‘Status achieved after a long and cumbersome process that lasted two years’
The ‘Gulbarga tur dal’ (Kalaburagi red gram), renowned for its superior quality the world over, received Geographical Indication (GI) tag from the government recently.
Speaking to The Hindu on Friday, Dean of Agriculture College Jayaprakash R. Patil and Muniswamy, agriculture scientist at the Agriculture Research Station in Kalaburagi, said that after a long and cumbersome process which lasted two years, the ‘Gulbarga tur dal’ finally got GI status on August 14.
The application was filed by the University of Agriculture Sciences (UAS) Raichur and the Karnataka Red Gram Development Board, with the help of ICRISAT, Intellectual Property Facilitation Centre (IPFC) Hyderabad with Geographical Indications (GI) Registry, in September 2017.
Dr. Muniswamy said the team of scientists from the research station has redrafted the description with the additional specification of GI product and the special characteristics and quality parameters of the produce to get the product certified with GI tag.
He said the high calcium and potassium content of the soil in Gulbarga tur dal-growing region has been one of the major factors for its suprrior quality. According to soil test reports Kalaburagi soil contains 3.6 g/100g calcium and 0.1 g/100g potassium. Whereas the soil sample in Bengaluru contains 0.135 g/100g calcium and 0.045g/100g potassium.
The other test parameters include volume, grain weight after cooking, leachable solid per cent, texture, appearance, colour, flavour, taste, and smell. The tur dal here has a good taste and aroma compared to that grown elsewhere. It also takes less time to cook.
Now, the research station, in association with the Agriculture Department and the farmers’ forum, should organise awareness programmes across the district to make farmers aware of the benefits of the GI tag, Dr. Muniswamy said, adding that the GI tag helps red gram growers get a premium price. Besides minimum support price, the farmers growing tur dal of GI standard can increase the price by 10%.
Dr. Muniswamy said that initially, GI status may not work wonders for the farmers, but in the long term, it would command a better price and create international demand for the produce.
Red gram is the main kharif crop in the Hyderabad Karnataka region. Of the total 9 lakh hectares of red gram cultivated across the State, around 3.7 lakh hectares of the crop is grown in Kalaburagi district alone.
source: http://www.thehindu.com / The Hindu / Home> News> States> Karnataka / by Praveen B. Para / Kalaburagi – August 25th, 2019
Bengeri unit in Hubballi is the only authorised one in the country to make the official National Flag.
Women employees give final touches to the tricolour | D Hemanth
Hubballi :
As the 73rd Independence Day went by, a tiny village in North Karnataka got busy. To be specific, the women force. This year was no different.
Meet the women behind the making of the Tricolour. For the last two months, the women employees of the country’s largest National Flag manufacturing unit in Hubballi worked in double shifts to meet the demand. This is the only authorised unit, located in Bengeri, Hubballi, in the country to produce the National Flag.
An employee irons the flag
About 1,200 women working in 22 centres in Bagalkot district prepare the cloth – spinning and weaving — for the flags which are manufactured in Bengeri, run by the Karnataka Khadi Gramodyoga Samyukta Sangha (KKGSS). About 1,500 employees are attached to the Sangha in Hubballi, of whom 90% of the employees are women.
For years, the Khadi Bhandar has played a vital role in the lives of women in Bagalkot, Viajyapura and Dharwad districts.
It all started in 1981, when the Vijayapura region faced severe drought, drying up job opportunities too, hitting the rural population hard. The government then stepped in to bridge the ‘yarning’ gap. It decided to start khadi spinning units in Vijayapura district and it gave a big boost to the rural women in the drought-hit areas.
The women in these centres started sewing khadi materials. In 2004, the Bengeri unit got government’s recognition to start manufacturing the National Flag. Since then, these women have marched on, spinning a success story. The flags are made to specific standards laid down by the Flag Code. There are specifications for the cloth, the yarn and the dye. The dye shouldn’t get washed away by rain. So all these things are tested for every flag. A piece is rejected even if there is the slightest error. They have to follow exacting standards set up by the Bureau of Indian Standards (BIS).
