Category Archives: Business & Economy

Sohail Razzack, Former MD, Gandour India, Passes Away

Business & Economy, Community Involvement / Social Issues, Education, Leaders, , , , , , , ,

Hyderabad, TELANGANA / NEW DELHI :

Sohail Razzack.

He was also a member of the Governing Body of Delhi Education Society which runs a number of schools in Delhi including the Anglo Arabic School

New Delhi :

Former Managing Director of Gandour India Food Processing  Pvt. Ltd, Cherlapally, Hyderabad, Sohail Razzack, passed away in New Delhi on May 11 of cardiac arrest. Sohail was the only son of late Hakim Mohammed Abdur Razzack (Founder Director, CCRUM) and Tabiba Ummul Fazal. He was 58 years old.

Born in a respectable Maulvi khandaan of Hyderabad, Sohail Razzack grew up in Delhi and did his schooling from St Xavier’s High School. He went on to do MBA from XLRI, Jamshedpur.

Well known in the FMCG sector, Sohail Razzack, an international marketing and business professional, served in the corporate world and worked with several multinational companies in India and overseas like Cadbury India Limited, SmithKline Beecham, Sprint RPG, Black and Decker and ICI Paints. As Director, Marketing and Export of Pinehill Arabia Food Limited, Sohail Razzack was responsible for expanding the Indomie brand of instant noodles in the Middle East and North Africa region.

As MD, Gandour India, a leading food processing manufacturer in the Middle East, North Africa and India, Sohail’s business acumen led to the rise in popularity and sale of Safari Chocolates, Yamama cakes, Tourist wafers and other confectionary items that the 160-year-old company is famous for.

Coincidently, his first job as Field Sales Executive where he successfully launched Cadbury’s Dollops ice cream and his last as MD, Gandour India, were based out of his hometown, Hyderabad.

Sohail  was also a member of the Governing Body of Delhi Education Society which runs a number of schools in Delhi including the Anglo Arabic School. He taught and lectured at several management institutes across India, and was a popular and admired teacher and mentor.

A dreamer and romantic at heart, Sohail had three passions, Mohammed Rafi, cricket and travelling.

A die-hard fan, Sohail had a Rafi song for any occasion. No trip to Mumbai would be complete without having offered fatiha at Rafi Sahib’s grave. He had even visited the late singer’s birthplace at Kotla Sultan Singh. Sohail’s passion and deep curiosity for exploration led him to travel extensively around the world either for pleasure or to personally promote the brands he worked for, even in the smallest, most remote corners of the country. He had recently started documenting his travels to share with the world but alas, Allah had other plans for him.

Sohail was an honest, humble, down to earth and God fearing person. He emphasized on forgiveness and charity as great virtues. Always willing to lend a helping hand, he touched the lives of many people with his infinite wisdom, guidance and generosity. He will be greatly missed.

He leaves behind his mother, wife, two sons, two daughters, and several family members who loved him dearly.

May Allah grant him forgiveness and elevate him to the highest place in Jannat ul Firdaus. Aameen.

source: http://www.clarionindia.net / Clarion India / Home> Indian Muslim / May 17th, 2021

Shahid Jameel quits as head of virus genome sequencing group

Amazing Feats, Business & Economy, Community Involvement / Social Issues, COVID 19 - Community of Soldiers, Education, Leaders, Science & Technology, Useful / HEALTHCARE, World Opinion, , , , , , , , , ,

Aligarh, UTTAR PRADESH / NEW DELHI :

Virologist Shahid Jameel. File   | Photo Credit: Eswarraj R

The eminent virologist did not give any reasons for his departure

Shahid Jameel, eminent virologist and head of the advisory group to the Indian SARS-COV-2 Genomics Consortia (Insacog), resigned from his post on Friday.

Dr. Jameel confirmed to The Hindu that he’d quit but did not give any reasons for his departure.

Multiple scientists who are part of Insacog — a group of 10 laboratories across the country, tasked with tracking evolving variants of the coronavirus — told The Hindu that Dr. Jameel’s decision appeared to be sudden as he hadn’t communicated reasons for his resignation to consortium members but one of them cited “government pressure” as a potential reason.

Dr. Jameel, who is Director, Trivedi School of Biosciences at Ashoka University has been critical of aspects of the government’s handling of the pandemic.

