooter Saurabh Chaudhary opened India's medal account with a bronze in the men's 10m air pistol event on day one of the year's second ISSF World Cup Rifle/Pistol/Shotgun stage in Lima, Peru, on Tuesday.
Dubai is positioning itself as a springboard for Indian companies looking to tap into fast-growing emerging markets, including Africa, banking on low tariffs, long-standing trade relations, and a shared vision for regional economic growth, said Mohammad Ali Rashid Lootah, president and chief executive officer, Dubai Chambers, at the Dubai-India Business Forum in Mumbai.
This will also be India's first T20 bilateral series in Bangladesh and first exclusive white-ball tour since 2014.
Unlike Lord Vishnu and Lord Shiva, who have countless temples across India, Lord Brahma, the creator of the universe and one of the triad of principal Hindu deities, has only a few temples dedicated to him. There are several legends about why this is so. The most-believed version is that Lord Shiva was angry with Lord Brahma, for a lie he told, and cursed him saying no one would worship him on earth.
An Indian official team is likely to visit Washington next week to iron out differences on certain issues before formally launching negotiations for the proposed India-US bilateral trade agreement (BTA), an official said. The visit, which comes within weeks of a high-level US team visiting India, indicates that the talks for the BTA are gaining momentum.
Following the arrest of fugitive businessman Mehul Choksi by Belgian authorities on Saturday, Vaibhav Khuraniya, one of the complainants in a fraud case against Choksi, said that it may not be easy to bring him back to India due to legal complexities involved in extradition.
External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar said the 2008 Mumbai terror attack marked a turning point in relations with Pakistan when Indians collectively felt that such behaviour from a neighbouring country could no longer be tolerated. Speaking at Charotar University of Science and Technology, Jaishankar acknowledged India's transformation under Prime Minister Narendra Modi over the last decade, while Pakistan has remained unchanged, continuing with what he termed as its "bad habits."
K L Rahul has been the standout wicketkeeper-batter in the ongoing Indian Premier League (IPL) thus far and is a contender for a spot in the national T20 team, reckons former South Africa and Mumbai Indians' head coach Mark Boucher.
'DRDO is working on a number of technologies that will give India Star Wars capability.'
Comedian-actor Vir Das criticized Air India for failing to provide a wheelchair for his wife, who was recovering from a fractured foot, despite pre-booking it on the airline's Pranaam service. Air India admitted the experience fell "short of expectations" and said there was a delay, not a denial, in providing the wheelchair. Das detailed his experience on social media, highlighting a series of issues during his flight from Mumbai to Delhi, including a broken table and leg rests, a stuck seat, and difficulty in getting a wheelchair at the airport.
The India Meteorological Department (IMD) has predicted above-normal rainfall for the upcoming monsoon season in India (June to September). The cumulative rainfall is estimated to be 105 percent of the long-period average. The IMD has also ruled out the possibility of El Nino conditions during the entire season. The monsoon is crucial for India's agriculture sector, which supports the livelihood of a significant portion of the population and contributes substantially to the country's GDP. However, while the prediction of normal rainfall brings relief, climate change is expected to cause variations in rainfall distribution.
Take a culinary journey across India and test your foodie gyan!
India's majestic high Himalayas are home to some spectacular Buddhist monasteries, each prettier than the next. Mayur Sanap/Rediff.com chooses his favourites.
India settle for silver in men's recurve team event at Archery World Cup Stage 1
This is the first case involving India and the US at the WTO after both sides decided to withdraw all seven pending cases at the WTO during the Biden administration.
Absconding diamond jeweller Mehul Choksi has been detained in Belgium following an extradition request by Indian probe agencies for his alleged involvement in the Rs 13,000 crore PNB bank loan 'fraud' case, official sources said Monday. The action against the diamantaire was taken on Saturday.
India secured their play-off berth in the Billie Jean King Cup by finishing second following a 2-1 victory against South Korea in their last Asia-Oceania Group 1 fixture.
While sedan sales have declined in the mass-market segment in recent years, demand remains strong for BMW sedans, which account for 45 per cent of its sales in India.
iQOO, Vivo's sister brand, has unveiled a new entry in its Z series collection in India-the Z10 5G, designed with a strong emphasis on extended usage, thanks to a massive 7,300mAh power unit.
According to the Department of Pharmaceuticals' annual report for 2024-25, India imported medical devices worth $8.1 billion, while exports stood at $3.7 billion in the financial year 2023-24 (FY24)
The Sena-UBT pointed out that the Congress only spoke about itself in the Ahmedabad meet, and INDIA or Bharat was nowhere in the discussion.
'As more and more work becomes automated and a range of lower-level and higher-level tasks are replaced by AI, the need for a classic command-and-control pyramid structure goes away.'
Success has put India in the exclusive and limited club of nations that possess the high-power Laser-DEW.
With India making it clear that the US doesn't have enough spare capacity for crude oil, Washington, DC, now wants India to sign fixed-term liquefied natural gas (LNG) contracts with American producers, multiple sources in the know said.
India's compound mixed team of Jyothi Surekha Vennam and Rishabh Yadav secured a spot in the final at the Archery World Cup Stage 1, guaranteeing a third medal for the country.
Shrivalli Bhamidipaty and Vaidehi Chaudhari led India to a 2-1 victory over Chinese Taipei in the Billie Jean King Cup Asia-Oceania Group 1, securing their third consecutive win
Indian mixed doubles pair of Dhruv Kapila and Tanisha Crasto suffered a straight game loss to Hong Kong's fifth-seeded duo of Tang Chun Man and Tse Ying Suet in the quarterfinals of the Badminton Asia Championships in Ningbo, China, on Friday.