Meet the CEO moms of India; Priyanka Ghose presents The Royals

Hello,

This earnings season, S&P 500 companies appear to be focusing only on one thing: tariffs.

According to a CNBC analysis, the word ‘tariff’ came up on more than 350 first-quarter earnings calls, while AI—which companies can’t stop talking enough about—was mentioned in fewer than 200 calls.

Clearly, the US-China trade war is on everyone’s mind. There’s some good news on that front as the world’s two largest economies met in Geneva, Switzerland, on Saturday to resume trade talks. 

Ahead of these talks, US President Donald Trump said an 80% tariff on Chinese goods "seems right," suggesting for the first time a specific alternative to the 145% levies he has imposed on Chinese imports. The President has also reiterated that the US will maintain a baseline 10% tariff on imports from every country, even after trade deals are struck.

In other news, Google is gearing up for its biggest developer conference, Google I/O. Here’s what to expect this year.

Lastly, this Mother’s Day, HerStory brings you the stories of migrant mothers who have remained quiet pillars of strength, stitching families together with resilience that defies geography and systemic odds.

We can’t thank our mothers enough! 

In today’s newsletter, we will talk about 

• Meet the CEO moms of India
• Priyanka Ghose presents The Royals
• Naga Chaitanya on building F&B brands

Here’s your trivia for today: In Japan, what flower became strongly associated with Mother’s Day (“Haha no Hi”) after World War II?

Inspiration

Meet the CEO moms of India

There are no playbooks for entrepreneurship or motherhood. One learns along the journey. Juggling entrepreneurship with motherhood is a balancing act. Being a mother is a full-time job. So is being an entrepreneur. But every day, women do both—often at the same time. 

On the occasion of Mother’s Day, we shine the spotlight on women entrepreneurs who are also mothers—and how they are ‘hacking’ life, motherhood and the next big business idea with resourcefulness, confidence, and brilliance. 

Mom power:

• Artist-entrepreneur Alicia Souza, mother to a four-year-old son, started her business a decade before becoming a mother and believes structure makes things easier. 
• Sonika Khurana Sethi, an influencer and founder of Coloraza Designs, reveals her most powerful strategy is having mental clarity: focusing only on what matters the most: her child and her work. 
• Swagatika Das, Co-founder of beauty brand Nat Habit, credits her balancing act to a strong support system at home. "I’m incredibly fortunate to have my husband and in-laws, who are always there to step in and help, allowing me to show up fully in my professional role while balancing the demands of motherhood."

Interview

Priyanka Ghose presents The Royals

There's much anticipation around the release of The Royals, a Netflix series, that’s star-studded with Zeenat Aman, Ishaan Khatter, and Bhumi Pednekar in lead roles. A modern-day Indian royal rom-com directed by Priyanka Ghose and Nupur Asthana, The Royals is expected to be messy, emotional, and seriously entertaining, the synopsis claims. 

From being an intern to Mira Nair to directing Zeenat Aman for her new Netflix series, Ghose speaks to YS Life about her transition from thrillers to rom-com.

Behind the scenes:

• Ghose’s career trajectory has been stellar, helming projects like The Night Manager, which was nominated for the Emmys, Broken But Beautiful Season 3, Aarya Season 1, and now The Royals. 
• According to her, the diversity in projects helps her be excited about the next thing. “Somehow, it helps me push my boundaries and allows me to step out of my comfort zone. It then reflects in my work.” 
• The most talked-about part of this show is, of course, Zeenat Aman’s comeback on screen. And Ghose admits that it was one of the highlights of her filming experience.

Wine and Food

Naga Chaitanya on building F&B brands

After Shoyu, a pan-Asian cloud kitchen in Hyderabad, Naga Chaitanya is hopeful about his latest F&B venture, Scuzi, in the city. The actor-turned-entrepreneur is also eyeing technology and AI for possible investment opportunities.

Chaitanya says he approaches entrepreneurship like how he would look at a film script. “I think both acting and entrepreneurship complement me in some way… both are creative exercises and very meditative for me.” 

Standing out:

• With great emphasis on packaging and providing a gourmet experience at the comfort of diners’ homes, Scuzi is delivering an average of 400 orders every day through food delivery platforms Swiggy and Zomato. 
• Chaitanya has been involved in the creative process of building both Shoyu and Scuzi from the beginning. The operations and finances are taken care of by his partners—Varun Tripuraneni, Akshay Quenin, and Tanveer Kwatra in the case of Shoyu; and Varun, Arjun Jaiswal, and Saniya Jaiswal for Scuzi. 
• After operating in Hyderabad for three years, Chaitanya plans to expand Shoyu to other cities—starting with Bengaluru and later Delhi. “Scuzi is a little baby… We just launched it, and with food, you have to be very vigilant,” he says.

News & updates

• Early arrival: Monsoon rains are expected to hit India's southern coast on May 27, five days earlier than usual, marking the earliest arrival in at least five years, the weather office said, raising hopes for bumper harvests of crops such as rice, corn, and soybeans.
• Freight: The first shipping containers carrying Chinese products subject to the 145% tariffs have begun arriving in US ports. Amazon, Home Depot, Ikea, Ralph Lauren, and Tractor Supply are among the companies with Chinese goods in these containers, spanning a wide range of consumer items.
• Crash: Soviet-era spacecraft Kosmos 482 plunged to Earth on Saturday, nearly 53 years after its failed launch to Venus. Launched in 1972 by the Soviet Union, the spacecraft was part of a series of missions bound for Venus. But this one never made it out of orbit around Earth, stranded there by a rocket malfunction.

In Japan, what flower became strongly associated with Mother’s Day (“Haha no Hi”) after World War II?

Answer: Red Carnations.

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