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Good evening, I am writing to you from Bengaluru, where the three-language debate is gradually intensifying. After Tamil Nadu and Maharashtra, Karnataka is moving towards a two-language policy. The Congress-led state government, as my colleague Sanath Prasad reports, perceives the National Education Policy’s (NEP) three-language proposal as a means to “impose Hindi” on the state. The move occurs even though Karnataka currently implements a three-language curriculum in state board schools, allowing students to choose Hindi, Sanskrit, or any other Indian language from Class 6. In Urdu, Tamil, Marathi, and Telugu medium schools, where the first language is the medium of instruction and English the second, Hindi or Kannada is offered as a third language. However, the move isn’t going down all that well with private school management associations, education experts, pro-Kannada groups, and other stakeholders. They’ve warned the Siddaramaiah government of legal action if it tweaked the existing policy, while also highlighting concerns of linguistic minorities in the state, such as Tulu speakers. On that note, let’s dive in 👇🏽
📝 The Debrief
Finally, Elon Musk’s Tesla will make its long-awaited entry into the Indian market
That long, arduous wait is finally over. If you are a Tesla superfan (which is what I believe they’re called), we have good news for you. The company has opened its first showroom in India at the Maker Maxity Mall in Mumbai’s commercial district, Bandra Kurla Complex. Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis attended the opening and expressed hope that the EV manufacturer would invest in manufacturing and research and development within the country, while also praising its choice of state and city for its India rollout. Belated entry: Tesla’s India entry is almost a decade in the making, with CEO Elon Musk announcing pre-orders for its Model 3 as far back as 2016 in countries outside North America, including India. This meant that several customers in India paid a refundable $1000 deposit at the time, which the company refunded earlier this year, as the Model 3 is now discontinued. However, there were other attempts—some more serious than others—when Tesla planned its move into India. Yet, on each occasion, it did not come to fruition, mainly because of India’s high tariffs on imported foreign autos. Slow lane: Even now, Tesla’s entry remains fairly cautious, keen to test and evaluate the market before fully committing. As Reuters reported, citing customs records, over the past few months, Tesla has been discreetly importing vehicles, chargers, and other accessories valued at over $1 million into India from China and the US. The report added that the vehicles included six of Tesla’s best-selling Model Y at a shipment value of $32,500 each and $46,000 for the long-range version, as well as Superchargers. These cars are likely to be displayed at the newly opened showroom. Sticky wicket: India rolled out the regulatory red carpet to Tesla in this year’s Union Budget, granting Musk what he has long desired: a concession on import duties and related measures to support Tesla’s market entry. India lowered basic customs duties on luxury EVs from 110% to 70% – the amount the company would likely need to pay, considering it sells imported cars in India. Tesla has priced its Model Y (long-range version) at Rs 69.16 lakh (on-road), while its standard rear-wheel drive variant (500 km range) will cost Rs 59.89 lakh. The company plans to begin deliveries from the final quarter of 2025, and the car can be registered in Delhi, Mumbai, and Gurugram. Zooming out: Tesla’s entry into India, the world’s third-largest auto market, comes amid a tumultuous period for the company, marked by plummeting global sales. Much of that has to do with Musk and his unfettered embrace of far-right political ideologies, and a backlash to his brief and turbulent stint in the Trump administration with DOGE.
✍️ From our newsroom
The playbook: Denmark is charting new territory in the fight against deepfakes by proposing copyright-style protections for people’s likeness, voice and appearance. A draft amendment to its copyright law, now in public consultation, would make it illegal to share realistic deepfakes of any person without their consent, regardless of intent or context. The Bill covers three areas: imitation protection (facial features, voice), performance protection (non-verbal or improvised acts), and rights for performing artists. Notably, as excellent explainer notes, protections extend to all individuals, not just public figures, and apply for 50 years after death. While satire and parody may be exempt, the Bill lets civil courts decide what stays online. It also holds platforms accountable for takedowns. Enforcement remains a concern, especially across borders, but many see Denmark’s approach as a blueprint.
🔎 Need to know
Dip: The growth of smartphone shipments slowed in the second quarter, mainly due to tariff-related economic uncertainty. Shipments, according to IDC data, increased by a mere 1% (295.2 million units) in the April-June quarter, compared to the 1.5% growth in the previous quarter.
Rest in peace: The legendary 114-year-old marathon runner Fauja Singh died on Monday after being hit by a vehicle in his native Beas village in Jalandhar district. Singh ran and completed a full marathon in 2013, aged 100, making him the oldest person to do so. He was also briefly the face of an Adidas campaign. Hot red: The Trump administration imposed a 17% tariff on fresh tomato imports from Mexico with immediate effect. The announcement follows the US President sending his Mexican counterpart a letter imposing 30% tariffs, which are scheduled to come into effect from August 1.
🎙️Expresso Playlist
In today’s Playlist, I’ll recommend an episode from Vox’s Today, Explained, which deep dives into the history of (mostly failed) third parties in the United States. The context? Well, Elon Musk’s America Party.
✋🏽 One last thing
I’ll leave you with an excellent New Yorker story on the evolution of modern conflict (or warfare), now shaped by drones and artificial intelligence, and how the once mighty United States might be at risk of losing its military dominance.
Until tomorrow, Venkat Ananth |
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