At the AI Summit in Washington DC on 23 July 2025, President Trump took a dig at American tech giants for hiring workers from India. However, American conglomerates continue to welcome Indian-origin leaders to the C-suite. In July itself, two Indian Americans entered the elite club of Indian-origin CEOs in the US: Ketul J. Patel as CEO of Wellstar Health System and Gagan Singh as CEO of Blackpoint Cyber. Now Shailesh Jejurikar is ascending the hotseat of CEO at Procter & Gamble whose several brands are household names in America, India, and other countries.

Who is Shailesh Jejurikar, next CEO of Procter & Gamble?  

The first Indian CEO of Procter & Gamble in its 187-year-history, Shailesh Jejurikar was born in Mumbai ands schooled in Hyderabad. Like Deloitte’s former CEO Punit Renjen, he has had an illustrious career for 36 years at P&G, from an assistant brand manager in India in 1989 to CEO in 2026. He will take over as CEO and President of Proctor & Gamble in January 2026. Currently, he is the Chief Operating Officer for P&G’s Enterprise Markets.

Shailesh Jejurikar’s journey from humble beginnings, which he once descried as “pretty much in the middle of nowhere” outside Mumbai to P&G’s global headquarters in Cincinnati is a remarkable story of American Dream.

Shailesh Jejurikar to head P&G as CEO amid challenging times

Business leaders across the world, including Anand Mahindra from India, have hailed his appointment as CEO as one of the best decisions for and by P&G to navigate the challenging times. P&G, the world’s largest consumer goods maker (by market capitalization) with a revenue of US$ 84bn in 2024, has been seeing a linear sales graph amid economic headwinds spurred by the Middle East conflict, the US-China trade tensions, rising production overheads, volatile pricing in key markets, and likes. P&G’s April-June quarterly report forecast a dip in consumer sentiment, annual sales and revenues.

Given the current juncture, steering Procter & Gamble’s next phase of growth would be a litmus test to Shailesh Jejurikar’s leadership and business acumen. However, leading business analysts are sanguine that his profound understanding of both developed economies and emerging markets would be a driver for P&G’s sales growth. “P&G people, our brands, and our capabilities in innovation and operational excellence fuel my confidence for a future of sustained growth and value creation,” said P&G’s new CEO Jejurikar while sharing the news of his promotion.

P&G CEO Shailesh G. Jejurikar’s net worth

Shailesh Jejurikar’s net worth is estimated at $40-50 million (combining his salary, P&G shares, stock investments, and other notable assets). Unlike Sundar Pichai, Satya Nadella, and few other Indian American CEOs, he is not yet among the billionaire immigrants in the US. His salary as CEO of Procter & Gamble may boost his net worth and catapult him to Forbes’ 2026 list of richest Indian-origin CEOs.

Procter & Gamble CEO Shailesh Jejurikar’s Education

His academic profile ranges from the prestigious Hyderabad Public School where Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella was his classmate, to IIM Lucknow. In eighth grade, he joined Hyderabad Public School, a cradle of CEOs and business leaders including Adobe CEO Shantanu Narayen and MasterCard CEO Ajay Banga, after his family shifted to Hyderabad from Mumbai. Other than Nadella, Soumya Chakravorty, MD of Deloitte’s SAP Offering, and V. Navender, Tesla’s former Chief Information Officer were among his batchmates at the Hyderabad school.

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The US visa interview update July 25, 2025 is that the Department of State eliminates the Dropbox renewal option for all non-immigrant visa categories, except B1/B2 visa holders on certain conditions. “All nonimmigrant visa applicants, including applicants under the age of 14 and over the age of 79, will generally require an in-person interview with a consular officer, effective September 2, 2025,” according to the revised US visa policy for non-immigrants from India and other countries.

It seems to hint at further revision of the Dropbox eligibility or potential elimination of in-person interview waiver for H, L, F, M, and J visa categories. The US visa interview update July 25 follows the February 2025 revision of the Dropbox eligibility criteria wherein the nonimmigrant visa expiration window was reduced to 12 months from 48 months. The previous update continued to grant visa interview waiver (Dropbox) to children under 14 years and senior citizens aged 80 or older.

On or before September 2, the Department of State will specify nonimmigrant visa categories that may be eligible for in-person interview waiver or Dropbox renewal.

