Vol 7 Issue No.81 July - August 2018
A COURAGEOUS WOMAN WHO HAS CONQUERED ALL ‘UNCONQUERABLES’: NITA DALAL MUKESH AMBANI
NITA DALAL MUKESH AMBANI
Chairman and Founder of Reliance Foundation Most Powerful women in India India’s Affordable Housing Challenge Shri V.P. Nandakumar, MD & CEO Manappuram Finance Ltd.
SEYCHELLES: the ‘tourist friendly’ country of 115 dazzling Islands
Kochi: 1st Floor, Bay Pride Towers and Mall, Marine Drive, Kochi 682031 Tel: +91 484 4052213, 2365440 E-mail: cochin@cera-india.com Thiruvananthapuram: 2 nd Floor, CPS Plaza, TC 79/342/5/6, Opp. Nissan Showroom, NH Bypass, Venpalavattom, Anayara P.O. , Thiruvananthapuram 695029 Tel: +91 471 4064101 E-mail: trivandrum@cera-india.com
Printed by: Ajit Ravi Published by: Ajit Ravi Owned by: Ajit Ravi Printed at: Sterling Print House Pvt. Ltd. Cochin P.B. No: 3627, Veekshanam Road, Cochin Published at: Pegasus, L5-106 Changampuzha Nagar Kalamassery Ernakulam-682 033 e-mail: editor@uniquetimes.org uniquetimesindia@gmail.com Ph:0484 3242220, 6555533, 4025666 Mob:+91 98460 50283, 94470 50283 Editor Ajit Ravi Sub-Editor Vignesh Associate Editor Ravi Saini Editor-In-charge Jebitha Ajit Legal Advisor Latha Anand B.S.Krishnan Associates bskrishnanassociates@gmail.com Correspondents Dr. Thomas Nechupadam Vivek Venugopal- Quarter Mile Amrutha V Kumar Karthika S Nair Marketing UAE Phygicart.com P.O. Box: 92546, Al Karama Dubai Mr. Anish K Joy Mob: +971528946999 info@phygicart.com Tamil Nadu Vice president Uma Riyas Khan chennai, Mob: 9841072955 Unique Times, No.6/31, Arunachalam main road, Saligramam, Chennai – 600093 Andhrapradesh & Karnataka PEGASUS Ph: 09288800999 Sunilkumar NN, Saneesh Ashok Your wing Dr. Susan S Sunny Director Shwetha Menon Photographer Ashique Hassan Creative Design PEGASUS Cover Photograph Nita Dalal Mukesh Ambani images were sourced from Google for Public interest
Editorial A
n old saying goes like this: "True wealth is not a matter of bank accounts and assets. It's in the values we live and share as well as the people we keep in touch and care". Nita Ambani, one of the wealthiest women in India with a family fortune of more than US$40 billion believes in values more than money. When she met Mukesh Ambani, Nita was a school teacher. Still Nita's guiding lamp is the values she acquired from her middle class life. She used to say, "My father’s soft and compassionate demeanour and my mother’s hardworking and single-minded dedication have had a great influence on me. There was always an emphasis on quality education, and we were encouraged to believe in and pursue our dreams." Extending help to poor and needy people with philanthropic activities, promoting classical art by Reliance Foundation, ruling a clutch of International educational institutions in the name of Dhirubhai Ambani and beyond, growing ISL and IPL in sports....Nita's hands are full. But still, she is a perfect wife and mother. ....Read our cover story which unravels the story of inspiring Nita who is busy making a difference, shaping our world and bettering the lives of many in more ways than one. Regular column of Chairman and Managing Director of Manappuram Finance V.P. Nandakumar, stories on travel, auto, stock market, gadgets, banking, movie review, and book review are there. I sincerely hope you find as much joy in this issue as it brings me.
Ajit Ravi
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CONTENTS
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16
32
India’s Affordable Housing Challenge
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Every industry today is having a ‘technology moment’!
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A courageous woman who has conquered all 'unconquerables': Nita Dalal Mukesh Ambani
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NRI–Investments into India–The regulatory and tax landscape–PART-I
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The Netherlands: Natural Partner of India & Kerala…!
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46
48
52
54
58
46
Gadgets
48
Recipes
52
Kitchen items you could use for beauty enhancement
54
Seychelles: the ‘tourist friendly’ country of 115 dazzling Islands
58
Toyota Yaris
UNIQUE DIARY
Central govt’s health protection scheme to create more than one lakh job opportunities
T
he ambitious health protection scheme of the central government (Ayushman Bharat National Health Protection Scheme), which is envisaged by the government to provide the health insurance protection worth at least five lakh rupees each for over one hundred million poor Indian families, is likely to create at least one lakh job opportunities within the short timeframe of two to three years. Notably, all job opportunities which are expected to be created by the ABNHPS are said to be long-term job opportunities. The prime reason for the proposed creation of job opportunities is the expected expansion of the operations of private health sector.
India asks OPEC nations to fill ‘Supply Gap’
''In the business world, the rearview mirror is always clearer than the windshield". Warren Buffett
I
ndia, which is one of the world’s largest oil importers, has asked the member countries of the Organisation of the Petroleum Exporting Countries to fill the supply gap created due to the reasons that India assumes as purely political, as the increase in the oil price in the country has adversely affected almost all sectors and has badly tainted the image of the ruling government, on which the common people is putting the blame of the oil price hike with the blessings of the opposition parties. Iran is one of the OPEC members which have recently reduced its oil production. Its action is considered as a reaction to the US’ move to pull out of the 2015 nuclear accord.
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Above normal rainfall helps to strengthen hydropower sector
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s almost all part of the country are receiving good rainfall, the hydroelectric power sector, which was at a very weak state in some part of the country last month, is performing greatly in this month. Unlike what happened in the same month last year, the North-East India and South India are getting good rainfall. At the beginning of this financial year, the hydropower generation was at least seven per cent lower than the expected level. This reduction was attributed to the low about of water in the dams in some parts of the country. Anyway, the power production is expected to touch its peak in some South Indian states like Tamil Nadu and Karnataka in the coming weeks as it is experiencing an above normal rain fall at the moment.
Vedanta informs HC about serious damages potential enough to hurt environment and people
"It always seems impossible until it's done". Nelson Mandela
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he Vedanta Resources, whose copper smelting plant situated in Tuticorin the Tamil Nadu government authorities closed following the violent people protest which took at least thirteen lives, has informed the Madras High Court in a petition that there copper smelter was badly damaged, and sought a limited reconnection of the electricity, which was disconnected after the decision to close down the company arrived, to perform the maintenance work the plant urgently needs to avoid the possible leakage of deadly gas and acid into the surrounding air, land and water. Meanwhile, the top officials of the district administration have asserted that it was a minor leakage and assured that they were closely monitoring the plant.
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UNIQUE DIARY
Scientist advises country to bring down the usage of water
R
enowned scientist K Kasturirangan has pointed out that India should bring down the usage of water, particularly the usage of water in the agricultural sector, to make sure that the future generation would not suffer the severe crisis of shortage of water. A NITI Aayog report recently admitted the fact that the water crisis is a serious issue in the country. The report predicted that within the short time of ten years the demand for water in the country would become twice the total amount of water available for use.The report also indirectly suggested that the authorities should intervene immediately to improve the quality of water available in the country.
India not likely to witness an upward revision of wages: Study
"If you want to shine like a sun, first burn like a sun". A. P. J. Abdul Kalam
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study conducted by an trustworthy International organisation has made it clear that India is not likely to witness an upward revision of wages in the future, as its talent surplus is steadily increasing day by day, unlike other powerful economies such as China, the US and Germany. The study report has also pointed out that the trend would help those companies operate in the Indian soil to keep the fund earmarked for the labour steady and low. Anyway, the trend is not good for the highly skilled Indian labourers. It may prompt many skilled persons to migrate to those countries which provide high wages.
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BUSINESS
At the national level, in the year 2012, the government estimated a shortage of nearly 19 million homes, 95 percent of which occurred in the EWS (Economically Weaker Sections) and LIG (Low Income Group) segments. Shri V.P.Nandakumar MD & CEO Manappuram Finance Ltd.
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s citizens of a developing country, the people of India have always confronted the fundamental economic problems of poverty, illiteracy, unemployment and poor health. The lives of a large proportion of our countrymen continue to be so precarious that they aspire only to basic necessities such as food, clothing and shelter, or what is called “Roti, Kapda aur Makaan.” In this article, I would like to focus on India’s housing crisis, particularly the task of making housing affordable to its teeming masses. A key challenge for a developing country like India is urban migration. In the early days after independence, much of the population was rural and depended on agriculture. The advent of industrialisation set in motion the migration of labour from rural areas to the cities. With much of our agriculture being of a subsistence kind where the surplus generated is quite low, there was a rush of migrants from rural areas to cities in search of jobs that promised to pay more
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than the returns from agriculture. That contributed to overcrowding in urban areas, and put pressure on basic amenities such as water and sanitation. Cities across India began to report acute housing shortages and a proliferation of slums. The problems were aggravated because of limited resources available to the government to meet the increasing demands on an overburdened urban infrastructure, especially housing. At the national level, in the year 2012, the government estimated a shortage of nearly 19 million homes, 95 percent of which occurred in the EWS (Economically Weaker Sections) and LIG (Low Income Group) segments. Of India’s total population of around 1.25 billion people, about 377 million people are urban dwellers. It is also estimated that more than 10 million people migrate to cities and towns every year. The total urban population is expected to reach about 600 million by 2031, a significant growth of 59 percent as compared to 2011.
