• A Samll Temple in Garage Now Grows to $7 Million "Haveli"
• British Award For Indian e-knowledge Company
• Ancient Coin Shows Secular Akbar: Expert
• U.S. Presidential Award For Indian Epidemiologist
• India Crowns S'pore king, US Fourth
• Indian Journalist bAGS SAJA Award
• Gujarat Govt Recieves UNESCO Award

• Maran to Receive Young Global Leader Award
• 3 Indian Ads Became Lions at Canes
• Indian Wins Laurels at Italian Grinzane Cavour Awards
• NRI Wins Award For Enterprise 2005
• Dr Reddy's Bags WorldStar Awards
• NRI Animator's Work Gets Unusual Tribute

Some 30 years ago Indravadan Desai, an entrepreneur from Gujarat vacated his garage in Houston so that mother Dahi Ben could worship deity Shri Nathji, or Lord Krishna. Within a few years, the garage-used-as-a-temple became so popular among local Hindus and followers of the Vallabh Sampraday in particular that they started feeling the need of having spacious place to worship as rush of people caused inconvenience to neighbors. In 1985, the small Indian Diaspora collected money to build a small temple at the Blintiff Drive, which over the years too proved to be 'inadequate' to accommodate the followers. Finally on June 24 the idol of Shri Nathji was shifted to a new home, some three miles away to 11731 Bellfort Village Drive in Houston in a colorful religious procession -- called "Shobha Yatra" in India -- in which, the Lord seated in a traditionally decorated "palki", moved through various parts of the Houston city, an event widely reported in the local media. As the colorful Shobha Yatra accompanied with about 100 cars moved, the traffic police had made special arrangement for smooth flow of the traffic in the city and diversions. A large number of onlookers were curious to see what it was going on in the city and many even stopped their cars to have a glimpse of this procession. Built by the Vallabh Priti Sewa Samaj at an estimated cost of $7 million (more than Rs. 30 crore), the temple - called "Haveli" by the followers - has 40,000 square foot facility on an eight acre and consists of a Nandalaya, a courtyard, Vallabh Vidyamandir (school for teaching the culture and traditions of Pushti Marg) and a community centre.

Courtesy: Hindustan Times, June 27, 2005

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IT Minister Dayanidhi Maran will receive the Young Global Leader Award while attending the maiden summit of Young Global Leaders at the invitation of World Economic Forum in Switzerland on Monday. He will also address the leadership session where he will share his experiences and reflect on the type of leadership required to address global challenges in the year 2020, an official release said. Maran will combine his trip to Zermatt, Switzerland, with an official visit to Sweden and Finland. He will hold bilateral talks with the communication ministers of Sweden and Finland to facilitate India's closer cooperation with the two countries. The minister is expected to visit the factories of mobile phone giants Nokia and Ericsson and interact with their chiefs.

Courtesy: Hindustan Times, June 25, 2005

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Scope e-Knowledge Centre, a global knowledge services company based here, has won the Service Provider of the Year-2005 award of Britain's Data Publishers Association (DPA). The company was nominated for outstanding database enhancement services rendered for Reed Business Information (RBI), one of the world's leading business-to-business information publishers. "Scope emerged as a clear winner for this award owing to its professional project management and outstanding offshore operational efficiencies," observed RBI data development manager Keely Flint. The award was handed over at the DPA Annual Conference 2005 in London earlier this month. With headquarters in Chennai, Scope has a presence in New York, Orlando, Chicago, London and Brussels.

Courtesy: www.hindustantimes.com, June 24, 2005

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The cloud hanging over much of the Indian delegation at Cannes just got a Silver Lioning. JWT Chennai and O&M Delhi bagged a silver trophy each in the print and outdoor categories for work on Red Cross and A:Door. Adding to the cheer was a bronze Leo Burnett won for Heinz ketchup. JWT in fact has emerged as something of a dark horse this year; the Indian ad folk at Cannes made no effort to disguise their surprise at the agency having the maximum number of entries in the shortlist, and the victory in what by all accounts has been a rather bleak year for India should give it should give it enough to silence detractors and cynics for a while. Bob Jeffrey, CEO worldwide, JWT, was obviously thrilled at the performance - it was not just the Indian operations but the Brazil, Spain and the United Kingdom offices that did well this year. He says, "It's definitely better than last year; we shortlisted more than double. My expectation is 2006 will be even stronger since 2005 is the first year with Craig Davis, and also the first time we are so disciplined about how we drive and evaluate the work."

