Category Archives: Business & Economy

Workshop on Architectural Solutions

Arts, Culture & Entertainment, Business & Economy, Education, Science & Technology, ,
SJCE Principal Dr. Shakeeb-Ur-Rehman is seen inaugurating the workshop at SJCE premises this morning as architects M.P. Nagaraju, Chandrashekar, Shashi Kumar look on.
SJCE Principal Dr. Shakeeb-Ur-Rehman is seen inaugurating the workshop at SJCE premises this morning as architects M.P. Nagaraju, Chandrashekar, Shashi Kumar look on.

Mysore :

Arklines Architecture and Interior Design Studio, Kuvempunagar, in association with Sri Jayachamarajendra College of Engineering (SJCE) had organised a day-long workshop on architectural solutions for eco-habitat system at SJCE premises here today.

The workshop was attended by over 100 architects, designers and students.

Inaugurating the workshop, SJCE Principal Dr. Shakeeb-Ur-Rehman said that a serious thought should be given to check environmental pollution. He suggested to make use of the solar and wind power to its best, to tide over energy crisis. He added that the common man should be made aware of environmental protection and energy conservation. Arklines President and Architect S. Shashi Kumar, Architect Chandrashekar and others were present.

source: http://www.starofmysore.com / Star of Mysore / Home> Sports General News  / July 10th, 2014

Yawar Ali Shah hosts annual day bash for AMA Herbal staff in Lucknow

Business & Economy, Science & Technology

A lavish Annual Day party was organised for the entire staff of AMA Herbal in Lucknow on Tuesday . The directors of the company , along with their families and staff, got together to celebrate the occasion.

The evening began with a vote of thanks by Yawar Ali Shah, one of the directors, to all the employees who had helped achieve this success. Awards were given out to all those who had worked hard for this.

Yawar Ali Shah
Yawar Ali Shah

Amid applause and cheers, trophies were given to more than 35 employees of the company . While Anshul Shukla and Neeraj Choubey jointly won the award for Employee Of The Year, while Khalil Ahmed was felicitated for 40 years of continuous service.

Several more awards were announced for excellent performance in administration, production, marketing, etc.

AMA Herbal, is a world renowned company dealing in natural textile dyes and herbal colours, Telling us more about the company , Yawar Ali Shah said, “Our herbal products are the result of our dedicated research and development team, which is responsible for making eco-friendly products for consumers.

Our natural products with Bio Active ingredients are well recognized by dermatologists in India and the world. The credit for our success goes to our team and that is what we are celebrating today .”

The guests again erupted in cheers as the launch of four new products was announced at the party .

AMA is in the process of introducing the Vegetal Bio Hair Colour in the US market in the coming year along with promoting natural dyes and gulal, in the European market.
The company also has plans to expand in the domestic market with wellness clinics and more herbal products.

source: http://www.timesofindia.indiatimes.com / The Times of India / Home> City> Lucknow / TNN / July 10th, 2014

NRI Businessman Wins Abu Dhabi Chamber Elections

Business & Economy, Leaders, NRI's / PIO's, World Opinion

Prominent Indian businessman and head of Middle East’s retail major, Lulu group, MA Yusuff Ali has won the prestigious Abu Dhabi Chamber election for the third time.

Ali, 58, Chairman of the Abu Dhabi-based EMKE who had won previous two elections to elect 15 board members of the Abu Dhabi Chamber of Commerce and Industry, retained his seat with 1,721 votes, highest among expatriate candidates.

The elections held yesterday during which 14,555 votes were cast also elected 13 local citizens to the board of directors for a four-year term, his office said today.

Four panels representing 70 Emiratis, including five women and eight expatriate candidates, participated in the elections.

Abu Dhabi Chamber is the only government organisation in the world where expatriates can get elected to the director board through a democratic election process, a statement said.

“I am pleased with faith reposed on me by the business community of Abu Dhabi and I thank them wholeheartedly for helping me to come out victorious once again,” Yusuff said.

