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The
food tycoon, born and raised in a
Bombay chawl, went to London at 27
with £50 to raise a £70 million-packaged
food empire. He returns to open his
multi-crore hospital in Rajasthan.
Have
you ever revisited the chawl on Mohammed
Ali Road where you lived?
Yes, I took my grandaughter there
once, and she cried when she saw the
room where six of us lived with my
widowed mother.
Is
it any different now in India?
There are certainly more opportunities
in India now than in the '70s-the
licence raj is almost buried and there
is less corruption.
You
contributed to changing UK's food
habits?
Indian restaurants were the pioneers,
but my company was the first to put
Indian food on the shelves of British
supermarkets.
Why
a hospital in Rajasthan?
Bhawani Mandi in Rajasthan is my hometown.
My family faced a lot of pressure
because of medical problems, that's
why a hospital.
Courtesy:
Outlook, April 21, 2008
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Life-Lit
Up, Well Channelled
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Rather
than preach sustainable living, a
professor at Shimoga in Karnataka
has designed his house to be ecologically
friendly. Rather than preach sustainable
living, Prof L.K. Sreepathi of the
Jawaharlal Nehru College of Engineering
at Shimoga in Karnataka has designed
his house to be ecologically friendly.
Besides two rainwater harvesting tanks,
the Sreepathis use solar energy to
cook, heat water and for lighting.
Though municipal water is available,
the family does not have a connection
and depends solely on the rainwater
it collects. Named Vibha (Sanskrit
for sun), the house doesn't even have
fans as it is specially designed to
permit natural air flow and cooling.
Little wonder, Vibha draws a large
number of visitors.
Courtesy:
Outlook, April 21, 2008
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An
e-governance initiative, Jan Sewa
Kendra (JSK) in Gandhinagar offers
answers to queries on licences, pension,
land records. Those harried by bureaucratic
red tape will hail the Jan Sewa Kendra
(JSK) in Gandhinagar. An e-governance
initiative, JSK offers a variety of
services through a single window using
ICT or information communication and
technology. These include queries
about licences, pension, land records.
The kendra uses the internet, telephony
SMS and custom-built software to achieve
an effective interface with citizens.
Since its launch in 2006, JSK has
processed over 85,000 applications.
JSK was put in place in '06 by Sonal
Mishra during her two-year stint as
the collector of Gandhinagar district.
The project is used as a case study
by IIM Ahmedabad, and has been shortlisted
for the Stockholm Challenge Award
2008 for using ICT for development
projects.
Courtesy:
Outlook, Apr 21, 2008
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Anil
Ambani seems to be matching elder
brother Mukesh in entrepreneurial
ability. Having launched the networking
site Bigadda.com in 2007, Anil is
now trying to overtake global networking
sites like Orkut and Facebook in India.
Today Bigadda.com is the fastest growing
Indian networking site with one million
page views and an addition of 12,000
to 15,000 users a day. The site has
added 12.4 lakh users in just four
months, a rate much higher than other
global sites. Anil said in the days
to come his site would try to match
the global sites in customer profile,
innovation and usage. Another site
in Anil's scheme of things is a youtube.
He is freeing the use of video streams
by his users by giving ample bandwidth.
Courtesy:
The week, April 21, 2008
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THE
COST OF NOISE: There is not enough
research on the social and economic
cost of noise pollution in India
Every major city's inhabitants are
willing to swear that their city is
the noisiest. In this unhealthy contest,
Mumbai has officially beaten several
others, to come in third. Or so says
a public interest litigation filed
in the Mumbai High Court in January
2008 by a Mumbai activist group. The
Awaaz Foundation wants the city to
quickly shed this dubious distinction.
It wants the government to implement
noise pollution control laws rigorously
and punish offenders. Key among its
demands is the commissioning of 'noise
mapping' of noisy spots in the city,
making it easier for administrators
to take measures to control the din.
The impact of such symbolic gestures
is debatable. For starters, unless
the authorities out-shout the horns
(metaphorically), few will know such
a day is in progress. (By 7 April,
only four people had voted in favour
of such a day on the DCP's blog.)
