Category Archives: Business & Economy

Glass of the matter

Arts, Culture & Entertainment, Business & Economy

Meet Gajendra, who has been doing artwork on glass for over 13 years; give any empty alcohol bottle to him, and he will turn it into a piece of art.

Bottles crafted by Gajendra Siddalingappa  Meghana Sastry
Bottles crafted by Gajendra
Siddalingappa  Meghana
Sastry

Bengaluru  :

They say one man’s trash is another man’s treasure and Gajendra Siddalingappa has made this his philosophy of life. Give any empty alcohol bottle to him, and he will turn it into a piece of art.
What used to be grey goose vodka bottles, Kingfishers beer bottles, has now turned into an abstract looking planter, clock or an ashtray. Gajendra says,”By far, my bestseller has been the ones that are made out of Morpheus brandy bottle. In my last exhibition, a lady picked 10 of them.”

But how does he do it? “The empty bottles are placed in moulds of different shapes and are placed in a furnace for 24 hours at the temperature of 750 degree Celsius. The bigger bottles are kept in 750 degree Celsius and for smaller bottles it’s 550 degree Celsius. It’s a 24-hour process because if the furnace is opened before time it will start getting cracks,” says Siddalingappa. All the moulds that are used are made by Gajendra, but sometimes he himself can’t predict the shape of the final product. The reason could be quality of the glass or sometimes the placement or reasons that he also can’t explain.

Gajendra has been doing this for more than 13 years. After his matriculation, he lost his father and was forced to take up odd jobs to support his family. One of the jobs that he did was, working in a glass cutting factory. One day he came across a clock made out of a melted alcohol bottle, which his owner had brought from Singapore. He was so fascinated by the piece that there was no turning back for him. “Every morning I wake up and think about what new to make out of these empty bottles,” says 43-year-old Siddalingappa, who sources the empty bottles from a factory in Peenya.

This born artist also made a special mention about his employer who has given out his garage to him to use it as a workshop. “I work out of a space that is supposed to be my employer’s garage. He has given me full liberty to experiment with what I do,” says Gajendra, who makes around 12 -15 pieces month. Depending on the pieces the price ranges from ` 250- ` 2,500. He has exhibited his work all across the country, and is gearing up for an exhibition in Hyderabad next month.

source: http://www.newindianexpress.com / The New Indian Express / Home> Cities> Bengaluru / by Monika Monalisa / Express News Service / October 26th, 2019

‘Aam aadmi’ postman will now deliver orchids, pomegranate at your doorstep

Agriculture, Arts, Culture & Entertainment, Business & Economy, Records, All

After the success of mango delivery, the postman will now deliver figs, pomegranate and guava at your doorstep.

Picture for representation purpose | Express
Picture for representation purpose | Express

Bengaluru :

After the success of mango delivery, the postman will now deliver figs, pomegranate and guava at your doorstep. The Karnataka State Mango Development and Marketing Corporation Limited (KSMDMCL) in association with India Post, will arrange for the fruits to be picked up directly from the farmers and sent to your home. The department will also supply live phalaenopsis orchid plants neatly packed.

“Our mango supply scheme, started this season, was a big hit and it benefitted both farmers and the consumers. We were appreciated from both ends. We want to encourage other farmers too and help with supply of good quality, farm-grown fruits to the consumers directly,” said Dr C G Nagaraju, Managing Director, KSMDMCL.

He said the consumers can be cent per cent assured that the fruits will be pesticide-free and very fresh and tasty. As there won’t be any middlemen, the beneficiaries will be both consumers and farmers, he said.
The booking of the orders have started for which the consumer has to register with their address and phone number on http://karsirimangoes.karnataka.gov.in . And once the booking is made by paying online, a message is sent to the farm owner who then brings the order to the General Post Office.
“The farmers are also trained on how to do the packing and also when to harvest the fruits. Along with their own storage spaces we also have packhouses in Maadhikere from where the packages will be dispatched to respective post offices. We have tied up with the postal department and they have been very encouraging,” he said.

While the price will be very close to market rates, the director said that there will be extra charges only for the packing and the courier.

The department started the supply of guava on October 4; pomegranate and fig will be supplied from November 18. The fruits will be delivered on every Tuesday and Friday.

