Latest news with #Damodaran
Hindustan Times
30-05-2025
- Business
- Hindustan Times
Famed UP mangoes set to fly out, tickle taste buds across globe
Uttar Pradesh is likely to make a mark on the global fruit export map as its famed mangoes head to international markets including Singapore, Dubai, Saudi Arabia, United States, and the United Kingdom. This year, UP will target to export 100-150 tonnes of mangoes grown in the state, an official said. 'Last year, UP mango production was 6 million metric tonnes, against India's total 22 to 23 million metric tonnes. In 2024, overall UP export was pegged at 0.013%. This number is very likely to increase in 2025,' says T Damodaran, director, ICAR-Central Institute for Subtropical Horticulture (CISH). Damodaran said, 'We plan to export mangoes to Singapore and UAE by sea so that a large quantity can be exported. Mangoes will be sent to the US and Japan by air from the West UP region like Bulandshahr and Meerut.' Divisional commissioner, Lucknow, Roshan Jacob, on Friday interacted with exporters and mango growers, and directed state officials to extend all necessary facilities for mango exports using CISH-developed post-harvest and sea-route export technologies. To accelerate this initiative, ICAR-Central Institute for Subtropical Horticulture (CISH), Lucknow held a high-level Exporters-Growers Business Meet-2025 at its Rehmankheda campus where Jacob emphasised the importance of tapping into the domestic market potential across various states in India. Additionally, she instructed divisional officials to establish a nodal centre for export promotion at the state level. She asked the Mandi Parishad, Lucknow, to set up a one-stop centre to assist farmers with registration on APEDA's Hort-Net Portal. Damodaran highlighted that the institute will provide technical and logistical support for the export of premium Dussheri and Chausa mango varieties to Singapore, Dubai, and other international destinations during their respective seasons. He informed that CISH has developed dedicated clusters for Dussheri mangoes in Lucknow and Chausa in Siana (Bulandshahr), where farmers are now producing export-quality fruits under the Institute's technical guidance, using CISH-developed technologies to ensure superior quality and compliance with export standards. Vinita Sudhanshu, general manager, APEDA (New Delhi), elaborated on the vital role APEDA plays in promoting the export of North Indian mangoes. She emphasised the importance of quality compliance, international certifications, and logistics readiness for successful exports. Ajay Jain (IAS), the chief development officer (CDO) of Lucknow informed that packing houses in Lucknow, Amroha, and Saharanpur are fully operational and equipped for mango processing and export handling. He was also tasked with coordinating with Indian Railways for train halts and facilitating marketing opportunities through hotel chains, railway outlets, and online platforms such as Zepto, BigBasket, Blinkit, and others.
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Business Standard
22-05-2025
- Climate
- Business Standard
UP mango farmers warned of pest risk after rain, hailstorm hit state
The recent rainfall, hailstorm and gusty winds are likely to cause pest infestation in mango crops across parts of Uttar Pradesh, and farmers have been advised to take timely action, a top research body official said on Thursday. Uttar Pradesh contributes one-third to the country's total mango production of 24 million tonne. Dashehari, Langra, Chuasa, and Amrapali are key mango varieties grown in the state. According to T Damodaran, Director of ICAR-Central Institute for Subtropical Horticulture, while the overall mango yield may not be impacted in Uttar Pradesh, some pockets of mango-growing regions may see pest attacks due to humid weather conditions following the rainfall and hailstorm. "Fruit flies and thrips in mango crops can increase post rains due to humid conditions and moisture in the soil, which are favourable for these pests' development and activity," he said, adding that farmers need to manage these pests after rainfall. Damodaran explained that if timely control of the first generation of fruit flies is not undertaken, their population will multiply in successive waves, coinciding with the ripening of the main mango crop. By the time the mangoes reach marketable maturity, the fly population can become alarmingly high. To control pests, Damodaran suggested that 'methyl eugenol traps' are an effective and eco-friendly method for managing male fruit flies, especially in mango. These traps are available in the market and can be installed by hanging them at a height of 1.5 to 2 metres, preferably in semi-shaded areas inside the tree canopy. Jaggery-based poison bait may be used to control adult fruit flies. About 20 grams of jaggery mixed with 100 parts water and 1 millilitre/litre of contact insecticide (such as Malathion 50 EC) may be used to prepare the bait. Farmers should do spot spraying of this poison bait mixture on tree trunks, lower branches, and foliage. The spraying should be avoided during rain or in bright midday sun, and should be applied in the morning or late afternoon. This may be repeated every 7-10 days. For the control of thrips, any of the insecticides such as Imidacloprid 17.8% SL (0.3 ml/L) or Thiamethoxam 25% WG (0.3 g/L) or Lambda cyhalothrin 5% EC (1 ml/L) or Tolfenpyrad 15% EC at 1.5 ml/L may be used. For semiloopers and Dudua (paired fruit borer), Lambda cyhalothrin 5% EC (1 ml/L) may be sprayed by targeting the new flush and fruits, he added. Bijnor, Saharanpur and Lucknow are some of the key growing areas that received rainfall on Wednesday. Mango fruit will be harvested in Uttar Pradesh from June.