The flags produced here are fluttering not only in India but also around the world. These flags adorn the Parliament building, the Supreme Court and the Red Fort in New Delhi. And This year it was special because the flag was hoisted in the ‘new’ Jammu and Kashmir after the abrogation of Article 370 and the state becoming a Union Territory.
“It’s a proud feeling to make the National Flag. When everyone including the Prime Minister salutes the flag made in Hubballi, we feel our hard work has paid off. Be it a child or anyone, everyone has respect for the National Flag and we are proud to be part of the making process,” says Annapurna Koti, manager at the flag making unit.
Priya Ballari, an employee at the unit, says, “In a day we make about 20-30 standard-sized flags. We work with patriotic fervour and It gives us a sense of satisfaction.”
She adds, “We are paid according to our timings. Both the central and state governments are trying to increase our wages and other facilities like medical aid. We begin our day when our children go to school and wind up by the time they return home. Sometimes we do overtime to meet the demand which surges during the national festivals.”
“The right mixture of cotton and khadi materials is procured from our branches operating in Bagalkot and Dharwad districts. Bengeri is the only BIS-certified national flag-making unit in India and we are proud to be associated with it. The Federation has plans to popularise khadi and also increase the production of other materials and items made here. There is a sale counter in Bengeri unit and the public can choose from several items,” says an employee. “My husband is an autorickshaw driver. It is difficult to run the family on his earnings alone. After I joined the flag-making unit about two years ago, we are financially better off. Our wages are decided by the Union minister and there is scope for incentives for overtime. When my husband is free and can take care of our children, I do overtime here,” she adds.
In the last 15 years, the unit has produced and sold more than one crore national flags of different sizes. The Bengeri unit is also known for producing the largest-sized khadi National Flag measuriung 14X21 feet. It requires about eight workers to complete it in a day and it weighs about 10 kg.
When the demand increases, all the womenfolk extend their working hours. As the orders are increasing every passing year, the unit makes the flags throughout the year.
Secretary of KKGSS Shivanand S Matpathi says women employees are the main force behind the unit in Hubballi. “On an average, 2.5 lakh flags of different sizes are made at the Hubballi unit every year. The demand for flags during August 15 and January 26 increases and also work of the women employees. Jobs like stitching, screen printing and ironing are done by the women employees. When the demand for flags increases, all the employees work for additional hours to meet the demand,” he says.
“Ours is a BIS-certified unit. It’s mandatory for all government and private organisations to buy ISI-marked national flags for the celebrations. For the last few years the demand for khadi flags has increased after the government made it mandatory. As all the panchayat buildings hoist tricolour every day, they need at least three flags per year. This has increased the business at the khadi unit here,” he adds.
source: http://www.newindianexpress.com / The New Indian Express / Home> States> Karnataka / by Amit S. Upadhye / Express News Service / August 18th, 2019
The period between 1900 to 1940, is a golden era of all-round development of Bengaluru as well as Mysore Province, mainly due to the vision and dedicated efforts of the magnificent trio, The Maharaja Krishnaraja Wadiyar IV, Sir M. Visvesvaraya (Sir M.V.) and Sir Mirza Ismail. Under the patronage of the Maharaja, Sir M.V. made Bengaluru a prominent centre for industry, trade and commerce while Sir Mirza made the city beautiful.
Dr. DVG who had seen Sir MV from very close quarters takes us through various incidents and anecdotes painting a competent picture of him, a role model for the subsequent generations, particularly for the administrators. Writer Masti Venkatesha Iyengar, edited an excellent volume on Sir M.V. containing contributions of stalwarts of various walks of life. Both in English and Kannada, there are several books published on the life and achievements of ‘The Father of Modern Mysore State’, ‘The Architect of Neo Bangalore’ and ‘The Mahatma of Industrial India’.
ir MV was born in Muddenahalli, a village about sixty kilometres away from Bangalore. He was brought to the city by his uncle, H. Ramaiah. After completing his early education in Weslyian Mission School, he joined Central College. He was very much liked by the college principal Charles Waters. He had given his personal copy of Webster’s Dictionary appreciating his pupil’s principles.
