<ul><li>VG Siddhartha is reportedly missing near Netravati River in Mangalore since Monday night.</li><li>The development came in after the Mangalore City Police started a search operation at 9 pm to look for a man who might have jumped off a kilometer-long bridge in Ullal.</li><li>Siddhartha reportedly faced a cash crunch earlier this year after the default by infrastructure lending giant IL&amp;FS, which forced him to sell stake in the IT firm <keyword id="6357902" type="COMPANY" weightage="20" keywordseo="mindtree">Mindtree</keyword>.</li></ul><keyword id="46195" type="COMPANY" weightage="20" keywordseo="Cafe-Coffee-Day">Cafe Coffee Day</keyword> founder and son-in-law of ex-Karnataka Chief Minister SM Krishna, VG Siddhartha , is reportedly missing near Netravati River in Mangaluru since Monday night. Police says, his phone is switched off, the Times of India <a href="https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/mangaluru/ccd-coffee-day-founder-v-g-siddhartha-missing/articleshow/70442484.cms">reported</a>. The development came in after the Mangalore City Police started a search operation at 9 pm to look for a man who might have jumped off a kilometer-long bridge in Ullal. According to the report, Siddhartha may be the missing 'man' since he reached Mangaluru at 8 pm in his SUV and ask the driver to drop him at the bridge in Ullal. The 58-year-old entrepreneur was in talks with Coca-Cola to sell considerable stake in his coffee chain. The deal was <a href="https://www.businesstoday.in/current/corporate/coca-cola-coke-cafe-coffee-day-ccd-stake-sale-beverage-maker-indias-largest-coffee-chain/story/359387.html">supposed to be closed</a> by the end of March 2020. VG Siddhartha came from a coffee-growing family, which owned 15,000 acres of coffee estate in <keyword id="57240" type="CITY" weightage="20" keywordseo="Chikmagalur">Chikmagalur</keyword> in <keyword id="6354780" type="ENTERTAINMENT" weightage="20" keywordseo="Karnataka">Karnataka</keyword>. He launched the first Cafe Coffee Day (CCD) outlet on <keyword id="18382" type="ORGANIZATION" weightage="20" keywordseo="brigade-road">Brigade Road</keyword> in Bengaluru. The chain currently has 1,750 outlets and over 60,000 vending machines spread over Nepal, Malaysia, Czech Republic, and Egypt, <a href="http://www.coffeeday.com/PDF/Coffee_Day_Annual_report_2018.pdf">aside from 245 cities in India. </a> The coffee baron had reportedly been <a href="https://www.livemint.com/companies/news/why-v-g-siddhartha-went-with-l-t-ignoring-mindtree-promoters-1553710517498.html">cornered by a cash crunch</a> after the default by infrastructure lending giant IL&amp;FS triggered a liquidity crisis in the country. Siddhartha had to sell his 20.4% stake in the IT firm Mindtree to L&amp;T against the wishes of Mindtree’s founders who Siddhartha had backed since 1999. SEE ALSO: <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/lt-has-51-8-stake-in-mindtree-after-open-offer/articleshow/69960033.cms">L&amp;T takes over Mindtree in Indian IT’s first-ever hostile acquisition</a> <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/mindtree-takeover-battle-lt-deals-the-first-blow-buying-coffee-baron-vg-siddharthas-stake/articleshow/68475544.cms">Mindtree takeover battle: L&amp;T deals the first blow buying coffee baron VG Siddhartha's stak</a>e

Coffee baron VG Siddhartha, the founder of India's iconic chain Cafe Coffee Day, is missing

<img class="gwt-Image" src="/photo/57083061.cms" style="width: 800px; height: 600px;" /> 
 
The indie-music scene is India booming and the direct result of that are the music festivals that have been cropping up, not just in the metros but tier-2 and tier-3 cities too. The music is varied; from integrating regional languages to mainstream pop music, to experiments with Indian folk music with western languages and genres, the audience has a lot of options, for every musical palate. 
 
With gigs happening with such fervor, the artists are benefiting; it’s no longer taboo to be a singer-songwriter as young bands from schools and colleges score an opportunity to showcase their talent. 
 
<a href="http://www.businessinsider.in/vh1-supersonic-2017-is-the-multi-genre-music-festival-you-should-be-attending/articleshow/57006545.cms">ALSO READ: Vh1 Supersonic 2017 is the multi-genre music fest you should be attending</a> 
 One such <keyword id="1244359" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="20" keywordseo="indie">indie</keyword> singer-songwriter from Mumbai raised two lakhs in under six hours of his <keyword id="990338" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="20" keywordseo="crowdfunding">crowdfunding</keyword> campaign, a feat that could’ve only been dreamt of in a country like ours where while the <keyword id="143" type="CITY" weightage="20" keywordseo="Bollywood">Bollywood</keyword> industry thrives, the independent <keyword id="6367711" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="20" keywordseo="Musicians">musicians</keyword> still struggle to get the limelight. 
 <keyword id="824043" type="COMPANY" weightage="20" keywordseo="Business-Insider">Business Insider</keyword> caught up with <keyword id="1355290" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="20" keywordseo="Tejas-Menon">Tejas Menon</keyword>, the man of the ‘music’ hour to chat about how crowdfunding an album makes sense for the musicians who want to ‘Make it happen’. 
 <keyword id="17256" type="PERSON" weightage="20" keywordseo="Menon">Menon</keyword> defines his music as ‘A range of influences including 80’s pop-rock, musical theater and adult-contemporary songwriters, developed into his unique style of lyric-heavy pop-rock.’ 
 The singer has played in popular music festivals like <keyword id="15277" type="PERSON" weightage="20" keywordseo="bacardi">Bacardi</keyword> NH7 Weekender, Kala Ghoda Arts Festival, and Mahindra Blues Festival and he is comfortable both with playing in a band and just by himself and his acoustic guitar. 
 
<a href="http://www.businessinsider.in/heres-how-you-could-become-a-filmmaker-at-kala-ghoda-festival-2017-with-snapdeal/articleshow/56998397.cms">ALSO READ: Here’s how you could become a filmmaker at Kala Ghoda Festival 2017 with Snapdeal</a> 
 
''For someone who released his first EP(Extended Play) ‘Small Victories’ in late 2014, I’m finally ready to do a full-length album called ‘Make it happen’ which will feature 10 songs. In the past two years, I did try to get a label on board for this but I felt that after performing all over the country, I’ll let the people who like my music help me out to do this by myself’’ he says, in an optimistic fervor. 
 
Taking the independent part to the next level literally, Menon believes that is easier than it has ever been to make a good album these days, however, good studios and album production still cost a great deal, wherein comes the crowd funding. 
 
<img class="gwt-Image" src="/photo/57083086.cms" style="width: 800px; height: 800px;" /> 
 
The Campaign 
 Menon had started a campaign on the crowdfunding platform <keyword id="1927134" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="20" keywordseo="Wishberry">Wishberry</keyword>, which had an initial goal of Rs. 2 lakhs to be completed in 30 days, to fulfill costs like Studio Cost (Rs. 90000), Admin fees(Rs. 20000), Mixing (Rs. 50000), Mastering (Rs. 30000) and <keyword id="2426054" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="20" keywordseo="misc">Misc</keyword>. (Rs. 10000). As he’s hit the goal in under a day, the bigger goal has been set to Rs. 4 lakhs. 
 If he hits the new goal, <keyword id="6373601" type="PERSON" weightage="20" keywordseo="Vishal-Dadlani">Vishal Dadlani</keyword>, the frontman of one of the first indie bands, Pentagram will feature on his album for a song called ‘Kindness’. 
 
