India is one of the fastest growing markets globally for the food and beverage sector. With a young population that is increasingly well travelled and familiar with international cuisine, there has been a growing awareness and demand in the country for quality produce and food ingredients from around the world.

In 2015, Catch of Norway Seafood, a family business based out of Bengaluru and Oslo, realised the immense potential for bringing fresh seafood from the cold waters of Norway to fine-dining restaurants and homes of customers in India. Mark Alzawahra, co-founder of the company moved to India and set up a small office in Bengaluru to import and distribute salmon and other seafood to end customers in the country.

Over a period of five years, Catch of Norway has met with success, rapidly expanded its client base by supplying to restaurants in 5-star hotels, premium and organic supermarkets as well as leading catering businesses across more than 10 cities in India. Following on from its success in the b2b sector, Catch of Norway has now also established its own direct to customer channels, allowing for individual customers across many cities in India to source seafood from Norway.

From its early days of setting up business in India, Catch of Norway has had a reliable partner in Emirates SkyCargo, the freight division of Emirates. Through its cargo operations across a global network, Emirates SkyCargo helps facilitate the rapid movement of fresh seafood from Oslo to Bengaluru via Dubai.

“Our first shipment of fresh salmon was transported in 2015 with Emirates from Oslo to Bengaluru via Dubai. Emirates SkyCargo has literally been part of our success from the first time we imported salmon in to India to this day. Emirates came highly recommended and we were already aware of the reputation of the passenger and cargo services. There is a lot of trust in the name Emirates and the organization does not disappoint,” said Mark Alzawahra, Co-Founder & Managing Director, Catch of Norway Seafood.

“Emirates SkyCargo has the best and widest route network with multiple flight frequencies from key cities. For perishables such as premium salmon, cod, halibut, and shellfish, minimizing transport time, transit times, and turnaround times on the ground is crucial. Having multiple flights from Oslo to Dubai and onwards to Bangalore has been very important. If there are delays, there are backup flights within a short timeframe if the initial connection was missed.

“Emirates SkyCargo’s teams in Oslo and Bangalore have been very responsive and supportive over the years. We imported 50 kg of fresh whole salmon and fresh salmon fillets and portions for our first shipment in to India. In 2020 We were importing almost one tonne of fresh seafood from Norway every shipment, mostly with Emirates SkyCargo. Even during the COVID-19 pandemic, Emirates SkyCargo has been operating regular cargo connections to Bengaluru, helping maintain the continuity of the supply chain” added Alzawahra.

Emirates SkyCargo prides itself as a business enabler for small and medium sized enterprises operating internationally by helping them access growth opportunities in new markets through its flight connectivity. Currently Emirates SkyCargo flies cargo to over 135 destinations across six continents. Through its global network and modern all-widebody aircraft fleet, the air cargo carrier is able to rapidly transport time-sensitive cargo including fresh seafood and other agricultural produce from origin to destination.

With Emirates Fresh, Emirates SkyCargo’s specially designed air cargo product for perishables, the carrier is able to ensure that commodities such as seafood retain their freshness throughout the journey.

Emirates SkyCargo has been operating flights to Oslo since 2014. In addition to passenger flights, the air cargo carrier also operates freighter flights to the Norwegian capital since October 2016, offering around 100 tonnes of cargo capacity per flight. Between 2016 and 2018, Emirates SkyCargo helped export over 35,000 tonnes of Norwegian salmon to a number of export markets in the Middle East and Asia. Over the last three years, Emirates SkyCargo has transported over 225,000 tonnes of seafood across the globe.

Emirates SkyCargo connects nine destinations in India to its international cargo network through scheduled cargo flights. India is one of the cargo carrier’s most important markets globally. In 2019, Emirates SkyCargo transported more than 250,000 tonnes of cargo to and from India, including important exports of food items and perishables as well as pharmaceuticals.

As part of its business plan over the next two to three years Catch of Norway Seafood is looking to expand its source markets, diversifying its product portfolio and embracing e-commerce channels to match the evolving tastes of Indian customers.

