Monthly Archives: January 2014

Isuzu Motors to invest Rs.3,000 crore in Andhra plant

Business & Economy, Science & Technology, World Opinion

Japanese automotive major Isuzu Motors will invest Rs.3,000 crore in its first manufacturing plant in India , coming up in Andhra Pradesh , company officials said Thursday.

The plant, which is coming up at Sri City, is expected to be operational in 2016 and manufacture 50,000 Light Commercial Vehicles (LCVs) and Sports Utility Vehicles (SUVs) in the first year.

Sri City is a special economic zone located in Chittoor and Nellore districts of Andhra Pradesh close to Tamil Nadu.

The company, which rolled out its first SUV manufactured in India at an event here, plans to increase the capacity of the plant to 80,000 in the second year and 100,000 in the third.

The company showcased MU-7, one of the longest SUVs available in India, and also handed over the key to its first customer here.

Powered by Isuzu’s superior diesel engine and priced at Rs.22.6 lakh (ex-showroom Hyderabad), the SUV has been assembled at the Thiruvallur (Chennai) plant of Hindustan Motors , with which Isuzu has a contract manufacturing agreement to assemble MU-7 and pick-up truck D-Max.

“We are delighted to showcase the India made MU-7 in Hyderabad. The MU-7 SUV is known for its ruggedness, durability and fuel efficiency and is a proved and successful SUV in other key markets,” Takashi Kikuchi, president and managing director, Isuzu Motors India, told reporters.

He said the Chennai plant would manufacture 5,000 SUVs and pick-up trucks before Isuzu’s own manufacturing plant in Andhra Pradesh becomes operational in 2016.

Isuzu Motors had last year signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the Andhra Pradesh government to set up the plant.

The Japanese firm, which is considered the global diesel engine expert, has already sold 200 imported SUVs in India.

Isuzu currently has dealers in Hyderabad, Chennai and Comibatore. Shigeru Wakabayashi, deputy managing director, Isuzu Motors India, said they planned to have five more dealers in a month, all in south India, the region where it is currently focusing.

After its manufacturing plant becomes operational in 2016, Isuzu plans to expand the dealership network to entire country with 60 dealers. Despite the current slowdown, the firm bets high on Indian market.

Wakabayashi is optimistic that the Indian economy would return to high growth path in six months and pointed out that many Japanese companies were investing in India.

Wakabayashi did not agree that Isuzu had come late to India.

“We have come to India at right time as the demand is set to pick up in coming years,” he said, pointing out that the Indian automobile industry was expected to see a huge growth from 3.5 million in 2013 to 10 million by 2020.

Isuzu, which sold 700,000 vehicles worldwide last year, sees India as a key market and plans to achieve the production capacity of 100,000 units by 2020.

Currently, Thailand is the biggest market for Isuzu. The company sells 15,000 vehicles per month in Thailand.

source: http://www.business-standard.com / Business Standard / Home> News-IANS> Business-Economy / IANS / Hyderabad – January 16th, 2014

Nagarjuna, Amala launch Bindu Madhavi Fashion Calendar

Arts, Culture & Entertainment

Tollywood actor Nagarjuna Akkineni and his wife Amala were the cynosure of all eyes at the launch of Bindu Madhavi Fashion Calendar 2014 in Hyderabad.

Nag looked uber cool and was seen exchanging pleasantries with his friends and industry colleagues while Amala looked graceful in floral lace frock with white pearl necklace adding elegance to her persona.

source: http://www.timesofindia.indiatimes.com / The Times of India / Home> City> Hyderabad / TNN / January 15th, 2014

Cognizant buys Hyderabad office space for Rs 112 crore

Business & Economy, Science & Technology, World Opinion

Bangalore :

Nasdaq-listed IT software firm Cognizant has bought a 11.04-acre land parcel that includes a 250,000 sqft operational office space facility in Hyderabad, from Bangalore-based technology park developer DivyaSree.

The Rs 112-crore transaction, struck in Hyderabad’s IT hub of Gachibowli, gives the $7.35-billion IT services company room to further develop around 1 million sqft of office space. Last year Cognizant had bought 18-acres of land in Kochi; work here has begun.