Recognizing his brilliance, Dewan Rangacharlu sanctioned scholarship to take up engineering course in Poona. After completing the studies, Sir MV joined Mumbai Government as an Assistant Engineer. Various projects entrusted to him were successfully done and he was very widely known for his engineering skills. He became a member of Experts Committee of Mumbai University and also started the Deccan Club in Poona. He had close links with the great national leaders like Gopal Krishna Gokhale, Mahadeva Govinda Ranade, Balagangadhara Tilak, Balakrishna V. Agaskar and others.
After the retirement from his service in Mumbai he went for a study tour of Europe. After coming back, on an invitation from the Nizam of Hyderabad he went there to Control the overflow of the river Musi and also built Hussain Sagar and Himayat Sagar, Two huge and well-known lakes to store water. He also made a comprehensive plan for the systematic development of Hyderabad City.
In 1909, while Sir M.V. was in Hyderabad, Dewan T. Ananada Rao, the Dewan of Mysore, conveyed to him that the Maharaja was eager to avail his services for the progress of the state. Sir MV, accepted offer and he was made the Chief Engineer of the state on November 15, 1909. During his three years tenure the State made a remarkable surge in the fields of Agriculture and Industries. The greatest achievement of Sir MV as Chief Engineer was Krishna Rajasagar Dam across the river Kaveri, near Mysore city.
His sincerity, dedication commitment and systematic style of functioning had impressed the Maharaja so much that soon after the retirement of Dewan T. Ananda Rao, Sir M.V. was made the Dewan of the Province in 1912. He was the first person who, as per the tradition was not drawn from the revenue and executive services of the state. Though, many eyebrows were raised due to this, The Maharaja was firm and his visionary decision paid enormous results.
Between 1912 and 1918, Bangalore witnessed a galore of century celebrations of many prestigious institutions like State Bank of Mysore, Kannada Sahitya Parishat, Agricultural University, Century Club, Government Soap Factory, FKCCI, UVCE. Sir MV has played a major role in starting these and many more such centers in the City. All these institutions have not only pushed the city towards progress, but also have been role models for some other states to take up similar ventures.
The saga of the journey of all these institutions through a century, are full of scintillating anecdotes, incidences and experiences which form an integral part of the history of Bangalore. State Bank of Mysore is one such remarkable financial institution of the city. The Industry and Commerce committee of the Economic Conference organization of Sir M.V. decided to start a Bank under the Patronage of Mysore Government and the Maharaja of Mysore. Thus, started the Bank of Mysore Ltd, Bangalore on October 2, 1913. Sir K.P. Puttanna Chetty was the first president, while W.C. Rose, a well-known name in the Banking Sector, was made the first Manager. The Bank started in a humble shed like structure situated at the junction of Kempegowda Road and Avenue Road. But, within a decade, the bank was too well-known and the quantum of the transactions heavily increased. To accommodate the fast growing institution it was decided in 1921 to have a bigger structure by the side of the older one. The new stone building completed in 1923 is a very interesting two storied heritage stone structure of the City. Its elevation is a mixture of European Classical and Indian elements.
Inside the building is a small shrine with a graceful white idol of Mahalakshmi, the Goddess of Wealth. It is believed that since the time of idol’s installation not only the bank has prospered well, even the surrounding area has become a very rich central business district. The Bank, after successfully running for 25 years celebrated the Silver Jubilee on December 2, 1938.
On March 1, 1960, the Bank was merged with the State Bank of India. The Bank of Mysore Ltd came to be known as State Bank of Mysore.
In 2015 a collection of my articles on the history of SBM was compiled and published under the title State Bank Hejje Gururtugalu by the Kannada Balaga to commemorate its silver anniversary and 90th year of the bank.
To be continued…
sureshmoona@gmail.com
source: http://www.thehindu.com/ The Hindu / Home> News> Cities> Bengaluru – Bringing Back Bengaluru / by Suresh Moona / August 22nd, 2019
Karnataka has the distinction of securing the highest number Geographical Indications in the country
A mobile app that will help artisans promote GI products, easy availability of products on online retail platforms, a thriving brick and mortar marketplace that will showcase the best of what Karnataka has to offer. These are just some of the goals of the Karnataka State Geographical Indications Policy, which aims to promote and market the more than 40 registered GI products from the State.
