Category Archives: Business & Economy

Art is alive with one block print at a time

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

The art of hand block printing has crossed regional borders and is creating a niche for itself in the city hub.

HandBlockPrintingBF27dec2018

Aquaponics model proves a hit at exhibition

Agriculture, Business & Economy, Science & Technology
The aquaponics model that was developed by the University of Agricultural Sciences, Bengaluru | Photo Credit: H.S. Manjunath
The aquaponics model that was developed by the University of Agricultural Sciences, Bengaluru | Photo Credit: H.S. Manjunath

Vegetables are grown over an aquarium in it

One can grow vegetables without soil in three separate trays kept on top of an aquarium using the water drawn from below. The water from these vegetable trays goes through pipes back to the aquarium.

This model of aquaponics — a form of aquaculture — developed by the Inland Fisheries Unit of University of Agricultural Sciences, Hebbal, Bengaluru, was among the exhibits that drew attention of people at the exhibition held on Friday at the College of Fisheries as part of its golden jubilee celebration.

Chief Scientific Officer of UAS’s Inland Fisheries Unit B.V. Krishnamurthy said they developed the model to popularise aquaponics in Karnataka. This form of aquaculture was popular in Kerala, he said. Mr. Krishnamurthy said seven different types of fishes, including Nile Tilapia, which is available in the unit, can be used in the acquarium. Lettuces and other high value short duration leafy vegetables can be grown in the trays, he said.

Among the others exhibits that attracted attention included the estuarine cage farming model developed by Central Marine Fisheries Research Institute, Mangaluru.

Scientist Purushottama G.B. said their cage farming model developed in 2009 has been adopted by several fishermen to harvest snapper (locally called Kemberi) and few other fishes available near estuaries. “Such harvesting helps fishermen earn income during the off season when they do not go to the sea for fishing,” he said.

The exhibition was inaugurated by in-charge Vice-Chancellor of Mangalore University Ishwar P. He also inaugurated the two-day All India Fisheries Colleges Cultural and Sports meet.

Speaking on the occasion, Mr. Ishwar said the Mangalore University was among the few universities in the country that has a separate sports policy. A separate sports and culture policy was necessary to support younger generation, he said.

Dean (Fisheries), College of Fisheries, H. Shivananada Murthy, said it was the first time that a sports and culture meet of the 30 fisheries colleges in the country was being held. Because of short notice of the event, only eight colleges were attending the meet. Mr. Murthy said the sports and culture meet of fisheries colleges would be an annual feature.

source: http://www.thehindu.com / The Hindu / Home> News> Cities> Mangaluru / by Special Correspondent / Mangaluru – December 15th, 2018

Agriculture labourer gets Mangaluru Press Club Award

Agriculture, Amazing Feats, Business & Economy, Records, All
Amai Mahalinga Naika from Amai village in Bantwal taluk.
Amai Mahalinga Naika from Amai village in Bantwal taluk.

Amai Mahalinga Naik single-handedly drilled tunnels to get water for his land

Amai Mahalinga Naik, who single-handedly worked to irrigate his two-acre land and succeeded in raising a small plantation has been chosen for the Mangaluru Press Club Award, 2018.

Mr. Naik, 73, a resident of Amai village near Adyanadka in Bantwal taluk, was chosen by a panel of Balakrishna Gatti, Vasanth Kumar Perla and Nagaveni Manchi for the award, Club General Secretary Ibrahim Adkasthala said in a release. The award would be presented during the Press Club Day to be celebrated on January 5 at Urwa Church Hall.

An agriculture labourer and expert in climbing areca and coconut palms, Mr. Naik was working in the fields of Amai Mahabala Bhat. Realising his desire to own agricultural land, Mr. Bhat donated him two acres of land four decades ago; but being on hill slopes, it lacked accessibility to water sources.

Unmindful of the obstacles, Mr. Naik began drilling tunnels to fetch water as he was aware open well would not yield any water on the hill slope. He drilled not one, but seven tunnels and at the end, he got water that was suffice to raise his small plantation. He also built a water storage tank digging the ground on the land.

