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The vibrant festival of Diwali, celebrated across India with lights, firecrackers, and joyous gatherings, also witnessed a series of unfortunate incidents and emergencies this year, bringing attention to the risks associated with firecrackers and other festival practices. From fires and injuries to life-threatening confrontations, the festival celebrations were marred by numerous incidents, causing authorities to respond swiftly. <h2>Hyderabad: <keyword id="23276717" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="eye-injuries" source="keywords">Eye injuries</keyword> surge</h2>In Hyderabad, the Sarojini Devi Eye Hospital reported a significant rise in firecracker-related eye injuries, with 48 patients seeking treatment for burns and eye damage. Hospital Superintendent Modini Pandharpurkar noted, "Of the 48, eight were admitted to the hospital, including three children and five adults." Fortunately, none of the injuries were life-threatening. Nevertheless, with the ongoing celebrations, the hospital anticipates a higher number of patients in the coming days. She further urged parents to supervise children during firecracker use and cautioned against risky behavior such as holding crackers while lighting them. <h2>Firecracker dispute in Mumbai</h2>In Mumbai, a Diwali celebration escalated into a fatal altercation when a dispute broke out over the location for bursting firecrackers. Vivek Gupta, a 20-year-old resident of Jai Maharashtra Nagar in Antop Hill, lost his life in the confrontation. The incident began when a passerby, Kartik R Mohan Devendra, asked the group celebrating in a narrow lane to move to a safer location. Following a heated exchange, Devendra and his associates returned to the scene, leading to a violent clash during which Gupta was stabbed fatally. The police have since arrested five individuals and are actively searching for other suspects involved. <h2>Delhi: Record-breaking fire calls and rampant pollution</h2>The <keyword id="19959715" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="Delhi-fire-services" source="keywords">Delhi Fire Services</keyword> (DFS) experienced a record surge in fire-related emergencies, receiving 318 calls within a 24-hour span, marking the highest number in 13 years. “The figure marks the highest number of Diwali-related fire and emergency incidents in the past 13 years,” stated DFS Chief Atul Garg. Despite enhanced preparedness and additional fire units deployed across the city, the overwhelming number of incidents underscored the persistent dangers posed by firecrackers. The DFS reported that most calls came between 5 PM on October 31 and 5 AM on November 1. The calls included incidents of minor burns and fires, with one major accident involving a fire onboard a Delhi Transport Corporation (DTC) bus due to an ignited stash of crackers carried by a passenger. Additionally, the relentless firecracker use contributed to a drastic decline in Delhi's air quality. The city's air quality index (AQI) hit 'very poor' levels, exacerbating health risks for residents despite the fifth consecutive year of a government-imposed ban on firecrackers. <h2>Kanpur: Tragic loss in house fire</h2>In a tragic incident in Kanpur, prominent businessman Sanjay Shyam Dasani, his wife Kanika, and their domestic helper Chhavi Chauhan perished in a house fire believed to have started from a 'diya' left unattended after Diwali prayers. The fire rapidly engulfed their home, and the couple, unable to unlock their electronically secured bedroom door in time, succumbed to suffocation. The incident has left the local community in shock, highlighting the need for heightened safety precautions during the festival. <h2>Odisha: Firecracker mishaps result in casualties and injuries</h2>In Odisha, the festive celebrations took a deadly turn as two young boys lost their lives in a firecracker-related blast in Puri, while over 50 people suffered injuries in separate incidents across the state. One tragic accident involved the destruction of 25 shops in a Bhubaneswar market, where property worth lakhs was reduced to ashes. Hospitals in Bhubaneswar and Cuttack also reported multiple admissions of burn victims, many of whom were children. Puri Superintendent of Police Vinit Agarwal emphasised that strict measures would be taken against individuals involved in illegal firecracker manufacturing. <h2>Kolkata: Smog and noise pollution dampen festivities</h2>In Kolkata, the morning after Diwali brought a sharp decline in air quality as pollution levels soared across the city. Despite efforts by the West Bengal Pollution Control Board (WBPCB) to curb the use of harmful firecrackers, many residents disregarded guidelines, leading to dangerously high levels of PM 2.5. The AQI, which hovered around 250 in several areas during the night, remained in the ‘poor’ category the next morning. Environmentalist Somendra Mohan Ghosh criticised the public's disregard for sound and air pollution norms, stating, “Sound crackers were burst rampantly from 9PM till after 1AM across several areas." Officials across the country have voiced concerns and urged citizens to prioritise safety over enthusiasm. Delhi's Environment Minister, Gopal Rai, mobilised enforcement teams to ensure compliance with the firecracker ban, while activists like Somendra Ghosh stressed the importance of public responsibility in maintaining environmental and community safety. The festival, though symbolic of light and joy, brought shadows of loss and injury this year. As celebrations conclude, the collective hope remains that future festivals will witness more cautious, eco-friendly, and considerate observances that uphold the spirit of Diwali without compromising lives or the environment. (With inputs from agencies)

