June 2012

Passline News Service

At a time when others were afraid to tread thepath of entrepreneurship, Dr A R Babu chose to takethe plunge. He knew that a clear vision, sustainedperformance and a commitment to quality would al-ways bear fruit.

Barely three decades ago, virtually every freshgraduate in Kerala had two options: they could ei-ther join engineering or they could end up being adoctor. Yet Dr Babu, son of Aliyaru Kunju, chose totake an offbeat path. Back then Kerala was caughtup in powerful trade union struggles and people weremore concerned with their rights than their duties.

A different trackBorn in 1954 at Nedumangad,

Thiruvananthapuram, young Babu had an inclinationtowards entrepreneurship from a young age. Whena relative of his prompted him to visit Goa, Babuknew instinctively where he had to start work.

What separates him from other entrepreneurs ishis will to endure hardship for the vision he has. Heisn’t a person who would go for partnerships which

would cost him his vision. “Do anybusiness, but do it alone” —

this is what he advises oth-

ers. He isn’t that person who would lean on some-body just to avoid risks.

Back in the 1990s life was difficult for a fledglingentrepreneur. The economy of the country waschanging and there was a real threat of new entre-preneurs losing their battle to multinational giants.No more did the Government protect the entrepre-neurs. Running a business was a risky proposition.But Babu persisted. In 1983, he started Heera Con-struction Co with an office at Panaji, the capital ofGoa, as a contracting firm. A decade later, he ex-panded his operations to other capital cities of states,like Kerala’s Thiruvananthapuram.

Three-pillared strategyThe Heera Group has seen steady growth. Dr

Babu attributes this to the

three pillars of his business—quality, economy andcomfort. It is this thrust to quality that has madeHeera a household name, quite literally. The projectsformulated by him are known for their meticulousplanning and rigorous quality control and, becauseof this, most of them are completed ahead of sched-ule. With more than 100 lakh square feet of built-uparea to its credit, the Heera Group is now one of themost reputed builders in South India.

With rising reputation, expectations about newprojects have also increased, and pressure is on tobuild better and superior structures. And Heera doesnot disappoint these expectations. It has to its creditmore than 5,000 happy families residing in projectsspread over three major cities of Kerala—Thiruvananthapuram, Kochi and Kottayam. No won-der that with such growing reputation, Heera facedlittle trouble even during the recession period whenmost builders had to completely stall new projects.But Heera in fact added eight more projects to its kitand sold 70-80 units every month in 2010.

With the able leadership of Dr Babu, his com-pany achieved the rare recognition of earning a SevenStar rating from Crisil for its prestigious Heera Infocityproject, near Technopark,Thiruvananthapuram.The ratings take intoaccount the qual-

From left to right: son-in-law Farhaad, daughter Sumi Farhaad, elder son Subin Rasheed, Dr A R Babu,

May 31-June 30, 2012PASSLINE

ity of construction, legal quality, financial quality, in-novation and sponsorship.

With such tremendous growth, how does Dr Babumanage to steer Heera? The answer lies in his words:“We should be able to change with circumstances”.

And, true to his word, he makes it a point toupdate himself with the latest trends in the industry.He is very particular about adapting the latest inno-vation to his projects way before other builders takeit up as industry standards. “If you take a decision,stick to it and be ready to follow it through. This isthe only way to win,” he says.

Even with all pressures of work, one can alwaysfind Dr Babu amiable and warm. He answers ques-tions in a calm and composed manner, very sure ofhimself. A stream of visitors comes to meet him athis office, often with no prior appointment. They comefor help in seeking medical assistance, for financialhelp and so on. Dr Babu does not disappoint them.To help the minorities and socially backward people,he has instituted Heera Educational and CharitableTrust. The no-profit trust under the patronage of HeeraConstructions helps people with schol-arships to meritorious, deserving andneedy students to pursue educa-tion. Under the charitable trust,he formed the Heera College ofEngineering & Technology (HCET)at Panavoor, Nedumangad, closeto his hometown.

wife Sunitha Beegom and younger son Resvin Rasheed

With the able leadership of Dr Babu, his companyachieved the rare recognition of earning a Seven Star

rating from Crisil for its prestigious Heera Infocityproject, near Technopark, Thiruvananthapuram. Theratings take into account the quality of construction,

legal quality, financial quality, innovationand sponsorship.

Dr A R Babu receiving the Seven Star rating from Crisil for its prestigiousHeera Infocity project, near Technopark, Thiruvananthapuram.

Wins prestigiousCQE Award

Proving its commitment to quality, leadership,technology and innovation, Heera Constructionswon the world-renowned Century InternationalQuality Era Award (CQE) in the Gold Category for2012 at the International Convention held on March11, 2012 by Business Initiative Directions (BID).Dr Babu, Managing Director of Heera, receivedthe award from Mr Jose E Prieito, President ofBusiness Initiative Directions (BID), Spain, at aglittering ceremony in Geneva, Switzerland, thatincluded around 90 industrialists and businessleaders from across the world.

The award was presented based on the suc-cessful implementation of seven principles of theQC 100 Total Quality Management Model, accord-ing to which quality is a consequence of valuingcustomer satisfaction and obtaining positive busi-

ness results.

Some of the other recipients of the award fromIndia are ICICI Bank, NTPC Ltd and NCR Corpo-ration India Private Limited. Indian Oil Corpora-tion (IOC), Coal India Ltd, Reliance InfrastructureLtd and Tata Group Ltd were some of the winnersof the Century International Quality Era Award(CQE) in 2011.


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Inauguration of Crescent and Heera Point, two residentialprojects launched at prime locations in Thiruvananthapuram.

Inaugural function of five mega projects in Thiruvananthapuramand Kochi.

What makesHeera distinct

What makes Heera distinct from other builders? Those who know Dr Babuand the clients of Heera vouch for the fact that the group’s vast experience inthe real estate industry has helped it to formulate and comprehend the conceptof a home. Heera believes that a home is not just a place, but an expression ofone’s individuality. A home has a soul, a character and personality all of itsown. Heera gives utmost importance to implementing the concept, focusing meticulously onevery detail and the client’s needs. Quality, economy and comfort are the factors that Heerarelies on to achieve the needs of its clients.

The Heera Home Care Division is a special wing of Heera’s service that takes care of as-pects like maintenance, emergency repairs and bill/tax payments. The 24-hour division for theResidents’ Association also provides other services like customizing apartments according tothe owners’ requirements and renting them out in their absence. Heera apartments are made tosatisfy varying customer requirements. Projects like Heera 4pillars at Killippalam and HeeraDreams at Sreekariyam in Thiruvananthapuram are focused on those clients who seek luxury ataffordable prices. Both the apartments are located near hospitals, educational institutions, banks,restaurants and shopping malls. Facilities like well-equipped fitness centre, children’s playarea, reticulated gas connection, air-conditioned lobby, proximity censor entry card, swimmingpool, jogging track etc make these projects different and add value for money.

Another aspect which is differentiating Heera is the selection of location. The projects are inthe heart of the city like Heera Crescent at YMR Junction, Nanthancode, Heera Golden Hills atNanthancode near Kanakakkunnu Palace, Heera Highlife at Deva swon Board Junction andHeera Blue Bells at Vellyambalam, all in Thiruvananthapuram, which are marvellous examplesof peaceful city life. They are right in the heart of the city but not much affected by its hustle andbustle.

Projects like Heera Lake Front and Heera Towers are for those who seek a peaceful environ-ment. Facing the Akkulam Lake, one of the tourist attractions of Thiruvananthapuram, HeeraTowers is a unique combination of natural beauty and luxurious lifestyle. Heera Info City isanother hi-tech project, which is located near the Technopark, one of the largest technologyhubs in the country.

On the world stageWith all this recognition, accolades were bound

to come his way. In 2001, he received the VishishtaPrathibha Award sponsored by Kerala Chamber ofTourism & Allied Industries for his achievement inthe construction industry. Later, in 2002, he waspresented with Rashtriya Rattan Award for outstand-ing individual achievement by Mr Digvijay Singh, thethen Union Minister of State for Railways. In the sameyear, he was the recipient of Indira Gandhi SadbhavanaAward for distinguished services, sponsored by Citi-zens’ Integration Peace Society, New Delhi, whichwas presented by Dr Bhishma Narayan Singh, formerGovernor of Tamil Nadu and Assam, in November 2002at New Delhi. In 2004, he received the GandhiPuraskaram from Mahatma Gandhi Peace Founda-tion for excellence in the housing sector.

By 2003, his fame had spread internationally. Atthe Indo-Nepal Conference on ‘India-Nepal Friend-

Heera Vaasthu Hills, a villa project launched by the Heera Groupat Thiruvananthapuram in conformity with ancient VaasthuShasthra.

ship and Economic Cooperation’ held at Kathmandu(Nepal), he was the recipient of the International GoldStar Millennium Award for superb achievementsmade in the construction industry. He was also givena Doctorate in Construction Management by the Uni-versity of Honolulu, US.

Family supportSubin Rusheed, his elder son,

closely follows Dr Babu in all ac-tivities, and has learned the ropesof business directly from his father.He is often found in the office nearhis father’s table, listening to, andwatching intently, the ins and outsof his business. “I follow my fa-ther in all his work and havelearnt a lot from him,” says he,even while keeping his eyes

glued to the screen of his laptop. He finished hisBachelor of Administration (Honours) degree fromGreenwich University. He is responsible for deploy-ing the company’s strategic vision and developingbusiness alliances as well as building the manage-ment team. Subin Rasheed, who has become anintegral part of the company, put his skills to use

when the company went ahead with projectslike Heera Blue Bells, Heera Green Court, HeeraCrescent and Heera Heritage. He is currently aDirector of the Heera Group of Companies andmember, Board of Trustees of Heera Educational& Charitable Trust (HECT).

Dr Babu’s wife, Sunitha Beegom, is also aDirector of the Heera Group of Companies anda member of the Board of Trustees of HECT.His only daughter, Surmi, married to Mr Farhaad,is also a Director of the Heera Group of Compa-nies and member of the Board of Trustees ofHECT. She is also overseeing the general ad-ministration of the Yenepoya Group of Institu-tions, Mangalore, along with husband Farhaadwho too is a Director of the Yenepoya Group ofCompanies and Yenepoya Deemed University.The younger son, Resvin Rasheed, is pursuinghis education at Trivandrum International School.

With full support from his family, Dr Babuhas reached a vantage point in life, a time whenhe can reap the fruits of his labour. But he isnot the man who would take rest. He is a manof dreams. “Keep dreaming till the last breath”is his motto.

-Response Feature


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Editor & Publisher

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From the Editor

The imminent global conference of the World Malayalee Council (WMC) being held in Dallasin the US is a symbol of the strength and unity of the Malayalee diaspora scattered all over theglobe. Many non-resident Keralites (NRKs) would only be happy to participate in Kerala’s develop-ment and are aware of the potential for the state’s growth. But growth depends upon severalfactors, the most important of which is the existence of a stable and dynamic government. This,along with a paradigm shift in everybody’s attitude, will augur well for the future of this tiny state fullof opportunities in tourism and several other fields.

It is gratifying that both fronts in Kerala, the UDF and the LDF, which have been ruling the statealternately since its formation, now realize that in today’s changed circumstances investment issomething that should not be abhorred. On the other hand it, even foreign investment, should bewelcomed, they believe. The Vallarpadam container terminal and the Smart City and Metro Railprojects are the brightest examples of the involvement of both fronts. Neither front has at any timetried to hamper or scuttle the projects adopted/planned by the other but both have followed themup earnestly.

It is also comforting for all that Kerala is no more the risk-fearing society or the impenetrablefortress for industrialists it once was. Investors’ attitudes have also changed of late. No longer dothey shy away from making moves for investing in the state. On its part, the present governmentends up meeting industrialists and industry organizations. Special road shows are arranged andinvestment meetings are held. There is a feeling gradually getting round that investors won’t belosing their money in Kerala. There is also an added advantage—it has a Chief Minister who haspledged to take the state forward industrially. He has prescribed several medicines, one of which isthe ‘Emerging Kerala Meet’ to be held in September, which will be a platform for business leadersand policymakers for detailed two-way discussions and bilateral business.

All this is an indication that though belatedly, but thankfully, the state has recognized that theonly way to get on the path of progress is to make quick and massive infusions of new equity intothe economy, as well as to commit to other urgent measures hitherto not undertaken. Of coursethere are problems staring intending investors in the face. It is not easy for them to forget theunpleasant experiences many of them have had to encounter in the recent past trying to get afoothold in the state. Though their militancy has been reined in, trade unions are still active in manysectors and demands which struggling units cannot meet are raised by workers for benefits. Hartalsand strikes are ubiquitous modes of protest called by all political parties, including ruling ones, atthe drop a hat. There are also problems like inflation and recession. Despite its drawbacks, how-ever, Kerala has enormous strengths. NRKs can cash in on some of these drawbacks to their andthe state’s advantage. One factor that has come in handy for them is the depreciation of the rupee.Expatriates’ remittances now fetch more value as the rupee has gone down appallingly to Rs 54-Rs55 against the dollar. This can be used for developmental projects in their state or they can investit in their own ventures.

Kerala has tremendous opportunities to grow and many areas to invest in. Only, investors mustlearn to distinguish them. In an article which appears elsewhere in this issue the author has pin-pointed five fields where NRKs can safely and advantageously make investments. The Malayaleediaspora can go for solar/biogas and wind energy as well as small hydro-power generation projects.The Government and individuals can also invest in those projects. We do not have good roads/waterways and it is time to go for them. We should opt for at least 45-metre-wide roads/long water-ways. The people affected should be handsomely paid and motivated to give their land. We canexcel in the IT field. Even though Kerala has got many strong points like human resources, cultureand religious harmony, the weak points like laziness, unwillingness to change, political interven-tions etc hinder its development. Its people should be able to easily adapt to changes because thatis the core point of development and growth.

The Government should promote business and should be keen to make maximum use of theavailable natural resources. Comparing Kerala with other states is of no use. What the state shoulddo is to create a congenial atmosphere for industrial growth so that we can build a better Keralaand a better tomorrow.

Now Kerala shines for NRKs

Varghese Paul


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‘AAHAR 2012’:Kerala pavilion

wins gold medal The pavilion set up by the Kerala Government’s Department of Indus-

tries and Commerce in coordination with the Kerala Bureau of Industrial Promo-tion (K-BIP) bagged the gold medal for excellence in display at the 27th interna-tional exhibition ‘AAHAR 2012’ held in Delhi recently. The fair displayed food,food processing and related equipment and hotel and restaurant equipmentsand supplies.

The Kerala pavilion provided free space for many small and medium enter-prises (SMEs) and cluster consortia from the state. SME units like Priya In-stant Foods, Pavizham Healthier Diet Pvt Ltd and KKR Group of Companies(Nirapara) and cluster consortia like Kalady Rice Millers Consortium (P) Ltddisplayed their products and technologies. K-BIP and the National Centre forHACCP Certification (NCHC) also presented their activities and services.

‘AAHAR 2012’ was held with the support of the Union Ministry of FoodProcessing Industries, in association with the Agricultural & Processed FoodProducts Exports Development Authority (APEDA), Association of ResourceCompanies for the Hospitality Industry of India (ARCHII), Confederation of In-dian Food Trade & Industry (CIFTI), All India Food Processors Association(AIFPA) and Hotel & Restaurant Equipment Manufacturers Association of India(HOTREMAI).

The award was presented by ITPO Chairperson Rita Menon to Kerala Bu-reau of Industrial Promotion Chief Executive Officer V Rajagopal.

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Readers'views

Save the coconut farmerThis is a humble appeal to the Government: it

should either write off the whole coconut industry orhelp it forthwith. Otherwise coconut cultivation, thebackbone of Kerala and the sole livelihood of half acrore farmers, will be doomed.

The Central budget insulted the coconut farmersby not allocating a single paisa for the Coconut De-velopment Board for development of the sector. Thisis happening at a time when every statutory board inKerala like the Rubber Board gets crores. Even stateFinance Minister K M Mani gave only a pittance—Rs 50 crore. What happened to that money? No-body knows.

Here are some suggestions to save the dyingcoconut.

1. Stop forthwith Kerafed’s comedy show calledcopra procurement.

2. Farmers never make copra from coconut. Theysell the raw nuts at throwaway prices to the cunningbuyers and merchants who sell copra and make hugeprofits. Copra dealers and the oil mafia from outsidethe state also pump spurious coconut products intoKerala and exploit the farmers.

3. The Government should issue an order ask-ing every cooperative society to procure raw coco-nuts and if possible tender coconuts directly fromthe farmers and arrange to sell them everywhere. Ifthis is done farmers will get at least Rs 10 per nutas against the paltry Rs 2 they get now when theretail market price is Rs 15 or more.

-Joseph Alapatt, Thrissur

Census sensible?The article on population growth (May issue) by

P D Johny is a peep at the rate of growth and thestrategy a state has to adopt to attain growth. In oldendays population growth was instantly felt as therewas little migration to other states and countries.

But the present labour situation in Kerala is suchthat we witness a shortage of skilled and un-skilled workers in our own land.

As the writer himself states that our short-age of skilled and unskilled workers is met bythe presence of migrant labourers from distantstates like Bihar, Odisha, West Bengal andAssam how can the census provide the exactpopulation?

In view of the migratory process going on inour state how can the census data available betrue to the actual data of the population herewithout the Government issuing ID cards to theentire floating population?

-Subramanian, Kothamangalam

Gujarat—worthyof emulation

Your report on Gujarat’s growth and devel-opment (May issue) is an eye-opener not onlyfor the state governments but for the people also.Every state has certain features that differenti-ate it from other states—topography, popula-tion, calibre of the people, attitudes, mindset…Gujarat lies in the north and Kerala in the south.Gujarat is two times bigger than Kerala in areaand population. Gujaratis are not very well-versedin English. When MNCs set up shop there,

they have to seek the service of people from otherstates for management and for the units to functionproperly.

Gujaratis, however, have certain rare and innatequalities that make them wonderful businessmen.They are good at both small and big trades and areless inclined towards jobs. Earlier Gujarat had manytextile mills providing employment to thousands ofGujaratis as also to people from other states. I knowa lot of Keralites who had been employed in clothmills in Gujarat and who had settled there. Conse-quently their children had occasion to study thereand earn white-collar jobs. The number of mills hasin course of time dwindled.

While in Gujarat I got a chance to appear for atest for a job in the Provident Fund organization. Afriend of mine got a job in the Income Tax Depart-ment and another in the Accountant General’s Of-fice. There are several other Malayalees who got jobsin national newspapers like The Times of India andThe Indian Express. There are Malaylees pursuingother avocations and are self-employed in Gujarat.

Gujarat is not endowed with natural beauty, butKerala has beautiful landscapes, a congenial climateand serene beaches. Gujarat is prone to randomcommunal riots, nature’s furies like earthquakes andeven floods, though drinking water is scarce there.Today under the rule of Narendra Modi it has madetremendous progress.

Whatever party rules a state it is the employ-ment opportunities that it creates that attract theattention of the people. I think Modi’s effort to indus-trialize the state has brought a lot of hope to thepeople and rulers of other states because they canemulate his example and replicate the Gujarat modelin their states.

-Emily Solomon, AhmedabadPresidential choice

India is facing uncertainty over the selection ofthe person to hold the highest position in the coun-try—the 13th President. The possible names doingthe rounds are of Pranab Mukherjee, now Union Fi-nance Minister, Vice-President Hameed Ansari andformer President and scientist Abdul Kalam. Thelatest to join the bandwagon is NCP stalwart P ASangma.

But a consensus on the candidate of the Con-gress or the UPA Government is yet to be reached.Keralite and Defence Minister A K Antony was on anassignment to negotiate with the chief mentors ofthe coalition parties. Although Malayalees are de-lighted to read the news of Antony consulting DMK

chief Karunanidhi for his party’s support for the choiceof the presidential candidate of the Congress theymay also be lamenting that they do not have aMalayalee Catholic to adorn the coveted post. Sec-ondly they do not have an impeccable personalityfrom the Catholic community suitable for the post.In fact no Catholic has ever worn the mantle of Presi-dent.

In the Malayalam film Pranchiyettan there is ascene when the boy asks Pranchiyettan, the hero,why he (Pranchiyettan) should go in search of thesaint when he himself was already one. The parableis now applicable to Antony. Malayalees may askAntony why he should go in search of other candi-dates when he himself is the fittest to occupy thepost.

Some rule out Mr Mukherjee as the best choicefor President as he is prime ministerial stuff with hishigh calibre as a renowned economist and an ableadministrator whose elevation to the highest consti-tutional post will create a vacuum in the administra-tive and political spheres at a time when the countryis facing a crisis because of escalating inflation,slump in industrial production and falling GDP.

-O A Antony, Thrissur

Engg and MBA coursesZiad Siddique’s article on engineering and busi-

ness administration studies losing their sheen (Mayissue) was topical. Mr P V Mathew, Chairman ofFederal Institute of Science and Technology (FISAT),in his comment hits the nail on the head when hesays that the huge increase in the number of institu-tions is one of the reasons for the decline in thequality of engineering graduates. But this is also trueof the burgeoning number of MBA colleges, espe-cially in Kerala where opportunities for graduates inthis discipline are limited.

Another reason for the declining demand forMBAs, according to Dr G P C Nayar, Chairmanof the SCMS Group of Institutions and the Na-tional President of the Federation of Associa-tions of Private Unaided professional colleges,is that companies have now started to recruitregular graduates from campus.

Whatever the reason for the fall in the statusof these courses, engineering and MBA, it istime for educational experts and the authoritiesconcerned to take steps to restore the dignity ofthese once-prestigious degrees.

-Pushpangathan K K, CherthalaWorth reading

I am a regular reader of PASSLINE. I hap-pened to read the article, ‘Spring Flowers inMollywood’, and I felt it is quite timely and rel-evant. Of course, the Malaylam film industry ison its path of change. It is appreciable that abusiness magazine like yours opted to includea film- related article in its issue. Since the filmsector is also a multi-crore industry, it was worthreading about the new trends in this industry.

The article was not shallow but covered thetopic in depth. We expect such genuine andappropriate articles in future also.

-Glycia Francis, Palakkad


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Why not an exclusive franchiseefor McDonald in Kerala?

At the global level, McDonald’s has 31,000 restaurants in 118 countries serving some50 million customers each day. In India it has only 113 outlets and caters to less than three

lakh customers daily. Most of its outlets are in Maharashtra (mainly Mumbai and Pune)and Gujarat. Most states, in North, East and South, including Kerala, remain unexplored

even after more than a decade of its existence in the subcontinent. Possibly, this is the casewith most of its competitors like KFC, Domino and the like with their high-priced products

and finding difficulty in reaching out to the people and finding the market.

By K Vijayachandran

Branding of eatables and eatingplaces was very much a part of Indianculture. ‘Udupi Brahmin’ was a highlyprosperous brand of eateries in Keralaonce. During the 1950s, I remember,there were Gujarati and Sourashtrarestaurants in Thuruvananthapuram.Kamath restaurants were quite com-mon in Hyderabad and Bangalore andWoodlands was an aristocratic brandin South India for board and lodging.Some of these ethnic brands have sur-vived but most were forced to shed theircultural identity as the result of a re-lentless globalization process.

A few years ago, Kentucky FriedChicken (KFC) made a rough landingin Bangalore but it has changed thebusiness environment in a big way eversince. It was clear from KFC’s experi-ence that people cannot be carriedaway merely by the charm of brands.Multinational companies and their fran-chisees now adopt new and far morerealistic methods to ensure a smoothmarket entry. Bangalore has no dearthof decent eating places and the pricesare moderate. And in December lastyear, McDonald’s India had come toBangalore with big-banner offerings:breakfast menu with egg muffin, hashbrowns, chicken sausage and eggmuffin, chicken sausage muffin, hotpancakes with maple syrup, veg Spin-ach etc etc from Rs 20 onwards andfrom 7 am to 11 pm. With this launch,McDonald’s was offering its custom-ers a virtual all-day dining experience.

The big advantage of MNC foodchains, in their parent countries, waslow prices and assured minimum qual-ity. They organized decent eateriesdamn cheap and affordable to large sec-tions of working people. With the helpof improved sourcing, manufacturingtechnology and organizational methods,and insistence on quality procedures atevery step, waste was reduced andquality maintained. And investments inR&D and new technologies were sup-ported by large-scale production. Bring-ing down social costs and prices is thebasic function of new technologies. Anynew technique that adds to social costsis the negation of this vital social func-tion. One good thing about the recentMcDonald initiative such as the one inBangalore was the assurance to sharethe long-term benefits of improved tech-niques with customers.

The operating experience of McDonald and other US foodchains seems to be much different in China, an equally large

market for eateries like India. To quote from a recent McDonaldblog post: “The first McDonald restaurant opened in Shenzhen,China, in 1990. With it, China became the 53rd country to have aMcDonald outlet within its borders. Buoyed by the success ofits Shenzhen restaurant, the second—a Mega-McDonald with

28,000 square feet—opened in Beijing in April, 1992. It attracted40,000 customers on opening day. McDonald’s growth in China

continued steadily and pervasively...In 2004, the Mighty Maclaunched McKids in China, selling clothes, toys, games, DVDsand books throughout its chain that had grown to 600 restau-

rants serving loyal Chinese residents.

However, with many of the otherMNCs and their franchisees operatingin India, the trend was in the oppositedirection. They extract extra value ad-dition for the brand name, and this couldsubstantially add to the costs. Theyinevitably fall into the low-volume high-profit trap, whereas the business andthe product were meant for high-volumeproduction. This is true of local busi-nesses as well that flood the eaterymarket under the generic brand of ‘fast

food’, which were liberally financed bybanks and promotional agencies. Thisbusiness environment seems to beslowly changing now. Even the airporteateries seem to be falling in line withthe McDonald experiment in Bangalore.

At the global level, McDonald’s has31,000 restaurants in 118 countriesserving some 50 million customerseach day. In India it has only 113 out-lets and caters to less than three lakhcustomers daily. Most of its outlets are

in Maharashtra (mainly Mumbai andPune) and Gujarat. Most states, inNorth, East and South, includingKerala, remain unexplored even aftermore than a decade of its existence inthe subcontinent. Possibly, this is thecase with most of its competitors likeKFC, Domino and the like with theirhigh-priced products and finding diffi-culty in reaching out to the people andfinding the market.

In comparison, the operating expe-rience of McDonald and other US foodchains seems to be much different inChina, an equally large market for eat-eries like India. To quote from a recentMcDonald blog post: “The firstMcDonald restaurant opened inShenzhen, China, in 1990. With it,China became the 53rd country to havea McDonald outlet within its borders.Buoyed by the success of itsShenzhen restaurant, the second—aMega-McDonald with 28,000 squarefeet—opened in Beijing in April, 1992.It attracted 40,000 customers on open-ing day. McDonald’s growth in Chinacontinued steadily and pervasively...In2004, the Mighty Mac launchedMcKids in China, selling clothes, toys,games, DVDs and books throughout


9Food is an integral part of any national culture. McDonaldaccepts this as part of its corporate philosophy. It spends

liberally on corporate R&D for adapting itself to locally availableinputs, innovating on local recipes and for respecting local

culture. McDonald believes that this corporate philosophy hashelped it to be the leader in global growth rates. The two Indianfranchisees of McDonald, Connaught Plaza Restaurants PrivateLimited (CPRPL) and Hard Castle Restaurants Private Limited,who own and manage the McDonald India Ltd (MIL), claim that

they meticulously follow this cooperate philosophy.

its chain that had grown to 600 restau-rants serving loyal Chinese residents.

“In 2008 that number mushroomedto 960 McDonalds restaurants and over60,000 employees, making China thelargest growth market for McDonalds.By December, 2010 there were 1,100restaurants in China (compared to3,200 KFCs) and the McDonald train-ing centre was relocated from HongKong to Shanghai. The McDonaldsstrategic vision in China continues tofocus on core menu extensions, con-venience and value.

“McDonald had formed a strategicpartnership with Sinopec, gaining ac-cess to China’s national gas stationsnetwork. Sinopec operates 3,00,000gas station locations. China continuesto be a big numbers game and is thefastest-growing market globally forMcDonalds which operates 8,482 res-taurants in the entire Asia Pac region.With a record 200 new stores in Chinain 2011, the goal is to grow its currentnumber (1,400 restaurants) to morethan 1,600 in the world’s third-largesteconomy by 2013.”

