Livemint Lounge

By recognizing and addressing the unique challenges faced by diverse groups, organizations can create a truly inclusive environment where everyone thrives

What’s common between the Rashtrapati Bhavan in Delhi, the Sela Tunnel that links Assam and Arunachal Pradesh, the Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad, and perhaps, the radiance of your house? All of them have been lit up by the team at Signify Greater India (formerly known as Philips Lighting). Signify Greater India’s MD and CEO Sumit Joshi on the importance of constant learning, productivity hacks and mentorship

It’s been a perpetual debate in the world of mountaineering—the ethics of climbing, the right style of getting to the top. Supplementary oxygen was used by the early expeditions to Everest in the 1920s, and by Tenzing Norgay and Edmund Hillary when they made the first ascent in 1953. It wasn’t until 1978 that the first men, Reinhold Messner and Peter Habeler, reached the top without oxygen. Mountaineer Skalzang Rigzin specialises in climbing without using supplemental oxygen. This May, he summited Mount Everest this way

Picture this—you’re standing by the sea atop a cliff, after having driven up a winding road adorned on either side by Edwardian-style homes. There’s a whiff of chill in the air that needs you to reach out for your jacket buttons, even as the sun shines bright. Sounds like a quaint European countryside? It’s not. You’re at the hub of the world’s biggest technology corporations, on the US west coast. From San Francisco to San Jose, some of California’s prime attractions and landmarks are its science and technology hubs. Find out more about the Silicon Valley tech tourism trail

The glorification of pushing boundaries has made periods of rest, recovery and ease synonymous with stagnation. Comfort zones are valuable to build self-awareness, writes psychologist Devika Oberoi

'Clash' is primarily an analytical account of the fight between the world’s largest retailers, Walmart and Amazon, in their home market of the US. But the book is intended as a warning for all those who are bullish on e-commerce around the world. “If Amazon, after almost thirty years of operations, is unable to break even on its online retail business in its best market, then it is unlikely that others can do better,” author Nirmalya Kumar, former head of strategy at the Tata Group, writes.

The hybrid, remote working situation and our dependence on technology for meetings and catchups seem to be associated with the loneliness that employees experience. According to Gallup’s State of The Global Workplace Report 2024, “Globally, one in five employees report experiencing loneliness a lot of the previous day.” The report points out that loneliness is experienced more by employees below the age of 35. This research data along with the evidence I see in therapy sessions is a wake-up call for us all of us, writers psychotherapist Sonali Gupta:

The shift from conventional jobs to freelance gigs is also driven by the emergence of specialised skills, making them a key enabler for professionals to advance their career. As the job market evolves, expertise in niche areas is becoming highly sought after, allowing individuals to stand out and command better compensation, writes Mayank Kumar

Seemingly innocuous remarks are common everywhere, including at the workplace. There’s a term for them – microaggressions, which are words or actions that disrespect aspects of our identity, spanning race, gender, sexuality, appearance, socioeconomic background, disabilities, and more. Microaggressions appear harmless, but their impact ranges from mild annoyance to deep hurt, potentially causing depression, stress, and burnout over time. How do you deal with microaggressions at the workplace? How do you keep your workplace free of them?

An interest in eco-friendly practices and a desire to build an innovative firm led Amit Jain to create Paaduks, a footwear brand that uses discarded tyres, over a decade ago. He tells Shail Desai about prioritizing depth and focus over brevity