The slope terrain helped Mr. Naik introduce the drip-irrigation network in the field through gravitational force. He was engaged in his routine palm climbing for half a day and spent the rest of his time drilling tunnels. Mr. Naik also fell off a tree 14 years ago. Though he survived the fall, he could no longer climb palms and restricted himself to his field work.

With the help of his wife Lalitha and their three children, Mr. Naik has now raised areca, coconut, banana and pepper crops on one acre of the land and forest in another acre. As many as 300 areca and 75 coconut palms and 200 banana plants are on his field. He only uses conventional manure and does rainwater harvesting on his land. All these measures Mr. Naik implemented without taking any bank loans, depending solely on his work as a labourer.

source: http://www.thehindu.com / The Hindu / Home> News> States> Karnataka / by Special Correspondent / Mangaluru – December 18th, 2018

Bengaluru Tech Summit: Netherlands keen to collaborate on cyber security

Business & Economy, Records, All, Science & Technology, World Opinion
A visitor looks at one of the exhibits, on the second day of Bengaluru Tech Summit at Palace Grounds in Bengaluru on Friday. | Photo Credit: V Sreenivasa Murthy
A visitor looks at one of the exhibits, on the second day of Bengaluru Tech Summit at Palace Grounds in Bengaluru on Friday. | Photo Credit: V Sreenivasa Murthy

Dutch companies have been very active in India

The Netherlands is partnering with the government of Karnataka to bring in Dutch expertise in cyber security, IT and healthcare, said Gert Heijkoop, Consul-General of the kingdom of the Netherlands, at the Bengaluru Tech Summit.

“We value our partnership with Karnataka in the area of cybersecurity,” he said. The Netherlands said both the countries are working together on reducing the increasing number of cyber attacks and assessing their impact on economies. Dutch companies, including Fox-IT and Group2000, have been very active in India. Indian companies, including E2Labs, Skillcube, Cloud4c and KrypC Technologies, have established a concrete presence in the Netherlands.

“We look forward to collaborating with the Netherlands and strengthen our partnership for a safe and secure cyber presence,” said Gaurav Gupta, Principal Secretary, Department of Commerce and Industries and Department of IT, BT and Science & Technology.

Healthcare

At the summit, Netherlands pitched healthcare projects to stakeholders from academic institutes, hospitals, IT and med-tech companies and startups for partnerships. This includes ‘point of care tool’ for fast diagnosis of conditions such as urinary tract infection and development of ‘generic toolbox’ to create health literacy application for use in both countries.

The other project is a framework for identification of biomarkers for mass screening of population at risk of development of neurodegenerative disorders.

After the memorandum of understanding was signed between The Hague and the State of Karnataka in 2016, Mr. Heijkoop said the two sides have worked diligently over the last few years in building partnerships for societal impact. He said ‘Living Lab’ is one such example, which will result in creating affordable solutions for sustainable healthcare in both India as well as the Netherlands.

source: http://www.thehindu.com / The Hindu / Home> News> Cities> Bengaluru / by Special Corespondent / November 30th, 2018

Coast Guard workshop for women achievers

Business & Economy, Records, All

Role of women as entrepreneurs in nation-building highlighted

Coast Guard District Karnataka on Thursday organised a workshop for women achievers to mark National Integration Week being observed across its facilities between November 19 and 25.

The Week is being observed to foster and reinforce the spirit of communal harmony, national Integration and pride in vibrant, composite culture and nationhood, said an official release. A number of programmes, including seminars, workshop etc. based on the themes of secularism, anti-communalism and non-violence, are being organised.

During Thursday’s workshop, inaugurated by Commander, DIG, S.S. Dasila, Giselle Mehta, President of the Association of Retired Officers of Customs, Central Excise and GST, spoke the on values and role of women as entrepreneurs in nation building.

She has been a business person, owning Allgrow Ventures and a Director of Allegro Ventures India. She is also a novelist and published “Blossom Showers” in 2011.

