Sightsavers India and Roche Launch Diabetic Retinopathy Clinic in Bhopal

Bhopal, Feb 17th: Sightsavers India, in partnership with Roche, has launched a dedicated Diabetic Retinopathy (DR) Clinic in Bhopal under the Amrita Drishti – Urban Eye Health Programme. This initiative aims to enhance early detection and management of retinal conditions among underserved urban populations in Madhya Pradesh, with a special focus on women, children and the elderly within marginalised communities.

Diabetic retinopathy remains a significant cause of avoidable blindness. As diabetes prevalence increases, many patients remain unaware of retinal damage until vision loss becomes severe. Early screening and timely referral are essential to reducing long-term complications.

The initiative establishes a dedicated DR clinic at Jai Prakash District Hospital, Bhopal, supported by the installation of a fundus camera to enable early and accurate retinal screening. Patients diagnosed with diabetes are referred for screening at this facility, and those requiring further diagnosis or treatment are directed to Gandhi Medical College, Bhopal, ensuring a streamlined pathway from primary screening to tertiary care.

In addition, Sightsavers India will strengthen referral systems, provide technical support, conduct outreach and awareness activities, and collaborate closely with government stakeholders to ensure sustainability within the urban health system.

The launch event was attended by Dr. Anshul Upadhyay – SPO, NPCBVI Madhya Pradesh; Dr. Vivek Som – Vitreoretinal Surgeon, Gandhi Medical College, Bhopal; Dr. Manish Khichi, Lead – Market Access, Roche Products; Ms. Tasha Mahanta, State Programme Lead – Bhopal, Sightsavers India; and Mr. Mayur Verma, Deputy Manager – DSTG, Sightsavers India, among others.

Dr Monika Puri, Chief Commercial Officer at Roche, said: “Diabetic retinopathy is a silent threat that can steal vision even before symptoms appear. Through Amrita Drishti – a dedicated retina clinic at JP Hospital, Bhopal, we aim to ensure timely screening, early diagnosis, and access to treatment for every person living with retinal diseases. Protecting sight is not a luxury, it is essential to living with dignity and independence.”

RN Mohanty, CEO of Sightsavers India, added: “This initiative under our Amrita Drishti – Urban Eye Health Programme is designed to strengthen and complement the government’s efforts to address non-communicable diseases and prevent avoidable blindness. We are working closely with public health institutions to enhance screening systems, build clinical capacity, and establish clear referral pathways for timely treatment. We sincerely thank Roche for partnering with us to advance equitable and accessible retinal care for underserved communities.”

Through this collaboration, Sightsavers India and Roche reaffirm their shared commitment to reducing preventable blindness and expanding access to quality retinal care for vulnerable populations.

Designing Responsibility: How Artisan Rug Brands Are Building Sustainable Global Relationships

Jaipur : In today’s global design economy, sustainability is often spoken about in terms of materials, certifications, and metrics. Yet for  rug manufacturers, its true impact is felt elsewhere. In the way partnerships are built. In how trust is earned. And in the longevity of relationships that extend far beyond a single season or shipment.

As international buyers become more discerning, sustainability is no longer a marketing claim. It has become a shared language between maker and market, shaping expectations on both sides.

Moving Beyond Surface-Level Narratives

European and global design partners are increasingly looking past slogans and labels. They want to understand process, people, and purpose. How artisans are engaged. How responsibly materials are sourced. How consistency and accountability are maintained over time.

This shift has redefined what credibility looks like. Brands are no longer evaluated only on aesthetic excellence, but on the integrity of their operations and the transparency of their decisions.

Craft, Continuity, and Care

For Man Made Rugs, sustainability has always been rooted in continuity rather than promotion. Working closely with artisan communities, the brand prioritizes stable livelihoods, controlled production practices, and a design process that respects both heritage and modern use.

“Sustainability is not something you announce. It is something you practice quietly, every day,” says Nirmit Khanna, Founder of Man Made Rugs. “When partners see that consistency over time, relationships naturally become stronger and more collaborative.”

