Girish A Koushik showed why he’s one of Karnataka’s most promising chess players after clinching the silver medal for the second year running in the Under-16 (open) category at the 13th FIDE World Youth Chess Championships that concluded in Al-Ain, UAE, on Saturday.
Sharing the limelight with the Mysore chess prodigy was Bangalore boy Raghunandan K Srihari, who bagged the silver medal in the U-12 category. Indians trumped players from 123 countries to top the heap with eight medals (three gold, two silver and three bronze). India also secured top honours in the blitz format with 13 medals (five gold, four silver and four bronze).
Girish’s dominance in world chess has been well chronicled ever since he won the World Youth Under-10 Championship in Batumi, Georgia, seven years ago. Last year in Maribor, Slovenia, the 16-year-old was met with stiff opposition, but still finished second with eight wins, two defeats and a draw.
This time around, Girish was expecting the worst after heading to the Gulf nation underprepared for the tournament. “I had tests and was busy with my studies so I could not find time to prepare for the Worlds. I caught up with whatever I could at the airport lounges and in flight. Thankfully, everything went my way,” said the first year student of Sadvidya Composite PU College, Mysore.
With seven wins and four draws, the seventh-seeded Girish finished with nine points and was tied for gold with Tamil Nadu’s Murali Karthikeyan. But with no joint awards in store, Murali pipped Girish for gold with a slim tie-break margin (total points against other opponents) of 0.5.
Girish, however, was ecstatic. “If you look at it, both of us finished joint first, so I am happy with my performance. I finished with 50.0 (tie-break points) while Murali got 50.5. So it was a bit disappointing that I missed out on gold with such a small margin. But, I’m happy that I remained unbeaten in the 11 rounds. This is my best performance yet,” explained the International Master (IM) and Grandmaster (GM) norm holder.
Girish, whose biggest win came against higher-ranked Russian Kirill Alekseenko, will see his 2413 ELO rating rise by 17 points.
SILVER ON DEBUT
For Raghunandan, the U-12 silver will be one of his most cherished ever. Making his debut appearance at the Worlds this year, the soft-spoken tenth seeded youngster picked up eight wins, two defeats and a draw to finish with 8.5 points behind Armenia’s Aram Hakobyan.
“It feels great to win a medal in your first World championship,” Raghunandan said. “It was a very competitive field but I was ready for them. My match against American Marcus Miyasaka was one of my toughest wins. He had a middlegame error, which I immediately capitalized on and turned the contest in my favour,” said the seventh standard student of VVS Gandhi Centenary School, who trains under Ukrainian coach Alexander Vaysman.
United Karnataka Chess Association officials received the winners in Bangalore. The boys would be felicitated soon, it is learnt.
source: http://www.articles.timesofindia.indiatimes.com / The Times of India / Home> Sports> Chess> Silver Medal / by Maxin Mathew, TNN / December 31st, 2013
Chess is a traditional game and India has been doing well in this sport since the expoits of Vishwanathan Anand in the world chess scene. Many youngsters have taken up to chess and Mysore city has seen many chess players who have gone on to represent the country in different levels and perform well. One such chess player who has been consistently doing well in the International-level is International Master Girish A. Koushik.
Girish, representing India in the World Youth Classic U-16 Chess Championships held at Al-Ain (UAE) from Dec. 18 to 29, 2013, did everyone proud with his performance when he won the second place in the boys U-16 category. He secured 9 points from 11 rounds and tied with Karthikeyan Murali of India, but the latter’s better tie-break score of 50.5 helped Karthikeyan Murali to clinch the title. Girish Koushik finished a creditable second. He is our ‘Star This week.’
The 16 year old, Girish, is a 1st PU student of Sadvidya Composite PU College in city. Encouraged by his parents, Arun Koushik and Lakshmi Arun, his family members, State Govt., the UCKA and MDCA,this lad has been a consistent performer for our country in the junior level.
Girish, a former World Champion (U-10) in 2006, the first Karnataka chess player to win a World chess title, has grown from strength to strength and has been our Nation’s flag bearer with some spectacular performances in the tournaments whenever he has represented the country.
