SAMBALPUR l thursday l december 25, 2025 l `9.00 l PAGES 14 l CITY EDITION Bharti, Warburg Pincus buy 49% stake in Haier India for $2 bn Bharti Enterprises and Warburg Pincus said in a statement on Wednesday that they are making a strategic investment in Haier India Management control in Chinese hands Reliance, jsw group were in the fray The management control will continue to remain with China-based Haier Group, which will retain 49% stake in Haier India after the deal, down from 100%. The deal may provide reprieve from Press Note 3. Through PN3, the Centre had made its prior approval mandatory for investments from countries that share a land border with India, which includes China ■ ■ The announcement puts a curtain on a hotly contested race in which JSW group and Reliance Industries were participating | p12 The new capital infusion is expected to enhance Haier India’s competitiveness at a time when the company is aiming to be the number two player in the Indian electronics and appliances market `17,955 cr the size of the deal as per industry sources CHENNAI ■ MADURAI ■ VIJAYAWADA ■ BENGALURU ■ KOCHI ■ HYDERABAD ■ VISAKHAPATNAM ■ COIMBATORE ■ KOZHIKODE ■ THIRUVANANTHAPURAM ■ BELAGAVI ■ BHUBANESWAR ■ SHIVAMOgGA ■ MANGALURU ■ TIRUPATI ■ TIRUCHY ■ TIRUNELVELI ■ SAMBALPUR ■ HUBBALLI ■ DHARMAPURI ■ KOTTAYAM ■ KANNUR ■ VILLUPURAM ■ KOLLAM ■ TADEPALLIGUDEM ■ NAGAPATTINAM ■ THRISSUR ■ KALABURAGI Two new airlines get wings from govt S L a l i t h a @ New Delhi AIR travellers are set to have more options as three new domestic airlines prepare to launch operations. Two carriers—Al Hind Air and FlyExpress—received their No Objection Certificates from the civil aviation ministry this week, while Uttar Pradesh-based Shankh Air, which already has an NOC, is likely to begin flights in 2026. The development gains significance following IndiGo’s operational meltdown in early December, which drew sharp criticism over the appar- ent duopoly in India’s domestic aviation market. The aviation ministry is keen to have more airline operators in the country, which is one of the world’s fastest growing domestic civil aviation markets. “Over the last one week, pleased to have met teams from new airlines aspiring to take wings in Indian skiesShankh Air, Al Hind Air and F lyExpress. While Shankh Air has already got the NOC from the Ministry Al Hind , Air and FlyExpress have received their NOCs this week,” Civil Aviation Minister K Rammohan Naidu said on X. The ministry wants to encourage more airlines in Indian aviation sector, which is amongst the fastest growing international aviation markets. Over the last one week, pleased to have met teams from new airlines aspiring to take wings in Indian skies - Shankh Air, Al Hind Air and FlyExpress —Civil Aviation Minister K Rammohan Naidu on X To challenge Sengar’s bail Al Hind Air is being promoted by Kerala-based alhind Group, which was founded in the 1990s. Schemes like UDAN, have enabled smaller carriers Star Air, India One Air and Fly91 to play an important role in the regional connectivity within the country and there is scope for further growth, he added. Currently there are nine oper, ational domestic carriers in the country: Air India, Air India Express, IndiGo, Alliance Air, Akasa Air, SpiceJet, Star Air, Fly91 and IndiaOne Air, as per data from the Directorate General of Civil Aviation. Meets Rahul, gets promise of top lawyer Unnao survivor to approach SC seeking justice Isro launches heaviest satellite B o s k y K h a nn a @ Bengaluru The Indian Space Research Org anisation (ISRO) on Wednesday launched the 6.10-tonne BlueBird Block-2 communications satellite, the heaviest it has launched to date. Isro’s Launch Vehicle Mark-3 (LVM3)-M6 rocket, nicknamed ‘Bahubali’, lifted off with the satellite belonging to US-based AST SpaceMobile (AST and Science, LLC) and released it accurately into the 518.50 km altitude circular Low Earth Orbit. The launch took place at 8.55 am and the satellite was released into its orbit at 9.11 am in what ISRO scientists described as a case of “textbook launch”. Till now, the heaviest satellite that ISRO had launched was the 4.40tonne Communication Satellite 03, also known as GSAT-7R on November 2. The LVM3-M6/BlueBird Block-2 Mission was executed from the second launch pad of the Satish Dhawan Space Centre (SDSC) in Sriharikota. The launch was the result of a commercial deal between ISRO’s business arm NewSpace India Ltd (NSIL) and US-based AST SpaceMobile. safety and the Gandhis assured all help. A day after the Delhi High Court In its order on Tuesday, the suspended the life sentence HC granted bail to Sengar with awarded by a trial court to conditions. It directed him not former BJP MLA Kuldeep Singh to come within a 5-km radius of Sengar in the 2017 Unnao rape the survivor’s residence. Sengar, case, the survivor on Wednesday who is currently in jail, will not said she would move the Su- be immediately released as he is preme Court. also serving a 10-year term in On Wednesday, she and her the custodial death case of the mother staged a protest survivor’s father. He is yet near Mandi House against to get bail in that case. the HC verdict. The survivor was a miEarlier in the day, the nor when she was kidWe will go to duo met Congress leaders the Supreme napped and raped by SenRahul Gandhi and Sonia gar in 2017. Court and Gandhi after alleging ill- have sought Deploring the alleged treatment by Delhi Police. Rahulji’s help ill treatment meted out to On Tuesday night, the the survivor during her Unnao rape survivor and her mother protest in Delhi, Rahul survivor were reportedly forcefulGandhi said she is being ly removed by police from punished for seeking jusa protest site near India Gate. tice. “Is such treatment of a Speaking to the media, she gang-rape survivor appropriate? said no one from the govern- The fact that her perpetrator ment came forward to help her has been granted bail is exwhile Rahul Gandhi promised to tremely