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RASAS OF KARKKIDAKAM

REALITIES of

RERA THE GOVERNMENT WATCHDOG TRIGGERS BOTH HOPES AS CONCERNS IN THE REAL ESTATE SECTOR READYING FOR A RESURRECTION

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IT’S TIME TO REMOULD

T Real estate developers in Kerala are also getting prepared to comply themselves with the strictures of RERA, which is going initiate a major change in the operational pattern of the housing industry.

he real estate sector, one of the largest industries in the country, has been through a series of ups and downs in the last few years with policy shifts in economical and regulatory spheres, slowdown in foreign markets and general lull in investment affecting it directly and indirectly. The sector which was one of the most sought after investment avenue has actually taken a dip in its popularity off late due to the stagnation in prices. Once looked upon as a safe haven for parking black money, the sector went through a thorough cleansing with the announcement of demonetization followed by the introduction of the Goods and Services Tax (GST). The new addition, Real Estate (Regulation and Development) Act (RERA), the regulatory arm of the Government to curb unhealthy practices in the sector has actually spruced up the accountability factor which was minimal in this industry.

Real estate developers in Kerala are also getting prepared to comply themselves with the strictures of RERA, which is going initiate a major change in the operational pattern of the housing industry. Beyond the shadow of a doubt, a strong and efficient law was the need of the hour in this sector since we have been witnessing a series of fraudulent activities and unscrupulous practices which resulted in the loss of hard earned money for genuine buyers who were lured into `make belief’ projects that would never take off. The Major players, who already have a fairly good footing and trust among the general public, need not get panicked by the regulation since it actually provides a stamp of genuineness for the fair players. Though it was widely accepted by prominent players in the field, the major concern voiced by the building community and CREDAI, the umbrella organization of builders,

against RERA is the non inclusion of Government departments, which play a crucial role in the timely deliverance of mandatory licenses and certificates to a particular project, under the purview of RERA. It can lead to a precarious situation for the builder who may get pulled up and made answerable for the laxity on the part of Government officials.

While advocating vociferously for the upliftment of the real estate sector, which undoubtedly caters to the major chunk of employment opportunities in the State, the authorities should not turn a blind eye towards the imperative responsibility to initiate steps for the conservation of environment and wet lands. The recent decision by the State Government to strike down the major provisions in the Kerala Conservation of Paddy Land and Wetland Act, which triggered an instantaneous attack from environmentalists as well the Opposition, has cast a shadow on the proclaimed policies of the ruling Front and points fingers to the seriousness shown by the Government in this matter.

Another area which demands a paradigm shift from the existing scenario is the need to focus on affordable housing projects which would benefit lakhs of people who are still deprived of the dream of owning a house of their own.

The industry experts and bureaucrats should sit together for a brainstorming to evolve a new housing culture which focuses on the aam aadmi rather than running behind the vertical growth volumes generated by sky scrapers which are affordable only to the affluent sections of the society.

B Balachandran

Executive Editor

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RERA: THE KERALA PERSPECTIVE The three major disruptions seen in India, specifically over the last three years, have been Demonetisation, GST and RERA, all of which have affected real estate activity and its players in different measures for varying times.

circulation Thiruvananthapuram

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r e a l e stat e “RERA, A BOON FOR REAL ESTATE INDUSTRY”

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profile connoisseurs OF TRUST

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PREFAB, AN IDEAL ALTERNATIVE

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landscape PERFECTIONS OF GREEN

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i n c o n v e r s at i o n ‘ORGANIC DEVELOPMENT NEED OF THE HOUR’

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solar power RIDING HIGH ON SOLAR WAVE

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architecture TOWARDS A GREENER FUTURE

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success story RADIANCE OF red

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REALITIES OF

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leisure Winding Down to the Misty Woods

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soccer fever

France’s triumph epitomizes European domination trends Kylian Mbappé is better then cristiano ronaldo he won the world cup with france at age 19 and cristiano is 34 and no world cup lol Dany Markos

chandramohan @chandru14

Heartiest Congratulations to France on behalf of CMC on the successful winning of FIFA World Cup 2018.

biz news results

The Kerala Financial Corporation gained a net profit of 8.30Cr

K launch

Nissan to setup its first Digital Hub in Trivandrum J apanese automotive major Nissan Motors is ready to set up its first Digital innovation hub in Technocity, Trivandrum. The main intention behind the development of this digital hub is to enhance the research and development facility in electric and automated vehicles, which will be shared by the Renault-NissanMitsubishi alliance, a Franco-Japanese strategic partnership. Nissan Motor Corporation signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the State Government. The agreement marks the arrival of the first global brand to the state. The State Government decided to lease 30 acres of land in this regard as the first phase and the second phase will be 40acres.The existing talent pool in IT and engineering, airport connectivity, cost effectiveness, quality of life, social amenities and the lack of traffic problems are the reasons behind Nissan to choose Kerala as the spot for its campus. The space will be known as

Nissan Knowledge City. The Nissan Digital innovation hub team includes a team of engineers and scientists who will be initiating research & development (R&D) work in artificial intelligence, cognitive analytics, machine learning and other digital technologies. The digital hub is expected to generate 3,000 direct and multitimes indirect employment opportunities and this will be a great boost for Kerala.

The company is expected to hire around 500 people for the facility by the end of this year. The ‘Nissan Digital Hub’, will be the first of a number of software and information technology development centers in Asia, Europe and North America, which according to the company will comprehensively transform Nissan’s business by placing digital technology at the heart of key operations and services.

Once fully operational, it will provide a range of in-house services to strengthen Nissan’s digital capabilities in India and other global markets.

erala’s leading industrial and financial institution, Kerala Finance Corporation (KFC) has gained a net profit of Rs 8.30 crore for the 2017-18 fiscal and the target of the current year is Rs 1,500 Cr. KFC obtained considerable development in the terms of sanction and recovery too. 2017-18 financial year registered a growth of 87.88 per cent to Rs 724 Cr, disbursements were at Rs 600 Cr and total recoveries increased by 8.05 per cent to Rs 945 Cr. By the progress in the performance, the operating profit of KFC has increased to Rs 20.19 Cr and it could bring down Gross NPA to 6.37 per cent and Net NPA to 2.03 per cent. Initiatives to facilitate low interest loans to the customers by decreasing the Gross NPA as 4% are in progress.

e x pansion

Amazon expands to online Pharmacy Business

A

mazon revealed their plan to enter into the pharmacy business with the acquisition of the online service of Pillpack.

The Pillpack is an online pharmacy delivers prescription medications for its customers,

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including those with multiple chronic conditions, and is authorized to deliver in all 50 US states. The entry of Amazon to the pharmacy business could disrupt the business of CVS and Walgreens. The

pharmaceutical supply chain, including pharmacy benefit managers and wholesalers, has been under pressure for the past one year regarding the Amazon’s push into the market spooked investors.

market

OnePlus 6 sold 10 lakh units

O

nePlus, the global android smart phone maker has made a tremendous record of selling 10 lakh units of its new model OnePlus 6 in just twenty two days after the launch. OnePlus 5 and OnePlus 5T each sold 10 lakhs units within three months of launch. OnePlus 6 is available in three variants - Mirror Black, Midnight Black and Silk White at a starting price of INR 34,999.

It is the first smartphone to be released in India featuring Qualcomm Snapdragon

845 processor with 8GB of RAM and upto 256 GB of storage. The phone also comprises of 6.28-inch Full Optic AMOLED 19:9 displays and the camera

system features a 16MP main camera, supported by a 20MP secondary camera.

Company also launched a new variant of its most successful smartphone till date, the OnePlus 6 in red on 2 July, 2018. The OnePlus 6 Red, which is a dramatic take on the OnePlus 6 comes with an amber-like glass back finish and stands for sophistication and empowerment. It is available in 8+128 GB at INR 39,999.

Kochi is the most important market place for the sale of OnePlus in India.

results

CIAL posts a net profit of Rs. 156 Cr

C

merger

KEF Infra to merge with Katerra

O

ffsite infrastructure manufacturing company, KEF Infra announced its merge with Katerra, a U.S based company which designs and builds homes. The 25,000 crores worth company will be known as KEF Katerra in future. The merging will jointly expand their geographic reach, manufacturing capacity and market expertise.

Faizal Kottikollon, Founder and Chairman, KEF Infra, and Michael Marks, Chairman and co-Founder, Katerra, said that the merger will enhance their contributions to their customers.

The newly created company has more than $3.7bn in bookings across US, North America, India and China is looking to expand in Middle East. Both companies offer end-to-end building services aided by offsite manufacturing and enterprise technology.

products

Kerala’s own e-commerce portal!

K

eralaspecial.in is an e-commerce portal exclusively for the marketing and selling of Kerala’s traditional products.

The portal is promoted by a group of IT professionals and a diverse and passionate group comprising artists, academics, industry experts and professionals from different sectors.

Keralaspecial.in was formally launched by eminent sculptor Kanayi Kunhiraman. The site offers Kerala’s ethnic art and craft products like handlooms, handicrafts, art, gifts, clothing, coir products, snacks, Ayurveda and spices. The major ones among them are Kerala’s traditional Aranmula Kannadi, Balaramapuram handlooms, Marayur jaggery, Kuthambully Saree, Amadappetty etc. The company ensures the supply of high-quality products and those are handpicked by a team of experts following strict quality parameters. It gives the job opportunities for the people who made a living by manufacturing these products.

July 2018

ochin International Airport Limited (CIAL) has registered a net profit of Rs. 156 Cr on a turnover of Rs. 553.42 Cr in the financial year 2017-18 and the operating profit has turned as Rs.387.92 Cr. A meeting held at Thiruvananthapuram with the board of Directors and Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan has proposed a dividend payout of 25% to the investors. The consolidated turnover achieved

by CIAL and it’s fully owned subsidiaries like CIAL Duty Free and Retail Services Limited (CDRSL) stands at Rs.701.13 Cr and it was Rs.592.65 Cr during the previous financial year. The consolidated profit of CIAL and its subsidiaries for the accounting year is 170.03 Cr. CDRSL itself has entered a turnover of Rs. 237.25 Cr. The new idea of PPP model by CIAL in airport infrastructures development has a base of more than 18,000 investors from 30 countries has been paying dividend without any dues from financial year 2003-04 and in the last fiscal the total dividend payout was 203 %. The Government of Kerala having a share of 32.41 % in the company has been given Rs.31.01 Cr. during the last fiscal. The Cochin International Airport today is fourth in the country for the international traffic and seventh in total traffic has achieved during the 2017-18 fiscal by managing 10 million passengers.

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soccer fever

France’s triumph epitomizes European domination The 2018 World Cup was an incredible celebration of the world’s most popular sports event, delivering a daily dose of thrilling goals, saves, comebacks, triumphs and heartbreaks.

Rohit Nair

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JuLy 2018

T

he FIFA World Cup stays within Europe, yet again since 2006, as France downed Croatia 4-2 in the final of the 2018 edition at Moscow’s Luzhniki Stadium.

It was the second title for France, after their maiden triumph in 1998 under the captaincy of Didier Deschamps, who now became only the third person to lift the Cup both as a player and

manager. They were one of the pretournament favourites along with the traditional powerhouses and former champions Germany, Brazil and Spain, with Belgium, England and Argentina also in the reckoning. Croatia were rank outsiders, with many giving them no chance to go beyond quarterfinal.

The 2018 World Cup was an incredible celebration of the world’s most popular sports event, delivering a daily dose of thrilling goals, saves, comebacks, triumphs and heartbreaks while at the same time never falling short of drama -- video assistant referees (VAR) marked their debut and shock results for the likes of Germany, Spain and Argentina, all failing to reach quarterfinals and then Brazil making their exit in the quarterfinal. Perhaps, the most unexpected run came from Croatia who

went all the way up to the final, with a consistently good display. Belgium was unlucky to lose to France in the semifinal, with just one moment of aberration in their defence leading to that decisive goal

by French defender Samuel Umtiti.

The Russia World Cup witnessed quite a few thrilling games, with some late goals deciding the fate. But the Spain vs Portugal group match which ended in a 3-3 draw, on the second day of the tournament, was arguably one of the best battles fought in Russia, with Cristiano Ronaldo’s hat-trick and Diego Costa’s two goals providing the icing on the cake.

Similarly, Nacer Chadli’s winning goal, with the last kick of the match, for Belgium against Japan, and Toni Kroos’s free-kick goal against Sweden which saved the day for Germany, stand along with Cristiano Ronaldo’s free-kick equaliser against Spain for sheer drama.

France’s nail-biting 4-3 win over Argentina in the Round of 16 fuelled the momentum for their title run.

Kylian Mbappé announced himself on the global stage with two outstanding goals, and Benjamin Pavard scored one of the most beautiful goals in World Cup history when the French were trailing in the second half as Argentina failed to keep up with the youthful exuberance of this French team. The average age of the French squad was 26 compared to Argentina’s 29.

Though many thought Belgium should have been in the final, more so after defeating Brazil in the quarterfinal, one cannot take any credit away from

The French side had many talented players and the 2016 Euro losing finalists were expected to do well in Russia.

France who also beat Uruguay in the quarterfinal and Belgium in the semifinal.

The French side had many talented players and the 2016 Euro losing finalists were expected to do well in Russia.

Perhaps, some of the ardent football lovers might not have liked their style of play – solidly defending deep for most part of the game and then launching counter attacks to score. This was evident even in the final where they had only 34 per cent possession as against Croatia’s 66 per cent, somewhat

ridiculing the advocates of “keeping the ball’’. Statistics reveal that France had only 289 passes against Croatia’s 528.

They proved beyond doubt, as if proof is necessary, that it is the goals that count and everything else is insignificant.

France had only four shots on target in the final and all four ended up as goals while Croatia had six shots on target but only two goals to show.

Toni Kroos’s penchant for late drama and upsets made it impossible to predict a winner early on. His last-gasp winner against Sweden looked like it had rescued the Germans from an embarrassing early elimination, only for them to be knocked out of the group stages after a humiliating loss to South Korea.

Sweden was another team which went on to exceed expectations by reaching the quarterfinal, where they lost to England who achieved their best-ever finish in 28 years. English football is

July 2018

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definitely showing signs of revival.

They are the world champions in the under-20 and under-17 categories and perhaps could be strong contenders at the 2022 World Cup in Qatar. But in Russia they had a favourable draw and it helped them reach the semifinal.

Four matches were decided through penalty shootouts, including Russia’s shocking victory over Spain in the Round of 16. The hosts nearly marched into the semifinal after Mario Fernandes levelled the score in the 115th minute of their quarterfinal against Croatia, but the Russians ran out of luck after Fernandes missed his spot kick in the shootout.

The Croats were the tournament’s biggest surprise package. Almost no one predicted they would reach the final, but they did so with consistently solid performances, particularly by Luka Modrić and Ivan Perišić, the former who won the Golden Ball.

Belgium produced consistent and scintillating performances throughout the tournament with their 2-1 victory over Brazil proving to be a tactical masterclass from their manager Roberto Martinez.

France’s Didier Deschamps became only the third person to lift the Cup both as a player (in 1998) and manager.

Kevin De Bruyne scored a beautiful goal in a brilliant counter-attack. This was supposed to be the World Cup where Brazil’s Neymar dazzled. Unfortunately, for the world’s most expensive footballer, his displays and theatrics garnered criticism and the 26 year old’s playacting in Russia made him the butt of all jokes on the internet.

Six out of the eight quarterfinalists, barring Brazil and Uruguay, have been from Europe. UEFA President, Alexander Ceferin, was a happy man. He lauded the efforts of European football’s governing

body to develop the sport across the continent.

“UEFA are doing a good job… we are approaching the development of football a little bit differently so the gap will be wider and wider,” Ceferin was quoted as saying in the media.

“We generate a lot of money from all of our competitions. We allocate the money properly. We have coaching conventions.

We work with former players who help national associations. We work on good governance.

“We invest in projects on infrastructure, in the development of football’s technical sector... we see that it’s the right way to have success and development of football.

“Every single child in Europe can be spotted now as a talent, and I’m not sure if that’s there everywhere around the world,” he added.

Much of the build-up to the tournament was dominated by negative coverage in the British media, which had its own agenda, but I should say that it has been a big success. On the pitch football has been generally of top quality -- only one goalless draw – and off the pitch there have been no controversies.

Over four weeks, Russia has been welcoming the world and enjoying a huge party. Football fans have witnessed a hitherto unseen side of Russia many might have not witnessed had it not been for the World Cup. They have met people whom they would not have come across otherwise. They have enjoyed the warmth and hospitality of the Russian people and together celebrated the World Cup. The fans have already started looking forward to the next World Cup in Qatar, in 2022. Like the organisers claim, “Expect Amazing’’.

Writer is a Masters Degree holder in Sports Management and Law from ISDE Business School, Barcelona. He recently completed an year-long assignment with the European Leagues in Geneva.

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soccer fever

Modric and Mbappe top them all!

