Category Archives: Business & Economy

Bhaag Beanie Bhaag Producer Seher Aly Latif Passes Away

Arts, Culture & Entertainment, Business & Economy, Leaders, Women/Girls(since May26-2021), World Opinion

Mumbai, MAHARASHTRA :

Seher Latif also worked in multiple international projects including Sense 8.

Seher Aly Latif, producer of Swara Bhasker starrer Bhaag Beanie Bhaag, passed away on 7 June of a cardiac arrest. She was reportedly admitted to Mumbai’s Lilavati hospital for renal failure. Seher also worked as the casting director for Maska, Shakuntala Devi, and Durgamati: The Myth among others.

Director Neeraj Udhwani, who worked on Maska with Seher, confirmed the news to Indian Express. “It’s unbelievable. It’s so hard to process. Last week only I donated blood for her and I was told she was recovering. And this morning, I got to know about it. She had an infection due to which she suffered renal failure. She was admitted to the hospital last weekend. Doctors had put on her antibiotics, and we thought she was recovering,” he said.

Seher is remembered fondly by many people who’ve worked with her. About his experience of working with Seher, Neeraj said, “Her default expression was a smile. You would always find her smiling. She was one of the nicest, kindest people I ever met.”

Nimrat Kaur, who played the lead in Lunchbox, tweeted a picture of Seher with her cat and wrote, “One of the kindest, most loving people Mumbai gifted my life with. Still trying to process this unreal news…. Travel on into the light my dearest, sweetest Seher. The unpredictable, ghastly shortness of life remains baffling…Await to meet you on the other side.”

(Photo Courtesy: Twitter)

British singer Sophie Choudry tweeted, “A force to be reckoned with in the world of casting , started producing and more than anything just a wonderful woman. Heaven is lucky to have you, Seher.”

(Photo Courtesy: Twitter)

Made In Heaven actor Shashank Arora wrote a heartfelt tribute to the producer. “She was what Indian Cinema needed, above all she was one of the best people I had met in Bombay till date. Rest in peace friend,” he tweeted.

(Photo Courtesy: Twitter)

Seher Latif. A kind, brilliant, empathetic artist, casting director, producer, human being. A rare friend. First person to give me a job during difficult first years in Bombay. An inspiring leader. Unable to process this. World cinema lost a great one. See you on the other side,” he also wrote.

Seher’s repertoire also contains international projects including Eat Pray Love, Viceroy’s House, McMafia and Sense 8. She also founded Mutant Films with producer Shivani Saran in 2016. She is survived by her husband and parents.

source: http://www.thequint.com / The Quint / Home> Quint Entertainment> Celbrities / by The Quint / June 08th, 2021

MP: ‘Noorjahan’ mangoes fetching rate up to Rs 1,000 apiece

Agriculture (since June 07th, 2021), Amazing Feats, Business & Economy, Green Products, , ,

Indore, MADHYA PRADESH :

Locals claim ‘Noorjahan’ mangoes are of Afghan origin and cultivated only in the Katthiwada region of Alirajpur district adjacent to the Gujarat border, approximately 250 km from Indore.

Kids holding Noorjahan mangoes. (File Photo | Express Photo Service)

Indore :

The ‘Noorjahan’ mango, cultivated in Madhya Pradesh’s Alirajpur district, is fetching a higher price this year thanks to the good yield and sheer size of the fruit compared with the last year.

The ‘Noorjahan’ mango is priced at Rs 500 to Rs 1,000 apiece this season, a farmer said on Sunday, adding unlike the last year, the yield of this variety of mangoes has been good this time due to favourable weather conditions.

Locals claim ‘Noorjahan’ mangoes are of Afghan origin and cultivated only in the Katthiwada region of Alirajpur district adjacent to the Gujarat border, approximately 250 km from Indore.

“The three Noojahan mango trees in my orchard have produced 250 mangoes. The fruit has been priced between Rs 500 and Rs 1,000 per piece. Bookings have already been done for these mangoes,” Shivraj Singh Jadhav, a mango cultivator from Katthiwada, told PTI.

