Archives February 2024

New Delhi, 3rd February 2024: The under-design Aravali Safari Park is to come up in the Aravali Hill range spanning over Gurugram, Nuh and Sohna districts in Haryana. At more than 10,000 acres, the park will be the largest such facility anywhere in the world upon completion.

Tagbin, the designer behind many iconic Indian projects such as Pradhanmantri Sangrahlaya, Hologram Statue Of Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose, Har Ghar Tiranga, Mother of Democracy exhibition in G20 Delhi and so on has been roped in to lead the design process in association with “The Logical Zoo”.

Endorsed by the Chief Minister of Haryana, Shri Manohar Lal Khattar, the Aravalli Safari Park’s initial phase is slated for completion within two years. The Park is to be developed along the concept of a biodiversity park, housing various animals from different parts of the country and the world in controlled environments. As per the experiential-tech firm heading the design and execution of the project, some of the attractions of the Park will be Big Cat enclosures, netted aviaries, climate-controlled biodomes, and day and night vehicular safari. The Park is to also have its own veterinary care facility and animal breeding center.

Saurav Bhaik, CEO of Tagbin, stated, “This initiative aims to restore and re-establish the native fauna and flora which has severely degraded after years of misuse and illegal activities, while also showcasing to the people the various other species found in other parts of the country. By way of interactive and immersive learning our aim is to sensitise visitors towards the need for nature protection and conversation. The park goes beyond constructing the world’s largest safari; it aims to redefine our interaction with and appreciation for the natural world.” He further added, “The park will be designed and constructed as per global best practices of animal keeping. India will host something immersive in this sector for the first time, and we are honoured to have lit the torch.”

Throughout the project’s development, Tagbin remains committed to promoting peaceful coexistence between people and wildlife, offering future generations unforgettable experiences rooted in conservation, education, and sustainable tourism practices.

Kolkata, 3rd February 2024: Sada Ronger Prithibi by Raajhorshee De is a film based on widow trafficking in India, the film will celebrate Kashi, still a chosen abode for many widows in India, in a unique way through its thriller story. The Trailer launch was held today at Inox South City Mall, Kolkata. The Trailer launch was attended by: Dr. Shashi Panja, Hon’ble Minister in Charge Industries, Commerce & Enterprises and Department of Women and Child Development and Social Welfare; Sohini Sastri, Fortune Teller and Healer; Madhuja Banerjee, Senior Vice President of Fiction Colors Hindi & Viacom 18 Media Pvt Ltd; Amit Agarwal, Eminent Film Producer; Raajhorshee De, Director and the stellar star cast of Sada Ronger Prithibi. This is the first film in India on widow trafficking, which has not been done in any other language so far.

It explores the colourless world of widows in Varanasi whose lives are bleached like their white sarees. But the pristine exterior hides the devious machinations of criminal masterminds who are out to exploit these unfortunate women. Things get complicated when a young police officer come to investigate the shelter but little does she knows about the dangers that await her as she disguises herself as one of the inmates of the shelter in order to unearth the truth. Will she be able to overcome the political pressures and other threats in her attempt to fight the evil lurking unseen?

Presented by Adarsh Telemedia and Amit Agarwal and Produced by Sushant Sengupta, Shrravonii Pal, Raajhorshee De, this film has 19 top actors from Bengal. The story will highlight the plights of the widows, the crime committed against them and the age-old customs that bind them to a restrictive lifestyle.

This film has a stellar star cast and crew: Srabanti Chatterjee, Sauraseni Maitra, Arindam Sil, Rwitobrata Mukherjee, Sneha Chatterjee, Mallika Banerjee, Devlina Kumar, Ananya Banerjee, Richa Sharma, Sohini Guharoy, Deboshree Ganguly, Oindrilla Bose, Arunava Dery, Ishaan Mazumdar, Monalisha Banerjee, Anuradha Choudhrury and guest Appearance by: Subhrajit Mitra. The Music is composed by Ashu Chakraborty. The film is all set to release at the theatres on 23rd February, 2024.

New Delhi:3rd February 2024 Our homes are getting smarter and increasingly filled with internet-connected devices, eventually leading to higher bandwidth. To overcome the same, NETGEAR, a leading provider of networking products, has been constantly expanding its range of Wi-Fi devices with upgraded versions. Equipped with the latest generation of Wi-Fi technology, these powerful mesh systems are designed to keep all connections strong, in every room, all the time.

The two Wi-Fi 6 mesh systems Orbi RBK752 and RBK753 make the ideal upgrade for consumers who wish to get the benefits of both the Wi-Fi performance and coverage of a Tri-band mesh with the capacity to handle multiple devices for their home but at a more attractive price point. Tri-band mesh Wi-Fi provides a network of wireless routers and satellites with a dedicated data connection from router to satellite to ensure the best performance and reach through the entire home. The Orbi Tri-band Mesh Wi-Fi system is available now as a two-pack, router and satellite system (RBK752), and a three-pack, router with two satellites (RBK753).

