BRAND KERALA JANUARY 2020 by BRAND KERALA MAGAZINE

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Richest Indians in the Middle East | 16

JANUARY 2020 | VOL. 10 | ISSUE 01 | RS 60/-

ROBUST kerala

December 2019

Editorial Move ahead with focusSed approach and strategy

s Kerala embarks on its 63rd year of formation, it is on the cusp of a revolutionary change after facing Nature’s fury for two consecutive years. While the deluge of 2018 and the landslides of 2019 united the state like no other incident in its recent history, it rattled the people of Kerala to the core and made them ponder over the development model the state should adopt. With a recession staring at the world in the coming years and overall economic slowdown evident in the figures that the World Bank and other financial institutions putting out time and again there are reasons for worry even in India. The Union Finance Minister has on November 15 said it was too early to say if the slowdown in the economy had bottomed out. In the first week of November Moody’s Investors Service cut the country’s sovereign debt outlook to negative amid concerns over slowing growth and revenues. However, for Kerala, a service and remittance dependent economy, there are very few reasons to worry as a slump in manufacturing does not affect it. The Middle East expatriate based remittance is slowing down with the oil-based economies affected by the slump in oil prices but the enterprising Malayali is seeking fresher pastures in Canada and African countries. Kerala, again, is beating its own path to a prosperous future with education and health as the key factors. Entrepreneurship and Startups are the way forward. The robust startup ecosystem in the state has thrown up quite a few enterprises with the state

first in the country to come up with a startup policy earning the praise of the central government. The Kerala Startup Mission (KSUM) has been quite active with many initiatives being incubated under it. In this issue of Brand Kerala, we feature one such start-up that is hoping to change the way Malayalis travel in its towns and cities by switching to an eco-friendly transport. Women in Kerala was always at the forefront of change and there are any number of examples throughout its long history. They have often beat their male counterpart in all fronts, be it education, sports or enterprises. Entrepreneurship among women in the state is on the rise and needs to be welcomed and encouraged wholeheartedly. Even professionals are switching career earlier than later, taking up challenges in the face of severe social opposition even in this techdriven world. State-run companies too are contributing to the state’s, nay, the country’s switch to a greener transportation mode. Kerala Automobile Ltd has developed an electric auto rickshaw that would help bring down pollution across the country. This will be the new reality as Kerala tries to rebuild its economy through a sustainable model that would not repeat the mistakes of exploiting and battering Nature leading to unimaginable catastrophe that the state had witnessed in recent years. In the coming decades, the state will come up with a new development paradigm based on innovative economic and social model projecting a Brand new Kerala. Bimal Shivaji Editor January 2020

contents January 2020 VOL 10 ISSUE 01

MANAGING EDITOR

Ravisankar K V

EXECUTIVE EDITOR

Rajani A

EDITOR

ASSOCIATE EDITOR

DIRECTOR, MARKETING

PHOTOGRAPHER

Bimal Shivaji G Ajith Kumar Bina V Nair Murukesh Iyer

SENIOR LAYOUT ARTIST Vijayagopalan

ONLINE EXECUTIVE Arshad Sulaiman

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No part of this magazine may be reproduced without the written permission of BRAND KERALA All rights reserved Copyright @2019 Printed and Published by Ravisankar K V BRAND KERALA MEDIA HOUSE PVT. LTD. A-29, Kumara Vilas, Elankom Gardens, Vellayambalam, Sasthamangalam P.O., Trivandrum-695010, Kerala, India at Orange Offset Printers Pvt. Ltd. Gandhari Ammankovil Road, Statue, Trivandrum- 695001 for Aarsha Offset Graphix, Mettukkada, Thycaud.P.O., Trivandrum- 695014 Editor: Bimal Shivaji

January 2020

Second Loka Kerala Sabha to be held on Jan. 2, 3

The annual summit of Loka Kerala Sabha, a common platform for the cultural, socio-political and economic integration of NRKs to be held in Kerala

contents 34

Kerala CM woos tech giants, startups to Kerala

Kerala is the most ideal destination for startups and technology giants to choose as the hub of their India, Middle East and South Asia business operations,

FB, Twitter support India

Social media giants Facebook and Twitter showed commitment to invest in Indian startups at Huddle Kerala-2019,

Yusuff Ali richest Indian in Middle East

The Middle East’s billionaires have accumulated their fortunes through a wide range of sectors, with the diversified sector topping the list.

RP group to boost investment in hospitality sector

NRI businessman Mr. Ravi Pillai’s RP Group will be investing Rs 11,000 crore in the tourism and hospitality sectors.

Champions Boat League revives Kerala Tourism

Racing enthusiast and tourists thronging the banks of Ashtamudi Lake at Kollam on November 23 were witnesses to a thrilling end to the over three-month long first edition of CBL.

Kalyan, Joy ALukkas, Tribhovandas & Titan in World’s Top 100 Luxury Companies

Two companies based in Kerala, Kalyan Jewellers & Joy ALukkas named in top 100 global luxury brands.

KTM 2020 to tap quality buyers

In pink of health

The 11th edition of the Kerala Travel Mart will be held at Kochi in September 2020, as India’s largest congregation of tourism industry seeking news ways to promote business.

Kerala continues to top the list for best performing State in the health sector among 21 large States.

Scripting a different story

Cyber Crime Cell busts child porn racket

The tourism industry in the state had been hit hard during the deluge of 2018. Tourism accounts for 12 percent of Kerala’s economy and the flooding brought losses to business owners.

The Cyber crime wing of the Kerala in a series of raids nicknamed ‘Operation P Hunt,’ arrests 12 people, registers 20 cases, seize laptops and mobiles.

Kerala launches own laptop brand

Kerala has got its own laptop named after one omnipresent crop in the state, coconut.

KIMS, Citrine Hospitality launch health card

KIMS Healthcare group, Citrine Hospitality launch KIMS Health First, a medical value travel product. January 2020

Banking

Kerala Bank, A Dream realised Bank ready to disburse Rs.5,000 crore by March, says Vijayan Th e s t a t e h a d requested the RBI for enabling Kerala Bank to accept NRI investment and the government was hoping for a favourable decision soon in this regard.

erala Bank will become the biggest financial institution in the state in the near future, Mr. Pinarayi Vijayan, Chief Minister of Kerala, said while formally announcing the formation of the bank in Trivandrum on December 6. The Reserve Bank of India had given its conditional approval for the formation of the bank in October this year.

The Chief Minister promised loans to farmers at one percent lesser interest than other banks. â&#x20AC;&#x153;If the present interest rate is 7%, it would go down to 6%. This would bring relief to the farmers,â&#x20AC;? he said. The Kerala Bank would soon evolve into the largest banking network in the state. Mr. Vijayan also said that the bank would be ready to disburse Rs.5,000 crore as

Mr. Pinarayi Vijayan, Chief Minister of Kerala, addressing officials and employees of the cooperatiuve banks at Trivandrum on December 6. Mr. Kadakampally Surendran, Minister for Cooperation, Mr. E. Chandrasekharan, Minister for Revenue and Housing; Mr. K. Krishnankutty, Minister for Water Resources; Mr. Ramachandran Kadannappally, Minister for Ports, Museums, Archaeology and Archives ; Mr. A.C. Moideen, Minister for Local Self Governments; Mr. M.M. Mani, Minister for Electricity, Mr. T.P. Ramakrishnan, Minister for Labour and Excise; Mr. K. Sreekumar, Mayor, Mr. V.K. Prasanth and Mr. V. Joy, MLAs; Mr. V.K. Madhu, district panchayat president; Mr. Koliyakode N. Krishnan Nair, State Cooperative Union administrative committee convener; Mr. Tom Jose IAS, Chief Secretary; Ms. Mini Antony IAS, Cooperation Secretary. Ms. P.K. Jayasree, Registrar of Cooperative Societies; and Ms. Rani George IAS, Managing Director, State Cooperative Bank,are also seen.

January 2020

short-term loans by March Modern banking solutions such as core banking would be introduced in the bank within a year. Mr. Vijayan said that non-resident Keralites too stand to benefit with the formation of the bank. The state had requested the RBI for enabling Kerala Bank to accept NRI investment and the government was hoping for a favourable decision from the apex bank in this regard. The cooperative sector was instrumental in popularising banking in the state. Big deposits, loans and agricultural services are the highlights of the sector. The cooperative banks should not change their focus on agriculture loans, he said. He also called upon cooperative institutions to turn into the preferred financial institutions for local selfgoverning bodies. Mr. Vijayan said that corruption will not be tolerated in the sector. The inspecting mechanism will be strengthened. Referring to the Malappuram DCB, which had not joined the new bank, he said: “Those refraining from joining the bank can clear their misunderstanding and join any time. They can talk to the cooperation minister or the chief minister.” Addressing the members of the various cooperative banks who have come to attend the formal inauguration of the bank, he said Kerala should set an example and take a lead in setting up a bank of this nature. The chief minister also received a memorandum from the staff of Malappuram DCB seeking steps to merge the bank with the Kerala Bank. Mr. Kadakampally Surendran, Minister for Cooperation, said that the new bank will not fleece the customers in the

With the Reserve Bank of India giving the final nod for the merger of the 13 district cooperative banks with the Kerala State Cooperative Bank to form the proposed Kerala Bank, the state’s long pending dream a bank became a reality. All the district cooperative banks, except the one in Malappuram, had approved the proposal name of service charge. The function was attended by Mr. E. Chandrasekharan, Minister for Revenue and Housing; Mr. K. Krishnankutty, Minister for Water Resources; Mr. Ramachandran Kadannappally, Minister for Ports, Museums, Archaeology and Archives ; Mr. A.C. Moideen, Minister for Local Self Governments; Mr. M.M. Mani, Minister for Electricity, Mr. T.P. Ramakrishnan, Minister for Labour and Excise; Mr. K. Sreekumar, Mayor, Mr. V.K. Prasanth and Mr. V. Joy, MLAs; Mr. V.K. Madhu, district panchayat president; Mr. Koliyakode N. Krishnan Nair, State Cooperative Union administrative committee convener; Mr. Tom Jose, Chief Secretary; Ms. Mini Antony, cooperation secretary. Ms. P.K. Jayasree, Registrar of Cooperative Societies; and Ms. Rani George, Managing Director, State Cooperative Bank. With the Reserve Bank of India (RBI)

giving the final nod for the merger of the 13 district cooperative banks with the Kerala State Co-operative Bank to form the Kerala Bank, the state government’s long pending dream of setting up its own bank became a reality. All the district cooperative banks, except the one in Malappuram district controlled by the opposition Congress-led UDF, had approved the government’s proposal of amalgamation in their respective general body meetings. The High Court had granted permission to the Kerala Bank after evaluating that its intervention in the merger procedures was not needed. “The High Court has dismissed all cases against the formation of the bank. The process of the legal merger of 13 District Co- operative Banks with the Kerala State Co-operative Bank has been initiated,” Mr. Vijayan had said earlier. The government had said that the objective of the formation of the Kerala Bank was to strengthen the cooperative sector, while the Opposition had alleged that it would destroy the traditional cooperative sector. Mr. Surendran had said the setting up of the bank opens up a huge potential for the development of the state. “I believe this indeed is a revolutionary step and will change the face of banking sector in Kerala.” Mr. Surendran had earlier stated that the first general body meeting of the amalgamated entity will be convened in December itself The post-merger bylaw amendments will be the agenda during the first general body meeting. The state has already decided to appoint Mr. P.S. Rajan, General Manager of the Union Bank of India, as the CEO of Kerala Bank.

January 2020

News

Kerala CM woos tech giants, startups to Kerala

Mr. Pinarayi Vijayan inauguarates Huddle Kerala on September 27. Mr. M. Sivasankar IAS, Secretary, IT and Electronics, Kerala, Mr. Anil Agrawal IPS, Joint Secretary DPIIT, and Mr. Jitender S. Minhas, CEO IAMI Startup Foundation, are also seen.

Under a new government procurement policy departments have been permitted to purchase tech products up to Rs. 1 crore from startups. 10

erala is the most ideal destination for startups and technology giants to choose as the hub of their India, Middle East and South Asia business operations, Mr. Pinarayi Vijayan, Chief Minister of Kerala said on September 27. Inaugurating the second edition of “Huddle Kerala,” Asia’s largest startup convergence, at Kovalam beach resort here, Mr. Vijayan assured all support

January 2020

for investors. He said that considering the state’s inherent strength such as high socio -economic parameters and digitally aware and empowered population, Kerala is a great piloting opportunity for startups seeking to expand in India and other emerging markets. “I welcome startups from abroad and other parts of India to consider making Kerala as a base for your

India, Middle East and South East Asia business efforts”, the Chief Minister said inaugurating the two-day event that brought together the best business and technological minds from across the globe. “We have the talent, support system as well as the market potential to emerge as the innovation hub of India”, he said, recalling that “ it is in this pristine state that Travis Kalanick found inspiration to code the initial version of Uber.” Referring to Kerala’s global exposure since ancient times, Mr. Vijayan said Kerala now boasts of a thriving startup and innovation ecosystem, which offers a lot of incubation facilities, corporate tie-ups and financial systems facilitated by Kerala Startup Mission (KSUM). In a landmark move, the Government had a couple of years back invested in Funds-of-Funds scheme through SEBI accredited funds, which had helped startups to take off and scale up, he said. Many success stories like the manhole-cleaning robot ‘Bandicoot’ of Gen-robotics, have received equity support from international investors like Tiger Global. On its part, the Government has come out with a unique procurement policy by which various departments have been given permission to purchase technology products up to Rs. 1 crore from startups. Also, startups have been facilitated to work closely with the government. The state-led interventions such as establishing Innovation Entrepreneurship Development Cells, distributing Raspberry Pi kits among school children and setting up telepresence network have helped in developing a culture of innovation at school and college levels, he said.

On the occasion, KSUM exchanged three MOUs signed with OPPO, Wadhwani Foundation and Orbital Microsystems Ltd.

Noting that many initiatives of Huddle 2018 have yielded result, the Chief Minister said he was excited to note that Mr. Christopher Biz Stone, cofounder of Twitter, was joining the meet through video-conferencing. He said the Government was also looking forward to more meaningful associations with OPPO and Orbit and Wadhwani Foundation. The Chief Minister also launched ‘WING-Women Rise Together’ an initiative supported by Startup India, to identify and support women entrepreneurs and Adobe Creative Jam, the design hackathon to be organised in association with KSUM. On the occasion, KSUM exchanged three MOUs signed with OPPO, Wadhwani Foundation and Orbital Microsystems Ltd. Mr. M. Sivasankar IAS, Secretary, IT and Electronics, Kerala, said Huddle Kerala will be the most exciting startup conclave in the coming years. Mr. Anil Agrawal IPS, Joint Secretary DPIIT, and Mr. Jitender S. Minhas, CEO IAMI Startup Foundation, were also present. The focal point for tech startups and relevant stake-holders of entrepreneurial ecosystem, the twoday Huddle 2019 was also packed with

Leadership Talks, Tech talks, Fireside chat, Beachside Huddle, Speed Dating with investors and startup demos. The speaker line-up included successful founders, serial entrepreneurs, investors, academics, government officials and industry bigwigs, whose focus was on emerging and future tech sectors like Blockchain, IoT, AI, Big Data, Digiral Entertainment, AR VR, Drone Tech, e-Gov m-Gov and so on.

