Latest news with #AshwinPrasad
Wales Online
28-06-2025
- Business
- Wales Online
Tesco giving away free breakfasts in cafes on Sunday if you show staff one thing
Tesco giving away free breakfasts in cafes on Sunday if you show staff one thing For the fourth year in a row, the supermarket chain is doing something to mark a very special day for people up and down the country Supermarket giant Tesco is giving away free breakfasts at hundreds of its stores this Sunday. For the fourth year running, Armed Forces personnel and veterans will be able to claim their free breakfast in more than 300 stores to mark Armed Forces Day. The day itself is an annual event celebrated in late June to commemorate the service of men and women in the British Armed Forces. Originally called Veterans' Day, it was first observed in 2006. Although an official event, it is not a public holiday in the UK. The name was changed to Armed Forces Day in 2009. Tesco has confirmed that as a thank you for their service, approximately 180,000 serving Armed Forces personnel and nearly two million veterans in the UK can choose from The Breakfast, The Veggie Breakfast, The Vegan Breakfast or Sausage Bap to enjoy for free when they present their MOD90 or Veterans ID card at either The Café or The Coffee Shop in stores across the country on Sunday, June 29. For our free daily briefing on the biggest issues facing the nation, sign up to the Wales Matters newsletter here . 'Our Armed Forces make extraordinary sacrifices to keep us safe,' said Ashwin Prasad, Tesco UK CEO. 'As the largest private employer of veterans in the UK, we want to recognise those who serve, and have served, this Armed Forces Day. We hope this free breakfast will go a little way to show our gratitude for their service.' Sabrina Lungo, chair of the Armed Forces colleague network at Tesco, added: 'Armed Forces Day is an important opportunity to recognise our Armed Forces personnel and veterans, and we're happy to be offering them this small token of our appreciation for the fourth year running. Article continues below 'Through our thriving Armed Forces network, we are proud to support the entire Armed Forces community at Tesco, from veterans to military partners and families, as they navigate the challenges of life in the Armed Forces and beyond.'
South Wales Argus
27-06-2025
- Business
- South Wales Argus
Tesco offering free breakfasts for Armed Forces Day 2025
The offer is running for the fourth year in a row on June 29 to mark Armed Forces Day. Around 180,000 serving members and almost two million veterans can enjoy a complimentary breakfast at more than 300 Tesco stores. To avail of the offer, they need to display their MOD90 or Veterans ID card at The Café or The Coffee Shop within Tesco stores. Ashwin Prasad, Tesco UK CEO, said: "Our Armed Forces make extraordinary sacrifices to keep us safe. "We hope this free breakfast will go a little way to show our gratitude for their service." Sabrina Lungo, chair of the Armed Forces Colleague Network at Tesco, said: "Armed Forces Day is an important opportunity to recognise our Armed Forces personnel and veterans, and we're happy to be offering them this small token of our appreciation for the fourth year running. "Through our thriving Armed Forces network, we are proud to support the entire Armed Forces community at Tesco."
