Latest news with #CAI
Fibre2Fashion
a day ago
- Business
- Fibre2Fashion
CAI revises 2024â25 cotton output to 301 L bales, seeks policy reforms
The Cotton Association of India (CAI) has further raised its cotton production estimate to 301.15 lakh bales of 170 kg for the current 2024–25 season (October–September). In its April 2025 report, it had projected production at 291.35 lakh bales. India's cotton production last year stood at 327.45 lakh bales. The region-wise analysis shows that cotton production in north India may fall to 28.80 lakh bales this season from 45.62 lakh bales. In central India, production is expected to reach 180 lakh bales, down from 202.21 lakh bales last year. However, cotton production in south India may rise to 86.50 lakh bales from 73.85 lakh bales, CAI said in a press statement. CAI has raised its 2024â€'25 cotton production estimate to 301.15 lakh bales. Output is set to decline in the north and central regions but rise in the south. Consumption and exports are expected to fall, while imports may more than double. CAI flagged rising MSPs as a threat to competitiveness and urged reforms, including changes to CCI's sales policy and a Bhavantar-like scheme. Cotton stock is projected to be 48.34 lakh bales at the end of the current season, compared to 30.19 lakh bales last year. The country's cotton consumption may decline to 305 lakh bales from 313 lakh bales in the previous year. Cotton exports are also expected to fall to 17 lakh bales from 28.36 lakh bales last season, while imports may rise two-and-a-half-fold to 39 lakh bales from 15.20 lakh bales. CAI stated that the continuous increase in minimum support prices (MSP) for cotton is causing concerns. Higher MSPs not only distort market dynamics and hinder the natural price discovery process, but also raise production costs for textile mills, potentially leading to higher consumer prices and negatively impacting the global competitiveness of Indian cotton. As this poses a threat to the survival of the entire value chain, stakeholders emphasised the need for an equitable solution that continues to provide remunerative prices to farmers without compromising the competitiveness of trade and industry. Several suggestions were made during the meeting, including the introduction of a Bhavantar-like scheme and revisions to the Cotton Corporation of India (CCI) sales policy. Suresh Kotak, chairman of the Textile Advisory Group and chairman of the Kotak Group of Companies , appreciated the stakeholders' concerns and acknowledged the need to revise the MSP structure and CCI sales policy. He noted the suggestions and stated that he would take them up with the government. Fibre2Fashion News Desk (KUL)
Irish Independent
7 days ago
- Business
- Irish Independent
€10,000 fine and ‘severe reprimand' for auditor of collapsed med-tech company Hibergene
The CAI conduct committee found that the auditor was in breach of a fundamental principle of the organisation's code of practice and fined the firm €10,000, as well as costs of €11,000. Billed as an up-and-coming star of the Irish medtech scene, Hibergene, whose directors are listed as former CEO David Corr, Peter Kidney, Seamus Gorman and James Murray, went into liquidation in September 2022. It had raised an estimated €12m from investors, including Enterprise Ireland. The company had last filed abridged financial accounts with the Companies Registration Office for the year to the end of 2020 and shareholders had raised a range of concerns before its insolvency. Without naming Hibergene, CAI noted in its register of findings and orders that its conduct committee considered there was 'a case to answer' for Whiteside Cullinan and that it 'did not adequately plan, execute and conclude audits of a Company and its Subsidiary, in compliance with International Standards on Auditing'. The Conduct Committee considered that the auditor had acted in breach of a 'fundamental principle' of CAI's code of ethics for members with regard to 'professional competence and due care". It found that Whiteside Cullinan was in breach of international standards on auditing 'in carrying out audits of a company and its subsidiary for the financial years 2019 and 2020 where there were shortcomings in the audit planning, audit fieldwork, audit completion and financial statement disclosures'. The register noted that the accountancy practice was 'accordingly liable to disciplinary action under the Institute's disciplinary bye-laws'. Asked to comment on the reprimand from its professional body, Whiteside Cullinan managing partner Alan McClean said that his firm has provided a full range of audit, accounting and related services to our clients for over 90 years. 'For the first time since our establishment, the firm was subject to a Chartered Accountants Ireland Conduct Committee's investigation. The investigation related to one isolated case. The firm co-operated fully with the investigation and all findings have been accepted,' he said. McClean said that following the investigation and its findings, Whiteside Cullinan had 'conducted a full review of our internal processes to ensure that all work undertaken by the firm meets, and indeed exceeds, industry standards. Relevant changes and enhancements have been made to ensure that no further issues can arise in the future,' he said. 'Our entire team remains committed to delivering the highest standard of professional service to our valued clients,' he said.