From handicraft to textiles and horticulture to agriculture products, Karnataka has the distinction of securing the highest number Geographical Indications (GI) in the country. While some like Channapatna toys and dolls and Mysore Sandal Soap had strong brand recall and a huge consumer base even before getting the GI tag, others are still to find a wider market.
Gunjan Krishna, Commissioner, Industrial Development and Director of Industries and Commerce, said, “The policy is also aimed at protecting the rights of artisans and farmers as authorised users of the GI tag. For example, weavers of Ilkal sarees are authorised users of GI for Ilkal Sarees. They will have a mechanism as per the rules to initiate action against those who project and market some other saree as Ilkal sarees. We are already working at the ground level to sensitise artisans and weavers as well as consumers on importance of GIs.” There are also plans to increase their visibility on e-tail platforms. “We are already in talks with Amazon, Flipkart and other platforms on how to showcase GI products from the State online,” Ms. Krishna added.
Udupi Mallige | Photo Credit: handout_mail
The government is also contemplating setting up ‘design clinics’ across the State for the benefit of artisans. On the legal front, the department has reached an agreement with National Law School and other institution on how to protect the interest of GI users at ground level and dissemination of information on GIs.
As per the police, the State government will come up with a GI facilitation centre (GIFC) to implement all the schemes. The other objectives of the policy include a scheme for product standardisation and implementation of a quality control mechanism.
S.R. Satheesha, MD, Visvesvaraya Trade Promotion Centre (VTPC), which has been appointed as the nodal agency for the promotion of GI products, said the institute has already facilitated the registration of 126 artisans, farmers and groups as ‘users’, those who produce GI products in the State. “We have already started working at the ground level interacting with the artisans and farmers producing GI products in the State. We have to go a long way in protecting and promoting many of the GI products that have a strong legacy,” said Mr. Satheesha.
Kinnal toys and wooden fruits | Photo Credit: G_P_Sampath Kumar
Safeguarding dying arts
Some GI handicraft like Udupi sarees, Navalgund durries and Kinhal toys have only a few families to carry on the craft as the younger generations have shifted to other more lucrative or sustainable jobs. “Artisans or farmers must get the right price for their effort. That will happen only when consumers are aware of the legacy of the products and how much labour goes into their making. Some NGOs are supporting artisans in promoting their GI products,” Mr. Sateesha added.
But awareness campaigns are slowly making an impact. He cited the example of some producers GI products like Mattu Gulla (Brinjal) in Udupi district where farmers know the importance of the tag and have taken the measures to protect their interest.
Listing new products for GI registration
The policy has also given impetus for new and prospective GI filings from the State. It states that new products which can be explored for registration include Gokak Toys, Vijayapura Raisins, Sagar Sandalwood carvings, Dharwad cotton sarees, Melkote Panche (Dhoti), Lavancha Craft in Coastal Karnataka, Savanur Betel leaves, Belagavi Kunda, Kadakola mats and others.
Financial assistance
The policy also talks about giving financial assistance to artisans to showcase their products in national and international fora by absorbing the cost of their (economy) plane ticket up to a maximum of ₹10,000 or reimbursing II Tier AC by Rail when they attend domestic exhibitions or fair. The State government will also provide up to ₹25,000 as stall rent and a dearness allowance for a a maximum of 15 days. For international exhibitions, artisans will get an economy airfare of up to ₹1.25 lakh, stall rent to a maximum of ₹1 lakh, and DA of $100 per day for a maximum of five days.
source: http://www.thehindu.com / The Hindu / Home> News> States> Karnataka / by Suchith Kidiyoor / Bengaluru – August 21st, 2019
The minutest components of a watch can be seen under a microscope in the ‘Parts of a Watch’ section. | Photo Credit: K. Murali Kumar
‘When former employees come here, they cry’
On the afternoon that I visit the HMT Heritage Centre and Museum in north Bengaluru, I meet Rajendra Rao, a project manager, his wife, daughters, and mother-in-law, who have just finished the tour and are now at the tiny souvenir shop that sells watches and miniature tractors. Rao tells me about his first HMT, passed on to him from his father-in-law — a Swarna limited edition watch with an Indian flag on the dial. “I have 16 watches of various brands, but today I bought my own HMT,” he says. “I wish the government had not shut it down. This was the essence of Make In India.”
