Category Archives: Business & Economy

Indian National League hails Kerala port minister Ahammad Devarkovil for initiating big port project in Vizhinjam

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KERALA:

New Delhi:

The Indian National League (INL), a part of the ruling Left Democratic Front (LDF) coalition government in Kerala, has lauded its leader, Ahammad Devarkovil, who serves as the Minister of Ports in the state cabinet, for initiating a massive international seaport project in Vizhinjam near Thiruvananthapuram.

Marking a historic milestone in the development of Indian port, Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan waved the green flag on Sunday to welcome the first-ever ship at the Rs 7,700 crore deep-water international Vizhinjam port.

He was joined by Minister of State for External Affairs V Muraleedharan, Kerala’s port minister Ahammad Devarkovil, Congress Member of Parliament Shashi Tharoor, various state ministers, and APSEZ CEO Karan Adani.

They waved a green flag, signaling the tugboats to guide the massive Chinese ship, Zhen Hua 15, from the wharf to the docking yard.  This under construction seaport is India’s first deep-water container transshipment port with the capacity to host large cargo ships and the world’s largest luxury cruise ships.

Owned by the Government of Kerala, it will be operated by the Adani Group for 40 years, handling 75 percent of India’s container trans-shipment needs and reducing reliance on ports in other neighboring countries upon full commission.

Emphasizing its international importance, the Chief Minister announced that it would be commissioned by May next year. However, the flagging-off ceremony sparked political controversy, with both the ruling LDF and the opposition UDF claiming credit for the project. Congress leaders argued that former Chief Minister Oommen Chandy was the driving force behind the project, but the LDF dismissed the claims.

During a press conference at the Press Club of India here on October 16, leaders of the INL spoke on various issues, including the Palestine-Israel conflict, opposition coalition INDIA, the caste census, News Click raids, and the minority character of Aligarh Muslim University.

INL National President Prof. Mohammed Suleiman, Kerala State Chief Ahmed Devarkovil, its All India General Secretary Muzammil Hussain, National Committee Member CP Anwar Sadat, Delhi Head Rafi Ahmed Khan, and General Secretary Qamar Ali addressed the media.

Addressing the press conference, Prof. Suleiman said that India’s support for Israel was tarnishing the country’s international image. He demanded a national-level caste census to ensure the welfare of minority communities and protect their rights. Expressing concerns over the media raids, Prof. Suleiman said that the raids against NewsClick and other journalists were a continuation of the Union government’s attempts to intimidate the media.

The INL, working in 11 states since its establishment in 1994, issued a press release stating its commitment to working nationwide against the Hindutva forces led by Narendra Modi. The statement said, “the party aims to establish a secular and democratic coalition called “INDIA” to eliminate communal and fascist influences from the national political landscape. The INL started its campaign in Kerala as well as other states to make the voters ready to strengthen the anti BJP platform.”

Praising Ahammad Devarkovil, the INL emphasized that in his role as the Minister of Ports, he has showcased his acumen and talent, as evident from Sunday’s ceremony when a large ship from China was anchored at Vizhinham.

Calling on the international community for opening the blockade of Gaza and ensure supply of medicines, food, water and electricity to the suffering people of Gaza, the INL said that the party supported the persecuted Palestinians who were fighting against the illegal occupation of their land by the Zionist regime of Israel. To ensure durable peace an independent, the INL demanded a sovereign Palestine state must be established.

Strongly objecting to what it described as the BJP government’s nefarious designs to abolish the autonomy and minority status of Aligarh Muslim University, the party has called for the reinstatement of the AMU Amendment Act of 1981. Moreover, it demands the prompt commencement of the process to appoint a permanent Vice-Chancellor and the immediate scheduling of elections for the AMU Student Union.

The INL has also announced that Dr. Baseer Ahmed Khan, former Pro Vice-Chancellor of Indira Gandhi Open University and former Chairman of the AMU Students’ Union, has joined the Indian National League.

source: http://www.indiatomorrow.net / India Tomorrow / Home> Development / by Anwarulhaq Baig / October 17th, 2023

India’s Millet Man Dr Khadar Vali says eating coarse grains is way to healthy life

Amazing Feats, Business & Economy, Community Involvement / Social Issues, Green Products, Inventions, Innovations (wef. Nov 30th, 2021), Leaders, Science & Technology, , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

Purdadtoor Town (Kadapa District), ANDHRA PRADESH:

Dr Khadar Vali, the Millet man of India
Dr Khadar Vali, the Millet man of India

Coarse grains or millets are ancient foods which contain key nutrients like vitamins, zinc, beta-carotene, and magnesium. These foods keep blood sugar under control and reduce obesity. If one eats healthy food one can simply avoid disease and medicines.

