Tata Play, India’s largest television streaming provider, is bringing the grandeur of the annual Tirumala Brahmotsavam directly to viewers’ homes through live streaming. The celebrations can be experienced on Tata Play Telugu Classics (channel 1441) and Tata Play Dheiveegam (channel 1593) until 2nd October 2025.

Brahmotsavam, celebrated at the sacred Venkateshwara Temple in Tirumala, Andhra Pradesh, is one of India’s most significant spiritual festivals. Observed over nine days, it is believed to have been initiated by Lord Brahma, the creator, who performed the first rituals in honor of Lord Venkateshwara. Each day of the festival is marked by unique ceremonies, vibrant rituals, and grand processions of the deity, drawing millions of devotees from across the world.

Through Tata Play’s live streaming, devotees can now immerse themselves in the holiness of Brahmotsavam without leaving their homes. The telecast captures the divinity of rituals, the joy of spiritual gatherings, and the magnificence of the processions, making the audience feel as though they are present in Tirumala.

By offering this service, Tata Play ensures that millions of households can witness the divine celebrations, embrace the spiritual atmosphere, and participate in one of India’s most revered traditions from the comfort of their living rooms.

IIHM Bangalore recently rolled out an inspiring initiative that put sustainability at the heart of culinary innovation. The event encouraged student chefs to rethink food waste, proving that even peels, seeds, and rinds can be turned into gourmet creations.

The initiative showcased inventive use of ingredients often discarded—like onion peels, jamun seeds, pineapple peels, watermelon rinds, pumpkin seeds, and cucumber peels. Students transformed these through methods like drying, powdering, and reusing them in desserts, starters, and accompaniments.

Director of IIHM Bangalore, Sanchari Chowdhury, highlighted the importance of this shift, "As culinary students, we know that sustainability isn’t just a trend, it’s a responsibility. Recycling food waste not only reduces waste but also adds creativity and value to our kitchens. Above all, it teaches us to respect the ingredients we work with and set an example for the industry."

The program featured a sustainability challenge where around 20 students had 90 minutes to create innovative dishes from “basket ingredients” that included recycled items. The competition encouraged them to balance creativity with practical sustainability—a skill embedded in their curriculum.

Faculty mentor Chef Vijaitha explained the practical aspects, "To ensure safety, items like peels and seeds are always air-dried or recooked before reuse. This keeps hygiene intact while allowing us to explore new flavours and textures. Showing students how waste can be transformed into valuable dishes at minimal cost changes the way they see food and sustainability."

Beyond cooking, the event reinforced broader eco-conscious practices such as cutting down on plastic use, replacing cling film with paper or jute alternatives, and embedding recycling into daily hospitality operations. These steps reflect a growing global movement where the food and hospitality industries aim to reduce environmental impact.

One participating student shared, "Using ingredients that would normally be thrown away to create delicious dishes taught me how important it is to think creatively and responsibly about food. Even small changes in the kitchen can make a big difference to the environment."

By empowering students with these skills, IIHM Bangalore continues to strengthen its commitment to a sustainable culinary future—proving that innovation and responsibility can thrive together in shaping tomorrow’s hospitality industry.

The Federation of Himachal Hotels and Restaurant Association (FOHHRA) has written to Prime Minister Narendra Modi, seeking urgent relief to revive the state’s battered tourism and hospitality industry. The association has called for strict enforcement of RBI and MSME restructuring frameworks, a halt to SARFAESI actions, and financial assistance to support struggling hoteliers.

In its appeal, FOHHRA has requested interest subvention and a nine-month moratorium on loan repayments, pointing out that hotel units have remained completely shut during this year’s monsoon season, which caused widespread destruction across Himachal Pradesh.

The association’s four-page letter also pressed for flexible restructuring timelines, long-term hotel loans of up to 20 years, reversal of excess interest and penal charges, and a freeze on asset downgrades without collateral backing.

According to official data, Himachal received 41% excess rainfall between June 20 and September 25, leading to losses of nearly ₹4,861 crore. The state recorded 47 cloudbursts, 98 flash floods, and 148 major landslides, claiming 262 lives this year alone. In 2023, monsoon-related losses were estimated at around ₹10,000 crore with over 550 fatalities.

FOHHRA president Gajender Thakur stressed the urgency of intervention, saying, “Himachal is a tourism-based economy, and a large number of people—hoteliers, transporters, shopkeepers, travel agents, guides, taxi drivers, photographers, and vendors, depend on it. Many small and medium operators have already shut down, while others are on the brink of collapse after taking loans for their businesses.”

The association flagged that many borrowers are being charged interest rates as high as 15%, forcing some to sell personal assets or resort to high-interest informal loans just to stay afloat. Despite being registered MSMEs, hoteliers are reportedly facing SARFAESI proceedings, which FOHHRA argues violate RBI’s restructuring guidelines.

The letter urges the Prime Minister to direct the Finance Ministry, Reserve Bank of India, Ministry of Tourism, and state authorities to ensure effective relief measures, helping the sector move toward sustainable revival.

The tourism industry, a backbone of Himachal’s economy, has been hit repeatedly in recent years by natural disasters, financial disruptions, and regulatory challenges, leaving the hospitality sector in urgent need of government support.