Indian Express
25-06-2025
- Science
- Indian Express
As Axiom-4 and Shubhanshu Shukla lift off, so does India
Written by Ashwin Prasad An Indian is in space for the first time in over 40 years. This is momentous for more than one reason. It marks the beginning of the era of Indian human spaceflight, with Gaganyaan planned for 2027, and eventually, the Indian Space Station in the next decade. There are ambitious missions that will add India to an elite club of space powers that currently consists of the US, China and Russia (formerly the Soviet Union). In a sense, human spaceflight feels only like a symbolic milestone. Uncrewed space missions can do almost everything that a crewed mission can while being a lot cheaper and faster to carry out. Crewed missions like the Axiom-4 and Gaganyaan expend substantial resources, making the equipment liveable and safe for humans. Despite this, every country's space programme culminates in the honing of their abilities to take their people to space. Why? Isn't it better to save time and money and just focus on uncrewed missions instead of human spaceflight? To answer that question, we must first stop thinking of 'space' as a single destination. A more useful framework is to think of Earth as our home, the immediate space around us as the farm that sustains it, and deep space as the great, unexplored wilderness. The farm (Earth-Space) The farm is the region around Earth, known as the Earth-Space, where our satellites operate. This farm sustains life in our home. It is not food which is grown here, but data. Modern life depends on this data for everything — GPS for navigation and financial transactions, satellites for weather forecasting and broadcasting, and constellations for the global internet. The farm is not tended to by humans. Uncrewed technology like satellites and probes are able to do this job far more cheaply and safely. The potential for the data they generate is endless and priceless. The astronauts we send to this farm through missions like the Axiom-4 and Gaganyaan are not mere passengers. They are pioneering specialists trained to survive beyond the safety of our home and skilled in performing complex tasks and experiments that require human ingenuity and dexterity. Their experience and learning inform their successors who will dare to venture out even further into the wilderness. The wilderness (outer space) The Moon, Mars and beyond are fundamentally different from our home and even the farm. They are full of risks and opportunities. Today's technology cannot use this region for sustenance at home. The costs of accessing the resources here are either too high, take too much time or both. With scientific advancement and technological progress, perhaps our farms can expand to these regions. Or even form a new settlement in the wilderness and go on to build another home and another farm around it. Therefore, the exploration and discovery of the wilderness is necessary to realise the long-term opportunities. As a part of exploring this wilderness, uncrewed missions like Chandrayaan and the Mars rovers are sent first. They are the 'drones' that scout out the region. They map the terrain, identify risks, and locate resources. They go first because it is dangerous and unknown. However, you don't build a settlement in a wilderness with scouts alone. You need pioneers. Humans are adaptable, can problem-solve in real-time (the 'Apollo 13 moment'), and make intuitive leaps that a pre-programmed rover cannot. The counterargument, of course, is that technology itself can solve this. Why send a person when we can send a highly advanced robot controlled by a human from the safety of Earth? With AI to handle basic tasks and a human mind guiding it remotely, couldn't we achieve everything a human could? Thanks to the tyranny of light-speed delay, any real-time control is only possible over very short distances. For the moon, there is a communication delay of more than two seconds. For complex, delicate tasks, that's crippling. The farther we venture into the wilderness, the greater this delay. For Mars, the problem becomes absolute. The delay can be as long as 40 minutes. When facing the unknowns deep in the wilderness, we realise the absolute necessity of human exploration. Winning hearts and minds The human element extends beyond the practical reasons. Great endeavours are powered by human emotion. The story of Shubhanshu Shukla venturing into the cosmos on behalf of his nation captures the imagination of millions. The stories provide a human face to a highly technical and challenging endeavour. They become focal points for national pride and aspiration. This public imagination is not just a feel-good emotion. It is a strategic asset. Like India-Pakistan cricket matches, it helps societies surpass domestic squabbles. It creates a groundswell of popular support that translates into political will. If Indians are excited about Gaganyaan, our political leaders will find it easier to champion and fund the long-term vision of the Indian Space Station, crewed Chandrayaans and the missions beyond. This is a virtuous cycle that begins with a human pioneer like Shukla. The earthly dividend But this inspiration is not intangible. The immense challenge of keeping our pioneers alive in space has a remarkable