Category Archives: Business & Economy

Build Intec 2012 kicked off in Coimbatore from yesterday

Business & Economy

Coimbatore:

The sixth edition of ‘Build Intec’, which has been organised by the Coimbatore District Small Industries Association (Codissia), started here yesterday. The show has been successful in luring almost 200 participants from the different fields such as building and construction materials, equipment manufacturers, real estate developers and bankers.

Mr S Manivasakam, Chairman, Build Intec 2012, has stated that the show is likely to woo almost one-lakh visitors that will be held till February 20 and also the volume of business generated is expected to be almost Rs 100 crore. A special feature of the event has been the emphasis on green building concept, eco friendly materials and energy efficient systems.

Mr M Kandhaswami, President, Codissia, has stated that the exhibition has been held on 3000 sq metre area and many novel features such as modular kitchens, door fittings etc have been on display at the show.

Mr P Ravindradas, General Manager, SIDBI, Coimbatore, who had inaugurated the exhibition, has stated that as per the estimations of World Bank, India would become the third biggest economic super power after US and China by the year 2030. India’s infrastructure sector needs improvement.

He lauded the role of Codissia in promoting the cause of the industries and organising many trade shows related to different sectors like agriculture, construction and infrastructure, general industries etc.

eom/ryn.17.30 hrs

source: http://www.news.indiamart.com /  SME News> Event/Announcement News / Saturday, February 18th, 2012

Madison’s Platinum Media bags Dixcy Textiles’ media mandate

Business & Economy

Earlier, the media duties for this account were handled by MPG.

Platinum Media, a unit of the Madison Media Group, has been awarded the media planning and buying mandate for Dixcy Textiles, a Tirupur-based hosiery manufacturer that markets its products under the brand names Dixcy and Dixcy Scott. The company produces inner wear, thermal wear and casual wear.

The size of the account is estimated at Rs 25 crore. Earlier, the media duties for this account were handled by MPG.

Basabdutta Chowdhury, chief executive officer, Platinum Media says in an official communiqué, “We are delighted that Dixcy has appointed us as its media AOR (agency of record) and I am confident that we will be able to add a lot of value to its business. We look forward to a long and mutually beneficial partnership.”

Rahul Sikka, director, Dixcy Textiles informs that talks regarding this move were on for almost two years. “New product launches and the expertise of the agency to handle the same has made us take this decision,” he shares.

It is learnt that aggressive growth plans are on the cards for the brand.

Platinum Media is a part of the Madison Media Group, which currently handles the media planning and buying mandate for several blue chip clients including Airtel, Godrej, Cadbury/Kraft, ITC, General Motors, Marico, McDonald’s, TVS, Britannia, Procter & Gamble, Asian Paints, Tata Tea, Shriram Transport Finance, Levis, SpiceJet, Axis Bank, Domino’s, Bharti Axa, Max New York Life Insurance, Tata Salt, Acer, Dish TV, Imagine TV, Times Television Network and Indian Oil.

The gross billing of Madison Media is Rs 3,000 crore.

source: http://www.afaqs.com / By afaqs! news bureau, afaqs!, Mumbai, February 17, 2012
Section: News Category: Media Planning & Buying

Memories of Coimbatore – Pedalling down the ages

Business & Economy, Inspiration/ Positive News and Features

R. Raju Naidu (seated, second from right) at the UMS office, with the bus in the background Photo: Special Arrangement

I grew up in a city that still resembled a village. There was not much traffic. As kids, we would dart across the road to go our friends’ homes. Our houses still had wells from which we would draw salt water. For the kalkandu-like Siruvani water, we would run up to a friend’s home and take all we needed.

There were very few schools — St. Michaels’, Union High School (where I studied), City Municipal High School, Sarvajana School and Stanes, which we called Durai school.

In the early years of my life, we lived on the narrow Raja Street. During lunch break, we would dash home from school to gobble whatever amma had prepared for lunch — mostly thayir saadham — and run back as we had to squeeze in at least 10 minutes for football and basketball.

Later, we moved to Tatabad. Those in the defence forces occupied the Tatabad and Sivananda Colony stretches. Later, the land was sold to Tata Oil Company. That’s when my father, R. Raju Naidu, an entrepreneur, bought two plots of 17 cents each for 800 rupees.

