Category Archives: Business & Economy

Khammam gearing up to ready 6 lakh ‘eetha’ saplings

Agriculture, Business & Economy, Green Initiatives / Environment, Nature

Saplings being watered by a worker at a forest department nursery at Tekulapalli in Khammam. | Photo Credit: G. N. Rao

Govt. wants to plant toddy-giving ‘eetha’ as part of Telanganaku Haritha Haaram

A Herculean task awaits the Forest Department to meet the target of planting around six lakh ‘eetha’ (Phoenix sylvestris) palm saplings in the coming fourth phase of the Telanganaku Haritha Haaram (THH), the State government’s flagship afforestation programme.

The State government has accorded utmost priority to planting of toddy-giving saplings, mainly ‘eetha’ plants, along the foreshores of tanks and other water bodies as part of a multi-focal strategy to improve green cover, augment income for toddy tappers and check the menace of spurious ID liquor and toddy in the State.

However, the well-intended initiative is beset by some bottlenecks such as lack of proper institutionalised provision for protection of toddy-giving saplings after the plantation drive and adequate government lands to take up plantation of saplings on a massive scale in the district, sources said.

Around 2.30 lakh ‘eetha’ saplings were planted across the district in the previous phase of the THH against odds. Thousands of saplings were given away to the government agencies concerned in Mahabubnagar and a few other districts due to problems associated with identifying suitable open places, particularly around water bodies in the district last year, sources added.

The Forest Department has laid focus on achieving the target in terms of planting the ‘eetha’ saplings in coordination with the Department of Prohibition and Excise during the fourth phase of the THH, likely to be implemented later this month.

The Excise Department has stepped up efforts to actively involve the toddy-tappers’ cooperative societies in the ‘eetha’ saplings plantation drive during the THH’s fourth phase, sources added.

Officials concerned have already held discussions with toddy-tappers, mainly concentrated in Kusumanchi, Tirumalayapalem and other mandals in Palair constituency.

Adequate number of ‘eetha’ saplings are available in several nurseries, including Bathulapally in Kalluru mandal and Cherukapally in Sattupalli mandal in the district, says Sunil Hiremath, District Forest Officer, Khammam.

A wide variety of saplings, mainly of forest tree species, are being raised in 65 nurseries of the Forest Department in the district to fully meet the target of planting 1.97 crore saplings in the fourth phase of the THH all over the district.

source: http://www.thehindu.com / The Hindu / Home> News> States> Telangana / by P. Sridhar / Khammam – July 08th, 2018

Kaleshwaram engineers prove their mettle

Agriculture, Business & Economy, Records, All, Science & Technology, World Opinion

Irrigation Minister T. Harish Rao (not in picture) is of the opinion that the extra-mile efforts of the work agencies and engineers made the project’s progress possible.

They find new ideas to overcome challenges faced by them

The execution of Kaleshwaram irrigation project has become a platform to showcase out of the box management skills for work agencies, department engineers and even the Minister concerned to keep the momentum of work and meet deadlines.

Those involved in the execution of the project have been finding new ideas to overcome the challenges faced from time to time in acquisition of land, ensuring availability of required workforce and getting the material moved to work sites.

“Unlike in other projects the engineers working for Kaleshwaram project have gone beyond their mandate and convinced people to give up their lands identified for the project needs, after the revenue department failed to make headway. We visited villages, met elders and convinced them about the larger benefits the project is going to derive,” a senior engineer supervising the project work said seeking anonymity.

As all the work agencies engaged in the project have mobilised 90% of the workforce from other States such as Odisha, Jharkhand, Bihar, Uttar Pradesh and West Bengal for “strategic” reasons, holding them back from returning to their native places during major festivals has been a major headache. Holi festival and local bodies’ elections in West Bengal during the recent summer season were testing times, the engineer said.

“We offered double wages to stop the workers going home for Holi and succeeded in holding back at least half of them to keep the momentum of work for meeting June-July deadlines,” explained Director of Megha Engineering & Infrastructures Ltd B. Srinivas Reddy during a visit to the project works recently. Adding to Mr. Srinivas Reddy’s views, Irrigation Minister T. Harish Rao said some engineers were deputed to West Bengal to bring back workers from areas where the local polls held in phases were either over or postponed.