Kerala Startup Mission (KSUM) played the pivotal role in development, orchestrating every piece of a vibrant Startup ecosystem in Kerala. . The mission was a catalyst in entrepreneurs from Kerala shining in the limelight of success in international forums. Success stories are being written in sectors other than software and Information Technology also. Kerala possess a unique model of connecting academics, industries, R&D institutions and startups, apart from other Startup Ecosystems in the country. The ecosystem is prioritised in such a way that it caters technologies to create developmental interventions for community. Creating a DIY culture at schools stimulates grass root level impact, which further on gets handheld by Mini FAB labs and IEDCs at colleges resulting in a passion to create entrepreneurs adopt latest technologies at home. The government initiated the startup movement through Kerala Startup Mission by forging and implementing forward-looking policies for creating a vibrant start up ecosystem.

January 2020

News Kerala to showcase 100+projects at

ASCEND 2020

Pinarayi Vijayan to inaugurate two-day investors meet in Cochin Th e p ro j e c t s – 60 from the State Industries Department and 40 from other government departments/ agencies – will be presented before the prospective i n ve s t o r s . Th e s e projects span sectors ranging from infrastructure, petrochemicals, defence and agro and food processing to electronic hardware, tourism and hospitality, port and harbour a n d a e ro p o l i s . Th e other sectors in which projects have been formulated are life sciences, fisheries and mobility transport. 12

n an effort to ramp up industrial investments and provide a conducive environment for enterprises in the state, Government of Kerala is ready to showcase more than 100 credible projects to potential investors at ASCEND 2020 Global Investors Meet scheduled to be held from January 9 to 10, 2020 at Lulu Bolgatty International Convention Centre in Kochi. Mr. Pinarayi Vijayan, Chief Minister, is expected to inaugurate the two-day programme with Mr. E P Jayarajan, Minister for Industries, Sports and Youth Affairs, presiding over the function. Mr. Amitabh Kant, CEO, Niti Ayog, Government of India, will deliver the keynote address. Dr. K Elangovan IAS, Principal Secretary, Industries and Norka, will deliver the introductory presentation. The projects – 60 from the State Industries Department and 40 from other government departments/ agencies – will be presented before the prospective investors. These projects span sectors ranging from infrastructure, petrochemicals, defence and agro and food processing to electronic hardware, tourism and hospitality, port and harbour and aeropolis. The other sectors in which

January 2020

projects have been formulated are life sciences, fisheries and mobility transport. The government has initiated new policies and procedures to make the ‘Ease of Doing Business’ easier, tweaked the industrial policy, revised the land assignment rules and introduced electronic platform for hassle-free interactions with the investors, industrialists and entrepreneurs. “Kerala is witnessing a paradigm shift for harnessing industrial investments in the state. It now ranks second among Indian States in the World Bank’s Investment Climate Index. We will aggressively pitch project profiles and the recent amendments to industrial licensing procedures at ASCEND 2020 to position Kerala as a hotspot for attracting investments from India and abroad,” Mr. Jayarajan said. Among the major projects are Phase III of Kochi Metro Rail Project for extending the metro rail from Aluva to Angamaly with airport connectivity and Operation, Management & Development of Trivandrum International Airport through Public Private Partnership (PPP). Also proposed is a Petrochemical Park for the petrochemical

downstream industry on the FACT premises at Ambalamugal, which is expecting investments in the field of automobile industry, plastic industry, pharmaceuticals, textiles and consumer durable. Another ambitious project is the Electronics Hardware Park, which is proposed to be set up on 100 acres in Amballur. The state is also trying to enter the defence sector in a big way by setting up KINFRA Defence Park, which would be manufacturing rotary and fixed wing aircraft, navigation technology, tactical vehicles, submarine building, naval warship, defence IT systems, space robotics maintenance, micro-satellites and unmanned systems. Mr. M.A. Yusuff Ali, Chairman and Managing Director, LuLu Group International; Dr. B. Ravi Pillai, Chairman, RP Group; Dr. Varghese Kurian, Chairman and Managing Director, VKL Holding Company, Bahrain; Mr. J.K Menon, Vice-Chairman, ABN Corporation; and Mr. Ajit Thomas, Chairman, AVT Naturals, will talk about their success in investing globally in a session moderated by Mr. V.K. Mathews, Chairman and Founder, IBS Group. Mr. K.E. Moidu, Managing Director, Peekay Steel; Mr. Sabu Jacob, Chairman and Managing Director, Kitex Garments Ltd; Mr. V. Abdul Razak, Managing Director, VKC Footwear; Mr. Jose Dominic, CEO, CGH Earth Group, Kochi; and Mr. Paul Thomas, Founder, ESAF Bank; will talk about their success while investing in Kerala in a session moderated by Mr. M.S.A. Kumar, President, TIE Kerala Chapter. In the afternoon session of the

Mr. E.P. Jayarajan Minister for Industries & Commerce, Govt. of Kerala

first day, Dr. Ilangovan will speak about ‘Kerala – Towards an Investment Friendly Destination, Mr. Sanjay Garg IAS, Principal Secretary, Industries and Commerce, Government of India will talk about ‘Kerala becoming an MSMEs Haven’. Mr. K. Biju IAS, Director, Industries and Commerce, Government of Kerala, will talk about the role of Industrial Parks becoming the backbone of Kerala’s industrial growth. Mr. M.G Rajamanickam IAS, Director, KSIDC, will speak about the Single Window Facility and Support to Investors. The Role of KINFRA in the Next Generation Industrial Growth will be the topic that Mr. Santhosh Koshy, Managing Director, Kinfra, will be discussing at the programme. Panel discussions on topics such as Projects on Industrial Parks, Logistics and MSMEs; Projects on Mobility Development and Electric Vehicles; and Projects on Life Sciences, Healthcare and Ayurveda would also be organised during the programme.

The participants in the discussions include Mr. Alkesh Kumar Sharma IAS, Managing Director, KMRL; Mr. K. Jayakrishnan, Partner, KPMG in India; Mr. Ranjit Ray, CEO, FTWZ’s DP World; Mr. M. Khalid, State President, Kerala State Small Industries Association; Mr. Deepak L. Ashwani, Co-chair, FICCI, Kerala State Council, Managing Partner, Lachmandas and Sons; Mr. Elias George, Partner and Head of Infrastructure, Government and Healthcare, KPMG in India; Mr. Om Prakash Agarwal, CEO WRI India; Mr. Rajagopalan Sathish, Head of Strategy and Business Development, Mahindra Electric; Mr. John K. Paul, Managing Director, Popular Vehicles and Services; Dr. Christy Fernandes IAS, Chairman, KSIDC; Dr. Mulchand S. Patel, Distinguished Professor, Jacob’s School of Medicine and Biomedical Education, University of New York at Buffalo, USA; Dr. C.N. Ramchand, CEO, Saksin Lifesciences Ltd; Mr. Sam Santhosh, Founder and Chairman, MedGenome Labs Pvt Ltd; and Mr. Rajiv Vasudevan, Managing Director and CEO, Ayurvaid.

January 2020

News

FB, Twitter support

India

In India, around 1.95 start-ups get registered every

hour. Soon, it could be two start-ups

ocial media giants Facebook and Twitter showed commitment to invest in Indian startups at Huddle Kerala-2019, billed as “Asia’s largest tech start-up congregation”, in Kovalam. Facebook has come forward to put direct equity in technology start-ups in India. Not to be left behind, Twitter co-

founder Christopher Isaac Biz Stone too has promised to “get involved”. Facebook came forward to put direct equity in technology start-ups in India. Mr. Ajit Mohan, Facebook’s VicePresident and Managing Director for India, said that his company had “shown

per hour. We have 22,895 registered start-ups in the country as per the records till September 2019. Around 45% of start-ups come from tier-2 and tier-3 cities. About 9% to 10% start-ups have women as founders, Mr. Ajit Mohan, Facebook’s Vice-President and Managing Director for India, addressing the audience at Huddle 2019.

January 2020

willingness to make direct investments in technology start-ups in India.” Facebook was “willing to spend time and energy to tap the massive depth of engineering talent in the country,” Mr. Mohan said. Mr. Mohan went on to recount the first minority investment that FB had done anywhere in the world, in a company called Meesho. What Meesho does is, it leverages on Indian women entrepreneurs, essentially pitching products to their friends and families. It focuses on skill-building and introduction of platforms to start-ups. According to Mr. Mohan, the best thing about the model was it could bring 2,00,000 first-time female entrepreneurs online. “It is an innovation that was coming out of India, which can be exported to rest of the world,” he said, adding that women’s representation in technology is just 30-35% and such initiatives would help close the gender gap. Mr. Biz Stone, Twitter co-founder and Angel investor, said he would be investing in a Cochin-based startup, Sieve. Mr. Stone said this through a video conference while addressing Huddle Kerala 2019. The company currently serves in the US market and will soon be expanding to Europe. Mr. Stone said he has used the product Sieve as a freelancer. “As an Angel, I consider the person first and the product second. I find Sanjay a dedicated, empathetic and extremely hardworking individual,” said Mr.Stone in his video address. He, however, did not divulge his quantum of investment. Founded by Mr. Sanjay Nediyara, a hearing-impaired entrepreneur, Sieve is a complete platform for

Mr. Anil Agrawal IPS, Joint Secretary DPIIT, who was the chief guest, addressing the audience at Huddle Kerala 2019, in Kovalam, Trivandrum, on September 27.

freelancers and agencies that provides the infrastructure from websites to digital signatures and all the way up to invoicing and payment management. Mr. Nediyara lauded this as one of the rare investments made by Twitter India and the first in Kerala. “Our larger vision is to build truly Internet companies in the cloud where people can form companies and work from anywhere in the world. Our other investor is Friends of Oorjja, which is an ecosystem for empowering differentlyabled community. It consists of senior professionals from banking and finance industry in the United Kingdom and Otis Elevators company,” he said. Mr. Nediyara was one of the Forbes fellows in 2018 and was also invited by Google to attend their largest developer conference Google IO as their guest. He had bagged the Reach Award instituted by Eric Weihenmayer Foundation in the

United States. Mr. Anil Agrawal, Joint Secretary, Department for Promotion of Industry and Internal Trade (DPIIT), who was the chief guest at the two-day seminar, said that other states should replicate the Kerala model in building the start-up ecosystem. The Joint Secretary congratulated Kerala for coming up with a startup friendly atmosphere in the state. “In India, around 1.95 start-ups get registered every hour. Soon, it could be two start-ups per hour. We have 22,895 registered start-ups in the country as per the records till September. Around 45% of start-ups come from tier-2 and tier-3 cities. About 9% to 10% start-ups have women as founders,” he said. Huddle Kerala-2019 was organised by Internet and Mobile Association of India (IAMAI) and KSUM (Kerala Startup Mission).

January 2020

News

Yusuff Ali

richest Indian in Middle East Th e e f f e c t o f t h e economic slowdown has been felt by the billionaires in the Middle East region too with their total worth net worth shrinking by nearly 5 % t o r e a c h $1 9 1 . 3 billion compared w i t h $2 0 1 . 4 b i l l i o n i n 2018. Only seven out of the 42 billionaires in the Middle East managed to raise their fortunes.

he Middle Eastâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s billionaires have accumulated their fortunes through a wide range of sectors, with the diversified sector topping the list, followed by telecoms and banking. With $4.7 billion Mr. M.A. Yusuff Ali, Chairman and Managing Director of LuLu Group International, is the richest among the eight Indian billionaires residing in the Middle East with a total fortune of $22.9 billion according to Forbes Billionaires 2019 list. The effect of the economic slowdown has been felt by the billionaires in the Middle East region too with their total worth net worth shrinking by nearly 5% to reach $191.3 billion compared with $201.4 billion in 2018. Only seven out of the 42 billionaires in the Middle East

January 2020

Mr. M.A. Yusuff Ali

Mr. B. Ravi Pillai

managed to raise their fortunes. With a net worth of $3.9 billion, Mr. Ravi Pillai was the second richest selfmade Indian in the Middle East followed by Mr. B.R. Shetty with a net worth of $3.9 billion. Mr. Pillai migrated to Saudi Arabia after his small construction business in his native Kerala state went bust He started over again in 1978 and built his RP Group into a $7.8 billion construction heavyweight. The construction magnate has used his Gulf riches to invest back home, picking up stakes in banks, hotels and real estate. A former pharma salesman, Mr. Shetty immigrated from Karnataka in South India to Abu Dhabi in 1973 to set up a healthcare empire.His biggest asset is London-listed NMC Health, one of the UAE’s largest hospital chains. Mr. Shetty has brought his money remittance firms UAE Exchange and Travelex Group under a new holding firm called Finablr. He also owns

Mr. B.R. Shetty

Mr. Sunny Varkey

Mr. Ravi Pillai built his RP Group into a $7.8 billion construction heavyweight. The construction magnate has used his Gulf riches to invest back in India, picking up stakes in banks, hotels and real estate. healthcare firm BR Life, which has a presence in India, Nepal, Africa and the Middle East. Mr. Sunny Varkey, with a net worth of $2.4 B, is the founder of GEMS Education, the largest operator

of private kindergarten-to-grade-12 schools in the world, and as of 2014 has over 130 schools in over a dozen countries. Today, GEMS has more than 250 schools worldwide. One of GEMS Education Solutions’ projects is assisting and advising the state school system in the United Arab Emirates. In Ghana, it implements MGCubed – Making Ghana Girls Great – which equips two classrooms in each Ghanaian primary school with a computer, projector, satellite modem, and solar panels, creating an interactive distance-learning platform to deliver both formal in-school teaching and informal after-school training. The project teaches 8,000 students in 72 Ghanaian schools, and is SubSaharan Africa’s first interactive distance-learning project. With a net worth of $1.4 billion, Mr. Shamsheer Vayalil, son-in-law of Mr. M.A. Yusuff Ali, founded VPS Healthcare, a network of hospitals, clinics and

January 2020

News Kannur International Airport Ltd. and a member of the Kerala NRI Commission – a commission with quasi-judicial powers set up in the Indian state of Kerala to protect the rights, interests, and properties of Non-resident Indians (NRIs) hailing from Kerala. With a net worth of $1.1 billion Mr. P.N.C Menon is a real estate business man based in Dubai. At the age of 26 Mr. Menon left Kerala for Oman where over the years he developed his interior decoration business into a profitable venture. In 1995, he started Sobha Ltd.

