Category Archives: Business & Economy

Anjum Parwez appointed BMRCL managing director

Bengaluru, KARNATAKA :

He has been transferred from the Transport Department

The State government, on Wednesday, appointed senior IAS officer Anjum Parwez as the new Managing Director of the Bangalore Metro Rail Corporation Ltd. (BMRCL).

Mr. Parwez will relieve Rakesh Singh who has been holding the post as concurrent charge for over three months. Mr Parwez is a principal secretary ranking officer and is transferred from the Transport Department. He told The Hindu that expediting the ongoing phase II Namma Metro project will be his priority.

Challenges ahead

The new MD has various challenges before him including the timely execution of the metro tunnel network between Dairy Circle and Nagawara which has faced several hurdles in the past, resumption of metro work between Kalena Agrahara and Swagath Cross Road that was stalled and expediting much delayed 58-km Outer Ring Road – Airport metro line to Kempegowda International Airport (KIA).

“After taking the charge, I will study the developments in the Namma Metro project and measures will be taken to expedite the ongoing projects. Focus will also be given to integrating various modes of public transport in the city, thereby shifting people using private modes of transport to public transport,” he said.

With BMTC

Mr. Parwez, a 1994 batch IAS officer, has also worked as the MD of the Bangalore Metropolitan Road Transport Corporation (BMTC).

Senior IAS officer Rajender Kumar Kataria has been placed in concurrent charge of principal secretary of the Transport Department, the post that fell vacant after Mr. Parwez’ transfer.

source: http://www.thehindu.com / The Hindu / Home> News> Cities> Bengaluru / by Special Correspondent / Bengaluru – July 15th, 2021

From Kerala to Kashmir: A young woman’s solo adventure

SAUDI ARABIA / Kozhikode, KERALA :

She was not allowed to go on school trips. There was a reason behind it though. She had a habit of wetting her bed at night. Since then she wanted to travel, savour in the free-spiritedness of exploring the world alone. And Amish Mushabir has come back after embarking on a solo trip to Kashmir.

This entrepreneur and mother of two kids took to Kashmir without any prior planning on a stringent budget. She savoured the snow-capped mountains, luminous lakes, and the gorgeous gardens before heading back.

Love for travelling is hereditary

Amis is Tirur Kainakkara Mohammed Ibrahim’s second daughter. Till the age of 40, Ibrahim travelled travelled the world. He came back and married at the age of 40. Her mother hails from Kozhikode. Five years ago he passed away. Amis has inherited his love for travelling.

Amis after finishing her MBA got married at the age of 21 and settled in Saudi Arabia. She worked in an American Company in Saudi for 10 years. Her husband Mubashir, who works as an HR Manager in a Saudi company is aware of her wanderlust.

From Saudi to home

There was a restriction for women to drive alone in Saudi. But Amis would take time off to travel despite the restrictions at GCC.

Two years ago, she came back to India. She had two things planned- a place to pursue her psychology and another to take up her love for travelling. Through a vlog called Travel Badaais, she hoped to chronicle her solo travels. But lockdown put a lid on her plans. Earlier she would book the best of resorts, chart route maps to ensure safety before getting ready to travel. But this time she decided to dodge such safety measures and travel like a common man.

Heaven on earth

So Amis decides to travel to Kashmir without any prior plans. From Kerala, she reached Delhi by train. The plan was to reach Srinagar from Delhi by road. But they weren’t allowing tourists to take the road to Srinagar. That’s why she decided to take a flight to Srinagar. From Srinagar, she hired a scooter and scouted the length and breadth of Kashmir. While travelling to Gulmarg and Pahalgam, she would meet villagers on the way and uploaded them in her vlog. In 8 days she covered 800 km. She would make do with the offered food and lodging and explore Kashmir. No wonder it turned out to be one of the most memorable days of her life.

A few unusual places to see in Kashmir

Kokernag: Which translates as “Hen shaped springs” is 80 km from Srinagar and 25 km from Anantnag and is situated 7,000 feet above the sea level. You can see a collection of freshwater springs, which is also the largest freshwater spring of Kashmir. Trout fishing is hugely popular in this part of the world, and they are even sold to tourists. It’s also famous for Namdah, handicrafts, Gabbah carpet and shawl weaving. You can also catch several places of worship like Hazrat Baba Reshi, Shilagram Temple, Goswami Gund Ashram, Hanuman Temple, Sita Temple, Nila Nag, Ganesh Temple, and Shiva Temple.

Daksum valley: This valley is located in Bhringi River which is ahead of the Mughal Gardens of Achabal. It offers something for everyone—stunning scenery, mountains, picnic spots, plenty of romantic getaways, cone-bearing forests; hidden grassy meadows and snowy mountains. You can see the beauty of natural springs and embrace the lifestyle of traditional villages. It is also a perfect place for camping and trekking. The path that leads to the Simthan Pass is exquisite so are the wooden slopes on either side of Daksum which are covered with grass coating. It’s also a great place for trout fishing.

