Indian Art | Aishwarya Balasubramanian | Global Indian

Global IndianstoryFrom Chennai to New Hampshire, Aishwarya Balasubramanian has kept the aesthetic appeal of Bharatanatyam alive

From Chennai to New Hampshire, Aishwarya Balasubramanian has kept the aesthetic appeal of Bharatanatyam alive

Written by: Amrita Priya

(November 24, 2022) When Bharatanatyam dancer Aishwarya Balasubramanian was a school student, she was very good at academics. The talented artist multitasked her way through school, excelling in her studies and also in dance. As she neared the end of high school, the time came to pick one, a tough choice for Aishwarya. On the one hand, she wanted to be a doctor and on the other, she felt a deep passion for dance. Finally, she chose the dance over the medical profession.

“I just couldn’t give it up,” says the passionate dancer. She knew that since both the professions have their own demands, she would not be able to do both full-time. “So, I went on to pursue my bachelors in mathematics from Stella Maris College, Chennai while continuing with my passion in dance.” Life took her from Chennai to New Hampshire, where Aishwarya runs her own dance school, Arpanam, teaching students from different parts of the country as the Indian diaspora try to stay connected to their roots.

Aishwarya Balasubramanian

“I am extremely fortunate to have parents who encouraged me to go the path I wanted to,” says Aishwarya, who has performed across India and abroad both as part of a troupe as well as a soloist. “My arangetram took place in 1998 when I was a student of grade six and since then I have done numerous solo performances,” she tells Global Indian.

Starting at five

The disciple of renowned Guru Acharya Choodamani Anitha Guha, Aishwarya began her Bharatanatyam journey at the age of five. As it happened, she lived in the same apartment complex as Anitha, so her parents enrolled their five-year-old to learn Bharatanatyam.

Aishwarya was joined by many other kids in the neighbourhood, all of whom learned from Anitha Guha. Still, it was clear that she had a special streak in her. As a child, she mesmerised her audience during a performance at her guru’s concert, Bharathanjali. Even so young, she stood out for the beauty of her facial expressions, clarity of footwork and her grace.

Indian Art | Aishwarya Balasubramanian | Global Indian

Aishwarya has developed a reputation as one of Chennai’s most loved Bharatanatyam dancers and is a guru herself, training pupils from the Indian diaspora in the USA. She has been given titles like ‘Singar Mani, ‘Nalanda Nritya Nipuna, ‘Kala Ratna’ and ‘Natya Chudar’.

Shining star from Chennai

Over the years, with intense training, commitment and rigorous discipline, Aishwarya has evolved into a much sought-after performing artiste at prominent dance festivals and cultural programmes. Her meticulous technique, deftness of expressions and graceful movements have helped her earn great reviews and applauds from connoisseurs of art and culture.

Tryst continues in the USA

For nearly a decade now, Aishwarya has lived in New Hampshire, where her husband works. She has remained deeply engaged not just in performance but also choreography, music, nattuvangam (south Indian form of rhythmic recitation), theory of dance and teaching, without deviating from margam (the presentation format of Bharatanatyam dance forms).

I feel happiest when I am dancing. Each performance deserves my best and I try to give it! – Aishwarya Balasubramanian

Aishwarya runs her dance school, Arpanam in the USA, bringing the ancient wisdom of Bharatanatyam to new, young learners from among the diaspora. “Since I had very strong roots in dance back in India, it was not a challenge to continue my passion in the USA,” she says.

Indian Art | Aishwarya Balasubramanian | Global Indian

Over the years her dance school has become well-established. She teaches students of not only the region in which she stays but other parts of the country as well. “I had been taking online classes for students based in different parts of the USA and short-term learning sessions for pupil in India, in the pre-pandemic times as well, much before the trend of such classes started,” she says.

Love for the art form abroad

“Parents of Indian origin in the USA want their kids to be connected to their Indian roots and that’s why they are eager to send them to classes of traditional art forms,” tells Aishwarya. “The main problem is lack of time of kids of today,” she says, citing how artists like her grew up in India devoting two to three hours daily to their chosen art form.

Indian Art | Aishwarya Balasubramanian | Global Indian

“Now kids are doing multiple activities at the same time. Strictly an hour or two per week is what they can devote,” says the dancer.

Dedicated to her guru

Aishwarya’s association with her guru, Anitha Guha dates back to more than three decades. The devoted pupil who keeps her guru abreast with every development of her life, says:

It’s not just a student-teacher relationship. She is just like a mother to me.

“Before every step in my personal and professional life I take her blessings and guidance,” tells the shishya describing the guru-shishya relationship ‘beyond what words can describe’.

