100 mb april 2017

Vol 6 Issue No.66 April - May 2017

THE DEFLATOR ANGLE TO INDIA’S

GDP CONTROVERSY

Shri V.P. Nandakumar MD & CEO, Manappuram Finance Ltd.

THE PERFECT LIPS HOW TO GET IT DONE EXPLORE THE LAS VEGAS OF ASIA

Macau

VEE KAY VEE’S SECRET INGREDIENTS OF SUCCESS VK VARGHESE, MD. VEE KAY VEE’S CATERERS

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Printed by: Ajit Ravi Published by: Ajit Ravi Owned by: Ajit Ravi Printed at: S T Reddiar P.B. No: 3627, Veekshanam Road, Cochin Published at: Pegasus, L5-106 Changampuzha Nagar Kalamassery Ernakulam-682 033 e-mail: editor@uniquetimes.org uniquetimesindia@gmail.com Ph:0484 3242220, 6555533, 4025666 Mob:+91 98460 50283, 94470 50283 Editor Ajit Ravi Sub-Editor Vignesh Associate Editor Ravi Saini Editor-In-charge Jebitha Ajit Legal Advisor B.S. Krishnan & Associates Correspondents Dr. Thomas Nechupadam Vivek Venugopal- Quarter Mile Bejoy George Amrutha V Kumar Karthika S Nair Marketing BAHRAIN PRESTIGE MARKETING Tel: +971 55 2000933 Email: gopal@prestigemarketing.in UAE Phygicart.com P.O. Box: 92546 Al Karama Dubai Mr. Anish K Joy Mob: +971528946999 info@phygicart.com Tamil Nadu Andhrapradesh & Karnataka PEGASUS Ph: 09288800999 Sunilkumar NN, Saneesh Ashok Your wing Director Shwetha Menon Photographer Ashique Hassan Creative Design PEGASUS Cover Photograph VK VARGHESE, MD. Vee Kay Vee's Caterers

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Editorial I

nnovation is the spice of life. Ralph Waldo Emerson, renowned American poet praises the trailblazers in a poem like this: "Do not follow where the path may lead. Go instead where there is no path and leave a trail”.

This issue, we introduce a trailblazing businessman in Kerala’s food scene.

As a businessman, Mr. Varghese had a vision of a different future. He was the pioneer of outdoor catering events which was unheard of in Kerala during the 1990s. This revolution brought the catering culture from the lofty star hotel premises into common people’s life. By now, his Vee Kay Vee caterer has served over three million customers.

In the regular column, V.P. Nandakumar, the Chairman and Managing Director of Manappuram Finance, tries to demystify the myth that Indian economy is going to disrupt after demonetization. Nandakumar also explains the reasons behind India's better GDP for the third quarter ended December 2016 which recorded a growth of 7 percent.

Meet the Tigor, the latest entrant in the sub-compact sedan segment from the Tata Motor’s stable. Explore Macau, the Las Vegas of Asia, in travel.

Regular articles on the stock market, gadgets, banking, movie review, and book review are there.

I sincerely hope you find as much joy in this issue as it brings me.

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CONTENTS

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The deflator angle to India’s GDP controversy

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The transition from Human Resources to Robot Resources?

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Vee Kay Vee’s secret ingredients of success

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GST likely to offer a mixed bag for the ‘Real Estate Sector’

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Gadgets

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Recipes

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The perfect lips how to get it done

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Explore the Las Vegas of asia Macau

The Tigor

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UNIQUE DIARY

Parliament committee seeks report exposing MII’s impact

T

he parliament committee on commerce and industry has sought a detailed report on the impact of the ‘Make In India’ program over the micro, small, and medium enterprises. The committee has advised the respective government authorities to make sure that the foreign direct investment facilities are properly used to boost these important sectors through which the government plans to extend job opportunities to the country’s desperate youth population. It is observed that in the recent years the manufacturing sector has only witnessed a mere growth by an average of 1.6 per cent. The committee, headed by Rajya Sabha member Bhupinder Yadav has demanded that the country’s manufacturing sector should stand up to its expectations.

Indian drugmakers envision no future in the Trump’s US

''The golden rule for every business man is this: “Put yourself in your customer’s place.”

Orison Swett Marden

A

greeing to a universal fact that the outsiders have no role in the Trump’s US, the Indian drugmakers admit that they envision the declining Indian drug sales in the world largest drug market in the upcoming years. We may not aware about how serious the issue is until we come to know a fact that we supply nearly onethird of the medicines sold in the United States. Many Indian firms are uncertain that how will they overcome the unprecedented crisis. Some firms who conceptualised huge expansion plans eyeing at the growing US drug market now consider alternative choices.

Earlier, there were reports that the US President, Donald Trump, was planning to promote the local drug manufacturers.

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India to hold talk with Afghanistan over the trade connectivity issues

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n a move which can be seen as an effort to put pressure on Pakistan to felicitate the transfer of goods from Afghanistan to India through its territory, and taking the Delhi-Kabul trade relation to the next level, these neighbours of Islamabad is planning to convene a meeting in order to discuss about the constraints faced by them in the transport of their goods. It will be first such trade talk since the inception of the BJP-led regime at the helm. As per the report, the move is aimed at increasing the regional connectivity between the countries located in the South Asian region. Anyway, the trade corridor, if implemented, will help to boost the economy of both nations.

GST reaches it’s the final stage

'' The critical ingredient is getting off your butt and doing something. It’s as simple as that. A lot of people have ideas, but there are few who decide to do something about them now. Not tomorrow. Not next week. But today. The true entrepreneur is a doer, not a dreamer.''

Nolan Bushnell

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s the India is eagerly waiting to embrace the new tax regime, the centre government has passed four crucial bills related to the GST- the Centre Goods and Service Tax Bill 2017, the Integrated Goods and Service Tax Bill 2017, the Union Territory Goods and Service Tax Bill 2017, and the Goods and Service Tax (Compensation to the State) Bill 2017. It is said that the bill will come into force on June 1. The bill has been cleared by the cabinet committee headed by the Prime Minister, Narendra Modi.

It is learned that the reason for the urgency in the initiation of the ratification procedure is that the government wants to give the industries adequate time to go through the rules and norms thoroughly before it becomes a law.

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UNIQUE DIARY

Bharatiya Mahila Bank merges with SBI

T

he Bharatiya Mahila Bank, which was established around three year ago by the Former Prime Minister Manmohan Singh to empower the Indian women, has been merged with the State Bank of India. The reports regarding the merger have been acknowledged by the Finance Ministry.

It is learned that the BMB has been offering several schemes aimed at empowering the rural Indian women since its establishment. It is reported that those women-oriented programs initiated by the BMB will be carried to the next level by the SBI. Some of the plans like the affordable credits to women and the propagation of the women-centric products subject have a high priority before the authorities.

BHIM app is least vulnerable to any fraud: NPCI

''I had to make my own living and my own opportunity! But I made it! Don’t sit down and wait for the opportunities to come. Get up and make them!''

C.J. Walker

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ssuring lakhs of people who are using the BHIM app developed by the National Payment Corporation of India that the app they are using is least vulnerable to any fraud or technical error, the NPCI has denounced the allegation raised by some quarters that the app was tactically misused by some persons. As per the report, the NPCI has asserted that the authorities closely monitor the functions of the app in order to make sure that it is out of danger. The environment in which the app operates is certified by the prestigious companies as highly secure, the NPCI has added, according to the report. The complaint regarding the alleged fraud has been raised by the Bank of Maharashtra.

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BUSINESS

Shri V.P.Nandakumar MD & CEO Manappuram Finance Ltd. Chairman, CII’s Kerala State Council

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he Central Statistics Office (CSO) has recently released estimates that India's GDP for the third quarter ended December 2016 recorded a growth of 7 percent, sharply beating expectations for a much lower 6.4 percent growth rate indicated in a Reuters poll held just before.

The numbers were greeted with considerable skepticism by a section of think tanks, economists, investors, analysts, etc. who expected that the disruption to the economy from the cash crunch following demonetization would show up as a steep fall in GDP growth rates.

