Twenty-six years ago, when the U.S. President Bill Clinton visited India in March 2000, Reliance Industries founder Dhirubhai Ambani enjoyed unusual access to the world’s most powerful leader. Dhirubhai Ambani then reportedly hosted the U.S. President Clinton a private breakfast at The Oberoi Towers in Mumbai. It was attended by his two sons Mukesh and Anil. This private breakfast of four people was facilitated by the Congress leader Murli Deora, a close friend of both Ambanis and Clintons. A year later, Clinton, now a former President, was hosted to a private lunch by Dhirubhai at his Mumbai residence. Fast-forward to 2026, and you have Mukesh Ambani and his son meeting senior American officials at Jamnagar. The Ambanis are once again playing host to America’s powerful political establishment. This time, it was the U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio, accompanied by the U.S. Ambassador to India Sergio Gor, who visited Reliance’s sprawling Jamnagar complex. Mukesh Ambani and his youngest son Anant welcomed the American delegation. What makes the visit significant is that Jamnagar is home to the world’s largest single-site refining complex, processing around 1.4 million barrels of crude daily. Washington is keen to leverage Reliance’s capabilities, particularly for processing Venezuelan crude. Clearly, the Ambanis’ influence extends far beyond India’s corporate corridors. From Dhirubhai’s personal relationships with global political leaders to Mukesh’s strategic importance in international energy markets, the family has maintained remarkable access across generations. The message from Jamnagar is unmistakable: the Ambanis are not merely meeting global power. Global power is coming to their doorstep.

Axis Bank has chosen a unique way to utilise its CSR funds—by wholeheartedly supporting the Lakshya Shooting Club High Performance Centre in CBD Belapur, Navi Mumbai. How many banks, public or private, would go that extra mile and commit Rs 24 crore over three years to back a sport that is not fashionable, but quite popular across the world, is an Olympic, continental and Commonwealth medal sport? The bagful of medals in gold, silver and bronze hues bring fame to athletes and the country. Axis Bank’s super decision has to be seen as a fresh start-up in India’s deprived non-cricket sports environment, placing faith in the “Dream Girl” Suma Shirur and her architect and pillar of strength hubby Siddharth, who have created an integrated infrastructure described by London Olympics medallist Gagan Narang as the second private enterprise in India after JSW Sports. Suma is an acclaimed shooter and coach, winning medals at the Commonwealth Games, Asian Games and Asian Championships from 2002 to 2010. She equalled a world record at an Asian meet in the 10-metre rifle event and has coached others to realise their full potential. She has won the Arjuna and Dronacharya Awards. She has sweated for two decades, but creating a facility dedicated to the Elite in the 10-metre rifle category is an admirable achievement. It’s one of a kind in the world, said Suma, who has travelled widely to compete and coach India’s brightest talents, including in the para category. Gagan and Suma averred that the idea isn’t just to win medals, but to become better spokespersons and human beings. All in all, Axis Bank’s decision to back Suma, Siddharth, and shooting sport is a terrific call.  

The Cockroach Janata Party (CJP) may not have gained much traction with their recent protests in Delhi against CEC Gyanesh Kumar, however, one hears the DMK is planning to use the CJP to reconnect with the youth in Tamil Nadu. With the ruling TVK consolidating its position in the TN, the DMK one hears is feeling a compulsion to distance itself from the Congress that has been spearheading the political protest against the poll body. The political positioning was spelt out at a meeting of DMK MPs chaired by former chief minister MK Stalin over the weekend. Interestingly, the party not only demanded removal of CEC but also scrapping of the very SIR — that the DMK regime — had presided over before it was voted out of office early this year. Political analysts find DMK objections to SIR in TN rather odd.  In fact, everyone is asking — if the TVK headed by Vijay was voted in post-SIR, why is DMK making a fuss about it now? It is being said that DMK MP A Raja has been tasked with the responsibility of reaching out to CJP leader Abhijeet Dipke and invite him to Chennai to create nuisance in streets against SIR. That means DMK is bent on creating a false storm in Chennai against Vijay and the TVK government. The moot point is will people of Chennai really have a short memory and flock to the Dipke’s show? Will the CJP be allowed to run amok in Chennai attacking the cops like the way they hit the Delhi cops on July 20?  One thing is certain, the courts may not give a long rope to either the roaches or the DMK this time round.

