BRAND KERALA MARCH 2020 by BRAND KERALA MAGAZINE

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MARCH 2020 | VOL. 10 | ISSUE 03 | RS 60/-

SHOWCASING SUCCESS STORIES Brand kerala Women of the year award 2020

Women Power K.K. SHAILAJA

Minister for Health & Social Justice Government of Kerala

J. Mercykutty Amma, Minister for Fisheries, Government of Kerala March 2020

March 2020

Editorial Towards an equal future!

t is only timely that on the 25th anniversary of the Beijing Declaration and Platform for Action of 1995, which was endorsed by 189 governments, the UN Women’s ‘Generation Equality: Realizing women’s rights for an equal future’ campaign is demanding equal pay, equal sharing of unpaid care and domestic work, an end to sexual harassment and violence against women and girls, health care services that respond to their needs, and their equal participation in political life and in decision-making in all areas of life. Phumzile Mlambo-Ngcuka, UN Women Executive Director, has said that 2020 is a milestone year as women’s rights movements are mobilising, urged on and supported by UN Women’s Generation Equality campaign. The UN body has have initiated six Action Coalitions that will bring together governments, the UN, civil society and the private sector to generate resources and catalyse gamechanging results for gender equality. But, the UN Women Executive Director believes that politics is still an overwhelmingly male domain, with three quarters of parliamentary seats held by men. Even in Kerala, the role of women in politics is still largely a tokenism. In a state where women are the majority in the population, they have only two representatives in the Government. While their participation in local government bodies have increased considerably, thanks to Panchayati Raj law, there is a need for bold steps in this direction. In a landmark ruling in February 2020, the Supreme Court of India ordered the government to grant permanent commission to women officers in the Army’s noncombat support units on par with their male counterparts should they wish to continue with it

after completing their short-service commission. The court said that the government’s arguments against it were discriminatory, disturbing and based on stereotype. In this issue of Brand Kerala, we have featured a handful of women, ministers, bureaucrats, entrepreneurs, writers, and social workers, who have struck out on a path of their own. They are firm voices that speak a different language, fighting against social norms and taking on responsibilities that are on a par with their male colleagues. Even as we honour a woman representative who has boldly taken on her role as a health minister to be one among the best that the nation has seen, we cannot ignore the mayhem that Covid 19 has unleashed across the world. Even though India has been insulated by and far, the effect of the epidemic is being felt in this country too. As the total number of infected nears 100,000 worldwide, Dr. Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, Director-General of the World Health Organisation, warned governments on March 5, 2020 that the continued international spread of the novel coronavirus will require significant action if public health authorities are to contain the deadly outbreak. The virus has spread to more than 80 countries and territories since it was first identified in the Chinese city of Wuhan in December 2019. According to a United Nations Conference on Trade and Development report the trade impact of the epidemic for India is estimated to be about $348 million and the country figures among the top 15 economies most affected as slowdown of manufacturing in China disrupts world trade. Keep your figures crossed as Kerala is faced with yet another crisis for the third year in a row. Bimal Shivaji Editor in Chief March 2020

contents March 2020 VOL 10 ISSUE 03

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March 2020

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Kerala capital to become space city of India

Mr. Pinarayi Vijayan, Chief Minister, has said that the government is planning to build a world-class space technology ecosystem in Trivandrum.

Kerala gets Rs.1 trillion investment proposals at Ascend 2020

ASCEND 2020 Global Investors Meet was able to garner Rs.98,708 crore as direct promise

Kerala needs early completion of 13 non-major ports

Kerala requires earliest completion of its notified 13 non-operational ports considering their potential to boost the economy of the state

INTERN A

Kerala Tourism unveils safety norms for Adventure Tourism

50 major adventure tourism centres in the State will be upgraded to meet the national and global safety standards

Kerala to be declared world leader in Responsible Tourism in 2022

The concerted action among government, local people and tourism industry in RT activities takes Kerala to the top spot

Kerala has big advantage in Industry 4.0

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Accomplished writer and journalist

Who is a writer? Obviously a story teller. In whatever different forms or genre, one chooses to write, she or he is digging out an underlying story that has been waiting to manifest itself.

A banker gives way to poetic expressions

Kerala’s knowledge economy has tremendous potential to emerge as an economic powerhouse of the country, says Chairman and CEO of KPMG

Shyla C George, author of ‘Rain in the Attic’, talks about her early influences living in a communist family, her work in a bank, and life in a UK university.

Doyen of Mohiniattam

Bringing succor to autistic children

Accidental TRAVEL professional

Humble puttukutty gets a makeover

The Founder and Director of Kerala Natya Academy, Kalamandalam Vimala Embright Infotech’s main product is Menon, is an accomplished dancer Auticare, an assistive technology for Autism Spectrum Disorder patients

Ms. Jaya Chandrahasan got her first taste of entrepreneurship when her husband Mr. K C Chandrahasan, then Managing Director, brought her to the forefront as the Executive Director

Most of the product development in Kerala is without any design research or design thinking March 2020

Kerala

Technology

capital to become space city of India: CM

Space Park organises EDGE 2020, Global conclave on Space Technology at Trivandrum Space technology is chosen as a key focus industry vertical for Kerala. Presence of nearly 45% scientific pool of ISRO and the IIST, which has deemed

r. Pinarayi Vijayan, Chief Minister has said that the government is planning to build a world-class space technology ecosystem in the capital city. “By collaborating with ISRO and all the space organisations in the state and country, we would like to build a world-class space technology ecosystem so that city of God’s Own

Country will be known as the space city of India,” the Chief Minister remarked. Mr. Vijayan was speaking while inaugurating the two-day international conclave on Space Technology, EDGE 2020, organised by India’s first Space Park under Kerala State Information Technology Infrastructure Limited (KSITIL) with

university status and country’s only space and science technology institution, makes the capital quite a unique place for the growth of the space-tech ecosystem here. Mr. Pinarayi Vijayan, Chief Minister of Kerala Mr. Pinarayi Vijayan, Chief Minister of Kerala, inaugurating the two-day international conclave on Space Technology, EDGE 2020, at Kovalam, Thiruvananthapuram on Friday. Dr Arabinda Mitra, Scientific Secretary, Office of Principal Scientific Adviser (PSA) to Government of India, Mr. M. Sivasankar IAS, Secretary to the CM, and Principal Secretary, Electronics and IT Dept., Kerala, Ms. Catherine Suard, Consul General of France; Mr. Rashed Khamis Al Shemeili, Charge d’affaires of Consulate General of UAE; Ms Sarah Fallon, Head of Science and Innovation, British High Commission; Mr. Roy. M. Cheriyan, Deputy Director, VSSC; and Mr. M.C Dathan, Scientific Adviser to the Chief Minister, are also seen.

March 2020

Kerala is committed to invest in Industry 4.0 technologies like Blockchain, Fintech, medical technologies, cyber security for financial services, augmented realityvirtual reality and space technology the backing of industry and domain leaders, including Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO), on January 31, 2020. “New Space—Opportunities and way forward” is the theme of the event, which is being held at Raviz Beach Resort, Kovalam, Trivandrum. “Space technology is chosen as a key focus industry vertical for us. Presence of nearly 45 per cent scientific pool of ISRO and the Indian Institute of Space Science and Technology(IIST), which has deemed university status and country’s only space and science technology institution, makes the capital quite a unique place for growth of the space-tech ecosystem here,” Mr. Vijayan explained. “We are also committed to invest in Industry 4.0 technologies like Blockchain, Fintech, medical technologies, cyber security for financial services, augmented reality/ virtual reality and space technology,” he added. In his keynote address, Dr Arabinda Mitra, Scientific Secretary, Office of Principal Scientific Advisor (PSA) to the Government of India,

said the global space industry is looking to India due to the costeffective and innovative initiatives of ISRO. “India’s economy is highly dependent on its space resources, which needs to be utilised for optimal benefit. Besides, private sector partnership and investment are the need of the hour to leverage the investment,” he said. “We have launched an initiative called Agni, which is for accelerating growth innovation enabling mechanism for R&D labs to connect startups to industry and industry to academic institutions. Another initiative,City Knowledge and Innovation Cluster is targeting cities and smaller tier-2 cities. We have launched this in four mega city cluster and are planning in six to eight more cities in future. We are also happy to extend this to Kerala,” Dr. Mitra added. Mr. M. Sivasankar IAS, Secretary to CM, and Principal Secretary, Electronics and IT Dept., Kerala, who welcomed the gathering, said the presence of a vibrant startup ecosystem is a big plus for the State

to make a mark in space technology. Ms. Catherine Suard, Consul General of France; Mr. Rashed Khamis Al Shemeili, Charge d’affaires of Consulate General of UAE; Ms Sarah Fallon, Head of Science and Innovation, British High Commission; Mr. Roy. M. Cheriyan, Deputy Director, VSSC; and Mr. M. C. Dathan, Scientific Advisor to Chief Minister, Govt. of Kerala were also present. Mr. Santhosh Kurup, Special Officer, Space Park, proposed the vote of thanks. On the occasion, an MoU was signed between, Confederation of Indian Industries (CII) and Space Park. The two-day international conclave will set the ground for Kerala’s Space Park to take off as a global space industry hub, starting with some significant tie-ups with leading organisations. The meet saw the convergence of top experts, industry leaders and envoys to deliberate on the immense possibilities thrown up by the profound changes propelled by new technologies.

Mr. Santhosh Kurup, Special Officer, Space Park, exchanges an MoU with Mr. John Kuruvila, Head and Director, Confederation of Indian Industries (CII), Kerala, in the presence of Mr. Pinarayi Vijayan, Chief Minister of Kerala during the inauguration of EDGE 2020, at Kovalam, Thiruvananthapuram on January 31,2020.

March 2020

INVESTMENT

Kerala gets Rs.1 trillion investment proposals at Ascend 2020 The largest commitment was by Abu Dhabi Investment Authority, which committed around 66 percent of the total investment at the meet

Mr. Pinarayi Vijayan, Chief Minister of Kerala, inaugurating ASCEND 2020 at Kochi. Mr.E.P. Jayarajan, Minister for Industries & Commerce, Kerala, Mr. Tom Jose IAS, Cheif Secretary, Mr. M. A. Yusuf Ali, Mr. Ravi Pillai and Dr. K. Elangovan IAS, Principal Secretary, Industries, are also seen

SCEND 2020 Global Investors Meet was able to garner Rs.98,708 crore as direct promise, Mr. Pinarayi Vijayan, Chief Minister, said at the concluding session of the event on January 10, 2020. He said that â&#x20AC;&#x153;a couple of entrepreneurs whom we happened to missâ&#x20AC;? at the event but have expressed their willingness to invest. The largest commitment was by Abu Dhabi Investment Authority, which committed around 66 percent of the total investment. The state has received 164

March 2020

investment proposals. Across the sessions at ASCEND 2020 came in promises worth Rs.32,008crore and towards the end, the Kerala Infrastructure Management Ltd vowed Rs.8,110 crore, while the Abu Dhabi Investment Authority promised investments of Rs.66,900 crore. DP World will be investing around Rs.500 crore for a logistic park. The government plans to meet the prospective investors individually. A team led by Dr. K Ellangovan,

Principal Secretary (Industries), has been entrusted with this task, the Chief Minister said. He said that the government will seriously consider complaints against top officers who are indifferent or negative in their response to industrial investments. A meeting will be convened to sort out the matter by facilitating interaction between top bureaucrats and representatives of the investors. There would not be any intermediaries between prospective entrepreneurs looking for investment in Kerala and the authorities.