Diwali celebrations overshadowed by eye injuries, fatal incidents and record number of fire hazards across India

With so many highway movies doing the rounds, sojourning from city to city and state to state feels like a romantic prelude to a long <keyword id="6374782" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="100" keywordseo="journey">journey</keyword> of self-discovery – till reality strikes. And just like a movie, the reality can be multilayered – varying from bad roads to gasping traffic and minimal road safety. But we promised you relief from those travelling conditions the next time we return with our <keyword id="2053047" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="100" keywordseo="Open-roads">Open Roads</keyword> series. And here we are, with more information about a whole new bunch of <keyword id="2074695" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="100" keywordseo="Intracity-and-inter-city-expressways">intracity and inter-city expressways</keyword> that not only reduce <keyword id="4251245" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="100" keywordseo="Commute-time">commute time</keyword> but also reshape a country’s landscape, <keyword id="34412" type="ORGANIZATION" weightage="80" keywordseo="economy">economy</keyword> and way of life. In the last slideshow of this series, the journey begins from the <keyword id="44875" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="100" keywordseo="West-coast">west coast</keyword> and goes down south. 
 As we have mentioned before, expressways are limited-access roads designed for high-speed traffic. The economic impact of an <keyword id="2074705" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="100" keywordseo="Expressway-network">expressway network</keyword> criss-crossing the country is all too obvious and the <keyword id="6404450" type="ORGANIZATION" weightage="100" keywordseo="Ministry-of-Road-Transport-and-Highways">Ministry of Road Transport and Highways</keyword> (MoRTH) has already recommended a total <keyword id="2074707" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="100" keywordseo="E-way-network">e-way network</keyword> of about 18,637 km in the country. Development work is being done in three phases and is scheduled to be completed by 2022. During the Interim Budget, <keyword id="6355261" type="POSITION" weightage="60" keywordseo="Finance-minister">Finance Minister</keyword> <keyword id="43940" type="PERSON" weightage="60" keywordseo="P-Chidambaram">P Chidambaram</keyword> also told the Parliament the road network in the country witnessed over sevenfold increase at 3.89 lakh km over the past decade. 
 Does that mean we may soon see an <keyword id="2074709" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="100" keywordseo="E-way-ecosystem">e-way ecosystem</keyword> similar to the interstate system in the US? Given the obstacles in terms of <keyword id="6364579" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="100" keywordseo="Land-acquisition">land acquisition</keyword>, <keyword id="414903" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="100" keywordseo="fund-crunch">fund crunch</keyword> and <keyword id="2074714" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="100" keywordseo="Slow-implementation">slow implementation</keyword>, it’s definitely going to take some time. Meanwhile, hop into the driver’s seat and go off exploring some super-fast roads you have not travelled yet. After all, it’s a journey with no end… and wheels will always need roads. 
 