Girish had wins over Lekic Lazar, Bora Safal (USA), Saloman Johan (Norway), Wang Richard (Canada), Sibasvili Giorgi (Georgia), Wang Yiye (China) and Alekseenko Kirill of Russia. He had draws with Brown Michael William (USA), Asgarizadeh Ahmad (Iri), Petrosyan Manuel (Armenia) and Vorontsov Pavlo of Ukraine.
Girish got his final International Master Norm in this tournament. Presently he has a ELO rating of 2430 and has added 17.1 points with his performance in this tournament.
He also finished fifth in the World Under-16 Blitz Tournament held at Al-Ain. Ranked No. 40 in the country, Girish won gold in the Asian Youth Chess Championships U-16 Open at Sri Lanka in July 2012. He also won gold in the Asian Youth U-16 Open held at Savi- Isreal in June 2013. He had won the gold in the World U-10 Championships held at Georgia in 2006.
Encouraged and helped by the Karnataka State Government, he got the Ekalavya Award in 2012, the SWAB Best Sports person award in 2012-13. He needs to be encouraged and promoted as he has the talent in him to become a Grand Master in the days to come.
source: http://www.starofmysore.com / Star of Mysore / Home> Sports News / January 05th, 2014
With New Year just a few days away, the city is getting prepped to host parties, the themes of most of which revolve around Bollywood , EDM, hip-hop and a mix of all to cater to a wider audience. But so far one breed has always been left out — the longhaired, goatee-sporting and head banging citizens of the metal world. Finally, their call has been heard and Bangalore is hosting its first New Year Metal gig, thanks to CounterCulture’s initiative Metal Factory.
Metal Factory has been a monthly affair since September this year, hosting a range of artists.”In November,when we were brainstorming about New Year, Abijith Rao,who manages our programming and is also the front man of Escher’s Knot, broached the subject of trying metal. That’s when we decided to go ahead,” says Vishwaraj Mohan, founder, Counter Culture.
The gig will see five bands belting out the best of metal — Inner Sanctum ( Thrash/Melodic Death Metal), Escher’s Knot ( Progressive Metal), Theorized (Progressive Death/Thrash), Bevar Sea ( Stoner Rock/Doom Metal) and The Down Troddence (Experimental Metal). “People just want to have a good time on New Year’s Eve, and we are really lucky to have a metal gig for the occasion for the first time in Bangalore. The show production will be one of its kind and this event is going to open up a new dimension for bands and the Indian metal fraternity,” believes Rao.
The gig is being supported with special lighting and a backdrop to make it memorable for audiences. Bevar Sea will have Namit Chauhan from Shepherd as guest guitarist playing in place of their guitarist Rahul Chacko and will add classics too. They will also put up merchandise for sale, which according to the vocalist Ganesh “is a fabulous way to begin the New Year.”
Naturally, the city’s metal heads are excited. Says technical writer Amritha Chandrashekhar, “I grew up in Bangalore when it was called Rock city. I love that genre of music and it is sad to see the declining support for rock and metal. I would love to start my year head banging. Of course I’ll go.” Beat boxer Abhishek Bhaskar is excited about listening to Inner Sanctum and Bevar Sea, which he calls “the catchiest name till date.” Adds music enthusiast Purvika Anand, “Since the line-up has familiar Bangalore-based bands, it’s going to feel like home to the guys who share similar passions and haven’t celebrated New Year’s eve together before.”
The last word comes from media professional Vilasini Muralidhar, who acknowledges that metal heads are usually left out when it comes to New Year’s parties. “We aren’t the sort to go to a club and enjoy monotonous music (if I can call it that). This gives us an opportunity to bring in the New Year with our kind of music, our kind of crowd. It’s a great line-up at a good venue—nobody should miss it!”
