Category Archives: Business & Economy

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5 projects have been identified for evaluation

Leading development economists and social scientists across the world are likely to take part in the formulation and evaluation of various schemes in the State in sectors such as school education, health, poverty alleviation and skill development.

To facilitate this, the State government has signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the Abdul Latif Jameel–Poverty Action Lab (J-PAL), the U.S., and the Institute for Financial Management and Research (IFMR), Chennai, the host institute for J-PAL in India, according to an official release issued on Wednesday.

The J-PAL, headquartered at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT), has more than 100 affiliated professors from top universities, including MIT, Harvard, Yale, Stanford, Princeton, London School of Economics and IIM- Ahmedabad.

Initially, five projects have been identified for evaluation — primary school education interventions, youth labour market outcomes, healthy habits to reduce the burden on non-communicable diseases, engaging women to improve breastfeeding outcomes and weekly iron folic acid supplementation and school anaemia monitoring.

The J-PAL would assist the government in building internal capacity to carry out monitoring and evaluation of the ongoing or new schemes.

The MoU was signed by S. Krishnan, Principal Secretary (Planning, Development and Special Initiatives), and Shobini Mukherji, Executive Director, J-PAL, South Asia, in the presence of Chief Minister O. Panneerselvam.

source: http://www.thehindu.com / The Hindu / Home> News> National> Tamil Nadu / by Special Correspondent / Chennai – November 20th, 2014

Tender coconut, fair and lovely

Business & Economy, Science & Technologies, World Opinion
Kaja Mohideen. PHOTO: GNANAVEL MURUGAN / The Hindu
Kaja Mohideen. PHOTO: GNANAVEL MURUGAN / The Hindu

The strong pith is removed using a machine and weight is reduced to 800 gm.

Innovation in marketing tender coconut has been his watchword. He has designed special machinery for peeling off the strong pith before despatching them to market.

The new shape of the tender coconut appears white all around – a value-addition with a new look. Its weight gets reduced from about 2 kg to less than 800 grams or so.

“The value addition mainly aims at attracting the consumers besides ensuring environment-friendly ambience at the retail sales outlets,” says Kaja Mohideen (50), referring to the growing demand for the produce in the city in the last one week since he introduced his sales.

With lightweight, it could be stocked at commercial complexes and medical shops. Using his experience of three decades in the trade, he had devised the plan of using a machinery for ‘clean coconut’.

Mr. Mohideen procures about 6,000 coconuts a week from Pollachi and a group of six workers work on the machinery peeling off the pith. Explaining the functioning of the machinery designed at Pollachi, he says adequate training had been imparted to all the workers on the task.

At the retail outlets on the pavements, the pavement vendors would be spared of the problem of collecting and disposing the waste pith.

White tender coconuts kept ready for sale. PHOTO: GNANAVEL MURUGAN / The Hindu
White tender coconuts kept ready for sale. PHOTO: GNANAVEL MURUGAN / The Hindu

Export-oriented

Apart from local market, he has explored the possibility of exporting it the tender coconut to Australia. “There has been a growing demand for coconut in Australia. The container with a capacity for 6,000 tender coconuts would reach Australia by sea within 20 days from Chennai,” he says.

To attract customers, he has fixed the price per coconut at Rs. 20. “My investment on the machinery is Rs. 90,000 and I have to incur a huge expenditure for purchasing the coconut from Pollachi,” Mr. Mohideen added.

source: http://www.thehindu.com / The Hindu / Home> News> Cities> Tiruchirapalli / by Special Correspondent / Tiruchi – November 10th, 2014

The street of coconut leaf weavers

Business & Economy, Historical Links, Pre-Independence

Madurai :

Thennolaikara Theru is a place of quietness and old-world charm, despite being nestled against chaotic city roads. The main road branches out into three lanes, which are immaculately kept. Instead of commercial buildings which have become the usual sight in many streets of the old city, residential buildings fill the place. Many of these houses are concrete structures. But during ancient times, when thatched roofs dominated the scene, Thennolaikara Theru used to be an important place of business. “Thennolai” means coconut leaves, and the street used to harbor workers and artisans who weaved coconut leaves for thatched houses.

92-year-old M V Mani who owns a utensils renting shop in adjacent Chinnakadai street narrates the legend. It is believed that during the Nayak era or earlier, there were many people living in Thennolaikara Theru who used to provide thatches of weaved coconut leaves. Besides the weavers, there were also people who were experts at thatching houses, he said.

“Most houses in those days were thatched houses in fringes of city areas and there was always demand for coconut leaf thatches. Even when I was young, many houses in city were either thatched ones or tiled houses”, he recalled.