A box of seven guavas will be Rs 160 and a box of 2kg pomegranate will cost Rs 300. The farm-fresh fruits will be procured from Ballari, Kolar, Bengaluru Rural and Chikkaballapur to begin with.
Interestingly, the live orchid flowering plants of different varieties including phalaenopsis orchid or Moth orchid will come in flower pannicles which can be used as table plants too. Two sticks will be packed safely in the pannicle and the plants can even grow indoors and will have excellent life, the officer said. The flower plants will come from Alur in Hassan.

One of the consumers who had ordered mango from the service expressed happiness and told TNIE, “I would be more than happy to order fruits and it’s exciting to know that even orchid plants will be delivered to the doorstep. Mangoes were really delicious with no trace of pesticide in it. I will register today itself,” said Deepthi Nagaraj, a homemaker.

The department which is limiting its supply to consumers in and around Bengaluru as of now, plans to soon extend the services to other tier-two cities.

source: http://www.newindianexpress.com / The New Indian Express / Home> Cities> Bengaluru / by Chetana Belagere / Express News Service / October 06th, 2019

Vijayapura Zilla Panchayat launches YouTube channel

Agriculture, Amazing Feats, Business & Economy, Records, All, Science & Technology

Using technology to bring efficiency and transparency in the administration, the Vijayapura Zilla Panchayat created a YouTube channel to upload videos and share information about its activities.

VijayapuraBF26sept2019

Vikas Suralkar, CEO, ZP, who got the channel ‘ZP Vijayapura’ created about over a fortnight ago, said it was aimed at disseminating people-centric information of the ZP.

Initiated on a pilot basis, the channel has already uploaded some programmes and videos of success stories, events organised through the ZP, and government programmes launched for rural development . Some of these include Jalamrut scheme, construction of checkdam/ bunds, Kisan Scheme, MGNERGA, sapling plantation, rainwater harvesting, etc. The channel already has 132 subscribers and hundreds of people have watched the videos uploaded on it.

Mr. Suralkar, elated with the success and response, said the project is first of its kind to highlight government schemes and encourage the people to make use of them. He said the channel was created by local technical staff of the ZP who are also maintaining it. He said that a video of Gram Sabhas would also be uploaded. The government has made holding Gram Sabhas mandatory in selection of beneficiaries or implementing of certain schemes in rural areas. Since it is also mandatory to make the names of the beneficiaries public, the channel could be used to read out the names. This will help in maintaining transparency in selection of the beneficiaries.

“We have several plans to upgrade and update the channel to make it more comprehensive, educational and attractive for the common people. Since today, almost everyone holding a smart phone and with access to the Internet can visit the channel and get information about schemes. They can also replicate success stories in their villages and farms”, Mr. Suralkar said.

Shivayougappa Nedalgi, ZP president, said that since Mr. Suralkar was doing a good job, all the members were supporting him.

source: http://www.thehindu.com / The Hindu / Home> News> States> Karnataka / by Special Correspondent / Vijayapura – September 25th, 2019

Google sets up AI research lab in Bengaluru

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

GoogleBF19sept2019

Google Research India will focus on advancing fundamental computer science and AI research.

Google on Thursday said it is setting up an artificial intelligence research unit at Bengaluru as the tech giant looks to continue developing products for India and taking them to global markets.

Google Research India, the artificial intelligence (AI) lab, will focus on advancing fundamental computer science and AI research.

Apart from the Google team led by AI scientist Manish Gupta, the company will also partner with the research community across the country to focus on tackling challenges in fields like healthcare, agriculture, and education.

“We are incredibly inspired by India. With a world-class engineering talent, strong computer science programs and entrepreneurial drive, India has the potential to contribute to advancements in AI and its application to tackle big challenges,” Google Vice President Next Billion Users and Payments Caeser Sengupta said.

He added that the company is rolling out new products and adding features to existing ones to help even the first-time internet users.

“Future is not about just tech but about inclusion, empowerment and economic opportunity. India inspires us,” Mr. Sengupta said at Google for India event.

IT Minister Ravi Shankar Prasad, who was also present at the event, said tech platforms like Google must ensure that their products are safe and secure for users.