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This is surprising because manufacturing and industry have benefited from falling commodity prices and therefore should have experienced lower inflation than the services sector which benefits less from falling commodity prices.

2. Shift from factor-cost based method to market-cost based method: India's GDP is now measured by using gross value added (GVA) at market price, rather than factor cost.

Simply put, the new formula takes into account market prices paid by consumers. Earlier, domestic GDP was calculated at factor or basic cost, which took into account prices of products received by producers.

ble to the layman. Therefore, in this article, I shall focus on one aspect of this problem that is easy to understand and seems to offer a credible explanation.

However, anyone who has been following the GDP growth figures released by CSO in recent years would know that controversy about these numbers is not new and actually pre-dates demonetization. To be precise, the controversies began with the revision in the method of calculation of GDP growth in 2014-15. Two important changes were made for that year.

The above change in the method of calculation has brought Indian GDP calculations more in line with global practices. For example, IMF’s world economic outlook projections, are based on market cost and not factor cost which often created confusion in the past, with IMF’s projections diverging significantly from the Indian Government’s figures. Therefore, the impression among some that the new GDP calculation method is faulty or that the switchover was deliberately done to show the government in a good light does not seem correct.

For this purpose, let us begin by revisiting what the definition of GDP is. Simply put, GDP is the total value of goods and services produced within the country during a year. All final finished goods and services produced domestically in volume terms are multiplied by their market prices to determine the value of output. Intermediate goods are excluded to avoid double-counting and arrive at what may be called the nominal GDP. In order to make the figure meaningful for comparison with GDP figures of previous years, we have to arrive at the real GDP, which is the nominal GDP adjusted for the effects of inflation. Without this adjustment, it will not capture real growth in the economy because an increase in prices can inflate the GDP number even without any real increase in production.

1. Change in base year: The government changed the base year for estimating GDP from 2004-05 to 2011-12. However, this is done routinely after every five years to better reflect the changing structure of the economy.

Now that the post demonetization GDP numbers have added fuel to the fire, it is perhaps appropriate that we delve a little deeper and try and understand what the issue is about. The topic is complex and involves intricacies not easily comprehensi-

Therefore a GDP deflator is used to reflect the overall inflation in goods and services, and to adjust the nominal growth rate with reference to prices during a base year to nullify any price effect on representing growth in the economy. A defla-

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The deflator angle to

India’s GDP controversy

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It will not capture real growth in the economy because an increase in prices can inflate the GDP number even without any real increase in production.

tor in this context has been defined as "the number you use when working out the value of money minus the effect of inflation." The real GDP growth rate is essentially the nominal GDP growth rate minus the GDP deflator. If the nominal GDP growth is 8 percent and the GDP deflator is at 2 percent, then real GDP growth is 6 percent.

How does the deflator work in practice in India?

India uses two measures of inflation, wholesale price index (WPI) and consumer price index (CPI) to determine the deflator to apply. WPI index reflects average price changes of goods that are bought and sold in the wholesale market. In contrast, CPI is a reflection of changes in the retail prices of commonly consumed goods and services over a time period. For the common man, CPI is a better measurement of the price rise in consumer products. Different sectors of the economy are deflated by the respective index that is most appropriate. Till recent years, both CPI and WPI indexes have moved broadly in line with each other, so there was little discrepancy in determining real growth.

However, a marked divergence between the CPI and the WPI emerged from November 2014, after global commodity prices (particularly oil) began to fall. In fact, at one point, the difference

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between the WPI and the CPI was as high as 9 percentage points, with WPI slipping into negative territory.

Here lies the crux of the issue where India’s stated GDP growth rates appear to be on the higher side, a little too good to be true.

Since real growth rate is arrived by taking the nominal number and deflating them by price indices, it is obvious that if inflation is understated, real growth rate will end up getting overstated. Many analysts believe that this is happening now.

Here’s why.

In theory, all goods and services produced in the country must be deflated by the deflator that precisely captures their respective price changes. But, when you look closely at the workings of the deflator, it emerges that the deflator applied to the services sector has been lower than the industry deflator. This is surprising because manufacturing and industry have benefited from falling commodity prices and therefore should have experienced lower inflation than the services sector which benefits less from falling commodity prices.

Apparently, this has come about because the services deflator is derived more from the WPI than from the CPI. Indeed, the services sector, which accounts for about 60 percent of the economy, is not covered in the WPI, yet the WPI is

used as deflator for several service activities such as trade, hotels and restaurant, real estate and transportation. And so, in periods when WPI is declining, the services deflator understates the extent of inflation in the services sector and overstates the growth rate.

A December 2015 report by an international bank says that after making suitable corrections in the CPI/WPI ratio since the start of the new national accounts series, GVA deflators on average may have been underestimated by over 100bps.

That is to say, real GDP growth could possibly have been overestimated by the same amount, which is 1 percent.

Of course, the recent uproar over the GDP growth rate reported for the December 2016 quarter has nothing to do with the deflator. This controversy is more about whether the CSO data has fully captured the impact of demonetisation on the unorganised sector that depended heavily on cash and where anecdotal evidence suggested significant dislocation. But that is another story for a later date perhapsď Ź

(V.P. Nandakumar is MD & CEO of Manappuram Finance Ltd. and Chairman of Kerala State Council of the CII).

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BUSINESS

Rajesh Nair, Director, Ernst & Young LLP Rajesh is also the President of the Kerala Chapter of TiE Global

The smart revolution is also about the ability to assimilate, analyse and make decisions in more complex and scalable ways than ever before also enhances effectiveness.

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anagement theorists and economic thinkers look at this decade and opine that this is the decade of quantum changes, in every walk of life. Disruption is fundamentally changing the working principle around the globe. These shifts that would have seemed unimaginable even a few years ago. Intelligent machines and robotics are reinventing the workforce. Drones and driverless cars are transforming supply chains and logistics.

And changing preferences and expectations —most notably in the new generation— are altering consumption patterns and demand for everything from cars to real estate. In today’s businesses, government and individuals are responding to these changes with a mixture of caution, moderate agility and treading carefully as well.

Digital and disruption are words which have been moot points in every industry. This technology era has opened up wholly new opportunities to re-strategise business models and to transform customer interactions. This holds both great potential and significant risks at all levels of the business. But, most organizations have yet to articulate a comprehensive, digital enterprise work-plan and to prepare roadmaps for the future.This isn’t necessarily a failure of oversight: setting

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The transition from Human Resources to Robot Resources?

out a digital strategy – and an approach to digital governance – is tough. As yet, there are no best business practices or a confirmed playbook, only scattered examples.

And each business will need to prioritize its approach based on its unique market dynamics– and relative digital maturity.

Besides all the changes, the most ominous and the fiercely debated issue is that of the future of employment and of the apprehensions on will robots take over.

More than a handful of movies have made the fast and the big buck preying on exactly that sentiment and showing us destruction at the hand of the robots in a scale and cruelty that makes us even more insecure. Before we indulge into another set of spasms of ‘anti-machine’ rhetoric, it helps to relook at the anatomy of employment in general, across sectors.

We can broadly classify work into the following categories 1. Providing expertise– these cluster of jobs are for experts who have the ability to provide deep expertise in the areas; and topically most technically professional

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The latest technology like AI, robotics, virtual reality, IoT and sharing economy platformsare poised to take labour shifts to a higher level.

jobs are to fall in this tranche 2. Collaborative decision making– these are jobs where there is the need for constant interaction with others, understanding data, and working with people 3. Pair of hands– typical blue collar and some white collar jobs which are normally a regular set of activities which are detailed and supervised by others 4. Training, coaching and counselling– these are a slight variation of the first category of expertise, but the bulk of the work content is instructive and pedagogical Jobs are also not endemic to a particular category and have flavours from all the categories and are normally a collage of all the categories. The immediate category which will get affected is the third one – ‘pair of hands ‘. The displacement of labour by technology and globalization is hardly a new phenomenon. Technology has been reshaping work since the first Industrial Revolution, which demolished trade groups and replaced artisanal craftsmanship with assembly line production and templated manufacturing. Globalization has been changing work for decades, thanks to trade liberalization and emerging markets.

