Tribal farmers picking up leafy vegetables at Chavudupalli village near Chintapalle in Visakhapatnam district. Migrating from Andhra-Odisha border, they have settlled down in the area several decades ago. – / Photo: K.R. Deepak / The Hindu
Tribal farmers demand cold storage and warehousing facility and more land to boost their income
They are fully content with what they grow in their fields.
Supplying natural, healthy and organic vegetables throughout the year to the nearest towns as well as rythu bazaars of Visakhapatnam provides them the bread and butter. With no interest to diversify into any other field, they have been eking out a living happily on the outskirts of Chintapalle, about 130 km. from Visakhapatnam. The place and its neighbourhood was once hotbed of Maoist activity. Any vegetable you name be it brinjal, beetroot, potato, lady’s finger or ginger or some spices, it is available in their fields though they are season-specific.
Tribal farmers picking leafy vegetables at Chavudupalli village near Chintapalle in Visakhapatnam district. – / Photo: K.R. Deepak / The Hindu
“Cultivation is in our genes. We work with passion and though our earnings are not enough, we live in peace as all our family members are involved in some way or other right from sowing seeds to harvesting and marketing,” said Khora Raghunath, 50.
About 45 tribal families, who migrated from Devuduvalasa near Araku on Andhra-Odisha border are now settled at Chavudupalli near Chintapalle. They speak Odia though they have shifted to Chintapalle several decades ago. Taking advantage of two hill streams, which pass near their fields developed by them in an area of 20 acres, the tribals grow cabbage for four months and leafy vegetables for 45 days. ‘Sahukars’ (local agents) come to their village in vans to pick up stocks and take them to Pedavalasa, Devarapalle and Narsipatnam shandies (weekly markets). Some of their yield finds its way to the Rythu Bazaars in the city. “Our only request to the authorities is to provide cold storage and warehousing facility. We also need more land so that our income level will be decent enough to meet both ends met,” said Khora Damodar, another farmer.
source: http://www.thehindu.com / The Hindu / Home> News> Cities> Visakhapatnam / by Santosh Patnaik / Visakhapatnam – April 24th, 2014
Radisson Hyderabad Hitec City welcomed guests on April 1, 2014 at the opening of the first Radisson hotel in Hyderabad and the sixth Radisson property in India for Carlson Rezidor. It was previously known as Aditya Sarovar Premiere and has undergone refurbishment to include international brand hallmarks and is now a Radisson hotel. The hotel is owned by G. Yoganand, CMD, Manjeera Group, under the banner of Manjeera Hotels & Resorts Private Limited and will continue to be managed by Sarovar Hotels Private Limited under the Radisson brand. Sarovar operates 61 hotels in India and Africa including several Park Plaza and Park Inn hotels across India.
Raj Rana, CEO, Carlson Hotels (South Asia) Private Limited said, “We are honoured to be partnering Sarovar again for another distinguished hotel. Radisson Hyderabad Hitec City is a wonderful addition to our growing portfolio of more than 100 hotels in operation and under development in India. The hotel is in a great location and now it has all the international service hallmarks of the Radisson brand. We are confident that the hotel will have a strong appeal to both international and domestic business and leisure travelers.”
Radisson Hyderabad Hitec City has 202 guest rooms and 24-hour room service. There are various room categories to suit every need, including Business Class Rooms for business guests and a Presidential Suite for lavish vacations. All rooms feature free Wi-Fi access so that business travellers can check emails and leisure travellers can enjoy social interactions and entertainment.
For small meetings, seminars or large gatherings, the hotel has a dedicated Banquet Co-ordinator to assist in planning a successful event. The hotel’s business center, which has printing facilities and free Wi-Fi, also offers on-site secretarial support. For diners, the hotel includes Cascade and an award-winning restaurant, The Oriental Blossom. There is also Zyng lounge bar, and the Poolside Grill for some barbecued delights.
Ajay Bakaya, Executive Director, Sarovar Hotels Pvt. Ltd. said, “Our association with the Manjeera Group as well as CarlsonRezidor Hotel Groupis decades old and we are happy to be continuing as the management partner. With the combination of the hotel’s new branding as a Radisson and our management we are sure that guests will enjoy an enhanced experience at this upscale property.”
source: http://www.hospitalitybizindia.com / HospitalityBizIndia.com / Home> News Track / by HBI Staff, Mumbai / April 23rd, 2014
The concept is inspired by SheTaxi, a women-owned-and-driven cab service by Gender Park, a Kerala govt initiative
She Cabs , a cab service for women with a female driver bureau started by Hyderabad-based voluntary organisation Andhra Pradesh Balala Hakkula Sangham (APBHS), is gearing up to add 25 cars to its existing fleet of two by August this year, according to general secretary Vijaya Reddy.
