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Sunday, December 8, 2024 Qatar Airways Group CEO, Engr. Badr Mohammed Al-Meer, participated in the 22nd Doha Forum, underscoring the airline’s dedication to sustainable growth, strategic partnerships, and innovation during a conversation with CNN anchor Julia Chatterley. Held under the patronage of His Highness the Amir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al-Thani, the Forum brought together global leaders, policymakers, and experts to explore innovative solutions to pressing global issues, from security challenges to technological advancements. During the discussion, Engr. Al-Meer highlighted the importance of transformative investments, navigating complex geopolitical dynamics, and capitalizing on opportunities in emerging markets. He also shared insights on Qatar Airways 2.0, a key initiative focused on employee well-being and retention. Additionally, Al-Meer celebrated the airline’s strategic partnerships, spanning regions from Africa to Australia, and the prestigious recognition of Qatar Airways as the World’s Best Airline by Skytrax for the eighth time in 2024. Qatar Airways Group Chief Executive Officer, Engr. Badr Mohammed Al-Meer, said: “I was proud to represent Qatar Airways at this year’s Doha Forum.” “Our increasingly connected world has introduced unique challenges, but has also unearthed new opportunities for cross-cultural understanding, much to the benefit of the aviation industry. Qatar Airways has strong and strategic diplomatic ties across the world and is a key player on the global stage. The demand for our services has remained high during both peak and low travel seasons.” He continued: “With our partnerships in the emerging markets in Africa, the Americas, and India, we have built on our strengths of agility and commitment to sustainable growth to prove time and time again that Qatar Airways remains resilient, nimble, and responsive to change. These qualities are essential for growth in a multi-lateral environment.” “Owing to our new era of Qatar Airways 2.0, dedication to our workforce, and growing investments and partnerships, our airline serves as the optimal case study for thriving businesses in rapidly evolving landscapes.” Qatar Airways delivered a record profit of $1.7 billion in the previous financial year, continuing to strengthen its position by investing in cutting-edge technologies. Notably, it became the first global airline to introduce Starlink Wi-Fi across its entire fleet. The airline also expanded its global footprint with the acquisition of a 25% stake in Southern Africa’s regional carrier, Airlink. Additionally, Qatar Airways has received interim approval from the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission to engage in co-operative conduct with Virgin Australia under an integrated alliance. This follows the Group’s announcement in October of its intention to acquire a 25% minority equity stake in Virgin Australia from Bain Capital, pending FIRB approval, as part of its commitment to enhancing global connectivity.

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Georgina Energy is moving closer to new drilling at Hussar - ICYMIUtah Hockey Club (9-10-4, in the Central Division) vs. Vegas Golden Knights (15-6-3, in the Pacific Division) Paradise, Nevada; Saturday, 10 p.m. EST BETMGM SPORTSBOOK LINE: Golden Knights -192, Utah Hockey Club +159; over/under is 6.5 BOTTOM LINE: The Vegas Golden Knights host the Utah Hockey Club after Ivan Barbashev scored two goals in the Golden Knights' 4-3 win against the Winnipeg Jets. Vegas is 15-6-3 overall and 9-2-0 at home. The Golden Knights are 15-2-2 in games they score three or more goals. Utah has a 9-10-4 record overall and a 5-6-2 record in road games. The Utah Hockey Club have an 8-0-4 record when scoring at least three goals. Saturday's game is the third meeting between these teams this season. The Golden Knights won 4-2 in the previous meeting. Barbashev led the Golden Knights with two goals. TOP PERFORMERS: Brett Howden has scored 10 goals with one assist for the Golden Knights. Barbashev has five goals and six assists over the last 10 games. Story continues below video Dylan Guenther has 10 goals and 10 assists for the Utah Hockey Club. Jack McBain has scored six goals over the last 10 games. LAST 10 GAMES: Golden Knights: 6-3-1, averaging 2.9 goals, 4.7 assists, 3.3 penalties and 7.7 penalty minutes while giving up 2.6 goals per game. Utah Hockey Club: 4-5-1, averaging 2.6 goals, 4.6 assists, 5.1 penalties and 14.4 penalty minutes while giving up 2.6 goals per game. INJURIES: Golden Knights: None listed. Utah Hockey Club: None listed. The Associated Press created this story using technology provided by Data Skrive and data from Sportradar .