Archana, Manager, Airport Operations and Customer Service for Indigo, spoke on the role of women in the family and society and women empowerment. She laid emphasis on women being pioneers in nation building and key to sustainable development and quality of life in the family.

Environment protection

Pandit Health Resort & Spa’s Chairperson Ruby Agarwal spoke on protection of natural resources which are features of environment that are important and of value to human beings in one form or other.

Highlighting maintaining national integirty, Mr. Dasila said the feeling of unity amongst all citizens is vital for the growth and stability of the country.

The first day of the week was observed as “National Integration Day” followed by “Welfare of Minorities Day” on November 20, “Linguistic Harmony Day” on November 21, and “Weaker Sections Day” on November 22. Cultural Unity Day was observed on November 23 and Women’s Day on November 24. “Conservation Day” would be on November 25.

source: http://www.thehindu.com / The Hindu / Home> National> Karnataka / by Special Correspondent / Mangaluru – November 25th, 2018

Azim Premji conferred highest French civilian award

Amazing Feats, Business & Economy, Records, All, Science & Technology, World Opinion
Wipro Limited Chairman Azim Premji receives the highest French civilian distinction, Chevalier de la Legion d'Honneur (Knight of the Legion of Honour), from Ambassador of France to India Alexandre Ziegler, in Bengaluru on Thursday.
Wipro Limited Chairman Azim Premji receives the highest French civilian distinction, Chevalier de la Legion d’Honneur (Knight of the Legion of Honour), from Ambassador of France to India Alexandre Ziegler, in Bengaluru on Thursday.

Azim Premji, philanthropist and Chairman of Wipro Limited, on Wednesday received the highest French civilian distinction, Chevalier de la Legion d’Honneur (Knight of the Legion of Honour) from Ambassador of France to India Alexandre Ziegler.

Speaking on the occasion at the Wipro campus, Ziegler said the award was bestowed on Azim Premji for his outstanding contribution to developing the information technology industry in India.

“Also, for his economic outreach in France, and his laudable contribution to society as a philanthropist through the Azim Premji Foundation and Azim Premji University,” he said.

TheLegion d’Honneur , instituted in 1802 by Napoleon Bonaparte, is the highest civilian award given by the French Republic for outstanding service to France, regardless of the nationality of the recipients.

The President of the French Republic is the Grand Master of the Order of the Legion of Honour.

In his acceptance speech, Premji said he is extremely honoured by the award bestowed on me. “The vibrancy of the French democracy and its diversity is an inspiration to all across the world,” he said.

Wipro’s association with France spans over 15 years and the company enjoys a close relationship with several French organizations. Nearly 65% of Wipro’s employees in France are locals.

France is a key market for Wipro and the company is committed to continues investments there. Large French digital companies already have a strong footprint in India, employing over 1.3 lakh people at their R&D centres and facilities.

source: http://www.deccanherald.com / Deccan Herald / Home> Business> Business News / by N.V. Vijayakumar / DH News Service, Bengaluru / November 28th, 2018

Look up with pride: 100-ft tall flag for Bengaluru railway stations

Amazing Feats, Business & Economy, Records, All

Before the year rolls to a close, you will see the tricolour atop two railway stations in Bengaluru. And you won’t have to crane your neck to see it because, at a mandated 100 ft, it’s not easy to miss.

According to a circular issued by the Railway Board last month, 75 railway stations in India, whose annual earnings exceed Rs 50 crore (called A-1 category stations) have been asked to ensure that our national flag flies atop their premises at a height of 100 ft.

The National Military memorial in Bengaluru has the tallest flag mast in India at 65 metres ( or around 213 ft). The flag mast also has the country’s largest national flag measuring 48 x 78 ft.

The deadline to install the national flag at these chosen railway stations is December 31, 2018. On the lines of the national anthem being played at cinema halls, the government has directed 75 of the busiest railway stations in the country to install the national flag on their premises.

