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Parsi Community Seeks Government Intervention To Preserve Central Bank Of India’s Identity

Parsi Community Seeks Government Intervention To Preserve Central Bank Of India’s Identity

Oct 7, 2025 | Finance, India

The bank, hailed as the country's first Swadeshi bank wholly owned and managed by Indians, is considered as much a Parsi institution as the Tata companies, although it is now government-owned.Parsis are planning to appeal to the government to protect the distinct...

India is no longer seen as outsourcing destination: Lord Karan Bilimoria

India is no longer seen as outsourcing destination: Lord Karan Bilimoria

Oct 6, 2025 | News

With the India-UK Free Trade Agreement being signed, Bilimoria asserts that India and UK will soon be supporting each other to further develop digital infrastructureArticle by Pushpita Dey | Indian ExpressIndia is no more an 'outsourcing destination' for advanced...

Framroz Langrana: For 16 years, he’s been visiting Kala Ghoda Cafe in Mumbai café every day

Framroz Langrana: For 16 years, he’s been visiting Kala Ghoda Cafe in Mumbai café every day

Oct 6, 2025 | Food and Beverage

For 16 years, he’s been visiting the same Mumbai café every day And now his family eats here too. Meet Framroz Langrana, Kala Ghoda Cafe’s first customer, as he shares his family’s daily rituals, a coffee-obsessed WhatsApp group, and the best thing about the Kala...

The West is complacent’: inside the world’s biggest vaccine factory

The West is complacent’: inside the world’s biggest vaccine factory

Mar 11, 2024 | Medicine

There’s every chance your Covid jab was made at the Serum Institute of India, where ambitious staff are on course to eliminate malaria. So why do they worry about Britain?The anti-malaria drug R21 is manufactured at a rate of 400 doses a minute at the Serum Institute...

Mumbai’s iconic Parsi eatery Sassanian turns 111, continues to offer value-for-money experience

Mumbai’s iconic Parsi eatery Sassanian turns 111, continues to offer value-for-money experience

Mar 10, 2024 | Bombay, Food and Beverage, Mumbai

As the Dhobi Talao-based Parsi food joint Sassanian Boulangerie completes 111 years, we look at the years gone by and how they managed to remain afloat.Article by Heena Khandelwal | Indian ExpressWith its 111-year-old charm, it promises a timeless and budget-friendly...

Bombay Parsi Punchayet Faces Backlash As ‘Jiyo Parsi’ Beneficiaries Await Overdue Payments

Bombay Parsi Punchayet Faces Backlash As ‘Jiyo Parsi’ Beneficiaries Await Overdue Payments

Mar 10, 2024 | Bombay Parsi Panchayat

Bombay Parsi Punchayet Faces Backlash As 'Jiyo Parsi' Beneficiaries Await Overdue PaymentsThe trust owes more than Rs5 crore to around 300 families, according to one estimate.Article by Manoj Ramakrishnan | Free Press JopurnalEven as the Centre has announced enhanced...

The Museum of Failures is an excellent example of Thrity Umrigar’s strengths as a novelist

The Museum of Failures is an excellent example of Thrity Umrigar’s strengths as a novelist

Mar 6, 2024 | Books

The Museum of Failures is an excellent example of Thrity Umrigar’s strengths as a novelistArticle By Nalini Iyer | The ExaminerThrity Umrigar is the author of ten previous books including the popular The Space Between Us and the The Secrets Between Us. Museum of...

Inauguration of the Centre For Avesta-Pahlavi Studies, University of Mumbai

Inauguration of the Centre For Avesta-Pahlavi Studies, University of Mumbai

Mar 5, 2024 | Education

Centre For Avesta-Pahlavi Studies At University Of Mumbai To Give Fillip To Zoroastrian CultureThe centre will offer undergraduate, graduate and doctorate programmes in Avesta, the language of the Zoroastrian scriptures.Free Press Journal News ServiceDr Ravindra...

