Shine Jacob @shinejac

Why is the South incentivising more births? Falling #fertility is raising concerns over a shrinking workforce and ageing population. #TamilNadu has proposed 365 days of #maternityleave for a third child. Full story 👉 mybs.in/2g8YLJp @shinejac

From 8 hours of back-breaking manual spraying to a 10-minute automated sortie. 𖥂🎮 How the "Uberisation" of drones and ₹500 app bookings are rewriting India's farm economics.🌾 Deep-tech doesn’t take root in the rural heartland by asking smallholders to buy expensive machines. It scales when technology becomes an accessible everyday service that directly puts money back into local hands. The shift toward on-demand "Drone-as-a-Service" (DaaS) is showing what happens when practical innovation meets grassroots necessity: * Removing the Debt Burden: Instead of locking up ₹5–10 lakh in upfront capital, farmers can simply book a service for ₹500–600 per acre right when they need it. * Powering Local Livelihoods: It’s turning rural youth into high-tech service operators: over 800 micro-entrepreneurs are already supporting nearly 2 million farmers across regional belts. * Conserving Critical Resources: Cuts water consumption by 90% (down from 100–200L to just 10L per acre) while sparing farmers direct, prolonged chemical exposure in the fields. * Grassroots Support: Initiatives like the ₹1,261 Cr Namo Drone Didi program are placing 15,000 drones directly into the hands of women’s self-help groups, building equity alongside efficiency. When we stop treating technology as an elite asset and start delivering it as a shared utility, we go beyond just boosting crop yields. We build durable, dignified livelihoods across rural communities. cc: @AgriGoI @DroneFederation @MarutDrones @BlameItOnSmit By @shinejac #AgriTech #MakeInIndia #RuralEconomy #DroneDidi #StartupIndia

Two Wills more than 100 years ago and later many amendments of the Tata Sons Articles Of Association tell us a story that explain why the governance structure needs a reset. The long history of “six months” mentioned in Chandra’s letter to the board @bsindia @TataCompanies

Business Standard @bsindia

a week ago

#Take2WithBS | #NChandrasekaran announced on August 12 that he would not seek a third term as #TataSons chairman. His renewal had been put on hold at a Feb 2026 board meeting, and six months later, no resolution had been reached. Full story 👉 mybs.in/2g8V6qg @nivmook

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#Vijay sets the stage for a long role As the actor-turned-politician completes 100 days in office, his government seems confident, citing ‘rising’ investor interest and a bouquet of welfare schemes. ✍️ @shinejac reports mybs.in/2g8V6qm

Drones take the field in Indian agriculture Driven by on-demand models, startups and government programmes are making the tech accessible and affordable for farmers, reports @shinejac. mybs.in/2g8V6pA

Interesting piece. Both Ford and Hyundai initially considered Maharashtra. They finally settled on Chennai, transforming the city’s fortunes.

35 years after liberalisation, #Chennai’s auto ecosystem has moved beyond its “Detroit of Asia” tag. #TamilNadu now accounts for around 30% of #India’s vehicle output, with Chennai anchored by OEMs, component makers, tyre companies and suppliers. Full story 👉 mybs.in/2g8Thtt @shinejac

