Latest news with #SanketKoul
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Business Standard
a day ago
- Business
- Business Standard
Covid surge, summer migration may hit project timelines in short term
Developers taking to technology, re-skilling of labour force to address labour shortage issues Sanket Koul Gulveen Aulakh New Delhi Listen to This Article Seasonal migration of workers during summer along with caution around rising Covid infections is likely to delay project timelines by at least six weeks. This is seen even as developers take the aid of technology and re-skilling to address the issue. Anoop Garg, director of Delhi NCR-based Uninav Developers said the onset of peak summer coupled with a fresh rise in Covid cases is adding to the pressure on the real estate sector. 'We have observed that during the summer months, several skilled workers return to their native places due to health concerns, extreme temperatures, or agricultural responsibilities,' he added.
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Business Standard
2 days ago
- Health
- Business Standard
Covid booster jab not needed, say experts; high-risk groups need protection
Public health experts recommend a risk-based Covid response focused on the elderly and immunocompromised instead of mass booster vaccination campaigns Sanket Koul New Delhi Listen to This Article Amid concerns over the rise in Covid-19 cases last month, doctors and public health experts believe that India might benefit from a focused approach on protecting high-risk groups from infection instead of pushing for mass booster dose coverage. This comes even as India reported 6,133 active Covid-19 cases as of 8 June, a tally that stood at just 35 on 28 April, according to data from the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare's Covid dashboard. Commenting on the same, public health expert Dr K Srinath Reddy said that the focus should be on protecting vulnerable population groups such
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Business Standard
4 days ago
- Business
- Business Standard
Indian pharma market grows 7.2% in May led by chronic therapies
Indian pharma market grew 7.2% in May with strong performance in chronic therapies such as cardiac and anti-infectives, along with gains from price hikes and new launches Sanket Koul New Delhi The Indian Pharma Market (IPM) grew 7.2 per cent in May this year with almost all major therapies showing positive growth, according to market research firm Pharmarack. Data suggest that big chronic therapies such as cardiac and anti-infectives, which account for nearly 25 per cent of the overall domestic market, recorded value growth of 11.7 per cent and 7.6 per cent, respectively. On the other hand, several smaller supergroups such as urology and antineoplastics, which made up 2 per cent each of the IPM's sales value for the month, also recorded double-digit growth in May at 12.3 per cent and 11.7 per cent, said Sheetal Sapale, vice-president, commercial, Pharmarack. Data suggest that the overall value growth for the IPM in May was driven by price growth and new introductions. The IPM also reported a minuscule 0.4 per cent unit growth during the month, with the chronic segments such as antidiabetics (6.1 per cent) and cardiac (4.8 per cent) performing better than the overall market figure. Experts believe that the antidiabetic segment saw a 6.1 per cent rise in volume in May due to a key drug, empagliflozin, going off-patent, as companies launched several plain and combination medications in the segment. Growth in the moving annual turnover (MAT) for the IPM between June 2024 and May 2025 stood at 8.1 per cent, leading to a total turnover of over Rs 2.29 trillion, while volumes in the domestic market grew by 1.1 per cent. The MAT of leading therapy areas such as cardiac, gastrointestinal and anti-infectives, which constitute around 38 per cent of the pharmaceutical market, showed robust volume growth at 10.4 per cent, 9.5 per cent and 6.5 per cent, respectively. While the top 20 brands in the IPM registered modest monthly value growth in the domestic market during the month, Sun Pharma and Dr Reddy's posted significant monthly value growth at 11.2 per cent each. They were followed by Torrent Pharma and Ipca Laboratories at 10.8 per cent, and Alkem Laboratories at 10.3 per cent monthly value growth. According to Pharmarack data, GlaxoSmithKline's (GSK) antibiotic medication Augmentin and USV's anti-diabetic drug Glycomet GP continued to be the top-selling medicine brands at the MAT level, with sales worth Rs 819 crore and Rs 810 crore, respectively.
