Category Archives: World Opinion

Vizag attracted attention ofglobal fintech community

Business & Economy, Records, All, World Opinion
A file photo of the world’s first humanoid robot Sophia at the Vizag Fintech Festival in Visakhapatnam. | Photo Credit: arranged pic
A file photo of the world’s first humanoid robot Sophia at the Vizag Fintech Festival in Visakhapatnam. | Photo Credit: arranged pic

‘Promotional campaigns have evoked positive response’

Visakhapatnam, the largest IT hub of Andhra Pradesh, has attracted the attention of global fintech community with the campaigns launched by the Fintech Valley Vizag, an initiative of the AP Electronics and IT Agency (APEITA), getting encouraging response.

Fintech leaders from Silicon Valley, Las Vegas, New York, London, Tel Aviv, Singapore and Hong Kong have evinced interest for developing Visakhapatnam into a world-class fintech hub.

Big players

WHub, which plays a key role in strengthening the startup ecosystem in Hong Kong, signed an MoU with the State to provide access to the startups in Visakhapatnam to their area for acceleration and exploring market opportunities.

SOSA, an Israel-based organisation that promotes innovation centres, also came forward to partner with the AP Innovation Society to spread innovation culture across the State. After an overwhelming response to the Global Fintech Festival and One Million Dollar Startup Challenge instituted by the State government in October, 75 firms, a majority of whom are based in the global fintech destinations such as Silicon Valley, promised to invest ₹500 crore in the next three years.

Representatives from 40 countries attended the festival, where the world’s first humanoid robot, Sophia, was the cynosure of all eyes.

Among the big-ticket projects that started operations during 2018 were Conduent, a $5 billion U.S. company, and asset management firm Franklin Templeton.

Federal Bank, Paytm and other fintech institutes also launched their operations.

“We have been successful in branding Visakhapatnam as a fintech destination, and after a series of events such as Spring Fest, AgTech Summit addressed by Microsoft founder Bill Gates and launching of first Million Dollar Startup Challenge, Visakhapatnam has become the talking point,” J.A. Chowdary, Special Chief Secretary and IT Adviser to Chief Minister, said. While the layout for IT city in an area of 400 to 450 acres at Kapuluppada has been completed, the first Millennium Tower, with 1.5 lakh sft and plug-and-play facility, at a cost of ₹85 crore is ready for inauguration at Rushikonda.Mr. Chowdary said: “Now, everyone wants to see and explore the opportunities in business as the tech-savvy government here also offers lot of business to startups.” He pointed out the good work done by Zebi Al Chain in creating registry for Amaravati land records and guest arrival at star hotels in Visakhapatnam using blockchain technology and artificial intelligence.

In Software Technology Parks of India’s BPO Promotion Scheme, A.P. has become No. 1 in bagging seats, with Visakhapatnam getting the highest number of seats.

The city is already home to several BPOs like HSBC, Patra India, WNS, Concentrix, and big firms like Conduent and Miracle Software are investing a lot in new facilities. “We have got sanction for 12,000 seats in A.P., with highest number in city-based BPOs. This will lead to creation of 42,000 jobs in two to three years,” STPI Joint Director M.P. Dubey said.

Reverse migration

With the IT Association of AP (ITAAP) launching a fresh drive, there is reverse migration. “Our aim is to overcome shortage of experienced manpower, mostly local talent. This has started bearing fruit,” ITAAP State president R.L. Narayana said.

source: http://www.thehindu.com / The Hindu / Home> News> States> Andhra Pradesh / by Santosh Patnaik / Visakhapatnam – December 31st, 2018

Foundation for secretariat complex laid in Amaravati

About Seemandhra / Andhra Pradesh, Business & Economy, Leaders, Records, All, World Opinion
New beginnings: Chandrababu Naidu laying the raft foundation for the Secretariat and HoD office complex. | Photo Credit: CH_VIJAYA BHASKAR
New beginnings: Chandrababu Naidu laying the raft foundation for the Secretariat and HoD office complex. | Photo Credit: CH_VIJAYA BHASKAR

Chief Minister N. Chandrababu Naidu set the ball rolling for the construction of the permanent Secretariat and Heads of Departments complex by laying the raft foundation at Kondamarajupalem on Thursday.

