Amit Varma, India’s foremost blogger and award-winning columnist, has been busy recently.

His first novel, My Friend Sancho releases this week in fine bookstores all across India. Click here for launch details — so far, it’s Mumbai, Delhi, Kolkata, Bangalore and Chennai. If you’re in any of these towns, this is bound to be a fun event. Amit is a delightfully witty and amiable chap, if we say so ourselves.

And, by the way, it appears that we may have to add another adjective while describing the multi-faceted Mr Varma. According to Business Week magazine, Amit is one of the (ahem) 50 most powerful people in India. Who knew?

Blogger Amit Varma brings a particular libertarian point of view to his columns and blog items, but also a risqué sense of humor that keeps readers hooked. He won the 2007 Bastiat Prize for his columns in Indian business paper Mint, and for a select group of Indians, he represents a libertarian, anti-tax and anti-government sensibility that is still quite rare in the country.

Another friend of ours, Reuben Abraham, who is among many other things, a professor at the Indian School of Business has been selected as one of the Young Global Leaders by the World Economic Forum. By the way, Reuben is a true citizen of the world. He visits more countries than almost anyone else we know — we suspect he adds new booklets in his passport twice a year. So, if you’re an IEB reader in Patagonia, rest assured that you’ll get a chance to meet Reuben sooner rather than later.