Category Archives: Business & Economy

Istafa Husain Ansari brought handloom industry to forefront

Arts, Culture & Entertainment, Business & Economy, Community Involvement / Social Issues, Leaders, , , , , , , , , ,

Gorakhpur, UTTAR PRADESH :

There is no denying to the fact that 1970-1980 was the best decade for a Bunkar (weaver) of Uttar Pradesh. This period can be identified as the golden era for the handloom industry and the person responsible for this was no other than late Istafa Husain Ansari of Gorakhpur. I am fortunate to be one of his grandsons.

Istafa Husain Ansari (1914-1987) was the third child of Sheikh Murtaza Husain- a Zamindar and a successful businessman, along with a prominent political leader of Gorakhpur. From the very beginning he had nationalist leaning. His initial education was in Gorakhpur and for the higher education he attended Lucknow University, from where he completed his M.Sc. and LLB. During those days the political environment in Lucknow was stirring, and there he worked along with stalwarts Dr. Shankar Dayal Sharma and K Raghurammaiyya, who were prominent student leaders of that time. At an early age he got married to Amina Khatoon, daughter of a prominent businessman of Gorakhpur, Mian Rahmatullah. One of his brothers-in-law, Niamatullah Ansari participated in the freedom struggle, and was later elected as a MLA from Gorakhpur.

IstafaHusainMPOsJan052017

After completing his education in Lucknow, he went back to Gorakhpur to practice law in Gorakhpur Civil Court. He was interested in the issues related to small farmers, peasants and the marginalized sections of the society. His contact with Professor Shibban Lal Saxena, who was an influential Congress leader of that time, brought him closer to Maharajganj and Pharenda, from where he started his formal political career by getting elected as the Gram Pradhan of Bhelumpur, which was also known as Karmaura. In 1952, for the first assembly election after independence, he won the Gorakhpur seat on a Congress ticket. He won by a big majority and then again by a bigger majority in 1957.

He was elevated to the position of Parliamentary Secretary for Education, Home and Information, when Sampoorna Nand became the Chief Minister of Uttar Pradesh. Then in 1966 and in 1972, he was elected as a Member of the Legislative Council in Uttar Pradesh Vidhan Parishad. In November 1973, when Chief Minister Hemvati Nandan Bahuguna, formed his eleven member’s cabinet, he was assigned as a Cabinet Minister in-charge of the small scale industries. He saw the deterioration in the politics climate and declined to be a part of that. His refusal to subscribe to the kind of politics brought in by Sanjay Gandhi curtailed his political career, because he could not do the Jee-Hazoori (sycophancy) that became the norm for success those days.

The success story of his life can be gauged by his contribution to the handloom as well as other cottage industries. He battled tirelessly for uplifting the weaker sections of the society. He fought relentlessly for the cause of the weavers and led an agitation against the ruling congress party, of which he was an active member, without fearing for the consequences and his own political future. As a result of the struggle, all his demands were met, and for the first time the woes of the handloom industry caught the attention of the policy makers. As a result, in 1970s when Prime Minister Indira Gandhi formulated her twenty point development program, challenges facing the handloom industry were also included in it. Then came the golden period of the handloom industry where infra-structure was developed to provide the raw material as well as avenues were opened to find markets for the finished product.

Apart from political appointments, he was also a member of the Aligarh Muslim University and Agra University courts. Locally in Gorakhpur, he was in the Executive Committee of Gorakhpur University, and was the founder member of Madan Mohan Malviya Engineering College. For life, he was the President of the school named after his father, Sheikh Murtaza Husain Memorial Higher Secondary School. During the time of his death in 1987, he was the member of Uttar Pradesh Minorities Commission.

It is not out of place to mention that in spite of being in public life for about five decades he maintained an unblemished record. His eldest son, Ashfaq Husain ventured into politics, and was elected to the Lok Sabha from Maharajganj. It is not out of place to mention that he was a great advocate for education and encouraged his descendants for quality education. As a result, today all twenty-two of his grandchildren are either engineers or have achieved post graduate degrees.

