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By:

Quaid Najmi

4 January 2025 at 3:26:24 pm

Modi’s ‘Melody’ diplomacy stuns the world

Overjoyed investors buy shares of a wrong company after the PM’s gift Mumbai: Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Wednesday gifting his Italian counterpart Giorgia Meloni 'Melody' toffees, reviving the light-hearted "Melodi" wordplay associated with the two leaders on social media. Meloni thanked Modi and shared a video on the social media in which she could be heard saying, “Prime Minister Modi brought as a gift, a very, very good toffee - Melody.” Modi, who was also seen in the video, burst...

Modi’s ‘Melody’ diplomacy stuns the world

Overjoyed investors buy shares of a wrong company after the PM’s gift Mumbai: Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Wednesday gifting his Italian counterpart Giorgia Meloni 'Melody' toffees, reviving the light-hearted "Melodi" wordplay associated with the two leaders on social media. Meloni thanked Modi and shared a video on the social media in which she could be heard saying, “Prime Minister Modi brought as a gift, a very, very good toffee - Melody.” Modi, who was also seen in the video, burst into laughter as Meloni jokingly referred to the "Melody" toffee while showcasing the gift. The hashtag "Melodi", a blend of Modi and Meloni's names, was coined by the Italian prime minister during the COP28 in Dubai in 2023 and later went viral on social media following the warm interactions between the two leaders at global events. Modi, who arrived in Rome on Tuesday, is on the final leg of his five-nation tour to the UAE, the Netherlands, Sweden, Norway and Italy from May 15-20. Modi’s gift not only floored the social media, but also earned gushing gratitude from the manufacturer of the sweet candy, Parle Products, in Vile Parle, Mumbai. “Thank You. Hon’ble Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi for taking Parle Melody to the global stage. A proud moment for all of us at Parle Products to see an Indian favourite being shared across borders,” said a social media post from @ParleFamily, a 97-year-old company. Parle Products describes Melody: “Parle Melody brings to you an irresistible layer of caramel on the outside & a delightful chocolate filling inside. Open & pop it in your mouth & relish the unique experience. It won't be too long before you start asking yourself the age-old question "Melody Itni Chocolaty Kyun Hai?”.” Cong Attacks Modi Congress leader Rahul Gandhi and several other Congress leaders also attacked Modi saying he continues his PR even when the economy is suffering. However, Union Commerce Minister Piyush Goyal hit back at Gandhi, accusing him of "hating India" and refusing to tolerate the "global respect" the country has garnered under Modi's leadership. Gandhi, who is on a visit to his constituency Raebareli and Amethi, said on X, "This isn't leadership, it's a gimmick." At a time farmers, labourers, traders and others in the country are all in tears, the prime minister is laughing and making reels while BJP folks are clapping along, the former Congress president said in his post in Hindi. "An economic storm is raging over our heads, and our prime minister is busy handing out candies in Italy!" he said. Congress chief Mallikarjun Kharge attacked Modi over issues of "rising" prices, unemployment, paper leaks, "dampening" investment and "sinking" Rupee, saying the prime minister continues his PR even as the economy is suffering. Shares turn sweet but the company was mistaken Shares of Parle Industries Ltd saw frenzied buying on Wednesday, surging five per cent to hit the upper circuit limit after Meloni posted the video. Investors wasted no time and flocked to the counter to buy the stock. Shares of the firm jumped to Rs 5.25 - the highest trading permissible limit for the day - on the BSE. On volume terms, 8.57 lakh shares of the firm were traded on the BSE during the day. But, there is a catch! Investors mistook Parle Industries for the maker of Melody toffees. Parle Products, the FMCG major, is the manufacturer of Melody toffees and is not listed on the stock exchanges. Parle Industries Ltd is a diversified commercial services provider, engaged in the business of infrastructure & real estate, and paper, waste paper and allied products. The history of swadeshi toffee is entwined with the country’s Independence and the company, House of Parle was founded in 1928 by Mohanlal Dayal Chauhan, a tailor from Pardi near Valsad, then part of the Bombay Province. As the country was flooded with imported sweets and confectionery, he decided to give it a ‘desi’ touch and flavour, and with a band of 12 workers, he launched the Parle products from a musty old warehouse near Vile Parle east station, when large parts areas of Vile Parle west were still marshes dotted with a few old bungalows and chawls. Later, he visited Germany to master the art of confectionery and returned with machinery worth Rs 60,000 to churn out simple sweets, toffees and locally flavoured Indian confections at affordable prices – willy-nilly challenging the imported British offerings. It was in 1983 that the chocolate Melody toffee. -WITH PTI

Maharashtra Leads India’s Green Power Revolution

Updated: Oct 22, 2024

Green Power Revolution

Maharashtra has significant potential for renewable energy owing to its plentiful sunshine, large land mass, and proximity to coastal breezes. To reduce its dependence on fossil fuels, the state is actively pursuing various green energy sources, like solar, wind, biomass, and hydropower.

