Daily Archives: June 28, 2014

Global Edge Software Limited Inaugurates its Hyderabad Facility at Hi-Tech City

Business & Economy, Science & Technology, World Opinion

Global Edge Software Ltd., has inaugurated its Hyderabad facility at Mindspace, Raheja IT Park, Hi-Tech City, Hyderabad. The Expansion is in alignment with its growth module and strategy of the organization.

Global Edge Software Limited, a SEI CMM Level 5 certified ISO 27001 & 9001 driven company has been venturing into cutting edge Embedded Technology Solutions for Semiconductors, Automotive, Industrial Automation, Telecom & Wireless under one roof. They have been providing comprehensive services on Mobile Application, User Interface, Operating Systems and various mobile platforms. Expertise spans across 2G, 3G, 4G and LTE technologies.

After Bangalore, Hyderabad has been fast emerging innovative hub for product engineering. With a vision of being a leading technology company, transforming the embedded world with innovative solutions and services, the expansion plan was made to upgrade the service provision & satisfaction levels of their customers with extra facilities customized to suit their needs.

The new facility was inaugurated by Mr. Shashi Reddy, VP Engineering Qualcomm which saw people from the fraternity to be a part of it. Speaking on the occasion Mr. Shashi Reddy, VP Engineering Qualcomm said “Global Edge Software Ltd is a strategic partner & this facility set up should provide enhanced support on the engineering front for the various client projects based out of Hyderabad & a new footprint for the organisation”

Speaking on the occasion of the inauguration of the 50 seater new Facility at Hyderabad, Mr. M.P. Kumar, Chairman & CEO of Global Edge Software said; “As new trends, technologies and consumer expectations emerge and with shrinking product development cycles, the need to support older products, and constant pressure to optimize costs and differentiate products to meet consumer demands, companies must adapt quickly to changes. Being product engineering partners with expertise in the domain, agility and innovation help us surmount the challenges of delivering high-quality, timely products and services to our client. A new facility dedicated to this helps us focus on meeting our customer needs very effectively.” he added.

Source: Equity Bulls

source: http://www.equitybulls.com / Equity Bulls / Home> Industry News / June 23rd, 2014

Hyderabad’s play Main Rahi Masoom goes global

Arts, Culture & Entertainment, World Opinion
The stage is set: Vinay Varma with Director Bhaskar Shewalkar. (Photo: DC)
The stage is set: Vinay Varma with Director Bhaskar Shewalkar. (Photo: DC)

Hyderabad:

Shakespeare’s phrase, ‘All the world’s a stage’, seems to be coming true for Vinay Varma, actor and director for the theatre group Sutradhar in the city. Vinay, has been invited by the Aligarh Alumni Association, Washington DC, and the Society of Friends International, London, to stage his play Main Rahi Masoom.

Talking about the inception of Main Rahi Masoom, which is based on the writer Dr Rahi Masoom Raza’s philosophy, Vinay says, “No one had ever thought of doing anything on this great unsung hero.”

Not the Aligarh University, not the Hindi film industry, not even any theatre person or filmmaker had ever attempted to pay any kind of tribute to him.And it was never an easy task. Vinay, along with the director of the play, Bhaskar Shewalkar, lights designer Dr Adesh Yadav and Sundeep Hemnaoni, had to go through a 519-page journal written by Rahi and then attend a script-writing workshop to perfect the script of the play.

“The final script is a result of a lot of churning and personal effort. At first Nadeem bhai (Rahi’s son) seemed dismissive about the whole effort. He wasn’t convinced, and mentioned that there were too many people who had tried to do something on Rahi, but their efforts never took off. But when the script was mailed to them, they were astonished with the results, and gave us a go ahead. Both Nadeem and Nayyar aunty (Rahi’s wife) gave us inputs about his personality, where and how he used to write, what and how often he smoked, and even which paan he chewed.”

Sutradhar has often exhibited works of writers like Manto, Ismat Chugtai and now, Dr Rahi Masoom Raza. But chronicling the life and times of such expansive writers is a difficult task. Vinay agrees.

“You have to live up to their reputation and do justice to their classics. Their personalities, lifestyle, thoughts, era and characters have to come across undiluted, and that is like walking on a double-edged sword.”

