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Mumbai, July 23: Indian benchmark equity indices opened lower as investor sentiment weakened due to rising crude oil prices and escalating geopolitical tensions in West Asia. The Sensex and Nifty 50 declined in early trading, with broad-based selling observed across several sectors.

Higher crude oil prices raised concerns about increased import costs, inflationary pressures, and their potential impact on corporate earnings. Market participants also remained cautious amid uncertainty surrounding developments in West Asia, prompting a risk-off sentiment in global and domestic markets.

Despite the weak opening, analysts noted that investors will continue to monitor global geopolitical developments, crude oil price movements, foreign institutional investor (FII) activity, and upcoming economic data for further market direction.

Market experts advise investors to remain focused on long-term fundamentals while exercising caution amid heightened global uncertainty.

Mumbai, July 23: Digital reality series The Ward, hosted by actor Rubina Dilaik, has crossed 2.09 million cumulative views on YouTube, reflecting a growing appetite for reality formats centred on authentic storytelling over conventional entertainment tropes. Streaming on The Little Adda Company’s YouTube channel, the 19-episode series has averaged over 110,000 views per episode while generating strong audience engagement through viewer discussions and feedback.

Unlike traditional reality shows driven by competition and conflict, The Ward focuses on pregnancy, motherhood and emotional well-being, bringing together 10 expectant mothers who share their personal experiences while receiving guidance from experts. The format has positioned itself as a conversation-led reality series, exploring subjects including mental health, family relationships, identity and the realities of pregnancy.

The show’s growing traction is also reflected in its audience response, with viewers consistently describing it as a refreshing addition to the reality entertainment landscape. Many have praised the show’s honest storytelling and meaningful conversations, with several commenting that the format deserves a wider television audience.

Among the reactions shared online are:

“The Ward is the kind of reality content audiences truly need—honest, emotional, informative and impactful.”

“Reality shows can do more than entertain. The Ward educates, empowers and connects.”

“This is the kind of show that deserves to be on television.”

“One of the most beautiful reality shows I have watched.”

“Rubina is a natural host. Looking forward to more seasons.”

“Hope to see more meaningful projects like this.”

Produced by Moving Image Studios, The Ward has built its identity around conversations that resonate with expecting mothers and families, creating a digital community where viewers actively engage with the stories being shared.

Rubina Dilaik’s own experience as a new mother adds another layer of authenticity to the format, enabling her to connect with participants through lived experience while steering conversations around motherhood with empathy and understanding.

Speaking about the response, Rubina Dilaik said, “When we started The Ward, our intention was never just to create another reality show. We wanted to create a safe and honest space where motherhood could be seen in all its beauty, vulnerability and strength. The love that we have received from audiences saying that this show deserves to be on television is incredibly humbling because it tells us these conversations truly matter. The response has reaffirmed that viewers are looking for content that is emotionally honest and socially meaningful. Every message, every comment and every shared experience reminds us why The Ward was made in the first place.”

As digital-first formats continue to evolve, The Ward demonstrates the growing demand for purpose-led, conversation-driven reality programming. Having crossed the 2-million-view milestone, the series underscores how audience engagement today is increasingly driven by authenticity, relatability and socially relevant storytelling.

Sambalpur, July 23:  Zoho, the Chennai-headquartered global technology company, today announced 100% placement of students from its specialised training and career development initiative, Zoho SkillHub, in Sambalpur, Odisha.  Zoho SkillHub is a joint initiative by Zoho and their partners’ wherein the aim is to nurture and develop technology talent in Odisha. All 14 graduates from the first two batches have successfully completed their training and received job placements with Race2Cloud, a premium partner of the company.

“We believe that innovation in high technology should not be limited to large cities. There is an immense amount of talent and potential in regions like Sambalpur, and our goal is to help these students find opportunities in tech domain right where they live. By teaching local youth practical software engineering and application development skills, we are helping them create real value for themselves and their communities,” said Rajendran Dandapani, Director of Technology, Zoho Corporation.

“Young people in Odisha do not need to move away from their homes to build a bright future in the high-tech domain. When we give them the right education and connect them with real jobs, we build a strong foundation for the entire region. We have always believed that nurturing local talent is the best way to create a sustainable technology industry from the ground up,” he added.