On May 13, in an invited opinion piece for the New York Times, Dr. Jameel summarised India’s response to the multiple waves and the uneven vaccination rollout and concluded by saying “scientists were facing stubborn resistance to evidence-based policy-making. On April 30, over 800 Indian scientists appealed to the Prime Minister, demanding access to the data that could help them further study, predict and curb this virus. Decision-making based on data is yet another casualty, as the pandemic in India has spun out of control. The human cost we are enduring will leave a permanent scar.”

The Insacog, setup in December, faced initial challenges with funds and equipment but since March has considerably accelerated sequencing samples from all over the country for variants. It has been tracking international variants of concern as well as discovered the so called ‘Indian variant ‘ (B.1.617) that is believed to be instrumental in India’s devastating second wave.

source: http://www.thehindu.com / The Hindu / Home> News> National / by Jacob Kohsy / New Delhi – May 16th, 2021

Bengal Polls 2021: Lessons from Kashmir, prayer for Calcutta

Business & Economy, , ,

Kolkata, WEST BENGAL :

Meet two characters who are not voters in Bidhannagar but have their eyes on the May 2 results.

Irshad Reshi displays his ware at his BF Block shop / Debasmita Bhattacharjee

He does not vote in Calcutta. In fact his vote is thousands of miles away, in Kashmir, but he will be following the election result in Bengal with as much interest and anxiety as most voters of Bengal.

He is Salt Lake’s own Kashmiri shawlwallah, Irshad Reshi, who has made the township his home for 10 years now.

“I used to have a shop in BE Block. I found this place and opened here last November. The location is much more prominent,” says Reshi, the 52-year-old owner of a shop at Baisakhi crossing.

He has been coming to Salt Lake along with his two brothers since 1987. “We used to take turns in coming from November to March. But residents here kept suggesting that we have a permanent outlet here as they wanted our things in summer too. Else they had to travel all the way to New Market. So we took up a place and one of us would stay back,” he recalls. The shop, he says, is a favourite with non-resident Indians who buy winterwear before they fly back.

He stocks a variety of products — saris to salwar suits, coats and waistcoats. There are also bags with Kashmir’s typical ari work on faux leather, in three sizes, costing Rs 75, 200 and 300. Kashmiri mats called namda come for Rs 375. “Light semi-pashmina shawls sell the most. I keep cheap things too so that students who come for a look do not have to return empty-handed.”

He used to take part in Bidhannagar Mela since the start but stopped 10 years ago when the Bidhannagar Municipal Corporation took over its organisation and stall rates were hiked.

The past one year has been bad. “Sabon ka maar hai, iss maar mein main bhi hoon,” he sighs, adding that if business was worth 10 rupees earlier now it is down to two rupees.

After the lockdown was announced, he went home by a special train on May 27 and returned to Salt Lake in October. “The return was fruitless. People do not have cash to spare. Sector V is closed. Only government employees are buying a few things.”

That is why even in Chaitra, he did not acquire fresh stock. “I am still sitting on leftover stuff.”

The situation back home, where internet was shut for months together, is far more dismal. “There has been no business, no education since they abrogated Article 370. From August 2019 to February 2021, there has been no initiative. Internet (which was banned returned with 2G last March. Nothing can be done with 2G speed. And within a month, the lockdown started,” he recalls. Though 4G has been restored on paper this February, even now he says they were not getting 4G speed.

Bachchon ki taalim (children’s education) is what he is most worried about. He has two daughters, aged 24 and 16. With the entire education process running online in the rest of the country, one can imagine what internet restrictions mean.

His family has visited Calcutta earlier in winter when his daughters’ classes were off. “Yahan ka zubaan, rahan, sahan alag hai. But they liked it.”

Speak to him and Calcutta comes across as his paradise in the rest of India. “We have travelled a lot since militancy overtook Kashmir in 1989. We have never had any problem in Calcutta. Logon se pyar mila hai. Women also are safest in Kashmir and Calcutta.”

That is why he is keeping his fingers crossed for the election result in Bengal. “BJP aayega toh kharab hi hoga. Yeh jahan jatey hain, barbaad kar dete hain (It will be bad if BJP comes. Wherever they go, they mess up everything),” he sighs.

source: http://www.telegraphindia.com / The Telegraph Online / Home> West Bengal> Calcutta / by Sudeshna Banerjee, Salt Lake / April 30th, 2021

Kochi businessman gives away 15 tempos for Covid fight, turns them into ambulances

Amazing Feats, Business & Economy, Community Involvement / Social Issues, COVID 19 - Community of Soldiers, Transport, Travel & Tourism, Useful / HEALTHCARE, , , , ,

Thrikkakara (Palakkad) / Kochi, KERALA :

“I wondered if there is something I can do. My vehicles have been lying in the garage for months now, why not use them, I thought,” said Najeeb.

