Category Archives: Business & Economy

Golden jubilee of Dinesh Beedi

Business & Economy, Records, All

Has diversified into sectors like apparel-making, food processing, IT

The Kerala  Dinesh Beedi Workers’ Central Cooperative Society (KDBWCCS), comprising a number of primary societies spread over Kannur, Kasaragod districts and Vadakara in Kozhikode, is celebrating its 50th anniversary with year-long functions.

Announcing this at a press conference here on Wednesday, organising committee chairman and trade union leader K.P. Sahadevan and society management representatives said that when the 50th anniversary of the industrial cooperative society was being celebrated, beedi making was one of the activities of the society as it had already branched off to non-beedi sectors such as apparel-making, umbrella production, food processing and IT sectors. Explaining the history of the cooperative society, which during its peak business period had employed 42,000 people, Mr. Sahadevan said the KDBWCCS was formed in 1969 in the aftermath of a major crisis that beedi workers in the northern Kerala had faced when major beedi manufacturing companies with headquarters in Mangalore closed down their units in the northern parts of Kerala in 1968 in response to workers’ agitation demanding implementation of the Beedi and Cigar Workers’ Conditions of Employment Act that guaranteed minimum wages.

The Left government that came to power in 1967 had committed to the implementation of the Central legislation.

The workers’ share had been fixed at ₹20, but the then State government had extended ₹19 as a share capital loan to each worker.

Today, the society employs nearly 6,000 workers, he said.

Founding day

On the founding day on February 15, workers, trade union leaders and local people’s representatives would hoist the society’s flag in all the offices and branches of the society.

On February 22, Industries Minister E.P. Jayarajan would inaugurate a function in Kannur to felicitate retired workers and director board members.

Similar function would be held at Kanhangad on February 23, the organisers said. The formal inauguration of the function would be done by Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan on March 9, they added.

Society chairman C. Rajan and secretary K. Prabhakaran said that the society’s total turnover in 2017-18 was ₹75 crore, around ₹55 crore of which was from sale of beedis.

₹18 crore as GST

The company is annually paying around ₹18 crore as GST.

The society had been bestowed awards by industries organisation for fair business practices.

source: http://www.thehindu.com / The Hindu / Home> News> States> Kerala / by Special Correspondent / Kannur – February 13th, 2019

World’s oldest running steam loco to make heritage runs

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Soon Keralites will get to see the world’s oldest running steam engine.


The 164-year-old EIR 21 steam loco will begin its herit age runs in the Thiruvananthapuram division from Thursday. The first runs will be from Nagercoil Junction to Kanyakumari and later on from Ernakulam Junction to Cochin Harbour Terminus

Kochi :

Soon Keralites will get to see the world’s oldest running steam engine. A sequence of heritage runs will be organised in the Thiruvananthapuram division from Thursday. The 164-year-old Express EIR 21 has been brought in from the Madurai division. According to Shirish Kumar Sinha, Divisional Railway Manager, Thiruvananthapuram Division, the inaugural run is charted from Nagercoil junction to Kanyakumari.

“It will make a few runs on the route and later on will be brought to Ernakulam. The runs will be made on Saturdays and Sundays. For the inaugural run, the train will chug out of Nagercoil Junction at 5 pm,” he said.

“The heritage runs in Ernakulam will happen from Ernakulam Junction to Cochin Harbour Terminus. However, only a few runs have been charted on this route. The timings are yet to be finalised but the days will be Saturday and Sunday,” he said.

According to him, the runs are being conducted as a part of the Southern Railway’s policy to acquaint people with the heritage of railways in India. “EIR 21 has only one coach and has been refurbished. The train will provide people with a chance to ride on it. The ticket rates are yet to be decided,” he said.

The name ‘EIR 21 Express’ was given to the loco by its creators, Kitson, Thompson & Hewitson of England, who built it in 1855. The loco was shipped to the Indian subcontinent to span high and low lands. It carried people and heavy cargo for over 55 years. It was refurbished in 2010. 

source: http://www.newindianexpress.com / The New Indian Express / Home> Cities> Kochi / by Express News Service / February 07th, 2019

Engineering a change in toilet technology

Business & Economy, Green Initiatives & Environment, Records, All, Science & Technology, World Opinion

Though advancements have been made in the field of technology, maintenance has always been a plaguing issue and the least addressed.