So if metal is what gives you a high, then this is going to be a temple of sorts. For a different start to 2014, this is the gig to be at. Metal Factory, Dec 31, 8 pm, at Counter Culture
—R Prashanth Vidyasagar
www.articles.timesofindia.indiatimes.com / The Times of India / Home> Entertainment> Kannada> Gig / Bangalore Mirror Bureau / December 23rd, 2013
Sneha Kapoor, the award-winning Salsa connoisseur has a career resume that any dance-lover would love to possess at an age as young as 27. While she is fondly called the ‘Indian Salsa Princess,’ this damsel who also is an expert dance choreographer and instructor well-versed in varied dance forms, enjoys the privilege of being the first woman in the country to have won some of the world’s most prestigious international Salsa championships.
Born and brought up in Bangalore and currently based at Mumbai, Sneha has awards from the Australian Salsa Classic, Sydney, the European Salsa Masters, UK and the Asian Open Salsa Championships, Hong Kong, in her kitty, apart from having surfaced as one among the top 20 finalists in the famous Indian television dance reality show Dance India Dance in the year 2011. The young and talented danseuse, who also is an exponent in other dance forms such as Bachata, merengue, Jive, hip-hop, adagio and Bollywood, was in Mysore to perform at a New Year’s eve event when Star of Mysore caught up with her for an interview. Excerpts…
Star of Mysore (SOM): You are called the Indian Salsa Princess. How does it feel to be called so?
Sneha: I feel humbled. I got the title after I won a series of International Salsa dance championships held at various places across the globe during the year 2007 such as the Australian Salsa Classic in Sydney, the European Salsa Masters at the UK and the Asian Open Salsa Championship held at Hong Kong, apart from being a semi-finalist at the ESPN World Salsa Championship held at Orlando, Florida, the same year. It feels wonderful to be called so. It’s quite touching.
SOM: How was your stint with the reality show Dance India Dance? How did the show really help you?
Sneha: The first reality show I took part in was India has Got Talent. I participated in Dance India Dance (DID) later which was a great learning experience. I not just got recognised through this show but also got to learn several more dance styles as a participant. And getting trained and groomed under the best of judges was yet another advantage of DID. I had the best of judges in Geeta Kapoor, Terence Lewis and Remo D’ Souza. It was a great experience altogether.
SOM: You were an athlete and wanted to make it big in the field of sports. Then what made you take to dance?
Sneha: I never knew I would become a dancer or choreographer one day. It happened by default. I was initially an athletics enthusiast who aimed to make it big and represent India in athletics. However, I unfortunately suffered an injury in my knee because of which I had to give up athletics. During the time, my friends at college forced me to take part in a dance competition which I reluctantly did. I must admit I made no great dancer in the beginning. However, I gradually picked up the skills, joining the Lourd Vijay’s dance studio in Bangalore. In all, becoming a dancer has been a roller-coaster ride.
SOM: You also hold a Guinness World Record for having done the most number of swing dance flips in a minute. Tell us about it.
Sneha: Yes. We were a team of four who broke the record set in the UK and it fills me with a sense of pride. I and my team broke the record of 33 flips in a minute that was set four years ago. Our new record stands at 39 swing dance flips in a minute.
SOM: What are the plans in pipeline?
Sneha: I would love to see myself going a few more steps further as a choreographer and making it big in the field. I have choreographed for a South Indian movie and reality shows Just Dance and Perfect Bride. My current interest is acting and I have been working towards it. Acting isn’t my forte so I have more to learn.—AN
source: http://www.starofmysore.com / Star of Mysore / Home> Feature Articles / January 04th, 2014
Dr. Paniveni Udayshankar is seen receiving the Indira Gandhi Sadbhavana Award from former Union Minister M.V. Rajashekharan at a function held in Bangalore recently. Agriculture University Vice-Chancellor Dr. Narayana Gowda GEPRA Secretary Pasha and others look on.
Mysore :
Dr. Paniveni Udayashankar, a Professor in Physics at NIE-IT in City, was presented with the Indira Gandhi Sadbhavana Gold Medal Award for individual achievement and service to the Nation.