Najeeb in front of his tempo traveller that was recently converted into a Covid care ambulance by attaching first-aid kits and stretchers

Kochi : 

At a time when the state is grappling with the second wave of Covid, a Kochiite who owns a fleet of tempo travellers has decided to convert his vehicles into Covid-care ambulances, given the shortage of facilities in the district.

Recently, Najeeb Vellakal who hails from Thrikkakara himself faced a crisis when he couldn’t get a vehicle to drop his Covid positive staff to his hometown in Palakkad.  He converted one of his 20 tempo travellers under Zainul Travels into a Covid ambulance to drop his staff. “I removed all the seats except the long one in the back.

I bought a PPE kit for the driver and separated the driver’s cabin using a plastic sheet and dropped the Covid positive person in Palakkad,” said Najeeb, who has been in the vehicle  rental business for over 20 years. The incident, however, left him pondering over the struggles of common people during the pandemic. “I wondered if there is something I can do. My vehicles have been lying in the garage for months now, why not use them, I thought,” said Najeeb.

“It costs around Rs 10,000 to convert a traveller into an ambulance by adding stretchers, fixing oxygen cylinders and first aid kits,” he added. On a trial basis, the Ernakulam mayor suggested converting one vehicle into a Covid ambulance. 

“I am willing to convert the rest of my 15 vehicles into Covid ambulances if they agree,” Najeeb said. He also said that the ambulance will only charge an affordable rent from people, enough to pay the driver and get fuel.  The 43-year-old  has been working at Kakkanad Infopark arranging transportation for its employees. His business has been dull since work-from-home became the new norm.

You may contact Najeeb on 7907034416

source: http://www.newindianexpress.com / The New Indian Express / Home> Good News / by Aishwarya Prabhakaran, Express News Service / April 28th, 2021

After He Sold His SUV To Buy Oxygen Cylinders Last Year, Mumbai Man Now Runs Helpline For Covid Patients

Business & Economy, Community Involvement / Social Issues, COVID 19 - Community of Soldiers, Science & Technology, Useful / HEALTHCARE, , , , ,

Malad (Mumbai) , MAHARASHTRA :

_____________

Highlights :

  • This year, he and his team have set up a control room in order to coordinate and communicate effectively with those in need of help.
  • Amid the crisis, the demand for the supply of oxygen cylinders has increased manifolds. While 3 months back, he was answering 50 calls for oxygen daily, now it has shot up to 500-600 calls every day, the report said.
  • Shahnawaz and his team explain the procedure to help fix the oxygen cylinders and after usage, the empty ones are sent back to them. So far the team has helped over 4,000 people, he said.

___________

India is battling a health crisis unlike anything seen before. The massive surge in COVID-19 cases has left the country reeling and gasping for breath as hospitals remain overwhelmed.  

With an increased shortage of medical oxygen, hospital beds and the anti-viral drug Remdesivir used in the treatment of coronavirus, the healthcare system is barely able to cope up with the rising caseload. 

With an increased shortage of medical oxygen, hospital beds and the anti-viral drug Remdesivir used in the treatment of coronavirus, the healthcare system is barely able to cope up with the rising case load. Representational Image/PTI

At such a time, good samaritans are keeping the morale high as they are selflessly working to ensure they provide assistance in any way they could. Some are going out of their way to make a difference and that stands right for Mumbai’s Shahnawaz Sheikh.

Known as the ‘Oxygen Man’ in his locality of Malad, he has been working tirelessly to help make the supply of oxygen available to patients through just a phone call. Working with a team, Shahnawaz has also set up a ‘control room’ to streamline the efforts, India.com reported .

Shahnawaz Sheikh Mumbai Mirror

Shahnawaz was also in the news last year after he sold his SUV to start an oxygen supply scheme which today continues to save lives amid the coronavirus pandemic. 

This year, he and his team have set up a control room in order to coordinate and communicate effectively with those in need of help.

Amid the crisis, the demand for the supply of oxygen cylinders has increased manifolds. While 3 months back, he was answering 50 calls for oxygen daily, now it has shot up to 500-600 calls every day, the report said. 

Shahnawaz Sheikh Screengrab/YouTube

Shahnawaz and his team explain the procedure to help fix the oxygen cylinders and after usage, the empty ones are sent back to them. So far the team has helped over 4,000 people, he said.