Despite political uncertainties over the status of Hyderabad, the city’s IT corridor of Madhapur, Kondapur, Hitec City and Gachibowli continue to remain the most active commercial micro-market, owing to the expansion and relocation requirements of IT/ITeS firms. Industry analysts estimate that around 3-million sqft of commercial office space is likely to be released into Hyderabad’s IT corridors over the next six months.

Major IT companies are all expanding facilities as demand remains robust . Last week TOI reported that Infosys Technologies had bought a 300,000 sqft facility for Rs 115 crore in Bangalore.

(Cognizant has bought a 11.04-acre…)
(Cognizant has bought a 11.04-acre…)

In Hyderabad, Cognizant has been working out of a leased office it got when it acquired the business interests of UBS in India in 2010. This facility nowhasover 3,000 employees working out of it.

Confirming the deal, a Cognizant spokesperson said, “The facility will support our expansion in Hyderabad. It is at a conveniently accessible location in the city’s financial district.” International property consultants CBRE South Asia had structured the deal.

As per Cognizant’s annual report, its India real estate development programme includes construction of 10.5 million sqft of new space between 2011 and the end of 2015. “This programme includes an expenditure of over $700 million (over Rs 4,300 crore ) during this period on land acquisition, facilities construction and furnishings to build new company-owned development and delivery centres in regions primarily designated as SEZs, located in India,” the company’s annual report for 2012 says.

source: http://www.articles.timesofindia.indiatimes.com / The Times of India / Home> Tech> Office Space / by Anshal Dhamija, TNN / January 13th, 2014

Zesty Zareen lands gold in Serbia

Records, All, Sports, World Opinion

Hyderabad :

After Mary Kom’s fabulous effort in London Olympics, yet another woman boxer from India did the country proud.

Nikhat Zareen, the 17-year-old Andhra Pradesh pugilist, won a gold medal in the third Nations Cup International Boxing Tournament in Novi Sad, Serbia.

She defeated Paltceva Ekaterina of Russia 3-0 in the 51kg final to follow up on her success in the Youth World Boxing Championship in Bulgaria in September, when she had finished runner-up.

(Nikhat Zareen defeated…)
(Nikhat Zareen defeated…)

Such was Nikhat’s mastery that none of her opponents logged a point against the Indian in the knockout rounds. Nikhat blanked Abdi Malika of Algeria 3-0 in the quarterfinals and Ballentine of the Netherlands 5-0 in the semifinals.

The pre-quarterfinals was no different as she defeated a Russian 3-0. “I’m happy,” was Nikhat’s first reaction when she called her parents to confirm the good news.

“It was an easy bout but the achievement is yet to sink in,” Nikhat told her sister.

It was Nikhat’s father, Jameel Ahmed, a real estate businessman in Nizamabad, who noticed the spark in her and enlisted her in athletics when she was 12.

During her brief stint as an athlete, she caught the eye of Dronacharya boxing coach I Venkateswara Rao of Visakhapatnam.

She joined Rao at the Sports Authority of India (SAI) training centre in Visakhapatnam. And the rest, as they say, is history. Within a year, she was declared the `golden best boxer’ at the Erode Nationals in 2010.

She went on to clinch gold in the flyweight division at the AIBA Women’s Junior and Youth World Championship in Turkey in 2011.

The bright young talent from the state is now targeting a gold at the Youth Olympics to be held in China. “My goal is to win gold at the Youth Olympics and qualify for the 2016 Olympics,” she told TOI.

Considering the progress she’s made in quick time, and her steely determination, it will be no surprise if Nikhat gets more laurels to the country.

source: http://www.articles.timesofindia.indiatimes.com / The Times of India / Home> Sports> Boxing> London Olympiancs / by M. Ratnakar, TNN / January 13th, 2014

Andhra celebrates Bhogi with gaiety

Arts, Culture & Entertainment

Makar Sankranti, the harvest festival, began Monday across Andhra Pradesh as people celebrated Bhogi – first day of the three-day festivity – with gaiety and religious fervour.