Not surprisingly then, the country’s total urban housing shortage is projected to rise to about 30 million units by the year 2022. It is precisely this widening gap between the demand for, and supply of, affordable housing that gives rise to slums and unauthorised colonies and settlements. It should be obvious that the issue of housing shortage is a critical challenge that, if not addressed soon, can pull down India’s economic growth and thwart our efforts at reducing poverty. Surprisingly, even as the urban housing shortage is mostly accounted for by shortage of housing for EWS and LIG segments, most of the new housing built in India these days is in segments other than for EWS and LIG customers. Real Estate developers and private players focus mostly on MIG and HIG segments because of the higher returns in these projects. With the high cost of land, frequent delay in getting approvals for housing projects, increasing raw material costs, and thin profit margins, low-
India’s Affordable Housing Challenge
cost housing projects have become unattractive to private developers. Add to this the additional risk that comes with housing (including affordable housing) being a state subject. Implementation of projects becomes all the more difficult given the generally poor financial condition of state level urban development authorities and their relative lack of experience and capacity in handling such projects. Considering the increasing
shortfall, the Indian government has sought to provide the necessary impetus to develop the affordable housing segment that caters to the poorer sections of society with special schemes for Affordable Housing including the Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana (PMAY). In this context, the definition of “affordable housing” is relative as it can vary from place to place. However, for the purpose of the government, it has been taken to mean
houses ranging from 300 square feet (super built up area) for EWS, 500 square feet for LIG and 600 to 1200 square feet for MIG, at costs that permit repayment of home loans in monthly instalments not exceeding 30 to 40 percent of the monthly income of the buyer. To encourage private builder participation in the affordable housing segment, the government has granted infrastructure status to affordable housing projects. This
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BUSINESS
will enable the builder of these projects to avail benefits such as funds at much lower cost and for longer tenure from diverse sources such as banks, external commercial borrowings, insurance companies and pension and provident funds. A home for all by the year 2022 is the ambitious goal that the government has set for itself. Given the shortage of housing for EWS and LIG segments, this is a significant step in the right direction. Some of other initiatives towards this objective include redefining of EWS/ LIG categories, interest subvention schemes and incentives to private players. Hopefully, this will motivate the target segment to overcome their inhibitions and take that crucial first step towards formal home ownership. The market size of affordable housing finance is estimated to reach Rs 6 lakh crore by 2022, when the government seeks to achieve its target of a home for all. However, as of now, the bulk of loans by the Housing Finance Companies (HFCs) are targeted towards MIG or HIG segment with loan size of Rs 10 lakhs and above. The HFCs are generally averse to housing loans in the range of
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new subsidiaries that specialise in lending to this segment. Looking at the potential of this segment, many private equity investors have also shown interested by taking equity stakes in these specialised lending companies. The launch of finance companies specialised in lending to the affordable housing segment has opened the doors for many EWS and LIG category borrowers especially when the state run banks are hobbled by rising non performing loans (NPLs). Large HFCs are not in a position to lend to the borrowers without required documents. In such cases routing money through such specialised housing finance companies would help channelize Rs 3 – 10 lakhs category as it is funds to the target customers. perceived to carry higher risk with These finance companies have betuneven repayment patterns resultter pan India outreach with skilled ing in default and a rise in nonstaff drawn from the vicinity of performing loans (NPLs). Further, operations who also possess better the loan applicants in the EWS and understanding about the local marLIG segments are mostly employed ket and the class in the unorganof borrowers they ised sector and are dealing with. consequently Such specialised they would lack housing finance documentacompanies have The market size of tion to prove demonstrated income, address affordable housing their capacity to etc., leading to finance is estimated to better service the rejection by the reach Rs 6 lakh crore informal sector. HFCs. Indeed, at The fact is, by 2022, when the Manappuram HFCs appraise government seeks to we have also borrowers based achieve its target of a ventured into on documented the affordable income and home for all. home loan space other identificawith our wholly tion documents owned subsidiary, Manappuram required to fit into their internal Home Finance Ltd. These are early credit scoring models, which EWS days as yet, and despite some initial and LIG borrowers often fail to hiccups, we remain convinced produce. However, now that there about the bright prospects ahead is a realisation about the potential in the untapped informal market segment, many HFCs and (V.P. Nandakumar is MD & CEO non-banking finance companies of Manappuram Finance Ltd. and (NBFCs) have developed a sustaina Board Appointee of Lions Clubs able business model by floating International.)
BUSINESS
Rajesh Nair, Asociate partner-markets, Ernst & Young LLP Rajesh is also the President of the Kerala Chapter of TiE Global
Every technology will become a reality and practical tomorrow. This also means business models and strategy will have much shorter shelf lives. You will have to destroy current working principles and reinvent constantly to be ahead of the game. The timing of change and change adoption will be complex and it is not just enough to say-Change when the going is great!
Every industry today
is having a
‘technology moment’!
M
ost large technological innovation ideas came to us through science fiction films from Hollywood: the fecund imagination of the writer, the meticulous implementation ability of the visual effects technicians and the vision from the phenomenal minds of legendary directors. All this technological advancements have affected every industry and the way we do business. Industries configured jobs when the personal computers came into business. Likewise, another wave of changes came when internet rewrote business principles. While all these changes took decades to become ‘shop floor’ ready technologies, the changes today are coming at a much faster pace and with more reliable frameworks. The bridge between technology and management is finally build, and every industry today is finding efficiency and better delivery mechan-
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ics. Yual Harari in his seminal ‘ Homo Sapiens’ mentions that the magic word is ‘ algorithm’. The process flows, mental maps can now be easily programmed into simple procedures which bring in efficiency to regular tasks. Add to algorithms, the other big technical discovery was ‘visual recognition’. Today, computer scientists have used deep learning techniques to bring a break through to ‘object recognition’. Object recognition today is not feature in some gaming app but a technology that can allow machines to see. Look at a seemingly different branch of science Biology. A program like Deep Genomics improves the field of medicine by predicting what will happen in a cell when the DNA is altered. The key word here is ‘prediction’. Artificial intelligence, today, is all encompassing
across business because we have been able to make better predictions. In a recent book ‘ Prediction Machines’, the authors argue that the new wave of artificial intelligence that we see around us , does not actually bring us intelligence but helps us with a critical component of intelligence called ‘ prediction’. When you ask a digital assistant program like Alexa –what is the capital of India, the response of ‘New Delhi’ does not come from an intense knowledge of India or of geography. The answer comes because it is able to predict that when people ask such a question, they are looking for a specific response –New Delhi! The prediction conundrum is a very interesting one to explain
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tion is now, but that is not always technologies, like artificial inteltrue. While the major fear is about ligence. Look at a basic function being late in technology introduclike driving cars. The economic tion, being early in the market concept of Occam’s Razor states is also a worry. There is always a that when a problem has multiple think sliver between being before complexities, the solution is often your time and the simplest or being a pioneer. derived by diving This is also a into the simplicicall company ties. The vehicle managements is asking a basic The interesting thing have to grapple question –What about technology would the human adoption is also the driver do? We process enormous timing. We have seen amounts of data in several instances our minds while of right tech at the driving, mostly unconsciously, and wrong time. act in response to this stimuli –drive straight, turn left or right, brake or accelerate, modulate an accessory like lights or air conditioners. The self-driving vehicles of today use sensors to see and hear and use technology like –cameras, radars and lasers to gather the same date we imbibe through our senses. The question it is constantly asking is-what is the normal human response? We say the vehicle makes lesser errors simply because the regular response to the stimuli is structured unlike the humans, who may also have internal stimuli like worries and thoughts, driving the decision. The interesting thing about technology adoption is also the timing. We have seen several instances of right tech at the wrong time. The right time for technology introduction is still a mystery. With so many new technologies around, we have presumed that the introduc-
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with. We saw hundreds of technology ventures dying in 2001, only to resurface into unicorns many years later. If the ecosystem supports the technology, the technology can still thrive with more uses even if the core technology per se has not improved much. Bar codes are a classic example. The base technology has not really changed. The initial use was to scan into cash regis-
ters. The same technology, today, is integrating inventory management and real time dynamic supply chain planning. The HD TV, which is today a household product, is an contrarian example. The product could not get traction for many years. It got a lease of life high definition cameras, new broadcast standards and innovative production processes became available. Another fillip to the technol-
ogy adoption bandwagon has been ‘Data’. Data is everywhere today and there is a humongous amount. It is also coming at you at a huge velocity. But, the data visualization tools of today help us stratify, analyse and visualise information from it. Without the benefit of visualization, detecting patterns and anomalies would have been an impossible slog. You can easily use complicated analytical tools even if you have never understand let alone programmed a convolutional neural network or Bayesian statistics. The industry boundaries are also thinning. IBS, a niche air travel and logistics software company based in Trivandrum, makes cut-
ting edge solutions for the industry. Federal Bank, based in Aluva have more digital solutions and access points than IT companies. We cannot anymore call one an IT company and the other a bank. In a classical Economic outlook, we based theory of capital on Land, Labour, Physical and Financial in the past. This has now expanded further into Intellectual capital and cyber-capital. Cyber-capital is itself being called as the summation of both code and content. Code refers to processes to make simpler and content refers to material which make your smarter. Every technology will become a reality and practical tomorrow. This also means business models and strategy will have much shorter shelf lives. You will have to destroy current working principles and reinvent constantly to be ahead of the game. The timing of change and change adoption will be complex and it is not just enough to say –Change when the going is great! Technology in everything is here to stay –because most companies have tasted success with it. And, success is difficult to argue with
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A COURAGEOUS WOMAN WHO HAS CONQUERED ALL 'UNCONQUERABLES':
Nita Dalal Mukesh Ambani
W
ealth is a great gift. There is nothing happier than having a large fortune. In that sense, the Ambani family is the most luckiest family in the world. It has everything, from wealth to influence. Have you ever thought that how dangerous it would have been had the kind of wealth the Ambani family posses accumulated in the hands of a wrong person? Actually, handling wealth responsibly is not an easy task. First of all, those posses wealth must have clear idea why they own this fortune, and for which they can use and for which they cannot use it. There is no doubt that the Ambani family clearly know the
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importance of the wealth they have attained through their hard work, brilliance and dedication. When Mukesh Ambani first imagined a beautiful and kind hearted teacher Nita as his future wife, he might have wished that it would be great if the lady has a kind of heart which understands the relevance of wealth and the responsibility which comes along with it. Whether he made such a wish or not, it is difficult to tell at this moment without his confirmation. But, his wife, Nita Ambani, turned out to be the woman who understands all values of the Ambani family, gifting it another big fortune (a perfect daughter-in-law). There is a popular saying: behind every successful man, there is
a woman. Nita Ambani is the most accurate example of this saying. She has strongly stood as a support behind her husband in all challenging circumstances he has confronted in his business and personal life. If the Reliance Group is one of the most powerful conglomerates and the Ambani family is the most admirable families in the country, Mrs Ambani has a crucial role in the enviable success of these two. It is an undeniable truth that time definitely tests the strength of each and every person. It has tested Nita’s too. That test has prompted her to walk to the front stage from behind the curtains of the world’s most powerful conglomerate. She has taken the challenge, and is now the Chairperson
and Founder of the Reliance Foundation (the largest private philanthropic initiative of the country, the Non-Executive Director of the Reliance Industries, the Founder and Chairperson of the Dhirubhai Ambani International School, and the first Indian woman to become a member of the International Olympics Committee. The aforementioned are just a small part of the achievements and responsibilities bestowed on this courageous lady. UnforShe has strongly stood tunately, this article is not big as a support behind enough to contain all those entirely. Actually, it is not an her husband in all ordinary article. This special challenging circumarticle has been dedicated stances he has conto that woman whom the fronted in his business Unique Times magazine, recognising all her contribuand personal life. tions in the business and social sector, has awarded the most powerful woman in India former teacher. It might have been title (this is the second time the the reason behind her initiative to magazine has awarded such a title; start several International schools exactly three years before, the across the world. Her schools are same title was awarded to another now the true synonyms of quality strong woman the country ever education. witnessed, J Jayalalithaa). Notably, she spends a major Nita Ambani is a bachelor portion of her valuable time and degree holder in commerce from energy to strengthen the Reliance Narsee Monjee Collage of ComFoundation. It clearly shows how merce and Economics. She is a
serious is she about the social welfare and philanthropic activities. Her organisation is very active in several important fields which truly deserve the support of the CSR funds of conglomerates: rural transportation, education, health, urban renewal, sports, arts, culture and heritage. Her organisation, for its excellence in the duties it carries out for the benefit of poor and marginalised, has received several honours, including the Rashtriya Khel Protsahan Award and mBil-
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lionth South Asia Award. It also collaborates with several social welfare and philanthropic organisations such as the Muktangan Rehabilitation Centre to extend its boundaries. For last few years, she has been showing an extra ordinary enthusiasm to improve the sports sector of the country. She is the owner of the Mumbai Indians cricket team
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and the Chairperson of the Football Sports Development Ltd, which runs the Indian Super League. The contributions made by the IPL and ISL in the Indian cricket and football sectors are much more than our imaginations. It would not be too exaggeratory if it is said that these leagues would help the country to become undeniable in the world of cricket and football. The position the International Olympic Committee has offered to this lady legend is the perfect gift for the effort she has put to develop the sports sector of the country. For her excellence in the fields she operates, she has personally received several awards and honours: the honorary award of the New York’s Metropolitan Museum, and the Time of India’s award for the Best Corporate Supporter of Indian Sports. The awards and honours never blind her. Those has only gifted her enough strength to do more good for the world, particularly for the poor and needy. For this most powerful corporate woman, her family is her first priority. As per her opinion, there are no alternative keys to success than once ability to dedicate his/ her life for his/her work genuinely, to prioritise things, and to find balance between his/her work life and family life. She is a good wife, good mother and a good daughter-inlaw. The Ambani couple has three children: two sons and a daughter. Twins Isha Ambani and Akash Ambani are the eldest and Anant
Her organisation, for its excellence in the duties it carries out for the benefit of poor and marginalised, has received several honours, including the Rashtriya Khel Protsahan Award and mBillionth South Asia Award. Ambani is the youngest. The eldest has already joined their family business and, at present, responsibly handles Reliance Jio Infocomm and Reliance Retail. This woman is not an extra ordinary woman or a super woman, but an ordinary woman who has an extra ordinary courage, dedication, empathy and will power. She deserves to be called as the Most Powerful women in India
Ravi Saini
I
was reading an article today about up surging pollution in cities like Delhi, Kolkata, and Mumbai, and sales of motor vehicles rising from 5.4 million (1981) to a whooping 210 million (2015) and making it worst in coming years by the end of 2018. I guess a differential petrol pricing scheme would do the trick for curbing pollution and petrol crisis for India -States shall provide public transports and players like ola, Uber etc with fuels at a subsidised rate or immediately getting serious with the latest National Bio Fuel policy framework so that all kind of waste land is used to grow rice and other crops and effectively use the paddy straw or bio waste for producing bio ethanol that will give us Diesel, Petrol and Jet fuel amongst other energy sources. Unfortunately, those who knows the trick are not in policy making and those who are in control are too dumb stricken and fulfilling their own agenda. I wish and hope that Govt of Punjab & Andhra Pradesh goes all out and allow the use of Private Wealth to not only help its non tax revenues goes on upsurge as it has never ever happened to it and making it a stepping stone for others to follow. The only way it could happen is by allowing the Alternative (foreign portfolio investors)
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Public Transport System should be further developed through PPP model that will enable Airport like Bus Terminals, non fossil fuel public transport system fully air conditioned, that too with fractional higher cost than the normal fares will be a great motivational factor letting people to leave their private cars behind and proudly using Public Transport or Chartered Limousine kind of facilities to re-live and enjoy the community living And commuting experience.
