Category Archives: World Opinion

Varsity to honour Prof. C.N.R. Rao with Study Chair

Education, Leaders, Science & Technology, World Opinion

CM fetes Bharat Ratna in City

Prof. C.N.R. Rao and his wife Indumathi Rao, who were felicitated at a function held at Crawford Hall in city this morning, are seen with (from left) Mysore University VC Prof. K.S. Rangappa, Chief Minister Siddharamaiah, MLA Vasu, District Minister V. Sreenivasa Prasad, NIE President M. Sreepada Rao, KSOU VC Prof. M.G. Krishnan, Administrative Officer of Jawaharlal Nehru Centre for Advanced Scientific Research, Bangalore, Dr. Jayachandra and NIE Principal G.L. Shekar.
Prof. C.N.R. Rao and his wife Indumathi Rao, who were felicitated at a function held at Crawford Hall in city this morning, are seen with (from left) Mysore University VC Prof. K.S. Rangappa, Chief Minister Siddharamaiah, MLA Vasu, District Minister V. Sreenivasa Prasad, NIE President M. Sreepada Rao, KSOU VC Prof. M.G. Krishnan, Administrative Officer of Jawaharlal Nehru Centre for Advanced Scientific Research, Bangalore, Dr. Jayachandra and NIE Principal G.L. Shekar.

Mysore :

Bharat Ratna Prof. C.N.R. Rao, who is also the Head of the Scientific Advisory Council to the Prime Minister of India, was this morning felicitated by Chief Minister Siddharamaiah at a function organised jointly by the University of Mysore, Karnataka State Open University (KSOU) and the NIE at Crawford Hall in city.

Prof. Rao, who also is the Hon. President of Jawaharlal Nehru Centre for Advanced Scientific Research, Bangalore, was adorned with a Mysore Peta, shawl and garland while his wife Indumathi Rao was also felicitated.

The Chief Minister also unveiled a plaque of Vignana Bhavan at Mukta Gangotri, which will be formally inaugurated by him later today.

University of Mysore Vice-Chancellor Prof. K.S. Rangappa, presiding over the function, said that the University has planned to set up ‘Prof. C.N.R. Rao Study Chair’ during the centenary celebrations and added that Chief Minister Siddharamaiah had assured all financial assistance for the same.

Prof. Rangappa also urged Prof. Rao to give his valuable opinions on development of the standard of higher education in the University of Mysore to both the Central and State governments.

KSOU Vice-Chancellor Prof. M.G. Krishnan, NIE President M. Sreepada Rao, District Minister V. Sreenivasa Prasad, MLA Vasu, Mysore University Registrar Sri Jayadev Raje Urs, NIE Principal G.L. Shekhar, who introduced Prof. Rao to the audience, members of the teaching and non-teaching faculties of NIE, KSOU and University of Mysore, members of the Academic Council, Syndicate of the University, Board of Management members of KSOU and NIE and others were present.

source: http://www.starofmysore.com / Star of Mysore / Home> General  News / June 14th, 2014

India Post celebrates Fifa World Cup 2014

Arts, Culture & Entertainment, Sports, World Opinion

Mysore :

Fifa World Cup 2014 stamps, miniature sheets and first-day covers are up for grabs at the Philately Bureau of the Mysore Head Post Office, Nazarabad.

Philatelists and soccer fans in Mysore made their way to post offices on Friday morning, snapping up over 6,000 stamps. Three of the stamps depict players in action; the fourth one is of mascot Fuleco.

“A total of 514 sheets, each of all the four stamps, are being sold. Each sheet comprises 49 stamps; 4,000 miniature sheets are also available. In addition, 560 first-day Covers and 560 information sheets are on display too. Stamps worth of Rs 9,95,580 are here,” said S Mahadevaiah, senior post master.

“We have 849 philately account holders. When Sachin Tendulakar’s 200 century commemoration stamp was released, we got a good response. Around 1 lakh stamps were sold then. This time, too, we are expecting a similar response,” he added.

The Head Post Office will despatch these stamps to the regional post offices at Nanjangud, Kollegal, Chitradurga, Chikkaballapur, Davanagere, Tumkur, Tiptur, Mandya, Madikeri and Srirangapatna. In Mysore, the stamps will be on sale at the Saraswathipuram Head Post Office from Saturday.