It goes without saying that even at the international stage, there will be no changes in the script. “Each word in the script is Rahi’s and not ours. In fact, we refused to change or modify anything in the script when the Gujarat Censor Board refused to clear it for a performance in Ahmedabad. Instead, we preferred not to perform, rather than put up a lame show. It makes sense because it is about a man who stood up to the fundamentalists on both sides of the religious divide.”

source: http://www.deccanchronicle.com / Deccan Chronicle / Home> Entertainment > TV-Music / DC / Sanchita Dash / June 24th, 2014

16 Hyderabad firms on D&B’s top 500 list

Business & Economy, Records, All, World Opinion

Companies that have made it to the list include Amara raja batteries, Andhra bank, Aurobindo Pharma, Dr Reddy’s among others

Sixteen companies from Hyderabad have made way to the recently released ‘India’s Top 500 Companies’ report of Dun & Bradstreet (D&B), a provider of global business information and insight.

According to D&B, the ranking is done on the basis of various parametres such as total income, net profit and net worth. It includes both private sector and public sector companies that are listed on stock exchanges.

The companies that have been included in the report are Amara raja batteries, Andhra bank, Aurobindo Pharma, BS Limited, Coromandel International, Cyient, Dr Reddy’s, Gayatri Projects, HBL Power Systems, Heritage Foods, Madhucon Projects, NCC, NMDC, Prism Cement, Ramky Infrastructure and Steel Exchange India Limited.

“Despite subdued consumption demand and inflationary pressures that persisted during FY14, the top 500 Companies managed to show a modest 8 per cent growth in their top line earnings during first nine months of FY14 as compared to the same period previous year.

“On the profitability front, margins declined marginally from 7.5 per cent during 9M FY13 to 7 per cent during 9M FY14. On the back of policy initiatives expected from the new government, we expect revival in the domestic economy in FY15, albeit at a slower pace, as measures to boost business confidence will take time to fructify. For FY15, D&B expects the GDP to grow by 5.5 per cent,” D&B India president and chief executive officer, Kaushal Sampat, stated in a press release.

source: http://www.business-standard.com / Business Standard / Home> Companies> News / BS Reporter / Hyderabad – June 23rd, 2014

Music for all, all for music

Arts, Culture & Entertainment
MUSIC AND LYRICS Lazy Weekends perform at the concert Photo: Ramesh Babu
MUSIC AND LYRICS Lazy Weekends perform at the concert Photo: Ramesh Babu

The World Music Day concert offered a stage for up and coming musicians to showcase their talent, while raising a lot of questions about the city’s western music scene

This Saturday saw a huge crowd gather at Hyderabad Public School with one purpose in mind – to enjoy an evening of music. Organised by Alliance Francaise, Hyderabad, Goethe- Zentrum Hyderabad and Hyderabad Western Music Foundation, the four-hour concert covered all genres including Indian and Western classical, fusion, classic rock, acoustic and folk.

For musician Arpit Chourey, the event not only provided a stage to perform but also served as a place to meet other local artistes. “It was a great opportunity for meetings and collaborations,” he says.

“It was a good platform where I could play my original compositions unlike at a lounge,” says the artist who performs at a restaurant every Friday. Nicholas Wood, who moved to the city in April, too, the event was a great place to meet other musicians. “I was really surprised at the levcel of talents, especially of the younger musicians,” he says.

In Hyderabad, Alliance Francaise and the other organisers together have made the day about shining the limelight on new acts that are yet to enter the nascent music scene in the city. According to Pranati Khanna, who performed at a World Music Day concert three years ago, the platform is great for amateurs. Today, Pranati performs at Trident Hotel and also plays at Olive Bistro every Sunday. Like her, many other who played at World Music Day have begun taking up gigs across the city.

While we cannot ignore the generosity of HPS who hosted the event on their premises, the fact remains that the hall was not the most fitting venue for a musical performance. The poor acoustics of the venue, however, didn’t stop the audience and musicians from having a good time but it did highlights the lack of availability of good spaces for performing western music, especially when operating on a tight budget. Shruti Verma, cultural coordinator of Alliance Francaise informs that getting sponsorship for an event like this is not easy in the city.

“The difficulty is that we don’t have too many Corporates that associate themselves with music.This means, we have to compromise a bit on the quality of the event,” explains Shrutt.Pranati, who has been performing for a few years, too reveals she has a hard time finding companies that fund music concerts. She also agrees that when it comes to music, Hyderabad cannot compare to Bangalore or Delhi, a complaint voiced by many musicians here.

Initiating Hyderabad
The good news, however, is that in the last year, starting with City of M, before the year began and Reset, which took place in March to the gigs that happen in places like Lost Society and Over the Moon, we have had a few good bands from all over the country bringing their music to Hyderabad.