Yahoo
13-06-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Community Associations Institute Celebrates International Community Association Managers Day
Honoring the professionals who strengthen and support community associations. Falls Church, Va., June 13, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Community Associations Institute, the leading international authority providing resources and information for condominium associations, homeowners associations, and housing cooperatives, proudly recognizes International Community Association Managers Day today. This annual recognition celebrates the work of more than 60,000 community association managers across the United States and thousands more around the world. These professionals play a critical role in the success of condominiums, homeowners associations, and housing cooperatives, providing expertise in daily operations, long-term planning, and governance. 'As we mark International Community Association Managers Day, CAI extends our gratitude to the professionals who ensure the stability and vibrancy of the communities they serve,' said Thomas M. Skiba, CAE, CAI's chief executive officer. 'Their knowledge, professionalism, and commitment to service directly enhance the quality of life and protect the investment of homeowners around the world.' Community association managers employ a broad range of skills in financial management, facilities oversight, urban planning, community development, and volunteer coordination. Their leadership supports millions of residents and helps ensure that community associations remain well-maintained, fiscally sound, and a preferred place to call home. Today's community association managers are navigating increasingly complex expectations from homeowners; demands that call for adaptability, expertise, and a commitment to excellence,' says Dawn M. Bauman, CAE, CAI's chief strategy officer and executive director of the Foundation for Community Association Research. 'Their leadership profoundly shapes the quality of life for homeowners, families, and the broader community in meaningful and lasting ways. CAI invites homeowners, board members, management companies, and business partners to celebrate the contributions of community association managers. Downloadable graphics and recognition resources are available at and participants are encouraged to share their messages of appreciation on social media using the hashtag #IntlCAMDay. To learn more about International Community Association Managers Day, visit CONTACT: Blaine Tobin Community Associations Institute 703-970-9235 btobin@ in retrieving data Sign in to access your portfolio Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data
Business Wire
12-06-2025
- Business
- Business Wire
Informatica Expands Partnership with Databricks as Launch Partner for Managed Iceberg Tables and OLTP Database Service at Data + AI Summit 2025
REDWOOD CITY, Calif.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Informatica (NYSE: INFA), an AI-powered enterprise cloud data management leader, today announced a significant expansion of its partnership with Databricks at the 2025 Data + AI Summit. Informatica is a launch partner for two major innovations from Databricks—Managed Iceberg Tables and Databricks Lakebase, a first-of-its-kind, modern database built for AI. Informatica also unveiled GenAI-focused enhancements to its Intelligent Data Management Cloud (IDMC) platform to accelerate data and AI at scale with Databricks. These announcements further strengthen Informatica's leadership in cloud data management and its deep integration with the Databricks Data Intelligence Platform. Support/Launch Partner for Databricks' New Managed Iceberg Tables As a launch partner for Databricks Managed Iceberg Tables, Informatica enables customers to ingest, cleanse, govern and transform Iceberg-format data at enterprise scale. This allows organizations to convert any data to Iceberg format and leverage open table formats with confidence while maintaining high-performance analytics and AI workloads on the Databricks Data Intelligence Platform. Launch Partner/Connectivity for Databricks' New OLTP Database Informatica is also a launch partner for Databricks Lakebase, a new fully managed, Postgres-compatible database that supports high-volume transactions. Informatica enables seamless data loading and transformation from over 300 sources into the Databricks PostgreSQL service. This will help customers support transactional database (OLTP) use cases by leveraging all their enterprise data assets within the Databricks Data Intelligence Platform, providing uniform enterprise data management for analytics, AI and now transactional workloads. Accelerating GenAI Adoption with CAI for Mosaic AI In addition, Informatica is introducing new capabilities aimed at accelerating the adoption of AI agents and GenAI on Databricks Mosaic AI, Databricks' suite of AI solutions that helps enterprises build and deploy quality AI agent systems. These include: Mosaic AI connectors for Cloud Application Integration (CAI): Rapidly deploy AI agents that integrate enterprise data with Mosaic AI through a no-code interface. GenAI Recipes for CAI: Pre-configured templates that simplify and speed up GenAI application development and deployment. Enhanced Volume Support for Databricks Integration New volume support for Informatica's Cloud Data Integration (CDI) and Cloud Data Ingestion and Replication (CDIR) allows Databricks customers to move and manage non-tabular datasets more efficiently via Unity Catalog—reinforcing Informatica's strength in no-code, governed data integration. 'As a launch partner for our Managed Iceberg Tables and Lakebase, Informatica is committed to supporting Databricks' goal of helping customers leverage open table formats,' said Roger Murff, VP of Technology Partners at Databricks. 'With Informatica's support for GenAI through Databricks Mosaic AI connectors and GenAI recipes, we're enabling enterprises to streamline AI initiatives that harness data intelligence and create real business impact.' 'Informatica continues to be at the leading edge of Generative AI, enabling our joint customers to build a data foundation of trusted, AI-ready data,' said Rik Tamm-Daniels, Group Vice President of Strategic Ecosystems and Technology at Informatica. 'As a launch partner, today's announcement showcases our ongoing commitment to innovating with Databricks to maximize customer value through deep product enhancement and partnership alignment.' Join Informatica at DAIS 2025 Informatica invites attendees to visit booth #325 at the Databricks Data + AI Summit to explore how Informatica and Databricks are jointly driving the future of AI and enterprise data management. About Informatica Informatica (NYSE: INFA), a leader in AI-powered enterprise cloud data management, helps businesses unlock the full value of their data and AI. As data grows in complexity and volume, only Informatica's Intelligent Data Management Cloud™ delivers a complete, end-to-end platform with a suite of industry-leading, integrated solutions to connect, manage and unify data across any cloud, hybrid or multi-cloud environment. Powered by CLAIRE® AI, Informatica's platform integrates natively with all major cloud providers, data warehouses and analytics tools— giving organizations the freedom of choice, avoiding vendor lock-in and delivering better ROI by enabling access to governed data, simplifying operations and scaling with confidence. Trusted by 5,000+ customers in nearly 100 countries—including over 80 of the Fortune 100—Informatica is the backbone of platform-agnostic, cloud data-driven transformation.
