Thovalai, also known as Thovalai Vadakur, is a taluk located on the border of Kanyakumari and Tirunelveli districts near Nagercoil. Situated near Aramboly gap, a natural depression running through the Western Ghats, it connects Kanyakumari with the rest of Tamil Nadu. Thovalai is famed all over south India for its vast stretches of flower fields and the flower market. Due to the availability of all varieties of flowers in good quality at cheap rates, the demand for flowers from Thovalai is very high, especially during the festival seasons. Besides flowers, vast stretches of paddy fields and coconut groves can be sighted in and around Thovalai.
THOVALAI FLOWER FIELDS
The village of Thovalai and its surrounding areas boast of extensive stretches of flower fields. Travelling from Nagercoil to Tirunelveli, one can see flower fields even adjacent to the road.
The region around Thovalai taluk cultivates a wide variety of flowers ranging from indigenous to alien ones. Conventional flowers like jasmine, kanagambaram and others are cultivated in various regions around Thovalai. Kerala is one of the major markets for the flowers of Thovalai during Onam festival. Besides Kerala, flowers are in high demand in other towns and cities of Tamil Nadu.
Years ago, Thovalai only had vast stretches of paddy fields and not many flower fields. The reason for the shift from paddy to flower cultivation was due to lack of adequate rains. Thovalai receives a meagre rainfall throughout the year. The agro-climatic conditions existing in the hill ranges, valleys and plains of the Kanyakumari district are ideal to nurture flowers.
The flowers are cultivated throughout the year, but the demand for flowers is very high during August and September.
Hence, June/July is preferred for cultivation as the region receives slight monsoon rains then. A small water body called the Thovalai channel starting from the Pechiparai dam flows through this village catering to the requirements of flower farmers. Otherwise, this villagers depend on water from wells.
The writer is a faculty at School of Tourism Studies, Mahatma Gandhi University, Kottayam.
Million dollar business
The prime tourist attraction of Thovalai is the Thovalai flower market. A wide range of flowers cultivated in adjoining areas like Radhapuram, Nanguneri, Sankarankoil, Palayamkottai and Tenkasi of the neighbouring Tirunelveli district find their way to the Middle East through the flower market.
The market opens as early as 5.30 am, closes by 11.30 am and is busy with vendors and buyers throughout the day. Within a few hours, flowers of various varieties worth lakhs are sold, with major buyers coming from faraway places like Thiruvananthapuram and Madurai. The flowers sold here range from Rs 20 per kg to Rs 200 per kg and above depending on the supply, demand, size and variety of the flowers.
The conventional flower market is not a regulated one with private parties conducting business with their own contacts and on their own terms and conditions.
The major flowers exported from Thovalai are malligai, pichi, kaakadai, kanagamparam, kenthi, sampangi, vaadamalli, rose, kozhipoo and chevanthi etc. The rates are varied based on the demand and supply with prices soaring during festival and marriage season in particular. Chrysanthemums, jasmine, malligai, arali, thovalai pacha and pichi are the main varieties having excessive demand during the festivals. Red lotus and white lotus are cultivated in the ponds, lakes and other water bodies of Thovalai. Even though flowers are exported in large quantities to different places from Thovalai, many varieties reach here from faraway places like Madurai and Cholavandan and roses, in particular, are coming from Bangalore.
source: http://www.deccanchronicle.com / Deccan Chronicle / Home> Lifestyle> Travel / by Abin K, DC / September 13th, 2013
One of the two major waterfalls at Pachamalai hills near Tiruchi./ Photo: R. V. Moorthy / The Hindu
New guest houses and tree houses to be set up in the picturesque hills
Situated 80 km from Tiruchi, at 1,200 metres above the sea level, Pachamalai will soon become an ideal weekend destination.
Blessed with a pleasant climate with temperatures ranging from 25 to 30 degrees Celsius and home to rare plant species, the hills presents a picturesque landscape with natural forests, agricultural lands, hill tops, ridges, and valleys.
