New Delhi, Prime Minister Narendra Modi, on a visit to ISRO's Vikram Sarabhai Space Station on Tuesday, announced the names of four astronauts who have been chosen for <keyword id="19895063" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="india" source="keywords">India</keyword>'s historic <keyword id="19945102" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="gaganyaan" source="keywords">Gaganyaan</keyword> mission. The selected astronauts are currently going through intense training for country's first human space flight mission, slated for 2025. The four astronauts, selected for the Gaganyaan mission are Group Captain <keyword id="20747034" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="prasanth-balakrishnan-nair" source="keywords">Prasanth Balakrishnan Nair</keyword>, Group Captain Ajit Krishnan, Group Captain Angad Pratap and Wing Commander <keyword id="20747033" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="shubhanshu-shukla" source="keywords">Shubhanshu Shukla</keyword>. While announcing names of the four astronauts, PM Modi expressed happiness and said that they will bring new glory to nation's space exploration programs. Notably, Gaganyaan would be India's first human space mission. All-out preparations are underway at ISRO for the project. Gagayaan would add another feat to India's successful space exploration programs. In previous display of space prowess, India became the only nation last year to make successful landing of Chandrayaan on the South Pole of the <keyword id="19899207" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="moon" source="keywords">Moon</keyword>. By 2035, ISRO plans to set up own 'Bharatiya Antariksha Station' and has also prepared a timeline to send first Indian to the Moon by 2040.

Meet the four astronauts who will steer India's Gaganyaan mission

Thiruvananthapuram (Kerala) [India], August 23 (ANI): Ahead of the much-awaited soft landing of the country's third <keyword id="42440" type="General" weightage="80" keywordseo="moon" source="Orion">moon</keyword> mission -- <keyword id="8011274" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="chandrayaan-3" source="Orion">Chandrayaan-3</keyword>, former <keyword id="6448588" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="isro-chairman" source="Orion">ISRO Chairman</keyword> G <keyword id="52158" type="General" weightage="50" keywordseo="madhavan-nair" source="Orion">Madhavan Nair</keyword> spoke to and delved into how this mission is significant for overall spacefaring for India and also about the last-minute manoeuvres. "The last leg of its operation and everybody is anxiously looking forward to this great event. As far as the Indian space program is concerned, this is going to be the most significant milestone for planetary exploration. Of course, in the past, we have made an attempt to land on the <keyword id="963787" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="lunar-surface" source="Orion">lunar surface</keyword>, but unfortunately, it did not succeed at the time. Since then, <keyword id="6358064" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="isro" source="Orion">ISRO</keyword> has done considerable studies and simulations and strengthened the designs and provided redundancies so that the mission success probability can be improved," he said. The scheduled timing for the soft landing of Chandrayaan-3 on the moon's south pole on August 23, 2023 (Wednesday), is around 18:04 IST, with the powered descent of Vikram lander expected at 1745 IST. With all set for a soft landing, he said the last 20 minutes where the powered descending from the lunar orbit to the lunar surface will take place, is going to be the most challenging moment in the history of this mission. "As far as this soft landing is concerned, not many people have succeeded. It is only USA, Russia and China have succeeded so far to land on the south pole of the Moon. Of course, recently, the Luna spacecraft of Russia also crashed and landed on the lunar surface. Considering all this background, we have to really make sure everything is normal and perfect before the landing operation takes place," he said. "The landing operation involves first reducing the velocity of the spacecraft from 1.6 kilometre per second to a few hundred meters per second and then making it over at a low altitude, taking pictures of the lunar surface and identifying the spot where it can safely land. There are rocks and there are craters and valleys in the region. So one has to really choose the spot on which the landing can take place safely. And this operation will be done in the last minute or so." "And that is the most important event which is as far as the mission is concerned. After reaching identifying the spot, the thrusters again will slowly bring the spacecraft to the lunar surface. After landing there, the rover is suspected to move out and then have the investigation in the southern polar region for about 14 days. It will collect data about the minerals which are there, identify the water sources and also the helium three and so on," he added. "So this is a very significant event as far as ISRO is concerned, and everybody is anxiously looking forward to the successful completion of this event" said Madhavan Nair. In its latest update on Chandrayaan-3 soft landing, ISRO has said the mission is on schedule and systems are undergoing regular checks. This mission, if it turns out to be fruitful, will make India the only country to have marked its presence on the lunar south pole which is considered to be difficult for its rough and harsh conditions, and fourth - after US, China, and Russia - to have successfully landed on the moon's surface. Historically, spacecraft missions to the Moon have primarily targeted the equatorial region due to its favourable terrain and operating conditions. However, the lunar south pole presents a vastly different and more challenging terrain compared to the equatorial region. The spacecraft was launched from the Satish Dhawan Space Centre in Andhra Pradesh's Sriharikota on July 14. Ever since the July 14 launch, ISRO has been maintaining that the health of the spacecraft remains "normal". Chandrayaan-3's development phase commenced in January 2020, with the launch planned sometime in 2021. However, the Covid-19 pandemic brought an unforeseen delay to the mission's progress. (ANI)

