India's Independence Day celebrated as iconic New York landmarks lit up in Tricolour
A vibrant tribute to the deep bonds of friendship between India and the... pic.twitter.com/UAlbyLQwzC
- India in New York (@IndiainNewYork) August 16, 2025
Live Events
(You can now subscribe to our
(You can now subscribe to our Economic Times WhatsApp channel
India's Independence Day was celebrated in New York as iconic landmarks including World Trade Center were illuminated in the colours of the Indian Tricolour.In a post on X, India in New York said, "India's Independence Day was celebrated as iconic New York landmarks -- One World Trade Center, Grand Central Terminal, Niagara Falls, and Kosciuszko Bridge -- lit up in the colours of the Indian Tricolour. A vibrant tribute to the deep bonds of friendship between India and the United States."The landmark displays came after the Indian Embassy in the US hosted the 79th Independence Day celebrations earlier in the day, with Indian Ambassador to the US Vinay Kwatra hoisting the tricolour at India House, marking the official commencement of the day's festivities.In a post on X, the Embassy said, "Celebrating the 79th Independence Day of India! Ambassador Shri Vinay Kwatra hoisted the tricolour at India House. Members of the Indian diaspora and friends of India participated in the ceremony." The event emphasised the active involvement of the Indian diaspora in commemorating India's national day.Meanwhile, on the West Coast, the Consulate General of India in Seattle marked the occasion with an official flag-hoisting ceremony, attended by several dignitaries. The ceremony included a cultural segment featuring Bharatanatyam, patriotic songs, and dances showcasing India's diverse traditions.In a post on X, the Consulate said, "The Consulate General of India, Seattle hosted the 79th Independence Day celebrations with the official flag hoisting ceremony at the Consulate premises. Several dignitaries attended the inaugural ceremony, which featured a vibrant cultural segment, including a Bharatanatyam performance, soulful renditions of patriotic songs, and graceful dance performance showcasing India's diverse traditions. Later today, the Indian Tricolour will be proudly hoisted atop the iconic Space Needle, the defining symbol of Seattle's skyline." These celebrations highlighted India's cultural heritage and the pride of its diaspora across the United States.Following the celebrations in Seattle, the Indian Consulate in New York also held Independence Day events, bringing together elected representatives, members of the Indian community, friends of India, and dignitaries to mark the occasion.In a post on X, the Consulate said, "Indian Consulate in New York celebrated the 79th Independence Day with Flag hoisting by Consul General Binaya Pradhan, in the presence of elected representatives, members of the Indian community, friends of India, and dignitaries. Thank you Senator Raj Mukherji for joining us. The India Consulate in New York also recognized the outstanding achievements and contributions of the Indian diaspora across diverse fields, felicitating US National Cricket Team players Jasdeep Singh & Saiteja Mukkammalla, tennis player Samir Banerjee, Brigit co-founder Hamel Kothari, and Kolkata Chai Co. co-founder Ayan Sanyal. The celebration concluded with a graceful Kuchipudi performance and soulful patriotic songs by students of Indian classical music."Together, these events across New York and Seattle showcased the vibrant participation of the Indian diaspora, the celebration of India's cultural heritage abroad, and the enduring bonds of friendship between India and the United States.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
News18
35 minutes ago
- News18
India, South Korea resolve to set new industrial ambition in high-tech sectors
Agency: PTI New Delhi, Aug 16 (PTI) India and South Korea on Saturday resolved to expand their strategic partnership by setting new 'industrial ambition" in the areas of semiconductor, defence, clean energy, and artificial intelligence. Ways to ramp up the overall bilateral cooperation figured prominently in talks between External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar and his visiting South Korean counterpart, Cho Hyun. The Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) said Jaishankar and Hyun agreed to set new industrial ambitions, especially in high-tech sectors such as AI, semiconductors, clean energy, shipbuilding, and the defence industry. The ministers took stock of bilateral cooperation, including in the political, security, trade and economy, technological, and people-to-people domains, it said. In a social media post, Jaishankar described the talks as 'productive". 'Held productive discussions on advancing our bilateral cooperation in trade, manufacturing, maritime and people-to-people exchanges as well as new opportunities in AI, semiconductors, clean energy and defence," he said. Jaishankar said he and Hyun also exchanged perspectives on the Indo-Pacific region and contemporary global developments. 