Page 5 - Ahmedabad

'Not far from sending astronauts to moon': Scientists after Chandrayaan 4

Responding to the Union cabinet's nod to India's fourth lunar mission, the Indian scientific community said that the country is not far from sending a 'cosmonaut' to the moon.Speaking to ANI, the former director of the Space Applications Centre, Ahmedabad Center, Tapan Misra, said, "We should be able to land a lander there and collect stones and lunar soil and bring it back to the orbiter, and with this orbiter, we should come back and land safely and retribute. This is the very first step towards sending an Indian cosmonaut to the Moon. We will not be far from sending a cosmonaut to the moon."He further said, "The Govt of India has approved 3 programmes and one of them is Chandrayaan 4. We are happy that Chandrayaan 3 landed there...we demonstrated 2 critical technologies, we can send something to the moon and bring it back, and we can fire a rocket after landing and waiting for 14 days, it's a major development."Describing the Chandrayaan 4 mission, RC Kapoor, Astronomer & ...

PM Modi launches Phase II of Ahmedabad-Gandhinagar metro: Stations, fares

The metro extension adds eight stations spanning 21 kilometres with ticket price set at Rs 35

Bhuj-Ahmedabad Vande Metro has been renamed to Namo Bharat Rapid Rail

The Railway Ministry has renamed the Bhuj-Ahmedabad Vande Metro to Namo Bharat Rapid Rail hours before its inaugural run on Monday, according to a spokesperson. The service will be flagged off from the Bhuj railway station at 4:15 pm virtually by Prime Minister Narendra Modi who will be present in Ahmedabad, he said. The Rapid Rail, which aims to enhance intercity connectivity, will cover 359 km distance from Bhuj to Ahmedabad in 5:45 hours. In between, the train will stop at nine stations. For the public, the regular service will start on September 17 from Ahmedabad. The total journey will cost Rs 455. "The ministry has decided to rename Vande Metro to Namo Bharat Rapid Rail," the Railway spokesperson said. According to the Railway Ministry, while the other metros cover only short distances, Namo Bharat trains will connect the heart of Ahmedabad with its peripheral cities. Featuring 12 coaches with seating for 1,150 passengers, the Rapid Rail offers a host of innovative features

PM Modi to visit Jharkhand, Gujarat & Odisha for key development projects

In Jharkhand, PM Modi will flag off Tatanagar-Patna Vande Bharat train; in Gujarat, he will inaugurate Ahmedabad Metro Rail Project; and in Odisha, he will lay foundation stone for various projects

Adani Green redeems $750 mn bonds eight months ahead of redemption date

Adani Green Energy Ltd (AGEL), the renewable energy arm of the ports-to power conglomerate run by billionaire Gautam Adani, on Monday said it has redeemed USD 750 million worth of bonds as it deleverages business. In a statement, the firm said it has completed "redemption of all outstanding USD 750 million 4.375 per cent Holdco Notes due on September 8, 2024." The move is in step with its January announcement of a plan to redeem the USD 750 million worth of notes, eight months ahead of the redemption date. Issued in September 2021, the three-year Holdco Notes supported AGEL's high-growth objectives. During the period, AGEL's capacity has increased more than three-fold - from 3.5 gigawatt (GW) to 11.2 GW, registering a CAGR (compounded annual growth rate) of 48 per cent. The company had in January stated it would pay USD 169 million from its reserves and internal accruals, and USD 300 million from the consideration from a joint venture with TotalEnergies Renewables. The remaining US

1,200 Ahmedabad civil hospital doctors go on strike over stipend hike

Around 1,200 resident doctors of Ahmedabad Civil Hospital in Gujarat went on an indefinite strike on Monday seeking a hike in stipend. Services were affected despite authorities making alternate arrangements in view of the strike, with patients and kin complaining of long wait at the Aswara-based facility, which is attached to BJ Medical College and is the largest in the state. As per resident doctors, they will stay away from all duties, including trauma care, emergency and outpatient department (OPD) services as part of the strike until an amicable solution is found. "The state health department had agreed to increasing stipend by 40 per cent every three years. This hike was supposed to come into effect from April 1. It was, however, not implemented till July after which we met state health minister Rushikesh Patel. We had postponed our stir then after getting an assurance about its implementation," said Dr Dhaval Gameti, president of the Junior Doctors' Association of BJ Medical