Who are eligible for US Visa Interview Waiver, Dropbox in 2025

• B1/B2 visa holders renewing a full validity within 12 months of the prior visa’s expiration given they were at least 18 years old at the time of the prior visa issuance.
• Mexico nationals renewing a full validity of Border Crossing Card (Foil card or laser visa) within 12 months of the prior visa’s expiration
• B1/B2 visa holders must apply for Dropbox renewal in their country of nationality or residence
• They have never been refused a visa nor do they have apparent or potential ineligibility.
• The same conditions apply to Mexico citizens for Border Crossing Card Dropbox eligibility

What about H1B visa holders with Dropbox appointments in 2025?

Dropbox appointments in September 2025 onwards may be cancelled if the US visa interview waiver update July 25 blanketly targets H1B visa holders and others in’ H’ visa categories. It is too early to say anything until the next update – whether in-person interview is mandatory for H1B renewal and other non-immigrant visas.

H1B visa holders with Dropbox appointments in India feel puzzled wondering if they have to book in-person interview slots. It is natural for them to panic, because all Dropbox appointments were annulled when the February 8, 2025 update was rolled out.

If you have already booked your travel to India for Dropbox appointments in September or October 2025, it is recommended you contact your travel agent or the airline for possible rescheduling options. If not, you can avail flight discounts now and book budget flight tickets to India from USA in August or September.

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You can now earn $50 discount on flight tickets from USA to India for your winter holiday travel. Indian Eagle, the most trusted air-ticketing partner for Indians and Americans for 18 years, is up with a flight discount giveaway contest on social media. It is simple and interesting! Just play and win Indian Eagle coupon code for airfare discounts.

The Indian Eagle flights discount coupon giveaway is basically a fun quiz that we will hold on Instagram for 10 days and Facebook for the next 10 days in August 2025. Interested participants from the US need to answer simple questions, like “Which US airport is the busiest in the world?” in few words. One winner will be selected every day; it means 20 winners in 20 days. They can redeem $50 discount coupons to save more on cheap Indian Eagle tickets from major airlines.

Indian Eagle discount giveaway participation rules: 

• You must reside in the US
• You must have minimum 150 followers on Instagram (if you chose to participate on Instagram)
• You must have minimum 150 friends/followers on Facebook (if you choose to participate on FB)
• You must follow Indian Eagle on Instagram or Facebook
• You must comment ‘I am in’ on the giveaway post pinned on our Instagram page
• You must tag at least one friend in the comments section of the giveaway post 

$50 Discount Giveaway winner selection criteria 

The first respondent to the quiz will be selected as winner of the day only if his/her answer is correct and complete. For instance, Atlanta/ATL airport/Hartsfield is incorrect and incomplete answer to “Which US airport is the busiest in the world?” The complete and correct answer is Hartsfield Jackson Atlanta Airport.

In case the first respondent’s answer is incorrect and/or incomplete, the second respondent will be declared winner based on the same criteria. We will directly message the winner on social media and the winner must respond to our direct message.

The next day we will officially announce the winner on Instagram and Facebook. The winner is required to share the post on their social media pages to claim Indian Eagle’s discount coupon code.

What is the timeline for the US-India flights discount giveaway?

The giveaway would run on Instagram from 4 to 13 August 2025, and on Facebook from 15 to 24 August 2025.

Can you participate in the travel discount giveaway more than once?

Yes, you can do until you become a winner during the 10-day quiz on Instagram and the next 10-day quiz on Facebook. If you happen to win the quiz once in the 10-day period on Instagram, you won’t be able to participate again on Instagram or Facebook.

Can your family member participate in the giveaway if you win the quiz on Instagram or Facebook?

Yes, a family member of yours can do only if he/she meets the above-mentioned participation criteria. But more than one discount coupon worth $50 won’t be redeemed on one travel booking, either one-way travel or round trip. To redeem two flight discount coupons, you must make two reservations separately on IndianEagle.com. or, you can redeem one coupon and your family member (the other member) can redeem the other coupon awarded to him/her.

What other terms of use apply to redeeming Indian Eagle’s flight discount coupons online?

The other ‘terms of use’ applicable to redeeming the $50 discount coupons will be officially communicated to the winners via an email.