Senior BJP MP and former Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan always had one eye on his home state Odisha. Forced to resign over NEET exam paper leak, he now seems to be taking more active interest in his state.  Sources say that Pradhan being a national level BJP leader is now seen nurturing a new weapon “formal letter politics”. His objective being to improve state level administration since trackable letter will force state authorities to take actionable steps spread over collectors, police and others rather than letting the issue stay confined to a private conversation.  Speculation is Pradhan may succeed in his plan since he has substantial backing by ruling BJP MLA’s and ministers. Pradhan, it is learnt, has written formal request letters to both the Odisha chief minister Mohan Charan Majhi and Union Minister Road Transport and Highways Nitin Gadkari demanding stringent crackdown on illegal and hazardous parking of heavy commercial trucks along the state and national highways. He has mooted the idea of having a designated parking place for trucks, levying heavy penalty on violators including seizure of vehicles, and launching public awareness campaigns.  To support his views Pradhan has highlighted Supreme Court ruling regarding vehicle seizure provision. He has also urged the Odisha government to invoke Section 76 against industrial and mining companies whose transport logistics contributed to trafficking congestion and unsafe parking. Apart from this Pradhan is already pushing for having dedicated truck bays and logistics hubs in Odisha.

In a move that has stunned Hollywood, Netflix has removed Bela Bajaria, the Indian-origin executive widely credited with transforming the streamer into a true global powerhouse. After nearly a decade of championing international stories, expanding unscripted programming, live events and sports, and turning local-language hits into worldwide sensations, Bajaria learned she was being replaced while still helping the company execute major layoffs. Reports describe a chilling sequence. According to multiple outlets, Bajaria spent much of October 14 conducting painful staff cuts and reassuring anxious employees during a restructuring that eliminated roughly 1,000 jobs. Unaware of her own fate, she approached co-CEO Ted Sarandos later that evening, only to be told she was out. Sources claim she had been reassured weeks earlier that her position was secure. Instead, she was blindsided hours before a VIP screening, with her successor, former Disney and Fox executive Peter Rice, already lined up. The timing is brutal. Netflix faces slowing engagement, pressure to deliver the next cultural phenomenon, and a sharp drop in its share price amid a failed Warner Bros. Discovery bid. Industry whispers suggest someone had to “pay for the rough patch” and Bajaria, despite public thanks from Sarandos for a “decade of dedication, innovation, creativity and leadership” became the high-profile casualty. This is the dark side of modern streaming: the executive who helped Netflix think beyond Hollywood and embrace accessible yet ambitious content can still be discarded overnight when Wall Street demands a reset. Rice inherits the empire she helped construct, while the woman who expanded Netflix’s ambitions processes an exit that unfolded while she was still managing the company’s crisis. Even the architects of success are not immune to the machine they built.

Jailor 2, the Rajinikanth sequel released worldwide on 15 October 2026, is largely absent from major multiplex chains such as EnPVR INOX and Cinepolis in North India. The reason is a clear standoff over the theatrical-to-OTT window.  Sun Pictures, led by Kalanithi Maran, signed an OTT deal (reportedly with Amazon Prime Video worth around Rs 160 crore) that places all language versions of the film on streaming platforms after only a four-week theatrical run. Major multiplex chains, however, insist on a minimum eight-week exclusive theatrical window for Hindi-market releases to protect cinema revenues. They have extended this stance more broadly and refused to screen the film when the producers stuck to the shorter window.  As a result, Jailor 2 is mainly available on single screens and some smaller or non-national multiplexes in the North, not in the big national chains. The makers and North India distributor Pen Marudhar Entertainment confirmed that a Hindi theatrical release was still happening on the same date, but this does not include PVR INOX or Cinepolis. Post-release trade reports confirmed that the chains stayed out. A separate local dispute in the Salem area of Tamil Nadu saw multiplexes skip the film over a high revenue-share demand (reportedly 70%), but the national multiplex absence is driven by the OTT window conflict. In short, the producers prioritised a larger and faster OTT deal over the longer theatrical exclusivity that multiplexes require, leading the big chains to opt out.