Relationships Built on Transparency

As global trade frameworks and buyer expectations evolve, transparency has become central to long-term partnerships. Documentation, traceability, and ethical clarity are no longer compliance tools alone. They are signals of respect between collaborators.

For artisan rug brands, this means opening up their processes and inviting dialogue. It also means listening carefully to global partners and adapting without compromising the core values of craft.

The Future of Sustainable Partnerships

As sustainability continues to mature within the design industry, its role is becoming clearer. It is less about visibility and more about reliability. Less about performance and more about partnership.

For artisan rug brands, the future lies in designing responsibility as thoughtfully as they design their collections. In doing so, they are not only meeting global expectations, but redefining how meaningful, long-lasting relationships are built across borders.

From Jaipur to the world, sustainability is no longer just a value. It is a way of working together.

Cotiviti India Expands Footprint with Fifth Office in Uppal

Company to hire hundreds of new employees across healthcare and technology operations

HYDERABAD, India, Feb 16 – Cotiviti India Pvt Ltd (Cotiviti India), a subsidiary of U.S.-based Cotiviti, Inc., a leader in data-driven healthcare solutions, is significantly expanding its presence in India with a new office located in Uppal. The new office will represent Cotiviti’s fifth location in India and feature 900 workstations.

“This state-of-the-art office represents Cotiviti’s continued commitment to expanding in India with employee-centric offices,” said Peter Csapo, chief international and business services officer for Cotiviti. “After expanding several existing offices within the past year, we look forward to extending our presence in the Hyderabad metro area and hiring new team members to fill positions across healthcare, technology, and more.” 

The new Uppal office complements Cotiviti’s long-standing office in the Hi-Tech area of Hyderabad, which currently employs 2,200 Cotiviti team members. The Uppal office will primarily support continued expansion of healthcare payment integrity operations, medical coding, retail operations, software development, global IT support, and clinical policy content development and deployment.

In May 2024, Cotiviti introduced Cotiviti Prosperiti, a broad-based ownership program to ensure that every team member has a stake in the organization’s collective success, creating a work environment where everyone is motivated to contribute their best. All full-time employees are eligible to participate across all Cotiviti India locations.

In addition to the two Hyderabad offices, Cotiviti India operates in Pune, Mohali, and Coimbatore. Applicants are welcome to learn more about Cotiviti’s culture and benefits and apply for openings at www.cotiviti.com/careers.

Dassani Brothers Launches ‘Eternal Love’ A Valentine’s Day Collection Celebrating Affordable Solitaires and Yellow Diamonds

Mumbai, Feb 14: Marking the season of love, Dassani Brothers unveils ‘Eternal Love’, a specially curated Valentine’s Day jewellery collection that reimagines the classic solitaire with a modern and accessible approach. The collection seamlessly blends yellow diamonds, traditional solitaire diamonds, and innovative pie-cut setting diamonds to create pieces that are timeless, radiant, and thoughtfully priced.

At the heart of Eternal Love lies a celebration of enduring commitment. The collection showcases luminous yellow diamonds symbolising warmth, optimism, and joy, qualities synonymous with meaningful relationships. Alongside these are classic solitaires that reflect sophistication and everlasting elegance.

A standout feature of the collection is the use of pie-cut setting diamonds, a refined technique designed to create the visual appeal of a solitaire while offering a more accessible price point. The precision of the pie-cut arrangement enhances brilliance and surface reflection, delivering the grandeur of a solitaire look with greater affordability. This innovation allows customers to experience the essence of a solitaire without compromising on impact or craftsmanship.

“Valentine’s Day is about celebrating meaningful connections with jewellery that carries emotion and value,” said Sumit Dassani, Partner, Dassani Brothers. “With Eternal Love, we have focused on offering affordable solitaires through our pie-cut setting diamonds, while also introducing the warmth of yellow diamonds. The idea was to create a collection that feels luxurious, timeless, and within reach.”

The collection features rings, pendants, earrings, and versatile statement pieces crafted in fine gold settings that enhance the brilliance of both white and yellow diamonds. Each design reflects Dassani Brothers’ legacy of precision craftsmanship and fine jewellery excellence, tailored for modern gifting.

