Latest news with #Talegaon
Hindustan Times
05-07-2025
- Entertainment
- Hindustan Times
Chef Deepti Jadhav says 'modernising South Indian food is about reimagining it, not changing its identity'
Chef Deepti Jadhav, Head Chef of Avartana, ITC Maratha Mumbai(Photo: HTBS) South Indian food has evolved and modernised over the years, incorporating new flavours, ingredients, and cooking techniques while still retaining its traditional roots. 'Modernising South Indian cuisine, for me, is not about changing its identity — it's about reimagining how it's experienced. I believe in taking the soul of traditional ingredients and reinterpret them using modern techniques, refined presentation, and a deeper understanding of core memories. The goal is to retain authenticity while elevating the overall dining experience,' says chef Deepti Jadhav, Head Chef of Avartana, ITC Maratha Mumbai. Sharing how she incorporates traditional South Indian flavours even though she gives a modern take to her food, the chef adds, 'The foundation of my food always begins with traditional ingredients — whether it's the sharp earthiness of black Tellicherry pepper from Kerala, the umami of fermented raw rice batters from Tamil Nadu, or the delicate fragrance of curry leaves and coconut from coastal Andhra and Karnataka. Every dish I make starts with a deep respect for its roots. I might present a rasam as a consommé or serve a Talegaon potato sandwich instead of a classic vadai, but the soul of the ingredient remains South Indian. I also focus on balance — South Indian food is incredibly nuanced in its play of sour, spice, sweet, and bitterness. That complexity allows me to be creative without compromising on identity.' Some of her go-to ingredients include Tellicherry pepper, chillies like Byadgi, Salem and Guntur, jaggery and tamarind palm cake, Coorg vinegar and Uthukuli butter. Speaking about the techniques she uses to innovate and modernise traditional South Indian food, she shares, 'Traditional techniques like roasting of spices, hand pound cracked pepper and cumin for distilled tomato rasam, pulled sugar for fennel Panacotta form the essence of my cooking. Modern techniques like sous vide for cuttle fish and garlic, distillation for the liquid gold tomato rasam, dehydration of beetroot sheets for the Uthukuli chicken and morel dishes add a unique dimension to age-old South Indian ingredients.'
Time of India
19-06-2025
- Climate
- Time of India
Landslide & road cave-in hold up traffic as Mahabaleshwar gets triple-digit rainfall; Pune Ghat areas on red alert
Kolhapur/PuneNashik: Heavy rainfall triggered a landslide and road cave-in between Mahabaleshwar and Tapola in Satara district on Thursday, with Mahabaleshwar receiving 153mm of rainfall in 24 hours ending 10.30am. Pune district's Ghat areas also experienced intense showers, with Tamhini and Lonavla recording 230mm and 187mm of rainfall, respectively. The public works department quickly cleared the debris and restored the traffic to Tapola, popularly known as 'Mini Kashmir of Maharashtra'. Satara district disaster management head Devidas Tamhane said, "Satara district is receiving heavy rainfall over the last few days. On Thursday morning, a landslide occurred near the Chikhali Shade area in the ghat section, due to which a major portion of the road between Mahabaleshwar and Tapola caved in. " In Nashik, Godavari river swelled for the first time this monsoon after heavy rainfall lashed the city, with 113.1mm of rain recorded in 24 hours. The river's water level rose to waist-high at the iconic 'Dutondya Maruti' idol, submerging small temples at Ramkund and Godaghat. The India Meteorological Department (IMD) has issued a red alert for extremely heavy rainfall for the Ghat section and a yellow alert for Pune city on Friday, coinciding with the annual Sant Tukaram and Sant Dnyaneshwar palkhis' arrival in the city. The palkhi procession to Pandharpur via Pune is a revered annual tradition in Maharashtra, where devotees gather to pay homage to saints like Sant Tukaram Maharaj and Sant Dnyaneshwar Maharaj. Kurvande in Pune's Maval taluka recorded 219mm of rainfall in the 24-hour period, followed by Girivan (160mm), Nimgir (116mm), Bhor (109mm), Malin (69mm) and Talegaon (65.5mm). IMD cited two factors for the increased rainfall. "The two factors are a trough extending from northwest Uttar Pradesh to north Gujarat, influenced by a cyclonic circulation over northeast Rajasthan, and an offshore trough at sea level running along the coast from north Konkan to north Kerala," an official said. "As a result, fairly widespread to widespread rainfall activity with heavy to very heavy rainfall at a few places is very likely over Konkan and Ghat areas of Madhya Maharashtra. Besides, extremely heavy rainfall is very likely at isolated places in north Konkan," the official said. Kolhapur/PuneNashik: Heavy rainfall triggered a landslide and road cave-in between Mahabaleshwar and Tapola in Satara district on Thursday, with Mahabaleshwar receiving 153mm of rainfall in 24 hours ending 10.30am. Pune district's Ghat areas also experienced intense showers, with Tamhini and Lonavla recording 230mm and 187mm of rainfall, respectively. The public works department quickly cleared the debris and restored the traffic to Tapola, popularly known as 'Mini Kashmir of Maharashtra'. Satara district disaster management head Devidas Tamhane said, "Satara district is receiving heavy rainfall over the last few days. On Thursday morning, a landslide occurred near the Chikhali Shade area in the ghat section, due to which a major portion of the road between Mahabaleshwar and Tapola caved in. " In