Latest news with #Agra
The Standard
4 days ago
- Entertainment
- The Standard
Hong Kong Palace Museum to showcase Mughal Empire's artistic splendor
This exhibition features an immersive digital installation titled 'Taj Mahal: A Love Story in a Majestic Monument', offering a captivating exploration of the historical and artistic significance of this iconic world heritage monument.
Daily Mail
5 days ago
- Daily Mail
Man, 80, suffering from paralysis is rescued after being left tied up and locked in a car in 30C heat while his family 'visited Taj Mahal'
An 80-year-old man suffering from paralysis was rescued after being found tied to a car seat and left locked inside a vehicle in extreme heat. Authorities believe the family left him behind while they visited the iconic Taj Mahal in Agra, India, on Thursday. The man, identified as Hariom Tandale, had travelled from Mumbai to Agra in Uttar Pradesh with his relatives. Temperatures reached 30°C on the day of the incident, with humidity climbing above 90 per cent. According to police, Mr Tandale was left inside the car with the windows shut and no air circulation while it was parked in direct sunlight. No one was left behind to attend to him. Passers-by noticed the elderly man gasping for air and visibly distressed. He was found tied to the seat with a cloth, the seat reclined, and his body drenched in sweat. Witnesses said he was clearly in need of urgent help and looked parched. Passers by broke one of the vehicle's windows to take him out Keen to help, locals smashed a window to get into the vehicle and free him. Due to his limited mobility, they had to physically lift him out of the car. Onlookers offered him water and helped loosen the cloth restraints before calling emergency services. Deputy Commissioner of Police Sonam Kumar told news agency PTI: 'Siddheshwar Tandale, a resident of Mumbai, had come to visit the Taj Mahal with his family. 'His elderly father, Hariom Tandale, was taken out of the car after breaking the window.' Kumar added that an ambulance was dispatched, but Mr Tandale's condition improved shortly after he was removed from the vehicle. 'Currently, Siddheshwar Tandale has left with his elderly father,' the officer said. No formal complaint has been filed in the matter.
Zawya
6 days ago
- Business
- Zawya
African agriculture won't thrive on fertiliser subsidies but working markets
The UN Secretary-General Special Envoy Agnes Kalibata works with the United Nations system and key partners to provide leadership, guidance and strategic direction towards the Food Systems Summit. Dr Kalibata is the founder and executive director of Connecting Africa Now. She has also served as president of the Alliance for a Green Revolution in Africa (Agra) for a decade. Prior to joining Agra, Dr Kalibata was Rwanda's Minister of Agriculture and Animal Resources from 2008 to 2014. She spoke to Jackson Mutinda on the sidelines of the Standard Bank Africa Unlocked 2025 in Cape Town about the future of African agriculture. What myths about African agriculture do we need to bust?There are quite a number of myths about African agriculture. And being here in this meeting, where we are with bankers, the private sector, and institutions that fund agriculture, it's important that we paint a picture, and help them understand where the sector is at and where it's going. African agriculture has tripled in volume, in a way matching the population. Of course, there are still issues of access, and those problems will always be there. But, in the last 30 years, we grew from 400 million metric tonnes in volume of food to 1.2 billion metric tonnes per year. That's important, the sector is growing. It's critical to understand the drivers of growth. One of the biggest drivers of growth, of course, is urbanisation. Africa has urbanised pretty fast. In the same period, we moved from around 135 million people living in cities to around 500 million. That's a huge population, which is diversifying its diets, demanding different types of food. So, we've seen a surge in vegetable need, we've seen a surge in fruit need, a surge in meat need. We've also seen a surge in the need for processed food. Another thing is that lot of people think about African agriculture as subsistence, meaning we all grow food in our backyard, especially the rural population. But, the truth is, 55-60 percent of the food eaten in rural Africa is bought, meaning it's not grown in the backyard. It's bought, either because economies are improving and people can afford it, or people need different things from what they grow. Whatever the cause, that market is growing. The next myth is that we need big business versus the type of businesses we have. The average African