Feb 2017

January issue was different!

So, at last I got the chance to meet your team during PBD at Bengaluru. As a regular reader of your interesting magazine, I really found amazing memories after meeting with your Consulting Editor Mr. Chakravarthi Suchindran. He is quite knowledgeable & polite in talking.

I really want to get associated with your magazine in one way or the other. Although I work in an IT company where working hours are really odd but I would surely like to share my passion of writing on technical topics with an intention to see them published in your esteemed magazine.

Please show me the way.

Thanks

Vaishnavi Chandran, Bengaluru

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çßc‡æé ·ë¤c‡ææ, ×ñâêÚU, ·¤ÙæüÅU·¤

AJAY SINGH

(Former High Commissioner, Fiji)

RAJEEV GUPTA

B.K. AGGARWAL

SUSHIL TAYAL

CHAKRAVARTHI SUCHINDRAN

VINOD BEHL RA mAN SWA m I

SANDIP THAKUR H ARISH SINGH KIROLA m ILI GUPTA

AJEET VER mA S U m IT SINGH

RAJ UPPAL (NORTH A m ERICA)

SANJAY KU mAR (EUROPE)

AJAY AGGARWAL (U K)

PRE m CHAND RA m LOCHUN ( mAURITIUS)

RAJIV KU mAR ( ITALY )

RAVI KU mAR (FRANCE)

BALESH DHANKHAR (AUSTRALASIA)

SU mAN KAPOOR (NEW ZEALAND)

S URAJ DA COSTA (UAE)

VIJAY mALIK ( BELGIU m) JYOTHI VENKATESH ( m U m BAI)

D R. mADHVI mOHINDRA (AUS.) G AUTA m I

RAJEEV TYAGI

SU m IT SINGH JAND CHANDER m OHAN AARTI BAGARKA

IS mAIL KHAN (NORTH A m ERICA) DR. HARRY DHANJU (CANADA) m.S. SHALI (UK)

mANJIT NIJJAR (UK) m OHAN GUNTI (ASEAN)

RAJKU mAR YADAV SUNNY VYAS JOGINDER mALIK SHIKHA CHOPRA m UKESH SAINI m UKESH KASHIWALA AR. VIVEK KHURANA mONIKA G ULYANI CENTRAL NEWS AGENCY PVT. LTD. S.P. PANDEY SUCHI DINESH SHAR mA R AHUL R AKESH L ALIT SINGH mANRAL DR. RAJA VOHRA

intensity, fire, enthusiasm...

hile participating as the official media partners of PBD-2017 this year too, held in Bengaluru, Karnataka from January 07 to 09, we for the first time experienced & noticed how our magazine had come to become an important and integral part of this hallmark event hosted and held by the Central and Karnataka governments, not to mention our burgeoning Indiaspora worldwide.

We had put up a small stall in the main Exhibition Hall – the first, where our team of five, consisting of myself, our consulting editor Chakravarthi Suchindran, Business correspondents Sumit Singh and Arvind Pawar & our photographer Yugesh Verma were interacting with visitors – mostly NRIs, PIOs and OCIs. The experience of interacting with so many of our diasporic brethren atop a single platform was not merely an enriching one, but one that never ceased to amaze us with the breadth and depth our diaspora has managed to spread across in nations the world over. In all, we must have met about a 1000 odd individuals, out of whom some 600 were NRIs, PIOs & OCIs. This time round, the maximum numbers of Indiaspora came from the USA, UK, Mauritius, the GCC countries (Bahrain, Qatar, UAE, Kuwait et al), Italy, the Netherlands, Portugal, Suriname, Malaysia, Srilanka, Singapore, and many more. Many of the people we met were simply pleased that there was indeed a dedicated magazine exclusively dealing with diaspora affairs and highlighting their success stories.

While some were already acquainted with our magazine and happened to have come across it earlier, this PBD also humbled us a few notches, even as participant response for subscriptions scaled new heights. Our interactions with all those who stopped by at our quaint little stall saw us sharing our thoughts and ideas, the little initiatives that we have planned and are in the pipeline, and discussing some of our future plans, which we had displayed at the PBD – like bringing out an International Directory of NRIs, PIOs & OCIs, our proposed Awards & TV programme, the Coffee Table Book project … everything on and for the Diaspora. During this three day event numerous overseas Indians came by and posed happily for our cameras, an experience not very easy to forget for a long long time … maybe till the next PBD?

Some shared really amazing information with us about their lives, social experiences, the difficulties they faced, their family achievements, work matters, community work, their love for India, and took time to nattered with us about politics, demonetization, forthcoming state elections in UP, Goa, Punjab, Utrakhand … and anything and everything. One thing is for sure – they all love India in their hearts and souls, even if quite a few still tend to comparing Indian negatives with the positives in the countries of their residence. All said and done, the interactions and discussions did bare a few inevitable truths – like … as they live ‘Saat samundar par,’ they live together as a well-knit single family and they never fight with each other on any issue. To keep this bonding intact, they invariably tend to celebrate every festival irrespective of where in India they originally harked from – be it south, north, east or west.

When Mr. R. V. Deshpande, Karnataka’s longest-serving minister for Large & Medium Industries & Infrastructure Development visited our stall, his first query to us was whats’ this all about, as his government had just launched an ‘NRI Forum’ and announced a new policy for NRIs. On telling him our goals, not only was he pleased and appreciative of our efforts, but he also promoised us his help and involvement in voicing Karnataka’s NRI policies and other activities through our magazine. Ms. Arathi Krishna, the newly appointed Deputy Chairperson of the ‘NRI Forum Karnataka’, also visited our stall, and was really impressed after seeing our story on Karnataka in our January issue.

Now we think that this is an apt enough time for us to start seriously working on our new projects with all the intensity, fire and enthusiasm, to bring about desirable outcomes well before the next PBD dawns on us.

- Rajeev Gupta

PM NARENDRA MODI’S MESSAGE

In the runup to the Pravasi Bharatiya Diwas 2017 that was held in Karnataka at Bengaluru during 7th to 9th January 2017, we had written to the Prime Minister, requesting his office to favour us with a message we could carry in our Issue that was to be available onsite at the PBD 2017. While the message did ultimately come from the PMO, it however reached us too late for publication, and it wasn’t possible to ‘stop-press.’ We are therefore carrying the message in this Issue, which apropos is thematically focused both on the PBD as well as on the efforts by various indian states to independently engage with the diaspora.

In a few days from now I am going to be in Bengaluru to address the Pravasi Bharatiya Divas, where I will interact with several members of the diaspora. It is always special to connect with the Indian diaspora, which has made India very proud at the world stage and spread the values and cultures of India to every part of the world.

The Government of India is doing everything possible to further deepen the outreach with the diaspora. From strengthening processes at our embassies and consulates to facilitating easier travel to India, the Government of India is working to further deepen the bond with our vibrant diaspora.

I am sure you have lots to share with me and I am also eager to hear from you! I urge you to write to me on a specially created open forum on the ‘Narendra Modi Mobile App’ in the runup to the 2017 PBD. Your views will surely be very enriching.

Dear RAJEEV GUPTA Ji, Namaste!

Jai Hind!

Narendra Modi

A CELEBRATION OF INDIA’S UNITY IN DIVERSITY

oing back to the opening lines of our last editorial, the dawning of a fresh new year is oft manifst with brimming with hope and optimism. This mood of exhuberance and the myriad opportunities that come along with it give us many chances to try our hands at making our world a much better place to live in. This atmosphere and ambiance was very much prdominant during the Pravasi Bharatiya Diwas that took place in Bengaluru this January, which incidentally is the focus of our issue this month. From our Prime Minister to the people from his government, to world leaders who graced the occassion and the diaspora who arrived in large numbers for the event, all had definite expectations and plans charted out for enhancing India’s diaspora connect both qualitatively and quantitatively.

Amidst the many uproots and upheavals 2016 was so characteristic of – from a whole slew of messy wars in our neighbourhood and the resulting frenzied mass-migrations that are upsetting applecarts everywhere, to the ever looming threat of global extremism and insurgency/terrorism – having its roots in Syria and elsewhere; the crumbling of longstanding alliances and allegiances – Brexit is an apt example; the tectonic shift in American policy being helmed by a newly elected Donald Trump that vows to put America first and the world after that; Demonetisation and the resulting fiscal agony in India – all of these contributed to make things a mite difficult for us here on multiple fronts, though there are of course many silver linings to most of these dark clouds on the horizon behind us. Only ‘change’ is permanent, and perforce India too has to change. For the better.

We have had a new budget, plauded by many pundits as a commonerfriendly one – with a slew of subtext in it that promises a reform regime that will usher in our own flavour of ‘perestroika.’ one could go on about these trends in more detail, but an editorial is not the place for such soul-searching or analysis. Suffice to say we in NRI Achievers are fully grasped of these realities and are at work to shape and reforge our own outputs with content that is more releavent for our times and climes. An approach that will mean a more meaningful role for us as a diaspora bridge, with the responsibility to cater more precisely to the needs of our audiences spanning five continents, with incisive information, news-worthy features and insightful analysis.

And in tune with this newly adopted resolution of ours, we bring you an issue that takes you on a tour of the PBD, offers you profiles of interesting people, opinions from key decision-makers and analysts, as well as entertain you with our usual repertoire of themes, subjects and commentary. As promised last month, we have intensified our connect with the mandarins handling Overseas Indian Affairs, and will interface you with the Ministry from the next month – on a forum to voice and attract attention to diaspora issues.

We urge you to pay attention to the changes sweeping our matrix, and comment, give feedback to us if it suits you more ... have a great month ahead, we will be back with another pathbreaking issue next month. Until then!

- Chakravarthi Suchindran

TWO SHAHS FROM RIVAL PARTIES GET KEY POSTS SOARES UPHELD INDIA’S SOVEREIGNTY OVER GOA

Two Indian American men with exactly the same name — same spelling, inflection and intonation — grabbed the hot-new-hires limelight in diametrically different spheres, each no less influential than the other. Raj Shah, in the order of announcements, was named by US President Donald Trump as his deputy assistant and deputy communications director and research director, a role that will have him dig dirt on his boss’s opponents. The other Raj Shah, according to the more recent announcement, will head the Rockefeller Foundation, one of America’s largest and most influential philanthropies, becoming at 43 its youngest and first Indian American CEO. He is the better known Raj Shah.

They are nothing alike — one is 43, the other is 31; and they come from opposite sides of the political divide. Republican Raj Shah will be Trump’s fourth Indian American in his administration; the older Raj Shah had a meteoric rise on the other side of the political divide that made him the senior-most Indian American in the Obama administration for many years, as the USAID chief.

FIVE SIKHS WITH RELIGIOUS INSIGNIA JOIN US ARMY

Five Sikhs have been granted approval to serve in the United States army with their religious insignia intact, days after the US army issued a new rule under which servicemen who wear turbans, hijabs or beards can be enrolled in the military. This is the largest induction of Sikhs into the US armed forces after the DoD had banned visible articles of faith in 1981. The new rules made public on January 4 this year eliminate bureaucratic hurdles that had previously discriminated against Sikhs.

Mario Soares, former Portugal President and PM who signed the 1974 India-Portugal treaty recognising India’s sovereignty over Goa, Daman, Diu, Nadra and Nagar Haveli as part of the country’s decolonisation process, passed away on 7th Jan 2017, aged 92. One of the most influential politicians in Portuguese history, Soares was the external affairs minister when the treaty was signed with former minister for external affairs Yashwantrao Chavan in New Delhi, soon after the ‘Carnation Revolution’ of April 1974 that returned democracy to Portugal. Soares faced some criticism at that time, for allegedly ‘handing over’ Goa to India without seeking the views of Goans about their political future. Until the treaty was signed, Portugal continued its claim to Goa at the UN, refusing to recognise its liberation by India in 1961. The ChavanSoares treaty marked the resumption of diplomatic ties between India and Portugal, frozen after India liberated the former Portuguese colonies in December 1961. Soares was a fierce critic of dictator Antonio de Oliveira Salazar, who tried to hold on to Goa, and was overthrown in the 1974 revolution.

DONALD'S FIRM DUMPS PUNE REALTY PROJECT

The new US President Donald Trump is reported to have jettisoned his association with realty projects in several countries, including the one in India that had attracted intense scrutiny soon after his election. The Trump organisation will discontinue ‘exploratory’ talks over projects in Pune, India and in Buenos Aires, Argentina, according to the TycoonPresident's attorney Alan Garten. In August 2014, impressed by the sample flat on the first floor of the 23-floor Trump Towers built by Panchshil Realty in Kalyaninagar in Pune, Donald

Trump had said his organisation could be open to future investments in the

city. But now, real-estate developer Panchshil Realty has said the plan for a second project with Trump Organization in Pune had been dropped long ago, as it is thought the environment in Pune is not conducive for sale of luxury projects. “Nobody buys a INR 20 crore flat here,” says Atul Chordia, Chairman of Panchshil Realty. “I don't know what happens now with so many questions raised. Yes, he was interested at that point. But now we don't know what will happen,” says Sagar Chordia, Atul's brother and a director of the group.

NITA AMBANI HONOURED BY THE MET FOR PHILANTHROPY

Impressed by the diversity and scale of work carried out by the Reliance Foundation, the Met (the Metropolitan Museum of Art), recognised as one of the most iconic museums in the world, has chosen to honour Nita Ambani, it’s founder and chairperson for her philanthropic work in the areas of education, sports, healthcare, rural transformation, urban renewal, disaster response, women's empowerment and promotion of the arts, making her the first South Asian to be so honoured by the museum. The Met is currently located at three celebrated sites of New York -The Met Fifth Avenue, The Met Breuer, and The Met Cloisters – and houses over 5,000 years

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of art from around the world. The Reliance foundation’s work has so far benefited some 10 million Indians, touching the lives of individuals across more than 10,500 urban areas and villages. Nita Ambani says: “I am delighted and humbled by this honour. It is truly gratifying that our efforts are bringing smiles to millions of people. This recognition from a distinguished global institution like The Met is a tribute to our commitment towards sustainable development and social empowerment, and will inspire each one of us at the Foundation to constantly do our best to make the world a better place for the next generation.“

SIKH GALA TO HELP FINANCIALLY STRAPPED STUDENTS

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CANADA’S TURBAN-TYING, BHANGRA-DANCING MAYOR WINS HEARTS

The Video of a Canadian mayor dancing to Bhangra and learning how to tie a turban went viral and was hailed on social media for celebrating the country’s diversity. In the video posted on Facebook, Dan Curtis, the mayor of Whitehorse – the capital of Yukon state – is given a tutorial on tying a Sikh turban followed by a lesson on bhangra. “It’s been an experience I’ll remember for my whole life,” Curtis said at the end of the seven-minute video posted earlier this month by dancer Gurdeep Pandher. “Thank you for bringing diversity to our city, our territory and our country...

A Sikh gala in the US has raised US$ 250,000 (around INR 1.68 crore) to support necessary funding for financially strapped students in Punjab and neighbouring states. The funds raised at the gala organised by SHDF (the Sikh Human Development Fund), would facilitate provision of scholarships to 700 bright stu-

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dents unable to pursue studies due to lack of money. According to Manpreet Singh, a board member of the Foundation, 539 scholarships were awarded in 2016. According to estimates – over 65% of these students are from rural Punjab and around 75% of them constitute the fairer sex. According to Rajwant Singh, the outreach director of the SHDF foundation, “The need is much greater and ours is still a very small effort. There are thousands of students who are unable to pursue their dreams due to their difficult family circumstances. A lot more needs to be done and we hope people from all over the world will join us in this endeavour".

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THIRD TIME PRIMADUTA AWARDEE 2016 – FAKIH GROUP OF COMPANIES

The Fakih Group of Companies, headed by Managing Director Mr. Fakih N.P., received for the 3rd time the Primaduta award 2016 at the Indonesian Consulate in Dubai, presented by H.E. Arzaf F. Firman, Consul General of the Republic of Indonesia. The Indonesian diplomatic delegation was also present during this the honouring function and joined in for the celebration. Humbled and honoured with the award, the Fakih Group of Companies, in partnership with the Indonesian government, con-

PIO ENTREPRENEUR MAY GET TOP FDA JOB

Indian-American Balaji Srinivasan, a Silicon Valley-based entrepreneur and CEO of a bitcoin startup, may be Donald Trump's pick to lead the Federal Drug Administration. Srinivasan has met Trump at the Trump Towers, but no official announcement has been made yet, though incoming White House press secretary Sean Spicer had said that Balaji was under consideration for the position: “Srinivasan along with Jim O'Neill, MD of Mithril Capital Management, are being considered for the FDA post.” Srinivasan currently serves as the CEO and cofounder of 21.co and is a partner in Andreessen Horowitz. “He has won FDA approval as a genomics entrepreneurial,“ he said. On his website, Balaji describes himself as a computer scientist, investor, entrepreneur, and academic. He holds a BS, MS, and PhD in electrical engineering and an MS in chemical engineering from Stanford. He was among the few Silicon Valley leaders to have supported Trump.

tinually supports in the promotion of arts and crafts development, empowering women and increasing job opportunities in Indonesian villages.

INDIAN-AMERICAN CHILD PRODIGY RELEASES ALBUM IN 6 LANGUAGES

Tiara Thankam Abraham, an Indian-American child prodigy, has recently released her first album, a collection of nine world holiday songs, in six languages. Tiara’s album is titled ‘Winter Nightingale’ and contains her renditions of some classic carols and holiday songs – sung in English, Spanish, Italian, German, Latin and French.

DESI COMEDIAN CRACKS LAUGH CEILING, TO HOST SNL

Indian-Americans have been taking a crack at the glass ceiling in almost every profession of note in the US, from political office to corporate leadership, with chart-topping performances in areas ranging from academia to entertainment. Now, a “desi” performer has burst to the acme of the comedic world, cracking what is considered the ultimate laugh ceiling in the humour business. Comedian Aziz Ansari, son of immigrants from Chennai, became the first person of Indian-origin to host NBC’s acclaimed “Saturday Night Live” starting January 21. The gig comes on top of a rollicking year for Ansari, who

won his first Emmy (outstanding writing for a comedy series) after earning a total of four nominations for his Netflix series “Master of None”. Only two celebrities of Asian descent –Jackie Chan and Lucy Liu – have hosted the show before, according to a demographic breakdown put out by IndieWire.

US NRI PROFESSOR BESTOWED TOP MEDICAL AWARD

Dr. Samba Reddy, Professor of Medicine at the Texas A&M University has been bestowed the prestigious international award of a ‘Fellow of the American Epilepsy Society’ (FAES) – a lifetime professional honour in recognition of his accomplishments and dedication to excellence in treating epilepsy around the world. In appreciation of the US Dr. Michael D. Privitera, MD, President, American Epilepsy Society, said, “Your commitment to the epilepsy community and the American Epilepsy Society are commendable. Thanks to your efforts and leadership, we collectively are able to advance the science and care for people with epilepsy”.