Dr. Shamsheer Vayalil

pharmacies. Backed initially by his wealthy father-in-law, Mr. Vayalil started with one hospital in Abu Dhabi in 2007.VPS also owns the Rockland Hospital chain in Delhi and the VPS Lakeshore Hospital in Kochi. Mr. Vayalil is also vice-chairman and managing director of investment firm Amanat Holdings, in which he has a 21% stake. Mr. Vayalil started his career as a radiologist at Sheikh Khalifa Medical City in Abu Dhabi. He worked there for 12 months. In 2007, he became an entrepreneur in the field of healthcare by opening his first hospital – LLH Hospital in Abu Dhabi. Over the next 12 years, Mr. Vayalil started 23 hospitals in four countries, under the banner of VPS Healthcare. Mr. Vayalil is a member of the UAE Medical Council, a board member of the Abu Dhabi University, and a member of the Advisory Committee of the University of Sharjah’s College of Medicine. He is also the director of

In 2007, Dr. Shamseer Vayalil became an entrepreneur in the field of healthcare by opening his first hospital – LLH Hospital in Abu Dhabi. Over the next 12 years, Mr. Vayalil started 23 hospitals in four countries, under the banner of VPS Healthcare. A member of the UAE Medical Council, he is also the director of Kannur International Airport Ltd. and a member of the Kerala NRI Commission.

January 2020

Mr. P.N.C. Menon

in Bangalore named after his wife. Mr. Menon’s Sobha Realty in the Middle East has operations spanning the UAE, Qatar, Oman and other Gulf countries. Dr. Azad Moopen, Chairman and Managing Director of Aster DM Healthcare, with a net worth of $1.1 billion, is among Forbes’ newest billionaires and is ranked 15th in the latest list of Middle East’s richest Indians. The hospital group is among the United Arab Emirates’ largest private healthcare players. The company spans a chain of hospitals in the Gulf region as well as in India, and a thriving pharmacy chain and medical clinics. In the Gulf region, the entrepreneur is growing the five-hospital chain by adding six more hospitals in the next two years – three in Dubai, and one each in Sharjah, Abu Dhabi and Qatar. Today, the 1,000-doctor chain treats 8 million patients annually. Dr. Moopen has been involved in the development of healthcare facilities in India. MIMS hospitals directly employ about 3,000 people.

Under his leadership, LuLu Financial Group today is a global non-banking financial institution with 132 branches around the world and over 1,500 employees onboard the enterprise. Mr. Ahamed is also the managing director of Twenty14 Holdings, the hospitality arm of Abu Dhabi-based conglomerate Lulu Group International. It was founded in 2014 to capitalise on the growth in the global hospitality industry. The company currently has assets worth

Dr. Azad Moopen

He participated in establishing the 600-bed tertiary care Malabar Institute of Medical Sciences (MIMS) hospital at Kozhikode in Kerala in 2001. This was the first multi-specialty hospital in India to receive National Accreditation Board for Hospitals & Healthcare Providers accreditation in 2007. The second 150-bed MIMS hospital was set up at Kottakkal in Malappuram district in 2009. MIMS Charitable Trust under his leadership established a rural health centre at the backward Vazhayur Panchayat near Kozhikode in 2008 and adopted 7,000 BPL members for comprehensive free out-patient and in-patient care. The trust is adopting the BPL population in the three wards around MIMS in the Corporation of Kozhikode and also plans to conduct a breast and cervical cancer screening programme. Ranked 14th in Forbes List of Richest Indians in the Middle East, Mr. Adeeb Ahamed, is the Managing Director, LuLu Financial Group and Twenty14 Holdings.

Dr. Azad Moopen participated in establishing the 600-bed tertiary care Malabar Institute of Medical Sciences (MIMS) hospital at Kozhikode in Kerala in 2001. This was the first multispecialty hospital in India to receive National Accreditation Board for Hospitals & Healthcare Providers accreditation in 2007. The second 150-bed MIMS hospital was set up at Kottakkal in Malappuram district in 2009.

Mr. Adeeb Ahamed.

more than US$650m spread across the UK, Middle East and India. In India, the group marked its entry into the hospitality sector with the acquisition of a hotel in Kochi in 2015, which is under renovation. Since then, Twenty14 Holdings has invested in two other properties in Bangalore, that are under various stages of development. With the first phase of development already underway in Kerala and Karnataka, the group is on the lookout for investment options in other major cities across India. Twenty14 Holdings had also acquired the Waldorf Astoria Edinburgh - The Caledonian in Scotland for US$120mn and has also made a ÂŁ110mn agreement with property developer Galliard Homes to create a luxurious five-star hotel at 1-5 Great Scotland Yard, the former headquarters of Londonâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Metropolitan Police. The firm co-owns the landmark Sheraton Oman Hotel in Muscat and owns the Steigenberger Hotel Business Bay in Dubai and three properties in India. January 2020

News

RP group to boost investment in hospitality sector Mr. Ravi Pillai has said that he was considering investments of up to Rs 10,000 crore, proprietary capital investment in Kerala, in addition to plans to enter Goa. Raviz Hotels and Resorts will also be entering the hospitality coaching sector.It is also planning to build a new hotel and convention centre in Kovalam

RI businessman Mr. Ravi Pillai’s RP Group will be investing Rs 11,000 crore in the tourism and hospitality business sectors globally to acquire and develop properties in India, Europe, the Far East and the US. Raviz, the group’s own hospitality brand, will be evolved into an independent global brand to own and operate the upcoming properties across the continents. Mr. Pillai has said that he was considering investments of up to Rs 10,000 crore, proprietary capital investment in Kerala, in addition to plans to enter Goa.” The group will also be entering the hospitality coaching sector. Raviz Hotels and Resorts now owns nine hotels and resorts in India and the UAE. There are four hotels in Kerala – one each at Thiruvananthapuram and Kollam and two in Kozhikode The group is also planning to build a new hotel and convention centre in Kovalam. In Kollam, the group has

January 2020

bought an old palace which will be developed as a resort for ayurvedic treatment, targeting tourists from the Middle East and Europe.

In Dubai, Raviz has two properties and the third property, coming up on Dubai Marina, will have more than 300 rooms. In the next four years, the group will be acquiring properties in the Middle East. Mr. Pillai became an entrepreneur in the late 1970s in Kerala, where he had set up a contracting business, serving the local public-sector enterprises. Shifting base to Saudi Arabia in 1978, Mr. Pillai he founded Nasser S Al-Hajri Corp (NSH), a contracting and engineering services firm. Separately, the group has decided to discontinue having the brand Leela to operate its Kovalam property. Raviz has evolved into an independent global brand to own and operate some of the best hospitality properties in the world. The Raviz Kovalam is a landmark

5-star resort hotel at Kovalam, one of the most popular 5-star holiday destinations in Trivandrum. The Raviz Kovalam, with its spectacular view of the ocean, world-class comforts, and finger-licking delicacies, takes the pride of the place among the various resorts dotting the beach. The Raviz Kovalam tops the list of five-star luxury hotels in Trivandrum, five-star spa hotels in Kerala and five-star resorts in Kerala. One of the richest Malayalis in the world, Mr. Pillaiâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s personal net worth is now valued at Rs. 23,400 crore.

Mr. Ravi Pillai

January 2020

Cover Story

Champions Boat League revives Kerala tourism

Photo: Suresh P.R.

K e r a l a To u r i s m â&#x20AC;&#x2122; s move to transform the traditional boat races of Godâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Own Country into a global sporting event has seen tourists, both domestic and foreign, flocking to the venues in large troves. According to the tourism department, above one lakh tourists, on an average, attended the CBL ra c e s . Th i s h a s helped revive the flood affected tourism sector in t h e s t a t e . Fo r t h e boat clubs, which had fallen on difficult times, the CBL was a welcome move.

Mr. P. Bal Kiran IAS, presents a memento to Mr. Sachin Tendulkar, cricket legend, during the Nehru Trophy Boat Race at Alleppey in the presense of Mr. Kadakampally Surendran, Minister for Tourism, Mr. Pinarayi Vijayan, Chief Minister of Kerala, Dr. Thomas Issac, Minister for Finance, and Mr. Krishna Teja IAS, then Sub Collector of Alleppey are also seen.

acing enthusiast and tourists thronging the banks of Ashtamudi Lake at Kollam on November 23 were witnesses to a thrilling end to the over threemonth long first edition of the Rs 6 crore prize money-Champions Boat League. Tropical Titans rowed past Raging Rowers by just 11 milliseconds bagging a prize money of a total of Rs 1.31 crore, while the difference between the runner up and the third placed Mighty Oars was just 13 milliseconds. Tropical Titans crested the finishing post in a time of 4: 33:69, Raging Rowers clocked 4:33:80 and Mighty Oars 4:33:93. It was a thrilling finale to the inaugural edition of CBL, conceived and organised by Kerala Tourism to promote viewership of snakeboat races. With the oarsmen sending spray and

January 2020

creating ripples on the water as they hit it rhythmically, the largest team sport on the greenest race track in the world kindled awe in spectators. With over a 100

oarsmen per boat rowing to the tunes of the vanchippatu, it was a spellbinding view to see the boats vying for the first three slots. The introductory Champions Boat League had rejuvenated the traditional boat races of Kerala most often associated with the harvest festival of Onam. Kerala Tourism’s move to transform the traditional boat races of God’s Own Country into a global sporting event has seen tourists, both domestic and foreign, flocking to the venues in large troves. According to the tourism department, above one lakh tourists, on an average, attended the CBL races. This has helped revive the flood affected tourism sector in the state. For the boat clubs, which had fallen on difficult times, the CBL was a welcome move. Each of the nine teams got Rs 4 lakh for participating in a race with the top three teams in each race earning an additional Rs 5 lakh, Rs 3 lakh and Rs 1 lakh. Organised across 11 venues in five districts of the state, the nine teams clashed over 12 races. Potentially the least a team could make was Rs 48 lakh. As snakeboat racing is an expensive affair, and it costs the teams a big amount to participate, the state government decided to underwrite expenses.

The introductory Champions Boat League has rejuvenated the traditional boat races of Kerala most often associated with the harvest festival of Onam.. Second placed Raging Rowers earned Rs 82 lakh, while third placed Mighty Oars got Rs 69 lakh. While the winners were a foregone conclusion, there was intense interest on who would take third spot as coming into the finals Mighty Oars and Coast Dominators were tied at 69 points. Mighty Oars edged ahead by just one point. Coast Dominators were the only other team to have won a race from the Tropical Titans beating them in the Kochi leg. Tough the auction for the nine clubs did not take off owing to the lukewarm response from advertisers, interest is sure to pickup with the Tourism department’s plans to make the CBL a Rs.150 crore event in the next five years. CBL 2020 edition

is slated to be grander in scale with two ministers present at the final race announcing mega plans for the race. Mr. T.M. Thomas Isaac, Minister for Finance, said that the league will include the Malabar districts as well. Mr. Kadakampally Suredran. Minister for Tourism, said that there could be stronger sponsorships from corporate houses next year as well. “The CBL has lent a brand value to boat races and I am sure will evolve into a strong format in future editions,” he said. The idea is to make into an IPL style league owned by franchises, Mr. Suredran said. The Champions Boat League was inaugurated by Mr. Pinarayi Vijayan, Chief Minister of Kerala, in Alleppey on August 31 in the presence of Mr. Sachin Tendulkar, cricket legend. Addressing the crowd of enthusiasts at Punnamada Kayal, Mr. Tendulkar said Kerala and its people showed rare resilience, especially after back to back disasters in the form of floods and landslides. “To overcome the past challenges would not have been possible without the spirit and resilience of Keralites. My prayers and thoughts go out to all the families who lost their near and dear ones. I would also like to applaud the organisers for putting up such an event in a span of just 20 days,” the master blaster said. Mr. Tendulkar also stressed that while cricket involved up to 16 people in a team, a snake boat race involves over 100 people. “That requires tremendous understanding between the members and the skills of coordination from the captain,” he said. Mr. Vijayan said that the boat league reinforces the spirit of unity among the people. “True, you compete with each other with your boats. But at the end of the day, it is all about the harmonious relationship between us human beings,” he said. The CBL got off to a start with the prestigious Nehru Trophy boat race. The race,

January 2020

Cover Story which formally began in the early 1950s, was named after India’s first Prime Minister Jawaharlal Nehru after he witnessed the race once during his visit to Alleppey. The rolling trophy given to the winners of the race each year was donated by Nehru himself. Snake boats or “chundam vallam” are essentially long canoes that can seat 100160 rowers and can have a length between 100 and 138 feet. While the front portion of the boat tapers with a pointy end, the rear end can rise up to a height of 20 feet — the entire wooden structure resembling a snake with its raised hood, giving its famous name. The rhythmic swaying of the male rowers as they paddle in impeccable unison, the thrusting of the oars hard into the water accompanied by traditional ‘vanchipattu’ or boat songs – all of which collectively define snake boat races in Kerala are a delight to watch. The races, that traditionally take place close to the harvest festival of Onam, attract a lot of tourists who make their way to the state. Touted as a game-changing initiative, the CBL (www.championsboatleague.in) is meant to professionalise Kerala’s largely

scattered snake-boat races. “The boat league commercialises them in a positive way. For, the conventional spirit is kept intact,” Mr. Surendran said. The CBL will mark a paradigm shift in the state’s ageold culture of boat races, the Minister said. According to Ms. Rani George IAS, Secretary, Tourism, “The Champions’ Boat League has been conceptualised with a vision to transform our traditional boat races into a world-class sporting event. CBL aims to bring in long-term benefits to the athletes and boat clubs and usher in a new era in the sport. The introduction of the league will add a new facet to our tourism offering and further strengthen the brand perception of Kerala as a land of diverse and authentic experiences.” “It is not just about the prizes or the cash. Our streamlining the regional boat races by making them part of a series that attracts worldwide attention will enrich the traditional event in tune with the times. It is anyway meant to benefit local communities, given its focus on social aspects,” Mr. Surendran said. The government has formed a company, CBL Limited, for the conduct of the races. The races, being held from 2 pm

to 5 pm, were being broadcast live. Star Sports 2, Star Sports 2 HD, Star Sports 1 Tamil, Asianet Worldwide, Asianet Plus, Hotstar, ETV Andhra Pradesh and ETV Telangana will beam the event for an hour from 4 pm. According to Mr. P. Bala Kiran IAS, Director, Tourism, “Champions’ Boat League is designed to elevate the legacy of our traditional backwater boat races. As a part of our diverse tourism offering, audiences can experience the vigour and glory of the backwaters from a whole new perspective this year.” By signing a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with a consortium represented by E-Factor Entertainment and The Social Street (AMP Communications) for the branding, promotions, marketing and revenue generation activities of the Champions’ Boat League (CBL), Kerala Tourism has made a bold step to project the state as a sporting venue. The MoU was signed after a multiagency pitch and Kerala Tourism appointed the consortium which will be responsible for all promotional activities of the league for the next five years starting from 2019 until 2023.

