Latest news with #Rajasthan
Entrepreneur
2 days ago
- Business
- Entrepreneur
India's True Solar Potential Soars to 10,830 GW: Report
A new report has recalibrated the country's theoretical solar capacity at 10,830 gigawatts (GW), nearly 15 times higher than the earlier 748 GW projection made in 2014 by the Ministry of New and Renewable Energy (MNRE) Opinions expressed by Entrepreneur contributors are their own. You're reading Entrepreneur India, an international franchise of Entrepreneur Media. India's solar energy potential has been vastly underestimated until now. A new macro-level assessment by The Energy and Resources Institute (TERI) has recalibrated the country's theoretical solar capacity at 10,830 gigawatts (GW), nearly 15 times higher than the earlier 748 GW projection made in 2014 by the Ministry of New and Renewable Energy (MNRE). The findings provide a multidimensional view of India's solar deployment capacity. The report expands far beyond the limited scope of previous assessments, which assumed only 3 per cent of wastelands for solar development. The analysis incorporates a wider spectrum of land-use categories such as – barren and unculturable lands, water bodies for floating solar, rooftops, agri-voltaics, building-integrated photovoltaics, and infrastructure-based solar like railways and highways. At the core of this reassessment is the vast reserve of barren lands, which alone could support 4,909 GW of ground-mounted solar PV capacity. Rajasthan tops this category with 1,234.6 GW, followed by Madhya Pradesh (731.3 GW), Maharashtra (606.7 GW), and Gujarat (592.6 GW). An additional 100 GW could be drawn from floating solar systems over inland reservoirs, ponds, and aquaculture zones. Dr. Faruk G. Patel, chairman & MD of KP Group, has had a front-row seat to this rapid evolution. "A decade ago, solar power was still seen as an expensive alternative. Grid parity was a distant dream," he said. "Today, India has surpassed 100 GW of solar capacity and is well on its path to meet the ambitious target of 280 GW by 2030 and of 500 GW in renewable energy by 2030." Patel also highlighted how tariffs have fallen by over 70 per cent, turning solar into the most affordable source of new energy. KP Group itself has grown from a 1.5 MW plant in 2016 to a ~6 GW portfolio, with its largest 645 MWp project underway in Khavda, Gujarat. Together, rural and urban rooftops could support 960 GW of capacity, with 600 GW in rural areas and 360 GW in urban zones. These figures account for variations in household size, roof area, and shading, offering a more accurate picture of solar potential across diverse environments. Decentralized systems like rooftop solar have been key to this evolution. Rahul Raizada, partner - Climate and Energy at PwC India, notes, "The Indian solar industry has seen fantastic growth from 3.7 GW in FY15 to 106 GW by end of FY25 (~40 per cent CAGR) in the last decade in terms of installed capacity. Clearly the growth has been fuelled by policy initiatives such as VGF, solar park schemes, PM Kusum, PM Surya Ghar Yojana, RPOs and Green Open Access." Raizada identifies three pillars in the sector's rise: utility-scale installations, decentralized solutions like rooftop systems and agri-pumps, and a maturing solar manufacturing ecosystem. "The manufacturing ecosystem development has not only created jobs but also added to the overall GVA in the economy," he adds. Agri-voltaics, an increasingly important category in India's solar blueprint, offers another 4,177 GW of potential. Horticulture areas dominate with 4,059 GW, followed by tea (25 GW) and coffee (93 GW) plantations. The report recommends that agricultural universities and Krishi Vigyan Kendras lead localized pilot studies to validate real-world feasibility across agro-climatic zones. The scope also includes 684 GW of capacity from infrastructure-based applications, based on 2024 estimates from GIZ. This segment includes installations along railways (79 GW), roads (75 GW), urban surfaces (221 GW), and building-integrated PV systems (309 GW). Mukesh Gupta, co-founder, Maxvolt Energy, lauds the sector's transformation over the last decade. "With a mere 2.8 GW national capacity in 2014 to over 108 GW in present times, this 3,450 per cent increase in capacity is a testament to India's committed approach towards carbon footprint reduction. In 2025, the country ranks fourth in total renewable energy capacity, which was 220.10 GW on March 31, and solar, being the principal contributor, is expected to meet India's 500 GW of non-fossil fuel-based capacity by 2030."
