Bad Bunny, better passports, and Big Tech’s India pitch

Hey you,

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So who else has not stopped listening to Bad Bunny this week? Yes, I am hella impressionable and although some of his songs were already a part of my daily commute playlist, I had not listened to an entire album of his until this week.

Love indeed is stronger than hate!

But the thing that caught my attention, something that I learned about him thanks to this recent hullabaloo, was how dearly he holds his Puerto Rican identity. Not in a “flag in the bio” way. In a 'this is the soil I come from' way. So much of his music clearly draws from his life growing up in Puerto Rico. In his music videos, it’s the motifs and visuals, sure, but it’s also the feeling underneath them. The way his work carries Puerto Rico’s beauty and culture alongside its flaws and politics, without trying to sand the edges off.

I found myself relating to some of his music videos not because of what I saw (I have never been to Puerto Rico) but because of what I felt — that longing for home, that sense of responsibility to represent a culture that is constantly being flattened into stereotypes or misappropriated and sold as aesthetic. But also the need to speak up against the wrongs it represents. And doing all of it while being shouted at for assimilating too well or not enough.

Anyway. That’s what I have been sitting with this week — the way identity shows up in the art we consume, and why it hits harder when you’re far from home Thank you, Benito, for reminding a lot of us why we are who we are!

Now, on to what was going on outside my Spotify playlist!

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Just the gist

🔗 Pack your passport, get set go!

Pack your bags and start planning your next international trip because the Indian passport just went up 10 places!! (yep, that's a leap), now ranking 75th in the latest Henley Passport Index. With that, Indians now have visa-free or visa-on-arrival access to 56 countries. With that, we are also climbing back towards our former glory which was in 2006, when we ranked 71st.

One of the main factors that impact the ranking is income. If travellers from a country are likely to add positively to the economy of the host country, and less likely to overstay their visa, then those countries are viewed favourably. India's international travel has expanded rapidly over the last few years with more disposable income in the hands of the middle- and upper middle-class, despite the astounding income inequality in the country.

➡️ Several destinations are now accessible to those with an Indian passport across Asia, Africa, the Caribbean (oh boy! do I wanna go there) and the Pacific Islands. A Europe trip is not everything, let me assure you of that. Some of my favourite travel memories are of places that don't often feature in your Condé Nasts or Lonely Planets. So, with the passport now allowing us to see more, maybe let's go a little off the beaten track!

🔗 Back on the "They took our jobs" bandwagon

Speaking of mobility, one country in particular wants less of that for others. No points for guessing... yes, it is indeed the United States of America. The land of the free and all that.

A new bill introduced in the US House of Representatives proposes to end the H-1B visa program starting in fiscal year 2027 (which, in the case of the U.S., is October 2026 onwards). Ironically, the legislation is titled the EXILE Act (Ending Exploitative Imported Labor Exemption Act).

If passed, this bill will replace the part of the current Immigration and Nationality Act that sets the annual ceiling for H1-B visas and bring it down to a whopping ZERO. The purpose of putting down this proposal, according to Republican Congressman Greg Steube is to protect domestic talent from losing opportunities to international talent that is brought in by companies using the H1-B visa. The proposal, however, says nothing about the status of current H1-B holders, any replacement visa, or transition measures so it is anyone's guess whether this is more political theatre or seriously thought-out policy.

The proposal still needs to pass both chambers of Congress and the President's approval to come into effect.

➡️ For those of you living in the U.S., I hope you are well. How does this affect you, if at all? Emotionally, financially, logistically... We would love to hear from you. I would be happy to highlight your personal experience (anonymised or otherwise) if you would like to let the community here know what it is like to live this reality. If that is something you would like, please drop me a line. 👇

🔗 Bringing more custom-ary gifts

While on the topic of flying back to India (which, hopefully, is by choice) why don't you consider getting even more high value gifts for the family after all?

As of February 2026, the value of goods that you can bring into India without paying customs duty while entering by sea or air has increased from INR 50,000 to INR 75,000. Special allowance is also made for jewellery which is now on the basis of weight and not value. This does not include that new laptop you bought for your cousin which is now duty-free! This also does not include that single malt your friend asked you to get because alcohol and tobacco are not exempt.

