• Imbibe & Improve: The Great Indian Rope Trick
• Steel Mittal Named Richest Man of SA
• Indian Lawmakers to Fight to Suu Kyi's Release
• Deepening Indo-U.S. Academic Links
• Leadership Book by Indian American Draws Attention
• Lakshmi Mittal is Forbs Asia's Richest Indian
• Shirt That Weighs Just 95 Grams
• Indian American Students Win $ 125,000 in Siemens Finals
• 'Computers Can Wait, Health Can't'
• India on Right Track, Say Gate
• Kingfisher is Best New Airline in Asi

• Knowledge Age: India Leads Race for Supremacy
• Dinosaur Expert Becomes Only Indian to be Elected to TWAS
• Indian Kid Bag's US Marshall Honour
• A Specially Written Bible That One Has to Reflect
• SEBI Chief Among Top 50 Asian Newsmakers in 2006
• Narayana Murthy in World's Top 15 Business Leaders
• Man on a Mission
• India to Delevlop 50 Seater Aircraft
• First Overseas Citizenship of India Card to be Given in January
• Diaspora's Return Gift: Expertise

Call it the great Indian rope trick. Or simply, the best innovation that money couldn't buy. It has survived down the ages and continues to shock and awe friends, neighbours and corporate competitors alike. Some years ago, it was the use of washing machines to make lassi. Electrolux and Videocon didn't complain as long as their machines kept selling. Maruti 800 car engines backed up as water pumps in the hinterlands. And in parts of north India, weavers found condoms to be a useful pair of gloves to weave fine yarn! No, we aren't letting our imagination run riot here. Each of these are well-documented case-studies of non-conventional usage. Buffaloes up for sale are dyed a spotless black using Godrej hair dye. A dab of Asian Paints' best plastic emulsion on the horns of cattle helps easy identification and checks theft. Iodex is rubbed into animal skin to relieve pain after a hard day's toil. Of course, the jugar isn't just a hinterland hobby. It's as much a metro-mania as it is a core competence in the corporate world. Take the personal computer-a product where putting it all together is not limited to the neighbourhood geek. Already, Intel is planning to launch a PC for the rural market with a dust filter that can run on a car battery. Given that PC components are readily available off the shelf, assembling a machine tweaked to customised needs is already a successful business model. Says Shantanu Ghosh, chairman, Xenitis (of Aamar PC fame): "The Indian market has had a laid back approach to hardware. So companies and local players have ended up sourcing components from Taiwan, China and Singapore to offer complete products here." Xenitis, like other manufacturers and even your neighbourhood techie, put together the PC with parts sourced from different vendors around the world.

Courtesy: The Economic Times, December 23, 2005

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In A path-breaking book, 'The Singularity is Near', Ray Kurzweil shocked the world by suggesting that by '15-20 "machines will become more like us and we will become more like machines". Nano-driven livers, kidneys and lungs would become commonplace by '15. More importantly, our knowledge of the human brain would have reached heights that are incomprehensible today. In fact, the virtual will become real through systems biology and nano-research. Nano-particles will be capable of releasing magic bullets to destroy disease tissues in a minutely measured manner. In this brave new world, which will flower within the lifetime of the 547m Indians who are below the age of 25 today, will India have a leading knowledge edge? Well, Indian pharmaceutical companies have already discovered three new chemical entities, which would revolutionise the cure in three different diseases - malaria, prostate cancer and diabetes. If this pace of discovery can be accelerated further, India could join the developed world in knowledge leadership. In the realm of nano-technology, India already has 154 centres of research and the focus is on new drug delivery systems. A leading pharmaceutical company, which draws on our traditional knowledge, has already produced a nano-particle based formulation, for the treatment of cancer. Here, with 4,000 nano-centres of research in the US and billions of dollars of support, US-India synergy in high technology cooperation is beginning to produce new vistas.