The award, instituted by Global Economic Progress and Research Association (GEPRA), a non-government organisation in Tamil Nadu, has been presented to Dr. Paniveni for her ‘Outstanding contribution in the field of Education and Research’.
The award was conferred on Dec. 14 at a function in Bangalore, attended by Former Union Minister M.V. Rajashekaran, Minister for Agriculture Krishna Bhyre Gowda, Agricultural University Vice-Chancellor Dr. Narayana Gowda, Minister for Food and Civil Supplies Dinesh Gundu Rao, District and Session Judge Justice V. Padmanabha Kedilaya and other dignitaries.
About 40 participants all over India were selected in different fields.
source: http://www.starofmysore.com / Star of Mysore / Home> General News / December 29th, 2013
Gita Gopinath is seen with first Indian Nobel Laureate Dr. Amartya Sen. Dr. Sen is seen reading a book written by Gita’s grandmother about their family.
To be listed as one of the ‘25 Smartest Indians to look out for’ is no mean achievement for a 41-year-old! The very mention of it makes this intellectual powerhouse blush, as she brushes it aside, wondering how these lists are made! But those who added her, know for sure why Gita Gopinath, deserves to be there.
A Mysorean and a Professor at the renowned Economics Department of Harvard University, she is the first Indian woman after Nobel Laureate Dr. Amartya Sen and the fourth woman in the Department’s history to be granted tenure. Sharing office space with Dr. Sen, Prof. Gita works in the area of international macroeconomics and finance and her field of expertise is regularly showcased on the global scene.
A mother of a 10-year-old, she strongly believes that a woman can successfully juggle home and work with the right kind of family support.
A BA in Economics from Delhi University (Lady Shriram College), MA from the Delhi School of Economics and University of Washington and a Ph.D from Princeton University, Prof. Gita was also chosen as one of the Young Global Leaders in 2011. But it all began in Mysore.
An economist who enjoys Bollywood films and gossip as much as she delves into the financial crisis in the world, Gita is married to former classmate Iqbal Dhaliwal, a Director of Policy at Abdul Latif Jameel Poverty Action Lab at Department of Economics, Massachusetts Institute of Technology. She is the daughter of T.V. Gopinath an Industrialist in city and Viji Gopinath who runs a play home in Kuvempunagar. Here, in the first in our series ‘Mysoreans making us Proud’ we feature this remarkable achiever, as she traces her journey from Mysore to Harvard. Excerpts…
Star of Mysore (SOM): You have so many firsts and prestigious assignments to your credits. How best do we introduce you?
Gita Gopinath (GG): A Professor at Harvard…That’s how I introduce myself!
SOM: You spent your formative years in Mysore, which is still considered as the ‘country cousin’ of the big metros. Did you also have the ‘small-town’ girl feeling when you moved to Delhi?
GG: Yes…. I did my Bachelors in Delhi University and when I went from Mysore to Delhi I certainly felt that way. Most of my classmates were from main brand schools in Delhi. They seem to have a lot more global exposure. They were very good at debating and other kinds of things…They seemed to have a lot of confidence. Coming from Mysore I did feel like I was a small fish in a big pond.
However, one thing I was always good at is, I was never apologetic about my background and I didn’t get intimidated by people coming from so-called better background.
For all the ‘small town’ folks out there, to succeed, I think it’s a combination of not being apologetic about your background and also learning from your environment. At no point should you be intimidated, always believe you are your own person and you have a lot to contribute. At the same time pick up all the good things that are available. If you engage in self-doubt, then you’ll never have the confidence to grow.
SOM: Economics has always been called a ‘dismal science?’
GG: Oh! That goes back a long way. The original kind of Adam Smith’s idea of Economics was that there was no real role for policy in initiating an economic outcome. In that sense it was called a ‘dismal science’…where you would have bad times and you would just have to live with it. But that changed a lot over Kaynes’ revolution and now we don’t think that way. We think there are ways of fixing problems with policy interventions.
SOM: In India, pursuing Economics as a career-building course is not considered a viable option?