IN A FIRST, INDIAN-AMERICAN WOMAN ELECTED AS MAYOR

The new Mayor of Californian city Cupertino, globally known for its Apple headquarters, is an Indian-American woman, a first for any US city. Savita Vaidhyanathan is the first Indian-American Mayor of Cupertino, which according to Forbes is one of the most educated small towns in the country, with local public schools ranking highly. "This is definitely a very momentous time in my life," Vaidhyanathan told a packed house at community hall in Cupertino. She has been a Cupertino resident for around 20 years and has been deeply involved in several community activities in the city. She was sworn in recently in a ceremony attended by her mother who flew in from India. Ms. Vaidhyanathan is an MBA and working as a high school Maths teacher and an officer in a commercial bank as well as in non-profit management.

NRI SURGEON ACCORDED UK PROFESSORSHIP AWARD

Professor Anan Shetty, an NRI orthopedic knee surgeon has been awarded the Hunterian Professorship and Medal for 2017 by UK’s Royal College of Surgeons, for his research on stem cells in articular cartilage repair. Apart from his surgical innovations, he is the first surgeon to use robotics in arthroscopic knee surgery in the world and gel-based cartilage repair surgery in the UK. "The Hunterian Professorship is considered one of the proudest traditional honours of the college bestowed on surgeons of eminence who have richly contributed to the field of surgery by original research or innovations.

FOUR YOUNG NRI SCIENTISTS SELECTED FOR US PECASE AWARD

Outgoing US President Barack Obama has chosen four IndianAmerican scientists among 102 researchers for the US Presidential Early Career Awards for Scientists and Engineers (PECASE). These young Indian-American scientists are selected for the highest honour specified to science and engineering professionals in the incumbent stages of their research careers for keeping the US on the cutting edge by their innovations. The list includes Pankaj

INDIAN-ORIGIN JOURNALIST

BECOMES

CHANCELLOR OF UK UNIVERSITY

A journalist of Indian-origin, Ranvir Singh, 39, has taken over as Chancellor of the University of Central Lancashire (UCLan) in northwest England. She becomes the third Chancellor of the university in Preston, the city she grew up in and completed a post-graduate Diploma in Broadcast Journalism from, in the year 2000. "I am immensely proud to accept the University's offer of becoming its new Chancellor. I am Preston born and bred, I studied for my post-graduate degree in journalism here and the experience helped to shape me and my career….. In fact, had this ceremony been on any other day I'd have been covering Donald Trump's inauguration in Washington", says Ms. Singh on her appointment.

Lal from Montclair State University’s Department of Agriculture; Kaushik Chowdhury from Northeastern University’s Department of Defense; Manish Arora from the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai’s Department of Health and Human Services; and Aradhna Tripati from the UCLA’s National Science Foundation. Congratulating the awardees, the outgoing President said, "I congratulate these outstanding scientists and engineers on their impactful work.

PIO WINS MALAYSIA MISS UNIVERSE TITTLE 2016

A 20-year-old Sikh girl will represent Malaysia at the Miss Universe 2016 finals at Manila.

Kiranmeet Kaur Baljeet Singh Jassal, who had won the Miss Universe Malaysia title in 2016 and was awarded the ‘Miss My Dentist Winning Smile’ subsidiary title as well. Kiran's is a family that shifted to Malaysia decades ago and is based in the suburbs of Subang Jaya town of Selangor state.

NRI Achievers News Network

Kaushik ChowdhuryManish Arora

Pankaj Lal Aradhna Tripati

GALAXY C9 PRO IN INDIA

Samsung launches its Galaxy C9 Pro in India. Powered by a 64-bit OctaCore Processor, a massive 6GB of RAM and an inbuilt memory of 64GB that is expandable up to 256GB, backed by a biggish battery power, with a superb 16MP front and rear camera with f1.9 lens for brilliant photos even in low light conditions, it is quite a handful. The Samsung Galaxy C9 Pro will be available in two colours – black and gold. The device is expected to become available across all retail channels during the latter half of February 2017, and will retail at a price of INR 36,900.

READY TO EAT PRODUCTS

Bikano has launched its ‘Ready to EAT’ products like Rajma, Sarson-KaSaag, Shahi Paneer, Dal Makhani, Choley et al in the market. These products take less time to cook, and all the products are made from healthy ingredients that are rich in nutrients.

A TEXAS CARDIOLOGIST DESIGNS AN APP FOR THE HEART

‘CardioVisual’ is a simple yet powerful educational tool that allows healthcare professionals to engage and easily inform and educate their patients with accurate and unbiased information about their cardiovascular ailments and treatments. CardioVisual saves physicians’ time and increases efficiency, while improving quality of their communication. CardioVisual is accessible on any iOS or Android mobile device or tablet. For information do visit www. cardiovisual.com

HINDUJA LEYLAND FINANCE RAISES RS250 CR SPICEJET SET TO BUY 90 JETS FROM BOEING

Hinduja Leyland Finance Ltd (HLF), the commercial vehicle financing unit of Ashok Leyland Ltd, has raised Rs250 cr. (about $37 million) from existing investors— Hinduja group entities and private equity investor Everstone Capital—through a rights issue. HLF is owned by Ashok Leyland and other entities of the Hinduja Group. “The rights issue saw participation from all existing shareholders including Ashok Leyland Ltd and Everstone Capital. Ashok Leyland being the largest shareholder, invested around Rs145 cr. through the rights issue,” according to the reports. All Hinduja group entities together owned around 84.63%, while Everstone Capital held a 14% stake. According to media reports, In July 2013, Everstone had invested Rs200 cr in Hinduja Leyland Finance Ltd. Everstone is an India- and Southeast Asia-focused private equity and real estate investment firm with assets under management of $3.3 billion.

Targeting expansion & to tap into the South Asian nation's booming air travel market, low cost carrier SpiceJet is set to seal an order for at least 90 new 737 jets from Boeing, our sources told recently. The announcement for the 737 MAX aircraftwhich includes at least 42 of the narrow body jets SpiceJet had previously agreed to buy from Boeing in 2014 - is expected as early as in the first quarter of 2017, the sources who were familiar with the matter, said. An agreement with SpiceJet, which has a current fleet of 40 planes, would be a much-needed boost for Boeing in India, as its rival Airbus has won record-sized orders with InterGlobe Aviation's IndiGo, India's biggest budget airline, as well as a recent deal with GoAir.

NRI Achievers Business Network

TOP POSTINGS

S B NAYAR, IIFCL. Government has extended the tenure of S B Nayar as the Chairman and MD of IIFCL (the India Infrastructure Finance Company Ltd) for another 6 months until June this year, with the Appointments Committee of Cabinet having given its approval for the extension. Mr. Nayar was appointed in 2013 and had completed his threeyear term.

SHRI KISHORE CHANDRA DAS, RINL. Shri Kishore Chandra Das has been appointed the Director (Personnel) at the Rashtriya Ispat Nigam Limited (RINL). Sri Das has vast experience of 29 years in core Human Resources Management with a proven track record. The major areas of his contributions during his professional career are primarily in Industrial Relations, Human Resource Development and Skill Development.

DR P V RAMESH, REC. Dr. P V Ramesh has been appointed as the Chairman and MD of REC (the Rural Electrification Corporation Limited) on the 5th of January, 2017. He is an IAS officer of the 1985 batch belonging to the Andhra Pradesh Cadre.

SHRI S GOPU, ITI LTD . Shri S Gopu has been given additional charge as the CMD of ITI Limited. Our consistent effort towards transforming ITI Ltd into a progressive company has been taking shape and re-enhancing our glory,” says Shri S Gopu, the new CMD of ITI Limited.

GANGOPADHYAY, PFC. Shri Chinmoy Gangopadhyay has been appointed as Director (Projects) of PFC. Mr. Gangopadhyay is a graduate in Electrical Engineering from IIT Kharagpur and an MBA from FMS. He has more than 35 years of experience in the power sector, serving organizations like NTPC, PFC and PFCCL. He has also served as the CEO of PFC Consulting Ltd.

VED PRAKASH MAHAWAR, ONGC, ON IIM BOARD. Shri Ved Prakash Mahawar, ONGC’s Director (Onshore), has been nominated as a Member of the Society and Board of Governors of IIM Rohtak by the Government of India.

AWARDS & HONOR

QCFI AWARD FOR BEST PSU 2016. RINL bagged the prestigious award “QCFI award for Best Public Sector organisation 2016,” for carrying out innovations in its operational efficiency and contributing towards implementation of Quality Circles for the 6th time.

VAJRA AWARD FOR NTPC TALCHER KANIHA. NTPC Talcher Kaniha has been awarded the "Winner” of the Prestigious 'Vajra' award for 'Power Generation' –Best Performing Thermal & Conventional Energy Project' during the "10th Enertia Awards 2016 – India & South Asia’s Awards for Excellence in Sustainable Energy & Power” held in New Delhi. The award was received by Shri L D Sahoo, GM (O & M).

CMD BHEL HONOURED AS EMINENT ENGINERING PERSONALITY. Atul Sobti, CMD of BHEL, was honoured as one of the country’s eminent engineering personalities by the The Instituition of Engineers (India) for his notable achievements and contribution to the engineering profession.

NTPC KORBA RECEIVES GLOBAL ENERGY MANAGEMENT AWARD 2017. Shri Prakash Tiwari, Group GM, Korba received the award at a function in New Delhi on 12th January 2017, in the Thermal Power category for excellence in energy efficiency. The award was given by the South Asia Forum for Energy Efficiency (SAFEE) to acknowledge and encourage entrepreneurship that promotes efficiency, especially in the energy sector.

SECI RECEIVES CBIP AWARD. Solar Energy Corporation of India Limited (SECI) has been awarded by the Central Board of Irrigation Power (CBIP), for ‘Outstanding Contribution to the Nation in the Development of Clean Renewable Energy’. The Award was presented by Dr. Sanjeev Kumar Balyan, Union Minister of State, Water Resources, River Development & Ganga Rejuvenation to Dr. Ashvini Kumar, Managing Director, SECI recently.

NRI Achievers Corporate Network

REPOWERING THE MOTHERLAND... …THROUGH EMPOWERING THE DIASPORA

On the 5th & 6th of January 2017, immediately preceding the Pravasi Bharatiya Diwas 2017, the customary 2-day convention of GOPIO, the Global Organization of People of Indian Origin, took place in Bengaluru. With the theme of ‘empowering the diaspora to repower the motherland,’ the two day meet had interesting sessions that discussed diaspora affairs, and the opportunities that are today being thrown up by a fast growing India, eager to carry its diaspora along with it as part of its growth story. NRI Achievers was there to observe and assimilate the ideas, and here is our report on the GOPIO convention …

The 2017 GOPIO convention at Bengaluru struck the right note in articulating problems faced by the Diaspora. PIOs/ NRIs from over 60 countries who had gathered in Bengaluru under the shadow of demonetization, had the opportunity to exchange views on the diverse issues that dog the Pravasis. Speaker after speaker spoke of cash crunches following demonetization of the old 1000 and 500 rupee notes. Through several sessions, GOPIO managed to put across to the government the difficulties faced by NRIs/PIOs due to the note ban. A resolution passed by GOPIO specifically requested the government to make the exchange of demonetized notes held by NRIs trouble-free. Another issue that fig-

ured prominently in the discussions was the inadequate representation of GOPIO in the PBD event. Chairman Dr. Thomas Abraham, President Niraj Baxi and Global Ambassador Sunny Kulathakal aired GOPIO's disappointment over this development. The Minister of State for External Affairs, Shri M J Akbar, who inaugurated the two-day convention promised to look into the complaint.

The idea 'GOPIO means business' got a boost in Bengaluru, brightening the prospect of broadening business linkages of the Diaspora with the motherland. Two sessions on start-ups, while touching on the emerging scenario in the fastest growing sector, also explored possibilities of NRI partnerships and investments. A brief on the impending launch of the proposed GOPIO Chamber of Commerce was also shared with participants.

M J Akbar, in his inaugural speech to the gathering, appreciated the role NRIs in strengthening relations between India and other countries. “India will have its first-ever strategic discussion with the UAE on Jan 20 and Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, crown prince of Abu Dhabi, will be our guest at the Republic Day,” he said. “The External Affairs Ministry will soon launch portals to help Indians who are travelling abroad in search of jobs,” he shared. On demonetization, he said, “A single, historic move by the Prime Minister has converted black money into white and this will now be used for the nation’s development.”

Highlighting the significant role that global Indians had played in strengthening international relations, Akbar said, "Once, we had this song, 'Mera joota hai Japani'. India no longer buys shoes from Japan. We are, in fact, in talks with Japan to build high-speed

railway corridors. Nor is India buying Lal Topis (Red hats) from Russia. Instead, we are strengthening our defense, space and nuclear ties with Russia, besides becoming a major defense partner for America. This has materialized largely because of the global Indians in these countries," Akbar said. He also referred to the bilateral agreements signed with Gulf countries to ensure a better deal for Indian workers. In this connection he lauded the initiatives taken by External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj to solve problems faced by Indians abroad. Thomas Abraham, Chairman GOPIO, raised the issue of provisions for NRIs to exchange old currency. “We are thankful that the deadline has been extended to June 30. However, notes can be exchanged only in certain branches of the RBI. For a few thousand rupees, people cannot travel to a different city.” To ensure that the money does not go waste, he requested the government make provisions for NRIs to exchange notes in other banks.

President of GOPIO Niraj Bakshi told Akbar that the body had played a vital role in helping the government formulate the idea of PBD. "We have requested the government to allow our members to speak on this occasion, since we will be able to present the problems faced by the Diaspora in a more convincing manner. However, a former GOPIO president, who was impeached, has been selected to speak at PBD. We hope we will be represented in the coming events," Bakshi added. Akbar said that he had

received a complaint in this regard, and would look into the same. Rajeev Chandrasekhar, MP, in his keynote address, said that NRIs were a powerful asset to the country. "The process of institutionalizing the NRI and PIO communities is a long one. Many problems they are faced with today are very old. However, the principle of 'leaving no Indian behind', which the Centre has espoused is starting to yield results," Chandrasekhar added.

Justice Gopala Gowda called for empowering the Indian Diaspora, which in turn would, according to him, bolster the country. Raj Purohit, MLA and Chief Whip of the BJP in Maharashtra, used the occasion to praise demonetization, which he described as a fight against corruption. He wanted the expatriate Indian community to back PM Modi in his efforts to transform India through various programmes like make in India and Swach Bharat.

Describing himself as a soldier for the GOPIO, motivational speaker and author Shiv Khera stressed the relevance and importance of the three ‘P’ skills — people skills, persuasive skills and prioritizing skills. Khera opined that the reservation policy in the country had outlived its utility and

needed to change. "Reservation should not be based on caste, but education and economy. GOPIO should work with the government, and press for these changes," he said.

On the second day, there were sessions devoted to multiple topics of interest for the Diaspora. Interesting presentations on diverse subjects were made - on women’s empowerment, social India with focus on rural hinterlands, issues of the underprivileged, the proposed GOPIO Chamber of Commerce, Start-up India and Startup pitchathon were avidly participated in. At the valedictory function CM of Karnataka Siddaramaiah presented the GOPIO community service awards to six eminent NRIs who have excelled in their professions and contributed substantially to the cause of the Indian communities abroad and at home. Recepients were Dr Abraham M George, Chandu Patel, Nallandra Naidu, Dr Ram Buxani, Dr George Cherian and Vinod Patel. While appreciating GOPIO's role in promoting the interests of Pravasis, the CM urged NRIs to build schools and hospitals in their native states. Referring to the new NRI policy unveiled by his government, he asserted that it aims to help residents from the state working abroad. Arathi Krishna, Deputy Chairman, NRI Forum, Karnataka extended all support to GOPIO convention.

M K Chandra Bose is a Bangalore - based senior journalist with almost four decades of exposure to mainstream print media

DIASPORA CONNECT

India has, for quite a while now, been cognizant of the myriad benefits accruable from engaging with its Diaspora worldwide, who by far constitute the largest diaspora population in the world – with an estimated 16 million people from India holding Indian passports living outside their country in 2015, according to a latest UN survey on international migrant trends. Apart from these ‘NRIs,’ if we also include people of Indian origin who had left Indian shores in earlier waves of migration over the last few centuries like the PIOs and OCIs, the figure notch up an even larger number – an estimated 30 million people worldwide.

The then PM Atal Behari Vajpayee had set the ball rolling with the creation of a “new” Ministry of Overseas Indian Affairs, and instituting an annual ‘Pravasi Bharatiya Diwas’ to act as a platform linking our Diaspora with their roots. From then till now, much water has proverbially flown under the bridge – and after the NDA came back to power after a decade-long haitus under the helmsmanship of Narendra Modi in 2014 – our diaspora connect strategy underwent a change. The MOIA has once again been merged back into the Ministry of External Affairs, and the PBD today takes place once every two years while in the interregnum between two PBDs, individual states have been encouraged to host their own investor summits and NRI outreach programmes. So much so that nary a month goes by without some state or the other hosting a flagship event in their yearly calenders. A welcome trend indeed, which we have chosen to feature in this issue, covering state-level pravasi events that took place recently. These include Haryana, Gujarat, UP, Bengal, AP and Karnataka.

Pravasi Haryana Divas: The Government of Haryana celebrated its Golden Jubilee year starting from november 1, 2016. as part of the celebrations, a ‘Pravasi Haryana Divas (PHD)’ was organised on the 11th of January 2017, at Gurugram (aka Gurgaon), india’s millenium city. Urging nris to come and invest in Haryana, CM Khattar assured them land, hassle-free clearances, adequate power and the necessary environment to do business. The objective of the PHD was to recognize achievements of nris and to harness their energies in the future development of the state. This initiative included organising sectoral sessions, technical presentations, cultural eves and one-to-one business meetings in partnership with the Confederation of indian industry (Cii). Haryana had earlier as well successfully organised ‘the Happening Haryana investors summit 2016,’ in march last year, where the state was showcased as a ‘Preferred investment Destination’. a overwhelming response from diaspora bore testimony to investors’ interest in Haryana. ashok Mago, Padma shri & Pravasi Bhartiya samman awardee, Chairman and CEO of Mago & associates – a Dallas based business and investment consulting company, was among the prime speakers at the PHD event.