Investment to come in and offering right concessions so that otherwise wasted resources are put to the best use instead of the defeatist and rotten age old so called transparent policies are used by those in control. Any unsolicited offer received should be seriously taken up and allow the Swiss Challenge System to be adopted instead of going for the tedious and time consuming bidding process. The fear of losing their jobs and elections have already costed the nation heavily and let the Ruchi Soya sale model be used by all expecting asset transfers or debt/liability swaps where Adani Wilmar and Patanjali are going about business. Public Transport System should be further developed through PPP model that will enable Airport like Bus Terminals, non fossil fuel public transport system fully air conditioned, that too with fractional higher cost than the normal fares will be a great motivational factor letting people to leave their private cars behind and proudly using Public Transport or Chartered Limousine kind of facilities to relive and enjoy the community living And commuting experience. While in constitutional control of the government, Donald Trump is seriously going all out for exploring Private Investment and
Getting Serious for the National Interest have become the enemy of the elite class that is trying to stop him from doing so. Punjab & Andhra Pradesh can become the role models for the country where Private Wealth through long term investments are needed immediately and due to urgency, the State Leadership could cash on this opportunity by alluring the Private Investors through round tables and allowing open discussions to hear what the investors are looking for and how without compromising with the Sovereignty of the State, the government can fulfil the same and time to put the thinking cap on is ‘TODAY’. Time to end the Undue Benefits to Public Servants -Since all the perks and benefits are there for the bureaucratic brass to live a dignified life which many are deprived of from Private Sector post and pre retirements, may I urge the central leadership to consider stopping all kinds of government’s post retirement postings. This should also be applicable to all those who are elected members (politicians). After all, the government employment is based on the commitments towards the public and after retirements (whether on completion of the term or voluntary retirements) one may chose to join politics and
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continue enjoy better life and be satisfied for all practical purposes as long as in the office but not after that once relinquishing the jobs. The urge and lust for money breeds corruption and the government’s post retirement postings breed ‘motivated’ corruption. It's time to get serious and making ‘One Nation One Rule’ applicable to all, irrespective of their caste, creed, religion, ethnicity or demographic locations, even to minorities. The government should be able to accomplish all this provided it's serious in protecting the interests of the Foreign and Domestic Investors alike. Effective use of local resources and attracting all kinds of non tax revenues is an utmost necessity today, and all those private investors from India, NRIs or Foreign Portfolio Investors should be treated at par if the investments are com-
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mitted for a minimum of 10 years and are ’Non-Repatriable’. What are the merits or demerits in the above could be debated and special investors summits be organized by the states and the minutes of the meetings be recorded accordingly. India is a market for the world. But, are we serious about cashing on this huge opportunity? Producing bio ethanol locally and selling through Indian Oil Corporation will drastically bring down dependency on imported crude oil thus serving the national interest a big time. National Policy is already in place for the support of the same Push for Infrastructure Development - These thoughts reinforces the three core truths about infrastructure: 1. Building first-rate infrastructure— roads, bridges, ports, high-speed rail, airports, power grids, cell phone networks, and
fibre optic cables— is essential to realizing the full potential of all economies. 2. The sheer scale of the global infrastructure challenge is so enormous that the only possible way to meet it is to find a much bigger role for the private sector. 3. Savvy governments can ensure that increasing the role of the private sector in infrastructure furthers their mission of serving the broad needs of society. To meet high capital cost needs -There is simply no alternative other than to get the private sector to step up in a big way where infrastructure is concerned. To seriously achieve the objectives, the government should come in as facilitators instead of deal breakers by levying stringent norms and rules for PPP projects. Investor makes the rules and the government job is to facilitate ‘Ease of Doing Businesses’
Vinod Kumar
L
ook at the ‘utsav parambu’. Near the year 1950, were many festivals around the temples and churches. Many ceremonial gatherings of large number of people in the ‘maidan’ that is common for upto fifty neighbouring villages. Hundreds of Thousands of people visiting these grounds for the jubilous festivities. Thousands of vendors come to sell their products. Small plastic toys, wooden toys, bangles, earring and balloons of various shapes and sizes. Toys of drums and flutes to make sounds and noises. Decorated elephants and horses and other animals that stand on regimented rows and formations. Hundred of food vendors selling raw foods, cooked food, fried or even baked foods. Ten of thousands of families visit these grounds in times of local ‘melas’ (festival) and ‘Poorams’ (celebrations). Warm colors, cold colors, fluorescent and psychedelic colors are also visible among many varieties of dresses in the textile stores. Many apparels from Khadi and cottage industries get opportunity to exhibit their produce in large exhibitions. Many of these festivals that occur at specific times of the year are centred around a godliness or even a deity of the temple. The visitors and villagers who visit these grounds may even indulge in many
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The brain work cannot survive in isolation from its environments and ecosystem. The habitat will become founded on technology alone. Data, informations and all education will be established on the principles of the digital world.
methods of worship to the village deities. Those dieties of divinity were called as “sthiramoorthis” and “utsav moorthis”. One set of deities that stay permanently inside temples and, its divine counterpart that can be moved out and taken around in a procession. The ambience could be of gaiety and of freedom. The mood of public are of happiness and joy. The sentiments in society are much of glee of brotherhood. Many neighbours in the village seem to have stepped out of their houses in to larger home grounds. Many of them seem to know each other very intimately. Almost all of these revelors are thorough in the backstory of each other. Much of their profession, livelihood and lifestyle are almost exactly same as each other. Commonality in aspirations and ambitions, connect the members of this community. They call this home. None of them seems to have lack of time or wealth. All seem to have access to abundance. Artisans, traders, farmers, entertainers and all other service providers seem to have enough wealth to be charitable and generous. Nobody seems to be eager to short change another person to enhance profit. So is this the attitude that you term as homeliness and a household. The coherence of a social home. All has given some money to organize this
Brain Tech extravaganza. The ancient art of crowd funding. In the backdrop of 1950’s, this festival gathering does not have designated car park for thousand vehicles. No possibility of credit cards and debit cards swipers. People are not suited and booted. There are no Auto Teller Machines. No coffee and other food dispensers. There are no slot machine that spits out bottled water. These are times before smartphone, tablets and advent of internet. Very basic and minimalistic transaction that lacked severity of technicality and technology. Though they were much transaction, yet, all were devoid of any cyber connect. Payments were limited to currency notes and coins. Zoom and speed and get a new pace. Get excited to this fast forward. Welcome to museum pieces called currency notes, books and papers, snail mail and pens. Suddenly, it is a new age of digitalization and internet. Look at the connectivity between electric equipment. The wires that connect them also become museum piece. The wireless, Internet of Things, Cloud Computing and even blockchain tech has captured the working of human brain. Artificial Intelligence sometimes sound more human and decisive than original brain of humanity. The program inside the Artificial Intel-
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being for soul mate to cohabit. The ligence can perhaps even calibrate need to reach out and captivate the and persuade the correctness of other human being for the purpose behaviour inside the household. to experience a union of totality Machines can become the new and experience. Any capture of home maker. Machines can advise another person for your personal on the method of building harmony gain is in effect, a subordination. and tranquility inside your home. Who will become the ultimate Villagers will be compelled to conslave? The machine or the person? vert habitats in to townships. The Will the machine start seeking transition to urban living and techcompanionship with human beings. nology of Artificial Intelligence is irEvidently, milreversible. Along lions of human with such social beings emotiontransformation ally enslaved by will become total their pet dogs. and complete For many pet corporatization If you take home and owners, the of relationship. family as if granted on separation from The brain silver plate, then your cats and dogs are work canteenagers will find it extremely painnot survive in ful. For many, isolation from its eager to move to the death of pet environments another habitat. has disastrous and ecosystem. consequence on The habitat will the psychology. become founded Because these people outsourced on technology alone. Data, inforthe stability and dependence, on mations and all education will be to their pets. What if the machines established on the principles of the started imitating and capture digital world. Nobody can remain people as their pets? Will the immune from the capture of brain machine start reflecting emotions called Source Code. In effect the of needing a spouse. What if the program in Source Code alone machine starts using spouse as a will dictate the human relations. captured trophy to experience the Cravings of human behavior for relevance and stature. Inevitable, attention and care will become in the generation of smart card and satisfied with machines of Artificial smartphone, nobody has freedom Intelligence. from technology. Everybody’s brain The need for intimacy will have been converted to think move out of the dominance of technically and in the method of pillows and soft toy. Communicacorporatization. Why is there much tion with Artificial Intelligence and discontent inside sanctity of home? Robotics will give you fulfillment of Your teenagers, want to dump their psychological intimacy. Passwords, school tools in your house and easurveillance equipments, metal ger to move to play. Your teenager detectors and scanners will become wish to disengage from homely chit the agents that protects you. You chats. Many members inside your will seek security and safety from home have deactivated themselves Closed Circuit Television. Will from routine homely conversayou be compelled to downgrade tion. You will agree that addiction necessity of human partnership? of technology has disabled people Every human wants to experience from talking to each other. Even sense of completeness in his heart. payments of service are through Therefore, the search of human
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electronic - wallets. Downloads of computer application enable most of your retail purchase and request for taxis. Why do we need to talk to each other anymore. Disengagement and rift from the homely affairs is equal to and in effect the attrition in companies. The institutions where your work strives to provide comforts of indoor games, convenience kiosks and food courts. Many places of work where you are employed has attractive lodging facilities and even swimming pools. These facilities emit an appeal for you to stay back long hours to work. The Human Resource department regularly organizes outings and picnics for its staff. They get external trainers at this time to introduce games and activities. All these to bring among its staff the sense of togetherness and bonding. Dynamics of grouping and teamwork are sciences learned by the HR. Where as the institution that you call home perhaps, lack any stickiness and hold, so as to retain its members. Companies establish relationships with thousands of people by educating them on methods of networking. But the leadership at home is unable to implement the understanding to stay together. Breakups in relationships, divorces, and other method of rejecting homeliness is because of lack of networking in institution of family hood. It is impossible to