Airlifted

Stating that some parts of pumps for Package 6 and 8 were airlifted from Austria to meet the deadlines, Mr. Harish Rao narrated how they faced difficulties in moving some other equipment brought to Mumbai port from Finland. “It reached Mumbai in 20 days but it took 30 days to bring it to the work site (Medigadda) as construction of a flyover in Mumbai obstructed its movement. Its journey through an alternative route took a week’s extra time even with the cooperation of Maharashtra government,” he explained.

Dealing with five countries, a few neighbouring States and several departments at the Centre for getting clearances has been no mean task, he said and it was the extra mile efforts of both work agencies and engineers that have made project’s progress, as it stands now, possible.

source: http://www.thehindu.com / The Hindu / Home> News> Cities> Hyderabad / by B. Chandrashekhar / Hyderabad – July 03rd, 2018

Award for NIT building

Business & Economy, Education, Records, All

A new building dedicated to the Materials and Metallurgical Engineering department on the National Institute of Technology (NIT) campus here has been adjudged second best constructed institutional building in the south zone.

Constructed by the the Central Public Works Department (CPWD) at a cost of about ₹70 crore, it has selected for the second prize under the Civil Stream Best Completed Projects in south zone. The department, set to mark the 164th CPWD Day, selected buildings constructed in different zones of the country to present awards in various categories. The award would be presented to the concerned engineering wing on July 12 on which the CPWD Day celebrated, NIT director N.V. Ramana Rao.

The building houses state-of-the-art classrooms and laboratories, computer facilities and a modern conference hall. It will also accommodate the physics and chemistry departments of the institute.

source: http://www.thehindu.com / The Hindu / Home> News> States> Telangana / by Special Correspondent / Warangal, Urban Dt- July 03rd, 2018

EPAM opens Hyderabad facility

Business & Economy, Records, All, Science & Technology, World Opinion

Hyderabad :

EPAM Systems,a US-based digital platform engineering and software development services company has opened a development centre here.

The Hyderabad centre houses about 900 employees. Its Pune office has about 100 employees.

The Hyderabad facility, which has a capacity to house 1,600 employees, has a Design Studio, an Innovation Garage and a digital engineering centre. “We are planning to increase the headcount by 20 per cent this year,” Arkadiy Dobkin, Chief Executive Officer and President,EPAM, said.

Telangana Information Technology KT Rama Rao formally inaugurated the facility in the IT hub of Madhapur.

EPAM’s India operations began in 2015 as it acquired Alliance Global Services, a software product development services and test automation solutions firm.

source:http://www.thehindubusinessline.com / Business Line / Home / by The Hindu Bureau / Hyderabad – June 29th, 2018

Hyderabad mattress maker lands big order

Business & Economy

Centuary Mattresses has bagged an order to supply 83,000 spring mattresses to the Karnataka Residential Education Infrastructure Society (KREIS) under the Government of Karnataka.

The company will also supply 86,000 pillows to the Society.

Announcing this, a release from the company said the mattresses would be manufactured at Jinnaram in Medak district and expected to be delivered by October.

The KREIS will use these mattresses in the residential hostels for the tribal students under Mysuru, Belagavi and Kalaburagi divisions of Karnataka.

Centuary had in 2016 supplied 50,000 mattresses to Telangana Social Welfare Residential Education Society and the next year 70,000 mattresses to Telangana Tribal Welfare Residential Schools; the largest mattress supplies in India from a single customer in those years.

With the order from KREIS, the company claimed it has bettered its own record of supplying the largest number of spring mattresses to a single customer by any mattress company in the country.

The company, as a goodwill gesture, will supply an upgraded 7-inch mattress though the order from KREIS was for a 6-inch mattress, the release said.

source: http://www.thehindu.com / The Hindu / Home> News> Cities> Hyderabad / by Special Correspondent / Hyderabad – June 28th, 2018

Award for Singareni CMD

Business & Economy, Leaders, Records, All

N. Sridhar

The Institute of Economic Studies (IES) has selected Chairman and Managing Director of Singareni Collieries Company Ltd N. Sridhar for its Outstanding Global Leadership Award in recognition of the latter’s leadership skills in improving the performance of the company over the last four years.

