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Indian Express
a day ago
- Business
- Indian Express
Maharashtra emerging as key destination of global investors: CM
Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis on Wednesday said that Maharashtra is not only cementing its position as India's leading industrial state but is also emerging as a key destination for global investors. The chief minister was speaking at the event '2025 India Conference: Accelerating Growth, Maharashtra @ One Trillion' hosted by Bank of America at the Taj Mahal Palace Hotel in Mumbai. Highlighting the state's growing role in defence manufacturing, data infrastructure, and startup innovation, Fadnavis said Maharashtra is now prepared for the industries and innovations of the future. The CM said that the Make in India initiative has significantly benefited Maharashtra. Citing the recent success of 'Operation Sindoor', he said it showcases India's evolving defence production capabilities, with Maharashtra emerging as the true epicentre of the country's defence manufacturing sector, despite the presence of industry clusters in states like Uttar Pradesh and Tamil Nadu. He pointed out that Maharashtra currently houses nearly 60 per cent of India's total data centre capacity, and Mumbai has become the fintech capital of the country. The state is also becoming a magnet for startups, offering fertile ground for tech and innovation-driven enterprises. 'Global investors are seeking stable and secure environments to invest in, especially within global supply chains—and India is best placed to offer that,' Fadnavis said, adding that Maharashtra is fully geared to seize this opportunity. The CM said that Maharashtra attracted over Rs 16 lakh crore in investments during the recent World Economic Forum at Davos. Over half of this is directed towards manufacturing, he said, reflecting the tangible impact of the Make in India policy on the ground. Given the geographic limitations of coastal Mumbai, Fadnavis outlined the development of a 'Fourth Mumbai' around the Vadhavan Port region. The proposed city will be three times the size of existing urban zones, featuring themed developments such as edu-city (with 10 international universities),sports city, medicine city, knowledge city and innovation city. He said that going beyond Mumbai, Thane, and Pune, the government is accelerating industrialisation in tier-2 and tier-3 cities. 'Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar is being positioned as an EV manufacturing hub. Gadchiroli is set to become a new 'steel city' with over Rs 1 lakh crore in investments. Cities like Nagpur, Nashik and Dhule are witnessing large-scale investments in IT, manufacturing, and infrastructure,' he said Fadnavis also introduced a three-stage administrative vision: immediate action plan – Maharashtra 2029; mid-term strategy – Maharashtra 2035; and long-term vision – Maharashtra 2047. These plans will integrate emerging technologies like artificial intelligence (AI) into governance and economic planning. A new advanced cybersecurity centre is also in the pipeline to address growing cybercrime threats in a unified manner. Concluding his address, Fadnavis reiterated that Maharashtra is not only chasing rapid industrial and infrastructure growth but is building a resilient, future-ready economy capable of supporting India's rise on the global stage.
NDTV
a day ago
- Entertainment
- NDTV
Inside The 132-Year-Old Hyderabad Palace That Played Salman Khan's Home In Sikandar
Quick Read Summary is AI generated, newsroom reviewed. Falaknuma Palace in Hyderabad, Telangana, was once one of the world's most coveted addresses. The 132-year-old palace was completed in 1893, originally built by Nawab Viqar-ul-Umra. Over the years, the palace has hosted multiple dignitaries from India and abroad. When Princess Esra Jah received a phone call from her ex-husband in Hyderabad, she knew she could not let the request go unheard. Esra had been married to the 8th Nizam of Hyderabad, Mukarram Jah, and then divorced for three decades when Jah rang her up with a desperate cry for help. His palaces were in tatters. The slums were climbing up the walls of the Falaknuma estate. The mansion lay crumbling and he no longer had the might or the means to take it back to its former glory. And what former glory was he speaking of? That of a palace that floats between heaven and earth. When you leave the city of Hyderabad and climb up the 2,000-foot Koh-e-toor Hill (named after Mount Sinai in Egypt), the serpentine road doesn't betray a glimpse of what lies at the end of it. The vehicles stop at the dot marked by the erstwhile Nizam's carriage. You are made to enter Falaknuma through a metal detector and on the other side of the massive doors - the portal between earth and that juncture between earth and heaven you are about to see - you are