Category Archives: Business & Economy

Humans of Chennai: Driven by dignity and divinity

Business & Economy, Inspiration/ Positive News and Features

Life has been a rough ride for Subhashini, but sitting in her three-wheeler, driving and owning the lanes of the city, she has shut all stereotypes.

Subhashini began driving an auto rickshaw in 2016. (EPS | Ashwin Prasath)
Subhashini began driving an auto rickshaw in 2016. (EPS | Ashwin Prasath)

Chennai  :

Four years back, my husband in his drunken state poured kerosene on me and the moment he threw his cigarette at me, my velvet nightie caught fire. I woke up in the hospital. I knew that I had to get better and live for my children. My husband had borrowed money from many people and blew it all up on alcohol. They began pestering us to repay. He couldn’t handle it so he fled three years back and left me and the children to deal with them.

I knew that running away would not help. I had to think of my children’s wellbeing. So I decided to work. I worked at a jewellery store but I realised that the work would not suit me as the timings were not flexible and the pay was meagre.

At this point, I was staying with my family. One day I asked my nephew to teach me how to drive. My uncle overheard this and volunteered to teach me thinking I was learning to pass time. What he didn’t realise was I was going to do it as a job.

The moment I learned how to drive, I told my family that I wanted to do it full-time. There was a lot of resistance. They called it ‘a man’s job’ and one that would ‘bring shame to the family’. But to me, it was like any other job. If I can clean bathrooms and do housekeeping in someone else’s house, why couldn’t I drive? I didn’t see any shame in doing this.

In fact, everything I am today is because of this three-wheeler. It has given me the confidence to live life on my own terms. It has made me believe that I do not need a man to support me. I am capable of providing for my children and myself. I live away from my family now and have no contact with either them or my husband.

My world now revolves around my children. I wake up every day at 4 am to finish all the household chores and send my kids off to school while also ensuring they have something substantial to eat for lunch. I eat breakfast and leave at around 9 am and try to get home by 8 pm-9 pm. I do not eat anything in between. But what is hard is that there is no bathroom for my use. I have to control my water intake to ensure that I do not have the urge to use the bathroom because public toilets are filthy and I cannot afford to fall sick. But I think my habits recently led to me having appendicitis. It was painful, but again, I knew I had to snap out of it soon because I need to pay back the loans and send my children to school.

I don’t get time to do much because of my packed schedule, but whenever I have time, I love to paint my nails. Pink is my favourite colour and it makes me feel fearless and feminine at the same time.

This year, only my daughter will be attending school as she is in class 12. I had to pull my son out of school because I didn’t have enough money to spend on both their education. As a mother, it really hurts me to pick between my children because I want to treat them equally, but circumstances are such that I had no option.

I feel God has blessed me through tough times and will help me through this as well. Listening to hymns while driving my auto and fills me with a sense of calm. Maybe he will send us an angel who will help us through these trying times. Even if it is a little bit of monetary help, it will go a long way because I can take care of my other expenses, but repaying the loans takes up a large chunk of what I earn.

I want to urge women who might be in tough financial situations or unhappy marriages to consider taking this as a profession because it is empowering. I will teach them free of charge because it gives a way to earn with dignity and has the potential to change lives, just like it changed mine.

source: http://www.newindianexpress.com / The New Indian Express / Home> Cities> Chennai / by Dia Rekhi / Express News Service / April 30th, 2019

RGGGH develops hand sanitiser, saves ₹31 lakh a year

Business & Economy, Education, Green Initiatives/ Environment, Records, All, Science & Technologies

The product is now being used in all its intensive care units, fever wards and isolation wards

An indigenously prepared hand sanitiser has turned profitable for the Rajiv Gandhi Government General Hospital (RGGGH). The largest public sector hospital in the city is all set to save nearly ₹31 lakh every year, after its own alcohol-based hand sanitiser was introduced in many units a few months ago.

Prepared in its own backyard by the College of Pharmacy (Madras Medical College), the hand sanitiser is now being used in all intensive care units, fever wards and isolation wards, such as for H1N1 influenza cases.

“Hand sanitisers are an important aspect of a health facility, particularly to a tertiary centre like us. On one hand, we have 12,000 outpatients visiting the hospital every day and another as 3,500 inpatients. On the other hand, we have a large population of medical professionals, including undergraduates, interns, surgeons and professors. It is vital to prevent hospital-acquired cross infections, and hence, we came up with the idea of developing our own hand sanitiser,” said R. Jayanthi, dean of RGGGH and MMC.

