Latest news with #ArunAnand
Time of India
07-08-2025
- Health
- Time of India
Under this Punjab horse's white coat lurks a killer secret
The Nukra, Punjab's famed spotless white horse, is more than an animal. With its milky white coat, it is poetry in motion; it has been stitched into ballads, weddings, and battle cries — a symbol of pride, power, and divine grace. But behind the shimmering coat of the beloved Nukra is a heart-breaking tale of misplaced vanity. At first glance, the Nukra looks like a dream. Creampink skin that glows in the sun. Eyes deep and dark. A gait that commands awe. Bred to be flawless, they now ride through social media feeds, wedding processions and village fairs, their very presence breathing wealth and prestige. But beneath that radiance lies a quiet tragedy. 'These horses are suffering, but people are too dazzled to see that,' sighs Dr Arun Anand, head of surgery at Guru Angad Dev Veterinary and Animal Sciences University (GADVASU). 'What we're witnessing is beauty turned against itself.' Nukras are not a separate breed — they're albino variants of the native Marwari horse. Their rise to fame is recent: around 50 years ago, a rare unpigmented foal was born. Since then, breeders — responding to rising demand — began selecting for spotless white coats, ignoring everything else. by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like Dog licks arent kisses. Heres what your dog really means when it licks you. Cleverst Undo That single-minded focus has led to severe inbreeding, weakening immune systems, and increasing susceptibility to life-threatening conditions. At GADVASU, up to 30% of all sick horses brought in are Nukras. Anand ticks the issues off: 'Skin cancer. Eye tumours. Genital cancers. Sarcoids in foals younger than four. It's heart-breaking.' The root cause? A lack of melanin, the natural pigment that shields skin from sun damage. Without it, these horses are defenceless in the very sun they were bred to shine under. 'Now, people want the 'perfect' horse for a photo,' says Manu Sharma, a Patiala-based breeder and equine photographer. 'You see these stunning Nukras online, but nobody talks about what they're going through.' Sharma, who once bred Nukras himself, says demand exploded after elite families in Delhi and Mumbai began hiring them for weddings. Veterinarians across Punjab, Haryana and Rajasthan have rung alarm bells. But the market remains strong — some Nukras sell for several lakhs of rupees, despite their declining health. 'It's not too late,' says Anand. 'But we need to love horses for more than their colour. We need to protect the animal, not the idea.' Until then, the Nukra rides on — fragile and admired — in a world that sees only the shine, not the scars.
Business Standard
02-07-2025
- Business
- Business Standard
Flow Realty Achieves ₹1,400 Cr in Sales, Emerges as Leading Mandate Partner in Bangalore
PNN New Delhi [India], July 2: Flow Realty, a new-age real estate sales and marketing firm founded by alumni of IIM-Bangalore and Narsee Monjee Mumbai, facilitated a Gross Transaction Value (GTV) milestone of ₹1,400 crore for the financial year ending March 31, 2025. Acting on behalf of its developer partners, the company successfully sold over 2 million square feet of real estate across apartments, plotted developments, and villas during the fiscal year--positioning itself among the top mandate-driven sales partners in South India. Now in its fourth year of operations, Flow Realty runs a lean but high-performing team of 80+ sales and marketing professionals from top-notch institutes. It has also built a Channel Partner network of over 2,000 members. The firm operates in emerging markets like Mysore and Bhubaneswar and is rapidly becoming a preferred partner for developers seeking end-to-end sales solutions. Flow Realty specialises in offering product strategy, sales and distribution solutions, marketing and branding strategies, and CRM services. Its clientele mainly comprises mid-sized developers with high-quality projects aiming to elevate their brand and reach. With a leadership team from some of the top developers in the industry, Flow Realty has positioned itself as a full-stack, performance-led mandate partner across South India. Arun Anand, Co-founder of Flow Realty, said: "As a bootstrapped services startup, our north star has always been profitable growth. To have reached the sales volume of a mid-sized developer in just our fourth year reflects not only the resilience of our model but also the market's growing faith in outsourced sales mandates. This year, we're looking to expand our leadership suite to set up base in one to two more markets across South India, strengthen our processes to make this model more scalable and increase the use of backend tech to make our sales funnel more efficient." Vyoma Pandit, Co-founder of Flow Realty, added: "We're especially proud of the role we play in helping young and emerging developer brands bring predictability to their cash flows--ensuring their buyers get their homes on time. We fit in beautifully into the construction-finance-customer cycle. This year, we are focused on taking up larger, more impactful assignments where we work closely with our developer partners from product concept all the way to collections. We're also excited about launching our tech-based platform for selling plotted developments." With its unique blend of strategic marketing, sales excellence, and tech-driven insights, Flow Realty continues to push the boundaries of what's possible in Indian real estate sales.
