Latest news with #Atal
Business News Wales
6 days ago
- Business
- Business News Wales
Tredegar Business Transitions to New Ownership with Development Bank Equity Backing
John Babalola, Development Bank of Wales; Dominic Thew, Atal; Scott Hughes, Development Bank of Wales. Dominic Thew, general manager of Tredegar-based Atal UK, has completed a management buy-out of a structural and basement waterproofing business in a deal that has been part-funded by a seven-figure debt and equity investment from the Development Bank of Wales. Atal UK was established in 2012. Based on the Tafarnaubach Industrial Estate, the company now employs 19 people and provides structural and basement waterproofing services along with ground gas protection solutions for architects, contractors and groundworkers throughout the UK. Dominic joined Atal in 2015. He will take over from business founder David Rees. Dominic Thew said: 'I've worked alongside David over the last ten years to help build Atal as a leading UK provider of structural and basement waterproofing services. Using the most advanced materials available, we offer a comprehensive range of value driven and cost-effective bespoke solutions for individual projects. We also provide expert onsite training with regular site inspections to help the installers throughout the work. 'We have always invested in our people who have played an important role in our journey to date. As a team, most of whom are local, we're proud of our reputation where we encourage one another to grow themselves and now look forward to growing the business alongside the support of Simon as our new Chair and the Development Bank as our investment partner.' Scott Hughes, Senior Investment Executive with the Development Bank, worked on the deal alongside Investment Executive John Babalola. Scott said: 'It's great to be able to support a long-standing employee to take the reins at Atal, an established business providing essential, legally-required services to the construction industry. This buyout not only preserves the company's legacy, but also safeguards jobs and ensures continued service excellence for their clients.' The deal was also supported by Alex Butler at Geldards; Stephen Thompson at Darwin Gray; and Tanya Wilson, formerly of Haines Watts. The investment by the Development Bank came from the £25 million Wales Management Succession Fund. Financed by Welsh Government and the Clwyd Pension Fund, loans and equity investments between £500,000 and £3 million are available for management teams seeking to own and run their own business. Terms range from one to seven years.
Mint
6 days ago
- Business
- Mint
Amitabh Kant steps down as G20 Sherpa, to shift focus to private sector and policy innovation
New Delhi: India's G20 Sherpa Amitabh Kant, who was instrumental in forging consensus among world leaders during India's G20 presidency amid sharp geopolitical rifts, has stepped down from the role, signalling a move to the private sector. In a LinkedIn post, Kant said that after 45 years in government service, he was embracing new opportunities outside the public sector. 'I now look forward to India's transformational journey towards Viksit Bharat by supporting free enterprise, start-ups, think tanks and academic institutions,' he wrote. He told Mint that he would share details of his next steps in due course. Kant, one of India's most visible and articulate bureaucrats, played a central role in shaping national initiatives ranging from infrastructure development to the 'Make in India' push and the turnaround of over 100 backward districts through the Aspirational Districts Programme. Previously, as chief executive of federal policy think tank NITI Aayog and later as G20 Sherpa, Kant articulated Prime Minister Narendra Modi's vision on development, innovation, and sustainability. He was deeply involved in policies focused on low-carbon growth, digital infrastructure, and industrial reform. Kant expressed gratitude to Modi for entrusting him with key developmental roles that 'shaped India's growth trajectory.' India's G20 presidency, he said, was a major milestone in his career—'people-centric and inclusive,' with meetings held across all states and union territories. This, he noted, 'strengthened cooperative federalism, celebrated local culture, and upgraded infrastructure nationwide.' He also highlighted India's role in bringing the African Union into the G20 as a permanent member, calling it a 'fulfilment of our commitment to global equity and the voice of the Global South.' At NITI Aayog, Kant championed the creation of India's digital public infrastructure and oversaw policy reforms across sectors—from manufacturing and innovation to sustainability. These included the production-linked incentive (PLI) schemes, the Atal Innovation Mission, the green hydrogen push, and support for advanced chemistry cell technology. Kant said NITI Aayog's Aspirational Districts Programme transformed the lives of citizens in 115 of India's most underdeveloped districts. 'We helped lay the foundations for India's digital public infrastructure and pushed policy reforms across sectors—ranging from manufacturing through production linked incentive schemes to innovation through the Atal innovation mission and sustainability through the green hydrogen mission and advanced chemistry cells. These efforts positioned India as a leader in innovation and climate action,' Kant said. Earlier, as secretary of the Department for Industrial Policy and Promotion (now DPIIT), Kant led reforms that dramatically improved India's ease of doing business and helped elevate the country by 79 ranks in the World Bank's global rankings. He was also instrumental in shaping India's tourism branding, helping conceptualize Kerala's 'God's Own Country' campaign and the Centre's 'Incredible India' initiative.