Courtesy: The Economic Times, December 23, 2005

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India-born steel magnate Lakshmi N. Mittal has become the richest man in South Africa, ousting the traditional leaders - the Oppenheimer and Rupert families, says a national weekly. This follows London-based Mittal's takeover of former state-owned steel producer Iscor. "The Oppenheimer and Rupert families have always been considered South Africa's richest families, but research reveals that it is actually a foreigner, the Indian (sic) billionaire Lakshmi Mittal who is the richest in the country," Sunday Times wrote in its Rich List as part of a special Christmas Edition here. Mittal's 50 per cent stake in Mittal Steel SA won him this new status. The new company was born out of Iscor, which he turned around with a huge cash injection and cost-cutting technologies after first taking an interest four years ago when Iscor was ailing. The value of Mittal's interest in Mittal Steel is 10.22 billion rands, putting him ahead of Nicky Oppenheimer of Anglo American plc, whose four percent stake in the company is worth 9.28 billion rands. The Rembrandt Trust, belonging to the Rupert family, has investments worth 6.1 billion rands, giving it third place. After that, investment values start dropping rapidly, with only two South African Indians making the top 150 - filmmaker Anant Singh, whose stake in Kagiso Media is worth 107.5 million rands; and A.K. Peer of the clothing retailer LA Group, worth 85.6 million rands. Although Mittal's interest in South Africa is worth over 10 billion rands, this is reportedly only about five percent of his total wealth of about $25m, according to the Forbes list. Mittal moved up 59 places to become the third richest man in the world in the Forbes list after his many acquisitions worldwide of steel companies that has made Mittal Steel the largest steel company in the world. In keeping with this status, two years ago, Mittal paid $128 million for the most expensive mansion in Britain when he bought the Kensington Palace Gardens home of Formula One racing boss Ernie Ecclestone. Mittal also reportedly spent $55 million on his daughter's wedding in France last year.

Courtesy: The Times of India, December 23, 2005

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A leading geologist and an expert on the study of dinosaur fossils, Professor Ashok Sahni, has become the only Indian to be elected to the Third World Academy of Sciences (TWAS). As per information available at the center of advanced study in geology at the Panjab University here, Sahni was elected along with 50 other leading scientists worldwide. The meeting of TWAS was held at Alexandria, Egypt, Nov 29. Sahni is considered an expert on dinosaur fossils and had worked extensively on the origin and life of the reptiles. He possesses several dinosaur fossils. Sahni, an Emeritus Scientist at Panjab University, had helped set up a unique dinosaur museum here last Scientist at Panjab University, had helped set up a unique dinosaur museum here last year.

Courtesy: Hindustan Times, December 22, 2005

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A forum of Indian MPs has decided to campaign for the restoration of democracy in Myanmar and to press for the release of leader Aung San Suu Kyi from house arrest. "We have created this forum for people to address the principal issues of the early release of Aung San Suu Kyi and other political prisoners and the restoration of democracy and human rights in Burma (the former name of Myanmar)," said Nirmala Deshpandey, an MP and veteran Gandhian leader. She was speaking at the launch of the first Indian Parliamentarians Forum for Democracy in Burma in New Delhi on Sunday. Deshpandey is chief patron of the forum, which has 12 members from various political parties. Deshpandey also said the MPs might go to Myanmar to meet Suu Kyi and other top jailed leaders and press for their early release. Robert Kharshiing, a member of Rajya Sabha, is convener of the forum that has members from the Congress, Bharatiya Janata Party, Samajawadi Party and Communist Party of India-Marxist. "We are no longer a weak country and we can convince politicians in other countries to take up this noble cause," said Kharshiing. "I think we can manage something because in world affairs today, nothing is impossible." India's recent policy towards Myanamar has been marked by a policy of pragmatic engagement with the country's ruling military junta to keep a vigil on anti-Indian insurgents operating in border areas of Myanmar. Prime Minister Manmohan Singh had talks with his Myanamarese counterpart Soe Win on the sidelines of the East Asia summit in Kuala Lumpur last week during which he stressed the need for starting a national reconciliation movement towards restoring democracy in Myanmar. Manmohan Singh also conveyed New Delhi's desire that Suu Kyi should be freed.