NBCC Preparing to build RERA approved Projects in J&K, says its Chairman

New Delhi, Feb 14: Shri Satish Chandra, IAS (Retd.), RERA Chairman, J&K on Friday disclosed that National Building Construction Corporation (NBCC) is most likely undertake housing and real estate projects in the UT of J&K.

Addressing a Panel Discussion on RERA Reforms in Housing Sector under the aegis of National Urban and Real Estate Development Conclave-2026 here Mr. Chandra added that RERA of J&K is in talks with its multiple agencies to effectively undertake approvals for a few real estate projects both in Jammu and Sri Nagar region for which parcels of land are being identified.

He, however, added that the NBCC is planning to effectively take part in constructing such housing projects after the details are worked out without disclosing much of details on this front.

Mr. Chandra has also added that RERA has been allotted office space both in Sri Nagar and Jammu to approve real estate projects in the two regions which currently number in five and lot of enthusiasm is being seen to construct such projects under the eyes of RERA regulations.

Parkinson’s Disease Triggers a Hidden Shift in How the Body Produces Energy

Researchers reveal that weight loss in Parkinson’s disease reflects a metabolic shift from carbohydrates to fat-based energy

Weight loss is common in Parkinson’s disease, but its biological basis has been unclear. Researchers at Fujita Health University show that this loss reflects reduced body fat, not muscle, along with a shift in energy metabolism. Patients exhibited impaired carbohydrate metabolism, mitochondrial dysfunction, and increased fat breakdown with ketone body production. These changes were most pronounced in thinner patients and those with more advanced disease, revealing a hidden energy crisis in Parkinson’s disease.

Weight loss is a well-recognized but poorly understood non-motor feature of Parkinson’s disease (PD). Many patients progressively lose weight as the disease advances, often alongside worsening motor symptoms and quality of life. Until now, it was unclear whether this reflected muscle loss, poor nutrition, or deeper metabolic changes. New research shows that PD-related weight loss is driven mainly by a selective loss of body fat, while muscle mass is largely preserved, and is accompanied by a fundamental shift in how the body produces energy.

Although PD is classically viewed as a neurological disorder, increasing evidence points to widespread metabolic dysfunction. Patients often experience fatigue and nutritional decline, yet dietary advice has largely focused on boosting calories. The new findings challenge this conventional view, showing that weight loss in PD reflects a failure of the body’s standard energy-producing pathways rather than reduced food intake alone. The findings were published on November 30, 2025, in the Journal of Neurology, Neurosurgery & Psychiatry.

The study was led by Professor Hirohisa Watanabe from the Department of Neurology at Fujita Health University, School of Medicine, Japan, along with Dr. Atsuhiro Higashi and Dr. Yasuaki Mizutani from Fujita Health University. The team aimed to clarify what exactly is lost when patients with PD lose weight and why the body is forced to change its energy strategy.

The researchers enrolled 91 patients with PD and 47 healthy controls and conducted a detailed analysis of body composition using bioelectrical impedance analysis. This allowed them to separately measure fat mass, muscle mass, and other body components. In parallel, they performed comprehensive plasma metabolomic profiling using mass spectrometry to evaluate glycolysis, the Krebs (TCA) cycle, lipid metabolism, mitochondrial function, and ketone body production.

The results revealed a clear and striking pattern. Compared with healthy controls, patients with PD had lower body weight and body mass index, driven almost entirely by a reduction in body fat. Muscle mass was largely preserved in the early-to-mid stages of disease, and the prevalence of sarcopenia was comparable to that seen in the general aging population. “We clarified that it is not the muscle that is decreasing, but the fat,” says Prof. Watanabe. “This changes how we should think about weight loss in Parkinson’s disease.”

Crucially, the study revealed that this fat loss is a consequence of a deeper metabolic failure. Key metabolites, such as lactic acid and succinic acid were significantly reduced, indicating impaired glycolysis and dysfunction of the TCA cycle—the body’s primary ‘’main engine’’ for adenosine triphosphate production. This failure means that glucose can no longer be efficiently converted into usable energy.