'Appreciated our deepening convergences and growing engagement as our Special Strategic Partnership completes 10 years," he added. In his opening remarks at the meeting, Jaishankar also thanked Seoul for its condemnation of the horrific April 22 Pahalgam terror attack. The external affairs minister also made a mention of Seoul's support to an Indian parliamentary delegation that visited South Korea in the aftermath of Operation Sindoor. 'You have been barely a month in the job (as the foreign minister), the fact that you are here literally a day after your National Day, and our National Day, says a lot really about the value we attach to the relationship," Jaishankar said. The India-South Korea ties have been on an upswing in the last few years, especially in the areas of trade and defence. The MEA said Jaishankar and Hyun reaffirmed the strong and growing 'special strategic partnership" between the two countries. The partnership is rooted in shared democratic values, mutual trust, shared economic interests, and commitment to regional and global peace and stability, it said. 'The ministers also shared their assessment on regional and global issues of common interest," the MEA said in a statement. PTI MPB VN VN view comments First Published: Disclaimer: Comments reflect users' views, not News18's. Please keep discussions respectful and constructive. Abusive, defamatory, or illegal comments will be removed. News18 may disable any comment at its discretion. By posting, you agree to our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy.
Time of India
39 minutes ago
- Time of India
I-Day boost: Discounts drive 8-10% sales growth; executives eye stronger festive season
Independence Day discounts gave India's retail sector a much-needed boost, with footfalls and sales rising by 8-10% year-on-year across key shopping destinations. Industry executives say the revival in entry-to-mid segment demand has raised hopes of a strong festive season ahead. Electronics, particularly in affordable categories, along with groceries and apparel have seen healthy growth. Restaurants, too, are reporting higher sales as malls draw more visitors, helped by new film releases and a surge in in-home dining orders. 'After several months, there is good demand for entry to mid-segment products,' Nilesh Gupta, director at electronic retail chain Vijay Sales told ET. 'Walk-ins are good and there is over 8% jump in sales value over last year, which is better than last year,' he added. Electronics makers and grocery retailers ran promotional offers around Independence Day eve, one of the biggest consumption periods outside the festive and Republic Day seasons. At Reliance Retail, sales grew in double digits, according to an executive. Haier India president Satish NS told ET that the electronics manufacturer's Independence Day sales were up more than 20% over last year, with 'most categories driving sales.' by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like Luxury 3 & 4 BHKs with 25+ World-Class Amenities Evara Thane Buy Now Undo On the ecommerce front, Tata-owned BigBasket reported a 42% on-year jump in patriotic merchandise sales on Friday, alongside strong demand for electronics, including the new iPhone 16. Malls also recorded a surge in traffic during the long weekend. Theatres are seeing back-to-back housefull shows for the first time since the pandemic, powered by Rajinikanth's Coolie and Hrithik Roshan's War 2. 'The crowd that comes for the movie adds at least 10% of the revenue for fashion brands, food and beverages,' said Harsh V Bansal, cofounder of Unity Group, which operates more than six malls in Delhi and Punjab. 'The next few days also look good in terms of footfall and sales,' he added. International labels have also drawn shoppers, with discounts prompting customers to buy at lower price points. 'International brands have contributed to the growth with consumers using the lower price point during the sale to buy products,' said Muhammad Ali, chief executive, retail, at Prestige Group, which operates five malls in South India. Those malls have reported a 15% year-on-year rise in sales. 'One segment which has not done well is Indian women's wear, which is a cause of worry,' he told ET. Revival hopes Retailers and brands have been under pressure for nine to ten quarters as low-to-middle-income households grappled with high inflation and weak earnings growth. Higher spending on travel and tourism further dented retail demand. Executives, however, are forecasting a turnaround in the second half of the fiscal, supported by low inflation, soft loan rates, reduced income-tax slabs this year and good monsoon rains. 'While middle class discretionary spending was under pressure, some consumption has started and with the festival tail wind, the outlook is much better,' Anjan Chatterjee, managing director of Speciality Restaurants told ET. He said that Independence Day demand trends have been 'reassuring, with a 15-18% year-on-year growth.' The government on Friday also said GST rates will be rationalised by Diwali to boost consumption, improve affordability and make essential as well as aspirational goods more accessible to a wider base of consumers—moves expected to spur further demand. Stay informed with the latest business news, updates on bank holidays , public holidays , current gold rate and silver price .