UP nri Diwas: Continuing its efforts to attract more offshore indians to invest in Uttar Pradesh and to recognise and honour Diaspora from Uttar Pradesh who have done well abroad in various walks of life, not to mention those who have contributed to the development of UP, the state government had decided to celebrate this day. The second edition of Uttar Pradesh nri day was recently held in Lucknow, during the first week of

THE NEW PARADIGM

January 2017. Prominent industrial organisations such as FiCCi, Cii, PHD Chamber of Commerce and assocham india were the key alliance partners for the event. importantly, Uttar Pradesh, india’s largest state by population, is making a massive push to involve people of UP origin living all across the world in the state’s development through its nri Department, and the government has tried to showcase the state’s bonding with nris through such events. “we invite nris who have their roots in Uttar Pradesh to invest in the state. we wish to take their help in development of the state, particularly in the health, education and infrastructure sectors,” says Madhukar Jaitley, advisor to the UP nri department. viBrant GUJarat: ‘vibrant Gujarat’ is the name given to a biennial investors' summit held by the government of Gujarat, aimed at bringing together business leaders, investors, corporations, thought leaders, policy and opinion makers. The summit strives to be a platform to understand and explore business opportunities in the state of Gujarat. Having successfully organized seven constructive summits, Gujarat, as part of its journey towards sustainable long-term growth

and inclusive development, had organized the 8th edition of the vibrant Gujarat Global summit from the 10th to 13th of January 2017, at Mahatma Mandir in Gandhinagar. The central focus was “sustainable Economic and social Development”. The summit brought together Heads of states and Governments, Ministers, Leaders of the Corporate world, senior Policy Makers, Heads of international institutions and academia from around the world to further the cause of development and promote cooperation. a total of over 21K MoUs were declared to have been signed by different players. Out of these, 75% were from MsME sector, and the remaining from the large-scale sector and for strategic and technological partnerships. However, the total worth of MOUs signed was not declared as of our going to print. Biswa BanGa BaniJya saMMEL an: Though not a truly nri summit in its proper literary sense, Bengal did invite nris to contribute into the Bangla growth story during its outreach summit. "Bengal has truly emerged as an investment destination and the presence of so many business leaders here speaks for itself," said our president shri Pranab Mukherjee, while inaugurating

the event. in fact, wooing the nris was one of the prime goals of the wB Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee as early as in 2009, when merely a week into her job as the new CM, she urged Bengali nris to invest in west Bengal – saying she was trying her best to break the nexus between the party and the administration to assure good governance.

Others states are not too far behind –while some like Andhra Pradesh, like Gujarat, have been playing this game for many years now, others are joining the bandwagon thick and fast. Assam’s CM Sarbananda Sonowal was seen this PBD courting NRI investments, while CMs of Karnataka, Maharashtra, Chhattisgarh and Puducherry are all at it too, competing for the diaspora pie-in-the-sky. Various states, for diverse factors hold a tremendous allure to prospective global investors, our own NRIs among them. These states are all formulating policies promising privileges and speedy services to woo the money of their own respective diaspora. Here’s to hoping that all this will translate to credible efforts and actions, and concrete work and businesses sprouting on the ground to benefit diverse populaces in our states.

NRI Achievers Bureau

DIFFICULT DIALOGUES BRIDGING THE UNBRIDGED

Difficult Dialogues is an annual open forum that takes upon itself the task of tackling some of the most vital issues facing South Asia today. DD is the brainchild of Surina Narula, MBE, an Indian based out of the United Kingdom who has a long record of giving voice to the unvoiced and taking up causes that pique her passion. Dismayed by the lack of progress being made on South Asia’s big policy issues and tired of the disconnects between grassroots practitioners, academics, policy makers, and CSOs implementing new schemes, the veteran NGO founder and serial social-entrepreneur decided one fine day to take matters into her own hands and craft a platform to force leaders from across the spectrum to meet up and find equitable answers to these priorities.

each panel representing a different area of concern. The first debate – Vision, addressed the lack of a coherent progressive agenda for India’s younger generation. Next, intensive deliberations on ‘child marriage’ led to the creation of a memorandum that was shared with a plurality of stakeholders. Further panels began dialogues on ‘street children, the uses and abuses of wealth, social exclusion and tourism.’ An impassioned panel discussion on ‘agriculture, youth migration and ‘smart cities’’ considered the failings of rural-urban migration. As part of the event, attendees were also treated to viewings of a number of films originally premiered at the Kathmandu International Mountain Film Festival.

The first “Difficult Dialogues” was inaugurated in January last year with eminent experts and scholars gathering in Goa to debate the topic of India’s position in a rapidly globalising world. Curated by the London School of Economics and tv/e (Television for the Environment), the summit saw leading figures spanning the entire gamut of civil society sharing knowledge and formulating new approaches to existing and potential challenges. The inclusive panel format at this annual festival of ideas was structured around four key areas of debate last year: Global Finance, India and West Asia, Civil Society, and Infrastructure. DD16 in addition also hosted stimulating illustrated talks from two prominent guest speakers: author Amitav Ghosh, and activist Srjda Popovic. The forum also showcased an exhibition of rare documents held within the archives of the Reserve Bank of India (Pune), providing a fascinating insight into India’s financial history. One of the most eagerly attended aspects of the forum was the grand finale of the Daring Debates series, an annual high-level debate competition that provides a platform for university students from five regions (Delhi, Goa, Guwahati, Kolkata and Mumbai) to engage with critical contemporary issues.

Complementary to Difficult Dialogues were the Dialogue Derivatives – which, in partnership with tv/e, guaranteed that all information exchanged and created as part of the event found its way into channels that can make a positive change in society. Dialogue Derivatives had eight discussions, with

In sum, Difficult Dialogues 2016 proved to be a resounding success – proceedings from the forum have thus far been directly responsible for the creation of four white papers –documents that form the basis of new parliamentary policy. The forum also produced two comprehensive concluding reports premised in the event’s debates – one on the topic of global finance, the other concerning India’s infrastructure. Informed by the forum, tv/e produced a well received film exploring the sensitive environmental aspects of economic development.

Difficult Dialogues now once again returns to Goa this year, in partnership with the University College London (UCL) to explore the challenges India faces in creating conditions for good health and healthcare access for its citizens. It will include discussions under four broad themes: Inequalities in Health and Healthcare; Perceptions of Gender and Consequences for Health; Universal Health (Care) Coverage; and The Changing Burden of Disease. The event is slated to take place during February 10 to -12, 2017, at the Goa International Centre at Dona Paula, Goa.

A hallmark of this year’s forum will be the concern for health including and beyond healthcare, to the social, political, economic and cultural factors that determine the health of a nation. How and what type of healthcare people access across India varies enormously. But there are numerous examples of excellence – models created and practised in response to a range of challenges. These models are responding

We spoke to Surina Narula, to whom Difficult Dialogues owes its genesis. Here are her thoughts and convictions on the platform, and myriad other matters that relate to activism, cicil society initiatives and what Difficult Dialogues seeks to achieve, according to its creator

What defines you ?

I don't want to be defined. I am redefining myself everyday.

What is your motivation to strive for a social change?

My motivation is very selfish. I discovered that we share the world very closely and if we ignore what's going on around us it comes to haunt us. I have children and as a mother it is natural that I want a better world for them. The trend of the world keeps shifting and changing sometimes towards the left and sometimes towards the right, but it takes the thought and effort of people to make a correction and bring about a balance. It is a constant dance and I want to be a part of it and not a passive bystander.

What has been your most memorable experience while working with changemakers in India?

There have been many. My trip to Bangalore in the early eighties brought me very close to a street child who was barely eight years old and sold tea. They called him ‘pastime’ because he used to help other street children forget their problems and amuse them. He was a change maker changing the environment around his companions. He had nothing but gave a lot to others.

What is Difficult Dialogues?

to everything from a lack of trained health professionals, gender inequality, and social exclusion to low education, nutrition, and economic welfare. Given India’s strong achievements in community-led health, ehealth technology and pharmaceutical innovation, the forum will also consider India’s leadership role in both regional and global health. With our diverse stakeholders and world renowned experts from UCL, our aim is to identify the pressing needs, best practices, and health policies that are effective, economically efficient and, importantly, ethical and equitable so that all may benefit from good health.

Building upon last year’s event, the question up for debate at February’s summit will be: “Is India’s Health a Grand Challenge.” Partners University College London have invited renowned health anthropologists and doctors to discuss issues of gender, disease, disability, mental health, and India’s conflicting public and private health sectors. The forum is both apt timely, in synch with the times and climes that overshadow Indian healthcare. This year, Difficult Dialogues intends to introduce the issue of universal healthcare to the heart of the debate and keep it right there until we begin seeing some signs of real change. This is vital: Indian public health spending as a percentage of GDP remains one of the lowest in the world – according to WHO statistics, developed nations such as the UK and USA spend around

Difficult Dialogues are conversations that the practitioner at the grass root level doesn't ever have with the policy makers. The dialogue that an academic doesn't have with the last mile person because he has to perfect the theory of the policy he is helping to design. Difficult Dialogues addresses these issues in Goa every year, on the basic issues that address every day life. Why Difficult Dialogues? How do you ensure the last mile person is reached through DD?

Health and well being is central to living and is an issue often ignored. We have made it a central theme of this years Difficult Dialogue. Our main concern being that this health is not even on the first five agendas of the government. How do you think NRIs could could contribute to the Indian society?

NRIs can help by being proactive in the regions they come from because having lived abroad there is a greater understanding of issues that can be learnt through contrasting. For example the issue of street children was never a problem in my head until I started living in London. Suddenly I realised that what we take for granted in India is not a normal situation. Children don't have to be on the streets.

eight percent of GDP on public health whilst China’s government spends around three percent. India spends in the region of (a miserly) one and a half percent and current government plans suggest any increase over the next five years will be minimal – a position that is hard to defend in an economy that is growing as steadily as ours.

The bottom line is: India does not take health seriously. By getting behind initiatives such as Difficult Dialogues and the processes it kickstarts, we too can begin to remedy this gross human failure.

If last year’s event is anything to go by, anyone attending can expect to see top government officials hash out new policy directions with a number of leading minds from academia, NGOs, the media and a host of celebrities with vivid experiences of the issues at hand. From what has been announced, we see that amongst the highlights will be health secretary CK Mishra discussing the options open to the country in terms of healthcare funding; actress Manisha Koirala – prominent women’s rights activist and cancer survivor – discussing treatment in India and abroad; and leading journalist Siddharth Varadarajan – who will be on hand to chair a number of panel discussions. Talks by renowned speakers like Gurcharan Das – who will give his views on Dharam and health – are all part of the atmosphere that makes this forum accessible to everybody .

Difficult Dialogues will also be graced by

several local icons of Goa, the beautiful host state. Dr. Vikram Patel – founder of Porvorim based NGO ‘Sangath’ and listed as one of TIME Magazine’s ‘World’s Top 100 Most Influential People’ - will discuss his work in health, most notably in the field of childhood mental health in which he is a leading expert. Many of you might be aware of Dr. Patel’s entertaining TEDtalk, and If indeed you are, you will also be excited to hear that a number of alumni from the TEDtalk series will be joining him – including the humourous activist, Jo Chopra. Finally, Drs. Abhay and Rani Bang – noted by TIME Magazine as ‘Global Heros of Health’ - will together be gracing the panel debates.

So, if you are a health practitioner, student, or a Goa holiday-maker with a vested interest in the nation’s health, Difficult Dialogues promises to be a vibrant, stimulating festival of ideas that truly believes that it has the power to change the future direction of Indian society. Building on last year’s successes, the 2017 summit is likely to be even more exciting, challenging and influential – a must-attend.

You could access further information on the Difficult Dialogues Forum series from difficultdialogues-dot-com.

is an technocrat who dabbles in journalism print &

& creative visual arts.

Chakravarthi Suchindran

The writer

broadcast photography

INDO-UAE TIES SET TO GET STRONGER

During this year’s Republic Day, India’s 68th, the Chief Guest was His Highness Shaikh Mohammed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, the Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi and the Deputy Supreme Commander of the Armed Forces of the UAE (United Arab Emirates). This was also the first time that a leader of UAE was honoured with the invitation to be the chief guest at India’s Republic Day parade. His presence marks the beginning of a new chapter in IndiaUAE relations, with ties getting stronger and closer. Here is the NRI Achievers’ report ...

To date, 58 foreign heads of states have had the previlege of attending India's Republic Day celebrations as guests of honour. Previous instances of dignitaries from the Gulf region invited as chief guests at India’s Republic Day celebrations include past Iranian president Mohammed Khatami in 2003. Last year, it was the French President, Francoise Hollande, who was the guest of honour, and the year before that, it was President Barack Obama of the USA. This year, in what is considered an unprecedented gesture of warmth by the Indian government, this 68th Republic Day parade at Delhi’s majestic ‘Rajpath’ was led by a contingent of 179 UAE soldiers, which albeit was not really for the first time – that distinction however goes to the French, whose contingent marched along the Rajpath last year as part of the parade. One point though – while the UAE contingent was not the first in that context, the difference this year was that they were actually leading the parade.

Widening India-UAE ties are a good augury of the gradually morphing Indian focus and approach towards regions closer to its shores. And of late Delhi has oft utilised it’s Republic Day gala to send out signals of its impending foreign policy shifts – with the key partner invited to grace the occasion telling a story every time, since PM Modi took up the reins of government. Vis-a-vis the UAE, India has also invested significant diplomatic capital towards strengthening its ties - with the conclusion of a Comprehensive Strategic Partnership Agreement between the two entities, this relationship is today poised to take a quantum jump.

The UAE Crown Prince was accompanied by a high-level delegation this year which included Ministers, many senior officials and captains of industry. Sheikh Mohamed during this visit, his second since February 2016, held fruitful discussions with PM Modi – on bilateral, re-

finance, road transport & shipping, smallscale & micro industries, commerce, petroleum among others – who made a beeline to UAE the past two years to kickstart the process.

The UAE is considered India’s gateway to West Asia in general, and the Gulf region in particular. The Gulf nation is also among the top investors into India in terms of FDI, and was the 5th largest supplier of crude to India in 2015-16. On the diaspora front - Indians form the largest expatriate group in the UAE, at 2.6 million. India is the largest importer of goods from the UAE, buying approximately 15% of all its exports and about 10% of all its re-exports. Total UAE investments in India currently amount to US$ 8 billion, including US$ 2.89 billion in the form of direct foreign investments, with these concentrated in construction (16%), energy (14%), metallurgy (10%), the services sector (10%), and computer software/hardware (5%). By 2020, the total value of trade exchanges between the two countries UAE is expected to touch US$ 100 billion.

gional and global issues of common interest to both nations.

This new vigour and elan in India-UAE partnership got a new impetus with PM Modi’s recent to the Emirates in 2015, the first by an Indian Prime Minister after a long 34 year haitus – then PM Indira Gandhi’s 1981 visit was the last by an Indian leader to the Emirates. Modi’s refresh of India’s focus on the region thus marked a fresh beginning to a ‘new, comprehensive and strategic partnership,’ which was ably followed up by a whole bevy of senior Indian ministers, handling external affairs,

The Gulf media too acknowledges this trend, averring that UAE’s participation reflects deep-rooted Emirati-Indian relations. “India’s Republic Day is an example of positive values propelling nations into greatness, the Gulf News quoted Shaikh Mohammad Bin Zayed Al Nahyan as saying. Ergo, it is safe to assume that IndoUAE relations are primed for a meteoric rise under Modi’s helm, as it is assuredly an "economics and plus" principle for him – which sums it all well enough.

NRI Achievers Bureau

KARNATAKA COMES OUT WITH NRI POLICY, TO START INVESTMENT PROMOTION CELL

To tap the potential of non-resident Kannadigas (NRKs) for the development of the state and address their needs and concerns, the Karnataka state government has unveiled a new "Karnataka NRI Policy," aimed at wooing non-resident Kannadigas. The policy was released on the 5th of January 2017 by the Chief Minister, Mr. Siddaramaiah. The policy will be valid for five years.

While speaking at a recently held press briefing in New Delhi, the newly appointed Deputy Chairperson of the ‘NRI Forum Karnataka,’ Ms. Arathi Krishna, had this to say: “Karnataka has taken several leadership initiatives in bringing-in NRI Investments into Karnataka. The Government has been a role model for other states on how to engage with NRI investors and strengthen our relationship with them. The key success of the state in attracting investors is exemplified by the innovativeness in creating opportunities and nurturing investors by giving them all that is required for faster and scalable growth”. The NRI Forum of Karnataka will implement the policy unvieled by the CM through coordinating with various government departments. The government has already constituted a high-level departmental monitoring committee to implement the policy, which has adopted the vision and mission of playing a catalytic role in building sustainable linkages between the Karnataka State and Non-Resident Kannadigas across the globe to build a progressive, vibrant and prosperous Karnataka. The new state NRI policy aims at providing:

Exclusive NRI/NRK investment promotion cell: Karnataka state will offer a special package of incentives and concessions to NRKs who come up with investment proposals worth INR 250 crore each. The policy also envisages issuing NRK cards to provide them a unique identity. The card will be linked to leading banks and corporate houses to provide special value privileges to NRKs, like discounts at hotels, jewellery showrooms

and hospitals. The card will also help them get speedy services from various government departments. Karnatka Industries Minister R V Deshpande said, "an exclusive NRI/NRK investment promotion cell will also be established at the Karnataka Udyog Mitra for speedy clearance of investment proposals".

Building business incubation centres for budding NRI entrepreneurs: The government will offer business incubation centres to encourage entrepreneurship among NRIs/NRKs. These incubation centres will be provided at special monthly rentals for one year in association with the IT&BT and the Science & Technology department.

Providing support services to workers who intend to go abroad for employment: The policy also envisages addressing issues relating to dissemination of the information on opportunities in overseas markets, skilling, and will encourage Kannadigas to take up overseas employment, along with pre-departure orientation. Creating a comprehensive database of NRIs/NRKs Diaspora: It is proposed to set up and create a comprehensive database of NRIs/NRKs. An interactive cloud-based portal is to be developed to house information on individuals and associations across the globe. An edirectory of registered members will also be available on the site.

Building brand Bengaluru: In July 2016, the state government had formed a 10member Bengaluru Tourism Advisory Committee (BTAC) to work-out an action plan for creating “Brand Bengaluru,” and exploit tourism and investment potential while also promoting art and culture, attracting projects under Public-Private Partnerships and engaging in inter-citycooperation concepts. The recently concluded PBD is seen as an extension to this initiative.

Welfare services to NRIs/NRKs returning home: The NRI forum, in association with District NRIs/NRKs Welfare Committees, will extend all possible assistance to NRIs/NRKs who relocate to Karnataka and facilitate help in the change of their residential status, taxation implications, foreign currency non-resident (fcnr) issues etc.

Legal Aid Centre: The NRI Forum, in collaboration with Ministry of External Affairs, and in consultation with Karnataka Legal Services Authority, would jointly extend all possible legal services to NRIs/ NRKs in distress during their overseas employment period.

Encourage Kannada Kootas all over the world: Kannadigas would be encouraged

to form Kannada Kootas in every region of their respective countries of their stay, to promote and preserve Kannada language, culture and the arts, as well as connect with others.

Promotion of Kannada and Karnataka’s festivities among NRIs/NRKs: The NRI forum will develop self-learning material and would host it on its website to facilitate NRIs/NRKs and their Children who have not received formal Kannada Education to get connected to their mother tongue and get certification of proficiency in the Kannada language.