The award would be presented at the global economic summit to be held at Dubai on June 28. It is the second international award to be received by the top executive of the SCCL this year with the Enterprise Asia presenting him the Asia Pacific Entrepreneurship award for 2017, according to officials.

In a letter sent to SCCL, Executive Director of the Institute of Economic Studies, Sangeetha Singh, stated that the award would also comprise a gold medal and invited Mr. Sridhar to attend 28th global economic summit to be held in Dubai. It said ‘IES confers the leadership award to financial experts, parliamentarians, financial research experts for India’s financial stability’.

Officials of the SCCL stated that the company has gained international recognition along with scaling up its performance during the last four years.

The company’s turnover has increased from ₹11.928 crore in 2013-14 to ₹22,667 crore in 2017-18.

Similarly, profit of the company has also gone up from ₹419 crore to ₹1,200 crore during the last four years, registering an increase of over 186%.

source: http://www.thehindu.com / The Hindu / Home> News> Cities> Hyderabad / by Special Correspondent / Hyderabad – June 12th, 2018

This woman found her calling in servicing auto parts

Business & Economy, Inspiration / Positive News and Features, Records, All

Vidya Nambirajan is ready to break all gender barriers to pursue the career she enjoys

Paramount Auto Bay Services in Secunderabad, Telengana looks like any other four-wheeler auto service outlet, but for the fact that it is owned and managed by its CEO Vidya Nambirajan. A 30-year-old business that was handed down to her from her father turned into her passion when she took over it in 2001, and became the first woman in the city to own an automobile service outlet.

As someone who was initiated into the business with no knowledge of auto parts servicing (she worked in marketing before), what kept her going? When she had to manage the garage due to her father’s illness, surprisingly, the same friendly staff who worked with her dad didn’t respond well to her because they didn’t want to report to a woman in a male-driven set-up. That was when her resolve to learn the job strengthened. “I wanted to prove that I could do it much better, and that drove me,” says Vidya.

As for the customers, “I found that if my mechanic, a male colleague, said some part needed replacement, the customer would readily agree without a question. But a series of whys and hows would be shot at me if I had to deal with the same customer,” she says, of the earlier years. Even today, almost 18 years later, it’s not always business as usual: “People look at me with either apprehension or in awe,” she says.

Paramount Auto Bay Services, Secunderabad | Photo Credit: Special Arrangement

Over the years, she has hired both men and women, and finds that the difference is that women are more process-oriented and committed, because they don’t take the job for granted. “It’s easier to train women, but more difficult to retain them, as they lack family support,” she says. She herself is process-oriented, and has ensured that her garage is ISO-certified.

She has also set up a Skill Development and Placement Centre, a service that she extends free of cost to women. Her students are placed in India and abroad as automotive service technicians. In a first, she has tied up with DUALpro, Germany, in conjunction with the Indo-German Chamber of Commerce (IGCC). A three-month on-the-job German Certification Course equips technicians to work anywhere in the world. She has also ensured the institute is DAkkS-certified, a German certification for quality management.

Affiliation to the Automotive Skills Development Council, another first in Telangana, qualifies her trainees as Automotive Service Technicians, assisting them to advance in their career. Vidya has also tied up with major on-road assistance services like MyTVS, India Assistance, and Allianz. She has plans to expand her business all over South India.

source: http://www.thehindu.com / The Hindu / Home> Life & Style> Motoring / by Girija K / May 22nd, 2018

Award for hospital founder

Business & Economy, Inspiration / Positive News and Features, Leaders, Records, All, World Opinion

Continental Hospitals founder and Director Guru N. Reddy was conferred the ‘UK & Asia Inspirational Business Leaders award 2018’ in London by Ambassador and Deputy High Commissioner of UK Dinesh K. Patnaik, Lord Swaraj Paul and Lord Karan Billimoria on May 17.

Dr. Reddy was chosen from among 200 leaders by a distinguished jury of ibrands 360 and editorial team of Leaders Asia Magazine.

Other recipients of this award in the past include Apollo Hospitals chairman Dr. Prathap C. Reddy, Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella, Biocon chairperson and MD Kiran Mazumdar Shaw and Tata Sons chairman Ratan Tata, a release said.

source: http://www.thehindu.com / The Hindu / Home> News> Cities> Hyderabad / by Special Correspondent / Hyderabad – May 19th, 2018

CSR award for NMDC

Business & Economy, Records, All, Science & Technology, World Opinion

Its initiatives support education, health and skill development

Public sector iron ore miner NMDC Ltd has bagged S&P Global Platts Global Metals Award 2018 in the corporate social responsibility category.