Philatelist Anand Kumar observes: “These commemorative stamps popularize sports especially among youths. India Post must release sports-related stamps on every such occasion.”

“The size of the stamps could have been increased. The pictures are not clearly visible and not so attractive,” says Nagendra, a student of Banvai College.

A set of four stamps costs Rs 60. Two stamps cost Rs 25 each and two Rs 5 each. First-day covers cost Rs 5 and information sheets Rs 5, said Tabassum, a postal assistant at the Mysore Head Post Office.

source: http://www.timesofindia.indiatimes.com / The Times of India / Home>  City> Mysore / TNN / June 14th, 2014

Amazon India gets FDI battleready

Business & Economy, World Opinion

 

Amazon India has commissioned two warehouses in Karnataka bigger than those in Mumbai and Bangalore.
Amazon India has commissioned two warehouses in Karnataka bigger than those in Mumbai and Bangalore.

SUMMARY

Continuing with its rapid expansion plans, Amazon India has commissioned…

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Continuing with its rapid expansion plans, Amazon India has commissioned two warehouses in Karnataka bigger than those in Mumbai and Bangalore.

The two new warehouses, or fulfilment centres as Amazon calls them, are at Tumkur, 70 km from Bangalore, and Hoskote, 30 km from the city. The warehouses are said to be around 200,000 sq ft, bigger than the company’s two existing 150,000 sq ft fulfillment centres.

The warehouses are expected to give a fillip to the Seattle-based Amazon’s operations in India if the Centre allows foreign e-commerce companies to hold their own inventory and sell directly to consumers. At present, foreign companies can engage in business-to-business e-commerce, where 100% FDI is permitted.

Consequently, Amazon is restricted to being a marketplace in the country, providing third-party sellers with a platform to trade their wares.

The Centre is likely to open up the sector to foreign investment as early as next month, which, industry observers believe, might give players like Amazon — with deep pockets and proven infrastructure — an edge over its Indian competitors. The Indian e-commerce industry is valued at $3.1 billion and is expected to cross the $20-billion mark in the next five years.

Amazon declined to comment on the warehouses. A company spokesperson, however, said the company believed that opening up e-commerce to FDI would be good for consumers and businesses.

“We believe that opening up this sector to FDI will be good for consumers and Indian businesses as it would allow us to partner with local manufacturers to source products not carried by other sellers on the marketplace, giving Indian consumers unique and wider choices at lower prices. Allowing FDI will positively impact infrastructure development in the country,” the spokesperson said.

Since its arrival in India last June, Amazon has expanded its portfolio at a rate which has alarmed its rivals in the country. In the last one year, the company has increased its offerings to 15 million products across 28 categories and claims to have the largest selection in 11 segments, including books, movies & TV shows, home and kitchen ware, music and video games. The number of sellers on its platform has also grown 50 times since its launch to 5,000. Amazon has also forayed into the high-margin fashion with the launch of apparel stores for men and women.

According to Ankur Bisen, senior VP, retail, at advisory firm Technopak, “In the US, Amazon’s share is around one-fourth of the $220-billion e-commerce industry. It’s not that Amazon will come and take away everything that domestic players have accrued over the years. We will see some fair competition between the Indian and foreign players,” he said.

source: http://www.financialexpress.com / The Financial Express / Home> Companies / by Sayan Chakraboty / Bangalore – June 12th, 2014

A Gandhi who studied in Mysore

Nri's / Pio's, Records, All, World Opinion

by  M. S. Diwakar

A few days ago, I read with interest a news item in several newspapers about Dr. Shanti Gandhi, a descendent of Mahatma Gandhi, contesting and winning a seat in an Assembly district in the United States.

Dr. Shanti Gandhi, son of Kantilal Gandhi and Saraswathi Gandhi, had stood for election on a Republican ticket and he defeated his Democratic rival, Theodore Ensley in the elections held in Kansas’ State. Dr. Shanti Gandhi, a cardio vascular surgeon, had contested for the 52nd Assembly district. He arrived in the United States in 1967 as a medical graduate from Bombay.

This news item immediately triggered my memory and I soon realised that Shanti Gandhi’s father, Kantilal Gandhi, had studied medicine in Mysore.

Both Kantilal and his wife Saraswathi had spent several years in Mysore when Kantilal was studying medicine. They had stayed on in separate houses but would meet both during the day and in the evenings and spend time together and join their neighbours in participating in Gandhian activities, including singing Ram bhajans, debates and discussions.