B P Deepu

Thiruvananthapuram :

 Though advancements have been made in the field of technology, maintenance has always been a plaguing issue and the least addressed. This is where the US-based Caltech and Thiruvananthapuram-based Eram Scientifc Solutions,  come in. The companies have collaborated with each other to bring out Seva, e-toilets which are able to self-clean and are self-reparable. The aim is to address the issue of water scarcity which is prevalent in many cities.

Clement Cid, the Senior Research Engineer in Environmental Science and Engineering at Caltech won the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation Reinvent the Toilet Challenge in 2012. He was in the city as part of the project. According to him,  the biggest challenge was to create a cheap, safe and clean toilet for over 2 billion people across the globe.

He brought out a technology that uses electrochemical mechanisms to treat disinfected water. But his collaboration with Eram in 2013 paved the way for a revolution. “We met with Eram in a sanitation conference and with the support of Gates Foundation, we were able to make a prototype and were able to run it for a year. The result was positive,” he said.

 Clement believes the new e-toilet system will help in bringing a change in the Indian sanitation system. 


“Maintaining toilets is a big issue in cities where sewerage systems are haywire.  The self-sufficient toilets will help municipalities and cities which are facing these issues,” he said.

‘Toilet of the future’


The ‘Toilet of the future’ concept was introduced by Gates Foundation and the Caltech group led by Michael Hoffmann. Clement was among the team members. Using sophisticated solar-powered treatment units, the team thought of working on a sensor system that would help in minimising the use of skilled repairs. 

The same concept is used in Seva e-toilets. “The toilets will be equipped with sensors which can monitor leaks. Once the issue is detected, an operator is alerted who can easily come and fix it,” he said.        Clement also added the idea is to install the toilets in public places. Later this technology can be introduced in household units and e-toilets. Caltech has started trials of its system in different places in Kerala. The trial run of the Seva prototype will be tested in Coimbatore. “Once the trial is completed, it will be installed in several cities where there are no proper sewer lines,” Clement said.

source: http://www.newindianexpress.com / The New Indian Express / Home> Cities> Thiruvananthapuram / by Steni Simon / Express News Service / January 12th, 2019

Polytechnic girl from Wayanad wins laurels at ‘Startup Yatra’

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

The first and second runners-up received Rs 50,000 and Rs 25,000 respectively.

Winners of the grand finale of the Startup Yatra with Kerala Startup Mission CEO Saji Gopinath in Technopark, Thiruvananthapuram on Tuesday | Express

Thiruvananthapuram :

Final year Mechanical Diploma Polytechnic student Arunima CR from Wayanad, who developed a solid waste cleaner that helps clean up water bodies sans manpower, bagged the Best Womenpreneur Award at the grand finale of the ‘Startup Yatra’ held at Technopark on Tuesday.

According to Arunima of Government Polytechnic College, Meenangadi, who won the award that carries a cash award of Rs 75,000, “Solid waste cleaner can also clean drains and remove solid waste from water sources, including streams, rivers and ponds. Significantly, it can avoid the workers’ direct contact with waste materials.”

The event marked the conclusion of the state-wide initiative by the Kerala Startup Mission (KSUM) to nurture aspiring entrepreneurs in Kerala’s tier 2 and 3 cities and help them realise their startup dreams. An Android app developed by Rashida V P from Kasargod for farmers in agriculture sector emerged the first runner-up. Andrea Antony from Kottayam won the second runner-up for her idea Min_Rov (Mind Rover), a concept for functioning a brain-control wheelchair.

The first and second runners-up received Rs 50,000 and Rs 25,000 respectively.

Around 80 innovative ideas were pitched in the finale by as many as 180 participants and 20 ideas notched-up honours. Heroes of the eight boot camps held in various districts were given a cash award of Rs 50,000 each.

The winners included :

Devi V S  (Thiruvananthapuram), Jithin J (Kollam), Thomas Syriac (Kottayam), Sachu Sivaram S (Ernakulam), Varsha J (Thrissur), Mohammed Shaheer (Kozhikode), Aneesh (Wayanad) and Harris (Kasargod).

Other awards:

Best Technology Startup: Winner  Amal C Saji (Ernakulam), First Runner-Up-Rahul KS (Ernakulam), and Second Runner-Up Annie Sam Varghese (Thiruvananthapuram); Best Social Startup: Winner – Risvan Ahammed K (Kasargod), First Runner-Up – Ushanandini (Ernakulam), and Second Runner-Up- Nowrin N (Thiruvananthapuram); Best Sustainability Startup: Winner- Kevin R (Kottayam), First Runner-Up – Amaljith S B (Thiruvananthapuram), and Second Runner-Up – Ragesh (Kottayam).

source: http://www.newindianexpress.com / The New Indian Express / Home> Cities> Thiruvananthapuram / by Express News Services / November 28th, 2018

Vanilla in Kerala regains its fragrance, albeit on a smaller scale

Agriculture, Business & Economy

The fragrance which had lost its allure due to a variety of reasons, besides a slump in the procurement price, is slowly regaining lost ground.

