Vijai Super — the scooter that became popular way before Hamara Bajaj
Vijai Super scooters was produced by state-owned Scooters India Ltd, and ruled the market duing the 1970s and 1980s.
Surabhi, the DD show that changed the idea of Indian culture as one entity
Over more than 300 episodes, Surabhi traversed the length and breadth of the country to showcase India's diverse cultural heritage.
Hamara Bajaj — the jingle that became a symbol of Indian pride
Owning a Bajaj scooter in the 1980s and 90s was a big deal for families, and the company sold it as the new image of exalted India.
Ratnam pens — the ‘swadeshi’ pens that were made on Mahatma Gandhi’s demand
The Ratnam pen, named after its founder K.V. Ratnam, has, since its inception in 1932, been a symbol of India’s swadeshi movement.
Hum Log, India’s first soap opera and DD’s experiment with foreign cinema
The family drama with a social message, Hum Log was a pan-India favourite that everyone identified with.
Televista — how good ads and an easy name made the TV brand ‘The Big Name’ in 1970s
In 1975, Televista found itself slipping into the unenviable position of being the “second best” when Weston took over the mantle of being the market leader.
How Coke came to be known as Thanda and will now be synonymous with Ilaiyaraaja
Legendary music composer Ilaiyaraaja is all set for his ad world debut with a jingle for the beverage giant.
Idhar Udhar, the Hindi sitcom we desperately need today
Starring actor-sister duo Ratna Pathak Shah & Supriya Pathak, this hilarious 1980s show portrayed two young women living independently with two men.
Boroline — the cure-all that is stuck in time but still brings joy, especially to Bengalis
The humble antiseptic cream was a by-product of the Swadeshi movement, but continues to be vouched for — even by the millennials.
Le Sancy, the soap that made Rahul a name to remember way before Shah Rukh Khan
The boat-shaped soap was a case of great advertising that just didn't work.
Scuba divers are turning plastic waste in the oceans into Covid face masks
Diving organisation PADI has teamed up with a watersports clothing company to recycle bottles recovered from the ocean to make a range of face coverings.
Refining industry enters ‘age of consolidation’ with ‘catastrophic’ margins
A refinery thrives on the price difference between crude oil and fuels like gasoline, earning a profit that’s known in the industry as a cracking margin.
Defence
As India-China face off again, late Brig Dalvi’s 1962 memoir a reminder of all that went wrong
Late Brig J.P. Dalvi fought the 1962 war against China and was taken prisoner of war. His scathing words in his book, Himalayan Blunder, ring aloud on his 100th birth anniversary.
It’s time for China, Pakistan, even India to rethink the fantasy Modi called expansionism
India, China and Pakistan all want territory from another. But it’s a pursuit doomed to fail as they can’t get it without annihilating the other.