If you are travelling to or via Houston next time, do keep a few moments aside to check out and marvel at the just unveiled art project at the George Bush International Airport.

Conceptualized and created by Indian American artist Janavi Mahimtura Folmsbee, the awe-inspiring 240-feet-long Aquarius Art Tunnel, connecting Terminals D and E is a stunning vision that combines artistic excellence along with a very topical message.

For Mahimtura Folmsbe, the project that took four years to accomplish, the end result is stunning. The 240-feet-long Aquarius Art Tunnel is an audio-visual treat for travelers en-route to exotic destinations.

The brightly colored murals in vivid reds, blues, greens, and yellows fill the walls from floor to ceiling, evoking a sense of hope and optimism towards nature, the oceans, and abundant underwater life.

The tunnel showcases species of fish, coral, sharks, dolphins, barracudas, lobsters, manta rays, and, even, oil rigs, among many other creatures that call the oceans their home.

The floor of the tunnel is a coral carpet, inspired by the artist’s deep-sea dives at the Flower Garden Banks National Marine Sanctuary off the Texas coast, and the accompanying sounds are a combination of classical music and the artist’s own meditative, underwater breath, created by Andrew Karnavas.

“This tunnel is a simple act of kindness to the environment,” said Mahimtura Folmsbee. “We can all work together to invest in our environment, and here in our city, through small acts of kindness, let us protect our waterways, as they are interconnected to our planet through each and every one of us. Water is ours – for all of us.”

Last week, The United Nations Decades of Ocean Science for Sustainable Development (UNESCO) endorsed the Aquarius Art Tunnel as a site for its scientific and educational importance towards ocean conservation through artistic outreach as an immersive art installation.

It has also been endorsed by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Sanctuary in Galveston. The project was commissioned by the Mayor’s Office of Cultural Affairs, on behalf of the Houston Airport System, through the city’s Civic Art Program and the Houston Arts Alliance.

“The power of Janavi’s work will be experienced by passengers because they will feel uplifted and ready to battle their journey ahead, while taking a piece of our Texas coast with them…and a greater sense of responsibility of being custodians of the earth,” said Theresa Escobedo, Civic Art Program Manager for the City of Houston, and part of the Mayor’s Office of Cultural Affairs.

“Facilitating this type of passenger experience from an international artist like Janavi is both a personal and professional pleasure,” said Alton DuLaney, Curator of Public Art for the Houston Airports.

“And the fact that the inspiration material for this work is quietly located right off the coast of Texas increases the identity and sense of place for the airport which we strive to deliver through our passenger engagement initiatives.

Consul General of India in Houston, Aseem R. Mahajan, pointed out the commonalities in culture and values between India and the US and how Texas is now home to the second largest Indian community in the country.

“Janavi’s work is very vibrant, and as people walk through the tunnel, it will be a shining symbol of the India-US partnership,” he said.

The tunnel also has a special significance for Mahimtura Folmsbee; it is where she, and countless others, take the flight home to India.

“I hope to create a bridge between science and art,” she said. “I want to shine a light on an essential natural resource, marine life, that is in dire need of our help, now more than ever.”

In a tight race, an Indian-American engineer won an open seat in a city council election in Sunnyvale, California, by just a single vote.Murali Srinivasan became the first Indian-origin council member elected in Sunnyvale and the first candidate chosen to represent District 3.

District 3 was formed in 2020 after the city voted to switch to a district-based electoral system, and drew six districts based on US Census data.

While Srinivasan secured 2,813 votes, his opponent, Justin Wang, concluded the race with 2,812 votes.

“If you look at District 5 and District 3, we pulled nearly 1,100 more votes,” Srinivasan told The Mercury News.

“It’s definitely a great victory for democracy and District 3 voters a” credit should go to them,” he added, saying that waiting for election results was “interesting and stressful” he told the paper that he feels honored to represent the Indian-American community within Sunnyvale’s local government.

As a council member, he hopes to address issues like climate change lack of access to affordable housing.

He will also be working on ways to boost civic engagement in the city.

Srinivasan, who will be sworn in at a council meeting on January 3, 2023, grew up in Bengaluru.

According to his website, Srinivasan “immigrated to the US from India to pursue his American Dream”.

A resident of District 3 of Sunnyvale since 1997, he was an engineer and a tech executive at Sun Microsystems and General Electric.

Srinivasan did his Master’s in Computer Science from Virginia Tech and Engineering Management from Stanford University.

India could attract close to $10 billion in renewable energy investment in 2023, a bright spot as public markets remain largely shut to big-ticket capital raising, according to Bank of America Corp.’s top executives in the country.

Deals and investments will continue to flow into areas such as electric vehicles and green hydrogen, Kaku Nakhate, the lender’s president and India country head, said in an interview, as investors look to reflect the energy transition in their portfolios.

“If you really have to get your ESG story right, and if you are into energy, then you can do large pieces of work in India,” Nakhate said.