NRIs/NRKs Support Service Centre: The state NRI Forum will associate itself with the Overseas Workers Resource Centre (OWRC) Helpdesk, which is operational 24 x 7 x 365 to attend to queries in eleven (11) languages: Hindi, English, Punjabi, Malayalam, Tamil, Telugu, Gujarati, Marathi, Odia, Kannada, and Bengali, through a toll free number, viz., 180011-3090 in India – and +91-124-2341002 for Indian emigrants working overseas. Additionally, the Government of Karnataka will also identify and felicitate one outstanding individual in every alternate year of PBD, with the title ‘NRK of the Year’. Structured exchange programs will also be organized to promote art, yoga and cultural activities.

Importantly, the Forum, originally set up in 2008, has been playing a key role in strengthening linkages between the state and its Diaspora, apart from motivating them to bring in investments to their home state. The PBD 2017 held in Bengaluru, analysts feel, has opened many doors of opportunities for startups in terms of commitments for investments and collaborations. The Karnataka government also expects to create multiple corridors with countries such as Portugal and Suriname, whose top officials also attended the PBD event. “A lot of interest has been generated because of our IT policy and the multisector start-up policy”, said Karnataka's Minister for Tourism and IT/BT Priyank Kharge.

NRI Achievers News Network

tHe 14tH praVasi BHaratiYa diWas

Hum passport ka colour naHi, kHoon ka risHta dekHte Hain: pm

“Hum passport ka colour nahi, khoon ka rishta dekhte hain” … were Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s line with which he began his address to the distinguished guests, delegates, exhibitors and all other participants at the 14th edition of the Pravasi Bharatiya Divas (PBD) 2017, held in the Silicon Valley’ of India, Karnataka State’s beautiful garden-city capital of Bengaluru. The summit and related activities were organized and held from the 7th to the 9th of January 2017. This three-day Pravasi Bharatiya Divas, billed to figure among one of the largest convergence events of Indian Diaspora, began with a special spotlight on the role played by youth in transforming the society, and India's potential to play the role of a 'Vishwa Guru' once again in today’s fast changing social, economic, geo-political global context. Reportage…

Photos: Suchi/Yogesh

the stage for the event was in fact set by the Surinamese Vice-President, a 36-year-old engineer turned politician of Indian descent His Excellency Michael Ashwin Adhin, who called upon India to once again don the mantle of being a meaningful and mentor for world societies – playing its role to the hilt as a big player on the global platform – while simultaneously seeking technological know-how from India for the development of his country – a Caribbean natural-resource rich nation that received waves of Indian indentured labour between 1873 and 1916. The Suriname Vice-President looked to his roots, averring that India should serve as a ready source of naturefriendly technology for Suriname, which could enable it to compete an ever widening global market.

“The transformation of India implies an influential India at the global-level and that for countries like us ought to mean greater economic and technological cooperation. Any contribution by the Indian diaspora to India will then serve to be mutually beneficial,” said HE Adhin during his keynote address. Quoting from the Bhagavad Gita and Upanishads, the Vice-Head-of-State recited verses in Sanskrit during his nearly 15minute address, on “the Role of diaspora youth in the transformation of India,” organised as part of Youth Pravasi Divas. Urging a minimization if not an end to the manifestation of monopolistic trends in businesses, he was of the view that new nations should rightfully be encouraged to grow in order to

ruBBY dHalla

proVide support to international students

the Government of India invited Dr. Ruby Dhalla as a Guest Speaker at the 14th Annual Pravasi Bharitya Divas held in Bangalore. As the first woman of Indian origin elected in the western world as a Member of Parliament Dr. Dhalla spoke about the issues impacting the NRI Diaspora and provided solutions to help NRIs facing hardships at the session chaired by Minister of State of External Affairs Dr. VK Singh.

Dr. Dhalla spoke of the need to provide support and resources to International Students undergoing hardships in their country of study, safety and security to women who are suffering abuse, assistance to workers in the Gulf states who are facing hardship with Employers, resources to those facing difficulties in Afghanistan, Iraq, and the African and middle eastern nations and a strong voice for the brothers and sisters who encounter racism and discrimination in their respective countries as people of Indian

bring about a new and more equitable balance of power in the world. “India has the potential to emerge as a behemoth, a superpower … and not merely the potential, it has the spiritual grounding and the value-systems that go towards defining a ‘Vishwa Guru’ — a world teacher,” he said emotionally. “It is also unprecedented to have about 1,700 overseas participants and about 300 to 500 NRIs participating today,” Ashwin said. The focus on the first day was on India’s transition to a digitized economy and youth en-

origin. Dr. Dhalla urged the Government of India to create a council of Indian Diaspora organizations with criteria for accreditation and a focal point for people of Indian origin to access when help is needed. In addition Dr. Dhalla said that India has the opportunity to practice Diaspora diplomacy to help in India's progress, and development. Just as the Jewish community in the United States has united to influence international opinion and policy on Israel the Indian community given its expertise, skills and passion must do the same to champion it's motherland. "The Hon. PM of India, Modi has said 'sabka sath sabka vikas" the Diaspora under his leadership has the opportunity to work to make this vision a reality. Working together both the Diaspora and the India Government have the opportunity to succeed to ensure India and the Indian community in the world continue to leave global footprints and achieve greater heights. United we are stronger.

trepreneurship.

Recalling the arrival of Indians at Suriname as indentured labourers from Uttar Pradesh and Bihar, he shared facts and figures: currently, Indians account for 30% of the country’s population, and many hold key positions in society. “We did not forget our roots. We had brought along with us the knowledge of medicinal plants, plant seeds and musical instruments,” he said. Ashwin, who had but recently dropped ‘Michael’ from his name, has Indian roots

going back to at least 144 years. His grandfather’s grandfather was an Indian from Uttar Pradesh, who was taken to Suriname to work its sugarcane fields as an indentured labourer after slavery was abolished.

Another high ranking Pravasi present at the meet was the Chief Guest, Prime Minister of Portugal Antonio Costa. Speaking on the occasion, he recalled his Indian roots in the erstwhile Portuguese colony on our west coast, and asserted that he was indeed proud to be a person of Indian-origin. Costa said: "Yes, I am actually a person of Indian origin," even taking out a card from his coat pocket and waved it at the audience. The delegates applauded Costa's gesture. The 54-year leader recalled that his father – Orlando da Costa – had spent most of his youth in Goa, which was then under Portuguese rule. "My father’s childhood took place in Goa. And we never did lose our ties with India. I still have many relatives in Margao and plan to visiting them after this PBD," he said. Costa underscored how it was the duty of a Diaspora to con-

nect the country of their origin with those in which they presently live.

Now, coming back to what our PM Narendra Modi had in store for his audience on the day of his address at the PBD, a keen sense of anticipation was in the air even as he stood up to deliver his speech. Asserting that the Pravasi Bharatiya Divas is a celebration to mark the return to India

of one of our greatest Pravasis, Mahatma Gandhi, Modi said, “Indians abroad are valued not just for their strength in numbers, but are respected for the contributions they make”. In his keynote address, he said that the Indian diaspora represents the best of Indian culture, ethos and values. "The true identity of this event is you, the overseas Indians. It is a matter of pride for us

that you all are here to attend this. There are over 30 million overseas Indians living abroad," said PM Modi. "In the past, when people left the country for employment, it was referred to as ‘brain drain.’ But we want to change this – into a ‘brain gain’," he quipped. “The Pravasi Kaushal Vikas Yojana (PKVY) which we have launched recently, will provide skill development and orientation to youth in their chosen field of vocation. For those workers who seek economic opportunities abroad, our effort is to provide maximum facilitation and ensure least inconvenience," PM Modi added, while also asserting that the Centre will not stint in providing support and training for

Indian youth seeking employment abroad. He emphasized the importance of skill development, in keeping with his thrust towards skill building ever since he assumed office in 2014. Talking about the new scheme – a soft skills development programme for young Indians – it is aimed at boosting the confidence level of the Indian youth, said Modi: “Unskilled workers will

be trained in soft-skills to get better wages abroad as we want them to go well trained and feel secure.”

“We have streamlined systems to safeguard immigration of Indian workers. About six lakh emigrants have been granted emigration clearance online for overseas employment through registered recruitment agents”.

The 'Youth Pravasi Bharatiya Divas' was launched as part of the Pravasi Bharatiya Divas, 2017 with a view to reach out to the young, new generation of the Indian diaspora members spread across the globe. The scheme is part of a slew of skill building measures that the PM has rolled out to focus on training of the youth both at home and abroad.

“What binds us all together is 'Bharatiyata' (Indianness),” said Modi, hailing the Indian Diaspora for its achievements on foreign soil. “Around 69 billion dollars is remitted annually by overseas Indians. But they are valued here not for their large numbers but their valued contribution to diverse fields. They best represent the Indian cultural ethos and are role model for other immigrant communities. There is new energy among the Diaspora to connect with India's social and economic transformation. It is not brain drain but brain gain.”

The Prime Minister also thanked the Indian Diaspora for supporting the Centre's move against corruption and called opponents of demonetization 'political worshippers' of black money. Talking about the demonetization issue at the PBD, Modi said, "Black money and corruption were gradually corroding our polity, economy, society and the country, and we launched a massive campaign against it. Some political worshippers (rajnaitik pujari) of black money did their best to portray our efforts as anti-people”.

In a move that would give a permanent link to descendants of indentured Indian labourers shipped abroad by the British and French, the government has on offer an Overseas Citizens of India (OCI) card to help them visit the country without a visa. These former labourers, known as Girmitiyas, were taken away by the colonizers as

early as 1820s and their progeny are spread across all of Africa, South East Asia, the Pacific Islands and in the Caribbean. "We have a special bond with the Indian diaspora living in the Girmitiya countries, who are deeply and emotionally attached to their place of origin. We are aware of the difficulties faced by Persons of Indian Origin from these countries in obtaining an OCI Card if they moved abroad four or five generations ago. I am glad to announce that starting with Mauritius, we are working to put in place new procedures and documenta-

tion requirements so that this scheme benefit nearly 8 million descendants” said Modi. He further announced that the government would be addressing similar difficulties of PIOs in Fiji, Reunion Islands, Suriname, Guyana and other Caribbean States.

It was also announced during the PBD that approximately seven lakh Indian students are pursuing academic programmes abroad. The soon-to-be-launched Visiting Adjunct Joint Research Faculty (VAJRA) scheme will enable NRIs and overseas scientific communities to participate and contribute to research and development in India. Under the scheme, an overseas Indian can work for one to three months in an institution in India.

Four Ts – wiz., Talent, Training, Technology and Teamwork will be the key elements India’s External Affairs Ministry plans to use, for binding youth of the Indian Diaspora with the country during the year ahead. Speaking at the inauguration of the PBD in Bengaluru, Minister of State for External Affairs V K Singh told the young audience from across the globe that these four 'Ts' will not only transform their lives but also the country.

India’s Ministry of Tourism is now creating special wedding and film tourism circuits to attract foreigners and NRIs and capitalize on Indian films’ and weddings’ popularity abroad, with the aim of building our soft-power as well as simultaneously generating all sorts of economic opportunities for citizens as well as Diaspora members. It’s by now common knowledge that Indian weddings and films are a huge sensation abroad and have a dedicated fan following. Speaking at a discussion on 'Partnering with Diaspora to accelerate tourism in India', Vinod Zutshi, Secretary with the Ministry of Tourism, explained how royal and beach weddings were gaining popularity. The ministry is getting numerous enquiries about royal weddings in Rajasthan and Indian-style beach weddings in Goa. Private tour operators are making the most of this opportunity.

Our Minister of State for External Affairs M J Akbar, who was also present at the PBD, said tourism in India was growing but the problem was of a less-flattering reputation created by writers like V S Naipaul. "Today India is no more in darkness. India also has rain and river tourism. There is a need to create food tourism as Indian cuisines are more than of any continent," he said.

The IDF (India Development Foundation of Overseas Indians), is all set to transform the Indian landscape where people from the Indian Diaspora can contribute for building infrastructure in the country. At the PBD, INR 20 lakh from one visitor and US$ 25,000 from another were donated to the IDF fund. The IDF platform had existed earlier too, but contributions were never significant as there were many legal hurdles and lack of transparency. Taking these matters into account, the Centre has

We can add dYnamic diaspora... sanam arora

this was the second time I participated in the Pravasi Bharatiya Divas and my experience has been above and beyond all expectations. For me the biggest success of this PBD has been the change in its format, with a much more participative and engaged medium of interaction with the diaspora. In Sep 2016 I was invited to participate in a day long Policymaking session with the Honourable EAM Mrs Swaraj, the Honourable HRDM Mr Javadekar, the Honourable Minister for External Affairs Gen VK Singh and Foreign Secretary Mr Jaishankar. The commitment and dedication demonstrated by such a senior audience to the concerns raised by Indian students and youth abroad is remarkable. This has shown through brilliantly in the recommendations that were then summarised to the wider diaspora at the PBD. This same format was replicated for nine other issues affecting the Indian diaspora, with a genuine focus on marking a paradigm shift in India's engagement with its diaspora.

Another first at this PBD was the fact that for the first time a special youth delegation from anywhere in the world participated in the PBD. This was the National Indian Students and Alumni Union UK delegation, which composed of student leaders, entrepreneurs and youth talent with excellent academic back-

now made it a more dependable and transparent platform that can help build infrastructure anywhere in the country. MEA secretary Dnyaneshwar Mulay said, "We have revamped the IDF. It is now a registered trust of the Government of India. We have asked states to provide a list of small

grounds from universities such as Oxford, LSE, LBS and UCL. This top talent participated in the PBD with the simple aim of increasing its engagement with India, with a view to more accurately participate in representing India as its brand ambassadors abroad.

The NISAU made its point clear at the PBD that we can add a fourth D to the Honourable Prime Minister Narendra Modi's development formula for India - to demand, demographic dividend and democracy we can add the dynamic diaspora. This diaspora does not need to physically be present in India to contribute to its development. This diaspora can contribute actively by taking advantage of technology, and by becoming India's soft power abroad. The NISAU made its commitment to contribute to India's development clear through its participation and addressed delivered in January this year at multiple conferences throughout the country, including the Pravasi Haryana Divas and the PIOCCI Conclave, in addition to the PBD.

The NISAU celebrates the UK-India Year of Culture this year and its 5th anniversary! We invite all interested stakeholders to join us on this journey as we redefine the way India's global diaspora youth engages with, and represents India in the UK, and further afield.

Jai Hind.

and medium projects where people from Indian diaspora can contribute”.

At least 100 such projects will soon be put out on the website. One such project, which has got maximum support, is 'Namaami Gange', the Ganga river-cleaning project. So far, INR 3 crore has been col-

usHma sHaH an iconic moment for me

President of LSE INDIA SOCIETY, affiliate society of National Indian students and alumni Union

my experience at the Pravasi Bharatiya Divas Convention as a delegate from the United Kingdom was memorable. I got the unique chance of interacting with individuals from many different nations who had one thing in common - electrifying spirit for India burgeoning in their hearts. The most iconic moment of the convention was undoubtedly thousands of people cheering and hooting for PM Modi and awaiting his arrival. Having never seen him live before, it was like a dream come true to be able to hear his speech on the Indian diaspora and witness his charisma. I believe that this convention fostered great scope for learning and understanding different perspectives, whether it was through Mr. Amitabh Kant’s words of encouragement on startup India or Mr. Arsh Shah Dilbagi’s inspirational journey and views on youth entrepreneurship. For students like me who are about to take their initial steps in the ‘real world’, conventions of this sort play a great role in building relationships and creating a network with some of the greatest minds. I thank the NISAU and Ministry of External Affairs for this opportunity and hope that all the recommendations and suggestions are indeed thoroughly considered.

lected. The money has been used to build toilets in Tirupati, Amritsar near the Golden Temple and in the Northeast.

Minister of State for External Affairs, Gen (retd) V K Singh, reiterated that the government is taking appropriate and stern action against illegal or unregistered agents who recruit workers from the country for

NRIs were also irked as interactions sometimes took the backseat at B2B events – A delegate from the UAE who didn't want to be named said, "It's supposed to be for us (NRIs), but there is nothing as such. When top leaders come, we are cordoned off to wait for hours, and we couldn’t even have lunch. I have attended PBDs before,

domestic jobs abroad. "These unregistered agents recruit workers on tourist visas and from one country they take workers to other countries, and make them do domestic work," he said at a discussion on ‘Consular Services to Overseas Indians: Ensuring Effective and Efficient Delivery.’

Amid deliberations on several issues concerning the Indian Diaspora across the globe, concerns were raised on not having a separate session to address grievances of those residing in the Gulf countries. Kuwaiti delegates also raised a stink over the city's uncleared garbage – "The city's infrastructure is not up to the mark. We are staying in the Lalit Ashok and while commuting we see the IT city's badly planned facilities. With garbage strewn all over, we couldn't help but draw comparisons of places that we visited like China, Vietnam and Turkey," says Kazi Ek ball Hossain and Linus Gomes from Kuwait. Yet another delegate from Kuwait, Jatinder Suri, who has been attending every edition of Pravasi Bharatiya Divas, was of the view that the event had over time gone out of focus. "The very purpose of PBD is to interact and that's missing. Though I booked my meetings online, I couldn't meet anyone, as either the server crashed or is not working," said Suri.

but here I have bad experiences. I don’t know whether I would ever come again at all," he said.

A delegate, who has been living in Singapore for over two decades now, added, "Our team has developed a technology that could be used for Swachh Bharat. When I met the Urban Development people, they took a card from me and said they would contact me. The very purpose of the Divas is to interact and talk about investments, and what's the point if they contact me later after I go back?"

All these days, the Bangalore International Exhibition Centre on the BengaluruMumbai highway was turned into a miniIndia, with people from different parts of the country and representatives of the Diaspora coming together in big numbers. The biggest exhibition stall at the PBD was set up by the Karnataka government and it became a major crowd-puller right from the first day.

All said & done, the bottom line is – by organizing such programmes like PBD, the Government of India is playing its part by trying to bridge the gap between Indian Diaspora & India.

UK

NRI Achievers Team

AND pr AvAsi bhAr AtiyA sA mm AN GOEs tO...

