Category Archives: Business & Economy

Corporation Bank bags MSME Banking Excellence Awards 2014

Business & Economy, Records, All

Mangaluru :

City based Corporation Bank bagged MSME Banking Excellence Awards – 2014 instituted by Chamber of Indian Micro Small and Medium Enterprises. The Bank bagged two awards under the categories ‘Best MSME Bank award for other bank (winner)’ and ‘Best Bank award (runner up)’. S R Bansal, chairman and managing director of the bank received the award from KalrajMishra, Union minister for MSME at the award ceremony in New Delhi.

CIMSME is a non-profit organization which represents interest of companies in SME sector with banks, financial institutions, concerned ministries and organizations to promote bilateral dialogue for benefit of MSMEs. The awards are evaluated by knowledge partner of the process – PWC. The evaluation has been based on parameters like overall bank performance, infrastructure available with the bank, priority sector lending, among others.

Realizing the constructive role played by MSME sector in the national development, Corporation Bank has taken several initiatives that include collateral free loans up to Rs 1 crore under Credit Guarantee Scheme, cost of guarantee cover for loans up to Rs 10 lakhs is borne by the Bank and to encourage the entrepreneurs, interest rate concession to the extent of 50 bps is offered. Concessions in interest rate are offered to women beneficiaries and rated SME units.

The Bank offers customized loan schemes to cater to needs of MSME sector. Bank has launched SME loan centres across the country. Each SME centre is ably supported by dedicated team of relationship managers and exclusive processing mechanism. These exclusive SME centres will facilitate effective use of hi-tech banking technology available in the Bank, for speedy processing of proposals and making available bank finance at an attractive rate.

source: http://www.timesofindia.indiatimes.com / The Times of India / Home> City> Mangaluru / by Jaideep Shenoy, TNN / January 12th, 2014

Vijayapura district administration opens maize procurement centre

Business & Economy, Green Initiatives / Environment, Nature

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The district administration recently opened a maize procurement centre at the Agriculture Produce Marketing Committee (APMC) yard here for purchasing maize from farmers at Minimum Support Price (MSP).

According to a release issued here, the government has fixed Rs. 1,100 a quintal MSP for maize which was being purchased in other APMCs of the district including Basavanabagewadi and Indi.

Though the State government was offering Rs. 1,100 a quintal, if the Union government announces financial aid to State governments purchasing the commodity, then an additional Rs. 210 a quintal would be deposited into the accounts of farmers, the release said.

The release made it clear that it was procuring maize only from small and marginal farmers.

For further details, farmers could contact branch manager of the respective APMC, or call on 08352-250691, the release added.

source: http://www.thehindu.com / The Hindu / Home> News> National> Karnataka / by Firoz Rozindar / Vijayapura – December 27th, 2014

A precious bond

Amazing Feats, Arts, Culture & Entertainment, Business & Economy, Inspiration/ Positive News and Features

 