But it is equally true that governments
can make a difference by turning these
symbols into something more meaningful.
In 1987, Brazil kicked off a Road
Safety campaign that lasted 10 years,
and involved multiple agencies and
corporates. It was taken up again
in 2000 and substantially reduced
pedestrian accidents and deaths. In
India, this kind of collective effort
- to control not just honking, but
myriad sources of noise - is yet to
be seen.
Courtesy:
Business World, April 15-21 2008
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A
muga silkworm
A lowly bath laced with friendly bugs
may aid the king of silk - the Brahmaputra
Valley's muga silk - in its pursuit
to conquer the world. In a recent
experiment, a team of researchers
from two national institutes in Jorhat
in Assam sprinkled nutrient- and mineral-rich
water containing growth-boosting rhizobacteria
on plants that muga silkworms - aantheraea
asameisis - feed on before they start
spinning their cocoons. Result: the
worms produced more silk fibre of
better quality, thanks to the rhizobacteria,
which helped the plants draw extra
nutrients. That's a shot in the arm
for the world's most expensive silk
- one metre of the amber-coloured
fibre fetches Rs 1,000 to Rs 5,000
in the international market - which
has of late been bugged by diseases.
As a result, though there is huge
international demand for good quality
muga silk, its production in the past
few years has been on the decline.
A host of factors including low fecundity,
increased attacks by pests and parasites,
and drop in availability of muga food
plants are to blame, explains Balagopalan
Unni, a senior scientist at the North-East
Institute of Science and Technology
(NEIST) in Jorhat, and the lead author
of the paper published in the 25 March
2008 issue of Current Science journal.
Courtesy:
Business World, April 15-21 2008
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Forget
US, IITians prefer to stay home
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They
may be some of the most sought after
techies in the US, but the Big Apple
does not seem to hold its charm for
IITians anymore. A study reveals the
number of IITians opting to move to
the US after graduation is steadily
coming down. In the last five years,
nearly 84% preferred to stay back
and pursue a career in India. The
trend began from the class of 2002.
Of the IITians who graduated in 2002
and later (including the class of
2008), only 16% went abroad. In comparison,
between 1964 and 2001, 35% IIT graduates
preferred to fly to the US. Interestingly,
59% of IIT graduates before 2001 believed
that the US and other developed countries
provided better opportunities. However,
in the last five years the mindset
has undergone a change. Now, nearly
49% believe India is where the action
lies. The study 'Changing Career Destination
and Career Choices for IITians' by
Evalueserve, a KPO, also reveals,
the techies believe India will become
the most promising geography for them
in the next 10 years. What's more,
the number of IITians who believed
the US offered a "better standard
of living", too has come down from
13% prior to 2001 to almost zero now.
And why not? After all, payrolls in
the US have shrunk by 80,000, and
the jobless rate has touched 5.1%,
the highest since September 2005.
The techies have now realised that
India offers more opportunities for
them. No wonder, many of them are
returning as well. The II sector is
buzzing with stories of the returning
prodigals who now prefer the home
and hearth. The Evalueserve study
also shows 60% of IITians, who graduated
before 2001, saw developed countries
as the destination with the best career
opportunities. However, the trend
changed in the last five years. Now,
51% consider
India
a preferred career location.
In 2006, 90% IIT graduates chose to
stay back and work here. Most strikingly,
when asked, '10 years down the line,
which geography do you think will
hold the most promise for success?'
72% chose India, with only 17% opting
for the US, 5% for Europe and 2% for
China. It's India Shining for IITians,
finally.
Courtesy:
www.timesofindia.indiatimes.com, April
15, 2008
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World's
2nd discovery park to come up in India
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The
second discovery park of the world
would be set up in this district and
the project has been approved by the
union ministries of information and
broadcasting and science and technology.
Director of the Rajiv Gandhi Information
Technology Institute, Amethi, Dr Murlidhar
Tewari told newspersons here today
that "the union government has already
sanctioned Rs five crore for the pilot
project of the park." Tewari said
that 50-acre land needed for the pilot
project has also been made available.