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DR. GORUR KRISHNA HARINATH AUSTRALIA

COMMUNITY SERVICE

RAJASEKHARAN PILLAI VALAVOOR KIZHAKKATHIL BAHRAIN BUSINESS

ANTWERP INDIAN ASSOCIATION BELGIUM

NAZEER AHAMED MOHAMED ZACKIRIAH BRUNEI

COMMUNITY SERVICE

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MUKUND BHIKHUBHAI PUROHIT CANADA BUSINESS NALINKUMAR SUMANLAL KOTHARI DJIBOUTI COMMUNITY SERVICE

VINOD CHANDRA PATEL FIJI SOCIAL SERVICE RAGHUNATH MARIE ANTONIN MANET FRANCE ARTS & CULTURE DR. LAEL ANSON E. BEST ISRAEL MEDICAL SCIENCE DR. SANDIP KUMAR TAGORE JAPAN ARTS & CULTURE ARIFUL ISLAM LIBYA COMMUNITY SERVICE TAN SRI DATO DR. MUNIANDY THAMBIRAJAH MALAYSIA EDUCATION & COMMUNITY SERVICE HON’BLE PRAVIND KUMAR JUGNAUTH MAURITIUS PUBLIC SERVICE H.E. MR. ANTONIO LUIS SANTOS DA COSTA PORTUGAL PUBLIC SERVICE DR. RAGHAVAN SEETHARAMAN QATAR BUSINESS MANAGMENT ZEENAT MUSARRAT JAFRI SAUDI ARABIA EDUCATION SINGAPORE INDIA ASSOCIATION SINGAPORE COMMUNITY SERVICE DR. CARANI BALARAMAN SANJEEVI SWEDAN MEDICINE SUSHEEL KUMAR SARAFF THAILAND BUSINESS WINSTON CHANDARBHAN DOOKERAN TRINAND & TOBAGO PUBLIC SERVICE VASUDEV SHAMDAS SHROFF UAE COMMUNITY SERVICE INDIA SOCIAL & CULTRAL CENTRE, ABU DHABI UAE

PHILANTHROPY & COMMUNITY SERVICE RT. HON’BLE PRITI PATEL UK PUBLIC SERVICE NEENA GILL UK PUBLIC SERVICE HARI BABU BINDAL USA ENVIROMENTAL ENGINEERING DR. BHARAT HARIDAS BARAI USA COMMUNITY SERVICE NISHA DESAI BISWAL USA PUBLIC AFFAIRS DR. MAHESH MEHTA USA COMMUNITY SERVICE RAMESH SHAH USA COMMUNITY SERVICE DR. SAMPATKUMAR SHIDRAMAPA SHIVANGI USA COMMUNITY LEADERSHIP

LACK OF REPRESENTATION AT PBD CAUSE FOR CONCERN?

EEven as yet another ‘flagship’ congregation event for the people of Indian-origin, the 14th Pravasi Bharatiya Divas 2017 (PBD), was held in bangalore this year, a thought about the way PBD has evolved continues to nag at the back of my mind, prompting me to ask if we have strayed from its original intentions. The latest PBD is being called a success beyond expectations, but for me, what is worrying was the absence of some of the most influential, bright and accomplished Overseas Indians settled across the globe in general, and from the US in particular. And as the curtains fell on a three-day jamboree for the Indian Diaspora – the absence of these ubuqitous NRIs/PIOs did to some extent come as a dampener of sorts for the grand gala event, which is oft hyped as The platform for networking and showcasing the new India. It is my considered observation, now reinforced over the last couple of years, that not too many well-known

Indian-origin people come for the PBD, and of late, the media too doesn’t seem to be according the event too much space, or covering it with enthusiasm. The growing concern is that if we do not do something about broadbasing participation and attracting more and more overseas Indian talent and changemakers, opinion leaders et al., to the PBD starting right now, and continue in the same vein as we do now, it would slowly lose the its lustre and potential.

Take for example, Ms. Kamala Harris, 51, a two-term attorney general from California. An Indian origin US politician who is already being seen as a next or future potential US president was among the noticeable absentees. The same holds true for another Punjabi mover-shaker again from the US, Nimrata "Nikki" Haley, the Indian-American politician who is Trump’s choice for representing the USA in the United Nations as its ambassador. Well,

even if one of these two powerful women had been present, It goes without saying that it would indeed have created a huge media furore. But no, that was not to be. Nor did powerful Indian-born CEOs and Industry leaders like Microsoft’s Satya Nadella, Adobe Systems’ Shantanu Narayen, PepsiCo’s Indra Nooyi or Google’s Sundar Pichai land up for the PBD. Seems none of them really felt any need to even symbolically be seen as part of the effort. Leads me to wonder … were they even invited to attend?

Moving from US to Canada, where Indian-Canadians have a huge presence in their current parliament - there are 19 Indian-origin MPs with four of them hold-

Nikki Haley

Sunjeev Kaur Birdi

Sundar Pichai

Shantanu Shailesh Vara

Alok Sharma

Verindra Sharma

Indra Nooyi

Kamla Harris

ing Cabinet Minister ranks – five of them turbaned Sikh MPs who made a historic entry into the Canadian parliament, including Harjit Singh Sajjan, Canada’s present Defence Minister. We did not see any MP or Mantri from Canada at this PBD? Point to ponder …

Lets cross the ocean and touch the United Kingdom. The story repeats itself - it is indeed a matter of grave concern that we did not see any political participation from the UK either. There are 10 Indian-origin politicians from across the political spectrum in the House of Commons alone, among them Keith Vaz, Priti Patel, Rishi Sunak (Infosys co-founder Narayana Murthy's son-in-law), Virendra Sharma

gin people spread across African nations like Kenya, Uganda and Tanzania, not many delegates were there from East Africa. Imagine the adulation an Avtar Singh Sohal ‘Tari’, who is considered as the greatest Sikh sportsmen outside India, would have fuelled if he had been invited … maybe he was not approached by the MEA to come attend the PBD? Tari has achieved a remarkable feet playing for Kenya hockey side in four Olympic Games and three times as a captain. A little bird tells me that Tari had asked the Indian high commission in Nairobi how he could contribute in furthering Diaspora connects like the PBD. While on the subject, note that Sunjeev 'Sonia' Kaur Birdi, born to Sikh parents in Nairobi, is An active member of the Kenyan Parliament. She was the first Asian-Kenyan woman lawmaker to serve in the national legislature. Was she at the PBD? No. But she was there at the swearing-in ceremony of PM Narendra Modi a

Yusuf Dadoo, Pregs Govender, Ronnie Govender, Ahmed Kathrada, Monty Naicker, Amma Naidoo, Indira Naidoo, Naransamy Roy Naidoo, Shanti Naidoo, Thambi Naidoo, Xavier Naidoo and Radhakrishna Padayachi are well-respected political leaders of Indian-origin. Padayachi was the Deputy Communications Minister a couple of years ago, and Mac Maharaj? The anti apartheid crusader and comrade of Nelson Mandela is anything but ignorable. We should make an effort to get such people for our PBDs. Let’s say it, even it be considered blasphemy on my part from our establishment. Unless we make strong efforts to include such Indian origin legends of the past and legends in the making, it will go without gainsaying that our PBDs will go from what they are today to deteriorate into numbing and dreary biennial conferences of Indianorigin people.

As a saving grace, we did see Indian-

(aka ‘Pandit ji’), Valerie Vaz, Seema Malhotra, Alok Sharma and Shailesh Vara. All of them have been no-shows (except for Priti Patel who has attended PBD once) – wasn’t it worth anything to showcase to the world that Indians – our Diaspora –are doing their bit for the world at large? We lost a chance – so what’s the big idea if we cannot ensure the presence of overseas big ticket Indians?

I was also sorely missing Africa – even though the continent has a massive concentration of Indian ori-

couple of years ago. In neighboring Uganda Sanjay Tanna and Harmit Singh Marwah served in the last parliament. They too were missed at Bangaluru. Take the case of Vikash Dhorasoo and Vijay Singh, both are acclaimed sportsmen – Vikas, a midfielder, was part of the French Football team that walked away with the World cup under Zinedine Zidane’s captainship in 2006. Vijay Singh, top golfer, born in Lautoka, Fiji, could have been there as well … but no – these paople seem to be neither on the radar of the MEA, nor is PBD seemingly on theirs.

Going down to South Africa, another country where Indian origin people have made a sumptuous contributions in politics and numerous other fields, the likes of

origin people from Malaysia, Mauritius, Fiji et al., at the PBD. Indians have massive presence in all these nations … as recently as couple of years ago, it was believed that the largest number of Indians outside India live in Malaysia – 30 Lakh people of Indian-origin, mostly from Tamil Nadu and Punjab. Now, lets put the US and South Africa into the same category. Its perfectly all right if large contingents of Indianorigin people from any particular country show up, but we should ensure the gathering gets more and more inclusive.

The author is a veteran journalist with a flare for writing both in English & Hindi equally

Vivek Shukla

Avtar Singh Sohal

Keith Vaz

Rishi Sunak

Harjit Singh Sajjan

Satya Nadella

Seema Malhotra

who knows how to exhibit RAJ MAnek

Raj Manek is a Board Member and the Executive Director of Messe Frankfurt Asia Holding Ltd, a subsidiary of Messe Frankfurt Exhibition GmbH, one of the world’s largest event organisers. Raj has over 20 years of experience in the domain of his expertise and has covered Western and Eastern Europe including Russia and CIS, as well as Asia – with over 10 years in India alone. His grandfather is from Porbander, Gujarat, and opted to move to East Africa (Uganda) like many people did in the 1930’s. Raj’s mother is from Kenya. NRI Achievers profiles him, his inspirational work and his personality facets in Dossier this issue...

You are a son of PIO, born in a different country. You still have your roots in India and by heart you are very much Indian. So, is it upbringing or are there any other reasons?

A little bit both, I would say. My parents even today – my father, he watches Hindi news channels more. Yes he is very attached to India. And I am doing business here in India for the past 13 years. I know the passionate side of India which we relate to – culture, customs and ethics, but I am also aware of the frustrating side of India, which fortunately my family doesn’t faced. India is the most hospitable country in the world, but when you are doing business in India things can be markedly different. I am a Hindu and Indian deep in my heart. I believe that because we are separated from India we try adhering to the culture a lot more. When I come to India, I see most youngsters today try to follow the western culture. Whereas, we are detached from India but we love to maintain our Indian culture. We love to celebrate Diwali, Holi, Navratri and many other Indian festivals. Do you perceive any change in the

thinking of NRIs these past two years? Since we have a new NDA led Modi government?

PM Modi has brought positivity into the country. The last two years of NDA rule has seen their government instituting significant reforms –all this is manifested in ‘Make-in-India’, ‘Start-up India’, etc. And mark this, India is currently the world's fastest growing economy and has successfully been able to combat inflation. Earlier also, PM Modi was anyway considered in high esteem by NRIs for what he did as Gujarat CM, and of course the entire world is now looking at India more closely. China is trending to be the next global force. Similarly, India also has the potential for being the next global force because of the overall age of its population – in fact it is India that has the highest majority in the working age group and China is in contrast an ageing nation. In some years, India will become bigger in every way. Let’s start with your childhood, your youth and then the ups and down in your life till you reach here.

Most of my childhood was in the UK. My parents came from Uganda with empty hands, just like everyone else of that time who moved out of East Africa in 1971. They worked day and night to feed us and give us a good life. I remember the day when my football coach knocked at our door. I was excited and surprised. But, my dad threw him out of the house as he wanted me to be a doctor or a lawyer or a professional, just as every Indian parent wants their child to be. When I was 15, I was unable to focus much on studies. I was rather focussed more on playing football. I still remember that day when I was doing a summer job in between my vacations. I was working in public council civil services. They liked my job very much, so they wanted to offer a full time. At that time, my dad was looking for a shop and had decided to make me a shopkeeper if I don’t study. I stood in the corridor thinking if I don’t take this public council job, he would make me a shopkeeper. I didn’t want to see myself as a shopkeeper. At the same time, I didn’t want to spend my life working in a civil service department. So, I decided to focus more on my studies.

I studied hard and completed my degree in Accounts & Finance with very good marks. I qualified as an accountant. At my first job with an exhibition company, where I was soon made in charge for the accounts and the small subsidiary. When this subsidiary was running under a loss they started to churn a few labourers. I didn’t quite know the reason behind the loss. So, I spent the next 5-6 weekends to find out if the loss was due to the number of labour or for some other reason. Slowly, I started learning the ins and outs of the business and I helped the company make a good profit without ever sacking a single person.

My work was well appreciated, and I was soon made a business development director for Asia in 2009, helping the

company on several projects. In 2011 my boss took a big decision. They had a managing director here, who had been around for 15 years. All they did was take Indian companies to Frankfurt. In India, they had only one show - Kohtek Textiles. I was not ready to run a company with one show because I wanted to have my company in control. Then I decided that we must have a base in India to make them grow bigger. So, in 2011, I took over here with 12 people. We are now the second largest subsidiary with 20 best shows in India and 2 offices.

You seem to be good on the business development front, did you ever think of going it alone, becoming an entrepreneur?

processes flexible to take on the Indian culture because you need both, you can’t be as disorganised as an average Indian but in the same breath you cannot bring in a German stringent process either –individually both things will not work. So to make it really work, you need to try a combination of both with some flexibility in it. I always say to my team that challenges are good. If everything goes easy then it is too boring. Every challenge we face preps us for something new. We learn from our mistakes and it is okay to commit mistakes. Have you ever mulled about moving to India long-term?

I have been working here in India since 2001-2002, that’s quite a long time, I’d say. But honestly speaking, the an-

Yes, many times, but I have been getting opportunities from most of the blue-chip companies. The happiness I have in growing this team and this company is beyond words. I feel proud that my team can run the show even without me. I have managed to build up a team here who are absolutely 100% capable of running this organisation without me, and I develop teams in Russia, Poland, Egypt, China – but I feel especially proud and contented to develop a team in India – India is special because India is also mine.

So by how much have you managed to grow the turnover of your company in India since you took over?

Ah, during the past 5 Years, I have managed to grow my company’s turnover from 1.5 million Euros to 10 million Euros.

How’s your working different from others? And your work culture – is it Indian or does it have German tinges?

I have brought in German processes and customised it a bit to fit-in with the Indian working system. I make the

swer will be a No. My family is in London. I have all my relatives there, that is my home. My wife Sangita is a lawyer, I have 2 daughters, Anya & Riya. My elder daughter loves football. She insists that I play with her sometimes. My younger daughter is more girly and loves being herself. You have more than 20 years of experience in exhibitions, how do you see the future of exhibitions in India?

A lot have changed in the past 5 years. I think the government needs to build a new venue. Infrastructure is a big hurdle here and if it’s improved then exhibitions will really grow in the country. Also such exhibition fairs can play a great role in attracting foreign investment, especially from NRIs, because nothing can beat face-to-face meetings and this handshake cannot be beaten. On a personal note, I will continue to be a promoter of India. That's the best way in which I can contribute - through my work.

NRI Achievers Bureau

Most of My childhood wAs in U k. My pARents cAMe fRoM UgAndA with nothing in thei R hAnd As eveRybody did when they Moved fRoM eAst AfRicA in 1971

Photos: Rajeev Tyagi

MICHAEL ASHWIN SATYANDRE ADHIN

USHERING IN A NEW DAWN FOR INDIA IN SURINAME

During the course of the Pravasi Bharatiya Diwas 2017, our NRI Achievers’ team managed to snag some quality time with His Excellency Shri Michael Ashwin Satyandre Adhin, the 36-year old Vice President of the South American Republic of Suriname, serving since 2015. One of the youngest to hold a vice presidential post of any country, he was present in Bengaluru as the Special Guest for the Youth Pravasi Bharatiya Diwas. His family apropos harks back to its Indian roots of more than one century ago, with the grandfather of his grandfather having migrated to the Caribbean from the Indian state of Uttar Pradesh. Playing the gracious host to Rajeev Gupta, he spoke about India Suriname relations, business and trade, and of course also expressed personal pleasure – even as he was on a 11-day visit to the country from where his progenitors originated. We have crafted a profile of this youngest Indian origin politico for you in this vignette, and much of it is in his own words ...

Speaking to the NRI Achievers team, HE Ashwin Adhin said: “During our meeting with the Indian PM Modi, we talked about how we can bring Ayurveda to the mainstream in Suriname. Before coming here, I spoke to Shri Nayak, the Minister for AYUSH, among many others. We spoke about all this in our discussion with PM and other ministers. We had a meeting with the minister of IT as well. We intend to discuss all topics of interest to Suriname as we are aware that there is indeed a lot of potential ... we are a natural-resources rich nation and we can easily fulfil the role of a centrally-located hub for India in the Caribbean and South

America. On returning I will speak about all this with my President, and will also engage various stakeholders to take the ancient science of Ayurveda forward in Suriname.”

“We are right now in a recession and have to look towards diversifying our economy, for which we need projects that bring good spinoffs, which is only feasible when you have in place all the elements, such as availability of land, processing power, local capacity, and a viable market. We intend to take the population of Suriname along in this project in any which way we can. For example, people who have inherited land which is not being used can easily be encouraged to become independent farmers. We’ll then have to facilitate their possession of 1-2 cows, which pro-

vide some essential ingredients that go into several Ayurvedic medicines. We also intend to make full use of technology. Like I said, we’re looking for diversification, but the benefits will be mutual. India will establish itself as an exporter of Ayurvedic technology to different sites by exploiting its historical claim on ancient wisdom for healthy living. We can help them achieve this in Caribbean and South America.”

“In Suriname we have a large Indian Diaspora population, whose importance Modi government has rightly been stressing of late. They are loyal to their ‘Karma bhoomi’, as also emphasized by the PM Modi, their hearts are in India. And In-

dia has all the potential to become a super power and I think you have a good leader now in PM Modi. If you keep going at this momentum you’ll soon be unstoppable. Everywhere in the world there is slowdown but India is growing with 7.1%. You have very great and innovative people. India still has the ‘Sanatan’ philosophy, which is applicable in all times and that’s why I say the spiritual and cultural heritage is more than alive here. All these aspects that give fulfillment and happiness to the world should be made stronger and India has that potential. And if you become a super power why not take this spiritual and cultural concept and teach the world some-

thing they have missed for a long time.”

Talking to us about PM Modi’s reaction to the meeting, HE Ashwin Adhin said: “Your PM Modi thanked me, also other ministers appreciated our thoughts and they found it very interesting. I have always drawn inspiration from India’s rich philosophy, but it is important to put it into a modern context. Sometimes science brings new discoveries; and technology brings new applications to the old principles.“ On whether any agreement and positive outcomes have come out of this meet and visit, he said: “In a formal sense, yes. There are a few projects where we are working on, for example agricultural capacity building,

energy, etc., and all these plans are now being worked on technically so that B2B engagements can start by the next joint meeting, maybe even before that.”

When we commented on his coming quite frequently to India of late, he smiled and shared: “Our engagement with India earlier was not as intensive as it is today. Our President and I both agree on the fact that when you have these big super powers in the world and you see their development, you can as a small country go along with them and see how you can benefit, and they can benefit. Because we should not forget that there is vast potential in Suriname. Most of the time we look at energy issues to see how we can develop together. I told my President that I am willing to personally look at the portfolio for India and he said OK. In policy, when you want to take seriously a super power, you don’t do it at only the technical level, you take it higher into the political level. So it was a right decision from our President and that’s the change. I had been to India two times in one year, and that is in fact a lot. I made an agenda when Ms. Sushma Swaraj, your minister of External Affairs sent an invitation to me. I will do something that I think will be good for youth Diaspora because that was the topic. So I took on Ayurveda as a science that has been developing so many years, decades and centuries here. We will now have to see to it that stepby-step we progress on this and people get the confidence that the things are on the move.