Vinod Hayagriv (54) & Chaitanya V Cotha (28)
Vinod Hayagriv (54) & Chaitanya V Cotha (28)
Friends, critics and business partners — this father-son duo who run a 145-year old jewellery house get candid about their relationship in and out of office 
As a class four student when Chaitanya V Cotha was diagnosed with dyslexia, his father, C Vinod Hayagriv, the Managing Director of C Krishniah Chetty & Sons (CKC), felt like there was a wall in front of him. “What was the future going to be like, where would this lead to, what would he be, will he be himself, would it be a difficult life?” Hayagriv recalls asking himself. Referring to his elder son as a Taare Zameen Par kid, he adds, “Initially, we felt terrible as parents. It just wasn’t easy.”
But, today, when he looks back, Hayagriv is a proud father. Full of praise about how Cotha not only overcame his disability but also went on to manage the 1869 founded family-run business as its Executive Director, the 54-year-old also points out how Cotha has spearheaded three ventures of his own. When we meet the father-son duo at The Touchstone, off Cubbon Road on Friday morning, Hayagriv says, “He’s got a fighting determination. Most people would have given up midway.”
Which is the reason Hayagriv would be present at every parent-teacher meeting to make note of his son’s progress. “That’s something I didn’t do for my younger son,” he says, even as father and son unanimously agree that Shreyas is the “smartest” in the family. Talking about how Cotha has trained himself well in the last 10 years — from not being able to read long passages to pursuing a course in gemology and an MBA course, we are told that he is called back to school (Mallya Aditi International School) to talk to students facing similar issues.
When Hayagriv entered the family-run business in the ’80s, it was considered a natural progression for him to join his father CV Hayagriv (known as Hayagriv senior). But it was a different story when Cotha, who completed his Masters in Business Management from Regis University in 2009, was to enter the business in 2010.
Although the idea of joining the family business was always at the “back of his mind”, Cotha had begun applying for jobs back in the US.
He even got an offer from a leading jewellery brand in the world, which incidentally was also a family business. Wanting his father to aid in the decision-making process, Cotha asked his dad to come over and take a look at the place he might be working at. Never mind the speeding ticket that they got while driving down from San Diego to Arizona (which Cotha admits was his fault), Hayagriv laughs as he tells us that he was impressed with the line-up of Rolls-Royce and Porches in front of the store. “It’s a fine life that he gave up. If I were him, I might still take that option,” Hayagriv says. To which Cotha immediately reminds him that he was recently offered a position to head the store in California.
“It was completely his decision. We had a couple of brainstorming sessions with my sisters, one in Mysore, and the other in the US, to give their suggestions,” Hayagriv says. To which Cotha says, “But, right at the beginning my father had set things straight; I remember him saying, ‘The business is not built for you.’ That way he’s very open in how he thinks, he never forced us to come back.”
Starting from scratch
When Cotha finally took the decision of coming back to India, he didn’t join his father as one would have expected. Instead, he started a new business of his own —1869 Guild, a manufacturing and wholesale jewellery business. Having taken no financial assistance from his father, Cotha, who was working out of an office space on Avenue Road, found himself going to small jewellers in Karnataka, Tamil Nadu and Andhra Pradesh, Punjab to get dealers for his venture. And within a span of 18 months, he had tied up with 250 stores.
Going from jeweller to jeweller, “without being the shadow of his father” was tough, he admits. But, looking back, he is thankful for the experience of spreading the word about the set-up and learning the ropes of the business. “When you go out there, people don’t know who you are. I was out travelling to smaller places in the state, at least 20 days a month. I must admit, it was hard, but I enjoyed it. People looked at me as me — not part of CKC,” he says.
It was a similar story when Cotha’s younger brother, Shreyas was contemplating his plan of action after graduation. But, following his elder brother’s example, Shreyas too ditched the offer to work for the “second largest jewellery company” in the world to join the CKC in 2012.
Work and play 
When it comes to working with his sons, Hayagriv makes no bones when he admits that it’s “very tough”. A generation gap, different mindsets and conflicting viewpoints are some of the reasons for this. “When I was working with my father, it was different. I used to do as he said. But with my sons it’s different. They are opinionated, there are numerous debates, and all this requires a lot of tolerance. But, in a way, it is positive,” says Hayagriv, who consults his father even today when it comes to taking decisions. “But whatever happens, we never walk out of arguments,” Cotha adds.
For instance, at present, they are working on a wealth and asset management structure that would work for each of the four families (Hayagriv senior, junior, the two sons and their families). Hayagriv and his father are planning a safety net (in terms of old age, health) for each of the family members. “My father has done a lot of family settlements and partitions in his life. These are the areas that his experience comes in handy,” he says.
When it comes to their working styles too, they’re like chalk and cheese. Though Hayagriv thinks about work 24/7, with dinner table conversations revolving around the business, Cotha switches off once he’s out of office. “No screen time post work hours. I must credit that to my wife Yagnika,” says Cotha, who spends his free time with his toddler son.
When Hayagriv does unwind, he often heads outdoors — golfing or trekking. In fact, earlier this year, Hayagriv used a Trikke to commute to work. “Actually, Dad is a fun guy off work,” Cotha reveals. As a principle though, the family, we’re told, never goes on vacations together. It’s planned in such a way that one of them is there to ensure the business runs smoothly.
The women in their lives 
Behind these successful men, are their wives, who they credit for keeping them going through ups and downs. Hayagriv turns to his wife Triveni for financial advice, although he doesn’t heed it all the time. “Especially in stock market matters, there are times that she has told me that I should just sell them but I didn’t,” he says, regretting the I-told-you-so moments this gives rise to.
Although Cotha turns to his father for advice on business, he’s also influenced by his mother, who is involved in charity work. “She cares a lot for people in general. Those are some qualities I hope to inherit,” he adds. Looks like this is one family with ties as solid as gold.
source: http://www.bangaloremirror.com / BangaloreMirror.com / Home> Columns> Sunday Read / by Vidya Iyengar, Bangalore Mirror Bureau / December 21st, 2014

