Hong Kong

One of Hong Kong’s most iconic summer traditions is set to make waves once again as the Sun Life Hong Kong International Dragon Boat Races, organised by Hong Kong Tourism Board, return to Victoria Harbour this June, celebrating a landmark 50^th anniversary with a spectacular edition.

World-class racing, live entertainment, cultural experiences and a gourmet carnival take over Tsim Sha Tsui 

Running from 19 June to 1 July, the Hong Kong Dragon Boat Festival will bring a festive programme to the Tsim Sha Tsui Promenade, spanning 13 days through the Dragon Boat Festival and featuring traditional culture, interactive workshops and performances. Set against Hong Kong’s world-famous skyline, the Sun Life Hong Kong International Dragon Boat Races will bring together teams from around the globe on 27-28 June, transforming the Tsim Sha Tsui waterfront into a vibrant hub of culture, sport and entertainment.

From Local Ritual to World Stage: Hong Kong’s Dragon Boat Legacy

The grand scale of the event belies its humble beginnings. What started five decades ago as a competitive extension of a local cultural ritual has evolved into a dynamic, citywide celebration that blends heritage with sports. Dragon boat racing in Hong Kong traces its roots to traditional rituals performed by fishing communities, where vessels were once used to dispel bad luck and pray for peace and safety. In 1976, the city hosted its first international race in Shau Kei Wan Typhoon Shelter, welcoming just 10 teams and marking the birth of modern international dragon boat racing.

Fast forward to today, and the event has grown into a truly global phenomenon and a competitive sport in the Asian Games. This year’s races will welcome over 220 elite teams from 16 countries and regions over the two-day race schedule on 27-28 June, reinforcing Hong Kong’s position as the Events Capital of Asia.

Beyond the Finish Line: A Harbourfront Party for All

What sets the Hong Kong International Dragon Boat Races apart is the way the celebration brings together culture, sports and entertainment on water and land. In addition to the exhilarating racing action, the event extends into the 13-day Hong Kong Dragon Boat Festival, running from Fridays to Wednesdays from 19 June to 1 July, with immersive experiences designed to appeal to visitors of all ages and interests.

From daytime discoveries to after-dark energy, the Avenue of Stars and Salisbury Garden in Tsim Sha Tsui are set to come alive with an all-day, diverse lineup of activities. The programme spans intangible cultural heritage workshops alongside contemporary highlights, including VR dragon boat paddling game, live music and stage performances. The hands-on sessions in particular spotlight time-honoured crafts passed down for centuries while adding a modern harbourfront buzz to the carnival experience.

A dedicated food-and-beverage offering will showcase festive favourites alongside Hong Kong street-food classics at the Dragon Boat Food Lane, while the harbourfront beverage Garden will add to the celebratory atmosphere. Tourists can enjoy a complimentary beverages and iced rice dumplings while soaking up the festive summer breeze. The display of a 22-meter dragon boat and themed photo spots will further transform the precinct into a colourful, festival-like playground.

Together, these elements reimagine the dragon boat tradition for a new generation, turning a sporting event into a multi-sensory cultural experience. The combination of thrilling racing and immersive programming reflects Hong Kong’s signature “east-meets-west” identity, where centuries-old traditions sit comfortably alongside the city’s modern energy. 

Experience the Dragon Boat Festival Across Hong Kong

Beyond Victoria Harbour, the spirit of the Dragon Boat Festival can be felt across the city. In Tai O, the centuries-old Dragon Boat Water Parade continues a unique ritual tradition, where sacred sampans carrying deity statues are towed through the village waterways—a practice recognised as part of China’s national intangible cultural heritage in 2011.

Meanwhile, local dragon boat races will take place in neighbourhoods across Hong Kong, from the scenic seaside of Stanley and the bustling fishing village of Aberdeen to the verdant landscapes of Sai Kung and the serene Shing Mun River in Sha Tin. Each offers its own distinct character and community atmosphere, welcoming visitors from near and far to discover Hong Kong’s diverse charm.

About Hong Kong Tourism Board (HKTB)

The Hong Kong Tourism Board (HKTB) is a government-subvented body tasked to market and promote Hong Kong as a travel destination worldwide and enhance visitors’ experience once they arrive. These include making recommendations to the Government and other relevant bodies on the range and quality of visitor facilities. The HKTB’s missions are to maximise the social and economic contribution made by tourism to the community of Hong Kong and to consolidate Hong Kong’s position as a unique, world-class, and most desired destination.

