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Time of India
an hour ago
- Business
- Time of India
Axiscades, Europe's MBDA join hands to set up defence unit in Bengaluru
Homegrown Axiscades on Friday said it has signed an agreement with European missile systems major MBDA to set up a defence facility in Karnataka . The pact has been inked through its wholly owned subsidiary Axiscades Aerospace and Technologies to set up the unit at the Aerospace Park near Kempegowda International Airport, Bengaluru , Axiscades Technologies (Axiscades) said in a statement. "The facility will be equipped with test bench laboratories, infrastructure for missile launchers , specialized equipment, and trained technical personnel to support MBDA's advanced systems engineering requirements," it said. The agreement was signed on the sidelines of the ongoing Paris Air Show 2025 in France. In May, Axiscades CEO and MD Alfonso Martinez said, "As we approach FY26, our priority is to capitalise on the opportunities in emerging sectors like manufacturing, MRO, chip-to-product and advanced defence technologies, including unmanned warfare, to bring about non-linear, product-led, scalable growth". Live Events Bengaluru-based Axiscades is a leading end-to-end engineering and technology solutions provider, catering to sectors like aerospace, defence, heavy engineering, automotive and energy, among others.
The Hindu
7 hours ago
- General
- The Hindu
‘It is mind-boggling that local people are capable of protecting wildlife to this extent'
Rama Devadiga, an inhabitant of Yellapura, recalls a frightening story from his past: how he was attacked by a bear while cycling to a temple. 'I'd see bears often, and they were always harmless,' he explains in writer and poet Sourabha Rao's new documentary, Huliyappa. In this case, he says the bear's two cubs were sleeping on the path, and he did not see the mother approach him. 'It was when she gripped my cycle carrier, and I turned around that I realised she was there,' says Rama, whose head still bears the jagged scars of that encounter. Rama's story was particularly poignant for Sourabha, the co-founder of multimedia production house, Owletter Creations, who could not help but notice how matter-of-factly Rama described this incident. 'He doesn't play the victim card or use the word trauma,' she says. This was someone who had 'knocked on the door of death' but managed to be casual and matter-of-fact about it. The stoic attitude, she says, is true of many local people who live in close contact with wildlife. 'There is a sense of dignity to their resilience and endurance that evokes a lot of respect,' she says, something that the film highlights too. 'These people do not glorify their tolerance and love for wildlife. There is no sloganeering or chest-thumping.' Without romanticising the consequences of the co-existence of humans and animals, she still feels that 'it is mind-boggling that they are capable of protecting wildlife to this extent. I still can't wrap my head around it.' According to her, local people do understand humans need to respect animals as it is their space and have been there for a longer time than people. 'They never use words or phrases that can be troublesome,' she says. Instead of saying things like 'dangerous' or 'beast,' while referring to these animals, they say that the animal took away cattle or a dog, adds Sourabha, who, as a writer herself, is fully aware that 'your thought informs your language and your language informs your thought.' Worshipping predators Huliyappa, which premiered at the Bangalore International Centre (BIC) on June 7, explores this co-existence of indigenous people and wildlife. Set in the lush green landscapes of Uttara Kannada, which is flanked by the Sahyadris, better known as the Western Ghats, a global biodiversity hotspot and a UNESCO World Heritage site, the film is a testament to the natural beauty of the landscape as well as to the people, wildlife and cultural traditions it nurtures within it. 'I am very fond of the Malenadu region. It is an amazing biodiversity hotspot, and I have been visiting it for nearly 10 years,' explains Sourabha, who first began thinking about this intersection of people and wildlife around five years ago, while working with a couple of Bengaluru-based conservation organisations. It was over a casual conversation with a friend from this region that the idea for Huliyappa came about. 'I was telling her how amazing it was that people worship predators,' she recalls. 'And she was like, ' Hey, we do this too. Huliyappa is one of our deities, and we worship him during Deepavali.' That is about it. There was no looking back for me,' says Sourabha, who would spend the next five years traversing through the region, talking to people. 'We went to some of the most remote villages you could find there, without cameras, just to establish trust,' she says, adding that she wanted to ensure that all the voices of different communities who lived in the region, including the Brahmins, Devadigas, Vokkaligas, Gowlis and Siddis would become part of the final film. 'There is a whole gamut of communities there, and we have spoken to them all.' She also witnessed the actual worship of Huliyappa, something the film captures in all its glory, showcasing the pilgrimage of scores of people trudging through remote tree-flaked landscapes, coalescing at Huliyappa's shrine. 