Image: Thinkstock Photos/Getty Images

Be It Intracity Or
Inter-city, These 5 Expressways Make Travelling A Breeze

At least eight people were killed and 30 others injured after a bus plunged into an irrigation canal in <a href="http://www.businessinsider.in/searchresult.cms?query=Telangana&amp;sortorder=effectivedate">Telangana</a>. 
 The mishap took place near Nayakangudem village on the <keyword id="4231190" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="100" keywordseo="Khammam-Hyderabad-highway">Khammam-Hyderabad highway</keyword> when the private bus was going to Kakinada in the neighboring state of Andhra Pradesh from state capital Hyderabad. 
 
While eight people died on the spot, those injured have been admitted to nearby hospitals where the condition of some are said to be serious. 
 
Reportedly, quoting eye-witnesses, that the driver lost control of the speeding bus and hit the parapet wall of the bridge across the Nagarjunasagar Project before falling straight into the irrigation channel. 
 
The bodies were retrieved from the water by local fishermen, while the bus has been pulled out by large police cranes.. 
 
A probe has been ordered into the incident.

Vijayawada bus accident: At least 8 dead, 30 injured after bus falls into river

<keyword id="20101775" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="West-Bengal-Governor" source="keywords">West Bengal Governor</keyword> CV Ananda Bose on Monday tore into the <keyword id="19909056" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="Mamata-Banerjee" source="keywords">Mamata Banerjee</keyword> government in the state saying that the Government had failed the women of the state. "Bengal is not a place safe for women. Bengal has failed its women. Not the society but the present government has failed its women folk. Bengal should be brought back to its pristine glory where women had a respectable place in society...Women now are scared of 'Gundas' this has been created by the government that is insensitive to this issue," the Government "In Bengal, the government has ensured that woman has no protection, that is what is reflected after the gruesome tragedy that took place in RG Kar. This should not be repeated," the Governor added. Governor Bose is expected to meet Home Minister Amit Shah to discuss the situation in the state. Meanwhile, speaking on the statement of the deceased doctor's parents the Governor said, "I respect the sentiments of the mother. The law will take its course." The Governor also extended his wishes on the occasion of Raksha Bandhan saying that sisters are the most beautiful creation of God. "Sisters are the most beautiful creations of God. Sisters are felt in the blood and felt around the heart. Today is a beautiful celebration brother and sister bonding together for Rakhi Bandhan. This is something that goes in the roots of the Indian culture, where brother is a symbol of protection and sister is a symbol of affection...The whole world should take inspiration from this," he said Earlier, Following a letter shared by former Indian cricketer <keyword id="20099610" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="Harbhajan-Singh" source="keywords">Harbhajan Singh</keyword> urging West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee and Governor C.V. Ananda Bose to take immediate and decisive action in the Kolkata RG Kar Medical College and Hospital rape-death case, Bengal Governor Bose on Sunday stated that he "has called an <keyword id="21519770" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="emergency-meeting" source="keywords">emergency meeting</keyword> of a cross-section of Bengal society to apprise them of the action taken in the matter and to gather their opinions on the issue." In a post on X, the office of the Governor said, "HG's swift action on the letter from Shri Harbhajan Singh expressing his anguish over the tragic incident at R.G. Kar Medical College. HG has called an emergency meeting of a cross-section of Bengal society to apprise them of the action taken in the matter and to take stock of their opinions in this regard." The governor's office stated that he would be speaking to Harbhajan Singh on the actions taken and expressed his "solidarity with the civil society across India, who have voiced their deep concern over the ghastly incident and the apparent inaction of the government." On August 15, the Governor visited the RG Kar college which had been vandalised by a mob the night before. Speaking to the Governor said, "I went to the spot and all doctors, students and protestors were shocked by the dastardly attack on the midnight of 14th August, police were there to guard them but they did nothing, equipment was also destroyed. It was a more humiliating and depressing incident. Nursing students there told me with tears in their eyes that those goons threatened them to rape in public. Who was there to question? That was anarchy, which may be limited to a certain area, but such anarchy could have killed various. People are taking laws into their own hands, this is not acceptable in a civilized society. This is happening in Bengal." He further said, "I have asked for the responsible report on the incident from the government under Article 167 of the Constitution and waiting for that. I'll take a look and give my views on it." On August 9, a postgraduate trainee doctor was allegedly raped and murdered while on duty at RG Kar Medical College in Kolkata, sparking nationwide strikes and protests by the medical community. On August 14, the protest site and the hospital campus at RG Kar were vandalized by a mob, prompting security personnel to disperse the crowd. To maintain law and order, Kolkata police have imposed Section 163 of the BNSS around RG Kar Medical College and Hospital for seven days, effective from August 18. SEE ALSO: <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/tech/mobile/news/google-pixel-9-pro-fold-launched-in-india-at-172999-but-you-cant-get-your-hands-on-it-right-now/articleshow/112517193.cms">Google Pixel 9 Pro Fold launched in India at ₹1,72,999, but you can’t get your hands on it right now</a> <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/stock-market/news/ipo-scam-two-victims-from-hyderabad-lose-over-11crore-in-fake-ipo-scams/articleshow/112488051.cms">IPO scam – Two victims from Hyderabad lose over ₹11 crore in fake IPO scams</a> <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/tech/news/indias-wearables-market-decline-for-the-first-time-as-smartwatch-shipments-fall/articleshow/112397246.cms">India’s wearables market decline for the first time as smartwatch shipments fall</a>