Courtesy: Hindustan Times, December 20, 2005

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Indian American student Ajit Divakaruni, specialising in three subjects at The University of Arizona, has been named a 2006 Marshall Scholar. He is one of 40 students chosen in a nationwide competition and the scholarship, worth about $60,000, will fund his tuition and living expenses during his time studying in the United Kingdom. Divakaruni, 22, a senior honours student in the College of Science and also a Flinn Scholar who attended Saguaro High School in Scottsdale, Arizona, has won this coveted scholarship, the first at the University of Arizona in eight years. He has sustained a strong academic track record at the University of Arizona (UA), with excellent grades and a triple major in biochemistry, mathematics and molecular and cellular biology. He expects to complete an honours thesis in each of his three majors, a feat never before accomplished by a UA Honours student. He's worked as an undergraduate researcher in Professor Tim Secomb's lab at the UA, and in labs at Cambridge University and Yale University. At Cambridge he hopes to pursue an interdisciplinary understanding of metabolic regulation and the biochemistry of uncoupling proteins. This research may be an important catalyst in understanding how to regulate diabetes and obesity. Born in Minnesota, Divakaruni grew up in Scottsdale, graduating from Saguaro High School in 2001. His brother is studying for a PhD in biochemistry at UCLA, his father is an electrical engineer, and his mother is an accountant.

Courtesy: The Financial Express: December 20, 2005

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He moved to Texas from Chennai over four decades ago for doing a Ph.D in Civil Engineering. Somehow the digital world caught his fancy. N. Radhakrishnan went on to head the Computational and Information Services Directorate with the U.S Army Research Laboratory (ARL), managing multi-million dollar projects and research in battlefield communications. After a long career, during which he got the U.S Presidential Rank award for his service, Dr. Radhakrishnan is serving as the Vice-Chancellor of North Carolina Agriculture & Technical State University. He recently visited Chennai to forge ties between U.S. and Indian academics. In some ways, North Carolina A & T is like India. A big chunk of students are Afro-Americans, many among them are first generation entrants to the university, Dr. Radhakrishnan told The Hindu . "After my experience in the university, I am in India to talk to institutions such as Indian Institutes of Technology to work in Africa so that the Indian experience of developing higher education can be taken there." "Indians have phenomenal experience and let us see how we can use this. Our university and Indian institutions can work together to help countries in Africa. Essentially, we cannot uproot teachers from here or in the U.S. and make them stay in Africa for long. We need to help African nations to attain self sufficiency ," says Dr. Radhakrishnan. He is also seeking the support of China, which has a similar experience. He signed an MoU with the Chennai-based RMK Engineering College. "It is a broad document facilitating faculty exchange and helping teachers from RMK do research in North Carolina. More faculty members need to get a Ph.D to compete with first tier institutions such as IITs here," he says. "We are also looking at pre-certification of faculty members, who come for higher studies in the U.S. At present, universities look for some sort of certification from anyone coming from India for research. "If we know he comes from institutions such as RMK Engineering, we can look at pre-certifying the quality easier ... we can also facilitate in getting through GRE or TOEFL. We are not bending any requirement, but just facilitating easier scrutiny," he says. The other areas of collaboration would be to help Indian institutions to get U.S accreditation, take up guest or visiting lectureships, or familiarise teachers here with advanced testing and simulation equipment. His university is known for industrial engineering, materials engineering and modelling and simulation (that is one area I worked for long in the civilian research programmes). In materials engineering, there is a lot of interdisciplinary work that combines engineering and life sciences, for which too, he is looking for transnational cooperation. As Vice-Chancellor, Dr. Radhakrishnan says he is responsible for administration of all research and sponsored programmes and interacting with external agencies. Earlier, he had managed the Department of Defence's high performance computing centre and collaborated with researchers and the academia in areas such as fluid dynamics, structural mechanics. He founded the DoD's Information Assurance Centre for high speed networks. For his work, he received the Presidential Rank Award in 2004 as a senior executive in the Army. Dr. Radhakrishnan hopes to further the collaboration with Indian institutions such as the IITs, the Indian Institute of Science and Bharat Vidyapeeth, especially for interdisciplinary research.

