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Indian Express
3 days ago
- Sport
- Indian Express
‘Popular means people pay (good money) to watch, like in IPL, EPL' – Bhutan Archery league, urges higher ticket prices
India's enthusiastic initiation into the Archery Premier League is long awaited, and its start coinciding with Dussehra and Gandhi Jayanti, is looking at riffing off traditional cultural and mythological tropes. But a neighbouring country which has been running an Archery league for a few years, held some wise learnings. Bhutan, the beautiful hilly nation known for its high happiness meter, has been running the Druk Premier League for some time now. Archery, or khuru, as it is called, attracts large crowds at the Changlimethang Archery Stadium. Fans reckon 'archery is in our blood', and throng the competition each season. However an appeal went out on its official Fb page that urged fans to part with more than Nu 50 (1 Ngultrum = 1 Rupee) when being regaled by the exciting competition. The Druk social media account said, 'It's time to start paying more than 50 Nu to watch Archery matches. Many people still expect everything to be free. What they fail to see is the entertainment and excitement this sport brings. The resistance to pay even Nu 50 to watch the game reflects overall attitude towards sport in Bhutan.' Like in India, those who ask for free passes to cricket games are looked down on, in Bhutan, those not willing to pay to enjoy archery are being told off. The hill nation, with beautiful vistas, serene nature trails, lovely people and exquisite cuisine, is known as the happiest place on earth, mostly because they don't poke noses in others' business and lead content lives. Sports are smaller in scale, but passionately practiced and followed. Archery, however, enjoys a deeper connect and offers wholesome entertainment at the National Stadium. The clucking over paying a mere Nu 50 has however faced resistance, unmindful of struggles of athletes in the Druk. 'It shows we still have a long way to go before we develop and professionalise the sport. Look at how IPL or Premier League (football) became popular. People pay to watch and in return players perform because they are paid professionals,' the post said. Archery has been part of Bhutanese culture since 1961, yet it remains stagnant in many ways, the post added. 'One reason is people enjoy watching but are not willing to contribute to its growth. How can it grow without resources? Archery equipment itself is very expensive and despite low value, prizes compared to expenses incurred players continue to participate,' the Druk post added. 'Prizes nowhere near enough to cover costs players bear during the game. So even small contribution of 50 Ngultrum can make a meaningful difference. It supports organisers and players,' It said. While a source of great joy for fans, the sport had gotten into a pickle recently when some archers donned the yellow sashes called 'areyy' that are exclusive to the Armed Forces. An order was passed forbidding civilian archers from strapping on the military sash while turning up at Archery events.
Time of India
04-07-2025
- Business
- Time of India
Tata Power generation portfolio crosses 25-GW mark, green energy share at 65%
Mumbai: Tata Power 's generation portfolio, including pipeline capacity, has crossed the 25-GW mark of which 65 per cent capacity is green energy , its Chairman, N Chandrasekaran, said in his speech during the company's Annual General Meeting of shareholders on Friday. 'In order to counter the intermittency of an increasingly renewable fleet, complex auctions have emerged as a leader in India's clean power auctions, making up more than 60 per cent of the total volume in 2024. India's storage market is also gaining momentum,' he said. He added that in the past year, the company entered into a strategic partnership with Bhutan's Druk to develop 5 GW of cross-border renewable energy and hydropower projects . While work has commenced on two important hydro projects, the 600 MW Khorlochhu project in Bhutan and the 1,000 MW Bhivpuri pump storage project in Maharashtra. 'The 4.3 GW solar cell and module manufacturing plant in Tirunelveli, Tamil Nadu, has been fully commissioned and stabilised during the year,' he said. He noted that the company has transitioned to being a direct consumer facing company with its rooftop solar and EV charging solutions. Speaking on artificial intelligence (AI) he said that the past year was critical for both AI and electric mobility . 'Both of these have witnessed widespread use in 2024. In AI, data centers housing these sophisticated algorithms have accounted for 1.5 per cent of the world's electricity consumption. AI adoption is predicted to only grow in the years to come,' he added. On the power sector, he said that the global energy demand grew faster than the average of the previous decade, led by rising electricity consumption around the world. This demand growth was driven primarily by emerging economies and India was the third largest in the world in terms of the demand for electricity. 'A shift to electrification was one of the mega trends of 2024. Oil's share of the total energy demand fell below 30 per cent for the first time. Coal demand grew by one per cent. Half the rate of increase as in 2023,' he noted. Chandrasekran further added that India, despite relying on coal to meet the peak summer demand, met only 42 per cent of the demand growth from coal generation in 2025. 'Renewable energy has clearly gained momentum as global installed capacity rose by 700 GW in the 22nd consecutive year of growth. India's total clean and green energy capacity crossed the 200 GW mark, accounting for 46 per cent of the total installed capacity,' he said. He said that in India, solar remains the fastest growing renewable energy technology while solar generation is expected to rise by over 135 per cent in the next two years. 