"Government has failed women of Bengal," says Bengal Governor CV Ananda Bose

<ul><li>Former PM Rajiv Gandhi said, “Do not design this office for me but design it for the Prime Minister of India.” </li><li>All working women are constantly challenged because we live parallel lives.</li></ul>I have been asked to speak about my journey as an entrepreneur and a design professional. Let me begin by saying that when I began work as an interior designer and furniture manufacturer in 1971, there were no words such as “entrepreneur” or “branding” or things like Instagram and various other forms of social media that exist today. I became a designer because of family influences and growing in a city like Lucknow which is imbued with tehzeeb and nazakat. I do not think I could have been a designer if I had had parents other than those I was blessed with. They were interested in reading and the acquisition of knowledge. My father believed that books would always remain the central element of civilisation. For us knowledge came from immersive reading, and we were voracious readers. We were always interested in places and peoples. We delighted in reading the atlas and dictionaries. In the last 50 years there have been so many places which were our dream destinations, and which one has now visited……… and many places like Machu Picchu that one has not! Perhaps it is still not too late. Because of our father’s immense love for travel and discovery we saw so much of India. The first heritage site that I ever visited was at the age of nine. That was Mahabalipuram in Tamil Nadu and the Temple of the Tooth and the Botanical Gardens in Kandy in Ceylon. All of these were early influences and have influenced my design sensibilities. I have a very contemporary mindset but one that is also deeply grounded in our own heritage. This is because one has had the good fortune of travelling through the length and breadth of India. Much as one has enjoyed the cultures of other countries, I have a deep and constant curiosity about our own country. All this informs the way I work. As far as design education is concerned, I became a designer by accident – serendipitously so! The study of literature and Hindustani classical music enriched my mindscape. I do not have formal training in design but grew up surrounded by design…….. with my father visiting many auction houses and kabadiwalas in Lucknow. It fills me with quiet pride that, as a woman without any formal training in design, I became the first designer in India, man or woman, to be conferred the <keyword id="25105" type="General" weightage="80" keywordseo="padma-shri" source="Orion">Padma Shri</keyword> in 1992. I was reasonably young to be bestowed this honour and I thought at that time that it would open the floodgates to many more interior designers. I have also had the distinction of being the first architect or designer from India to be invited to give an illustrated talk in 2003, at the National Building Museum in Washington DC. This museum is the most visited museum of architecture in the world. Its atrium is the venue of the first presidential ball after a new president has been sworn in. In 2014, I was appointed Chairperson of the Board School of Planning and Architecture in Bhopal, a National Institute of Excellence. That was also a first! But, if you ask me whether I was working towards breaking these glass ceilings, then the answer would be an emphatic no! These happened along the way, as a natural progression in a career in which one had put in much hard work. In my profession one is as good as one’s last project. That gets one more work and not because they like your face. No client is going to spend millions of dollars commissioning you to design their hotel if they do not believe in your talent and your ability to deliver. <div type="image" title="05 South Drawing Room, Rashtrapati Bhawan, New Delhi" msid="98578011" hostid="261" sizebytes="111308" caption="&amp;lt;p&amp;gt;South Drawing Room, Rashtrapati Bhawan&amp;lt;/p&amp;gt;"></div> From 1985 to 1989, I worked on the restoration and conservation of the Rashtrapati Bhavan and in 1988 to 1989 on Hyderabad House. That was the first time that HH was closed for nine months because it was not just the interior decoration that was attended to but also all the interior architecture and services like air conditioning. I designed both the decrepit courtyards in a Lutyensesque style and restored the gardens in Hyderabad House. As far as British buildings in New Delhi are concerned, I had the great privilege of working in the Prime Minister’s Office and Secretariat in South Block. And am happy to note that it has remained unchanged through the tenures of the last nine Prime Ministers. The primary reason for this was the brief from the former PM, Rajiv Gandhi…… “do not design this Office for me but design it for the Prime Minister of India”. I followed this brief and worked on the building as these I firmly believe belong to the nation. His second brief was that he wanted his executive chair to be the same height as his visitors’ chairs. These are all very telling traits of character. I also designed the official residence of the Prime Minister along with restoring the two buildings that comprise the Indira Gandhi Memorial Museum. In New Delhi one has also designed the interiors of the British Council Building and Library. In my career this has been a landmark project because this