Kantilal Gandhi’s father was Harilal Gandhi, the eldest son of Mahatma Gandhi. Harilal had always dreamt of making Kantilal a doctor. Kantilal passed matriculate when he was 20 years of age and despite disapproval from the Mahatma, his grandfather, he decided to study medicine in Mysore.

The credit for ensuring that Kantilal chose Mysore to study goes to Sir Mirza Ismail, the then Dewan of Mysore State. Mysore was under the Wadiyars and it was steadily making progress in all the fields. It was also one of the most progressive Princely States in India and Gandhi had a fairly good acquaintance with the then Maharaja and Dewan.

Kantilal settled down in Mysore with his wife. They spent several years in Mysore before Harilal came to see them. Harilal stayed with them for several weeks and enjoyed the company of his family. Mahatma Gandhi too was pleased that Harilal had settled down with his family and wrote to Saraswathi about it.

Mahatma Gandhi also addressed several letters to Kantilal, affectionately calling him Kanti. He affectionately called Saraswathi “Saru.” In one of his letters, he says Mysore is a good choice for him to study as it has produced some brilliant people.

Kanti called his wife Saru. By accounts, Kantilal and Saraswathi led a happy life in Mysore. While Harilal (born in 1888) died in 1948, Kantilal died in 1983. His wife Saraswathi died in Tiruvananthapuram, Kerala, on December 15, 2008.

Dr. Shanti Gandhi happens to be the son of this illustrious couple.

A book, Mahatma Versus Gandhi by Dinakara Joshi and letters by Gandhi to Harilal Gandhi and Kantilal Gandhi will give more details on these aspects.

[M.S.Diwakar of Bangalore can be contacted on Mob: 9880046397]

source: http://www.starofmysore.com / Star of Mysore / Home> General News / June 03rd, 2014

BR Shetty’s plans for Travelex after Dh6.15bn acquisition

Business & Economy, Nri's / Pio's, World Opinion

BRShettyBF05jun2014

B R Shetty, the Indian businessman and philanthropist who recently bought Travelex for a reported £1 billion (Dh6.15bn), says he is likely to open new stores and may restart Travelex’s remittances business.

“We plan to be in 50 countries in two years’ time,” said Mr Shetty, who is also the chief executive of UAE Exchange. “We’re mainly expecting to expand to richer countries in Asia and Africa.”

Travelex currently has branches in 32 countries, as well as 1,500 outlets.

The two exchange organisations will “not immediately” merge and “will be run independently”, he said. Mr Shetty said he would “not remove anyone at Travelex management”. But he did say there would probably be “opportunities for both businesses to work more closely together”.

Travelex currently has branches in 32 countries, as well as 1,500 outlets.

The two exchange organisations will “not immediately” merge and “will be run independently”, he said. Mr Shetty said he would “not remove anyone at Travelex management”. But he did say there would probably be “opportunities for both businesses to work more closely together”.

He also said the two had different target markets. “UAE Exchange caters for lower and middle-class customers – Travelex is for middle-class and upper-class customers.

“I bought it to expand it, not to reap a short-term reward from it,” he adds. “I’m a long-term investor – I’m not a private equity company. I bought Travelex to expand and nurture the company.”

Travelex recorded an annual loss of £186.4 million, against revenues of £695m at the end of 2013. The company’s financial statements said that was largely due to the debt loaded on to the company when it was acquired by the private equity company Apax.

Mr Shetty’s acquisition was supported by Centurion Investments, the Abu Dhabi investment firm, which contributed funding. Mr Shetty said Centurion’s role was “mainly financial”, but that he would “take advantage of the advisory services that they have to offer”. Mr Shetty was advised in the transaction by Standard Chartered Bank, Evercore, Mena Financial Partners and Linklaters.

An independent public offering for UAE Exchange would be delayed for at least two years, Mr Shetty said.

“We’re still planning to operate the IPO … but we don’t need cash – we have enough cash to sustain the business. Whenever we want to expand further, we’ll go to an IPO,” he said.

Centurion is owned and controlled by Saeed bin Butti Al Qubaisi. The company owns a 40 per cent stake in NMC Healthcare, which Mr Shetty founded. NMC was floated in London in 2012 at a market valuation of £117m. It currently has a market capitalisation of £899m. Mr Shetty retains a 20.3 per cent stake in the business.