Bhogi, also known as Indran, is celebrated in the honour of Indra, the Hindu god of clouds and rains. Hindus worship Indra for good harvest and prosperity.

Towns and villages came alive with people setting bonfires on the streets with agricultural and household waste.

The celebrations began in the early hours of the day with people cleaning their houses and burning old items with a belief that new things would usher into their lives.

Bonfires were seen on streets in every town and village, with people burning unwanted goods like old clothes, mats and broom sticks.

Men, women and children go around the bonfires with prayers. Some sing and dance.

Villages, especially in the fertile coastal Andhra region, wore festive look with women decorating the entrance with intricate rangoli designs and men, mostly youngsters, took to kite flying.

‘Haridasus’ and ‘Basvannas’, the uniquely attired alm seekers with ornately decorated ox, made rounds of the villages.

After thoroughly cleaning their houses, women set cow-dung balls called as ‘Gobbemma’ and placed among the rangoli patterns. They also put fresh harvest of rice, turmeric and sugarcane.

The houses were decorated with marigold flowers and mango leaves.

The families, after offering prayers in temples prepare various dishes, especially Pongal – made of rice and daal.

Decoration of bulls, cock-fight, bull-fight and other rural sports mark the three-day festival.

Despite the ban on cock-fight, hundreds of people including politicians and businessmen bet crores of rupees on them.

Though police impose curbs in many towns and villages in coastal Andhra, people organised cock-fight, saying it is part of their culture.

The festival provides an opportunity for people settled in Hyderabad and other cities to visit their roots.

The state capital wore a deserted look as thousands of families left for their villages in coastal Andhra and Rayalaseema for the festival.

source: http://www.business-standard.com / Business Standard / Home> News-IANS> Religion / by IANS / Hyderabad – January 13th, 2014

Veteran Telugu actor Anjali Devi passes away in Chennai

Arts, Culture & Entertainment

Anjali DeviHF25jan2014

Chennai:

Veteran Telugu actor and producer Anjali Devi died at a hospital in Chennai on Monday. She was 86.

Anjali, who had made a film debut as a child artist in 1936, is survived by two sons.

Though she began with Telugu movies, Anjali later became an acclaimed multi-lingual actor, as she got several offers in Tamil and Hindi movies too.

She has been credited with introducing veteran Bollywood actress Rekha to Telugu industry with Rangula Ratnam.

Anjali, who was married to music director and lyricist P. Adinarayana Rao, also produced over 20 Telugu films under the banner of Anjali Pictures.

Before entering films, she was a theatre artist. She has been known for her performance in movies of mythological importance like Lava Kusha (1963), Bhakta Prahlada and Bhakta Tukaram.

source: http://www.deccanchronicle.com / Deccan Chronicle / Home> News> Current Affairs / DC Online / January 13th, 2014

Police Launch Apps to Help Women

Arts, Culture & Entertainment, Inspiration /Positive News and Features, Records, All, Science & Technology

The State police have introduced a new device called ‘RAKSHITA APPS’ to help women in distress/trouble/danger, according to DGP Prasada Rao.

The police chief who visited Mahabubnagar and Kurnool districts on Saturday on an foundation laying/ inauguration spree, told newsmen that any woman in distress/trouble/danger could just dial 119 and seek help from police.

The call would be passed on to the police station/ set-up through the ‘RAKSHITA APPS’ so that the police could rush to the trouble spot and rescue the woman. The DGP said that due to better awareness among the women now about the Nirbhaya Act more cases under the Act were being registered in the State.

Referring to the increasing number of highway accidents in the two districts, the DGP said that that most of these accidents were occurring due to over-speeding and rash driving. He said that to curb the accidents, speed-recording gauges would be installed at the tollgates to check the speed of the vehicles between one tollgate and another.