Within the nondescript two-storey building — originally the official residence of the HMT chairperson — set in a sprawling four-acre space, lush with a hundred trees, the museum is as much about the story of HMT as it is about the intricate craft of watch-making.
My tour begins in a brightly lit room with pictorial charts on the walls marking milestones from 1953 when HMT (Hindustan Machine Tools Ltd) was incorporated by the government as a machine tool manufacturing company. In 1961, the foundation for the first watch factory was laid in Bangalore and operations began with technical know-how from Japan’s Citizen Watch Company.
Within the next decade, more factories were set up across the country, including in Srinagar and Ranibagh in Uttarakhand. There is a photograph of Jawaharlal Nehru receiving the first hand-wound HMT watch, manufactured in 1962, which he famously christened Janata, a legendary name now.
Up till the 90s, HMT watches enjoyed a golden era, controlling 90% of the market. In 2000, the then Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee was presented HMT’s 100 millionth watch. But with the arrival of quartz watches, cheap timepieces from China, and stiff competition, the slowdown in sales began, which was never stemmed.
A number of iconic HMT models are showcased across a sprawling four rooms. | Photo Credit: K. Murali Kumar
Losing steam
In 2013 the company reported a loss of a whopping ₹242 crores, and began to lose steam. The watches division was fully phased out by 2016. However, watches are still sold on their website hmtindia.com. There are still some two to three lakh watches on their inventory, and their wind-up watches are still in high demand.
“The demand for HMTs was so great that in the 60s, a pledge was made to set up a new factory every year,” says Jayapalan P., who worked at HMT for 30 years in the after-sales department, and now manages the museum.
I find myself in a room where the watch has been turned inside out. Titled ‘Parts of a Watch’, the display shows every single component that goes into a standard watch: movement pieces, hair springs, screwdrivers, horological jigs, pliers, watchcases, gaskets, dials, even straps.
There are hand-press machines that ‘coined’ the dials of the 60s’ watches, and the powerful eyeglasses used during assemblage. Jayapalan stops at one display that houses minute-hour markers, watch hands and dials. “This may look simple but the task of placing each component on the dial is exacting and tedious,” he says. And there used to be more women than men working in the assembly section, he says.
Interestingly, the museum’s display boxes — in bright yellows, reds and greens — are made from the old doors and windows of the HMT school in Bengaluru, which was shut down two years ago. The factory floor has been recreated as well, complete with all the heavy machinery. You can even insert a card into the punching clock as employees would once have done. In fact, most of the machines too are in working condition. Jayapalan points to an antique printing press manufactured by William Notting in 1760. “When former employees come here, they cry,” he sighs.
Gems and gold biscuits
On the shelves I spot the elegant Sujata (the first HMT ladies watch); Chandana, circa 1990, with a sandalwood dial ring and sold with a bottle of sandalwood oil to smear on it when worn); Kanchan (apparently every groom had to have this); the Tareeq series (the only one with a date interface); the Gem Utsav series (silver studded with semiprecious stones); and the ‘gold biscuit’ watches (with a gram of gold on the dial). HMT had Braille watches (1970) that came with a Braille handbook — “no one else did this in India” — and ‘nurse watches’ with just a dial that could be pinned to the uniform blouse.
Photo: K. Murali Kumar
There are watches commissioned by PSUs and government departments, watches with pictures of gurus, politicians and freedom fighters. Jayapalan shows off his 25-year-old Suraj watch, fully automatic and with no battery. “It works on the movement of my hand,” he says.
Jayapalan remembers standing in line at 5 a.m. to buy his Janata in 1970. And he spends no more than ₹20 each year to replace the glass casing. “Nothing goes wrong with it,” he says. “Maybe that’s why the factory closed; once you bought an HMT, there was no reason to replace it.”
Outside, children are taking joy rides on the HMT tractor or buying tiny tractor models. But Shivanand Patil, 24, the young tractor driver, doesn’t wear a watch. “I have my phone,” he says.