The remittances industry is expanding at a fast clip, with total remittances expected to grow at 9 per cent per year, rising from US$414bn in 2013 to $540bn in 2016, according to the World Bank.

New technologies are changing how remittances companies do business. Facebook recently acquired the British start-up Transferwise, started by two Estonian immigrants to the UK, which partners local senders and receivers of currency instead of transferring money abroad. With 100 million Facebook users in India, the company could draw on a large pool of customers for any new money transfer business.

But Mr Shetty is confident that technology will help his remittances business. He points to instant money transfer services as an example of how innovation has benefited his business.

“We have our own innovations,” he said. “New technologies can only benefit the transfer industry.”

abouyamourn@thenational.ae

source: http://www.thenational.ae / The National / Home> Business> Industry Insights> Finance / by Adam Bouyamourn / May 31st, 2014

Youngster from city walks the red carpet at the famed Cannes Film Festival

Arts, Culture & Entertainment, Nri's / Pio's, World Opinion

by S.N.Venkatnag Sobers

Every person dreams of walking the Red Carpet at premier film festivals or at least to be a part of the festival in some way or the other. This is a talented Mysorean has had that opportunity.

Vaishak Vasanth Kumar, son of Rajyotsava awardee Vasanth Kumar Thimkapura, city’s renowned Agricultural Scientist, has just fulfilled his dream of walking the Red Carpet at Cannes Film Festival held this year.

A student at the University of Pennsylvania, USA, Vaishak was one among the 30 students selected to be a part of the Cannes Film Festival from the University.

Vaishak has been pursuing his studies in Bachelor of Arts with Political Science and Economics as his major subjects in the University.

Speaking to Star of Mysore, Vaishak said that every year his University gets 30 invitations from the organisers of Cannes Film Festival and the University conducts a selection process which includes writing essays and one-on-one interviews to select the team to represent the University at the Cannes Film Festival.

He added that he was the only student from India and the only non-American to be a part of the student delegation.

“The interview involves writing about the history of cinema and the Cannes Film Festival as well. Only after getting through the two rounds I got an opportunity to be a part the team which visited Cannes,” said Vaishak.

During his 13-day stay in Cannes, the student team was given the task of watching 25 films screened at the festival. But, Vaishak making good use of the given opportunity watched 30 movies one among them was the ‘Winter Sleep,’ a Turkish movie, which won the prestigious PALME D’OR (Golden Palm Award) this year.

He added that it was his first visit to the Cannes Film Festival and said that he got an opportunity to meet the representatives of Warner Brothers and Disney.

Vaishak also added that he also met actors James Mc Avoy of X-Men fame, Jassica Chastian of Zero Dark Thirty fame, Salma Hayek, Zoe Saldana and Indian actors Ranvir Shorey and Shashank Arora.

Speaking about movies, Vaishak said that when compared to Hollywood movies and films from other countries, Indian movies had very little international appeal as it is made only for the Indian audience and it was very hard for the producers to pitch in the Indian movie for international audience.

“There is much more to be done in Bollywood if Indian movies have to be showcased in International Film Festival like the Cannes. The only movie which was showcased was ‘Titli’ of Yash Raj Films. People in Hollywood and film makers around the world take risks while scripting a movie, but in India such risks are not taken. There is a need for film fraternity in India to also give importance for parallel movies compared to the mainstream commercial movies,” said Vaishak.

source: http://www.starofmysore.com / Star of Mysore / Home> Feature Articles /by S.N.Venkatnag Sobers /  May 29th, 2014

Karnataka sites make to Unesco world heritage tentative list

Arts, Culture & Entertainment, Historical Links, Pre-Independence, Records, All, Travel, World Opinion

Mysore :

Architectural jewels in Belur and Halebid in Hassan, historical monuments in Srirangapatna and remnants of history from Deccan sultanate are in line to be declared as the world heritage site by the Unseco.

Put together, these sites represent the pluralistic spiritual beliefs that the state government is planning to preserve and promote.

The three sites have been included in the Unesco’s world heritage tentative list, thanks to the department of heritage, archaeology and museum which is now working with experts to prepare dossiers of each of them. Experts from across the world will evaluate the submission of the department and make recommendations. To be included on the world heritage list, the sites must be of outstanding universal value, according to the Unesco.