Yahoo
5 days ago
- General
- Yahoo
Families grieve as officials start handing remains of victims killed in Air India crash
It was a morning heavy with grief outside the Civil Hospital mortuary in Ahmedabad, where Khushboo Rajpurohit's family gathered to reclaim her mortal remains, three days after the catastrophic Air India crash that left all but one of the 242 passengers dead. Her uncle, Kishore Rajpurohit, had been waiting outside the complex since early morning. A government official had called the family to confirm the unimaginable: that Khushboo, a 21-year-old newlywed on her way to begin married life in London, had been identified through DNA testing. 'She got married on 17 January this year and was awaiting visa clearance to travel to London and live with her husband,' Mr Rajpurohit told The Independent. Her father had gone to see her off at the airport. 'He waited till she boarded and had not even crossed Mehsana when we learnt of the crash.' The final confirmation came on Sunday morning when a government-appointed nodal officer informed the family that the DNA results had matched. Around 10am, they assembled outside the mortuary, holding on to each other for comfort as they waited for the formalities to conclude. A few hours later, Khushboo's coffin was carefully loaded into an ambulance to be taken to her hometown of Jodhpur, in Rajasthan, accompanied by a police escort and an Air India vehicle. 'It will be handed over to the family with full honour,' Mr Rajpurohit said. Khushboo's was one of the 14 bodies handed over on Sunday, according to hospital officials. The identification process has been painstaking and slow, as most victims were severely dismembered in the explosion. Dr Rajnish Patel, Additional Superintendent of the Civil Hospital, revealed that another body was recovered only on Saturday from the tail of the aircraft. The London-bound Boeing 787 struck a medical college hostel in a residential area of the northwestern city of Ahmedabad minutes after takeoff on Thursday, killing 241 people on board and at least 29 on the ground. One passenger survived. Hundreds of relatives of the crash victims provided DNA samples at the hospital. Most of the bodies were charred or mutilated, making them unrecognizable. Of the many challenges faced by officials, the most sensitive has been piecing together the remains. A senior hospital official involved in the identification process told The Independent that the remains have to be 'identified accurately and stitched together... We have to honour the dead'. DNA matching, he added, takes between 48 to 72 hours per victim. At least 32 complete matches had been achieved so far, with more underway, said Dr Patel. Among those whose DNA match is confirmed includes former Gujarat chief minister Vijay Rupani. Outside the hospital, a line of ambulances stood ready. Mahindra Singh, an ambulance driver from Kheda, a city in Gujarat, said he had been stationed there since Saturday morning. 'We've been told to carry two bodies. Once the call comes, we leave. We're not allowed to contact the families – only the nodal officers inform them.' From Kutch, Bharat Godia had arrived with a fleet of five ambulances. 'We were ordered by the district administration to collect the bodies. Government officials will accompany them,' he said. At the Panchal house in Baroda, it was a call no one wanted to receive – certainly not at 12.30am. Shashi Panchal's phone rang on Saturday night, bringing with it the final confirmation he had dreaded: the bodies of his elder brother, Narendra Panchal, and sister-in-law, Usha Panchal, had been identified through DNA testing. The couple were among the 241 victims of the Air India crash that has devastated families across India and beyond. They were on their first trip to London to visit their only son, who is studying for a law degree in the UK. 'My nephew was supposed to come back in September,' said Mr Panchal, speaking outside Ahmedabad's Civil Hospital on Sunday. 'But my brother had suggested they visit him instead, and all three could return together.' Mr Panchal, who had travelled from Baroda overnight, admitted the confirmation came as a crushing shock. 'Actually, I didn't even know they were on that flight,' he said. 