Modi & Xi: Bhai, Bhai again?

Written by: Aarthi Ramnath, Aakriti Anand & Raghav Bikhchandani

Modi & Xi: Bhai, Bhai again?

The context: Once upon a time Modi-ji and the Chinese president were the best of friends. They had 18 one-on-one meetings between 2014 and 2019—including two weekend retreats in Wuhan and Mamallapuram. Then Chinese troops clashed with Indian soldiers—and gobbled up 1,000 square km of Indian territory—though New Delhi stoutly denies it. In any case, both sides signed an agreement, announced on Monday. It supposedly restores the pre-2020 status quo—but no one trusts Beijing to keep its promises.

What happened now: The two men met in Russia at the BRICS summit—the annual gathering of the biggest developing countries. It was the first meeting since 2020—and comes on the heels of the border breakthrough. The former besties made all the right noises about maintaining “stable, predictable and amicable” relations.

Sadly, there were no romantic photo-ops a la Mahabalipuram:

Business as usual? According to Bloomberg News, New Delhi made the decision to make peace under pressure from India Inc:

It became clear, [Indian officials] said, that the tough stance on China was backfiring on Indian companies and hurting Modi’s push to attract more high-end manufacturing, including chipmakers. India’s top economic adviser added to the debate in July, stating in stark terms that the South Asian nation needs to attract Chinese businesses to achieve the ambition of becoming a manufacturing hub. National security officials started to shift their stance around the same time, advising various ministries to take a “positive view” on investment proposals that posed no clear threat to India, the people said.

The potential upside for China:

For China, easing tensions with India would help drive a wedge between New Delhi and Washington. It would also provide Beijing with one less headache at a time when it is struggling to turn around its sputtering economy, which has been battered by a property crisis.

For now, the Amreeki elephant in the room has not responded to this cuddling up—which looks like sheer ingratitude—just when Washington inked a $3.5 billion deal to sell American Predator drones.

Our question: Does this mean they’re bringing TikTok back? Because, y’know, priorities.

Reading list: New York Times has more on the US angle. Bloomberg News via BNN Bloomberg looks at the implications for Indian business. The Diplomat flags the trust issues on both sides of the border.

Boeing’s long tailspin, continued

The company just can’t catch a break—be it with its airlines or spacecraft. After the Starliner debacle, the company’s satellite has mysteriously disintegrated in space. The Intelsat 33e communications satellite exploded while orbiting Earth—the second in five years. The last one fell apart in 2019—after three years in space. This may well be the final coffin in Boeing’s space program—now that NASA has announced it will exclusively use SpaceX spacecrafts. Adding to that sinking feeling: Boeing’s latest earnings report. It lost $6 billion in the third quarter of 2024. (Quartz)

An Air India X Singapore codeshare collab

Here’s some good news for Air India passengers. The airline has inked an extensive codeshare agreement with Singapore Airlines. They can now choose from 29 destinations across SIA’s network—mainly in Australia, Brunei, and Cambodia. Also this: The number of shared flights between Singapore and two South metros— Bangalore and Chennai—will jump from 14 to 56 per week.

Interesting bit to note: Singapore will also codeshare a number of domestic AI flights within India—plus AI flights to 11 international destinations. But SIA already operated flights to most of these destinations out of India. In other words, Singapore passengers may be in for a rude shock—if they find themselves on an AI flight instead. Reminder: AI has been on a codeshare tear—and recently inked a deal with All Nippon Airways, as well—bringing the total to 15. Mint offers an extended analysis of the agreement.

Claude is now in control: The next AI leap

The latest generation of Anthropic’s AI model can take control of your computer to perform various tasks—be it research, answering emails, or even coding a website! The chatbot uses a new “Computer Use” API—which allows you to give it access to any desktop app. Claude can then use the app—with keystrokes, button clicks, and mouse gestures—just like a person sitting at a PC. You can watch a demo below:

Don’t worry! Anthropic says humans will remain in control at all times. You will provide the prompts to direct Claude’s actions, and can disable access at any time.