go back to the culture of village festivities and melas. The entire world is urbanised. Technology alone will drive civilizations. Every brain will get converted to binary mathematics and, algorithm and coding. The brains will resonate only in the vocabulary of corporatization. The technology brain will discard and reject the narrative of relationships. What people used to call as love, will be replaced by functionality and workability. Whatever words used, they must get direction to productivity, performance and profitability. The temple celebrations and village festivities are in the grounds with interlocking tiles. These vast curated areas and manicured lawns are modeled and has multilevel car parking. This entire area is accessed by people who purchased the access card with an inbuilt microchip into it. People, property
and cars are kept secured by many layers of cyber security apparatus. All tools of entertainment are on TV screens and computer monitors. For any doubts and confusions that may popout in your brain, the organizers provide touch screens that will answer all your queries. Even the deities will be become available in climate controlled complexes. Large gatherings will generate waste of flower, paper, packages and food. The technology will ensure these wastes are recyclable and reusable. They will be incinerator that will eat up organic waste and convert them to manure. Smart cities will compel you to have smart homes. And if you are not smart individual, then your home will lack the tech brain and scientific temperament. If the narrative and vocabulary does not align with that of corporate institutions, then you are opening possibilities of misunderstanding. Homeliness of the village lifestyle, is not as same as of homeliness of the technology couple. Family matters will get con-
verted as institutional matters. Homely affairs will be treated as matters of progress and productivity. All other sentimental or sensory must become measured so as to minimise wasteful conversations and regressive customs. The rationale is set. Your brain is converted into way of technology. Information of all your relations and extended family will be viewed by perspective of data analytics. Get ready and be willing to adapt into the corporate home. This is the way your teenagers will be living their generation. If you take home and family as if granted on silver plate, then your teenagers will find it eager to move to another habitat. They may read the other habitat as more precious and valuable. The solution is for you to originate the captivating narrativesfor that what you call as home. Let us hope that your home does not graduate to enterprise and careers. Must learn from social experience, inside your family and corporate sense, inside the home
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FINANCE
Adv Sherry Samuel Oommen is a practising lawyer at High Court of Kerala who specialises in tax and Corporate Laws. Presently he heads the tax and corporate law practice of Nash Capital Partners. Apart from being a qualified lawyer, he is also a chartered accountant, cost accountant and a company secretary. He is currently pursuing his Doctorate Degree and is reachable at sherryoommen@nashcp.com.
In this article, I intend to cover the broad regulatory landscape relating to the regulations governing foreign investment by NRIs and the various types of investment that an NRI could consider. The views stated in these series of articles are purely personal and should not be reckoned as legal advice.
NRI–Investments into India–The regulatory and tax landscape–PART-I reckoned as legal advice.
Regulatory landscape
I
n a recent report, the Government of India has stated that India has received Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) worth US $ 367 billion during the 17-year period of April 2000 to December 2017. This, indeed, highlights the importance of FDI to the Indian economy. Going from experience, FDI has been the preferred form of foreign investment as compared to other forms, such as Portfolio Investment, Foreign Institutional Investment, etc. This is because the FDI flows are relatively more long-term in nature. Non-resident Indians or NRIs are a major contributor to the foreign investment into India. In this article, I intend to cover the broad regulatory landscape relating to the regulations governing foreign investment by NRIs and the various types of investment that an NRI could consider. The views stated in these series of articles are purely personal and should not be
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The Foreign Investment Framework in India stands on a two-legged structure consisting of the following: 1. The Foreign Exchange Management Act, 1999 along with its Regulations/Master Directions –The Foreign Exchange Management Act, 1999 is a Central Statute of the Parliament and is the supreme law when it comes to regulating all foreign transactions in India, including those pertaining to FDI. The FEMA also consists of Regulations notified by the RBI from time-to-time (also referred to as “FEMA Regulations”). The relevant Regulations for Foreign Investment into India are the Foreign Exchange Management (Transfer or Issue of Security by Persons Resident Outside India) Regulations, 2017 issued vide, Notification No. FEMA 20(R)/2017RB dated November 7, 2017 (“TIS Regulations”). Along with this, the RBI has issued the Master Direction –Foreign Investment in India issued vide RBI/FED/201718/60 FED Master Direction No.
11/2017-18 updated as on January 12, 2018. 2. The Consolidated Foreign Direct Investment Policy -The Department of Industrial Policy & Promotion (DIPP), Commerce Ministry, and the Government of India frames the Foreign Direct Investment Policy in India which lays down the sectors in which FDI is allowed, the conditions attached and the sectoral caps. It also lays down the sectors in which FDI is automatic and those in which it requires approval of the Government of India. The FDI Policy is prepared in the form of the Consolidated FDI Policy. The policy defines FDI to mean investment by nonresident entities in the capital of an Indian company under Schedule 1 of FEMA No. 20(R)/2017-RB. The latest FDI Policy is effective from August 28, 2017 and has been updated by Press Note 1 /2018 dated January 23, 2018 issued by the DIPP.
Different types of foreign investment The various types of foreign investment which are possible by an NRI may be enumerated as follows:
(a) Foreign Direct Investment – This is repatriable foreign investment which is invested directly in an Indian entity and is governed by Schedule 1 of the TIS Regulations read in conjunction with the FDI Policy. This is one of the most prominent structures of foreign investment into India. (b) Portfolio Investment –A Portfolio Investment Scheme (PIS) is available for NRIs under Schedule 3 of the TIS Regulations. There are no sectoral restrictions in this case. The limit for investment on this basis is 5% of the total paid up capital of the investee company per NRI and the aggregate ceiling for all NRIs put together is 10% which can be extended to 24% by passing a special resolution to this effect. Only delivery based buying/selling is allowed under this schedule. NRIs can open an NRE PIS A/c with a bank for buying under the PIS and sale proceeds from such PIS also credited to this A/c.
‘Foreign Portfolio Investors or FPIs’ is an important category of investors in the Indian stock markets. These could be classified into Category I, II or III. It may be noted that in the FPI regime, an NRI/PIO is not eligible to make investments/get registered as an FPI. A fund having NRIs as its investors is not prohibited from obtaining registration as an FPI. However, the SEBI in a circular dated April, 10, 2018 has specified about the Beneficial Owner (BO) of the FPI, i.e., the natural person(s) who ultimately owns or controls an FPI and should be identified in accordance with Rule 9 of the Prevention of Money - laundering (Maintenance of Records) Rules, 2005. It states that NRIs cannot be the BOs of FPIs. The SEBI has said FPIs that do not meet this criterion cannot take any fresh derivative positions after the expiry of the ongoing contracts. Further, if the funds don’t meet the requirement
within six months, they will have to unwind all existing positions and exit Indian markets. (c) Non-repatriable FDI –Under Schedule 4 of the TIS Regulations, only Non-resident Indians can invest in non-repatriable FDI. For instance, NRIs are permitted to invest into Partnership Firms/ Sole Proprietary concerns under the automatic route on a “non-repatriable” basis provided the entity is not engaged in agricultural/ plantation or print media or real estate business. They can invest on repatriation basis with prior RBI permission. (d) Other than Capital Instruments –Under Schedule 5 of the FEMA Regulations, NRIs have permission to purchase on a repatriable basis, certain other types of securities, such as Government securities, derivatives, mutual fund units, commercial papers, perpetual debt instruments issued by banks, national pension scheme,
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etc. It may be noted that unlike FPIs, NRIs are not allowed to invest in the listed/unlisted NCDs/ corporate bonds issued by Indian companies. One popular investment option which the schedule is silent on is the Public Provident Fund or PPF. NRIs cannot open a PPF. But, what happens to residents who undergo a change of status and become NRIs? On 2nd October 2017, the department of Economic Affairs, Finance Ministry, Government of India, issued a notification stating that the PPF account of resident Indians shall be deemed to be closed with effect from the date they become NRIs. A similar amendment was made for the National Savings Certificates (NSC) such certificates were deemed to be encashed on the day when the resident individuals become NRIs. In both the above cases, the interest was to be paid at the rate
applicable to the Post Office Saving Account (4% p.a.), from the date of deemed closure/encashment up to the last day of the month preceding the month in which the same is actually closed/ encashed. However, subsequently, the department of Economic Affairs released an office memo on February 23, 2018, keeping its earlier notification regarding the NRI's PPF account released on October 2, 2017, in abeyance (or temporarily dismissed). The 2018 notification is silent on the treatment of NSCs. (e) Limited Liability Partnerships (LLPs) – Schedule 6 of the TIS Regulations deals with foreign investment by NRIs in a Limited Liability Partnership (LLP) which is permissible on an automatic route in those sectors where 100% FDI is allowed and there are no FDI linked performance conditions. Hence, sectors, such as, real estate, trading, financial services,
etc., are ineligible for FDI by NRIs in an LLP. A company with FDI engaged in sectors where 100% FDI is allowed and there are no FDI linked performance conditions, can be converted into an LLP on an automatic route basis. Similarly, an LLP with foreign investment and which is engaged in sectors where 100% FDI is allowed and there are no FDI linked performance conditions, can be converted into a company on an automatic route basis. Investment in an LLP either by way of capital contribution or by way of acquisition/transfer of profit shares cannot be less than the fair price worked out as per any valuation norm which is internationally accepted. A valuation certificate to that effect should be issued by a CA or by a practising Cost Accountant or by an approved valuer from the panel maintained by the central government. The TIS regulations only permit investment in an LLP only if the consideration is in the form of cash. While the Limited Liability Partnership Act, 2008 allows consideration other than cash, FEMA prohibits the same for NRI investors. Further, Pakistani/Bangladeshi citizens are not allowed to invest in LLPs. Interestingly, considering the benefits available with an LLP model, companies have started evaluating the option of converting into an LLP. With FDI too permissible in an LLP, it would need augur well for businesses to seriously consider LLP as an option of doing business in India To be continued in the following issues
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MOTIVATION
Dolly Neena Dolly Neena is founder of Your Wing, a training company born out of a noble cause and spirit. She holds a decade long experience being a passionate mentor and entrepreneur.