This Bangalore based startup has recycled 500kg of e-waste in two months

Business & Economy, Green Initiatives / Environment, Science & Technology

With e-commerce evolving, buying an electronic gadget is only a click away at any time. All you have to do is select the preferred product and order; and the product is at your door step within no time. But have you wondered about the disposal of that same electronic gadget? More than 90 per cent of e-waste ends up in land fillings.

Bangalore generates around 86,000 tonnes of e-waste and 15 per cent is generated from homes. We make sure we dispose off all other wastes, but not knowing what to do about e-wastes, we generally tend to hoard it or simply give it to scrap dealers. Though giving e-waste to scrap dealers is easiest, we should know that they are not equipped enough to dispose it off appropriately. Achitra Borgohain, Founder of BinBag, provides a solution to manage your e-waste in the best possible way.

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After completing his schooling from Sainik School in Assam, Borgohain did his engineering and MBA from Gujarat University. He worked with an infrastructure advisory group in Bangalore and also spent a few years with a venture capital firm in Ahmedabad. “May be the Gujarati entrepreneurial nature rubbed onto me,” says Borgohain, explaining how BinBag was born.“I could not find a quick and safe disposal mechanism for my e-waste. And when I looked at the problem in the larger context, everyone was struggling to dispose off household e-waste,” he explains.

The two-month-old startup is incubated at NS Raghavan Centre for Entrepreneurial Learning (NSRCEL), IIM Bangalore. BinBag picks household e-waste from people’s doorstep and sends it to authorized recyclers.

At the backend, BinBag works with certified recyclers. The startup also rewards and recognizes those who dispose-off their e-waste responsibly. Borgohain aims to create a frictionless disposal mechanism through which customers can request pick-up on call or even email or walk-in into partner outlets to drop their e-waste.

Recently, the startup experienced a happy day when a Bangalore resident drove from one corner of the city to the BinBag office to upload his e-waste for authorized recycling.

“Our differentiation is that we are a focused e-waste company and are addressing a segment of the market which has been completely ignored by recyclers. We also reward people for responsible disposal,” adds Borgohain.

Within a few days of operation, the company has helped in recycling more than half tonne of e-waste. The company was also awarded at the Unconvention|L, an initiative by Villgro.

Under the current model, BinBag works with individuals- apartments and communities; institutions- schools, colleges, and NGOs; and micro enterprises. Borgohain is solely handling and managing the company, but he plans to build a team.

Customers reach out to the company via telephone calls, email or social media. The received order is then aggregated for a week or so and vehicles are scheduled for picking up the e-waste.

“We award green points to customers who dispose off their e-waste with us, we reward out customers with ‘green points’ which could be redeemed with our shopping partners,” says Borgohain. “We are also placing bins across various outlets in Bangalore and people can dispose their e-waste there; we pick them up on a regular basis,” adds Borgohain.

The startup is also evolving a model with NGOs where they conduct a joint program and part of the proceed goes back to the respective NGOs.

The founder has faith in using word of mouth to create awareness. “We have recycled 500 kg of e-waste in the last two months without spending a single marketing dollar,” says Borgohain.

The company’s revenue model known as ‘green point’ follows the concept of a credit card. Under the green point model, customers are linked to green and sustainable brands. Institutions can redeem the green points for something interesting.

“Credit card has been the single biggest innovation in financial services since World War II. It linked consumers and merchants. Our green point model follows a similar strategy,”Borgohain explains.

Borgohain is optimistic about the future and wishes to scale the model pan-India by leveraging technology and building a professional team. He aspires to bring in people from the informal sector and providing them with a better standard of living by training and deploying them.