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A big battery will plug into the solar corridor to the south of Canberra, with the profits to go to the taxpayer in a revenue-sharing first. Located next to existing powerlines and solar farms, construction has begun on Eku Energy's $400 million project that will bring 200 jobs for local tradies. The 250 megawatt/500 MW hour Williamsdale battery energy storage system located 35km south of Canberra will store enough renewable energy to power one-third of the capital for two hours during peak demand periods when it comes online in 2026. A critical energy asset for greater energy security and a bulwark against future price spikes, it is also a crucial step in the fight against climate change, according to ACT Chief Minister Andrew Barr. Importantly, a revenue-sharing deal means profits from the project will flow to the ACT and pay for more clean energy and other services for a growing population, he said in Williamsdale. "That is an important principle for our community, who want to see investment in renewable energy and battery storage not only supporting the effectiveness and reliability of our energy network but generating revenue." Recently re-elected and already the nation's longest-serving political leader, Mr Barr says the revenue-sharing model could be extended nationally as a good template for government procurement. Working with Evoenergy, Tesla Energy and the Australian Energy Market Operator, the Williamsdale battery will also be part of the NSW energy market and the broader east coast energy market. "The electrons flow in real time so what we would be replacing is the next most expensive form of generation when we dispatch," Eku Energy chief executive Daniel Burrows told AAP. It will provide additional supply when the market is tight, which should help lower wholesale prices and support making more clean energy available when it is required, he said. The battery will also provide more grid security by responding within milliseconds to demand and storing energy when it is abundant. "What we have in Australia is a prevalence of distributed energy - rooftop solar, large-scale wind and batteries - and a reasonably sophisticated grid," Mr Burrows said. "As we're doing business all around the world, other businesses, other governments, other industry players are looking to what happens here as to how we might manage the energy transition." Not a player in a nuclear energy future, he says Eku Energy focuses on projects that are "genuinely the most cost-effective and will stand the test of time". A $500 million community grants program set up by the company will be available to eligible local non-profit organisations for employment and education, social and environment initiatives. Another $500,000 will go to an Australian National University program that has been a testing ground for neighbourhood batteries and other technology. "Research funding in this area helps ensure we remain at the forefront of advancing technology for a clean energy future," Battery Storage and Grid Integration Program co-director Heather Logie says. Minister for Climate Change, Environment, Energy and Water Suzanne Orr donned high-vis gear to shovel dirt alongside Mr Barr in her first public engagement in her new portfolio. Simon Corbell, the architect of the ACT's clean energy transition as a Labor minister more than a decade ago, is one of her heroes, she told AAP. "Everyone has a different journey in coming to politics and mine has definitely been flavoured by the environmental movement," she said. Ms Orr, first elected in 2016, replaced former energy and emissions reduction minister Greens Leader Shane Rattenbury in the new government that has taken power without the ACT Greens as a partner. Canberra has already achieved a nation-leading 100 per cent renewable electricity supply and the ACT is aiming for net-zero emissions by 2045. The territory is phasing out household gas, with support for households to buy new appliances, electric vehicles, solar panels and batteries. But Ms Orr said the next stage of the transition will be more than "care and maintenance" of what has already been achieved. "I don't think anyone wants to rest on their laurels," she said. The Big Canberra Battery project that Mr Barr began as climate action minister will include the large-scale system in Williamsdale and neighbourhood-scale batteries at nine government sites.A bankruptcy judge on Monday ordered a new hearing in conspiracy theorist Alex Jones' effort to stop the satirical news outlet The Onion from buying Infowars and turning it into a parody. Jones alleges fraud and collusion marred the bankruptcy auction in which The Onion was named the winning bidder on Nov. 14 over a company affiliated with