Anand Ramachandran

Investor, Economic History buff. Tweets are my library/bookmark of interesting articles with summaries & not an articulation of views.

[Hockey India @TheHockeyIndia]

𝐈𝐓 𝐀𝐋𝐋 𝐂𝐀𝐌𝐄 𝐃𝐎𝐖𝐍 𝐓𝐎 𝐓𝐇𝐈𝐒! 🎯🇮🇳

Sixty minutes couldn't separate the two teams, but the Men in Blue stepped up when it counted. 🔥

Relive the thrilling shootout that saw India overcome England 3-2 after a goalless draw to end the FIH Hockey Pro League 2025–26 campaign with a win. 💙🏑

#HockeyIndia #IndiaKaGame #FIHProLeague

[Ananth Rupanagudi @Ananth_IRAS]

This is the Kalpathy Agraharam in Palakkad, a historic Tamil Brahmin settlement established around 1425 AD. Renowned for its linear row houses, it is globally celebrated for its vibrant annual chariot festival and for preserving a timeless blend of Tamil and Keralite cultures.

The initial settlement was formed when the Raja of Palakkad invited priests from Thanjavur in 1425 AD to perform daily rituals at the newly built Kalpathy temple after a conflict with the original priests. The settlement expanded significantly in the late 18th century when waves of Tamil Brahmins fled Thanjavur, fearing attacks by Tipu Sultan. The Raja of Palakkad granted them refuge and land.

The houses follow a strict, symmetrical, linear pattern, constructed directly adjacent to one another and sharing walls. The houses on either side of the road form a protective "garland" shape leading directly to the temple. Homes are typically two-storied, featuring traditional sloping, tiled roofs. Thick clay and brick walls are paired with front verandahs and open internal courtyards to reduce the radiant indoor temperature, making them highly climate-adapted.

Unlike many modernized settlements, Kalpathy is heavily protected by heritage restrictions, allowing its centuries-old layout and traditional building techniques to remain largely intact. The village has been officially recognized by the Indian government as a heritage site due to its value as a traditional vernacular settlement.

The agraharams are synonymous with Vedic chanting, Carnatic music, and the artistic drawing of rice flour kolams in front courtyards. It stands as a living museum of how Tamil Brahmin culture seamlessly integrated with the local geographical and architectural norms of Kerala. #Palakkad #heritage #settlement #travel

[Prasanna Viswanathan @prasannavishy]

A wave of foreign universities setting up shop in India. University of Southampton, University of Liverpool, University of York, University of Bristol ,Deakin University, Victoria University, University of Wollongong etc)

Many of them are seeking to build permanent academic teams in India.

[MacroMatrix @MacroMatrix1]

India's office space supply, CY2025 🏢

Grade A stock across the 6 tier-1 cities:
Existing stock
▸ Bengaluru — 264.6M sq ft
▸ Delhi-NCR — 196.4M
▸ Mumbai — 169.9M
▸ Hyderabad — 169.2M
▸ Pune — 115.3M
▸ Chennai — 91.2M

Chennai is lowest and Bengaluru is highest. Pune overtakes Chennai.

things stand out 👇

City. Vacancy
Bengaluru 9.3%
Delhi 20.6%
Mumbai 11.8%
Hyderabad 25%
Pune 14.5%
Chennai 8.9%

Key insights

6 takeaways from India's office supply data (CY2025) 🧵

1️⃣ Hyderabad is building 70% more than it already has → 25% vacancy, over building.
2️⃣ Bengaluru builds just as aggressively but leases everything → 9.3% vacant, more companies are coming to Bengaluru, hottest market across all tier cities.
3️⃣ Chennai is smallest stock, tightest market at 8.9%. Small stock and no expansion. Office spaces are small compare to all tier 1 cities.
4️⃣ NCR's 20.6% vacancy = old buildings, not weak demand. A flight-to-quality story
5️⃣ 3 cities (Blr, NCR, Mumbai) = 63% of all tier-1 supply
6️⃣ 474M sq ft under construction — ~6 years of demand. Holds only if GCCs keep expanding
#Chennai #Bengaluru #Hyderabad #Mumbai #Delhi #Pune

[Smruti 🇮🇳 @smrutibombay]

There are two cities now:

#Mumbai in which the wealthy buy fab cars over weekends, dream of zooming on Rs 1lakh cr Coastal Rd *funded by the public*

#Mumbai in which public, millions, put their life on the line everyday to reach workplace and back home

Govt works for one only

[Devendra Fadnavis @Dev_Fadnavis]

Palghar is becoming Maharashtra's next growth engine. This district is not just a part of Maharashtra's growth story. It is the chapter that will define it.