Alta School of Technology, an AI-first computer science program focused on building industry-relevant technology talent, today announced the appointment of Navdeep Sandhu as Head of Academics.
 

From left: Harshit Agarwal, Founding Director; Ashish Munjal, Founder; and Navdeep Sandhu, Head of Academics, at Alta School of Technology’s leadership announcement
 

With grit and extensive experience across technology, learning ecosystems, and academic strategy, Navdeep aims to advance its mission of developing engineers equipped to solve real-world problems through hands-on, innovation-driven education.
 

Navdeep’s attitude of always being a learner first is aligned with the new role of building dynamic academic strategy, curriculum development, faculty alignment, and learner experience initiatives. He will collaborate closely with leadership and product teams to enhance the program’s AI-first curriculum, ensuring students receive practical exposure aligned with evolving industry demands.
 

Navdeep Sandhu was the co-founder of Pepcoding, where he helped create structured outcomes-focused programming education models for aspiring software engineers. His career also includes key roles at Scaler, Coding Ninjas, and EY, where he gained deep expertise in curriculum design, engineering education, learner engagement, and academic operations at scale. He brings over a decade of experience across the edtech and technology ecosystem, with a track record of building scalable learning systems and industry-aligned academic programs.
 

The program is steadily strengthening its academic leadership, building a modern learning ecosystem rooted in AI-focused education, real-world projects, mentorship, and practical problem-solving
 

Ashish Munjal, Founder of Alta School of Technology, commented, “Alta’s mission is to build engineers who can think critically, build confidently, and adapt continuously in an AI-first world. Navdeep brings a rare combination of academic vision and outcome-driven execution, with a proven track record of designing programs that deliver not just meaningful learning experiences, but strong placement outcomes at scale. That makes him the right leader to shape and drive Alta’s academic vision as we grow.”
 

Harshit Agarwal, Founding Director at Alta School of Technology, said, “Navdeep Sandhu’s arrival marks a pivotal moment for Alta. Having transformed learning in his previous roles, he brings battle-tested expertise in crafting curricula that turn novices into industry-ready engineers from day one. With Navdeep leading academics, we’re accelerating our mission to make every Alta student code like a pro and solve real AI challenges that companies crave.”
 

Navdeep Sandhu shared, “What attracted me to Alta was its willingness to rethink engineering education from first principles for the AI era. In a world where AI increasingly writes, reads, and reviews code, the real challenge is designing learning experiences that prepare students to think critically, solve problems, and build with technology not just code.”
 

This appointment underscores Alta School of Technology’s commitment to academic excellence, innovation-driven learning, and building an education ecosystem that’s truly future-ready.

About ALTA School of Technology
ALTA School of Technology is an AI-first computer science program redefining higher education through a skill-first approach. It integrates academic learning with hands-on experience, access to industry tools, and mentorship from experienced professionals. Students do coding from day one, preparing them for dynamic careers. This AI-first computer science program emphasizes innovation, employability, and practical knowledge to bridge the gap between education and industry needs.

DCDC Kidney Care announced that its Badarpur Centre in Delhi has become the first standalone dialysis centre globally to receive accreditation from the American Accreditation Commission International (AACI) under the AACI Standards Version 6.0 framework. Operational since July 2025, the centre currently serves nearly 70 active patients and conducts approximately 500-550 dialysis sessions every month.

DCDC Kidney Care receiving AACI Accreditation

The accreditation was awarded following a comprehensive evaluation of the centre’s clinical protocols, patient safety standards, infection prevention and control measures, dialysis care processes, staff competency, quality management systems, operational workflows, and continuous quality improvement mechanisms. The recognition highlights DCDC Kidney Care’s commitment to delivering internationally benchmarked renal care through advanced dialysis technology, standardized treatment protocols, and a strong patient-centric approach.

Aseem Garg, Founder, DCDC Kidney Care, said, “This achievement is a proud milestone not only for DCDC Kidney Care but also for India’s standalone dialysis ecosystem. “It reflects our unwavering commitment towards clinical excellence, patient safety, and globally benchmarked quality care. We remain focused on expanding access to affordable, high-quality dialysis services through technology integration, workforce development, and our growing network across India. This recognition supports our long-term goal of bolstering the nation’s dialysis infrastructure via workforce development, technological integration, quality-driven systems, and scalable service delivery models. As we continue to raise standards for patient experience, safety, and infection control throughout our network, we are dedicated to broadening our reach through both public-private partnerships and freestanding centers.”