Photo: Mohan Parameswaran

January 2020

CBL a game changer for Kerala Tourism

ackwaters of Kerala always drew the attention of travellers visiting India. Until the idea of backwater tourism was conceived, Kerala’s backwaters were nature hotspots and a livelihood for the local community in terms of farming, fishing and so on. Later by the innovative thoughts of some tourism entrepreneurs, the idea of converting a 100-feet long rice boat into a houseboat changed the tourism fate of Kerala backwaters. This revolution was followed by many hotels and resorts along the coconut palm-fringed backwater areas of Kerala. And Kerala is now mainly known for its unique backwaters and life around it. As Kerala has around 400 kms long backwater stretch, local boat festivals were always a part of local

culture and entertainment. But when Nehru Trophy Boat Race was launched in 1952, it was a legendary beginning of a mighty event and since 1954; it’s an annual event at Alleppey which takes place on second Saturday of August. There are many regular domestic and foreign tourists witness the event every year on regular event. This mega event has different segments and categories of country boats like Chundan, Iruttukuty, odi, Palliyodam, Veppu etc. But Boat races are known for Chundan Vallom (Boat) which is constructed according to specifications taken from the Sthapathya Veda, an ancient treatise for the building of wooden boats. These boats vary from 100 to 138 feet in length. With the rear portion rising to a height of about 10 feet, and a long tapering front portion, it resembles a snake with its hood raised. Naturally

this boat race is also known as Snake Boat Race globally. Nehru Trophy Boat Race happens as an extension of the harvest festival too. Kerala Tourism took a bold decision on bringing this unique water sport, ‘Vallom Kali’, as an annual event for the tourists as well as local community across the entire backwater belt of Kerala. And here comes the Champion’s Boat League (CBL) is going to be a game changer in the tourism history of Kerala. Every participating team will get an assured fee of Rs. 48 Lakhs in a season apart from the prize money of Rs. 25 lakhs, Rs. 15 lakhs and Rs. 10 Lakhs as first, second and third prizes respectively. George Scaria, President, Tourism Professionals Club Kochi & MD, Kerala Voyages ( India) Pvt. Ltd.

With an estimated 22 lakh viewers watching the races across the five district,

and the event broadcast live over several channels, the state government was hope-

ful of making the business of boat racing more lucrative for the snakeboat owners.

January 2020

Luxury Brands

Kalyan, Joy ALukkas, Tribhovandas & Titan in World’s Top 100 Luxury companies

Mr. Joy Alukkas

January 2020

wo companies based in Kerala, Kalyan Jewwellers & Joy ALukkas along with Titan Industries, PC Jewellers and TBZ were named in top 100 global luxury brands by Deloitte Global Powers of Luxury Goods 2019 report. According to the report LVMH Moët Hennessy-Louis Vuitton SE, the French major maintained its first rank while the US based Estée Lauder Companies Inc. and Compagnie Financière Richemont SA from Switzerland bagged second and third positions this year too. Vying for a spot among big luxury goods companies such as Louis Vuitton, Estee Lauder, Cartier, and Gucci were India’s Titan, Kalyan Jewellers, PC Jewellers, Joyallukas and TBZ, according to Deloitte’s report. Titan was ranked 27th with their luxury brands, Tanishq, Zoya, Nebula and Xylys. Kalyan Jewellers India Pvt. Limited, India is in 35th rank with their Mudhra, Tejasvi and Glo luxury brand while Joyalukkas India Pvt. Limited India, stood 47th with the brands Zenina, veda, Pride and Eleganza. Both companies improved their last year’s position up by 2.

The world’s Top 100 luxury goods companies generated revenues of $247b in FY2017, up from $217b in the previous year (an increase of $30b). Annual growth jumped to 10.8%, on a currency-adjusted composite basis,

Mumbai based PC Jeweller Ltd. ranked 40th and Tribhovandas Bhimji Zaveri Limited bagged 87th position. The world’s Top 100 luxury goods companies generated revenues of $247 billion in FY2017, up from $217 billion in the previous year (an increase of $30 billion). Annual growth jumped to 10.8%, on a currency-adjusted composite basis, much higher than the previous year’s 1% growth. Seventy-six percent of the firms reported growth in their luxury sales, with nearly half of these recording double-digit year-on-year growth. Within the 100 global brands, 20 of them are growing fastest based on their CAGR. Three Indian companies featured in this list as well. For FY1517, Titan with a CAGR of over 19%, PC Jeweller with a CAGR of over 14% and Joyallukas with CAGR of little less than 13% are among the fastest growing top 20 luxury companies. Globally, Canada Goose Holdings Inc., Coty Luxury and Furla lead the list with India’s Titan following closely The top rank brand LVMH Moët Hennessy-Louis Vuitton SE are the brand keepers of world famous Louis Vuitton,

Christian Dior, Fendi, Bvlgari, Loro Piana, Emilio Pucci, Acqua di Parma, Loewe, Marc Jacobs, TAG Heuer and Benefit Cosmetics. Estée Lauder, Bobbi Brown, La Mer, Jo Malone London, Aveda; Licensed beauty & fragrance brands inc and Tom Ford Beauty are major brand lying with The Estée Lauder Companies Inc. US. Swiss luxury makers Compagnie Financière Richemont SA owns brand like Cartier, Van Cleef & Arpels, Montblanc,Jaeger-LeCoultre, Vacheron Constantin, IWC, Piaget, Chloé, Officine Panerai and YNAP According to the report luxury goods market displays growth despite slowing economy around the world. Digitisation and growing millennia’s and Gen Z define the future of the luxury markets. Despite the recent slowdown of economic growth in major markets including China, the Eurozone and the US, the luxury goods market looks positive. In an age of fast changing trends, luxury companies have started to keep an eye on the new consumer classes of the future, are committing to make significant investments in digital

Mr. T.S. Pattabhiraman and his sons.

marketing and increasingly using social media to engage their customers. Companies are re-examining the value of brand heritage and brand history for their new customers and are adopting an omni-personal approach, focusing solely on the consumer, even prior to channel identification. To do that, they rely on digital technologies. In this path between the old and the new, companies are faced with consumers’ increasing sensitivity towards privacy, but are trying to convert it into an opportunity to offer more personalised products and services to their customer base. As per the Deloitte report 2019 Indian luxury market segment is one of the fastest growth market globally.

January 2020

Tourism

KTM 2020 to tap quality buyers Conclave at Kochi to focus on ways to fight newage challenges

he 11th edition of the Kerala Travel Mart (KTM) will be held at Kochi in September 2020, as Indiaâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s largest congregation of tourism industry will see stakeholders across

the country and abroad seek new ways to promote business. Announcing the event at a press conference on October 17, Mr. Kadakampally Surendran, Tourism

Mr. Kadakampally Surendran, Tourism Minister, annoucing KTM 2020 at a press conference on October 17. Mr. Baby Mathew Somatheeram, President, KTM Society, Mr. Swaminathan S, Vice-President, KTM; Mr. Jose Pradeep, Secretary, KTM; Mr. Scaria Jose, Treasurer; Mr. E M Najeeb, Mr. Abraham George, and Mr. Riaz Ahamed, former presidents of KTM; and managing committee members of KTM, are also seen.

January 2020

Minister, said KTM 2020 will aim at exploring new markets for Champions Boat League (CBL), adventure tourism and MICE (Meetings, Incentives, Conventions and Exhibitions) along with finding excellent global buyers. “KTM 2020 will be a four-day event starting on September 24, 2020, with two days packed with sessions involving international buyers, MICE operators and corporate houses. The remaining two days will be for those involved in domestic tourism,” the minister said. The afternoon session on the final day will be open to the general public. The biennial conclave, being organised by the KTM Society with support from the Kerala Government’s Department of Tourism, will see increased number of quality buyers from countries that have the potential to boost the state’s travel industry. Further, KTM 2020 aims to go a step ahead in buyer selection, stall allocation and buyer-seller appointment. The venue will be Sagara and Samudrika convention centres of Cochin Port Trust in Willingdon Island. The focus on finding major buyers from across the globe comes in continued pursuit of new kind of tourists at the national and international levels. KTM 2020 will hold presentations with this in mind, considering that the travel mart’s 2018 edition could lent fresh energy to Kerala’s tourism sector and help it regain lost ground after the year’s flood. KTM 2020 will accord importance to Kerala Tourism’s pioneering CBL modelled on IPL cricket. The threemonth event was held at different venues in six districts of the coastal state. The 12-round boat league has already wooed 10 lakh spectators.

KTM 2018 had 1,305 buyers, a third of them from foreign nations. Those from abroad totalled 442: buyers from 58 countries including the US, Russia, Japan, China, Australia and Britain. The domestic buyers totalled 863. The sellers had set up 313 stalls in an expansive venue of 75,000 square feet, showcasing a wide array of products and services and drawing encouraging response from the general public as well.

“KTM 2020 will be a four-day event starting on September 24, 2020, with two days packed with sessions involving international buyers, MICE operators and corporate houses. The remaining two days will be for those involved in domestic tourism,

Adventure tourism will be another area that KTM 2020 will focus on. Kerala aims to boost its new products in activities such as trekking, mountaineering, river rafting, paragliding and off-roading. Praising the tremendous support of the government to KTM, Mr. Baby Mathew Somatheeram, President, KTM Society, said unlike in the past, the four-day schedule has been fixed for providing a platform for buyers and sellers to hold effective interactions. A third segment to be promoted will be MICE tourism. Kerala is becoming a major destination for international conclaves, which aid MICE. Recently, the India Conventions Promotion Bureau opened a Kerala chapter. Mr. Swaminathan S, Vice-President, KTM; Mr. Jose Pradeep, Secretary, KTM; Mr. Scaria Jose, Treasurer; Mr. E M Najeeb, Mr. Abraham George, and Mr. Riaz Ahamed, former presidents of KTM; and managing committee members of KTM were also present.

The Kerala Travel Mart Society that was founded in 2000 conducts the biennial Kerala Travel Mart that hosts India’s largest gathering in tourism industry, facilitating meetings involving buyers, sellers, media and government agencies among others. KTM brings the business fraternity and entrepreneurs behind Kerala’s unparalleled tourism products and services. An unmatched range of sellers from airline service providers to tour operators participate in this mart. While the comprehensive range of products enables the participants to get an in-depth knowledge of God’s Own Country, the seminars, pre/post mart tours, cultural and exhibitor evenings give them a first-hand experience of the destination. Airlines, adventure tourism, amusement parks, Ayurveda centres, backwater and farm tourism, homestays, hotels, houseboats, hospitals, health care, resorts, travel agents, tour operators and the other members help the buyers stay connected with the tourism fraternity in the state.

January 2020

Health

In pink of

health In 2019, Kerala continued to top the list for the best performing State in the health sector among the 21 large states, according to the second edition of NITI Aayogâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Health Index released in J u n e t h i s y e a r . Th e state got an overall score of 74.01

January 2020

he Ministry of Health and Family Welfare, Government of Kerala has been doing commendable service and this has been recognised as seen by the many awards it has under its belt in a short period. “It is health that is the real wealth, and not pieces of gold and silver,” so said Mahatma Gandhi. Kerala was always on the top in various health indicators, be it infant mortality rate, or in the fight against polio, small pox and various other diseases. It was always way above the national average in all senses. In 2019, Kerala continued to top the list for the best performing State in the health sector among the 21 large states, according to the second edition of NITI Aayog’s Health Index released in June this year. The state got an overall score of 74.01. The report has also compared health outcomes of Kerala to that of Argentina

The Kerala health care system crossed a new milestone after seven PHCs secured the National Quality Assurance Standards certification. Among the seven, the family health centre at Kayyur in Kasaragod secured the top position. or Brazil, with neo-natal mortality rate (NMR) which is the probability of a baby dying in first 28 days of birth, being as low as six per 1,000 live births. Dr. Harsh Vardhan, Union Minister for Health, in a letter to the Government of Kerala, lauded the achievements of the state in the health sector. In the letter he said that he congratulated the whole team and the government for doing commendable service in public health. In appreciation of the achievement, the Centre will sanction more funds for Kerala in the health sector. This would be disbursed as an incentive that would be 10 percent of the total amount that was sanctioned earlier. And this would come to about Rs.100 crores, according to a press release by the office of the Minister of Health and Social Welfare. If the state further improves the services in the health sector, next year the state would be sanctioned more incentives, the Minister said. The Health Index ranks the States and Union Territories based on 23 health-related indicators, including neonatal mortality rate, under-five mortality rate, proportion of low birth weight among new-borns, proportion

of districts with functional Cardiac Care Units, full immunisation coverage and proportion of specialist positions vacant at district hospitals. The report ‘Healthy States, Progressive India: Report on Rank of States and UTs’ has ranking in three categories larger States, smaller States and Union Territories “to ensure comparison among similar entities.” Early this year, the Kerala health care system crossed a new milestone after seven Primary Health Centres (PHCs) in the state secured the National Quality Assurance Standards (NQAS) certification. Among the seven health centres, the family health centre at Kayyur in the Kasaragod district secured the top position as the best PHC in the country. The NQAS certification is awarded by the National Health Mission, under the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare. Ms. K.K. Shailaja, Minister of Health and Social Welfare, Kerala, in a statement said that the family health centre at Kayyur obtained a NQAS score of 99 per cent to become the top PHC in the country. The other health centres in the state to receive the NQAS certification are the Valapattanam and Therthally Family Health Centres in Kannur district, Valiyaparamba and Karinthalam Family Health Centres of Kasaragod, Peruvemba family health centre at Palakkad and the Chemmaruthy family health centre at Thiruvananthapuram. “This achievement is an acknowledgement of the efforts taken by the Kerala government in the field of health care,” said the minister. The past three years have seen the State’s health sector, especially primary care services, undergo a major transformation in such a way that

January 2020

Courtsey: KIMS Hospital

Photo: Vivek R. Nair

most primary health centres (PHCs) are now family health centres that offer comprehensive primary care services, right up to early cancer screening and detection. Another recent national survey by the government had found that India’s healthiest children live in its north-eastern states and Kerala. The Comprehensive National Nutrition Survey (CNNS) collected primary information on the medical health and allied behaviours from over 1.12 lakh children between the ages of 0 and 19 across 30 states. The CNNS expands on the data covered by key past health surveys, including the National Family Health Survey, to give a more rounded and more detailed look into the health and lives of India’s children. It includes an expanded range of anthropometric measures to comprehensively capture malnutrition and previously unstudied micronutrient deficiencies. Dadra and Nagar Haveli, Haryana, Assam, Kerala and Punjab have

emerged as the top five states or Union Territories in the first ever exercise to rate their performance on several parameters of the National Health Mission. Twenty per cent of NHM funds are based on the states’ performance, which means better performing states received a financial incentive — Rs 3,000 crore is set aside for incentivebased payments. Another interesting fact is that the Health Index also put southern states like Kerala in a fix. Even as it came up trumps in the index, Kerala’s performance had ‘deteriorated’ in 2017-18 as compared to 2015-16, which ranked it 16 out of 21 states in terms of incremental performance. So Kerala has been classified as a “not improved” state despite topping the charts. This was because the Ministry of Health has decided to link funding under India’s Rs 31,745 crore National Health Mission (NHM) to performances of states in this index. States like Kerala and Tamil Nadu make little progress in this index because

January 2020

they have already reached the status of developed nations in healthcare delivery. Kerala achieved the United Nations 2030 Sustainable Development Goals (SDG) on infant mortality rate (12 per 1,000 live births) in 2000 – about 30 years ahead of schedule. According to the Niti Aayog, Kerala has also achieved the SDG 2030 target of under–five mortality rate of 25 per 1,000 live births. These two parameters are crucial components of the health outcome parameters used by the Niti Aayog to rank states on its health index. Health outcomes in the index carry half the weight while computing the states performances. So in effect, a state like Kerala which has already achieved SDG targets decades in advance finds itself as showing the least improvement among states in India. By the Government of India’s logic of linking funding to the health index, a high performing state like Kerala or for that matter Tamil Nadu would get the least share of India’s health funding.