Borgohain’s not the only one desiring an anti-e-waste earth, there are other players in the sector too. Eco Recycling Ltd, Attero Recycling and Karma Recycling are a few front runners in this field.

source: http://www.social.yourstory.com / Social Story-YourStory.com / Home / by Pallavi Sinha / December 22nd, 2014

‘There is no place better than Karnataka for Tourism,’ says Dr. B.R. Shetty

Business & Economy, Leaders, Nri's / Pio's, Science & Technology, Travel, World Opinion

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by S. Kenneth Shishir

SOM met Dr. Shetty on Friday, who was on a brief visit to the residence of former Secretary (Forests) to the State Government A.C. Lakshmana, on KRS Road in city who is the friend of Dr. Shetty’s brother Sachidananda Shetty, a resident of Mangaluru and had a short talk about his visit and projects he has taken up here. Excerpts…

SOM: Sir, is Karnataka a place for tourism?

Dr. Shetty: Of course, there is no better place than Karnataka for tourism.

SOM: Have you taken up any projects here?

Dr. Shetty: Yes, I have given a proposal to the Government of Karnataka for a project to supply water to Jog falls near Sagara in Shivamogga, especially during summer when the volume of water is reduced and the falls does not attract tourists. I have plans to supply water under his project on all 365 days to attract more tourists there. Speaker Kagodu Thimmappa has taken interest in the project and if the government approves the proposal, I will go ahead with it.

SOM: Have you planned to open a hospital in India?

Dr. Shetty: Yes, I have acquired a 220-bed hospital in Trivandrum in Kerala State and will be doubling its capacity. In central Raipur I have acquired a majority stake in an orthopaedics hospital as I want to expand it across India to serve Indians. My plan is to offer affordable health care in smaller cities and create a 12,000-bed hospital infrastructure in five years.

SOM: How is the medical sector doing in India?

Dr. Shetty: The medical sector in India is doing very well. The country can be developed as a medical tourism place also. We have the best doctors here.

SOM: How are Indian workers doing and being treated in UAE?

Dr. Shetty: Indian workers in UAE are doing good, well paid and well respected.

SOM: You have taken up many missions to help the downtrodden and the poor. What is your mission in life?

Dr. Shetty: My mission in life is to serve the community, by way of my professional ventures and personal pursuits.

Going from clinic to clinic selling drugs to doctors, loading cartons, hoisting barrels on his shoulder and climbing staircases was the first idea of Dr. Bavaguthu Raghuram Shetty popularly known as Dr. B R Shetty, Chief Executive Officer of NMC Healthcare, UAE Xchange and Neopharma, while working in the UAE in the early days.

Born in Kaup, Udupi in 1942, Dr. Shetty served as the Vice-Chairman of the Municipal Council in Udupi, where he worked towards the cause of providing proper sanitary facilities, building concrete roads, schools, underground drainage and septic tanks for people to lead a better and healthier life.

In 1973, he set foot in the desert land of the United Arab Emirates (UAE) to pursue his ambitions armed only with a clinical degree in Pharmacy and was able to start, build and succeed at multiple businesses over the years and today, his business empire is spread across the globe.

In UAE, Dr. Shetty who noticed the deficiency for basic clinics in the region, established New Medical Centre (NMC), a small pharmacy cum diagnostic clinic and became successful. Today, Dr. Shetty is the proud visionary behind 15 healthcare facilities which cater to more than one million patients annually. He has also come to the aid of regions hit by natural calamities and other adversities.

Dr. Shetty who is also interested in the tourism sector has taken up many projects to develop certain places as tourist destination with extraordinary infrastructure.

Some of the awards Dr. Shetty has won in recognition of his service are: the Padma Shri by the Government of India, Pravasi Bharatiya Samman Award, Order of Abu Dhabi, by the Government of Abu Dhabi and Forbes Middle East Top Indian Leaders in the UAE award to name a few.

source: http://www.starofmysore.com / Star of Mysore / Home> General  News  /  Sunday , December 21st, 2014

Cage Culture

Business & Economy, Green Initiatives / Environment, Nature

For all thoe who wish to have delicacies prepared using fresh fish meat, the Karnataka State Fish Co-operative Federation (KSFCF) has introduced selling of live fish at kiosks in various parts of the city. These fish are cultured by the Department of Fisheries using latest technology in KRS backwaters at Meenakshipura near Mysuru.

