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As fear of surge in COVID-19 numbers grows amid preparations for <keyword id="6357908" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="20" keywordseo="durga-puja">Durga puja</keyword>, several pandal committees have made arrangements for <keyword id="27904" type="PERSON" weightage="20" keywordseo="Virtual">virtual</keyword> 'darshan' this time, while barring the physical entry of visitors. There are, however, other puja associations that have argued that the festival is all about inclusiveness, and revellers cannot be stopped from visiting the marquees. They have given assurances that all necessary measures would be taken to manage crowds and ensure safety of one and all. At least two big-ticket pujas in the city -- Santosh Mitra Square and Debdaru Fatak -- have announced that outsiders won't be allowed this time, but insisted that people log on to their YouTube channels to catch a glimpse of the Durga idol, and the rituals. Sajal Ghosh, the secretary of Santosh Mitra Square, said, "Lakhs of people walk through narrow lanes to reach the puja pandal every year. This time, that cannot be allowed. People in our area will also be exposed to serious threats of COVID infection. That is why we have decided to put a blanket ban on the entry of visitors to our pandal." Another crowd-puller, Jodhpur Park Sarbojanin, has refrained from setting up a marquee this time. "Maa Durga's idol will be installed in a banquet hall that belongs to the puja committee. All events will be streamed live on giant screens across a stretch of one kilometre from the venue," Sumantra Roy, an officer-bearer of the association, said. Treading on a different path, some puja organisers have opened wide the doors of the marquees for the revellers, after putting in place strict safety measures to prevent the spread of the disease. Somnath Das, the secretary of Santoshpur Lake Pally, said, "We will not prohibit entry of visitors. Also, the pandal has been setup in a certain way so that people get to catch a glimpse of the idols from the adjacent road. Those willing to stay at home can click on augmentedpujo.com to enjoy virtual darshan." Echoing him, Partha Ghosh, an office-bearer of Shivmandir Puja committee, said disallowing people was not an option, as Durga puja was all about togetherness. "The whole purpose of community puja would get defeated if we stop the entry of visitors. That said, we will live stream all rituals on social media," he said. Another prominent puja in the city, Suruchi Sangha, is of the view that fewer revellers will go pandal-hopping this time, as local train services continue to remain suspended. "For the ones who won't be able to visit our pandal, we have made arrangements so that they can experience it all on their cell phones," Swarup Biswas of Suruchi Sangha said. Night-long pandal-hopping is set to begin in the city and elsewhere in the state from Monday, with Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee recently announcing that people can start visiting marquees from 'Tritiya' - three days before the puja rituals begin -- to avoid crowding to an extent. SEE ALSO: <a target="_blank" class="c-link c-message_attachment__title_link" href="https://www.businessinsider.in/india/news/yogi-adityanath-to-address-18-rallies-in-bihar/articleshow/78744786.cms">Yogi Adityanath to address 18 rallies in Bihar</a> <a target="_blank" class="c-link c-message_attachment__title_link" href="https://www.businessinsider.in/india/news/atlassians-50mn-global-venture-fund-to-focus-on-indian-startups/articleshow/78744928.cms">Atlassian's $50mn global venture fund to focus on Indian startups</a>