“We have been seeing significant traction in demand. While TCS has asked for 40 vehicles to ferry their employees, Google, too, wanted an equal number of cabs. Providing such fleet is quite easy but getting women chauffeurs in large numbers is difficult,” she says.
She Cabs, a not-for-profit initiative aimed at providing safe travel for women besides nurturing entrepreneurship among them, recently started She Free Driving School to train and empower women with underprivileged backgrounds.
“At present, 25 women, including from Prajwala, a Hyderabad-based anti-trafficking organisation, are undergoing training. Our idea is make them own cars by providing subsidies and through easy financing options, and allow them to run those vehicles under the She Cabs brand,” Reddy adds.
Inspired by She Taxi, a women-owned-and-driven cab service by Gender Park, a Kerala government initiative, APBHS started She Cabs in February 2014. She Cabs are loaded with security features like GPS, an SOS button to connect to the police in cases of emergency and pepper spray cans.
“With the increasing number of cases of violence against women heightening the concerns around their security, it’s important to extend safe and secure journey of women commuters,” she says, adding She Cabs has been gaining wide acceptance not just among techies but also from homemakers.
source: http://www.business-standard.com / Business Standard / Home> Current Affairs> News> ET Cetera / by K Rajani Kanth / Hyderabad – April 27th, 2014
Dr. Reddy’s Laboratories (NYSE: RDY) announced today that it has launched Eszopiclone Tablets (C-IV) 1 mg, 2 mg and 3 mg, a therapeutic equivalent generic version of LUNESTA® (eszopiclone) tablets C-IV in the US market on April 15, 2014, following the approval by the United States Food & Drug Administration (USFDA).
The LUNESTA® (eszopiclone) tablets C-IV brand and generic combined had U.S. sales of approximately $887 Million MAT for the most recent twelve months ending in January 2014 according to IMS Health*.
Dr. Reddy’s Eszopiclone Tablets (C-IV) 1 mg is available in bottle counts of 30. Eszopiclone Tablets (C-IV) 2 mg and 3 mg are available in bottle counts of 100.
source: http://www.news.investors.com / Investors.com / Home> News> by Business Wire / April 16th, 2014
“Reducing maternal mortality is not only the duty of doctors but is also a social responsibility. Education of women will reduce the mortality rate as we have seen in Kerala and Punjab,” former president and eminent scientist APJ Abdul Kalam has said.
Speaking at the Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists (RCOG) World Congress-2014 held at the Hyderabad International Convention Centre (HICC) at Madhapur here on Friday, he said, “Today, 4.5 million children in the world are lacking nutritious food. We need to provide the newborn with vitamins to make our future generations healthy and strong.”
Over 3,500 doctors from 62 countries attended.
Paul Fogerty, senior vice-president and chair of RCOG, released online International Journal of Obstetrics and Gynaecology (BJOG) and people can have their doubts clarified by by sending their queries to RCOG2014.com.
David Richmond, president, in his inaugural address described Hyderabad as a beautiful city. The event will be held once in three years. Suchitra Pandit, president of the Federation of Obstetrician and Gynaecologist Societies of India, also spoke.
source: http://www.newindianexpress.com / The New Indian Express / Home> Cities> Hyderabad / by Express News Service – Hyderabad / March 29th, 2014
Ugadi Mitr Milan underway at Adilabad. / The Hindu
The annual three-day Ugadi Mitr Milan programme got underway at Kala Ashram, Adilabad on Saturday as activists, professionals and others from different places in the country arrived to participate. The programme essentially features discussions revolving around the composition and organisation of rural communities, including traditional artisans which are on the verge of extinction.
Sunil Deshpande of Sampoorna Bamboo Kendra, Amaravati in Maharashtra initiated the programme with an introduction. Kala Ratna award winner and Kala Ashram founder Guruji Ravinder Sharma spoke at length on different subjects.
Among the participants are a former activist A. Mohan Kumar from Kerala; Dr. K. Madhavi from Boston, USA; Ram Babu of Aahar Kuteer, Begumpet, Hyderabad; educationist K.B. Jinan; Dharmendra Joshi from Ratnagiri Maharashtra. Also attending are writers Kamlesh from New Delhi who had been personal assistant of renowned Socialist Dr. Ram Manohar Lohia and Dhruv Shukla from Bhopal, Muneet from Bangalore, Professor Ganesh from Mumbai, and Lenin from Hyderabad.
source: http://www.thehindu.com / The Hindu / Home> News> National> Andhra Pradesh / by Special Correspondent / Adilabad – March 29th, 2014
Vijayawada Division of South Central Railway (SCR) won 19 out of the 58 shields which will be presented by SCR General Manager P.K. Srivastava to officers and staff of various departments for their performance in the year 2013, during the Railway Week celebrations on April 15 at Secunderabad.