'When I heard what had happened … I can't even begin to describe what was going through my mind. It was a very difficult time.' He had been told to arrive at the hospital by noon, but delays in the formalities meant he had yet to see the mortal remains when The Independent spoke with him. Even so, he expressed gratitude for how the process had been managed. 'The services have been good, the arrangements too. Whatever had to happen, has happened,' he said. But no sense of order can fill the space left behind by the dead. When asked whether he sought an investigation into the tragedy, Mr Panchal said, 'I just want to make sure something like this never happens again. The government and all the authorities must ensure that.' 'Because no matter how good the services are, they won't bring back my brother and sister-in-law,' he added. Alongside the formal investigation, the Indian government has set up a high-level committee to examine the causes leading to the crash. The committee will focus on formulating procedures to prevent and handle aircraft emergencies in the future, the Ministry of Civil Aviation said in a statement Saturday. Authorities have also begun inspecting Air India's entire fleet of Boeing 787 Dreamliners, Minister of Civil Aviation Ram Mohan Naidu Kinjarapu said on Saturday in capital Delhi at his first news briefing since Thursday's crash. Eight of the 34 Dreamliners in India have already undergone inspection, Mr Kinjarapu said, adding that the remaining aircraft will be examined with 'immediate urgency.' Investigators on Friday recovered the plane's digital flight data recorder, or the black box, from a rooftop near the crash site. The device is expected to reveal information about the engine and control settings, while the voice recorder will provide cockpit conversations, said Paul Fromme, a mechanical engineer with the UK-based Institution of Mechanical Engineers. The plane that crashed was 12 years old. Boeing planes have been plagued by safety issues on other types of aircraft. There are currently around 1,200 of the 787 Dreamliner aircraft worldwide and this was the first deadly crash in 16 years of operation, according to experts.
The Independent
6 days ago
- General
- The Independent
Families grieve as officials start handing remains of victims killed in Air India crash
It was a morning heavy with grief outside the Civil Hospital mortuary in Ahmedabad, where Khushboo Rajpurohit's family gathered to reclaim her mortal remains, three days after the catastrophic Air India crash that left all but one of the 242 passengers dead. Her uncle, Kishore Rajpurohit, had been waiting outside the complex since early morning. A government official had called the family to confirm the unimaginable: that Khushboo, a 21-year-old newlywed on her way to begin married life in London, had been identified through DNA testing. 'She got married on 17 January this year and was awaiting visa clearance to travel to London and live with her husband,' Mr Rajpurohit told The Independent. Her father had gone to see her off at the airport. 'He waited till she boarded and had not even crossed Mehsana when we learnt of the crash.' The final confirmation came on Sunday morning when a government-appointed nodal officer informed the family that the DNA results had matched. Around 10am, they assembled outside the mortuary, holding on to each other for comfort as they waited for the formalities to conclude. A few hours later, Khushboo's coffin was carefully loaded into an ambulance to be taken to her hometown of Jodhpur, in Rajasthan, accompanied by a police escort and an Air India vehicle. 'It will be handed over to the family with full honour,' Mr Rajpurohit said. Khushboo's was one of the 14 bodies handed over on Sunday, according to hospital officials. The identification process has been painstaking and slow, as most victims were severely dismembered in the explosion. Dr Rajnish Patel, Additional Superintendent of the Civil Hospital, revealed that another body was recovered only on Saturday from the tail of the aircraft. The London-bound Boeing 787 struck a medical college hostel in a residential area of the northwestern city of Ahmedabad minutes after takeoff on Thursday, killing 241 people on board and at least 29 on the ground. One passenger survived. Hundreds of relatives of the crash