Courtesy: The Hindu. December 20, 2005

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His flair for writing with a difference motivated Uttam Das, a resident of Silapathar, in Assam's backward Dhemaji district, to write six volumes of the Bible in a unique language he has developed and named the "Mirror Language." Books written by Mr. Das (29) after a year's painstaking efforts can be read only with the help of a mirror. On Sunday morning, the six volumes of the Bible written by Das in the "Mirror Language" was inaugurated by Archbishop of Guwahati Thomas Menamparampil. The Archbishop will also gift a copy of the Bible written in this reverse mode to the Pope when he visits Rome. Apart from the six volumes of the Bible, Mr. Das has also written the `Naam Ghosha,' by Madhavdeva, a disciple of the 15th century Vaishanvite saint Shankardeva, in Assamese and `Aaso Manush Hau' in Bengali in similar fashion. He is currently writing the Gita in Hindi and plans to write the Quran in Urdu in this unique way. "I learnt this process of writing and reading languages inversely from my childhood days. It gradually became my hobby and now it is my passion," Mr. Das told The Hindu . The practice of "mirror language" can help developing the IQ by making one more sharp and attentive, Mr. Das said.

Courtesy: The Hindu, December 19, 2005

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A book on leadership practices by a former FedEx executive of Indian origin is set for release in several languages including Mandarin, Russian, Spanish and Thai. "FedEx Delivers", the book by Indian American Madan Birla, stresses on building and sustaining a culture of innovation for business success. "The book is about building and sustaining an innovation culture. It explains the practices that work in tapping employees' creativity and commitment at all levels of an organisation," said Birla. "The Chinese, Russian, Spanish and Thai editions of the book are being released shortly," Birla said during a recent visit to New Delhi. He is based at Memphis, Tennessee, in the US. Birla's book - packed with true stories, real-world examples and expert advice on implementing new ideas and processes - gives an insight into how FedEx emerged as a globally respected brand. He explains the company's operation module in a generalised manner that could be of use to other businesses. Birla, who retired three years ago as managing director and preceptor in the Memphis-based FedEx Leadership Institute after 22 years of service, delivered lectures to executives at Columbia and Fordham in New York and to students at the Kellogg Business School in Chicago. The book explains strategies that turned the fortunes for FedEx, which incurred a loss of $29 million in its first three years of operations. Birla said his next book will focus on the factors of leadership and balanced life. "My next book will be on leadership and life balance. It will be on the lines of a module on life balance that I introduced in leadership classes for managing directors at FedEx," said Birla.

Courtesy: Hindustan Times, December 19, 2005

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M Damodaran, the Securities and Exchange Board of India (Sebi) Chairman, would figure among top 50 Asian Newsmakers for 2006, picked up by Singapore-based daily 'Straits Times'. "Sometime in the new year, after well-paid fund managers return from their Christmas break and start building up their market positions again, India's key stock index will probably breach the 10,000 mark. The man most interested in the development will be someone who holds no share at all -- M Damodaran," read 'Straits Times' on December 3, under the head 'Regulator who does tomorrow's work today'. The write-up quoted Damodaran "I have two philosophies as a regulator. One is to do tomorrow's work today. The other is, do not blow your whistle too often... But when you do, blow it hard." Correspondents of Straits Times over Asia have been filing their picks from various countries as ten were named from India by its correspondents here. Some of the other names from India included Rahul Dravid, Ambani brothers, Rahul Gandhi, Vijay Mallya, Shah Rukh Khan and Sunil Mittal.

Courtesy: Hindustan Times, December 18, 2005

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Lakshmi Mittal, chief executive of Mittal Steel Co, retained his position as India's richest person with an estimated wealth of US$ 20 billion, Forbes Asia said as demand for commodities boosted the tycoon's fortune. Azim Premji, chairman of Wipro Ltd, is second on the list with an estimated wealth of $11 billion in the annual Forbes Asia list of India's 40 richest people, the magazine said in a news release on Thursday. The combined wealth of the list jumped 74% to $106 billion. Twenty-seven members on the list are billionaires, more than double last year's count. Indians' have benefited as the government started opening up the economy in 1991, allowing overseas companies to own businesses and scrapping the licence system for local companies and lowering tariffs and taxes. Those steps have helped Asia's fourth-biggest economy to expand on an average 6.2% a year for the past decade. "An economy in transition produces geometric growth opportunities and that is what India is experiencing," said Bharat Shah,CEO and managing partner at ASK Raymond James Securities Ltd.