Reduced costs

Till February, when the in-house sanitiser was rolled out, RGGGH purchased commercially available hand sanitisers. The hospital’s monthly requirement was 1,000 units of 500 ml bottles; the annual requirement being 12,000 bottles. The cost of the marketed products ranged from ₹290 to ₹433 per 500 ml.

“The cost of procuring 12,000 bottles of a marketed product, considering an average cost of ₹341 is ₹40,92,000. Our hand sanitiser costs ₹82, inclusive of packing. So, the total cost for 12,000 bottles is ₹9,84,000. We will save ₹31,08,000 per year,” she said.

While this helped in cutting down cost, the hand sanitisers also reduced the need for using water for washing hands at a time of scarcity and it could easily be taken to different wards, Dr. Jayanthi said.

Jerard Suresh, principal, College of Pharmacy, MMC, said they prepared nearly 200 litres per batch of the lemon grass-scented hand sanitiser. It was tested for dermatological safety by the institute’s Department of Dermatology and efficacy against microbes by the Department of Microbiology.

Dr. Jayanthi said once they improve the capacity to make more, the hand sanitiser would be made available in the general wards of RGGGH. “Once we are self-sustained, we have plans to provide it for other government institutions. For this, we need licence and we are at it,” she said.

source: http://www.thehindu.com / The Hindu / Home> News> Cities> Chennai / by Serena Josephine M / Chennai – April 27th, 2019

Global conference on retinal care and ophthalmic services

Business & Economy, Science & Technologies, World Opinion

The ninth edition of Reticon, an annual conference on retina surgery, was organised by Dr Agarwal’s Eye Hospitals, on Sunday at ITC Grand Chola, Guindy.

Around 600 delegates were part of Reticon 2019  Ashwin Prasath
Around 600 delegates were part of Reticon 2019  Ashwin Prasath

Chennai :

The ninth edition of Reticon, an annual conference on retina surgery, was organised by Dr Agarwal’s Eye Hospitals, on Sunday at ITC Grand Chola, Guindy.

The event was inaugurated by the Governor of Tamil Nadu, Banwarilal Purohit. “New technology offers a significant improvement in treatment. Expert ophthalmic care, which is in your own hands, can mitigate the increase of retinal diseases,” said the Governor in his speech.

This year’s conference saw  the participation of 600 delegates — all retinal specialists — from both India and abroad. “The idea of Reticon is to educate all. We have brought in top faculty members from across the country for this event, and I thank the delegates for their support,” said Amar Agarwal, director, Dr Agarwal’s Eye Hospitals. The foreign guest faculty member at the event was Dr Sunir Garg, professor of Ophthalmology, Thomas Jefferson University.

Panel discussions were conducted, and surgeries that were being conducted at Dr Agarwal’s Eye Hospitals were live streamed. Surgeries such as Macular Hole Surgery, Diabetic Retinopathy, and IOL Drop were conducted and telecast live.

source: http://www.newindianexpress.com / The New Indian Express / Home> Cities> Chennai / by Express News Service / April 22nd, 2019

Tamil Nadu’s first solar-powered boat to begin operations soon

Business & Economy, Green Initiatives/ Environment, Records, All, Science & Technologies
Mahindra Odyssea sailing at the Manimuthar Dam.
Mahindra Odyssea sailing at the Manimuthar Dam.

Mahindra Odyssea will set sail at the Manimuthar Dam

Tamil Nadu’s first solar-powered boat will soon operate at the Manimuthar Dam in Tirunelveli district. According to sources at the Kalakkad Mundanthurai Tiger Reserve, the boat will begin operations in the next 10 days.

On Friday, Anand Mahindra, chairman of the Mahindra Group, posted a tweet saying, “Mahindra Marine proudly joins #Go Electric – Go Green objective of the group by launching its first solar-electric boat for Tamil Nadu Forest Dept. She is a 24 pax harbour cruise boat, powered by a keel cooled electric motor with shaft, and propelled by a lithium-ion battery.”

Called Mahindra Odyssea, the 26-seater (including two crew members) boat is 11.8 m long and 4 m wide. One of its unique aspects is that it has a German motor (20 KW).

