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All the people ofIndian origin, andspecially thosehaving roots

in Rajasthan, havea responsibility tocontributein many ways,includinginvestment,technology andbusiness.

NGI KNOWLEDGE EXCHANGE |APRIL 2012

Rajasthan, the ancient ‘land ofthe royals’, is today an integralpart of Indian union. Ra-jputana’s history goes back far

in Indian history. The otherwise dry andmostly arid state attracts millions of vis-itors every year. Majestic palaces,mouthwatering food, rich tapestry ofculture and hospitable locals make it aromantic must-see destination. Thardessert’s aridness has not touched theheart and minds of the warmRajasthanis.

State capital Jaipur hosted a showlast January that will be etched in mem-ory for a long time to come, when thepink city welcomed several thousandpeople of Indian origin –home coming,celebrations and reunion all rolled intoone for many. At the annual PravasiBharatiya Divas many great Indian-ori-gin people shared the stage here to dis-cuss, and plan. Tangible achievementsfrom such gatherings are hard to meas-ure, but a meeting of great minds is agreat achievement in itself.

History reveals that the name Ra-jasthan or Rajputana is not necessarilynative or that old – it dates back to theBritish era. According to historians, theancient name of the state was Gurjara-tra or the land protected by the Gurjars.However, the neighbouring state of Gu-jarat assumed a name that could havegone to Rajasthan. The oldest archeo-logical Indus-Sarasvati Civilization’s siteKalibangan is located in Rajasthan,claiming a long and continuous historyof the state and the region. And, the re-gion close to Jaipur is part of what wasthe Matsya Kingdom of the Mahabharatera and King Virat’s kingdom is said tobe located in what is modern-dayBairat.

Though the significant role of thetrading Marwari community in Indianbusiness and economy and also abroad(The industrial families of Birla, Bajajand Mittals hail from here) is oftenhighlighted, Rajasthan was more famousfor its valour. It was home to severalprominent clans of ancient era includingthe Rajputs, Charans, Yadavs, Jats,

Meenas, Bhils, Gurjars, Bishnois andalso Marwaris. Rajasthan gave birth tosome great kings like Rana Sanga, whofought against the founder of theMughal kingdom Babur, King Hemu,who snatched power in Delhi for a briefwhile, and Rana Pratap who is the epit-ome of valour and sacrifice to protecthis people and land from alien forces.

Though the marble for building TajMahal was taken from Rajasthan, thestate has unparalleled architecturalmarvels such as the Dilwara Jain templein Mt Abu. Some of these temples werebuilt from a single piece of large rock.To many observers, Taj Mahal’sgrandeur is dimmed by the splendour ofsupreme sculptural artistry of templeslike this.

Tourism appears to be a great sourceof revenue for the state, but it accountsfor only 15% of its economy, where asagriculture and industry contributeabout 23% & 33%, respectively. Ra-jasthan is still part of the BIMARU groupthat comprises India’s poorest states. Itseconomic growth, at about 5%, is farbelow the national average (7%) How-ever, there are some good signs: it’spoverty level has gone down signifi-cantly in recent years as compared to itsother BIMARU counterparts, and Ra-jasthan has clocked the lowest urbanun-employment rate in the country.

Rajasthan’s economy is growing, butit is less than expected and projected. Itneeds to do much better. The goodnews is that the industry sector is grow-ing. Rajasthan has attracted many largenational and multi-national corpora-tions. Its solar energy project is ad-mirable and consumption of power bythe state also has gone up. If plannedand executed properly, it can really be-come a hub of solar and wind energyutilizing its vast area of desert.

It is hoped that Rajasthan will makegreat strides in coming years. Conse-quently, all the people of Indian origin,and specially those having roots in Ra-jasthan, have a responsibility to con-tribute in many ways, includinginvestment, technology and business.

edito

rial A Land of Valour

Inside...NEWGLOBAL INDIAN


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EDITORIAL1 A Land of Valour4 Rajasthan: Need for a Paradigm Shift

PERISCOPE5 Triumph of diversity

RAJASTHAN7 Jewel OF India6 Rajasthan: Unwind Yourself Here22 Good Health is Good News

CHATTISGARH24 Cocking a snook at dowry

PROFILES32 Newsbin 34 Newsmakers

NRI JJUNCTION36 Pension and Life Insurance Fund For

Overseas Indian Workers38 Impact of India’s Union Budget

2012-13 on the Non-Residents

INTERVIEW39 ‘I encourage non member hoteliers to

join AAHOA’

INNOVATION42 Have Less, Do More46 Indianama

CONTENTS 02

07

42

46


MEDIA && EENTERTAINMENT48 Fun, Insight, Class, Congregation,

Info54 Views News56 Thinking Aloud @ Ficci Frames

WILDLIFE58 Call of the Wild

TRAVELOGUE60 Bali: Beauty With A Soul

SPORTS64 Are They Good Enough?

FASHION68 Fashion Raj

EVENT70 All The World’s On The Stage

03 CONTENTS

48

58

6068

70

Rajasthan’s USPs can a�ractmajor investments. The statehas a strategic loca�on, talentpool, natural resources, access

to consumer markets, great infrastructure,more poten�al for auto components,solar, renewable energy, gems, jewelleryand tex�les sectors, and unique tourist at-trac�ons.

However, certain issues need be�ermanagement through communica�on andindustrial policies. These include uneveninvestments, limited access to coastline,water shortage and supply, and compe�-�on from neighbouring states, especiallyPunjab, Haryana and Gujarat. The ‘InvestRajasthan’ and ‘Resurgent Rajasthan’websites contain the same informa�on.What is required is one government portalwhich is updated on a daily basis.

The state is growing rapidly because ofthe construc�ve steps taken by the gov-ernment. But capitalising on the impact ofsuch measures is necessary. One can referto ini�a�ves such as the Single WindowClearance Act, MSME Policy Package, Ra-jasthan Investment Promo�on Scheme2010, focus on public-private partnershipmodel in urban and social sectors, pro-posed aerotropolis — a modern city mod-elled around airports to promoteavia�on-intensive business — to facilitateexports and shipments along the Delhi-Mumbai Industrial Corridor passingthrough the state, etc.

For an effec�ve investment promo�oncampaign, a paradigm shi� in communica-�on is essen�al. It must focus on invest-ments in key sectors, create ambassadorsand endorsers for the state, drive partner-ships with interna�onal organiza�onsand/or associa�ons, conduct seminars/summits that target investments, invitebig names for the events, and roll out asustainable communica�ons campaign.

The campaign should highlight Ra-jasthan as modern through adver�se-ments, in-flight brochures etc. It mustuphold business leaders/trade missionsfeaturing the �tans of Rajasthan Inc. Roadshows led by new genera�on entrepre-neurs can achieve a lot. It must give rise tona�onal and interna�onal media expo-sure, including ministerial profiling, andworld leaders acknowledging the dy-namism of Rajasthan’s leadership.

Media vehicles must focus on the pos-i�ves. Rajasthan offers an investor-friendlypolicy framework, good industrial ambi-ence, robust infrastructure, and skilledmanpower. It combines opportuni�es

with advantages for retailers and indus-tries ranging from manufacturing to serv-ice sectors. It develops human and naturalresources in a systema�c manner, andcompletes infrastructural projects on�me.

Several corporate leaders have praisedRajasthan’s virtues. “I think the town(Jaipur) itself is very a�rac�ve. It's… verywell-maintained;… plus, we have a lot ofgraduates and a lot of excellent colleges topick future employees from....," saidPramod Bhasin, President, GE Capital.“We shi�ed to Rajasthan mainly be-cause… the law and order situa�on wasbe�er… which is very vital for investment,conducive business environment, posi�veapproach at all levels of Government, fis-cal incen�ve policies... and BIP, which is apremier organisa�on of Rajasthan that hassupported us at every stage,” observedAshok Kajaria, CMD, Kajaria Group. “I havenot seen a Government, so fast, commu-nica�ng, so honest and transparent in itsapproach,” noted Shivinder Mohan Singh,Director, For�s Healthcare Ltd. “Ra-jasthan... has been a leader in drivingwind power development, and we arehappy to inaugurate our first S97 installa-�on in the world here today,” noted TulsiR, Tan�, founder, Chairman and ManagingDirector, Suzlon Group.

Rajasthan’s core sectors like the auto-mo�ve industries, IT and IT-enabled Serv-ices, ceramic and marble, tex�les, andpower genera�on merit more visibility.Significant brands that are part of Ra-jasthan’s core sectors have a big marketpresence, and this can be used for invest-ment promo�on. That list includes Wipro,Ashok Leyland, Grasim, Tech Mahindra,Federal Mogul, Mico, Arcelor Mi�al,Honda, Bhilwara Spinners, Liberty, Tafe,Autolite, JK Synthe�cs, Genpact, Kajaria,Suzlon, Vestas Enercon, Infosys, and Wire-less Logix.

Rajasthan’s story must be told throughworld-class crea�ve material like year-book, films on core sectors and invest-ment possibili�es, tes�monials fromdelega�ons, CD and web content wovenaround socio –cultural life, fast–track in-vestments guide book, and war book forall crises. It must target that space whereinvestors are looking: online and on-ground (seminar and conferences). Toolswhich will have the most impact are ban-ner ads on global business portals, andsearch engine op�misa�on to drive traffic.

Rajasthan is a special state. Let the in-vestors know it is.

Prof Ujjwal K Chowdhury Managing Editor

Dean, Whistling Woods InternationalSchool of Communication, Mumbai

email: [email protected]

edito

rial Rajasthan: Need for a

Paradigm Shift

Rajasthan offers aninvestor-friendly policy framework,good industrial ambience, robustinfrastructure, andskilled manpower.


Uncri�cal op�mism abouteverything Indian isn’t sensi-ble. Like every na�on in theworld, India has its share of

problems and concerns, both big andsmall, whose solu�ons haven’t been un-earthed as yet. However, here is somenews that deserves to be told. Indian cin-ema is ge�ng be�er by the day, withquality films from different states makingtheir presence felt. More and more film-makers in regional languages are lookingaround the stereotype; novel thema�c ex-plora�ons are being encouraged by boththe viewer and the producer; at least onedialect has joined the group of languagesand dialects in which films are beingmade; and even the Hindi film industry isbreaking the shackles of conven�onal,market-friendly predictability far moreo�en.

The 59th Na�onal Film Awards an-nounced in March had a lot to say aboutthis process of cinema�c transforma�on.The list of awardees gave rise to someconvincing conclusions. Actress VidyaBalan, who belongs to the mainstreamHindi film industry, walked away with theaward for the Best Actress for her rive�ngperformance in The Dirty Picture. Whilethe film’s �tle sounds clichéd, the contentcertainly isn’t. It is the story of an item girlwho markets her voluptuousness throughher song-and-dance sequences in films.The plot charts the meteoric rise of its pro-tagonist: and her tragic downfall. In thefilm, Balan is simply outstanding, while itsmaking shows the Hindi film industry’skeenness on venturing beyond the obvi-ous.

Balan’s was the most talked about tri-umph. A contras�ng win was that of GirishKulkarni, who le� his full�me job of a me-chanical engineer to become an actor andwriter. Kulkarni won not one but twoawards: that for the Best Actor and alsofor the Best Dialogues for the Marathi filmDeool directed by the highly promisingfilmmaker Umesh Kulkarni. While Balan’striumph turned into headlines na�onwide,Girish Kulkarni’s victory was a prac�callysilent affair. However, the unassumingwriter-actor didn’t have any complaints. Infact, he insisted that a comparison be-tween him and Balan was uncalled for, thela�er’s visibility across the country makingher a natural first choice for the media.

The 59th Na�onal Film Awards’ main

claim to uniqueness lay in an award toByari, the first film made in Beary Bashe, adialect chiefly spoken by those belongingto the Muslim community in the Udipi andDakshina Kannada districts of Karnatakaand some Hindus in the Kasargod districtof Kerala. Made by Suveeran, Byari sharedthe award for the Best Feature Film withDeool, the la�er’s success proving, onceagain, that modern-day Marathi cinema isprogressing at a rate that is nothing shortof phenomenal.

Salman Khan, the megastar from Hindifilms, has been making the box-office rockin recent �mes. Not everyone might haveno�ced that Khan had a minor presence inthe list of winners, the actor having co-produced Chillar Party with Ronnie Screw-vala which picked up the award for theBest Children’s Film. Meanwhile, twoTamil films were honoured in this edi�onof the awards, with Aaranya Kaandamge�ng an award for the Best Film by aDebut Director (Thiagarajan Kumaraja)and Azhagarsamiyin Kuthirai being se-lected for being the Best Film ProvidingWholesome Entertainment.

Shah Rukh Khan, whose ambi�ous filmRa.One was slammed by the cri�cs for thenumerous loopholes in its plot, must havesmiled when the film picked up an awardthe Best Special Effects. Possibly thebiggest surprise for the average personwas the triumph of Rupa Ganguly, who isbest known for her performance of Drau-padi in the television serial Mahabharat.Ganguly won an award, but not for ac�ng.Instead, she won the na�on’s biggest hon-our for singing in the movies by picking upthe Best Female Playback Singing award inAbosheshey.

For many sincere followers of Indiancinema – in other words, those who watcha lot beyond hyped Hindi films and main-stream Hollywood releases – the 59th Na-�onal Film Awards was a bliss-ladenrevela�on. The Awards reflected the sortof diversity which is both ideal and neces-sary. For instance, the selec�on of Byariwill encourage many more intrepid film-makers to make what they want: even ifthat means coming up with a film in a di-alect which hasn’t been used for cine-ma�c expression ever.

That the Indian film industry has beenexperiencing a con�nuous growth is awell-known fact. What’s be�er is that it isisn’t growing in one direc�on.

Biswadeep GhoshConsulting Editor

Former Editor, Pune Timesemail: [email protected]

per

isco

pe Triumph of

diversity

The selection of Byariwill encourage manymore intrepid

filmmakers to makewhat they want: evenif that means comingup with a film in a dialect which hasn’tbeen used for

cinematic expressionever.

NGI KNOWLEDGE EXCHANGE | APRIL 2012

JEWEL OF INDIA

RAJASTHAN IS BLESSED WITH IMMENSE NATURAL BEAUTY AND ARICH CULTURAL HERITAGE. THREEYEARS OF EXCELLENT GOVERNANCE UNDER THE LEADERSHIP OF CHIEF MINISTERASHOK GEHLOT HAS SCRIPTED THE

OUTSTANDING STORY OFITS GROWTH. MRITUNJAY KKUMAR

PRESENTS A DETAILEDOVERVIEW


RAJASTHAN 08

It is the largest state of India. The sublime glory of itshistory has been recorded in countless historical docu-ments na�onwide and beyond. The natural beauty it isblessed with can dazzle any visitor. The diversity and

richness of its cultural offerings is simply matchless.Welcome to Rajasthan, India’s land of dreams. While its

tradi�ons and splendor can have a spellbinding impact onanybody, what is equally remarkable is its contemporarystory of growth. Three years of excellent governance underthe state’s dynamic Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot has trans-formed the state into a role model whose performance hasset an illustrious example for its counterparts in the coun-try.

Why has Rajasthan progressed the way it has? One majorreason is the policy of inves�ng in profitable projects thatcontribute to sustainable development in all sectors of theeconomy, from agribusiness to infrastructure and manufac-turing to tourism services. Rajasthan’s aim is to establishand expand private enterprise structures in all the develop-ing and emerging districts, thus crea�ng the basis for sus-tainable economic growth and a las�ng improvement in the

living condi�ons of local popula�on. Under the leadership of Gehlot, the state has un-

dergone a metamorphosis. Today, it is one of theeconomic power centres of India. Among its no-

table milestones that deserve to be emula�onare:

THE NEEDY CAN SAY IT’S OURSCourtesy an enterprising ini�a�ve, the

needy can experience the joy of living in self-owned homes. Right to adequate housing isa basic human right. Following the Union

Government’s emphasis on adequate af-fordable housing, the State Government

is also giving high priority to the task. The State Government’s goal of

providing affordable housing to theneedy has an economic and so-

cial significance. In Rajasthan,total housing shortage inurban sector is es�mated in2007 was 1.07 million out ofwhich 9.3 lakh is in Economi-cally Weaker Sec�on (EWS)and Low Income Group (LIG)sector. Housing shortage by

2012 is es�mated to be 12.82lakhs. Out of this, more than 85

percent shortage is likely to bethe category of EWS and LIG.


DYNAMIC LEADER: Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot

The State Government has risen tothe challenge already. The processbegan in 2010 when it launched theaffordable housing scheme. As afirst step, it dras�cally reduced thestamp duty in the case of EWS andLIG houses. From eight percent, thestamp duty was brought down to Rs10 in the case of EWS and Rs 25 inthe case of LIG. In other cases, thestamp duty has been fixed at fivepercent with a reduc�on of one per-cent in the case of women.

Out of these 1.25 lakh houses,50,000 would be built by the Ra-jasthan Housing Board and remain-ing 75,000 would be built throughpublic private partnership (PPPmodel) as well as by Jaipur andJodhpur Development Authori�es,UITs and municipali�es. The ChiefMinister has the will to achieve itand he has already asked the de-partments to take a series of proac-�ve measures and incen�ves toencourage low cost housing to thesesec�ons of the society.

The State Government has iden-�fied general housing schemes forthe urban poor through general, selffinancing and specific registra�onschemes of Rajasthan HousingBoard. The Rajiv Gandhi Avas Yojna,a Union government scheme hasbeen started for the urban poor.

The basic services for urban poorschemes of Union Governmentunder Jawahar Lal Nehru Urban Re-newal Mission (JNNURM), inte-grated housing and slumdevelopment programme and RajivAvas Yojna would be implementedfor the urban slums.

HOMES FOR THE HOMELESSHome is where the heart is. But noteveryone can make their dream of ahome come true. To help the home-less have a place of their own is apledge of any good government forwhom welfare of the people is theprimary objec�ve. The RajasthanGovernment believes in this mantrain order to develop the state in itstotality.

Under the direc�ves of theunion government, the Indira AwasYojana is being implemented by therural development ministry. Thoughefforts have been made to help alliden�fied homeless BPL (BelowPoverty Line) families under thescheme, at least 14,48,000 families

have not been able to reap the ben-efits of the scheme as yet. If one fol-lows the approach suggested by thecentral government, it may takearound 21 years to fulfill the dream.If more names keep on adding tothe list, the wai�ng period couldstretch way beyond that period.

The present government, there-fore, decided to launch a schemealong the lines of Indira Awas Yojanato meet the challenge. At the statecabinet mee�ng held at the end of2009 called chintan shivir (intro-spec�on camp), the government de-cided to reduce this long wai�ngperiod for BPL families. The statecabinet thought it absolutely neces-sary to come up with a comprehen-sive scheme to lend a helping handto the union government’s drive toprovide houses to the BPL familiesin rural areas. It was felt that a simi-lar scheme at the state level canhelp in reducing the gap betweenthe demand and supply of houses.

In accordance with the cabinetdecision taken at the Chintan Shivir,Chief minister Ashok Gehlot an-nounced the launch of a schemenamed Chief Minister Rural BPLHousing Scheme in his budget pres-enta�on for the year 2011-12. Thisscheme will remain in force in thestate of Rajasthan from 2011-12 to2013-14. The state govt. vows toprovide houses to nearly 6.80 lakhBPL families in a period of threeyears.

The state cabinet felt the need toreduce the wai�ng list and supple-ment efforts of the central govt.’s ef-forts in providing shelter to thehomeless. Like Indira Awas Yojana,the Chief Minister Rural BPL Hous-ing Scheme will also be imple-mented in rural areas of the state. Itwill not, however, affect implemen-ta�on of Indira Awas Yojana, whichwill con�nue to be implemented inthe state as per the direc�ves ofgovt. of India.

GREEN EVOLUTIONAgriculture in India receives veryhigh priority. Rajasthan’s story isn’tany different. Today, India ranks sec-ond worldwide in farm output. Ra-jasthan has taken rapid stepsforward in this area of utmost con-cern. The State Government’s per-formance has been nothing short ofspectacular as it con�nues to focus

09 RAJASTHAN


RAJASTHAN 10


spectacular as it con�nues to focus its energiesand a�en�on for the be�erment of farmersand cul�va�on. Right from sowing to the mar-ke�ng of crops, various schemes being imple-mented by the Government have had a highlybeneficial influence.

KISAN COMMISSION FOR KISAN’SPROBLEMSIn order to voice farmers’s problems such astheir condi�on, financial debts, loans, agricul-tural growth rate etc to government, a KisanCommision was set up on 27th February, 2009.The commission includes agricultural scien-�sts, biologists, economists, and agricultural-

ists among others.Establishment of a Kissan Commission is a

great step towards ensuring smooth and bet-ter func�oning and to give a pla�orm to farm-ers to openly come forward and discuss theirissues.• The objec�ve of Kisan Commission is tostudy the problems of farmers and suggest re-medial measures. At the district level, thecommission has prepared several programesaccording to climate, moisture, mineral con-tent and air-water availability in that par�culararea.• Kisan Commissions act as a guardian forfarmers and conducts �mely and informed dis-

cussions on agricultural policies which will bebeneficial for them.

MAHILA KISAN SASHAKTIKARANPARIYOJANAThe primary objec�ve of the scheme is to sus-tain and improve agriculture and agriculture-based livelihoods by establishing efficient localresource -based agriculture, wherein womenfarmers gain more control over the produc�onresources and manage the support systems.The scheme has been envisaged to helpwomen farmers access the inputs and servicesprovided by the government, thereby increas-ing the produc�on capaci�es of women farm-ers and ensuring food security for theirfamilies and communi�es.

SEED DISTRIBUTIONThe availability of high quality seeds to farm-ers through an improved distribu�on systemfacilitates greater security of seed supply andbe�er output.

In 2010, 1658 quintals of bajra hybrid seedswere distributed free in the districts of Barmer,Nagaur, Jodhpur, Jalore, Sikar, Jhunjhunu,Churu and Bikaner. More than 11.05 lakh farm-ers were benefited from the distribu�on.

EDUCATION CAMPSThe State Government organised many campsto provide knowledge to villagers and farmersabout rabi crop in 2010 and 2011, resul�ng ina be�er yield of crops. For Kharif 2011 asmany as 9175 camps were organised in which646393 farmers par�cipated. In these camps,4125 metric ton fer�lizers, 11027 metric tongypsium, 117 kits of bio-fer�lisers and 6761quintal cer�fied seeds were distributed tofarmers.

SECOND GREEN REVOLUTION: Bajra farm in Rajasthan

POSITIVE FERVOUR: Educating Women In Rajasthan

11 RAJASTHAN


RAJASTHAN STATE SEED CORPORATIONThe government has been making enterprisingefforts through the state seed corpora�on toprovide farmers with a variety of seeds at rea-sonable rates. Easy excess to cer�fied seedshelps farmers to grow be�er quality productsand enhance high quality yield.