The hills are also home to the ‘Malayali’ tribe, a Tamil-speaking community with a population of 7,000. Periapakkalam and Korayaru waterfalls, along with some viewpoints, are a major attraction.
Chief Minister Jayalalithaa recently announced a Rs. 2.30-crore the community based eco-tourism development project in the hills. It is aimed at socio-economic uplift of local communities by creating community assets and facilities and group entrepreneurship programmes through the funds generated from eco-tourism.
According to N. Sathish, District Forest Officer, development would be at two levels — infrastructure and culture-based tourism. Plans are on to improve accommodation and catering and also improve facilities at the places of interest.
The Forest Department will set up new guest houses and tree houses, beautify natural walking trails, promote traditional therukoothu by Malayali tribe, and establish an eco medicinal park. Joint Forest Management Committees (JFMCs), instead of private tour operators, would be formed for running the project by employing interested people from 54 villages in three Panchayats — Thenparanadu, Vallanadu, and Kombainadu.
Eco-tourism is targeted at nature and wildlife enthusiasts, who look for a break from the hustle and bustle of a city. They can enjoy natural walking trails which will have boards explaining the significance of trees, birds, and other existent biodiversity.
Foreign tourists will be allowed to take bullock cart rides.
“Unlike usual tourism, eco-tourism will cause zero to minimal damage to forest areas.
“Some people have protested against this project by saying that this will affect the tradition and habitat of local people, but they are mistaken.
“This project is aimed at improving the living standard of the local people,” said Mr. Sathish.
Nodal officers and range officers would only supervise and the local people would maintain the area. Bookings would be done online through a separate website, giving no chance for private operators to enter the scene, said Mr. Sathish.
“It has been planned to complete the eco-tourism package by March 2014, so as to facilitate full-fledged tourism from May 2014,” he added.
source: http://www.thehindu.com / The Hindu / Home> News> Cities> Tiruchirapalli / by Deepak Muralidharan / Tiruchi – September 26th, 2013
As part of its expansion strategy, tyre and rubber manufacturer Bridgestone has conceived the concept store model. “This initiative will add a new dimension to the retailing of tyres in the region,” said Vaibhav Saraf, General Manager, Sales and Marketing, Bridgestone India Private Ltd, after inaugurating the concept store – Puma Tyres in Tirupur.
The effort is aimed to revolutionise the tyre buying experience with focus on safety, reliability and eco-friendliness, he added.
The store will offer specially designed tyre check-up programme for cars to check tyres, and batteries and oil. The company plans to leverage this idea by opening up many such stores across markets in the country.
source: http://www.thehindubusinessline.com / Business Line / Home> News> National / by The Hindu Bureau / Coimbatore – September 26th, 2013
Ammi’s Biriyani, the flagship brand of Bangalore-based TMA Hospitality Services Pvt Ltd, will make its Chennai debut on Thursday with the opening of three outlets in the city.
TMA’s Chairman and Managing Director N. Sharief says its unique selling proposition is food packaging – separate pouches for spoons and trays to discard bones.
“We try and emulate the packaging and delivery methods of the pizza players, who are running a merry business. But, in the traditional food space, there aren’t many deliverers.”
About 55 per cent of the revenue for the company comes from food delivery. Set up in Koramangala in November 2008, it runs around 36 outlets in Bangalore, most of them about 500-600 sq. ft. It will enter Delhi by the beginning of the next financial year.
source: http://www.thehindubusinessline.com / Business Line / Home> Companies / by The Hindu Bureau / Chennai – August 13th, 2013
Chennai-based iEnergy Wind Farms (Theni) has submitted a fresh proposal to the Foreign Investment Promotion Board (FIPB) seeking post-facto approval for issue of 4,500 shares to Mauritian company Indian Energy (Mauritius) Ltd one day before receipt of inward remittances.