disappointing and get a top lawyer to fight the case shameful—especially when the in the Supreme Court. survivor is being repeatedly The survivor termed the Del- harassed and is living under the hi High Court’s decision to sus- shadow of fear,” he said in a sopend the jail term of Sengar cial media post. “Bail for rapists ‘death’ for her family. Sources and treating survivors like crimsaid she also sought relocation inals—what kind of justice is to a Congress-ruled state for this?” he asked. THE Union Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change has directed states to completely ban new mining leases in the Aravalli Range, stretching from Delhi to Gujarat, to save them from unbridled mining activities. The move follows reports that the Central Empowered Committee—established by the Supreme Court in 2002 and reconstituted in December 2023 — had contradicted a govern- HC decision death for my family, says rape survivor The Unnao rape survivor said on Wednesday that the Delhi High Court’s decision to suspend convict Kuldeep Singh Sengar’s jail term in the 2017 case is kaal (death) for her family. “If the convict gets bail in a case like this, how will the country’s daughters remain safe? For us, this decision is no less than kaal,” she said We may be turning into a dead society, says Rahul Deploring the ill-treatment meted out to the rape survivor during her protest in Delhi, Congress leader Rahul Gandhi said she deserves respect, safety and justice. “We are not just becoming a dead economy—with such inhuman incidents, we are also turning into a dead society,” he said E x p r e s s N e w s Se r v i c e @ Bhubaneswar No fresh mining leases for the Aravallis J i t en d r a C h o u be y @ New Delhi File photo of Kuldeep Singh Sengar being taken away from the CBI court in Lucknow on April 14, 2018 | pti Anu Garg to become Odisha’s first woman chief secy from Jan 1 Ending a 20-year political feud, Shiv Sena (UBT) chief Uddhav Thackeray and MNS president Raj Thackeray forged an alliance on Wednesday for BMC polls | pti ment-headed committee’s recommendations on definition of the Aravallis. The controversy centers around the Supreme Court accepting an Environment Ministry committee’s proposal that landforms over 100 metres constitute “Aravalli hills”. Critics argue this new definition increases the range’s vulnerability to mining. It is also believed the Forest Survey of India and the SC’s amicus cu- riae had opposed this definition. Despite this, the Supreme Court accepted the ministry’s 100-metre proposal on November 20. The Ministry has now asked the Indian Council of Forestry Research and Education to identify additional no-mining zones and preparing a management plan for “sustainable mining. Senior Cong ress leader Jairam Ramesh said the Centre “is misleading the public.” lation of smart meters which is part of a phased plan under schemes like the ReIn a huge relief to domestic electricity vamped Distribution Sector Scheme consumers, the state government on (RDSS) approved by the central governWednesday decided to exempt low-end ment, he said. consumers with contracted deThe chief secretary said meter mand (CD) up to 2 kW from payrent for all consumers having ing meter rent. The decision was smart meter with CD up to and taken by the state cabinet chaired including 2 kW have already by Chief Minister Mohan Chabeen abolished with effect from This will enable ran Majhi. April 1, 2025 as per March 24 Relow-end “This will enable low-end contail Supply Tariff (RST) order of consumers with sumers, who constitute 87 per the OERC. “In compliance with CD up to and cent of the total consumer base, including 2 kW to the directive of the Retail Supply to avail the benefits of smart me- avail the benefits Tariff order dated 24.03.2025, the of smart meters ters without paying any meter discoms have come up with a without paying rent and without any impact on proposal for installation of any meter rent the retail supply tariff,” chief 11,53,100 smart meters, replacesecretary Monoj Ahuja told mement of non-smart meters with Manoj Ahuja, diapersons after the cabinet smart meters for 8,75,000 conchief secretary meeting. sumers and 2,78,100 new connecAhuja said this will enable tion (estimated) for consumers Tata Power-managed power distribution with CD up to and including 2 kW in FY companies to fulfil the national mandate 2025-26 under the scheme,” he added. for speedy implementation of 100 per cent Ahuja said, the discoms will undertake smart metering in the state. The state gov- installation of smart meters through tarernment has launched the ‘MMSBY-In- iff-based capital expenditure (CAPEX) as stallation of Smart Meters Phase-l’ approved by OERC from the next finanscheme across the state to expedite instal- cial year. E x p r e s s N e w s Se r v i c e @ Bhubaneswar PR E E THA N AIR @ New Delhi brothers in arms Govt waives smart meter rent for 87% power users in state Odisha is all set to get its first woman chief secretary with the government appointing senior IAS officer Anu Garg to the post. Garg, presently the development commissioner-cum-additional chief secretary will take over from Manoj Ahuja, , who will retire on December 31. “Anu Garg, IAS, DCcum-ACS and secretary to Government, Planning and Convergence department with additional charge of additional chief secretary to government, Water Resources department is appointed as chief secretary Odisha and secretary to govern, ment, General Administration and Public Grievance department vice Manoj Ahuja, IAS, retiring on December 31,” read the notification issued by the General Administration and Public Grievance department on Wednesday . A 1991-batch IAS officer, Garg brings extensive administrative experience spanning more than three decades. Born on March 31, 1969, she has over three years of service remaining before retirement, providing her suf ficient time to further shape and strengthen the Continued on P7 administration.