Maruti Suzuki's new 'Dzire' secures 5-star safety rating in India
June 11 (Reuters) - Maruti Suzuki (MRTI.NS), opens new tab secured a five-star safety rating for its popular 'Dzire' small car, India's transport minister said on Wednesday, marking a milestone for the country's largest carmaker that has for long lagged its rivals in safety.
Its upgraded 'Dzire' model, launched in November, secured the highest rating of five stars under India's local safety standard, Bharat New Car Assessment Program (NCAP), the first such Maruti model to hit the milestone.
As part of its efforts to catch up to local rivals, Maruti has said it would fit all its cars with six airbags from April, as Indian buyers seek safer options.
Smaller rivals Tata Motors (TAMO.NS), opens new tab and Mahindra (MAHM.NS), opens new tab already have several Bharat NCAP five-star rated cars in their lineup.
"It's heartening to witness mainstream models setting new benchmarks in vehicle safety," India's Transport Minister Nitin Gadkari said in a post on X.
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Reuters
2 hours ago
- Reuters
US sees no immediate reason to ground Boeing 787 after Air India crash
WASHINGTON, June 12 (Reuters) - U.S. officials said on Thursday they have not seen any immediate safety data that would require halting Boeing (BA.N), opens new tab 787 flights after a fatal Air India accident killed over 240 people. Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy and Acting Federal Aviation Administration head Chris Rocheleau made the comments at a news conference and said they had seen videos of the crash in India. Duffy said he had spoken to National Transportation Safety Board Chair Jennifer Homendy. An NTSB and FAA team, with support from Boeing and engine manufacturer GE Aerospace (GE.N), opens new tab, was going to India, Duffy said. "They have to get on the ground and take a look. But again right now it'd be way too premature," Duffy said. "People are looking at videos and trying to assess what happened, which is never a strong, smart way to make decisions on what took place." Duffy said the FAA was reviewing information with Boeing and GE as part of the investigation into the crash. Duffy also emphasized the U.S. government "will not hesitate to implement any safety recommendations that may arise. We will follow the facts and put safety first." Rocheleau said, "As we proceed down this road with the investigation itself, if there's any information that becomes available to us regarding any risk, we will mitigate those risks." Duffy said the FAA is "prepared to send additional resources to get the data we need to ensure the safety of the flying public."
BBC News
3 hours ago
- BBC News
Indian scientists search for the perfect apple
"My neighbours thought I'd lost my mind," says farmer Kakasaheb 2022 he had decided to plant some apple trees, not crazy for a farmer unless, like Mr Sawant, you live in subtropical southern India, where temperatures can hit bought 100 saplings, of which 80 survived. Last year each tree produced between 30 and 40 kilogrammes of fruit."My farm has become something of a local miracle. People travel from far-off places just to see the apple trees growing under the hot Maharashtra sun."It's not been an unqualified success though. One problem is that the apples are not sweet enough to Sawant remains enthusiastic. He's had some success selling apple tree saplings and is optimistic about future harvests."This is the beginning. The trees are getting acclimatised so according to me in next four to five years these trees will start bearing good, sweet apples." In his own small way, Mr Sawant is hoping to meet India's rising demand for apples. Production has risen 15% over the last five years to 2.5 million that is not keeping up with demand and India's imports have roughly doubled to 600,000 tonnes over the same period, according to S Chandrashekhar, who analyses India's apple trade. "We do have a shortage of apple production," he says. "There are not many new players... at the same time, and there is no new investment."Essential for a good apple crop is a lengthy period of winter temperature between 0C and like the UK, with around 1,000 hours of this chill-time, can produce almost any apple in India areas with those conditions are more limited. Most of India's apples come from two regions in the north of the country -Jammu and Kashmir and neighbouring Himachal Chandrashekhar says that many farms in those regions are becoming less productive. "There are lot of old orchards producing fewer apples - that means the yield is coming down," he says that climate change is making conditions less favourable. In the hope of expanding apple production into new areas, some scientists and farmers are experimenting with so-called low-chill are apple trees that can produce crops with around 400 hours of temperatures between 0C and eastern India is also not an apple growing region - its subtropical climate is too hot. But researchers at the Birsa Agricultural University (BAU) are testing 18 saplings of three low-chill has been limited so far - only one of the varieties has produced any fruit. "The plants have not reached optimal sizes. The tree has given us only around one to two kilogrammes of apples in 2024. I would not say that they are of best quality, but they were edible," says Dr Majid Ali. He says that as well as an unfavourable climate, the local soil is not ideal for apple trees and the trees get attacked by termites."This is an experimental stage. To reach a conclusion