From composting decor to e-vehicle baraats: Welcome to big, green Indian wedding
Live Events
(You can now subscribe to our
(You can now subscribe to our Economic Times WhatsApp channel
New Delhi: Composted decor, e-vehicle baraats, and tribal-made hampers... Indian luxury weddings are becoming less fat and more green, as saving the planet becomes the latest status symbol.Boutique hotels are tapping into a growing demand for eco-luxury weddings , embracing full-circle sustainability-from composting kitchen and floral waste into manure and biogas to partnering with local NGOs for redistributing leftover food."As vendors, planners, and venues adapt, this green movement is likely to become the new normal for many Indian weddings," said Tejas Chavan, director at Green Spaces and Grape County Eco Resort & Spa."With rising awareness about climate change, pollution, and waste, many couples are now thinking twice about the environmental footprint of a big fat Indian wedding, which can generate tons of waste," he said.Recently, the resort hosted a Gujarati family residing in Kenya for a green wedding.Small, intimate weddings had become the norm for a time during the Covid pandemic. Now, many wedding couples are keen to hold on to the values of less waste and more thoughtful planning."While we don't typically host large-scale weddings, we are increasingly seeing interest from eco-conscious travellers seeking intimate, sustainable celebrations," said Anant Kumar, cofounder of Brij Hotels, which runs multiple boutique properties across the country.Jaipur, Dharamshala, and Varanasi are among the popular destinations among such guests, he said."We hire over 70% of our workforce locally, operate with minimal single-use plastic, and are in the process of transitioning all properties to renewable energy sources," Kumar said.Kush Kapoor, CEO of Roseate Hotels & Resorts, said, "We have a plastic-free philosophy, with glass-bottled alkaline water, bamboo amenities, and biodegradable packaging."The chain of luxury hotels follows a farm-to-table dining experience, with 100% organic produce from its own farms-including millets, fresh herbs, and hydroponically grown greens, he said. "Guests also get our Sattvik-certified food and rooms, free of chemicals and animal contamination."The hotel uses solar energy, LED lighting, energy-efficient HVAC systems, and is transitioning to a hybrid vehicle fleet, Kapoor said.These boutique hotels are encouraging wedding parties to source hampers from tribal artisans and swap traditional processions for e-vehicles or golf carts-pushing eco-weddings beyond just water and power savings."We urge people to marry in the great outdoors, do sunset or morning ceremonies to reduce the need for artificial lighting," Chavan of Green Spaces said. "We use bamboo or rice fibre cutlery. We avoid plastic usage as much as possible. We have a vermicompost and biogas plant at the resort. We get our bride and groom to do tree plantations and also urge them to give tree saplings as wedding favours," he added."Most people have a misconception that green weddings are simple and boring or very expensive. We love to show that an eco-friendly wedding can be grand and beautiful, but mindful at the same time,"said an industry expert.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Hindustan Times
15 minutes ago
- Hindustan Times
H-1B visa signups for 2026 see significant drop, here's why
The number of H-1B visa cap registrations for 2026 has significantly dropped. New data from the US Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) shows that only 3.58 lakh people signed up this time, which is a big 26.9% drop from last year's 4.78 lakh. The fall is even greater compared to 2024, with numbers going down by more than 54%. Out of all the registrations this year, 120,141 were picked to move ahead. The H-1B visa program is important for Indian IT workers and a major way US tech companies hire talent. Every year, the program gives out 85,000 visas, including 20,000 spots for people with US master's degrees. Many reasons are being cited for this big drop, including new rules, higher H-1B costs, and changing career plans for foreign workers. A major reason is also that USCIS is cracking down on duplicate entries and system misuse. "Based on evidence from the FY 2023 and FY 2024 H-1B cap seasons, we undertook extensive fraud investigations, denied and revoked petitions accordingly, and continue to make law enforcement referrals for criminal prosecution," the USCIS said on its official website. "We are also reviewing the FY 2025 and FY 2026 data for any attempts to gain an unfair advantage through the beneficiary-centric selection process." USCIS also said it will take strong action when needed, including petition denials, cancellations, and criminal charges. "We believe that the decreased filing rate for FY 2024 H-1B cap petitions and the decreased registration numbers for FY 2025 and FY 2026 indicate that these investigations, and the beneficiary-centric selection