Courtesy: The Economic Times: June 23, 2005

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Three Indian authors - Anita Desai, Rupa Bajwa and Siddharth Dhanvant Shanghvi - are among those who have bagged this year's Italian Grinzane Cavour Awards. While Anita Desai received the International Prize Una vita per la letterature (A life for literature) for her body of works, the Debutant Author Award was bagged by Rupa Bajwa for The Sari Shop and Siddharth Dhanvant Shanghvi for The Last Song of Dusk. The prize distribution ceremony was held on Saturday at the Grinzane Cavour Castle in Piedmont, Italy, an Italian embassy release here said. VS Naipaul is the only other Indian to have received this award earlier. "It is a matter of great pride to receive the very prestigious Grinzane Cavour Award. These Indian authors have proved their literary ability and done their country proud," said Antonio Armellini, Italian ambassador to India, who was present on the occasion. Eminent Italian and foreign authors attended the XXIVth edition of the awards ceremony. The foreign novel winners were Thomas Hettche (Germany), Rosa Montero (Spain), Duong Thu Huong (Vietnam). The Italian novel winners include Eraldo Affinati, Maria Pace Ottieri and Alessandro Perissinotto. With reading taking a backseat among most people, the aim of the award is to take the younger generations closer to literature and in particular to contemporary fiction, the release said.

Courtesy: Hindustan Times, June 22, 2005

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NRI entrepreneur Nadeem Ahmed's Global Tea and Commodities Ltd has been conferred Queen's Award for Enterprise 2005, one of Britain's most prestigious awards for business performance. At a glittering function held at the Whitehall Palace on Friday night, Ahmed was presented the hand-made crystal bowl and a certificate on behalf of the Queen amid applause from dignitaries including Indian steel tycoon Lakshmi Mittal and Sir GK Noon. The Queen's Award for Enterprise is one of UK's most prestigious awards for business performance and recognises the consistent progress in Sustainable Development achieved by the Global Tea over the last decade. Starting in 1992 with just two employees, the Global Tea now employs 13,500 people with an annual turnover of $132 million. Accepting the Award, Ahmed, founder and Managing Director of the Global Tea and Commodities said the company has been having a roller coaster ride during the last eight years when it effected 12 acquisitions, 11 of which were making profit now. "We are poised to double our business in the next two years," he said.

Courtesy: Hindustan Times, June 18, 2005

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A rare silver coin recently found at the residence of one Kanduri Charan Pradhan of Brahmakundal village, near Khurda town, 20 km from here, indicates that Mughal Emperor Akbar encouraged his Hindu vassal kings to issue coins with images of their own gods and goddesses. The coin was discovered from a century-old chest passed down to Mr Pradhan. Orissa State Museum superintendent Chandrabhanu Patel, who examined the coin, said it belonged to the period of Emperor Akbar. Images of Lord Ram, Sita and Hanuman are found inscribed on the coin. While one side of the coin bears images of Lord Ram and Laxman standing with bows and arrows on their shoulders, the other side depicts the Rajyabhisek, the coronation ceremony of Lord Ram. Two words in Hindi - Ayodhya and Rama-Sita - are inscribed on the two sides of the coin.

Courtesy: The Asian Age, June 16, 2005

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Dr Reddy's Laboratories has been awarded the 'WorldStar 2004 Awards' by World Packaging Organization for its anti-counterfeit and patient protection packaging. The awards were given for three DRL products, ClearzTM, DocetereTM and MintopTM, the company said in a press statement. Dr Reddy's is the only pharmaceutical company from India to be selected for the awards this year, which were held in Sao Paulo, Brazil, it said. "These awards are recognition of our efforts to prevent counterfeiting and ensure protection to patients using our products. We believe that excellence in product packaging is critical to ensuring the availability of safe and effective medicines." DRL Managing Director and COO Satish Reddy said. This is the third successive year that Dr Reddy's has won the WorldStar Awards, instituted in 1970, the statement said. The company won the WorldStar 2003 award for 'Omez' and its anti-counterfeiting features and the 2002 award for NiseTM's design excellence.

Courtesy: The Economic Times: June 15, 2005

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Bangalore-based epidemiologist Suneeta Krishnan is to receive the prestigious U.S. Presidential Early Career Awards for Scientists and Engineers from the American President, George W. Bush, at a function in the White House on Monday (June 13). The Presidential Award is the highest honour that the U.S. Government bestows on researchers just beginning their independent careers. Every year, eight U.S. federal departments and agencies nominate scientists and engineers whose work shows the most promise. A researcher must be a U.S. citizen, national or permanent resident to be eligible for the award. Last year, 57 researchers received the award. Dr. Krishnan has been studying how gender inequalities affect women's reproductive health, including their greater susceptibility to HIV and other sexually-transmitted infections. She is on the faculty of the Department of Obstetrics, Gynaecology and Reproductive Sciences at the University of California at San Francisco and is visiting faculty at IIM Bangalore's Centre for Public Policy.

