JSW Connect Magazine

CONTENTS 50

06 Cover story Feature

10

Panorama of the Past

14

How the Steel is Tempered

16

Modern Day Alchemist Business news

EDITOR Jayaraman CONSULTING EDITOR Shiladitya Sarkar EDITORIAL TEAM Vidyadhar Hegde Chandra Shekhar Jha Mithun Roy Aparna Kishore Sudhanshu Verma Amrita Mukherjee DESIGN & IMAGING Kazim Thakur Sunil Trivedi Sanjay Punjabi CONTRIBUTORS Vijay Sinha, Mumbai Ramesh Muniyappa, Vijayanagar Sandeep Khanna, Mumbai Rajeev Limaye, Ratnagiri Nitin Tekade, Tarapur Shalini Bhansal, Mumbai C Ram, Salem Preeti Sanghi, Mumbai Abha Deshkar, Vasind Nandini Mukharjee, Kolkata Subuhi Jiwani, Mumbai PHOTOGRAPHS Pradeep Kaushik Sudhanshu Verma

2

connect | ISSUE 2 - 2012

TES

F IE LD NO

Events

20

Double Impact

52

Welcome to our World

22

Onward March

56

Cementing Step

26

Light Up

57

A Roof Over our Head

30

Sea of Opportunity

58

Voicing our Values

31

Upward Curve

60

A Day of their Own

32

Foray into Electrical Steel

sports

33

Business Simplified

61

On Top of the Table

62

All for the Game

34 Lines of Power

35

Stepping it up HUMAN RESOURCE

Art & CULTURE

64

Cheering Young Talent

65

Together we Stand

36

37 Changeover

66

Bridging Spaces

38

Health Wise

67

Structuring a Partnership

39

Shifting Rules

68

Music for the Mind

40 GRAINS OF WISDOM

69

The Write Word

Fueling the Drive

CSR

awards

43

Presenting the Future

70

Mettle Impact

44

Different Abilities, Same Desires

71

Winning Accolade

46

Firing the Imagination

72 Talk art

47

Engineering a Cause

74 knowledge hive

48

A Pledge for the Planet

76 FOOD FACTOR

49

Hopes on Wheels

78 LEISURE

Communiqué

Editorial Team

Vidyadhar Hegde Sunil Trivedi Aparna Kishore Jayaraman Amrita Mukherjee Chandra Shekhar Jha Shiladitya Sarkar Kazim Thakur Sanjay Punjabi Sudhanshu Verma From Left to Right

Dear JSWites, In a year that has been witnessing economic turmoil across the globe, JSW has met the challenges on its path. This has been a result of dedicated teamwork exhibited by all JSWites. Though these have been stressful times, we have not shied away from our social responsibilities. The Group has always believed in the principle of philanthropy and set it as a goal. Indeed, it has been a forte of the Group over the years. This issue of JSW Connect shares the stories of individuals whose lives have been touched by us. We introduce you to two young girls, Suganthi R. Harijan and Mishola Fernandes. From lower income families, both girls were diagnosed with a congenital heart disease at an early age. Without proper medical assistance, their chance of survival looked bleak. It was then that the JSW Foundation stepped in and offered financial assistance for their treatment. The Foundation also made sure that the girls had the best possible pre- and post-operative care. Apart from focusing on these ‘Brave Hearts’, the present issue also highlights various business and financial developments related to the Group. In addition, you will discover three great artists from Karnataka, read tales from around the world, and marvel at the efforts of our research team which is working hard to develop the most efficient and Eco-friendly steel-making process. If this is not all, you could even take a culinary trip down south. Here’s wishing everyone success and prosperity in the coming months. Jayaraman Editor

connect | ISSUE 2 - 2012

3

Communiqué

“

We must work hard. But more importantly work smart. We must pool in our resources and work as a team. The synergy that team work creates is always preferable to an individual burst of brilliance. Dear JSWites, The Indian economy, freed from its shackles two decades ago has grown in strength and robustness. The momentum has completely changed the socio-economic landscape of the country. The nation’s industries and infrastructure has grown with great speed and converted opportunities in its way into wealth for its people. JSW has matched footsteps with India’s growth, meeting key demands towards nation building. JSW Group is well poised to take India to the next stage of development by contributing in world class Steel, Energy, Infrastructure, Cement and Information Technology. We will continue contributing significantly in writing the script of Indian growth story. The past couple of months has been very challenging for the industrial growth and overall economy across the world. Even in this background we

4

connect | ISSUE 2 - 2012

have once again defied the odds. JSW Steel has expanded its overall sales by 28% to 7.8 million tonnes. Domestic sales which accounted for 6.4 million tonnes grew by 23% whereas exports which accounted for 1.4 million tonnes grew by 61%. JSW Steel’s overall market share in the domestic market increased to 9% and our contribution to the country’s incremental demand growth of 4.5 million tonnes in 2011-12 stood at 26%. The Company also capitalised on its global competitiveness by increasing the amount of exports of its value-added steel products by 21% even though exports from the steel industry in India fell by 2% in the same time frame. JSW Steel has touched 14.3 mtpa of steel-making capacity. The completion of an additional 2 mtpa at our Vijayanagar plant is expected by FY 2014. Work is ongoing in Salboni, West Bengal and with the support of the West Bengal government another integrated steel plant can be expected

Chairman and Managing Director Communiqué to become operational in due course. In yet another considerable development, at Salem, the newly commissioned blooming mill has enabled us to increase production to 15k tonnes per month as of March 2012. Following product approvals from various auto majors, we expect to further increase our value added steel output from this mill. Our strategic collaboration with JFE Steel Corp has opened up new avenues of growth which we are exploring. This partnership is an important milestone for the Company’s mission to move up the value chain in steel products. We must strive to become a one stop solution for all steel grades required by global and Indian customers. JSW Energy is also going strong with the recent capacity addition of 870 MW (600 MW at Ratnagiri and 270 MW at Barmer) and achieved aggregate 2,600 MW of energy generation capacities during 2011-12.

The Company also received MOEF approval on 1,320 MW Chhattisgarh power project and 240 MW Kutehr Hydro Project. The Vijayanagar unit was acknowledged as the Best Operating Power Plant by the Ministry of Power for the fifth year in a row, testifying our operational expertise. JSW Infrastructure is also moving from strength to strength. The port facility at Jaigarh handled 5 million tones of cargo in the year 2011-2012 with a greater number of third party customers. The work is on to add another eight berths to take the total to ten berths and subsequently the cargo handling capacity to 50 million tones. JSW Cement is also poised to cater the growing infrastructural demands of India. The need of the hour is that we all at JSW should continue the hard work to our commitment of nation building in a responsible and inclusive way. We have

reached a stage in our growth where we don’t just do things differently, we do different things! Our focus, hard work and innovativeness enable us to surpass our competitors in any venture we undertake. We must work hard. But more importantly work smart. We must pool in our resources and work as a team. The synergy that team work creates is always preferable to an individual burst of brilliance. Let us continue putting our best foot forward towards an even better tomorrow and taking JSW to new heights.

Sajjan Jindal

connect | ISSUE 2 - 2012

5

Cover Story

BRAVE

HEARTS The JSW Foundation’s programme to financially support children suffering from congenital heart defects has brought relief to many families. Here are the stories of two girls who benefited from it.

6

connect | ISSUE 2 - 2012

Shalini Bansal

U

nbelievable! Looking at Suganthi play with her friends, such a reaction seemed natural. This chirpy, nine-yearold child had just been diagnosed with a congenital heart defect, a hole in her heart. While she is unfazed, her parents are in trauma. The JSW Foundation has supported many such patients with heart defects and each one of them continues to astonish us. When we first began to explore this problem, we asked ourselves some pertinent questions: What kind of bodily pain do these patients suffer from? Does the condition put a financial strain on their parents? Does it afflict only girls? Is there a permanent cure? We discovered that the problems of cardiovascular malfunction are becoming increasingly common in all strata of society. It can be treated with corrective surgery, but the procedure involves large amounts of money and imposes an enormous burden on the poor. Besides, it must be performed by expert pediatric surgeons since the disease afflicts young boys and girls. Finally, the lack of proper medical facilities compounds the problem and along with the patient, the family members too suffer acute mental agony. What is Hole in the Heart? A hole in the heart is the most common type of congenital heart defect (CHD), which the foetus develops while still in the womb. It is estimated that between 1,30,000 and 2,70,000 children are born with congenital heart defects in India each year. The problem is responsible for 3 to 10 per cent of all infant deaths.

The JSW Foundation began by reaching out to underprivileged girls from families whose annual income is ` 1 lakh or less. It decided to support patients below the age of 10 years and, in some cases, teenage girls too; two 12 and 16 year old girls were also assisted. The selection is not based on the patient’s caste, creed, religion or region. While most of the cases addressed so far have been from Mumbai, the Foundation is keen to take on cases from other parts of country as well. The Foundation supports either the full or the partial cost of surgery. It also facilitates and expedites the surgery by getting doctors and surgeons on board. The Foundation is regularly in touch with the cardiology department at King Edward Memorial (KEM) Hospital and Bombay Hospital. Since KEM is a government hospital, it is accessible to the poorest of poor and therefore, offers us the opportunity to help the needy from the volume of patients visiting the hospital. Bombay Hospital, on the other hand, has a specific body to deal with poor patients irrespective of their ailments. The approach of these two organizations match our attitudes towards healthcare. Along with these institutions, the Foundation also relies on the expertise and guidance of Dr. Bharat Dalvi, an eminent pediatric cardiologist associated with Seven Hills, Breach Candy and Nanavati Hospital. We have also regularly consulted Dr. Aneesh Singhal, Associate Professor of Neurology, Harvard Medical School, and Neurologist, Massachusetts General Hospital. In fact, both Dr. Dalvi and Dr. Singhal helped the JSW Foundation fine-tune its approach to the Hole in the Heart initiative.

The problem affects the normal flow of blood through the heart. A hole in the septum between the heart’s upper two chambers (the atria) is called an atrial septal defect, while a hole in the septum between the heart’s lower two chambers (the ventricles) is called a ventricular septal defect. JSW Foundation’s approach: Given the magnitude of the problem, concerted efforts are required from different sources. No hospital or foundation can deal with this problem single-handedly, making participatory processes and a holistic approach extremely important. Moreover, like any other disease, a hole in the heart does not affect only a particular class or gender.

connect | ISSUE 2 - 2012

7

Suganthi R Harijan A pretty and active child, Suganthi R Harijan lives in Malad, Mumbai. A student of class three, she was good at her studies, but found it difficult to participate in extracurricular activities, for instance, sports. She experienced breathlessness and was found wanting in strength. It was then that her concerned parents approached a doctor and learned that their child was suffering from Atrial Septal Defect of the heart, which required open heart surgery. The news had a crippling effect on the father, who was plagued with guilt, afraid that he didn’t have the means to cure his daughter’s near fatal illness. With an annual income of Rs. 24,000, the family was already in the throes of financial problems. Understandably, raising Rs. 1,40,000 for the operation was a seemingly insurmountable task. Until the JSW Foundation stepped in. After verifying the case, the Foundation supported the family with Rs. 90,000. Dr. P. Kerkar of KEM Hospital successfully operated on Sugnathi. Today, she is a healthy young girl and has started going to her school again. The JSW Foundation team recently visited Suganthi’s house tucked away in a dingy neighborhood in Malwani, Malad. It was a hot sweltering day and the kids of the neighbourhood were out on the streets playing. Among them was also our little Suganthi. It was really heartening for us to see her boisterousness. This girl, with a naughty smirk on her face, had found a new lease on life.

“It is a sad reality that the physical health of women is often ignored by the society at large. Poverty, lack of education, and general ignorance hinder approaching their cause with care and concern. Hole in the heart is a widespread problem. If it afflicts a girl, it tends to get ignored, especially when the child is from a poor family. JSW Foundation is keen to play a modest but significant role in the lives of a few such girls and give them back the joys of a healthy life.”

While talking to her grandmother we discovered how blessed her family felt by this small and timely gesture of the JSW Foundation. They extend their heartfelt thanks to the JSW Group for having taken up such a noble cause. As Suganthi’s doctor, Dr. Prashant Mishra, puts it, “This initiative of the JSW Group is really special for a number of reasons. I find that the Group is not at all interested in promoting its own brand through this gesture. Rather, the sole focus is on the patient. In India, the problems of the girl child are often neglected. The Foundation’s stress on helping out the girl child is, therefore, really commendable. I look forward to extending my expertise to the cause of the girl child.” 8

connect | ISSUE 2 - 2012

Sangita Jindal Chairperson, JSW Foundation

Cover Story

Mishola Fernanades You walk up a rickety staircase and reach the mezzanine. It’s a frugal room with no furniture, not even a bed. A fan hangs dangerously low from the low ceiling; one has to avoid being hurt by its blades. But this sparse room is lit up by the infectious smile of a small girl, barely six months old. Two months back, she was a sickly child unable to swallow. She was suffering from a respiratory distress syndrome called Patent Ductus Arteriosus (PDA), which needed surgery as soon as possible. Mishola’s father is a worker in a services company and earns only Rs. 5,000 per month. He is the only earning member of his family. Mishola is the first child and the couple had pinned its hopes on her – they were determined to give her the best education. Just like Suganthi’s parents, Mishola’s were also stressed thinking about how to gather the Rs. 60,000 needed for the operation. The JSW Foundation came as a boon to the parents. After being approached, we verified the authenticity of the case, consulted the relevant doctors and decided to support the cost of the surgery. Given the young infant’s weak condition and age, it was absolutely mandatory that she be treated at the earliest. The proactive approach of the JSW foundation facilitated the operation in coordination with the doctors. One can only imagine what Mishola’s parents must have gone through while their daughter was in the ICU. Indeed, the successful operation meant the world to them. Mishola’s mother confessed to the Foundation team that it was heartbreaking for the parents to see their only child suffering. “It was impossible for us to pay the cost of surgery. Now, because of JSW, I see my baby smiling and I feel full of life just watching her.”

Before And After The Surgery • Meeting the Head of the Cardiology Department • Consulting the medical social worker • Coordinating with doctors • Assessing the need of patients • Seeking approval for the case • Ensuring timely disbursal of cheques from Accounts • Transferring the money to the hospital • Finalizing the date of the surgery • Overseeing post-operative care The Foundation’s commitment does not stop at financial assistance. We make sure that the patient is not kept waiting for the surgery and try to expedite the process. This vigilance is needed because government hospitals like KEM often have high traffic and unless the cause of these children is prioritized, there may be unfortunate deaths. The JSW Foundation also does a rigorous follow-up after the surgery to ensure that the patient’s recovery is smooth and doctors regularly update us about the patient’s progress. Parents are also counseled about how to take care of the child once s/he is discharged from the hospital. Attention to this little nitty-gritty is important as it reflects the philosophy which guides the JSW Foundation’s CSR activities. Our involvement has just begun and the Foundation hopes to continue contributing in meaningful ways to the health of a girl child. We hope that once a child is fit, she can live a normal life, enjoy the thrills of childhood, attend school and participate in all spheres of life. Let’s cheer on these brave hearts!

Mishola’s doctor left us with some sage advice: “We invite you to help any girl child below the age of 10 who is diagnosed with this problem. Government and municipal hospitals handle such surgeries with the utmost care and a private operation is not recommended. Time needs to be spent on counseling parents and facilitating meetings with doctors.”

connect | ISSUE 2 - 2012

9

Feature Place-Hampi

PANORAMA of the

10

connect | ISSUE 2 - 2012

PAST

W

hen Mrs. Sangita Jindal first visited the exhibition Ancient Hampi at a museum in Melbourne, Australia, she was deeply moved by the experience. Soon after, she decided to bring a special section of the exhibition called Place – Hampi to India. By doing so, Mrs. Jindal, an avid supporter of art and hertiage, gave our cultural legacy the attention it deserves. Place – Hampi, which is now permanently displayed at Kaladham in Vidyanagar, is a state-of-the-art new media installation. An initiative of the JSW Foundation, it is the result of a partnership between JSW Steel, Victoria Museum and Golden Theory Ltd. It brings to life the city of Hampi, now a UNESCO World

Heritage Site, and takes us back in time to the vibrant kingdom of Vijayanagara. Behind Place – Hampi lie more than 30 years of surveying, mapping, photographing and researching, both the magnificent ruins and the living culture of the place. It was built to give visitors a holistic experience of the ancient culture of Hampi using new media, and the 3D panoramas, sound recordings and computer animation transport visitors to the city of yore. The exhibit is also enlivened by classical Carnatic compositions. A key feature of the exhibition is the use of stereoscopic photography. A pair of cameras, slightly offset in the same way that our eyes are, shoot two panoramas simultaneously. These images are combined to produce a 3D

effect and are projected on a cylindrical screen, which offers a 360 degree view of Hampi. Additionally, an ambisonic sound recording system was used to capture sounds from all the directions at the site where each panoramic photograph was taken. Visitors can stand on a rotating motorized platform to have an immersive experience of Hampi. While only one person may operate the platform at a time, others can see the projection with 3D glasses and still have an immersive experience. The first thing which strikes the visitor is the exhibition’s amazing detailing, especially the photographs’ affinity to the real. It can captivate the attention of both those who have already seen the monuments as well as those who are encountering them for the first time.