This global AACI accreditation for the Badarpur centre reinforces DCDC Kidney Care’s position as one of India’s leading dialysis networks and underscores its role in making advanced, affordable renal care accessible across the country. Building on its expanding footprint of centres operated through both standalone clinics and public–private partnerships, DCDC Kidney Care will continue to invest in technology, training, and quality systems that improve clinical outcomes and enhance the overall experience for patients and their families.

Through its growing network of facilities, technology-enabled monitoring systems, and organized worker training programs, the company has consistently concentrated on enhancing accessibility to reasonably priced dialysis care throughout the years, that offers both enhanced patient satisfaction and clinical excellence.

About DCDC Health Services Pvt. Ltd. (DCDC)
DCDC is a leading operator of dialysis centers across India, working through Public-Private Partnership (PPP) models with state governments to provide treatment for economically disadvantaged populations. With over 250 centers nationwide — including PPP clinics, standalone centers, and units within private hospitals — DCDC continues to expand its reach every year.

A pioneer in quality dialysis delivery, DCDC is India’s first organization to receive NABH accreditation for both standalone and PPP dialysis centers, reaffirming its commitment to safe, accessible, and patient-centric care.

Rehabilitation support, preventive care, and access to essential healthcare services are critical for semi-urban and rural communities, particularly where patients often need to travel long distances to access specialised treatment and physiotherapy support. Recognising the importance of academic-community partnerships in strengthening public healthcare systems, Galgotias University has extended support towards modernising healthcare and rehabilitation services at Community Health Centre Dadha in Greater Noida.

Galgotias University’s initiative strengthens rural healthcare services and improves access to rehabilitation support

The initiative has been undertaken in coordination with the Office of the Chief Medical Officer, Gautam Buddha Nagar, and Community Health Centre Dadha. As part of the collaboration, the University is supporting the strengthening of the physiotherapy and rehabilitation unit at the Centre through the provision of modern therapy and rehabilitation equipment, trained physiotherapy support, and operational assistance aimed at improving patient care delivery.

The support includes equipment and rehabilitation infrastructure such as cervical traction systems, gait training support equipment, therapeutic exercise systems, shortwave diathermy, TENS and IFT systems, walkers, shoulder wheels, pulleys, and related physiotherapy support infrastructure. The University will also support trained manpower and associated operational requirements for the functioning of the rehabilitation unit.

The collaboration is also expected to contribute towards broader healthcare systems strengthening at the Centre, including support for healthcare outreach, preventive health engagement, patient support services, quality assurance processes, and community-centred healthcare activities. The initiative aims to improve access to rehabilitation and physiotherapy care closer to people’s homes, reducing the burden on patients who otherwise need to travel significant distances for treatment and follow-up care.

Dr. Dhruv Galgotia, CEO, Galgotias University, said, “Access to healthcare remains one of the most important social challenges across many communities, particularly where rehabilitation and preventive care infrastructure is limited. Universities today have a larger responsibility beyond classrooms and campuses. Institutions with academic expertise, healthcare capability, and social commitment must actively contribute towards strengthening public systems that directly impact people’s lives. Our support towards Community Health Centre Dadha is an effort in that direction, where institutional resources and expertise can help strengthen healthcare access, rehabilitation support, and community health delivery for people who need it the most.”

The initiative is in sync with Galgotias University’s continued engagement with efforts focused on societal impact, public systems strengthening, and community-centred development across healthcare, education, innovation, and social outreach.

Between the harbour and the convention hall, between tradition and the digital frontier, Art Basel Hong Kong set the tone for a new era. Robb Report India was there — with two of India’s most compelling creative voices, artist Siddharth Kerkar and sculptor Jayesh Sachdev.

Art Basel Hong Kong 2026

Inside the Hong Kong Convention and Exhibition Centre—its glass façade staring out over Victoria Harbour like an eye fixed on the horizon—the art world had once again gathered for its annual communion starting March 25, 2026. Art Basel Hong Kong, now in its 13th edition, returned with 240 galleries from 42 countries and territories. Over half of participating galleries operate spaces within the Asia-Pacific region, a fact that underscores how regional voices are echoing louder than ever before.

Preview days on March 25 and 26 drew a high-density turnout of collectors, curators, institutional buyers, and the curious. By the time the public doors opened on March 27, Asia’s largest art fair had already closed many deals. Robb Report India visited the fair grounds on the preview day for a closer look.

The fair offered a particularly immersive, almost educational vantage point. Robb Report India exclusively covered Art Basel through the lens of two artists whose relationship with art is anything but passive or touristic: Siddharth Kerkar, the Goa-based artist, restaurateur, and founder of India’s largest affordable art festival; and Jayesh Sachdev, the Pune-based sculptor and founder of Quirk Box, who recently collaborated with Zara—the first Indian artist to do so, across an art-fashion-sculpture partnership.

