INDIA’S booming hotel operator, OYO Rooms aims to open 500 sites in Britain as part of its expansion strategy.
Founded by Ritesh Agarwal, 25, the company already operates 35 hotels in the UK.
The hospitality firm plans to expand its business aggressively in the next 24 months in a direct challenge to hospitality giants- Premier Inn and Travelodge in the British market.
Jeremy Sanders, the co-founder of restaurant chain Coco di Mama is responsible to manage and expand OYO business in the UK.
The six year old business has already raised over £775 million from investors including SoftBank and Airbnb.
India’s one of the leading start-up valued at £3.84 billion by a funding round led by Japan’s SoftBank in 2018.
The firm operates over 8,500 hotels in India and has significant presence in China, Indonesia, and the United Arab Emirates (UAE).
OYO doesn’t build or own hotels. It approaches the independent hotel owners and offers to invest to improve their business. Thus, the hotels are re-branded as OYO Rooms.
OYO is responsible to upgrade, reshape, and alter the hotel rooms to improve the facilities in a bid to attract more customers and ultimately improve the hotel business significantly.
TATA STEEL UK has started construction of a new Electric Arc Furnace (EAF) at its Port Talbot site in South Wales. Tata Group chairman Natarajan Chandrasekaran marked the groundbreaking ceremony on July 14, joined by Tata Steel CEO and managing director TV Narendran and Tata Steel UK CEO Rajesh Nair.
The EAF project is part of Tata Steel UK’s £1.25 billion plan to transition to low-carbon steelmaking, backed by £500 million from the UK government. The furnace is expected to be commissioned by the end of 2027 and aims to reduce carbon emissions at Port Talbot by about 90 per cent, or 5 million tonnes of CO₂ annually. The project is expected to support 5,000 jobs.
“This is an important day for Tata Group, Tata Steel and for the UK,” said Mr Chandrasekaran. “Today’s groundbreaking marks not just the beginning of a new Electric Arc Furnace, but a new era for sustainable manufacturing in Britain. At Port Talbot, we are building the foundations of a cleaner, greener future, supporting jobs, driving innovation, and demonstrating our commitment to responsible industry leadership.”
Business secretary Jonathan Reynolds said: “This is our Industrial Strategy in action and is great news for Welsh steelmaking backing this crucial Welsh industry, which will give certainty to local communities and thousands of local jobs for years to come.”
Wales Secretary Jo Stevens said: “The UK Government acted decisively to ensure that steelmaking in Port Talbot will continue for generations to come, backing Tata Steel with £500 million to secure its future in the town.”
The Port Talbot EAF will produce up to 3 million tonnes of steel per year using UK-sourced scrap. Construction is being led by Sir Robert McAlpine, with support from regional contractors and technology providers including Tenova, ABB, and Clecim.
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Virgin Media has not yet issued an official statement about the current outage
Virgin Media users report widespread service outages on the morning of 14 July
Over 400 complaints logged on DownDetector within hours
Customers say live chat support has been unresponsive or unhelpful
Issues also reported with Sky Sports app logins via Virgin Media
Company yet to issue full statement but advises users to contact customer services
Virgin Media broadband users across the UK experienced widespread disruption on Monday morning (14 July), with several hundred reporting a complete internet “blackout” and issues accessing the Sky Sports app via their Virgin logins.
According to data from DownDetector, over 400 reports were logged in the early hours, with affected customers sharing their frustration online. Many cited connectivity failures, poor customer support, and issues persisting for hours.
Users report internet failure and lack of support
One customer wrote: “Having massive problems with my Wi-Fi. Online live chats not providing any help, even after I was told to contact [support].”
Another said: “Appalling broadband service the last few weeks. System goes down for hours on end and you can’t get through to speak to anyone. Just happened again this morning with an estimate of 6 pm recovery.”
Users took to social media platforms, particularly X (formerly Twitter), to share their experiences and seek help, with many stating they had tried rebooting systems without success.
