Latest news with #Dwarka-based
Hindustan Times
2 days ago
- General
- Hindustan Times
How young Delhiites are fighting plastic, bagging the right habit
Whether it's getting food delivered at your doorstep or carrying home groceries from the local market, plastic bags are a convenience that have continued to stay even after several attempts to make our lives plastic free. On International Plastic Bag Free Day, today, beating plastic pollution one bag at a time are some youngsters from Delhi-NCR. Overcoming challenges of growing plastic footprint on the environmental while coming up with sustainable options, here's how they are making continuous efforts to keep eco-friendly initiatives strong. Some environmentally-conscious residents of Delhi-NCR are stepping up to tackle the plastic problem at hand. From college campuses to community corners, a growing number of environmentally conscious souls are stepping up to tackle the plastic problem, not just through awareness drives but through real, hands-on action. At Delhi University(DU)'s Sri Venkateswara College, the Enactus team is targeting one of the most plastic-heavy industries: food. 'Through Project Fankaari, we're working to eliminate plastic bags used in food packaging and delivery,' shares Ujjwal Jain, a member, adding, 'We've teamed up with traditional potters to design food-grade terracotta packaging that's not only biodegradable but preserves food quality. These alternatives are about 95% recyclable. Apart from bags, eco-friendly salad and dip bowls, their product line is growing and so is their impact. As students, we believe we have the energy and creativity to imagine new ideas and innovative solutions,' says Ujjwal. 'And being part of the Enactus, we also feel a responsibility to lead by example and push our friends and other students on campus toward more conscious consumption.' Students of Sri Venkateswara College are working towards recycling plastic bags, used in food packaging, with the help of local potters. The sense of purpose is echoed by young volunteers who are busy making Eco Brick on educational campuses across NCR. 'Over the years, people have tried many ways to cut down on plastic bag use — charging for them, encouraging cloth bags — but most of those efforts fade quickly,' says Madhuri Varshney from a Dwarka-based NGO, Rise Foundation, adding, 'What we've realised is that real change happens when you make the solution interactive and fun. So we conduct drives at several colleges across Delhi University as well as schools. After each awareness session, the youngsters are given a task to collect plastic waste from their surroundings and tightly stuff plastic bottles with plastic bags and other often discarded plastics. These bottles are then used to make Eco Bricks. It's an activity that transforms waste into something useful. More importantly, it makes students more mindful of the plastic they use every day. When they submit these eco bricks to us, we use these to build benches and stools for communities, parks, schools, etc.' The Eco Bricks made out of plastic waste are being used to build benches and stools for community spaces. Meanwhile, Recycle Mela has been regularly popping up at College of Vocational Studies (CVS) and the Faculty of Law in DU. 'We also offer a chance to the city locals at various community centres to drop off plastic bags and single-use plastic items in exchange for eco-friendly products,' informs Ruby Makhija, from Why Waste Wednesday Foundation, which organises this mela to make plastic recycling more accessible and rewarding. She adds, 'Plastic bags are a big threat, not just because they clog landfills, but because animals chew on them and marine life ingests them. Through Recycle Mela, we make disposal easy and rewarding. We visit campuses where students hand in their plastic waste, and in return, we give them notebooks made from recycled paper, reusable cloth bags, even copier paper and more. Such a reward-based exchange not only motivates participation but also shows the hidden value of what one usually throw away. Our drive has now expanded to schools, corporate offices, and local communities, with support from MCD and NDMC. We want to make recycling feel accessible and cool, especially for the youth. Plus we update about upcoming mela on our social media, so anyone can find us and join in the initiative.' For more, follow @
Time of India
20-05-2025
- Business
- Time of India
Max Hits ₹9,000 Cr in FY25, Q4 revenue soars 29% on higher bed occupancy
Mumbai: Corporate Hospital chain, Max Healthcare Institute Q4 FY2024-25 revenue reported a growth of 29 per cent to ₹2,429 crore, up against ₹1,888 crore from the year ago quarter. For the January-March quarter the hospital's net profit went up 21 per cent to ₹376 crore, against the previous year figures of ₹311 crore while the earnings before interest and taxes (EBITDA) stood at ₹632 crore. The hospitals bed occupancy for the quarter was at 75 per cent, with a 30 per cent increase in bed occupied days (BOD) ad the ARPOB (Average Revenue Per Occupied Bed) stood at ₹77.1 thousand, up against ₹76.8 thousand reported in the year ago period. Overall EBITDA per bed was ₹ 73.9 lakhs compared to ₹76 lakhs in Q4 FY24 and the share of revenue from new units stood at 15 per cent compared to 2 per cent in the year ago period. During the period Max entered into a Long-term Service Agreement to sett up a 200-bed hospital in Pitampura, Delhi in association with Bharat Prakritik Chikitsa Mission. 'We have reported the 18th consecutive quarter of year-on-year growth in both Revenue and Operating EBITDA — a testament to the strength of our operating model, in Q4 we took significant strategic steps for long-term growth, including corporate actions and two M&A transactions,' said Abhay Soi, Chairman and Managing Director, Max Healthcare Institute Ltd. For the full financial year Max gross revenue went up 26 per cent YoY to ₹9,065 crore, while the net profit went up 9 per cent to ₹1,392 crore , attributed with the 'increase in OBDs.' Outlining the company's future plans, Soi said, 'We are commencing operations at our three new brownfield towers in Saket, Nanavati, and Mohali in the next three months and will add 1,500 beds to our capacity in the current financial year.' Recently while inaugurating its Dwarka-based 300-bed super speciality facility, Soi had voiced that, the company will invest '₹6,000 crore by 2028 to add 3,700 beds across key locations in India." Currently the hospital chain operates a network of 22 hospitals with a total strenth of around 5000 beds and caters to more than 30 specialities.
