Latest news with #Choudhary
Business Standard
13 hours ago
- Entertainment
- Business Standard
Sandeep Choudhary to Unveil Major Environmental Case Study as India Chapter President of Save Earth Mission
PNN Ahmedabad (Gujarat) [India], July 21: In an era where climate urgency dominates global discourse, Sandeep Choudhary, President of the India Chapter of Save Earth Mission, is emerging as a symbol of visionary leadership, spiritual science, and grounded action. On July 24, 2025, he is set to present what is being called "The Unevil" -- a transformative global framework for environmental and spiritual restoration -- broadcast live on First India News from 8 PM onwards, to a worldwide audience of media, scientists, environmentalists, and policy-makers. With the recent record-breaking plantation drive where over 500,000 trees were planted in just one hour under his leadership, Choudhary has drawn global praise from leading environmental organizations. This achievement was part of Save Earth Mission's bold vision to plant 30 billion trees by 2040, powered by real-time tech, geo-tagging, and citizen participation. July 15, 2025, marked another milestone as supporters and fans from across the globe celebrated Sandeep Choudhary's birthday by organizing coordinated plantation drives in multiple countries, including India, UAE, Thailand, Kenya, and the United States -- turning personal celebration into planetary action. Sandeep's growing influence is now evident online as well, with his name regularly trending on X (formerly Twitter) in India, the UAE, and the US, thanks to his bold takes on energy, consciousness, and sustainability. From decoding the enigmatic AI171 plane incident to presenting the spiritual science of 3,6,9, his insights continue to captivate and challenge global thought leaders. Now, as the world prepares for the highly anticipated July 24 unveiling of The Unevil, insiders hint at a revolutionary blueprint that merges environmental science, spiritual geometry, and next-gen climate technology -- a first-of-its-kind holistic solution for Earth's healing. "The Unevil is not just a case study -- it is the spiritual and scientific revelation Earth has been waiting for. It's time we stop fighting climate change and start healing the planet with consciousness and collaboration," says Sandeep Choudhary. This isn't just another climate speech. It's a historic moment of reckoning, innovation, and action. - Watch The Unevil LIVE on First India News, July 24 at 8 PM IST. - Also streaming live on YouTube & Facebook at @firstindiatv
News18
a day ago
- Business
- News18
Building consensus among states biggest hurdle in river-linking projects: Centre
New Delhi, Jul 21 (PTI) The Jal Shakti ministry has acknowledged that building consensus among participating states on the interlinking of rivers (ILR) programme remains the most challenging aspect due to apprehensions over water-sharing. In a written response in Rajya Sabha, Minister of State for Jal Shakti Raj Bhushan Choudhary underlined that the success of ILR projects hinges on inter-state agreement. 'The consensus building amongst states is the most challenging task due to apprehensions of states related to water sharing," Choudhary said. Out of the 30 link projects identified under the National Perspective Plan, five have been prioritised for implementation. This includes the Ken-Betwa Link Project (KBLP), which is currently under execution. With an estimated cost of Rs 44,605 crore, the KBLP aims to provide irrigation to over 10.6 lakh hectares across Madhya Pradesh and Uttar Pradesh and supply drinking water to around 62 lakh people. It will also generate 103 MW of hydropower and 27 MW of solar energy, with completion targeted for March 2030. The modified Parbati-Kalisindh-Chambal (PKC) link project, jointly taken up by Madhya Pradesh and Rajasthan, is expected to provide irrigation to six lakh hectares, drinking water to 21 districts in Rajasthan and 15 in Madhya Pradesh, and industrial water to regions including the Delhi-Mumbai Industrial Corridor. Another major initiative under consideration is the Godavari-Cauvery link, which would divert unutilised waters from the Indravati sub-basin in Chhattisgarh and provide annual irrigation to 6.78 lakh hectares, along with drinking and industrial water to a population of over 21 million people. The draft Memorandum of Agreement (MoA) has already been circulated among the participating states. In Bihar, the Kosi-Mechi intra-state link scheme is expected to divert surplus monsoon water to irrigate over 2.1 lakh hectares and reduce flood impact downstream of the Kosi river. PTI UZM UZM KSS KSS view comments First Published: July 21, 2025, 17:00 IST Disclaimer: Comments reflect users' views, not News18's. Please keep discussions respectful and constructive. Abusive, defamatory, or illegal comments will be removed. News18 may disable any comment at its discretion. By posting, you agree to our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy.
