Category Archives: Business & Economy

Tickle your taste buds with ‘Putarekulu’

Arts, Culture & Entertainment, Business & Economy
Yatam Kanaka Durga rolling 'Putarekulu' at Atreyapuram in East Godavari district. —Photo: S. Rambabu
Yatam Kanaka Durga rolling ‘Putarekulu’ at Atreyapuram in East Godavari district. —Photo: S. Rambabu

Atreyapuram is famous for the sweet which is exported to various countries

“There are many sweets made in Andhra. But, ‘Putarekulu’ are made only in Atreyapuram. If you enter our village, the sweet ghee smell will welcome you,” say women of the village.

Tucked in lush green fields on Godavari canal bund, the village became famous for its ‘Putarekulu’ sweet which is exported to various Indian cities and other countries.

Boards erected in front of every house with the script ‘Nethi Putarekulu’ ammabadunu’ (Ghee Putarekulu are sold here) and grandmothers, daughter-in-laws and grand daughters diligently preparing the delicacies are seen at every house.

“Many sweet stalls are surviving by selling ‘Putarekulu’. We sell each roll at a low cost and the stall owners are selling them at higher prices. Still ‘Putarekulu’ sell like hot cakes,” say the traditional sweet makers.

Thousands of women are taking ‘putarekulu’ and rolling the sweets, and men in families are helping to get raw material for preparing the savouries. Sweet stalls in Rajahmundry, Amalapuram, Razole, Bhimavaram, Kakinada, Yanam, Visakhapatnam, Eluru, Vijayawada, Hyderabad, Bengaluru, Pune and other cities are the major buyers of the special sweets, said a woman Velpuru Mavullamma.“Putarekulu are being served along with meals during marriage functions, birthdays, marriage days, Satyanarayana Vratams, all festivals, political meetings, retirement functions and many other celebrations. No function is being held without ‘Putarekulu’ sweet,” says Yatam Kanaka Durga, of Atreyapuram village.“Our village is a hub for ethnic foods and we want to provide all traditional foods in Atreyapuram. Along with ‘putarekulu’, we are selling mango jelly, ‘bobbatlu’, ‘purnam burelu’, ‘ariselu’, pickles, curry leaves powder (Karivepaku podi), Red gram powder (Kandi podi) and other varieties,” Ms. Kanaka Durga toldThe Hindu.

Visitors from far off places visit Atreyapuram village and purchase fresh stocks every day. Some women are engaged in taking ‘putarekulu’ while some are involved in rolling the sweets.

“There are a few varieties of ‘putarekulu’. The sweet variety can be made with sugar and ghee, jaggery and ghee, sugar and jaggery mixed, sugar, jaggery and dry fruits and also with milk cake. The price of one roll ranges from Rs. 6 to Rs. 30 while it costs around Rs. 40 to Rs. 50 in a sweet stalls and restaurants,” Ms Kanaka Durga said. ‘Putarekulu’ made with ghee and jaggery can be stored up to one month. If made with dry fruits, the rolls can be stored for 10 days. However, the sweets can be preserved for more days by storing in fridges. Other varieties like mango jelly, pickles and ethnic foods are available throughout the year in the village at reasonable prices, the women said.

Tucked in lush green fields on Godavari canal bund, Atreyapuram is famous for its ‘Putarekulu’ sweet which is exported to various Indian cities and other countries

source: http://www.thehindu.com / The Hindu / Home> National> Andhra Pradesh / by Rajulapudi Srinivas / Atreyapuram (East Godavari) – September 01st, 2015

NREDCAP wins best performance awards

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

The New and Renewable Energy Development Corporation (NREDCAP) in Andhra Pradesh has bagged three awards for its outstanding performance at the national level in three categories.

Corporation Vice-Chairman and Managing Director Kamalakar Babu on Saturday said NREDCAP, which was in the forefront of implementing the National Biogas Manure Management Programme (NBMMP), had formulated the best renewable energy policies, besides introducing a single-window clearance for projects and capacity-addition off grid from waste energy products like bio-mechanisation and bio-kitchen waste.