The freelance writer believes that everything has a story waiting to be told
source: http://www.thehindu.com / The Hindu / Home> Society / by Jayanthi Madhukar / August 17th, 2019
53 teams from Bengaluru took part in the regional round
A two-member team from Bizongo, a B2B packaging company, won the Bengaluru edition of the Cerebration Business Quiz organised by The Hindu BusinessLine at Christ (Deemed to be University) here on Friday, after the first regional round was held in Hyderabad a week earlier.
As many as 53 teams from various corporate companies, start-ups, and business management schools across the city participated in the regional round of the 17th edition of the quiz.
Six teams cleared the preliminary round which consisted of 20 questions.
The finalists were – Sanish Samuel and Shikhar Pant from Bizongo, Suvam and Vishwanath from Mu Sigma, Pradeep and Ronak from Red Scarab, Nishit and Vineesh from Cloudtail India, Soumit and Ajay Kumar from Strand Life Sciences, and Aswath and Desikan from Amazon India.
The final buzzer round consisted of six questions and each question was allowed one attempt. Ten points were awarded to the teams that got it right and 10 points were deducted if a team got it wrong.
The team from Bizongo took first place with 30 points, Mu Sigma came second with 20 points, and Red Scarab finished third with 15 points.
Sanish Samuel and Shikar Pant will go to Mumbai to participate in the finals and compete for ₹75,000 prize with the winners from the other five cities.
“We thought we would lose. I cannot believe we made it this far.
“We guessed some questions which turned out to be wrong and some right, luckily we won it,” said Sanish Samuel.
The presenting sponsor for this event was Union Bank of India and the regional associate partner was GM Infinite.
source: http://www.thehindu.com / The Hindu / Home> News> Cities> Bengaluru / by Staff Reporter / Bengaluru – August 10th, 2019
Sunlight filters through the forest. Cool and fresh air invigorates you. Staying far from the madding crowd and surrounded by nature, your happiness quotient could be high.
On his five-acre farmland in Kaniyanapura village, Karthik Davey has given a new meaning to the best usage of degraded lands and management of scarce resources.
Chamarajanagar :
Sunlight filters through the forest. Cool and fresh air invigorates you. Staying far from the madding crowd and surrounded by nature, your happiness quotient could be high. But living on the edge of a forest is not so easy. And when one lives close to a tiger reserve, one has to look for solutions which are sustainable in such a fragile surrounding. For Karthik Davey, the wilds of Bandipur became his home after a decade-long stay in Germany. On his five-acre farmland in Kaniyanapura village of Chamarajnagar district, he has given a new meaning to the best usage of degraded lands and management of scarce resources.
Everybody wants to come to forests, but where is the system to manage the waste or the sewage that is generated in these pristine surroundings, he asks. During weekends, people come in hordes while there is no system for sewage disposal, garbage segregation or collection of waste. Realizing the shortcomings, Davey has shown how to maintain, harvest and recycle available resources in the dry deciduous surroundings where there is scarcity of every resource.
Karthik Davey
Davey has converted degraded lands using organic solutions while at the same time he is recycling used water for nondrinking purposes. Be it conversion of sewage water, tapping wind and solar energy for lighting and other purposes, he says they are suitable for rural areas which have no access to water or power supply or have any system for sewage disposal. Further, the waste that is generated in the kitchen is bio-digested. During the monsoon months, rainwater is harvested by installing small check ponds. Says Rahul Agarwal, cofounder, Earthcare, “Davey has undertaken several steps to ensure that nature doesn’t only survive but also thrives by creating several redundant systems.
By creating various ponds and greywater recycling pits, he has made a much-needed water positive impact in an eco-sensitive zone. He has also created a mini forest with tall trees and other bushes and plants where just outside his property you can see the forest land is degraded and no one to care for it.” Davey is a self-made person. He lost his arm in a car accident 21 years ago. He was working for a travel company in Chennai but had to leave it and found succour in Frankfurt where he set up his own company in the hospitality sector. However, returning to India – he settled down in the wilds of Bandipur – taking up organic farming and setting up a homestay – very close to nature.
