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Traffic diversions announced around Jubilee Hills for H-CITI flyover, underpass works

Commuters have been urged to avoid peak traffic hours between 8.30 a.m. and 11 a.m. and between 5 p.m. and 9 p.m.

Minister reviews development works in Kalvarayan Hills

‘Inspired by Hitler’ and ‘his Hydra force’: Telangana CM mixes up Nazi Germany with Marvel universe

The Congress CM said his anti-encroachment team works like Adolf Hitler's core assassination team “Hydra” did — except, Hitler never had a team by that name.

Room for less: Next big thing in hospitality?

Can the search for a hotel room lead to a business idea? It did, for Alok Mishra.In 2014, during a trip with his wife, Mishra needed a hotel room for six hours as he did not want to drive late at night. But he was asked to pay for a full day and subjected to a series of intrusive questions despite being married—and was finally refused a room. “That got me thinking that there might be travellers like me who need rooms only for a few hours but have to pay for an entire day. Later, while working in the US, I came across pay-for-use concepts and felt that India needed a more flexible, customer-friendly model,” he says.That experience led to the launch of Bag2Bag in 2019, an online platform for booking hotels, service apartments, homestays and other accommodations, with a focus on hourly stays.The business started gaining momentum around 2021. Bag2Bag’s hourly-stay revenue has risen from roughly Rs 50 lakh in 2021 to Rs 5-6 crore today. The company has served more than 1 lakh customers, lists over 10,000 properties across India and offers hourly stays at 6,000-7,000 of them. The service is available in more than 50 cities, though Bengaluru and Mumbai remain its strongest markets.Also read | The safe keepers: Inside India's booming locker economy“People now understand that this is a practical solution rather than a niche service. One of our biggest achievements has been to help normalise the category. Earlier, hourly stays were often associated with couples seeking privacy,” he says. “We deliberately broadened the use case by allowing family bookings, including travellers with children. We wanted people to see hourly stays for what they really are— a convenient accommodation option.”HOUR OF NEED That convenience is growing as online hotel booking platforms that allow short stays are on the rise. Alongside Bag2Bag, there is Noida-based Brevistay, Bengaluruheadquartered MiStay, Mumbai’s Hourly Rooms and Qwiksta, all specialising in micro stays. Larger travel platforms like MakeMyTrip, Agoda and Goibibo have also introduced hourly booking options.Like Bag2Bag, Brevistay was born out of a travel inconvenience. In 2016, cofounders Prateek Singh, Aditya Naithani, Shubham Agarwal, Avnish Kumar and Nikhil Pathak arrived in Manali at 5 am only to find that hotels would not allow early check-ins without charging for an extra night. The friends went on to cofound the travel tech startup Brevistay, which raised Rs 3 crore in 2023 and today reports revenue of about Rs 18 crore. It has 15 lakh registered users, 4 lakh monthly active users and around 11,000 listed hotels, including brands such as Ginger, Ramada and Blue Motel.LONG JOURNEY Getting there, however, was not easy.Pathak, cofounder and chief technology officer of Brevistay, says, “The challenge in this segment is not customers but hotels. In 2016, many hoteliers would simply bang the phone on us. Some agreed in principle but didn’t want their properties listed publicly and preferred bookings to come through offline calls. It took us nearly two years before we started seeing meaningful traction and recurring bookings,” says Pathak.The same resistance greeted MiStay when it launched in 2016. Starting with a pilot in Delhi, MiStay has since expanded to more than 100 cities. Shwetha Sameernath, general manager, business and growth, MiStay, says, “When we launched, scepticism was high. Most hotels were uncomfortable with the model, concerned about guest quality and operational challenges. Over time, that changed as hotels began seeing it as a revenue opportunity.”MiStay tackled resistance through education and curation. The company worked to show hoteliers that short stays served a broad and legitimate market of business travellers, transit passengers and day-use guests. It also selectively onboarded premium hotel brands, helping build credibility