Gurez: This high-altitude Himalayan village is perched at a height of around 2400m and is 86km from Bandipore and 123km from Srinagar. The valley is encircled by snow-coated mountains and presents a spectacular view of the Kishanganga River flowing through the valley. It’s considered as one of the most amazing places to visit in Kashmir as this valley gives shelter to a small number of exotic wildlife including snow leopard and brown bear. Due to heavy snowfall, Gurez is cut away from the world from November to May. By this time Razdan Pass will be completely snowed out. The tourism department of Kashmir provides Gurez Helicopter services for tourists to promote tourism. Trekking can be dangerous due to its close proximity to the border. However, the scenic landscapes, the beautiful green turf on the woodlands, fishing in Kishen Ganga River, Potato and maize fields posses distinctive charms of their own. Endless forests cling from the bottom of the valley to the peaks; mesmerizing beauty of the Habba Khatoon Peak offers a blissful experience to the tourists. It is difficult to describe the colours of Gurez valley without visiting it once in life.

Tulail Valley: Adding Tulail Valley to your Kashmir Tour list is a great idea. In fact, it can be covered on the same day trip from Gurez as it is a Himalayan sub–valley of Gurez. The road to Tulail from Gurez passes through the scenic landscapes of the Kishanganga River. En route, you will cross the villages of Barnai, Chakwali, Kashpat, Zargai and finally, you can get to see the Purani Tulail Village. The scenic landscapes are a visual treat to your senses. The virgin valley which keeps flourishing in summer is ideal for Instagramming. Again, you can find a lot of freshwater trout here. The green mountains and the flower meadows add a special beauty to this valley. You need a permit to enter the Tulail region from Dawar Police Station. As the village is on the LOC, it is compulsory to seek a series of permissions from Army Camps and SP of this area.

Bangus Valley: This hidden gem is located in the north of Kashmir in the Kupwara district and lies within the Handwara sub-district. The valley is positioned close to the line of control between India and Pakistan and has some really interesting ecological areas surrounded by green grasslands,, meadows, and springs. It is even proposed to be a biological reserve as it produces a fine quality of grass for cattle which also has a medicinal value. Try the spring and summer seasons (April to June) as the weather is pleasant and even monsoon months (July to September) are favourable.

Poonch: Undoubtedly one of the most beautiful places in Kashmir, you can see lush green meadows, snow-capped mountains and the eighteenth century Poonch Fort which is spectacular to say the least. The seven lakes of Girgan Dhok have to be in your itinerary, alongside many religious shrines like Baksh Sahib and Gurudwara Nangali Sahib.

Jama Masjid: This mosque, situated in Nowhatta is considered a pivotal one in Srinagar. This was constructed by Sultan Sikandar during the 1400 AD and was expanded by Sikandar’s son, Zain-ul-Abidin. You’ll find 370 wooden pillars in this mosque and a mesmerizing courtyard – both of them are considered to be the major highlights of this mosque.

Aru Valley: Aru Valley, put together against the snow-clad peaks of the Himalayas is only 12 km from Pahalgam. The valley serves as a base camp for several treks and lakes including Tarsar Lake and Kolhoi glacier. It is also home to the Aru River which is a tributary of the Lidder River. Apart its scenery, you can also try horse riding and hiking. During the winter months, the view of the whole valley covered with snow is a comfort to the eyes.

Amis will be the guide

That’s her dream! A travel institution along with her training academy. She wants to organize travel vacations for single and group tourists. Thankfully, both her children (Faila and Faas) enjoy travelling. Her next plan is a trip with her daughter.  

source: http://www.onmanorama.com / OnManorama / Home> Travel / by V Mithran / July 08th, 2021

M’luru: Mohd Shameer Katipalla appointed president of Surathkal Block Congress minority wing

Surathkal, KARNATAKA :

M'luru: Mohd Shameer Katipalla appointed president of Surathkal Block  Congress minority wing - Daijiworld.com

Mangaluru: 

Mohammed Shameer Katipalla has been appointed the president of Surathkal Block Congress minority wing.

He is the son of P Basheer Ahmed, a former corporator of 3rd ward, Katipalla.

He is the owner of Saheb Contractors and Builders as well.