He is married to a German who partners him in his business activities. Relaxing in the cool backdrop of the Nilgiri Mountains, Davey describes his 12-year-long journey in converting his land into a sustainable and workable solution where people come and stay with him and get a feel of the wilderness and their proximity to nature. Even as his pets – the dholes roam around him affectionately for any tidbits — he says, “My idea was to work from any place but which was wild and had openness. After returning to India, I was looking for a place to settle down and kept coming back to Bandipur – attracted by dholes. Falling in love with its natural beauty, I purchased land here and it took me over two years of thought process to convert this piece of land into a place with least carbon footprint.”
The concept of decentralization has been used for power, water and sewage disposal for each of the rooms in his homestay. His ideas included solar panels about 20 metres, installation of septic tanks, separate lines for hot water, natural aeration with high ceilings, rainwater harvesting and of course, an old method for sewage treatment – the Reed Bed System which goes back in time. Reed beds are aquatic plant-based systems which allow bacteria, fungi and algae to digest the sewage and clean the water. He says, “We live in a world with finite resources and therefore, every resource is precious and has to be managed with great care especially groundwater which is available here only at 600 feet. My living here has been challenging. I take people along while villagers who work for me are part of this sustainable system and do their bit to take it forward.” “We ensure that we leave nothing behind on nature’s trail except a big eco-friendly carbon free footprint. We make sure the wilderness stays with us,” Davey says.
Dholes’ Den
Dholes’ Den, the unique homestay, set up with sustainable solutions, is an oasis that is dedicated to the Asiatic Wild Dog which Davey says is one of the most fascinating hunters in the Indian jungle with a complex and unique social hierarchy. And he says, “It is our endeavour to emphasize the importance and the beauty of this animal which wrongly stands in the shadow of bigger animals like the tiger, leopard or elephant and win support for the conservation of the jungle in Bandipur with the dhole as its mascot.”
source: http://www.newindianexpress.com / The New Indian Express / Home> States> Karnataka / by Meera Bharadwaj / Express News Service / August 04th, 2019
The Catapult network has decided to focus on Bengaluru to enhance the progress already made in air quality and electric vehicle transition in Bengaluru.
Bengaluru :
British Deputy High Commissioner Dominic McAllister on Wednesday launched a two-year India-UK joint initiative in Bengaluru that would provide a unique air quality measurement system by integrating satellite and sensor data and support India’s transition to Electric Vehicles (EVs). The initiative – Innovating for Clean Air (IfCA) will identify innovations having potential to improve air quality and contribute to a more detailed localised map of the air quality of Bengaluru through the unique combination of satellite and sensor data, including both on-the-ground and mobile data.
The programme will identify relevant challenges around EV-charging infrastructure, grid management and integrating renewable energy to ensure a sufficient, reliable and clean source of power. It will also facilitate opportunities for Indian and UK innovators to collaborate in developing long-lasting relationships to address these challenges.
The programme is led by Innovate UK — part of UK Research and Innovation (UKRI) — and is funded by the Newton Fund with matched resources from various key partners in Karnataka and India, like Indian Institute of Science, Enzen, Project Lithium, Confederation of Indian Industries, C40 Cities and Clean Air Platform.
Other partners include Citizens for Sustainability, World Resources Institute, Indian Institute for Information Technology Bangalore (IIIT-B), Shakti Foundation, Shell Technology Centre, Global Business Inroads and India Smart Grid Forum. A current UK partner, Earthsense is working in collaboration with the UK Catapults.
The Catapult network has decided to focus on Bengaluru to enhance the progress already made in air quality and electric vehicle transition in Bengaluru.
UK Research and Innovation India (UKRI) Director Rebecca Fairbairn said, “UKRI has been working with India for over a decade, focussing on research that makes a difference to society and to our economies but this is the first time the UK Catapult network, which drives innovation in highly targeted industries has been implemented here and it demonstrates the creativity possible through India-UK partnership.”
British Deputy High Commissioner Mc Allister said, “Such collaborative initiatives are an example of how the UK and India can work as a joint force for good on innovative solutions, and can bring the best of our research communities, academia and businesses together to address shared challenges, such as clean air.”
source: http://www.newindianexpress.com / The New Indian Express / Home> Cities> Bengaluru / by Express News Service / August 01st, 2019
Elevate 2019, organised by the state Department of IT, BT and S&T (Information Technology, Biotechnology, Science and Technoloy) concluded on Tuesday.