The chief minister Siddaramaiah on Thursday announced the inclusion of the three sites in the tentative list of the Unesco indicating that the government is serious in protecting the monuments. He linked it to tourism promotion in the region where the government is planning to create a tourist circuit comprising Mysore, Mandya, Hassan and Chamarajnagar to revive the local economy pointing out that many nations depend on tourist inflow to sustain their economies.

Heritage commissioner C G Betsurmath said he submitted the proposal to the Union ministry of culture in mid-February. “We consulted the experts and prepared the proposals focusing on the unique character of each of the sites identified,” he told The Times of India. The sites of Belur and Halibedu throws light on the pluralistic spiritual beliefs of Vaishnavism, Shaivism, and Jainism. Here the spiritual intersected with ordinary people while monuments at Srirangapatna we’ve projected different developmental stages of defence architecture in Hindu and Islamic traditions, he stated adding that the fort is a symbol of strength given that it was breached only four times. The Deccan sultanate properties indicate the convergence of different styles of Islamic architecture and their intersections with the prevalent Hindu architecture of the period, he stated.

A string of monuments in historical Srirangapatna, including the Fort, Bahmani monuments at Gulbarga, Bahmani and Barid Shahi monuments at Bidar and Adil Shashi monuments at Bijapur and properties of heritage value at Belur and Halebid have made it to the tentative list. He has received a communication from Shikha Jain, the member-secretary of the advisory committee on world heritage maters, in the Union ministry of culture asking him to work on presenting the dossiers. There are several parameters and we are keenly working them out, Betsurmath stated.

The world heritage site gets international attention for conservation and helps attract visitors from across the globe. The state’s prized possessions have passed the stage two among the five stage process. The next is be evaluation by two advisory bodies– the International Council on Monuments and Sites and the World Conservation Union. They will provide the world heritage committee with evaluations allowing it to make a decision. According to Shikha Jain, the dossiers can be submitted after February, 2016.

Presently group of monuments at Hampi and at Pattadakal are recognized as the world heritage sites by the Unesco. This comes a decade after Srirangapatna, Bidar among other towns were declared as heritage cities.

source: http://www.timesofindia.indiatimes.com / The Times of India / Home> India / by H M Aravind, TNN / May 22nd, 2014

Kiran Mazumdar-Shaw gets ‘Othmer Gold Medal 2014’

Business & Economy, Leaders, Records, All, Science & Technology, World Opinion

Bangalore :

Biocon has announced that its Chairperson and Managing Director, Kiran Mazumdar-Shaw, has received the ‘Othmer Gold Medal 2014’, in Philadelphia, USA.

Established by the Chemical Heritage Foundation (CHF) in 1997, the annual award honours outstanding individuals who have made multifaceted contributions to chemical and scientific heritage through outstanding activity in such areas as innovation, entrepreneurship, research, education, public understanding, legislation or philanthropy.

Kiran Mazumdar-Shaw is the third woman to receive the Othmer Gold Medal and the first Indian to make it to this prestigious group.

Carsten Reinhardt, President and CEO, CHF, handed over the foundation’s top award to Mazumdar-Shaw during CHF’s Chemical Heritage Day celebration that culminated with the presentation of the Othmer Gold Medal.

source: http://www.thehindubusinessline.com / Business Line / Home> News / by Anil Urs / Bangalore – May 17th, 2014

Wipro bags 7-year deal from UK-based Xoserve

Business & Economy, Science & Technology, World Opinion

UK Link is a suite of highly complex information and technology systems, managed by Xoserve on behalf of the UK gas industry that ensures smooth running of Britain’s gas market.

WiproBF25may2014

Country’s third largest software services firm  Wipro  Wednesday said it has bagged a seven-year deal from UK-based Xoserve. No financial details of the deal were disclosed.

Xoserve supports Britain’s gas market through the provision of centralised information and data services for gas transporters and shippers. It is jointly owned by five major gas distribution network companies and National Grid’s Gas Transmission business.

The Wipro contract is part of the UK Link Programme, which will involve the replacement of Xoserve’s two decade-old legacy UK Link suite of applications with more contemporary technologies, Wipro said in a statement.

UK Link is a suite of highly complex information and technology systems, managed by Xoserve on behalf of the UK gas industry that ensures smooth running of Britain’s gas market.