For the fans, by the fans 
 
The incentive for the fans here is multifold, as Menon has decided to use the funds to give out rewards in forms of a copy of an album, an artsy signed poster, a songbook with all the lyrics, a deluxe edition of the album due to release later in the year, free passes to his gigs and much more. 
 
The rewards increase with the contribution as the campaign allows you to fund the project either in categories, or you can also be the rogue one and contribute any amount without any expectation of a reward. 
 
Menon has already started working on the album and expects it to release by May, this year by when all the contributors can expect to start reaping the rewards that they’ve sown. 
 
Crowdfunding for the win 
 Menon isn’t the first artist to have crowdfunded his album, with artists like <keyword id="1144733" type="ENTERTAINMENT" weightage="20" keywordseo="Parvaaz">Parvaaz</keyword> with their album ‘<keyword id="226613" type="CITY" weightage="20" keywordseo="Baran">Baran</keyword>’ already doing it in 2014 and <keyword id="33360" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="20" keywordseo="Vasudha-Sharma">Vasudha Sharma</keyword>, another indie musician, did it for her album ‘Attuned spirits’ in 2013. 
 
''Crowdfunding is great as it reinstates the fact that they’re people who’re willing to back you up not just with compliments but with real investment, how big or small that might be,’’ says Menon about why he thinks it’s a great idea not just for social causes or businesses but also for creative geniuses to the likes of him. 
 
<a href="http://www.businessinsider.in/kfc-gives-customers-a-chance-to-taste-nashville-chicken-using-their-minds/articleshow/56952524.cms">ALSO READ: KFC gives customers a chance to taste ‘Nashville Chicken’ using their minds</a> 
 
The bursting artist in Menon lights up when we asked him what next if he hits the new monetary goal as 28 days are left to the campaign with it garnering a support of 85 backers with Rs. 3,59,170 collected and counting. 
 The 27-year old says that he’d like to collaborate with more artists and diversify his album further with Pop, Rock, Blues, Funk, R'nB, <keyword id="856224" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="20" keywordseo="electronica">Electronica</keyword> and Soul elements that he has used to create ''a seamless musical experience that has pushed well past his creative limits.’’ 
 
May the force be with this independent movement that is edging to change the way Indians consume and view music, forever. 
 
Check out the crowdfunding campaign <a href="https://www.wishberry.in/campaign/make-it-happen/#/campaign-new">here.</a>

Exclusive: This Indie-musician raised more than Two Lakhs in Six Hours through crowdfunding for his upcoming album

Warming of the <keyword id="19923982" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="Arabian-Sea" source="keywords">Arabian Sea</keyword> is allowing the formation of deep <keyword id="22477282" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="cloud-systems" source="keywords">cloud systems</keyword>, leading to extremely <keyword id="20301827" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="heavy-rainfall" source="keywords">heavy rainfall</keyword> in <keyword id="19896018" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="Kerala" source="keywords">Kerala</keyword> in a shorter period and increasing the possibility of landslides, a senior <keyword id="21943661" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="climate-scientist" source="keywords">climate scientist</keyword> said on Tuesday. Extremely heavy rain triggered a series of landslides in the hilly areas of Kerala's Wayanad district early on Tuesday, leaving at least 45 people dead. Many were feared trapped under the debris. S Abhilash, the director of the Advanced Centre for Atmospheric Radar Research at Cochin University of Science and Technology (CUSAT) said Kasargod, Kannur, Wayanad, Calicut, and Malappuram districts have been receiving copious rainfall due to the active monsoon offshore trough affecting the entire <keyword id="22147737" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="Konkan-region" source="keywords">Konkan region</keyword> for the last two weeks. The soil was saturated after two weeks of rainfall. A deep mesoscale cloud system formed off the coast in the Arabian Sea on Monday and led to extremely heavy rain in Wayanad, Calicut, Malappuram, and Kannur, resulting in localised landslides, he told PTI. "The clouds were very deep, similar to those seen during the 2019 Kerala floods," Abhilash said. He said scientists have noticed a trend of very deep cloud systems developing over the southeast Arabian Sea, he said, adding that sometimes, these systems intrude into the land, like that in 2019. "Our research found that the southeast Arabian Sea is becoming warmer, causing the atmosphere above this region, including Kerala, to become thermodynamically unstable," Abhilash said. "This atmospheric instability, allowing the formation of deep clouds, is linked to <keyword id="19907392" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="climate-change" source="keywords">climate change</keyword>. Earlier, this kind of rainfall was more common in the northern Konkan belt, north of Mangalore." With climate change, that rain-bearing belt with deep clouds is extending southward and this is the main reason behind such extremely heavy rainfall, he said. Research by Abhilash and other scientists published in npj Climate and Atmospheric Science journal in 2022 found that rainfall over the west coast of India is becoming more convective. Another study by Abhilash and scientists from IITM and IMD, published in Elsevier in 2021, found that one of the hotspots of heavy rainfall in the Konkan region (between 14 degrees north and 16 degrees north) seems to have shifted southward with likely fatal consequences. "An increase in rainfall intensity may suggest a rising probability of landslides in the high to mid-land slopes of the Western Ghats in eastern Kerala during the <keyword id="22604095" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="monsoon-seasons" source="keywords">monsoon seasons</keyword>," the study said. According to the India Meteorological Department, several automatic weather stations in Thrissur, Palakkad, Kozhikode, Wayanad, Kannur, Malappuram, and Ernakulam districts recorded rainfall between 19 cm and 35 cm. "Most automatic weather stations of the IMD in the region recorded rainfall above 24 cm in 24 hours. Some stations installed by farmers recorded more than 30 cm of rain," Abhilash said. The Met Office said very heavy rainfall could occur in some places in the state over the next two days.