While these events are funded mostly by liquor manufacturers and held in exclusive venues, they are doing their bit to initiate part of the Hyderabadi into the musical culture that make a city like Bangalore a hotspot for independent musicians. Meanwhile, establishments like Coco’s, Olive Bistro and the now closed Blue Door provide space for local artistes to perform. Still, there is a lot to be learnt – by musicians, organisers and audience members – before Hyderabad can put itself on the map for original music in India and provide the right exposure for home grown talent. Save for the event at HPS and a few other classical performances in small venues across the city, World Music Day in Hyderabad went by without much noise. Chennai’s celebrations included music workshops in several schools while Bangalore had more than 50 bands perform across five venues, over two days.

Keeping in mind that the festival is built on the idea of providing free music for all, perhaps a little help from local venues and participation and coordination among local musicians might go a long way in making Fete De la Musique as it was envisioned by its creator, Maurice Fleuret with ‘music everywhere and the concert nowhere’.

source: http://www.thehindu.com / The Hindu / Home> Features> MetroPlus> Events / by Zeenab Aneez / Hyderabad – June 23rd, 2014

Hyderabad boy bags second rank in IIT-JEE

Education, Records, All

Hyderabad :

Hyderabad continued its top-notch record in IIT Joint Entrance Examination (Advanced) with Ch Sai Chetan from the city bagging the second rank, the results of which were announced on Thursday evening. Names of three others from the city figure in the IIT-JEE toppers’ list. In the divided state, Chetan emerged the topper in Telangana while Revuri Lohit from Tirupati became the state topper in Andhra Pradesh, having secured the fourth rank in the exam.

Rajasthan’s Chitraang Murdia topped JEE (Advanced) securing 334 out of a total of 360 marks.

In all, the two states bagged five of the top 10 ranks and 11 of the top 20 ranks. Overall 19416 students from across the country, including 6,000 from OBC, 4,400 from SC and 1,250 from ST categories, figured in the common merit list this year.

source: http://www.timesofindia.indiatimes.com / The Times of India / Home> City> Hyderabad / TNN / June 20th, 2014

Race course set to gallop into history

Business & Economy, Sports

Hyderabad :

A major landmark of the city is set to disappear soon with the Telangana Rashtra Samithi government firming up plans to turn the iconic Hyderabad Race Club into an education hub.

Leading into the elections, TRS supremo K Chandrasekhar Rao, promised a slew of sops to boost education, and one idea, which startled educationists, was turning the 100-year-old iconic race course into an education hub.

After he assumed power, the education department has been entrusted the task of preparing a blueprint for establishing 150 educational institutions in and around the sprawling Malakpet race course. These institutes will offer post-graduate courses in various subjects, specialize in research and development, it is learnt.

In fact, a similar proposal to create an educational hub by the then Congress chief minister YS Rajasekhara Reddy, was shelved in 2008 after vehement opposition from the race course authorities, backed by political parties.

Now the higher education department has pulled out the old blueprint and is re-working it with renewed zeal and giving it proper shape, at the behest of the state government.

The government’s plan is to build about 150 higher education institutes on 500 acres of land, which includes the race course and also the Chanchalguda jail.

When asked about the plan, G Jagadish Reddy, minister for higher education said that the manifesto will be implemented at any cost.

“We will implement the manifesto at any cost. The hub will come up and the modalities will be discussed soon,” the minister said.

As per the plan, the whole concept is at the formative stage and the government has plans to rope in several stakeholders and finalise the mega project. Education department officials said companies like Wipro and Infosys, among others will be roped in for the project.

Educationists are privately criticising the move saying Telangana already has plenty of quality educational institutions, including IIT-Hyderabad, National Institute of Technology in Warangal and Indian School of Business among others.

“Educational hub is a good concept, but establishing it by destroying an iconic landmark is definitely a bad idea. There is a plenty of open land where the government can set up such institutions, why here?” questioned a former vice-chancellor, who did not wish to be named.

Incidentally, the present race course in Malakpet was shifted from Secunderabad a century ago as the British government wanted it closer to the city and now thanks to Telangana chief minister K Chandrshekar Rao, it is all set to move out of the city again.

The race course and the Chanchalguda jail are part of a sprawling 2,000 acres of land, which the new government has been eyeing. In fact, the chief minister said clearly that his government would not allow such prime land to be wasted on racing and wanted the jail to be shifted out of the city, but has not specified where.