Speaking after receiving the award presented by Chief Minister N. Chandrababu Naidu, Mr. Babu said the Central government had sanctioned funds to the tune of Rs. 137 crore as an incentive under the 13th  Financial Commission to the renewable energy sector. “These funds will be put to use for development of renewable energy and to develop innovative modes,” Mr. Babu said.

source: http://www.thehindu.com / The Hindu / Home> News> Cities> Vijayawada / by Special Correspondent / Vijayawada – August 30th, 2015

Top Indian scientist awarded 1st Sunhak Peace Prize

Agriculture, Business & Economy, Green Initiatives / Environment, Leaders, Nature, Science & Technology, World Opinion

Seoul :

Noted Indian agriculture scientist Dr Modadugu Vijay Gupta, who has done pioneering work in aquaculture in India and several other countries, was today awarded the first Sunhak Peace Prize, billed as an alternative to the Nobel Peace Prize, which he shared with the President of Kiribati Islands.

Gupta, 76, shared the USD 1 million prize with President of Kiribati Islands Anote Tong here at a glittering function which was attended by invitees from all over the world.

Tong, 63, the head of the Pacific Ocean island nation which is facing dire prospects of being engulfed by rising sea waters by 2050, was chosen for the award for his dogged fight to end the carbon emissions which are spelling doom for small island nations.

The awards were presented by South Korean religious leader Dr Hak Ja Han Moon, the wife of late Rev Sun Myung Moon, who instituted the awards to recognise and highlight the work of individuals making big efforts for the betterment of the people.

Hailing from Bapatla in Andhra Pradesh, Gupta, a biologist, was also the recipient of the World Food Prize in 2005 for development and dissemination of low-cost techniques for freshwater fish farming.

Before his retirement, he served as the Assistant Director General at WorldFish, an international fisheries research institute under the Consultative Group on International Agricultural Research based in Penang, Malaysia.

Starting his career as a scientist in Indian Council Agriculture Research over three decades ago in Kolkata, Gupta worked in Laos, Vietnam, Bangladesh, the Philippines, Thailand pursuing his belief that the aqua technology which can provide food security and improve livelyhoods of rural poor.

“I believed throughout my career that all the advanced fish farming technology which we created in laboratories should be taken to people, then only it can make a difference to their lives,” he told PTI after receiving the award.

Regarded as a rebel within the ranks of the agricultural scientist community in India, Gupta mostly worked with the UN and agriculture related international organisations in different countries.

His work with rural communities in Bangladesh, a nation bestowed with lot of water resources, has made fish farming a major source of livelihood for millions of rural poor, according to the organisers.

As a scientist advocating sustainable alternatives, Gupta said aquaculture should be seen as a major source of food security.

“There can be no peace without food security in the world. You cannot talk peace to a hungry man,” he said.

source: http://www.timesofindia.indiatimes.com / The Times of India / News Home> India / PTI / August 29th, 2015

IFCI Office Opens in Vijayawada

Business & Economy
IFCI CEO Malay Kumar Mukherjee (centre) interacts with APCCIF executive director P Bhaskara Rao (right) at an interactive session organised by the APCCIF in Vijayawada on Thursday as deputy managing director of IFCI Achal Kumar Gupta looks on | Express Photo
IFCI CEO Malay Kumar Mukherjee (centre) interacts with APCCIF executive director P Bhaskara Rao (right) at an interactive session organised by the APCCIF in Vijayawada on Thursday as deputy managing director of IFCI Achal Kumar Gupta looks on | Express Photo

Vijayawada :

IFCI CEO and managing director Malay Kumar Mukherjee on Thursday said his non-banking financial institution, owned by the Central government, was looking forward to taking part in the  process of rebuilding the state. Mukherjee was inaugurating the IFCI’s 17th regional office at Bharathinagar in the city.

Later, at an interaction with industry representatives organised by the AP Chambers of Commerce and Industry Federation (APCCIF), he said that as a special case his institution was offering loans as low as Rs 25 crore in Andhra Pradesh so that more number of entrepreneurs could benefit (the minimum loan that IFCI offers is Rs 50 crore).