for the category. “When hotels see actual customer segments across varied, legitimate use cases, it builds their confidence that the model won’t compromise their brand,” says Sameernath, adding that the concept is now largely normalised.Also read | Major change in buyer behaviour as e-scooters race deeper into BharatPathak says the customer has evolved as well. Brevistay continues to market actively to couples, but he argues that the category should no longer be viewed through that lens. “There’s nothing illegal happening. In fact, there’s no law that prevents consenting adults from booking a hotel room. The issue was perception, not legality. What eventually changed minds was revenue,” he says. “Once hotels realised they could sell the same room multiple times in a day and generate seven or eight bookings instead of one, the business case became impossible to ignore.”The use cases have expanded too. Back in 2017, couples accounted for nearly 90% of Brevistay’s bookings. Today, that figure is down to 50-60%. Business travellers, transit passengers, tourists looking to freshen up between journeys, students travelling for exams and people attending interviews or meetings have all emerged as important customer segments.Hotels, meanwhile, have had to adapt operationally. Mishra says the biggest challenge is that traditional hotel system was never designed for flexible check-ins and check-outs. Bag2Bag addressed this by developing its own software platform for partner hotels. “Once they realised they could monetise idle inventory and generate additional revenue from rooms that would otherwise remain empty, adoption became much easier,” he says.REVENUE CHECKS IN For Sameernath, the turning point was the entry of premium hotel brands. “Today, acceptance has grown across the ecosystem. Channel managers and property management systems are evolving to support slot-based bookings, and customers increasingly treat hourly booking as the natural way to reserve a room for less than a day,” she says.Also read | Indian tourists go viral for all wrong reasons. Here's how not to become the next horror storyMishra has observed another interesting shift. Reliability and brand trust are becoming increasingly important. “Whether it’s a three-star or a five-star property, even if a branded hotel costs 20-25% more, customers prefer it because they know what they’re getting,” he says. The economics are compelling for hotels too. Sameernath points out that average hotel occupancy in India is under 65%, while daytime occupancy can fall to as low as 30% as guests check out in the morning and new arrivals come in much later. Platforms like MiStay help hotels monetise those idle hours by attracting guests who would never have booked a full-day room. “For hotels near airports or railway stations, the upside is even greater. A room priced at Rs 8,000 for a full night could earn Rs 3,500-4,000 for a daytime slot and another Rs 6,000 for the night—generating `10,000-plus from the same room in a single day,” she says.CHANGING PERCEPTION MiStay today works with brands like IHG, Pride, Ramada, The Park, Radisson and Novotel IHG, while Brevistay is in discussions with Hyatt. Sameernath says that on the demand side, once customers experience flexible booking, they don’t go back. Their repeat rate reflects this, as 48% of MiStay’s monthly business comes from repeat guests “The pay-per-use model in hospitality is the same transformation that happened in transport. You no longer book a cab for a full day; you pay for the distance. Hotels are heading the same way,” she says.Pathak believes the next wave of growth will be driven by younger travellers. “They’re vocal about spending time with their partners and don’t carry the hesitation earlier generations did. In metros, the industry has largely moved beyond the old perceptions, and hourly stays are increasingly viewed as a convenience product rather than something unusual.”The customer, it seems, has reached the destination. The hospitality industry needs to arrive.ChallengesPersistent social stigmaTrust and safety concernsBranded hotels worried about perceptionComplexities in managing multiple check-ins and check-outsLack of awareness among travellersOpportunitiesRise in domestic travel and frequent short tripsGrowth of bleisure (business + leisure) travelYounger consumers demanding flexibilityTech platforms making discovery and booking seamlessHotels looking to monetise vacant rooms

