Beyond Financial News

The White Lotus has gained widespread attention for its sharp portrayal of wealthy travelers and luxury resorts. But beyond the drama and satire, the show reflects some real and critical lessons for the hospitality industry. From dealing with demanding guests to navigating workplace dynamics, The White Lotus offers insights that hospitality professionals can apply in their careers. Here are four important lessons from the show: 1. Manage Guest Expectations with Strategy

Tim Walz, known for his straightforward style and background as a teacher and National Guard veteran, has openly reflected on the Democratic Party’s recent election strategy. As the former running mate to Kamala Harris in their 2024 bid against Donald Trump and JD Vance, Walz argued that Democrats erred by avoiding bold risks. He suggested the campaign should have engaged more directly with voters through town halls, even if it meant facing tough criticism, rather than sticking to cautious messaging.

Emily Calandrelli, an aerospace engineer and science communicator, made history as the 100th woman to travel to space, soaring 62 miles above Earth aboard Jeff Bezos’ Blue Origin New Shepard spacecraft. However, her groundbreaking achievement was overshadowed by online vitriol, forcing the company to delete footage of her incredible journey after sexist backlash flooded social media. Now, Calandrelli is reclaiming her narrative, releasing the deleted clips herself in a tell-all YouTube vlog, My Blue Origin Flight to Space. In it, she details the grueling preparations, the surreal experience of weightlessness, and how she fought to make this moment matter beyond the hateful noise.

Ikigai has been touted as the Japanese secret to a long and happy life, often depicted through a sleek Venn diagram that links passion, mission, profession, and vocation. Millions have been inspired by the idea that finding their one true purpose will lead to ultimate fulfillment. But what if everything we thought we knew about Ikigai was a misinterpretation? A viral video by Instagram creator @sakulacostar has sparked a heated debate, revealing that the Westernized version of Ikigai might be far removed from its original meaning. And according to native Japanese perspectives, we’ve been reading Ikigai all wrong.

Sleep is more than rest; it is a process of cellular repair, emotional regulation and cognitive consolidation. During deep sleep, the brain clears toxins, strengthens memory and regulates hormones. Without it, our mental and physical health deteriorates. Beyond biology, sleep holds a deeper spiritual significance. Many traditions recognise bedtime as a sacred moment for reflection and transformation. In Heartfulness, the bedtime inner connect meditation is a powerful tool for aligning the subconscious with a higher purpose. It is not a mantra but a heartfelt contemplation, a reflection, a subconscious rumination on the purpose and goal of life: 'O Master! Thou art the real goal of human life. We are yet but slaves of wishes, Putting bar to our advancement. Thou art the only God and Power to bring us up to that stage.'

revenue growth of top 100 large and liquid companies listed on the Bombay Stock Exchange (BSE) slowed to a third last calendar year compared with 2023, even as their rates of net profit expansion surged five times, reflecting the evident success of cost control initiatives. The financial performance by BSE100, a broad representation of the Indian equity market beyond the Sensex, revealed a sharp slowdown across manufacturing, services and consumer companies, showed ETIG compiled data. Revenues of these companies climbed 9% while net profit rose 32% in 2024, compared with 25% increase in sales and 7% rise in profits during 2023. «It is largely due to a slowdown in the overall consumption segment as well as oil, gas and steel businesses, where prices essentially remained benign and hurt value growth,» said Madan Sabnavis, chief economist, Bank of Baroda. «If BFSI is excluded, the overall growth will moderate even further. While profit was higher, it was largely due to high base effect, cost control by companies that include cost of production, and marginal salary hikes.» Sabnavis expects better aggregate performance from this set of companies next year.

safari slang for off-roading—helping wildlife enthusiasts spot everything from lions to pangolins. There are fleets of hot air balloons, canoes and pontoon boats, too, all offering different vantages of the continent’s vast biodiversity. But there’s only one solar-powered cable car system meant to get you eye-to-eye with giraffes or hovering above baobab branches. When it opens in May, the six-seat Solfari gondola will be a new claim to fame for the Unesco-designated Vhembe Biosphere Reserve, in South Africa’s little-visited Limpopo province. The amenity will be exclusive to guests of a new luxury lodge there, the six-suite, solar-powered Few & Far Luvhondo, where rates start at $1,800 per person per night. This aerial amenity is the invention of Jacob Dusek, who with wife Sarah Dusek founded the American glamping company Under Canvas. After selling the company to KSL Capital Partners for more than $100 million in 2018, the pair moved to Cape Town and launched a venture capital firm to invest in female-run African companies. By fall 2019 the firm was smoothly up and running, and the pair yearned to return to their nature-tourism roots in their newly adopted homeland.

Subscribe to enjoy similar stories. There may be a silver lining in the official weather agency’s warning of a more intense summer this year. Products such as air conditioners, coolers, and beverages could see particularly strong sales because of above-normal temperatures, providing relief for consumer-focused companies amid the ongoing slowdown in India’s urban consumption.

Subscribe to enjoy similar stories. The KTM 390 Adventure was one of the most awaited launches of the year, and finally made its debut in February. Ever since whispers of its imminent arrival were heard, there was considerable excitement in the brotherhood of bikers.