Under the visionary leadership of Hon. PM Shri Narendra Modi Ji, projects that once seemed distant possibilities are today taking concrete shape.

Reviewed key aspects of the proposed Vadhavan Port at Chinchani Beach, including internal road network, forest clearances, power supply, rail connectivity, land acquisition, water supply, skill development and compensation for fishermen. Spread over 1,448 hectares with an estimated cost of ₹76,220 crore, this greenfield port will handle next-generation vessels with a 20-metre deep draft, making it capable of berthing the world's largest ships, something no Indian port can offer today. At three times the capacity of JNPA, it will rank among the world's top 10 ports and is expected to generate 10 lakh jobs.

What matters equally to me is how we build this. Through open dialogue, fair rehabilitation, ITI upgradation, skill training and a dedicated fisheries institute, we are committed to ensuring that the people of this land, our tribal communities, our fishermen, our youth, are not just witnesses to this progress but its primary beneficiaries.

Also inspected the ongoing construction work and reviewed the project layout of the Boisar Station under the Mumbai-Ahmedabad Bullet Train Project. Work is progressing well and officials have been instructed to maintain pace and quality within the decided timelines. Once operational, Boisar will connect to BKC in under thirty minutes, opening up this entire region economically. This is a project that will genuinely change the character of Palghar.

Also reviewed the site of the proposed offshore Airport in Palghar district, which is going to be India's first offshore airport. This project adds a critical third dimension to this connectivity picture. Situated in proximity to the Dedicated Freight Corridor, the Bullet Train, the Uttan-Virar Sea Link, the Mumbai-Vadodara Expressway and the Mumbai-Ahmedabad National Highway, it will significantly improve connectivity while easing the growing passenger load on Mumbai Airport. The pre-feasibility report has confirmed the site as viable and the DPR has been ordered today.

Also discussed the MMRDA-developed Narangi Creek Bridge, a ₹850 crore, 4.10 km project that will directly connect Vasai-Virar with Saphale, Palghar and Boisar, reducing travel distance by nearly 40 km and travel time by around 45 minutes. Also held detailed discussions on the Uttan-Virar Sea Link, a proposed six-lane project worth approximately ₹58,754 crore that once complete will directly connect to the Mumbai-Ahmedabad National Highway, making travel between South Mumbai and Ahmedabad faster, safer and more convenient.

Inspected the construction and reviewed progress on the Vadodara-Mumbai section of the Delhi-Mumbai Expressway, one of India's most ambitious infrastructure undertakings. A defining feature of this 8-lane greenfield corridor is its direct connectivity to JNPA, enabling faster, more efficient and cost-effective freight movement from North India and giving a major boost to the country's logistics chain. It will also offer a reliable alternative to the congested Thane-Bhiwandi-Ghodbunder routes, with travel time between Vadodara and Mumbai set to reduce from 8 hours to approximately 4 once complete.

Vadhavan Port, Bullet Train, Offshore Airport, Delhi-Mumbai Expressway, Uttan-Virar Sea Link, Narangi Creek Bridge, Virar-Alibaug Corridor. Each project is significant on its own. Together, they are building the Fourth Mumbai, a new economic centre of gravity rising in Palghar, under the visionary leadership of Hon PM Shri Narendra Modi Ji and the resolve of a government that has cleared decades of stalled decisions.

Palghar is emerging as a major growth engine for Maharashtra, opening new opportunities in ports, transport, industry, exports and employment.This is the Maharashtra we are building, and Palghar is leading the way.

Minister Ganesh Naik ji, Minister Nitesh Rane, MP Dr Hemant Savara, MLA Rajendra Gavit and senior officials were present.