Time of India
a day ago
- Business
- Time of India
These factors are driving India's bond yields up, even after RBI's rate cut
When it rains, it pours—but for bond investors, it's barely been a drizzle. Since the RBI 's surprise 50 bps rate cut in May, those expecting gains from their bond portfolios have been left disappointed. The anticipated payoff from the rate-cutting cycle that began in January has yet to materialise. Triple threat In normal circumstances, interest rates and bond prices share an inverse relationship, even as bond yields move in tandem with interest rates. When interest rates fall, bond prices rise and bond yields fall. This theory held sway during the initial phase of this rate-cutting cycle. But this time, bond yields have moved up in response to rate cuts. Bond values that would normally rise, have eroded. Investors have been left running for cover. 'Ever since the rate cut that didn't feel at all like a rate cut, bond markets have been finding it difficult to regain their footing,' observes Suyash Choudhary, Head–Fixed Income, Bandhan Mutual Fund. Explore courses from Top Institutes in Select a Course Category Technology MCA Cybersecurity MBA others PGDM Data Science CXO Healthcare Finance Others Project Management Management healthcare Public Policy Operations Management Data Analytics Data Science Design Thinking Artificial Intelligence Digital Marketing Leadership Product Management Degree Skills you'll gain: Duration: 12 Weeks MIT xPRO CERT-MIT XPRO Building AI Prod India Starts on undefined Get Details Experts maintain that bond yields aren't rising due to any concerns on macro fundamentals. Choudhary insists that long end yields in India are rising simply because the supply of such bonds was raised over the past few years to accommodate larger demand from provident funds and insurers but hasn't been readjusted back even as that demand has tapered. 'The lack of more active recalibration of supply is the reason for this aggressive curve steepening and not any 'penalty' that the market is levying for fiscal uncertainties.' Best MF to invest Looking for the best mutual funds to invest? Here are our recommendations. View Details » Bond yields shot up after latest rate cuts Apart from the big rate cut, the central bank surprised the bond market with two more unexpected moves. It slashed the Cash Reserve Ratio (CRR) by 100 bps to 3%. The CRR is a percentage of a bank's total deposits that it must keep as reserves with the central bank. Live Events The third, more damning part of RBI's troika of policy actions was its change of stance from 'accommodative' to 'neutral'. This marked a swift reversal from the 'neutral' to 'accommodative' shift in its previous policy. The central bank clarified that the stance was changed to signal the market that further space for supporting growth was limited. Puneet Pal, Head Fixed Income , PGIM INDIA Mutual Fund, reckons, 'This led the bond markets to believe that the rate-cutting cycle has effectively ended, resulting in yields rising across the curve with a steepening bias.' Most experts feel the bond market's sombre reading of the policy stance is justified. Pal asserts, 'The Monetary Policy Committee (MPC) is likely to stay put on policy rates over the next couple of policy meetings and focus more on ensuring effective transmission of rate cuts done so far.' Axis Mutual Fund observes in a note, 'We expect a limited rally in the next 3–6 months. Directionally, we see yields for the 10-year G-sec to trade in the range of 6%-6.40% in the next 6 months.' Rate cuts have not spelled bonanza for bonds The rate-cutting cycle that kicked off this year has not translated into sizeable gains for bond fund investors. This could keep a lid on returns from long-duration bonds. Incrementally, short bonds can outperform long bonds from the riskreward perspective due to a shallow rate cut cycle, lower open market operations (OMO) purchases in the second half of the year and a shift in focus to government debt to GDP targets, remarks Axis Mutual Fund. Flicker of hope However, not everyone is convinced that the party is over for long-term bonds. There could yet be light at the end of the tunnel. With inflation easing further, the higher real rate may open up space for RBI to cut rates incrementally. The shift to a 'neutral' stance gives the central bank flexibility to move in any direction in response to the changing macro dynamics. It doesn't imply it can't cut rates further. 'While the RBI frontloaded easing at a time of relative global calm and fair visibility on domestic macro dynamics, the negative reaction to the stance change may have been premature,' remarks Arora of Emkay. 'With a likely impending reset in domestic macro dynamics through lower growth and inflation, the RBI may move to ease rates again by end-2025,' she adds. Bandhan MF's Choudhary reckons that while the bond story so far was purely about rate cuts, we are now entering the phase where you buy fixed income for relative value versus other assets, given the overall macro-cycle context, as well as for the starting valuations that bonds offer relative to economic fundamentals. He feels that the yields on 3-year corporate bonds have retraced substantially since the RBI policy and offer reasonable value, so long as one expects limited mark-to-market gains. 'If the pursuit is mark-to-market gains, however, then the government bonds seem much better poised with the recent sell-off having revealed clear value in two segments, in our view: 6-8 years and 30 years. The former is good consideration space for short and mid duration funds to play, whereas the latter remains our segment of choice for dynamic and gilt funds.'