He said that though IFCI charged an interest rate which was higher than that of banks, its USP was in time taken in processing the application and offering customised products. “IFCI’s interest rate is higher because we borrow from banks. But we are different and better than banks in the area of clearing the loan applications,” he said.

source: http://www.newindianexpress.com / The New Indian Express / Home> States> Andhra Pradesh / by Express News Service / August 28th, 2015

Andhra’s Vijayawada To Host World Coconut Day 2015

Agriculture, Business & Economy, Green Initiatives / Environment, Nature

Kochi :

Andhra Pradesh’s Vijayawada city will be host the World Coconut Day 2015 on September 2 with the theme “Coconut for Family Nutrition, Health and Wellness”, an official release said.
The release by the Coconut Development Board (CDB) said September 2 has been designated Coconut Day by the Jakarta-headquartered Asian and Pacific Coconut Community (APCC), an intergovernmental organisation of 18 countries mandated to promote, coordinate and harmonize coconut developmental activities of the Asian Pacific region to achieve maximum economic development.
All major coconut-growing countries including India are members of APCC, whose foundation day is also on September 2.
The release said the celebration is aimed at creating awareness about the importance of coconut and its potential in alleviating poverty, encouraging investments and promoting the development of coconut industry in the member countries.
Around 500 farmers from all coconut growing states are expected to attend the function and would be a platform for the farmers to get firsthand knowledge about the new initiatives of the CDB.
An exhibition showcasing latest technologies in coconut sector and various value added coconut products including Neera.
The inaugural session will be followed by a technical session which will be attended by the who’s who of the industry.
As per the statistics of union agriculture ministry’s horticulture division for coconut production for the year 2013-14, the state of Andhra Pradesh occupies the first position in productivity (14,997 nuts/ha) though in fourth position both in area (1,21,920 ha) and production (1828.46 million nuts) among the coconut-growing southern states in India.

source: http://www.siliconindia.com / Silicon India News / Home> News>General / Wednesday – August 26th, 2015

Here’s a golden chance for aquaculturists to revive ponds

Agriculture, Business & Economy, Nature
A grower sprinkling feed in an aqua pond at Ravivaripalem of Prakasam district.- PHOTO: KOMMURI SRINIVAS
A grower sprinkling feed in an aqua pond at Ravivaripalem of Prakasam district.- PHOTO: KOMMURI SRINIVAS

Vannamei shrimp culture has come as a boon for aquaculturists in Prakasam district who were hit hard following the outbreak of the White Spot Disease in tiger shrimp farms, leading to abandoning of ponds in large tracts.

The growers are a worried lot now, with the price of Vannamei for 30-count plummeting to around Rs. 400 a kg after touching a high of Rs. 750 in 2013 in the wake of the outbreak of the Early Mortality Syndrome in China.

In this scenario, the Fisheries Department had chalked out an action plan to fully tap the potential of the district by focusing on revival of brackish water aquaculture in abandoned ponds on the one hand and cutting costs through supply of subsidised seed and feed.

Estimating that aquaculture is currently in vogue in around 3,000 hectares, the district administration has fixed an ambitious target of doubling it to 6,000 hectares in the district over a period.

Speaking to The Hindu , Fisheries Assistant Director said the State government had identified aquaculture as a growth engine and had come out with schemes for the revival of abandoned ponds, besides those for providing subsidy for inputs and mechanisation of aqua ponds to ensure sustainable shrimp farming.

Aquacutlurists, according to an estimate, have abandoned aqua-ponds in over 500 hectares in the district.

“We want to see that aquaculture is revived in at least 100 hectares during the year, he said, adding that selected players would be offered a subsidy of Rs. 2 lakh per hectare for specific pathogen-free seed, feed and chemicals.

Subsidy scheme

The department has also come out with a scheme to provide Rs. 5 lakh as subsidy for the Rs. 10-lakh mobile lab to test soil, water and shrimps right at aqua ponds for disease surveillance, Fisheries Development Officer K. Lakshminarayana said. The growers can also avail 50 per cent subsidy on purchase of solar pump-sets, iron rods, fans, paddle and aerators to ensure sustainable shrimp farming.

Farmers going for Tilapia culture in ponds are eligible for 50 per cent subsidy for a two-hectare unit costing Rs. 2 lakh to grow exotic species imported from Africa to augment their income, they add.