GG: Yes and No actually…If you think of Delhi University, its one of the most sought after subjects. This notion that it is not an attractive option for a career is more true outside Delhi and Calcutta Universities. In terms of future careers, Economics is still very strong in places like Delhi.
SOM: You mean there’s a lot lacking in the colleges outside these cities?
GG: I just think that there is not enough depth in the Universities that teach Economics. Except for about 3-4 schools in India, Economics is not taught the way it should be. Say for instance, in the US, even if you studied in the 50th ranked US University, you would still get very good education in Economics.
Economics has changed a lot over time; we have had a lot of mini revolutions in Economics. If those tools are not being taught, then it’s not quite useful.
SOM: There is a lot of parental pressure not to pursue Arts…
GG: What people observe is, if you do Economics from one of the smaller Universities, you don’t really end up getting good jobs.
Also here students enroll in Economics as a last resort and so it’s not surprising that they don’t end up doing very well. It’s true that people should be less obsessed with professional courses but it’s also true that to make it more attractive, there should be good quality education in Economics.
SOM: You are the first Indian woman to be tenured at the Economics Department of Harvard University
GG: If you consider the history of the Harvard Economics Department ever, I would be the fourth woman and the first Indian woman.
Right now, we have 40 tenured faculty of which two are women. Circumstances have changed from when it used to be harder for women. What we have there is what we call a tenure clock. After your Ph.D, you start off as a Asst. Professor and you have about 7 years to prove yourself in terms of publications and your impact in the research field. After 7-8 years, you either get your tenure, which is permanent or you leave. It’s either up or out.
Most of us by the time we finish our Ph.Ds, we are 27-28 and for the next 7-8 years, till we are 36 or so, we can’t do anything but focus on writing papers and for women these are the child bearing ages. That becomes very difficult for women, as they have to make a very hard choice. But now what Universities do is, if you have a child, they stop your clock, that means if the typical clock is 7 years, if you have a child you get 8 years.
Universities these days are trying very hard to find good women candidates.
SOM: Clichéd but still… Does being one among the just the two women in a faculty of 40 men bother you?
GG: I don’t think at any point of time I felt any kind of conscious discrimination or any such thing. What’s true is that you go to take classes and you notice that 90% of your professors are men. You go to a conference and 90% of the people in the room are men. And you always wonder what’s this about !
SOM: Would you have preferred more women though?
GG: Oh! Yes. From my experience I do find that women students in Harvard in the Economics Dept. talk a lot more to me, because there is more affinity and they talk about how it is like to have a career, family, a child etc.
SOM: You have been listed among the 25 Smartest Indians to look out for.
GG: (blushes) I have no idea. I am very honoured to be on that list but honestly I have no idea how they come up with that. But nevertheless I was disappointed that there were only 3 women in that list. If I was to come up with 25 bright Indians, I would come up with 50-50. I guess they are trying to reflect the overall sample and probably there were more men who were successful. I don’t really know what it means to be there.
SOM: Okay, what do you think then that makes a woman smart?
GG: Someone who has found an area that they want to be in, work extremely hard to develop an expertise that sets you apart from others. The only reason why I know my Economics well is I spend 15 hours a day studying.
What distinguishes you is hard work and then you become a person who is less indispensable, because you have created this niche for yourself.
SOM: It’s said, a woman has to work twice as hard as a man to be considered at the same level?
GG: That depends on your family situation. If you are married to a person who expects you to work hard in the house and outside of it, it can be very difficult and almost impossible. In my case I have been very fortunate that I have been married to a person who is very supportive.
What’s true though is in professions where there are fewer women than men, you have to work harder in terms of collaboration and network. May be I feel this way because of the country in which I am working. I have not had any experience of working in India in a field dominated by men.
That said, in some ways India does better. Most of the Banking Heads are women, which is not true in the US.
SOM: You had a slightly different view from C. Rangarajan on Higher tax for the super rich?