“It has a solar roof on top which can generate 3.8 KW of power. The solar roof will help the boat get partially charged while moving,” said Hiten Ghelani, chief executive officer and managing director of Mahindra Marine, told The Hindu.He said the idea was devised during a visit to Dubai and Europe.

“We started developing the boat and when we were ready with the first one — we received a tender from Tamil Nadu for a similar boat. We asked the team to visit us to try this boat and they came down,” Mr. Ghelani said. To a question on the cost of the boat, he said, “I won’t be able to give the exact details. On an average these boats would cost anywhere between ₹80 lakh and can go up to a crore. These can be customised depending on what the client wants,” he added.

Sources said that two more boats would be supplied in the coming days.

source: http://www.thehindu.com / The Hindu / Home> News> States> Tamil Nadu / by P Sudhakar & Sangeeta Kandavel / Chennai – Tirunelveli, April 13th, 2019

Smart fence from Erode to avert human-elephant conflict in Nepal

Business & Economy, Education, Green Initiatives/ Environment, Nature, Records, All, Science & Technologies
Team members after installing the smart fence for early elephant warning system in Parsa Wildlife Reserve in Nepal.
Team members after installing the smart fence for early elephant warning system in Parsa Wildlife Reserve in Nepal.

It was developed by a team of researchers from Bannari Amman Institute of Technology

A team of researchers from Bannari Amman Institute of Technology, Sathyamangalam, has installed a smart fence for early elephant warning at Parsa Wildlife Reserve in Nepal.

The team headed by Sanjoy Deb, and comprising R. Ramkumar and L. Rajasekar, designed and developed the system with active support from the college management. The long range LASER-based smart fence has already been installed at two places in Sathyamangalam Tiger Reserve.

Since crop raiding by elephants was a major issue in areas located near Parsa Wildlife Reserve in Nepal, the fence was installed there in collaboration with the Nepal Biodiversity Research and Conservation Centre, a NGO based in Nepal. The team visited Nepal recently and installed the fence near the reserve area.

The team members said that the system was specially designed with minimum electronic components. Local team members in Nepal have been provided training in maintaining the system.

They said that the team was now working on improving its features and cost minimisation to make it a true global solution.

source: http://www.thehindu.com / The Hindu / Home> News> Cities> Coimbatore / by Staff Reporter / Erode – March 27th, 2019

Thirubuvanam Silk saree gets GI tag after a wait for 5 years

Business & Economy, Records, All, World Opinion

After a five-year wait, the Geographical Indications Registry of India accorded GI tag to the Thirubuvanam silk saree.

Chennai :

After a five-year wait, the Geographical Indications Registry of India accorded GI tag to the Thirubuvanam silk saree. The Handlooms and Textiles department that filed the application with the GI Registry on behalf of Thirubuvanam Silk Handloom Weavers Co-operative Production and Sale Society Limited (THICO Silks), was granted the status on Tuesday.

The application filed in April 2014, by THICO Silks, submitted that Thirubuvanam located near Kumbakonam, is a historical town and has preserved the art of silk weaving and withstood the test of time.
The GI tag is granted to products that are special for a particular geographical area and prevents misuse of the popularity of the products by others.

The aesthetic silk sarees, weigh around 450-1250 gm. The silk alone weighs around 400 gm and the rest of the weight comprises of zari. Traditionally, these silk sarees would measure about 12 ft in length and 4 ft in breadth. The THICO Silks was established in 1955.

source: http://www.newindianexpress.com / The New Indian Express / Home> States> Tamil Nadu / by Harish Murali / Express News Service / March 13th, 2019

In a big win for regions’ farmers, Erode turmeric receives Geographical Indication tag

Business & Economy, Records, All, World Opinion

The Geographical Indication (GI) tag is granted to products that are special for a particular geographical area and prevents misuse of the popularity of the products by others.

Boys cleaning turmeric at a farm in Tamil Nadu (File Photo | V Karthikalagu/EPS)
Boys cleaning turmeric at a farm in Tamil Nadu (File Photo | V Karthikalagu/EPS)

Chennai  :

Turmeric grown in the Erode region was conferred the Geographical Indication tag on Wednesday, enabling the farmers and traders from the region to claim sole rights over the famed ‘Erode Manjal’.The Geographical Indication Registry of India granted the coveted status based on the application filed by ‘Erode Manjal Vanigarkal Matrum Kidangu Urimaiyalargal Sangam’.