Virtual pandal-hopping is the new normal this Durga puja

<ul><li>The suits maker wants to become a lifestyle experience company targeting 'newly grown ups'.</li><li>The investments are going into rebuilding the entire value chain and the biggest chunk of the money is being spent on technology and digital infrastructure.</li><li>The sale of land parcel in Thane will give the company additional muscle as it invests in trying to reinvent the brand and the company.</li></ul>Raymond has been popular for its suits for decades in India but it wants to be more than that starting next year. “So we want to evolve from a clothing company to a lifestyle experience company,” Chief Executive Officer Sanjay Behl told Business Insider in an exclusive interview. And that would mean remodelling the entire value chain from the supply to technology to the digital infrastructure. “We have partners like SAP, Microsoft, PwC, Accenture have come together to look at every single node of our value chain and make us future-ready, for Raymond 3.0,” Behl said. Most of its investments are going into technology as the company shifts its focus to a younger audience, which Behl likes to call the ‘newly grown ups’. “There are massive IT investments, running into multi-million dollar investments, which are happening currently in under-layering or re-architecting the IT infrastructure of the company.... Our point of sale of in each of these (outlets) is going to change. This is a partnership with Microsoft which again is going to consume multi million dollars,” he added. 
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 In times of slowdown Earlier this year, Group Chairman <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/raymond-chairman-gautam-singhania-latest-interview-earnings-outlook/articleshow/68519775.cms">Gautam Singhania told Business Insider</a> that the company was likely to turn free cash flow in the financial year ending March 2019 itself. That didn’t happen. The slowdown in the economy and demand may have made matters worse in the months that followed for Raymond, which has a debt of about ₹2,300 crore on its books. Thankfully for the group, the much-awaited deal to sell a massive land parcel in Thane (nearMumbai has come through. On October 9, the company <a href="https://www.bseindia.com/corporates/anndet_new.aspx?newsid=b8f9b333-e7f1-4180-8af8-f47bca7e90b4">informed the stock exchanges</a> that the land has been agreed to be sold for ₹700 crore and will help improve cash flow amidst a broader slowdown in demand. Raymond makes nearly 60% of its revenue in the second half of the year thanks to a series of festivities and weddings across the country. However, this year’s festive season has been off to a sombre start. “There is a definite uptick though it was muted. This time, Onam has not been as.. because there were floods in Kerala and that impacted the sentiment to a very large extent. The Middle East has slowed down a lot versus a few years ago, and Kerala has a lot of Middle East economy that helps them spend. A combination of factors, we have seen a muted response during Onam. The early signs are looking good for <keyword id="6357908" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="20" keywordseo="durga-puja">Durga Puja</keyword>. Though it’s still not as bountiful as we expected,” he said. The interview with Behl took place on September 27. But Behl is confident of a high single-digit growth in topline and a double digit growth in bottomline. 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
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 The share price of Raymond had lost over a third of its market value since the start of this year. However, the announcement of the land sale has given a huge fillip to the street sentiment. The share price jumped over 8% after the statement sent to the exchanges. “The fundamentals have not changed and the stock market is a consequence of fundamentals eventually. It’s a bit of catch up that will have to be done and it will happen,” Behl had said before the announcement. SEE ALSO: <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/raymond-chairman-gautam-singhania-latest-interview-earnings-outlook/articleshow/68519775.cms" data-type="tilCustomLink" target="_blank">Two revelations and a fiery defence from Raymond’s boss Gautam Singhania</a>

Raymond is spending millions on SAP, Microsoft, PwC, and Accenture to rewire the company

<ul><li>The <keyword id="6921472" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="20" keywordseo="samaj-sebi-sangha">Samaj Sebi Sangha</keyword> came up with an innovative idea to devote their 73rd puja celebration to the blind by creating a <keyword id="6357958" type="PERSON" weightage="20" keywordseo="durga">Durga</keyword> pandal with nails and threads. </li><li>The creators want people to enter the space and feel the texture of the sculpture. </li><li>The committee has also made sure that the visually impaired and pregnant women do not need a separate entry card for VIP entrance.</li></ul>Have you ever seen a sculpture made entirely of nails and that too with a purpose? <keyword id="6357908" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="20" keywordseo="durga-puja">Durga Puja</keyword> is one of the most widely celebrated Hindu festivals in India. And, during this year’s Durga Puja, one of the organising committees in <keyword id="6354925" type="LOCATION" weightage="20" keywordseo="kolkata">Kolkata</keyword>, the Samaj Sebi Sangha, decided to take things up a notch by <a href="https://www.telegraphindia.com/states/west-bengal/a-durga-puja-pandal-to-touch-for-the-visually-impaired/cid/1671368">constructing</a> a Durga idol so that even the visually impaired can experience the statue. Breaching the usual norms of a Durga Puja pandal - to not to touch the artefacts - Samaj Sebi committee has been motivating people to touch Durga’s face instead. It’s an initiative to promote inclusive celebration and they even devoted their 73rd puja to the sightless and the blind. The sculpture of Durga has been put together using 20,000 screws and 1,200 nails at the entrance of the pandal. Though not the whole Durga, the sculpture has the face and the eyes of the goddess. The committee has also carved out a wall display with different thread patterns to form words like ‘Ma’ and ‘Jai Maa Durga’. The visually impaired are also being provided with a puja itinerary with in-depth information about the details of festivals in <keyword id="6363733" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="20" keywordseo="BRAILLE">Braille</keyword>. In a conversation with Business Insider India, Chandan Basu from Samaj Sebi Sangha said, “We have created this pandal for the visually impaired people so that they can feel the Durga Puja. We also wanted to educate the general people to donate their eyes after death to give light to the visually impaired. Samaj sebi sangha always pass a social message every year.” Samaj Sebi also partnered with Voice of the world to help visually impaired children enjoy the festival. Moreover, it has set up an eye donation camp with M.P Birla <keyword id="6607668" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="20" keywordseo="eye-bank">Eye bank</keyword> near the pandal. According to Samaj Sebi, 85 people have already pledged to donate their eyes. And it’s not just about the visually impaired. The Samaj Sebi Sangha has provided wheelchair and stretcher facilities for the old as well as differently-abled people. The surprise doesn’t end here.The puja committee also encouraged visually impaired children to perform in the cultural evening conducted on 16th October 2016 at the puja premises. This isn’t the first time that the committee has been in the news for its innovative approach towards Durga Puja. Just last year their display garnered appreciation for being India’s longest ‘Alpona’, which is a type of graffiti made in India using rice flour paste. Here is a glimpse of the creative Durga Puja concept

