What works for healthy sustainable living?; Dalit women reaping fruits of labour

Hello,

On Saturday, Indian stock markets ended lower in a trading session. The blue-chip Nifty 50 ended down 0.23% to 21,571.80, while the S&P BSE Sensex fell 0.4% to 71,423.65, dragged by IT companies. 

However, gains in lenders helped limit some losses, Reuters reported.

Speaking of which, ICICI Bank—India’s second-biggest private bank—reported a record-high standalone net profit of $1.24 billion in the third quarter helped by robust loan growth. The bank's total loans grew by 18.8% on-year, largely led by retail loans, while deposits grew by 18.7%.

Kotak Mahindra Bank had a different story. The private bank reported a lower-than-expected standalone net profit of $361.7 million in the quarter ended December 31, 2024, weighed down by higher bad loan provisions and shrinking lending margins.

In other news, Fluid Analytics was named a top innovator for its work towards global freshwater conservation at the World Economic Forum's annual gathering in Davos, Switzerland. 

Elsewhere on the Moon, Japan’s long-planned Smart Lander for Investigating Moon (SLIM) has successfully touched down on the lunar surface. However, all is not well for SLIM, which may have a limited lease on life due to trouble with its solar cells.

Lastly, here’s who is taking over Apple’s Vision Pro. 

Hint: It likes to eat a carrot! 

In today’s newsletter, we will talk about 

• Leading a healthy sustainable life
• AD Singh changing perceptions 
• Dailt women reaping fruits of labour

Here’s your trivia for today: Who officially made Valentine's Day a holiday?

Lifestyle

Leading a healthy sustainable life

Over a decade ago, activist and entrepreneur Matthew Glover stumbled upon a scathing video that exposed the cruelties associated with the egg and dairy industries. Dumbfounded and helpless, Glover and his wife Jane Land decided they needed a resolution. Thus the idea of ‘Veganuary’ was born on their kitchen table in York. 

The Veganuary challenge is underway, where you adopt a plant-based diet in January. On the other hand, there’s also a growing love for a meat-only diet. What makes for healthy living? Chefs and nutritionists weigh in.

Choices:

• Many people participate in the movement to understand if eating vegan food would contribute to improved health, while others try it out to do their bit for animal welfare. 
• This month, Fig and Maple, in Delhi and Goa, has embraced the freshness of cape gooseberry and starfruit through an eight-item menu that celebrates the versatility of these ingredients. 
• While veganism has found favour for its health and environmental benefits, some harbour apprehensions about replacing dairy in one’s diet. Since dairy has long been a staple in traditional diets, cutting it out can be a significant adjustment for some.

Interview

AD Singh changing perceptions 

Veteran restaurateur AD Singh, who was crowned the ‘Industry Icon’ at 30BestBars in Goa, gets candid about what makes him a legend and the secret to running a sustainable and successful hospitality business.

From Olive to SodaBottleOpenerWala, Guppy to The Fatty Bao—each concept is starkly different; yet the common thread continues to be Singh’s passion to offer his patrons an elevated dining experience—one that always surpasses their expectations. 

Best among all:

• Ever since Olive Bar and Kitchen opened in Mumbai in 2000, it became the hottest place in town—with the who’s who of the city frequenting it for its pulsating culinary and nightlife scene. 
• He also points out that so many of his young diners today had once visited Olive with their parents and are now returning on their own. 
• He also believes that his successful run in the industry is courtesy of the many chefs he has reposed faith in, including Manu Chandra, Sabyasachi Gorai, Sujan Singh, and Anahita Dhondy.

Social Impact

Dalit women reaping fruits of labour

Founded in 2016, the Pallur Dalit Women’s Collective enabled 40 women to meet district authorities to identify three hectares of illegally occupied or unused common lands and start farming on them. They were given initial resources such as seeds (usually taken over by seed companies and controlled by dominant caste land owners) and equipment. 

Today, the movement has grown to 80 women belonging to two collectives working on 15 farms in the villages of Vellore district. 

Key takeaways: 

• Studies by Oxfam show that 80% of farm work in India—sowing, winnowing, harvesting, and other labour-intensive, non-mechanised processes—is done by women. 
• Santhi, Programme Coordinator of the Society for Rural Education and Development’s (SRED) Tamil Nadu Dalit Women’s Movement, says their movement has inspired Dalit women labourers in Ranipet to start their own collectives.
• SRED has also established solar pumps and provided farming equipment to some of these collectives for organic farming.

News & updates

• Breach: Microsoft disclosed that hacking group Midnight Blizzard, also known as APT29 or Cozy Bear—widely believed to be sponsored by the Russian government—hacked some corporate email accounts, including those of the company’s “senior leadership team and employees in our cybersecurity, legal, and other functions.”
• Investments: Former star football player Keisuke Honda, a rare Japanese athlete-turned-angel-investor, is in talks to raise as much as ¥15 billion ($100 million) for his X&KSK Fund to invest in about 30 Japanese startups.
• Funding: Elon Musk’s AI company, xAI, secured $500 million in commitments from investors toward a $1 billion goal. The company is discussing a valuation of $15 billion to $20 billion, though terms could still change in the coming weeks. However, Musk said on X that the report was “fake news.”

Who officially made Valentine's Day a holiday?

Answer: England’s King Henry VIII in 1537.

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