The Geographical Indication (GI) tag is granted to products that are special for a particular geographical area and prevents misuse of the popularity of the products by others. The application for the GI tag was filed by the traders’ association from Erode, first in 2013 and after a scrutiny, the application was accepted and publicly notified in August 2018.

The traders’ association in its application said that the region in and around Erode is synonymous with the turmeric and vice versa. ‘Erode Manjal’ is famous across the globe. The prominent areas of cultivation of Erode turmeric in the region in and around Erode, are Kodumudi, Sivagiri, Havani, Gobichettipalayam, Anthiyur, Chennampatti, Sathyamangalam and Thalavady.

“During the Sangam era, 2000 BC, of Tamils, the peasants grew turmeric plants in front of their houses. There is evidence that turmeric is one of the commodities traded during the Chera, Chola and Pandian Kingdoms. The turmeric assumed greater importance in the religious and socio-cultural traditions as it was considered as an auspicious and holy herb. For its aroma and colour to the food items, turmeric has multifaceted utility in food, medicine and cosmetics,” the application said.

Among the two important varieties of turmeric – Chinna Nadan and Perum Nadan, the Erode farmers raise Chinna Nadan. It is grown as an important commercial spice crop in the Erode and bordering areas in Coimbatore district and thousands of small and marginal farmers are involved in its cultivation.Speaking to Express, Chinnaraja G Naidu, Deputy Registrar of Geographical Indications in Chennai, said the product has been registered and the certificates have been issued under Class 30.

The application also said that the Erode turmeric requires a hot and moist climate and the temperature in the district varies from 20 to 37.9 degree Celsius. The turmeric thrives best on the loamy or alluvial soils.
According to the traders, Erode is one of the largest markets for turmeric in India. Erode Regulated Market, Erode Agricultural Producers Marketing Co-op Society, Gobi Agricultural Producers Marketing Co-op Society and open market are the major daily turmeric markets in Erode. Coimbatore Regulated Market is also a marketing centre.

source: http://www.newindianexpress.com / The New Indian Express / Home> States> Tamil Nadu / by Harsh Murali / Express News Service / March 07th, 2019

Golden Leaf India Awards: Best teas competition begins in Coonoor

Arts, Culture & Entertainment, Business & Economy, Nature, Records, All

The first-level screening of teas for the 15th edition of ‘TGLIA’ was held at UPASI headquartered in Coonoor.

Tea tasters at First level screening test for TGLIA southern tea competition on at Coonoor.—DC
Tea tasters at First level screening test for TGLIA southern tea competition on at Coonoor. —DC

Coonoor :

For this year’s ‘Golden Leaf India Awards: Southern Tea Competition (TGLIA)’, the first-level screening of teas began here in Coonoor on Saturday, as tea manufacturers showed keen interest in the competition.

The TGLIA conceived by United Planters’  Association of South India (UPASI) in collaboration with Tea Board of India is an annual feature eagerly looked forward to by the tea fraternity in South India.

This competition over the last 14 years helped immensely to showcase the quality teas of various regions of South India all over the world, said Mr. Arun Kumar, convener, Organising Committee of  TGLIA.

He further added that there was considerable enthusiasm amongst the producers to participate in this year’s TGLIA competition, 15th edition this year, which showed the success and  popularity of this competition.

As many as 152 entries were received from 44 tea estates/companies for this year’s competition from different agro-climatic regions of Nilgiris, Wayanad, Anamallais, Travancore, High Ranges, other minor tea growing regions, and from ‘Bought Leaf’ factories. This unique event generated an intense competition among the six growing regions to produce quality teas, he disclosed.

The first-level screening of teas for the 15th edition of ‘TGLIA’  was held  at UPASI headquartered in Coonoor.  A five -member panel representing leading tea brokers and packagers evaluated the teas that have entered the competition.

The process of selecting the best teas’ from various agro-climatic regions is based on a multilayer screening process using a scoring system that capture the various quality attributes of tea such as dry leaf appearance, infused or spent leaf appearance, liquor attributes such as colour, taste/flavour, briskness and strength in an objective manner.