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This weekend Star Supplement gives a glimpse about the Federation, the Cage Culture and the benefits of eating fish.

Eat Fish to Stay Fit Cage Culture

S.N. Venkatnag Sobers

The Karnataka State Fish Co-operative Federation (KSFCF) which was initially started as Inland Fisheries Development Corporation functioned for a few years before it was closed down and re-started as KSFCF on Oct. 2, 1989.

The Federation has 275 Primary Fisheries Co-operative Societies as its members and is the apex body of the Fisheries Co-operative Society (FCS) in Inland Fisheries of the State.

This organisation was established to provide technical and financial assistance for the development of inland water bodies through the FCS. The Federation is also involved in production of good quality fish seeds and it supplies them to fish farmers. It also helps in marketing of fish through its retail kiosks put up in rural and urban areas. The Federation also implements Integrated Reservoir Fisheries Development Scheme through Primary Co-operatives.

The Federation has been running a total of 93 kiosks throughout the State which sell various variety of fish and fish delicacies. Out of the 93 kiosks, 38 are in Mysuru city, 14 in Mysuru rural, three in Chamarajanagar, 13 in Kodagu, nine in Mandya and 16 in Bengaluru city.

Gangadhara V. Maddikery, Managing Director, KSFCF, speaking to Star of Mysore, said that the Federation procures fish from the Co-operative Societies and supplies them to the kiosks. “During the off-season when fish production is low, we call for a tender in order to supply fish to the kiosks run by the Federation,” he added.

Recently, KSFCF launched a new concept of selling live fish at the kiosks in an effort to attract customers and to meet the demand of public for live fish. These fish are sold at various kiosks located in the city.

“The new concept was launched last week to provide quality fish for the customers. We have been selling ‘Pangasius’ (a variety of fish) at our stall which has received good response from the public. At times, the demand is such that we fail to supply the required number of fish to the kiosks,” said Gangadhara.

There are around 2,376 varieties of marine fish available in India with 1,923 varieties being fresh water species. Major varieties of edible fish in India include Catla, Rohu, Mrigal (which are Indian Major Carps) and a few exotic varieties which are imported from foreign countries.

The seeds of Indian Major Carps were brought from seas of North India to be cultured in the Southern part. These fish are commonly found in Ganges, Yamuna and Brahmaputra rivers and are in cultured in Bhadra River Project, Tunga Bhadra Dam, Kabini Dam and Nugu Dam.

Benefits extended to farmers

Government of Karnataka has extended benefits to farmers involved in fish culture. The Department of Fisheries has been helping the farmers in construction of ponds to culture fish.

For farmers belonging to SC/ST community, the Department has been giving a subsidy of 50% per acre and 40% to farmers belonging to general category. For those involved in intensive aqua culture, Rs. 40,000 is given as input subsidy per hectare.

The Department has also been extending help by providing Fish Seed Subsidy. Farmers have been supplied with the fisheries kits and fibre coracles. This year, the Department has introduced a new scheme under which the farmers belonging to SC/ST communities are provided with fishery kits and coracles worth Rs. 25,000 free of cost.

Transportation facilities are also provided at the district level for members of SC/ST Fishermen Co-operative Society and also the department provides 80% subsidy on vehicles costing around Rs. 5.5 lakh/ per unit. Zilla Panchayats have also been providing subsidy for two-wheelers and three-wheelers for fishermen to sell their fish.

This apart, regular training programmes are also organised to update the fishermen with the latest developments in the business.

Ramakrishna, Deputy Director, Department of Fisheries, Mysuru Zone, speaking to Star of Mysore, said that Mysuru has the potential to become the top zone in fish culture and added, at present, Bellary tops the charts in private land fish culture with more number of farmers involved in fish culture in Bellary, Raichur and Koppal districts.

Ramakrishna added that around 20,000 fishermen in Mysuru Zone were involved in fish culture with at least 5,000 of them being active throughout the year.

In a bid to encourage fish culture in the State, the Department of Fisheries has introduced ‘Cage Culture,’ a scientific method for fish culturing at Meenakshipura located at KRS backwaters. The project has been financed under Rashtriya Krishi Vikas Yojana (RKVY). The project was introduced in the year 2012-13 with an aim to culture maximum number of fish in lesser space retaining the natural habitat.