“I am fully aware of the responsibilities and I will strive to further enhance the business and investment relationship between India and UAE and work closely with all stake holders for mutual benefit,” he said.

Sheikh Nahyan bin Mubarak Al Nahyam, UAE minister for Culture, Youth and Community Development congratulated Yusuff Ali on his hat-trick victory and asked him to continue his work and contribute to the growth of the UAE in general and Abu Dhabi in particular.

Abu Dhabi Chamber is an autonomous entity under government supervision which works towards streamlining and regulating business and industrial affairs in the Emirate of Abu Dhabi.

source: http://www.outlookindia.com / Outlook / Home> News / Dubai – June 27th, 2014

Kerala May Rake In Rs 6,200 Crore Remittances This Ramzan

Arts, Culture & Entertainment, Business & Economy, Community Involvement / Social Issues, NRI's / PIO's, World Opinion

RamzanMPOs21jun2014

Kochi :

As the Ramzan season is all set to begin during the end of this month, remittances to Kerala is expected to rise 20-25 per cent than normal levels. Usually Ramzan is the period when the remittance to the state is high.

Normally remittances will be in the range of around Rs 5,000 crore in a month but during Ramzan season it is likely to go up to over Rs 6,200 crore. It is expected to surpass the Rs 85,000-crore mark in 2014.

To cash in on the opportunity, companies and banks are busy in formulating campaigns to rope in customers.

Industry sources said that fresh customers will also be added during the period.

The NRK population is 16.25 lakh and a sizeable number of people are Muslims. They normally send money back home for their relatives to celebrate the festival and to buy gifts, said Sudhakar, Chief Marketing Officer, UAE Exchange.

He added that since June, July, August is also a peak season, majority of the NRKs stay overseas as air fares are high during the period.

The money is being remitted through money transfer firms and banks.

“Kerala is one of the largest remittances receiving state in India. In 2013, non-resident Keralites have remitted Rs 75,000 crore. With Ramadan just round the corner, a significant increase of 20 per cent is expected this year. There has been a phenomenal growth in infrastructure requirements across GCC countries due to events such as Expo 2020, which in turn have boosted the percentage of overseas workers’ from Kerala,”  said Sudhesh Giriyan, Vice-President and Business Head, Xpress Money.

Out of the total NRK population of 16.25 lakh, as many as 14.26 lakh are employed. In Kerala, the lives of around 50 lakh people depend on these NRIs. The country which is home to maximum number of Malayalis is UAE (35 per cent), followed by Saudi Arabia (28 per cent). Most of  the NRIs from Kerala are from Malappuram (18 per cent).

source: http://www.newindianexpress.com / The New Indian Express / Home> Business> News / by Pramod Thomas / June 21st, 2014

Riding into the sunset

Arts, Culture & Entertainment, Business & Economy, Sports

This executive director unwinds on horseback, and admits to being emotionally connected to his horse

Faiz Rezwan (34) Executive Director, Procurement and Contracts, Prestige Group
Faiz Rezwan (34) Executive Director, Procurement and Contracts, Prestige Group

As a 14-year-old child, Faiz Rezwan would watch his father and uncle ride their house — Matador, around their Hennur farm. Sometimes, his indulgent father would hoist him up too. That boyhood experience has translated into him owning two horses–Dragon Lady, a warm blood German mare bred for jumping, and Mr Bean, a thoroughbred ex-race horse that Rezwan has given to the Embassy Riding School to help children learn how to ride.

Despite a back problem, nothing stops Rezwan from riding at 5.30 am, at least five times a week. “I have to ride no matter what,” he says. “It’s important to stay in touch with the horse every day.” His beloved pets also get five-star treatment — a few years ago, at the stable at Equestrian Centre for Excellence, he flew down a saddlemaker from France, and around a year and a half ago, a vet was flown down from Germany to work on the acupressure points of the horses. Dragon-Lady is also given regular supplements for her joints, and her horse-shoes are changed every two weeks.