him. U.S. Bankruptcy Judge Christopher Lopez had been scheduled to hear an emergency motion to disqualify The Onion's bid, but decided to put it off until either Dec. 9 or Dec. 17. That's also when the judge will hear arguments on a request to approve the sale of Infowars to The Onion. Lopez said similar arguments are being made in both requests. Lopez could ultimately allow The Onion to move forward with its purchase, order a new auction or name the other bidder as the winner. At stake is whether Jones gets to stay at Infowars’ studio in Austin, Texas, under a new owner friendly to him, or whether he gets kicked out by The Onion. The other bidder, First United American Companies, runs a website in Jones’ name that sells nutritional supplements. Regardless, Jones has set up a new studio, websites and social media accounts that would allow him to keep airing his show. And his personal account with 3.3 million followers on the social platform X was not part of the sale, although Lopez will be deciding whether it should be included in the liquidation and sold off later. In a new court filing Monday, lawyers for X objected to any sale of the accounts of both Jones and Infowars, saying X is the owner of the accounts and that it has not given consent for them to be sold or transferred. Jones has praised X owner Elon Musk on his show and suggested that Musk should buy Infowars. Musk has not responded publicly to that suggestion and was not among the bidders. Jones' bankruptcy and the liquidation of his assets came about after he was ordered to pay nearly $1.5 billion to relatives of victims of the Sandy Hook Elementary School shooting in Newtown, Connecticut. Jones was found liable for defamation and emotional distress damages in lawsuits in Connecticut and Texas for repeatedly calling the 2012 shooting that killed 20 first graders and six educators a hoax staged by actors to increase gun control. Proceeds from the liquidation are to go to Jones' creditors, including the Sandy Hook families who sued him. Jones alleges The Onion’s bid was the result of fraud and collusion involving many of those families, the humor site and a court-appointed trustee who is overseeing the liquidation. First United American Companies submitted a $3.5 million sealed bid, while The Onion offered $1.75 million in cash. But The Onion's bid also included a pledge by Sandy Hook families to forgo some or all of the auction proceeds due to them to give other creditors a total of $100,000 more than they would receive under other bids. The trustee, Christopher Murray, said that made The Onion's proposal better for creditors and he named it the winning bid. He has denied any wrongdoing. Jones and First United American Companies claimed that the bid violated Lopez’s rules for the auction by including multiple entities and lacking a valid dollar amount. Jones also alleged Murray improperly canceled an expected round of live bidding and only selected from among the sealed bids that were submitted. Jones called the auction “rigged” and a “fraud” on his show, which airs on the Infowars website, radio stations and Jones' X account. He filed a counter lawsuit last week against Murray, The Onion's parent company and the Sandy Hook families in the bankruptcy court. In a court filing on Sunday, Murray called the allegations a “desperate attempt” to delay the sale of Infowars to The Onion and accused Jones, his lawyers and attorneys for First United American Companies of a “vicious smear campaign lobbing patently false accusations.” He also alleges Jones collaborated with First United American Companies to try to buy Infowars. Lopez’s September order on the auction procedures made a live bidding round optional. And it gave broad authority to Murray to conduct the sale, including the power to reject any bid, no matter how high, that was “contrary to the best interests” of Jones, his company and their creditors. But at a Nov. 14 hearing Lopez said he was concerned about the process and transparency. “We’re all going to an evidentiary hearing and I’m going to figure out exactly what happened,” he said. “No one should feel comfortable with the results of this auction.” The assets of Infowars' parent company, Free Speech Systems, that were up for sale included the Austin studio, Infowars' video archive, video production equipment, product trademarks, and Infowars' websites and social media accounts. Jones is appealing the $1.5 billion in judgments citing free speech rights, but has acknowledged that the school shooting happened . Jones has brought in millions of dollars a year in revenue by hawking nutritional supplements, clothing, survival gear and other merchandise, including more than $22 million this year through Sept. 30 from his Infowars Store website, according to court documents. Many of Jones’ personal assets, including real estate, guns and other personal belongings, also are being sold as part of the bankruptcy. Documents filed in court this year say Jones has about $9 million in personal assets, while Free Speech Systems has about $6 million in cash and more than $1 million worth of inventory.What the collapse of the Syrian regime says about the Arab regionPreview: Sturm Graz vs. Girona - prediction, team news, lineups