transported to an era where excesses were celebrated. The colonnaded Falaknuma comes into view. You gasp. Above you, a slice of the moon nods in agreement: it is, indeed, an embodiment of its Urdu name, a mirror of the sky. A Coveted Address The Falaknuma Palace today is the last word in India's palace hotels. The Taj Group took over the painstaking restoration and spent a decade transporting it back to the era of the Nizams, under the zealous eye of Princess Esra Jah. Not one crystal out of place; not one chandelier astray. Looked at by Princess Esra, the story goes, the exterior walls of the palace were painted 15 times before the shade of the overcast Deccan sky could be achieved. It was the mirror of the sky, after all. In 2010, Taj threw open the doors of Falaknuma for the world. You no longer had to be at least a viceroy to spend a night at one of the world's most coveted addresses. Location scouts followed soon after. Falaknuma became a recognised structure in movies from Mumbai to Madras. Salman Khan, in his latest movie Sikandar, plays the King of Rajkot whose home Falaknuma doubles up as. The structure meets all regal requirements that a grand movie would want. Regal might actually be an understatement considering what the Falaknuma Palace holds within its sky-hued walls. But let's begin at the beginning. Where It All Began Nawab Sir Viqar-ul-Umra of the distinguished Paigah family of Hyderabad went on a trip to Europe. His travels convinced him that he wanted his home to reflect that European style, while housing the best of Hyderabad. So, in 1884, he laid the foundation stone of the Falaknuma Palace 609 metres above the city of Hyderabad, on the hillock we told you about. It took the Nawab nine long years to build and furnish the place. It took a financial toll on the Nawab, but as is the norm with nawabs, Viqar-ul-Umra continued filling the palace in with the best of furniture and art and artefacts from all over the world. In 1893, Falaknuma was complete. A few years later, in 1897, the Nawab invited the 6th Nizam of Hyderabad, Nizam Mahboob Ali Pasha, to stay at the palace. The Nizam stayed for a week, which extended to a month, and Nawab Viqar-ul-Umra soon realised that it was a gamble he hadn't thought through. The Nizam loved Falaknuma. So, the Nawab "gifted" Falaknuma to him. The Nizam is said to have paid most of Falaknuma's Rs 4-million cost to the Nawab. The Nizam spent the next 22 years stuffing Falaknuma with all the riches that came his way. Think statues and priceless ornaments from all corners of the world, British stained glass, Bohemian chandeliers, Chinese silk furnishings, thousands of rare books in its in-house library, a private telephone exchange, and a zenana where he banished all women who he spent a night with. The palace interiors became a reflection of its Nizam: ostentatious, whimsical, and lacking discipline. A Curse Then there was the cardinal flaw. Falaknuma was in the shape of a scorpion. Folklore attached a curse to that shape and the 6th Nizam drank himself to death at a young age. His heirs had similar fates marred by debt, drinks and destitution. The 7th Nizam, Mir Osman Ali Bahadur, inherited Falaknuma from his father, the 6th Nizam. Osman Ali was the richest man in the world in the 1930s and 40s. The Nizam of the City of Pearls; his pearl collection is said to have filled an Olympic-size pool. He used the 400-carat Jacob Diamond as a paperweight and left piles upon piles of pearls by his bed. But the riches weren't to stay with Osman Ali. He did not much care for the palace either. It remained the guest house where the Nizams hosted royal guests. Falaknuma last hosted a formal guest in 1951, when India's President Dr Rajendra Prasad visited the palace. Fall From The Firmament Then, it fell into disrepair. It was the time when the palace had passed on to the Crown Prince of Hyderabad, Mukarram Jah. Jah wasn't invested in anything Hyderabad. He was crowned the 8th Nizam, by then a ceremonial title at best, in 1967. The Nizams of Hyderabad had been stripped of their powers after fighting on the wrong side of the Indian Independence movement. Mukarram Jah went to British military college in Sandhurst, England, and married Turkish beauty Esra Birgen. His marriage with Esra fell apart when he fell in love with an Australian outback. Jah became a sheep farmer. He had no interest in fighting the legal battle that he had inherited in the form of Hyderabad. Falaknuma and Chowmahalla Palaces, part of his estate, were gasping for breath. That's when the Nizam dialled up his ex-wife, Esra Jah. It was 1996. Esra moved back to India to oversee the restoration of the two palaces. The Taj Group of Hotels came on board and leased the palace from the Nizam's family. Work began on the Falaknuma and Taj agreed to foot the massive restoration bill. In 2005, Chowmahalla was done up and