CATEGORIES

HALTING THE BJP JUGGERNAUT

A roller-coaster year saw the Opposition coalition rebound with bold moves and policy wins, but internal rifts continue to test its durability

THAT CHAMPION FEELING

After 17 long years of India's maiden win in 2007, Rohit Sharma and his hitmen reach the pinnacle of T20 cricket by lifting the World Cup with their blitzkrieg approach

THE ONE IN THE VORTEX

The AAP chief has had a dramatic year, including a stint in jail. All eyes are on him as the party fights a decisive battle to rule Delhi for a third consecutive term

THE BHAGWAT DHARMA

Under Mohan Bhagwat's leadership, the RSS sharpened its stance, using the Lok Sabha election results to assert its influence and push for a recalibration in the BJP's approach

THE NEW POP ICON

From electrifying global stages to breaking linguistic barriers and redefining Punjabi pride, Diljit Dosanjh proved that true artistry transcends borders and genres

A MONUMENTAL TRANSITION

It was a symbol of the ownership of space by the Hindu faith - its arrival brought euphoria and fulfilment among the devout. The Ram mandir meant many things to many people, and mirrored all the complexities of modern India

THE ART OF STAYING IN POWER

Correctly sensing the direction of the political wind is Nitish Kumar’s forte, making him a crucial pillar for Modi 3.0

WINNING THE BATTLE FOR BENGAL

Count only RG Kar and Sandeshkhali, and you would think 2024 was Mamata Banerjee's annus horribilis. And then you count the seats

ELEVATED JUSTICE

The former CJI bequeathed on the court a legacy of rigour, justice and constitutional morality, but also drew scrutiny for the loose ends left by his judicial balancing

THE THIRD COMING

PM NARENDRA MODI GETS A HISTORIC THIRD TERM BUT WITH THE INDIA BLOC DENYING THE BJP A MAJORITY ON ITS OWN, SOME OF THE SHEEN WEARS OFF

He gave the beat to the world

He would pick up the rhythms of each experience of mobility and weave them into his taals. Thus it was that he reflected joy and laughter in rhythmic cycles...such was the magic of Zakir's fingersText and photographs by Raghu Rai

KERALA TOURISM CAMPAIGN, 1989 - TICKETS TO PARADISE

All it took was a catchy tagline-'God's Own Country'-for the world to discover Kerala's wealth of natural beauty. It remains among the best tourism ad campaigns, earning the state a place among top 10 international destinations

SPIRITUALITY - THE GURUS OF COOL

Among the cult Indian gurus, no one had a bigger hold on western minds than 'Osho' Rajneesh. He's also perhaps the role model for the enterprise-building gurus of today

RETAIL SHOPPING - THE MALL MANIA

Shopping malls, a 1990s innovation in India, changed the way the Indian middle class shops. Their success now lies in being 'shoppertainment' destinations, offering something for everyone

CULINARY RENAISSANCE, 1978 - TANDOORI NIGHTS

ITC's Bukhara and Dum Pukht turned the world to tandoori cuisine and had an enormous impact on the F&B industry. Decades on, they are still a pit-stop for celebrities and heads of state visiting Delhi

INDIAN WRITING IN ENGLISH - REVENGE OF THE NATIVE

Rushdie lit the way but Indian writing in English has taken a life of its own in the past few decades, with translated Indian fiction most recently having its moment in the sun

INDIAN ART - A BRUSH WITH GOLD DUST

The 1990s economic liberalisation came as oxygen, lighting up the Indian art scene. Today, artworks by established masters routinely go for astronomical amounts

FESTIVAL OF INDIA, 1982 - CULTURE CAPITAL

The Festival of India grew into a symbol of our 'soft power', introducing our art and aesthetics to a global audience while also helping rebrand our domestic products

THE INDIPOP TREND - DISCO GOES DESI

For ages, the film song ruled. Nothing else was audible. Then came Nazia, charioteered by Biddu, and Indian ears went into a pleasant madness. Literally, Disco Deewane. A whole genre was born

SHOLAY 1975 - THE BIRTH OF THE FANDEMIC

India had seen hits before. But Sholay seared into its collective psyche like a badland bullet. The effect was on a scale never seen before- one film creating a new mass folk culture. And a trail of monster blockbusters that still continues

THE TELESERIALS - WHEN SMALL TURNS BIG

In the Eighties, Indian television went from a dull grey box to the full colours of immersive storytelling. The multichannel revolution was waiting to explode on the other side

INDIAN PREMIER LEAGUE - INDIA AS CRICKET CENTRAL

Sixers arriving on a flying carousel, Bollystars and Big Biz dancing in the aisles, power czars and pompom girls—IPL turned the gentleman's game into a rave party. Everyone won.

ABHINAV BINDRA: FIRST SOLO OLYMPIC GOLD, 2008 - The Golden Trendsetter

The calm of a yogi, the eye of a hunter. Abhinav Bindra needed that. For, he was about to shoot down demons of the collective Indian mind

PRAKASH PADUKONE: ALL ENGLAND, 1980 - OF GUTS AND GLORY

It was equal to the Wimbledon. And Padukone's win was a seminal event. Indian parents saw a new path to glory opening up for their children–and the young ones leapt up for the smash

VISWANATHAN ANAND: FIVE-TIME WORLD CHAMPION - THE CHESS ROYALTY

He came out of the blue to conquer the world. India's encore in 2024, with Gukesh, is part of his legacy

SUNIL GAVASKAR'S RECORDS - THE LEGEND AND THE LEGACY

He was the one they wrote a calypso for. Like his spiritual son Sachin, he could rock too...if he wanted, very rarely. Mostly, he was classical. Sublime, perfect.

CRICKET WORLD CUP, 1983 - THE IDEA THAT WE CAN WIN

Yes, even that was not there when Kapil Dev, himself only 24, led a bunch of devil-may-care no-hopers right up to the summit of world cricket. For India, it was the equivalent of the Moon Landing-except unplanned and unimagined. What changed after that? Everything.

SWACHH BHARAT MISSION, 2014 - THE CLEAN CRUSADE

From collective shame to national pride, India's journey toward eliminating open defecation is a story of strong political will and leadership, grand scale and ambition, and community, corporate and celebrity participation

PULSE POLIO CAMPAIGN, 1994 - A COUNTRY VERSUS A VIRUS

From being the epicentre of a dreaded disease that left children with permanent disability, India achieved the impossible task of eradicating polio through a sustained, concerted effort by the government, NGOs and members of the local communities

CHIPKO MOVEMENT - THE GREEN SAVIOURS

The simple, collective act of hugging trees saved the remaining forests in the Himalayas and serves as a beacon to both policy-making and environmental activism in India and beyond