A language for all ages: A dive into the language of Zoroastrians shows our connected roots

A language for all ages: A dive into the language of Zoroastrians shows our connected roots

Mar 5, 2024 | Heritage

Mumbai University’s decision to open a centre to study Avestan and Pahlavi is as important for the Parsis as it for the rest of the communities Article By Kurush Dalal | Hindustan Times Ashem vohu vahistem asti ushta asti ushta ahmai yad ashai vahistai ashem. These...

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parsikhabar
Javid Canteenwala Appointed OBE in King’s Birthday Javid Canteenwala Appointed OBE in King’s Birthday Honours List 2026 Parsi Khabar extends heartiest congratulations to Javid Soli Canteenwala, a good friend of Parsi Khabar, on being appointed an Officer of the Order of the British Empire (OBE) in the King’s Birthday Honours List 2026. The honour recognises Javid’s outstanding services to philanthropy and charity, and marks a significant national acknowledgement of more than three decades of sustained contribution to charitable governance, community service and public life, alongside a distinguished professional career in international finance. The official announcement notes Javid’s service as Trustee and Honorary Treasurer of the Zoroastrian Trust Funds of Europe (ZTFE), and as Trustee and Chair of the Audit, Finance and Investment Committee of the Coutts Foundation. In a message shared by ZTFE, the organisation stated: “Our heartiest congratulations to our ZTFE Trustee and Honorary Treasurer Javid Canteenwala on being honoured by being conferred with the appointment of the Order of the British Empire (OBE), as per the King’s Birthday Honours List 2026. We express our gratitude to Javid for his several years of dedicated service. In addition, we sincerely appreciate the commitment of his family, wife Jenaz, son Zal and daughter Ava, who stand strongly behind him.” Javid has served as trustee and treasurer of the Zoroastrian Trust Funds of Europe for over twenty years.
Galana Road in Nairobi Renamed Pheroze Nowrojee Ro Galana Road in Nairobi Renamed Pheroze Nowrojee Road in Honour of Kenya’s Legal Icon Nairobi has paid a lasting tribute to one of Kenya’s most respected legal minds. On May 4, 2026, Galana Road in Kilimani was officially renamed Pheroze Nowrojee Road, honouring the late Senior Counsel Pheroze Nowrojee, a constitutional lawyer, human-rights defender, scholar, author, poet, and one of the most principled voices in Kenya’s democratic journey. The ceremony brought together family, friends, lawyers, civic leaders, human-rights defenders, and members of the Kilimani community. Among those present were Viloo Nowrojee, widow of the late Senior Counsel, former Chief Justice Willy Mutunga, People’s Liberation Party leader Martha Karua, activist Boniface Mwangi, human-rights lawyer Gitobu Imanyara, Amnesty International Kenya Executive Director Irũngũ Houghton, and Nairobi County representatives. What might have appeared to be a simple change of signage was, for many present, much more. It was the inscription of Pheroze Nowrojee’s name into the public memory of the city he loved, lived in, and served for decades. As Boniface Mwangi wrote after the ceremony, those gathered had come “to mark more than the renaming of a road.” They had come to place Nowrojee’s legacy “where it belongs: in the heart of the city where he lived and served so faithfully.” A Road Becomes a Living Memorial The renaming followed months of public consultation and civic engagement led by the Kilimani Community Foundation, Amnesty International Kenya, members of the Nowrojee family, residents, lawyers, and Nairobi County officials. According to accounts of the process, the campaign began in October 2025 and included consultations with area leaders, residents, businesses, and community members. https://parsikhabar.net/news/nairobi-honours-parsi-legal-icon-pheroze-nowrojee-with-road-naming/31551/
When Indore Was the City of Bicycles: Remembering When Indore Was the City of Bicycles: Remembering N.C. Anklesaria & Company on World Bicycle Day On World Bicycle Day, we look back at a charming chapter from Indore’s civic and commercial history, one in which the humble bicycle was not merely a mode of transport, but a symbol of aspiration, mobility, enterprise, and everyday life.At the heart of this story is N.C. Anklesaria & Company, which, in 1918, started what is remembered as Indore’s first bicycle showroom in the cantonment area. The firm became part of the city’s cycling culture at a time when bicycles were still rare, expensive, and admired objects.In 1930, when many members of the Parsi community were migrating to Pune and Mumbai, Maharaja