“We have sourced seafood occasionally from the Netherlands and we are considering importing seafood from markets such as Canada, Japan and Spain. We are also observing an increased interest in a variety of health-food and plant-based food product ranges from Europe in India, all of which is very exciting and we look forward to using Emirates SkyCargo’s services and expertise in bringing these quality goods from international destinations into the Indian market,” commented Mark Alzawahra.

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The number of people who have died of the disease now stands at 82,066 with a case fatality rate of 1.63 per cent.

More than 39 lakh people stand cured with a recovery rate of 78.52 per cent. Almost 83,000 patients were discharged in the last 24 hours, bringing the total recoveries closer to the number of new cases. Only 20 per cent, or 9,95,933 cases, are active.

Maharashtra continues to be the worst affected State by the pandemic with a tally of 10.7 lakh cases as it continued to report more than 17,000 cases a day.

Close to half (48.8 per cent) of the active cases are concentrated in three states — Maharashtra, Karnataka and Andhra Pradesh. Uttar Pradesh, Tamil Nadu, Chhattisgarh, Odisha, Kerala and Telangana contribute close to a quarter (24.4 per cent) of the active cases, the ministry said.

The health ministry stressed that more than 70 per cent of the deaths occurred due to comorbidities.

Karnataka reported more than 8,200 new cases, most of them from its capital. Bengaluru now has more Covid cases than Mumbai, surpassed only by Delhi and Pune.

Delhi’s COVID-19 tally crossed to over 2.25 lakh after 4,263 fresh cases were reported on September 15. Thirty-six fatalities pushed the death count to 4,806, according to the latest bulletin issued by the Delhi health department.

According to a study (Johns Hopkins University data), India is the second worst-hit nation in terms of COVID-19 cases after the United States. It is in the third spot in fatalities after the US and Brazil.

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In an attempt to demolish the drug racket in Bengaluru, the city police have seized 1352 kilograms of marijuana. The city police, which is currently in a drug busting spree, also arrested four drug peddlers.

Following a tip-off, the Seshadripuram Police initially nabbed a peddler named Jnanasekhar who was selling marijuana in an autorickshaw near the VV Giri colony. This arrest took place on August 30 and upon interrogation, Jnanasekhar revealed more details about a drug ring responsible for smuggling marijuana in north Karnataka.

Later, police arrested three more people named Siddhunath, Naganath and Chandrakanth. Nagnath and Chandrakanth were arrested as they were trying to transport a shipment near the NH 50 Toll Gate. The huge stock of marijuana was hidden underground in a farm.

Investigation officers revealed that marijuana was being sent from Orissa to Telangana, and from Telangana to Karnataka.

“The drug peddlers used to go in vehicles to buy vegetables but instead transported marijuana in vegetable vans. They had dug a cave to hide the marijuana at a farmhouse in Kalaburgi. A total of 1.2 ton of marijuana from there and we also seized 150 kg of marijuana from the distributor in Vijayapura,” said M N Anucheth, DCP West in a recent statement.

Kamal Pant, Bengaluru City Police Commissioner revealed that the Bengaluru Central Division Police will be rewarded a cash prize of Rs.2 lakhs for their outstanding efforts to demolish the drug racket in the city.

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“Some actresses do consume drugs at the parties. I am aware that they consume the banned substances inside the vanity vans on the sets. It’s true that there is a link between Sandalwood and the drug mafia. I’ve heard that some budding artistes and those wanting to hog limelight within no time consume drugs at rave parties,” said Lankesh.

As the revelations made by Lankesh have now gone viral, the Central Crime Branch has issued a notice on him and has asked him to disclose further details regarding the operation of drug mafia in the industry.

Indrajit Lankesh who is also a noted journalist revealed that he is ready to pass all the information he knows to the police. However, he urged the government to ensure his security, so that he can divulge all the details without any hesitation.

Lankesh also made it clear that no big stars in Sandalwood are involved in drug usage, as they are well bothered about their image. The director also urged the police to conduct a thorough investigation to curb the clandestine clutches of drug mafia in Sandalwood.

