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The Indian wellness industry is sized at USD 42.1 billion in 2023 and is slated to cross USD 70 billion by 2025, growing at a CAGR of 28-30%. Increasingly the traditional boundaries between wellness, hospitality, vacations, and serviced living are blurring, as Indians are now prioritizing health and wellbeing, just like their global counterparts.

By Jana Choukeir, Ahmed Elimam and Robert Harvey

Indian Railways' PSU stock locked at 16% upper circuit to hit 52-week high-mark During the Covid lockdown, railway operations were completely shut but resumed in June 2022. However, after the resumption of the train operation, the concessions were not restored. Since then, the issue has been raised on various platforms, including in both houses of parliament.

Coast Guards of India and Japan held a joint exercise of responding in real-time, rescuing the crew of a distressed vessel off the coast of Chennai on Friday. The joint exercise code-named 'Sahyog Kaijin' on the Bay of Bengal saw the ICGS Shaurya and JCGS Yashima, equipped with advanced equipment, rush swiftly to rescue the crew of MT Matsyadristi and MV Anveshika involved in a simulated collision that resulted in a fire onboard the MT Matsyadristi as well as a crude oil slick. Immediately after receiving the distress call, fast patrol vessels ICGS Annie Besant and ICGS Rani Abbakka surged forward to commence the rescue operation.

Investing.com-- China’s trade balance grew more than expected in December, aided by an outsized rise in exports as foreign demand improved, while the country’s imports continued to lag. 

Ill-advised comments by Maldivian ministers against India sparked a diplomatic row, led to their ejection from authority in Maldives and set off social media calls here to develop Lakshadweep, a Union territory off the coast of Kerala, as an alternative tourist destination. While they hold parallel appeal as holiday isles with white-sand beaches amid dreamscape waters, replicating Maldives’ model of high-end resort exclusivity may not be possible at that scale, given Lakshadweep’s smaller size, even if new infrastructure can support an enlarged influx of tourists.

This year’s scores on the Henley Passport Index, which tracks how easily people can travel abroad, are out. For the past five years, Singapore and Japan have been contenders for the honour of issuing the most powerful passports, granting their holders access to more of the world’s countries without a prior visa than others.

Tons of garbage floats down a river at least twice a year and ends up near the eastern Bosnian town of Visegrad behind a barrier installed by a local hydroelectric plant

SpiceJet's cargo arm SpiceXpress on Thursday said it has partnered with Bengaluru-based Star Air to manage the belly space capacity for carrying cargo in Star Air's fleet. The Kolhapur-headquartered Sanjay Ghodawat Group-owned Star Air has a fleet of nine Embraer planes, operating across 20 domestic destinations. This collaboration underlines SpiceXpress's commitment to expanding its reach and strengthening the domestic air cargo infrastructure, SpiceJet said in a statement.

Henley Passport Index, released on Tuesday, India's passport has ascended to the 80th position worldwide. This elevated ranking now affords Indian citizens the privilege of unhindered exploration across 62 countries, alleviating the burden of intricate visa application procedures. The assessment of this ranking aligns with visa regulations effective as of January 11, as sourced from data provided by the International Air Transport Association (IATA). A cornerstone in displaying, organizing, and ranking global passports, the Henley Passport Index, reveals six countries — France, Germany, Italy, Japan, Singapore, and Spain — jointly holding the prestigious title of the world's most potent visa. Citizens from these nations enjoy the unprecedented freedom to traverse over 194 countries without dealing with pesky visa requirements. On the flip side, Afghanistan sits at the bottom rung of the list, granting its passport holders access to a mere 28 countries without a visa. Syria closely follows with visa-free entry to 29 destinations, trailed by Iraq with 31, and Pakistan with 34. Indian passport bearers can now revel in the liberty of visiting 62 countries, including Oman and Qatar, without the encumbrance of a visa. These destinations extend either visa-free entry or the convenience of visa-on-arrival for Indian travelers, as elucidated by the Henley Passport Index 2024. Here is the full list of destinations Indians can visit without getting a visa before travel:

Lakshadweep, a tropical archipelago located 406km west of Kochi in Kerala, has gained attention in recent times. The Prime Minister of India, Narendra Modi's visit and a viral snorkelling picture sparked interest in this unexplored destination. Lakshadweep, consisting of 36 atolls and coral reefs, has become a popular choice for many celebrities. Out of the 36 islands, 10 are inhabited and open for tourism.

most powerful passport list for 2024, with citizens allowed to travel to 62 countries without a visa. The country shares its rank with Uzbekistan, while the neighboring nation Pakistan is positioned at 101 spot. Singapore and Japan have boasted the world’s most powerful travel documents for the last five years, granting their citizens access to more countries without a prior visa than anyone else.