New Sectors, New Conversations
The 2026 edition introduced Echoes, a sector dedicated entirely to works made within the past five years. At Double Q Gallery’s Hong Kong debut, Polish Minimalist Natalia Załuska transformed the booth into an immersive work of geometric abstraction. Picture edges dissolving between two- and three-dimensions. At Max Estrella, Madrid, Tiffany Chung’s embroidered maps of ancient spice routes hung alongside Miler Lagos’ astonishing sculptures of books carved into dense, geological forms. Hyun Nahm’s work at Whistle fused classical East Asian aesthetics with digital materiality, drawing on the Korean concept of chukgyeong—encompassing nature’s vastness into miniature forms—to compress ideas about telecommunication infrastructure and global digital consumption into compact sculptural form.

Encounters, the sector dedicated to monumental installations, underwent a transformation. For the first time, this section was curated collectively by four Asia-based curators led by Mami Kataoka, alongside Isabella Tam, Alia Swastika, and Hirokazu Tokuyama. Their organising framework was the Five Elements, the cosmological system found across Asian traditions, with each element—space/ether, water, fire, wind, earth—assigned to specific areas throughout the convention halls.

Perhaps no addition to the 2026 fair generated as much conversation as Zero 10, Art Basel’s global initiative dedicated to art of the digital era, making its Asia debut after launching at Art Basel Miami Beach in December 2025. Named for Kazimir Malevich’s seminal 1915 exhibition, it featured 14 exhibitors and asked a simple, urgent question: How can digital art be exhibited, contextualised, and collected within today’s art economy?

Curated by Eli Scheinman and featuring 14 exhibitors including Art Blocks, bitforms gallery, and Silk Art House, the sector asked hard questions about provenance, and community in an age where digital culture evolves faster than institutional frameworks.

One moment stood out: DeeKay’s digital animations that traced psychological states through vivid, almost hallucinatory movement. The work was unabashedly algorithmic and yet unmistakably emotional, a combination that felt like a precursor of where image-making is headed.

Hong Kong Art Basel 2026: Through Indian Eyes
Sachdev, whose practice moves between painting, sculpture, mythology-driven installations, and works rooted in ancient Indian iconography and rendered in chrome, glass, and reflective contemporary surfaces, arrived in Hong Kong attuned to a frequency the city answered immediately.“What I like about cities like this—which are really modern—is that you can still find the contrast of them being so deeply rooted culturally. These are ancient cultures which have now built into contemporary architectural and urban spaces. That dichotomy is very interesting,” he says.

Inside the fair’s halls, he found his own reflections in unexpected places, including the work of Fung Studios, a Singapore-based design agency whose graphic work, carrying both Japanese and Southeast Asian influences, had long been a reference in his own practice. “It was very interesting to see some of that here,” he said while speaking to Robb Report India. The fair’s embrace of multimedia, mixed media, and architectural installation formats also sat well with an artist who refuses to be categorised by medium alone. “My work is not bound to one medium,” he noted. “I don’t just work with paint or sculpture alone, so this place having a mix of all those different mediums was something I quite enjoyed.”

Kerkar, a Central Saint Martins alumnus who has navigated art fairs since childhood—accompanying his father, the celebrated Goan artist Subodh Kerkar, to exhibitions across Europe and as far as the Venice Biennale—arrived with practised eye. By the time Art Basel’s halls had been traversed, his tally included at least 10 museums and well over 100 gallery booths.
What he came away with was not a list though. “You don’t know what stays with you or where inspiration comes from,” he says in conversation with Robb Report India. For Kerkar, the act of absorbing is slow and cumulative, a process that often only reveals itself later alone, scrolling back through photographs taken in the heat of the fair.

What Kerkar absorbed at the fair was less any single work than a cumulative shift in material sensibility—the reappearance of textile, of slow craft, of the handmade in contexts where one might have expected the digital to dominate. The Encounters sector, in particular, gave him pause: the yarn and fibre works by Tandel and Kang representing a return to matter, to touch, that he found both unexpected and necessary.

Between Kerkar’s patient, cumulative absorption and Sachdev’s immediate, parallel-drawing responsiveness, what emerged was a portrait of two very different artistic temperaments arriving at the same conclusion: that Hong Kong, in this particular week, was worth every hour of attention it demanded.