He said this would be the second discovery
park of the world as one such park
is already in USA. A total of 100
acre land would be required for the
project which would require an expenditure
of Rs 250 crore, Tewari said. He said
that the park would have nine research
centres that would help rural development
in a big way. "It would have high
grade research centres for information
technology, micro technology and nano
technology", he said adding that in
the first phase the reserach centres
for e-agriculture, bio-informatics
and bio-fuel would be established.
Courtesy:
www.economictimes.indiatimes.com,
April 15, 2008
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Gas
leak in Pakistan nuclear plant, 2
dead
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Two
workers were killed on Tuesday after
a gas leakage at a Pakistani nuclear
facility, the Pakistan Atomic Energy
Commission said in a statement. The
accident took place at the Khushab
heavy water plant, which had been
shut down for annual maintenance,
the commission said, adding that it
was immediately evacuated and there
was no threat to the public. "(The)
situation was immediately brought
under control and two workers lost
their lives while controlling the
incident," the commission said in
a statement. "There is no threat to
public life as all the leaking gas
has been burnt in the flare system
of the plant," it added. The town
of Khushab is located some 240 kilometres
(150 miles) southwest of the Pakistani
capital, Islamabad. Orders have been
issued to find out the cause of accident,
the statement said. It did not give
further details but private television
channels said a blast occurred in
the hydrogen phosphate cylinders used
in the production of heavy water.
Courtesy:
www.timesofindia.indiatimes.com, April
08, 2008
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Far
From The Madding Crowd: JLR offers
comfort in the wooded hills of Karnataka
For those of us who live in concrete
jungles, the environment has come
to mean enclosed private spaces, machine-facilitated
chores and recreation, and clock-determined
behaviour. Yet, even in this Matrix-like
existence, the urge to reconnect with
nature and its many wonders remains
strong, even if for small intervals.
It's no surprise, therefore, that
eco-tourism - to experience, enjoy
and sustain nature and non-urban communities
- is rising to the top of the holiday
priorities of a lot of people. With
natural forests and a healthy population
of exotic flora and fauna, several
resorts and tourism destinations in
the country are slowly replacing fancy
5-star hotels as places to unwind
in. For instance, if you are amongst
the teeming IT workforce in the Silicon
Valley of India, Bangalore, or someone
braving the northern summer, then
your weekends could very well become
a tryst with nature at its purest,
whether it is amidst the forests of
Karnataka or the cool of the sub-Himalayan
hills. Globally, eco-tourism networks
have emerged, such as the Athens-based
International Ecotourism Club, which
promote tourism to natural areas and
encourage responsible tourism. Ironically,
the growing popularity of eco-tourism
is also leading to spike in construction,
consumption and vehicular pollution
at such destinations. The way out
for the conscientious is to adapt
to local conditions and once there,
walk more and drive less.
Courtesy:
Business World, April 1-7, 2008
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Who
said social networking sites were
only for yuppies who wanted to make
friends? These days they also help
people search for store clerks, maids,
cooks and drivers online. In Bangalore,
Babajob.com is one such instance.
This site charges Rs 500, which is
split into a fee of Rs 300, once the
hiring is complete, and Rs 200 goes
to the one who registers the job seeker-cybercafé
owner, intermediary or NGO. Launched
in August 2007, it has 6,800 registered
users, of which 3,000 are job-seekers
and 1,500 employers. The rest are
just "curious" onlookers. Besides
its centre in the silicon city, the
site has also been enabled in Hyderabad,
Mumbai, Goa, Pune, Chennai, Delhi,
Kolkata, and Coimbatore. Babajob.com
was founded by Americans Sean Blagsvedt,
an ex-Microsoft employee, and his
stepfather, Ira Weise, both of who
live in the city. While researching,
Blagsvedt came across the work of
a Duke University economist, Anirudh
Krishna, who said a majority of Indians
live in poverty as they are unable
to find jobs.
Courtesy: India
Today, April 07, 2008
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Fifteen
per cent of India's total foreign
exchange earnings, from tourism, come
from Goa. This year Goa is expecting
over 850 charter flights and more
than 25 lakh tourists. Total revenue
earned for fiscal year 2006-07 from
tourism: Rs 4,000 crore (as against
revenue of Rs 3,700 crore from 2005-06).