Passport Index, offering their citizens visa-free access to a record-breaking number of destinations. According to data from the International Air Transport Association (IATA), France, Germany, Italy, Spain, Japan, and Singapore now boast the most powerful passports globally, enabling their citizens to visit an impressive 194 destinations out of 227 worldwide without the need for a visa. Are you immigration ready? Find out Four EU member states—France, Germany, Italy, and Spain—have now joined them at the top. Dr. Christian H. Kaelin, Chairman of Henley & Partners and the originator of the passport index concept, highlighted the widening global mobility gap. «The average number of destinations travelers can access visa-free has almost doubled from 58 in 2006 to 111 in 2024. However, the top-ranked countries now have a staggering 166 more visa-free destinations than Afghanistan, which ranks at the bottom with access to just 28 countries without a visa,» he said. South Korea takes the second spot alongside Finland and Sweden, enjoying visa-free access to 193 destinations. In the third spot, four EU nations—Austria, Denmark, Ireland, and the Netherlands—share access to 192 destinations.

Prem Watsa, who helms the $84 billion Toronto-based investment giant Fairfax, reiterated his commitment to India, hailing the country's economic prospects. Fairfax's investment plans for India are on track despite macroeconomic headwinds, he said. «India has got one big advantage — two-thirds of the economy is consumer-oriented,» Fairfax Financial Holdings chairman Watsa told ET.

Egghead Island arc and the new episode is about to unravel more about this significant arc and what it is revolving around. Though the Straw Hats have not yet reached the official island, some very significant mythological details have been revealed by episode #1089, leading to the re-establishment of a character who will be playing an instrumental role in this arc. Episode #1090 will be a real starting point to the arc, leading to the Straw Hats reaching their ultimate destination.

home to a slew of electric vehicle (EV) manufacturers, and that the state's industrial landscape and robust infrastructure were among other draws that can entice a company like Tesla. Follow Vibrant Gujarat Summit LIVE Updates here "…So as far as Tesla is concerned, the government of Gujarat will be more than happy to facilitate them in case if they decide to come to the state," Gupta was quoted by PTI as saying.

₹2,250 crore, which it plans to raise through a preferential issue of shares and warrants, to reduce liabilities accumulated during the covid-19 pandemic and also to clear statutory liabilities. The airline also has plans to spend the funds for expansion of its network with new destinations including Ayodhya and Lakshadweep, chairman and managing director Ajay Singh said on Wednesday while speaking at the company’s 39th annual general meeting via video conference.

Nestled along the pristine coastline of the Arabian Sea, Goa has long been known for its sun-kissed beaches, vibrant culture, and laid-back lifestyle. However, beyond its tourist allure, a new trend is emerging—real estate investors are increasingly turning their gaze to this small coastal state. The question arises: What makes Goa stand out, and why are investors looking beyond mainland India for real estate opportunities?

spiritual tourism segment in India grew by 35-40% year-on-year in 2023, according to estimates provided by travel majors, and it is expected to get a boost with the inauguration of the Ram temple in Ayodhya this month. Forward travel bookings and queries for Ayodhya are seeing a «strong» response, with flights for January 22 almost 80% booked, said an airline executive. Airline executives pointed out that for short-haul travel, they are expecting about 15% late bookings, primarily in the next five to seven days. «Some people are avoiding travel on the first day, expecting a rush and they plan to visit later,» the executive cited earlier said, adding that for the whole month, flights are almost 90% full. He pointed out that there could be some postponement of travel plans and some travellers would prefer travelling by train due to high airfares for January 22, the day of the temple inauguration. IndiGo and Air India Express had launched flights to Ayodhya immediately after the airport's opening on December 30. Both airlines now connect Ayodhya to Delhi, Mumbai, Bengaluru and Kolkata.

zero forex markup cards, provide currency at the exact inter-bank exchange rate without adding any markup fees on top of the base exchange rate. Forex cards are available in different variants based on the requirements of the travellers. The main types of forex cards are: A single-currency forex card is loaded with only one foreign currency and is suitable when you plan to visit just one destination country.

UAE president Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan embarked on a roadshow in Ahmedabad this evening. Before their roadshow, Modi welcomed the United Arab Emirates president on the latter's arrival at the Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel International Airport here.