"Fortune favours the bold. People who have the richest best lives are the ones who stepped outside of their comfort zone."
I
n this chapter, let’s have a look at ourselves on how we play safe in lives, what is the extent to which we are secure to take risks, and what is the comfort zone we have set for ourselves. Most of the times we get our emotions come in our way or we get wavered by cognitive biases, when it comes to taking productive risks in life. It is, indeed, a very crucial human trait which accounts for exponential development, experiential learning and success. What is a comfort zone? The comfort zone is a behavioural state within which a person operates in an anxiety-neutral condition, using a limited set of behaviours to deliver a steady level of performance, usually without a sense of risk. Before we understand more about comfort zone and the art of taking risks, let’s first have a sneakpeek at our fears. It is inevitable to recognize our weaknesses before we identify our strengths. How do we deal with our fears? Have you ever noticed that the more you
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Before we understand more about comfort zone and the art of taking risks, let’s first have a sneak-peek at our fears. It is inevitable to recognize our weaknesses before we identify our strengths.
try to make your fears and anxieties go away, the harder it is to rid yourself of them? Are we willing to face your fear? Are you prepared to move through them? We might be sceptical about it, uncertain, cowardly, negative or nervous. We all feel stuck at times. Please let yourself know that it is all normal. It is researched and found out that happier people take more risks. At the early stages of life, we tend to take ‘unknown risks’ which, sometimes, are unprecedented or unplanned. Hence, your status of mind plays a momentous role in deciding your future success too. The first and foremost thing in understanding and challenging your fear is to ACCEPT them. Stepping out of your comfort zone is to step into the unchartered territory. Acceptance is about making room actively in your cognitive level. Avoiding, ignoring or resisting a fear or change can only increase the agitation. Acceptance is practice that you need to be habitual with and is far deeper than we analyse in this article. The rewards are great, so can be the cost! Personal growth is multi-dimensional. Once we accept our fears, embrace the idea of change we are to travel through, the next step is to take action to get out of your comfort zone. Like they aptly say, “your life starts at the end of your comfort zone”. There are times
we feel that we might look foolish, or mocked or will have to bear embarrassment if we take a step to get out of our comfort zone. We all feel fragile at times, times when we doubt our strengths. But, taking that first step will commence a new exciting journey of your life –once that step is taken, you will cherish and be thankful for the coming years in life. Understand that all change processes are always ‘difficult in the beginning, messy at the middle and beautiful at the end’. Stop putting things off and procrastinating. Making a wee bit of progress every single day will help immensely when we look back after a year. Change starts from within! It starts with that decision that you commit today, helps you make that big leap in your as well as others lives. Whether it be Mahatma Gandhi or Bill Gates, all of them who made their mark in history, had struggled to take that first leap. They were all petrified in the beginning. Then, they accepted their vision, determined by their conviction to change lives around them. Today, we revere them to be heroes. Having someone to look up to, someone who has defied the odds, also would help know that what you’re going to do is not impossible. Those role models were just ordinary human beings who just had an extra-ordinary will in them
THE COGNITIVE ART OF TAKING RISKS
and a persistent spirit they never let down on. Perhaps, you want to change careers, move to a different place, quit your job and start a business, begin a new relationship, breakup with a nagging friend, have a child. Risk, by nature is scary. It gives you weak knees. However, it opens up a new world to you, lets you discover your inner strength, allows us to conquer our fears, makes you come alive, helps you to help others. When you start getting out of your comfort zone, make sure you do not stretch extremes. That might make you vulnerable and scare you to back out eventually. Be slow and steady. Get to your next milestone, and evaluate your action at frequent intervals. Applaud yourself on the perks that you find on the way. "A ship in harbour is safe –
but, that is not what ships are built for." Let’s discuss together how we can prepare for taking an inevitable risk in life. Ask yourself what’s the worst thing that’d happen if you take this risk? First of all, analyse the pros and cons. Believe that you ‘CAN’ do it. Make sure you are ready and prepared to take this hurdle. If not, gain knowledge of what you need to learn. Don’t assume or overlook things. Be steady and cautious. Refrain from hurrying things. Rather, be ready to develop some new muscles on the way, improve on some lessmastered skills and evolve through it. Study your opportunities, competitors, predators and threats. See the end in mind. Don’t let a bitter experience failure or past mistakes stop you. Study the consequences that can follow this.
Take calculated risks. Be ready with alternate plans. Be geared up not to regret. After all, playing it safe can be one of the biggest detrimental risks you take in life. Take that plunge! Experience that priceless gift that’s been kept in store for you from ages! "First you jump off the cliff and you build wings on the way down." Great, or unforeseen, success always comes from taking risks. It helps you stand out from the rest. Most of all, it will stretch your boundaries, give you a new perspective of looking at things, extra-ordinary way of combating life experiences. Slowly makes your mind muscles strengthen to carry more load. We are all equipped and designed to have an extra-ordinary life –only if we also resolve to have it! Have fun with risks!
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Ajesh Kumar N K CEO, www.threka.com, Gateways Global Human Capital Solutions
T
he Dutch landed at the Malabar Coast for spice trade 106 years after the advent of Vasco de Gama. It had been months since they were hankering after to see the sandy seashores and the beings stomping around there and the sunlight filtering in through the green trees. Spreading the printed fabrics before them the navigators racked their brains. They took a firm pledge to stick on their resolution -either terrestrial exit or triumph. From the start of their voyage from the Netherlands in December 1603, the group of Dutch navigators had confronted many an impediment. How many times had they fought off sea-creatures and sea-rats? The fleet itself spun around many a time in heavy storms in the turbulent waters. Their escape from the hostile fleets of Spain and the Portuguese was miraculous. It is Malabar (Kerala) lying in the southern most India that triggers in them the enthusiasm to advance ahead enduring all the obstacles. It is the land of spices where pepper, corns, cinnamon, cloves, mace and nutmegs, all grow ripe in profusion. The main aim and intention of the voyage is to land there as fast as possible and reach agreements for the trade in spices with native
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India and The Netherlands can be partnered with on water and on climate adaptation issues. Both countries also can work together specifically in the field of economic sustainability, including green greenhouses, offshore and urban wind energy, green constructions and cycling policy and more...
rulers. In 1581, Holland declared its independence from Spain and started the attempts to establish colonies. The Republic of United Netherlands granted freedom to the Dutch people to find out colonies. They became the most enterprising people in Europe prepared to live on the ocean with a piece of bread, salted meat and even salt water. It was Captain Houtman who formed the United Dutch East India Company in 1595 to trade with India and later other trade companies came into, amalgamating all of them on March 1602, the United Dutch East India Company was brought into being. The Dutch had many forts and trading centers besides vast lands at Kochi. In 1667, the Kochi Fort was the major landmark were one would find concentration of the Dutch. Sooner, the warehouses of Kollam, Kayamkulam, Kodungallor, Kannur, Chettuva came under their control. As per the official records, trade centers existed in 20 places, including Malabar. Even today 20% of India’s export to Europe enters through Dutch -the Netherlands. “So, for India, Netherlands is an entry point to Europe�.
Collaborate for a Better tomorrow
The contributions of Dutch to Kerala had long term impacts. HortusIndicusMalabaricus is the greatest ever contribution of the Dutch to the world of plants. HortusMalabaricus literally means the 'wealth of flora in Malabar'. Published in 12 volumes, between 1678 and 1703 from Amsterdam,
The Netherlands: Natural Partner of
India & Kerala…!
this book is considered as the first book in which Malayalam alphabets were printed. The Portuguese ruled Kochi for more than a century. Though the Dutch ruled for a short span, than the British who came later, the Dutch had more tolerance towards other religions than the
Portuguese. The fast growing Indian diaspora in the Netherlands is also making an impact with their many cultural contributions. In the year 2017, the two countries were celebrated 70 years of the establishment of Indo-Dutch diplomatic relations.
After the bilateral talks between Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi and his Dutch counterpart Mark Rutte, the two countries signed three MoUs, in the fields of social security, water cooperation and cultural cooperation, in the month June 2017. On the occasion, Prime Minister Narendra Modi described the Netherlands as India’s “natural partner” in its economic development. He also emphasised that the bilateral ties with the country’s major trading partner have been growing rapidly. Netherlands is the 5th largest investment partner globally and in the last three years it has emerged as the third largest source of FDI for India. Both countries are keeping on moving towards stronger ties, as the relations between India and the Netherlands are very old and have had cultural relations for over 400 years. Now, the process of strengthening the bilateral relations initiatives of India are leading by Mr. Venu Rajamony, India’s Ambassador to The Netherlands. According to him, the reason to describe the Netherlands as India’s “natural partner” is because the strength of the Netherlands matches the needs of India. The Netherlands is a world leader in areas like water management, recycling of water, agriculture, food processing, urban
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planning, digitization etc. These are all areas where India has launched major national programmes and there is a great need for India to rapidly grow as well as deal with many challenges. The natural partnership reflects the fact that both countries are complementary to each other. If the companies of the Netherlands can invest capital, technology and expertise in India in these fields, there will be win-win solutions for both countries whereby India find solutions for the problems that our people face while Dutch companies will benefit by offering their services at a scale not possible in the Netherlands which has a population only of 17 million. He also emphasised that Kerala is confronted with problems like preventing coastal erosion, dealing with drought, cleaning of canals, management of waste water etc. Dutch experience and solutions would be relevant to Kerala in all these areas. Kerala is a state rich in spices, rubber and various other cash crops. Dutch expertise in the field of food processing as well as experience in increasing agricultural productivity through the use of greenhouses can provide a major boost to Kerala farmers. Urban planning and traffic management is an area of strength in the Netherlands which is of direct benefit to Kerala where the number of transport vehicles coming on the roads is increasing every day. We also need to create multi-model systems of transport which is common in developed countries. IT is an area of strength both for the Netherlands and Kerala. There are Dutch companies who already operate in the Techno Park in Thiruvananthapuram. The State government has established contacts with companies and institutions in the Netherlands for collaboration on Start-ups, Incubators
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and Accelerators. Dutch strengths in digitization as well as their connections with Europe and rest of the world can be of great benefit to Kerala. Traditionally, Kerala has been an exporter of spices. It is necessary to move up the value chain into spice extracts and oleo resins. A company like Synthite in Kerala is already doing it very effectively. It has opened an office in the Netherlands next door to Wageningen University which is the number one Agriculture University in the world. More Kerala companies should look at opportunities to establish bases in the Netherlands, and use expertise available here and target world markets.