Warming of Arabian Sea linked to Wayanad landslides, say climate scientist

<ul><li>Microsoft CEO and chairman <keyword id="276564" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="satya-nadella" source="Orion">Satya Nadella</keyword> received the <keyword id="6367604" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="padma" source="Orion">Padma</keyword> Bhushan award from the Indian Consul General in San Francisco.</li><li><keyword id="2045946" type="General" weightage="100" keywordseo="nadella" source="Orion">Nadella</keyword> was born in a family of professionals and now heads one of the few trillion-dollar companies of the world. </li><li>Nadella has been with Microsoft for nearly two-thirds of the company’s existence.</li></ul>Satya Nadella has an unassuming demeanor for a CEO of one of the few <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/business/corporates/news/heres-what-it-takes-to-make-a-trillion-dollar-company/articleshow/94940917.cms">trillion-dollar companies in the world</a>. Now, this Hyderabad-born IAS officer’s son has received the Padma Bhushan, India’s third highest civilian award from India’s Consul General in San Francisco, Dr T V Nagendra Prasad. Nadella is the only third CEO of Microsoft after the company’s founder Bill Gates, and Steve Ballmer. He is credited with revolutionizing Microsoft’s cloud business, from lagging behind Amazon to bagging multi-billion dollar US Defense Department’s contracts. Nadella was appointed Microsoft’s CEO – the third in the company’s 47-year-old history – in 2014. Earlier in 2021, he was also appointed as the company’s chairman, making him responsible for setting the tone for Microsoft’s future. Nadella was awarded the Padma Bhushan along with other IT veterans – Tata Sons’ CEO Natarajan Chandrasekaran, and Alphabet CEO Sundar Pichai. Nadella says he will visit India in January next year, according to a PTI report. <cmsannotation type="cmsannotation" annotationid="Born in a family of professionals" comment="subhead" text="Born in a family of professionals">Born in a family of professionals</cmsannotation> Born in Hyderabad in 1967, Satya Narayana Nadella came from a family of professionals. His father, Bukkapuram Nadella Yugandhar, was an IAS officer while his mother, Prabhavati, was a Sanskrit lecturer. Nadella started his journey in one of Hyderabad’s illustrious schools, the Hyderabad Public School. Like many students, Nadella opted for engineering – he got his electrical engineering degree from Mangalore University in 1988. He went on to do his master’s in computer science from the University of Wisconsin in 1990. Nadella married Anupama Nadella in 1992, and has three children. Nadella’s journey sounds like a typical South Indian’s – an engineering degree and work for a tech company. Soon after finishing his master’s in the US in 1990, Nadella worked for Sun Microsystems for two years before landing a job at Microsoft in 1992. <cmsannotation type="cmsannotation" annotationid="Nadella’s Microsoft journey – from a developer to the chairman" comment="subhead" text="Nadella’s Microsoft journey – from a developer to the chairman">Nadella’s Microsoft journey – from a developer to the chairman</cmsannotation> Nadella’s rise to the top echelons of Microsoft started with him being scooped up by the Windows-maker from Sun Microsystems in 1992. Nadella joined the company as a Windows NT developer and from thereon, he rose in the ranks of Microsoft's divisions catering to businesses. In 2007, Nadella was appointed as the vice president of Microsoft’s research and development department. He was elevated as the president of the company’s server business in 2011, which accounted for $19 billion of the company’s revenue. In 2014, after being appointed as the CEO, one of his first moves was to acquire Nokia’s phone business for $7.2 billion – a move that would eventually falter. Under Nadella’s watch, Microsoft’s market capitalisation has surged over 5x – from $310 billion in 2014 to $1.76 trillion now. Nadella has remained with the Windows-maker for three decades now – or nearly two-thirds of the company’s history. The networth of Nadella is at ₹6,200 crore, according to IIFL Hurun India Rich List 2022. <cmsannotation type="cmsannotation" annotationid="Beyond Microsoft" comment="subhead" text="Beyond Microsoft">Beyond Microsoft</cmsannotation> Nadella’s life beyond Microsoft includes being a board trustee of University of Chicago and Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center. He is also on the board of Starbucks. Before being awarded the Padma Bhushan, Nadella was named on the Time 100 list in 2018, and businessperson of the year by Financial Times and Fortune magazine in 2019. Nadella also authored Hit Refresh, a book on his life and his leadership learnings at Microsoft, with Greg Shaw and Jill Tracie Nichols. <cmsannotation type="cmsannotation" annotationid="Other business leaders who’ve been honoured with Padma awards" comment="subhead" text="Other business leaders who’ve been honoured with Padma awards">Other business leaders who’ve been honoured with Padma awards</cmsannotation> The Indian government has awarded several business leaders with Padma awards. The list includes big names like Dr Cyrus Poonawalla, M&amp;M’s Anand Mahindra, TVS’ Venu Srinivasan, and Krishna Ella and Suchitra Ella, among others. Another notable person on the list is Ryuko Hira, a Japanese businessman who is known for playing a crucial role in bringing Japanese investments to India. SEE ALSO: <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/careers/news/indian-students-going-abroad-to-face-a-triple-whammy-of-inflation-forex-and-interest-rates/articleshow/94974003.cms">Indian students going abroad to face a triple whammy of inflation, forex and interest rates</a> <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/business/corporates/news/adani-transmission-bags-project-from-best-to-install-over-1-million-smart-meters-in-mumbai/articleshow/94982223.cms">Adani Transmission bags project from BEST to install over 1 million smart meters in Mumbai</a> <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/finance/news/rupee-hits-record-low-of-83-06-against-us-dollar/articleshow/94978753.cms">Rupee hits record low of 83.06 against US dollar</a>