The latest technology like AI, robotics, virtual reality, IoT and

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sharing economy platforms are poised to take labour shifts to a higher level. Automation has displaced workers in blue-collar jobs, from factory labourers to supermarket cashiers. In order to know the depth of the blue-collar displacement that is expected to happen due to the advent of the modern technologies, we only have to imagine a situation in which the driverless cars have replaced the driving profession, which is the single largest occupation in many countries around the world.

Disruptions will also be there in the white collar domain. Algorithms have uprooted white-collar work in the financial sector (high-frequency trading) and are starting to do so

in health care (mobile health apps, surgery robotics and diagnosis by algorithm). They are even expanding into spaces once considered exclusively the domain of human creativity. Already, algorithms are writing articles indistinguishable from those written by humans and have even recently composed a musical composition. But, these are early stages and there is the need of a new line of professionals who will conceptualize these technologies.

It is not the time to be panic but the time to realise that these are just changing norms of work and rejig of the traditional ethos and routines of employment. What

The role of the government is paramount here. The new waves of start-ups are already challenging the regulations governing the operation of hotels, restaurants, taxis and more.

we are also like to usher in is the ‘freelance economy’ where, professionals will increasingly barter their expertise across organisations and projects, rather than being employed with one organisation. The rise of various business platforms such as Airbnb, Deliveroo, Didi, and Uber has already ushered in the freelance economy in which non-employee freelancers provide labour in temporary assignments and actually form the core workforce of these companies.

The role of the government is paramount here. The new waves of start-ups are already challenging the regulations governing the operation of hotels, restaurants, taxis and more. The trend will accelerate with higher technology innovations like driverless cars and medical algorithms. Workplace protections could well be challenged.

In the growing freelance economy, hard-won rights that have become common place such as collective bargaining, the five-day-work-week, paid time-off and insurance against workplace injuries and unemployment could all come under threat.

Independent contractors, in a freelance economy, have none of these protections. The start-ups disrupting work argue that existing regulations were designed for another era and do not apply nor is it relevant anymore. There’s some validity in that, but regulation also

protects consumers and workers in important ways. Governments will need to find the right balance, creating regulatory regimes designed for the future-nimble, real-time and powered by big data and smart technologies.

The smart revolution is also about the ability to assimilate, analyse and make decisions in more complex and scalable ways than ever before also enhances effectiveness. Using personal sensors, artificial intelligence and analytics to get insights on patient data, even to the level of detecting subtle changes in individual biochemistry, makes it possible to diagnose

diseases with greater accuracy and to deliver improved outcomes.

But at the end of all this, in the near future, the ultimate resource that companies will use more efficiently is the human resource.

Labour-intensive firms everywhere will need to reinvent their business models, deploying smart technologies, and using labour more productively. One result is that work will be unbundled. Just as the technology disruption unbundled music albums into songs, it will unbundle jobs into tasks, with each task performed in the most efficient manner– whether by a human resource or by a robot! 

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COVERSTORY

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VEE KAY VEE’S SECRET INGREDIENTS OF

SUCCESS

Way before the idea of catering took a foothold in Kerala’s landscape,Mr V.K Varghese took a bold step by venturing into the field of catering, by starting Vee Kay Vee’s caterers in 1985.

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ood is an inseparable and essential element in our daily lives. There are dishes which merely fill you up and take you from one meal to the next, and yet there are others which nourishes your soul for they provide a special kind of intimate nourishment.

These are the dishes where food is perfected as an art form; a way to express and a means to impress.

Eating is an incredibly social ritual and through this unique intersection where man meets delectable dishes, there exists a plethora of business ideas which have sprung up to serve this primal need; from restaurants, cafes, fast food joints, fine dining experiences and catering.

Way before the idea of catering took a foothold in Kerala’s landscape, Mr V.K Varghese took a bold step by venturing into the field of catering,

by starting Vee Kay Vee’s caterers in 1985. Mr Varghese got into the food business by launching a small restaurant, Copper Chimney, in 1975. It was a tiny restaurant in MG road in Kochi. There were no facilities in the restaurant premises at that time for organising a big event or a marriage party. But, by providing a unique dining experience to its customers, it was a hotspot for food lovers in Kochi. It was an uphill task, as anyone in the food industry will attest, but with his hard work and dedication Mr. Varghese soon commanded the support and trust of his valued customers. As his restaurant attracted increasingly more customers Mr Varghese realized a potential and market to be tapped into in outdoor catering events. Initially, the market for catering was not as big as the present size of the market. So,

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Vee Kay Vee’s believes in serving the world in a dish.

Thus, apart from the regional dishes, it also caters Chinese, Continental, and North Indian food. Mr. Varghese gives the credit of his success to his dedicated employees and their teamwork.

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in the beginning, just like all entrepreneurs pursuing a new idea, he also witnessed some setbacks.

His first major project was an All India Surgical Conference held in Munnar in which he catered food for nearly seven hundred people for five consecutive days, where for the first-time food was served in chafing dishes. The event was a huge success and was a great confidence booster for Mr. Varghese. However, the hard earned success of this event soon faded away as he suffered a period of uncertainty before he received his second project. There were very few opportunities in the 1980’s for catering events. During this time, his determination and confidence was put to a real test, but he did not waver. Soon the unfriendly waves turned into his favour.

Where once food for a family event was prepared primarily in the kitchens of the home, customers evolved and became more savvy and was thus more open to the idea

As his restaurant attracted increasingly more customers Mr. Varghese realized a potential and market to be tapped into in outdoor catering events.

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Mr Varghese believes passionately in serving his customers and Vee Kay Vee’s motto of ‘Serving from the Heart’ reflects that commitment.

of food being catered for family events. This revolution brought the catering culture from the lofty star hotel premises into our midst.

Vee Kay Vee’s believes in serving the world in a dish. Thus, apart from the regional dishes, it also caters Chinese, Continental, and North Indian food. Mr. Varghese gives the credit of his success to his dedicated employees and their teamwork. In this business, time and perfection play crucial roles and this determines the success of the caterer. In order to make his organisation more efficient and accountable, Mr.

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Varghese introduced a one of a kind working partnership model with his employees. Initially, he appointed seven efficient staffs as working partners. The idea worked well and now the company has about one hundred and forty working partners. He believes it is through their hard work and dedication the company has achieved phenomenal growth over the years. In addition, Mr. Varghese maintains close relations with his vendors, as they continue to provide quality products which help to deliver high quality catering service.

The company has four branches in prominent locations across

Kerala: Ernakulam, Thiruvalla, Kayamkulam and Trivandrum and together they have served close to three million customers. The company is surging ahead and each moment it is conquering new horizons with its motto ‘Serving from the heart’. In addition to his business commitments, Mr. Varghese is an active member of various social organisations, and a dedicated coordinator of numerous social events especially through the YMCA and Lion’s Club platforms. He has served as the President of YMCA, Ernakulam and is currently the President of Cochin Gymkhana Club and the Patron of the All Kerala Catering Association. Recognising his contributions to the social and business sector, he has been felicitated with numerous awards and honours at the international, national and state level. He is blessed with a supportive family.

His wife, Susheela Varghese, is a retired Executive Magistrate, and the couple have three children.

His eldest son is an advocate in the Honourable Supreme Court of India, his second son is pursuing his higher studies in New York University and his youngest is attached to the World Bank.

Mr Varghese believes passionately in serving his customers and Vee Kay Vee’s motto of ‘Serving from the Heart’ reflects that commitment. He believes that success is hard earned through the trust and respect he has gained from clients, and a business venture which is both honest and true to its customers’ needs is certainly poised for greater success 

h

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UNIQUE TIMES

LEGENDS OF KERALA

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nique Times Legends of Kerala’, the coffee table book which contains stories of those business legends who have secured remarkable achievements in the business and social sectors, has been released by V P Nandakumar, the MD and CEO of Manappuram.

