Optum Global Solutions India, which happens to be a part of Optum and UnitedHealth Group, has announced the launch of Optum Start-up Studio in India in partnership with the International Institute of Information Technology, Hyderabad (IIIT-H).The same was launched by IT principal secretary Jayesh Ranjan and Optum chief information officer Phil McKoy. The studio’s objective is to identify innovative ideas and start-ups that can help accelerate value delivery by seeking solutions to some of healthcare’s toughest problems.Optum has started similar initiatives in the US and Ireland, and the Indian wing is an extension of their end goal of amplifying the impact of the vibrant health tech start-up and innovation ecosystem in India. The start-up accelerator aims to explore the full potential of India’s promising health tech start-ups, mentoring them to maturity and support for fast-track pilots with relatively mature start-ups that already have market-ready solutions.IIIT-H will be the organization’s innovation partner. Ideas submitted by participating teams will be independently evaluated by industry and functional experts from Optum and IIIT-H for perusal and future funding.

IIIT-Hyderabad, Optum to Set Up a Healthcare Start-up Studio

Handlooms and weaves are being curated by some who understand the uniqueness and beauty of traditional weaving forms. Of course, given that the new generation believes in fast fashion, there are many who do not believe in investing in ‘costly’ handlooms. But one lady who has been involved in the revival journey is Lakshmi Ramakrishnan. And she has just opened a store in Banjara Hills to keep alive the exotic tradition of the country.Lakshmi Ramakrishnan happens to be the founder of The Aadya Collective and is known for collecting handloom sarees. She has taken the step to satiate her passion apart from keeping the tradition of weaving alive. She believes in keeping a limited collection to try and give the very best of the country’s craftsmanship.“There is so much happening in our country in terms of handlooms. Every state has its own weaves. Years back, when we used to visit General Bazaar, we would get lovely handlooms. But now, the same has been replaced by machine yarns, which is why I want to revive the art. We curate the most authentic ones to give an old-world feel, shares Lakshmi.Though Lakshmi started about three-four years ago, she had to shut shop during Covid-19. However, her newly opened store has Bengal cotton, Kanchi, Uppada, Kadhi, and Chanderi, among other weaves. She says her store is not about the profit motive, though she intends to expand when the sales increase.However, Lakshmi is worried that the weavers are no longer interested in their craft and passing it on to younger generations. To add to their problems, there is 5 percent GST. So, we plead to the government that they must focus on the handloom industry, says Lakshmi.

A Store Exclusively Meant for Handlooms and Weaving Community

Just within a year after Amazon Web Services decided to set up its data center in Hyderabad, Microsoft has joined the long list of MNCs choosing Hyderabad to set up their data centers. And it’s not just corporates; even government enterprises like the National Payments Corporation of India (NPCI) have chosen the city of pearls to set up their smart data centers.On Thursday,&nbsp;Google begins building its largest campus outside US headquarters in Hyderabad.&nbsp;There are a few reasons that make Hyderabad attractive to large firms. For starters, undoubtedly its location. Hyderabad is located at a seismic zone of two or three, due to which it is least prone to earthquakes or floods, especially in the IT hubs in and around HITEC city.Another huge draw is the availability of highly skilled people in cloud computing, data analysts, and the like. “Intellect of the population is one of the key factors,” says one of the top executives of CtrlS, Asia’s most significant rated 4 data center.Also, in terms of realty, the prices are much lower compared to Mumbai or Chennai, which were hitherto data hubs. Moreover, Hyperscalers, which are data centers that consume massive energy, are slowly coming up in Hyderabad, thanks to companies such as Amazon and Microsoft. Amazon was given land near Shamshabad to set up their data center closer to IT hubs.One other major factor is access to seamless bandwidth and an undisrupted power facility, which have been made available by the government by setting up fiber connectivity. The companies can also use existing fiber highways between Mumbai and Hyderabad.