Mohammed Shameer Katipalla is also the secretary of Mohammad Salih Juma Masjid, Baikampady, president of Guys X1 Youth Council, Katipalla, and vice president of Katipalla Sangha Samstegala Okkuta.

source: http://www.daijiworld.com / Daijiworld.com / Home> Karnataka / by Daijiworld Media Network – Mangaluru (ANK) – July 11th, 2021

Film stunt director Fayaz Khan wants to set up institute in Kodagu

Gonikoppa, KODAGU / Bengaluru, KARNATAKA :

Film stunt director Fayaz Khan wants to set up institute in Kodagu

HIGHLIGHTS

Fayaz Khan who has directed stunts and acted in 1,560 films in various languages wants to set up an institute to train youths in the art in his native Kodagu district.

Madikeri:

Fayaz Khan who has directed stunts and acted in 1,560 films in various languages wants to set up an institute to train youths in the art in his native Kodagu district. As small boy in 1980s, he sold peanuts in cinema halls to support his family in Gonicoppa, a small town in Kodagu district. Sounds like a film story? But it’s true. Fayaz Khan who directed stunts for 1,560 films till now once sold peanuts in cinema halls and never studied beyond class III.

Born in a poor family and fond of films, Fayaz Khan left home in 1985 and landed in Bengaluru in search of his dream. He came to Gandhinagara and begged film directors for a chance and got a small role in Tamil film Idiyadagam. After seeing his performance, many directors gave him a chance. However, his passion lay in stunts. Later he became a stunt artiste and worked for 1,560 films in various languages including Kannada, Hindi, Tamil, Telugu and Malayalam.

Fayaz started his own stunt artists association and trained more than 1100 artists since the outbreak of Covid-19.

Apart from being a stunt master, he acted with such stalwarts like Dr Raj kumar, Vishnuvardhan, Rajanikanth, Salman Khan, Akshaya Kumar, Mammootti, Mohan Lal, Chiranjeevi, Punit Raj Kumar. Speaking to this reporter, Fayaz said that there is a good environment for films in Kodagu. “There is a lot of employment potential in film industry for youths from the tourism district if we train them properly,” he said and expressed his wish to open a film training institute in Kodagu to tap hidden talent.

source: http://www.thehansindia.com / The Hans India / Home> News> State> Karnataka / by Coovercolly Indresh / Hans News Service / July 09th, 2021

Column | Exploring Kerala’s links with Yemen

KERALA :

Representational image: Pikoso.kz/Shutterstock.

Forgotten amidst waves of bad news, including geopolitical conflicts, environmental disasters and the global pandemic, is the humanitarian crisis caused by a civil war that began in 2014 in the fabled country of Yemen. For several centuries, the southern Arab country was a bridge between Kerala and lands to the west such as West Asia, Africa and Europe.

It was enterprising merchants from modern-day Yemen who began to make use of the monsoon winds to come to Muziris. The word monsoon comes from the Arabic mawsim, which means season. These businessmen lived a pretty globalised lifestyle by splitting their time between the Malabar Coast and southern Arabia at a time when there were no identity cards, passports, visas or even a concept of a nation-state. Some of these Arabs chose to settle down in the Malabar Coast and marry local women.

In a paper for the Indian History Congress in 1976, noted historian S M Mohamed Koya was able to trace the origins of the Malabar Muslim community.

“Some of these Arabs may have come from Hijaz, Oman and Bahrain. However, they were chiefly businessmen from Yemen and Hadramaut and many .Mappila families, particularly those known as ‘tangal’ families trace their origin to this area,” Mohamed wrote.

Interestingly enough, at the time of their migration to India, these merchants probably spoke Hadramautic, a language that belongs to the Old South Arabian subgroup of Semitic. “A large number of Mappila families find their origin in the interior Hadramaut town of Tarim, a wealthy town dominated by Sayyids which was once the intellectual and religious centre of Hadramaut,” Mohamed, who was a professor at the University of Calicut for decades, added.

In the paper, Mohamed stressed the fact that the traders started coming to India well before the advent of Islam, but their presence and established relations with the people of Malabar helped spread the religion in Kerala. “As pre-Islamic traders, the Arabs provided a friendly situation that facilitated the introduction of Islam and as Muslims, they introduced the faith,” he wrote.

Ponnani’s Makhdum family

Ponnani, a historic town that was once a major trading port, is also linked to Yemen. The town, at the peak of its glory, was home to the revered Makhdum family of Islamic theologians. Under Zain-ud-Din Makhdum and his grandson Zain ud-Din Makhdum II, Ponnani became a major centre of Islamic studies and is believed to have attracted students from Java, Sumatra, the Malay Peninsula and Ceylon.

It was also in this coastal town that the Arabi Malayalam or Ponnani script was invented. Since only 28 letters of Arabic orthography were available for 53 phonemes of Malayalam, additional letters established for Persian were used for this script.

Several old Mappila folk songs and works of literature were written in the Ponnani script, which stayed popular among Kerala’s Muslim community until the middle of the 20th century.