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First Post
28-04-2025
- Entertainment
- First Post
Storyboard18 'Delhi Literature Festival' to kick off on May 2 at Bikaner House
The 2025 Storyboard18 Delhi Literature Festival will host some of India's finest minds and bestselling authors, including Amb. Abhay K, Dr. Aishwarya Pandit, Arun Anand, Lakshmi Murdeshwar Puri (former diplomat), Ravi Shankar Etteth, Mukul Kumar, Pavan K. Varma, Taslima Nasrin etc read more The capital city is set to host one of its most anticipated cultural celebrations — the 13th edition of the Delhi Literature Festival — from May 2 to 4 at Bikaner House, Pandara Road, New Delhi. This year's theme, 'Delhi Writes: Voices, Visions & Verses', promises to spotlight Delhi's vibrant literary soul alongside powerful national conversations. The festival will be inaugurated by Gajendra S. Shekhawat, Union Minister for Culture & Tourism, in the presence of leading dignitaries, including Rekha Gupta, Delhi Chief Minister; Vijender Gupta, Speaker, Delhi Vidhan Sabha; Kapil Mishra, Cabinet Minister for Culture & Tourism; Keshav Chandra, Chairman, NDMC; and Tim Curtis, Director & Representative, UNESCO India. STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD Several key sessions intersecting policy, politics and literature will add political and intellectual gravitas to the festival. A special panel on 'Demography, Dialogue & Development' will be delivered by Sushri Bansuri Swaraj, Member of Parliament, delving into youth, governance and nation-building. A fireside chat titled 'Flowing Through Time: Healing The Yamuna' features Parvesh Sahib Singh, Cabinet Minister, Delhi, highlighting ecological heritage and sustainable futures. The festival will also witness a no-holds-barred conversation with political commentator and author Dr. Anand Ranganathan, titled 'Unscripted, Unapologetic, Unfiltered.' Over the three days, the festival will host some of India's finest minds and bestselling authors, including Lakshmi Murdeshwar Puri (former diplomat), presenting Swallowing the Sun; Amb. Abhay K, with his national bestseller Nalanda – How It Changed The World; Dr. Aishwarya Pandit, exploring Indian Renaissance: The Modi Decade; Ravi Shankar Etteth, Arun Anand, Pavan K. Varma, Taslima Nasrin, Mukul Kumar, and many more. There is a dedicated session on Hindi Poetry: 'Itwaar Chhota Pad Gaya'. There will also be a discussion on 'Can we be strangers again', national bestseller by Shrijeet Shandilya. Also, Nityananda Misra will talk about his book, 'Kumbha: The Traditionally Modern Mela'. The festival will also feature the Delhi Literature Festival Awards 2025, honouring excellence in seven literary categories, and 'Writers of the New Century', an open competition for young writers. The festival will conclude with a live performance by Meenu Bakshi, presented by Renu Hussain. Book lovers can explore curated selections at the Kunzum Bookstore, the official Bookstore Partner of the festival. Food and conversation will flow freely at the venue, with gourmet options from Diggin Cafe, L'Opera, Haldiram, and Havemore available on site. STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD The festival continues its legacy of bringing together thought leaders, literary icons, policymakers and the public to celebrate India's evolving literary and cultural landscape. The free registration and programme details are available