“They must safeguard the privacy rights of individuals. Also, you must take extra efforts to ensure that people don’t abuse the system,” he added.

New programmes

Mr. Sengupta said under its Internet Saathi programme with Tata Trusts, about 80,000 ‘Saathis’ have been trained, who in turn have trained 30 million women.

Mr. Sengupta said in the last 12 months, Google Pay has grown more than three times to 67 million monthly active users, driving transactions worth over $110 billion on an annualised basis across offline and online merchants.

About two-thirds of the transactions are coming from tier-II and -III cities and towns.

Google Pay, which competes with players like Paytm and PhonePe, is introducing the ‘Spot’ platform that will enable merchants to create branded commercial experiences and reach new customers.

Google has already onboarded merchants like UrbanClap, Goibibo, MakeMyTrip, RedBus, Eat.Fit and Oven Story through its early access programme.

In addition, Google Pay is aslso rolling out ‘tokenized cards’ in the next few weeks to offer a secure way of paying for things using a digital token on the phone rather than the actual card number. Tokenized cards on Google Pay — already available in some countries globally — will be rolled out with Visa cards for banks including HDFC, Axis, Kotak and Standard Chartered.

“We will roll out support to cover Mastercard and Rupay and more banks in the coming months,” Mr. Sengupta said.

He added that Google Pay is also deepening the support for small businesses through a new app called ‘Google Pay for Business’

This is a free app for small and medium-sized merchants to enable digital payments where verification process is carried out remotely. Despite the massive growth in digital payments, a vast majority of India’s over 60 million small businesses is still not benefiting from the growing digital economy, Mr. Sengupta said.

“We hope these initiatives will help merchants adopt digital payments with more confidence and help contribute to the long term growth of online financial services,” he added.

Google has also launched ‘Jobs’ as a ‘Spot’ on Google Pay to help job seekers find and prepare for entry-level positions. “Since a number of small merchants is present on Google Pay, it provides an easy mechanism to connect with potential employees. Machine learning is used to recommend jobs and training content to help job seekers prepare for interviews and learn new skills,” Mr. Sengupta said.

Google is also introducing Job Spot with 24 early partners in retail like 24Seven and Healthkart, delivery and logistics partners like Swiggy, Zomato and Dunzo and hospitality providers like Fabhotels.

Besides, it is partnering with the National Skills Development Corporation for its Skill India programme.

Google said it is partnering state-run BSNL to bring high-speed public WiFi to villages in Gujarat, Bihar and Maharashtra. It had previously worked with Railtel to provide WiFi services at 400 train stations in the country.

It also announced its collaboration with Vodafone Idea for ‘Vodafone-Idea Phone Line’ to enable 2G customers of the telecom major get access to information without using data. The users can call a toll-free number to get answers to questions ranging from sports scores to traffic conditions or even getting help with homework.

The service, supported by Google Assistant, will be available in Hindi and English.

source: http://www.thehindu.com / The Hindu / Home> Sci-Tech> Technology / by  PTI / New Delhi – September 19th, 2019

DGCA certifies 1st small drone built by city startup

Business & Economy, Records, All, Science & Technology

First Flight

Representational image
Representational image

Insight, an enterprise-grade drone built by a Bengaluru-based startup Aarav Unmanned Systems’ (AUS), has emerged as the first to be certified by the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) under the ‘small drones’ category.

The category is part of the No-Permission No-Takeoff (NPNT) regulation laid down by the DGCA in its recently released Civil Aviation Requirement (CAR) for drone operations in India.

Drones weighing between 250g and 2 kg are categorised as ‘micro.’ These have fewer compliances to meet and are limited by performance and capability to carry payloads for commercial operations.

Small category drones weigh between 2 kg and 25 kg. These are capable of long endurance and could carry heavier, more advanced sensors. They also need to meet additional compliances laid down by the CAR.

So far, three Indian drone startups have obtained certification under the micro category, while AUS is the first to get the certification under the small category.

Drones were permitted to legally operate in India following a draft proposal by DGCA in October 2017. AUS, the city-based startup founded by Vipul Singh, Suhas Banshiwala and Yeshwanth Reddy in 2013, had jumped into the fray seeking approvals for practical applications for drones.