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Nashville Predators (7-12-5, in the Central Division) vs. Minnesota Wild (15-4-4, in the Central Division) Saint Paul, Minnesota; Saturday, 8 p.m. EST BETMGM SPORTSBOOK LINE: Wild -153, Predators +128; over/under is 5.5 BOTTOM LINE: The Minnesota Wild host the Nashville Predators after Jared Spurgeon's two-goal game against the Chicago Blackhawks in the Wild's 3-2 win. Minnesota is 15-4-4 overall and 3-2-2 against the Central Division. The Wild are 7-1-2 in games they score one or more power-play goals. Nashville has gone 7-12-5 overall with a 4-1-1 record in Central Division games. The Predators are 7-2-0 when scoring at least three goals. The matchup Saturday is the first meeting this season between the two teams. TOP PERFORMERS: Kirill Kaprizov has 14 goals and 22 assists for the Wild. Marco Rossi has four goals and three assists over the past 10 games. Roman Josi has seven goals and 13 assists for the Predators. Steven Stamkos has scored three goals and added two assists over the past 10 games. LAST 10 GAMES: Wild: 6-2-2, averaging 2.7 goals, 4.5 assists, 3.5 penalties and 8.1 penalty minutes while giving up 1.9 goals per game. Predators: 3-3-4, averaging 2.3 goals, 3.1 assists, 3.5 penalties and 7.6 penalty minutes while giving up 2.3 goals per game. INJURIES: Wild: None listed. Predators: None listed. The Associated Press created this story using technology provided by Data Skrive and data from Sportradar .ANN ARBOR, Mich. (AP) — Michigan gave athletic director Warde Manuel a five-year contract extension Thursday on the heels of the Wolverines' upset over rival Ohio State and a strong start to the basketball season. Manuel, who has held the position since 2016, signed through June 30, 2030, the school announced. Manuel is also chairman of the College Football Playoff selection committee. “During Warde’s tenure as director, Athletics has put a structure in place where our student-athletes compete for Big Ten and national championships, excel in the classroom, and proudly graduate with their University of Michigan degrees,” university President Santa J. Ono said in the announcement. Michigan had a disappointing football season, finishing 7-5 (5-4 Big Ten), but a 13-10 win over then-No. 2 Ohio State took some pressure off of the program. The Buckeyes were favored by 21 points, the widest point spread for the rivalry since 1978, according to ESPN Stats and Info. The Wolverines won the national championship last year in their final season led by coach Jim Harbaugh, whose tenure at the school involved multiple NCAA investigations for recruiting and sign-stealing allegations. Manuel supported Harbaugh through those processes. In basketball, the women's team made its season debut (No. 23) in the AP Top 25 this week. The men are 7-1 a season after firing coach Juwan Howard, who lost a school-record 24 games in 2023-24 as Michigan plummeted to a last-place finish in the Big Ten for the first time since 1967. Michigan has won 52 Big Ten championships since 2020. “Every day, I am thankful to work at this great institution and to represent Michigan Athletics," Manuel said in a statement. "I especially want to thank the student-athletes, coaches and staff who compete for each of our teams and who have helped us achieve unparalleled success athletically and academically. I am excited to continue giving back to a university that has provided me with so much over my career.” Get poll alerts and updates on the AP Top 25 throughout the season. Sign up here . AP college football: https://apnews.com/hub/ap-top-25-college-football-poll and https://apnews.com/hub/college-football

