Caravan Craft Retail (CCRPL), a single brand retail venture committed to the revival and promotion of Indian craft and providing meaningful livelihood to the country’s artisans opened its first store in Phoenix Market City, Whitefield Bangalore.
The products at the store combine contemporary functional design and traditional craft forms in a unique collection. Silhouettes and colour palettes aligned with international trends are blended with authentic, hand-painted Kalamkari to create graceful and elegant tunics and tops for women. Tastefully hand-embroidered pieces make a distinct departure from the usual kitsch associated with Indian craft. The finest Muslin from Bengal gives the apparel a sensuous feel.
An exquisite limited edition jewellery collection combines Dhokra with Silver and Cubic Zirconia (CZ). This collection displays one of the finest demonstrations of Indian craftsmanship. Each piece is a complex and intricate fusion of different materials and technical detail.
The fusion of technology with craft is another interesting direction the brand has taken. USB memory sticks and digital photo frames adorned with Bidri Silver inlay are exclusive. Caravan had made a conscious attempt to marry contemporary needs of a modern discerning customer and the rich heritage of Indian craft. The venture is funded by Unitus Seed Fund and NSDC (National Skill Development Corporation).
source: http://www.fashionunited.in / Fashion United / Home / Friday – 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
Suma Prakash and Suma Dinesh at their newly-opened office Flames in city.
Mysore :
Eleanor Roosevelt, wife of the former US President Franklin D. Roosevelt and a human rights activist who was renowned as the First Lady of the World has once beautifully said about women that ‘a woman is like a tea bag – you can’t tell how strong she is until you put her in hot water.’
The saying speaks volumes about a woman’s endless capabilities that make her special. And what could be the strength of women power when two delightfully energetic women join hands together? Needless to say, they can achieve wonders. Want a of for the same? Here is one:
Meet the entrepreneur-duo Suma Prakash and Suma Dinesh from city whose story could inspire many a young aspiring entrepreneurs. The ladies who are into the business of event management since almost a decade now, set up their firm named Flames about 9 years ago, not just with a view to start up something different but also to make it big as entrepreneurs in a world so full of challenges.
What started as an initiative taken during kitty parties, ladies club celebrations or simple events in their own children’s school soon became a passion and a way of life for the two. “Back then, when event management itself was little known to the people of Mysore, we had a very difficult time convincing people as to what we were actually into,” recalls Suma Prakash, adding: “but we took every small, big and challenging opportunity that came our way and strived for perfection with every event that we organised. The journey started there and there has been no looking back since then.”
Explaining that they have organised about 100 weddings and over 200 other kinds of events such as birthday parties, baby showers, corporate events and more, Suma Dinesh says, “When we initially started it, it was a major challenge, especially because it is just us two women who ran up and down to plan and organise everything. But now, we are so well versed and have such cooperative people associated with us that it has all become really easy for us now.”
And according to both the ladies, the credit goes to their respective families which they say have thoroughly cooperated with them from day one. “It is no easy thing to let all things at your home haywire and reach out to perfectly organise someone else’s big day. There have been times at which we have both reached homes at almost 1 in the night, yet our families did not object even a single bit and thus been our biggest strengths.
Suma & Suma have constantly persevered to achieve professionalism, perfection and utmost customer satisfaction, with an endeavour to serve their clients better.
“Today, we feel extremely happy when people compliment us for the way we organise events, especially weddings. And each time a wedding gets over, we feel like we have achieved something special.
The ladies have newly opened an office of their own on city’s Valmiki Road in V.V. Mohalla. For details call: You can contact them on: 98866-19954 or 98452-71051.
— AN
source: http://www.starofmysore.com / Star of Mysore / Home> Feature Articles / December 22nd, 2013
S.R. Subba Rao, President of the prestigious National Institute of Engineering (NIE), Mysore and the Chairman of NIE Governing Council, passed away yesterday night at a private hospital following a brief illness. He was 90.