Mining, where land patterns are constantly changing, is a key area for drone application. AUS cofounder Vipul Singh contends that the amount of data captured through drones can be up to two million times more than the information gathered through other techniques.

source: http://www.deccanherald.com / Deccan Herald / Home> City> Bengaluru Infrastructure / by Rasheed Kappan / DH News Service / September 04th, 2019

Shorthand writers to hold centenary celebration

Amazing Feats, Business & Economy, Records, All

The Shorthand Writers’ Association of Karnataka (SWAK), will hold its centenary programme on September 14 and 15. Featuring a group discussion on English and Kannada shorthand, the release of a souvenir, honouring of Kannada and English shorthand writers who have rendered yeomen service, and more, will be done at the event at Karnataka Government Employees’ Association Auditorium, Cubbon Park. S. Ramanathan, former Secretary to GoI, and chairman, Indian Institute of Public Administration, Karnataka Regional Branch, will inaugurate the event.

Members must enrol to attend. Stenographers working in Central, State, Public and Private sector organisations and are not members may also participate by enrolling either as donors or RC members. High speed shorthand competitions both in English and Kannada will be held on August 13. Call 080-22225462 or reach the Association Secretary A.M. Muralinath on 9740285462 for details.

The association offers training in English and Kannada shorthand between 11 a.m. and 7.30 p.m. Those interested can enrol at SWAK, 3rd Floor, Right Wing, Kandaya Bhavan, K.G. Road, Bengaluru – 560029. For details, mail swakbangalore@gmail.com

source: http://www.thehindu.com / The Hindu / Home> News> States> Karnataka / by Staff Reporter / Bengaluru – September 04th, 2019

Team from Cresarc wins #ABetterHebbal Design Challenge

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The contest was a initiative by Citizens for Sustainability (CiFoS), in association with the DULT and transport corporations. | Photo Credit: Handout E Mail
The contest was a initiative by Citizens for Sustainability (CiFoS), in association with the DULT and transport corporations. | Photo Credit: Handout E Mail

10 teams pitched their solutions at an event organised at Mount Carmel College on Saturday

More than a hundred citizens took part in the challenge to provide solutions to the problem of public transport in and around Hebbal, as part of a crowd-sourcing initiative by Citizens for Sustainability (CiFoS), in association with the DULT and transport corporations. Of the 109 registrations for the #ABetterHebbal Design Challenge, 10 shortlisted teams pitched their solutions at an event organised at Mount Carmel College on Saturday.

Hebbal was chosen for this pilot challenge as it is a fast-developing suburb with one of the worst traffic problems. A team comprising architects from Cresarc took the first place with their idea ‘Through the Park’. According to Naveen Mahantesh of Cresarc, their idea is a three-pronged approach to deal with traffic congestion: an underground route, an overhead route to dilute the traffic coming in from all sides and a park.

The park will be a space for the free movement of pedestrians. The team also pitched ideas to control traffic, increase the use of public transport and improve last-mile connectivity. “It’s a brilliant platform. You can present your ideas to people who can make a difference. As an initiative, we need such challenges for the city. We hope we can connect with the authorities to make this idea come to fruition,” said Mr. Mahantesh.

The runner-up was Suman Paul, an architect from DKP Architects, for his idea of connecting the bifurcated Hebbal lake and build a loop around it with four outlets to reduce commute time. The second runner-up was Priyanka R., an architecture student from M.S. Ramaiah College.

The jury panel included BBMP Commissioner Anil Kumar, Police Commissioner Bhaskar Rao, Directorate of Urban Land Transport (DULT) Commissioner Ponnuraj, BMRCL MD Ajay Seth and urban expert Ashwin Mahesh.

Public transport

At a panel discussion, the focus was on the involvement of the public in government decisions and the popularisation of public transport. Anil Kumar said, “Agencies need to reach out, as people are always willing to make suggestions. But government agencies need to act on the suggestions.”