University of Michigan will no longer use diversity statements in faculty hiring, promotion, tenureMumbai: Nepal traditionally celebrates Kukur Tihar, a Diwali festival to worship dogs (and lately Biralo, or cats) as loyal and loving friends. Japan has an entire island popular with tourists, where cats outnumber its human residents. In Istanbul, known for its love of cats, a stray crashed the city’s fashion week six years ago, beating professional models on the runway. In India, too, the pandemic years have changed some things ‘fur’ever. As Indians spent more time online and indoors, they embraced change. Quick commerce was in, OTT viewership shot up, and pet adoption exploded. Today, people continue to adopt cats and dogs in droves. From 26 million pets in FY19, India’s pet population zoomed to more than 32 million in FY24, as per consulting firm Redseer. And it’s set to grow to more than 40 million in another four years. That might explain why the maker of Good Knight insect repellent and Cinthol soap is looking to pets for growth. But what can Godrej Consumer Products Ltd do differently in this relatively smaller market, historically dominated by imports and domestic meat processors? Long-term play In August, Godrej Consumer announced it would enter the by setting up a brand new subsidiary called Godrej Pet Care. Records with the ministry of corporate affairs show no entity with this name has been incorporated as of now. A spokesperson for Godrej Consumer declined to comment. “While the opportunity is clear, we believe that our right to win as a group is high," Godrej Consumer CEO Sudhir Sitapati told investors in an earnings call in August. “The lead time to set up capex [capital expenditure] is long and we hope to commence manufacturing in the second half of next year." Nitin Jain, formerly the director of sales at pet food maker Mars India, is the chief operating officer of this business. He spent nearly 10 years with Mars. Godrej’s sister concern, Godrej Agrovet, a meat processing and animal feeds business, will manufacture the products. While Godrej estimates this to be a 5,000 crore market, consulting firm Redseer pegs the overall petcare market at $3.5 billion or 29,000 crore a year (including food, grooming, veterinary care, and other services). Redseer estimates this will grow to $7-7.5 billion by FY28. Despite the surge in pet ownership since the covid pandemic, just 10% of Indian households formally own a pet, Godrej’s Sitapati told investors. And of those households, only 10% feed their pets packaged food, he added in the earnings call cited above, alluding to the headroom for growth. India’s pet food market is largely dominated by three manufacturers. Mars Inc., owner of iconic brands Pedigree and Whiskas, controls an estimated one-third of the total market. Nestlé, which launched Purina in 2018, is a dominant player globally but has been slow to scale up in India, industry executives say. Purina sells pet food brands Supercoat, Felix, and Friskies in India and abroad. In 2022, Nestlé acquired the standalone Purina India business for 123 crore. Broiler conglomerate IB Group is also a major name in the business with brands such as Drools, Purepet, and Meat Up. FMCG company Himalaya also sells some pet food and several pet medicines and supplements. Godrej is likely to build in the mass-premium category, adjacent to Mars’ Pedigree and Whiskas and their rival Drools. “We are not the kind of company to play at just the top of the pyramid or something small," Godrej’s Sitapati told investors in the earnings call quoted above. “If we play, we would want to play pretty much in the belly of the market. What exactly the positioning and price is, we’ll figure out with time." The aim: to develop a category, and not just compete with market leaders. “Over the last two years, we’ve developed some muscle around category development," Sitapati said in the earnings call. “And we feel this is a category that can benefit with category development," adding that the firm’s 500 crore investment is largely for operating expenses, including sales and marketing, not for capacity expansion. Adjacent business It is relatively easier for Godrej to enter the pet foods business, given the category is adjacent to its existing animal feeds and meat processing business, Godrej Agrovet. So, while Goderj Consumer focuses on category creation, the sister concern will handle manufacturing. Godrej Agrovet will be compensated for the goods supplied via a transfer pricing mechanism, Sudhir Sitapati told investors during the earnings call. It will also receive a “small management fee" for the transaction, he added. Access to Godrej Agrovet, which makes nearly half of its annual revenue from the poultry business, gives Godrej Consumer an edge over most of its rivals in the pet foods business. International rivals Mars and Nestlé have largely manufactured their pet food abroad, importing it into India from hubs in South Africa and Europe. Newer pet food brands such as Belotta and Me-O import from Thailand, the biggest source of imported pet food in India. But, relying on imports alone can mean increased costs and lost chances. When the pandemic and lockdown first struck India in 2020, imported goods struggled as supply chains were disrupted worldwide. Domestic brands Drools, manufactured by its parent poultry firm IB Group, capitalized on the shortage of better-known