victims provided DNA samples at the hospital. Most of the bodies were charred or mutilated, making them unrecognizable. Of the many challenges faced by officials, the most sensitive has been piecing together the remains. A senior hospital official involved in the identification process told The Independent that the remains have to be 'identified accurately and stitched together... We have to honour the dead'. DNA matching, he added, takes between 48 to 72 hours per victim. At least 32 complete matches had been achieved so far, with more underway, said Dr Patel. Among those whose DNA match is confirmed includes former Gujarat chief minister Vijay Rupani. Outside the hospital, a line of ambulances stood ready. Mahindra Singh, an ambulance driver from Kheda, a city in Gujarat, said he had been stationed there since Saturday morning. 'We've been told to carry two bodies. Once the call comes, we leave. We're not allowed to contact the families – only the nodal officers inform them.' From Kutch, Bharat Godia had arrived with a fleet of five ambulances. 'We were ordered by the district administration to collect the bodies. Government officials will accompany them,' he said. At the Panchal house in Baroda, it was a call no one wanted to receive – certainly not at 12.30am. Shashi Panchal's phone rang on Saturday night, bringing with it the final confirmation he had dreaded: the bodies of his elder brother, Narendra Panchal, and sister-in-law, Usha Panchal, had been identified through DNA testing. The couple were among the 241 victims of the Air India crash that has devastated families across India and beyond. They were on their first trip to London to visit their only son, who is studying for a law degree in the UK. 'My nephew was supposed to come back in September,' said Mr Panchal, speaking outside Ahmedabad's Civil Hospital on Sunday. 'But my brother had suggested they visit him instead, and all three could return together.' Mr Panchal, who had travelled from Baroda overnight, admitted the confirmation came as a crushing shock. 'Actually, I didn't even know they were on that flight,' he said. 'When I heard what had happened … I can't even begin to describe what was going through my mind. It was a very difficult time.' He had been told to arrive at the hospital by noon, but delays in the formalities meant he had yet to see the mortal remains when The Independent spoke with him. Even so, he expressed gratitude for how the process had been managed. 'The services have been good, the arrangements too. Whatever had to happen, has happened,' he said. But no sense of order can fill the space left behind by the dead. When asked whether he sought an investigation into the tragedy, Mr Panchal said, 'I just want to make sure something like this never happens again. The government and all the authorities must ensure that.' 'Because no matter how good the services are, they won't bring back my brother and sister-in-law,' he added. Alongside the formal investigation, the Indian government has set up a high-level committee to examine the causes leading to the crash. The committee will focus on formulating procedures to prevent and handle aircraft emergencies in the future, the Ministry of Civil Aviation said in a statement Saturday. Authorities have also begun inspecting Air India's entire fleet of Boeing 787 Dreamliners, Minister of Civil Aviation Ram Mohan Naidu Kinjarapu said on Saturday in capital Delhi at his first news briefing since Thursday's crash. Eight of the 34 Dreamliners in India have already undergone inspection, Mr Kinjarapu said, adding that the remaining aircraft will be examined with 'immediate urgency.' Investigators on Friday recovered the plane's digital flight data recorder, or the black box, from a rooftop near the crash site. The device is expected to reveal information about the engine and control settings, while the voice recorder will provide cockpit conversations, said Paul Fromme, a mechanical engineer with the UK-based Institution of Mechanical Engineers. The plane that crashed was 12 years old. Boeing planes have been plagued by safety issues on other types of aircraft. There are currently around 1,200 of the 787 Dreamliner aircraft worldwide and this was the first deadly crash in 16 years of operation, according to experts.