Courtesy: The Financial Express: December 16, 2005

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A staunch Marxist, he hopped through France to India back in the 1970s, visiting every Communist country by road just to get a feel, returning to India to become the biggest champion of the free market, and building Infosys into a global icon. He went on to be known as the sage of Bangalore. On Tuesday, Infosys' chief mentor and chairman N R Narayana Murthy, added one more feather in his cap with The Economist naming him among the world's 15 most admired global leaders. He scores above GE's CEO Jeff Immelt at the number 8 slot in the list released by The Economic Intelligence Unit and Burson-Marsteller, the global public affairs firm. The global survey named Microsoft chairman and chief architect Bill Gates as the world's most admired leader. The other Indian to figure in the list is Lakshmi N Mittal, at No. 15. The survey polled more than 600 global business influentials in 65 countries. ''Business decision-makers clearly voted for long-term performance and proven track records over fleeting success,'' said Patrick Ford, Burson-Marsteller's Global Corporate\Financial Practice chair.

Courtesy: The Economic Times, December 15, 2005

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This is perhaps the world's lightest shirt weighing just 95 grams, including the accessories. The display of the shirt at a textile exhibition, which opened at Finlay's showroom in Pavan Enclave in Dabagardens on Monday has become the cynosure of all eyes. Made with 120 count yarn from 43,000 yards length, the half-sleeve shirt is available in 40-inch collar size. Priced at Rs. 690, the yarn is made from superior variety of Indian cotton. "The demand for the shirt is excellent because of its unique weaving expertise and size mixture," National Textile Corporation (South Maharashtra) Marketing Manager S.M. Sharma told The Hindu . Finlay's Mill -- a unit of the public sector NTC -- is known for blending of the best technology and the genius of Indian master weavers ever since it was set up in 1917 by British visionary James Finlay. The fabric required for the shirt is available in small quantity. Twenty metres is woven per loom for producing a single piece of shirt. "Owing to the tedious weaving process, we are not able to cope with the demand," admitted Mr. Sharma.

Organdie saree

Also on display is another rare item, Organdie saree. It is manufactured and passed through sulphuric acid at a specific speed and temperature. It is said that it desirably alters the chemical structure of the fibre to give it a permanent starchy finish. The saree, available with floral prints, dyed, embroidered and designer wear versions, is a status symbol for Gujarati and Marwari women. The price ranges from Rs. 450 to Rs. 1,800. Its speciality is that the saree is available in 44-inch width of fabric -- which none offers in the market. As it is made with fine quality cotton yarn, the weight of the saree is restricted to 260 grams. Finlay's is also exhibiting a new test range series of exquisite handcrafted gilt-edged kurtas for festive occasions in traditional craftsmanship called The Nawab, The Vazir and The Rajkumar. Also on display are premium bed sheets, cotton fabrics like Shahjada, Mahamantri and Golden Brooch and dobby shirtings, maintaining a fine balance of fashion and class.

Courtesy: The Hindu, December 13, 2005

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Even as the country suffers from brain drain, M. R. Raju, a septuagenarian cancer expert, returned to his homeland from the US with a mission to fight cancer. Opting for voluntary retirement from his last stint at Los Almonos National Laboratory after serving the US for more than a decade in several capacities, Dr. Raju returned to establish a cancer institute at this village, his birthplace. In collaboration with his doctor wife Subhadra Devi Raju, the expert set up a trust named after Mahatma Gandhi to fighting the prevalence of cancer for over three decades. The institute with state-of-the-art technology has pioneered cancer treatment by synergising imaging and cobalt technologies. The affable and soft-spoken Dr. Raju is a hope for the cancer patients and the sprawling cancer institute, free of the hustle and the bustle of urban life, is a home away from home for them. Attracted by the efforts of the anti-cancer crusader, A.P.J. Abdul Kalam had visited the institute as a head of the Defence Research Development Organisation in 1996 before he became the President of India. Dr. Raju, who is also secretary of the District Cancer Control Board, says the incidence of cervical cancer was found to be predominant among rural women of West Godavari district. Child marriages leading to pregnancies at a young age when the cervix was not yet properly developed could be the main causative factor for the occurrence of the malady. Higher incidence of throat cancer was observed among women in 30-40 years age group due to nutritional deficiency and consumption of spicy foods, he adds.