Unlike its counterparts, McDonaldhad almost exclusively operated com-pany-owned restaurants since enter-ing China two decades ago. It expandedConnaught Plaza Restaurants (P) Ltd(CPRPL) and Hard Castle Restaurants(P) Ltd (HRPL,its franchiseprogramme, only in April 2010 by post-ing information on its China website andinviting new franchise applications. In-terested parties must have at least twomillion yuan ($2,93,000) to cover fran-chise fees, equipment and other ex-penses. New McDonald franchises arenow being granted in East China’s

Jiangsu Province. It plans to open anew restaurant in China every day inthe next three to four years. Presently,it opens a new restaurant every otherday, directly challenging the leaderYum! brands, for the number one spotin China. Yum! has about 4,500 res-taurants operating in China as of 2012under KFC, Pizza Hut etc brands.Worldwide more than 75% ofMcDonalds are operated by franchiseowners, but so far only 36% in Chinahave been franchised. The share of fran-chised stores in China is expected togrow significantly in 2012 and beyond.

Food is an integral part of any na-tional culture. McDonald accepts thisas part of its corporate philosophy. Itspends liberally on corporate R&D foradapting itself to locally available in-puts, innovating on local recipes andfor respecting local culture. McDonaldbelieves that this corporate philosophyhas helped it to be the leader in globalgrowth rates. The two Indian franchi-sees of McDonald, Connaught PlazaRestaurants Private Limited (CPRPL)and Hard Castle Restaurants PrivateLimited, who own and manage theMcDonald India Ltd (MIL), claim thatthey meticulously follow this cooper-ate philosophy.

MIL keeps itself away from beef andpork, and stick to halal chicken, as amatter of principle. However, such cul-tural sacrifices appear to have failed todeliver a respectable growth rate thatis commensurate with India’s vast mar-ket potential. Obviously, there is plentyof pressure for the grant of new fran-chisees. This is being resisted by theexisting Indian franchisees, who claimto have made large investments in de-

veloping local resources like specialpotato farms (see:www.mcdonaldsindia.com).

McDonald’s has, possibly, made awrong choice in selecting Maharashtraand Gujarat for launching its productsin the Indian market. Kerala, with itssplendid meat- and fish-eating culture,distinctly different from the rest of the

country and unique drinking habits,could have been the ideal launchingpad for it. And the state is rightly de-scribed as a 560-km-long singleemerging metro of 33 million people. Itmust be possible for a couple of NRKbusinessmen in the US to join handsand bargain for a McDonald franchiseeexclusively for Kerala.

Key to yourfinancialsolutions

‘Pooram’, Thrissur’s world-fa-mous yearly carnival, which is cel-ebrated with much zest, is a fiestapresenting the spirit of Kerala andKeralites to the rest of theworld. Pooram Kuries and Loans(Pvt) Ltd, based in the cultural capi-tal of Kerala, is indeed a pooram(festival) of financial solutions andmonetary benefits.

Launched by C K Anil Kumar in1995, Pooram Kuries has been pro-viding innovative financial solutionsto its clientele since. Says AnilKumar, Chairman: “Prosperitythrough small savings is the primemotto of our kuries. Compared withthe new-generation banks, we offerbetter returns to those who join ourkuries so that people find themmore beneficial and productive.”

Pooram Kuries is considered tobe the trendsetter of the chit indus-try in Kerala and has marked itsunique imprint on it. How relevantand significant are chits and kuriesin this age of new-generation bankswhich are trying to woo clients withattractive monetary policies andoffers? Says Anil Kumar: “Chittiesare an age-old industry in Kerala.They were there even before banksand other financial institutionscame on the scene. Though banksoffer help to meet people’s urgentfinancial needs, most of themcharge heavy interest. Moreover,

obtaining money from banks requirestoo many formalities and is time-con-suming too. Comparatively our inter-est rates are low and getting moneyfrom us is hassle-free. This is the edgewe have over the other financial insti-tutions.”

Pooram Kuries started operations

with 184 subscribers and monthly sub-scriptions of Rs 300. Today it has morethan 25,000 subscribers and kurieswith amounts running into lakhs. “Be-sides interest, banks have account-keeping charges, penal interest oncapitation fee, inspection charges etcwhich in turn increase the interest rate.

In chitties there are no hiddencharges. This is why people preferchitty firms to other institutions.This, together with the encourage-ment, inspiration and fine responsewe receive from our clients that hashelped make Pooram Kuries oneof the most trusted and belovedamong chitty companies,” saysAnil Kumar.

Pooram is all set to launch itsnew chit during June. Named ‘MyLife’, its period is 16 years, endingin March 2028. With a prize moneyof Rs 10 lakh, it will have 190instalments. Subscribers will findthe instalment rate of Rs 6,000 bothaffordable and attractive. The ma-tured chitty amount is intended tobe Rs 1,140,000. A bonus prize of1,001 gold sovereigns is yet anotherexciting feature of the chit. Thereare 20 existing kuries for Pooram.Each one is planed and organizedwith a vision to provide financialsolutions to the subscribers.

Customer support, innovation,simplicity and creativity are the val-ues that Pooram Kuries has beencherishing over the years. “It isthese values which lead us alongthe right path. The trust and valuecustomers place on us is the driv-ing forcc of us and our staff andwhich have helped us make everyventure of ours an outstanding suc-cess,” concludes Anil Kumar.


10

In modern Europe, Germany is the undisputed strong horse that is pulling theEuropean economic cart and Germany’s Chancellor Angela Merkel is very much

in the saddle. The billion-euro question, however, is: Can Angela Merkel prevent adisruptive default by Greece and steer Europe to safety?

By Dr V K Vijayakumar

Greek tremors strike againFrench statesman Charles deGaulle once famously remarked, “Ger-many is the horse and France thejockey.” De Gaulle ruled France whenGermany was licking the wounds in-flicted by the Second World War andFrance was on the mend. De Gaulle’smetaphor is not relevant in modernEurope where Germany is the undis-puted strong horse that is pulling theEuropean economic cart andGermany’s Chancellor Angela Merkelis very much in the saddle. The billion-euro question, however, is: Can AngelaMerkel prevent a disruptive default byGreece and steer Europe to safety?

Electoral backlash against auster-ity: In October 2011, the ‘troika’—Eu-ropean Union, ECB and IMF—bailedout Greece for a second time granting$170 billion. The bail-out was on strictconditions of austerity. The Fiscal Com-pact signed by European Union (EU)members in February 2012 also dic-tated severe austerity measures for thetroubled PIGS (Portugal, Italy, Ireland,Greece and Spain). Austerity is notpopular, particularly when salaries andpensions are cut. More importantly, inthe short run, austerity leads to furtherdeceleration in growth with its atten-dant evils. The man in the streetdoesn’t understand the complexity ofmacro-economics and financial mar-kets. He reacts when it hurts. This re-action was evident in the election re-sults in France and Greece in earlyMay. In a severe backlash against aus-terity, French President NicholasSarkozy was voted out and the anti-austerity campaigner, socialistFrancois Hollande, came to power. Inthe Greek elections the two main-stream national parties—the socialistsand the conservatives—suffered severesetbacks and the anti-austerity cam-paigners gained ground. But the frac-tured mandate has brought about po-litical uncertainty in Greece with no vi-able coalition in sight. The possibilityof another round of elections in Greecein June has increased, but that also isnot likely to produce better results.

Will Greece default?: Even thoughtechnically Greece has not defaulted,the second bailout package given toit, in reality, was a partial default. TheEuropean banks agreed to take a 53%haircut on the Greek bonds. This

Austerity is not popular, particularly when salaries andpensions are cut. More importantly, in the short run,

austerity leads to further deceleration in growth with itsattendant evils. The man in the street doesn’t understand

the complexity of macro-economics and financial markets.He reacts when it hurts. This reaction was evident in the

election results in France and Greece in early May.In a severe backlash against austerity, French PresidentNicholas Sarkozy was voted out and the anti-austerity

campaigner, socialist Francois Hollande, came to power.

means that Greece will, in effect, bepaying only 47% of the debt that theyowe to European banks. This was adefault; albeit a structured and orderlyone. If Greece exits from the Euro anddefaults, that will be a disorderly anddisruptive default which will have seri-ous consequences for the Europeanfinancial markets. Even though Greeceis a small economy accounting for only2.3% of the Euro zone GDP, a defaultwill have knock-on effects on the othervulnerable countries of peripheral Eu-rope, particularly Spain and Italy. In thisage of globally integrated financial

markets, a default can even become acontagion impacting the globaleconomy, which is yet to recover fromthe Great Recession of 2009.

Will the global economy doubledip?: The global economy contractedby 0.7% in 2009 making it the worstrecession since the Great Depressionof the 1930s. There was a recovery in2010 when global GDP grew by 4.9%.Unfortunately, this recovery could notbe sustained in 2011. The US creditrating downgrade, the Japanese tsu-nami which wreaked havoc on their sup-ply chains and the Arab Spring which

spiked crude oil prices became majorheadwinds in 2011. A global double diprecession (when GDP dips twice) couldbe avoided in 2011 because of thestrong performance of emerging econo-mies. In 2012 Europe is likely to slipinto another recession. But recoveryin the US, though anaemic, is a strongpositive. Emerging markets are alsolikely to do reasonably well in 2012,though growth rates are likely to besomewhat muted. In brief, a globaldouble dip recession is not likely in2012, but a European double dip is verymuch on the cards.

Impact on India: As explained, adisorderly exit of Greece from the Eurozone and a disruptive default will haveserious consequences for the globaleconomy because of its knock-on andripple effects. A severe drubbing in theEuropean stock markets will impact allstock markets. A liquidity squeeze inEurope will impact Indian corporateswhich are major borrowers there. IfAmerican banks which have lent to Eu-ropean banks call back the loans,these European banks which have, inturn, lent to Indian corporates will callback their loans. This will ultimatelybecome a major drag on the rupeewhich is already very weak. Also, a Eu-ropean double dip recession will nega-tively impact India’s exports. This isbad news in the context of India’s bal-looning trade and current account defi-cits.

The LTRO (long-term repurchaseoperation) implemented by the ECBhas, to an extent, ring-fenced the Eu-ropean banks from a contagion. But itmay not be sufficient to ward off un-settling disturbances caused by a dis-ruptive default. This is the time for Eu-ropean leaders to demonstrate realstatesmanship.

(The author is Investment Strate-gist at Geojit BNP Paribas)


11

By K C Zachariah and S Irudaya Rajan

According to the Census Commissioner of In-dia, Census 2011 came “at a time when India is per-haps at an inflexion point in history”. The same couldbe said about Kerala Migration Survey (KMS) 2011conducted by the Centre for Development Studies(CDS), Thiruvananthapuram. It came at a time whenemigration from Kerala to Gulf countries was per-haps at an inflexion point in history. Gulf emigrationfrom Kerala seems to be edging towards a peak.

This short paper, embodying the results of KMS2011 on the whole supports this conclusion. Emi-gration from Kerala in 2011 was indeed more or lessat the same level as it was in 2008 indicating that2011 was not far from the inflexion point in the his-tory of emigration from Kerala.

KMS 2011 is the fifth in the series on migrationmonitoring studies being undertaken by the CDS. Itwas conducted 13 years after the first migration sur-vey conducted in 1998, and three years after thefourth one in 2008. As with KMS 2008, KMS 2011also received financial support from the Departmentof Non-Resident Keralite Affairs, Government ofKerala. and the Ministry of Overseas Indian Affairs,Government of India. The KMS 2011 survey wascanvassed among 15,000 households throughoutKerala and distributed among 300 localities in 63taluks and the 14 districts.

Emigration: short-term trendAn estimate of the number of emigrants from

Kerala as of March 2011 is 2.281 million. The corre-sponding number was 2.193 million in 2008, 1.838million in 2003 and

1.362 million in 1998. These numbers indicate

that emigration from Kerala has experienced an in-creasing trend since 1998 (Table 1). However, eachsucceeding period showed a decreasing trend in theincreases in the number of emigrants. At this rate,the increase in the number of emigrants from Keralawould disappear (zero increase) in less than twoyears. Emigration from Kerala could reach inflexionpoint before 2013. In that case, it is unlikely to ex-ceed 2.5 million (Figure 1).

Destination of emigrantsThe Gulf countries remain the principal destina-

tion of Kerala emigrants (Table 3). The proportion ofKerala emigrants in the Gulf countries remained atthe same level in 2011 as it did in the past, about90% of the total. The United Arab Emirates (UAE)which attracted 38.7% of the Kerala emigrants re-tained the first position with respect to emigrationamong all countries. However, its relative share de-clined from 41.9% in 2008 to 38.7% in 2011.

Emigration from Kerala in 2011 was indeed more or less at the same level as it was in2008 indicating that 2011 was not far from the inflexion point in the history of

emigration from Kerala.

Emigration and remittancesfrom Kerala

(Figure 1).


12On the other hand, Saudi Arabia improved its rela-

tive position accommodating 25.2% of the emigrantsfrom Kerala. Kuwait and Qatar are the other Gulfcountries that have improved their relative share ofKerala emigrants.

Among the countries outside the Gulf region, theprincipal ones are the United States and the UnitedKingdom.

International migrants by religionOut of the 22.8 lakh emigrants in 2011, 8.53 lakh

are Hindus, 4.18 lakh Christians and the remaining10.10 lakh Muslims. In relative terms, of the total,Hindus were 37.4%, Christians 18.3% and Muslims44.3%. Muslims are thus very much over-represented.While Muslims are only about 26% of Kerala’s popu-lation, they were as much as 44% of the emigrantsfrom Kerala in 2011. In the same manner Hindus areunder-represented. While about 56% of Kerala’spopulation are Hindus, only 37% of emigrants fromKerala were Hindus (Table 4).

The trends in the proportion of emigrants by reli-gion over the period 1998-2011 indicate that the pro-portion of Hindus among the emigrants is on theincrease, the proportion of Christians on the decreaseand Muslims, on the whole, maintain their relativeposition over time. The decrease in the absolute sizeand the relative share of Christians could mostly bedue to demographic factors, namely, the decline inthe share of the Christians (especially those in theyoung working ages) in Kerala’s population.

Among the return emigrants, 45% were Hindus,44% Muslims and only 11% Christians. Hindus wereover-represented among the return emigrants (incomparison with their share among the emigrants),

Christians under-represented and Muslims retainedtheir share.

RemittancesRemittances to Kerala have continued to grow

ever since Keralites started migrating to the Gulfregion. Total remittances to Kerala during the 12-month period ending on March 1, 2011 were Rs49,695 crore. This amount was about 15% higherthan the remittances in 2008. These numbers indi-cate that the rate of growth of remittances has sloweddown in recent years in tune with the slowing downof emigration from the state since 2008. While re-mittances increased by 134% during 2003-08, it grewby just 15% during 2008-2011 and while remittancesper household increased from Rs 24,000 in 2003 toRs 57,000 in 2008, the corresponding increase wasjust Rs 6,100 between 2008 and 2011.

Remittances by districtsTotal remittances by districts are obtained by pro-

rating household remittances by district. The resultsare given in Table 6. As mentioned above, the totalfor the state is Rs 49,695 crore. Out of this Rs 9,040crore came to Malappuram district which is 18.2%of the state’s total. This amount is Rs 114,319 perhousehold in the district. The share of remittancesto Malappuram district increased from 15% in 2008to 18.2% in 2011. The average amount a householdin Malappuram received also increased from Rs1,03,585 in 2008 to Rs 1,14,319. These numbersrepresent an increase of Rs 10,734 per householdin the state during 2008-2011.

The other districts that received large amountsof remittances are:

Ernakulam (12.3%), Kannur (10.4%) andThiruvananthapuram (9.5%). The share of total re-mittances in most districts in south Kerala(Thiruvananthapuram to Idukki) declined between2008 and 2011.

While total remittances experienced a decline in

the southern district and increases in the northerndistrict, the situation with respect to remittances perhousehold shows an opposite pattern. Southern dis-tricts gained in remittances per household and north-ern district lost out in this matter. This could be dueto the differentials in educational attainments ofemigrants from these regions.

Remittances by religionOf the total remittances of Rs 49,695 crore, Rs

18,099 crore was received by Hindu households, Rs8,508 crore received by Christian households andRs 23,089 crore by Muslim households. During 2008-2011, all the religious groups experienced increasesin the remittances: 10% each among Hindus andthe Christians and 21% among Muslims.

Muslim households received, on average, Rs1,35,000 as remittances in a year. Compared withthis, Hindu households had received only Rs 38,000,only about one-fourth of what the Muslim householdsreceived. The average remittance per householdamong Christians was less than half of that of Mus-lim households, only Rs 59,000.

Remittances to Kerala have continued to growever since Keralites started migrating to the

Gulf region. Total remittances to Kerala duringthe 12-month period ending on March 1, 2011were Rs 49,695 crore. This amount was about

15% higher than the remittances in 2008. Thesenumbers indicate that the rate of growth of

remittances has slowed down in recent years intune with the slowing down of emigration from

the state since 2008. While remittances in-creased by 134% during 2003-08, it grew by just15% during 2008-2011 and while remittances perhousehold increased from Rs 24,000 in 2003 toRs 57,000 in 2008, the corresponding increase

was just Rs 6,100 between 2008 and 2011.


13

As the second highest-paid league in the world nextonly to the NBA this annual event has come to stay.

Further it has provided inspiration for other T20events like the MiWay T20 Challenge in South Africa,

Bangladesh Premier League and the Big BashLeague in Australia. Sri Lankan Premier League did

not take off only because it clashed with India’soverseas tours or one could have witnessed one

more big event.

Into its fifth season, the Indian Pre-mier League (IPL) is one of the mostpopular events in the sporting itineraryof not only India but also many othercountries. It has converted the gameof cricket from a mere spectator sportinto a passion which is unbelievable.Even Bollywood has acknowledgedthat it has brought down the crowds intheatres since most people look uponit as a good relaxation after a heavyday’s work because of the convenienceof its timings. It is true that there werefears that this tournament had becomestale and some even said that the elimi-nation of Lalit Modi would reduce itsglamour and sheen. But in reality noth-ing like this has happened. Exceptmaybe in Chennai the crowds are allback and as we enter the last stagesof this year’s edition it is becomingmore and more exciting with this sea-son already recording the largest num-ber of last-ball thrillers. As the secondhighest-paid league in the world nextonly to the NBA this annual event hascome to stay. Further it has providedinspiration for other T20 events like theMiWay T20 Challenge in South Africa,Bangladesh Premier League and theBig Bash League in Australia. SriLankan Premier League did not takeoff only because it clashed with India’soverseas tours or one could have wit-nessed one more big event.

The BCCI in its wildest dreams neverexpected that the IPL would becomesuch a big money-spinner. In fact it wasinitiated in an attempt to scuttle theIndian Cricket League which had beenstarted with the blessings of the EssarGroup and Kapil Dev. The personalityclash of then BCCI President SharadPawar and Kapil Dev was the primecause of this mega-event. IPL has beenable to achieve its primary objective ofkilling ICL and weaning away the bestplayers to its fold. What has now hap-pened is that from a mere sporting eventIPL has grown into dimensions whichare having an impact on the country’seconomy itself. The 11 cities where IPLmatches are being held are agog withexcitement and we find the people com-ing forward not only as sponsors butalso as spectators to make the event asuccess. The courage shown by the

parent organization to increase the num-ber of matches as well as the numberof days bears testimony to the popular-ity of this tournament. In fact with eightteams and 59 matches in 2008, it hasgrown to nine teams and 76 matchesin the current edition. The only discon-certing factor is the elimination of theKochi franchise which was only due tothe incompetence of the Kerala CricketAssociation and its inability to inspireconfidence in the franchise.

The money involved in the IPL hasto be seen to be believed. When thefirst auction was held in 2008, the BCCIkept a base price of $400 million andinvited eight bids. Eight major citieswere chosen as franchises. MukeshAmbani came forward with the highestbid of $111.9 million to pocket theMumbai franchise. Vijay Mallya couldnot be far behind and he bid the Ban-galore team for $111.6 million. SharukhKhan with $75 million and Ness Wadiaalong with Preity Zinta also gave thesame amount to take respectively theKolkatta and Chandigarh franchises. Ineffect all the eight teams were takenup by business magnates all over In-dia and BCCI netted a cool $723.59million when its expectation was only$400 million. The income earned byBCCI did not end there. The main spon-sor for five years was DLF which paid$50 million. Pepsi has a stake of$12.5million, Hero Honda $22.5 millionand Kingfisher $26.5 million. The tele-vision rights after much litigation wereawarded to Sony at a whopping $1.74billion for 10 years. So when the eventcommenced in 2008 it was BCCI whichwas the biggest gainer. Sharad Pawarreally had the last laugh. His crony LalitModi carried out the diktats of themaster to perfection.

The problem for IPL started with thedecision of the parent body to take intwo more teams for the fourth edition.BCCI was plain greedy and paid aheavy price for it in terms of credibility.It fixed a base price of $225 million forthe two teams for the auction held inMarch 2010. The response was unbe-lievable. The Sahara Group took thePune franchise for $370 million and theRendezvous Consortium took theKochi team for $333.33 million. BCCI

netted $703.33 million for the auctionof two teams while it had got only$723.59 million for eight teams in 2008!This only showed the great popularityof this league and how it had been re-ceived with such fervour by thecountry’s cricket enthusiasts. But thesequel of events that followed was mostunfortunate with the ebullient ShashiTharoor being forced to quit hisministership because of the role heplayed in trying to get Kochi the fran-chise. But the villain of the show wasundoubtedly Lalit Modi. It is gratifyingthat BCCI realized this in time and themoment Sharad Pawar was made tounderstand that Lalit Modi had growntoo big for his shoes, Pawar acted and

when its track record was very poorwith regard to cases in various courtswhen Modi was in charge shows theincrease in the integrity of the organi-zation after the ouster of Modi.

The brand value of IPL is a whop-ping $3.67 billion and originally it wasplanning to go public and list its shareson prominent stock exchanges. Butwith the charges of corruption againstModi coming to light the credibility ofthe organization took a nosedive andconsequently the parent organizationdecided to give up this idea in 2010.But during this year IPL became thefirst sporting event in the world to betelecast live on Youtube. With a prizemoney of $5million this is undoubtedly

By Dr N Ajith Kumar

like a cabbage leaf Modi was thrownout from all positions he held. Thoughsome of the franchisees which had re-ceived favours from him did makefeeble sounds of protest on his behalfthey soon backtracked when theyfound that he was a fugitive runningaway from the law of the land. But itdid create some bad taste in the mouth.But what happened is that the last twoeditions of IPL are very transparent andBCCI is making all its positions veryclear. The very fact that it won the le-gal battle against the Kochi franchise

one of the largest in terms of awardamounts. The best part of this tourna-ment is that the players are the great-est beneficiaries. Though the IPL auc-tion did come in for a lot of ridicule atthe manner in which it was conducted,there seems to be a lot of acceptancewhen it was found that players reallybenefited. A 10-year scheme has beendrawn out and if all goes well the term‘sold’ is all set to become a watchwordfor all sporting events in the country.

(Dr Ajith Kumar is a freelancewriter)

Blame Game


14

Projects worthy ofinvestment in Kerala

By G Rama Mohanan Nair

This article is targeted at the elite NRKs who want tostart ‘something’ in Kerala.

The old picture of Kerala as a land of labour militancy isnow history (let alone a few hartals now and then).

You will be surprised to know that at present Kerala is home to morethan 200 very popular brands. Milma and PDDP for milk; Nirapara, Pavizhamand Periyar for sortex rice; Poppy and John’s for umbrella; Anna for aluminiumutensils; Melam, Eastern, Sara’s, Nirapara, Double Horse and Sevana for currypowders; Lunar, Paragon and VKC for chappals; Chakson for pressure-cook-ers, Kitex for lungis, Kera for coconut oil; Scooby-day for school bags; V-Guard for stabilizers, pumps and garments; Wonder la for fantasy parks; MrButler’s for soda-maker; Rubco for rubberized coir mattresses and KottakkalArya Vaidyasala, Thaikkat Moos, Pankaja Kasturi and Nagarjuna for ayurvedicproducts. The list is only indicative. We have several successful industriesmaking PVC pipes, cables, pipe fittings, electronic products, hollow concreteblocks, ready-mix concrete, food processing machinery, gold jewellery, cashew,food products like pickles, jam, fruit juices, biscuits, furniture both wooden andsteel, readymade doors, window frames etc.

Giants like Sobha Developers, DLF, Infosys, Tata Consultancy Servicesand L&T have already occupied their berths in Kerala.

The present Kerala Government is all out for a giant leap in industrializationof the state. All background work for the forthcoming mega-event ‘EmergingKerala-2012’ scheduled for September 12-14 at Kochi is progressing fast. KSIDCis the nodal agency for this event. The organizers are doing a good job. Theyhave brought out a painstakingly well-designed 91-page e-brochure Doing Busi-ness in Kerala and Emerging Kerala, to know what Kerala has in store for all.

Four highly viable projects requiring less than Rs 5 crores of investmentsuitable for the state are detailed below.

1. Rigid PVC pipesRigid PVC pipes are used

for water and gas supply sys-tems, electrical, drainage andsewage systems, chemicalengineering and housing, well-digging and salty water con-structions. Kerala is poised formassive investments in thenext five years. Hence therewill be good market potentialfor this product. BIS quality

pipes of sizes ranging from 20mm-200mm are to be manufactured. The plantcan have a rated capacity of 170kg/hr. It is assumed that the plant works fortwo shifts of eight-hour duration. Output of saleable products of about 60t/month is expected.

Capital investmentRs in lakh

Land: 50 cents (20 ares) including land development 15.00Building: Main factory 600sq m @ Rs 4,000 24.00·Administrative Block: 50sq.m @ Rs 6,000 3.00

Plant and machinery 100.00Electrification (170kVA capacity) 10.00Office furniture and equipment: 2.00Contingency: 3.00Preoperative expenses: 2.00Margin money for working capital: 20.00Total project cost: 179.00Means of financingTerm loan 124.00Margin money loan 2.50Govt subsidy 5.00Promoter’s contribution 47.50

Total 179.00Working capital 80.00Working capital loan 60.00Profitability at 80% capacity utilizationInstalled capacity =720 t per annum Production at 80 % capacity 576 tSales revenue 536.00ExpenditureRaw materials consumed 400.00Electricity 16.00Direct labour 10.00Maintenance and spares 12.00Overheads:Depreciation 15.00Interest on Loans 24.00Indirect labour 3.00Other overheads 30.00Total expenditure 510.00Profit before tax 26.00

Percentage of profit over sales TO (26x100/ 536) = 4. 85Percentage of profit over own investment = (26x100/ 47.5) = 54.73Debt equity ratio= 124/ 55= 2.25IRR 21.5%This project is seen as highly viable.


15The next two projects are the most needed ones for our state. Disposal of

various municipal solid wastes (MSWs) is a major problem in almost all cities,towns and panchayats. Wherever they are installed, they soon go defunct andthe situation goes back to square one. The main problem is in the executionand management aspects. First a study is to be conducted by some outsideagencies to identify the problem areas and to find out sustainable solutions.

Presented here are two projects, one for reprocessing of plastic wasteand another is to process used rubber tyres.

2. Plastic reprocessing—pyrolysis plantPyrolysis is subjecting the material in an oxygen-free (almost) atmosphere

to high temperature of the order of 500-550 degree centigrade. A pyrolysis cham-ber is a patented catalytic chamber and a series of specially built condensers

to produce energy-rich diesel fuel fromunsorted waste.

Plastics thatare unsuitable forother recycling pro-cesses because ofan undesirable orcontaminated mixof polymers poseno problem. AnAustralian com-pany has devel-oped a plant ca-pable of producingover 19,000 litres of

diesel fuel per day for less than 30 cent (Rs 1.35) per litre. In full production,these systems are capable of producing 350 million litres of diesel per annumfrom 400,000 tonnes of plastic waste by employing liquefaction, pyrolysis andcatalytic breakdown.

The plants are of continuous feed type, ie 24 hrs x 7 days having capacityup to 24/day.

The output product, viz diesel produced, is suitable for any type of internalcombustion engines.

Floor space required is 750sq m with height 6m.This plant may cost something like Rs.25 crore.Lower-capacity plants can be produced at costs in the neighbourhood of Rs

5 crore.The following types of plastics are most suited:High-density polyethylene (HDPE), LDPE, LLDPE, PP, polystyrene (PS),

expandedpolystyrene (EPS),PET (not more than 2%), PVC, UPVC, PPVC (not more than 1%).Others like acrylonitrile are not suitable.The economicsAnother Australian company has developed a plant which can use waste oil

and worn rubber tyres also along with plastics and produce diesel oils moresuitable for power

plants (not for automobile use). Capacity is 5 tonnes of raw stock per day.Yield per tonne of feed stock is about 900 litres of oil. That means 4,500 litresper day of fuel is produced.

