Latest news with #Samrat
Time of India
7 days ago
- Business
- Time of India
Ranking index for banks to boost lending performance: Dy CM
Patna: Deputy CM Samrat Choudhary on Tuesday said the state govt has given its approval to create a ranking index to improve the performance of banks and ensure their accountability. Banks getting less than 40 marks on the index will be deprived of state schemes and govt deposits, he said. "This is like an alarm for the banks. Only those banks which score a minimum of 40 marks on this index will be included in the state govt schemes and only they will be allowed to accept govt deposits and do banking transactions with public sector undertakings, authorities and societies," said Samrat, who is also the finance minister of the state. This index has been prepared on the basis of banking performance—achievement of the target of annual credit plan, increase in credit-deposit ratio, loan distribution in priority sectors like agriculture, animal husbandry, fisheries etc., loan availability to self-help groups, and participation in govt schemes like Mudra Yojana, Kisan Credit Card, PMEGP etc, he said. The deputy CM said the role of banks is important in the economic development of the state. "Their work is not limited to keeping the savings safe but it also strengthens the economic pace of the state. By providing loans in agriculture, industry, trade, service, education and other sectors, banks also help in creating employment opportunities. Keeping in mind this important role of banks, a target for credit receipt is fixed for them under the Annual Credit Plan through the State Level Bankers Committee at the beginning of the financial year," he said. He further said during the FY 2024-25, most of the banks failed to achieve these targets. "The credit-deposit ratio of the state is also currently lower than the national average," Samrat said.
News18
15-07-2025
- Entertainment
- News18
Sasural Simar Ka Fame Karan Sharma To Join Dhaakad Beera Cast
While details about Karan's character are still under wraps, his fans are excited to see him in the new Colors show. Daily soap, Dhaakad Beera, is all set to become a new favourite show among small screen viewers. Even before its official release, the show is creating buzz after the makers dropped its promo, which is getting praise for its intriguing plot and strong characters. The cast is growing with fresh faces joining every week. Recently, Sasural Simar Ka fame Karan Sharma was added to the star-studded lineup. While details about Karan's character are still under wraps, his fans are excited to see him in the new Colors show. Produced by Yash Patnaik and Mamta Patnaik, the upcoming daily soap will highlight the serious issue of honour killing. The story follows a kind and fearless young boy who chooses to stand up against unfair rules. Even before the show's release later this month, its powerful promo has already grabbed everyone's attention. Viewers were left surprised by its bold theme and emotional scenes. Now that Karan has also joined the cast, as per TellyChakkar, fans are even more eager to see what his role will make a strong impact. View this post on Instagram A post shared by (@tellychakkar) The promo of Dhaakad Beera opens with a shocking scene where a woman is killed by her own mother-in-law for giving birth to an illegitimate child. Before dying, the woman asks a young boy named Samrat to take care of her baby and keep her safe from the harsh world. After her death, the newborn faces hate and judgment from the villagers. But Samrat goes against everyone and chooses to protect the child. One chilling moment in the promo shows Samrat pulling the baby out of the mud, which has deeply touched viewers' hearts. Along with Karan Sharma, who has also appeared in Ekk Nayi Pehchaan and Udaariyaan, Dhaakad Beera also features Rakshanda Khan, Pankhuri Awasthi, Divyam Shukla, Manish Khanna, Reema Worah and Neha Sargam. The daily soap is all set to premiere on 24 July and will air every day at 7:00 PM on Colors. view comments First Published: July 15, 2025, 18:52 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
11-07-2025
- Health
- Time of India
Dy CM: Govt to offer land for PPP-mode medical colleges
Patna: The state govt is ready to provide land for setting up medical colleges and hospitals on public-private partnership (PPP) mode, deputy CM Samrat Choudhary said on the opening day of the two-day health fair organised here on Friday. The govt has sought proposals from private companies in this regard, Samrat said. The Nitish govt has the target of opening at least one medical college and hospital in all the 38 districts of the state. There are currently 15 medical colleges in the state, out of which three belong to the central govt. During his Pragati Yatra recently, CM Nitish had announced the opening of seven new medical colleges and hospitals in Araria, Aurangabad, Banka, Jehanabad, Kaimur, Khagaria and Nawada. The process to transfer land is in progress and construction work is likely to start soon. Samrat, who also holds the finance portfolio in the Nitish govt, while presenting the state budget in March this year, had announced the opening of new medical colleges on PPP mode in the assembly. Now, the govt has started work on it.