Chandrayaan-3 most significant milestone for planetary exploration: former ISRO chief

Streaming platform <keyword id="128682" type="COMPANY" weightage="20" keywordseo="Netflix">Netflix</keyword> on Friday announced that the much-awaited <keyword id="9920285" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="20" keywordseo="series-adaptation">series adaptation</keyword> of "A Suitable Boy" from filmmaker <keyword id="7999" type="PERSON" weightage="20" keywordseo="Mira-Nair">Mira Nair</keyword> will premiere on October 23. An official adaptation of acclaimed author <keyword id="196246" type="PERSON" weightage="20" keywordseo="Vikram-Seth">Vikram Seth</keyword>''s classic novel of the same name, the six-part drama has already aired on BBC in the UK and Ireland. Seth's novel charts the fortunes of four large families in North India of 1951, a time when the country was carving its own identity as an independent nation by planning to go to the polls for its first democratic general election. The story focuses on 19-year-old university student Lata, portrayed by newcomer Tanya Maniktala, who struggles with her life being mapped out thanks to old traditions and an overbearing mother who wants to find her a suitable husband. In the series, Khatter plays Maan Kapoor, the wayward son of a politician, Tabu as his love interest Saeeda Bai, a courtesan. Apart from Maniktala, Khatter and Tabu, the show also features Rasika Dugal as Lata's sister, Ram Kapoor as minister Mahesh Kapoor and Maan's father, Mahira Kakkar as Rupa Mehra, Vivaan Shah as Varun Mehra, Shahana Goswami as Meenakshi Chatterji Mehra, Namit Das as Haresh Khanna and Danesh Razvi as Kabir Durrani. Nair, who is known for critically-acclaimed films such as "Salaam Bombay", "<keyword id="28759" type="ENTERTAINMENT" weightage="20" keywordseo="Monsoon-Wedding">Monsoon Wedding</keyword>" and "The Namesake", has also made her television debut with the drama. <div type="Article" hostid="261" msid="78571169" title="World Food Programme wins 2020 Nobel Peace Prize" mstype="2" mssubtype="0"></div>