The event marks a major milestone in the capital city project a few months ahead of the general elections. The complex, designed for four towers of 40 floors each and another with 50 floors, will be the first permanent structure in the administrative city in 1,375 acres.

A massive 57,000 cubic metres of concrete will go into the foundation for the towers, the tallest of which will rise 225 m. The uniqueness of the foundation is the that entire volume of 11,000 cubic meters of concrete per raft would be poured non-stop for 72 hours. A raft foundation comprises large concrete slabs evenly spread under the entire buildings against the conventional strip and trench footings. The project cost is estimated at ₹3,500 crore and is being implemented by L&T, the Shapoorji Pallonji Group and the Nagarjuna Construction Company.

source: http://www.thehindu.com / The Hindu / Home> News> States> Andhra Pradesh / by Staff Reporter / Thullur (Guntur District) / December 28th, 2018

Raman effect still visible in Mrs. AVN College

Education, Records, All, Science & Technology, World Opinion
The physics lab is maintained as it is, at Mrs. A.V.N. College in Visakhapatnam. | Photo Credit: C.V.Subrahmanyam
The physics lab is maintained as it is, at Mrs. A.V.N. College in Visakhapatnam. | Photo Credit: C.V.Subrahmanyam

Physics lab, where he did his practicals, is now heritage part of the hallowed institution

Any idea how did Nobel laureate C.V. Raman get the idea of his path-breaking theory which is called the Raman Effect or Raman Scattering.

It was in this city and at Mrs. AVN College where the seed for his theory ‘Molecular Diffraction of Light’ was sown.

Dr. Raman, who spent a few of his formative years in this city, was a student of Mrs. AVN College High School, where he completed his high school from Std VIII to X and later moved to Mrs. AVN College to complete his pre-university course.

In a passage in his biography, he quoted that from his sea-facing classroom, which was located on the first floor of the Gothic-styled stone building, he would observe the changing colours of the Bay of Bengal and it would fascinate him.

“It is from this classroom in this college that I developed the urge to get into the details of this phenomenon.” This was what he (Raman) had said, when he visited his alma mater in 1930, recounted Dr. Srinivasa Rao, the present HoD of the Physics Department, from the old diaries. According to college records, Raman studied in the high school from 1902 to 1905 and PUC from 1905 to 1907 and his father Chandra Sekhara Iyer was a teacher in Mrs. AVN College High School, said principal of the college D. Vijaya Prakash.

The physics lab in the college, where Dr. Raman conducted his first experiments, is still kept as it is and has become a heritage part of the edifice.

Glorious journey

Mrs. AVN College was set up in 1860, principally as a high school, with the support of the public and the then zamindars. In 1878, it was elevated to the status of a college in the name of Hindu College. In 1892, Ankitam Venkata Narsinga Row, a landlord, bequeathed a sum of ₹1 lakh, an11-acre site, a Gothic-style building, and a building grant of ₹15,000, and since then the college is known in his wife’s name as Mrs. AVN College.

It has grown from a strength of 50 students to over 2,500 today. Apart from Dr C.V. Raman, the college boasts of alumnus that includes revolutionary Alluri Sitaramaraju, statistician CR Rao, General KV Krishna Rao, film star S.V. Ranga Rao, freedom fighter Tenneti Viswanadham and writers such as Raavi Sastry and Sri Sri. The two-day founder’s day celebrations will begin from Thursday.

source: http://www.thehindu.com / The Hindu / Home> News> States> Andhra Pradesh / by Sumit Bhattacharjee / Visakhapatnam – December 05th, 2018

Formula 1 on Krishna river kicks off today

Records, All, Sports, World Opinion

Powerboats to zoom at 200 km per hour at Grand Prix of India.

