Latest news with #Telangana-based
Deccan Herald
3 days ago
- Deccan Herald
Telangana police file FIR against research lab for alleged animal abuse
PETA India recently presented a groundbreaking whistleblower expose that uncovered apparent egregious abuse of dogs, rhesus macaques, and minipigs at the Telangana-based facility.
The Print
3 days ago
- The Print
Telangana cops book Palamur Biosciences on animal cruelty charge after PETA ‘house of horrors' exposé
On 10 June, in a post on X, PETA India revealed large-scale animal abuse at the Telangana-based Palamur Biosciences Pvt Ltd, one of India's largest government-registered contract laboratories. The information provided by whistleblowers alleged that the facility was killing dogs and other animals without reason and with extreme cruelty, overcrowding them, and subjecting them to social isolation, among other things. PETA India, while asserting that such instances were not isolated but reflect a 'recurring pattern' in the global animal experimentation industry, called on the government to shut down the facility, which it dubbed a 'house of horrors,' and end animal testing in India. New Delhi: Police in Telangana's Mahabubnagar Tuesday booked Palamur Biosciences Pvt Ltd, a preclinical contract research organisation, on a complaint filed by People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA) India which last week cited revelations by a whistleblower to allege a pattern of animal cruelty at the firm's laboratory. The whistleblowers stepped forward to share video footage, images and testimonies after PETA India filed official complaints with authorities about the likely unauthorised testing on rhesus macaques at the same lab in October 2024, the report said. The lab claims it is 'one of the largest preclinical service providers' and tests drugs, pesticides, and medical devices on animals. It also runs a beagle breeding facility, where, according to the report, 1,500 beagles were being kept in a space for about 800. Dr Anjana Aggarwal, PETA scientist and research policy adviser, told ThePrint, 'This is not an isolated incident but rather business as usual, where systemic cruelty runs rampant.' 'Past investigations by regulatory bodies have revealed similar abuse and neglect of animals at other Indian labs, and PETA entities around the world have documented this as a recurring pattern in the global animal experimentation industry,' Dr Aggarwal added. In its report, PETA India had said it submitted a complaint with CCSEA, statutory body under the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals Act, 1960, as well as the CDSCO, the industry regulator for cosmetics, pharmaceuticals and medical devices. PETA India has also reached out to the National GLP Compliance Monitoring Authority (NGCMA), under the Union government's department of science and technology (DST), which issues Good Laboratory Practice (GLP) certificates. According to the body's website, 'GLP-compliance certification is voluntary in nature.' ThePrint reached Palamur Biosciences, Committee for the Purpose of Control And Supervision of Experiments on Animals (CCSEA), Central Drugs Standard Control Organisation (CDSCO) and National Good Laboratory Practice Compliance Monitoring Authority (NGCMA) for comment over email but had not received a response by the time of publication. The report will be updated if and when a response is received. Also Read: Indian laws are letting animals down every day. It's a legal, moral, ethical issue Filing complaints only the first step Asked if flagging the issue to relevant authorities was enough, Aggarwal said, 'Filing complaints with regulatory bodies is only the first step. What matters is the enforcement of existing standards. Without swift and meaningful punitive action, cruelty to animals thrives unchecked.' She called for the lab in Telangana to be shut down, saying, 'We urge government regulators to end the torment of animals imprisoned at Palamur Biosciences. Anything less than the facility's permanent shutdown is a green light for abuse.' To better regulate such facilities, she said, 'authorities must conduct genuinely unannounced inspections without advanced notice, ensure full access to historical records and CCTV footage, protect whistleblowers, and impose serious penalties—not mere warnings—for violations.' India, she added, needs to get out of the 'archaic, cruel, and unscientific animal experimentation business,' citing the example of the the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and the US National Institute of Health (NIH) that 'have already begun the long-overdue transition away from animal testing'. 'Notably, earlier this year, the NIH closed down its beagle laboratory, and the US Navy ended all its testing on dogs and cats, which stands in stark contrast to Palamur Biosciences' breeding and testing on beagles and other animals,' Aggarwal said. What PETA India report said—Inside the 'house of horrors' The report, which PETA said was a first-of-its-kind whistleblower exposé, documented the neglect of dogs, pigs, and monkeys used by Palamur Biosciences. The lab is located in Karvena village, Mahabubnagar district. A whistleblower said that, at the lab, being deemed 'useless' meant certain death for the animal. They shared several instances where animals were allegedly killed, including two involving sick dogs—one with a cherry eye and a beagle with a fungal infection. One whistleblower told PETA India that over 100 dogs were killed in a single incident simply because they were no longer considered 'useful'. According to the PETA report, animals were also being subjected to overcrowding and competition for food, resulting in extreme frustration and frequent fights that often caused serious injuries. Above all, basic treatment, proper wound cleaning, and pain management weren't provided by the company. Rough handling of dogs often led to fractures, the report said. Lab workers also showed cruelty while conducting testing, including studies where 'dogs were injected subcutaneously with test compounds'. 