1996: Two global automakers take a bet on Chennai. 🇮🇳 2026: 10.4 million vehicles, a dominant share of an $80B component market, and 40% of national tyre output. 🚘🛞 ​It took Detroit a century; Chennai built it in 30 years. How Chennai went from an early automotive contender to an indispensable global manufacturing powerhouse. 1. The Historical Spark: Decisive Policy & Infrastructure: ​When Ford scouted an Indian manufacturing base in the mid-1990s, Maharashtra was considered the natural frontrunner. ​Faced with the opportunity, Tamil Nadu moved decisively: A. ​Aggressive state outreach and tailored incentive packages. B. ​Commitment to land readiness, infrastructure, and direct port connectivity. C. ​Ford signed in January 1996; Hyundai quickly followed. ​Crucially, despite a regime change that same year, the policy momentum never skipped a beat, sending a massive signal of institutional stability to global investors. 2. Compounding Ecosystem Advantages (The Decades Before & After): ​Chennai’s success was not an overnight pivot, it was anchored across decades of compounding industrial roots: ​A. The Early Backbone (1940s–1950s): Ashok Motors (Ashok Leyland), Royal Enfield, Simpson & Co., TVS, and early component clusters at Guindy and Ambattur. B. ​The Talent Engine: MIT Chromepet offering specialized auto courses since 1949, backed by polytechnic and engineering institutions producing skilled technicians at scale. C. ​The Component Wave: Maruti’s entry in the 1980s elevated Tier 1/2 supplier quality with Japanese manufacturing standards, creating a plug-and-play base for incoming global OEMs. 3. The Numbers: Scale in 2026 ​Fast forward three decades: ​A. ~30% of National Output: Over 10.4M of India’s ~35M vehicle output comes from Tamil Nadu. ​B. 35% of India’s Component Industry: Drives a major share of the $80B sector with 100+ major suppliers and 4,000+ MSMEs. ​C. 40% of Tyre Output & 36% of Two-Wheelers manufactured nationally. ​D. EV Leadership: Produces ~60% of India's electric two-wheelers, with new hubs expanding across Krishnagiri and Thoothukudi. ​E. Human Capital: Produces 17% of India's engineering graduates annually. For modern manufacturing, this journey proves that enduring industrial power is built on deep ecosystem gravity, not just factory subsidies. ​Strategic Implications & Key Learnings for Manufacturing in part below (1/2) 👇 @makeinindia @CMOTamilnadu @Guidance_TN By @shinejac #Manufacturing #AutomotiveIndustry #IndustrialGrowth #SupplyChain