Mira Nair's 'A Suitable Boy' to premiere on Netflix in October

<ul><li>At the start of 2020, Indian Space Research Organisation (<keyword id="6358064" type="COMPANY" weightage="20" keywordseo="isro">ISRO</keyword>) Chairman and Secretary Department of Space K. Sivan said that the space agency was planning to have 25 launches. </li><li>All was going well for ISRO after the crashlanding of India's moon lander Vikram on the lunar surface in 2019.</li><li>The first setback of the year for ISRO came on March 4, when it had to call off the launch of GISAT-1, a day before its actual launch, owing to technical reasons. </li></ul>What would have been an insipid first half of the calendar year 2020 for the Indian space agency turned a bit interesting towards the end, with the government announcing its decision to open up the sector to private participation. At the start of 2020, Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) Chairman and Secretary Department of Space K. Sivan said that the space agency was planning to have 25 launches -- including Aditya-L1 satellite, <keyword id="1512353" type="COMPANY" weightage="20" keywordseo="Geo-Imaging-Satellite">Geo Imaging Satellite</keyword> (GISAT-1), realisation of Small Satellite Launch Vehicle (SSLV) or small rocket (carrying capacity 500 kg), navigation satellite with indigenous atomic clocks and <keyword id="9550825" type="COMPANY" weightage="20" keywordseo="indian-data-relay-satellite-system">Indian Data Relay Satellite System</keyword> (IDRSS), and GSAT-20 satellite with electric propulsion. Sivan also said India will embark on its third moon mission 'Chandrayaan-3' and attempt to land a lander on the lunar surface sometime in 2020-21. All was going well for ISRO after the crashlanding of India's moon lander Vikram on the lunar surface in 2019. The year began well ISRO with the launch of the 3,357 kg communication satellite GSAT-30 by the European space agency Arianespace rocket Ariane 5 on January 17. The ISRO also showcased its robot/half-humanoid -- Vyommitra - which was part of its human space mission programme 'Gaganyaan'. The first setback of the year for ISRO came on March 4, when it had to call off the launch of GISAT-1, a day before its actual launch, owing to technical reasons. The ISRO did not share any detail about the technical reasons, or the glitch, and its rectification since then. It is also not known when the satellite with a very good camera would be launched. Then came the Covid-19 lockdown within and outside India that had its cascading impact on ISRO's core plans like the realisation of SSLV, launch of GISAT-1, delay in the first test-flight of the rocket as part of Gaganyaan mission. "During the lockdown, industries that were supplying components were not working. Our own officials were not able to attend office. Further travel to Sriharikota in Andhra Pradesh for satellite launch by the officials were not possible due to the lockdown," Sivan told IANS. It is also not known when ISRO will be able to restart its satellite launch operations. With coronavirus infection spreading fast in the county, ISRO also started work on developing a low-cost ventilator and sanitiser. Meanwhile, two positive developments happened for ISRO -- securing an Indian patent for its liquid cooling and heating garment (LCHG) suitable for space applications and for its method of manufacturing highland lunar soil simulant or simply lunar/moon soil. On May 16, Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman announced that Indian private sector will be a co-traveller in India's space-sector journey and a level-playing field will be provided for them in satellites, launches, and space-based services. She also said that a predictable policy and regulatory environment will be provided to private players. The future projects for planetary exploration, outer space travel and others are to be opened up for the private sector, adding there will be a liberal geo-spatial data policy for providing remote-sensing data to tech-entrepreneurs subject to various checks. Welcoming the announcement, sectoral experts suggested various models for restructuring of ISRO and also urged the government to set up an independent regulator and also enact necessary legislation. On June 24, the Union Cabinet decided to set up Indian National Space Promotion and Authorisation Centre (IN-SPACe), making ISRO to focus on research and development (R&amp;D) of new technologies, exploration missions, and human spaceflight programme. Singh said the Union Cabinet led by Prime Minister Narendra Modi decided to set up IN-SPACe to provide a level playing field for private companies to use Indian space infrastructure. He also said the New Space India Limited (NSIL) will endeavour to re-orient space activities from a 'supply driven' model to 'demand driven' model, thereby ensuring optimum utilisation of the country's space assets. Former ISRO Chairman <keyword id="52158" type="PERSON" weightage="20" keywordseo="madhavan-nair">Madhavan Nair</keyword> said there should be a national space law to define responsibilities and liabilities. Pointing out the role envisaged for IN-SPACe and the demand for a sectoral regulator, when queried whether the proposed body could be converted into the space sector regulator, Sivan told IANS: "IN-SPACe could be turned into a regulatory body when the necessary laws and regulations are in place." "We are on the job of getting ready the Space Activities Bill. It will define the space activities, liabilities and other aspects," he added. As part of the reform process, new navigation policy is also being proposed. Suitable changes in the remote sensing data policy as well as SATCOM policy are on the anvil to align them to an open and inclusive space sector, said Sivan. "The best is to establish an independent regulator -- <keyword id="9550824" type="COMPANY" weightage="20" keywordseo="space-regulatory-authority-of-india">Space Regulatory Authority of India</keyword> (SRAI) -- which will create a level-playing field for many of the emerging players," Narayan Prasad, Chief Operating Officer, satsearch, told IANS. Establishing an independent regulator could allow a systematic review and reforms on a continuous basis rather than one-off announcements, Prasad said. As per current scheme of things, IN-SPACe will have its own directorates for technical, legal, safety and security, monitoring as well as activities promotion for assessing the private sector's needs and coordination of the activities. IN-SPACe would have a board and representatives from industry, academia and the government, Sivan said. "Initially, IN-SPACe will be manned by people from the existing space setup. Later, people from outside will be taken in. It will have its funds from the budgetary allocations for the DoS. The new body may not need big financial allocations," Sivan remarked. Stressing that the ISRO's importance will not diminish with the entry of IN-SPACe, Sivan said all the existing centres - manufacturing, services, rocket launch centres - would continue to be with the ISRO. "The ISRO will be involved in research and development in advanced technologies, human space missions. It will also share its technological expertise with the private parties. The proposed new body will not disturb the existing ones. It will be another autonomous body," Sivan said. Industry officials are hoping to see further steps being taken by the government regarding the space sector during the second half of 2020. But as regards the satellite launches - domestic as well as foreign for a fee - by ISRO during the year depends on the spread or control of coronavirus and the resultant lockdown. SEE ALSO: <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/india/news/photographer-of-the-viral-black-panther-images-from-india-shares-his-story/articleshow/76830618.cms">INTERVIEW: Shaaz Jung opens up about the blood, sweat and years behind the viral images of a rare black panther</a> <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/politics/world/news/harvard-and-mit-are-suing-ice-to-block-its-order-forcing-international-students-to-leave-the-us-if-their-course-is-online-only/articleshow/76856699.cms">Harvard, MIT, and Northeastern University are suing ICE to block its order forcing international students to leave the US if their course is online-only</a> <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/tech/enterprise/news/russian-scammers-are-conning-senior-executives-into-giving-away-2-7-million-by-impersonating-real-ceos-and-lawyers/articleshow/76849870.cms">Russian scammers are conning senior executives into giving away $2.7 million by impersonating real CEOs and lawyers</a>