Aishwarys Balasubramanian with her guru, Anitha Guha

Aishwarya’s six-year-old daughter has started learning dance from her. The ace dancer’s parents live in Chennai. She continues to learn from her guru, who also lives in the South Indian city. Chennai holds a special place in her heart. It made her what she is today.

Some of the places where Aishwarya has performed:

Ramayanam at the Cleveland Thyagaraja Aradhana Festival, Cleveland, USA
Tamarind Art Gallery, New York
Indo-Indo Varein festival, Zurich, Switzerland
Vedic heritage annual festival, New York
Khajuraho Festival, Madhya Pradesh

Follow Aishwarya Subramanian on Facebook, Instagram, YouTube and her website

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Published on 24, Nov 2022

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Chef Manish Mehrotra’s decade-long reign in Asia’s 50 Best Restaurants

(May 17, 2023) It was in 2009 that Chef Manish Mehrotra opened the doors of Indian Accent to Dilliwallas, a fine-dining Indian restaurant that in no time became a phenomenon, taking over New York and London. If the chef took Delhi's iconic Daulat ki Chaat to New York, he introduced Indians to the Blue Cheese Naan and changed the way people perceive Indian food. It's this uniqueness that has yet again put Indian Accent on Asia's 50 Best Restaurants list for the 10th consecutive year. This year, his restaurant jumped three spots - from #22 to #19. For someone who enjoys bringing unique combinations to street chaat and regional cuisine, his unconventional approach to Indian food has made him stand tall. "I am eternally grateful for all the titles, but at the end of the day what matters to me is when someone walks out happy from my restaurant. They come with high expectations about the name, and it’s my job to fulfill it. Once you know you've done it, you've reached success," he told Elle. Manish's story is one of unyielding passion, relentless innovation, and profound respect for his culinary heritage. The celebration of food The Patna-born spent most

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The celebration of food

The Patna-born spent most of his childhood in the city. Though never the one to be seen in the kitchen, he enjoyed the food as it was something that was celebrated at his home. It was in the early 80s that he had his first fine dining encounter, and it had him hooked. So, when the time came to pursue a career, he picked hotel management as "it was then in fashion." This led him to the gates of the Institute of Hotel Management, Mumbai where he honed his culinary skills. It was here that he fell in love with food production. "When I joined my school, I found their kitchen the most interesting place. That is when I decided I want to become a chef," he said in an interview.

He kickstarted his career as part of Ananda Solomon's team at the Thai Pavilion of the Taj Hotels, where he mastered the art of pan-Asian cuisine. Manish, who calls his mentor Chef Ananda - one of the finest chefs, learnt a great deal from him, one of the most important lessons being how to understand the guests' psyche. "That is what I learnt from Chef Ananda Solomon and that is what I still believe in. I still believe in feedback. One golden rule that I learnt from Chef Ananda is the plate that goes inside the restaurant was very important but the plate that comes back from the restaurant is even more important. He added that one can make out from the amount of food that is left on the plate whether someone liked the food or not," he told HT.

Manish Mehrotra | Global Indian

Indian cuisine with a twist

Working under the guidance of Solomon, Manish began to understand the depth and diversity of Indian cuisine. Solomon’s meticulous attention to detail, insistence on quality ingredients, and reverence for traditional cooking methods profoundly influenced Mehrotra. He learned the importance of balancing flavours and respecting the integrity of each ingredient, principles that would later become the bedrock of his culinary philosophy.

Later, he joined Old World Hospitality Oriental Octopus and travelled across Asia to train in Pan Asian Cuisine. He embarked on a journey to redefine and elevate Indian cuisine. He began to experiment, fusing traditional Indian flavours with contemporary culinary techniques to create dishes that were both familiar and remarkably innovative. His unique approach caught the attention of food enthusiasts across the globe, leading to the birth of Indian Accent.

Manish Mehrotra | Global Indian

The inspiration came while working in London when the Global Indian found that there was a huge disconnect between the youth of the time (2008-9) and Indian foods. And it was this gap that he wanted to fill in with Indian Accent. "London at that point in time was more than New York; it was a cosmopolitan city of a different culture, different nationality, and everyone's food was represented in that city at a different level and on a very good level also. Indian food chefs like Vineet Bhatia, Chef Atul Kochhar, Vivek Singh… they were all doing fantastic work and when you saw their work you got inspired, then you say why can't you do this kind of thing in India. Because one thing that I felt at that point of time was that the youth of India had a very big disconnect with Indian food at that point of time. Young Indians had stopped going to Indian restaurants and there was a big disconnect. That was one motivation that you have to do Indian food in such a way that it reconnects the young generation also," he said, adding, "The people coming outside India can relate to it and cuisine can move forward. The regional cuisine can come to limelight."