These perennial issues in the land since centuries led to innovations in a variety of areas and consistently lead the world the way when it comes to water management. No Country Does Water Management Better Than the Netherlands At the end of the last Ice Age, around 10,000 years ago, the North Sea was a large lowland plain. As temperature increased the sea level rose and after a few thousand years, the North Sea was on the doorstep of what we now call the Netherlands. The Netherlands is unusual in that much of its land has been reclaimed from the sea and is below sea level, protected by flood bank or dikes is an elongated naturally occurring ridge or artificially constructed fillor wall, which regulates water levels. The Water Management expertise of
Dutch community starts from early Middle Ages, the western part of the Netherlands was a boggy wetland. For people to work and live on that land, it had to be drained. In those days, the villagers did that task themselves by digging a ditch, building a dam or constructing a dike. From the 11th century onwards, this gradually changed. The people who owned the land were often no longer villagers but large landowners who lived in cities, castles or estates. Moreover, there was a growing insight that the construction of dikes and water drainage were matters that went beyond the realm of a village. In the 13th century, people with common interests in safe water management formed co-operatives, resulting in the first water boards. Their co-operation not only involved working together, it also implied participation in governance, which makes the water boards the oldest form of democratic government in the Netherlands. The water board Hoogheemraadschap van Rijnland, established in 1232, is the oldest water authority that is still in function and the Netherlands became the best protected delta in the world. Even then, the county still working on how to keep the land safe from high water, now and in the future, how to ensure a sufficient supply of fresh water at right place on right time, and how can ensure that the Netherlands remains an attractive country in which to live, work and invest through Delta Programme. These perennial issues in the land since centuries led to innovations in a variety of areas and consistently lead the world the way when it comes to water management. Universities were established to explore the potential of nature and improve the quality of life. Wageningen University & Research is one of the examples for translating the
results and scientific breakthroughs into practice and education, quickly. We have a lot to learn and implement from their expertise in high water issues at Kuttanad and sufficient supply of fresh water at right place on right time everywhere in the Country.
Agro Processing The Netherlands produces high-quality, sustainable food and has developed innovative agricultural and horticultural solutions that contribute to a healthier diet, a more secure food chain, and a robust floriculture market. The Netherlands is one of the smallest countries in the European Union, but big in the agri-food and horticulture sectors. More than half of the Netherlands surface area of almost 9.9 million acres is used for farming. The Netherlands is also one of the world’s leading countries in food processing machinery. This is the logical result of its position as the world’s second exporter of
agricultural products, including processed food. The Netherlands cover a high percentage of the total machinery production worldwide in all sectors of the industry: meat, fish, vegetables, potatoes, fruit, dairy, liquid products, bakery, animal feed and packaging (not only for the food sector). Some specific examples: Dutch industry produces 80% of the world’s capacity of poultry processing machinery, and a substantial part of cheese production machinery and potato processing machinery. Also in other markets, such as bakery, red meat and cacao processing, the Netherlands has systems suppliers that are leaders in their markets. The Dutch greenhouse industry has an astonishing logistical network, able to deliver vegetables to the New York streets on the same day they were harvested in the Netherlands. Dutch growing, monitoring and processing techniques are now popular export products on their own. Total turnover of the Dutch food processing and packag-
ing machinery industry is approximately 2.5 billion Euros (US$ 3.23 billion). These statistics and efforts will give us a boost for the new momentum gained in the field Agro Processing Industry in Kerala.
Innovation and cooperation The Netherlands developed innovations that make food easy to cook while lowering the amount of sugar, sodium and fat, helping to combat diabetes and obesity. The Dutch also know how to give food superior texture and flavour, so nutritional foods are more attractive to eat. Innovation and research are key in Dutch agriculture and horticulture. Universities and businesses are constantly looking for ways to make our ‘foodprint’ leaner and greener. The Netherlands is an expert in offering solutions for sustainable livestock practices and developed smart methods with animal welfare in mind. The agricultural sector, the food processing sector and the suppliers of food equipment and systems in The Netherlands have traditionally cooperated
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intensively and exchanged much information. They are supported by a strong knowledge infrastructure and the top knowledge institutes. The companies, affiliated to GMV (GMV is the sector association of manufacturers of machines for food processing and packaging in The Netherlands). As the voice of the Dutch manufacturers of food systems, GMV serves as a useful tool in the promotion of companies or individual members in the sector, and are highly qualified with a long experience and tradition in the production of food systems and related sectors. They are all specialised in one or more sectors of the food process industry. They construct a broad range of various machines, systems and installations for food processing and packaging and have specialised expertise and engineering. An important part (70%) of the production and expertise is destined for export. The products and services of GMV members find their way all over the world. The manufacturers are used to work in accordance with the wide range of international regulations and products requirements. In the domain of quality, efficiency and reliability, they belong to the best in the world! The unique and innovative vast knowledge and expertise of the Netherlands in the field of agro processing should be utilized for India’s journey to become one of the powerful nations in the world.
Urban Planning Faced with the challenges of flooding and managing a lot of activity in a small country, the Netherlands has developed the expertise to solve many of the big challenges that communities around the world face today, including climate change, rising water, population growth, urbanization and transportation issues. The Netherlands is moving ever closer to an economic system that focuses
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on the re-usability of products and raw materials, minimizing wasted energy and resources. The Dutch exchange their ideas on the “circular economy” around the world. As one of the most densely populated countries in the world, the Netherlands had to find ways to use every bit of the land- and cityscape. Thanks to clever multifunctional architectural designs, the use of advanced technology, green business practices, and smart transportation, Dutch cities are future-proof and resilient. Counting more bicycles than people, the Netherlands takes full advantage of this healthy, low-cost, and green method of transporta-
The Netherlands provides the widest range of cycling know-how, products and infrastructure. With over 40 years of experience in bicycle policy and practical bicycle solutions tion. The Dutch are experts on how to safely integrate bicycles in city infrastructure, and are proud of their modern bicycle transportation networks. Dutch Cycling Embassy play vital role in designing ‘Morden Mobility’ not only in The Netherlands. This intermediary organization is working on a mission - Cycling for Everyone. Dutch Cycling Embassy have been sharing their expertise and technology as the world’s number one cycling country to facilitate cycling worldwide as the most modern, efficient and sustainable method of transport. The growing interest in Dutch practices in urban transport is mainly due to a transition of the
transport sector towards sustainability and the rediscovery of the bicycle as a means of transport. Dutch Cycling Embassy believes that cycling not only contributes significantly to urban mobility, road safety and emission reductions, but has also positive impacts on the economy, social inclusion and health. The Netherlands provides the widest range of cycling knowhow, products and infrastructure. With over 40 years of experience in bicycle policy and practical bicycle solutions, the Netherlands are a unique international testing ground. It is Dutch Cycling Embassy’s mission to share these experiences. Only thing we need to do is ‘adopt’. Dutch experts also found ways to make roads more sustainable and interactive by creating road signs that adapt to traffic and weather conditions. Dutch solar techniques can even transform roads in energy generators that can be used for traffic lights or charging electric cars. The Dutch constantly look for technology-driven solutions that can improve citizens' quality of life and that address urban challenges in the field of energy, security, waste management, and transportation. As urban populations grow, the need to produce food locally will grow. Given that nearly 25 square miles of sustainable, energyefficient greenhouses cover the Netherlands landscape, the Dutch expertise in urban farming will prove crucial in feeding the population. The Dutch are experts in green building, which has led to the widespread presence of energy-neutral houses, healthier work and living spaces, and sustainable technologies in the Netherlands. The Dutch government has mandated that from the year 2020 forward, all new construction in the Nether-
lands will be climate-neutral. A secure community is resilient and able to adapt to environmental changes brought on through climate change. The Dutch approach to building resilient communities involves building a network of dikes and levees, and designing city- and landscapes that can accommodate inclement weather. The Netherlands is working hard on the future when it comes to transportation. The country is a testing ground for self-driving cars and invests heavily in electric vehicles, moving the Netherlands further away from dependency on fossil fuels.
Information Technology The Dutch are leaders in FinTech solutions, helping to make billions of financial transactions easier, faster and safer. Perhaps, the most impressive sector in the Netherlands’ start-up ecosystem is FinTech, which is truly flourishing and making waves worldwide. For example, one of the Netherlands’ very first unicorns –a start-up company valued at over one-billion dollars– was Amsterdam based Adyen, who now provide payment solutions for Netflix, Airbnb, Uber and Spotify. Other cutting-edge
FinTech start-ups based in the city include Bunq and Lendex, and startup support initiatives such as Holland FinTech ensure that it’s easy for small companies with big ideas to break into the scene. Amsterdam, the Dutch capital, has always been a hub for tech –global and International alike, home to over 578 international ICT companies (170 of which chose Amsterdam for their headquarters). And it’s easy to see why: the city boasts Europe’s fastest broadband speeds, it’s ranked fourth globally in app invention and development. In addition, the city is home to the world’s latest data-transport hub; not to mention, world-leading data-centre experts Equinix just opened the massive new AM4 data centre at the Amsterdam Science Park campus, solidifying the city’s position as the world’s largest internet hub. The high calibre of tech companies in the city speaks for itself, and many Silicon Valley companies themselves have set up shop in the city, including Google, Uber, Salesforce, DoubleDutch and Cisco. Naturally, there’s a whole host of world-class home-grown companies, too: Tom Tom, Booking.
com, We Transfer and The Next Web, just to name a few. Just like Silicon Valley, the Dutch capital is a magnet for tech talent, boasting a talent pool of over 250,000. For instance, the UvA, VU, the Centrum voorWiskunde & Informatica (Centre for Mathematics and Computer Science, CWI) and the Netherlands eScience Center (NLeSC) recently joined forces at the park to collaborate in the fields of data analytics, visualisation and image recognition, machine learning, deep learning and artificial intelligence, with some exciting developments already wellunderway. Also, nanotechnology research at the park’s Advanced Research Centre for Nanolithography (ARCNL) is set to change the world as we know it, and the complex’s addition of a Startup Village –packed with high-tech and science-based start-ups– guarantees even more innovation in the years to come.
Tourism With the steady increase in the number of tourists from the Netherlands to India with approximately 21000 electronic visa issued in 2017, for Kerala Tourism, the Netherlands is the 11th biggest originating market. The Dutch are big-time travellers and their urge to travel to be translated into holiday bookings. Mr. Venu Rajamony is right there to extend all his support for promoting India and Kerala in Netherlands. According to him, there is need to boost tourism from the Netherlands to not just Kerala, but all of India. There is significant potential to attract more tourists to Kerala by publicizing its natural beauty and vibrant culture and our traditional system of medicines like Ayurveda. This is also scope for Medical tourism because Kerala has a number of good hospitals and excellent doctors. The Embassy of India has taken
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Venu Rajamony – Making Countries Connected for a Better Place to Live
the topper of his batch. During his student days, Venu Rajamony was elected Chairman, Students Union of Maharaja’s College, Ernakulam and Vice President, Students Union of the Jawaharlal Nehru University, New Delhi. Venu Rajamony’s tenure as Consul General of India in Dubai from 2007 to 2010 marked a high point in relations between India and the UAE. Extensive efforts were made to advance the welfare of the over two million strong Indian community, promote trade and investment, reach out to UAE nationals and enhance India’s image and soft power. Fluent in Chinese, he authored a much-acclaimed monograph titled ‘The India-China-US Triangle: A Soft Balance of Power in the Making’ and ‘India and the UAE: In Celebration of a Legendary Friendship’. He holds degrees in Law from the Mahatma Gandhi University, Kerala; a Masters in International Studies from Jawaharlal Nehru University, New Delhi. He was selected the Best Cadet from Kerala State in the National Cadet Corps and participated in the annual Republic Day Camp of 1978 in Delhi as also a six-month India-Canada Youth Exchange Programme in 1979-80.