Diaspora

second Loka Kerala Sabha to be held on Jan. 1-3, 2020 Fi r s t c o n ve n t i o n t o b e h e l d a t t h e Le g i s l a t u r e C o m p l e x i n Tr i v a n d r u m , s e m i n a r s o n m i g r a t i o n p l a n n e d i n E r n a k u l a m , K o z h i k o d e

he second annual summit of Loka Kerala Sabha, a common platform for the cultural, sociopolitical and economic integration of non-resident Keralites, will be held in the state, on January 2 and 3 next year. The first convention will be held at the Legislature Complex in Trivandrum. The organising committee which met on October 10, formed various sub-committees for the annual summit, a release issued by the chief minister’s office said. “As part of the Loka Kerala Sabha, an Overseas Employers Conference will be organised on December 7 at Kochi,” it said. International seminars on various topics will be held in Trivandrum, Calicut and Ernakulam. Various subcommittees were set up for the conduct of the session. International seminars on migration have been planned in Thiruvananthapuram, Ernakulam and Kozhikode districts. Open fora, seminars, workshops and cultural programmes would be conducted as a precursor to the convention. Since one-third of the members are retiring this year following the guidelines issued last year, new members would be selected from maximum countries, it said.

Mr. Pinarayi Vijayan Chief Minister, Kerala

The first summit had formed seven panels to identify the issues and the government has been implementing the suggestions put forth, Mr. Pinarayi Vijayan, Chief Minister, said. “The investors meet at Dubai recently was a huge success. We are organising another investors’ meet at Kochi in January 2020,” he said. The 351-member Sabha comprises MPs and MLAs from the state, nonresident Keralites with Indian citizenship nominated by the state government, and select members of the expatriate returnee community. The first regional Loka Kerala Sabha was officially inaugurated by the Chief Minister in Dubai on February 15 this year. P. Sreeramakrishnan, Speaker

of the Kerala Legislative Assembly, opened a twoday summit at the Etisalat Academy later in the day Mr. Vijayan had announced a range of new initiatives for the benefit of non-resident Keralites, including an NRK dividend-cum-pension scheme. The conference is discussing several welfare measures for NRKs, and the establishment of important institutions to support the state’s development. Budget allocations for several NRK welfare schemes and new institutions were announced as well. The forum is aimed at creating a common platform for all the Keralites from within the State, other States, Union Territories and outside India. The encouragement of togetherness and mutual co-operation of Keralites the world over and to work for the promotion and progressive enrichment of Kerala culture are the prime objectives of the Sabha. It is estimated that the remittances by the non-resident Keralites amount to 30 percent of the gross production of Kerala.

January 2020

Humanity

During the deluge of 2018 and the floods/ landslides of 2019, one of the first agencies to reach ground zero was the personnel of Kerala Po l i c e . Th e r e a r e many reports by the members of the police under various police stations across the state rescuing people from impossible situations. Here we document the resilience of the force

Police to the rescue I

t is when adversity strikes that the best in any community is revealed. The deluge of 2018 gave the Kerala Police force, a much maligned organisation, a humane face with the huge number of rescue and rehabilitation efforts that the members of the force were involved in. Even as a few cases of custodial deaths had occurred in the recent past, by and large the force has been lauded for its

vigilance in keeping crime rate down as well as its exemplary example in solving crimes post haste. In the health sector, the outbreak of Nipha earlier last year and the flood that followed soon after prompted the health sector to act fast and that has brought it many laurels from all quarters, even a couple of national level recognition. The tourism sector, which fared badly with cancellation of bookings last

â&#x20AC;&#x153;Operation Jalraksha was a grand success as the people who were stranded felt more safe when the police personnel they knew came to rescue them,â&#x20AC;? Mr. Loknath Behera IPS,

January 2020

Director General of Police, Kerala.

Even in the absence of adequate equipment, the police force rescued many people from the verge of certain death. Police officers who had clear idea about the places continued the rescue efforts without pausing for food or rest.

year as a result of the flood, bounced back with a brand new campaign ‘Human by Nature.’ It was also quite successful in holding the Kerala Travel Mart soon after the deluge. This year, falling footfalls due to natural calamities in the state have forced the tourism industry to look beyond its traditional markets to the CIS countries and the People’s Republic of China. In each of these sectors, the resilience of the people of the state was brought to the forefront. Even as the government at the centre failed to rise up to the occasion and extend adequate resources during the floods and immediately after, there weren’t much complaints from the people of the state other than the odd television debate where there were a few name calling. Of course, the diaspora of Keralites extended a helping hand. January 2020

Humanity

Policemen rescue an old woman from her innudated house.

People friendly police It was at the initiative of Mr. Pinarayi Vijayan, Chief Minister of Kerala, that the state police force stepped out of their comfort zones and led by example. Even as Mr. Vijayan, who is also the Minister for Home, sitting in the state capital, directed the operations on the ground, it was the local police personnel who came to the rescue of many a soul who were stranded in their villages and towns as the flood waters inundated their dwellings. As the local police personnel were more familiar with the terrain that fall under the jurisdiction of the police station, Mr. Vijayan wanted them to be the first line of contact for all rescue operations. As Mr. Loknath Behera IPS, Director General of Police, Kerala, said, “Operation Jalraksha was a grand success as the people who were stranded felt more safe when the police personnel they knew came to rescue them.” Again it was at this trying times that

the decade-long efforts of the people friendly police or Janamaithri Police bore fruit and helped the police as well as the community in quickly starting the rescue operations. A majority of the police force of Kerala were closely involved in one way or other in the flood rescue and relief efforts. And the people of the state worked hand-in-hand with the police force in rescue operations. Right from the first few hours on August 15 when rain unleashed its full force and flood was gathering pace, overcoming adverse circumstances the police force was leading the rescue efforts. Even in the absence of adequate equipment and with only alertness, physical ability and courage, the police force rescued many people from the verge of certain death. Police officers who had clear idea about the places continued the rescue efforts without even pausing for food or rest. This reflected its unity, physical and mental capability and self-sacrifice The State police force published a

January 2020

comprehensive report, ‘Kerala Floods 2018’ – Rescue and Relief Activities of Kerala Police – A Study’. It was undertaken by the research wing of Kerala Police and was directed by Dr. B. Sandhya IPS, Additional Director General of Police (Training) and Director, Kerala Police Academy. Over 50 tourists, including 24 foreigners from Russia, Saudi Arabia and other countries, were stranded at Plum Judy resort at Pallivasal in Munnar in Idukki district. They were later rescued after road connection was restored. The United Nations in a report had tabulated the state’s total loss in 2018 floods at Rs. 31,000 crores. A survey by the UN’s Post Disaster Needs Assessment had tabulated the loss in various sectors as cited here. In the construction sector it was Rs. 5,443 crores; in the health sector Rs. 600 crores; education Rs.214 crores; in culture Rs.80 crores; farming, animal husbandry and fisheries Rs. 4,498 crores; drinking water and cleaning Rs.1,331 crores; transport Rs. 10,046 crores and electricity at Rs.1,483 crores. One group that made the biggest difference during the ‘flood of the

century’ was the fishermen of the state. As almost the entire state was under water they came in their hundreds, tagging along with their simple fishing boats and proved to the difference between life and death for millions who were stranded in their homes that were cut off due to the flood waters. The fishermen who had no formal training in saving lives or disaster management acted like a well-trained force, reaching remote places where NDRF and Navy boats could not reach. They brought millions to safety and also provided food and other essential supplies to others. For their selfless service, the whole state came together to salute them and the Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan called them Kerala’s own navy. A year after their heroic act, 177 fishermen were officially inducted in the Kerala Police force. The fishermen who underwent training in various aspects of policing are now be a part of Kerala’s Coastal Police.

Policemen help unlaod a country boat during the rescue operations.

The personnel of the Fire & Rescue Services did a commendable job during the worst of the floods across the state in reaching and rescuing people during the most adverse weather conditions. Their efforts were not much appreciated during or after the floods.

Policemen along with other forces rescue people using rafts through a flooded street.

The Public Works department did a commendable job to bring back the majority of the roads in the state to working condition following the deluge. It was no easy task to clean up and restore the road network as in most places they were swept away leaving not much other than mud and rubble. Even as rains continue to lash parts of Kerala in 2019, except for Ernakulam, roads in the rest of the state have been restored for vehicle traffic. Another government agency that had to work round the clock during and after the 2018 floods was the Kerala State Electricity Board. The KSEB workers had to work day and night, often in adverse conditions, to restore power supply and replace damaged lines and transformers across the state. They came in for much criticism soon after the flood and rain unleashed their fury on the land and the people.

January 2020

Humanity

Scripting a different story Despite being hardhit by the floods in 2018, the tourism fraternity in the state played a crucial role in rescue operations as well as rehabilitation, a saga that did not find much space in the news media then or later

Th e t o u r i s m s e c t o r i n t h e s t a t e p l a y e d a huge role during the floods of 2018

he tourism industry in the state had been hit hard during the deluge of 2018. Tourism accounts for 12 percent of Keralaâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s economy and the flooding that forced tourists to cancel their trips, had brought losses to the hospitality business owners in the state. The flood damaged roads, raillines and airports, and sometimes even properties, making it hard for travelers to reach their destination. But, within a couple of months, the

industry bounced back with 90 of the destinations ready to accommodate tourists for the upcoming tourism season. According to the tourism minister, most of the tourist spots of the state remained unaffected during the flood. The Department of Tourism conducted a â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;tourism readiness surveyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; in September 2018 with district-level officials visiting 70 major tourist destinations in 14 districts in the state. Women, children and the elderly being rescued using rafts during the floods.

January 2020

The personnel of the Adventure Tour Operators Association of India were actively involved in the resuce operations. They negotiated through the toughest expanses at the confluence of the Periyar and Chaliyar to rescue 850 plus people.

Personnel of the Adventure Tour Operators Association handing out food and other essentials during the rescue operations.

It assessed them based on three parameters - overall impact by the flood, damage to road connectivity and condition of hotels and resorts in the area, according to a senior official. Almost 90 of the major tourist destinations including Munnar, Thekkady and Kumarakom were found restored during the survey. A few destinations in Palakkad and Thrissur were on the road to recovery by then. Most of the historic monuments, tourist accommodations and attractions across the state were intact. The actual damage was experienced by infrastructures, roads and plantations. Initially, 38 sites out of the 70 sites were safe. 22 were restored within a couple of months. The Adventure Tour Operators Association of India was actively involved in the resuce operations during the floods. The association sent 20 boats and kayaks to the state

along with 27 trained personnel who constantly plunge through the rapids of Himalayas for white water rafting in Uttarakhand. The personnel negotiated through the toughest expanses during the floods at the confluence of the Periyar and Chaliyar to rescue 850 plus people who were marooned. It was at the initiative of Commander Sam T. Samuel, Managing Director, Kalypso Adventure, who is the National

Executive Member of the Adventure Tour Operators Association of India, that the team travelled from Uttarakhand to Kerala via New Delhi to join the rescue operations in Kerala. It was also following the floods of 2018 that Kerala Tourism launched a new campaign, â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;Human by Natureâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;, that struck a chord with people across the country and the world. The Kerala Travel Mart Society, which was then very apprehensive about holding the biannual Kerala Travel Mart in the last week of September in Kochi, was encouraged by the Department of Tourism to go ahead with the expo. And it turned out to be a grand success.

January 2020

Automobile

KAL SHOWS e-way to smoke-free future KAL launches e-autos, writes a rare success story in state public sector

pril 2021 is the deadline in

manufacturing e-autos at its plant at

Kerala for phasing out three

Aralumoodu near the capital city. The

wheelers of 15 years, as part

company, which introduced diesel

of the governmentâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s ambitious plan

engines and diesel autorickshaws in the

of introducing two lakh electric two

country, launched the e-autos named

wheelers and 50,000 three wheelers.

Kerala Neem G autorickshaws in the

According to the EV policy of the

first week of November. The e-autos

state one million electric vehicles will

are scheduled to hit the streets of

be introduced by 2022. The use of

Kerala cities early next year.

e-vehicles would also be promoted at

Even though the company continues

tourist destinations in the State as part

to manufacture diesel autos, foreseeing

of the EV policy.

a demand for e-vehicles, KAL developed

It was in this conducive environment

and launched these autos. In fact, KAL

that the state public sector company

is the first public sector company to

Kerala Automobiles Limited conducted

foray into e-mobility business in the

research and mooted plans for

country. KALâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s move is part of the target of putting one million EVs on the road by 2022. It plans to manufacture two lakh

January 2020

One of the biggest gains in switching to e-auto is the low cost of maintenance. In fact, the absence of a mechanical engine and gear box means very low maintenance cost.

electric two-wheelers, 1,000 e-goods carriers, 3,000 e-buses and 100 e-ferry boats on a pilot basis by 2020. Late in July 2019, Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan inaugurated the commercial-scale production of ‘Neem-G’. At the function, Mr. Vijayan had said that Kerala was going to be a land of e-vehicles. The government was trying for better advancement of electric vehicles in the state. Building charging stations on a wide scale is being thought about. As a start, charging station has been opened in the secretariat. The chief minister said, “If we wish, we can create a situation wherein e-autos are riding on all our roads. The advantage is that an eco-friendly environment can thus be created. E-vehicles are a relief in the times of rising fuel prices. Kerala Automobiles has flagged off a revolutionary change. For the first time, a public sector undertaking has come to the E-Vehicle field and it is a reason for

Mr. Karamana Hari Chairman, Kerala Automobiles Ltd.