He said people who have booked ‘Noorjahan’ mangoes in advance include fruit lovers from Madhya Pradesh as well as neighbouring Gujarat.

“This time the weight of a Noorjahan mango is going to be between 2 kg to 3.5 kg,” Jadhav added.

Ishaq Mansoori, an expert in cultivating ‘Noorjahan’ mangoes in Katthiwada, said, “This time the crop of this variety has been good but the COVID-19 pandemic has impacted the business”.

He said ‘Noorjahan’ trees could not flower properly due to unfavourable climatic conditions in 2020.

“In 2019, one mango of this variety weighed around 2.75 kg at an average and buyers paid as high as Rs 1,200 apiece for it,” he added.

The ‘Noorjahan’ variety produces fruits towards the beginning of June.

These trees start flowering in January- February.

A ‘Noorjahan’ mango can grow up to a foot long and its kernels weigh between 150 to 200 grams, local cultivators claimed.

source: http://www.newindianexpress.com / The New Indian Express / Home> Nation / by PTI / Indore – June 06th, 2021

All about Rezoy, one of India’s first food delivery apps by a restaurant association

Business & Economy, Travel & Tourism, , , ,

KERALA :

Starting with Kochi, Rezoy — launched by Kerala Hotel and Restaurant Association — is set to start full operations in other parts of the State. We explore how the app works and why it benefits the industry:

When Kerala Hotel and Restaurant Association (KHRA) launched Rezoy, the Kerala-based food delivery app, the intention was as much to support restaurateurs as much as customers, says Azees Moosa, Ernakulam district president of KHRA.

What makes Rezoy unique is that it is one of the country’s first food delivery apps by a restaurant association. The app, available to both iOS and Android users, has been developed by Ludhiana-based developer Jungleworks for KHRA.

Although the beta version was available in December 2020, it was finally formally launched in May, in Kochi. For now, the app’s reach is limited to parts of Kochi; the plan, however, is for it to be available across Kerala.

Going online was inevitable since doorstep delivery became a reality, a lesson learnt during the lockdown. “We are increasing our geo-fencing to cover a wider area. Although the app is available in Thiruvananthapuram, Malappuram and Thrissur, Rezoy does not have delivery executives there yet. We are working out the logistics and payment gateway. For now, the restaurants in these cities use their own delivery staff,” Azees says.

Working through the lockdown

Lockdown restrictions and containment zones in Kochi have thrown a spanner in KHRA’s expansion plans. “It will take time, but we are committed to this app and making it work. So far we have 300 listings [of hotels and restaurants] in Kochi . We don’t have the financial resources of the large food aggregators; our growth is bound to be slow in comparison,” he adds. Business owners have invested in developing the app and get it running, he says, adding that contributions vary based on how much a business owner can afford.

Rezoy charges a 10% commission from restaurant owners, towards salary for delivery staff and expenses incurred on delivery.

Since it is one of the first in the country, all eyes are on it. “We are the first food delivery app launched by an association such as ours, hence we have been getting enquiries from peers in neighbouring states about how it works,” says Azees.

source: http://www.thehindu.com / The Hindu / Home> Life & Style> Food / by Shilpa Nair Anand / Kochi – May31st, 2021

Chennai dessert boutique Sweet Spot teams home-baked treats with music recommendations

Arts, Culture & Entertainment, Business & Economy, Women/Girls(since May26-2021), , , , , , , ,

Chennai, TAMIL NADU :

Sweet Spot’s best-sellers include milk chocolate salted caramel cake, baklava tart and dark chocolate cheesecake. The latest entrant on the menu is sheer shahi kurma

There is a lot one can discover over dessert. As I plunge my spoon into a gooey chocolate cake, my palate is surprised by what lies beneath: shreds of coconut, coated in luscious Belgian chocolate.

Keeping me company is a soulful Nepali track — a recommendation by the Sweet Spot team. It came written on a neon sticky note, attached to the neat box laden with brownies, tarts and cookies. Sweet Spot, started in April by Zeeshan Anees, Ahad Anaikar, Mohamed Faraaz, Pooja Reddy and Mohamed Samee aims to give home bakers a platform to promote their products.