OTHER STEPS TO BOOST AGRICULTUREExpansion of irriga�on is among the importantsteps ini�ated by the government for give aboost to agriculture. Other developmentalmeasures include investment in agricultural in-frastructure and marke�ng, increased credit,improved research capability, and increasedinput supplies, water harves�ng system, air-water availability, availability of high qualityseeds, rain water harves�ng system, distribu-�on of cer�fied seeds, distribu�on of season-able seeds, modern technology support,insurance and loan to farmers, promo�onalschemes and educa�on programs.

The State Government is extending com-plete support to agencies that are a part of thesupply chain to farmers. Rajasthan govern-ment is generous in making lucra�ve offers,debt farmers are pardoned and not burdenedby taxes and are benefi�ed.

DMIC: THE NEW PATH OF GROWTHRajasthan Government would u�lise the Delhi-Mumbai Industrial Corridor (DMIC) to achievesustainable growth of economy and overcomethe bo�lenecks for freight movement betweenthe industrial regions and major ports of thecountry. The state’s strategic loca�on is anasset, since nearly 39 percent of the totallength of this corridor passes through Ra-jasthan and 46 percent of the total DMIC Proj-ect Influence Area (PIA) falls in Rajasthan.

The DMIC provides with a major develop-mental opportunity for the state. Develop-ment of appropriate infrastructure along theDMIC would be the key to driving industrialdevelopment and growth in the region.

According to the Industrial Minister Rajen-dra Pareek, some of the important develop-mental projects in the pipeline along withDMIC are the Greenfield airport in Shahjahan-pur-Neemrana-Behror (SNB) Global City, theCentral Spine connec�ng Global City with Bhi-wadi-Tapukada industrial complex via Ajirka,and a Logis�c Hub at Bhiwadi. These early birdprojects are to be built with the financial assis-tance of the Japanese government.

Alwar district will witness a lot of develop-ment in the coming decade. The proposal of amodern global city embracing the areas ofShahjahanpur, Neemrana and Behror on theNa�onal Highway Number 4 (NH-4) will usherin a new era once the idea acquires a concrete

shape. This projectis aimed at develop-ing an industrialzone spanning sixstates of the coun-try.

Bhiwadi complexwill have city cen-tre, sub centre, andfor wholesaletraders, an inte-grated freight com-plex. Corporateoffices, IT parks,biotech parks,BPOs, IT researchand developmentcentres and exhibi-�on grounds will bepart of the com-plex.

Rajasthan is thefirst Indian statethat has includedthe development ofthe Greenfield air-port as part of itsnew industrial andinvestment promo-�on policy.

THE POWER OF ‘IT’The government’sIT- friendly policyhas given concreteresults. Among theremarkableachievements inthis field is the in-augura�on of a newState Data Centreon 15th of December 2010 in the new IT Build-ing. The Statewide Area Network (SAN) capac-ity of this new date centre is 45 T.B.(Terabytes). In order to improve the quality ofadministra�on, the Government has decidedto modernize the communica�on network. Itshall be principally financed by the NEGP ofthe Government of India and par�ally financedby the State Government. This project shallconnect 33 district headquarters and 250block headquarters with the state headquarterand various government departments. Thisproject shall be implemented by May 2012, tofacilitate availability of informa�on in the ruralareas. CSC or Ci�zen Service Centre have beenstarted at 2,280 centres.

Aarogya Online is opera�onal as a comput-eriza�on project of the Sawai Mansingh Hospi-tal, Jaipur. It shall be extended to 15 districthospitals and six medical colleges and associ-

ated hospitals. The e-communica�on project isproviding the services of voice call and SMSesin remote areas. The Rajasthan Public ServiceCommission (RPSC) is being completely com-puterized with features like Online Forms Sub-mission, Centre Alloca�on, Roll NumberGenera�on etc. Under the e-Secretariatscheme, besides touch screen kiosks, file track-ing and monitoring system has been imple-mented in five departments. I-FACTS or (I.T. -enabled Fully Automa�c Ci�zen - based Trans-parency Status) is a project that aims at collec�ngimpar�al responses and reac�on of ci�zens onvarious government schemes and policies.

The facility for processing a digitally signedcer�ficate through the Internet via single windowkiosk has been implemented in the state. TheState Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot was the first toreceive such a cer�ficate on the basis of his appli-ca�on.

Dedicated Freight Corridor (DFC)The Dedicated Freight Corridor (DFC) is a 1,483 km longrail corridor connecting the Jawaharlal Nehru Port nearMumbai with Dadri near Delhi. The DFC is in the planningstages and is to be constructed by 2016. Thirty ninepercent of the corridor will pass through Rajasthan,creating new opportunities for companies located inRajasthan to access the largeWestern and Northerndomestic markets, as well as international markets viaports on the western seaboard. The DFC will provide highspeed, double stacked container rail connectivity thatwill reduce transit time, costs and increase reliability.

RAJASTHAN 12

UID (Adhar), which provides a 12-digit uniqueiden�fica�on number to all its ci�zens, hasbeen started and shall be implemented inphases.

The state department also bagged numer-ous awards for its excellent contribu�on in thefield of Informa�on Technology and Communi-ca�on. "Geo-spa�al Excellent Award 2009"was conferred upon Rajasthan Urban Informa-�on System in Hyderabad. The e-communica-�on Project was selected for Best ITImplementa�on Award 2009 by Maximum So-cial Impact by PC Quest. Quality Services Inter-na�onal found the department worthy of ISOcer�ficate at the 13th Na�onal e-governanceconference, held at Jaipur under the aegis ofState Government. The department was cho-sen for best stall.

FOOD FOR ALL"We are what we eat" is an old proverb. Ourhealth, both physical and mental, is en�relydependent on what we eat.

The State Government has evolved a sys-tem for distribu�on of food grains at afford-able prices. Under the Chief Minister AshokGehlot’s supervision, the Government haschalked out useful plans to eradicate povertyand hunger by giving special dietary support tothe BPL families. Since the CM is of the viewthat food is a basic human right, the Govern-

ment is going all out to ensure that everyonehas access to safe, nutri�ous and culturally ap-propriate food in sufficient quan�ty in order tolead a healthy life.

Over 36 lakh BPL families are being pro-vided with 25 kg of wheat per month at a sub-sidised rate of Rs 2 per kg since May 10, 2010 .

Gehlot has launched the scheme to benefit38.83 lakh BPL families. Not only that, if thefamily wants to buy for�fied flour with ironfolic acid and Vitamin 12 instead of ordinarywheat, it can do so by paying Rs. 3.60 per kg.

Since 13th December 2008, which is whenGehlot took oath as the Chief Minister of Ra-jasthan, the food security program has beengiven high priority. The program takes intoconsidera�on, factors such as popula�on, con-sump�on, agricultural produc�on, forest area,irriga�on, rural connec�vity in terms of accessto paved roads, agricultural labourers, workingage popula�on, monthly per capita consump-�on expenditure, casual wage rate, female lit-eracy, access to safe drinking water andprimary health services.

ROAD TO SUCCESSThe State Government wants to ensure devel-opment in every possible sphere of life.Among other things, it aims at improving theroad network and also managing it in a far bet-ter way. The Government has constructed,widened and strengthened various roads along

By implementing comprehensivepolicies, the InformationTechnology and CommunicationDepartment of the Government ofRajasthan has now paved the wayfor a better government thoughe-governance. Transparencythrough the digital mode ofgovernance has served to ensureefficiency, and also manifestedthe noble intentions of the StateGovernment.


13 RAJASTHAN

with constructing bridges, both major andminor, tunnels and drainage structures, by-passes, ROBs and flyovers. In addition tothese, the government has also focused onimproving signals, streetlights and otherroad-related necessities such as metalbeams, crash barriers, not to forget takingcare of road safety and tree plantation tokeep the state green.

CHANGE AGENTSThe construction of two national highwayroad projects in Rajasthan has been ap-proved by the Centre. The Cabinet Commit-tee of Infrastructure has also given itsconsent to the four lane construction of244.12 km long Beawar- Pali- Pindwara sec-tion of NH-1 in the state. The valued cost ofthis particular project is estimated to bearound Rs. 2517.79 crore.

In order to enhance the pace of economicgrowth and give better transport facilities tothe people, the Chief Minister, in his budgetspeech of 2011, announced the constructionof 19 new roads which will add up to a lengthof 1,358 km. The process for achieving theobjective has been initiated by The RajasthanState Road Development Corporation. Theroads are to be built on Build-Operate andTransfer basis and the approximate cost ofconstruction will be around Rs. 2,100 crore.

RAJASTHAN OVERBRIDGE �ROB�Following the construc�on of the two Na�onalhighways, four new ROBs have been builtacross Balotra byepass , Alwar Sikandara Roadand including Malakheda and Rajgarh.

CONNECTING RELIGIOUS PLACESConstruc�on of roads in villages that add up toa length of 784 kms, thus connec�ng variousreligious places, has been completed in keep-ing with the 2009-2010 scheme. According toReligious Road Scheme 2011-2012, a 279 kmlong road has been constructed and 89 reli-gious places connected.

A TECH TRANSPARENCYThe State Government has been focused onimproving the quality of administra�ve opera-�ons, and enhancing transparency to the bestextent possible. Keeping that in mind, thestate has launched ‘e-trading’ for investmentsof Rs. five crore and more. Also, a websitepwd.rajasthan.gov.in has been launched inorder to keep track of the advancement andmanagement of work.

HEALTH IS WEALTHIn the last three years, the government of Ra-jasthan has drawn up and formulated exten-sive projects, schemes etc to take care of thehealth of each sec�on of inhabitants of the

state. These encompass the poor and down-trodden, including the BPL families who, other-wise, would have had li�le or no access evento the basic medical facili�es.

The state government has taken severalmeasures to bring down the maternal andchild mortality rates. In a special drive, effortsare being made to minimize the material mor-tality rate(MMR) and infant mortalityrate(IMR). The Rajasthan Government haslaunched a scheme Rajasthan Janani ShishuSuraksha Yojana (JSSY), which shall help in fa-cilita�ng the efforts of the government toachieve the target of promo�ng ins�tu�onaldelivery.

The Government has constructed,widened and strengthened variousroads along with constructingbridges, both major and minor,tunnels and drainage structures,bypasses, ROBs and flyovers. In ad-dition to these, the government hasalso focused on improving signals,streetlights and other road-relatednecessities such as metal beams,crash barriers, not to forget takingcare of road safety and tree planta-tion to keep the state green.

THE STATE IS FLYING HIGH: Road Overbridges connect Rajasthan to the rest of India


RAJASTHAN 14

PADHARO MHARE DESRajasthan is blessed with natural beauty and a long his-tory of glory. The state government has been workingtowards developing new circuits, adventure and med-ical tourism to a�ract tourists from different parts ofthe world. From displaying its heritage to unveiling thewonderful hues of the modern era, the state is makingeach and every effort to welcome its guests and makethem feel at home. Every visitor carries with him, thelovely memories of forts, palaces, sand dunes, royalvoyages (in luxury trains) and wildlife. He also gets nu-merous opportuni�es to visit fairs, fes�vals, local con-certs, and light-and -sound shows.

THE STATE GOES GREENBanning plas�c bags was the first step towards eco-friendliness. The government hasn’t looked back sincethen. In its efforts to conserve mother nature, the statehas promoted Eco-tourism through wildlife parks, sanc-tuaries and forests. While mo�va�ng everyone to actin an eco-friendly manner, the government has alsoemphasized on keeping the state green by plan�ngtrees, saving forests and wild-life, preserving heritagebuildings and forts. It is also striving towards prohibit-ing construc�on near parks and sanctuaries, etc.

While Bollywood does aim at capturing the scenicbeauty of Rajasthan, Hollywood hasn’t managed tostay away from its tempta�ons either. While the TomCruise starrer Mission Impossible 4 was shot here, theDev Patel starrer, The Best Exo�c Marigold Hotel will beshot in the state very soon.

Over and above the advantages of having a rich cul-ture, Rajasthan’s growth in recent years has enhancedits a�rac�veness manifold. Have you been there?

AWARDS

• Best Decorative Stall Indian international travel mart,Hyderabad 2008, Ahmadabad Travel and Tourism Fair ‒ 2009,Surat Travel and Trousim Fair ‒ 2009, Goa India TravelMart ‒ 2009, Pune India International Travel Mart ‒ 2009,Mumbai Travel and Tourism Fair ‒ 2010.

• Received the ‘National Award’ under the ‘Best State’ categoryin the year 2010, for its significant work in the field of tourismbetween 2008-2009.

• Conde Nast Readers Travel Award ‒ 2010 for being the favoriteIndian state.

• Received Best Tourism Destination Awareness award in IndiaTravel Mart in New Delhi which started on 26 August 2010.

• The state received the prestigious ‘National Tourism Award’for its strategy in promoting tourism across various states.

CROWNING GLORY: Bina Kak, Tourism Minister ofRajasthan getting Conde Nast Readers Travel Award



ART FOR LIFE’S SAKESuch is the beauty of Rajasthani art and craft that a touristis bound to be mesmerized, writes Rohit JJain

RAJASTHAN 16

A week-long stay in Rajasthan manifests thestate’s beauty in all its hues. Rajasthan has aspecial iden�ty on the tourism map of thecountry, and it is not difficult to comprehendwhy. With its rich cultural heritage, majes�cforts and colourful fes�vals, a visit to the stateis a dream come true.

The desert forts of Jaisalmer, the palaces ofJaipur, the Lake Palace of Udaipur, and thetemples of Nathdwara are a must-see. Thestate capital Jaipur has neat and broadly laid

out avenues, all paintedpink, impart-

ing a magi-cal glow tothe city, es-pecially intheevenings.

Travelling through the historic ci�es of Ra-jasthan, hearing tales of Rajput chivalry and lis-tening to the songs from the bygone era mademe feel as if I had boarded a �me machine andentered the long lost past.

An a�empt to savour the spirit of Rajasthanis a spiritually relaxing experience. In order toenjoy the perfect Rajasthani hospitality, I wentto Chokhi Dhani, a unique village resort.Chokhi Dhani offers an ideal pastoral experi-ence. Away from urban life, the quaint mudand thatch dwellings in the resort have theright blend of tradi�onal and modern ameni-�es in a typical ethnic environment.

Jaipur has several markets, most of whichsell excellent pieces of art and cra�s. Findingtheir beauty simply irresis�ble, I bought a fewbandhani print sarees for my rela�ves. Shopson the streets showcase exclusive collec�ons

of jewellery and footwear. The bestthing about the city is that you canspend thousands at the upscale MI

Road (Mirza Ismail Road) or go easyon your pocket and yet fill your bags

at Johri Bazaar, Bapu Bazaar andNehru Bazaar located within theold walled city area. No trip to

Jaipur can be complete withouta shopping spree. Character-ized by the colours, gaiety andthe local flavour of Rajasthan,these goodies are sure to de-light anyone.From Jaipur, I also bought

two pairs of mojris and puppetswhich instantly reminded me of the

Shah Rukh Khan starrer ‘Paheli’ in

which puppets play such a key role. The pup-pets of Rajasthan, also known as kathputhlis,are mainly made in Jaipur and Jodhpur. TheBha� community makes them as well as per-forms with them in different villages duringthe dry season when cul�va�on is not possi-ble.

This royal city is a seat of world class mar-ble. I visited a few marble shops in whichworkers were crea�ng wonders with marbles.The marble work with intricate carvings ismade all across Jaipur. Among all the ethnicshowpieces, a few that impressed me a lotwere statues of Hindu dei�es, human fig-urines, carved marble bowls and vases.

During the course of my visit, I saw the ex-cellent work of ar�st Sarla Mundra fromUdaipur, who has, for long, captured differenthues and colours of Rajasthan in her art. Shehas displayed her work in different parts ofIndia as well as abroad.

Her presenta�on of 41 water colours onhandmade paper makes for a very pre�y sight.The accomplished lady told me, “Historicalmonuments of Rajasthan have always fasci-nated me. They are the present-day witnessesto the glorious history and heritage of Ra-jasthan. Ci�es like Udaipur, Jaipur and Jodhpurhave many heritage monuments. Whenever Ivisit these historical places, I start imaginingabout the life that the kings and queens musthave led in the past.”

Rajasthan is among the richest states in thecountry as far as art and cra�s are concerned.Since �me immemorial, the locals have beenknown to use their ar�s�c skills to createworks that can cap�vate a viewer.


Art has flourished in this region since the 1stcentury BC. Time has gone by. But theRajasthani ar�st’s passion for crea�vityremains undiminished.

Each historical era has made significantcontribu�ons to art. Rajputs have always pa-tronized art, and their associa�on with theMughals led to refinement. Meenakari wasbrought to this province by Raja Man Singh ofAmber who invited skilled workers from La-hore. The art prospered, and today, Nathdwaraand Prathapgarh produce fine work. Apartfrom meenakari, lac jewellery also has a stand-ing of its own.

The tex�le towns of Bagru and Sanganer lo-cated near Jaipur are famous for their blockprinted fabric known as Bagru and Sanganeriprints. Such fabric usually has awhite background, and colourslike scarlet, black and brown areused. Recently, however, syn-the�c dyes in pink, purple andorange shades are being used aswell. Prin�ng is done withwooden blocks known as ‘Chha-pas or Bunits’. These blocks aredipped in the dye, and pressedonto the fabric. Leheria is an-other indigenous fabric. Its nameis derived from ‘Leher,’ meaningweaves and that’s just how thefabric looks in its final form. Kharior gold prin�ng is also a Ra-jasthani specialty. Centuries- oldtradi�ons are kept alive by the

virtues and efforts of mastercra�smen such as Ram KishorChippa and Briz Balavji.

If you are going to Rajasthanwithout any inten�on of seeing itsart and cra�, make a change inyour plans. For, if you miss them,you will miss out on what you mustsee once there.

Colourful Bandhni dupattas

Glittering Rajasthani bangles

Stylish mojris

Artistic Pottery

17 RAJASTHAN

Incorporated as RIMDC on March 28, 1969 and rechristened as RIICOon January 1, 1980, Rajasthan State Industrial Development Invest-ment Corpora�on Ltd; (RIICO) since its incep�on has emerged as amul�-faceted and dynamic ins�tu�on. It has kept pace with the in-

dustrialisa�on process in providing innova�ve means of financial and in-vestment support services.

RIICO is also the sole government agency in the state involved in de-velopment of land for industrial enterprises. Large, medium and small-scale projects get an easy access to a ready -to- use base withsuppor�ve infrastructure facili�es in the industrial areas, developed andmanaged by RIICO.

The financial and vital infrastructural facili�es provided by RIICOhave contributed to promo�ng accelerated growth of industrial sectorin the State.

RIICO has played a cataly�c role in the industrial development of Ra-jasthan. It has 26 regional offices across Rajasthan that administer thedevelopment of land related infrastructure for industrializa�on.

RIICO has so far developed 322 industrial areas by acquiring about66, 054 acres of land. Each industrial area is provided with basic ameni-�es like power, street light, water supply, road linkages and a�endantsocial infrastructure.

More than 29, 878 industries are in produc�on within RIICO-devel-oped industrial areas.

About Rs 8, 000 million have been spent on pooling infrastructureservices in these industrial areas by RIICO.Some of the prominent industrial areas are:Special Economic Zones (Jaipur & Jodhpur)Agro Food Parks (Kota, Jodhpur, Sriganganagar & Alwar)Export Promo�on Industrial Parks (Jaipur, Jodhpur & Neemrana)Informa�on Technology Parks (Jaipur, Jodhpur, Kota & Udaipur)Gems & Gold Jewelry Complex (Sitapura & Jaipur)Tex�le City (Bhilwara)Leather Complex (Manpur Macheri & Jaipur)Ceramics Complex (Khara & Bikaner)Minor Mineral Complexes (Karauli, Sawai Madhopur, Dhoinda in Ra-jsamand & Mitrapura in Dausa)Bio-Tech Parks (Sitapura- Jaipur & Chopanki-Bhiwadi)

Key Decisions taken and Implemented by RIICO for Industrial develop-ment• With the cost of Rs 2,000 crore, the Honda Car Project is being imple-mented on 610 acre land is the Bhiwandi industrial area. This would bethe first car manufacturing plant in the state. The main car produc�onunit is being set up on 455 care land while its ancillaries are being builton 155 acre land. The company has already began produc�on of someauto parts in this plant. The Rs 2,000 crore unit will generate jobs fornearly 4,000 people. The Honda Group Company has been allo�ed 60acre land for manufacturing of two wheelers. Honda Motorcycle andScooters Pvt. Ltd. is se�ng up a plant in Tapukada for the produc�on ofscooters and motorcycles. The state expects an investment of Rs 1,100crore and direct employment for 3,000 people when the plant begins

produc�on. Over 10,000 people will get indirect employment from thisunit. The commercial produc�on of two-wheelers has started from Au-gust 2011.

• RIICO has signed n MoU with the Japanese company JETRO for indus-trial development, under which, various Japanese units would be estab-lished in Neemarana industrial area. Land has been allo�ed tomul�na�onal companies like Nissin, Mitsui, Daikin, Mitsubishi, DaikiColor etc. In this zone, 11 units have started produc�on while the workin nine units is in progress. The land was allocated to 34 companies inthe Japanese zone, but due to global recession, three companies havereturned the allo�ed land. Hence, 347.51 acre land has been allo�ed to31 units �ll date. An investment of Rs 2,770 crore and employment gen-era�on for over 5,700 people is expected upon the commencement ofopera�ons under these projects. The MoU period has been extended�ll August 2012. This collabora�on is an ideal example of the Indo-Japanese coopera�on in India.

• With RIICO’s consistent efforts, mul�na�onal companies like AutsukaChemicals, Matso India, South Asia Breweries, Tata Bluescop Steel, Ka-paro Fastners, Genpact, Texa India, Lafarge India Ltd, etc. have investedin the state. Several big companies have invested in the RIICO industrialareas, i.e Rosenberg (Khushkhera), UB Group (Chaupanki), Infosys (Sita-pura), Havells India (Neemrana), Shree Cement Limited (Khushkhera),E.I.D Perry (Alwar) etc. Several major players like Sriram Piston, Mother-son Sumi, T.P.S Infrastructure, Sunbeam Cas�ng, Clutch Auto, Veekay,Polycoats, etc have entered the state.

Archana charts RIICO’s journey since inception in powering industrialisation in the desert state.

STATE ENTERPRISE FUELS INDUSTRIAL GROWTH

Electric Motors being manufactured at Havells project in Neemrana.

