Dear all,
Diwali is fast approaching and details of our Diwali Dinner are out. Join us for a 5-course menu at Michelin-starred chef Atul Kochhar’s Kanishka. Scroll down for more.
This Wednesday evening, we’re hosting an informal get-together for our Members with Dr Keshav Kumar, from the Indian Police Service 1986 Batch, Gujarat cadre. He has 35 years of Police service in experience, with over a decade in Anti-Corruption and Vigilance. He was transferred 27 times in his career, usually the best indication of an honest officer that got on the wrong side of local political masters.
He was with Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) as Joint Director CBI, Delhi and Joint Director CBI Anti-Corruption Bureau (ACB) Mumbai and Special Director ACB Gujarat. He was the first Joint Director of the CBI for the Interpol Technical, Forensic and Co-ordination wing.
If you’d like to join, reply to this email to request a space or become a Member.
The list of performers for the Asian Achievers Awards on Fri 18 Sept is out: hosted by actor Nitin Ganatra OBE; Indian pioneer of Asian-R&B fusion Rishi Rich will be joined by Pakistan’s classical music royalty Ustad Rafaqat Ali Khan - the voice behind Krrish, Dhokha and that unforgettable Coke Studio moment - on stage; with stand-up comedy by the BBC’s Man Like Mobeen star Tez Ilyas; and the red carpet hosted by Bridge India’s very own Raya Mahmood. Scroll down for more.
Film and arts programming director Aman Dhillon will be hosting her meetup in New York for her programming and PR company ReelN 7-9pm on Thurs 13 August, with film makers and commissioners. If you’d like to be invited, get in touch with her on LinkedIn here.
Over the past few weeks, young people in India and their parents have seen the Cockroach Janata Party protests from very different perspectives. Young people made memes about it and flooded Instagram with first-person accounts including of Police abuses, and older people that consumed traditional media found stories that claimed a “Pakistan angle,” a “CIA angle” or a “George Soros angle” (see here or a shorter version here). There are reports of social media posts critical of the government being removed by platforms.
Some of these trends aren’t unique to India. Nepal’s new Prime Minister Balendra Shah has been following some of the same playbook, according to new reports. Shah is structural engineer and rapper who swept to power in this year’s general election, becoming the world's youngest serving state leader, at 36 years old.
This week’s Policy Watch comes from ground reporting by Newslaundry. Scroll down to read more.
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Bridge India Member and radio presenter on LycaRadio Anuj Radia will be discussing Nayanika’s journey from investment banking to becoming an acclaimed novelist and screenwriter, her collaboration with Imtiaz Ali on Diljit Dosanjh’s new film Main Vaapas Aaunga, and the role of storytelling, history and cinema in preserving memory and identity.
When: 6:30-7:30pm | Thurs 13 August
Where: Lecture Theatre 1, Bush House, Strand Campus, King’s College London
RSVP: Register here
Established in 2000, it is consistently recognised by the South Asian community as the most prestigious and highly respected such Awards. Bridge India is Community Partner for the event. Sir Keir Starmer said of the last event “It is wonderful to see so many British Asian change-makers being recognised tonight by the team” where a net worth of over £30bn was amongst the guests. You can submit a nomination or book your table here.
When: 6pm-1am | Fri 18 September
Where: London Hilton on Park Lane
Who: 550 business leaders, entrepreneurs and others, with world-class entertainment and drinks flowing the while night
Book here: Click here | Get in touch for BI Member-only prices
A five-course tasting menu and welcome drink from Michelin-starred chef Atul Kochhar, inspirational speakers and an opportunity to hear about Pardada Pardadi, an Indian NGO that aims to socially uplift and economically empower girls and women in Uttar Pradesh through education, health and hygiene, community development and economic empowerment.
What: Bridge India Diwali Dinner x Kanishka by Atul Kochhar
When: 6pm arrivals and welcome drinks, 6:30pm speeches, sit-down dinner, 8:30pm close
Where: Kanishka by Atul Kochhar, 17-19 Maddox Street, Mayfair, London, W1S 2QH (closest station Oxford Circus)
Tickets: £0 Corporate Members, £80 Members, £90 Non-Members (prices for the first 25 tickets, then increasing by £10pp) | Details here
How did we get here
To understand the victory that brought Shah and his Rastriya Swatantra Party to power, it is important to first understand the political upheaval that led to the landslide:
Nepal saw massive youth-led protests which escalated into violent confrontations and culminated in then PM K. P. Sharma Oli’s resignation, followed by a 6-month Interim Government led by former Chief Justice Sushila Karki, and an intense feeling amongst the country’s young people that corruption, entrenched party politics, unemployment, and a growing distance between an establishment seen as self-serving and a generation that saw existing institutions as incapable of meeting its aspirations.
The government banned of 26 social media platforms on 4 September 2025 because they were not registering with the government. Nevertheless, #NepoBabies and #NepoKids trended across the major platforms and helped mobilise young people.
The movement was leaderless and organic, much like the CJP protests in Delhi, led by young people without a political agenda but pent-up frustration.
Protestors were dismissed as ‘misled’ or ‘ungrateful’ by the mainstream media, with many outlets acting as a mouthpiece for the government.
Did Shah change everything?
He’s certainly brought some stability.
Nepal recently concluded an economic program with the IMF, who said the new government’s performance has been “broadly adequate.” The appointment of Finance Minister Swarnim Wagle, a former UNDP and World Bank economist, was seen positively for an otherwise inexperienced government. Forbes reckons the government is focused on reforms.
The Iran war and higher airfare prices leave a looming shadow over its tourism industry and remittance flows. But Nepal’s foreign reserves are a comfortable 12 months of imports (pretty good for a low-income country).
And what about the media?
Since taking office as Mayor in 2022 and transitioning to the top post in March 2026, Shah has not held a single press conference or given an interview to the national media. Official information flows one-way through his personal social media, says Newslaundry.
As Shah completes 100 days in office, The Kathmandu Post says:
“Journalists and media observers say a series of developments point to mounting pressure on press freedom and freedom of expression. Concerns have centred on warning-laden remarks by senior ministers, sustained online harassment by supporters of the ruling party, a government policy directing public advertising only to state-owned media, and recent court rulings that critics argue could have a chilling effect on journalism.”
Journalists have increasingly faced cyberbullying and cyber intimidation, and power is becoming centralised.
Kanak Mani Dixit, writer and founding editor of Himal Southasian, told Newslaundry:
“The media has zero access to Balendra Shah. As is the case with Prime Minister Modi in India, there is no opportunity to ask him questions – it is simply disallowed. Policy announcements and sensitive matters of state are announced through his social media handles. That is hardly enough to run a country as complex as Nepal.”
Himalaya Television editor Madhusudan Panthi argued that Shah’s approach marks a genuine departure from past practice.
The Federation of Nepali Journalists (FNJ) issued a statement to say the PM “misbehaved with Himalaya Television journalist Prince Mishra and cameraperson Abhisht Lama, who had visited the Teku-based environment department to gather news.”
There are several other examples of this too.
The government is still new and even before Shah’s election there were some concerns about his heavy-handed approach.
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