This is the message from India’s leading agronomist Dr. Khadar Vali, who is also called the Millet man of India.

Dr. Vali is an independent scientist and food expert. He has brought back five species of millet that had disappeared from the world. Today, at 66 years of age, Vali is one of the leading proponents of millet cultivation in the world. He has made world realize the importance of grains.

Millets are available not only in India but everywhere in the world. These are known by different names in each country. To date, people around the world have eaten 200 different types of whole grains.

It’s important to note that the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) declared 2023 as the International Year of Millets at the insistence of India.

Khadar Vali says that the cultivation of millets can solve problems of soil erosion and irrigation also. The food we eat creates an imbalance in blood glucose levels. It makes people sick. But all this can be avoided if we use coarse grains. If you eat millet, you never need medicine.

He says it’s a misconception that coarse grains are food for animals and birds. He says these are super foods that can prevent disease as these contain fiber that cleanses the body. These grains protect the human race and other species. Millets are food for the whole planet.

Fox millet or Bajra

Dr Khadar Vali hails from Purdadtoor town in the Kadapa district of Andhra Pradesh. He has been working for 20 years to revive Sridhanialu, an Indian concept about food habits that are in sync with the nature and the human body.

Earlier, he worked in a good position in the USA. Dr Vali is a post-graduate from the Regional Institute of Education, Mysore, and did his PhD on Steroids from the Indian Institute of Sciences, Bengaluru.

Vali did his postdoctoral research on a fellowship in Environmental Science from the United States. His research focused on the inactivation of deadly chemicals such as Agent Orange and dioxins. His research came at a time when food was becoming increasingly commercialized.

Around 1986-87, Dr. Khadar Vali raised the issue of food-related consequences in society when he came across a case of a girl who started menstruating at the age of 6. He decided to return to his country.

He returned to India in 1997 and worked hard to revive five different varieties of millets in Mysore that were rapidly disappearing. More than two decades later, India’s ‘Milletman’ Dr. Khadar Vali was awarded the Padma Shri on the occasion of the 74th Republic Day celebrations.

awazurdu

Dr. Khadar Vali says that millet has long been part of the mainstream diet but over the past 75 years, corporations marketing rice and wheat have Institutions subjected them to “systematic destruction”.

He has told the world about the benefits of coarse grains along with the negative effects of other grains from his long research on millet. Some points of his research are as follows. His research on food grains has led him to categorized them as negative, neutral, and positive.

Negative: These Grains cause diseases and include paddy rice and wheat. The fiber content of these grains is below 2 percent.

Neutral: Grains don’t cause new diseases, however, can’t help to cure health disorders and diseases. These are jawar, bajra, finger millet, proso millet, etc which carry fiber content from 3 to 6 percent.

Positive: Grains, which help to cure health diseases and disorders. These are Foxtail millets, Barnyard millets, Browntop millets, Little millets, and Kodo millets; which have fiber content from 8 to 12 percent. He named these millets Siri Dhanyaalu. Siri means wealth, which is indirectly health. .

Based on Dr. Khadar Vali’s research and findings, below are the diseases and disorders cured by the positive millets (Siri Dhanyaalu)

 1. Foxtail Millet Rice: nervous system, psychological disorders, arthritis, Parkinson’s, epilepsy

 2. Kodo Millet Rice: blood impurities, anemia, weak immunity, diabetes, constipation, insomnia

 3. Barnyard Millet Rice: liver, kidney, excess bad cholesterol, endocrine glands

 4. Little Millet Rice: uterus, PCOD, male and female infertility

 5. Browntop Millet Rice: digestive system, arthritis, hypertension, thyroid, eye, obesity

Prime Minister Narendra Modi has given the name Shree Anna to coarse grains.

The year 2023 was declared by the United Nations as the International Year of Coarse Grains, after which the Grammy Award-winning Indian-American singer Fallo prepared a song, saluting the efforts of Prime Minister Modi.