City Turning Out To Be Data Centre Hub for Major IT Giants

Ramzan is a holy month, but it is also a month when one gets to indulge in awesome food throughout the month. Various places in the city have food festivals that are filled with yummy and specially curated dishes from across the country. One such place happens to be Oakleaf, Nanakramguda.The restaurant offered a kebab festival last year that was a huge hit. This year too, it has organized a food festival to mark the month of Ramzan. What else can people ask for other than haleem and kebabs during the season? asks executive chef of Oakleaf, Reagan Fernandez.He says as a part of the festival menu, they have a wide variety of kebabs from across the country, like the chapli kebab that came to India from Balochistan to a Lucknowi variation. The executive chef says they did a lot of research to bring the oldest recipes for the guests and adds that there is a kebab from Khyber Pass in Afghanistan.The festival is on till May 2, and the most popular kebabs this year have been the tangdi kebab and mini chicken kebabs. There are a total of six vegetarian kebabs and seven non-vegetarian kebabs. Paneer and broccoli kebabs were bestsellers among the veg kebabs, while lamb chops, tandoori malai lollipops, tandoori king prawns, and haleem were the most sought-after.

Ramzan Fare Filled With Kebabs and Haleem from All Over The World

Property tax collection at GHMC has set up a staggering record. The collection is much higher than the former MCH and the current GHMC with the Early Bird offer works like never before in history. The five per cent discount expired on Saturday, and on the last day, citizens lined up at Citizen Service Centers, your service centers, at the GHMC Head, Zonal and Circle offices.&nbsp;The CSC at the GHMC headquarters was bustling with taxpayers from morning till evening. A total of Rs 738.71 crore was collected in tax till 10.15 pm on Saturday. Sources in the revenue department said that 7.22 lakh people had paid taxes.The tax collection was Rs 195 crore higher compared to the previous year. About 45% of the tax collected was made through online payments. 4.68 lakh people paid Rs 325 crore in taxes online. Bill collectors havd a special focus on those who pay the highest amount of tax rather than runnijg around ten people who pay the lowest amount. That has worked big time.&nbsp;Bill collectors collected Rs 281.02 crore. 78,260 in the company's CSCs paid Rs 78.72 crore and 81,000 people paid Rs 48.40 crore through Mee Seva. The tax collection is likely to increase as the number paid online levied online until 12 midnight is not revealed yet.

Early Bird Brings Record Tax Collection To GHMC 

The government has announced a clearance scheme on pending vehicle challans in the state. The offer lasted for 45 days. Most of the challans were not paid even after the deadline. Nearly 30 percent of the challans were found to be pending. With this, the police kept an eye on the vehicles with pending challans. They are getting ready to organize special drives for this.More than Rs 3 crore was cleared through the scheme that lasted for a month and a half. About 65 percent of the cleared vehicles are cars. Over 70 percent of the two-wheelers paid the pending challans. Of the Rs 1,700 crore worth of pending challans, Rs 1,400 crore was collected. Rs 312 crore was collected after the discount.&nbsp;Even after the end of the government subsidy, another 30 percent of motorists are still roaming the roads without paying their dues. With this, the police paid special attention to these vehicles. They are ready to perform special drives and clear challans. Traffic Joint CP Ranganath said cases would be registered against those who roamed the roads without paying the fines and legal action would be taken.

Special Drives To Clear Pending Challans!

Narendra Modi's government brought electoral bonds which will allow donations to political parties discreetly. No one knows who is funding the political parties through those bonds except for that one party. Also, no one will ask where those funds came from. Hyderabad now ranks number one in sales of such electoral bonds.In Hyderabad alone, Rs. 425 crore electoral bonds were bought from banks. These are given by the respective individuals to the political parties. This is much more than any other city in the country. Electoral bonds worth 106 crores were purchased in the National capital Delhi, 100 crores in Chennai, 3 Crores in Bhubaneswar, and only eighteen crore electoral bonds were sold in Kolkata. These are the bonds sold by SBI.It is no secret that ruling parties will be the biggest beneficiaries of these electoral bonds. People donate to the parties to ensure no trouble to their businesses and to get contracts from the governments. But it is a surprise why so much amount just in Hyderabad. This also indicates that political parties already started fund-raising for the upcoming elections.