You could count the number of homes from Gandhipuram to Vadakovai — seven in all. There was no power and we depended on the moonlight and lanterns to reach home. There were cotton fields all around us. Years later, we all paid Rs. 51 each as deposit for electrification.

Appa joined hands with Kalangal Gopalswami Doraiswami Naidu (GD Naidu) to start United Motor Services. He moved to Madras for a six-month training at Union Motors. They started plying a bus between Udumalpet and Coimbatore and later to Palladam, Dharapuram, Gobichettipalayam, Erode and Pollachi.

Soon, my father started manufacturing furniture. He got teak and rosewood logs from Nemmara under the guidance of Sri Viswanathan Chettiar. My father, a staunch Gandhian, spun yarn on his rattai for an hour every day.

Once we grew up, it was cinema for our entertainment. Coimbatore had seven theatres, but we frequented Srinivasa and Rainbow. I have, at times, watched 30 films a month.

My dependable black Hercules cycle was my companion. I would ride it everywhere. The Brooke Bond Road was called Panankaatu Road. It was desolate. Even while travelling as a group, it would give us the shivers. Hundred ft road did not exist then. The Sanganur pallam was close by home and we would race across its sands.

Once in intermediate and college, at PSG Arts College and PSG College of Technology, respectively, we would cycle to Peelamedu from Tatabad. The onward trip used to be a pleasant half an hour. The return journey took us double the time. Howling winds threatened to throw us off our cycles and the steep gradient from present-day Nava India made pedalling impossible. We would walk with our cycles till Gandhipuram before pedalling again.

At college, Dr. GRD and Prof Venkataraman were great influences, encouraging us to be creative. As we could not go home for lunch, we depended on the PSG Institution canteen near the electrical lab where lunch — rice, sambar and mor — was served for 36 paisa. But, it was near impossible to find a seat. Often, the Kannanaicker kadai that sold dosai, Iyer tiffin kadai and the biryani kadai provided sustenance.

Those days, industry flourished in the city. There were 450 foundries inside town. Coimbatore was suffused with the spirit of entrepreneurship. You wanted to be different and make something useful. Using the crown and pinion from an Ambassador car, I created a wet grinder. The only disadvantage? If my wife switched it on, our neighbours across the road could hear its roar!

Industrial estate

Ganapathy was where the first industrial estate in the city — Textool Feeder Industrial Estate — came up, courtesy D. Balasundaram of Textool. He wanted to increase the production of textile parts. My father was allotted a site and manufactured gears. During World War II, there was severe petrol shortage and my Appa consulted DB and manufactured a producer gas plant with firewood and charcoal. He used the fuel to run buses. He also built a gas plant for cars.

Our city has changed so much. But, I have fond memories of it. How we’ve let down this wonderful city. There are no checks on pollution. Rains have become a nightmare. Driving in Coimbatore used to be a pleasure. Not anymore. We sorely lack road etiquette.

Bio:

R. SANTHANAM: Born in 1934, he did his engineering from PSG College of Technology. He taught for a while before turning manufacturer of gears. He used to be a rallyist for some years with G.R. Karthikeyan (Narain’s father) and is a member of the Coimbatore Rifle Club. He was appointed Range Officer, Shooting Range, for the 1982 Asiad

I REMEMBER

When it rained, we would go to school by train. The steam engine would be fed fresh coal at Urumandampalayam and smoke would rise into the air. That was our signal.

We would scamper to the Vadakovai station from home and travel to Coimbatore paying six annas.

source: http://www.TheHindu.com / Life & Style> Society / by Subhaj Rao / February 14th, 2012

Dyers submit fresh proposals for achieving zero liquid discharge

Business & Economy, Science & Technologies

They plan to try out nano-filtration, multi-effect evaporation techniques

A year after the Madras High Court directed the closure of over 720 dyeing units in Tirupur, the dyers have submitted fresh proposals with the promise of improved technology for achieving zero liquid discharge to be functional again.

“The closed dyeing units have submitted proposals for achieving zero discharge with new and proven techniques. Once all the proposals are in, the papers will be verified with assistance from professors of Indian Institute of Technology-Madras and Anna University-Chennai, over the next few months,” said an official at the Tamil Nadu Pollution Control Board (TNPCB).

