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Hindustan Times
2 days ago
- Hindustan Times
Hafeez Contractor-designed flats on Palm Beach Road offered at a bargain to state officials
Navi Mumbai: The City and Industrial Development Corporation (CIDCO) has floated a ₹610 crore construction tender for Maha Nivas, a premium residential project in Navi Mumbai, exclusively reserved for the state's top elected representatives and public officials. Located along Palm Beach Road in the Central Business District (CBD) of Belapur, the luxury housing apartments are designed by renowned architect Hafeez Contractor, a prominent architect. Hafeez Contractor-designed flats on Palm Beach Road offered at a bargain to state officials As per CIDCO officials, Maha Nivas is set to have around 350 flat–3 BHK (bedroom, hall, kitchen) units of priced at ₹2.45 crore and 4 BHK units of priced at ₹3.47 crore. The flats are being offered at ₹19,500 per nearly half the current market rate of ₹30,000–60,000 per in the area. Already around 550 applications have been registered by the state's MPs, MLAs, MLCs, judges of the Supreme Court and high court, and senior IAS and IPS officers. Applicants had to pay a mandatory ₹1 lakh registration fee to reserve their spots. As per CIDCO, the flats will be allotted through a lottery basis, and buyers are barred from selling their flats for three years after the allotment. Palm Beach Road is among Navi Mumbai's most posh areas, known for its high-rise towers, mangrove-lined stretches, and panoramic views. Strategically located at Plot No. 20, Sector 15A, opposite the Navi Mumbai Municipal Corporation (NMMC) headquarters and near the upcoming Navi Mumbai International Airport (NMIA), Maha Nivas will also offer seamless connectivity for senior officials who travel frequently between administrative hubs. The construction tender issued this week covers the project's complete execution over a 42-month period. The tender includes the cost of setting up operational electrical and plumbing systems, fire safety installations, and environmental compliance. The gated complex will offer a range of amenities including landscaped pathways, green forest zones, driveways, a swimming pool, a mini-auditorium, an amphitheatre, games courts, walking and cycling tracks, and a clubhouse. Highlighting the rationale behind the scheme, CIDCO vice chairman and managing director Vijay Singhal said, 'The project has been designed to optimize available floor space index (FSI) and deliver high-quality housing within a compact footprint.' He added that prime land in the area is limited, and there is a high demand for housing among senior government officials. As per Singhal, the scheme aligns with the government's 'Housing for All' agenda and similar initiatives have been taken in other states too. 'This is not for any preferred individual but for a defined category, and the pricing is based strictly on cost parameters,' Singhal said. Earlier, CIDCO had appointed Tata Consulting Engineers and Hiten Sethi & Associates as joint Project Management Consultants (PMC) at a cost of ₹28 crore. The corporation also had a ₹15 crore contract for the architectural design. However, housing activists and developers criticised the appointments questioning why CIDCO needed external consultants given the corporation's experience in executing housing projects. Manohar Shroff, senior vice president of the Maharashtra Chamber of Housing Industry Confederation of Real Estate Developers' Associations of India (MCHI-CREDAI) Navi Mumbai, said that the scheme reflects a troubling shift toward 'exclusivist' planning. 'This is a government-backed housing project on prime public land, yet it excludes the general public entirely.' He added that usually developers get plots at very high costs and face legal hurdles. 'Here, flats are being offered on a platter to VIPs at half the market rate in a high-demand area,' said Shroff.