Towards the end, when we asked if he has invited Modi to visit Suriname, the Vice President said that “I have personally conveyed the invitation of my President to Shri Narendra Modi, and I do hope that he plans something soon in the Caribbean and Latin American region so we may have the previlege of hosting him.”

The author is a veteran journalist who had been associated with many electronic channels before starting NRI Achievers magazine. He may be reached at: editor@nriachievers.in

Photo: Suchi

ROBERT FILIPP

I AM MARRIED TO INDIAN cuLTuRE

Robert Filipp is Founder and President of Geneva-based Innovative Finance Foundation (IFF), a Swiss not-for-profit dedicated to financial innovation for social impact. He is also an entrepreneur and a former United Nations official. His ties with India are deep rooted – his spouse is Indian, also working out of Geneva. The architect of the ‘Debt2Health’ programme, which swapped over US$ 300 m and generated US$ 170 m for the Global Fund in sovereign debt. Robert is also closely associated with the French ‘3Waystee’ environment friendly waste-management system, which aims at significantly reducing the need for landfills and protecting the environment. NRI Achievers spoke to him recently, and here are excerpts of that conversation in his own words ...

ou have been staying in India for the past 23 years. How do you see the challenge for pollution in India, with reference to ‘Clean Ganga’ campaign initiated by the Indian Govt., and the adoption of appropriate technology?

India has undergone a lot of changes in terms of economic development, which has had a diverse impact on numerous people during the course of time. Despite that, poverty has proven to be a challenge, which needs to be alleviated as soon as possible. Pollution is a by-product of development that requires immediate attention. There is a need to alchemize waste into high quality products by applying the latest technology. Nowadays we have the technology to recycle over 90% of waste into inoffensive usable and recyclable products. After PM Modi’s

Photo: Suchi

visit to the US, the optimism could be felt among several countries who hope to see India as a fulcrum of the global economy. These developments could lead to higher employment opportunities if the Indian Government pitches in. Our aim is to provide a certain share of profit to all the small garbage collectors and manual scavengers. This would strengthen our economy at the grassroots level and ultimately bring prosperity to economically weaker sections of society.

With India emerging as a global economy, how do you rate the positioning of India globally?

BRICS has proven to be a positive factor and shown a greater sense of consistent paradigms of development. The PM has also indicated that the only possible solution is to inculcate the latest technologies in order to combat pollution. I can see India emerging as land of innovation, which has strength to support its economic needs. It would be beneficial for India to involve more NRIs as they have great expertise in various economic fields.

Would you like to talk a few words about your 23 years of experience in India?

When I visited India for the first time there were no flyovers; I could only see Ambassador Cars all over the place. Now I experience a much more developed India where prosperity is not limited to urban areas. The IT revolution has brought drastic changes that have uplifted many sections of society in terms of lifestyle, earnings and work culture. Despite challenges, India is inexorably gaining momentum in all fields, with transformative changes and a great appetite of the middle class to have quality lifestyles with quality education. The alignment of challenging jobs and changing demographic dividends into opportunities is highly impressive.

Which part of India impressed you? If you had a choice, where would you like to settle down in India?

India has a rich civilization and a heritage with a prosperous artistic tradition spanning several millennia from Indus Valley to the present. So, different parts of India fascinate me in different ways. However, I like Uttar Pradesh and Kerala. Settling down in one

such place entails investment. I think it's better for me to remain in a migratory mode, because you get the nectar of wisdom through travel and human interaction according to Vedic Wisdom. But in a big country like India, you also require an enabling ecosystem and uniformity in all the states which may go forward with equal pace of development. Each state is at different levels of development in different fields.

You are a PIO card holder and you can own property and purchase land in India. What are your future plans?

Since my wife hails from Uttar Pradesh, I also get connected easily through relatives. However, currently there is no specific plan to own property because priority, preference, propensity of mind and life undergo a lot of changes in this globalised world.

Instead of ‘Intelligence Quotient’ and ‘Emotional Quotient’ the world is moving towards ‘Spiritual Quotient’ – in search of better harmony. How do you see this process in India?

Today in this fast changing world driven by technology and high expectations to achieve, perform and be awarded more in materialistic terms, youths and professionals are passing through challenging times. There is tremendous parental and societal pressure on children to perform. The biggest difficulty in the contemporary world including India is that performances are being compared with other iconic and successful achievers in almost every field, so there is no space left for complacency. No parents want their kids to become painters, poets, writers or artists because they are afraid that such careers may not provide a strong financial base for survival. So there is a need of convergent wisdom for both parents and children. But I see that youth in India have become more pragmatic. They have learnt ‘Yoga’ and adopted it as a rewarding career within and outside of India. Similarly, Ayurveda, medical Tourism, spirituality, Buddhist Circuit induced tourism have all created space for employment and youth are exploiting it prudently to better their lives.

What do you think about the cultural differences in India when compared with the West?

Married as I am to an Indian lady, I am

connected by family ties and often get an opportunity to witness and enjoy the diversity and contrasts in different parts of India. One cannot remain isolated in India because society here is so well-knit and so interconnected. All are in the sharing and caring mode which is in sa harp contrast to the West. So, I’ve been able to see the different geographical faces of India through so many friends, relatives and acquaintances, but I like Varanasi in UP.

Do you think that the Modi Government has created a new image branding within and outside India?

Modi’s Government has improved the global image of India and accelerated the pace of foreign investment into India. The new image branding of India has set in motion higher expectations of investors for more ‘ease of doing business’. India today has also become a hotbed of entrepreneurial activities, and that is transforming India rapidly from a predominantly agrarian economy into a more service oriented economy. The current Prime Minister’s various schemes such as Digital India, Swachh Bharat, and Make-in India, et al., have taken a step toward the provision of a firm base to ensure overall growth in various spheres. And his gold monetisation schemes, apropos, will contribute to the better and efficient working of the Indian economic system in the long run. But the expectations and aspirations of the general public are immense and the government is yet to do a lot. The public wants to see fundamental changes in governance. Time is passing by quickly and pressure to deliver fast remains a challenge. What with aspirational challenges becoming more and more important across the globe, India needs to be steered via focused efforts towards crafting a new enabling environment for fresh initiatives. But in a country as big as India, you require an enabling ecosystem in so many states. As regards the promotional strategy by Modi government about governance, it deserves A+ grading.

Ashirvad Pandey

The writer, a BITSian, is an Electrical Engineer by profession but a hobby writer by instinct.

MERANI

AUSTRALIA’S FIRST ASIAN TV PRESENTER

Kumud Merani is a name oft synonymous with television, radio and theatre – a persona who occupies the space of a doyen of the Indian & Asian media down-under, who has reigned supreme across the Australia continent’s media landscape for over three decades. We profile this lady of the 9 O’clock smile for our readers in this issue ...

Kumud was once the most familiar face of Mumbai Doordarshan News since the heydays of its inception, and was indeed one of the most popular newsreaders of her time. An accomplished journalist, Kumud was well acknowledged both for her voice and her presentation style – TV viewers would in fact wait eagerly for her winning goodnight smile, oft referred to as her hallmark 9 o’clock smile!

Flashing that smile at us Kumud says, “My media career started in childhood. Really, because I used to participate as a child artiste in Jantar Mantar children’s programmes on All India Radio and in Hawa Mahal plays. I was amply encouraged by my parents who were lovers of art and literature. My father, Loknath Jetley was an acclaimed writer and Oh what an orator!”

Following her passion for art, theatre and public speaking, Kumud acted in several college plays staged by her Alma mater St. Xavier’s College, Mumbai. “Shabana Azmi and Faroukh Sheikh, who were my batch-mates, used to stage a play every year and walk off with the Inter-Collegiate Prize”, says Kumud. Besides her penchant for Art and Culture, Kumud was an extremely bright student as well. She not only stood first in the Mumbai University but was also among the topmost 25 students in the whole of India. That she adds “was a tremendous surprise”.

After Xavier’s, she moved to Mumbai Univer-

sity, mastering in English, Indian History and Culture, and as fate would have it, topped her class and landed a Gold Medal. But hold on, while studying for her Masters, Kumud had gained another medallion – her engagement to Suresh Merani, a young and brilliant Engineer with dashing looks, who she says, ‘has always encouraged me in my career and my pursuit of the arts’. In between, she was offered and took-up the job of a History Lecturer at Mumbai’s famous Mithibai College, where her students who were a mere year or two younger to her absolutely adored her.

Then came her tryst with Mumbai Doordarshan. Kumud ended up playing a lead role in the very first TV drama produced by Mumbai DD entitled “Matrimonial Column.” The Director of the TV station, PV Krishnamoorthy, spotted her talent and asked her to conduct an audition for the News. The day she auditioned, the legendary artist Smita Patil too was also auditioning for Marathi News.

Kumud soon became a very well loved Hindi News Reader and pursued this vocation for several years, until her family opted to leave first for the Middle East and then on to Australia. Having migrated to Australia about 31 years ago, Kumud got a chance to audition for “World News” on SBS TV and was chosen as its weekend news presenter. She was in fact the first ever Asian lady to become a TV presenter in Australia. Thereafter there was no looking back for her, as she moved on to don the mantle of an Executive

Producer of Hindi Programs on SBS radio, a position she holds till date.

Kumud is currently an Australia Day ambassador and devotes her time to community work, in particular the maintenance of Indian art and culture in Australia. Her name tends to be mentioned in the same breath with the Indian media in Australia; also being a linguistic scholar proficient in about 8 languages, Kumud has been a pioneer of Indian Theatre in Australia. She has translated several plays from Marathi to Hindi, besides playing roles in several. Most notable among these was ‘Lafda’ – her first full-length play translated from Marathi; yet others being ‘Jis Lahore Nayee Dekhya’, ‘Toba Tek Singh’ and ‘The Nautch Girls’, with the latter based on the true life of the tawaifs or courtesans of India. Little wonder that Kumud is a recipient of more than two score International awards – including the NSW premier’s Award, awarded thrice. Kumud avers that, “Awards are such a wonderful recognition of one’s hard work and provide further inspiration, but to me the love of my fans and audiences is the biggest award”.

What next? You have truly achieved a lot haven’t you? We ask: “No” says Kumud, “the woods are lovely, dark and deep, but I have miles to go before I sleep … I want to die with my boots on!”

Dr. Madhvi Mohindra The writer is a Sydney based seasoned journalist active in both print & electronic media.

DEMONETISATION A BLESSING IN DISGUISE ?

It’s been a couple of months now since PM Modi’s shock-treatment to the economy – by derecognising the largedenomination 500 and 1000 rupee bank notes, as a first step in the war against terror financing, corruption, shadow economy, tax evasion and circulation of fake notes. This ‘demonetisation’ rendered 86% of all circulating cash in the Indian economy illegal, causing chaos for low-income, ryot and rural households in the short term – purely because large numbers of them are still ‘unbanked.’ We saw mile-long queues for exchanging old notes, experienced agonising short-supplies of the new 500 and 2000 rupee notes, the limits on withdrawal and the lack of calibrated ATM Machines, not to mention deaths that peppered this tumult. Added to these woes hangs the looming final deadline for deposit of old bank notes like a damocles’ sword – March end with the RBI. NRI Achievers brings a considered analysis of the implications, unravelling Demonetisation for our readers.

What do non-residents need to do in this aftermath of demonetisation? It has been common practice for NRIs to carry Indian currency with them when they go abroad, mainly for the convenience of not having to exchange forex when they return the next time. And rules being observed more in the breach than in the observance in the past, most NRIs have carried sumptuous amounts of Indian currency with them to their host nations. Now here’s what they will need to do in response to Demonetization:

Ø Those travelling inwards between 02 January and 31 March 2017 may visit any of the designated RBI offices with required documentation like passport and visa details that prove they were out of the country to exchange the notes.

Ø Those having the money abroad may can send it across to India through someone trustworthy and authorize them to exchange it on their behalf with the RBI.

Ø Passengers (excluding citizens of Pakistan/Bangladesh) may bring or take out of India (other than to Nepal/Bhutan) – upto INR 25,000.

Ø Passengers (again excluding citizens of Pakistan/Bangladesh) may bring or take out of India (again other than to Nepal/Bhutan) unlimited foreign currency,

but have to fill up a ‘Currency Declaration Form’ if total cash is more than US$ 5000, or total is more than US$ 10,000.

The demonetisation move has resulted in banks witnessing cash deposits of approximately INR 14.5 lakh crores until recently, which in the short term may cause a liquidity squeeze as it is assessed that over 90% of consumer purchases in India are made in cash, and over 80% workers are paid in cash. This will most likely act as a speed-breaker for growth, with our GDP expected to take a hit of 0.7 – 1%, led by reduced consumption in FMCG, retailing, jewellery, luxury & white goods and the construction sector. But on the other hand, if we look at the longer-term goal of making the Indian economy stronger, eliminating the unaccounted and untaxed parallel cash economy, and moving towards digital transactions by pushing demonetization, then the move does deserve some praise.

Consulting firm McKinsey & Co esti-

mates India’s shadow economy at 26% of GDP in 2013, implying that almost one-fourth of the economy is unaccounted and goes untaxed. Further, looking at public tax data disclosed by government, a total of 2.87 crore individuals filed income tax returns for 2011-12, but 1.62 crore of them did not pay any tax — leaving the number of taxpayers at just about 1.25 crore –which was close to one percent of the country’s total population of about 123 crore at that time. Currently, it is estimated that 3% of over 1 billion people in the country are estimated to pay income tax. Here are some more things that are important to note:

Ø Sectoral analysis of the admission of undisclosed income during

searches conducted by the IT Department in FY16 reveal that main sectors generating black money are manufacturing (31%), real estate (29%), trading (8%), educational institutions (7%), contractors (6%), services (5%), and gems & jewellery (4%).

Ø According to RBI’s annual report published this year, more than 2.61 lakh counterfeit notes of INR 500 denomination were detected by banks in 20152016, while another 1.43 lakh fake notes of INR 1000 were also detected.

Ø By value, counterfeit notes of INR 500 & 1000 accounted for more than 92% of all fake currency detected by banks across the country.

Given this sort of a scenario, It is indeed important that we look at demonetization as an important step taken to curb the shadow economy, in tandem with the other reforms that have so far been undertaken to streamline the economy:

Ø Supreme Court-Monitored SIT (Special Investigation Team) on Black Money. Constituted in May 2014 to monitor the probe into black money cases – on

large amounts of cash stashed abroad by evading taxes and/or generated through unlawful activities.

Ø Jan Dhan Yojana – the ‘PMJDY’ launched on August 28, 2014. Estimated 25.45 crore accounts opened so far. INR 45,302.48 crore deposited into these accounts.

Ø Renegotiation of the ‘Double Tax Avoidance Agreement – with Mauritius – to impose Capital Gains Tax if such capital asset is situated in India. Initiation of ‘Automatic Information Exchange Agreements’ with other known tax havens. From 2017, OECD countries have agreed to share information on foreign account holders with their home countries.

Ø Introducing scheme under the Black Money (Undisclosed Foreign Income and Assets) & Imposition of Tax Act, 2015, for Foreign Black Money – whilst total disclosures under this Scheme were a mite underwhelming, the Act also has various stringent provisions for penalty and prosecution of foreign Black money holder’s unearthed during future investigations by the tax department. A good step.

Ø For the investigation of the Panama Paper leaks, the government bringing in the constitution of a Multi-Agency Group (MAG) with officers of the Central Board of Direct Taxes (CBDT), Reserve Bank of India (RBI), Enforcement Directorate (ED) and Financial Intelligence Unit (FIU).

Ø Opening the ‘Income Disclosure

Scheme 2016’ on June 2016 to provide an opportunity to black-money holders to come clean by declaring assets by September 30, 2016, and paying tax and penalty of 45% on it. Though the IT department had identified 90 lakh high value transactions without PANs, final disclosures were only to the tune of INR 65,250 crore.

Ø Imposition of a penalty of 20% on all cash transactions exceeding INR 20,000 to purchase or sell property (real estate). Aimed at curbing the role of black money in real estate transactions.

Ø Tax Collection at Source at a nominal rate of 1% on cash purchases exceeding INR 2 lakh. To check high value cash transactions and create an audit trail.

Ø Benami Transaction (Prohibition) Amendment Bill – Parliament enacted this in August 2016 by passing the Benami Transactions (Prohibition) Amendment Act, 2016 (BTP Amendment Act), which came into force from November 1, 2016. The law seeks to give more teeth to authorities in curbing benami transactions.

Notwithstanding all these, there is no gainsaying that the biggest reform would be the encouragment of digitisation and cashless banking to root out the parallel economy in the long run. According to a 2014 study ‘The Cost Of Cash in India’ by Tufts University, cash operations cost the RBI and commercial banks about INR 21,000 crore per annum. Also, a shift away from cash will make it more difficult for tax evaders to hide incomes,

bringing considerable benefit to a monetarily constrained country that we continue to be. There are various digital payment options available today and many more are likely to come up in future as people start adapting to cashless transactions.

Ø Plastic Money (Debit Cards/Credit Cards/Charge Cards)

Ø eWallets (PayZapp, Chillr, SBI Buddy, PayTM, Mobikwik ...)

Ø UPI Apps (SBI Pay, Axis Pay )

Ø UPI Wallets (PhonePe, Pockets)

However, there are certain challenges and pain-points in India that need to be tackled post-haste if we really do want to usher in a digital transformation such as the one which is a world trend metamorphosing into a veritable torrent ...

Ø Lack of access to banking – leaves no option other than cash for a large fraction of the population.

Ø No extra transaction costs in cash payments. E-payments so far unviable for small value transactions.

Ø Flexibility and simplicity of Cash. No worries of losing connectivity and transactions.

Ø Large unorganized sector – majority retailers, suppliers and service providers with no infra for e-transactions.

Ø Lack of consumer education / awareness regarding use of cards and digital payment modes.

Ø Cyber security, data privacy, and above all, connectivity. We lack in all three, especially the last.

Though the government has taken

steps and introduced some measures, their implementation is going to take some time. Like for instance:

Ø Discounts announced on digital payments towards auto-fuel, service tax exemption on payments upto INR 2000, 8-10% off on insurance premia, INR 100 per month rental charge by PSU Banks, deployment of 2 PoS devices in each village with upto 10,000 residents.

Ø RBI issuing licences to open new-age small-finance banks and payments banks that are expected to give a push to financial inclusion and take innovative banking solutions to the doorsteps of the masses.

Ø The launch of UPI (Unified Payments Interface) by the National Payments Corp of India.

Ø The JAM Trinity Idea: Jan-Dhan Yojana, Aadhar, Mobile connectivity.