Yashwant Rao Holkar II is said to have encouraged Anklesaria & Company to remain in Indore. He gave the company a plot on Maharani Road, asking them to continue their business in the city. That gesture helped anchor a Parsi enterprise within the commercial life of Indore and placed Anklesaria & Company on a road that would become synonymous with bicycles.In those early decades, owning a bicycle was a matter of prestige. Imported brands such as Raleigh and Humber were considered expensive, costing around ₹14 and ₹15 respectively. Other well-known makes such as Philips and Hercules BSA were available for ₹8 to ₹12. These amounts may sound modest today, but at the time, they represented a significant purchase. https://parsikhabar.net/heritage/when-indore-was-the-city-of-bicycles-remembering-n-c-anklesaria-company-on-world-bicycle-day/31583/
The release of Made In India: A Titan Story has br The release of Made In India: A Titan Story has brought renewed attention to one of the most remarkable business journeys in modern India: the creation of Titan, the company that transformed the country’s watch market and became one of India’s most trusted consumer brands.At the heart of that story is Xerxes Desai, the founding managing director of Titan, whose vision helped shift India from an era of scarcity and waiting lists to one of design, choice, precision, and aspiration.The six-part series, now streaming on Amazon MX Player, features Jim Sarbh as Xerxes Desai and Naseeruddin Shah as J.R.D. Tata. Based on Vinay Kamath’s book Titan: Inside India’s Most Successful Consumer Brand, the series revisits the risks, resistance, and resolve behind the birth of Titan. But beyond the story of a company, it also offers a portrait of a kind of Indian institution-building that feels especially relevant today.Born in 1937 into a Parsi family, Xerxes Desai studied at Elphinstone College in Mumbai before pursuing higher studies at Oxford University, where he read philosophy, economics, and politics. He joined the Tata Group in 1961 through the Tata Administrative Service and worked across several Tata businesses, including chemicals, hotels, and steel.That range of experience gave Desai a broad understanding of Indian industry at a time when the country was still shaped by the licence raj. Production quotas, government controls, and shortages defined much of the consumer economy. Watches were no exception. The state-run HMT dominated the market, and buying a watch could involve waiting, booking, and compromise. Good watches were often hard to find, and many superior timepieces entered the country through informal or smuggled channels.It was in this context that Desai saw an opportunity. India did not merely need more watches. It needed a new idea of what an Indian watch could be.Desai
Parsi Khabar extends heartiest congratulations to Parsi Khabar extends heartiest congratulations to Javid Soli Canteenwala, a good friend of Parsi Khabar, on being appointed an Officer of the Order of the British Empire (OBE) in the King’s Birthday Honours List 2026. The honour recognises Javid’s outstanding services to philanthropy and charity, and marks a significant national acknowledgement of more than three decades of sustained contribution to charitable governance, community service and public life, alongside a distinguished professional career in international finance. The official announcement notes Javid’s service as Trustee and Honorary Treasurer of the Zoroastrian Trust Funds of Europe (ZTFE), and as Trustee and Chair of the Audit, Finance and Investment Committee of the Coutts Foundation. In a message shared by ZTFE, the organisation stated: “Our heartiest congratulations to our ZTFE Trustee and Honorary Treasurer Javid Canteenwala on being honoured by being conferred with the appointment of the Order of the British Empire (OBE), as per the King’s Birthday Honours List 2026. We express our gratitude to Javid for his several years of dedicated service. In addition, we sincerely appreciate the commitment of his family, wife Jenaz, son Zal and daughter Ava, who stand strongly behind him.” Javid has served as trustee and treasurer of the Zoroastrian Trust Funds of Europe for over twenty years. The ZTFE is the oldest established South Asian faith-based voluntary organisation in the United Kingdom, and Javid’s long association with the institution reflects his deep commitment to the Zoroastrian community in the UK and beyond. He also serves as a director and treasurer of the World Zoroastrian Chamber of Commerce UK, where he remains an active member of the committee and continues to support the organisation’s work in connecting and strengthening Zoroastrian business and professional networks.