Time of India
08-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Time of India
Padma Shri Awardee Chef Damodaran makes a surprise visit to actor Ajith Kumar at Rashtrapati Bhavan
Renowned chef and Padma Shri award recipient, Chef Damodaran , made a surprise visit to actor Ajith Kumar at Rashtrapati Bhavan during the prestigious award ceremony. The unexpected meeting brought double joy to Chef Damodaran, who expressed his excitement on social media . Sharing pictures from the event, Chef Damodaran wrote, 'I met actor Ajith in Rashtrapati Bhavan while receiving the award. It was double happiness—receiving the Padma Shri award and meeting one of my favourite actors, Ajith, who received the Padma Bhushan award . He is a very simple, down-to-earth person and extremely friendly.' Here's the post: View this post on Instagram A post shared by Damodaran Kothandaraman (@chef_damu) The heartwarming interaction between the two icons—one from the culinary world and the other from cinema, was widely celebrated by fans. Operation Sindoor 'Op Sindoor's precision & execution was unimaginable': Rajnath Singh Operation Sindoor: India repels drone, missile attack across LoC Operation Sindoor: Several airports in India closed - check full list Chef Damodaran's admiration for Ajith Kumar is well-known, and this chance encounter at one of the nation's most prestigious venues added a special touch to the occasion. Ajith Kumar, who was honoured with the Padma Bhushan, is recognized not only for his contributions to Indian cinema but also for his inspiring off-screen persona. Chef Damodaran, a pioneer in the culinary industry , has long been celebrated for his exceptional culinary skills and his role in popularizing Indian cuisine globally. Their meeting at Rashtrapati Bhavan was not just a moment of personal happiness for Chef Damodaran but also a memorable moment for fans who admire both legends in their respective fields.
The Hindu
05-05-2025
- The Hindu
17-year-old boy murdered during temple festival at Kulithalai in Karur
A 17-year-old boy was stabbed to death by a man following a quarrel during a temple festival in Kulithalai, Karur district, on Sunday night (May 4, 2025). The deceased R. Shyam Sundar, of Kulithalai, was a Class 12 student of a government higher secondary school. Shyam's friends J. Damodaran, 25, and R. Vasanth, 23, sustained injuries as they too were attacked by the accused, B. Nagendran, 22. The police said the festival was being held at the Sri Mariyamman Temple in Kulithalai. As part of the celebration, a 'Poothattu' procession was taken out by devotees, who carried flowers as offerings to the goddess. The procession moved from Kollampattarai Street to the Mariyamman Temple late on Sunday night. When the procession was under way, Nagendran and K. Logeswaran, 21, both of whom hail from Kulithalai, began dancing in front of the devotees in an inebriated state. Shyam and his friends Damodharan and Vasanth questioned the duo, leading to a quarrel between the two groups, said police sources. The verbal duel took a turn for the worse, and Shyam and his two friends were allegedly attacked by Nagendran with a knife. Shyam, who sustained serious injuries, was rushed to a hospital, where the doctors declared him dead. His body was taken to the Government Medical College Hospital, Karur, for autopsy. Damodaran, who sustained injuries to his left ear and shoulder, was initially admitted to the Government Hospital, Kulithalai, but was subsequently referred to the Mahatma Gandhi Memorial Government Hospital in Tiruchi. Vasanth sustained an injury to his right shoulder and was treated at the Government Hospital, Kulithalai. Police officials inspected the crime scene and conducted inquiries. The sources said four persons have been detained in connection with the murder.