Kochi :

The fragrance which had lost its allure due to a variety of reasons, besides a slump in the procurement price, is slowly regaining lost ground. Vanilla is indeed making a comeback, albeit on a smaller scale!  The reason, according to market experts, is the yawning demand- supply gap.

Currently, a kilo of green beans commands around Rs 5,000. According to Thomas T V, senior manager, Vanilco, another factor which might have worked in the vanilla farmers’ favour is the havoc wrought on vanilla farms in Madagascar by hurricanes.

Till 2016, Vanilco, a company promoted by Indian vanilla farmers to protect their  interests in the longer run , procured around one tonne of vanilla in the state. But with prices going down due to poor demand for the beans grown in India in the European countries, the farmers began ditching their crops.

Another factor which led to the price slump  is the extensive farming. As a result, a kilo of green beans that used to command around Rs 3,000 began selling at around Rs 1,500. The farmers, especially those who had gone in for large-scale cultivation, didn’t find it viable due to huge expenses they incurred,” said Thomas.

“Vanilla is a labour intensive crop and takes a long time to flower. Besides, the crop suffers from various diseases,” he said.

According to Manmadan, a vanilla farmer, the ups and downs in the market not only of vanilla but also other crops happens due to Malayalees’ penchant to go in for thing that’s trending during that period of time. “People didn’t even bother to cultivate good quality plants. So, not only was the price impacted due to the surplus yield, but  the poor quality beans made us a pariah on the international market,” he said. Now though, vanilla is making a comeback, he said.

“The price being cited is Rs 5,000 for green beans and Rs 10,000 for dried ones,” he said.  According to Thomas, good quality vines plus smaller holdings are the mantras to become a successful vanilla farmer.  “Vanilco too is planning to help revive vanilla cultivation. We are planning to distribute quality vines to the farmers interested in growing vanilla on a small scale. The company will give them all the help needed to cultivate the crop and will also procure at the market price,” he said. Thomas said, “The proposal is at a planning stage and will be implemented soon. The company requires at least 500 kg of green beans for its processing unit. Presently, we get only around one to two kg.”

source: http://www.newindianexpress.com / The New Indian Express / Home> States> Kerala / by Anu Kuruvilla / Express News Service / November 20th, 2018

Now, Noolpuzha health centre reaches out to elderly patients

Business & Economy, Green Initiatives & Environment, Inspiration/ Positive News and Features, Records, All, Travel

The lithium-powered e-rickshaw procured by the Noolpuzha Family Health Centre.

To operate electric rickshaw for senior citizens, women, tribespeople

After setting a benchmark in the rural healthcare sector of the country by securing the first position in the National Quality Assurance Certification (NQAC) process a few weeks ago, the Noolpuzha Family Health Centre (FHC) in Wayanad is preparing to launch an innovative project to lend a helping hand to elderly patients in the grama panchayat.

The FHC plans to arrange free transportation facilities for senior citizens, women and tribespeople residing within 5-km radius of the hospital using a lithium-powered electric rickshaw, a first such project in the public health care sector of the State.

The hospital authorities have procured the e-rickshaw at a cost of ₹2 lakh and all work including customisation and registration of the vehicle has been completed.

“As Noolpuzha grama panchayat is the second largest tribal populated grama panchayat in the State, we hope the project will be of great help to the poor people in the grama panchayat,” V.P. Dahar Mohammed, medical officer at the hospital, told The Hindu. The panchayat has provided ₹1.75 crore from its plan fund for the all-round development of the hospital over the past three years, including the cost of the e-rickshaw.

“We are planning to utilize the service of the hospital driver to operate the vehicle till we find an alternative. During an emergency, the vehicle will be provided to the public also. The vehicle will run 85 km with a single charge and it will start operation by November-end,” said the medical officer.

source: http://www.thehindu.com / The Hindu / Home> News> States> Kerala / by E.M. Manoj / Kalpetta – November 18th, 2018

An island sets an example in sustainable living

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

An exhibition organised as part of the inauguration of the Rural Science and Technology Centre at Thuruthikkara in the district on Sunday.