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While technology giants are burning cash to establish their supremacy over artificial intelligence, 28-year-old Varun Mohan is capitalizing on it. He chose to be with Google for his next milestone in the hard-edged competition among Alphabet Inc., Facebook Meta, Microsoft and OpenAI. Global netizens are wondering why Alphabet Inc’s CEO Sundar Pichai and OpenAI’s CEO Sam Altman betted billions of dollars on Indian American Varun Mohan, who turned down OpenAI’s whopping $3bn offer for less – a $2.4 billion deal from Google.

Varun Mohan’s deal with Google catapulted him and his partner Douglas Chen on the threshold of the elite club of Indian American billionaires. Sundar Pichai, Satya Nadella, Raj Sardana, and Nikesh Arora are the new members of this club, according to Forbes’ 2025 list of richest immigrants.

Who is Indian American Varun Mohan?

Varun Mohan is CEO and co-founder of Windsurf, an AI coding startup. Born to Indian immigrant parents in Sunnyvale, California, he was raised in a household shaped by Indian values and driven by American Dream. From a young age, Varun was drawn to technology and problem-solving. At The Harker School in San Jose, he stood out for his exceptional talent in math and computing, which earned him the moniker – a math prodigy. As an Olympiad achiever in math and computing, he developed a deeply analytical bent of mind that laid the foundation for his success as a tech entrepreneur in America.

Varun Mohan’s educational qualifications include both a bachelor’s degree and a master’s degree from MIT University in Massachusetts. He earned a dual degree in Electrical Engineering and Computer Science, a tough combination that few meritorious students choose to pursue. At MIT, Mohan specialized in operating systems, distributed computing, machine learning, performance engineering, and algorithms.

Varun Mohan’s Career Journey from an Intern to CEO

Before launching the coding startup Windsurf, Varun Mohan built a strong professional foundation by working with some of the most respected tech companies in the world. During his time at MIT, he interned at Quora, LinkedIn, Samsung, Cloudian, and Databricks, gaining hands-on experience in machine learning systems, cloud storage, and data infrastructure. After graduation, he joined the self-driving car startup Nuro, where he rose to the rank of Lead Software Engineer.

In 2021, Varun co-founded Windsurf with Douglas Chen, his batchmate at MIT. As the CEO of Windsurf, he introduced Cascade, an AI-native development environment where engineers could write, test, and refactor code simply by speaking to their systems. Within months, over a million developers adopted it. The company raised around $240 million in funding and reached a valuation of $1.25 billion, making it one of the fastest-growing AI startups in the US Silicon Valley. A few months ago, Forbes named Windsurf as one of the top 50 AI companies in the world.

Why Varun Mohan Rejected OpenAI’s $3bn Offer for Google

It is said that the AI technology that Varun Mohan and his team at Windsurf built triggered Google DeepMind vs OpenAI. Varun was close to signing OpenAI’s $3-billion offer for Windsurf, but things fell apart when Microsoft, OpenAI’s biggest investor, raised concerns over potential conflicts with its own product, GitHub Copilot. The disagreement stopped the deal halfway. Instead, he chose Google where he won’t lose his ownership as CEO of Windsurf. Precisely, Windsurf continues to run as an independent company and sell its technology to other clients.

Is 17-year-old Pranjali Awasthi the next Varun Mohan? She is the founder and CEO of Delv.AI, a disruptive startup for the online search landscape dominated by Google.

The $2.4 billion deal with Google DeepMind is not a full acquisition of Windsurf by Alphabet. Rather, it is a licensing and talent deal that gives Google non-exclusive rights to key Windsurf technologies without taking ownership of the company. Under the deal, he, along with his business partner and selected talents from the R&D team have joined Google DeepMind, Alphabet Inc.’s dedicated AI research division, to advance agentic coding projects and integrate their tools into Gemini.

Subscribe to monthly newsletters of Travel Beats, your favorite Indian Diaspora portal for relevant stories for Indian immigrants in America, US immigration & visa updates, US-India travel news, and a lot more. Travel Beats is a subsidiary of Indian Eagle, the most trusted travel-booking partner of Indians and Americans in the US, booking cheap flights to India and offering phone-only budget flight deals.

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It seems that non-immigrants are at the center of revenue streams to the US Treasury. After having signed an executive order to increase visitor fees to America’s national parks for non-US residents, President Trump is up with the first-of-its-kind surcharge for non-immigrant visa applicants under the One Big Beautiful Bill. Named the Visa Integrity Fee, $250 will be levied on all US visa applicants from India and other countries, starting in 2026. Read on to know whether it is fixed, waivable, and refundable. 