“Why was the autopsy not conducted after the death of an actor recently? A car was involved in an accident some years ago at South End Circle in Bengaluru. It was reported that drugs were recovered from inside the car and there were some artistes inside. What is the status of the case? Why did the police not conduct a thorough investigation? Why did the police not initiate action against those inside the car,” added Lankesh.

He also requested police officers to determine whether any politicians are also involved in the drug racket.

CCB joint commissioner of police Sandeep Patil revealed that Indrajit Lankesh will record his statement on Monday. He also added that inputs from people like Lankesh are quite crucial to demolish drug mafia.

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The accused named Abu Yusuf was arrested at around 11.30 PM on August 21 from Delhi’s Dhala Kuan area. According to police officials, two pressure cookers turned into IEDs, with about 15 kilograms explosives were recovered from the alleged terrorist. Officers also seized a pistol from Yusuf.

Police revealed that Abu Yusuf had visited several places in Delhi to execute an attack in the coming days. Security in the city has now been beefed up, and investigation officers are now trying to determine whether Abu Yusuf has any other accomplices in India.

Police officials revealed that Abu Yusuf hails from Balrampur in Uttar Pradesh. During the time of his arrest, Yusuf was apparently riding a motorcycle with UP number plates.

The new arrest in Delhi comes just a few days after a doctor was arrested in Bengaluru for alleged terrorist links. Abdur Rahman, an ophthalmologist in Bengaluru was arrested after getting information from a couple who was nabbed by the police last March.

After the arrest, the National Investigation Agency (NIA) carried out raids in properties and buildings belonging to Abdur Rahman and seized digital devices and a laptop containing crucial evidence that substantiates his link to ISIS and other extreme Islamic outfits.

#WATCH Delhi: National Security Guard (NSG) commandos carry out search operation near Buddha Jayanti Park in Ridge Road area.

One ISIS operative was arrested from the site with Improvised Explosive Devices (IEDs), earlier today by Delhi Police Special Cell. pic.twitter.com/q1uodH5cYJ

— ANI (@ANI) August 22, 2020

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Curfew has been imposed in the affected areas in and around DJ Halli and KG Halli and restrictions under Section 144 of the Code of Criminal Procedure (CrPC) imposed in Bengaluru.

The violence broke out over a Facebook message posted allegedly by a relative of a Congress MLA on a communal issue.

Protesters set many vehicles on fire and surrounded by MLA Srinivas’s Murthy house in the city. Mr. Murthy’s nephew Naveen, who allegedly posted the message on Facebook, has been arrested.

People went on a rampage, torched many police and private vehicles. Scores of persons, including around 50 policemen, were injured in the violence that erupted on August 11 and continued till the wee hours of August 12. . An ATM was smashed into pieces.

In tweets this morning, Karnataka Chief Minister BS Yediyurappa condemned the attack and said strict action will be taken against the perpetrators of the violence.

The Congress MLA had released a video appealing to people to maintain peace. Karnataka Home Minister Basavaraj Bommai also released a video message, saying people should not take law into their own hands.

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Civic officials said the 10,100- bedded facility will be the country’s largest incorporated with all basic amenities. New Delhi’s Sardar Patel Covid Care Center and Hospital Chattarpur currently holds the honour of being the country’s largest covid care facility with 10,000 beds.

The BIEC facility will accommodate asymptomatic covid-19 patients or those with mild symptoms. In the initial stage, the facility will house over 5000 coronavirus patients.

The civic body has put up LED screens to beam entertainment programmes, especially for children and the elderly to help them overcome boredom.

Good quality food has also been organised for patients with separate bins to dispose of the plates.

A bio-medical waste agency has been given the tender to clean the facility. The center will have separate cabins with 40 beds and televisions sets in each cabin.

High-tech toilets and washroom facilities have been provided at all the halls. Separate oxygen chambers have also been set up. There is a dedicated team for laundry too, to wash bedsheets, blankets and pillow covers.

Around 2200 staff including doctors and police will be deputed here. For every 100 patients, there will be one doctor, two nurses, two cleaning staffs and marshals.

Kerala’s biggest covid care center will be starting soon at Thrissur in the space owned by Lulu Group.

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