(The author is a Nuclear Engineer and was in the United States for long, but presently is in India. Can be contacted at www.tanvirsalim.com.)

source: http://www.twocircles.net / TwoCircles.net / Home / by Tanvir Salim / October 26th, 2013

Kiosk on wheels helps persons with disabilities turn entrepreneurs

Amazing Feats, Arts, Culture & Entertainment, Business & Economy, Community Involvement / Social Issues, Green Products, Science & Technology, Transport, ,

Bengaluru, KARNATAKA :

The battery-operated kiosk, Sunny Splendor, is a boon to persons with disabilities. —Photo: Sampath Kumar G.P. | Photo Credit: G_P_Sampath Kumar
The battery-operated kiosk, Sunny Splendor, is a boon to persons with disabilities. —Photo: Sampath Kumar G.P. | Photo Credit: G_P_Sampath Kumar

Three years ago, Umesh, a lorry driver, lost his legs in a road accident. To make ends meet, he decided to sell tea on a two-wheeler, but the new venture threw up many challenges.

Dejected but not defeated, he approached an automobile firm for help. The firm, along with a wheelchair manufacturer, came up with a design for a disabled-friendly mobile kiosk to help people with disabilities earn a livelihood as part of a CSR initiative. The company approached the Association of People with Disabilities (APD), which funded the project. By 2015-end, Umesh had a prototype of the mobile kiosk.

APD rolled out three such mobile kiosks in the city in December last year to enable people with locomotive impairment and cerebral palsy start a business. The kiosk or electric vehicle named Sunny Splendor can also be charged on solar power.

Calling it ‘office on wheels’, C.N. Gopinath, executive board member of APD, said: “It plays a pivotal role in creating a perfect livelihood option for the physically challenged, who at times are constrained by financial circumstances and lack of qualification.”

Mansoor Ahmed, one of the fund raisers of the project, said the kiosk is environment and disabled-friendly. “We replaced the steering wheel with a joystick and the tires have increased brake efficiency”.

“I want to start a cosmetics and beverages business and my target audience comprises those working in tech parks. With this vehicle, I can commute to different tech parks,” said Basheer Ahmed, who is affected by polio. For Mahesh, who has been repairing mobile phones from home, the vehicle will help him broaden his customer base. “I want to run the business outside a government office. I am also planning to buy a typewriter, so I can help officials in their work”.

Four kiosks in Bengaluru

There are four such kiosks in Bengaluru. Beneficiaries can approach APD if they wish to become entrepreneurs, and have to go through a selection process before they can get their own mobile kiosk.

APD charges 10 per cent of the ₹1 lakh that costs to make a unit. “We believe they have the right to stake a claim in our ventures. This would not be possible if we operated on a charity model, which is is why we accept 10 per cent monetary contribution from them, though we do not insist this from those who cannot afford,” Mr. Mansoor Ahmed added.

source: http://www.thehindu.com / The Hindu / Home> News> States> Karnataka / by Shilpa Ramaswamy / Bengaluru – January 03rd, 2016

An intrinsic crafter of bidriware

Arts, Culture & Entertainment, Business & Economy, , , , ,

Bidar, KARNATAKA :

bidriwarempos03jan2016

From a one-room house in Bidar old city to the Republic Day parade on Rajpath in New Delhi, it has been a long journey for bidri artisan Shah Rashid Ahmed Quadri.

The artisan, who was part of the bidriware tableau at the parade, was once advised by his father to quit the profession as there was no money in it. However, he did not quit because he liked hitting metals with chisels and a hammer.

Born on June 5, 1955, Shah Rashid Ahmed Quadri hails from a family of bidri artisans. As a result, Quadri got exposed to this craft from a young age and was trained under his father, Shah Mustafa Quadri. “I was forced to get involved in this craft to support my father, who was the only earning member in our family,” says Quadri. Initially, his father was not keen on him joining the shop as he felt the profession was not remunerative. He received a lot of encouragement when he began doing the craft and improved upon his father’s traditional designs. After a long period of training, he started working independently in 1970 and introduced various unique patterns.

