Shamrao Chougule’s story is one of passion and a rare derring-do that saw him make India produce quality wine

For someone who was cutting grass and looking after cattle as a child to be able to produce India’s first champagne is an astounding feat. Shamrao Chougule not only did that but he also made India the first tropical country to produce quality wine. Chougule’s is a story of...

Economist Lord Meghnad Desai does some delightful plain-speaking about the Indian polity

Vadodara-born Lord Meghnad Jagdishchandra Desai went straight to secondary school at the age of five, matriculated at 14, was an honours graduate by 18, had a master’s degree before 20 and was a PhD at 22. This was just the beginning of a lifetime of achievements including a rare peerage from the...

Dr Alka Deshpande has developed an ‘Indian’ method of dealing with AIDS that has been recognised internationally

From her secondary school education in a class that was a side-room of a temple at Peth-Wadgaon in Kolhapur, Maharashtra to becoming a WHO-recognised expert in dealing with HIV/AIDS, has been a journey of grit and dedication for Dr Alka Deshpande. She was awarded the Padma...