Putting Indian food on global map

With dishes as unique as Blue Cheese Naan, Doda Barfi Treacle Tart, and Meetha Achaar Pork Ribs on the menu, Manish saw an empty restaurant for the first few months. Since Indian Accent was nothing like any other Indian restaurant serving regular Indian khaana, many people would walk out after reading the menu. However, things started slowly picking up for the chef as people understood the concept. "Now, people are open to experimenting. With increase in travel, palettes have evolved and are ready to experiment. It will take more time but it's a good progress."

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Indian Accent, under his expert guidance, became a culinary sensation. The restaurant's innovative menu beautifully showcases the chef's understanding of Indian cuisine, while the novel presentations highlight his modern, inventive touch. Each dish is a testament to his ability to transform traditional recipes into contemporary masterpieces without compromising on authenticity.

In 2016, he decided to take Indian Accent to New York, a landscape that's already familiar with upscale Indian dining and created quite a stir by introducing Delhi's iconic Daulat ki Chaat to New Yorkers. With no previous exposure in the US, starting anew in unfamiliar scenery was challenging for the chef. However, it helped him push the creative envelope. But what surprised him the most was the reception that Indian Accent got in New York. "People already knew about Indian Accent New Delhi; they’d been there, or their friends and family had been there and they’d told them about it. That doesn’t make New York City easy to negotiate, of course: If this city doesn’t like something, it can be ruthless," he said.

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Manish's ten-year streak on the Asia's 50 Best Restaurants list is a testament to his culinary prowess and the consistent excellence of his Indian Accent. His remarkable journey from a young boy in Patna to an internationally recognized chef is not just the result of his talent and dedication but also his ability to re-imagine Indian food in a way that resonates with a global audience.

He has pushed the boundaries of what is considered Indian cuisine, transforming it from a largely misunderstood food culture into a globally recognized and respected culinary art form. Chef Manish Mehrotra has not only changed how the world perceives Indian cuisine but also inspired a generation of budding chefs to explore the rich tapestry of Indian flavours and techniques. "Our ultimate goal is to get real Indian food to the world and tell the world that India is not wholly about the northwest frontier. There is east, west, south, every different part of India has a unique cuisine to offer which is happening."

Chef Manish Mehrotra, who is a self-proclaimed movie buff, enjoys South Indian-dubbed movies, along with listening to music and watching cricket. Moreover, he is an enthusiastic reader and has a collection of more than 1200 Cookbooks from across the globe.

As Indian Accent continues to dazzle the culinary world, one can't help but admire the man from Patna who dared to reimagine Indian food, leaving an indelible Indian Accent on the world's culinary map.

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Rahul Mehrotra: Architect, urbanist and educator behind the Masterplan for Mumbai

(September 26, 2024) Over the course of a practice spanning more than thirty years, Rahul Mehrotra has entrenched himself in Mumbai's architectural history, with his name featuring alongside icons like IM Qadri and Charles Correa. The founder of RMA Architects, Mehrotra is multi-faceted personality, an architect, urbanist, author and an educator as well - he is the Professor of Urban Design and Planning at the Department of Urban Planning and Design at Harvard University's Graduate School of Design. His range of projects has been equally vast, from art spaces and boutiques, designing offices, homes and factories to recycling urban land and master planning the Maximum City. RMA has designed and executed a vast rangeof projects, from corporate campuses to private homes, as well as conservation and land recycling projects. Mehrotra led the design of Hewlett Packard's software campus in Bengaluru and a campus for the NGO Magic Bus. He also oversaw the restoration of the Oval Maidan and Chowmahalla and Falaknuma Palaces in Hyderabad and completed a masterplan for the conservation of the Taj Mahal. The firm also designed and built a social housing project, Hathigaon, in Rajasthan, for 100 elephants and their caretakers. He is a leading voice in

s a leading voice in the modern discourse on urbanism, and is known for being driven by academic research. Global Indian looks at the journey of this master architect.

[caption id="attachment_30400" align="alignnone" width="1000"] Hathigaon. Photo: RMA Architects[/caption]

Discovering architecture

Born in Delhi, Mehrotra moved to Mumbai with his family as a child, where his father managed machine-tool factories. The family moved around Mumbai often and Mehrotra soon learned to enjoy the transitions. "I loved going into a new space, arranging and re-arranging," he told Harvard Magazine. It sparked an interest that led him to enroll himself into a degree in architecture at CEPT Univerity in Ahmedabad, because he "loved architecture from the start." From there, he went to the GSD, where he met his wife Nondita.