Satya Nadella hits refresh – from Hyderabad to Microsoft CEO to Padma awardee

<ul><li><ul><li>Cultural diplomat and author <keyword id="182794" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="Amish-Tripathi" source="Orion">Amish Tripathi</keyword>’s new book <keyword id="14079627" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="War-of-Lanka" source="Orion">War of Lanka</keyword> sold six and a half million copies within two weeks of launch. </li><li>War of Lanka also saw India’s first Metaverse launch for a book, where an augmented reality filter was uploaded on Instagram for users. </li><li>India has become wealthier post 1991 and the emergence of ‘real’ India is inspiring films based on myths, says Tripathi. </li></ul> </li></ul>From the time he left his banking job to become a full-time writer in 2011, Amish Tripathi has attempted to give Indian deities human-like attributes through his take on myths. In his books, deities get angry, make human mistakes and even poke fun at each other. Director Shekhar Kapur, who is making a web series on Tripathi’s <keyword id="810431" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="Shiva-Trilogy" source="Orion">Shiva trilogy</keyword>, called him ‘India’s literary popstar’. Tripathi’s first trilogy on deity Shiva became the fastest-selling book series in Indian publishing history. His most recent book ‘War of Lanka’ has already sold six and a half million copies and is currently under reprint. What makes his books popular is not just the content but also his marketing hooks. He roped in marketing agency Think WhyNot to launch an augmented reality filter on Instagram for the ‘War of Lanka’. Custom merchandise or making the first music album in Indian publishing history for ‘The Oath of the Vayuputras’ – the third book in his Shiva Trilogy – are some other marketing examples. The author of seven books encapsulating the stories of Ram, Raavan, Sita and Shiva, Tripathi talks to Business Insider India about topics ranging from the importance of myths to the impact of the pandemic on the publishing industry. Currently serving as a cultural diplomat as head of the Nehru Center in London, Tripathi also shares his take on the real India. <keyword id="14491960" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="UK-Prime-Minister-Rishi-Sunak" source="Orion">UK Prime Minister Rishi Sunak</keyword> invited you to 10 Downing Street, how was the experience? Oh, it was very nice. It was a small get-together in 10 Downing Street, a celebration of Diwali. He had got people from the local Swami Chinmaya Mission to read a prayer. We did a proper lighting of the lamp with traditional rituals. It was also very nice to see so many native White British and other communities in attendance, celebrating a Hindu/Jain/Sikh festival with warmth and happiness. It's been almost a month since War of Lanka has been released. How has the response been? I will be honest. Prior to the launch of the book, I was a little nervous, quite nervous, actually, for various reasons. One, it was a completely new publisher and a new relationship. Secondly, Harper just had a few months post the contract signing to get the book out in the market. To bring the book out in just three-four months is difficult… I thought they did a very good job. Third was the pandemic, which had hit the publishing industry badly, and many bookstores and publishing houses had shut down. Since the distribution itself was shrinking, sales would be difficult. Lastly, since I also have a diplomatic job in the UK, I did not have that much time for the book tour. Normally, my book tour would spread out over three-four months, but now I only had three-four weeks; and I had to cover 14 cities across India in that time. But despite these constraints, War of Lanka is breaking records. It is selling even faster than Raavan: Enemy of Aryavarta. And all my previous book sales have also shot up. I can’t thank my readers enough for their consistent love and support. I am curious to know why you haven't written about Hanuman, a Shiva incarnation, especially after having dedicated separate books to Ram, Ravan and Sita? I might take that up actually. Lord Hanuman is a very fascinating character and represents loyalty, having a code and staying true to it, no matter what. That's what makes him worth respecting and worshiping. There is a separate spin-off story in mind that I have for Lord Hanuman. And one I hope to take up after some time. There will also be a story on Guru Vashishta and Guru Vishwamitra and how their relationship turned from friendship to enmity. People say youngsters don’t read as different forms of medium are competing for attention. Why do you think your book has struck a chord with the readers? Is it because of your standout marketing techniques as with a metaverse launch of the book? The metaverse campaign was very innovative, yes. And I am very grateful to Sangram Surve and his Think WhyNot agency for putting this together in association with Meta. Also, I think this assumption that the youth don't read is, frankly, a judgmental approach. The idea that today’s youth have low IQ, low attention spans, and only want to entertain themselves with flaky things is just plain silly. One person can have different tastes. I like thought-provoking movies like Schindler’s List or Inception, but I also like the suspension-of-brains movies of Salman Khan. The youth are like that as well. By the way, a vast majority of my readers are young. Second when it comes to marketing, social media has made word of mouth very powerful. The opinion of critics matters little now as compared to a decade ago. There are movies that are very well marketed that have been super flops. And a movie that had almost minimal marketing spends, like Kantara, was a massive hit. At the heart of it all, it has to be a good product, be it a movie or a book. If it's not a good product, no matter how much marketing you do, it's not going to work. If there is no depth in the movie or the book, if there's nothing to talk about, then word-of-mouth will be poor. A cult book has to be thought-provoking and initiate conversations. I myself tried the AR filters on Instagram and I came out to be on Raavan’s army. It would interest you to know that while many modern Indians think Raavan is Tamilian or Lankan, this may not necessarily match up to ancient texts. When you study ancient texts or folk traditions, it is revealed Raavan was born close to Delhi, a little ahead of Noida. One of the oldest temples of Raavan is situated there. He was not the original ruler of Lanka. The original ruler was Kubaer. Raavan deposed Kubaer and took over Lanka. Will you be venturing into writing about any other epic like Mahabharat? I do have various ideas. Let's see where life takes me. There is a fifth book that will join the Shiva Trilogy and the Ramachandra series called the <keyword id="15501176" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="Rise-of-Meluha" source="Orion">Rise of Meluha</keyword>. But that will be released many years later. Is there a reason why Sita was portrayed as aggressive and militant in your book Sita-Warrior of Mithila? Was this because it has been written from a male perspective? There is a difference between being militant and being strong. Goddess Durga is not militant but she is strong. The image of Goddess Sita in the minds of modern urban Indians is largely inspired from a 1980s television series. In the original Valmiki Ramayana, Sita is portrayed in a much stronger form. And in the Adbhut Ramayan, also credited to Valmiki ji, Sita Maa is the one who kills the elder, more powerful Raavan. In ancient times, Indian women were seen as powerful with their own agency. We had women who ruled large empires like Rani Prabhavatigupta and Rani Rudramadevi. We had women Rishis (roughly the equivalent of Abrahamic prophets and messiahs). We even had women who founded universities. Frankly, our ancestors would be disappointed at how badly we, in modern India, treat women. We have been hearing about the Shiva trilogy for quite some time now. Is it expected soon? These are early days as we just started work on it. So let's see how it comes out. But we'll make announcements in the future. Coming to Indian cinema, there has been a shift in the portrayal of stories. Films are being inspired by myths like in Adipurush, Thank God, Ram Sethu, Ponniyan Selvan. Why do you think there is such a shift? Post 1991 India has become wealthier and the emergence of the real India is inspiring the demand for such stories. There is a real India that was always there, just that they didn't have money to form a big market. That is the India outside of the elite areas of our big cities. This is an India that is very deeply rooted in our ancient traditions and culture. And now, there are many citizens from the real India who have now risen because of economic growth over the last 30 years. A recent IMF report had said over 450 million Indians have been pulled out of poverty just in the last 10 years. And economic growth is creating a new consumer class. Smaller budget movies are making more money than big Hindi film movies because I think in many ways, Telugu, Kannada and Tamil movies are more rooted in the real India. This is something perhaps the Hindi film industry will pick up overtime. A Hindi film producer told me an interesting analysis. He felt that perhaps the Hindi film industry had become too elitist – he used the term ‘focused on Pali Hill, and South Mumbai and also perhaps, London &amp; New York’. He said that we should forget that there is a real India outside of Pali Hill and South Mumbai. And that is the main market for Indian movies. What does real India mean to you? Perhaps those who are more comfortable in Mangalore or Varanasi than in London, I think that's the real India. So, someone like you or me… My family’s roots are in Kashi and I was born in Mumbai; so I know English, Hindi, and some Marathi. But I can go to a Lord Shiva temple in Thrissur, Kerala. And I’ve been there actually, four-five years ago. I don’t understand Malayalam, but my books, by God's grace, do well in Malayalam. There were many out there who recognized me because many of them had read my books. But we couldn’t communicate well with each other because most of them there didn’t know English or Hindi, and I didn’t know Malayalam. And yet, when we started chanting and praying to Lord Shiva, we felt connected. I felt at home. That to me is the real India. Where we feel at home. Now, we may also get along with Western people, but essentially, where is home for us? For me, the real India is home. You began your journey as a writer in 2010. How has the scene of Indian publishing and marketing changed since then? This is the best and worst of times. Earlier the definition of bestseller was selling 5,000 to 10,000 books. Today a bestseller should sell at least 40,000 to 50,000 copies. There are some authors whose books sell in the hundreds of thousands. And few, such as Chetan and me, who are lucky enough for our books to sell in the millions. But on the negative side, GST has really hit the industry. I have myself appealed often to the government if they could give some relief on this, because we are a very tiny industry. Books have a positive impact culturally but in terms of revenue, we are very small. Second, piracy is hurting us a great deal. Many bookstores are suffering hard times as well because rental costs have shot up and piracy has hit them. Books in terms of price to space ratio are not as high as compared to jewelry or mobile phones, so high rental costs often make bookstore unviable. How do you think mythology is relevant in today's society? Indians often confuse myth with mithya or untruth. The Indian word for it would be Itihas or Kavya or Purana. The English word myth comes from the Greek word mythos, which means a story hiding a philosophical truth. I try to explore philosophies that I think are worth learning. Rather than making it a pedantic nonfiction philosophy textbook, if you try and bring it across through a story, you might have a greater chance of having an impact. There are various philosophies from our ancients that are worth learning. There is a line which I love, Ati Sarvatra Varjayet i.e. extremism of any kind should be avoided. But if you see the western approach, it is almost like extremism should be followed, always. For example, in the West, fighting for women’s rights gets translated into hatred for men. How's that good for society? I try to explore many of these philosophies through my books. What are the choices that we make? You will find that cultures which celebrate myths tend to be much more wise and liberal, intuitively liberal. You have celebrated devotees of both Vishnu and Shiva in your books. How do you strike a balance between the two? This so-called competition between Lord Shiva and Lord Vishnu is relatively modern. The Indian way is we are comfortable with multiple truths and we realise that the source is unity. One of the thousand names of Lord Vishnu listed in Vishnu Shahasranaam, which is chanted by many Vaishnavas (devotees of Lord Vishnu) regularly, is Shiva. On the other hand, many Shaivites (devotees of Lord Shiva) know the 1008 names of Lord Shiva that are listed in many of the found in the Shaivite puranas. And one of the names listed for Lord Shiva is Vishnu. So they are One and the Same. This competition is more between unwise devotees and should be avoided.