Quadri has experimented with various bidriware techniques and patterns in his work. He introduced phooljhadi design and reintroduced sheet-work, an old technique that was used by court artists in the Bahmani Empire. Additionally, he is also an expert in wire and sheet-work inlaying.

Quadri has also trained several people in bidriware. Around 80 youngsters and many women have benefited by the training. Shaheda Begum, who has been working under him for the past two decades, is one such woman and has become an expert in sheet technique. He has also hosted various training programmes, where he taught bidri art. Some of the programmes he taught are organised as an apprenticeship training scheme.

Ample recognition
Quadri received several awards for his work including the Karnataka State award in 1984, a national award in 1988, district Rajyotsava award in 1996, Great Indian Achievers Award in 2004, and the Swarna Karnataka Rajyaotsava Award in 2006. Recently, he was honoured with Shilpa Guru award. The award is given in recognition of excellent craftsmanship, product excellence and for being instrumental in the continuance of crafts as a vital part of traditional heritage.

He exhibited his works in several countries and gave live demonstrations as well. These included the Science Festival of India that was held at The Museum of Science in Boston, USA in 1987 and a live demonstration in Holland in 1992. Bidri Art was selected to represent Karnataka at the Rajpath in New Delhi on Republic Day in 2011. Quadri, along with his team, took seat on the tableau with his work and gave a live demonstration. The Karnataka tableau was awarded second prize that year.

Apart from being a professional artisan and inspiring many others to continue the legacy, Quadri has also served as a member of Karnataka State Award selection committee in 1998.

He can be contacted on 9880690669 or at craft@gmail.com

source: http://www.deccanherald.com / Deccan Herald / Home> Supplements> Spectrum / by Rehaman Patel / January 03rd, 2017

Aamir’s Dangal remonetises the box office

Arts, Culture & Entertainment, Business & Economy, , , ,

Analysts expect the movie to become one of the top grossers

dangalmpos28dec2016

New Delhi  :
  

Aamir Khan’s Dangal, which opened on Friday, has come as a boon for cinemas in the era of demonetisation. Analysts and multiplexes believe the movie could notch up ₹100 crore in the opening weekend itself and become one of the top grossers.

The movie, from the studios of Disney Pictures, UTV Motion Pictures and Aamir Khan Productions, has been released across 4,300 screens in India and about 1,000 screens internationally.

Trade analyst Komal Nahata said the movie will appeal to both the masses and the classes as well the urban and the rural consumers.

“It is expected to see historic box-office collections on the opening day. Going by early indications, the movie is also expected to see record lifetime collections,” he added.

According to some analysts, a reason could be that the film is based on a popular sport, wrestling. Besides, earlier this year, the audience had given a thumbs-up to Salman Khan’s Sultan, also based on the same sport. Known to set new records at the box office, the last Aamir Khan-starrer, PK, had raked in an estimated ₹331 crore, becoming the highest grossing bollywood film.

dangalpostermpos28dec2016

PV Sunil, CEO and Director, Carnival Cinemas, said, “Dangal is a boon to the film exhibition industry, especially in the current economic conditions. Our first-day occupancy of around 50 per cent in the matinee shows seems very promising and hints towards a big domestic weekend collection of the film.”

Ticketing platform BookMyShow said it has already hit its fastest one million ticket milestone for a movie with Dangal clocking sales of over ₹20 crore.

Devang Sampat, Director – Strategic Initiatives, Cinépolis India added, “The movie is expected to see a long run at the box office as it is benefiting from a strong word of mouth.”

Tinku Singh, Group President & Chief Strategy Officer SRS Group, said: “Since demonetisation, we have seen a drop in ticket sales at our cinemas, especially in tier-2 cities. But with Dangal, we are seeing average occupancies of 60-65 per cent on the first day.”