In 1987, he completed his postgraduate study at Harvard University, writing a thesis on Mumbai. He returned then to his beloved home city, where he went on to set up his practice, RMA Architects, in 1990. It was not a decision many Indians made at the time - to return home from abroad, much less to set up a business. "I was just so charged up about what was happening in India that I didn't even think about staying in the US," he said, to Harvard Magazine.

[caption id="attachment_30401" align="aligncenter" width="474"] Rahul Mehrotra. Photo: RMA Architects[/caption]

From Boston to Bombay

"I prepared myself to work in the city in a way that allowed me to distill the kind of issues I wanted to engage with," he told STIRWorld.
"In retrospect, I see I had actually studied the city very intensely, both as an undergraduate at CEPT University, Ahmedabad, where I looked at the architecture of Bombay, and later, at Harvard University, as a postgraduate where my thesis was also on Mumbai. I was trying to read and understand the city, its character, its planning processes and the patterns that made the place unique."

Mehrotra's first tryst with teaching came in 2002, when he was offered a job at the University of Michigan's Taubman College of Architecture and Urban Planning. By this time, RMA Architects was over a decade old and Mehrotra, who had a considerable body of work to his credit, had already discovered an interest in theory and analysis.

These were the early days of liberalisation and as the country witnessed a dramatic shift, so did the approach to architecture. The government stepped away from the private sector and India began its slow transition away from socialism and into a capitalist structure.

The transition from Bombay to Mumbai

"As capital realised its value (rather haphazardly) in Mumbai, slow and steady devastation began - its many historic forms ruptured, then interstitial spaces became opportunities as places of least resistance to change," Mehrotra said, in an interview with Metropolis Magazine. The transition to modernity reminded Mehrotra of an urban apocalypse, which is where he feared the city was headed.

Housing was a priority but the answer seemed to be in quick-fix solutions through pre-fab units at the edge of the city. "Nobody ever goes to live there. Often, designing for transitions takes us in an unexpected direction and is messy and may not result in cohesive architectonic images. But that's the only way we will achieve our real goals and not be caught in illusions of having solved the problem."

The Art District

However, as the city turned to modernity, Mehrotra became involved in the movement to preserve Mumbai's historic Fort District. When the economic liberalisation led to an upturn in the city's art scene, Mehrotra's firm, then still in its infancy, was hired to design seven art galleries there. He was already picturing the larger scheme of things and viualising a designated art district. He staged art installations on the streets, hoping to make the new art galleries more welcoming to the public.

[caption id="attachment_30402" align="aligncenter" width="748"] Sakshi Art Gallery | Rahul Mehrotra Sakshi Art Gallery, Kala Ghoda[/caption]

Mehrotra's pioneering efforts towards conservation and land recycling would become legislation, through the 1995 presevation act. Until 2005, Mehrotra continued to advise the Urban Design Research Institute.

Reviving royal legacies

In 2000, Rahul Mehrotra was invited to advise the government on the conservation of the Taj Mahal. He created the Taj Mahal Conservation Collaborative, with a seven-member team comprising experts in engineering, landscape architecture and conservation. He led the team to formulate a conservation plan of the site.

Led by Princess Esra, returned to India from England, the historic Chowmahalla and Falaknuma Palaces were restored to their former glory. For this, she enlisted the help of Rahul Mehrotra. "Together, they worked on the mammoth task of bringing together artisans, structural engineers and historians, to study and document all the material they found during the course of their literal and metaphorical digging," according to the Architectural Digest, which has listed Mehrotra on their AD50 list.

Public spaces in the urban jungle

"We needed a gradation of spaces, so the client could still have some space for her private use, but a majority would be open to the public," Mehrotra told AD. The Chowmahalla restoration work continued over the course of a decade and in 2010, it won UNESCO's Conservation Award.

The palace sees almost 5000 visitors on weekends and is now a full-fledged museum. "Restoring the physical fabric was a challenge," Mehrotra said. "Since this was not seen as an income-generating prospect, the interventions were minimum and the conservation work was done keeping in mind the safety and maintenance of the building." The idea was not just to invite the public into the structure but to step into the story itself.

[caption id="attachment_30403" align="alignnone" width="1600"] Chowmahalla Palace Complex. Photo: RMA Architects[/caption]

Rahul Mehrotra - A prolific author

Over the years, Mehrotra has written extensively on architecture, conservation and urban plannign and design. His it he co-author of Bombay: the Cities Within, a magnum opus that covers the city's urban history from the 1600s to the present, Bangananga: Sacred Tank, Public Places Bombay, and Bombay to Mumbai: Changing Perspectives. In 2011, he wrote 'Architecture in India - Since 1990,' a look at contemporary architecture in India.