Raavan was born in Delhi, a little ahead of Noida: Amish Tripathi

<ul><li>Kerala has gone from being the worst-hit state in India when the pandemic breached the country's border to dropping down four places.</li><li>In comparison to Maharashtra, which soon overtook Kerala as the worst-hit state — the southern state has only reported 2 deaths while the former reported so far compared to the financial capital’s toll of 64..</li><li>According to the state’s Finance Minister, Thomas Isaac, the credit for Kerala’s composure during this time is due to its medical and social strategy in handling the pandemic.</li></ul>The first case of Coronavirus in India was reported in Kerala on January 30 in the Thrissur district when a student from Wuhan University <a href="https://pib.gov.in/PressReleaseIframePage.aspx?PRID=1601095">tested positive</a>. By March, it was the worst-hit state in the country as the government announced that all airlines will be grounded till March 31. Since then, the state has worked its way down the list dropping four spots with the fifth-highest incidence of Coronavirus infections at 336. It also has the second-highest recovery rate in the country with 70 people who tested positive for COVID-19 now discharged and back at home. <table style="border-width: initial; border-style: none; width: 468pt; table-layout: fixed;"><colgroup></colgroup><col /><col /><col /><col /><col /><tbody><tr><td colspan="5" style="border-left:solid #000000 1pt;border-right:solid #000000 1pt;border-bottom:solid #000000 1pt;border-top:solid #000000 1pt;vertical-align:top;padding:5pt 5pt 5pt 5pt;overflow:hidden;overflow-wrap:break-word;">Worst-hit Coronavirus states in India </td></tr><tr><td style="border-left:solid #000000 1pt;border-right:solid #000000 1pt;border-bottom:solid #000000 1pt;border-top:solid #000000 1pt;vertical-align:top;padding:5pt 5pt 5pt 5pt;overflow:hidden;overflow-wrap:break-word;">Rank </td><td style="border-left:solid #000000 1pt;border-right:solid #000000 1pt;border-bottom:solid #000000 1pt;border-top:solid #000000 1pt;vertical-align:top;padding:5pt 5pt 5pt 5pt;overflow:hidden;overflow-wrap:break-word;">State </td><td style="border-left:solid #000000 1pt;border-right:solid #000000 1pt;border-bottom:solid #000000 1pt;border-top:solid #000000 1pt;vertical-align:top;padding:5pt 5pt 5pt 5pt;overflow:hidden;overflow-wrap:break-word;">Confirmed cases </td><td style="border-left:solid #000000 1pt;border-right:solid #000000 1pt;border-bottom:solid #000000 1pt;border-top:solid #000000 1pt;vertical-align:top;padding:5pt 5pt 5pt 5pt;overflow:hidden;overflow-wrap:break-word;">Cured/discharged </td><td style="border-left:solid #000000 1pt;border-right:solid #000000 1pt;border-bottom:solid #000000 1pt;border-top:solid #000000 1pt;vertical-align:top;padding:5pt 5pt 5pt 5pt;overflow:hidden;overflow-wrap:break-word;">Deaths </td></tr><tr><td style="border-left:solid #000000 1pt;border-right:solid #000000 1pt;border-bottom:solid #000000 1pt;border-top:solid #000000 1pt;vertical-align:top;padding:5pt 5pt 5pt 5pt;overflow:hidden;overflow-wrap:break-word;">1 </td><td style="border-left:solid #000000 1pt;border-right:solid #000000 1pt;border-bottom:solid #000000 1pt;border-top:solid #000000 1pt;vertical-align:top;padding:5pt 5pt 5pt 5pt;overflow:hidden;overflow-wrap:break-word;">Maharashtra </td><td style="border-left:solid #000000 1pt;border-right:solid #000000 1pt;border-bottom:solid #000000 1pt;border-top:solid #000000 1pt;vertical-align:top;padding:5pt 5pt 5pt 5pt;overflow:hidden;overflow-wrap:break-word;">1018 </td><td style="border-left:solid #000000 1pt;border-right:solid #000000 1pt;border-bottom:solid #000000 1pt;border-top:solid #000000 1pt;vertical-align:top;padding:5pt 5pt 5pt 5pt;overflow:hidden;overflow-wrap:break-word;">79 </td><td style="border-left:solid #000000 1pt;border-right:solid #000000 1pt;border-bottom:solid #000000 1pt;border-top:solid #000000 1pt;vertical-align:top;padding:5pt 5pt 5pt 5pt;overflow:hidden;overflow-wrap:break-word;">64 </td></tr><tr><td style="border-left:solid #000000 1pt;border-right:solid #000000 1pt;border-bottom:solid #000000 1pt;border-top:solid #000000 1pt;vertical-align:top;padding:5pt 5pt 5pt 5pt;overflow:hidden;overflow-wrap:break-word;">2 </td><td style="border-left:solid #000000 1pt;border-right:solid #000000 1pt;border-bottom:solid #000000 1pt;border-top:solid #000000 1pt;vertical-align:top;padding:5pt 5pt 5pt 5pt;overflow:hidden;overflow-wrap:break-word;">Tamil Nadu </td><td style="border-left:solid #000000 1pt;border-right:solid #000000 1pt;border-bottom:solid #000000 1pt;border-top:solid #000000 1pt;vertical-align:top;padding:5pt 5pt 5pt 5pt;overflow:hidden;overflow-wrap:break-word;">690 </td><td style="border-left:solid #000000 1pt;border-right:solid #000000 1pt;border-bottom:solid #000000 1pt;border-top:solid #000000 1pt;vertical-align:top;padding:5pt 5pt 5pt 5pt;overflow:hidden;overflow-wrap:break-word;">19 </td><td style="border-left:solid #000000 1pt;border-right:solid #000000 1pt;border-bottom:solid #000000 1pt;border-top:solid #000000 1pt;vertical-align:top;padding:5pt 5pt 5pt 5pt;overflow:hidden;overflow-wrap:break-word;">7 </td></tr><tr><td style="border-left:solid #000000 1pt;border-right:solid #000000 1pt;border-bottom:solid #000000 1pt;border-top:solid #000000 1pt;vertical-align:top;padding:5pt 5pt 5pt 5pt;overflow:hidden;overflow-wrap:break-word;">3 </td><td style="border-left:solid #000000 1pt;border-right:solid #000000 1pt;border-bottom:solid #000000 1pt;border-top:solid #000000 1pt;vertical-align:top;padding:5pt 5pt 5pt 5pt;overflow:hidden;overflow-wrap:break-word;">Delhi </td><td style="border-left:solid #000000 1pt;border-right:solid #000000 1pt;border-bottom:solid #000000 1pt;border-top:solid #000000 1pt;vertical-align:top;padding:5pt 5pt 5pt 5pt;overflow:hidden;overflow-wrap:break-word;">576 </td><td style="border-left:solid #000000 1pt;border-right:solid #000000 1pt;border-bottom:solid #000000 1pt;border-top:solid #000000 1pt;vertical-align:top;padding:5pt 5pt 5pt 5pt;overflow:hidden;overflow-wrap:break-word;">21 </td><td style="border-left:solid #000000 1pt;border-right:solid #000000 1pt;border-bottom:solid #000000 1pt;border-top:solid #000000 1pt;vertical-align:top;padding:5pt 5pt 5pt 5pt;overflow:hidden;overflow-wrap:break-word;">9 </td></tr><tr><td style="border-left:solid #000000 1pt;border-right:solid #000000 1pt;border-bottom:solid #000000 1pt;border-top:solid #000000 1pt;vertical-align:top;padding:5pt 5pt 5pt 5pt;overflow:hidden;overflow-wrap:break-word;">4 </td><td style="border-left:solid #000000 1pt;border-right:solid #000000 1pt;border-bottom:solid #000000 1pt;border-top:solid #000000 1pt;vertical-align:top;padding:5pt 5pt 5pt 5pt;overflow:hidden;overflow-wrap:break-word;">Telangana </td><td style="border-left:solid #000000 1pt;border-right:solid #000000 1pt;border-bottom:solid #000000 1pt;border-top:solid #000000 1pt;vertical-align:top;padding:5pt 5pt 5pt 5pt;overflow:hidden;overflow-wrap:break-word;">364 </td><td style="border-left:solid #000000 1pt;border-right:solid #000000 1pt;border-bottom:solid #000000 1pt;border-top:solid #000000 1pt;vertical-align:top;padding:5pt 5pt 5pt 5pt;overflow:hidden;overflow-wrap:break-word;">35 </td><td style="border-left:solid #000000 1pt;border-right:solid #000000 1pt;border-bottom:solid #000000 1pt;border-top:solid #000000 1pt;vertical-align:top;padding:5pt 5pt 5pt 5pt;overflow:hidden;overflow-wrap:break-word;">7 </td></tr><tr><td style="border-left:solid #000000 1pt;border-right:solid #000000 1pt;border-bottom:solid #000000 1pt;border-top:solid #000000 1pt;vertical-align:top;padding:5pt 5pt 5pt 5pt;overflow:hidden;overflow-wrap:break-word;">5 </td><td style="border-left:solid #000000 1pt;border-right:solid #000000 1pt;border-bottom:solid #000000 1pt;border-top:solid #000000 1pt;vertical-align:top;padding:5pt 5pt 5pt 5pt;overflow:hidden;overflow-wrap:break-word;">Kerala </td><td style="border-left:solid #000000 1pt;border-right:solid #000000 1pt;border-bottom:solid #000000 1pt;border-top:solid #000000 1pt;vertical-align:top;padding:5pt 5pt 5pt 5pt;overflow:hidden;overflow-wrap:break-word;">336 </td><td style="border-left:solid #000000 1pt;border-right:solid #000000 1pt;border-bottom:solid #000000 1pt;border-top:solid #000000 1pt;vertical-align:top;padding:5pt 5pt 5pt 5pt;overflow:hidden;overflow-wrap:break-word;">70 </td><td style="border-left:solid #000000 1pt;border-right:solid #000000 1pt;border-bottom:solid #000000 1pt;border-top:solid #000000 1pt;vertical-align:top;padding:5pt 5pt 5pt 5pt;overflow:hidden;overflow-wrap:break-word;">2 </td></tr></tbody></table> Kerala’s Coronavirus strategy In comparison to Maharashtra, which soon overtook Kerala as the worst-hit state — the southern state has only reported 2 deaths while the former reported so far compared to the financial capital’s toll of 64. States like Madhya Pradesh and Gujarat, which have fewer cases than Kerala, too have had more deaths ahave a higher incidence of death at 13 each. According to the state’s Finance Minister, <a href="https://twitter.com/drthomasisaac">Thomas Isaac</a>, the credit for Kerala’s composure during this time is due to its medical and social strategy in handling the pandemic. However, it hasn’t been easy with Karnataka shutting down its borders leaving Kerala’s worst-hit district — Kasargod — without access to Mangalore’s hospitals. In addition, alcoholics in the state have been going through severe withdrawal with liquor shops shutting their doors. When Prime Minister Modi addressed the nation on March 19 asking people to participate in a Janata Curfew — Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan immediately announced income transfer of ₹2,400 to 55 lakh residents, setting up 1000 free food stalls to feed the needy for free and provide others basic nutrition at ₹20 a meal; and ₹2000 crore for MGNREGA workers over the next 2 months, among other measures. Even though it was one of the first states to implement a partial lockdown and enforce social distancing, many criticized it for taking longer to close down bars, pubs and liquor shops. Others feel that the state’s decentralised healthcare system has already done a lot to tackle the problem. All in all, it became one of the few states to have taken quick action and measures to control the pandemic. See also: <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/india/news/a-leaked-video-of-indian-prime-minister-narendra-modis-clearly-shows-lockdown-will-be-extended/articleshow/75047512.cms">A leaked video of Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi clearly shows lockdown will be extended</a> <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/india/news/after-trump-calls-hydroxychloroquine-gift-from-heaven-bolsonaro-calls-it-sanjeevni-booti/articleshow/75043798.cms">After Trump calls Hydroxychloroquine ‘gift from heaven’ Bolsonaro calls it ‘sanjeevni booti’</a> <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/india/news/here-are-the-potential-coronavirus-treatments-that-india-and-other-countries-are-banking-on/articleshow/75043987.cms">Here are the potential Coronavirus treatments that India and other countries are banking on</a>