🙏 जय महाराष्ट्र

@NaikSpeaks @NiteshNRane @drhemantsavara @rajendra1gavit
#Maharashtra #Palghar #InfrastructureDevelopment

[Nationalist Mumbaikar 2.0 🇮🇳™ @ayushrajjjjj25]

CM @Dev_Fadnavis inspected the site and layout of the Country's First Proposed Offshore Airport in Palghar. He directed Officers to Prepare DPR

Key Features
✅Location: Kore, Virar

✅ Connectivity:
DFC
Bullet Train
Uttan-Virar Sealink
DMEX
NH48

✅Cargo: Vadhvan & Murbe Ports

[Anil Padmanabhan @capitalcalculus]

Sharing @swapan55's succinct summation of his debut budget as the FM of West Bengal. "Putting Bengal back on the map of India"
In a few hours, my latest post on @Substack will unpack the big message: a fundamental break from the past.
#westbengal

[Uma anandan @umaanandansays]

Why not have a rule that if any MP’s attendance is less than 50% in a year, they should return the money and resign, subject to health and other acceptable reasons?

Why should celebrities be appointed if they can't add any value?

Shared from WhatsApp

@PMOIndia
@HMOIndia

[The Better India @thebetterindia]

What if your city’s roads could save water instead of wasting it?

In Coimbatore’s Race Course Road, smart drains made from recycled plastic are doing just that by harvesting rainwater and reducing floods.

Meet EcoBloc, the game-changing Indian innovation that has already saved over 50 million litres and counting.

Credits: stonehandsproject on IG

#SmartCities #RainwaterHarvesting #Coimbatore #EcoBloc

[EcoBloc, Coimbatore, rainwater harvesting, Smart drains, RR Sivaraam, Water conservation]

[Sridhar Vembu @svembu]

The economic and demographic effects of corruption.

Cost of land in our urban areas is far higher than what our GDP per capita would dictate. The ratio of land value to per capita GDP is probably higher in India than anywhere else. As an example, land prices in Chennai or Bengaluru rival that of cities like New York which has a vastly higher per capita GDP.

The key reason?

First, vast sums of political corruption money is parked in real estate. This raises real estate prices and high real estate prices affect everything downstream.

Second, corruption in building approvals and the like - the famous DTCP - raises construction costs, on top of already higher real estate costs.

Third, corruption in private school regulatory compliance enforcement raises school fees.

Fourth, corruption in private hospital regulatory compliance enforcement raises health care costs.

Fifth, household goods need sales outlets and those pay higher rents due to high real estate prices and construction costs.

So housing, education, healthcare and household goods - all of these now cost higher.

As a direct consequence, the economic burden on the average person gets worse. Young people, facing all these costs, postpone marriage, and postpone children or have fewer children.

That directly affects our demographics.

While this issue exists in many parts of India, Tamil Nadu, being the most urbanized of the bigger states, is particularly hit hard.

So corruption is becoming an existential threat to our society.

If you worry about the super-low birth rate in Tamil Nadu, way below replacement, understand that corruption raising our cost of living is one of the major causes, not the only cause, but a big one in our context.

[Shanaka Anslem Perera ⚡ @shanaka86]

For the first time in the history of automation, the people most likely to be replaced are the ones building their own replacement, frame by frame, for a few dollars an hour. Across India, Nigeria, China, and Argentina, workers are strapping cameras to their heads and recording every fold of laundry, every stitch, every washed dish, and that footage is training the robots designed to do those exact jobs.

This is documented, not rumor. No jokes! Garment workers in Tamil Nadu, India have been filmed wearing head-mounted cameras on the factory floor, sending point-of-view footage to data firms whose clients include Fortune 500 companies. One US company alone has hired thousands of workers across more than 50 countries to record themselves cooking, cleaning, and folding clothes. More than 6 billion dollars poured into humanoid robots last year, and the one ingredient every maker is starved for is precisely this: real human hands doing real human work.

The endpoint is stated plainly by the buyers. In China, one supplier said his pitch to factories is to let workers wear the cameras now, because trained robots will eventually work there instead.

The quiet part is the exchange itself. The worker is paid for the hour and keeps nothing after it. No share, no royalty, no ownership of the movements their own body is teaching the machine. The skill leaves their hands and becomes someone else's product, and almost no one along the chain sees the full shape of the trade, not always the person filming, not the millions who watch the clip and scroll on.

One scene holds all of it. A humanoid robot spent an hour folding three shirts while a human housekeeper, hired to guide it, quietly finished the rest of the chores.

Every automation before this arrived from the outside. A machine showed up and took the job. This one is being built from the inside, by the workers themselves, handing over the last thing they had left to sell.

UBI ? or something totally else should pave the way in the future? Thoughts?