business today, an SME in agriculture, is $300,000-$500,000. They're pretty small, compared to businesses we have out there. But these businesses are putting in a lot of weight -- 85 percent of the food we are eating in cities, in villages, is moved around by these SMEs. They provide the logistics to 1.2 billion metric tonnes of food a year. So, these are some of the things you want financial institutions to hear, because you want these businesses funded. We still have limitations, of course. But where the market signal is clear, the businesses move -- agriculture moves. And many of the limitations are because we still need to invest in infrastructure; to invest in market development; in policies and finance needs to catch up. But the growth is there. What is the place of technology in African agriculture?There are a number of ways to look at technology in African agriculture. Technology is making it easier for agriculture to be profitable. So, in terms of productivity, if I talked about technology that is responsible for productivity, you want to be using high-yielding seeds, good fertilisers -- very specific fertilisers so that there's value for money. You want to be doing mechanisation. (Kenyan software company) Hello Tractor was born out of something like that. That's how economies are built. That's why in the past, they had projected that if we invested 10 percent of our budgets in agriculture, we should see a 6 percent increase in GDP. So, there's no sector that is more responsive to investment than agriculture. But, of course, it has to be accompanied by credible access to markets. So that is one role of technology on the productive side. There's now an increasing role of technology where access to information is much better, and we need information now more than before. Weather information is becoming really critical. Market information: It is the only real reason farmers farm -- they want to have markets. And then there's an opportunity for extension, because it's an area that is weakly invested by governments. So, if we can find ways of using modern technology -- AI-driven -- to reach farmers faster and better in their environment, then we can get a lot more done. So, there are opportunities there. But also technology is fast-tracking research. Things that would have happened over 100 years are happening in months. And the technologies are getting to farmers. So, the place of technology is huge. The last and probably most important, it is attracting young people to agriculture. You see young people that have all sorts of drones monitoring insects, that are influencing spraying, that are influencing irrigation systems. Now, there's real focus on innovations in the agricultural sector, through and by young people. Looking at Africa, what countries would you say have real potential for agricultural production, for feeding regions, and perhaps whose potential has not been exploited?There are a number of ways to look at Africa's production potential. Again, looking at it in general is a good place to start, without pushing it in any particular country. We talked about Africa importing commodities it can produce. So, let's talk about the four commodities worth $34 million we are importing. That's rice, wheat, maize and oilseeds. Wheat and oilseeds can be comfortably produced in Southern Africa. Zambia, Zimbabwe , and South Africa are very good producers of wheat. Mozambique and Malawi are very good producers of soybean. Tanzania is a good producer of sunflower. A huge part of East Africa can produce good rice, at very low cost, and competitively. A huge part of West Africa can produce rice, and very competitively. The real market is the person who can produce as much and has to import. Earlier we were talking about neighbouring countries: One is importing from Brazil; one is producing surplus and has nowhere to put it, mostly because the connectivity in those two countries is very poor. They share borders, but the transport ecosystem is poor. If we are transporting, we are using trucks instead of rail, which costs $200, as opposed to $6 a tonne. What type of business would that be? When I was working at Agra, a number of regions had been mapped out as food baskets, based on the production potential. These regions can produce enough food for Africa. But for that to be of value, Africa would have to trade with Africa. Countries would have to open borders more, and the African continental trade would have to work. What is your assessment of Africa's policies towards agriculture? Are we doing well? Why hasn't the 10 percent budget allocation worked in many of the places you know of?You know, I'm not so much worried about the 10 percent of money going into