Kaladham - Art Village at Vidyanagar

connect | ISSUE 2 - 2012

11

Feature Place-Hampi

Visitor at Place Hampi Interactive Visualisation

Some key features of the exhibition are: Interactive Visualization – PlaceHampi’s interactive projection system was invented by Jeffrey Shaw in 1995. Its main attraction is the motorised platform that lets the viewer have a 360 degree view of Hampi.

A Conversation – George Michell and John Fritz reflect on archaeological life and over 30 years of work at Hampi in a 20-minute video conversation.

Photography – A selection from over 15,000 images of Hampi, taken over a period of 25 years represents the photographic skill of John Gollings. There are also images by Sarah Kenderdine and Jeffrey Shaw.

Exhibition Credits – Place-Hampi was produced by Museum Victoria, the UNSW iCinema Centre and EPIDEMIC with major support from Lille3000, the Australian Centre for the Moving Images, ZKM Karlsruhe, Gollings Pidgeon and, Music and Effects. PlaceHampi forms part of and was supported under the Australian Research Council’s Linkage Project’s scheme.

Audio Recording and Composition – To match the immersive three-dimensional images, a unique type of audio recording technique called Ambisonics was used to capture the full sonic experience of being at Hampi. Animation and Motion Capture – Hindu deities were animated of by the Indian artists at the Paprikaas Animation Studio in Bangalore.

12

connect | ISSUE 2 - 2012

Concept and Project Directors Sarah Kenderdine, Jeffrey Shaw Photography John Gollings, Sarah Kenderdine, Jeffrey Shaw Computer Animation Paprikaas Animation, Banglore Audio Design Paul Doornbusch Music Composition Dr. L Subramaniam Archaeological Advisors & Facilitators Dr. George Michell, Dr. John M. Fritz, Archaeological Survey of India, Surendra Kumar Fieldwork Coordinator Sarah Kenderdine Audio Recording Paul Doornbusch, Doron Kipen Stereoscopy Consultant Paul Bourke Application Software Adolf Mathias Hampi was close to my heart ever since I first visited it in 1985. The ruins of the palaces and gateways, set amidst giant boulders and vegetation and spread over a 26 sq. km area, silently told me the story of infinite talent and the power of creativity.

“If dreams were made out of stone it would be Hampi.”

I am sure they also touch many visitors in the same vein, as every rock, every path and every monument at Hampi speaks the same language of glory and beauty. When I first saw Place – Hampi at a museum in Melbourne, Australia, I thought it was a groundbreaking new media art installation that elevated cultural heritage to a new level of experience.

see this new expression of cultural experience and thus embarked on bringing the exhibition to Vijayanagar. I hope it will help people understand Hampi as the most significant archeological, historical and sacred location of the World Heritage Sites.

I wanted more and more people to

This exhibition sets an example for further exploration in interpreting and deciphering cultural heritage.

Sangita Jindal Chairperson, JSW Foundation

Installation design and Engineering Jeffrey Shaw, Huib Nelissen Motion Captured Dance Lingalayam Dance Company, Sina Azad Exhibition Design Chris Mether, Whiteclub, Melbourne Graphic Design David Lancashire, David Lancashire Design, Melbourne Architect Sanjib Chatterjee Organization Credits JSW Steel TS Gouda, Suman Relekar, Vikas Sharma JSW Foundation Sangita Jindal Museum Victoria Sarah Kenderdine, Tim Hart, Shannon Hendriksson, Padmini Sebastian Golden Theory Ltd Sarah Kenderdine, Jeffrey Shaw

connect | ISSUE 2 - 2012

13

How the

Steel is

Tempered

A Short History Of Metallurgy In India

T

h e absence of steel would have left us without airports, skyscrapers, motorcars, railways, planes, bridges or cricket stadiums. Steel is all around us and even if it is hidden by concrete, glass, brick or paint. It forms the backbone of our built environment and governs the way we live. Though Georgius Agricola (1494–1555) is known as “the father of mineralogy”, there is evidence that iron first appeared in Southern India (present-day Mysore) as early as 11th-12th century B.C.E. Recent excavations in the Middle Ganges Valley have unearthed the knowledge that people in India were using iron as early as 1800 B.C.E. The discovery of the bronze dancing girl and a crucible with an attached slag suggest that the people of the Indus Valley Civilization were adept at casting and forging. Besides the production of metal, there was also an exchange of metallurgical knowledge between India and the Near East as well as the Greco-Roman world at the time. In fact, the Greek historian Herodotus wrote the first Western account about iron production in India and many European scholars also studied

14

connect | ISSUE 2 - 2012

Indian casting and metallurgy technology. The politically stable rule of the Mauryas (322—185 B.C.E.) also saw the evolution of technologies for iron production. As early as 300 B.C.E., high quality steel was already being made in Southern India using the crucible technique in which high-purity wrought iron, charcoal and glass were mixed in a crucible till the melted iron absorbed the carbon. The first steel to be made using this process was called Wootz steel, which was exported far and wide, from ancient Europe and China to the Arab World. In the Middle East, where it was quite popular, it came to be known as Damascus steel. On the Indian subcontinent, high carbon steel was first made in the Samanalawewa area in Sri Lanka. During the reign of Chandragupta II Vikramaditya (375-415 C.E.), the first iron pillar in the world was constructed in Delhi. The iron beams at Konark as well as the forge-welded iron cannon in Thanjavur, among others, testify to the evolution of metallurgical techniques in India. Moving on from the ancient period, the Mughals further enhanced the development of metallurgy

Feature Steel

in India. Emperor Akbar is known to have made excellent small firearms and some scholars contend that the Mughal handguns were more accurate than European ones. Recent research by historians on Vijayanagar kingdom indicates that iron slag and other metallurgical debris were found in at least five sites along with small iron smelting workshops. It was also hinted by some historians that during his reign from 1509-29 Krishnadevaraya encouraged the development and manufacturing of metallic tools and arms including small sized cannons. He also brought talented artisans from Bengal and neighbouring states for further development of metallurgy in his empire. A remarkable victory in the history of world metallurgy was the seamless celestial globe invented in Kashmir by Ali Kashmiri ibn Luqman (1589-90 C.E.). Other such globes were made in Lahore and Kashmir during the Mughal Empire. The Mughals pioneered the lost-wax casting method which was used to make these globes and metallurgists today say that it is almost impossible to make globes without seams even in this day and age. The British Empire brought with it the decline of metallurgical activities in the country. The colonial administration was aware that the indigenous powers were adept at making arms and ammunition. Not only did it introduce the Arms Act (1878) that restricted Indian access

Georgius Agricola (1494 –1555) was a German scholar and scientist who is known “the father of mineralogy”.

A water mill used for raising ore

to firearms, but it also tried to limit mining and metallurgy activities in order to avert resistance. However, from Akbar’s time to that of the Maratha and Sikh rulers – a span of 300 years – the art of making Indian artillery persisted. The production of steel in India was revived in 1874 when Bengal Iron Works was set up at Kulti near Asansol in West Bengal. Further to this the Tata Iron and Steel Company came up in 1907 in Jasmhedpur and steel production began in 1908-9. While the British didn’t approve of these indigenous industries, help came to the Tatas from American experts. The Iron and Steel Co. came up at Burnpur in 1918 and the Mysore Iron and Steel Works came up in Bhadravati in the same year. Post-independence, Nehru’s dream to develop the country through industrialisation manifested itself in the government’s involvement in steel production, among other industries, and the setting up of public sector industries that wouldn’t upset the private sector. The rest, perhaps, is history.

connect | ISSUE 2 - 2012

15

MODERN DAY

Alchemists

The on-going research at the JSW Research and Development Centre will enable the company to improve the quality of its products and manufacture steel in a more eco-friendly manner. 16

connect | ISSUE 2 - 2012

Feature Steel

“I had an immense advantage over many others dealing with the problem in as much as I had no fixed ideas derived from long-established practice to control and bias my mind, and did not suffer from the general belief that whatever is, is right”. – Sir Henry Bessemer, a British metallurgist who, in 1885, invented the Bessemer process that revolutionized the steelmaking process and laid down the foundation for mass production of steel. This attitude to take risks and innovate is the hallmark of JSW Steel. It was the first company in India to start hot metal production with the emerging Corex technology. In a matter of 13 years, the JSW Group has become the largest steel producing company in India. In line with its core philosophy of “Speed of Execution” and its strategic intent to be a technology leader, JSW has adopted changes in its scale of operation, innovative approaches to problem solving, the use of eco-friendly technologies and research and development (R&D) initiatives for setting the new bench marks. The R&D Policy The role of the researchers at the JSW R&D Centre is multifunctional and challenging. On the one hand, they provide the scientific services to our steelmakers to do their job efficiently and on the other hand, they look into the future and guide the technological growth of JSW Steel in a scientific way. JSW R&D Centre is also committed to the Group’s Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) and is exploring future research areas like carbon-dioxide capture and sequestration, and fluoride removal from groundwater in collaboration with IIT, Bombay (IITB) -Monash Research Academy.

The Challenges The R&D Centre at JSW Steel had a modest beginning in 2001 with a core group of six researchers and today the strength has increased to 32 researchers with a total strength of 50. Over the years, R&D focus has been on the beneficiation of low grade raw materials, achieving bench mark figures in productivity, quality and yield, development of high strength steels and waste recycling. The department established a centralized state-ofthe-art research facility at Vijaynagar Works. The new R&D facilities and infrastructure have resulted in substantial benefits to the Company. The output of its projects has also resulted in a significant generation of knowledge in steel and allied areas, which would help the Company in its future endeavours. We are now in the process of building collaborations with leading scientific and research institutions in the country such as the Indian Institute of Science in Bangalore, the IITs in Mumbai and Kharagpur, and CSIR – National Metallurgical Laboratory in Jamshedpur. The R&D Centre also interacts with the Foundation for Metallurgical Research (MEFOS) in Lulea, Sweden, in order to collaborate in the area of process metallurgy.

JSW’s belief in innovation in all spheres of activity is the driving force behind setting up a world-class R&D Centre at Vijayanagar. JSW is committed to providing all the resources needed to create a ‘Corporate Centre of Excellence’ for its steel and allied businesses. This Centre would ensure incremental improvement (with occasional quantum jumps) in the performance of the technologies being harnessed as well as the quality of products. R&D will align its activities with JSW’s mission, vision and goals to guarantee the stakeholders’ satisfaction.

connect | ISSUE 2 - 2012

17

Feature Steel

Major Projects of Last Five Years Iron Making Area • Optimization of slag regime in Corex process to reduce slag volume by 5% • Improvement in gas utilization in blast furnace (BF-3) from 45% to 47% • Optimization of burden distribution in BF-2 • Reduction of fuel rate in BF-2 • Hearth wear monitoring model for Corex iron making

Beneficiation and Agglomeration Area • Beneficiation studies on BHQ-BHJ / BHQ iron ores from Bellary-Hospet Region in Karnataka • Beneficiation of limestone • Recovery of iron values from beneficiation plant tailings • Improvement in sinter reducibility from 62% to > 65% • Influence of sintering parameters on reduction of sinter return fines from 28% to <20% • Improvement in sinter quality [RDI <27.0% and productivity >33.0 t/m2/day] • Enhancement of hearth layer screening efficiency to improve the induration furnace bed permeability in pellet plant • Improvement in iron ore pellet quality (CCS more than 220 kg/per pellet and RDI less than 11%) Coal and Coke Making Area • Identification of new coal sources for coke making through studies in pilot coke oven • Influence of coal blend properties on oven wall pressure • Optimization of coal blend and coking time to increase production in Non-Recovery Coke Ovens • Reduction in coke moisture at Coke Oven - 3 • Use of pet coke in coal blend for making low ash coke • Recycling of BOD plant outlet water

18

connect | ISSUE 2 - 2012

Steel Making and Product Development • Optimization of tundish design by water modeling studies • Use of granulated SMS slag in cement making and construction • Thermo-mechanical simulation of continuous casting and rolling processes • Optimization of lance design in Hot Metal DeSulphurisation station • Development of single step De-Si and De-S process in Hot Metal Pre-treatment

Rolling Operations • Reduction in ridge defect from 0.9% to 0.4% in hot strip mill (HSM-1) and cold rolling mill (CRM-1) • Scale impression reduction from 0.45% to 0.08% at Continuous Pickling Line (CPL) • Improvement in the finishing mill backup roll life by reducing the stock removal and to increase mill availability in HSM-1 • Reduction in waviness/ center buckling defect by 50% in HSM-1

Overall Intellectual Property Right (IPR) Profile 2006 - 07

2007 - 08

2008 - 09

2009 - 10

2010 - 11

2011 - 12

Publications

9

9

12

13

13

10

Patents

7

11

5

6

5

3

Copyrights

5

4

6

6

5

4

The R&D Centre and the JSW Foundation One of the Company’s key R&D projects in the near future will involve tackling the problem of carbon-dioxide emission. It will surely make an impact on the industry and society at large. Since the levels of CO2 generated by JSW’s plants annually is on the rise and likely to rise higher with the increased production of steel, energy, cement and aluminum, a major challenge would be to sequester a part of the CO2 emitted in the form of algal biofuel. The IIT, Bombay (IITB) – Monash Research Academy would help us with the proposed investigation, especially understanding the critical issues in algae production in the low humidity conditions around Vijayanagar as well as its subsequent conversion to biofuel. Once the production of algal biofuel is successfully implemented, the project would help generate employment for the local community. One of the major problems in optimizing CO2 capture and its sequestration is the high cost. One way of reducing the cost is by using aqueous media in place of chemicals to dissolve CO2 from flue gas and using the aqueous solution to enhance the growth of plants in and around the steel plant. This will significantly enhance the terrestrial sequestration potential of JSW Steel. It will also help in reducing the

ambient temperatures and, by extension, the local temperature, and provide some relief to the Vijayanagar community during the hot summer. Excess fluoride in drinking water can cause dental and skeletal fluorosis. The high fluoride levels in drinking water in many parts of India have highlighted the importance of defluoridation studies. One of our projects is aimed at understanding how fluorides can be removed from drinking water using exsitu filtration techniques that use natural and industrial waste as filtration media. We believe that it could lead to the development of lowcost and high-efficiency fluoride filters that can be used in the villages in Bellary, Koppal and Chitradurga districts in Karnataka where JSW Steel operates. The research will also prove beneficial to the states of Jharkhand and West Bengal, where JSW Steel plans to set up its operations. So, the research is likely to have a broad impact in the future. Conclusion JSW has the virtually impossible task of producing the cleanest possible steel from the worst possible raw materials that other steel makers will not even look at, let alone use in their furnaces. In light of this, the researchers at JSW R&D Centre are the “real alchemists”. The journey has just begun.

connect | ISSUE 2 - 2012

19

Business News Energy

Double

Impact

The plant will have an annual production capacity of 3000 MW by the end of FY2012. It will be a major manufacturing hub serving the global markets, alongside Toshiba’s manufacturing base in Japan. Ms Jayalalitha - Hon’ble Chief Minister of Tamil Nadu and Mr. Sajjan Jindal at the event

T

oshiba JSW Turbine and Generator Pvt. Ltd. (Toshiba JSW), a 75:25 joint venture between Japan-based Toshiba Corporation and JSW Group, India’s leading conglomerate, inaugurated its super critical steam turbine and generator manufacturing facility in Chennai on February 12, 2012. The main plant was inaugurated in the presence of the J Jayalalitha, the Hon’ble Chief Minister of Tamil Nadu. The new manufacturing facility will produce high-efficiency steam turbines and generators for super critical thermal power plants, with generating capacities ranging from 500 MW to 1000 MW.

20

connect | ISSUE 2 - 2012

Toshiba JSW also announced their plans to double the manufacturing capacity to 6000 MW by FY2015 and it will aim for US$400 million in sales. Its initial production will be shipped to customers in India, and subsequent output will also be exported to emerging economies in Southeast Asia and the Middle East. The expansion will also see Toshiba JSW increase its employee base in India to 500 over the next three years, from around 200 today. The construction of the manufacturing facility with a floor area of around 60,000 square meter, commenced in February 2010 on a 400,000 square meter plot close to Ennore in Chennai. The plant includes a

blade manufacturing shop that was completed in January 2011 and now produces specialized turbine blades. Mr. Norio Sasaki, President and CEO of Toshiba Corporation, offered his views on the new plant: “We at Toshiba are delighted to celebrate the official inauguration of this important facility, which we position as an essential hub to sustain the long-term growth of our global thermal power plant system business. I believe this facility will also contribute to strengthening the evergrowing ties between our countries, and allow us to contribute to the dynamic development of the Indian economy through our technologies, manufacturing and employment creation.” Commenting on the occasion, Mr. Sajjan Jindal, the Chairman & Managing Director, JSW Energy Limited, said, “Establishing a state-of-the-art power equipment manufacturing facility in India is in line with our long term vision to be present in the entire value chain of the power business, from equipment manufacturing to the generation, transmission, power trading and distribution. Toshiba JSW’s

Japan is the leader in scientific research, particularly technology, machinery and biomedical research. Nearly 700,000 researchers work on a US$ 130 billion research and development budget, the third largest in the world. JSW, through its strong connection to Japan, is leveraging various Japanese technologies to produce value-added products. Along with the JV with Toshiba, JSW

Dignitaries at the dias

manufacturing facility built with active support of the Tamil Nadu government will further contribute to the development of local industry and will contribute to achieving self-sufficiency in the sourcing of power equipment in India.” Mr. Itaru Ishibashi, Managing Director

has signed another JV agreement with Marubeni-Itochu Steel Inc., Tokyo, to set up a steel-processing centre in North India. JSW also has a strategic partnership with JFE to produce high-end automotive steel. * Will boost employee base to 500 in India over the next three years * Plans to double production capacity to 6000 Megawatt by fiscal 2015

of Toshiba JSW Turbine and Generator Pvt. Ltd., said: “Toshiba JSW will manufacture steam turbines and generators for leading edge thermal power plants, and by doing so will contribute to the development of India’s power industry. The support we have received from the government and local community gives me much confidence for the long term success of Toshiba JSW.” Driven by strong economic growth, the Indian power generation equipment market is expected to see a demand growth of more than 16,000 MW per year in the decade from 2007 to 2017. Coal-fired thermal power projects will account for over 60 percent of this projected capacity growth. The global market is also expected to see continued growth in demand for thermal power generation equipment in growing markets to about 84,000 MW per annum by the year 2020.

connect | ISSUE 2 - 2012

21

Business News Steel

nward JSW Steel reported the highest volume of production and sales in FY 12 and in Q4 FY12.