#𝗜𝗻𝗧𝗵𝗲𝗠𝗲𝗱𝗶𝗮 Kerala’s floods are no longer episodic events; they are becoming a near-annual reality, signaling a fundamental shift in the state’s climate risk landscape. A recent assessment by 𝗜𝗣𝗘 𝗚𝗹𝗼𝗯𝗮𝗹 finds that Kerala has moved from experiencing a major flood once every 𝘁𝗵𝗿𝗲𝗲 𝘁𝗼 𝗳𝗶𝘃𝗲 𝘆𝗲𝗮𝗿𝘀 𝗯𝗲𝗳𝗼𝗿𝗲 𝟮𝟬𝟭𝟴 to facing one almost every monsoon season: 𝗮 𝗳𝗶𝘃𝗲-𝗳𝗼𝗹𝗱 𝗶𝗻𝗰𝗿𝗲𝗮𝘀𝗲 𝗶𝗻 𝗳𝗿𝗲𝗾𝘂𝗲𝗻𝗰𝘆 𝘄𝗶𝘁𝗵𝗶𝗻 𝗮 𝗱𝗲𝗰𝗮𝗱𝗲. In a recent conversation with @shinejac of @bsindia, @Abinash0294 𝗦𝗲𝗰𝘁𝗼𝗿 𝗛𝗲𝗮𝗱 – 𝗖𝗹𝗶𝗺𝗮𝘁𝗲 𝗖𝗵𝗮𝗻𝗴𝗲 & 𝗦𝘂𝘀𝘁𝗮𝗶𝗻𝗮𝗯𝗶𝗹𝗶𝘁𝘆, highlights what this changing risk landscape means for how we plan and govern. 𝗔𝘀 𝗔𝗯𝗶𝗻𝗮𝘀𝗵 𝗽𝘂𝘁𝘀 𝗶𝘁: “𝘒𝘦𝘳𝘢𝘭𝘢 𝘥𝘰𝘦𝘴 𝘯𝘰𝘵 𝘯𝘦𝘦𝘥 𝘮𝘰𝘳𝘦 𝘳𝘦𝘴𝘤𝘶𝘦 𝘣𝘰𝘢𝘵𝘴 𝘢𝘧𝘵𝘦𝘳 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘧𝘭𝘰𝘰𝘥 𝘢𝘳𝘳𝘪𝘷𝘦𝘴. 𝘐𝘵 𝘯𝘦𝘦𝘥𝘴 𝘢 𝘴𝘺𝘴𝘵𝘦𝘮 𝘵𝘩𝘢𝘵 𝘢𝘤𝘵𝘪𝘷𝘢𝘵𝘦𝘴 𝘥𝘦𝘱𝘢𝘳𝘵𝘮𝘦𝘯𝘵𝘴 𝘣𝘦𝘧𝘰𝘳𝘦 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘳𝘢𝘪𝘯 𝘧𝘢𝘭𝘭𝘴.” He further added that the 𝟮𝟬𝟮𝟰 𝗪𝗮𝘆𝗮𝗻𝗮𝗱 𝗰𝗮𝘁𝗮𝘀𝘁𝗿𝗼𝗽𝗵𝗲, where 420 lives were lost during rainfall statistically expected only once in 75–200 years, is a stark reminder that what were once considered exceptional events are becoming increasingly consequential. 𝗜𝗣𝗘 𝗚𝗹𝗼𝗯𝗮𝗹’𝘀 𝗮𝘀𝘀𝗲𝘀𝘀𝗺𝗲𝗻𝘁 𝗽𝗿𝗼𝗷𝗲𝗰𝘁𝘀 𝘁𝗵𝗮𝘁, under accelerating monsoon intensification and La Niña conditions, 𝗰𝗼𝗺𝗽𝗼𝘂𝗻𝗱 𝗲𝘃𝗲𝗻𝘁𝘀 𝗰𝗼𝘂𝗹𝗱 𝗼𝗰𝗰𝘂𝗿 𝘁𝘄𝗼 𝘁𝗼 𝘁𝗵𝗿𝗲𝗲 𝘁𝗶𝗺𝗲𝘀 𝗺𝗼𝗿𝗲 𝗳𝗿𝗲𝗾𝘂𝗲𝗻𝘁𝗹𝘆 𝗯𝘆 𝟮𝟬𝟯𝟱. The imperative is therefore to move from reactive 𝗱𝗶𝘀𝗮𝘀𝘁𝗲𝗿 𝗿𝗲𝘀𝗽𝗼𝗻𝘀𝗲 𝘁𝗼 𝗮𝗻𝘁𝗶𝗰𝗶𝗽𝗮𝘁𝗼𝗿𝘆 𝗰𝗹𝗶𝗺𝗮𝘁𝗲 𝗿𝗲𝗮𝗱𝗶𝗻𝗲𝘀𝘀, strengthening risk-informed planning, early warning systems, resilient infrastructure, and institutional preparedness before hazards translate into loss and disruption. The question is no longer whether Kerala can respond when the next flood arrives. It is whether our systems are prepared 𝗯𝗲𝗳𝗼𝗿𝗲 𝗶𝘁 𝗱𝗼𝗲𝘀. 𝗥𝗲𝗮𝗱 𝗺𝗼𝗿𝗲 𝗼𝗻 𝗔𝗯𝗶𝗻𝗮𝘀𝗵 𝗠𝗼𝗵𝗮𝗻𝘁𝘆’𝘀 𝗽𝗲𝗿𝘀𝗽𝗲𝗰𝘁𝗶𝘃𝗲𝘀 𝗶𝗻 𝗕𝘂𝘀𝗶𝗻𝗲𝘀𝘀 𝗦𝘁𝗮𝗻𝗱𝗮𝗿𝗱: business-standard.com/politics/water… #KeralaFloods #ClimateResilience #DisasterRiskReduction #EarlyWarningSystems #ClimateAdaptation #IPEGlobalStudy @ashwajitipe @MKPadmaKumar1 @ErikSolheim @izabella_koz @DrOusmaneNDIAYE @h_sikka @AKumar2509 @raghwesh @ShilpiJain_2016 @shalendars

#BSDialogue | With trade agreements advancing with the #UK, #EU and #US, #India's #FTA strategy is entering a new phase. Join the discussion on the opportunities and challenges ahead. Register: business-standard.com/webinars/bs-di… @ajaydgft @Armilu @nivmook

PM Narendra Modi laid the foundation stone for ASIP Technologies’ ₹2,500-crore OSAT plant in Visakhapatnam, South India’s first semiconductor manufacturing facility. Details by @shinejac 👇 #PMModi #Visakhapatnam #AndhraPradesh #Semiconductors mybs.in/2g8OAB2