agriculture as I am about the quality of whatever money that goes in, and where it goes. I'm worried about the quality. Because, you see, if you put in 5 percent in the right places, it adds up. But if you put in 10 percent in the wrong places, then the value is not there. It's as simple as that. And if you keep putting it in the same place, it leaves many other places uninvested. So for agriculture to work, infrastructure must work. You must reach farmers; you must have proper roads and rail. For agriculture to work, markets must work. It's not just production. Even production needs irrigation. But many of our countries are investing 70 percent of agriculture budgets on fertiliser subsidies. That's what I'm worried about -- fertiliser subsidies. Because fertiliser subsidies will not deliver African agriculture. I'm not saying we don't subsidise the sector. I really care about how we make it easy for farmers to access what they need. they need irrigation, they need localisation, they need access to finance. Where are women in the agricultural revolution?Women in many places are 50 percent, sometimes even 60 percent of the workforce in agriculture. For a number of reasons. Women haven't had the level of access to finance or to means that they need to be productive. But this is changing. For example, Agra created a platform that has 10,000 women businesses that are registered. It's called Value4Her. It ensures that women can access information on agriculture: information on value addition, information and support in financing, information on how to support and create businesses. As they grow bigger, they go on to have an investing fund, the African Enterprise Challenge Fund. But the young businesses are supported through small merchant grants. So, this type of ecosystem allows women to be in business in agriculture and to be creative. But it's not the only one. We do have a programme with MasterCard Foundation that puts emphasis on funding. At least 80 percent of the target financing is for women in agriculture. Let's talk about the stocktake of the Food Systems Summit that is coming up. What are we looking forward to?Every two years, from the summit that happened in 2021, we take stock of the progress we are making because the agriculture sector needs to be transforming. It needs to increase productivity in some areas. It needs to reduce waste in others. For us in Africa, we care about increased production and improved access to nutrition. For other parts of the world, where excessive production is happening, we care about reducing the impact of that on the environment. So, that means the sector needs to be transforming. This year, the stocktake will be looking at what type of innovation ecosystem has been put in, what type of progress we have made, with a real focus on investment. © Copyright 2022 Nation Media Group. All Rights Reserved. Provided by SyndiGate Media Inc. (
The Independent
08-07-2025
- Business
- The Independent
Birkenstock takes on Indian counterfeit trade in Delhi lawsuit
Birkenstock, the German footwear brand, has initiated legal action in India against multiple manufacturers and sellers for producing and exporting counterfeit versions of its products. The infringement case, filed in May with the Delhi High Court, targets four footwear traders, four manufacturing units, and two individuals primarily operating in Agra and New Delhi. In an earlier ruling the court found that the fake products and packaging are so similar to genuine Birkenstock items that they are "hardly discernible to the naked eye," leading to public deception. Following a court order on 26 May, inspections have been carried out at factories, with counterfeit stock seized and evidence collected, and a follow-up hearing is scheduled for 6 October. This legal action reflects a broader trend of international brands, including Crocs and Christian Louboutin, combating intellectual property theft and the thriving counterfeit market in India.
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Travel + Leisure
08-07-2025
- Business
- Travel + Leisure
The 8 Best Hotels in India of 2025