Kingpin of Rs 2.2K cr gambling racket held in UAE, brought back to Gujarat

In a coordinated effort, the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI), Gujarat police and Interpol NCB-Abu Dhabi on Sunday brought back the alleged kingpin of an over Rs 2,273 crore gambling racket apprehended in the UAE, an official said. A Red Notice was issued against the accused, Dipakkumar Dhirajlal Thakkar, wanted by the Gujarat police for cases of criminal breach of trust, cheating, forgery, criminal conspiracy, causing disappearance of evidence and offences under the Information Technology Act and Prevention of Gambling Act, the CBI said in a statement. Thakkar is an accused in a criminal case registered on March 25, 2023, at Madhavpura police station, Ahmedabad, for operating an international gambling racket. According to the CBI, he is allegedly a kingpin of an international illegal criminal gambling racket, operating through special software applications and using hawala channels for the dispersal of proceeds of crime reported to be more than Rs 2,273 crore. The probe agenc

'Plant trees': Shah launches Rs 1,003 cr development projects in Ahmedabad

Union Home Minister Amit Shah on Sunday launched development projects costing Rs 1,003 crore in Gujarat's Ahmedabad city and appealed to the people to join the nation-wide tree plantation campaign to protect the environment. Highlighting the importance of trees to protect the environment and the ozone layer, Shah said the Ahmedabad Municipal Corporation (AMC) has taken the pledge to plant 30 lakh trees in 100 days for the coming generation, and he is closely associated with the campaign. "This is a beautiful campaign, and it is a big thing that a municipal corporation will plant 30 lakh trees. But I would like to ask the citizens of Ahmedabad as to what will be your contribution?" he said. Shah said the people of Ahmedabad should plant at least those many trees as the number of their family members in their residential societies, nearby waste lands, and their children's schools. "Every citizen should make it the aim of their life to take steps to increase oxygen in the environment

Amit Shah to flag off 'Har Ghar Tiranga Yatra' in Ahmedabad on Tuesday

Earlier, Prime Minister Narendra Modi appealed to the citizens to hoist the national flag at their homes as part of the party's 'Har Ghar Tiranga' campaign on the occasion of the Independence Day

Zydus Lifesciences Q1 FY25 results: PAT up 31%, revenue rises 21%

The API business contributed 2 per cent to consolidated revenues, growing 2 per cent Y-o-Y to Rs 141.5 crore

Asian Granito India Q1 results: Sales up 3% to Rs 343 cr, PAT at Rs 30 lakh

Leading luxury surfaces and bathware products manufacturer Asian Granito India turned profitable in the first quarter of 2024-25, reporting a consolidated profit of Rs 30 lakh against a loss of Rs 3.6 crore in the year-ago period. The recovery was led by a 3 per cent increase in its consolidated net sales to Rs 343.2 crore in the April-June quarter of the current fiscal compared to net sales of Rs 334.8 crore in the first quarter of FY24, the company said in a statement. The earnings before interest tax depreciation and amortisation (EBITDA) for the quarter under review stood at Rs 16.1 crore against Rs 9.6 crore in the year-ago period, the company said. Strategic initiatives such as the Morbi expansion, the AGL demerger, focus on retail presence, showroom expansion, among others, demonstrate the company's strong commitment to growth," Asian Granito India Chairman and MD Kamlesh Patel said. The company said it is investing around Rs 73 crore to set up a mega display centre-cum- ..

Ahmedabad continues to be most affordable housing market in India: Report

Pune and Kolkata rank next in Knight Frank India's index, which says Mumbai is 'unaffordable'

Ahmedabad student scores 705/720 in NEET-UG but fails twice in board exams

NEET-UG 2024: A student from Ahmedabad scored 705 out of 720 in NEET-UG but failed both the Gujarat Board exams conducted in March and the supplementary exams held in June-July

Adani Group to commission first phase of $4 bn petchem project by Dec 2026

The Adani Group will commission the first phase of a USD 4 billion PVC project by December 2026, making its foray into the petrochemicals sector that is marked by a mismatch between domestic demand and supply, sources said. Polyvinyl chloride (PVC) - the third-most common synthetic plastic polymer made worldwide - is used to make products such as raincoats, shower curtains, window frames, pipes for indoor plumbing, medical equipment, wire & cable insulation, bottles, credit cards, and flooring. India's annual PVC demand is roughly 4 million tonne but domestic production capacity is only about 1.5 million tonne, resulting in a supply-demand mismatch. With this disparity between domestic output and consumption expected to widen with an increase in consumption, Adani Group is looking to tap into the sector. Adani Enterprises, the group's flagship firm, is setting up a petrochemical cluster in Mundra in Gujarat. Within this cluster, it aims to set up a PVC plant with a capacity of 2 ..