According to the existing policy, equity shares are to be issued only after receipt of remittance. Since, in this case, shares were issued one day before receipt of remittance, the RBI advised the company to obtain ex-post-facto approval for it.
The FIPB had earlier deferred a decision on the proposal as the applicant had sought time to furnish details regarding beneficial ownership demanded by the Department of Revenue.
In 2009, Indian Energy (Mauritius) Ltd had become the holding company by investing in 4,500 equity shares of Rs 10 each with a premium of Rs 19,990 a share.
It also acquired 9,999 equity shares of Rs 10 each held by Santany Bagchi in 2010. The holding company has been investing in the equity and preference shares of the company.
source: http://www.thehindubusinessline.com / Business Line / Home> Companies / The Hindu Bureau / New Delhi – September 19th, 2013
CRMIT Solutions today announced a MoU with Anna University of Technology, a leading educational university for participating in an industrial consortium.
Bangalore :
CRMIT Solutions, a leader in transforming businesses with cloud based Customer Experience (CX) solutions, today announced a Memorandum of Understanding with Anna University of Technology to participate in their initiative for industrial consortium. The consortium is comprised of companies that are engaged with the University in collaborating on various industrial and manufacturing projects and programs. The MoU enables the University to study and understand CRMIT Solutions’ innovative concepts, technological development and expertise in Cloud based solution.
The consortium will primarily focus on Industrial collaboration to support significant joint research programs
Support development of new technology programs, academic courses
Organize thematic seminars & conferences with specific industry focus
Provide well trained faculty members & well equipped laboratories
This industrial consortium is a noble initiative by Anna University of Technology as a means of continuing education for professionals as a part of the human resource development programmers of specific organizations. Programmes for promoting Industry-Institute interactions, regional get-together of industries, government-funding agencies, R&D and Educational institutions, etc., are organised at regular intervals for cross pollination of industrial / academic ideas.
“We are privileged to be a part of this industrial consortium and thankful to Anna University of Technology. Our participation in this consortium is our testimony and commitment to build industrial readiness, professional competencies, and also to improve soft skills with the various programs under the MoU” – said P S Reddy, General Manager , CRMIT Solutions.
source: http://www.free-press-release-center.info / Free Press Release Center -FPRC / September 03rd, 2013
Chief minister J Jayalalithaa on Wednesday laid the foundation for the Poompuhar fishing harbour in Nagapattinam through video-conferencing from the secretariat. The fishing harbour, a long-pending proposal, would be set up at a cost of 78.5 crore.
Presently, the harbour at Poompuhar is not conducive to mechanized fishing boats to offload their catch on the shore due to strong waves. They also struggle to take diesel and ice cubes needed to preserve their catch. The harbour project, initially proposed in 1995, was revived in 2001 after the Archaeological Survey of India (ASI) gave its approval.
The ASI had earlier opposed the project in Poompuhar, considered an historical town, and declined to grant clearance. It is believed that Poompuhar had submerged under the sea after a tsunami washed it away.
The proposed harbour will have modern facilities like net-mending shed, fuel supply and storage, fish auctioning hall and cold storage facilities. Bays to park 150 mechanised fishing boats, 350 country boats and other fishing vessels will be constructed as part of the harbour, said a release. Nearly 30,000 people will benefit from the project, the release said.
source: http://www.articles.timesofindia.indiatimes.com / The Times of India / Home> City> Chennai > Archaelogical Survey / TNN / September 12th, 2013
Suganya is seen with a bouquet at a college event held recently. – DC
Chennai:
Twin sisters Suganya and Suriya pursuing BSc Maths in MOP Vaishnav College for women in the city are making their parents proud.
Daughters of flower sellers, these girls string flowers together after college hours and their parents sell them to their regular customers. After knowing the family’s financial position, the college principal Dr K. Nirmala Prasad offered scholarships and also asked them to enroll in bouquet making classes at the college free of cost.
