About

We take this opportunity to welcome our readers to The First Witness magazine, published by Young India Media & Communications. The First Witness is a mirror of a new, young, and aspirational India that is restless to scale new civilisational heights. 

The First Witness has been launched to write the first draft of an India that, today, ranks among the top five economies in the world. It’s a journal of contemporary politics, society, culture, economy, business, entertainment, and much more, that captures the multi-hued vignettes of a modern nation that is rooted in layers of civilisational culture and traditions.

The central idea of The First Witness is to engage with our readers for creating a forum for political, social, and cultural debates and discussions. It intends to become a platform for free and fair exchange of ideas and become the voice of the people of India.

Our panel of some of India’s best reporters, columnists, analysts, academicians, and social activists will help in distilling the complexities of a vast and multi-cultural nation into lucid narratives that will present the big picture of the dynamics and discourses that are shaping this great country.

The press being the fourth pillar of democracy, it’s our responsibility to strengthen this institution, which we take very seriously. Without a strong press, the light of knowledge, and the most common source of information for the common people, gets extinguished, putting democracy in great peril. Diversity of news and opinion are the two most critical elements of a strong press that uphold the letter and spirit of Freedom of Expression enshrined in the Constitution of India under Article 19(1)(a).

In this inaugural issue, we have done a detailed analysis of India’s new foreign policy, which is defined by the philosophy of being a ‘Vishwabandhu’ to the world, while asserting its rightful place at the high table of diplomacy. We have dug deep into the narratives and data that helped the BJP pull off an improbable victory in Haryana and increase its vote share in J&K and also appraise the impact of these Assembly elections on the states that will be going to the polls this year and early next year. 

In other sections, we have looked at how the Tejas project put Hindustan Aeronautics Limited on track to becoming a Maharatna PSU, and why India’s stock markets remain the most attractive to global investors.

 We have decoded for you why India is in just the right place to lead the global AI revolution. We have set the bar high for The First Witness for delivering high-quality content and presentation. An aware reader is our biggest asset. We hope you, the reader, will support this new venture and help us to evolve by providing valuable feedback and inputs. Best wishes.