On road congestion, Bhaskar Rao said, “Bengaluru doesn’t have a traffic problem; it has a transportation problem. We are all victims of our urban planning. I can only regulate traffic. I cannot come up with plans to make our mobility easier. There are 13,000km of roads in the city, 44,000 intersections, 800km of arterial roads, 600km of main roads. I have 4,000 policemen to manage these junctions. The city needs a planning body to make plans every year.”

source: http://www.thehindu.com / The Hindu / Home> News> Cities> Bengaluru / by Nived Uthaiah P / August 31st, 2019

IIHR develops light trap suction method to get rid of tomato pest

Agriculture, Business & Economy, Records, All, Science & Technology

We have been popularising the technology among farmers by training them in it. We’ve had farmers from Kolar, Andhra Pradesh border, Maharashtra and other states as well.

The light trap method that was developed by the Indian Institute of Horticultural Research to kill pests that ruin tomato crops | Express
The light trap method that was developed by the Indian Institute of Horticultural Research to kill pests that ruin tomato crops | Express

Bengaluru :

The Indian Institute of Horticultural Research, established by the Indian Council of Agricultural Research (ICAR-IIHR) recently developed ‘light trap’, a method to kill or get rid of a relatively unknown pest called Tuta Absoluta, that affects tomatoes.

Studies were conducted in a tomato polyhouse and the method proved successful in trapping insects. Tuta Absoluta is a South American moth that rapidly began spreading in India in 2014. It can lead to loss of 100 per cent yield of tomatoes.

“When we conducted studies, we found that these insects get attracted to the colour yellow. We designed a system where an incandescent light bulb is placed above the plant to attract both male and female insects. Soap water or water containing pesticide is placed at the bottom. Alternatively, a suction is placed with a mesh below, instead of the soapy water bowl. The insects get attracted to the light, hit the surface, lose balance and fall into the mesh or bowl,” said Dr V Sridhar, principal scientist and secretary, Division of Entomology and Nematology, IIHR.

“We applied for a patent a few days ago but have already shared the technology with farmers from across the country,” Sridhar said, adding, “The same technology can be used in open conditions with a few modifications. For one acre, four or five light traps are enough. Tuta is more active from 7-11pm. The light-cum-suction trap is being patented. Suction mechanism enhances the trapping efficiency of adult insects.”

Though tomato is the main host, Tuta can also attack other hosts, like potato, eggplant, tobacco etc. Young larvae mine into tomato leaves, apical buds, stalks or fruits. Feeding results in blotches and pinholes on fruit which are generally covered with the frass (excrement of larvae). In one to two months, the technology will be commercially available. This method is part of a larger Integrated Pest Management (IPM) module developed by the institute.

“We have been popularising the technology among farmers by training them in it. We’ve had farmers from Kolar, Andhra Pradesh border, Maharashtra and other states as well. As this is an emerging insect, not many farmers are aware of it. It can multiply in lakhs within one week. This can cut down cost and affect chemical sprays used by farmers,” said another scientist from the institute.

source: http://www.newindianexpress.com / The New Indian Express / Home> States> Karnataka / by Ranjani Madhavan / Express News Service / August 26th, 2019

Areca tea product from Shivamogga village nominated as ‘Prestigious Brand of India’

Agriculture, Business & Economy, Records, All

The clinical tests for Areca Tea proved to be benefiting the diabetic patients and that is when the product became popular globally.

Areca Tea (Photo | EPS)
Areca Tea (Photo | EPS)

Hubballi :

A tea brand from a village of Shivamogga is all set to make its mark at global level. The Areca Tea of Mandagadde village of Tirthahalli taluk of Shivamogga has been nominated as the Prestigious Brands of India 2019. The nomination has been done by the Brand Advertising Research And Consulting Pvt Ltd (BARC) Asia and its the only product from Karnataka on the list this year.

The Areca Tea has already made its mark in global markets and is also stepping in domestic market as a health product. Considered as the best remedy for diabetes, the product has also played a large role in the lives of areca nut farmers of Karnataka.

“It’s a proud feeling that a village startup is now making its name globally. Areca Tea is a proven product and helping people deal with health issues. The clinical tests for Areca Tea proved to be benefiting the diabetic patients and that is when the product became popular globally. In the last four years, we have modified our product, added flavours based on the feedback received by our customers,” Nivedan Nempe, Founder and CEO of Areca Tea, told TNIE.

The company has a production house in Udupi district and has a unit at Mandagadde in Shivamogga. Already several local populations are working for Areca Tea and farmers are being benefited through sales of their produce.