It has been on the wane since Indian independence and is taught mainly in a few madrassas in northern Kerala and the Lakshadweep Islands. There is no clear evidence though that this script has a Yemeni connection, but it was the script of choice for the Makdhum theologians.

This brilliant article by Kozhikode-based journalist Nijeesh Narayanan provides insights into the script, which is now in serious peril.

Zain ud-Din Makhdum II’s Tuhfat Ul Mujahideen chronicles the struggles between the people of the Malabar Coast and the colonial Portuguese. The book, originally written in the Ponnani script, describes the fierce resistance put up by the Kunjali Marakkar’s navy along with the Zamorin of Calicut against the Portuguese.

Culinary and cultural impact

There is little doubt that Yemeni elements have given an extra layer of depth to Kerala cuisine. Meen Pathiri and Irachi Pathiri are the results of Malayali and southern Arabic cuisine coming together.

Another dish that found its way from Hadraumat in Yemen to Kerala is Mandi or the famous Malabar Biriyani. Interestingly enough, the Yemeni version of the dish is usually made with chicken or lamb, and not with beef. If the Yemenis did bring Saltah, their delectable stew and the national dish, to Kerala, it did not manage to survive in its original form in the state, although many Malabari families have their own variations with different names.

Professor Mohamed in his paper wrote about how the mingling of the Yemeni immigrants with Malayalis has enriched the society of Kerala. He wrote, “Culturally the Malayalis were as far removed from the Arabs as the high topical scenery of Kerala is removed from the austere landscape of Arabia. But once wedded, the offspring of that union, the Mappilas have remained loyal to both parents.”

Before Yemen slipped into its latest civil war, there was a small and vibrant Malayali community in the country. One can only hope that the geopolitical puppet masters that have brought so much misery to the country allow it to once again live in peace. It is only when peace returns to the country that its millennia-old links to Kerala can be traced and re-established.

(The writer is the author of ‘Globetrotting for Love and Other Stories from Sakhalin Island’ and ‘A Week in the Life of Svitlana’).

source: http://www.onmanorama.com / OnManorama / Home> Lifestyle> Column / by Ajay Kamalakaran / June 28th, 2021

Meet Manjuwara Mullah from Assam’s riverine sandbank who is leading Muslim women to social, financial empowerment

Rupakuchi Village (Barpeta District), ASSAM:

Manjuwara Mullah from the north-eastern state of Assam is a social activist whose initiative Amrapari has changed the lives of many women in the poorest region of Assam. This is her story.

Manjuwara Mullah | Picture by Amrapari

Guwahati :

As a woman social activist Manjuwara Mullah from Barpeta district’s Rupakuchi village in the north-eastern state of Assam would get anxious when distress phone calls from numerous women from the Char areas would pour in seeking her help to get their male family members back home during the Covid-19 lockdown. She faced twin problems — getting the sole breadwinners of the families back home and ensure income for these people so that the impoverished families can sustain the pandemic as well as the economic hardship.

The people of the riverine sandbanks, known as Char areas in Assam, are one of the poorest in the state, have the highest illiteracy rates, a fewer number of landholders and very limited source of income. This crisis, along with the devastating yearly floods force massive labour migration from Char areas of the state to southern Indian states where they work as daily wagers.

For 36-year-old Mullah facilitating the process of getting the migrant labourers back home was an immensely difficult job, and as the migrant labourers took the uphill task of travelling thousands of kilometres to their homes, she started to focus on the women members of the migrants’ families and how they could be engaged in something that earns them money to fend for their families.

Being an activist and with academic exposure to the workings of non-profit organizations, Mullah incorporated her learnings from the sector to form a collective called Amrapari, which eventually turned into a non-profit organization, intending to employ the organic and traditional knowledge of the women from Char areas to provide them financial independence.

Amrapari, a Bangali as well as Miya (dialect) phrase for “we can”, initiative weaponized the traditional knowledge of the women of stitching Kanthas, an embroidery craft on clothes with multiple usage (used as bed covers or also as summer blankets) and also considered as a traditional and cultural artefact of the Bengali origin Muslims of Assam.

“I have been working with urban as well as rural communities for more than a decade. That’s how I am connected with the people at large. My work involved microfinance for the upliftment of women, citizenship issues, child marriage and women rights in the chars. When I got to know about the ensuing financial hardships of these families with whom I have been connected, I was in a lot of distress,” Mullah said when she narrated the circumstances that led to the foundation of Amrapari initiative.

The Char areas are also grappling with issues of girl-child rights violation, women rights violation apart from women in the family facing the economic burdens as men generally migrate for work to other states.

“Amid the trying times of coronavirus induced hardships, I was thinking about change in the Char areas. Merely supporting the women would not help them in the long term. Until they are financially independent their social condition will not change much,” she said.