“We learnt bouquet making and now we have plans to start our own business. Thanks to our college lecturers and friends. The college also purchases flowers and bouquets from us for various events,” say Suganya and Suriya.
Though it was not a smooth journey for the twins and their younger brother, Suganya says, “Amma and Appa encourage us to study well. Sometimes we string flowers even till 8 pm and then my mom and dad go on cycles to sell them.
We want to study well and make our parents proud,” says Suganya, who wants to pursue IT and get a job. Suriya wants to develop her family business. “I want to become a florist and also work for deaf and dumb children,” she says.
source: http://www.deccanchronicle.com / Deccan Chronicle / Home> News> Current Affairs / DC / January 28th, 2013
The three-hour programme, the brainchild of Co-optex’s new managing director U. Sagayam, will favour ‘ordinary’ people — farmers, weavers, and their wives will showcase their latest line of outfits. / Photo: S. Sivasaravanan / The Hindu
Farmers, weavers, transgenders will display line of clothes on Saturday
On Saturday, the city will play host to a unique fashion show. Eschewing svelte models in favour of ‘ordinary’ people, Co-optex has decided that farmers, weavers, and their wives will showcase their latest line of outfits.
Alongside them on the ramp will be folk artists, physically challenged residents, and members of the transgender community.
The aim? To survive in a cut-throat market and to bring Co-optex’s products closer to those who matter, but are generally sidelined by mainstream showrooms.
The three-hour programme is the brainchild of Co-optex’s new managing director U. Sagayam, who has set a high target for the organisation.
For it to survive in the market without the advantages of an advertisement blitzkrieg, he said, it was necessary to challenge cherished facts.
And so, in a daring experiment, regular residents, who know next to nothing about walking the ramp, will display Co-optex’s clothing line.
Mr. Sagayam said he hoped this, along with other sales campaigns, would help make Co-optex a popular brand among a sizeable section of the population before the year is out.
The fashion show, to be held at Co-optex’s Thillayadi Valliammmai complex, will also include a performance by visually impaired people.
The National Institute of Fashion Technology will provide technical support. “But the participants will wear our garments. Weavers, farmers, transgender community members and physically challenged persons survive on the margins of society and are rarely recognised for their work. Co-optex will honour their contributions,” Mr. Sagayam said.
The show will also be organised in Madurai, Coimbatore and Tiruchi.
“During a visit to Arupukkottai soon after taking over here, I was impressed by the hospitality of the weavers,” he said, adding that this inspired him to go ahead and experiment.
Last year, for the first time in its 78-year history, Co-optex managed to earn profits, by netting Rs. 244.61 crore through retail sales.
The organisation has set a target of Rs. 400 crore for the current financial year. “The competition is high now,” Mr. Sagayam admitted.
Several novel initiatives that were introduced last year, such as the ‘Mapillai’ set (clothes for bridegrooms), ‘silk for all’ and ‘old for new’ saris, were a huge hit with customers, Mr. Sagayam added.
source: http://www.thehindu.com / The Hindu / Home> News> Cities> Chennai / by R. Sujatha / Chennai – May 03rd, 2013
“I have always wanted to give back to women, especially rural women, who have so little to call their own” —Zubaida Bai Co-founder / Photo: RA Chandroo
With low-cost birthing kits, Ayzh holds out hope for rural women
by S SEN
Started 2009
Location Chennai
Initial investment Rs 14.5 lakh
Social impact Savings lives of rural and underprivileged women during childbirth
***
For Zubaida Bai, like most people, statistics meant little more than numbers. Until she nearly became one herself. A serious and prolonged infection during the birth of her first child jolted her into thinking about the risk millions of women face worldwide and not just in India, and what she could do about it. A May 2012 fact sheet by World Health Organisation (WHO) estimated that around 800 women were dying every day from preventable causes and complications related to pregnancy and childbirth, and 99% of these occur in developing countries. In fact, two-thirds of women in Indian villages give birth at home without the help of skilled attendants.