With the latest generation Wi-Fi 6 technology, these powerful mesh Wi-Fi systems are designed to keep all connections strong, in every room, all the time. The upgraded Wi-Fi will provide households with the bandwidth to address the demands of today’s automated smart home even when running multiple 4K/8K UHD streaming and online gaming. In an environment where streaming of ultra-high definition video to multiple screens puts greater demands on home networks, the new Orbi Wi-Fi 6 mesh systems (RBK752/753) provide the same great coverage. These systems are designed for families with slightly fewer devices, enabling the capability to support upwards of 40 devices on a network simultaneously without interruption from online exercise classes, online gaming, live video meetings, to streaming of on-demand online video, all these activities may now take place simultaneously without interruption with an Orbi Wi-Fi 6 Mesh network.

Orbi Wi-Fi 6 Mesh Systems are also designed to deliver on the gigabit internet speeds promised by service providers, with the RBK752/753 supporting internet speeds of up to 1 Gigabit. The 3 Gigabit Ethernet LAN ports on the router and 2 on the satellite allow for the connection of more wired devices, which makes it ideal for home offices or home entertainment systems. Both Wi-Fi 6 Mesh systems leverage the dedicated Wi-Fi 6 backhaul that NETGEAR pioneered with the original Orbi, which provides a dedicated quad stream 5Ghz channel for data exchange between the router and satellite thus reducing congestion and allowing all devices on the network to run faster.

Simple setup and Wi-Fi management are all made possible by way of the Orbi app. Create a guest network, view the connected devices, and perform speed tests right from the free app for iOS and Android. To safeguard the home network in this time of heightened online activity, NETGEAR Armor™ powered by Bitdefender on Orbi Mesh Wi-Fi Systems is the ideal solution with an award-winning cyber security designed to protect all internet-connected devices within a home from viruses, malware, stolen passwords, identity theft and hacking, whether at home or on the go. NETGEAR Armor is complimentary for a 30-day trial period. After the trial period, a yearly subscription is required to continue to protect all your connected devices.

Pricing and Availability:

The NETGEAR Orbi Mesh Wi-Fi 6 Systems RBK752 and RBK753 are available through NETGEAR authorized stores, Amazon.in, Flipkart.com and other online and offline stores at a price point of INR 33,599 and 48,799 respectively.

New Delhi, 3rd February 2024: Zomato, India’s food ordering and delivery platform today announced a ‘Plastic-Free Orders Packathon’ in collaboration with Startup India to encourage innovation in sustainable packaging for food delivery orders. The Packathon is a competition for startups to showcase food delivery sustainable packaging options for restaurants catering to online food orders.

Anjalli Ravi Kumar, Chief Sustainability Officer, Zomato said “Zomato is deeply committed to reducing the environmental impact of food deliveries. In September 2023, we began to recognize restaurants that have adopted sustainable packaging materials for food deliveries via a ‘Plastic-Free Orders’ banner. The program is live in 8 cities and 3.6 million orders have been recognized as plastic-free till December 31st, 2023. The program surfaced the fact that many national restaurant chains have adopted paper-based or bagasse-based packaging. Standalone, mid-tier and budget restaurants, especially those outside metro cities, are struggling with the availability of affordable and functional alternatives to plastic packaging for their deliveries. The problem is particularly acute for restaurants specializing in gravy-based cuisines with multiple condiments and accompaniments. We believe focused innovations hold the answer to this problem and the Packathon is a way to surface and recognize Indian innovators.”

Aastha Grover, Vice President, Startup India said, “The launch of Zomato Plastic-Free Packathon is a testament to our shared commitment helping Indian businesses and citizens transition to sustainable practices. Given the burgeoning issue of plastic pollution, this initiative is a clarion call to all Indian startups to innovate and devise sustainable packaging solutions for food delivery that can significantly reduce plastic usage. This challenge presents a unique opportunity for Indian startups to showcase their ingenuity and contribute to a new era of sustainable consumption. As part of Startup India’s mission, we are excited to facilitate and support innovative solutions that will preserve our planet for future generations.”

Open to all DPIIT-recognized start-ups, the deadline for application submission to the Packathon is February 29th. Top three winners will receive prizes worth 10 Lakhs, 5 lakhs and 3 lakhs respectively, in addition to receiving the opportunity to showcase their solution to Zomato’s restaurant partners.

Zomato also recently announced its comprehensive 2030 sustainability goals, including, continuing to facilitate 100% plastic neutral food delivery orders through voluntary recycling, and also facilitating delivery of 100 million plastic-free food orders by 2025. Over the years, Zomato has undertaken various initiatives to reduce the environmental impact of food deliveries, through its 3Rs approach of ‘reduce, recycle and reward’.