“One can apply directly at several levels starting from the village office to the CMO,” the Chief Minister said. Noting that the government will accord priority to completing the projects proposed in ASCEND 2020, he emphasised the need for skilled labour across sectors. The government is in talks with various universities to improve the standards of Kerala’s courses in skills, Mr. Vijayan said. Special consideration will be given to the investment proposals from MSMEs at the ASCEND, though it will stay away from projects with negative ecological impact. During the inauguration of the event on January 9, 2020, the Chief Minister asserted that the investment ecosystem prevailing in Kerala is one of the best in the country. He also unveiled a set of path-breaking initiatives that will further enhance the ease of doing business including a wage subsidy scheme for the first five years for new ventures being registered from April 1, 2020. Mr. Vijayan said the government was committed to carry on with its policy initiatives to simplify investment procedures. “The investment climate prevailing in the state is most conducive. This is especially significant at a time when certain parts of the country and the world are in the grip of tension and anxiety. Here is an ideal destination where investment can be made in diverse sectors without having any tension or anxiety,” the Chief Minister said. Recalling a string of legislative and procedural initiatives put in place by the state government, the Chief Minister said many more such measures are on the anvil to enable a

“The investment climate prevailing in the state is most conducive. This is especially significant at a time when certain parts of the country and the world are in the grip of tension and anxiety. Here is an ideal destination where investment can be made in diverse sectors without having any tension or anxiety.”

fast, transparent and corruption-free investment regime. A proposal to subsidise part of the wage commitment of newly set up industries for the first five years is planned. “This is a scheme under consideration. I don’t want to go into its details. This benefit will be available only to those units which provide ESI and PF benefits to workers. I also want to say at this stage that women employees will get at least Rs.2,000 more than their men counterparts under the proposed scheme. An estimated 37 lakh people will benefit,” he said. Seeking to remove the land constraints faced by big units, the 15-acre ceiling on the land to be held by them will be relaxed. The units investing more that Rs.250 crore and providing over 1,000 jobs will be entitled to this concession. Necessary

changes will be made in the land legislation act to enable this. The bar on women factory workers being put on night shift will be lifted. It will be the responsibility of the employer to ensure their safety, he said. The ceiling for financial aid from Kerala Industrial Development Corporation (KSIDC) will be raised from the current Rs.35 crore to Rs.100 crore. In certain cases, KSIDC can also provide higher amount, the Chief Minister said. Measures will also be taken to ensure greater involvement of local bodies in industrial promotion and job generation, he said. Steps are also afoot to improve labour relations to ensure the smooth functioning of units right from the start and improve technical capabilities and skilled workforce, Mr. Vijayan said. “Though a small state, we have several inherent strengths that make us different, including our natural assets and highly qualified human resource. Now is the time to properly leverage them to bring in substantial investment, which is essential to generate income and employment for the present and future generations,” the Chief Minster maintained. Lauding the contributions of the Malayali diaspora in expediting the economic development of the state, Mr. Vijayan said a proposal to convene a global meet to attract foreign investment is on the cards. He said the visits of delegations led by him to Japan, Korea and the UAE had generated keen interest in Kerala. Presiding over the inaugural session, Mr. E.P Jayarajan, Industries Minister, said the government had diligently followed up the suggestions and proposals thrown up by the first March 2020

INVESTMENT edition of Ascend Kerala held last year. “We have consistently followed up on Ascend 2019. So, we are today presenting many more projects, which hold tremendous investment opportunities,” Mr. Jayarajan said. “We are firmly resolved to forge ahead in the industrial and business sectors. Events like Ascend Kerala are part of this. I can guarantee you that your investment will be safe,” the minister added. Mr. Yusuffali MA, Chairman and MD, Lulu Group International, said in his address that Kerala is one of the most ideal investment destinations of the world, going by every parameter. “There is no need for any apprehension on the part of the international banking and investor community on investing in Kerala. The beneficiaries of the investment

that they make now will be the future generations of Kerala,” Mr Yusuffali, who was a Guest of Honour at the function, added. Noting that Kerala Government has done a commendable job in positioning the state as an attractive destination to invest, Dr. B. Ravi Pillai, Chairman and Managing Director, RP Group, said the state should continue its efforts in this direction. Mr. Tom Jose IAS, Chief Secretary, Kerala, welcomed the delegates to the conclave. Dr K Ellangovan IAS, Principal Secretary, Industries, made a presentation on the objectives of the meet. Mr Sanjay Garg IAS, Principal Secretary, Industries and Commerce, proposed the vote of thanks. Organised by the state’s Department of Industries, ASCEND

2020, being held at the Lulu Bolgatty International Convention Centre, features nine sessions including six panel discussions. The 100-odd projects, ratified by KPMG as viable based on a study by the professional services MNC, cover sectors such as petrochemicals, agro and food-processing, defence, life sciences, aeropolis, tourism and hospitality, ports and harbour, fisheries, infrastructure, mobility development, logistics and electronic hardware. Of the projects, 18 (each with investment of above Rs 100 crores) have been classified as ‘mega’. The other categories, in the descending order, are large, medium and small. A coffee table book on the state infrastructure development agency KINFRA was released by the Chief Minister on the occasion.

Kerala needs early completion of 13 non-major ports Minister for Ports urges investors to join the government’s efforts to boost the state’s maritime trade that has a history of centuries

erala requires earliest completion of its notified 13 non-operational ports considering their potential to boost the economy of the state that has a coastline of 590 km, Mr. Ramachandran Kadannappally,

March 2020

Minister for Ports said during ASCEND 2020 Kerala Global Investors Meet.. Noting that Kerala has only four non-major ports functioning besides the nine-decade-old Kochi port that is major, he said that the ongoing

development of the 13 others was of immense value considering the special characteristics of maritime trading. “For one, ships consume less fuel vis-à-vis other modes of transport and, hence, emit lesser carbon. Two,

Mr. Kadakampally Surendran, Minister for Tourism & Cooperation, Kerala, addressing the Tourism session at ASCEND 2020. Mr. Jose Dominic, Chairman, CGH Earth Hotels, Mrs. Rani George IAS, Secretary, Kerala Tourism, and Mr. P. Balakiran IAS, Director, Kerala Tourism, are also seen.

they can carry much larger quantities of cargo,” the minister noted at a parallel session on ‘Projects on Infrastructure: Aeropolis and Ports’. He also stressed the need for Kerala to have larger ports considering the huge size of vessels these days. At the opening remarks of the 90-minute session on the final day of the January 9-10 event organised by Kerala’s Department of Industries, the minister listed out the names of the ports at different stages of development and called upon investors to join the government’s efforts to boost the state’s maritime trade that has a history of centuries. Highlighting the bid to rejuvenate the Kodungallur port (Thrissur district) that had a seaport functioning from the 1st century, Mr.

Ramachandran also spoke of the perceived benefits of the Azhikkal port in Kannur. Both the endeavours could invigorate coastal and hinterland trade, he noted. Mr. V. Thulasidas, Managing Director, Kannur International Airport, in a panel discussion that followed the minister’s speech, said the Azhikkal port’s proximity (30 km) to the Kannur airport (in Mattannur) ideally made the two projects share a symbiotic relationship. The two establishments can promote transport of cargo by air as well as sea, he noted at the session moderated by Mr. Vasudevan S, Partner, KPMG in India. Further, the Kannur airport can strengthen Kerala’s tourism north of the state, considering its connectivity

with places such as Bekal (Kasargod), Wayanad and Coorg (in Karnataka, across the border) that are inviting high footfalls in recent years, Shri Thulasidas pointed out. “Kannur airport can prove to be vital to Kerala tourism in the next five years,” he added. Mr. V. J. Mathew, Chairman of the Kerala Maritime Board, emphasised the need for the betterment of Kerala’s coastal roadways so that ports could play a big role in the state’s economic development. Mr. Praveen Thomas Joseph, CEO of India Gateway Terminals, said the International Container Transshipment Terminal at Kochi’s Vallarpadam was expecting an expanded infrastructure by 2022. March 2020

Tourism

Safety and security norms for adventure tourism

Mr. Kadakampally Surendran, Minister for Co-operation, Tourism and Devaswoms, Government of Kerala, handing over a copy of a set of comprehensive safety and security regulations for qualified Adventure Activity Providers (AAP) to Mr. E.M. Najeeb, Senior Vice President, IATO, in Trivandrum, on Februray 17, 2020 (From left) Mr. D K Vinod Kumar IFS, Director, Eco Tourism; Mr. P. Bala Kiran IAS, Director, Tourism; Ms. Rani George IAS, Secretary Tourism; Mr. Manesh Bhaskar, CEO KATPS; Mr. Baby Mathew Somatheeram, President, KTM Society; Mr. Ravisankar. K.V, Executive Council Member, KATPS; Mr. Aneesh Kumar. P.K, Association of Tourism Trade Organisations India (ATTOI); and Mr. Pradeep Murthy, ATTOI, are also seen.

Kerala Tourism rolls out a set of comprehensive safety and security regulations to position the state as a prime, secure and hassle-free destination for adventure-loving holidaymakers and nature buffs

March 2020

ighlighting that safety and quality are pivotal for the growth of high-potential Adventure Tourism in Kerala, Mr. Kadakampally Surendran, Minister for Co-operation, Tourism and Devaswoms, Government of Kerala, has said that 50 major adventure tourism centres in the State will be upgraded to meet the national and

global standards. The Ministerâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s announcement came during the roll out of a set of comprehensive safety and security regulations to position the state as a prime secure and hassle-free destination for adventure-loving holidaymakers and nature buffs. Mr. Surendran also launched an Online Accreditation Portal to

provide registration for qualified Adventure Activity Providers (AAP), based on the guidelines drawn up by Kerala Adventure Tourism Promotion Society (KATPS), under the State Tourism Department. The validity of the registration is for two years. Noting that Kerala Adventure and Activities Based Tourism Safety and Security Regulations set guidelines for conduct of 31 land, water and air-based activities, the Minister said Muzhappilangad (Kannur) Kaapil (Varkala), and Vagamon (Idukki) will be designated as adventure tourism centres. “A proposal to set up adventure parks in all districts is also under the consideration of the government, as per the availability of land,” he said. Listing five ways of developing adventure tourism, the minister said first, the basic infrastructure in the existing adventure tourism spots needs to be developed. This should be followed by identifying and developing new spots, promoting public-private projects and creating a circuit connecting adventure tourism centres. Finally, the state has to brand its adventure tourism nationally and internationally. Currently, KATPS. in association with the Forest Department, is conducting activities in forest areas, he said. “Soft adventure parks have already been started in Veli, Kollam Asramam, Thenmala, Karlad in Wayand and Kottappuram.

Somatheeram, President, KTM Society; Mr. Ravisankar. K.V, Accredited service Executive Council Member, providers will be able KATPS; Mr. Aneesh Kumar. P.K, Association of Tourism Trade to take up outdoor Organisations India (ATTOI) and Mr. Pradeep Murthy, ATTOI were activities to give present. further boost to this The guidelines were evolved by an Experts Committee, which mostly sector focused on 31 adventure tourism activities. While doing this, the panel had also taken into account the Adventure Tourism Guidelines Preparations are in the final stages issued by the Ministry of Tourism, in Munnar to start paragliding Government of India. activities. Besides, an Adventure The guidelines lay emphasis Tourism Academy will be set up at on essential parameters for activity Sasthampara near the state capital,” providers such as having proper the Minister said. licence as prescribed by the state Ms. Rani George IAS, Secretary, Tourism, presiding over the function, or central government norms, deployment of qualified personnel, said except desert-based activities and snow-capped mountain activities, including well-trained activity leaders with hands-on experience, use of Kerala has all the potential to quality equipment and knowledge emerge as a top adventure tourism of First Aid and safety and risk destination. mitigation ability. “Approval has been given for The land-, water- and air-based commencing a training course in adventure tourism at Kerala Institute activities covered by the guidelines include trekking and mountaineering, of Tourism and Travel Studies jeep safaris, all-terrain vehicle tours, (KITTS), in association with private cycling, water skiing, scuba diving, tour operator Muddy Boots,” she kayaking and canoeing, water surfing said. and paragliding and hand gliding. Mr. P Bala Kiran IAS, Director, Enhancing the role of stakeKerala Tourism, also spoke. Mr. holders in adventure tourism, the Manesh Bhaskar, CEO, KATPS, accredited service providers will be welcomed the gathering. able to take up a variety of outdoor Mr. D K Vinod Kumar IFS, activities to give further boost to Director, Eco Tourism; Mr. E.M. this vital sector based on these Najeeb, Senior Vice President, regulations. IATA; Mr. Baby Mathew March 2020

Tourism Kerala to be declared world leader in

Responsible Tourism in 2022

Dr. Harold Goodwin Founder and Director of UK-based International Centre for Responsible Tourism presenting a memento to Mr. Kadakampally Surendran, Minister for Tourism, Kerala in the presence of Mr. Kallara Madhu, Private Secretary, Mr. Rupersh Kumar, State Coordinator, Kerala RT Mission and Mrs. Rani George IAS, Secretary, Kerala Tourism.