Time of India
05-05-2025
- Business
- Time of India
3 lessons valuations guru Aswath Damodaran learnt from April's wild market ride
April 2025 may have ended with major indices right where they began, but to valuations expert and NYU finance professor Aswath Damodaran , the calm finish masked a month of deep market churn, revealing three hard-earned lessons for investors: markets are more resilient than pundits give them credit for, momentum is still a powerful force, and policy can — and did — bend to Wall Street's will. As market turbulence roiled global equities in April, renowned valuations expert and NYU finance professor Aswath Damodaran shared key lessons learned from the month's extraordinary volatility. In his blog published on Saturday, May 3, 2025, Damodaran dissected the unexpected resilience of equity markets amid escalating geopolitical risks, a potential U.S. Federal Reserve shakeup, and mounting tariffs. In his latest blog post published Saturday, Damodaran dissected dissected the unexpected resilience of equity markets amid escalating geopolitical risks, a potential U.S. Federal Reserve shakeup, and mounting tariffs- in a month which he says 'felt like a crisis' in its opening days — with $9 trillion in global equity market cap wiped out — before a stunning reversal that saw equities claw back almost all of their losses. 'Market resilience, market power, and the return of momentum — those were the defining characteristics of April 2025,' Damodaran said. Market resilience Despite initial market losses of nearly 10% in the first few days, equities rebounded, and by month's end, the S&P 500, NASDAQ, and MSCI World Index were all within 1% of their start-of-month levels. "If you had given a group of macro economists or market strategists just the news stories that came out during the course of the month and asked them to guess how they would play out in market reaction, almost none of them would have guessed the actual outcome," Damodaran said, highlighting the market's capacity to absorb shocks and surprise even seasoned experts. One of the clearest shifts in sentiment, Damodaran said, was the resurgence of momentum. After lagging in the first quarter, the best-performing stocks of 2024 outpaced the worst by more than six percentage points in April. The so-called 'Mag Seven' — large-cap tech firms emblematic of growth and momentum — collectively regained $1.55 trillion lost in early April. That turnaround, Damodaran suggested, 'pushed markets back into their 2024 ways,' with growth, technology and momentum reasserting dominance. Market power The valuations expert reserved some of his sharpest observations for the political theater that rattled investor trust — and the markets' role in influencing it. The month saw U.S. sovereign CDS spreads jump 38%, a reflection of growing skepticism about American fiscal credibility, amid rumors of replacing Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell. But markets appeared to force policymakers' hand. Damodaran argued that the administration's quick retreat on both tariffs and Powell's potential ouster shows how 'market power' shaped outcomes. 'An administration that has been impervious to Wall Street journal editorials, warnings from economists and counter threats from other governments has been willing to bend to market selling pressure,' he wrote. Market unpredictability Perhaps most strikingly, Damodaran stressed the unpredictability of the markets and how this challenged the value of active investing during times of volatility. As markets swung between fear and greed, the role of fund managers and financial experts became a topic of intense debate. Many advocates of active investing claimed that their timely interventions would have safeguarded portfolios. However, Damodaran argued the opposite, asserting that investors who followed expert advice likely suffered more losses. "The extent of damage that April did to investor portfolios was directly proportional to how much time they spent watching CNBC and listening to (or reading) what market experts told them to do," he said. Damodaran, who refrained from making market-timing decisions, instead used the volatility as an opportunity to add stocks like BYD to his portfolio, emphasizing his contrarian approach. Beneath the surface Outside equities, Damodaran noted, the bond market appeared calm — but the U.S. yield curve's odd U-shape and the jump in default spreads suggest lingering investor unease. The U.S. dollar weakened further, and commodities, particularly oil, failed to rebound with equities — signaling expectations of slowing global growth. Meanwhile, gold and bitcoin surged 5.3% and 14.1% respectively, not as safe-haven plays, Damodaran argued, but due to declining faith in fiat institutions. In Damodaran's view, the month's lesson is that even amid chaos, the crowd often gets it more right than the experts. Whether April's final three weeks were a blip or the start of a broader shift, he said, remains to be seen. Also read | Oyo shelves IPO attempt for third time over SoftBank concerns: Report
