Good morning, Bengaluru!
☁️ Today’s weather: High: 30 ℃ | Low: 21 ℃ | Mostly cloudy skies for the day.
🧐 Did you know? Malgudi Days was inspired by Bengaluru. R.K. Narayan combined the names of two of the oldest localities in the city, Malleshwaram and Basavanagudi to create the name “Malgudi”.
👩💻 New JLR innovation hub
Jaguar Land Rover opened its new innovation hub in Bangalore to develop advanced technologies.
What’s it about? The company launched an initiative in India to work with startups to develop the next generation of advanced technologies, products, and services. The Tata Motors-owned brand opened its new One Innovation Hub in the city as part of this effort.
- The hub will focus on Artificial Intelligence, big data, analytics, and Advanced Driver Assistance Systems (ADAS). The company hopes to collaborate with the next generation of talent.
- The hub will also bring together industry, government, and academia to discuss and develop solutions for the company.
Broader innovation efforts: This is the fifth hub the company has opened since JLR’s Open Innovation Programme launched in 2022. It has since engaged with over 2,500 startups with 33 formal collaborations.
🛎️ Radisson expands in Bengaluru
The Radisson Hotel Group has expanded its presence in the city with its sixth hotel.
What’s it about? The company announced the signing of its sixth hotel in the city – Radisson Hotel Bengaluru Aerospace Park. The new hotel is expected to be operational in Q2 2027 and will generate 250 job opportunities.
- Located 20 minutes from Kempegowda International Airport, the hotel is surrounded by corporate hubs with multinational companies, catering to business travellers and corporates.
- The 157-room hotel will have an all-day diner, bar, coffee lounge, and a 9,000+ sq ft health club. Other facilities include versatile meeting rooms and event spaces.
Bengaluru as a hub: The new hotel is part of the company’s continued commitment to the city and South India. The city continues to thrive as a hub for global companies and commerce.
🥕 Toxic metals in vegetables?
The CPCB has proposed a committee to assess the levels of toxic metals in vegetables in the city.
What’s it about? The Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB) has proposed a high-level committee to study and assess the possible contamination of the city’s vegetables by toxic metals.
- The decision comes after the National Green Tribunal’s (NGT) Southern Bench asked for details on a study by the Environment Management Policy Research Institute (EMPRI).
- The study involved 400 samples of 10 vegetables. It showed elements like iron, cadmium, lead, and nickel were higher than permissible limits.
Next steps: Since CPCB labs aren’t recognised by the Food Safety and Standards Association of India (FSSAI), the committee will be asked to include members from the FSSAI, the Indian Institute of Soil Science, Bhopal, and the CPCB’s regional director from Bengaluru. The NGT asked the CPCB to submit the final report by December 2.
🗳️ Call for BBMP polls
Citizens are demanding council elections at the earliest over recent governance failures during the rains.
What’s it about? As the city recovers from heavy rains and flooding, citizens vent their frustration over the lack of preparedness, unresolved infrastructure issues, and delays in essential services. Over 10,000 signatures have been gathered on jhatkaa.org calling for BBMP elections.
- It has been nine years since the last BBMP elections. They’re supposed to take place every five years. The last election was due in 2020, but many positions remain vacant.
- The shortage of elected officials and inadequate management had led to the dysfunction of several city services. The recent floods have shown the importance of accountable leadership for flood management and better infrastructure.
Galvanising support: The movement began on X (formerly Twitter) as a way for citizens to raise awareness and express their disappointment over the lack of governance. 80 people tweeting about it generated 1 lakh impressions.
✨ Things to do…
Here are some fun and interesting things to do in the city over the weekend!
- Experience South Indian hits at the Vidyasagar: The Greatest Hits live concert this Saturday.
- Art, craft, music, food, and fashion come together for the Diwali edition of the Sunday Soul Sante.
- Celebrate the festive season with Sunidhi Chauhan’s I AM HOME concert this Saturday.
- Learn and master a Coldplay classic at A Date With Coldplay this weekend.
- Foster creativity through stories with Meenu Sivaramakrishnan’s Once Upon a Time: Story Telling For Children this Saturday.
🛋️ Local Lounge
Yesterday’s Poll Results:
- I have watched a night show of a movie: 100.0% 🏆
- I haven’t watched a night show of a movie: 0.0%
That’s it for today. Have a great weekend!