➡️ Don't tell anyone (and proceeds to tell all 130(!) of her subscribers) but I have no idea how customs declarations work. I have always walked straight out of the airport on arrival. First time I heard anything about it was from my husband late last year as we were returning from India after our wedding and were considering bringing some of our wedding gift (jewellery) with us. 🤦🏻‍♀️

🔗 All that shines is cheaper now

Speaking of jewellery... boy, this week's newsletter stories are beautifully segueing from one to the next! Am I proud of my curation or what!

Anyway, gold price had been on the up and up for the better part of a year. That changed earlier this month. While gold prices are still seeing an upward trend, there was a sharp drop earlier in the month.

Gold is seen as a safe investment in times of uncertainty which, well, has been most of what we know these days. The drop, therefore, has to do with several market factors including demand and correction for previously exorbitant prices.

Gold premiums in India, as a result, have more than halved! Gold premium is basically the extra money you pay over the spot price of gold for dealer margins, manufacturing, shipping etc.

➡️ Two ways to look at this as an Indian. Firstly, Investing in gold is never a bad idea, if you have the liquidity. Secondly, I know everyone and their neighbour has already gotten married in the last couple of years but if you still have a wedding coming up - yours or close family/friends - cash in on the low premium now and get the gold jewellery you need for the event and get it in India.

In the neighbourhood

✨I am introducing this section as an alternative to the 'Trending on the internet' section because I am not as perpetually online as I used to be for mental health reasons. The world is burning and I would like to distract myself with art.

I will use this section to highlight any significant event that takes place in South Asia that is of major significance. We might switch between 'In the neighbourhood' and 'Trending on the internet' depending on the needs of the week.

Theek hai?

🔗 New neighbours, past traumas, fledgling relationship

Bangladesh just (Friday, 13/02/26) concluded its first election since former Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina was ousted in August 2024.

The Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) led by Tarique Rahman (son of BNP founder General Ziaur Rahaman and ex-Prime Minister Khaleda Zia) has won a landslide victory with two-thirds majority.

BNP's relationship with India has always been complicated, with some terror groups being allowed to operate from Bangladeshi soil during their leadership years between 2001 and 2006. It was made worse when Sheikh Hasina's Awami League won in 2008 and cracked down on these organisations, beginning strong counter-terrorism cooperation with India, but also leveraged the same to crack down on the opposition including BNP.

With Awami League now out of the race and a new reality taking shape in Bangladesh, India has to establish new ties with a government that isn't its biggest fan if India does not want to be completely isolated from its neighbours.

There are many challenges staring us down starting with Sheikh Hasina's presence in India. The BJP government's antagonism of Bangladeshi immigrants in India adding fuel to fire.

While PM Narendra Modi congratulated Tarique Rahman even before Bangladesh's election commission had announced the results of the election (weird, ain't it?) how and if the two countries pave a path for cooperation remains to be seen, cooperation that is economically, politically, socially, and from a security perspective absolutely necessary.

➡️ The history of Bangladesh is fascinating. Even as a Bengali myself, I find myself continuously learning new things that make sense of the changing tides, not only in the country, but also in the subcontinent.

Read with me

🔗 India's bid at becoming an AI hot shot

India is hosting the AI Impact Summit in New Delhi from the 16th to the 20th of February, 2026 becoming the first among traditionally known as 'developing nations' to do so. The poster child of this summit is 'giving voice to the Global South'.

Now, if you have been following developments in the tech space lately, especially in the AI space, this should resonate with you. A lot is being said about digital sovereignty, moving away from Silicon Valley dependence, and governance of Big Tech. So this is a welcome move.

Across low- and middle-income countries, the pitch is increasingly the same: come scale here. Governments are offering populations as markets, data, and opportunity. India has done the same for Big Tech, allowing them to use its resources, from manpower to environmental, to help them localise their products. But this has never shifted the locus of control.

➡️ If India truly wants to democratise AI, conversations at the summit have to move beyond where value is created to where it is distributed.

👋 That's all for this week. If you are reading this then here, 💌, take my heart because you deserve it.

Take care and see you next week!

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