Walmart Makes an Investment in Vertical Farming, Cold Wave Expected in Delhi, Tea Industry Urges Government to Come-up With Schemes, Modi Government to Boost Spending on Infrastructure,

27 January 2022

• Cold Wave Along with Chilly, Windy Days Ahead for Delhi

  Since the beginning of January, Delhi has been shivering in bitterly cold weather. Although cold wave conditions were strikingly absent, chilly day conditions trailed behind. In several regions of the national capital, it was a bitterly cold day, with mercury readings hovering about 5-8°C below normal. On the eve of Republic Day, the maximum temperature fell to 12.1°C, the lowest of the season thus far. The temperature was a whopping 10°C below usual on this day. This was also the coldest January day in nine years, when the temperature dipped to 9.8°C on January 3rd.

• Budget 2022: Modi Government to Boost Spending on Infrastructure To Push Economy

  India aims to increase infrastructure expenditure in its annual budget next week in order to put the economy on a more solid basis, but fiscal limits mean any concessions for pandemic-affected households are unlikely, officials said. Following a contraction of 7.3 percent in the previous fiscal year, Asia's third largest economy is expected to expand 9.2 percent in the fiscal year that ends in March.

• Delhi CM Unfurls 115 Feet National Flags 75 Places

  In an effort to instill a sense of patriotism in the national capital, Delhi's chief minister unfurled a 115-foot-high national flag at 75 locations across the city on Thursday to commemorate the country's 75th anniversary of independence. Arvind Kejriwal, the Delhi Chief Minister, unfurled a 115-foot-high tricolor in Timarpur constituency on Thursday, announcing that similar high-mast national flags had been erected at 75 spots across the city to commemorate India's 75th year of independence.

• Tea Industry Urges Government to Come-up With Schemes

  In the next budget, the tea industry has urged the government to come up with initiatives to help expand tea exports from India and provide financial support for the establishment of tea lounges to promote tea drinking in the country. They also suggested that new objectives be included in the budget so that the Tea Board can serve as a facilitator for the tea industry's development, promotion, and research. "The Tea Board has almost done away with financing exporters' participation at overseas expos," said Madhav Sarda, managing director of Golden Tips Tea.

• Walmart Makes an Investment in Vertical Farming

  Walmart announced on Tuesday that it is investing in vertical farming start-up Plenty, and that its leafy greens would be available in all California locations later this year. The big-box retailer did not reveal the size of its ownership position or the commercial details of the acquisition, but did say that a Walmart executive will join Plenty's board of directors. Walmart's investment is part of a $400 million round of funding spearheaded by One Madison Group and JS Capital, with SoftBank Vision Fund joining in.

• Sri Lanka To Pay 200 million Compensation for Failed Organic Farm Drive

  Sri Lanka has awarded compensation for over a million rice farmers whose crops failed as a result of a botched plan to create the world's first 100% organic farming nation. The island nation is currently undergoing a serious economic crisis, which has resulted in food shortages and rolling blackouts as a result of the COVID pandemic, which has thrown the tourism-dependent economy into disarray.