Meanwhile, Maharashtra, the worst-affected state in the country, reported 67,468 new Covid cases and 568 deaths – the most in a day – linked to the virus in the past 24 hours.

source: http://www.indiatimes.com / India Times / Home> Trending> Human Interest / by Basit Aijaz / April 24th, 2021

Pyare Khan spends Rs. 1 crore to donate 32 tonnes of oxygen for Covid victims

Amazing Feats, Business & Economy, Community Involvement / Social Issues, COVID 19 - Community of Soldiers, Leaders, Transport, Useful / HEALTHCARE, , , , ,

Nagpur, MAHARASHTRA :

New Delhi: 

Pyare Khan, a Nagpur-based businessperson, has spent 1 crore rupees to buy 32 tonnes of oxygen and supply them to Covid care centres in the city.

Last week, he had sent a tanker carrying 16 tonnes of oxygen to the city from Bhilai, Chhattisgarh. He has again sent another tanker carrying the same amount of oxygen to Nagpur.

Khan is associated with transport business. He is the owner of Amshi Transport.

Several Muslims have been at forefront in the ongoing battle against Covid-19. Several of them have played their role in various ways during the pandemic.

Muslim men in various cities have performed last rites of Hindu Covid victims. Danish Siddiqui and Saddam Qurashi are among them. They have cremated over 60 bodies so far in Bhopal.

India is witnessing an acute shortage of oxygen and other basic medical facilities required for the treatment of Covid-19 patients.

Commenting on the current situation, the Supreme Court on Thursday said that India is facing a ”national emergency-like situation”. The court asked the Centre to put in place a “national plan” on issues including supply of oxygen and essential drugs for the treatment of patients infected, and method of vaccination.

source: http://www.muslimmirror.com / Muslim Mirror / Home> Featured / by Muslim Mirror Staff / April 24th, 2021

Mangaluru’s Zeeshan Ramlan Awarded Top 100 Global HR Diversity Leaders

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

Mangaluru, KARNATAKA :

Mangluru:

Zeeshan Ramlan of Mangaluru was recently awarded the top 100 Global HR Diversity Leader by World HRD Congress.

The event was held at Mumbai recently.  Zeeshan currently heads Engagement, Diversity and CSR at Intuit India.

His work around hiring persons with disabilities and helping girl child in rural areas has helped him receive this prestigious award.

 Zeeshan also manages Ramlans Charitable Trust , Mangaluru .

He is the Grandson of Late V. Ramlan Haji and Son of B. Shameem Ramlan and Ushma Ramlan from Mangaluru. 

source: http://www.english.varthabharati.in / Vartha Bharati / Home> Karavali / Vartha Bharati / February 22n, 2018

Indian-Origin Billionaire Brothers Buy UK Fast Food Chain Leon

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GUJARAT / London, UNITED KINGDOM :

Indian-Origin Billionaire Brothers Buy UK Fast Food Chain Leon
The Issa brothers own the Euro Garages chain of petrol stations as part of their EG Group business

The Issa brothers, whose parents moved to the UK from Gujarat in the 1970s, own the Euro Garages chain of petrol stations as part of their EG Group business.

London: 

Indian-origin billionaire brothers Mohsin and Zuber Issa have acquired a popular British fast food chain, Leon, as part of what they described as their goal to grow their foodservice operations in Britain.

The Issa brothers, whose parents moved to the UK from Gujarat in the 1970s, own the Euro Garages chain of petrol stations as part of their EG Group business. Last year, they acquired leading UK supermarket chain Asda from US owners Walmart as part of the strategy to expand their non-fuel business.

Leon, Founded by John Vincent, Henry Dimbleby and chef Allegra McEvedy in 2004, pitches itself in the category of “naturally fast food” with a focus on creating a healthy menu that tastes good, in a sustainable way. The acquisition is said to be worth an estimated 100 million pounds.

“Leon is a fantastic brand that we have long admired. As established entrepreneurs in the foodservice retail market ourselves, we have a huge admiration for the business that John and the Leon team have built over the years, and firmly believe that their culture and values closely align with our own,” said Mohsin and Zuber Issa, co-founders and co-CEOs of the EG Group.

“The acquisition of Leon presents EG Group with a fantastic opportunity to further develop the menu offer, the various concession formats including drive-throughs, and will enable us to significantly build on the existing network by exploring opportunities across our own sites along with other strategic locations,” they said.

With an extensive network of over 70 restaurants, Leon has 42 company-owned restaurants operated on leasehold locations, with a strong presence in London as well as other large cities across the UK.