is the largest of their 80 institutes worldwide. It was inaugurated in 1992 by HRH the Prince of Wales. When we were presented to him, he had a very interesting conversation with me regarding the buildings on either side of the British Council. He certainly has a keen eye for architecture. <div type="image" title="03 National Assembly Building in Thimpu, Bhutan" msid="98578068" hostid="261" sizebytes="195996" caption="&amp;lt;p&amp;gt;National Assembly Building, Bhutan&amp;lt;/p&amp;gt;"></div> Another landmark building for me in 1989 was the <keyword id="1142396" type="General" weightage="50" keywordseo="parliament-building" source="Orion">Parliament Building</keyword> in Bhutan called the National Assembly Building. For me, this was a completely new area of research. In those days so little was known of the art and architecture of Bhutan and neither were any books available. Immersive travelling through Bhutan, to familiarise myself with its architecture and its arts and crafts became essential. His Majesty’s office appointed as my guide, Dasho Khandu who was a living encyclopaedia on Bhutanese art and architecture. These have been amazing projects of learning for me. I like to deeply research new places and new cultures. So maybe, at the end of the day, I think this profession chose me and one is fortunate as this process of working suits my mindset. In a long design career of 50 years, I had a break in 1998. I had simply fallen off a ladder in the house and had fractured two of my cerebral vertebrae. That is when I decided I would stop designing hotels which I had done for the past almost 30 years. At that point I thought I would just design residences in and around India and not travel out to Egypt, Bhutan, England, Timbuktu, etc. But life had other plans! I went on to design a large residence in Sri Lanka and was commissioned to design a boutique hotel in the old city of Lahore. Sadly, that project was eventually abandoned. When I was in Lahore for their Literary Festival at the end of February this year when I saw this building standing as is, it made me quite nostalgic. Lahore is a beautiful city and the people are very hospitable. Along this design journey many institutions have asked me to come to give illustrated lectures. For the ‘Millennium Book on Delhi’, I was one of the eight contributors who wrote an extended essay on ‘The Planning of New Delhi’. <keyword id="118548" type="General" weightage="50" keywordseo="oxford-university-press" source="Orion">Oxford University Press</keyword>, the publishers of the book have a world-wide reach. That is how the Kennedy School of Government in Harvard University heard of this unknown Indian and invited me to give an illustrated talk. Thus began a parallel career in being a speaker. Since Harvard one has given many lectures in many universities and institutions in the US, the UK and in South East Asia on design, architecture, conservation, literature, on ‘Mughal Jewellery as a Statement of Empire’, world heritage cultural sites in India and on social entrepreneurship. One has always believed that women such as oneself are privileged because we are educated. Never mind that we belong to the working classes! We must, with humility and gratitude, help those that are less fortunate. One has been deeply associated with ‘Satyagyan Foundation’ which was an affiliate of ‘World Literacy Canada’. Based in Varanasi, we have worked in about 400 slum areas and have altogether made 23,000 women literate. One has also been associated with ‘Save a Mother’ which was started by the amazing Dr Shiban Gunju. He has reduced the mortality rate of pregnant women by 93%. One was the founding member and last chairperson of ‘Umang’, an NGO that worked for the betterment of street children. These have been my interests and each has been a milestone. Another milestone was co-authoring ‘The Lucknow Cookbook’ with my mother. It is now in its tenth print run and has been declared a classic by Aleph, the publishers. More recently I produced and edited the large formatted book, ‘Kala - Essays on Contemporary Design Aesthetics’ which was launched in Dubai in 2019 by Sheikh Nahan and in October 2022. It had its first proper launches in Milan and London by Artize of the Jaquar Group. In November 2022, it was launched in New York and most recently in February 2023 at the ‘Lahore Literary Festival’. Every stage in life has its own milestones particularly if one is also a wife, a mother and a grandmother. All working women are constantly challenged because we live parallel lives. For me every project, whether large or small, has been a challenge. It has all added to my body of work and to my learning curve. I have never thought of myself as a woman doing all these things……. I think one creates one’s own benchmark and this is the way one has moved forward. I am still working and writing more books as our daughter, the award-winning architect <keyword id="8435490" type="General" weightage="50" keywordseo="kohelika-kohli" source="Orion">Kohelika Kohli</keyword>, has taken over the business of running K2India. She has just launched her new brand of furniture called KOKO by K2India. One feels justifiably proud that one must have done something right. One gave them the tools of a fine education and took them travelling to broaden their minds. And then left them to follow their own passions. (The writer is an award winning architect and an author)