As a result, the body activates an alternative survival mechanism. Markers of ketone bodies, including acetoacetic acid, were elevated, along with metabolites associated with amino acid catabolism, demonstrating activation of an “emergency engine” that relies on fat and protein breakdown to sustain energy production. In other words, when carbohydrate metabolism fails, the body is forced to burn fat to survive.

Importantly, this metabolic shift was not uniform across patients. Ketone body levels were highest in thinner patients and those with more advanced disease severity. This suggests that as PD progresses, the body increasingly relies on fat breakdown to compensate for impaired carbohydrate metabolism. “Being thin may signal an invisible energy crisis occurring inside the patient’s body,” Dr. Higashi explains. “The body is forced to burn fat to survive.”

Beyond explaining weight loss, the findings have important implications for future care. Simply increasing calorie intake may be insufficient if the body’s main glucose-based energy engine is not functioning properly. The study suggests a need to rethink nutritional and therapeutic strategies for PD. Interventions that stabilize glycolysis, improve mitochondrial function, or prevent excessive reliance on fat-derived ketone bodies may represent entirely new treatment approaches, distinct from conventional dopamine replacement therapy.

Together, the results highlight PD as a disorder of both the brain and the body, driven by hidden metabolic dysfunction. By showing that weight loss reflects selective fat depletion due to impaired carbohydrate-based energy production, not muscle loss, the study offers a new framework for identifying high-risk patients and intervening earlier. Recognizing “thinness” as a biological warning sign could enable more proactive, personalized care to prevent disease-related energy collapse.

KLA Signs MoU with Government of Tamil Nadu to Expand Regional Investment with Up To Dollar 400 Million for a New KLA R&D and Innovation Campus in Chennai

Chennai, India Feb 13: KLA Corporation (NASDAQ: KLAC), a global leader in semiconductor process control and process-enabling technology, today announced the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the Government of Tamil Nadu to establish a new research & development (R&D) and innovation campus in Chennai. As part of the agreement, KLA intends to invest up to $400 million (₹3,600 crore) over the next decade, underscoring the company’s long-term commitment to India as a strategic hub for R&D, software, and AI-led semiconductor innovation.

Planned on a 12-acre site, the campus is envisioned as one of KLA’s largest innovation hubs, building on the success of the company’s existing operations in Chennai, with a potential capacity of up to 1.5 million square feet over time. The facility is designed to support advanced research and engineering and is expected to generate up to 4,000 jobs over 10 years.

“KLA’s decision to establish their new R&D and innovation campus in Tamil Nadu reinforces the state’s role in the global semiconductor value chain,” said Dr. T.R.B. Rajaa, Hon’ble Minister for Industries, Investment Promotion & Commerce. “We welcome KLA’s long-term commitment and continue to support investments that create high-quality jobs, build advanced technology capabilities, and further strengthen Tamil Nadu’s position as a preferred destination for global innovation.” The MoU was signed between KLA and the Government of Tamil Nadu in the presence of Thiru M.K. Stalin, Hon’ble Chief Minister of Tamil Nadu; Thiru Udhayanidhi Stalin, Hon’ble Deputy Chief Minister of Tamil Nadu; Dr. T.R.B. Rajaa, Hon’ble Minister for Industries; Thiru N. Muruganandam, IAS, Chief Secretary to Government; Dr. Darez Ahamed, IAS, MD & CEO, Guidance Tamil Nadu; Shri. Arun Roy IAS, Industry Secretary, Government of Tamil Nadu; Bobby Bell, EVP, Head of Government Relations, KLA; and Dominic David, President, KLA India.

Once opened, the planned R&D and innovation campus is intended to serve as KLA’s flagship innovation hub in Chennai, expanding on decades of growth in the region.

“India has been a critical part of KLA’s global growth story for over two decades,” said Dominic David, President, KLA India. “This MoU continues our long-term vision to scale India as a global centre for AI and software-led semiconductor innovation. We expect the planned Chennai campus to extend our existing R&D capabilities, strengthen collaboration across global teams, and provide broader support to customers.”