I live in Gurgaon, and I spent the last week in Shenzhen. Here are some of my observations from the city and their implications for India. It would be accurate to say that we've missed many marks, and catching up with China in general, and its cities in particular, is not going to be easy… almost ever. (1/13) Shenzhen, once a small fishing village adjacent to Hong Kong in the 1970s and 1980s, has undergone a remarkable transformation. Today, it stands as a major global economic and technological hub with a nominal GDP surpassing that of Hong Kong. Shenzhen is now counted among the cities with the ten largest economies in the world. Its unparalleled growth journey is a true reflection of China’s economic transformation. (2/13)

I visited this kick-ass south Indian restaurant called Tadka in Kyoto, Japan. Tadka is owned and run by Japanese people. They visit Chennai once every 6 months, learn new dishes, practice it to perfection and add it to their menu. In Tadka, I had one of the best south Indian meals I’ve ever had, even after judging by the standards of my Chennai upbringings. The dosa and idli were unbelievably authentic.

Balakot is very important for Jaish-e-Mohammed chief Maulana Masood Azar, it has a very interesting history, connecting the Taliban, fanatical wahabi ideology, Rae-bareli, valiant sikh warriors. This is where today’s #SurgicalStrike2 was carried out by the #IndianAirForce (1/10). Syed Ahmed Barelvi, a deeply religious man, was born in Rae-bareli in 1786. He was an ardent admirer of Aurangzeb, & was perturbed by decline of the Mughals & rise of the infidel rulers - Marathas & Sikhs in India (2/10).