“Our participation in Zoho‘s SkillHub initiative in Sambalpur highlights that software engineering capabilities can thrive outside major urban centers.  Sambalpur offers an abundant pool of talent from regional institutions, making joining hands with Zoho to train and nurture the youth here the natural next step. Race2Cloud is pleased to absorb these graduates from the first two batches, who are equipped to build functional business applications from day one. This partnership allows us to keep local talent rooted in Odisha while delivering technical services to our global clients,” said GK Raju, CEO, Race2Cloud.

Bringing Technology Training to Sambalpur

The company’s presence in the region makes it one of the few tech companies in western Odisha. The primary goal of Zoho SkillHub is to give local students high-quality technology education on Zoho tech which they can utilise to develop their careers furthers. The training, done in collaboration with a Zoho partner, aims to bridge the gap between academic knowledge and job requirements in the real world.   The first two batches learnt how to use Zoho‘s business apps such as Zoho CRM (AI-driven customer experience platform) and Zoho Creator (an AI-powered low-code application builder). With Zoho CRM, students learn how they can help businesses manage customer data and improve sales, while Zoho Creator equips them to design and build custom applications for specific business needs quickly, even without coding knowledge. Zoho SkillHub is actively preparing for its next batch of students and is accepting new applications.

Zoho SkillHub in Odisha is an extension of Zoho‘s long-term commitment to empowering talent in underserved communities, and democratising access to technology for serving the nation. In line with this, Zoho also recently launched Zoho Classes 2.0, an AI-Powered Academic LMS for teaching, learning, and student success. The solution, built in India, is available for free for all central and state government educational institutions in India, and for any teacher teaching up to 100 students.

Dubai, July 22: Hotpack, the UAE-headquartered global leader in sustainable packaging solutions, has been honoured by UAE’s leading charity organisation Beit Al Khair Society for extending support to the Society’s massive meals distribution initiative during the past holy month of Ramadan.

Hotpack joined the campaign, as part of its ‘Happiness: Sharing Smiles’ programme, which is designed to create meaningful impact on people’s everyday lives through purposeful community engagement.

The Beit Al Khair Society successfully completed the “Feeding the Fasting” campaign during Ramadan, and Hotpack provided essential food packaging solutions required for distribution of the Iftar meals throughout the month, the company said in a statement.

“We had the opportunity to support Beit Al Khair Society with safe and efficient distribution of the daily Iftar meals during the holy month of Ramadan. Equally significant was the active involvement of Hotpack employees, who volunteered on the ground, helping prepare the meals, serve fasting individuals, and support logistic operations throughout the campaign,” said Mr. Zainudeen PB, Co-Founder, Group COO & Executive Director of Hotpack,

“This recognition is truly meaningful because it reflects something we deeply believe in that businesses have a responsibility to support the communities they serve. Through ‘Hotpack Happiness – Sharing Smiles’ initiative, we have always tried to support causes that make a genuine difference, whether by providing essential resources or by encouraging our employees to volunteer their time for initiatives that serve society,” he added.

“Our partnership with Beit Al Khair Society has grown over the years because we share the same purpose of reaching people with compassion and dignity. We are grateful for this recognition and remain committed to supporting programmes that bring people together and create a lasting positive impact,” said Mr. Zainudeen.

The campaign brought together people from different communities in the spirit of Ramadan, reflecting the values of compassion, generosity and unity. Through Beit Al Khair Society’s network of ninety-seven distribution points and eighteen Ramadan tents across the UAE, the initiative provided more than 1.6 million free Iftar meals to fasting individuals during the holy month.

Beyond Ramadan, Hotpack and Beit Al Khair Society have built a long-standing partnership centred on creating meaningful impact across communities in the UAE. Through continuous support that includes product donations, packaging solutions, employee volunteering and charitable initiatives, the collaboration has reached thousands of beneficiaries over the years.

As part of its broader CSR strategy, Hotpack remains committed to working with non-profit organisations and community partners to support initiatives that address real needs, strengthen communities and create a positive difference where it matters most.