The film has brand association tie-ups with Bournvita, Vivel and Nissan Datsun.

source: http://www.thehindubusinessline.com / The Business Line / Home> Variety / by Meenakshi Verma Ambwani / December 23rd, 2016

Digital Jalebi eyes Rs 50 crore turnover in 2 years

Business & Economy, Science & Technology, World Opinion, ,

Bengaluru, KARNATAKA :

digitaljalebimpos12dec2016

Soon after graduating from the National Institute of Design (NID), Syed Fawaz Ahmed and Nikhil Joshi started Digital Jalebi. One will wonder what the second name Jalebi is doing.

“It was Nikhil’s idea to name the company ‘Digital Jalebi’. Nikhil hails from Delhi where Jalebi is a famous sweet dish, and whenever Jalebi is prepared, it represents a joyful occasion like a festival, marriage or any other celebration. So, Jalebi represents a joy factor and whatever projects we do, it has a factor of joy in it. Hence, we thought the name would be appropriate. And also, the name was quite Indian. Hence, we kept the name as Digital Jalebi,” Ahmed tells DH.

The company, which embarked on its journey in September 2012, is engaged in designing interactive installations and software for spaces like museums, exhibitions and planetariums. With varied background of design, software engineering, electronics and multimedia, Digital Jalebi offers end-to-end delivery starting from research, conceptualisation and story-boarding; to content generation, graphic design, animation, 3D modelling; to development, fabrication and installation.

“The first project that we did was for Visvesvaraya Industrial and Technological Museum Bangalore. It was an exhibition based on the life of the great mathematician Srinivas Ramanujan. Digital Jalebi designed and developed the entire exhibition. That was our starting point,” Ahmed says.

“The journey has been exciting. We have learnt a lot of things. With every project we realise importance and need of good technology-aided design in India. Setting benchmark for quality has been a core pillar of Digital Jalebi’s belief, hence most of the clients who work with us, come back to us with more projects. We have made a place for ourselves in industry as a leading interactive studio,” he adds.

Till date, the firm has completed over 60 projects and its repeated customer base is around 20. In the next two years, Digital Jalebi plans to have an annual turnover of Rs 50 crore.

“Last year, our revenues were Rs 2 crore, and this year, we are touching around Rs 5 crore, and in the next two years, we are planning to scale up our operations and we are starting VRchef to get volume work from outside India, especially from the US and the UK. We are planning to start outsourcing model for VR (virtual reality) and AR (augmented reality). Hence, we are trying to scale up operations in terms of space and the number of people,” Ahmed added.

When asked as to how different the firm is from others, Ahmed explains, “We describe ourselves as a new media installation company. We are neither a core game development company, nor a traditional software development company. We aren’t bound to a single stream like virtual reality or augmented reality. We try to tag ourselves to the bigger umbrella which is new media, and that covers all these things. Hence, we feel that our services are quite diverse.”

source: http://www.deccanherald.com / Deccan Herald / Home> Supplements> Economy & Business / by Umesh M Avvannavar / DHNS – December 12th, 2016

Mangaluru: Bearys Chamber of Commerce and Industry inaugurated

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

Mangaluru, KARNATAKA :

Mangaluru :

Bearys Chamber of Commerce and Industry, a  trade and industry body of the Beary community, was inaugurated at the conference hall of Hotel Ocean Pearl here on December 9, Friday by DK District in-charge Minister B Ramanatha Rai.

In his address, Rai lauded the  contributions of the Beary community to the trade and industry field. He also described the formation of the Bearys Chamber of Commerce and Industry as a milestone achievement.

UT Khader, State Minister for Food and Civil Supplies, Ivan D’Souza Chief Whip of State Legislative Council, JR Lobo and BA Moidin Bava, MLAs wished success to the new organisation.

Umar TK, Chief of the TK’s Interior Solutions, Bengaluru delivered the key-note address and highlighted the factors contributing to the success in trade and industry. S M Rasheed, President of Bearys Chamber of Commerce and Industry spoke on the objectives of the organisation.