Time of India
4 days ago
- Business
- Time of India
Apartment Ownership Act: The Future of Urban Living
Bhubaneswar: Earlier this year on May 18, residents of a real estate project in Bhubaneswar organised a silent protest, demanding handing over of the common areas to the association of allottees, a must under the Odisha Apartment (Ownership and Management) Act, 2023. "The common areas have been specified in our project, which, according to the Act, belong to us and should be utilised by us. The builder, instead of handing over the areas, is using the space to construct roads to its other adjacent projects," Ajit Kumar Choudhary, president of the association of allottees, had said. Having been deprived of the common areas for a long time, the association later approached the court against the builder and got a stay order, which means that the builder cannot undertake any kind of construction in the common area. This was made possible all thanks to the Apartment Ownership Act which has significantly shifted the power dynamics between developers and homebuyers. "Without the regulations in place, we couldn't have challenged the developer. The Act gave us the upper hand and we secured a favourable decree from Orissa high court later in our case," Choudhary added. Introduced two years ago with the objective of clearly defining ownership rights of homebuyers in apartment buildings and establishing guidelines for the use of common areas and facilities, the Act's implementation took time owing to complications in apartment sale deed registrations and other factors. by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like Villas For Sale in Dubai Might Surprise You Villas in Dubai | Search Ads Get Info Undo But ever since its implementation, the Act has brought unprecedented changes in how apartments are managed, owned and regulated. "The Act has several provisions which empower the homebuyers, who are now challenging the developers for their rights," real estate expert Bimalendu Pradhan, who, along with other activists, played a key role in raising awareness about the legislation, said. One of the most significant achievements of the Act was breaking the two-and-a-half-year-long deadlock in apartment sale deed registrations. The breakthrough came last April with the registration of the first association of allottees, leading to partial resumption of sale deed registrations in June 2024. This development was particularly crucial as the high court had previously mandated that registrations could only proceed when the apartments possessed all necessary legal documentation, including occupancy certificates, environmental clearances and fire safety certificates. The new registration process for the association of allottees under the Apartment Ownership Act, rather than the Societies Registration Act, 1860, ensures comprehensive compliance with all legal requirements. The Act's success is reflected in the numbers. Data from BDA, which is the competent authority in the capital city under the Act to issue certificates for registration of apartment owners' associations, revealed that out of 519 applications received for registration of allottees' associations in the past two years, 419 have been approved. As many as 70 of these approved applications have received declarations from the developers, establishing them as registered associations under the Act. BDA has further strengthened the Act's implementation through landmark orders recently. One significant directive empowers the allottee associations to discontinue essential services of occupants defaulting on maintenance fees. "We now have clear rules to deal with residents who enjoy facilities but refuse to pay maintenance fees," Santosh Acharya, president of a prominent housing society in Bomikhal, said. The state govt also continues to support the Act's implementation. Revenue minister Suresh Pujari has confirmed ongoing efforts to streamline apartment and part plot registration processes, while housing and urban development minister Krushna Chandra Mahapatra highlighted a Feb 2025 notification for the Act that further clarified resale procedures. Issues, however, remain for registering the older apartments under the Act since many of them do not have documents like occupancy certificate, fire safety certificate and others. "The govt with the Feb (2025) notification (which notified the rules of the Act) should have brought a method of regularising these apartments," Pradhan said. As the Act continues to evolve and shape Odisha's real estate sector, it stands as a testament to effective policy-making that balances the interests of all stakeholders while ensuring efficient property management.