News.com.au
13-06-2025
- General
- News.com.au
‘Saddest photos ever': Family's final photo before Air India plane crash
A family shared a heartbreaking selfie before boarding the ill-fated Air India flight that crashed shortly after takeoff from Ahmedabad. The family of five from Rajasthan, India, posted the happy picture ahead of the shocking tragedy, The Sun reported. Udaipur-based doctor Komi Vyas had just quit her job to join her husband Prateek Joshi in London along with their three kids. The picture shows Mr Joshi and Ms Vyas with beaming smiles along with their children on board the flight, in what one X user said 'is one of the saddest photos ever taken'. Mr Joshi had moved to London some time ago, and the rest of the family was on their way to join him, NDTV has reported. 'Komi had quit her job recently to join her husband in London,' a spokesperson for Pacific Hospital, where Ms Vyas worked, said. Neighbours have told NDTV that Mr Joshi's father is a well-respected radiologist in the city. 'They left for Ahmedabad yesterday to take the flight to London,' Mr Joshi's cousin, Nayan, said. 'Prateek had come here just two days ago to take his wife and children with him. 'Several other members of both families went to see them off.' Ms Vyas' brother told NDTV the couple had been married for 10 years. Air India Flight AI171 had been heading to London Gatwick Airport when it crashed into a hostel used by doctors on Thursday local time. There were 242 people on board, including 53 Brits and 11 children. More than 200 bodies have been recovered so far, while one Brit, miraculously, survived. Haunting footage of the plane's final moments shows it before it crashed into a fireball. A formal investigation into the crash has now been opened by India's Aircraft Accident Investigation Bureau. 'The takeoff was perfect and just, I believe, short of taking the gear up, the aircraft started descending, which can happen only in case the engine loses power or the aircraft stops developing lift,' Captain Saurabh Bhatnagar, a former senior pilot, told NDTV. 'Obviously, the investigation will reveal the exact reason.' British man Vishwashkumar Ramesh, 40, is so far understood to be the only surviving passenger. Incredible footage shows him walking away from the plane's wreckage almost unscathed. 'I just got out of the plane, it exploded,' he said, speaking in Hindi. Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi posted on X: 'The tragedy in Ahmedabad has stunned and saddened us. It is heartbreaking beyond words. In this sad hour, my thoughts are with everyone affected by it. Have been in touch with ministers and authorities who are working to assist those affected.' Air India has confirmed that 241 of the 242 people aboard the plane died following the crash. The airline added that it 'offers its deepest condolences to the families of the deceased'.
The Sun
12-06-2025
- General
- The Sun
Heartbreaking final photo of family of five smiling moments before takeoff on doomed Air India jet
A FAMILY shared a heartbreaking selfie ahead on board the ill-fated flight that crashed shortly after takeoff from Ahmedabad today. The family of five from Rajasthan, India, posted the happy picture ahead of the shocking tragedy. 5 5 5 5 Udaipur-based doctor Komi Vyas had just quit her job to join her husband Prateek Joshi in London along with their three kids. The picture shows Joshi and Vyas with beaming smiles along with their children on board the ill-fated flight. Joshi had moved to London some time ago, and the rest of the family was on their way to join him, NDTV has reported. "Komi had quit her job recently to join her husband in London," a spokesperson for Pacific Hospital where she worked said. Neighbours have told NDTV that Joshi's father is a well respected radiologist in the city. Joshi's cousin Nayan said: "They left for Ahmedabad yesterday to take the flight to London. "Prateek had come here just two days ago to take his wife and children with him. "Several other members of both families went to see them off." Vyas' brother told NDTV the couple had been married for 10 years. Air India Flight AI171 had been heading to London Gatwick when it crashed into a hostel used by doctors on Thursday. There were 242 people on board, including 53 Brits and 11 children. More than 200 bodies have been recovered so far, while one Brit is understood to have survived. Haunting footage of the plane's final moments shows before it crashed into a fireball. 5 A formal investigation into the crash has now been opened by India's Aircraft Accident Investigation Bureau. Captain Saurabh Bhatnagar, a former senior pilot, told NDTV: "The take-off was perfect and just, I believe, short of taking the gear up, the aircraft started descending, which can happen only in case the engine loses power or the aircraft stops developing lift. "Obviously, the investigation will reveal the exact reason." Brit Vishwash Kumar Ramesh, 40, is so far understood to be the only surviving passenger. Incredible footage shows him walking away from the plane's wreckage almost unscathed. Speaking in Hindi, he says: "I just got out of the plane, it exploded." Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi posted on X: "The tragedy in Ahmedabad has stunned and saddened us. It is heartbreaking beyond words. "In this sad hour, my thoughts are with everyone affected by it. "Have been in touch with ministers and authorities who are working to assist those affected." Air India has confirmed that 241 of the 242 people aboard flight AI171 have died following the crash. The airline adding it "offers its deepest condolences to the families of the deceased".
