Good morning, Chennai!
🌤️ Today’s weather: High: 33 ℃ | Low: 26 ℃ | A little cloudy for the day.
🧐 Did you know? C Rajagopalachari was elected as the first Premier of the Madras Presidency from the Congress party.
👕 Adaptive clothing
House of Miraa produces conscious and nature-based handcrafted products for kids.
What’s it about? The two-year-old brand was founded by CM Kamalapriya and prioritises comfort and accessibility over glam. The aim was to fill a gap in the market where there aren’t many Indian brands that make adaptive clothing for kids, specifically those with physical or sensory challenges.
- The company promotes pure cotton custom-made clothes with a unit on East Coast Road (ECR). Three women and four men are involved in the production process.
- For kids who are on the spectrum or those with physical disabilities, tasks like buttoning a shirt can be tricky. None of the clothes have labels and tags since some kids find them itchy.
About inclusiveness: The inclusive line began this year and isn’t limited to kids. With research at hand, the team has a PDF with inputs for other brands to adopt. With more exposure, individuals with special needs can be seen in a different and positive light.
🚴 Take up cycling
Women across the city take up cycling for fitness and freedom.
What’s it about? Cycling has gained popularity among Chennaiites as a fitness activity and a sustainable transport method. Women are embracing the freedom that comes from riding a cycle.
- For some, cycling is better with a group to explore historical sites and cycling trails. Groups like Vibrant Velachery regularly take medium and long-distance cycle rides.
- Many undertake cycling activities and trips on weekends to balance out the work week. Some have also experienced cycling abroad through the countryside and cities.
Safety needed: While there are many cycling enthusiasts in Chennai, it’s not as safe as it should be. There are no dedicated cycling lanes, and motorists aren’t willing to share the road. Poor lane discipline makes it dangerous for cyclists, especially during peak hours.
📱 A helpful resource
News of Chennai is a helpful resource that was born out of the pandemic.
What’s its history? When the pandemic began, there was an abundance of information shared online as people searched for legitimate news sources. Shyam Sundar began an online portal called Covid19Chennai for people to find helpful contacts. When heavy rains hit the city in December 2021, he began reworking the portal and called it News of Chennai.
- News of Chennai is a citizen service platform where people can access information during times of need, like heavy rains or cyclones. The open-source GitHub-based website is a collaborative effort by Shyam and his friend Archana.
- Over the past three years, the site has provided authentic information on helplines, relief centres, weather conditions, and journalists to follow. The site’s weather data is sourced from Weather Union, a Zomato initiative.
Accessibility: To make the information more accessible, there will soon be a single PDF that people can download. A Tamil version of the site is also in the pipeline.
🏢 Investment in real estate
Chennai recorded a seven-fold increase in institutional investments in real estate.
What’s it about? According to Colliers India, institutional investments in real estate in Chennai increased from $47 million in Q3 of 2023 to $380 million in Q4 of 2024. It makes Chennai the top destination for such investments in India.
- In this year’s third quarter, Chennai accounted for 33% of all real estate institutional investments in India. The growth has been attributed to large deals in industrial and warehousing spaces.
- From January to September this year, institutional investment inflows in Chennai were $534.2 million.
Overall picture: All metro and tier 2 and 3 cities attracted a total of $1.1 billion in institutional real estate investment.
📊 Today’s Poll
(Only subscribers can participate in the polls)
Do you subscribe to magazines?
- I subscribe to magazines.
- I don’t subscribe to magazines.
❓ Today’s Question
(Only subscribers can submit their answers)
Which song instantly puts you in a good mood?
Reply to this email with your answers.
🗞️ In other news…
- Sewage and waterlogging complaints have decreased this year as the Metrowater took up timely measures.
- 18,000 police personnel will be on duty across the city for Deepavali festivities.
- Lit the Light organised a ceremony to distribute gifts to visually impaired people.
- A study on lakes showed that several of the city’s lakes have shrunk due to encroachments.
- Tambaram City Councillors met to discuss faulty property tax assessments and inadequate flood mitigation.
🛋️ Local Lounge
Yesterday’s Poll:
- I shop during Diwali every year: 42.9%
- I don’t shop during Diwali every year: 57.1% 🏆
Answers to Yesterday’s Question:
On average, how many hours in a day do you spend on your phone?
Suchi: “2 hours”
Shiva: “5 hours”
That’s it for today. Have a great day!