Tag: Diwali

Mumbai air quality continues to remain ‘moderate’; BKC, Navi Mumbai report poor AQI

KV Prasad Jun 13, 2022, 06:35 AM IST (Published)

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Days after the Diwali festivities, the air quality in Mumbai continues to remain in the ‘moderate’ category. The overall air quality index (AQI) stood at 145 on Friday morning. According to the latest data from the System of Air Quality and Weather Forecasting and Research (SAFAR), some areas across the city reported AQI under the ‘poor’ category.

The AQI in Borivali East stood at 166, Chembur at 122, Deonar at 145, Kandivali East at 148, Mazagaon at 162, and Vasai West at 143, according to the Central Pollution Control Board’s report. On the other hand, Bandra Kurla Complex reported an AQI of 230 and Navi Mumbai had an AQI of 227, indicating air quality falling into the ‘poor’ category.

Meanwhile, the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) issued a stop-work notice to 296 construction sites in Mumbai which were failing to follow the air pollution mitigation guidelines. The decision came after the municipal body provided a week’s deadline to the stakeholders in the business to follow the guidelines and keep the city’s pollution levels under control.

Also Read: Punjab records over 30,000 stubble burning incidents since September 15

According to a Hindustan Times report, the highest number of notices have been issued by the Kandivali East ward, which is 135 in number, followed by areas like Jogeshwari East, Andheri East and Vile Parle East.

On the other hand, the Mumbai Traffic Police on Thursday, 16 November, organised a special event at the Traffic Police Headquarters in Worli to create awareness against vehicular pollution. The event was organised as part of the “Drive against vehicles causing Air Pollution” campaign, reported Mid-Day. As per an official, the event primarily aimed to raise awareness regarding the impact of air pollution caused by vehicles and the possible measures to curb the same.

Also Read: India wants to dig deeper into the earth for more coal

In view of the persisting air quality levels in Mumbai, various schools including the Bombay International School, Dhirubhai Ambani International School and NL Dalmia High School have stepped forward to install air filters, enhance other air purification systems on the campus and have also been regularly monitoring the AQI to provide a safe and clean environment to the students, reported Free Press Journal.

Meanwhile, the national capital, Delhi has been witnessing significant degradation in the air quality as the AQI stood above 400 in several places on Friday, 17 November, according to the Central Pollution Control Board data.

Also Read: A layer of haze envelopes Delhi as air quality remains ‘severe’; AQI above 400 in many areas

Elon Musk forms several ‘X Holdings’ companies to fund potential Twitter buyout

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Thursday’s filing dispelled some doubts, though Musk still has work to do. He and his advisers will spend the coming days vetting potential investors for the equity portion of his offer, according to people familiar with the matter

KV Prasad Journo follow politics, process in Parliament and US Congress. Former Congressional APSA-Fulbright Fellow

India sees 10 lakh flyers over Diwali weekend, travel portals witness sharp uptick in demand

KV Prasad Jun 13, 2022, 06:35 AM IST (Published)

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The Indian aviation sector saw good demand over the Diwali weekend, from November 11 to November 12 with 3.94 lakh domestic passengers across 5,993 flights on the first day and 3.25 lakh passengers and 5,707 flights on the second day,  according to the Ministry of Civil Aviation data.

While Mumbai’s Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj International Airport achieved a milestone in terms of total flight movement, online travel portals like EaseMyTrip and Yatra online reported a major jump in demand over the Diwali weekend.

On the other hand, Kempegowda International Airport Bengaluru saw a traffic of about 700 flights and one lakh passengers each day. Of this, nearly 90,000 passengers engaged in domestic travel and 10,000 took international flights.

Despite the recent increase in hotel and flight prices, EaseMyTrip saw a notable upsurge in domestic travel bookings. Nishant Pitti, CEO & Co-Founder of EaseMyTrip told CNBC-TV18 , “We noticed 2X increase in bookings for the Diwali weekend in 2023 compared to 2022.”

He added that average airfares to popular routes increased by 10-20% and that the pattern highlights the tenacity and zeal of tourists during the festive season.

Also Read | Diwali 2023 season: Sales at retail & online stores clock all-time high, 65% of online sales outside Tier-1 cities

Major demand was recorded in Delhi-Mumbai, Delhi-Bengaluru, Delhi-Ahmedabad, Delhi-Chennai, Delhi- Hyderabad and Delhi-Kolkata routes, he said.