India’s Ambassador to The Netherlands, a career diplomat with over three decades of experience and scholar of international relations, former Press Secretary to the President of India, H.E. Mr.Pranab Mukherjee, Mr.Venu Rajamony began his career as a journalist, earning a reputation for rigorous investigation and comprehensive reportage at India’s leading national daily Indian Express. He was inducted into the prestigious Indian Foreign Service in 1986 as
India and The Netherlands can be partnered with on water and on climate adaptation issues. Both countries also can work together specifically in the field of economic sustainability, including green greenhouses, offshore and urban wind energy, green constructions and cycling policy and more... We have our own person right there at The Netherlands to cocreate legendary relationships. Let’s Foster the Ties..!
Venu Rajamony, Ambassador of India, Netherlands
a number of initiatives to promote tourism. The Embassy also plans to host an Ayurveda Conference this September at Leiden University. The Embassy along with India Tourism participated in Vakantiebeurs (Holiday Fair), the largest tourism event in the Netherlands, held on January 9, 2018. The Mayor of Utrecht Mr Jan van Zanen and Mr. Venu Rajamony inaugurated the ‘Incredible India’ and Kerala Tourism stalls. As part of Mission’s initiative, visitors were able to view India’s major tourist attractions in Virtual Reality. A number of tour operators from India, including Kerala participated in the event. On the occasion of King’s Day, the largest public holiday in the Netherlands, the Embassy in collaboration with India Tourism and Jet Airways, launched a novel
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initiative to promote tourism called ‘Bollywood on a Boat’. A boat was decked with banners promoting tourism and sailed through the main canals of Amsterdam with dancers showcasing folk and Bollywood dances.
Foster the ties
GADGETS
LG Stylo 4
MRP: `16,250 (approximately) Android 8.1 OS 6.20 inches Display 13 MP Primary Camera 5 MP Secondary Camera 2 GB RAM 32 GB Internal Memory 3300 mAh Battery Capacity
ZTE A 530
MRP: `7,999 (approximately) Android v8.0 (Oreo) 5.45 inches Display 5 MP Primary Camera 2 MP Secondary Camera 2 GB RAM 16 GB Internal Memory 128 GB Expandable Memory 2660 mAh Battery Capacity
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Motorola Moto C2 Plus
MRP: `8,999 (approximately) Android v8.1 OS 5.5 inches Display 8 MP Primary Camera 5 MP Secondary Camera 3 GB RAM 32 GB Internal Memory 4000 mAh Battery Capacity
Nubia Z18 Mini
MRP: 18,649 (approximately) Android v8.1 (Oreo) OS 5.7 inches Display 24 MP + 5 MP Dual Primary Cameras 8 MP Secondary Camera 6 GB RAM 64 GB Internal Memory 3459 mAh Battery Capacity
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COOKERY
Breakfast for kids Toshma Biju
Grilled Peanut Butter Sandwich
Ingredients
• • •
Butter...............................3 teaspoons Bread.......................................2 slices Peanut butter...................3 teaspoons
Method Heat skillet to 350 degrees F. Spread butter on one side of each slice of bread. Spread peanut butter on unbuttered side of one slice of bread. Place one slice, buttered side down on the griddle. Cook for 4 minutes on each side, or until golden brown.
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Banana Porridge
Ingredients
• • • • • •
Oats ..................................................................................... 160 g Milk.................................................................................... 600 ml Bananas.................................................................................2 nos Flaked almonds...................................................................... 30 g Ground cinnamon.......................................................½ teaspoon Honey.......................................................................2 tablespoons
Method For the basic porridge, place the oats and the milk into a large pan over a medium heat, and add a tiny pinch of sea salt. Bring to a steady simmer for 5 to 6 minutes, stirring often to give you a smooth, creamy porridge, and loosening with extra milk, if needed. Peel and slice the bananas at an angle. Toast the al-
monds in a dry non-stick frying pan over a medium heat for 3 to 4 minutes, or until lightly golden. Stir the cinnamon, and a little maple syrup or honey through the porridge, then divide between bowls. Scatter the bananas and almonds on top, then drizzle with a little extra honey, if you like.
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COOKERY
Oats Uttappam
Ingredients
• • • • • • • • •
Eggs............................................4 nos Oats...............................4 tablespoons Dosa batter.........................1 1/2 cups Oil................................ 1/2 tablespoon Finely chopped onion......... 1 medium Finely chopped green capsicum........... ........................................ 1/2 medium Finely chopped tomato............ 1 small Yogurt...............................2 teaspoons Finely chopped green chillies............... ...................................................2 nos
Method Heat ½ tablespoon oil in a non-stick pan, and add onion and sauté for ½ minute. Add capsicum and tomato, and mix and sauté for 2 minutes. Put dosa batter in a bowl, add oats and yogurt and mix well. Add green chillies to the pan, mix well and sauté for 1 minute. Switch off the heat, cool slightly, and add the mixture to the dosa batter mixture and mix well. heat a nonstick tawa. Add a few drops oil on top and wipe it with a tissue paper. Add little water to batter mixture and
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mix well. Pour a ladle full of batter mixture on the tawa and spread into a medium sized uttappam. Sprinkle 1 teaspoon chopped capsicum and 1 teaspoon chopped tomato on top and cook for 2 minutes. Break 1 egg in a bowl and slide it over the centre of the uttappam. Drizzle some oil around the edges and cook till the underside is crisp and golden. Flip and let the other side and egg cook. Prepare remaining uttappams similarly.
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BEAUTY
Kitchen items
you could use for
beauty
enhancement
D
uring this fast paced life, sometimes the beauty enhancement routine may not be a walk in the park. Sometimes, you will be forced to compromise. The first step to looking great is a radiant and glowing skin and achieving that need not involve expensive beauty kits or parlour. The answer is there in your kitchen. Here are some kitchen items that you could use for treating your skin.
Honey: natural antiseptic and anti fungal
If you have obtained burn or minor laceration, then you could apply honey for the betterment. Apart from that advantage, it helps in repairing of broken facial acne, and speeding up of skin repairing process.
Eggs
Eggs can be used as a perfect
facial mask. Egg whites will hold the skin firmer and whiter. Applying egg on your skin will, thus, ward off wrinkles, and you don't have to worry about the same.
Potato
Applying potato under your eyes will help in removing the dark circles, puffiness and swelling. All you have to do is few simple steps: peel off the skin, mince it, keep it in the refrigerator for a while, and then apply chilled potato under your eyes and leave it there for about 15 minutes.
Cinnamon
Cinnamon powder helps in the removal of acne and exfoliate tired or dull skin. Make a mask out of honey and cinnamon. It doubles the effect. Apart from this, you could use traditional mixture of milk cream and turmeric. Or lemon and turmeric combi-
Dr. Elizabath Chacko, MD-Kalpana's International
Mob: 9388618112
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nations to help with skin sensitivity. Apply it on your face and wait for 15-20 minutes. Then, wash it with warm water. Drink plenty of water to speed up the blood rushing process and drink coffee daily. Coffee and tea have plenty of antioxidants that will help in the removal of wrinkles. Try to avoid oil and other junk food and even if you consume them, eat vitamin C rich food items to compensate for the same. Try these methods and stay beautiful
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TRAVELOGUE
Seychelles:
the ‘tourist friendly’ country of 115 dazzling Islands
A
frica is a beautiful continent. In terms of its natural beauty, it has many gifts the rest of the world lacks. Nonetheless, it is rarely preferred as a tourist location. It is its political conflicts and instabilities which are cited as a reason to call this continent unfit for the tourism sector. In a sense, it is true. Peace and political stability are actually two alien terms to many of the African nations which are constantly
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in the state of bloody conflicts in the name of religious beliefs, ethnic identities and political ideologies. Actually, the actual reason for the instabilities of the continent not lies in its ethnic and political elements, but in its economic crises, unequal wealth distributions and corrupted administrations. Fortunately, serious efforts have been put forth lately to address the genuine issues the continent faces. This has helped many African
economies to move forward breaking all those chains tied around their wrist making it unable to climb up the latter of growth and economic stability. Those nations encourage others in the same part of the world and follow similar culture and tradition to explore their potential to the fullest breaking the barriers formed in front of their path to freedom and peace because of their own mistakes. Seychelles is one such nation.
This East African country constitutes of nearly 115 lovely Islands. Each Island is unique and special. The total population of the entire nation is less than one lakh people. It is one of the very few African nations which have a highly powerful economy and a noteworthy Human Development Index. The country is the member of the African Union, Commonwealth of Nations, and Southern African Development Community. Formerly, it was an uninhibited Island. It was a colony of colonial France, as well as the Great Briton. The colonial powers at the beginning
Seychelles is the home of giant tortoises. It is one of the few places in the world where there tortoises still exist. It is mostly found in the Moyenne Island of Seychelles.
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fought each other for supremacy in the land. Eventually, they forgot their differences and ruled together. Towards the beginning of the nineteenth century, the influence of the French colonials over this Island slowly faded, letting the Great Briton to overthrow its rivals and establish its full control over the territory. After ruling the territory independently for more than one hundred years, the freedom was granted to the Island in the year 1976. Since the aforementioned year onwards, the Island nation has been climbing the ladder of success aggressively. It has slowly detached its attachment with the agricultural sector to strengthen its economy. It is the development it has achieved in the tourism, services and public sectors which has helped it to reduce its reliance with the traditional and less profitable sectors such as the agricultural sector. It is to be noted that whatever the country has gained from its economic growth it has brilliantly
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Mahe, Praslin, La Digue, Bird Island and Moyenne are the five popular Islands the tourists who visit this country generally choose to spend their precious time. invested for its infrastructural development. What its tourism sector is enjoying at this moment is the fruit of that brilliant decision. Mahe, Praslin, La Digue, Bird Island and Moyenne are the five popular Islands the tourists who visit this country generally choose to spend their precious time. Mahe Island is the largest of the 115 Islands the national possesses. It is where the capital city of the country, Victoria City, situated. There are several spectacular beaches, pretty forests, and eyecatching mountains. Beau Vallon Beach is the one of the most popular beaches in this archipelago. It is where almost all adventurous water sports possible in the Island offered.
