We have to reduce our dependence on external agencies and every Indian must do what he and she can, emphasised renowned philanthropist, investment banker, equity market guru and thought leader Vallabh Bhansali EDITED EXCERPTS FROM THE TALK BY THOUGHT LEADER VALLABH BHANSALI. WHEN VIJAYJI ASKED ME WHAT THE TOPIC WOULD BE AND I SAID ‘REBUILDING INDIA’ AND...
There is more to David Sassoon than a statue and a library; Prof. Shaul Sapir separates myth and fact going all the way back to the opium trade LAST TUESDAY, ON NOVEMBER 6TH, Prof. Shaul Sapir shared an experience all humans have shared – curiosity – and its consequences. In Sapir’s case, he went into a...
Audience urged to go beyond established names from Bombay Progressive Artists’ Group and take a chance on new talent LAST TUESDAY’S GUEST SPEAKER HAD AN Oscar moment. Long after Gaurav Bhatia, MD, Sotheby’s South Asia operations, had finished his talk on the meaning of cultural capital, he was still fielding questions from members of the audience. His time...
Last Tuesday’s debate on decriminalising homosexuality mirrored various factions of society SELF-DEPRECATORY HUMOUR IS A SIGN of intelligence but, equally, laughing at yourself is a sign of discomfort and an attempt at deflection from the real issue. And, so, October 23rd’s debate on decriminalising homosexuality was a mirror of society at large. There were Rotarians comfortable...
Are you safe? Is anyone safe from cyber hackers? No, says Dr Harold D’Costa IT SHOULD BE DIFFICULT TO SHOCK a group of seasoned Rotarians. After all, with years of community service in their pocket, Rotarians have first-hand exposure to all the horrors faced by those they aid. Yet, Dr Harold D’Costa, President of Cyber Security Corporation,...
Is it possible to get teenagers interested in becoming vehicles of change? Rishabh Shah says yes WHAT MAKES A BOY LIKE ANY OTHER exemplary? What makes a member of India’s 300 million plus passive youth (in the ages 13 to 19) engaged in the country around him and passionate to effect changes? Rishabh Shah, who...
Pranay Vakil’s career history is steeped in real estate. He laid the foundation stones of international property consultants Knight Frank India. Even since quitting in 2012, he has remained a media darling and often been quoted on a variety of subjects. Chairman of Praron Consultancy India Pvt Ltd since 2012, he has shared his views...
We were honoured to welcome to our meeting last week Padma Bhushan recipient, Dr. Farokh Udwadia, physician extraordinaire. Eloquent and intelligent, this man is one of the most reputed physicians, professors, and music enthusiasts - a triple treat, indeed. Dr. Udwadia wowed us Rotarians as he engaged us with snippets of three essays from his...
Last Tuesday, the Rotary Club of Bombay was honoured to welcome to our meeting Rtn. Narinder Nayar, a well-known industrialist and a member of our Club for decades. What he is not as familiar for is his role as Chairman of Mumbai First, an initiative to make the city a better place to live, work,...
The Rotary Club of Bombay was honoured to invite one of India’s most spiritual dynamic leaders, Swami Swatmanandaji, to our meeting last Tuesday. Swamiji introduced his topic of 'Oneness and Humility,’ choosing to explore it through the environment’s perspective. He grabbed our attention with a few equations. The first one being: Action minus vision equals division....
Founder and Director of the Mumbai International Literary Festival and Literature Live, Anil Dharker, is a columnist, writer, and literary genius. We were privileged to hear his insights on the Indian bullet train project. Beginning his discussion, Dharker forewarned us Rotarians, “The topic of the talk is "Shoot the Bullet, not Shoot the Messenger.” He hoped...
We were honoured to host Gateway House’s Amit Bhandari for the meeting last Tuesday. Gateway House is a foreign policy think-tank that has been researching and conducting analytic exercises to understand China’s investments. Bhandari’s insightful revelations gave us a more thorough understanding of the current eco-political relationship between China, India, and each country’s allies. He began...