'According to a whistleblower, animals developed abscesses, ulcers, and signs of severe pain following these injections,' it said. A whistleblower alleged that, depending on the location of the abscess, further health issues were seen in the dogs. The report further claimed that the laboratory purchased Göttingen minipigs from Denmark, but does not have a license to breed them. When a minipig was found pregnant, the head veterinarian allegedly ordered the killing of the piglets through intracardiac injection. Despite a policy requiring Palamur to provide playtime for pigs, they are only permitted access to enrichment when customers are around, the report alleged. According to the allegations, among the wild rhesus macaques from Rajasthan, some tested positive for zoonotic pathogens, likely monkeypox. The company simply kept quiet and killed the monkeys, risking infection to others, the report claimed. Riju Chanda is an intern with ThePrint (Edited by Sanya Mathur) Also Read: Goldfish in perfume bottle, protected species on sale—DU students' report on horrors of Delhi pet shops
Time of India
3 days ago
- Business
- Time of India
No commissions! Ola launches new zero percent model in India; entire fare earnings to go to drivers
Ola claims that it is now India's first ride-hailing service to completely remove commission charges. The fare for your next trip on an Ola will go entirely to the driver. Ola has announced nationwide implementation of a zero percent commission structure, enabling drivers across its auto, bike, and cab services to keep their entire fare earnings. The implementation was conducted systematically, beginning with auto services, then bike services, and finally extending to cab services. Ola claims that it is now India's first ride-hailing service to completely remove commission charges. Drivers now have the flexibility to select their preferred plans whilst retaining their complete earnings, without any reductions or earning limitations. An Ola Consumer spokesperson told ET, "The launch of the zero percent commission model pan-India marks a fundamental shift in the ride-hailing business. Removing commissions empowers driver partners with much more ownership and opportunity." According to a previous report in the financial daily, Ola and Uber have adopted a subscription-based fee structure, previously introduced by Namma Yatri and Swiggy-backed Rapido, for auto rickshaw drivers. This system replaces traditional per-trip commission or booking fees with fixed daily or weekly charges, providing drivers unlimited ride access. A Telangana-based organisation representing gig workers expressed scepticism about the overall effectiveness of the latest initiative. "All aggregator companies charge subscription fees—before the ride, you must recharge. They may be removing commissions, but they already charged subscription fees from the riders," said Shaik Salauddin, founder president of the Telangana Gig and Platform Workers Union. As part of its expansion beyond transport services into automated warehousing, Ola Credit, and Ola Pay, Ola rebranded its ride-hailing division as Ola Consumer in the previous year. The company, under Bhavish Aggarwal's leadership, has seen declining revenues and multiple high-level departures during the past year. Its revenue from operations and other income across ride-hailing, financial services, and logistics decreased to Rs 2,368 crore in FY24 from Rs 3,000 crore in FY23. In December 2024, two veteran executives, Suvonil Chatterjee, chief technology and product officer, and Anshul Khandelwal, chief marketing officer, departed Ola Electric. Both executives had previously worked at Ola Cabs before joining the EV division. The company has also attracted regulatory attention. In January 2025, the Central Consumer Protection Authority (CCPA) sent notices to Ola and other ride-hailing companies regarding price differences between Android and iPhone users. In May, Union consumer affairs minister Pralhad Joshi announced that the CCPA had broadened its investigation of the advance tipping feature to include Ola Cabs and Rapido, following an earlier notice to Uber. Stay informed with the latest business news, updates on bank holidays and public holidays . AI Masterclass for Students. Upskill Young Ones Today!– Join Now
Time of India
3 days ago
- Business
- Time of India
Ola launches zero percent commission model across India; drivers to keep entire fare earnings