However, he has not encountered anyone making thatched roofs in the Theru during his days. “But there were few people who used to take up ‘bhandal’ contracts who lived in the street,” he said. Most residents were from Thevar community in those days but street has a mixed population now, he commented. P M Muruganandam, 45, remarks that he may be the last one of bandhal contractors in that street. And the story is similar to that of many streets which have lost their unique flavour as history took its course. “Many migrated over the period and there are all sorts of communities living together here,” he said.

Although the coconut leaf weavers have vanished over time, the street still has its fair share of artisans. Instead of house builders, temple builders throng the place now as craftsmen specialized in creating stucco works are plenty available in the area. According to Muruganandam, there are at least 30 artisans in the street who make objects like the figures we see on temple towers. “They are always in demand as people are constantly building and renovating temples here,” he said.

source: http://www.timesofindia.indiatimes.com / The Times of India / Home> City> Madurai / TNN / November 16th, 2014

HIDDEN HISTORIES – Made in Madras

Business & Economy, Historical Links, Pre-Independence, Records, All

“Make in India” may be the buzz now, but there was a time when ‘to make in Madras’ meant fighting vested interests. The accompanying advertisement may bring old memories — of pencils such as Kohinoor, Ajantha and Spectrum, all sold by V. Perumal Chetty & Sons, and manufactured at their Madras Pencil Factory. That factory closed in the 1990s, but it had a history that stretched to a time when ‘make in Madras’ was considered possible.

MadeinMadrasCF16nov2014

It was sometime in 1899 that the Madras government got Alfred Chatterton, of the College of Engineering, to study the potential to set up industries. He did pioneering work in this area, first demonstrating that aluminium could be used in place of brass and copper to make vessels. That effort led to the Indian Aluminium Company (INDAL). The established business houses of Madras, all British-owned, were not happy with this. They were comfortable exporting raw materials to Britain and importing finished goods. Local industrial development they felt would mean Indians would take to it, thereby threatening them with competition.

But Chatterton was undeterred. In 1908, he convinced the Government of Madras to set up a Department of Industries, a first for the entire country. The Swadesi movement led by patriots such as V.O. Chidambaram Pillai was gaining ground then. Chatterton openly sided with the Swadesi Movement, declaring it “a good sign for India to develop her industrial life” and “Madras to rid itself of its character of an overstocked market of literacy employment”. His colleague Frederick Nicholson went a step further, stating that in the matter of Indian industries, “we are bound to consider Indian interests — firstly, secondly and thirdly — I mean by firstly, that local raw products should be utilised; by secondly that industries should be introduced and by thirdly, the profits of such industry should remain in the country.”

Both Chatterton and Nicholson felt that the government would need to set up small industries, which could then be sold to Indians to run. Nicholson established the Fisheries Department and created the Lalita Soap Works in Madras. Chatterton founded the Government (later Madras) Pencil Factory at Korukkupet. He imported wood from East Africa for the pencils and ran advertisements with a strong nationalist slant as you can see, to drum up business.

The business houses of Madras lobbied hard through the Madras Chamber of Commerce and got the Department of Industries closed in 1910. It was only after repeated protests by Indians in the Madras Legislative Council that it was reinstated in 1914. Its resurrection was celebrated with a Madras Industries Exhibition organised by the Department.

The Government operated the pencil factory till 1918 and then put it up for sale. A syndicate of Komati Chettys of Madras, led by the Perumal Chetty clan, bought it and the rest is history. Chatterton and Nicholson were knighted, which is not the kind of reward that civil servants would get today if they went against the establishment for the sake of public interest.

source: http://www.thehindu.com / The Hindu / Home> Features> MetroPlus> Society / by Sriram V / Chennai – November 16th, 2014

Double Decker Auto Freight Train may Decongest Roads

Business & Economy
The double decker automobile freight train which was flagged off by Railway Minister Sadananda Gowda on Friday | S Dinesh
The double decker automobile freight train which was flagged off by Railway Minister Sadananda Gowda on Friday | S Dinesh

Vellore :

The double-deck train, inaugurated on Friday for transporting automobiles, has opened up an alternative transportation model for automobile manufacturers. The automobile hubs in the country will be connected through an automobile freight train.

The cost effective transportation will reduce pollution and congestion on the roads once it is expanded to cover automobile hubs such as Chennai. It will also reduce the duration of transportation from the manufacturing unit to the delivery point, besides reducing the damage to finished cars during transportation.