PowerboatsANDHRA19nov2018
Vijayawada :

The stage is set for the inauguration of the first international Formula 1 boat races on the waters of the Krishna river at Amaravati.

The 2018 UIM F1H2O World Championship’s six-round powerboat race will start on November 16. The powerboats with a speed of 220 km per hour would compete to win the championship.

Teams from 14 countries are going to participate in the first of its kind international powerboat racing on the Krishna river. The FIH20 is very famous and popular in other countries as 273 grand championships have been held in 32 countries.

Earlier, the FIH20 world championship was conducted in Mumbai in March 2004. This is the second time that the championship would be held in India, at Amaravati and it would be called the Grand Prix of India.

The AP tourism department in association with F1H2O Promoter Manage-ment and India Xtreme Adventure Activities said that the powerboat races would be telecast live in many countries. The tourism department has entered the Amaravati team for the competition from Andhra Pradesh.

Stable waters without waves are required to conduct powerboat races to avoid capsizing of boats and FIH2O found the Krishna water from Prakasam Barrage to Pavitra Sangamam suitable for powerboat racing.

India Xtreme Adventure, CEO, Sandeep Mandava said that F1H2O will be live telecast in almost 60 foreign countries and Amaravati would get good coverage due to the event.

He said that F1H2O was very popular globally and this is the first time that this international event would be conducted in India and for the first time in south India as well. He said that F1H2O would further promote water sports and would inspire the youth and students in Andhra Pradesh.

Andhra Pradesh Tourism Development Corporation managing director Himanshu Shukla said that arrangements had been made for the seating of one lakh people to watch powerboat racing.

He said that 20 LED screens had been erected to show the powerboat races live to the people of the state. He said that Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister N. Chandrababu Naidu will launch the FIH2O championship on November 16 and the competition would be held on November 16, 17 and 18.

source: http://www.deccanchronicle.com / Deccan Chronicle / Home> Nation> Current Affairs / by Deccan Chronicle / November 16th, 2018

Ryots get access to ‘dry chain’, a cost-effective technology

Agriculture, Green Initiatives / Environment, Nature, Records, All, Science & Technology, World Opinion

It helps in getting seed moisture at desired level

Dry chain, a sustainable farm production model, offering simple and cost-effective technology to ensure safe, dry and high-quality staple food, is now available to the farmers of Chittoor district. The technology helps reduce aflatoxin levels in groundnut, which is one of the major crops in the district.

Vivia Foundation, a Netherlands-based public benefit organisation, launched the ‘Dry chain for groundnuts’ post-harvest programme during the current kharif season at Renuka Bio Farms unit in Routhusuramala village near Srikalahasti recently, where the solar drying chambers were inaugurated. The technology was co-developed at the University of California, Davis. Grameena Vikas Samithi (GVS), a voluntary organisation accredited with the United Nations Conventions, extended support in establishing the ‘Clean works’ rural pilot project.

Dry chain is a technology aimed at getting seed moisture at the desired level, which is 9% for groundnut. “While solar drying is the optimal option for groundnut, using zeolite beads is suggested for absorbing moisture in high-value seeds”, says Rajendranath Reddy, founder of Renuka Bio Farms.

Field-tested

Kent J. Bradford, Director of Seed Biotechnology Centre at University of California, Davis, who inaugurated the facility, dubs it the first comprehensive field-tested ‘dry chain’ system in India, applied to pre-harvest and post-harvest crop processing. Future demonstrations and training programmes are being planned to showcase dry chain technologies at the farm.