Chairman-cum-Managing Director N. Baijendra Kumar and Director (Personnel) Sandeep Tula received the award at a function held on Thursday in London on Thursday. The honour S&P Global Platts Global Metals Award recognises top performers – industry leaders and innovators. It corporate social responsibility (CSR) award recognises the organisation that best demonstrates leadership, commitment to action and real-world social impact on social responsibility of corporate business entity, a release from NMDC said.

The public sector firm is the largest iron ore mining company in India. With iron ore production of around 35 million tonnes per annum, it has a domestic market share of about 25% (non-captive category). NMDC also extracts diamonds through its mine in Panna, which is the only mechanised diamond mine in Asia.

Mr. Kumar said the company’s CSR initiatives adopt a “flexible, inclusive, non-perspective, process-oriented approach to enable the stakeholders to determine the scope of our programmes and activities. NMDC has shown that it is possible to be profitable, while being socially and environmentally responsible”.

NMDC’s CSR spend has increased from ₹86 crore ($13.25 million) in 2011-12 to an average of ₹190 crore ($30 million) during the last three years. The company has been supporting initiatives on education, health, skill development, infrastructure creation, drinking water with a view to enhance the quality of life and empower the local population, the release said.

source:http://www.thehindu.com / The Hindu / Home> News> Cities> Hyderabad / by Special Correspondent / May 18th, 2018

Stoves that are not just poor-friendly, but fuel-efficient

Amazing Feats, Business & Economy, Green Initiatives / Environment, Inspiration / Positive News and Features, Records, All, Science & Technology

The stoves created by environmental chemist Sai Bhaskar N. Reddy.

Hyderabad-based chemist creates over 50 designs that help in reducing smoke

More than 50 designs, painted in hues of blue and red that adorn the walls of a one-room museum located amid wilderness in Jangaon, were created for a single purpose – to efficiently burn.

The stoves of Sai Bhaskar N. Reddy, a city-based environmental chemist, are a result of years of travel, discovery experimentation with biomass and material to produce designs that are replicable, cheap and can improve fuel efficiency by reducing smoke.

“In 2005 at a village in Mahabubnagar, I found people cooking on three-stone stoves, but could send their children to convent schools and had dish connectivity. The biogas stoves subsidised by the government were not functional. I sought the government’s assistance to intervene, but nothing happened,” he said explaining his resolve to make biomass stoves. Dr. Reddy’s designs have been uploaded on the Internet for free use. Every design, he says, is an improvement over the previous one, to achieve improved burning of multiple types of biomass fuels. Though a large number of rural households now use LPG, a stove that burns biomass, often wood, is also used in rural homes, mainly for heating water.

The WHO estimates that nearly four million people are killed worldwide annually due to indoor pollution caused by inefficient combustion. Stoves at Dr. Reddy’s museum at Peddamadduru in Jangaon are made from low-cost aluminium boxes in which cooking oil is conventionally sold or cast iron. The gasifier variety of stoves is fitted with small fans used as exhaust in computers.

“This, I would say, is the most iconic design,” he says pointing to a stove that looks more like a traditional grill. “The 3G stove allows inflow of air at various levels during combustion. It also helps easy loading of biomass and allows for production of biochar.” Biochar, a charcoal produced from plant material, has found in use many applications, including those of environmental decontamination to agriculture. Dr. Reddy’s stoves have been used by the homeless in Mumbai, in the villages of Mahabubnagar and even possibly by refugees in Europe. “After October 2015, traffic from European nations, including Germany, to my website where I have uploaded designs has surged,” Dr. Reddy says adding that cooking apart, his stoves could also be used for heating.

A proponent of open source knowledge, Dr. Reddy says he does not monetise his designs. He believes that low-cost solutions made available online free of cost for other purposes like treating water, sanitation and makeshift houses could greatly help the poor, refugees and the homeless and help achieve the goals of development that govt.s have been striving to achieve.

source: http://www.thehindu.com / The Hindu / Home> News> Cities> Hyderabad / by Rohit P.S. / Hyderabad – May 13th, 2018