What is new US Visa Integrity Fee?

Integral to President Trump’s One Big Beautiful Bill, the $250 Visa Integrity Fee will be collected from foreign nationals including Indians applying for B1/B2 visa, US student visas, US work visas (H-1B, L-1), and others. Dependent visa applicants (like H4) may not be exempted. The Department of Homeland Security has made the Visa Integrity Fee mandatory, in addition to the standard visa application fees.

This is the first time the US government has introduced this kind of fee, and it’s part of President Trump’s sweeping immigration reform known as the ‘One Big Beautiful Bill.‘ With this, the overall cost of visiting or studying or working in the US will go higher, especially for US-based Indians’ visiting parents and students from India. With this new fee, the US treasury would have an inflow of funds from Indian professionals who make up a large share of the US non-immigrant population.

The new Visa Integrity Fee is non-waivable, which means non-immigrant US visa applicants will have to pay it, regardless of their visa purpose or financial situation. However, the $250 Visa Integrity Fee is refundable, and the refund claim is subject to certain conditions, including but not limited to your strict compliance with the US visa rules, like no visa overstay.

How to get a refund on $250 Visa Integrity Fee collected by DHS

DHS reiterates that the fee cannot be waived or reduced for any reason, but it may be refundable in limited cases.

You might get the Visa Integrity Fee back if you strictly comply with the rules and regulations applicable to your US visa status and category. This means you refrain from taking up a job or any sort of employment without authorization.

DHS may refund the additional $250 fee if B1/B2 visa holders don’t overstay in the US. Those who exit the US within 5 days prior to their form I-94 expiration date without seeking visa extension or change of status might be eligible for a refund.

If you receive a lawful extension or your visa status is adjusted to permanent residency before the Form I-94 expiry date, you can seek a refund of the Visa Integrity Fee from the Department of Homeland Security.

Purpose of the US Visa Integrity Fee for non-immigrants

Under the One Big Beautiful Bill, the Visa Integrity Fee is introduced aiming to make all US visa holders more accountable and law compliant. The additional $250 fee is intended to prevent non-immigrants from making violations like unauthorized work and overstaying in the US. It is a kind of penalization for any discrepancy found between what B1/B2 visa holders do in the US and what they stated as their purpose of visit in the US tourist visa interview as well as the DS-160 Form.

Subscribe to monthly newsletters of Travel Beats, your favorite Indian Diaspora portal for relevant stories for NRIs in America, US immigration updates, US-India travel news, and a lot more. Travel Beats is a subsidiary of Indian Eagle, the most trusted travel-booking partner of Indians and Americans in the US, offering phone-only budget flight deals to India. 

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To be inaugurated in August or September 2025, Navi Mumbai International Airport is a most ambitious aviation project for Rs 16,700 crore (around $2 billion). Flying through this airport would a unique experience unlike traveling through New Delhi or Mumbai CSMI Airport. Everything about the Navi Mumbai Airport project, from lotus-like design to water terminal to traffic-handling capacity is a wonder.

Navi Mumbai Airport – Local Sightseeing for Connecting Passengers

Connecting passengers with significant layovers at Navi Mumbai Airport would get to visit Lonavala, a most scenic hill station among the weekend getaways between Mumbai and Pune. NMIAL is planning to offer short sightseeing trips to Lonavala and other nearby tourist sites for travelers during long wait hours before connecting flights. If you have 6 hours or more to the next flight or international boarding, you can go for Lonavala sightseeing and come back to the airport.

The first Indian airport to offer local sightseeing tours, Navi Mumbai Airport would join the ranks of Dubai, Abu Dhabi, Doha, Egypt, Singapore Changi, and Istanbul airports with stopover programs and sightseeing tours. Lonavala sightseeing experiences are being anticipated to be guided tours like Changi Airport’s free Singapore tours for transit travelers. “We are also looking at many options from among the must-visit places in Mumbai which could be explored with the help of Atal Setu,” said an official from NMIAL.

Since this initiative is in the works, we are waiting for more information, like sightseeing trips to Lonavala and other places from D B Patil Airport in Navi Mumbai would be complimentary or payable, whether this would be extended to inbound international arrivals,” said the chief travel economist of IndianEagle.com.

