How India’s startups are taking on the pandemic to help rural communities
The Hindu
Innovative business tactics and throughful collaborations, all powered by various technologies, saw a groundswell of social enterprise startups pivoting to work with smaller towns and villages in 2021
Krishna Reddy G lost his diabetic father to COVID-19 during the first wave. Travelling from their village to nearby Tadripati in the Anantapur district of Andhra Pradesh to pick up his diabetes medicine, his father fell ill and within days, was gone. The sudden loss sent Krishna into depression. But months later, after witnessing people in the nearby villages struggling to procure essentials in the midst of the pandemic, Krishna decided to create something in his father’s memory.

In October this year, India announced its intention to build Maitri II, the country’s newest research station in Antarctica and India’s fourth, about 40 forty-odd years after the first permanent research station in Antarctica, Dakshin Gangotri, was established. The Hindu talks to Dr Harsh K Gupta, who led the team that established it

How do you create a Christmas tree with crochet? Take notes from crochet artist Sheena Pereira, who co-founded Goa-based Crochet Collective with crocheter Sharmila Majumdar in 2025. Their artwork takes centre stage at the Where We Gather exhibit, which is part of Festivals of Goa, an ongoing exhibition hosted by the Museum of Goa. The collective’s multi-hued, 18-foot crochet Christmas tree has been put together by 25 women from across the State. “I’ve always thought of doing an installation with crochet. So, we thought of doing something throughout the year that would culminate at the year end; something that would resonate with Christmas message — peace, hope, joy, love,” explains Sheena.