Thuruthikkara is the first village to be declared free of plastic and e-waste

Thuruthikkara in Mulanthuruthy panchayat has several firsts to its name. Among other things, it was declared the first village to be totally free of incandescent bulbs, plastic and e-waste. The village also has the status of having scientifically tested water in all its drinking water wells.

The village has taken up initiatives to go easy on the environment. By getting rid of incandescent bulbs and introducing LED lighting systems, it has been able to save energy. Thuruthikkara also has the distinction of having launched LED clinics for the first time in the State, where LED lighting systems are assembled and repaired. “We were able to sell LED lighting systems for as low as ₹100 and ₹110 apiece,” said an office-bearer of Kerala Sasthra Sahithya Praishad, which had initiated the “Oorja, Nirmala, Haritha Gramam” project in Thuruthikkara, which forms the 10th ward of Mulanthuruthy panchayat. The villagers have also taken to recharging drinking water wells with rainwater.

Technology centre

On Sunday, a Rural Science and Technology Centre was inaugurated in the village. Parishad president T. Gangadharan inaugurated the centre, which will act as a regional centre of the Integrated Rural Technology Centre at Mundoor in Palakkad. Pro Vice Chancellor of Cochin University of Science and Technology P.G. Shankaran delivered the keynote address at the event.

“The aim of the centre is to make people aware of new technologies in various fields, including farming, and to create awareness about new breakthroughs,” said the Parishad official. He said that the initiatives included introduction of bio-bins and kitchen bins in the village whereby all kitchen waste could be turned into fertiliser used for homestead farming.

Every home has been able to generate about 12 kg of bio-fertiliser every month. Distribution of vegetable saplings helped families prepare areas of cultivation to cater for their own requirements. There are a total of 349 families. All the families as well as 25 organisations and institutions have partnered with the Parishad in making the programme a success.

The move to get rid of plastic waste began with the distribution of cloth bags to all households. Plastic is meticulously collected and disposed of. Introduction of aquaponics is another step that has been taken to achieve self-sufficiency and sustainability.

source: http://www.thehindu.com / The Hindu / Home> News> Cities> Kochi / by Special Correspondent / Kochi – October 21st, 2018

DEMU service to Harbour Terminus from tomorrow

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The three-coach DEMU will conduct four services a day from Monday to Friday on an experimental basis for a month.

Test run to be held today; services to be regularised on the basis of passenger patronage

The much-awaited Diesel Electric Multiple Unit (DEMU) service between Ernakulam Junction railway station and Cochin Harbour Terminus (CHTS) station in Willingdon Island will be launched on Wednesday.

The three-coach DEMU will conduct two services in the morning and two in the evening from Monday to Friday on an experimental basis for a month.

The train will have a stop at the Mattancherry Halt station in between, and the ticket rate will be ₹10. The train will be regularised based on passenger patronage.

A test run will be held along the eight-km line on Tuesday, to ensure coordination of signalling and telecommunication systems.

DEMU will start from CHTS at 8 a.m. on weekdays beginning Wednesday and reach Mattancherry Halt at 8.10 a.m. It will reach Ernakulam Junction at 8.40 a.m. In the return direction, the train will depart from Ernakulam Junction at 9 a.m., reach Mattancherry Halt at 9.14 a.m. and CHTS by 9.40 a.m.

In the evening, it will start from CHTS at 5 p.m., reach Mattancherry Halt at 5.10 p.m. and Ernakulam Junction by 5.40 p.m.

In the return direction, the train will leave Ernakulam Junction at 6.20 p.m., reach Mattancherry Halt at 6.34 p.m. and CHTS by 7 p.m.

The Harbour Terminus station was renovated over a year ago, while laying of new tracks and upgradation of signals and telecommunication systems were taken up later.

The demand for stoppage of the train at Perumanoor station in Thevara will be considered on the basis of a letter which is expected to be submitted by peoples representatives, a railway official said. For the record, a team led by Hibi Eden, MLA, had visited the station a week ago to inspect the amenities there. He also promised to allot money from his MLA fund to upgrade infrastructure at the station.

The 8-km journey takes 40 minutes since there are two level-crossings at Atlantis and Vathuruthy. There are also speed curbs all along the route.

DEMU will have to commute at 15 kmph speed on the Mattancherry Halt-CHTS stretch since it is a railway yard, a senior railway official said. A decision is awaited on the arrival of a steam locomotive to operate a heritage-train service from Harbour Terminus, he added.