Buzz Feed
5 days ago
- Buzz Feed
If You Hate Hate Hate Buying Boring Things, You're Going To Looooove These 36 Products
A limited edition (!!) Eos Marshmallow "Super Balm" lip treatment from the brand's "secret menu" so good that reviewers say it's better than Carmex for healing and better than Summer Fridays for quality. Lip care that also tastes like you're perpetually eating a s'more for less than $5?? My friends, life is good. A mini Bob Ross paint-by-numbers kit for anyone on their "happy accidents" beat — this itty bitty set comes with everything you need to create three tiny masterpieces of your very own. Vacation's Classic Whip SPF 30, a wildly beloved "dessert for your skin" that feels so lightweight and decadent to apply that reviewers can't get enough of it. (No, REALLY. This is selling out all over 😭.) Not only does it feel ridiculously indulgent, but it's water-resistant and sensitive skin-friendly, so you'll be the sweetest AND safest treat. A set of cheerful Lego botanical "happy plants," aka your new favorite coworkers. How can capitalism bring you down when these two are smiling up at you all day long? All the joys of having an office plant without the shame of your coworkers being like, "Shouldn't you ... maybe ... water that??" A set of pastel glitter highlighters I saw on Instagram the other day and NEARLY BLACKED OUT from the cuteness. If you like highlighting your planner pages, favorite passages from books, or lines from your journal, please do yourself a favor and purchase these subtle but oh-so-sparkly colors to jazz them up ✨. Patchology's "Rosé Toes" moisturizing foot mask to give your dry, cracked heels some shea butter, strawberry oil-infused relief in ten minutes flat — not unlike the glass of rosé that hits at Friday happy hour. Reviewers are genuinely impressed by how much of a difference these make in so little time! A lil' polar bear hydrating eye stick for some sweet, sweet relief when you wake up with puffy, aching eyes. This formula is blended with Iceland glacial water to help tighten skin and tackle dark circles so you look and feel more ~refreshed~. Wikki Stix, the ultimate in mess-free, silent, distracting fidgets — you can take these little wax sticks and push them into any shape you please, and stick them on surfaces without worrying about residue or marks. Parents especially love these for when kids are waiting at restaurants or on flights! A light up solar frog figurine for your garden or porch so when you come home from that "just one drink" dinner past midnight, this croaky lil' fella can lovingly judge you for it. McCormick's Potato Topping Seasoning for anyone who's not afraid to get a little feral about their air-fried, mashed, and baked potatoes — this blend of salt, garlic, and asiago cheese is so mouthwateringly delicious that you'll be dumping it on everything from popcorn to grilled cheese to guacamole. A reusable silicone cactus dryer ball that pet owners especially love because it catches hair like nobody's business. These lil' desert bubs also help soften fabric, reduce wrinkles, *and* save drying time, so they're putting all the decorative but useless succulents in your home to shame. Yankee Candle's Midsummer's Night, or what I like to call a "goth summer candle," as a perfectly moody way to usher in the warmer weather if you're not a big fan of sweetness and floral. Reviewers compare this alluring blend of musk, patchouli, sage, and mahogany to a soft cologne. A NeeDoh "Dream Drop," another release from the *elite* Needoh sensory fidget toy line for anyone who wants to add more calm and focus to their day. This goo-filled, delightfully colorful fidget has a satisfying squish with a "slow rise" before going back to its original shape. Reviewers also love that it doesn't have the kind of stickiness that picks up debris and makes it hard to clean. A "Penny the Penguin" silicone measuring cup designed with an easy grip, an even easier spout pour, and a design so adorable that you'll bake yourself out of house and home just for an excuse to use her. Case-Mate's iconic waterproof beach totes, which are, of course, ridiculously roomy and useful, but more importantly, RIDICULOUSLY cute. This is it "It" accessory of the beach if there ever were one. Get ready to be swimming in the ocean AND in compliments from strangers. Bonus — it even comes with a separate dry bag for your phone! An adorable little puppy night-light with a soft white glow that makes it the perfect critter for gently illuminating bedrooms and bathrooms at night. It even has eight different color modes so you can finally live your childhood dream of having a purple dog! Death Wish Instant Coffee Packets so downright (dare I say, DANGEROUSLY) delicious that even the biggest coffee snobs you know might trade in their precious pour-overs. That is, if they can handle the 300 mg of caffeine per cup. 