Y Abdulla Kunhi, Chancellor of Yenepoya University presided over the function. Jeevan Saldanha, Chairman of Kanara Chamber of Commerce and Industry, Sayyed Abdul Khader Y,  Mohammad Kunhi,  Iqbal Ahmed, S M Arshad,  Khalid Bava, Ravuf Puttige, Zakaria Bajpe, entrepreneurs, B H Khader, Cashew Corporation Chairman,  Nanyappa, Joint Commissioner of Commercial Tax and others were present as chief guests.

source:  http://www.mangaloretoday.com / Mangalore Today / Home> Main News / Mangalore Today News Network / December 10th, 2016

Cyrus Mistry replaced by Ishaat Hussain as TCS chairman: Tata Sons

Business & Economy, Leaders,

 NEW DELHI / Mumbai, MAHARASHTRA  :

ishaathussain02mpos10nov2016

In a statement, the software giant said a letter from Tata Sons named Hussain as the new chair while the company looks for another replacement.

The Tata Sons today named Ishaat Hussain as the chairman of the Tata Consultancy Services (TCS) in place of Cyrus Mistry with immediate effect.

In a statement, the software giant said a letter from Tata Sons named Hussain as the new chair while the company looks for another replacement.

“The company (TCS) has received a letter dated November 9, 2016 from Tata Sons Ltd nominating Ishaat Hussain as the Chairman of the Board of Directors of the company in place of Cyrus P Mistry with immediate effect. In view of this, Mistry has ceased to be the Chairman of the Board of Directors of the Company and Hussain is the new Chairman of the company,” TCS said in a regulatory filing.

TCS said Hussain shall hold office as the Chairman of the company until a new Chairman is appointed in his place.

“Tata Sons has issued a special notice under Section 169 read with Section 115 of the Companies Act, 2013 and a requisition for convening an extraordinary general meeting of shareholders of the company under Section 100(2) of the Companies Act, 2013 to consider a resolution for the removal of Cyrus P Mistry as Director of the Company,” it added.

Last month, in a sensational coup, Mistry was sacked as Tata Sons chairman and replaced by Ratan N Tata as the interim chairman.

source: http://www.indiatoday.intoday.in / Indiatoday.in / Home> News> India / by Nivedita Dash / New Delhi – November 10th, 2016

10 Facts About New Interim Chairman of TCS Ishaat Hussain

Business & Economy, NRI's / PIO's,

NEW DELHI / Mumbai, MAHARASHTRA  :

 

File image of Ishaat Hussain. (Photo Credit: Getty Images)
File image of Ishaat Hussain. (Photo Credit: Getty Images)

Tata Sons on Thursday appointed Ishaat Hussain as Chairman of Board Of Directors after Cyrus Mistry was ousted as the holding company’s Chairman.

Here are the 10 facts about Ishaat Hussain

* Born on September 2, 1947, Ishaat Hussain completed his schooling from The Doon School in 1963 and joined St. Stephens College Delhi to pursue graduation in Economics.

* Hussain, a chartered accountant from England and Wales, also attended the Advanced Management Program at the Harvard Business School.

* He is associated with the Tata Group since 1983 after Indian Tube was merged with Tata Steel.

* In November 2006, Hussain was appointed a Public Interest Director of Bombay Stock Exchange Limited.

* In January 2008, he was appointed a Trustee on the board of India Foundation for the Arts (IFA).

* Hussain joined the Board of Tata Sons as an Executive Director on July 1, 1999.

* He took over as Finance Director of Tata Sons Ltd. in 2000

* Prior to joining Tata Sons, Hussain has worked as the senior vice-president and executive director – finance in Tata Steel for almost 10 years.

* Besides being on the board of Tata Sons Limited, Hussain is Chairman of Voltas Limited and Tata Sky Limited.