The shields won by Vijayawada Division include the General Manager’s Efficiency shield for overall performance. It will be received by Divisional Railway Manager Pradeep Kumar.
source: http://www.thehindu.com / The Hindu / Home> News> Cities> Vijayawada / by Staff Reporter / Vijayawada – April 11th, 2014
QuisLex, Inc., a Chambers and Partners Band 1 Legal Process Outsourcing provider , today announced the expansion of its execution center in Hyderabad, India. This additional capacity will augment existing space in meeting increased client demand for both litigation and corporate services. QuisLex has delivery centers in India and the U.S.
“Client demand continues to drive our growth, and this expansion is a result of the continued interest in our services from both long-term clients and new global corporations and law firms who are now utilizing our corporate and litigation services,” said Sirisha Gummaregula, COO of QuisLex. QuisLex’s clients include Global 500 corporations in the technology, finance, insurance, and manufacturing sectors, among others, as well as Am Law 100 and Magic Circle law firms.
“This new facility will be fully compliant with our regularly audited ISO/IEC 27001:2005 certified controls. It will also have the same security measures and advanced technological infrastructure as our existing facilities, including multi-tiered physical and electronic security controls such as biometric access,” said Michel Sahyoun, CTO of QuisLex.
All of QuisLex’s execution centers in India are highly secure, state-of-the-art Class A facilities located in the prestigious HITEC City area of Hyderabad. “The new facility expands our ability to provide high-quality, secure, cost-effective, process-driven solutions and reinforces our commitment to our clients,” added Gummaregula.
About QuisLex:
QuisLex is the preeminent Legal Process Outsourcing (LPO) firm, specializing in executing complex document review, contract management, and compliance projects. The company creates new value and opportunities for legal counsel through the innovative alignment of the best of human capital, process discipline, and technology, making it the partner of choice for Fortune 500, Am Law 100, and Magic Circle firms on bet-the-company matters.
Techies for tomorrow: Keep it Simple Silly (KISS) team members Jharna H.Makhija and Chaitra Salimeeti. — PHOTO: V. RAJU / The Hindu
Undergraduate girls turn entrepreneurs, export cards to UK and USA. They have just shipped an order by post to California. Jharna H. Makhija and Chaitra Salimeeti doing their third year in Computer Science Engineering in Velagapudi Ramakrishna Siddhartha Engineering College (VRSEC).
They have still a year to complete their engineering. But that has not stopped them from making a success of a business that most people consider unviable or impossible. Making and selling greeting cards abroad in the age of whatsapp and email is a small achievement for the young entrepreneurs.
Making customised greeting cards is their USP. They have just shipped an order by post to California. Jharna H. Makhija and Chaitra Salimeeti doing their third year in Computer Science Engineering in Velagapudi Ramakrishna Siddhartha Engineering College (VRSEC) have successful bagged and executed nearly 200 orders in less than a year.
Starting with regular greeting cards they diversified to a variety of customised cards including the ‘explosion’ box greeting cards, invitations for a wide range of occasions and more recently flyers and tickets for commercial programmes. The brand name they have given for all these products is the highly catchy phrase, Keep It Simple Silly (KISS).
Customised fare
The big attraction in the customised cards, which often have photographs of both the senders and receivers, is that they are permanent. “Whatsapp messages, emails are temporary, but our cards remain forever. They are mementoes which can be collected to remember all the important occasions,” said Ms. Makhija.
The book “How I Braved Anu Aunty and Co-Founded a Million Dollar Company” inspired the girls to start the business. The college E-Cell gave them a little nudge by permitting them to have a stall on the campus for a couple of days.
With their creativity and computer knowledge they design the customised cards, which often have many pages, using graphic design software like CorelDRAW, Adobe Photoshop and Illustrator.
The cost of the cards ranges from Rs. 15 for a regular card to Rs. 600 for an explosion box greeting card (explode into several pages of photos and text when the lid is removed).
It is not that the two-girl team had no competition.
A few months after they began the business in July 2013, a few boys from another engineering college started a similar enterprise. But having a head-start gave KISS an advantage, Ms. Salimeeti said. The real advantage is the wonderfully maintained Facebook page that attracted customers from as far as UK and USA.
