Leaders, on the World Stage – Business – Page 4

** Roll call at Indian restaurants abroad

MTR in London, Sona in New York, Tres Ind in Dubai — with more Indian restaurants opening internationally.

Spanking new openings, however, are reporting housefuls every day, from Sona (Priyanka Chopra’s New York restaurant), MTR and Chourangi in London (the latter being Anjan Chatterjee’s Calcutta special eatery), to Très Ind in Dubai — not new but newly anointed as the number four swish space on the prestigious World’s 50 Best in MENA (Middle East North Africa). What is the reality behind the scenes? Are they finding it tougher to get staff, or is the new world order seeing (or expecting) easier hires from India, as countries with shortages make work visas easier?

** India, UAE sign comprehensive trade pact – February 18th, 2022

The agreement will herald a new age in India-UAE finacial ties, says PM Modi

India and the United Arab Emirates (UAE) signed a bilateral “comprehensive” trade pact on Friday. Announcing the Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement (CEPA), the biggest trade pact of the last seven years, Prime Minister Narendra Modi welcomed investment from the Gulf country into Jammu and Kashmir and said the initiative would open new routes for regional trade and connectivity and advance “collective interests” of India, Israel, the UAE and the United States. Commerce and Industry Minister Piyush Goyal said the CEPA would have strong anti-dumping measures.

“This agreement will herald a new age in our financial relations. Our trade in the next five years will increase from $60 billion to $100 billion,” said Mr. Modi, thanking Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan who participated in the summit virtually.

** Tata Group appoints former Turkish Airlines chairman Ilker Ayci as new Air India MD and CEO

yci was born in Istanbul in 1971. He is 1994 alumni of Bilkent University’s Department of Political Science and Public Administration, according to the Tata Group statement.

After a research stay on political science at the Leeds University in the UK in 1995, he completed an International Relations Master’s program at the Marmara University in Istanbul in 1997.

** Industrialist Rahul Bajaj to be given state funeral in Pune

ountry has lost a socially aware, fearless individual: Uddhav

‘Hamara Bajaj’ was the iconic jingle that resonated with the aspirations of the middle class in a pre-liberalised India. And the man behind that brand was one of the biggest and bravest industrialists — Rahul Bajaj. The Chairman Emeritus of the Bajaj Group died at a hospital in Pune on Saturday afternoon. He was 83. The last rites will be held on Sunday.

Bajaj will be accorded a state funeral, Maharashtra Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray said on Saturday as he and Governor B.S. Koshyari condoled the demise of the veteran industrialist. They said Bajaj’s contribution to industrial development in the country was unparalleled.

** Padma Shri awardee donates helicopter his family decided to gift him for medical emergencies in Surat

This time, Savji Dholakia has decided to donate a Rs 50 crore brand new chopper gifted to him by his family for medical and other emergencies in Surat.

Fifty-nine-year-old Savji Dholakia of Surat, the owner of Hari Krishna diamond company who was conferred the Padma Shri award recently, has made headlines again.

He has already built over 75 ponds at his native place in Lathi taluka of Amreli district in Saurashtra. All of these ponds were made on barren government land in different villages in Akala, Dudhala, Lathi village, etc.

He had made headlines earlier after rewarding his employees with as many as 500 cars, 471 jewelry sets, and 280 two-bedroom flats as a loyalty program.

** Jio invests $15 million in Silicon Valley-based Two Platforms for 25% stake

Two is an Artificial Reality company with focus on building interactive and immersional AI experiences

Jio Platforms Ltd. has announced an investment of US$ 15 million in Two Platforms Inc., a Silicon Valley based deep tech startup founded by Pranav Mistry, for a 25% equity stake on a fully diluted basis.

Two is an Artificial Reality company with focus on building interactive and immersional AI experiences. After text and voice, it believes the next chapter of AI is visual and interactive.

The founding team at Two has several years of leadership experience in research, design and operations with leading global technology companies, Jio said in a statement. “Two will work collaboratively with Jio to fast-track the adoption of new technologies and build disruptive technologies such as AI, metaverse, and mixed realities,” it said.

** ‘Crorepati fakir’ is a crusader for girls’ education

At 95, Mathematician Dr Ghasiram Verma is full of enthusiasm. The nonagenarian, originally hailing from Sidi village of Jhunjhunu, Rajasthan, is called a ‘crorepati fakir’ because he spent almost everything on girl child education.

Today, thousands of girls have access to good education with his help and many school buildings have come up with his donations. Dr Ghasiram Verma has settled in America, but visits India for three months every year and spends Rs 50 lakh — half of his pension funds—on educating girls. So far, he has spent over Rs 10 crore on educating girls in his area.

Rajasthan / USA

** Google to invest up to $1 billion in a partnership with Airtel

The amount will include equity investment as well as a corpus for potential commercial agreements

Bharti Airtel and Google on Friday, January 28, 2022, said that they will partner on a long-term, multi-year agreement to accelerate the growth of India’s digital ecosystem, under which Google intends to invest up to USD 1 billion.

The amount is part of the USD 10 billion ‘Google for India Digitization Fund’, which was announced by CEO of Google and Alphabet Sundar Pichai in 2020, and will include equity investment as well as a corpus for potential commercial agreements, to be identified and agreed on mutually agreeable terms over the course of the next five years, the companies said in a statement.

** Philippines inks deal worth $375 million for BrahMos missiles

This is the first export order for missile developed jointly by India, Russia

Philippines on Friday signed a $374.96-million deal with BrahMos Aerospace Private Ltd. for the supply of shore-based anti-ship variant of the BrahMos supersonic cruise missile. This is the first export order for the missile, a joint product of India and Russia.

The contract was signed by Delfin N. Lorenzana, Defence Secretary of Philippines, and Atul Dinkar Rane, Director General of BrahMos Aerospace Pvt. Ltd., in a virtual ceremony at 2 p.m. Manila time (11:30 a.m. IST).

** Reliance arm to acquire New York city luxury hotel

Mandarin Oriental New York is an iconic luxury hotel located at 80 Columbus Circle, directly adjacent to the pristine Central Park and Columbus Circle in New York city

The Reliance Industries Ltd. (RIL) on January 8 late night said the Reliance Industrial Investments and Holdings Ltd (RIIHL), its wholly owned subsidiary, had entered into an agreement to acquire the entire share capital of the Columbus Centre Corporation (Cayman), and the indirect owner of a 73.37% stake in the Mandarin Oriental New York, a premium luxury hotel for $ 98.15 million.

Set up in 2003, the Mandarin Oriental New York is an iconic luxury hotel located at 80 Columbus Circle, directly adjacent to the pristine Central Park and Columbus Circle in New York city.