RAJASTHAN 22


Rajasthan’s state govern-ment being focused onpeople’s welfare, publichealth is among its’ leading

concerns. The man responsible forcrea�ng a healthier state isAimaduddin Ahmad Khan, popularlyknown as Durru Miyan, who is theMinister of Medical, Health, FamilyWelfare, Ayurveda and Medical Edu-ca�on. Among the senior ministersin the state cabinet, Khan believes inthe need for having a posi�ve mind-set, the main quality that can enablepeople to cooperate and act collec-�vely to preserve our natural re-sources and stay healthy always.

BENEFITS FOR EVERYBODYKhan is of the view that having goodhealth is the fundamental right ofevery individual. Keeping that inmind, the Government has adoptedseveral strategies. It has sought tostrengthen infrastructure, a movethat includes the following:

1. Construc�on of addi�onal wardsin 29 District Hospitals and 185 Com-munity Health Centres (CHCs).2. Over 500 Primary Health Centres(PHCs) and CHCs have been reno-vated.3. Accommoda�on for doctors andparamedical staff at more than 200places.4. The government has sanc�oned537 new sub-centres, 72 PHCs and44 CHCs.5. In the last three years, more thanRs 350 crore has been spent on infra-structure strengthening.

TAKING CARE OF DOCTORSThe starting salary of newly re-cruited doctors has been increasedfrom Rs 16,800 to Rs 30,000 permonth, time-bound promotions todoctors have been ensured, whilethe one-year tenure of internship isbeing counted as probation period.Doctors and medical teachers arethe only two cadres under the Gov-ernment of Rajasthan, who gettime-bound promotions in thestate.

HEALTH IN THE VILLAGESTo a�ain the Millennium Develop-ment Goals, a special mission waslaunched in 2005 by the CongressGovernment at the Centre. It wasknown as the Na�onal Rural HealthMission (NRHM).The main objec�ves of the missionare-� Reducing MMR (Measles, Mumpsand Rubella)& IMR (Infant MortalityRate)� Reducing TFR (Total Fer�lity Rate)and Popu la�on Stabiliza�on� Preven�on and control of commu-nicable diseases� Mainstreaming of AYUSH ((Inte-gra�ng Ayurveda with Allopathy)

Ever since the mission waslaunched, the state government hasreceived a grant of over Rs. 5000crore. Out of that, about Rs. 4800crore has been spent. What is mostremarkable is that Rs. 2878.39 crorehas been spent during last threeyears. The ac�vi�es of the govern-ment have shown posi�ve results,with Rajasthan receiving the awardfor the best performing State in thecountry in 2009-10.

COMPLEMENTARY AND ALTERNA-TIVE MEDICAL SCHEMES

The main schemes of the State Gov-ernment and NRHM are as follows.

Mukhya Mantri Jeevan RakshaKoshThe Mukhya Mantri BPL Jeevan Rak-sha Kosh was launched by the Gov-ernment in January, 2009 to providefree healthcare to BPL (BelowPoverty Line) patients. Till date,more than one crore patients havebenefited under this scheme, andRs 108 crore has been spent. Thisscheme is much better than thehealth insurance schemes being im-plemented in other States sincethere is no limit to the expenses ontreatment. Among other things, fivekilos of desi ghee is provided to theBPL women on their first delivery. Atotal of 76,949 women have bene-fited under this scheme.

Aimaduddin Ahmad Khan, the Minister ofMedical, Health, Family Welfare, Ayurvedaand Medical Education during NGI Awards

GOOD HEALTH IS GOOD NEWSAimaduddin Ahmad Khan, the Minister of Medical, Health, Family Welfare, Ayurveda and MedicalEducation of Rajasthan, has implemented several plans to make Rajasthan, a healthier state.

Archana distils the facts from her interview with the Minister

23 RAJASTHAN


Mukhya Mantri Sahayata KoshOther than BPL category, poor pa�ents withserious illnesses are provided with 40 per centof the es�mated cost of treatment. The an-nual income limit for this category has been in-creased from Rs. 24,000 to Rs. 60,000.Thirty-two thousand pa�ents have derivedbenefits under this scheme �ll date.

Mukhya Mantri Nishulk Dava YojnaThe scheme to provide free drugs and con-sumables for all has been launched on October2, 2011.

More than 15,000 distribu�on centreshave been started across the state. A total of472 types of drugs are being provided free ofcost to pa�ents under this scheme.

HELPING HAND108 Ambulance Service is another feature. Atpresent, a total of 411 vehicles are opera-�onal. The number will be increased to 464very soon. Prior to the forma�on of the pres-ent government, only 50 vehicles were func-�onal.

A toll free 104 helpline has been startedfor over-the-phone consulta�on, counselingand redressal of grievances related to healthand other ac�vi�es of the department. Pre-scrip�on is sent via SMS to the caller.

SCHEMES RELATED TO MATERNAL AND CHILDHEALTH

Janani Shishu Suraksha YojanaThis scheme was launched on 12th September,2011. This scheme provides free-of-cost ins�-tu�onal delivery, free medicines and consum-ables, free diagnosis, free meals, free blood,free transport for mothers and same for thenewborns up to 30 days. A link has been pro-vided in the departmental website www.ra-jswasthya.nic.in containing the details of thebeneficiaries of JSSK. There has been an in-crease of about eight per cent in the figure ofins�tu�onal delivery data as compared to lastyear, which is the best in the country. The na-�onal average is six per cent.

� Eight hundred and two Newborn Corners, 36Facility-Based Newborn Care Units (FBNC) and39 Malnutri�on Treatment Centers (MTCs)have been made func�onal.� For providing immuniza�on services at thedoorstep, Maternal Child Health and Nutri�onDay is conducted every month at every Angan-wadi centre. Hepa��s B vaccina�on to all chil-dren under five years of age is being providedfree with effect from 15th December, 2011.� A cadre of voluntary health workers, theASHA Sahyogini has been created. They re-ceive performance-based incen�ves in addi-�on to a fixed honorarium. Rajasthan is theonly state in India to provide fixed honorariumto such workers. Over 43,000 villages in Ra-

jasthan now have an ASHA Sahyogini as an in-terface between community and health facili-�es.� Swasthya Sendesh Seva SMS facility hasbeen started for ANM (Auxiliary Nurse Mid-wife) and its beneficiaries to send delivery &immuniza�on alert on their due dates. Fivehundred and fi�y five Yashodas have beenplaced at District Hospitals and CommunityHealth Centres with support from NIPI (Nursesin Partnership, Inc.) to assist the pregnantwomen and children.

TREATMENT ON THE MOVERajiv Gandhi Mobile Medical UnitsThe government has extended the reach ofservices by supplementing the existinghealth facility with Rajiv Gandhi MobileMedical Units for far-flung areas. Till date,52 units have been purchased out of which20 have been deployed at high focus blocksof the districts. Another 150 additional Mo-bile Medical Vans shall be made functionalin the near future.

STERILIZATION INCENTIVETo reduce Total Fertility Rate, a cash in-

centive of Rs. 1100 for male sterilization andRs. 600 for female sterilization, and a motiva-tional amount of Rs. 200 for male steriliza-tion and Rs. 150 for female sterilization, isbeing offered.

HUMAN RESOURCESFive thousand new positions for the AuxiliaryNurse Midwife (ANM) have been sanctioned.

One thousand five hundred pharmacistsfor Mukhya Mantri Nishulk Dava Yojana andMukhya Mantri BPL Jeevan Raksha Koshhave been recruited on contract. Under theNational Rural Health Mission, more than18,000 personnel have been recruited. Thisincludes GNMs (General Nursing and Mid-wifery), lab technicians, PHNs (Public HealthNurse), Medical Officers, Specialists, HealthManagers, AYUSH doctors and nurses/com-pounders etc. In the current year, Rs 101crore has been already spent on HR. UnderNRHM, approximately 1500 AYUSH MO andnurses/compounders have been appointedon contractual basis. They have also beengiven basic training.

DECLINE IN SEX RATIODecline in sex ratio is an important chal-lenge. To address this challenge, stringentimplementation of the Pre-Conception andPre-Natal Diagnostics Techniques Act 1994is being ensured. Awareness generation ofpeople on the issue is necessary. Hence, awebsite www.hamaribeti.nic.in has beenlaunched. An award has been announcedfor any person who registers complaintagainst any institution where sex-selectiveabortions are being done.

BETTER MEDICAL EDUCATIONRajasthan University for Health Scienceswas started in Rajasthan from 1st April,2006, to impart higher education on healthscience.

There are many departments of medicaleducation in the state. This includes six Gov-ernment-run medical colleges, one medicalcollege (Jhalawar) run by society, and threemedical colleges run by private institutions.There is a total of 800 graduate seats and624 PG seats in the Government-run med-ical colleges. There are three Government-run Ayurveda colleges and five privateAyurveda colleges in the state.

NEW RECRUITMENTSNew recruitments of 212 Assistant Profes-sors and 87 Senior Demonstrators havebeen made in the last last three years. Onethousand posts of Nurse Grade 2, 60 of LabTechnicians, 525 of Pharmacists and 150Ward Boys have been sanctioned for variousmedical colleges and associated hospitals ofthe state. Also, recruitments of 20 Unani, 47Homeopathy and 378 Ayurvedic doctors,592 nurses/compounders, 34 LDC (LocalDental Committee) and 242 fourth class oncompassionate grounds, have been made.The Government has also announced the re-cruitment of 250 rural Ayurvedic doctorsand 319 Ayurvedic doctors under the RPSC.

Janani Shishu Suraksha Yojana

This scheme was launched on 12thSeptember, 2011. This scheme provides free-of-cost institutionaldelivery, free medicines and consumables, free diagnosis, freemeals, free blood, free transport formothers and same for the newbornsup to 30 days. A link has been pro-vided in the departmental websitewww.rajswasthya.nic.in containingthe details of the beneficiaries ofJSSK. There has been an increase ofabout eight per cent in the figure ofinstitutional delivery data as com-pared to last year, which is the bestin the country. The national averageis six per cent.

CHHATTISGARH 24


Tanaji Raut and Kiran, both residentsof Raipur’s Kushalpur colony, are ahappy lot these days. Kiran is physi-cally handicapped, but that has not

deterred the couple’s enthusiasm in any way.Both are going to �e the knot under MukhyaMantri Kanyadaan Yojana in the presence ofthousands, including family and friends.

The Mukhya Mantri Kanyadan Yojana is anambi�ous scheme of the Chha�sgarh govern-ment’s Department of Women & Child Wel-fare. A ceremony of mass marriages wassolemnised under this scheme on March 1 atthe Science College Ground, Raipur, where1,024 weddings were organized as a majorcommunity programme in PPP mode.

OBJECTIVES:1. This scheme gives financial assistance to thepoor families who have daughters of marriage-able age2. This marriage helps curb all unnecessary ex-penses and promotes a simple ceremony3. This reassures the poor families’ pres�geand self-esteem and gives a boost to their so-cial status in society4. Promo�on to community mass marriages5. It stops the evil prac�ce of dowry system.

The occasion was graced by the chief guestof the programme, Chha�sgarh CM Dr RamanSingh, and the programem was conducted suc-

cessfully under the chairmanship of assemblySpeaker Dharamlal Kaushik.

Mukhya Mantri Kanyadan Yojana was ahuge collec�ve effort to successfully organisemarriages from across different districts of thestate with 949 Hindu, six Muslim and fourChris�an couples ge�ng into wedlock on thisholy occasion. Under the Nihshaktajan VivahProtsahan Yojana of the department of Pan-chayat and Social Welfare, 44 physically chal-lenged couple got married. The departmentalso distributed a cheque of Rs 21,000 to eachof these physically disabled couples. While,1024 couples of diverse religious beliefs �edthe nup�al knot as per their customs and tra-di�ons.

ELIGIBILITY:1. The girl should be from a BPL family2. A maximum of two daughters can take thebenefit of this scheme3. The girl should be 18 years and the boyneeds to be 21 years of age4. The girl can take benefit of this marriageonly for the first �me5. Only the girls marrying under this schemecan take benefits of various assistances fromthe govt.6. The girl and her family have to be residents ofChha�sgarh7. Priority will be given to girls who are literate.

The mass marriage ceremony was in itself avery big ini�a�ve to help people marry offtheir daughters and sons without having to un-dergo the embarrassment of not being able tospend for their children’s marriages.

The W&CD department took the ini�a�veof making all the prepara�ons well in advanceto successfully execute the programme.

The different work schedules were preparedand a proper survey was also carried out for theboarding and lodging facili�es of the beneficiar-ies who were travelling from different parts ofthe state to Raipur for the func�on. The boardingand lodging facili�es were made at thedharamshalas, community halls, gurudwaras etc.

GUIDELINES FOR ASSISTANCE UNDER THISSCHEME:1. Each of the girls marrying under this schemewould get a financial assistance of Rs. 4, 000 inthe form of goods and arrangements for themarriage depending on their needs.2. An amount of Rs 1, 000 can be spent on mar-riage of each couple under this scheme3. Each girl is eligible to receive assistance up toRs. 5, 000.

In each hall, the distribu�on of people whowere put up was categorized district wise so as tomaintain cultural homogeneity and the overallresponsibility was given to the managers themselves.

COCKING A SNOOK AT DOWRY

“If the people of diverse religious beliefsge�ng the marriage of their sons anddaughters solemnized as per their own customs at one place irrespec�ve of theircaste and creed then it is the biggest example of social harmony.”

-Chha�sgarh CM Dr Raman Singh

Mritunjay KKumar reports on the Mukhya Mantri Kanyadaan Yojana that has come as Manna fromHeaven for the poor, who can marry off their daughters emboldened by the financial aid from theChhattisgarh government

25 CHHATTISGARH


The beneficiaries who were staying inthese halls were provided with all es-sen�al marriage items, dresses, jew-ellery, accessories a day earlier so as toavoid last-minute confusions and miss-ing out on any items, if any.

The different rituals like haldirasam,ladies sangeet, etc. prior to the weddingtook place in the presence of First Ladyof the state, Sushmita Du�, Veena Singhand W&CD Minister Lata Usendi. Thedance and music programme presentedby the Chha�sgarhi ar�sts addedcolour to the occasion.

The ‘Baraa�’ departed in great style,and as per tradi�on, from the campusof Ayurvedic College, which was deco-rated with flowers and bun�ngs as be-fi�ng the occasion. The bridegroomsand their families packed in almost 30buses started their journey with a tradi-�onal style grand ‘Baraat’ amidst bandand music, and dance and celebra�ons,for the marriage ceremony from thegate of Ayurvedic College. The Baraatwent through the major roads and land-marks of the city before reaching Sci-ence College Ground wherearrangements were made for a magnifi-cent and grand welcome of the‘Baraa�s’. The welcoming of the groomswas done by Lata Usendi.The brides andtheir family members sat demurelywai�ng for the arrival of the groomsand their families with the ‘Baraat’ atScience College Campus.

DOCUMENTS REQUIRED:1. Cer�ficate of proof of belonging toBPL Family and copy of survey list2. Proof of educa�onal qualifica�on3. Declara�on form of family that hasnot availed benefits for more than 2girls4. Declara�on of first marriage of girl5. Declara�on of both boy and girl alongwith families to be present in the wed-ding venue on date fixed by the admin-istra�on6. Declara�on of both families to abideby all rules and regula�ons by the ad-ministra�on at the marriage venue7. Declara�on by both families not toexchange dowry8. Proof of being residents of Chha�s-garh.

The Science Ground was adornedwith a huge pandal covering an area ofalmost 2 lakh sq � that was divided into63 blocks and had 252 wedding man-daps, where arrangements were madefor four pairs to sit on each weddingmandap. Apart from these, separatearrangements were made for the Mus-lim and Chris�an couples. The Nikaahwas solemnised by a maulvi and the

Chris�an wedding ceremonies tookplace in presence of their priest.

A�er the arrival of the bridegrooms’families in the campus of Science Col-lege, the volunteers of Gayatri Parivaarand others were seen helping thebrides and grooms along with theirfamilies find their places in the differentVivah Mandaps. The wedding ceremonystarted with the chan�ng of Vedicmantras by the priests of GayatriMandir from the main mandap and si-multaneously tradi�onal rituals wereconducted.

Dr Raman Singh addressed thegathering and extended his best wishesand blessings to all the newly-wed cou-ples. He said, “It is a historical andproud moment for the state where peo-ple of diverse religious beliefs and fromall sec�ons of society irrespec�ve oftheir castes and creed are present onthis grand occasion and this is an iden-�ty of Chha�sgarh’s strength of unity.The W&CD Minister and all the staff de-serve to be complimented for accom-plishing this huge task of conduc�ngthe marriages of 1,024 couples togetherin one single func�on”.

As the wedding ceremony got ac-complished, the bride and the groomsalong with their family and friends weregiven a grand feast. The en�re expensesand responsibility of conduc�ng thefeast was borne by the Chha�sgarhChamber of Commerce. Gi�s of dailyuse household items also were distrib-uted to each couple.

The state government made it pos-sible for them to buy household itemslike almirah and utensils in subsidizedrates. Jewelries and make-up sets, silvertoe rings pair and silver mangalsutras,10g silver coin and cash of Rs. 500 toeach couple were also given. With themoney raised from individual contribu-�ons, each couple were gi�ed with atable fan, VIP suitcase, Pres�ge pres-sure cooker (5 litres), Titan wristwatches for both the bride and thegroom, casserole set, and other house-hold items and wedding dresses.

Many industries and associa�onssupported the noble venture throughtheir invaluable contribu�ons of funds,gi�s for the newly-weds, food, sweetsand other expenses. Lafarge Cement,Ambuja Cement, Century Cement,Grasim Cement, Monnet Power Lim-ited, Sri Cement, Ultratech Cement, Ba-jrang Alliance, G.M.R. Power Project,Adhunik Cement, Jindal Power & Steel,Hira Group, Jaiswal Nico, Sarda Energy,Sponge Associa�on, the Chha�sgarhChamber of Commerce, etc made valu-able contribu�ons.

“The poor families had to bear theexpenses of marriage of their daughters,due to which they incurred heavy debts.But now, due to the successful implementa-�on of ‘Mukhya Mantri Kanyadan Yojana’,the contented result is that the thousandsof poor families of the state have got achance to live a debt-free life of dignity.”

- Lata Usendi, Women & ChildWelfare Minister, Govt of Chha�sgarh

Above are few stills from Mukhya Mantri Kanyadan Yojana

The Global Indian Business Meet, 2012

An Initiative of the NGI Foundation

Date: September, 20-23, 2012, Venue: Marriott Marquis,

Times Square, Manhattan, NYCTheme: Doing Business in Challenging Times - the Indian Way.Global Networking for Entrepreneurship and Inclusive Growth.

GLOBAL INDIAN BUSINESS MEET

2012

G BMImpacting Business Worldwide

September 20-23, 2012, New York, USA

A must attend business event for entrepreneurs, business leaders & investors to develop strategies in times of

economic slowdown

A tribute to Swami Vivekananda

on his 150th birth Anniversary

‘As you have come into this world,

leave some mark behind’

�

bringing together Indian origin CEOs and heads of businesses from around the world, leaders from various Indian, North American and other states & cities along with Entrepreneurs and Investors.

�Largest ever India-focused global business platform with participation of the Indian Diaspora from more than 25 countries in the centre of global business, New York City.

�A global platform for forward-thinking Indians living all overthe globe, connecting them to generate resources, interactions,visibility, branding, networking, technology & knowledge share, business partnerships, new ideas and investment opportunities.

�Impacting global business, and thereby human development, by taking the best Indian run enterprises and the new resurgent India to the world, thus chartering new avenues for investment, partnership, entrepreneurship and building sustainable growth models.

The Global Indian Business Meet is the first ever global meet

What is GIBM

GIBM Mission

Some of the dignitaries expected to grace the event


2012



Pranab Mukherjee John Bryson Anand Sharma Andrew Cuomo

Kiran Mazumdar Shaw

Ajay Banga

Ratan Tata Sunil Mittal

Indra Nooyee Vinod Khosla

Naveen Jindal

Anshu Jain

Tarun Khanna Jagdish Bhagwati Lord Meghnad Desai Kishore Mahbubani

1. Being part of a new vision.

2. Sharing and being part of a global partnership platform.

3. Networking with successful global Business & Technology Leaders, Politicians & Investors.

4. Forming Strategic Alliances and Partnerships;Global Investment Opportunities - M&As /JVs etc.

5. Platform to show-case products, services, new business andinvestment opportunities.

6. Exploring new business ideas, models, strategies and ways toconduct business during an economic downturn.

7. Understanding the best global practices in Trade,Research & Development and Consulting

(applicable for SMEs).

8. Exploring new opportunities in various Indian, North American, Caribbean countries, states and cities.

9. Taking advantage of the phenomenal Indian Growth Storyand the Opportunities ahead amid continuing global slowdown.

10. Meeting peers from across the globe, present your leadership, share, learn and network.


2012



10

REASONS

FOR YOU

TO BE A

PART OF

THIS

EVENT!

“Directly or indirectly he haspowerfully influenced the India oftoday… builder of modern India.”

“..no better use can be made of asceticism, science and the good name of our common country; and I know not who could make a more fitting general of such a campaign than Vivekananda. Do you think you would care to apply yourself to the mission of galvanizing into life of our ancient traditions in this respect?”Letter of Jamshedji N. Tata (Founder of Tata Group of Industries), 23rdNovember 1898.

“Can Man control [the ] grandest, most awe inspiring of all processes in nature?...If he could do this, he would have powers almost unlimited and supernatural... He could cause planes to collide and produce his suns and stars, his heat and light. He could originate and develop life in all its infinite forms....[Such powers] would place him beside his creator, make him fulfill his ultimate destiny.”

Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru, FirstPrime Minister of India.

Birth of Tata Industries and Indian Institute of Science followed after their meeting.

A clarion call by scientist Nikola Tesla for the ultimate innovation to solve the challenges of humanity who was distinctly influenced by Vivekananda, whose countrymen gave the number system and much more to the world.

A TRIBUTE

TO

SWAMI VIVEKANANDA

ON HIS 150th BIRTH

ANNIVERSARY.


2012



Thursday - September 20

Friday - 21st September

Saturday - 22nd September

Sunday - 23rd September

�Private Dinner (by invitation only) with Dignitaries and Speakers.�Entertainment: Indian Classical Music.

�Keynote Address by Indian Finance Minister, Shri. Pranab Mukherjee.�Special Address by US Secretary of Commerce, Mr. John Bryson.�Panels, discussions and interactions of top Business Leaders with the delegates.

�Panel of Chief Ministers/State Government Senior Representatives. �Cocktails & Dinner followed by world class dance & entertainment!