Ajit Ravi (the Editor of Unique Times Magazine), Elizabath Chacko (the MD of Kalpana International Spa and Salon), Dr Viju Jacob (the Deputy Managing Director of Synthite Industries), Dr A V Anoop (the MD of AVA Cholayil Health Care), Afdhel Abdul Wahab (the director of Indus Motors), and V K Varghese (the MD of Vee Kay Vee’s Caterers) have been present at the ‘book

release’ function.

The book contains some inspiring stories of V P Nandakumar (the MD and CEO of Manappuram Finance Limited), Yusuff Ali M A (the MD of EMKE LuLu group), Dr Ravi Pillai (the MD of RP Group), Joy Alukkas (the MD of Joy Alukkas group), P N C Menon (the Founder and Managing Director of Sobha Group), T S Kalyanaraman (the MD of Kalyan Jewellers), Dr Roy C J (the Founder and Chairman of Confident Group), C K Menon (the Chairman of Behzad Corporation), Gopu Nandilath (the Chairman of Nandilath G Mart), P V Abdul Wahab (Bridgeway Trading L L C), Sabu M Jacob (the Chairman and MD of Kitex Garments), P Sulaiman (the Chairman and MD

of HiLITE group of companies), Dr Varghese Kurian (the Chairman of V K L Holdings and Al Namal Group of companies), Dr Viju Jacob (the Deputy Managing Director of Synthite Industries), Gokulam Gopalan (the Founder and Chairman of Gokulam Group of companies), Kochouseph Chittilappilly (the Founder Chairman of V-Guard Industries Ltd), Dr A V Anoop (the MD of AVA Cholayil Health Care), J Sugathan (the MD of Indroyal Group), V K Varghese (the MD of Vee Kay Vee’s Caterers), M P Ramachandran (the Founder Chairman and MD of Jyothy Laboratories), and Elizabath Chacko (the MD of Kalpana International Spa and Salon) 

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FEATURE

Vinod Kumar

D

ifferences and distances between people are evident in all relationships. We know about generation gaps. This is a living full of gaps. Gaps cannot be avoided, Between genders, economics, academics and even social classes.

But in times of internet, new gaps is between academics and industry.

Always there is first an experience. And then the person speaks about his experience. Somebody else, notes the content of this experience. And then the academic part is constructed. Words are articulated so as to describe the experience. And here begins the academics. Academics are written by scholars. This structure that is built, using wordcrafting becomes the academics. The industry has begun and then the contents for teachers, follows. Regulators then invent a new process, by which to do, action. They break it down to it's basic components and fundamental elements. All these tiny pieces , are fitted in sequence by administrators. They call it the procedures. People of corporate governance manufacture a set of protocols. Design and maintanance department creates, the structure.

This structure ensures, sustainability and stability and steadiness.

New systems and suitable methods are innovated for safety and security. The mathematics and arithmetic are used by the accounts department. So here we have the

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The academic and the industry are vulnerable for disruption by the market behavior as consumers will never stop demanding more varieties and diversities. They need choices. Therefore continuous learning and adaptability will be established norm, for the industry. Can you endure?

experience, academics, product and industry.

The humanists will develop the values. And finally, the academicians will set curriculum and syllabus. Now we are ready to train the new young minds about the product. The positions are clear. The experience, academics, product and the industry. How to eliminate gaps among these four factors?

The only method is to do Transaction, Intelligence, Participation, Endurance of disruptions, and Adaptability (TIPEDA). Do not forget this acronym. Practice this acronym to be able to delete the gap between academics and industry. Doing the TIPEDA will generate communication between two or more adverse situations.

The communication must blend the opposite and rival, stand points. Communicate so as to merge with the other side. Communication must not be limited, to only business objectives. Open up multiple channels to talk to each other. The academics and the Industry must enable the flow of information. They must exchange the needs, requirement of skills and ideas of talents. The communication must be delivered through multiple media methods. Social media, electronic media, internet sites and also the conventional mediums. The academicians must get immense in sights about quality of

messaging. Excellent content and a good story are essential for the industry to take note. The recruiters from the industry is seeking outstanding quality from the academicia, about the products.

The industry wants to hire experts of the domain.

The academic and the industry is vulnerable for disruption by the market behavior. As consumers will never stop demanding more varieties and diversities. They need choices. Therefore continuous learning and adaptality will be established norm, for the industry.

Can you endure?

The attitude must be corrected, to get success in facing disruption. The future market behavior will dictate the way, that you must respond. Even products has to take new shapes. Innovation will become the new compulsion.

The attitude to cope and scale up the range of products, will allow to bridge the gaps. The academics and the industry has to come together, work together. They have to learn to stay together. Expert knowledge of political interaction, and economics of production, is essential. The next necessity is the culture of corporatising.

Your brilliance has to be made evident. The market will exihibit vibrancy and dynamism. Can you catch up with freshness of scholastic rigour. Continuous learning

Academics

is the new normal. The applicant for the job and work must be ready to do different roles. Scaling up your ideas are essential. The other products and your competition, are getting louder. You must focus on deeper study of technology.

Advanced technology will help to innovate. Your products has to do the talking. The academic education must include the ways to animate your product. People want

to come closer to the experiences.

Identify the disjointed spaces and weak link between academics and industry. How to identify the new compulsions? Only impositions can make people to change their habits. The pattern of change in the industry has to be matched by transformation in the academics.

of academics, must participate to bridge the gaps. They must make industry visits and do interning at regular intervals. Open up your profile and personality to be as much part of the industry, as possible. Develop possibilities that will ensure that you connect intimately with the industry.

The students, graduates and the faculty members on the side

Disrupt your stagnations in academics. Do not accuse the environ-

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Academics and industry. A bridge.

The capacity to compete with circumstances. Achieve a knack and tricks of universal work-place behavior. Develop the mentality of enterprise. Learn to be an associate of the industry, even while studying, in the college. Show resilience when you have to move through failures and losses. Express that this graduate from college has patience. Are you equipped to cater to diverse demands on your intellect, and memory. Maybe the industry need that you cross over to another job description. Then can you show versatality? The industry will probe whether they can trust you with tasks and projects.

ment. Simply managing a hostile environment is not sufficient.

Pierce through the rigidity and transform to flexibility. Practicality and functionality in academics can bring it closer to industry.

You have to evolve and mature, to increase your employability quotient. Industry will resist mediocrity. Industry wants quality output

from workers. Your prospective employer is looking for innovative propositions. Does your academics have any new things to offer? You must represent your views effectively. Only then you will be allowed deeper reach and influence into the industry.

May be, one more instrument or tool must be added, in between

We know about generation gaps. Gaps cannot be avoided, Between genders, economics, academics and even social classes. In times of internet, new gaps is between academics and industry

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You are hired into the industry to solve their problems. The graduate must emit resourcefulness. The industry must know that you pose absolutely no threat, to the speedy pace and their ambitions. Technical fitness and soft skill dextirity and domain expertise must become your aspiration. Determination and the will to connect the academics and the industry is urgent requirement. Stretch to deliver performance, a little more than your duty. Do not limit your productivity to just as much money, that you get as salary. But instead give more intensity, so as to make a pleasant experience to the consumer.

The academics stretched into it's own stream, then becomes the industry. Brilliance is in establishing methods to integrate the subjects of academics into it's mature side called industry. The collaboration between academia and the industry will eliminate any gaps.

Transact and do the connection.

Have you done the lessons while in school? In your examination was an instruction called "Fill in the blanks". So any gaps, difference and distance is actually the blanks. You must work to fill in the blanks. The academic students and graduates can take accountability to make themselves known to the people in the industry ď Ź

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The GST does not clarify the status of existing exemptions available to developers; and, importantly, land being left out from the ambit of GST may bring ambiguity for taxing Joint Development Agreements and may lead to litigation.