Wedding season is hectic time for KISS. In the beginning the parents resisted, but extended logistic support when the orders began flowing in.
source: http://www.thehindu.com / The Hindu / Home> News> Cities / by G. Venkataramana Rao / Vijayawada – April 17th, 2014
Hand spun or power loom, Sangeetha Devi Dundoo finds that the freedom fabric is enjoying its space in the sun this summer.
Summer normally spells good business for khadi sellers and this summer is turning out to be even better. The stores that dot Lakdi-ka-pul and Khairatabad have stocked both handloom and powerloom khadi yardage, along with linen and cotton to meet the demand from political campaigners. The stores placed orders for fresh stock two to three months ago to ensure they have enough supply.
There’s khadi to meet every budget. The hand-spun and hand-woven variety from Ponduru comes at a premium. “Very few families weave khadi in Ponduru and most weavers are in the 60-plus age group. It takes them at least two months to weave a ‘taan’ (roll),” explains Dasari Chandra Shekhar of Khadi Bhandar, Khairatabad.
Dealers emphasise the need to stock cheaper alternatives like powerloom khadi from Erode, Tirupur, Salem and Mumbai. “Not everyone is particular about using hand-spun, hand-woven khadi especially when they need at least 15 to 20 sets of garments. We’ve seen corporators and others buy powerloom fabrics while the established politicians go for premium handloom khadi. They choose between muslin, coarse or fine khadi,” adds Shekhar.
Khadi from Ponduru finds more takers, says Vinay of Andhra Khadi Bhandar, Lakdi-ka-pul. “The handloom varieties come from Srikakulam and Ponduru, priced between Rs. 200 and 2,000 per metre, depending on the yarn used. As an alternative, there’s the lesser-known hand-woven khadi from West Bengal priced at Rs. 500 to 800 per metre,” he says.
White is the preferred colour cutting across party lines. The difference in colour is marked by the shawl/stole worn on the shirt. A bulk of the sales remains skewed towards men as most women in politics remain comfortable in cottons and silks.
A few stores also have in-house tailors who can stitch shirts and trousers within a week. Ready-to-wear garments are available for those unwilling to wait. Besides shirts, trousers and fabrics, the stores also have special hand-made or non-detergent soaps to wash these garments with. They assert the importance of using home-made starch over the retail variety for the longevity of the fabric.
In the mean time, linen has emerged as an alternative to khadi, offering a wider range of fabrics, priced between Rs. 500 and 4000 a metre. “Linen is lustrous and is equally comfortable for summer. We’ve had quite a few political clients asking for linen,” says Chandra Shekhar.
Aravind Joshua works extensively with khadi weavers and uses the fabric for his creations. / Photo: K. Ramesh Babu / The Hindu
De-constructing an image
Designer Aravind Joshua who works extensively with khadi weavers and uses the fabric for his creations, feels clothing is a key to understand leaders and the image they project in public space.
“On close analysis, one would find what leaders wear is not by accident. Behind the crisp khadis and handlooms that Indira Gandhi wore, there were image consultants, stylists and designers. When Sonia Gandhi entered politics, she carefully imitated both the body language of Indira and her wardrobe. From Mahatma Gandhi to Narendra Modi, our leaders know that even when they are not talking, their clothing is. It’s a visual communication,” he says.
Aravind’s suggestions to five politicians who could do with a change of style
Most women ministers: It’s surprising how even women in influential positions can get carried away. D.K. Aruna and Geeta Reddy can take a cue from Sonia Gandhi, Priyanka Gandhi, Kumari Selja or Sushma Swaraj.
Kalvakuntla Kavitha: Kavitha, to stay in tune with the cultural wing of her party which she represents, is never seen wearing handloom or khadi woven in this region. She could have more Pochampally ikats and Narayanpet saris in her wardrobe.
Jaganmohan Reddy: Jagan’s corporate look continues while meeting people. Instead of wearing high-end brands while speaking about the plight of the weavers or farmers, he can opt for a well-constructed kora or a striped khadi shirt and pant. Since he is targeting youth, it is not necessary for him to sport a dhoti like his father.
Nara Lokesh: Like his father, Lokesh is projecting himself as a thinker so we see him in formal shirts and pants. But if he is going to be active in politics, he can try matkha khadi silk (available in shades of yellow to gold, befitting his party flag) shirt, crisply ironed with white coated khadi pants.
D. Sridhar Babu: He sports a waist coat over white kurta and pants. To connect strongly with his constituency, Karimnagar, he can try Metpally khadi tie and dyed waist coat with white double thread khadi.
source: http://www.thehindu.com / The Hindu / Home> Features> MetroPlus / by Sangeetha Devi Dundoo / Hyderabad – April 04th, 2014
