News Headline
Sahara Mumbai offices,godowns gutted
MUMBAI: Sahara India’s office complex and godowns in Mumbai suburb Goregaon suffered heavy damages when a fire broke out at 6:02 pm yesterday.
The blaze engulfed a 45000 sq feet store house -cum- godown approximately, according to Mumbai’s fire control duty officers. City fire chief A D Jhandwal visited the spot and mentioned that a senior investigation team will be visiting the site today for a detailed examination. The cause of the fire is not yet known.
No human casualties have been reported. The corporate office complex also housed the airline office and the human resources cell. According to eyewitnesses, the employees were evacuated as soon as the mishap occurred. Unconfirmed reports add that training sessions were being conducted for Sahara News. Sahara is planning to launch several news launch in mid-February.
Eight fire engines and six tankers from the adjoining areas were pressed into action. The fire was brought under control by 7:45 pm. Duty officers say that the initial examination showed that that official records; audio and video equipment; were destroyed. The Asian Age (Mumbai) reported that the losses were to the tune of Rs four million. Sahara Samay Mumbai head Rajeev Bajaj said this afternoon that imported equipment specially flown down for Sahara Samay Mumbai has been destroyed.
The area that was gutted also included the airconditioning plant, says Bajaj. An inventory is being currently drawn up to assess the damage, he says.
Launched on 28 March 2000, Sahara TV is a 24 hour free-to-air Hindi entertainment satellite channel offering meaningful programmes with a difference to over 40 million C & S (Cable and Satellite) households in India with added reach in over 66 countries. It has fully-equipped state-of-art studios in Noida and Mumbai, and its own earth-station at Noida for direct uplinking from India.
In December, the Subrata Roy-owned Sahara group successfully launched its own earth station in the country at Noida, near New Delhi.
Sahara TV has already started to uplink using the station, earning it the distinction of being the first Hindi entertainment satellite channel to do so directly from India.
The first-of-its-kind earth station will enable the channel to concurrently uplink stream of 8-plus satellite channels directly from India. Officials claimed that this would go a great way in facilitating Sahara’s news channels plan when it gets operational.
Sahara Airlines Ltd. took to the skies for the first time on 3 December 1993.
NEW DELHI: Hamdard Laboratories gathered a cross-section of India’s achievers in New Delhi on Friday, handing out the Hakeem Abdul Hameed Excellence Awards to figures who have left their mark across healthcare, education, sport, public service and the arts.
The ceremony, attended by minister of state for defence Sanjay Seth and senior officials from the ministry of Ayush, celebrated individuals whose work blends professional success with a sense of public purpose. It was as much a roll call of achievement as it was a reminder that influence is not measured only in profits or podiums, but in people reached and lives improved.
Among the headline awardees was Alakh Pandey, founder and chief executive of PhysicsWallah, recognised for turning affordable digital learning into a mass movement. On the sporting front, Arjuna Awardee and kabaddi player Sakshi Puniya was honoured for her contribution to the game and for pushing women’s participation onto bigger stages.
The cultural spotlight fell on veteran lyricist and poet Santosh Anand, whose songs have echoed across generations of Hindi cinema. At 97, Anand accepted the honour with characteristic humility, reflecting on a life shaped by perseverance and hope.
Healthcare honours spanned both modern and traditional systems. Manoj N. Nesari was recognised for strengthening Ayurveda’s place in national and global health frameworks. Padma shri Mohammed Abdul Waheed was honoured for his research-backed work in Unani medicine, while padma shri Mohsin Wali received recognition for his long-standing contribution to patient-centred care.
Education and social development also featured prominently. Padma shri Zahir Ishaq Kazi was honoured for decades of work in education, while former Meghalaya superintendent of Police T. C. Chacko was recognised for public service. Goonj founder Anshu Gupta received an award for his dignity-centred rural development initiatives, and the Hunar Shakti Foundation was honoured for empowering women and young girls through skill development.
The Lifetime Achievement Award went to former IAS officer Shailaja Chandra for her long career in public healthcare and governance, particularly in the traditional systems under Ayush.
Speaking at the event, Hamdard chairman Abdul Majeed said the awards were a tribute to those who combine excellence with empathy. “These awardees reflect Hakeem Sahib’s belief that healthcare, education and public service must ultimately serve humanity,” he said.
Minister Seth struck a forward-looking note, saying India’s young population gives the country a unique opportunity to become a global destination for learning, health and wellness by 2047.
The ceremony also featured the trailer launch of Unani Ki Kahaani, an upcoming documentary starring actor Jim Sarbh, set to premiere on Discovery on 11 February.
Instituted in memory of Unani scholar and educationist Hakeem Abdul Hameed, the awards have grown into a national platform that celebrates those building a more inclusive and resilient India. For one evening at least, the spotlight was not just on success, but on service with substance.
