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HDFC chairman Deepak Parekh believes that despite global headwinds slowing India’s GDP growth, the country is more resilient than many large economies. Political stability, vaccine security, food security, a robust domestic consumption-based economy, digitisation initiatives and a robust regulatory system for the financial sector could act as tailwinds to accelerate the economy, he said.

After withdrawing record funds in 2021-22, foreign portfolio investors (FPIs) continued their sell-off in the last fiscal too, pulling around Rs 37,631 crore from Indian equities amid aggressive rate hikes by central banks globally.

In other news, Indian IT majors TCS (Tata Consultancy Services) and Infosys are expected to release their Q4 results for the financial year 2022-23 this week. 

Artificial intelligence continues to surprise us. Last week, a study published by Home Security Heroes showed how powerful the latest generative AI is at cracking passwords. The company used the new password cracker PassGAN (password generative adversarial network) to process a list of over 15,000,000 credentials from the Rockyou dataset. 

The results were wild–the company was able to crack 51% of all common passwords in less than one minute, 65% in less than an hour, 71% in less than a day, and 81% in less than a month.

Here’s how you can create a password that can’t be cracked by AI. 

In today’s newsletter, we will talk about 

• In the new space age with Agnikul
• Easing access to healthcare services
• Making women-only travel safe

Here’s your trivia for today: What is the longest mountain range on Earth?

Space

In the new space age with Agnikul

Founded in 2017, AgniKul aims to make going to space more accessible and affordable. The IIT-Madras-incubated startup launched India’s first private space vehicle launch pad in Sriharikota in November last year. Co-founder Srinath Ravichandran reveals the startup’s journey.

The next frontier:

• Agnikul has developed Agnilet, a one-of-its-kind patented single-piece 3D printed engine designed and manufactured in India.
• The engine goes inside Agnibaan, the company’s customisable two-stage launch vehicle that can carry transport payloads of up to 100 kg to low Earth orbits (roughly 700 km high).
• The launch vehicle is designed for plug-and-play functionality, meaning it can be configured according to every client’s unique needs.

Inspiration

Easing access to healthcare services

Surviving a bone cancer diagnosis at the age of 12 pushed Sandeep Kumar to work towards improving healthcare access in the country. In 2020, Kumar started DigiSwasthya Foundation, a not-for-profit organisation, that offers a full stack of healthcare services via five telemedicine centres, awareness camps, and referral pathways to the remotest parts of India.

Bridging the gap:

• Kumar began the healthcare initiative by helping people talk to experts via phone and video calls from his own home. He then moved the service to a 200×200 sq. ft centre in the village.
• Following the success of the first centre, Kumar opened another one in the same district, one in Muzaffarpur, Bihar, and two in Maharashtra; in Palghar and Tekwadi.
• DigiSwasthya Foundation has doctors from Tier I city hospitals like Apollo Hospital, Tata Cancer Memorial Centre, JJ Hospital, Wadia Hospital, KEM Hospital, Lilavati Hospital, Sion Hospital, and others. 

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Startup 

Making women-only travel safe

Founded by Garima Pande, Bengaluru-based WanderingJane organises women-only trips, not just in India but worldwide, based on fun activities like yoga, surfing, trekking, or even rafting. It has so far planned 100 solo trips, 200 customised trips, and group trips.

Globe trotter:

• WanderingJane also organises trips to exotic destinations such as the Maldives, Bhutan, Bali, and parts of Europe, including Croatia, Spain, and Ireland.
• The startup provides a comprehensive travel experience–from setting the traveller’s itinerary and accommodation to providing 24/7 access to a local expert who assists them from the start till the end of their trip. 
• It also provides local activities like boat rides, scuba diving, kayaking, sound healing, and cooking lessons for local cuisines. Nearly 85% of homestays provided are run by women, and around 70% of local experts are women.

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News & updates

• Charging up: Foxconn plans to invest T$25 billion ($820 million) in the next three years in new manufacturing facilities in southern Taiwan to support its electric vehicle (EV) ambitions, the company said on Sunday.
• Breakthrough: The Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAS) confirmed that its commercial spaceflight firm, CAS Space, conducted successful testing on Thursday in Haiyang, East China’s Shandong Province, according to the State-run media Global Times. 
• Picasso: An Italian land artist has used a tractor to create a portrait of Pablo Picasso on wasteland in Castagnaro, Verona. Dario Gambarin said he was inspired by Picasso’s 1907 self-portrait to create what he says is the largest portrait of the Spanish artist in the world.

What is the longest mountain range on Earth?

Answer: Spanning 40,389 miles (about 65,113 kilometers) around the globe, the mid-ocean ridge is the longest mountain range on Earth. 

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