The women from Char areas and the community, in general, are traditionally skilled in stitching kanthas. “I facilitated the use of the craft and ancestral knowledge to weave for their independence and empowerment,” she said.

The initiative is currently operating from Rupakuchi village, around 130-kilometers away northwest from state capital Guwahati, and sandwiched between Beki and Chaulkhua river which cause ravaging floods and erosions during the monsoon months.

At least 35 women are working as stakeholders, following a model of cooperative benefit sharing at Amrapari.

Women supported by Amrapari doing stitching work | Photo by Amrapari

Mullah said that during the initial days of the organization, Anjuman Ara Begum, a human rights activist, helped her a lot. “We discussed at lengths with women from villages and they said that they know stitching and were interested in engaging with the traditional craft,” she said.

More than monetary gain
For 24-year-old Nur Nehar from Rupakuchi village, her engagement with Amrapari means she can bear the educational expenses of her two children.

Married in 2009 as a child bride, Nehar used to stitch small fishing nets at her village which would earn her a meagre amount and living on the constant fear of being uprooted from her house by the annual flooding waters from Chaulkhua river, she is now confident that she will be able to earn the months ends by weaving the quilts.

“Though I knew stitching, but I didn’t know the designer works. It was Manjuwara madam who introduced the designs to us,” Nehar told TwoCircles.net, being happy with the fact that she has earned Rs 15,000 by working with Amrapari.

Moreover, the small initiative has been a ray of hope for many women from remote Muslim villages. Many find respite from the mental trauma that they endured when their husbands had done injustice to them.

A note on the social media page of Amrapari narrates the mental trauma that a woman had to go through. The post reads, “The most painful incident that had happened in my life was when my husband married twice. My mental health was badly affected. But upon working here, I can distract myself and pay the fees of my kids for their education which matters the most,” said one of the members from the group no. 2.”

It has also boosted confidence among many of the participants associated with the organization.

30-year-old Inuara Begum was said, “I would get shy and angry when I first saw my photograph in the posters. But now my photos have become some kind of viral on (social media). The people here and my family encouraged me so much so that I am not shy anymore. This has given me a lot of courage.”

For Umme Sabira Khatun, who is in her mid-twenties and coordinates among the women groups at Amrapari, her imaginations becoming arts on the kanthas is more than satisfactory. “Amrapari has given that platform where I can see my designs turn into appealing arts which I could never have imagined before,” Sabira said.

Mullah said that more than financial aid to the women, Amrapari envisages empowering the women from very remote places. “The experiences shared by the women reflect their own sense of self-identification as well as their independence,” she said.

Promoting their products via social media and e-commerce platforms, the women from Amrapari have been able to tap the market for their traditional kanthas and the women are extending their range of products as well.

source: http://www.twocircles.net / TwoCircles.net / Home> Lead Story / by Mahibul Hoque, TwoCircles.net / May 28th, 2021

Find out why Aslam TP and Mujeeb Rahman are walking from Kasargod to Kanyakumari

Kasaragod, KERALA :

Mujeeb (left) and Aslam share a laugh with locals along the highway   | Photo Credit: Special Arrangement

The two will cover a distance of 600-odd kilometres on foot, to raise money for children’s education

Ambling through the streets of Kozhikode, a visibly tired Aslam TP and his childhood friend Mujeeb Rahman are intercepted by an auto driver.

He wants to know where they are heading, and why they looked so drained. When Aslam tells him about the cause they are trying to raise money for, the auto driver promptly pulls out ₹100 from his pocket and hands it over.

In just seven days of their walk, Aslam and Mujeeb have been met with overwhelming tales of generosity, and as a result, 62% of their target amount (₹7 lakh) has been raised. They are covering a distance of 600-odd kilometres on foot, from Kasargod in Kerala to Kanyakumari in Tamil Nadu, to raise money for children’s education in Kasargod for the Najath Educational and Charitable Society. With the amount raised, they will buy smartphones for online classes. “We walked from Vadakara to Kozhikode on Monday, covering around 49 kilometres, the longest stretch so far,” say Aslam over a call from Kozhikode, Kerala. A serial fund raiser, Aslam took up a similar challenge in Bali last year, where he cycled 397 kilometres to support the education of 45 Balinese children. Currently, he runs a company called Yourfitrip in Bali, which encourages fitness holidays. These include surfing, kayaking, volcano trekking… activities that have helped Aslam stay fit over the years.

He also runs a community called Cause is Life that connects blood donors to receivers. It kept him and his pan-India volunteers busy through the second wave of COVID-19. Just before the lockdown this year, Aslam was in Nagaland, setting up Yourfitrip there, running up hills and walking from one village to another meeting the locals.