Sectors such as renewable energy and retail are set to benefit as India pulls ahead of emerging market rivals in attracting overseas investors. Even as dealmaking globally has been hit by rising interest rates and market volatility, the South Asian nation’s geopolitical stability helps position it for greater inflows.

Investors and companies attending the bank’s recent North American roadshow were impressed by the Indian government’s clear targets to achieve net zero carbon, Nakhate said.

“People take us seriously,” she said. “That’s why we are seeing more sustainability funds that want to invest in India.”

The bank will continue to build out its distressed debt financing business in the renewable energy sector, which has generated double-digit returns, she said.

Along with green investment, Nakhate predicts an increase in dealmaking in consumer brands, which are supported by rising per capita income and spending.

“If you want to play the India story, you will want a mix of brands to enjoy the distribution story,” Nakhate said.

The bank also expects India to benefit from so-called friend-shoring by companies that are rethinking their supply chains, disrupted by Covid and the Ukraine war, Nakhate said. India, with its democratic traditions and robust domestic markets, is well suited to attract this capital, Nakhate said.

IPO Challenges

The optimism is offset by the picture in initial public offerings. Though first-time share sale volumes plunged globally in the year to date, India’s decline of nearly 60% versus the same period in 2021 outpaced the worldwide slump, data complied by Bloomberg show.

Bank of America doesn’t plan to make significant hires in the coming year in India, Nakhate said, as investment banks worldwide have cut back on staff and bonuses. A local exception is Kotak Mahindra Bank Ltd.’s investment banking arm, which is planning to hire about 20 bankers as it bets on a rebound in deals activity next year, Chief Executive Officer S Ramesh told Bloomberg News in an interview last month.

Large IPOs of $1 billion or more likely won’t return until the end of 2023 or into 2024, according to Subhrajit Roy, India head for global capital markets at Bank of America. Yet the market could see medium-sized listings as soon as the middle of next year, he said.

“It is early days of a turn of risk appetite for both companies and investors,” Roy said.

The market isn’t entirely devoid of activity. About $6.6 billion worth of block trades have been announced in India this year, representing nearly 28% of the Asia-wide total, according to data compiled by Bloomberg.

Asian investors and emerging market funds were demonstrating strong demand for secondary share offerings, Roy said. Bank of America advised Uber Technologies Inc. in its $390 million sale of shares in Indian food-delivery company Zomato Ltd., and Softbank Group Corp. in its roughly $200 million block sale of Indian digital payments company Paytm.

Bright Spot in India’s Block Trades as Gains Hold Up: ECM Watch

The crop of IPOs starting in the second half of 2023 could include five or six tech companies, he said.

“It will not be a deluge, but a trickle.”

The United States should continue to work with India and all its security partners in the region to counter Beijing’s aggression, said Indian-American Congressman Raja Krishnamoorthi on Tuesday after a clash between Indian and Chinese troops in the Tawang sector in Arunachal Pradesh.

“I’m disturbed to learn of the latest show of aggression by the Chinese Communist Party through its violation of Indian territory with its armed forces,” Krishnamoorthi said in a statement.

“While I’m grateful that this clash led to no serious casualties to Indian forces, it serves as another reminder of the growing belligerence of the Chinese Communist Party and the need for the United States to continue to work with India and all our security partners in the region to counter Beijing’s aggression,” he added.

On Friday, a face-off occurred between Indian and Chinese troops in the Tawang sector in Arunachal Pradesh led to minor injuries to personnel from both sides. The Indian troops deployed in the face-off area gave a befitting response to the Chinese troops.

The number of Chinese soldiers injured in the clash is more than the number of Indian soldiers.

Defence Minister Rajnath Singh said Indian Army troops bravely stopped the Chinese Army from transgressing the Line of Actual Control (LAC) in the Yangtse area of Arunachal’s Tawang sector on December 9.

“I want to assure the House, that no Indian soldier was killed or severely injured. I also assure the House that our Army can defend the country’s territorial integrity. Our Army is ready to tackle any transgression. I firmly believe the House will support the bravery and courage of our armed forces,” the Defence Minister said in the Parliament on Tuesday.

In the face-off between Indian and Chinese troops in Yangtse in the Tawang sector in Arunachal Pradesh, PLA troops clashed with three units of the Indian Army belonging to different infantry regiments who thwarted their attempt to change status quo on the Line of Actual Control.

Sources on the ground told ANI that the troops belonging to three different battalions including Jammu and Kashmir Rifles, Jat regiment and Sikh Light Infantry were present at the location of the clash last week when the Chinese tried to unilaterally change the status quo in the area.

During a press briefing on Tuesday, the White House said the Biden administration is glad that India and China quickly disengaged after clashing in the Tawang sector.

White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre said that the US is closely monitoring the situation and encourages both sides to utilise existing bilateral channels to discuss disputed boundaries.

“We are glad both sides have quickly disengaged from clashes. We’re closely monitoring the situation and encourage India and China to utilise existing bilateral channels to discuss disputed boundaries,” said Karine Jean-Pierre on India-China clashes. (ANI)