👀 A Godzilla microwave cleaner you can fill with water and vinegar and stick in the microwave. After five minutes, the gunk will be so loose that you can DESTROYYYYYY it all the way this big dude came after Manhattan. A set of hair-tie bracelets designed to look like *actual* jewelry, so you won't be kicking yourself when you realize you left a hair tie on your wrist for every photo. A set of cowboy straw toppers to add some much-needed "yeehaw!" into your hydration regimen, and keep your straws safe from germs out here in the wild, bacterial West. A set of slanted stemmed wineglasses in muted colors for anyone who loves to make their guests go "Ooooh" when they host a lil' happy hour. A set of cat-shaped dual-sided sponges that dared to ask, "What if we turned Scrub Daddy sponges into cats and also made them way more affordable?" These are the purrrrfect solution for your kitchen aesthetic *and* budget. A guided visual sloth "breathing partner" you can use for meditation and calm to shift your mindset. This is designed to guide you through either the popular 4/7/8 or 5/5 "calming breaths" to help reduce stress and anxiety, using colors that fade in and out softly as cues. Bonus: it's kid friendly! A "Gracula" garlic crusher, because you know what? If a 108-year-old vampire lurking moodily in the trees in the Pacific Northwest isn't going to fall in love with you and grant you immortality, one might as well make your life in the kitchen a little easier. A pair of "three dimensional" frog earrings so adorable that regular earrings can pack it in — it's all about this cute lil' frog booty now. A Frenchie-themed cheese board to serve some top notch char-woof-erie at your next party. A stress-relieving mini bookshelf full of itty bitty little books you can pull out individually and reorganize to your precise liking. The world may be vast and out of control, but everything is juuuust so in your happy little library. A set of itty bitty ceramic rice ball vases that all onigiri lovers deserve to have on their desk as a delicious aesthetic. LOOK AT THESE HAPPY BUBS. A set of dainty but surprisingly strong bow-shaped hair clips to pair with all your frilliest dresses or to add a soft touch your more structured work outfits. A set of obscenely adorable flower vase fridge magnets that look so hyper realistic that it's only a matter of time before a family of fairies moves into your kitchen, confusing it with their own. This arrives with the vases separate from the flowers, so you can mix and match the colors yourself! A cheeky pair of double-buckle slides that look like what happens when a Birkenstock from the 2000s falls in love with a jelly sandal from the '90s in a forbidden time-crossed romance. A fire escape wall shelf so you can add a nostalgic city aesthetic to your room, plus make your knick-knacks reenact scenes from Spider-Man movies. Bonus — this is a great alternative to the $200 (!!) version at Urban Outfitters. A "float-tea unicorn" to make steeping your tea downright magical every morning, no matter *how* much caffeine you need to get yourself across today's rainbow. A sword-shaped grater for anyone out there who isn't just a cheese lover, but a cheese gladiator. Fight valiantly, my dairy-tolerant friends. A spinning pill dispenser to make taking your meds feel like a game show or a trip to the carnival — sometimes you have to ~romanticize your life~ to remember the essentials in your daily routine!! You can even attach this to a wall or the fridge if you're feeling it. Built's "Puff Protein Bars" that are basically chocolate-covered marshmallows that also, by some witchcraft, have 17 entire grams of protein in them?? And NO weird aftertaste. If you are also someone who is in a perpetual state of "I need protein or I will bite someone's brain off," I am telling you, nothing in this WORLD will feel better than pulling one of these out of your bag.