ISRO doesn't know when it will be ready to restart space launches

<ul><li>Chandrayaan 2 will be attempt to soft land on the Moon between 1:30am and 2:30am tonight. </li><li>The entire process will take 15 minutes. </li><li>The lander, Vikram, will be shutting down its engines — one by one — as it gets closer to the lunar surface. </li></ul>Chandrayaan 2, India's second mission to Moon, is all set to land tonight between 1:30 am and 2:30 am. Vikram, Chandrayaan 2's lander, is on its way to the Moon's South Pole to attempt a soft landing. This is the most difficult part of the Chandrayaan 2 mission. Of all the missions that have attempted to soft land on the Moon, only 37% have been successful. Former Indian Space Research Organisation Chairman, <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/chandrayaan-2-is-isros-most-complex-mission-as-per-man-behind-chandrayaan-1-moon-mission/articleshow/71006485.cms">G. Madhavan Nair</a>, stated that will be ISRO's ‘most complex' mission ever. The current ISRO Chairman <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/isro-chandrayaan-2-india-moon-mission-launches-successfully-at-243-pm/articleshow/70328430.cms">K Sivan</a> also believes that Chandrayaan's 2 soft landing on the Moon's South Pole will be the ‘most terrifying' 15 minutes for the onground team. Here's everything you need to know about Vikram landing on the Moon:

Everything you need to know about Vikram, Chandrayaan 2's lander, as it lands on the Moon

<img class="gwt-Image" src="/photo/35664685.cms" /> <keyword id="43217" type="CITY" weightage="80" keywordseo="Tech-Mahindra">Tech Mahindra</keyword>, India's fifth largest software company, has signed a multi-million-pound IT services deal with insurance premium finance firm <keyword id="2259194" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="60" keywordseo="Premium-Credit">Premium Credit</keyword>, located in the UK and Ireland. However, financial details of the multi-year deal were not disclosed. 
 
The software company will provide operational support and maintenance services to Premium Credit, Tech Mahindra said in a statement. 
 
Gopi Chelliah, the chief operating officer of Premium Credit, said that the partnership with Tech Mahindra would empower them with deep systems knowledge, professional resources and decades of financial systems expertise. He also added that the deal would enable Premium Credit to innovate with confidence. 
 The BFSI (Banking, <keyword id="6354241" type="COMPANY" weightage="40" keywordseo="Financial-Services">Financial Services</keyword> and Insurance) practice area is one of the largest contributors to Tech Mahindra revenues, amounting to 10%. 
 
Tech Mahindra’s clients include one of the top three retail banks in the US, Canada, UK, Australia and India, as well as one of the top three insurers in US, Europe, Australia and India. Europe constitutes around 32% of the company's global revenues. 
 Commenting on the deal, <keyword id="1864872" type="PERSON" weightage="40" keywordseo="Vikram-Nair">Vikram Nair</keyword>, Tech Mahindra head, Europe (enterprise), said that the companies would be working together to develop Premium Credit's financial infrastructure as a connected, flexible business platform that would continue to support business growth. 
 
Premium Credit has 1.8 million customers and achieved advances of £3.3 billion in 2012, processing 24 million direct debits. 
 The insurance premium finance firm works with 4,000 intermediaries across its chosen markets and it has two offices in <keyword id="206610" type="CITY" weightage="40" keywordseo="Epsom">Epsom</keyword> and Dublin. 
Image: The Economic Times