process, have been effective integrity measures," the statement read. Besides policy changes, the cost of applying has become a big reason people are backing off. USCIS raised the registration fee from $10 (about ₹856) to $250 (about ₹21,000) this year. That made a big difference, especially for students and people just starting out. "It's no longer a small gamble," said a software developer from Nagpur now in Washington on OPT (Optional Practical Training). "When the fee was $10, people thought, why not try? But $250 is serious money, especially when you're not guaranteed a shot. I'm still unsure if I'll register next year—I've started saving up." At the same time, more people are now looking at other countries instead of the US. "Many of us are looking at Australia or Germany now," said Aaftab B, a postgraduate from Hyderabad living in Chicago. "Their immigration systems are more straightforward, and you feel more welcomed there. I am also considering UAE. The US feels uncertain—long wait times for green cards, H-1B dependency, job instability. It's just not worth the anxiety anymore." Experts say this change could have a big impact on how Indian students move abroad. India has always been one of the top countries sending students to the US. "The 'American Dream' of immediate employment at a high salary with full sponsorship of an H-1B visa will elude most foreign students. It's not the late 90s and early 2000s anymore," said Orn Bodvarsson, an economist and senior academic. "As word continues to travel back to India that post-graduation labour market outcomes are not as strong as before, Indian student emigration to the USA will weaken."
Hindustan Times
16 minutes ago
- Hindustan Times
H-1B visa signups see significant drop in 2026, here's why
The number of H-1B visa cap registrations for 2026 has significantly dropped. New data from the US Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) shows that only 3.58 lakh people signed up this time, which is a big 26.9% drop from last year's 4.78 lakh. The fall is even greater compared to 2024, with numbers going down by more than 54%. Out of all the registrations this year, 120,141 were picked to move ahead. The H-1B visa program is important for Indian IT workers and a major way US tech companies hire talent. Every year, the program gives out 85,000 visas, including 20,000 spots for people with US master's degrees. Many reasons are being cited for this big drop, including new rules, higher H-1B costs, and changing career plans for foreign workers. A major reason is also that USCIS is cracking down on duplicate entries and system misuse. "Based on evidence from the FY 2023 and FY 2024 H-1B cap seasons, we undertook extensive fraud investigations, denied and revoked petitions accordingly, and continue to make law enforcement referrals for criminal prosecution," the USCIS said on its official website. "We are also reviewing the FY 2025 and FY 2026 data for any attempts to gain an unfair advantage through the beneficiary-centric selection process." USCIS also said it will take strong action when needed, including petition denials, cancellations, and criminal charges. "We believe that the decreased filing rate for FY 2024 H-1B cap petitions and the decreased registration numbers for FY 2025 and FY 2026 indicate that these investigations, and the beneficiary-centric selection process, have been effective integrity measures," the statement read. Besides policy changes, the cost of applying has become a big reason people are backing off. USCIS raised the registration fee from $10 (about ₹856) to $250 (about ₹21,000) this year. That made a big difference, especially for students and people just starting out. "It's no longer a small gamble," said a software developer from Nagpur now in Washington on OPT (Optional Practical Training). "When the fee was $10, people thought, why not try? But $250 is serious money, especially when you're not guaranteed a shot. I'm still unsure if I'll register next year—I've started saving up." At the same time, more people are now looking at other countries instead of the US. "Many of us are looking at Australia or Germany now," said Aaftab B, a postgraduate from Hyderabad living in Chicago. "Their immigration systems are more straightforward, and you feel more welcomed there. I am also considering UAE. The US feels uncertain—long wait times for green cards, H-1B dependency, job instability. It's just not worth the anxiety anymore." Experts say this change could have a big impact on how Indian students move abroad. India has always been one of the top countries sending students to the US. "The 'American Dream' of immediate employment at a high salary with full sponsorship of an H-1B visa will elude most foreign students. It's not the late 90s and early 2000s anymore," said Orn Bodvarsson, an economist and senior academic. "As word continues to travel back to India that post-graduation labour market outcomes are not as strong as before, Indian student emigration to the USA will weaken."
