'India Se' World Tak

As the whole world is raising a toast to a rising India, the global Indians have one more reason to cheer: the launch of a multicolored, high class glossy for them and their ilk, India Se.

This magazine, published from Singapore, is the brainchild of my friend and former colleague, Shobha Tsering Bhalla. The intelligent and smart Shobha, who started her career in banking, switched to journalism some two decades ago, and has worked for Singapore's top media companies until a few months ago when she said enough was enough and 'twas time for a new kickstart.

Though shobha is based in Singapore now, she could not take India out of herself (the Indian, the Indian), like many other NRIs. So, after months of sleepless nights and cavorting with willing and unwilling angel investors and media partners, she has delivered.

The result is India Se, hot off the tandoor, if you will.

India Se is an ode to the feverish Indian connection that binds us all together--the desis in pardes. It promises to provide a platform for all global Indians in this global village of the world.

And from the first look if it, I'm convinced: Between a fight of the entreprenur and the editor in her, I can safely say that both seem to be winning. Why? Coz she has brought to her stable of writers top dollar marquee names such as Mahesh Bhatt, Shashi Tharoor and the irrepressible Shobha De, among others. Yours truly also did the cover story in a personal capacity (but that's not the reason for this appreciation--even if I did not contribute, I'd still say the same things about her and this magazine...but, err, did I hear a murmur and spot a smirk...)

Never mind all that, and run to the nearsest bookstore to grab a copy of India Se...and shall I say Jai Hind!