Mehrotra has also curated exhibitions including one at the NGMA Mumbai in 2017, titled The State of Architecture: Practices and Processes in India. In 2018, he co-curated 'The State of Housing: Realities, Aspirations and Imaginaries in India'.

In 2014, Mehrotra became a member of the International Committee of Architecture Critics and is part of the Steering Committee of the Lasmi Mittal South Asia Institute at Harvard.

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Entrepreneur Meera Singh: Revolutionising the travel industry with innovative logistics solutions

(March 09, 2024) A few years back, when Meera Singh was travelling from Kolkata to Hyderabad after attending a wedding, she was aware that a few of her bags would be checked in as excess baggage at the airport. But what she wasn't prepared for was the exorbitant prices that the airline was charging her for the excess baggage. "My ticket for the airplane was about ₹2500, whereas they were asking me to pay ₹8000 towards excess baggage as I had a lot of luggage. It was extremely frustrating to think that in future I will always have to pay this kind of money for excess baggage," shares the entrepreneur as she connects with Global Indian in an exclusive interview. While most people would have paid the charges and moved on, this incident proved to be a turning point for Meera. The entrepreneur established Avaan India – a group of companies solving the new-age problems of logistics through innovative and sustainable models. "Having worked in the transport industry for about two decades, I understood the costs and woes of the logistics industry. So, I started the company with a focus on customer service and sustainable business models. Our primary focus

w-age problems of logistics through innovative and sustainable models. "Having worked in the transport industry for about two decades, I understood the costs and woes of the logistics industry. So, I started the company with a focus on customer service and sustainable business models. Our primary focus is to offer a cost-effective resolution to excess baggage challenges, delivering throughout India through two transportation options: Air and Road. Air shipments are guaranteed to be delivered within 72 working hours from pickup, with a cost of less than ₹200/kg. On the other hand, road shipments take five to seven working days for delivery from pickup, with a minimal cost of just ₹100/kg," shares the entrepreneur, who is the recipient of the Startup Business Award at the Economic Times Business Innovation Leaders Awards, 2020. Having a kiosk at major Indian airports already, Avaan India recently started their services at the Jaipur International Airport.

Gangtok chronicles

Meera grew up in the beautiful mountain Kingdom of Sikkim. As her father was good friends with the then King of Sikkim, Meera got a chance to experience Sikkim's capital Gangtok as well. "My family shifted to the mountain country before it became a part of the nation in 1975. My father was the Director of Education there. At that time the Tibetans were coming to Sikkim, and I remember making friends with those refugee kids and learning the Tibetan language from them. I also met the Dalai Lama, when he visited the kingdom a few times. It was a very interesting childhood," shares the entrepreneur.

Entrepreneur | Meera Singh | Global Indian

Unfortunately, the entrepreneur lost her father at a very tender age. "I was about 18 years old." Though the family didn't face any financial issues, the biggest challenge was the sheer suddenness of it. "He was just 48 years old, and it was quite difficult for us to cope with this loss. But, what I learned from this was that nothing is permanent in our lives, and that change is the only constant," she says.

Climbing up the ladder

After finishing her school, Meera went on to pursue a graduate degree in management and hotel administration from the Pusa Institute (IIHM), Delhi, and a post-graduation in management from the Oberoi School of Learning & Development, Delhi. Eventually, she landed a job at The Oberoi, in Mumbai. Although quite ambitious, Meera quit her job quite soon. "I was very well placed in the hotel industry as the F&B manager. But I found that life was very boring after some time, and quit my job," shares the entrepreneur, adding, "I moved to Hyderabad and joined the transport industry. Many people wondered why would a woman leave the luxury of the hotel industry and move to transport, but I enjoyed it. I got to travel so much during my time at Gati Ltd, and was in fact the first person in the country to set up a customer care service for a transport company, something that I learned in the hotel."

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Thanks to her work, Meera also got a chance to travel the country extensively. "I have been to the biggest cities and the smallest villages in India. I believe there is no greater school than meeting people; there is so much one can learn about management through travelling and talking to people. Also, having travelled the lengths and breadths of this country, I discovered how vibrant and beautiful this nation is. I have lived in Singapore, and yet missed India," laughs the entrepreneur.

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Meera is also one of the only females to have successfully spearheaded the commissioning of the first hydel power project of 110 MW in the State of Sikkim in North East India. "The then CM of Sikkim was my father's close friend and he called me up to take up this project. It was quite a challenging project. In fact, I remember thinking that I wouldn't be able to do this job. But the CM was very sure of my abilities and encouraged me to not only work on the hydel project but also successfully complete it," she says.