Ride-hailing platform Ola said it has implemented a zero percent commission model nationwide, allowing its driver-partners to retain 100% of their fare earnings across autos, bikes, and cabs. With this move, Ola claims to be the first player in India's ride-hailing industry to fully eliminate commissions. The company said drivers can now choose their plans and keep the full fare amount, with no deductions or earning caps. The rollout was carried out in phases, starting with Ola Autos , followed by Ola Bikes , and now extending to Ola Cabs . Play Video Pause Skip Backward Skip Forward Unmute Current Time 0:00 / Duration 0:00 Loaded : 0% 0:00 Stream Type LIVE Seek to live, currently behind live LIVE Remaining Time - 0:00 1x Playback Rate Chapters Chapters Descriptions descriptions off , selected Captions captions settings , opens captions settings dialog captions off , selected Audio Track default , selected Picture-in-Picture Fullscreen This is a modal window. Beginning of dialog window. Escape will cancel and close the window. Text Color White Black Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan Opacity Opaque Semi-Transparent Text Background Color Black White Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan Opacity Opaque Semi-Transparent Transparent Caption Area Background Color Black White Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan Opacity Transparent Semi-Transparent Opaque Font Size 50% 75% 100% 125% 150% 175% 200% 300% 400% Text Edge Style None Raised Depressed Uniform Drop shadow Font Family Proportional Sans-Serif Monospace Sans-Serif Proportional Serif Monospace Serif Casual Script Small Caps Reset restore all settings to the default values Done Close Modal Dialog End of dialog window. by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like 23.7% Returns in last 5 years with Shriram Life's ULIP Shriram Life Insurance Undo "The launch of the zero percent commission model pan-India marks a fundamental shift in the ride-hailing business. Removing commissions empowers driver partners with much more ownership and opportunity," an Ola consumer spokesperson said in a statement. As reported by ET on April 9, both Ola and Uber adopted a fee model first introduced by rivals Namma Yatri and Swiggy-backed Rapido, offering subscription-based plans to auto rickshaw drivers, instead of charging a commission or booking fee on every transaction. Under this model, platforms charge a fixed daily or weekly fee to driver partners for access to an unlimited number of rides. Live Events A Telangana-based gig workers' body questioned the broader impact of the elimination of the latest move. 'All aggregator companies charge subscription fees—before the ride, you must recharge. They may be removing commissions, but they already charged subscription fees from the riders,' said Shaik Salauddin, founder president of the Telangana Gig and Platform Workers Union. Discover the stories of your interest Blockchain 5 Stories Cyber-safety 7 Stories Fintech 9 Stories E-comm 9 Stories ML 8 Stories Edtech 6 Stories Ola had rebranded its ride-hailing business as Ola Consumer last year, as part of a broader push into services beyond mobility, including automated warehousing, Ola Credit, and Ola Pay. The Bhavish Aggarwal-led company has faced a drop in revenue and a series of senior-level exits over the past year. For FY24, its revenue from operations and other income across ride-hailing, financial services, and logistics stood at Rs 2,368 crore, down from Rs 3,000 crore in FY23. In December 2024, Ola's two long-time senior executives, Suvonil Chatterjee, chief technology and product officer, and Anshul Khandelwal, chief marketing officer, left Ola Electric. Both had earlier worked with Ola Cabs before moving to the EV business. Ola has also faced regulatory scrutiny. In January 2025, the Central Consumer Protection Authority (CCPA) issued notices to Ola and other ride-hailing firms over differential pricing across Android and iPhone users. In May, Union consumer affairs minister Pralhad Joshi said the CCPA had extended its probe into the advance tipping feature to include Ola Cabs and Rapido, after earlier serving a notice to Uber.
New Indian Express
11-06-2025
- Business
- New Indian Express
Two UAE-based firms to invest Rs 2,125 crore in Telangana
HYDERABAD: UAE-based firms Shaiva Group and Taranis Capital have committed to investing Rs 2,125 crore in Telangana. The two companies signed memoranda of understanding (MoUs) with five Telangana-based firms in the presence of IT and Industries Minister D Sridhar Babu at the Secretariat on Tuesday. Appreciating the investment, Sridhar Babu said: 'We welcome Shaiva Group and Taranis Capital, two UAE-based investors who have chosen to become partners in Telangana's development. This collaboration is expected to create jobs for 5,020 people in the state.' He said the development reflected the government's efforts under Chief Minister A Revanth Reddy to attract investment and generate employment opportunities for the state's youth. The minister pointed out that the Congress regime had filled over 60,000 posts in the government sector and attracted investment worth over Rs 3 lakh crore in the last 18 months, which, he said, led to the creation of more than one lakh private sector jobs. Sridhar Babu added that the two UAE firms had expressed interest in investing an additional Rs 24,000 crore over the next three years in areas such as biotechnology, artificial intelligence, data centres, defence, energy, fintech and public infrastructure. In biotechnology, the focus would be on reducing sugar in consumables, anti-diabetic innovations, food management products and large-scale projects like 'Fourth City' and 'AI City'.