In one of his tweets, Fallow mentioned the Prime Minister’s support in producing the song. This song has been prepared with the aim of promoting coarse grains and helping farmers to cultivate them and encouraging efforts to eradicate hunger from the world.

source: http://www.awazthevoice.in / Awaz, The Voice / Home> Story / by Mansooruddin Faridi / October 07th, 2023

Dr Mohammed Khan Received The 14th Bharat Ratna Dr A P J Abdul Kalam Award 2022

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INDIA / Dubai, UAE:

Dr Mohammed Khan, President & CEO of Khans Media City, Dubai, was Honoured with the Bharat Ratna Dr A P J Abdul Kalam Award by the Hon. Governor of Maharashtra, Shri Bhagat Singh Koshyari, as “The Global Media Celebrity” (GMC) in a function organized by Dr A P J Abdul Kalam Global Foundation held at Raj Bhavan, Mumbai, India.

The Governor, while congratulating the Awardees’, said they all deserve this recognition for their contributions to social causes and work for making our nation better and wished them greater successes in all their future endeavours. 

While receiving the award, Dr Khan, who had also been crowned earlier with many international recognitions by many Governments, Organizations like FIFA and Olympic Committee etc., said he was proud to receive an award in his native country again and considered this as most valuable since it’s named after one of the greatest Visionaries the world had ever seen. He dedicated this award to the great Visionaries, Gurujis, Scientists and Masterminds behind the developments of today’s India. 

The 14th award function was organized by the Dr A P J Abdul Kalam Global Foundation, and the event was managed by Parwez Media. Chairman Dollarai Kottega, Padmashree Kalpana Saroj etc., were present at the function. Kargil War Hero Col. Shailendra Singh, Great musician and playback singer Sri Udit Narayan, Sri Mufti Manzur Ziyaee, Mukesh Manveer Singh, International celebrity and model Ketki Walse, Dr. Bu Abdulla from UAE were also part of this year’s award winners. 

source: www.ahmedabadmirror.com / Ahmedabad Mirror / Home> Others> Specials> Other Specials / September 15th, 2022

Start-up incubator helps Hyderabad entrepreneurs take off

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Hyderabad, TELANGANA:

India’s first student-focused non-academic business incubator, Edventure park has incubated 157 student start-ups, out of which 30 have already been launched in the market and more than 10 have raised funding from institutional investors.

Founder and CEO Meraj Faheem told The Siasat Daily that the incubator has an army of campus leads who identify talented entrepreneurs with innovative ideas and provide them with the environment, support, and encouragement that they need.

“We have a four-month-long pre-incubation program where we work with idea-stage start-ups,” he added.

The students come up with ideas, the incubator assesses the ideas and after an application process, there’s a three-round interview process. This is followed by the selection of upto 25 start-up ideas that then go through a four-month-long pre-incubation program.

“On the basis of their progress, Edventure park selects 10 out of the 25 start-up ideas who are then taken to the incubation program, and then the acceleration program,” Meraj Faheem remarked.

source: http://www.siasat.com / The Siasat Daily / Home> News> Hyderabad / by Usama Hazari / June22nd, 2022

NRI entrepreneur Nasir Syed honored at NKN Media’s UAE Business Leaders award ceremony

Amazing Feats, Business & Economy, Karnataka (under research project), Leaders, NRI's / PIO's, World Opinion, , , , , , , ,

Moodbidri (Dakshina Kannada) KARNATAKA / Dubai, U.A.E:

Dubai :

In a ceremony held at Taj Exotica, The Palm, Dubai, NRI entrepreneur Nasir Syed was honored with Business Icon award by NKN Media, celebrating the success stories of Indian business leaders in the UAE.

The event, boasting 16 icons from diverse industries, was graced by the presence of Dr. Shashi Tharoor, former Minister of State for External Affairs and acclaimed author, who handed over the award to Nasir Syed.

Nasir Syed, a prominent figure hailing from Moodbidri and the son of Syed Mohidin from Dakshina Kannada, has established himself as a renowned entrepreneur and international superbike rider in the UAE. He is the founder and CMD of Creative House Scaffolding.

The prestigious event was organized in collaboration with India Today Group, one of India’s leading media houses. The ceremony was broadcasted on India’s prominent news channels, Aaj Tak and India Today TV. The award aimed to celebrate visionary leaders and recognize their significant impact on the UAE’s business landscape and community.

Renowned actors and influencers, including Vivek Oberoi and Salman Yusuff Khan, shared exclusive video messages with their dedicated fan base, expressing their anticipation for the event.

In addition to these messages, India’s leading news anchor, Rajdeep Sardesai, graced the occasion with his presence.