S

teel demand in India has been growing at near doubledigits over the past few years, pushing local firms to boost capacity and attracting global steelmakers. JSW Steel, Indiaâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s leading steelmaker expected to sell 9 million tonnes of steel in its 2012-13 year, compared to 7.8 million tonnes in 2011-12. Production was expected to rise to 8.5 million tonnes this fiscal year compared, from 7.5 million tonnes. JSW Steel operates 10 million tonnes in a year capacity plant at Vijayanagar of Karnataka and a 1 million tonne plant at Salem in Tamil Nadu. Besides, its subsidiary JSW Ispat has a production capacity of 3.2 million tonnes. The fourth quarter consolidated net profit in the fiscal fell 3% to ` 769.7 crore, while revenue soared 40% to ` 10,930.4 crore. If the iron ore availability was not a constraint, the Company would have surpassed the initial guidance of 8.75 million tonnes in 2011-12. The Company received 75 per cent iron ore at its plant sites as on March, 2012, out of the total iron ore of 10.7 million tones available for E-auctions. On a standalone basis, JSW Steelâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s profit fell 9.6%, while revenue in the Jan-March quarter rose 35% to 9,811.2 crore. All this was despite the iron ore shortage and an unpredictable coking coal price trend. The margins will be protected as raw

22

connect | ISSUE 2 - 2012

material prices are likely to be steady and there is no major fall in final product prices. There has been good management of iron ore and the liquidation of inventory which has also helped. While iron ore prices have remained steady, coking coal, the other key ingredient in steelmaking and which is entirely imported, fell to $215 a tonne from $265 in the third quarter. Crude Steel production in FY12 and Q4 was 7.43 million tonnes and 2.07 million tonnes respectively, while sales volume was 7.82 million tonnes in FY12 and 2.31 million tonnes in Q4. During the initial phase of e-auctions, the Company faced a severe shortage of iron ore at the plants due to procedural delays and logistical constraints in the movement of the ore even after securing it through E-auctions. The iron ore was bought in these online auctions even though the ex-mine price for various grades of the ore was relatively higher. Out of the 10.7 million tonnes of iron ore secured through e-auctions, 75% of it was received from the plant sites as on 31.03.2012. If the iron ore availability was not a constraint, the Company would have surpassed the 8.75 million tonnes mark in Crude Steel production that was set in FY 2011-12. The availability of iron ore remained at a bottleneck for the most part of the FY 2011-12 because NMDC was not able to produce and supply 1 million tonnes per month as directed by the Apex Court and the quality of the iron ore that has already been excavated was available through e-auctions deteriorated substantially, which led to a lowering of production and an increase in cost.

March

connect | ISSUE 2 - 2012

23

Business News Steel Financial Performance The Turnover and Net Sales for the quarter stood at ` 10,291 Crores and ` 9,511 Crores respectively, showing a growth of 35% over the corresponding quarter of the previous year. The Operating EBITDA for the quarter was ` 1,652 Crores and the Company posted a Net Profit after Tax of ` 752 Crores after considering the exceptional item (Foreign Exchange Translation Gain) of ` 199 Crores.

Performance of associate companies

The Company’s Gross Sales, Operating EBIDTA and Net Profit for the Financial Year 2011-12 was ` 34,658 Crores, ` 5,631 Crores and ` 1,626 Crores respectively.

US coal mines The US Subsidiary Company sold 0.047 million tonnes of coal during the FY12 and 0.020 million tonnes in Q4 FY12. The Company is in the process of obtaining statutory clearance / permits to ramp up production.

The Company’s net debt gearing improved to 0.69 as on 31.03.2012 against 0.75 as on 31.12.2011 and the weighted average interest cost of debt was at 8.19% (vis-à-vis 7.63% as on 31.12.2011).

Chile iron ore mines The Chile Subsidiary Company made shipments of 0.59 million tonnes of iron ore concentrate during the FY12 and 0.10 million tonnes in Q4 FY12, through the dry process route. The Company earned an Operating EBITDA of $26.10 million and $0.89 million for the corresponding period.

US Plate and Pipe Mill operation The US Plate and Pipe Subsidiary produced 0.33 million net tonnes of Plates and 0.066 million net tons of Pipes in FY12, showing a growth of 177% and 57% respectively in the FY11. The production in Q4 FY12 for Plates and Pipes was 0.108 million net tonnes and 0.023 million net tonnes respectively. Aside from other income, the Company earned an EBITDA of $56.01 million during the FY12 and $42.56 million during Q4 FY12. JSW Ispat Steel Ltd. (JSWISL) HR Coils production during the twelve-month period that ended on 31st March, 2012, was 2.38 million tonnes and from January to March 2012, it was 0.59 million tonnes. The sales volume in the corresponding periods was 2.75 million tonnes and 0.71 million tonnes respectively. EBITDA for the the twelve-month period that ended on 31st March, 2012, was ` 1,126 Crores and from January to March 2012, was ` 294 Crores. The Net Loss for the corresponding periods after considering exceptional items was ` 1,930 Crores and ` 141 Crores respectively. Consolidated Financial Performance The Gross Sales in the FY12 rose by 42% to ` 36,720 Crores and the Net Sales increased by 43% to ` 34,124 Crores as compared to the FY11. For Q4 FY12, Gross Sales increased by 40% to ` 10,930 Crores and Net Sales increased by 41% to ` 10,153 Crores as compared to Q4FY11. Operating EBITDA for the FY12 was ` 6,102 Crores and for Q4 FY12 was ` 1,887 Crores. Net Profit after Tax for the FY12 was ` 538 Crores and for Q4 FY12 was ` 770 Crores. The consolidated net profit was lower than the stand alone net profit mostly because of the proportionate losses of the associate Company, JSW Ispat Steel Limited.

24

connect | ISSUE 2 - 2012

Project Updates Captive Power Plant (CPP IV): 300 MW CPP plant commenced commercial operations from 29th March, 2012. Hot Strip Mill (HSM – 2, Phase II): The expansion of the capacity from 3.5 MTPA to 5 MTPA will be completed by 30th September, 2012. Beneficiation Plant (BP, Phase-2): The remaining four modules are progressing satisfactorily and will be commissioned in the FY13 in a phased manner. Other Projects: Cold Rolling Mill (CRM-2) and 10 MTPA to 12 MTPA capacity expansion project at Vijayanagar will be completed in the FY14. Dividend Considering the Company’s performance and financial position for the year under review, the Board, subject to the approval of its Members at the forthcoming Annual General Meeting, recommended a dividend of ` 1 per share on 27,90,34,907 (units) and 10% Cumulative Redeemable Preference Shares (CRPS) of ` 10 each for the year that ended on 31.03.2012. Further, the Board has recommended a dividend at ` 7.50 per equity share on the 22,31,17,200 equity shares of ` 10 each for the year that ended on 31.03.2012, subject to the approval of the Members at the forthcoming Annual General Meeting. The total outflow on account of equity dividend, including corporate tax on dividend, is ` 194.49 Crores vis-à-vis ` 317.66 Crores paid for the FY11. Outlook The global economy has been adversely affected by the crisis in Euro Zone, the slowdown in China’s GDP growth and fiscal deficit, and along with rising inflation in emerging economies.

While global steel demand is expected to be sluggish, especially in certain parts of the world including India, the base level steel demand is expected to remain strong. The slowdown in China and recessionary trends in Europe will keep raw material prices stable. Also, supply side corrections in high-cost regions will keep steel prices within a narrow range. India showed a 6.8% growth in steel consumption in the FY2011-12 as per the report of the Joint Plant Committee, a figure close to the current GDP. The prediction of a good monsoon in the current year and the expected stable interest rates are positive indications suggesting a revival in the country’s economy. It is expected that the steel demand will continue to be around 7.5%, just on the heels of the expected GDP growth of 7.6% in the FY2013. Guidance The Company has proposed 8.75 million tonnes for Crude Steel production in the FY2011-12 and that of 9 million tonnes for the market. Following the ban on iron ore mining in the state of Karnataka by the Apex Court, the Company revised the guidance to 7.5 million tonnes and 7.8 million tonnes respectively for production and sales. In spite of several challenges, the Company could achieve the revised guidance during the FY2011-12 solely due to the relief offered to the steel industry in Karnataka by Hon’ble Supreme Court. The Central Empowered Committee has recommended the opening of Category ‘A’ and Category ‘B’ mines and the Hon’ble Supreme Court has accepted CEC’s recommendation for the opening of category ‘A’ mines with certain riders. Category ‘B’ mines as recommended by CEC, if approved by the Hon’ble Supreme Court, and Category ‘A’ mines together, on commencement of operations, are expected to improve the availability of iron ore. Accordingly, the volume of production and sales mentioned below has been set as a target for the FY2012-13.

connect | ISSUE 2 - 2012

25

Business News Energy

LIGHT UP! T

he Indian power industry has a long way to go. The rapid economic growth and consequent industrialisation and urbanisation have resulted in massive demand for power in India. To meet this ever-growing demand of power in the country the government has planned large scale capacity addition. India’s fast-paced economic growth and its rapid rate of urbanisation have fuelled an increased demand for energy. India has made remarkable progress in the power sector during the eleventh plan (2007-2012). The sector ranked sixth among the leading sectors of the Indian economy and has attracted US$ 4.6 billion in foreign direct investment since 2000. In the midst of all, JSW Energy has generated 4,618 million units of electricity in the 2012 March quarter, about 53% higher than in the year-ago period. The Company posted over 9% jump in consolidated profit at ` 225.32 crore for three months ended March, helped by higher power generation and exceptional gains from rupee movement against US dollar. It is has planned two power projects in West Bengal and Madhya Pradesh that come with allocated captive coal mines. The West Bengal project enjoys fuel security. The Board of JSW Energy limited approved the results for the quarter ended and year ended March 31, 2012 at its meeting held in Mumbai Key highlights for Q4’ FY 12 (Consolidated): • Highest quarterly net generation of 4,618 million units, growth of 53% over corresponding quarter of the previous year • Total income from operations was ` 2,081 crores, growth of 44% over corresponding quarter of the previous year • MOEF grants approval for Chhattisgarh power project • Vijayanagar units bagged the best operating power plant awards from the Ministry of Power for FY 2009-10 to the FY 2010-11 in the Silver and Bronze categories respectively Key highlights for FY 12 (Consolidated): • Highest yearly net generation of 13,594 million units, (9,016 million units in FY 2011). An overall growth of 51% over the previous year • Total Income from operation at ` 6,119 crores (` 4,302 crores in FY 2011). Growth of 42% over the previous year • Addition to generation capacity by 870 MW (2 X 300 MW at Ratnagiri and 2 X 135 MW at Barmer) • Commissioned 400 KV Jaigad-Karad transmission line

Power Plant at Ratnagiri

26

connect | ISSUE 2 - 2012

Operational Performance (Consolidated): The operational performance for the quarter has improved notably with the Company registering the highest quarterly net generation of 4, 618 million units with operations at all the units registering improved plant load factors (PLF). The PLF would have been still higher had it not been for the backdown request from the distribution licensee during the non-peak hours. During this quarter, the Company commenced supply of power from Unit 3 of the Ratnagiri power plant to JSW Ispat Steel Ltd. pursuant to the Open Access (OA) consent. The OA consent has been extended for FY 2012-13 for 275 MW. The Plant Load Factor (PLF) achieved during Q4, FY 2011-12 was as under: Vijayanagar: The units achieved an average PLF of 102% as against 99% in the corresponding quarter of the previous year. Ratnagiri: The units operated at an average PLF of 85% as against an average PLF of 82% in the corresponding quarter of the previous year. Barmer: The units operated at an average PLF of 80%, as against an

average PLF of 64% in the corresponding quarter of the previous year. The units have stabilised well with supply of lignite from Kapurdi mines. Further, the Rajasthan Electricity Regulatory Commission has granted an adhoc interim tariff for all the 4 operating units for FY 2013. During the quarter, the Company completed the sale of balance banked power aggregating to about 49 million units. Under the Power Conversion Agreement, 408 million units were generated during the quarter and the aggregate generation under this arrangement for the year ended March 31, 2012, was 895 million units. The Company achieved short term sales of 2,510 million units during the quarter ended March 31, 2012 (including the sale of banked power), as against the 2, 013 million units that were sold in the corresponding quarter of the previous year. Besides, the Company has sold 1, 749 million units under long term PPA (including under the power conversion agreement) as against 1,000 million units sold under long term PPA during the corresponding quarter of the previous year.

connect | ISSUE 2 - 2012

27

Business News Energy

Net Generation Growth (MU)

Capacity Growth (MW)

51% 50%

74%

2,600

13,594

1,730

9,016 53%

995

4,618 3,012

Q4 FY’10

Q4 FY’11

The net generation from the different units were as under: (Figures in million units) Location

Q4, FY 11-12

FY 11-12

Vijayanagar

1,772

5,905

Ratnagiri

2,018

6,259

Barmer Total

827

1,430

4,617

13,594

Fuel During the quarter, the price of imported coal underwent a marginal change along with the appreciation in the rupee, which resulted in a slight reduction in the generation cost. Further, the continued efforts in operating the units with a blend of high and low calorific value coal also yielded positive results. The fuel cost during the quarter was ` 1,120 crores, an increase of 33% over the corresponding quarter of the previous year. For the FYE March 2012, the fuel cost was ` 3,654 crores as against ` 2,372 crores for the FYE March 31st, 2011, an increase of 54% on a YOY basis. The waiver of Custom Duty and the reduction in the Counter-Vailing Duty (CVD) on imported coal as announced in the last Union Budget is expected to rationalise the fuel cost in the FY 2012-13.

28

connect | ISSUE 2 - 2012

Q4 FY’12

Q4 FY 2011

South African Coal Mining Holding (Pvt) Ltd. (SACMH): During the quarter, SACMH extracted 1,93,786 tonnes of raw coal from the existing block and sold 1,25,086 tonnes. A high stripping ratio, transportation bottlenecks and increased logistics costs have continued to shrink the profit margin. Financial Performance (Consolidated) During the quarter, the Company achieved a total income from operations of ` 2,081 crores, an increase of 44% over the total income from operations for the corresponding quarter of the previous year and EBITDA of ` 613 crores, an increase of 35% over the corresponding quarter of the previous year primarily due to enhanced generation capacity. The Company earned a profit after tax after minority interest during the current quarter of ` 225 crores with a marginal growth of 9% over the corresponding quarter of the previous year due to an increase in net generation from additional capacity and a consequent increase in interest & depreciation cost. The Company considers the unrealised gain of ` 62 crores, as an exceptional income during the quarter considering the unusual and sharp movement in the value of the Indian Rupee against the US Dollar.

12M FY 2012 During the year ended March 31, 2012, the Company achieved a total Income of ` 6,119 crores from operations, EBITDA of ` 1,594 crores and profit after tax of ` 171 crores. The consolidated net worth and consolidated debt as at March 31, 2012 was ` 5,700 crores and ` 9,995 crores respectively resulting in a consolidated gross debt equity ratio of 1.75 times. Dividend The Board has recommended a dividend of ` 0.50 per equity share on 164 crore equity shares of ` 10 each for the year ended March 31, 2012, subject to the approval of shareholders at the Annual General Meeting. Projects Update: a) Status of projects under Construction and Implementation 1,200 MW – at Ratnagiri The work on FGD is progressing satisfactorily with the first unit expected to be commissioned as per schedule during the 1st quarter of FY 2013. (8 X 135) 1,080 MW – Barmer, Rajasthan The work on the balance 4 units is expected to be completed in Quarter

QoQ Plant-wise Net Generation (MU) 3,012

YoY Plant-wise Net Generation (MU)

4,618

9,016 Ratnagiri

2,018

Vijayanagar

Vijayanagar

1,714

13,594

Vijayanagar

6,687

Vijayanagar

5,905

1,772

Ratnagiri

6,259

Ratnagiri

972

Barmer

828

Barmer

326 Q4 FY 2011

2, 2013 in phases. While Unit-5 has achieved synchronisation in March 2012 and Unit-6 is expected to achieve synchronisation in early May 2012, work on the completion of Unit 7 and Unit 8 is also progressing well. The project cost estimated is ` 6,865 crores and project expenditure incurred till March 31, 2012, is ` 6,456 crores. Steps have been taken towards obtaining necessary approval and consent for the (2 x 135) 270 MW expansion project at Barmer. (3 X 80) 240 MW â&#x20AC;&#x201C; Kutehr, Himachal Pradesh The land acquisition process for the project is progressing satisfactorily, but necessary clearances are awaited. Project expenditure (including a premium paid to the state government) till March 31, 2012, was ` 138 crores. Barmer Lignite Mining Co. Ltd. (BLMCL) BLMCL supplied 0.96 million tonnes of lignite during the last quarter and an aggregate of 1.67 million tonnes during FY 2011-12. The possession of land for the Jalipa mines is expected shortly. The project cost is estimated at ` 1,800 crores (for both Kapurdi and Jalipa mines) and the cost incurred till March 31, 2012 is ` 1,223 crores.