Indian Express
04-06-2025
- Health
- Indian Express
Yamuna clean-up op: Delhi govt to map drains, plug sewage leaks
As part of its plan to clean the Yamuna, the BJP Delhi government is planning to hire an agency to survey each drain that is not connected to the treatment system. Based on the findings, drains will be trapped to curb the flow of untreated water into the river, said officials. According to officials, the government is also planning to reach out to the Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB) to assess the output of wastewater being released from all Sewage Treatment Plants (STPs) in the future. Cleaning the Yamuna and making it pollution-free is one of the top priorities of the BJP government. Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Home Minister Amit Shah have held meetings in this regard in the past two months. Officials said the Delhi Jal Board (DJB) has asked to prepare a plan and hire an agency to identify gaps and disconnected drains and sewers and assess the sewerage zones. 'The department concerned has directed to hire an agency by the end of this month. The process has begun, and the survey will be completed by September… Based on the identified gaps, detailed project reports (DPRs) will be prepared by project engineers. Projects will be structured accordingly, and the estimated timeline for this is set for December this year,' said a senior official. The CPCB will also conduct inspections to identify operational gaps. 'All existing STPs and their outfalls will be inspected by the CPCB to assess operational shortcomings. For this, the timeline has been set for July 2025. Following its report, the DJB will formulate an action plan… The target for the work is set for October this year, ' said an official. Officials said over the last few years, the DJB has been working on the Interceptor Sewer Project — it entails trapping all drains and diverting wastewater to the nearby STP. However, there are some large drains like Najafgarh and Shahdara where it is not possible to tap them fully, due to which, eventually, untreated water enters the river. 'For such drains, solutions need to be considered, such as tapping 26 out of 182 sub-drains and treating the remaining at their outlets,' read a government document. Officials said 9 out of 22 drains that flow directly into the river have been trapped. Two drains have been partially trapped. Full trapping of drains is set to be completed by December 2027. 'Trapping work for two drains is in progress and is likely to be completed by the end of this year. Meanwhile, 7 drains have not yet been trapped, and no diversion has been made to the sewer/STP for treatment. The deadline to complete this work has been set for December 2027,' said an official. Under this project, the Delhi government also plans to install sewer connections in all unauthorised colonies. Recently, the central government approved Rs 804 crore for this project under the Atal Mission for Rejuvenation and Urban Transformation (AMRUT) scheme 2.0. The government plans to install around 13,000 new sewer connections in slum areas, and 2.5 lakh sewer connections in unauthorised colonies and other residential areas.
India Today
31-05-2025
- Entertainment
- India Today
Pankaj Tripathi's AI-generated image as Hera Pheri's Baburao goes viral, fans react
Actor Pankaj Tripathi's casting as Baburao Ganpatrao Apte in 'Hera Pheri 3' is once again being debated. An AI-generated image of Tripathi as Baburao from the comedy franchise has sparked speculation about the possibility of him doing justice to the character. He had earlier reacted to the fan theories and denied any such intention of replacing Paresh Rawal after the latter's departure from the third a viral picture posted on Reddit, Tripathi is seen wearing a white dhoti and vest just like Rawal from 'Hera Pheri' (2000) and 'Phir Hera Pheri' (2006). Baburao's iconic gold chain, bracelet, and a thick pair of glasses were also included in the AI-generated look. The caption read, "Can Pankaj Tripathi play Baburao Ganpatrao Apte in Hera Pheri?" Fans feel Pankaj Tripathi could reinvent Baburao, if not replace Paresh Rawal. advertisement Some fans were not happy with the AI-genearated Baburao. While reacting to the image, a social media user wrote, "If Pankaj Tripathi is taken into the role and Paresh Rawal does not agree, then maybe they should give the movie a new flavour with a new name, role change or something. Pankaj Tripathi is a very good actor, and he can definitely reinvent the role as per his capabilities. Unfortunately, he cannot exactly copy Paresh's role, which I think both Akshay Kumar and Pankaj Tripathi are aware of." In-spite of praising Pankaj Tripathi;s acting prowess, fans rejected him as Baburao. Another user wrote, "Pankaj Tripathi could bring something valuable to the role, but he wouldn't be a replacement, he'd be a reinvention. He'd probably make a good Babu Bhaiya type character in a spin-off or reboot, but stepping into Paresh Rawal's shoes directly would feel off. Audiences would constantly compare them, and the charm of the original might get lost. So respectfully, no." Fans feel Pankaj Tripathi would not be able to recreate Paresh