Ø Efforts to improve financial literacy undertaken by RBI as well as banks, microfinance institutions, NABARD, and stock exchanges et al.

Ø Strengthening network of business correspondents in rural areas, equipping all ATMs with Aadhar

authentication facility.

Ø Ensuring inter-operability between various banking systems – entrusted to National Payments Corporation of India.

Ø Provisoning of micro ATMs to more than one lakh ration or fair price shops by March 2017.

In sum, it does seem like India has taken a structurally positive step that focuses more on the organised rather than the unorganised sector. As the country undergoes this huge transformation from a cash-dominant economy to a less-cash reliant economy, India Inc. will definitely feel the pinch in terms of lower off-takes in volumes in the short-term.

However, the longer term macro-economic effects that will accrue to the economy in the form of lower inflation levels, lower interest rates and lower budget deficits will benefit all. The parallel unaccounted-for economy will come in the reporting domain, which will provide a boost to the real GDP. This would also result in increased tax compliance in addition to the indirect boost that GST is expected to bring. It is also expected that with the data made available to the government on deposits in banks, the tax base would broaden over a period of time and enhance revenue collection from taxes, which in turn would facilitate tax rate reduction in the long term. The digitisation of transactions as well as deposits made by the public will open the floodgates of funds available with the banks, but the challenge before them now is how to deploy this windfall, as credit growth is still sluggish. As an balm in the aftermath of demonetisation, there is an urgent need for the government to now introduce a whole slew of measures to address and stabilise the resurgence in the economy that is beound to ensue in the coming years.

The author is a practising chartered accountant. He serves on the boards of various listed companies including a public sector bank.

S Ravi

TEMPLES A DOORWAY TO THE BEYOND...

India is a vast land of myriad cultures, languages and ethnicities, each with its own pantheon, and temples, shrines, and places of worship dedicated to them. Now, why were these temples built, and what was the purpose behind them? What sets aside the most ancient ones that were constructed and consecrated millenia in our past from those built by modern civilisations? The author addresses the conceptual underpinnings of our places of worship, their significance, role and pole-position in society in his own down-to-earth way. Read on…

The very nature of human perception is such that right now, whatever a human being is sensorily involved with will be the only truth for him in his experience. Perceiving the world through their five sense organs, what comes in through them seem to be the only truth, and nothing else. Senses can only perceive that which is physical, and because your perception is limited to the five sense organs, everything that you know as life is only physicality – your body, mind, emotion and your life energies are all physical. If you see this physical existence as a fabric, as a piece of cloth … let us say you are living on the fabric of the physical. You are walking on this cloth, and what you are walking on is all that is real for you. But when you look up, there seems to be a vast emptiness above, and even there you only recognize the physical; you look at a star or a sun or a moon – this is all physical. You do not perceive what is not physical.

What you call a temple is like putting a hole in the fabric, creating a new space where the physical becomes thin, and something beyond becomes visible to you. This science of making the physical less manifest is the science of consecration, so that another dimension beyond the physical becomes apparent or visible to you if you are willing to perceive it. To take this analogy further, it is like the temple is a hole in the fabric of the physical where you could fall through easily and go beyond.

Today, temples may be built just like shopping complexes – concrete, steel and every-

thing, and probably for the same purpose –because everything has become commerce. When I talk about temples, I am talking about the way ancient temples were created. In this country, in our ancient times, temples were built only for Shiva, and for nobody else. It was only later that other temples began coming up – because people started focusing on immediate wellbeing. Using this science, they started creating various other forms, which they could use to benefit themselves in so many different ways – in terms of health, wealth, wellbeing and so many other things. They created different types of energies and different kinds of deities. If you want money, you create one kind of form, which will assist that kind of thing or if you are full of fear, you create another kind of form. These temples came up in the last 1100 or 1200 years, but before that, there were no other temples in the country except Shiva temples.

The word ‘Shiva’ literally means ‘that which is not.’ So the temple was built for ‘that which is not.’ ‘That which is’ is physical manifestation; ‘that which is not’ is that which is beyond the physical. So a temple is a hole through which you enter into a space which is not. There are thousands of Shiva temples in the country, and most of them don’t have any form as such. They just have a representative form and generally it is a linga. The word ‘linga’ means ‘the form.’ We are calling it ‘the form’ because when the un-manifest began to manifest itself, or in other words when creation began to happen, the first form that it

took was that of an ellipsoid. A perfect ellipsoid is what we call as a linga. Today modern cosmologists have identified this in so many different ways. One thing is, the core of every galaxy is always an ellipsoid. So it always started as an ellipsoid, or a linga, and then became many things. And we know from our experience that if you go into deep states of meditativeness, before a point of absolute dissolution comes, once again the energy takes the form of an ellipsoid or a linga.

So the first form is linga and the final form is linga; the in-between space is creation, what is beyond is Shiva. So the form of a linga is a hole in the fabric of creation. Physical creation is here; the back door is linga, the front door is linga. So that is why I am referring to a temple as just a hole through which you can fall beyond; that is the fundamental of the temple.

You are invited to be part of the unveiling of the world’s largest face – a 112-feet face of Adiyogi, the source of Yoga, on the occasion of Mahashivratri on 24th February 2017, at the Isha Yoga Center, Coimbatore. The unveiling will be preceded by a rare mystical happening – the consecration of a unique Yogeshwara Linga by Sadhguru, a Mystic, Yogi and founder of the Isha Foundation. http://isha.sadhguru.org/mahashivratri/

Sadhguru Jaggi Vasudev

The author is a prominent Indian spiritual leader, a self-realised yogi, mystic, seer and visionary. Prolific author, poet, and an internationallyacclaimed speaker. You can learn more @ isha.sadhguru.org.

Âý·¤æ´Ç ¥ÍüàææS˜æè ·Ô¤ M¤Â ×ð´ Öè çßEç߁ØæÌ ãé°Ð §ÌÙè âçÎØæ¡ »éÁÚUÙð ·Ô¤ ÕæÎ ¥æÁ Öè ØçÎ ¿æ‡æ€UØ mæÚUæ ÕÌæ° »° çâhæ´Ì ¥õÚU ÙèçÌØæ¡ Âýæâ´ç»·¤ ãñ´ Ìô ×æ˜æ §âçÜ°, ç·¤ ©‹ãô´Ùð ¥ÂÙð »ãÙ ¥ŠØØÙ, ç¿´ÌÙ ¥õÚU ÁèßÙæÙéÖßô´ âð ¥çÁüÌ ¥×êËØ ™ææÙ ·¤ô, ÂêÚUè ÌÚUã çÙÑSßæÍü ãô·¤ÚU ×æÙßèØ ·¤ËØæ‡æ ·Ô¤ ©gðàØ âð

×ð´ Ùãè´ ç»ÚUÌè´. ©âð ·¤ô§ü ·ñ¤âð ÕÎÜ â·¤Ìæ ãñ Áô ç·¤âè ·Ô¤ ×êÜ ×ð´ ãñ.

What fault of spring that the bamboo shoot has no leaves? What fault of the sun if the owl cannot see during the daytime? Is it the fault of the clouds if no raindrops fall into the mouth of the chatak bird? Who can erase what Lord Brahma has inscribed upon our foreheads at the time of birth? °·¤ ÎéC ·Ô¤ ×Ù ×ð´ âÎ÷»é‡æô´ ·¤æ ©ÎØ ãô â·¤Ìæ ãñ ØçÎ ßã °·¤ ÖQ¤ âð âˆâ´» ·¤ÚUÌæ ãñ. Üðç·¤Ù ÎéC ·¤æ â´» ·¤ÚUÙð

worm survives while even in a filthy place so do I survive here!"

ßã ƒæÚU ÁãUæ´ Õýæræ‡ææð´ ·Ô¤ ¿ÚU‡æ ·¤×Ü ·¤ô ÏôØæ Ùãè´ ÁæÌæ, Áãæ ßñçη¤ ×´˜ææð´ ·¤æ ÁôÚU âð ©‘¿æÚU‡æ Ùãè´ ãôÌæ. ¥õÚU ÁãUæ´ Ö»ßæÙ÷ ·¤ô ¥õÚU çÂÌÚUæð´ ·¤ô Öô» Ùãè´ Ü»æØæ ÁæÌæ ßã ƒæÚU °·¤ à×àææÙ ãñ.

The house in which the lotus feet of brahmanas are not washed, in which Vedic mantras are not loudly recited, and in which the holy rites of svaha (sacrificial offerings to the Supreme Lord) and swadha (offerings to the ancestors) are not performed, is like a crematorium.

âˆØ ×ðÚUè ×æÌæ ãñ. ¥ŠØæçˆ×·¤ ™ææÙ ×ðÚUæ çÂÌæ ãñ. Ï×æü¿ÚU‡æ ×ðÚUæ Õ´Ïé ãñ. ÎØæ ×ðÚUè çטæ ãñ. ÖèÌÚU ·¤è àææ´çÌ ×ðÚUè Â%è ãñ. ÿæ×æ ×ðÚUæ Âé˜æ ãñ. ×ðÚUð ÂçÚUßæÚU ×ð´ Øð Àã Üô» ãñ´U.

(It is said that a sadhu, when asked about his family, replied thusly): truth is my mother, and my father is spiritual knowledge; righteous conduct is my brother, and mercy is my friend, inner peace is my wife, and forgiveness is my son: these six are my kinsmen.

ã×æÚUð àæÚUèÚU ÙEÚU ãñ´U. ÏÙ ×ð´ Ìô ·¤ô§ü SÍæØè Öæß Ùãè´ ãñ. ×ëˆØé ãÚUÎ× ã×æÚUð çÙ·¤ÅU ãñ. §âèçÜ° ã×ð´ ÌéÚU´Ì Âé‡Ø ·¤×ü ·¤ÚUÙð ¿æçã°.

Our bodies are perishable, wealth is not at all permanent and death is always nearby. Therefore we must immediately engage in acts of merit.

¥ÁéüÙ Ùð ·ë¤c‡æ âð ·¤ãUæ- Õýæræ‡ææð´ ·¤ô SßæçÎC ÖôÁÙ ×ð´ ¥æÙ´Î ¥æÌæ ãñ. »æØæð´ ·¤ô ÌæÁ¸è ·¤ô×Ü ƒææâ ¹æÙð ×ð´. Â%è ·¤ô ÂçÌ ·Ô¤ âæçóæŠØ ×ð´. ÿæç˜æØô ·¤ô Øéh ×ð´ ¥æÙ´Î ¥æÌæ ãñ. Arjuna says to Krishna. "Brahmanas find joy in going to feasts, cows find joy in eating their tender grass, wives find joy in the company of their husbands, and know, O Krishna, that in the same way I rejoice in battle.

Áô ÎêâÚUð ·¤è Â%è ·¤ô ¥ÂÙè ×æÌæ ×æÙÌæ ãñ, ÎêâÚUð ·ð¤ ÏÙ ·¤ô ç×ÅUÅUè ·¤æ ɸðUÜæ, ÎêâÚUð ·Ô¤ âé¹ Îéѹ ·¤ô ¥ÂÙæ âé¹ Îéѹ. ©âè ·¤ô âãè ÎëçCU Âýæ# ãñ ¥õÚU ßãè çßmæÙ ãñ. He who regards another's wife as his mother, the wealth that does not belong to him as a lump of mud, and the pleasure and pain of all other living beings as his own -- truly sees things in the right perspective, and he is a true pandit.

Ö»ßæÙ ÚUæ× ×ð´ Øð âÕ »é‡æ ãñ´U. v. âÎ÷»é‡æô´ ×ð´ ÂýèçÌ. w. ×èÆð ß¿Ù x. ÎæÙ ÎðÙð ·¤è Ìèßý §‘Àæ àæçQ¤. y. çטææð´ ·Ô¤ âæÍ ·¤ÂÅU ÚUçãÌ ÃØßãæÚU. z. »éL¤ ·¤è ©ÂçSÍçÌ ×ð´ çßÙ×ýÌæ {. ×Ù ·¤è »ãÚUè àææç‹Ì. {. àæéh ¥æ¿ÚU‡æ |. »é‡æô´ ·¤è ÂÚU¹ }. àææS˜æ ·Ô¤ ™ææÙ ·¤è ¥ÙéÖêçÌ }. M¤Â ·¤è âé‹ÎÚUÌæ ~. Ö»ßÌ ÖçQ¤.

O Raghava, the love of virtue, pleasing speech,

and an ardent desire for performing acts of charity, guileless dealings with friends, humility in the guru's presence , deep tranquillity of mind, pure conduct, discernment of virtues, realised knowledge of the sastras, beauty of form and devotion to God are all found in you." (The great sage Vasistha Muni, the spiritual preceptor of the dynasty of the sun, said this to Lord Ramachandra at the time of His proposed coronation).

·¤Ë ÌL¤ Ìô °·¤ Ü·¤Ç¸è ãè ãñ. âé߇æü ·¤æ âé×ðÚU ÂßüÌ Ìô çÙàÀÜ ãñ. ç¿´Ìæ ×ç‡æ Ìô °·¤ ˆÍÚU ãñ. âêØü ×ð´ Ìæ ãñ. ¿‹Îý×æ Ìô ƒæÅUÌæ ÕɸÌæ ÚUãÌæ ãñ. ¥×ØæüÎ â×éÎý Ìô ¹æÚUæ ãñ. ·¤æ× Îðß ·¤æ Ìô àæÚUèÚU ãè ÁÜ »Øæ. ×ãæÚUæÁ ÕçÜ Ìô ÚUæÿæâ ·¤éÜ ×ð´ ÂñÎæ ãé°. ·¤æ×ÏðÙé Ìô Âàæé ãè ãñ. Ö»ßæÙ÷ ÚUæ× ·Ô¤ â×æÙ ·¤õÙ ãñ.

The desire tree is wood; the golden Mount Meru is motionless; the wish-fulfilling gem cintamani is just a stone; the sun is scorching; the moon is prone to wane; the boundless ocean is saline; the demigod of lust lost his body (due to Shiva's wrath); Bali Maharaja, the son of Diti, was born into a clan of demons; and Kamadhenu (the cow of heaven) is a mere beast. O Lord of the Raghu dynasty! I cannot compare you to any one of these (taking their merits into account).

çßlæ âȤÚU ×ð´ ã×æÚUè çטæ ãñ. Â%è ƒæÚU ÂÚU çטæ ãñ. ¥õáçÏ L¤‚‡æ ÃØçQ¤ ·¤è çטæ ãñ. ×ÚUÌð ßQ¤ Ìô Âé‡Ø ·¤×ü ãè çטæ ãñ.

Realised learning (vidya) is our friend while travelling , the wife is a friend at home, medicine is the friend of a sick man, and meritorious deeds are the friends at death.

ÚUæÁ ÂçÚUßæÚUô´ âð çàæCæ¿æÚU âè¹ð´. ´çÇÌæð´ âð ÕôÜÙð ·¤è ·¤Üæ âè¹ð´. Áé¥æçÚUØæð´ âð ÛæêÆU ÕôÜÙæ âè¹ð´. °·¤ ¥õÚUÌ âð ÀÜ âè¹ð´.

Courtesy should be learned from princes, the art of conversation from pandits, lying should be learned from gamblers and deceitful ways should be learned from women. çÕÙæ âô¿ð â×Ûæ𠹿ü ·¤ÚUÙð ßæÜæ, ÙÅU¹ÅU Õ‘¿æ çÁâð ¥ÂÙæ ƒæÚU Ùãè´, Ûæ»Ç¸ð ÂÚU ¥æ×Îæ ¥æÎ×è, ¥ÂÙè Â%è ·¤ô ÎéÜüçÿæÌ ·¤ÚUÙð ßæÜæ, Áô ¥ÂÙð ¥æ¿ÚU‡æ ÂÚU ŠØæÙ Ùãè´ ÎðÌæ ãñ. Øð âÕ Üô» ÁËÎè ãè ÕÕæüÎ ãô ÁæØð´»ð.

The unthinking spender, the homeless urchin #), the quarrel monger, the man who neglects his wife and is heedless in his actions -- all these will soon come to ruination.

Source: www.hindisathityadarpan.com

HINDI CINEMA COMES OF AGE WITH REALISTIC SMOOCH SEQUENCES

A peck on the cheek or a kiss on the lip onscreen is no longer something which can scandalise the viewer. The new crop of actresses today may not be brazen but are certainly bolder than the earlier coy actresses who were content running around trees to show their affection for their leading men. With brevity the mantra these days, film heroines have started shedding not only just clothes but also their inhibitions, ready to cross even frontiers when it comes to displaying passion and love for their beloveds.

Like Alia Bhatt, Parineeti Chopra, Nargis Fakri, Shraddha Kapoor etc. NRI Achievers reports for you…

It was unthinkable even five years ago for heroines with star status to indulge in smooching onscreen. Of course a Madhuri Dixit in DAYAVAN or a Dimple Kapadia in SAGAR could get away with a liplock but even as far as they were concerned, it was a strict no-no to smooching, till Rani Mukerjee took the bold step of smooching Kamalahasan in HEY RAAM. Recently Rani went one step ahead when she didn’t hesitate to kiss Amitabh Bachchan on the lip in BLACK because the script demanded it. And she smooched Abhishek Bachchan, her co-star in BUNTY AUR BABBLI. Preity Zinta lent dignity to the smooch in SALAAM NAMASTE in which Saif Ali Khan was the lucky recipient of her smooch. Considering that Preity didn’t think at all that it was a big deal when it came to asking him whether he was a virgin in Mani Ratnam’s DIL SE, the smooching sequences with Saif in SALAAM NAMASTE didn’t elicit wolf whistles or catcalls amongst the audience since director Siddharth Anand had shot them aesthetically. Today Emraan Hashmi flaunts a T Shirt, which has 'Serial Kisser' written on it and revels in being labelled as the smooching actor, with his smooching

sequences in MURDER with Mallika Sherawat, AASHIQ BANAYA AAPNE with Tanshree Dutta and JAWANI DIWANI with Celina Jaitley.

The smooching sequences in NEIL & NIKKIE between Uday Chopra and Tanisha also blended with the background for the simple reason that there was a great deal of bonhomie and amazing chemistry between the lead players which enabled them to shed their inhibitions with gay abandon. The fact that both Uday and Tanisha were young also helped a lot in lending credence to the impact of the smooching sequences. However, not all the new actresses today are ready to go ahead and do smooching sequences. Take for instance Ayesha Takia. She had the gumption to say 'No' to Yash Chopra when she was offered the role, which ultimately went to Tanisha in Yashraj Films NEIL & NIKKIE. Says Ayesha, as a matter of fact. “It is nice to do roles with your dignity intact. I cannot do films, which require me to display my skin unabashedly. I do not think I am ready to do a Chameli. I said no to Yash Chopra when I was offered NIEL & NIKKIE because I did not want to do the smooching sequences in the film and

prance around in a skimpy bra all around the beach. I do movies, which I believe in. I do not at all aspire to be the No 1 actress in Bollywood by hook or crook."