Sky Sports access disrupted during Test match
In addition to broadband issues, Virgin Media customers also reported problems accessing the Sky Sports app, coinciding with the final day of a major Test cricket match.
One user posted: “Come on Virgin Media, it's the 5th day of the Test match in 5 minutes and the Sky Sports login is broken... Please acknowledge and fix it soon.”
Another added: “Trying to watch Sky Sports cricket on the app using my Virgin Go login and I'm getting an ‘access denied’ error. Tried about five times now. It was working fine yesterday.”
Company response pending
Virgin Media has not yet issued an official statement about the current outage. However, its social media support team has responded to individual complaints, directing users to contact customer services for further assistance.
The last significant disruption occurred in February this year, when customers similarly reported a “total blackout.” At the time, a Virgin Media spokesperson apologised and said the company was working urgently to resolve the issue.
It remains unclear how long the current problems will persist or whether compensation will be offered to affected users.
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Starmer and Reeves during a visit to Horiba Mira in Nuneaton in Nuneaton. (Photo: Getty Images)
PLANS by Labour to overhaul the tax rules for non-domiciled residents in the UK could cost the public purse up to £4 billion and result in the loss of thousands of private sector jobs, according to a new analysis.
A report by the Centre for Economics and Business Research (CEBR), shared with The Times, suggested that scrapping the current non-dom regime could lead to a sharp drop in tax revenues if even a fraction of those affected decide to leave the country.
The thinktank estimates that if a quarter of non-doms - roughly 10,000 individuals - moved abroad, tax receipts could fall by £4.6bn over the next five years. That figure could rise to nearly £8bn if half of them departed.
The CEBR’s model, based on the approach used by the Office for Budget Responsibility (OBR), also predicted that such a shift could cause the UK to lose between 3,100 and 6,300 jobs, depending on how many wealthy residents choose to relocate.
This potential tax shortfall poses a serious challenge for chancellor Rachel Reeves, who currently has £9.9bn in fiscal headroom. Experts warn that this cushion could be halved or even wiped out by the autumn due to other financial pressures, such as changes to welfare payments and weaker-than-expected economic growth.
Although Labour has stood by its commitment to end the non-dom tax regime, Reeves is now believed to be considering a partial rethink. Specifically, she may drop plans to apply inheritance tax to non-doms' worldwide assets, following concerns that the proposal could accelerate the departure of wealthy individuals.
“We’re continuing to work with stakeholders to ensure the new system remains competitive on the international stage,” a Treasury spokesperson said, noting the importance of attracting global talent and investment.
Some high-profile figures have already indicated they might leave, including steel magnate Lakshmi Mittal.
Lakshmi Mittal
According to Companies House filings, more than 4,400 directors have stepped down from UK-based firms in the past year, with April departures up 75 per cent compared to the same month in 2024. Most of those exits were from finance, insurance, and property - sectors with high numbers of non-doms.
According to the report, the policy change is triggering an exodus of top earners. The centuries-old non-dom system allowed wealthy foreign residents to shield overseas income from UK taxes for a flat annual fee starting at £30,000. In its place, the government introduced a stricter residence-based scheme.
Now, anyone living in Britain for more than four years must pay income and capital gains tax on global income, with inheritance tax at 40 per cent also looming if they stay longer.
Sam Miley of the CEBR warned that even small economic shifts could have wider implications. “Our findings show the changes would negatively affect the economy, albeit modestly,” he was quoted as saying. “At a time of limited fiscal space, even marginal losses matter.”
Andrew Barclay, who runs the entrepreneur-led group Land of Opportunity, which commissioned the report, said: “It’s increasingly clear that abolishing non-dom status could do real harm to the economy and public finances. There’s still time to stop the outflow.”
A recent Oxford Economics survey of tax advisers found that 60 per cent expect over 40 per cent of their non-dom clients to leave the UK within two years of the changes taking effect.
While the exact number of departures remains unclear, the list of wealthy individuals who have already moved abroad includes billionaire Anne Beaufour, investor Max Gottschalk, and boxing promoter Eddie Hearn, among others.