brands to gain traction in the market. Company filings show that between FY20 and FY22, Drools’ revenue nearly tripled to over 350 crore; market leader Mars grew as well, but much slower. Since then, both Mars and Nestlé have expanded domestic manufacturing. In August last year, Mars announced it would spend 800 crore on expanding its existing facility in Telangana. This April, French cat food brand Royal Canin opened its first pet food packaging centre in Bhiwandi, near Mumbai, with a 100 crore investment. Meanwhile, more animal feed and meat processing manufacturers have entered the pet foods business in the last two years. Hyderabad-based Allana Group, among India’s biggest meat exporters, spent 200 crore setting up a pet food facility outside Hyderabad in September last year. This May, seafood processor Growel Group said it was spending 80-100 crore to open a pet food manufacturing facility in Andhra Pradesh. But Godrej Consumer has an edge over its poultry and broiler rivals in distribution. “With their personal care and home insecticides products, they already have access to the chemist channel. This has become a big channel for pet foods in the last few years, so their distribution is already in place for this category," said Mrunmayee Jogalekar, an analyst with broking firm Asit C Mehta. Demand for better products “For most manufacturers, pet food is often seen as an attractive space, an afterthought in terms of diversification," Anand Ramanathan, partner at consulting firm Deloitte and leader of its consumer products and retail practice, told . “They may have an existing animal feed or meat processing business. Traditionally, you take leftovers from your animal feed business and process it into pet foods. That can bring you economies of scale, but there can be challenges in terms of quality and food safety." Smaller, insurgent pet care brands are tapping into that concern. “Most commercial pet food for dogs and cats is made with chicken byproducts including the neck, head, blood, and feathers," said Abhishek Agrawal, co-founder at Gurugram-based cat food startup Smylo. “They are also full of artificial preservatives to extend the product’s shelf life. But these ingredients aren’t healthy for pets—a majority of pet dogs and cats in India are obese and need better nutrition." 34-year-old Poulomi Mazumdar, a Mumbai-based consultant and parent to three adopted cats, agrees. “ , especially with wet food for cats in India," she said. “I do feed dry kibble (ground meal shaped into pellets) to my cats sometimes, but I avoid it because it is known to cause obesity, dehydration, and kidney-related issues in the long-term." Kibble tends to be 30-50% cheaper than wet food. However, Mazumdar eventually reduced the amount of packaged food for her cats altogether, substituting it with and vegetables. Agrawal and his co-founder Kartikeya Gupta founded Smylo last year, hoping to introduce better-quality cat food made with good cuts of meat and sans artificial preservatives. While researching how to build a cost-effective yet high-quality pet food supply chain, they discovered that southeast Asian manufacturers were ahead of most of their domestic counterparts. “What matters is the protein digestibility in the pet food," Smylo’s Gupta explains. “Manufacturers in countries like Vietnam, Thailand, and the Philippines use fresh water fish which have higher digestible protein and fat content than salt water fish or chicken byproduct. They also followed better hygiene standards and had the best machinery, at par with what is used in the UK and Germany." While Smylo is clear it wants an entirely domestic supply chain in the long-run, the founders said they are currently experimenting with manufacturers in these southeast Asian countries. For Godrej to offer higher value for money, it may need to carefully consider what raw materials Godrej Agrovet puts into the pet food it manufactures. “About 65-70% of the overall cost in pet food is raw material cost, so you have to consider the quality of your sources," Deloitte’s Ramanathan added. High-margin focus Godrej Consumer’s interest in pet care comes at a time of great change for the firm. Under Sitapati, the company has been pursuing a long-term strategy of simplifying its product portfolio to focus on high-margin categories, such as premium niches in laundry and now, pet food, where margins can be as high as in the firm’s mainstay personal and home care categories. “Since FY21, GCPL’s domestic business has shown early signs of revival following the sales slowdown experienced during FY17-FY20," brokerage firm Motilal Oswal wrote in a company note from September this year. “The under-penetrated HI [home insecticides] and Hair Color categories have significantly benefited from Mr. Sitapati’s