Indian Express
21-06-2025
- Business
- Indian Express
Around Town: Meet the third-generation Kamat behind the beloved highway joints, and now legacy outlets across Mumbai
For those who grew up in Mumbai, 'Kamats' is synonymous with the comforting familiarity of South Indian meals. The legacy began in the 1950s when the late Venkatesh Kamat, who began his journey as a dishwasher, opened Satkar opposite Churchgate station. Over the next two decades, he and his sons established landmarks like Samrat and Status. His son, Vithal Kamat, took the family name nationwide, expanding into hotels with the launch of The Orchid, widely regarded as Asia's first Ecotel-certified five-star hotel, and Fort Jadhavgadh, Maharashtra's first heritage hotel. Now, the legacy is being shaped by the third generation — Vikram Kamat — who is both honouring tradition and reimagining its future. Vikram Kamat, 39, grew up surrounded by restaurants and hotels. One of his earliest memories involves rescuing a stray puppy near one of his father's hotels and giving it a bath in a room's bathtub. Late-night meals at family restaurants were routine. Pursuing a course in hotel management and eventually working alongside his father felt like a natural progression. 'When I joined my father in 2006, the first two years were amazing,' he recalled. 'The hospitality industry was booming. Everything we touched turned to gold! Everyone thought we were geniuses and that it would stay this way forever,' he said. But that illusion was short-lived. By the end of 2008, the global financial crisis hit, triggered by the collapse of Lehman Brothers. 'A lot of debt had been taken, many projects were in the pipeline, and then everything came crashing down. The next five years went into sorting out that mess. There was debt and even one litigation to deal with.' But working alongside his father, setting up hotels including Fort Jadhavgadh, brought with it a new insight: tier-2 towns and highways lacked clean, reliable eateries serving simple, hygienic South Indian food. 'We Kamats were known for our South Indian offerings, but somehow, nobody was interested in doing it anymore,' he said. That's when he decided to start a highway-side eatery chain under the name Kamats (Vithal Kamats in Maharashtra). The first one was opened in Mahad on the Mumbai-Goa highway in 2010. 'When you're travelling, you want something light, hot, healthy, and hygienic, and fast. Kamats has always been a common man's brand, so it fit in perfectly.' In 2014, with the worst of the recession behind him, Vikram decided to branch out. 'I was clear — there is a big opportunity in the F&B space. And during my travels, I also realised there was a real gap in the mid-range hotel segment, say three and four-star properties. So I decided to start on my own with VITS.' Today, VITS Kamats has hotels and resorts across Aurangabad, Lonavala, Nanded, Panchgani, Rajkot, Surat, Somnath, Gurugram, and Gangtok, among others. Meanwhile, Kamats grew exponentially. Just before the pandemic hit, there were over 80 outlets across Maharashtra, Gujarat, Rajasthan, and Madhya Pradesh, serving fresh dosas, idlis, uttapams, medu vadas, and filter coffee. But bringing it to the city posed a challenge. 'Every time we tried to bring Kamats to Bombay, it didn't work,' Vikram said, explaining, 'People associated the brand as an eatery where they spent Rs 140-150, and that price point simply doesn't work in the city, especially when you factor in rentals and the cost of running a full-fledged South Indian kitchen.' Unlike Western food, where much of the menu can revolve around one machine, a South Indian kitchen needs multiple types of equipment and special licenses, he argued, saying: 'For example, if you want to keep a stone grinder inside a restaurant, you need a factory licence, because it's considered machinery, not kitchen equipment.' The pandemic gave them time to step back and rethink. 'We decided to solve this problem and also offer an elevated experience because people love South Indian food.' That's how Kamats Legacy was born. He piloted the concept in a compact 500-sqft space in Bhandup, kitchen included. 'Initially, people said, 'This is too expensive,' because the average spend was Rs 550. But the ones who dined in kept coming back. That's when we knew the model worked.' In the last four years, Kamats Legacy has opened in Nariman Point, Vashi, and Malad. 'Here, we offer the full South Indian experience,' said Vikram. The menu goes well beyond idlis and dosas. Think Chettinad potato roast, parotta urulai kulambu, appam with stew, and more. He also claims to be the first to bring benne dosa to Mumbai. At the Nariman Point outlet during our visit, a benne dosa challenge was underway. Guests were encouraged to rate theirs against others in the city. The benne dosa we tried was less crispy than others, but very rich with butter. 'We even add benne to the batter,' Vikram shared. Kamats Legacy has been designed to transport diners to a South Indian home. The food is served on banana leaves, Carnatic music plays in the background, and the staff wear traditional attire — sattai pavadai for women, and mundu with shirts for men. The walls are adorned with framed textiles, and the flooring is laid with handmade Athangudi tiles. The dosas were crisp, the idlis perfectly fluffy. The parotta urulai kulambu, shredded Malabar parotta tossed in spicy gravy of lentil and potato, was a standout. The stew was hearty and the appam soft and spongy. Vikram is particular about ingredients; only groundnut and coconut oils, ghee, white butter, and organic produce are used. We also appreciated the thoughtful touches. The menu includes Jain-friendly options and dishes designed to be shareable, a fair consideration in an office-heavy area like Nariman Point. 'We realised part of what makes Western food popular is that it's shareable, like pizza comes pre-cut. But who wants to tear a dosa with their hands when out with colleagues?' Vikram said. So they custom-made a utensil that cuts and serves. 'Even our delivery boxes are designed so you can enjoy your meal at your desk,' he added What's next? Vikram is excited to open Kamats Legacy on Mira Road in the coming weeks, and after that, bring the experience to every city in India.