Ratnagiri

Barmer

1,534

1,430

Barmer

795 Q4 FY 2012

FY 2011

FY 2012

(b) Projects under Development 1320 MW Chhattisgarh Project The clearance by Ministry of Environment and Forest (MOEF) has been received and other necessary approvals are also being expedited. The land acquisition for the project initiated by the Chhattisgarh State Industrial Development Corporation (CSIDC) is progressing satisfactorily. The design and engineering related to various aspects of the project are also being undertaken. Outlook Global recovery is slow due to continued strain in the euro zone, muted growth in the US and recessionary trends in other major developed economies. On the domestic front, economic growth has moderated due to firm policy action aimed at containing inflation. While the RBI has initiated measures to cut down interest rates, the growing impost bill as well as the increase in oil prices and the resultant impact on fiscal deficit continue to be an area of concern. The Government has taken important steps to address the issues impacting the power sector and provided the necessary impetus for sustained

growth. The participation of the private sector has witnessed a record capacity addition to the sector during the XI plan. The increase in tariff by various state distribution utilities augurs well for the power sectorâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s sustained development. While the prices of imported coal have slightly lessened due to the weak global demand for thermal coal, the continued depreciation of the rupee threatens to negate this benefit. The increase in power generation capacity and the strain on the fiscal position of the utilities are expected to exert pressure on the merchant rates and have a consequential impact on the margins of power generating companies.

connect | ISSUE 2 - 2012

29

Business News Infrastructure

Sea of

Opportunity

Capt. B. V. J. K. Sharma at FICCI event

T

he Indian government has identified 352 projects for the major ports with an estimated investment of $24 billion of which $15 billion has been estimated to come from the private sector. The non-major ports will attract an investment of $34 billion whereas the total expected investment in ports would be $58 billion by 2020. The government is also encouraging the flow of foreign capital into the Infrastructure sector and it has permitted 100% Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) under the automatic route.

30

connect | ISSUE 2 - 2012

In February 2012, Capt. B.V.J.K. Sharma, JMD & CEO, JSW Infrastructure Ltd, spoke at an informal session organised by Federation of Indian Chambers of Commerce & Industry (FICCI) in Mumbai. As India is going through a rapid economic development phase, Mr. Sharma urged investors from the U.S. and the US Trade Mission members present to take advantage of the enormous opportunities offered by India in maritime infrastructure development and to be a part of Indiaâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s growth story.

Business News Steel

Upward

Curve 7.48 7.42 7.30

ore

Sc Weighted-Average

7.19

7.21

7.24

7.5

7.43

7.4 7.3 7.2

7.1

7.14 7.09

7 6.9

7.01

6.8 6.7

WSD's World-Class Steelmaker Ranking

W

orld Steel Dynamics (WSD), USA, has recently ranked the performance of steel producers across the world. The objective was to better understand the attributes of each company and reward pro-active management, size, and integration from raw materials to downstream businesses. JSW Steel was ranked 6th, among top thirty-five steel producing companies of the world.

The assessment was based on the following parameters: size, expanding capacity, location in high growth market and close to customers, pricing power, value-added product mix, conversion costs (yields), energy costs, cost-cutting efforts, iron ore and coking coal mines, labour costs, profitability, balance sheet, threat from nearby competitors, environment and safety, downstream business, M&A, Alliances and JVs and country risk factors.

connect | ISSUE 2 - 2012

31

Business News Vijayanagar

Foray into Electrical

Steel

JSW and JFE signed a strategic agreement in 2010 according to which both companies will collaborate in automotive steel manufacturing at Vijayanagar works, and now, in the production of electrical steel. JFE is one of the largest integrated steel producers in Japan with extensive experience in the use of advanced technologies required for the production of high quality steel products, and for energy and environmental management. JSW hopes to fully equip itself with the support of JFE to meet the high quality standards. Electrical Steel â&#x20AC;&#x201C; Supply and Demand Electrical steel is a high grade product which has seen scant development in India because the technology required for its production has been largely inaccessible. Due to these technological constraints, the market is dependant on imports.

I

n line with its strategy to expand its portfolio of value-added products, JSW Steel forayed into the manufacture of electrical steel in March 2012. The Company is planning to set up an electrical steel manufacturing facility of 0.6 MTPA capacity at its integrated steel works in Vijayanagar. Initially, this facility will produce 0.4-0.5 MTPA of Cold Rolled Non-grain Oriented (CRNO) grade electrical steel.

32

With a focus on energy efficient products, the Ministry of Steel as well as the Ministry of Power are aggressively pursuing steel makers in the country to encourage the domestic production of electrical steel. Major consuming sectors for this product are power, capital goods, consumer durables, motors for automobiles, etc.

The Company will also take on the production of Cold Rolled Grain Oriented (CRGO) steel in future. Slowly, JSW hopes to become the largest electrical steel producer in the country.

The present demand of electrical steel is about 0.5 MTPA and it is expected to double by the year 2016-17. The demand for CRGO grade electrical steel is met only through imports while that for CRNO grade is met mostly through imports as the availability from domestic sources is insufficient.

The first phase of operation shall produce 0.2 million tonnes per annum CRNO, which is expected to get commissioned in next 24 months, from the date of receiving requisite approvals.

The demand for electrical steel is expected to grow at a CAGR of 15%. Commensurate with this rise in demand, JSW expects to cater to the growth by scaling its manufacturing facilities.

connect | ISSUE 2 - 2012

Business News West Bengal

Business

Simplified

“I

f you want to succeed, you should strike out on new paths rather than travel the worn paths of accepted success”, as John D. Rockefeller rightly said. JSW Bengal Steel, too, is charting out a new path by switching to the SAP Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) application from the ORACLE ERP. It has done this to be in step with its parent company, JSW Steel Ltd, which is implementing SAP ERP on a priority basis. JSW Bengal Steel Ltd inaugurated SAP Go Live on Project Cost Module and FICO on January 2, 2012. This was done to have enhanced internal controls and better accountability. The biggest challenge will be to integrate JSW’s business practice with the software and adapt to the standard SAP business model. The switch was made within the short period of 90 days. The ultimate measure of a human being is not how s/he lives through times of comfort, but how s/he stands up to challenges. A new zeal was felt at JSW Bengal Steel, along with cooperation, coordination and support, which ultimately led to team-building, the upliftment of team spirit, and respect for other individuals. During implementation, it was noted that SAP can be used with many database systems and includes interfaces for Oracle as well. While Oracle is focused on helping computers do their jobs better, SAP is focused on helping users do their jobs better.

SAP Implementation at JSW Bengal Steel

SAP ERP was configured by M/s. Descon Ltd, JSW’s Associate in Kolkata, which has vast experience in the implementation of SAP for various manufacturers. They understood our business structures and processes and suggested how SAP could best suit our needs. The committed Descon Team configured a vast ERP such as this one to the requirements of JSW Bengal Steel in such a short span of time under the leadership of Mr. Suman Mukherjee, Senior Head, SAP consultancy. JSW’s IT Consultant, J-Soft, headed by Mr. Shailendra Jain, AGM, worked round the clock to make this timeline into a reality. They uploaded the backup data to the new system in addition to providing many other forms of support. “Achieving JSW Bengal SAP Go Live within such a short span of time was

possible because of the Core Team’s availability, the Management’s interest in implementing SAP and its clear vision to modulate the business procedure (if required) to suit the best SAP standard procedure. Lastly, the Core Team, the Technical Team and the Consultancy Team worked hard to achieve various milestones before the date of the launch of SAP Go Live” said by Mr. Shailendra Jain, AGM, J-Soft, and Core Team member for SAP in JSWBSL. Now that one target has been met, we must aim to meet others. Once we implemented SAP at JSW Bengal Steel, the Team’s next target is to implement SAP at the other three subsidiaries of JSW Bengal Steel in yet another challenging time schedule of 45 days. All three companies are scheduled to go live in due course.

connect | ISSUE 2 - 2012

33

Business News Energy

Lines of

Power

J

aigad Power Transco Limited (JPTL), a joint venture between JSW Energy and MahaTransco, commissioned its 400 KV IntraState Power Transmission project in Maharashtra in December 2011. This Transmission System consisting of 400kV Double Circuit – Jaigad–New Koyna and Jaigad–Karad Transmission Lines – will facilitate the evacuation of power from 1200 MW Jaigad Power Project as well as other power generation projects planned in the region. It will also transfer power from the predominant generation node at New Koyna to the load centre at Karad. The Transmission system has a power evacuation capacity of about 2,500 MW to 3,000 MW. The project was set up in two phases: the Jaigad-New Koyna Transmission Line with a route length of 55 kms and a circuit length of 110 kms was

34

connect | ISSUE 2 - 2012

completed last year while the JaigadKarad Transmission Line with a route length of 110 kms and a circuit length of 220 kms has been completed recently. This Joint Venture for the development of Transmission Lines in Maharashtra is a unique example of Public-Private Partnership in the Transmission Business, where JSW Energy holds 74 % and MahaTransco holds 26 % equity. It is a pioneering effort to facilitate power evacuation from the upcoming power projects in Maharashtra. MahaTransco is the first State Transmission Utility (STU) in India to adopt a participative approach towards the development of power transmission systems. The 400kV Jaigad–New Koyna Transmission Line was completed in the record time of less than 24 months and 400 kV Double Circuit (Quad) Jaigad– Karad Transmission Line was completed in less than 39 months, considering the

complexity involved – more than 55% of the route passes through difficult, hilly terrain and has many crossings of rivers and creeks, EHV Power Lines, railway tracks, national and state highways, forests, etc. JPTL was awarded the Transmission License by the Maharashtra Electricity Regulatory Commission (MERC) in February 2009. This license empowers the Company to establish and operate this Intra-State Transmission system for the next 25 years. Both the Transmission Lines are currently transmitting and evacuating power generated at the 1200 MW Jaigad Thermal Power Plant to the Maharashtra Grid. With the commissioning of this Intra–state Transmission system, the region will be integrated with the EHV Transmission System of Maharashtra, augmenting transfer of power between New Koyna and Karad.

Business News Tarapur

Stepping it up S

tretch is the buzzword on the JSW shop floor, and this has been proved once again at JSW Steel, Tarapur Works. While the JSW Groupâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s phenomenal growth continues, Tarapur has kept pace with innovations and value additions that will take the Company into a new horizon of prosperity.

been scheduled for 20 days, was completed with characteristic precision in just 15 days. By upgrading the line speed from 80 mpm to 120 mpm, the capacity increased from 1,00,000 TPA to 1,38,000 TPA. Production on the Colour Coating Line No.2 resumed from the 11th of July 2012.

With the growing demand of Colour Coated products in the market, the modification of the Colour Coating Line No.2 was commissioned. The modification, a project that had

Heartfelt congratulations to CCL Team at Tarapur Works the successful completion of up-gradation project before target date.

the for the the

Colour Coating Line at Tarapur Works

connect | ISSUE 2 - 2012

35

Human Resource

Fuelling the

Drive T

he term ‘Achievement Motivation’ was coined by American psychologist David Clarence McClelland in his book, The Achieving Society (1961). Individuals who are ‘achievement motivated’, he wrote, seek achievement, attainment of realistic but challenging goals, and advancement in the job. It was on this topic that motivational speaker Mark Inglis spoke at Vijayanagar on the 10th of April 2012. Mark Inglis began his career in 1979 as a professional mountaineer for Mount Cook National Park, New Zealand. In 1982, Inglis and fellow mountaineer Philip Doole were caught in a blizzard and trapped in a snow cave for 13 days. Due to severe forstbite, both of Mark Inglis’s legs had to be amputated from below the knee. However, Inglis not only returned to Mount Cook and hiked it on his prosthetic legs in 2002, but he also became the first double amputee to reach the summit of Mount Everest.

Dr. Vinod Nowal sharing his thoughts with Mark Inglis

Lifting

Veil

the

Inglis talked about achieving one’s goals despite the challenges. More than 400 participants attended the session, which inspired many to initiate new steps in the workplace and focus on priorities

C

ervical and Breast Cancer are the two major diseases women suffer from. Many however, are unaware of the symptoms of these diseases and often, are too bashful to discuss them. To help women better understand their bodies, a workshop was organized on Cervical and Breast Cancer on the 4th of April 2012 for all the female employees of JSW in Mumbai. It was led by Dr. Monique Kamat of the Family Planning Association of India. The session focused on the need to take the Pap Smear Screening Test as well as do regular breast examinations. Dr. Kamat explained the causes, the prevention measures and the treatments. She also taught the women how to do a self-examination and clarified myths about the diseases.

36

connect | ISSUE 2 - 2012

CHANGEOVER S

kill enhancement of its employees has always been the focus of JSW Ispat. Itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s training and development efforts are derived from organizational goals and objectives The training interventions enable the employees to fulfill and expand their potentials. Through self-assessment tools and experiential learning, they examine their strengths and weaknesses while exploring best practices of the industry. Delivering proven techniques and greater confidence, the program helps to enhance their skills and knowledge to grow in the midst of adversity and change. JSW Ispat also has an e-learning system based on Intranet. Various reading materials and handouts distributed during training and seminars are also uploaded to the internal portal for later reference. The training and learning strategies of the organisation are based on six pillars: 1. Off-the-job training, 2. On-the-job-training, 3. External training, 4. Brain storming, 5. Initiative based training, and 6. Problem centric training. Thrust is also given on the quality of training resources. The Company ensures that performance needs of the people are met effectively and all aspects of training are effectively taken care of through stateof-the-art techniques. It has prepared a â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;Training Process Manualâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;, instrumental in training of the new incumbents in the organization. It also prepares a checklist for planning and implementing the training programmes.

connect | ISSUE 2 - 2012

37

Human Resource

Health

Wise

Mr. Shane Bilsborough and Mr. Ravi Krishnan, co-founders of the reputed global wellness company Stepathlon Lifestyle Pvt. Ltd., took a session on ‘Employee Wellness - Fitness And Stepathlon’ with JSWites in Mumbai on May 5, 2012. They focused on finding simple and practical fitness-related solutions, especially for those leading hectic lifestyles. These solutions can ensure better individual and company health as well as increase employee productivity and energy levels. Approximately 40 employees, including senior leaders, attended the session.

Stepathlon is a pedometer-based, competitive mass participation event that involves employees from industries across the world. Essentially, they form teams of five and must wear a pedometer that tracks their daily footfalls. They must then key into their group’s virtual profile the number of steps they’ve taken every day. If they accomplish a high number of footfalls, they can acquire a leadership status. Participation is not restricted by nation, gender, race, class, physical ability, etc. As promised on its website, “Stepathlon delivers a happier, healthier and a more productive workforce.”

38

connect | ISSUE 2 - 2012

Shifting

Rules

Mr. Vasant Limaye, High Places Management Pvt. Ltd., conducted a two-day learning programme on ‘Leadership Effectiveness (Optimizing Leadership Potential)’, from the 17th to the 18th of February 2012, with JSW employees from different locations. Mr. Limaye has been the leader of a dozen Himalayan expeditions, including the first Indian civil expedition to Mt. Kanchenjunga. Approximately 25 participants, including employees of JSW Ispat, attended the programme which sought to enhance synergy, team building and collaboration across the locations. The programme underlined the fact that learning through experience and optimising one’s leadership potential were necessary in order to succeed in a challenging environment. It also offered insights into team dynamics, getting the best out of one’s colleagues, challenging one’s assumptions and the status quo, and being open to new opportunities in a fast-changing world.

connect | ISSUE 2 - 2012

39

GRAINSOF

WISDOM Folk tales from India

S

torytelling traditions in India have been around for centuries. The Jatra in Bengal, the Upanyasam in Tamil Nadu and the Harikatha in the North have all rolled education and entertainment into one composite whole. Through storytelling, one can connect with the audience and encourage reflection; after all, an anecdote is an idea united with emotions.

40

connect | ISSUE 2 - 2012

Psychologist Karl E. Weick has pointed out that maps can help us make sense of the known world, which has been charted before. Where the world has not been charted, the compass is required, he argues, because amidst the uncertainty, it gives us a general sense of direction. We hope that the stories in this second edition of Grains of Wisdom will do just that.