The ceremony served as a platform to showcase the inspiring journeys and remarkable accomplishments of these business icons. Engaging 30-minute episodes highlighting their stories will be broadcasted, allowing viewers to gain insights into the experiences and achievements of these influential personalities.

source: http://www.english.varthabharati.in / Vartha Bharati / Home> Business / by Vartha Bharati / September 30th, 2023

CM inaugurates ‘Beary Souharda Bhavan,’ promises to increase minority allocation to Rs 10,000 Crore

Business & Economy, Community Involvement / Social Issues, Karnataka (under research project), Leaders, , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

Mangaluru, KARNATAKA:

CM, DyCM and other prominent leaders grace the inaugral ceremony of the ‘Bearys Souharda Bhavan’.

Bengaluru:

Chief Minister Siddaramaiah announced on Saturday that the state government has earmarked Rs 3,150 crores for the development of minority communities, with Rs 10,000 crores to be gradually reserved for this purpose in upcoming budgets. He made this announcement during his address at the inaugural ceremony of ‘Beary Souharda Bhavan’ here at HBR Layout.

The Chief Minister, accompanied by Deputy Chief Minister D.K. Shivakumar and other prominent leaders, inaugurated the Souharda Bhavan and the B.A. Mohideen Memorial Auditorium.

In his speech, Siddaramaiah emphasized the equal distribution of the state’s wealth among all its citizens, stating that “equal justice will be served, and no one can be treated unfairly.” He expressed pride in laying the foundation stone for Beary Souharda Bhavan and inaugurating it, highlighting its inclusivity by being open to people of all backgrounds.

Highlighting the important role played by harmony to achieve peace and progress in a country, he asserted that attaining peace and progress in a country or society is not possible without having harmony and equality among diverse cultures.

Stressing on creating harmony in the society, he stated, “Those who sow mistrust and hatred towards each other will be the primary reason for the downfall of this country. BA Mohideen was an exemplary personality with true secular values, who believed in friendship.”

He further assured strict action against those who disturb the peace in the society, emphasizing that individuals from all castes and religions are entitled to exercise their constitutional rights.

Beary community’s contribution to peace and development immense: D.K Shivakumar

Speaking at the ceremony, Deputy Chief Minister D.K Shivakumar commended the Beary Community as having contributed a lot to the development of peace, harmony and educational institutions in the state. He also thanked the Beary community for its support to the Congress party in the recent Vidhana Sabha Polls.

Acknowledging the community’s positive impact on Kannada language, he added that, “the Beary speaking community has made memorable contributions to Kannada literature, culture and language is immense. While girls wear jewelry to look beautiful, the beary speaking community has made Kannada beautiful” he said.

Meanwhile, he also recalled the contribution made by the community towards the temples of the Dakshina Kannada district, and also acknowledged that it was Bappa Beary who constructed the Shri Durgaparameshwari Temple in Mulki.

Shivakumar also stressed on generating employment in hometown and asserted that instead of heading to foreign countries or the gulf one should stress on creating jobs in the hometown, the exit of talent will prove harmful for the development of the state.

Encouraging people of Mangaluru, he cited the coastal city as the investors’ paradise and that the people should generate employment locally and remove the stigma of the city being called as the laboratory of communal riots.

Speaking about the requests made by the beary community for the grants, Shivakumar assured of all possible assistance within the framework of the law.

“Increase Muslim representation in the state cabinet”

Speaking at the inaugural ceremony, Syed Muhammad Beary, President of the Bearys Group and Beary Souharda Bhavan Building committee, urged an increase in Muslim representation in the state cabinet. Simultaneously, he also suggested giving ministerial positions to three people of the community including speaker U.T Khader.

In response to Syed Beary’s remarks, D.K Shivakumar noted during his address that, “You requested that UT Khader, who holds the position of a speaker, be considered for a ministerial role. He currently occupies a higher position above ours. SM Krishna and Jagdish Shettar were also speakers.”

Syed Beary also mentioned that the state government initially allocated a 30,000 sq ft plot of land. However, for some reasons, only 12,000 sq ft of land was allotted, and they have fully utilized it for the construction of this building.

Beary expressed hope that the government would allocate the remaining 18,000 sq ft of land for the construction of another building on the same model and hostel facilities for men.