Time of India
16-06-2025
- Business
- Time of India
Govt to open Bihar Foundation centres in Oman, 10 cities in country: Dy CM
Patna: State govt will spend Rs 29.87 crore on opening integrated centres of Bihar Foundation in 10 cities, including Surat, Bengaluru, Pune, Kolkata, Hyderabad, Chennai, Chandigarh, Ludhiana, Coimbatore and Guwahati, said deputy CM Samrat Choudhary here on Monday. A new chapter of Bihar Foundation will also be opened in Oman, he said. Samrat said this chapter will play an important role in promoting the cultural heritage of Bihar at the global level as well as in the economic, social and industrial development of the state. He said the formation of Oman chapter is a concrete step towards establishing a bridge between the state and the migrant Biharis. The deputy CM said these centres will provide information about Bihar's art, culture, crafts, textiles, tourism and industrial schemes as well as promote the state as an investment destination at the international level. These centres will work in coordination with international Indian trade organisations, he added. He said budget provision has been made keeping in mind the minimum human resources and other requirements for the operation of these centres. Samrat said apart from these centres, a total of 30 chapters of Bihar Foundation located in India and abroad (14 in India and 16 abroad) will be connected through a virtual dialogue programme in three phases. In the first phase, chapters in the USA, New Zealand, Canada; in the second phase, the UAE, Sydney, Bahrain, South Korea, Hong Kong, Japan, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Singapore, United Kingdom and the Netherlands will be connected through a dialogue programme. In the third phase, chapters located in Chennai, Goa, Gujarat, Hyderabad, Kolkata, Mumbai, Nagpur, Pune, Varanasi, Chandigarh, Gurugram, Siliguri, Sikkim and Guwahati will be connected, he said. These dialogue programmes will give an opportunity to the overseas Biharis associated with Bihar Foundation to share their role and experience, which will give a new direction to the global identity of the state, Samrat said. Patna: State govt will spend Rs 29.87 crore on opening integrated centres of Bihar Foundation in 10 cities, including Surat, Bengaluru, Pune, Kolkata, Hyderabad, Chennai, Chandigarh, Ludhiana, Coimbatore and Guwahati, said deputy CM Samrat Choudhary here on Monday. A new chapter of Bihar Foundation will also be opened in Oman, he said. Samrat said this chapter will play an important role in promoting the cultural heritage of Bihar at the global level as well as in the economic, social and industrial development of the state. He said the formation of Oman chapter is a concrete step towards establishing a bridge between the state and the migrant Biharis. The deputy CM said these centres will provide information about Bihar's art, culture, crafts, textiles, tourism and industrial schemes as well as promote the state as an investment destination at the international level. These centres will work in coordination with international Indian trade organisations, he added. He said budget provision has been made keeping in mind the minimum human resources and other requirements for the operation of these centres. Samrat said apart from these centres, a total of 30 chapters of Bihar Foundation located in India and abroad (14 in India and 16 abroad) will be connected through a virtual dialogue programme in three phases. In the first phase, chapters in the USA, New Zealand, Canada; in the second phase, the UAE, Sydney, Bahrain, South Korea, Hong Kong, Japan, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Singapore, United Kingdom and the Netherlands will be connected through a dialogue programme. In the third phase, chapters located in Chennai, Goa, Gujarat, Hyderabad, Kolkata, Mumbai, Nagpur, Pune, Varanasi, Chandigarh, Gurugram, Siliguri, Sikkim and Guwahati will be connected, he said. These dialogue programmes will give an opportunity to the overseas Biharis associated with Bihar Foundation to share their role and experience, which will give a new direction to the global identity of the state, Samrat said.