Empowering Our Future: The 3rd World Zoroastrian Y Empowering Our Future: The 3rd World Zoroastrian Youth Leaders Forum Kicks Off at the ASHA Centre! There is something incredibly heartwarming and hopeful happening right now in the beautiful English countryside. This week, our global youth movement took a massive leap forward as the 3rd World Zoroastrian Youth Leaders Forum (WZYLF) officially got underway at the scenic ASHA Centre in Gloucestershire.The forum is, of course, the brainchild of its dedicated founder, Sanaya Master. Following the fantastic success of the inaugural forum back in 2018 and the wonderful second edition in 2024, this third gathering marks an enduring, deeply needed commitment to nurturing the next generation of Zarathushti leaders. Running from May 19 to May 26, 2026, this intensive 8-day immersion has brought together 16 incredibly dynamic young minds representing six different corners of the world: India, Pakistan, Canada, the United States, the United Kingdom, and Singapore. Over the course of the week, this bright cohort is living, learning, and working under one roof, brainstorming future initiatives for our global community. The Magic of the ASHA CentreHonestly, there is perhaps no better place on earth for our youth to gather than the ASHA Centre. Founded by the legendary inspiring author, human rights campaigner, and our very own community stalwart, Zerbanoo Gifford, ASHA is a stunning Georgian estate and registered charity nestled in the heart of the Forest of Dean.
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Javid Canteenwala Appointed OBE in King’s Birthday Javid Canteenwala Appointed OBE in King’s Birthday Honours List 2026 Parsi Khabar extends heartiest congratulations to Javid Soli Canteenwala, a good friend of Parsi Khabar, on being appointed an Officer of the Order of the British Empire (OBE) in the King’s Birthday Honours List 2026. The honour recognises Javid’s outstanding services to philanthropy and charity, and marks a significant national acknowledgement of more than three decades of sustained contribution to charitable governance, community service and public life, alongside a distinguished professional career in international finance. The official announcement notes Javid’s service as Trustee and Honorary Treasurer of the Zoroastrian Trust Funds of Europe (ZTFE), and as Trustee and Chair of the Audit, Finance and Investment Committee of the Coutts Foundation. In a message shared by ZTFE, the organisation stated: “Our heartiest congratulations to our ZTFE Trustee and Honorary Treasurer Javid Canteenwala on being honoured by being conferred with the appointment of the Order of the British Empire (OBE), as per the King’s Birthday Honours List 2026. We express our gratitude to Javid for his several years of dedicated service. In addition, we sincerely appreciate the commitment of his family, wife Jenaz, son Zal and daughter Ava, who stand strongly behind him.” Javid has served as trustee and treasurer of the Zoroastrian Trust Funds of Europe for over twenty years.
Galana Road in Nairobi Renamed Pheroze Nowrojee Ro Galana Road in Nairobi Renamed Pheroze Nowrojee Road in Honour of Kenya’s Legal Icon Nairobi has paid a lasting tribute to one of Kenya’s most respected legal minds. On May 4, 2026, Galana Road in Kilimani was officially renamed Pheroze Nowrojee Road, honouring the late Senior Counsel Pheroze Nowrojee, a constitutional lawyer, human-rights defender, scholar, author, poet, and one of the most principled voices in Kenya’s democratic journey. The ceremony brought together family, friends, lawyers, civic leaders, human-rights defenders, and members of the Kilimani community. Among those present were Viloo Nowrojee, widow of the late Senior Counsel, former Chief Justice Willy Mutunga, People’s Liberation Party leader Martha Karua, activist Boniface Mwangi, human-rights lawyer Gitobu Imanyara, Amnesty International Kenya Executive Director Irũngũ Houghton, and Nairobi County representatives. What might have appeared to be a simple change of signage was, for many present, much more. It was the inscription of Pheroze Nowrojee’s name into the public memory of the city he loved, lived in, and served for decades. As Boniface Mwangi wrote after the ceremony, those gathered had come “to mark more than the renaming of a road.” They had come to place Nowrojee’s legacy “where it belongs: in the heart of the city where he lived and served so faithfully.” A Road Becomes a Living Memorial The renaming followed months of public consultation and civic engagement led by the Kilimani Community Foundation, Amnesty International Kenya, members of the Nowrojee family, residents, lawyers, and Nairobi County officials. According to accounts of the process, the campaign began in October 2025 and included consultations with area leaders, residents, businesses, and community members. https://parsikhabar.net/news/nairobi-honours-parsi-legal-icon-pheroze-nowrojee-with-road-naming/31551/