“For this walk, Mujeeb and I trained in Kasargod, our hometown, walking 15 to 18 kilometres everyday. We are training our brain to know that we are good to go, even when we are tired,” he laughs. They prepare a chart, based on which their daily route is fixed. “We average about 30-35 kilometres a day. On somedays, it goes up to 45 to 48.”

They start walking at 6.30am and wind up for the night by 7pm. “In case of emergency, we have a backup car that stays 15 kilometres ahead of us,” he adds. They take the highway, spilling into Tamil Nadu from Nagercoil before heading to Kanyakumari. With everything functional in Kerala and food available for takeaway, things have so far been under control.

Aslam says he will complete the walk in 21 to 23 days. Though planned as a 21-day project, the end date is uncertain as they get enveloped by hospitality from people they come across. So far, the duo has been pleasantly surprised by receptions planned in their honour, invites for meals from strangers, and the willingness of people to contribute even if it means handing over the last penny in their pocket. At one of the villages, a group followed them in a car as they wanted to be part of this mission. “I want people to know that we are collectively strong and can do so many things to give others a better future,” he says as he and Mujeeb stretch, lunge and soldier on, with the rain for company.

For details, check out Aslam’s Instagram handle @aslucha

source: http://www.thehindu.com / The Hindu / Home> Society / by Priyadarshini Paitandy / June 30th, 2021

Shafeeq UR Rahman

Hyderabad, TELANGANA :

A thorough businessman who believes in work hard and celebrate harder.

When you are determined, Nothing can Stop you!!

Shafeeq runs the company, The star life- Hyderabad with an objective to promote the new talent in the field of fashion and to provide the right platform and the opportunity to the youth to achieve their dreams and inculcate the habits of dreaming big star life as it introduces many top class models and fashion designers.

Mr. Shafeeq ur Rahman is also a well-known personality in the field of fashion lifestyle and entertainment publications and he is also an Editor-in-chief City Hi-life magazine Hyderabad. So far he has attended 100+ fashion pageants as a chief guest. Star life Hyderabad is one of the renowned entertainment companies which organizes Beauty pageant, fashion photo shoots with well-known celebrities, fashion houses, and fashion designer. It is the wide variety of activities being celebrated at Star Life which makes it extremely unique.

Passion Vista got an opportunity to meet Mr.Shafeeq Ur Rahman on the sidelines of 3rd Business Leadership Awards, an event conceptualized by Unified Brainz powered by Passion Vista Talks in association with Asian-African Chamber of Commerce and Industry in June 2019 at the Taj, Santacruz, Mumbai.

Mr.Rahman was honored for running a Promising Emerging Enterprise in Event Management.

Here are the excerpts of our conversation with Mr.Shafeeq Ur Rahman

Mr.Rahman, how did you feel being a part of the 3rd Global Business Leadership Forum?

‘Star Life’ is just five years old and yet, it has been able to create a niche for itself and the right kind of people have started noticing us.

Mr.Rahman, what influenced you to start The Star Life and what are your plans for it?

I want to create a platform where all new models and actors can approach and showcase their talent. I want to especially reduce hardships faced by them till the point of nullifying them. I eventually would like to extend Star Life internationally too.

Is The Star Life your core profession or you are also involved in other businesses?

Well, earlier I was also into constructions but nowadays, with the positive response and multi-skilled hard work talents coming in, I plan to be dedicated to The Star Life.

That’s about business, tell us what your hobbies are? How do you usually Chill?

Well, it is not too tough to guess, whenever I get time from my schedule which is extremely tough these days, I like to watch old movies, I love yesteryears performances.

That’s interesting. Which are your favorite ones?

I can watch the old Devdas and Andaz Apna Apna infinitely. In fact, I would also urge the makers of Andaz Apna Apna to either remake the movie or release it again. Current generation needs to witness the purest form of Comedy of Errors on the Silver Screen.

Being a movie buff, Your favorite actors?

(Lol, Before the question is completed) Shahrukh Khan of Darr & Kareena Kapoor of Jab We Met

Who is your Role Model?

I have followed the life of Shri Amitabh Bachchan very closely and I would definitely like to meet him once in person to ask whats the best way to deal with the ups and downs.

Your Midnight Friend/ Philosopher/Mentor for advice?

My older brother Khaleeq Ur Rahman. I am thankful for the almighty to bless me with a brother like this, without whom I am incomplete. He has this calm demeanor that helps me always.

What is your Advice to Budding Entrepreneurs?

