In the age of the smart home, Chinese smartphone manufacturer Xiaomi has branched out into connected devices – most recently, a smart rice cooker. The company is changing perceptions of the ‘Made in China’ stamp, with the aim of making it synonymous with high quality craftsmanship.

We all own products that have been made in China. But the country's national brand has taken a hit in recent decades. Multiple production scandals and the media’s perpetuation of negative associations with Chinese-made products have tainted the 'Made in China' label.

More and more Indians are embracing home-grown brands as they gain confidence in the quality of products made in their country. Delhi-based leather goods and clothing brand Cord is tapping into this, appealing to a new wave of luxury shoppers who want an alternative to international labels.

That effortless sense of style and just-so way of carrying oneself – some people have it and some don’t. But how exactly do we determine what is and isn’t cool? Joel Dinerstein, author of The Origins of Cool in Postwar America, explains the origin of ‘cool’ and its evolution over the decades.