way of improving our lives right here at home. Human spaceflight forces us to invent solutions. These solutions don't stay in the 'wilderness'. They come back home. The algorithms developed to clarify images from deep space were adapted for MRI and CT scans. The high-powered pumps designed for rocket fuel have been miniaturised into artificial heart implants. The water filtration systems designed for the space station, where every drop must be recycled, are now deployed in remote villages and disaster zones, providing clean drinking water. An active human space exploration creates and sustains a high-tech ecosystem of aerospace engineering, materials science, software development, and robotics. This builds national industrial capacity, creates high-value jobs, and makes the entire economy more competitive. These immediate benefits are crucial, but the ultimate justification for India's human spaceflight programme lies in looking beyond the present decade and toward the next century. The long game As technological progress accelerates, the question will shift from whether humanity will travel to other planets, to who will travel and write the rules. In this future, human spacefaring capability is no longer just symbolic; it is central to Indian national power and international standing. The nations that are physically present in the 'wilderness' will be the ones who shape the future of humanity in space. They will set the precedents for law, commerce, and ethics beyond Earth. Gaganyaan is India's entry ticket to having a seat at that table. It is a declaration that India intends to be a rule-maker, not a rule-taker. This is an investment for future generations. Just as decisions made in the Age of Sail determined the world order for 300 years, the decisions we make in this 'Age of Space' will define the coming centuries. The writer is research analyst, High-Tech Geopolitics Programme, Takshashila Institution
The Sun
18-06-2025
- Business
- The Sun
Major UK supermarket slashes price of 80 grocery staples including chocolate, ice cream & vegetables to match Aldi
A MAJOR British supermarket is slashing its prices in its stores and online, giving customers major savings on its most popular items. The retailer has added 80 grocery staples to its well-loved Aldi Price Match in a bid to match the discount retailer. 6 6 6 Tesco has included a wide range of products as part of the new programme including many its private label items. The price of Tesco hummus pots has dropped to 99p alongside many other summer essentials such as fresh produce, like iceberg lettuce for 64p, baby tomatoes lowered to 78p and onions reduced to 35p. Frozen goods have also had the same treatment, with fish and steak included in the programme. But customers, who will be wanting something to keep cool over a hot summer, will be pleased to know that a three-pack of milk chocolate ice creams is now only £1.39, and a 4-pack of strawberry and vanilla ice cream will cost only £1.25. 6 Tesco chief commercial officer Ashwin Prasad said: 'We are absolutely committed to providing great value for Tesco customers, and we have carefully chosen more than 80 additional products to add to our Aldi Price Match scheme. 'We have added many customer favourites, including our Tesco own-brand hummus pots and baby plum tomatoes, giving customers the assurance that they are getting great prices on some of our most popular products.' The huge price cut extends to non-food items too, including exclusive brands like baby and toddler essentials, Fred & Flo. Tesco have announced this bold move following a strong first quarter, which saw sales go up by 5.9%. And yet, the price drop also coincides with the announcement that the rate of food price inflation rose to 4.4% in May, an increase from 3.4% in April, according to the Office for National Statistics (ONS). As a result, the rising cost of essentials like food puts those on lower incomes under particular pressure to make ends meet. Examples of products added to Aldi Price Match While the programme includes 80 products, here are some of the price drops customers can expect. Tesco Houmous (200g) 99p Tesco Iceberg Lettuce (200g) 64p Tesco Baby Plum Tomatoes (300g) 78p Tesco 2 Steak Slices (300g) £1.75 Tesco Red Onions (3 pack) 95p Tesco Lightly Salted Tortilla Chips (200g) 89p Tesco 2 Breaded Chunky Cod Fillets (350g) £3.49 Tesco Deep Pan Cheese Pizza (386g) £1.35 Fred & Flo Easy Fit Pants Size 4 (42 pack) £3.56 Fred & Flo Baby Shampoo (500ml) 82p Tesco Milk Chocolate Ice Creams (3 pack) £1.39 Tesco Strawberry and Vanilla Ice Creams (4 pack) £1.25 6 What's more, Tesco has more than 1,000 prices fixed included in its Low Everyday Prices deals and 9,000 Clubcard Price deals on offer to members each week. This new batch of lower-priced products comes after the retailers removed over 100 items from the programme in February. What is price matching? Since the cost of living crisis has put more and more pressure on consumers, price matching has become common place amongst the 'Big Four' supermarkets. 6 For Tesco, the Aldi Price Match programme was founded five years ago, in addition to its Clubcard membership programme. The aim is to incentivise customers to shop with the retailer for savings, as the UK supermarket giants battle out to have the best prices.