They couple it with a power plant of capacity 1.5 MW. Total cost is esti-mated at Rs 5 crore for the plant and equipment. Assume Rs 1 crore for otherassets.

A 1.5 MW plant generates 30,000 units of electricity in a day of 20 hours (4hours reserved for maintenance). This power can be sold to KSEB for Rs 2.5 /unit. Sales turnover comes to Rs 75,000/day.

Plastics are now being collected from homes in Kochi at Rs 2,500/t. Collec-tion and transportation cost is estimated at a maximum of Rs 2,000 per tonne.Then total cost of

raw material at site is only 5x (2500+2000) = Rs. 22,500/day.Interest on loan= Rs 13,500/day (Rs 400 lakh @12%)Depreciation= Rs 13,700/day (10%)Administrative expenses = Rs 3000 per dayProfit is = 75,000 (22,500+13,500+13,700+3,000) =Rs. 22,300/dayAnnual profit on the basis of 300 working days =Rs. 66.9 Lakhs.Assuming Rs 2 crore as equity, percentage of profit on investment is 33.45%.Repayment to financiers can be made @ Rs 50 lakh per year (to be liqui-

dated in eight years).There is an annual surplus of Rs 16.9 lakh.It shows that even a small plant like this is viable.Further, it may be noted that financial and other assistance can be got from

sources like Department of Science and Technology (DST), Ministry of Non-conventional Energy Sources (MNES); State Government; local bodies.

3. Used rubber tyre processing plantsWaste tyres of size below 1,200

mm x385 mm (except solid tyres andspecial types) are fed into the sys-tem. First the beads are removed.Then the rubber is cut into 50mmx50mm size.

Then remove metal after crushingand get 10-15 mesh granules. Thenext step is to remove the fibres andfine- grind to 30-60 mesh size. Clas-sify, weigh and pack.

Capacity – 1000- 1300 kg/hr waste tyres.Output: a) Rubber powder of 30-40 mesh size - 800-900 kg/hr; b) Steel wire

15-40 mm —25-30% for radial tyres and13% for waste nylon tyres; Labour: 4-5staff/shift.

Covered space: 800- 1000 sq m and 6m height.Floor space: About 50 cents (2,000sq m)Total cost is estimated at Rs 1.5 crore for plant and equipment.Applications of waste tyre rubber granule and rubber powder1. Rubber granules of 0.5mm-2.5mm size are used in large quantities as

filler for artificial turf, used for sports, children’s park, baseball etc. Rubbergranules are filled in

artificial turf.2. Rubber granules (2-4mm) and rubber powder (0.5-1mm) are used to pro-

duce rubber floor tiles, of children’s park, yard and roads’ sides.3. Rubber granules (2-3mm) and rubber powder (20-80mesh) are used to

pave rubber roads and runways of stadiums and airports.4. Rubber granules and rubber powder can be used to produce other rubber

products: for example, reclaimed rubber, rubber sheet, rubber mat and so on.But this process is relatively complicated, needs high technical requirementsand highly expensive equipment.

Rubber powder (more than 30 mesh) reclaimed rubber, rubber sheet andmat are used for making artificial turf of stadiums.

There are some Chinese companies making plant and machinery to manu-facture such products.

4. Bottled drinking water projectSafe drinking water free from suspended impurities, dissolved harmful chemi-

cals and dangerous bacteria has become scarce. Boiling the water does notremove dissolved chemicals and destroy all bacteria. Municipal/panchayat waterthrough the pipes also has become unreliable due to improper or inadequateprocessing. Not only that, boiled water loses the real taste of natural water.Fuel is also wasted in boiling.

Until recently bottleddrinking water was the pre-rogative of the upper class.Now things have changed.In all offices/shops bottleddrinking water is made avail-able to employees in 20-li-tre PET jars. At all confer-ences and meetings onlybottled drinking water is be-ing served. Railways, Cen-tral and State Government offices, hotels, resorts and motels have all clientshaving huge requirements. A survey has revealed that the common man is notvery brand-conscious as far as this product is concerned. Giants like Pepsi,Coca-Cola and Bisleri are active in this part of the country, but small players arealso thriving in this market. Most brands are sold at Rs 15 per litre except inRailways where it costs Rs 12 only. In star hotels they charge up to Rs 20 perlitre. In this study it is assumed that the product is sold in 1 litre bottles at Rs7 only and 20-litre jars at Rs 60.

Quality has to be statutorily as per BIS (ISI). The bottled water market isgrowing at a rapid rate of around 20% annually. The per capita consumption ofbottled water in India is less than half a litre per year, compared to 111 litres inFrance and 45 litres in the US. This points to the high future growth potential ofthis industry.

The capital investment for this project is as follows: Rs in lakh

Land 15 cents (6 ares) 15.00Land development, documentation etc. 5.00Buildings 30.00Plant and equipment 26.00


16Utilities 5.0020 lit PET jars 2.00Vehicle 5.00Office equipment 2.00Preliminary and preoperative expenses 2.00Products launch 5.00Testing and certification expenses 2.50Contingency Provision 3.50Margin money for working capital 7.00Total project cost 110.00

Sources of financeOwn funds 25.50Subsidy from Govt 5.00margin money loan from Govt 2.50Term Loan for fixed assets 77 .00

Working capital requirement 28.00Working capital loan 21.00

ProfitabilityInstalled capacity 2000 lit/hrAnnual production @ eight-hour shift x 300 days 48 lakh lit.

Rs in lakhTotal sales revenue at 90% capacity

. 225.72Expenditure

Raw materials and consumables 111.67Electricity, water etc (utilities) 2.11Direct labour 9.55Factory Overheads 13.40Depreciation 7.29Adm. Overheads 9.58Sales Overheads 10.16Total cost of sales 163.76Interest on term loan

9.63Interest on WC loan 2.63Total Interest 12.26Total Expenses 176.02Profit before tax (operating profit)

49.70Income tax 14.91Net Profit 34.79Gross profit as percentage of sales = 34.79 / 225.72 = 7.15%BEP 36%IRR 37.6%It is seen that if properly managed this is a highly profitable industry.(The author is a former General Manager of Kerala SIDCO and is presently

Chief Consultant-Industrial Consultancy Services, Kochi, and visiting facultymember at the Indian Maritime University).

Another novel project is:5. Wood Plastic Composite (WPC)

This is a service industry for interior decoration, decking, flooring, land-scaping, furniture-making and the like, using wood plastic composite. Wood

plastic composite is a comparatively new material to replace wood, tiles etc.As the name suggests, WPC combines the properties of wood and plastic

offering a highly durable and surprisingly malleable material. WPC is made ofa combination of low-cost cellulose filler (60% to 70%) and recycledthermoplastics (30% to 40%). The cellulose filler could be any form of woodbyproducts like chips, sawdust or cellulose from plants in the form of rice husketc.

Builders, interior and exterior decorators and furniture manufacturers areembracing this magic material

across India in a big way. Civicauthorities are exploring ways

of using WPC in parks andother public properties

which should withstandthe vagaries of both

natural forces andhuman vandalism.

The Railways toohas shown in-

terest in thiscomposite.

True toits form, WPC

is resistant to mois-ture, rotting, cracking and

splitting. It is highly durable andrequires low maintenance. It is pro-

cessed like plastic but behaves like wood. It can be manufactured out of scrapresources. Hence WPC is a 100% environment-friendly product by enablingrecycling of plastics. Because of this it has

high potential ahead. The market lies in climate-affected zones. This mate-rial, it appears, has been developed in China. There are thousands of factoriesthere making WPC. Recently three or four companies have started manufactur-ing this material in India.

This is an excellent substitute for wood and ceramic tiles. They are avail-able in tile form and long sections of various cross sections. Floorings/deckingand panelling of kitchen wardrobes look much superior in appearance, durabil-ity and insect resistance. Costwise WPC is about 50% costlier but about 50%-70% cheaper than thermoplastics. But there is no need for painting and furthermaintenance for many years. Hence they are more economic in the long run.

Ordinary tools used for wood working are sufficient to work with this mate-rial. Workers can easily be trained to wok with this material.

The following Infrastructure is required:Rs. Lakhs

Land- 10 cents, 10.00Building – Covered area 20x 8 m =160 sq.m. 10.00Machinery and Equipments: 8.00Total 28.00The cost of teakwood panelling is Rs 350/sft. Cost of WPC would be about

Rs 525. If 10,000 sq ft. is planned/month the cost would be Rs 52.5 lakh.A profit of 10% can be expected, ie Rs 5.25 lakh a month.The applications ofthis material are many: Outdoor floor decking, railings (in staircase), fences,park benches, roofing/sheds, portable cabins, pallets, window and door frames,indoor panels, furniture, flooring, staircase, highway construction, railway sleep-ers, play areas, portable toilets, temp housing, prefab housing, playgroundequipment, site and leisure furniture, insulation and finish systems, gardens,chicken coops, automotive industry, building and construction etcIt appearsthat WPC is soon going to be the future material for all the above applications.So early entrants are likely to establish their footholds strongly.

He adds that it will provide the perfect opportunity for Kerala-based companies to promote to the Sri Lankan market with itsdiverse range of food and services. It also provides a platform for the exhibitors to play a major role in stimulating brand value andmarketing as a supplier of diverse food and packaging products.

The 11th edition of Pro-Foods/Pro-Pack 2012 Exhibition is being organized by theSri Lanka Food Processors Association (SLFPA) and National Agri Business Council

at SBMEC, Colombo, Sri Lanka, from July 6-8, 2012.Pro-Foods/Pro-Pack-2012 is the largest and most influential processed food, packaging, tyre-retreading and agri-business-related exhibition and is being held for the 11th consecutive year along with Agri-Biz. This event will not only greatly increasefuture business prospects of companies but create tremendous brand awareness along with incorporating events which aredemand-oriented, according to Mr V Rajagopal,Chief Executive Officer, Kerala Bureau of Industrial Promotion.

The Industries Department of the Government of Kerala is planning to put up a Kerala Pavilion at the event. Space will be givenfree of charge to registered units, provided a minimum of 15 companies confirm their participation before the deadline ofMay 25, says Mr Rajagopal.

Pro-Foods/Pro-Pack 2012 fair


17

Muthoot Finance getsGolden Peacock for CSR

Leading gold loan company Muthoot Finance Ltd waspresented with the prestigious Golden PeacockAwards for Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) for theyear 2012 in Dubai, UAE, the other day.

Mr M G George Muthoot, Chairman, The MuthootGroup, received the award from Mr Juma Al Majid, Chair-man of Dubai Economic Council and founder Chairman ofthe Juma Al Majid Group. The dignitaries present includedMr Justice P N Bhagwati, former Chief Justice of India, LtGen J S Ahluwalia, President, Institute Of Directors, MrSaleh Janeeh, Chairman, Dubai Quality Group, and MrAlexander M George, Director, The Muthoot Group

Mr George Muthoot said, “The award reiterates ourdedication to make a positive difference in the lives ofthe beneficiaries and society as a whole by integratingsocial and environmental concerns into our everyday busi-

ness operations. We will continue to enhance value cre-ation to promote sustained growth for society and com-munity.”

Golden Peacock Award recognizes the continuing com-mitment by business to conduct itself ethically and con-tribute to economic development while improving the qual-ity of life of the workforce, their families as well as of thelocal community and society. Muthoot Finance has alignedits business with CSR activities to provide a predictableand favourable climate for investment and trade.

Federal Bank profitRs 777 crore

Federal Bank, the fourth largest private sector bank interms of branch network, registered a profit of Rs 776.79crore for the year ended March 31, 2012, a growth rate of32.31 %. The bank could deliver substantial growth in topline and bottom line despite the challenging macro envi-ronment.

Total income grew by 33.31% to Rs 6,091 crore andnet interest margin (NIM) was at 3.79 %. Total depositsincreased by 13.77% from Rs 43,014.78 crore to Rs48,937.12 crore and advances by 18.16% from Rs31,953.23 crore to Rs 37,755.99 crore.

The board of directors recommended a dividend of Rs 9

per equity share of Rs 10 for the year, as against Rs 8.50 forthe previous year, subject to approval by the shareholders.

Planning to maintain and consolidate its leadershipposition and improve its reach and customer base, thebank which embarked on its transformation journey is wellon its way to position itself as a national player with focuson SME and NRI clientele.

Awards: The bank has won two awards within a spanof three months for its achievements in the field of Corpo-rate Social Responsibility (CSR). The first was the GlobalSocial Responsibility Award for ‘Best Corporate Respon-sibility Practice overall’ and the second the Golden Pea-cock Award for Social Responsibility by a jury under theChairmanship of Mr Justice P N Bhagavathi, former ChiefJustice of India.

It also won the international ACI Excellence Awards2012 in the Payments Transformation category.

Ernst & Young signs MOU with KinfraErnst & Young Global Shared Services (GSS) Kerala

is taking up 60,000 sq ft of built-up area at the KeralaIndustrial Infrastructure Development Corporation (Kinfra)Film and Video Park Special Economic Zone (SEZ) inThiruvananthapuram to improve the facilities of IT-enabledservices. Kinfra and E&Y GSS Kerala signed a memoran-dum of understanding (MOU) to this effect recently.

“Kerala is the only state which offers single-windowclearance to industries, making it an ideal ground for com-panies such as E&Y to quickly start their activities in theSEZ. It is good to see global firms taking advantage of theexcellent infrastructure and support we offer,” said Mr P.KKunhalikutty, Industries and IT Minister. He said the Gov-ernment was taking effective steps towards attracting in-vestments to Kerala.

According to Mr Tim Eddy, Global Vice-Chairman, E&YGSS, the State Government has been able to take effec-tive steps to attract investments. Opening a third facilityfor GSS Kerala was important to E&Y’s strategy, he said.“We already have highly-skilled professionals at our Keralacentre and this new facility will serve our growth needsvery well, enabling us to expand to meet the increasingdemand for our services,” he said.

GSS Kerala is a wholly owned subsidiary of E&Y. Ithas a headcount of 1,254 and has facilities at Technopark,Thiruvananthapuram; and Infopark, Kochi. There are sixGSS centres distributed across Bangalore, Gurgaon andKerala in India, and in China, Poland and Argentina. GSSKerala was set up in 2002 at Technopark. “Kerala has alarge talent pool of IT resources, and we are keen to tap

it,” said Mr Binu Koshy, E&Y GSS Kerala leader.“Kinfra had a track record in mentoring a number of

progressive enterprises to set up facilities in its industrialparks. Its Film and Video Park is no different but focuseson the infotainment business and has a unique advantagefor the animation industry as it houses the first motioncapture studio and proposes to set up an internationalanimation school to train future animators”, said Mr SRamanathan, Managing Director, Kinfra. This speaks vol-umes about the immense opportunities offered for suc-cessful partnerships to take root and flourish in an inves-tor-friendly environment,” he said.

Kinfra Film and Video Park is a fully owned subsidiaryof Kinfra, a statutory body of the Government of Keralaestablished in 1993, aimed at developing industrial infra-structure in the state. The firm has successfully completedover the past 19 years 20 sector-specific industrial parksin Kerala.

Kinfra and E&Y GSS Kerala officials exchanging documentsafter signing the MOU.

Vasanlaunchesdental carecentres

Passline News ServiceVasan Dental Care, a part of the

Vasan Healthcare Group, haslaunched its new dental care cen-tres at Kannur, Kottayam andThiruvananthapuram. With this,Vasan has a total of 18 dental carecentres in South India of which sixare in Kerala, including the exist-ing ones at Kochi, Kozhikode andThrissur. There are three in Chennai,two in Hyderabad and one each inTrichy, Salem, Coimbatore, Erode,Madurai, Tirunelveli andPondicherry.

“The most important aspect ofdental care is infection control. Toprevent infection, we give more at-tention to ‘safe dental practices withzero microbe sterilization’. Ourpolicy is to provide total care forevery patient visiting our clinics. Pa-tients across Kerala will now haveall their dental care needs takencare of under one roof, at the sametime”, said Dr Bhasker Rao, ChiefMentor and Medical Director ofVasan, at a media meet in Kochirecently. The comprehensive rangeof treatments offered by the cen-tres includes specialities, laserdentistry, invisible orthodontics, im-plants, smile designing and aes-thetic care, tooth whitening, childdentistry, preventive care, advancedgum care and senior citizen care.The group will be opening morecentres in Andhra Pradesh,Karnataka and other parts of thecountry taking the total to 30+ bythe end of 2012.

Dr Sreekanth Mallan, Consult-ant-Prosthodontist andImplantologist and Regional Direc-tor-Kerala; Mr P B Sunil Kumar,Director-Finance; Dr WinstonGeorge, Clinical Head, Kochi; DrJeff Chakola, Clinical Head,Thrissur; and Dr Terry Edathottywere also present at the function.

CSB raisesFCNRdeposit rates

The Catholic Syrian Bank hasraised the interest rates on FCNR de-posits between 0.75% and 1.75%. Themaximum interest rate in US dollarsis 4.11% and in euro 4.45% for the ma-turity period of 60 months. Rates forforeign currency deposits in Britishpound, Japanese yen, Canadian dol-lar, Swiss franc and Australian dollarhave also been increased.

The interest rate increases are ex-pected to result in significant inflow offoreign currency term deposits.


18

Govt looking into industry’spower problems: Aryadan

Electricity Minister Aryadan Mohammed said inKochi the other day that he was aware of the powerproblems being faced by industry and that he waslooking into them. Addressing an ‘Interactive Ses-sion on Power Sector in Kerala’, organized by theConfederation of Indian Industry (CII) Kerala, whichhe inaugurated, Mr Mohammed asked industrialiststo consider alternative sources of power generationsuch as hydel and wind energy as he saw tremen-dous potential in these in the coming decade.

Mr Umang Patodia, Chairman, Task Force onPower, CII Kerala State Council and Managing Di-rector, Patspin India Ltd, brought to Mr Mohammed’sattention that there were many industrialists in thestate who were willing to make large-scale invest-ments in the power sector if there were morefavourable, enticing and attractive conditions. MrPatodia also spoke about the ever-rising employeecosts of the Kerala State Electricity Board (KSEB)which have escalated by almost 400% in the pastdecade and suggested to the Minister that furtherhiring in KSEB be frozen. “There was also a sug-gestion from industrialists to transform KSEB into acompany and commercialize its operations,” he said.Mr Patodia also stressed the importance of provid-ing incentives to HT consumers for converting to EHTand asked KSEB to take steps to make this pro-cess hassle-free and quick for industrialists.

Mr Najeeb Zackeria, on behalf of CREDAI, thebuilders’ association, asked the Minister to look intothe matter of long delays in obtaining power connec-tions for their projects. Mr V V Satyarajan, Chief En-gineer, Distribution-Central, KSEB, agreed to look intothe problems put forward by the members and pro-vide feedback to the Minister.

The objective of the session was to discuss thecurrent power scenario in the state and highlight in-dustry woes because of the recently introduced elec-tricity reforms and restrictions imposed by KSE. Itwas held as a roadmap towards the upcoming‘Emerging Kerala 2012—Biennial Global Connect.’

Managing Directors and CEOs of leading indus-tries across Kerala took part in the session and in-teracted with the Minister. Some of the companiesrepresented were Apollo Tyres, Carborundum,Harrisons Malayalam, Taj Hotels, Le Meridien, SudChemie, Binani Zinc, TVS & Sons, UST Global,Arbitron and Eastern.

Youngsters develop novel tech productSpurred by a passion for innovation, a group of

six young entrepreneurs from Kerala have scripteda uniquely successful story by creating an instantglobal inbound communication platform from theirmodest startup, Waybeo Technology Solutions, atTechnopark, Thiruvananthapuram.

True to its billing, their product BounzD—a livecalling solution to generate inbound leads for busi-nesses and the first such venture in the country—has instantly found a large number of takers, espe-cially in the real estate and hospitality sector.

As their cutting-edge solution, which has com-petition only from Europe even at the global turf, getsaccolades from more and more customers and en-trepreneurs, these six men from Kerala Universityhave now set a revenue target of Rs 100 crore in thenext four years.

“Our story, like many other technical cor-porations with humble origins, started whilemost of us were still students of Kerala Uni-versity. We started with a sheer passion fordoing something on our own and the futureahead was of course uncertain. But the twoyears of entrepreneurial journey made us re-alize how we could contribute to society, the nationand humanity which coined our vision and goal forthe next generation. Our synergies and hard workbore fruit and we have now an exciting technologyproduct on our hand,’’ says Mr Bushairusalam A P,the Chief Executive of Waybeo.

The BounzD platform helps the potential custom-ers to get connects with enterprises through theirweb channels from any part of the globe. The webvisitors who came across enterprise touch pointslike emails, websites, and online advertisements cannow directly speak to the business instantly whenthe need to know more about the offers or servicesis at its peak. BounzD can be configured with exist-ing call centre PBXs, PSTN numbers, CRMs andeven online media like Gtalk and Skype and is com-patible with any devices.

“What makes it highly beneficial to those into e-business is that the visitor does not need an ac-count, ID or phone to talk. One can speak whilebrowsing through different options and provide a greatlevel of convenience to the end customers. More-over BounzD never passes the end customer’s dataas it does not require data to operate. This helps theend customer to keep his credential private as longas he desires,’’ says Mr Bushairusalam.

“For example, a traveller from any part of the worldlooking for a hotel room in India does not need tosend a mail or call from his mobile, or wait for daysfor a reply. With a click from the website of that par-ticular hotel, he can get details and take a decision.If he does not have a mic in computer, the customercan drop his phone number and BounzD connectshim to the sales team immediately by validating the

mobile numbers with its unique validation system.This validation system ensures only relevant callsare being connected,’’ says Mr Bushairusalam.

Waybeo Technology Solutions focusing on uni-fied communication solutions to enterprises was setup in December 2009. It was incubated inThiruvananthapuram Technopark in December 2010after the team got R&D grant from the Departmentof Science and Technology. Looking to tap the glo-bal market, the company was registered in the UnitedKingdom and its global operations are now handledby its UK subsidiary.

The product, which was launched in a modestway in September 2011, has already become a hitwith 500 enterprises as customers within sevenmonths. The clientele list includes Raintree Hotels,

GRT, Spring Hotels, Mantri Group, Sahara Groupand various Government organizations like Electron-ics Park of India. BounzD helped most of them todouble the number of customers they were generat-ing so far from the online channels.

Recognitions too came in plenty within the shortspan of its journey. Awards like Red Herring Asia,DST Lockheed Martin and Nasscom CIO Select inProduct Conclave 2011 and Award for IT excellencein Kerala are some of them.

“For the businesses, BounzD is a proven plat-form in the realty, hospitality and service sectors. Ithelps hundreds of enterprises to communicate withtheir overseas and domestic customers instantly.The success of BounzD in the Kerala, Chennai,Mumbai and Bangalore markets is evident from en-terprises’ connectivity with overseas customers. Mostof the enterprises have got their investment back in120 days from the increased sales and customersatisfaction. The number of inbound calls increasedby 400% in many enterprises like Heera Construc-tions, Mantri Group, Bangalore, and Sahara Group,Mumbai. It is the referrals given by our satisfied cus-tomers, which helped us to grow from 0 to 500 cus-tomers in seven months,” says Mr Shiv Shankar MS, Chief Marketing Officer.

Apart from Bushair and Shiv, the others behindthe success story are Nithun K V (Director, Wire-less Communication), Krishnan R V Iyer (Chief Op-erating Officer), Bijoy B S (Chief Financial Officer)and Manu Dev (CHRM, Business Development.)

With the leading enterprises going for the prod-uct, BounzD has generated 1,12,400 calls and2,68,400 minutes of business communication tillMarch 8, 2012.

Mr T P Thomaskutty, Executive Director, KSIDC, presenting thecore sectors for investment at the KSIDC’s Investors’ Meet heldin Kochi. Mr Jose Kurian, Manager, KSIDC, Mr Ajithkumar,DGM, KSIDC, Mr Muhammad Kunju of DIC, and Mr ShajiSebastian, President, KSSIA, are also seen.

Investors’meet held

Nearly 300 investors and industrialists fromErnakulam, Alappuzha and Thrissur districts turnedout at an Investors’ Meet held in Kochi the other dayby Kerala State Industrial Development Corporation(KSIDC) and the District Industrial Council (DIC) aspart of a build-up towards the ‘Emerging Kerala Meet2012’ to be held from September 12-14. Members ofthe Confederation of Indian Industry (CII), National As-sociation of Software and Services Companies(Nasscom), DIC, Kerala State Electricity Board (KSEB),Kerala State Pollution Control Board (KSPCB), KeralaWater Authority (KWA), Kerala Financial Corporation(KFC) and Kerala Industrial Infrastructure DevelopmentCorporation (Kinfra) were also present.

Welcoming the gathering, Mr K G Ajithkumar,DGM, KSIDC, introduced the event planned as glo-bal connect, organized by the Kerala Government,with KSIDC being the nodal agency for it, and saidthe road shows conducted in Delhi and Mumbai werea huge success. Similar road shows would be con-ducted in other major cities like Chennai, Bangalore

and Hyderabad and also in major countries soon.Mr Shaji Sebastian, Kerala State Small Indus-

tries Association (KSSIA) President, said Kerala’ssafe and secure climate was favourable for invest-ment in all areas. “This can be taken advantage of

only through more interactive sessions with differentGovernment agencies and better communicationmeans,” he said. He also said the single windowclearance scheme was functioning well in Ernakulamand it would be extended to other districts.

Mr T P Thomaskutty, Executive Director, KSIDC,made detailed presentations on core sectors identi-fied by the State Government. The major core sec-tors included IT & ITES, knowledge/education, tour-ism, food and agro-processing, ports, shipbuildingand logistics, healthcare services, energy includinggreen energy and environment technologies, scienceand technology including biotechnology,nanotechnology and life sciences, infrastructuredevelopment including urban infrastructure (power,water, urban transportation and waste management),MSMEs and financial services. Over 200 projectdetails have been published on the event’s websitewww.emergingkerala2012.org.

Mr Jose Kurian, Manager, KSIDC, proposed avote of thanks.

Minister Aryadan Mohammed addressing the ‘InteractiveSession on Power Sector in Kerala’


19

"Let they that sow reap their fruits”. Rev DrJose Aikara, the man behind the reputed instituteDe Paul International Residential School (DPIRS)knows the real meaning of this passage. And that isthe answer to all his accomplishments. Fr Jose Aikaranever asked anything in return from God Almighty forhis warmth and wisdom, his caring and cautions,his advice to humanity and assistance to the poorand needy, but only His grace from above and hehas received it abundantly even before he asked.

It was in the summer of 2001. Fr Aikara (for hisnear and dear ones) came to Mysore on a mission.He had taken along with him the greatest of weap-ons of a social reformer, his morale, which had beengifted by the Almighty and sharpened and used byhim for not less than three decades.

Born in an ancient and aristocratic family (Aikara)in 1947 to A S Abraham and Mariamma Abraham, FrAikara was called to join His Royal Priesthood in1967. In 1977 he was ordained a priest of the Con-gregation of Mission (CM). In 1976 he obtained hisBD (Bachelor of Divinity) and in 1980 a BSc in Botanyfrom Loyola College, Chennai. After taking hismaster’s degree from Madras Christian College in1982 he went to the North. He was destined to bethe founder Principal of De Paul School, Berhampur,Orissa, in 1987. In 1988 he took his BEd from theUniversity of Berhampur. The soft-spoken and sweet-smiling priest became a Doctor when the Universityof Berhampur awarded him a PhD in Botany (PhotoPeriodism) in 1994.

In 1995 Rev Dr Aikara became the Secretary-Trea-surer of the Association of Schools for Indian SchoolCertificate (ASISC), Orissa, and in 1996 success-fully completed his LLB from Berhampur University.In 1997, he got his name enrolled in the Orissa HighCourt, and the same year witnessed great accredi-tations being conferred on him. Again, in 1997, hereceived a national award in the field of education,was elected to the ICSE Board, Delhi, and also tothe Standing Committee of the ISC and ICSE Ex-aminations. Rev Dr Aikara became the Vice-Presi-dent of ASISC National in 1998 and the same yearbecame its National President. In 2000 he got a trans-fer from De Paul School, Berhampur, toVisakhapatnam.

