BENGALURU — Arjun Rao wanted to go off the beaten track with his venture capital firm Speciale Invest, convinced that he could strike gold with startups dealing in robotics, rockets and chips and other complex technologies loosely called “deep tech.”
Not many people in India shared his enthusiasm. Most money from global VCs flowed into e-commerce and food delivery ventures, and it took Rao two and a half years to close Speciale’s first fund, of $8.5 million, in February 2019. During that time, India-focused VCs as a whole mopped up roughly $3.6 billion, according to estimates by consultancy Bain & Co.
ITC Hotel Classic Golf and Country Club, and MDU Rohtak partner to launch first apprenticeship-integrated hospitality degree under UGC’s AEDP guidelines
ROHTAK: In a significant academic-industry collaboration, Maharshi Dayanand University (MDU), Rohtak has signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with ITC Hotels’ Classic Golf & Country Club, launching India’s first Apprenticeship Embedded Degree Programme (AEDP) in hospitality and tourism under the public university framework, aligned with the UGC Guidelines 2025.The MoU was formally exchanged between Dr. Krishan Kant Gupta, Registrar, MDU, and Pradeep Kumar, Executive Vice President, ITC Hotel Classic Golf Country Club in the august presence of Prof. Rajbir Singh, Vice Chancellor, MDU. Under this collaboration, two skill-integrated undergraduate programmes—BBA (Hospitality & Services Management) and BBA (Tourism, Travel & Events Management)—will be introduced, each with an annual intake of 30 students.These four-year programmes follow a hybrid model, with the first two years dedicated to academic coursework at MDU, and the latter two years structured as an industry apprenticeship at ITC’s Classic Golf & Country Club. The curriculum will be co-designed with ITC professionals to ensure alignment with evolving industry standards.“This initiative marks a new era in skill-based education. Through this collaboration, MDU is pioneering a model that bridges academia and industry, nurturing career-ready professionals,” said Prof. Rajbir Singh, Vice Chancellor, MDU.Key features of the MoU include a monthly stipend for students during apprenticeship, along with provision for meals and accommodation. The program also includes field visits, guest lectures, mentorship by industry professionals, and the potential for performance-based placements.The initiative was lauded by university leaders including Prof. Harish Kumar (Dean Academic Affairs), Prof. Rajpal Singh, Prof. Ashish Dahiya, Prof. Pardeep Ahlawat, Prof. Sandeep Malik, and Prof. Ajay Rajan, who termed it a benchmark in NEP-2020-aligned, employability-driven education.TOI Education is on WhatsApp now. Follow us here.
Some say Western retirees are Pattaya’s biggest spenders, while others remain hopeful for a comeback of Chinese mass tourism. (Photo by Jetsada Homklin)
PATTAYA, Thailand — As Thailand continues promoting its “Welcome All” tourism revival campaign, some foreign visitors in Pattaya are quietly wondering: What happens if the Chinese return — and what if they don’t?
Strolling along Jomtien Beach or lounging in bars on Soi Buakhao, it’s not uncommon to hear debates about whether Pattaya’s fortunes still hinge on mass Chinese tourism, or if the city has already moved on.
“They’ll be back,” said one longtime European retiree. “Just as soon as they realize there’s nothing to do in Vietnam or elsewhere.”
But not everyone agrees. “No one really cares about Chinese tourists,” one tourist bluntly claimed. “They’ve never been big spenders and will never be. Get more Westerners — they’re the real big spenders.”
It’s a sentiment echoed by others who say Western retirees are the real financial engine behind Pattaya’s nightlife and hospitality industries. “Retirees can spend 10,000 baht a night,” said a bar owner. “Chinese groups come, take pictures, and maybe spend much less than that as per person.”
However, some locals are less certain. “Indians have taken over,” one Pattaya shopkeeper shrugged. “Chinese aren’t too keen on coming here now.”
But another argued, “Maybe you haven’t seen the Chinese eat and spend — they do it easily here, especially in restaurants and shopping malls.”
With changing visitor patterns, Pattaya’s businesses adapt—welcoming Indians, Westerners, and hoping Chinese groups will soon follow. (Photo by Jetsada Homklin)
Yet despite the critiques, businesses haven’t given up on the return of Chinese mass tourism. Many remember the packed tour buses and back-to-back bookings before the pandemic. “Obviously, you haven’t seen nothing yet,” said a Thai tour guide, optimistic about a comeback.
The Tourism Authority of Thailand (TAT) is working hard, busting their whole office to make the return happen sooner or later — arranging chartered flights, fast lanes at airports, elevated safety measures, and AI-aided security to welcome visitors back smoothly and confidently.
Others remain skeptical — comparing hopes for the Chinese revival to the long-dashed expectations of Japanese tourist rebounds after the 1991 economic crash. “They are the same people who awaited the revival in the number of Japanese tourists,” one expat remarked dryly.
For now, Pattaya waits — balancing its hopes on a mix of returning Chinese visitors, Indian family tours, and Western retirees. One thing is clear: no one group will carry the city forward alone.
HONG KONG, July 20 — Hong Kong issued its third-highest tropical cyclone warning in the early hours of Sunday as Typhoon Wipha drew nearer, with authorities cancelling classes and grounding hundreds of flights.
Wipha was located around 280 kilometres southeast of Hong Kong as of midnight (1600 GMT), according to Hong Kong’s weather observatory.
The observatory has hoisted the T8 warning signal, meaning that “winds with mean speeds of 63 kilometres per hour or more are expected”.
The storm was expected to keep intensifying, moving across the northern part of the South China Sea and edging closer to the coast of China’s Guangdong province.
“There will be frequent heavy squally showers and thunderstorms over the region. Seas will be high with swells,” the observatory added.
China’s Hainan and Guangdong provinces were also put on high alert, state news agency Xinhua reported Saturday.
More than 250 flights servicing Hong Kong had been cancelled as of late Saturday, according to the website of the city’s international airport.
Hong Kong’s Airport Authority asked travellers to prepare for “significant flight cancellations or delays” and said that no passenger flights are expected to depart the city before Sunday noon.
Authorities suspended Sunday’s classes at all day schools and daycare centres.
Bus services are expected to be halted until midday Sunday.
Wipha brought heavy rains and flooding to the Philippines and two people have been reported missing, according to the country’s National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council. — AFP