The train was designed by Railway Design and Standards Organisation and built by TEXMACO wagon manufacturer based in Kolkata, said officials of Southern Railways. “We have received orders to manufacture two more rakes, each consisting of 28 bogies. It can be used to transport different models of cars. The demand for such models will multiply in the near future. We will be able to manufacture a rake in a month,” CEO of TEXMACO Sandeep Fuller told Express.

APL Logistics VASCOR Automotive has rolled out the first automotive double-deck train with around 280 finished vehicles at Melpakkam. It will reach the multi-modal logistics park of Container Corporation of India at Khatuwas near Delhi next week. The train will be operated fortnightly between Chennai and New Delhi.

The unique door-to-door service covers the entire supply chain from the assembly line to distribution centre and finally to the dealership floor, said Bill Garratt, CEO of VASCOR Ltd.

He added that they would increase the frequency of train service and more destinations would be added to the network in the coming months.

Member Traffic Railways D P Pande said, “We need 100 rakes by 2020. We can transport only 25 percent of the finished cars by the automobile companies in the country using 100 rakes.”

source: http://www.newindianexpress.com / The New Indian Express / Home> States> Tamil Nadu / by J. Shanmuga Sundaram / November 09th, 2014

CIBA’s experiment on mullet proves a success

Business & Economy, Nature, Records, All

MulletANDHRA13nov2014

The cultivation period of the fish, which is considered an alternative variety to shrimp, was brought down from one year to barely seven months

The Central Institute of Brackishwater Aquaculture (CIBA), Chennai, in collaboration with Nagayalanka-based progressive farmer has scripted a success story by bringing down the cultivation period of Gold Mullet (Liza Parsia) and Grey Mullet (Mugil Cephalus) fish with the help of ‘formulated feed’.

The feed was developed by the CIBA and tested for the first time in Nagayalanka in Andhra Pradesh in the country. The cultivation period of the fish, which is considered an alternative variety to shrimp, was brought down from one year to barely seven months, drawing the attention of the worried shrimp farmers.

On Wednesday, CIBA Principal Scientists K. Ambasankar and J. Syama Dayal came with up their findings following harvesting of the mullet species on an acre of pond here.

The seed grown in the pond was collected from estuary and brackish water canals.

“Findings of our research on cultivation of the spices indicate disease free and high rate of survival of the seed, apart from very low input cost,” Mr. Syama Dayal told The Hindu. However, the CIBA scientists experimented on these two species in their quest to come out with alternative to the shrimp, which was driving the farmer into irreparable loss in recent years.

Experiment

“The experiment on Liza Parsia and Mugil Cephalus in abandoned ponds where earlier shrimp was cultivated is a way for those failed to reap profits in shrimp cultivation. Farmers have already begun slowly inquiring about details such as input cost,” said Mr. Ambasankar.

Beyond expectations

According to Raghu Sekhar who cultivated the fish in his pond, growth of the mullet species was beyond expectations, wooing other farmers to try their luck. “No disease is found during the seven-month cultivation period, withstanding changes in the weather and the soil of the pond,” added Mr. Sekhar.

Given the market value for value added to the Mullet Roe (egg) of the species, European countries and Japan are importing it in a large scale.

On the other hand, the CIBA was engaged in developing seed of the mullet species by the end 2016, according to scientists.

source: http://www.thehindu.com / The Hindu / Home> News> Cities> Vijayawada / by T. Appala Naidu / Nagayalanka – November 13th, 2014

An in-house force charting an affordable way

Business & Economy, Inspiration/ Positive News and Features, Science & Technologies

 

The 24-year-old is planning to make a venture out of a low-cost electric mobility scooter, a design improvised from existing models by his father. Photo: M. Moorthy / The Hindu
The 24-year-old is planning to make a venture out of a low-cost electric mobility scooter, a design improvised from existing models by his father. Photo: M. Moorthy / The Hindu
Naidhroven and his father, who have congenital muscular dystrophy, are working at making mobility devices affordable

As soon as Naidhroven A. sees a visitor approaching his house, from his first floor balcony, he quickly descends in a customised lift.

The 24-year-old and his father, R. Aravamudan (60), who were diagnosed with congenital muscular dystrophy, are working at making mobility devices affordable.

A battery-operated electric mobility scooter that Naidhroven uses to move around the house was put together by his father. While Mr. Aravamudan has built the prototype scooter, Naidhroven is soon planning to make them available commercially, at low cost.

When Mr. Aravamudan could no longer walk after a fall, he decided to build a scooter at home instead of buying an expensive one for himself. “My dad could not walk after 2010 and wanted a scooter that was tailor-made. I had a fall in 2012,” said Naidhroven, who has completed his MBA.