The World Travel Market London will declare Kerala as the world leader in Responsible Tourism (RT) in 2022.

March 2020

r. Harold Goodwin, Founder and Director of UK-based International Centre for Responsible Tourism, has announced that Kerala is to be declared as the world leader in Responsible Tourism in 2022 at the World Travel Market at Trivandrum on January 25, 2020. He also said that democracy and transparency are the major components of RT in Kerala, while addressing the Tourism Industry Partners, which was organised by the Responsible Tourism Mission, Department of Tourism, Government of Kerala.

“First, what makes Kerala ascend the world leadership is the concerted action among government, local people and tourism industry in RT activities. Secondly, RT gives equal importance to socio-economic and environmental responsibilities. Thirdly, after the implementation of RT activities, there is an increase in the number of domestic tourists to Kerala,” Dr. Goodwin said. In her address, Ms. Rani George IAS, Secretary, Kerala Tourism, said: “We need focused initiatives and unique identity for each place for effective implementation of RT.

Mrs. Rani George IAS, Secretary, Kerala Tourism. addressing the RT conclave in Trivandrum. Mr. Rupersh Kumar, State Coordinator, Kerala RT Mission, Mr. P.K. ANish Kumar, Mr. E.M. Najeeb, Dr. Harod Goodwin and Mr. Ravisankar.K.V. are also seen

We want our tourism to be more experiential and responsible. To yield results, we should identify the areas that we need to concentrate on. We also need more interaction with the community, hoteliers and resort owners.â&#x20AC;? On the occasion, the Tourism Secretary presented a State Government award to Dr. Goodwin

200 selected entrepreneurs from various parts of the state attended the panel discussion and shared their experience

for his guidance and contributions to RT activities in the state. Mr K. Rupesh Kumar, Coordinator, State RT Mission, who was recently conferred with World Travel Mart Responsible Tourism Outstanding Achievement Jury Award 2020, was also honoured. The participants at the meet suggested that it was vital to extend the duration of stay of tourists by tapping the tourism potential of unidentified rural areas. The entrepreneurs also expressed their willingness to rebrand tourism places, including Kovalam in the capital city by associating with the activities of RT Mission. Around 200 selected entrepreneurs from various parts of the state attended the panel discussion and shared their experience at the meet. Kerala State Tourism Advisory Members, Mr E.M. Najeeb, President, Confederation of Kerala Tourism Industry, Mr. P. K. Anish Kumar, Former President, ATTOI and Mr. K.V. Ravisankar, Managing Editor, Tourism India media group, also spoke.

March 2020

Industry

Kerala has big advantage in Industry 4.0, says KPMG CEO Tr i va n d r u m M a n a ge m e nt Asso cia t io n’ s t w o - d a y C o n ve n t i o n TR I MA 20 20 e nds o n po sit ive no t e s If Kerala creates the right ecosystem for new-age technologies like artificial intelligence (AI) to flourish, the state can secure a pioneering status. Mr Arun Kumar, Chairman and CEO of KPMG.

March 2020

oting that Industry4.0 is replete with good opportunities for Kerala Mr. Arun Kumar, Chairman and CEO of KPMG, said that the state’s knowledge economy has tremendous potential to emerge as an economic powerhouse of the country by taking advantage of the transformations by creating the right ecosystem. “If Kerala creates the right ecosystem for new-age technologies like artificial intelligence (AI) to flourish, the state can secure a pioneering status,” said Mr Arun Kumar, addressing the valedictory session of TRIMA 2020, the flagship annual management convention of Trivandrum Management Association (TMA), in Trivandrum recently. “Studies by World Economic Forum show that about 50 per cent of current tasks in skills willbe replaced by AI. Kerala has tremendous opportunity in these emerging technologies and it would enable the state to become the next economic powerhouse of India,” Mr Arun Kumar, who was the chief guest at the session, said. He, however, noted that it was important to completely revamp skilling ecosystem to make rapid strides in securing a better future by generating jobs.

The theme of the two-day event was “A Vision for Kerala - Work in a Changing World.” Mr. H. Vinod, Senior Vice-President TMA, while summing up the proceedings of the meet said the deliberations were highly insightful. Mr. C. Padmakumar, CoChairman, TRIMA 2020, also spoke. Mr. M.R. Subramonian, VicePresident, TMA, proposed a vote of thanks. In a panel discussion on the concluding day on “The Industry Connect”, Mr V.K. Mathews, Founder and Executive Chairman, IBS Group, said the real challenge before the state was to get ready to face the challenges thrown up when everything is changing dramatically in this digitally disruptive world. “The size of the digital economy is $12.5 trillion, which is 14.5 per cent of the world’s Gross Domestic Product (GDP). The digital economy, which did not exist until 2008, has now become a $12.5 trillion economy in 10 years,” Mr. Mathews, who moderated the session said, adding that the situation has also created massive amount of wealth in a very rapid pace. Mr. Mathews said the vision for Kerala is to make it the finest place to live and work. “Clean Kerala is one of the key priorities for achieving

Mr. Arun Kumar, Chairman and CEO of KPMG addressing the TRIMA 2020 at Trivandrum.

the vision. We have to make Kerala clean and green. Safe Kerala is another factor, which means the state has to become safe to travel on road, drinking water and it should have safety from natural disasters. Moreover, enabled urbanisation and ease of doing business are also important factors,” he added. Dr. A. Velumani, CMD, Thyrocare Technologies Ltd., said creating jobs was the only way to strengthen the economy. He urged

entrepreneurs to practice frugality, and be focused on their domain. Mr. Thomas John Muthoot, CMD, Muthoot Fincorp; Mr. Sunil Gupta, Founder-CEO and Director, Innoval Digital Solutions Pvt Ltd.; Mr. Tony Thomas, CIO, Nissan Motor Corporation Ltd.; and Ms. Dhanya Rajendran, Co-founder and Editor-in-Chief, The News Minute, were the other panellists. In another panel session on “Learning for Life,” Dr. T.P.

Sreenivasan, Former Ambassador of India; Ms. Bian Li, Founder, The Hungry Lab, California, the U.S.; Dr. P.S. James, Director, Asian School of Business; Ms. Anupama Raju, Global Head-Corporate Communications, UST Global; and Ms. Heera Nair, Director-Operations, Coconics Pvt. Ltd took part. More than 200 delegates, including doyens of industry, policy makers, and members of business fraternity attended the conclave. March 2020

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Virus warrior K.K. SHAILAJA

Minister for Health & Social Justice, Govt. of Kerala

Keralaâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s minister for Health has proven her mettle as a first time minister in staving off epidemic after epidemic. If it was Nipah in 2018 and 2019, in 2020 it was Novel coronavirus that the world has come to dread.

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According to Mr. Arif Mohammed Khan, Governor of Kerala, Mrs. K.K. Shailaja is the best minister in the country and Brand Kerala Magazine has selected her for the “ Brand Kerala Women of the Year 2020” Award for her outstanding contribution to society and health sector in Kerala.

from the front by holding assessment meetings on a day-to-day basis. The Minister oversees each and every aspect, from surveillance to early detection, isolation and case management, contact tracing and prevention of onward spread. This move bore results as the three cases which turned out to be positive were in people who were quarantined by the health department as soon as it came to know about their arrival from Wuhan in China, the epicentre of the outbreak.

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ven as nations across the globe are up in arms over the possible outbreak of Novel coronavirus or COVID 19 and markets are feeling the heat of the virus, there is a state in India that has successfully battled the virus. And all the credit for that goes to a former high school chemistry teacher and three-time lawmaker. On January 30, the first positive case of nCoV in the country was reported from Kerala. The positive case was confirmed in a medical student who was in isolation at Thrissur general hospital. Late that night, Ms. K.K. Shailaja, Minister for Health, Social Justice and Woman and Child Development, held a meeting with her officials on ground zero. As soon as the Union Health Ministry issued an alert against nCoV on January 17, Kerala’s health department began surveillance measures. The state government drew up on the lessons it learnt while dealing with the Nipah virus outbreak. The next day, the department commenced its nCov preventive and control measures with alert being sent to District Medical Offices to be on the lookout for symptomatic persons. For Ms. Shailaja, containing the nCoV is just another challenge in her current stint as health minister. She had the experience of marshalling her troops during the floods and the Nipah virus outbreak which had struck the state twice, in 2018 and 2019. According to officials at the health department, the minister is leading

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Officials vouch that the professional approach taken by the health department in times of health emergencies like Nipah and nCoV is because of the hands on approach of the health minister. Ms. Shailaja, during one of her daily press briefings, said that there was no need to panic as the state’s surveillance protocol was one of the best. The state had put in place a three-pronged strategy for nCoV containment -- ensuring the health of those who had returned from Wuhan, ensuring zero nCoV death and ensuring non-outbreak of nCoV among the public. The major contributing factor that officials in her team suggested was the fact that she was a science teacher at Sivapuram High School in Kannur. This science background helped her understand the complexities and terminologies involved in viral outbreaks better. Also, she gives a patient hearing to experts in the field. The minister was also aware of the mental condition of those under home and hospital quarantine due to nCoV. The health department provided them with psychological support under the mental health programme. For this, 191 counsellors have been employed and to date, they have provided counselling to 1,043 people. For many in the state, Shailaja Teacher, as she is popularly known, has become a source of strength and solace. Ms. Ammu Sreekumar, Senior Consultant, Altran in Shanghai, who was March 2020

Cover Story home-quarantined in Kerala soon after she returned home owing to the virus outbreak in China and the consequent scarcity of day-today essentials in the supermarket shelves in the city she lives in, said: “I appreciate the way our health department handled this crisis. Each day, we get calls from the mental health team, and others, checking if we are alright. The government is taking a lot of efforts that makes us feel that we are cared for.” The minister also stepped in to address the ‘infodemic’ phenomenon that accompanies any public health emergency. Infodemic refers to the overabundance of information - some accurate and some not that is circulated on social media. Other than initiating legal action against rumour-mongers, the health department also started to provide accurate information regarding nCov to bust the myths. The state had put 2,421 people who arrived from nCoV notified places under isolation. Of them, 2,321 are in home isolation and 100 are in hospital isolation. Ms. Preeti Sudan, Union health secretary, while praising the nCoV surveillance protocol of Kerala, asked other states and union territories to follow suit. On February 28, the minister said that Kerala has been successful in containing the spread of coronavirus. All three medical students, who had returned together from the outbreak epicentre of Wuhan in China, were treated within the

March 2020

highly-equipped isolation wards at government hospitals in Kasaragod, Thrissur and Alappuzha districts. “The three students who were found to be corona-positive were isolated, now they are stable. They have been cured,” Mrs. Shailaja Teacher had said. In mid-February, when the editorial team of this magazine met the minister at her residence, Mrs. Shailaja expressed relief in being able to trace the three patients early and having kept them in isolation. “We have succeeded in the first part which is containing the virus. Three students who were found to be corona-positive were isolated, now they are stable. They were cured. From contact tracing to isolation and treatment, we have done everything in a systematic manner,” the minister later said at a press briefing. “Even we wanted to declare that the corona fear is over, but we cannot do that. A total of 3,500 people were in quarantine. When they completed 28 days of quarantine, we released them from home quarantine. Now 135 people are under home quarantine”, she said. The Minister also reiterated that the government has decided to strengthen precautions after the WHO report that corona is spreading to more countries. Mrs. Shailaja said: “We are monitoring passengers from other countries for possible symptoms. One person from Malaysia came to Ernakulam airport. He had symptoms like sore throat, fever. We can’t say that it is coronavirus but we

have kept the person in the isolation ward. Samples were sent to the Virology Institute. I think his result will come tomorrow.” The state health minister also stated that a total of 3,500 people had been quarantined in Kerala and that they were released after completing 28 days of quarantine. “At least 135 people are still under home quarantine,” she said.