“The research study for groundnuts will continue till the next rabi season ending next spring, in which farmers from across the State will be involved”, explains GVS director L. Suryanarayana Reddy. The pilot project utilised ‘Kalgudi’, a mobile application as the platform for farmer training, data collection, transactions and supply chain traceability. The technology will be passed on to local farmers so as to improve yield quality and increase overall farm revenue.

source: http://www.thehindu.com / The Hindu / Home> News> States> Andhra Pradesh / by A.D. Rangarajan / Tirupati – November 12th, 2018

Walmart India opens first store in Visakhapatnam

Business & Economy, Records, All, World Opinion

The ‘Best Price’ store in the city has integrated with the e-commerce and will facilitate the needs of all kinds of stores such as general stores, hotels, restaurants, houses, and the like.

Visakhapatnam :

Walmart India has opened its first B2B Cash and Carry store in the city, with the inauguration of ‘Best Price’ store, fourth in Andhra Pradesh and 23rd in the country on Wednesday.

“We are planning to expand Walmart with seven more stores in Andhra Pradesh which would be opened in Tirupati, Kurnool, Kadapa, Nellore, Kainada, Vizianagaram, and the second store in Visakhapatnam,” Krish Iyer, Walmart India CEO, said.

The ‘Best Price’ store in the city has integrated with the e-commerce and will facilitate the needs of all kinds of stores such as general stores, hotels, restaurants, houses, and the like. The Walmart will ensure convenient payment options, door-step delivery services which leads to create over 2,000 jobs locally (directly or indirectly), said the CEO.

Iyer further said that the company will invest to develop supply chain and to ensure growth of small and medium manufacturers in the State. Local clusters would be formed to outsource coconuts, melons, red chilli, vegetables, and other agriculture produce directly from the farmers to avoid middlemen. While the farmers get the double price of the produce, but, the price for customers would be best, he said.

Walmart earmarked $4 million in order to improve market access for small scale farmers in the State. The vision is to develop a chain with fruits and vegetable farmers and providing them access for training and more productive crop varieties, said the CEO.

He said the Best Price store will have over 5,000 items on display which include a wide range of fresh, frozen and chilled food items, fruits and vegetables, dry groceries, personal and home care items, hotel and restaurant supplies, apparel, office supplies, electronic goods and other general merchandise items.

Krish Iyer said that they have signed an MoU with Girijan Co-operative Corporation (GCC) to source Araku coffee and other products. He said four of the seven proposed stores would start functioning from next year. Whereas for other stores land still have to be identified which will take three to four years. He revealed that their focus is now on tier II and tier III cities. Punjab has the highest number of Walmart stores now and by next year AP will dislodge Punjab by having more stores, he said.

He said “we got good support from the State government and hence we are expanding our activities in the State.”

source: http://www.newindianexpress.com / The New Indian Express / Home> Business / by ANI / November 01st, 2018

Blazing a trail for organic cotton farming

Agriculture, Business & Economy, Green Initiatives / Environment, Inspiration /Positive News and Features, Nature, World Opinion
Marci Zaroff, an American and founder-CEO of MetaWear.
Marci Zaroff, an American and founder-CEO of MetaWear.

An American decides to use blockchain technology to promote ‘ECOfashion’

Setting a trend, she has become an ambassador for eco-friendly textiles. Meet Marci Zaroff, who after completing her specialisation in business management from University of California, Berkeley, coined the term ‘ECOfashion’ by promoting various lifestyle brands.

The American, who is the founder-CEO of MetaWear, a leading sustainable fashion manufacturer, has now decided to use blockchain technology in Andhra Pradesh from sowing seeds to the final product to prove genuineness on organic cotton-growing. She also has plans to replicate it in China, Turkey, Pakistan and Africa in future through partner-NGOs. She is involved in promoting cultivation of organic cotton in various parts among marginalised sections mainly women and tribal people through Chetna, an NGO in Telangana, Odisha, Maharashtra and Madhya Pradesh and Grameena Vikas Kendra in Andhra Pradesh.