opened to the public. Falaknuma was a task Herculean. It wasn't going to be so easy to re-do the 93,970-sq-m palace to its better days. Back To Glory Esra Jah oversaw the restoration of Falaknuma, including the dyeing of a carpet 300 times to match the colour it originally was. Years of careful work took Falaknuma to the lost glory of the years when the Nizam would host parties, dine under the stars, and wait for his guests to marvel at this architectural marvel that floated between the heaven and the earth. Today, the two-storied palace invokes sheer awe in visitors. When you enter the main building of the Falaknuma Palace, a cantilever staircase greets you. The stairs were so constructed that each step could be crafted out of one single slab of Italian marble. By the stairs are portraits of the owners of the palace who look at you in amusement and disdain, in equal measure. The dining hall at Falaknuma houses the world's longest dining table. At 80 feet and with 101 chairs, it is made of seven pieces. The green leather chairs are all the same, except for the one the Nizam sat on. That one is three inches higher - the host wasn't your everyday host, after all. He was the Nizam of Hyderabad and Falaknuma had to reflect, along with the sky, that lineage too. "I didn't do it for personal glory," said Princess Esra Jah in an interview to Architectural Digest, "but only to be able to give back to Hyderabad something of the unique culture the Nizams had created over generations. It upset me very much to see it go to ruin." Well, her work worth of decades paid off. The palace that her husband ran to the ground is a mirror of the heavens once again. Reflecting the same Deccan sky.
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Business Standard
3 days ago
- Business
- Business Standard
Indian hospitality chains chart global routes; target UK, West Asia markets
Indian hospitality companies are spreading their wings far beyond the country's borders, charting expansion plans in the UK, West Asian countries and even in the African continent, even as Indian tourists flock to international destinations. On Thursday, the country's largest hospitality chain, Tata group-owned Indian Hotels Company Limited (IHCL) announced its debut in South Africa's Kruger National Park with three luxury lodges. 'As the demand for purpose-led travel continues to grow, Taj with its differentiated offerings brings exceptional safari experiences. Our foray into Kruger National Park builds on this legacy, offering travellers an authentic connection with nature,' said Puneet Chhatwal, managing director and chief executive officer at IHCL. The company, which expects to achieve double-digit growth in the financial year 2025-26 (FY26), plans to open 30 hotels in the year, which will also include a 126-key Taj property in Frankfurt by the fourth quarter. The company's international expansion will be through the capital-light model. Internationally, ten new properties are in the pipeline, which will include two offerings in Bahrain in three years and two in Saudi Arabia in the next three-four years. It currently has 28 properties, including in New York, the United Kingdom, and the Maldives, which contributed to nearly 20 per cent of the company's consolidated revenues in FY25. Since the start of the year, Chhatwal said the San Francisco property has started to see a growth comeback and occupancies have also gone up. 'We do believe that San Francisco will be a big positive surprise this year. April was extraordinarily good for San Francisco, but that changes in that city based on the big events that they get. In New York, too, our efforts are beginning to pay off. And for the first time, P&L was Ebitda positive, and we think this journey will continue in a positive way also this year,' he said. For the coming financial years, the share of international growth will continue to rise alongside domestic growth, with the overall pie increasing. Indian luxury giant Oberoi Hotels, too, has mapped out an extensive international expansion, including the much awaited 21-key Oberoi-branded property set to open in Mayfair in central London in 2028. With 497 international keys under the Oberoi brand, the company is looking at adding 290 keys to this portfolio by 2028, including two floating boat hotels of seven keys each, a Nile cruiser of 25 keys. The London property will be owned by Oberoi parent East India Hotels, while the rest will be run through management contracts. Another industry major, Bengaluru-headquartered Royal Orchid Hotels, is exploring locations in The Maldives and some of the South East Asian countries for international growth, even as it looks to expand its existing overseas presence in Sri Lanka and Nepal. 