The fish seeds are stocked in the cages measuring 6 mts in length, 4 mts in width and 4 mts height. Around 40 to 60 seeds are stocked per cubic meter and a total of 4,000 seeds in 96 cubic meters. Each unit has 24 compartments which are considered to be one battery measuring 750 sq mts that is little less than ¼ acre. The yield compared to inland fish culture is much higher in Cage Culture.

Speaking to Star of Mysore, P. Nagaraj, Senior Assistant Director, Department of Fisheries and Special Officer, Cage Culture Project, said that the yield was 100 tonnes per ¼ acre in Cage Culture while in Inland Fish Culture, it was around three tonnes per acre with 4,000 fish seeds.

Cages are anchored with ropes tied to six stones on all the four corners with each stone measuring 50 kg. There is also a floating hut in the middle of the two batteries which houses the stock of feeds and other essential materials in case of emergency. There are people who live in these huts to monitor the cage and act at times required. Currently, there are around one lakh fish in the first unit, the seeds of which were stocked in the month of March, 2014.

Nagaraj said that before implementing the project, they had visited Saroda and Chirpani dams in Rajasthan and Chattisgarh respectively on a study tour where the new method has been implemented successfully.

Currently, the Department has been culturing ‘Pangasius,’ the variety of fish that is being sold live at various kiosks across the city. The meat of the fish is smooth and hence care should be taken while cooking. There are no scales on the fish and the skin can be removed to reduce the fat content. This apart, there is fat deposition even near its gills which can also be removed to reduce the fat. While preparing kebabs and fry, the skin should be removed and it can be retained during curry preparation.

The project is being managed by a committee named ‘Cage Culture Project Implementation Committee’ headed by Joint Director Dr. N.R. Ramakrishna as its Chairman. The Committee also has five members with Principal Scientist of Central Inland Fisheries Research Institute (CIFRI), Bengaluru, as its Member Secretary. The total cost of the project is Rs. 2.34 crore which is completely funded by the Government of Karnataka.

The government is also contemplating about implementing the project in other reservoirs across the State to encourage fish culture.

Benefits of eating fish

Regular consumption of fish can reduce the risk of various diseases and disorders. Selected research findings indicate the following:

Asthma: Asthma cases are less among the children who eat fish.

Cancer: The Omega3 fatty acids in fish helps reduce the risk of many types of cancers by 30-50%.

Cardiovascular Disease: Eating fish every week reduces the risk of heart disease and stroke by reducing blood clots and inflammation, improving blood vessel elasticity, lowering blood pressure, lowering blood fats and boosting ‘good’ cholesterol.

Dementia: Elderly people who eat fish or seafood at least once a week may have a lower risk of developing dementia, including Alzheimer’s disease.

Depression: People who regularly eat fish have a lower incidence of depression (depression is linked to low levels of Omega3 fatty acids in the brain).

Diabetes: Fish helps people with diabetes manage their blood sugar levels.

Inflammatory conditions: Regular fish consumption may relieve the symptoms of rheumatoid arthritis, psoriasis and autoimmune diseases.

Prematurity: Eating fish during pregnancy helps reduce the risk of delivering a premature baby.

Eyesight: Breast-fed babies of mothers who eat fish, have better eyesight as the Omega3 fatty acids are transmitted through breast milk.

source: http://www.starofmysore.com / Star of Mysore / Home> Feature Articles /  Saturday , December 13th, 2014

Kota Doria saris fascinate young women in Chennai

Arts, Culture & Entertainment, Business & Economy, Historical Links, Pre-Independence, Records, All

Chennai :

Once, these saris used to be woven by master craftsmen in Mysore. In the 17th century, Maharao Kishore Singh, a Mughal general campaigning for emperor Aurangzeb, took back with him some of these master weavers to reproduce these handcrafted, light and colourful saris in his town of Kota in Rajasthan. Over time, these saris came to be known as Kota Doria saris and the town itself became famous for this craftsmanship.