In Bengaluru, the Krantiveera Sangolli Rayanna Bengaluru City railway station (Majestic) and Yeshwanthpur railway station will have a tricolour each. In KSR, the flag location has been finalised at the circulating area outside the main entrance, giving visitors a full frontal view of the national flag. Sources said that the flag installation has been classified under “soft upgrade improvements at stations.”

The Railway Board circular has directed that the flags should have focus lights and the Railway Protection Force has been tasked to safeguard it. The cost of installing the flag will be around nine lakh rupees, including focus lights and other decorative elements.

A senior railway official said that the flag installations were a part of the government’s drive to project “symbols of nationalism. Whether it is portraits of freedom fighters or the national flag, the aim is to showcase the symbols of our country at public places.” The Railway Board directive says tricolours should be installed at spots close to the entry/exit points.

E Vijaya, Chief Public Relations Officer, South Western Railways said, “We hope to complete the installation by December-end.” A railway source said that there are plans to paint the tricolour on the coaches of local trains. “Already, the tricolour has been painted on several first-class compartments of local trains. More trains will be covered in the coming months,” the railway source said.
Flags at railway stations is yet another example of the nationalist fervour sweeping through not just India but some other countries too. On Sunday, when more than 60 world leaders gathered in Paris to mark the 100th anniversary of the end of World War I, French President Emmanuel Macron’s words strongly resonated with many Indians when he delivered a forceful rebuke against rising nationalism, calling it a “betrayal of patriotism” and warning against “old demons coming back to wreak chaos and death.”

Macron’s speech, at the Armistice Day ceremony, was a pointed rebuke to US President Donald Trump and his Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin but was also aimed at a global audience. India, meanwhile, has made it amply clear where it stands in the nationalism vs patriotism debate.

Reacting to this circular, Prakash Mandoth said, “It a wonderful move. Anybody would love to see the national flag flying so high. And to have it installed in the city railway station where about two lakh people come every day is a great decision. It creates a sense of nationalism. Usually people bring out national flags only during Independence day or Republic day, but now we will be able to see it flying tall and respect it every day.

However, another railway activist had this to say: “The Indian Railways is suffering from a dearth of funds and this is the reason why no new trains have been announced in the recent past as they need to improve existing infrastructure. So, a fitting tribute would be to invest more in railway infrastructure.”

source: http://www.bangaloremirror.indiatimes.com / Bangalore Mirror / Home> Bangalore> Cover Story / by  Bangalore Mirror Bureau / November 14th, 2018

Bridging the Gap

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

Bengaluru ByDesign promises handmade and cutting-edge innovation

Karolina Merska Ola O Smit
Karolina Merska Ola O Smit

Writer UR Anathamurthy was instrumental in Bangalore becoming Bengaluru. In November 2006, when the city symbolically made the shift, his intent, he wrote in an essay, was to give the city “the ability to belong to the world at large even as one is rooted in one’s Kannadaness”. Even as Bengaluru ByDesign takes over the city from November 23, the focus of the 10-day festival will be on transformations, from the handmade to technology and sustainable interventions.

From installations and exhibitions, to workshops and conferences, the festival at multiple venues in the city, hopes to bridge the gap between what is design and what people imagine to be design. Some of the highlights:

Choose Flight
Kavya Madappa’s Bluecat Paper presents Unchained Symphony – Birds, a site-specific installation. At the grand marble stairs of UB City, abstract forms of paper birds will rise towards the high-vaulted ceiling and soaring arches of the mall, symbolic of freedom and flight. “We make handmade paper from cotton, coffee and corn husks. We have nearly a 1,000 birds for the 80 steps there,” says Madappa.

Closing the Loop
At St. Mark’s Circle, Total Environment will display its strength in sustainable practices through green installations and landscaping. Designed as a twirling ribbon, the green pods will house various stages of construction, from plumbing to electrical wiring. “As a company that provides experiences in sensitively designed structures, we hope these pods will help people see the craft involved in making a home,” says Founder-Chairman, Kamal Sagar.

