New Delhi: Himachal Pradesh is gearing up to host the ‘Dehra Utsav’ in Dehradun, an initiative designed to enhance tourism and attract a diverse audience. This festival, set against the backdrop of the region’s breathtaking landscapes and cultural richness, will spotlight traditional Himachali arts, music, and cuisine, inviting both domestic and international tourists to immerse themselves in the local heritage.

The ‘Dehra Utsav’ will feature a range of cultural activities, including traditional Himachali folk dances, live music performances, and theatrical acts. Attendees will also have the opportunity to explore handcrafted goods created by local artisans, providing a unique shopping experience. Additionally, the festival will offer workshops and exhibitions that delve into the region’s historical and cultural traditions, delivering an enriching experience for visitors.

To ensure the festival’s success and broaden its reach, the Himachal Pradesh government has launched a comprehensive promotional campaign. This strategy includes collaborations with travel agencies, targeted social media promotions, and the creation of special travel packages. Investments are also being made to upgrade Dehradun’s infrastructure to handle the expected influx of visitors, guaranteeing a comfortable and enjoyable stay for all.

Beyond celebrating local culture, the ‘Dehra Utsav’ aims to drive economic growth by boosting tourism. The influx of tourists is anticipated to significantly benefit local businesses, including hotels, restaurants, and retail shops, while also generating employment opportunities for residents.

Overall, the ‘Dehra Utsav’ is poised to become a prominent fixture in Himachal Pradesh’s tourism calendar. By focusing on cultural heritage and local craftsmanship, the festival is set to reinforce the state’s status as a premier travel destination in India.

The launch of the Regus office in Dehradun marks yet another significant milestone for IWG as it reaffirms its commitment to empowering businesses and individuals with innovative workspace solutions tailored to the demands of the modern workforce. The center will provide space for established firms and start-ups across a range of industries including IT&ITES, telecom, pharma, biotech, textiles, agritech, logistics and others. Employees from these organisations will gain access to varied flexspaces available to choose basis the workstyle they prefer – ranging from fully equipped day offices, small offices, custom offices, or large suites, all of which come fully furnished and ready-to-use with a secure and reliable IT infrastructure. 

Harsh Lambah, Country Manager India and Vice President – Sales, IWG, commented: “We are excited to announce our expansion into Uttarakhand with the opening of our Regus first center in the state capital, Dehradun. Known for its scenic beauty and emerging business ecosystem, Dehradun marks a significant step in our regional growth strategy. This new center will provide a variety of flexible workspace rentals, including office spaces and office suites that can be rented on a long-term basis and customized according to client branding and layout needs. Looking ahead, we plan to expand further into other cities in Uttarakhand, thereby strengthening IWG’s growing footprint in the region. Our commitment is to support the growth and success of local businesses and individuals by providing top-notch workspace solutions tailored to their unique requirements.”

The addition of IWG’s latest location in Dehradun, India comes on the heels of the business posting record quarterly revenue and achieving rapid network growth, adding more than 850 new locations across the world over the course of 2023. IWG works closely with commercial property owners and developers to reimagine and revitalise traditional spaces into vibrant and productive work environments, while delivering enduring revenue streams for its partners. A remarkable 95% of IWG’s new locations involve partnerships with property owners and investors to establish innovative workspaces. The openings follow a partnership agreement with the building owner, who has invested in the IWG platform to create a branded flexible workspace in their building.

With an annual investment of around £50m ($64m) into its technology platform, IWG provides partners with access to all the company’s expertise as well as design and fit-out support and sales and marketing capabilities.  India’s non-metropolitan areas show high potential to become centres for hybrid working models in certain sectors. A solid 31% of hybrid and fully remote workers in the study worked in project coordination or assistant/associate roles in sectors such as technology, media, and telecommunications, located across small regional towns and cities. With explosive market growth as companies of all sizes adopt hybrid working for the long-term, it is predicted that 30% of all commercial real estate will constitute flexible workspace by 2030.  Hybrid working offers companies a significantly lower cost base with an average saving of £9,000 ($11,000) per employee[i].

IWG is the world’s leading provider of flexible workspace – featuring almost 4,000 locations in more than 120 countries with members able to access all the locations and business services via the IWG app.  As the ongoing shift towards hybrid working accelerates, the potential for further growth is exponential with an estimated 1.2 billion white collar workers globally and a total addressable market of more than $2 trillion (£1.57 trillion).  Conventional office occupancy will continue to fall as businesses require less traditional space and turn to flexible workspace instead. In 2023, IWG welcomed hundreds of new partner locations and counts 83 per cent of Fortune 500 companies among its customer base.  

IWG’s multi-brand expansion strategy is designed to appeal to every type of business and entrepreneur. IWG creates personal, financial, and strategic value for businesses of every size, from some of the most exciting companies and well-known organisations on the planet, to individuals and the next generation of industry leaders. All of them harness the power of flexible working to increase their productivity, efficiency, agility, and market proximity.

Despite boasting 7-8% of the world’s recorded species and four global biodiversity hotspots, India’s conservation efforts often lack funding due to competing human needs. The Habitats Trust aims to bridge this gap by holding workshops for grassroots conservationists. These workshops equip participants with the skills to design effective grant proposals, attracting institutional support for their on-the-ground conservation work.

“Uttarakhand, with its lush Sal forests and towering pine trees, is a treasure trove of biodiversity nestled among the Himalayas. This region is also home to various National Parks and wildlife sanctuaries, and is renowned for its prosperous biodiversity,” said Rushikesh Chavan, Head of The Habitats Trust. “However, over the years non-holistic development has been a significant challenge to the ecosystems in this area. This symposium is essential for local organisations to identify and address regional conservation issues, equipping them with the skills to write effective proposals and secure funding to tackle these challenges.”

The Habitats Trust’s application portal for its annual The Habitats Trust Grants will remain open till 1^st July and can be accessed at https://www.thehabitatstrust.org . The grants, worth Rs 2.75 crores, aim to support holistic, innovative, and replicable projects dedicated to the conservation of India’s endangered wildlife and natural habitats.

Experts including scientists and subject-matter specialists, conduct a thorough screening of applications. Criteria such as relevance, expected conservation impact, stakeholder engagement, scalability, replicability, and sustainability will guide the selection process, reflecting the organisation’s commitment to nurturing conservation efforts.

Prospective grant recipients and non-profit organisations working towards conserving India’s biodiversity are invited to apply under the following categories:

• THT Conservation Grant: Supporting organisations with a proven track record in wildlife conservation for at least five years, this grant aims to address critical challenges such as habitat degradation, loss of biodiversity, and human-wildlife conflict. Two selected projects will receive a grant of Rs 1 crore each and a span of three-year period to maximize the impact.
• THT Action Grant: This grant aims to support urgent conservation interventions for lesser-known species and habitats. Three individuals or organisations will be selected to receive grants of Rs 25 lakhs each, with projects running for a minimum of two years.     

The Habitats Trust tackles conservation issues nationwide, from marine life to endangered species. They partner with NGOs and government bodies (like the Indian Navy) to combine knowledge and resources. Their projects include habitat restoration, technology for conservation, and on-ground efforts like conflict mitigation in Dudhwa Tiger Reserve.

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