Tech Mahindra Signs Multi-million-pound Deal With Premium Credit

<ul><li>Investors' wealth has soared by ₹28.65 lakh crore in the three-day rally to Friday in the stock markets.</li><li>The three days saw benchmark <keyword id="19896382" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="Sensex" source="keywords">Sensex</keyword> recouping 4,614.31 points or 6.40% to close at a record high.</li><li>On Friday, the 30-share BSE Sensex jumped 1,720.8 points or 2.29% to hit a new record peak of 76,795.31 in day trade.</li></ul> Investors' wealth has soared by ₹28.65 lakh crore in the three-day rally to Friday in the stock markets, which saw benchmark Sensex recouping 4,614.31 points or 6.40 per cent to close at a record high. The sharp rebound in stock markets follows Tuesday's mayhem which wiped out over ₹31 lakh crore of investors' wealth in a single day as markets crashed after poll results lagged its expectations. On Friday, the 30-share BSE Sensex jumped 1,720.8 points or 2.29 per cent to hit a new record peak of 76,795.31 in day trade. The benchmark ended at 76,693.36, up 1,618.85 points or 2.16 per cent. The NSE <keyword id="19896381" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="Nifty" source="keywords">Nifty</keyword> settled with a jump of 468.75 points or 2.05 per cent at 23,290.15. Following the remarkable recovery in equities, the market capitalisation of BSE-listed companies went up by ₹28,65,742.36 crore to ₹4,23,49,447.63 crore (USD 5.08 trillion) in three days. "Domestic markets shrugged off weak global cues, as investors cheered the <keyword id="19899808" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="RBI" source="keywords">RBI</keyword>'s higher growth forecast for FY25 in its credit policy announcement which propelled Sensex to a fresh all-time high above the 76k-mark on massive broad-based buying support. "Also, the arrival of monsoon rains on time and expectations of its even spread across the country raised hopes of softening inflation going ahead. With the election uncertainty now over and the NDA party most likely to form the government, investors are hopeful that the action will now shift to reforms and the upcoming Union Budget," Prashanth Tapse, Senior VP (Research) at Mehta Equities Ltd, said. The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) left its key interest rates unchanged on Friday as expected, keeping the focus on inflation amid robust economic growth that is likely to provide the new Modi government headroom for manoeuvring reforms. The Monetary Policy Committee, consisting of three RBI and an equal number of external members, kept the repo rate unchanged at 6.50 per cent for an eighth straight policy meeting and stuck to its relatively hawkish stance of "withdrawal of accommodation", Governor Shaktikanta Das said in his statement. With the <keyword id="19948184" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="Indian-economy" source="keywords">Indian economy</keyword>, Asia's third-largest, growing faster than expected in the previous year, the RBI raised its <keyword id="19972825" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="GDP-growth" source="keywords">GDP growth</keyword> projection for the current fiscal through March 2025 to 7.2 per cent from 7 per cent while maintaining its inflation forecast at 4.5 per cent. All the 30 Sensex companies ended in the positive territory on Friday, with Mahindra &amp; Mahindra, Wipro, Tech Mahindra, Bharti Airtel, Infosys and Tata Steel emerging as the biggest gainers. "This week, the market experienced extreme volatility, with investor emotions on a roller-coaster ride. The RBI's decision to keep the repo rate unchanged at 6.5 per cent, along with an upward revision in the growth rate to 7.2 per cent from 7 per cent, boosted market sentiment. This indicates solid performance for the domestic economy," Vikram Kasat, Head of Advisory of Prabhudas Lilladher Pvt Ltd, said. In the broader market, the BSE smallcap gauge climbed 2.18 per cent and midcap index rallied 1.28 per cent. All indices ended in the positive territory. Telecommunication jumped 3.78 per cent, IT soared 3.38 per cent, teck (3.33 per cent), auto (2.53 per cent), utilities (2.18 per cent), metal (2.15 per cent), energy (1.99 per cent) and consumer discretionary (1.94 per cent). As many as 2,890 stocks advanced while 970 declined and 92 remained unchanged on the BSE. "The anticipation of stability within the coalition government at the centre, coupled with the RBI's upward revision of its growth forecast for FY25 to 7.2 per cent, fuelled a broad-based rally in the domestic market. The Indian market surpassed its previous record high set on exit-poll day and reached a fresh peak," Vinod Nair, Head of Research at Geojit Financial Services, said. In an eventful week, the BSE benchmark Sensex jumped 2,732.05 points or 3.69 per cent and the Nifty zoomed 759.45 points or 3.37 per cent. SEE ALSO:<a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/tech/news/indian-smartwatch-shipments-remain-flat-in-q1-2024-the-year-expected-to-end-in-a-decline/articleshow/110789121.cms" target="_blank"></a> <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/tech/news/indian-smartwatch-shipments-remain-flat-in-q1-2024-the-year-expected-to-end-in-a-decline/articleshow/110789121.cms" target="_blank">Indian smartwatch shipments remain flat in Q1 2024, annual shipments expected to end in a decline</a><a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/business/webstories/nvidia-beats-apple-becomes-second-most-valuable-company-top-10-companies-by-market-cap/slidelist/110793951.cms" target="_blank"></a> <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/business/webstories/nvidia-beats-apple-becomes-second-most-valuable-company-top-10-companies-by-market-cap/slidelist/110793951.cms" target="_blank">Nvidia beats Apple, becomes second most valuable company: Top 10 companies by market cap</a><a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/tech/news/synology-introduces-new-products-aimed-at-data-protection-and-scalability/articleshow/110711086.cms" target="_blank"></a> <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/tech/news/synology-introduces-new-products-aimed-at-data-protection-and-scalability/articleshow/110711086.cms" target="_blank">Synology introduces new products aimed at data protection and scalability</a>