Navi Mumbai Airport to have Water Taxis

Water taxi rides between South Mumbai and DB Patil Airport in Navi Mumbai would be an altogether different experience for travelers, starting in 2026. Yes, among the existing and new airports in India, NMIA is the first to get water transportation on 8 routes to major points along the coast of Mumbai, like Colaba. A road trip to the airport from the mainland via the Mumbai Trans Harbor Link would take more than 60 minutes, whereas a water taxi ride would cut it to a mere 30 minutes. Part of the multimodal connectivity among Navi Mumbai Airport’s facilities, electric water taxis would make commuting to the airport smooth, scenic, and of course, Instagram worthy.

NMIA Food Hall: A Taste of Mumbai Inside the Terminal

Among Navi Mumbai Airport’s facilities, a curated Food Hall is all set to redefine airport dining for travelers. Designed by top chefs, this Food Hall brings together the flavors of Mumbai, from street-style vada pav to pav bhaji and fulfilling meals that reflect the City of Dreams’ culinary depth. It would be very unlike a typical food court at other airports where brand franchisees and quick-service restaurants charge a premium.

At NMIA Food Hall, you would get vegan, Jain, and diabetic-friendly food options, alongside a wide selection of vegetarian and non-vegetarian dishes. And the best part? Prices would be in line with that of normal city restaurants, not the highly inflated rates at most airports. Navi Mumbai Airport will also have a food court outside the terminal building for non-passengers who come to see off or receive travelers.

Navi Mumbai Airport’s Experiential Zones Facility

After clearing security at Navi Mumbai DB Patil Airport, passengers would step into a special experiential zone designed to ease pre-flight stress. This in-terminal area will feature interactive displays, digital projections, and cultural artifacts showcasing the iconic landmarks of Mumbai, Maharashtra, and India at large. The experiential zone will have a calm ambience and a culturally rich space where passengers can relax and explore a bit of the local culture before boarding. Plus, a gaming area is coming up at the airport for families and children.

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While President Trump is wooing foreign millionaires with his ‘Gold Card’ visa, Indian American Balaji Srinivasan is busy building a decentralized, digital-first nation on an island for tech startup founders outside the United States. Balaji, among Silicon Valley’s most unconventional investors, has bought an island near Singapore and is planning to convert the island into a nation for startup founders, tech entrepreneurs, thinkers and digital community builders.

Srinivasan has long believed that the next Silicon Valley might not be in the US. With the tech world changing fast, he felt it was time to build something new outside the old systems. That is what led him to launch the Network School, a hands-on for startup founders and fitness enthusiasts. It is the first real-world test of his bigger idea of building self-governed communities, also known as Network State.

Balaji Srinivasan’s Vision for a New Tech-First Country

In 2022, he published a book titled The Network State: How to Start a New Country. It introduced a bold idea: why wait for governments to change when you can build your own? Using the Internet, like-minded people can form online communities, raise funds, purchase land, and start living by shared values. In 2024, Balaji and his team acquired a private island near Singapore and launched the first live experiment of the Network School, which he sees as a possible foundation for Network State, a tech-first nation for startup founders.

Who is Indian American Balaji Srinivasan?

Balaji Srinivasan is an Indian-origin American entrepreneur, investor, and futurist. He was born in Long Island, New York, in 1980, to physician parents who immigrated from Tamil Nadu, India. He often credits his disciplined upbringing and early love for technology to his family. While other kids were reading comics, Balaji was exploring math with his grandfather and learning computers.

He holds four degrees from Stanford University, including a PhD in Electrical Engineering and a Master’s in Chemical Engineering. He also taught at Stanford, sharing his knowledge of statistics and bioinformatics. His first success came with Counsyl, a genetic testing company he co-founded in 2007. The firm helped couples screen for hereditary conditions before having children and was later sold in 2018 for $375 million.

Then came 21.co, a bitcoin-related startup that pivoted into Earn.com, a platform where users could get paid in crypto to answer emails. That company was acquired by Coinbase, where Balaji became the first Chief Technology Officer. He also joined Andreessen Horowitz, one of Silicon Valley’s top venture capital firms, as a General Partner, where he backed early-stage crypto and biotech startups.

Over the years, Balaji has invested in more than 200 companies, including Ethereum, OpenSea, and Alchemy, cementing his place in the tech elite. But the most interesting chapter in Balaji’s story is just beginning.

What is Balaji Srinivasan’s Network School or Network State?