it would take three to four years to say if it is successful."He says that some local farmers have also been experimenting with low-chill apple varieties, also with little success. Some are sceptical that apples cultivated in hot areas will ever be a commercial proposition. "The fruit that grows in non-traditional regions has a very short shelf life. The taste is not so sweet," says Dr Dinesh Thakur, associate director of a regional horticulture research and training centre at Dr YS Parmar University of Horticulture and Forestry."These low-chill apples can be grown as novelty fruit in a kitchen garden, but their viability as a commercial crop is not proven... most of them are a failure," he says. Dr Thakur is based in the traditional northern apple growing region of Himachal Pradesh and his research focuses on the improvement of apples through breeding."Climatic change is creating havoc in apple cultivation," he says. He says the number of those crucial chilling hours are falling and due to erratic weather conditions farmers are facing colossal financial losses every year. In search of better conditions, some orchards are being planted in higher locations, which were once considered too cold, he a government sponsored project his team are experimenting with 300 varieties of apples, to assess the impact of climate change."We are also working on climate-resilient apple genotypes that can withstand the existing climate," he far, they have developed an apple that matures with a ripe colour two months earlier than existing apple trees. "This helps offset erratic weather patterns brought by climate change and has a quality advantage over those areas where colour formation is problem due to lack of sunlight," Dr Thakur says. "This is just the beginning of research to create climate resilient fruit and create a fruit that is acceptable to the Indian taste bud." For Mr Chandrashekhar, boosting India's apple output will take more than just scientific work. "Apple orchards in the traditional apple cultivation areas are 15 to 20 years old. What is needed is replanting of new saplings," he says."The industry needs investment, huge investment. Who will do that?" he would like to see the juice and jam business developed, to provide the industry with another source of income. "That has to be a booster which can improve the apple economy and provide a better position for apple growers."
The Independent
3 hours ago
- The Independent
British victims feared dead as more than 240 people killed in Air India plane crash
Downing Street says the public should be prepared for a significant loss of British lives after an Air India flight slammed into a building in India, killing 241 people on board, according to officials. A British family of three who were killed on board the Gatwick-bound flight were identified by the Gloucester Muslim Community as Akeel Nanabawa, his wife Hannaa Vorajee and their four-year-old daughter, Sara. Sara was a 'ray of sunshine' who 'lit up the classroom', said Abdullah Samad, headteacher of her primary school. He said the married couple were well known for their charity work and generosity. 'They touched lots of people and they will be missed by lots of people,' he told the BBC. 'They helped fundraise for the humanitarian efforts in Gaza and medical care for poor individuals in India. That was part of their service to the community,' he said. The couple ran an outsourcing services business, Iceberg, with bases in both Gloucester and Ahmedabad. The company website says Mr Nanabawa enjoyed playing sport and socialising, and Ms Vorajee worked for sister company Rec2go after completing a degree in midwifery. The Boeing 787 Dreamliner bound for London Gatwick had 242 people on board, including 12 crew members, when it crashed in a residential area. Air India said 241 people had been confirmed dead. A British couple who ran a spiritual wellness company were also thought to be among the victims. Jamie Ray Greenlaw-Meek and his husband Fiongal Greenlaw-Meek, from London, were returning home on the flight after a 10-day wellness retreat, Jamie Meek's brother said. Their company, the Wellness Foundry, which is in Vauxhall, south London, offers psychic readings, tarot cards and aura readings, and has worked with Netflix, Google and Dior. Its website says Fiongal founded the company in 2018 after experiencing a spiritual awakening following a mysterious illness. His husband joined the team in 2023 as co-director and head of events, and offered psychic readings and life coaching. In January, Fiongal appeared on ITV's This Morning to talk about the meanings of people's auras. A clip shows him joking and laughing with presenters Cat Deeley and Ben Shephard before performing a reading. On Instagram, the Wellness Foundry described the appearance as their 'biggest gig so far', adding that it was 'very nerve-wracking' but that he was 'honoured to chat about one of his favourite topics to such a big audience'. As they waited to board their flight in Ahmedabad, the couple posted a video from the airport about their 'magical experience' in India. Of the 230 passengers, 169 were Indian, 53 were British, seven were Portuguese and one was Canadian, Air India said. After issuing a mayday distress signal, the aircraft quickly lost contact with air traffic control, before slamming into a medical college, sparking a huge fireball. At least five medical students were killed and about 50 were injured, according to Divyansh Singh, vice-president of the Federation of All India Medical Association.