Courtesy: The Hindu, December 13, 2005

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Hours and hours in the laboratory handling test tubes and squinting furiously at fruit flies has paid off handsomely for two high school seniors, as Indian Americans continued their sparkling record at the annual Siemens Westinghouse Competition in Math, Science and Technology. Over the weekend at judging in New York, Kiran Pendri, a senior at Choate Rosemary Hall in Wallingford, Connecticut, placed second in the individual category. He won a $50,000-scholarship for his chemistry project that created a building block for a new molecule. Also taking second place in the team competition was Abhinav Khanna, a senior at Plainview-Old-Bethpage John F. Kennedy High School in Plainview, N.Y., whose project examined how wing spots on male fruit flies influence female fruit flies. He and fellow student Benjamin Pollack will split a $50,000 grant. Desh Mohan, a senior at the Texas Academy of Mathematics and Science in Denton, Texas, won a fourth place $30,000 scholarship in the individual event. His research may assist clinical management of anoxic diseases such as strokes. Sharing a fourth place award of $30,000 in the team competition was Tarik Umar, a senior at Oak Ridge High School in Oak Ridge, Tenn. He and two partners, Patricia M. Brent and Nick Grabenstein, developed a software program that teaches computers to recognize different noun types - the names of locations, organizations, and people - as they appear in electronic documents. Finally, Amardeep Grewal, a junior at Detroit Country Day School in Beverly Hills, Mich., will share a fifth place team prize of $20,000 with Ran "Ron" Li of Valley Stream Central High School in Valley Stream, N.Y. Their work, which created a structurally enhanced hydrogel wound-healing matrix, may eventually help wound healing of patients suffering from chronic diseases such as diabetes or those who are bed-ridden. All these scholarships are in addition to awards these students won in regional competitions. Pendri's project, "Macrocyclisation Using Ring-closing Olefin Metathesis: Synthesis of a 13-Member Dithiolactone," created a mid-sized molecular ring that can serve as a precursor for the synthesis of a new chemical species. A member of the varsity math team, crew team and president of the Choate Indian Association, he hopes to study chemistry in college. Khanna and Pollack determined that two seemingly independent traits could coordinate with one another to affect sexual selection and increase adaptive effects of each trait in fruit flies. "These are important areas of current research about evolution that are happening right now in the natural world," said Antonio Javier-Lopez, associate professor of biological sciences at Carnegie Mellon University. "Essentially it's catching evolution in the act." Fluent in Hindi, co-president of the Science Olympiad and captain of the varsity swim team, Khanna plans to major in biology in college and wants to become a doctor. Mohan, son of Meena and Chandra Mohan of Flower Mound, Texas, studied male nematodes, a type of worm, and how they adapt to oxygen deprivation that is detrimental to humans. "When you put the worms in an environment with no oxygen, they go into suspended animation," he told a reporter in Texas. "I was trying to see what genes or molecules in worms help them to survive without oxygen, and if gender makes a difference By studying the survival rate of male and hermaphrodite C. elegans nematodes in oxygen-deprived conditions, Mohan was able to identify the hsp 12.6 gene as a factor in male anoxia survival. Fluent in Tamil, he plays the tabla and credits his father with nurturing his curiosity in math and science. Mohan plans to attend medical school and earn both a medical degree and a Ph.D. for a career in research. Umar's research could improve the relevance of search results, with potential applications in homeland security and disease research. Ramya Krishnamurthy of the Oak Ridge National Laboratory was one of his mentors. A jazz pianist and saxophonist who enjoys cooking and trading stocks, he participated in the Cumberland College Science Bowl and National Chemistry Olympiad and plans to compete in the Young Epidemiology Scholars and National BrainBee competitions. Grewal and Li introduced a new molecular model system that may allow hydrogel matrices to bind growth factors critical for healing of wounds. Fluent in Punjabi, Hindi and Spanish, Grewal received first place honors and second place honors, respectively, at the Detroit Science Fair and the Michigan State Science Fair. A tabla player for 12 years, he is editor of the Blue & Gold Yearbook and a staff writer at the Day Times newspaper. "These students have done magnificent work that any researcher would be proud of," said Thomas N. McCausland, chairman of the board of the Siemens Foundation. "The fact that they are still in high school makes their achievement all the more remarkable. Imagine what these young scholars will accomplish as adults." This year, 1,684 students entered the competition, a 13 per cent increase over last year.