A resident of Saraswathipuram in city, he leaves behind his son Gurudatt, an Environmental Consultant, daughter Jayashree Srinath, grand and great-grand children. Last rites will be held on Friday (Dec. 20) at 12 noon at the foot of Chamundi Hill.
Condoled: The Board of Management, Principal and the staff of the National Institute of Engineering and NIE Group of Institutions have condoled the sad demise of Subba Rao.
Born on Aug. 29, 1923 as the third son of late S. Ramaswamy (who was one of the three founders of NIE), S.R. Subba Rao was a Civil Engineer. He had served in various departments during the erstwhile Bombay State and Mysore State including Bangalore City Corporation, Bangalore Water Supply and Sewage Board, Public Health Engineering Department and Major Irrigation Department before retiring as the Superintending Engineer in 1980. He was one of the blue-eyed officers of former CM late D. Devaraj Urs.
He was in-charge of many major projects related to construction of roads, bridges and planning, designing and execution of rural and water supply schemes including the 2nd and the 3rd stages of improvement schemes of the Mysore city water supply.
Subba Rao was a Fellow of the Institution of Engineers (India) and Chairman of its Mysore Local Centre during 1984-86. He was also the Governing member of Anathalaya founded by the great Thathaiah since 1983.
As the President of a housing society, he was instrumental in the formation, development and distribution of 500 residential sites named as Niveditha Nagar in city.
He was also the Vice-President of the Association of Management of Aided Engineering Colleges in Karnataka. He was a Rotarian for over 30 years. At NIE, he served in various capacities as Director, Treasurer, Secretary, Vice-President and President for the past four decades. His contribution to the growth of NIE was immense.
source: http://www.starofmysore.com / Star of Mysore / Home> General News / December 18th, 2013
Wipro Ltd. (NYSE:WIT), a leading global Information Technology, Consulting and Outsourcing company today announced that it has been recognized as a role model organization by the Helen Keller awards. The National Centre for Promotion of Employment for Disabled People (NCPEDP) also conferred the 15th Hellen Keller Award to Wipro employee, Ankit Rajiv Jindal.
Instituted in 1999, every year the NCPEDP-Shell Helen Keller awards honors individuals or organizations who are working towards helping people with disabilities find positions of equality and dignity in the workplace.
Wipro has been hiring persons with disabilities and providing them with necessary support on an individual basis to help them realize their potential, for many years now. The company has also supported employees who may have sustained disability during the course of their employment and provided them with necessary support to enable them to continue their work adequately. Inspired by the UN/DPI theme “Nothing about us without us”, Wipro is now consciously involving persons with disabilities in reviewing, re-designing and sustaining the company’s “Persons with Disabilities” charter.
Ankit Rajiv Jindal is the first marketing manager with visual impairment at Wipro and was hired from Faculty of management Studies, Delhi University in 2011. Technology has been a great enabler and equalizer for Ankit who leverages it extensively to perform his work and personal tasks.
Isaac George, Vice-President and Human Resources Head, Wipro Infotech said, “It is a matter of immense pride that Wipro has won the NCPEDP-Shell Helen Keller Award under the Category: Role Model Companies/Organizations. Wipro currently employs over 450 persons with disabilities. Many functions have collaborated to create the opportunity for them to pursue mainstream careers through a supporting framework of accessible software applications, physical infrastructure, policies, training and culture building initiatives. This reflects the importance that Wipro accords inclusion, and this award recognizes the spirit of all Wiproites who joined hands to create a more inclusive workplace.”
source: http://www.indiaeducationdiary.in / India Education Diary.com / Home / Report by India Education Bureau, Bangalore / Saturday – December 14th, 2013
Union minister for petroleum and natural Gas M Veerappa Moily on Saturday dedicated the Mangalore Refinery and Petrochemicals Ltd (MPRL) single point mooring and allied facilities to the nation at Tannirbhavi near here.
MRPL has set up the SPM in the high seas, 17-km off the Tannirbavi coast, along with a coastal booster pumping station at a cost of over Rs1,000 crore and commenced operations following trial runs since August.