The bigger picture: There is an arms race to develop ever cleverer AI agents—which essentially refers to any AI that can automate software. They also pose the biggest threat to human jobs—especially at the grunt level. Salesforce, Microsoft, and OpenAI are all planning to release their own AI agents. TechCrunch has lots more.

Beware of Zomato’s ‘analogue’ paneer

Wtf is that? In recent years, dairy companies have been peddling synthetic paneer—made by adding “emulsifiers, vegetable oil, starch and other additives” to regular or skimmed milk. They taste kinda like the real deal, and cost half as much.

What’s with Zomato: The company is being called out for selling this fake paneer to restaurants through its B2B marketplace Hyperpure. It is marketed as being “soft & fresh” and good for “tikka & gravy paneer dishes”.

The problem: The feku version is cheaper for a reason. It uses cheaper vegetable oils, has less protein and more trans fats and saturated fats. The bigger problem: Zomato labels its fake paneer when selling it to restaurants. But they don’t do the same. Do you know what’s in your paneer tikka? Hindustan Times has more on the Zomato angle. Times of India has detailed reports on Indian regs for fake paneer—and a similar call-out of McDonald’s. India Today explains the difference between real and analogue paneer.

Sticking with Zomato: The company is hustling to raise another $1 billion—to add to the $1.2 billion they already have in the bank. Basically, Zomato is “sucking the air out of the room” just ahead of Swiggy’s monster $1.4 billion IPO is slated for next month. And its sucking paisa out of its customers: Zomato has raised its platform fee yet again—from Rs 7 to Rs 10—just in time for the festive season. (TechCrunch)

Planet-saving diamonds in the sky

Global warming solutions are clearly divided between those trying to reverse course—or developing technological solutions for the inevitable. See: the Bill Gates-funded planet shield. The latest of these proposes injecting diamond dust into the sky. Why?

[D]iamond dust would be the best option — the particles would reflect the most light and heat, they would stay aloft for a reasonable amount of time, and would not be likely to clump. The researchers note that because they are chemically inert, it is unlikely that they would react to form acid rain.

According to their calculations, “5 million tons of synthetic diamond dust into the atmosphere per year could cool the Earth by 1.6°C in 45 years.” The only catch is the price tag: $200 trillion. That said, it gives new meaning to our fave RiRi song. (Phys.org)

Coming soon: AI-driven fashion stores

The aptly named Future Stores is gearing up to redefine fast fashion. Its first branch in London is aimed at imitating the “TikTok era of fast-paced scrolling”—but in a brick-and-mortar store:

The 4,680-square-foot store will feature a rotating line-up of brand activations that will change every two to six weeks (the space can be used by one or more brands and can be divided into two rooms). These activations will be dynamic, meaning a brand could use the space one way during the day and transform it for the evening or tie it into a nearby cultural event. The idea is to create an experience that’s “as fluid as a social media feed.”

Adding to the glitz: massive LED screens which make the experience even more immersive. You can get a sense of it here:

Intel will be the first brand to take residence—with giant fluorescent jellyfish, a flying whale and, of course, the thing it's actually selling: new AI PCs. See below. (Vogue Business)

The best bar in the world is…

Handshake Speakeasy in Mexico City, according to Conde Nast Traveller’s 2024 rankings. The top 10 features bars from nine different countries—but the longer top 50 list is dominated by the US and the UK with five each. Four are located in London. The bad news: there are zero Indian bars. Missing in action: Sidecar in Delhi—which debuted at #47 in 2021, hit #26 in 2022, but slid to #67 in 2023. (Conde Nast Traveller)

Giving you more reasons to travel: National Geographic. It revealed its top 25 travel destinations for 2025—giving you “the most thrilling and purposeful travel experiences” to plan for. The list includes a diverse list spanning Guadalajara in Mexico, Boise in Idaho (what?) and Cillian Murphy’s hometown Cork. The Indian cameo: Suru Valley in Ladakh—for some invigorating rock climbing. You can see the full list here. (CNN)

what caught our eye

business & tech

Character.ai is being sued for the suicide of a 14-year-old boy in Florida, who had fallen in love with one of its role-playing chatbots.
AI chipmaker Nvidia wants to partner with the Indian government to jointly develop a chip that will address Indian problems. Example: the railways security system.
Mint has an interesting read on Netflix rejigging its company culture and whether it represents a step in the right direction.
Byju’s is back in hot water thanks to a Supreme Court ruling that leaves it facing bankruptcy—once again!
Named in an HBO documentary as mysterious creator of Bitcoin Satoshi Nakamoto, software developer Peter Todd has gone into hiding.
The Competition Commission of India (CCI)—published a detailed order approving the Reliance-Disney merger—but requires the sale of seven TV channels.