This year's top hotels in India, as voted by Travel + Leisure readers, exemplify the extravagant aesthetics and luxurious service that make the country's hospitality industry one of the best in the world. Readers clearly have no problem picking favorites, with the top properties located mostly in major travel destinations like Mumbai, New Delhi, Jaipur, Udaipur, and Agra. They're also partial to homegrown brands: All of this year's winners are part of either Taj Hotels, Oberoi Hotels & Resorts, or The Leela Palaces, Hotels and Resorts, all founded in India. Every year for our World's Best Awards survey, T+L asks readers to weigh in on travel experiences around the globe—to share their opinions on the top hotels, resorts, cities, islands, cruise ships, spas, airlines, and more. Nearly 180,000 T+L readers completed the 2025 survey. A total of more than 657,000 votes were cast across over 8,700 properties (hotels, cities, cruise lines, etc.). Hotels were classified as either resort hotel, city hotel, inn, or safari lodge based on their location and amenities, and they were specifically rated on the criteria below: Rooms/facilities Location Service Food Value For each characteristic, respondents could choose a rating of excellent, above average, average, below average, or poor. The final scores are averages of these responses. The luxurious Kohinoor Suite at The Oberoi Amarvilas, Agra. Perhaps unsurprisingly, this year's reader-favorite city hotels in India are split between the country's two most populous cities, Delhi and Mumbai. Taj Lands End, Mumbai (No. 2) is the perfect high-end option for business travelers, with many spaces for meetings and events—a natural fit for Mumbai, known as India's financial capital. But it's really the prime location on the edge of the Arabian Sea, next to Bandra Fort, that stood out. The winners in the capital include the stately The Leela Palace New Delhi (No. 3) on the edge of Chanakyapuri, the city's diplomatic enclave. Travelers raved about the friendly atmosphere—'the staff became extended family by the end of our stay,' wrote one reader—but it's also well-loved by locals. 'My family and I love going to the hotel for staycations, or even just for the excellent brunches,' another survey respondent wrote. Taj Mahal, New Delhi Classic meets contemporary at Captain's Cellar at the Taj Mahal, New Delhi. This 213-key hotel has become an icon in the capital in the nearly 50 years since it opened at 1 Mansingh Road. The property completed a major renovation in late 2023, which likely propelled it to making its first appearance on the list of India's best city hotels in 2024. And now, the Taj Mahal, New Delhi, has risen to the top. T+L readers especially loved its proximity to historic sites like the National Museum and Humayun's Tomb. In fact, one survey respondent wrote that the hotel has 'one of the best locations in Delhi,' also praising its 'amazing food, nice garden, and excellent service, as per the Taj standard.' 1. Taj Mahal, New Delhi Reader Score: 98.59 2. Taj Lands End, Mumbai Reader Score: 97.93 3. The Leela Palace New Delhi Reader Score: 97.40 Four of this year's top five resorts in India come from a single brand: The Oberoi Group. And four are located in the storied state of Rajasthan—including one in Jaipur, the capital, and two in Udaipur, sometimes referred to as India's 'city of lakes.' One of the Udaipur properties, Taj Lake Palace, Udaipur (No. 5), is even found among a lake—set on a small island within Lake Pichola and reached by private boat. 'The location is really like heaven,' wrote one survey respondent; another said their 'ridiculously high expectations were completely exceeded.' But one of the Rajasthani winners is unlike the others: The Oberoi Vanyavilas Wildlife Resort, Ranthambhore (No. 3), just outside Ranthambore National Park, is a sanctuary for the endangered Bengal tiger. The tented camp is a great home base for wildlife-spotting and visiting sites like the UNESCO-protected Ranthambore Fort, but with luxury comforts like clawfoot tubs and, in some rooms, private plunge pools. The No. 1-favorite is also an Oberoi property, but it's located in the neighboring state of Uttar Pradesh—and is just a 10-minute walk from one of the country's most famous sites, the Taj Mahal. The Oberoi Amarvilas, Agra A glimpse into The Oberoi Amarvilas, Agra's Deluxe Suite. Some of the 95 rooms and seven suites at this palatial resort have views of the Taj Mahal: Agra's most famous attraction, which is also subtly referenced in the hotel's design. Readers were captivated by the property's 'beautiful architecture with great Mughal-era vibes,' as one survey respondent put it, referring to the domes, arches, fountains, and pristine gardens. But looks are just one of the reasons why the Oberoi Amarvilas came in at No. 1 for 2025, its first year in the top spot since 2018. For example, readers also loved the 'perfect location'—less than half a mile from Emperor Shah Jahan's famous tomb, builtd for his wife, Mumtaz Mahal. 1. The Oberoi Amarvilas, Agra WBA Hall of Fame honoree. Reader Score: 98.87 2. The Oberoi Rajvilas, Jaipur Reader Score: 98.06 3. The Oberoi Vanyavilas Wildlife Resort, Ranthambhore Reader Score: 97.68 4. The Oberoi Udaivilas, Udaipur Reader Score: 97.36 5. Taj Lake Palace, Udaipur Reader Score: 95.56
