

Poddar Plumbing to Invest Rs 7.58 Bn in Karnataka, Generate 12,000 Jobs
Poddar Plumbing System, a leading manufacturer of CPVC and PVC pipes, has announced plans to increase its investment in Karnataka to Rs 7.58 billion from the earlier Rs 4.92 billion. The expansion is expected to create around 12,000 jobs—3,000 direct and 9,000 indirect—in the state.As part of this investment, the company is setting up a large-scale manufacturing facility in the Vemgal Industrial Area (Phase 2), Kolar, spread across 33 acres. The plant is expected to become operational by August 2026. In addition, a second unit has been proposed in Vijayapura.The announcement followed a mee..

No glass boxes!
India is moving away from the ‘glass box’ syndrome, all-glass façades that were widely used in commercial buildings in the last two decades but came at a significant environmental cost given the country’s predominantly hot and humid climate. Poor thermal performance, excessive heat gain and dependency on mechanical cooling systems made buildings with glass façades energy guzzlers and significantly increased their carbon footprint.That said, it’s important to be aware that “glass is not the enemy,” points out Heena Bhargava, Architect, Architecture Discipline. “How it ..

Why do pavements fail?
India’s highways continue to expand at a healthy pace. But conversations on the surface quality of highways are growing louder because major deficiencies and black spots continue to be identified, and they are cause for concern.“Road surface roughness causes vehicle vibrations that, in turn, can affect the performance of drivers,” explains Dr V K Gahlot, Road Safety Auditor, Centre for Research and Sustainable Development (CfRSD). “Continuous exposure may induce fatigue, a contributory factor to road accidents. Road surface roughness also affects the vehicle operating cost...