In 2001, Fr Aikara was appointed Provincial Su-perior of the South Indian Province of the Congrega-tion of Mission, a congregation of priests founded bySt Vincent De Paul in the 17th century. In 2003 he

founded De Paul Interna-tional Residential School(DPIRS), Mysore, and in2004 obtained his MBAfrom Pune University. In2005 Rev Dr Aikara wentto Tanzania and startedtwo English-mediumschools. In the same yearhe was elected to the of-fice of the National Secre-tary-Treasurer, ASISC. He

received another national award for his contributionto the field of education from Union Human ResourceMinister Kapil Sibal in 2009. He has been given athird term as ASISC National Secretary-Treasurertill this year. He was the Associate President of ICSEschools and recently was elected Council Chairmanof the ICSE Board.

It was during the summer of 2002 that Rev DrAikara came to Brindavan of Mysore to start an in-stitute which would be named after St Vincent DePaul. He knows that history beckons DPIRS as hisschool prepares to break new grounds by enteringinto a tie-up with GCSE (General Certificate of Sec-ondary Education, Cambridge University) and thusto house hundreds of young aspirants for whom edu-cation in India and abroad has become a passion aswell as an obsession.

During the last decades of the 20thcenturyMysore witnessed a mysterious slumber in the fieldof education. This resurge in the education sectorwas heralded through the birth of a different school ofthought: DPIRS. The institute can be termed a centreof excellence where discipline and tradition matter.

De Paul International Residential School is lo-cated in the midst of a beautiful background. If youdrive out of the City of Mysore and leisurely makeyour headway towards the Brindavan Gardens alongthe pucca road flanked by the arid paddy fields—harvested and to be gleaned—you will unwittinglybe heading through some of the most picturesquelandscapes of the city outskirts, spotted with thelarge manorial mansions and solitary farm houseswith the winding country approach roads. It is quitesure that everyone will get attracted to the beauty ofthat mystic place. All will baffle your alacritoussenses as to whether you have lost your way toDPIRS, but do not get mystified. You haven’t. At thePaper Mill Circle you will turn your wheels to yourleft on the Srirangapatna-Hunsur Road and suddenlystart admiring the huge gateway of DPIRS whereyou will be cordially stopped for a few queries whichare customary at any such centre of learning. Youwill soon be invited by a world of diverse fauna andflora: from the lippy lizards to the sparring sparrowsand from the red-red roses to chic-choc cherries.

As you are on a stroll, touring the campus (atesting time for your fitness and stamina to tour the50 acres, of which playgrounds alone occupy 18acres), you will presently be captivated by the sce-nic beauty of girdling gardens with bowers and foun-

tains, the Aquatic Centre (10-lane and half-Olympicsize), the most modern state-of-the-art auditorium(the best in the city) and so on. The interactive class-rooms (Smart Class Programme) of DPIRS haveemerged as lively and active processing units. Itmarked the advent of an era where the students arenot merely mute spectators but self-discoveredpower-houses ready to be commissioned.

The unique eye-capturing quality of DPIRS is thespace. There is a space for everyone and everything:a space to grow and to bloom; a space to forget andforgive; a space to cut the uncut and a space tobreak and make. The same space can be felt in thelarge classrooms, the sportive playgrounds, the aro-matic refectory, the chirpy orchards, the homelydorms, the inviting library, the soothing nursing-roomand the nostalgic corridors. This is a school whereeach of its students identifies that he/she is des-tined to occupy his/her space and to lead the worldone day. Thus, DPIRS is a place which does alwaysprovide its children with a space to learn, unlearnand relearn. In all sense DPIRS is “A School of Dif-ferent Thought”.

Some of the academic and co-curricular featuresat DPIRS are: classes from KG to +2; ICSE andIGCSE up to Std X; ISC, GCE and PU for Std XI andXII; GCE ‘O’ and ‘A’ level; TCL (Trinity College, Lon-don) Music; synthetic tennis courts; 400m track sta-dium; 4 concrete basketball courts; half-Olympic-size10-lane swimming pool etc.The facilities providedthere cannot be concluded in a mere words. “DPIRSis a different school of thought: an international schoolwith a sheer Indian perspective and perhaps the onlyschool with a teacher-student ratio of 1:5, says RevDr Aikara. De Paul is the alma mater of studentshailing from more than 13 countries. The schoolmonitors each of its students very closely in pursuitof their self-discovery: to be the “Lighted Ones toLead the World”.

Rev Dr Aikara, the great visionary, fully exploitsthe gravity of the situation in whatever he does. It’s adelight to work with him and observe him work: arare combination of experience, maturity and authen-ticity. His voice has become the most trusted andpowerful voice in the field of education in the recentyears. The humble educational tycoon doesn’t haveany false pride as far as what he is going to do. Onewill love to admire his simple, unassuming way offunctioning well supported by his high EQ and soar-ing IQ. The school monitors each of its students veryclosely in pursuit of their self-discovery: to be the“Lighted Ones to Lead the World”.

In fact, Fr Aikara’s list of accomplishments in bring-ing a paradigm shift to the lives of the poor and theneedy and to the dispossessed and the unwanted—particularly in the notoriously dilapidated and crime-infested suburbs of Orissa—would warrant our imme-diate appreciation and approval. He knows that he isplaying the Good Samaritan when he wipes the tearsfrom the pain-ridden ruts of the hapless cheeks. Hisslogan “Say what you can do and do what you say”,loudly proclaims who he is. -Response Feature

Fr Jose Aikara never asked anything in return from God Almighty for hiswarmth and wisdom, his caring and cautions, his advice to humanity and

assistance to the poor and needy, but only His grace from above and he hasreceived it abundantly even before he asked.


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C K Menon is a role model for communal harmony.This is evidenced by some of his deeds.

The most striking of these is the masjid he hasbuilt for his Muslim brethren at Nocholi in

Kozhikode district, where 400 people can offerprayers at a time. It could very well be the first timeafter Cheraman Perumal in the late eighth century

that a Hindu believer was getting a masjid built.


Recently Doha-based Indian expatriate businessman and socialworker C K Menon was honoured by Doha International Center for inter-Faith Dialogue (DICID) for his outstanding contributions to the promotionof religious harmony in his native state of Kerala. What makes this honourunique and relevant is that no other Indian or other expatriate in Qatarhas so far received a similar honour from any such recognized and re-spectable organization as DICID.

Menon is the Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer of theBehzad Group of Companies with headquarters in Doha, Qatar. When hejoined Behzad Transports, the company had owned a fleet of 450 lorriesof which 200, along with their drivers, were remaining idle because, hesoon found, they needed minor repairs. It was here that he put to goodeffect his knowledge of vehicles and also his intelligence by suggestingthat either the company sell all the 200 unused ones or demolish 50 ofthem and use their parts to repair the other 150. The owner chose thelatter suggestion and, to his great surprise and satisfaction, the 150vehicles which were repaired were soon back on the roads and the com-pany back on profit.

After a few years with the company, its owner, Ali Hussein Behzad,wanted to sell it and asked Menon if he was interested in buying it. Hewas of course interested but had no money to pay. The owner consentedto being paid in instalments as he had by now cultivated great trust inMenon.

Retaining the name Behzad (meaning ‘money’) Menon began to buildthe company. Although he seemingly found his niche, it took a keenmarketing sense to expand it successfully. Menon could do this. Withmany areas covered, he methodically started adding to his fleet, thecompany’s focus being on fuel transportation by land and sea.

Menon has also entered the steel manufacturing sector. Today hehas built his group into a Rs 4,000-crore-a-year conglomerate, his com-mercial involvement stretching from Qatar to theUAE, Kuwait, Saudi Arabia, Sudan, SouthAmerica, the US and the UK. The group em-ploys 2,000 people, almost 95% of themKeralites, and the rest mainly Sri Lankans andNepalese. His keen marketing sense, businessacumen and ingenuity were evident in his 1994takeover of a loss-making bakery, Oriental, inDoha. It was of 40 years’ standing employing400 people and working 24 hours a day. It isnow the biggest of its kind in Qatar.

His wife Jaya (Jayasree Menon) is his con-stant companion and support. Menon has threechildren—two daughters and a son. Anjana andSreeranjini, the daughters, are married to doc-tors. The husband of the elder one now looksafter the group’s steel fabricating unit gettingready in Sudan. Jayakrishnan, the son, had hisengineering education in the UK and is involvedin Menon’s business.

A philanthropist who believes that charity isnot being merciful to the less fortunate, but istheir right, he earmarks 2.5% of the net profit ofhis companies for ‘sakkat’ (help or money givento poor people). He built and handed over 100houses to the slum-dwellers of his birthplaceThrissur some time ago. He has played a majorrole in constructing houses in the ‘LakshamVeedu’ (one lakh houses) Colony at Puthupallyand the M N ‘Laksham Veedu’ restoration projectannounced by the Government of Kerala. Menonis the patron of ‘Adarsh’, a model institution that

C K Menon

Menon receiving the Padma Shri title from PresidentPratibha Patil.

Former Indian President Abdul Kalam honouring C K Menonat the Pravasi Sangamam.

Menon with former Lok Sabha Speaker Somnath Chatterjee.


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21epitomizes compassion and love. Chil-

dren from various religions are study-ing at this charitable venture function-ing at Thrippunithura, Kochi. ‘Adarsh’is dedicated to the rehabilitation ofchildren having symptoms of cere-bral palsy and other motor-sensorychildhood development disorderslike autism, on purely charitablebasis.

That he is a role model forcommunal harmony is evi-

denced by some ofhis deeds.

The moststr ik ingof these

is themasjid hehas builtfor his Mus-lim brethrenat Nocholii nK o z h i k o d ed i s t r i c t ,where 400people can of-fer prayers at atime. It couldvery well be thefirst time after

Cheraman Perumal in the late eighth century that a Hindubeliever was getting a masjid built.

Menon has also erected a life-size statue in memory ofSister Alfonsa, the first Catholic saint from India, at the

new bypass junction in Changanassery. Be-sides he is deeply involved in the establish-ment of the School of Bhagavat Gita atThiruvananthapuram.

Numerous awards and positions havecome his way for his contributions to soci-ety. In 2009 the Government of India be-stowed on him one of the country’s highestcivilian titles, Padma Shri, in recognition ofhis charitable and social activities. In 2006he had won the Pravasi Bharatiya Sammanof the Union Government. He has also anHonorary Membership of Rotarian conferredon him. Menon is a Director of the KeralaGovernment’s expatriates’ welfare associa-tion, NORKA-ROOTS, and a Director of In-frastructure Kerala Ltd (INKEL), set up bythe Kerala Government in 2007 for the devel-opment of infrastructure in the State. The Min-istry of Overseas Indian Affairs has nominatedMenon as a member of the Board of Trust-ees of the India Development Foundation ona directive from Prime Minister ManmohanSingh. The foundation is a non-profitable trustto channelize philanthropic activities by over-seas Indians. He is also a Director of Jai HindTV and Symphony TV in addition to his di-rectorship of a number of educational institu-tions in Kerala and outside. A notable recog-nition is his nomination as Vice-Chairman ofAl Barakah Financial Services Limited, ajoint-venture financial institution formed by theKerala Government with private-sector par-ticipation.

Despite being a ‘world citizen’— he holdsvisas for the UAE, US, UK, Kuwait and Saudi

Arabia, besides Qatar—Menon is es-sentially an out-and-out Keralite,rooted to the state’s soil. Another ofhis projects for the state is a Rs 250-crore five-star hotel, coming up soonat Edappally bypass, Kochi. This re-markable man, perhaps, owns the larg-est chain of companies among Keraliteentrepreneurs.

Apart from these he holds manypositions in public like member of theBoard of Trustees for India Develop-ment Foundation (IDF), governed bythe Ministry of Overseas Indian Affairs;Director of Modern Indian School (aDelhi public school), Doha; Chairman,Bhavan’s Public School, Doha; Direc-tor, Gurukul School, Thiruvananthapuram; Founder Partner, SreeNarayana Educational Trust School,Thrissur; Founder Member, AdiSankara Charitable Trust, Thrissur; Di-rector, Jai Hind Television Channel; andDirector, Symphony TV, Thiruvananthapuram.

Socio-cultural activities: Patron,Thrissur Jilla Souhreda Vedi, Doha,affiliated to the Indian Embassy; Pa-tron, Qatar Malayali Samajam, Doha,affiliated to the Indian Embassy; Pa-tron, Kerala Socio-cultural Associa-tion, Doha; Patron, ‘INCAS’, Doha, af-filiated to the Indian Embassy; LifeMember, Indian Cultural Centre, Doha(under the Indian Embassy); Life Mem-ber, Indian Community BenevolentFund, Doha (under the Indian Em-bassy).

The respect with which theQatari and Indian governmentstreat Menon can be seen fromthe fact that he was the only In-dian from Qatar and one of thetwo Indian entrepreneurs from thewhole of the GCC region (theother being Yusuf Ali M A, Man-aging Director of Abu Dhabi-

headquartered Emke Group) who at-tended the reception hosted by Presi-dent Pratibha Patil in honour of H HThe Emir Sheikh Hamad bin Khalifa al-Thani, H H Sheikha Mozahbint Nasserand a delegation from Qatar when theyvisited New Delhi recently to sign anumber of important agreements be-tween the two countries. In a speechat the function, Menon hailed the ini-tiatives being taken by Qatar and Indiato strengthen their relationships.Menon also felt that the three-day tourof the Qatari leader had given both thecountries an opportunity to understandeach other’s requirements better, andwould identify and explore opportuni-ties in more areas in future. Menon alsohailed the statement of H E Dr Khalidbin Mohamed al-Attiyah, Qatar Minis-ter of State for Foreign Affairs, describ-ing India as a ‘strategic partner’ ofQatar.

The following are Menon’s compa-nies: Behzad Transports, Doha; Ori-ental Bakery, Doha; Behzad Informa-tion Technology; Dubai; Behzad FuelsUK Ltd; United Kingdom; SowparnikaGroup, Kochi; Ali Bin Naser Al MisnadTransport & Trdg W L L, Doha; BehzadInternational Transport Co, Kuwait;Behzad Petroleum Services Est, JubailKSA; Behzad Steel & Engg Ltd,Sudan; Behzad Transport, Kochi; AliBin Naser Al Misnad Steel, Kochi.

-Response Feature

C K Menon has also entered the steelmanufacturing sector. Today he has built his

group into a Rs 4,000-crore-a-yearconglomerate, his commercial involvementstretching from Qatar to the UAE, Kuwait,

Saudi Arabia, Sudan, South America, the USand the UK. The group employs 2,000

people, almost 95% of them Keralites, andthe rest mainly Sri Lankans and Nepalese.

His keen marketing sense, business acumenand ingenuity were evident in his 1994

takeover of a loss-making bakery, Oriental, inDoha. It was of 40 years’ standing employing400 people and working 24 hours a day. It is

now the biggest of its kind in Qatar.

21

Menon receiving the DICID Award from Dr Ibrahim Saleh al Naimi, Chairmanof DICID.

Jayasree Menon

Menon meeting The Emir at a reception hosted by IndianPresident Pratibha Patil in honour of HH The Emir SheikhHamad bin Khalifa al-Thani, HH Sheikha Mozahbint Nasserand their delegation in New Delhi.

Kerala Chief Minister Oommen Chandy presenting a replica of the masjidto Menon.


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Today Al Muftah Rent A Car, the firm Hameed and Usman launchedand which had such a humble and modest beginning,

has grown into one of great reputation in the whole of Qatar. Indeedthey have created one of the most successful businesses of thekind in not just the Gulf states but in the whole world with more

than 2,000 vehicles—cars, buses and others—in their kitty.


K P Abdul Hameed landed in Doha, Qatar, in1967 and within seven days of his arrival secured ajob with Jaidah Motors and Trading as Secretary toits Managing Director until he moved to AhmedHussain Ahmed Khalf Trading Company to work inits Sales Department in 1971. It was at this timethat the idea of starting a business occurred to him.The plan was to launch a business of his own inpartnership with his brother-in-law, A K Usman, whohad arrived in Doha earlier.

It was the car rental business that the duostarted—in 1971. At that time, the very concept ofhiring cars was novel to Qatar. The few cars thatwere seen on the roads were either owned by afflu-ent Qataris or by companies that had a presence inthe country. The first vehicle that they rented outwas a hired one, a Buick.

Today Al Muftah Rent A Car, the firm Hameedand Usman launched and which had such a humbleand modest beginning, has grown into one of greatreputation in the whole of Qatar. Indeed they havecreated one of the most successful businesses ofthe kind in not just the Gulf states but in the wholeworld with more than 2,000 vehicles—luxury cars,passenger cars, buses and others—in their kitty.

Born on June 15, 1938, in the small village ofOchannur, Vadakkekkad, in Thrissur, as the secondson of K P Moidunny Master, a school Headmaster,and Chekkayumma, Hameed graduated from Gov-ernment Victoria College, Palakkad. He worked inthe Kerala Government’s Forest Department from1956 to 1961 and in Lakshadweep from 1961 to 1967.It was after his marriage to Amina, a gold medalistin secondary education from Puthumanassery,Pavaratty, also Thrissur, that he was advised, ratherforced, by Usman, who is his wife’s brother, to tryhis hand at getting a job in the Gulf. Hameed suc-

cumbed to Usman’s coercion and landed in Doha in 1967, after a week’s journeyby ship.

Qatar was then almost a barren land, a typical desert. There were hardly anybuildings in the areas where now stand palatial constructions. Roads were fewand far between, and whatever existed were in very bad condition. However hequickly recovered from that early shock, and picked up the job with Jaidah Motorsand then Ahmed Hussain Ahmed Khalf Trading Company.

Hameed and Usman now guide the fortunes of Al Muftah Services and Rent ACar as its Managing Director and business partner respectively. The companyalso has interests in real estate and auto and building maintenance. It was tomeet the growing demand for office and residential accommodation with the influxof more and more expatriate residents that Al Muftah launched its General Ser-vices and Real Estate Division in 1971.

The Al Muftah Transport Division specializes in goods moving services forhouseholders as well as commercial establishments. The division’s responsi-bility begins with packaging the goods carefully in boxes and special crates,sealing them to ensure safety of the contents in transit and transportingthem to the new location. The division, working virtually round the clock,can do the packing and moving any time convenient for the customersbefore or after working hours and even on holidays.

For people leaving Qatar for good for their home countries, AlMuftah has arrangements with international cargo movers to deliverconsignments overseas. The company also rents out luxurycoaches with different passenger capacities.

With more than 1,000 people working in its variousdivisions, Al Muftah’s HRM style has ensured thatthere are no employer-employee conflicts, with flex-ible working hours, periodic incentives and gifts anda congenial working environment which ensure thatthe staff are committed to the success of the com-pany. The company has won a number of laurels,including the MENA Travels Award for four consecu-tive years from 2006 and the Trade Leaders’ Awardand the International Quality Crown Award, London.It is also the first ISO-certified car rental company inQatar.

Hameed rates his marriage to Amina as a turn-ing point in his life and feels that his success is dueto the support he got from his partner, besides, ofcourse, to the Almighty’s blessings.

The Hameed-Amina couple has two sons. The el-der, Dr Najeeb, is a paediatrician with Hamad MedicalCorporation and is married to Fouzia, a master’s inEconomics and daughter of Hameed’s brother-in-lawand business partner Usman. The second son Fazil,married to Abida, a computer science engineer andgranddaughter of Thangal Kunju Mussaliar, Kollam, as-sists him in his business.

Hameed sees the world getting over the lean days,and Qatar establishing itself as a booming economy inwhich tourism will be a major activity. A car rental com-pany could hardly ask for anything better than that.He is the founder of the M E S Indian School, Doha,founded in 1974. It is the first Indian school in Qatarand the largest expatriate one. Besides, it is also the

May 31-June 30, 2012PASSLINE May 31-June 30, 2012PASSLINE

22

A K Usman

Fazil Hameed

As a Malayalee who has lived for nearlyhalf a century in Qatar, Usman has baggedthe Gulf media’s ACTS Award. He is ac-tively involved in socio-cultural and phil-anthropic activities in the Gulf and is thefounder and Vice-President of the IndianCultural Centre, ICBF Vice-President,MES Vice-President, IES Director, ThrissurSal Sabeel International School Vice-Chairman, Pavaratty Sir Sayyid EnglishMedium School Director, SAFI Directorand Thrissur-based Majlis Qatar ChapterPresident. Usman’s dream project is theInternational Convention Centre and resi-dential villa project in Thrissur. His wife isM T Khadeeja from Elamangalam inMalappuram. Al Rafa Polyclinic Dermatol-ogy MD Dr Fuwad Usman, Al Muftah RentA Car AGM Ziad Usman and Hamad Medi-cal College neurologist Dr K P Najeeb’swife Fouzia Usman are his children.

The vision In line with its vision to expand to the GCC

nations, Al Muftah Rent A Car set up its first branchoutside Qatar in Bahrain in January 2012.

Al Muftah Rent A Car currently operates fromfive branches within Qatar and is set to open twomore branches by the end of the year.

It recently received the 2012 MENA TravelAward for being the Best Local Brand Car RentalCompany.


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first ISO 9001-2008-certified educational institution in the country with 10,000 students, 450teachers and 300 non-teaching staff. The school provides quality education for children of theIndian community in Qatar.

Director of Al Rafa Polyclinic, Doha, Hameed plays an active role in society, including beingPresident of the ICBF, Doha, and Advisory Member of the Indian Cultural Centre and theMalayalee Samajam, Doha, and the Chairman of CIGI, Qatar Chapter etc. He is also associ-ated with several other educational institutions in Thrissur and Kozhikode. Among these standsout the Sal Sabeel Central School at Mundur, Peramangalam, Thrissur, of which he is the

Chairman. The school has produced 100% results for the Plus II ex-ams. Situated on a 12-acre site amidst idyllic and tranquil surround-ings, it is full of greenery and is a veritable Shantiniketan. The plan isto develop it into a residential school and it is targeted at attractingchildren of NRKs.

A founder-member of nearby IES Residential Public School, IESCollege of Engineering and Technology and IES College of Trainingas also of ICA High School and College, Vadakkekkad, Thrissur, heis the Vice-Chairman of Horizon International School in Kozhikode.

Today Al Muftah Rent A Car, the firm Hameed and Usmanlaunched, has become the number one establishment in Qatar andboth live like brothers.

As a Malayalee who has lived for nearly half a century in Qatar,Usman has bagged the Gulf media’s ACTS Award. He is active in

socio-cultural and philanthropic activities inthe Gulf and is the founder and Vice-Presi-dent of the Indian Cultural Centre, ICBF Vice-President, MES Vice-President, IES Director,Thrissur Sal Sabeel International School Vice-Chairman, Pavaratty Sir Sayyid English Medium

School Director, SAFI Director and Thrissur-based Majlis Qatar Chapter President.

The dream project of AK, as Usman is fondlycalled by his numerous friends and associates,

is the international Convention Centre and residen-tial villa project in Thrissur.

Usman’s wife is M T Khadeeja fromElamangalam in Malappuram.

Al Rafa Polyclinic Dermatology MDDr Fuwad Usman, Al Muftah Rent A CarAGM Ziad Usman and Hamad MedicalCollege neurologist Dr K P Najeeb’swife Fouzia Usman are his children.

-Response Feature

Hameed is the founder of the M E S Indian School,Doha, founded in 1974. It is the first Indian schoolin Qatar and the largest expatriate one. Besides, it

is also the first ISO 9001-2008-certified educa-tional institution in the country with 10,000 stu-

dents, 450 teachers and 300 non-teachingstaff. The school provides quality education

for children of the Indian community inQatar. Hameed is the Director of Al RafaPolyclinic, Doha, besides playing anactive role in society, including beingPresident of the ICBF, Doha, and Advi-sory Member of the Indian CulturalCentre and the Malayalee Samajam,Doha, and the Chairman of CIGI,Qatar Chapter etc.

May 31-June 30, 2012PASSLINE May 31-June 30, 2012PASSLINE

23

Fazil Hameed, K P Abdul Hameed and A K Usmanwith the Quality Crown Award 2008, London.

Abdul Hameed with Prime Minister Manmohan Singh

Hameed and Usman receiving France’s 5 Continental Awardfor quality and excellence

Usman receiving the Award for Best Services in the Educational Fieldfrom K P Rajendran

Abdul Hameed with painter M F Hussain

The President of Mauritius giving away the NRI Excellence Award to Hameed

Ziad Usman

K P Abdul Hameed


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The story dates back more than two de-cades. In 1990 T D Ouseph started a venturenamed ‘Emmanuval Sarees’ at Mannampetta, asmall town near Thrissur. The enterprise waslaunched on the principle, ‘The best way to pre-dict the future is to create it.’ For the past 22years it has truly lived up to this ideal. From alittle enterprise in the Thrissur suburb, theEmmanuval Group has now emerged as a giantin Kerala’s textile business sector. It was Ouseph,now no more, and his wife Annie who built thestrong foundation on which Emmanuval hasflourished over the years. After the death ofOuseph, it was managed by the second gen-eration comprising four brothers—-T O Shaju,T O Byju, T O Raju and T O Jiju.

Initially, the enterprise had focused on whole-sale business but today it has full-fledged mas-sive showrooms. The textile giant spreads acrossthree districts in Kerala—Thrissur, Ernakulamand Kottayam—and is planning to open show-rooms at Kozhikode and Thiruvananthapuramsoon. “We are just ordinary people; thereforewe know the needs and tastes of the commonpeople. Our ultimate goal is to provide world-class stuff and service to our clients at afford-able prices. This has been our mission as wellas challenge. By the grace of God we have beenable to accomplish this,” says T O Byju, Manag-ing Partner.

Over the years, as business grew so didthe number of concerns under the group.Currently, it runs six ventures. Emmanuvalhit the headlines recently when its Kochioutlet was inaugurated by Bollywood iconShahrukh Khan. The five-lakh-sq-ft show-room, said to be the biggest in the world,was the major milestone in its history. In-auguration of its Kottayam showroom byTollywood star Allu Arjun too made waves re-cently.

Emmanuval is famous for its dealings withcustomers. This has given it an edge overthe competition. “We believe in the principlethat our clients are the stars. We are obligedto provide first-class service to them. Weemploy experienced human resource profes-sionals to serve our clients and provide de-cent remuneration packages to our staff. Andat Emmanuval there are numerous measuresfor staff welfare,” says Byju.

Emmanuval has on offer a wide and wonder-ful range of apparel collection to satisfy allclasses of people. It has established itself as theleading distributor of world-class brands like Le-vis, Lee, John Noble, Pan America, Zodiac, andPeter England. The finery at the showroom iscategorized into nine sections—Kasavu Club,Men’s Club, Royal Club, Fashion Club, WeddingClub, Celebration Club, Readywear Club, Sea-son Club and Kids’ Club. One can select the out-fits of one’s taste from these sections of seam-less varieties and fashions.

Kasavu Club presents the grandeur of silk ina thousand shades. Each piece of apparel isgently woven with the finest silks in the world,with golden threads one can only marvel at.Men’s Club is an exclusive segment which is thefinest interpretation of manly attitudes.Emmanuval offers a breathtaking collection informal and casual ready-to-wear suiting, shirt-ing, sherwanis, kurtas and anything a man oftaste looks for. Royal Club is a majestic array ofsix-yard wonders from all over India and presentsa beautiful range of sarees. Fashion Club is anepitome of measureless varieties of designerwear and branded wear giving wings to the fash-ion concepts of one and all while CelebrationClub embodies a rich array of embroideredsarees from which you would find the one youalways cherished to possess. When the glitter-

ing bells chime for

that special day, the one and only special occa-sion of your life, visit the Wedding Club to dis-cover the prince and princess in you with thecollection of the finest wedding wear. The ReadyWear Club and Season Club are yet other seg-ments of the shop. The Kids’ Club is a colourfulworld of kidswear—stylish frocks, suites, capris,tops, skirts and shorts where you might eventhink like fashion does more with kidswear thanwith grown-ups.

The growth of Emmanuval has been surpris-ing. It is today giving new dimensions to the fash-ion sense of Keralites. According to Byju, it isthe unity among the brothers that has helped itreach the position it occupies now. “It was ourfather who taught us the power of unity. Withoutunity you will reach nowhere. Our father instilledin us good virtues and taught us not to cheatanyone and not to be cheated by anyone. Hardwork, first-class service, variety collection andaffordable price—together they contribute to ourachievement,” says Byju.

It is not a small deal to manage a business ofsuch magnitude that spreads across the state.It is here that the sheer ability and devotion ofthe Emmanuval brothers come to the fore. Theelder one, Shaju, heads the Purchase Depart-ment while Byju deals with Finance and Public-ity. Raju looks after Staff Welfare and Jiju handles

the Administration Department.


