Good Samaritan!
Raised in a Maheshwari Marwari Hindu family in a single-room apartment in Mumbai, D-Mart promoter Radhakishan Damani had hogged the headlines for buying a house in Mumbai’s posh Malabar Hill area worth Rs1,000 crore in 2021. The billionaire investor is once again making news, though for a good cause this time. Damani’s foundation recently announced construction of a 400-bed Damani Multi Super Specialty Hospital at Magathane at Borivli East, in Mumbai. The announcement was made by the foundation’s trustee, Abhay Chandak, in the presence of Union minister and Mumbai North BJP candidate Piyush Goyal and Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla. The hospital will come up on an 8.8 acre plot that Damani bought from CCI Projects for over R500 crore. Chandak said he aims to complete the hospital in four years. Goyal, however, requested him to finish it before 17 September, 2026, and also requested him to increase the capacity to 1,000 beds. “The foundation will spend around R6,000 crore,” said Goyal. Damani is widely recognised as the ‘Retail King of India’ for his excellent success in the retail industry. Under his leadership, DMart has grown from a single store in Powai in 2002 to a vast chain with over 250 stores across India.
Defining wellness
The multifaceted entrepreneur Rajshree Pathy has recently launched a new, holistic beauty brand: Qi Ayurveda. Qi brings together ancient Ayurvedic traditions with advanced scientific research from Switzerland. The formulations work at a cellular level to transform, restore, rejuvenate and replenish your skin. The brand takes inspiration from the vital energy, ‘Qi’, also identified with ‘prana’ in Sanskrit. Combining ancient Ayurvedic wisdom with modern Swiss innovation, Qi Ayurveda presents highly potent and radically transformative formulations for skin and hair. Pathy has a strong bond with Ayurveda since her childhood. “I remember visiting the ‘vaidya’ with my mother as a little girl. Sundays in our home were spent with hot oil massages and herbal baths of steeped eucalyptus leaves and vetiver roots, heated over firewood in old copper vessels. The power of herbs and plants, combined with the ritualistic nature of these practices, became my definition of wellness,” she reminisces about the sweet childhood memories. Qi Ayurveda has four product ranges for hair, all of which include hair oil, shampoo, and conditioner. They include Restore (Chemparatyadi), which comes infused with hibiscus extracts; Wellness (Chandanadi), formulated with sandalwood oil; Hydrate (Dhurdhurpathradi), that has olive leaf and jujube extracts and Nourish (Bringamaladi), with false daisy extracts. The products come infused with plant-based Swiss-certified actives that are delicately fragranced. One of the founding members of the globally renowned brand Kama Ayurveda, and a founder of the India Design Forum, Pathy posted on LinkedIn. “The Qi Ayurveda beauty brand has been launched from my hometown Coimbatore, and will be available for online sale on our website www.qiayurveda.com.”
Nand Ghar, which aims to transform 1.4 million anganwadis across India, has unveiled a national movement – Agar Bachpan Se Poocha Khaana Khaya, Toh Desh Ka Kal Banaya with actor Manoj Bajpayee. This movement by Nand Ghar is aimed at nourishing India’s future generation by ensuring holistic healthcare, quality nutrition and ensuring best-in-class preschool education for children. “Project Nand Ghar is a national movement that supports the overall well-being of children and women with a focus on health and nutrition. We are delighted that Manoj Bajpayee has extended his support to this growing movement. His personal life story deeply resonates with Nand Ghar’s cause to nourish and transform the lives of our future generations,” said Anil Agarwal, chairman, Vedanta. “As someone who has lived with hunger pangs, I understand the deep impact it can have on physical, mental and emotional well-being. That’s why initiatives like Project Nand Ghar are so crucial. It not only ensures that children receive proper nutrition but also brings hope, opportunity, and a chance for a brighter future. Let’s all join hands with the Nand Ghar movement to ensure that we nourish the potential of children, and together, prepare for a brighter India”, said Bajpaye
Environmental hero
Alok Shukla, 43, a convener with Chhattisgarh Bachao Andolan (the Save Chhattisgarh Movement), an informal alliance of grassroots movements across Chhattisgarh, has been awarded the 2024 Goldman Prize from Asia, often referred to as the ‘Green Nobel’. His remarkable achievement lies in leading a successful community campaign that saved 445,000 acres of biodiversity-rich forests from 21 planned coal mines in Chhattisgarh. The Goldman Prize recognises grassroots environmental heroes from roughly the world’s six inhabited continental regions – Africa, Asia, Europe, Islands & Island Nations, North America and South & Central America. A statement from the Goldman Environmental Foundation mentioned that the government cancelled the auction of 21 proposed coal mines in Hasdeo Aranya, whose pristine forests – popularly known as the lungs of Chhattisgarh – are one of the largest intact forest areas in India. The alliance is member-driven, without any paid employees. Alok is also a founding member of the Hasdeo Aranya Bachao Sangharsh Samiti (Save Hasdeo Aranya Resistance Committee), a grassroots movement uniting forest-dwelling villagers across the region. Growing up in the mineral-rich state of Chhattisgarh, Alok witnessed the profound environmental and social devastation wrought by extractive industries. Acutely aware of unsustainable resource extraction, he decided to dedicate his life to protecting the water, forests, and land of central India, as well as supporting Adivasi tribes, which are the traditional stewards of
the land
Futuristic design
Asahi India Glass Ltd (AIS) has announced the winners of the fifth edition of ‘AIS Design Olympiad’. This year, the Olympiad saw a significant increase in participation from architectural colleges across India that culminated in a grand finale with the top eight finalists making their presentations to an esteemed jury panel recently at Taj, Santacruz, in Mumbai. AIS is India’s leading integrated glass solutions company and a dominant player in automotive and value-added architectural glass segment. The final of the AIS Design Olympiad was judged by a distinguished National Jury panel including architects, such as Vivek Bhole from Vivek Bhole Architects, Mumbai; Karl Wadia from Hafeez Contractor, Mumbai; Paul Moses from RSP, Bengaluru; and Avinash Nawathe from ANA Associates, Pune. Announced at the grand finale were Rachna Sansad Academy of Architecture, Mumbai, as the winner; Deenbandhu Chotu Ram University of Science & Technology, Murthal, Sonipat, Haryana, as the first runner-up; and SMEF Brick School of Architecture, Pune, as the second runner-up. Speaking about AIS Design Olympiad 5.0, Vikram Khanna, COO, Consumer Glass & Architectural Institutional Business, CMO, Asahi India Glass Ltd said, “We are thrilled to announce the winners of AIS Design Olympiad, showcasing the immense talent and creativity of budding architects. Our overarching philosophy for AIS Design Olympiad 5.0 was ‘Innovation; Futuristic Design; Sustainable Architecture’; and we are proud of what the students achieved this year through their designs.
New brand ambassador
Savsol Lubricants has announced the launch of a pioneering lubricants range with cutting edge technology – Savsol Ester 5 – that is set to transform its product lines and the lubricants market. Alongside this significant event, the company has signed Bollywood actor Sidharth Malhotra as Brand Ambassador. “I am delighted to partner with Savsol Lubricants and further its commitment to offering consumers a distinctive automotive driving experience. The collaboration with an innovative brand such as Savsol aligns with my pursuit of excellence, and I look forward to embarking on this journey together,” said Vishal Sood, president, lubes, Savsol Lubricants. “At Savsol, we constantly strive for continuous improvement and excellence in the automotive industry. This partnership with a Bollywood star of Sidharth Malhotra’s calibre reflects our intent to provide exceptional lubricant technology products to customers, and drive forward a new era of innovation and distinction in the automotive space