Investors' wealth soars ₹28.65 lakh crore in three days of market recovery after rout

The stage adaptation of Canadian author <keyword id="258485" type="General" weightage="50" keywordseo="yann-martel" source="Orion">Yann Martel</keyword>'s Booker Prize-winning novel '<keyword id="151001" type="General" weightage="100" keywordseo="life-of-pi" source="Orion">Life of Pi</keyword>' shines a spotlight on messages of faith, perseverance and immigration, and brings South Asian talent to centre stage in New York City's iconic Broadway, the team behind the production said. Renowned playwright Lolita <keyword id="312341" type="General" weightage="80" keywordseo="chakrabarti" source="Orion">Chakrabarti</keyword>'s stage adaptation of the story of 16-year-old Indian boy Pi (Piscine) Patel stranded in the ocean on a lifeboat with a Royal Bengal Tiger named Richard Parker officially opens at Broadway's Gerald Schoenfeld Theatre on March 30. It brings together an ensemble cast of global actors as well as award-winning puppeteers who bring to life the book's other main characters - the tiger, hyena, zebra and orangutan - to life on stage. Chakrabarti said for anyone who has read the book or seen the Ang Lee-directed film, the stage adaptation will be a "totally surprising" experience. "Because it's a different kind of experience (compared) to a personal reading of a novel or sitting in a cinema. This requires the audience to be engaged and in the room and discovering the story with us," Chakrabarti told PTI here. She described the journey of bringing the book to life on stage as "long" and "thrilling" and said she hopes the audiences "travel with us and have an emotional experience that ends in hope." Sri Lankan actor Hiran Abeysekera plays the title role of Pi in the Broadway adaptation, Indian-born actor Mahira <keyword id="1602" type="General" weightage="80" keywordseo="kakkar" source="Orion">Kakkar</keyword> reprises the role of Pi's mother while Rajesh Bose makes his Broadway debut and plays Pi's father. Abeysekera has won the <keyword id="916262" type="General" weightage="80" keywordseo="olivier-award" source="Orion">Olivier Award</keyword>, Britain's most prestigious stage honour, for his performance in Life of Pi in the West End production of the play. With the Broadway adaptation bringing together actors from the Asian and South Asian regions on centre stage in New York, Chakrabarti said she "loves" the message this conveys. "Because we're here, we're always here, not necessarily recognised or celebrated. I hope this is a change. The world is changing fast. This is a universal story for everybody but in terms of representation, it is thrilling," she said. Director Max Webster said the show promises to be a "wonderful entertainment" with humour, emotion and surprise and at the same time "asks really important questions about life, love, faith and family and immigration and how we hold on to meaning in our lives." "The world has been through some really, really big challenges, especially the last few years. It's hard to hold on to that sense of faith, purpose and belief. I really hope what we're all trying to do is offer a sense of wonder or a sense of re-enchantment and the possibility of being alive," Webster said. Kakkar, who acted in the TV miniseries 'A Suitable Boy' directed by Mira Nair and based on Indian novelist Vikram Seth's eponymous novel, said that audiences from all over the world come to see Broadway. With Life of Pi bringing together South Asian actors "front and centre" on Broadway, Kakkar said this "centers the human experience and it makes us all connect with each other at a human level" and implores everyone to "try and understand where someone else is coming from regardless of their race, religion, ethnicity, age." Sathya Sridharan, who plays the role of Pi's 'Mamaji' (uncle) in the play, said that as the world comes out of a very dark time, "this play offers light and upliftment and is a testament to the human spirit of perseverance." With the story of Pi beginning in Pondicherry in southern India, the play also shines a spotlight on the region's culture. On the significance of South Asian representation on Broadway through the production, Sridharan said: "We're able to pay homage to our parents and generations that came before them." "There are so many South Asian actors. This is a testament to anybody that says, 'We couldn't find the right person'. We're here. We're right here. We are waiting. And we're not going to wait anymore," Sridharan said. The novel's other main character Richard Parker, as well as the other animals, has been brought alive on stage through award-winning puppeteers. Set and Costume design is by Olivier Award winner Tim Hatley, Puppetry and Movement Direction by Olivier Award winner Finn Caldwell and Puppet Design by Olivier Award winners Nick Barnes and Finn Caldwell. Life of Pi played at Wyndham's Theatre in London's West End where it won five Olivier Awards including Best New Play, Best Scenic Design and Best Lighting Design. Prior to the Broadway engagement, Life of Pi made its North American premiere at the American Repertory Theater at Harvard University. The novel Life of Pi, written by Martel, was published in 2001 and won the coveted Booker Prize in 2002. SEE ALSO: <a target="_blank" class="c-link c-message_attachment__title_link" href="https://www.businessinsider.in/business/corporates/news/tcss-new-ceo-designate-k-krithivasan-confident-about-doubling-down-on-customer-deliveries/articleshow/98725624.cms">TCS's new CEO-designate K Krithivasan confident about doubling down on customer deliveries</a> <a target="_blank" class="c-link c-message_attachment__title_link" href="https://www.businessinsider.in/finance/news/wall-street-giants-launch-30-billion-rescue-of-first-republic-bank-to-stem-crisis/articleshow/98725305.cms">Wall Street giants launch $30 billion rescue of First Republic bank to stem crisis</a>