In 2021, the company made ‘Do not send cutlery’ the default option on its food ordering and delivery app, giving customers the option to ask for cutlery, only if they needed it. Over the past two years, this simple initiative has cut cutlery waste by 1,000 MT, or 1 million kilos. In FY 23, Zomato recycled 20,000 MT of plastic waste – more than 2X the weight of plastic used by restaurant partners to package orders received through Zomato. In 2023, the company launched a recognition programme for restaurant partners who make the switch to plastic-free alternatives for their Zomato deliveries.

Mumbai, February 2, 2024: The National Garment Fair (NGF 2024) Spring-Summer Edit, organised by the Clothing Manufacturers Association of India (CMAI) in Mumbai, unfolded over three days from January 29 to 31, 2024. The event drew an impressive crowd of close to 18,000 visitors including national and regional retailers, distributors, and wholesalers. The robust business activities and bookings recorded during NGF 2024 clearly mirror the positive momentum in retail sales anticipated for the upcoming Spring-Summer season.

Encompassing an expansive 700,000 sq. ft. across seven halls, the Spring-Summer Edit of the National Garment Fair 2024 (NGF 2024) took place at the Bombay Exhibition NESCO Complex in Goregaon East. With over 1025 participants showcasing more than 1,120 brands across Women’s wear, Men’s wear, Kids wear, and Accessories.

Speaking about the domestic garment industry, Mr. Rajesh Masand, President, Clothing Manufacturers Association of India (CMAI), said, “The revival of the apparel industry post-pandemic has been less than robust, with retailers contending with a substantial backlog of inventory. The predominant driver of retail sales growth of apparels in the past year has been the result of both stores and network expansions. Although it is difficult to estimate the business conducted during the Fair, our interaction with the Exhibitors indicated most of them were more than satisfied with the enquires/orders received, serving as a positive indicator of the industry’s gradual progress towards normalisation in H1FY2025.”

Speaking about the NGF 2023, Mr. Rohit Munjal, Vice President and Chairman of the Fair Committee, Clothing Manufacturers Association of India (CMAI) said, “The success of the 78th National Garment Fair stands as a promising indication of its significance. Distinguished retailers and distributors from across the country graced NGF 2024. The sustained vitality of NGF can be credited to the steadfast support and proactive engagement of both brands and retailers. Their persistent involvement has played a pivotal role in elevating the fair’s influence and ensuring its ongoing success.”

Speaking about the present outlook of the domestic garment industry, Mr. Rahul Mehta, Chief Mentor, Clothing Manufacturers Association of India (CMAI), said, “The notable expansion of major retailers and brands into Tier 2 and 3 markets in the past year has played a substantial role in driving the retail sales growth within the apparel segment. Anticipating a shift from the initial trend of consumer “revenge-shopping” immediately post-pandemic, we saw a transition to a restrained shopping behavior last year. This year, there is an anticipation of consumers refreshing their wardrobes, signaling a return to normalcy in shopping patterns.”

Furthermore, the prestigious CMAI Apparel magazine was relaunched during NGF 2024 with a far Special edition. The Apparel magazine is not only resuming publication but is undergoing a significant upgrade as a quarterly edition, which will provide more exclusive content, in-depth features, and exciting apparel trends. The new avatar of the magazine boasts of careful curation and enhancement of content, promising a better reading experience with fresh perspectives from industry experts, insightful interviews, and stunning visuals. This transition aims to celebrate the world of apparel with captivating stories.

Recognised as the largest and most awaited bi-annual trade fair of the Indian Apparel Industry, the National Garment Fair by CMAI serves as a vital platform for connecting National and Regional Brands, Manufacturers, Designers, and Fashion Accessories manufacturers with Retailers, Agents, Distributors, and E-commerce Companies. This biannual event holds significant prestige in the industry and is widely regarded as India’s foremost trade fair, offering a comprehensive sourcing platform that maximizes both time and cost efficiency for all stakeholders involved.

“The interim budget announcement envisions India’s long term growth story. The emphasis of the PMAY-Gramin on rural India will further the objective of Housing for all. Furthermore, we are looking forward to housing scheme for the urban middle class, which is anticipated to enhance housing and give a boost to the sector.

The sustained momentum in capital expenditure spending in expansion of the infrastructure development plan highlights the intent to continuously enhance housing infrastructure, entrepreneurship, and employment opportunities for the youth possessing technical skills.

The persistent emphasis on maintaining a capital expenditure outlay of approximately 3.4% of the GDP is likely to stimulate economic activity and align with the long-term vision of Viksit Bharat. We remain optimistic about the continued progress of the Indian economy under the prudent fiscal measures outlined in the Interim Union Budget.”