GST likely to offer a mixed bag for the ‘Real Estate Sector’

T

he real estate is one of the important sectors in India, contributing 7 percent to the Gross Domestic Product and employs the second largest number of people. Apart from being one of the largest contributors to the Indian economy, buying a house is a dream to every Indian middle-class person.

Adv Sherry Samuel Oommen is a practising lawyer at High Court of Kerala who specialises in tax and Corporate Laws.

Presently he heads the tax and corporate law practice of Nash Capital Partners. Apart from being a qualified lawyer, he is also a chartered accountant, cost accountant and a company secretary. He is currently pursuing his Doctorate Degree and is reachable at sherryoommen@nashcp.com.

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The Goods and Service Tax (GST) is a decade-long journey and is one of the largest and boldest reforms in the 21st Century India to achieve a common market, widen the tax base, improve the revenue productivity of domestic indirect taxes and enhance welfare through efficient resource allocation, fails to provide clarity on its impact on the real estate sector. It is pertinent to note that this sector is multifarious involving numerous parameters such as taxation on land, stamp duty, varying State laws, exemption to certain type of provision of construction services and local taxes and cess, and efficiently pigeonholing real estate into the

Goods and Service is a difficult task to achieve; but, one which cannot be ignored is that addressing it is the need of the hour.

The GST does not clarify the status of existing exemptions available to developers; and, importantly, land being left out from the ambit of GST may bring ambiguity for taxing Joint Development Agreements and may lead to litigation. The land may be included in the ambit of GST in near future as in Australia, Singapore, Canada, New Zealand and stamp duty are subsumed in GST. Moreover, to curb black money in land deals and to plug revenue leakages, involving land and stamp duty in its ambit is recommended.

While it is too early to definitely predict the bill’s impact on the real estate sector, we can expect the sector to benefit in the long term on account of avoidance of cascading of taxes, rationalization in tax related compliance, gains through boost of related sectors, reduction

in litigation expenses, efficiency in interstate movement of good enhancing supply chain, consolidation of input credit increasing cash flow in the hands of the developer.

Impact of GST on Buyer:

Purchase of completed property and land does not effect as the GST does not subsume Stamp duty and registration costs, it is likely to remain the same for the foreseeable future, as the Stamp duty can be subsumed only by the way of a Constitutional amendment.

Purchase of under construction property may come down if the Real estate is put in the tax bracket of 12 percent or 18 percent as expected, as now the exposure of the Real estate to indirect taxes is 25 percent.

Recently, Hon’ble Union Minister of Housing Venkaiah Naidu said that the affordable housing is proposed to be exempted from the ambit of the GST. The mode in which this would play out in the coming days would be interesting to note.

Impact of GST on Developer:

It is likely that there would be a lesser burden of tax on inputs like Steel and Cement, as the tax credit would be available to set off at various stages and this leads to lower construction cost. The Revised Model GST Law provides that work contract services used for the further supply of works contract service would be eligible for credit. Interestingly, the Model

GST Law recognizes construction as a “service” and their related aspects would need to be construed accordingly.

From a transitional standpoint, it does become imperative for developers to critically evaluate the impact of GST. For instance, determination of the credit that could be carried forward into the GST regime is critical. Additionally, considering that GST is likely to be introduced with effect from 01 July 2017, it is imperative that developers evaluate the credit admissibility for the period April 2017 and June 2017. In my view, if appropriately structured, credits hitherto could be smartly pushed into the GST regime, especially in cases of items that are litigious 

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CROWNE

FITNESS MEMBERSHIP

N

ow you can find gorgeous, expansive spaces with top-of-the-line technology, creative new classes and alternative wellness options at your very own Crowne Fitness. So whether you’re on the road for work or for fun, you have got our back to keep you healthy.

Realizing that being able to exercise right is equally important as the facilities available, we have 3 specialized trainers who are available from 07:00 hrs to 22:00 hrs to assist you to give the best to your mind and body. The magnificent steam and sauna facilities will help you indulge in a refreshing experience. The location of swimming pool next to the gymnasium makes it handy for those of you who love to swim. With all this, we will ensure that you keep up your workout routine on the go.

Our Fitness Center includes state-of-the-art: • Treadmill • Elliptical Trainer • Free Weights/Dumbbells/ Strength Equipments • Recline Bike/Upright Bike • Summit Trainer For more details contact 0484 2865212/ 2865000

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MOTIVATION

Dolly Neena Dolly Neena is founder of Your Wing, a training company born out of a noble cause and spirit.

She holds a decade long experience being a passionate mentor and entrepreneur.

Even though a company started up with fire n fresh ideas, lately they have been showing complacency, lack of creativity and sloppiness in the tasks given. That’s when, as an effective manager, you will have to interfere, monitor, analyze and do the next most important task in employee unison – recognition and awards.

J

ob satisfaction plays a significant role in retaining an employee in your firm. Sometimes, the dissatisfaction can cause counter-retention, bad co-ordination, absenteeism, unproductivity and negative culture.

That brings you to the question as to how you can improve employee motivation.

Every employee is temperamentally and productively different. One size does not fit all. At a workplace, the employees are interdependent. And, this makes it really important that the employees are properly coordinated enough to make most of their dependence turn into expected results. Motivated employees definitely form the primary contributors of the company’s next level output and growth. Apparently, lack of recognition has been identified as the biggest reason for demotivation at work. The first and foremost task is to find out the contributors of demotivation. Then to work against it, slowly to build up the commitment of the employee for the company. Motivating an employee is not an induction-week’s assignment. It is an ongoing and regular routine. This should be in the company’s main agenda, to review and update. This responsibility falls on the shoulder of the immediate manager.

We have heard before that when an employee leaves, she or he doesn’t leave the company, but her manager. We cannot overlook the fact that at times even if the manager is close to perfect, the employee might leave for a better prospect if his/ her career is in the initial years. Ongoing employee development is a deliberate process. Employees should be made feel that the organization is concerned about their overall expansion– financial, social, personal and career. A positive encouraging workplace is the base element that will get your company to the top.

The paramount factor is proper communication. The company’s culture should be created to boost positivity. As a leader, it becomes your accountability to be transparent to the employee. Communicate effectively to have a more productive and receptive workforce. Clarity and effectiveness of the internal communication are some of the valuable

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Effective teams are DESIGNED!

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Figure out what makes employees tick and help them align their work to the professional and personal goals they have. Find out what motivates them inside and outside work

resources of the organization. Start by telling employees what they should expect from their upper management, and help managers improve their delivery of the key motivators. Employee suggestions and recommendations are to be quickly acted upon. Regular consultation, monitoring, and people management will influence the employee’s potential beneficially and help the company to achieve an exponential growth. It adheres mutual understanding, foster trust and loyalty, and enables the employee to work harder to reach the proposed goal. Establishing a cadence for appropriate communication is crucial.

Upward communication channels should be always open like a highway between the employee and the management. Proper communication and effective feedbacks can bring about a sense of togetherness and community.

Consistency in management

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behavior is also a key point.

Sometimes over the growth phase of your team, you may see that even though they started up with fire and fresh ideas, lately they have been showing complacency, lack of creativity and sloppiness in the tasks given. That’s when, as an effective manager, you will have to interfere, monitor, analyze and do the next most important task in employee unison – recognition and awards. Today, we see lot more companies show a blind eye to the negativity going around and try to dwell on the positive sides. Do spend efforts on boosting morale. Boredom is a big motivation killer nowadays, make sure you have instigating tasks for your team. Create a work culture worth spending time for. Give opportunities to share new ideas and implement.

Help them own the job. Work on the positives and build the same.

People crave recognition –getting

appreciated for a work well done, is something every human soul crave for. Recognizing a job well done is as good as multiplying the results on the same the next time.

This confirms that the employee is on the right track, doing the right thing and the management has gladly caught him doing exactly what he is supposed to do. Sending a thoughtful mail, awarding with a bonus or a trophy/ medals/badges, appreciating him/ her infront of the team, promoting to the next level or just calling out your amazing work to the peers could be different ways of appreciating and recognizing an employee’s efforts. Have a voting system to display ethic and grit.