Traffic snarl

In the meantime, there is concern about a possible traffic snarl on either side of Vathuruthy the level-crossing when the railway gate is closed four times during peak hours each weekday. While Roads and Bridges Development Corporation of Kerala (RBDCK) has readied a proposal for an overbridge, the Navy is yet to accord sanction for the plan since its airport is located close by. This has given impetus to the demand for a subway.

Train services from the city to CHTS was halted in 2004 after a dredger deployed by the Cochin Port Trust rammed the Venduruthy bridge built by the British. Both rail and road overbridges were rebuilt after the incident.

source: http://www.thehindu.com / The Hindu / Home> News> Cities> Kochi / by Special Correspondent / Kochi – September 25th, 2018

IIM-K, MRPL join hands with start-ups

Business & Economy, Education, Science & Technology

Start-ups with innovative solutions to be preferred

IIM-K LIVE (Laboratory for Innovation, Venturing and Entrepreneurship, the Business Incubator) and Entrepreneurship Development Centre of the Indian Institute of Management-Kozhikode (IIM-K) has inked a Memorandum of Understanding with the central public sector enterprise Mangalore Refineries and Petrochemicals Ltd. (MRPL) to support innovative start-up ventures.

Both the IIM-K and MRPL feel that the partnership would leverage individual strengths of these public sector organisations to contribute to entrepreneurial ecosystem in line with Start-up Mission of the Centre.

The MRPL has launched MRPL Start-up fund and in collaboration with IIM-K LIVE, to nurture and fund new business ideas while the IIM-K LIVE, set-up by IIM-Kozhikode in association with Department of Science Technology, already runs business incubation programme and would provide physical, intellectual and networking infrastructure to support start-up companies eligible for the MRPL grants. Prof. Debashis Chatterjee, Director, IIM-K welcomed MRPL to join the institute’s efforts in building entrepreneurial and innovation ecosystems.

Training

Apart from start-up support interventions, IIMK was also exploring wider relationship with MRPL in the areas of executive education and training, consulting, sector-specific research, conferences on issues of mutual interest to exchange the ideas, he said in a release.

MRPL senior executives in charge of start-up funding, including the Group General Manager, Vinayakumar and Chief General Manager (R&D), V. Nandakumar visited IIM-Kozhikode campus last week to finalise the partnership.

Entrepreneurial mindset

In collaboration with IIM-K and IIMK LIVE, MRPL intended to promote new business ideas relevant to MRPL’s start-up policy to create an entrepreneurial mindset and fresh thinking among employees, stakeholders and public for revitalising corporate culture, Mr. Vinayakumar said.

Steering committee with representatives from IIMK, IIMK LIVE and MRPL would be involved in the selection, monitoring and review of the funded start-ups, sources said.

Start-ups with innovative, high social impact solutions would be preferred.

Under the proposed initiative, to begin with, start-ups which are incubated or would be incubated at IIMK LIVE would be considered for seed grants in the form of soft loan convertible into equity capital.

In just over a year of its establishment, the IIMK LIVE has been drawing interest from partners from diverse industries who wish to contribute to the ecosystem.

With MRPL start-up funds available, the institute expect high potential, innovative start-ups to get added to its start-up portfolio, Prof. Keyoor Purani, Executive director, IIMK LIVE, said.

source: http://www.thehindu.com / The Hindu / Home> News> States> Kerala / by Special Correspondent / Kozhikode – September 24th, 2018

Infopark adopts Chekutty

Arts,Culture & Entertainment, Business & Economy, Inspiration/ Positive News and Features, Records, All, Science & Technology

Minister A.C. Moideen (centre) and MLAs P.T. Thomas and Hibi Eden with Chekutty dolls in the city on Friday.

To help flood-affected weavers of Chendamangalam

Infopark will adopt the Chekutty doll movement launched here to help the Chendamangalam handloom weavers, who have lost a lot of stock in the recent floods.

The techies will adopt the dolls as part of their commitment to build a new Kerala in the aftermath of the floods.

Those who adopt over a hundred Chekuttys (short for Chendamangalam Kutty) dolls will be honoured by the Chief Minister.

As part of adopting the movement, Rishikesh Nair, CEO of Inforpark, handed over a Chekutty doll to Minister A.C. Moideen at a function here on Friday.

₹6 crore collected

According to Mr. Nair, besides donating relief material for the flood-affected, the techies and the companies at Inforpark had collected ₹6 crore towards the Chief Minister’s Distress Relief Fund. Employees at Infopark have also taken up the Chief Minister’s one-month salary challenge.

source: http://www.thehindu.com / The Hindu / Home> News> Cities> Kochi / by Special Correspondent / Kochi – September 15th, 2018