�Inaugural Plenary Session: Theme: Incubating a world of Entrepreneurship - A Summit on Entrepreneurial Excellence.�Panels, Interactive Discussions and Hands-on learning sessions.�Pitching Session: Entrepreneurs' presentation, highly rated business plans before Business leaders and Investors for support.�Discussions with domain experts on practical subject matters among Entrepreneurs, Business Leaders, Bankers, Academics, Venture Capitalists & Financial Consultants.

�Investors' Summit Inaugural Plenary Session.�Discussions/Panels.

�Opportunities in various Indian states, regions and cities including select SEZs seeking investors.�Partnership opportunities among various states and cities around the world.

Partnership opportunities among various states and cities around the world.

�Business Tie-ups�Financing Entrepreneurs�Businesses and Business models of future�Transfer of Technologies

�Cocktail & Dinner�NGI Excellence Awards�Entertainment: Bollywood/World Music Show

�Entrepreneurs' Sessions�State Sessions�Networking Forums

– Entrepreneurship & Investment: Plenary Session

Business Leaders' Summit

India Business Summit Inauguration

Entrepreneurs' Summit

Investors' Summit

India Business Summit

Partnership Summit

Networking Forums

Evening Program

Closing Session


2012



GIBM

2012

PROGRAM

SCHEDULE

Business Leaders' Summit

Entrepreneurs' Summit

Investors' Summit


Partnership Summit

Business Leaders’ Summit

Entrepreneurs’ Summit

Investors’ Summit


Partnership Summit

Fully dedicated day for the business leaders. First time for many global Indian origin business leaders to meet, discuss, support and network.

For current and future Entrepreneurs - Inspiration, motivation, mentoring from successful leaders as well as supported by investors. Major networking opportunity.

Full one day exchange of notes and partnerships among Venture Capitalists, Angel investors and business leaders.

First time in the US – multiple Indian state & private entities to interact with businesses, knowledge-expertsand investors.

Another first time effort to connect with various state-city-region to state-city-region partnerships in all areas including business, technology and education.

GLOBAL

INDIAN

BUSINESS

MEET

UNIQUENESS


2012



VENUE & ACCOMODATION

ABOUT THE ORGANIZERS

Located in the heart of the Times Square and theBroadway theater district, Marriot Marquis atManhattan, New York, is an ideal locale for weekendgetaways and family and business events. Completewith well-appointed rooms and suites, high-speedelevators, famed Marriott service, creativecatering and a variety of ballrooms, restaurants, and lounges, the one-stop address has several spin-offs: Fifth Avenue shopping, Radio City Music Hall, Rockefeller Center, NBC Studios and the Central Park. It is also close to other Big Apple touristy attractions like Carnegie Hall, Lincoln Center, the UN and Madison Square Garden.

New Global Indian Foundation(NGIF - USA and India):The NGI Foundation was established in 2010 to take up projects that impact societies by augmenting the empowerment of young minds. Center for Development and Policy Studies (CDPS)and NGI Entrepreneurship Development Project was launched in India in 2011 to identify, train, and support large number of potential young entrepreneurs. CDPS plans to work with various states in India in the areas of Environment, Water, Health, Education and many more. Similar projects are being planned by NGIF in other parts of the world.

GIBM 2012 is being organized by the New GlobalIndian Foundation in association with numerousIndian, American and other global organizations.Indian origin global business leaders, entrepreneurs, investors, and Indian governments (both the Centre and the states) along with many associations and groups are coming together for three days to offer the following:

To Inspire and StrategizeTo Plan and Give DirectionTo Explore New OpportunitiesTo Network and Support


2012



Contact Information

Kanchan Banerjee 001-617-306-6609 (USA)[email protected]

Prof Ujjwal K Chowdhury +91-9373311239 (India)[email protected]

K Sudhakar Murthy 00971506545894 (Dubai)[email protected]

Deepak Choudhary +91-9821899753 (India)[email protected]

[email protected]: www.gibm2012.org

First Floor, D1/4,Aacharya Niketan, Mayur Vihar Phase - 1, New Delhi 110091

1/68 Om Heera Panna Shopping centre, Behind Oshiwara Police Station, Off New Link Road, Oshiwara, Andheri West, Mumbai, 400102.

109, Gulliver Street, Milton, MA 02186 USA

307 B, Mina Building, Al Mina Road, Bur Dubai, P.O Box 102604, Dubai, UAE.

Delhi :

Mumbai :

USA:

Middle East:

We invite you to be a part of this historic meetand seek your support in the form of participation and sponsorships.


2012



An Initiative of NGI Foundation

www.gibm2012.org

www.ngifoundation.org

Rohit JJain takes a sneak peekon the NRIs’ engagement invarious fields.

NEWSBIN

NEWSBIN 34Conference on The Indian Diaspora in St. Vincent and the wider Caribbean N R IFollowing the sporadic series of con-

ferences on the Indian Diaspora in theCaribbean since 1975 held mainly inTrinidad and Tobago, a group of aca-demics are planning to organise oneconference every year in various partsof the region. This year’s conferencewill be held in St. Vincent in June 1st,2nd and 3rd, 2012 on the theme “TheIndian Diaspora in St. Vincent and thewider Caribbean.” The conference willcoincide with Indian Arrival Day in St.Vincent on June 1st which has beenformally recognised by St Vincent andthe Grenadines Parliament since 2007.The population of St. Vincent is ap-proximately 100,000 consisting mainlyof persons of African descent. Thereare small numbers of mixed personsof Caribbean and African origin, Euro-peans and South Asians/East Indians.Indians form about 5,000 (5%) of thetotal population. Although Indians in St.Vincent are scattered in several vil-lages, there are distinct areas wherethey are concentrated, namely Rich-land Park, Calder and Rosebank aswell as Akers, Georgetown, Park Hilland Orange Hill.The St. Vincent Chapter of GOPIO (TheGlobal Organization of People of IndianOrigin) will be the main host and or-ganiser of the conference. GOPIO wasfounded in New York in 1989 initiallyto fight human rights violation of Peo-ple of Indian Origin (PIO). GOPIO hasnow set its priorities in pooling the re-sources, both financial and profes-sional, for the benefit of PIOs in thecountries they live.The conference organisers will providefree accommodation, breakfast andlunch, and ground transportation forthe weekend for presenters only. Otherparticipants would be provided withsubsidised services and facilities.Rooms can be shared to minimise thecost of accommodation. Participantsare free to choose their own accom-modation at their own cost. However,all participants should stay at or nearthe conference venue for security andconvenience. Participants are encour-aged to invite and bring their friendsand family members for the weekendin St. Vincent.The tentative programme is as follows:Friday June 1- ceremonial opening at6.00 p.m. with a feature speech, con-

cluding with cocktail drinks and finger-food.Saturday June 2 - all-day presenta-tions from 9.00 a.m. to 5.00 p.m.,concluding with a cultural show and/orfilm screening beginning at 7.00 p.m.Sunday June 3 – all-day island guidedtour that would include tangible, intan-gible and natural heritage and histori-cal sites such as monuments,museums, beaches, events, cere-monies and activities.The conference aims to bring togetheracademics, scholars, students, teach-ers, organisations and people with aninterest in the Indian Diaspora in theCaribbean to discuss their researchfindings. Space will be provided forless formal presentations from ac-tivists and practitioners in the field inorder to contribute to the limited storeof public knowledge on Indians in theSt. Vincent.Possible paper topics can include, butare not limited to conversion, resist-ance, discrimination, politics, history,family histories, migration, literature,gender, orature, performance, art,sports, recreation, accommodation,survival, the media, etc. Each paper tobe presented must focus on, or atleast make reference to Indians in St.Vincent.Please send abstract of 200 wordsand brief biodata (via Word attach-ment)by April, 1, 2012 toDr. Arnold Thomas in St. Vincent [email protected],GOPIO International Coordinator for theCaribbean andDr. Kumar Mahabir in Trinidad - [email protected],University of Trinidad and Tobago (UTT)

In the Subject line, please type, “StVincent Indian Conference”The deadline date for the submissionof the full paper is May 1, 2012.The tentative conference schedule forthe next five years is as follows:2011 – Conference in Trinidad and To-bago - done2012 – Conference in St. Vincent2013 - Conference in Suriname2014 - Conference in Belize2015 - Conference in Trinidad – 170thanniversary of Indian Arrival2016 - Conference in Jamaica


Welcome Treat for American visa-seekersIn good news to American visa applicants, US officials announced those Indi-ans who are renewing their visas, valid or expired, within 4 years, are likely toget waiver for a personal interview. "This new programme will permit consular officers to waive interviews forsome qualified applicants who are renewing their visa within 48 months orfour years, of expiration of their previous visa and within the same classifica-tion as the previous visa," Assistant Secretary of State for Consular Affairs,Janice Jacobs said. The new rules will apply to those within categories of B1, B2, C and D. Asked to specify the possible beneficiaries, Jacobs, who is in the country forthe 2nd US-India Consular Dialogue, said "it will apply for tourists, businesstravellers, crew members and for students."

Indian Ambassador to the UAE visits Al Maya’sPavilion at Gulf Food Exhibition ~ 2012

H.E. Mr M.K.Lokesh ~ The Indian Ambassador to the U.A.E. has congratu-lated the Al Maya Group for completing 30 years of operation in the U.A.E.and lauded the efforts of Al Maya Group for promoting the Distribution & Re-tail trade in this region. The Indian Ambassador was welcomed byMr.Kamal Vachani and Ms.Usha Bahirwani.

Indian Americans numbering 3.2 mil-lion is the third largest Asian Ameri-can community in US after ChineseAmericans (3.8 million) and Filipinos(3.4 million).As per the details released by USCensus Bureau for the year 2010,Asian American communities haveemerged as the fastest growing eth-nic communities in the last onedecade.The total US population grew by 9.7per cent, from 281.4 million in 2000to 308.7 million in 2010.

However, the Asian population in-creased more than four times fasterthan the total US population, growingby 43 per cent from 10.2 million to14.7 million, it said. As a result, theAsian alone-or-in-combination popu-lation represented 57 per cent of thetotal population in Hawaii. California had the next highest pro-portion at 15 per cent, followed byNew Jersey (nine per cent), Nevada(nine per cent), Washington (nine percent), and New York (eight per cent).

Chintan, a Delhi based NGO that works with wastepickers to convert waste intosocial wealth, has been awarded the US Secretary of State’s award for Innova-tion. This was the first award instituted by Secretary Clinton and the Rocke-feller Foundation. In her remarks, Secretary Clinton said, ‘Chintan’s work in advocacy and re-search has expanded beyond local concerns and is helping change the way weunderstand informal labor sectors around the world. It is also a stark reminderabout why we must protect and advocate for the rights of workers to organize“ She described Chintan’s work in these words: “Chintan, an Indian nonprofit, isworking on the ground to train and organize waste pickers and to eliminatechild labor from their ranks. This group is advocating for those who work in theinformal sector, pushing for recognition, basic protections, and fundamentaldignity.” She asked the audience not to forget that “In advanced economies, it is some-times easy to forget what used to happen in our own factories, on our ownshop floors, in so many industries where, yes, children were exploited and peo-ple’s working conditions were dreadful”.The jury comprised eminent persons across the world, including the CEO ofFacebook, Nobel Laureate Mohammed Yunus, Cherie Blair, the Head of theRockefeller Foundation Judith Rodin and representatives from the United Na-tions and the Department of State. In their recommendation, they describedChintan’s work as one “truly holding the promise of transforming the lives ofwomen and girls.”Chintan’s founder, Bharati Chaturvedi, accepted the award on behalf of thewastepickers of India, who rummaged through the trash of middle class India.

She pointed out that it was important to remember that the work of wastepick-ers was important not only for recycling alone, but that it makes everyoneelse’s existence on the planet more sustainable. She commented that while thepoor, particularly women, were the worst impacted by climate change, theycould also become the foot soldiers in the battle against climate change. Chintan will use the prize money to implement a dream many wastepickers ofSafai Sena have shared with Chintan-that children stop picking trash and getinto schools.Here is the link of Ms. Bharati’s interview with Robert O. Blake, Assistant Sec-retary for South and Central Asia.http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XKU4hvahbRc

35 NEWSBIN

Indian Americans third largest Asian community in US

The Indian Embassy in Oman has ad-vised all its citizens in the country toget their documents attested/apos-tilled by the ministry of external af-fairs, New Delhi. "This has become mandatory nowthat both Republic of India and theSultanate of Oman are memberstates of the Apostille Convention(1961)," the Gulf News quoted a

statement issued by the missiontoday. The indicative list of docu-ments issued in India which are re-quired to be apostilled includebirth/death/marriage certificates,driving licenses, Affidavits, Power ofAttorney, documents and educationaldocuments like degree, diploma, ma-triculation and secondary level certifi-cates, etc.

NRIs of Oman need to get attested their documents by Indian Ministry


Chintan takes Indian Wastepickers’ Voices to Washington DC

36PROFILES


Indian student bloggets top 5 world ratingThe blog of Ankit Khandel-wal from India, a formerstudent, has been ratednumber five in a rankingof the world's best ex-change student blogs.This is a�er readers weregiven the chance tochoose among 239 blogs.According to the bab.lalanguage portal, whichheld the compe��on,10,000 votes were cast.Ankit did not at first evenexpect to be nominatedfor his blog which is �tled'Denmark: An insider'sview from a student's per-spec�ve'. But his receivingtop placement was aneven bigger surprise, hetold the University Postwhen they called him upto congratulate him.

Indian receives WorldTrophy at LAThe 5th World Conferenceon Women and Sportswas recently held in LosAngeles for the first �mein the United States. TheInterna�onal OlympicCommi�ee (IOC) hon-oured five women andone organiza�on for theiroutstanding contribu�onsto the development ofwomen's par�cipa�on insport and sports adminis-tra�on during a ceremonyon the opening evening ofthe conference.India's Manisha Malhotrawas presented with theWorld Trophy for her com-mitment to helping disad-vantaged girls progressthrough sport. Following aprofessional tennis careerthat saw her compete inthe 2000 Olympic Games,Malhotra started offeringwomen support in a rangeof sports, includingarchery, wrestling, boxing,badminton, athle�cs,squash and shoo�ng. Shetravels all over India - visit-ing some of the country'smost remote areas - tofind talented individualsamong the socio-econom-ically deprived.

NRI from Bahrain, P VRadhakrishna Pillaigets PravasiBharatiya SammanP V Radhakrishna Pillai, aprominent NRI fromBahrain awarded thePravasi Bhara�ya Sammanby President Pra�bhaPa�l, was so well receivedby the Indian communityhere that a grand recep-�on, held in his honour re-cently, was a�ended byover 2000 Indians. P V Radhakrishna waselected, and had served asthe honorary chairman ofthe Indian School Bahrain,one of the largest CBSEschools in the ArabianGulf, with a currentstrength of 8000 students.He is currently working asa senior engineer in theministry of electricity andwater of the Kingdom ofBahrain but had earlierserved in the Kerala StateElectricity Board beforemoving here.

ANKIT KHANDELWAL

MANISHA MALHOTRA

P V RADHAKRISHNAPILLAI

Indian eatery ownerbuys jet to deliverfoodThe owner of an Indianrestaurant in Britain hasbought a fighter jet to de-liver his food to celebrityclients across the world.Rob Abdul, 40, who runsthe Cafe Taj restaurant inGravesend, Kent, boughtthe now abandoned Iraqiwarplane with a pilotfriend, and has spent35,000 pounds ($55,000)to restore it."One thing you cannot doas a businessman is dis-appoint your customers. Iregularly get requestsfrom around the world,"Abdul was quoted as say-ing by the Daily Express.Abdul has previously sentfood from his restaurantto the England cricketteam on tour to Australia.

Obama appoints Indian Americans tokey postsTUS President BarackObama has announced theappointment of two emi-nent Indian Americans –Paula Gangopadhyay andSonny Ramaswamy – tokey posts in the adminis-tra�on. While Gangopad-hyay has been nominatedMember of the pres�giousNa�onal Museum and Li-brary Services Board, Ra-maswamy has beenappointed Director, Na-�onal Ins�tute of Foodand Agriculture (NIFA) inUS Department of Agricul-ture, the White Housesaid, as it announcedabout half a dozen newnomina�ons.

ROB ABDUL PAULA GANGOPADHYAY(LEFT) &

SONNY RAMASWAMY (RIGHT)

NGINEWSMAKERS Mritunjay

Kumar profiles achievers fromthe NRI and PIOCommunity.

NRI JUNCTION 38

Pension and Life Insurance Fund For Overseas Indian Workers

An es�mated 5 million semiskilled and unskilled In-dian na�onals with ECRpassports are working on

temporary employment/ contractvisas, predominantly in the con-struc�on, healthcare and house-hold services sectors, mostly inGulf countries. It is observed thata majority of the earnings periodi-cally remi�ed by overseas Indianworkers to their families in Indiaare rarely accumulated as savingsand o�en cause only a temporaryimprovement in the consump�onexpenditure of their families. As aresult, a majority of overseas In-dian workers face the risk ofpoverty when they return to Indiaand when they are too old towork.

Overseas Indian workers arelargely excluded from access toformal social security benefitsavailable to residents of ECRcountries. The government ofIndia has demonstrated a sus-tained and deep commitment toinclusive growth and has taken anumber of important steps to im-prove income and provide em-ployment opportuni�es and equalaccess to social security for its ci�-zens. However, there has been nomechanism as yet for overseas In-

dian workers to benefit fromsuch policy ini�a�ves.

In this context, the Min-istry of Overseas Indian Af-fairs (MOIA) has decidedto launch a new inte-grated scheme to encour-age and enable overseasIndian workers to volun-tarily save for their returnand rese�lement, savetheir old age and obtain a

life insurance cover of Rs100,000 against natural death.

A secure and well regulated in-s�tu�onal framework has beendesigned to encourage, enable

and assist overseas Indian work-ers to par�cipate in this scheme.In order to mo�vate broad-basedvoluntary enrolments, encourageregular savings, and top-up theReturn and Rese�lement andpension accumula�ons of over-seas Indian workers, the MOIAwill provide a co-contribu�on ofup to Rs 2,000 per year for over-seas Indian male workers and Rs3,000 per year to overseas Indianwomen workers for up to fiveyears. The proposed co-contribu-�on shall flow to the individualPLIF account of each eligible sub-scriber.

Scheme TitlePension and Life Insurance Fund(PLIF)

EligibilityMale and female overseas Indianworkers with ECR passports andaged between 18 to 50 years whoare emigra�ng overseas or havealready emigrated on employ-ment/contract visas are eligibleto join the fund.

Par�cipa�onPLIF is a voluntary scheme for eli-gible overseas Indian workersBenefits under PLIF1. Pension in old age through thePFRDA regulated NPS-Lite2. Savings for Return and Rese�le-ment (R&R) through a SEBI regu-lated mutual fund.3. A term insurance cover of Rs100,000 per year against naturaldeath through an IRDA regulatedLife Insurance Company.

Worker contribu�ons to PLIF1. Pension contribu�ons of be-tween Rs 1,000 and Rs 12,000 peryear.2. Return and Rese�lement con-tribu�ons of Rs 4,000 or more peryear.

“I am happy to share with you that the Ministry ofOverseas Indian Affairs (MOIA) has decided tolaunch a special Pension and Life Insurance Fund(PLIF) for overseas Indian workers. The PLIF is a vol-untary scheme that combines three important bene-fits. It helps you to voluntarily save for old age, helpsyou accumulate some savings for your resettlementwhen you return in India. This is a secure and wellregulated Scheme which will keep your money safe.”- Vayalar Ravi, Minister of Overseas Indian Affairs,Government of India

39 NRI JUNCTION


Co-contributory Benefits to PLIF subscribers1. Annual co-contribu�on by MOIA OF Rs1,000 for male workers2. Annual co-contribu�on by MOIA of Rs 2,000per year for women workers3. Annual co-contribu�on by MOIA of upto 25percent of each eligible worker’s Return andRese�lement savings subject to a co-contribu-�on ceiling of Rs 1,000 per year.

Period of MOIA co-contribu�onsCo-contribu�ons by MOIA towards pensionand Return and Rese�lement savings shallcon�nue �ll an overseas Indian workers relo-cate to India or for five years a�er he or shejoins the scheme, whichever is earlier.

Aggregate benefits for Overseas IndianMale workers

A male overseas Indian worker who volun-tarily saves at least Rs 1,000 per year in NPS-Lite and saves Rs 4,000 per year towards hisReturn and Rese�lement would derive an an-nual co-contribu�on of Rs 1,000 on the lines ofSwavalamban and an annual Return and Reset-tlement co-contribu�on of Rs 1,000.

Management of savings in PLIFRe�rement savings of PLIF subscribers and cor-responding government contribu�ons will bemanaged by pension funds sponsored by lead-

ing financial ins�tu�ons such as State Bank ofIndia (SBI), UTI AMC and Life Insurance Corpo-ra�on of India (LIC) as per PFRDA investmentregula�ons.

Enrolment ProcessA simple, integrated enrolment process isbeing established for PLIF that complies withSEBI, PFRDA and IRDA “Know your customer”norms. A PFRDA regulated “Aggregator” andpoints of presence (POPs) will be appointed byMOIA for subscriber educa�on and enrolmentand to deliver the proposed PLIF to overseasIndian workers.

Workers will be able to open a PLIF accountat an Enrolment Help-desk at all Protector ofEmigrants (POE) offices in relevant states or atsimilar help-desks located at Indian mission of-fices in each ECR country.

Individual Bank-linked PLIF AccountsSubscribers will be required to open a bank ac-count prior to enrolment in the scheme. Thepension and Return and Rese�lement savingsof overseas Indian workers under PLIF shall bechanneled to designated fund managersthrough their own bank accounts using an ECSor Standing Instruc�on mandate. On their re-turn to India, PLIF subscribers would be able tocon�nue saving for their old age through NPS-Lite using their bank accounts and the same

ECS/ SI mechanism.The pension and rese�lement savings as

well the proposed co-contribu�ons by theGovernment shall reflect in the individual PLIFaccount of each overseas Indian worker. Peri-odic , consolidated PLIF account statementsshall enable subscribers to review and recon-cile their own savings and the correspondingco-contribu�ons by the government and thereturns earned on these combined savingsover �me.

Access to Pension and Return and Rese�le-ment BenefitsOverseas Indian workers will be able to with-draw their accumulated Return and Rese�le-ment savings as lump sum upon their return toIndia,

The savings of PLIF subscribers in NPS-Liteshall remain invested in a PFRDA regulatedpension fund and shall be returned to themwhen they are old and as per PFRDA rules.

The lump sum Return and Rese�lementwithdrawals as well as pension benefitsthrough NPS-Lite shall be paid into the bankaccount of each individual PLIF subscriber.

Monitoring and Ongoing Stakeholder Sup-port. For the purpose of implemen�ng andmonitoring the fund, the MOIA is establishinga central help-desk through a dedicated Proj-ect Management Unit (PMU).