If the proposals are found convincing, the dyeing units would be asked to submit a detailed project report and then allowed to operate in a phased manner, initially at 30 per cent of capacity and then at 50 per cent, to monitor if the zero liquid discharge as ordered by the High Court was adhered to, the official said. According to industry sources, the dyers had already invested Rs.800 crore on treating waste water and were paying huge sums as interest but could not achieve zero discharge. The new proposals are based on the governments’ grant of Rs.200 crore for the dyers, official sources said.

TNPCB officials in the know said the common effluent treatment plants (CETPS), to which over 500 dyeing units were linked, were able to treat 85 per cent of waste water but were struggling for want of technology to achieve zero liquid discharge.

“Now, the plan is to try out nano-filtration and multi-effect evaporation to achieve zero liquid discharge in three CETPs,” said a senior TNPCB official.

According to a Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB) report on waste water treatment, nano-filtration could be positioned between reverse osmosis (RO) and ultra-filtration. Nano-filtration can be operated on lower pressure than reverse osmosis and as such treatment cost is lower than for RO. For zero discharge, Tirupur dyeing industry has to look at a multi-effect evaporator instead of the mechanical vapour recompression used earlier, the official said.

In fact, the CPCB had specifically suggested nano-filtration and multi-effect evaporator as technologies to achieve zero discharge in Tirupur dyeing industry way back in 2005. However, the dyers refused to embrace the technology but came up with a marine discharge proposal. “We have rejected the marine discharge proposal asking the dyers to look at technological options to be functional again,” said a senior official.

Before the High Court order, the Noyyal river and ground water survey in Tirupur showed that the TDS (Totally Dissolved Solid) had grossly contaminated the water with levels ranging above 5,000 mg/l (milligram per litre) as against the standard 2,100 mg/l which was a gross violation of norms.

The TNPCB, after a study visit to dyeing units in Gujarat, has suggested nano-filtration membranes.

source: http://www.TheHindu.com / News> States> TamilNadu / by Special Correspondent / Chennai, February 13th, 2012

Technology demonstration centre planned

Business & Economy, Science & Technologies

The Tamil Nadu Pollution Control Board (TNPCB) will work with research institutions such as Indian Institute of Technology, Madras, and Anna University to set up a technology demonstration centre at Rs.5 crore in the city, said B.V. Ramanaa, Minister for Environment.

Inaugurating a workshop on ‘Onshore petroleum spills’ at IIT-M on Tuesday, he said the advance in technology and rapid industrialisation in the State has resulted in increased effluent discharge and air pollution causing environmental challenges to the industries and monitoring agencies.

Elaborating further, C.V. Sankar, principal secretary, Environment and Forests, told reporters that new industries were being formed unlike earlier days when it was mostly water and air pollution for which there were laws for prevention.

The objective of the demonstration centre was to take the help of academic institutions and research institutions like IIT-M, Central Leather Research Institute (CLR) and Anna University who were involved in collaborative research with national and international institutions. The industries certainly know, say for instance, like how to achieve zero liquid discharge in dyeing units. The research institutions could contribute with their knowledge of latest technological processes, be it chemical or biological, and explain to industries ways of preventing pollution, Mr. Sankar said.

Recently, CLRI developed a technology to reduce salt usage in tanneries.

The process is mostly done manually and research could help the industry reduce salt at the same time preserve rawhide, he said adding that a suitable location was being identified in the city for the centre. IIT-M director Bhaskar Ramamurthi said it could not purely be a demonstration centre but should have research components.

source: http://www.TheHindu.com / News>  States> TamilNadu / by Special Correspondent / Chennai, February 08th, 2012

Indians Living in Singapore Lured to Property Back Home by Rupee’s Decline

Business & Economy, Nri's / Pio's

Vivek Sharma, like many Indians who came to Singapore for work, failed to jump into the island state’s booming property market before the government imposed taxes to deter foreign buyers.

Now, he is joining thousands of his compatriots who are taking advantage of the drop in the rupee to a record low in December and seeking to buy property back home — for rental investments, homes for left-behind family members, retirement properties and residences for their own eventual returns.

“I missed the opportunity to buy property in Singapore when I moved here 2 1/2 years back,” said Sharma, 38, a medical-device manufacturing executive who was among 3,300 attendees at a two-day home fair in January where 53 Indian developers were showcasing their properties and discounting them to boost sales. “Now, prices have risen a lot, and with the new taxes, it makes better sense to invest back home.”