Courtesy: The Economic Times, December 13, 2005

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India has begun work on developing a 50 seater passenger aircraft, capable of landing and taking off from short semi-prepared runways. National Aerospace Laboratories, a Bangalore-based CSIR laboratory, which developed the 14-seater Saras aircraft, has been mandated to build the new indigenous passenger airplane. "The 50-seater aircraft would be powered by a turbo-prop engine. Our team has almost completed the design studies and soon it will be submitted to government for approval and sooner allocation of funds," NAL adviser Dr Kota Harinarayana told PTI here. Harinarayana, who has been tasked with the new civilian airplane project, had led India's most ambitious national project, Light Combat Aircraft (Tejas), starting from the design studies to the successful flights of the first two technology demonstrators. "We need more turbo-pros so that we can connect a lot of unconnected airports across the country, which are having semi-prepared or short runways" he said. According to Tulouse-based ATR, which holds 75 per cent market share in the 50-70 seater regional turbo-prop aircraft section in India, the country is a lucrative market for 20-90 seater aircraft because of expanding coverage on the domestic feeder routes and the growing clout of low-cost carriers and also due to cruising fuel prices. After the completion of development, test flights and required number of testing hours, NAL is planning to hand over the series production of the aircraft either to the state-owned Hindustan Aeronautics Ltd (HAL) or some private industries.

Courtesy: The Economic Times, December 11, 2005

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'The samosa still remains an all-time favourite', said Bill Gates, the man who defies a definition these days. Geek No. 1? Yes, but he's left the running of his company to his long-time comrade Steve Ballmer, and he's now into 'mentoring' and indulging in other statesman-like activities. The richest man? Yes again, but he's fast depleting his wealth in charities. So, it seemed prudent to start off the exclusive interview with the icon with things as basic as food, for which you neither need to be a geek nor be the richest man in the world. The first time he was in India in 1997, Gates had spoken about the good, old samosa : that he had said was a favourite when he toddled down to the Indian restaurant in Seattle. Having affirmed his continuing affair with the samosa , Gates showed off his growing knowledge about Indian food. 'I have had a lot of Indian food. What you get in London and New York is very good. Seattle could do a lot better. And apart from the samosa , I absolutely adored the chutney your finance minister (P Chidambaram) served this morning with utthappam .' The food talk seemed to have broken the ice. Gates looked relaxed in fact, animated. So, the next question was popped: He was arguably the world's biggest philanthropist. Has he chosen India for his charitable work because it was a neat fit, or was it because of a spiritual connect with the country? 'I'm getting more and more interested in the future and our children are the future,' said Gates. 'The health of children is, for instance, much more important than computers.' After a pause, he said: 'The goal of the foundation (Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation) is to take the greatest inequities in the world and see if the advances in science can eliminate them.' Why the focus on India? Is it also because also a big market? "We are working on a global basis but India happens to be also the country where we have the largest number of partners,' he said ' So we probably have more impact here than elsewhere.

Courtesy: The Times of India, December 08, 2005

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Prime Minister Manmohan Singh will hand over the first Overseas Citizenship of India (OCI) card at the fourth Pravasi Bharatiya Divas to be held in Hyderabad from January 7-9. Fulfilling a long-standing government commitment, Indian missions abroad have been authorised to receive OCI applications. Giving this information to The Hindu, G. Gurucharan, Joint Secretary in the Ministry of Overseas Indian Affairs, said on Wednesday that forms to file OCI applications were also available online (http://mha.nic.in/oci/oci-main.htm). A pale-blue, passport-like document will be issuedbut these overseas Indians will not be able to use this card as a travel document. A multiple-entry, "life-long" Indian visa will be issued along with the OCI card, which will be pasted on the foreign passport of the applicant. While those with OCI cards do not have the right to vote in Indian elections, they will now be able to travel in and out of India without having to apply for visas. Also, unlike PIO (Persons of Indian Origin) cardholders, those with OCI cards will be exempted from police reporting for any length of stay in India. According to the Home Ministry website, an OCI card (or booklet) will cost $275 or its equivalent in local currency. Referring to the Pravasi Bharatiya Divas, Mr. Gurucharan said the idea was to work towards "serious outcomes" at the Hyderabad event. "We want to turn PBD from an event into a forum."