The desserts are sold under the label of the person who created them, explains Samee. The idea is not to monopolise the dessert market, but to even out the playing field. And along with the goodies come song recommendations from the team. These include: ‘Hataarindai, Bataasindai’, ‘Parchaiyon Main’, ‘Heat Waves’, ‘100 words’…

“The idea came to us during the last lockdown, when we noticed an increase in home bakers. We were ordering a lot of desserts from them,” says Samee. Soon, they transformed a small space, in the same compound as the old Nolita (in Nungambakkam), into a dessert parlour.

The team put all interested home bakers through a series of quality checks, filtering out what did not work for them. “Earlier, the concern most clients had with home bakers was, they had to order two days in advance or buy a full kilogram of cake, even if all they wanted is one slice,” says Samee. Now, these wrinkles have been ironed out.

Empowering the homebaker

On an average, the boutique features items by 15 home bakers, the number goes up to 20 during the weekends. Each bakers typically stocks two to three of her creations. “Sixty to 70% are products by our anchor brands such as Meltz by Aishwarya, Whisk by Safra, Serendipia, Chef Srishti, Coucou, Baked by Faz, Zoya’s bakes, and the rest are from upcoming bakers,” says Samee.

The best-sellers include milk chocolate salted caramel cake, baklava tart and dark chocolate cheesecake. The latest entrant on the menu is sheer shahi kurma. They are trying to bring in variety with Indian desserts as well as savoury snacks like quiches and cream cheese-filled Korean buns.

On weekends they sell out. Their clients order from as far as ECR, Chrompet, Madipakkam and Velachery. The number of orders range from anywhere between 70-100 a day.

Order via their Instagram page, @sweetspot_chennai.

source: http://www.thehindu.com / The Hindu / Home> Life & Style> Food / by Priyadarshini Paitandy / Chennai – June 02nd, 2021

Bihar vegetable hawker turns Samaritan, distributes free masks, hand sanitizers to the poor, labourers

Amazing Feats, Business & Economy, Community Involvement / Social Issues, COVID 19 - Community of Soldiers, , ,

The 41-year-old, Akhbar Ali, distributes them from the very cart on which he sells vegetables from early morning to 10 am daily. 

Bagaha (West Champaran District) , BIHAR :

41-year-old, Bihar vegetable hawker, Akhbar Ali, istributes facemasks and hand sanitizers for free among the poor people and labourers (Photo | EPS)

Patna :

A vegetable hawker now turned humanity-server now distributes facemasks and hand sanitizers for free among the poor people and labourers at Bagaha,  in Bihar’s West Champaran district.

He was moved from within at the sight of a poor man picking up a used face mask that was dumped at a roadside.

The 41-year-old, Akhbar Ali, distributes them from the very cart on which he sells vegetables from early morning to 10 am daily. 

“I called that man and asked why he had been picking up the mask. He told me for wearing on his face as he wanted to live in this world safely from Corona. And his this line moved me so much that I decided to distribute free masks and sanitizer from my cart among the poor people and labourers”, Ali said. The next day he went to the market, bought facemasks and hand sanitizers and started roaming with the items on his hand-pulled cart across the market. 

“I used to go where the migrant labourers came to work and the poor people lived in the town daily after 11 am to evening. Wherever I see the poor people without facemasks, I offer them free of cost and advise them to wear it for safety:” he said. 

He sells masks and other Corona safety-related items to people who can afford to pay for them but gives them away for free to poor people and labourers. 

He said that 50% of the total income he earns from vending vegetables is utilised for purchasing masks and sanitizers for poor people. Ali is simply only able to write and read his name but he said: “In the earning a human-being, both the country and the poor people have equal natural share and one must dedicate the share of ‘watan’ and ‘garib’ as an act of prayer to Allah”, he said. 

He has Hindi signs on display at his cart. One saying “Yahan free masks garibo aur majduro ko milta hai’ (“Here mask free of cost is given to poor and the labourers”) and some others with messages in Hindi asking people to maintain social distancing. 