January 2020

Automobile Interview with Shajahan A, Managing Director, Kerala Automobiles Limited, Trivandrum .

erala Automobiles Limited, which is a company set up under the State Industries Department in 1985, had been manufacturing petrol threewheelers in the initial stages. It switched to diesel threewheelers and had been selling them in Delhi, Haryana, Punjab, Rajasthan, Uttar Pradesh, Madhya Pradesh, Orissa and Bihar. It had been manufacturing 7,300 auto rickshaws a year until the new policies of the centre and state governments affected its demand and led to a fall in production.” “The promotion of CNG fitted autos and the new norms of BS3, BS4 and BS6 to fight pollution contributed to the fall in demand and consequently production. Sales dropped, production declined and the company went into negative growth in business and faced many problems.” “The state government led by Mr. Pinarayi Vijayan, in an effort to cut pollution and for the development of green energy by 2023, in 2018 adopted a policy to promote the use of electric vehicles in the cities across the state. “Realising the immense potential in the policy, as part of a flagship project, KAL came up with a prototype of an electric three wheeler. The first prototype was tested over varied terrains in and around Trivandrum for 5,000 km. The biggest advantage of an electric auto rickshaw is the fact that it is non-polluting. Neem G, the electric auto rickshaw developed by KAL, can be

Mr. Shajhan A, Managing Director, KAL

charged at home as it doesn’t require any specialised chargers. One only needs to plug it in for four hours for a full charge. This is the apt vehicle for city use. After the prototype’s efficiency was tested, and after all other tests it was ready for getting registration of Automotive Research Association of India (ARAI) Pune, which is prime Testing and Certification Agency notified by Government of India under Rule 126 of Central Motor Vehicle Rules, 1989. The electric three-wheeler of KAL was the first to get ARAI certification for electric autos by a public sector unit, beating big private players in private sector. After technical validation by Punebased ARAI (Automotive Research Association of India), the Ministry of Heavy

January 2020

Industries gave the green signal to start production of e-auto rickshaws On July 10, 2019, the chief minister inaugurated the commercial production of e-auto rickshaws and the launch of a modernised machine shop. The government had invested allotted Rs.10 crores in the 2018-19 and Rs.6 crores in 2019-20 to KAL for the development of the electric vehicle. This was as part of the Green policy of the government in building a new Kerala. If you consider the reasons for introducing electric vehicles, there are quite a few. Reduction in pollution, riding comfort as there was no vibration and fuel efficiency are the major ones. While a diesel run auto costs Rs.2 per km and

petrol one Rs.3 per km, an electric auto will cost only 50ps per km. On a single charge the auto can run for 90km to 100km. Another factor is the low maintenance cost for an electric auto. The Neem G autos of KAL come in two versions e-auto and e-rickshaw. The e-rickshaw will be ideal for last mile connectivity - from a bus stand to the railway station - -and it would be ideal as a shared service that can be used paying Rs.10 each for a short distance of maximum 5km. It comes with low power, run for 70 to 80 km and would cost Rs.2 lakhs each. We expect the central and state governments to extend subsidy for the vehicle so that the price can be brought down, The e-auto would cost Rs.2.75 lakhs which can be brought down to Rs.2 lakhs, priced below a diesel auto. This would also mean that KAL will be making big profit in the coming years. KAL had also started manufacturing components for Vikran Sarabhai Space Centre and LPSC. As part of this KAL had set up modern CNC machines and installed air-conditioned cabins to increase work efficiency and introduce a new work culture at the company. KAL signed a rate contract with the space agency for manufacturing components for space programmes. This will help KAL become a profit making unit in the near future. KAL has also signed an MoU with Swiss electric bus maker HESS to initially assemble and subsequently manufacture e-buses. KAL plans to produce around 3,000 electric buses for Kerala State Road Transport Corporation. “I hope this move by KAL will lead to Kerala becoming a big hub for electric vehicle manufacturing as it points to the changing investment climate and industrial policy of the state government and public sector units have a bigger role in these ventures.”

The Neem G Auto of Kerala Automobiles Limited.

a boost in pride. It is for the first time

One of the biggest gains in

in the country that a public sector

switching to e-auto is the low cost of

establishment is venturing into the field

maintenance. In fact, the absence of a

of electric auto manufacturing.”

mechanical engine and gear box means

Neem-G auto rickshaw had earlier

very low maintenance cost. The battery

received the certification of Automotive

for the e-autos was developed by the

Research Association of India.

company with outside help.

These e-autos come in two

The government has initiated an EoI

versions, one for passengers and the

with KSEB for developing charging facilities

other a load carrying vehicle. On a

for electric vehicles across the state.

single charge, which takes three hours

KAL is also associated with India’s

and 50 minutes, the e- autos can travel

space programme and manufactured

for 100 kilometers, that too at a cost of

components for ISRO’s Chandrayan

50 paisa for a kilometre. The company

mission early this year. It also

plans to manufacture 8,000 autos a

supplies parts used by ISRO for various

year. The cost of e- auto is around

satellites. To augment this project, KAL

Rs. 2.5 lakh and subsidies are expected

was allotted Rs.7 crores to set up the

to be made available.

required facilities at its factory. January 2020

Technology

Cyber crime cell busts child porn racket Th e t e c h n i c a l advancement Kerala Police’s cyber crime fighting teams made after aligning with Interpol was very much evident from the way they managed to break into encrypted sites. It’s for the first time Kerala Police managed to penetrate the darknet to crash into the activities of the paedophile groups that hitherto enjoyed total anonymity by operating through anonymity networks l i k e To r 44

he Cyber crime wing of the Kerala Police was in the news recently with a series of raids nicknamed ‘Operation P Hunt,’ in which the cybercrime police arrested 12 people, registered 20 cases and seized laptops and mobiles from the arrested. The cybercrime wing arrested the 12 for allegedly viewing and sharing nude photos of children. The 12 accused were allegedly using Whatsapp, Facebook and Telegram groups to share the

January 2020

photos. The police action was focussed on 126 individuals and various groups. One minor was arrested in the raid. In Thiruvananthapuram rural areas, a native of Karippur in Nedumangad, and a native of Pullampara, were arrested; two people were arrested from Pathanamthitta district; two more from Ernakulam; three from Kannur; and two from Palakkad and Malappuram districts. Those arrested were charged

under section 67 B of the Information Technology Act, 2000 for punishment for publishing or transmitting of material depicting children in sexually explicit act in electronic form. “The arrested persons have been under our observation for a while. They would download videos from the internet and would share on groups,” High Tech Crime Enquiry Cell Sub Inspector Starmon R. Pillai said. According to a press release from the police, this is the third raid targeted at groups and individuals who share nude photos of children on Whatsapp, Facebook and Telegram groups. The people who take part in such groups have been under the police’s scanner.

The technical advancement Kerala Police’s cyber crime fighting teams made after aligning with Interpol was very much evident from the way they managed to break into encrypted sites. The police seized mobile phones, laptops, modems, hard disks, memory cards and computers from the accused. The raid was conducted under the

instruction of nodal officer of Cyber Dom ADGP Manoj Abraham. “The tools to unmask culprits’ IPaddress were provided by the Interpol. We got in touch with them during the Cocoon cyber conference programme conducted by the Cyberdome in Kochi last year, Mr. Abraham told the media. The technical advancement the police’s cyber crime fighting teams made after aligning with Interpol was very much evident from the way they managed to break into encrypted sites. “Some of the arrested during the raids were using software like Tor to remain invisible. They thought their anonymity will remain intact and they can never be caught,” Mr. Abraham had said.

Manoj Abraham receives international award

r. Manoj Abrahan, ADGP, State police headquarters and cyberdome nodal officer, has been conferred with an international award in recognition of his exemplary work in the fight against promotion and distribution of child pornography over the Internet. He received the award from Mr. Paul Gryftas, Interpol Specialist Group Chair, at the Interpol International Conference in France. Manoj Abraham led a class on child protection at the International Conference on the Prevention of Crime Against Children, from November 12 to 15 in France. He

presented a paper on the efforts of Kerala Police in tackling crimes such as child pornography against children. Mr. Abraham’s explanation on the excellent work done by the Kerala Police in the exposing those who search for child pornography in the cyber world, and in the total prevention of child pornography, crime and exploitation, was well known internationally.

ADGP Manoj Abraham at the International Conference on the Prevention of Crime Against Children

January 2020

Literature

After the Rain and before the sandy storms A

novel, a book of poems, a collection of short stories, another short e-book of stories and any number of columns…this what Asha Iyer Kumar, a journalist-turnedauthor from Kerala based in Dubai has collected under her belt in the past 10 years. Asha’s latest book, ‘After The Rain Stories that bind us’ was released in September 2019, and the book has been receiving a huge response after it notched the 1 best seller slot on Amazon.ae. The book is being discussed for its literary merit and the deep resonance it makes with the readers. With her unique style of writing that is winning hearts, Asha is establishing herself as a literary brand. Her stories have a quality that make her readers relate to the characters very intimately. Asha taps into the deepest emotions of the characters and evokes sentiments in the reader, a feature that has made her a much loved author of our times. Unlike other established writers, Asha has no traditional publisher backing her books. She published her books herself and has been her own brand ambassador. Her debut novel,

January 2020

A literary journey of Asha Iyer Kumar, a highly acclaimed English Indian author and columnist in the Middle East, who is now in the lime light of digital publishing ‘Sand Storms, Summer Rains’, published in 2009 portrayed two protagonists working the Gulf where Asha has spent the past 21 years. Life in the Gulf has been a recurring theme in Asha’s stories, bringing out different shades of expatriates living there. As a weekly columnist for Khaleej Times, Asha wrote hundreds of articles that examined life and living, and her columns have often been regarded as poignant and insightful. It gave her a new identity as a writer who could touch people’s lives with her words. After dabbling in poetry for a while, the author in her recognised the power of stories to touch lives, and it inspired her to start her own blog and a whatsapp broadcast group called ‘Filter Kaapi with Asha’ where she posted small stories drawn from day to day life. What sets Asha’s writing apart is its emotional quotient. She tends to look into the soul of her characters. Not being judgmental in the least, her stories and character strike a chord with her readers. Her writing is often described as soulful, poetic, deep and flowing. ‘After The Rain Stories that bind us’ brings moments from the lives of people who are looking for closures. They are people grappling with the ‘what ifs’ and ‘only ifs’ of life. An aging actress who re-examines her journey, a doting husband who obsesses over the perfect gift for his wife, two lovers who struggle to find privacy, a human statue who is looking for self-worth and respect and an old couple who find friendship by chance are the characters who endear us to the point of adopting

‘After The Rain Stories that bind us’ brings moments from the lives of people who are looking for closures. They are people grappling with the ‘what ifs’ and ‘only ifs’ of life.

their joys and sorrows into our lives. In the absence of a publisher or big marketing budgets to support her, it is the intimate nature of Asha’s writing alone that has made ‘After The Rain Stories that bind us’ a successful self-published book in a sea of traditional literary fares. The huge response it received at the recently concluded Sharjah International Book Fair is testimony to the fact that to be successful what one needs is passion, persistence and pure talent. An alumnus of The Department of Journalism at the University of Kerala, Kariavattom, her journey, which began as a

journalist, has now found new literary shores. Her writing now includes active blogging for popular Indian sites, columns, poetry and stories. Another novel anytime soon? Asha is quick to dismiss it. She finds short stories to be an excellent medium to connect with her readers, more because when people are busy and are hard-pressed for time, short stories give them literary gratification without having to invest too much time and effort into it. Also, as a writer Asha enjoys writing stories more than any other genre as it gives her an opportunity to look through the prism of life from various angles. ‘After The Rain Stories that bind us’ is now available on Amazon and Book Depository all over the world.

January 2020

Entrepreneur Love for hand woven fabric and commitment to better the lives of the weavers prompted Anjali Chandran to turn an entrepreneur

t was during a moment of crisis in her life, when her child was born and parents couldnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t be with her for long, that Ms. Anjali Chandran decided to return to her native place in Kozhikode. The chance encounter with a weaver from Telegana, who was on the verge of closing his weaving units back home, also prompted her to venture into setting up a garment store. Her love for the streets of Calicut that she had been visiting quite often from Bangalore also played a role in

January 2020

Ms. Chandranâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s decision to take up the cause of weavers. Growing up in Thiruvangoor near Kozhikode, Ms. Chandran preferred to wear handloom clothes and she connected easily with the weavers who were abandoning their craft for want of patrons. The online store came naturally for Ms. Chandran, who was software engineer with MS in software from BITS Pilani working in Wipro, Bangalore. The Facebook page of Impresa was launched in December 2012. Soon she

Impressive with Impresa quit the rat race and launched into the world of weaves and looms. What started off as a Facebook page slowly took the shape of a website www. impresa.in which was a stepping stone to much bigger things. Incidentally, Impresa was the first online boutique venture from Kozhikode. As part of her venture, Ms. Chandran found her way to countless weaving villages in Andhra Pradesh, Orissa, Maharashtra and Rajasthan. “We featured on Facebook the rarest ethnic collections sourced straight from the weavers,” she said. “When I visited one of the famous weaving villages, the looms were almost abandoned and even master weavers were relocating to other jobs. After one year, the ‘Impresa’ team was successful in bringing back many of the weavers to work. Looms started sounding and for many families, life became colourful. “It is not that I was able to revive the entire sector. But many families feel that I am their lucky customer,” she said. The reach of ‘Impresa’ widened soon and the few collections sold out quickly. “In the early days, I was working in an IT firm. The feedback from Facebook encouraged me. There was January 2020

Ms. Anjali Chandran during a visit to a weaver’s village. It is not the profit from her venture that drive her; rather it is the social cause of helping the weaver and the satisfaction that it brings that sustains her.

a good demand.” So in October 2014, Ms. Chandran started a boutique in the same name at Emerald Mall in Calicut. Initially, when she started the boutique in 2014, it was another textile shop for others. As the environment of business is largely a male world, there were many raised brows at the mall. Fabrics from eight states are available with ‘Impresa’. Ms. Chandran’s switching of careers also brought criticism from other quarters. Parents who used to tell their kids to seek her advice on a career in IT started telling them not to be like her. “There were times when I had to opt out of family functions, weddings where my relatives would criticise me for leaving an enviable job in the IT sector,” she said laughing. During the tough times it was her family, husband and parents, and friends who encouraged her. That sustained her and recognition surely came her way. In 2017, Global recognition came from Capgemini, a Paris-based IT company, which listed ‘Impresa’ as one

In 2017, Global recognition came from Capgemini, a Paris-based IT company, which listed ‘Impresa’ as one of the best 10 social entrepreneurial attempts in the world in the competition session Innovators Race 50. of the best 10 social entrepreneurial attempts in the world in the competition session Innovators Race50. Anjali went to Paris with ‘Impresa’. The recognition skyrocketed her into the international arena and she today deals with the best in handloom fabrics. And Impresa was the only Indian woman-founder start-up at the Innovators Race. Ms. Chandran also won the 2017 Jwala Award for the Best Young Woman Social Entrepreneur Award and also got the CMA’s best Women Entrepreneur Award, 2018. Ms. Chandran also had the fortune

January 2020

of participating in Goldman Sachs 10,000 women entrepreneurship programme at Indian Institute of Management -- Bangalore in May 2017. For Ms. Chandran it was not the profit from her venture that drive her; rather it was the social cause of helping the weaver whose clothes she promotes and the satisfaction that it brings that sustained her. Glowing in all the accolades, Ms. Chandran, as part of scaling up, will soon turn Impresa into an online only boutique or even associate with Amazon. Impresa can source fabrics from direct units and resell it on other stores as well. This move, she said, was as part of helping even housewives to earn some money. Ms. Chandran also said she would be able to better manage the venture if it was online as she was often travelling. The physical store would require her presence in Kozhikode affectting other causes that are dear to her heart.

