🚀 Shubhanshu Shukla heads to space

Good morning. Speed up in work, slow down in life - a quote we recently came across and loved. Hope this resonates well with you too 💗 

Ruchirr Sharma & Shatakshi Sharmaa  

TABLE OF CONTENTS

•  🚀 India's Shubhanshu Shukla heads to space

• ⚡ Tesla’s India launch, fueled by a Modi-Musk power play

• 🗞️ Bite-sized summaries

  • 🤳 Stricter age verification

  • 🩺 AI in medicine: A double-edged scalpel

• 🧑‍🍳 What else is cookin’?

• 🍿 Entertainment, Entertainment, Entertainment

MARKETS

🇮🇳 India

• Indian markets extended their rally for a fifth straight session, buoyed by strong buying in banking, IT, and auto stocks. Broader indices outperformed, with the Nifty Midcap100 and Smallcap100 gaining over 2%. The Bank Nifty hit a record high, led by robust earnings and strong performances from private banks.

🌍️ International

• US stocks plunged on Monday as President Trump escalated his criticism of Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell, fueling concerns about central bank independence and ongoing tariff uncertainty. Fun fact: the S&P 500 is now down more than 16% from its February record high, with investor sentiment rattled by political turmoil and economic policy uncertainty.

SPACE

 🚀 India's Shubhanshu Shukla heads to space

India’s making big moves in space - again.

Next month, astronaut Shubhanshu Shukla will head to the International Space Station (ISS) as part of Axiom Mission-4 (Ax-4), conducting a suite of experiments that blur the lines between sci-fi and real-world science.

His 14-day stay won’t just be about floating in microgravity and snapping Earth pics. Shukla will lead seven advanced experiments, many in partnership with NASA, the European Space Agency (ESA), and private players like Voyager and Redwire.

Here’s what’s on the agenda:

1. Water Bears in Space: 

   • Ever heard of tardigrades (a.k.a. water bears)? These microscopic survivors can outlive extreme heat, radiation—even space vacuum. India’s sending them up to study how their genes behave in space. The findings could help future space travel and even biotech on Earth.

2. How Astronauts Use Screens:

   • In zero gravity, even tapping a screen can feel weird. Shukla will test how microgravity affects eye movement, stress, and interface interaction—potentially reshaping how we design computers for space missions.

3. Space Microalgae:

   • Microalgae are protein-rich and fast-growing—perfect for space food. ISRO and NASA will see how these edible algae grow and behave in microgravity. If it works, think sustainable, fresh space meals for astronauts.

4. Cyanobacteria & Life Support:

   • These photosynthetic bacteria could one day help recycle air and water onboard spacecraft. ISRO wants to understand their metabolism and viability in low gravity.

5. Muscle Regeneration Research:

   • Space makes you weak—literally. Muscles shrink without gravity. This study dives deep into cell regeneration and metabolism, which could not only aid astronauts but also benefit treatments for muscle diseases back on Earth.

6. Growing Salad in Space:

   • Can salad seeds sprout in space? ISRO is trying to find out. The goal? Reliable, healthy crops for multi-generational deep space missions.

India’s collaboration at this scale puts it in the front row of global space science. From sustainable food systems to human biology in space, this mission is a huge leap forward for ISRO and Indian space research.

Read more: Economic Times

TECHNOLOGY

⚡ Tesla’s India launch, fueled by a Modi-Musk power play

Tesla’s slow dance with India is finally turning into a full-on sprint, and it all started with a handshake between PM Narendra Modi and Elon Musk earlier this year.

For years, Tesla hesitated on entering the Indian market. The culprit? Sky-high import duties on electric vehicles. But that changed after Modi’s visit to the U.S. in February, where a high-powered conversation with Musk set things in motion.

Post-meeting, Tesla quietly kicked things into gear:

• Recruitment surged in Mumbai and Delhi.

• The company locked down a prime showroom space in Mumbai’s Bandra Kurla Complex (BKC) — a big, visible signal of intent.

• With Tesla already operating an office in Pune (leased in 2023), Maharashtra became a natural launchpad for their India strategy.

Tesla isn’t just selling cars, it’s building supply chains. The company is:

• In talks with Indian and U.S. chipmakers, including CG Semi (Murugappa Group) and Micron, to localize electronics manufacturing.

• Strengthening partnerships like its semiconductor deal with Tata Electronics, sealed in April last year.

• Actively diversifying away from China and Taiwan, aligning with the global "China+1" supply shift.

Their conversation didn’t end in Washington. Modi and Musk spoke again last week, reaffirming plans to collaborate on tech and innovation. Musk even tweeted he’s “looking forward to visiting India later this year.”

Analysts believe India is now firmly in Tesla’s global roadmap — not just as a market, but as a manufacturing and innovation hub.

Overall: With policy tweaks, supplier talks, and showrooms in place, Tesla’s India dream is no longer hypothetical - it’s happening. And with Musk set to visit later in 2025, don’t be surprised if you see a Made-in-India Tesla cruising down the road sooner than you think.

Read more: Economic Times

GENERAL OVERVIEW

🗞️ Bite-sized summaries

🤳 Stricter age verification - Instagram is stepping up its efforts to protect teens by using AI to detect users who may be lying about their age. Meta announced it's testing systems that analyze profile data, content interactions, and account history to flag suspected underage users who registered as adults. If flagged, those accounts will automatically convert to teen accounts with stricter privacy, content, and messaging controls. Teens will also see screen time reminders and have a "sleep mode" activated from 10 p.m. to 7 a.m. The move comes amid rising pressure on social platforms to safeguard youth mental health and comply with potential age verification laws.

🩺 AI in medicine: A double-edged scalpel - While stories emerge of patients finding long-sought relief through tools like ChatGPT and Elon Musk’s Grok—some even cracking decade-long pain mysteries—others are facing dangerous misdiagnoses. Research shows AI diagnostic accuracy still lags behind medical specialists by over 15%, and biases tied to income or demographics are already seeping into some AI systems. A standout case from Qure.ai in Mumbai highlights real success diagnosing TB where doctors were stumped. Experts say the future of AI in healthcare is bright—but for now, it's best as a sidekick, not the surgeon.

HEADLINES

🧑‍🍳 What else is cookin’?

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

• India must engage with China, US on equal terms.

• Pope Francis passes away at 88.

• As gold prices soar, Indians are exchanging old jewellery for new.

• India actively engaging with US; hopes to sign first phase of bilateral pact by Oct.

CULTURE

🍿 Entertainment, Entertainment, Entertainment

• IPL 2025: GT beat KKR by 39 runs. Leaderboard here.

• F1: Piastri dominates for Bahrain win as Russell holds off Norris for second.