Nashik, Godavari river swelled for the first time this monsoon after heavy rainfall lashed the city, with 113.1mm of rain recorded in 24 hours. The river's water level rose to waist-high at the iconic 'Dutondya Maruti' idol, submerging small temples at Ramkund and Godaghat. The India Meteorological Department (IMD) has issued a red alert for extremely heavy rainfall for the Ghat section and a yellow alert for Pune city on Friday, coinciding with the annual Sant Tukaram and Sant Dnyaneshwar palkhis' arrival in the city. The palkhi procession to Pandharpur via Pune is a revered annual tradition in Maharashtra, where devotees gather to pay homage to saints like Sant Tukaram Maharaj and Sant Dnyaneshwar Maharaj. Kurvande in Pune's Maval taluka recorded 219mm of rainfall in the 24-hour period, followed by Girivan (160mm), Nimgir (116mm), Bhor (109mm), Malin (69mm) and Talegaon (65.5mm). IMD cited two factors for the increased rainfall. "The two factors are a trough extending from northwest Uttar Pradesh to north Gujarat, influenced by a cyclonic circulation over northeast Rajasthan, and an offshore trough at sea level running along the coast from north Konkan to north Kerala," an official said. "As a result, fairly widespread to widespread rainfall activity with heavy to very heavy rainfall at a few places is very likely over Konkan and Ghat areas of Madhya Maharashtra. Besides, extremely heavy rainfall is very likely at isolated places in north Konkan," the official said.
Entrepreneur
13-06-2025
- Business
- Entrepreneur
How Ugaoo Turned Houseplants into a National Movement for Urban India
"We didn't wait for the perfect moment we jumped in, took risks, and built everything from scratch," Siddhant Bhalinge, Founder, Ugaoo Opinions expressed by Entrepreneur contributors are their own. You're reading Entrepreneur India, an international franchise of Entrepreneur Media. From seed packets to a INR 100 crore brand, Ugaoo is redefining what it means to live green in Indian cities. Founder Siddhant Bhalinge traces the origins of Ugaoo to a moment of curiosity during his time in Italy. "I saw people growing herbs and vegetables on their windowsills, and I kept wondering why can't we do this in India?" he recalls. That thought eventually germinated into a bold entrepreneurial leap. "When I started Ugaoo in 2015, there wasn't a playbook or precedent for building a national gardening brand in India," Bhalinge says. "We didn't wait for the perfect moment we jumped in, took risks, and built everything from scratch." What kept him going, he adds, was the belief that "plants deserved a place in every Indian home." Making gardening modern, accessible, and aspirational Ugaoo's early business model focused on selling seeds, but it was the move to live plants that truly transformed its trajectory. "That single decision changed everything. It helped us connect instantly with urban consumers looking for quick wins and aesthetic upgrades," says Bhalinge. Another turning point came with the establishment of Ugaoo's own 25-acre farm in Talegaon, near Pune. This gave the brand complete control over quality, pricing, and inventory. To solve the complex challenge of shipping live plants across India, the team developed customised packaging and set up regional hubs. The company's most recent leap was embracing quick commerce via Blinkit and Zepto, making houseplants as instantly accessible as groceries. This move, along with a strong D2C website, offline experience centres, and presence on marketplaces, helped the brand cross INR 100 crore in ARR while remaining operationally profitable. "We always believed plants are companions," Bhalinge explains. "That insight helped us move from being a transactional brand to one that sparks transformation." Through content-led campaigns like #SajaooWithUgaoo, the company elevated plant care from a utilitarian chore to an act of mindfulness and self-care. The brand offers plant care guides, hosts workshops, and curates bundles to suit different lifestyles from air-purifying plants to pet-safe options. "Our goal was to make gardening feel less like a chore and more like self-care," he adds. "And that's exactly what resonated with our millennial and Gen Z audience." Also, the founder shares that their community-led approach has been central to its D2C success. "We weren't just building a product but building a movement," says Bhalinge. With an entirely in-house content team, the brand creates founder-led stories, behind-the-scenes farm tours, plant unboxings, and user-generated content that make the brand feel personal and human. Tier 2 cities, new categories, global growth Having doubled its revenue from INR 24 crore in FY23 to INR 63 crore in FY24, Ugaoo is setting its sights on deeper domestic expansion and international markets. "Our approach is omnichannel by design," says Bhalinge. The brand currently operates fulfilment hubs in five major cities and is now building infrastructure in Tier 2 cities like Indore, Nashik, and Bhopal. Its goal is to open 80 physical stores by FY2030. Ugaoo is also exploring global markets like the Middle East and Southeast Asia and branching into verticals such as plant-based air purifiers (in collaboration with uBreathe), sustainable gifting, and wellness-focused home décor. "At our core, we're still a plant-first brand but we see ourselves becoming the go-to platform for conscious, green living in India and beyond. The future is lush and we're just getting started," Bhalinge concludes. Quick Facts Founded: 2015 Best Selling Product: Jade Plant Annual Revenue: INR 100 crore (ARR) Employees: 196 Instagram Followers: 330k LinkedIn Followers: 15k