A new beginning

After developing and working on the idea of Avaan India, the entrepreneur still wasn't 100 percent sure if the start-up would be received well. "I was at a senior management programme organised by the Isha Foundation. There I spoke about my business idea for the first time in front of so many people who were from the big companies, including Tata and Mahindra. When I was done with my presentation, people were so shocked to know that someone could come up with an idea like this. They were so excited about this idea, and that was very motivating," she shares.

Entrepreneur | Meera Singh | Global Indian

Ask her about the initial capital for the business, and she quips, "Well, all thanks to my mother for teaching me that one should always have a source of income above the regular salary they earn. I have been a serious stock market investor for the last three decades, and that's how I had a good sum to invest in the business. So, finance was never a problem for me."

The road ahead

Now that Avaan is launched in almost all the major international airports of India, Meera wishes to expand the business. "We have already tied up with players like GMR, ADANI, AAI, Gati, Make My Trip, and MarutiCourier and are delivering worldwide through various partners such as DHL, Aramex, and UPS. Now, promoting our services digitally is the next course of action for the growth of the business. The next ventures in the pipeline for Avaan Excess are Pet Express and Art Express. Through Pet Express we shall transport pets like cats and dogs across India at affordable prices. We are also working on having a white glove service called Avaan Art Express through which we will be transporting exclusive art pieces and artefacts with packaging from a professional German packaging company," shares the entrepreneur.

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Meera has established Gati Academy, a venture under the Avaan India brand, aimed at fostering the skill development of students, with a particular focus on Tier 3 rural areas. Additionally, she has founded Gati Intellect, a startup dedicated to eLearning, and Avaan Avishkaar, a marketplace showcasing a diverse range of ethnic Indian products such as handicrafts, Ayurvedic items, and traditional Indian weaves. This initiative not only enhances the skills of students but also creates employment opportunities for them.

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"Being a female entrepreneur is both a challenging and exhilarating journey. It presents daily obstacles that contribute to personal strength and the ability to lead assertively," says the entrepreneur advising other businesswomen, "Women should not feel daunted; there is no concept of a glass ceiling. Success is not limited by gender but is determined by one's conduct and leadership within a team. Throughout history, women have excelled as intuitive and empathetic leaders. To all emerging female entrepreneurs of the modern era, my advice is to believe in yourself, work hard with humility, and success will inevitably follow."

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Nikita Karizma: From dressing Lady Gaga to crafting a fashion legacy

(October 10, 2024) Nikita Karizma was a student at the London College of Fashion when the call came from Lady Gaga. The popstar, who is known for supporting young talent in fashion, wanted Nikita to style her. "It was a real 'pinch me' moment," Nikita smiles. “There I was, heading off to Lady Gaga's studio to drop off my student work." It set the ball rolling on Nikita's career as a designer and entrepreneur, and she caught the attention of the talent scouts, who were already keeping an eye out for talented students from the London College of Fashion. "Fashion stylists started communicating with me and began giving me orders for musicians," Nikita says. Nikita's second big break came just as she graduated from the London College of Fashion, when she received a styling request from the UK's biggest girl band, Little Mix. She used the money she earned to launch her own eponymous designer line, NIKITA KARIZMA. The designer has gone on to dress a galaxy of stars across Hollywood, the UK and Bollywood, including Kim Kardashian, Kylie Jenner and Shilpa Shetty. "I like seeing people spread a positive message," she tells Global Indian, and that's exactly what she

lobalindian.com/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Global Indian, and that's exactly what she helps them do through fashion. "Your style says a lot about who you are and what you stand for in the world." Nikita has scaled up her business with a commercial line, KARIZMA, and recently purchased her first property to house her collections. To her, fashion is expression and empowerment combined, her style a fusion of understated Western influences and the bold, colourful cuts and prints of Indian design.

[caption id="attachment_57652" align="aligncenter" width="267"] Nikita Karizma | Indian fashion designer in UK | Global Indian Nikita Karizma[/caption]

A legacy in fashion

For as long as she can remember, Nikita Karizma's life has been about fashion and textiles. She even recalls the day former Miss America Nina Davuluri, the first Indian-origin woman to hold the coveted title, walked into her mother's store in London. "We dressed her too," she says. "In one campaign, my mum had Aishwarya Rai before she became Miss World." Her mother's store specialised in wedding lehengas, and often styled celebrities for Asian magazines. The business of fashion was dinner-time conversation, and Nikita also began working for her parents early on. Even today, Nikita is at the intersection of creativity, entrepreneurship and profit, and of bridging her family’s rich, varied cultural heritage, with roots in India, Kenya and the UK.