Courtesy: The Hindu, December 08, 2005

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THE Microsoft Chairman, Mr Bill Gates, has said that India was moving in the "right direction" and had a huge role to play in the worldwide stage. "While software potential in India is amazing, issues such as literacy, productivity, digital inclusion, and innovation would determine how quickly the country scales up," he said, calling upon both the Government and the private sector to redouble efforts in these areas. Stating that the demand for IT professionals exceeded supply, he said that India was the only country in the world that was producing more skills in IT than consumed domestically. "The US, on the other hand, is a big net importer of IT skills. Ironically, the number of students in the US opting for computer science is going down. It is really bad because the IT space is poised for really interesting breakthroughs. India is on the right track. Scaling up (the supply) is the only issue and I believe that private colleges play an important role in addressing the situation," he said. Investment apart, the company is also hoping to pump "renewed energy" into its agreement with Reliance Infocomm to tap opportunities in IPTV. "It is really exciting, and an ongoing work between ourselves and Reliance. I had a chance to meet up with Mr Anil Ambani and talk about how we can help them roll out broadband capabilities. Over the next year you will see a clear picture of exactly how IPTV software together with their infrastructure can create something novel."

Courtesy: www.thehindubusinessline.com, December 08, 2005

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Some of the best-known names of the Indian diaspora have come together to give something back to the motherland. And for once, it is not money but expertise. What's more, they are looking at a two-way transfer. This will be done under the aegis of Indian-American Council, whose just-constituted board boasts of names like Texas Pacific Group's General Partner Vivek Paul, McKinsey & Co's Managing Director Rajat Gupta, KPCB Partner Vinod Khosla, UN Under Secretary-General Shashi Tharoor, and eminent academicians Marti G Subramanyam (New York University), Krishna G Palepu (Harvard), Raj Reddy (Carnegie Mellon) and Deepak C Jain of JK Kellogg School. As many as 100 projects are being launched this month in India which will have expertise from Indian-Americans. The target is to take this number to 1,000 by the end of 2006. For the first year, the council will focus on Indian-Americans alone. Then it will go global. The council has tied up with Confederation of Indian Industry to look for promising projects in India that are stuck for want of expertise. Similarly, if for instance a US company wants an Indian based in India on its board of directors, the council will help it find one. The formation of the council is based on the premise that funding is no longer an issue for India and expertise is as valuable as money. It will be a good idea to get expertise from those who may also have an emotional involvement with the country. "This (the council) is a clearing house for global Indian talent... to unleash the energies of the diaspora for India's multi-faceted development," McKinsey Director Anil Kumar, who is the council's co-chairman along with home-grown tech evangelist Sam Pitroda, told Business Standard today. However, the projects will not be restricted to the corporate world. Education, health care, economic development, science and technology, and the social sector are also on its radar. That is how film maker Meera Nayar, too, has found a place on its board, alongside Tharoor.

Courtesy: Business Standard, December 07, 2005

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Vijay Mallya-promoted Kingfisher Airlines has bagged "The Best New Airline In Asia" award from the Centre for Asia Pacific Aviation (CAPA). The award has been introduced for the first time this year to recognise the significant level of start-up activity in the Asia Pacific region in the last twelve months, an airlines release said here today. According to CAPA, several new start up airlines were evaluated on various criteria and Kingfisher Airlines has established itself as a key player in its aviation market, with a demonstrated potential to become a significant influence in the broader international aviation market, given its vision for future growth and market opportunities.

Courtesy: www.financialexpress.com, December 07, 2005

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