#BSDialogue | What changed in 1991--and what remains unfinished? Montek Singh Ahluwalia, @NaushadF & @AshokAkaybee revisit the reforms that reshaped India's economy. Watch the webinar here: business-standard.com/webinars/bs-di… Moderated by: @nivmook

Glad to see Business Standard report recognizing Andhra Pradesh’s emergence as one of India’s leading investment destinations. From 9th in FY24 (the ‘glorious’ YSRCP era) to 2nd in FY26 with ₹8.95 lakh crore in fresh investments, and the highest private investment growth in India (328%!) this is the result of our focus on Speed, Stability and Transparency. We are just getting started! business-standard.com/amp/economy/ne… #ChooseSpeedChooseAP @bsindia

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Space-grade 50 Wh Li-ion. ✅ Proven in orbit. ✅ Made in India. ✅ ​The missing piece of India’s commercial space puzzle just powered up. 🇮🇳🚀 In satellite tech, you face a brutal Catch-22: No one flies unproven hardware, but you can’t prove hardware without flying. Hyderabad-based startup TakeMe2Space just broke that cycle. Its PowerBank-50 satellite battery pack officially earned its coveted "Flight Heritage" tag, a first for an Indian private battery maker. Here’s why this matters 👇 1. The Test: 450 km Up Flown aboard Skyroot Aerospace’s maiden Vikram-1 orbital flight, it powered Cosmoserve Space's payload at a 450 km altitude. * What it survived: Violent launch shocks, zero-gravity vacuum, and extreme thermal swings. * What it proved: Real-time health monitoring, internal thermal control, and flawless power delivery in orbit. 2. The Tech: Small Box, Big Specs * Size & Weight: 380g delivering >50Wh capacity. * Architecture: Stackable design, scalable from CubeSats to microsatellites. * Cost Disruption: ₹1,04,900 off-the-shelf, a fraction of the cost of foreign imports. 3. India’s Full Space Stack: This isn't just one product; it's proof of the domestic ecosystem converging: * Private Launcher: Skyroot Aerospace. * Private Sub-system: TakeMe2Space. * Commercial Payload: Cosmoserve Space. Instead of waiting months for pricey imported batteries, Indian satellite builders now have local, flight-proven power ready off the shelf. So What’s Next? Flight heritage is just step one. TakeMe2Space is using this foundation to build next-gen orbital computing and space-based data processing infrastructure. Space-proven. Built in India. Upwards and onwards...👏 @tm2space @SkyrootA @CosmoserveSpace @INSPACeIND By @shinejac #MakeInIndia #DeepTech #SpaceTech #AtmanirbharBharat #Vikram1 #NewSpaceIndia

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Skyroot Aerospace co-founder @PawanKChandana discusses with @shinejac the space unicorn’s Vikram-2 plans and the global market opportunity for launch vehicles. Edited excerpts: mybs.in/2g7pjtv #Aerospace #IndiaSpaceMission #SatelliteLaunch @SkyrootA

Brilliant! “Until now, Indian satellite builders mostly had to import this critical component at high cost and long waiting times.” TakeMe2Space's PowerBank-50 becomes first India-made satellite battery. #AtmaNirbharBharat business-standard.com/companies/star…

From the launch of the #Maruti800 in 1983 to the transformation of #India's passenger vehicle market after the 1991 reforms, @Maruti_Corp Chairman #RCBhargava looks back at the industry's evolution in an interview with @shinejac. mybs.in/2g7nsp7

R C Bhargava, who played a key role in bringing the Maruti 800 to #India in 1983, discusses the rise of the passenger vehicle market after the 1991 reforms and the industry's continuing transformation in an interview with @shinejac. mybs.in/2g7nsp7

Kerala CM @vdsatheesan speaks to @shinejac about the impact of the West Asia war, a proposed high-speed rail project in the state and the Adani group’s stake sale plan in the Vizhinjam port project. Edited excerpts: mybs.in/2g7jH2t #WestAsia #Kerala #INC #Interviews

‘Whistle Revolution’ echoes across Opposition in #TamilNadu As the #TVK consolidates power, an exodus from the AIADMK is redrawing the state’s political landscape. @shinejac writes mybs.in/2g7gvwB