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Friday, August 15, 2025

Brandma

Doordarshan’s Rajani fought power & corruption, showed Indian women all battles can be won

The activist woman of the 1980s was one who wore starched, broad-bordered cotton saris and a big bindi. Much of that image came from Rajani.

Newstrack – The video magazine that served real issues to news-hungry Indians in DD era

Newstrack started as a 30-minute programme. The duration was stretched to an hour as advertisers rushed to book commercial ad slots.

CDs & DVDs killed the VCR — but not before it gave Indians Hollywood, porn and memories

The VCR had to die with the advent of CD and DVD players but it would always remain a small step in technology, but a giant leap for Indians.

Niki Tasha changed Indian kitchens – from a dingy corner to a sleek, modern way of cooking

Ritu Nanda’s Niki Tasha showed Indians what kitchenettes and multiple burner stoves were and opened the window to the future.

Orkut, the site where Indians made ‘frandships’ before Facebook came along

For Indian social media users, Orkut was something they 'did' before Facebook, but long after the world had dumped it.

Dunlopillo — the coveted foam mattress that superstars Meena Kumari & Ashok Kumar advertised

The mattress was one of the three typical things that Indians always brought back from the Gulf states.

How Polson made butter a commercial product in pre-Independence India

Polson butter had monopolised the business by the 1930s and become a household name in India, much before the Amul revolution.

Mumbai horse racing & Amul girl as jockey – how an ‘utterly butterly’ idea kicked off

From Rahul Gandhi’s hug to cricketer Gautam Gambhir joining politics, Amul girl has chronicled India for over 50 years.

Garden Vareli ads with three Miss Indias made the everyday saree a fashion statement

Top actresses and models – Namrata Shirodkar, Madhu Sapre, Aishwarya Rai and Lisa Ray – were a part of the ads, which gave the saree a new modern twist.

Godrej Vatni was India’s foremost Swadeshi soap, and it didn’t remind you of Partition

Godrej Vatni soap continued to carry the map of undivided India for many years, even after Partition.

On Camera

Trump is swinging on Russia again. What this means for Europe’s security architecture

The dynamics between Europe and Russia have gone so south that mending fences looks like an uphill task—even as the US swings between sanctions and olive branches.

Slashing GST on waste can unlock Rs 1.8 lakh crore, high tax hurting circular economy goals—CSE

Centre for Science and Environment in new report makes case for rationalising GST on waste material, saying most informal operators can’t afford high tax & it also hinders recycling.

President awards 1st set of Sarvottam Yudh Seva medals since Kargil, 7 honoured for leading Op Sindoor

This year, the Indian Air Force received four of the seven awards, followed by the Indian Army with two medals, and the Indian Navy with one. 

Modi’s ready to risk it all for farmers. Farm reform can answer Trump with new Green Revolution

Standing up to America is usually not a personal risk for a leader in India. Any suggestions of foreign pressure unites India behind who they see as leading them in that fight.