Technology

Kerala to reach all homes via K-FON Th e R s . 1 , 5 4 8 c ro r e K e ra l a - Fi b e r O p t i c N e t w o r k p ro j e c t i s s c h e d u l e d to be completed by December 2020 and will be built by BEL

n the era of Global Village, it is important to bring the World Wide Web home to each and every citizen. In order to fulfill this aim and to make Kerala a completely connected state the Government has embarked upon a project to provide free high speed internet connection to over 20 lakh Below Poverty Line (BPL) families. The Rs.1,548 crore Kerala-Fiber Optic Network (K-Fon) project is scheduled to be completed by December 2020 and will be built by a group led by Bharat Electronics Limited (BEL). KFON forms an essential part of the Kerala government’s ambitious plan to provide Internet connection to BPL families, government offices, hospitals and schools. About 2,000 WiFi hotspots across the state help connected-users in schools, hospitals, offices and houses. For last-mile connectivity, the fibre network will use the electricity network of KSEB and the existing cable television networks, which has a presence in 95 households in Kerala, according to KFON estimates. KFON will then collaborate with internet service providers to relay internet over the fibre network. The pilot phase of the project, between the state-run IT hub ‘Technopark’ and a KFON centre in Trivandrum district, will begin in some weeks, said the government.

Financed by the KIIFB, the programme is aimed at giving a push to the digitisation of government services such as the e-health programmes, IT parks, airports and seaports. It will also provide Net connectivity at affordable rate for families which do not fall in the BPL bracket. The optical fibre cables for the project were recently imported from the US and a facility in Chennai has started quality testing and colour coding. Financed by the KIIFB, the programme is aimed at giving a push to the digitisation of government services such as the e-health programmes, IT parks, airports and seaports. It will also provide Net connectivity at affordable rate for families which do not fall in the BPL bracket. KFON is a joint venture of the state’s power utility, Kerala State Electricity Board (KSEB), and the public sector information technology (IT) arm, Kerala State IT Infrastructure Ltd, according to a statement released by the government. The plan is to establish

a new optic fibre network, and Wi-Fi transmission centres across the state, according to the statement. The network, once built, will be open to utilisation for licensed Internet service providers and cable TV operators. Mobile towers will also be linked to provide faster mobile internet services. Kerala had emerged as first ‘Digital State’ in the country, a feat realised through the visionary measures of the Government to open up the doors of digital literacy to its citizens to make God’s own country the first ‘e-literate’ State, through launching the Akshaya Project and IT@School programme way back in 2002. The proactive policy of the State Government in allowing the telecom service providers to network the State through Optical Fiber Cable (OFC) has enabled its citizens to get online, both through broadband and mobile. Kerala had established its first State Data Centre (SDC) in 2005 to deliver e-Governance services. This was further strengthened with the setup of second SDC in 2011, which is offering industry leading cloud infrastructure and enhancement to core connectivity infrastructure such as the Kerala State Wide Area Network, the National Optical Fiber Network and the National Knowledge Network.

January 2020

Startup

Taming urban pollution with e-bike Th e t e a m h a d t h e dream of disruption in the field of electric automotive. Th i s v i b e d u r i n g the years paved the way towards an e - B i k e . Th i s d r e a m started with super bikes, cars and finally ended up with an e-Bike 52

or Midhun V. Sankar, Jishnu P and Ashin Al it was their urge to solve the pollution problem in the cities that forced them to come up with the idea for an e-bike. “We wanted to engage in today’s challenges of dying Earth, pollution, dense traffic congestion, climate change and health issues in general by creating unique, fun filled and quality electric bicycles. We truly believe that people will adopt a greener safer mode of transportation in the coming years and the faster the world stops relying on fossil fuels and moves towards a zero-emission world, the better it would be for a healthy life,” said Mr. Midhun V.

January 2020

Shanker, a software engineer and CEO of Samdo Labs, which was incubated under Government of Kerala’s StartUp Program. “Our team too had the dream of disruption in the field of electric automotive. This vibe during the years paved the way towards an e-Bike. This dream started with super bikes, cars and finally ended up with an e-Bike,” Mr. Shankar said. Once they had the idea, the cofounders started to build an e-bike unique to the market. After three years of rigorous work and multiple failures, the friends finally developed a one-of-its kind electronic bike in July this year.

“So we targeted this as our goal in order to transform the current trend into a technologically advanced one focusing on clean energy and health with the introduction of our e-Bike. We started the journey towards the e-bike in 2016. We indulged in various rounds of testing and, research waiting for the right moment to kick-start our future in the field,” Mr. Ashin, who is Chief Operations Officer of the firm, said. Samdo Labs started off with an IoT device for door automation in 2013. “We even won the Hardware Venture Launchpad Program of Start Ad New York University for their IoT Project. We wanted to build a cycle that can be used by all age groups, is faster and

most importantly does not cause air pollution. The trend of cycling needs to come back,” he said. The partners came in touch with each other at the StartUp Village where they realised the spark within them. The team members were constantly researching and testing various types of motors, batteries and other things. They have five-long years of experience and expertise in both battery and motor technology. All the core team members come from engineering background. “We gained our expertise and training in our respective fields of interest. Speaking of the creation of our very first products, all the members in our team have put

their own efforts. The core product design geek among the team is Mr. Jishnu P, Chief Technology Officer. He himself had spent sleepless nights in the research and designs of the project starting with the minutest aspects of the product,” according to Mr. Shanker. Mr. Ashin turned into a cyclist over the past four years, spending long distances on the roads of Kerala and other parts of South India, trying to find out the challenges that an individual might face in the long run. “Mr. Shankar has constantly worked in grading up quality and expertise in all our activities and also manage the whole managerial operations,” said Mr. Ashin

January 2020

Mr. Arun, the electronics lead, has proved his expertise in the case of the core of the project. “Our industrial research and expertise will grow itself into various scalable clean energy projects. We are using Panasonic Li-Ion Cells which were custom made for Electric Cars in the United States and are the best in class,” says Mr. Arun. The company had carried out a market study before the launch and, “We have designed other products too for the market in order to address the fluctuating trends of the public,” he said. “The bike we have developed does not require any service or charging stations. Once the bike runs out of battery it can be charged at home,” says Mr. Shankar. Christened ‘Tezlaa’, the bikes come in two models – Alpha-1 and Alpha-1 Pro and both can be charged in two hours. At one time charge, the former covers a

Christened ‘Tezlaa’, the bikes come in two models-Alpha-1 and Alpha-1 Pro and both can be charged in two hours. At one time charge, the former covers a distance of 50 kilometres and the latter covers 100 kilometres. distance of 50 kilometres and the latter covers 100 kilometres. The portable batteries of the e-bike are made of aluminium and alloy frame and can be removed from the bike for charging purposes. The aluminium allows the bike to ride even in rains. The e-bike is designed in a way that

can be used by all genders and age groups as the seat is adjustable and the bike can be used in three forms: The pedal riding works like a normal cycle and does not require battery In the assist riding, the user has to pedal a little and for the rest, the cycle will assist. The electric riding mode works like a motorcycle. The product was officially unveiled to the public on July 20 this year by social media figures Sushanth Nilambur (Philanthropist ), Abijith Blogger (Youtuber), Fawas (TikTok Star) and Sarath Krishna and Geetha (Instagram stars). The “Kerala market has definitely given a hearty welcome to both our products,” the founders said. Asked about how they found the resources for their dream project, Mr. Shankar said, “We have successfully completed two rounds of funding, seed round from a builder and Angel round from a UAE-based company.”

Midhun V. Sankar, Jishnu P and Ashin Al.

January 2020

News

Maharudra Yajnam

at Sree Perunthatta Sivakshetram, Guruvayur Fe b r u a r y 1 t o 1 1 , ( 1 1 9 6 M a k a r a m 1 9 t o 2 9 ) u n d e r t h e a u s p i c e o f thantri Brahmasree Chennas Narayanan Namboothiripad,

n continuation of the second Athirudra Mahayajnam conducted at the Sree Perunthatta Sivakshetram in Guruvayur in 2019, the first Maharudra Yajnam of 2020 will be held from February 1 to 11, (1196 Makaram 19 to 29) under the auspice of thantri Brahmasree Chennas Narayanan Namboothiripad, according to the officials of the temple. Two Athirudra Mahayajnam were conducted at the temple in 2007 and 2019 with the cooperation of the devotees of Mahadeva. Out of the nine Athirudra Mahayajnams conducted in the Kerala, four were conducted in Mammiyoor Shiva kshetram on the right and Sree Perunthatta Sivakshetram on the left of the Bhooloka Vaikuntanathan ‘Sree Guruvayoorappan’. The 11-day long tantric rituals are aimed bringing prosperity and peace to all living beings. During these days, special rituals such as ‘Kalasabhishekams, Niramala, Chuttuvilakku and Keli would also be performed, the officials said. Annadhanam will be given on all days of the Yajnam. The officials requested wholehearted participation of devotees in the rituals. Devotees can book all the special poojas conducted during the Maharudra Yajnam in advance at the special counters.

January 2020

Startup

KSUM, HDFC Bank sign Mou to boost startups KSUM will refer startups to HDFC Bank to avail financial and other facilities and the bank shall provide the necessary facilitation

erala Startup Mission (KSUM) has entered into a memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with HDFC Bank to facilitate an array of banking services to startups in the state through its smart solution SmartUp. SmartUp is leveraged to assist in achieving startup goals with smart financial tools, advisory services and technology. HDFC Bank has developed a specialised end-to-end banking solution for startups, which includes corporate salary accounts, forex advisory services, payment and collections solutions and point of sale terminals (POS) at preferred rates and nodal accounts for market places among others. Dr. Saji Gopinath, CEO, KSUM, and Mr. Arun Mediratta, Branch Banking Head - South, HDFC Bank, signed the agreement. According to the MoU, which has a time-frame of one year, KSUM will refer various startups to HDFC Bank to avail, inter-alia, financial and other facilities and HDFC Bank shall provide the necessary facilitation to the startups. “This initiative will help startups get support from HDFC bank on evaluating their products, get market access and scale their product globally. We look forward to a fruitful association with

them,” Dr. Gopinath said. Mr. Arun said, “We thank KSUM for giving us an opportunity to work with them. Through this tie-up, we will not only offer a host of banking services but also offer startups access to Dr. Saji Gopinath, CEO, KSUM, (extreme right) customers of the bank and Mr. Arun Mediratta, Branch Banking Head South, HDFC Bank, (second from left) after signing through the SmartBuy the MoU in the presence of Mr. M. Sivasankar, platform. This is part Secretary, IT (Kerala), (second from right) in of our ongoing effort Trivandrum. Mr. Subhash, Vice-President and to support the startup Cluster Head, HDFC; and Mr. Hari Vijayan, Cluster culture in Kerala, and Head, HDFC, Trivandrum, are also seen. it is another sign of our strong commitment to web services, patent filing, content the state.” writing, tax and legal advisory among The bank would provide an others. opportunity for startups registered HDFC Bank will enable startups to with KSUM to pitch their solutions to list on their Smart Buy platform, which requisite stake holders and will work provides them access to 40 million-plus towards providing them an opportunity customers of the bank, for growth and to showcase their solutions. visibility. In addition, HDFC Bank will extend Through its mentorship programme, incubation and acceleration support the bank can help startups get to all startups banking with them. mentoring by its senior management. The bank has third party alliances to It will also set up fintech innovation provide discounts for startups across centre and run corporate innovation key business support functions such as programme with KSUM to scout shared work spaces, digital marketing, startups.

January 2020

erala Startup Mission (KSUM) has signed a Letter of Intent (LoI) with the UK-based fintech major Finastra, to build a partnership that will enable Kerala-based startups to tap the growing demand for technology and solutions by financial services across the world. The LoI was signed between Dr. Saji Gopinath, CEO, KSUM, and Ms. Mehjabeen Poonawala, Country Head, Finastra India, at Technopark in October. The pact is aimed at creating an open innovation ecosystem that unlocks potential of fintech startups and cocreate solutions for the future financial service. The collaboration will bring deep expertise and an unrivalled range of pre-integrated solutions spanning retail banking, transaction banking, lending, and treasury and capital markets. Mr. Syam S.K., Finastra Centre Head,Trivandrum; Mr. Krishnakumar, HR Head, Finastra, Mr. Binish Moulana, Cloud Architect, Finastra; Mr. Arun Viswanath, Innovation In-Charge,

KSUM, Finastra partnership to help startups

Pact to create an open innovation ecosystem that unlocks potential of fintech startups Finastra; Mr. Ashok Kurian Panjikaran, Manager, Business Development, KSUM; and Mr. Dhanaj, Assistant Manager, Startup Accelerator, KSUM, were also present on the occasion. With a global footprint and the broadest set of financial software solutions available on the market, Finastra has $1.9 billion in revenues, 10,000 employees and over 9,000 customers, including 90 of the top 100 banks globally.

The nodal agency of the Government of Kerala to create a robust startup ecosystem in the state, KSUM has been supporting the startups at different stages of their entrepreneurial journey based on their maturity from ideation to productisation and scaling up of the startup venture.

Dr. Saji Gopinath, CEO, KSUM, and Ms. Mehjabeen Poonawala, Country Head, Finastra India, during the signing of the agreement at Technopark in October. Officials of Finastra and KSUM are also seen.

January 2020

Startup

KSUM-mentored startups bag coveted laurels

Code of duty Innovations team that won the All India Hackfury2 hackathon, organised by Intel in association with online coding platform HackerEarth, receiving the prize at the finale.