425 Crore Worth Electoral Bonds Sold In Hyderabad

The GHMC is working full-time to make the city visually attractive. And for the first time in the state, a full-fledged park with all facilities will be coming up underneath the right and left sides of the Kamineni flyovers at LB Nagar.Similar parks have been developed underneath the flyovers at Shaikpet and Bahadurpura, but the park in LB Nagar will be fully equipped in about two acres. Right now, works are on for laying walking tracks and an amphitheater. The amphitheater will accommodate 50 to 60 people when ready. There will be walkways, fountains, sculptures, seating areas, a children's play area, lush green plants, a cafeteria, and parking facilities. In fact, the park has been tentatively named Oxygen Park, owning to the many green plants producing oxygen planted to neutralize air pollution.The entire park is being developed at the cost of Rs 1 crore by GHMC as a gift to the next generation. The LB Nagar flyover park will have a 750 mt walking track surrounded by trees and plants, vertical gardens decorating the pillars, fountains, sculptures, and a parking facility for two-wheelers and four-wheelers.The urban biodiversity wing of GHMC is developing the park while civil works are being done by the GHMC engineering wing. The civic body is hoping that the park will be a role model of sorts for other cities and states in the country.

Unique Oxygen Park Coming Up Under LB Nagar Flyover

It's a time when most people in Hyderabad are hooked on organic farming and would love to have the veggies and fruits of their kitchen gardens and veggie patches. But it has to be observed that a growing number of people are making use of their terrace spaces to grow a lot of varieties of fruits and vegetables.While many are happily growing a few vegetables or fruits, Saileela Darsha is one such enthusiastic farmer who has taken her hobby one step further. She has grown 200 varieties of vegetables on her terrace that include 26 types of tomatoes, 11 types of brinjal, 15 types of bottle gourd, and four types of snake gourd, apart from beans, carrot, green chilies, Donda, to all kinds of leafy vegetables.Not stopping there, Saileela Darsha also grows a good variety of fruits, including apples, sapota, grapes, guava, dragon fruit, and watermelon. She also has okra, a variety of ladies' fingers that grows up to 16 inches. Being an ardent farmer, Saileela also procures seeds from her friends in Kerala, which are known to grow a huge variety of vegetables through her friends.And like all organic farmers, Saileela uses cow dung and kitchen waste as compost which keeps her plants fresh and healthy. All this shows in the taste, says the home-maker-cum-farmer. Buoyed by her success, Saileela has started a YouTube channel Saileela Vlogs and posts regular videos about her farming practices.

Hyderabadis Finds A New Hobby In Some Terrace Gardening

A horrific incident took place in Gachibowli in the city. A student cut the throat of another student at the boys' Gurukul Hostel in Gowlidoddi. The incident caused a stir locally. The student suffered severe bleeding during the attack. He was rushed to Gachibowli Hospital for treatment.The incident happened on the 26th of this month but came to light lately. On that day, there was a clash between two students over breakfast. Sathvik was eating Upma and some of it spill over another student's hand. A heated argument happened and they were even abusing each other.&nbsp;The teacher intervened between them, pacified the students, and sent them away. One of the students is not convinced and attacked the other at midnight on the same day. The accused slit Sathvik's throat with a blade. Doctors say he is out of danger. A case has been registered over the incident and police are investigating.

Student Slits Throat Of Friend In Gachibowli

The Greater Hyderabad Municipal Corporation (GHMC) has warned that city dwellers who do not pay property tax on time will now have to pay a two percent penalty each month. GHMC allows people to pay Property tax twice in a financial year in equal installments.However, the Penalty need not be paid for the first three months of the first six months and the first three months of the second half of the year, the authorities say. However, if you do not pay property tax for a year, you will have to pay tax with a penalty of 24%.&nbsp;The cash-strapped Corporation is in dire need of funds.&nbsp;For various reasons, the corporation fell short of tax collection targets. GHMC covers 17,34,411 taxpayers with commercial, residential, and mixed buildings.&nbsp;Of this, property tax of about Rs 887 crore has been paid so far on 9,06,486 properties. The rest should also pay immediately and get an exemption from the 2 percent penalty, officials said. The corporation is also identifying the buildings where commercial businesses are running in residential areas and the property tax is being under-estimated and are correcting them to increase the revenues.