A rather expensive hobby, this. But his “investments” have also paid dividends. Five years ago, Rezwan, who also handles award-winning golf development Prestige Golfshire, got into show jumping. He even competes in the Equestrian Premier League at Embassy International Riding School every year, and took part in the Delhi Horse Show two years ago. “My passion is show jumping,” he says, hoping to make it to the Asian Games some day and even shows in Europe.

Being with Dragon-Lady keeps Rezwan fit and “is a stress buster,” he says. The animal-lover also owns a cat, two dogs, half a dozen birds, and fresh water and marine fish at home. But “Dragon-Lady is my star,” he says. “I’d never want to sell her and get another horse. Starting my day with her sets me up for the day,” he says, admitting to being emotionally connected to her. Rezwan recently bought another horse from Ireland, a Belgian-born warmblood called Valentino.

“If there was no work, I’d be riding all day,” he says. The dream life.

source: http://www.bangaloremirror.com / Bangalore Mirror / Home> Columns> Work /  by Khushali P. Madhwani, Bangalore Mirror Bureau / May 19th, 2014

Whiff of an Arabian spread

Arts, Culture & Entertainment, Business & Economy, Travel & Tourism

 

‘Instant’ kabsah kits are in much demand in Kozhikode. / The Hindu
‘Instant’ kabsah kits are in much demand in Kozhikode. / The Hindu

Shawarma, Shawaya, and Khubuz came to Kerala crossing the Arabian seas several years ago. They were served in wayside eateries and fast-food outlets, initially started by the Gulf-returned cafeteria employees.

These dishes, however, did not make their way to the Malayali kitchen even in the Malabar region, where most of the households have at least one member employed in the Middle East.

Of late, a few Arabian dishes such as Mandi, Kabsah, and Majboos, which figure on the main course menu of Arabian countries have become popular in Malabar. These rice-meat combination dishes are not only cooked in the kitchens of the region, but are also served as “prestige” dishes on occasions such as weddings.

Some places like Koduvally, with a huge expatriate population, also have exclusive Mandi and Kabsah eateries. “I know many who come from the city just to eat these dishes,” says P. Abid, a native of Koduvally.

Author and sociologist Hafiz Mohammed says this is only a continuation of the culinary influence Arabia has cast on Kerala for the past 30 years. “The close socio-cultural association between the two countries has paved the way for these dishes’ smooth entry into our society,” says Dr. Mohammed. Ready-to-cook kits of these dishes, including Majboos, the regional variant of Kabsah, are available in shops and supermarkets here now. Dealers of these kits also provide cooking instructions in regional languages on their cover. “I prepare them at home quite often,” says A.K. Ali, who returned from Saudi Arabia a few years ago and is settled at Kalanthode in Kozhikode.

The dishes are much in demand for weddings and parties in the region. Local chefs, with some experience in eateries in the Gulf, have started advertising their skills here, says Mr. Ali.

Dr. Mohammed sees ‘status symbol’ in play here. “Many affluent families in Malabar serve these Arabian dishes during wedding parties for this reason,” he says.

The trend is here to stay for some time at least. “My father, who was in the Gulf for several years, prepared Kabsah at home a couple of years ago during his vacation. All of us liked it. Now I too can prepare the dish,” says Sayed Junaid, from Ayencheri near Vadakara in Kozhikode.

source: http://www.thehindu.com /  The Hindu / Home> News> Cities> Kozhikode / by Jabir Mushthari / Kozhikode – May 10th, 2014

These mango trees date back to Tipu’s era

Business & Economy, Community Involvement / Social Issues, Green Products, Leaders, Travel & Tourism, , ,
LUSCIOUS: Syed Ghani Khan in his orchard at Kirugavalu village in Malavalli taluk of Mandya district. / The Hindu
LUSCIOUS: Syed Ghani Khan in his orchard at Kirugavalu village in Malavalli taluk of Mandya district. / The Hindu

Kirugavalu farmer has 116 mango trees which are 200-year-old

This farmer from Kirugavalu village in Malavalli taluk of Mandya district has preserved 116 mango trees dating back to the times of the then Mysore ruler Tipu Sultan.