The teas qualifying the first level of screening will also be screened for pesticide residue parameters and heavy metals. The final tasting session is likely to be held  in Ahmedabad, Mr. Kumar added.

source: http://www.deccanchronicle.com / Deccan Chronicle / Home> Nation> Current Affairs / by B. RaviChandran , Deccan Chronicle / March 03rd, 2019

Madras chamber of commerce and industry honours Dr Shanta

Amazing Feats, Business & Economy, Inspiration/ Positive News and Features, Leaders, Records, All, Science & Technologies, World Opinion

“Men may come and Men may go, but I will go on forever”,Dr V. Shanta said.

Padma Vibhushan Dr V. Shanta
Padma Vibhushan Dr V. Shanta

Chennai :

Padma Vibhushan Dr V. Shanta, chairperson, Cancer Institute (WIA), Adyar was felicitated and honoured by the Madras Chamber of Commerce & Industry and WITT during an healthcare seminar, “Healthcare: Today & Tomorrow- Creating a Sustainable Enterprise with Medical Leadership” organised here .  Dr V. Shanta in her special address detailed her six-decade journey with Cancer Institute (WIA). She spoke about the challenges and the struggles faced and highlighted on the achievements and requested to give a “Status” to the Cancer Institution that it deserves, on par with other Government Institutions and concluded her address with a clear statement defining her – “Men may come and Men may go, but I will go on forever”.

Mr. Ramkumar Ramamoorthy, president, The Madras Chamber of Commerce & Industry, while delivering the presidential address stated, “While it’s good to look at revenue and employment numbers, it’s equally important to put ‘CARE’ back into Healthcare, and ensure quality, accessibility, availability and affordability of healthcare. And we have a long way to go to be happy with the impact numbers”. He concluded his address by stating “With technology playing an unbelievably important role, I believe Tamil Nadu has a once-in-a-lifetime-opportunity to become the healthcare (or Health Tech) capital of the country and perhaps of the world”.

The Keynote Speaker Padma Shri, Dr Sneh Bhargava, former director, AIIMS, New Delhi, addressed on “Where did we go wrong?”  She elaborated on the current status of healthcare in the country in the context of 5Ms – Men, Machine, Money, Medicines and Management. She highlighted on the detrimental factors that are prevalent in the sector.

source: http://www.deccanchronicle.com / Deccan Chronicle / Home> Nation> Current Affairs / by Deccan Chronicle / March 03rd, 2019

Startup in Coimbatore to receive funding from local investors

Business & Economy, Inspiration/ Positive News and Features, Nature

More than 800 households in Coimbatore city receive fresh milk at their door step every morning from the villages near Annur. The milk has no chemicals or preservatives added and is tested for quality before it is packed. Sold under VilFresh brand, it is the flagship product of Laymen Agro Ventures, a startup based out of Coimbatore.

Procuring milk from 30 farmers, the company also provides employment to youngsters in the villages. The youth are given two wheelers and they bring the milk to the city and take agro inputs for farmers on their return trip daily.

“We started with an initial investment of ₹30 lakh to enter urban kitchens with fresh agro produce. Apart from milk we also supply grains and pulses,” says Selvakumar Varadarajan, its Chief Executive Layman.

With plans to reach out to nearly 8,000 households in Coimbatore, strengthen its product portfolio, set up a unit to make value added products, and commence operations in cities such as Tirupur, Madurai, Tiruchi, and Salem, Laymen Agro requires funds to scale up. And the funding will come from a group of investors in the State and a couple of investment firms.

Nativelead Coimbatore will bring in ₹65 lakh from angel investors in Tamil Nadu and the rest will come from Upaya Social Ventures and Sangam Ventures, says Sivarajah Ramanathan, Founder and President of Nativelead Foundation.

The organisation chose Laymen Agro as it is buying fresh milk from farmers paying a relatively higher price and the model of business can be replicated in other cities.

“We are doing three investments this month in Coimbatore, Tiruchi, and Tindivanam totalling ₹2.4 crore. Of this, ₹1 crore is for Laymen Agro,” he says.

“We will receive the investment in two tranches with the first one on Wednesday,” Mr. Varadarajan adds.

A function will be held here on Wednesday when a new team of office bearers will take charge at Nativelead Coimbatore and the equity investment will be made by the organisation in the startup. Jayaram Govindarajan, who will be chairman of Nativelead Coimbatore for 2019-20, said the team is looking forward to promoting an alternative investment option for native entrepreneurs.

source: http://www.thehindu.com / The Hindu / Home> News> Cities> Coimbatore / by M. Soundariya Preetha / Coimbatore – February 27th, 2019