Mr. Yawer Ali Shah, Co-founder and CEO of AMA Herbal Group, explains the need for a better option. “AMA Herbal‘s business is concentrated around sustainability, environment friendliness, and society. We combine ancient methodologies with modern science to develop environmentally friendly products. We created our natural hair colours, made entirely of herbal extracts, because the majority of hair dye users today suffer from allergies due to hazardous chemical components,” he said.

New Delhi, July 22, 2026 – India’s installed wind power capacity has reached 57,443 MW, marking a major milestone in the country’s renewable energy expansion and clean energy transition.

The growth of wind power capacity reflects India’s continued efforts to diversify its energy mix, enhance energy security, and promote sustainable sources of electricity generation. The wind energy sector is playing an increasingly important role in meeting the nation’s growing power demand while supporting environmental goals.

The expansion has been driven by advancements in renewable energy technology, increased investments, improved infrastructure, and stronger participation from the private sector. Several wind-rich states continue to contribute significantly to India’s renewable energy growth through large-scale wind projects.

The government has been focusing on creating a supportive ecosystem for renewable energy development, including better transmission facilities, efficient project implementation, and promotion of innovative solutions such as hybrid renewable energy systems.

Industry experts believe that the continued growth of wind power will help India reduce dependence on traditional energy sources, create new employment opportunities, and accelerate progress towards a cleaner energy future.

With renewable energy emerging as a key pillar of India’s development strategy, the rising wind power capacity highlights the country’s commitment to sustainable growth and long-term energy security.

Hyderabad, July 22: India needs a harmonised, evidence-based and proportionate regulatory framework for bike taxis to address fragmented state-level implementation, protect gig worker livelihoods, improve first- and last-mile connectivity, and ensure commuter safety, according to a new report by CUTS International.

The report, “Harmonising Bike Taxi Regulations in India: An Evidence-Based Assessment and Suggested Pathways for Reform,” was launched in New Delhi by Gopal Krishna Agarwal, National Spokesperson, Economic Affairs, Bharatiya Janata Party.

Speaking at the launch, Agarwal said, “As India strengthens its ease of living agenda, an integrated mobility ecosystem can become a vital driver of connectivity, employment, productivity, and sustainable growth.”

The report comes at a time when bike taxi regulation in India is undergoing rapid change, with states adopting divergent approaches ranging from enabling frameworks and conditional permissions to restrictions, EV-only mandates and legal uncertainty. CUTS notes that this fragmented landscape has created uncertainty for commuters, gig workers, platform aggregators and regulators, making the case for a predictable and coherent policy framework.

Key findings of the CUTS report

●        Bike taxis have emerged as a structurally important part of India’s urban mobility ecosystem.
The report notes that bike taxis help address first- and last-mile connectivity gaps, complement public transport systems, and improve access to metro and bus networks, especially for short-distance travel.

●        The legal foundation for bike taxis already exists.
The report states that motorcycles used for hire have a legal basis under the Motor Vehicles Act, 1988, and are guided by the Motor Vehicle Aggregator Guidelines, 2025, issued by the Ministry of Road Transport and Highways. The challenge lies in consistent and coherent state-level implementation.

●        State-level regulatory divergence is creating uncertainty.
The report studies approaches across Delhi, Kerala, Maharashtra, Rajasthan, Tamil Nadu and West Bengal, and finds that identical services are permitted in some jurisdictions and restricted in others. This increases compliance burdens, limits workforce mobility, pushes disputes towards judicial intervention and weakens long-term policy predictability.

●        Bike taxis offer a strong affordability advantage for commuters.
The report finds that bike taxis typically cost ₹8–10 per kilometre, compared to ₹15–18 per kilometre for auto-rickshaws and ₹22–25 per kilometre for regular taxis. This makes them especially relevant for students, informal workers, young professionals and peri-urban commuters.

●        Bike taxis create low-barrier livelihood opportunities.
The report notes that two-wheelers allow youth, migrants and informal workers to access flexible livelihood opportunities with relatively low upfront investment. Citing industry estimates, it states that bike taxi operators can earn average monthly net incomes of ₹25,000–30,000 after accounting for operating expenses.

