Balachandar G

Chief of Business Bureau, The Times of India, Chennai @TOIBusiness. Earlier with @businessline, @the_hindu, FC, @bsindia, @PTI_News & @IE_Economist. Biz Journo

[Massimo @Rainmaker1973]

A major new report warns that global wildlife populations have been cut in half in just four decades due to unsustainable human consumption and widespread habitat destruction.

According to the Living Planet Report by the World Wide Fund for Nature (WWF) and the Zoological Society of London (ZSL), average monitored wildlife populations declined by 50% between 1970 and 2010.

The Living Planet Index, which tracked more than 10,000 populations across roughly 3,000 vertebrate species, paints a sobering picture of humanity’s impact on biodiversity. Freshwater ecosystems were hit hardest, suffering a 75% decline due to pollution, water extraction, and dam construction. Terrestrial and marine populations both fell by around 40%, driven by habitat loss and overexploitation.

The underlying driver is humanity’s expanding ecological footprint. Global consumption already requires the resources of 1.5 Earths to sustain. This burden is highly unequal: the average U.S. resident would need nearly four Earths, while the average UK resident would require 2.5 Earths. Wealthier nations often export their environmental impact through imported goods linked to deforestation and habitat destruction in developing countries.

The report calls for urgent global action, including a shift to sustainable food systems, greater resource equity, and stronger habitat protection to reverse these trends.

[WWF. (2014). Living Planet Report 2014: Species and spaces, people and places. World Wide Fund for Nature, Gland, Switzerland]

[Balachandar G @BalascribeG]

Sad😢

[Gems @gemsofbabus_]

One year later, we still have zero answers. Along with them, 254 others died that day. 💔

[Amit Kumar Sindhi @AMIT_GUJJU]

Drinking beer on a public road is wrong and the police can take action for it.

But who gave MNS workers the right to beat a man like this?

He wasn't assaulting anyone, harassing anyone or creating a riot. If a law was broken, hand him over to the police.

Strangely, this kind of "justice" is usually reserved for ordinary people. You never see MNS workers dragging wealthy and influential people out of their cars and beating them for drinking alcohol in public.

[Office Of Vijay Patel @VijayGajeraO]

CJP should merge itself into AISA or SFI!

Both of them have the same cadre!

[Diva Jain @DivaJain2]

Even the FT is forced to admit, India's deft economic management has helped it navigate major shocks like Covid, Tariffs and War in Ukraine/Iran with great resilience.

[Ananthan Ayyasamy @AnanthAyyasamy]

Tamil Nadu Needs an Income Survey. Now!

Bihar did a Caste Survey. It shook India.

Modi Govt announced a National Caste Census. It will count every Indian.

But who will count Tamil Nadu’s salaries?

🔴 Average salaried worker: ₹21,285/month (PLFS 2026)

🔴 1.5 lakh engineers graduate every year — selling, not building

🔴 ₹6.64L crore GIM promised by previous DMK govt. Only 3% delivered.

CM Vijay @CMOTamilnadu @TVKVijayHQ — you won on a promise to fight for Tamil Nadu’s youth.

Here’s your first test:
— Publish a district-wise Household Income & Employment Survey of Tamil Nadu.
— Name every district. Name every salary band.

Let the data speak. Tamil Nadu’s youth are waiting.

#TNIncomeSurvey #TamilNaduJobs #YouthUnemployment

[Russia's Pivot to Asia @RussiasPivot]

India Proposes Quantum Computing Collaboration With Russia
https://t.co/GaMwtlQsfU
India has proposed collaborating with Russia in the Quantum computing area to help it meet its National Quantum Mission goals. Russia already collaborates with China in this area, with all three players set to become global leaders.

[Balachandar G @BalascribeG]

Tata Motors Passenger Vehicles will increase prices of its PV portfolio, including both ICE & EVs, by up to 1.5%, effective 1 July 2026.
Reason cited: "to partially offset the impact of rising input costs and sustained inflationary pressures.
@TOIBusiness
@TataMotors_Cars

[NDTV @ndtv]

In A First, All 28 Chief Ministers Join NITI Aayog Governing Council Meet
https://t.co/wjkfqkahh6

[Prasanna Viswanathan @prasannavishy]

Tamil Nadu says the proposed $4 billion Hyundai shipyard at Thoothukudi remains on track, and if it materialises, it could be one of the most significant industrial investments in India's maritime sector.

That said, this is far from a done deal. Large shipbuilding projects depend not just on state-level facilitation but also on central government policy support, incentives, infrastructure commitments and long-term strategic backing.

The bigger challenge for Tamil Nadu is execution. Andhra Pradesh under Chandrababu Naidu has built a reputation for aggressively courting investors with a highly coordinated state apparatus and direct chief ministerial involvement. The contrast with the current TN administration is hard to ignore.

