scorecardresearch
Add as a preferred source on Google
Friday, November 7, 2025

Brandma

Ruf & Tuf — the ‘fitted’ denims Akshay Kumar wore, your tailor stitched, & made 1990s ‘cool’

Ruf & Tuf jeans were the first 'branded' pair of denims for many Indians, and traces its origins to an Independence-era company that answered Gandhi's Swadeshi call.

‘O ho ho school time, Action ka school time’ — the unforgettable ad jingle for every 90s kid

An unforgettable advertisement from the 1990s, the Action Shoes ad combined all the fun and nostalgic parts of school life.

This sandalwood soap, integral to most Kannadigas’ identity, traces its origins back to WW1

Oval-shaped, biscuit-coloured Mysore Sandal Soap owes its signature scent to 'Soap Sastry', one of India's first industrial chemists who travelled to England & US to make the soap.

Sportsweek, the popular sports magazine with star columnists that was edited by Sunil Gavaskar

Sportsweek, the magazine started by sports journalist Khalid Ansari in 1968, suspended publication in 1989.

‘Cadbury Bytes is my horcrux’ — the popular chocolate snack that most 90s kids can’t forget

Described as ‘little parcels of Cadbury filled heaven’, Bytes combined the best of snack and chocolate for kids before they were discontinued around 2011 following a corporate takeover.

‘Ek Chidiya, Anek Chidiya’, the 1974 animation song that spread message of ‘unity in diversity’

Created by Vijaya Mulay and Bhim Sen, the seven-minute long video won the National Film Award for Best Educational Film as well as the Best Children's Film award in Japan.

Pepsi Blue — a fluorescent drink that flopped after 2003 Cricket World Cup launch

The blue-hued drink was launched strategically in India during the Cricket World Cup in 2003, as a gesture of support to the country's cricket team.

Bata, the foreign shoe brand that became a friend for generations of Indian school students

Bata faced stiff competition from local brands such as Gola Shoes, Liberty, Paragon and Khadim during the 1980s. But the brand survived due to its utility, durability and pricing.

‘Modi vest’ is the better known ‘Nehru jacket’, but the go-to formal wear predates both PMs

The Nehru jacket has a long-winded history that spans conquests, a Vogue cover, the Beatles and several Indian prime ministers.

Shanti — the iconic woman character from DD’s 1994 series that redefined Indian television

One cannot really talk about women empowerment in Indian television without referring to the super hit series called Shanti - Ek Aurat Ki Kahani that was aired on Doordarshan in 1994.

On Camera

Trump’s unpredictability is not the absence of strategy—it works on everyone but China

The Italian term sprezzatura—a studied nonchalance that conceals intention—best captures the spirit of Trump’s foreign policy so far. The pattern is unpredictability, transactionalism, and disruption as diplomacy.

Asia’s ‘weakest’ link: Yunus on a tightrope as Bangladesh tries to fix banks without breaking economy

With 20.2 percent of its total loans in default by the end of last year, Bangladesh had the weakest banking system in Asia. Despite reforms, it will take time to recover.

‘Let them see’: Putin says new nuclear-powered missiles in the making, in message to Washington

At a ceremony felicitating Russian military engineers, Putin highlights Moscow’s 'parity' in defence technologies for the next century.

Trump’s trade wars have rewritten powerplay, but India didn’t get the memo

This world is being restructured and redrawn by one man, and what’s his power? It’s not his formidable military. It’s trade. With China, it turned on him.