India’s property market may attract $3 billion from overseas buyers this year, almost double last year’s $1.6 billion, Shobhit Agarwal, joint managing director at the Indian unit of Jones Lang LaSalle Inc. (JLL), the world’s second-biggest, publicly traded commercial-property broker, said in an interview in Mumbai in December. About one-third typically comes from individuals like Sharma and two-thirds from investors, he said.

Housing Development Finance Corp. (HDFC), India’s largest mortgage lender and the organizer of the annual Singapore home fair, said the number of developers participating rose 26 percent over last year, while there were 27 percent more attendees. Among those taking part were DLF Ltd. (DLFU), Unitech Ltd. (UT) and Emaar MGF Land Ltd (EMGF). HDFC conducts similar fairs in Kuwait, Dubai — where the next is scheduled for April — and in London.

Sales Declines

The volume of property sales has declined in India’s biggest cities, including Mumbai, New Delhi, Hyderabad and Bangalore, after the nation’s central bank raised borrowing costs by a record 375 basis points since March 2010. The bank is seeking to curb inflation, although property prices remain at or close to record highs.

At the same time, the rupee fell 16 percent against the U.S. dollar in 2011, the worst performer among Asian currencies. The currency has since recouped some of its losses, climbing 7.7 percent to 49.45 to the U.S. dollar last month. It is forecast to fall to 52.25 in the quarter ending in March, according to the median estimate in a Bloomberg survey.

India’s record trade deficit may turn developing Asia’s best-performing currency in January into its biggest loser from now until the year-end, strategists forecast. The rupee will drop 1.2 percent in the rest of 2012, based on the median prediction of 22 analysts in a Bloomberg survey. That is the worst outlook among the region’s 10 most-traded currencies excluding the Japanese yen.

Agarwal at Jones Lang LaSalle said India’s property prices may decline 10 percent this year, and that with a potential 20 percent loss in the currency, property purchases will become even more attractive to overseas Indians.

“They get a net 30 percent discount, so they will be ready to write the check,” Agarwal said.

Cutting Prices

In Mumbai, where Sharma hopes to buy property as an investment and ultimately for retirement, residential home sales dropped 17 percent to a three-year low in the final quarter of last year compared with the previous quarter, according to Mumbai-based Liases Foras Real Estate Rating & Research Pvt. The dismal sales will spur developers to cut prices to boost volumes,Pankaj Kapoor, founder of Liases Foras, said.

In Singapore’s prime districts such as Orchard Road, a typical three-bedroom apartment would sell for about $2,000 a square foot, or around $4 million. A similar-sized apartment in Mumbai’s posh Malabar Hill would sell for about 25 percent less. Home prices in Singapore soared 55 percent from June 2009 through December 2011, while in Mumbai they nearly doubled in the same period.

Once-in-Lifetime

“Indians living abroad feel the rupee depreciation is a temporary phenomenon because the Indian economy is far stronger than most of the global economies,” J.C. Sharma, Managing director at Bangalore-based Sobha Developers Ltd. (SOBHA) said in an interview in Chennai. “They feel this as a once-in-lifetime kind of opportunity to convert their savings from dollars and other foreign currencies to an Indian asset which they think has a much better future in the times to come.”

India’s economy expanded 6.9 percent in the quarter that ended in September, the weakest pace since 2009. The government Central Statistical Office on Feb. 7 cut India’s growth forecast to 6.9 percent for the year ending in March from 7.6 percent predicted in October. Growth in Asia’s third-largest economy has slowed in the current financial year as Europe’s sovereign-debt crisis hampers global expansion.

Foreigners accounted for 31 percent of home buyers in Singapore before the government imposed an additional 10 percent stamp duty on them in December, according to government data. Before the new tax, the government levy on foreigners was 1 percent on the first S$180,000 ($139,000) of the purchase price, an additional 2 percent on the next S$180,000 and 3 percent on the remainder.

Reining in Prices

Sales of Singapore private homes dropped in December to 632 units, the lowest in two years. Singapore has been attempting to rein in prices since 2009, when the government barred interest- only loans for some housing projects and stopped allowing developers to absorb interest payments for apartments still being built.

“We have been far more aggressive in the Singapore market now as we have been getting a better response from this market,” said Surendra Hiranandani, founder of Mumbai-based House of Hiranandani, which showed its Chennai and Bangalore developments at the Singapore home fair.