Meanwhile, Labour faces growing pressure to strike a balance between tax fairness and maintaining the UK’s status as a global hub for wealth and investment.
US CARMAKER Tesla is finally making its official debut in India with the opening of its first showroom in Mumbai.
The firm, led by Elon Musk, will unveil the new “Tesla Experience Centre” on Tuesday (15) at Maker Maxity Mall in the Bandra Kurla Complex, one of the city's top commercial hubs.
This marks Tesla’s first formal step into the Indian market, after years of delays and speculation. According to official records, the company has already imported around $1 million (£780,000) worth of cars, charging equipment, and accessories into the country—mostly from China and the US.
Among the imported vehicles are six units of the popular Model Y, with five standard versions valued at £25,350 each and one long-range model at £35,880. Several Tesla Superchargers were also shipped in as part of the initial setup.
Although India has been eager to welcome Tesla, including introducing policies to encourage local production, the company has chosen to start with imports.
This means Tesla will have to pay high import duties - nearly 70 per cent - making its cars much pricier in India compared to other markets. The government has offered lower duties of 15 per cent for companies willing to invest $500m (£390m) and set up manufacturing locally, but so far, Tesla has not agreed to those terms.
Reports suggest Tesla is not currently interested in building a factory in India. Musk had previously planned a visit to the country in 2024, during which he was expected to announce a multi-billion-dollar investment, but the trip was cancelled at the last minute.
Despite the absence of local production, Tesla appears committed to growing its presence. It has started hiring in India, filling positions for showroom advisors, service engineers, vehicle testers for its Autopilot system, and other roles in cities like Mumbai and Delhi.
The Indian EV market is growing rapidly, with local player Tata Motors and Chinese firm BYD already established in the sector. Tesla’s entry is expected to increase competition and raise interest in premium electric vehicles, even as high costs remain a concern for most buyers.
PRIYA NAIR has been appointed as the CEO and managing director of Hindustan Unilever Ltd (HUL), effective from August 1. She will be the first woman to lead the company in its history.
The announcement was made by HUL on Thursday (10). Nair, who currently serves as president, Beauty & Wellbeing at Unilever, will take over the role from Rohit Jawa, who will step down on July 31 to pursue other interests.
She has been appointed for a five-year term and will also join the HUL board, subject to necessary approvals. She will continue to be a member of the Unilever Leadership Executive.
Nair began her career with HUL in 1995 and has held various roles across sales and marketing in the company’s Home Care, Beauty & Wellbeing, and Personal Care businesses.
Between 2014 and 2020, she served as executive director, Home Care and later as executive director, Beauty & Personal Care from 2020 to 2022. She then moved to a global role as the chief marketing officer for Beauty & Wellbeing at Unilever, and in 2023, was named president of the business.
Under her leadership, the Beauty & Wellbeing division has grown into a more than £10 billion global business covering hair care, skin care, prestige beauty, and health and wellbeing, including vitamins, minerals and supplements.
She has overseen brand building, innovation, revenue growth, digital transformation, and profit delivery.
Speaking on her appointment, HUL chairman Nitin Paranjpe said, “Priya has had an outstanding career in HUL and Unilever. I am certain that with her deep understanding of the Indian market and excellent track record, Priya will take HUL to the next level of performance.”
Nair’s appointment comes after Jawa’s two-year term, during which the company focused on volume-led growth. “On behalf of the Board of HUL, I would like to thank Rohit for leading the business through tough market conditions and strengthening its foundations for success,” Paranjpe added.
Over her 28-year career, Nair has built and managed several leading consumer brands. She is recognised for turning around underperforming businesses and leading cross-functional teams.
The Indian executive has also served as an independent director on the board of a publicly listed Indian company, a board member of the Advertising Standards Council of India (ASCI), and a member of several government-backed partnerships and industry bodies.
Nair currently lives in London with her husband and daughter.