In the late 19th century, Bombay was a key import and transshipment port for Russian kerosene. The city’s market was dominated by the Russian product, with American kerosene in a distant second place. The jousting for Indian market share between the two nations unfolded amid geopolitical tensions between Great Britain and Imperial Russia – and gave the U.S. a decisive edge.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi visited the Republic of Cyprus on June 15-16, and was warmly received by President Christodoulides. Deep in the bilateral connection is an Indian-origin First Lady, Lilla Irene (Erulkar) Clerides, wife of former president Glafkos Clerides. Lilla, an Indian Jew from Bombay, lived through India’s and Cyprus’ independence and Partition. It made her a passionate advocate for the unity of her adopted home.

Mumbai’s iconic Wankhede Stadium was inaugurated in October 1974, making this year its golden anniversary. The first test match was played on its grounds from 23-27 January 1975. It was the last in the India vs. West Indies test series and was memorable for the 242 not-out scored by West Indian batsman Clive Lloyd. It led to such jubilation in the stands that a fan excitedly ran onto the pitch to congratulate him. He was arrested by the Bombay police.

The India Middle-East Europe Economic Corridor (IMEC) announced during India’s G20 leaders’ summit in September 2023 aims at security and ease of connectivity by multi-modal physical, digital and energy corridors connecting India, UAE, Saudi Arabia, Israel, and Europe. Like many of the connectivity projects created around the world today, IMEC’s origins are 2,300 years old, ancient routes that connected the Indian Ocean to the Mediterranean Sea

Mumbai and Jakarta share a 200-year history of trade in spices and a once-shared love for Bombay’s silent films. Transnational networks of Indian spice and cloth merchants have marked both cities with their business, culture, and faith. A testimony to this history today is the city’s Indonesian consulate, established in 1951 – just four years after India’s independence.

India’s story reads like a Bollywood script – unbelievable and insane to those who fail to decode its success. The most discernable change is internal, as ‘India’ and ‘Bharat’ coexist. India has stopped feeling and thinking poor; it’s right up there with the biggies. Maybe not invited to the high table yet, but has set up its own and invited the rest to the lavish banquet.

Recent changes in Belgian and EU tax law and regulation have resulted in some Antwerp-based Palanpuri Jain diamond traders shifting base to the newly booming Dubai diamond market. But Antwerp dominates the diamond business for this enterprising community, where 400 families continue to stay and use it as a gateway to the European market for diamonds cut and polished in Surat and Mumbai in India.

The Reserve Bank of India entered its 90th year on 1 April. From the 1940s to 1960s it was critical in protecting India’s interests at the Bretton Woods Conference in 1944, and conserving India’s Forex by managing a Rupee trade with the East Bloc. Today, it is among Mumbai’s several historic financial institutions and has navigated India’s economy through turbulent geopolitical and geoeconomic events.

When the 154-year-old man-made Suez Canal became operational, it reduced the voyage between Europe and India from four months to 30 days. It made Egypt the centre for the development of modern tourism in the mid-19th century, attracting entrepreneurs from across empires. A brisk business grew with the Sindhis from the Bombay Presidency, who made the Egyptian free ports and Cairo as their first overseas bases.

Eighteenth century Bombay was home to two Jewish communities: Marathi-speaking Bene-Israel Jews and Judeo-Arabic-speaking Baghdadi Jews. The city was a a major hub for employment, business, religious, community, and cultural life. These activities were formerly dispersed among many hubs across the Middle-East for the Baghdadi Jews, and among the villages of the North Konkan for the Bene-Israel.