Luka Modric was the principal force behind Croatia’s dream run. He was the heart and soul of the team. Statistics reveal that no player covered as much ground or logged as many minutes as this midfielder.

by Rohit Nair

W

ith the likes of Neymar Jr, Lionel Messi, Cristiano Ronaldo, Mohammed Salah, Eden Hazard, Luis Suraez and Edison Cavani fading away, some of them rather early, it was Croatian captain Luka Modric who emerged as the best player, winning the Golden Ball, at the Russia World Cup. The winner was voted for by members of FIFA’s Technical Study Group.

Belgium’s Eden Hazard and France’s Antoine Griezmann finished second and third respectively.

Modric, who has been the principal force behind Croatia’s dream run to the final, joins a long list of outstanding players as the winner of the Golden Ball. Messi had won this award at the 2014 World Cup in Brazil. The list also includes some of football’s all-time greats like Zinedine Zidane (2006), Brazil’s Ronaldo (1998), Diego Maradona (1986), Johan Cruyff (1974) and Pele (1970), to name a few.

Modric was arguably Croatia’s most consistent player in Russia, not only scoring a couple of goals, including that brilliant strike from outside the penalty area, against Argentina in the group stage.

Statistics reveal that no player covered as much ground or logged as many minutes as Modric.

He was among the top 10 in key

Modric’s close control and capacity to come up with thunderbolt shots make him a sublime player.

passes per game. He attempted an average of 69 passes per match with an 87 per cent completion rate, which helped him shatter a couple of national team records.

A look back at Modric’s career shows that he has won everything possible at club level for Real Madrid, including the La Liga title, UEFA Champions League and the FIFA Club World Cup. July 2018

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info World Cup Winners Only eight countries have won the World Cup so far. It was the 21st edition that was staged in Russia. South American giants Brazil top the list with five titles.

France

Germany

Spain

Italy

2018, 1998

2014, 1990, 1974, 1954

2010

2006, 1982, 1938, 1934

Brazil

Argentina

England

Uruguay

2002, 1994, 1970, 1962, 1958

1986, 1978

1966

1950, 1930

Modric’s close control, ability to dodge past a marker, knack of executing a pin-pointed pass to a seemingly unseen team-mate and above all his capacity to come up with thunderbolt shots make him a sublime player, virtually the heart and soul of his team.

Mbappe Best Young Player France forward Kylian Mbappe, who won the hearts of millions of fans around the globe, came close to toppling Modric as the best player, but had to settle for the Best Young Player award, recognizing the impact he made as a teenager at the Russia World Cup. A cursory glance at the winners’ list of this award indicates that the World Cup is often rejuvenated by fresh talent, some of them relatively unknown at one point but would emerge great players later in their career.

Paul Pogba won this award in 2014, but the list also includes Thomas Muller (2010), Michael Owen (1998), Franz Beckenbauer (1966) and Pele (1958).

Though FIFA instituted this award only in 2006, the world body conducted an online poll to decide the Best Young Player with retrospective effect (from 1958 to 2002) and published a list.

According to FIFA, technical qualities such as skill, style and charisma are

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taken into account, but so are other important factors such as a sense of fair play and a genuine impression that the player is playing for the love of the game.

Only under-21 players with exceptional skill level, refreshing playing style, creativity, tactical maturity and efficiency are considered for this award.

It goes without saying that Mbappe epitomizes all these and more as was evident in Russia.

He also won millions of hearts following his decision to donate all his earnings from World Cup to a charity.

Mbappe stands to earn $350,000 bonus for winning the World Cup and almost another $150,000 as his match fee. He has announced that he will donate all of this to a charity called Premiers de Cordee, placing him among the world’s most generous footballers.

Golden Boot for Kane With six goals from six games England captain Harry Kane emerged the top scorer and thereby won the Golden Boot award.

France’s Antoine Griezmann and Belgium’s Romelu Lukaku finished second and third respectively with four

goals apiece.

Kane is described by the English media as the team’s undoubted talisman, leader and key player. The prolific Tottenham Hotspur man is a forward who can score all types of goals -- with both feet, his head, from distance or from inside the six yard box.

Kane has consistently found the net for both club and country since bursting into the Spurs first team in the 2014-15 campaign, winning the English Premier League’s Golden Boot in 2015-16 and 2016-17.

England were banking on Kane for goals and their captain lived up to the expectations, scoring six including a hattrick against debutants Panama

France’s triumphant heroes were given a tumultuous welcome by hundreds of thousands of supporters upon their return to Paris.

being the highlight.

Courtois wins Golden Glove Belgium goalkeeper Thibaut Courtois was adjudged as the Best Goalkeeper by the FIFA Technical Study Group. He was presented the Golden Glove.

The Chelsea goalkeeper did a star

turn for Belgium as they reached the semi-final, losing to eventual winners France before claiming third place with victory over England.

Perhaps his best performance was against Brazil in the quarter-final when he effected nine saves to keep the marauding South Americans at bay.

Courtois is the second Belgian to win the accolade, after Michel Preud’homme claimed it 24 years ago at the 1994 World Cup in the United States.

Great goalkeepers like Iker Casillas (Spain), Oliver Kahn (Germany) and Gianluigi Buffon (Italy) are among the

previous winners.

Until 2006 in honour of the former Russian goalkeeper Lev Yashin.

Germany’s Manuel Neuer won this award in 2014.

Fair Play Award Spain who won the World Cup in 2010 but lost to hosts Russia in penalty shootout in the pre-quarterfinal, won the Fair Play Award.

Spain were only given one card throughout their Russia campaign - to Sergio Busquets.

Stastics reveal that Spain were fouled 59 times, but they committed just 32 fouls across their four games, with only one player getting a yellow card.

July 2018

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real estate

RERA: THE KERA The three major disruptions seen in India, specifically over the last three years, have been Demonetisation, GST and RERA, all of which have affected real estate activity and its players in different measures for varying times.

Dr Najeeb Zackeria

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he Real Estate Industry overall has been through pretty disruptive times since the last 10 years, starting with the subprime crisis of 2008 and hence over the years numerous developers have been pushed to be innovative and proactive to meet the various challenges thrown up in the economy. Though Real Estate activities are localised to each micro market, many economic trends have been regional or country specific. The

three major disruptions seen in India, specifically over the last three years, have been Demonetisation, GST and RERA, all of which have affected real estate activity and its players in different measures for varying times.

Real estate developers in Kerala also have been managing for change and the changing scenarios. We have realised that to be of relevance in this competitive but sluggish market, committed developers have to refocus our objectives, re-align our priorities, reevaluate our capabilities and re-evolve as better players than before. The sector has also seen crisis within which has been in relation to workforce, resources, capital and the regulatory environment.

Shortage of skilled manpower for construction and allied activities, and increasing labour costs across Kerala is being addressed by CREDAI with continuous

LA PERSPECTIVE on-site training programs, but the gap still remains affecting the efficiency of work output.

Shortage of basic construction materials like sand and metal leading to its significant cost rise, along with spiralling steel costs is another major impediment to completion of projects within costs and time. Of course the much talked about banking sector crisis (mostly outside Real Estate field) has also led to increased cost of funds of banks and NBFCs overall. The delays in obtaining project permits and occupancy certificates should be hopefully reduced with the online building permit mechanism which is already been piloted at Calicut from May 2018. The Ease of Doing Business objective of the State Government pursued by KSIDC over the last one year should help in ironing out many of the issues but will remain futile without the support and changes within the various Government departments which is still steeped in the age old set practices.

Project Management has also evolved during these times, with the advent of better construction practices and increasing mechanisation in this field.

More and more developers have started adopting technologies like ERP and sales automation, AutoCAD and BIM softwares in design and development, and using data analytics to understand and respond with agility to the changing customers needs and trends. We have seen impact of globalisation

with acceptance of smart home features in projects, individual water metering for apartments, and adopting of green and clean technologies for better project outcomes. Value Engineering to optimise manpower and resources is also being advocated among our members in view of the increasing costs. ISO certifications on quality, safety and occupational health also help improve the operating standards of Developers. Besides ratings

RERA is supposed to usher in more investments into this sector and would help it make it more organised with the exit of the fly-by-night operators.

and grading provided by credible agencies like CRISIL and ICRA ensures transparency and gives the developer more confidence and the customers additional comfort when making investments.

The Real Estate Regulatory Act which is now in place in many States, though in differing formats is soon to be notified in Kerala as well. This Act once in place with its website, Authority offices, Chairman and other members, and Appellate Tribunal is supposed to help in bring more transparency and accountability within the real estate sector, especially with regard to completion timelines and

the promised quality. It is also hoped that though Government bodies are not made accountable presently under this Act, they too will have to be more responsible since they are the ones to ensure completion certificates are issued and various services like water and electricity and other NOCs are provided on time. RERA is supposed to usher in more investments into this sector and would help it make it more organised with the exit of the fly-by-night operators. As compliance of various commitments would be the key, it is most likely that it would lead to increase in the end product costs.

Though residential is still the primary development with the maximum demand across Kerala, cities like Kochi and Trivandrum have witnessed large IT and commercial developments as well. The scope to provide the so called Affordable Homes remains a challenge in Kerala, what with the land costs, and the highest labour and materials costs across the country. The expansion of organised Retail across our cities with Malls and Multiplexes and stand-alone large Format Stores has changed the way Keralites shop and enjoy. The presence of advisory firms like JLL and CBRE in Kochi to provide leasing and consultancy services, PMC and property management facilities bodes well in view of the expansion of our market size.

The market slowdown in the past and the ups and downs of the Real Estate Sector was primarily attributed to the slowdown of the Indian economy and the turbulence in the Gulf economy. The industry has responded with reducing the launch of newer projects leading to faster absorption of ready to occupy July 2018

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and ongoing projects stock and realignment of new development only in areas which are preferred by the end customers. In certain locations, reducing the unit sizes to make the product more affordable has been offered. However, adoption of higher quality standards and relevant amenities has led to steady price appreciation of select residential projects, which have helped in differentiating the various players within the market. Newer segments of Real Estate development like Warehousing, Student Housing, Logistics Park, and Integrated Townships could provide more alternatives for investment and community development.

An area of concern within Kerala remains the poor management of waste, be it household or the re-cyclable materials. So much can be easily done rather than dumping it in landfills and destroying and polluting the neighbourhood besides creating social discord among communities. CREDAI Clean City Movement, an initiative of Credai Cochin, over the last 10 years has been pivotal in providing decentralised management of over 40 tons of domestic waste daily within Kochi alone from

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Newer segments of Real Estate development could provide more alternatives for investment and community development.

over 500 apartment complexes, and 80 tons from across Kerala saving the local bodies crores of rupees annually, besides generating employment to hundreds of workers. Over the last couple of years, it has extended its services to many of the major cities of India. However, there is an urgent need for the State Government to facilitate and establish at least three large recycling centres across Kerala which can adequately address the issue of plastic and e-waste.

The large scale Central and State Government investments for infrastructure improvements within our cities in the last two to three years, comes as a relief to entrepreneurs who have already been making significant

investments leading to improving the social infrastructure during the last 10 years. This has led to Kerala and more so Kochi being a hub for higher education and medical care. It is expected that within the next two years, with the completion of the various Government initiatives, the improved mobility and public transportation and the support services within our cities should improve the ranking of our cities in the liveability index. That should also help remove the stumbling blocks faced by the various businesses in our cities.

Many industry and trade bodies which are continually advocating and working towards the improvements in our cities should be able to start seeing the new phase of all round sustainable development making our cities more liveable thereby benefitting all its citizens. That should be the ultimate objective and goal, and leaving that to only the Government machinery with its limited accountability to decide and execute is fraught with significant inherent risks.

Writer is Chairman, CREDAI, Kerala and Managing Director, Abad Builders, Kochi

real estate

“RERA, A BOON FOR REAL ESTATE INDUSTRY�

Ar. Vikas Achalkar, the Principal Founder Architect of A & T Consultants revealing the prospects of RERA in the Real Estate scenario of Kerala.

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r. Vikas Achalkar is the Principal Founder Architect, A&T Consultants based in Pune. He has an experience of nearly three decades of working as an architectural consultant for several leading developers across Maharashtra. He has been providing expert consultation about the Real Estate Regulatory Authority (RERA) since 2017.

RERA is a path breaking policy that has been initiated by the Central government and requires the state governments to form the Real Estate Regulatory Authority in their respective states in order to empower customers and regulate the industry.

As a professional who has deep insights about this industry, Mr. Achalkar feels that

RERA is a necessity to organise the highly unorganised real estate sector in India and this rule that might have made many developers uncomfortable is actually in their interest. Brand Kerala spoke to Mr. Achalkar about the experience of implementing RERA in Maharashtra, how it balances the act between customer and builder and also how it will help give a boost to real estate in Kerala.

What has been your overall experience of implementation of RERA in Maharashtra?

While talking about the real estate sector, we must understand that it was a highly unorganised sector throughout India.

Even though being unorganised, it has

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been attracting huge investments. But this sector was also one-sided. Earlier the picture was that developers are reaping benefits while customers are left unsatisfied and have no agency to complain. RERA has changed this scenario. Indian government had always wanted to organise this sector.

The Intent behind organising the real estate sector is to make it like any other product manufacturing industry. Any manufacturer invests his money first in making the product. In this case, the customer carefully evaluates the product with his experience and knowledge and whether it suits his requirements and budget. Then ultimately, he or she buys the product. So, comparing this with the real estate industry is possible.

But here, customer was paying for the product which was not in existence.

The customer had no choice but to buy that product and accept it as it is, even though he or she may not have liked it. That is where RERA has come into the picture. People are misinterpreting RERA as an implementing agency.

It is not an implementing agency but a regulating agency. As it is a regulating agency, it will regulate all the irregularities concerning the real estate agency. And all the stakeholders such as developer, contractors, construction material manufacturers etc. do come under its purview. So, if a customer or even a consultant like me is facing any irregularities done by developers or other stakeholders, we can approach RERA, file a complaint and ask the authority to work on resolving those irregularities.

How has RERA impacted the real estate sector in Maharashtra?

Maharashtra is the only state in India that has implemented RERA with a retrospective impact. This means, RERA is applicable to the schemes which were ongoing. This is where it has hit the industry very hard. Many builders have come into the industry because it had low

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investment and high returns because all the funding was received from customers and that too in advance. Before RERA was implemented, there was a room for developers to take money from the customers and invest that money in other projects. The money paid by the customer for certain scheme was not necessarily used only on that particular scheme.

This used to delay the completion of the project and brought about a bad business practice.

RERA may look like a customer centric policy but in reality, it is very balanced.

Ar. Vikas Achalkar

Hence, those builders or developers who were not organised with the handling of their budget and construction activity, suffered financially after the introduction of RERA. They could not finish their schemes in time; they were out of funds and could not deliver what was expected from them by the customers. Those who have been working by the book in this industry have actually thrived after RERA was implemented.

Other states of India did not put retrospective impact on RERA; hence the builders did not experience such a crisis there.

What do you think are the loopholes in the RERA scheme?

Is it only customer centric?

The only loophole that, I think as a consultant is that RERA doesn’t help speed up the government agencies to provide NOCs. We understand that government authorities are burdened with work, but a platform can be created or single window system to speed up the process or else a time span needed for such sanctions can be regulated through RERA. This is only loophole in the policy that is causing problems to the developers otherwise RERA is in the interest of all the stakeholders in the industry.

RERA may look like a customer centric policy but in reality, it is very balanced. It has ensured that the product that customers will get after the completion will not be tampered with.

But these regulations have also benefited developers because they have to deliver what he is paid for by the customer.

It also regularises allied products and services such as raw material providers, tiles or any other fixtures and developer will not be blamed for any mistakes made by other stakeholders.

What kind of impact RERA would have on the industry, if implemented in Kerala?

The cash rich state like Kerala would be really benefited with RERA. Their major population live in the gulf countries. The money they earn is mostly invested in gold but with RERA, they can invest in real estate as well. It will be a secured investment after the implementation of this policy. There is a very much similarity in the requirements of the kind of flats in Pune or Maharashtra to what is required in Cochin or other cities of Kerala. The quality of construction is of high standards in Kerala. If RERA is implemented in Kerala, then it will be one of the only states where industry will flourish as foreign investment will come in large numbers.

in conversation

‘ORGANIC DEVELOPMENT NEED OF THE HOUR’ The built-up terrain is filled with skyscrapers. The vertical growth of the cities point towards that how costly the land has become. But does this result in an organic development of the city is the question.

Priyanka Prakash

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rchitect G. Shankar, the pioneer of Green architecture is the founder and Chief architect of Thiruvananthapuram based Habitat Technologies. He is a believer in Gandhian economics and a fan of Sylvia Plath’s poetry. He advocates the use of locally available materials, sustainability, and eco-friendliness and cost effectiveness. He established himself in the 1980s as a rebellious response to the manipulation of land and nature.

In conversation with Brand Kerala, G. Shankar shares his hopes and concerns on housing sector Please elaborate on your foray into architecture and sustainable construction?

I took architecture as my field of study when others had no idea about what it was. In my childhood, I was an active member of Kerala Sasthra Sahithya Parishad. There were camps and many other activities as part of the Parishad.