GG: What I just said was that, in general raising tax creates distortion, in the sense it affects incentives. Most of the evidences, lots of evidences in fact, we see, suggests that it’s better to make tax system more effective, reduce wastage of government expenditure by improving the quality of deliverance of government schemes. You might be better off reducing on wastages in government expenditure rather than going about introducing new taxes. And in India, the tax base in terms of leakages in the tax system is still quite high. To make it more effective is better than introducing unnecessary tax.
SOM: Did you know that BJP plans to get rid of all taxes? It’s just going to tax on bank transactions?
GG: I haven’t heard of that! This is generally called financial tax but it’s not implemented in any country so far.
SOM: You have said that a State can be a welfare State and also business friendly. How do you rate Karnataka in this context?
GG: I must confess that I haven’t gone deeply into Karnataka’s state. In Karnataka, people recognise Bangalore as an outsourcing major. It’s done well on some business indicators. But what I know is that the political situation is quite messy and that’s problematic. In fact I have some figures for you. In a publication by the World Bank and the International Finance Corporation titled ‘Doing Business in India,’ that measures business regulations and their enforcements in India (the study involved 17 cities), Karnataka stands 13th among the 17 cities which come under cities easiest to do business in India. That’s not very encouraging! Ludhiana, Hyderabad and Bhubaneshwar take the 1st, 2nd and 3rd place respectively, while Chennai, Kochi, and Kolkata take the 15th, 16th and 17th places respectively.
SOM: The fall of the Indian Rupee has come in for a lot of flak?
GG: Among the many variables that affect the value of a rupee is inflation. If you look at the rupee with reference to the dollar and compare India and the US, look at in the last 7-8 years, then inflation in India has been higher.
The other variable is growth and in that dimension India’s growth rate is much higher than the US. It’s come down now, but it’s higher than the US. And by that matrix, India’s rupee should have strengthened. But the question is, which of these two forces were stronger in terms of affecting the value of the rupee.
And when the rupee fell specifically, at that time there was reason to think that the rupee needed to lose some value given the inflation channel was very strong.
But eventually there will be a correction in the rupee. Now that combined with what’s happening externally, besides inflation and besides growth, it matters what’s happening to the interest rate in the rest of the world. When in summer the US said that they would start tapering and the interest rate will go up in the year, for an investor the US becomes more attractive to bring money back in. And we saw withdrawal of money from India going to the US. A combination of all these factors led to the weakening of the rupee. It’s very very hard to predict what will happen to the rupee over a short period of time, better predicted over a longer period of time.
SOM: But the blame was squarely on the ruling government. How fair was that?
GG: I think in this case, the last 3 years there has been a problem with governance in India. There has been a problem with governance in general always. Look at the number of government projects that have been stalled, scams have gone up, bureaucracy has come to a standstill, nobody wants to move anything using scam as excuse. It’s not unfair to blame the ruling government !
SOM: For a layman, how does the future of India seem in terms of the economics?
GG: The layman needs to realise that India’s potential is high. To get the growth to go back up from the low level right now at 4.8% to 6.6 or 7% you don’t have to do very dramatic things say like reforms, get fantastic education for all, change labour laws et al. right away. You need to do all that in the long run.
Right now simpler things like making sure that the projects get going, the ones that have been stalled, put the infrastructure in place, put the investments in place. In that sense it is simpler to engineer growth in India than let’s say in China where it is a bit over invested in infrastructure
Today’s stand is that if there is a more decisive government in power next year, that should be sufficient to get a lot of people interested in India again. So these kind of small things are enough to instil growth again in the country.
SOM: So there’s no big reason for us to feel down and out?
GG: No, the main big uncertainty is what happens next year with the elections. My hope is that even if there’s a bigger coalition but still they will be able to function and be more accepted. My only concern is, if something really messy happens with the Centre and you are going to have another election.
SOM: A photo of your parents also finds a pride of place on your desk? (Industrialist T.V. Gopinath and Viji Gopinath, who runs a Play Home in Kuvempunagar, are her parents)
GG: They are in my heart! They believed I can accomplish much more than what I thought I could. In fact I was in Science stream in PU (Mahajana’s College) and I went to study in Delhi because I wanted to do my IAS. My father called me and told me that there’s something called a President’s Gold medal if you stand first in the Delhi University, after 3 years if you scored the highest, cumulatively … I did win that…He said it as if it was so easy and I never felt it was unattainable. Then he said you should study in Harvard. They kept raising the bar every time and it also helped that my personality is such that I like challenges.