As soon as the Union Health Ministry issued an alert against COVID 19 on January 17, the state health department began surveillance measures. The state government drew up the lessons it learnt while dealing with the Nipah virus outbreak. The next day, the department commenced its COVID 19 preventive and control measures with alert being sent to District Medical Offices to be on the lookout for symptomatic persons. On January 30, the first positive case of COVID 19 in the country was reported from Kerala. The positive case was confirmed in a medical student who was in isolation at Thrissur general hospital. On February 2, the second positive case was reported from Alappuzha. In the second case too, the student was in isolation at a hospital. The third positive case was reported from Kasaragod on February 3 The government declared COVID 19 a state-specific disaster.

March 2020

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for workersâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; right J. Mercykutty Amma Minister for Fisheries, Government of Kerala

Mercykutty Amma took to politics during her student days in Fatima Matha College Kollam and rose through the ranks to become a minister

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the Chairperson of Kerala State Cooperative Federation for Fisheries The Development Ltd. (Matsyafed). The Minister is a Member, State Committee of the CPI (M); All India Vice-President and State Secretary, CITU; Vice-President, Kerala Cashew Workers Centre. Mrs. Mercykutty was first elected to Kerala Legislative Assembly in 1987 (26th March, 1987 – 17th June, 1991). She was again elected to the Assembly in 1996 (20th May, 1996 – 13th May, 2001). Mrs. Mercykutty was elected to the Kerala Legislative Assembly for the third time in 2016 and became Minister in charge of the portfolios of Fisheries, Harbour Engineering and Cashew Industry. Forever, ready to solve any issues in the fishing and cashew production units, Mrs. Mercykutty would not allow even personal matters to come in between her and her trade union work. Soon after the floods of 2018, Mrs. Mercykutty said any fisherman who suffered loss due to damages to his boat can approach the department. “According to the report compiled by Fisheries Department, 99 boats have suffered damages and we’ve repaired all of them.” In the first week of February 2020, the minister was seized of the plight of Indian fishermen working in Iran. The minister said that the government will take all necessary steps to bring the fishermen from the state stranded in Iran following the coronavirus scare. She said the government will collect details of the Keralites trapped in Iran and coordinate with the Indian embassy

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ne of the only two women in the cabinet of Mr. Pinarayi Vijayan, Mrs. J. Mercykutty Amma, Minister for Fisheries, Harbour Engineering and Cashew Industry, is known as a fiery leader who fights for the rights of the working class relentlessly. A postgraduate in Malayalam, she has completed LLB course and is married to Mr. B. Thulaseedhara Kurup, President, Centre of Indian Trade Unions, Kollam district. Mrs. Mercykutty entered politics as an activist of Students Federation of India (SFI) during 1974. She was SFI office-bearer at Fatima Matha National College, Kollam and Sree Narayana College, Kollam. She served as SFI State Vice-President and All India Vice-President up to 1985. The leader, who hails from Kollam district, has held various positions in CITU and in the Communist Party of India (Marxist). She was the District Committee President of Matsyathozhilali (Fishermen) Federation, Kollam, up to 2012 and was the State VicePresident from 1987 to 2005. She was also the district treasurer of Coir Workers Union, Kollam, up to 1989 and the President of Khadi Workers Federation. She was also

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there through NoRKA (Department of Non-Resident Keralite Affairs). The minister also said the priority was to provide food and necessary medicines to those stranded there. “The Indian embassy will be contacted through the Union Ministry of External Affairs. We will ensure that essential materials and food are made available to them soon. I am not sure about evacuating them now as all the flights have been cancelled,” Mrs. Merckutty said. The fishermen were in Iran, working for a fishing company for last many months. Most of the Keralites are from Pozhiyur and Vizhinjam areas in Trivandrum.

Forever, ready to solve any issues in the fishing and cashew production units, Mrs. Mercykutty would not allow even personal matters to come in between her and her trade union work.

March 2020

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Innovation is the key Mrs. Sheela Kochouseph Managing Director, V Star Creations

Mrs. Sheela Kochouseph, Founder of Rs.100 crore worth V-Star Creations, a well-known brand in Kerala and other parts of the country, chose a smart and viable business model to take it forward in a state like Kerala that was then rife with strikes and employee issues

March 2020

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the company made was pumped back into the business. Mrs. Sheela chose a smart and viable business model to take it forward in a state like Kerala that was then rife with strikes and employee issues. An astute business woman, Mrs. Sheela adopted a unique model of women empowerment from the word go. She outsourced the stitching of all the lingerie to nuns in convents. They could provide livelihoods to women from underprivileged families. These women, who had never even seen a sewing machine before, were trained. Today, the company has 16 units with more than 1,000 women working on their products. Finding skilled workers to carry out embroidery and tailoring was always a challenge that Mrs. Sheela faced. Initially, she found sourcing raw material, especially the fabric, quite a challenge. When she entered the inner garments business, Mrs. Sheela procured some high-quality brassieres and panties from Mumbai, removed the stitches and started learning how to make the products from scratch as she did not have a pattern maker who knew the product. By offering stylish inner wears for women, men and children, V-Star quickly emerged as the leading inner wear brand in South India and the Middle East. The company has successfully integrated diverse business processes, services and products, unified by a common vision – Enriching lifestyles. V-Star has always felt the pulse of the market; welcoming change and reinventing itself for the challenges

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heela Kochouseph chose to beat her own path to success by introducing in Kerala top quality undergarments. The Rs.100 crore-worth V-Star Creations, a well-known brand in Kerala and other parts of the country, is today associated with stylish spread of inner wears or lingerie. But the company started its journey in 1995 by making Indian dresses like salwar kameezes as the trend was just starting off in the state. Most women wanted “less flashy designs” than those available in the market at that time. It was five years later, when Mrs. Kochouseph, Founder and Managing Director of the company, was asked at a dealer’s conference, why she could not branch into innerwear as there was a shortage of quality brands in Kerala, that she ventured into the production of innerwear for women, men and children. And the rest, they say, is history. V-Star soon emerged as the leading inner wear brand in South India and Middle East. It was no easy path that Mrs. Sheela, who hails from a prominent business family, tread turning her passion into a profitable venture. Her husband, Mr. Kochouseph Chittilapilly, owns the V-Star Group. When Mrs. Sheela expressed a desire to start up on her own, her husband offered her an empty office on rent. But she had to raise her own funds with the help of a bank loan. Making products from scratch, Mrs. Sheela started off with 10 people, including a pattern maker, a cutter, a merchandiser, and others relevant to the business she wanted to start. In the beginning, whatever profit

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within a dynamic society and marketplace. The company applies exacting standards of innovation, design and service throughout the journey from its origin as a single fibre of cotton, all the way to its culmination as an exhilarating and satisfying shopping experience for its customers. V-Star catalogues a wide range of inner wears such as Bra, Panty, Camisoles, Shapewears, Vests, Briefs, Trunks, Active wears and Bloomers. Recently, V-Star has expanded its lifestyle product range by introducing Leggings, Printed Leggings, Capri Leggings, Printed Capris, T-shirts, Shorts, Knitted shorts, Track pants Nightwear, Lounge Pant, Sleep Pant and Comfy Blouse The company today has exclusive brand outlets in Kochi, Thrissur, Malappuram, Calicut, Thodupuzha, Kottayam, Kollam, Trivandrum and Bangalore. V-Star EBO’s showcases a plethora of innerwear and lifestyle products and offers a world-class shopping experience for customers who like to shop in tune with the latest fashion styles. V-Star manufactures more than 20 lakhs of inner wears and outer wears every month for women, men and children. Employing more than 200 direct employees and more than 1,000 indirect employees, the brand has 50 distributors and 4,500 dealers in South India alone. V-Star has been awarded RVA-accredited ISO 9001: 2015 certification, the first in Kerala’s garment industry to win this coveted recognition. Mrs. Sheela’s sees the company becoming a pan-Indian brand and being exported to other parts of the globe as well. March 2020

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Dynamic bureaucrat Dr. Rajashree Ajith

Director, Kerala Institute of Tourism and Travel Studies (KITTS)

Dr. Rajashree Ajith became the youngest Managing Director of a public sector unit under Government of Kerala when she took charge of Kerala Transport Development Finance Corporation at the age of 28.

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Under her leadership KITTS became an affiliate member of UNWTO in 2012 and member in the Knowledge Network of UNWTO. She is playing a key role in placing KITTS as a leading tourism educational institute at international level. public, and granting vehicle loans, home loans, construction loans and personal loans to the public. Under her nurturing care, KTDFC became a continuously profit making Corporation, consistently paying dividend to the Government. The Corporation was consistently rated as one among the top 15 best performing Corporations by the Bureau of Public Enterprises of the State Government. It attained “AA” in Credit rating for the Corporation from National credit rating agency. As Managing Director, she implemented the successful BOT project ‘TransTowers’ with the Government. She also initiated joint

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vibrant and dynamic personality, Dr. Rajashree Ajith is the Director, Kerala Institute of Tourism and Travel Studies (KITTS), an autonomous institution under Department of Tourism, Government of Kerala, India, with almost 30 years of experience in top level management in Government administration A Post Graduate in Management, Computer Science, and Human Resource Management and with a Doctoral Degree in Management from University of Kerala, Dr. Rajashree Ajith is a graduate in Civil engineering (B Tech) from the University of Kerala. Dr. Rajashree Ajith became the youngest Managing Director of a public sector unit under Government of Kerala when she took charge of Kerala Transport Development Finance Corporation (KTDFC) at the age of 28. Dr. Rajashree Ajith was the first woman Director Board Member of Kerala State Road Transport Corporation (KSRTC) in addition to being the Director Board Member of Sree Chitra Engineering College. She also held the additional charge of Director, Centre for Continuing Education in Kerala (CCEK), Kerala Civil Service Academy and Institute of Fashion Technology Kerala (IFTK). During her tenure at the top in KTDFC, Dr. Rajashree expanded the activities of the corporation and opened up new avenues of generating revenue, with fund mobilisation schemes from the

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venture projects with the state-owned public transport system KSRTC for the commercial development of bus terminals across the state. She continued to be the MD for around 11 years till end of 2007. From 2008 to 2012, Dr. Rajashree Ajith was the Managing Director of Kerala State Centre for Advanced Printing & Training (C-apt) formerly known as Kerala State Audio Visual and Reprographic Centre under Higher Education Department. During her period at C-apt, the Centre saw a successful turnaround into a vibrant, financially sound, business oriented, forward looking enterprise with the whole hearted support of all the stakeholders. Dr. Rajashree Ajith initiated many new programmes and systems for the efficient functioning of the Centre and welfare of the employees. She was also instrumental in establishing the Centre for Braille Studies at Shangumugham, Thiruvananthapuram, installed Multi colour Sheet fed Offset Printing Machine from M/s. Mitsubishi, Japan, undertook and executed Lottery Ticket Printing under the Security Printing Unit apart from executing confidential printing works. The enterprising official also initiated the state-wide launch of C-apt Multimedia Academy throughout Kerala through over 100 Franchisee Centres. During 2010, she also held the additional charge of Director, Centre for Continuing Education in Kerala (CCEK), Kerala Civil Service Academy and Institute of Fashion Technology Kerala (IFTK).