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Byju ShajuJiju Raju

The brothers with their mother and wives and children


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The World Malayalee Council is providing a rare platform for its membersto meet and exchange views and thoughts and thereby foster bonding amongthem. Named ‘Sangamam’, the event will be conducted in the midst of lushgreen tea plantations and hill stations at Kuttikkanam of Idukki district. Thetentative dates fixed for the meet are August 10, 11 and 12 this year.

Unlike other NRI festivals, the Kuttikkanam event will focus more on theentertainment aspect. The organizers hope that it will be a feast for women andchildren. The programmes are designed in such a way as to entertain audi-ences of all age groups. Women can learn and share recipes and cooking tipsduring the cooking session. A yoga session and t’ai chi ch’uan (a Chinesesystem of exercises) by Anna Bella Mazaro will be exciting parts of this familyfest. Shopping in and around hill stations at concessional rates and sightseeingin luxurious cars are other exciting offers for families.

Seminars on timely and relevant topics like housing and investment oppor-tunities will also be held. About 300 families from 20-25 countries are expectedto participate since it is Onam eve.

Accommodation will be arranged in high-class resorts in and aroundPeerumedu and Kuttikkanam areas. The tariff ranges from Rs 1,000 to Rs4,500 per room.

Nalina PoduvalA tale of triumph

Enthusiasm personified. No other expression could better defineMrs Nalina Poduval. A veteran entrepreneur in the travel and tourismdomain, she runs Kerala’s largest tour operating agency—GNS LeisureTravels. It was during the peak time that PASSLINE met her at heroffice. Busy answering telephone calls, dealing with clients and talkingto some personally, Nalina found time to describe her pivotal role in theventure. The half-an-hour chat with her was indeed interesting and inspir-ing.

What does the acronym GNS stand for? We couldn’t help asking her.“The letter ‘G’ stands for Guru, the teacher, ‘N’ for And, and ‘S’ for Sakthi

or strength. It is the knowledge that weacquired from our teachers that makes usable and competent. You will reach nowherewithout a teacher to enlighten you. One vir-tue I deeply believe in is our own strength.We have got immense power within us tofight against problems and come up suc-cessfully. Nurturing our own strength willmake us mightier to face the world,” saysNalina.

It has been 35 years since she enteredthe realm of travel and tourism. At the ten-der age of 16 she stepped into her careerin a tour operating agency in Mumbai. Thepart-time job that she did for about four years

taught her the basic lessons in the service industry. GNS took its birthunder the leadership of Nalina in 2002.

Her experience of more than two decades was her investment andnow her efforts are bearing fruit. “It was my practical knowledge aboutthe field that has made me thrive throughout these years. You ought tobe very familiar with the world around to flourish in this particular sphere.Without firsthand knowledge of the tourist spots you cannot serve yourclients well. Many tour operators today lack the correct idea of the pro-cess involved in setting up a tour package. To be competent in the field,one must have travelling experience, visa experience and place experi-ence; else it will badly affect the service you provide,” says Nalina. Thisclarity in thought and service makes GNS different from other firms.

GNS organizes holiday packages to destinations all over the world,and also operates inbound tours in Kerala. It is also a specialist in incen-tive tours, trade fair tours and conference tours and operates trips to theUK, the US, China, Thailand, Singapore and many other foreign coun-tries along with Indian tours.

Nalina who is the backbone of the endeavour is quite aware of thepossible challenges she has to face. She says: “I have to confront manyproblems in the business. It is sad that Keralites are still ignorant of theproblems of this industry. On many occasions things go out of our con-trol. Sometimes a foreign country may increase its service tax or airporttax. Once the payment is made, people are reluctant to pay the differ-ence. Many hesitate to settle the second-time tax payment. Thus thecompany will be forced to meet the unexpected increase in the tax.”

The success of GNS is largely due to its special features. The toursare professionally managed and GNS provides experienced multilingualprofessional Malayalee tour managers to escort the groups. GNS se-lects the best hotels, best sightseeing and best services for its clients.Buffet breakfast and Indian lunches and dinners are arranged at the fin-est Indian restaurants. Thus it is happy and fear-free trips to the clients’dream places.

It is the personal relationships she maintains with her clients thatmake her a unique entrepreneur. Her passion for what she does makesher incredibly energetic. “It is your responsibility to provide quality ser-vice. If you fail, it will harm the interests of the clients. This is a fieldwhich demands great involvement and sacrifice. Often I have to workround the clock as I have to deal with my clients abroad. I have to answertheir calls and enquiries day and night in addition to our usual work. Youneed to have a lot of patience too. One must be both enthusiastic andanxious to come up in one’s career.” says Nalina.

She has bagged many awards for excellence in the industry. Shereceived the ‘Sancharam Award’ in 2008. In 2007 she was given theRotary International Convention Award for Best Performance in the field.

Born in the small village of Cheruvathur in the north Malabar district ofKasargod, Nalina is presently a member of the World Malayalee Council(WMC) and a former President of its Women’s Forum.

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NRI SangamamKuttikkanam 2012



26

Cheril Krishna Menon, popularly known as C K Menon, arrived in Doha,Qatar, in 1978 in search of a job. He had to leave his native town of Thrissur asthe business he was running, a bus service, had suffered a setback. In Doha hehad neither friends nor acquaintances and managed to get accommodationwith a group of 20 men, all strangers. After a few days he landed a job, “nothingbetter than that of a labourer”. Fate however had willed something better forMenon as, later, he joined Behzad Transports, a company owned by a Paki-stani. In no time Menon earned the confidence of Behzad, after whom thecompany had been named. And when Behzad decided to sell his company heasked Menon if he was interested in buying it. He was of course interested, buthad no money to pay. Behzad consented to being paid in instalments andMenon became the owner of a company which had a fleet of about 500 lorries.

Today the Behzad Group (Menon retained the original name) is a conglom-erate employing more than 4,000 people and having interests in many othersectors besides logistics. A great philanthropist and a wonderful human being,Menon is a highly respected person not only in Qatar but in India too.

Lakhs of ambitious Keralites have moved overseas for decades, some well-educated, some only eager to change their miserable fate at home.

It was in 1965 that A K Usman, also from Thrissur district, came to, again,Qatar. Two years later his brother-in-law K P Abdul Hameed also joined him. In1971 an idea occurred to both—of starting a venture of their own and theylaunched Al Muftah Rent A Car. The beginning was humble and modest buttheir firm has since grown into one of great repute in the whole of Qatar. Indeed

they have created one of the most successful businesses of the kind in not justthe Gulf states but in the whole world, which more than 2,000 vehicles—luxurycars and buses and others.

As a man who has lived in Qatar for about half a century, Usman, fondlyreferred to as ‘AK’ by his numerous friends and acquaintances, recently baggedthe Gulf media’s ACTS Award. He is today actively involved in socio-culturaland philanthropic activities in the Gulf and associated with several Indian asso-ciations there and institutions back home.

Not all of these pioneers are entrepreneurs. There are MBAs, MScs, MComsand BTechs who work in companies, many holding high positions.

These enterprising men and women, who do their native land proud, havebecome or are becoming big in the midst of challenges. They have had to worktremendously hard. But with their ideas for delivering products and servicesthat were previously unavailable and the drive to make them a reality, doorsopened quickly to them.

It is stories like these that inspire people and goad others on to follow them.It is such stories that are printed below. Only a small percentage of expatriateswill likely spend their whole lives abroad. First the locals are learning things.Secondly they are deeply attached to their native state and desire to be backhome—they miss their state and want to do something for it. Many would liketo transfer their skill and knowledge to their home state. They want their chil-dren to grow up in Kerala.

Read on their stories from next page.


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Dr Sebastian Devasiya Asiananda,Professor of Philosophy at InterculturalOpen University, Netherlands, andholder of its ‘Sri Aurobindo Chair for Hu-man Unity’, obtained his PhD fromCalicut University on ‘Indian Writingsin English’ and DrPhil from Ruhr Uni-versity, Bochum, Germany, on ‘US-South Asian Relations1942-1963’. He was Lecturer (1972-92) at a German tech-nical university, Fachhochschule, Bocholt.

Asiananda’s encounter with Rajiv Gandhi in 1988 movedhim to dedicate his life to India’s service: “building up theIndia of our dreams…in a nonviolent and nuclear-free world”.

He moved to New Delhi in 1991. His arrival at the Mumbaiairport on May 21 at 10.30 pm happened to coincide withthe news of Rajiv Gandhi’s assassination. After that hedevoted himself to serious writing: Whither India? WhitherHuman Future?? (1995); Redefining Indian History—on theMillennium Paradigm of Bharatiyata (1999); Nuclear Sub-continent—Calling for a Confederative Remaking of UnitedNations (2000), co-authored with Prof Jan R Hakemulder,Chancellor of the Intercultural Open University (Nether-lands); Healing the Subcontinent—an Indepth Psycho-analysis of Partition and Kashmir, co-authored with Prof VT Patil, the then Vice-Chancellor of Pondicherry University(2002), and A Corrective Reading of Indian History—Jinnah(2005).

DR THOMAS ABRAHAM

Addresses globalIndians’ agenda

While India has a population of over one billion,Greater India (‘GI’ in geographical sense) consistingof People of Indian Origin (PIO) living outside Indianborders has 22 million. India’s GDP (wealth) is $850billion but the total wealth held by the 22 million PIOsin other countries is much more, an estimate puttingit at $1,000 billion. Obviously, this is because thePIO population includes people like Lakshmi Mittal,Lord Swraj Paul etc.

It is to this numerically smaller but richer Greater India that GOPIO,established in 1989 by Dr Thomas Abraham, addresses its agenda of theglobal Indians networking together, and enriching themselves, India andthe world. Today a number of Indian urban centres have GOPIO units.

Two years ago, President Pratibha Patil conferred India’s prestigiousPravasi Award on Dr Thomas Abraham, along with Dr Joy Cherian of theUS. It is Dr Thomas Abraham who perceived the need for creating aglobal network of PIOs first, an initiative comparable with the one of Ma-hatma Gandhi in forming the African Indian Congress for the PIOs ofIndian origin in his time in South Africa. And it is not mere coincidencethat the initial work of GOPIO related to human right violations affectingIndians in Fiji in 1990 and later involved the holding of an internationalconference on human rights in November 2004 in New York.

It is for this historic and visionary initiative that Dr Thomas Abrahamtransforms himself into a parental figure of the Greater India and GreaterIndians.

GOPIO has today units in 19 countries and 25 chapters in variousurban centres. The scope for its further growth is great considering othercountries in which it has still to establish its presence.

After giving the global umbrella of GOPIO to the PIOs, Dr ThomasAbraham provided numerous other avenues for the people of Indian originsuch as Indian American Kerala Cultural and Civic Centre (1993); JagdishBhagwati Chair for Indian Political Economy at Columbia University (1992-2000); National Indian American Association for Senior Citizens (NIAASC)(1998); South Asian Council for Social Services (SACSS) (2000) and TheIndus Nanotechnology Association (TINA) (2007).

Before establishing GOPIO, Dr Thomas Abraham had started the Fed-eration of Indian Association (FIA) of New York, New Jersey and Con-necticut in 1977 and the National Federation of Indian-American Asso-ciations (NFIA) in 1980.

GOPALA PILLAI

Love forsocial service

GEORGE M KAKKANATT

A socio-political leaderA psychotherapist,

practising psychiatry inHouston Metro area,US, Captain GeorgeKakkanatt is the CEO ofGeorgian Health Con-cepts, a healthcare or-ganization providing ser-

vices in different areas in behaviouralhealth. He had also served as a Captainof the United States Air Force.

Hailing from Kallooppara, Tiruvalla, heis an MA (Literature) and MSW and laterenrolled for PhD in Clinical Psychology.

Very active in the socio-political arenain the US, he has organized, conductedand led many activities. A Board-certi-fied Diplomate in Clinical Social Work,he is the World Malayalee Council’s Glo-bal General Secretary and is a formerChairman for Houston Province andChairman of the WMC’s WorldMalayalee Business Directory and Mail.He had also held the position of GlobalVice-President Administration of WMCand of General Secretary, PushpagiriMedical Foundation. Azhchavattom, the

national news weekly of Malayalees inthe US, is brought out under the chiefeditorship of George.

A founder member of the Board of Di-rectors, American Association of IndianSocial Workers (AAISW), a foundingmember and first Regional Secretary,WMC America Region, George is therecipient of several awards and recogni-tions for his outstanding service in thefield of professional and community ac-tivities.

George thinks that Kerala has greatpotential for development, but has inher-ent and intricate hurdles to overcome.He believes that even though Kerala hasgot many strong points like human re-sources, culture and religious harmony,the weak points like laziness, unwilling-ness to change, political interventionsetc hinder its development. People ev-erywhere easily adapt to changes andthat is the core point of development andgrowth.

He resides in Sugar Land with his wifeSally and children Rejoy, Richie andRenji.

DR SEBASTIAN DEVASIYA ASIANANDA

For building up India

The spirit of doing something good for societyis ingrained in Gopala Pillai’s blood. This is not sur-prising because the former World Malayalee Coun-cil (WMC) Global President’s love for social activi-ties started at an early age when he was a school-boy through the All-Kerala Balajana Sakhyam. It isno wonder, again, that he later came to occupy po-sitions that would be the envy of many. Though hesuccessfully manages an own home healthcare agency in Dallas, Texas,in the US, Pillai is associated with a legion of organizations there.

Born and brought up at Thekkemala, Kozhenchery, Pillai graduatedin Economics from Dayal Singh College and in Journalism from BharatiyaVidya Bhavan, both in Delhi. Later he took a degree in Computer Sci-ence from Wayne State, Detroit, Michigan, US.

Gopala Pillai came to the US in 1975. He was in Detroit for five years;in Houston, Texas, for two years; in Sarasota, Florida, for another twoyears; and in Dallas, Texas, for 22 years. Starting his career as a Com-puter Operator in 1975, he became a Junior Programmer in 1978 andworked in all departments—systems design, development, programming,implementation and data warehousing. Pillai had been associated withthe Delhi Malayalee Association while he was in that city, the KeralaAssociation, Detroit, the Houston Malayalee Association, the Kerala As-sociation, Dallas (of which he was President twice), and FOKANA in theearly stages and the WMC in various capacities since its inception.

He is associated with the Dallas Indians’ Lions Club, Board of Trust-ees of India Association of North Texas, which serves 60,000 Indians inthe area, and the Asian American Chamber of Commerce.

Gopala Pillai is keenly interested in Kerala’s growth. “I could seeconsiderable growth in the State politically, socially and economically.The WMC itself has undertaken a project to develop and build a globalvillage in Kerala that will accommodate the needs of non-resident Keraliterepatriates and I would definitely have my stake in it”, he says.

Gopala Pillai, however, says that Kerala has to catch up with therest of the country as it has been left far behind other States. “Our Gov-ernment should give unconditional support to foreign investors and prom-ise them security to stay in business without labour union troubles”, headds. His wife Santha is a registered nurse. Their daughter, Dr Saji, ismarried to Kesavan Nair, a computer consultant from Palakkad. Dr Sanjayis their son.


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ACHAMMA C CHANDERSEKARAN

Not spectator but participantAchamma Chandrasekaran, endearingly called ‘Acamma Teacher’

by all, was a teacher in India before migrating to the US. She reached theUS with a full scholarship to do her undergraduate studies. After takingher BA in English from Barat College, Lake Forest, Illinois, in 1966, shegot a Master’s in Teaching English as a Second Language from the Uni-versity of Illinois. She then went back to college and got an MBA in Fi-nance from Drexel University in 1977.

Achamma worked for the US Department of Communication in sev-eral posts for 24 years and travelled to many countries in the MiddleEast, the Far East, South America and South Africa as an International

Trade Specialist for Education Training Services as one of the best anywhere in the world.She has been active in the Indian American and Asian American communities to impress

upon the members the importance of political involvement in influencing policy decisions byelected officials and working together, not as spectators of, but as participants in, the politi-cal process. As national President of the Indian American Forum for Political Education(Forum) (Link) and National Chair of the Asian American Voters Coalition (AAVC), she madeboth organizations stronger by establishing several State Chapters and by successfully invit-ing the second-generation ethnic organizations to become members of AAVC. While shewas President of the forum, she took the initiative and laid the groundwork to establish amemorial to Mahatma Gandhi in Washington, D C.

Mrs Chandersekaran was co-translator, along with Dr R E Asher, of three novels by VaikomMohammed Basheer for the UNESCO Programme of Representative Works. The book MeGrandad Had an Elephant!, published by the Edinburgh University Press in 1980 and byPenguin India in 1995, was well received in India and elsewhere. It includes two more stories,Pathumma’s Goat and Childhood Friend along with the title story. Mrs Chandersekaran hasa first solo translation project, Daughters of Kerala. The book is the published form of a paperon Women’s Contribution to Malayalam Literature which was presented at the second WorldMalayalam Conference held in Washington, D C in 1985. It discusses the contributions ofthree women writers—Lalithambika Antharjanam, Mary John Thottam and Madhavikkutty.The authors were chosen for their different styles and themes.

DR JOY CHERIAN

Guiding US biz missions to IndiaAmong the numerous eminent Pravasis, the name that one can’t

omit is that of Dr Joy Cherian. He is the man who received the PravasiBharatiya Samman on January 8, 2008 at Vigyan Bhavan in New Delhifrom President Pratibha Patil. The award was for guiding US businessmissions to India and for public service. Later in the year he also gotthe high-profile India Abroad Lifetime Award for Service to the Commu-nity in New York.

Dr Joy is the first Asian American and the first Indian AmericanCommissioner at the United States Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC).He was appointed by President Ronald Regan in 1987 in what was seen as a milestone.After serving his term as Commissioner, he founded and was President of a consulting firm,J Cherian Consultants Inc (JCC), established in September 1993. JCC is a Governmentrelations firm specializing in international trade in services with its focus on corporate activi-ties of insurance companies abroad.

He is a former Director of International Insurance Law at the American Council of LifeInsurers (ACLI), Sub-Cabinet-Level Presidential appointee in the United States Government,Chairman of the Committee on International Insurance Law of the Section of InternationalLaw and Practice, American Bar Association (ABA), founder and President of the AmericanCouncil for Trade in Services (ACTS), a non-profit trade association, and the founder andPresident of the Association of Americans for Civic Responsibility (AACR), a non-profitorganization.

He has five university degrees, including two Master’s in legal studies, and a PhD inInternational Business Law with a minor in Political Science and a collateral concentrationon Asian countries.

Cherian is also the author of a number of published works including two books, a lawmanual and dozens of articles on various topics relating to the international insurance busi-ness. He hails from Kochi.

BIJU JOHN NJONDIMAKAL

Prefers tourism businessGeneral Secretary of the Organiz-

ing Committee as well as General Sec-retary of the Qatar Province of the WorldMalayalee Council, Biju JohnNjondimakal migrated to Qatar in 1992and has been a resident there since.Interested in social activities, careerguidance, public speaking, debatingand literature, the Idamattam (Pala)-born Biju John, an MBA, is presently General Manager, Medi-terranean Shipping Company (Qatar) WLL, Doha. He is Presi-dent, UPAKAR Qatar (Unity of Pala and Kaduthuruthy Resi-dents in Qatar).

Nostalgic about Kerala, normal for any expatriate Keralitewho has been living outside his State for many years, BijuJohn, however, feels “sorry and disappointed about the unful-filled potential of my beloved state.” Kerala, he says, hasgreat potential to be a truly wonderful destination for busi-ness and tourism, provided a paradigm shift takes place inthe people’s attitude. “Why are we Keralites so negative aboutanything and everything? I wonder if I have already startedworrying about my retired life in Kerala, when I come acrossthe many happenings there,” he says.

Is he ready to come back and start a venture in Kerala?“Yes, my preferred area will be the tourism sector. We needto bring in more professionalism into our business venturesin Kerala,” Biju John says.

What, according to him, are the strengths and weaknessesof Kerala? Says Biju John: “An educated working class readyto work hard anywhere outside Kerala is our strength, thenatural beauty of our land is our strength. Our attitude toproblems is our weakness: critical mentality, unwillingnessto accept changes, pessimistic views and lack of initiative.”

Biju John says the quality of life in Qatar is much superiorto that in Kerala. The Government promotes business and iskeen to make maximum use of the available natural re-sources. The progress achieved by Qatar in the last 10 yearsis much greater than the world average. The country benefitsfrom the vision of its rulers. “I feel sorry for Kerala. We sufferin Kerala because of the lack of a long-term vision by ourleaders. We do not value our blessings, remain inactive andcriticize everything.”

Caroline is his wife. They have two children, Emil andElaine

KARIPPUR NANDA KUMARBureaucrat in Singapore

A core industry researcher, Dr KarippurNanda Kumar involves himself actively withthe World Malayalee Council’s activities.He was General Convener of the SixthWMC Global Conference held in Singaporein 2008. As a senior executive in the pub-lic sector in Singapore, he works closelywith Singapore’s research institutes, uni-

versities, industrial players and industrial associations.Dr Kumar strongly believes in the culture of creating self-

help groups for the development of society and industry. Inhis official capacity he was involved in the formation of twoassociations in Singapore called Broadband Media Asso-ciation, an association of broadband media companies andInternet access providers, and Association of InformationSecurity Professionals, an association of professionals prac-tising in IT security.

Dr Kumar graduated from the elite Indian Institute of Tech-nology Delhi with a Master’s and a PhD in computing. Hehas more than two decades of experience in R&D, softwaredevelopment, project management, IT training and industrydevelopment. He was the Vice-President of the OrganizingCommittee of the first-ever Asia Pacific Malayalee Confer-ence in Singapore in 2004 and has been associated withWMC for more than a decade now, having once held thepost of Regional President of the council (Asia Pacific andAustralia Region).

Dr Kumar is married to Usha, an accounting professional.They have two children.

JERRY ANTHONY

A HUD Urban Scholar in USJerry Anthony is an Associate Professor in the Department of Urban

and Regional Planning at the University of Iowa, US, a Carnegie Class Iresearch university. With a PhD in Urban and Regional Planning fromFlorida State University, US, a Master’s in Town Planning from the Schoolof Planning and Architecture, Delhi, and a bachelor’s degree in Architec-ture from the Government College of Engineering, Thiruvananthapuram,Prof Anthony was named a HUD Urban Scholar by the National Re-search Council of the US in 2001. He came to the US in 1996 and liveswith his wife and two children—both boys—in Iowa City, Iowa.


29BINU MALAYIL THARIAN THOMAS

Keen on ICT in Rwanda

M V P BABU

Kerala suitable forinvestment

M V P Babu of Irinjalakuda in Thrissur districtreached Bahrain in 1977. Babu was honest, sincereand ready to work under any conditions—the recipe,perhaps, for his enviable success. “Today’s Bahrainhas no resemblance to what it was then. It was liter-ally a desert. There was only one high-rise building,the Hilton Hotel”, says Babu. “I left home with anoffer of a secretarial job but when I reached here Iwas appointed in a construction company. The prom-ised salary was 200 Bahrain dinars. But I got only 50

BDs. There was no drinking water. We were using salt water for every-thing. Humidity was at its peak during those days and there were no air-conditioners. My first appointment was as a supervisor at a constructionsite, for which I was totally unfit”, he reminisces.

“In 1978, I joined another company, which was engaged in cleaningand maintenance for which the Gulf countries had a penchant. Our bosswas a foreigner and the Managing Director a Bahraini, Fahad HassanTharradah. Incidentally, he (Fahad) is the Director of my present com-pany, Star Cleaning and Maintenance Services”, says Babu.

Babu soon learnt all the intricacies of the business. But the companywas not sailing smoothly. “We had a drastic financial crunch. Our initialcapital was a paltry 2,000 BDs. The hardships we faced those dayswere indescribable. My director quit and I alone had to manage the com-pany for more than a year”.

“But slowly we flourished”, remembers a beaming Babu. “We addedinterior decoration, landscaping, pest control etc to our services”.

The company now has three apartments which it took on lease andlets them on daily and monthly rental basis. According to Babu, apart-ment and villa rental business is lucrative in Bahrain since the country isa tourist destination having few restrictions.

The Star Group of Companies now provides employment for 600 people,75% of whom are Malayalees. It has also forayed into human resourceoutsourcing. Its major clients include Citibank, Gulf Air and AmericanExpress. The group’s HR division scrutinizes the CVs of candidates andsubmits the list to companies. The group does not charge anything fromcandidates for its service. A service charge is collected from the compa-nies.

Unlike other NRI businessmen, Babu is positive about investment inKerala. He is waiting for the right time.

His wife Shyla is from Thrissur. The couple have two children, Sherinand Shana.

JOHNSON JOSEPH MANJOORAN

Tickling Arab taste budsJohnson Joseph Manjooran’s Rainbow Catering

LLC in Sharjah is unique. It caters for Arab tastes, thatis, Arab weddings. No room service, no 24-hour frontdesk—just catering, tailored mainly to a particular class.But his business is billed as one of the hospitalityindustry’s hottest properties.

Arab marriages are unique, with plenty of colourand music accompanying them. They are traditional

and performed in temporarily built air-conditioned halls. Peculiarly, Arab wed-dings are attended only by women.

It is Johnson who literally is the main organizer of the function, buildingair-conditioned tents, furnished with carpets, providing everything else, in-cluding catering, under one of the most popular brand names in the Arabworld.

Rainbow Catering is the only Indian firm doing this business in the UAE.Johnson, who hails from the famous Manjooran family of Njarackal, near

Kochi, came to Sharjah in 1975 after getting a year’s experience in the hotelindustry in Mumbai. He worked in Sharjah for three years. In 1978, he startedRainbow Steak House, along with a Keralite partner. In 1991, they partedcompany and Johnson launched his own venture with the same name.

Johnson’s success in the field enabled him to launch three more venturesin Sharjah—The Grand Buffet, Rainbow Catering and Camah Vegetarian Res-taurant. He also started two ventures in Abu Dhabi—Al Fanan Mills andTraining LLC and Al Fanan Foodstuff and Training LLC.

Al Fanan imports Basmati rice from India and Pakistan for local sale.Johnson is ably supported by his wife Sobha and two daughters, Maya

and Deep.

JOSEPH MELOOKARANMentor of Asian Americans

Joseph Melookaran is a member of PresidentsCommission of Asian Americans and Pacific Island-ers. Besides he is President of JMA Chartered, a pro-fessional services firm specializing in information tech-nology, financial services and healthcare solutions. Hehas served the IRC Board several terms since 1993.

He has also served as Chairman of the Asian Ameri-can Chamber of Commerce of Kansas City, Trustee of

India Association of Kansas City and a Commissioner with White HouseInitiative on Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders.

Melookaran hails from Koratty, and before migrating to the US had foundedthe Peninsular Capital Company of Kochi.

BinuMalayil TharianThomas is running part ofa business established inUganda, East Africa, byhis uncle P K Kuruvilla,who started his careerthere way back in 1953.Kuruvilla forayed into thetravel and tourism and in-

surance sectors in Uganda and in 1991launched Computer Point Ltd. So when Binu,belonging to the Malayil family of Punnackadu,Kozhenchery, in Pathanamthitta district, com-pleted his BA History course from St ThomasCollege, Kozhenchery, and later took a Di-ploma in Computer Management and anotherin Hotel Management, his obvious destinationwas Uganda. Arriving there in 1995, Binustarted his career with Computer Point.

After he spent five years in different posi-tions in that country the management decidedto open a unit in the neighbouring Rwanda,Central Africa. With his experience and the

guidance he received from the management, Binuwas given the full rights to run the company. Thusin 2001, it started operations with a staff of just five.

Today Computer Point has turned into a top-class firm with a lot of expertise (there are expatri-ate and local experts on the staff) and businesspartnerships with world-class companies like HP,Microsoft, Avaya and APC. Computer Point con-centrates on ICT (information, communication andtechnology) development. It is poised to achievethe 2020 vision for Rwanda with manpower of 28fulltime employees and more than 20 casuallabourers.

Though most of his time is taken up for develop-ing business, Binu is part of the World MalayaleeCouncil having once been Vice-President, PublicRelations-Africa Region. He is also associated withthe Rwanda Information Technology Authority (RITA)for developing ICT requirements and achievingRwanda’s Vision 2020. RITA is now working on es-tablishing an ICT park, the first of its kind in Eastand Central Africa, which would provide a platformfor facilities and services to develop ICT firms, aimed

at making Rwanda a middle-income country by2020.