B.A. Mohideen’s dream inspired the construction of this building, which has been named ‘Beary Souharda Bhavan’ in accordance with his suggestion. Syed Beary expressed, “This Bhavan will serve the community well, in line with the aspirations of B.A. Mohideen, who sparked an educational revolution amongst the Beary Muslims.”

The ceremony was attended by Speaker U.T. Khader, Energy Minister K.J. George, Health and Family Welfare Minister Dinesh Gundu Rao, Chief Minister’s Political Secretary Naseer Ahmed, Legislative Council Ruling Party Chief Whip Salim Ahmed, Umar Teekay, G.A. Bawa along with many other distinguished guests.

President of Bearys Welfare Association, Bengaluru and Member of Legislative Council B.M. Farooq presided over the event.

source: http://www.english.varthabharati.in / Vartha Bharati / Home> Karnataka / by Vartha Bharati / September 30th, 2023

Metalco Group’s Abdul Razak Kote conferred with ‘Best Entrepreneur of Bahrain’ award

Business & Economy, Community Involvement / Social Issues, Karnataka (under research project), Leaders, NRI's / PIO's, World Opinion, , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

Udupi District, KARNATAKA / BAHRAIN:

 Haji Abdul Razak Kote Hejmady, owner of Metalco Group of Companies was conferred with ‘Best Entrepreneur of Bahrain’ award.

Former President of India Ramnath Kovind presented the award to Haji Abdul Razak.

Abdul Razak, who is the president of Dakshina Kannada Muslim Welfare Association in involved in social and religious works since many years.

Abdul Razak has been residing in Bahrain from the past 47 years. He hails from the Kote family of Hejmady in Udupi district.

He has been the voice of Muslim Community of this Island for three decades and with his vision he established Dakshina Kannada Muslim Welfare Association, which continuously works for the betterment of the community.

Abdul Razak has been a tireless advocate for the Tulu and Kannada communities. His contribution towards various programmes to promote Tulu and Kannada languages and culture has been phenomenal.

source: http://www.daijiworld.com / DaijiWorld.com / Home> Top Stories / by Daijiworld Media Network – Bahrain (MS) / September 23rd, 2023

Jamia student’s startup secures Rs 4cr seed funding to propel growth

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NEW DELHI:

The promising startup VTEC, operating under the wings of Jamia Millia Islamia, has reached a significant milestone by securing ₹4 Crore in seed funding from an angel investor. 

Jamia student's startup secures Rs 4cr seed funding to propel growth

New Delhi: 

In a momentous achievement for Jamia Millia Islamia (JMI) one of its talented MBA students and an ambitious entrepreneur, Mohammad Uwais, has successfully secured 4 crore in seed funding for his Startup VTEC.

This remarkable accomplishment has garnered attention and admiration not only within the university but also in the wider entrepreneurial community. The startup, initially bootstrapped, has now taken a significant step forward with this infusion of capital.

The promising startup VTEC, operating under the wings of Jamia Millia Islamia, has reached a significant milestone by securing ₹4 Crore in seed funding from an angel investor. This accomplishment marks a pivotal moment in the journey of the innovative venture, setting the stage for its rapid expansion and continued success.

The startup, VTEC, has thus far been a self-funded endeavour, demonstrating the dedication and perseverance of its entrepreneurial team. However, the recent infusion of ₹4 Crore in seed capital represents a major turning point. In exchange for this funding, the investor will acquire a 10% equity stake in VTEC, valuing the company at ₹40 Crores. This investment, which represents the pre-seed round for the company, will fuel VTEC’s ambitious growth plans.

VTEC is a multifaceted consulting firm that operates across various sub-domains, including political consulting, business consulting, finance consulting, and healthcare consulting. With a dedicated and dynamic team at its helm, VTEC has gained recognition for its expertise, innovative solutions, and commitment to delivering value to its clients.

This substantial injection of capital will allow VTEC to accelerate its expansion efforts, enhance its service offerings, and bolster its market presence. The funding will be utilized to develop cutting-edge solutions, expand the company’s client base, and invest in talent acquisition and development.

JMI takes immense pride in its association with VTEC and acknowledges the entrepreneurial spirit displayed by its students. The university’s commitment to fostering innovation and supporting its students’ entrepreneurial endeavours is evident through this collaboration.

The successful seed funding round reflects the confidence that investors have in VTEC’s potential to make a meaningful impact in the consulting industry. The company’s dedication to excellence, coupled with its commitment to serving diverse sectors, positions it as a valuable player in the consulting landscape.