Growers are worried lot with the price of Vannamei for 30-count plummeting to around Rs. 400 a kg after touching a high of Rs. 750 in 2013

source: http://www.thehindu.com / The Hindu / Home> National> Andhra Pradesh / by S. Murali / Ongole – August 25th, 2015

Tata Trust Pact to Make Villages Smart

Business & Economy, Science & Technology
TATA Trust chairman Ratan Tata (right) interacts with Vijayawada MP Kesineni Srinivas at a press conference in Vijayawada on Monday as executive trustee R Venkataramanan looks on | Express Photo
TATA Trust chairman Ratan Tata (right) interacts with Vijayawada MP Kesineni Srinivas at a press conference in Vijayawada on Monday as executive trustee R Venkataramanan looks on | Express Photo

Vijayawada : 

Taking another step in the direction of developing Andhra Pradesh as a smart state by developing villages as smart villages, the state government entered a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the Tata Trust here on Sunday.

Though the MoU is for the development of 264 villages in the Vijayawada Parliamentary Constituency with focus on human resources development and employment generation avenues, the State Government sees it as a cornerstone for the development of the state as ‘the best state’ by 2029. The MoU was signed by R Venkataraman, CEO of Tata Trust, on its behalf and Shanti Priya Pandey, Additional Secretary (Planning), on behalf of the government.

Launching the Village Development Plans and the website for the Vijayawada Bamboo Mission, along with Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu, Tata Trust Chairman Ratan Tata said he looked forward to a great partnership between the state government and Tata Trust. He said it would be a step in the direction of helping the betterment of quality of life in villages. Recalling his past interaction with Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu, the Tata Trust Chairman said he held the former in great esteem. He wished the CM and the state all successes in the coming years.

Speaking on the occasion, Naidu said it was a start in the direction of Smart AP’ and called upon people of the state settled across the world to chip in with their knowledge and other contributions to make the state a smart one and help in improving the lives of people in the rural areas.

Hailing the initiative of Vijayawada MP Kesineni Srinivas, which saw the Tata Trust becoming a partner in the development of 264 villages of his constituency like never before, the CM said many companies and individuals were also coming forward to partner with the state in its development.

“However, to make such initiatives successful, people’s cooperation and active participation are of paramount importance”, he maintained.

Pointing out at the technologies like geo tagging, GAP analysis to do baseline survey of 10 lakh families in 264 villages in Vijayawada Parliamentary Constituency which was made possible with people’s cooperation, the CM said the government would be launching Pulse Smart Survey in the state to get details of all the people in the state and that the job had been entrusted to Special Chief Secretary S P Tucker.

Stating that technology had become cost-effective, the CM said that using the tablets being provided by the government, VROs and sarpanches in the villages could identify the needs of the people and the gaps in implementation of schemes / programmes and initiate corrective measures. He cited ePOS in the PDS, distribution of pensions using hand-held tabs at the doorsteps of the beneficiaries to emphasis that usage of technology not only ensured transparency but also saved lots of money.

Assuring the villages of the government’s help with regard to matching grants and gap solutions for different programmes to be taken up at the village level, he said the villages doing well in development and the implementation of welfare schemes would be given ‘Best Village’ awards and their sarpanches and officials would be felicitated during Sankranti.

On the occasion, he cited the government initiatives like seven missions and five grids for the overall development of the state.

Earlier, Venkataraman and Vijayawada MP Kesineni Srinivas (Nani) explained the objectives of the Village Development Plans, which were basically focused at nutrition, health, fisheries,  skill development and related aspects.

On the occasion, the students of the city-based Siddharta Mahila Kalasala presented a cultural programme and the same was appreciated by one and all.

source : http://www.newindianexpress.com / The New Indian Express / Home> States> Andhra Pradesh / by Express News Service / August 25th, 2015

A.P. major contributor to marine exports

Agriculture, Business & Economy, Green Initiatives / Environment, Nature, World Opinion

A major player in the aquaculture sector, Andhra Pradesh contributed 46 per cent of marine exports, valued at around Rs. 35,000 crore, during 2014-15.

The contribution of the fisheries sector to the country’s Gross State Domestic Product (GSDP) is 6.04 per cent, and the total fish and prawn production in brackish and fresh water in the State was 19.78 lakh tonnes, and it was worth around Rs. 21,325 crore.

However, aqua farmers fear a dip in production owing to the prevailing drought situation.

Price fluctuations

“Aqua farmers invest Rs. 5 lakh on an average in an acre of pond for raising shrimp. But, the benefit is marginal, thanks to price fluctuation in the international market and adverse weather,” said V. Sathibabu, a farmer from Gudivada.