Figure out what makes them tick and help them align their work to the professional and personal goals they have. Find out what motivates them inside and outside work.

Traditionally, money as a bonus is seen as incentives to motivate employees to produce more. But, there are always somethings money can’t buy, which will doubleaccelerate their performance if effectively catalyzed. There are things more rewarding than money.

Focus on intrinsic and extrinsic rewards. Through internal and external training programmes, create core values and behavioural development that leads directly to the driven goal sets.

Managers need to see whether they have adequately educated employees on why they are doing and what they are doing. Help new mentors, leaders and efficient managers rise from within. Lots of right mentoring required to align the employees on the right track of productivity. Tasks should be made curious, organized, efficient,responsible, and engaged.

Employee satisfaction can be aweinspiring to be led to staggering huge results. Lead with a vision; most importantly let the employee own the vision. Always remember the Golden rule: Do unto others what you’d like to be done unto you!

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Dr. Arun Oommen renowned neurosurgeon at Lakeshore Hospital and Research Centre, Kochi, India.

Dr Arun Oommen

Developed countries give top priority in health care but this is not the situation in our part of the world.

MBBS, MS ( Gen Surgery), Mch( Neurosurgery), MRCS Ed, MBA Consultant Neurosurgeon oommenarun@yahoo.co.in www.arunoommen.com

O

ur health care system should be able to provide world class treatment to all irrespective of financial status. It is tragic to note that the nation’s ability to meet the basic medical needs of many of its citizens remains abysmal. In our part of the world when a person meets with any health related problems his or her family has to bear the full expense of the treatment. At many time they may not be fortunate enough to afford good quality care. Hence, they are forced to avail substandard treatment in other ill equipped centers. The result is poor patients meeting with health problems get suboptimal treatment and suboptimal results. This problem of affordability also hampers many of the health sector’s efforts to acquire the most advanced treatment methods and equipment, and thus forces to offer cheap outdated treatment methods to make the treatment affordable. The result is that we lag behind world standards with regard to health care.

In many developed countries like Australia, European countries, and the West, the situation is different. There, when a patient seeks treatment, he is treated at the full expense of the government and gets treated at the optimal centres approved by the government. The expense from first aid to transfer to the approved centre plus the

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Needs well-structured

health

insurance schemes

to ensure world class treatment for all

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41

entire treatment cost including rehabilitation care is being taken care of by the government. Patients are even airlifted to the required centres if needed. This is possible due to a well organized Government health insurance system. A good percentage of the taxes collected is used for health related schemes in these countries. All citizens, there, irrespective of their financial status, get equal and quality care.

This sort of the government or government-aided health Insurance scheme system can definitely be implemented in our country too so that our citizens are not denied their right to get quality care. For an effective health care system to be implemented, a nominal amount should be paid towards the insurance scheme by all the citizens in form of some tax; the amount to be paid should be determined by each person’s income status. Using the money generated, all citizens, irrespective of their fi-

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nancial status, can avail world class treatment in the appropriate health care centres.

Developed countries give top priority in health care but this is not the situation in our part of the world. This lack of prioritization for health by our government hampers equality of quality care to its citizens. As a result of this, only affluent and influential get proper treatment in proper centers. The poor have no other choice than to opt for poor quality cheap treatment.

This biased health delivery system has to end soon. Even though there are many government hospitals in our country, most of these hospitals never have any world class facilities to boast of, inspite of the presence of well-trained doctors and other medical staffs. It is high time that our government starts initiating steps to deliver world class treatment to its citizens irrespective of their financial status.

Another major crisis in the health sector is the fraudulent practices by many private health insurance companies, which is never new in India. The vigour and enthusiasm shown by the insurance agents in enrolling a citizen to various health schemes are seldom shown when a claim is made. Rejecting claims stating various reasons is quite common.

Unfortunately, such rampant bad experiences create a widespread lack of trust and hence the takers for health insurance schemes are still quite low in India. It is high time that the various health insurance companies are brought under intense scrutiny and any fraudulent practice reported should be dealt with severely. Building trust and educating the public regarding the need for compulsory health insurance schemes are of utmost importance in assuring quality health for all ď Ź

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GADGETS

Philips Xenium X588

MRP: `25,628 (approximately)

       

Android 6.0 Marshmallow 13 MP Primary Camera 5 MP Secondary Camera 5 inches Display 3 GB RAM 32 GB Internal Memory 128 GB Expandable Memory 5000 mAh Battery Capacity

Gionee A1

MRP: `23,999 (approximately)

        

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Android v7.0 (Nougat) 13 MP Primary Camera 16 MP Secondary Camera 5.5 inches Display 4 GB RAM 64 GB Internal Memory 256 GB Expandable Memory 2 GHz Octa Core Processor 4010 mAh Battery Capacity

April - May17

Micromax E4815

MRP: `10,999 (approximately)

        

Android v6.0 (Marshmallow) 13 MP Primary Camera 5 MP Secondary Camera 5.5 inches Display 3 GB RAM 32 GB Internal Memory 128 GB Expandable Memory 1.5 GHz Octa Core Processor 3000 mAh Battery Capacity

CoolPad Note 5 Lite

MRP: `8,199 (approximately)

       

Android 6.0 OS 13 MP Primary Camera 8 MP Secondary Camera 5 inches Display 3 GB RAM 16 GB Internal Memory 1 GHz Quad Core Processor 2500 mAh Battery Capacity

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COOKERY

Toshma Biju

VISHUKATTA

Ingredients

• • • • • •

Unakalari................................ 1/3 cup Coconut milk........................................ .....¾ cup (thick)+2 cups randam pal Water........................................2 cups Cumin seeds..................... ½ teaspoon Ghee.................................. 1 teaspoon Sarkara Pani............................. ¼ cup

Method In a saucepan, add 2 cups coconut milk and rice. Bring it to boil. Let the water evaporate completely. To this, add thick coconut milk. Let the rice become thick. Then, add cumin seeds. Grease a plate with ghee and transfer the cooked rice and spread it evenly. Cut it into pieces and add jaggery water

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CHAKKA PRADHAMAN Ingredients

• • • • • • •

Jack fruit.....................................................................2 cup Jaggery....................................................................... ¼ cup Coconut..............................................................................1 Ghee..................................................................4 teaspoons Coconut pieces......................... 2 tablespoons(thinly sliced) Cashew nuts................................................... 2 tablespoons Cardamom powder.......................................... 1/4 teaspoon

Method Chop the jack fruit. Pressure cook the jack fruit pieces,in very less water, until1st whistle is heard. Grind it to a paste. Make jaggery water. Grind coconut adding warm water and extract 1 cup onnam pal. Keep it aside. Add more water to it and extract the randam pal, 11/2 cup.

Heat 2 teaspoons of ghee, fry cashew nuts and remove it from the pan. Then, add the coconut pieces and fry till golden brown.

Add the jack fruit pulp to the jaggery along with 2 teaspoons of ghee and cook till it becomes slightly thick. Add randam pal and boil for few minutes. Then, add onnam pal, cardamom powder and switch off the flame. Do not boil after adding onnam pal.

Garnish with fried cashew nuts and coconut pieces.

MAMPAZHA PAYASAM MANGA UPPILITTATHU

Ingredients

• • • • • •

Mango pulp.................................................. 1 cup Jaggery....................................................... 1/2 cup Coconut milk............................1 cup (onnam pal) Cardamom powder............................ 1/4 teaspoon Coconut pieces........... 2 tablespoon (thinly sliced) Ghee..................................................... 1 teaspoon

Method Make jaggery water. Add the mango pulp, to this and cook for 5 minutes. Switch off the flame, add the coconut milk, cardomom powder and stir well. Garnish with coconut bits fried in ghee.