Folk tales from India

“Sharpen the Axe”

O

nce there was a woodcutter who approached a merchant for work. The merchant gave him a job with a very good salary and the woodcutter decided that he would give it his best. On the first day, the woodcutter enthusiastically brought down 20 trees. The merchant was very impressed and gave him “a promising woodcutter” award. Motivated by this, the woodcutter worked harder the next day but brought down 15 trees. On the third day, he brought down only 12 trees. Everyday his performance kept dipping. He thought to himself, “Am I becoming weak?” One day he went to the merchant and confessed his weakness; he could cut no more than 10 trees a day. The merchant smiled and asked him “When did you last sharpen your axe?” The woodcutter replied, “Oh! I have been so busy cutting the trees and I never found time to sharpen the axe!” When a big problem stares us in the face, the simplest of solutions also escapes us. We become worried and this clouds our vision; we often blame ourselves and our incapacity. Here lies the real problem. For, the woodcutter wouldn’t have been able to continue cutting trees if he were not adept at this job!

Squashing Fears

T

here was a lion who feared nothing except the crowing of cocks. A chill would run down his spine whenever he heard a cock crowing. One day he confessed his fear to his very close friend, the elephant, who was greatly amused. “How can the crowing of a cock hurt you?” he asked the lion. “Think about it!” Just then a mosquito began circling around the elephant’s head, frightening him out of his wits. “If it gets into my ear, I’m doomed!” he shrieked, flailing at the insect with his trunk. Now it was the lion’s turn to smile. If we could see our fears as others see them, we would realize that they make no sense! They are our comfort zones, which eventually stagnate our growth. So, don’t let the crowing of cocks or the buzzing of a mosquito stop you!

connect | ISSUE 2 - 2012

41

Folk tales from India

TAKING OFF

O

nce there was a king who received a gift of two magnificent falcons from Arabia. They were peregrine falcons, the most beautiful birds he had ever seen. He gave the precious birds to his head falconer to be trained. Months passed and one day the head falconer informed the king that though one of the falcons was flying majestically, the other bird had not moved from its branch since the day it had arrived. The king summoned healers and sorcerers from all the land to tend to the falcon, but no one could make the bird fly. He presented the task to the members of his court, but the next day, the king saw through the palace window that the bird had still not moved from its perch. Having tried everything else, the king thought to himself, “Maybe I need someone more familiar with the countryside to understand the nature of this problem.” So he cried out to his court, “Go and get a farmer.” In the morning, the king was thrilled to see the falcon soaring high above the palace gardens. He said to his court, “Bring me the doer of this miracle.” The court quickly located the farmer, who came and stood before the king. The king asked him, “How did you make the falcon fly?” With his head bowed, the farmer said to the king, “It was very easy, your Highness. I simply cut the branch where the bird was sitting.” We are all made to fly… The possibilities are endless, but for most of us, they may remain undiscovered. Unless we change something in ourselves or our environment. We will have to face the fear of leaving the branch if we really want to fly.

42

connect | ISSUE 2 - 2012

A CHANGE IN PERSPECTIVE

T

he disciples of a sage asked him to give them a problem that required them to think creatively. The sage thought for a moment and smiled. He gave them a sieve and asked them to fill it with water from the sea nearby. They were gone for a long time. Finally, the sage went down to the beach to see what they were doing. He found them seated morosely around the sieve. They scrambled to their feet when they saw him. “You’ve set us an impossible task, master,” said the oldest of the disciples. “It’s just not possible to fill a sieve with water.” “Are you sure?” asked the sage, picking up the sieve. “Sometimes it helps to step back and view the problem from a different angle.” He waded into the water and threw the sieve far out into the sea. It sank. “There!” said the sage. “It’s full of water now.” Most of us approach life with a set routine and a fixed protocol. We hardly walk the unknown, try the new. Sometimes, we need to think out of the box, to experiment. Next time, try stepping back from your conditioned response and try to see life through new lenses. You might even be able to fill a sieve with water..

BORN TO FLY

Y

ou may have heard the story behind the making of David, the icon of Renaissance sculpture. If not, here it goes. A mammoth eighteen-foot block of marble had been lying around for several years. In fact, it had been around long before Michelangelo was born. Some great artists, including Leonardo da Vinci, had been invited to make something from this slab of stone. They all looked at it and dismissed it as flawed and worthless. Nothing could come out of it, they felt. Several years later, Michelangelo got to work on that “flawed and worthless” piece of marble, and went on to create a magnificent work of art. While he was working on David, a little boy went up to Michelangelo and asked him why he was banging away at the rock. “Young man,” said Michelangelo, “There’s an angel inside that rock. I am setting him free”. Give it a thought: We are all like that slab of marble. None of us is flawed or worthless. We are only waiting to be unleashed. Compiled from various sources by Sudhanshu Verma.

CSR West Bengal

Presenting the

Future

Visitors from Salboni at Vijayanagar

F

rom the 4th to the 9th of April 2012, JSW Bengal Steel took its representatives from Salboni on a trip to JSW Vijayanagar. The idea was to show them the plant as well as the social responsibility projects undertaken by JSW in the plant’s vicinity. There were a total of 47 representatives (36 male and 11 female) from the 23 villages surrounding the Salboni plant, which together formed two Gram Panchayats, namely GP 4 and GP 9. The villagers were very impressed by what they saw, for instance, Data Halli, a rural BPO run exclusively by women. The leading role of women was further emphasized by projects such as the production units

for sanitary napkins and textile and apparel. The mid-day meal programme, offered in collaboration with the Akshaya Patra Trust, was also talked about by the visitors.

of-the-art Jindal Sanjeevani Hospital, which serves JSW’s employees and the communities in and around the plant. The O.P.J. Centre for Technical Training was the next stop; here the representatives learnt about the diverse vocational training programmes offered to the local youth with the aim of making them self-reliant and helping them live with dignity. The visitors were able to witness some stages of the complicated process of steel production and they were simply awe-struck by the magnitude of the operation

A visit was also organized to the state-

“I have seen poverty and unemployment in the villages of Salboni. Here, at Vijayanagar, I noticed that individuals with I.T.I. training earn a decent living. JSW has brought about a lot of positive change and development in Vijayanagar and the surroundings villages. I earnestly request JSW to initiate the steel project in Bengal at the earliest and address the issues of poverty and unemployment in Salboni.” – Biswajit Mahato, 22,

“As a woman, I was really happy to see that the entire BPO is run by such energetic women, who have also become economically independent. I was most impressed when I encountered a woman who has been trained by the JSW Foundation to operate heavy machines, especially since this kind of job is mostly dominated by men.” – Ruma Saha, 28,

Student, I.T.I. Jhargram, Sitanathpur village, Salboni

“When I return, I will communicate to the people of my village how a steel plant can generate so many different kinds of job opportunities for people. Each of its initiatives is truly inspirational.” – Rita Mana,

“I feel that the model of social development undertaken by the JSW Group should be replicated in Salboni.” – Chaitali Mahato, 26, Student, Srikrishnapur village, Salboni

Housewife, Jambedia village, Salboni

33, Housewife, Jambedia village, Salboni connect | ISSUE 2 - 2012

43

CSR Vijayanagar

Different

Abilities,

Same Desires A

day care centre for intellectually challenged children, Tamanna was inaugurated on February 9, 2009, by Sangita Jindal, Chairperson, JSW Foundation. Tamanna’s focus is to serve children with mental retardation (MR) from the villages around the JSW Steel Plant in Vijayanagar, Karnataka. Situated within the premises of the O.P. Jindal Centre, Tamanna has won praise for bringing about a truly remarkable transformation in the lives of these children from professionals and visitors alike. It began with four children and has now grown to 37 children, of which 24 are boys and 13 are girls. Objectives • To identify intellectually challenged children, help them develop and enable them to carry out their basic personal needs • To provide them with education and vocational training, integrate them into society, and improve the overall quality of their lives • To seek the collaboration and co-operation of other voluntary and government agencies for development activities and programmes • To aid and support intellectually challenged children and persons with disabilities wherever and whenever necessary

Dr. Srinivas T. R., Associate Professor, VIMS, Bellary, and a visiting psychiatrist at the Jindal Sanjeevani Hospital in Vijayanagar had this to say about Tamanna: “Tamanna has provided an exemplary service to specially abled children from its inception, thanks to Sangita Jindal, Chairperson, JSW Foundation, and administrators working tirelessly for the welfare of these children. Great care is taken for the overall development of the children – physical, psychological and social. The Director of the institution, Dr. S. S. Gupta, and trainers like Arathi and Veena work round the clock for the betterment of these children. As a psychiatrist, my personal hope is to see a sea change in these children and a broad smile on the parents’ faces.” Facilities Available at Tamanna 1. Well furnished, spacious class rooms 2. A specially designed bus 3. Nutritious food by Akshaya Patra 4. Free uniforms, bags and books 5. Special teaching aids 6. Free consultation with the psychiatrist 7. Speech and Hearing Therapy 8. A playground with special play equipment 9. Computers with special software 10. A home theater with CDs for differently abled children 11. Yoga therapy Education and Vocational Training Based on the assessment of the children, they are divided into different age groups, beginning with 3-6 years and going up to 15-18 years. The group are also divided based on focus, from preprimary to vocational. There is also a special care group for children with severe MR. Children are assessed with the help of the Functional Assessment Checklist for Programming (FACP) by the National Institute for the Mentally Handicapped, Secunderabad. Syllabi, of various categories, are also specially designed for the children. We have seen

44

connect | ISSUE 2 - 2012

remarkable improvement in their personals skills, communications skills, occupational skills, academics, domestic behaviour, interpersonal interaction, physical appearance, safety skills, mobility and functioning of the hands, regularity and punctuality, manners, and the quality and quantity of their output. It is feel that it is necessary to equip these children with skills so that they may become self-employed, self-sufficient and be able to lead a dignified life. Thus, vocational training is offered in the following areas: 1. Tailoring 2. Screen printing 3. Spiral binding 4. Lamination 5. Making paper products The Vocational Rehabilitation Centre for Handicapped (VRCH), Bangalore, a Unit of the Ministry of Women & Child Development, Govt. of India, assesses our children for a suitable vocation. Training is provided to the children and they are given certificates by the VRCH. So far, four of Tamanna’s children have successfully completed their training and nine differently abled girls have been trained at JSW’s Training Centre for Textile & Apparel, Vijayanagar. Cultural Activities and Sports Emphasis is laid on involving all the children in cultural activities and sports, and special equipment has been provided in the playground. In 2010, a district-level sports day was held in Bellary and children from Tamanna won 22 prizes, including 17 first prizes. Educating and Involving Parents One area of focus has been to educate parents about taking better care of their children at

home. Parents have set up a self-help group and meet regularly to share their experiences and adopt best methods to raise their children. Discussions centre on improving self-dependent behaviour, health and hygiene, and social behaviour. The feedback of parents has been very encouraging. Response Mr. Sathish, F/o Master Akilesh, says that his son has improved in his studies and now carries out his daily needs without his parents’ assistance. Mrs. Vidya, M/o Utkarsha, says that her daughter’s walking style has changed. She has also developed acceptable social manners and improved in speech and language. She now takes care of herself and is able to cook rice, make tea and instant noodles. Future Plans • Increasing the number of children to 50 • Helping children procure the Disability Identity card • Assisting families who are financially disadvantaged • Registering children in government schools ensuring they receive the same benefits as ‘normal’ children • Increasing outreach within neighbouring communities

connect | ISSUE 2 - 2012

45

CSR Vasind

Firing the

Imagination

Artists at JVM, Vasind

T

he Integrated Child Development Services (ICDS) anganwadis, which are part of a scheme by the Ministry of Women and Child Development, are for children under six. They provide early learning opportunities and prepare children for government primary schools. The JSW Foundation has beautified anganwadis and balwadis with paintings to create a happy learning environment for children. Mr. Kishor Gurav, a budding local artist working at the Jindal Vidya Mandir, Vasind, was given on-site training in the balwadis of Vasind. Kunbiwadi,

46

connect | ISSUE 2 - 2012

the nearest wadi, was first selected for decoration. Cartoons, flowers and other images on the walls captivated the attention of the children and ensured learning. A member of the wadiâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Gram Panchayat expressed his thanks to JSW for taking up this project. The Unit Head, Mr. Vinayak Bhat, who also appreciated our efforts, suggested that we picturize the Panchatantra stories. Gurav has also painted the walls of 14 anganwadis in Panchakroshi and others in Sadewadi School and Pethwadi School in Jaigad village.

CSR Ratnagiri

Engineering a

Cause

Engineering students with Certificates

J

SW Energy’s site in Jaigad is 60 kms from Ratnagiri, the district’s main city. Since the site is in a rural area which doesn’t have adequate educational facilities, there is a lack of technically qualified manpower.

ages of 15 and 21, with a minimum score of 55% in SSC or HSC examinations, were selected and sponsored for a three-year, full-time certificate course in Electrical / Mechanical Engineering Technology.

Although JSW has always been keen on absorbing local people into its workforce, the paucity of qualified engineers locally has left the company with no option but to employ individuals from outside the villages. However, as a responsible corporate house, JSW is keen on addressing this lacuna.

In May 2010, forty-five candidates successfully completed the certificate course, and all were employed as Diploma Trainee Engineers at JSW Jaigad. The Convocation ceremony was held on April 19, 2012. The chief guest, Mr. Anant Geete (Member of Parliament and Ex-Union Minister of Power) lauded the efforts of JSW and welcomed it as an inspiring example.

The management has conceptualized an innovative scheme that will impart technical education in Mechanical and Electrical Engineering to the locals. This is being done in collaboration with the Babasaheb Ambedkar Technological University, Lonere. An MoU was signed between JSW Energy Ltd. and the university in 2007. Fifty-four local candidates between the

While the local students were visibly overwhelmed, their parents felt that this was a dream come true. Never had they thought that their children would be studying Engineering. The Convocation was attended by the Sarpanch and other prominent personalities from the area, and the event was covered by the local media and cable network

connect | ISSUE 2 - 2012

47

CSR Vijayanagar

A Pledge

for the

Planet

JVMVidyanagar School Childrens displaying their models

S

chool students can play an important role in helping to protect the environment. Keeping this in mind, Jindal Vidya Mandir, Vijayanagar, celebrated Earth Day along with the Environment Department of JSW Steel Ltd. Around a thousand students participated in the celebrations, which began with an Awareness Rally that went around JSWâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s township in Vijayanagar. This was followed by a special assembly and later, the

48

connect | ISSUE 2 - 2012

inauguration of an exhibition related to the environment by the chief guest, Mr. Vikas Sharma, Sr. V. P. (C & S). Students threw light on important issues through artfully made posters â&#x20AC;&#x201C; while some spoke of the medicinal value of trees, others discussed deforestation, efficient waste management, energy conservation and recycling. The event concluded with the screening of the documentary Mother Earth and, quite suitably, the recitation of the Earth Day pledge

CSR Mumbai

Hopes on

Wheels J

SW Foundation is proactive in supporting the specially abled people and extends the required help regularly. It also runs a special school called â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;Tamannaâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; at Vijayanagar for specially abled children.

The Foundation also promised to donate ten wheel chairs till mid 2012 to people from lower socio-economic group who, due to accidents, have become physically challenged in the course of their working lives.

Recently, the Foundation extended financial support in the name of Shri. O. P. Jindal to the Rotary Club of India to procure wheel chairs for the physically challenged people at Sion Hospital, Mumbai and Vengurla, Sidhudurg. The help will be crucial to the beneficiaries as it will aid in their mobility.

The Department of Medical and Psychiatric Work, L.T.M.G Hospital, Mumbai expressed their appreciation to the JSW Foundation and appealed for the continued assistance.

connect | ISSUE 2 - 2012

49

Field Notes CSR

DOLVI

Power of the Sun It was a lifetime moment for the families living in darkness. Away from the comfort of electricity, the small tribal hamlet of Sulewadi, comprising of 45 households, was chosen to benefit from the program initiated by JSW Ispat to bring light by providing families solar lamps. The solar lamp distribution programme took place on 16th March 2012 at Hanuman Temple, Gram Panchayat Office, Karav. Mr. Paresh Tiwari, Vice President â&#x20AC;&#x201C; Corporate CSR and Sustainability and Mr. Jagdish Ghorpade, Vice President, HR were also present at the occasion. A total of 80 solar lamps were distributed among the needy families of four tribal hamlets. The villagers were also trained to use the Solar Lamps.

Distributing Knowledge Books worth ` 25,000, encompassing the syllabus and otherwise, were presented to the Shahbaj Secondary High School library. They were also provided support of ` 1,00,000/- for upgrading the laboratory of the school so that science students can get good practical exposure of their subjects.

DOLVI

Cook it Up As an initiative towards promoting safe and smoke free healthy cooking, 75 families of the tribal hamlets of gram panchayat Karav were given smokeless chulhas by JSW Ispat. The practice will reduce the usage of wood by 50 percent and cut the carbon emissions during cooking to 80 percent. 375 chulhas were distributed among the beneficiaries. Mr Jagdish Ghorpade, Vice President â&#x20AC;&#x201C; HR, Sarpanch Mr. Nardas Patil, and all Panchayat members along with other dignitaries were present on this occasion.