extensive experience in transforming low-penetration categories at Hindustan Unilever." Winning in a new category will be a crucial part of its strategy —the company’s stock has underperformed the Nifty FMCG index in the last three years. In the past year, the company has reported better-than-expected volume growth of 7% year on year. But subdued consumer demand, a surge in palm oil prices, the delayed north Indian winter, and cyclonic weather in south India may affect sales in the December 2024 quarter, Godrej Consumer said in an investor note late last week. “GCPL’s strength has been rolling out products with a sharp R&D focus to beat rivals," said analyst Jogalekar. “For example, they took back market share from the illegal incense stick market by launching Good Knight agarbattis earlier this year. They have also successfully launched handwashes and laundry detergents in powder-to-liquid format. Innovation has worked well for them over the years. One would expect the same in their pet care entry." Hot opportunity Despite the manufacturing challenges, the time is ripe for category creation in pet care, say market watchers. Pet food brands in India have not built niches or price differentiation for themselves. Besides, many Indians are becoming pet parents for the first time. “Post the pandemic, we saw more affluent households spending on pet ownership, but now middle-income households are also adopting pets," said Deloitte’s Ramanathan. An affluent household in this context is one with an annual income of over 30 lakh. On average, consulting firm Redseer estimates Indian pet parents are spending over 50,000 on pet products and services a year. Most of this is offline. For most experienced pet parents, the biggest pain point is finding packaged food that is of a better quality than the market leaders, but not extremely expensive and intermittently available. Amulya Vanga, a 32-year-old Delhi-based media professional, had plenty of widely available cat food brands to choose from in the US, where she first adopted her pet cat Auggie. But six years ago, when she moved back to India, she settled for Whiskas. “It is widely available in India and at least a standard quality," she says. When Auggie’s veterinarian diagnosed the 10-year-old cat , Vanga was asked to dramatically change his diet. Like Mazumdar in Mumbai, she chose a mix of home cooked meat and vegetables with some Whiskas wet food, necessary for taste and nutrients like taurine not found in human-grade food. “What I see missing in the market is premium, high-quality, widely available, but affordable food, where my cat is getting good quality meat and not grain and filler ingredients." That may be Godrej’s opportunity over domestic rivals just entering the business. In the earnings call, Godrej Consumer’s Sitapati said that roughly half of all pet food sales in India come from speciality pet stores. The firm plans to scale up distribution in that channel, while it already occupies a leading position in modern trade and e-commerce, where its premium, urban-focused brands in laundry and hair colour sell. Quick commerce in particular is keen to capitalise on the growing pet care market, brands in this space told . “Category managers for leading quick commerce platforms have been approaching us and other pet care startups to list food," Garima Kaushal, co-founder of Delhi-based, dog-focused startup Sploot, said. “Platforms like Zepto and Blinkit have taken some share of the pet parent’s wallet. They are all seeking out listings. But quick commerce still tends to be a channel for unplanned stockouts of pet food at home, not yet for planned pet food purchases," she added. Dog food brands Pedigree and Drools sell 10kg mega packs of dry kibble for dogs, meant to be stored and used over a long period of time. Platforms like , for instance, have been advertising their pet care offerings aggressively. All kinds of quick commerce orders are often delivered in brown packaging telling customers to get pet products in 10 minutes. Godrej Consumer already sells heavily on these quick-commerce channels. The rising popularity of pet food on platforms such as Blinkit gives the firm much needed speed in its go-to market strategy. That speed can help boost its new brand even as competitive intensity increases, with more companies entering the market and market leaders increasing domestic capacity. With so many dogs and cats (and other pets) entering homes, many more firms are likely to invest in this market, and competition in the pet care business will heat up. The next two years will reveal if Sitapati—and Godrej Consumer—can stave off the competition and hold their own, while building a mass category from scratch.Zoren: Former Channel 3 co-anchor turns up as 6abc reporter