Latest news with #Alto
Time of India
a day ago
- Health
- Time of India
Sleep for Rs 1.75 lakh, aura cleanse for Rs 10K? Mira Rajput's new wellness centre goes viral for its staggering price tag. Netizens can't keep calm
In an age where self-care is the new status symbol, wellness has become more than just a lifestyle—it's a luxury statement. And leading this stylish shift is none other than Mira Rajput Kapoor . Known for her love of clean living and minimalist elegance, Mira has now ventured deeper into the world of holistic health with her latest offering, Dhun—a luxury wellness centre nestled in the heart of Bandra , Mumbai. But while the launch was a star-studded affair, it's the eye-watering prices of some treatments that have sparked major buzz online. What's inside comes at a cost—and not a small one. Here's what's on offer: Sound healing (60 mins) – Rs 7,500 by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like 2 Simple Profitable Strategies That Can Make You 5K Per Day thefutureuniversity Learn More Undo Aura cleansing (30 mins) – Rs 10,000 Red light bed therapy (20 mins) – Rs 5,500 Aura and chakra scan – Rs 10,000 Cryotherapy (5 mins) – Rs 7,000 Sleep Program- Rs 1.75 lakh Cleanse and Reset - Rs 1.75 lakh Gut Restoration programs – Rs 1.75 lakh Internet reacts These price tags have set social media on fire. On Reddit, users had a field day reacting to the costs, with some joking that they'd forget their trauma only to be haunted by the trauma of losing Rs 10,000. Others said their aura cleansed itself automatically upon seeing the rate card. One said that they are already sleeping better knowing that their Rs 1.75 lakh is safe with them. Another said that in Rs 1.75 lakh one can buy a second-hand Alto. While the treatments may be targeted at a niche clientele, Mira Rajput's leap into luxury wellness is certainly making noise.
Business Recorder
3 days ago
- Automotive
- Business Recorder
Brakes on
Rate cuts have been more than welcoming for car buyers, and it shows in improving sales across the industry. In 10M, a 40 percent rise in cumulative sales for passenger cars, SUVs, and LCVs indicates the industry is on the mend—from a massive slump, no doubt, but definitely recuperating. Passenger cars in 10MFY25 recovered 32 percent, but it was LCVs and SUVs that shone—up 69 percent from last year. This is still behind FY23 and FY21, and significantly down from sales during FY22. This year was always going to be a slow recovery, as gradually returning appetite—which refers to not just desire but the ability to make a purchase—is being driven by better inflation levels and falling interest rates. This is not to say that the SBP is fully prepared for a resurgence in automotive demand. If it were, the regulator would have loosened the regulatory noose on car financing terms that were much more relaxed in FY22. The freeze on financing for imported cars continues—so do the high equity requirements and shorter loan tenors. Average monthly passenger car sales during the current year stood at roughly 8,300 versus 6,300 last year (10M) and almost 8,900 the year before that. The real growth in LCVs/SUVs is visible in average sales too—selling upward of 2,800 units per month this year, versus last year's 1,600 and 2,700 the year before that. From Hyundai's fairly decent volumes in Santa Fe, Porter, and Tucson, to Toyota doubling its Fortuner and Hilux sales, to Sazgar's Haval taking control of more than a third of the market (excluding Ravi sales), the climb is steep, and it is outperforming past outcomes. At a time like this, it makes sense that the smallest and the largest segments are outpacing the rest. Alto alone sold 1.2 times the total LCV and SUV sales. In terms of volumes, there is no beating this compact car. Suzuki workshops are working overtime. Advance payment is 100 percent (unlike other popular vehicles like Yaris or Civic), there's an 'own' of roughly Rs300,000 to get the vehicle immediately, and buyers will pay the price differential in full if there's a bump at delivery. These terms are stringent and yet, volumes are racking up. It remains the biggest bang for buck in the market, even at the ridiculously high price it's selling for today. On the other end are the big engines dominating both roads and market share. To a great extent, any price is fair in this segment—as long as the vehicle is competitive and delivers performance. This is the segment where assemblers can actually get creative, and those who have are seeing their sales shoot up. In a market that has been so starved for choice and variety, and one that is drawn to imported used vehicles like moth to flame, assemblers better up the ante come FY26. Because if the government goes through with its promise to liberalize the import policy—should it be so gumptious—it's game over, or at least game pause, for a lot of these.