When Indore Was the City of Bicycles: Remembering When Indore Was the City of Bicycles: Remembering N.C. Anklesaria & Company on World Bicycle Day On World Bicycle Day, we look back at a charming chapter from Indore’s civic and commercial history, one in which the humble bicycle was not merely a mode of transport, but a symbol of aspiration, mobility, enterprise, and everyday life.At the heart of this story is N.C. Anklesaria & Company, which, in 1918, started what is remembered as Indore’s first bicycle showroom in the cantonment area. The firm became part of the city’s cycling culture at a time when bicycles were still rare, expensive, and admired objects.In 1930, when many members of the Parsi community were migrating to Pune and Mumbai, Maharaja Yashwant Rao Holkar II is said to have encouraged Anklesaria & Company to remain in Indore. He gave the company a plot on Maharani Road, asking them to continue their business in the city. That gesture helped anchor a Parsi enterprise within the commercial life of Indore and placed Anklesaria & Company on a road that would become synonymous with bicycles.In those early decades, owning a bicycle was a matter of prestige. Imported brands such as Raleigh and Humber were considered expensive, costing around ₹14 and ₹15 respectively. Other well-known makes such as Philips and Hercules BSA were available for ₹8 to ₹12. These amounts may sound modest today, but at the time, they represented a significant purchase. https://parsikhabar.net/heritage/when-indore-was-the-city-of-bicycles-remembering-n-c-anklesaria-company-on-world-bicycle-day/31583/
The release of Made In India: A Titan Story has br The release of Made In India: A Titan Story has brought renewed attention to one of the most remarkable business journeys in modern India: the creation of Titan, the company that transformed the country’s watch market and became one of India’s most trusted consumer brands.At the heart of that story is Xerxes Desai, the founding managing director of Titan, whose vision helped shift India from an era of scarcity and waiting lists to one of design, choice, precision, and aspiration.The six-part series, now streaming on Amazon MX Player, features Jim Sarbh as Xerxes Desai and Naseeruddin Shah as J.R.D. Tata. Based on Vinay Kamath’s book Titan: Inside India’s Most Successful Consumer Brand, the series revisits the risks, resistance, and resolve behind the birth of Titan. But beyond the story of a company, it also offers a portrait of a kind of Indian institution-building that feels especially relevant today.Born in 1937 into a Parsi family, Xerxes Desai studied at Elphinstone College in Mumbai before pursuing higher studies at Oxford University, where he read philosophy, economics, and politics. He joined the Tata Group in 1961 through the Tata Administrative Service and worked across several Tata businesses, including chemicals, hotels, and steel.That range of experience gave Desai a broad understanding of Indian industry at a time when the country was still shaped by the licence raj. Production quotas, government controls, and shortages defined much of the consumer economy. Watches were no exception. The state-run HMT dominated the market, and buying a watch could involve waiting, booking, and compromise. Good watches were often hard to find, and many superior timepieces entered the country through informal or smuggled channels.It was in this context that Desai saw an opportunity. India did not merely need more watches. It needed a new idea of what an Indian watch could be.Desai
Parsi Khabar extends heartiest congratulations to Parsi Khabar extends heartiest congratulations to Javid Soli Canteenwala, a good friend of Parsi Khabar, on being appointed an Officer of the Order of the British Empire (OBE) in the King’s Birthday Honours List 2026. The honour recognises Javid’s outstanding services to philanthropy and charity, and marks a significant national acknowledgement of more than three decades of sustained contribution to charitable governance, community service and public life, alongside a distinguished professional career in international finance. The official announcement notes Javid’s service as Trustee and Honorary Treasurer of the Zoroastrian Trust Funds of Europe (ZTFE), and as Trustee and Chair of the Audit, Finance and Investment Committee of the Coutts Foundation. In a message shared by ZTFE, the organisation stated: “Our heartiest congratulations to