Mr. Aravamudan who runs an electrocardiogram machine-making business unit from home said he was able to cut costs by using locally-sourced materials. “Videos on YouTube were of great help when I was starting,” he said, adding that his background in electronics engineering and an interest in automobiles and mechanics helped to a great extent.

Naidhroven said they spent between Rs. 8,000-10,000 to build the basic prototype that they use. “The imported models were quite expensive; so, my father started making the scooters to fulfil our needs. We then thought that we could help others as well,” he said, adding that the designs themselves are not new, and were improvised from existing ones. “We outsourced processes that required certain expensive machines, and assembled it at home,” he said.

Naidhroven is raising funds for the commercial venture through a bank loan as well as through Indiegogo, a crowd-funding platform. “I want to develop a low-cost scooter that can be controlled using a mobile application and also low-cost wheelchairs that can be used to climb stairs,” Naidhroven said.

He uses two variants of the scooter, modified for indoor and outdoor use.

Radha Aravamudan, Naidhroven’s mother, said they have not bought mass-marketed assistive devices, and have instead tried to make similar ones at home for themselves in order to be independent.

Naidhroven can be reached at naidhro@gmail.com.

source: http://www.thehindu.com / The Hindu / Home> News> Cities> Chennai> Society / by Asha Sridhar / November 10th, 2014

Aachi’s Lab a Boon to Operators

Business & Economy, Science & Technologies

AachiCF08nov2014

Chennai :

Aachi group launched a state-of-the-art comercial food testing labaratory, Scientific Food Testing Services (STFS), recently.

The laboratory, which is located in Anna Nagar is a boon to all manufacturers and operators in Tamil Nadu and nearby towns, said a press release.

STFS was inaugurated by Dr K Alagusundaram, Deputy Director General, Indian Council for Agricultureal Research (ICAR).

He also released the first copy of information handbook and brochure of Scientific Food Testing Services. The vote of thanks was delivered by Abishek Abraham, executive director, Aachi group.

source: http://www.newindianexpress.com / The New Indian Express / Home> Cities> Chennai / by Express News Service / November 08th, 2014

Former IAS officer V. Sundaram passes away

Business & Economy, Leaders, Records, All

V. Sundaram, former Indian Administrative Service (IAS) officer who became prominent after his controversial stand on the coal import issue in the early 1990s, died at his residence in Chennai in the early hours of Friday after a brief illness.

He was 72. He is survived by three daughters.

A native of Tiruchi, Mr. Sundaram was a post-graduate in economics from the Delhi University. He briefly worked in the University before joining the IAS in 1965 at the age of 23 years.

He served as Collector of the undivided Tirunelveli in the mid-1970s and subsequently, became the first Chairman of the Tuticorin Port Trust.

source: http: thehindu.com  / The Hindu / Home> News> Cities> Chennai / by Special Correspondent / Chennai – November 07th, 2014

Chennai lab to help set up Botswana leather park

Business & Economy, Science & Technologies, World Opinion

Chennai :

Several African countries have been taking advantage of India’s expertise in the leather sector and the latest to join the bandwagon is Botswana. Scientists from Chennai-based Central Leather Research Institute (CLRI), who have already been offering expertise to the governments of Sudan, Egypt and Ethiopia, will now help establish a leather park in the land-locked country in southern Africa.

A survey will be conducted and a feasibility report submitted. CLRI bagged the project based on a proposal sent to the government of Botswana three months ago.

“It is a $30,000 project. The park the Botswana government will be setting up would be a full-fledged industrial complex. It will be similar to the one we have in Kolkata but in terms of size, it will be smaller than the one we have here,” said Dr B Chandrasekaran, chief scientist, Centre for Human and Organisational Resources Development, CLRI.

He said a team of experts from the CLRI would conduct a large-scale survey in the African country and a feasibility report would be submitted to its government in three months time. “It is basically taking stock of the situation. The survey will include the animal and human population, meat-eating habits, raw material use, import and export of hides (animal skin), machinery, manpower and status of industries. The report will also suggest suitable location and all that is needed to set up an integrated park,” said Chandrasekaran.

CLRI has already been providing advice to other African countries, including Ethiopia, where they have been working on an 24.4 crore project to develop a leather Institute. They have also offered expertise in developing academic curriculum and investments in the field in Egypt and Sudan.

“Manpower in India and China is no more cheaper and manufacturers are looking to Africa as the next hub. That is the case in any sector. In Botswana, too, we can, in the future, play a role in establishing institutions for manpower development for the park,” Chandrasekaran said and added that offering expertise would also help in expanding India’s commercial relations.

source: http://www.timesofindia.indiatimes.com / The Times of India / Home> City> Chennai / by U. Tenonmayam, TNN / November 04th, 2014