Singapore Blocks Anti-Indian Disinformation Campaign Under Online Criminal Harms Act | Exclusive Details

Top government sources reveal that the highly divisive material likely originated from a China-based digital platform before migrating to mainstream Western networks

School reopening exacerbates Thiruvananthapuram city’s traffic woes

On the Kesavadasapuram- Pattom road, school authorities pointed to unfinished road and overbridge works as major contributors to traffic delays.

India won’t take first step to normalise ties, onus on Pakistan: Shashi Tharoor

The senior Congress leader urges Pakistan to dismantle terror networks operating from its soil and said India would be more than willing to reciprocate once such action is taken

Kochi Mayor claims effective pre-monsoon works spared city of major waterlogging

Despite the incessant rain, there has been no flooding, unlike in the past when it disrupted traffic, says V.K. Minimol

Bihar's 220-km Riverfront Expressway plan may open next real estate hotspots in the state

Bihar is set to transform its infrastructure with three new riverfront expressways spanning 220 km along the Ganga and Gandak rivers. These four-lane corridors, including Vishwamitra Path, Ganga Ambika Path, and Narayani Path, will significantly boost connectivity to Uttar Pradesh and national transport networks, promising a major uplift for the state's real estate sector.

Planning to buy a DDA flat? How the allotment process works and key FAQs answered

Chief Minister charges BRS government with focusing more on ‘commissions’ not projects

Stress of the earlier regime was on electro-mechanical works not on civil works like land acquisition, says Revanth Reddy

Anthropic ‘plants’ engineers at NSA despite facing ban by Pentagon

Anthropic has reportedly placed engineers within the NSA to help deploy its advanced 'Mythos' AI for cyber operations, despite an ongoing legal dispute with the Department of War. This 'undercover' collaboration aims to customize AI for national security, with the technology designed for infiltrating foreign networks. The move is controversial given the Pentagon's prior 'supply-chain risk' label on Anthropic.

Naidu, four Union Ministers open Visakhapatnam seafood meet; India eyes ₹1 lakh crore exports

Chief Minister N. Chandrababu Naidu and four Union Ministers open the two-day Visakhapatnam workshop targeting ₹1 lakh crore in annual seafood exports, up from a record ₹73,890.46 crore in 2025-26

UDF, LDF spar over adequacy of pre-monsoon works as monsoon rains flood Kochi

Accord top priority to land acquisition for irrigation projects: CM

During his visit to Makthal-Kodangal-Narayanpet lift irrigation scheme sites, Revanth says govt. is ready to release compensation amount; CM also undertakes an aerial survey of the ongoing works

Three-day cybercrime workshop to enhance investigative skills of police officers

The three-day training programme to conclude on June 5

KMRL initiates measures to ease traffic congestion along Phase II Kochi metro corridor

The city has witnessed heavy traffic snarls in the past few weeks. Intermittent rain, reduced carriageway, and civil works along road stretches have slowed traffic movement. The snarls have also spilled over into bylanes

IndiGo suspends ops to 6 int'l destinations

IndiGo has announced the temporary suspension of flights to six international destinations as it adjusts its network amid softer travel demand and rising operational costs.The airline said the move is part of a broader network optimisation strategy aimed at matching capacity with current market conditions while maintaining operational efficiency.Which International Routes Has IndiGo Suspended?According to the airline, services to the following destinations will be temporarily suspended:Hong KongShanghaiHo Chi Minh CityLangkawiKrabiSiem ReapFlights to Hong Kong, Shanghai, Ho Chi Minh City, Langkawi and Krabi will be suspended from July 1, while services to Siem Reap will be paused from July 3.Read more: HSBC says Asia's largest slum could soon have metro stations, green spaces & 125,000 new homesThe suspension is expected to remain in place until September 30.Why Has IndiGo Suspended These Flights?IndiGo said the decision was driven by a combination of softer seasonal demand and a challenging operating environment.The airline noted that the upcoming quarter typically witnesses lower travel demand, especially on certain international routes.At the same time, airlines continue to face increased operational expenses, making it necessary to review network deployment.In a statement, IndiGo said: "These measured changes are designed to align capacity with current market conditions and demand trends, while ensuring the airline maintains reliability and network integrity across its global destinations."Will IndiGo Restart These Routes?Yes. The airline has confirmed that bookings for all affected routes will reopen from October 1, subject to an improvement in market conditions.IndiGo also stated that it remains prepared to restore services earlier if demand improves and operational conditions become more favourable.Airspace Restrictions Continue To Affect AirlinesApart from rising costs, airlines are also dealing with continuing airspace restrictions that have impacted flight operations and route planning.Several carriers globally have been forced to adjust schedules, reroute aircraft and review international networks due to changing geopolitical and operational challenges.IndiGo said it will continue monitoring the situation closely before making further decisions regarding these routes.IndiGo Retains More Than 1,800 Weekly International FlightsDespite the temporary suspension of six destinations, IndiGo said its international network remains largely intact.The airline continues to operate more than 1,800 international flights every week across its global network.This allows the carrier to maintain strong international connectivity while adjusting capacity where demand is currently weaker.What Does This Mean For Travellers?Passengers planning trips to the affected destinations between July and September may need to consider alternative airlines or adjust their travel plans.However, travellers heading to other international destinations served by IndiGo are unlikely to see any major disruption, as the airline has retained the majority of its overseas operations.The move highlights how airlines are increasingly balancing demand, operating costs and network efficiency as global travel patterns continue to evolve.IndiGo Focuses On Network OptimisationThe temporary suspension reflects a broader trend in the aviation industry, where airlines are becoming more flexible in managing capacity.Rather than operating flights with lower demand, carriers are increasingly redeploying aircraft to stronger-performing routes and adjusting schedules based on market conditions.For IndiGo, the strategy is aimed at protecting profitability while ensuring reliable operations across its growing domestic and international network.Inputs from PTI

