All posts tagged: sustainability

Nakul Anand, The Night Manager who never quite checked out | Books and Literature News

Nakul Anand, The Night Manager who never quite checked out | Books and Literature News

5 min readUpdated: Jul 17, 2026 10:43 PM IST There are hoteliers who run hotels, and then there are hoteliers who understand the secret life of a hotel: the choreography behind the curtain, the nervous system beneath the marble, the invisible decisions required before a guest can say, “What a lovely stay.” Nakul Anand belongs to the second tribe. He officially retired from ITC in January 2024, after 45 years with the company. Officially is the operative word. Since then, Anand has behaved less like a man who has checked out and more like a guest granted permanent late checkout. He has invested in Shiftz, become patron-in-chief of FAITH, remained a mentor, and continued speaking about tourism and leadership. Retirement, in his case, appears to be a room category permanently unavailable. Now comes The Night Manager: Memoirs of a Hospitality Student, his second book and a larger offering after Hors D’Oeuvres: Small Bites, Big Flavours. If the earlier book served management wisdom canapé-style, this is the banquet: 278 pages of memory, method and management, plated …

Sustainable fashion made simple: 5 versatile pieces to add to your wardrobe and restyle for years

Sustainable fashion made simple: 5 versatile pieces to add to your wardrobe and restyle for years

Sustainability should not remain a complex theoretical concept confined to policies and international conversations. For it to be implemented meaningfully, it must become a part of everyday habits, beginning with something as personal as the clothes in your wardrobe. ALSO READ: Summer-monsoon fashion tips: Know how to dress to combat heat and humidity with style Choose pieces with longevity that can be worn and restyled for years. (Picture credit: Freepik) With global conversations raising alarm over textile waste, overflowing landfills and resource-intensive production, it is imperative to choose pieces that can outlast the rapid cycle of consumption and disposal. So, how do you build an eco-friendly wardrobe? Let’s hear from an expert about what it takes to build a sustainable wardrobe. Punam Mullick, co-founder of Shubha Design Studio, fashion entrepreneur and creative strategist, told HT Lifestyle that the goal is to choose better. When you invest in good-quality, well-made pieces, they can be worn, restyled and enjoyed for years to come. “I feel that fashion should tell stories while being kind to the planet. With …

The Indian Express Group, ECube Investment Advisors launch sustainability platform Earth Inherited

The Indian Express Group, ECube Investment Advisors launch sustainability platform Earth Inherited

3 min readUpdated: Jul 8, 2026 04:21 PM IST The Indian Express Group and ECube Investment Advisors on Tuesday announced the launch of Earth Inherited, a sustainability content, learning and ecosystem platform that aims to make sustainability more practical, accessible and actionable through original content, practitioner-led education and collaboration. Launched as a joint venture between the two organisations, Earth Inherited brings together the editorial reach of The Indian Express Group and the sustainability expertise of ECube Investment Advisors. The platform seeks to connect professionals, businesses and institutions through content, learning programmes and meaningful conversations around sustainability. It is led by co-founders Sonalika Mehra and Pradeep Sharma. The launch comes as sustainability assumes a larger role in business strategy, regulation and investment decisions. According to the companies, organisations and individuals increasingly require practical knowledge, trusted networks and sustained dialogue to translate sustainability ambitions into implementation. Earth Inherited aims to address this need by helping professionals and organisations build the knowledge, capabilities and connections required to navigate the evolving sustainability landscape. “I am delighted that ECube Investment …

Central Railway steps up anti-plastic, sustainability drive ahead of World Environment Day | Mumbai News

Central Railway steps up anti-plastic, sustainability drive ahead of World Environment Day | Mumbai News

3 min readMumbaiMay 31, 2026 08:30 PM IST Ahead of World Environment Day on June 5, Central Railway has intensified its environmental awareness and anti-plastic campaign across stations, workshops and railway divisions, focusing on waste segregation, reduction of single-use plastics and sustainable practices. The campaign, launched on May 15 across Central Railway’s five divisions, has involved railway staff, passengers, vendors, NGOs and schoolchildren through seminars, workshops, street plays, awareness rallies and inspections at railway premises. “Central Railway remains committed to sustainable infrastructure reforms and appeals to passengers to actively support efforts to keep railway premises free of single-use plastics,” said Dr. Swapnil Nila, Chief Public Relations Officer, Central Railway. As part of the initiative, Mumbai Division carried out checks at station vendor stalls to reinforce the ban on single-use plastics and encouraged vendors to switch to biodegradable alternatives. Public announcement systems at stations were also used to advise commuters to carry reusable water bottles instead of purchasing packaged water bottles. A major focus of the campaign has been the use of Plastic Bottle Crushing Machines …

Why RCB will wear green jersey in their IPL 2026 match against DC

Why RCB will wear green jersey in their IPL 2026 match against DC

3 min readApr 18, 2026 12:45 PM IST Royal Challengers Bengaluru will sport their signature green kit when they face Delhi Capitals in the IPL 2026 clash at the M. Chinnaswamy Stadium on Saturday, as part of their ‘Green Initiative’, continuing their long-running sustainability drive. ALSO READ | RCB vs DC Live Score, IPL 2026 Crafted using recycled fabric, the alternate jersey represents the team’s ongoing environmental push. The defending champions also claim the distinction of being the only carbon-neutral side in T20 cricket globally. What began in 2011 as a one-off initiative has gradually grown into something more significant. Today, sustainability is built into how the franchise operates – from how it measures its impact to how it tries to bring fans along in that journey. The larger aim now is to go a step further and become carbon positive. ALSO READ | RCB to play 100th match at Chinnaswamy, first team to achieve home ground landmark Franchise CEO Rajesh Menon highlighted that reaching carbon neutrality has been the result of sustained efforts over …