CMAI welcomed the decision by the Union Cabinet to extend the Scheme for Rebate of State and Central Taxes and Levies (RoSCTL) for export of Apparel/Garments and Made ups upto 31st March 2026.

CMAI President, Rajesh Masand, thanked the Government and in particular, the Ministry Of Textiles saying that the “Continuation of Scheme for proposed duration of two (2) years will provide predictability and stability which is essential for long term trade planning, more so in the textiles sector where orders can be placed in advance for long term delivery.”

“The RoSCTL Scheme is in line with the universally accepted principle of International Trade that taxes and duties should not be exported, to enable a level playing field in the international market for exports” he added.

“In the midst of an election year, India’s interim budget for 2024 has defied fears of fiscal recklessness, maintaining a commendable level of prudence. Despite the political climate, the government has opted for a lower borrowing number for the next year, signalling a commitment to fiscal responsibility. This budget stands out for its focus on infrastructure, capital expenditure, and fostering entrepreneurship—a clear continuation of a decade-long trajectory of GDP, to borrow the Finance Minister’s acronym for “Governance, Development, and Performance.
If India is to reach the ambitious target of $7 trillion GDP by 2030, it is important to focus on infrastructure development, energy security, skill development and emphasis on innovation and entrepreneurship. The budget touches on all these aspects. Capex outlay has increased by 11.1%, there have been announcements on solar energy and electric vehicle infrastructure, and skill development is also being given importance.
The allocation of a significant 1 lakh crore for a 50-year loan dedicated to innovation, research, and development underlines the government’s recognition of the pivotal role these elements play in India’s journey to becoming a developed economy.
The budget speech not only highlighted government achievements but also provided a roadmap for the future, emphasizing macroeconomic stability, robust investments, and a thriving economy. With a fiscal deficit estimate below budgeted levels, a clear focus on reducing it further in the coming years, and targeted support for farmers, job creation, and infrastructure, India’s interim budget for 2024 lays the foundation for sustained growth and development”.

Hyderabad, 2nd February 2024: CMA Hima Vidya Sanagavarapu has been elected as Chairperson of the Managing Committee of THE INSTITUTE OF COST ACCOUNTANTS OF INDIA – HYDERABAD CHAPTER for the year 2024 on 31st January 2024. She is a Fellow Member having two decades of experience in financial accounting, costing, and taxation including payroll. Expertise knowledge in internal audits and HR Audits conducted on various organizations independently. Currently, she has been a practicing cost accountant for the last 10 years and actively participates in NGOs.

And other office bearers elected are CMA Lavanya Kanduri as Vice Chairperson, CMA Khaja Jalal Uddin as Secretary and CMA D. Venkata Ram Babu as Treasurer and the other Managing Committee Members are CMA CS Kirti Agarwal, CMA N. Ganesh, CMA Musunuri Bala Krishna, CMA L. N. Sruthi Kanigalpula, CMA E.V. Usha Rani.

Bengaluru, India, February 2nd, 2024: Elgi Equipments (BSE: 522074 NSE: ELGIEQUIP), one of the world’s leading air compressor manufacturers, today introduced the game-changing PG 550-215 trolley-mounted portable screw air compressor at the 12th edition of India Stonemart 2024 at the Jaipur Exhibition and Convention Centre (JECC), Rajasthan, India. Also displayed at the ELGi booth 6, in the outdoor machinery area B, were ELGi’s electric-powered PG110 E, PG 55 E, and PG 75 E portable air compressors for the mining industry. The 2024 edition of the International Stone Industry Trade Fair is expected to witness over 30,000 visitors and key decision-makers from the stone industry across the globe.

The newly introduced PG 550-215 is designed to deliver better performance, reliability, and profitability for customers in the construction and mining sectors. The compressor’s 3-stage air filtration system enables optimal performance while the integrated control panel ensures improved safety, reliability, and driller-friendly operations. The compressor’s Uptime design, which comprises large doors and a robust canopy, ensures easy maintenance, enhanced durability, and protection from extreme climatic conditions. In addition, ELGi’s pan-India network of service centers and trained service technicians ensure seamless operations for every customer.

The PG 110 E, 55 E, and 75 E series of electric-powered compressors, also on display, have been extensively adopted in standard pressure applications throughout the marble, granite, and blue metal quarries, where electricity is accessible and emission-free processes are required.

ELGi is committed to delivering high-performance portable compressed air solutions to construction and mining industry customers. With superior customer support and over 63 years of experience in compressed air technology, ELGi is today present across 120+ countries, offering a complete range of compressed air solutions from oil-lubricated and oil-free rotary screw compressors, oil-lubricated and oil-free reciprocating compressors and centrifugal compressors to dryers, filters, and downstream accessories. With state-of-the-art manufacturing units and a product portfolio of 400+ compressed air systems, ELGi redefines reliability, efficiency, and cost-effectiveness across 2+ million installations worldwide.