Kerala was the worst-hit state from Coronavirus in India — now it’s fifth in the country

<ul><li>V G Siddhartha made as much as ₹2,858 crore by offloading his stake in Mindtree. </li><li>His venture Way2Wealth has been piling up debt, while clocking in losses. </li><li>‘Coffee King’ was his success at convincing the government to ease its strict policies and duties, </li><li>His plan of building coffee houses which also doubled as Internet cafes was a hit with Bangaloreans. </li></ul> Just a few months back, V G Siddhartha made <a href="https://www.businesstoday.in/top-story/vg-siddhartha-made-a-profit-of-rs-2858-cr-from-his-mindtree-stake-sale-to-lt/story/329612.html">as much as </a>₹2,858 crore by offloading his stake in Mindtree. That could have felt like a windfall for anyone else. Not for Siddhartha who had financial and other troubles piling up. At the time he went missing on Monday (July 30), a <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/business/cafe-coffee-day-founder-vg-siddhartha-letter-to-board-of-directors/articleshow/70443951.cms">letter surfaced </a>where he allegedly took the blame for bad business decisions but also accused lenders and tax officials of putting undue pressure on him. Ever since, Income Tax Department raided his premises in 2017, he had been on a downhill. He is known to<a href="https://www.livemint.com/industry/infotech/why-ccd-founder-siddhartha-wants-to-sell-his-mindtree-stake-1548698619358.html"> owe as much</a> as ₹300 crore to IT authorities. This drove him to sell his stake in the IT company where he was invested since 1999. The Silver Spoon The stress of failure was too much for Siddhartha who has known success and only success even when he took risky bets. Siddhartha had a charmed birth as he was born into a family which owned coffee plantations, and been in the business for 135 years. The heir apparent was not content running his family business, and his adventurous spirit was stoked by his own father who gave him ₹5 lakhs right after he completed his Masters in Economics from the Mangalore University. He went on to learn the nitty gritty of stock markets by working with JM Financial before he started his own stock broking and investment banking firm, Sivan Securities. Yet, his legacy called him back and he started exporting coffee. Legend of the Coffee King What earned him his name ‘Coffee King’ was his success at convincing the government to ease its strict <a href="https://www.yosuccess.com/success-stories/v-g-siddhartha-cafe-coffee-day/">policies and duties</a>, which made life tough for Indian planters. With the inflated taxes gone, the golden period of coffee traders started. Yet again, Siddhartha refused to sit back and enjoy his cuppa. He wanted more. Against good counsel backed by research which said that branded coffee will not find success, he ventured yet again. At a time when coffee was made out of filters, he set up 20 stores in Bangalore which sold only coffee powder. As it was foretold, it saw limited success. Hot, steaming coffee with a side of Internet Like every visionary, he saw that having coffee is not just about the product. It was about providing an experience. As the café culture picked up internationally, he went ahead and set up cafes and added a topping---Internet. His plan of building coffee houses which also doubled as Internet cafes took care of both the basic necessities of Bangaloreans. And, the first such store came into being in the most fashionable area of the city, Brigade Road. As it the city itself turned into an IT hub from a pensioner’s paradise, he minted millions--one cup at a time. The golden cage In good times, his networth was just over a $1 billion. As of now, Cafe Coffee Day is one of the biggest coffee chains in the world with over 1,772 outlets India and others like Egypt, Malaysia, Czech Republic and Nepal. The investment banker’s own venture Sivan Securities, re-named as Way2Wealth has been piling up debt, while clocking in losses. It is known to have a debt of ₹168 crore as on March 2018. He was also stressed by the hostile takeover of Mindtree buyout. As the promoters struggled to stay in control, infrastructure major L&amp;T had been buying out investors, and eventually succeeded. In his letter, Siddhartha also said that the IT department had tried to block the sale of his shares, in spite of filing revised returns. Siddhartha’s spiral was fast. The debt on Coffee Day Enterprises ballooned 1.5 times in the last three years and the pressure on him was intense. Even as Indian policymakers celebrate new bankruptcy laws -- which promise to make liquidation of businesses easier-- the disappearance of India’s most-famous coffee baron is a sign that business failures can quickly turn fatal. SEE ALSO <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/business/full-profile-of-cafe-coffee-day-founder-v-g-siddhartha/articleshow/70445413.cms">Full text of the letter written by Cafe Coffee Day founder VG Siddhartha before he went missing</a> <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/markets/cafe-coffee-day-share-price-down-20-after-founder-vg-siddhartha-goes-missing/articleshow/70445091.cms">Cafe Coffee Day shares have lost ₹800 crore in value after founder VG Siddhartha goes missing</a>

India’s coffee king V G Siddhartha’s journey from silver spoon to a gilded cage

<div class="KonaFilter image-container click-to-enlarge"><div class="image on-image"><a title_source="Le Web / YouTube" title_caption="Satya Nadella, president of Microsoft's server and tools unit" class="zoomin" href="http://static5.businessinsider.com/image/52eadb6eecad04554ee1b9ac-960/screen%20shot%202014-01-30%20at%206.06.45%20pm.png"><img src="http://static5.businessinsider.com/image/52eadb6eecad04554ee1b9ac-1200-634/screen%20shot%202014-01-30%20at%206.06.45%20pm.png?maxX=800" border="0" alt="Satya nadella" width="800" /></a><a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LQ8Hiss2EkE#t=220">Le Web / YouTube</a>Satya Nadella, president of Microsoft's server and tools unit</div></div>Word is that Microsoft is about to announce that the guy heading up its cloud computing efforts, <a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/microsoft-remove-bill-gates-microsoft-chair-2014-1">Satya Nadella, will be named Microsoft's new CEO</a>.
His appointment may even coincide with news that Bill Gates will be leaving his position as chairman of the board, reports Bloomberg.
Nadella's appointment would be interesting and possibly controversial for investors. That's because when Steve Ballmer stepped down it was because he thought Microsoft needed fresh blood. "The best way for Microsoft to enter a new era is with a new leader who will accelerate change," Ballmer told the <a href="http://online.wsj.com/news/articles/SB10001424052702303460004579194150724298162">Wall Street Journal</a>.
Nadella wouldn't exactly be fresh blood but he is well respected at Microsoft and in the industry.
As new broke that he would be named CEO, Box CEO Aaron Levie tweeted this nice thing about him.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" lang="en">
Satya is a *very* strong pick for CEO. Understands how to build platforms, gets the cloud, and has a solid vision for the future.
- Aaron Levie (@levie) <a href="https://twitter.com/levie/statuses/429016750475071488">January 30, 2014</a></blockquote>
Here's a rundown of who he is and why he's be a good choice to lead the company.
<ul>
<li>Nadella has been with Microsoft for 22 years, since 1992.</li>
<li>He currently heads up Microsoft's cloud computing efforts. He also ran Bing, and although Bing has never been Microsoft's crown jewel, Nadella helped it grow.</li>
<li>Ballmer moved him from Bing to run Microsoft's $19 billion Server and Tools Business, pushing out long-time Microsoft exec Bob Muglia in the process.</li>
<li>Nadella was the one that helped bring some of Microsoft's most popular technologies, like its database, Windows server and developer tools, to the cloud.</li>
<li>That cloud, called Azure, has gained respect as an alternative to Amazon's cloud among the industry.</li>
<li>He also helped Microsoft bring a cloud version of Microsoft Office to the cloud, Office 365. Microsoft says <a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/microsoft-back-430-enterprise-customers-back-from-google-2013-9">Office 365 one of its fastest growing products</a> ever.</li>
<li>Cloud revenue grew to $20.3 billion in the last fiscal year (ended in June), from $16.6 billion when he took over in 2011.</li>
<li>He's also a smart and diplomatic person, known internally as someone that's good at getting warring factions to work together, Bloomberg reports. That's means he should be able to work with the reorganization Ballmer put in place last summer named "One Microsoft."</li>
<li>Prior to Microsoft, he worked at Sun Microsystems, now owned by Oracle.</li>
<li>He grew up in Hyderabad, India, and has an electrical engineering degree from Mangalore University, and a master's degree in computer science from the University of Wisconsin. He's also got an MBA from the University of Chicago. That kind of engineering background gives him street cred at Microsoft, too.</li>
</ul>
If you've never seen him or heard him speak, here's an interview he gave in December.
<iframe width="640" height="360" frameborder="0" src="//www.youtube.com/embed/LQ8Hiss2EkE"></iframe>