●        Restrictions can disrupt livelihoods without resolving safety or congestion concerns.
CUTS finds that enforcement-led or prohibition-based approaches have disrupted livelihoods without demonstrably improving congestion or safety outcomes. The report argues that safety concerns are better addressed through formal regulation rather than blanket restrictions.

●        Mandatory commercial conversion can be financially burdensome for workers.
The report notes that permanent conversion of private motorcycles into transport vehicles can impose disproportionate financial and procedural burdens, including re-registration costs, higher insurance premiums and fitness certification requirements. This can be especially difficult for part-time or intermittent workers who use bike taxis as supplementary income.

●        Safety and welfare standards need to be harmonised across states.
CUTS recommends baseline safety and welfare standards, including mandatory health and accident insurance for drivers and passengers, helmet enforcement, transparent fare-setting frameworks, accessible grievance redressal mechanisms and clear revenue-sharing norms.

●        EV transition should be incentive-led, not exclusionary.
The report supports electrification but recommends phased timelines and incentive-based policies rather than immediate exclusion of internal combustion engine vehicles. It notes that EV mandates without adequate charging infrastructure or transitional support can create entry barriers and limit participation by gig workers.

●        States can use bike taxi regulation as a revenue and formalisation opportunity.
CUTS suggests period-specific permit frameworks, structured permit fees or trip-linked levies to help states regulate market scale while creating predictable revenue streams and avoiding high upfront costs for individual drivers.

Key recommendations

Based on its findings, the CUTS report recommends that states consider:

●        Moving away from blanket prohibitions and enforcement-led approaches towards structured authorisation of bike taxi operations.

●        Operationalising the 2025 Motor Vehicle Aggregator Guidelines through notified state schemes.

●        Allowing aggregation of non-transport motorcycles subject to defined safety, insurance and compliance conditions.

●        Adopting a platform-authorised usage model instead of mandating permanent commercial conversion of private motorcycles.

●        Creating period-specific permit frameworks to regulate scale and prevent excessive market saturation.

●        Harmonising baseline safety and welfare standards across states.

●        Promoting EV adoption through incentives, phased timelines and infrastructure support.

●        Using lightweight permit and compliance models to support formalisation while protecting driver livelihoods.

Delivering the special address at the launch, Nitin R. Gokarn, Chairman, National Road Safety Board, observed that innovation often moves faster than regulation, and that regulatory frameworks must evolve in a timely manner to support safe and accountable growth in emerging mobility sectors.

The launch also featured two panel discussions on regulatory harmonisation, legal ambiguity, mobility innovation, livelihoods and consumer welfare.

The first panel, “Harmonising Regulation Across States: Bridging Policy Gaps and Legal Ambiguities,” was moderated by Amol Kulkarni, Director, Research, CUTS International. The panel included Chhavi Banswal, Founder and Principal Consultant, Chiral Consulting; Paroma Bhat, Head of Public Policy and Government Relations, Uber India and South Asia; Pravesh Biyani, Centre of Excellence on Sustainable Mobility, IIIT Delhi; Shantanu Sharma, Senior Manager, Law, Policy and Regulations, Rapido; and Nikhil Rathi, Senior Account Director, Public Policy, Chase Advisors.

The second panel, “Bike Taxis in India’s Mobility Ecosystem: Innovation, Livelihoods and Consumer Welfare,” was moderated by Anil Sasi, National Business Editor, The Indian Express. The panel featured Virendra S. Rathore, Deputy Commissioner, Department of Transport, Government of Rajasthan; Shiksha Srivastava, Associate, PLR Chambers; Shreya Yadav, Associate Manager, Legal Public Policy and Corporate Affairs, Rapido; and Sourav Dhar, Programme Lead, Mobility, Council on Energy, Environment and Water.

The discussions reinforced the need for a harmonised, evidence-based framework that balances commuter safety, worker welfare, innovation, consumer choice and regulatory certainty. Speakers also emphasised that bike taxis should be viewed as part of India’s broader urban mobility ecosystem, particularly where they support affordable short-distance travel, first- and last-mile connectivity and flexible livelihood creation.

CUTS International reaffirmed its commitment to supporting evidence-based policymaking and facilitating continued engagement among governments, industry, academia and civil society to advance transparent, predictable and inclusive regulation.