We are halfway into 2025, and it seems that our community has gotten busier. Talks have become transactional. We are too worried about trying to build a career and surviving. There are mixed signals everywhere. Our dear president is embroiled in drama after drama. It’s like living in a suspense movie, not knowing what’s to come for us lot. First, it was the cut to research funding. Then, the feud with Elon Musk, with some pretty bold accusations being thrown out. Then, it was the passage of the ‘big beautiful bill.’ Now, it is the war on immigrants and Californians. This is why we tend not to get into politics. It’s messy, and there are no right answers. The silver lining? Our news feeds are more amusing than before.

While times may seem a bit tough, the South Asian community is locked in. Even with so much going on, we stay optimistic about tomorrow. That is the great thing about the Valley. We can live in our big beautiful bubble, away from the big beautiful mess.

So here is what’s happening in the Siliconeer bubble:

We start with talking about the different approaches to innovation. After attending Apple’s WWDC25, Vansh Gupta and Janam Gupta analyze Apple’s focus on optimization and compare it to IO’s focus on disruption.

Vivek Wadhwa talks about the repercussions of President Trump’s cuts to research funding and restrictions on immigration. America risks losing its leadership on areas such as cancer research to AI breakthroughs.

Moving away from tech and politics, Dharani Purushotham discusses the scientific formula behind finding happiness. Small, easy steps can lead to great things.

This theme can also be seen through the passion of writing. To find her happiness, Khushi Mehta found solace in poetry and ultimately published her first-ever book while attending high school.

We shift our attention to India.

In a first since our reboot, we were graced by a fiction story from Sahana Nagandla, who shares a narrative on her mother returning to her family’s mango orchard in India. A very touching story about reconnecting to one’s roots.

It seems India has many reasons to celebrate. A very successful WAVES summit sparks a new “Orange” economy. One that empowers creators and entertainers to prosper. Cricket fans in India also celebrated the RCB IPL win for 2025. Finally, India showed their might with “Operation Sindoor,” giving a befitting response to recent terrorist attacks. There is currently a ceasefire with hopefully no war in the future.

We close off this edition with a review of a Tesla we might actually like for once. Our auto enthusiasts thanked Tesla for listening and significantly improving the new Model Y.

Close to where Teslas are produced is the town of Charlie Chaplin and silent films. Once the original Hollywood, now it’s a hidden gem with an old-town vibe, nestled in the streets of Fremont. A great place to visit for an easy day out.

Around Fremont and its neighboring cities, we saw major action throughout the community. Arts, fashion, and students were celebrated throughout DTSJ and the annual TiEcon 2025 hosted South Asian Silicon Valley’s greatest.

As you can see, our community is locked in. We are focused on building great things, but we also need some time for mindfulness. In light of everything that’s going on, we believe this magazine is one place we can keep things light and easy. 

Staying true to our promise, we now have a podcast episode for every article that is published to Siliconeer. With the introduction of “The S-Files” Newsletter, we also share the many stories that are too big to fit in print, online. We strive to be a collective voice. A community of sorts. We will continue to bring out our inner Gen-Z, and small hints of it can already be seen through the steps we are taking. Be it in the digital world or what you hold in your hands right now.