'In order to counter the intermittency of an increasingly renewable fleet, complex auctions have emerged as a leader in India's clean power auctions, making up more than 60 per cent of the total volume in 2024. India's storage market is also gaining momentum,' he noted. Reflecting on the global macroeconomic trends, he said that 2024 was a year of many fundamental shifts. 'Against the backdrop of rising trade tensions, protectionism and technological changes, the global economy grew 3.3 per cent. India has been a beacon of hope for many around the world as the country remained the fastest growing economy in the world at nearly 6.5 per cent,' he added. On supply chains, he noted that the disruptions have continued to grow due to the geopolitical tensions globally. 'The necessity of reshoring and reshaping supply chains for continued economic stability is a reality and has now been widely accepted,' he said. He said that the past year was also critical for both artificial intelligence and electric mobility. 'Both of these have witnessed widespread use in 2024. In AI, data centers housing these sophisticated algorithms have accounted for 1.5 per cent of the world's electricity consumption. AI adoption is predicted to only grow in the years to come,' he said. In terms of financial performance, he highlighted that the company has crossed the profit after tax of ₹5,000 crore for the first time reporting ₹5,197 crore. 'This marks a 26 per cent year-on-year growth. The company's underlying earnings before interest tax depreciation amortisation for FY25 has for the first time exceeded ₹15,000 crore and reported ₹15,261 crore. Revenue has grown 5 per cent year-on-year to ₹64,502 crore. This is due to a strong performance in our rooftop business, improved billing efficiency and collection in our distribution business,' he added. Return on equity and return on capital employed have both increased as compared to FY24 to reach 12.8 per cent in ROE and 8.8 per cent in ROCE. The Company's earning per share has also increased from 11.56 per cent from the previous year to 12.42 per cent in FY25, said Chandrasekran.
Mint
26-04-2025
- Business
- Mint
Delhi's beer shelves are full—but where are the big brands?
Walk into a liquor store in Delhi this summer and you're more likely to spot Barahsinghe, Druk or Le Chilldoz than a chilled Kingfisher or Budweiser. Several well-known national and global beer brands have all but vanished from the city's shelves. In their place, lesser-known names—some locally made, others imported from Nepal and Bhutan—are rapidly gaining ground. This quiet transformation is puzzling consumers, squeezing out long-time market leaders, and sparking concern across India's beer industry. 'Most of the city now has lesser-known brands. Cheaper beer from Bhutan and Nepal is also entering the market, further crowding out familiar names," said Vinod Giri, director general of the Brewers Association of India (BAI), which represents firms like Heineken, AB InBev and United Breweries. Also by Varuni Khosla | Craft beer maker Bira in tax soup amid vendor payment and salary delays To be sure, Delhi's case is similar to that of states like Tamil Nadu, where government-run liquor stores dominate, distorting the market and pushing established beer brands to the sidelines. The disappearance of popular beer brands from Delhi's shelves is driven by three key factors: margins, market control, and policy paralysis. First, imported beer from Bhutan and Nepal—exempt from customs duties under Indian trade policy—is far cheaper for stores to stock. Delhi doesn't levy countervailing duties like most other states and even charges lower excise on these imports. The result? Bhutanese beers enjoy a ₹ 20 per bottle cost advantage, while retailers earn an additional ₹ 5 in margins—giving them a strong incentive to prioritise such products. Second, the number of liquor stores in Delhi has halved. The city now has just 380 state-run outlets, down from 565 before the 2022 policy reversal that shut private stores. With fewer vends and limited shelf space, smaller brands that offer higher margins are muscling out established names. Finally, there's been no coherent policy since 2022. The current excise regime is being run on ad hoc decisions, creating uncertainty, experts said. The roots of this distortion lie in Delhi's abrupt U-turn on alcohol retail policy. After briefly opening up liquor retail to private players under its 2021–22 excise policy, the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) government scrapped the framework in mid-2022 amid allegations of corruption and a CBI probe. By September that year, the capital reverted to its old regime, with sales handled exclusively by four state-run corporations—Delhi State Industrial and Infrastructure Development Corporation (DSIIDC), Delhi Tourism and Transportation Development Corporation (DTTDC), Delhi State Civil Supplies Corporation (DSCSC), and Delhi Consumer's Cooperative Wholesale Store (DCCWS). Private players remain barred from operating retail outlets. Even after the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) assumed administrative control of Delhi, no new policy was introduced. The market has since been operating in a regulatory vacuum. Before the policy reversal in 2022, Delhi's beer market sold about 12.5 million cases annually. Kingfisher alone accounted for over 80% of those sales, according to BAI. Today, Kingfisher is barely visible in retail outlets. Read this | Kingfisher's big beer bet: flavoured brews According to data from the Delhi excise department, national beer brands grew just 11% between FY24 and the first half of FY25. In contrast, regional Indian brands surged 140%, while imports from Bhutan and Nepal shot up 217% (annualized). 