A.P. Cabinet approves proposal to invite bids for ‘Amaravati Eye’ project

Administrative sanction given for ₹547-crore works associated with High Court complex; stamp duty and registration fees exempted for 49.66 acres allotted for Quantum Valley project

Rajeev Thakkar on when to hold, when to exit, and why most get it wrong

For most investors, the focus is often on finding the right stock, entering at the right valuation, and identifying the next multibagger. Far fewer spend time understanding what may be the more difficult aspect of investing—knowing when to sell.Speaking at the ET Alpha Wealth Summit on Thursday on "The Art of the Exit," Rajiv Thakkar, CIO and Director at PPFAS Asset Management said that successful investing is not just about buying well but also about staying invested long enough for compounding to work. In fact, before discussing reasons to sell, he spent considerable time explaining why investors should avoid selling in the first place.According to Thakkar, one of the biggest mistakes investors make is selling because a stock has not moved for a few months.Also Read | ET Alpha Wealth Summit: Future alpha may emerge from neglected markets and asset classes, says Kalpen Parekh Investors often spend significant effort researching a company, understanding management quality, assessing industry prospects and evaluating valuations. Yet after purchasing the stock, many lose patience if prices remain stagnant for six months or a year.https://youtube.com/shorts/RiLj-X02NNE?feature=share"Investments are meant for wealth creation, not entertainment," he said, cautioning against treating investing like a source of excitement or constant action.Another common trigger for unnecessary selling is reacting to news flow. Markets are constantly bombarded with information—wars, elections, crude oil fluctuations, interest-rate decisions, capital flows and economic data. Investors who react to every headline often end up making poor decisions.To illustrate this, Thakkar recounted the story of an investor who received advance information about the severity of the Covid outbreak in early 2020. Acting on that information, the investor sold his technology stocks before the market crash. While the prediction turned out to be accurate, fear prevented him from re-entering the market, and he ultimately missed one of the strongest rallies in technology stocks.The lesson, according to Thakkar, is that even correct information does not necessarily translate into successful investment outcomes. Thakkar was particularly critical of the concept of "profit booking."Investors often feel compelled to sell simply because a stock has appreciated significantly. However, he argued that wealth is created by allowing successful investments to compound rather than by repeatedly locking in gains.Frequent buying and selling may benefit brokers, exchanges and tax authorities, but it often works against long-term investors. Hyperactivity in portfolios can destroy wealth by interrupting compounding and increasing costs.Similarly, investors should avoid selling because another stock appears more attractive. This "buyer's remorse" mindset frequently causes investors to abandon good businesses prematurely in pursuit of seemingly better opportunities."If you manage to find a genuinely good business with strong management, a large opportunity set and reasonable valuations, the best course of action is often to simply stay invested," he said.Thakkar emphasised that investors in taxable jurisdictions such as India should maintain low portfolio turnover whenever possible. Unlike institutional structures such as mutual funds or investors in tax-free jurisdictions, individual investors face taxes and transaction costs every time they trade. Excessive churn can significantly reduce long-term returns.For wealthy investors, family offices and HNIs, the ability to remain invested and minimise unnecessary transactions often becomes a major source of compounding advantage.Also Read | ET Alpha Wealth Summit: India could unlock a $5 trillion export opportunity through FTAs, says Saurabh Mukherjea While most reasons for selling are flawed, Thakkar identified several situations where exiting an investment becomes necessary. The most obvious reason is the need for capital. If an investor requires money for a business opportunity, acquisition or personal objective, selling investments may be entirely justified. More importantly, investors must be willing to acknowledge mistakes.If an investment thesis turns out to be wrong because of flawed analysis, poor due diligence or changing circumstances, the best course is often to exit quickly rather than averaging down endlessly.According to Thakkar, investors who recognise