As VTEC embarks on this exciting new phase of growth, the university extends its best wishes and unwavering support to the young entrepreneurs behind this venture. This accomplishment serves as a testament to the entrepreneurial ecosystem at JMI and underscores the institution’s commitment to nurturing talent and fostering innovation.

source: http://www.ummid.com / Ummid.com / Home> Business & Economy / by ummid.com news network / September 19th, 2023

The Relevance Of IKEA And Its Mysuru Connection

Business & Economy, Karnataka (under research project), ,

Mysuru, KARNATAKA:

It seems, on Thursday all roads led to a Swedish Furniture Store in Hyderabad — IKEA. The company’s name is an acronym — Ingvar Kamprad the name of its Founder, Elmtaryd name of his Farm and Agunnaryd the name of his Hometown in Sweden.

So the world famous furniture store IKEA opened its first store at HITEC City in Hyderabad and it lured so many people that traffic in the area came to a halt.  Was it just curiosity that drove people there or a real desire to buy? Because Indians love heavy teak furniture that lasts forever and IKEA doesn’t really sell that kind of furniture.

IKEA produces light wood furniture and for the most part it’s a ‘Do It Yourself’ (DIY) project. Which means, when you go to an IKEA store and buy furniture, you will not get a fully assembled product. Instead, you take home all the required components and a detailed manual so you can assemble the furniture yourself.

When I mentioned IKEA’s DIY style of business to a friend he said, “What is this DIY? It’s like going to a restaurant, ordering a dish, and the waiter brings all the ingredients; you have to cook it yourself?” IKEA well understands this reluctance among Indians and has partnered with a company called Urban Clap which will send over a carpenter to assemble the furniture for a fee of Rs. 900.

Apart from contemporary furniture and lifestyle products, companies like IKEA bring something to a nation’s industrial landscape — they make our local companies globally competitive.

A month ago, I visited MAS Furniture, a Mysuru-based furniture manufacturing company headed by Shabbir Vagh. When I met Shabbir he was busy planting trees at the factory premises. When I enquired about it he replied saying, “We’re now manufacturing for IKEA and they have a requirement which states that every factory must have a certain amount of green cover.”

It seems to be qualified as an IKEA supplier one has to follow IKEA’s IWAY policy.  IWAY is short for the IKEA-Way of doing things. One such IWAY is that vendors that partner with IKEA must have a healthy male to female ratio in the factory.

Shabbir says that ratio is 1:1 and now he has hired a whole lot of women to make for a 1:1 workforce.  IKEA also wanted pay parity that is based on merit and experience rather than gender.

Strict standards have been laid out for workers’ safety, which means all workers on the shop floor have to wear gloves, bright vests and goggles. Apart from this, the vendor has to maintain clean accounting standards.

As for the raw materials, Shabbir shows me a beautiful vegetable crate made from pine wood which he supplies to IKEA and tells me the varnish on the wood has undergone innumerable tests to the point that the wood is safe enough even for a child to chew on.

He also informs me that every piece of wood used by IKEA is certified by the Forest Stewardship Council, an international body governing the sustainable and responsible use of forest resources.

So how has all of this helped Shabbir’s family furniture business? Thanks to following the IKEA way of manufacturing, the company has attracted new global partnerships. MAS Furniture now supplies furniture to the Trump Tower being built in Pune and is making furniture for the world famous French product designer Philippe Starck.

This is proof that when global companies with good practices partner with local manufacturers, they improve their standards making them globally competitive. When our industrialists can learn, adapt and become globally competitive, why can’t our politicians and bureaucrats? Well, it turns out politicians and bureaucrats of Telangana already have.

It was reported that IKEA was first to open in either Mumbai or Bengaluru but suddenly chose Hyderabad. The reason being that the Principal Secretary of Telangana, after reading about IKEA’s plans for India, contacted them and deputed a few proactive bureaucrats to help them get all the approvals and allotted land in HITEC City. The speed at which things moved ensured that IKEA opened its first India Store and the country’s largest retail space in Hyderabad while providing employment to 950 people in the store alone!

In contrast, a mobile phone brand based in Bengaluru approached the Karnataka government for industrial land to setup a mobile research and development lab in 2015.  They even met the previous Chief Minister but nothing came of it. Later, Telangana heard about this project, called the owners, held talks and soon offered them 1.6 acres in Gachibowli to set up their Lab. Today the construction is on track and is expected to be completed by 2019 and will employ over 300 people.