“From vegetable hawker to humanity server, Ali has become here a name among the destitute and poor people, who seek face masks from him free”, Munna Kumar, a labourer, who was given a pair mask recently said. 

Ali estimates that till date more than 10,000 masks and sanitizers from his earning have been distributed among the poor people and the labourers at Bagaha. 

“Now, I sell vegetables till 10 am and thereafter go out with cart carrying masks and sanitizers to the poor people in the town”, he said. 
 
“Wherever I saw a poor man even on a bus without mask, I run towards him with a mask to give. I will keep serving the poor people-‘garib’ (poor) and “majduro” (labourers) till the corona continues”, he said.

 He has been doing it silently with a line of Mahatma Gandhi “the greatness of humanity is not being human but is being humane’

source: http://www.newindianexpress.com / The New Indian Express / Home> Nation / by Rajesh Kumar Thakur, Express News Service / May 29th, 2021

Chitradurga man on mission to bid dignified adieu to disowned Covid dead

Amazing Feats, Business & Economy, Community Involvement / Social Issues, COVID 19 - Community of Soldiers, Karnataka (under research project), Transport, Useful / HEALTHCARE, , , , , ,

Hiriyur Town(Chitradurga) , KARNATAKA :

Milan Rafiq, who runs an old furniture shop in Hiriyur town, is not allowed to park his Maruti Omni in front of his house, and neither do his neighbours visit him.

Milan Rafiq (inset) and the vehicle he uses to ferry bodies of Covid victims

Chitradurga : 

Milan Rafiq, who runs an old furniture shop in Hiriyur town, is not allowed to park his Maruti Omni in front of his house, and neither do his neighbours visit him.

For he has converted his Omni into a hearse, and ferries bodies of Covid patients to graveyards and crematoriums. He also completes the last rites, and has cremated and buried more than 200 bodies, of which around 80 were of Covid patients. His aim is to give people a final dignified departure, surprising at a time when friends and families are known to abandon both the living and dead.

“Covid has killed humanity. People are not ready to take care of their near and dear ones, including ailing parents on their deathbeds,” said Rafiq. He saw disowned bodies lying in the mortuary of Hiriyur Taluk Hospital, and it disturbed him so much that he decided to take on the last duties himself, irrespective of caste, creed and religion. He doesn’t charge any money, only accepting whatever is given to him, which he uses for the next burial or cremation.

“Before taking the body, I ask the family to get the grave dug, so we can bury the body and close the grave. On an average, I cremate two bodies every day. On Sunday, I cremated four bodies in Chitradurga and Hiriyur,” Rafiq told The New Indian Express.

His has carried out cremations in Chitradurga, Bengaluru and Kolar districts, ferrying bodies from Bengaluru to Kolar, and Madhugiri in Tumakuru. At a time when ambulances charge exorbitant rates, Rafiq just asks where the body should be ferried and sets out in his Omni. The cost of petrol and repairs is met by his group of friends, standing solidly behind him ever since he took up these humanitarian duties.

“I am also using my fixed deposit, I cannot ask families for money when they are in pain. It would be a sin,” he said.

Rafiq’s wife Shahtaj Begum, son Mohammed Zubair and son-in-law Mohammed Ali support him and even help him with the last rites. They wear masks and PPE kits, and sanitise the Omni after work is done. He cites a recent ordeal where there was no one to give them even a glass of water.

“My son, son-in-law, and I conducted the last rites and drank water only after returning to Hiriyur,” he said. Rafiq freely gives his number — 7259859407 — for anytime, anywhere burials and cremations.

source: http://www.newindianexpress.com / The New Indian Express / Home> Good News / by G Subhash Chandra, Express News Service / May 25th, 2021

Sohail Razzack, Former MD, Gandour India, Passes Away

Business & Economy, Community Involvement / Social Issues, Education, Leaders, , , , , , , ,

Hyderabad, TELANGANA / NEW DELHI :

Sohail Razzack.