Cover Story Dr. Rajashree Ajith took charge as Director, Kerala Institute of Tourism and Travel Studies in 2012. Under her eminent leadership, the entire functions and activities of KITTS have been restructured. Under her leadership KITTS became an affiliate member of UNWTO in 2012 and member in the Knowledge Network of UNWTO. She is playing a key role in placing KITTS as a leading tourism educational institute at international level. Dr. Rajashree Ajith took earnest efforts to link KITTS with Ministry of Tourism, Government of India, and accordingly, KITTS has become a nodal agency since 2012 for implementing various programmes and projects of Ministry of Tourism, Government of India.

FORM IV Statement about ownership and other particulars about newspaper BRAND KERALA to be published in the first issue every year after the last day of February 1. Place of Publication

Thiruvananthapuram

2. Periodicity of its publication

Monthly

3. Printers Name

Ravi Sankar K V

Nationality

Indian

Address :

G 8 Kousthubham Thamarakkulam Lane, Sankar Roadâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; Sasthamangalam (PO), Thiruvananthapuram 695010, Kerala, India.

4. Publishers Name

Ravi Sankar K V

Nationality

Indian

Address :

G 8 Kousthubham Thamarakkulam Lane, Sankar Road, Sasthamangalam (PO), Thiruvananthapuram 695010, Kerala, India.

5. Editors Name

Rajani. A

Nationality

Indian

Address :

G 8 Kousthubham Thamarakkulam Lane, Sankar Road Sasthamangalam (PO),Thiruvananthapuram 695010, Kerala, India.

6. Names and addresses of individuals who own the newspaper and partners or shareholders holding more than one percent of the total capital. Ravisankar.K.V G 8 Kousthubham Thamarakkulam Sankar Road, Sasthamangalam (PO) Thiruvananthapuram I , Ravisankar K.V hereby declare that the particulars given above are true to the best of my knowledge and belief. Sd/Ravisankar K.V Signature of Publisher

Date 01-03-2020

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Brand Kerala Woman of the Year Award for K.K. Shailaja H e a l t h Mi n i s t er s e l ect e d f o r he r e xe m pla ry w o rk in l ea d i n g t h e f i g h t a ga inst Nipa h a nd C o v id 1 9

rand Kerala, the brand business magazine of Kerala, is proud and happy to announce that Mrs. K.K. Shailaja Teacher, Minister of Health and Social Justice, Government of Kerala has been selected for Brand Kerala “Woman of the Year” Award for her outstanding leadership in tackling Nipah and Novel Corona Virus outbreak in Kerala by leading the entire health administration and the medical system of Kerala from the forefront and great contribution to make Kerala, a safe place to travel and live An eminent panel of Jury headed by Mr. G Shankar, Padmashri awardee and accomplished architect (Founder of Habitat Technologies), along with the members of jury consisting of Mr. Baiju Chandran (Director, Doordarshan Kendra, Trivandrum), Dr. Rajashri Ajith (Director, Kerala Institute of Travel & Tourism Studies, Trivandrum), Mr. E.M. Najeeb (CMD, ATE Group & Executive Director, KIMS Health Care group) and Ms. Rajani A (Group Editor, Tourism India Media Group) has unanimously selected Mrs. K. K. Shailaja for the award in recognition of the selfless

service she rendered in raising the standards of public health in the state to the global level. The award will be presented to the Minister on March 7, 2020 by Princess Ashwathy Thirunal Gouri Lakshmi Bai, well-known writer and member of the Travancore Royal Family, in the presence of eminent women personalities from various fields in Kerala. Mrs. Rakhi Ravikumar, Deputy Mayor, will preside over the award function in which Mr. Cherian Philip, Kerala State Mission Coordinator, Mr. Thomas John Muthoot, Chairman, Confederation of Indian Industry Kerala Chapter and Chairman Muthoot Fincorp, and Mr. Baby Mathew Somatheeram, President, Kerala Travel Mart Society, will be participating. Brand Kerala, in association with UN Women, and Tourism India Media group, is also organising International Women’s Day celebrations on March 7, 2020 on the theme ‘I am Generation

Equality’. Brand Kerala Magazine’s March 2020 edition is dedicated as Women’s Day Special. The event is being organised to mark the International Women’s Day, a global day celebrating the social, economic, cultural and political achievements of women. The day also marks a call to action for accelerating women’s equality. International Women’s Day (IWD) has occurred for well over a century, with the first IWD gathering in 1911 supported by over a million people. Today, IWD belongs to all groups collectively everywhere. IWD is not a country, group or organization specific. Both the events will be held from 11am to 3pm at Hotel Apollo Dimora, Trivandrum. March 2020

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doyen of

mohiniyattam Kalamandalam Vimala Menon

Renowned Dancer, Guru & Sangeeth Natak Academy Awardee

Winner of many awards and honours, Kalamandalam Vimala Menon has to her credit the Guiness World Record for presenting 1,200 Mohiniyattam dancers on stage

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he Founder and Director of Kerala Natya Academy, Kalamandalam Vimala Menon, is a doyen of Mohiniyattam. Trained under eminent gurus Chinnammu Amma, Kalamandalam Sathyabhama, and Thanjavur Bhaskara Rao, Ms. Vimala Menon also learnt learnt Kuchipudi dance as a student of Vempati Chinna Satyam and studied Thiruvathirakali under Malathi G. Menon. It was when she joined Kalamandalam in 1960 that Ms. Menon realised that her movements were more suited to Mohiniattam than any other form of art. Her lifelong commitment to Mohiniyattam has gained her Kerala Sangeetha Nataka Akademi Award, Kendra Sangeeta Nataka Akademi award and the Kerala Kalamandalam Award. The Guiness World Record for presenting 1,200 Mohiniyattam

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Ms. Menon hails from Irinjalakuda and started learning Mohiniyattam and classical music when she was just 10 years from Thirupunithura Vijaya Bhanu and Carnatic music from Madhusuthanan Nair. She always yearned for learning dance at Kerala Kalamandalam and accomplished the same with a graduation from there. She started Kerala Natya Academy in 1972 with the vision of helping other aspiring dancers, no matter their caste or creed, and allowing them to fulfill their dreams. Under her guidance, Kerala Natya Academy has flourished and expanded its traditions and values to yet another beautiful country - Malaysia. It was while working as a dance teacher in the Jawahar School at dancers on stage is yet another Neyveli Lignite Corporation, that feather on the danseuse’s hat. She she married Mr. K.P. Viswanatha also won the Senior Fellowship Menon. After the marriage in 1966, Award instituted by the Government she accompanied her husband to of India’s Cultural Department for Bhutan where he was an officer her research work in ‘Ramanattom in with Bhutan government. She Mohiniyattam’. has a son, Vinod, and a daughter, More than four decades of Vinduja Menon, who acted in tireless commitment and efforts to several Malayalam films, including accomplish her goals saw nothing but Pavithram and Njan Gandharvan. success in the form of innumerable The love and support from her students worldwide and recognition. husband, who was the great-grandson Ms. Menon has trained a large of the late veteran malayalam poet number of students in Bharatanatyam ‘Mahakavi’ Vallathol Narayana and Mohiniattam at various Menon, who was the founder of institutions including the Kerala Kerala Kalamandam, allowed Mrs. State Jawahar Bala Bhavan, the Vimala Menon to continue her Desseya Kala Kendram, and her own explorations and experiments in the institution Kerala Natya Academy. world of dance. Even though the modification During her stay in Bhutan, Ms. that she made in the costume and Menon taught dance in the Bhutan presentation of Mohiniyattam raised Government School and performed certain eyebrows initially, it gained South Indian Classical dance in many acceptance later. places. March 2020

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Accidental TRAVEL professional Keralaâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s pioneering travel company, Kerala Travels was founded by Col. G V Raja of the royal family of Travancore, Mr P G C Pillai and Mr S V Pandit in 1959. Now heading 3 Women leaders, HH Princess Gouri Parvathi Bai of Travancore Royal family as Chair Person, Mrs. Jaya Chadrahasan as MD and Mrs. Geethika Sudeep as Joint Managing Director.

March 2020

Ms. Jaya Chandrahasan Managing Director, Kerala Travels Interserve Ltd.

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dignity. In India, due to our cultural background, it took a long time for women to come actively into this field. She cautions young ladies to never compromise on the self esteem and business ethics. On evaluating the position of women professionals and entrepreneurs in Kerala tourism Ms. Jaya claims that women can be of better understanding to customer needs and be more patient and loyal to the service sector. Kerala Travels, Kerala’s pioneering travel company, was founded by Col. G V Raja of the royal family of Travancore, Mr P G C Pillai and Mr S V Pandit. From his frequent voyages, Col. Raja felt the need for high-quality travel services that would make travelling comfortable, easy and stress-free. And that is how Kerala Travels was born in the year 1959. In 1997, Kerala Travels co-founded Interserve Ltd with an aim to serve as a consortium of travel and tourism

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s. Jaya Chandrahasan got her first taste of entrepreneurship when her husband Mr. K C Chandrahasan, then Managing Director and the backbone of Kerala Travels gave her immense support and brought his lady to forefront as the Executive Director of the firm. The challenges according to Ms. Jaya can be evaded only if one shows the merit. She openly admits that it is harder being a woman to work in the hospitality sector and sternly puts that ‘We ourselves have to draw the line’ on where to stand, what to say and how to react. Being in the service sector, it is the positive attitude that counts the most and when it comes to progress and development the prime focus should be customer delight, asserts Ms. Jaya. She welcomes young women to hospitality sector with open arms but warns them never try to be a man and never lose your grace and

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Kerala Travels brought first National Tourism Award for Kerala in 1998 for their globally acclaimed Adventure and Wild Life Tourism product, “Periyar Tiger Trails”, which was initiated with the aim of “Poachers turns protectors” in Periyar Tiger Reserve, Thekkady in Kerala

agencies. It was formed with the motto “All for one & one for all”. Having witnessed the changes in travel itineraries and preferences, KT understood that every passenger would need multipoint servicing. This is where the Interserve alliance came into play, enabling Kerala Travels to offer one-of-a-kind travel experiences to its global patrons. Today, Interserve Ltd is present in 122 locations within India and in 85 locations worldwide. It is poised to be India’s largest travel brand! Kerala Travels came full circle in 2001, when it was registered as a public limited company with Princess Gowri Parvathy Bayi, daughter of Col GV Raja, as Chairperson. Having completed 50 years of serving travellers in India and abroad, Kerala Travels continues to be a trendsetter in travel innovation and service excellence. March 2020

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Accomplished writer and journalist K.A. Beena

K.A. Beena, Author & Media Professional

K.A. Beena is a woman journalist and author of more than 30 titles in Malayalam and English languages who has also worked with print, television and radio, a rare achievement in oneâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s career and is now serving as the Deputy Director of Regional Outreach Bureau, Kochi under Ministry of Information & Broadcasting, Government of India.