Online travel services provider Yatra Online too boasted of high demand for ticket and hotel bookings in metros, non-metro cities, as well as Tier 2 to Tier 3 cities.

“For last-minute bookings (within 15 days of travel), fares were approximately 30% higher. Most hotel bookings are for the period after November 15 until New Year’s,” Bharatt Malik, Senior VP – Flights & Hotel Business of Yatra Online said.

He also explained that long-haul destinations like the United States and Europe are less popular during the festive season due to higher costs and longer planning times. “Short-haul destinations, being less expensive and require less planning time, are more preferred,” he said.

Meanwhile, the Mumbai airport witnessed a rise in passenger traffic with a total of 516,562 flyers during the Diwali weekend from November 11 to November 13. The airport also posted a highest single-day record of 1,032 air traffic movements (ATMs) on November 11, surpassing the December 9, 2018 record of 1,004 ATMs.

Also Read Diwali sees record trade of Rs 3.75 lakh crore: CAIT

The total 516,562 passenger movement from CSMIA comprised 354,541 flyers on domestic routes and 162,021 flyers on international routes. The airport said that it catered to over 2,894 ATMs with 2,137 domestic flights and 757 flights on international routes.

Top destinations in terms of domestic passenger included Delhi, Bengaluru, and Chennai for international it was Dubai, London, Abu Dhabi and Singapore.

Also Read: Air traffic in India up 11% in October, says ICRA report

Elon Musk forms several ‘X Holdings’ companies to fund potential Twitter buyout

3 Mins Read

Thursday’s filing dispelled some doubts, though Musk still has work to do. He and his advisers will spend the coming days vetting potential investors for the equity portion of his offer, according to people familiar with the matter

KV Prasad Journo follow politics, process in Parliament and US Congress. Former Congressional APSA-Fulbright Fellow

Diwali 2023 season: Sales at retail & online stores clock all-time high, 65% of online sales outside Tier-1 cities

KV Prasad Jun 13, 2022, 06:35 AM IST (Published)

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Elon Musk forms several ‘X Holdings’ companies to fund potential Twitter buyout

3 Mins Read

Thursday’s filing dispelled some doubts, though Musk still has work to do. He and his advisers will spend the coming days vetting potential investors for the equity portion of his offer, according to people familiar with the matter

KV Prasad Journo follow politics, process in Parliament and US Congress. Former Congressional APSA-Fulbright Fellow

Diwali sees record trade of Rs 3.75 lakh crore: CAIT

KV Prasad Jun 13, 2022, 06:35 AM IST (Published)

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Retail markets across India registered a record trade of Rs 3.75 lakh crore during this festive season so far, traders’ body CAIT said on Monday.

The Confederation of All India Traders (CAIT) stated that festivals like Goverdhan Pooja, Bhaiya Dooj, Chhath Pooja and Tulsi Vivah are yet to be solemnised, which may attract additional trade worth Rs 50,000 crore.

“Notably, almost only Indian products were sold and purchased this Diwali, which is remarkable,” it stated.

Also Read: Three Indian cities among world’s 10 most polluted after Diwali

CAIT Secretary General Praveen Khandelwal said Chinese goods lost a trade of worth more than Rs 1 lakh crore during the Diwali festive season.

“In previous years, Chinese products were occupying nearly 70% market of Diwali festivals. However, this year, the appeal of Prime Minister Narendra Modi to make this Diwali vocal for local has gone down well and widely accepted and implemented by both traders and consumers,” he said.

Elon Musk forms several ‘X Holdings’ companies to fund potential Twitter buyout

3 Mins Read

Thursday’s filing dispelled some doubts, though Musk still has work to do. He and his advisers will spend the coming days vetting potential investors for the equity portion of his offer, according to people familiar with the matter

KV Prasad Journo follow politics, process in Parliament and US Congress. Former Congressional APSA-Fulbright Fellow

This chartist believes that the “bull market” in India is about to start

KV Prasad Jun 13, 2022, 06:35 AM IST (Published)

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Atul Suri of Marathon Trends-PMS believes that the “bull market” in India is about to begin and that the recent surge in stock prices is just to cover up for the losses over the last few years.