The SPM, a buoy in the high seas will enable MRPL to ship in crude parcels on very large crude carriers (VLCC) which will provide freight economies and also optimize on logistics. This will also help MRPL source West African and Latin American crudes which provide cost advantages. Additionally, Indian Strategic Petroleum Reserve Ltd, which has its underground caverns at Mangalore and Paddur, will also benefit from this facility.
P P Upadhya, managing director, MRPL, said SPM will vastly decongest oil jetties at New Mangalore Port and enable MRPL to receive all types of crudes that VLCC can transport. “One can expect these VLCCs to discharge crude at the rate of 10,000 kilo litres per hour,” he said, adding that the entire crude parcel contained in such vessels can be discharged in 36 hours. Such discharged crude will go to both MPRL and ISRPL facilities, he said.
MRPL will be in a position to receive 13 million tonnes of its annual crude refining capacity of 15 million tonnes from VLCCs and the remaining 1.5-2 million tonnes on board smaller vessels. The draft of 31 metres on the high seas makes it easier for VLCCs to discharge crude there as against the 14-metre draft available at the oil jetties at NMP. “The smaller vessels will still berth at these oil jetties and not discharge crude at SPM,” he added.
Batting for SPM technology, Moily said: “I have seen this in operation in Jamnagar with Reliance, Essar and IOCL receiving their crude parcels there.” Moily allayed fears of an oil spill out on the high seas as the technology is tried and tested that the rest of the world is using for a long time.
Turbulent sea condition during monsoon might prove to be a small impediment to use SPM and might witness some delay, Upadhya said.
source: http://www.articles.timesofindia.indiatimes.com / The Times of India / Home> City> Mangalore> Mrpl / TNN / December 08th, 2013
Leading Indian bioinformatics firm Strand Life Sciences has tied up with the US-based El Camino Hospital to set up a centre for genomics and personalised medicine in San Francisco, the city-based company said Saturday.
“The centre at the genomics medicine institute of the hospital in the Bay area of San Francisco will conduct genomic tests in cardiology and oncology for the local community, which has been an early adopter of technology solutions,” Strand chief executive Vijay Chandru said in a statement here.
Bioinformatics uses computer science, mathematics and engineering to process and analyse complex biological data such as genetic codes.
A joint agreement was signed by Chandru and El Camino hospital chief medical officer Eric A. Pifer here Dec 4 in the presence of visiting San Francisco mayor Edwin M Lee and delegates from the hospital and Palo Alto Medical Foundation, as part of the San Francisco-Bangalore sister city initiative.
The pact also envisages early adoption of next generation sequencing based research panels and counselling services by doctors at El Camino hospital and its partner clinics.
“The centre will provide genomics-based analysis and interpretation for improved health outcomes. Our team of 200 scientists and researchers are already working here to create solutions in genomics and personalised medicine,” Chandru said on the occasion.
The genomics medicine institute has been engaged in continuing education in genomics for physicians and genetic counselling of patients.
“Our hospital is known for South Asian heart study, which addresses the disproportionate risk of cardiac disease seen in the South Asian population located in the Bay Area,” Pifer said in the statement.
As a pioneer in delivering clinical genomics solutions for healthcare institutions in India, Strand combines visualisation, predictive systems modelling, data integration and scientific content management.
Ranked among top next generation sequencing informatics providers, Strand is a portfolio company of Biomark Capital Partners, a San Francisco based global fund for health and life sciences.
source: http://www.articles.timesofindia.indiatimes.com / The Times of India / Home> Science / by IANS / December 07th, 2013
A cake replica of Lalitha Mahal Palace displayed at Loyal World, V.V. Mohalla. Picture right shows the actual architectural marvel — Lalitha Mahal Palace.
Mysore :
Chefs and bakers of Loyal World Aroma Bakery at Vontikoppal in city, inspired by the architectural beauty of Lalitha Mahal Palace have prepared a replica of the structure in the form of a cake.
