A yen for Japan

Japan is probably the last word on progress and prosperity in the modern world. A.J. Philip gives his impressions of the world’s second largest economy, and its people, who are disciplined, industrious and courteous

TELL me in one sentence why Japan has achieved so much progress in so short a time," asked an Indian journalist to a reporter of a Japanese newspaper. He did not bat an eyelid before answering, "We did not have to spend a farthing on defence". Waiting for Uyeno

Making it big in biotech
Jangveer Singh
FOR someone who started a life sciences company to give meaning to her Phd thesis, Villoo Moravala Patell has come a long way. Starting with a group of five students with grants from international foundations, Patell has forged a name for herself in the bio-technology field through her company Avesthagen which has created a business model by marrying high-tech research with proven marketing power.

End of an era
Andrew Gumbel
A cat. A mouse. A never-ending chase, in which the predator never quite manages to capture his prey. As a premise for a cartoon, it could not be germ of the idea that was to become Tom and Jerry. They were told it was a cliche that had been done to death. Sometimes, though, the best ideas are the simplest.