During the past one and half decades, through Chetna, 2,500 tonnes of processed cotton was procured and supplied to 30 popular brands in the United States. The value of cotton was put at $5 million. The value of final product was in the range of $30 million to $40 million.

In Andhra Pradesh, she is supporting the launch of a pilot project involving 250 tribal farmers in Gummalakshmipuram in Vizianagaram district.

Expansion plan

Ms. Zaroff has plans to expand it to over 15,000 farmers in five years. During her recent visit, she told The Hindu that they wanted to sequestration of 80,000 to 160,000 tonne of carbon by 2022.

She said implementation of eco-friendly best practices would not only benefit the farmers in getting higher yield but also reduce cost of operation and ensure climate resilient cotton farming.

Ms. Zaroff said the total organic cotton produced in India was 59,470 tonne during 2016-17 growing season. India is on top in the world in organic cotton production followed by China, Kyrgyzstan, Turkey, and Tajikistan.

“We have been successfully selling T shirts, neckwear, legging, bedding, summer clothes and undergarments through various brands by associating at various stages of supply chain be it retailer, branding and stockists,” she said.

source: http://www.thehindu.com / The Hindu / Home> States> Andhra Pradesh / by Santosh Patnaik / Visakhapatnam – October 23rd, 2018

A.P. mountaineer scales Mt.Kilimanjaro

Records, All, Sports, World Opinion
Sk. Himmamsa at Uhuru peak. | Photo Credit: byarrangement
Sk. Himmamsa at Uhuru peak. | Photo Credit: byarrangement

23-year-old climbs 5,895 metre peak

Ace mountaineer from Ongole, Sk.Himmamsa, turned euphoric as he set foot, holding the national flag, on the Uhuru peak, the highest point in snow-capped Mt. Kilimanjaro, to score a grand treble of summits in quick succession.

It was a dream come true for the 23-year-old as he summited the 5,895 metre Uhuru peak, the highest in the African continent, to achieve a string of triple successes in mountaineering. He scaled Mt. Everest this summer and Mt. Elbrus in Russia last month.

With guides from the Kilimanjaro National Park, Mr. Himmamsa began the trek from Kibo hut (Camp 3) on the midnight of October 3 and reached Uhuru at 7.40 a.m. (local time). “I did it under the most trying situation, with contrasting day and night temperatures,” he said proudly.

He now wishes to summit Aconcagua in South America, Denali in North America, Vinson Massif in Antarctica) and Kosciuszko in Australia.

source: http://www.thehindu.com / The Hindu / Home> News> States> Andhra Pradesh / by Special Correspondent / Ongole – October 08th, 2018

Differently-abled youth in squad for Special Olympics

Amazing Feats, Inspiration /Positive News and Features, Records, All, Sports, World Opinion

Anantapur youth make it to the Indian squad for the Special Olympics

Their determination and achievements dwarf their disabilities with which Balakrishna and Kullaiamma were born. Hailing from remote villages in Anantapur district of Andhra Pradesh, the two have won laurels for the country many times at the Special Olympics.

Four boys and two girls from Anantapur have found a place in the national badminton team to represent India at Andorra Special Olympics to be held this month. Balakrishna and Kullaiamma are part of the team that left for Barcelona on Tuesday, en route to Andorra. The team includes: Shameela Dhanekula, Assefa Pendekanti, Ganesh pasuvula, Sreenivasulu Chakali, Sivaiah Komalli, and Balakrishna Nallabothu.

Kullaiamma | Photo Credit: R_V_S_PRASAD
Kullaiamma | Photo Credit: R_V_S_PRASAD

Player to coach

Daughter of a farm-labourer couple of Kothapalli village, Kullaiamma was born with Intellectual disability (ID), also known as general learning disability, short of hearing and visual disability with extreme squint. But has won gold medals in badminton at Los Angeles in 2013 and in Australia in 2015. Unable to afford studies, Kullaiamma began working at a juice centre and took to tailoring to supplement the family income, but the Community-Based Rehabilitation Centre of Rural Development Trust (RDT) at Bathalapalli gave her a new lease of life.