Budget allocation for tourism increased
from Rs 3.5 crore in 2000 to Rs 31
crore in 2006-07. Total tourist arrivals
in 2007: 25,97,443 (domestic: 22,08,986;
foreign: 3,88,457). Goa tourism industry
has contributed $300 million (Rs 120
crore) as foreign exchange in 2006.
Courtesy:
India Today, April7, 2008
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Low
cost airlines now provide insurance
cover
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After
earning ancillary revenues from freight
and sale of food, drinks and gifts
on board, more and more low cost carriers
(LCCs) are teaming up with insurance
companies to offer travel insurance
to passengers against flight delay,
trip cancellation and baggage loss.
First to jump on the bandwagon was
Delhi-based LCC SpiceJet, which has
tied up with TATA AIG general insurance
to cover travel related risks of domestic
passengers. Following them are the
Wadia-group promoted GoAir with TATA
AIG, and Deccan - the low cost arm
of UB Group's Kingfisher Airline -
inking a deal with ICICI Lombard.
New Delhi-based Indigo Airlines, run
by InterGlobe enterprise, is also
looking for a suitable insurance partner.
Besides LCC, travel portals like Yatra.com
and MakeMyTrip.com are also offering
travel insurance. According to SpiceJet
chairman Siddhanta Sharma, the response
has been quite overwhelming. "On the
first day itself, we sold around 1,000
policies." SpiceJet operates 100 flights
daily connecting 18 destinations with
an 18-aircraft fleet. Echoing similar
sentiments, Deccan officiating CEO
Ramki Sundaram said, "Passengers are
seeing a significant relevance in
these products. It's not just the
financial incentive but an added attraction
to passengers." The insurance cover
will be available on the airline website
- the option of buying the insurance
shall remain that of the domestic
passenger. Under the Deccan bouquet,
benefits for USD 2.5 (Rs 99) will
include a range of emergency medical
expenses, loss arising from trip cancellation
and loss of baggage. Similarly with
GoAir for USD 3 (Rs 129), a passenger
would be compensated up to Rs 10,500
by TATA-AIG in case of a flight delay
beyond a specified duration. The passenger
will also be reimbursed for lost baggage
up to Rs 7,500. For accidental medical
benefit, the insurance will cover
medical bills (up to Rs 1,00,000)
if the passenger is involved in an
accident during a trip and needs medical
attention. "Such integration has helped
many airlines in other parts of the
world. We can offer insurance products
on real time basis with convincement
claims process, " said AIG president
for South Asia Charles Bouloux. He
feels that a traveller, whether on
work or leisure, will now be able
to reduce travel-associated risks
during his trip.
Courtesy:
www.headlinesindia.com, April 07,
2008
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Power
house NE ready for turnaround in power
sector
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The
power and energy sector in North East
(NE) will witness an investment of
over Rs 2,00,000 crore by 2017 to
reverse the deficit status of the
region and place it in a position
to supply power elsewhere in the country
within the next few years. The transmission,
sub-transmission and distribution
system in the region will be thrust
areas, with a plan of allocating base
load thermal power from eastern states
to NE in lieu of power from the hydro
stations in the region to meet the
deficit NE faces during non-monsoon
season. At present, the region has
total installed capacity of 2,321
MW, with the region, including Sikkim,
accounting for 39.5 per cent of the
countrys hydro electric potential.
The region has a power supply deficit
to the tune of 22.7 per cent during
peak demand period as per 2007-08
figures against the all India deficit
of 17.1 per cent. In case of energy
supply position also, NE has a deficit
of 20 per cent against the national
15.8 per cent. As per data available
on actual power demand and supply
during 2006-07, among the NE states,
Meghalaya recorded the highest deficit
of 33.1 per cent, followed by Tripura
with 16 per cent, Arunachal Pradesh
with 12.6 per cent and Assam with
10,8 per cent, with the total deficit
percentage for region being 21.1.