A Green Touch JSW Ispat is working relentlessly towards improving the environment. It distributed 150 fruit plants (Mango, Chikoo, and Jackfruit) to 50 families of Katkari tribes residing at Kamathwadi and Numberwadi hamlets, to support the greenery as well as to support the livelihood of the tribals.

50

connect | ISSUE 2 - 2012

Knowledge is Power

SALEM

JSW Steel Ltd., Salem Works entered into an agreement with MS Swaminathan Research Foundation (MSSRF) to set up a Village Knowledge Centre (VKC) at Pottaneri and M. Kalipatti villages. The VKCs were inaugurated by Shri Ravichandar, CEO, Salem Works on 11th June, 2012. Exclusive trained knowledge workers, posted at the two village Panchayats have started interacting with villagers and self-help groups to build awareness about the VKCs. They are addressing the farmersâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; issues on coconut pest prevention and yield improvement. MSSRF also conducted two phone-in- programmes by agricultural experts where farmers from the two Panchayats participated and clarified their queries.

Sporty Women

Jaigad

Village-level sports competitions were organized in Jaigad, Sakharmohalla, Nandivade, Chaferi, Kasari and Sandelavgan from the 10th to the 14th of March 2012. A total 115 women participated, and the semi-finalists from these competitions also participated in the final, intra-village contest. This contest was held on the 15th of March at the ancient Jaigad Fort, and the winners were awarded. We, at JSW, are proud to say that a total of 110 women were present for the finals. Our motive towards encouraging womenâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s participation was to strengthen the self-help group movement. We felt that this huge gathering of women involved in the SFGs, would give them a sense of power and lift their spirits. JSW also took this opportunity to share with the audience our intentions behind and plans for various income generation programmes. We were thrilled to see that the response of women was overwhelming!

Resourcing Manpower

Salboni

JSW Bengal Steel Limited, has announced an initiative to provide one job to every family whose land has been procured for the factory site. However, it is imperative to provide proper training to the eligible candidates. With such an aim in mind a training centre â&#x20AC;&#x201C; Aastha - was inaugurated on the 27th of March, 2012. The Training Centre aims to enhance the skill of individuals so that their employability can be ensured in the plant. Successful candidates will then share the responsibility of training people in and around the project areas, so that a pool of trained manpower could be later utilized by the different auxiliary and ancillary industries likely to flourish once the plant is in full swing.

connect | ISSUE 2 - 2012

51

Events Vijayanagar

Welcome to our

World

Cultural evening at OEM Meet at Vijayanagar

T

he All-India Original Equipment Manufacturer (OEM) Customer Meet was held on the 3rd and the 4th of February 2012 at Vijayanagar. The Meet, aimed to further strengthen JSW’s relationship with existing and potential OEM, Project and Institutional Customers. The Meet, aptly named ‘Shaping India Together’, emphasized not only the power of collaboration and our relationship with our customers, but also our contribution to the growth and development of the nation. The OEM meet was organised to celebrate our association with more than 170 customers from across India. On their arrival at Vijayanagar, the

52

connect | ISSUE 2 - 2012

Mr. Jindal with singer Babul Supriyo at the event

Jayant Acharya receiving guest at Vijayanagar

Senior Management having one-to-one interaction with Customers at Jmax

customers were greeted with a traditional welcome. This was followed by a visit to the plant. The guests were overwhelmed by the state-of-the-art plant, the township and the greenery all around; Vijayanagar was also nicknamed “the green plant with steelmaking hidden in between”. Shri Prithavi Raj Jindal, Vice Chairman, Jindal SAW Ltd., who welcomed the guests, also said that Late Shri O. P. Jindal’s dream of having a “steel plant in a garden” had been fulfilled. At an interactive session in the JMax Auditorium, a specially made audio-visual was shown. It underlined the importance of working as partners towards the growth of the nation as well as improving the lives of millions associated directly or indirectly with us. Our Chairman and MD, Shri Sajjan Jindal, spoke of the need to

Welcoming the distinguished guest with tilak

Receiving guests at Vijayanagar airport

Jayant Acharya & Sharad Mahendra with dignitaries

OEM customers during plant visit

connect | ISSUE 2 - 2012

53

Events Vijayanagar

P. R. Jindal - mentor & guide of Jindal family

S. Srinivas (Shankara Infra), K. G. Agarwal (Calcutta Tubes) & S. Gupta (APL Apollo Tubes) felicitating Mr. Jindal

D. P. Jindal, D. P. Jindal Group

S. Shahra, National Steel & Agro Industries

Anuj Miglani, Uttam Galva Steels

54

connect | ISSUE 2 - 2012

have a long-lasting relationship with our customers, to shape the nation. JSWâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Senior Management also assured the customers that the company would deliver only high quality products and always strive to serve them better. The customers, who shared their experiences with JSW, also said that the Company had set a benchmark in the steel industry. Some of customers who were present included Mr. B. K. Goenka (WelspunCorp. Ltd.), Mr. Mahavir Jindal (Ravindra Tubes), Mr. Rajeshwar Rao (Tube Products of India), Mr. Srivats Ram (Wheels

Dignitaries at Jmax Auditorium

India Ltd.), Mr. Santosh Shahra (National Steel & Agro Industries Ltd.), Mr. J. P. Agarwal (Surya Roshini Ltd.), Mr. Anuj Miglani (Uttam Galva Steels Ltd.), Mr. Rishi Miglani (Uttam Strips), Mr. Ramesh Sanghvi (Sanghvi Cylinders), Mr. Sandeep Bansal (Swastik Pipes), Mr. L. K. Shah (Dewas Metals), Mr. Jagdish & Nikhil Mansukhani (MAN Industries), Mr. Pradeep & Vikas Aggarwal (Asian Colour Coated Ispat), Mr. D. P. Jindal (Jindal Pipes Ltd.), Mr. Sanjay Gupta (APL Apollo Group), Mr. Keshav Punj (PSL Ltd.), Mr. Nrupendra Rao (Pennar Industries Ltd.), Mr. P. Kodlikeri

B.K. Goenka, Welspun Corporation

J.P. Agarwal, Surya Roshni

Rajeshwar Rao, Tube Products of India

Mahavir Jindal, Ravindra Tubes

Keshav Punj, PSL Limited

(Kalyani Hayez Lemmerz Ltd.), Mr. T. Sundereshan (Larsen & Toubro Ltd.), Mr. Soli Mullan (Godrej & Boyce Mfg. Co. Ltd.), Mr. Sunil Mahajan (Avon Tube Tech Pvt. Ltd.), Mr. R. P. Gupta (Siddhartha Tubes Ltd.), Mr. P. V. Mohan (Kirby Building Systems India Ltd.), and Mr. Karan Agarwal (Manaksia Ltd.), to name a few. Later, the guests were invited to a fun-filled evening at The Lawns with songs by Babul Supriyo and his troupe, and dance performances. This successful event is sure to have left a lasting impression on our customers.

N Rao, Pennar Industries

P.V. Mohan, Kirby Building Systems

Srivats Ram, Wheels India

P. Kodlikeri, Kalyani Hayes Lemmerz

T. Sundereshan, L & T

connect | ISSUE 2 - 2012

55

Events Nandyal

Cementing

Step

It was a surprising Sunday on the 29th of April, 2012 for JSWites at Nandyal when Mr. Sajjan Jindal arrived for his first visit to the Greenfield cement plant. He was accompanied by Dr.Vinod Nawal. Mr Jindal was truly impressed by the compact plant layout and modern control rooms. He was also appreciative of features like the hands free bagging plant and the power saver roller press. His enthusiasm at the creation of a cement plant, that would be a frontrunner in India by consuming the slightest power and letting off minimum emmission, energised everyone around the site. The plant produces the eco-friendly JSW Cement from slag, a non-metallic product consisting essentially of silicates and alumino silicates of lime obtained from the steel plants.

Mr. Jindal with employees at the control room

Mr Jindal met local villagers along with the MLA of Panyam, Mr. Katasani Rambhupal Reddy, and guided the cement plant officials to always keep the welfare of the villagers, their educational development, employment, healthcare and over all well being as their primary objective. He also instructed Mr. R.C.Sodani, Director and CEO, JSW Cement and Mr.Pankaj Kulkarni, Additional Director, JSW Cement, to develop a Green Belt and to see that an adequate number of trees are planted in and around the plant which has a staggering production capacity of 4.5 million tonnes. Mr. Jindalâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s visit enthused every employee. With his verve and passion he symbolised the zeal to go ahead and achieve the highest accolades that the JSW Group stands for. His energy and enthusiasm was enough to motivate every individual who witnessed his visit and his affection for the work left an indelible mark on the hearts of all employees.

56

connect | ISSUE 2 - 2012

Events Chennai

A Roof

over our

Head

The JSW Steel exhibition stall at Chennai

SW Steel participated in Roof India 2012, an exhibition of the worldâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s leading roofing and allied products companies, at the Chennai Trade Centre from the 25th to the 27th of May 2012.

J

fastening systems, etc. In fact, it is the largest event of its kind on the continent. It has support from NRCA, TensiNET, IGRA, ISOLA, IASE and CEAI, among others.

Roof India 2012 is the benchmark event in Asia for companies involved in roofing, cladding, preengineered buildings, metal building systems, tensile architecture, green roofs / roof landscaping, waterproofing, insulation, roofing machinery, roof

This year, JSW erected a magnificent stall in a 56 sq. mtr. space, which showcased its product range. The focus of this yearâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s exhibition was roofing and cladding, and it was attended by more than 150 exhibitors from India and overseas

connect | ISSUE 2 - 2012

57

Events Delhi

Voicing our

Values

Mr. Paresh Tewary with other dignitaries on the dias

CSR Live Week Event in progress

J

SW was recently admitted as a member to the United Nations Global Compact Network (UNGCN) India and was also present at the (UNGCN) Convention in New Delhi on March 21, 2012. The theme of the convention was â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;Corporate Perspective on Sustainable Development: Rio+20 and Beyondâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;. UNGCN is a strategic policy initiative for businesses that are committed to aligning their operations and strategies with ten universally accepted principles in the areas of human rights, labour, environment and anti-corruption. Businesses can thus ensure that the advancement of markets, commerce, technology and finance also contribute to the benefit of societies and economies.

Dignitaries launching the coffee table book at the event

58

connect | ISSUE 2 - 2012

Our collaboration with the UNGCN will help us: â&#x20AC;˘ Appreciate peer response to community development needs â&#x20AC;˘ Access expertise to identify the usefulness of our various initiatives to communities The inaugural address at the convention was delivered by Ms. Jayanti Natarajan, Minister of Forests and Environment, GoI. Some of the day-long sessions were on topics such as Green Economy in the context of Sustainable Development, Equity and Human well-being, and Enabling Frameworks for Action: Innovation, Partnerships and Best Practices. The convention was attended by over 300 people and some of the speakers, in addition to those from JSW, included Secretary, Ministry of New and Renewable Energy, GoI; Chairman and MD, SAIL; Chairman and MD, ONGC; Resident Coordinator, UNDP; Chairman and MD, NMDC; Chairman and Managing Director, EPIL; CEO, Paharpur Business Centre; NTPC; VP, Tata Steel; Country Head, Arcelor Mittal; CEO, DLF Foundation; Executive Director, Blackstone; and Advisor, FICCI, among others. JSW was also present at the CSR Live Week held in Gurgaon from March 19th to 21st, 2012. It was attended by various organisations that came to hear about the CSR initiatives of leading corporates and their collaborations with NGOs for community outreach. Over 270 participants listened to key speakers from JSW, Aditya Birla Group, Tata, Adani, Arcelor Mittal, JSL, Vedanta, Max, DLF, GMR, SAB Miller, Ambuja, Wokhardt, Maruti, SAP and NASSCOM, among others.

Invitees at the registration

Delegates visiting the exhibition

connect | ISSUE 2 - 2012

59

Events

A day of their own A

strong, independent woman can take the world by storm. Women are a force to reckon with in every field today, be it sports, administration or the corporate world. The spirit of womanhood demands a salute from all of us. JSWâ&#x20AC;&#x2DC;s annual salute to womanhood was an extravaganza of colours, creativity and all out fun. On the 12th of March 2012, the Womenâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Day celebration took centrestage, as every woman who makes the company proud was treated to a grand gala. From bangle making to even some foot-tapping Bhangra, there was something for everyone. The women turned

60

connect | ISSUE 2 - 2012

up in their colourful best and the day just got more exciting as the rangolis, mehendi and pot making added to the vibrancy. The creative juices got flowing as everyone tried their hands at the crafts and even the games. Shooting balloons and throwing rings got everyone excited and the experience took its own course. But the entertainment didnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t stop there. After a spectacular lunch spread, a DJ began to spin tracks that got everyone in the groove. Everyone participated with zeal and enthusiasm. Similar fun-filled programs were also held across all JSW locations to celebrate the spirit of womanhood.

Sports Vijayanagar

On top

Table

of the

T

he active support of Parth Jindal (himself a district-level player) led to the formation of the Jindal Table Tennis Academy at Vasind Works. Led by Honorable Director Mr. Bomi Amalsadvala and Table Tennis Coach Mr. A. M. Warunkar, around 50 trainees are registered with this specially built Table Tennis Academy that has five TT and wooden flooring. And the results are there for everyone to see. Since its inception, JTTA has won 8 Gold, 3 silver and 2 bronze medals in various open TT competitions. The details are as follows : Team Gold Medal 2011 1. Maharashtra State Thane (Rural) DSO TT Tournament, Oct 2011 Team Players : Vijay Singh Rawat, Jai Singh Rawat, Raj Kumar Gupta, Sandeep Singh (U 19 team) 2. Inter-College (Mumbai University) Thane (Rural) DSO Tournament, 2011. Team Players: Pankaj Patel and Ravindra Dhoria

Team Gold Medal 2010 1. Maharashtra State Thane (Rural) DSO TT Tournament, Oct 2010 Team Players: Harsh Gupta, Roshan Sharma, Akash Gautam, Arun Goyal (U 14) 2. CBSC Cluster IX TT Tournament, Nagpur, Sept 2010 3. Individual Player: Pankaj Patel (Singles Under 19) 4. Inter College Thane Rural DSO TT Tournament, Ulhasnagar, 2010 Team Players: Manjeet Yadav, Ayush Sharma, Amit Prasad (Team Championship) The initiative has received the wholehearted support of the Vasind HR Team, Mr. Naveen Sinha and Mr. Anil Mahajan. We congratulate this young team on their success and hope they bring many such laurels to this academy in the future.

connect | ISSUE 2 - 2012

61

Sports Special Report

all for the

GAME Remembering Coach

Sunil Verma (1969-2012)

M

any people are born talented, but very few recognize their talent. One needs mentors, coaches and teachers to help us see our talents. Sunil Verma was one such coach. He thrived on helping every player develop a good character and build a strong foundation in sports. He began his career with JSW in 1995 as the Sports Officer at Vasind. He took Squash, a lesser known sport in India, to new heights. His relentless efforts, coupled with his unwavering faith and self-belief, placed the Jindal Squash Academy (JSA) of Vasind among the world’s best squash facilities. His hard work resulted in JSA winning 15 championships at the state level and 14 at the national level, in addition to 3 at the World Junior Squash Championships. At the condolence and prayer meeting at Vasind, Mr. Sajjan Jindal remembered him and said, “It will be very difficult to meet the benchmark set by Sunil as far as sports and the Jindal Squash Academy is concerned. We all will miss him. I am sure he will continue the same journey wherever he is. May his soul rest in peace.” Sunil Verma was associated with SRAM (Squash Racket Association of Maharashtra), SRFI (Squash Racket Federation of India) and was the technical director for SRAT (Squash Racket Association,

62

connect | ISSUE 2 - 2012

Thane). He served as the coach and manager of the Maharashtra team and played a major role in the team’s success. He also trained students for the Common Wealth Games in Delhi in 2010. He often used to say, “Life is Squash”. His commitment to the game generated a lot of interest among children and created awareness too. Under the leadership of Sunil Verma, many children opted to play professionally with the hope of representing the country someday. Today, more than 150 children are learning the nuances of the game at the JSA and will be a force to reckon with in the years to come. Sunil Verma worked hard to design the training module. It is carefully and methodically planned and includes sessions on field training, fitness training, junior player development, long-term development, nutrition and diet. Sunil also dedicated himself to other sports at the Jindal Recreation Complex, Vasind. He was organized summer camps for professional sportspersons, recreational games for employees and their families, and promoted sports in and around Vasind.

In Memorium

A Tribute

Sir continues to live in our hearts and all of us here at Jindal Squash Academy will continue playing squash, enjoying it and remembering him. Thanks for being a mentor and a father figure to so many of us. We will carry forward your legacy at JSA and thank you very much for everything you did for the JSA boys and girls. We will always miss your guidance on the squash court and your ever-smiling face.

To all those who knew Sunil Sir, you will know what I am talking about when I say that Sir was a true inspiration to us all. Whether it was his selflessness or his passion for the game of squash, Sir was not only a mentor on the courts, but also a role model off the courts. I started playing squash at a very young age and have to say that Sir played a huge role in my life, whether it was teaching me about fitness and discipline or the importance of respecting others.