Mint
an hour ago
- Mint
SBI home loan: State Bank of India raises home loan interest rates by 25 basis points. Check new rates here
SBI home loan: Government-owned institutional lender, State Bank of India, has increased its interest rates for home loans and home-related loans effective from 1 August 2025, reported the news portal The Economic Times. The rise in home loan rates will impact the EMI payments of the borrowers. According to the revised data, the interest rate for a regular home loan (term loan) currently stands at 7.50% to 8.70%. SBI has raised the upper band of the interest rate by 25 basis points to its current level of 8.70%, compared to its earlier level of 8.45%. However, the lower limit of the home loan rates are kept unchanged. State Bank of India's move to increase the upper interest rate band of the home loan rates comes after the Indian central bank, the Reserve Bank of India (RBI), decided to keep its key benchmark interest rates (repo rates) unchanged at 5.55% in the August 2025 Monetary Policy announcement. State Bank of India's official website data shows that the current home loan-related interest rates are as follows — 1. Home Loan (term loan): 7.50% to 8.70% 2. Home Loan Maxgain (OD): 7.75% to 8.95% 3. Top Up Loan: 8% to 10.75% 4. Top Up (OD) Loan: 8.25% to 9.45% 5. Loan Against Property (P-LAP): 9.20% to 10.75% 6. Reverse Mortgage Loan: 10.55% 7. YONO Insta Home Top-up Loan: 8.35% However, the bank also said that the interest rate for the home loans are based on the CIBIL score of the individual. All the home loans are linked to external benchmark rates (EBLR) which is currently prevailing at 8.15%, according to the official website. SBI raising its home loan interest rates will directly impact the borrowers who are taking a term loan at the higher end of the interest band. Depending on the customer's credit profile or credit score, if they fall under the higher interest rate bracket, then they will have to pay a slightly higher rate of EMI due to the 25 basis point increase. An effect of the hike will also be on the repayment burden due to the higher interest amount, as it can be significant over a longer period of time. Example with new interest rate: If you take a home loan of ₹ 50 lakh for a total tenure of 20 years at an interest rate of 8.70%, you will pay the bank a monthly EMI of ₹ 44,026. At the end of the 20-year period, you would be paying a total interest of ₹ 55,66,275 on top of the principal amount. The total home loan payment will be ₹ 1,05,66,275 or over ₹ 1.05 crore at the end of the term, according to the Groww home loan calculator. Example with old interest rate: If you had taken a home loan of ₹ 50 lakh for a total tenure of 20 years, but at the older interest rate of 8.45%, then you would be paying the bank a monthly EMI of ₹ 43,233. With the older interest rates, a customer will be paying a total interest of ₹ 53,75,935 on top of the principal amount of ₹ 50 lakh, bringing the total loan payment to ₹ 1,03,75,935 over the 20-year period, according to the Groww calculator. This marks a ₹ 737 rise in the EMI every month for a total of 20 years due to the interest rate hike.