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POOVADA Ingredients

• • • • • • • •

Rice powder................................................................ 1 cup Ripe banana...................................................................... 2 Jaggery.......................................................................2 cups Grated coconut.................................................................. 1 Chukkupodi............................................................. a pinch Cardamom powder..........................................1/4 teaspoon Salt.................................................................... as required Vazhayila.........................................................................few

Method Make Jaggery water. Cut the bananas into pieces and put them into the jaggery solution. Add the grated coconut, chukkupodi and Cardamom powder into the mix and stir well. Pour a little rice batter on a vazhayila piece and rotate it in order to spread the batter. Take a spoonful of the coconut-banana-jaggery mixture and fold the vazhayila. Cook it in a steamer for about 15 minutes.

CHAKA AVIYAL MANGA UPPILITTATHU

Method Cut the jackfruit into thin pieces. Grind the grated coconut, cumin seeds, and green chillies into paste.Heat a pan, and add jack fruit pieces, turmeric powder, red chilli powder,onion, raw mango pieces, salt and water.

Close with a lid and cook this for 10 minutes.

After 15 minutes, open the lid and add ground coconut paste and mix well. Cook this for 5 minutes more. Now, open the lid and mix everything together. Add curry leaves and coconut oil. Mix together and remove from the heat.

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Ingredients

• • • • • • • • • • • •

Jackfruit pieces......................................20 pieces Grated coconut.........................................1/4 cup Green chilli.................................................. 5 nos Onion..........................................1 (thinly sliced) Cumin seeds.................................... 1/2 teaspoon Turmeric powder............................. 1/4 teaspoon Red chilli powder............................ 1/2 teaspoon Coconut oil..................................... 3 tablespoons Curry leaves............................................ 2 sprigs Raw mango...............................................1/4 cup Water........................................................1/2 cup Salt........................................................... to taste

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BEAUTY

The

perfect lips HOW TO GET IT DONE W

The arguments surrounding lipstick reducing the lip complexion is factual. Ensure that the lipstick you purchase belongs to a good company. Artificial colours will only affect the appearance.

Lemon helps

Use an outliner

If you apply lemon on your lips, the acidic factor helps in maintaining the smoothness and the pinkish colour. It also helps in the moisturizing process. After squeezing off the juice, apply the inner region on your lips, wait for 15-20 minutes and then wash it off with clean water. This will create a tremendous result.

Water therapy

If you don't consume water then it will affect the smoothness of your lips. Drink enough water and it will play a minor process in the lip job. Drink cool water, neither too hot nor too cold. Do not apply ice on your lips. It will only reduce the effect.

Eat fruits

Apart from body cooling and delivery of vitamins and

50

minerals,fruits also play a vital role in facial beauty. Eat papaya, watermelon, apple and orange. All these will help in a fresh skin tone and pink lips.

hen you look at someone's face the first thing you notice is the eye and then the lips.

A woman's facial beauty is defined by the perfect lips. Those lips that make a portrait look beautiful and you would like to look the photo for a long time. A lot of celebrities have done "lip augmentation procedure" but most of them didn't get the right result. You don't have to do any other procedure. Just follow these simple everyday steps.

April - May17

Don't wear too much lipstick

Just outline the lips before applying the lipstick but don't make it look obvious, should blend with the lip colour. Use pink colour for pink and red for red etc.

Apply moisturizer occasionally to give the smooth and a chappy appearance. Have a great day with a smileď Ź

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This land wants to say many stories to you, catch the next flight to Macau.

T

he cool breeze striding through the streets of this ‘gambling city’ has many things to say other than the art of betting. Many of us are unfamiliar about this Asian autonomous region and the fact that this was one of the last European colonies in Asia.

With this work, an attempt is made to explore this least-explored destination in Asia.

For a long period, this region was considered as a destination for wealthy businessmen. The vibrant streets and astounding nightlife offered by this region had bestowed a peculiar image of an entertainment town to this destination. It was often compared with Las Vegas for its resemblance with its lifestyle.

But, now, as more and more tourists have started exploring the tourist destinations in the Asian region more seriously, it has slowly detached the old image and embraced a more attractive one. It is no longer another Las Vegas

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EXPLORE THE

LAS VEGAS OF ASIA

Macau

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even if it still possesses those freaky features which make them look like so, but it is definitely another Portuguese. In order to get this statement more clearly, it is inevitable that a ride over its past should be taken.

Let us begin from the sixteen century, an era in which the European imperialists were eagerly making their risky expeditions searching for huge fortunes and were conquering new lands in an attempt to feed their growing demand for wealth.

Exactly, in the same era, the eyes of the Portuguese traders fell on this tiny port city located in Asia. Its strategical position forced

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them to start a trade unit here and later prompted it to ink a deal with the Ming dynasty in order to pocket this land. As the strategy used by the Portuguese traders awarded them the desired result, in the mid-sixteen century this land became a colony of Portuguese. In all prominent elements of the region such as art, culture, literature, cuisine and architecture, the Portuguese flavour was extensively added over the years.

In a sense, the region rose beyond the limitations of an Asian colony.

At the time when it was finally liberated from the clutches of the European imperialists, in 1999, it attained significant achievements in terms of the GDP rate, life expectancy, and Human Develop-

You can find Portuguese colonial ruins, traditional Chinese centres and much more, and experience mesmerising Portuguese-Chinese mixed cultures and architecture, splendid nightlife, amazing casinos and et al.

ment Index. Even though it fell under the Chinese supremacy after the Portugal’s withdrawal from the land, an agreement mandated that no interference over the country’s autonomy be allowed until at least 2049. As per the information, an agreement with the People’s Republic of China obligated the region to give up their choice in the defence and foreign policy.

This region is situated just 60 kilometres south-west of Hong Kong so a combine-trip is advised if you want to make your trip more eventful. The region is well connected to the external world so all kinds of transportation facilities are available. If you choose to check into the country through Hong Kong, you can take ferry, aeroplane or even helicopter services. Before getting here, you must be wellinformed that what can you expect from this region and where can you meet that expected thing. You can find Portuguese colonial ruins, traditional Chinese centres and much more, and experience mesmerising Portuguese-Chinese mixed cultures and architecture, splendid nightlife, amazing casinos and et al. It is one of the epicentres of capitalist culture near the Chinese region.

So, literally, you can buy anything

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An existing fact, which was ignored for several generations, is that Macau once possessed a deep Buddhist culture. The A-Ma temple located in this region highlights this fact extensively.

56

here. It is more influenced by the western culture rather than the Communist China’s.

Coloano Island are the popular tourist location in this autonomous territory.

The Ruins of St. Paul’s, the Senado Square, A-Ma Temple, Fortaleza do Monte, Macau Tower, Kun Iam, Taipa Island, Portas do Cerco, the Maritime Museum, and

The Ruins of St. Paul is a magnificent church which showcases the architectural skill of this region and is a fine mixture of Roman and Japanese styles. It is learned that

April - May17

this church was erected in 1601 by the Japanese Christians who had been forced out of their land. It is a wonder that the building sustained fire and several other natural disasters. It is an interesting thing to watch the biblical stories inscribed on the walls.

If you want to get a glimpse of the Portuguese architecture, you can visit the Senado Square. The prime official buildings including the Senate building, Senate library and the Chamber give a brief insight on the rich colonial heritage of this region. You can simply walk through the perfectly paved pavements and enjoy some street shopping and food. There are several other attractions in this place.

An existing fact, which was ignored for several generations, is that Macau once possessed a deep Buddhist culture. The A-Ma temple located in this region highlights this fact extensively. Macau is not a region which was civilised by

the imperialists, but it is a region where a richer civilisation peacefully existed. The Gate Pavilion, Prayer Hall, Memorial Arch, and et al showcase the richness of this temple which is the part of the Macau’s UNESCO Historic Centre.

The Kun Lam temple, which is dedicated to the goddess of mercy, is another temple which shows the rich Buddhist culture of the land.

There are several small as well as large Buddhist centres located here.

Fortaleza do Monte is a military-hub-turned-Museum. The place demonstrates the military might of Portuguese. Another

popular landmark is the 338 meters tall Macau Tower. It has been erected for the telecommunication purpose.

If you are tired of watching all these architectural beauties, to get a fine air you can go to the island of Coloane. There are farmlands, natural parks, pine forests and spectacular beaches in this region.

