India’s ambassador has rejected USCIRF’s claim that Sharjeel Imam is detained for religious-freedom advocacy, calling the assessment “partisan and ill-informed.” What do you make of this diplomatic row? #India# #USCIRF# #SharjeelImam#

India’s first Miss India was a Jewish woman. Her name was Esther Victoria Abraham, better known by her stage name, Pramila. Born in Calcutta (now Kolkata) in 1916, Esther came from a Baghdadi Jewish family whose ancestral roots traced back to Iraq, where Jewish communities had existed for more than 2,500 years, dating back to the Babylonian exile following the destruction of the First Temple in Jerusalem in 586 BCE. In 1947, the very year India gained independence from British rule, she made history by being crowned India’s first Miss India. She was 30 years old. But Esther was far more than a beauty queen. She was already an established actress in Indian cinema and became one of the country’s pioneering female film producers, building a successful career in an industry largely dominated by men. In 1942, she established Silver Films with her husband, producing numerous films and helping shape India’s developing film industry. And the family legacy continued. In 1967, her daughter, Naqi Jahan, also won a Miss India title, making them a remarkable mother-daughter pair in Indian beauty pageant history. Esther was not the only Jewish woman to achieve this distinction. Fleur Ezekiel won Miss India in 1959, while Salome Aaron received the title in 1972. These women belonged to India’s small but historically significant Jewish community, whose members contributed to the country’s cinema, business, arts, and cultural life. Esther Victoria Abraham passed away in 2006 at the age of 89, leaving behind an extraordinary legacy. A Jewish woman who became a national beauty queen in the year of India’s independence and helped shape the early history of Indian cinema.

India imported $5.51 billion of gold in October, down 62.6% from $14.72 billion a year earlier, government data show. That was up from $1.80 billion in September, as jewellers bought ahead of Diwali. From April to October, imports fell 39.9% to $24.78 billion. Source: India Department of Commerce

India-Malaysia Ties Face A Zakir Naik Test As Kuala Lumpur Refuses To Extradite IRF Founder India has extended its ban on Zakir Naik’s Islamic Research Foundation by five years. But why does Malaysia continue to shelter the controversial preacher despite India’s extradition requests? From domestic political pressures to support among sections of Malaysia’s Muslim community, discover why Kuala Lumpur remains reluctant to hand him over — even as it seeks stronger ties with New Delhi. WATCH THE FULL STORY HERE - @prasadaditi #zakirnaik# #islamicresearchfoundation# #irf# #indiamalaysia# #anwaribrahim# #narendramodi# #zakirnaikextradition# #hatespeech# #terrorism# #malaysiapolitics# #malaysia# #timesaxis# #toi#

India's road fuel demand won't peak until 2034, topping 2.5M bpd, BloombergNEF says, as commercial and conventional fleets keep burning gasoline and diesel despite rising electric two- and three-wheeler sales. #India# #Oil# #EV# #Gasoline#

India is seeking private investors to build its largest strategic oil reserve, a $910 million site in Odisha holding 4 million tons. It would lift SPR capacity 80%; New Delhi offers a $546 million grant. #India# #SPR# #Oil# #Energy#

India’s road-fuel demand will keep rising until 2034 despite accelerating electric-vehicle adoption, as a growing vehicle fleet and heavier use by commercial transport sustain the country’s appetite for oil.