“Over the past two years when markets in the West and Middle East crashed and hopes of a major revival seem bleak, interest in the Indian market has increased,” he said, adding that Singapore-based buyers have doubled to 10 percent of international purchasers from two years ago. “Other places like China and Australia are quite saturated as they are overbuilt, whereas India is still an undersupplied market. Definitely, the rupee is a stimulating factor.”

Higher Mortgage Rates

Even though property prices are lower in India, mortgage rates are 10 times higher at about 11 percent compared with between 1 percent and 2 percent in Singapore.

Mumbai-based Lodha Group offered its Singapore customers a chance to freeze the exchange rate at the home fair at 51.6 rupees to the dollar by hedging the currency on behalf of buyers.

For Manoj Mundra, a software professional employed with Cognizant Technology Solutions Corp. (CTSH) in Singapore, such offers and discounts from builders will aid his decision to purchase a property in India.

“It’s a good time to invest in India as you are getting more bang for your buck with the rupee depreciation,” Mundra, 41, said. Having lived in Singapore for six years, he is looking to purchase a home in Gurgaon, a suburb near New Delhi, the nation’s capital.

One-Tenth the Cost

A product of India’s seven years of surging economic growth, Gurgaon and its gated communities for the burgeoning middle class have swallowed up farmland. Homes in the area range from two-bedroom apartments starting at 5.3 million rupees to five- bedroom units for more than 50 million rupees, averaging around S$151 a square foot — about one-tenth the cost of a similar- sized apartment in the comparable Tampines area of Singapore.

Indians in Singapore make up 9 percent of the country’s resident population, forming the third-largest ethnic group after the Chinese and Malays, according to government data. Foreigners in Singapore account for 37 percent of the population.

Indians accounted for 3.7 percent of Singapore’s total home purchases last year, according to data from the Urban Redevelopment Authority. The top foreign buyers in the final quarter of 2011 were Chinese, followed by Indonesians, Malaysians and Indians, according Yang Liang Chua, head of research for Southeast Asia at Jones Lang LaSalle.

“The trend will be that a lot of the Indian wealth that is overseas will start finding its way back to India,” said Agarwal. “This is a new window that is opening.”

To contact the reporter on this story: Pooja Thakur in Singapore at pthakur@bloomberg.net

To contact the editor responsible for this story: Andreea Papuc at apapuc1@bloomberg.net

source: http://www.Bloomberg.com / News / by Pooja Thakur / February 09th, 2012

“Creating talent pool to develop specialised apps a big challenge”

Business & Economy, Science & Technologies

New wave: (From left) Cognizant Technology Solutions vice-chairman N. Lakshmi Narayanan, Polaris Financial Technology founder, chairman and CEO Arun Jain and Mobile Conference chairman Anand P. Surana in Chennai on Thursday. Photo: K.V. Srinivasan / The Hinu

In future, the gold rush will be in developing applications for non-PC based devices, as smart phone devices have overtaken personal computers and laptops, said N. Lakshmi Narayanan, vice-chairman, Cognizant Technology Solutions, on Thursday.

Delivering the special address at ‘Mobile conference 2012′, organised by the Confederation of Indian Industry (CII), he said that as the future would be driven predominantly by younger people under 35 years of age, the biggest challenge for business organisation was to create the talent pool that could develop specialised and focussed applications (apps) keeping in mind the consumer preferences.

Mentioning that the new world required a new thinking as consumers opted for smart phones and not personal computers and laptops, he said the future of working, worker, workplace and communication would be driven predominantly by non-PC devices. However, enough people were not available to create the apps.

Urging youngsters to develop new apps in different languages, he said that the largest selling business apps were in markets such as Brazil, China and Japan. India offered fantastic opportunity for developing apps in different languages.

Arun Jain, founder, chairman and CEO, Polaris Financial Technology, stressed the need for companies to get into design thinking to emulate the phenomenal success of Apple through its iPods and iPads.

“Design thinking is different from designing products or management. It is about designing the entire eco-system. From that perspective, Aravind Eye Care can be thought of an apt example of design thinking that created an entire eco-system of eye care using innovative public, private and local community partnerships.”