Suri mentioned that while there is euphoria in certain parts of the markets, the setup is good as the market is coming off a period of consolidation. The Nifty 50 gained nearly 10% in Samvat 2079.

“PSU banks, it was a dead sector for a decade. Real estate, I think it’s the best performing sector. Who was touching real estate. Yes, there are some pockets where there is euphoria but the fact is that overall the market have been in a consolidative range because ultimately 70-80% of allocation of funds, investors are towards largecaps, small and midcap funds have done well, we have seen flows but broadly markets have consolidated, which is a good setup,” Suri said.

Suri also said that India is undergoing a major shift in the whole capex cycle and that the move seen in some of the capital goods, engineering, and infrastructure stocks is likely to continue.

“I like things which have not moved for decades and when they see a revival the upside is massive, the trends tend to be large and these sectors and themes have not done much, they have seen a bit of 6-12 months kind of a run and I have a feeling that this is going to be the big theme which is going to dominate the market for the next few years,” he said.

Digital companies have been on the radar of the market ever since they had a euphoric listing in late-2021, early-2022. While Zomato has managed to turn profitable over the last two quarters, some of the other new-age businesses like Delhivery, Paytm and PB Fintech are still struggling towards their path to profitability.

The street has rewarded Zomato for turning profitable as well, as four out of the 27 analysts that track Zomato believe that the stock has the potential to test its previous record high of 160 and even surpass it.

Suri believes that there is a lot of money to be made in digital companies that have profit visibility.

“I find that the most interesting place will be the whole digital and tech space. A lot of these stocks, when listed about 2 years ago, were euphoric, and they fell 60-70-80% but a lot of them have got their act together. You have seen profitability in these and if bond yield, as I said that is the mother ship, tends to come off you will see a revival of these plays globally and a lot of these stocks will take out their earlier highs and there are going to be pockets,” he said.

Indian equities began Samvat 2080 on a positive note, with the Nifty 50 ending above the mark of 19,500. The Nifty Bank also closed near the mark of 44,000 with sectors like IT and PSUs outperforming.

Elon Musk forms several ‘X Holdings’ companies to fund potential Twitter buyout

3 Mins Read

Thursday’s filing dispelled some doubts, though Musk still has work to do. He and his advisers will spend the coming days vetting potential investors for the equity portion of his offer, according to people familiar with the matter

KV Prasad Journo follow politics, process in Parliament and US Congress. Former Congressional APSA-Fulbright Fellow

Muslim Community in Jaipur has been making fireworks for the royal family for centuries

KV Prasad Jun 13, 2022, 06:35 AM IST (Published)

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In Jaipur, traditionally, the Shorgar people manufactured the fireworks, whose ancestors came from Afghanistan and settled in Amer. The Shorgars have been making fireworks for emperors for the last 300 years. The Pink City of Rajasthan, Jaipur, renowned for its iconic landmarks such as Hawa Mahal, Nahargarh Fort, Jantar Mantar, and The City Palace, is not just a cultural and historical hub. It also stands out for its spectacular Diwali celebrations, particularly in the realm of fireworks. Interestingly, Jaipur’s firecrackers are not only sought after by locals, but are in demand by the royal family.

Traditionally, the art of fireworks in Jaipur was in the hands of the Shorgar people. Hailing from Afghanistan, their ancestors were adept at producing fireworks for celebrations not only in Jaipur but also across northwestern India. The Shorgars of Jaipur have earned fame for creating crackers specifically for kings and royal families, a tradition that endures to this day.

In the business of firecrackers for royalty for the past three centuries, the Shorgars are a distinctive community. The term “Shora” refers to sodium, a key ingredient in firecracker production, earning them the moniker Shorgar by the royal family. The Shorgars acquired their unique skill from Afghanistan and presented them to King Mansingh in Jaipur. In appreciation, the king granted them a princely state in Amer, Rajasthan, and the Shorgars have been the exclusive producers of crackers for the royal family ever since.

Media reports suggest that approximately 1,500 Shorgar families reside in Jaipur, with an additional 5,000 in Rajasthan linked to the craft of making crackers. Among their most renowned firework establishments is one situated near Hawa Mahal, celebrated for its exceptional creations. Whether for Diwali, weddings, or other festivities, people from near and far flock to Jaipur to purchase fireworks, often enjoying a 50% discount on their purchases.