There is no short cut to the most beautiful place in life, hard work eventually succeeds, keep sharpening your skills, the day you don’t sharpen them, you are heading for decline.

source: http://www.passionvista.com / Passion Vista / Home> – Featured Stories / June 2019

Arshia Khan

Mumbai, MAHARASHTRA / Doha, QATAR :

COO, Crowdbridge Consultants Pvt Ltd;
Editor, Crowdteck.com – A CSR Digital Magazine;
Associate Director, Crowd Central Technology

Against all odds, Arshia Khan lives to tell the tale. The year was 1985; city, Mumbai. The building Arshia’s family was residing in, collapsed, and they lost everything including her elder brother. Arshia was declared dead and taken to a morgue. Destiny however had other plans. Arshia suffered a loss of eyesight and memory, but thanks to God’s grace and timely medical intervention led by Dr Machiswala, she gradually bounced back to normalcy.

From then on, Arshia’s fighting spirit battled every obstacle in her path to emerge victorious.

One of six siblings, Arshia grew up in humble surroundings. Despite being the lone breadwinner, her father ensured good education for all. And so Arshia attended St Anne’s High School in Bandra, Mumbai which is also alma mater to renowned personalities like actor Aamir Khan and politician Baba Siddiqui.

Valuing everything that life had to offer, Arshia worked hard and excelled at everything in school. From being among the top three rankers in class to winning scholarships and best students awards, Arshia was God’s favourite child.

Following an interest towards daily affairs and national issues, Arshia pursued a degree in Mass Media (Journalism) at Rizvi College of Management. During this time, she was academically adopted on merit by an NGO called MESCO, which supports educational necessities of worthy students. The selfless service of MESCO went a long way in encouraging her to participate in social causes. Now one of her co-ventures that she is passionate about is Crowd Bridge Consultants Pvt Ltd which covers all that creates and promotes social development, wellbeing and betterment.

At Rizvi College, Arshia was mentored by (late) Prof P K Ravindranath who was an iconic journalist in his days. Following her mentor’s advice, ‘If you want to be a journalist, be on the ground, network, and build relationships’, she didn’t pursue her masters. She started networking, which eventually landed her a job at the Indian Express Newspapers. She learnt everything about journalism and media at The Indian Express. In 2010, she moved to Network 18 Media and Investments Ltd. as a Features Editor, managing a bigger team. She later diversified into the PR industry and worked at Perfect Relations’ healthcare arm – Imprimis. Two years hence, she moved to Adfactors, the PR giant, as an account manager.

As her professional life flourished, marital bliss followed. Soon after having her first baby Yahya in 2017, Arshia moved to Doha, Qatar. During 2017 – 18, she worked as a freelance consultant. By the end of 2018, she joined Crowd Central Technology as the Head of Content. Crowd Central’s CEO, Waseem Ahmed Kazi, always spoke at length about how he wanted to make a positive difference in society. Their thoughts resonated, and eventually Arshia was leading an exciting new venture, Crowdteck.com – a CSR Digital Magazine.

The objective of the magazine is to encourage good work in humanitarian causes, irrespective of cast, creed or religion. Their aim to restore faith in humanity helped them to connect with a global audience, and their online global readership quadrupled in two years.

From Mumbai to Qatar, what has been Arshia’s biggest challenge? “I have always been a passionate journalist, but was naïve about the business aspect until 2018 when I was promoted as the Associate Director at Crowd Central Technology. This big push meant that I was not only dealing with publishing of content but also specialised areas like revenue, business, and the like. As I was delegated the responsibility of handling international business across India, I learnt the specifics of a brick-and-mortar business model, including the online implications of its cyber footprint,” shares Arshia.

Although professionally satisfying and rewarding, this leap posed some challenges at the personal level. “My husband and I would work separate shifts and take turns to be with our toddler. It can be heart-breaking to leave your months-old toddler for work, and all new mothers will relate to this.”

However Arshia was lucky to be working with a company like Crowd Central Technology, which not only accommodated her requests as a new mother but also rewarded and motivated her to continue unabated.

On the other hand is Arshia’s most gratifying moment. Without a blink, she says, “Motherhood! Being a mother has been a blissful journey, which has taught me that patience and perseverance take you far. My child has disciplined me in more ways than one, and I can’t thank the Almighty enough for this little bundle of joy.”

As a parting note, inspirational Arshia shares a very important piece of advice, “I was embarrassed to seek aid or assistance of any kind. It is important that we inculcate the habit of reaching out for help in our children, who will be future leaders.”

source: http://www.passionvista.com / Passion Vista / Home> Collector’s Edition – Featured Stories – Women Leaders 2021 / April 2021

Mohammed Mubin Mallick: Meet The Man Behind Delivery-Robot That Served Food At COVID 19 Quarantine Center In Beijing

Kolkata, WEST BENGAL / KUWAIT :

Robotsman’ Mohammed Mubin Mallick.

Bengaluru :

When his friends were busy playing with toy guns, Mohammed Mubin Mallick was building robots like a pro.  For Mubin, robotics was a passion that eventually became his profession.