A Padma Shri winning architect takes us through her journey from Lucknow to Lutyens

Hyderabad, Apr 7 (): A case has been booked againstan ophthalmologist for allegedly not disclosing informationon attending the preparatory meeting for the Tablighi Jamatcongregation in Delhi last month, police said on Tuesday.Though a COVID-19 test report of the eye specialist,working at the Rajiv Gandhi Institute of Medical Sciences(RIMS) at Adilabad, Telangana, was negative, he continues toremain under hospital quarantine, they said.The man, also a Jamat functionary and reportedly anorganising committee member, had visited Delhi on March 8,returned to Adilabad on March 10 but he did not discloseanyone about his visit and began attending to patients fromMarch 12 to April 1, police had earlier said.However, he was not part of the religious congregationwhich was held later, they had said.The ophthalmologist's name cropped up when the policewere going through the names of those who returned from theevent, following which they alerted health officials andbased on their advice, he was placed in isolation at ahospital.Based on a complaint filed by a RIMS official, a casewas booked against the ophthalmologist under differentsections of the IPC sections and under relevant sections ofEpidemic Diseases Act and Disaster Management Act, a seniorpolice official told over the phone. VVKNVG NVG

Case against ophthalmologist for hiding info on Delhi visit

Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella talks AI, closing the Activision Blizzard deal, and his best business decision so far

Maruti is in an image revamp mode. India’s largest car maker in terms of volumes have been a trusted name when it came to sub 5 lakh cars in Indian roads. People willing to buy premium cars were earlier shying away from Maruti and were more invited by Honda, Hyundai and Toyota, thanks to their premium offering. 
 