The 2008 plan envisaged a smaller project where only part of the race course would have been affected, officials in the know of things said.

source: http://www.timesofindia.indiatimes.com / The Times of India / Home> City> Hyderabad / by Nikhila Henry, TNN / June 20th, 2014

US firm to invest Rs. 300 crore in ladder unit in Medchal

Business & Economy, World Opinion

It is likely to create 1,000 jobs in the first year itself
: In what could be the first investment flow into the five-day-old Telangana State, the US-based Wing Enterprises has decided to invest about Rs. 300 crore near Medchal here to set up a ladder-manufacturing company.

The investment in manufacturing (furniture) sector is likely to create direct employment potential of about 1,000 jobs in the first year itself. Representatives of the US-based firm engaged in the production of “Little Giant Ladder” Systems called on Minister for IT, Industries and Panchayat Raj K.T. Rama Rao at his office here on Friday and explained to him their plans.

K.T. Rama Rao
K.T. Rama Rao

The company manufactures different types of ladders and equipment like air-deck work stations, cargo-hold products and fuel tank paint trays.

“The establishment of the manufacturing facility by the US firm is a pointer to the flow of investments into Hyderabad in other sectors and not just IT”, the minister told The Hindu.

Plans for IT sector

On the State government’s vision for the IT sector, Mr. Rama Rao said they would soon come out with a comprehensive policy for its development with focus on research and development, particularly on establishing world-class incubation centres to nurse the talent and entrepreneurship.

“The focus so far has been on the IT/ITES. But, we have plans to take it to the next level to fuel growth of the sector by creating an appropriate eco-system”, the minister said. He would meet representatives of the industry before preparing the policy.

Earlier in the day, the minister shared the government’s plans for the IT sector growth, particularly in the area of entrepreneurship and innovation, with the faculty of Indian School of Business (ISB) and International Institute of Information Technology (IIIT).

ISB Dean Ajit Rangnekar said they were keen to explore ways for collaboration between the government and ISB to strengthen the ecosystem. He explained how the ISB had been working closely with successive governments and the industry. Director of IIIT Hyderabad P.J. Narayanan was also present.

source: http://www.thehindu.com / The Hindu / Home> National> Andhra Pradesh / by Special Correspondent / Hyderabad – June 07th, 2014

Blade runner

Inspiration / Positive News and Features, Records, All, Sports, World Opinion

Manish Pandey, an amputee, bagged two medals for India at the Tunisia Grand Prix

Manish Pandey
Manish Pandey

When Manish Pandey lost his right leg in a train accident in 2011, little did he think that he’d one day be competing in the international sports circuit. But the 22-year-old is doing just that. Manish, who represents Hyderabad, bagged two medals for India in his maiden appearance on the international circuit at the IPC Athletics Grand Prix in Tunisia.

Manish, who now has his sights set on the Asian Paralympics to be held in South Korea in October, qualified to compete in the T-44 category and went on to bag the silver medal in the 200 meter sprint on June 16 and bronze in the 100 meter two days later. “This was my first international competition and I’m happy with the results. It has helped me qualify for the Asian Paralympics to be held in October,” he says.

Four years back when Manish was returning home after writing an exam, he got pushed out of the train. “I remember it was the World Cup finals that day and I wanted to watch the match so I chose to go by local train to reach earlier. It was crowded and I accidentally got pushed out of the train, which ran over my leg. However, I didn’t want this to stop me. I had always actively participated in sports. So I began to focus on creating a career in sports,” he says.

But with no clue about how to go about things, Manish went to Bangalore in 2012 for trials where he met Ratan Singh, a member of the Paralympics Committee. “He shared tips with me and told me that while I had the talent, I needed a blade to be able to run. However, this prosthetic costs around Rs. 3 or 4 lakh. Finally, towards the end of 2013 I was approached by Mohana Gandhi of Dakshin Rehab; he offered to help me. Ever since, I have been in the city, practising and representing it in competitions,” says Manish.

While he is supported by the foundation, he says that there is no government funding for them. “For the Tunisia Paralympics I needed Rs. 1.5 lakh and I borrowed from family and friends to be able to participate. Dakshin Rehab also supported me. This lack of funding also means that I cannot afford to have anybody to monitor my training or diet. I take tips from peers and by watching athletes by like Oscar Pistorius and Usain Bolt,” he says, adding that he trains for two hours every morning in the gym and another two hours at the stadium every evening.