Mid East Info
4 days ago
- Business
- Mid East Info
Belong: New fintech platform offers NRIs safe & easy investment options in India
USD-based FDs with higher returns, shorter tenures, no Rupee depreciation risks, doorstep KYC, 100% repatriation and no tax on the returns. Belong also launches a transparent and seamless Indian tax filing service for NRIs. Dubai, UAE; Wednesday, 16 July 2025: Belong, a new fintech platform for global Indians to invest safely and easily in India, is now available for non-resident Indians (NRI) in the UAE. Licensed by IFSCA – regulator of GIFT City, India, Belong offers a US Dollar-based Fixed Deposit (FD) starting at just USD 5,000 (AED 18,365), with high returns. Ankur Choudhary, CEO and Co-Founder, Belong, said: ' Our vision is simple: to make it easier for Indians to thrive globally while staying connected to Ind ia. Every NRI has built a global identity through hard work and ambition, but financial and non-financial services in India haven't kept up. At Belong , with GIFT City FDs, NRIs get more flexibility in choosing shorter tenures and they are also protected against Rupee depreciation while enjoying tax free returns in dollars .' Belong users in the UAE do not need to route funds through their NRE or NRO accounts, and the earnings are fully repatriable to UAE with minimal paperwork. As these FDs are in USD, investors are also protected from INR value fluctuations against the US Dollar. GIFT City is not under Indian tax jurisdiction, and all earnings on Belong are fully tax-free in India. The deposits also offer flexible lock-in periods of 3-months and 6-months, compared to a minimum 1-year lock-in for FCNR deposits. ' NRIs experience challenges when investing in India, such as complex and in-country KYC, high currency conversion charges, taxation on all Indian earnings, difficulty in repatriation of funds, and more. Belong set out to tackle these on behalf of NRIs, and GIFT City regulations work perfectly for the NRIs who still want to contribute and benefit from the India growth story ', added Choudhary. Belong is offering these FDs in partnership with reputed Indian banks located in the Gujarat International Finance Tec-City (GIFT City), India's up-and-coming global financial services hub, similar to Singapore. Offered to NRIs mostly via Indian banks until now, FDs have long been a popular investment option in India. The Reserve Bank of India has recorded INR 103 trillion (approximately US$ 1.2 trillion) held in FDs as of 2024. While Belong offers USD Fixed Deposits at launch, the platform will soon add other financial products such as mutual funds, stocks, insurance, cards and more, which will offer NRIs more rewarding investment and transaction options in India. Alongside the USD-based FD service, Belong has also launched a dedicated India tax filing service for NRIs without the typical 'NRI markup' pricing. NRIs are usually charged higher, non-standardised rates for most services in India. Belong aims to change that by offering transparent and cost-effective NRI taxation services 'NRIs have long been underserved when it comes to modern, digital-first financial solutions tailored to their unique needs,' said Vaas Bhaskar, Partner, Elevation Capital. 'Belong is uniquely positioned to serve this massive, underserved market by combining deep fintech expertise with GIFT City's regulatory framework. We're excited to back this exceptional team as they scale across key markets and build the go-to platform for everything India that global Indians need.' Belong aims to become the financial and lifestyle bridge for global Indians – helping NRIs stay connected, invested, and rooted in India, no matter where life takes them. Belong already has a suite of NRI-specific digital tools to help NRIs make informed financial decisions. -x-