Code of duty Innovations has developed a technology called Elixir, a prototype band that can be worn on the w r i s t . Th e b a n d i s connected to an AI platform where one can start training hand gestures 58

wo startups mentored by Kerala Startup Mission (KSUM) have bagged coveted achievements in separate events, demonstrating the strength of the ecosystem prevailing in the state. While biosensing technology provider Codeofduty Innovations emerged winner at the All India Hackfury2 hackathon organised by Intel in association with online coding platform HackerEarth, agri startup Farmers Fresh Zone made it to the finals of the UNO SEED Low Carbon Awards 2019. Codeofduty Innovations has

January 2020

developed a technology called Elixir, which is a prototype band that can be worn on the wrist. The band is connected to an Artificial Intelligence (AI) platform wirelessly where one can start training different hand gestures. Once the training is done, the band will start detecting these pre-trained gestures. Farmers Fresh Zone was one among the 24 global startups and one of the four Indian ventures that entered the finals. The SEED Awards for Entrepreneurship in Sustainable

ICFOSS programme for women to revive career

Development is an annual feature designed to identify the most innovative and promising locally-led start-up ecoinclusive enterprises in developing and emerging economies. Team Elixir bagged the first prize pipping 50 teams that were shortlisted from around 5,000 registrations. Out of the 50 startups, 16 were shortlisted for an onsite contest at IISC Bangalore on October 21. The 16 finalists included teams from IITs and startup companies. The winners were selected by a jury that comprised experts from companies, including Amazon, Salesforce, Intel, CSIR and TCS. KSUM is the nodal agency of Government of Kerala for entrepreneurship development and incubation activities in the state.

Tr a i n i n g o n m o b i l e a p p d e v e l o p m e n t was organised at ICFOSS training centre

n an effort to rev up the professional skills of women and boost their career opportunities, International Centre for Free and Open Source Software (ICFOSS) announced its second phase of training programme on mobile application development for women. The programme, ‘Back-to-Work’, focussed on providing intensive training on various free software domains for women, who remain outside the workforce due to various reasons. It was conducted at the Training Centre of ICFOSS at Sports Hub, Kariavattom here from November 18. ICFOSS is an autonomous institution under Kerala Government, mandated to promote free and independent software. The Android-based programme is aimed at empowering a large number of talented and ambitious women, who have taken a break from their career for bringing up their children or

remain outside the workforce owing to marriage, motherhood, local constraints and family commitments. In the first batch, around 30 women were given training in ‘Software Testing’ in July. Since most of the participants have got placements in frontline companies, ICFOSS has decided to extend the training to other sectors. For the past few years, ICFOSS has been conducting various woman empowerment programmes such as ‘Women Hackathon’ and ‘Winter School for Women’ to build confidence and help them contribute more for the development of technology.

January 2020

Software

American Airlines deploys IBS’ iCargo Platform

A Mr. V.K. Mathews Founder and Executive Chairman, IBS Software.

American Airlines Cargo migrated all its core business functions into the fully integrated iCargo solution, including cargo sales, cargo terminal operations, warehouse management, ULD management and cargo revenue a cc o u n t i n g . Th e new system went live simultaneously at all American stations on Oct. 1, 60

merican Airlines Cargo has taken a giant leap forward in the modernisation of its cargo operations by deploying IBS Software’s iCargo air cargo management platform across its entire global network. In doing so, American consolidated a complex IT back-end comprising 90+ legacy systems, built incrementally over the past 40 years, into a lean, next generation cargo management environment with just ten core business applications. The iCargo platform equips American with the power to deliver an upgraded customer experience and provides a more effective set of business tools to deliver greater value to its customers. American Airlines is the world’s largest airline offering customers 6,800 flights every day to more than

January 2020

365 destinations in 61 countries. American Airlines Cargo migrated all its core business functions into the fully integrated iCargo solution, including cargo sales, cargo terminal operations, warehouse management, ULD management and cargo revenue accounting. The new system, deployed on the cloud and provided as a Software-as-a-Service (SaaS) offering, went live at all American stations simultaneously on October 1, 2019. It is also in action at the passenger ticketing counter supporting the booking and tendering of American’s premium Priority Parcel Service (PPS) product. The platform has already been rolled out to 6,200 American Airlines Cargo team members, 2,772 airport agents, and more than 30,000 customers. The iCargo platform drives improved business performance through digitallyenabled processes across core

business verticals in sales, operations and accounting, which provide customers with wider online channels, better shipment tracking, efficiency in warehouses, and a robust back-end revenue recognition and accounting system that will strengthen the business and employee experience. “Our partnership with the incredible team at IBS has been key to our success,” said Mr. Rick Elieson, President, American Airlines Cargo “Our investment in the iCargo platform allows us to better take care of our team members and better serve our customers. It also positions us to adapt to industry challenges or changing customer needs as we continue on our modernisation journey.” “IBS Software is privileged to be associated with such an iconic name in the airline industry and is proud to be the core technology partner in American Airlines Cargo’s modernization project that seeks to transform its business and operations through the latest digital technology solutions”, said Mr. Ashok Rajan, Head of Cargo & Logistics Solutions, IBS Software.

NSE Clearing empanels Federal Bank for accepting e-FDRs N

SE Clearing Limited has empanelled Federal Bank for submitting Fixed Deposit Receipts in electronic form (e-FDRs) as collateral to clearing/trading members. This move is a significant step in the digitisation journey of the Government, and the Bank is proud to be associated with NSE Clearing Limited on this. Further, the use of e-FDRs will eliminate risks arising from loss of physical certificates or fraudulent certificates. This facility is available at all branches of Federal Bank. Trading members can avail this facility quite easily by placing requests at the branches of Federal Bank. Commenting on this initiative, Mr. Radhakrishnan K, Senior Vice-President & Country Head - Retail Liabilities said, “Federal Bank is a pioneer in providing digital capabilities in the country and the introduction of e-FDR is one further step in this direction. We are sure that trading members will find this an easy and convenient way to place deposits required by NSE Clearing Ltd.”

Federal Bank is a leading private sector bank with a branch network of 1,251 branches and 1,934 ATMs/ Recyclers spread across the country. The Bank’s total business mix (deposits + advances) stood at Rs 2.46 Lakh crore as on March 31, 2019 and it has earned a net profit of Rs.1,244 crore for FY19. The Capital Adequacy Ratio (CRAR) of the Bank, computed as per Basel III guidelines, stood at 14.14%. Federal Bank has its Representative Offices at Dubai and Abu Dhabi that serve as a nerve centre for NRI customers in the UAE. The Bank also has an IFSC Banking Unit (IBU) in Gujarat International Finance Tec-City (GIFT City). Federal Bank is transforming itself, keeping its principles intact, into an organisation that offers services beyond par. It has a well-defined vision for the future as a guidepost to its progress.

January 2020

Health

KIMS, Citrine Hospitality launch Health card Marketing activities initiated in the UK, Europe, the GCC countries a n d A f r i c a n c o u n t r i e s t o p r o m o t e M e d i c a l V a l u e Tr a v e l t o K e r a l a . Th e M e d i c a l tourism product will encourage international tourists visiting Kerala to go to KIMS Hospital for a comprehensive medical checkup at less than one-tenth of the price that is offered in hospitals in the United Kingdom or in Europe. Even as an international tourist plans a holiday in southern Kerala, he or she can book for the medical checkups, including full body check-up, ultra sound scans, ECS and other basic check-ups. 62

ith India’s market for medical value tourism expected to touch the $9 billion mark by 2020, hospitals and tour and hospitality stakeholders are coming up with innovative products. A report released by the Federation of Indian Chambers of Commerce and Industry (FICCI) and Ernst & Young titled ‘India: Building Best Practices in Healthcare Services Globally 2019’, the rising costs of health care in developed countries such as the US and the UK will make India an affordable alternative in the coming years. The country is one of the preferred destinations for Medical Value Travel (MVT) as it occupies the fifth position among 41 major medical tourism destinations, as per Medical Tourism Index Overall ranking, 2016, the report said. The easing of visa norms for foreigners has also helped pave the way for MVT sector. In an effort to exploit this emerging opportunity, KIMS Health care group in association with Citrine Hospitality has launched KIMS Health First, India’s First Medical value travel product in Trivandrum recently, with the objective

January 2020

of promoting medical tourism in Kerala. Dr. M.I. Sahadullah, Chairman, KIMS Healthcare group, released the product by handing it over to Mr. Baby Mathew Somatheeram, President, Kerala Travel Mart Society. The medical tourism product will encourage international tourists visiting Kerala to go to KIMS Hospital for a comprehensive medical checkup at less than one-tenth of the price that is offered in hospitals in the United Kingdom or in Europe. Even as an international tourist plans a holiday in southern Kerala, he or she can book for the medical check-ups including full body check-up, ultra sound scans, ECS and other basic check-ups. Dr. Sahadullah said that by disseminating the fact that good treatment can be had at cost effective rates would boost medical tourism to Kerala which would also augment the health sector in the state. According to Mr. Prasad Manjali, Managing Director and Chief Executive of Citrine Hospitality Ventures, the company along with KIMS has initiated a number of marketing activities in the UK, Europe, the GCC countries and many

Dr. M.I. Sahadullah, Chairman, KIMS Healthcare group, releasing the KIMS First Medical Value Travel card by handing over to Mr. Baby Mathew Somatheeram, President, Kerala Travel Mart Society. Mr. M.R. Narayanan, Mr. D. Chandrasenan Nair, Mr. D. Sudheesh Kumar, Mr. Sanjeev Kumar, Dr. Binoy, Mr. Prasad Manjali and Mr. Samson Benedict are also seen.

African countries to promote Medical Value Travel to Kerala. The product is now available in all sources markets of Kerala’s tourism sector. Citrine Hospitality Ventures also plans to tie up with other hospitals as part of augmenting operations. Among others Mr. Sudheesh, the patron of Kerala Hotel and Restaurant Association and managing director of Seaface Hotel, Kovalam, Mr. Chandrasenan, patron and founder of South Kerala Hoteliers Federation and managing director of Pankaj Hotel, Mr. Manoj, secretary of South Kerala Hoteliers Federation, Mr. Narayanan, managing director, Poovar Island Resort, Mr. Sanjeev, secretary ATTOI and Mr. Jerry Philip, CEO, KIMS, were present during the ceremony. On November 27, 2014, the Government of India introduced the Electronic Travel Authorisation which first became available for citizens of

40 countries and was called ETA. On April 1, 2017, the electronic authorisation was renamed eVisa and has three subcategories: tourist, business and medical. The e-Medical visa is a short term visa granted for medical treatment reasons. According to the report ‘India: Building Best Practices in Healthcare Services Globally 2019’, India hosts around five lakh medical value travellers annually from different source countries. Major markets for India are the South-East Asian countries, the Middle-East, Africa and SAARC countries. More than 50 percent of medical travellers coming into India are from Bangladesh. The number of Foreign Tourist Arrivals (FTAs) to India on a medical visa has been on the rise over the past few years. The average growth rate has been around 55 percent, and it is expected to be maintained in the

coming years. Affordability of treatment is a key factor that puts India higher up on the list of destination choices among medical tourists. When compared to medical care and treatment in the Western countries, people can save up to as much as 50 percent. India has 38 hospitals accredited by the Joint Commission International (JCI), which is considered to be a leading authority on global health care practices. It also has 619 hospitals accredited by the National Accreditation Board for Hospitals and Healthcare Providers (NABH). Also, the post-operative mortality rate in India is around 1.4 percent as opposed to 1.9 percent in countries like the US, as per the report. A short-duration e-visa has been introduced, with one-month validity, at a cost of $25. And the regular $80 e-visa, which was valid for one year, has been increased to five years with multiple entries.

January 2020

Automobile

Plug it, charge it, ride it

The smooth, wellsculpted lines complement the scooter’s elegantly flowing curves. Bajaj Chetak’s timeless style flows sleekly through every detail of this scooter

Bajaj brings Chetak back, albeit in an electric version

ho can forget ‘Hamara Bajaj’, the iconic two-wheeler named after the legendary horse of warrior Rana Pratap Singh? For millions of Indians the Chetak was an affordable means of transport during the seventies and eighties until the Maruti Suzuki 800 and new generation motorbikes edged it out of the roads and by lanes of the country. Based on Vespa Sprint, Bajaj Auto made its fortunes on the back of this all-weather motorised two-wheeler that was discontinued in 2005. Tapping on its brand recall value, Bajaj Auto, on October 16, this year, unveiled the all-new Bajaj Chetak electric scooter under its new electric vehicle division, Urbanite. The scooter will be launched in January 2020, in

phased manner, starting with Pune, and Bangalore. The smooth, well-sculpted lines complement the scooter’s distinctive, yet elegantly flowing curves. Bajaj Chetak’s timeless style flows sleekly through every detail of this state-of-the-art scooter. The Chetak will also be fully-connected and embedded with mobility solution like data communication, security and user authentication. The rider can access all the information he/she needs in one simple touch. It can locate the scooter, protect it from theft and the rider can receive notifications in case of an accident or unauthorised access. He/ she can set his/her music and read

January 2020

helpful riding tips from their connected device. Another important selling point for the scooter is the zero downtime. The manufacturer claims that they have made a powertrain that never needs attention from the user. Advanced algorithms with edge computing continuously evolve and optimise

everything from throttle response to battery charging to extract maximum life from every electric, mechanical and chemical part of the powertrain. Visually, the scooter comes with a retro-style design with smooth lines and curvy profile. The Chetak also comes with good fit and finish which is extenuated by premium details such as chrome bezel for the headlamp with an LED daytime running lamp ring and LED headlamp. The scooter is also claimed to get feather touch-activated electronic switches and sequential scrolling LED. The scooter also comes with a single-piece seat, larger silver grab rails, and multispoke alloy wheels. The company will offer the Chetak electric scooter in six colours. Powered by an IP67 rated high-tech LithiumIon battery with NCA cells, the scooter can be charged using a standard 5-15 amp electrical outlet, and will have an in-city range of 100 km. It is expected to be priced under Rs. 1.5 lakh. The scooter will come under the companyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Pro-Biking network, which includes the KTM brand, and distribution will be broadened depending on the response to the ecosystem. The 500 KTM dealers across the country will cater to the electric scooter. The electric two-wheeler will be manufactured at the Chakan plant of the company. It will be the first of the many electric two-wheelers and three-wheelers to be introduced under the Urbanite brand. Even though detailed specifications havenâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t been revealed, the Chetak will come with an Intelligent Battery Management System that controls the charge and discharge seamlessly. The electric scooter comes with two driving modes - Eco and Sport, along with a reverse assist mode for more convenience. The scooter also gets regenerative braking, which converts braking heat into kinetic energy to maximise range. After its launch in the country, the company plans to export the electric scooter to relevant markets in Europe. January 2020

January 2020

Vol 10, No. 01

January 2020

Rs 60/-

RNI No. KERENG 2010/36920