BASANT SINGH, Jindal Vidya Mandir, Vasind To a great man, one of the guiding figures of my life, someone who taught me such a great deal about discipline, hard work and compassion. You were a great coach, a great man, a great husband and a great friend. You practically shaped the youth of Jindal Squash Academy and helped us grow from kids to independent individuals. SHASHI PANDEY, H R College, Mumbai Lots of respect to a great coach who introduced squash at JSW Vasind and encouraged many children to reach newer heights. You held our hand – sometimes as a friend, sometimes as a coach, sometimes by loving, scolding and punishing. But you only wanted us to become great players. AISHWARYA SINGH, Jindal Vidya Mandir, Vasind

When I was a young child growing up, Sir used to come all the way from Vasind to train me in Mumbai. I remember all the times we had together. Whether it was playing cricket or table tennis, Sir always made sure that my time in Vasind was fun-filled. He not only taught me a lot about squash, but he also kept me upto-date with everything that was going on in Vasind. I remember most clearly our times together in Malaysia and Chennai. Sir was a pleasure to be around even off court, always cracking jokes and making sure everyone was happy. He has had a profound influence on my upbringing and it is mostly because of him that all of us boys who trained at JSA are responsible people today. Sunil Verma not only did great service to the Company and to the people of Vasind, but he also did great service to the nation. It is because of him that India has produced players of the highest calibre with several of his students having represented the country and becoming national champions. Sir is one of the most respected squash coaches in India and even after becoming famous, he remained completely loyal to the Company. This once again tells us so much about this great individual. Vasind to me will never be the same without Sir there. I will truly miss him and hope that everyone in Vasind goes out of their way to make things easy for Sir’s family. He is someone who can never be replaced. Parth Jindal

connect | ISSUE 2 - 2012

63

Art & Culture Mumbai

Cheering Young

Talent

Sangita Jindal, President, ART India, with Promising Artist Award 2010 winner Neha Thakar.

S

ince 2005, ART India magazine along with the Visual Arts Gallery, India Habitat Centre, has brought many young artists into the limelight, often from remote corners of India. The ART India-IHC Promising Artist Award has offered financial support to artists below the age of 40 working in a variety of mediums, from painting and sculpture to photography, graphic design, installation and video. The 2010 Award was conferred upon Neha Thakar from Baroda, at an intimate gathering of the jurors and the ART India team, in January 2012. She received a certificate and a cash prize of Rs. 1.5 lakhs. Thakar, who has a Master’s in Painting from the Faculty of Fine Arts, M. S. University, Baroda, works not with oils or acrylics, but with ephemeral material like ice. Her time-based installations feature objects carved from ice blocks – frosted apples and gift boxes – that melt over their short lifespan and remind us of the impermanence of art and life. Thakar documents her installations using photography and video, but these visual documents are the only ‘objects’ she makes. In fact, Thakar has often emphasized the experiential nature of art.

Thakar was one of the 400 artists who applied for the Award. From this pool of applicants, the ART India team short-listed five candidates for the jury, which chose the winner. The members of the jury were Sangita Jindal, President, ART India, and Abhay Sardesai, Editor, ART India, as well as Atul Dodiya, Melissa Chiu, Raj Liberhan, Alka Pande, Sree Goswami and Zehra Jumabhoy. The candidates shortlisted for the Award had exhibited in commercial galleries before, while Thakar was part of a group show for the first time in May 2012 at Priyasri Art Gallery, Mumbai. It was the novelty of her works and the thematic freshness of the installations that impressed the jury. With Thakar’s perishable works winning the Award in 2010, the list of unconventional art practices supported by ART India magazine and the IHC continues to grow.

64

connect | ISSUE 2 - 2012

Art & Culture Delhi

Together we

S

hakti Maira’s exhibition The Sangha: A Creative Journey (1989-2011), supported by the JSW Foundation, was mounted from February to March 2012 at the India International Centre, New Delhi. Despite the title’s obvious references to Buddhism, Maira has said that he was more drawn to the idea of a “humanistic spirituality” that transcends caste and creed. The pared down bodies of the twelve, life-size bronze figures that make up the work do not bear any markers of religion either. Perhaps, their silent communication to each other suggests their togetherness. Maira explains, “As a word, ‘Sangha’ is not a religious term. It refers to a

Stand group of people, a collective or a community.” The exhibition’s titular sculpture was based on a painting the artist made several years ago, which was exhibited along with others Maira made while working on the sculpture. The idea of the collective is an integral part of JSW’s corporate philosophy. To this end, the Group has always given premium to team building. Shakti Maira’s The Sangha offers a perfect example of this idea of shared identity pursued by JSW. Not surprisingly, the Group will display this sculpture at its new corporate office in the Bandra-Kurla Complex, Mumbai.

connect | ISSUE 2 - 2012

65

Art & Culture Vasind

BRIDGING

spaces

I

n 2005, Mrs. Sangita Jindal, Chairperson, JSW Foundation, had the foresight to set up an enamelling studio at the JSW Steel plant in Vasind. The studio houses a kiln for largescale enamelling on steel and copper. That same year, the Enamelist Society organized a workshop with Elizabeth Turrell, an acclaimed enamel artist from the University of the West England, Bristol. This was the first workshop of its kind and was sponsored by the JSW Foundation and the ICCR. Ever since that first workshop, the initiative has continued to attract students and artists to explore newer techniques in enamelling. In the last five years, this art form has found takers in both the corporate world and the public sphere. To take the art form to newer heights, another intensive workshop was conducted in January 2012 by the Enamelist Society in collaboration with the JSW Foundation. It was led by artists Elizabeth Turrell, and Amal and Iris Ghosh. At the end of the workshop, an exhibition of the works made was held at the Tao Art Gallery, Mumbai, from the 14th to the 28th of January. In the last five years, there has been a growing interest among visual artists to use vitreous enamel on copper and fired industrial enamel on pre-coated steel in their artworks.

66

connect | ISSUE 2 - 2012

Enamelling Workshop

Vitreous enamel is glass bonded on to metal under heat, which produces a richly coloured surface embellishment. It has the hardness of glass and the strength of steel. The range of colours is almost limitless and because the material is inorganic, these colours do not fade with long-term exposure to ultra-violet rays or extreme weather conditions. Besides, enamel-based work is durable, making it a worthy candidate for corporate commissions and public art projects. Le Corbusier may have used massive enamelled doors in the Chandigarh Assembly Hall, but these workshops have encouraged contemporary artists to experiment with a medium that necessitates the coming together of art and industry. In fact, JSW plays a major role in promoting large scale public art, which can be executed at its factory. In the times to come, the company may well become the pioneer in commissioning and popularizing â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;Enamel for Exteriorsâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;, and creating a bridge between the artistâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s studio and the industry.

Art & Culture Delhi

Structuring a

W

ith over 85,000 visitors in three days, the India Art Fair 2012 in New Delhi (January 26-29) may safely be the country’s most well-attended art event. ART India magazine, the fair’s media partner for the past three years, recorded its presence this year too. The magazine set up its stall in the Media Lounge while JSW Steel provided the steel rods that were used in the construction of the Fair’s tents and the art installations on the exhibition grounds.

Partnership

steel rods standing vertically and in a cluster, adorned the entrance of the fair’s tents. It stood next to a plaque that introduced the fair’s visitors to the JSW Group and gave information about the latest business developments at the Group and its social responsibility projects. The presence of both ART India and the JSW Steel at the India Art Fair only cemented the Group’s involvement in and commitment to arts, culture and heritage.

ART India magazine was well-received and brisk sales were recorded at the magazine’s stall. Collectors, gallerists, artists, journalists, art students and the general public enquired about and purchased current and past issues of the magazine. Of the two installations made using JSW steel and designed by Sumant Jayakrishnan, one called ‘Pin Wall’ was set up in the VIP Lounge. Steel rods of varying lengths were installed, horizontally, into a wall; together, they gave the impression of rising and falling waves in an unmoving sea of steel. Another installation, which resembled a bamboo forest with the

The entrance of the India Art Fair 2012, New Delhi.

connect | ISSUE 2 - 2012

67

Art & Culture Mumbai

Music for the mind A

musical evening became an occasion to remember for children less fortunate than our own. JSW Steel supported to the cause of differently abled children and Mrs. Sangita Jindal was the chief guest at a musical fundraiser organized by Aurangabad-based NGO Swayamsiddh on May 18, 2012.

68

connect | ISSUE 2 - 2012

Held at Shanmukhananda Auditorium, Mumbai, the event featured the collective SILK, which consists of Mr. Shankar Mahadevan, Mr. Louise Banks, Mr. Siva Mani, Mr. Sridhar Parthasarthy and Mr. Sheldon Dâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;silva, among others. Swayamsiddh works with children who suffer from mental retardation, cerebral palsy, autism and other mental disabilities. Besides educating and training these children, it helps them to become independent and to be integrated into the mainstream. It also educates the parents of these children and society at large about how mental disabilities can be overcome with the right training. The organization, set up by the mothers of these children, has also contributed to womenâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s empowerment.

Art & Culture Vasind

The list of plays includes: MAHUA, written by Akash Mohimen and directed by Rajit Kapur. SATELLITE CITY, written by Irawati Karnik and directed by Nayantara Kotian. PEREIRA’S BAKERY AT 76 CHAPEL ROAD, written by Ayeesha Menon and directed by Zafar Karachiwala. THE DJINNS OF EIDGAH, written by Abhishek Majumdar and directed by Richard Twyman. SHILLAK, written by Sagar Deshmukh and directed by Pradeep Vaiddya. Writers at work

THE WRITE

WORD

A

long with the JSW Foundation’s emphasis on social development projects, it has always taken a leading role in promoting the arts. Since 2002, the Arts, Culture and Heritage Wing of the Foundation has collaborated with Writers’ Bloc to nurture playwrights through a series of workshops held at the JSW guest house near its Vasind Plant. In sylvan surroundings, the playwrights discuss and debate the nuances of theatre even as they explore their creative abilities. In the past, through the collaboration of JSW and Rage Productions, many young writers wrote insightful plays that were successfully staged under the able guidance of wellknown theatre directors.

This year, Writer’s Bloc 3 brought together 12 writers at Vasind. The scripts that were developed after intense discussion and debate were staged from the 9th to the 31st of January at three venues in Mumbai, namely, NCPA, Experimental Theatre and Prithvi Theatre. This season’s plays were in English, Marathi and Hindi, and were staged by production companies from Pune (Aasakta Kalamanch and Natak Company Production), Chennai (Evam), Bangalore (Dramanon Theatre Company), Delhi (Tadpole Repertory production) and Mumbai (Rage and Quaff Theatre Production). The plays addressed diverse themes and dealt with several social and political issues.

SPUNK, written by Siddharth Kumar and directed by Akarsh Khurana. OK, TATA, BYE BYE, written by Purva Naresh and Directed by Rabijita Gogoi. THE LONG WAY HOME, written by Shekinah Jacob and directed by Karthik Kumar. NATAK NAKO, written by Dharmakirit Sumant and directed by Aalok Rajwade. ONCE, ON THAT STREET, written by Swetanshu Bora and directed by Swar Thounaojam. JAAL written by Annie Zaidi and directed by Faezeh Jalali. STILL AND STILL MOVING, written and directed by Neel Chaudhuri.

connect | ISSUE 2 - 2012

69

Awards Mumbai

Mettle Impact

Triumphant JSW Steel Marketing team with Dean Dipak C. Jain of INSEAD

J

SW Steel was ranked second in the Marketing Impact Awards (SMIA) organized by S. P. Jain Institute of Management & Research (SPJIMR), Mumbai. The Awards provide a platform to share best practices and stimulate new thinking on how to measure and isolate the long-term impact of marketing initiatives in business. This year the theme was “Making Marketing Accountable: Metrics for Measuring Marketing Effectiveness”.

70

connect | ISSUE 2 - 2012

of JSW’s paper was ‘Transformation from Unorganized Commodity Selling to Organized Branded Retailing’. The paper underlined the significance of ‘JSW Shoppe’, the Company’s retail initiative, in tapping the rural demand.

There was an overwhelming response with 35 entries of which 21 made it to the semi-finals. The semi-finals saw two rounds of elimination with eight jury members evaluating the shortlisted candidates.

The pan-India network expansion of JSW Shoppe has increased its geographic reach, enabling JSW to cater to rural demand and create a sustainable steel retail model. The jury comprised of eminent academics, ad gurus and senior management personnel from globally renowned companies. In an arena normally dominated by big consumer goods companies with very large marketing budgets, the jury appreciated JSW’s efforts and initiatives in the Steel Industry.

JSW Steel was among the five finalists selected from fields of Consumer Durables, Fast Moving Consumer Goods, Telecom, Automobiles and Banking. JSW was represented by Sanjay Mittal (DGM, Retail), Sandeep Khanna (DGM, Marketing), Uday Sanganeria (Manager, Retail) and Kapil Salve (Manager, Retail). The theme

Though Draft FCB – Ulka: Tata Docomo was the winner, JSW Steel came out second. The award was handed over by Dean Dipak C. Jain of INSEAD, France, who is an eminent academic in the field of Marketing Management and serves on the board of several Fortune 500 companies

Awards Delhi

Winning

Accolade

JSW Energy offical receiving Award from Power Ministry

T

he year 2012 added another feather to JSW’s cap as JSW Energy was awarded the “Best Thermal Power Generation Company Award” at the Power Line Awards, 2012. The function was organized by Power Line Magazine in New Delhi and was conferred upon the Company by Mr. Sushil Kumar Shinde, Minister of Power, Government Of India. Mr Satish Jindal, COO, JSWPTC received the award on behalf of JSW Energy. This award recognizes the best performing thermal generation company in the power sector operating both in the public and private sectors. The award is based on the criteria that range from Growth in Generation to Growth in Net Profits and Ash Utilisation. It also took into account factors like Plant Load, Capacity Addition, Heat Rate and Man-MW ratio. Needless to say, JSW Energy proved supreme and left the competition far behind

connect | ISSUE 2 - 2012

71

Being Truly ‘Glocal’

TALK ART

K. V. Subbanna, 1932-2005

Talk Art brings to the reader stories and facts about particular artworks and artists. For this issue, we chose an artist, a writer, and a theatre director from Karnataka, each of whom has been a pioneer in his own field.

In the village of Heggodu, Shimoga District, central Karnataka, stands a theatre with a modern stage and modern lighting that seats 530. Here one can see local Kannada renditions of Shakespeare as well as intentional theatre companies like Footsbarn. What might be draw of this place for the villagers, one might be tempted to ask. It was that “a thousand audience-families should join together and form a performance-space”, as the legendary Kannada poet D. R. Bendre had said and the founder of this theatre, K. V. Subbanna, had made into a reality. Ninasam, as the institution is called, was first set up as the amateur theatre group Sri Nilankanteshwara Natya Seva Sangha in 1949 by the young Subbanna. At the time, the group performed mythological plays based on the Ramayana and the Mahabharata. Subbanna, who studied at Mysore University, returned to his village, equipped with the knowledge of modern theatre, which, he believed, could offer new narratives and enable the community to build its self-image anew. Most importantly, he felt that theatre was the most potent artistic vehicle to bring the world to Heggodu, break through hardened, exclusivist identities, and be an agent of inclusiveness. He was not a naïve internationalist, however; he drew lessons from Yakshagana, the centuriesold theatre form of Karnataka, which had already absorbed influences from cinema and television and its practitioners were putting on Greek plays and Shakespeare. Yakshagana, he noticed, influenced daily speech, individual and collective memory, and was an integral part of community life. It was towards facilitating a community theatre practice that involved the villagers at every stage of its production that Subbanna strove. In addition to reading out Kannada translations of Chekhov and Ibsen to his fellow villagers, he also set up a film club and screened the great modern masterpieces, which he dubbed in Kannada live. He went on to set up a theatre institute for rural students, a repertory theatre company that performed in Karnataka’s villages, a publication house devoted to the arts, a Culture Course, and a foundation he set

up with the award money of the Magsaysay Award for journalism, literature and creative communication. He brought the world to his village not with the desire to displace village life and ethos, but to integrate it with the best of the world. If communities in Karnataka had absorbed influences from far and wide, there was no reason why the people of Heggodu would not be able to appreciate the art and culture of elsewhere, and make modern theatre their own. Yet, Subbanna has said, “We have no radical messages to give people, nor do we have the objective of uplifting people. I am not arrogant to say that I have some solutions for my community and will deliver it to them…. My theatre is just a dialogue among members of the community.” Facilitating this dialogue – among the villagers, and between the rural, the urban and the global – was Subbanna’s biggest contribution.