Fashion is in her DNA, and the family has been in it for some six decades now. It began with Nikita's grandparents, who ran their own clothing store in Kenya. When they migrated to the UK, they resumed operations there, specialises in Indian sarees, catering to the ever-growing Asian community in London. Although the family has strong ties to Kenya, Nikita was born and raised in the UK, growing up on London's Ealing Road, "which feels like Mumbai," she laughs. "A lot of immigrants live in this neighbourhood, you can hear Indian languages being spoken around you."

Nikita began work young, helping her parents out at their London store. "I would meet customers, go on trips to do the buying and talk to sales people," she says. They sold Indian clothes to the diaspora, making outfits for occasions like weddings. Her early exposure to fashion, therefore, came with strong ties to her Indian heritage, which she maintains to this day, although her own clothing lines are predominantly western. "People ask me why I didn't launch an Indian fashion line, but my parents have already done that, and done it well. There was no need for me to duplicate what they were already doing." To her surprise, she found orders pouring in from the South Asian community. "It was only when Bollywood stylists started requesting them that I realised how much my culture is part of me," she says.

Nikita Karizma | Indian fashion designer in UK | Global Indian

The celeb life

If Nikita were to claim a niche, it would likely be designing for musicians and pop stars. "I love celebrity and popular culture," she says. "I love seeing music spread around the world like wildfire, especially when it spreads a positive message." Her exposure to celebrity culture came fairly early, starting with her parents. When she was 16, Nikita began working for Sony TV as a presenter. "I was sent to music video sets and would interview celebrities." She was very shy then, but used the opportunity to build confidence, going on to interview stars like Hrithik Roshan and Rakesh Roshan, Celina Jaitley and Rishi Rich. "I began to understand this world and also to understand celebrities as human beings," she says. "It's hard for them to connect with everyone but at the end of the day, everybody wants to be loved and understood."

The business of design

A natural leader and entrepreneur, Nikita understood, by the time she went to college, the practicalities, the cash flows and the costs of running a fashion business. It stood her good stead. "A lot of designers go into fashion school and become very strong designers. But they don't really train you on how to run a business at fashion school. For me, that came through my upbringing," she says. When the time came for university, she chose the London College of Fashion.

The university was well-connected in industry circles and Nikita Karizma was still a bright-eyed student when she received a styling request that blew her away, from Lady Gaga. The popstar, who is known for supporting young designers, went on to be styled by Nikita.

Finding strength in diversity

Nikita knew at the outset that she wanted to have her own clothing line. She used the money she earned from the Little Mix commission to start her own business. Although it seems an obvious choice, considering her family’s line of work, Nikita was still a young, woman of colour trying to make a mark in the highly competitive, often cut-throat world of fashion. "In fashion school, I was the only Indian girl. When I go to networking events, I'm still the only Indian girl in the room. This was the case both in the UK and in America," Nikita remarks. She found her "cultural creative tribe" in the Indian stylists who began reaching out to her. This was how her designer line, Nikita Karizma, came to be.

Nikita Karizma | Indian fashion designer in UK | Global Indian

The young designer remained unfazed by the fact that she was different. "My family prepared me for it. They told me not to worry about being in a minority and to just focus on my talent and skillset," she says, adding, "That's the only thing which matters in the long term. Ultimately, it comes down to your product." These were also the early days of social media, and influencers weren't really a thing. "It wasn't a desirable career path and a job. People didn't understand the path I had taken." This was also before the world had taken to posting every detail of their lives on social media. With very little documentation, the fashion industry remained insulated from the rest of the world. Things have come a long way since, and now, being a fashion designer is a highly sought-after job. "These days, when I post videos of what I do at work, they are seen as aspirational. But it's also a saturated and competitive market," she says. She kept her head down and focussed on her skillsets, and on creating the best products. "Ultimately, if your work is good, people want to wear them. As long as that happens, I know I can carry on in the long term."

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Meet Aruna Miller, Maryland’s first immigrant Lt Governor

(November 20, 2022) "We Leave No One Behind," Lt Governor Aruna Miller tweeted when the election results were announced. It's a big step for diversity in leadership, with Wes Moore, to whom she was running mate, becoming the first African American in the gubernatorial post. "Ever since I came to this country in 1972, I've never stopped being excited for the promise of America. I will never stop fighting to make sure that promise is available to everyone. And this promise begins with a commitment to deliver a Maryland where we Leave No One Behind," Miller tweeted. Passage to America "Wow, they're throwing confetti for us." Aruna Miller was seven years old when she first entered the United States with her family. Ensconced in her father's arms, the young girl's first emotion was excitement. "I thought everyone in the airport was waiting for us to arrive, that they were throwing confetti," she said in a recent interview, soon after she was chosen as the Democratic nominee for Lt Governor of Maryland. As it turned out, the confetti was snow. "I had never seen snow before," said Aruna (née Katragadda), who spent the early years of her life in her hometown,