sports & entertainment

The Indian entertainment industry lost Rs 22,400 crore ($2.6 billion) to piracy in 2023.
Horror fans, get hyped! Filmmaker Mike Flanagan will adapt Stephen King’s ‘Carrie’ as an eight-episode miniseries for Netflix.
International hockey made a long-awaited return to New Delhi’s iconic Major Dhyan Chand stadium after a gap of ten years. The bad news: India lost 2-0 to Germany.

as for the rest

Another 100 flights have been delayed by feku bomb threats posted to X—making the government really mad at the platform. Check out our Big Story for more context.
A million people in Odisha are being moved out of the path of Cyclone Dana, which is expected to make landfall by the early hours of Friday.
A solider, a nurse, a truck driver, and dozens more—The Guardian has a must-read on the 50 men accused of raping Gisele Pelicot.
Mining has razed nearly 1.4 million hectares of trees in the last two decades.
Israel is wrecking the ancient city of Tyre in Lebanon. There will be no hand-wringing unlike the Bamiyan Buddhas destroyed by the Taliban.
Drugmakers in the US are not disclosing side effects to volunteers in Alzheimer’s drug trials—like brain injuries.
Vietnam’s new president is… army general Luong Cuong, who will be the country’s fourth president in just two years.
Around 40% of blue collar workers in India are actively looking to change their job, with salary being the biggest motivator.
Chile has launched a first-of-its-kind vaccine that can temporarily neuter dogs for a year, offering a new alternative to the permanent procedure for pet owners.
China has banned “irregular and uncivilised” language online—i.e jokes, memes, and puns—which are used to duck the censors.
People who have a sense of smell take small “sniffs” between each breath. No ‘sniffs’, no sense of smell—a condition called anosmia—which has knock-on effects such as depression.
Another day, another Donald Trump-related lafda. He has accused the UK's ruling Labour party of interfering in the US election.
The US says North Korea’s troops have joined the Russian battlefront—in a “very serious” escalation.
CNN has a must-read on the long ‘do or die’ journey made by many young Indians chasing the American dream. Check out our Big Story for more on this Dunki route.

Six things to see

One: Eminem showed up to Kamala Harris’ Detroit rally. OTOH, our favourite bit: Barack Obama rapping ‘Lose Yourself’. (People)

Two: Yuvraj Singh’s non-profit, YouWeCan is running this ad for breast cancer awareness in the Delhi Metro. It went horribly wrong—since people don’t appreciate coy fruit metaphors in PSAs for serious illnesses. Say it loud, say it proud: Breasts! (Moneycontrol)

Three: We absolutely heart this cover of Entertainment Weekly, featuring Paul Mescal and Pedro Pascal. They’re promoting the upcoming ‘Gladiator II’, which releases in theatres on November 22. Entertainment Weekly has the full cover story and more images from this Greek-god-esque photo shoot.

Four: LeBron James and his 20-year-old son Bronny made NBA history as the first father-son duo to play in the league as teammates—for the LA Lakers. They were together on the court for two and a half minutes. Ofc, the Lakers won. See them together on the court below:

Our fave: The father-son handshake: (Associated Press)

Five: We’re intrigued by the trailer for a new series by Taika Waititi called ‘Interior Chinatown’—starring actor-comedian Jimmy O Yang. It is based on Charles Yu’s National Book Award-winning crime novel of the same name. The series drops on November 19, on Disney+ Hotstar. (Hollywood Reporter)

Six: Oscar winner Ke Huy Quan gets his first shot at a leading role in the upcoming action film ‘Love Hurts’. The film also stars Ariana DeBose, and is slated to release on February 7, 2025. (People)