For Jaipur residents, the Shorgars present a unique opportunity to celebrate Diwali with grandeur at a reduced cost. Beyond Rajasthan, their high-quality firecrackers are in demand in Delhi, Meerut, Amritsar, and other cities too. The Shorgars’ expertise has turned them into not just local artisans but suppliers of choice for individuals seeking top-notch fireworks across the region.

Elon Musk forms several ‘X Holdings’ companies to fund potential Twitter buyout

3 Mins Read

Thursday’s filing dispelled some doubts, though Musk still has work to do. He and his advisers will spend the coming days vetting potential investors for the equity portion of his offer, according to people familiar with the matter

KV Prasad Journo follow politics, process in Parliament and US Congress. Former Congressional APSA-Fulbright Fellow

India fast emerging as global player in defence sector, capabilities of its security forces constantly rising: PM Modi

KV Prasad Jun 13, 2022, 06:35 AM IST (Published)

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India is fast emerging as a big global player in the defence sector and the capabilities of its security forces are constantly rising, Prime Minister Narendra Modi said on Sunday.

Addressing soldiers in Himachal Pradesh’s Lepcha after celebrating Diwali with security personnel stationed near the border, Modi said the circumstances of the world are such that expectations from India are constantly rising.

“At such an important time, it is necessary that India’s borders are protected and there is an environment of peace in the country, and you have a big role in this,” Modi, dressed in Indo-Tibetan Border Police (ITBP) fatigues, said. “India is protected till the time my brave hearts are standing on the borders like the Himalayas,” the prime minister said.

“After Independence, these brave hearts (Army personnel) fought so many wars and won the country’s heart… Our jawans have snatched victory in the face of challenges,” he said. “It is said that ‘parv’ is where the ‘parivaar‘ is. On festivals, being away from the family and deployed on the borders exemplifies the commitment to duty The country is indebted to you,” Modi told the soldiers.

“Therefore, on Diwali, one ‘diya’ is for your safety, and in every prayer, people wish for your safety,” the prime minister said. “Since 30-35 years, there has been no Diwali that I have not celebrated with you. When I was neither the PM nor the CM, I celebrated Diwali amongst you in border areas, Modi said.

India’s soldiers have always walked ahead, risking their lives, and have always proven that they are the “strongest wall” at the borders, he added. “For me, a place where our security forces are deployed is no less than a temple,” Modi said.

The prime minister also hailed the role played by the armed forces in evacuations in earthquake-hit areas and during other calamities. “When we had to pull out people from Sudan, India’s bravehearts completed the mission with courage When there was an earthquake in Turkiye, they risked lives to save people,” Modi said.

Wherever Indians are in danger, security forces are always committed to ensuring their safety, he asserted. “We are proud of our forces and soldiers,” Modi added.

Elon Musk forms several ‘X Holdings’ companies to fund potential Twitter buyout

3 Mins Read

Thursday’s filing dispelled some doubts, though Musk still has work to do. He and his advisers will spend the coming days vetting potential investors for the equity portion of his offer, according to people familiar with the matter

KV Prasad Journo follow politics, process in Parliament and US Congress. Former Congressional APSA-Fulbright Fellow

Diwali Muhurat Trading 2023 Highlights: Sensex, Nifty 50 begin Samvat 2080 on a strong note; PSUs, IT outperform

KV Prasad Jun 13, 2022, 06:35 AM IST (Published)

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Diwali Muhurat Trading 2023 Highlights: Indian equities ended the Muhurat trading session for Samvat 2080 on a positive note with the Nifty 50 ending with gains of close to 100 points. The Sensex also gained close to 400 points, while the Nifty Bank closed near the 44,000 mark. All sectoral indices ended higher, with IT and PSU stocks outperforming. Coal India ended at a six-year high, while stocks like PFC and ONGC also extended their gains.

Elon Musk forms several ‘X Holdings’ companies to fund potential Twitter buyout

3 Mins Read

Thursday’s filing dispelled some doubts, though Musk still has work to do. He and his advisers will spend the coming days vetting potential investors for the equity portion of his offer, according to people familiar with the matter

KV Prasad Journo follow politics, process in Parliament and US Congress. Former Congressional APSA-Fulbright Fellow