From an amateur innovator to a global leader in robot solutions, 39-year-old Mubin has come a long way to earn a sobriquet of `Robotman’ of India and middle east. A native of Kolkata, he holds MBA degree from Cardiff University, United Kingdom.

Being the school captain, Mubin grew up as an achiever, bagging awards in various recreational activities like sports, dance, speech, etc. He continues to be an achiever even today. Recently, he received Agata Lo Tauro Special International Award 2020 and a certificate for being the Mentor for ROBOCON 2020.

Mubin ventured into digital solutions and robotics solutions with his IT service company `Kiran Smart’. Always on the lookout to cater to the market’s needs, he set out to innovate and take steps beyond what others already offered.

Since the time he realized that he had the power to think out-of-the-box and innovate, Mubin dreamt of building a company that he could run depending on his ideas. The cradle for his innovation comes from very munificent thoughts of wanting to create job opportunities and donating the profits. It is for this reason that Mubin doesn’t want to leave any stone unturned to make his firm a global leading light.

“Our company Kiran Smart is into IT Solutions and Services for the past 15 years. We have been looking for diversification in our business portfolio. We did diversification into Digital Transformation and then recently we launched and started Robotics and Artificial Intelligence. Our market research on Humanoid Service Robots indicated a considerable demand for Robots. Therefore, our company decided to launch a brand Called Mi-Robots,” he said.

The pandemic, however, came as a blessing in disguise for Mubin and his company. “One of our delivery Robots serving food in China in 2019 December to COVID 19 quarantine centre became breaking news around the world. This news around the world helped us gained the trust of the people,” he said.

It was in 2017 that he came across a humanoid robot. He invested time in GITEX technology and ultimately made his passion and childhood dream come true. Understanding the working of robots and offering solutions related to them is Mubin’s only focus now.

“To be very honest, there were many challenges which cannot be listed here. Apparently, the major aspect was the financial crunch. Firstly, it is very crucial to survive in the local market. Secondly, we need smart and loyal team members who can run the company,” he said.

Over the years, Mubin learned both professional and personal lives play a considerable role in making an achiever or a failure. According to him, success in personal lives has a direct and positive impact on professional lives.

“To overcome these challenges, we adopted different strategies like inviting investors locally and globally. Apart from in-house human resources, we tied up with international firms to induct more innovative people to work with us remotely. Finally, our satisfied customers are our revenue. We do the regular follow-ups and technology updates with our customers so that we can fulfill their needs as per their growing needs,” he said.

Mubin is dealing with different kinds of Robots. These include Delivery Robots for restaurant and hotels, Educational Robots for Schools, hospitality Robots for hotels, UVC Disinfection Robots for all, Spray Dry Mist Disinfection Robot, Humidifier Robots for Home and Office, and Robots for children. 

“Robots have played a major role during the pandemic as they helped people tremendously. For example, Disinfection robots are used to disinfect the places and those robots are UVC Lights Robots and Dry Mist Spray Robots. Many robots are used to check the temperature of people. Robots are used in hospitals to carry hand sanitizer, masks, and gloves in hospitals, hotels, shopping malls, restaurants, and many places,” he said.

Even corporates are using to communicate with their remote employees so that managers and team leaders can stay focused on live meetings. “Many universities across the globe have launched courses for Robotics and Machine Learning. There is data supporting the popularity of Robot installation in restaurants, hotels, hospitals, warehouses, home delivery, and schools,” he said.

Headquartered in Kuwait, Mubin’s Robots are going places. From all GCC to Africa, UK, Canada, Mexico and few European countries, Mubin is trying to introduce technology for making the life of the common man easy.

“It is really difficult to define the demand or maximum interest was shown by any specific country in this future technology because most of the countries are working on all the innovative technologies to lead the world. So, according to me, I see South Korea, China, Japan, Singapore, Canada, and UAE from the Middle East. The global market for robots is expected to grow at a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of around 26 percent to reach just under 210 billion U.S. dollars by 2025,” he said.

His company, `Kiran Smart’, is a reflection of Mubin’s achievements. It has been recognized as the Top Most Robotics Company of 2020. The firm also received awards from the Ministry of Awqaf as the Most Innovative Company. KISR honored Kiran Smart for being their Most Innovative Supporter in Science and Technology for their Children’s Exhibition.

His message for the youth who aspire to reach as far as he has is boosting, “Don’t give up even if you fail. Failure teaches you a lesson and makes you stronger. Accept the reality, believe in yourself, and try again! Caring for humanity and seeing a smile on people’s faces keeps us motivated in life. People should be thankful to God, respectful to their parents, and be humble,” he said.

*The author is a Bengaluru-based freelance journalist.

source: http://www.indiatomorrow.net / India Tomorrow / Home> Education> Featured / by Rashida Bakait / February 10th, 2021