our ZTFE Trustee and Honorary Treasurer Javid Canteenwala on being honoured by being conferred with the appointment of the Order of the British Empire (OBE), as per the King’s Birthday Honours List 2026. We express our gratitude to Javid for his several years of dedicated service. In addition, we sincerely appreciate the commitment of his family, wife Jenaz, son Zal and daughter Ava, who stand strongly behind him.” Javid has served as trustee and treasurer of the Zoroastrian Trust Funds of Europe for over twenty years. The ZTFE is the oldest established South Asian faith-based voluntary organisation in the United Kingdom, and Javid’s long association with the institution reflects his deep commitment to the Zoroastrian community in the UK and beyond. He also serves as a director and treasurer of the World Zoroastrian Chamber of Commerce UK, where he remains an active member of the committee and continues to support the organisation’s work in connecting and strengthening Zoroastrian business and professional networks.
Empowering Our Future: The 3rd World Zoroastrian Y Empowering Our Future: The 3rd World Zoroastrian Youth Leaders Forum Kicks Off at the ASHA Centre! There is something incredibly heartwarming and hopeful happening right now in the beautiful English countryside. This week, our global youth movement took a massive leap forward as the 3rd World Zoroastrian Youth Leaders Forum (WZYLF) officially got underway at the scenic ASHA Centre in Gloucestershire.The forum is, of course, the brainchild of its dedicated founder, Sanaya Master. Following the fantastic success of the inaugural forum back in 2018 and the wonderful second edition in 2024, this third gathering marks an enduring, deeply needed commitment to nurturing the next generation of Zarathushti leaders. Running from May 19 to May 26, 2026, this intensive 8-day immersion has brought together 16 incredibly dynamic young minds representing six different corners of the world: India, Pakistan, Canada, the United States, the United Kingdom, and Singapore. Over the course of the week, this bright cohort is living, learning, and working under one roof, brainstorming future initiatives for our global community. The Magic of the ASHA CentreHonestly, there is perhaps no better place on earth for our youth to gather than the ASHA Centre. Founded by the legendary inspiring author, human rights campaigner, and our very own community stalwart, Zerbanoo Gifford, ASHA is a stunning Georgian estate and registered charity nestled in the heart of the Forest of Dean.
Love Letters: Divya Cowasji With forgiveness and r Love Letters: Divya Cowasji With forgiveness and restraint, Divya Cowasji has reimagined her family history in enigmatic storytelling photographs Back in 2018, the talented and thoughtful young filmmaker, photographer Divya Cowasji lost her beloved grand-aunt Dinoo and grandmother Minnie, and in quick succession “practically the entire senior generation of my family.” She found herself once bereft and burdened, “as one of the inheritors of their beloved possessions and also the keeper of their stories and family archive, I felt like the repository of a lot of oral history and material memory, and needed somewhere to put down the love I felt for them and also tackle the pain of losing them.” Cowasji burrowed into her inherited belongings and conspired with her surviving (and now nonagenarian) grandfather Phiroze Illava to pour all those complicated feelings into an impressive and inspired suite of photographic storytelling that will be published in book form by the Marseille-based Chose Commune this October. Excerpts debuted as There Are No Love Letters Here at the Serendipity Arts Festival in Goa last year, where I encountered them for the first time and became instantly captivated. It was familiar visual cultural terrain – the interior lives of well-to-do Parsi cosmopolitans – but with all the elements charmingly deconstructed in both playful and profound ways. The work is fresh, frank, achingly empathetic in its approach and authorial voice, and I found every bit of it utterly irresistible.
Our dear friend Zerbanoo Gifford at the launch of Our dear friend Zerbanoo Gifford at the launch of her new book "A Call to Consciousness" at the Center for Excellence in Public Leadership at George Washington University.

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Parsi Khabar is a portal of information about Parsis and Zoroastrians, appearing on the world wide web everyday.

The main objective of the site is to inform the public about news articles referencing Parsis. From time to time, there shall be opinions, commentaries, and announcements.

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