Subuhi Jiwani

References

72

connect | ISSUE 2 - 2012

1. Anmol Vellani. ‘The World In The Village: K.V. Subbanna’s Life In Theatre And Community’. Paper presented at Regenerating Community: Arts, Community and Governance National Conference, Melbourne, Australia. September 2-4, 2009. www.cdn-generations. net.au/downloads/.../Vellani%20Anmol.pdf Accessed on 26-7-2012. 2. U. R. Ananthamurthy. ‘The Origin of Kannada as a Literary Language’. Lecture delivered at Aziz Premji University, Bengaluru, September 9,

2011. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-O0LePr_KNw Accessed on 26-7-2012. 3. Shams Afif Siddiqui. ‘When A Man Touched The Lives Of A Condemned People’. The Telegraph, Calcutta. June 24, 2011. http:// www.telegraphindia.com/1110624/jsp/opinion/story_14147000.jsp Accessed on 26-7-2012. 4. Nilanjana Roy. ‘Samskara and the Indian’s inner prude.’ Business

Talk Art Mumbai

The Critical Insider

Return to the Self

U. R. Ananthamurthy, 1932 –

K. K. Hebbar, 1911-1996

The noted Kannada novelist and public intellectual, U. R. Ananthamurthy, made a humorous case for why Bangalore should be renamed Bengaluru. Apart from returning to the city’s indigenous, pre-colonial name, he pointed out: “In Kannada language, ‘U’ is a great enabler. For instance, take an English word and make it into Kannada by joining ‘U’. Chair, ‘chairu’; table, ‘tablu’.” Here was another reason to return to Kannada.

Kattingeri Krishna Hebbar was an artist of few words. His medium of expression was the fluid line. When asked to contribute an essay to a collection on novelist and Yakshagana revivalist K. Shivaram Karanth, he submitted instead a drawing of a multiarmed, multi-headed Karanth to portray, no doubt, the writer’s multiple facets. Born in the village of Kattingeri in Udupi district, Hebbar grew up observing his father make Ganesh idols during festivals and this early exposure to art inspired his own creative pursuits. As a child, he would often draw Yakshagana performers from memory with whatever he could find – lamp soot or red pebbles ground in gum water.

Intriguingly, it was while Ananthamurthy was in England doing his Ph.D., that he decided he would write in his own language. “What made me do this,” he says, “was the English language itself… Shakespeare wrote not thinking of England as a little province, not on ‘ethnic’ realities… All [universal &] philosophical questions were taken up in Hamlet, in King Lear, but English was perhaps spoken only in London… If English could be the language of the greatest of thoughts, why not Kannada?” Ananthamurthy was an important voice in the Navya movement in Kannada literature, which had a strong ideological basis and examined the ‘darker’ side of human beings, in particular inner chaos, alienation and loneliness, and the decadent nature of society in general. These were viewed through skeptical lenses, deriving inspiration from Jean Paul Sartre (“I doubt, therefore I exist”), among other thinkers Much of Ananthamurthy’s work has looked at the changing nature of Indian society, particularly in relation to tradition. Samskara, one of his finest novels, tell us how the death of Naranappa, a Brahmin who eats meat, lives openly with a prostitute, mingles with Muslims and throws a shilagram into the river, causes much confusion. Blasphemous as he was, no one is willing to cremate him and yet his uncremated corpse casts a cloud of pollution over his community of Brahmins who must resort to ritual starvation. A severe critic of religion and caste and a Brahmin himself, Ananthamurthy also wrote Bharatipura (1973) about Englandreturned Jagannatha who tries hard to convince the lower castes in his village to enter a temple and break the myth surrounding this act and, by extension, their subjugation for thousands of years. Though his work has caused much uproar amongst Brahmins, he believes that it has reminded them of a necessary truth about themselves that must be faced. It is perhaps no wonder that Ananthamurthy has been given the Jnanpith Award, the highest literary honour in India. Standard. February 13, 2008. http://www.business-standard.com/india/news/ samskarathe-indian%60s-inner-prude/313534/ Accessed on 26-7-2012. 5. N. S. Raghunath. ‘The Navya Movement’. The Colloquim. http://thecolloquium. net/colloquium/index.php?option=com_content&id=187%3Athe-navyamovement&Itemid=307 Accessed on 26-7-2012. 6. Kumar Art Gallery website. http://www.kumargallery.com/new/artist/k_k_hebber.htm Accessed on 26-7-2012.

After some initial art training in Mysore, he went to the J. J. School of Art in 1934 where he came into contact with modern approaches and nontraditional techniques. Though he was invited to a part of the Progressive Artists’ Group, he declined even though the Group’s manifesto echoed some of his own concerns and his work shared some formal elements with that of the Group members. He went on to teach at the J. J. and eventually, traveled to Europe to study at the Académie Julian, Paris. Despite this exposure to the art of the West, Hebbar turned to the art forms and living traditions of his own culture for inspiration, especially folk or classical music, theatre and dance. He also studied Kathak for two years under the noted Pandit Sunder Prasad, which is supposed to have given his line lightness and fluidity. While the influence of Amrita Sher-Gill on Hebbar is apparent, in particular her depiction of daily life in India, Hebbar made figurative works as well as abstract landscapes. He was closely associated with intellectuals and writers from Karnataka, including Karanth, the poet D. R. Bendre, the folk historian K. S. Haridas Bhat and the writer N. Vyasaraya Ballal. Some have contended that he was conveniently categorized as a “regional artist” because the writing about him was mainly in Kannada and not translated, and the canon makers were referring primarily to English language sources. Others believe that rather than being seen only as an artist from Karnataka, he should be seen as an Indian artist. However he may be seen, it was what he saw and showed – aspects of his own culture – that mark him out.

7. H. A. Anil Kumar. ‘The Subversive Modernist’ Art Etc.: News and Views. http://www.artnewsnviews.com/view-article.php?article=the-subversive-modernist-k-khebbar&iid=30&articleid=850 Accessed on 26-7-2012. 8. Suresh Jayaram. ‘The Reluctant Fundamentalist’. ART India: The Art News Magazine of India. Volume XVI, Issue IV. April 2012. Pg. 118-121.

connect | ISSUE 2 - 2012

73

knowledgeHIVE

JSW has been actively involved in philanthropy, from setting up BPOs for women to restoring India’s architectural heritage. Here are some more examples of philanthropists and their exemplary work.

David Gilmour

Didier Drogba Didier Drogba isn’t only a footballer from the Ivory Coast. He is also a personification of peace in his country, which has seen years of conflict. The striker who has played for Chelsea has given back to his country too. He recently donated £4 million that he earned from his endorsement of Pepsi to charity. With this donation, a hospital and an orphanage will be built in Abidjan, the country’s capital. Drogba has also set up the Didier Drogba Foundation in 2007 to provide financial and material support towards health and education in Africa. Which team will Didier Drogba be joining next?

74

connect | ISSUE 2 - 2012

David Gilmour, singer and guitarist of the British rock band Pink Floyd, was made Commander of the Order of the British Empire in 2003 for years of philanthropy. That same year, he sold his London home for £3.6m and donated the entire amount to Crisis, a charity in London for the homeless. And the reticent Gilmour did this away from the public gaze. He has said, “I have a bugbear that there’s a lot of conscience-salving [that] goes on with putting on charitable events as vanity projects. Why can’t they just write out a cheque?” In fact, he silently donated to Crisis for years and when the organization discovered who he was, they asked him to become a vicepresident. He has, in that capacity, continued to quietly raise funds for the homeless. Who is responsible for convincing Gilmour to sell his London home and developing his social conscience?

Knowledge Hive

Philanthropists

Bono

Paul David Hewson, or Bono, the lead vocalist of Dublin-based rock band U2, has worked assiduously against poverty and disease, especially in Africa. He has garnered the support of governments, religious institutions, philanthropic organisations and businesses for charity. He has also sought to tie humanitarian relief with activism, art and corporate enterprise. Bono co-founded The One Campaign which negotiates with political leaders to implement policies that improve the lives of the African people, through education and healthcare. He also set up EDUN, an ethical clothing brand with his wife Ali. It supports manufacturing businesses in African countries and encourages trade with Africa. His has worked with Debt AIDS Trade Africa (DATA) against the spread of AIDS and for debt relief in Africa and also donated $50,000 to One in Four Ireland, a charity that works with survivors of sexual abuse.

John D. Rockefeller Ganesh Dutt Sir Ganesh Dutt Singh KCIE (1868– 1943) was the Minister of Local SelfGovernment in the British Government for the states of Bihar and Orissa. He contributed significantly to the improvement of education and health services in these states. Dutt saved nearly 75% of his salary every month for 14 years and gave it away to charitable causes which benefited widows, orphans and schools. Ganesh Dutt’s philanthropy helped to started one of oldest psychological service centres in East India. What was it called?

Founder of the Standard Oil Company, John D. Rockefeller (1839-1937) was more than just an oil magnate and the first American to be worth more than a billion dollars. After retiring in 1897, Rockefeller committed his life solely to philanthropy and, in many ways, he came up with a modern, systematic approach towards philanthropy that has been followed by many after him. He set up many foundations that supported work in the fields of medicine, education and scientific research, and this support led to research that helped to eradicate yellow fever and hookworm disease. He was also the founder of the University of Chicago and Rockefeller University. Which asteroid has been named after John D. Rockefeller?

What does Bono’s Fashion Brand EDUN aim to accomplish by selling products made in Africa?

connect | ISSUE 2 - 2012

75

FOOD FACTOR

“Let food be thy medicine and medicine be thy food” - Hippocrates

Hulli

B l!

W

hen a bowl of sambhar lands on a table, it’s time to stop talking about software. Science and savoury delights, in fact, fight for the first position in the mind of the Kannadigas. Interestingly, both are complex and simple at the same time. And you can find them across the world. Just like the wonder of science is realised in a flower as it is in an Android, the masala dosa can be found on Lexington Avenue and in Lalbaug. The Udupi restuarant may not be as omnipresent as the scientific formula, but

76

connect | ISSUE 2 - 2012

it is nonetheless a staple in almost every Indian home.

A common experience in most Indian cities is that of visiting the Udupi. A boy, usually in brown shorts and a shirt, will first come and wipe your steel table and place four glasses of water on it. Sometimes, his fingers might even be immersed in the water, but this is the price one pays – willingly – for the delight of Kannadiga fast food. Next the waiter will come to your table and even before you can take your eyes off the menu,

he will start rolling off the various dishes available. “Idli-Idli Vada-Idli SambharDahi Idli-Idli Fry-Schezwan Idli...” That so many varieties of a simple rice cake exist will give you the comfort that is only experienced at an Udupi and the novelty of the combinations will remind you about why you here. But you don’t really need to hear him out because you’ve already decided what you wanted before you entered. “Spring dosa!” you exclaim, amidst the fracas. “Spa-ring Dawsa!” your waiter screams to the

cook even before he reaches the kitchen. The assembly line in that stuffy room has begun sprinkling the water onto the hot tava, pouring the dosa mix slowly and then, speedily, with the bottom of a vati (steel bowl) spreading it into a perfect circle. No sooner have you’ve placed the order and looked up at your friend to chat than the dosa appears, magically, on the kitchen counter and is ferried as swifly to your table with wholesome coconut chutney and mouthwatering sambhar.

Food Factor There’s also the quinessential Mysore Dosa, with a thick coating of red hot chutney, and the easyto-scoop up Bisi Bele Bhath (Rice, dal and vegetables) served with fritters. But this, so far, is the story of a citybred individual’s fascination for South Indian fast food that is so very easy on the pocket. But Kannadiga cuisine has a personality of its own and it is as diverse as its people. Though it takes in influences from three neighbouring states as well as Maharashtra in the north, it is not as pungent as the cuisine of Andhra but almost as dependent on coconut as Keralite food. A typical Kannadiga Oota (Meal)

includes the following dishes served in the order in which they are mentioned, on the soft green plain of a banana leaf: Uppu (Salt), Kosambari (A salad made with pulses, seasoned with mustard seeds), Pickle, Palya (A dry, vegetable side dish), Gojju (A vegetable gravy), Raita, Thovve (Dal with ridegourd, bottle gourd or squash), Chitranna (A spicy rice-based dish), Rice and Ghee. The meal only begins once ghee is served to everyone. It is an indication that all the dishes have been served. There will be seconds, of course, but after those precious drops of ghee, you are ready to make smaller that big mound of rice staring at you.

Ah, but we seem to have forgotten the main ingredient of this Kannadiga thali! It is the array of ‘soups’ for lack of a better description. There is Sambhar or Hulli as it is locally known, in addition to Saaru (Rasam), Muddipalya (Toor dal cooked with spinach or fenugreek leaves) or Kootu (A vegebales and dal mix) which are eaten with hot rice. Also, fried items like Aambode (Dal vada) and Bonda (Aloo vada) are served. And any Indian meal cannot be complete without Mishthan or Mishti or Dessert, and in Karnataka, one is often served Huggi (Sweetened rice and moong dal) or

Kesari Bhath (Sweet saffron rice), among other sweet dishes. Finally, could a Kannadiga meal be complete without the whiff of the state’s coffee plantations tickling your nose? Filter coffee, poured several times over, from one container to another, is best had in a vati with care to see that neither the lips nor the fingers get burned. It’s worth the trouble, really, for no coffee chain cappucino can beat this deliciously strong caffeine drink that is common to the Southern states.

Food for Thought

“If more of us valued food and cheer above hoarded gold, it would be a much merrier world.”

- J.R.R. Tolkien

“One cannot think well, love well, sleep well, if one has not dined well.” - Virginia Woolf, A Room of One’s Own “There is no love sincerer than the love of food.” - George Bernard Shaw, Man and Superman “You can’t just eat good food. You’ve got to talk about it too. And you’ve got to talk about it to somebody

who understands that kind of food.” - Kurt Vonnegut, Jailbird “The preparation of good food is merely another expression of art, one of the joys of civilized living…” - Dione Lucas “When engaged in eating, the brain should be the servant of the stomach.” - Agatha Christie

“What is patriotism but the love of the food one ate as a child?”

- Lin Yutang

connect | ISSUE 2 - 2012

77

Leisure

S U D O K U QUIZ 2 5

8

9

2

8

9

4

7 7

H CAS N I O W UPT E Z PRI

00 0 1 . Rs

1

4

5

6

5

8

6 7

8 6

6 4

8

4

1

Winners of last Sudoku Last Issueâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Solution

78

7

1

3

2

4

9

6

5

8

5

2

8

3

1

6

9

7

4

6

4

9

7

5

8

2

1

3

9

6

7

1

8

3

4

2

5

4

8

5

6

2

7

1

3

9

1

3

2

4

9

5

8

6

7

3

7

4

8

6

2

5

9

1

2

9

1

5

3

4

7

8

6

8

5

6

9

7

1

3

4

2

connect | ISSUE 2 - 2012

2

1st

Vijay Goel, Mumbai

2nd

Megha Ramesh Shah, Mumbai

3rd

Viraj Dandekar, Mumbai

Please send the filled SUDOKU to Corporate Communications before 30th of November 2012

CUT HERE

3

6

CROSS WORD ACROSS 1. An elongated leather strip 6. Feudal worker 10. Smack 14. Habitual practice 15. Flower stalk 16. Marcel Marceau was one 17. Country estate 18. Concern 19. Portent 20. Creator 22. Monarch 23. Humdinger 24. A poor city district 26. Plateau 30. Rodent 31. Dawn goddess 32. Website addresses 33. Goulash 35. Grave marker 39. Agent 41. Demesnes 43. A chemical compound 44. Petty quarrel 46. Astrological transition 47. Ocean 49. Genus of macaws 50. Smooch 51. Anagram of â&#x20AC;&#x153;Stealsâ&#x20AC;? 54. Lean 56. Biblical kingdom 57. In a non-hurting manner 63. Barbershop emblem 64. Away from the wind 65. Relative magnitudes 66. Weightlifters pump this 67. Tins 68. Step 69. Fender blemish 70. The products of human creativity 71. Creepy

1

2

3

4

5

6

7

8

9

10

14

15

16

17

18

19

20

21

27

28

29

24 30

32

41 44

47 51

34

40

43

52

13

36

37

38

60

61

62

25

31

33

39

12

22

23 26

11

48

53

35 42

45

46

49

50

54

55

56

57

58

59

63

64

65

66

67

68

69

70

71

DOWN 1. Japanese wrestling 2. Russian emperor 3. Hindu princess 4. All excited 5. Risk 6. Intensifies 7. Ordinance 8. Roman emperor 9. Come forth 10. Chimney 11. Circumscribe 12. Catkin 13. Former Hungarian monetary unit

21. Medical professional 25. Party thrower 26. Speechless 27. Makes a mistake 28. A promiscuous woman 29. Appraisal 34. Fatigue 36. Decorative case 37. Not more 38. Vipers 40. Tall woody plant

42. Procrastinate 45. Hospital client 48. Lama pacos 51. Lukewarm 52. Love intensely 53. Sage 55. Brusque 58. Winglike 59. Satisfy 60. Sun 61. 53 in Roman numerals 62. Bygone era

connect | ISSUE 2 - 2012

79

The Last Word Then a ploughman said, “Speak to us of Work.” And he answered, saying: You work that you may keep pace with the earth and the soul of the earth. For to be idle is to become a stranger unto the seasons, and to step out of life’s procession, that marches in majesty and proud submission towards the infinite. When you work you are a flute through whose heart the whispering of the hours turns to music. Which of you would be a reed, dumb and silent, when all else sings together in unison? Always you have been told that work is a curse and labour a misfortune. But I say to you that when you work you fulfil a part of earth’s furthest dream, assigned to you when that dream was born, And in keeping yourself with labour you are in truth loving life, And to love life through labour is to be intimate with life’s inmost secret.

The Prophet by Khalil Gibran (Publisher - Alfred A Knopf , New York , 1992)

Published by JSW Group. For Internal Circulation only.