The Network School isn’t just a place to learn. It’s a complete environment where founders live together, work out daily, code, build companies, and debate the future of tech and governance. The curriculum covers everything from AI and crypto to community building and digital law. Participants are selected not just for their skills but for their values. Belief in Bitcoin, trust in AI as a force for good, and a shared vision of freedom and innovation, these are some of the foundational ideas behind the school.

For Balaji, the Network School is a working prototype for what he calls a “Network State.” Just as the United States was once a radical new idea shaped by liberty and self-rule, the Network State is a digital-first evolution of that concept, born from the internet rather than geography. Balaji is already thinking beyond this island, with similar plans of building a next-generation society in Dubai, Tokyo, the Mediterranean, and possibly even India.

Right now, a three-month program is underway at the Network School. Up next is a one-year fellowship that’s currently in the works. Fellows will be selected through a rigorous process and will receive $100k in funding to build a new or existing venture after successfully completing the program. All participants are expected to relocate to the island, where they will live, build, and grow together with other founders.

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Come 2026, India will welcome one more airline with one-stop flights between USA and Mumbai. While the anticipation for Delta Airlines’ comeback to India with nonstop flights to Delhi is building up, Scandinavian Airlines officially announced its return to India after 17 long years. Initially, SAS – the national airline of Denmark, Sweden and Norway – will cater to Mumbai from and via Copenhagen, thereby connecting Mumbai to its US gateways. Mumbai-bound travelers from the US will get a new route through Europe.

SAS Airlines to India: Flight Schedule and Frequency

Scandinavian Airlines flights to Mumbai will take off on 2 June 2026, with a frequency of five times a week. SAS’s Copenhagen to Mumbai flight SK969 schedule includes Tuesdays, Thursdays, Fridays, Saturdays, and Sundays. Arrival in Mumbai is scheduled past midnight (01:30 AM IST) the following day. Mumbai-Copenhagen flights SK970 are scheduled on Mondays, Wednesdays, Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays, with departure at 6 AM IST and arrival in Copenhagen at 11:45 local time.

The upcoming flights between Copenhagen and Mumbai are carefully timed to provide smooth connection on SAS flights to and from the United States. New York, Newark, Boston, Washington DC, Atlanta, Chicago, Seattle, Los Angeles, San Francsico and Miami (seasonal) are Scandinavian Airlines destinations in the US. Scandinavian Airlines will seamlessly connect travelers from the US to Mumbai, India via its principal hub, Copenhagen.

If Mumbai is your final destination, you may consider SAS Airlines for your summer travel to India from those US cities in 2026 and compare SAS fares with Indian Eagle deals from major airlines.

Scandinavian Airlines’ Airbus A330-300 Features

Reportedly, Airbus A330-300 with premium economy seats will be deployed for Scandinavian Airline flights to India. A330‑300 is a modern, fuel-efficient, wide-body aircraft that seats approximately 266 passengers across three cabins, making it well-suited for long-haul routes like Mumbai-Copenhagen-US. The aircraft is known for its reliability, comfort, and long-range capability. Its Economy travel cabin has 174 seats in a 2‑4‑2 layout, each offering around 31 to 32 inches of pitch along with personal in-flight entertainment.

One step up is SAS Plus, the airline’s premium economy cabin, which includes 56 seats in a 2‑3‑2 configuration with 38 inches of pitch and a 12-to-13-inch screen featuring an upgraded entertainment system. At the front, business class offers 32 lie-flat seats in a 1‑2‑1 arrangement, each 23 to 24 inches wide with a pitch of 77 to 78 inches, along with Zodiac RAVE in-flight entertainment.

Do Indians need transit visa at Copenhagen Airport for connecting flights?

If a SAS Airline flight itinerary, USA to India, does not require you to exit the international transit area during a layover at Copenhagen Airport, you don’t need a transit visa. As long as you stay within the international transit zone and your bags are checked all the way to India or USA, you are good to go. However, landside transit involving immigration at Copenhagen Airport requires a transit visa or short-stay Schengen Visa for Indians.

It would be better to check your flight PNR and confirm with Scandinavian Airlines SAS the latest visa rules for transit at Copenhagen Airport. First, let the airline open bookings for summer 2026. Meanwhile, you can check out IndianEagle.com for cheap flight tickets to India or call us at +1800-615-3969 for exclusive phone-only deals from our airline partners.