Carbon dating and other scientific assessment by the Genetics and Plant Breeding Department of the University of Agricultural Sciences, Bangalore, have shown that these trees are more than 200 years old.

This 20-acre orchard, popularly known as ‘Bada Bagh’, is said to have been raised by those in the palace of Tipu, who was a great lover of fruits, especially mangoes. The orchard was later gifted to a farmer by Tipu. Syed Ghani Khan (39), who has inherited this from his forefathers, is preserving it with care.

According to Mr. Khan, the trees yield exotic varieties of fruits. “While some trees yield fruits that taste like sweet lime, others produce fruits with cumin flavour. There are some trees that yield fruits resembling the shape of fish,” he said.

In great demand

Till recently, his family used to sell the fruits locally. But from the last two years, he has been selling the fruits at organic outlets in Mysore apart from exporting them to Dubai and Abu Dhabi, where they are in great demand and also fetch a premium price.

In fact, Mr. Khan, who was passionate about becoming a curator at an archaeological museum, he did his graduation in archaeology and museology. But he had to return to his native village from Mysore to take care of his farm and support his family after his father became bedridden due to an ailment. “I then decided to turn my exotic farm itself into a live museum and started working on it,” he said.

Paddy varieties too
Mr. Khan also pursues another avocation passionately. He collects native varieties of paddy and grows them mainly to preserve those rare varieties. “Presently, I have a collection of about 600 native varieties of paddy, including ‘rakta dham’, ‘naadikeli’ and ‘jugal’,” he said.

His efforts paid off as his farm caught the attention of Delhi-based Protection of Plant Varieties and Farmers’ Rights Authority, which has started registration of the exotic varieties of mangoes in the garden. He will get legal right over the plant species after the registration.

Mr. Khan was also honoured with the ‘Plant Genome Saviour Farmer Recognition’ award by the authority in 2012.

Mr. Khan now wants other farmers to grow these rare varieties of mangoes. He, however, is unable to take up propagation of these rare varieties systematically by constructing a poly-house as it requires big investment. As none of the government agencies offered him any help, Mr. Khan himself started an organisation to train farmers and students about local varieties of crops.

He is looking forward to getting government assistance to take his mission forward and ensure that these exotic varieties of mangoes are grown in the orchards of many more farmers.

source: http://www.thehindu.com / The Hindu / Home> News> National> Karnataka / by B. S. Satish Kumar / Bangalore – May 12th, 2014

Nawazuddin Siddiqui to endorse Spice Stellar 506 smartphone

Arts, Culture & Entertainment, Business & Economy

 

Nwazuddin Siddiqui was initially hesitant and nervous about the brand engagement. ( Source: Varinder Chawla )
Nwazuddin Siddiqui was initially hesitant and nervous about the brand engagement. ( Source: Varinder Chawla )

Bollywood actor Nawazuddin Siddiqui has signed up for an ad featuring the introduction of a new smartphone Spice Stellar 506 into the market.

Along with the ad, the cell phone company will also showcase a digital film showcasing how smartphone technology is changing lives of the youth of India today.

‘The Lunchbox’ actor was initially hesitant and nervous about the brand engagement. But apparently, after a sit-down with the team and understanding the campaign’s objective, Nawazuddin felt more at ease.

“The film resonates with my own life journey and my belief that the size of one’s dreams isn’t defined by the size of one’s town. Shooting the film was a nostalgic trip down memory lane. When I was growing up I’d trek miles, in the same manner as shown in the film, and finally reach the city exhausted. But as soon as I saw the cinema theatre all my exhaustion would just vanish and everything would be worth it,” said the actor.