In addition, it has 29 franchised sites at key strategic transport hubs (mainly airports and train stations) across Britain and five other European markets, principally the Netherlands. Leon has also made itself accessible to consumers at home and generates significant revenue from its branded cookbooks, own brand groceries and provision of home delivery ready meals.

“In some ways this is a sad day for me, to part company with the business I founded 17 years ago in Carnaby Street (London). But I have had the pleasure of getting to know Mohsin and Zuber across the last few years. They have been enthusiastic customers of Leon, going out of their way to eat here whenever they visit London,” said John Vincent.

“They are decent, hard-working business people who are committed to sustaining and further strengthening the values and culture that we have built at Leon, a business that has my dad’s name above the door.

“Mohsin and Zuber will not just be superb custodians of the Leon brand, through EG Group they have the vision, investment appetite, foodservice expertise and network scale to take Leon to many more people and places,” he said, adding that he is confident the brand will “flourish” and expand its appeal outside of London under the new ownership.

Prior to the addition of the Leon store network, EG Group said it already operates over 700 foodservice outlets in the UK and Ireland of which 310 operate from standalone premises.

Despite the impact of COVID-19, the company said its foodservice business accounted for 46 per cent of the gross profit of the UK and Ireland division in 2020. The group’s foodservice brand portfolio includes other third-party brands such as Starbucks, KFC, Burger King, Greggs, Sbarro, Cinnabon and Subway.

The Issa brothers added: “EG Group continues to identify innovative partnerships and acquisitions that complement our existing consumer offer and enable us to stay at the forefront of consumer trends, particularly in foodservice.

“Our equity investment in Leon is to strengthen our own participation in the fast-growing contemporary foodservice segment. This acquisition aligns with our commitment to being a committed foodservice operator globally, delivers financial benefit to our underlying business, and supports broader commercial strategies to be able to better realise further growth opportunities.”

Founded in 2001 by the Issa family, the EG Group employs over 44,000 people working across more than 6,000 sites across Europe, US and Australia. The brothers, Mohsin and Zuber, were each conferred with a CBE in the Queen’s Birthday Honours List 2020, for their contribution to business and charity. 

(This story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)

source: http://www.ndtv.com / NDTV / Home> Indians Abroad / by PTI / April 19th, 2021

Now Muslim women have a place to unwind in Hyderabad

Arts, Culture & Entertainment, Business & Economy, Community Involvement / Social Issues, Travel & Tourism, World Opinion, , , , , , ,

Hyderabad, TELANGANA :

The Luqma Studio started by Safa Society provides a platform for like-minded women to network and exchange ideas.

There aren’t many places for women to hang out and unwind in Hyderabad. But now, they can boast of a women-only space. Yes, Darulshifa, the heart of the old city, offers such a legroom for them. At Luqma Studio, they can let their guard down and relax — leaving their worries behind.

The unique initiative is the brainwave of Safa Society, the city-based NGO, which aims at socio-economic empowerment of women. The one-of-a-kind studio provides a much-needed platform for women to engage in dialogue, network and exchange ideas. No, Muslim women are not making a beeline to the studio as yet. That will take some time but the very idea of women-only area has gone down well with the fair sex.

Those who dropped in at the inauguration of the studio, along with the Luqma kitchen, last week were pleasantly surprised at the idea of women having a place of their own. “Don’t we need such a place in the #MeToo era,” remarked a young woman pleading anonymity.

The all-female studio is well-furnished and has room for about 25 persons. The pink-coloured walls are decked up with art portraits of women. Adjacent to the studio is the spacious Luqma kitchen, the food brand of Safa, aimed at turning ordinary women into foodpreneurs. “We want Muslim women to make use of the studio and engage in meaningful discourse. They can also showcase their talent here,” says Safa Society president, Rubina Nafees Fatima.

Rubina Nafees Fatima

The studio can be an oasis for women seeking rest and relaxation. They can order something sizzling from the kitchen next door and chit-chat leisurely, something the presence of men would hinder. The homely ambience only adds to the pleasure. There will be special events with prominent women from different fields addressing them on a range of subjects.

There are many myths about Muslim women. What adds to the confusion is people judging them through the prism of stereotypes. “Women from different communities can now intermingle and discover each other,” says Rubina.

With its safe and supportive environment, will Luqma Studio open up new vistas for women?

source: http://www.telanganatoday.com / Telangana Today / Home> Features> My Hyd / by J S Ifthekhar / April 04th, 2021