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America’s national science competition – Discovery 3M Young Scientist Challenge 2025 has announced top 10 finalists including 8 Indian American students. In the past 15 years, the ‘Top Young Scientist’ title has gone to Indian immigrants 7 times. Kids of Indian origin have time and again shined in the competition for their problem-solving ideas and scientific innovations. Just like the 2025 Scripps National Spelling Bee, where 7 of the 9 finalists were Indian Americans, the 3M Young Scientist Challenge is also being dominated by Indian-origin talents.

List of Indian-origin winners of America’s 3M Young Scientist Challenge:

• Deepika Kurup, New Hampshire in 2012
• Sahil Doshi, Pennsylvania in 2014
• Maansa Mendu, Ohio in 2016
• Gitanjali Rao, Colorado in 2017
• Rishab Jain, Oregon in 2018
• Anika Chebrolu, Texas in 2020
• Sirish Subash, Georgia in 2024

3M Young Scientist Challenge 2025: Eight Indian American Finalists

Divyam Desai, Texas

Divyam Desai, a 7th grader from Frisco, TX, is one of the 10 finalists of the 3M Young Scientist Challenge 2025 for his foundation tilt prevention system. His innovative irrigation system monitors soil moisture and waters the soil, only as needed, around building foundations in order to prevent damages that expansion soils cause to the foundation of brick-and-mortar structures in Texas. It would save his parents and other homeowners hefty repair costs. At the same time, his smart invention would help conserve water in clay-rich regions.

Divyam wants to become a mathematician, as algebra and statistics fascinate him. This 13-year-old believes that 3D printers are the best invention of the last 100 years.

Reanna Bhuyan Patel, New Jersey

13-year-old Reanna from Princeton, New Jersey has built a next-gen device based on thermoelectric principles. Her device captures energy from surrounding heat and converts it into electricity. Thus, her low-cost electricity generation tool has the potential to provide clean energy to communities with zero to little access to reliable power. No wonder why this project earned her a spot among the finalists for America’s Top Young Scientist title in 2025.

She believes, “Intelligence is not defined by what you know, but by the power of what you do with it.” In 2024, Reanna Bhuyan Patel won the New Jersey State Merit Award from 3M for developing a zero-energy air conditioning system. She aspires to become an entrepreneur and an engineer.

Anirudh Rao, Colorado

12-year-old Anirudh Rao is the youngest of all finalists for Discovery 3M Young Scientist Challenge 2025. He built a moisture-powered nano-generator that can provide clean, affordable electricity for health and environmental sensors in areas with limited access to power. His innovation focuses on making renewable energy solutions more practical and accessible, especially in off-grid locations.

Being a prolific inventor, Anirudh competed for America’s Top Young Scientist title in the past three years, each time with a new solution. However, he made it as a finalist this year. He also developed a tornado detection system using a network of drones designed to detect infrasound and sense approaching tornadoes.

Amaira Srivastava, Arizona

Amaira Srivastava’s commitment to curbing food waste, plastic pollution, and climate change brought her to the Discovery 3M Young Scientist Challenge finals 2025. Aiming to promote sustainability, she has created biodegradable cups made with fruit peels not only to reduce plastic waste, but also to deliver natural nutrients through flavonoid-rich water. She believes that the 3M Young Scientist Challenge platform would help make her product a household item in the US and beyond.

Amaira dreams of becoming a global scientist, innovator, and purpose-driven entrepreneur who tackles challenges like climate change, pollution, and hunger.

Sheyna Patel, Florida

Sheyna Patel, an 8th grader from Longwood, has been named a finalist for the 3M Young Scientist Challenge 2025 for her innovative solution to a major environmental problem. She has developed a non-toxic hydrogel that can capture and break down microplastics in water with over 93% efficiency, offering a promising way to protect aquatic ecosystems. Her project showcases both scientific skill and deep concern for the environment.

This 14-year-old is 14-year-old and passionate about STEM research and is driven by a strong desire to solve real-world problems. Sheyna Patel’s favorite invention of the past 100 years is the smartphone, as it helps her explore and understand the possibilities of the world.

Shrey Arora, Tennessee

Among the finalists for America’s Top Young Scientist title 2025, Shrey Arora from Tennessee presents a solution that both homemakers and restaurant owners would love. A resident of Collierville in the Memphis metropolitan area, Shrey has developed FreshMate, a smart fridge device that tracks expiration dates of refrigerated food items, and thus, helps to reduce food waste in everyday life.