Answering newsmen’s questions on the Palem bus blaze incident, Prasada Rao said that there was only a single driver in the ill-fated bus on that day. He also ruled out any possibility of sabotage in the blaze.

source: http://www.newindianexpress.com / The New Indian Express / Home> Cities> Hyderabad / by Express News Service – Mahbubnagar/Kurnool / January 12th, 2014

Narahari nails his colours to the mast

Arts, Culture & Entertainment, Records, All
M. Narahari's collection of painted nails./ Photo: K. Ramesh Babu / The Hindu
M. Narahari’s collection of painted nails./ Photo: K. Ramesh Babu / The Hindu

The artist is the proud owner of a jewellery box which has nails of all colours, painted and preserved over the last 23 years

M. Narahari cannot afford to bite his nails. For this artist from the city, fingernails amount to a treasure. In a jewellery box he carries around, one finds nails of all ‘colours’, painted and preserved over the last 23 years.

Dabbed with more hues than can be imagined on their diminutive surfaces, the fingernails sport not only simple depictions such as the national flag, but also carry intricate portraits of national leaders. Adorning the nails in oil and acrylic are distinguished personalities such as Ambedkar, Mother Teresa, Sarvepalli Radhakrishnan, Mahatma Gandhi, Rabindranath Tagore and Pranab Mukherjee.

“I got the idea when I was just about 20 years old. I began to grow the nails of my thumb and little finger, and suddenly it occurred to me that I could paint on them. Thus began my hobby,” the Fine Arts graduate recalls. Soon, he decided to paint on his own nails and become the first to do so to get into the Guinness Book of World Records.

M. Narahari at work during a demonstration at The Hindu office in Hyderabad on Friday. - Photo: K. Ramesh Babu / The Hindu
M. Narahari at work during a demonstration at The Hindu office in Hyderabad on Friday. – Photo: K. Ramesh Babu / The Hindu

Narahari, who also teaches art at a private school, allows the nails on his left hand to grow for up to two years. So far, he has stored away 85 well-grown nails, besides painting most of them. Apart from portraits, he has also depicted vivid sceneries and monuments such as the Eiffel Tower, Taj Mahal and the Charminar on nails.

Though he also paints larger canvasses, nail care has become an integral part of his life – be it positioning the arm while asleep or changing the grip so as not to break the nails.

“I refrain from hard work, too. Sometimes cracks do develop on nails, but I glue them up quickly. I take calcium tablets once or twice a month, so that the nails grow strong.”

For now, he is trying hard to find place in the India Book of Records. The Guinness Book will have to wait till he finishes a hundred.

source: http://www.thehindu.com / The Hindu / Home> News> Cities> Hyderabad / by Swathi V. / Hyderabad – January 04th, 2014

Flamingo festival takes off at Pulicat

Arts, Culture & Entertainment
District Collector N. Srikanth at the inaugural function of Flamingo Festival at Sullurupeta in Nellore district on Friday. / Photo: K. Ravikumar / The Hindu
District Collector N. Srikanth at the inaugural function of Flamingo Festival at Sullurupeta in Nellore district on Friday. / Photo: K. Ravikumar / The Hindu

The venue at Sullurupeta Boys High School was decorated for the festival

The annual ‘Flamingo Festival’ began at Sullurupeta near the Pulicat lake bird sanctuary in Nellore district on Friday.

District Collector N. Srikanth, Sullurupeta MLA Parasa Ratnam and a host of people’s representatives and district officials took part in the inaugural function. People from the surrounding mandals and especially fishermen’s families attended in large numbers.

Speaking on the occasion, Mr. Srikanth said that the festival was being held every year to bring together the people and various Government departments in the task of preserving the Pulicat lake and surroundings. Arrival of a wide variety of migratory birds always held a special charm at Pulicat.

Various departments like the Tourism, Animal Husbandry and Agriculture put up their stalls featuring their respective activities. The venue at Sullurupeta Boys High School was decorated for the festival.