Selling books and introducing smokeless cooking stoves in villages was the task assigned for me. This kind of stoves can reduce the fuel consumption and it is a sustainable mode of development too.

In my opinion, science is for the benefit

of human beings and thus a social commitment evolved in me. I learned Malayalam letters by writing on the sand. I was very fond to write letters on sand because that creates a strong bond between man and nature. I got an opportunity to interact with the poor people. I experienced their sufferings like lack of a house and other facilities.

They do not have hopes about tomorrow.

My social commitment directed me to choose architecture as my area of study. The way I chose was right. But what I learned from the engineering college was not the real face of Indian Architecture. It was all about Buddhist, Renaissance and Victorian Architecture.

But these vast topics are not applicable to the Indian scenario. I discussed about this to my teachers. In India, it is about building a house in a very small area of land without spending huge amount of money. This contradiction inspired me to walk differently in the respective field.

Laurie Baker was different among all the other architects. I witnessed a unique and unusual beauty in his buildings. Laurie Baker influenced me a lot. He was a man whose thoughts were different from the others. I went to Delhi in between, and from

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My goal is to provide hopes for the people who wait for me because for them, a house is an ultimate dream and happiness.

there I learned about the dos and don’ts of architecture. My political favor is Left and thus truth and trust is my prime consideration. I completed my Masters from England and I was offered a highly paid job but my mind didn’t allow me to stay there. I came back and started working here for the homeless, poor people.

Habitat Technology When I started Habitat, I was totally blank. Somehow I needed to popularize my ideas to work for the poor. I understood the distance between zero and one after starting Habitat. I waited for a long time to get an official work.

My friends were my first clients. I still remember Mr. Philip; my first project was done for him. I worked as a mason in the site just to know about the nature of raw materials. I started Habitat in a very small way but its development was very fast. We should select a different or difficult path to move. The different path will lead you to amazing world

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with many opportunities to succeed. I am living to give wings for the dreams of poor people. My goal is to provide hopes for the people who wait for me because for them, a house is an ultimate dream and happiness. I worked in many places like Gujarat, Uttarkhand, Andhra Pradesh, Indonesia, Thailand, Sri Lanka, Haiti and Maldives as a part of the disaster rehabilitation housing projects.

Habitat is my blood, sweat and tears.

The growth of Habitat is something great for me. Now it is number one in Asia in its area. There are many people coming from different parts of the country to meet me. Many students from different states come here to study under my guidance. I am practicing a unique style of building houses.

How Habitat is different from Nirmiti Kendra?

The Nirmiti Kendra is owned by the government. It is tied up with many rules and regulations. Habitat is my own vision and my own decisions. The reflection of my way is Habitat.

What kind of development do we actually need; horizontal development?

The reason behind the debates regarding the vertical and horizontal development

a 14 storey building is not useful unless the elevators, waste disposal methods are efficient all the time. Projects like Karimadom Colony should happen more; they are two and three storey buildings.

Economically viable projects suitable for middle income and low income groups are not happening in Kerala. Why?

The poor people are struggling a lot to build a house. There are many organizations in the world which assists the poor on housing needs.

I am also an active member of such organizations. There are NIG (No Income Group) and LIG (Low Income Group) in Kerala.

We should reserve 25% for these groups during the arrival of big projects like flats. But the real estate agents are opposing this because according to them, a poor man living in an area occupied by rich people is not acceptable.

What do you feel about the need for earthquake resistant buildings?

We have to take certain precautions while building a house to resist earthquakes.

Kerala is a state having probability for earthquakes. So we should take safety measure to overcome the disaster.

What is your take on wetland conservation?

Kerala has three main landscape diversities. They are high land, mid land and coastal region. The bad thing that we do to the land of Kerala is the filling of wetland. It is the major reason behind all the natural calamities. Finding substitute ways for water by ruining the natural water bodies creates major problems. It is clearly written in Vastu Shastra. Building houses by filling wetlands is not right.

We should preserve the water bodies and wetlands.

is the less availability of land. The 80% of the land in Kerala is owned by 20% of people. The rest 80% of people are making disputes for the 20% of available land. This is a political equation. The Land and Revenue Act of Kerala was a great idea and this can be a model for the entire world to practice. The reason why I oppose vertical expansion is that, it is not a suitable model for the construction of houses in Kerala. Giving the poor people

The reason why I oppose vertical expansion is that, it is not a suitable model for the construction of houses in Kerala.

G Shankar

On your pet project Bamboo School It is my big dream. Our idea is to renovate and spread its possibilities.

Kerala government has sanctioned Rs 25 lakhs for its renovation. It is a bamboo campus. The bamboos for our purposes are collected from Kattakkada, Trivandrum. After its processing, we use it for making furniture and other needs.

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profile

connoisseurs OF The brand Bhima, synonymous for its trust and purity, forays into newer areas of operations by enhancing its presence in India and abroad.

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young boy moved from Uduppi, Karnataka to Alleppey with his brother-in law to help out at their restaurant, Girija Nivas, after the school hours. In pursuit of his urge to become financially independent, the boy started a small business of selling perfumes and cosmetics at Girija Nivas while working.

But after getting married and settling in Alleppey, the young man realised that the profit from his fledgling business was insufficient for a comfortable life. One of his acquaintances mentioned to him that the demographic situation in Alleppey was suitable for a profitable business in silver jewellery, cutlery, and pooja articles. It was when he was mulling over this that a customer at the restaurant asked him whether he could supply him with two silver tumblers. Now the only concern was how to procure the silver. His wife had a pair of heavy silver anklets that she gladly gave her husband when he told her of his quandary. The successful journey of Bhima Jewellers, the most trusted jeweller, began from this point.

K. Lakshminarayana Bhattar, popularly known as Bhima Bhattar, is the pioneer among ready-made gold ornament jewellers in Kerala.

Starting with the making of silver tumblers using his wife Vanaja’s heavy pair of silver anklets, he started his own business of gold and silver jewellery later. He is solely responsible for the paradigm shift in Kerala’s

jewellery trade from ‘made to order’ to readymade jewellery. The Bhima showroom in Alleppey that stands tall as the embodiment of this success tale is undoubtedly the first showroom of readymade gold jewellery in Kerala.

Bhima Bhattar was one of the first diamond merchant in the State and he also introduced Navaratna jewellery.

Bhima Jewellers soon became the hub for gold wholesale trade in Kerala. He hadn’t dreamt of creating a straggling chain of two dozen stores across South India, instead, he focused on a key principle- to sell pure gold.

Over the last nine decades, the name `Bhima’ has become an integral part of the lives of many families with their jewels of unmatched quality. The operations of this highly established brand in South Indian and UAE market is now being handled by the third generation of Bhima Bhattar’s family without compromising in the trust and purity of their gold. The strong foundation on which the brand Bhima has been built on is its commitment to quality & trustworthiness. This legacy is being carried over to the group’s new venture – Urbanscape Properties.

Urbanscape Properties is an offspring of Bhima group, one of the most trusted brands in Southern India.

Brand Kerala talks to Suhas Rao and his wife Gayathri Suhas, who heads the South Kerala operations of the group.

Gayathri is the granddaughter of Bhima Bhattar.

How do you trace out the journey of Bhima Jewellers?

The flagship store was started in Alleppey in 1925 as a single showroom

TRUST

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for silver jewellery. Then slowly, grandfather turned it into a gold jewellery showroom. Trade would happen on those days, because Britishers were there. So my grandfather could start his trade and payments were done through coins at that time. That is when he identified that gold probably has a market in Aleppey.

Aleppey Port was also active then. He started minting coins for payments, and gradually the demand rose. He weighed gold with the original weights itself. At that time goldsmiths used Manjadi seeds for calculating weight since they could do manipulations in that. But grandfather never did that. We still keep a space for silver ornaments in all our showrooms.

Because that is where we started and became passionate about jewellery.

Bhima is known for the purity of gold it maintains even today.

How do you do this?

My father and his brothers were the second generation to look after this business, and my generation is the third to follow the footsteps of our grandfather.

We have admired the way grandfather kept the trust and quality all these years.

He strongly believed that we should give customers pure gold even if we have to compromise on the profit margins.

We strictly abide by this policy and our next generation will also continue to do the same. It is the easiest thing for us because we have never compromised in maintaining that quality and trust in gold. To hide a lie is a hard thing to do for us, since we were scrupulously honest and we wanted every bride to think of Bhima. We want every baby girl born to grow up listening to the Bhima Jingle. We have always made our own kids listen to it during their childhood. We want that to happen everywhere. So we maintain the trust and the purity, not only in the gold but also in our relationships. Even though we are not Malayalis, we think in Malayalam and strive hard to cater to the tastes of Kerala by maintaining honesty

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It is the easiest thing for us because we have never compromised in maintaining that quality and trust in gold.

Gayathri Suhas

both in business and life.

How do you cater to the design tastes of different age groups and varied types of people?

From a woman’s point of view, gold is definitely an investment and an add on to your beauty. I believe even a small nose

pin will increase the beauty of a woman’s face. It’s automatic. The idea of fashion and what looks good has evolved through years. There are some suppliers who will deliver only for us. We sit and design, listen to our staff’s suggestions, carefully listen to our customer’s needs, travel extensively and carry out brainstorming sessions with our exclusive designers.

To keep up with the changing trends we have also included antique, light-weight, Kundan, diamonds and un-cut diamonds.

But we have also kept traditional jewellery like Poothali, Palakka maala etc. because everyone’s point of view towards fashion is different. So we keep on updating ourselves with the evolving trends.

How do you assess the policies of the government and its impact on the gold market?

Sometimes it will help, sometimes it

a business for us, it’s our passion.

That is why, all of us, the entire family are involved. We are involved in the conception of designs; we are involved in day to-day operations, whether that is good or bad, that we don’t know; we do it because we love doing it. We didn’t think about anything other venture other

When people think about Bhima, their mind automatically goes to the quality and purity of our gold. This legacy will be preserved in the real estate sector also.

Suhas Rao

will hold you back. India has the highest customs duty. We are paying around Rs 12,600 per kilogram as duty. In UAE and other countries, the custom duties are much lesser. GST has actually helped us.

Some policies have to be revised. The dollar fluctuation is the main reason that holds us back. The gold is imported like crude, so sometimes that is not beneficial for us. When the rate of gold goes down, people tend to buy more gold and when it goes up, they will wait. If the rate of gold remains steady, it will be good for the business.

Major Gold jewelers have diversified their business to various sectors like textiles, real estate etc. What made you so long to stretch your business?

We realise that it took us a long time to stretch our business but better late than never. Gold jewellery is not just

than this. Then we realised and it was time, so we ventured out. Slowly we have diversified into different sectors.

Not just real estate, we are stretching our business to health sector with diagnostic centres in Bangalore. We are planning a wholesale division, our own factories in jewellery segment. We have ventured into media field also by taking partnership in Flowers channel. Urbanscape is one of the diversifications of Bhima groups.

What do you feel about the current real estate scenario in Kerala?

Current Real Estate scenario is being looked up because of the real buyers.

Initially there were many investors, many unwanted one-day operators, etc. but now, the real people who have the capacity can only hold themselves in the market. There was a lull initially, for six months right after demonetization, we

were not very good, and the market went down. But we are slowly picking up. The investments from NRIs have come down slightly because of the dullness in Gulf Countries. But we think India is becoming stronger, economy wise also.

In two-three months it will grow.

The worst is over. Even the land price which was on a inflated mode, has now come down, so that we can buy the land, construct and sell them at a fair price to the customers. We will maintain the trust and quality in the real estate sector also. When people think about Bhima, their mind automatically goes to the quality and purity of our gold. This legacy will be preserved in the real estate sector also.

How do you view RERA, the new law for regulating real sector sector?

RERA is actually good for us, because when we started Urbanscape, we made it a point to strictly go by the strictures of RERA. RERA has a foolproof mechanism to monitor the industry which would trigger a positive and healthy growth in this sector. It has got certain clauses to monitor the usage of funds also.

The fund collected from clients for a particular project should be utilized for that project itself and cannot be diverted for other businesses. This would to a great extend curb the rolling and swindling of funds happening in the industry. The cheques are provided by the government and every six months the Corporation would carry out inspection of project sites. Also the project must be finished and delivered to the customers in the stipulated time itself. Or else, the customer has to be compensated by paying the interest for the amount invested by him. So builders will be cautious about the progress of work which in turn will benefit the industry a whole. There won’t be any kind of manipulations or cheating. People will start believing in real estate.

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real estate

PREFAB, AN IDEAL ALTERNATIVE Pre-engineered buildings or Modular constructions are sectional pre-fabricated buildings that are manufactured in a plant and then delivered to the customer in one or more complete preengineered sections.

These units are typically constructed in an enclosed facility where poor environmental factors are not allowed to hinder the construction timeline.

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D

eepGreen Lifestyle Creator (P) Ltd, Alappuzha has been broadly involved in Commercial & Residential buildings on Design, Fabrications and Installation & Constructions. DLC International is a company committed in pursuit of innovative, environment-friendly and energy-saving building system by creating, producing and providing products and services that perceptively engage customers globally. Pradeep Nair, Founder Chairman of DLC (P) Ltd, elaborates on the features of Prefabricated or Modular Constructions, the scope and provisions given by DLC in this area. “DeepGreen Lifestyle Creator (P) LTD. has been working with the building and construction industry to promote the wider adoption of green building technology, energy efficient buildings,

universal design and barrier-free access in our built environment. Comparing the traditional construction practices, pre-engineered building construction is a cost effective and timely venue for quality production. There are many advantages for this type of construction over the traditional ones; they include shorter construction time, reduced site disruption, more consistency, quality, financial savings and flexibility of use. DLC building system includes steel structure, hot-dip galvanized, color coated metal sheet, ALC panel, pre-stress hollow core concrete slab, BESTA BoardTM and BESTA Hollow Core (HC) PanelTM.� He says.

Modular Construction comes under the Sustainable Construction methods in which the building designs, constructions processes and materials are environment friendly. The main features are

Naturally Non-toxic Strong, Light-weight and Breathable Energy efficient Incredible Insulation Flame, Water and Pest Resistant Lasts 100’s of years and maintenance free Reducing temperature up to 50% Flexible to budget Faster in Construction, Easy Installation Less Labour usage. Savings of 20% to 30% Better quality as materials are factory fabricated and standardized Steel elements are highly recyclable Improved creativity as steel designs can be more flexible and looks slimmer.

“The benefits of temporary buildings, portable buildings and permanent preengineered buildings have resulted in widespread acceptance of pre-engineered construction as a better alternative than conventional construction. Today, individual pre-engineered building components can be built in state-ofthe-art facilities at the same time as site preparation, saving you time and money.

Once on site, architectural details can be added, making the pre-engineered project indistinguishable from conventional construction.” Pradeep adds.

Through the Sustainable Construction, DLC Building System is doing their part to optimize the use of natural resources via recycling and reuse of materials.

They construct pre-engineered buildings for commercial and residential purposes. They provide a wide range of modular buildings including residential townships, commercial complexes, hospitals etc. Their fast track facilities are designed as permanent buildings with a structural design life of 60 years and can be used for permanent or interim requirements.

DLC offers a full design and supply service, including architectural, mechanical, electrical and structural solutions.

The proposed building systems are fully integrated and manufactured with

DLC offers a full design and supply service, including architectural, mechanical, electrical and structural solutions.

green, clean, and ecological & sustainable construction materials to achieve fast, clean, environment friendly installation and comfortable living conditions.

Up to 68% less energy is required to erect a modular building as compared to a traditionally built structure. The insulation used in the walls, roof and floor is made of ozone-friendly materials that have minimum impact on the environment.

The Light-weight Steel Structure manufactured to size as according to design requirements, full bolts and nuts connection on all steel connectors to minimize welding procedure requirement during installation. Light steel reduces waste and subsequently lowers waste disposal and removal costs. Structural components are fabricated to exact

specifications, thereby reducing the amount of excess material. Any waste generated is recycled in the production centre. Steel is 100% recyclable, hence does not contribute to depletion of natural resources or degradation of environment.

DLC buildings are designed by trained structural engineers and build in control environment so the raw material is not wasted unlike the conventional building material where the wastage is huge. This helps in reducing the cost and building structures in most economical matter.

DLC wall-panel systems are manufactured for energy-saving requirements. Compared with conventional brickwork, DLC’s insulated walls conduct 90% less heat, ensuring that the interiors remain cool during the summer and warm during the winter.

The steel frame design minimizes thermal bridges, making the buildings easier to heat or cool with significantly less use of energy.

ALC panels can absorb and insulate the noise outside constructions. It can be used as sound barrier to supply a silent and comfortable living environment.

DLC Building System is a water free construction technology.

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landscape

PERFECTIONS OF GREEN The person who changed the face of Trivandrum city almost a decade before; the most beautiful VellayambalamKowdiar stretch is the brain child of B.R. Sreekumar, founder of Perfect Landscape, Trivandrum.

A graduate in Economics, Sreekumar started working in this field out of sheer passion.

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P

erfect Landscape has been providing professional residential and commercial landscaping services for the past twenty years. The success factor of Perfect Landscape is the ability to serve their clients from the beginning of a project combining quality craftsmanship and well defined customer service.