The ad will feature Nawazuddin’s life of struggle, deprived of comfort and luxury and has been shot in the town where Nawazuddin spent most of his time growing up.

source: http://www.indianexpress.com / The Indian Express / Home> Entertainment> Bollywood / by Express News Service – Mumbai / May 12th, 2014

Salome Roy Kapoor visits Hyderabad to make it a fashion hub

Arts, Culture & Entertainment, Business & Economy, , ,
Miss India (1972) and mother-in-law of actress Vidya Balan, Salome Roy Kapoor. (Photo: PTI/File)
Miss India (1972) and mother-in-law of actress Vidya Balan, Salome Roy Kapoor. (Photo: PTI/File)

Hyderabad: 

Thursday evening saw a gathering of people who one would assume were strangers; but in real life they have known each other for as long as they can remember.

Miss India (1972) and mother-in-law of actress Vidya Balan, Salome Roy Kapoor, designer James Ferreira, make-up artist Cory Walia, jewellery designer Suhani Pittie, fashion designer Shravan Naresh, Shilpa Reddy and others were present at the launch of the Deccan Institute of Design (DID), which they will be part of when it starts operations.

“I last came to Hyderabad many, many years back. I used to be a model and we had come to the city for a show,” says Salome, who dances, choreographs, directs plays, fashion shows and also conducts grooming classes. Her role as a visiting professor would be to conduct grooming sessions, which include deportment, etiquette, table manners, body language etc.

Salome’s sons — Siddharth, Kunaal and Aditya — are all connected with Bollywood and talking about the latest addition to her family from the industry, Vidya Balan, she says, “Vidya is down-to-earth and a lovely daughter-in-law. There have been times when people have tried to get in touch with Vidya through me regarding some event or something else, but I have never encouraged that. She has a busy schedule and I can’t interfere.”

Salome has known the “talented James” (Ferreira) for over 40 years, having also been the one to give him his first break. “It was right after college and I was very nervous, but she saw my work and pretty much gave me my first job,” says James, who is also the creative head of the institute.

DID is an institute by Mohd. Azhar Mujahid and Ayesha Azara Mujahid of the Lakhotia Institute of Fashion Design. Talking about the institute, James says, “Our (institute’s) aim is to make Hyderabad the fashion capital of South India. Not only is Hyderabad the most happening place down South, but it also has the most number of affluent people. We are going to take people back to the roots.

There are 108 ways of wearing a sari, 45 ways of wearing a turban and 60 styles for wearing a dhoti; but in this fast-food age, we have not given our Indian traditions much importance and we hope to change that.”

source: http://www.deccanchronicle.com / Deccan Chronicle / Home> Nation> Current Affairs / by ADC / May 03rd, 2014

Tindipotha gastronomic delight from a food truck

Arts, Culture & Entertainment, Business & Economy, Community Involvement / Social Issues, NRI's / PIO's, Travel & Tourism

TindiPothaBF10may2014

by Phalgunn Maharishi

The residents of Mysore, especially in the neighbourhoods of Bannimantap and Rajeev Nagar are now familiar with a big truck parked on the roadside near JSS Dental College with shining lights and people surrounding it eating costly food. But wait a minute! Costly food in a big truck? Well, it seems to be costly as the big truck sells fresh American-Mexican food but that’s not really costly. “A Mysorean can now fill his stomach with some classy food for just Rs. 80 on an average,” said Syed Manju while speaking about his big boy “Tindipotha.”

Syed Manju previously held the position of an Area Manager handling Public Relations and Marketing for 28 years in Costco, USA, the Number 3 retailer in the world which directly competes with Walmart, before heading towards Mysore to come up with his dream boy. “I had a passion towards cooking due to which I quit the job and came to Mysore with an interest in doing something unique, something which never existed here. That’s when Tindipotha was born,” commented Syed Manju while speaking about how it all started. The ecstatic and energetic Syed Manju keeps travelling back and forth between Mysore and Bellingham (90 miles north of Seattle in the United States) where his wife (Diane Houston), little girl Zara (16) and a little boy Iyan (14) lives.