“The new platform will enable Xoserve to meet the expected demand growth generated by the roll-out of Smart Meters in the UK as well as enable Xoserve to be more responsive to changes in the gas market,” Wipro said.

The UK Link Programme, led by Xoserve and supported by a number of business partners, will help meet a number of customer and industry wide requirements for the medium to long term.

“This is an immensely prestigious project for us and we look forward to partnering with Xoserve to ensure seamles delivery of this critical programme,” Wipro Global Head Utilities (Energy, Natural Resources and Utilities) business unit Arun Krishnamurthi said.

The changes will bring in the ability to receive and store more meter readings, to introduce more flexibility in system enhancement and reporting and the ability for the gas market to utilise information from smart meters for the benefit of customers.

“The UK Link suite of IT systems is the life blood of the competitive gas market; enabling key processes that are critically important to the whole industry,” Xoserve CEO Chris J Murray said.

 Wipro stock price

On May 23, 2014, Wipro closed at Rs 489.00, up Rs 5.50, or 1.14 percent. The 52-week high of the share was Rs 610.50 and the 52-week low was Rs 315.30.

The company’s trailing 12-month (TTM) EPS was at Rs 29.69 per share as per the quarter ended March 2014. The stock’s price-to-earnings (P/E) ratio was 16.47. The latest book value of the company is Rs 98.22 per share. At current value, the price-to-book value of the company is 4.98.

source: http://www.moneycontrol.com / MoneyControl.com / Home> News> Business / source: PTI / May 14th, 2014

The story of the famous Mysore Silk … and the Italian connection

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

BallalBF20may2014

by  N.K.A. Ballal, Retd. Sr. Vice-President, ITDC

Recently my wife was airing some of her sarees and I noticed a beautiful bottle green Mysore Silk saree, which was gifted by my father 36 years ago. I was surprised to see that this saree still looked so fresh, elegant and shimmering with the zari shining as if new. This wonderful fabric is magical, since it makes the fairer sex look slimmer than what they are. I then decided to find out more about this namma ooru silk and some interesting facts came out from my research which I wanted to share with my readers.

Year 1911, Sir M. Visvesvaraya (MV), the genius visionary of Mysore, decided to develop sericulture as an economic activity for Mysore. He was helped by one Mr. Appadurai Mudaliar, the first Inspector of Sericulture. They decided to get the help of an Italian expert named Signor Washington Mari to develop a strain of silk worm which would suit this climate. Before leaving for India, Mr. Mari despatched about 12 varieties of pure European and Chinese races of silk worm to breed them at Mysore. Mr. Mari was successful in cross-breeding a hybrid which was better than the original and also disease-resistant. The first factory was established at Channapatna and subsequently sericulture took its roots in other centres at Mysore and nearby places. I am not sure if Mr. Siddharamaiah, our CM, is aware of this Italian connection.

More or less at the same time, that is in 1912, the Maharaja of Mysore, Nalwadi Krishnaraja Wadiyar, decided to open a factory for the manufacture of silk fabrics, exclusively meant for the family members and its armed forces. The looms as well as the yarn were imported from abroad. In 1980, Karnataka Silk Industries Corporation (KSIC) was formed to take over both the factories at Mysore and T. Narasipura. Ksic is probably the only organisation in the world taking care of all gamuts of silk production from reeling of cocoons to the weaving of the pure silk fabrics, all under one roof. Side by side ksic started modernising their equipment to ensure that the quality and the design of the fabrics improved with time.

What is unique about this material? What is the difference between Mysore Silk and other famous silks like Kancheevaram and Benaras? The basic difference is that in Mysore Silk the yarn is processed in grey, woven and then de-gummed and dyed, whereas in other fabrics it is other way round. The yarn itself is dyed and de-gummed before the manufacture of the material. Another basic difference is that Mysore Silk has always used pure zari [65% silver and 0.65% of gold] in their sarees, whereas 90 percent of the sarees manufactured at Benaras or Kancheevaram use tested zari. The unique grainy effect which is seen in the Mysore Silk fabric is as a result of using different twists in the weft yarn. Apart from this, except Mysore Silk, other manufacturers use Chinese yarn and polyester and that is the reason they are able to sell their materials at such a cheap price. The Kancheevaram and Benarasi sector is still unorganised and is distributed all across and the competition among the manufacturers is so fierce that each one tries to get the better of other by manufacturing newer designs and colours. Another major problem facing Mysore Silk is that since Mysore Silk is made in powerloom, intricate designs across the body and pallu is not possible whereas Benaras sarees are still manufactured in handloom and as such intricate designs is possible. But are you aware, Mysore Silk is washable at home, which is not possible in any other material.