Courtesy: The Hindu, June 13, 2005

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The award-winning animation films of Indian American Manick Sorcar have become the subject of a research paper in the US for bringing Indian culture alive through animation. Denver-based Sorcar's work, including animation classics on children's fables from India, is the research topic of a student at the Savannah College of Art and Design at Savannah, Georgia. "Manick Sorcar: Animations that Teach Indian Cultures" is the subject of research of Wendy M Jensen, a student at the collage who has a Bachelor in Fine Arts with a double major in Animation and Visual Effects. "I am happy to know that my works are now a subject of research in the US. It will help spread Indian culture in the US," Sorcar said from Denver. Sorcar is the son of the legendary magician PC Sorcar Sr and brother of PC Sorcar Jr. Wendy's paper goes deep inside his award-winning animation classics on children's fables from India. "His unique and personal creative ideas exceed some of the large companies' consistent styles which tend to be overly standard to the animation business," she wrote. Sorcar shot to limelight in the early 1990s for his first animation in combination with live action, Deepa and Rupa: A Fairy Tale From India, which won a series of prestigious awards at several film festivals. The president of a US-based electrical engineering firm, Sorcar is an accomplished artist who slips into the role of a one-man animation company at night. Mixing animation with live performances, he has produced children's videos from the basement of his home in Denver, Colorado.

Courtesy: Hindustan Times: June 08, 2005

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China has emerged as one of the top five destinations of exports from India, according to the latest available disaggregated merchandise trade data for 2004-05. The top five destinations of Indian exports sorted on the basis of the growth rates in dollar terms in 2004-05 over 2003-04 are: Singapore (78.63 per cent), Peoples Republic of China (55.20 pc), United Arab Emirates (38.48 pc), USA (15.45 pc) and Hong Kong (11.94 pc), an official release said. In terms of percentage share, USA tops with 16.74 per cent share of India's exports, followed by UAE (8.96 per cent), China (5.79 per cent), Singapore (4.79 per cent) and Hong Kong (4.61 per cent). In terms of value, India's exports to USA in 2004-05 were $13.1 billion followed by the UAE ($7 billion), China ($4.5 billion), it said. The top commodities of India's exports on the basis of growth rates in 2004-05 include petroleum: crude and products (90.34 per cent); gems & jewellery (29.62 per cent); machinery and instruments (25.82 per cent); and drugs, pharmaceuticals and fine chemicals (12.14 per cent). Region-wise export data from DGCI&S indicate a record growth in India's exports to all major destinations during 2004-05, barring CIS and the Baltic states. Exports to West Europe increased by 19.72 per cent in US dollar terms during 2004-05 compared to 2003-04; East Europe by 46.47 per cent; Asia and Oceania by 26.85 per cent; Africa by 45.39 per cent; America by 20.50 per cent; and the Latin American countries by record 84.65 per cent. India's total exports during 2004-05 recorded a growth of 24.13 per cent over 2003-04, the release said.

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

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India-born technology journalist Krishna Kumar has won the prestigious SAJA Journalism Award 2005 in the US with his article about South Asians in North America being adjudged as the best news story. The recipients of the awards, instituted to recognize excellence in reporting from South Asia, were selected out of more than 375 entries from over 100 media outlets during 2004. Instituted by SAJA Group, Inc. and the South Asian Journalists Association, these awards also highlight outstanding reporting in US and Canada. Krishna Kumar, who works as Chief of Bureau (West Coast) of Mantram Magazine and South Asia World television channel, was chosen for his article that recounted the growth of Tuly Singh Johl, who landed in the United States penniless in 1904 and went on to create a 'Empire' in Yuba City, California. He would receive the award from veteran journalist and former Editor-in-Chief of Business Week Stephen B. Shepherd and founding Dean of the Graduate School of Journalism at City University in New York. The Awards ceremony is part of the SAJA's international convention, which is scheduled to take place during June 16-19 and is expected to draw over 1,000 journalists and guests from the U.S., Canada, Europe and South Asia.

Courtesy: The Economic Times, June 03, 2005

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Gujarat government has been given the UNESCO Asia-Pacific Heritage award for helping to rebuild a 200-year-old Gurudwara in Kutch district, which was destroyed during the earthquake that hit the state in 2001.The Gurudwara located at Lakhpat village of Kutch district has been rebuilt by the combined efforts of the Sikh leaders, karsevaks, local people and Gujarat government, an official release said. New Delhi based Cultural Resource Conservation Initiative were the project consultants for this reconstruction programme, which was achieved through people's participation in a village dominated by Muslims.

Courtesy: Hindustan Times, June 02, 2005

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