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‘Beena Kanda Russia’, the first travelogue she wrote when she was a thirteen-yearold school student was the one of the most popular travelogue in Malayalam literature. The book retells her experiences of attending the International Children’s camp at Artek in the erstwhile USSR in 1977

ho is a writer? Obviously a story teller. In whatever different forms or genre, one chooses to write, she or he is digging out an underlying story that has been waiting to manifest itself. Through her numerous columns, travelogues, life sketches, children’s literature, short stories, and essays on a lot of different topics, Ms. K.A. Beena has told innumerable stories about the world around her. As in Seamus Heaney’s famous poem ‘Digging’, Ms. Beena always holds a pen to be able to ‘dig’ and to write incessantly. Seamus Heaney had seen his father and his grandpa digging for cultivating the land and he being a poet writes about his idea of digging. Between my finger and my thumb

The squat pen rests. I will dig with it. Our country is not an easy place for a woman who thinks differently. What Beena aspired from her childhood was to become a writer and she has turned out to be not only an accomplished writer but also a real fighter and a leader. The journey was not easy. Though extraordinarily multi-faceted and versatile like many a woman in our country, Beena had to go through the hard way to pursue her dreams. Even as a young girl Beena had kept a notebook for jotting down whatever came across her wonderful life. Her father had been travelling around the world as he was in the Merchant Navy. He used to inspire her by writing letters in post cards from wherever his travels led him to. Meanwhile Ms. Beena had been thoroughly enjoying her utterly rural life. She still keeps the memories of her ancestral house with cows, paddy fields, fruit bearing trees and whatever activities that came with this scenario. Ms. Beena likes to travel. She loves to write about her travels. She goes to places where she would try to understand their peculiarities. It is very intriguing and very appreciative how she found out the dearth of napkins in a place in Uttar Pradesh. The introduction to her travelogue titled ‘Brahmaputhrayile Veedu’ translated into English by Ms. Ayisha Sasidharan could be an apt example of her style in travel writing and a piece of it is quoted here:

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By Shyla C George

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“It is this majestic expanse of water and its range of moods, from the furious to the friendly, agitated, meditatively still or just as a silent spectator, that has been the one constant in a region that has been in a state of flux throughout its history.”

Other topics Beena wrote exclusively for her son when he was almost a child. She had had a wonderful childhood that had been adventurous and brimming with life. The mother in her could bring those moments alive by transforming herself into his son’s companion. Her books written for children are very nostalgic and lively. The memoir ‘Basheer Enna Anugraham’ is the story of an unusual friendship that Vaikom Mohammed Basheer had with Ms.Beena. They used to write letters to one another almost till the death of Basheer. Mr. Adoor Gopalakrishnan says that this book spreads radiance like one of Basheer’s books. Ms. Beena has written a book on Radio titled ‘Radio, Kalayum Kadhayum’. The book is so simple that any literate person can read and understand the working of a radio station. As long as radio is an inevitable part of our households, this book never loses its significance. It would take pages if I go on writing about Ms. Beena’s literary contributions. Nevertheless, I have to mention ‘Beena Kanda Russia’, the first travelogue she wrote when she was a thirteen-year-old student. The book retells her experiences of attending the International Children’s camp at Artek in the March 2020

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erstwhile USSR in 1977. She wrote this book with all the passion and happiness the camp could give her. Ms. Beena remembers her best friend Mehreen (Mehrunnisa) from Tajikistan who had been her close companion while in the camp. Ms. Beena had tried and located her which amounts to an adventurous story. She was on the verge of meeting her when Ms. Beena learnt that Mehrin had disappeared from her home. Ms. Beena keeps her hopes of finding her high. Coming to the other aspects of her life, one can see that Ms. Beena has excelled in her career and that she had been a motivator to many a woman around her and a staunch supporter of women’s rights. As a coordinator of the Network of Women in Media, Trivandrum region, she has led some remarkable protests against the atrocities prevailing in our male

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centered society. She started her career as a journalist in Kerala Kaumudi Women’s magazine in 1987 and in 1989, she moved to Grihalakshmi, the women’s magazine of Mathrubhoomi Publications. In 1991 she joined the Indian Information Service of the Government of India. She had been the news editor of All India Radio and Dooradarshan. Ms. Beena has also worked in the Press Information Bureau and is now serving as the Deputy Director of Regional Outreach Bureau, Kochi under Ministry of Information & Broadcasting, Government of India. It is interesting to notice that Ms. Beena is a woman journalist who has worked with print, television and radio, a rare achievement in one’s career. Ms. Beena is both a good orator and a teacher.

The UNFPA is a UN organization. It works in partnership with governments, along with other United Nations agencies, communities, NGOs, foundations and the private sector, to raise awareness and to achieve its mission to promote the rights and health of women and young people. Ms. Beena got the Laadli Media Award 2014 and 2016 (online and print), Regional and National Awards instituted by the United Nations Population Fund and Population First, Mumbai. Ms. Beena had gone to UP during the election. During the journey she finds out how poor are the sanitary conditions of women in our country during menstrual periods. There were no sanitary napkins available. Most of the women are using hay, soil etc. instead of napkins and cloth. After a careful study she published an essay on these shocking findings. This led not only to winning awards but to creating awareness among the public. Ms. Beena has won the V.K. Madhavankutty award for print media, 2016, Sheela Teacher award for socially committed journalism work, 2019, Akashavani National Awards for best script, 2010 and Rajalekshmy Award for literary contribution, 2015. To become successful in life is not easy. To remain humane is more difficult. She has passed these tests of her life. Ms. Beena had remained positive on the face of many adversities that had been along with her throughout her life. She still remains positive not bothering about where life leads her to.

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By Cris/ Newsminute.com

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Meet Shyla Kerala poet who went from banking to creative writing in her 50s

Shyla C. George

Author, Editor & Banking Professional

Mrs. Shyla C George, daughter of Mrs. Koothattukulam Mary, freedom fighter and Communist party leader, is the one of the pioneering women journalsits in Malayalam regional language news papers. She started her career in Janayugam daily along with two other colleagues, Mrs. Geetha Nazeer, of Janayugam and Mrs. P.S. Nirmlaa of Mathrubhumi in 1970s March 2020

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t the end of a one-and-ahalf hour chat, it’s likely that Shyla C George will remember the tiny details of our meeting – the corner table of a nearlyempty café in Thiruvananthapuram, the bad tea she couldn’t take a second sip of, the road outside the glass wall screeching with the afternoon traffic. Every detail, retained in her mind, like a picture, to be remembered later, and perhaps be made a poem of. Shyla, days after publishing her first book of poems Rain in the Attic, is a bundle of such surprises. She worked for 35 years in a bank. Two years before retirement, she decided to do a creative writing course in the Nottingham University in the UK. She is 60 something years old, and can still remember the rain she saw and marvelled at as a child of seven, somewhere in Perunthalamanna, where Shyla grew up in a family of communists. Her mother Koothattukulam Mary had joined the Indian freedom struggle as a girl of Class IX, and later the Communist Party of India at a time when it was banned. Mary was arrested once and tortured in custody. Shyla’s father CS George was another communist leader who had, for long, gone underground when the party was banned. Shyla, the second daughter among the four girls born to the couple, had obvious influences at an early age. But apart from her parents, she also names IV Sasankan, communist leader and brother of late filmmaker IV Sasi, as the one who got her to write. “He got me to write columns for Janayugam (a Malayalam daily

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Shyla C George, author of ‘Rain in the Attic’, talks about her early influences living in a communist family, her work in a bank, and life in a foreign University.

affiliated to the CPI). I wrote about women – interviewing some who lived in the Papathy colony, others who made baskets, sitting on small hills – I wrote columns on how to treat your domestic help with respect and not like someone you have rights over,” Shyla, with her impeccable memory, narrates a few of her story ideas. She had a small tryst with journalism earlier when she with her friend and colleague Nirmala, went off to Kollam to interview a dancer, and both of them forgot to take any notes. “But Nirmala wrote a beautiful copy of it anyway!” says the dear friend, decades later. Shyla would

have liked to pursue journalism or literature but for reasons she’d rather not talk about, she did a degree in Economics and joined a bank. “I did like the discipline of the work, and that I had an office to go to and colleagues to interact with every day. I miss all of that now!” she says with the lovely wide smile that she easily breaks into between her words. It is that longing, that feeling of having missed doing something really dear to her, that made her fly off to the UK and do a creative writing course a little late in life. Appreciation came her way for not letting age stop her but Shyla writes in the preface of her book: “It is always better to study when you are young.” The course did present her the confidence that she went in search of, but Shyla didn’t have the best of days, living in a foreign country, surrounded by young classmates who didn’t seem too welcoming of her. She did find friends there, nice humans who stood by her when she felt ignored. Shyla also wrote most of the poems in her book in those few months at the University. In her poems, are the wind that once caught a fruit and ‘breezed

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down to place it gently on the palms of a girl’ and the girl (perhaps the same one) who took out the house key from her pocket, threw it up once, caught it, threw it again, until ‘in the fifth round, it didn’t come down to her hands’. Thoughts emerged in her poems from passengers relaxing on a train, the ‘thoughts that heated up and caught fire’ and gave momentum to the train that had slowed to a halt. Somewhere else, there is a funeral, and the author, who didn’t know who was crying or who carried the dead, knew ‘that she had waited for friends and that it had been long and painful’. Cats walk into her poems, windows open and dry leaves enter, and poems get eaten. There are leaves that did not know how to hurt, unlike humans who did. Along the way is a man called Ayyappan whom the coconut trees loved and would cry for when he died. “He was real, there really was an

Ayyappan who took so much care of coconut trees – not any other trees but ‘thengu’,” Shyla says dreamily, slipping for a few moments into her past. The mention of Ayyappan brings another poem into my mind – ‘Wisdom’. It’s only a few lines long and about a temple atop a hill and an old woman in a hurry to meet the deity. The poem ends with these lines: ‘Today, she stops at each step / waiting for the young girl / climbing after her’. Shyla’s eyes widen. No, she had not written that about Sabarimala or the round of controversies surrounding it when young women were suddenly allowed by the law to enter the Ayyappa temple they were banned from before. Shyla had written this years earlier, before any of the ruckus. She only notices now how those words would seem very much like a prophecy. “It wasn’t even meant to be Sabarimala, just a temple on the top of a hill and an old woman’s

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Mrs. Shjyla C George, with her husband Mr. Binoy Viswam MP, and children Adv. Soorya Binoy and Ms. Reshmi Binoy, Journalist

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eagerness to meet the god, making her climb much faster than a young girl,” she says. Just snippets that Shyla notices like these would make it to her poems on unpredictable days. She has not brought her family into the picture, at least not obviously – so her husband, CPI leader and Rajya Sabha member Binoy Viswam, and her two girls stay away from the book, but urge her to write all the time. Apart from the cats and the windows and the girls in her poems, there is of course the rain. Rain in the attic and rain everywhere else. But Shyla writes in the beginning of her book: “I haven’t learnt how to swim, how to climb a tree, and have never dared touch an elephant, nevertheless, I have smelled the earth and I have understood the rain. With the recent floods in Kerala, though, I am afraid I haven’t understood the rain and that it is capable of making us fearful. I will, perhaps, if I write about it.” But what she’s now written is a travelogue in Malayalam, off for print as we do the interview. “It’s called Thistleum Neela Poppyum (Thistle and Blue Poppy), thistle being the national flower of Edinburgh and blue poppy of Bhutan, two of the countries I have visited and written about. The other two are Estonia and Nottingham.” What she also loves to write is for children – there have been six of those books before the book of poems. And from the interests she lays out before you – the children’s classics and other books that she is even now earnestly reading – Shyla will continue writing those. With the eagerness of a child, no doubt. Courtesy: www.newsminute.com March 2020

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Indian by choice Shalini James

Owner and lead designer of the women’s wear brand Mantra

It was her burning desire to make a change in the fashion scenario in Kerala that prompted entrepreneur Shalini James to start Mantra

t is the magic words that Ms. Shalini James, the owner and lead designer of the women’s wear brand Mantra, swears by. She was the first designer from Kerala to present her collection at the prestigious Amazon India Fashion week in New Delhi. Her label, ‘SHALINI JAMES’ is an exotic potpourri of all things Indian; in silhouettes that are sometimes ethnic, sometimes contemporary, and mostly a unique mix of both. Her signature line, ‘Indian by choice’, espouses her design philosophy. A graduate in English Literature, Ms. Shalini James is also a graduate of the National Institute of Fashion