Her talent was spotted by the RDT coaches and she began training in 2011. Today, Kullaiamma has graduated to assistant coach accompanying a six-member badminton team, part of the Indian contingent at the Special Olympics at Andorra and Spain.

Balakrishna | Photo Credit: R_V_S_PRASAD
Balakrishna | Photo Credit: R_V_S_PRASAD

Differently-abled Balakrishna (short of hearing and needs trainer to explain in sign language) from Marrireddipalli, is the son of a farm-labourer couple. The shuttler has three gold medals so far in his kitty. Studying at Industrial Training Institute, he wants to make it big in the international badminton arena. Their cradle is the state-of-the-art indoor badminton court at Bathalapalli and stadium at Anantapur which have produced several world-class players. After its inception in 2008, it produced gold medallists in 2009 Athens Special Olympics. Baba Fakruddin won a gold and a silver in athletics, while two girls were also there in the country’s contingent. They were born different but they made a big difference.

source: http://www.thehindu.com / The Hindu / Home> News> States> Andhra Pradesh / by Ramesh Susarla / Anantapur – October 04th, 2018

Telugu Bible turns 200

Arts, Culture & Entertainment, Historical Links, Pre-Independence, Records, All, World Opinion
The cover page of the New Testament that was first translated and printed in Telugu in 1818. | Photo Credit: Special Arangment
The cover page of the New Testament that was first translated and printed in Telugu in 1818. | Photo Credit: Special Arangment

It was translated in Vizag and West Bengal

On September 30, based on a resolution adopted by the United Nations, the world celebrates the International Translation Day (ITD). It is observed in honour of fifth century St. Jerome, a priest from northeastern Italy, who was the first to translate the Bible (New Testament) into Latin from Greek manuscripts. He also translated parts of the Hebrew Gospel into Greek.

The ITD has a unique connection with Visakhapatnam. The churches in the city will be celebrating this year the 200th year of the translation of Bible from original Greek to Telugu.

First attempt

The first attempt to translate the Bible (New Testament) was made by one Rev. Benjamin Schulz (1689-1760) some time in the mid-1760s, and the manuscripts were sent to Germany for printing, but it was not printed and the manuscripts were lost.

The second serious attempt was made simultaneously at Vizagapatam (as Visakhapatnam was then called) and Serampore, then unified Bengal, some time around 1805-1806.

Telugu Pandit’s role

In Serampore, the project of translation was led by Rev. William Carey of the Baptist Missionary Society. In Visakhapatnam, young Christian missionaries of London Missionary Society Rev. Augustus De Granges and Rev. George Cran took up the work of translating the Bible from original Greek to Telugu. The missionaries in Vizagapatnam were assisted by a local Telugu Pandit Anandarayar.

The untimely death of both Granges (1809) and Cran (1810), however, did not deter Anandarayar from pursuing the work of translation under the guidance of Rev. John Gordon and Rev. Edward Pritchett, said V. Edward Paul of INTACH.

“The first three gospels out of four translated in Vizagapatam were sent to Rev. Carey in Serampore and the translation work continued simultaneously at Serampore and Visakhapatnam. The full extent of translation was completed with the fourth gospel, letter and acts and sent to then Madras Presidency for expert opinion of Rev. Thompson and Mr. Campbell, a reputed Telugu scholar in the Presidency. It was certified and then printed in 1818, and that makes the translation 200 years old, as of today,” said Mr. Edward Paul. The Bible that was printed in 1818 in Madras Presidency is today considered the authentic Bible and has undergone several revisions.

source: http://www.thehindu.com / The Hindu / Home> News> States> Andhra Pradesh / by Sumit Bhattacharjee / Visakhapatnam – September 28th, 2018