In his welcome speech, S. Sridharan, Convenor, IT, ITeS & Electronics Panel, CII-Chennai Zone, said as compared to its predecessors, the new wave of technologies such as cloud computing, mobile applications and social media were cost effective that could enable small players to access best systems and business practices to fight against large companies.

Anand P. Surana, chairman, Mobile Conference 2012, said that in just two years mobile-ready sites had grown from 1.50 lakh to 30 lakh. About 10.9 billion applications were downloaded in 2010 and the number was estimated to reach over 76 billion in 2014. Consumers spent $6.2 billion on apps last year and studies predict that it would grow to $35 billion by 2014.

source: http://www.TheHindu.com / News> Cities> Chennai / by Special Correspondent / Chennai, February 03rd, 2012

TI Cycles Of India Opens Its 200th “BSA Hercules Exclusive” Store In Chennai

Business & Economy

Chennai, Tamil Nadu, February 3, 2012:

TI Cycles of India, one of the leading bicycle manufacturers, part of the the USD 3.8 billion Murugappa Group, today announced the inauguration of their 200th “BSA Hercules Exclusive” store in Chrompet, Tambaram

TI Cycles 200th store inaugration

TI Cycles of India, one of the leading bicycle manufacturers, part of the the USD 3.8 billionMurugappa Group, today announced theinauguration of their 200th “BSA Hercules Exclusive” store in Chrompet, Tambaram. The store, spread over an area of about 900 sq. ft. offers a complete range of Hercules & BSA brands of bicycles, BSA Workouts range of fitness equipments and TracknTrail range of International bicycles.

 

The 200th “BSA Hercules Exclusive” store was inaugurated by ­­­­­­­- Mr. Prabhu Ganesan, Renowned Actor and Producer in the presence of Dr. D Raghuram, President, TI Cycles of India and BSA Motors, Mr. Arun Alagappan, Sr. Vice President – Sales & Marketing, TI Cycles of India and Mr. KC Ramamoorthy, General Manager – Retail, TI Cycles of India.

 

Commenting on the inauguration, Dr. D Raghuram, President, TI Cycles of India and BSA Motors said, “The 200th store inauguration is an important milestone marking our six decades of steady growth and exemplary services. The appetite for social engagement is increasing among newer generation, to beyond traditional forms of entertainment and TI Cycles with its vast range of products promises this element of Fun in Fitness”.

TI Cycles, a pioneer in bicycle manufacturing and design, stands for the core promise of Fun, Fitness and Freedom. Through its brands, BSA and Hercules, TI Cycles offers consumers a range of products, from standard and mountain terrain bikes to electric and performance bicycles.

‘BSA Hercules Exclusive Stores’ have revolutionised the way people buy bicycles in India across Urban and Rural Towns. These stores are a one-stop premium shop for all BSA and Hercules products and have a customer friendly ambience and service. In 2010, the company started “Hercules BSA Cycle Stores – A Rural Retail initiative” to provide the urban retail buying experience in smaller towns. In just over a year’s time, there are over 200 of these rural stores. For its retail innovation, the company was recently appreciated at the recent Retail Awards held in Mumbai for the category of “Excellence in Rural Retailing”

Speaking on the occasion, Mr. Arun Alagappan, Sr. Vice President – Sales & Marketing, TI Cycles of India said, “TI Cycles being a strong player in the market strives to provide its customers new and innovative range of products. With our 200th store inaugurating today, our aim is not just to be the preferred shopping destination for bicycles and fitness equipments, but also revolutionize the Indian bicycle industry and induce more Indians to bicycle.”

TI Cycles of India is the only bicycle company who has ventured into an organized retail format spread across cities to give a one-stop-shop experience to the customers. With a turnover of Rs1,121 crore and a year-on-year revenue growth of 18% TI Cycles is a market leader in the ‘specials’ segment of cycles and this has been made possible due to its exclusive retail outlets.

source: http://www.IndiaPRwire.com / Transportation> Trucking/ RailRoad / New Products/Services / February 03rd, 2012

New ChennaiDosa Indian restaurant to open in Stretford Mall, Trafford

Arts, Culture & Entertainment, Business & Economy, Nri's / Pio's

TWENTY-FIVE new jobs will be created when Britain’s fastest growing chain of Indian restaurants opens in Stretford Mall.