Sreekumar explains his tryst with greenery; “Landscape architecture is the method of development of outdoor areas of structures, making that space useful for various purposes. Landscape includes two types- Hardscape and Softscape. Compound walls, gates, light, security, garden, pathways, exterior

walls of structure, terrace gardening, different levels of land, etc comes under landscaping. How to make use of all these elements to the maximum with a minimum budget depends on the experience of the landscape architect.

If landscaping is planned in a wrong way, the cost will be higher, so proper planning is needed. Landscaping is highly connected to the architecture of the building in that land. To get complete satisfaction, the interior and exterior designs of a building should be equally blended. Even the educated people think that landscaping is planting some ornamental plants, or lawns but that is not the case.” He says.

A landscaping concept should be prepared before the work of the building starts. This is to reduce the cost. In city areas, availability of land is less, so people demand for rooftop gardening. For this, landscape architect should be involved in the planning of the building.

“The demand for landscape architecture rose in Kerala recently. Even government rules demand inclusion of green belt for construction of factories, offices etc. Greenery promotion or proper landscaping is a must for the construction of big projects. During the time we started working in this field, only a few people were interested in landscaping.

Now the situation has changed. People get ideas from different ways, through images, magazines, etc. and they give importance for landscaping just like interior designing. If a right person is identified for executing both interior and exterior designing it can really provide a visual treat for your eyes. We can add

very useful elements in landscaping like fruit bearing trees and plants. It depends on the interest of clients. An experienced landscape architect can perform well than a person who recently completed a course in landscape architecture. We do site implementation, both designing and execution. When the designing and implementation are done by the same company or the same person, the responsibility of the whole landscaping will be taken by that company or person.� he adds.

Sreekumar and his team went to Singapore to attend the World Landscape Expo and they got inspired by the landscaping done there and the way they maintain them. After their return, Sreekumar met the City Mayor of that time and got the permission to develop the city with the help of sponsors. This initiative actually paved the way for development of green spaces in the city.

Perfect landscape has architects who design and execute according to the tastes of customer. They do in-house designs and have experience in working with many renowned architects both inside and outside India. “We have done work for almost twenty

An experienced landscape architect can perform well than a person who recently completed a course in landscape architecture.

two resorts, major works of Cochin International Airport, technical works of Cochin Golf Course, major builders like DLF Cochin, Puravankara, etc.

Here in Trivandrum we have worked for Artech, Skyline and Heera. All the upcoming projects of Artech have been assigned to us. We will be designing and implementing the landscaping for them. Vertical Garden has emerged as the most popular trend among landscaping.

People are being passionate about vertical gardens, rooftop garden, grass pavers etc.

Those who have less space for a garden and a pavement can choose this grass paver method to get the green view and also vehicles can be driven through these pavements without damaging the grass.� explains Sreekumar..

Perfect landscapes recently developed the Cliff House Road, Trivandrum in association with the Public Works Department. Some of the ongoing projects are Akkulam Tourist Village, Jadayu Earth Centre, Hydel Tourism Project in Meenmutty, DLF Cochin, Tata Tritvam premium tower landscape etc..

Sreekumar claims that doing residential projects are beneficial because all want landscaping to be done in a minimum cost. People will approach more for residential works and that helps in getting more projects. Udyana, a sister firm of Perfect Landscape is a customer friendly which focuses on projects with minimum budget and imparts awareness on landscape architecture.

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solar power

RIDING HIGH ON SOLAR WAVE WattSun aims to deliver the world’s most reliable and cost-effective solar energy solutions carved by Quality, Transparency and Trust

W

attSun Energy India Private Limited is a 3P company, PEOPLE, PLANET and PROFIT. WattSun is South India’s First ISO 50001-2011 Energy Management Systems Certified Company. WattSun has established itself as a leader in its line of businesses with technology that offers an empowered and inspired living and reducing the burden of electricity bills and also removing carbon footprint from the planet. WattSun aims to deliver the world’s most reliable and cost-effective solar energy solutions carved by Quality, Transparency and Trust for domestic, commercial and industrial applications ranging from KW to MW scale in India and abroad.

WattSun is the brain child of Terance Alex who founded WattSun in 2013 after completing MBA from Salford Business School, UK aiming to introduce European standards of business and customer satisfaction in solar industry in India.

Terance Alex elucidates his entrepreneurial prospects with Brand Kerala.

How do you assess the prospects of solar photovoltaic system and its suitability for Kerala’s climatic conditions?

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I think it is a good thing that we have seasonal changes. However, solar panels work based on the radiation of the sunlight, not with the heat of atmosphere.

Now during the summer or monsoons, we do have sunlight. Even though there are clouds the radiation availability is there.

But the temperature will be comparatively less than our summer days. So the best temperature for a generation of solar o power is 25 actually. So here during o monsoon, we have comparatively 23-25 , which is absolutely a good temperature condition for solar generation whereas, the radiation availability is lesser than in the summer. But when we compare the summer season, we have a higher capacity of radiation availability, at the o o same time, temperature is 35 or 40 . So basically when the temperature goes up, the production and efficiency will come down. So in Kerala, it is better to have both seasons and on an average in a year we produce 4 units per kilo watt, which is comparatively a better scenario in India.

How far has the demand for solar photovoltaic system grown in Kerala market?

We are into this business since 2013, and we could see there is a great change in the decision making of the public especially when we talk about solar. Once it was forbidden thing, now the people are asking us how we can install solar photovoltaic system on rooftop. That is mainly because of two reasons. One is they are looking for an uninterrupted power supply as well as a reduction in their electricity bill. Second reason is they

are aware of what is happening in the planet. They are preserving something for their next generation. We need to take an action to protect our planet. Now that awareness has come to common man and that is helping them to choose solar panel installations.

What can you share more on the durability of this system?

The durability is very long. The latest panels come with more than twenty to thirty years of durability. All the manufacturers in India and abroad give warranty for 30 years.

Are you involved in any kind of activities or campaigns that give awareness to the people about solar panel installations?

We are one of the key promoters of solar energy in Kerala. We have done many campaigns in schools, colleges, residence associations mainly to make sure that people get an idea about solar panels and their use. A commendable initiative has been taken by the Government of Kerala for promoting solar energy as part of measures to protect the planet. That is a very good thing to happen in this field because people like us, who are part of in this industry will get a good opportunity to expand our business.

Can you give a brief on the maintenance part of this system?

There are two types of systems, Ongrid and Off-grid systems. Maintenance is a big issue when it comes to Off-grid systems. Off-grid system is used whenever power is wanted since it is connected to a battery. When there are batteries involved in a solar panel system, there is a lot of maintenance required. However the new technology consists of battery-less solar panels, so that solar panels will be installed in the roof top and DC will be generated and converted with an inverter to AC. It can be consumed directly, during day time, fan, television, computer, etc.

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info awards and recognitions 2018

2015

Cochin Solar Energy Leadership Award

by World CSR Congress

Empanelment of MNRE Channel Partner Government of India

Trivandrum Best Employer Brand Award

by World CSR Congress

ISO 50001-2011 Energy Management System

by AIAO-BAR, USA

Skill Council for Green Jobs

by National Skill Development Corp.

2017 Top Ten Solar companies in India Award

by Silicon India Best Participant Management Development Programme

by IIMK Emperteco’s Entrepreneur Award

by United Nations National Small Industries Corporation Government of India Empanelment of Anert Channel Partner Government of Kerala

can be connected to this and used. Excess amount of electricity generated will be exported to KSEB line, which can be used by the neighbour. We install a meter too, that clearly indicates the units produced, units consumed and units exported to the KSEB line. By evening 6 o’clock, since there will be no sunlight available, people will have to depend on KSEB. So whatever the energy exported to KSEB during day time, can be used during the night time. Even if a family goes for a one month holiday, the energy will be exported to KSEB. That is a kind of an investment. Solar energy will also give them a scope for revenue generation in the house. Technology is available and government, especially KSEB is taking steps to promote grid type solar installations.

Are there any technological innovations happening in this area?

In UK, a new technology has been

brand kerala

2014 Kerala Small Industries Development Corporation Govt. Kerala Kerala Agro Industries Corporation Govt. Kerala

2016

36

Certified Solar Installer

by Proinso UK

July 2018

2013 MSME, Department of Industries 2013 Govt. Kerala Company Incorporated in Registrar of Companies

Even if we take a two percent of rooftop space available in Kerala, we can easily achieve 500MW of solar energy.

Terance Alex

invented; they invented a paint that can be used to paint our houses which will generate solar energy. A few Indian companies also came up with bifacial solar panels which can be exposed to sunlight for power generation. New technologies are being invented in this field every month. A lot of R&D work is going on in this area foreseeing the huge potential of this business. Government of India has signed an agreement with France, to produce 175GW of renewable energy. That initiative has been divided by different states and Kerala has been given a project to generate a 1000MW from solar installations by the year 2022.

What are the ongoing projects of WattSun group?

WattSun is doing a project in Indian Institute of Diabetic Center, in Sree Sankaracharya College, Jubilee Hospital and has also signed a contract with Marian Engineering College, Trivandrum.

We have 100% happy customers; therefore we have many clients coming back to us for installing panels for their relatives, friends, etc. We have products designed for residential, commercial and industrial applications. So our ultimate aim is to provide 24x7 uninterrupted power supplies and reduce the electricity bill to zero. We are operating in Kerala and Tamil Nadu at the moment but we are looking for a pan India operation.

We are all aware of the controversies surrounding on Athirappilly project. Do we really need a hydro electric power station or an alternative solar project in its place?

We have a very less scope on the hydro electric power; so the target can be achieved through rooftop solar panel systems. Even if we take a two percent of rooftop space available in Kerala, we can easily achieve 500MW of solar energy.

Rather than going with Athirappilly project, it can be easily done with the help of solar panels.

architecture

TOWARDS A GREENER FUTURE Even though rules and incentives regarding green initiatives are still to be in full force, it is high time that the building industry takes the lead and set an example.

by Dharmakeerthi A

G

lobal warming and its effects on the environment have put forth lots of challenges. The effects of global warming in Kerala needs to be addressed immediately by the construction industry. Even though rules and incentives regarding green initiatives are still to be in full force, it is high time that the building industry takes the lead and set an example.

Mass housing which forms a major chunk of the construction industry in Kerala put forth a huge demand on resources like water, power, waste and production to name a few. Green initiatives, some of which may demand an additional initial investment will in the long run repay and make life easier.

Water resources Most of us know that the potable water

on earth is less than 2%. The ground water table in Kerala is going down at an alarming rate with the rampant drilling of bore wells and shortage in rainfall. This is aggravated by polluted water sources leading to dependency on bore wells.

Rain water harvesting, which is mandatory, should be promoted as rain water is the purest form of water.

A filtration unit is needed in addition to the storage tank. After the first rains, which brings in dirt, dust and atmospheric bacteria is let out, the water passes through the multigrain sand filter, an activated Carbon filter and a Chlorine dosing pump, which makes the water fit for drinking. Simple storage without treatment alone is enough for nondrinking purposes like bathing, flushing, washing linen etc.

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info Scopes for conservation Its time to switch over to major conservation methods such as solar energy, rain water harvesting and a scientific and concrete plan for proper waste disposal.

Alternative energy Innovative steps from the concerned authorities is the need of the hour to tap the potential of solar energy.

Waste Water Treatment - The water from sources like kitchen, washing machine, bath, washing the floor etc., termed sullage forms the major portion of waste water. After passing through a bar screen to weed out debris and an oil and grease trap, a coagulant is added and the water is allowed to settle in to an equalization tank.

The water from water closets is to be treated separately. After passing through a bar screen, it is led into an anaerobic tank where part digestion takes place.

The water is led to the equalization tank and treated along with the waste water. The water is then subjected to aerobic treatment in a fluidized aerobic bioreactor and then on to a settling tank where a coagulant (poly-aluminum chloride) is added. The sludge settles down and the residual water is then treated with liquid Chlorine. This water after passing through a multigrain filter (sand and gravel) and an activated Carbon filter becomes pure and can be used for all non-drinking purposes and gardening, washing vehicles etc.

Alternative energy The installation of solar panels on the

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Rain water harvesting State initiated schemes should be designed to make harvesting of rain water a mandatory affair.

Roof top bio bins installed by CREDAI are very effective in converting the waste into manure which can be used in landscaping or sold.

roof top not only provides power but also mitigates heat from the roof.

A grid tie system with a duel meter from the KSEB drastically reduces the power bill. A battery storage system if done separately can operate the common lighting throughout the night.

The need for hot water can also be taken care of by solar water heaters, especially in low rise residential projects.

In high rise buildings a circulating pump may be necessary to keep the water circulating and to provide it on demand to avoid wastage of water.

Energy efficiency includes LED lighting, motion sensor lighting for

waste Management Waste has to be segregated at source to bio degradable and non bio degradable, and paper and plastic can be sold as far as possible.

car parking areas and even individual houses, dimming devices, inverter air conditioners and green rated equipments like pumps.

Solid Waste Treatment Use of bio degradable materials in place of plastics has not given the desired effect in Kerala. With the failure of the government mechanism in treatment of waste, projects should have their own treatment system.

Waste has to be segregated at source to bio degradable and non bio degradable, and paper and plastic can be sold as far as possible. This leaves very little waste for incineration. Roof top bio bins installed by CREDAI are very effective in converting the waste into manure which can be used in landscaping or sold.

Auditing of all the above mentioned measures is needed to sustain the green measures and to contribute to a better environment for the next generation.

Writer is Consulting Architect , M/s Keerthi & Bhavana, Architects & Interior Designers

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column BUsiness economics Dr. Kochurani Joseph drkochurani@gmail.com

Real estate is hot right now. The basic idea of real estate business is to purchase a land in low price and sell it in a higher price

“O

In relationship with real estate

nce a person repays a housing loan he must have paid almost two and a half times more than the loan amount taken by him. Is it really a burden for the borrower’’? I asked to the C.E.O of a bank while I was interviewing him for a television channel. ‘‘I won’t fully disagree with it” he replied. ‘‘ It depends on various other conditions like maturity period of the loan, it’s interest rates etc. but remember, by that time the price of the property would have increased more than that.’’ He added ‘‘not only that.

He could not buy that property if bank didn’t give him that loan.” So buying a land or house even with the help of a bank loan is profitable because land price is increasing day by day. Here comes the relevance of real estate business.

The term real estate means real, or physical, property. “Real” comes from the Latin root res, or things or from the Latin word rex, meaning “royal,” since kings used to own all land in their kingdoms.

Multiple forms of real estate Land: In economics, the word land

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includes not only soil but all other things like rivers, forests etc. But in business, land is a property that can be owned and transferred at a price.

Supply of land is fixed. So as demand increases its price goes up. This is the essence of real estate business in land.

Buildings and other constructions:

There are lots of people who got benefitted out of real estate business.

But at the same time many people lost their money in this same field of business.

All commercial buildings like shopping malls, huge buildings etc comes under this category. It is manmade and can be considered as crystallised labour. It means that commercial buildings are the result of labour, both manual and managerial, with the help of capital and other resources.

Houses and apartments: In this category most common products are single family homes. Indians generally wish to have a house of their own as a private property. It has become a global trend and wherever they are they prefer to have house of their own no matter how much it costs. This emotional need is a boost for real estate business.

Investing in real estate: We can also invest in housing without buying a home. This is done through buying stocks of homebuilders. You will get the share of profit as and when the stock prices rise in the housing market.

Renting the land and building is also a good method of investment.

The Art of Real Estate The word Economics comes from Greek word Oiknomia, which means household management. Housing and allied activities are always having a high esteem in the discipline of Economics. The data on new home sales is a leading economic indicator of a nation’s development.

There are lots of people who got benefitted out of real estate business.

Many earned huge amount of money and property from real estate. But at

be cost effective and suitable for rising needs of the locality. Property management skills are essential for doing such advancements in this field.

Value addition to the property in any form of maintenance always leads in to good results. It has been found that successful real estate business is a combined effort of businessmen, engineers and other related craftsmen in construction field.

SOLD becomes the favourite four letter word in real estate business.

Investors always prefer to hear this word so that they can start next venture. For that let your tagline be in “relationship with real estate�.

Dr. Kochurani Joseph is the Director of Institute of Public Speaking and Placements in Kochi.

the same time many people lost their money in this same field of business. So before investing into this field of real estate certain precautions need to be taken care of.

First and foremost thing is that one should be aware of the market conditions. Market watch is essential as the sales prices vary at different times depending on the demand and supply conditions.

The intermediaries provide sufficient information and hence one should be prudent enough to choose best brokers and intermediaries.

The timing is very important because there are periods of boom as well as negative trends in this field of business.

Time lag between purchase and sale is normally a blessing, but at the

same time sometimes can cause negative trends in the market.

Documents and documentation of property deeds must be carefully taken care off.

The help of expert lawyers can be an added advantage.

The cost of advertisement is essential for proper marketing. Satisfied customers are the best advertisers than any other forms of media advertisements.