Lolita Chakrabarti's stage adaptation of 'Life of Pi' to take centerstage in Broadway, New York

Scientist S. Somanath is all set to take over as the new Chairman of the <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/business/startups/news/interview-these-former-isro-scientists-are-hoping-for-the-biggest-ever-funding-in-the-indian-spacetech-industry/articleshow/87911503.cms" data-type="tilCustomLink">Indian Space Research Organisation</a> (ISRO), succeeding K. Sivan. Somanath, who is currently Director of the Vikram Sarabhai Space Centre (VSSC) in the Kerala state capital, will be fourth Keralite to occupy the topmost post in the Indian space sector. The previous Malayalees who have held the top post are K. Kasturirangan, G. Madhavan Nair, and K. Radhakrishnan. Sivan was given a year's extension and his term is set to end very soon and Somnath's name was cleared for the top office way back in 2019 itself, by virtue of his seniority in the ISRO hierarchy. Somanath completed his Pre Degree from the Maharaja's College, Ernakulam and did mechanical engineering from the TKM College of Engineering, Kollam, near here and in 1985 joined the VSSC centre here and has had no reason to look back after that. He later did his Master's degree in Aerospace Engineering from the Indian Institute of Science, Bangalore with specialisation in Dynamics and Control. At the ISRO, he has been associated with the Polar Satellite Launch Vehicle (PSLV) Project during its initial phase. Later he became the Associate Director (Projects) of the VSSC and also the Project Director of the GSLV Mk-III launch vehicle in 2010. He was also the Deputy Director of Propulsion and Space Ordinance Entity till November 2014. In June 2015, he took over as Director of the Liquid Propulsion Systems Centre (LPSC) at Valiamala, Thiruvananthapuram, and served there until January 2018. Somanath then took over as Director of VSSC from Sivan who became Chairman of the ISRO and now he is all set to succeed him in the top post too.

