Latest news with #RajanPatel
Time of India
21 hours ago
- Climate
- Time of India
SMC wakes up to nagging creek flooding hazard
Surat: The standing committee of Surat Municipal Corporation (SMC) on Friday instructed officials to explore options to prevent creek flooding, including possibilities to divert water and identify encroachments. After the severe inundation of creeks in 2024, SMC attempted to prepare a flood mitigation plan with the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA). Three years ago, an attempt was made to develop a project of a pipeline between creeks to divert water to alternate routes. However, the plans were not executed. Parts of the city near creeks remained submerged in water for almost four days from June 23 due to heavy rain and overflowing creeks. SMC officials also claimed that the flood plains near the Mindhola estuary have been encroached upon by shrimp farms, which blocked the spread of water. "The officials have been asked to explore the possibility of whether the water coming into creeks from the catchment area of Surat district can be diverted," said Rajan Patel, chairman, standing committee. Officials claimed that at a few locations, the waste and soil dumped in the open by a contractor working for the Metro Rail project led to the choking of drainage. by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like Was Du vor dem Kauf von Probiotika unbedingt wissen solltest Medizinmonitor Weiterlesen Undo The team instructed to carry out the pre-monsoon preparedness process also failed to ensure that the waste and soil were not left in open places. Metro project officials have been called for a discussion on the issue on Monday. Meanwhile, Zameer Shaikh, a lawyer, sent notices to the district collector and the municipal commissioner on Friday, highlighting damage to an embankment of the Tapi river behind the I P Mission School. Shaikh shared a video in which the spot is visible where soil was removed from an embankment. He urged for immediate repair of the embankment.
Time of India
15-05-2025
- Business
- Time of India
SMC to engage multiple consultants for drainage projects
Surat: In a bid to ensure more transparency and expedite the execution of drainage network development projects, the Surat Municipal Corporation (SMC) has decided to involve multiple consultants , shifting from the current practice of relying on a single firm for city-wide planning and implementation. Since the city's limits expanded in 2020 to cover 462 sq km, the need for an efficient drainage network has grown alongside its rapidly increasing population. Until now, only one consultancy—Green Design and Engineering Services Pvt Ltd—had been tasked with planning, designing, and preparing the Detailed Project Reports (DPRs) for both stormwater and sewage drainage systems. The firm was awarded a five-year contract in 2023 to develop a comprehensive drainage master plan. However, considering the large-scale infrastructure, municipal commissioner Shalini Agarwal proposed to the Standing Committee that multiple consultants be engaged to speed up the project timeline. The committee approved the proposal on Thursday for a tender-based appointment of additional agencies. "Appointing more than one consultant will allow for faster execution of key infrastructure projects. With the city expanding and its population growing, we need multiple professional agencies to manage the workload effectively," said Rajan Patel, Chairman of the Standing Committee. by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like Thousands Are Saving Money Using This Wall Plug elecTrick - Save upto 80% on Power Bill Click Here Undo The consultants will be engaged in various segments of the drainage infrastructure, including the development of sewage networks, pumping stations, sewage treatment plants, disposal lines, and stormwater drainage systems . The SMC's drainage department noted in its report that involving more consultants will foster healthy competition and result in more competitive pricing. Sources in the SMC said that projects worth over Rs 5,000 crore are currently under execution. Notably, the existing consultancy firm drew criticism over the controversial Asarma Tertiary Treatment Plant (TTP) project, where the cost and scale of the work were reportedly escalated without approvals from senior officials.
Business Insider
11-05-2025
- Business
- Business Insider
He co-created multiple Google products. These are his 5 tips for pitching ideas to management.
As VP of search experience at Google and the cofounder of some of its most popular products, Rajan Patel knows a thing or two about pitching ideas to the higher-ups. Patel was one of the creators of Google Lens, a tool launched in 2017 that's become a popular way for people to find answers to what they're looking at by snapping a photo of it. It now has 25 billion search queries every month and just underwent its latest update called "AI Mode" in Google Labs, allowing users to get AI responses with links to their photo searches. Patel also led the development of other major tools, including Google Podcasts and Google Flu Trends. Now, he leads the engineering teams in Google Search, including Discover, Image Search, Lens, and Autocomplete. But before those products could see the light of day, there was the task of pitching them. And while not everyone is pitching tech products, getting ideas in front of management is a task many of us have to do at some point in our careers, if not regularly. In an interview with Business Insider, Patel shared five things that employees should do when pitching management. 1. Understand the problems around you Patel said those who push the needle on what's possible within Google Search have a "deep connection to solving problems." In order to figure out what problems the people around us need solved, you need to be plugged in to what's going on around you, he said. "You have to be able to absorb information from all around, not just your company, but from what's going on in the industry," Patel told BI, adding that you need to "deeply understand" the types of problems your product area and team are trying to solve. Patel said it's important to always be learning, listening, and understanding. Those observations should then be incorporated into the ideas you develop. The ability to search using your natural voice while using your phone, for example, is a feature that lots of people would find helpful. 2. Know your manager's priorities Once you're tapped into what the people and industries around you care about, it's worth thinking about the problems that align with your manager, Patel said. When pitching an idea to them, Patel said you should make sure your idea addresses one of their priorities. "Understand what problems your manager is looking to solve. What matters most to them," Patel said. That means knowing whether your manager is focused on growth, cost reduction, innovation, or something else. Patel also suggested using the language that your manager uses when pitching the idea. 3. Do your research Patel said you want your idea to be an easy "yes." To do so, you'll want to show your manager that you've thought through the cost and practicalities of what it would take to move forward. That may include investing in resources, deprioritizing other projects, or something else. The bottom line is you want your manager to know you've thought through the idea, the Google VP said. "Convince them that tradeoffs are worthwhile," Patel said. You should also present your idea with data that backs up your idea, he added, such as from a "small test you ran." The data should be new information that your manager wasn't already aware of. 4. Get feedback from others Patel suggested getting feedback from people your manager trusts before presenting an idea. Patel said that a manager's first instinct may be to ask you to get feedback from others, so having that done already can help provide credibility. Patel added that one of the benefits of creating a product within the company you work at is being able to leverage the network around you, Patel said. "One of the cool things about getting to work at Google is there's so many brilliant people here doing incredible things," Patel said. "It turns out I have colleagues that have won Nobel Prizes." Taking any learnings that come from soundboarding your idea off your network and applying the feedback can make your pitch stronger. 5. Chase your passions Many entrepreneurs who are passionate about an idea go off to start their own business, but Patel said he was interested in developing products within Google. In his case, he said it made sense to stay within the tech giant to carry out his vision. Patel said he doesn't recommend the same path for everybody, but he does suggest working in an area that you feel passionate about. "You will do really great work if you do work in an area that you're super passionate about," Patel said, adding that "you're only going to put in the work if you're really dedicated to it and if you love it." Patel, who received a Ph.D in biostatistics and neuroimaging prior to working at Google, said that advice also applies to what you decide to study in college or grad school. He said if you work on something you're passionate about, you'll be "very likely to succeed."