Generally, the best idea is that purchase properties at a low price and sell it at a higher price after making some improvements over the property or building. Improvements should July 2018

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personality

IKON Of St. Mary’s Group of Educational Institutions has proved itself as a classical example of an institution giving quality education to children. Sarosh P. Abraham, Secretary of St. Mary’s Group of Institutions unfold his success story to Brand Kerala.

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Q

uality determines how much and how well children learn and the extent to which their education translates into a range of personal, social and developmental benefits. A system that focuses on quality education allows children to develop and grow in school environments that are supportive and at the same time nurture them to become confident, have good self-esteem and instill a sense of responsibility towards others in their community. St. Mary’s Group of Educational Institutions has proved itself as a classical example of an institution giving quality education to children. Brand Kerala is having a conversation with Sarosh P. Abraham, Secretary of St. Mary’s Group of Institutions.

Apart from being an educationalist par excellence, Sarosh P. Abraham is an avid cricket fan and veterans player.

He is the Joint Secretary of Kerala Veterans Cricket Association and has been credited with the achievement of organizing cricketing tours to Australia, New Zealand, Sri Lanka, Poland, Czech Republic, Hungary, Slovakia, Austria & Singapore. He was also responsible for organising the first ever cricket tour to Russia in any format from India. He loves fishing and Highlands. Sarosh was born in Thiruvalla, did schooling in Sainik School, Kazhakootam and St. Mary’s Higher Secondary School, Chennai; did his Post Graduation in Literature from Marthoma College, Thiruvalla. He started his career as Administrator in T. Thomas Educational

I learned the value of time, discipline and meaning of life from Sainik School. Now days, children are living inside a cocoon and are getting absolute comforts and facilities.

Sarosh P. Abraham

July 2018

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Trust Chennai in 1984, then worked as Vice-Principal, Thiruvalla during the year 1986-87 and from 1988 onwards he took the charge of Administrator of St. Mary’s Central school, Trivandrum; by 1998, Executive Director of St. Mary’s Group of Schools. Now he is the Secretary of St. Mary’s Group of Institutions, Kerala; Member of Deva Matha Schools, Bangalore & Queen Mary’s Educational Society, Kottayam & Vice Chairman of Global Kerala Initiative; Keraleeyam, an NGO, working for HIV affected children in Kerala, Karnataka and Tamil Nadu.

In seven years time this organisation distributed nearly Rs. 5 crores for their Education and Nutrition (In Kerala and border districts of Tamil Nadu and Karnataka).

Sarosh .P Abraham shares his eventful journey with Brand Kerala.

How do you recollect the multifaceted life of your father Dr. P.T. Abraham and the story behind the establishment of a chain of educational institutions?

The life of Dr. P.T. Abraham, my father, is a saga of distinctive achievements as sportsman, Entrepreneur, social worker and as founder of large number of educational Institutions in Kerala and Karnataka. It is indeed a remarkable history which started from scratch to reaching heights of excellence in various areas of activity with unflinching courage and determination.

In June 1974, the first CBSE School of the Central Travancore was established as Anglo- Indian School later known as St. Mary’s Residential Public School, Thiruvalla. The school won the acclaim of government, social and public organizations when special provisions were made to accommodate 750 students when they sought refuge as evacuees from Kuwait in the second term of the academic year during the Gulf war in 1990. This record is unparalleled. My father was the mastermind behind the starting of St.

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We give utmost importance for fundamental factors like discipline and responsibility. A child should have the courage to take the responsibility of a misdeed he committed.

Sarosh P. Abraham

Mary’s Educational and Cultural Society.

The society was formed as charitable organization and registered in 1975 with specific objective, rendering service in educational and social life.

The society houses five CBSE schools, one ICSE school and two colleges in various parts of Kerala. These schools have made their mark as distinguished educational institutions. It is remarkable that financial assistance is provided to deserving students in all the schools by granting fee concession. The schools under the society are Minority Status Institutions.

Another remarkable achievement of him was the establishment of an Arts & science college affiliated to M.G University.

St. Mary’s College for Women offers graduate and post graduate courses in Bio technology, Microbiology, Biochemistry, Computer Science & Commerce. St. Mary’s Women’s College for Teacher

and Social fields. To begin with, the same year St. Mary’s Residential public School was founded by him, with guidance from his brother – the late. Chev. T. Thomas, the founder of St. Mary’s Group of Schools and Colleges in Madras. The society has been rendering help for weaker sector for the past 24 years; a special unit for charitable work has been also established.

With the deliberate aim of eliminating social evils and to ensure social justice and socio-economic equality to men and women of depressed classes by enhancing the quality of their life; a thriving organization under the name AKTDSS (Akhila Kerala Thozhilali Durbala Vibhaga Samrakshana Samithi) was established in the year 1988 under the chairmanship of my father. The society has been rendering financial help for the deprived class for their marriages, hospital, and funeral expenses. The society has rendered its timely help for natural calamities such as flood and famine.

Education established in 2005 under M.G University is yet another jewel in the crown of St. Mary’s Group of Institutions.

It was the fulfillment of an earnest desire to provide opportunities for a noble professional career. The establishment of four schools in Bangalore under Devamatha Educational Society is still another great achievement of him, who was the Chairman and Secretary of St. Mary’s Group of Institutions. In spite of several insurmountable obstacles, he made headway for the affiliation of the schools through sustained effort and persistent hard work.

Apart from his efforts to bring his educational institutions to its zenith of glory, his interest and obligations towards the downtrodden also requires special mention. The St. Mary’s Educational & Cultural Society was registered with a view to provide its services in Educational

How do you view the Centre’s decision to introduce a new agency for CBSE for the conduct of examinations?

CBSE has been conducting All India Entrance examinations for years. If an agency is assigned, the CBSE can enjoy all the privileges & power, but CBSE would again be answerable to any kind of manipulations happening in examinations.

CBSE is not directly involving in the procedure, as the agency becomes the supreme authority.

How do you recollect the experiences gathered from your alma mater Sainik School?

I studied in Sainik School only for three years, and then I was affected by chicken pox and I had to discontinue my studies.

My classmates are now working in Army as chief officers. Vice Admiral Ajit Kumar, who is number two in the Indian Navy, was my classmate. At that time, studying in Sainik School was a great subject for

the society. That period in my life was remarkable. I learned the value of time, discipline and meaning of life from Sainik School. Now days, children are living inside a cocoon and are getting absolute comforts and facilities. Parents are providing what they did not get in their childhood to their kids. Such children are not capable of handling pressure.

But Sainik School teaches us to handle pressure and stress in life. Life in Sainik School is a life without parents. We should do our routine activities by our own on fixed time. This routine involves the early morning workouts and practices. The time management and punctuality is crucial in the Sainik School. The experience in Sainik School taught me the orderliness and responsibility of my life. “You throw a KASAK (denotes a Sainik School student) into the sea, he will come out with a fish in his mouth” is popular proverb used for referring students of Sainik School.

Has the positive qualities imbibed from Sainik School helped you in managing the activities of St. Mary’s group of Institutions?

I always share my Sainik School experience to my students and staff. But I have no idea about how much they conceive these ideologies. Our working style is also somewhat similar to Sainik School. We give utmost importance for fundamental factors like discipline and responsibility. A child should have the courage to take the responsibility of a misdeed he committed. But it is not possible to imbibe complete ideologies of Sainik School here, since the perception of students and parents are different.

The mind set of parents, teachers and students varies as time changes. We are implementing certain changes in the mode of administration, but our basic principles are similar to Sainik School.

What are the procedural formalities adopted by you for July 2018

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from students is distributed as salary for our staff. We also provide gratuity and Provident Fund.

admission and selection of staff members?

It is purely on the basis of academic merit.

The procedure is by calling application depending on the number of vacancies.

We have a chain of schools and my parents were teachers. I was also a teacher. My family consists of so many teachers. We were not born with silver or a golden spoon in our mouth. We achieved all these through extreme hard work. The perspective of my parents was to provide quality education to children. Everyone cannot afford the expense of international schools. Our aim is to render quality education at affordable cost to middle and lower middle class children. Rich people can study anywhere. Our category of students includes middle and lowermiddle class students. Admission is purely open to the public, but seats are limited.

We do not encourage recommendations and reservations. Caste is not a criterion.

We are following a ‘first come, first serve’ approach. Our institution is Christianity based, but 95% of our students and staff is non-Christians.

The selection of staff is also based on merit. We look for quality and ability

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The perspective of my parents was to provide quality education to children. Everyone cannot afford the expense of international schools. Our aim is to render quality education at affordable cost to middle and lower middle class children. while conducting interviews. The teachers should be able to take class in a standard way. Otherwise parents will not accept it. 70% of our teachers are permanent.

We have implemented a competitive salary structure for staff and offer a specific increment in their salary every year according to the government rules.

Ninety five percent of the fee collected

Apart from being an educationalist, you nurture a unique passion for the game of cricket. Please tell us about that.

I love cricket. I am a part of Kerala Veterans Premiere League. We are a big group. The last match was held at Dubai.

We are hosting IPL model of tournaments for retired cricketers. We are almost 400 members. Our team is the most active cricket movement in India. We have visited different parts of the world and play matches. We toured Australia, New Zealand, Singapore, Malaysia, Sri Lanka, Portugal, England, Dubai, Russia, Vietnam, Prague etc. The Russian event was a spectacular one, since no team in India has ever played in Russia.

It was my initiative and was arranged through my friends in Russia. We played cricket at Moscow University ground.

Recently we participated in the national match held at Ghaziabad and became the runner up. I love good films and music too.

You also maintain a close camaraderie with prominent cricketers?

Cricketers like Kapil Dev, Chetan Chauhan and Gundappa Viswanath are my good friends. I am having a good relationship with cricketers from Kerala too. Our practicing pitches were inaugurated by the international players. They bother to come here since we keep such a fair bond. They train our kids during their visits. But the students in my school do not use that opportunity well. The native people showed keen interest in their visit, coaching and training sessions. We have facilities like Astroturf and normal-turf.

I have given the freedom to use these facilities for natives according to their will since they do not get this opportunity outside.

www.brandkerala.biz

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art&culture

RHYTHMS OF LIFE While some tried hard to dissuade her form playing percussion, others were worried about the ‘effort’ she had to put. But the young and vibrant Charu stuck to her ardent love for playing instruments and took out a journey in pursuit of her dream to become a composer par excellence. Meet Charu Hariharan, the multi-faceted musician from the capital city.

Aparna Sreevalsan

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ridangist, Cajon drum player, Ganjira player, Vocalist, Composer, Lyricist, Programmer.... the list of titles goes on when it comes to this highly talented girl. Being the daughter of the renowned singer B. Arundhati, Charu has marked her own signature in the music industry and now in the Malayalam film industry too. Charu joins the list of music directors with her debut as a composer for the movie Purple, even though this is not her first attempt in composing. Charu shares her thoughts, views and the unique

musical journey with Brand Kerala.

My biggest influence Music for me actually, is part of the lineage. My grandfather was a singer, the Late Bhagavatheeswara Iyer. I used to sit with him and learn small lessons when I was three years old. I never had a culture of learning vocal in a strict and conventional manner. I learn vocal from my mother when she is at home. I make use of this resource to the maximum. My grandfather influenced me initially more than my mother since she would be away for work and my father also mostly stayed away from home due to his frequent transfers being a bank officer. I stayed with my grandparents, so it’s obvious that my grandfather was my first Guru and he influenced me in an extensive manner in music.

Every musician needs a good exposure to purity. We become what we listen to. If we

don’t have the situation to listen to good music and learn, we need to find a place to listen to it. The main advantage of most of the great musicians was that, they met the right people at the right time. But when that right person is in the home, we don’t have to run behind other sources especially in the case of Classical music. My mother’s choices of music, is hundred percent pure. I have met many musicians and I couldn’t find anyone with such an open source like my mother. I can ask anything about music anytime to her; also one main good thing about her is she is always ready to accept anything better than her skills though that has never happened. She adds new things to her knowledge bank, listens to different musicians, compares and appreciates them, a quality which I too imbibed from her. She never criticizes or argues if she is not aware of a particular thing or if she cannot enjoy a particular genre.

Being a Percussionist...

From childhood onwards I was interested in Thaalam. So my father used to make me listen to rhythms of old songs and asked me to reciprocate on tables and other things. Then I slowly started playing according to the rhythm, and he gave me a pair of dustbins to play on. We were in Chennai at that time and I was studying in Chinmaya Vidyalaya. We had two classes for arts and crafts every week called DDMM (Dance, Drawing, Mridangam, and Music). Seeing my interest in percussion, my parents asked me to learn Mridangam.

One of the Mridangam teachers, Padma, was an old lady and she was an instant inspiration for me. Initially when I met my official guru, Mannarkoil Jai Balaji, he was not interested in teaching me Mridangam as he was busy with his concerts and was also not sure about my passion. I started learning from him and now also I learn from him. He is in Chennai itself.

Experience in Sweden...

I went there for the first time in 2010 to

I have met many musicians and I couldn’t find anyone with such an open source like my mother.

participate in a music camp. They selected a small group of participants from that camp and conducted a series of concerts.

This resulted in the formation of our band, Varldens Band, in 2012. Then in 2017, I went to Sweden to do a course. Actually the course duration was six months, but I did three months here and went to Sweden to finish the remaining part. It’s a kind of diploma course that comes under the High School category. I learned it from the Folk High School groups, Sweden which means the school for adults.

Abhradita Banerjee...

My experience working with Abhradita teacher cannot be explained in words.

She is like my mother, a friend and is more than a guru. As a singer, I was in my lowest phase when I met her first time

as I was not confident about my voice.

I had just quit a reality show due to an already committed work; I was totally confused whether I could sing for a time period. Then my mother suggested me to learn Hindustani music. She thought it might be better for my kind of voice. I met Abhradita teacher in 2009. It is not about whether the voice is good for Hindustani or not, teacher loves all kind of voices. She openly discusses about the voice of each and everyone who comes there to learn and gives immense support to everyone.

That explicit support was a boon for me during those days since I was having a lack of motivation.

She is the person who helped me to horn my programming and composing skills. My parents were worried of me since my area of focus was getting scattered on my studies, vocal music, Mridangam and I started doing programming too. They asked me to focus on Mridangam, music and studies. But I couldn’t stop doing programming at that time. So I found time for it, and I made M. Jayachandran Sir (Music Director) listen to my works. Then teacher too listened it and supported me. She gave me the biggest opportunity to do the July 2018

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programming of her Rabindra Sangeeth project. Rabindra Sangeeth was her first project, which was a live one. I programmed ten songs for it and was invited to the stage and congratulated by Abhradita teacher. My parents were also happy. After the program, my father was overwhelmed and gave me 1000 rupees per song for that work. That moment was actually a turning point in my career.

According to me, the recognition of my talent by my parents is something substantial. My teacher was the reason for this. My latest album Karuna Nidha was done with help of Abhradita teacher.

On Varldens Band Varldens Band, an idea generated from friendship bond, was started by utilizing the Sweden Government fund. This is actually the brain child of Erik and his brother Arvid Rask. They are two years younger than me. They are very enthusiastic and vibrant. They applied for the government fund. They are very independent and they took the initiative of a big project at a very young age.

They just presented the project before the Cultural Department of government and the government agreed to provide fund for our travel, practice and other expenses. They provided us a mentor for the guidance too. The festival was a success and the government offered the fund for the next consecutive three years.

The strength of the band is fourteen. We conducted shows not only in Sweden but also in other European countries.

Brother, the best friend…

Sreekanth, he is my best friend. We don’t keep a brother-sister relationship.

He is a very good friend of mine. His passion is singing and I am a person having passion over many things. The way he practices and conceives music is slightly different from me. But our values, aesthetics and perception towards life are same. We each other are the reasons

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for the milestones happened in our life.

It’s luck to get this kind of an approach from a brother. We are independent and at the same time we rely on each other too. I respect his maturity a lot. He completed his Architecture course at CAT College, Trivandrum. He is also learning Hindustani from Abhradita teacher and he learnt Carnatic from our mother. Now his Guru is Irinjalakkuda Vijayakumar sir.

Future is musical...

According to me, the recognition of my talent by my parents is something substantial.

Charu Hariharan

I am a Psychologist. I learned Psychology and I taught Psychology for almost two years but I couldn’t continue doing it. I realized that I cannot do anything other than music. Basically sound and music is my passion. I love composing. I composed three songs for an upcoming movie called Purple. I have done programming for many albums. Also I have sung for many devotional and other albums. The full-fledged album done by me is Karuna Nidha.

success story

RADIANCE OF

RED

The unending quest for innovation and variety has made Red FM the most sought after radio brand in the State setting aside major players in the market.

B

eing a very familiar name among the radio listeners, the Red FM (93.5) has worn yet another golden feather on its crown, the undisputed No.1 FM channel in Kerala according to the Indian Readership Survey of 2017. As the slogan “Kelkku kelkku kettukondeyirikku� indicates, the people of Kerala have absolutely lend their ears to its programs, special features and the mode of presentation of Red FM. The unending quest for innovation and variety has made Red FM the most sought after radio brand in the State setting aside major players in the market. RED FM CEO, B. Surendar is celebrating this unique achievement with Brand Kerala by revealing the success mantra.