SOM: Do you like to be a role model?
GG: Yes and No. I want people to kind of look at me and see that they too can do it. I want them to see that in international matters they can look like me, an Indian woman, in the sense that I want them to get a lot of confidence.
On the other hand I don’t want them to put me up there. I never did that. I never put anyone on a pedestal.
A lot of what you want to become should come internally. It’s what drives you. One can get inspired, but there shouldn’t be a fan following ! Your strength should come from within and not from anything outside you.
SOM: It’s said Mathematicians, Economists lead a boring life?
GG: I disagree! Of course I enjoy life! Someone who looks at me from outside may find that I’m leading a boring life. I enjoy my life to the hilt. In fact the mathematicians or physicists whom I meet in Harvard lead incredibly enjoyable lives ! It’s just about the definition of enjoyment! I get time to enjoy the smaller nuances of life. Yes I’m a workaholic and I get pleasure from working, but I have time for things I like. I know as much about Bollywood as I know about Economics! Pretty amazing actually and my friends always make fun of me about that.
SOM: Mysoreans are proud of you…How proud are you as a Mysorean?
GG: I spent most of my early years here. Some of my best friends are from Nirmala Convent and they are still my best friends. I liked that I grew up in a small town. You are more empathetic, there’s a little bit more innocence in you which is good and you grow up with some basic principles…like to achieve something you have to work hard for it. I tend to derive pleasure from doing simple things and keeping it simple. So, yes, I am happy I’m from Mysore .
source: http://www.starofmysore.com / Star of Mysore / Home> Feature Articles / December 28th, 2013
Bosch India , known for its technology prowess in the automotive market, has entered the Indian consumer retail space with the launch of its first home appliance store in Bangalore. It’s also Bosch’s first retail store in the world.
“India is a very different market where you have this concept of independent brand stores. And this concept of exclusive brand stores for Bosch is unique globally,” said Michael Steinborn, director, head of business development Asia, BSH (Bosch and Siemens Home Appliances Group ).
BSH is a joint venture company that Bosch has with Siemens AG that is the largest manufacturer of home appliances in Europe and the third-largest home appliances manufacturer worldwide.
With a plan to open 10 retail stores by the end of next year across Bangalore, Mumbai, Chennai, Pune and Delhi, Bosch will be taking on the likes of South Korean majors Samsung and LG, and US-based Whirlpool, all of who have gained significant market share over the last decade.
However, Bosch is looking to tap the premium end of the market in appliances, carrying a 10% to 15% premium over its competitors. Last year, Bosch had announced an investment of around Euro 50 million to set up a manufacturing facility in Chennai for its consumer retail business, which would be operational by the end of the next year.
The retail stores will also include consumer products from the Robert Bosch Power Tools division such as garden equipments and DIY (do-it-yourself) products. The DIY segment had sales of Rs 30 crore last year. The company aims to grow the business to Rs 100 crore in the next 2 years through the consumer retail channel and exclusive DIY centres.
“On a global level, this is the first store where Bosch home appliances, power tools and security solutions will be retailed under one roof,” said Vijay Pandey, VP, Power Tools Division. Bosch entered the Indian home appliance market two years ago with a range of refrigerators, dishwashers, washing machines and dryers, but was present through organized multi-brand electronic retail channels. “Our success in India has been tremendous. At the moment we are the market leader in imported refrigerators,” added Steinborn.
By the second quarter of next year the company will launch its range of kitchen appliances such as hoods and hobs, a segment where homegrown players TTK Prestige and Pigeon dominate.
source: http://www.timesofindia.indiatimes.com / The Times of India / Home> Business> India Business / by Anshul Dhamija, TNN / December 13th, 2013
In partnership with the California-based Keck Graduate Institute, Biocon Academy – the educational arm of the pharma company – will launch the Biocon KGI Certificate Programme in Biosciences next year on January 9 in Claremont, California.