[Ravi Sharma @RaviSharmaTalks]

@sagarikaghose:
Sagarika Ghose, please spare us the sanctimonious sermon.

You slithered into public life on a silver platter handed to you by Mamata Banerjee when she nominated you to the Rajya Sabha. Your entire so-called “career” in politics is nothing but a pathetic handout, courtesy of one single phone call from Mamata Di. You are personally,
embarrassingly obliged to her. Your public life? It exists solely because of her benevolence. You have done absolutely nothing for Bengal. You have never lived a single day in Bengal. For all we know, your “entry” was exactly that, a cosy little phone call from Didi.

So get the hell off that high moral horse you’re prancing on, you nominated nobody.

Those who have actually contested elections, those who have sweated it out door-to-door, faced the voters, and won their seats the hard way, know the real public mood of Bengal far better than a Rajya Sabha parachute ever will. That mood is the boiling anger built up over years of Mamata’s anarchic, family-run mafia rule and her darling bhaipo’s antics. Bengal is exhausted, disgusted, and finished with their toxic communal politics and shameless minority appeasement.
If these leaders are finally aligning themselves with the thunderous public verdict delivered in the last election, they are not “traitors”. They are doing what real politicians do: listening to the people who elected them. Their standing in public life was earned in the trenches, not gifted through a phone call nominating them to the Rajya Sabha like some entitled freeloader.

You, meanwhile, sit pretty on your unelected perch, lecturing everyone about “loyalty” and “convictions” while you yourself are the walking definition of purchased loyalty. The hypocrisy is not just breathtaking , it is downright disgusting.
SHAME on you.

[Sridhar Vembu @svembu]

Quoted post/article is a very good snapshot of the current global investment mood in AI, centered around America: extreme AI frenzy, massive capex boom focused on AI, all-time high corporate profit margins powered by the AI capex boom that creates immediate revenue and profits for suppliers but amortizes costs for buyers, extraordinarily rich valuations.

On the mirror side, the external portfolio investor view on India is "they missed the bus on AI, gloomy tech outlook".

We will happily take the "other side" of this bet: we don't want to chase the AI cash burn but we invest in all the "boring" categories of long term deep tech investments in India - I am looking at metallurgy as an example.

In 10-15 years, we will see if this works out.

This is not merely a patriotic message. Smart long term investors learn to avoid hype and fashion and figure out what is currently out of fashion that will work long term.

Obligatory Warren Buffett quote: "Only when the tide goes out do you discover who's been swimming naked".

[Anita R Ratnam @aratnam]

This is shocking.
Just shared with Ms Kavitha Ramu IAS, former Director of museums until 3 months ago.
She is no longer in charge but is aware of this video

Now Brinda Devi is holding Additional charge.
This is a DISASTER waiting to happen.

@TVKVijayHQ @CMOTamilnadu

[CTR.Nirmalkumar @CTR_Nirmalkumar]

CCTV footage of stealing HRC fuses in various locations which caused repeated power cut in Kamaraj Nagar, Avadi.

Complaint given yesterday by our TNEB AE based on which FIR has been filled.

[Polimer News @polimernews]

பீஸ் கேரியர் திருட்டால் ஆவடி வீட்டுவசதி வாரிய குடியிருப்பில் 500 க்கும் மேற்பட்ட வீடுகளில் மின்சாரம் இல்லாமல் மக்கள் தவிப்பதாக மின் வாரிய ஊழியர் தகவல்..

#Avadi | #ElectricityBoard | #PowerCut | #PolimerNews

[Manu Joseph @manujosephsan]

Wrong-side driving is on the rise; what it says about the future of India
'Most of our problems come from the same force that condones wrong side driving. The fire that broke out in a Delhi hotel a few days ago, killing 21, was caused by the same mindset that empowers people to take a 10-tonne vehicle out on the street, drive on the wrong side the whole day, and face no consequences, unless someone takes a video, posts it on social media and tags the police. Any officer in this country can just step out of his office, on to the road, and see wrong-side driving within five minutes, but they appear to notice it only on social media.'
My latest column in the Mint.

https://t.co/m7MwWemGpI

[Shweta @Shweta150990]

Amazing skills 👏👏😎 and excellent practicing.

[Balachandar G @BalascribeG]

😲

[Jesus Falcis 🇵🇭 @jesusfalcis]

Kudos to the teacher who kept saying “lingkod lang”, which means upo lang or stay put.

She was very calm and reassuring and ensured order remained.

The kids followed and calmed down.

Thank you teacher!

[Volcaholic 🌋 @volcaholic1]

Pool sloshing around in Davo City, Philippines during the recent M7.8 earthquake (revised from M8.2).

📹 Den Zap

[Massimo @Rainmaker1973]

This 36-storey building swaying after a 7.8 magnitude earthquake in southern Philippines on June 8, 2026.