Shri Pranab Mukherjee, Hon’ble Fi-nance Minister of India presented theUnion Budget for the year 2012-13, inthe Parliament. The Finance Minister

has promised that the Financial Year 2012-13will be be�er than the current fiscal – thegrowth of which was constantly interrupteddue to various factors. However, he expectsIndia’s GDP to be 6.9% this year (7.6% by FY13)and the infla�on to be moderate and then sta-bilize soon.

Overseas Indians welcome the Union budget2012-13Global Indians have welcomed the Unionbudget as an appropriate step in the correctdirec�on. The Direct Tax Code (DTC) whichwas expected to be implemented from April2012 has been deferred for now. This mightbecome a level of relaxa�on for the NRIs be-cause there are some harsh rules in the DTC.They have valued the deferment of income taxliability under the new Direct tax code regimefor another year. The thrust on infrastructureand measures to check tax invasion in theUnion budget 2012 have also been appreci-ated.

According to budgetary es�mates proposedby Finance Minister Pranab Mukherjee, the al-loca�on for Ministry of Overseas Indian Affairs(MOIA) has increased by nearly 41 per cent toa total of Rs.114.77 crore for the next fiscal,from the last year’s budget outlay of Rs.81crore. Out of the total alloca�on, Rs 55.37crore has been given to the Ministry for gen-eral expenditure while Rs 20 crore has been al-located under the head 'public works'.

Rs 6 crore has been earmarked for celebra-�on of Pravasi Bhar�ya Divas, the annual eventorganised by the Ministry to connect with theIndian diaspora.

Out of the alloca�on for general expendi-ture, Rs 49.37 crore has been earmarked forimplementa�on of various schemes for over-seas Indians. An amount of Rs 38 crore hasbeen set aside for various expenses -- likeholding of seminars, workshops and for adver-�sing and publicity.

In this context, Overseas Indian Facilita�on

Centre (OIFC), a not-for-profit ini�a�ve of theMinistry of Overseas Indian Affairs (MOIA) andConfedera�on of Indian Industry (CII), jointlywith Deloi�e Touche Tohmatsu India Pvt Ltd,has analyzed the Union Budget 2012 with re-gard to its relevance for Non-Residents.

It would impact the Non-Residents in thefollowing ways:• Marginal increase in exis�ng tax slabs andbasic tax exemp�on limit increased to Rs2,00,000 (exis�ng limit Rs 1,80,000).• Non-resident en�tled to claim relief in Indiaonly based on Tax Residence Cer�ficate fromthe Government of resident country. • Payment by specified class of persons tonon-resident to pass scru�ny by tax officer fordetermining income chargeability.• Tax at reduced rate of 5% on interest paid by

specified company to a non-resident for bor-rowings in foreign currency from sources out-side India (within a given period).• Qualified foreign investors to be allowed ac-cess to Indian corporate bond market.• Tax rate of 20% of gross receipts for non-resi-dent non-ci�zen entertainers (such as theatre,radio or television ar�sts and musicians) andsportsperson and non-resident sports associa-�on.• Increase in duty free baggage allowance: Eli-gible passengers of Indian origin - Rs 35,000(exis�ng limit Rs 25,000) and for children up to10 years Rs 15,000 (exis�ng limit Rs 12,000).

Overseas Indians may visit www.oifc.in andask their queries on taxa�on and other mat-ters from knowledge experts listed on the por-tal.

Impact of India’s Union Budget 2012-13 on the Non-Residents

AN OIFC- DELOITTE ANALYSIS

Here is the budgetary estimates proposed by Finance Minister of India, Shri Pranab Mukherjee for OverseasIndians and how they welcomed the Union budget as an appropriate step in the correct direction.

Hon’ble Finance Minister of India, Shri Pranab Mukherjee during Budget Session 2012-13

NRI JUNCTION 40


INTERVIEW41

Alkesh Patel, CHO Vice Chairman, Director atLarge Asian American Hotel Owners Associa-�on (AAHOA) and presently Alkesh Patel is thepresident of Trupadi, Inc. which owns andmanages both branded and bou�que hotels.He serves as a trustee for Portland GSI, a non-profit group dedicated to preserving AsianAmerican heritage; as a director for the Wash-ington Lodging Associa�on; and as a directorof the American Hotel & Lodging Associa�on(AH&LA) Council of Inns & Suites. Born in Na-diad, India, originally from Sojitra, Patel movedto the United States in 1986 where he at-tended high school and college in Vancouver,Washington.

When did you join AAHOA and whatprompted you to join AAHOA?I’m proud to say that I have been ac�ve inAAHOA since 1989. That’s the year AAHOAwas born – and that’s the year I started work-ing with the organiza�on as a volunteer whilea�ending college.

Even then, educa�on was a big focus forAAHOA and I was helping to organize mee�ngsthat taught Asian-Americans about opportuni-�es in the world of business, especially thehospitality industry. The more I was aroundAAHOA, the more I realized that I wanted to bea hotel owner – and in 1995, I bought my firsthotel.

Today, I am in business with my wife, myfour sisters, and my brothers-in-laws. To-gether, we own and operate eight hotels in thenorthwest.

What are the challenges you see in thehotel/hospitality industry today during therecession �me?In today’s tough economic environment, ourmembers face several tough challenges. Prob-ably the three biggest ones are the businesschallenges of being treated fairly by their fran-chise brand, the financial challenges of ge�nglending support from their bank, and the fam-ily challenges of educa�ng future genera�onsto achieve success in their personal as well astheir business lives.

How do you advise people in the industry totake on these challenges?Every person and every situa�on is different,so it would be irresponsible for me to oversim-plify and to provide “one size fits all” sugges-�ons. However, I can say that these threeproblem areas – fair franchising, bank lending,and educa�on for self as well as for younghoteliers – are ac�vely and aggressively beingaddressed by AAHOA.

We are providing our members with realworld answers for real world problems. I en-courage hoteliers who are not members to joinAAHOA and I encourage all our members to at-tend our mee�ngs regularly so they can bene-fit from our programs, from our networking,and from our collec�ve experience.

In each challenging situa�on there are hiddenopportuni�es. What do you see now?You’re right – I like to think that there are noproblems, just opportuni�es for solu�ons.

For example, the issue of fair franchising isthe opportunity for AAHOA to maintain con�n-uous, candid, and coopera�ve conversa�onswith all of the hotel franchise companies.

The issue of loan availability is the opportu-nity for AAHOA to work with legislators andwith regulators in Washington, D.C. to changebanking regula�ons.

And the issue of educa�on is AAHOA’s op-portunity to provide an ongoing series of work-shops, courses, and other programs on specific�mely topics. We even feature a 30-minuteeduca�onal television show every Sunday onSahara One TV which can be watched by allbusiness owners and all members of the In-dian community.

What are the new programs and ac�vi�esof AAPI are you going to introduce forAAHOA to serve the sector be�er?AAPI and AAHOA have tradi�onally had a veryclose, very posi�ve rela�onship. Certainly weshare a mutual interest in serving our respec-�ve members – namely, to make themmore successful in their chosenprofession, in their commu-nity, and in their family.

Some�mes we havecommon goals – such asfair treatment for AsianAmericans or commonsense banking and taxa-�on policies. That’swhen it makes sense towork together and toleverage our re-sources for mutualbenefit.

However, our in-dustries are differ-ent so ourini�a�ves will bydefini�on be differentand will be customized forour respec�ve audiences. AAPI andAAHOA are both very good at whatthey do – precisely because each

group knows when to join in partnerships andwhen to forge boldly ahead on its own.

What is your mission during your tenure asthe new chairman?The top priority of my chairmanship will be toestablish a new governance model for AAHOA– in other words, an organiza�onal structurethat enables the associa�on to move aheadand to grow into the future using a rolling five-year strategic plan as the basis for our ac�vi-�es.

Too o�en in the past, the priori�es ofAAHOA have changed depending on who isserving as chairman. We’re now at a level ofmaturity and sophis�ca�on that requires morecon�nuity and more consistency.

Your advice to young entrepreneurs?The world is complicated, so people look forcomplicated solu�ons – but some�mes the an-swers are simple and one of the simplestpieces of advice I can offer is this: if you have

more than three priori�es, youhave no priori�es.

My point is that youmust stay focused. No,there are no easy answersbut with hard work, theAmerican dream s�llcomes true. At AAHOA,we know that first hand!

The top priority of my chairmanship will be to establish a new governancemodel for AAHOA. Alkesh Patel, Vice Chairman, Director at Large AsianAmerican Hotel Owners Association (AAHOA) confides to Kanchan BBanerjee

‘I encourage non member hoteliers to join AAHOA’

Alkesh Patel


INNOVATION 42

Ever since our adolescence days, wehave heard of how only the West hasbeen the Inventors and we have beenthe Users of those inventions. All

those huge technological finds and inventionswhich have benefited mankind have all beenconceptualized and produced by the Ameri-cans, Japanese, et al.

However, one irrefutable fact is that ours isa country with limited resources and unlim-ited wants. The world’s second largest countryin terms of population has to take care of theneeds of its 1.2 billion people with restrictedresources. This is a key problem area.

So much to do and so less to spend. This iswhere an Indian invention comes in. It’sknown as Jugaad. Jugaad is an interestingHindi word that loosely means "the gutsy artof overcoming harsh constraints by creatingan improvised and effective solution usinglimited resources." It is an antidote to thecomplexity of India: a country of mind-bog-gling diversity, pervasive scarcity of all kinds,and exploding interconnectivity. A jugaaduperson is someone who is smart, plans intelli-gently has a manipulative mind (in the rightsense), uses his networks with results, andknows how to achieve Key Result Areas with

the minimum of resources at his disposal.In today’s times, any person with jugaadu

qualities is highly looked up to in any organi-zation, simply because such a person can betrusted to deliver results, time and resourcesbeing no constraints. Such people view prob-lems as opportunities, and help the organiza-tions create something of value, keeping inmind the elements of sustainability and af-fordability. Problems of lack of resources andlimited capabilities are what inspire ajugaadu, and he takes it as a challenge to cre-ate value out of these constraints. Think ofcases wherein an organization is goingthrough a rough phase, and needs to use itsresources in a miserly manner. This is exactlywhere a jugaadu person will step in, raise hishand and take up the challenge. Not only willhe utilize the resources wisely, he will alsocreate something meaningful out of it.

Jugaadu people don’t, rather won’t, usetime-consuming, highly researched and costlyactivities. Rather, they will rely on quick meth-ods of getting work done. They won’t use thebest of technologies, but will try and makesure they achieve the best results by usingcost-sensitive technology. They won’t believein having high costs of operations, or neces-sarily using the best of R & D, but will worksmartly and work around their limitations. Incases of new product development, thesecompanies won’t just play blindly and startproducing anything and everything under thesun. They will conduct an extensive consumerresearch, and understand their precise needsand wants. Subsequently, they will launchproducts or services which are in maximumdemand. Why waste your limited resourceson producing things that do not interest yourtarget audience? Why not do the best withwhat you have, and develop products/serviceswhich you know the consumer needs?

Jugaadu people believe in concept of fru-gality. Frugal Engineering is the science ofbreaking up complex engineeringprocesses/products into basic componentsand then rebuilding the product in the mosteconomical manner possible. Frugal Engineer-ing results in simpler and easier-to-handleprocesses and cheaper products with the nec-essary features. Indians and South Asians areconsidered the best because of the way inwhich they implement the concept of FrugalEngineering. When used in the Indian con-text, it is frequently referred as "Gandhian En-

HAVE LESS, DO MORE Inhabiting an era in which resources are scarce, subscribing to a Jugaad-based approachis a great idea. Sanjay BBanerjee unveils the meaning and connotations of the term


Jugaadu folks understandone thing about the common man, he might not be an earner, but is definitely a ‘yearner’.

NEW AGE TECHNOLOGY: Tri-rickshaw, an exciting innovation

43 INNOVATION

gineering" in honor of Mahatma Gandhi’s sim-ple life.

Under jugaad, people develop new solu-tions by building upon existing infrastructureand assets, as well as by recombining existingsolutions by using certain permutations andcombinations. In managing to reduce the costof their products, they can pass the cost sav-ings on to their customers. For instance, YESBank, one of India's leading private banks,was amongst the first to deploy a mobile pay-ment solution that enabled money transfervia cell phones without the need for a bankaccount. This solution makes use of India's ex-isting robust mobile telephony infrastructurethat extends to the remotest of villages inIndia (a country where nearly 870 million peo-ple have cell phones, but 600 million or so do

not have a bank account). This is one classicexample of Jugaad technique. YES Bankgrabbed the opportunity of this huge popula-tion using mobile phones, and also created adistinct brand image for themselves.

Jugaadu folks understand one thing aboutthe common man. He may not be an earner,but is definitely a ‘yearner’. There is a smallaspirant within all of us, one who alwaysdreams of achieving something within his ownsmall earning capacity. They strive towardsdeveloping solutions that are not only afford-able, but that also deliver superior value. Theystrive to deliver more (value) for less (cost).

What makes jugaadu innovators so adeptat innovating faster? The answer lies in theirunique mindset characterized by two key at-tributes: adaptability and inclusivity. Indian

entrepreneurs who practise jugaad are a re-silient bunch: they firmly stand for what theytruly believe in, even if the world laughs attheir ideas. They continually find ways tobounce back from the adversity that perme-ates every aspect of their lives. Jugaadu inno-vators are highly adaptable people, who notonly understand the internal and external en-vironment of their business, but respond torapid changes by dynamically reinventingtheir business models, and working upontheir resource constraints. This speaks of theiradaptability very highly, a quality not-so fre-quently seen in modern-day business man-agers. In India, more than 700 million citizenslack access to healthcare, 600 million are un-banked, and 300 million live off the electricitygrid. While the regular, run-of-the-mill man-

Frugal Engineering is the science ofbreaking up complex engineeringprocesses/products into basic

components and then rebuilding the product in the most

economical manner possible.

SMALL CAR, BIG SUCCESS: Ratan Tata with Tata Nano

INNOVATION 44


agers would think that investing in thesecauses would be highly unprofitable, jugaaduinnovators believe in making innovations forserving the millions who live on the marginsof society, and still make profits doing that.For these entrepreneurs, including the mar-gins not only provides for greater social good,it also makes great business sense.

For me, personally speaking, the best ex-ample of Jugaad in modern day has been TataNano. You can’t dream of making a car costingRs. one lakh, and, expecting people to buyyour idea immediately. Some cynics mighteven laugh it off, thinking of it as the byprod-uct of the weird imagination of a limitlessmind. Mr. Ratan Tata was once at the red lightin traffic when he saw a small family – hus-band, wife and their two kids- trying to fit inon a scooter. This view inspired Mr. Tata tothink of a car, which is very much affordableto such sections of people, and at the sametime, has state- of- the art technology. Theidea of a one- lakh car was highly criticized byan anonymous industrialist, who is said tohave told Mr Tata that he could build a car forRs 70,000. Mr. Tata was shown the model ofsuch a car by assembling scooter tires to anold, worn- out car. To this, Mr. Tata said thatsuch a car would cost him just Rs.40, 000. Buthis aim was not only building a cost-effectivecar, but also include state- of- the art technol-ogy in it. He just didn’t want to manufacture acheap car which would be of zero value.

Dhirubhai Ambani was another masterwho made clever use of the art of jugaad. Thelicense-permit raj made it impossible for himto progress legally, so he acted cleverly andmade use of the loopholes in the legal systemand proved to be an intelligent jugaadu. Heexported junk to get profitable import entitle-ments. He created industrial capacities vastlyin excess of licensed capacity. He importedhuge textile machines as "spare parts". He en-gineered highly profitable changes in rules forpolyester imports and telecom licences. Thejugaad he used to overcome hurdles was notdistinguishable from crony capitalism. Yetwhen the license-permit raj gave way to amore open and deregulated economy, Dhirub-hai used the same jugaad to scale dizzyingheights of productivity and become worldclass. His giant refinery complex in Jamnagarhad the highest refining margins in the world,beating the Singapore refineries. He con-verted to reality, his vision of making tele-phone calls cheaper than a postcard. Here isanother interesting aspect of jugaad. Manyyears ago, innovative Punjabis stacked a dieselirrigation pump on a steel frame with wheels,creating a vehicle they called jugaad. It wasextremely cheap but did not conform to ve-hicular regulations. Over time, jugaad came

to mean grassroots innovation to overcomeany constraint.

India's spirit of jugaad is finally going toget legal backing. Innovators who have forlong been dismissed as copycats or blamedfor piracy would soon get intellectual prop-erty rights, at par with patents, with the in-dustry department all set to move a bill. Themove to grant 'petty patents' or 'innovationpatents', also called utility models, follows anear-strong support to a proposal floated bythe department of industrial policy and pro-motion, at least from domestic players. Theidea was to give intellectual property rights tothe small scale industry's innovations thatlead to inventions which do not strictly con-form to patent laws.

In a recent survey by the Legatum Insti-tute, 81% of Indian businessmen said jugaadwas the key reason for their success. Somemanagement experts warn that jugaad usesany means, legal or illegal, to get a job done.They say bribery and manipulation must notbe confused with genuine creativity. The ju-gaadu mindset — and its associated princi-ples and practices — is increasingly relevantfor companies worldwide who are seeking togrow in an increasingly complex and resource-constrained business environment. Unlike tra-ditional, structured innovation methods thatrely on time-consuming and expensive R&Dprocesses, the more fluid jugaad approachdelivers speed, agility,and cost efficiencies.

Jugaad is a "bottomup" innovation approachthat provides organiza-tions in both emergingand developedeconomies, the key ca-pabilities to succeed in ahypercompetitive andfast-moving world: fru-gality, inclusivity, collab-oration, and adaptability.At the end of the day, weall agree that the mainpurpose of every busi-ness is profit making.Every country dependsupon its entrepreneursto generate wealth forthe country and con-tribute to national pros-perity. Stakes are highand the pressure to de-liver, huge. Now, I cer-tainly don’t support anykind of illegal or unethi-cal practices to earnmoney, but there is noharm if entrepreneurs

use a little intelligence, become street-smartand work their way through problems. In theprocess, they might even end up contributingto the society in some way or the other.Hence, let Jugaad be the mantra of today, andlet the modern-day entrepreneurs keep inno-vating and generating profits for themselvesas well as for the nation.

So the next time you yearn on an innova-tion, you must look at the Aakash and admirethe genius of a handful of Indian scientistswho could make the aspiration of a paddream come true for the millions of Indians ata fraction of the cost. That’s the real essenceof Jugaad. Follow it if you wish to make an im-pact in today’s world.

( The Author is a leading architect of Inno-vations in the Corporate World, and is cur-rently leading an Innovation Solution Provider(Allunare Corporation) as Chief of Strategyand Operations.)

In a recent survey by the Legatum Institute, 81% of Indian businessmen said jugaad was

the key reason for their success.

MAN WITH A VISION: Dhirubhai Ambani

INNOVATION 46

Have you been watching TV? What aresome of your favorite serials? I was justchannel hopping a few days back and

here is something that struck me with contenton Hindi general entertainment channels suchas Star, Colors, Zee and Sony. The content onair currently appears to reflect some subtle

cues of change in what is popularlyreferred to as Indian values. So whatdo some of the key female narra-�ves indicate?

In Sasural Genda Phool on StarPlus Suhana the key protagoniststarts out by being a spoilt bratand for a fairly long �me stays thatway even in her marital home. Herin laws are by and large indulgent

of her behavior though they dotake the effort to make her

realize her follies. Whatstands out about the situa-

�on is the fact that theacceptance of the indi-vidual comes before the

demands of the maritalrole are fulfilled. This is al-

most path breaking in the In-dian context. Her in laws’behavior towards theirdaughter in law reflect achanging trend of parentsalmost nurturing theirson’s spouses especially inurban India and probablyalso hoping that someonedoes the same with theirown daughters. Over �mewe find Suhana integrat-ing more into theKashyap family andgrowing into her maritalroles. But the storydoes not end there. Infact it almost takes ona new start andSuhana ends up actu-ally working as a pro-tagonist in a tele-serial!Not only does

this bahu of the Kashyap family goes for shoot-ings and extended hours she also has an agentin her brother in law and full family support forher profession.

Priya from Bade Ache Lagte Hain is awoman in her mid-thir�es when she marriesRam in what is a marriage of compromise forstarters. The two go on to discover their feel-ings for each other eventually. The currenttrack in the program deals with the issue oflate parenthood as Ram’s granny now demandsa grandchild. It is becoming increasingly true ofurban working women to marry late and post-pone having children well into their thir�es. Ina first of sorts on Indian television recently anepisode of the serial was focused on the con-summa�on of the marriage of Priya and Ram.The episode narra�ve focused on some verystrong expressions of love by the woman andthat too not in the usual shy and docile mannerbut in a state of anger and aggression, some-thing that actually has no other parallel in thenarra�ve of Hindi GEC content.

Incidentally the lady who plays the role ofPriya in this show used to play the role of thedu�ful daughter in law Parva� who epitomizedthe Ideal women who was almost in the serialGhar Ghar Ki Kahani. It is interes�ng to notethat in her second ou�ng Sakshi has chosen toplay a role more in line with today’s urbanwoman. On being asked how much she iden�-fies with the character in an interview to IndiaToday magazine Sakshi men�oned “I play Priyawho is in her early thir�es and unmarried.Priya believes in being independent. It is pre�ymuch the same situa�on as mine as far asbeing independent”.

In Na Bole Tum Na Maine Kuch Kaha on Col-ors we find Mrs. Megha Vyas who is a widowworking as a writer in a women’s magazine andtrying to create a be�er future for her children.She overcomes her own inhibi�ons about step-ping out to work with the strong support of herupright father in law.This new found narra�veof close bonding between father in law anddaughter in law is also echoed in Diya Aur Ba�Hum where Sandhya shares a warm rapportwith her jovial but slightly lazy father in law.The bonding in these instances is more at a

INDIANAMA


FEMININE NARRATIVES IN HINDI SERIALS

A series on people, consumer, culture and everything that is Indian at heart .

- Shreyanka Basu

FEMALE PROTAGONIST: Suhana and Priya playedby Ragini Khanna and Sakhshi Tanwar in SasuralGenda Phul and Bade Ache Lagte Hain respectively

47 INNOVATION

personal level than at the level of the roleseach individual plays within the family. Likeany working mother Megha tries her best tojuggle both worlds but at �mes the demandsof her work are such that she has to compro-mise on the home front. Thus she is quasi ab-sent from the kitchen and is o�en shown asbeing late for family func�ons. What is inter-es�ng is that while Mrs. Vyas is absent herhome is s�ll shown as running by and large inan organized fashion, although there is a con-stant stream of jibes from her petulant sisterin law. The idea of the mother becoming theprovider may not be very new but the fact thather home is not falling apart in her absence re-flects a new found maturity around the con-cepts of the woman’s role at home. From awoman’s perspec�ve the idea of managinghouseholds as opposed to doing things by heris gradually beginning to crystallize in theurban context.

