Latest news with #Nagarkar
Indian Express
3 days ago
- Business
- Indian Express
With stiffer tariffs on a neighbouring country, India now more competitive; could boost furniture exports: Swapneel Nagarkar, Business Head and Executive VP at Godrej Interio
In a conversation with The Indian Express, SWAPNEEL NAGARKAR, business head and executive vice president at Godrej Interio, discussed global trade dynamics, India's quality control order (QCO) on furniture products, and trends in domestic demand. Nagarkar, who also chairs the Confederation of Indian Industry (CII) Task Force on Furniture, said India's furniture standards have been framed keeping consumer interest in mind. Edited excerpts: The US is India's largest furniture export market. Given recent tariff-related developments, where do you see things headed in the near future? We're confident the Indian government will resolve tariff issues with the US amicably, so business continuity shouldn't be affected. In fact, with stiffer tariffs on a neighbouring country and some others, India is now more competitive — creating an opportunity to increase exports. Most Indian exports are wooden furniture, especially carved pieces from Rajasthan, which see strong demand abroad. Meanwhile, India's domestic furniture market is vast — estimated at around Rs 2 lakh crore, including both organised and unorganised players. It's also highly fragmented, so as an industry, our current focus is on streamlining and better addressing domestic demand alongside growing exports. As India negotiates trade agreements with Europe and the US, there has been some pushback on certain quality control orders (QCOs), including the one on furniture products. How should we navigate this? When FTAs are discussed, it's important that both countries uphold quality standards. India hadn't effectively modernised furniture-related standards. But, in the last few years, the government has taken a positive step — this process has either been completed or is nearing completion in several categories. Once the QCO is in effect, BIS standards will become applicable. Then, furniture exported to India as well as domestically manufactured furniture will need to comply with these standards. Exporters from other countries can get BIS certification to ensure compliance. As per our information, inspecting authorities have been visiting major foreign suppliers to assess and certify them under BIS norms. When Indian suppliers are exporting to other countries, they have to adhere to foreign standards, because standards are governed by the way furniture is used in those countries. Similarly, today, India has created standards based on our country's requirements and it is for everybody to comply with them. Concerns have been raised in global forums that India's furniture standards may pose limitations on design… Godrej has played an active role in formulating these standards, along with 6-7 other domestic furniture players, including some MSMEs, and international players. I can say with confidence that the standards are not limiting in any way, except one — they require furniture to last at least 4-5 years — a fair and reasonable expectation for protecting the interest of customers. Based on that, tests for durability, load-bearing, and usage cycles have been defined, but there are no constraints on design or other creative aspects for any country. Do you think India's largely informal furniture sector, especially MSMEs, will struggle to become QCO-compliant? What kind of support can industry bodies or the government provide to help them comply? MSMEs shouldn't face major challenges in meeting the new standards. A key focus of the government and CII is ensuring easy, affordable access to testing facilities for all players. The industry, including MSMEs, is working collaboratively with authorities to address issues like lab availability and logistics. Recognising their scale and exposure, MSMEs have also been given a compliance timeline of additional six months. These steps aim to address their concerns so that they properly come onboard. Did the furniture industry witness a consumption slowdown last year? Let me break this into B2B (business-to-business) and B2C (business-to-consumer), as they behaved quite differently. Last year, B2B furniture saw strong tailwinds, driven by healthy space absorption — 7-8 million sq ft more than the previous year. In contrast, B2C faced a slowdown, particularly in the second half, which is the more critical half for business for everybody. This was largely due to challenges with disposable incomes among the middle class. As a result, the overall industry did not experience much growth in the second half. That said, the shift toward organised players continued, and Godrej managed to grow 12-14 per cent last year. Looking ahead, there's positive anticipation. With inflation under control, a stable macro environment, and a good monsoon forecast, demand in the B2C segment is expected to improve. The industry could see 4-5 per cent growth on a large base. What kind of furniture are Indians buying furniture these days? How are they doing it? The Indian furniture market is divided into premium and non-premium segments. The premium segment is fairly insulated from the variability of the economy. Premium buyers are increasingly seeking tech-integrated, lifestyle-supporting furniture — like beds with remote-controlled storage or sofas with charging ports. They also value personalisation, often working with professionals for home interiors. Godrej addresses this through component-based, modular solutions that can be reconfigured later, like its Upmods range. In the economy segment, customers typically buy single functional pieces. To serve them better, especially younger online shoppers, Godrej has strengthened its digital presence. From a historically offline model, it now delivers to 18,000 pin codes through online channels, ensuring wider access across India. Online now accounts for 10 per cent of our B2C sales — it's growing, but 90 per cent remains offline. Given India's diversity, offline will continue to matter, and the path ahead is clearly omnichannel. As a division, we're around Rs 3,800 crore in revenue. Of this, B2B products contribute roughly Rs 1,400 crore, B2C products about Rs 1,200 crore, and the balance comes from B2B projects, including interiors and audiovisual solutions. How are furniture manufacturers responding to growing calls for sustainability, especially around timber sourcing? Sustainability is only going to grow in importance, and we're seeing strong national-level efforts, with active support from CII. Godrej has long championed this cause — 60-65 per cent of our product portfolio is now green certified, and 45 per cent of our division's revenue last year came from such products. That said, awareness is stronger in the B2B segment, where buyers demand sustainability certifications for furniture and interiors. In B2C, awareness is still evolving. While some evolved consumers do look for green credentials, it's not yet widespread. We believe it's our responsibility to raise awareness and ensure that sustainability becomes central to the buying decision, especially as we remain accountable to future generations. Aggam Walia is a Correspondent at The Indian Express, reporting on power, renewables, and mining. His work unpacks intricate ties between corporations, government, and policy, often relying on documents sourced via the RTI Act. Off the beat, he enjoys running through Delhi's parks and forests, walking to places, and cooking pasta. ... Read More