'The deified tiger of the human imagination,' as Sourabha puts it. This is followed by a complex ritual that includes washing the deity with water and then milk, smearing it with butter, garlanding it with flowers, offering it coconuts and performing aarti on it. 'The first Deepavali, I recorded things on my phone because this entire ceremony was visually striking and the energy infectious.' Experiencing this ceremony shifted something in her, reveals Sourabha. 'We see so much cynicism, rage and scepticism in urban lives and believe that the rational side of things must always overrule the rest of our being.' She could not help but feel that these people, however, only seemed to worry about what they could do for their immediate environment. 'They don't want to change the world, like most of us , but instead, just wanted to take care of their backyard…what was all around them,' she says. 'Where humans meet wildlife and vice-versa, a faith system like Huliyappa can play a vital role in maintaining harmony, despite adversity and losses.' Making a film Sourabha and her team began shooting the film last year, self-funding the entire project because, 'after sitting with this story for five years, I realised that I couldn't wait any longer,' she says. 'We just decided to look at it as an investment.' She also chose to make the film featuring people speaking in different dialects of Kannada with English subtitles, 'because the way Kannada helps you articulate a thought around an animal, a forest or a tree is very different from English.' Additionally, for the the film to have a direct connection between the people and the audience, the team did not have a voiceover/narration, 'to avoid the imposition of our interpretations and inferences,' points out Sourabha, who ensured that a private screening was arranged for each and every person featured in the film. 'Before we premiered it for the world at large, we went to them. The film happened because of them.' She describes the process of researching and making the film as 'a humbling experience that has eroded my cynicism.' Recounting how she was forced to often confront uncomfortable questions during her research, she says, 'It helped me discard my own arrogance and pre-conceived notions and made me fall in love with our planet. We have probed the entire universe, and this is the only thing that contains all of us.' Sourabha has begun submitting the film to various festivals. In the future, she hopes to tell more such little-known stories she has gathered from the many years spent in this region. 'I think I have at least three or four fascinating stories that can easily become films,' she says. 'We are just looking for generous donors and funders who also want to tell these stories.'
Economic Times
9 hours ago
- Business
- Economic Times
Bored IIT graduate becomes a 'little shameless' on Instagram. He has life-changing experiences and conversations
Who is Harsh Pokharna? Not every founder story needs to be about pitch decks and product pivots. Sometimes, it's just about being human. Harsh Pokharna , CEO of Bengaluru-based fintech startup OkCredit and an IIT Kanpur graduate, recently gave the internet something refreshingly real. During a 1.5-month break at home in Jaipur, Harsh found himself slipping into a familiar lull—parents were thrilled to have him home, but he was, by his own admission, kind of bored. So, he decided to shake things up in the most Gen-Z way possible: by posting an Instagram story inviting people in Jaipur to meet followed was a low-key social experiment that turned into a deeply enriching experience. Harsh found himself going out almost daily—catching up with old friends, connecting with strangers from DMs, and indulging in conversations that ranged from the silly to the soul-stirring. Some chats were about food and therapy, others about breakups, startups, or dating apps. There were no rules, no agendas—just organic human connection in a world that's often too he didn't label the experience beyond 'wholesome,' the message was clear: sometimes all it takes to break out of a rut is a little shamelessness on Instagram and an open mind. His spontaneous 'Bumble for friends' in his hometown reminds us that meaningful interactions don't always come from planned networking or structured meetups—they can happen over coffee with a stranger or a walk with someone you haven't seen in the photos, he can be seen hanging out and relaxing with different people. One image shows him playing badminton, while another captures a moment from his pickleball session. Other pictures feature him enjoying a car ride, dining at a restaurant, and sipping coffee, offering a glimpse into his laid-back, people-filled days in Pokharna completed his in Mechanical Engineering from IIT Kanpur in 2014. After graduation, he gained valuable experience working with leading companies such as Intel Corporation, Flipkart, and Reliance Payment Solutions (JioMoney). In 2015, he ventured into entrepreneurship alongside his IIT Kanpur batchmates Gaurav Kumar and Aditya Prasad, co-founding ClanOut—a social discovery platform aimed at helping people connect and explore shared interests. Later, they co-founded the app OkCredit, where Pokharna is the CEO.