Toiling for about 28 days, the team of chefs and bakers completed the cake at the cost of Rs. 1.35 lakh, weighing about 548 kgs and measuring six and a half feet tall and five and a half feet wide.
Imran Khan, Bakery Manager, said that the bakery prepares and displays such structures in the form of cakes especially during Christmas and New Year seasons.
This year, the Lalitha Mahal Palace was chosen for its architectural marvel.
The replica, created by chefs Lal, Shaneesh, Ramesh, Irshad, Ashok,Jasmir, Rangaswamy, Rashid and Mahender will be on display at Loyal World, V.V. Mohalla, till Dec. 31.
source: http://www.starofmysore.com / Star of Mysore / Home> General News / December 16th, 2013
She cringed at her first taste of wine as a child. But an encounter with Michel Rolland, the Bordeaux-based oenologist at the age of 16, effected a change. “Michel has had a phenomenal influence on my career. I began following him around in vineyards, taking in everything he was saying, fascinated,” she says.
Grover decided to study viticulture and oenology, with a minor in managerial economics from the University of California, Davis. She also did an internship at Cakebread Cellars in Napa Valley.
“Wine is an integral part of my upbringing, but I wanted to take my legacy to new heights,” she says. Unlike her contemporaries, Grover decided to focus on quality control in winemaking, and started at the bottom of the rung as an assistant wine maker.
Her day begins at 7 am during the peak season (between February and May) in the Nandi Hills estate. She inspects grapes, checks the fermentation process and decides how to sort the wine into different categories. “Much of the day goes in walking and it gets pretty tiring.” As a new winery has opened in Nasik, Grover’s time is divided between the two cities.
The hardest part of her job is people management. “In the States, smaller tasks are often automated with someone to supervise the machines. I only have to deal with people at higher levels. Here, I have to interact with everyone, from the grape-picker to the highest executive. It gets overwhelming,” she observes. That said, her India experience has boosted her confidence. “The eagerness here is refreshing. Every day is a different challenge.”
A 12-hour day ends with Grover thoroughly exhausted but satisfied. “I usually take a walk near my house to clear my head. It helps me relax.” She lives in Yelahanka so she doesn’t drive into the city often, and draws solace from her never-ending vineyards.
source: http://www.bangaloremirror.com / Bangalore Mirror / Home> Columns> Work / by Sindhuja Balaji, Bangalore Mirror Bureau / December 07th, 2013
Industry body Bangalore Chamber of Industry and Commerce (BCIC), with the support of the state government, is organizing the first Karnataka Economic Summit beginning December 16.
Conceptualized to be a recurring annual event, the two-day summit will discuss, debate, understand and propose solutions to Karnataka’s economic issues.
“The idea is to look at solutions to the issues that are facing the state with an objective to develop thought leadership and initiatives to propel the state in to a higher growth orbit,” said H V Harish, president, BCIC.
He added that the big picture of the summit was to closely examine the state’s economic performance. “The focus is not industry alone, but industry as an element of the economy,” he said. Some of the key economic focus areas that the summit would touch upon include, governance, urbanization, infrastructure, and social infrastructure.
Global consultancy firm Deloitte will bring out a white paper that compares Karnataka with other states on parameters such as infrastructure, investment opportunities, human resource and skill sets availability, ease of doing business, and taxation policy.
Former state bureaucrat A Ravindra, now chairman of Centre for Sustainable Development, said that the summit also would discuss ways to spread urban development to other regions in the state such as Hubli-Dharwad, Mysore, and Belgaum.
“We don’t just want to close the summit with a good set of conversations that are intellectually stimulating. We would request the government to set up a project management office, which will work along with BCIC to try and implement some of the measures emanating out of the summit,” said S Vaitheeswaran, MD, Manipal Global Education Services.
source: http://www.timesofindia.indiatimes.com / The Times of India / Home> Business> India Business / by Anshul Dhamija, TNN / December 07th, 2013