Water skiing and jet skiing are the two popular adventure water sports items offered here. There is nothing best than taking a photo graph with Anse Intendance as background. No traveller who visits this country ever miss the opportunity to take pictures in this remote beach. Apart from these locations, the Seychelles Natural History Museum, Domaine de Val des Pres craft village, Sir Selwyn SelwynClarke Market, the Little Ben Clock Tower, Cathedral of Our Lady of Immaculate Conception and the Mission Lodge Lookout view point are the popular tourist location in this Island. Actually, Seychelles is not only about Mahe. There are many other lovely Islands in this country. Unfortunately, no paper is big enough to absorb its beauty completely. Praslin is the second most visited Island in the archipelago. Vallee de Mai (one of the UNESCO World Heritage sites), Anse Lazio and Anse Georgette (widely considered as the members of the ten top
beaches in the world) are situated in this Island. The next Island which is going to be discussed below is a land of surprises. Once a traveller enters this Island, he/she naturally steps into a life lived by the Seychellois people a couple of generations ago. For accommodation, a traveller is offered a traditional house and, for transport, he/she is provided with an ox-cart in this island. It may sound crazy when it is heard for the first time. Close your eyes. See yourself sleeping in a small traditional home in a remote Island and travelling very slowly exploring each and every inch of that island in a ox-cart. Now, open your eyes. By now, I am sure you would have changed your opinion already. Anyway, the Island which offers this craziness is La Digue. Anse Source D’Argent is one of the stunning beaches in this Island. Are you a bird watcher? Seychelles has something for you also. Bird Island or Iles aux Vaches Island is an Island in this archipelago where over one million migratory birds visits every year between May and November. Seychelles experiences manageable weather condition throughout the year so anytime is good time to visit this country, but if a traveller plans his/her trip anytime between May and November, he/she can get a glimpses of migratory birds visiting this Island. Seychelles is the home of giant tortoises. It is one of the few places in the world where there tortoises still exist. It is mostly found in the Moyenne Island of Seychelles. Here, these tortoises roam freely. Sea food items dominate Seychelles cuisine. There is a similarity between the Kerala cuisine and Seychelles cuisine. In both cuisines, coconut is expensively used. It is one of the heavens our God has created in the earth. Take you ticket to this heaven as early as possible! You journey will be much more than just ‘memorable’!
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AUTO REVIEW
VIVEK VENUGOPAL
Toyota Yaris
T
he Yaris is Toyota’s answer to the Honda City, Maruti Ciaz and Hyundai Verna –three of the strongest contenders in the Indian Midsize car segment. It slots in between the Etios and Corolla in the existing line up. It is based on the third generation Yaris, which is the same platform as the Toyota Vios sold in Asian markets. If you are a diesel lover, don’t bother with
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the rest of the review, as the Yaris is only available in petrol. But, it does come with an automatic CVT option in nearly all the variants and that accounts for over two thirds of the overall sales so far. The Yaris carries the same futuristic styling we have seen in the Corolla Altis, but it doesn’t have the same balance. It is too high off the ground, the front end styling is a bit overdone and the sides are too
plain jane. The design looks more Korean than Japanese. There is so much going on at the front, with the large lower grille and its multiple horizontal lines, it looks busy. Thankfully, they have kept chrome details to a minimum. The headlamps and upper grille look sleek while the daytime running lamps are separate units housed in the bumper. The side profile is too tall and the 15-inch wheels look rather
small. The Yaris is 4425mm long has an identical 2550mm wheelbase as the Etios -both figures that are the shortest of all its rivals. It is, however, the widest and tallest in its class measuring 1730mm in width and 1495 mm in height. It is also well built than its Japanese counterparts and feels more solid. The cabin is a pleasant place to be, with good quality materials and well chosen colours. The dashboard is neatly laid out and although it doesn’t have the ‘plushness’ of the Honda City’s soft touch materials, still feels at par with the segment. Toyota has chosen to have some fake stitching on the dashboard and steering wheel in a resort to make it look like leatherette. The front seats offer good support and visibility and are very comfortable. The driver also gets 8-way electric adjustment, which
Where Yaris trumps every is a first in its class. The central one of its rivals is in the features armrest, however, is too far back department. You get electrically and is not adjustable, rendering it adjustable driver seat, tyre pressure mostly useless. The rear seats are monitoring system, front parking comfortable too, although if you are sensors, rear disc brakes, gesture tall, you might find it set a bit low controls for the infotainment to your liking and the headroom system, roof mounted air-convents insufficient because of the sloping and ambient lighting for the rear roof line. And despite being the passengers, a sun blind for the rear widest car in its class, you might windscreen etc to mention a few. It find the rear seat isn’t as wide as also gets 7 airbags including one for its rivals like the City or Ciaz. The the driver knee, which even some middle passenger is also inconvenluxury cars do not offer. However, ienced by the raised centre part Toyota has also missed out on and the protruding armrest console some other essentials. You don’t at the front. The boot at 476litres get automatically is again smaller dimming mirthan the two, but rors, the steering you do get 60:40 isn’t adjustsplit folding, able for reach making it more The cabin is a pleasant and there is no practical and the place to be, with good sunroof on offer. only one in its quality materials and Automatically, class to get that.
well chosen colours. The dashboard is neatly laid out and although it doesn’t have the ‘plushness’ of the Honda City’s soft touch materials, still feels at par with the segment.
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folding rear view mirrors, and auto headlamps aren’t standard either. What’s more, the infotainment system takes ages to boot up when you start the car, has visibility issues under sunlight and doesn’t offer Apple Car Play and Android Auto. The Yaris gets a reworked 1.5 litre petrol engine from the Etios. With variable valve timing, it makes 106bhp and 140Nm torque, which are lower figures than its competitors. This engine is quite refined and you do get decent drivability though. It pulls well at low revs and has a decent amount of midrange. In terms of outright performance, it cannot match the Honda City or the Hyundai Verna. The clutch is light, although the gearshift feels
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a bit rubbery. The CVT makes for a better city car, choosing a higher ratio, at all possible times and keeping the engine refined. The Yaris CVT also comes with a manual mode and paddle shifts, which come handy during overtaking moves. Demand too much throttle
and it sends the revs too high and you do feel uncomfortable with the engine noise. Again, the City CVT and Vento TSI with its dual clutch automatic are in a different league. You are better off picking a sedate driving style with this one. The Yaris uses McPherson front struts and a torsion beam rear axle like most of its rivals. The suspension has an underlying firmness to it, but feels well judged over potholes and speed bumps. The 185/60R15 tyres, with its tall sidewall, provide good cushioning. It also feels planted at high speeds and body roll is well contained. The steering feels light and the 5.1 meter turning circle is smaller than its rivals. The brakes are good too. The Yaris comes with 87 percent localization, but sadly that doesn’t reflect in its pricing. Toyota has been a bit ambitious with the pricing strategy, making it nearly two lakh rupees more than the equivalent Honda City and almost three lakhs rupees more than the Ciaz. To think about it, the City and Ciaz are equally reliable, more comfortable in the back and just as good to live with everyday. When it comes to performance or driving satisfaction, you don’t get much for your Rs.17 lakhs either. And the styling is a hit or miss affair. That leaves us with the Toyota badge and the long list of features. Sorry Toyota, but we expected the World’s Number 1 car manufacturer to know better
MOVIE REVIEW
Soorma
I
t is a sports movie directed by Shaad Ali. It tells us the story of a struggle: how an East-Indian hockey player comes back to his career overcoming all constraints placed before him by a gunshot injury. Diljit Dosanjh, Taapsee Pannu, Anqad Bedi and Siddharth Shukla appear in the lead roles. This movie’s music is one of its important elements. That part has been efficiently handled by renowned music director Shankar-Ehsaan-Loy. Hockey is one of the dearest games Indians love to play and watch. There is no doubt that this dearness towards the game helps the movie pull more audience towards those theatres where it is shown.
Ekta
I
t is a romantic thriller written, directed and produced by acclaimed film maker Suman Reddy. This film is made in Hindi and Telugu simultaneously. In this film also, its music carries a very important role. That part has been sincerely handled by popular music director Daboo Malik. Several mind blowing romantic songs can be expected in this movie. Avneet Kaur, Navneet Kaur Dhillon, Pranati Rai Prakesh, Salil Ankola and Prabhakar appear in the lead roles. Definitely, this move would be one of the most romantic movies released in this part of the world in this month. The expectations are already very high.
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Escape Plan 2: Hades
I
t is an action thriller director by Steven C Miller. It is the much awaited sequel of the super hit jail break thriller ‘Escape Plan’. The film tells us the story of Ray, the security expert who heads an elite team capable of breaking any impenetrable prison. How he uses his team’s skills to enter the world’s most secured prison to help one of his team members who has been taken into the prison? Will Ray’s team find success? Sylvester Stallone, Dave Bautista, 50 Cent, Jaime King and Huang Xiaoming appear in the lead roles. The film is getting mixed reviews.
Uncle Drew
I
t is a sports movie directed by Charles Stone lll. It is about a street ball tournament. The central character tries to create a team of septuagenarians for the tournament, after he has lost his original team. How the unusual team proves that the old stars are still capable of creating magic in the court? There are several comedy sequences in the movie. Kyrie Irving, Shaquille O’Neal, Nate Robinson, Tiffany Haddish and Reggie Miller appear in the lead roles. The film has received good reviews. Some has called it as a perfect sports comedy ever made in the Hollywood film industry.
July-August-2018
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BOOK REVIEW
The Unending Game: A Former R&AW Chief’s Insights into Espionage Author Price
: Vikram Sood : Rs. 449 (Hardcover)
T
he world of spies is a mysterious one. Have you ever wondered how professional spies actually operate? It is a subject which is still kept away from the sight of common people. In this book, the writer –who actually worked in a prestigious position in the Indian Intelligence Department- tries to unfold all mysteries surrounding the challenging profession of spies. It is neither a memoir nor a detective novel, but it portrays several historical incidents which clearly describe how important spies and their contributions are to our country, and also has several thrilling situations like those generally seen in the detective novels.
Let’s Talk Money: You Have Worked Hard for it, Now Make it Work for You Author Price
W
: Monika Halan : Rs. 319 (Paperback)
e all tirelessly chase money. We often feel that the money we earn is not enough to meet our needs and to ensure a good retirement life. We always feel that we don’t know much about the challenging process of personal financial management. If you agree all the three statements mentioned above, then this book will be a perfect choice. It has all elements necessary to clear all your doubts concerning the subject ‘personal financial management’. Importantly, unlike other popular books which deal with the same subject, this book has been prepared keeping the realities of the Indian society in mind. It’s time to relearn finance.
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July-August-2018
BOOK REVIEW
India Moving: A History of Migration Author Price
: Chinmay Tumbe : Rs. 469 (Hardcover)
I
t is a kind of research document. Not a serious study has been made yet on the sensitive subject of Indian migration. This book mainly covers three sensitive subjects: the migration with in India, migration from India and the migration towards India. Actually, all these three are different subjects. But, there are some important connections between the three. So, it is necessary to do a separate study, as well as a combined study, about these subjects. In short, this is what this book does. It is a perfect book for researchers. The best thing about this book is it can excite a researcher as well as a common reader who has a small interest in the subject equally.
Ninety-Seven Poems Author Price
S
: Terribly Tiny Tales : Rs. 188 (Paperback)
ometimes, the title of book clearly indicates its content. Definitely, when you read the title of this book, you get a feeling that this book is a collection of ninety-seven poems. In a sense, you are right. There are several beautiful poems in this classic book. But, they are not ordinary poems. What this book has brought forth to the global literature market is a collection of extra-ordinary poems written in a format or way completely alien to the traditional poets. This book definitely marks a beginning to the revamp the world literature urgently needs. It is advised to buy this book to find what is in this masterpiece. It will not fail your quench or enthusiasm.
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July-August-2018
Printed On 01/ 07/ 2018
RNI Reg No. KERENG/2011/42633