Los Angeles Times
06-06-2025
- Los Angeles Times
Once the center of a ‘ghetto,' a Santa Ana playground revamp hopes to rebuild community connections
Roberto Alcaras has a fondness for the place he's lived his entire life, but even he admits that the Bishop Manor townhome community in Santa Ana was not safe. Former Santa Ana Police Chief Paul Walters reportedly once called it the worst neighborhood in the city. Violence, gangs and drug dealing were commonplace. 'This was the ghetto,' said Alcaras, who turned 38 on Friday and has lived in four different residences in the 164-unit townhome community over the decades. 'This was bad.' He said the community has become racially divided over the years. Latino Americans live on the north end and Cambodian Americans on the south end of the property, a mix of renters and homeowners. The playground in the middle of Bishop Manor could have served as a unifying element. Instead, the dilapidated space served more as a litterbox for neighborhood cats. 'There were broken swings [and] hazards,' said Alcaras, who lives in the community with three of his seven children. '[There were] broken glass bottles. I don't know if I can use big words other than 'trash.'' Alcaras became the president of the Bishop Manor homeowners association a couple of years ago, but the community also needed outside help. Enter the Orange County chapter of Community Associations Institute, a nonprofit organization that advocates for HOAs and other community associations. CAI broke ground on a Bishop Manor playground reconstruction project on Thursday. CAIOC President-elect Mike Perlof said that on Saturday, many of the nonprofit's members would join in a big work party at the property. It's all part of a new CAIOC program launched in January that's called CAID. 'Our sole purpose is to identify communities that need help with whatever,' said Perlof, a Santa Ana resident who serves as the committee chair. 'It can be anything. This is our first pilot project. I think this one really pulled on the heartstrings of our board and our membership, not only because of the playground.' Kidworks, a play-based learning nonprofit based in Santa Ana, was using the Bishop Manor clubhouse as a meeting place until roof damage forced them to relocate years ago. Perlof said that Scott Kutner, a CAI member and philanthropist who runs the HOA Community Reinvestment Fund of Orange County, wanted to help out. 'His organization had done a lot of legwork identifying Bishop Manor in specific, but just communities in need in general throughout Orange County,' Perlof said. 'It's like the perfect fit.' Due to insurance issues, CAID was limited in how much it could help with the clubhouse, so it focused its attention on the playground. Conor Ross is a construction manager volunteering his time to lead the entire build. He lives just a few miles away from Bishop Manor, which makes the project a bit more personal for him. 'This playground being right in the middle [of the complex], this is the chance for the cultures to mix,' he said. 'It's like oil and water, if it weren't for the kids. Having this super-cool, beautiful playground makes that possible. I can't think of a much better use of our time than helping out here.' Donations from a long list of project partners are making it possible, with BEHR Paint and Precision Painting donating a deep blue for a pair of mural walls. Ross' office manager, who operates her own Sheryl Bale Photography business, is designing murals on each wall. Gone will be graffiti and what Ross called a 'death post,' a short post that was formerly the bottom of a slide that could seriously injure or kill a child that fell on top of it. Perlof, a licensed general contractor, said he was so excited to start the process that he couldn't sleep on Wednesday night. 'They're just dealing with keeping the homes habitable,' he said of the Bishop Manor homeowners association. 'The playground and clubhouse are on the back burner, and they have been for it seems like a long time ... [The kids] all have their own agendas for the playground, which is adorable. Mostly it's been a lot of, 'Fix our soccer field, can we get grass?' Turf will be installed on roughly half of the playground, where the children indeed already play soccer, using the gates on each side as goals. Wood chips will comprise the rest of the area. Perlof said he anticipates having a ribbon-cutting ceremony for the playground later this month. He credited CAIOC executive director Denise Kennedy for supporting the project. 'This is totally out of the box for CAI,' he said. 'It's something that's new and different, and she's leading the charge.' Perlof said that CAID hopes to work on a significant project each year, uplifting other neighborhoods around the county. Meanwhile, Antis Roofing is working on repairing the Bishop Manor clubhouse roof. Alcaras said the goal is for Kidworks to return by mid-August. That, combined with the new playground, could transform Bishop Manor. Alcaras, a successful youth soccer coach in the area, will soon have a safe place for his youngest child, a 6-year-old daughter, to play. 'I'm grateful that there's people out there willing to help the community like this,' he said. 'I was joking around that it's not Bishop Manor, it's residential Bishop Manor now … I consider this residential. I consider this a place for families to live.'