Centuries later, the Chennai youngster, so used to the heavier silk saris of the south, is taking a liking to these light saris. Catering to this demand, Noor Mohammed, 32, whose family has more than a hundred years of history in weaving Doria sarees, is bringing his wares to the city for the fourth time.

Noor Mohammed, who hails from Kaithoon village in Kota, says, where the weavers from Mysore came to between 1684 and 1695.

“This is the sole occupation of our village and we have more than 3,000 loom pits.”

Kaithoon is the biggest producer of Kota Doria in Kota. Mohammed primarily exhibits in Hyderabad, Delhi and Mumbai.

“A few years ago, our villagers were mazdooris (labourers) for businessmen who sold our sarees. Then, every family had an income of only Rs 4,500 a month. So we approached chief minister Vasundhara Raje and the government suggested that we weave and sell our own sarees. That’s when we formed our own weaving society, which has more than a hundred women. Now, the entire family weaves together.”

Mohammed says the family incomes have doubled now.

Kota Doria (Doria means thread) is made of cotton and silk threads in different combinations in warp and weft (vertical and horizontal weaving). The weaving produces square check patterns on the fabric known as ‘khat’. The skilfully made khat becomes transparent which is a unique characteristic of this fabric. An authentic Kota Doria is soft to touch with very little starch. Since the fabric is woven by hand on traditional pit looms, the edges on the side are slightly uneven.

“Contrary to the taste of south Indians, there is a separate crowd- mostly youngsters who go in for Kota because of its lightness,” says city based textile businessman C Balamurugan. “It weighs not more than a dupatta and it is particularly comfortable during summer.”

The exhibition will begin on December 20th at The Palace, T-23A, 7th Avenue, GOCHS Colony, Besant Nagar.

For details call 9840012523.

source: http://www.timesofindia.indiatimes.com / The Times of India / Home> City> Chennai / TNN / December 16th, 2014

Counting sheep, literally

Amazing Feats, Business & Economy, Green Initiatives / Environment, Nature, Science & Technology
A farmer tending to the ‘Nari-Suvarna’ breed of sheep at Veerapura in Tumakuru district of Karnataka.
A farmer tending to the ‘Nari-Suvarna’ breed of sheep at Veerapura in Tumakuru district of Karnataka.

Sheep farmers in Tumakuru have agri-scientists in Maharashtra to thank for a breed that has, quite literally, doubled their profits.

The new breed, developed by scientists at Nimbkar Agricultural Research Institute, Phaltan, called ‘Nari-Suvarna’ has turned out to be a boon for farmers. While the local breed of sheep gives birth to one lamb at a time, the new breed gives birth to two or three.

Cost of the sheep

The State government is trying to promote the Nari-Suvarna breed. It plans to offer subsidy to purchase the sheep, which costs Rs. 8,000 each, in the future. The local breed in Tumakuru —both Hassan and Bellary breeds — cost Rs. 6,000 per sheep.

With the guidance of the Karnataka Sheep and Wool Development Corporation (KSWDC), a farmer in Sira taluk in Tumakuru district has bought 10 sheep and they have given birth to 23 lambs. Farmers at Sidlaghatta in Chickballapur district and Chitradurga district are now eager to follow suit.

The new breed, according to the Agriculture Department, is a combination of three Indian breeds – Deccani and Madgyal breeds of Karnataka and Garole of West Bengal.

Doddaraju of Veerapura in Sira taluk, who bought the 10 sheep, told The Hindu that people in his village were making advance payments for Nari-Suvarna sheep. He said the sheep had adjusted to the climate and environment of his village and could be reared along with the local breed.

Mirza Basheer, Assistant Director, KSWDC, Tumakuru, said the new breed would help meet the demand for meat and would be beneficial to farmers. Nagaraja G.M., Assistant Director, Special Livestock Breeding Programme, Tumakuru, said the government would identify farmers in Belagavi, Vijayapura and Kolar districts and would introduce them to the new breed.