Gujarat to launch 'Cooperation Among Cooperatives' across all districts

Gujarat has successfully steered the pilot of 'Cooperation Among Cooperatives' initiative in Banaskantha and Panchmahal districts.In a landmark decision, the central government headed by Prime Minister Narendra Modi established a dedicated Ministry of Cooperation to strengthen the cooperatives nationwide, affirming the path of 'Sahkar Se Samridhhi'.According to a press release, under the successful leadership of Chief Minister Bhupendra Patel, Gujarat has successfully steered the pilot of 'Cooperation Among Cooperatives' initiative in Banaskantha and Panchmahal districts.Notably under this initiative, envisioned by Union Home & Cooperation Minister Amit Shah, over 4 lakh new accounts were opened by cooperative societies and their active members in the District Cooperative Banks of these two districts, resulting in a jump of over Rs. 966 crores in the bank deposits.Significance of Cooperation Amongst Cooperatives ModelThe initiative aims to enhance cooperation among Gujarat's ...

Jagannath Rath Yatra commences in Ahmedabad; Shah, CM Patel offer prayers

The 147th Rath Yatra of Lord Jagannath rolled out early Sunday morning in Gujarat's Ahmedabad city where a large number of devotees flocked the procession route to pay obeisance to the deity. The raths (chariots) of Lord Jagannath, his brother Balbhadra and sister Subhadra are pulled by Khalashi community members as per the age-old tradition. The Rath Yatra is taken out on the Ashadhi Beej (second day of Hindu Ashadh month) every year. Union Home Minister Amit Shah performed the 'mangla aarti' and Gujarat Chief Minister Bhupendra Patel performed 'pahind vidhi', the ritual of cleaning the way using a golden broom, as the chariots rolled out from the 400-year-old Lord Jagannath temple in Jamalpur area. A senior police official earlier said more than 22,000 security personnel will guard the event and some balloon-mounted cameras will also be deployed to keep a watch on the people's movement. As many as 4,500 personnel have been deployed to walk with the procession along the entire 16

Rath Yatra in Ahmedabad on July 7, security tightened with over 18,000 cops

The 147th edition of the annual Rath Yatra of Lord Jagannath will take place on July 7 in Ahmedabad where more than 18,000 security personnel will be deployed to guard the event which draws lakhs of devotees, officials said. Senior police officials will keep a close watch on the procession using 1,733 body-worn cameras linked to a control room. Besides, 20 drones and 96 surveillance cameras have been installed at 47 locations on the route, an official release said on Wednesday. Nearly 1,400 CCTV cameras installed by shopkeepers on the route will also be used for live surveillance, it said. Gujarat Chief Minister Bhupendra Patel on Wednesday reviewed the security preparedness for the mega religious event at a meeting which was attended by various officials including Minister of State for Home Harsh Sanghavi and Director General of Police Vikas Sahay. Ahmedabad Commissioner of Police GS Malik made an elaborate presentation during the meeting on various security aspects of the Rath .

Will invest $100 bn in energy transition over next decade: Gautam Adani

Adani group will invest more than USD 100 billion (around Rs 835 crore) in energy transition projects and manufacturing capability to produce every major component required for green energy generation, its chairman said on Wednesday. Besides building solar parks to produce electricity from sunlight and wind farms that do the same from wind, the conglomerate is building major facilities to manufacture electrolyzers for making green hydrogen, wind power turbines and solar panels. Green hydrogen, which is made by splitting hydrogen from water with the help of electrolyzers powered by clean energy, is seen as a potential panacea for decarbonizing the industry as well as transportation. Speaking at 'Infrastructure - the Catalyst for India's Future' event of Crisil, Adani Group chairman Gautam Adani said energy transition and digital infrastructure are trillion-dollar opportunities which will transform India both at a local and at a global scale. "The next decade will see us invest more

G7 Summit: PM Modi, Japan's Kishida discuss Mumbai-Ahmedabad rail project

The two leaders noted that the India-Japan Special Strategic and Global Partnership is in its 10th year and expressed satisfaction at the progress made in the relationship

Ahmedabad's average housing prices surge 45% in last 5 years: PropTiger

Housing prices in Ahmedabad have appreciated by an average 45 per cent in the last five years because of rise in demand of residential properties especially after the COVID pandemic, according to PropTiger. The average housing prices stood at Rs 4,150 per square feet in January-March this year, as compared to Rs 2,867 per square feet in the January-March period of 2019, as per the data compiled by real estate consultant PropTiger. The average growth in housing price during January-March 2024 was 10 per cent from the year-ago period. PropTiger.com is part of real estate technology firm REA India, which also owns real estate listing platforms Housing.com and Makaan.com. Vikas Wadhawan, Group Chief Financial Officer of REA India and Business Head of PropTiger.com, noted that Ahmedabad has become one of the major real estate markets in India. "As the nerve centre of economic activity, Ahmedabad attracts numerous buyers and investors from neighbouring states such as Madhya Pradesh and