He was also a member of the Governing Body of Delhi Education Society which runs a number of schools in Delhi including the Anglo Arabic School

New Delhi :

Former Managing Director of Gandour India Food Processing  Pvt. Ltd, Cherlapally, Hyderabad, Sohail Razzack, passed away in New Delhi on May 11 of cardiac arrest. Sohail was the only son of late Hakim Mohammed Abdur Razzack (Founder Director, CCRUM) and Tabiba Ummul Fazal. He was 58 years old.

Born in a respectable Maulvi khandaan of Hyderabad, Sohail Razzack grew up in Delhi and did his schooling from St Xavier’s High School. He went on to do MBA from XLRI, Jamshedpur.

Well known in the FMCG sector, Sohail Razzack, an international marketing and business professional, served in the corporate world and worked with several multinational companies in India and overseas like Cadbury India Limited, SmithKline Beecham, Sprint RPG, Black and Decker and ICI Paints. As Director, Marketing and Export of Pinehill Arabia Food Limited, Sohail Razzack was responsible for expanding the Indomie brand of instant noodles in the Middle East and North Africa region.

As MD, Gandour India, a leading food processing manufacturer in the Middle East, North Africa and India, Sohail’s business acumen led to the rise in popularity and sale of Safari Chocolates, Yamama cakes, Tourist wafers and other confectionary items that the 160-year-old company is famous for.

Coincidently, his first job as Field Sales Executive where he successfully launched Cadbury’s Dollops ice cream and his last as MD, Gandour India, were based out of his hometown, Hyderabad.

Sohail  was also a member of the Governing Body of Delhi Education Society which runs a number of schools in Delhi including the Anglo Arabic School. He taught and lectured at several management institutes across India, and was a popular and admired teacher and mentor.

A dreamer and romantic at heart, Sohail had three passions, Mohammed Rafi, cricket and travelling.

A die-hard fan, Sohail had a Rafi song for any occasion. No trip to Mumbai would be complete without having offered fatiha at Rafi Sahib’s grave. He had even visited the late singer’s birthplace at Kotla Sultan Singh. Sohail’s passion and deep curiosity for exploration led him to travel extensively around the world either for pleasure or to personally promote the brands he worked for, even in the smallest, most remote corners of the country. He had recently started documenting his travels to share with the world but alas, Allah had other plans for him.

Sohail was an honest, humble, down to earth and God fearing person. He emphasized on forgiveness and charity as great virtues. Always willing to lend a helping hand, he touched the lives of many people with his infinite wisdom, guidance and generosity. He will be greatly missed.

He leaves behind his mother, wife, two sons, two daughters, and several family members who loved him dearly.

May Allah grant him forgiveness and elevate him to the highest place in Jannat ul Firdaus. Aameen.

source: http://www.clarionindia.net / Clarion India / Home> Indian Muslim / May 17th, 2021

Shahid Jameel quits as head of virus genome sequencing group

Amazing Feats, Business & Economy, Community Involvement / Social Issues, COVID 19 - Community of Soldiers, Education, Leaders, Science & Technology, Useful / HEALTHCARE, World Opinion, , , , , , , , , ,

Aligarh, UTTAR PRADESH / NEW DELHI :

Virologist Shahid Jameel. File   | Photo Credit: Eswarraj R

The eminent virologist did not give any reasons for his departure

Shahid Jameel, eminent virologist and head of the advisory group to the Indian SARS-COV-2 Genomics Consortia (Insacog), resigned from his post on Friday.

Dr. Jameel confirmed to The Hindu that he’d quit but did not give any reasons for his departure.

Multiple scientists who are part of Insacog — a group of 10 laboratories across the country, tasked with tracking evolving variants of the coronavirus — told The Hindu that Dr. Jameel’s decision appeared to be sudden as he hadn’t communicated reasons for his resignation to consortium members but one of them cited “government pressure” as a potential reason.

Dr. Jameel, who is Director, Trivedi School of Biosciences at Ashoka University has been critical of aspects of the government’s handling of the pandemic.

On May 13, in an invited opinion piece for the New York Times, Dr. Jameel summarised India’s response to the multiple waves and the uneven vaccination rollout and concluded by saying “scientists were facing stubborn resistance to evidence-based policy-making. On April 30, over 800 Indian scientists appealed to the Prime Minister, demanding access to the data that could help them further study, predict and curb this virus. Decision-making based on data is yet another casualty, as the pandemic in India has spun out of control. The human cost we are enduring will leave a permanent scar.”

