Latest news with #Terai
Time of India
07-05-2025
- General
- Time of India
Beldanda, Dudhwa's iconic tigress, missing after injuries
1 2 3 Bareilly: Beldanda, the famed tigress of Dudhwa Tiger Reserve and a major draw for tourists, is missing after sustaining multiple injuries, raising fears for her survival and the safety of her three frequently seen with her sub-adult cubs, Beldanda was last spotted on May 4 with visible injuries on her head, left eye, and one limb. Since then, she has not been seen, and her cubs are believed to be abandoned. Wildlife experts warn the situation is critical and blame delays in intervention."After I shared images of her serious injuries with forest officials and raised the issue on social media, orders were issued to tranquilize and treat her," said wildlife expert Siddharth Singh said on Wednesday. "But it may be too late now. This is a crisis — we're on the verge of losing the queen of Dudhwa, who alone attracted tourists from around the world."Known as the "supermom of Terai," Beldanda has birthed 13 cubs and is one of the most frequently sighted tigers in the expert said the missing tigress has left her cubs vulnerable. "There are many predators in Kishanpur Sanctuary. The department should have acted sooner to ensure their safety," he director of Dudhwa, Rengaraju Tamilselvan, said, "We are trying to trace the tigress. Tourism in the Kishanpur range has been suspended. I can assure that the injuries aren't life-threatening."
The Hindu
28-04-2025
- Politics
- The Hindu
Nepal to witness a new political front to challenge Oli government: Baburam Bhattarai
Nepal's former Prime Minister Baburam Bhattarai will launch a new political front to address growing disenchantment about the current government led by Prime Minister K.P. Sharma Oli. In an exclusive interview with The Hindu on Monday (April 28, 2025), Mr Bhattarai ruled out weakening of the democratic process in Nepal and said 'there is no chance of the return of monarchy in Nepal' and that the unhappiness on the ground is against Mr Oli's government and not against the post-monarchy democracy. 'Nepal is caught in the cycle of three leaders – Sher Bahadur Deuba, K.P. Sharma Oli and Prachanda. The youth are disenchanted as economic development has been too slow. People are looking for a change and that is why we are launching this front and have tentatively named it as Progressive Democratic Front or Progressive Socialist Front,' said Mr Bhattarai saying that new constituents are coming into the front as Nepal plans for the next election in 2027. Mr Bhattarai currently leads the Naya Shakti Party which is a democratic socialist political party in Nepal. Mr Bhattarai said the pro-monarchy protest that recently took place in Kathmandu did not acquire sufficient political mass as the people are not unhappy with the democratic process, adding 'People are unhappy with the current government of K.P. Sharma Oli and Sher Bahadur Deuba. They are not upset with the democratic system. Therefore there is no chance of the return of monarchy.' Mr Bhattarai is visiting India as Nepal marks 20th anniversary of Jana Andolan II. Two decades ago in February 2005, King Gyanendra suspended the existing constitution and deposed the government of Prime Minister Sher Bahadur Deuba which led to a public upsurge paving the way for the overthrow of monarchy in 2006 and the transfer of power to a democratically elected government in 2008 under Prime Minister Pushpa Kamal Dahal 'Prachanda'. Nepal subsequently adopted a new constitution in September 2015 pledging to create a more inclusive democratic system that would do away with regional disparities and systemic bias. However, the new constitution has also been accused of sustaining old social and political structures and the governments over the previous decade could not carry out the amendments that were demanded by the tribes and people from the Terai belt. He also surmised that despite growing unhappiness against the Oli government, there is no likelihood of an immediate overthrow of the current government as 'no party in the parliament has a majority' arguing that 'change may happen even now but that will not make any qualitative change as all the three major leaders [Oli and Deuba in the government and Prachanda in the opposition] have been discredited and that is why we are forming an alternative front.' Mr Bhattarai however remarked on Monday that much of Nepal's current political problem is rooted in the fact that the Maoists could not implement their full charter of change and said, 'Nepal's revolution was incomplete and the current situation and the protests are part of that pain that we have to undergo before more changes takes place in the country.' 'Oli and Prachanda are the same. Prachanda who was the Maoist leader has been co-opted in the old system. That is why people like us are trying to build a new front,' said Mr Bhattarai.
