Good morning, Chennai!
⛅ Today’s weather: It’s going to be sunny and partly cloudy.
🧐 Did you know? Parry’s Corner was the first area in the city to be assigned a PIN number. It got 600001.
🏥 Additional hospital beds
Hundreds of hospital beds have been added in South Chennai, with more on the way.
What’s it about? South Chennai, with its high-rises and easy-to-access schools and colleges and entertainment options, now has additional healthcare facilities. In the past couple of months, two hospitals with nearly 400 beds have come up with other groups looking to start branches in the region.
- Kauvery Hospital opened its 250-bed facility at Kovilambakkam, its second branch in the city. In February, SRM Global Hospital opened its multi-speciality facility in Kattakulathur with 120 beds.
- These new hospitals are strategically located to serve the needs of people in South Chennai and surrounding areas. As other areas of the city expand and grow, hospitals are building new facilities and recruiting more people.
Necessity: People demand and need quality healthcare services within a short drive distance from their homes. There’s increased demand in newly-developed areas. With more services being offered, healthcare workers are also moving there to avoid long drives and traffic.
🏃 Run Chennai run
Chennai discovers the benefits of running with more clubs, tracks, and marathons.
What’s it about? Chennai now has several clubs devoted to running and marathons dotted throughout the year. The summer hasn’t deterred people from signing up. Several organisations have conducted small running events, usually between 3 and 10 km.
- Rekha Sudarsan, founder-member of Dream Runners, started the group as she and four others decided to run on the roads since they were tired of their treadmills. They now have 12 chapters with 600 members in places like Anna Nagar and OMR.
- The Chennai Marathon and Dream Runners Half Marathon have seen increased participation. The 2023 edition had 25,000 people. Several communities and groups welcome newcomers with guides and mentors to help build pace and endurance.
Why run? While some had apprehensions about their weight, Lakshmi Sundar of Chennai Runners says this is a misconception. Running improves cardiovascular health. It’s not all about exercise or weight loss. It’s also about being a part of the community.
🌐 Sagent opens Chennai office
US mortgage firm Sagent opened its non-US headquarters in Chennai.
What’s it about? The fintech software company opened its office in Chennai with a $3 million investment. The city was chosen for its talent pool. The company modernises mortgage services for banks and lenders.
- Out of 520 employees, 120 will be working from Chennai, with that number reaching 200 in the next two years.
- The Chennai office will help build a modern technology platform to expand its customer base in the US.
Operations: Sagent currently serves 14 million customers and 45 lenders in the US. It has a 22% market share in the servicing segment of the $13 trillion mortgage industry in the US.
🐻 Lone sloth bear to get company
The only male sloth bear at the Vandalur Zoo will soon have companions.
What’s it about? A pair of young sloth bears from the Hampi Zoo in Karnataka will arrive next week to live alongside the lone male bear. Authorities were worried that the facility didn’t have a breeding pair of sloth bears. The bears will arrive from Karnataka in exchange for three ostriches.
- It has been over a decade since the zoo had a breeding pair of sloth bears. In 2011, a male bear died, and its mate also died the same year. Authorities didn’t get a pair for the lone bear.
- On a couple of occasions, a breeding female sloth bear gave birth twice to two cubs each time. However, none survived.
Routine: The lone male bear spends most of its time in the open area of the facility, which is open to visitors. In the evening, it returns to its enclosure.
📊 Today’s Poll
(Only subscribers can participate in the polls)
Is there a public park in your immediate locality/near your house?
- Yes, there is a public park in my locality/near my house.
- No, there isn’t a public park in my locality/near my house.
❓ Today’s Question
(Only subscribers can submit their answers)
What’s your favourite memory of watching a movie in the city?
Reply to this email with your answers.
🗞️ In other news…
- Mitsubishi Electric will set up an AC manufacturing facility on the outskirts of Chennai.
- Kauvery Hospital will take over the 200-bed facility Fortis Hospital at Vadapalani.
- IIT Madras’ micro tech device for underwater communications will be used by the Indian Navy.
- Metro tunnel under the Adyar River will connect the 46-km Madhavaram-Sipcot line.
- Kancheepuram residents took to the streets to protest, demanding flood mitigation measures.
🛋️ Local Lounge
Yesterday’s Poll:
- I completed my college education in the city: 83.3% 🏆
- I didn’t complete my college education in the city: 16.7%
Answers to Yesterday’s Question:
What’s the biggest misconception you think others have of the city?
Chitra: “That everyone in Chennai is very conservative!!”
That’s it for today. Have a great day!