Here's Why Microsoft Is Right To Pick Satya Nadella To Be CEO

<div class="KonaFilter image-container display-table float_right"><div><div class="image"><img src="http://static2.businessinsider.com/image/52f55a0b6bb3f7bb3ea5df83-687-515/satya-nadella-microsoft-ceo-5.jpg" border="0" alt="Satya Nadella Microsoft CEO" />Microsoft</div></div></div>Last week, Microsoft announced that <a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/microsoft-ceo-satya-nadella-2014-2">Satya Nadella would succeed Steve Ballmer as CEO</a>. 
A 22-year veteran of the company who previously led Microsoft's cloud and enterprise efforts, Nadella is generally considered a <a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/chambers-welch-applaud-microsoft-nadella-2014-2">safe choice</a> for the top executive spot. 
He's known within the company for being private, mild-mannered, and one to <a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/satya-nadella-cuts-drama-management-2014-2">avoid management drama</a>. 
We've dug up some facts about Nadella you might not have known. 
<h3>1. He's a huge cricket fan and says it's inspired the way he does business. </h3>
<a href="http://archives.deccanchronicle.com/130729/lifestyle-offbeat/article/%E2%80%98never-ever-stop-learning%E2%80%99-satya-nadella">In an interview</a> with Hyderabad's Deccan Chronicle last summer, Nadella reflected on how playing the sport had an impact on his life.
"I think playing cricket for HPS (Hyderabad Public School) taught me more about working in teams and leadership that has stayed with me throughout my career," <a href="http://archives.deccanchronicle.com/130729/lifestyle-offbeat/article/%E2%80%98never-ever-stop-learning%E2%80%99-satya-nadella">he said</a>. "There was this one particular incident in a match where my school captain noticed I was bowling some really ordinary stuff. He took over the next over himself, got our team the much-needed breakthrough and then threw the ball back to me in the next over! I will never forget that. What made him do that? Is this what they call leadership? These are the kind of questions I have since reflected on as I approach many of the things I do today leading teams."
<h3>2. He married his high school sweetheart. </h3>
According to the <a href="http://articles.timesofindia.indiatimes.com/2014-02-05/hyderabad/47048611_1_hyderabad-public-school-venugopal-batch">Times of India</a>, Nadella met his wife Anupuma when they were both students at Hyderabad Public School in the early '80s. They've now been married for 22 years and have three kids together. 
<h3>3. He's a Seahawks fan. </h3>
Shortly after the Super Bowl, Nadella <a href="https://twitter.com/satyanadella">tweeted</a> his congratulations to the Seahawks and team owner Paul Allen. (Allen is also a Microsoft co-founder.) He included a picture of himself in a hoodie bearing the team's logo.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" lang="en">
.<a href="https://twitter.com/PaulGAllen">@PaulGAllen</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/Seahawks">@Seahawks</a> congrats on a great season <a href="http://t.co/aFQ4h8qEvk">pic.twitter.com/aFQ4h8qEvk</a>
- Satya Nadella (@satyanadella) <a href="https://twitter.com/satyanadella/statuses/431225666223079424">February 6, 2014</a></blockquote>
<script async="" src="//platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8" type="text/javascript"></script>
<h3> </h3>
<h3>4. He takes online classes in his spare time. </h3>
In his <a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/satya-nadella-email-to-microsoft-employees-2014-2">first email to Microsoft</a> employees as CEO, Nadella described himself as a lifelong learner who buys more books and signs up for more online courses than he could ever complete. 
"[I'm] just crazy ambitious in the 15 minutes I have in the morning. You know, I'm trying to listen to a neuroscience class or something," <a href="http://www.politico.com/story/2014/02/satya-nadella-biography-key-facts-career-background-microsoft-103106.html">he told Politico</a>. 
<h3>5. He's really into poetry. </h3>
Nadella's <a href="http://www.microsoft.com/en-us/news/ceo/index.html">official Microsoft profile</a> lists poetry as one of his hobbies.
He's compared his passion for poetry to coding. 
"You're trying to take something that can be described in many, many sentences and pages of prose, but you can convert it into a couple lines of poetry and you still get the essence, so it's that compression. The best code is poetry," <a href="http://www.politico.com/story/2014/02/satya-nadella-biography-key-facts-career-background-microsoft-103106.html">he said to Politico</a>. 
He even brings up literature when talking about test cricket, which, as the longest form of his favorite sport, can sometimes last up to five days. 
"I love it," he said to the <a href="http://articles.economictimes.indiatimes.com/2014-02-04/news/47005014_1_satya-nadella-microsoft-bill-gates">Economic Times</a>. "There's so many subplots in it, it's like reading a Russian novel."
<h3 dir="ltr">6. He has a sweet tooth. </h3>
Microsoft's new CEO apparently has a passion for pastries, according to the <a href="http://articles.timesofindia.indiatimes.com/2014-02-05/hyderabad/47048611_1_hyderabad-public-school-venugopal-batch">Times of India</a>. He's remembered fondly by high school friends as one who took full advantage of tea time, and his former school always has a good spread ready for him when he visits.
"Despite his sweet tooth, he retains his whippet-thin physique thanks to a passion for running," <a href="http://articles.timesofindia.indiatimes.com/2014-02-05/hyderabad/47048611_1_hyderabad-public-school-venugopal-batch">the Times of India reports</a>. 
<h3>7. He's very private. </h3>
Nadella has been remarkably quiet <a href="https://twitter.com/satyanadella">on Twitter</a> - despite having more than 111,000 followers, he's only tweeted 27 times since making an account in February 2009.
Still, judging by the number of exclamation points used in those few tweets, he seems pretty enthusiastic.
<div class="KonaFilter image-container display-table"><div><div class="image"><img src="http://static3.businessinsider.com/image/52f927836bb3f7df44c6c131-586-618/exclamation point tweets.png" border="0" alt="exclamation point tweets" />Twitter, @satyanadella</div></div></div>
He's vowed to have more of a Twitter presence in his new role. 
<div class="KonaFilter image-container display-table"><div><div class="image"><img src="http://static2.businessinsider.com/image/52f927cb69bedde753a51b96-581-170/satya twitter.png" border="0" alt="satya twitter" />Twitter, @satyanadella</div></div></div>
<h3>8. He's highly educated. </h3>
<a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/closer-look-at-microsofts-satya-nadella-2014-1">After getting his degree</a> in electrical engineering from India's Mangalore University, Nadella continued his education with a master's degree in computer science from the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee. <a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/closer-look-at-microsofts-satya-nadella-2014-1"></a>
According to <a href="http://gadgets.ndtv.com/others/features/meet-satya-nadella-the-new-microsoft-ceo-479282">New Delhi Television</a>, he was on track to get his MBA from the University of Chicago when he received his job offer from Microsoft in 1992. Rather than choose between the two paths, he decided to do both at the same time, flying to Chicago Friday nights to attend classes before heading back to Redmond, Wash. for the work week. He received his MBA in two and a half years following that hectic schedule. 
<h3> 9. He gives back.</h3>
According to the <a href="http://articles.timesofindia.indiatimes.com/2014-02-05/hyderabad/47048611_1_hyderabad-public-school-venugopal-batch">Times of India</a>, Nadella is a huge inspiration for students at his alma mater. Hyderabad Public School was the first school to be selected for the <a href="https://www.microsoft.com/india/msindia/pressreleases/microsoft-to-39-spark-39-innovation-entrepreneurship-in-india/294/">I-spark program</a>, which utilized Microsoft materials and software to help young Indian students jump-start careers in tech. 
"He interacted with each of the students. It's great to see a figure like him and learn from him. His down-to-earth attitude was very impressive and students were really comfortable interacting with him and learning from him," former classmate Faiz Khan <a href="http://articles.timesofindia.indiatimes.com/2014-02-05/hyderabad/47048611_1_hyderabad-public-school-venugopal-batch">told the Times of India</a>.
Nadella <a href="http://articles.timesofindia.indiatimes.com/2014-02-05/hyderabad/47048611_1_hyderabad-public-school-venugopal-batch">has also met</a> with government officials about improving IT education in schools across India. 
<h3>10. He's now one of the most powerful Indian businessman in the world. </h3>
Nadella's appointment as CEO makes him the most powerful Indian-born tech executive in the world, <a href="http://www.cbsnews.com/news/microsoft-board-close-to-naming-new-ceo-source/">according to Reuters</a>. He joins PepsiCo CEO Indra Nooyi among Indians reaching the very top of well-known American corporations.

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