OPINION, P10 FOOTLOOSE WELL BEING A Daniel come to judgement 52 places to go in 2024 TRYING TO LOSE WEIGHT? KEEP THE LIQUID CALORIES IN CHECK No matter when you travel, the list offers inspiration to travel for food, culture, and much more Page 7 While you are mindful of what you eat, you don’t put a similar thought to your drinking habits. A reality check Page 9 ACROSS THE AISLE, P CHIDAMBARAM WORDS WORTH Follow us on Twitter & Facebook. App available on App Store & Play Store WWW.FINANCIALEXPRESS.COM Vol. 16 No. 46 WHAT COULD MUSK WANT WITH TWITTER? FINANCIAL EXPRESS ON SUNDAY MUMBAI SUNDAY, JANUARY 14, 2024, 12 Pages, `12 P U B L I S H E D F R O M : A H M E D A B A D , B E N G A L U R U , WHAT'S INSIDE C H A N D I G A R H , C H E N N A I , Small bites, big returns India’s snacks market is packing a powerful punch, not just in terms of variety, but also in offerings and growing sale figures THE GOVERNMENT IS firming up a plan to avert the possibilityofabighittoIndia’s exports from the continuing Red Sea crisis.“We will keep exploring options to prepare forthe situation if it escalates,” a senior official said on Saturday. In today’s evolving nature of work and workplaces, it is the soft skills that can matter more than anything else THE GOVERNMENT IS not Cash market F&O Total 2022 37,400 24,800 62,200 2023 8,700 51,100 59,800 (% chg) 76.7 106.0 3.9 Apr May Jun Source: NSE Sept Oct -5,900 -10,200 Cash market F&O 14,100 10,900 (` crore) 7,500 13,100 Month-wise performance 15,500 AVENUE SUPERMARTS, which operates retail chain D-Mart, reported a consolidated net profit of `690.41 crore in Q3 FY24, up 17.09% from `589.64 crore a year ago. Consolida-ted revenue from operations at `13,572.47 crore in the December quarter was also up 17.31% from the year-ago period, reports Viveat Susan Pinto. ■ PAGE 3 April-November (` crore) 14,400 20,200 DMART OPERATOR Q3 NET PROFIT RISES 17% Retail investors net investments in NSE's secondary markets -300 CONSENSUS EMERGED on the appointment of Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge as the chairperson of the opposition INDIA bloc while JD(U) chief Nitish Kumar's name was proposed for the convener's post, pending approval of parties absent at the alliance meeting on Saturday, according to sources. ■ PAGE 3 RETAILINVESTORS EXPERIENCED a significant downturn in net inflows to the NSE cash market segment, marking a 77% decline to `8,700 crore inApril-November 2023, compared to the same period a year ago. On the other hand, their net investments in the NSE F&O segment more than doubled, registering a remarkable 106% increase to `51,100 crore during April-November 2023. In stark contrast to the previous year,where retail investors infused `37,400 crore into the NSE cash market during the same period, the current financial year saw a notable decrease in cash market activity. This shift underscores changing preferences and risk appetites among retail investors.The trend further intensified in November, as retail investors, who had been net buyers for the preceding four months, turned into net sellerswith a substantial net outflow of `16,100 crore (across both cash and F&O segments).This outflow marked the steepest decline in the past 29 months. Compiled by Kishor Kadam -6,100 700 CONGRESS CHIEF KHARGE TO LEAD OPPN BLOC INDIA escalates but the process is at a preliminary stage. The commerce ministry has been talking to exporters in this regard for the last couple of weeks.“There was a fear for a few days after attacks on Retail investors’ net inflows in NSE cash market fall 77% -11,500 4,900 NEWS considering any proposal to lift export curbs on several agricultural commodities suchas sugar,wheat,rice and onion, food minister Piyush Goyal said on Saturday. “There is no plan and no An inter-ministerial meeting will be held on January 17 to discuss the way forward, even though the current assessment is that the immediate impact of the situation on exports has not been much, he said. Another official said that the government is also exploring alternative routes to the Red Sea if the situation -3,500 -3,900 IN THE Jul Aug 2023 Nov Turning brick & mortar retail green VAISHALI DAR New Delhi, January 13 SUSTAINABILITY IN BUSINESS practices is now seeping down into the retail experience as well.BrandssuchasApple,Pizza Hut and