Bengaluru :
Elevate 2019, organised by the state Department of IT, BT and S&T (Information Technology, Biotechnology, Science and Technology) concluded on Tuesday. Of the 270 startups that made their pitch, 100 of them were selected as winners.
“Of the 100 winners, 29 are co-founded by women entrepreneurs and 23 are from Tier 2 and Tier 3 cities. 76 startups from Bengaluru, 10 from Dharwad, 3 from Dakshina Kannada, 2 each from Mysuru and Udupi, and 1 startup from Bijapur, Chamarajnagar, Chikballapur, Davangere, Mandya, Tumakuru and Uttara Kannada respectively won Elevate 2019,” a press statement by the department said.
TM Vijay Bhaskar, chief secretary, said, “Karnataka is the first state in the country to initiate grant in aid to start-ups without taking equity. We will soon set up an innovation authority headed by the CM to empower start-ups to overcome legal hurdles in innovating technologies and ideas.”
“The funds are regularly monitored by the government. Funds are released to the start-ups based on their progress. Elevate 2019 generates a lot of visibility for innovative start-ups and enables them to raise further funds from angel investors and capitalists at a later stage,” said Gaurav Gupta, principal secretary of the department.
source: http://www.newindianexpress.com / The New Indian Express / Home> States> Karnataka / by Express News Service / July 31st, 2019
Instamojo co-founder Sampad Swain takes to football to unwind from work stress.
Bengaluru :
Numerous meetings with investors, clients and his own team members is how Sampad Swain, CEO and co-founder of Instamojo, a Bengaluru-based fintech company, spends his weekdays, along with heated discussions with his in-house software developers and product engineers. Though he enjoys his role as an entrepreneur, his regular football practice keeps him going in a busy work life. “I work for around 10 hours during the week. My job as a start-up entrepreneur is thrilling and satisfying. But we also need to invest some time for other interests. For me, it’s my love for sports. I love to play football during my free time and also coach children in the weekends. It keeps me active and feels refreshing to take a break from work,” says Swain.
The 37-year-old father of eight-year old twin boys, finds coaching children as interesting as playing football. Today, coaching has evolved from a hobby to serious responsibility for Swain. “Coaching started off as an offshoot hobby. One evening, I had taken my kids out for football practice, and when I saw them playing with their friends, it struck me that I had not played in a really long time. I joined the little champs and started playing along. I also taught them little tricks along the way. That’s how I picked on this hobby. Since then, I go to the ground as often as possible during weekends, coach and play with them. It has been almost a year since I started pursuing this as a weekend getaway hobby,” he says. The sessions are held mainly on Saturday evenings or Sunday mornings at a playground in Koramangala. The tech geek also justifies his reason for coaching just kids. “It is fulfilling to coach enthusiastic children, there is so much to learn from their energy and ideas.”
Being a fan of Cristiano Ronaldo, he flew down to Russia in June 2018 to watch the FIFA World Cup. “Ronaldo is my all-time favourite soccer player, simply due to his positive attitude and strong work ethics. In a field like sports, talent may have probably 30-40 per cent role to have a successful career, but the rest is determined by one’s work ethics and attitude. We have a lot to learn from him. This helps me at work too,” he says. Though he is a football fanatic, Swain has not taken this sport as a competition. “Football has always been my first love. Back in the day, I spent a lot of time playing football with my society friends, and this was mostly on the road or a nearby playground. I picked up the sport on my own and built on my skills by observing the senior boys in the school football team,” he says, adding that he has never pursued football as a competitive game. “That’s one lesson I’ve learnt in life – you need not pursue everything with a competitive spirit. Sometimes, it is completely okay to pursue something simply because you enjoy it,” he says.
The entrepreneur also has a message for those who give up their hobby or passion because of their busy work schedule. “Pursuing a hobby is as important as performing well at your job. Some of us really love our jobs, but we need something to break away from our regular routine, and a hobby can help with this. It not only helps as a stressbuster, but gives us something more to look forward to in life.”
source: http://www.newindianexpress.com / The New Indian Express / Home> Cities> Bengaluru / by Lesly Joseph / Express News Service / July 30th, 2019
