From exclusive Nitin Gadkari interview, to UPI goes international, Ola's big e-bike bet, and more: Our top stories of the week

Life on razor's edge
Rajat Tuli and Rahul Anand took the plunge into entrepreneurship in 2003. Over the next two decades, their conviction was tested to the hilt with Happily Unmarried and Ustraa, and the founder-duo survived a couple of close shaves. With a new partner in VLCC now, can the friends get a dazzling new look? Read here to find out




The need for speed           
Nitin Gadkari, the minister for road transport and highways, is popular among different factions of the government and industry. He is respected for his ability to execute and create value for all stakeholders by ensuring that projects are economically viable. In an exclusive and wide-ranging conversation on Pathbreakers Season 2, he explains why he cannot rush to launch Series 3 of NHAI InvIT. Read more



Pay anytime, anywhere
An Indian tourist in Singapore can now seamlessly pay via UPI for a coffee or even a television. The National Payments Corporation of India (NPCI) International has tied up with Singapore’s PayNow. Transferring money on the PayNow Virtual Payment Address (VPA) will be similar to domestic transfer on UPI. All the payee would have to do is scan the QR code, enter his or her PIN, and have the money debited via their app from their bank account.  Here’s how India is taking UPI global. Read more

Discover

London diaries
If the new Masala Zone is a marquee London opening this year, showcasing Indian food and Indian entrepreneurship at its best, some of central London’s biggest restaurant and hospitality ventures post-pandemic are all equally emblematic of Indian entreprenuers’ growing visibility and clout in a city that has historically seen many Indian business families make a mark. Here’s how London’s turning into a playground for Indian F&B. Read more

Making a mark
Mangesh Ghogre, former executive director and head of equity capital markets at Nomura India, made it to the US on an Einstein visa, given for 'extraordinary abilities'. He is the first Indian to have constructed a crossword for The New York Times, and most recently, published a Taj-Mahal crossword ode in the paper, themed around India's Independence Day. Read here about what his life is like beyond the squares, and more. Read more



All about clarity and communication
Pfizer’s executive vice president and chief corporate affairs officer Sally Susman speaks to Forbes India about how the company managed the massive communication challenge during Covid-19, and why winning people’s hearts and minds was as crucial as creating an effective vaccine. Read here





Successful or not?
Ola Electric unveiled its most affordable ride yet, the electric scooter S1X, priced at Rs79,999. Ola also introduced four premium electric motorcycle concepts, meant to launch within a year. Founder Bhavish Aggarwal said, "The world hasn't seen a successful e-motorbike yet," and that he aims to change that. Soumen Mandal, a senior research analyst at Counterpoint Research, in a conversation with Forbes India’s Harichandan Arakali and Pankti Mehta speak about whether the company can achieve this feat. Listen here