Forbes
6 days ago
- Forbes
Ford's $5 Billion Model T Moment Aims To Turn EV Operation Profitable
Ford Motor Co. CEO Jim Farley announces a new electric vehicle platform and assembly system at the Louisville Assembly Plant on August 11. Ford Motor Co. Less than two weeks after announcing its electric vehicle unit lost $1.3 billion during the second quarter and expected to lose billions more this year, Ford Motor Co. now plans to invest around $5 billion to reset its EV program with more affordable vehicles produced more efficiently, at lower cost, the automaker announced Monday. The key to the strategy is reinventing the process Ford first invented 122 years ago that changed the way vehicles have been built ever since—the assembly line. It's what CEO Jim Farley is calling the company's 'Model T moment,' referring to the vehicle that rolled off that first assembly line. In essence, it's a major do-over for the company's EV operation. 'Nobody wants to see another good college try by a Detroit automaker to make an affordable vehicle that ends up with idled plants, layoffs and uncertainty,' said Farley in a statement. 'So, this has to be a good business. From Day One, we knew there was no incremental path to success. We empowered a tiny skunkworks team three time zones away from Detroit. We reinvented the moving assembly line. And we are on a path to be the first automaker to make prismatic LFP batteries in the U.S. We will not rely on imports.' A new line of what Ford describes as affordable, electric, software-defined vehicles will be based on the Ford Universal EV Platform, will be built on the company's reinvention of the assembly line it calls the Ford Universal Production System. The initial location to be converted to the new system is Ford's Louisville Assembly Plant where the first vehicle will be a midsize, five-seat, four-door electric pickup truck. It's due reaching customers in 2027 with a starting price Ford estimates at about $30,000. Final pricing and other specs will be announced closer to its launch. However, the company offered a few tidbits including expected zero-to-60 mph 'as fast as a Mustang EcoBoost, with more downforce,' and more passenger room than the latest model Toyota RAV4. It will also include a frunk, bed, exportable power and will be capable of Ford's Blue Cruise automated driving technology, chief operating officer Kumar Galhotra revealed in an online media briefing before the formal announcement. The new platform and production system work hand-in-hand. The Ford Universal EV Platform reduces parts by 20% versus a typical vehicle, with 25% fewer fasteners, 40% fewer workstations dock-to-dock in the plant and 15% faster assembly time, according to Galhotra. A cobalt-free and nickel-free lithium-iron phosphate, or LFP, battery pack is a structural sub-assembly that also serves as the vehicle's floor. Where the traditional assembly line is basically a glorified conveyer belt where workers attach parts as the vehicle rolls by, or stops briefly, Ford is calling the Universal Production System an 'assembly tree.' 'Instead of a linear assembly line, it will have three independent branches, front, the rear and the structural battery,' explained Galhotra. 'So the battery itself is structure is critical to the structure of the vehicle and then the all of these branches come together at the end, when we integrate the interior, seats, carpet, consoles, etc, all of these branches run in parallel. So imagine, instead of one line, these three lines running in parallel and coming together at the end. Large single-piece aluminum unicastings replace dozens of smaller parts, enabling the front and rear of the vehicle to be assembled separately. To improve ergonomics for line workers parts travel down the assembly tree to operators in a kit that includes all fasteners, scanners and power tools required for the job. The company expects the new process to enable the new electric truck to be assembled 40% faster than current vehicles being produced at the Louisville plant. To make this all happen, Ford says it's investing nearly $2 billion to produce the new electric pickup truck. The project is also being supported by incentives from the Kentucky Economic Development Finance Authority. The $2 billion to build the new production system is in addition to the previously announced $3 billion investment in Ford's BlueOval Battery Park in Marshall, Michigan which will start producing prismatic LFP batteries for the midsize electric pickup truck next year. Between the two investments, Ford says it's helping to secure nearly 4,000 direct jobs. It's all a multi-billion dollar gamble by Ford that by more efficiently producing EVs that are more affordable in body styles customers desire, it can start making money on electric vehicles for the first time. The automaker currently offers three EV models: the F-150 Lightning pickup truck, Mustang Mach-E and E-Transit. Ford's announcement comes a little more than six weeks before the $7,500 federal tax incentive on qualified EVs ends, further challenging the affordability of those vehicles for some. 'The elimination of government-backed incentives and the emergence of new tariff headwinds signal a more volatile phase for the industry. The training wheels are coming off, and the transition to electrification will no longer be buoyed by incentives alone,' wrote director of industry insights for Cox Automotive, Stephanie Valdez Streaty, in a recent report. 'Automakers and retailers alike will need to navigate this next chapter with agility, as the EV landscape becomes more complex and demanding of true market resilience.' It all adds up to compelling reasons for Ford to invoke its Model T moment. When Henry Ford began selling the first mass-produced car he told customers they could have any color they wanted, as long as it was black. More than a century later, the company that invented the assembly line is hoping the re-invented version of it, combined with a simpler platform, will provide enough choices at affordable prices to turn the bottom line for its EV unit from red…to the Model T's only color. This story will be updated with content from the official announcement event at Ford's Louisville Assembly Plant.