For Indians, Art Basel Hong Kong is no longer simply a fair to watch from a distance. With Indian artists appearing in Encounters, Indian institutions making acquisitions, and collectors from the subcontinent increasingly visible on the floor, the conversation has shifted from observation to participation. If this edition proved anything, it is that the week belongs as much to India as it does to any other nation at the table. The only question worth asking now is whether you’ll be in the room when it happens again.

In a significant step towards strengthening cultural diplomacy, tourism cooperation and creative collaboration between India and Vietnam, The state-owned national carrier Vietnam Airlines and Saigontourist Group -Vietnam’s oldest and leading state-owned tourism group officially inked a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with Innovations India for collaboration on two prestigious India–Vietnam initiatives: the upcoming Bollywood feature film SILAA and the 5th edition of Namaste Vietnam Festival to be held in Vietnam in 2026.

President To Lam, CM Devendra Fadnavis, VNA Chairman Dang Ngoc Hoa and Captain Rahul Bali

The MoU signing ceremony took place in Mumbai on 7 May 2026 in the esteemed presence of H.E. Mr. To Lam, President of Vietnam and Devendra Fadnavis, Chief Minister of Maharashtra along with several distinguished dignitaries and senior leaders from both nations including Culture & Tourism Minister of Vietnam H.E. Mr. Ho An Phong & Indian Ambassador to Vietnam H. E. Tshering Sherpa.

This landmark collaboration forms part of the historic first official state visit of Vietnamese President H.E. Mr. To Lam to India and coincides with the 10th anniversary celebrations of the Vietnam–India Comprehensive Strategic Partnership, underscoring the growing friendship, trust, and strategic cooperation between the two nations.

The MoU was formally signed by Dang Ngoc Hoa, Chairman of Vietnam Airlines, Nguyen Huu Y Yen, Chairwoman of Saigontourist Group, and Captain Rahul Bali, Managing Director of Innovations India, who is also the Producer of SILAA and the Curator of Namaste Vietnam Festival.

Speaking on the occasion, President H.E. Mr. To Lam said, “Vietnam and India share a timeless friendship built on trust, cultural understanding, and mutual respect. Collaborations in cinema, tourism, and cultural exchange not only strengthen people-to-people connections but also open new avenues of cooperation between our nations. I am pleased to see institutions from Vietnam and India coming together to further deepen the Comprehensive Strategic Partnership during this important milestone year.”

Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis stated, “Maharashtra has always been India’s gateway for culture, cinema, business, and international collaboration. The partnership between Vietnam and Indian enterprises is a wonderful example of how creative industries and tourism can become powerful instruments of diplomacy and economic growth. Such initiatives will further strengthen the bonds of friendship between India and Vietnam while creating new opportunities for tourism, investment, and cultural engagement.”

Captain Rahul Bali added, “It is a matter of immense pride for us to collaborate with the Government of Vietnam through iconic institutions like Vietnam Airlines and Saigontourist Group during such a historic milestone year for India–Vietnam relations. Through cinema, tourism and cultural diplomacy, we aim to create impactful platforms that bring the people of Vietnam and India closer and will inspire greater travel, deeper understanding and stronger engagement between them.”

The upcoming Bollywood film SILAA is an ambitious cinematic collaboration that seeks to build a powerful emotional and cultural bridge between India and Vietnam while showcasing the beauty, hospitality, heritage, and tourism potential of Vietnam to Indian and global audiences. Directed by Omung Kumar, the movie stars Harshvardhan Rane and Sadia Khateeb in leading roles. Produced by Captain Rahul Bali’s venture, Innovations India along with Zee Studios, Blue Lotus Pictures and Stark Entertainment the film is scheduled for release in 2026.

Meanwhile, the 5th edition of Namaste Vietnam Festival is set to further strengthen bilateral engagement through a vibrant celebration of cinema, tourism, culture, fashion and people-to-people exchanges. Over the years, the festival has emerged as one of the most prominent platforms dedicated to enhancing India–Vietnam friendship and cultural diplomacy.

This strategic collaboration between Vietnam Airlines, Saigontourist Group and Innovations India is expected to significantly boost tourism exchanges, film cooperation and cultural connectivity between the two nations. At a time when India and Vietnam are celebrating a decade of their Comprehensive Strategic Partnership, initiatives such as these reaffirm the shared commitment of both countries towards strengthening bilateral relations through soft power, tourism, creative industries, and cultural diplomacy. The MoU is being viewed as a major milestone in the evolving India–Vietnam partnership and a powerful example of how cinema, tourism and cultural initiatives can further deepen friendship and cooperation between the people of both nations.