How do you share the successful journey of Red FM? It is famously said that Radio is the first ever social media platform as it engages and interacts with people in a big way. And Red FM as a brand has always believed in this and has tried to serve as a powerful platform for people to express themselves other than of course playing the best music among all radio players.

We have been the largest radio July 2018

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info Radio reach in Kerala

Kelkku kelkku kettukondeyirikku

network in our country for quite some time now. The key secret behind Red FM’s success in India is the high level of localization and customization we bring to our product based on the understanding of the needs of each and every region and city. We try to establish an emotional connect with people concerned by showcasing their tastes, sentiments, opinions and preferences. No wonder we have won the maximum number of awards and accolades among FM players.

Red FM includes socially relevant programs more in its menu. How do you go about identifying variety ideas for this?

For a responsible media brands like ours which thrive on credibility and want to serve as people’s platform, the organizational and brand orientation towards socially relevant programs comes quite naturally. And so, we initiate a lot of CSR activities through Radio as well as on ground platforms.

Under the umbrella initiative titled ‘RedSakthi’ in Kerala, we worked to promote donation of hair to make wigs for cancer patients, opened vending machines at schools and colleges to

brand kerala

Kochi

1130, 000

Radio listnership in Kerala has increased by 300% over the last five years.

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420, 000 Kozhikode 565, 000

July 2018

1

Rank

Kannur

Thrissur

741, 000 T’puram

688, 000

The key secret behind Red FM’s success in India is the high level of localization and customization of our product.

promote menstrual hygiene, offered hearing aids for the underprivileged, etc to name just a few. We also try to ensure the presence of celebrities as well to scale up these noble initiatives.

We also have a popular, ongoing weekly radio program named ‘Ask your Collector’ in the top three cities of Kerala for people to interact on

RED FM listeners

ever listened

3869000 last one wek

2638000 lastday

1263000 their respective city issues with their collectors. Over the past few years, people here have also realized well that we are focused on not just entertainment but much beyond that.

Hence, they have reached out to us on various issues both on radio, BTL and Digital platforms in big numbers.

Do you give any special attention for the Kerala package?

It goes without saying that we have been paying special attention to the highly evolved people of Kerala for quite some time now and that I feel is the main reason why they have made us the No.1 radio player across all parameters. I would like to highlight a few other landmark initiatives in the past few years which had helped us become the undisputed No.1 in Kerala.

‘8 Koottam Paattu’ the longest nonstop music innovation on Indian radio, ‘Red FM Malayalam Music Awards’ the first professional music awards show by a radio player in Kerala and strengthening our RJ cum Programming line up to increase our capability to establish a powerful emotional connect with audience have all helped the

brand capture the hearts and minds of Keralites.

What are the criteria for the selection of songs to be played for the Kerala listeners?

Ours is not just the youngest country by age but also arguably one of the youngest at heart and Kerala is no different really. We plan our music in Kerala in such a way that we aim to delight our listeners with energetic, peppy, positive but at the same time melodious super hit music.

As the market leader in Kerala, the Red FM is leading with seven lakh listeners. We have more than 35%

74%

of RED FM listeners belongs to the NCCS A and B category

market share among the radio listeners in Kerala and as being the undisputed No.1 FM station, Red FM could gather an incredible popularity among radio lovers. An increase of 300% is recognized in the radio listenership in Kerala over the last five years. This rise shows that radio has become the most influential media among 34% of Kerala’s population. The radio coverage of urban population is 45% and the most influenced radio cities are Cochin, Thrissur and Trivandrum. It is 58% in Thrissur and 47% in Trivandrum.

The advantages of radio are, Geo Targeting, Hyper Local connects, Less Expensive and high value for money & Customized integrations.

According to the NCCS based radio preference, the Red FM is the most preferred or tend to choose FM station in Kerala. It is a fact that the elite class of the society is associated with Red FM and it enjoys the maximum Car stereo listenership too. 74% of the Red FM listeners belong to the NCCS A & B Category. Across all age group, Red FM is the most preferred and the 70% of the listening group is in the age group of twenty to fifty years.

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food

RASAS OF KARKKIDAKAM T Karkkidakam, the month of rejuvenation, famine and scarcity. As the nature appears at its fury and rage, let’s flee from the nitty-gritty of this month with food, customs and therapies.

Aswathy A & Lakshmi B

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he torrent of south-west monsoon sweeping across Kerala with a wall of water brings the State virtually to a halt, cleansing in and out.

With this surge, Malayalees across the globe welcome Karkkidakam, the last month of the year of the Malayalam calendar or Kollavarsham.

A rejuvenating month for the mind and body with Ramayana Parayanam, Sukhachikilsa, Kolattam, Nallambala Darshsnam, Padhyam, Chettaye Purathakkal, Vavubali, Pilleronnam, Theyyam and Aanayoottu, it turns to be the most eventful month of the year, remembering the victory of virtue over vice, spreading spiritual fumes, of empathy and self-realisation. It is also known as “Panja Masam” (month of scarcity/lean month) as due to heavy rain people would often be left without work, earnings and food. Let’s get down to the nitty-gritty of the month with food, customs, therapies and observations as nature itself is with a cleaning spree with relentless rains.

Reinvigorating Soul “Sree Rama Rama Rama, Sree Rama Chandra Jaya”, the reverberations would fill every Hindu household with the commencement of this holy month. It is a month of religious observance, vratham and recitation. The recital of Adyathma Ramayanam Killipattu starts from the 1st day of Karkkidakam and is completed by the last day of the month with both

men and women reading Ramayana, in temples and households. It focuses on fraternity, brotherhood, endurance, dedication and devotion. Bookstalls flooded with bountiful editions of Ramayana, from the authentic to abridged, catering the demands of the spiritual market of the season. For the digital natives, audio CD’s, e-books and Ramayana Apps are just a click away!

Revitalizing Body Unsettled monsoon often reflects with ailments and relapses, so is the apt time for wellness treatments as general health and metabolism would be reduced due to immoderate climate change and would make people susceptible to diseases. According to Ayurveda, the cause of all disease is “Agnimandya” or decreased digestive power; it would alter the equilibrium of tridoshas – vada, pita and kapha resulting in weak physical and mental states. In spite of the incessant rain, this is the reason why people are for rejuvenation and relaxation, with Ayurveda centres flooded with takers from all parts of the world. Depending on the body type and demands, the Karkidaka Chikilsa/ Sukha Chikilsa might extend from a minimum of 7 days to a maximum of 40 days, with strict padhyam or diet. It is a Kerala model preventive medicine, boosting the immune system by including modes of treatment like body massage followed by a steam bath, navarakizhi, shirodhara, nasyam, uzhichil, pizhichil, following a holistic approach to treating various medical conditions. The rate per day starts from rupees 600 to 15000 depending on the treatment availed.

Rejuvenating Gut Karkkidaka kanji, gruel prepared with more than 25 herbs and Njavara variety of rice is a detox and immune booster for the body. Also known as Marunnukanji, the porridge comes in different flavours like Jeerakakanji, Dashapushpkanji,

Karkkidaka kanji, gruel prepared with more than 25 herbs and Njavara variety of rice is a detox and immune booster for the body.

Uluvakanji and Wheat kanji. It used to be a homemade treat, but know with the commercialisation of Ayurveda, we get many a variety of the same in ready to eat and ready to make packets.

Pathilla thoran, a mix of ten edible leaves, including thalu, chembu, thazhutha, payru, thakara, mathan, choriyanam, chena, koovalam, pacha cheera along with grated coconut, rice and spices is an organic traditional yummy medicinal meal.

Njavara rice balls prepared with roasted Njavara rice, jaggery and coconut is a preventive pill for cold, back pain and gastroenteritis.

Mukkudi, a drink prepared from

buttermilk with herbs, coconut oil, ginger and turmeric is an excellent medicinal drink for all digestive ailments.

Aja mamsarasayanam (goat meat soup) is a recommended dish of the season to boost immunity.

Kozhi marunnu, prepared with tender karinkozhi (black fowl), turmeric powder, garlic, ghee and kurunthotti leaves helps improve the immune system and soothes joint pain.

Glimpses – Rituals & Customs For the Tamilians settled in Kerala, it’s the month before the harvest, the Aadi Masam, a month of festivities and worship. Kolattam is performed by young girls of the community on Tuesdays and Fridays. Wearing silk pavadas they dance with kolu, offering mother goddess their tribute with devotional songs celebrating her victory over Basavasura and his evil designs. Agraharams are lit up with special evening prayers and prasadams during the month.

Nalambala Darshanam is a spiritual experience for many during this month.

It is a pilgrimage to four well-known July 2018

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info Recipe | Pathilla Thoran Ingredients

Preparation

Tender leaves of green spinach (pacha cheera), elephant yam (chena), cassia tora sickle pod (thakara), pumpkin (mathan), wild colocasia (thalu), cow pea leaves (payaru), small colocasia (chembu), ivy gourd (Koovalam), red stemmed tragia involucrate (choriyanam), spreading hogweed (thazhuthama). – take equal portion, wash, drain and chopped - 2 cups

Turmeric powder – 1 tbsp Grated coconut – 2 cups Kanthari Mulaku (bird’s eye chilly) / Green chilly - 2 nos Raw rice- 2 tbs Mustard seeds – 1 tbs Coconut Oil – ¼ th cup

temples in central Kerala. Pilgrims offer prayers at Triprayar Sree Rama Temple, Irinjalakkuda Koodal Manikyam Temple, Moozhikkulam Lekshmana Temple and Payammal Satrughana Temple on a single day in the same order. They are dedicated to Lord Rama, Bharatha, Lakshamana and Shatrughana respectively.

It also considered being the month of Goddess Lekshmi. On the last day of Midhunam, “chetta” (Jeshta Bhagavathi) is thrown out of the house by cleaning the house and premises thoroughly, and old and damaged goods are destroyed before sunset. The unused and dirty things are believed to be negative energy sources. It is called Chettaye Purathakkal. Then the house is purified by sprinkling dung water and made ready to welcome Mahalekshmi. Lekshmikku Vekkal is another custom of arranging Dashapushpam and Ashatamangalyam in front of nilavilakku (lit lamp) in the morning.

The month also pays respect to the loved ones who have left us forever, paying homage to the departed souls to rest in peace. The new moon day in Karkkidakam is famous for pithru tharpanam or vavubali, and it’s called

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Grind and make a paste of grated coconut and kanthari mulaku. Heat oil in a kadai and splutter mustard seeds. Add raw rice, sauté till its light brown, then add all other ingredients including the coconut paste. Cover and cook for 4 minutes. Then take off the lid and keep a low flame until it’s soft and water content completely disappears. Turn off the flame and add 2-3 spoons of coconut oil and serve hot.

Along with human beings, it is a rejuvenating and treatment season for elephants too.

Karkkidakavavu. It is a rite performed for the spirits of ancestors and also homage to Gurus and Maharshi’s for their guiding spirit. According to Astrology, the sun is the “pitru karaka” and stays in its constitution during this month. On the new moon day, both sun and the moon stay in the same house indicating the presence of both paternal and maternal lineage.

In northern Kerala, two sets of Theyyams could be seen, Aadi and Vedan, mostly performed by young children. Theyyams visit every house to help people get rid of ailments and misfortunes that are for seen during the month. It is believed that with Theyyam’s visit, the house is blessed with the presence of Goddess Lekshmi.

It will be surprising for many to know that Thiruvonam in Karkkidakam is also celebrated, it is called Pilleronam ( Onam of children). It was a prominent ritual in Kerala but faded as years went by. It’s is mini Onam, before the grand Ponnonam.

A small-scale Onasadhaya, swings and games make it a happy event for children who are eagerly waiting for the mega event.

Along with human beings, it is a rejuvenating and treatment season for elephants too. Temples in Kerala witness Aanayoottu during this season.

A mass feast for elephants is held at Vadakkkunnathan temple at Thrissur on the first day of the month. They are fed rice balls mixed with ghee, turmeric, fruits, cucumber, dried coconut, sugarcane and jaggery.

Through rituals, customs and observations man learns to respect the divinity in nature. Though life has changed with changing times, people still follow them as they can, without losing much of its warmth, sanctity and fervour.

Munch & Crunch, a food series by Lakshmi B & Aswathy A, explores the cultural vividness and tastes of Kerala

leisure

Winding Down to the

Misty Woods, a farm resort located at Madikeri amidst the languishing beauty of Coorg is a must visit property for those who want to spoil themselves at the lap of Mother Nature.

C

oorg or Kodagu (originally called Kodaimalenadu) means ‘dense forest on steep hill’. Known popularly as the Scotland of India, this place offers a heavenly experience for the visiting tourists. Coorg stands 2050m above sea level and has misty hills, lush forest, acres of coffee and tea plantations, orange groves, variety of spice plantations and honey and breathtaking and mesmerizing

Misty Woods scenic views. Misty Woods, a farm resort located at Madikeri amidst the languishing beauty of Coorg is a must visit property for those who want to spoil themselves at the lap of Mother Nature.

Misty Woods sprawls over 100 acres of land in the mountain ranges called ‘Karadi moole’, in Coorg. About 3800ft above sea level, it is perched at the picturesque mountain ranges of Western

Ghats. An ideal place for those in search of peace and tranquility, Misty Woods also offers facilities like jogging, trekking, camping etc.

More over this untouched nature is on the foot of the highest peak in Coorg ‘Thadiyante Mol’ and barely a step away from ‘Nalknad Palace’, built in 1794

by Dodda Veera Raja, famous for its painting and carvings.

Anyone can approach this haven of July 2018

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hospitality through winding roads by the side of paddy fields, coffee plantations and lush green mountains draped in mist. Set in the backdrop of 120 acres of coffee, cardamom, orange and pepper plantations, the rich aroma of Coffee and Pepper, the enticing fragrance of Cardamom and wild Honey and the fruity flavour of Oranges beckon you to this dream world, free from pollution and hustle and bustles of the outer world. The first phase comprises of cottages.

The gurgling streams on both sides of this land transforms into a roaring water fall during the rainy season, an hot spot to incite the creativity of any artist.

What to offer All Spices - The multi cuisine restaurant exclusively for in-house guests, is sure to trickle the taste buds of the visitors with its extensive menu ranging from exclusive cuisines of Kerala, Coorg, North Indian, Chinese and Continental.

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The gurgling streams on both sides of this land transforms into a roaring water fall during the rainy season, an hot spot to incite the creativity of any artist.

One can relish these dishes by enjoying the scenic beauty of the ‘Nalknad Palace’ and distant landscapes.

Mansion House - A ‘C’-shaped courtyard house with independent rooms.

Traditional Cottages - Independent cottages, built in Kerala architecture by

info Tourism in Coorg Nalknad Palace Build by Dodda Veera Raja in 1794 famous for its painting and carvings.

Padi Igguthappa Temple Built in Kerala style, governs an important role in the traditional and cultural life of Coorg.

Bhagamandala Bhagamandala is situated at the confluence of three rivers (Cauvery, Kanika and Sujyothi). The temple here, built in Kerala style, has smaller shrines dedicated to various gods.

Talakaveri River Cauvery which is one of the seven sacred rivers of Sapta Sindhus of the Hindu scriptures, originated at a place is called Talakaveri in the Brahmagiri hills, at about 4,500 ft above sea level.

This place is marked by a ‘kundike’ from where the river emerges as a small perennial spring, but flows underground again to emerge a short distance away.

Madikeri Fort Originally built by Muddu

Raja in 17th Century, the British renovated the Palace inside the Fort. A church built in 1855 in fort premises now houses a museum.

Raja’s Seat According to legends, the Kings of Kodagu spent their evenings here. But what’s unforgettable about Raja’s seat is the spectacular view of sunset that one can enjoy from here.

Abbey Falls 70 feet height eye catching falls near Madikeri.

Dubare This is mainly an elephant capturing and training camp of the Forest Department, at the edge of Dubare forest, on the bank of river Cauvery, on the Kushalnagar Siddapur road.

Nagarhole National Park The place derives its name from the winding river - Nagarhole meaning “snake river” which flows through the park. The 640 sq km of

Location: Coorg is located in a prime accessible location in Karnataka, India. Kannur, Kerala to the West, Wayanad, Kerala to the South, Mysore to the East and Hassan and Chikmangalore to the North and only 275kms from Bangalore.

Contact: Misty Woods Tourist Village, Kakkabe Post, Yavakapadi Village, Madikeri Taluk, Coorg, Karnataka – 571212.

Contact: +91-9480373510 / 08272-238561. www.coorgmisty.com

gently undulating terrain at the foothills of the Brahmagiri hills is covered with thick tropical forest, grassy swamps and numerous rivers and streams. The park and animal life is part of the country’s first “bio-sphere reserve”.

One can be sure of seeing the Bison, Elephant, Tiger, Spotted Deer, Sambhar, Barking Deer, Wild Boar, Mongoose, Peacock and Jungle Fowl and many other birds and animals.

Nisargadhama Known for its calm, serene beauty, this place is an ideal picnic spot visited by hundreds of tourists throughout the year.