* He is also on the boards of several Tata Companies such as Tata Steel, Tata Industries, Tata Teleservices, Titan Industries Limited.

source: http://www.news18.com / News18.com / Home> News18> Business / November 10th, 2016

These Hyderabadis are new YouTube sensation

Arts, Culture & Entertainment, Business & Economy, Community Involvement / Social Issues, Videos, , , , , , ,

Hyderabad, TELANGANA  :

Viral guys:Syed Viquaruddin, Mohd Abdul Samad, Mizbahuddin and Syed Atif teamed up as Kantriguyz and started making videos in 2013.-Photo: By arrangement
Viral guys:Syed Viquaruddin, Mohd Abdul Samad, Mizbahuddin and Syed Atif teamed up as Kantriguyz and started making videos in 2013.-Photo: By arrangement

They are now recognised in public places

A few random concepts and some funny videos later, these content creators from twin cities are now the brand ambassadors of YouTube. Life has changed all of a sudden for these Hyderabadis who are now recognised in public places and pressured to come up with better videos. Jahnavi Dasetty, who runs her own channel ‘Mahathalli’ and Syed Viquar Mohiuddin of ‘Kantriguyz’ were speakers at the YouTube ‘Happy Hour’ event organised in the city recently.

Less than a year after she uploaded her first video, Jahnavi has now more than one lakh subscribers to her credit. Till date, she has made close to 30 videos in which she essays different characters. “I play simple characters which everyone relates to. I think that clicked well with the viewers,” says Jahnavi who played a middle-class youngster troubled by her mother to get married. Jahnavi, who is interested direction as well, also landed up a role in a Telugu movie after her videos went viral. She also went on to collaborate with other popular creators like Chicago Subbarao.

With their signature Hyderabadi lingo and style, four youngsters, Syed Viquaruddin, Mohd Abdul Samad, Mizbahuddin and Syed Atif teamed up as Kantriguyz and started making videos in 2013.

“There was only one content provider making funny videos in the language that Hyderabadis speak but they were not our inspiration. We followed The Viral Fever channel closely and made Hyderabadi version of a spoof which went viral,” said Mr. Mohiuddin, who is pursuing BBA degree. “We are recognised wherever we go. We are asked by people to make more videos because of which we plan to upload at least three videos a month.”

Their channel has more than 20,000 subscribers.

The youngster has set himself a target too. “If my channel gets more than one lakh subscribers within two years, I will pursue a career in this field.” David Powell, Online Partner Operations efforts across Asia-Pacific, YouTube said that the traditional media content uploaded in India is increasing by 75% every year. He said that a number of events are being conducted by them across the country to encourage regional content providers and provide a platform for them to network and collaborate.

source: http://www.thehindu.com / The Hindu / Home> News> Cities> Hyderabad / by Rahul Devulapalli / Hyderabad – November 02nd, 2016

Dubai returned telecom engineer based in Okha claims to end nightmare of dropped calls with this device

Business & Economy, Science & Technology

Okhla, NEW DELHI :

mdfirozalammpos15oct2016

Dropped calls are a big issue in Okhla. Experts attribute it to high-rise buildings and lack of tower in the locality. The issue is such that many residents feel privileged to get right signal in Batla House, Shaheen Bagh and other areas of this locality.

The issue of poor networking can be addressed, as claimed by Md Firoz Alam, who before starting his own business from his flat in Nai Basti was employed in Dubai’s Government Company as Telecom Engineer.

He told OKHLATIMES.COM that despite drop calls being a major issue in the locality it is not a big one as a device prepared by his company can give network solution, providing no dropped calls.
“See we are into mobile signal booster. It helps in ending call drop and also provide clean network. People do come to us complaining that they don’t get signals and despite having a mobile they are marooned. The booster is imported from Japan and China and we sell it at a competitive price starting from Rs 9,995,” said Alam, who completed his BE Electronics and Communication from Jamia Millia Islamia in 2008. And since then he has not looked back.

With more than 12 years’ experience in his field and work experience at India’s leading companies like Reliance, Ericsson, Vodafone and other companies, Alam also runs other businesses.

After coming from Dubai, he floated a e-commerce portal where he claims to offer women’s clothing, artificial jewellery, water purifier and sales and service.

Contact no: 8800710461 / Land Line: 011=65577799 / E-mail: care@frtradersllp.com /
website: frozaz.com / FB: facebook.com/frtradersllp

OT marketing initiative

source: http://www.okhlatimes.com / Okhla Times / Home> Local / October 15th, 2016