From Ananya Panday's breakout success to predicting the state of jobs in 2030, our top stories of the week

In this week's newsletter, also read about the rise of Hanumankind and Triptii Dimri, how Donald Trump's second term will affect the H1B visa programme, and how Indian Paralympians scripted history

By Forbes India

Published: Jan 11, 2025 10:00:00 AM IST

Updated: Jan 10, 2025 04:30:16 PM IST

1) Showstoppers 2024: Ananya Panday

Image: Mexy Xavier; Styling: Priyanka Kapadia Badani; Suit: Gaurav Gupta; Artist Pr Agency: @Hypenq_Pr; Make Up: Tanvi Chemburkar; Hair: Aanchal A Morwani

The second newsletter of 2025 is still pretty much focused on one of Forbes India's most glamorous issues--Showstoppers. And one such shining example of our showstoppers is Ananya Panday. Amid debates about nepotism, taking a dig at herself in her OTT series Call Me Bae, Panday has worked hard to win over critics and the audience. As she celebrates a breakout 2024 with the successes of the Prime Video show and Ctrl on Netflix, here's a look at how she got here and what's coming next.

2) Showstoppers 2024: Hanumankind

Image: Mexy Xavier; Wardrobe: Custom Khadi Shirt, Quarter; ‘Never Normal’ Jacket, Nm Design Studio; ‘Rumeli’ Pendant: Aulerth; Gold Plated Chunky Bracelet, Rings, All Tribe: Amrapali; Styled By: Lehan Devadhia; Assisted By: Asmita Bhosle

Sooraj Cherukat listened to the likes of Three 6 Mafia, Project Pat, and Bun B when he spent his formative teen years in Houston, Texas. The Southern hip-hop style left a significant impact on his creativity and taste. When he returned to India to get a degree in business administration, eventually working at places like Goldman Sachs, he made full use of open mic nights at various venues in Bengaluru. Like any other indie artist in the country, it was not easy for him to be heard by the people who mattered (record label execs, music producers and so on). But there was a strength to his writing that finally made him a big star in 2024, all thanks to his mega release Big Dawgs. Here's the origin story of the big stepper.

3) Showstoppers 2024: Triptii Dimri

Image :Neha Mithbawkar For Forbes India; Gown: Surya Sarkar; Earrings: Kaj Fine Jewellery; Style Team: Chandini Whabi, Junni Khyriem; Hairstylist: Daksh Nidhi; Make Up: Simran Gidwani; Talent Coordinated By: Anushree Kirtikar; Location: Jio Creative Labs; Managed By: Aanchal Talreja, Zena Kotwal

Triptii Dimri has been the Hindi film industry's breakthrough star of 2024. She's been riding a wave of popularity after Animal was released in December 2023, giving her the much-needed visibility that had eluded her despite doing a competent job in acclaimed films such as Laila Majnu (2018), Bulbbul (2020) and Qala (2022). The purple patch continued last year with three mainstream releases: Bad Newz, Vicky Vidya Ka Woh Wala Video and Bhool Bhulaiyaa 3. The icing on the cake was being named IMDb's most popular Indian movie star for 2024. Here's the story of her big break, learnings, and eventual success.

1) Trump Administration 2.0 and H1B visa

Image: Shutterstock

In the bid to 'Make America Great Again', US President-elect Donald Trump announced in his election rallies and campaigns that his focus will be on creating jobs and that existing jobs will go to Americans. His hardline stance on immigrants who cross into the US illegally was witnessed during his previous term in the White House. However, this time, skilled foreign workers in the country under the H1B visa programme are also being subjected to confusion and uncertainty. Making a 180-degree turn since his campaign, Trump has recently expressed support for the H1B programme, stating that the US needs "the most competent people" and "smart people coming into our country". How does this affect Indians in the country? Here are some answers.

2) World of work by 2030

Image: Shutterstock

The job market is on the cusp of a revolution driven by the meteoric rise of artificial intelligence. The widespread deployment of this technology raises the critical question of whether AI will replace, displace or create new jobs. The World Economic Forum's latest report on the future of jobs predicts that certain long-standing professions, such as cashier, bank clerk or administrative assistant, could soon be a thing of the past. The report predicts that frontline jobs will boom. Farmworkers, delivery drivers, construction workers and agri-food workers will likely be in high demand. Here are some highlights of the report that urges companies, governments and employees to work together to turn these changes into a springboard, rather than an obstacle.

3) Towards new mobility

Evangelos Simoudis, author and an expert on artificial intelligence (AI), new mobility, and corporate innovation.

Evangelos Simoudis, author of The Flagship Experience: How AI And Software-Defined Vehicles Will Revolutionize The Automotive Customer Experience, is an expert on artificial intelligence, new mobility, and corporate innovation. His firm, Synapse Partners, invests in AI startups and advises senior management teams of large organisations on AI and new business models. In an interview with Forbes India, he explains how automakers can create a new experience around software-defined vehicles and drive higher customer loyalty.

4) Indian Paralympians: Scripting history

Harvinder Singh reacts after winning the Men’s Individual Recurve Open Gold Medal at the Paris 2024 Summer Paralympic Games Image: Steph Chambers / Getty Images

India's most successful Paralympic campaign unfolded at the 2024 Paris Games, where Indian athletes achieved an extraordinary feat, securing a record-breaking 29 medals—seven gold, nine silver, and 13 bronze. Sumit Antil (Javelin throw in the F64 category) and Avani Lekhara (10 mt air rifle standing event in the SH1 category) defended their gold medals. Thulasimathi Murugesan won the only Indian silver medal at the women's badminton event. Sheetal Devi became the youngest Indian Paralympic medalist after she won a bronze medal in the compound archery event. But three more Indian para-athletes etched their names in history. Delve into their extraordinary journey right here.