At present the NE has 57 per cent
capacity from hydro projects in state
and central sector. The balance comes
from thermal projects including diesel,
gas and coal based ones. Most of the
diesel/coal projects are not operational
in NE, while in case of hydro projects
during the lean hydro months, from
september to March, the inflow is
less and the power generation is to
the order of 40 per cent only. In
severe winter months like January,
the generation is as low as 14 per
cent and the region faces the peak
requirement during November to February,
leading to severe power deficit.
Courtesy:
www.webindia123.com, April 07, 2008
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Grant
Rs 5,000 cr for creating SEZs in JK:
ASSOCHAM
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Viewing
Jammu and Kashmir as an emerging multi-sectoral
commercial hub, leading industry chamber
ASSOCHAM on Sunday asked the Centre
to sanction a Rs 5,000-crore infrastructure
package for special economic zones
(SEZs) in the state, given its improving
security situation. Besides tourism
and hydro power sectors, it has identified
food processing, agro and forest-based
industries, floriculture, handloom
and handicraft exports, gems, leather
processing and goods, herbal pharmaceuticals,
bulk drugs and hosiery as "most promising
areas" to attract investments. Speaking
to media in the city, ASSOCHAM President
V N Dhoot said: Â"Jammu and Kashmir
has emerged as a multi-sector hub
of business opportunities. In view
of the improved law and order situation,
the Government should extend a special
package of Rs 5,000 crore to improve
the infrastructure for investment
flow, in terms of value and volume
from domestic and overseas industries.Â"
He even asked the Central and state
governments to allow setting up of
SEZs in those areas Â"where there
would be no problem of land-holdingÂ".
The chamber's suggestion comes on
the back of the Defence Ministry announcing
a five-fold hike in rentals to farmers.
Â"Since restoration of normalcy and
peace in the state, investment flow
has gone up 10 times from USD 200
million in 2001 to USD 2,300 million
in 2007, which is expected to further
accelerate in the next 5 years,Â"
Dhoot, the CME of Videocon group,
said. Dhoot submitted to Chief Minister
Ghulam Nabi Azad a special publication
'Jammu and Kashmir: Striving for Industrial
Revolution', copies of which were
also released to the media.
Courtesy:
www.headlinesindia.com, April 07,
2008
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Xgen
Lifetech: A lifeline for road accident
victims
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It was three years ago when two friends
rushed to rescue a couple of people
whose car had crashed on a lonely
highway. Help arrived too late and
the victims died a slow, painful death.
And Xgen Lifetech was born, an initiative
by a group of five,that has since
been rushing to accident spots and
saving lives. For Hardeep Bhati and
friend Ashwini Sharma, memories of
the night are still fresh. On their
way back from a party late at night,
a car overtook them on the Noida highway
and crashed. "I can never forget the
sight. We kept calling the help lines,
but by the time help arrived, it was
too late. At that moment, we decided
that no one should go through what
those people did," said the 28-year-old
Bhati. "We got together with three
of our friends and formed Xgen Lifetech,
a life-line for road accident victims.
Till now, we have saved more than
150 lives," Hardeep said. The primary
aim of the organisation, now a registered
NGO, is to provide first aid to accident
victims and rush them to the nearest
hospital. The organisation gets an
average of one call per day. "Our
main aim is to save the victim's life.
That's why whenever we get a call,
we rush to the spot, offer immediate
medical aid and rush the victim to
the nearest hospital. Since we have
tied up with some hospitals, we try
to negotiate treatment expenses with
the authorities as well, besides assisting
in case of legal hassles. After that,
we inform the victims' family members,"
Bhati said. Xgen Lifetech has tied
up with seven hospitals - Fortis,
Kailash, Goodwill and Bharadwaj, to
name a few -which treat patients brought
by Xgen at subsidised rates."For instance,
Kailash Hospital gives 30 per cent
waiver on medical expenses to the
victim. For a poor man, who can't
afford an ambulance and medical treatment,
this means a lot and this is exactly
what we aspire to do - help the needy,"
Bhati said. The organisation is also
in touch with police stations. To
avail oneself of the services of Xgen,
one can log on to its website www.xgenlifetech.com
and become a member with a minimum
payment of Rs 500 annually.
Courtesy:
www.headlinesindia.com, April 02,
2008
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