'We are expanding where we are existing. But of course we are open to other nearby locations. We'll definitely look at Maldives and the Middle East. Southeast Asia, we'll definitely look at,' Chander K Baljee, chairman and managing director of Royal Orchid Hotels, told Business Standard. The group is pushing its Regenta brand of hotels and resorts overseas, on similar lines as the Regenta resort and spa in Chitwan, near the Chitwan National Park, and Regenta Place in Sabrina. Sarovar Hotels, founded in India in 1994, plans to further expand its international network. 'In Africa, the upcoming openings include a Sarovar Portico Kampala in Uganda with 85 rooms and Sarovar Premiere Hargesia in Somaliland with 121 Keys,' Ajay Bakaya, chairman, Sarovar Hotels and director, Louvre Hotels India, told Business Standard. The company will develop these projects through management contracts to drive efficiency. In Nepal, it is set to open Royal Tulip Kathmandu, with 304 keys and a 22,000 sq. ft. convention centre this year, along with Royal Tulip Chitwan near the Chitwan National Park, and the Golden Tulip Bhairahawa, which will serve pilgrims visiting the nearby sacred city of Lumbini. It has already launched Sarovar Portico in Birgunj. 'Nepal offers proximity to India, cultural and tourism synergy, and growing demand in both leisure and religious travel segments,' said Bakaya. Meanwhile, increased economic activity in Africa is a good driver of growth for the chain. Sarovar has already launched The Heron Sarovar Portico in Nairobi with 108 keys. 'Cities like Nairobi, Kampala, and Hargeisa are experiencing increased business activity and urban development but continue to face a shortage of dependable mid-scale hotel options. Sarovar sees an opportunity to bridge this gap with its well-established, value-driven hospitality brands,' Bakaya added. ITC Hotels, which operates six brands spanning various segments, including luxury, boutique premium, upscale and midscale, expanded operations to Sri Lanka in April last year. ITC Ratnadipa, a mixed-use property with 352 keys, a retail space and residences, turned Ebitda positive from the December quarter. The hospitality arm of the ITC group opened a 66-key Fortune branded resort and wellness spa in Nepal, also last year.
India.com
24-05-2025
- Business
- India.com
This is world's largest hotel group, has around 9100 hotels in 142 countries, not Taj or Oberoi group of hotels, name is…, one night stay starts at Rs…
No matter where you go in the world, finding a hotel is never a problem. From bustling cities to remote towns, accommodations are always within reach ranging from cozy budget inns to lavish 5-star properties. Hotels offer more than just a place to rest; they provide comfort, service, and often a taste of luxury. In India, names like the Taj, Oberoi, and other five-star chains symbolize opulence and are preferred by the wealthy for their top-tier amenities like spas, gyms, and swimming pools. But when it comes to the world's largest hotel group, one name stands above the rest and that is Marriott International. A hospitality empire spanning 142 countries Marriott International is not just a hotel brand it's a global hospitality empire. With an astonishing 9,100 properties spread across 142 countries, it has firmly established itself as the leader in the luxury accommodation sector. Whether you're traveling for business, leisure, or anything in between, chances are there's a Marriott hotel ready to welcome you. Founded in 1927 by J. Willard Marriott and his wife Alice Marriott, the company started small but grew with a clear vision of excellence. As the brand approaches its centenary, it continues to raise the bar in hospitality worldwide. Diverse brands, one standard of excellence Marriott International isn't just one hotel it's a family of many. The group owns and operates several renowned sub-brands including JW Marriott, The Ritz-Carlton, Renaissance Hotels, Courtyard by Marriott, and many others. Whether you prefer the elegance of The Lotus, the serenity of The Villa, or the modern charm of M Brand, Marriott has something for every traveler. Rooms come in various formats from standard and deluxe to luxurious suites with nightly rates typically starting around Rs. 7,999. Dining here is a fine experience in itself, with lunch or dinner costing anywhere between Rs. 10,000 to Rs. 12,000, depending on the location and menu. Marriott's presence in India India, too, is an important market for Marriott. With nearly 150 hotels and resorts across the country, the brand caters to both domestic and international travelers. These properties combine local culture with Marriott's signature style and standards. From its humble beginnings in Arlington, Virginia, where it opened its first hotel the Twin Bridges Motor Hotel in 1957, Marriott has come a long way. Today, under the leadership of CEO Anthony Capuano, it continues to expand its global footprint, innovate its guest experiences, and set new benchmarks in hospitality.