Harangi Dam Harangi Dam is a great picnic spot 36 kms from Madikeri.

Golden Temple Golden temple is in the Tibetan colony, where Tibetans keep their culture and heritage intact. Dalai Lama visits this temple to offer prayers occasionally.

complying to the strictures of ‘Vastu Shastra’, in tune with the environmentwith clay hollow bricks and wood. Each cottage has a view of its own and the stay here is highly refreshing.

Fairy Tale Cottages - A set of cottages with a western touch, having a view of pure nature and waterfalls. Designed with a fire place and a cozy loft, each cottage has its own frame of view.

The round recreational hub with one curve is for the fitness freaks and the rest of space for fun and games.

‘The Pond’ is an open air swimming pool, set with a children’s pool. The ‘Outdoor’ activities provided are simply natural, like an exciting trek through the plantation exploring the amazing nature. A tour around the plantation to know about the spices, a thrilling trek to the highest peak in Coorg ‘Thadiyante Mol’, are part of this . An off-road drive through the thrilling, muddy, rocky terrain, an adventurous ride on ATV, a visit to the natural waterfalls for a dip in the basin at the foot of the falls and in the evening with the cozy chill people can enjoy the warmth of the campfire.

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health

Conquering Obesity with Lifestyle Modification Heart diseases, stroke, high blood pressure, diabetes, some cancers, gallbladder disease and stones, osteoarthritis, gout, sleep apnoea and breathing problems are some of the dreaded ones found associated with obesity.

Dr Vinod B Nair

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ifestyle Modification is the best method to handle obesity. It also gives a great mental satisfaction of achievement for those who have undergone change. The persons who have undergone Bariatric surgeries have a totally different feeling about what they have achieved.

Obesity is growing as one of the major lifestyle diseases in the state of Kerala.

Unfortunately this menace is not just limited to adults but among children too.

Our kids are also becoming obese. After Punjab, Kerala has the maximum number of obese children in India.

Not everyone with obesity have problems. But the risk increases if you have family history of certain diseases.

There are many diseases associated with obesity. Heart diseases, stroke, high blood pressure, diabetes, some cancers, gallbladder disease and stones, osteoarthritis, gout, sleep apnoea and breathing problems are some of the dreaded ones found associated with obesity. In most of the countries, it has become a major killer, second to smoking.

You call someone obese, when his Body Mass Index (BMI) is above 25. It is not only your weight, but how your fat is distributed in your body also matter.

Fat around your abdomen (‘apple’ shape obesity), is more risky than, ‘pear’ shape obesity meaning your extra weight is mostly around your hips and buttocks.

How to tackle this problem?

The safest method to handle obesity is through Lifestyle modification, the other being various bariatric surgeries. Currently no safe drugs are available or approved for this purpose. Exercise alone may not

always work and not all age groups have similar capacities to do exercise.

I strongly recommend lifestyle modification as the only first choice for correcting obesity, as Bariatric surgery is associated with lot of risks. The current bariatric surgeries grossly interfere with the anatomy and physiology of stomach and intestines.

The suggestions given below are conclusions from my own experiences from QkSlim program that I have

The current bariatric surgeries grossly interfere with the anatomy and physiology of stomach & intestines.

engineered in helping over 1400 people, including 130 modern medical doctors in controlling their weight purely based on lifestyle modifications. This does not involve any prescription drugs or surgical procedures.

I am also a change specialist. I help people change from what they are, to what they want to be. According to the principles of change management, one needs to have four things for an effective change to happen. First principle is, unless you are aware of why you need to change, you will never change. Second, there should be a hope that you will be able to change. Third, you need to have a

workable plan. The last important thing is 100% commitment to the program you are undergoing.

The main reason people gain weight is because they eat more than what is required for them. So according to me, the only option for reducing weight is to eat less, so that body takes up energy from the fat storage for the day to day activities. The perception that the extra weight gained is genetically determined is a myth. Genetics play only a very limited role in obesity. The sedentary habits of the current generation play a major role in the development of obesity.

Most of us depend on exercise without restricting our diet to reduce weight.

This is not going to work. In order to spend the energy of two pieces of bread without jam and butter, you need to walk for 45 minutes. So if you are going to compensate by exercising extra for an unrestricted diet, it will never work.

The basic principle of my QkSlim program is that, you need to eat less for creating a negative energy balance so that body uses the stored fat. But unless you are able to control your hunger and your mind, you will not be able to restrict your diet for long. The most important thing is sustaining this on a long term basis. For this to happen, all food habits need to be reworked. The entire thought process about the purpose of food need to be changed.

Food need to be taken for nutritional purposes rather than for emotional gratification.

I help people to achieve this by a combination of various strategies including meditation and dieting concepts with restricted volume, gradually helping them to shrink their stomach. I help them to achieve mind and hunger control. I motivate them and build their will power to undergo this process. Total calories need to be reduced rather than changing the components of the diet. More protein and carbohydrate in the diet are also converted to fat in the body.

info Healthy lifestyle

To live a healthy lifestyle, consistently choose healthy foods, fit more exercise and physical activity into your daily routine.

A good night’s sleep is incredibly important for your health.

Eat healthy

Drink plenty of water

Reduce stress

Excercise regularly

Sleep well

Exercise is primarily used to maintain the basic metabolic rate and to increase the cardio pulmonary reserve rather than to lose weight. This is mainly in the form of walking and free hand exercises which last roughly for an hour.

The nutritional requirements of the body should not be compromised. The nutritional supplements like vitamins and minerals need to be taken. This is where medical knowledge really helps.

The basic problem with lifestyle modification is that you need to invest a lot of time to educate your clients on how to achieve this. So a simple consultation will never work. I do it in the form of workshops or personal sessions. The workshop lasts for nearly 11 hours a day and the personal sessions will last between 7 to 9 hours. Then I give follow

up services also through phone and social media platforms.

I also tell them strategies to follow up and monitor their progress using various charts, journals and audits.

I feel, to safely control obesity, life style modification is the only key factor needed, provided one is willing stick to the instructions with commitment.

Henry Ford once said “Whether you think you can, or think you can’t - You’re right.” The most important thing in such a process is motivation. It is you who decide if you can do it or not.

Writer is ENT Surgeon, Slimming Expert, Change Specialist, Life Coach & Professional Mentor. He can be contacted by phone no. 88 93 93 93 88. www.drvinod-ent.com, www.QkSlim.com July 2018

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techno biz

Demystifying Product Development This article is not intended to discourage any youngsters from dreaming, but to add two cents to create successful products and perhaps provide insights to enhance the probability of success for many of the fledgling new ventures.

Dr.Suresh Nair

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‘S

tartups’ and ‘Innovations’ are the most used buzzwords by the youngsters in Kerala over the last few years. With over 550 startup ventures incubated over a period of 3 years in Kerala, it was the dream for many millennials to have a startup of their own. Many organisations were built to support such innovations through incubation. There are a few success stories, but not many innovative products seem to have emerged in the recent past. Is it not the apt time to think of the reasons for the current state of affairs, understand the gaps and bridge them, and focus on quality proposals than quantity? This article is not intended to discourage any youngsters from dreaming, but to add two cents to create successful products and perhaps provide insights to enhance the probability of success for many of the fledgling new ventures.

proposed will be at 1/4th of the cost of any existing product. This is purely based on the estimated Bill of Material (BOM) cost. At this point of time, the young innovator is ignorant to the other additional components to take care of regulatory compliances, and additional costs involved to come up with such a

Proposals

commercial product including marketing overheads. Of course, there are many cost effective products brought out through sheer disruptive technologies, but these are few and far in between.

Though proposals could be presented in a very impressive manner, it is also not possible for the reviewers to judge such proposals in a committee room.

Through the more lenient and supportive policies, it is not difficult to get proposals approved for initial funding. Though my experience of reviewing hundreds of new startup ideas, if one drills down on the idea deep enough, it can be seen that more than half of these ideas are based on some published international papers or are a spinoff off already existing products elsewhere. “Reduced cost” is highlighted in many of the proposals claiming that the product

Innovation is defined as the process of translating an idea or invention into a product or service that creates value or for which customers will be willing to pay.

Innovation Innovation is defined as the process of translating an idea or invention into a product or service that creates value or for which customers will be willing to pay. The requirement should come first, not the idea. Unless there is a taker for these ideas and products, these can not be branded as innovations. Youngsters are often misled through incomplete research work and get stuck with ideas

and they expect good market for the products they envision.

Check List The below is a typical check list any innovator has to answer before jumping into any development activity: Originality of the Idea: Is the idea original, or just heard or read from somewhere. Adaptation of ideas are acceptable too, given the right kind of research. It is important that the entrepreneur himself or herself get fully convinced of their ideas.

Prior art Status: Do a thorough literature and patent search to make sure

Company

that no one else has done this before, and even if so, fully understand the prior art status. Help of IP attorneys as well as patent wings of organisations can be of great help. The new proposal necessarily needs to be above the prior art, with extra claims.

In addition to the above, a study and analysis has to be done on Patentability, Market analysis of competitive products, Unique Selling proposition for the proposed product and make sure the development cost and time are reasonable too. A self analysis is recommended by way of an exercise of filling up business models like the

Sales & marketing

Manufacturing DESIGN (Electronics, mechanical Etc)

IDEA (Innovator)

Investor

PROOF OF CONCENT (R & D) Incubation (concentrate on idea, Subsidised space, facilities)

Stanford Business Canvas Model.

Incubation Centres Incubation centres are the best places to try out any new idea. Here, all facilities like workspace, work bench, electricity, network, good ambience are provided with a view that the innovator concentrates on the idea and idea only, rather than worrying about any other matters like bill payments, municipal licenses, etc. Most of such incubation centres provide excellent environment to invoke innovation.

Proof of Concept The first and foremost activity for any innovator is to prove to others and convince them that his/her idea works.

This can be demonstrated using standard laboratory equipment like Power supplies, Signal generators, Spectrum Analysers, Oscilloscopes, Computers, Off the shelf development kits, etc.

Once the idea is proven, the next step is to go for prototype designing, and here, the prototype needs to be very close to the final product in terms of form and fit, aesthetics, ergonomics and functionalities. A few stages like Alpha and Beta prototypes are common.

Prototypes can be build using 3D printing, common PCB techniques, soft tooling, hand soldering, etc. This need not undergo any regulatory test or reliability tests, but the design has to take care of those requirements.

DFx Design for manufacturability, Design for Assembly, Design for Testability are prerequisites for volume manufacturing, and can not be an after thought. During the prototype design itself all these factors need to be built in the design.

Pilot Product Once the Alpha and Beta prototypes are extensively field tested, the design is fine tuned and the pilot is built. This is July 2018

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Reliability testing

Commercial product

Compliance testing

lElectronics lPhotonics lIndustrial

design

lMechanical lRF

lEmbedded

Concept

Proof of concept

Design

conventionally built in the same facility where the final volume manufacturing is going to take place, optimizing all manufacturing process parameters. The products built as pilot have to undergo regulatory compliances like FCC,CE, UL, etc. There are some accepted standards in the industry for category of products whether it is healthcare, communication or defence, and these tests are done on the products by accredited third party labs. Unless these certifications are obtained, products can not be generally sold in the market.

The product is just evolving at this stage with no field performance data, but customers will surely demand for warranties ranging from 5 to 10 years based on the product category. This can only be done through Highly Accelerated Life Tests (HALT) and Highly Accelerated Stress Screening (HASS) which are far beyond the product specifications. From these accelerated test data, the life of the product can be statistically estimated.

Patenting Any idea presented to others or in any public forum can not be patented, since this is now publicly available knowledge.

Thus, as soon an idea is conceptualised, file for a provisional patent, which can be easily done with minimal documentation and cost. The validity of provisional patent is one year, and it is expected that the final device can be realized atleast

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S/W

Proto build

Pilot build

up Design Alpha(www.designalpha.in) to support youngsters and make them successful in product commercialisation.

Parental pressure

in a proof of concept or proto level and final patent with claims can be filed within this time frame. In the patent filing stage, please make sure to include as much claims as possible, and include them in a generic form.

Mentors In most of the cases, the teachers, professors and seniors become mentors.

Industry professionals who have gone through same pain points may not spare their time. Those who have personally gone through the pain of bringing up a start up company can contribute much more practically than academicians.

Mentors have a huge responsibility to guide the youngsters through the right path, motivate them during their failures, put them across right contacts, etc. Mentors need to be on the floor, sit with these entrepreneurs, hand hold them, and become fully aware of their problems, and guide them. Social Alpha, supported by Tata Trusts, has realised the gap of this hand holding and set

Conventionally four good friends join together and toss for their positions as CEO, CTO, COO or CFO and take positions. They continue to work for two more years with no income, and get financially dried up. Pressure from parents start building up, and atleast one of the team member search for another job and join a multinational company.

The disintegration starts here, and the team slowly gets dissolved. To remain as entrepreneur, it is important to have Passion, Patience and Perseverance.

Conclusion A few thoughts are jotted above focusing on hardware product development.

Adequate research & due diligence before starting any venture can make the idea successful. The role of mentor is extremely important to reap success. The youngsters are advised not to remain in the fantasy of CXO labels, not to remain PPT masters, but continue with hands on engineering experience on product development.

The author is Global CTO, NeST group, founder of Design Alpha and have 18 patents and more than 120 publications to his credit.

expect the unexpected. brand kerala B u s i n e s s

M a g a z i n e

for more information and registration info@brandkerala.biz Brand Kerala Media House Associates SRL A 32, Sankar Road, Sasthamangalam P.O., Thiruvananthapuram 695010 Kerala, India. Tele : +91 471 231 1377/231 2377

column good word Sabin Iqbal sabin.iqbal@gmail.com

I often feel the only species that God regrets making are the bores who don’t get the umpteen hints you drop.

Run! Here Comes A Bore!

P

eople continue to intrigue and interest me. And, we Malayalis are past-masters in not just observing people but staring!

Being a proclaimed believer in God— an unalloyed creationist, much ridiculed by the intellectuals who brag they had an arboreal past, a cerebral present and an uncertain future—I am often thrilled at both the individuality and plurality of mankind.

No two men are the same. Never.

My father and his nine brothers were as different as chalk and cheese. My mother and her three sisters are as different as pudding and payasam.

My identical twin friends—who look mirror-images of each other—are different in their own ways. Their likes and dislikes are different.

So, men are different.

And, that keeps us going—watching them, observing them, being one of them.

I often feel at sea in a party, but I love being there. Not for the booze. Not for the noise. Not definitely for the glamour and pomp. Parties give me an excellent opportunity to watch life. It is a perfect slice.

I curl up in one corner like a daft guy.

No friends to review the good old days.

No aunts and uncles to discuss future

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and no buddies to guffaw with.

I sit in a corner, and watch the fun—I mean the people. I realise how conscious that aunty is of her sari with shimmering works of pearls and of that lonely sleek white-gold chain with a dazzling yet simple diamond pendent that often plunges its head into her creamy cleavage.

I see how that girl preens, bearing the

But of all people, I dread the bores more than poisonous snakes or barking dogs

full lusty weight of a hundred eyes on her pretty face and shapely bosom. She knows, and she is thrilled inside—there is a festival of fireworks in her heart— but she won’t show it. She wears an expression of boredom, like the sage-like brunch-time ocean.

And, that boy, who has Salman Khan’s shoulders and John Abraham’s everything. He’s got a few buttons off to

show the glimpse of his fatless, façade of a youthful chest.

And, that makes the uncle next to him desperately clutch at the double measure of Black Dog that thaws a hillock of ice cubes. Of late, uncle is not impressed by his own appearance. The hair falls thick and fast, denuding the scalp, helping spotlights reflect in no time. The belly is shamelessly out. He feels like strangling the young, smart guy who strides up to his wife and says, ‘Hi aunty, you look stunning!’

‘Ba@*%*d!’

Uncle goes for a bottoms-up, and asks the counter boy with spiked hair for another double shot.

I sit nonchalant, munching a chicken drumstick, listening to the band belting out another of their Malayalam hits, watching the specimens of life parading before me.

But of all people, I dread the bores more than poisonous snakes or barking dogs.

These men are in many guises. They can be your mother’s beloved brother; your boss with a notion of changing the world; your neighbour; your grandfather’s childhood friend. The list goes on.

I often feel the only species that God regrets making are the bores who don’t

get the umpteen hints you drop. Once they begin, they won’t stop unless you fall dead, and that too only after they are sure that you have no sign of life left in you.

They are brilliant and have a very high IQ, but they won’t read your body language which clearly says you are bored to the core. They will not see you looking out through the window behind them at insignificant heads bobbing beyond the wall. They think you are their ear-pierced bonded slaves who have no right to utter a word of protest as they go on haranguing—giving lectures on good governance to office ethics to punctuality to etiquettes to gardening to good old days of values and virtues to how bad you are in your life and how they can help you become effective and smart in life.

They are like these little snakes in video games, which gain in power and vigour after eating each fruit—they gain more strength by talking, and more talking.