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Technology where she won the Best Constructed Design award for her final collection. Subsequently, she did an executive programme in business management from IIM Calcutta. Her

love for fashion and a burning desire to make a change in the fashion scenario in Kerala prompted her to start Mantra, a design house and apparel brand dedicated to the traditional textiles

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By applying anthropometric sizing techniques, western design methodology and pattern making tools to traditional Indian textiles, Mantra offers a product that has the best of both worlds

of bridging this gap, launched ethnic prêt; ready-to wear in its classical form with six point sizing, consistent fits, contemporary styling and great quality. By applying anthropometric sizing techniques, western design methodology and pattern making tools to traditional Indian textiles, Mantra offers a product that has the best of both worlds. In 2020, Ms. James has come out with a new range, ‘CHITRAKOOT - The Enchanted Forest.’ Chitrakoot,

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and textile crafts of India. Mantra retails from stores in Lulu Mall, Kochi and HiLite mall, Calicut and their onlinestore shalinijamesmantra.com. The label retails out of several leading multi designer outlets in all the major cities in India. Ms. Shalini James was awarded the ‘Woman Entrepreneur of the Year 2015’ by TiE Kerala, the Kerala chapter of TiE Global, ‘SME Excellence award, 2017’ by Destination Kerala, South Indian Fashion Award (SIFA) 2017 and the ‘Jwala Woman Entrepreneur Award 2017’ by KairaliPeople TV. In December 2002, after a particularly intense eureka moment, Ms. James founded a company in the living room of a house in Kochi and named it Shalini James’ Mantra. It is a firm that designs, manufactures and sells clothes that appeal to Shalini. That they appeal to a whole lot of other women too may be incidental, but it turned out to be fortunate for her. Mantra is a design house that believes that contemporary design can be culled out of the Indian textile heritage. It creates ethnic wear that appeals to the modern, cosmopolitan woman. To adapt to lifestyle changes, Indian women need wardrobe solutions to suit their multiple social roles and needs. The ethnic wear industry at the turn of the century was a loosely organised setup, fumbling with consistent delivery in sizing, styling, and quality. There was a vacant niche for apparel for discerning customers who had a deep appreciation of Indian textiles but also wanted the advantages of a western wear brand – standardised sizing, seasonal styles and impeccable quality, according to Ms. James. In 2004, Mantra, with the intention

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a forested hill in Madhya Pradesh is often called a hill of wonders. Fabled to hold a blue, illuminated lake in its caverns, accessible only to the truly pure of heart, Chitrakoot, with its thick, dark woods, narrow ridges and gurgling streams has for long been the perfect sylvan setting for many a legend and lore that set childhood dreams afire. According to the designer, the collection, Chitrakoot, is inspired by this ancient forest, and is closer to nature in more ways than meet the eye. Its fabric is the eco-friendly LIVA, made from wood sourced from FSC certified forests. Its inherent fluidity and high receptiveness to colour makes it ideal for a palette of dark, mysterious forest colours in natural dyes, like bark brown, berry red, acai green and a sultry indigo – so reminiscent of the River Mandakini snaking through the forest on a moonlit night. In this collection, the resist-dyeing and block-printing techniques of Bagru, in Rajasthan, come to life with new innovations and design inputs. Chitrakoot brings together a sensuous interplay of deep forest hues, a wild mating of foliage prints, and the lush texture of LIVA for Lotus makeup India Fashion Week A/W 19. March 2020

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Confidence Ms. Maria Jacob Managing Director, Nikkiâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Nest & Dukeâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Forest Lodge

A woman can enhance by being more sensitive to the needs of the guests, staff and upkeep of a resort. For reasons unknown, certain things only catch the eyes of women. Good property maintenance does well under women.

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breeds Success M

s. Maria Jacob shows us it’s possible to flourish professionally even in the toughest state of affairs. She never considered the hospitality sector to be a man’s world as there are many women very actively involved in it. Her late husband Mr. Bailey Jacob and his forefathers were always into agriculture. It was quite by chance that she and her husband identified a charming piece of property by the seaside in Pulinkudi Chowara some 25 years ago, which prompted them to create Nikki’s Nest followed by Duke’s Forest Lodge in their plantation six years later. The untimely death of her husband eight years ago out of sheer necessity prompted Ms. Maria to fully concentrate on business. Fortunately being involved from the beginning she was not helpless with regard to managing the business. Ms. Maria frankly says that she has faced any hurdles in business which was already well established. Supervision and upkeep of the property was not a problem as the natural aesthetic sense of a

Animal protection and care is also her passion and actively involved the activities of People For Animals. She spearhead the beach cleaning in Pulinkudy and Chowara beaches, south of Kovalam single handedly for several years.

woman made it easy. She always accompanied her husband while meeting travel agents so she posed any inconvenience in his absence. Initially she found it difficult to learn about the intricacies of the various taxations and follow ups with the chartered accountants regarding financial matters. More than challenges the irritation that she faced and still facing is the local petty politics. They just march in and out for donations, oblivious of the fact that she is serious tax payer and proper pay master to almost hundreds of staff. Ms. Maria has been handling her property for past eight years on her own and had done major renovations as well as made the property pollution free. Sewage Treatment Plant converts every drop of water into garden water, biogas for the staff kitchen, incinerator for garden waste, and rain water harvesting roof. Vegetable garden for their immediate requirements in the plantation and their own Ayurveda oil making unit fondly known as “Prakarthi Satwa “ that supplies all the oil and powders required by March 2020

Cover Story Nikki’s Nest for the various Ayurveda treatments of the guests. They have come out with vegetarian recipe book last year, and a part of the income from the sale goes towards environment upkeep and towards a welfare fund for the staff and very lately they officially launched an environment team known as “Green Dream Team”. Even though they have been cleaning the locality including the beach for the past twenty years on a weekly basis, today they do so on a daily basis between 3.30 PM to 4.30 PM every day. Animal protection and care is also her passion and Nikki’s Nest and Duke’s Forest Lodge are proud to be associated with People for Animals, spreading awareness towards the plight of suffering animals, birds and environment. They discourage any activity that encourages animal cruelty in the name of tourism, and have specially created a brochure that discourages elephant rides, as this brings back painful memories

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of their days in captivity. As part of advice to young women entering hospitality sector, Ms. Maria asks them to be bold and strong, voice out their opinions and maintain their dignity at the same time. Too much of dependency on managerial staff should be avoided and they need to be involved in every area of the business. Meeting up with government officials in their office should be done personally as much as possible, because where it would take a minimum of three visits by a male member of staff, the same can be done by just a single visit by the lady entrepreneur herself. Also the status of the problem could be deciphered more clearly. Proper knowledge of taxation is very essential. Maintain good chartered accounts and be in constant touch with them understanding and grasping matters. Never hesitate to put in your questions or suggestions. Direct approach and conversations with guests is essential. Whatever complaints should be rectified

immediately, guest opinion should be given due consideration. According to Ms. Maria a woman can enhance by being more sensitive to the needs of the guests, staff and upkeep of property. For reasons unknown, certain things only catch the eyes of women. Good property maintenance does well under women. Men surely have the capacity to deal with major issues but women never miss out finer details. It’s the finer details that finally play a vital role in upkeep and maintenance. Women can enhance by including all their creative hobbies, to spin women empowerment which certainly goes down well with guests by way of support. This in turn encourages the community women to improve their lifestyle. “As hospitality is all about neat and clean surroundings, spotless rooms and bathrooms, well maintained gardens, good wholesome food, pleasing services in all areas and happy guests, then what better choice than women in this field?”, asks Ms. Maria.

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K3A TVM ZONE Office bearers for 2020-22 elected Mohammed Shah of Star Advertising elected President again

r. Mohammed Shah of Star Advertising and Marketing has been elected again as the President of the Trivandrum Zone K3A, the apex body of advertising agencies in Kerala. Mr. Jayakumar of Signite Integrated

Communication was elected as the secretary of the organisation, while Mr. Laj Salam of Plain Speak has been elected as the treasurer. Mr. Rajkumar of 2K Solutions has been elected as the Vice-President and Mr. Kumar R.J. of Sharp Advertising has been chosen as the Joint Secretary. Mr. Shasthamangalam Mohan of Varnachitra Advertising and Marketing, Mr. Jayachandran Nair of Image Creations, Mr. Prasoon Rajagopal of Vista Advertising, Mr. Dileep Thomas Kuruvila of Creative Route and Mr. Murukeshan of Binu Nanda Communications were elected to the State Committee of the organisation. Mr. Akhilesh of Chameleon Communicatons, Mr. Thanseer T.J of Ad World Advertising, Mr. Balamurali of Sag Advertising, Mr. Habib of Suri Advertising, Mr. Murugan of Amal Communications, Mr. Santhosh of Real Image, Mr. Anil Kumar of Mint Media, and Mr. Arun Kumar of Prasya Communications have been elected to the zonal committee of K3A. Ms. Sandhya Rajendran, who was the Kollam Zone President, was the Presiding Officer. March 2020

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Live up to your dreams Ms. Sunu Mathew

CEO, C World Holidays

With over two and half decades of experience in the travel industry, Sunu Mathew had been selected as Titans of Travels in Indian Tourism Industry by Indian Express.

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community. She believes that life should have a meaning, and works with an organisation called Ability Aids (AAIIS) whose mission is to work towards the betterment of the life of deprived children and their families, physically challenged, destitute seniors and communities living in poverty and injustice. Ms. Mathew says organisational leaders need to be non-coercive, comprehensive thinkers - individuals who are skilled at building work relationships and fostering collaborative teams. These are the traits and behaviours most frequently associated with womenâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s management style. Additionally, women tend to possess transformational leadership characteristics, those traits that enable them to enact dramatic organisational change through providing a vision and inspiring a sense of purpose in others. Women emphasize both interpersonal relationships and task accomplishment, whereas their male counterparts focus more intently on the task. Ms. Mathew had initiated several steps in the hospitality sector for women empowerment. They are

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one are the days when women were considered no match for all powerful men in this world, says Ms. Sunu Mathew a very enthusiastic and vibrant personality who heads C World Holidays based in Trivandrum. Ms. Mathew, overcoming all negative notions about women in the hospitality sector, has proved beyond doubt her expertise in the industry. At C World Holidays, Ms. Mathew takes care of the senior management responsibilities such as planning, strategic business alliances and associations worldwide, contracting and networking with worldwide industry partners for effective and lucrative business development, purchasing and procurement, selecting new destinations, and analysing the reporting system. The key person behind the destination Management â&#x20AC;&#x201C; Out Bound Tours which is C World Holidays strength, Ms. Mathew has more than 20 years of experience in the travel industry. Passionate about helping people, Ms. Mathew strives not to just create success graph in the industry, but bringing a positive change in the

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aimed at developing role models within the organisation, to inspire women to progress their own career in hospitality; establishing platforms to share experiences, seek guidance, support and inspiration ensuring internal practices are aligned; Spotting female talent with potential and cultivate mentoring relationships to support their development; Initiatives that support women as a key talent source for future leadership roles, through talent spotting, effective succession planning and active profiling; Implementing measures that enhance women participation in decision-making, leading to higher female representation in managerial positions. The employees of C World work with Ability Aids where special focus is placed on empowering women as equipped with proper resources, women can realise their full potential, exercise greater choice to participate, contribute and become catalyst for change in their communities Ms. Mathewâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s greatest achievement is being selected as Titans of Travels in Indian Tourism Industry by Indian Express. March 2020