While agreeing that momentous developmentsare taking place in India with multinational compa-nies wanting to establish their presence, Binu saysthat when it comes to Kerala things are a bit dis-couraging. There are major threats to development.Retirement age should be fixed for politiciansas in the case of civil servants and young and en-thusiastic people found to lead the State. Only thiswill ensure its development. We should also electthe right people irrespective of their caste/religion.And they should be people with vision and ideas.

“I am sure one day I will establish some busi-ness in Kerala as it is our state and we must dosomething for it”, says Binu.; “As of today my planis to concentrate on what I am doing with my busi-ness partners in this part of the world. We haveestablished an ICT exporting company in Dubai tar-geting Africa and we have plans to develop it fur-ther. The group also intends to take up more chal-lenges and establish links in Europe and Asia”, hesays.

Mary Elizabeth, Binu’s wife, is working. Theirfirst-born, Cyril Malayil Tom, is a student. The sec-ond child is Cerine Mellissa.


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I t may be paradoxical thatRamachandran Vallathkunnummal whobelongs to an ancient agricultural fam-ily of Vadakara, Kozhikode, strayed intobusiness. Running a freight forwardingand construction company in Riyadh,Saudi Arabia, with offices in Dammam,

Jeddah and Dubai, Ramachandran has three brothers and onesister, all doing different businesses.

Ramachandran already had some business backgroundwhen he arrived in Riyadh in 1977. His Commerce degreealso perhaps aided him in starting the business, which, hesays, is going on smoothly with a group of dedicated,hardworking workforce from different parts of the world. Heand his family back home have some trading business (marble,wholesale and retail, and a dairy farm) at Vadakara. In early2008, they started an IT firm, Globees dot Com, in Bangalorewith a branch office in Kochi.

“In my opinion, Kerala is a blessed land for new entrepre-neurs with tremendous opportunities and quality human re-sources. Unnecessary interruptions of work at business estab-lishments by trade unions with strikes, hartals etc should becontrolled. Road infrastructure should be developed, which inturn would save valuable time and cost relocation. An equallyimportant thing is that uninterrupted supply of electricity shouldbe ensured”, Ramachandran says about Kerala’s poor show inthe industrial field. The Left Democratic Front, he says, shoulddrop the traditional detest of new technology and development.

“All NRIs are keen to invest in their homeland. But theGovernment and the departments concerned should create apleasant atmosphere with a liberal approach to attract invest-ments with minimum red tape (legal formalities) and maxi-mum cooperation”, he says.

Ramachandran has a plan to invest in the tourism andhospitality industries in Kerala “if the climate permits”.

Mrs Girija Ramachandran is a homemaker. Their eldest sonRagin is a BTech. Nikle is the second child and Kevin the third.

Thomas Jacob has joined IFRA asDeputy CEO and Managing Director incharge of the Greater Asia-Pacific Region.He will be based in Singapore.

He is an MBA with high honour fromthe University of Chicago, GraduateSchool of Business. As a summa cumlaude, he was inducted into Beta GammaSigma, the US-based honour society for

management. He is a trained engineer in electronics and tele-communications, having graduated with distinction from theKarnataka Regional Engineering College. He also underwentadvanced studies in computer networking at ICIS, Singapore.

The new MD, an industry veteran, has been active in theAsian media scene for over 24 years. Prior to joining IFRA, heworked for Associated Newspapers Limited, publisher active inthe Asian media scene of Daily Mail and Metro in the UK. As theInternational Development Director, he conceptualized a com-pact midmarket newspaper for India and initiated a JV with theIndia Today Group to launch the new newspaper, Mail Today.

Jacob is not new to the IFRA world either. Before joiningANL, he established IFRA’s presence in Asia where he set upthe two subsidiaries, IFRA Asia and IFRA India. He startedthe Chinese edition of IFRA’s former newspaper techniques,brought out the Asian Newspaper Directory and successfullylaunched the Publish Asia conference Expo and the AsianMedia Awards events during his previous tenure with IFRA.

Born and brought up in Kochi, Thomas Jacob is the son ofProf K C Jacob, the former Professor of Economics at SacredHeart College, Kochi. He now lives in Singapore with his wifeand two children. An avid golfer, he also enjoys sweating outat the badminton court. However, on longer breaks, he saysthat he would rather spend his time enjoying nature at thenational parks and forests.

It so happens that some job-seekers in the United States turnentrepreneurs and random entrepreneurs turn job-seekers. Only a smallpercentage of expatriates have found themselves excelling in both en-trepreneurship and professional careers. Vinson Xavier Palathingal be-longs to the latter category. Armed with a BTech degree in Civil Engi-neering from the University of Calicut, Vinson went to the US in 1992and took his MS in Civil Engineering from the University of Nevada

there. His rise to the position that he occupies today has been meteoric.Vinson carried with him to the US the immense experience he gained back home at

KITCO Ltd, Kochi, where he worked as Project Engineer and Consultant from 1989 to 1992.In 1995, Vinson joined Maryland State Highway Administration, Frederick, as Civil Engi-

neer (Inspections). There he provided engineering inspection services on various interstatehighway construction projects and was involved in job scheduling.

While working as IT Analyst/Programmer at the Metro Washington Council of Govern-ments (COG) in Washington DC, Vinson played a key role in a team that redesigned,developed, implemented and fine-tuned COG’s existing water quality and waste water data-bases into a relational Oracle database, an environmental data depository for the DC Metroregion.

It was his stint at FannieMae, a Fortune 500 company, as Business Systems Technolo-gist that perhaps paved the way, some time later, for his launching in 1998 of his ownAmaram Technology Corporation at Falls Church. At FannieMae he provided software de-velopment, testing and test automation services. In 2000, he played a key role in a testingeffort, one of the most extensive in corporate US.

As a highly successful and result-oriented entrepreneur, Vinson has been heading theoperations since 1999 of Amaram as President and CEO. The firm provides systems de-sign, embedded systems and socket programming, Web/software development, softwaretesting, test automation, quality assurance, data warehousing, data analysis and database management consulting to major corporations in the Washington DC Metro area. Itsmajor clients include FreddieMac, FannieMae, the Department of Labour, MCI Worldcomand Manugistics. Amaram has a back office at Kadavanthra in Kochi.

Vinson was Secretary of the Kerala Association of Greater Washington (KAGW).Asha is his wife. Xavier and Stephen are their children.

For KattikulamBharathan, France,nay, its capital Paris,is home from home.He frequents theworld’s fashion city sooften that it has be-

come part of his psyche.When Bharathan, son of Purathissery

(Irinjalakuda) Kattikulam Kumaran andKalyani, ventured into business more thanfour decades ago the going was not smooth.He never went to a business school. Nordid he have any college education. He hadnothing, really, except the will and desire tobuild something that he could call his own.

Thus was born ‘Kumar Diffusion’, theoutlet for Bharathan’s legendary drive (‘dif-fusion’ in French means ‘distribution’).Named after his father and situated in theheart of Paris, the showroom displays andsells the garments that French, Italian andGerman professionals design for Bharathan.

In the modern, palatial house Bharathanhas built at Kizhuthani, an Irinjalakuda sub-urb, you feel the presence of clothes de-signed in Europe and manufactured entirelyin North India. Why North India, not Kerala?“These cannot be made in Kerala, especiallythe printing is difficult. Cost also is very highin our State. Moreover fashion stuff cannotbe delayed. They have to be in Paris within60 days of receipt of orders. And delivery inKerala is not prompt”, he says. He has hisdistribution outlet too, supplying goods to

others and arranging exhibitions in France.Bharathan came to Paris in 1972. Kumar

Diffusion was the first and exclusive show-room that imported readymade dresses,especially womenswear, from India.

An active worker of the Sree Narayanamovements, he is an ardent follower of theGuru’s teachings, spreading them as andwhen the opportunity arrives. No wonder hewas the instant choice for the award insti-tuted by the Sree Narayana World Council,New York, for services rendered in the field.He also manages the Karalam VocationalHigher Secondary School, near Irinjalakuda,which was earlier not functioning well. Nowit has more than 1,000 students and offerscourses in various trades.

Bharathan laments the erosion of valuesin Kerala society. Even teachers and doc-tors have no commitment to serve the com-munity, he says. Despite all these short-comings he admits that Kerala is a betterplace to live in, the most beautiful on earth.

Bharathan is also associated with theactivities of the Unnayi Warrier SmarakaKalanilayam, Irinjalakuda, and is connectedwith a host of other organizations includingthe Malayala Manorama Balajana Sakhyamof which he was Convener of the MadhyaMekhala Sahakari Forum. Besides, he wasState President of the All-Kerala AidedSchools Management Association.

His family consists, besides wife Sudha,of daughters Linta and Lucky and son Lal.

KATTIKULAM BHARATHAN

Makes Paris wear in IndiaRAMACHANDRAN V K

‘NRIs keen to invest in Kerala’

THOMAS JACOB

Active in Asian media sectorVINSON XAVIER PALATHINGAL

Excels as entrepreneurand professional


31

Being a BSc (Biology) graduate and having a Business Man-agement Diploma, Antony Panakkal, who hails from Cherthala inAlappuzha district, migrated to Switzerland in 1981 and took a SwissFederal Diploma in Marketing Management. He is a member andexecutive committee member of the Swiss Marketing Club and ex-ecutive member of the Merchants Association, Giubiasco.

He became Export Key Account Manager of Chocolat BernrainAG/Chocolat Stella SA in Switzerland, his job involving the looking after of the exportmarketing of chocolate products in the UK, the US, Canada and Australia, plus keycustomers in other countries, eg India, Japan, Saudi Arabia and the Gulf.

Antony would only be happy to participate in Kerala’s development and has no doubtabout the potential for the State’s growth. But growth is “subject to a stable and dynamicgovernment”, he says. He wants the present Government to look into issues of economicprogress setting aside political gains. His future plans include business developmentback home in India. He appreciates the work carried on by the World Malayalee Council.Cicily, his wife, is a staff nurse specialized in oncology. Of his three children, Arun is abiotechnologist and Anupa a law graduate. Ajay is the third.

The Pillay Group of Hotels and Res-taurants owns four hotels and two restau-rants in Australia, where Raymond Pillay,the group’s Managing Director, camein 1990. Today his is one of the leadingbusiness houses among Keralites in thatcountry.

Pillai, who hails from Changanasseryand has a Hotel Management degree, and his wife Shyla,who is a partner in the business and is also ‘well equipped’for the profession, assert that their business is running verywell. Pillay is a Member of Commerce of HawkesburgSydney and several other organizations.

“I am greatly interested in Kerala’s progress but nothingworks out either from banks or the sellers. The latter over-price their products and I can’t make up my mind. I havebeen trying to buy something for the last six years”, saysPillay to a question whether he is interested in investing inKerala.

”I already have some investments in the state and inMumbai (worth about Rs 3.5 crore), but would like to expandthis”, he adds. ”I am looking for the right move on any busi-ness, preferably hotels, as, you see, that is my profession”.

Kerala, according to Pillay, is not poised for growth.Growth should have happened much earlier. However, he feelsthat the new generation has a positive attitude to problemsof development and growth.

Says Pillay: “My future plans include the opening of ahotel in Kerala and expansion of my business in Australia”.

Polly MathewArampankudy, Chair-man of SomatheeramAyurvedic Beach Re-sorts near Kovalam inThiruvananthapuram,has created the raremix of health, businessand care for the envi-ronment.

A businessman to the core, PollyMathew took upon the daunting task oferecting a resort of world-class standardsat the little-known place with hardly any sup-port from others.

Even before the Government explored thetourism possibility of such ventures, he es-tablished a resort that would ‘’restore natu-ral body and mind rhythms.’’ Polly’s straight-forward, sociable ways and shrewd businesshead raised it to prosperity, respect and in-ternational acclaim.

How did he embark on such an adven-ture? While life was progressing as a suc-cessful supermarketer in Germany, hechanced upon an advertisement by a SriLankan firm claiming magical cures throughayurveda. It made him think about the sce-nario where others were exploiting our in-digenous medicinal system for want ofproper publicity and information.

So he decided to journey back to the oldways and principles: to the indigenous so-lutions and the rejuvenating therapy whichthrived here long ago. It was not an attemptto fuse the old with the new but doing thingsprecisely the same way it has been donefor several centuries.

Soon he started sending patients toKerala on a regular basis. As the numbersbegan to swell, the system prevalent inKerala during that period showed its inher-ent flaws. The doctors and the infrastruc-ture were not equipped to cater to Europeantaste and refinement, many European cli-ents openly showing their displeasure whichtranslated to heavy financial loss.

This forced him to have a fresh look at

his approach and business strategy, whichfinally culminated in the establishment ofSomatheeram in 1990. He packagedayurvedic therapy by blending the essen-tials favoured by Europeans like beach andavenues for relaxation, including yoga anda calm and quiet locale in addition to tradi-tional setting by keeping brick and mortarstructures to a bare minimum. They werepresented with a truly invigorating and in-toxicating adventure, which was lapped upwholeheartedly and he began to reap therewards of his unconventional approach.

The resort now boasts a super-deluxegranite bungalow (Sidhartha), four deluxe tra-ditional Kerala houses (Illam, Mana,Arappura and Tharavadu), ordinary traditionalKerala houses (Nalukettu) and several cot-tages catering to budget tourists.

But, even the large-scale demand did notalienate him from the taste of European tour-ists. Wherever possible, he used woodenstructures. Every single cottage or suite onthe premises of Somatheeram has a uniquelegacy behind it. Most of them are carefulreconstructions of traditional homes ofKerala.

By employing the guardians of ayurveda(Paramparya Vaidyars) and ayurvedic doc-tors alike, he created a truly internationalresort.

By consistently fostering close, long-term relationships with clients, his businesscontinues to succeed and grow. The corecompetence and competitive advantage ofSomatheeram span several continents, find-ing thousands of takers.

To cater to the wide taste he launchedanother ayurvedic-beach combination,‘Manaltheeram,’ close to Somatheeram,some time ago. And to showcase ayurvedato the world, Somatheeram has brought acomprehensive CD on the system, the firstin India.

The State Government has recognizedthe efforts of this resort towards propagat-ing and preserving ayurveda and presentedit with the Kerala State Tourism Award.

POLLY MATHEW

Exploiting indigenousmedicinal system

ANTONY PANAKKAL

No doubt aboutKerala’s potential

GEORGE ABRAHAM

Promoter ofcross-border trade

Chairman and Managing Directorof G A Group Pvt Ltd, which organizescountry-focused seminars, confer-ences and publications, and GlobalIndian Business Network Ltd, whichassists cross-border trade and invest-ment within Singapore, India and other

regions, Abraham serves on various Government, civic andcommunity organizations and launched the Global IndianSummit in 2006. Born and brought up in Singapore, GeorgeAbraham has served in various capacities with the SingaporeIndian Chamber of Commerce and Industry, the SingaporeFederation of Chambers of Commerce and the ASEANChambers of Commerce and Industry.

As the Regional Representative and Adviser of the Fed-eration of Indian Chambers of Commerce and Industry(FICCI), the apex private sector body in India with over 500regional chambers and more than 2,50,000 of the largestIndian corporate companies as members, he has promotedFICCI’s interests in Singapore and the region. As the repre-sentative of the Georgian Chamber of Commerce and In-dustry, Georgia, he was responsible for the developmentand intensification of economic and trade relations betweenGeorgia, Singapore and the region. He is also Charter Mem-ber, Director and Company Secretary of Indus Entrepre-neurs Limited, Singapore, an organization for effective net-working and mentoring of budding entrepreneurs linked tothe parent body in TiE in Silicon Valley, US. Abraham baggedthe GOPIO Award 2007 for rendering public service to theIndian diaspora. His wife is Grace, a medical practitioner,and they have four children. Of them Anne Marie is a BA inJournalism from Manash University, Ajit is working forSingapore Airlines, Aimee has completed a course in Glo-balization Studies at Gettysburg College, US, and Ajay hascompleted a Business Administration course fromSingapore Polytechnic. Abraham’s father hails fromKozhenchery.

RAYMOND PILLAY

Professionalin hospitality


32

VADAKKE ANAVANGOT GOPINATH‘Workmanship in Keralanot up to the mark’

SAJITH SVIHAR SUKUMARAN

In Russia withlove of Kerala

Migration of Keralites to the Rus-sian Federation has not been as largeas, say, to the Gulf countries. But SajithSvihar Sukumaran of Alappuzha wentthere in 1989 after the completion of hisMBA degree. A member of the IndianBusiness Alliance and All MoscowMalayalee Association there,

Sukumaran is in logistics and trading. Unlike many otherexpatriates, Sukumaran really wishes to go back to Keralaand start a venture of his own there. “I’m really looking for-ward to return and settle there,” he says.

“I consider Kerala as God’s Own Country. We Malayaleesshould contribute to the development of our State in everyfield to make it really God’s own,” he adds.

“Literacy, education, healthcare and the hardworking na-ture of the people are our strengths. Overinvolvement in poli-tics, enthusiasm to conduct strikes and hartals etc withoutthinking of the national loss, inconvenience and consequencesare our weaknesses,” he says.

In Russia, Sukumaran points out, even a city can be builtwithout unnecessary involvement of politicians and the pub-lic. “In Kerala, to acquire a few inches of land for road devel-opment takes years and still remains uncertain”.

Sukumaran’s wife Praseena, who hails from Thripunithura.Son is Sidharth.

As a token of its appreciation for the wonderful work he didin 1994 in evacuating Indian nationals during the 1994 Rwandangenocide, the Government of India appointed Vinod TharamalHonorary Consul-General of India in that country. He has beenin the South African country for the past 35 years.

Vinod, who hails from Vatakara, is an unusual man havingcombined a full-time job, social work and a business of hisown. He was General Manager of Sulfo Rwanda Industries, the

third largest industry in the country, from where he retired four years ago.He continues to live in Kigali, Rwanda, as Honorary Consul-General. He is the

founder member of Enfants de Dieu (‘God’s children’), a charitable institution, startedin 2002, taking care of street children. He owns a business house in Mumbai namedTharamal Exports Private Limited.

Besides these activities, Vinod is also the Legal Representative of the AsianAssociation of Rwanda and a Presidential Economic Advisory Council member.

After finishing his graduation Vinod was employed in a financial institution inTamil Nadu from 1972 to 1975 and left for Rwanda where he got a job in SulfoRwanda. His future plan is to continue to live in Kigali “to support some socio-economic projects of the Rwandan Government, especially in the fields of health,education and poverty eradication”. He has also created a ladies association therethrough which he thinks he can introduce Kerala’s Kudumbasree-like projects.

“Personally I don’t see any future for Kerala; I am sorry to say this. The reason,as you know, is the State’s politics. Take the cases of the Vallarpadam and SmartCity projects and the self-financing college admissions issue. All that our politi-cians want is to cling to power. No one is bothered about the future generation”, helaments.

Preetha, his wife, who is not employed, stays back in India. They have twochildren, daughter Neha and son Vishnu.

BOBAN IDICULA OONNI IDICULA

Self-made, enterprisingBoban Idicula

Oonni Idicula’s is arags-to-riches story.His father, who was agold merchant and aTiruvalla municipalcouncillor, died whenhe was just 10

months old. The family lost everything andBoban’s mother had a harrowing time bring-ing up her seven children—five girls and twoboys. She however toiled hard. With greatdifficulty Boban completed his SSLC course.

He pursued an air-conditioning engineer-ing diploma course later, at the same timestudying accountancy, typewriting and telexand telephone operation. After he completedthe air-conditioning course, he went toMumbai and worked in different companiestill 1981.

His fortune took a favourable tide withhis arrival in Bahrain in June 1981. He joinedGeneral Air-condition as Site Supervisor andslowly started getting promoted. He becameGeneral Manager of the company later.

For a long time he was Liaison Repre-sentative of the Indo-Arab Chamber of Com-merce and Industries from Mumbai toBahrain and was Vice-President of the In-dian Worldwide Chamber of Commerce,which is a World Malayalee Council wing,located in Chennai.

Through these and his contacts, Bobanhad helped a lot of Indian companies tocome into Bahrain to set up branches there.He was also a committee member of theBahrain Keraleeya Samajam during 1991-93 and 1995-96, Vice-President of St Pe-ters Church twice and committee member

for three times. He occupied the position ofHonorary Secretary of the Indian Fine ArtsSociety, Bahrain, for three years and thenwas its Vice-President.

Involved in charitable activities, Boban isa respected Indian among the locals andknows several leaders there. He was theVice-President and Chief Coordinator for theCharity Fair 2002 conducted under the ban-ner of the Ministry of Labour and Social Af-fairs, which was a grand success. The showcollected 46,000 Bahrain dinars for needyPalestinians.

He was also instrumental in bringing intoBahrain a centre of the Kerala Institute ofMedical Science (KIMS) Hospital, a 500-bedded hospital in Thiruvananthapuram with300 doctors and paramedical staff. The KIMSunit is functioning in Bahrain now.

Boban is associated with Access Inter-national (civil, electrical and mechanical con-tractors), Access Tech Division (latex work,duct fabrication and winding works), FranceAluminium (aluminium fabricators), the KIMSBahrain Centre, Hilton Garage and MTMMarketing and Management Consultants.

Though he is doing well in Bahrain, he isinterested in developing Kerala. But he feelsthat the state lacks the leadership whichcan make its people work for the country.“To make Kerala globally competitive, wemust try to stop the almost-daily hartals andstrikes. We also have the unusual practiceof changing governments every five years,so there is no continuity”, he says.

Born in 1954 at Kavumbhagam, nearTiruvalla, Boban is married to Joanita of Goa,a housewife. Brenda is their daughter andJason son.

VINOD THARAMAL

Stress on Rwandan growth

Mathai Jacob, who is doing businessin Nigeria, is a native of Kundara. An MALL B with a DAM, he is a member of thetrade organization there. At present he hasno business ventures in Kerala. “I am yetto decide on whether to start one,” hesays.

His opinion about Keralites: educatedbut not humble. But he says the atate has scope for tourism,though it is not good for business. “Other states are better forstarting business.” His wife is a full-time social worker andworks for the less privileged. They have two children, a daugh-ter and a son.

Vadakke Anavangot Gopinath, a1984-batch Commerce graduate fromCalicut University, began his career in thesame year in Mumbai. In 1991he migrated to Muscat and in 1997 shiftedto Qatar.

Gopinath considers his home coun-try as ‘my blood’ and ‘being an insurance

professional would love to be back there if an opportunityarises’. He thinks that there is ‘too much freedom of speech’in our country. “Real workmanship, however, is not up to themark and that stands in the way of Kerala’s growth”, hesays. Comparing Kerala with other countries is not easy,he says. “There are problems in business and industry be-cause of the involvement of trade unions. I am against toomany demands by workers for benefits. What Kerala shoulddo is to create a congenial atmosphere for industrial growthso that we can build a better Kerala and a better tomorrow.”Sincerity and hard work will decide our destiny, he says.Gopinath’s wife Jothi is a homemaker. Amrutha is theirdaughter and Abhishek son.

MATHAI JACOB

‘Other states betterfor business’


33

Moosafi Muzamil, MBA, who hails from Kannur,is a businessman in Doha, Qatar. Closely associatedwith the India Cultural Centre under the aegis of theIndian Embassy in Qatar, he is a member of ICBF inQatar and the Lions Club. He has functioned in differ-ent roles as President, General Secretary, Chief Coor-dinator, Treasurer and Cultural Secretary etc in affili-ated organizations in India and Qatar.

Moosafi’s is a partnership business. He has someinvestment in India and is also Director of Gem International School.

‘God’s own Kerala’, he says, should be developed better than otherStates. Small-time politicians’ influence in Government affairs should beended, labour rules modified, labour unions’ militancy curbed, unwantedstrikes and bandhs eliminated and severe punishment meted out to perpe-trators of trouble on all fronts—these are the ‘medicines’ Moosafi prescribesfor the State’s ills.

“Honestly speaking, none of the NRIs are interested in coming forwardto invest in a new project in our State for various reasons, like Governmentpolicies that discourage investment and failure to provide facilities and infra-structure, delay in approvals, labour rules etc,” he says.

According to him, Kerala’s strength is its literacy and its weaknessesare political parties and indiscipline.

As for a comparison between Qatar and Kerala in respect of Govern-ment policies on business and industry, he says different countries havedifferent attitudes and approaches. “Qatar is the best place where one canlive comfortably and do business without any problems. According to thecountry’s laws, expatriates are fully protected by the Government,” he says.

Happily settled in life, the Moosafis have three children.

saleem M Manzoor of Thiruvananthapuram went to Qatar in 1977 armedwith a BSc degree. He soon entered the profession of landscaping, irriga-tion, civil contracting and management.

What does he think about Kerala? “It was a nice place, with nice andclean people. Not any more,” Manzoor says. And ask him about plans tostart a venture of his own in Kerala. “I will never start any business in Kerala”,comes his prompt reply. (He however runs a nursery and a mushroom unit inThiruvananthapuram). “First our leaders need to travel, starting with otherStates in India, then go to China…then talk politics,” he adds.

He considers its own people as both the strength and weakness of Kerala!How does he compare Kerala with the country of his domicile in respect

of life, the Government’s approach to business and industry, opportunitiesetc? “The leaders here are with the people, with the land and have a genuineinterest in development and in overcoming problems and issues. I don’t seethis in Kerala. Smart City is an excellent example. On the other hand, weare very enthusiastic about having an international airport in every district ifpossible, so that people can fly out from their backyard,” he says.

K K USMAN

Cynical about Kerala politicsA State with

great potentialas well as greatmisfortune. Themajority ofKeralites are hardworkers and hon-est people. But

the militant trade unions and theirbellicose followers make sure thatthe State will not achieve any im-provement”. This is what K K Usmanhas to say about his home State.Usman, who belongs to Nadapuramin Kozhikode, is a graduate and isnow in Qatar doing business. Thoughhe has no business ventures backhome, he is a member or foundermember of several organizations inthe Malabar area and in Doha, Qatar.He, however, feels that there are tre-mendous opportunities in Kerala,“but there is no guarantee for the in-vestments as there are hardly anysteady political policies”.

Usman is the President ofINCAS, a well-known organizationamong the Indian community inDoha, a founder member of MHES

College, Vadakara, a founder mem-ber of MET College, Nadapuram, afounder member of National College,Puliyavu, a member of the DirectorBoard of AGREECO, Kannur, andfounder member of Noble IndianSchool, Doha.

Usman feels that Kerala’sstrengths are its honest, hardworkingand adventurous people. “Its weak-ness is the lack of vision and deter-mination of its political leadership.”

About a comparison of Kerala andQatar, he says that in Qatar, the ad-ministration never interferes withone’s business as long as it is law-ful. Business and industry survive onmarket tendencies. However, inKerala, the local administrationthrough political intermediariesmakes sure that businessmen arecontrolled by the Government. Leth-argy of the law-enforcing agenciesencourages Government officials toengage in corruption that forces abusinessman also to collude withcorruption.

The Usman couple have four chil-dren—one girl and three boys.

MOOSAFI MUZAMILPrescribes “medicines’for state’s ills

A highly qualified man, O P Ramon Kutty ofNemmara in Palakkad district is associated witha number of organizations. His qualifications:BCom from the University of Madras; FCA fromthe Institute of Chartered Accountants of India;MBIM (Member of the British Institute of Manage-ment) and CCA (Certified Cost Analyst, )Institute

of Cost Analyst, US.Group Financial Controller of A A Turki Corporation, Jeddah, Saudi

Arabia, Ramon Kutty is Vice-Chairman of IDEAS (Indian Doctors, Engi-neers and Accountants Society), Jeddah. Founder and Past Chairmanof the Al Khobar Chapter of the Institute of Chartered Accountants ofIndia, he is also founder and Past President of the First Tamil LiteraryAssociation of Saudi Arabia established in 1989. The other positions heeither occupied or is now occupying include: Past President and Pa-tron of Kerala Kala Sahithi, Jeddah; Patron, Thiruvithamcore Socio-Eco-nomic Forum, Jeddah, and Vice-Chairman of the World Malayalee Coun-cil, Jeddah Province.

For the past three decades (he came into Saudi Arabia in 1980),Ramon Kutty has been actively participating in the welfare activities ofnon-resident Keralites in that country. Besides, Ramon Kutty providesfree investment and NRI taxation consultancy.

Is he interested in participating in Kerala’s development? “Yes, bypooling the idle savings of NRKs we can contribute in a big way to thedevelopment of Kerala”, he says. There is no doubt that Kerala is poisedfor growth, he says, and adds that a more conducive and investment-friendly atmosphere must be created that would ensure safety and asupportive attitude and approach from the Government, trade unionsand the general public as well.