Mint
24-04-2025
- Business
- Mint
Terai gin maker Globus Spirits eyes new categories in craft space
NEW DELHI : Globus Spirits Ltd, known for its Terai gin and Doaab single malt, is looking to expand into new categories, including beer and additional variants of single malt whisky, as part of its strategy to diversify its business. The firm is focused on growing its craft spirits vertical due to the increasing demand for premium products, Shekhar Swarup, joint managing director of Globus Spirits told Mint . 'Luxury Indian spirits have a long runway now of at least 7-10 years, with the market, albeit small, growing leaps and bounds each year. We're looking to capture this segment. Indian tastes are becoming more contemporary," he said. The company's craft business, which is housed within its parent entity, is now its fastest-growing vertical, Swarup added. Last September, Globus forayed into single malt with Doaab, and plans to add newer variants to it soon, while still being nimble. It is targeting about 20,000-25,000 cases of the whisky this fiscal year. The company began as a sugar mill business in the 1950s and later transitioned into grain-neutral alcohol production in the 1990s. It also manufactured Indian-made foreign liquor (IMFL) and ethanol and added a franchise bottling business in the subsequent years. About half of its revenue today comes from grain-neutral products sold to other companies in the spirits and petroleum sectors, with the remainder coming from its consumer alcohol division, which includes entry-level, premium, and luxury products, he said. Also Read: The Godfather maker makes a premium run with craft gin and single malts Premium spirits priced above ₹ 2,000 per 750 ml bottle have been gaining traction in major Indian cities, signalling a general shift in consumer preferences toward higher-end liquor since the pandemic. Many larger listed companies are also focusing more on premium products to achieve better margins. Industry experts attribute this trend to an increasing number of people choosing to drink better at home—prioritising quality over quantity—along with the rising cost of drinking out and changing habits among younger consumers who are drinking less but opting for more premium options. Globus' luxury and higher-end brands have seen a 150% year-on-year growth in FY24, Swarup added. "We'll be creating more flavours or variants for Terai gin as well, which already has two variants as premium and above brands contribute more than 50% to our consumer business revenues," he said. He did not disclose the number of cases the company intends to target this year. It makes about 1.5 million cases of consumer spirits a month. 'India needs to have its own story and its own spirits, not knock-offs of IMFL spirits. That's why we're focused on innovating with our luxury products. We're not constrained in creating new products," Swarup said. 'We've created a subdivision, India Craft Spirit Co., to focus solely on companies that are already established but struggling to innovate. This separate division will drive our innovation strategy and help us strengthen our business in the future." Currently, it distributes its spirits across seven states, including Delhi, Haryana, Uttar Pradesh, Rajasthan, Uttarakhand, West Bengal, and Maharashtra, and plans to expand to another six or seven states over the next two years. Globus operates distilleries in West Bengal, Bihar, Haryana, and Rajasthan, with a total production capacity of over 287 million bulk litres and bottling facilities capable of handling more than 24.2 million cases annually. The company's next step is to launch a beer vertical in partnership with a Trinidad and Tobago-based group, ANSA McAL. In the coming months, Carib Strong Beer will be introduced, starting with sales in the Uttar Pradesh market. There are also plans to expand to other states in the future. Globus Spirits' portfolio includes both luxury single malts and gin, as well as premium products such as Oakton barrel-aged whisky, and vodka and rum offerings, with whisky making up about 75% of its consumer portfolio. The remainder comes from other categories. The company's products compete with brands like Amrut single malt, Greater Than gin, Blenders Pride whisky, and Magic Moments vodka in the growing craft and premium IMFL segment. For the nine months ended 31 December, 2024, Globus reported a revenue of ₹ 2,643 crore, a significant increase from ₹ 876 crore in the corresponding period in the previous year. Profit for the period was ₹ 17 crore, a decline from ₹ 95.9 crore for the same period in the previous year. On Wednesday, Globus Spirits shares were trading at ₹ 1,085.10 on the National Stock Exchange, up 0.2% from its previous close. Research by credit ratings agency, Infomerics Ratings forecasts that the sales of alcoholic beverages in India will grow at a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 7% over the next decade, with states like Karnataka, Maharashtra, West Bengal, Odisha, Telangana, Delhi, Haryana, and Punjab being among the largest consumers of liquor in the country. According to the latest data from the Confederation of Indian Alcoholic Beverage Companies (CIABC), which includes Globus among its members, sales of spirits priced above ₹ 1,000 grew by 48% year-on-year in 2022–23, while those priced under ₹ 500 increased by just 12%. The share of Indian-made brands in the ₹ 1,000-plus category grew from 18% in 2021–22 to 20% in 2022–23, reflecting the growing preference for homegrown premium brands. The spirits industry as a whole sold 385 million cases of 9 litres each in FY23, a 14% increase over FY22 and a 12% rise compared to pre-Covid levels in FY20, according to CIABC data released in July.