Tamil Nadu chief minister C Joseph Vijay has been taking pride in providing a corruption free govt in the short while that his party — the TVK — has been in office. At the same time, he has also vociferously been attacking the DMK for its corruption legacy. It seems Vijay’s political theme of a “corruption free govt” has made no impact at least on its post poll ally — the Congress– which switched sides after the TVK came to power. In fact, the Congress with 5 MLAs and 2 ministers in the TVK government, has been quite an embarrassment– in the manner in which its leaders were found conducting themselves. It is being said that conduct of Congress MP Manickam Tagore has been particularly worrisome — the way he raised funds to organise a grand welcome for Rahul Gandhi in Chennai early this month. It was Rahul’s first visit after the TVK had come to power. Congress leaders used their proximity to government to collect funds. CM Vijay didn’t know how to put a stop to the way the Congress was going about its “collection” drive to organise “Chatron ki goonj” or interaction with students. In his one-to-one meeting with CM Vijay, Rahul had apparently warned Vijay about PM Modi. On his part, Vijay wisely followed protocol and did what was in the best interest of the state. Striking the right notes with PM Modi helped Vijay sort out pending issues. Soon he was off to Vijaywada for a meeting with Andhra CM Chandrababu Naidu where he discussed Krishna-Godavari river linking issue and also investment plans for the state.

It seems Congress President Mallikarjun Kharge is perhaps the only leader who can dare speak a few home truths to Rahul Gandhi. That’s precisely what he did given his stature and age. During a recent casual discussion at the Congress headquarters in Indira Bhawan, Gandhi as the LoP in the Lok Sabha was taking pot shots at Cong leaders who had quit the party and praised those who stayed back to take on the BJP and the RSS. Rahul said he had always believed that party workers were Babbar Sher (lions)who were not afraid of political pressure or cases. He said those who had remained with the Cong had continued to fight the BJP and RSS rather than give in to intimidation. Taking a swipe at those who had left, Gandhi described them as “cowards” and “greedy”, suggesting that some had quit under pressure or in pursuit of personal interests. He cited the exits of leaders including Jyotiraditya Scindia, RPN Singh and Jitin Prasada. Kharge did not keep quiet; he reportedly remarked that all those who had quit to join the BJP were all Rahul’s friends–“your friends”. They were all Doon School elites just as Rahul was. Scindia left the party in 2020 and joined the BJP. So did RPN Singh and Jitin Prasada switching to the BJP. The political significance of Kharge’s remark lay in its timing: Gandhi was drawing a contrast between those who had left and those who had continued to stand by the Congress, while the party president reminded him of the personal associations some of the departing leaders had once shared with him.

While the Shiv Sena (UBT) led by Uddhav Thackeray is fighting in the Supreme Court to regain its name and symbol, a soft launch of another Thackeray scion appears to be gaining traction unobtrusively. The youngest member of the Thackeray clan, Tejas (31), has so far maintained a low profile, standing behind elder brother Aaditya. But that phase appears to be getting over. The Thackeray family’s love for birds and exotic fish is quite known. Tejas too has inherited it. The Thackeray Wildlife Foundation led by Tejas has begun his public posturing by writing a letter to Union environment minister Bhupender Yadav to urge immediate intervention to prevent the rampant poaching and illegal selling of the endemic Borna Snakehead (𝘊𝘩𝘢𝘯𝘯𝘢 𝘢𝘮𝘱𝘩𝘪𝘣𝘦𝘶𝘴) fish found in the Chel river in West Bengal. The Foundation has discovered several rare fish species, many of them from India and Nepal. A student of Bombay Scottish School, Mahim in Mumbai, Tejas is seen off and on publicly. His latest appearance was a few days ago with Aaditya leading a protest demonstration against the Modi government at Dadar. Thus, both Thackeray cousins, Uddhav and Raj, as well their sons are now in active politics. It is said that his mother Rashmi was keen for the entry of Tejas in politics since the health of Uddhav has remained indifferent for some time. Tejas himself is known for his reticence. Hence, some statement from him is awaited eagerly.

For every chief minister a hospital project is a highly coveted aspiration. This is because it delivers immense electoral returns, visual proof of development and a powerful emotional connect with voters. But one cannot say that of Odisha chief minister Mohan Charan Majhi. He could not capitalise on the hospital project being set up in his state as it was agreement between two private parties. The Rs 9129-crore Fortis Healthcare has tied-up with Bhubaneswar-based real estate and infrastructure developer Dion Group to establish a 300-bed greenfield multi-speciality hospital in Cuttack-Bhubaneswar corridor.  There was no splash in the newspapers – full page ad – with CM lighting the lamp etc and in his speech asking other health care players to invest in Odisha. It was a quiet affair since it was an asset light expansion strategy instead of buyout. However Odisha-based Ad guru says “effective communication pitch at the right time is the glue”. However, some people say Odisha CM could still have released ads in the local and mainstream media welcoming Fortis entry and asking other healthcare players to invest in Odisha even if it was a private investment. Maybe a missed PR opportunity!