[Prasanna Viswanathan @prasannavishy]

CBSE has finally clarified that the new three-language policy (2 Indian languages mandatory) will begin from Class 6, implemented cohort-wise and will not be imposed overnight on students already in Classes 8 and 9.

Even the Union Education Minister has now acknowledged that the earlier communication was poorly drafted

Former BJP chief K. Annamalai had flagged this exact issue, correctly arguing that the notification amounted to an abrupt departure from the earlier transition plan and calling for a rollback. Very sensible ask considering how three language issue continues to be so deeply politicised in the state

Still slavery level loyalty meant even these kind of bureaucratic blunging/ministerial incompetence was hailed as 'masterstroke'. Funny considering it has admitted and fixing an administrative mistake

[Chandrashekhar Dhage @cbdhage]

Proposed Aerocity Navi Mumbai Designed by KPF USA.
#NMIA

[Buzz Patterson @BuzzPatterson]

Wow! A massive earthquake just hit Venezuela. It interrupted a baseball game. Watch how they all run away from structures.

[Sokak Kedisi @sokakkedisitv]

🔴 Depremin ardından merdivenlerden inerek apartmanı terk etmeye çalışan Venezuelalı bir vatandaş, alt katlara indikçe karşılaştığı manzara karşısında büyük şok yaşadı.

🔴 A Venezuelan resident trying to evacuate the apartment building via the stairs after the earthquake was left in shock as the extent of the destruction became more apparent with each floor. 👇

[Seema Chishti @seemay]

India does about 36% globally, of the crucial labelling work AI depends on. Yet we will be denied Anthropic’s latest versions by US law - and GOI won’t be able to even utter a syllable.
Stunning data.
AI is anything but artificial. Utterly dependent on human labour.

[Shekhar Gupta @ShekharGupta]

India’s larger strategic policy, especially on China, wasn’t invented 25 or even 50 years ago. It’s a continuum that evolved as the world changed.

Socialist Ram Manohar Lohia was fixated on the Chinese threat, condemned its move into Tibet & Nehru’s optimistic accommodation of China. George Fernandes, a Lohia disciple, brought that view as Raksha Mantri.

China is the oldest element in independent India’s strategic debate. Older than America. Check out Lohia’s writings 1948-49 and Nehru’s responses.

As for India-US ties, history would be different if Kennedy hadn’t been assassinated in 1963. In 1963 there was an American military mission in India under a 2-star.

It was in the same epochal months that China and Pakistan ‘discovered’ each other and “settled” their “border” which was essentially along POK. Territories “exchanged” included Shaksgam Valley. The die was now cast.

This encouraged Pakistan for its 1965 misadventure and eventual dismemberment.

India’s view of the wider world 1959 onwards has been influenced, to whatever extent, by the issues with China.

What we’ve seen evolve over the past 35 (not 25) years is a post-cold War reset. It’s been logical and consistent across governments.

What did anybody want India to do? From 1997 to 2014 Russia was also a member of G-8 until dropped for annexation of Crimea.

Indian strategic thought evolves across generations, not designed for the tenure of individual US presidents whose tenure is limited. .

Trump has less than 30 months left…

[Ananth Narayan @ananthng]

Great to hear @RBI Governor Malhotra reiterate in his interview with @ETNOWlive - loans create deposits, not the other way around. Super crucial lesson for students of finance, and the subject of my pinned post! Also, here's another suggested reading: https://t.co/zxa97z8nIc

[The Indian Matrix @indianmatrix]

India accounts for nearly one-third of all NGOs across G20 countries, making it home to by far the world's largest NGO ecosystem.

When millions of entities operate across every state, sector, and issue, scale itself becomes a challenge. Such a vast ecosystem of NGOs makes it easier for external interests to find partners, amplify narratives, and project coordinated campaigns as spontaneous grassroots movements.

Over the years, several strategic projects, from nuclear power and mining to industrial and infrastructure projects, have faced prolonged protests, litigation, and pressure campaigns. The 2014 Intelligence Bureau assessment warned that such disruptions could shrink India's annual GDP growth by 2-3%.

A country with millions of NGOs cannot afford to treat transparency as optional. The larger the ecosystem, the greater the need for safeguards. FCRA reforms are about ensuring that foreign contributions are used for their declared purposes and that activism does not become a vehicle for the organised obstruction of development.