The manufacturing philosophies of companies like IKEA are very relevant for a growing economy like ours. Karnataka needs such companies and for that our leaders have to be proactive. The last time we had such a Chief Minister was S.M. Krishna, who ushered in the IT boom. Now we have a coalition government and there is an atmosphere of industrial gloom.

e-mail: vikram@starofmysore.com

source: http://www.staromysore.com / Star of Mysore / Home> Columns in Black & White / by Vikram Muthanna / August 11th, 2018

Meet Saudi-return Indian farmer cultivating Gulf-like dates using tissue culture

Agriculture (since June 07th, 2021), Amazing Feats, Business & Economy, , , , , ,

Ariyakulam (Dharmapuri District), TAMIL NADU:

Nizamuddin S. cultivates 32 varieties of the luscious fruit as well as date palms. (Supplied)
Nizamuddin S. cultivates 32 varieties of the luscious fruit as well as date palms. (Supplied)

In India there is a presumption that good, juicy dates are procured only in the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) countries. Little do we know that similar quality dates can be grown in India too.

Though the Kutch region in Gujarat, Punjab and Rajasthan are two major date-growing states, with Gujarat alone home to 2 million date palm trees, Tamil Nadu in south India is fast catching up.

Despite India being the one of the largest importers of dates in the world – around 3.5 million metric tons every year – there is good market for homegrown dates both locally and abroad.

India imports around 3.5 million metric tons every year. (Supplied)
India imports around 3.5 million metric tons every year. (Supplied)

Farm-cum-nursery

Meet Nizamuddin S., who cultivates 32 varieties of the luscious fruit as well as date palms. His farm-cum-nursery at Ariyakulam in Dharmapuri district in western part of Tamil Nadu literally bears fruits of hard labor and innovation.

The dangling cluster of dates on date palms at his farm are feast for the eyes. Owner of Saliah Dates, Nizamuddin got the idea of cultivating dates while working in Saudi Arabia.

Nizamuddin got the idea of cultivating dates while working in Saudi Arabia. (Supplied)
Nizamuddin got the idea of cultivating dates while working in Saudi Arabia. (Supplied)

Finest Saudi dates

Responding to emails from Al Arabiya English, Nizamuddin said: “Saudi Arabia has the finest dates in the world. One fine day I thought why such dates cannot be grown in India? It seemed possible and I bought 100 plants for testing and the idea blossomed”.

There has been no looking back since then as his nursery-cum-farm now has more than 32 varieties of date palms. One of them is the Barhee dates, which costs Rs. 300 per kilogram. Barhee is the best variety and yields more than 200kg per plant.”

Tamil Nadu is an important state for dates in southern India. Here climate, soil and irrigation facilities in some coastal regions like Tirunelveli, Tuticorin and Ramanathpuram districts favor date palm cultivation.

Tamil Nadu is an important state for dates in southern India. (Supplied)
Tamil Nadu is an important state for dates in southern India. (Supplied)

Tissue culture technology

Over decades of cultivation practices followed in different regions, regenerating dates either by seeds or offshoots and trying different imported cultivars, have led to the present date fruits of great variations in size, shape, color, weight, taste and astringency.

Moreover, controlling date palm diseases using methods, which do not pollute soil, plant and products, has not been easy.

The obvious solution was to produce date palms by adopting tissue culture technology, which enables farmers to select only the best trees as every plant produced from the cut stem is genetically identical to the parent tree.

Nizamuddin imports tissue culture plants from wherever they have been developed. (Supplied)
Nizamuddin imports tissue culture plants from wherever they have been developed. (Supplied)

Transforming technology

Nizamuddin is aware that tissue culture can do wonders to the plantation. So he started to import tissue culture plants from abroad where such technologies have been developed.

“Twenty years ago first we tried seedlings. But there was an issue in the sense that we could not differentiate between a male and female plant. Only the female date palm can bear date fruits. But with tissue culture the plant is 100 percent female and we can get yield by 2 1/2 years”, says Nizamuddin.

“We import such plants from Abu Dhabi and sell all over India. We are soon planning to introduce new varieties. Ajwa dates are our first priority. Depending on how successful the yield is we will go for further new varieties. On the anvil are making different types of food products with dates like date syrup, chocolates, etc.”

source: http://www.english.alarabiya.net / AlArabiya News / Home> Features / by Aftab Husain Kola / June 21st, 2018