Time of India
10 hours ago
- Business
- Time of India
IT employees raise red flag, Karnataka's labour department says no change in weekly hours
Bengaluru: Even as the Karnataka labour department insists that proposed amendments to the Karnataka Shops and Commercial Establishments Act-1961 will not breach the 48-hour weekly cap, the state's tech workforce remains unconvinced. The Karnataka State IT/ITeS Employees Union (KITU), which led a protest in Bengaluru, argued that the proposed amendments would institutionalise excessive workloads. The department, however, claims the changes are intended to provide "flexibility" to employers and employees, allowing them to complete their weekly quota over fewer days. At the centre of the controversy is the department's plan to increase daily working hours from 9 to 10, and the maximum permissible overtime from 50 to 144 hours per quarter. This could allow for up to 12-hour workdays, including overtime. Citing long-standing concerns over unpaid overtime and chronic overwork, many fear the draft amendments will legalise exploitative practices that have become rampant in the IT and ITeS sector. "Even if you cap the week at 48 hours, that still averages to about 9.6 hours over five days. Add the legalised overtime — about 2.5 hours per day — and we're back to 12-hour shifts. And overtime compensation? It doesn't exist in practice," an IT employee said. Employees told TOI that existing loopholes enable companies to demand long hours without paying for them. The fear now is that the amendments will provide a legal cover for what is currently an unspoken but widely followed practice. KITU general secretary Suhas Adiga, who attended a recent stakeholders' meeting organised by the department, pointed out lack of transparency. "We asked for data on how many employees are working overtime and what they're paid. The minister admitted that not a single company responded. There's no data. No accountability," he said. KITU's official stance is that the move will exacerbate health risks, erode work-life balance, and push employees further into burnout. Chitra Banu, KITU member, was unequivocal in her stance. "It won't get implemented; we won't let it happen." Not everyone in the industry opposes the move. Adithya M, who works at a Bengaluru-based startup, said: "I've been working 10–12 hour days anyway. My body and mind are used to it. This isn't a big deal for startup folks." According to union leaders, this is precisely the problem — the new norms are merely catching up with exploitative realities instead of challenging them. "Now that 144 hours of overtime per quarter is legal, we're just putting a rubber stamp on what's been happening illegally," KITU secretary Sooraj Nidiyanga said. The labour department maintains that the changes are aligned with International Labour Organisation (ILO) norms and are part of broader efforts to modernise labour law. But the discontent from the ground tells another story — one of disconnect between legislative intent and lived experience. For now, the IT sector's fears remain unresolved, with trust in short supply and clarity even shorter.
NDTV
13 hours ago
- Business
- NDTV
"Why Everyone Wants To Buy": Man Criticises Bengaluru's 6-Month Deposit Rule, Sparks Discussion
Needless to say, housing in Bengaluru is extremely expensive, and finding a decent place to rent or buy can be a real challenge. Recently, a Bengaluru-based tenant voiced his frustration with the city's rental norms-particularly the requirement of a six-month security deposit. Taking to Reddit, he shared that a recent move within the city made him understand why many people prefer to buy a flat rather than rent. The experience, he said, highlighted the hassles of renting and reinforced the appeal of homeownership. "Tired of flat owners specially in Bangalore. Recently relocated to another location in Bangalore itself. First they take 6 months deposit and advance rent. When you want to vacate tell that we want to change everything as you have made things old," the redditor wrote, adding: "Don't even have the intention to pay deposit amount even after deducting high maintenance charges." Bangalore flat owners rental rules .. now I understand why everyone wants to buy flat by u/Mindless-Air3407 in indianrealestate The original poster (OP) claimed that even people staying in a particular city on a short-term basis prefer to buy rather than rent, simply to avoid dealing with homeowners. "That's why even people with short term stay in city wants to buy flat and move out of these extortion. I don't think here anybody sees flat as investment," the user wrote. The Reddit post has sparked a discussion online about Bengaluru real estate and the benefits of purchasing a property. "Agree. Bengaluru has to be the worst rental market in india. owners mentality is still stuck in early 2000s when IT guys were loaded," wrote one user. "Bengaluru is under the impression that they've done something groundbreaking on the IT front, the reality is they only have a first mover advantage. With the upcoming of NCR, Hyderabad and Pune, Bengaluru is about to get a hard reality check in the upcoming years. Coming from Delhi, this city is a tier 3 downgrade on every front," said another. "Tenants blame owners and owners blame tenants. I would rather want to be a tenant blaming an owner... rather than dealing with a tenant who doesn't vacate or pay rent and damage things," expressed a third user. "Yeah I feel the security deposit should be in some kind of joint account with owner and tenant, rather than completely transferring to owner," suggested one user.