But things are changing for better for this Indian automaker. 
 
The elites with shining wallet willing to pay for a premium car from Maruti would no more need to wait for their turns at showrooms jostling with Alto buyers as Maruti Suzuki is launching high end showrooms to market cars with a price tag above Rs 8 lakh. 
 
The NEXA-branded showrooms, which will start operating from Phoenix Mills in Mumbai, Brigade Road of Bengaluru and Hyderabad's Jubilee Hills would not sell Alto , WagonR and would only concentrate on premium cars. 
 
In a news report by The Economic Times, the upcoming premium crossover, S Cross, will be the first model to be sold through the NEXA outlets - the vehicle's launch is expected within a month. The company has already formed a new organizational structure in place led by Partho Banerjee and his team. The company will have over 100 new outlets under NEXA brand by the end of this fiscal year, a feat which has taken more than 3-4 years for its MNC rivals. 
 
The vehicles sold through NEXA outlets will carry a Suzuki logo, but won’t carry a Maruti Suzuki nameplate. 
 
It hired more than 700 sales staff with experience in the hospitality and aviation sectors - people who are trained in the nuances of dealing with wealthy customers. They have their soft skills honed further by global experts like Dale Carnegie. The designing for the showrooms is done by Hakuhodo, the Japanese agency that has worked on Nissan's Infiniti showrooms in the US, the ET report confirms. 
 
In May, ET had reported about Maruti's plans to have a separate NEXA channel to sell premium vehicles. 
 
R S Kalsi, executive director, sales and marketing at Maruti Suzuki told ET, with an eye on achieving 2 million sales by end of 2020, the company is embarking on a new phase with NEXA. Kalsi says, in the first phase (1983 to 1993) of Maruti's presence, the company offered new products to the starved Indian buyers, between 1993 to 2003, focus moved towards offering complete solution of finance, insurance, accessories, buy back along with the car, with NEXA Maruti wants to take the buying experience to the whole new level 
 
"The new channel is aimed at offering a very personalised experience of today's evolved buyers and we think S Cross is an ideal product to offer NEXA experience," added Kalsi. 
 
At launch, Maruti will have 30 NEXA outlets ready, thus covering over 65 per cent of premium end of the market. 
 
Maruti intends to offer pick and drop facility from the customer's doorstep for a NEXA visit, something common in the luxury-car market. While the company is beginning with the S Cross, it may eventually add the Ciaz sedan and premium hatchback YRA to the sales channel. 
 
Pradeep Saxena, ED at market research firm TNS Automotive told the financial daily, a separate channel will help Maruti Suzuki as the prospective buyers will be different and they will require a different kind of experience. He thinks the concept can work, people expect more attention and they will get more attention. 
"We all know Maruti because of its distribution strength, through premium channel, you are forcing people to come to a specific shop. So there could be trade off between offering better treatment and in-convenience of traveling longer. So Maruti Suzuki will have to deal with it," said Saxena, while talking to the financial daily. 
 
(Image : Reuters)

Maruti Suzuki adds snob value to its India Biz

The very word “stem cell” connotes an elixir cure. It has been part of science fiction tales, but today it is a reality. 
 As per a report by Forbes, surprisingly, India is considered to be in the forefront in <keyword id="6529759" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="100" keywordseo="Stem-cell">stem cell</keyword> research and its use. Considerable work has been done not only by private organisations, but also by the Government of India. The government has, through the Department of Biotechnology, granted over Rs 300 crore over the previous five years to be used in basic and applied research in stem cell technology. 
 
In comparison to other countries, including the United States, where even today no Federal funding is available for new cell lines, India has more liberal rules and regulations governing stem cell research. 
 