“Quality is the most important aspect of tea production. We chose first quality areca nuts grown in Shivamogga and other areca nut growing districts of Karnataka. We have developed a patented method to make tea out of areca nut and slowly the product is getting popularised in local markets as well,” he said.

The company is also involved in employing specially-abled persons and elderly citizens in working such as packing. “The manual packing work is outsourced from the people who are usually at home. We picked elderly persons and specially-abled persons and today they are making a life out of packing our products. And this is the most satisfying thing,” he added.

What next? The Areca Tea will now expand its business in sugarcane and rice sectors. “We are coming out with a product to help the sugarcane farmers and soon we shall launch the programme. Currently, we are involved in developing a new variety of rice which is more healthy in nature. We want our farmers grow the rice which will have health benefits. The rice variety has been developed locally in collaboration with a German company,” Nivedan said.

source: http://www.newindianexpress.com / The New Indian Express / Home> States> Karnataka / by Amit . Upadhye / Express News Service / August 21st, 2019

Mangaluru family makes flags out of pride and passion

Arts, Culture & Entertainment, Business & Economy, Records, All

Much before preparations for the Independence Day begin, flag-makers across the country work without a pause .

Krishna Shetty at his fruit shop at Padil
Krishna Shetty at his fruit shop at Padil

Mangaluru :

Much before preparations for the Independence Day began, flag-makers across the country work without a pause. The Shetty family from Talapady, located about 26 km from Mangaluru city, has also been flooded with orders for the last two months to make tricolours of various sizes for the occasion.

Flag-making, however, is not the main job of Jayanth Shetty, who works at a cloth showroom in the city. Despite being preoccupied with the wholesale distribution job, he has been making flags for over 25 years. As Independence Day nears, his days get busier, since orders for flags start pouring in.

“It was in the 1990s, when I was working in a shop owned by a flag-maker, Dooja Poojary, that I got inspired to take up the work. Initially, it seemed to be a Herculean task since we had no machines to rely upon, and everything was made by hand,” he recalls.

A lot of care goes into stitching the flag in the exact required size, and also in the screen printing process, Shetty points out. “If there is an error, the piece gets rejected,” he says, adding that now, printed flags have taken over hand-woven ones, which are mostly supplied from Chennai.

The material used for the tricolour is sourced from wholesale dealers from Surat and Ahmedabad. “We use polyester, which is later cut into required sizes and stitched,” explains Shetty, who claims to be the sole flag-maker in Mangaluru. He does the machine stitching and screen printing of the blue Ashoka Chakra of specific size with the help of his family members — his daughter Divya, who works as an accountant; son Amarnath, a cashier; and wife Jayashree, a home-maker. His brother, Krishna Shetty, too helps in the display and sale of the flags at his fruit shop at Padil a week before the Independence Day.

It takes 10 minutes for the Ashoka Chakra to be printed on the piece of white cloth, while the whole process of making one flag takes nearly 20 minutes. The tricolour is made in six sizes, ranging from large cloth banners to small hand-held ones. This year, the family has already produced almost 800 flags at their house, which have been dispatched. On an average, 1,000 flags are made every year and sent to schools, government offices and wholesalers.

“When I started, we used to supply flags free of cost to government schools, clubs and schoolchildren. However, today the demand has come down, due to the availability of printed flags, which mostly come from outside the state,” Shetty says. “At present, we supply only to dealers in Dakshina Kannada who buy in bulk,” he says recalling an earlier order that required him to supply a large tricolour cloth banner to a foreign country. Shetty is now a recognised figure in the town because of his work. Dr Yathish Kumar, associate professor, Department of Commerce, University College, lauds him for the passion he puts into the job.

“The three colours in the flag are a symbol of unity of India. There is universal affection and respect for the tricolour. Jayanth is one of the few persons in Dakshina Kannada who is into this noble work despite having a busy schedule. All the work done out of respect for our country must be appreciated and supported,” Kumar says.

Shetty too finds satisfaction in the fact that the job involves the feeling of working for the country. “We are not into flag-making to earn any profit,” he says. “We do it purely out of the respect and pride that we have towards India.”

source: http://www.newindianexpress.com / The New Indian Express / Home> States> Karnataka / by Divya Cutinho / Express News Service / August 18th, 2019