Hindustan Times
16 minutes ago
- Hindustan Times
The virtual PPA voyage in India
On May 22, 2025, the Central Electricity Regulatory Commission (CERC) released draft guidelines to establish a regulatory framework for Virtual Power Purchase Agreements (VPPAs), marking another milestone on India's path to its 500 GW renewable energy (RE) target. VPPA is a form of a corporate power purchase agreement (CPPA). A VPPA or a CPPA is not defined under the Indian legislation yet. However, the same is already internationally recognised. VPPAs are essentially contracts for difference, allowing corporates to transact with project developers at a fixed price for a fixed duration. While the power is sold on the exchange, Renewable Energy Certificates (RECs) corresponding to the power sold are transferred to the corporate(s) and the differential is paid by the corporate upon transfer of RECs. The VPPA mechanism aims to enhance RE procurement by large commercial and industrial (C&I) consumers with substantial electricity demand. The VPPA model is operative in countries like Australia, UK and the US. In these liberalised electricity markets, VPPAs operate as commercial agreements with no requirement of special energy regulatory approval. Though in some jurisdictions VPPAs are subject to derivative accounting rules. India (until now) had not formally integrated VPPAs into its legal framework. Instead, corporate offtakers (C&I customers) met their RE goals through open-access or captive-supply arrangements, principally via three primary routes of RE consumption i.e. onsite solar, intra-state offsite solar and purchasing RECs. Since corporates generally seek low-risk, firm and competitively priced RE options, exercising these routes of consumption has often been constrained by state-level regulatory issues, surcharges, net-metering caps, wheeling policies etc. In India, while 70 to 80% of the corporates report procuring RE and many have joined the global RE100 initiative, their actual RE consumption still lags i.e. just 7 to 10% of total electricity use compared to 20% in case of companies from the US. CERC's new draft guidelines now provide the first formal recognition of a VPPA contract format. It is perceived that introduction of VPPAs will provide C&I consumers with a fourth option enabling inter-state procurement. Like how it operates internationally, draft guidelines provide that VPPA would allow a designated consumer to financially settle a contract with an RE generator without physically receiving power. The RE generator will sell electricity on exchanges and RECs generated from such sales will be transferred to the consumer for RCO compliance. The price realised on the exchange will then be settled with the consumer. Further, in the draft guidelines VPPAs are proposed to be Non-Transferable Specific Delivery (NTSD) Over-the-Counter (OTC) contracts between consumers and RE generators. Guidelines acknowledge SEBI's clarification that such OTC contracts do not fall under the Securities Contracts (Regulation) Act, placing them within CERC's jurisdiction. This resolves the earlier concerns among corporates (C&I customers) that VPPAs might be treated as derivative instruments, potentially subjecting them to additional regulatory burdens. Though the guidelines come as a first step for formal recognition of VPPAs, they do not yet outline the full regulatory mechanism. The guidelines specify that VPPA disputes will follow the terms of the contract, however, the questions remain as to how VPPAs will be monitored and whether ultimately CERC or any other adjudicatory body will have the jurisdiction. The guidelines also offer limited information on disclosure obligations, risk management protocols etc. This is relevant since the contract would be executed through OTC platforms and the underlying power would be traded on the exchange. It will be important for these gaps to be addressed in follow on regulations or implementation rules. Although the guidelines offer a route for C&I consumers to meet RCO and sustainability goals by avoiding geographic and regulatory barriers, maintaining price competitiveness may be a concern. Much of India's electricity generation is tied up in long-term contracts and the exchange market is largely driven by thermal power. To remain financially viable and cash neutral VPPA tariffs may have to match or beat prevailing break-even rates. In addition to benefitting C&I customers, VPPAs may also aid RE generators by diversifying their customer base. Currently RE developers primarily engage with RPO-bound entities through long-term PPAs. VPPAs on the hand would introduce medium-term contractual opportunities, offering a more flexible and market-aligned price structure. This article is authored by Poonam Verma Sengupta, partner, JSA Advocates and Solicitors.