Everyday Design
A pop-up called “Museum of Everything” at Kafnu, curated by Sarayu Hedge, will have everything — from origami lamps to recycled cork décor, glass jewellery to organic garments.

Total Recall
London-based designer Karolina Merska honours the traditional pajaki (pah-yonk-ee) paper chandeliers, famous for drawing inspiration from architecture, costumes and flowers. “I will visit Bengaluru’s flower markets and decorate my installation at UB City with fresh marigolds instead of paper flowers,” she says.

It’s a Wrap
Bengaluru’s Town Hall has become synonymous with protests. Festival Founder Suprita Moorthy wants to change that with a makeover that will drape handmade textiles from Aadhyam around its Tuscan columns. “With pure ikats and Banarasi brocades, we will play with colour and contrast. We hope it will direct people’s gaze to its architecture and purpose,” she says.

Rajshree Pathy,
Director of the festival

What are the changes you have seen in the design industry since the inception of the India Design Forum (IDF) in 2012?
When we started IDF in Delhi, it was something very new for the city. People were aware of art but not design and conversations on design thinking were very new. Now there are several design exhibitions, events and talks, all of which is very good for designers as it allows them to present their works outside their own studios.

How has design made a difference to your life?
Design is really a way of thinking about how to make a product or create an experience. Design is not about decoration, it’s about ease of living, minimising wastage and being sustainable and affordable, otherwise design is meaningless. For me, starting IDF has been the most fulfilling experience, as I am passionate about spreading this message and removing the idea that design is elitist or about luxury.

What are the three things to watch out for at the Bengaluru ByDesign festival?
Bengaluru ByDesign is a city-wide, all-inclusive event that makes people stop and think differently about their city and its spaces. It opens up new dialogues on preservation, conservation and celebrates the city for its architecture, craft and so much more. The Town Hall pillars dressed in fabric, the UB city mall stairway clad in beautifully cut paper collage and the workshops everywhere are amazing.

How do you think design can become mainstream? 
With the growth of the automotive industry, the real-estate boom, the lifestyle industry like furniture, household products, jewellery, clothing and IT, design is already mainstream, though people are not aware of it. Designers are wanted for all the above businesses. More schools need to come up across India for our fast-growing requirements.

source: http://www.newindianexpress.com / The New Indian Express / Home> Lifestyle / by Shiny Varghese / November 21st, 2018

Rabbit farmer sees ray of hope at Krishi Mela

Agriculture, Arts, Culture & Entertainment, Business & Economy

One particular stall at the four-day Krishi Mela 2018, which ended on Sunday, drew crowds wi th watering mouths and a fair degree of curiosity.

Rabbits at display at Krishi Mela with a board on why one must consume rabbit meat over other meats
Rabbits at display at Krishi Mela with a board on why one must consume rabbit meat over other meats

Bengaluru  :

One particular stall at the four-day Krishi Mela 2018, which ended on Sunday, drew crowds with watering mouths and a fair degree of curiosity. The stall run by Anand Kumar H, was selling rabbit meat. He owns a restaurant in Benagluru’s Sahakar Nagar, that sells a variety of rabbit meat dishes, which he claims is the first such eatery to dole out specialised rabbit meat dishes in India.

“Rabbit meat is much healthier than other varieties of meat. It is rich in protein and has less fat compared to other meats. It is also tastier,” said Anand, who has named his Sahakar Nagar restaurant as Rabbit Paradise.

Incidentally, for Kumar, getting a licence from Food Safety & Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) to set up his eatery was not difficult, but marketing the rabbit meat to the public has been the bigger challenge. It has been three months since the restaurant has been set up, but it has been observed that rabbit meat is not usually preferred over other meat dishes. The restaurant barely gets five to six customers a day. At Krishi Mela, however, he managed to attract a large crowd.