Another aqua farmer, G. Venkanna from Undi in West Godavari district, said canals, which were the principal sources of water for aquaculture, had dried up, and that a few tanks were dependent on bore wells.

“Aqua farmers spend lakhs of rupees every season on procurement of seed strock, feed and medicine, not to mention labour and power charges.

Apart from that the lease value is between Rs. 40,000 and Rs. 50,000 per acre a year,” he added.

source: http://www.thehindu.com / The Hindu / Home> National> Andhra Pradesh / by Staff Reporter / Gudivada (Krishna) – August 24th, 2015

Sweet-jelly a hit

Business & Economy

There is an increasing demand for palm-based products. Keeping this in view, we experimented with an innovative sweet-jelly made of palm fruit and the product is really catching up, explains Y. Surya Kumari, an entrepreneur displaying food products manufactured under Krushi Products, West Godavari, at one of the stalls.

Another entrepreneur D. Gayathri Devi, who runs Gayathri Papads, says, “It has been two years since I availed subsidy under PMEGP. Today, my unit employs more than 15 persons. The business is fast growing and gives an annual turnover of not less than Rs.7 lakh.”

source: http://www.thehindu.com / The Hindu / Home> National> Andhra Pradesh / August 23rd, 2015

Carpooling with a difference

Arts, Culture & Entertainment, Business & Economy

Visakhapatnam :

Having been forced to shell out higher fares on buses, especially during weekends and holidays between Hyderabad and Vizag, a group of youngsters decided to launch an online portal – CoYatri – to facilitate inter-city carpooling.

While the company is currently based out of Hyderabad due to the geographical advantage that it offers, CoYatri is soon planning to open an office in Vizag due to the increasing demand from the city. While the founder of the company Pradeep Reddy Enugala hails from Hyderabad, its other co-founders, lead technology Krishna Vedula and lead business development Bhaskar Saragadam, hail from Visakhapatnam.

“People frequently face the problem of bus fares skyrocketing especially during weekends. A ticket, which usually goes between Rs 600-800, shoots up to Rs 1400 during weekends. And if there is a three-day holiday it even goes up to Rs 1700-2000 per ticket,” said founder of CoYatri, Pradeep Reddy Enugala.

“I realised that people are having to shell out more for buses and at the same time are not getting trains because of the huge demand. On the other hand, there are a large number of people who have cars, but are not using them because of high costs. So, if we can properly organise a community, then a car owner, by opting for inter-city carpooling, can easily accommodate two to three people or more and not only make up his travel expenses but also make a profit by travelling in his car,” he added.

So far, CoYatri has more than 5,000 registered users and has been able to offer around 600 plus rides and around 1800 people have been able to travel using the portal. “It is roughly around Rs 9 lakh worth of seats that we have been able to garner during the last 10 months,” Enugala added. Having launched the company in October end last year, Enugala said the target is to reach a position of over one million customers in the next 12 months.

Explaining the revenue model, CoYatri co-founder and lead business development Bhaskar Saragadam said, “As of now we are not charging any fee to users as we want the carpooling culture to gain traction in India. We will charge a percentage of the ride fare once the inter-city carpooling culture becomes popular.”

As of now, a majority of the inter-city rides registered on the website are from AP and Telangana with the more popular routes being from Hyderabad to Vizag, Bengaluru, Chennai, Vijayawada and even Rajahmundry, Anantapur and Kadapa.

Explaining the security safeguards, co-founder and lead technology Krishna Vedula said, “We don’t provide any security per se, but we will make sure that the person who is travelling is genuine and an identified person. We collect original photograph along with their email ID, mobile number and government approved ID card. We activate their profile by verifying the company email and mobile and also check the car numbers by crosschecking with the AP government. If a customer is not comfortable travelling at the last moment, they can still pull out of the ride.”

CoYatri has already received a seed funding of Rs 60 lakh from Sudheer Gaddam, who is president of US IT company Neumeric Technologies Corporation, and is now looking for investments to the tune of USD 1 million in order to promote the portal aggressively in the coming days.

source: http://www.timesofindia.indiatimes.com / The Times of India / News Home> City/ by Manish / August 20th, 2015