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From a SCIENTIST to an entrepreneur Dr. Vidya Ramaswamy Motivational Speaker, Mind Navigator & Trainer

Dr. Vidhya Ramaswamy is a world renowned Molecular Biologist, Cancer Researcher and Nanotechnologist, who has faced most adverse of circumstances. She rose to spread her knowledge for the goodness of humanity

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r. Vidhya Ramaswamy’s infectious enthusiasm shows that it’s possible to succeed professionally even in the most challenging of circumstances. She wore her life’s scars as her best attire and decided to impart the knowledge that she has acquired to others as a service. Dr. Ramaswamy is an internationally renowned motivational speaker, corporate trainer, mind navigator, NLP practitioner and performance trend setter. She has conducted training programmes for government organisations, non-governmental bodies, social sector, industries, corporate companies and academic institutions across the world. Her sessions are insightful and stimulate participants to unleash their innate energies. Dr. Ramaswamy has extensive experience in developing customised training workshops based on needs and profile of the audience. In the past 15 years, she imparted learning to more than 10,000 individuals across different hierarchy levels. She also conducts special sessions on CSR, Sexual Harassment and legal enigmas and Women Empowerment. Her new initiative‘, The World Women News’, is an internet portal exclusively for women aiming to provide a platform for upcoming leaders and their inspiring stories. Dr. Ramaswamy is also a world renowned Molecular Biologist, Cancer Researcher and Nanotechnologist, who has more than 14 years of research experience. She was been honoured with the Young Scientist Award by the Government of India in 2002. She

has won many International Awards, Fellowships, Grants and Honours, for her contributions to science. She has conducted several international conferences, seminars, symposia and workshops of world recognition. She has 207 international publications, authored seven books and seven international funded research projects and three patents to her credit. As a world recognition, her biography has been selected for publishing in the Marquis Who’s Who in the World and in Who’s Who in Medicine and Healthcare. Dr. Ramasawmy also received the world title of Top 100 Scientists Award and Iconic Achievers, Great minds of 2011 and the international Einstein Award for Scientific Achievements 2012. At present, she is Visiting Professor for three universities in United States, Singapore and Europe. The sudden demise of her life partner in an accident left Dr.

Ramaswamy shattered. Six months after the biggest blow to her, she faced a severe health test and doctors blacklisted her as a candidate whose end has come. But somehow, she managed to pass that test too and survived. The thought of spreading the knowledge she had acquired to others as a service put a lot of confidence back into Dr. Ramaswamy’s life. She wanted to hold aloft knowledge as a weapon to help the downtrodden. It was this thought that spurred her to float a non-government organisation. It was christened ‘International Center for Intellectual Training and Empowerment (INCITE) and was registered as a charity organisation with the blessings from Prof. A.P.J. Abdul Kalam and Prof. M.S. Swaminathan, The ideas and inputs that came from these stalwarts still serve as strong pillars of INCITE, which has its focus on social services, and training. March 2020

Startup

Bringing succor to autistic children Trivandrum-based Embright Infotech develops XR-AI

hen Sathyanarayanan A.R. and Bobin Chandra first brainstormed for startup idea, they didnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t have to look far. It was

the work of Sathyaâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s mother, a post-doctoral in clinical linguistics, involved with rehabilitation activities of disabled children, which set them thinking.

diagnostic tool. Centre of Autism Disease Control and Prevention survey, the ratio of children diagnosed with Autism Spectrum Disorder all around the world is 1:59. Diagnosing ASD is difficult as there is no medical test to detect it.

Global Venture Capital Summit organized by Govt of India and Govt of Goa

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At that time Sathya was working in virtual reality as an innovation specialist at an MNC in Bangalore. His exposure to disabled and autistic children inspired Sathya to start a venture that develops virtual reality healthcare solutions along with his schoolmate Bobin. According to the Centre of Autism Disease Control and Prevention survey, the ratio of children diagnosed with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) all around the world is 1:59. Diagnosing ASD is difficult as there is no medical test to detect it. The only way it can be diagnosed at present is when the doctors observe the patient over a generalised parameter. Since patients are not able to give much feedback, the doctors are also unable to fully find out the in-depth details of the problem. It was to address this problem with tech solutions that Mr. Sathyanarayanan and Mr. Chandra founded Embright Infotech in 2017.

A BTech graduate, Sathya had worked for over nine years at the MNC before starting up. Bobin is an MBA graduate with over eight years of experience working with MNCs in India and overseas.

Embright Infotech got off the ground with a team of four people, and has today grown into an 18-member team. The Trivandrumbased company also has an office in Bangalore. Mr. Sathyanarayanan is the Chief Executive Officer of the startup while Mr. Chandra is the Cofounder. The startup’s main product, Auticare, is an Extended Reality (XR), AI-based assistive technology for ASD, which is also helping young doctors, apart from patients, with a look and feel of real medical procedures. It helps in new methods of treatment for rare diseases and helps doctors gain familiarity. “Our main focus area is the content development of 3D environments in virtual reality and augmented reality. The sector is just starting to come up in India, and we are one of the very few VR/AR companies in Kerala. We create customer specific environments to customers based on the requirements specified by them,” according to the CEO.

Global Venture Capital Summit organized by Govt of India and Govt of Goa

March 2020

Startup

Mr. Sathyanarayanan A R, CEO interacting with Smt. Jennifer Monserrate, IT Minister, Govt of Goa

The startup brings VR as a diagnostic and therapeutic tool for doctors to study and understand the various medical procedures and patient diagnosis in detail. Once the patient (child) puts on the Auticare device, they are transported to a virtual world, and are taught real life skills. The company has created special scenarios such as road crossing and traffic light signals to help the child imbibe and behave accordingly in such situations. It tracks the heat map of the patient’s eye and also the emotional changes happening during the exercise. This data is then recorded and stored for reference by other doctors so that a general diagnosis pattern result can be obtained. “The customer segment of autism therapy starts from hospitals and public health centres that provide cheap and affordable treatment

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to masses. Autistic children can visit such centres and take therapy sessions under the supervision of doctors. The next level of the product adopters will be special schools and health centres that monitor and cater to the needs of disabled children. Parents can also buy the product directly and get the

benefits of therapy that is prescribed by a certified doctor,” according to Sathya. A standard Auticare costs over Rs.10 lakh. The startup provides services to hospitals, clinics, and special education schools. It has over 10 customers in private and public sectors in India, and is also in talks with various clinics and hospitals in GCC (Gulf Cooperation Council). It had also tied up with Kerala Social Security Mission, Government of Kerala, CEFEE (Central for Empowerment and Enrichment). The company’s primary market sector includes healthcare and wellbeing using Assistive technology Products by developing therapy Modules in Virtual Reality for patients with Autism and related disabilities. Using their immersive experience, the patients can undergo training and therapy session that helps in improving their Social, Selfcare and Motor skills. The AI-XR platform of the company provides prediction and diagnosis reports.

Mr. Gopalakrishnan S, Joint Secretary, Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology experiencing Auticare at Startup India Global Venture Capital Summit

Mr. Sathyanarayanan A R, CEO and Mr. Bobin Chandra CFO at Startup India Global Venture Capital Summit

Embright Infotech was one of the top VR companies selected by Kerala Startup Mission to be incubated. The company is also incubated in NASSCOM, Bangalore; IIMK Live, Kozhikode; Maker Village, Kochi; and virtual incubation at Vel Tech TBI, Chennai. Initially bootstrapped, the company has got some external funding as it was selected for Nidhi Prayas funding scheme initiated by the Government of

India for startups. It was also selected for Kerala State Industrial Development Corporation (KSIDC) Entrepreneurship Development Fund initiated by Government of Kerala for startups and was granted a KSUM seed loan. Embright Infotech also secured the highest innovation grant of Rs.50 lakh awarded by the Department of Science and Technology, Government of India. It recently bagged the Biotechnology Industry

Research Assistance Council Biotechnology Ignition Grant (BIRAC BIG15). The startup is one of the 15 companies selected for the grant in India. The company was one among the finalist at Gitex Supernova Challenge 2019, shortlisted from 1,000 startups that applied for the global competition. In 2019, it was one of the top 10 startups from 300 startups that got selected for the Startup Indiaâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Innovation showcase at Global Venture Capital Summit organised by Government of India & Government of Goa. They showcased the product in front of the policymakers and investors, including Reserve Bank Director, Meity officials, Infosys co founders, etc. Embright is the only company from Kerala which is shortlisted to participate in the Innovation showcase. The startup has plans to expand to other cities and states in the country and reach out to people in remote areas. Soon, it is also planning to expand outside the nation and set up therapy and R&D centres across the GCC countries, the United Kingdom and the United States.

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Products

Humble puttukutty gets a makeover Mr. Adithyan and Mr. Bonny Sunny, founders of Mightseed design studio thought, about an easy way to cook puttu, their favourite food. They found it a difficult task and lack of space to get a gas stove in the room was also a hindrance. Rethinking and designing an e-puttukutty was the breakthrough

March 2020

or many a Malayali puttu is his/her any time favourite food of choice. But often it is served as breakfast at home and restaurants. For the uninitiated, puttu is a cylindrical rice cake available across Kerala and in some parts of Tamil Nadu too as a breakfast dish.

Mightyseed designs an e-puttukutty and a puttu warmer

More often than not, many people struggle to make this food item that can be eaten with a myriad choice of curries or even just sugar, poppodam and a smattering of ghee. It is while living in Pune as bachelors that Mr. Adithyan and Mr. Bonny Sunny, founders of

Mightseed design studio thought, about an easy way to cook puttu, their favourite dish. They found it a difficult task and lack of space to get a gas stove in the room was also a hindrance. Rethinking and designing an e-puttukutty was the breakthrough. Mr. Adithyan, the co-founder and principal engineer of Mightyseed Designs, is a mechanical engineering graduate with over for years of design experience in different domains. Mr. Sunny, another cofounder and principle Designer of Mightyseed Designs, is an industrial design graduate from The National Institute of Design with over four years of design experience in

different domains. Set up in 2019, as a design firm Mightseed continuously engages with growing startups that have the vision to revolutionise the future. “Today the lifestyle of people demands speed in every aspect of the task they do, let it be cooking or office, the way they see the product has changed a lot as people tend to spend more time around products than with fellow humans than ever before. As a design firm, we feel it’s our responsibility to make this engagement meaningful,” said Mr. Sunny. “We have done many projects for the medical field so far and commercial products for various

clients.” Due to confidentiality terms, the founders did not wish to reveal the names of their clients. “The whole idea of Puttism came from the Puttu song by Thakara. Puttu itself is a tradition and culture in Kerala. As we already know Puttu is a very healthy diet so making the Puttu easy to cook and available for all, including bachelors abroad, is the prime motto of Puttism. We believe the product will help us in taking this health food across continents and shape it as a global food,” Mr. Sunny said. Speaking about product design Mr. Sunny said, “The idea of design consultancy for products is in the infant stage, particularly in Kerala. If you see hiring a team of industrial designers and engineering designers in a firm is a comparatively expensive thing so most of the product development happening in Kerala is without any design research and design thinking. Which we can see in the outcome of product derived from Kerala. Educating the entrepreneurs, the need for industrial design and research is one of the biggest challenges we are facing now.” According to the co-founder, product design in Kerala has huge potential. “If you see the tradition and design history of Kerala is very strong and as a product design company we see a huge scope for the reincarnation of many old traditional ideas.” The company is incubated in PSG STEP Coimbatore and we are getting good support for the development. They have an office in Kochi close to the Infopark. The firm was having discussions with may Angel investors to zero in on one that has the same motto as themselves. March 2020

March 2020

Vol 10, No. 03

March 2020

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RNI No. KERENG 2010/36920

BRAND KERALA MARCH 2020

Articles inside

Doyen of Mohiniyattam- Kalamandalam Vimala Menon