The Insacog, setup in December, faced initial challenges with funds and equipment but since March has considerably accelerated sequencing samples from all over the country for variants. It has been tracking international variants of concern as well as discovered the so called ‘Indian variant ‘ (B.1.617) that is believed to be instrumental in India’s devastating second wave.

source: http://www.thehindu.com / The Hindu / Home> News> National / by Jacob Kohsy / New Delhi – May 16th, 2021

Bengal Polls 2021: Lessons from Kashmir, prayer for Calcutta

Business & Economy, , ,

Kolkata, WEST BENGAL :

Meet two characters who are not voters in Bidhannagar but have their eyes on the May 2 results.

Irshad Reshi displays his ware at his BF Block shop / Debasmita Bhattacharjee

He does not vote in Calcutta. In fact his vote is thousands of miles away, in Kashmir, but he will be following the election result in Bengal with as much interest and anxiety as most voters of Bengal.

He is Salt Lake’s own Kashmiri shawlwallah, Irshad Reshi, who has made the township his home for 10 years now.

“I used to have a shop in BE Block. I found this place and opened here last November. The location is much more prominent,” says Reshi, the 52-year-old owner of a shop at Baisakhi crossing.

He has been coming to Salt Lake along with his two brothers since 1987. “We used to take turns in coming from November to March. But residents here kept suggesting that we have a permanent outlet here as they wanted our things in summer too. Else they had to travel all the way to New Market. So we took up a place and one of us would stay back,” he recalls. The shop, he says, is a favourite with non-resident Indians who buy winterwear before they fly back.

He stocks a variety of products — saris to salwar suits, coats and waistcoats. There are also bags with Kashmir’s typical ari work on faux leather, in three sizes, costing Rs 75, 200 and 300. Kashmiri mats called namda come for Rs 375. “Light semi-pashmina shawls sell the most. I keep cheap things too so that students who come for a look do not have to return empty-handed.”

He used to take part in Bidhannagar Mela since the start but stopped 10 years ago when the Bidhannagar Municipal Corporation took over its organisation and stall rates were hiked.

The past one year has been bad. “Sabon ka maar hai, iss maar mein main bhi hoon,” he sighs, adding that if business was worth 10 rupees earlier now it is down to two rupees.

After the lockdown was announced, he went home by a special train on May 27 and returned to Salt Lake in October. “The return was fruitless. People do not have cash to spare. Sector V is closed. Only government employees are buying a few things.”

That is why even in Chaitra, he did not acquire fresh stock. “I am still sitting on leftover stuff.”

The situation back home, where internet was shut for months together, is far more dismal. “There has been no business, no education since they abrogated Article 370. From August 2019 to February 2021, there has been no initiative. Internet (which was banned returned with 2G last March. Nothing can be done with 2G speed. And within a month, the lockdown started,” he recalls. Though 4G has been restored on paper this February, even now he says they were not getting 4G speed.

Bachchon ki taalim (children’s education) is what he is most worried about. He has two daughters, aged 24 and 16. With the entire education process running online in the rest of the country, one can imagine what internet restrictions mean.

His family has visited Calcutta earlier in winter when his daughters’ classes were off. “Yahan ka zubaan, rahan, sahan alag hai. But they liked it.”

Speak to him and Calcutta comes across as his paradise in the rest of India. “We have travelled a lot since militancy overtook Kashmir in 1989. We have never had any problem in Calcutta. Logon se pyar mila hai. Women also are safest in Kashmir and Calcutta.”

That is why he is keeping his fingers crossed for the election result in Bengal. “BJP aayega toh kharab hi hoga. Yeh jahan jatey hain, barbaad kar dete hain (It will be bad if BJP comes. Wherever they go, they mess up everything),” he sighs.

source: http://www.telegraphindia.com / The Telegraph Online / Home> West Bengal> Calcutta / by Sudeshna Banerjee, Salt Lake / April 30th, 2021