Why all the hype on stem cell research? Stem cells are immature cells that can be induced to transform into tissue- or organ-specific cells. Scientists have been researching on both animal and human stem cells. 
 Stem cells are classified as per their source. They are <keyword id="401293" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="100" keywordseo="Embryonic-stem-cells">Embryonic Stem Cells</keyword> (ES) from early human embryos, for example, fetal stem cells from aborted foetus; adult stem cells from tissues, skin and bone marrow; cord blood cells from umbilical cord and even adipose (fatty) tissue. 
 
The idea behind stem cell application is to grow new skin, tissue and organs. Of particular interest is the potential in treatment of irreversible and degenerative diseases such as heart problems, spinal cord injuries, diabetes, Alzheimer’s, and Parkinson. 
 
Research on applications is on regeneration of damaged muscles due to heart attack, stroke or cornea damage. In India, where the incidence of blindness is high (over 12 million people), stem cell applications for regeneration of corneas is particularly important. Dental stem cell research hopes to be able to regenerate teeth and dentin. 
 
However, the brouhaha is on the research using human embryo stem cells. Social, ethical and cultural values and issues at times work against stem cell research. Fears of cloning and misuse had led to governments in almost all countries including India (in 2004) banning reproductive cloning, but permitting therapeutic cloning. 
 The Indian Council for Medical Research (<keyword id="6364396" type="ORGANIZATION" weightage="80" keywordseo="ICMR">ICMR</keyword>) and Department of Biotechnology have laid down the new ICMR-DBT draft guidelines on stem cell research, updating the 2007 guidelines. They have also sought to regulate the compensation towards injury due to participation in clinical research through the CDSCO draft. It also emphasises on the production of stem cells as per the current GMP (good manufacturing practice) conditions. 
 
The Health Ministry, after the first 2007 guidelines on stem cell research, set up two regulatory bodies, NAC-SCRT (National Apex Committee for Stem Cell Research) and IC-SCRT (Institutional Committee for Stem Cell Research). 
 
Under the new guidelines, all research and clinical trials have to be registered with and obtain prior permission and approval of the NAC-SCRT. The new guidelines also specify that only stem cell research, basic and translational, is permitted but not therapy. It permits therapy usage in patients only through approved and fully-monitored clinical trials. Stem cells cannot be used as therapy. 
 
Under ICMR and DBT, the government has set up several stem cell research institutions all over the country and they have been doing valuable research. 
 
The National Centre for Cell Research, Pune, has worked on stem cell transdifferentiation into pancreatic islets. Research at AIIMS, PGI Chandigarh, is on retinal degeneration and stroke, CLRI, Chennai, on tissue engineering and nano technologies. 
 
NIIH has been able to differentiate umbilical cord-derived mesenchymal stem cells into cardiomyocytes or cardiac muscles. 
 
The National Centre for Biological Sciences (NCBS) in Bangalore, part of the Tata Institute of Fundamental Research, also works closely with the government. 
 
The Government of India also set up CSCR in 2008 in collaboration with Christian Medical College, Vellore, with the intention of using stem cell science for understanding human diseases and development of stem cell-based therapies. Interestingly, it also runs a training programme for scientists and students of stem cell research. 
 
CSCR will also carry out clinical trials with stem cells produced under current good manufacturing practice (GMP) conditions. 
 
The private sector consisting of hospitals and private research foundations have not lagged behind. The pioneering work by Reliance Life Sciences in the development of hES cell lines has made it a major player. It has been given permission to use on a large scale stem cells sourced from the patient’s body for therapy. The LV Prasad Eye Institute, Hyderabad, has developed corneal limbal stem cells. Sankara Nethralaya Stem Cell Research Center, Chennai, is working on retinal and corneal stem cell application and immunoregulatory properties of stem cells. 
 
Hospitals such as Dr KM Cherian’s research facility in Medville have used stem cells from bone marrow to help regenerate the heart. 
Rules permit the usage of one’s own banked stem cells and several storage facilities such as Life Cell, Reliance Life Sciences, Cryobanks International and Stemade for dental stem cell storage have come up.

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