Rawal's charisma as Baburao. A fan also commented, "No, Pankaj's versatility was brutally exposed in the movie 'Atal,' he plays subtle characters which are similar. On the contrary Babu bhaiyya is the opposite, loud, charismatic and very relatable. Paresh Rawal as an actor is one of the most versatile we have seen in Bollywood."Amid the ongoing controversy over Paresh Rawal's exit from 'Hera Pheri 3,' the actor shared a post on X captioned as, "My lawyer, Ameet Naik, has sent an appropriate response regarding my rightful termination and exit. Once they read my response, all issues will be laid to rest."Rawal's lawyers, in an interview with IANS, said, "Admittedly, they did not deliver the story, screenplay and also a draft of a long-form agreement which was fundamental to the engagement of our client. In the absence of these and also since Mr Nadiadwala, the producer of the original films, issued notice to our client and raised issues on the making of the film, our client chose to exit and returned the money with interest by terminating the Term sheet."advertisementSuniel Shetty, who plays Shyam in the 'Hera Pheri' franchise, in an interview with India Today expressed shock. He said, "I have no clue about this. This is absolutely shocking. I first thought about texting him, and then I thought I'd meet him and would discuss it. I have had no word about it with anybody. Even Akshay is clueless as to what happened."Actor-comedian Johny Lever reacted to the row over Rawal stepping down from the film and suggested that the team should discuss and solve the matter. In an interview with Zoom, he said, "Mujhe lagta hai ki kar lena chahiye unko film, baithke baat karein, matter solve karein kyunki fans bohut miss karenge Paresh ji ko film mein, maza nahi aayega na waisa unke bina. To baat karke solve karlena chahiye, meri nazar mein to yahi sahi hai. (I feel that they should do the film, sit and talk, solve the matter, because fans will miss Paresh ji a lot, it will not be fun without him. So they should talk and solve the matter)."Rawal will next be seen in Vaani Kapoor-Aparshakti Khurana's 'Badtameez Gill' and Akshay's 'Welcome To The Jungle', directed by Ahmed Khan. IN THIS STORY#Pankaj Tripathi
The Hindu
26-05-2025
- Business
- The Hindu
Chennai Corporation's municipal bonds receive ‘overwhelming response' in National Stock Exchange
Chennai has joined the list of urban local bodies in the country that have listed their municipal bonds in the National Stock Exchange (NSE) to raise funds for their projects. Tamil Nadu Chief Minister M.K. Stalin attended the bell ceremony in Chennai on Monday (May 26, 2025) to mark the listing of the Greater Chennai Corporation's (GCC) municipal bonds in the NSE. Speaking on the occasion, NSE chief economist Tirthankar Patnaik said three other Municipal Corporations from Tamil Nadu — Coimbatore, Tiruppur and Tiruchi — were in the process of raising funds through municipal bonds. 'It is always a delight for us at NSE when urban local bodies make use of capital markets as an alternative means of financing.' The private placement of GCC's municipal bonds with a base issue size of ₹100 crore and green shoe of ₹100 crore received 'overwhelming response' with an overall subcription of 4.21 times, he said. 'We hope that today's successful listing will inspire many more urban local bodies to look at capital markets as a promising avenue to raise funds,' Mr. Patnaik said. The GCC is intending to utilise municipal bond proceeds to partly finance the ongoing works for the Integrated Storm Water Drainage Project (ISWDP) in Kosasthalaiyar basin that is to be implemented at an estimated cost of ₹3,059 crore. The project aims to construct a robust drainage network that channels excess stormwater into the Kosasthalaiyar basin. The GCC has undertaken the restoration, deepening and widening of 65 lakes and ponds in this basin. The ISWDP is to be implemented in three phases — Phase I (11 packages), Phase II (18 packages) and Phase III (17 packages). As of May 25, 28 packages have been completed and 18 more are under execution. Welcoming the gathering in Kalaivanar Arangam, Mayor R. Priya said that the GCC was the first in Tamil Nadu to issue municipal bonds in the NSC. GCC has raised funds to the tune of ₹200 crore by issuing bonds through the NSE for an interest rate of 7.97% for 10 years. India Ratings and Acuitte have rated the GCC municipal bonds as AA+, an official release from the Tamil Nadu government said. Under AMRUT (Atal Mission for Rejuvenation and Urban Transformation) 2.0, GCC would get an incentive of ₹26 crore for having issued bonds in the stock exchange to raise funds for urban infrastructure projects. Later in the day, GCC Commissioner J. Kumaragurubaran told reporters that the GCC was planning to list municipal bonds for the multi-modal facility at Broadway bus stand which is a ₹822 crore project. While the GCC's commitment to the multi-modal facility in Broadway was estimated at ₹579 crore, the GCC was hoping to issue bonds to raise funds for ₹500 crore, he said. Ministers K.N. Nehru and P.K. Sekarbabu; Chennai Mayor R. Priya; Chief Secretary N. Muruganandam and senior officials were also present during the event.