The two floor, 125 cover restaurant, at the front of the mall on Chester Road will bring South Indian cuisine to the busy shopping centre.

Known as ChennaiDosa, the company opened its first restaurant in London in 2003 and this will be its 11th.

General Manager Suresh Baskar and Stretford Mall Operations Manager Mike Russell 

General Manager and chef, Suresh Baskar, said: “We looked at venues all over Manchester, including the city centre, but we felt the Stretford Mall had the right location for us because it has a good car park for our customers and it gives us the opportunity to bring something very new to Stretford with no other restaurants like us nearby. We liked the idea of being in with a community rather than in the very crowded environment of the city centre.

“We are already a very well established brand and people know and love our food so trust me when I say that people will visit from all over to come to our restaurant so it will be a great addition for Stretford.”

Colin McCrory, Stretford Mall manager, said the opening of ChennaiDosa was a very exciting new development and would offer a terrific new restaurant for the whole community.

He said: “ChennaiDosa is going to offer another very good reason to come to the Stretford Mall and offer the community a chance to sample some wonderful cultural cookery.

“It will create a substantial amount of new jobs for the area to add to more than 750 jobs which the mall and its retailers already provide.

“I think it will be a tremendous draw for new and existing customers and reflects the positive developments which are happening at Stretford Mall all as we move into 2012.”

The restaurant chain has a menu heavily influenced by the staple food and flavours of South India, where Suresh is from and learnt his skills as a chef.

One of the main dishes on the menu is dosa, a thin, spicy pancake made from fermented rice and lentils which can be served plain with chutneys or with different types of curry. Customers will also find idly which are small, round steamed rice cakes also particular to the Southern region of India.

Suresh has spent 25 years in the hotel and restaurant industry and trained as a chef while working for the Sheraton hotel group.

Originally from Chennai, the capital city of the Southern Indian state of Tamilnadu, Suresh has worked tirelessly over the last eight years to help build up the business and bring the culinary delights of his homeland to his customers.

He said: “People rely on us for our quality, the wonderful taste of our food and our service and that is why we have been successful and what we are seeking to bring to Stretford.

“For those who already know the type of food we cook, they say it is a chance to taste the flavours of home which makes them very happy.

“But it is also a chance for others to try a different type of Indian food and the feedback we get is amazing.”

source: http://www.messengernewspapers.co.uk / News / Monday, January 30th, 2012

TNEB asks Anna University to study unmetered power connections

Business & Economy, Science & Technologies

Chennai:

The Tamil Nadu Electricity Board (TNEB) has asked Anna University to conduct a pilot study of unmetered connections in farms and slums in an effort to reduce transmission and distribution losses.

TNEB officials said there are approximately 13 lakh hut connections and 19.8 lakh agricultural connections, which get free power supply. The study will help TNEB understand the consumption pattern of agriculture and hut consumers and keep tabs on distribution losses.

The university has started the study and is expected to complete it within a year. Four members of the electrical engineering department are involved in the study.

The agriculture sector consumes 14,000 million units of the 70,000 million units distributed by the board. “This is just a rough calculation. We supply free power to hut dwellers and farmers, but we cannot meter the use due to political compulsions,” said a senior TNEB official.

As metering of connections is essential to understand supply and consumption, TNEB commissioned the study. “It will be a scientific study. TNEB has provided us all the details. Now we are analyzing them to find out of consumption pattern. If necessary we will make field visits,” said a faculty at the university’s electrical department.

The study was undertaken as TNEB got reports about agricultural connections being misused. “Some farmers allow water dealers to use their connections to run pumps and draw water from wells. This is common in the western region of Tamil Nadu, including Coimbatore. Every year we detect 300 cases. During 2009-10, 329 such cases were detected and in the year before, 317,” said an official.

“Politicians do not want to meter the agriculture connections fearing the vote bank. But it is essential to curb power theft in the sector and such a study is the only way we can understand the consumption pattern,” said the official.

A recent study by Citizen Consumer and Civic Action Group said the biggest problem facing the debt-ridden TNEB is the lack of metering of over 20 lakh farm power connections. It said TNEB routinely puts transmission losses at 18%, but that figure is not scientific, and the total annual losses are 30% to 32%, which includes farm power.

source: http://www.articles.timesofindia.indiatimes.com/ City> Chennai /TNN/ by  Vivek Narayan / January 23rd, 2012