The authorities made special arrangements for the facility of visitors on the SHAR road for seeing the migratory birds in the lake. People are also thronging the Nelapattu bird sanctuary at DV Satram in the vicinity of Sullurupeta.

source: http://www.thehindu.com / The Hindu / Home> News> National> Andhra Pradesh / by Staff Reporter / Nellore – January 11th, 2014

Secunderabad – the prodigal twin

About Seemandhra / Andhra Pradesh, Arts, Culture & Entertainment, Historical Links, Pre-Independence

It all began in 1798 when the Nizam entered into a Subsidiary Alliance with the British. As part of the treaty the Nizam was to foot the bill for a contingent of Imperial troops who arrived shortly thereafter along with a motley assortment of camp followers and encamped in the vicinity of Bolarum, north of the Hussain Sagar. Within no time the makeshift city of tents transformed into a well defined settlement.

The rapid pace of development bears testimony to British ingenuity for the crafty ‘shopkeepers’ made the Nizam pay, not just for upkeep of the Subsidiary Force but also for the infrastructure. Alternatively coercing and appeasing the Nizam and his government, the British spent lavishly on the emerging city and according to some accounts, enriched themselves individually too, by fudging accounts and claiming inflated payments with the resultant burden on the exchequer eventually leading to financial ruin of an otherwise affluent state.

To curb growing resentment against such nefarious activities, the Resident sought permission to name the new settlement after Sikandar Jah when he succeeded as the third Nizam in 1803. The ploy, clearly designed to satiate eastern vanity, ensured that Hyderabad kept honouring dubious and exorbitant claims. So brazen was the conduct of the British and so lax the accountability that ‘poor Nizzy pays for all’ became an accepted axiom in condoning financial irregularities of dishonorable officers who were caught lining their pockets at the Nizam’s expense. The fact that the cantonment at Secunderabad enriched Hyderabadi culture is indisputable as also the verity that the two share a common history. It is therefore a travesty that the cantonment, a large and culturally significant quarter of Secunderabad, has been kept isolated from the administrative protocols governing the rest of the city.

Amongst the multitude of structures with a rich history is the Rashtrapati Nilayam, the old Bolarum Residency of the British which now serves as the southern retreat for the President of India. Although well maintained, the sprawling complex consisting of buildings and exquisite gardens has lost one of its most significant elements – the monumental Flagstaff on which the national flag was first hoisted when Hyderabad merged with the Indian Union. To their credit, the engineers in charge did commission a miniature model of the steeple before knocking it down but a competent conservationist would have insisted and saved such an important cultural asset.

Though many in the city are familiar with a some examples of built heritage within the cantonment limits, few are aware about the existence of structures like Deccan House, The Abbey and numerous other monumental buildings which have survived despite the passing of two centuries. Amongst buildings with high associational value is ‘The Retreat’, one of several quaint colonial bungalows, which served as Sir Winston Churchill’s residence in 1896. It was during his sojourn at Secunderabad that the redoubtable statesman first met his early flame Pamela Chichele-Plowden, daughter of the then British Resident at Hyderabad, at a polo match. Churchill, then a subaltern in the British army was the star performer of the meet and is said to have swept the lady off her feet. Their courtship, which lasted till 1902, was amicably terminated in England. The traumatic change from the warm and romantic climes of Hyderabad to damp and frigid London seems to have brought the lady to her senses, for Churchill, who had by then barely advanced in rank to captain, paled in comparison to her new suitor Victor, the 2nd Earl of Lytton, who had already succeeded to the peerage upon the death of his father Lord Lytton, the Viceroy of India. A practical choice if one considers the fact that in later years Victor lorded over Bengal as Governor while Winston offered little other than ‘blood, toil and tears’!

Though administrative control of a large part of Secunderabad was returned to the Nizam’s government towards the close of British rule, public perceptions of the twin city as being a parasitic appendage to Hyderabad has lingered. This is largely due to core cantonment areas being kept insulated from planning and development controls, especially those which safeguard the city’s built heritage. It is time that the Cantonment Board accepts established criteria for listing of heritage buildings and brings unique specimens of architectural and cultural value within the gambit of the HMDA protection programme. Only then will the people of Hyderabad consider that the prodigal twin has truly returned to the family fold.

(The writer is a well known heritage activist)

source: http://www.articles.timesofindia.indiatimes.com / The Times of India / Home> City> Hyderabad> Nizam /by Sajjad Shahid / January 12th, 2014