Although India’s per capita waste levels are low, the country has become the world’s largest global producer of plastic waste. Tackling this waste poses a huge challenge, and one way to do that is by setting up power plans that would use municipal waste for power generation. Incidentally, Maharashtra has taken several steps towards increasing its share of renewable power sources in the total installed capacity of the state and integrating it into the grid. These moves will certainly guide other states into adapting to green power in their own planning. With 5.13 gigawatts, or GW, of wind power, 4.98 GW of solar power, 2.64 GW of biofuels, and 382 megawatts, or MW, of small hydroelectric capacity, Maharashtra now ranks among the top states in terms of installed renewable energy capacity (13.14 GW). The state has seen a major increase in solar power capacity in recent years, primarily through an increasing number of solar parks, rooftop installations, and solar energy regulations that support the use of solar technology by both residential and commercial consumers. Additionally, the state has made significant investments in wind energy projects and has explored biomass energy options for converting organic and agricultural waste into electricity.

However, Maharashtra’s road towards a future powered entirely by renewable energy sources has not been without its share of challenges. These include the erratic nature of solar and wind resources, grid integration complexities, land acquisition issues, distribution companies, or discom-related constraints and vulnerabilities associated with climate change. These issues must be resolved to maximise renewable energy potential in Maharashtra. Nevertheless, the ruling alliance has remained committed to increasing the renewable energy capacity of the state and has made significant policy changes that have been attracting private sector investment and encouraging innovation in the industry.

Last year Tata Power signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the Maharashtra government to set up two large pumped hydro storage projects in the state. The total capacity of the two projects is 2,800 MW. These projects will require an investment of Rs 130 billion and create jobs for over 6,000 people. In June 2023, NHPC Limited and Maharashtra’s Department of Energy signed an MoU for the development of pumped storage schemes and other renewable energy source projects in Maharashtra. The MoU envisages the development of four pum¬ped storage projects aggregating 7,350 MW of capacity, namely, Kalu (1,150 MW), Savitri (2,250 MW), Jalond (2,400 MW), and Kengadi (1,550 MW).

Last week, the state government took a further leap and signed three different MOUs for floating solar, wind energy, and green hydrogen. Through these MOUs, a total investment worth Rs 47,000 crore is expected to come to the state, and it shall bring along 18,000 jobs and 5,500 MW of green power to the state.

The state government has set an aim of having 50% of all its power usage come from clean sources and the current efforts are a step to achieve that target. The Mahayuti government has also set a target of making the state completely emission free by 2070. The current initiatives and policy making efforts are also aimed at that, DCM Fadnavis said during the ceremony to ink the MOUs.

The state government had earlier this year initiated a global partnership and entered into MOUs with institutions from Germany and Australia which are aimed at fly ash reduction and reducing the carbon footprint of the energy sector in the state. It is also aimed at adopting circular economy templates suitable for the state. The strategy also aims to implement 17.36 GW of transmission system-linked renewable power projects by 2025, comprising 12.93 GW of solar projects, including 2 GW of grid-connected rooftop solar projects. Maharashtra has placed a significant emphasis on solar energy due to its abundant sunlight. The state receives 250-300 days of strong sunlight on average each year, resulting in a generation of 4-6 kWh per square metre. In contrast, over the past year, the wind energy industry has not ex¬perienced comparable growth.

Hurdles such as the inability to control the erratic nature of wind and solar resources block the state agencies from achieving targets of steady electricity supply to satisfy demand. Pumped storage projects and battery storage systems are hope of realising the green power dream for the state, but there are also potential technical difficulties. Integrating renewable energy sources into the grid will have to be ensured before moving ahead. Despite such challenges, Maharashtra aims to maintain its leading position and produce 40 per cent of its power from renewable sources by 2030. The strategy also aims to implement 17.36 GW of transmission system-linked renewable power projects by 2025, comprising 12.93 GW of solar projects, including 2 GW of grid-connected rooftop solar projects. This assures that the state is on the right track regarding its green power goals and adherence to sustainable development objectives.

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