Badminton to test synthetic shuttles at smaller grade and junior tournaments with sustainability aims

Badminton to test synthetic shuttles at smaller grade and junior tournaments with sustainability aims

3 min readApr 8, 2026 03:07 PM IST Just last year, the falling popularity of duck meat had coincided with badminton shuttlecock manufacturers struggling for raw material to make shuttles. It had led to a twofold rise in prices of certain shuttle stocks. A year on, BWF has clearly brought forward its plans to introduce synthetic shuttles that mimic the look and feel of the feather ones.BWF approved use of synthetic shuttlecocks at selected tournaments. These include synthetics made by VICTOR and YONEX, and will be used at BWF Grade 3 tournaments and Junior International tournaments. The federation said this initiative was part of BWF’s long‑term approach to “evaluating synthetic feather shuttlecocks for potential use at the elite level.” The federation had been working equally with VICTOR, a Taiwanese sporting major and badminton equipment market leader YONEX to assess the quality and performance of synthetic shuttlecocks in higher‑level competitive settings, with a particular focus on ensuring that flight and playing characteristics align with current competition standards. BWF specified the approved products for use during this …

‘Steel, speed and sustainability’, Meet one of the architects reimagining Tri-City homes with prefabricated design | Chandigarh News

‘Steel, speed and sustainability’, Meet one of the architects reimagining Tri-City homes with prefabricated design | Chandigarh News

As land prices rise and lifestyles shift across Chandigarh, Mohali and Panchkula, the idea of what makes a “modern home” is quietly changing. Speed, sustainability and smarter use of materials are beginning to matter as much as square footage and façade. At the centre of this transition is a growing interest in prefabricated steel housing, and among its early champions in the region is architect Ashutosh Mukherjee. A partner at Metamorphosis Architecture, Mukherjee has spent over a decade designing residential and commercial projects. His turn towards prefabricated steel construction came not from novelty, but necessity. “The question was how to build faster, cleaner and with far less waste, without compromising on design,” he says. Why steel, why now For decades, RCC construction has dominated Indian housing, often bringing with it long build times, heavy site disruption and significant material wastage. Prefabricated steel construction offers a clear alternative. Structural components are manufactured in factories under controlled conditions and assembled on site with precision. “The biggest advantage is accuracy,” Mukherjee explains. “Factory manufacturing ensures better quality control, …

Budget 2026: CREDAI calls for higher affordable housing cap, tax relief for real estate developers

Budget 2026: CREDAI calls for higher affordable housing cap, tax relief for real estate developers

Real estate industry body, the Confederation of Real Estate Developers’ Associations of India, has urged the government to revisit the definition of affordable housing and extend tax incentives to developers in the Union Budget 2026. It said the existing price cap of ₹45 lakh is no longer realistic and should either be scrapped or raised to ₹90 lakh. The association also called for tax relief for real estate companies undertaking affordable housing projects to boost supply and viability. Credai has urged the government to revisit the definition of affordable housing and extend tax incentives to developers in the Union Budget 2026. (From L to R: Gaurav Gupta, secretary; Shekhar Patel, president; G Ram Reddy, president-elect and Deepak Kapoor, media convenor) “We have been demanding a change in the definition of affordable housing. The input cost has increased since 2017 when the ₹45 lakh cap was introduced,” CREDAI National president Shekhar Patel told reporters at the national conclave on December 19-20 being held in the national capital. The real estate body that represents 15,000 developers, sought …

IIT Delhi leads from India in QS Sustainability Rankings 2026, but slips out of top 200 globally- Who ranks where?

IIT Delhi leads from India in QS Sustainability Rankings 2026, but slips out of top 200 globally- Who ranks where?

Indian institutions failed to make it to the top 200 in the QS World University Rankings Sustainability 2026, which were released on Tuesday. IIT Delhi ranked first among Indian institutes, followed by IIT Bombay and IIT Kharagpur. IIT Delhi grabbed the 205th spot globally with a score of 83.1, slipping from its previous year’s rank of 171. Who ranked first? Sweden’s Lund University claimed the top spot with a perfect overall score of 100, while University of Toronto ranked second by securing a score of 99.8. University College London stood third. Here’s a glimpse at the rankings of the Indian universities: IIT Delhi secured 205th position with an overall score of 83.1, IIT Bombay ranked 235th rank with a score of 81.4, IIT Kharagpur secured 236th rank with 81.3, IIT Madras at 305th rank with 77.3, IIT Kanpur at 310th rank with 78.0, IIT Roorkee at 352nd rank with 74.9, IIT (BHU) Varanasi at 672nd rank with 62.5, IIT Hyderabad at 792nd rank with 58.7. IIT Gandhinagar and IIT Guwahati also featured in the list. …

Are lab grown diamonds fake?

Are lab grown diamonds fake?

Diamonds are a girl’s best friend — whether extracted from a mine or created in a laboratory. But for Neelam Kothari Soni, lab-grown diamonds just do not cut. “If someone gifted me lab-grown diamonds, would I be as excited? No,” she told jewellery expert Julia Chafe during a recent conversation. According to the actor, “lab-grown is a parallel market, but real natural diamonds are special and a girl’s best friend.” So, are lab-grown diamonds truly as special as real diamonds? Disha Shah, Founder of DiAi Designs, told indianexpress.com that lab-grown diamonds are often misunderstood, mostly because of the word ‘lab’. Many misconceptions suggest they are fake or artificial, but in reality, they are similar to mined diamonds as they share the same chemical, physical, and optical properties. “The only difference is their origin. One forms deep in the earth, and the other is created in a modern, controlled environment that mirrors natural processes,” she said. Shah said that lab-grown diamonds are remarkable owing to the customisation possibilities they offer. “They allow you to create pieces …