Pra�gya the lead in the serial by her name-sake takes on her in laws and opposes regres-sive customs and behavior but s�ll retains hervirtues as the du�ful daughter in law by takingher in laws to her own home when their elderson throws them out ofthe house. At onepoint she startswri�ng for amagazine togive voice toher inner ex-pressions.In spite ofbeing thedaughterin law ina verypatri-archal

household sheholds on to herprogressivethoughts and doesnot hesitate to con-vey the same asand when thesitua�on de-mands. Herrela�on-

ship withher

spouse Krishna is based on a strongfriendship and o�en her husbandsupports her and not his own family.

Anandi in Balika Vadhu is an-other example of a leading protag-onist pushing the envelope further.

She gets dumped by Jagya butdoes not spend the rest of herlife in self-pity. Her life is farfrom over post her abandon-ment. Her in laws includingthe feisty dadisa (granny inlaw) also supports her deci-sion to study further. ThusAnandi not only picks up thethreads of her life but alsogoes on to become thehead of her village. Her fa-ther in law even goes tothe extent of cu�ng all his�es with his son for aban-doning Anandi.

It appears that slowlybut surely the portrayalsof Indian women onHindi GECs is moving to-wards a more realis�cparadigm, Thesewomen do play theirexpected role but alsoensure that they donot do so at the costof their individuality.

(The author is amarket researchprofessional,internet addict andpassionate teacher)

POWERPACK PERFORMANCE: Anandi and Pratigyafrom famous TV soaps Balika Badhu and Pratigya

A still from Na Bole TumNa Maine Kuch Kaha



It is an event that everyone waits for. FRAMES,a three-day-long global conven�on, a�ractsstalwarts from the media and entertainmentindustry. Those working in the areas of films,digital entertainment, anima�on, gaming, vi-sual effects and other significant areas gatherto take part in discussions and other ac�vi�esthat are exci�ng and informa�ve. When theevent gets over and everyone leaves for theirrespec�ve des�na�ons, one thing is for sure.Each one of them feels mentally richer.

FRAMES has been a s�mula�ng experiencesince it began. What it had to offer this yearonly enhanced its reputa�on. The event beganwith the ligh�ng of the ceremonial lamp atMumbai’s Renaissance Conven�on Centre BallRoom in the presence of the Chief Minister ofMaharashtra Prithviraj Chavan, US Senator

Chris Dodd, Chairman and CEO Mo�on PictureAssocia�on of America, Uday Varma, SecretaryI&B Ministry, Uday Shankar, Star India CEO andChairman FICCI Broadcast Forum, Karan Johar,leading Bollywood filmmaker and the Co-Chairman of FICCI Entertainment Commi�ee,Prosenjit, film star and Convenor, FICCI MEBCEast, and actress Sonam Kapoor.

The Indian film industry is growing by leapsand bounds. Apart from generating a hugenumber of films – and this figure continues togrow with each passing day – India also hap-pens to be the largest film tickets market inthe world. The movie industry in the countryis poised to become a $ five billion industry inthe next two years. The statistics, in brief, isheartening indeed.

While delivering the inaugural keynote ad-

dress at FICCI FRAMES 2012, Dodd noted thatmovies contributed about $ 640 million tothe Indian economy annually. He added, “3.3billion tickets sold in India every year. Frombeing a $ 3.2 billion industry until two yearsago, the industry is heading towards becom-ing a $ five billion industry in the next twoyears."

A convention like FRAMES is an asset foreveryone concerned. Among the highlightswere several parallel sessions on differentmedia-related topics and really useful work-shops. As is always the case, these insightfulsessions provided with a platform to the in-dustry to ideate, network and form globallinkages. That it attracted domestic andglobal leaders from the media and entertain-ment industry was significant of course.

FICCI FRAMES 2012 featured the best from the media and entertainment industry.Those fortunate to be there enjoyed thoroughly while attending the discussions,workshops and interacting with the illustrious participants. NGI rreports

FUN, INSIGHT,

CLASS, CONGREGATION,

INFO

(L-R) Robyn Kershaw, Sooni Taraporevala, Sudhir Mishra, Amish Tripathi and Shibani Bathija

MEDIA & ENTERTAINMENT 48


NEED FOR SELF-REGULATIONThe conven�on had many enlighten-ing discussions, one of which focusedon self-regula�on across general en-tertainment channels. The sessionbegan with Jus�ce AP Shah, FormerChief Jus�ce, (Delhi High Court) ad-dressing the audience about the gov-ernmental laws on the generalentertainment channels. He touchedupon the history of laws before mov-ing on to discuss the changes in thearea as years have gone by.

Talking about the Broadcas�ngContent Complaint Council (BCCC), hesaid, “Three thousand nine hundredcomplaints were received during a pe-riod of 10 months, out of these 500complaints were related to content.”The BCCC handles complaints on aregular basisHe emphasized that thepolicies try to maintain a balance be-tween free speech and rules and regu-la�ons.

The panel discussion which fol-lowed had professionals who are con-nected to the legal aspect of themedia industry. The panel includedAshok Nambissan, (General Counsel,Sony Entertainment Television),Naresh Chahal, (Director- Finance, In-dian Broadcas�ng Founda�on),Jonathan Askin, (Professor of law, Brook-lyn School of Law andformer legal advisor,Federal Communica-�ons Commission) andRakesh Dhotre, HeadS&P (Standards & Prac-�ces), Star India . Thesession was moderatedby Paritosh Joshi, CEO,Star CJ Network India.

The discussion beganwith introductory com-ments from all the pan-elists. Nambissan beganby sta�ng his perspec�veon how larger GEC’s havetheir own governing laws.A handful of entertainmentchannels can be trusted todeliver content. GEC’s oper-ate on consumers and con-sumers graduate in theirpreferences.

Prof. Askin said that as faras television channels areconcerned, a balance is needed. "Freedom ofspeech and expression is a fundamental right.But it is extremely important for them to main-tain a balancing act and feature quality, unbi-ased content without offending anysensibility."

Dhotre gave a wider perspec�ve as he ex-plained how culture has a huge impact on tele-vision content. Due to diversity of cultures in

India,it is prac�cally impossible to

sa�sfy and please each and every individualfrom different backgrounds, he said. Thatbeing the case, a good amount of research ishighly essen�al before making a television pro-gramme that aims at having a universal ap-peal. Not upse�ng those belonging to anypar�cular culture being important, crea�ng afine balance is the key.

Commen�ng on the role of BCCC, Chahalsaid, "In the last nine months, we have re-

ceived over 4,200 complaints abouttelevision channel content and about 50 per

cent of them are either frivolous or irrelevant.I believe that by addressing the grievances re-ceived in the last few months, we have sub-stan�ally helped TV channels improve thecontent."

One issue that came up for discussion wasan obvious one. Sony Entertainment’s dailysoap Bade Ache Lagte Hai recently telecast alovemaking scene which was unusual to saythe least. What’s more, the scene was about13 minutes long. Responding to how such con-tent was shown to the audiences, Nambissan

Sonam Kapoor with Maharashtra CM Prithviraj Chavan during the inauguration of FICCI FRAMES

DIRECTORS’ DATE: Imtiaz Ali and Karan Johar

The Indian film industry is growing by

leaps and bounds. Apartfrom generating a hugenumber of films – andthis figure continues togrow with each passing

day – India also happensto be the largest filmtickets market in the

world. The movie industry in the country

is poised to become a $five billion industry in

the next two years.

49 MEDIA & ENTERTAINMENT


affirmed that the episode in ques�on was han-dled with sensi�vity. Also, it was featured inthe 11pm banner and not shown in the repeattelecast during the day.

The discussion ended with a set of conclu-sions. Crea�ve people, for instance, need topush the envelope and make use of their free-dom of speech. At the same �me, regula�on isessen�al. And, voluntary resigna�on is thebest. With the assistance of research, a chan-nel forms a fair idea about what the society ex-pects. It should act according to the findings sothat the sensibili�es of any par�cular culturedo not get hurt.

CHALLENGES FOR THE PRINT MEDIAThe Internet is becoming bigger by the day.Satellite television is a feature is most homesalready. With more avenues for informa�onbeing available, the challenge before the printmedia is a ma�er of serious concern. Not sur-prising, therefore, is why the topic came up for

discussion at the conven�on.A panel comprising T N Ninan, Chairman,

Business Standard; Rajiv Varma, Chief Execu-�ve Officer, HT Media; and Lynn De Souza,Chairperson and Chief Execu�ve Officer, LintasMedia Group and Chairperson, ReadershipStudies Council discussed the growth, futureand challenges to expansion for the printmedia in the coming decade. Columnist andveteran journalist Swapan Dasgupta moder-ated this discussion.

Dasgupta began the session by asking thepanel a ques�on ‘ Is the Print Industry Dying?’He men�oned the end of the print edi�on ofEncyclopedia Britannica and their con�nua�onwith digital versions available online.

Since the �me he had joined HT Media,which was seven years ago, Varma noted thatthe print media had experienced a 20 per centdecline. However, he did add that the printmedia had to make the most of the opportuni-�es that are available in order to ensure a

good future for it. Speaking very frankly,Varma did not deny the fact that the mediumhad declined in the West due to the takeoverby the Internet in the last decade.

Ninan took a different stance. According tohim the print industry is showing contradictorytrends, as both prolifera�on and consolida�onseem to be happening at the same �me. This,he found strange. He said that, while many be-lieved that the advent of television news couldreplace print, a close observa�on of the bot-tom lines would reveal that the former is introuble. The real threat for print, according toNinan, comes from entertainment television,which is where where most of the adver�singmoney is headed. He also said that print isshowing signs of decline, which is revealed byincreasing circula�on without propor�onateincrease in readership.

De Souza pointed out that adver�sing con-�nues to be the primary source of income forprint in India. As a media buyer, she revealed


WOMEN POWER: Ekta Kapoor, Barkha Dutt, Vidya Balan and Usha Uthup


how ad spends of companies have gone upfrom Rs 15,000 crore to Rs 30,000 crore in thelast five years, while the allocation to printhas been stable at 41 per cent. However, shesaid that there is buoyancy in the market.Despite competition from other media, printhas managed to hold its own in India.

Following this, the panel also discussedthe possibility of having a viable and ade-quate revenue model for the industry. An-other highlight of the discussion waswhether or not magazines are on their wayto a terminal decline in the West. While themembers agreed that internationally, exceptThe Economist, (as it is an invention throughcontent) most other magazines are goingthrough tough times.

De Souza pointed that magazines areshowing a regular drop in growth everyquarter. Yet, at the same time, a new maga-zine is being launched almost every otherday. This has been made possible only dueto the advertisers. Ninan said that there is

hope, but only for niche magazines andthose with rich content, the reason beingthat content does attract readers who arewilling to buy.

The discussion ended with a commonconclusion that the print media cannot con-tinue to be the way it has traditionally been.If it has to do well, it needs to change andreinvent itself.

WOMAN POWER IN MEDIA AND ENTERTAIMENTThe final day of FICCI FRAMES was really ex-citing. The six articulate women achieversmade a serious impact with their wisdomand expertise.

The panel included actress Vidya Balan,Ekta Kapur - Creative Director – Balaji Tele-films, Barkha Dutt – Group Managing Editor,NDTV, Anuradha Prasad – Managing Direc-tor, BAG Films, Usha Uthup, Singer and JeniTosi, CEO, Film Victoria. The session wasmoderated by Rajeev Masand – Entertain-ment Editor, CNN IBN.

Masand was welcomed onstage with a lotof cheers from the audience. He introducedthe panel, and the topic which focused onhow women have scripted great success sto-ries in the field of media and entertainment.All the women present being different areasin the media and entertainment industry,

each of them spoke of the different hard-ships they had to face. Anuradha Prasadshared her experience of covering FormerPrime Minister Rajiv Gandhi with a videocamera at a time when it was difficult for awoman to go and cover any event. She alsothanked the men in the industry as she be-lieves that men also play a very importantrole in the success of women in the industry.

Barkha Dutt thanked her mother and allthose ladies of her mother’s age who hadmade significant contributions to make surethat the modern-day woman is where she istoday. She added that she believes in beingrecognised for her work rather than her gen-der.

Ekta Kapoor, on the other hand, was can-did enough to admit that she was a spoiltdaughter and a star kid. She had an interest-ing story to share. One day, her father (thecelebrated actor Jeetendra) asked her tochoose between work and marriage. Shechose work since she enjoyed what she did.Kapoor started out with a television showdown South whose timing was well after theprime time. However, she ended up chang-ing the scenario with her hard work.

The oldest young person one can everhope to meet, Usha Uthup is an absolutecharmer. She spoke of how she begansinging in small clubs with a band, and howshe enjoyed getting applauded for hersinging. In the beginning her audience com-prised of only men. But gradually, womenstarted coming to hear her perform. Speak-ing with customary frankness, she said thatshe always got songs that were meant to besung in clubs or those that had Englishwords in the lyrics. She jokingly added thatshe was always made to sing for the bad girl.

The star of the day was Vidya Balan, whois basking in the glory of two women-centricfilms: The Dirty Picture and Kahani. Shespoke of her growth in this industry, andwhat also about the sort of power thatwomen wield today. Vidya said that she hasnever viewed gender as a disadvantage. Sheadded that women in cinema are portrayedthe way they are in real life. The audiencecan connect with them.

Once the session ended, we met up withBarkha Dutt and asked her to share herthoughts on what she thinks is needed forthe industry to grow. Dutt said that innova-tion is what is required in the industry, espe-cially in her field. The art of storytelling,robust reporting and passion cannot bechanged. But what can change are the meth-ods.

The panel got a thundering applause forsharing their lives with the people. Eachpanelist motivated not just the women inthe audience, but each and every personwho was present. The motivation was notbecause of where they are today, but be-cause of the journey which they have madein order to reach where they have.


FICCI FRAMES 2012 coveredvarious topics concerning andaffecting the media and Entertainment industry. Majortopics under discussion included Building DeeperReader Engagement – Sustain-ing long-term newspaper loyalty; Animation Masterclassand Special Effects in Hollywood; Coin Toss or Reasoned Choice: How doescontent get realized in our TVScreen; Navigating the interna-tional waters: Indian cinemaand actors overseas; Regionaltelevision: the growth driverfor broadcast; Censorship inIndia: challenges and the wayforward; Women in media andentertainment circa 2012:leading from the front; GECself-regulation: flight path,learning and way forwar; Demystifying the Media andTaxation Regulatory Landscapein India.

MEDIA & ENTERTAINMENT 52LAST BUT NOT THE LEAST…FICCI FRAMES 2012 covered various topicsconcerning and affec�ng the media and Enter-tainment industry. Major topics under discus-sion included Building Deeper ReaderEngagement – Sustaining long-term newspa-per loyalty; Anima�on Masterclass and SpecialEffects in Hollywood; Coin Toss or ReasonedChoice: How does content get realized in ourTV Screen; Naviga�ng the interna�onal waters:Indian cinema and actors overseas; Regionaltelevision: the growth driver for broadcast;Censorship in India: challenges and the wayforward; Women in media and entertainmentcirca 2012: leading from the front; GEC self-regula�on: flight path, learning and way for-war;, Demys�fying the Media and Taxa�onRegulatory Landscape in India.

The final session was a light affair markedby fun-filled exchanges between director Im-�az Ali and actor Ranbir Kapoor, with pro-ducer-director Karan Johar playing themodera�on. The packed hall erupted with joythe moment Ranbir arrived along with Im�azand Karan.

Beginning the session in his typically hu-morous style, Karan told Ranbir, “We willpromise not to talk about your personal life.”Ranbir shyly replied, “Thank You Sir.”

Ali and Kapoor had worked in Rockstar re-cently. Johar first asked the duohow the film was born. Ali ex-plained, "I was actually supposedto make this with John Abrahambefore Jab We Met. But, things did-n't quite fall in place. Many yearslater, Ranbir (who had heard that hewas planning to make such a filmonce) came up to me and asked meto think about making it again." Ran-bir added, "During the release ofSaawariya, I had heard about Im�azplanning to make a film about a musi-cian who becomes big only a�er suf-fering heartbreak. The story, kind of,fascinated me. Many years later whenI met Im�az, I asked him about theproject. In fact, I told him to make itwith me."

Finally, when the audience askedthe trio to comment on Sachin’s hun-dredth interna�onal hundred, Joharsaid, "We just have to applaud him forhis achievements. I remember a li�lechild in my building telling me once'There is God and there is Sachin Ten-dulkar.'" Im�az added, "I don't thinkthere will be anyone bigger and greaterthan Sachin Tendulkar in our �mes." Ran-bir had the final say, "I hope and pray hegives us 100 more centuries. He truly haswhat it takes to get there."

FICCI FRAMES Excellence awards 2012was hosted by Mandira Bedi, and theawards, presented by UTV stars. Film-maker Im�az Ali's Rockstar walked awaywith four awards, including best actor for Ran-

bir Kapoor. Other awards included best direc-tor for Im�az Ali, best music director for ARRahman and best singer (male) for MohitChauhan. Vidya Balan received the best actor(female) award for The Dirty Picture. The bestfilm award went to Zindagi Na Milegi Dobara.Directed by Zoya Akhtar, the movie featuredHrithik Roshan, Farhan Akhtar and Abhay Deol.

The best debut male and female awardswent to Vidyut Jamwal for Force and Parinee�Chopra for Ladies v/s Ricky Behl, respec�vely,while Abhinay Deo was adjudged best debutdirector for Delhi Belly. Usha Uthup and RekhaBhardwaj jointly received the award for bestsinger (female) for the film 7 Khoon Maaf. Theevent also featured performances by UshaUthup and rocker Papon.

Did some of the visitors start making plansto a�end FICCI FRAMES 2013 before the eventcame to an end? If so, we won’t be surprised.

(Compiled by Karuna Iyer, Pooja SudrikPhalke and Nidhi Upadhyaya)

CHICK MAGNET: Ranbir Kapoor at FICCI FRAMES

DESI BEATS:Mandira Bedi atFIICI FRAMES


2012 AAHOA Annual Convention & Trade ShowMay 2-5, 2012

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BOLDER is how you will feel as you see the latest products and services during our two-day Trade Show – and as you network with industry leaders, friends, and colleagues.

BETTER is how you will feel asyou enjoy exceptional Indian cuisine andthree nights of exciting entertainers directfrom India, including:

Yaadon ki Baaraton Thursday night

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Javed Ali plusAnup Shankar and his bandof Sa Re Ga Ma Pa fame,together in North Americafor the first time

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Howard DeanFormer Chair Democratic

Michael SteeleFormer Chair Republican VS.

Moderated by Jonathan KarlABC News

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Also experience a passionate political debate:

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Audrey Wells is the screenwriter of The Truth About Cats & Dogs

How was your experience at the Sundance workshop?It was a great experience for me. Personalized sessions with eight different

writers gave eight different viewpoints of this country. Each one of them wasdifferent and unique. I also got to know about the methodology of screenwrit-

ing here.

What are your sugges�ons for improving screenwri�ng in India?The basis of crea�vity is really good in this country. People have strong concept-building abili�es. Since the country is so vast and diverse , interac�on with differentpeople can generate huge variety. The problem, I feel, is that the writers are notable to cra� their material properly. They try to stuff lots of food in a small plate. I think they should simplify and s�ck to a few specific points.

What is the way using which we can develop a talent pool in media and entertain-ment in India?

I personally feel that the government should lend a helping hand. In some countries, governments give subsidies. That should be done here too so that tal-

ents get more opportuni�es to display their ideas. People should form their ownsmall organiza�ons, and express their thoughts. I think independent filmmak-

ing is a good solu�on. It should be encouraged and developed so that oppor-tuni�es are created from within. I am sure that there will be a lot of demand

for independent film makers in this country.-Ganesh Ramamoorthy

“The bbasis oof ccreativity iis really ggood iin IIndia”

VIEWS NEWS Stalwarts from the world of media and entertainment made their presence feltat the FICCI FRAMES 2012. And of course, NGI was there to talk to them

Audrey Wells

Ajay Bhalwankar

Ajay Bhalwankar is the Programming Head of Zee India

What is the most significant trend in general entertainment channels?Reality television is a great concept. Zee has had original shows like Sa Re

Ga Ma Pa in the past. There is a lot more scope for developing content withan Indian touch.

How real is reality television?Reality television is completely dependent on the channel producing the show.It should be kept as real as possible.

When you make a par�cular choice, you are answerable to a senior. Whatif the choice is wrong?

If the choice is wrong, accept it and try harder the next �me. Butonce an individual spends a lot of �me in this industry, he under-

stands his job and his audience. It is very unlikely that hemay take a wrong decision.

-Karuna Iyer

“Reality ttelevision sshould be kkept aas rreal aas ppossible”

Mark Goldbla� was nominated for the Academy Award forBest Film Edi�ng in Terminator2- Judgement Day

Which Indian films have you watched?I have seen films like Krrish and Lagaan. I also admire Satyajit Ray’s work, and

Pather Panchali in par�cular.

How is edi�ng that is done here different from the way it is done in theUnited States?It is different due to cultural differences. Movies in India are long comparedto the Hollywood movies. They cater to very different audiences. So the pat-terns cannot be compared.

What is your take on the future of media and filmmaking in India?India has a very bright future. It is making content which is interna�onally

acceptable, which is really good and very promising. India has skilledmanpower which is an advantage.

What changes in edi�ng have you no�ced in last few years?Edi�ng has changed a lot, thanks to technology which hasopened up a lot more op�ons for filmmaking. Some ofthem may be popular but not good. No ma�er howmany changes take place, however, the job ofstory-telling is going to remain same.

-Samriddhi Srivastava

“India iis mmaking content tthat iis iinternationally

acceptable”


Mark Goldblatt


The CEO of UTV Mo�on Pictures, Siddharth Roy Kapoor is associated with many superhit films in India and abroad as a co-producer

What do you think about the film marke�ng innova�ons in today’s �mes?Today’s youth think about marke�ng in a structured manner in an industry where most peo-

ple think marke�ng is publicity. Actually, both are quite different. But today, what you re-ally need to do is break the clu�er. So you need to do something innova�ve centeredaround the film. For e.g. one can integrate brands seamlessly, for example Sunsilk with afilm like Fashion or star�ng a No One Killed Jessica - Thappad Mar helpline campaignagainst eve teasing.