Passionate about solving real-world problems, Shrey dreams of working at NASA. He was named the 2024 Tennessee State Merit Winner in the 3M Young Scientist Challenge. He is mentored by Indian-origin Lalitha Ganapatibhotla, an advanced product development specialist in 3M.

Aniket Sarkar, Florida

Aniket Sarkar’s low-cost atmospheric solution for farmers in the arid regions of America will compete for the first prize at Discovery 3M Young Scientist Challenge this year. a 7^th grader from Sarasota, Aniket developed an easy-to-use atmospheric moisture capturing system that absorbs water from air to support farming in the arid regions of hinterlands.

Aniket hopes to become an environmental engineer aiming to solve the world’s most pressing problems. Despite being 13-year-old, he has already gained hands-on experience in rocketry and robotics, which has fueled his passion for innovation.

Isha Marla, Oregon

Isha is famed in her school as the “young doctor in the making.” She is 14-year-old and is one of the top 10 finalists of the America’s 2025 Young Scientist Challenge. Isha created AlginaFAB, a fabric made from seaweed and other natural ingredients. Her eco-friendly textile mimics the strength and flexibility of traditional fabrics while being fully biodegradable.

She is an 8th grader from Portland with a strong passion for science, innovation, and music. Isha has been studying piano and percussion for the past 8 years, and her favorite invention of the past 100 years is the drum set. She hopes to become a cardiovascular surgeon, aiming to perform life-saving surgeries and drive innovation in healthcare.

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No extra padding. No additional entertainment hours. No new upholstery. Emirates Airlines is working brand new economy class seats – bold, better and beyond those usual improvements. Emirates’ next-gen economy seat design, the first of its kind in the industry, will take the aviation world by storm, according to the airline’s president Sir Tim Clark, who describes it as a “game changer” for economy class travelers.

Emirates Airline News: New Economy Seat Features

The new seat design for economy travel cabins on Emirates flights to India, USA, China, and other countries will leverage vertical space to enhance comfort. Seat height – neither seat width nor seat pitch – is the focus of unusual seating improvement for the Dubai-based airline this time. The design has already been prototyped for seat manufacturers and aviation regulators.

Vertical enhancement of economy class seats is a signature innovation, like Emirates’ virtual windows in the first class cabins of B777-300ER planes. The new seats will be taller by 4 to 5 inches to improve the way the seat height supports our body posture and contour, according to Tim Clark, one of the most revered leaders in aviation, who is credited with driving the growth of Emirates Airlines from a two-plane startup in 1985 to one of the best international airlines in the world.

The more legroom, the more premium fare. In Economy Class, the wider the seats, the higher the ticket prices. By utilizing the vertical cabin space, Emirates Airlines aims to elevate your seating comfort in Economy without charging a premium. Usually, Emirates’ economy flight seats are wider and more spacious than Air India’s and other airlines’. Currently, seat height is the only area wherein the airline has some room for improvement without reducing cabin density.

Emirates’ new economy seats height has challenges

“The more height a seat has, the more space it needs to recline back. The reclining of one’s seat causing discomfort to the other behind is often the reason for inflight scuffles among economy class passengers. Given the cases of passengers getting into an argument over unfair reclining of seats, Emirates’ tall seat design for Economy travel cabins seems to be a move against basic air travel etiquette,” said Sourav Agarwal, Senior Editor of Travel Beats.

A more serious concern than the above is obstructed viewing of passengers for the cabin crew. Emirates’ new economy seats height (to be increased by 4 to 5 inches) could block the line of sight, one of the inflight safety requirements for the cabin crew. However, President Tim Clark shrugged off this concern by saying that cameras are installed inside Economy Class cabins of modern aircraft like A380s in the fleet of Emirates Airlines. Passengers activity and safety can be monitored through inflight cameras.

On one hand, Sir Tim Clark is sanguine about the pragmatism of increasing the height of seats for international economy travelers. On the other hand, he says, “It’s not an easy process” to get approval from aviation regulators. He is trying to connect dots between inflight seating innovation and aviation safety compliance.

Better seat height or better seat width – what is your preference for comfort on economy flights between USA and India?

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The post Emirates Airlines is Working on New Economy Class Seats with Better Height for Long-Haul Flights first appeared on Travel to India, Cheap Flights to India, Aviation News, India Travel Tips.

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