Manish, who hopes to bag a gold at the 2016 Paralympics, says that he hopes to find a sponsor. Until then the athlete, who has made Hyderabad his home, says, “It is the perfect place for me. I busy with practice. My parents continue to live in Chhattisgarh, but I have some cousins here so I feel quite at home.”

source: http://www.thehindu.com / The Hindu / Home> Features> MetroPlus / June 28th, 2014

City institute chosen as centre of excellence in Kyphoplasty

Records, All, Science & Technology, World Opinion

The Spine Institute of city-based Sunshine Hospitals has been chosen as centre of excellence in Kyphoplasty, a minimally invasive surgery of the spine that provides instant relief from back pain, by US-based Academia of Medtronics, a medical education programme for senior practising surgeons.

As part of the medical education programme, the Spine Institute conducted a two-day training programme for ortho and neuro surgeons from New Delhi. “Kyphoplasty is designed to stop the unbearable back pain of patients caused due to spinal fractures. This happens among patients who have osteoporosis because their bones are brittle. Such patients suffer frequent and painful fractures. We have been conducting this simple procedure for over five years in Hyderabad,” Director, Spine Institute, Dr. G. P. V. Subbaiah said.

Sunshine Hospitals has entered into an MOU with Academia of Medtronics to conduct similar educational programmes and also provide technical assistance on conducting Kyphoplasty procedures to senior surgeons.

source: http://www.thehindu.com / The Hindu / Home> Cities> Hyderabad / by Staff Reporter / Hyderabad – June 26th, 2014

HDBA tournament from tomorrow

Sports

The Hyderabad District Badminton Association (HDBA) will conduct a tournament for boys, girls under-13, 15, 17 and 19 years of age, men, women and veterans over 45 and 55 years at the Kotla Vijaya Bhaskar Reddy indoor stadium, Yusufguda from June 27 to 29.

Those selected from this event will represent the district in this year’s Telangana championships.

Besides registration costing Rs. 100, there will be entry fees of Rs. 200 for each player in singles and Rs. 400 for doubles. Date of birth certificates/proof of age is mandatory for all players except those registered with the Badminton Association of India (BAI).

Entries may be sent to G. Vijayaraghavan, Organising Secretary, HDBA, who may be contacted on mobile no: 9246280256 or K. Pani Rao, Secretary, HDBA on 9440065604. The said tournament will be inaugurated on Friday at 9 a.m.

Emphatic win for

West Godavari

West Godavari scored an emphatic 10-wicket victory over Guntur in the ACA under-19 women’s inter-district tournament at Guntur on Wednesday.

The scores: Guntur 106 for six in 25 overs (Ch. Jhansi Lakshmi 45 n.o.) lost to West Godavari 107 for no loss in 19.4 overs (K. Hepsiba 61).

Prakasam 52 in 24.5 overs ((K. Dhathri three for five) lost to Krishna 53 for one in 5.2 overs.

Big win for Kurnool

Kurnool defeated Nellore by 206 runs in the ACA under-19 inter-district tournament for Plate Group at Vizianagaram on Wednesday.

The scores:

At Vizianagaram: Nellore 116 and 174 in 58.1 overs (Nivrit Ram 75, Veerender Singh five for 40) lost to Kurnool 506 for eight in 120 overs.

Srikakulam 144 and 260 for nine decl. 63.4 overs (Rakesh Augustine 83) drew with Krishna 146 and 199 for six in 68 overs (E. Koutilya 46, M. Praneeth 40).

At Vijayawada:

Vizag 400 for six decl. and 210 for seven in 50 overs (Dheeraj Laxman 69, R. Atchutrao 27, V. Ch. Sandeep 28) drew with Chittoor 148.

At Ongole:

Kadapa 154 and 275 bt Prakasam 62 and 123 in 40.3 overs (Kranthi Kumar 55, S.M.D. Rafi five for 51, Hari Kumar Reddy four for 27).

At Perecherla: Guntur 313 and 181 for six decl in 29 overs (K. Maheep Kumar 76, P. Akhil 24, G.V.V. Tarun Kumar four for 36) drew with East Godavari 200 and 155 for five in 55 overs (S. Yudish 73 n.o, Gopinath three for 34).

At Vizag:

Anantapur 313 and 259 for six decl. in 59 overs (P. Ranjit Reddy 112, M. Raja Sekhar 104, U.A.V. Varma- 3 for 63) drew with West Godavari 201 and 120 for no loss in 26 overs (U.A.V. Varma 55 n.o., B.H. Mounish Varma 51 n.o).

Cricket tournament

As many as 32 teams from all over Anantapur District will take part in the annual RDT rural cricket tournament which begins on June 26 at Anantapur.

The event, held for the 15th year in a row, will be held in three grounds.

source: http://www.thehindu.com / The Hindu / Home> Sport / Hyderabad – June 26th, 2014