What is the role of research in films?In movie business, you are an�cipa�ng the mood of the na�on 12 to 15 months later,which may be very different from what it is right now. You have to take the analysis fromthe research and use your mind to figure out that this is the as-is, where-is situa�onand this is the socio – poli�cal - cultural context in which this is being said or thoughtof. Hence, what trends can I expect an�cipate 12 to 15 months later? However, oneshould be led by research and not bound by it.

What are the challenges one might face in this industry?A rela�vely unstructured industry like the media requires one to think with abroader perspec�ve, and not get ra�led by changes. Five-year plans areharder to be implemented in an industry where the future is fairly unpre-dictable. Hence, one needs to adapt one’s self to the changing dynamicsof the industry and the audience preferences.

-Pooja Sudrik Phalke

“You nneed tto ddo something iinnovative ccentered

around aa fifilm”

Kasi Lemmons, American Independent filmmaker and screenwriter

How was your experience at the Sundance screenwriters’ workshop inMumbai followed by personal sessions with screenwriters of India?

The Sundance workshop, where I came across the work of Indian screenwrit-ers, created a new love for this country. I came across a variety of themes and

was exposed to different types of culture. If properly taken forward, manyscripts from here have a fine chance of travelling a long way globally.

What changes should be brought about in this field in India?I think the space provided to screenwriters is very less in India. The �me theytake for developing a script is too short compared to other countries. In ourcase, there are �mes when we get about a year to work on the script itself.

Is there any script which you felt you should have worked on?Yes of course. When I saw Black Swan, I felt that I should have

worked on it. It was my kind of script.

How should Indian talents proceed with their careers?

Exposure ma�ers a lot. If the quality of thescript one works on is pre�y good, I don’t thinkit will be difficult to crack the situa�on. Even

if one is unable to make it happen in a cer-tain country, one can make it travel if it iscra�ed properly and has good poten�al.

-Ganesh Ramamoorthy

“The sspace ggiven tto screenwriters iis vvery lless iin IIndia”

Kasi Lemmons

Siddharth Roy Kapoor

Viral Oza


Viral Oza is the Marke�ng Director of Nokia India Pvt. Ltd

Why did you decide to have Dolby Digital sound in the new mobile phonebeing manufactured by your company?

We always come up with new innova�ons. Our consumers expect something new from us each �me, and besides, this technology is really outstanding.

Why makes you think that the consumer will like this product?The speed of downloading will increase, the result being that the consumer candownload two songs per second, and that is what the consumer wants. Whenpeople experience the product, they will definitely like it.

What, according to you, are the emerging media and entertainmenttrends in India as well as globally?

The media is growing rapidly. It’s becoming a lot more organized,and is adap�ng itself to new innova�ons very quickly. What’s

even be�er is that, once it gets used to a new technological development, it is on the lookout

for something newer and be�er.-Sa�sh Surve

“Every ttime oour cconsumer expects ssomething nnew ffrom uus”


56MEDIA & ENTERTAINMENT

'Why do we expect innova�on onlyfrom the audience? Some innova�onneeds to come from us too." – IMTIAZ ALI, Filmmaker

'I did not endorse infidelity in Kabhi Alvida Na Kehna. Infidelity was already sold out. " – KARAN JOHAR, Film producer- director

"The heroine in Indian cinema isno more good or bad. The heroine is largely humanizedtoday, and I love it." -VIDYA BALAN, Actor

"I constantly remind myself to de-gender myself to work be�er"- BARKHA DUTT, TV journalist

"In India, LA and China, the filmindustry complains that therearen't enough good writers. I saythere aren't enough listeners." - SHEKHAR KAPOOR, Filmmaker

"I want a producer who takescare of me when I am makingmy film." - ZOYA AKHTAR, Filmmaker

"We don't have a three-act structure in Indian films. We have astrange two-act structure – beforeinterval and a�er interval. It is disheartening." - ASIF KAPADIA, Filmmaker

"Music directors and directors thoughtI can't do playback for a nice, innocentand naïve heroine onscreen due tothe texture of my voice. That is why Idid playback for a man (MithunChakraborty) in a film.” - USHA UTHUP, Playback singer

"There is a newspaper, a tabloidand a TV channel in me. I am awannabe FICCI-FRAMES!" - RANBIR KAPOOR, Actor

"Out-of-the-box thinking is not allowed in Indian television. We aresupposed to do some inside-the-boxand out-of-formula thinking" - AJAY BHALWANKAR, Programming Head, ZEE TV

"A �me should come when the censor board doesn't have any problem with a film in which a manwalks across a room stark naked. Butfor that, sensibili�es of the audiencewill have to mature." - RAMESH SIPPY,Film producer-director

The dream merchants talked. Everyone else listened to what theyhad to say. Here are some excerpts from what they shared...

THINKING ALOUD @ FICCI FRAMES

(Compiled by Arjjyya Patnaik)) NGI KNOWLEDGE EXCHANGE |APRIL 2012

"The woman in an Indian villagetoday decides the budget of herhouse and the career of her child.We reflect this social change in ourvision statement Rishta wahi, sochnayi" - GAURAV BANERJEE, Content Head, Star India

CONSOLIDATED FOREIGN DIRECT INVESTMENT POLICY (CIRCULAR 1 OF 2012) The Department of Industrial Policy and Pro-mo�on (DIPP) has released the fi�h edi�on of the Consolidated For-eign Direct Investment Policy (New FDI Policy) in Circular 1 of 2012which is effec�ve from 10 April, 2012. From now on, the consoli-dated FDI policy will be issued on a yearly basis and any ad-hocchanges made to the FDI policy through the year will be carried outthrough the issue of press notes from �me to �me. The New FDI Pol-icy would be valid un�l the release of the next FDI policy which is dueon 29 March, 2013.

Key Changes This alert provides a brief overview of the key changesand clarifica�ons incorporated into the New FDI Policy.

Foreign Ins�tu�onal Investor (FII) investment in Commodity Exchanges FII investment in commodity exchanges is no longer sub-ject to prior Government approval. Previously, prior Government ap-proval was required for both FII investment and FDI in commodityexchanges. The investment ceilings of 23% and 26% in respect of FIIinvestment and FDI respec�vely in Indian commodity exchanges andthe cumula�ve foreign investment limit of 49% remain unchanged.

Clarifica�on on the NBFC ac�vity of 'leasing & finance' It has beenclarified that the ac�vity of ‘leasing and finance’ applicable to non-banking financial companies (NBFCs) covers only ‘financial leases’and not ‘opera�ng leases’. The ac�vity of ‘leasing and finance’ is oneof the eighteen ac�vi�es permi�ed to be carried out by NBFCs underthe automa�c route in the FDI Policy.

Clarifica�on on the transfer of shares from a Non-Resident Indian(NRI) to a non-resident It has been clarified that the transfer ofshares of an Indian company from NRIs to non-residents would re-quire the prior approval of RBI thereby doing away with the lack ofclarity that existed in that behalf under the earlier FDI Policy.

Issue of equity shares against import of second hand machineryUn�l now, the FDI policy permi�ed the issue of equity shares (underthe approval route) against the import of capital goods/ machinery/equipment which also included "second-hand machinery". The NewFDI Policy has excluded "second-hand machinery" from the purviewof this provision with the intent of discouraging the import of sub-standard machinery and with a view to boost the Indian capital

goods sector by incen�vising the import of state-of-the-art machin-ery which features clean and green technology.

Other Changes The New FDI Policy also consolidates prior circularsand press notes issued by the RBI and the DIPP in the last sixmonths which include: (a) the liberalised policy on single brand re-tail trading permi�ng 100% FDI (subject to prior Government ap-proval) in single brand retail trading; (b) the revised policy on FDI inthe pharmaceu�cals sector; (c) the liberalised procedure rela�ng totransfer of shares between residents and non-residents; (d)the liberalised policy on Qualified Foreign Investor (QFI) investmentswhich permit QFIs to invest directly in the equity markets; (e)the enhancement of the monetary limit, in respect of transfer ofshares (by way of gi�) to a person resident outside India, from USD25,000 to USD 50,000; and (f) the provisions of an earlier RBI circu-lar wherein a company intending to raise the permissible aggregateFII investment limit from 24% to the applicable sectoral cap is re-quired (in addi�on to obtaining a board and shareholders' approval)to provide prior in�ma�on of such increase in stake to the RBI. (g)the liberalised policy on Foreign Venture Capital Investor (FVCI) in-vestments which now permits FVCIs to invest in various securi�es ofan Indian company by way of secondary market purchases and pri-vate arrangements which were earlier not permi�ed under the FVCIinvestment regime.

Conclusion The changes brought about over the last six months andconsolidated in the New FDI Policy are all posi�ve in nature, bringingabout further clarity and ra�onalisa�on in the FDI Policy and cancertainly be expected to facilitate and boost foreign investmentsinto India. If you require any further informa�on about the materialcontained in this alert, please get in touch with your Trilegal rela-�onship partner or send an email to [email protected]<mailto:[email protected]> . The contents of this alert are in-tended for informa�onal purposes only and are not in the nature ofa legal opinion. Readers are encouraged to seek legal counsel priorto ac�ng upon any of the informa�on provided herein. The text ofthis alert is the copyright of Trilegal and may not be circulated, re-produced or otherwise used without the prior permission of its orig-inator. Allen & Overy owns the copyright in the template design andtypographical arrangement. Trilegal maintains a database of busi-ness contact details in order to develop and improve its services toits clients.

By Sabbir Hussain

NGI KNOWLEDGE EXCHANGE | MARCH-APRIL 2012

It happened all of sudden. On 9thFebruary last year, Tigress T5died, leaving behind two three-

month-old cubs. Everybody at theRanthambore National Park wasworried. The reason: when themother dies and the cubs are young,the little ones also die very often.“We kept giving the cubs everythingthey needed, and kept an eye onthem. And they survived.Today theyare there in the park, and doingfine,” says Y K Sahu, the divisionalforest officer.

What he said thereafter makesfor an exciting story. Hear Sahu,“Just a few days back, we witnesseda phenomenon that hasn’t been re-ported earlier. Captured in our trapcameras was a surprising imagewhich showed that the cubs werefollowing one male tiger, Tiger T25.Later, we found the cubs in his com-pany on a few more occasions. It isassumed that he was there to takecare of them. This is a kind of cub-tiger bonding that we came acrossfor the first time.”

This story illustrates the sort ofcharm that’s tucked inside the vastexpanse of the Ranthambore Na-tional Park, one of the largest na-tional parks in Northern India. It issituated in Sawai Madhopur districtof Rajasthan, which is at a distanceof about 180 km from Jaipur. As perSahu, the park today has a popula-tion of 27 adult tigers and 17 cubs,which is the exact carrying capacityof the area.

ANIMAL CHARMEvery park has a certain carrying ca-pacity. The park, according towildlife specialist Manoj Kul-shreshtha, is unique in its own right.

“It has small territories. And tigersare at complete ease in this park. Ithas got everything that they need,for instance, water bodies aroundplaces where they can ambush,”says Kulshreshtha.

“ Various education/awarenesscampaigns are being run to raiseawareness for the protection oftigers,” says Upamanyu Raju, theCEO of Tiger Protection Group.

ENCROACHMENT BY MANKINDHuman-animal conflict is a cause forconcern around most such loca-tions. And, the Rantambhore Na-tional Park is no different. “Thepopulation of people around thepark is increasing, and so is their de-pendence on the forest. Because oftheir lack of awareness about thedangers, some end up getting at-tacked by tigers,” says Kulshreshtha.

Raju informs that a lot is beingdone to reduce the human-animalconflict. The villages near the pro-tected area are being relocated. TheForest Department, with help fromNGOs, proactively compensates forany loss caused to livestock by thetigers. Efforts to provide alternatesources of livelihood to the villagersare on. Work is on to provide othersources of fuel so that the villagersdo not venture into the tiger terri-tory to procure wood.

As reported by the media, how-ever, the body of Morpali Meena, a55-year-old woman, was found in-side the park. It appeared that shehad been killed by a big cat. Re-sponding to why such an incidentmight have occurred, Kulshreshthasays, “Tiger is not very visible al-ways. Also, tigers mostly attackhuman beings in defence, and not to

CALL OF THE WILDOne of the largest national parks in Northern India, Ranthambore National Parkplays the temptress to countless tourists. Shilpi BBatra experiences the different dimensions of its beauty, and discusses its concerns as well

WILDLIFE 58


eat them. Besides, some animals are justaggressive and they don’t allow people tocome close to them”.

YK Sahu adds, “Tigers require quietareas, as also areas where there are watersources as well, like a lake or a pond. Sothe primary cause is human disturbance.”

GOING ELSEWHEREQuite a few tigers have been shifted toother national parks. Sahu mentions, “Oneof our tigers has gone to Madhya Pradesh,and another to the forest of Kota, Sultan-pur. One has gone to the Bharatpur birdsanctuary”.

According to Sahu, whenever the pop-ulation of tigers increases, some animalsare moved to other adjoining forest areassuch as the Kela Devi Sanctuary. The needto find new areas is a good thing, for it willeventually lead to the growth of otherplaces where tigers will find natural habi-tats.

REVENUE EARNERDiscussing the much-debated question ofthe commercialization of the RanthamboreNational Park because of a lot of touristtraffic, Sahu says, “Ranthambore has beenhaving tourist traffic for a long time now.This has been a fact since 1986, and it hashad no negative impact on tiger popula-tion”. Moreover, there are eco tourism re-sorts around the park, whose first priorityis the protection of wildlife in its naturalform.

KEEPING AN ACCOUNTAn initiative to create a tiger database isbeing set up. The idea has been inspired bySouth Africa, where a database of wild ele-phants has been created. Likewise, theWildlife Institute of India (WII) under a Na-

tional Tiger Conservation Authority (NTCA)-sponsored project is creating a database oftigers in the 41 reserves of the country.The database will help identify the reservein which the tiger has been killed and helpnab the poachers, against whom stringentaction can be taken under the Wildlife Act.This will serve as a deterrent to those whoare involved in the trade.

The Ranthambore National Park is syn-onymous with adventure and fun. Thetigers have become accustomed to the ideaof living there. They also seem to have un-derstood that human beings will come andtake a look at their divine beauty. That’s agood thing, although letting them stay inpeace must be our primary responsibility.

59 WILDLIFE

“ Various education/awareness campaigns arebeing run to raise awarenessfor the protection of tigers,” - Upamanyu Raju, the CEO of Tiger Protection Group.

� Every tiger in the world has its own distinct pattern of stripes.

� The tiger came into existence about two million years ago.

� A tiger can leap up to 33 feet at a time.� Tigers have retractable claws.� Tigers are great swimmers.� Tigresses are smaller than the males in each

subspecies.� The size of tigers depends on their habitat.� Tigers are loners by nature. However, they show

a change in behavior while courting, or when the female raises her offspring.

FA C TS AA BO U T TT I G E RS

The tiger is one of the most endangeredspecies. According to estimates which areoften based on guesswork, its population issaid to be anywhere between 3,062 and 3,948.According to the World Wide Fund for Nature,the tiger population has touched an alarminglow of 3,200.

RE A S O N FF O R WW O RRY



The turquoise-coloured glass seemedto rise out of the mists. One moment,it seemed far below us, and the next,our plane was hurtling towards it -

into it. The descent was rapid - making us holdour breaths as the blue glass, now laced withwhite, emerald and gold, rushed upwards tomeet the aircra�.

The airstrip of Bali’s Ngurah Rai airport is athin sliver of land ju�ng out into the sea; thetake-off and landing of an aircra� are spectac-ular experiences. The sensa�on of descendingright into the sea and taking off into the wideblue sky as the thin strip of land and the emer-ald green of the island falls steeply away areunparalleled.

We were met at the airport by our cheerytour guide, Made (pronounced Maa-day). Dur-ing the drive to our luxurious seaside resorthotel, Made informed us that the na�ves ofBali prefer to be known as Balinese instead ofIndonesian. Over the next four days, Made re-galed us with tales of Bali’s intriguing heritage.Here are some impressions of Bali through thecombined perspec�ves of Made, the proud Ba-linese na�ve, and us, some intrigued visitors tothis charmed island.

Hinduism - Balinese style: Bali has a dis�nc-�ve cultural iden�ty owing to the fact that itsancient Hindu origin and culture have been

zealously preserved. However, the interpreta-�on of Hinduism here is quite different fromthe Indian subcon�nent. For instance, theHindu goddess Durga who is revered for anni-hila�ng evil is worshipped by the prac��onersof black magic in Bali. She is, hence, feared in-tensely by the Balinese. The numerous tem-ples do not have any representa�ons of Hindudei�es in the form of idols. The sanctum sanc-torum is empty and none other than thepriests are allowed to enter the temple. Thereis only one temple on the island which housesrepresenta�ons of all three major Hindudei�es – Brahma, Vishnu and Shiva. The Bali-nese believe that Brahma represents fire, sohis symbol adorns the entrance to the kitchen;Vishnu stands for water, and hence the wellcarries his symbol; while Shiva representsfood, so the granary holds the symbol of Shiva.

The major Hindu scriptures, epics, literatureand legends, prayers, fes�vals, rites and ritualsare not known to the common people. Thepriests are the chief custodians of knowledgeof the divine and prescribe rituals for theatonement of sins. They are also the mostpowerful en��es on the island, advising peo-ple about offerings to be made for the ap-peasement of the souls of ancestors andsolu�ons to ensure happiness on earth.

The Balinese claim to be Hindu. But religion

and religious prac�ces here are typical of anyisland civilisa�on encapsulated in a kind of�me warp where change from within is nearlynon-existent; mostly influenced and ini�atedby what is brought in from the outside worldon ships; where a lot is lost when the formergenera�ons of migrants pass on. The inheritorsare le� to interpret things expressed or unex-pressed during the predecessors’ life�me. Cutaway from the mainland where religious prac-�ce is ever-evolving, these people have trans-formed the original to the extent of renderingit nearly unrecognisable in its present form.

The number 9 is considered auspicious.There are 9 sacred direc�ons, 9 main templeson the island and there also used to be 9 king-doms on Balinese soil.

The supernatural: The Bali experience is anintriguing journey into the unknown and mys-terious. To the one who wishes to delvedeeper, learn more and come closer to the cul-ture, it is a puzzle which is hard to unravel; themore curious one gets and the more answersone seeks, the more one discovers the tangledwebs of the unexplained and the unexplain-able. For every curious ques�on there are an-swers which raise more ques�ons. TheBalinese link the living with the non-living andthe dead. They fear the evil that resides in na-ture and in other people, and are obsessed

TRAVELOGUE 60

Bali is a hot destination attracting planeloads of touristsfrom all over the world to its warm, peaceful beaches,exotic resorts and ancient culture. Dr. BBeena MMenonshares her experience of this intriguing island

BALI: BEAUTY WITH A SOULBALI: BEAUTY WITH A SOUL

SIGHT TO BEHOLD: Balinese architecture


with the poten�al harm this evil can do toone’s life. All misfortunes and bad luck are at-tributed to voodoo, black magic, evil eye, badspirits, dissa�sfied souls and ghosts, bad spellsand curses, witchcra�, the occult and so on.

The only way in which to protect oneselffrom harm is to keep the evil spirits at bay byappeasing them con�nuously through the daywith offerings of food. The Balinese believe inthe existence of a parallel universe. In Bali, itis believed that spirits reside in streams, ontrees, on bridges, in water, in the hills andfields, literally wherever one looks. These spir-its are benevolent or hos�le. They are portentsof good or evil. If the spirit resident in the treeor rock, statue or river is benevolent, the fea-ture in ques�on is covered by a gold/yellowcloth and worshipped; alterna�vely, if it is abad spirit, it is covered in black cloth andfeared. In case it is of uncertain disposi�on, itis represented in a cloth of black and whitechecks.

In the ancient forest of Uluwatu , the thou-sands of resident monkeys are considered sa-cred and possessors of great powers. At theentrance of the forest are two huge statues ofmonkeys draped in black and white checkedcloth. These statues may house either good orevil spirits. On our way around the island, wecaught sight of a massive statue of a babycloaked in gold cloth, in front of whichwere laid out offerings fit for a babyto eat.

The story goes that people inthe neighbourhood could heara baby cry, but nobody couldactually see the baby. Believ-ing it was the unappeasedsoul of a baby dead long ago,a statue has been built at thespot, covered with yellowcloth, and offerings of food andmilk are made to please the spiritof the baby so that it will not harmthe babies in the neighbourhood. InBali, people are expected to nego�ate se-curity, happiness and well-being by offering‘bribes’ to the spirits of deceased, and otherhos�le en��es. Thus the Balinese is firmly at-tached to the soil of his land – very few dare tomigrate to other lands.

The Balinese home: The Balinese home is acarefully-planned complex of independentbuildings. Each building has to be reached bywalking across the compound. For instance, toreach the kitchen, one has to walk through thecompound, and once done with cooking orea�ng, one must walk all the way across to thebedrooms and so forth. The buildings are notconnected with each other. This is very incon-venient during heavy downpours or in themiddle of the night. At the entrance, one findsthe words “Om Swas�-astu” inscribed on thedoor. This Sanskrit term means “Welcome”.

In Bali, a member of the family who dies isnever considered dead. The dead are part ofthe living and have simply transformed in formand occupy a parallel universe. To the north-

east of the residen�al compound is a li�letemple called ‘Sanggah’ where the spirits ofthe ancestors of the family reside. A�er cre-ma�on of the mortal remains of the deceased,the ashes are le� in the Sanggah for 42 daysbefore being immersed into the sea. It is be-lieved that during this period, the soul of thedeceased takes up permanent residencewithin the premises of the home.

To the north of the plot is the ‘Bale Dajo’ orthe bedrooms. The north-west houses the“Jinen” or the granary and beyond that the“Patunyompa” or the “security guard” whoprotects the home from evil that may a�ackfrom that direc�on. To the south-west are thebathrooms in a separate complex and besidethat, is the “Paon” or kitchen. Near this is RatuNgurah or the security guard of the south-west. To the south-east is the “Bale Delod” orthe building of religious ceremonies. At thecentre of the plot is the Surya or sun temple.The entrance is called the Lebuh and is to thesouth. It is not possible to build a Balinesehome on less than 300 sq.mts.(10,000 sq.�) ofland. Thus, the Balinese home is a fortress thatis supposed to protect all the residents, livingor dead within its compound.

The weather was uncharacteris�cally hotand humid for the season. Surviv-

ing without air condi�onersseemed impossible. The

air was s�ll and heavybut all of this could

not reduce thebeauty of thevividly huedflowers, thickgreen foliage,the rocky shore-line and the

blue sea. Bali hasshortages of fresh

water and food.Not much can be cul-

tivated on the islandand has to be shipped in

from other islands or from the mainland.Cuisine: One of our chief aims was to

taste authentic Balinese cuisine. A popularspot for tourists is the Bali Collection, a hugecomplex of restaurants serving a dizzyingarray of delicious-looking food and shopsselling souvenirs set in picturesque Balinesegardens. Here too, we were intrigued to seegroups of men and women carrying food inneat little containers made from coconut andbanana palm leaves. These were the offer-ings which were to be made to the spiritsthat were resident on that plot of land. Thedaily practice of making offerings is an obses-sion in Bali.