CTV News
3 days ago
- Business
- CTV News
Conservative Senate leader criticizes $330K rebrand of high-speed rail project
A Via Rail train is seen on tracks in Dorval, Que., as it heads out of Montreal on May 23. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Christinne Muschi MONTREAL — The Senate opposition leader says it was 'irresponsible' for a federal Crown corporation to spend $330,000 on a rebranding exercise. Conservative Sen. Leo Housakos says the decision to pay an outside marketing firm to help design a new name and brand for a Via Rail subsidiary was another example of wasteful spending by the Liberal government. Housakos was referring to Alto, a Crown corporation responsible for building a high speed rail project between Toronto and Quebec City. Documents obtained by The Canadian Press show the corporation changed its name and pivoted to high-speed rail because of a lack of public support for a high-frequency rail project announced in 2021. It changed its name from VIA-HFR to Alto as part of its rebranding. The high-speed rail project was officially announced in February and would take passengers from Montreal to Toronto in just three hours. This report by The Canadian Press was first published May 29, 2025. The Canadian Press
Winnipeg Free Press
3 days ago
- Business
- Winnipeg Free Press
Conservative Senate leader criticizes $330K rebrand of high-speed rail project
MONTREAL – The Senate opposition leader says it was 'irresponsible' for a federal Crown corporation to spend $330,000 on a rebranding exercise. Conservative Sen. Leo Housakos says the decision to pay an outside marketing firm to help design a new name and brand for a Via Rail subsidiary was another example of wasteful spending by the Liberal government. Housakos was referring to Alto, a Crown corporation responsible for building a high speed rail project between Toronto and Quebec City. Documents obtained by The Canadian Press show the corporation changed its name and pivoted to high-speed rail because of a lack of public support for a high-frequency rail project announced in 2021. It changed its name from VIA-HFR to Alto as part of its rebranding. The high-speed rail project was officially announced in February and would take passengers from Montreal to Toronto in just three hours. This report by The Canadian Press was first published May 29, 2025.
CTV News
4 days ago
- Business
- CTV News
Via Rail subsidiary paid Quebec marketing firm $330K as it pivoted to high-speed rail
A VIA Rail train is seen on tracks in Dorval, Que., as it heads out of Montreal on Friday, May 23, 2025. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Christinne Muschi MONTREAL — A federal Crown corporation paid more than $330,000 to an outside marketing firm to rebrand a planned passenger rail project between Toronto and Quebec City and boost its popularity. Documents obtained by The Canadian Press detail how the corporation, concerned about 'widespread disinterest' in a high-frequency rail corridor announced in 2021, decided to change its name and pivot to high-speed rail instead. As part of that shift, the VIA Rail subsidiary hired a Quebec-based firm, Cossette Communication Inc., to develop a marketing plan that would reflect a new direction – signalled by the Crown corporation's chief executive, Martin Imbleau – to ensure the project placed a greater emphasis on speed. With the firm's help, the corporation came up with a new logo and a new name – Alto – more than a year ago. The rebranding was apparently so sensitive that the Crown corporation also chose a code name for Alto. Multiple documents, obtained using access-to-information law, refer to the new name as 'Tracks.' It would take until February 2025 for the new name to be made public, when former prime minister Justin Trudeau announced the government was awarding a contract to a consortium to design the 1,000-kilometre high-speed rail network. If completed, the train would take passengers from Montreal to Toronto in just three hours. The government's initial plan for the passenger rail system, announced in July 2021, envisioned a high-frequency rail line connecting Toronto, Ottawa, Montreal and Quebec City. The network would have cut travel times for passengers, but the trains would be too slow to be considered high-speed. The documents make clear that by the fall of 2023, however, the Crown corporation felt it needed to change course and scrap its original name — VIA HFR. 