Zubaida seeks to stem this shameful statistic with a simple solution to reduce infections that lead to fatalities during childbirth. Janma, a $2-birthing kit overseas and Rs 150 in India, contains simple essential tools recommended by WHO to provide sanitation and sterility at the time of childbirth. The idea behind Janma is that every woman should have a safe, clean, and hygienic delivery, whether she delivers at home, at a primary health care centre or in a hospital. The size of a paperback, this life-saving kit contains a sterile birthing sheet, a blood absorbing under-pad, a chord clamp, a surgical blade, a bar of soap/ sanitiser, wipes and gloves and basic medication. All this comes in an eco-friendly jute bag that the mother can later use as a purse. The kit comes from Ayzh (pronounced as ‘eyes’), a social venture that the 32-year-old engineer-entrepreneur founded in 2009, to provide health and livelihood solutions to underprivileged women.
Growing up in a middle class household in Chennai, Zubaida saw from close quarters the social and economic hardships women face in India. “I saw my mother struggling financially. Several of my friends were married very early and couldn’t pursue higher education because of lack of funds,” she says. Zubaida was more fortunate, though. After her engineering degree from Chennai, she went on to do her MS (product development and design) from the Dalama University in Sweden on a full scholarship. At 24, she married Habib Anwar and moved to Canada for some time. When the information technology firm he worked for wanted to set up operations in India, Habib jumped at the prospect, and they relocated to Chennai. Upon their return, Zubaida joined Rural Innovations Network, where she worked on product innovation, assisting individuals and organisations to make their product ideas commercially viable.
After four years, she found herself getting increasingly frustrated with the fact that genuinely good products weren’t able to succeed in the market. Habib, too, was tired of corporate life, and decided to join her. With Zubaida’s background in product innovation and her exposure to various projects, and Habib’s financial expertise, they decided to reach out to rural communities. “I have always wanted to find a way to give back to women, especially rural women, who have so little to call of their own,” says Zubaida.
Habib echoes her sentiments, adding, “I had similar experiences when I was growing up and have often been amazed at the hardships my mother had to put up with.” Around that time, a chance meeting with a professor in Boston during a conference they were attending, led them both to do an MBA in Social and Sustainable Enterprises from the Colorado State University in Fort Collins. “Since I managed to get a full scholarship first, I got to do the MBA first,” laughs Zubaida. In 2009, they first registered Ayzh in the US.
So far, the company has sold approximately 20,000 Janma kits, which cost Rs 150 each
Baby steps
On a field trip to south India while pursuing her MBA, Zubaida contracted an infection due to unsanitary conditions during the delivery of her first child, and spent a year recovering from it. This led Habib and Zubaida to consider maternal health as an area of focus. They spoke extensively with maternal health professionals, and researched the market for products that catered to this segment. The crude methods being used in rural India for childbirth were hardly up to the required safety and hygiene standards. “There was this one place in Rajasthan, where Zubaida was aghast at seeing Topaz blades being used [to cut the umbilical cord],” recalls Habib. The only safe alternatives were branded and expensive products. Janma was born from these deliberations, with a simple business plan to make it work.
Returning to India in 2010, their first step was to register Ayzh in India as well, and launch it with a working capital of around Rs 14.5 lakh. “It was a combination of the prize money we won for Janma at various business plan competitions in the US, and our meagre savings. We even had to pawn some of Zubaida’s jewellery,” says Habib. To start with, Ayzh partnered with the panchayat of Kuthambakkam, a small village in the outskirts of Chennai, training three of its women to assemble the birthing kits. Janma was thus born.