Nothing is more discouraging and disturbing like a button-holing bore (it’s not my phrase, but I don’t remember whose it is). Button-holing bores are the worst. They are as close to you as the button-holes in your shirt. Nothing is

closer to you than these people, but they bore you to death, leave you bleeding, and suck every ounce of joy in life. They leave you disillusioned, frustrated, angry and often sad.

Mussolini and Hitler pale in comparison. Osama Bin Laden and Mullah Omar put down their guns at their sight and run for cover, eschewing their bloody missions. Buddha might lose the proverbial composure.

Nothing can save you from these bores but God. You seek divine protection and grace to survive another session. And, you pray that they will understand the joys of brevity. Oh, brevity, the soul of wit!

But there are also people who just don’t speak anything, no matter how many dragging hours you spend with them. They consider every word from

Button-holing bores are the worst. They are as close to you as the button-holes in your shirt.

their mouth precious stones. You often feel like saying: “Oh, say something you dumb!” But they won’t budge or move their whistle.

Who says silence is golden? Having someone who bores you by saying nothing is only second to the buttonholing bores in terms of lethality.

One of my colleagues with The Gulf Today in Sharjah used to tell me about his brother-in-law who spoke only a very few words in a day. He used to keep money for his wife at a particular place in the cupboard. His wife would pick it up from there without asking anything.

Intrigued, I asked why he was so angry.

“It’s not that he is angry with any of us, he is like that. He doesn’t want to talk.”

I would have torn him up like a piece of paper if he was my brother-in-law as much as I would have run for my dear life at the sight of a button-holing bore.

As I walk out of the party late in the night, it is raining. And, I am sure someone must be observing me as a perfect example of men who come to parties, sit through like a mug and walk out like a fool!

Sabin Iqbal is a Thiruvananthapurambased senior journalist. He writes on culture, sports and business.

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horoscope JuLy 21 to Aug 20 2018 Suresh kumar + 91 9496795629, vishnushangu@gmail.com

Aries

your earnings after the 24th. Your love will be harmonious during this period. Health will be excellent in this period.

Gemini Family welfare and emotional strength will be vital during this period. Your Professional matters will not progress this month as the Neptune and Uranus are moving backwards.

You have to wait till the planetary aspects become favourable in the coming month. Your monetary aspects of life are not active this period. You can earn money from property transactions and family members will help you in getting financial prospects. Even old friends will be helpful in your financial activities.

Relationship with your spouse or partner will be enjoyable during this period. You will be spending quality time with your spouse and both of you enjoy the pleasures of home life.

Your Health will be problematic till the 24th.

You can improve health by relaxation and by taking care of your emotional well being.

Taurus

Family matters and psychological strength will be dominating this month. Your career is on the back burner as the Career Planet, Saturn is moving backwards. You can use this period to visualize about the future of your career and draw up plans which can be executed later when planetary positions are favourable. You can also nurture the professional ambitions of others during this period. Your financial instincts are active and you are able to use your management skills to motivate others to create your wealth. You will be deeply involved in lucrative business and your focus will be on buying assets. Financial prosperity sees an upsurge due to your personal allure, charisma and monetary perceptions. Your overall health will be excellent during this period.

Cancer Professional challenges will take their own time for resolution. Retrograde of career planet, Uranus is not helping the matter and there will be inaction towards problems.

Temporary disturbances in career are expected in the last week of the month. Your monetary prosperity is very powerful in this period. You have to exercise your financial acumen till the 24th to solve various problems you are likely to come across. More effort and intelligence is necessary to earn money. Money can be made by marketing products and with the help of friends after the 24th. Family will help

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You can achieve career growth by improving your professional knowledge through education and advanced training. In this you are assisted by the presence of your Career Planet, Mars in the 3rd House of communication. Regarding the Finance, you will succeed in your monetary ventures and your earnings will improve remarkably.

Speculative investments will be profitable and you are generously spending money on

philanthropic causes. Wealth is enhanced by employing technical innovations and good visualization. Regarding the Relationships, you are interested in the welfare of the family members after the 24th. Family members are interested in supporting your career ambitions and you are equally supportive of their professional activities. Your health will be fabulous during this period.

Leo

During this period career issues and personal desires are giving way to family happiness and emotional strength. Regarding your Career, there will be professional changes as the Solar Eclipse of 20th is influencing your career planet. Environment at the workplace will undergo transformations. Regarding the Finance, favouable aspects of Mercury will bring profitable monetary prospects along with unexpected money supply. If you are indulging in speculative ventures you will be lucky. Money comes freely and without much effort. You are splurging your excess money on personal luxuries. Situation will be different after the 28th. You have to be cautious about your spending habits and financial transactions require proper scrutiny. Your Health will be wonderful during this period and will improve further after the 23rd.

Virgo

You are capable of overcoming challenges in your professional life with assurance.

Professional goals are important and can be achieved with the favourable aspects of Mercury in the House of Career till the 23rd.

Regarding your Finance, the predominance of spirituality in your monetary prosperity.

Money comes through intuition, dreams and spiritual assistance. You are exploring the relationship between wealth and spirituality.

Financial interests of your spouse or partner will occupy your focus and you are responsible for improving finances of your partner during this period. Your Health will be wonderful this month and it will be enhanced as the month progresses by good diet and right physical fitness procedures.

expect improvement of status accompanied by financial rewards. There may be procedural delays but you can be sure of the end result.

It is imperative that you can enhance your professional capabilities with advanced training and education. Your monetary growth will be excellent after the 24th of the month. You have to be guarded before you commit yourself to new monetary projects or before putting money into fresh investments. Your health will be absolutely wonderful till the 30th of the month.

Sagittarius

Libra

Your professional ambitions will be in focus during this period. Your career interests are to the forefront this month. You have the wholehearted support of family members in your career development. Your monetary growth will be fantastic during this period.

Retrograde of Money Planet, Pluto will force you to be watchful while indulging in fresh financial transactions, even new investments require thorough examination. You can utilize this opportunity to formulate future financial targets and workout the methodology to accomplish them. Regarding the Relationships, Socially this is an active period as the 11th House is becoming powerful on the 23rd.

Your Health will be quite tenuous due to the unfavourable planetary aspects. Spiritual healing will be effective in improving your fitness levels.

Scorpio

This period you should focus on those areas where you are sure of accomplishing your goals. There will be deadlocks and postponements on your way to progress.

Regarding the Career, your growth will be great after the 23rd of the month. You can

You will be highly motivated to achieve your professional ambitions and outer success.

There is a good progress on your career front during this month. Your flow of money will be rewarded due to unfavouable planetary aspects. However the financial fortunes of your spouse or partner are excellent and you can expect the support of your partner. New method of making money and fresh financial investments requires a meticulous review and should be taken up after clarity emerges. Your Health will be superb throughout the month and will be superlative after that. Cleansing your body of impurities, and having controlled sexual activity will be vital for the month.

your partner is excellent this month and will be a source of support. Your social skill is excellent and you can use these for improving your finance. Your Health will be problematic till the 23rd and more relaxation is required.

Aquarius

Your family affairs and psychological interests are being replaced with career growth and personal desires. Your Career development is imminent and you have to get ready for that. You have to set your career targets and have a plan of action to accomplish them. You will get an opportunity to accomplish your career targets by using innovative techniques.

Regarding the Finance, there is brief stalemate in financial fortunes. Balancing of expenditure with income will occupy your major attention.

Regarding the Relationships, your love will be lively and swift this month. Singles are able to attract opposite sex with their social confidence. Chances of forming new love partnerships are bright after the 23rd. Your Health will be good till 23rd of the month and after that it will be fragile.

Pisces

Capricorn

You are ruthless in getting things done this month as planetary strength is swiftly moving to the northern sector of the horoscope.

Your career growth is enhancing the social prestige of the family after the 23rd. Your earning power is reduced during this period as planetary aspects are unfavourable. You may be involved in a financial crisis and you have to seek divine intervention to get out it.

All important procurement and investments require thorough scrutiny and should be postponed if necessary. Monetary growth of

Professional ambitions and family welfare are equally important this month. Regarding the Career, life at the workplace will be hectic and the management is very tough in getting things done. Situation improves as the month progresses. Your monetary prospects will be on agenda this month. Money making has a social touch to it and you are depending on social contacts to market your products. You can earn money from risky propositions and by using your ingenuity. Your beloved is financially prosperous and you have the support of your partner on occasions. Cutting down lavish expenditure will improve your bottom line.

Your Health will be superb till the 23rd and can be improved further by attending to emotional aspects of well-being.

July 2018

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auto biz

PLUSH Mahindra launches Plush New XUV 500, sets new benchmark in premium SUV segment with bold new design, plush interiors, superior fit and finish.

Jiji Varghese

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NEW AVATAR

M

ahindra & Mahindra needs no introduction to an Indian, first thought would be “Mahindra’s Jeep”. Well way before the original one landed here, M & M had the loyalty to build and sell these icons Jeep CJ3. The association and technological exposure with foreign manufacturer somewhat trickled the car manufacture genes inside M & M. By the dawn of 2000’s new models came in Armada, Scorpio and the most selling UV in India Bolero. The latter two changed the face of M & M, from a farm animal to a proper well almost civilized car (SUV). We embraced them with all our love and affection and they were praised for their un-breakability. You just can’t break one, believe me I have tried and miserably failed!

All of M & M’s product line were doing fabulous, but one thing was missing a true modern day SUV for the road and off of it, well if the owners take them. In 2011 Mahindra XUV500 (it is pronounced as five double O) was revealed and it took the market by storm. Tata, Toyota and to some extent Ford were caught off-guard, because of them has a SUV. The cheetah inspired

XUV500 set the sales chart on fire and it still continues to do so. No major updates has been done to the chassis, it’s an equipment and design upgrade but a worthy one.

The plush new xuv500 The new name tag “The Plush New XUV500” well I must say it is plush.

Mahindra gave XUV500 a much needed design update. Gone are weird shaped neon like DRL inside the headlamps and a replaced by a proper LED eyebrow DRL. The front now is more mature, more inorder rather than spread out. The front end has been thoroughly redesigned and looks excellent with new grille which has the diamond shaped ornaments and subtle air- dams. Attention has been given to the cheetah inspiration and a testament to that would be the gloss flowing piece from headlamp to fog lamp.

Mahindra affectionately calls it cheetah’s tear-duct, and it matches it too.

Move on the side and the familiar silhouettes treats you, nothing major here no sheet metal has been changed.

To be exact the only change would be new 18 inch diamond cut wheels. Truly international eh? Has this affected ride

Saran Nair & Achuth Krishnan

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comfort we will get there!

The rear has been massively redesigned. Tailgate was put back on the drawing board and it now looks muscular and propionate. A trend has been put to end the Christmas tree tail lamp cluster. The New XUV500 features a much more functional and aesthetically appealing tail lamps. Some of you might not agree with me on it, but hey Mahindra sells XUV500 in South Africa, Australia and some other continents too so for that international touch this is much needed.

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Black and tan These are the first colors that treat your eyes when you open the heavy doors.

First thing that you notice are the seats their texture and the intricate stitching.

They just look and feel like from a segment above and they truly are. The new seats are perfect for long, lazy highway journeys and also for winding hilly sections. The side bolstering and under thigh support are spot on, I am on the heavier side with a pretty big frame (6’1) and these quilted leather seats just wrap around me fine. The driver seat is

The driver seat is electrically adjustable and the steering for reach and rake one more reason for enjoying them.

Price Rs. 15.63 lakh (Petrol) Rs. 12.39 lakh – Rs. 19.05 lakh (Diesel) Engine In-line 4 mHawk Rated output (hp) @ rpm 140at 4500 (P) 155 at 3750 (D) Displacement 2.2 L (2,179cc) Transmission 6–Speed Auto/ 6-Speed Manual torque 320 at 3000 (P)

and finish has improved but there is room for more improvement. A major part of dashboard is the excellent In-dash media entertainment system. It is just an excellent piece of technology which incorporates Climate Control information, Tire tronics and your normal MP3, USB and Bluetooth interface with Navigation.

Wonder how they got it so innovative and cool, LaxoOrbis is the company that develops the Multi Media System and they got inspired from the technical guru of automotive world – Tesla!

There is more in the central console, controls for selecting Phone, volume

360 at 2800 (D) length 4.585m Weight 1,965 Kg Fuel Petrol / Diesel Wheels/Tires 235/65 R17 235/65 R18

electrically adjustable and the steering for reach and rake one more reason for enjoying them.

Mahindra has come long way from their quirky choice of interior colors and choice of materials. New Soft-touch dashboards and door pads are welcomed and much needed in an SUV worth 20+ lakhs. The quality can be compared to international manufactures, mind you there are hard scratchy plastics but fortunately those are hidden away in places where you won’t reach often. Fit

control and other ancillary switchers.

Climate control keeps you cool in all kind of weather and if you feel stuffy just pop open the sun-roof. The opening area is generous and it makes you feel like you are in a bigger car, want to catch some wind no worried it has anti-pinch so you won’t get stuck. Smart Key is a standard affair just walk-up to the car, press on the black button, Open and Push to Start. In my opinion every car should adopt this, it is ergonomically good.

Cubby holes and storage are usable and can accommodate most of your gadgets, cans and chargers. The upper and lower glove box has been retained as earlier and it offers good storage. Now moving on to the rear, leg space and head room is immense, coupled with that excellent seat which I said earlier you can easily nod off within minutes. I would have liked it more if it was a captain seat set-

up, truly first class. Door pads at the rear too are soft-touch and a class above, good thinking Mahindra. The last set of seats are for kids, most of you will fold it down and use it as a big trunk. Understandable and I second that opinion.

HAWKeyed I just couldn’t help using that expression, I terribly missed Hawkeye in the latest iteration of Avengers. Well anyways coming to m-Hawk Mahindra has upped the game with their facelift looking smart and tout so does it under the bonnet.

It now gives out 155bhp and 360Nm torque in Diesel guise but wait there is a Petrol variant too which has 140Bhp and 320Nm of power.

All the power is routed through a 6-speed manual or a 6-Speed AISIN built Torque Convertor with optional All Wheel Drive available for both. Not 4x4 All Wheel Drive, in sense XUV500 is mainly a front wheel drive SUV, if it senses slippage it engages the rear wheels, pretty clever system for minor off-roading but major highway mile munching.

Driving the Automatic front wheel drive (2WD) is quite easy. Once you fire up the engine the familiar diesel rumble is heard. Put it into D and you are off, it moves effortlessly, smoothly and gear shifting is seamless, no jerky shifts here.

When you reach an incline there is albeit a little bit of noise from the engine especially when shifting from 2nd to 3rd other than that its butter smooth. You can manually shift via switches in the shifter, I found it little bit uncomfortable and to be honest very confusing, give me a normal up and down automatic shifter any day and I will be happy. Because of the shifter switches I left it in D and forgot about it.

First thing you notice while driving is your seating position, no matter how high you put the seat, catching a glimpse of the bonnet end is a dream. But the smooth steering makes it a breeze to drive. No worries on how to judge the front end, in a matter of minutes you are July 2018

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in control. Steering is vague but weighs up nicely as speed builds up. It needs to be vague you can’t expect an almost 2-tonne SUV to dart like a hatchback!

Up front we have familiar McPherson and in the rear an independent Multilink set-up. What all this means is unmatched on-road manners. Show the XUV500 a good highway and it just keeps on going flat no matter what all undulations are there. Three digit speeds can be maintained all day long thanks to the engine and special mention for the Brakes, all Discs All around. Bumps and potholes are soaked up nicely, sometimes with a loud thud. Even if you feel you are pushing the SUV too much ESP will kick in letting you know you are not driving a car! Suspension is set up to be both firm and comfortable, it almost strikes that perfect balance, almost. Body roll is tightly controlled by the Anti Roll Bars on each end, 18 inch wheels does rob you off some handling traits and comfort, I believe 17inch variants will be much

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The facelift emphases Mahindra’s aspiration towards future.

more good to drive.

Off-road, well I firmly believe no XUV500 owner is going to take it into a forest let alone to a 4x4 trail. Normal soft roading, river crossing and places where roads does not exist XUV500 handles it excellently. Once you reach too much of a crest or a dip, you will need other siblings from Mahindra to tow you out.

Class Apart XUV500 is really in a class of its own. A worthy competitor has not arrived yet,

some might say Renault Nissan twins can be compared but no.

Both are monocuque SUV’s and have 2WD and 4WD variants, the similarities end there. Everything else is different and is one or two notch above others. Honda CR-V we have to wait for that, it might be the only competitor XUV500 is going to have.

As of now XUV500 and Mahindra has made their mark. The facelift emphases Mahindra’s aspiration towards future.

Fit and finish, shut lines are the places where Mahindra needs to improve, but looking back on their time line of car manufacturing the quality level which they are on right now deserves an applaud and a standing ovation.

XUV500 has been transformed into a much more mature, poised and polished SUV. It still has the road presence, all the gadgetry and wizardry you need. Oodles of power, commendable handling characteristics and above all the Mahindra pedigree.

BRAND KERALA

VOL 8 issue 7

July 2018

Rs 60/-

RNI No. KERENG 2010/36920

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