Scientists have developed a new breed of sheep, Nari-Suvarna, that gives birth to two or three lambs at a time

source: http://www.thehindu.com / The Hindu / Home> National> Andhra Pradesh / by S. Bhuvaneshwari / Tumakuru – December 14th, 2014

India Post Generates INR 50 Cr from E-commerce Deliveries in Karnataka Alone

Business & Economy

Karnataka-post-circleBF 12dec2014

India Post (Karnataka Circle) has generated INR 50 crore revenue in current financial year for e-commerce firms like Amazon, Snapdeal, Flipkart, Myntra, Homeshop18, and Global Shiksha among others. MS Ramanujan, chief postmaster general, Karnataka Circle told TOI that they currently take up both Speed Post and Cash on Delivery (COD) orders.

This week, India Post is also piloting a same day delivery service for Amazon, which would see goods received by India Post by 3pm to be delivered the same day.

The Government agency has transacted business worth INR 280 crores in the Cash on Delivery (CoD) segment for these e-commerce firms in the last one year. And since it is earning INR 50 crores in revenue from a single state alone, the total business it is getting from the growing e-commerce would be huge.

It recently signed a Memorandum of Understanding with Indian E-commerce companies Snapdeal and Shopclues, to join hands and further propel the e-commerce logistics. As for the online retail companies, India Post comes as a savior, since no logistics company as of now caters to as many postal codes as India Post, which has about 1.55 lakh post offices.

Communications and IT Minister Ravi Shankar Prasad has also said previously that India Post is best suited to offer delivery services to e-commerce players, given its wide reach across rural, urban and semi-urban areas.

India Post is gearing up with its infrastructure to be an active part of the distribution, delivery and logistics which is said to touch around INR 9 billion by 2021. Thereby being one of the Government Body which is strongly supporting the online businesses in the country.

Action in E-Commerce Logistics in India

In August this year, mail and logistics group Deutsche Post DHL (DPDHL) had said that it plans to invest around INR 800 crore in Indian e-commerce business including express (small parcel transportation), aviation, e-commerce and warehousing, in the next two years.

In March last year, Courier service provider company DTDC Courier and Cargo had launched a new arm called DotZot to provide logistic support to e-commerce companies.

Distribution and Supply Chain Solution company, Gati had also launched an e-commerce focused website GatiConnect and generated revenues of INR 40.7 crore.

The other companies which are exclusively for e-commerce logistics, namely HoliSol, Delhivery and E-comm Express, have raised funding this year to expand their operations. However looking at the scale India Post is having, it is still time for them to catch up.

source: http://www.iamwire.com / I am Wire / Home / by Sujata Sangwan / December 09th, 2014

Fresh Catch !

Business & Economy, Green Initiatives / Environment, Nature

Sale of live fish, a first in the State, by Fish Federation begins in city

From tank to basket: Customers are seen buying live fish of their choice at the fish centre at Kukkarahalli Lake in city this morning.
From tank to basket: Customers are seen buying live fish of their choice at the fish centre at Kukkarahalli Lake in city this morning.

Mysuru :

For the first time in the State, the Karnataka State Co-operative Fisheries Federation Ltd., in its bid to address the demand for ‘Fresh Fish’, began the sale of live fish on experimental basis at two centres in city from today.

The live fresh water fish is being sold at Rs. 99 per kg at two centres in Kukkarahalli Lake and at the fish centre on Hunsur road and Valmiki road junction.

The fish (Pangasius fish) has been cultured in cages for the first time by the Federation at KRS from August this year and is being sold in the city for the first time. The fish brought from KRS will be kept in a water tank from where the customers can choose the fish they want which will then be removed, weighed and sold.

Pangasius fish is a foreign species, from which commercial fish rearers in Andhra Pradesh have benefitted immensely. Following its success in Andhra Pradesh, the Federation had decided to culture the fish at KRS and sell it live to customers on experimental basis.

Federation President S. Madegowda, speaking to SOM said that Pangasius fish was high in protein and also nutritious besides it reduces the fat content in the body.

He said that as of now, only two centres in the city will be selling live fish and would be extended to over 40 fish centres in the city after seeing the success at the two centres.

Madegowda said that a ‘Matsya’ Bhavan, which is a first in the State and the second in the country would come up at Vishweshwara Nagar in city soon. He did not give much information about what this Bhavan is but said more information will be given soon.

Meanwhile, huge rush was witnessed at the fish centre in Kukkarahalli Lake where the public had thronged to buy live fish.

source: http://www.starofmysore.com / Star of Mysore / Home> General News  /  Friday , December 05th, 2014