Scottish Sun
18-06-2025
- Business
- Scottish Sun
Major UK supermarket slashes price of 80 grocery staples including chocolate, ice cream & vegetables to match Aldi
The retailer slashed its hummus pots to just 99p AISLE TAKE IT Major UK supermarket slashes price of 80 grocery staples including chocolate, ice cream & vegetables to match Aldi Click to share on X/Twitter (Opens in new window) Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window) A MAJOR British supermarket is slashing its prices in its stores and online, giving customers major savings on its most popular items. The retailer has added 80 grocery staples to its well-loved Aldi Price Match in a bid to match the discount retailer. Sign up for Scottish Sun newsletter Sign up 6 The supermarket giant launches bold strategy to match Aldi Credit: Reuters 6 6 The retailer has included 80 grocery staples in its recent price drop Credit: Alamy Tesco has included a wide range of products as part of the new programme including many its private label items. The price of Tesco hummus pots has dropped to 99p alongside many other summer essentials such as fresh produce, like iceberg lettuce for 64p, baby tomatoes lowered to 78p and onions reduced to 35p. Frozen goods have also had the same treatment, with fish and steak included in the programme. But customers, who will be wanting something to keep cool over a hot summer, will be pleased to know that a three-pack of milk chocolate ice creams is now only £1.39, and a 4-pack of strawberry and vanilla ice cream will cost only £1.25. READ MORE ON TESCO WEED IT OUT Tesco's 69p buy kills moss in just 24 hours & turns your lawn a luscious green 6 Inflation continues to affect food prices as rates increased to 4.4% in May, according to the Office for National Statistics (ONS) Credit: Getty Tesco chief commercial officer Ashwin Prasad said: 'We are absolutely committed to providing great value for Tesco customers, and we have carefully chosen more than 80 additional products to add to our Aldi Price Match scheme. 'We have added many customer favourites, including our Tesco own-brand hummus pots and baby plum tomatoes, giving customers the assurance that they are getting great prices on some of our most popular products.' The huge price cut extends to non-food items too, including exclusive brands like baby and toddler essentials, Fred & Flo. Tesco have announced this bold move following a strong first quarter, which saw sales go up by 5.9%. And yet, the price drop also coincides with the announcement that the rate of food price inflation rose to 4.4% in May, an increase from 3.4% in April, according to the Office for National Statistics (ONS). As a result, the rising cost of essentials like food puts those on lower incomes under particular pressure to make ends meet. Examples of products added to Aldi Price Match While the programme includes 80 products, here are some of the price drops customers can expect. Tesco Houmous (200g) 99p Tesco Iceberg Lettuce (200g) 64p Tesco Baby Plum Tomatoes (300g) 78p Tesco 2 Steak Slices (300g) £1.75 Tesco Red Onions (3 pack) 95p Tesco Lightly Salted Tortilla Chips (200g) 89p Tesco 2 Breaded Chunky Cod Fillets (350g) £3.49 Tesco Deep Pan Cheese Pizza (386g) £1.35 Fred & Flo Easy Fit Pants Size 4 (42 pack) £3.56 Fred & Flo Baby Shampoo (500ml) 82p Tesco Milk Chocolate Ice Creams (3 pack) £1.39 Tesco Strawberry and Vanilla Ice Creams (4 pack) £1.25 6 Tesco's Clubcard membership offers exclusive discounts on over 1000 products Credit: Alamy What's more, Tesco has more than 1,000 prices fixed included in its Low Everyday Prices deals and 9,000 Clubcard Price deals on offer to members each week. This new batch of lower-priced products comes after the retailers removed over 100 items from the programme in February. What is price matching? Since the cost of living crisis has put more and more pressure on consumers, price matching has become common place amongst the 'Big Four' supermarkets. 6 Morrisons also offer an Aldi price match programme to their customers Credit: Morrisons For Tesco, the Aldi Price Match programme was founded five years ago, in addition to its Clubcard membership programme. The aim is to incentivise customers to shop with the retailer for savings, as the UK supermarket giants battle out to have the best prices.