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Business Standard
4 days ago
- Politics
- Business Standard
Harvard visa ban could disrupt fall admissions and set college precedent
President Trump's proclamation empowers the Secretary of State to revoke visas of international students at Harvard, raising concerns for fall admissions and international education policies Sanket Koul New Delhi Donald Trump's 4 June proclamation suspending the entry of foreign nationals seeking to study or participate in exchange programmes at Harvard University has raised alarm among education experts, who fear it may set a precedent for action against other Ivy League institutions. The move comes amid escalating tensions between the Trump administration and higher education institutions, especially Harvard. The administration had last month banned foreign students' admission to the university, an order that was blocked by a court. This was followed by the US State Department instructing all consular missions and embassies overseas to begin social media vetting of visa applicants intending to travel to Harvard University for any purpose. The 4 June presidential proclamation invokes authority under sections 212(f) and 215(a) of the Immigration and Nationality Act (INA), granting the president broad powers to suspend entry of any class of people deemed "detrimental to the interests of the United States." The order halts new international admissions to Harvard but also grants the Secretary of State discretionary power to revoke existing F, M, or J visas of international students already at Harvard. Harvard currently hosts 10,158 international students and scholars across its schools. Of these, 788 — the second-largest cohort — are from India, according to university data. China tops the list with 2,126 students. Commenting on the situation, Kajal Dave, co-founder of LaunchEd, said the move affects thousands of international students currently applying or planning to study in the US, casting uncertainty over their academic futures. 'While the order specifically targets Harvard, it may set a troubling precedent, raising fears among students and universities nationwide about the stability of international education policies,' she added. However, according to the US Department of Homeland Security (DHS), the move follows Harvard allegedly refusing to provide information on certain foreign students involved in protest activities. 'Admission into the United States to attend, conduct research, or teach at our nation's institutions of higher education is a privilege granted by our Government, not a guarantee,' the proclamation signed by President Trump stated. It added that this privilege is necessarily tied to the host institution's compliance and commitment to following federal law. 'Harvard University has failed in this respect, among many others,' it alleged. While the suspension of visas applies to foreigners wanting to attend Harvard through the Student and Exchange Visitor Programme (SEVP) after the date of the proclamation, the Secretary of State has discretion to revoke visas of foreign nationals currently attending Harvard on F, M, or J visas. Highlighting concerns about fairness and due process, Dave said the move could abruptly disrupt the lives and studies of students already residing in the US. Zaveri added that the possibility of reviewing and revoking existing academic or exchange visas adds to the uncertainty for those already enrolled. 'However, students are being informed in advance and, in some cases, may be advised to consider transferring or seeking admission to alternate institutions, depending on guidance issued by relevant authorities,' he said. Experts say the ongoing tension between the federal government and top academic institutions has created a climate of uncertainty for students planning to join US universities this fall. Dave said the resulting uncertainty has understandably affected students preparing for the upcoming fall session. She added that despite past court interventions blocking similar actions, repeated policy shifts are prompting many students to reconsider or delay their plans, with some now looking to alternative destinations with clearer, more student-friendly visa policies. The continuous and growing uncertainty has led Indian students to seek new academic destinations, with Germany, Ireland, New Zealand and even Russia gaining favour—despite language barriers—for their easier immigration policies and promise of work opportunities after courses end. According to education ministry data, Germany saw a 68 per cent increase in Indian students — to 34,702 in 2024 from 20,684 in 2022. New Zealand witnessed a 354 per cent jump from 1,605 to 7,297 during the same period. Russia saw a 59 per cent rise in Indian students, and Ireland 49 per cent.
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Business Standard
30-05-2025
- Health
- Business Standard
Centre to aid development of indigenous thrombectomy device for stroke
Technology Development Board to fund S3V Vascular Technologies for manufacturing India's first thrombectomy device, aiming to reduce import dependency and boost stroke care Sanket Koul New Delhi In a push for India's medtech innovation landscape, the Technology Development Board (TDB), under the Centre's Department of Science and Technology (DST), on Friday announced financial support for the development of India's first indigenous thrombectomy device for stroke care. A thrombectomy device is a specialised medical tool used to remove blood clots—also called thrombi—from blood vessels, particularly in the brain, to treat ischaemic strokes. Under the support programme, the TDB will sanction financial assistance to Mysuru-based S3V Vascular Technologies for the establishment of a state-of-the-art upstream integrated manufacturing facility at the Medical Devices Park, Oragadam, in Chennai's Sriperumbudur. Commenting on the development, TDB Secretary Rajesh Kumar Pathak said the project reflects the continued commitment to making India a global hub for affordable, high-end medical technology, especially in areas of critical public health need like stroke care. According to a study recently published in The Lancet Neurology journal, India registered over 1.25 million new stroke cases in 2021, a 51 per cent increase compared to 650,000 cases in 1990. Dr N G Vijaya Gopal, Managing Director of S3V Vascular Technologies, said the company's integrated manufacturing facility will not only reduce dependency on imports of the finished medical devices used in mechanical thrombectomy but also reduce India's reliance on the import of raw materials required for the manufacturing of these complex, life-saving devices. The company stated that it aims to integrate these devices into government reimbursement programmes such as Ayushman Bharat, thereby unlocking a domestic market estimated at $2 billion. 'As part of its outreach, S3V also plans to collaborate with leading hospitals to offer simulator-based training for young interventionalists—especially in Tier-II cities, where the stroke burden is high,' it said. Gopal added that S3V has initiated the CE and USFDA approval process for these devices to expand access to cutting-edge stroke care solutions across India, Asia, Latin America, Europe, and the United States. The company also intends to file patents for critical innovations such as the clot retriever head design, braid-over-coil aspiration catheter structures, and several advanced process technologies.