'The concept of 'high frequency' faces strong opposition. There's widespread disinterest and dissatisfaction associated with the term, hindering any meaningful discussions and support. This resistance has become particularly challenging to navigate as the term 'high frequency' is directly embedded in the (corporation's) name,' reads an undated briefing note written in late 2023 or early 2024. It goes on to say that discussions of higher speed 'are met with openness,' which would lead to 'greater project support and acceptance.' It adds that the VIA HFR name should be changed early in the process, while the public's awareness of the project is 'relatively low.' VIA HFR's work with the marketing firm dates back to at least September 2023, when it signed a contract with Cossette to develop a 'brand narrative' and a tag line for the corporation as part of the shift to high speed. The contract appears to have been extended multiple times through the end of 2024, and invoices from the marketing firm show it billed more than $330,000 between October 2023 and January 2025. Cossette declined to comment on the contract. In a statement, the office of Transport Minister Chrystia Freeland said Alto is an arm's-length organization responsible for its own day-to-day activities. 'Minister Freeland expects that these institutions are well-managed and ensure value for taxpayer dollars,' it reads. A presentation from the firm dating from December 2023 shows a list of 'top 3' names under consideration at the time: Inter, XLR and Trax. But none of those made the cut. An April 2024 presentation from VIA HFR shows the corporation had landed on Alto, which it said 'embodies the project's stronger focus on incorporating higher speeds and providing a higher level of service to Canadians.' Alto also evokes 'music and the train as catalysts for connection,' the presentation says, and is a 'play on words with the train as an alternative way to travel.' The name also works in both official languages, it adds. 'Naming a national project of this scale goes beyond branding,' a spokesperson for Alto said in an email statement to The Canadian Press. 'A strong, meaningful name anchors public support, reflects ambition, and shapes how Canadians will connect with the project for decades. It's a sensitive process. We approached Alto's naming with care, rigour, and a long-term vision.' It's not unusual for transit projects to get branding makeovers worth hundreds of thousands of dollars – nor is it uncommon for them to attract criticism. Last November, the Canadian Taxpayers Federation took issue with Saskatoon for spending $317,000 on a city bus rebrand. The city responded by saying the cost was in line with similar projects across the country. Ultimately, Trudeau introduced the rebranding of Alto in February, when he announced that a consortium called Cadence, made up of CDPQ Infra, AtkinsRéalis, SYSTRA Canada, Keolis Canada, Air Canada and SNCF Voyageurs, had won a $3.9-billion, six-year contract to design the high-speed line. The federal Conservatives dismissed the announcement as 'yet another promise with no details that will take years and $3.9 billion on planning and bureaucracy, without laying a single piece of track.' Ryan Katz-Rosene, an associate professor at the University of Ottawa who studies high-speed rail, said it's 'concerning' to see the Crown corporation focus on 'how to maximize the marketing appeal' of the project instead of 'trying to address very specific challenges in the transport sector.' He said a big problem the high-frequency plan sought to fix was the fact that VIA Rail currently has to schedule passenger trains around freight trains sharing the same tracks. Building new, dedicated tracks would have removed a major obstacle to improved service, he said – regardless of speed. But a high-speed rail line could cost double the price of the high-frequency option, Katz-Rosene said, and is therefore less likely to get built. Still, the switch to high speed clearly won over some important players. In an interview after Trudeau's announcement in February, Quebec City Mayor Bruno Marchand said he was 'very happy' with the decision, and called the high-frequency project 'crap.' An internal presentation from August 2024 cites public opinion research showing that people preferred a higher-speed rail line, despite the added cost. 'We must continue to shift away from the high frequency narrative to keep the public and stakeholders engaged,' it reads. According to the documents, the corporation in September 2023 asked the three groups qualified to bid on building the project to 'propose a second option without speed limitations.' Katz-Rosene said it's not surprising that people would choose high speed over high frequency. But a high-speed rail project will face substantial political challenges, he said, including the fact that Western Canada may balk at the idea of paying billions of dollars to build a rail corridor for Quebec and Ontario. 'I don't think anyone has a really good handle on how much this is actually going to cost,' he said, adding that the 'sticker shock' could eventually kill the project. 'You just know it's going to be a hot political issue.' This report by The Canadian Press was first published May 28, 2025. Maura Forrest, The Canadian Press
