How Indian Directors Are Taking Their Own Stories to the World in 2026 There was a time when Indian cinema’s international identity was often reduced to a few familiar ingredients: Bollywood songs, elaborate weddings, colourful costumes and the occasional art-house film that festival audiences discovered almost by accident. In 2026, that picture looks considerably different. Indian filmmakers are increasingly arriving at the world’s major film festivals not simply as representatives of a large film industry, but as individual cinematic voices. The most visible example is Payal Kapadia, who became president of the jury for the 65th Cannes Critics’ Week in 2026. Critics’ Week runs alongside the main Cannes Film Festival and is particularly focused on emerging filmmakers. Kapadia’s appointment followed her historic 2024 Grand Prix win for All We Imagine as Light. That progression is worth noticing. First, a filmmaker’s film is selected. Then it competes. Then it wins. And eventually, the filmmaker returns to help decide which new voices deserve attention. Cinema has a funny way of turning yesterday’s newcomer into tomorrow’s gatekeeper. Payal Kapadia’s Cannes journey is bigger than one award Kapadia’s story did not begin with the Grand Prix. Her film All We Imagine as Light was

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From Tamil Nadu to Punjab: Five Indian Restaurants Making New York Taste More Like India New York has never been short of Indian restaurants. What has changed is the kind of Indian food the city is being asked to take seriously. For years, the international image of Indian food was often reduced to a familiar collection of dishes: butter chicken, naan, chicken tikka, biryani and perhaps a curry whose exact regional identity was not particularly important. New York is helping change that conversation. Today, Indian restaurants in the city are increasingly presenting regional cooking, family traditions and lesser-known dishes rather than treating “Indian cuisine” as one giant category. That makes New York particularly interesting for Indian travellers, students, expatriates and food lovers. And if someone asks, “Where should I eat Indian food in New York?”, there is no single correct answer. But these five restaurants provide a fascinating introduction to the city’s contemporary Indian dining scene. 1. Semma — South India gets the spotlight 4.2•South Indian restaurant•Closed Website•Directions 60 Greenwich Avenue, West Village If your idea of Indian food begins and ends with butter chicken, Semma may be the restaurant that politely asks you to reconsider your education. Semma specialises

How Spices, Diversity and the Indian Diaspora Took a Cuisine Global Ask someone in London, New York, Melbourne, Dubai or Singapore what they know about Indian food and there is a good chance the answer will arrive surprisingly quickly. Curry. Naan. Biryani. Samosa. Perhaps paneer. But that is where the interesting part begins. Because Indian food is not really one cuisine. It is a remarkably large collection of regional culinary traditions shaped by geography, agriculture, religion, trade, migration and centuries of cultural exchange. And somehow, this extraordinarily complicated food system has managed to become extraordinarily portable. That is one reason Indian food has become a global phenomenon. It did not conquer the world with one dish. It arrived with thousands. The first secret: Indian food knows how to build flavour Salt and pepper can certainly make food delicious. Indian cooking looked at that arrangement and apparently decided that two ingredients were not enough. Cumin, coriander, turmeric, cardamom, cloves, cinnamon, black pepper, mustard seeds, fenugreek, chilli, ginger and garlic are among the many ingredients used across India’s culinary traditions. But the important point is not simply the number of spices. It is how they are combined and prepared. Spices may be

From New York to 900+ Centres: How ISKCON Took Krishna Consciousness Around the World In 1965, a 70-year-old Indian spiritual teacher arrived in New York carrying little more than books, a message and a determination to introduce the teachings of Krishna to people who knew very little about them. Six decades later, the organisation he founded has a presence that stretches across continents. The International Society for Krishna Consciousness (ISKCON), popularly known as the Hare Krishna movement, marks its 60th anniversary in 2026. Its official website currently lists 900+ centres worldwide, alongside thousands of festivals and more than 110 vegetarian restaurants associated with its global activities. That makes ISKCON’s story one of the more remarkable examples of an Indian spiritual tradition developing a sustained international presence. And the story begins in an unlikely place. From a small New York storefront to a worldwide movement When A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada arrived in New York in 1965, the city was hardly an obvious launchpad for a movement rooted in Vaishnava devotional traditions. Yet New York became the starting point. ISKCON was formally established in 1966, and its early activities centred on chanting, devotional practice, spiritual discussion and the distribution of Srila Prabhupada’s

India’s Defence Export Moment: Can “Made in India” Become a Global Security Brand? India’s defence exports reached a record ₹38,424 crore in FY2025–26 and now span more than 80 countries. The next challenge is considerably harder: turning rapid export growth into durable global credibility, indigenous technology ownership and long-term international business. India’s defence industry is entering unfamiliar territory. For decades, India was principally known as one of the world’s major defence importers. Today, Indian-made defence equipment is being exported to more than 80 countries, while the country’s defence-export value has risen from just ₹686 crore in FY2013–14 to ₹38,424 crore in FY2025–26. That is a remarkable transformation. But the more interesting question for the international market is no longer whether India can export defence equipment. It is: Can India become a trusted global defence technology supplier rather than simply a lower-cost source of military hardware? That distinction could determine whether the current export boom becomes a permanent feature of India’s industrial economy. From ₹686 crore to ₹38,424 crore The numbers explain why India’s defence sector has suddenly become an international business story. Defence exports grew 62.66% in FY2025–26, rising from ₹23,622 crore the previous year to ₹38,424 crore. The private