Scientist S. Somanath to take over as new ISRO chairman

<ul><li>India’s <keyword id="414120" type="PERSON" weightage="20" keywordseo="Chandrayaan-2">Chandrayaan 2</keyword> will be attempting to soft on the Moon’s South between 1:30am and 2:30am on 7 September 2019. </li><li>Former Indian Space Research Organisation Chairman Madhavan Nair thinks this is the most complex mission that ISRO has ever attempted. </li><li>Nair led the team at ISRO during India’s first mission to the Moon, Chandrayaan 1. </li></ul>Chandrayaan-2 mission is all set to soft-land on the moon’s surface between 01:30 and 02:30 am on Saturday, 7 September 2019. While the whole world eagerly awaits to see this historic event, G Madhavan Nair, the former chairman of ISRO says Chandrayaan-2 is the most complex mission that ISRO has ever attempted. The man behind Chandrayaan 1 Most notably, Nair had fronted the Chandrayaan-1 mission about a decade back when he was the chairman of ISRO. Commenting on the successful step of separating ‘Vikram’, the lander from the orbiter Chandrayaan-2 on Monday, Madhavan Nair said it was a phenomenal achievement. He added that from now onwards, the rest of the mission ahead of us leading to soft-landing on the moon is even more a tougher job. Nair said, "We are one step closer to having us soft-land on the lunar surface and so far so good; all the mission sequences have gone off well, computation, as well as planning, have worked well and now the lander is in elliptical orbit". Chandrayaan 2 mission gets tough From this point, the rest of the mission to be accomplished is indeed a tougher one, says Madhavan Nair. There are onboard cameras mapping the moon’s terrain and forwarding the pictures to the ISRO’s center. The scientists have to carefully select the right location suitable for the successful soft-landing of Vikram. Saying that this is going to be a highly challenging job in an interview to the press, the former chairman added, "It's a very, very complex operation. I don't think any nation has done a similar operation trying to have real-time pictures and then try to have an on-board computer implement autonomously the function of the landing. It's going to be a remarkable event and we are all looking forward to that event. I am sure it will be a 100% success". Soft landing on the Moon Describing the process of soft-landing on the moon’s surface in an interesting way, Nair said, it is comparable to something like a flying saucer hovering over the surface and then slowly descending as we come across in a science fiction. ISRO will be implementing almost a sequence similar to this with virtually no real-time controls on the ground. Giving the technical details of the soft-landing anticipated, Madhavan Nair said, "...Only on-board cameras would look for the right location and once it matches, there are five rocket engines which will precisely control by first reducing the speed and then making it virtually float at that point and have some lateral movement in such a way that it goes just to the location, slowly guide it to the landing site". To accomplish the mission successfully, different factors including the laser ranging systems, the software governing the entire operation and the onboard computers have to work in perfect coordination. If everything goes well and when ISRO succeeds in soft-landing on the moon, India’s image will receive a boost in the international arena and proclaim to the whole world how a developing nation has perfected the native space technologies the country has developed. Madhavan Nair concluded, “It will also drive home the message that Indian talent is second to none”, and "if given a vision and direction, ISRO can do it" See also: <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/chandrayaan-2-is-not-just-looking-for-water-on-the-moon/articleshow/70974829.cms">Chandrayaan 2 is not just looking for water on the moon</a> <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/chinas-lunar-rover-does-what-indias-chandrayaan-2-is-hoping-to-do-on-the-moons-south-pole/articleshow/70942638.cms">China’s lunar rover does what India’s Chandrayaan 2 is hoping to do on the Moon’s South Pole</a> <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/chandrayaan-2-why-indias-isro-is-going-to-the-moon/articleshow/69893150.cms">Chandrayaan 2 will give India bragging rights even if it doesn’t find water</a>

The man behind Chandrayaan 1 thinks India's second mission to the moon is the 'most complex' ever

By Roopshree Nair New Delhi, Mar 19 () Industry body CII has asked its member companies not to lay off their employees, its president Vikram Kirloskar said on Thursday amid the coronavirus outbreak causing economic slowdown globally. His remarks come against the backdrop of mounting concerns that companies, including in India, could resort to retrenchment due to sluggish demand and various restrictions in place to curb spreading of the coronavirus infection.Observing that "times are challenging", Kirloskar said the industry has sought a moratorium on all loan repayments and urged the Reserve Bank to cut interest rates and increase liquidity in the system."We are requesting our members to hold on to their staff and not do layoffs as far as possible and take care of small service providers as far as possible," Kirloskar told in an interview.The Confederation of Indian Industry (CII) had 9,325 companies as members at the end of 2019.Among other sectors, the airline industry is one of the worst hit by the outbreak. GoAir has asked many employees to go on leave without pay on a rotational basis and has also terminated services of expat pilots.Country's largest carrier IndiGo has announced pay cuts and debt-laden Air India too is considering a similar step."If I compare with the rest of the world, I think our government has done a wonderful job," he said, and suggested that the government should do more to support the economy as India's supply chains have been hit, impacting exports.The coronavirus outbreak has impacted the whole world, and S&amp;P Global Ratings on Wednesday said the global economy has entered into a recession, while lowering the growth forecast for major countries, including India.Elaborating on what the industry wants from the government, Kirloskar said: "We have requested for support such as moratorium on loan repayments".Besides, both central as well as state governments should clear pending dues to micro, small and medium enterprises as fast as possible.He also said the Reserve Bank needs to have a "re-look" at the short-term lending rate, and relax the cash reserve ratio (CRR) requirements for banks so as to increase liquidity into the system.Earlier this week, RBI hinted at a rate cut but stopped short of a decision, belying market expectations at a hurriedly called presser, even as it announced some liquidity enhancing measures to contain the economic fallout of coronavirus.The central bank has started selling US dollars to banks through swap auctions to augment liquidity in the forex market amid the Indian rupee sliding significantly in comparison to the greenback.Kirloskar further said to deal with the contagious virus, industry has started talking about virtual board meetings so that business could go on without taking any health risk. RSN NKD CS NKD ANUANU

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