IndiGrid Targets Sholapur Transmission Asset as City's Drum Artists Shine at Tirumala
KKR-backed infrastructure investment trust IndiGrid received board approval to acquire Raichur Sholapur Transmission Pvt. Ltd for up to Rs 250 crore, marking a significant transaction for Sholapur's power transmission infrastructure. Separately, 100 drum beaters from Sholapur's Param Veer Yoga mandal traveled to Tirumala to perform during the Simha vahanam procession, enthralling pilgrims at the four mada streets with their rhythmic display. The Milli Gazette also preserved an eyewitness account from Sholapur's communal history, documenting a riot in which nine people were killed and Muslim business establishments bore the brunt of violence following a bandh called by local Muslim organizations.
🏢 IndiGrid Receives Board Approval to Acquire Full Stake in Raichur Sholapur Transmission
India Grid Trust, the infrastructure investment trust known as IndiGrid, received board approval to fully acquire Raichur Sholapur Transmission Pvt. Ltd for up to Rs 250 crore, to be paid in one or more tranches. The acquisition would give IndiGrid 100 percent ownership of the power transmission firm, purchased from three existing shareholders: Patel Engineering, which holds a 33.4 percent stake; Simplex Infrastructures, which holds 33.33 percent; and BS Ltd, which holds the remaining 33.33 percent. IndiGrid is backed by global investment firm KKR. The deal was reported by VCCircle under the byline of journalist Joseph Rai, published on August 2, 2022, in the outlet's Infrastructure section. VCCircle is a publication covering private equity, venture capital, mergers and acquisitions, credit transactions, and industry developments in the Indian market, with sections spanning Finance, Consumer, Healthcare, Infrastructure, Technology, Manufacturing, Real Estate, and People. The acquisition of Raichur Sholapur Transmission by IndiGrid represents a notable development in the power transmission sector directly tied to the Sholapur region. IndiGrid's board-level approval of the transaction signals the investment trust's intent to expand its power transmission asset portfolio through acquisitions of assets held by firms such as Patel Engineering, Simplex Infrastructures, and BS Ltd. VCCircle's reporting on this transaction appeared in the context of its broader coverage of private equity and infrastructure investment activity across India. [5]
Nine Killed in Sholapur Riot as Muslim Organizations Called Bandh Over Falwell Remarks
The Milli Gazette, an Indian Muslim newspaper registered under RNI DELENG/2000/930 with ISSN 0972-3366, publishing 32 pages twice a month since January 2000, documented a riot in Sholapur that occurred on a Friday, October 11, in which nine people were killed and Muslim business establishments were identified as the primary targets of the violence. Local Muslim organizations in Sholapur — including Alshabban and Muslim Vikas Sangh — had called a bandh, a general strike, to protest blasphemous remarks against the Prophet Muhammad made by American clergyman Rev Jerry Falwell. In the Sakarpet area, a downtown Muslim-dominated neighborhood of Sholapur, the bandh call was written in Marathi, Urdu, and English on black boards posted outside the local mosque and at crossroads throughout the area. Residents gathered in clusters around these notices, reading and discussing the call to strike, while all shops remained shut and the atmosphere in Sakarpet carried what the eyewitness account described as ominous vibes. A police contingent had been deployed in Sakarpet, but in numbers and posture that the account characterized as insufficient for anticipating serious trouble. In Saat Rasta, described as the main commercial district of Sholapur, conditions appeared calm on the surface despite the underlying tension elsewhere. The Milli Gazette's sub-headline — 'Nine killed, but as usual, Muslim business establishments were the main target' — framed the violence within a pattern the publication had documented previously. The publication's website lists sections for cartoons, special reports, national news, community news, and letters to the editor alongside its subscription archive dating back to its founding in January 2000. [7]
🪔 Sholapur Drum Beaters Enthrall Tirumala Pilgrims During Simha Vahanam Procession
On October 5, 2016, a troupe of 100 drum beaters from Param Veer Yoga mandal of Sholapur, Maharashtra, performed at Tirumala during the Simha vahanam procession at the four mada streets, delighting pilgrims with rhythmic beating and synchronized dancing. The group was led by Sri Ketkar Maharaj and had been invited to Tirumala by the Hindu Dharma Prachara Parishad to present their art before the assembled devotees. The troupe was organized into three teams scheduled to perform during both the morning and evening vahana seva, using drums, legible, and Tasha instruments as tools of their performance. Among the 100 performers, 30 were girl students drawn from various colleges in Sholapur, alongside other members who were occupational drummers by profession. Prior to their Tirumala appearance, the Param Veer Yoga mandal had demonstrated their skills at temple festivals across Maharashtra, including events at Sri Siddeswarlaya and Sri Pandaripur temple. The press release documenting the performance was issued by the Public Relations Officer of Tirumala Tirupati Devasthanams, based in Tirupati. The invitation of Sholapur performers to Tirumala for the Brahmotsavam season reflects cultural connections between the Sholapur region's performing arts community and the major pilgrimage centers of South India. The Param Veer Yoga mandal's inclusion of 30 girl students from Sholapur's colleges signals the transmission of traditional drum-beating arts to younger generations within the city. [9]
Sources: [5] VCCircle · [7] The Milli Gazette · [9] TTD News