Another unique feature of Mysore Silk is the “GI” registry [Geographical Indication], an international patent stamp for the product as well as the name. The factory has installed 139 looms and the manufacturing capacity is around 75,000 sarees a year. But sadly this famous local silk is out of reach for the middle class because of its cost. Ksic being a government body has its problems of over-staffing, a huge corporate overheads and an ageing staff. However, it is to its credit that it is running in profits unlike other government bodies. The last year’s turnover was supposed to be a record, that is Rs. 127 crores. A pittance compared to the turnover of hundreds of crores of Kancheevaram and Banarasi silks. This organisation needs a complete makeover in term of sales, marketing and designing. I would like to give the following suggestions to Mr. Jannu, IAS [MD of ksic], based on my experience of marketing and work at a Central PSU:

1. Revamp the existing showrooms. They are so dull and uninspiring, one hardly gets any walk-in customers.

2. The present sales staff have to be replaced gradually with bright young men and women, with fixed minimum salaries and commissions based on the sales. This will motivate the sales staff to try and sell the higher end sarees and also invite their friends and relatives to buy. The present staff who are so indifferent have to be sent for some motivational training. They have forgotten to even smile [personal experience].

3. Design a mobile showroom on wheels. An old bus can be remodelled. This can be taken to all the huge psus like bhel and bel for on-the-spot sales with credit offers on festival days.

4. Take legal action on all the other silk manufacturers who are present in the website selling spurious Mysore Silks. One has to just type Mysore Silk in the google search and tens of manufacturers appear in the site offering Mysore Silks from Rs. 500 to Rs. 7,000. Since you have the gi patent for name also, no other manufacturer can sell their product as Mysore Silk.

5. Start actively to export this material. There is a big market for manufacturers with “gi” tag. Money is no constraint; 50 dollars a metre is no big deal in the international market.

6. Buy the latest jacquard machines with 5,000 hooks for wider design capabilities.

7. Try to introduce hand painted sarees, exclusive block printed or embroidered sarees in select outlets. There is always a demand for exclusive materials.

8. Tie up with some national fashion designers to ensure presence in big events like Lakme Fashion Week or any other fashion event. This year I saw some designers promote Kota materials in a big way.

9. Introduce summer and winter collections/colours and have regular fashion shows in Golf Clubs across Karnataka using local fashion designers.

10. Regular mailers to all the Golf members across Karnataka, with an extra discount offers of Rs. 200 thrown in for the customers carrying the mailers to the showroom. This extra discount should be over and above any discount on offer. This kind of mailers is very popular abroad and it can be tried in Karnataka also.

11. Start another unit at Bangalore with tested zari or moga silk to reduce the cost. One can call these product as “Bangalore Silk”; the low income groups would be happy with these products.

12. Start a ‘Silk Tour’ at Mysore for international and domestic tourists using the services of a local travel agent on the lines of Wine Tour, very popular abroad.

13. Try new avenues of advertisements like radio jingles in the fm radios. Very effective.

14. The Ad Agency lacks creativity. The ads in the newspapers are just boring.

15. Please explore the possibility of manufacturing silk upholstery materials. Though it will be very expensive, there is a good export market demand for these materials.

16. Announce a design competition with a prize of one lakh for best original design, both for crepe silk and printed silks.

Sir, some of my out-of-the-box suggestions may sound absurd/outlandish but I am sure that even if some of them are implemented, the sale of your products can be doubled. Sir MV started this economic activity at Mysore more than 100 years back. Let us take it forward and increase it by leaps and bounds since we have an incomparable product, that is “The Mysore Silk.” This would enormously benefit the sericulture farmer and the modern youth in terms of increased employment opportunities. Next time I visit the US or Singapore, I will feel very proud to see namma ooru silk sold across the counter at some departmental store there (All the technical details, courtesy: Mr. Sadanandaswamy, General Manager, ksic, Mysore).

[Do write your comments to: ananthballal@yahoo.com]

source: http://www.starofmysore.com / Star of Mysore / Home> Feature Articles / May 15th, 2014