Indian pharmaceutical giant Biocon has teamed up with a top American bioscience institute to train and develop industry-ready talent for India’s rapidly growing pharma sector.
In partnership with the California-based Keck Graduate Institute, Biocon Academy – the educational arm of the pharma company – will launch the Biocon KGI Certificate Programme in Biosciences next year on January 9 in Claremont, California, a press statement said.
The 16-week course, offered in Bangalore, will leverage the industry leadership strengths of Biocon and the academic vigour of KGI to benefit participants and make them readily employable, the statement said.
India’s Biotech industry is valued at about USD 11 billion, having grown at a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of more than 20 percent over the last 10 years. At present, more than 40,000 biotech students graduate every year from more than 725 institutions across India. However, lack of hands-on trainings and practical industry exposure prevents many of these students from building a successful career in biotechnology, Shaw said.
source: http://www.moneycontrol.com / MoneyControl.com / Home> News> Business / by PTI / December 13th, 2013
Achieving another milestone in the hospitality industry, Movenpick Hotel&Spa Bangalore in India, has recently been awarded Green Globe certification. This makes it the first five-star hotel in the country to be Green Globe certified. In line with the corporate philosophy, Movenpick Hotel&Spa Bangalore has been dedicated to the preservation of a safe and healthy environment for years.
“In the tough times of today, being eco-friendly and maintaining it, is the core of all business, said Biswajit Chakraborty, General Manager at Movenpick Hotel&Spa Bangalore. “We have implemented eco-friendly practices at all levels of our operation, from people to procurement, to product and services. The core values at our property include a firm commitment to conserving resources, preventing pollution, and to act with integrity. Sustainability to us means meeting the needs of the present without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs. We are proud of our achievements, and will challenge ourselves to improve the standards, since sustainability is an ongoing process.”
The values of quality, reliability, and care are fundamental in guiding this upscale property towards best sustainable business practices. A special Green Team formed of eleven individuals from different departments, monitors the progress of eco-friendly measures, shaping and realizing the environmental goals of the hotel. The hotel uses green energy, provided by wind, and LED lighting is installed throughout all areas of the property. Waste volume, weight and reduction goals are specified, garbage is being segregated per the waste management policy of Movenpick. A reuse and recycle policy is in place and packaging is reduced to a minimum. Suppliers adhering to environmentally friendly practices, organic and certified products are favored.
As part of their CSR initiatives, Movenpick Hotel&Spa Bangalore works closely with a number of social and fund raising organizations, contributing to a positive community and environment. “Joy of Giving” is a campaign conducted every three months, and employees donate their clothes, books, and toys that are still in good condition, to fund local charities, such as the regional Snehasadan. In collaboration with the Ministry of Tourism, the hotel strongly supports Hunar Se Rozgar, a training program creating employable skills in eligible young people. Blood donation drives, relief funds, and charitable events are organized by on a regular basis.
source: http://www.forimmediaterelease.net / ForImmediateRelease.net / Home> In Accomodation / December 13th, 2013
Well-known agriculturist and technologist Devangi Prafulla Chandra passed away at a private hospital here on Wednesday due to heart attack, family sources said.
80-year-old Prafulla Chandra was popularly known as “Krishi Rushi” for his work in the areas of agriculture, energy conservation and rural development.
Prafulla Chandra, who is recipient of honorary doctorates from the University of Agricultural Sciences, Dharwar and Kuvempu University, Shimoga for his work towards technology transfer to rural development, is the brother-in-law of renowned Kannada poet and literary personality, the late Kuvempu.
He had bagged several coveted prizes and honours from number of institutions in the country and abroad like Krushi Samrat, state awards, world food day medal from the United Nations, American farmer’s award and 8 gold medals from government of India for excellence in crop production.
source: http://www.articles.timesofindia.indiatime.com / The Times of India / Home> India> Energy Conservation / PTI / December 11th, 2013
