top of page

By:

Bhalchandra Chorghade

11 August 2025 at 1:54:18 pm

Healing Beyond the Clinic

Dr Kirti Samudra “If you want to change the world, go home and love your family.” This thought by Mother Teresa finds reflection in the life of Panvel-based diabetologist Dr Kirti Samudra, who has spent decades caring not only for her family but also thousands of patients who see her as their guide. As we mark International Women’s Day, stories like hers remind us that women of substance often shape society quietly through compassion, resilience and dedication. Doctor, mother, homemaker,...

Healing Beyond the Clinic

Dr Kirti Samudra “If you want to change the world, go home and love your family.” This thought by Mother Teresa finds reflection in the life of Panvel-based diabetologist Dr Kirti Samudra, who has spent decades caring not only for her family but also thousands of patients who see her as their guide. As we mark International Women’s Day, stories like hers remind us that women of substance often shape society quietly through compassion, resilience and dedication. Doctor, mother, homemaker, mentor and philanthropist — Dr Samudra has balanced many roles with commitment. While she manages a busy medical practice, her deeper calling has always been service. For her, medicine is not merely a profession but a responsibility towards the people who depend on her guidance. Nagpur to Panvel Born and raised in Nagpur, Dr Samudra completed her medical education there before moving to Mumbai in search of better opportunities. The early years were challenging. With determination, she and her husband Girish Samudra, an entrepreneur involved in underwater pipeline projects, chose to build their life in Panvel. At a time when the town was still developing and healthcare awareness was limited, she decided to make it both her workplace and home. What began with modest resources gradually grew into a trusted medical practice built on long-standing relationships with patients. Fighting Diabetes Recognising the growing threat of diabetes, Dr Samudra dedicated her career to treating and educating patients about the disease. Over the years, she has registered nearly 30,000 patients from Panvel and nearby areas. Yet she believes treatment alone is not enough. “Diabetes is a lifelong disease. Medicines are important, but patient education is equally critical. If people understand the condition, they can manage it better and prevent complications,” she says. For more than 27 years, she has organised an Annual Patients’ Education Programme, offering diagnostic tests at concessional rates and sessions on lifestyle management. Family, Practice With her husband frequently travelling for business, much of the responsibility of raising their two children fell on Dr Samudra. Instead of expanding her practice aggressively, she kept it close to home and adjusted her OPD timings around her children’s schedules. “It was not easy,” she recalls, “but I wanted to fulfil my responsibilities as a mother while continuing to serve my patients.” Beyond Medicine Today, Dr Samudra also devotes time to social initiatives through the Bharat Vikas Parishad, where she serves as Regional Head. Her projects include  Plastic Mukta Vasundhara , which promotes reduced use of single-use plastic, and  Sainik Ho Tumchyasathi , an initiative that sends Diwali  faral  (snack hamper) to Indian soldiers posted at the borders. Last year alone, 15,000 boxes were sent to troops. Despite decades of service, she measures success not in wealth but in goodwill. “I may not have earned huge money,” she says, “but I have earned immense love and respect from my patients. That is something I will always be grateful for.”

GST 2.0: Modi’s Winning Stroke?

By simplifying GST, Modi hopes to shield India’s economy from Trump’s tariff tantrums and win fresh political dividends.

When Donald Trump slapped 50 percent tariffs on Indian exports, New Delhi responded with unusual patience. Unlike other trade partners, who rushed to negotiate, India decided to wait, rather than strike a hurried and lopsided deal. The cost is steep: exports worth an estimated $48 billion are at risk, with textiles, garments and furniture likely to be the hardest hit. Small factories and supply chains that power these industries will feel the pinch. But Narendra Modi’s government has a plan - not to outwit Trump in Washington, but to shore up demand at home.


At the centre of this strategy lies a bold new tax reform. In his Independence Day address, Modi announced what his aides are calling ‘GST 2.0.’ The reform aims to simplify the Goods and Services Tax (GST), India’s ambitious indirect tax regime launched in 2017, which replaced a patchwork of state-level levies. The current system, with its four slabs of 5 percent, 12 percent, 18 percent and 28 percent has long been criticised for its complexity. The new proposal pares this down to two main slabs: 5 percent on essentials and 18 percent on most goods and services. A higher 40 percent slab will remain for luxury items and so-called ‘sin’ goods, such as tobacco and online gaming.


Everyday essentials - from groceries and medicines to washing machines and televisions - would become cheaper. Farm equipment and bicycles, too, would see price cuts. Even services such as insurance and education would carry lighter tax burdens. The government is betting that these reductions will free up household spending, spur consumption and offset the blow from declining exports. Analysts forecast an additional Rs. 5.31 trillion in consumption, equivalent to 1.6 percent of GDP.


At a time when India is losing ground abroad, such a boost to domestic demand is no small consolation. Additional spending could generate as much as Rs. 52,000 crore ($6.3 billion) in fresh GST revenues in fiscal year 2026. This, officials argue, shows that tax reform is not merely about easing household budgets, but about building a self-reliant economy resilient to external shocks.


The politics of the reform are equally significant. Modi has framed GST 2.0 as part of his grand ‘Viksit Bharat 2047’ mission, an aspirational blueprint to make India a developed nation by its centenary of independence. In practice, it doubles as a hedge against the vagaries of global trade and the erratic impulses of Trump.


Yet this is not merely about economics. The ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), having fallen short of a parliamentary majority in the 2024 elections, depends on two fickle allies: Nitish Kumar’s Janata Dal (United) and Chandrababu Naidu’s Telugu Desam Party. Both have a history of defecting, sometimes to the Congress, sometimes to regional rivals. Were they to abandon the coalition, the Modi government could face midterm polls. In that scenario, a popular tax reform that makes household essentials cheaper would be a potent electoral weapon.


Opponents accuse Modi of using GST reform as a political shield. By cutting prices for consumers while painting Trump’s tariffs as foreign hostility, the government stands to win both economic and nationalist points. Critics also warn that slashing tax rates may strain state finances, which rely heavily on GST transfers from the centre. A two-slab system may be simpler, but the risk of revenue shortfalls looms large.


Even so, the government sees GST 2.0 as a masterstroke. In effect, what India loses abroad through tariffs it hopes to regain, at least partially, through domestic spending. The reform will not undo the pain of shuttered factories or lost export markets. But it signals a shift in mindset.


In the global economy, tariffs are no longer an anomaly but a recurring hazard. Trump’s unpredictability has reminded governments everywhere that trade policy can change overnight.


GST 2.0 is a political and economic hedge and perhaps the beginning of a more inward-looking growth strategy. Whether it succeeds depends on two factors. The first is execution. India’s initial GST rollout in 2017 was marred by technical glitches and compliance headaches. A poorly managed reform could again sap credibility. The second is politics. Should allies defect and trigger midterm polls, Modi will hope that cheaper groceries, medicines and school fees can translate into votes.


In a political climate where tariffs and trade wars are as much about symbolism as economics, Modi has chosen a path that doubles as both policy and politics.

Comments

bottom of page