Indian Express
06-05-2025
- Health
- Indian Express
Blood test detects 30 different types of cancers with 98.4% accuracy: Study
A multi-centre research team in the country has developed a blood test that can detect 30 different types of cancers including pancreatic, lung and ovarian cancers with an average accuracy of 98.4 per cent. Results of the phase 1 trial were recently published in Cancer Reports. Prof Dr Raj Nagarkar, Managing Director and Chief of Surgical Oncology and Robotic Services at HCG Manavata Cancer Centre, Nashik, told The Indian Express that the diagnostic test has shown a consistent sensitivity during the phase 1 clinical trial. 'We utilised a novel serum metabolome-based diagnostic platform powered by machine learning to identify distinct metabolic signatures associated with cancer,' Dr Nagarkar said. Around six hospitals from Kolkata, Bengaluru, Vijaywada, Singapore, Kolkata and Guwahati were involved in the trial that commenced in 2021. What this test does is to capture changes in the metabolites to provide a reliable and sensitive readout, especially for early-stage cancers. Metabolomics is the study of tiny molecules 'metabolites' in the body like sugars, fats and amino acids. It can help identify early signs of diseases including cancer, diabetes and so on. 'The serum samples were analysed using high-resolution mass spectrometry and the data was interpreted through a proprietary Cancer Detection Artificial Intelligence (CDAI) algorithm developed in collaboration with PredOmix Technologies,' Dr Nagarkar said. As per the study, the test profiles over 8,000 metabolites in blood serum. 'In a clinical trial involving 6,445 participants, including 2,831 cancer patients, the test demonstrated near-perfect accuracy across all stages (I–IV) and age groups (20 to 80+ years). It identified Stage I cancers with 98.9 per cent sensitivity,' Dr Nagarkar said. 'In the second phase of the trial we are planning to include 5000 women participants,' Dr Nagarkar added.
The Hindu
25-04-2025
- Entertainment
- The Hindu
review of Kiran Nagarkar's Asides, Tirades, Meditations — Selected Essays
When a writer has written only three or four novels, we may consider each one to be distinct from the rest, so the reader is fully entitled to, say, read and re-read Kiran Nagarkar's Cuckold while ignoring Ravan and Eddie. We give ourselves permission to pick and choose because life is short, and because writers are not uniformly brilliant. In his introduction to Asides, Tirades, Meditations: Selected Essays by Kiran Nagarkar, Salil Tripathi places Nagarkar in a post-Emergency context of renewed expansiveness, so the reading of this book seems especially apt after an election that seemed to unmute our voices. But the appearance of topicality is a trick that books have. Nagarkar died in 2019, so in reading these essays we must set aside the democratic constriction and release of the past half decade. On writing The first essay in the collection is on writing, on how, even for those who are sure they are writers, the beginnings can be arbitrary, the first published work a matter of chance, and the aftermath, when reviewers and interviewers seem to miss the point, incredibly frustrating. Other essays that stand out include the ones on Gore Vidal, on memory and airbrushing, and on Shiva's blue throat. In this last, Nagarkar talks of Shiva as the artist, who leaps to swallow the poison churned out of the ocean and saves the world. He also writes in this essay about the artist as a god, about novels that should be backed by solid research but not burdened with it. He writes about characters who are mere mouthpieces and have no convincing life of their own. He evokes the creation of literature through research, agendas, metaphor, technique, all of which may be essential, but they are not sufficient without an animating spark, what he calls the 'breath of life'. Filing the miscellany The volume contains reviews and reactions to films that will mean little to readers under 60, and many of the pieces are rambling, and sometimes self-confessedly ranting, lacking the artful construction we expect from an essay. The volume is a dutiful filing of all the miscellany of an important writer, and it would have been in keeping with that purpose to give the year of publication for each essay. The age and context in which their sentiments were expressed is not always apparent, and many of them seem somehow more dated because they are undated. A year of publication, in the 1980s, is mentioned for a meditation on leprous Bombay, with dire predictions of the city falling to bits, and the reading experience is better for it. Revisiting novels It may be unconventional in a review of one book to direct readers to another one instead, but our excuse is that Nagarkar himself frequently revisits his novels in this volume. It seems unusual for a writer to explain his own works instead of leaving that task to a literary critic of a later era. A breathtaking novel like Cuckold, playing with love, politics, court intrigues, and Meera's bhakti poetry, needs no explanation or afterword. Nagarkar created a human being from the shadowy figure of Meera's husband, about whom almost nothing is known historically. And we are with this character from page one. He is more than plausible, he is alive. The author of such a work need not point and say, 'See what I did there?' Yet, in more than one essay, he explains how he chose the subject, how he visited Meera's birthplace, and even how his novel was interpreted. While plodding through all that, the reader may wonder whether Cuckold was all that brilliant. The answer is yes, it was, and it still is. Asides, Tirades, Meditations: Selected Essays; Kiran Nagarkar, Bloomsbury, ₹699. The reviewer is a writer and editor based in Palakkad, Kerala.