“The restaurant is under loss, and I would have shut down the business had I not invested a huge amount,” said Kumar, explaining that the opportunity offered by the Krishi Mela to make people aware about the benefits of rabbit meat consumption could open avenues for him and his business. At the four-day mela,Anand offered his rabbit meat dishes, which were displayed at the food court. A large number of visitors who were seen at the stall also included young students. Even as they relished the dishes, they enquired about rabbit meat consumption, its safety and health benefits.

Anand, along with nine others, have gotten together to set up a rabbit farm in Chikkaballapur, where rabbits are bred. He gets his supplies for his restaurants from here. To even out the present loss that they have incurred in the last three months, Anand said they are planning to give a boost to his business and improve marketing. The outlet, Rabbit Paradise, has started taking orders on Zomato and Food Panda. He has also planned to include new dishes and improve the taste and quality of them to attract more customers.

Low demand for rabbits
There are very few rabbit farms in the state. Currently, rabbit meat dishes are served at very few restaurants in Bengaluru. Rabbits are known to be fast breeders and the supply of rabbit meat piles up if the demand does not match it. This is the challenge that most rabbit farmers face in the sector — to make people accept a change in preference to up the demand through consumption.

source: http://www.newindianexpress.com / The New Indian Express / Home> Cities> Bengaluru / by Aarthi M, Express News Service / November 19th, 2018

Indigenous species make their way into kids’ store

Arts, Culture & Entertainment, Business & Economy

The same bird, along with seven other species, then featured in her company Muuyee’s maiden collection of toys and textiles for kids.

MuyuueeBF14nov2018

Bengaluru :

About two years back, Shweta Pai took a trip to the jungles of Kerala and Karnataka. At dawn, while soothing her crying infant, she heard a distinct whistling sound. That was her first introduction to the whistling thrush bird. Her curiosity about indigenous species of the Indian jungles was further aroused when she learned more about the unique characteristics of the bird and the other animals in the area.

“I was instantly drawn to their stories and felt a need to document it. Moreover, many of these species may not even be there in the near future, and I wanted their stories to reach out to more adults and kids, through a new medium,” says Shweta.

The same bird, along with seven other species, then featured in her company Muuyee’s maiden collection of toys and textiles for kids. The collection, My Darling Earth, was launched in October this year and focuses on clothes and toys that feature some of the lesser known creatures of the Indian jungles, such as: The Malabar Whistling Thrush, Stone Sucker Fish, The Lion Tailed Macaque, The Cane Turtle, and The Draco Lizard.

“Before jumping into the actual making process, I had to research the animals first. I got in touch with ecologists who helped me understand the animals’ characteristics and habitats,” says Shweta. Each toy comes with a tag that explains who the animal is, where he comes from and what his characteristics are. “We got ecologists to vet this information as well,” she adds.

Each product also comes with a fun ‘surprise’ element: For example, the kurta has a pocket at the back, the cane turtle has a detachable shell, the thrush has a colourful plume of feathers that is unique to each piece.
These clothes and toys, Shweta says, are also free from gender stereotypes. “Most toys for girls seem helpless. The ones for boys seem too violent or aggressive. So, we particularly strayed away from making toys with specific male/female angles to it,” explains Shweta. The clothes too, incorporate more neutral silhouettes and colours, so as to not restrict kids within predefined boxes.

The name Muuyee comes from the Konkani word for ‘ant’. Shweta explains that though small, ants can be powerful in what they can achieve. “There’s strength when you create in a community, which is what we do here at Muuyee. There’s care for everyone involved: from our makers and artisans across India to our users,” she says.

Since its launch, Muuyee has received about eight orders a month The products retail between `300 and `3,000. For Pallavi Kini, a city-based lawyer, the uniqueness of the animals was an instant winning factor. She says, “My child is three and is inquisitive of everything. With the help of Muuyee, I can introduce her to more Indian species and hope that she will take a greater interest in Indian wildlife because of this,” she says.

To buy, log onto muuyee.com.

source: http://www.newindianexpress.com / The New Indian Express / Home> Cities> Bengaluru / by Simran Ahuja / Express News Service / November 14th, 2018