“The primary duty of any government is to work sincerely and sup-port wholeheartedly those coming forward to invest. The Governmentpolicy should be to provide a constructive environment, not a destruc-tive one. It is only the question of a change in the mindset for which allshould work together,” he says.

He has plans to professionally support NRK investors and to partici-pate in the implementation of projects for the development of Kerala.

His wife Vasantha is a homemaker. Both his sons, Satheesh andRajesh, are employed,.

Francis and Elizabeth are pioneersof online advertising in the Middle Eastregion. As Directors of Global Media In-sight (www.globalmedia.ae), their ser-vices are used by blue chip companiesbased in the Middle East, like EmiratesAirlines, American Express, Shell, Volvo,Emirates Sky Cargo, LG, Nokia, QatarAirways, Jotun Paints, Sieko, Mercedes Benz, Jeep and the like.

The Middle East’s most popular online publication for women,www.aliya.ae, developed by Global Media Insight, has been well acceptedby the women in the region.

In June 2006, the Crown Prince of Sharjah awarded Global MediaInsight for their contribution towards online media development in Sharjah.Of the Kochi-born couple, Francis did his schooling at Rajagiri High School(1980) and graduated as a BTech from the College Of Engineering,Thiruvananthapuram, in 1988.

Elizabeth studied in the Cochin Refineries School and completed herMBA from the Cochin University of Science and Technology in 1992.

O P RAMON KUTTY

‘Kerala is poisedfor growth’

FRANCIS AND ELIZABETH

Popular in online advertising

SALEEM M MANZOOR

‘Kerala was a nice place’


34

Born in 1974 in Kochi, JerryKalarickal is an economist in Wash-ington DC. Jerry arrived in NorthAmerica on a United WorldCollege scholarship. As an undergradu-ate, he was inducted to the prestigiousPhi Beta Kappa in his junior year.

A PhD in Economics, Jerry hadworked for the World Bank (2003-2006)on issues related to urban development and housing andfor the United Nations (1998).

He works for Bearingpoint (formerly KPMG Consult-ing), a management consultancy firm. Jerry waspreviously active in the leadership of the Syracuse Chap-ter of Asha for Education. Asha is a student-run non-profitorganization that supports educational institutions for un-derprivileged children in India. Jerry has authored paperson housing and urban development topics and has co-authored and edited with Robert Buckley Thirty Years ofWorld Bank Shelter Lending: What Have We Learned?,published by World Bank Publications in 2006.He is married to Anupama Rajaraman who works for theUS Agency for International Development, and lives inNorthern Virginia, near Washington DC, US.

An employee turned businessman, V V Varghese is cur-rently settled in Mumbai and working in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia.He is originally from Kavalam, Kuttanad, Alappuzha district.

A BA (Hons), DMM and LLB, Varghese arrived in Jeddah in1980 where he worked with Saudi Cable Co for 22 years asGeneral Manager (Sales and Customer Service). For the pastseveral years he has been doing business there. The businessconsists of supplying raw materials to the manufacturing in-dustry, mainly to cable companies.

An executive member of the World Malayalee Council once,he is connected with various other cultural organizations in Jeddah. Varghese wasTreasurer of India Forum, an organization under the patronage of the Consular-Gen-eral of India, with the Indian Ambassador as its patron.

With no immediate plan to make any investment in Kerala, Varghese says theState cannot become competitive unless the workforce changes its mentality (bybecoming productive and proving better than what it is being paid for) and the Statebecomes investment-friendly. Infrastructure should also be conducive.

“Let any government manage the State, but its focus should be on developmentand the welfare of the people. The Government’s priority should not be to keep itschairs safe for the next election. It should leave this to the people’s verdict based onits performance”, Varghese says.

“At the moment I wish to continue in Jeddah. If the situation is conducive inKerala, I may move from Mumbai and settle in the State in the future”, he says.MrsAnnamma Varghese is a homemaker. Their eldest son Vinil who is an MS from CSU,Colarado, US, and the second son, who holds the degrees of MS and MBA (UD,Delaware, US) are both working in the US. Daughter Anita is a doctor.

Saju Geo Thachil is one of those rare people who combine busi-ness with a job. Saju who is in charge of the Fire and SafetyDepartment of the Kuwait Shipyard also runs a restaurant in Kuwait.Besides, he is Trustee of MET’s School of Engineering back homeat Mala in Thrissur district.

Saju, who belongs to Angamaly in Ernakulam district and arrivedin Kuwait with a diploma in fire and safety engineering in 1981, isinvolved in different cultural activities in Kuwait.

Saju’s reply is a firm ‘no’ to the question whether he is interestedin participating in Kerala’s development either by involving himself in or starting a unit inthe State. “Kerala no doubt is one of the most beautiful places on earth. It is also one ofthe best locations for investing money. But, unfortunately, because of the dirty gamesbeing played by political parties there, we are not at all confident of investing even onerupee in our State. Unless and until these parties stop their tug of war between themselvesthere is no future for the State. The present situation is that they have no time even to sortout their problems within their own parties and are struggling to keep their chairs secure.The result is that they have little spare time to work for the development of the State. Ifsomeone comes up with a good idea, immediately the Opposition group raises an objec-tion, with the result that everything ends up in a big mess. How will our State improve?Everyone should have a positive mentality, not a negative one. Unless the politicians’negative mentality changes into a positive one, I see no hope for the State”, he says.

“I feel more confident of investing in Kuwait”, he says.His wife, Lizy, is working for the Kuwait Oil Company. George, Paul and Limol are their

children.

ANNA ANTHONY

Author and writerAnna Anthony, journalist and

author from Kochi, lives in Iowa Citywith her husband Jerry Anthony, archi-tect and Assistant Professor in UrbanPlanning (University of Iowa), and theirtwo boys, Jeremiah and Joshua. Annacame to the United States to join herhusband in 1997. She has an MA de-

gree in Creative Writing from Florida State University. Annaalso has BA and MA degrees in Psychology from KeralaUniversity. Before going to the US she was working as ajournalist with the Press Trust of India (PTI) in New Delhi.She has written for journals in India and the US. Anna’sfirst book Mango Ice Cream (2005) is a collection ofstories, depicting the lives of young women in Kerala vil-lages and towns caught in the web of love and sorrow andtradition and lure of MTV.

Thomas Chacko, his wife and children have investor status inEthiopia, where Thomas came in 1982, but they are Indian pass-port-holders. Thomas graduated from Marthoma College, Tiruvalla,which is also his birthplace.

A businessman of standing in Ethiopia with import licences, herepresents foreign companies mostly from Dubai and India andsupplies items to United Nations missions and diplomatic offices.He is also running a school in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia’s capital.

A member of the Addis Ababa Chamber of Commerce, Rotary International andAddis Ababa Golf Association, Thomas Chacko likes to make a ‘small investment’ inKerala though he does not have any idea about the State’s growth potential. MrsSantha Elizabeth Thomas is running a school of theirs. Their son is Jacob and daugh-ter Santha Elizabeth.

JERRY KALARICKAL

Worked for World Bank & UN

M J SEBASTIAN

‘Say goodbyeto strikes’

Ets Jobanputras, the firm in Kigali, Rwanda (Central Af-rica), of which Maliyamave Joseph Sebastian is ResidentDirector, is one of the leading importers of commodities intothe country. Sebastian is also an active member of the Cham-ber of Commerce and Private Sector Federation in Kigali.

Born at Chittattukara, Thrissur, Sebastian is a Commercegraduate, with a JDC (Junior Diploma in Cooperation and Bank-ing) and a KGCE (Kerala Government Certificate Examina-tion in Engineering-Electric). He came to Rwanda in 1980.

Interested in contributing to Kerala’s development “if I findsomething viable”, Sebastian thinks that the State haschanged its basic old attitude to industrialization, “althoughwe have to go further to achieve competitiveness”. “We areaware that our tradition of strikes and hartals is still in fullcontrol over the State. This has to change. We should alsoconsider working six days in a week”, he says.

For the immediate future, Sebastian wants to start ownbusinesses in Rwanda where, he says, he has more experi-ence than in India.Shaji, his wife, is not only employed buthas her own small business set-up in Rwanda. Viju and Sijuare their children.

V V VARGHESE

Businessman in Jeddah

SAJU GEO THACHIL

Likes investing in Kuwait

THOMAS CHACKO

‘Not against investing in Kerala’


35

Mathews Poikayil Varughese was instrumentalin forming the first-ever Kerala Samajam in Nigeriain 2001 and was its Vice-President for the first twoyears. Since 2000 he has been associated with theWorld Malayalee Council being its Vice-President,Middle East and Africa Region, and Vice-Chairmanof the African Region at one time. He later becamethe President of the WMC Nigeria Province.

An engineer from Tiruvalla who has been in Nigeria since 1996 wherehe is in service, he was instrumental in the WMC Nigeria Province adopt-ing an economically backward village in Ogun State. The village having apopulation of about 1,000 had no electricity and no drinking water. Itspeople were unhealthy and poor.

After adoption, WMC conducted a free medical camp there every monthto improve the health standards of the villagers. It provided the villagerswith drinking water by drilling a borehole. “We donated scholastic materi-als to children through the only primary school in the village”, says aproud Mathews. Yes, all this with his efforts.

Mathews thinks the situation in Kerala is not conducive enough for anewcomer to attempt starting business. Any suggestions to make theState globally competitive? “Yes, but the attitude of the people and theGovernment must change and should be geared towards development.The labour force must be born again and must work towards betterment ofthe State. The Government must learn from other developing States andnations. All hartals called by political parties must stop and people shallnot respond to the calls,” he says.

“I will work for some more time and then think of setting up a smallbusiness and work for the betterment of society”, is what he says aboutthe future. “We must be grateful to the Almighty for all His blessings.Working with WMC and other social organizations gives self-satisfaction.We must be useful to others”, he concludes.

Mrs Rosy Mathews is a housewife. They have two sons, Roshan andBlessen.

Change of governmentduring every alternate termslows down the develop-mental process. It will taketime for every government tochalk out its policies andprogrammes. Then somemore time is required forgoing through the previous government’s dealings.Even if it had taken up for implementation a devel-opmental project which is good in every aspect,the new government will spend time to change it,or at least its name. Whoever governs, it is poli-tics first; development comes only later.

These are the considered views of Soney Johnof Vaikom who has been in Doha since 1990. Anemployee there, Soney thinks it is not just Keralathat’s poised for growth but the entire country.“The difference is that while the rest of Indiaprogresses fast, Kerala’s growth is slow becauseof its ‘excessive politics’. Actually a change shouldtake place in every Keralite’s mind. In other words,there should be a positive mind-setting in thepeople”, he says.

“I have no plan to make any investment inKerala. And in no case is there the question ofstarting a manufacturing unit in the State”, he saysemphatically. His plan is to continue working inDoha “as far as I can”. His wife Laiju is ‘employedin our homemaking’. Nivedita Liz and NanditaMaria are their children.

SONEY JOHN

‘Alternate govtsdelay growth’The man behind the

success of Accel Group,one of the leading IT con-glomerates in India, is N RPanicker, its Founder-Chairman. He is one of theleading entrepreneurs whohas his origin in Kerala and

who has made good in the IT industry.He built Accel from scratch, and it went on to

become a multi-service organization operating inmore than 100 locations spread across India,West Asia, Singapore and the United States. Thegroup employs more than 2,500 people in itsvarious offices.

Born in 1954 at Pattanakkad, Cherthala,Alappuzha district, Panicker did his degreecourse in Electronics and Communication Engi-neering from the College of Engineering,Thiruvananthapuram, in 1976. He joinedHindustan Computers Ltd (now known as HCL)in New Delhi in 1977 as a computer maintenanceengineer and served the company in various ca-pacities till 1990.

In 1990 he quit his well-paid job to start hisown business. Accel Ltd, which he started withRs 40,000 and a small rented office space inChennai, now valued at several hundred crores,with companies such as Accel Frontline Ltd,Accel Transmatic Ltd, Accel Systems Group Incetc under its umbrella.

Accel acquired two companies in Kerala in

2004—Transmatic Systems Ltd in Sreekaryamand Ushus Technologies Pvt Ltd at Technopark,Thiruvananthapuram, and took steps to leveragethe strength of these organizations to create alarge IT entity in Kerala, titled Accel TransmaticLtd, headquartered in Thiruvananthapuram.

Panicker is actively involved in many indus-try associations and professional bodies, includ-ing the Computer Society of India, Manufactur-ers Association of Information Technology andNASSCOM, the World Malayalee Council, Ma-dras Management Association and the Confed-eration of Indian Industry. He is also involved incharity work.

Apart from being the Chairman and CEO ofthe Accel Group of Companies, he also sits onthe board of Kerala Venture Capital Fund and isthe VC arm of Kerala State Industrial Develop-ment Corporation Ltd.

According to Panicker, the social set-up ex-isting today in Kerala is not at all conducive tothe development of the State. The public is mis-guided by the wrong campaigns being conductedby various political parties year after year with-out addressing the core issues. There is lack ofvisionary leadership in the State, he says.

What is required is a non-political popular gov-ernment with a vision to change the current cul-ture of Kerala, so that the State will become aplace like Florida, the most-sought-after touristdestination in the world. Panicker is married toSreekumari. They have two children.

N R PANICKER

Leading IT entrepreneur

MATHEWS POIKAYIL VARUGHESE

Uplifted a Nigerianvillage Thomas Kannenkeril, who was Vice-Chairman

of the World Malayalee Council and Convener of itsBusiness Forum, has been in Germany for morethan three decades. Starting his career with RoyalSignals in Germany, he worked in the travel and tour-ism field, having completed several relatedcourses.An expert in travel and tourism, he startedhis own business, a travel agency, in Germany calledReiseburo Skyreisen. He also works for promoting tourism in Kerala,being the official agent of the Kerala Tourism Development Corporation(KTDC) in Germany.

Thomas is also a Director of Green Berg Resorts in Idukki andManaging Director of Kuttanad Resort.

His wife Ammini is a registered nurse in Germany and daughter Rencyis a Master’s in Industrial and Personnel Management and is working inLondon. Regin is his son.

Jennifer Tracy Myalil, US-born American ofIndian origin, is a double major in Finance andAccounting from the Chicago Varsity. Daughterof Joy Myalil, a computer engineer and co-founderof the first bank organized by Indian Americans, and Marykutty, a registered nurse in Chicago, Jennifer

is one of the rare young outstanding achievers of the new generationof US-born Indians. Based in Chicago, Jennifer works for one of thelargest accounting firms in the US.

She was Co-captain of the national award-winning cheerleadingsquad, Jay Leno Show guest on CNBC and guest participant in WaltDisney World ‘Main Street’ parade. She has served as the ExecutiveChair of the Golden Key International Honour Society.

THOMAS KANNENKERIL

Runs travel agency in Germany

JENNIFER TRACY MYALIL

US-born Indianachiever


36

Jolly Thadathil is running four old-age homes andtwo nursing homes in Germany where he migrated in1981 after obtaining his MSc degree in Botany and MAin Sociology. Hailing from Thottakkara, Muvattupuzha,Jolly had worked in the Federal Bank in Kerala beforegoing to Germany where he specialized in thehealthcare management field.

An active social worker, Jolly is a member of theChristian Democratic Union (CDU), the ruling party inGermany. Twice elected a municipal councillor in Schwelm town, he workedfor several years as President and Chairman of the World Malayalee Council’sEurope Region. He was also instrumental in starting the WMC Provinces inEurope since the very beginning of the WMC in 1995. At present he is theorganization’s Global President.

According to Jolly, globalization has brought forth tremendous changesall over India and Kerala. All modern facilities with regard to technology,medicine and communication are available now in Kerala. The State hasgreat potential for development but has many inherent and intricate hurdlesto overcome for making progress.

“The main obstacles to development are our so-called leaders. Whereasall over the world politicians are called politicians we call them leaders.What is a leader? There are many definitions. But according to a layman’sthinking, a leader is a person who guides others towards a common goal,showing the way by example. Most of Kerala’s so-called political leadershave no vision or mission. They need not have any basic qualifications,”says Jolly.

Jolly says Kerala’s strength is its education. The State can be proud ofhaving a very good educated young generation. Its main weakness is theattempt of its politicians to destroy the whole education system. Keralitesliving abroad are grateful to the educational institutions from which they gottheir degrees and knowledge. The attempt of the politicians to destroy oureducation system is deplorable.

To develop business, says Jolly, one needs the support of the Govern-ment and also the support and cooperation of the employees. The questionis if these are available in Kerala. Anyhow most nonresident Keralities areyet to believe that the soil of Kerala is ripe enough for business. Manysuccessful Kerala business people from outside India may not take the riskof losing all their savings in Kerala through business entrepreneurship.

Jolly’s wife Mercy is a teacher by profession and is certified in HealthcareManagement. She administers their institutions. They have three children,of whom Nicole, the elder daughter, is an MBA (London) running her own ITconsulting firm with her husband, Libin Karuvallil, who has a Master’s in IT.Jolly’s son Nelson is an engineer from the University of Dortmund in Ger-many and the younger daughter is Nancy.

Whatever Kerala’s weaknesses, Jolly, his wife and children love theirhome State, its people and its traditions. “In spite of all the disparities,discriminations and hartals, we all visit God’s Own Country at least once ayear,” says Jolly.

Telecommunication engineer in Bahrain,Cheeyancheri Rajagopalan Nambiar is an MSc (En-gineering) with added degrees and diplomas likeMIE, MIETE, FCSE and BDM. Belonging toKunhimangalam in Kannur district, Nambiar arrivedin Bahrain in 1977. He is former President and LifeMember of the Bahrain Keraleeya Samajam;founder President of the Kerala Social and Cul-tural Association; General Secretary, Board ofGovernors, the Indian School, Bahrain; General Secretary, Malabar Air-port Development Committee; Chairman, Advisory Committee of the In-dian School, Bahrain; General Secretary, Coordination Committee of In-dian Associations, Bahrain; General Secretary, Indian Community ReliefFund (under the Indian Embassy), Bahrain; Coordinator, Indian Commu-nity Services (under the Indian Embassy); General Convener, BuildingPremises Committee, the Bahrain Keraleeya Samajam; Patron,Payyannur Souharda Vedi, Bahrain; and General Secretary, WorldMalayalee Council Middle East Region.

Though not interested in making any investment in Kerala, Nambiardefinitely would like to participate in the state’s development. “Keralahas the potential for growth, provided political parties change their purepolitical attitude. Keralites, by and large, have an investor-friendly atti-tude, and facilities are ready to work in the state”, he says.

Nambiar says the Kerala Government should appoint technocrats tohead the Government institutions, instead of political nominees and bu-reaucrats. He wants a moratorium on hartals. “In fact I want legislation toban this, which is illegal”, he says. Advocating an ‘open-door policy’ onbusiness proposals, he thinks severe punishment and heavy fines shouldbe imposed on people involved in destruction of public property, and dam-ages should be collected from them. “The Government should take severeaction against corruption and implement economic reservations. Scholar-ships or financial aid should be given to weaker sections for studies andtraining. There should, however, be no compromise on the capabilities ofcandidates for employment, recruitment and promotions”, he says.

Nambiar also thinks that unions/associations should not be allowedin police forces, and employees getting paid fully or partially from theState or Central Governments, including the Government staff, staff ofaided schools, agencies or any other organizations should not be al-lowed to participate in political activities.

His future plans include some consultancy services and useful socialactivities.

Vanaja R Nambiar is a housewife. Their son Ranjit Rajan, a BTech ftomCochin University of Science and Technology and an MBA of the IndianInstitute of Management Calcutta, is with a multinational company in Dubai.Ranjit’s wife Nisha is also an MBA — Symbiosis Institute, Pune. She iswith a Dubai-based international bank. They have a daughter, Uttara. TheNambiars’ second son Rajesh Rajan, a BE from Nitte Engineering Collegeand a CISCO specialist, is with an MNC in Muscat.

Kochi-born Anupa Fabianis a sprightly young public ad-ministrator, research scholar,United Nations consultant andsocial activist, based in NewJersey, US. After graduatingfrom Sophia College, Mumbai,Anupa earned her Master’s inPublic Administration from the famous Colum-bia University and was awarded fellowship toprovide teaching. She had worked as ReportsConsultant of the Food and Agriculture Organi-zation (FAO) of the UN at Rome, with theWomen’s Prison Association, NewYork, providing help for women with criminaljustice involvement and also for the World FoodProgramme in Tajikistan. She ran the 2005 DCMarine Corps Marathon to raise funds for ASHA,a non-profit organization. Anupa has co-authoredresearch studies on women.

JOLLY THADATHIL

Runs old-age homesin Germany

C R NAMBIAR

‘Moratorium onhartals needed’

ANUPA FABIAN

Empowering womenStar Printing Press is

one of the most modern print-ing presses in Saudi Arabia.The secret of the company’ssuccess is its visionary lead-ership and the personal andcordial relationship it haswith its customers.

The man who made all this possible is DavidLuke, who quit a prestigious university job andjoined a Saudi sponsor to start Star Printing Pressin Riyadh. He persuaded the sponsor to start asmall-scale printing press with two GTO singlecolours, a small cutting machine, Polar 78, and apre-press department.

David Luke was born on May 22, 1954, in avillage in Kerala. After completing his primaryschool education in his village, he shifted to Mumbaifor his high school education and to Allahabad for

DAVID LUKE

Specialized in printinghis university course. He specialized in printingtechnology from Mumbai.

In 1978 he joined King Saud University ofRiyadh in the Department of Printing and Publish-ing. But he quit the job to start his own business.

Today Star Printing Press is a leading printingpress, equipped with state-of-the-art printing tech-nology and employing more than 50 expatriatesand many Saudi nationals.

The Star team formulates designs and producesdelightful presentations on paper. At present Staroperates 20 hours a day. It is one of the qualityprinters in the kingdom. Star has opened a newpress in Dubai, called CMS Printing Press, withall modern machines from Heidelberg.

David’s wife Annakutty supports him in man-aging his property and estates. The couple hastwo children—Jim and Jeena.


37

Alex P Kurien is so nos-talgic about Kerala that he isbeyond words to describe hishome state. And like everyMalayalee residing abroadAlex is also wistful whenthinking about his native land,Mallappally West, Pathanamthitta. After complet-ing his bachelor’s degree in Journalism, MA anda Diploma in Public Relations and Advertising, Alexmigrated to Oman in 1983. By profession he is ajournalist in Muscat with the Government-ownedOman Daily Observer.

Alex thinks that Kerala has ample job and in-vestment opportunities, especially in tourism. Alsohe finds that it is rich in human resource and ver-dant scenic beauty. But he is not at all confidentof launching any venture in the state. Kerala’smain drawbacks, according to him, are inter-partyand intra-party disputes and influence of bad poli-tics. When he compares Kerala and Oman, hefinds that in Oman there is no power or water short-age and there are no strikes. Fuel prices are verylow, there are no traffic jams, and the nationalsare very friendly. The Omani Government is verykeen to boost investments in the country. It hasalso initiated several incentives for foreign inves-tors, especially in tourism—a booming sector.

Alex’s wife Elizabeth is also working in thesame newspaper.

Kerala has got a lot ofpotential to become afrontrunner in internationalbusiness.Kerala is a ‘slow-moving giant’. We could feelthe slow-moving attitude ofthe people even in the airportto the Secretariat.

The heavy loaded roadsto the old-fashioned paper-based offices shouldbecome paperless offices by introducing digi-tal documentation solutions”.

This is what Santimon Jacob, hailing fromKottayam and now settled in Ickenham, WestLondon, says about his home State’s potentialfor growth.

A Master’s in New Media from NottinghamTrent University, UK, Santimon is Chairman andManaging Director of Purple and Pink SolutionsLtd. One of the fast-growing consultancy firmsin London, PPSL focuses on international busi-ness consultancy for technology transfer, mar-keting, international finance and outsourcingsolutions for European clients.

Within a short a period of three years afterhe arrived in the UK only in 2003, Santimonhas become Chairman, Committee for Media,Communication and Education, SMCC, Lon-don. He says he is interested in informationtechnology and infrastructure investment inKerala.

A joint-sector BPO facility is in his mind.His future plans? “To start a professional

training institute to develop the ‘soft skills’ ofeducated youth in India”, says he. “It will be aninstitute of international standards and the fac-ulty will be from corporate giants around theglobe”, he adds.

His wife Mini helps him in the business. Theyhave two children—Ashik and Athul.

SANTIMON JACOB

Kerala a ‘slow-movinggiant’

ALEX PALLICKAL KURIEN

Wistful about Kerala

Mr Davis Edattukaran,who hails from Mala inThrissur district, started hiscareer as a commissionedofficer in the Indian Army.After having served the 18thBattalion of the MadrasRegiment for eight years he

resigned as a Captain in 1981 to join his wifeDaisy in Austria.

An MCom degree holder, Davis worked in theUnited Nations Industrial Development Organi-zation (UNIDO) as Finance Officer initially and isnow Programme Officer in the Montreal Protocolbranch of the organization. It was Daisy whostarted the first South Indian restaurant, ‘Kairlay’,in Vienna, the Austrian capital. Later, they openedanother one called ‘Himalaya’. However, theysold both “for several reasons”. Davis was a mem-ber of the hotel industry organization in Viennawhen he was associated with the restaurants.

“I have great dreams about Kerala—a Keralawith good roads, a Kerala with drinking water fa-cility available to all, a clean Kerala with wasteprocessing facility, a Kerala with disciplinedpeople, a Kerala where we have security for ourlives and property, a Kerala where women canmove around without any fear of harassment, aKerala with low carbon emission and environmen-tally green and a Kerala where all people respectone another,” says Davis about his home state.

According to Davis, Kerala has a lot of oppor-tunities to grow tremendously. “Our land isblessed with everything possible. Unfortunatelywe are not making use of many such opportuni-ties. We should go for solar and wind energy aswell as small hydro-power generation projects.The Government should invest some money inthose projects. We do not have good roads andit is time to go for them. We should opt for atleast 45-metre-wide roads. The people affectedshould be handsomely paid and motivated to givetheir land for a greater Kerala. I think theVallarpadam terminal will change the entire shapeof Kerala. We should plan projects like that. We

should go a long way in our IT field. We needgreed-free politicians. I think they should be highlypaid so that they will not have any greed formoney,” he says.

About new ventures by NRIs, Davis says thatthis seems to be difficult under the present con-ditions. The bureaucrats and the Governmentshould respect the law of the land and treat oth-ers as human beings, he adds.

Davis says any comparison between Austriaand Kerala seems to be very difficult. “Here allrespect one another and are disciplined. Thebureaucrats deal with people gently adhering torules and regulations. The police behave likefriends and guides. The dealings are transpar-ent. There are no unnecessary delays for any-thing. We will get a yes- or no-answer immedi-ately. The business community is also treatedvery well. My experience in Kerala is just theopposite,” Davis says.

The strength of Kerala is also its weakness,says Davis. “We have vast human resources. Weshould use them properly. Kerala produces alarge number of engineers, doctors, nurses andother professionals. Many of them leave thecountry for better job opportunities. The moneythey send back home is not utilized in Kerala, itis being used by others. Unfortunately we spenda lot of money to build individual houses. We arelazy by nature, while in India, we do not respectrules. It is true that we keep ourselves clean butdo not care about the surroundings and the envi-ronment. We are a selfish lot. Individually wemay be good, but collectively we are bad. But ifwe individually do our best in all things, Keralawill climb the ladder of success very easily,” hesays. “Let us make our weakness our strength.So let’s work together without ego, without self-ishness for a better future for the next genera-tion,” concludes Davis, who is looking forward toa retired life in Kerala. Though he has no busi-ness ventures in Kerala now, he has plans tolaunch one.

The Davis-Daisy couple have two sons—Pauland George.

DAVIS EDATTUKARAN

Dreams about a clean Kerala

ANDREW PAPPACHEN

Backbone of WMCMr Andrew Pappachen, one of

the founders of the World MalayaleeCouncil (WMC) and its former Glo-bal President and Global Chairman,is very well known among theMalayalees and other Indians asalso among the American commu-nity in the US because of his recordof social, political and communityactivities for the past more than threedecades. As a pioneer, Andrew played a key rolein the formation of various cultural, social, politi-cal and religious organizations like the KeralaAssociation of New Jersey, Asian American Po-litical Coalition, Asian American Heritage Coun-cil of New Jersey, Mar Thoma Church of NewJersey, Federation of Kerala Associations andthe WMC.