Sights and sounds: Kuta beach is theusual commercial location with sunbathers,swimmers, yachtsmen, hang -gliders, andbeach combers. Kuta market offers lots ofchoices in handcrafted items for avid shop-pers. The cliffs of Tanah Lot are truly fascinat-ing. Looking down the vertical precipice ofthe cliffs at the foaming waves that crashedagainst the rocks far below was a dizzying ex-perience. The sea looked awesome from thatvantage – light blue and glassy in parts, omi-nously calm, deep and brooding elsewhere,gold and orange from the setting sun furtherup and foamy at the shoreline. Kintamani isthe well-known volcano which is also atourist attraction.

One of the memorable experiences washaving a simple but delicious lunch at arestaurant overlooking the rice terraces andbuying handicrafts at bargain prices. Balinesehandicrafts are unparalleled in their beauty,innovation and intricacy. There are innumer-able shops and showrooms as well as mar-kets peddling superbly crafted items, cane,cloth, woodwork, wax and so forth. On ourlast evening on the island, we had a candle-light dinner on the beach, with each succes-sive wave reaching up to lap at our feet. Weselected the seafood which was then cookedto perfection for us.

I recommend Bali as a unique getaway.

61 TRAVELOGUE

MONKEY BUSINESS:Monkey forest Ubud

A HEAVENLY DESTINATION: Nusa Dua Resort

Any sort of transi�on is usually dis-turbing. When what is good goes,what follows doesn’t seem goodenough. This summarizes the

dilemma of Team India today. A�er its exitfrom the Asia Cup despite friendly condi�onsin Bangladesh, the team has hit a shockingnew low. Aggrava�ng ma�ers is the uneasyfeeling that Mahendra Singh Dhoni's men can-not rise from the ashes. The quintessen�alsports fan, be it English, Australian,Bangladeshi, whoever, wants his team to win.Behind any talk of being spor�ng hides a dis-appointed sports lover who has reconciled tothe fact that his team lacks the skill to eclipseits counterparts from elsewhere.

What is the biggest concern of the averageIndian cricket buff? It is the ba�ng, no doubt.Having re�red from interna�onal cricket – itseems so long ago already—Sourav Ganguly is

alterna�ng between commenta�ng and play-ing for Bengal. He has finally found somepeace, some would say. Rahul Dravid re�redsome�me ago, having realized that he hadplayed his role to the hilt and that youngstersneeded to step in his shoes. VVS Laxman ispre�y much around, but he doesn’t havemuch to offer any longer.

Finally, the biggest of them all, Sachin Ten-dulkar. Sachin has been playing very fluentlythese days, and, for once, figures don’t do jus-�ce to the quality of his ba�ng. Barring thatone innings against Bangladesh – his hun-dredth ton, incidentally – in which he was cir-cumspect to the extent of being nervous as heneared his milestone, he has been playingsome magnificent strokes all around thewicket. Check out his 52 against Pakistan in theAsia Cup in which Virat Kohli with his 183hogged the limelight, and it won’t be difficult

to believe that he s�ll has a couple of years ofinterna�onal cricket le� in him.

Now, here is the real problem. More hard-working but less talented than many others athis level, Gautam Gambhir hasn’t been inspir-ing too much confidence lately. He has givenhis wicket away to terrible shots, and seems tobe suffering from lapses in concentra�on earlyin the innings. Aided by his well-known dili-gence, however, Gambhir can be expected tofight back. But what about Virender Sehwag,whose natural talent and awe-inspiring bel-ligerence had few parallels �ll some�me ago?Before he was ‘rested’ for the Asia Cup, Se-hwag had produced a series of scores whichcannot guarantee the survival of a bowling all-rounder, forget a full-fledged top order bats-man who does a bit of bowling and doesn’tmake it to the team for the la�er.

The state of the team being a big concern,

ARE THEY GOOD ENOUGH?

India’s legendary batsmen are making way for the youngsters. However, Biswadeep GGhoshasks that one question which is perplexing many Indian cricket fans everywhere

PERFORMANCE IS THE NEED: Players like Ravindra Jadeja, Suresh Rainaand Rohit Sharma have to make a serious impact soon

SPORTS 64


youngsters need to make a very quickimpact. Among them is Suresh Raina,an epitome of free-spirited ba�ng inthe game’s shorter form when thecondi�ons are favorable, and very fastbowlers don’t bowl very fast short-pitched deliveries that rise awkwardlyand expose his flawed techniqueagainst such bowling. He can tormentthe opposi�on when the going is goodand things work out in his favour. Butdoes he have the quality and applica-�on that is necessary in the five-dayformat? If he has the ability to deliver– by which one means, deliver consis-tently – the Indian cricket fan needsto see that soon.

Very few people doubt the talentof Rohit Sharma, who isn’t intimi-dated by short-pitched bowling likeRaina is and also has a decent rangeof strokes. Yet, apart from the odd in-nings in which he appears to playwith a calm head on his shoulders,Sharma is guilty of playing loose shotsto bring about his own downfall. Skip-per Mahendra Singh Dhoni doesn’thave too much confidence in the ladeither: if one were to go by the factthat Sharma is sent to bat down theorder more frequently than any othergenuine batsman in the team.

Why Manoj Tiwary is sitting out –despite a century in his last interna-tional outing – beguiles comprehen-sion. Rajendra Jadeja, an enthusiasticlad, is a bits-and-pieces player. On agood day, he can pick up a couple ofwickets without giving away too manyruns. Or else, he can score a fewquick runs as a lower order batsman.No matter what, however, he is not

good enough to be a regular featurein the test team. At least, not yet.Ravichandran Ashwin, on the otherhand, has surprised many with hisability to score runs in the longer ver-sion of the game. But he is not a toporder batsman, and expecting consis-tency from him with the bat is simplynot fair. Yuvraj Singh’s battle withcancer is unfortunate, and the needfor his return to the team is morecrucial than ever before. Dhoni hasbeen extremely inconsistent in thetest matches although, in the one-dayers, he has performed quite cred-itably.

Among the younger lot, Virat Kohliis the only player who has been get-ting a fair amount of runs – actually,more than just that – with the sort ofcomfort that is both reassuring andessential. Kohli’s current form in theshorter version of the game com-pares with the best in the world. Yet,too much dependence on him is nota great idea, cricket being a teamsport in which everybody’s contribu-tion matters.

Laxman’s rediscovery of his best inthe five-day format is, at best, a the-oretical possibility. Tendulkar can beexpected to play decently for somemore time. But, let’s face it. Laxman’sform has been so terrible that hemight be out of the team – even‘this’ team – if he doesn’t retire soon.Tendulkar cannot go on forever. Theyoungsters are the ones who need togrow up as soon as they can. Thatbrings us to the question we startedout with.

Are they good enough?

Too much dependence on Kohliis not a great idea, cricketbeing a team sport in whicheverybody’s contribution matters.

ALL GOOD THINGS MUST END: Rahul Dravid has already retired, whileVVS Laxman and Sachin Tendulkar are nearing the end of their careers

Virat Kohli

65 SPORTS


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FASHION 68

FASHION RRAJMany leading fashion designers seek inspiration from Rajasthan while creatingtheir exclusive and classy outfits. Pallavi DDatta does a style check

Whenever you go to Rajasthan,one thing that will mesmeriseyou is the abundance of coloursand styles in the ou�its worn by

the locals. The state has a vibrant heritage offashion, whose evidence can be found onramps everywhere in the world. Many design-ers have been influenced by Rajasthan in thepast, and that fact remains unchanged despitethe emergence of new trends with the passageof �me.

The typical Rajasthan look is characterisedby the use of colours, opulent embroidery,

yardage of fabric, turbans and jewellery. Inshort, Rajasthan has played a significant role indefining for the world, the concept of luxury.

Among the world’s premier couture de-signers, Naeem Khan, whose devoted fan fol-lowing includes stylish women such asMichelle Obama and Queen Noor of Jordan, isin love with the state’s aesthe�c sensibility.Khan, who is known for crea�ng classic gar-ments with rich fabrics, sumptuous embroi-deries and elaborate workmanship, says, “I aminspired by this land, its royal history, itslifestyle and its evolved colour pale�e. For any

designer, it’s a place replete with magic.”When Joseph Altuzzara showcased his ex-

o�c Rajasthan-inspired crea�ons during the NYFashion Week – Fall’12 wrapped in the charm-ing fable of a comic book character and histravel exploits, the look of the collec�on le� usin a state of complete awe.

Raghavendra Rathore, the impeccablysuave designer who hails from this land, hasbeen instrumental in bringing to the fore thelegacy of royal couture and giving it a signaturelook. He shares, “Quite like the Parisian influ-ence on design and fashion, Rajasthan too has

CREATIVE METAMORPHOSIS: Inspired by what the Rajasthani masseswear, Aneeth Arora gives a special touch to her collections


69 FASHION

NGI KNOWLEDGE EXCHANGE

influenced almost every aspect of design bothna�onally and interna�onally.”

Rajasthan’s impact on the fashion scene isincreasing with each passing day. “The influ-ence of India and especially Rajasthan in globalfashion is at its peak,” feels Rahul Mishra, a de-signer who is doing extensive work for the re-vival of tradi�onal weaves and fabrics. “Theall-encompassing influence of this state in-

cludes aspects like rich jewel tones, lehengacholi, kalidaar kurtas, mirror work and gotapa� among the many styles and silhoue�eswhich were born here. Chief among them, per-haps, is the turban.” Rahul is working in orderto revive the most complex weaves of Kota,which is close to Chanderi, with the colours ofJaisalmer. “Such is the impact of Rajasthanthat Karl Lagerfeld’s collec�on for Chanel �tledParis-Bombay seemed more like Paris-Jaipur,”he adds with a smile.

Early on in his profession a couple ofdecades ago, Raghavendra realised the impor-tance of using inspira�on from Indian heritage,whether it was from Rajasthan or any otherstate. He says, “Taking the idea of the Jodhpuribandhgala jacket, the Jodhpuri breeches andthe classic Safari suit to the forefront of mod-ern fashion has been a ma�er of significantimportance to us. Today, the bandhgala jacketis one of the most expensive handmade prod-ucts made in Jodhpur, and its appeal has nogeographical boundaries.”

What makes the state’s fashion dis�nc�vein its own right is that style statements aremade by every stratum of the masses. It is bu-colic on one hand and has formidable royalleanings on the other. Aneeth Arora, the youngtrendse�ng designer, takes her inspira�onfrom the grassroots. Her label’s name ‘Pero’means ‘to wear’ in Rajasthan, and she findsher muse among the masses. “Local peopleare the real trendse�ers of the �me. Theirdressing offers a guide on how to be effort-

lessly stylish," believes this designer of exqui-site tex�les and immaculately finished gar-ments. Arora also believes that the future ofRajasthan-inspired fashion will be brighter.“More and more designers from India andabroad are playing a major role in helping re-vive a lot of tradi�onal tex�le and cra� tech-niques,” she explains.

The colours of the desert have a charmthat is absolutely rive�ng. Such is its feel that,even at a �me when so� pastel shades haveintruded upon the fashion scenario, its richearthiness makes an impact on the work ofmany young fashion designers: for instance,Payal Khandwala, whose crea�ons haveenough to indicate where her choice of coloursand look come from.

Fashion is known to be transient. One styleor a set of styles emerge, dominate the fashionscene, and disappear a�er a point in �me,making way for the others. But what Rajasthanhas to offer is different, its ou�its having with-stood the corrosive impact of �me. Indulgingin these crea�ons that fit perfectly in a mu-seum as well your closet is a wonderful feeling.The mind undertakes a journey into a landwhose history has enamoured us since thedays we were young. It makes us a part of themagnificent culture, romance, bravery andnatural beauty that the state stands for.

Being in fashion is a fulfilling and gloriousexperience: especially when one gets dressedup with the aid of the crea�ve vision of Ra-jasthan.

“I am inspired by this land, itsroyal history, its lifestyle andits evolved colour palette. Forany designer, it’s a place replete with magic.”

“Quite like the Parisian influence on design and fashion, Rajasthan too has influenced almost every aspect of designboth nationally and internationally.”

SIGNATURE: Raghavendra Rathore has created hisunique style with Rajasthani influences

Naeem Khan, ace fashion designer


ALL THE WORLD’S ON THE STAGE

When the legendary composerPyarelal Sharma teamed upwith the dynamic conductorKristjan Jarvi in Dubai, the consequence was pure musical magic.

An idea, if pursued dili-gently, gets transformed intoreality. When he was merely 12years old, one such idea origi-nated in the mind of PyarelalSharma, who was des�ned tobecome ‘the’ Pyarelal of thelegendary composing duo,Laxmikant Pyarelal. AlthoughPyarelal spent a great part ofhis musical life composingmusic for numerous successfulfilms, winning awards, appre-ciation and respect from all,the dream of creating worldmusic by combining Indianand Western music lived onwithin his heart.

He happened to share hisidea with his young friend Sud-hakar Murthy. Sudhakar wassimply fascinated, the ideabeing a dream he shared aswell. An engineer and a doer,he started thinking of ways and

means to trans-form it into re-ality. Things

took off slowlya�er Sudhakar

moved to Dubai.An introduc�on to

Kristjan Jarvi, a youngand dynamic Esto-

nia-born AmericanConductor, a permanent

Guest Conductor with theLondon Symphony Orchestra,was an indica�on that worldmusic was des�ned to happen.

On 15th March 2012, therethey were - prominent com-posers, conductors, musiciansand singers from the East andthe West playing a uniqueblend of music to a packed au-dience at the iconic Burj KhalifaPark in Dubai. The programmestarted with Kavita Krishna-murthy rendering the all-�mefavourite track ‘Satyam ShivamSundaram” in her melodiousvoice, a composi�on of themaestro which established themood of the concert.

Then came the outstandingcomposi�on “SwarGunjan”performed by Dr. L Subrama-niam, accompanied by mem-bers of the orchestra both

from the East and the West.The audience was spellbound,and its composers Pyarelal andKristjan Jarvi raised their handsin apprecia�on when thear�sts reached the crescendo.Ja�n Pandit rendered a songfrom the 1968 film Mere Hum-dum Mere Dost, “Hui shaamunka khayal aagaya”, as a trib-ute to the composer and hislate partner Laxmikant. Ja�nwas happy to note that peoples�ll enjoyed soulful melodiesof the bygone era.

Sonu Niigaam mesmerizedthe audience with his stagepresence and excellent singing.He did full jus�ce to the song“Chahoonga main tujhe sanjhsavere” a song composed byLaxmikant - Pyarelal for the1964 movie Dos�, which wonthem their first Filmfareaward. Amit Kumar, the tal-ented son of Kishore Kumar,sang “Rukh jana nahin tu kahinhaar ke” a lively melody fromthe1974 movie Im�haan.Kavita regaled the audienceonce more with the lil�ng andpeppy number Hawa Hawaifrom Mr. India. Valen�ne Ship-ley sang “Ganga Nahale” acouplet composed by the In-dian saint Kabir Das, splendidlyaccompanied by the Westernband.

The evening ended with thesong “Om shan� Om” sung soenerge�cally by Amit Kumarthat it had every one dancing,including the musicians whogave excellent support to thesingers, winning the admira-�on of one and all.

As the programme came toan end, special thanks were of-fered to those who made thisconcert happen - Subhra Dasof Du who were the sponsorsof the programme, SudhakarMurthy, CEO of ACORE Mediawho was involved at everystage of the concert, his part-ners Amit, Vikram and Madhuof Saffron Media and Sun-dance events for organizingthe show.

When the young and ener-ge�c conductor Kristjan Jarvishared the pla�orm with theveteran composer Pyarelal, thelisteners were gi�ed with apackage of unforge�able musi-cal memories.

Sudha GGorthi witnesses the recently heldgrand musical concert of Absolute India and Absolute Ensemble in Dubai

SHARING A BOND: NGI publisher K Sudhakar Murthy with Dr L Subramaniam, Kristjan Jarvi and Kavita Krishnamurthy

EVENT 70


ON THE RIGHT TRACK: Soothing performance of Jatin Pandit

EVENT71


PYARELAL'S BIG NIGHT: Sonu Nigam weaves a melody

A BIG HUG: KristjanJarvi with Pyarelal

SOUND OF MUSIC: FlautistNaveen Kumar casts a spell

MESMERISED: Guests were captivated by the lovely music at the Burj Khalifa Park in Dubai

CSR (Corporate Social Responsibitliy) is a concept defined by Henry Bowen inhis book “Social Responsibilities of Businessman” (1953). In the present world,CSR is social & cultural needs of the country coupled with sustainability factorsof each industry sector the company is operating in.

CSR of every country has its own SWOT (Strength, Weakness, Opportunity,Threat) analysis, let us take an excursion of the Indian scenario. India being anemerging country screems for effective & efficient CSR policies, framework &guidelines. The Strengths for CSR momentum: CSR management can addresswide array of social & sustainability needs of any company. Social needs areconformed by dimension of activities from recycling the products, reducing thecarbon emission, financial investments in community which are forms of Cor-porate Social Investments (CSI) to abode with educational requirements, health& safety measures, disaster relief initiatives which are a form of CSR. India hasabout 3.3 million Social Organizations who can assist the professionals to fulfilthe above responsibilities whereas for sustainability requirements every indus-try has its own constraints which they need to address for being sustainable,example the Tanning industry has its own set of challenges to be sustainable.Thus there are umpteen opportunities to perform CSR related activities.

The Indian Government in the recent Companies Bill Act of 2009, passedthe proposal to for corporates of Rs 500 crore or turnover of Rs 1,000 crore ornet profit of Rs 5 crore or more to formulate a CSR policy for spending at least2 per cent of the net profits but the spending would be voluntary, with compa-nies giving reasons in their annual report if it was less and give monetary in-centives to Government employees actively participating in CSR activities. Thisstrong move strengthens the CSR momentum in the country. In the forthcom-ing parliamentary session, the introduction of article 135 which states to make2% of profit to CSR activities as mandatory for the private sector would also beput forth for clearance.

The Indian Government is proactive to propagate CSR in order to matchthe International standards and also to get a helping hand for the developmentof the country. As said by CM Sheila Dixit “Government alone cannot take theresponsibility of developing the nation and Corporate support would boost thedevelopment work in the India” at the recent inauguration of the CorporateGovernance Conclave organised by Institute of Company Secretaries of India(ICSI) in New Delhi. The introduction of National Voluntary Guidelines on Social,Environmental and Economic responsibilities of Business mainstreaming theconcept of Business Responsibilities by the MCA, Corporate Social Responsibil-ity Voluntary Guidelines (which shifts CSR paradigm towards Responsible Busi-ness) which was released in 2009 has opened vast opportunities for the CSRspectrum of India. The presence of MNCs also leads to positive spillover ofknowledge to the domestic companies and gives them an opportunity to learnabout CSR activities and innovative measures to undertake to fulfill the con-cern.

In spite of the above said, there are various threats to be confronted. Indiais known for its slackness in law implementation, also looking at the recentnumber of high level corporate scandals corruption is rampant. There is nopenalty announced if the corporates do not follow CSR guidelines, so its stillloose ended effort. The industry purview and mindset needs to be revolution-ized from philanthropy/PR activities to mainstream CSR activities and not beconfined to myopic view. The research in CSR field in India isn’t on par with In-ternational Level so novelty in the approach clearly shrinks.

Details about the Summit: CSR & CompetitivenessWith a vision to throw light on the above issues and encourage the Corporateto take CSR at a strategic level thus enhancing competitiveness, INDIACSR islaunching Mega CSR Conference. The conference envisages to imbibe CSR inthe value system & the culture of the corporate.

Here are the Important linksURL: www.conference.indiacsr.inRegister: http://www.conference.indiacsr.in/registration-form.pdfContact: Rusen Kumar - [email protected]; Mobile: +91- 99 810 99 555

INDIACSR has launched a dedicated portal for its forthcoming CSR confer-ence, to be held in Mumbai at Ramada Plaza Palm Grove, Juhu Beach in 9 May2012. The Conference portal (www.conference.indiacsr.in) was formally inau-gurated on 15 February, 2012 in Raipur by Dr. R.K. Agrawal, Director, Corpora-tion Bank, country’s leading public sector bank. INDIACSR is a division ofleading CSR consulting company “CSR INDIA Corporate Social Services PvtLtd”.

INDIACSR is the largest Indian business network for Corporate Social Re-sponsibility (CSR) and it is organizing mega CSR Conference themed “CSR &Competitiveness” in Mumbai at Ramada Plaza Palm Grove, Juhu Beach in 9May 2012. The conference would provide a forum to initiate a dialogue and en-lighten the participants on creating a competitive edge for their business or-ganizations with the help of responsible management practices of yourcompany.Brilliance and knowledge in the field expressed through speeches,presentations and case studies would highlight thought provoking activitiesand facilitate knowledge transfer across the august gathering.

The gathering in the economic capital of India would reach beyond aca-demic research and business operations and would focus on the harmony inour society through the CSR lens. The Conference would facilitate the gather-ing of many luminaries from the corporate and non-profit world. It shall wit-ness how the profit driven business houses are involved in collectivism,informal virtue and morality.

We are inviting speaker to contribute towards the ever growing knowl-edge on CSR and to share ideas on company’s CSR best practices and discusscollaborative projects between the company and its end stakeholders. Theforum will discuss long term benefits of CSR and changes required to achievetrue sustainability through responsible competitiveness. This conference be-comes relevant to anyone interested in corporate social responsibility. It is im-portant for your organization to showcase your work, derive intellectual capitaland use the opportunity to network with the industry specialists.

Conference will be beneficial for Company Presidents, Vice Presidents,CXOs, Directors, Managers, and Professionals of Corporate Social Responsibil-ity, Sustainable Development, Environmental Affairs, Corporate Governance, Fi-nance, Corporate Communications, Community Relations, Public Relations,Branding, Investor Relations, Strategic Planning, Human Resources, Risk &Compliance and Supply Chains. CSR conference is also relevant for Represen-tatives from social enterprises and NGOs/NPOs who wish to collaborate withbusiness, Socially responsible investors, Government representatives estab-lishing frameworks for (sustainable) development and students and academi-cians interested in the field of CSR.

-Harsha Mukherjee

CSR IN INDIA


NGI Knowledge Exchange RNI TC No. MAH ENG 12553/13/1/2010- TC Decl. No. SDM/Pune/SR/138/2010

RAJASTHAN - New Global Indian

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