The first order of 100 kits came from Mediscon Hospital, a private hospital catering to the slum population in Bengaluru. “They are still one of our big customers,” points out Habib. Ayzh pitched Janma at every meet of maternal health champions, and targeted NGOs and private sector hospitals catering to the rural and urban poor, and patients from lower middle class groups. They also reached out to government-run institutions, initially. But with limited resources — a small budget and just the two of them doing everything — the couple could sell only 8,000 kits in 2011.
The same year, Zubaida was selected for the Ashoka Foundation’s Young Champion for Maternal Health fellowship. This opened up new doors for Ayzh globally and in India. She met Catherine Hall of the US-based The Birthing Project, who took Janma to Ghana, Uganda and Malawi in Africa. The fellowship also cast a spotlight on Ayzh and in 2012, it received funding from undisclosed social impact institutional investors, who also serve on Ayzh’s advisory board.
Ayzh markets Janma to the institutional sector only. It has two types of customers: medical institutions such as hospital pharmacies, healthcare centres and rural clinics; and non-profit aid organisations that work on women and child health-related issues in developing countries. Its focus is on private hospitals serving low to middle income groups. These, according to Zubaida, deliver 70% of primary healthcare in rural areas. It also reaches out to non-proprietary public enterprises, and non-profits such as the Karuna Trust.
In India, Janma is made available in all four southern states, in addition to Arunachal Pradesh and Mumbai. It also has a large market in Nigeria, Tanzania, Ghana, Malawi and Uganda in Africa, where the company sells almost as many units as it does in India. Janma is sold online by Path, a US-based non-profit that operates in India as well. Ayzh has sold about 20,000 Janma kits till date and the numbers are adding up fast, with 13,000 units sold in the first quarter of CY13. “We expect to add another 50,000 to this number by the end of this year,” says Zubaida, without revealing current revenue numbers. “We expect to break even in another two years,” adds Habib. Ayzh is seeking an additional $800,000 in a second round of start-up funding, to expand its product line, sales team and sustain operations until it achieves breakeven by 2015.
Ayzh is now focusing on private hospitals that serve low and middle income groups
Growing up
Ayzh is staffed by a handful of people and continues to run a tight ship. The number of women assembling Janma has gone up, though only to 12. “There is no money to hire anyone,” laughs Habib, who handles finance and accounts, while Zubaida is in charge of marketing. She’s aided by a marketing manager in India, and one in the US, targeting American charities and UN-related procurement agencies. Ayzh relies on word-of-mouth publicity for Janma. Both Habib and Zubaida say that they make it a point to be present at all major forums where maternal health and mortality are the key issues.
To keep overheads low, Ayzh makes and supplies Janma kits to order. Raw materials are sourced from local pharmaceutical companies. Habib explains that at current volumes, a dedicated assembling unit does not make sense. Surprisingly, Ayzh has not moved to patent Janma. “We feel it’s pointless; any determined person can make a copy of the birthing kit,” says Zubaida.
The key to Ayzh’s success lies in innovating regularly, admits Zubaida: “When you have a really small budget, you learn to be creative.” For instance, while conceptualising Janma, the eco-friendly jute bag was just an afterthought, but it’s now in great demand. “It has become a gift for the mothers,” says Zubaida. Consequently, she invests considerable time and resources on product development. It’s a three-stage process starting with identification of a need through field visits, working on a prototype, and sharing it with potential customers for feedback. The final product is designed by a professional design firm. Ayzh currently works with the US-based Catapult Design, and several other individual designers.
For 2014, it is looking to increase volumes by penetrating north India and offshore production to expand its reach overseas. After the response to Janma in Africa, Ayzh is also exploring options of setting up base there. Consultations are on with government and tax experts on the feasibility of setting up a similar manufacturing model in a country in east Africa. Zubaida is also putting the finishing touches to her next social landmark product Shishu — a new born-care kit, due for launch in the beginning of 2014. Thanks to her, the statistics could tell a very different story now.
source: http://www.business.outlookindia.com / Outlook Business / Home> Enterprise / by S Sen / August 31st, 2013