Puma are making effortstogogreenintheirstores too by reducing energy costs, providing energy-efficient lighting,internetofthings(IOT) solutions and improving air qualityin store design. Apple’s BKC store in Mumbai and Saket, Delhi, store launched last year are carbonneutral. The Bandra Kurla Complex(BKC)storehasaglass facade to allow natural light, and is designed to beone of the WHAT'S IN STORE ■ Puma has got ■ Apple's store in BKC, Mumbai (right) has a glass facade to allow natural light, and is powered by 100% renewable energy ■ Pizza Hut's store in Mahim, Mumbai integrates energy efficiency, use of responsible materials and wastewater management, among others most energy-efficient Apple stores in theworld,powered by 100% renewable energy and featuring energy-efficient lighting with solar arrays. Apple decreased its carbon footprint by4.3 million metric tonne in 2019 through design K O C H I , NABL’s air quality certification for its five stores in Lucknow, CP in Delhi, Dahisar in Mumbai, CBD Belapur in Navi Mumbai and Ghaziabad and recycled content innovations in its products. Over the past one decade, Apple has reduced the average energy needed for product use by 73%. In 2019, Apple invested in energy efficiency upgrades to over 6.4 million square feet K O L K A T A , L U C K N O W , ● BRIEF REPRIEVE FOR NARESH GOYAL ■ Strategic group formed within commerce ministry at the level of additional secretaries ■ In 2022-23, Reliance Retail opened over 3,000 stores and invested `12 cr on many energy conservation initiatives like efficient HVAC equipment of new and existing buildings, lowering electricity needs by nearlyone-fifthandsavingthe company $27 million. PizzaHut recentlyopeneda ‘sustainable’store in Mumbai. Continued on Page 2 Continued on Page 2 N E W D E L H I , P U N E First flight from Navi Mumbai airport in 2025 NAVI MUMBAI INTERNATIONAL Airport FLYING HIGH (NMIAPL), which is ■ Navi Mumbai being built by the International Airport Adani group, will will have two runways start commercial and four passenger operations by March terminals 31, 2025, even of the first though trial flights of the two are expected by 3,700-metre runways October this year. is complete The `19,600crore greenfield pro- ■ The airport will have ject,whichwill create capacity to handle a passenger capacity 90 m passengers, of 20 million in the 2.6 m tonne cargo initial phase, will by 2031-32 have its first aircraft landing and takeoff by the end of FY25. CivilaviationministerJyotiradityaScindiamet with seniorofficials of theAdani group including JeetAdani,vicepresident,groupfinanceonSaturdayto take stock,while announcing that the project has achieved 55-60% completion. The project completion date that Adani Airport Holdings,the parent entityof NMIAPL,had announced previously was December 2024. However,a more‘realistic target’date is pushed ahead by three months. “End of December 2024 was the target we were pushing for and internally it is still the target. We have two projections,” Scindia said at a media event. 78% need to lift export curbs on several agricultural commodities and we are reviewing the supply situation regularly,” Goyal said at an informal media briefing in New Delhi, reports Sandip Das. ■ Page 2 merchant ships in straits connecting the Red Sea to Suez Canal but after that things have settled down,” the first official added. M U M B A I , SWARAJ BAGGONKAR & RAJESH KURUP Mumbai, January 13 No plan to lift export curbs on wheat, rice, sugar, onion Got info from India on social security pact, work on: USTR PAGE 2 EQ over IQ ■ Commerce ministry is talking to exporters in this regard but process is at preliminary for the last stage, said an official couple of weeks INSIDE ■ LEISURE, P6 H Y D E R A B A D , Govt in action mode on Red Sea crisis MUKESH JAGOTA New Delhi, January 13 ■ SPOTLIGHT, P5 READ TO LEAD EXPLORING ALTERNATIVE ROUTES ● Inter-ministerial ACTION PLAN meet to discuss way ■ Govt exploring to Red alternative routes forward on Jan 17 Sea if situation escalates A review of Ben Mezrich’s Breaking Twitter Page 4 Jet Airways founder Naresh Goyal, an accused in a money laundering case, leaves Arthur Road Jail after a court allowed him to meet his ailing wife and co-accused, Anita Goyal, on humanitarian grounds, in Mumbai on Saturday. PTI Continued on Page 2