Andrew migrated to the United States in 1973at the age of 25 with a Master’s degree in Chem-istry. He took another Master’s in EnvironmentalEngineering from the famous Sevens Institute ofTechnology, New Jersey, and became a certifiedpublic manager in New Jersey. Having worked

for the City of Newark, New Jer-sey, for a long time, he is now theDirector of Operations of NewarkWatershed Corporation. He hasauthored three books in Englishunder the pen name Andreos pub-lished by the Authors House, US:A Journey Through Generations,an autobiography, and two novels,Secrets of Passion and Love with

the Ghost, which have been translated intoMalayalam, and one novel in Malayalam,Thalamurakalethedi, published by Prabhat BookHouse. His second Malayalam novel,Theerthadanathinte Katha, also published byPrabhat Book House, was released.

As a renowned social worker he believes thatto make money or enjoy luxuries is not the mostimportant thing in life but to share our wealth andexperience with those who need them. The WMC’sLiberate Kerala from Pollution and Poverty projectis a brainchild of his. Its first plan is to educatethe people on the need for and benefits of a cleanenvironment and how to achieve it.


38


38

A senior-level Executive in a fi-nancial institution in the UAE and aformer CEO of an international com-mercial bank, M R Rajagopalan Nairfrom Edappally in Kochi is a highlyqualified person: he is MA (Eco-nomics) with a PG in PersonnelManagement, a CAIIB (Certified

Associate of the Indian Institute of Bankers) and a gradu-ate in law.

Though he has no business ventures in Kerala hebelieves that his home State is a wonderful place en-dowed with natural resources. He laments however thatit is spoiled by corruption and a set of inefficient politi-cians. “Our leaders say that in tandem with the growthof the other parts of the country, Kerala also is growingand that it offers tremendous opportunities. I think this iswishful thinking by the leaders. An analysis of the vari-ous industries and industrial estates which were there inKerala will reveal that our State has the potential, but welack leaders who lack the vision of a prosperous State.When the neighbouring States prosper, we are pushedback every year and I do not think the climate is ripe forany investment in Kerala,” says Nair. According to him,Kerala’s main strength is its people—highly literate andmobile, hardworking in the right atmosphere. “They arehighly successful outside their home State,” he says.“The main weakness is the corrupt political leaders inthe State.”

Like many expatriates, Nair also has a dream: “Mydream is a wonderful Kerala devoid of these corrupt po-litical parties and their leaders.”

In contrast, the Government of the UAE is very con-cerned for its people and its prosperity. They have effi-cient administrative machinery and there is no scope forcorruption.

Rajagopalan Nair’s wife is a homemaker. Their onlyson has completed his engineering course now.

AMAL FABIAN

Globalentrepreneur

M R RAJAGOPALAN NAIR

‘Kerala’s strengthis its people’

Amal Fabian from Kochiis an international consult-ant and global entrepreneurbased in Bucharest, Roma-nia. Amal has a Master’s inInternational Studies fromJohn Hopkins University,Washington, D C, and anMBA from European Schoolof Economics, Rome. Hegraduated from St Xaviers,Mumbai.Amal was ChiefExecutive of Giovanni, anapparel manufacturing unitin Tajikistan, and worked forCarrera, US, in Washing-ton, D C. He was a consult-ant to the Food and Agricul-ture Organization (FAO) ofthe United Nations andserved AT Kearney as sum-mer associate. Amal wasalso Director, Crafts andLooms International,Bucharest, Romania. A lin-guist, he knows, besidesMalayalam, English, Hindi,Russian, Italian, Spanishand French.

WMC stands for a clean and green IndiaThe World Malayalee Council

(WMC) is an organization of Indians.Its main objective is to provide a non-political forum to bring together thewidely scattered community of peopleof Malayalees/people of Kerala originand strengthen their common bondsof culture, tradition and way of life.WMC was formed in April 1995 to net-work Malayalees around the world andwas inaugurated on July 3, 1995 at thefirst-ever World Convention of Non-resi-dent Malayalees in New Jersey. WMCworks towards international brother-hood of Malayalees to bolster their cul-tural, artistic and social uniquenessand help understand other cultures withwhich they have to co-exist and inter-act. Under the leadership of India Re-gion the following social activities wereimplemented during 2009-2011.

WMC, Youth India, Green KeralaFoundation and Labour India PublicSchool undertook a ‘Clean India Yathra’from Kashmir to Kanyakumari from theGandhi Jayanti month of October,which concluded in November. Politi-cal and social leaders, activists, stu-dents and youth took part in it. Theaim of the Yathra with the message‘Clean India…Green India’ was to con-vey to the public, youth and students

the idea and necessity of scientificallyrecycling waste materials. Plasticbottles collected from houses by stu-dents were gathered by the Yathrateam at public functions, dumped inlorries and taken to recycling factories.Through the‘Clean IndiaYathra’ someawareness ofcleanliness wasspread amongthe people andyouth of the coun-try. The Yathrawhich startedfrom Delhi and tra-versed throughSrinagar, Jammu,A m r i t s a r ,C h a n d i g a r h ,Haryana, Jaipur,A g r a ,A h m e d a b a d ,Porbandar, Pune,Mumbai, Goa,Hyderabad, Bangalore and Chennai viaKanyakumari ended inThiruvananthapuram. Dignitaries fromdifferent walks of life in Kerala includ-ing WMC office-holders led the Yathra.

Kerala has been blessed not just

with beautiful landscapes and a sereneenvironment but with abundant waterresources. A WMC team undertook aYathra to these rivers. A group led byMr George Kulangara, Chairman,WMC India Region, traversed through-

out Kerala and col-lected water from44 rivers for labtesting, ascertain-ing its quality andpotability. More-over, WMC con-ducted a ‘CleanKerala Yathra’f r o mThiruvananthapuramto Kasargod col-lecting waste fromPampa, Erumely,Pala, Kottayam,Erattupetta andKidangoor. TheYathra was led byMr GeorgeKulangara.

Living on alien lands, non-residentshave a soft corner for their brethrenback home. Their generous attitude to-wards the indigent sections in societyhas resulted in the setting up of GreenGarden Old Age Home. WMC has

taken the initiative to rehabilitate en-dosulfan victims and donated two mini-ambulances to expedite the relief work.

It is needless to say that there arepeople from other states who oftenmingle in foreign lands for some socialevents. To strengthen the bond be-tween Malayalees and Tamils in for-eign countries WMC has been orga-nizing Tamil-Malayalee SnehaSangamam and Sneha Virunnu occa-sionally. As a part of making peopleaware of the WMC provinces, a Direc-tory of India Region has been publishedwith details of provinces.

Waste is a common problem eachcountry faces. There are several mea-sures proposed by governments, orga-nizations and local bodies to disposeof or recycle kitchen waste. WMC hasplayed a major role in convertingkitchen waste into compost to be usedin gardens. Kitchen waste manage-ment is being promoted in differentplaces. The Kerala Government has ac-cepted the waste management policyendorsed by WMC and included it inthe state budget. The Chief Ministerhimself has announced a high-techwaste recycling plant inThiruvananthapurm, Kottayam, Kochiand Kozhikode.

George Kulangara


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The name ‘EVM’ brings to one’s mind a myriad of images—of cars,bikes, estates and even films. Years of excellence in, and commitment to,whatever field of activity it has undertaken has made EVM a householdname.

Like any other successful endeavours, the EVM Group too has a storyof it to tell—a story of untiring hard work and confidence. It was in 1935 thatE V Mathai started EVM as a small venture. Later it turned out to be a greatsuccess and the fame traversed across the globe. It was his total commit-ment to his profession that enabled EVM to spread its wings into severalfields of activity. The founder is no more but his legacy is being carriedforward by his six sons. Though they are focused on different sectors, theyare always united in achieving common goals and facing challenges thatcome their way.

The group now supplies natural rubber and rubber products to manypopular tyre manufacturing companies and rubber crumbing factories. EVMis a well-known name in the spice trade too. For the past few years, it hasbeen cultivating and exporting high-quality cardamom, cashew, lemon grassoil etc.

EVM is a name to be reckoned with in the film world. The group ownsmore than 20 cinemas spread acrossKerala which include ‘Kavitha’ in theheart of Kochi. EVM also has manythree-star hotels and resorts.

One of the most successful venturesof the group is EVM Motors of whichSabu Johny, son of group Chairman EM Johny is the Chairman and Manag-ing Director. The career graph of thisdynamic young man shows how sys-

tematic and serious he is in hisbusiness. Being born andbrought up in a business fam-ily, Sabu came to learn of thetwists and twirls of thistrade even when he wasvery young. This perhapshelped him to acquire anuncanny ability to recog-nize and realize newbusiness opportunitieswhen markets and tech-nologies were in transi-tion. And these qualitieshave also helped him to

keep track of happeningsand possibilities. EVM Mo-

tors is the prestigious dealerin Nissan, Honda andVolkswagen vehicles.

Because of the well-knownEVM trademark of quality ser-vice and commitment, vehiclelovers never go for other op-tions.

Just like any other leading businesstycoons, Praveen too has some rolemodels in his life. They are none otherthan the great philosophers SreeNarayana Guru and Kumaranasan.Their teachings have played a signifi-cant role in moulding his vision of life,and he has been applying these val-ues in the areas of his activities. Insis-tence on good behaviour and respectfor elders are some of the values thathe had learnt right from his childhood.

“When I joined the group, GokulamChits had just 100 branches. Now thenumber has grown to over 240. As Di-rector, Operations, I am looking afterthe operations of all the chit officebranches,” says Praveen. “My dutiesand responsibilities are increasing by

the day. I really enjoy getting adjustedto this busy schedule”, he says. Be-sides being the executive producer ofSree Gokulam Movies, Praveen alsolooks after the functioning of NandhiniSweets, the popular sweetmeat-cum-restaurant chain’s establishmentsacross Chennai.

Leadership is the prime ‘dominat-ing’ quality in this young man. Fromhis school days, Praveen had been veryactive in clubs and forums. In hisyounger days, he got recognized as thebest District Secretary of Leo Club andlater he became the President ofAminjikarai Malayalee Association. Laterhe came into the fold of WMC as an or-dinary member, and then became itsSecretary for the Chennai Province and

subsequently became WMC Presi-dent, India Region. He was alsoclosely associated with HridayaRagam-2006, 2008 and 2010, a

fund-raising programme to help over 300children from financially poor families toundergo free heart surgeries.

Praveen’s experience in the financesector helped him a lot to deal withthe various situations in the day-to-dayoperations at Gokulam. “At Gokulam,our policy has been to do things in thebest possible manner. This philosophyhas resulted in the fast and stronggrowth of all companies under thisbrand,” says Praveen.

Apart from his business, family ishis next weakness. His wife Lijisha ishis strength during difficult times. Thecouple have two children—Namrathaand Thejus. “We always want our chil-dren to be humble and to respect theirelders. So we try to impart to themvalues along with academic educa-tion”, concludes the proud father.

"Teach human being has cer-tain distinct characteristics—both pluspoints and flaws. I always like to ob-serve others to emulate their positiveaspects. If you do this, you will find lifequite useful and interesting,” says V CPraveen, the young Director-Opera-tions, Gokulam Chits. The energeticbusinessman also holds the positionsof Director, Sree Gokulam Hotels (In-dia), Vice-Chairman, Sree GokulamEducational and Medical Trust; andGlobal President, World Malayalee

Council India Region. Still hesays he is eager to do more.

‘Busyness’ is not a newthing for Praveen. Being theson-in-law of well-known busi-nessman Gokulam Gopalan,Praveen has been doing ex-ceedingly well right from hisschool days. He has beenshowing great enthusiasm andsincerity in both business andother activities with utmost pro-fessionalism and exceptionaltalent. This quality helps himto stand out from the rest.


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Sabu Johny


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Passline News Service'Young people should be at the forefront of global change and innovation. Empow-ered, they can be key agents for development and peace,” said former UN Secretary GeneralKofi Annan once. His words proclaim the real meaning of ‘youth’, the torch-bearers of society.

Here comes the relevance and importance of Altius, a grand initiative of the World MalayaleeCouncil (WMC). The main aim of the programme is to instil global competence and socialcommitment into the youth of Kerala.

‘Creativity’ and ‘humanity’ are the two underlying themes of Altius. Though it aims at thesystematic development of skills and career moves of the younger generation, the groupalso wants our young men and women to become good human beings. Through its resi-dential training camps, Altius teaches a new lesson—a lesson in how to lead a moral life.Unlike other groups, the activities of Altius are not just confined to conducting some semi-nars or lectures. It provides training to poor students of Government/aided schools. Stu-dents are also given training in rural social work and many other humanitarian activities.

Computer and languagelearning programmesand personality develop-ment classes are rou-tinely conducted.

‘Samanwaya’, aproject inspired byformer President A P JAbdul Kalam, is one ini-tiative which aims toforge communal har-mony among students.The core concept behindthe project is cooperationand communion with,and harmony towards,every living and non-liv-ing thing in society. As thename implies, it fostersvalue-based educationand encourages stu-dents to have opennessto all cultures. Besidesthese activities,Samanwaya awards aregiven every year to thebest outstanding projectand outstanding trainerand organizer in the stateas well as in districts.

The group being acreative venture, the orga-nizers are always keen toprovide some novelideas for its improve-ment. Green Act, a youth-led environment move-ment, is another innova-tive venture from Altius.The vision of theprogramme is to createand spread awarenessabout environmental is-sues among the youthand contribute to the re-vival of environmental is-

sues. A select group of students some time ago attended a global confer-ence and training session in Doha under the initiative of this project.

The activities of Altius extend to all sectors. Till now it has trained about4,000 students and every year a new batch undergoes the intensive train-ing sessions. More than 50 residential camps including three state campshave been conducted across Kerala. About 100 students have now formeda core team of mentors to carry out the projects across the state. Recentlyan Altius camp, the first outside India, was conducted on the premises ofIndian Academy School in Muhasisnah, Dubai, with the theme ‘CreatingGlobally Competent and Socially Committed Leaders’.

Realizing that inspiration can come from a spark of life, Altius nowconducts classes by social workers, successful personalities, academ-ics and bureaucrats and common people with a unique track record. Theseclasses help students to learn the tough, dark realities of life in our society.

The group is planning to have a vibrant academic year ahead. Its stu-dent members from colleges will organize a one-day camp named ‘AltiusFreshius’ to welcome the new batches. The programme includes a 15-minute video clip visualizing the lovely moments of college life. The induc-tion programme is supposed to clear off the inhibitions of newcomers andto create care and warmth among students. As part of the programme, theAltius team will conduct a paper bag manufacturing workshop in colleges.These bags will be later distributed to shops in the vicinity of colleges.

Yes, through these interestingand innovative ventures Altius istrying to attain the goal of raising young, committed humans for the modernworld.


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Dr A V Anoop’s record of achieve-ments is not confined to one or twodomains. An accomplished industrial-ist, property developer, film producer,social worker, organizer and amateurdrama artist—the list goes on. Withan envious track record, Dr Anoop con-tinues to grow leaving a mark on what-ever he touches.

Managing Director of AVA CholayilHealth Care Pvt Ltd, Dr Anoop was bornin 1962 at Thrissur and passed hisSSLC from St Joseph Higher Second-ary School, Thiruvananthapuram.Graduating in Commerce from Ma-hatma Gandhi College, Thiruvananthapuram, in 1982, he did his PhD atMedicina Alternativa Institute, Colombo.

His first step into business was in1983 with his maternal uncle. He hascome a long way since, having becomeone of the most successful entrepre-neurs Kerala has seen. The CholayilGroup that he heads today is the makerof the famous ‘Medimix’, the world’slargest-selling ayurvedic bath soap.The trust Keralites have put in the groupprompted him to launch‘Sanjeevanam’, the one-of-its kind ho-listic healthcare service centre.

This keen proponent of ayurveda isa true enthusiast of art and literaturetoo. His passion for films made himlaunch ‘AVA Productions’ in 2007. Manyfilms and documentaries have been pro-duced under this banner. The films in-clude Pranayakalam, Paleri Manikyam

Oru Pathira Kolapathakathinte Katha,Christian Brothers and Yugapurushan.

His quest for business opportuni-ties knows no limits. It was his experi-ence and earnestness and the realiza-tion that the rising Indian economy pro-vides ample opportunities in propertyand infrastructure development thatmade him a successful property de-veloper. ‘AVA Properties Pvt Ltd’ nowhas numerous projects in progress inTamil Nadu and Kerala which are of in-ternational standards.

Involved in all social, educational,cultural and philanthropic activities re-lating to Malayalees across the globe,Dr Anoop holds many positions. Pres-ently he is one of the 10 members ofthe World Malayalee Council (WMC)Advisory Board. He has been workingin the group for the past many years forthe uplift of Malayalees residing abroad.

Dr Anoop has left his dynamic im-

print on the education scene as well.He is on the management boards ofseveral educational institutions in andoutside Kerala. He is Director of SreeNarayana Institute of Medical Sciences(SNIMS), Kochi, Honorary Director ofJubilee Mission Medical College & Re-search Institute, Thrissur and Chair-man, Vice-Chairman, Vice-Presidentand trustee of various colleges andacademies run by the group. ‘AVACharitable Trust’, the group’s charitywing, and ‘AVA Publications’ are theother ventures of the group.

The business icon has beenhonoured with many awards for excel-lence. He is the recipient of Manage-ment Excellence Award (2008) by theTrichur Management Association andthe Akshaya National Award (2008) forservices rendered in the field of culturalactivities. ‘Seva Rathna Puraskar(2003) by the Indian Red Cross Soci-ety and Shiromani Award (2001) by theInternational Institute of Health Sci-ences are some of the other presti-gious awards he has received.

The Anoop-Priya couple have twodaughters—Pratheeksha andLanchana. Pratheeksha is married toPrasanth and Lanchana to Vivek. Theyare well settled.


How nice it would be to make an espresso orcappuccino at home! The task has now become aseasy as drinking a cup of coffee. ’Kicoff’, the newventure from Hoteltek Beverages Private Limited, partof the Floatels Group, has scored abulls eye through its advanced cof-fee brewing machines.

It was recently that the success-ful Rs 100-crore Floatels Group, head-quartered in Thiruvanan thapuram withan office in Kochi, forayed into thefood and hospitality sector under thename of Hoteltek, which has its own manufacturingfacilities and also plans to import food and beveragesacross the globe.

“Coffee in a most hygienic way” is the primemotto of the group. The strong cup of authentic cof-

fee brewed from nitrogen-sealed sachets of coffeepods retains its fresh flavour. This coffee- and tea-brewing machine helps to produce high-qualityespresso or cappuccino in a quite easier way. Dif-ferent types of coffee and tea pods are available fromthis group. The exotic flavour of coffee can refresh

the mind and soul of any individual.Recalling Keralites’ love for hot bev-erages, the company provides cof-fee and tea pods in many distinc-tive flavours: 100% Arabica gives thepure coffee taste whereas the Mon-soon Malabar is a mixed blend ofArabica and Robusta cherry. Indian

Summer, another pod, provides the mouth-wateringaroma of South Indian filter coffee. Apart from coffeepods, tea pods are available for ardent tea lovers.The list includes breakfast tea pods, earl grey andmasala tea blend.

Already supplying brewing machines and coffeepods, Hoteltek now plans to distribute natural juiceconcentrates and juice dispensers too. ‘Coffee cap-sules’, a fresh try on India, is another novel venturefrom the Hoteltek Group and it will find a place onthe shelves soon. The production of coffee capsulesin collaboration with an Italian group may changethe whole concept of traditional coffee-making.

After the tremendous success of Poovar IslandResorts, the Floatels Group is now planning to set upa 25-acre resort at Perumbalam in Kumbalam island,Ernakulum district. According to the group, the up-coming Rs 100-crore project will provide five-star fa-cilities with all high-class facilities. The high-profileresort comprises floating cottages, a boutique andan ayurvedic spa centre.”We are now planning to fo-cus on the food and hospitality industry,” says Mr MR Narayanan, Managing Director of Floatels Pvt Ltd.

Mr Narayanan, the man behind Floatels, can betermed a multifaceted personality. He is an engi-neer, successful entrepreneur and a hotelier.KRYONIX, the first firm he started, was meant todevelop and sell microprocessor teaching aids anddevelopment systems. Later in 1982 he started an-other firm, Computer Aids and Systems, which op-erated around 80 franchised COMP-U-TECH train-ing institutes in different parts of the country. Thenhe promoted companies like Transmatic SystemsLimited of which he is Director, Adtech Systems Lim-ited (Chairman), Transdot Private Ltd (Chairman) andApt Micro Solutions Pvt Ltd (Director). It was duringhis tenure that Transmatic Systems Limited receivedthe National Productivity Award from the Productiv-ity Council. The company also received the awardfor the best small-scale industry in Kerala in 1996.

Presently Mr Narayanan is the General Secre-tary of the South Kerala Hoteliers Forum and Secre-tary of the Confederation of Tourism Industry.

Fall in love—with coffee

M R Narayanan with Toursim and Cultural affairs minister A PAnil Kumar


42


There is a hoarding that has been attractingthe attention of pedestrians and travellers alike oflate. Captioned ‘The King Has Arrived’ and carryinga picture of the ‘King’, the King of the Jungle, thelion, it comes from the House of Hedge. Certainly itis interesting to watch. Few know that it is the har-binger of the revolution going to take place in thearena of security finance, LAS (loan against securi-ties) and gold loans. Hedge Finance Ltd, part of theHedge Group of Companies, one of the fastest-grow-ing financial institutions of Kerala, with an ambitionfor pan-India presence, has reached the status of anon-banking financial company (NBFC) and is aim-ing at a giant leap into new growth areas.

In a chat with PASSLINE at its sprawlingmultistoreyed corporate office recently acquired bythe group at Edappally, Kochi, Mr Alex K Babu,Managing Director of Hedge Finance, said, “Instead

of traditional gold loans by existing NBFCs in theregion, we initially focus on the LAS model. Withgrowing expertise in the sector, a robust infrastruc-ture model in place with the recent inauguration ofour new corporate office in Kochi and with the back-ing of the Hedge brand we are planning to spear-head our operations in the new segment in a bigway. While focusing on LAS, Hedge Finance is alsobetting on the Indian economy’s growth. The newcompany will also spearhead the group’s nationwideexpansion as plans are on to open branches acrossall the metros,” said Mr Alex.

“Hedge Finance will shortly launch 10 new out-lets exclusively for its NBFC operations. Hedge Eq-uities’ existing 180 branches will also serve the NBFCclients with its prevailing qualitative customer baseof 35,000 and a loan book of Rs 40 crore in its fund-ing against securities. We are confident of achiev-ing a loan book of Rs 100 crore within the first threemonths of operations”. said Mr Bobby Jose, COO ofthe company”.

“Acquiring a licence for an NBFC is an emotional

matter for all of us at Hedge. It is the path-breakingsuccess of leading NBFCs in the state that inducesus to become part of the great opportunity prevailingin the country”, said Mr Bhuvenendran, CEO of thecompany. With the LAS model, Hedge Finance willprovide loans against shares, debentures and Gov-ernment papers as its core area of operation apartfrom venturing into the traditional areas of leasingand general financing, home financing and vehiclefinance, gold loans and project financing. We areplanning to position ourselves as the financial su-permarket with a gamut of products in hand to caterto our customers’ financial needs,” Mr Bhuvenedranadded.

In the new model Hedge Finance will financestocks in the possession of customers. Accordingto Securities and Exchange Board of India (SEBI)norms, for equity financing companies the regulatorcategorically insists on a maximum cap of 50%


42

With growing expertise in the sector,a robust infrastructure model in place

with the recent inauguration of Hedge’snew corporate office in Kochi and with

the backing of the Hedge brand,it’splanning to spearhead its operations

in the new segment in a big way.While focusing on LAS, Hedge Finance is

also betting on the Indian economy’sgrowth. The new company will alsospearhead the group’s nationwideexpansion as plans are on to open

branches across all the metros.

Mr Boby Jose, COO, Mr N Bhuvenendren, C E O and Mr Alex K Babu,Managing Director with actor Mohanlal, Brand Ambassador.


43whereas in the case of NBFCs, companies can pro-vide up to 80% of the total value of the scrips asloan. The advantage of this facility is that the cus-tomer can utilize the fund to average his existingportfolio or he can use it for buying new scrips of hischoice or with the advice of experts of the company.And he can also use the fund for personal purposes.

“The company will not be in difficulty even if thepledged scrips’ value depletes since we have a highlytrained risk management team equipped with themost advanced software for surveillance. In that casewe will immediately alert the customer to top up theloan amount or we will demat the scrip to the tune ofthe likely loss. Keep in mind this: we always fundNifty A-category equities”, said Mr Alex.

“As regards gold loans, we intend to open a newera in the sector. Unlike other lead-ing NBFCs, we finance only in theelectronic format and also try to havea monopoly in the market in thatarea,” said Mr Bhuvenendran. Thereis a growing trend among the eliteand educated class to use the mini-mum number of ornaments with lowweight and keep their investment ingold ETF or papers of similar format.Of course this is a positive sign and

this will avert burglary, cost of possession, wear andtear and other types of losses arising during updat-ing the models. Gold in paper format will have easyliquidity and true value during the sales and is easyto keep in possession. At Hedge Finance we financeonly for the gold in paper format. A person can sys-tematically invest in this format with nominal amountsof Rs 1,000 onwards. Aiming at his long-time needhe can commence investment in small sums andwhenever he needs finance we will provide him with90% of the value. With traditional NBFCs, however,he can only get 60% of the value of the ornamentthanks to the RBI’s recent strictures on gold loancompanies. There is no doubt that the gold marketin future will dominate with electronic investment.The days are near for gifting gold investment certifi-

‘Investing in equitiesis not stock trading’

“There is a general perception among the pub-lic that investing in equities is trading in stocks. ‘Trad-ing’ is the wrong and ridicules word being usedeven among stock brokers,” said MrBhuvenendran. “It is high time the word was elimi-nated from the industry. The word itself conveys a wrong message: thatstock investment is a short cut to easy money and that poor small-timeinvestors will fall easy prey to it.

“Entering the stock market is not for trading; it is for long-term invest-ment. There is no space for speculation and easy money in the stockmarket. Those who invest for long periods in Indian blue-chip compa-nies can expect high growth compared to any other forms of investmentexisting in the country,” he added.

cates instead of gold in physi-cal form for your daughter’swedding. However, as an or-ganic extension of services ofHedge Commodities, anothergroup company having mem-bership in MCX, NCDX andNMC, and with the expertiseof our people we hope that wecan provide impeccable ser-vice to our valued custom-ers,” said Bhuvenendran.

“In the systematic invest-ment plan (SIP) even thesmall investor and the com-mon man can invest even apaltry Rs 1,000. By invest-ing in India’s top companiesthey become part of na-tion-building and part ofthe Indian growth story.The ups and downs of thestock market are also


43part of India’s growth story. The case is the samewith any developing country in the world. Instead ofbecoming panicky we must position ourselves andattain maximum advantage by investing in goodscrips during a downward trend in the market,” saidMr Bobby. A good investor will always observe thehappenings in and around him. There is no probleminvesting in successful local companies and institu-tions for which an investor does not need any exper-tise or advice, he added.

Incorporated in 2008, Hedge Equities, the groupflagship, was a coming together of 25 years of cut-ting-edge experience of business leaders in variousindustries backed by strong expertise in global fi-nancial markets. The company is providing its cus-tomers with identification of good stocks, finance for

investment and easy liquidity if a person needs it.According to the top brass of the company “we aretrying to create an investment culture among thesmall and medium investors. We have to go the ex-tra mile for achieving the goal. Towards the goal wehave already organized 2,600 investors’ programmeswith the help of experts and eminent personalities inthe field. Our company has an in–house team forconducting awareness programmes among the in-vestor fraternity”.

It may be recalled that Indian NBFCs constitutea reasonably big chunk of the country’s overall fi-nancial system and they are estimated to accountfor 9.1% or Rs 4 trillion in assets of the entire finan-cial system. One who watches the industry can wit-ness a lot of structural changes, including in thebusiness models, market dynamics and regulatoryregimes, since its inception. It is a stunning truththat NBFCs have been enjoying a tremendous com-petitive edge compared with their banking peers foralmost more than a decade now and one of the keyreasons for this is that NBFCs cater to the segmentswhere traditional banks are reluctant to enter.

-Response Feature

PASSLINE May 31-June 30, 2012

Printed and Edited by Varghese Paul for Keethara Publications Pvt Ltd. 6802, Convent Road, Kochi-35 Tel 3043572 Email:[email protected] and Printed at Ayodhya Printers Pvt Ltd., Cochin-26 Design & Layout by johnson

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