mistakes early frequently outperform those who identify good opportunities but refuse to sell losing positions. Capital trapped in poor investments cannot be deployed into better opportunities. Fraud, naturally, represents an immediate reason to exit.One of the more challenging selling decisions arises when industries face structural disruption. Questions such as whether newspapers can survive the internet, whether thermal power can coexist with renewable energy or whether traditional automobile manufacturers can adapt to electric vehicles rarely have straightforward answers.Thakkar suggested that investors should not react impulsively but should continuously evaluate incoming evidence. Investment decisions should be driven by facts rather than sentiment. If the underlying business continues to deteriorate because of technological or structural change, investors must eventually acknowledge reality and exit.At the same time, distinguishing genuine disruption from temporary noise remains critical. Exceptional businesses are not immune to becoming overvalued. Thakkar pointed to situations where valuations become so excessive that future growth is already fully reflected in stock prices. In such cases, taking profits, paying taxes and reallocating capital may be sensible.He also noted that investors may sell a reasonably valued investment if a significantly superior opportunity emerges elsewhere.During the question-and-answer session, investors raised concerns about stocks that stop performing despite sound fundamentals. Examples such as Maruti Suzuki, Bharti Airtel and even silver investments highlighted a common dilemma: should investors exit after years of gains and subsequent consolidation?Also Read | MF Tracker: Can ICICI Prudential Multicap Fund sustain its strong track record in a volatile market? Thakkar's response was that even excellent businesses can spend years moving sideways. Companies such as Hindustan Unilever, Infosys and Bharat Electronics have all gone through extended periods of stagnant share-price performance despite remaining fundamentally strong businesses.Investors should therefore distinguish between stock-price performance and business performance. As long as the underlying business continues to execute well, temporary market stagnation alone is not a sufficient reason to sell.For investors worried about selling too early, Thakkar recommended a phased approach. Instead of attempting to identify exact market tops, investors can gradually reduce exposure over time. For instance, if a stock appears significantly overvalued, an investor might sell a portion every month rather than exiting entirely in one transaction.This systematic approach helps manage the emotional difficulty of selling while reducing the risk of poor timing. Another important consideration is position sizing. Addressing a question about highly successful investments such as Nvidia, Thakkar noted that even outstanding businesses can become disproportionately large components of a portfolio.When a single stock grows from a small allocation into a dominant position, investors face a different risk—wealth preservation rather than wealth creation. His solution is gradual trimming. Investors can periodically reduce oversized positions to maintain comfortable portfolio weightings while still participating in future upside.This approach may not maximise returns, but it significantly reduces the risk of catastrophic losses and helps investors sleep better during periods of volatility.Thakkar concluded by stressing the importance of diversification and long-term investing. Most individuals create wealth through a single business, profession or sector. Their financial portfolios should therefore diversify away from that concentration rather than amplify it.Whether through mutual funds, retirement vehicles such as NPS, EPF and PPF, or diversified portfolios, investors should focus on owning inflation-protected assets for long periods. "The lower the churn in a portfolio, the greater the opportunity for compounding," he said.Ultimately, successful investing is not about perfectly timing every entry and exit. It is about avoiding unnecessary activity, admitting mistakes quickly, remaining patient with good businesses and ensuring that no single investment becomes large enough to threaten long-term financial stability.(Disclaimer: Recommendations, suggestions, views and opinions given by the experts are their own. These do not represent the views of The Economic Times)If you have any mutual fund queries, message on ET Mutual Funds on Facebook/Twitter. We will get it answered by our panel of experts. Do share your questions on ETMFqueries@timesinternet.in alongwith your age, risk profile, and Twitter handle.