| Good morning! You may soon spot Teslas on Indian roads. Elon Musk’s electric vehicle giant has officially entered the Indian market, opening its first showroom in Mumbai. For now, the Model Y SUV is the only option, priced between Rs 60 lakh and Rs 70 lakh, depending on the variant. Tesla’s self-driving feature will be available in the future at an extra cost of Rs 6 lakh. This launch marks a turning point in Tesla’s long and winding journey to India. The company has previously criticised India’s steep import duties, which make Teslas twice as expensive as in the US. Last year, the government introduced a new EV policy, offering limited duty relief to manufacturers willing to establish local facilities. Musk, however, hasn’t shown interest as of now. With Tuesday’s launch, the company enters a market that is still in its early phase of EV adoption but is gradually expanding. Can Tesla's entry speed up the transition? Only time will tell. On that note, let’s get to the rest of today’s edition.
🚨Big Story Shubhanshu Shukla, the first Indian to visit the International Space Station (ISS), has returned safely home. At about 3 pm yesterday, the Dragon spacecraft, named 'Grace', splashed down in the Pacific Ocean off the Californian coast after a 20-day landmark space journey. Fifty minutes later, a smiling Shukla emerged from the space capsule, taking a few tentative steps, assisted by two people. Shukla's space odyssey provides vital experience for India's space ambitions, including its first human spaceflight mission, Gaganyaan, tentatively planned for 2027. It also saw an Indian go into space, 41 years after Rakesh Sharma travelled aboard the Soviet Union's Soyuz T-11 spacecraft. My colleague Anonna Dutt has prepared a handy guide on what happens to astronauts' bodies once they return to Earth, where they will likely feel the impacts of gravity after staying in microgravity for weeks. Post-flight injuries are common among astronauts as well as difficulties with mobility, which is why they require "reconditioning". Also read: Why spacecraft prefer splashing down in water instead of landing on the ground
⚡Only in Express The BJP government is pursuing an ambitious new project similar to its previous initiative at the Kashi Vishwanath Temple in Varanasi. Work has begun on the Rs 1,000 crore Banke Bihari Corridor, following the Supreme Court's approval on May 15, which permitted the use of temple funds to acquire five acres of land. However, the project has encountered a familiar obstacle: opposition from local residents in Vrindavan who face displacement. The government plans to relocate affected families to Rukmini Vihar and Sunrakh Bangar, located about 7 km away in the Mathura-Vrindavan area. Among those being displaced are sevayats of the Banke Bihari Mandir, who have lived near the temple for generations and fear the loss of their traditional way of life.
📰 From the Front Page Crime scene: As the probe into the April 22 Pahalgam terror attack advances, the NIA is relying on a "star protected eyewitness", a local who encountered the three Pakistan-based terrorists just minutes after the assault. The witness revealed a chilling detail: the gunmen fired celebratory shots into the air after killing civilians. Clarify: Amid the ensuing confusion over the Election Commission's special intensive revision (SIR) of electoral rolls in Bihar, the Telugu Desam Party — key BJP ally — has sought clarity on the "scope" of the exercise. In a letter to the EC, the TDP said it should be made clear that the SIR is "not related to citizenship verification". Revised: The latest amid NCERT's revision spree of its school textbooks is the Class 8 Social Science textbook. It now highlights "many instances of religious intolerance" during the Delhi Sultanate and the Mughal period. Interestingly, one of the chapters includes a note that "no one should be held responsible today for events of the past”.
📌Must Read Roadblock: Fans of Prime Video’s Panchayat would recognise how a single road’s promise can influence entire elections in rural India. A similar situation is unfolding in real life in Madhya Pradesh’s Sidhi district, where the lack of a road connecting a village to vital healthcare services has caused a major controversy. Leading the effort is 22-year-old Leela Sahu, an online influencer with vast followers. Sahu’s campaign started when she became pregnant. But what began as a personal struggle swiftly turned political, putting her at odds with the local BJP leadership. This is her story. De-risk: US President Donald Trump's increasing closeness with Pakistan and his attacks on Russia, which may disrupt India's oil trade, have caused some in India to feel "betrayed". The only reassurance, as columnist C Raja Mohan notes, is that India is not alone. As Trump reshapes American relations with long-standing allies, New Delhi might consider re-examining its foreign policy.
⏳And Finally… I leave you with my piece on matcha, the whisked powdered Japanese tea that has sparked a full-blown lifestyle trend. Popularised by wellness enthusiasts and fitness influencers, this green drink might not be everyone’s cup of tea, but that hasn’t halted its global surge. What lies behind the matcha craze? Dive in. 🎧 Before you go, tune in to the latest ‘3 Things’ podcast episode. Today’s lineup: Maharashtra’s controversial public security Bill, why climate talks fail, and the Nimisha Priya case. That’s all for today, folks! Until tomorrow, Sonal Gupta | 
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