'Brand pushing is a core issue with the Delhi market and Tamil Nadu where the states control the business of alcohol through their own entities," Giri of the Brewers Association of India said. Despite a projected rise in Delhi's overall beer market from 8.4 million cases in FY24 to 10.4 million in FY25, most of that growth is being captured by these lesser-known players. Compare that with national trends: across India, beer sales rose from 400 million cases in FY23 to 430 million in FY25. National brands still command an 86% share of the market, while regional and imported beers account for only 13% and 17%, respectively. Major names like Kingfisher, Budweiser, Heineken, and Carlsberg are largely missing from Delhi stores—though some show up in select bars or restaurants. Excise department records accessed by Mint show these being replaced by brands such as Arna, Miamy, Pazap, Serja, and Awitman. Mint contacted AB InBev and United Breweries for comment but did not receive a response by press time. Industry executives say that even when demand exists, government-run vends are simply not ordering their products. 'Sales are down to just 1–2% of what we saw in 2022," said the sales head of a leading beer company on condition of anonymity. 'The vends are either chasing higher margins or are incentivised in other ways. Either way, they're not stocking us." Read this | Beer brewers, after two tepid years, raise a toast to a longer, meaner summer Delhi residents are also adjusting. Many are now driving to nearby Gurgaon or Noida to stock up on their preferred brands. 'Since the policy changed over, I can seldom find any good beers in Delhi. Most of the time at the vends, there are unknown and unheard-of brands. Occasionally I find Bira or Corona cans, never a Kingfisher—but it's always a guessing game," said Dhruv Kapoor, 37, a corporate professional living in South Delhi and working in Gurugram. 'I, including a lot of people I know, am now picking up beer in cases from Gurgaon." Another 38-year-old South Delhi resident said she is only able to find Druk beer in nearby shops and nothing else—which has discouraged her from buying beer altogether. Delhi isn't the only market where beer shelves are being reshuffled. Tamil Nadu's state-run TASMAC stores also suffer from similar shortages of global brands, with only United Breweries managing to maintain a presence via a local franchise. Budweiser and Carlsberg are notably absent. 'Corporation-run markets like Delhi, Tamil Nadu, Kerala, Jharkhand, and Andhra Pradesh tend to distort the competitive field. Some like Andhra Pradesh and Jharkhand have reformed. Others haven't," Giri noted. Also read | Indian single malts keep up spirits despite Trump's tariff heat He added that India's major beer producers, including multinationals with massive local investments, are bearing the brunt. 'These firms follow strict quality controls and have built high-end breweries to support 'Make in India'," he said. "But the imported alternatives, often of questionable quality, face no such oversight. Industry insiders fear this disparity could eventually push more companies to relocate production to countries like Bhutan and Nepal."
Trade Arabia
03-04-2025
- Trade Arabia
Bhutan Spirit Sanctuary offers Paro Tshechu Festival package
Bhutan Spirit Sanctuary, set high up in the Neyphu Valley, nestled among pine trees and rugged cliffs, is inviting guests to immerse themselves in culture and celebrate the local Paro Tshechu Festival from April 7 – 14. The sanctuary is the first and only five-star wellness-inclusive luxury resort in Paro. The Paro festival always falls in the spring, just as the blossoms and magnolias start to bloom and follows the 10th day of the second month of the Bhutanese calendar. Regarded as one of the most famous Bhutanese festivals, with its origins dating back to the mid-17th century, the colourful festivities include dance, folksongs and musical performances by locals and monks alike. The festival spans five days of vibrant spectacle that unites Bhutanese people from around the globe to honour the enlightened Guru Rinpoche (lotus-born teacher) who established Buddhism in Tantric. Flights from Dubai Druk Air Royal Bhutan Airlines has recently launched new flights connecting Dubai and Bhutan, making it easier than ever to experience the Land of the Thunder Dragon. With flights from Dubai to Bhutan on Thursdays and Saturdays, and return flights on Mondays and Fridays, journeys to this breathtaking destination are now more convenient. The airline is also offering a 20% discount on all Dubai–Bhutan flights in 2025. Plus, members of their Happiness Miles Program receive an additional 10% off. Land of Thunder Dragon Bhutan is known as the Land of the Thunder Dragon and is rich in cultural history, natural surroundings, wellness offerings and spirituality. The destination offers an experience like no other, from ceremonies with monks to hiking high above the clouds to the Tigers' Nest monastery. Bhutan Spirit Sanctuary offers a unique retreat to discover Bhutan in all its unspoiled glory. Step back in time as you walk through the grand front entrance to a peaceful inner courtyard. Throughout their stay guests are offered a wellness-inclusive journey based on Traditional Bhutanese Medicine and all treatments are 100% herbal based. Each stay includes a complimentary consultation with a TBM doctor and one wellness treatment per paid night. Dining at Bhutan Spirit Sanctuary literally takes you to another level, as guests dine with spectacular mountain views as your backdrop and farm-to-table concepts using seasonal and local produce served in a variety of Bhutanese, Asian and Western dishes. Included in the stay is a daily four-course lunch and six-course dinner as part of the overall sojourn. The unique Paro Tshechu Festival experience's 7-day/6-night packages are from $2,800++ per person with wellness inclusions, special culinary surprises and all-inclusive activities. Bhutan Spirit Sanctuary is also part of the Small Luxury Hotels Collection - Considerate Collection and Mr & Mrs Smith Luxury Hotels. -TradeArabia News Service