Payal Rohatgi who sashayed her way through sleazy flicks like TAUBA TAUBA, MEN NOT ALLOWED, FUN etc., asserts that the trend at the box office today is to go for films with bold and shocking themes. She adds without mincing words. “I like to play real characters with shades. I’d like to do roles which complements my glamorous image, like in Subhashji’s 36 CHINA TOWN directed by Abbas-Mustan. At the end of the day, when you do a smooching sequence it is just yet another facet to my character and does not reflect me as an individual.” Payal feels that every actress

in the 1950’s and 60’s wanted to be either a Madhubala or a Nutan because the industry wasn’t willing to accept experiments. “Nudity is a part of the learning process as far as an actor is abroad. Our level of exposure isn’t that large even though we come from a sexual background of gods, goddesses and Khajuraho.” Payal also confesses that it is definitely not flattering to be dubbed a sex symbol. “I am more than just flesh and blood, though at the same time I’d not hesitate to say that I love the way I look. I do not like the scrutiny behind the tag of the sex symbol. Whether I do a liplock sequence or a smooch on the screen, it is high time that people started looking beyond that aspect of mine.”

Sonali Kulkarni may have a holier-thanthou image as far as Marathi and Hindi films are concerned, but she did an intimate smooching lip-to-lip passionate sequence with aplomb in an Italian film called FIRE AT MY HEART in which she played not an Indian but an Italian girl who lives in an Island and picks up corals and pearls. It was based on a true story. Sonali, an actor believes in giving her 100% best to the characters she sets out to play, is made of sterner stuff. She believes in going by the demand of the script and merging with the character, the hallmark of any good actor.

In Kalpana Lajmi’s CHINGAARI Sushmita Sen played a sex worker who was exploited by the village priest or Panda as he is called, a role-played by Mithun Chakraborty. According to Sushmita who did a passionate smooching sequence in the film with her co-star Anuuj Sawhney which had snowballed into a big controversy, “CHINGARI wasn’t at all a ‘today’ film on any count. When I agreed to be a part of the project, I asked Kalpana whether she was sure that I was suitable for the role of Basanti, the hard-core sex worker and she said that she would work on the

role. What I liked about her as a director is that she told me that it does not excite her to cast an actress according to his or her image.” Sushmita admits that she did feel very bad when Anuuj Sawhney who plays the postman opposite her in CHINGAARI chose to seek publicity by using their lip-locking scene in CHINGARI. Sushmita adds: “My tolerance level is high. I felt bad because Kalpana as a director has not made fun of sex workers in her film. The photo with Anuuj’s quotes was disrespectful. I did not want to be part of this sort of marketing strategy, which could end up giving wrong signals to the viewers that it is a sleazy film. I think he was childish though his intention was not wrong.”

All said and done, with almost every other actress on the scene today not hesitating to smooch on the screen, after Mallika Sherawat blazed a new trail with her record number of 37 kisses in her debut film, Indian Cinema is growing. At a time when globalization and corporatisation have become the big mantras in Bollywood, Hindi Cinema has come of age and the day will not be far away when it can compete with the best of world cinema and leave its own huge impact globally, like Hollywood cinema today. We can even go to the extent of stating that today kissing is passe. Smooching is in !

Jyothi Venkatesh The writer is a well-known & established film critic.

The MosT IndusTrIal FrIendly sTaTe KarnaTaKa

Shri Siddaramaiah Hon'ble CM, Karnataka

Shri R.V. Deshpande Hon'ble Minister for Large & Medium Industries and Infrastructure Development

ears before India introduced economic liberalization; Karnataka was host to quite a few multinational corporations that prospered in its cool-climate capital. That edge Bengaluru had even prior to the 1990s is something that the southern state continues to enjoy till date.

Today, Karnataka is home to scores of MNCs of all hues. The state houses the country's maximum number of IT (information technology) companies; so much so, it is known as the Silicon Valley of India. The state also has sobriquets like the 'R&D Hub' and the 'Start-up Hub' Besides IT, industries that thrive in Karnataka include coffee, aerospace, biotechnology, pharmaceuticals, renewable energy, heavy industries and construction besides agro and food-processing.

The rise owes a lot to Karnataka's adaptability to tune in to the phasing out of the license raj at the centre since the early 1990s. The state's quick moves benefited entrepreneurs and other stakeholders. Not only did companies in Karnataka expand fast; home-grown firms too started springing up and growing.

Cut to 2016. The saga continues. As Chief Minister, Mr. Siddaramaiah, notes, "Karnataka is one of the fastest-growing states in India, propelling the country's growth to greater heights"

InvesT KarnaTaKa Earlier this year, the state held "Invest Karnataka' Minister for Large and Medium Industries, Mr. R. V. Deshpande, has been overseeing and giving a thrust to the projects proposed at the 3-day meet in February. His ministry has been clearing the proposed projects, following which action is being taken by KIADB and others.

The state has put in place a process whereby industry captains need not get in touch with Revenue officials. There is a check-list. The government has clearly instructed the Deputy Commissioners that the authorities cannot ask the industry anything more than that listed on the check-list. This is being done to bring an end to not only hardships and inconvenience being faced by industry.

Now, entrepreneurs need just submit proposals to the 'Karnataka Udyog Mitra which then sends it the respective Deputy Commissioners, who'd look into it and grant permissions. According to Mr.Deshpande, the government has put almost all of the process online.

Not surprising, thus, that an engineering MNC as re-

puted as Ger Robert Bosch Gmbh rates Karnataka as its most important location within India. "Our operations have expanded over the past 6 decades to include 5 manufacturing locations in the State. Karnataka’s IT and software strength is the driving future for us, thanks to the state support says its board member Peter Taylor.

ease I n BusI ness

The Feb 3-5 investment meet saw several MoUs being signed. Soon, the government received the proposals, and promptly cleared many of them under a single window agency meeting in accordance with the government' policy of enhancing the "Ease of Doing Business" in the State. The Minister directly monitors the situation along with the Additional Chief Secretary and Commissioner of Industries.

In a first in the country, the state formed a "Invest Karnataka Forum” Company under the Companies Act. This will operate largely like the Si model. Thus, industry will attract Investment into Karnataka along government.

Reliance ADAG founder Chairman Anil Ambani terms Bengalur as the "spiritual home" of Indians innovativeness and ingenuity. "We will construct Dhirubhai Ambani centre for Research on aerospace in Bengaluru. It will be a world class facility for research, development and innovation:” he adds.

Adds Aditya Birla Group chairman Kumar Mangalam Birla: Karnataka’s image today stands more enhanced having become an acknowledged global capital of knowledge and home of innovative start-ups".

“Innovate, Invent an Invest in Karnataka. Your future will be made in Karnataka.”

Motivated by the government's promises and actions, the state has emerged as a hot investment destination. Different schemes and programmes implemented have won acclaim at severaI national and prestigious fora. Also, Bengaluru has emerged one of the 20 emerging cities of the world the one and only city in India.

Industrial Policy 2014-19 has an ambitious target of creating 15 lakh job opportunities and attracting investment of Rs 5 lakh crores.

leads The r ace

Karnataka is facing competition from other states chiefly in the form of tax incentives. But its Government believes that entrepreneurs are more bothered about infrastructure, stable rule, good policies, steady and availability of water and power. In these, Karnataka believes it is ahead of any state.

Tourism is Karnataka’s big attraction. The state is

known for its heritage spots, silk and honey. So, to make this sector shine further, the government has eased the procedures involved in allocating land. The aim is to give “Ease of Doing Business” an impetus.

Praise comes from abroad, too. Syed Khalil, MD of UAE-based K&K enterprises says Bengaluru is the source of one of the best technical talent. “Reason: it has a nice weather. It has a very strong science background.

The current IT and Telecom revolution has made fastpaced communication invigorate the growth of companies even quicker. This revolution calls for easy entry and easy exit of companies in the marketplace, since corporate nimbleness decides whether they continue to exist and grow or stagnate and die.

Biocon CMD Kiran Mazumdar Shaw notes both the IT and BT sectors have taken root in Karnataka because of very far-sighted visionary policies of the state. "This is one state where the government works very closely with the private sector as true partner:' she adds.

In short, the government has taken a series of focused steps aimed at making doing business for companies already operating in the state, easier, as well as for new companies planning to set up operations.

Focused steps taken by the State Government to make "Ease of Doing Business" in Karnataka is reality.

• Single Window clearance for projects under Karnataka Facilitation Act, 2002 through online portal. (www. ebizKar-nataka.gov.in) including registrations and approval of line departments.

• "Guide to Investors on setting up of Industrial Enterprise" providing holistic information on infrastructure, registrations, approvals, etc. on Single Window portal.

• Land availability in Industrial Areas has been made online through a GIS system website www.kiadb.in.

• Ground coverage & Floor Area ratio increased up to 3.25 & 75% respectively depending upon the extent of the plot & zones of KIADB.

• KIADB has fixed clear timelines for processing of application for allotment of land, for approval of building plan and obtaining water connection.

• Online application for obtaining permission under Section 109 of KLR Act for purchase of agricultural land.

• Deemed conversion for land purchased under 109 of KLR Act.

• "Invest Karnataka Forum" established on par with Economic Development Board of Singapore to promote "Brand Karnataka" globally and to attract invest-ments to the State.

• Timelines fixed for providing most of the industry related services under Karnataka Guarantee of Services

to Citizens Act (SAKALA ACT).

• All Commercial tax related services provided online.

• Online applications for new electricity connections.

• Online application for NOC from department of Fire and Emergency services.

• Forest department has exempted all notified industrial areas from seeking prior permission for felling of trees.

• Registration and renewals under various acts of Labour and Factories & Boilers department made online.

• Consent for Establishment (CFE) & Consent for Operation (CFO) from Pollution Control Board made online.

• Validity of Consent for Establishment (CFE) made 5 years for all categories.

• Validity of Consent for Operation (CFO) made 10 years for Green Category.

• Validity of Consent for Operation (CFO) for Red & Orange categories extended from existing 1 year to 5 years.

• 58 Industrial Activities are notified as white category and do not require con-sent from Pollution Control Board.

Purchase oF land Permission to purchase agricultural land for Industrial purposes U/s 109 of KLR Act 1961: (http://Iandrecords.karnataka. gov.in/109online/)

Land is the basic need for all industrial activity. In Karnataka, the State Govt. has put in place initiatives aimed at making purchase and conversion of agricultural land easier. This online permission to purchase agricultural land for Industrial purposes falls under Section 109 of the Karnataka Land Reforms Act, 1961. The process of permission under Section 109 of KLR Act 1961 for change of land use & deemed conversion under Section 95 of Karnataka Land Revenue Act 1964 is streamlined in the following way.

• Karnataka Udyog Mitra shall send application for permission to purchase agricultural land to Deputy Commissioner electronically along with the project report.

• On receipt of the application, the Deputy Commissioner shall issue permission/ send proposal to the Government (in case the extent of land is above the ceiling limits) electronically within 7 days.

• On receipt of the proposal from Deputy Commissioner, Government shall issue permission within 30 days in normal cases and within eight weeks in cases of land attracting provisions of Karnataka SC/ST (Prevention of Transfer of Certain Lands) Act 1978, etc.

• The investor shall register the sale deed after obtaining permission. After executing the sale deed, applicant /

investor shall inform the Deputy Commissioner, through electronic mode.

• After receipt of the same, the Deputy Commissioner shall inform the amount of conversion fine & other fees to be paid as per norms to the applicant / investor and the Karnataka Udyog Mitra electronically.

• Simultaneously, the Deputy Commissioner shall get mutation effected within 35 days.

• Deputy Commissioner shall issue deemed conversion order under Section 95 of KLR Act 1964 within 7 working days (subject to confirmation of payment of conversion fees).

Facility to View land records online.

• The land records (RTC) have been made available online @ http://bhoorni. karnataka.gov.in/.

Integration of banks for entry of mortgage

• Bhoomi has been integrated with Nationalised, Private & Co-operative Banks. This helps in faster entry / removal of mortgage details in the land records (RTC) and disposal of agricultural loan to the beneficiary.

• Banks send requests to Tahsildar Office for entering mortgage details in the RTC electronically.

• The mortgage details are entered in the RTC through a mutation process within 7 days.

• The timeframe to dispose the mutation has been fixed at 7 working days under SAKALA.

Integration with the Registration Process

• The Registration Department has been given access to Bhoomi database to validate the seller, available extent for transaction, restrictions on the land / owner, prevalent court stays, etc.

• The Registration Department sends the sale deed transaction details to Bhoomi electronically to facilitate auto initiation of mutation transaction.

• The mutation process has been brought under Sakala with a disposing timeframe of 60 working days..

KarnaTaKa IndusTrIal area develoPMenT Board (KIadB) (hTTP://www.KIadB.I n)

The Karnataka Industrial Area Development Board (KIADB) has implemented online system/services that allow online application, e-payment, tracking of status, approvals and issuance of certificates without the need for a physical touch point for document submission and verification and also allow users to download final signed approval certificate from online portal.

To achieve this-end, KIADB has empanelled technical experts (architects/ engineers/structural engineers/town planners) in order to allow approval, based on thirdparty certification regarding construction permit (approval of development plan/building plan, issuance of

Commencement Certificate and Occupancy Certificate) in the industrial areas of the Board and also to issue Certificates.

KIADB has published well-defined procedures, checklists and comprehensive list of all documents for construction permit and water supply connection and are available in the KIADB website.

KIADB has fixed clear timelines for processing of application for allotment of land, for approval of development plan/building plan and for obtaining water supply connection to the plots allotted in the industrial areas of the Board.

KIADB has published a well-defined site inspection procedure and checklist on the department's website, and mandated online submission of site inspection report within 48 hours to the department. Allocation of inspectors is also incorporated in the online services/ system under close watch by Shri. D.V Prasad, lAS, Additional Chief Secretary to Government, Commerce & Industries Department, Government of Karnataka and Shri. Gaurav Gupta, lAS, Commissioner for Industrial Development and Director of Industries & Commerce, Government of Karnataka and Shri. Pankaj Kumar Pandey, lAS, CEO & EM, KIADB.

coMMercIal Taxes

Taxes are the backbone of any Government for efficient administration. Collection of tax needs to be made easy and efficient. Maximum number of people to pay taxes and maximum amount of taxes shall flow into the government's coffers - all with minimum hassles and in the shortest period of time.

To make this possible, the Department of Commercial Taxes has set in place processes to ease the lives of both taxpayers and tax-collectors. Thus, many taxes can be paid online. Various taxes that can be paid online include:

• VAT, CST, KTEG, PT, ET&LT Acts in the State.

• If aggrieved by the re-assessment order of audit officer, appeal can be filed to the appellate authorities on line.

• User manuals regarding registration, filing the returns and payment of taxes are provided on the Departmental Website.

• Provision for online TDS by Central, State Governments, Local bodies etc., in respect of works contract transactions information is providedon the Departmental Website.

• Eleven services such as issue of registration, Clearance Certificate under the KVAT Act 2003, issue of registration, "C" Form declarations, Form "H" Certificates, Form "F" declarations, Form "El"

and "E2" Certificates under the CST Act 1956, registration under Karnataka Tax on Luxuries Act 1979, issue of permit under the Karnataka Entertainments Tax Act, 1958, issue of registration under Karnataka Tax and Professions, Trades, Callings and Employments Act, 1976 and permission for maintaining special accounting scheme under section 16 of KVAT Act 2003 under the Karnataka "SAKALA" Services Act-2011 within stipulated time which provides services information is provided on the Departmental Website. If aggrieved by the "SAKALA" Act, there is provision to file appeal under "SAKALA" Act-2011.

So, what enables tax payments? Here's a check list:

• Providing assistance for e-filing of returns at Service Centers.

• Help lines have been put in place that provides basic services by assisting users in preparing and filing returns.

• A system for risk-based audit related to tax compliance has been set up.

• A provision has been made in the KVAT Act and KTEG Act for advance ruling for State level VAT and Entry Tax on the lines of Income Tax Act.

• Forms, such as "e-Suvega' and "e-Sugam" relating to Information captured at Check posts, have been made available online.

• Intra-State static check posts have been abolished and converted into mobile check posts for random checking of vehicles carrying goods.

• Online portal 'ebiz Karnataka'- One of the primary accomplishments is the online portal (http:// www.ebizkarnataka.gov.in/) launched in April 2013, which enables investors to apply for project approvals and to monitor their applications. "Ebiz Karnataka" provides a comprehensive guide to investors for setting up industrial enterprises in the State. It has now upgraded to e-udyami- II, with a view to fast-track clearances of projects from all line departments by obtaining online.

• Power New connections can be obtained through online system/services that allow online application, epayment, tracking of status, approvals and issuance of certificates without the need for a physical touch point. Information on effective tariffs and subsequent changes are published time to time on website as well as in newspapers for the benefit to Investors.

• NOC from Fire and Emergency Department. (http:// www.karnataka.gov.inl ksfes/Pages/home.aspx) NOC from fire Department is provided as a service through the online single window system in a manner that allows

online application, payments, tracking of status, approval and issuance of the certificates.

• Labour (http://www.ekarmika.com/, http://labouronline.kar.nic.in) Registrations and Payments - Online platform has been created to facilitate online registration/renewals and submission of annual returns under various Labour Acts and payment of fees. Issue of Certificate is made online and is downloadable. Self-certification is being introduced for compliance under applicable labour laws.

• Factories & Boilers- ( http://labour.kar.nic.in/fandb/ fact-index.asp) Online facilities available for approval of new factory plans and renewal of factory registration; granting and renewal of factory license; registration and yearly renewal of the Boilers; payment of fees, issue of certificate.

• Pollution Clearance- ( http://kspcb.gov.in) Online consent for establishment and operation for Red, Orange and Green categories has been put in place along with online payment of consent fee, certificate download. Henceforth, 58 industries which have been categorized under White category need not apply for consent.

• Forest Department -Tree felling Clearances.(http://aranya.gov.in/)-Government Notification No. FEE 231 FAF 2015 dated 31.03.2016, the areas declared as industrial Areas' by department of Commerce and Industries and also those areas converted and permitted for establishing industries are exempted from provisions of Karnataka Preservation of Trees Act 1976. This notification is published on the departmental website "http:!/aranya.gov.in”.

Registration for VAT, CSI, KTEG, PT, ET & LT

• Information on the procedure and comprehensive list of all documents that need to be provided for registration are made available on the Website.

• A system that allows online application, payment, tracking and monitoring without the need for a physical touch and for document submission and verification has been designed and implemented.

• Provision has been made for users to download the final signed approval certificates from the online portal.

• Third parties have been permitted to easily verify approval certificates in the public domain.

• Well-defined inspection procedure and check list have been put up on the de-partment's website.

• Provision for online submission of inspection report has been made.

• Users have been allowed to login to the portal and view and download submitted inspection reports on their businesses.