Aruna Miller will be the second Indian-American woman to enter the House of Representatives after Pramila Jayapal. She is the running mate of bestselling author Wes Moore, who will contest the upcoming gubernatorial election as the liberal party's candidate. A civil engineer by profession, she spent over 25 years as a transportation engineer in Montgomery Country. Aruna's family relocated from Hyderabad in 1972, as her father, a mechanical engineer, worked with IBM. "My father came here to seek better opportunities for his family and my siblings," she said. She grew up in Poughkeepsie, New York, attending public schools upstate. She went on to study at the Missouri University of Science and Technology.

[caption id="attachment_27525" align="aligncenter" width="644"] Aruna Miller | Global Indian Aruna Miller. Credit: Facebook[/caption]

A lifetime of public service

By the time she graduated, she knew beyond doubt that she wanted to be a public servant, to "pay it forward" for the country that had given her so much. Aruna then moved to Montgomery County, where she lived for 25 years with her husband and their three daughters. There, she spent the entirety of her time working at the Department of Transport. Her career as a public servant has been dotted with many milestones - she has batted for issues like paid family leave, transportation policies, stood against domestic violence and emerged as a proponent of STEM education.

She first dabbled in politics in 2006, when she was elected to serve as an at-large member of the Montgomery County Democratic Central Committee, a position she held until 2010. She then became the first Indian American woman to be elected to the Maryland Legislature in 2011. Soon after she made history by entering the legislature, one of her first acts was to co-sponsor the Marcellus Shale Act of 2011, which laid the foundations for Maryland's fracking ban. She has also stood for education and was the lead sponsor of a bill that made it mandatory for high schools to offer at least one, high-quality computer science programme. Local schools were also encouraged to introduce computer science for younger students.

As one of ten lawmakers named to the Maryland Business Climate Work Group, she was part of the team that made recommendations and developed long-term plans to streamline business regulations. They also encouraged innovation and helped develop public-private partnerships to finance infrastructure.

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Also in 2011, Aruna returned to India with a delegation of 100 members that included business leaders, educators and state officials. Their first stop was her hometown - Hyderabad. The delegation went on to visit Mumbai and New Delhi, in a bid to strengthen business and cultural ties between India and the state of Maryland. The trip was fruitful, resulting in nearly $60 million in business deals for the state of Maryland.

In 2018, she raised around $1.47 million for the Congressional race. She went on to win, becoming the second Indian-American woman to enter the House of Representatives, after Pramila Jayapal.

A fateful tete-a-tete with Wes Moore

"In Aruna Miller's crystal ball," as she puts it, "There was no indication that I was going to be running as a lieutenant governor on anyone's ticket. She did, however, often hear the name 'Wes Moore' - friends and colleagues would often ask if she had met the man. At that point, she had not.

In 2021, Aruna and her husband met Wes and his wife in Baltimore. Only a month earlier, her husband had bought her Wes' book, The Other Wes Moore as a birthday present. "I completely OD'd on Wes Moore', she told Maryland Matters in a late 2021 interview. One month later, the two had teamed up for the gubernatorial race.

"I looked at his remarkable resume - he has a very compelling life story." Wes, she thought to herself, was an "engaging speaker and more importantly, an engaging listener." She came away from that meeting with a strong sense that she had met the next governor. "I have never had that gut reaction to anyone before but I did with Wes," she remarked.

[caption id="attachment_27526" align="aligncenter" width="553"] Aruna Miller | Global Indian With gubernatorial candidate Wes Moore. Source: Facebook[/caption]

If she wins, Aruna Miller intends to hit the ground running, taking on three major issues - education, the climate and the economy. Investing in public education and job creation is a top priority, she says, it is also a means to create safer public spaces. "The Moore-Miller administration will continue to invest in public education," she said. They also intend to tackle climate change on a war footing - in 2021, schools in Maryland were closed due to the extreme heat.

As for Wes, he's all praise for his running mate. "I have found someone who is a loving mom who has raised three remarkable young women here in Maryland and someone whose own immigration story has inspired her to a life of public service," he said, adding, "This is someone who I just truly admire."

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From Chennai to New Hampshire, Aishwarya Balasubramanian has kept the aesthetic appeal of Bharatanatyam alive

Written by: Amrita Priya

Starting at five

Shining star from Chennai

Tryst continues in the USA

I feel happiest when I am dancing. Each performance deserves my best and I try to give it! – Aishwarya Balasubramanian

Love for the art form abroad

Dedicated to her guru

It’s not just a student-teacher relationship. She is just like a mother to me.

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