Apple Mart Hypermarket inaugurated at Attavar
Unique shopping experience under one roof
Mangaluru, October 28: The 4th branch of the 'Apple Mart' hypermarket of the prestigious AK Group was declared open at the Ivory Enclave on SL Mathias Road at Attavar here on Sunday.
Yenepoya University Chancellor Yenepoya Abdulla Kunhi who inaugurated the hypermarket, said that the Apple Mart Hypermarket has been giving very good service to the customers. The customers were satisfied by the quality products there. Within a short span of time, Apple Mart has got good name in Dakshina Kannada District, he said while wishing the new store all the best.
Inaugurating the Big Mishra Peda stall at the Mart, Retd. Inspector General of Police Panduranga Rane said that the AK Group has done good job of providing all products under one roof. Let the AK Group open more of such branches not only in district and state, but also in other states.
Inaugurating the Reem Dates and Nuts store, SMR Group chairman SM Rasheed Haji said that around nine branches of Apple Mart have been functioning in Dubai and he has visited them. There were plenty of opportunities in Kerala to open its branches and the AK Group could think of it, he said.
PB Ibrahim of the PBI Construction of Bhatkal was the first customer of the Hypermarket.
Mathias Aluminium Systems Chairman Gregory Mathias inaugurated the S Cube store, Corporator Abdul Ravoof inaugurated the Fish and Meat store, Dr. K Reshma Pai of Shrinivas Dental College inaugurated the Blush and Bloom lingerie store and Badminton player Akanksha S Pai inaugurated the Apple Toymart at new Apple Mart Hypermarket.
Price Checker - first in Mangaluru
For the first time in Mangaluru, the AK Group has set up Price Checker machine at new Apple Mart Hypermarket. With the help of electronic kiosk, the customers could scan the barcodes of any products and check the actual prices.
In the Hypermarket sprawling in an area of over 12,000 sq ft, customers can purchase all kinds of house hold things, fresh and quality vegetables and grocery, fruits, fish, meat, sweets, toys and inner wears of all brands at reasonable prices. Home delivery facility is also available from 8am to 10 pm. The Hypermarket also has a spacious car parking facility.
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India harbouring big and bold dreams in space sector: Shubhanshu Shukla
Kolkata (PTI): Air Force Group Captain Shubhanshu Shukla, the first Indian astronaut to go to the International Space Station, on Wednesday said the country is harbouring “big and bold dreams”, foraying into human spaceflight after a hiatus of 41 years.
Shukla was the first Indian to visit the International Space Station as part of the Axiom-4 mission. He returned to India from the US on August 17, 2025, after the 18-day mission.
The space is a “great place to be”, marked by deep peace and an “amazing view” that becomes more captivating with time, he said, interacting with schoolchildren at an event organised by the Indian Centre for Space Physics here.
“The longer you stay, the more you enjoy it,” Shukla said, adding on a lighter note that he “actually kind of did not want to come back”.
Shukla said the hands-on experience in space was very different from what he had learnt during training.
He said the future of India’s space science was “very bright”, with the country harbouring “very big and bold dreams”.
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Shukla described his ISS flight, undertaken with support from the US, as a crucial “stepping stone” towards realising India’s ‘Vision Gaganyaan’.
“The experience gained is a national asset. It is already being used by internal committees and design teams to ensure ongoing missions are on the right track,” he said.
Shukla said the country’s space ambitions include the Gaganyaan human spaceflight programme, the Bharatiya Station (India’s own space station), and eventually a human landing on the Moon.
While the Moon mission is targeted for 2040, he said these projects are already in the pipeline, and the field will evolve at a “very rapid pace” over the next 10-20 years.
He told the students that though these targets are challenging, they are “achievable by people like you”, urging them to take ownership of India’s aspirations.
The sector will generate “a lot of employment opportunities” as India expands its human spaceflight capabilities, he noted.
Echoing the iconic words of India’s first astronaut Rakesh Sharma, Shukla said that from orbit, “India is still the best in the world”.
Shukla also asserted that the achievement was not his alone, but that of the entire country.
“The youth of India are extremely talented. They must stay focused, remain curious and work hard. It is their responsibility to help build a developed India by 2047,” he said.
Highlighting a shift from Sharma’s era, Shukla said India is now developing a full-fledged astronaut ecosystem.
With Gaganyaan and future missions, children in India will be able to not only dream of becoming astronauts, but also achieving it within the country, he said.
“Space missions help a village kid believe he can go to space someday. When you send one person to space, you lift million hopes. That is why such programmes must continue... The sky is not the limit,” Shukla said.
“Scientists must prepare for systems that will last 20-30 years, while ensuring they can integrate technologies that will emerge a decade from now,” he said.
Shukla added that he looked forward to more space missions, and was keen to undertake a space walk, which will require him to "train for another two years".