Blind-friendly deity sculpture made from 1,200 nails and 20,000 screws helps the visually impaired ‘see’ Durga Puja

Private hospitals in the city have welcomed the state government's decision to reduce the cost of <keyword id="8763838" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="20" keywordseo="covid-19">COVID-19</keyword> test from ₹2,250 to Rs 1,500 as well as fixing rates for ambulance services. They have requested the state government to consider lowering the GST on COVID-19 test kits. "As the state government caps the cost of COVID test at Rs 1,500, we will be implementing it as per the directive, given that these are pandemic times. However, we would also like to present our case before the government to reconsider the rate as this is not financially viable for us, taking into account the cost of reagent, test kit and infrastructure. "Contrary to popular belief, private hospitals have been suffering losses for the last eight months, and this will further affect our condition," Group CEO, AMRI Hospitals Rupak Barua said. Sudipta Mitra, the chief executive of Peerless Hospital when contacted told , "Yes, we will definitely go by what the state government has decided. We will follow it on humanitarian grounds as we think it's our social responsibility. But we will also request the government to consider lowering the GST on the kits required to conduct the COVID-19 tests just like what has been done for the PPE kits." Senior physician Dr Syamasis Bandyopadhyay of the Apollo Hospital said that during the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic people should consider this as their responsibility towards society. "There is no option of creating any controversy with this initiative of the state government. We welcome this move. But simultaneously people have to abide by the health protocol and follow precautionary measures to keep the disease at bay," Dr Bandyopadhyay said. The state Cabinet on Monday brought down the rate of COVID-19 tests at private sector from Rs 2,250 to Rs 1,500 apprehending a surge in the contagion in the coming weeks when the state will witness Durga Puja festivals. The West Bengal Clinical Regulatory Commission, following a request from the state government fixed Rs 3,000 as ambulance charges for transportation of the COVID-19 patients considering the distance of transportation. <a target="_blank" class="c-link c-message_attachment__title_link" href="https://www.businessinsider.in/science/news/nasa-just-brought-7-countries-into-its-new-artemis-accords-an-agreement-to-explore-the-moon-and-mars-together-china-and-russia-are-not-among-them-/articleshow/78646267.cms">China and Russia haven't signed on to NASA's new plan to unify how humanity explores space</a>

Private hospitals in West Bengal requests state government to lower GST on COVID-19 test kits

It is true that <a href="http://www.businessinsider.in/searchresult.cms?query=raghuram+rajan">RBI Governor Raghuram Rajan</a> exceeded expectations by <a href="http://www.businessinsider.in/BREAKING-NEWS-RBI-cuts-repo-rates-by-50-basis-points-CRR-unchanged/articleshow/49148486.cms">announcing key rate cut by 50 basis points</a>. 
 
This news also brought cheers to the Auto sector as automobile manufacturers said it was a festival gift for them. 
 
<a href="http://www.businessinsider.in/Raghuram-Rajans-reasons-for-the-huge-unexpected-rate-cuts/articleshow/49149054.cms">The rate cut</a> will help the <a href="http://www.businessinsider.in/searchresult.cms?query=auto+sector">Auto sector</a> to meet 15-20% sales growth during the upcoming festive season. 
 "This is a festival gift. Traditionally, during the festive season, the auto industry witnesses sales growth of 15-20%, which was missed in the last couple of years. This reduction in rate by the RBI has assured that the growth will be achieved," said <keyword id="103788" type="CITY" weightage="20" keywordseo="Hyundai-Motor-India-Ltd">Hyundai Motor India Ltd</keyword> (HMIL) Senior Vice President (Marketing and Sales) Rakesh Srivastava. 
 
The reduction in interest rates will reduce cost of ownership and help the automakers get more customers. Automakers generally expect higher sales during the months of October and November when Durga Puja, Diwali and other festivals are celebrated. 
 
<a href="http://www.businessinsider.in/searchresult.cms?query=maruti+suzuki">Maruti Suzuki India</a> Executive Director Marketing and Sales R S Kalsi also echoed the same sentiments. 
 
“The market so far has been moving very slowly but with this (rate cut) sentiments will improve. It gives the much-needed boost to the market in the pre-festive season,” said Kalsi. 
 
<a href="http://www.businessinsider.in/searchresult.cms?query=hero+motocorp">Hero MotoCorp Chairman and MD Pawan Munjal</a> also lauded the rate cut and said it came at an opportune time as it will help in raising customer sentiment during the festival season. 
 
The RBI cut its policy rate from 7.25% to 6.75% -- the lowest in four-and-half years. 
 
(Image: Indiatimes)

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Blind-friendly deity sculpture made from 1,200 nails and 20,000 screws helps the visually impaired ‘see’ Durga Puja

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