Originally born in Channapatna and brought up in Mandya, Syed Manju is a self made man. He studied B.Sc and Diploma in Film Acting. He soon landed into Kannada Film Industry during his late 20s by directing films like Neenakkaga and Kanoonige Sawaal after which he travelled to USA for a trip to stay with his brothers and sisters for a while. Manju said, “Don’t ask me how, but I got my green card over there” with a wink and also added, “I never wanted to be there forever. Infact I had plans of directing more films in Kannada, but my fate made me stay there,” with a sweet smile. The last film produced by Manju was Appaji starring late Dr. Vishnuvardhan in the lead role released in 1996.

Coming back to Tindipotha, it all started roughly an year ago when Syed Manju and his brother Rafi Manju bought an old truck and got it rebuilt in Mandya to bring the new fancy boy to the streets of Mysore. “I was scared in the beginning. It was something new, something which the Mysoreans never experienced before. A new food to a new market. We had to prepare American-Mexican style foods with the ingredients available in Mysore and it didn’t seem easy for us in the beginning. But we did it and still doing it. It’s been an year and we are doing good,” said Syed Manju while speaking about Tindipotha.

Tindipotha has recently transformed itself from being just a food truck into a youth junction where we can find college going kids spending their cool evenings eating the sizzling new dishes like Nachos, Chicken Melt, Roti Lapat, Gilli Chicken, Turpi Chicken, Rollito, Apple Dream, Lava Pie, and many more summing up to over twenty different types of food.

“My brother Rafi Manju manages the front end and cash while my nephew Syed Umair Manju is our grill master. He even looks after the crew. Farhan, the cousin of Umair, assists the crew inside out and Tausif does all the deep fry and plating. Siddique and Atiq have been newly added to the crew and are learning ropes. Tausif, Siddique and Atiq are all family friends. We are all family and its a family business. The whole crew, except me and my brother, are college going kids,” said Syed Manju while introducing the team of Tindipotha.

People love the food. We had an interactive session with some regular customers of Tindipotha who expressed their hearts out. Bashar and Abdur Razzak, who stay in Bannimantap said, “This is really nice. It’s different than what we find elsewhere. We don’t find such tasty food at any other place, especially the Nachos! We come here for Nachos,” when asked to express how they feel about Tindipotha. Areb and his friends Mohammed Fahad and Rakshad, who come all the way from Bangalore just to eat at Tindipotha, said that they still haven’t yet got over the taste of Chicken Melt. The trio commented, “Its been a year and we still come here to eat the same thing,” with a laugh. Dental students Alley and Ahmad, who are from Iran visit Tindipotha atleast twice a week and mentioned that they love the tasty food and also the hospitality given to them by Syed Manju and his crew.

While speaking about the unpredictability of such food business in a city like Mysore, Syed Manju said, “Usually weekends are the busiest days for us, yet we can never predict. Sometimes customers ask me, which is the best dish prepared here! Well, I tell them to close their eyes and put their finger on the menu and we will serve it. If they don’t like the food, let them not pay us but if they like it, they need to pay us double.” He also added, “We are different from other eating places in the city saying that we smile at our customers which we can never find in any other hotels in Mysore. We also appreciate each and every customer, thank them and enquire in person whether they liked the dish. The food is also custom made for every single customer according to his likes and dislikes and we keep changing the taste one plate at a time.”

Tindipotha is for sure a place to be cherished and one of its kind in Mysore. It’s both vegetarian and non-vegetarian food truck with some tasty healthy and classy American-Mexican food at low prices. Do you want to try some different custom made food? Just head towards Tindipotha in Bannimantap near JSS Dental College between 7 pm and 11 pm any day! For more details, type in TINDIPOTHA in facebook and you will get the fan page.

source: http://www.starofmysore.com / Star of Mysore / Home> Feature Articles / May 04th, 2014