Subscribe to enjoy similar stories. Even though policymakers in Beijing may be putting up a sanguine show, not all is well with China’s economy. Its latest official data reveals that prices in China fell 0.7% from a year earlier in February, marking the first time in more than a year that the economy is in the grip of deflation.

federal agencies. The pair also joined forces on social media to push back against criticism of US support for Ukraine. Musk claimed his Starlink satellite internet system was critical to Ukraine’s military operations, suggesting the front lines would collapse without it. Polish Foreign Minister Radosław Sikorski criticized Musk’s remarks as a veiled threat, noting Poland pays millions annually for Starlink services in Ukraine and warned of seeking alternatives if SpaceX became unreliable. Rubio quickly defended Musk, denying any threats to cut Ukraine’s access and praising Starlink as vital to Ukraine’s survival in the war.

Subscribe to enjoy similar stories. Drivers are finding they wish the smart technology in their cars was just a bit dumber. Automakers have added new tech features in the 2020s that go beyond the touch screens, assisted-driving systems and companion phone apps that have become ubiquitous in new cars.

Among the 20 most active VC investors analyzed, several firms, including Z47, Stellaris Venture Partners, and Nexus Venture Partners, reported no women at all within their investment teams. Peak XV Partners topped the list with the highest number of women investors, comprising 13 out of 44. Other firms like Blume Ventures (6 out of 23) and Accel India (5 out of 25) showed relatively better representation, while Lightspeed Ventures (4 out of 16) and Elevation Capital (7 out of 33) reflected the broader industry challenge where women are consistently outnumbered across major firms.

“India has a unique opportunity to position itself as a global AI talent hub. However, by 2027, the job openings in AI are expected to be 1.5–2x of the talent availability. The challenge—and opportunity—lies in reskilling and upskilling a significant portion of the existing talent base on emerging technology tools and skillsets,” said Saikat Banerjee, Partner and leader in Bain & Company’s AI, Insights, and Solutions practice in India. He added, “The AI talent shortage is a significant challenge, but not invincible. Addressing it requires a fundamental shift in how businesses attract, develop, and retain AI talent. Companies need to move beyond traditional hiring approaches, prioritize continuous upskilling, and foster an innovation-driven ecosystem.”

«Barring quick commerce, everywhere else clearly the TAM is established, the unit economics are established and you have a bunch of companies which are hugely profitable and are dominating their respective market segments,» says Nilesh Shah, MD & CEO, Envision Capital. The other thing that you have been backing was the platform related companies, that is the sector that you used to like. Give us some sense what has been happening and how do you see the recent correction in some of these stocks because though there are near-term concerns regarding their profitability, so how do you see the unit economics panning out and the consolidation in the sector and any segment or rather any stock where you have gone ahead and actually increased your exposure in the recent correction? Nilesh Shah: So, platform companies essentially now has become a much wider bouquet. There are essentially the food delivery platforms and then there is the quick commerce space and then there is the travel space, insurance, capital market plays, these are basically a very wide variety of companies which are there in digital platforms.

Zomato have approved the resolution to change the company's name to Eternal Ltd. Eternal will house four businesses: food delivery business Zomato, quick commerce unit Blinkit, going-out vertical District and business-to-business (B2B) grocery supply company Hyperpure. The company is rebranding itself for the second time. It was founded as Foodiebay in 2008 and renamed Zomato in 2010.

Zomato's rise as a public company has been rapid as it has expanded into businesses beyond food delivery over the past few years. Adding quick commerce through its Blinkit acquisition and later buying out Paytm Insider to bulk up its going-out business, Zomato's success has emanated from combining profitability with the growth potential of its quick commerce unit and other new businesses which drove its market capitalisation to an all-time high of ₹2.75 lakh crore ($32 billion) by December 2024.

St. Patrick’s Day event, Clover Craze, starts on March 13, 2025. It will be available in multiplayer, battle royale and Zombies. Players must collect clovers to earn rewards. Season 3 was delayed until April 3, which may extend the event beyond its planned end date of March 20.

Subscribe to enjoy similar stories. The statistics ministry recently released a bunch of fresh data-sets related to India’s gross domestic product (GDP) across three years, including a guesstimate of expected economic growth for the current year ending on 31 March.

Delhi Chief Minister Rekha Gupta and Lieutenant Governor VK Saxena honoured seven women, including social workers and paralympians, at an event here on Sunday. Speaking at an all-women bike rally organised by Navbharat Times, the Chief Minister said the women bikers were a symbol of empowerment. «You have proved wrong those who say women cannot do certain things,» she said. The seven women who were honoured included Humaira Mushtaq, the first international car racer from Jammu and Kashmir; Divya Kakran, an Arjuna award-winning wrestler; Sweety Mehta, a domestic violence survivor, who established NGOs for women with similar struggles; Rekha Jindal, who works extensively in the field of drug rehabilitation; Nalini Asthana, who has dedicated herself to teaching computer to slum dwellers; Kanchan Lakhani, a para-athlete, and Neetu Chaudhary, a social worker. The bike rally took off from Connaught Place at around 11 am on Sunday.