India Today
22-05-2025
- India Today
Why Agra has no place for Taj of sweets
(NOTE: This article was originally published in the India Today issue dated May 26, 2025)The smell of syrup in the air, the hot petha rolling out of factories on both sides of the road, their candied memories travelling up and down the country in tiny coloured boxes by road, rail and now air—this is the identity of Agra's Noori Gate area. About seven kilometres from the Taj Mahal, these desi ptisseries also churn out tiny, delicate monuments to the sweetness of composite culture. If the Taj was born in Shah Jahan's mind, legend has it that the petha was born in his royal kitchen—upon a royal firman to create a sweet delicacy as pure and white as the Taj! Marble was traded for white pumpkin, Agra's magic spell was spoken, and voilathe world was suddenly SPIKEDThat magic spell is being broken. The Noori Gate petha manufactories, running unbroken since the Mughal period, have been ordered to shift out of the city. That also breaks other ties with history. In 1929, the revolutionary Bhagat Singh, after shooting down British police officer John Saunders (the Lahore Conspiracy Case that led to his hanging), spent a few days hiding in a two-storey house right here in Noori Gate area. Girish Singhal, 63, lives next to this house, beginning his petha-making career in his two-room abode in 1980. Over 40 years on, he's worried. 'I do not have the resources to go 30 km away and set up business afresh. If there's too much pressure, I'll stop making petha and open a grocery shop but not move.' advertisement Anoop Mittal, 50, another Noori Gate native, conjures up the Gilauri Patta, a special sweet made from petha. 'I make petha on the ground floor of my two-storey house,' he says. 'It's a cottage industry for my family. If I shift out, I won't be able to bear the costs. I'll have to stop.'Noori Gate has over 500 small and big units related to petha production. Over 5,000 people work here, churning out some 1,000 quintals of petha daily. For about three decades, the locality has attracted the attention of disapproving government planners due to an ironic inversion of the petha's relation to the Taj: the fear that pollution caused by this sweet-making industry could be damaging the heritage April 3, the Supreme Court ordered the evacuation of petha units from the city. It was hearing cases related to the Taj Trapezium Zone (TTZ), a designated 10,400 sq. km area around the Taj, established to protect it from pollution. After this, the Agra administration and the Uttar Pradesh Pollution Control Board (UPPCB) have started surveying these petha is indeed an issue. After the TTZ was set up in 1983, the use of coal in kilns was banned and petha units adopted gas-based technology. In 2013, the UPPCB imposed a complete ban on the entry of coal-laden trucks into Agra. But problems persisted. According to a 2021 study by the Centre for Science and Environment (CSE), the city's petha industry generates about 17,800 kg of solid waste per day, mostly petha peels, sugar syrup and lime water. District officials say a campaign was launched in 2018 to educate petha producers about the importance of proper waste disposal, also granting aid to the big players to procure equipment for it. A large part of the industry, though, falls under the unorganised sector, beyond the pale of government traders deny petha pollution, and say the incriminating data is from a 25-year-old survey. Says Rajesh Agarwal, a leading voice from the organised part of the industry: 'Now all the units run on gas furnaces. The peel was earlier identified as waste, but now they use it as animal feed. They should conduct a fresh survey.'Dr Devashish Bhattacharya, an ENT surgeon who's fighting a case in the National Green Tribunal (NGT) against petha pollution, is still sympathetic to their fate. 'If all facilities were provided on time by the government, the petha makers would not have faced any problem,' he says. Now, they face the gloomy prospect of shifting to the New Petha City in Kalindi Vihar, a 1999-vintage plan on which none of the traders were consulted.A bitter end looms to a long to India Today Magazineadvertisement
