🧑‍🔬 Greenhouse gases to biofuel

Good morning. Petition for the Indian Film Industry to create more movies like Laapataa Ladies and All We Imagine As Light 🫶

Good Indian movies are making waves worldwide - with the Oscar nomination for Laapataa Ladies and now the Golden Globe nomination for All We Imagine As Light - and they are just about making us forget about the recent commercial Bollywood releases 🙏

- Ruchirr Sharma & Shatakshi Sharmaa  

TABLE OF CONTENTS

• 🥗 India’s sustainable eating habits

• 🧑‍🔬 Greenhouse gases to biofuel

• 🗞️ Bite-sized summaries

  • India ❣️ AI

  • 🏦 Who is the new RBI governor Sanjay Malhotra?

• 🧑‍🍳 What else is cookin’?

• 🍿 Entertainment, Entertainment, Entertainment

MARKETS

🇮🇳 India

• Stock indexes declined yesterday. FMCG and banking shares experienced notable declines, with Hindustan Unilever falling over 4% and Godrej Consumer Products dropping 11%. Broader markets outperformed, with Midcap and Smallcap indices ending higher by 0.45% and 0.82% respectively.

🌍️ International

• Indexes pulled back on Monday. Nvidia's shares tumbled after a Chinese antitrust investigation, raising concerns over tech sector regulations. Investors are now focused on Wednesday's consumer inflation report, which could influence future Federal Reserve policy decisions and market direction.

DIET

🥗 India’s sustainable eating habits

A new report by Sodexo, based on insights from over 7,000 participants across five countries, revealed an interesting trend: Indians are embracing sustainable food habits faster than their global peers. With the food services industry poised as a key enabler, the study sheds light on the factors driving this shift and the challenges that lie ahead.

Among Indian respondents, over two-thirds expressed a strong inclination toward sustainable food consumption, far outpacing respondents from developed nations. Leading the charge are millennials (aged 25-44), with 60% actively adopting sustainable practices. Key drivers of this change include greater access to information, the rise of health awareness through social media, and India’s growing alignment with global trends like veganism and low-carb diets.

While sustainability is gaining traction, affordability remains the primary concern for Indian consumers, followed closely by taste. Health and nutritional value also rank high, reflecting a pragmatic approach to food choices that balances ethics, wellness, and cost.

Sambit Sahu, Managing Director of Sodexo India, attributes this shift to the values of socially and environmentally conscious millennials. Armed with higher disposable incomes, they prioritize ethical and healthy consumption and increasingly support brands that align with their values.

Sodexo is playing an active role in fostering this movement. By sourcing sustainable ingredients, collaborating with farmer communities and NGOs, and championing sustainable agriculture, the company is driving systemic change. Initiatives like WasteWatch aim to reduce food waste by involving both consumers and service teams, while tools like traffic light nutrition labels encourage healthier decisions.

Overall: India’s surge in sustainable eating reflects a broader shift toward ethical and eco-conscious lifestyles, positioning the nation as a global leader in this space. As millennials and Gen Zs continue to shape the future of food, their commitment to sustainability signals a promising transformation in global food consumption trends.

Read more: Economic Times

RENEWABLE ENERGY

🧑‍🔬 Converting Greenhouse Gases into Biofuel

Researchers at IIT Guwahati have unveiled an ingenious biological process that transforms methane and carbon dioxide—two potent greenhouse gases—into eco-friendly biofuels. By harnessing the power of methanotrophic bacteria, this method produces bio-methanol under mild conditions, offering a cleaner, cost-effective, and sustainable alternative to traditional chemical processes.

This innovation tackles two pressing global issues head-on: reducing the impact of methane, which is 27–30 times more harmful than carbon dioxide in global warming potential, and decreasing dependence on fossil fuels. Unlike conventional methods, this approach eliminates toxic by-products, saves energy, and is economically efficient.

Published in Fuel, a leading journal by Elsevier, the research demonstrates up to 87% reductions in harmful emissions like carbon monoxide and hydrocarbons. Crucially, it sidesteps the common pitfall of competing with food production, making it a practical solution for scaling biofuel production.

Beyond the lab, this breakthrough has transformative potential for oil, gas, and chemical manufacturing industries. By leveraging bio-methanol, these sectors can move closer to decarbonisation while embracing sustainable energy practices.

At its core, this breakthrough is more than a scientific triumph; it’s a blueprint for a cleaner, greener future—one where waste becomes fuel and challenges are transformed into opportunities.

Read more: Economic Times

GENERAL OVERVIEW

🗞️ Bite-sized summaries

India ❣️ AI - India is leading the Global South in adapting to the AI and tech revolution, with over 70% of professionals actively upskilling, according to a Global Labor Market Conference report. Indians demonstrate higher trust in government (31%) and private sector (49%) support for workforce development compared to lower levels in the U.S. and UK. Rapid technological advancements have created concerns about skill obsolescence, with 55% of Indian workers fearing their skills may become outdated within five years. The report highlights India’s dynamic job market, driven by AI, machine learning, and automation, positioning it as a frontrunner in global technological adaptation.

🏦 Who is the new RBI governor Sanjay Malhotra? - Sanjay Malhotra, currently the Revenue Secretary, has been appointed as the 26th Governor of the Reserve Bank of India, succeeding Shaktikanta Das. A 1990-batch IAS officer, Malhotra brings over 33 years of experience in finance, taxation, IT, and power. With degrees from IIT Kanpur and Princeton University, he has played pivotal roles in tax policy and financial services. Taking charge during an economic slowdown and rising calls for interest rate cuts, Malhotra faces significant challenges. His predecessor, Das, who held the position since 2018, is credited with stabilizing markets after a turbulent tenure under his predecessor, Urjit Patel.

HEADLINES

🧑‍🍳 What else is cookin’?

What’s happening in India (and around the world 🌍️)

• India to address issue of underrepresentation in global internet governance fora, says minister Jitin Prasada.

• Air India orders 100 more Airbus aircraft.

• Lenskart signs MoU to set up new manufacturing plant in Telangana; will invest Rs 1,500 crore.

• CCI seeks Supreme Court hearing to expedite Amazon, Flipkart cases.

• X launches Aurora, a new image generator for Grok.

CULTURE

🍿 Entertainment, Entertainment, Entertainment

• Payal Kapadia bags a Golden Globe nom for best director for All We Imagine As Light !!! Full list of Golden Globe noms here.

• Sunny Deol confirms he is a part of Nitesh Tiwari's Ramayana.