HacSa Beach, a white sand beach located on the east side of the island, is one of the most popular beaches in this region.

The Island of Taipa is another island located in the autonomous territory. It is not like a natural friendly land, but it is a modernised territory. There are several colonial buildings and ruins in the region.

Now, the land is a hub of Chinese traders. Interestingly, several traditional firework factories are situated here. The Taipa House Museum is the popular tourist destination on the island.

In order to learn more about the Macau’s maritime history, you should visit the Maritime Museum.

It is a rare museum where you can get to see the maritime equipment, ships, and maritime history. You should not miss the fun of the fun theme park located near it. The Macau Fisherman’s Wharf has numerous amusement rides, shops, restaurants and much more.

The perfect place to end our Macau journey is Portas do Cerco.

There is where Macau meets China. For several decades, it was the only way to enter China from Macau.

It is a beautiful land. This is a happy world as long as you abstain from the betting game. There are lots of casinos who are hungry waiting for a prey. Try not to fall in their trap. Don’t risk your health by tasting all kinds of street foods. It is not a good shopping hub so don’t waste your money.

This land wants to say many stories to you, catch the next flight to Macau 

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AUTO REVIEW

VIVEK VENUGOPAL

T The Tigor is an attractive car from most angles, which cannot be said about some of its competitors.

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he Tigor is Tata Motor’s latest entrant in the sub-compact sedan segment. Before you say that there are far too many cars out there in that segment, let me tell you one thing.

The Tigor will be priced significantly cheaper than its competitors. How much cheaper is the car? Tata Motors announced that the Tigor’s pricing would range from Rs.4.7 to 6.19 lakhs for the petrol and Rs.5.6 to 7.09 for the diesel variants.

Part of the reason why Tata could bring down the price is because of the platform that underpins it. Unlike the Dzire, Amaze, Ameo, Xcent and Aspire, which are based on larger premium hatchbacks, the Tigor is based on the entry-level compact car from Tata – the Tiago.

It will share the showroom floor with the Zest- a compact sedan based on the larger Bolt hatchback.

Unlike the Bolt, Zest and, recently

launched, Hexa, which are based on older cars (Indica Vista, Manza and Aria respectively), the Tiago and Tigor are both brand new cars and have been designed from groundsup. The Tigor sits on a wheelbase 50mm longer than that of the Tiago and is almost 50kgs heavier.

The Tigor is an attractive car from most angles, which cannot be said about some of its competitors.

The boot is very well integrated into the overall design of the car and doesn’t look like an afterthought.

There are, clever, design touches like the roofline which projects out like a rear spoiler to give more headroom on the inside. The front end is similar to the Tiago which gives it a familiar look. But, subtle changes, like smoked head lamps, help it to differentiate it from the hatchback.

The petrol variant gets 15-inch alloys whereas the diesel settles for 14 inches.

The Tigor

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Inside, it is all very Tiago with familiar dashboard, seats, steering, controls etc. The biggest additions are the auto climate control and new touchscreen audio system with reverse camera. The infotainment system was developed with Harmon Kardon and it sounds great.

It is packed with features- can pair up with mobiles via an app, respond to voice commands and offer navigation based on the user’s phone app. The touch interface, on the other hand, isn’t the best. But, luckily, it can be operated via the switch and knobs – the old fashioned way. The plastic texture and knitted rooflining add to the quality feel of the cabin, although lower down the dashboard, you will find cheaper materials and some fit and finish issues. The front seats are large with good support and great visibility. The rear seats are set

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lower than the Tiago’s, so as not to compromise on the headroom. The seats have extended side bolstering to make it wider for three abreast seating. The front seats have their backrests carved out to liberate more knee room. Overall seating is comfortable with good recline angle and a central foldable armrest in place. The boot is a commendable 419 litres and the boot-lid –to reduce intrusions- has been designed with a multi-hinge arrangement instead of the common, cheaper, gooseneck arrangement, to make it even more practical.

The Tiago comes with the choice of a 1.2 litre petrol engine and 1.05 litre diesel. The 85bhp, 114 Nm, 3 cylinder petrol engine feels a lot smoother than in the Tiago with the addition of a balancer shaft. It is adequate for city use

Ride and handling are well sorted in the Tigor. It glides over big potholes without too much fuss. The suspension also feels quite settled in the corners and the steering feels adequately balanced.

with decent drivability, light clutch and reasonably good fuel efficiency.

It revs fairly high, but there is very little performance on offer: so it is best to drive it sedately. The 70 bhp diesel with 140 Nm torque is a three cylinder too. Performance is mediocre at best. There is no steady shove in the back like you get from most diesel engines these days and you might have to downshift a bit more than you’d expect.

Both the diesel and petrol engines offer an Eco mode for added efficiency. But, on the diesel, it robbed the engine of too much power and responsiveness.

Ride and handling are well sorted in the Tigor. It glides over big potholes without too much fuss.

The suspension also feels quite settled in the corners and the steering feels adequately balanced. Brakes

work well too.

With its nice looks, good interiors, equipment levels and ride quality, the Tigor has a lot going for it. It is great to see the massive leaps Tata cars have made in the recent times. A lot of effort has gone into the design, engineering and manufacture of these newage Tatas. However, the Tigor is not without its glitches. Both the engines are not stellar in terms of performance and it is too early to predict the resale value and long-term reliability of these. The Tiago was a good start with decent numbers being sold every month now, but the brand Tata Motors still needs to work on its image. However, with the pricing they have in mind for the Tigor, maybe this is the car to do it with ď Ź

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MOVIE REVIEW

Power Rangers

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t is a science fiction movie directed by Dean Israelite.

The film tells the story of five teens who discover that they are the only persons who can defend the earth from the danger posed by the aliens.

Naomi Scott, Dacre Montgomery, Elizabeth Banks, Ludi Lin and Becky G appear in the lead roles. All the lead actors show justice to their characters, giving the movie an unexpected boost. The movie has been rated fairly by all the reviewers, assuring that it is worthy to watch this fantasy movie. A huge sum of 100 million USD has been invested in the film.

Chips

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t is a crime thriller directed

by Dax Shepard. The story of the movie revolves around two Highway Patrol officers who have joined the service in order to accomplish two different jobs. One officer is a former motorbike rider while the other is an undercover agent who is investigating a serious crime. Both of them has been moulded by different life experiences and enriched with different skills, so this makes them vulnerable to the conflict of interest.

The story narrates how the officers cope with this crisis. Michael Pena, Vincent D’Onofrio, Adam Brody, Rosa Salazar and Wilmer Valderrama appear in the lead roles.

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Naam Shabana

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t is a crime thriller film directed

by Shivam Nair. The story revolves around a secret agent who has entered into this career to avenge her lover’s murder. Taapsee Pannu appears as the secret agent. There are several action sequences in the movie. Apart from her, Akshay Kumar, Prithviraj Sukumaran, Manoj Bajpayee and Anupam Kher appear in other lead roles. Since its release, the film has been receiving good reviews from the audiences as well as the critics.

There are several beautiful songs in this movie. The film has been produced by Shital Bhatia and Aruna Bhatia. This action movie is worthy to watch.

Phillauri

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t is a fantasy thriller directed by Anshai Lal. There is an interesting story line in this movie that is when a young gentleman marries a tree as part of a ritual done by those who have an unlucky star, he accidentally meets a spirit living in the tree. The film tells how this gentleman helps the spirit, who is trapped in the human realm, to return to her realm. There are several romantic dialogues and funny sequences in this movie. It is definitely a fresh subject so the film also possesses a remarkable freshness.

Anushka Sharma, Diljit Dosanjh, Suraj Sharma, Mehrene Kaur Pirzada and Nidhi Bisht appear in the lead roles.

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63

BOOK REVIEW

Lieutenant General Bhagat: A Saga of Bravery and Leadership Author Price

: Rishi Kumar : Rs 150

I

t is an interesting graphic novel. In a sense, it may even look like a comic book portraying a superhero. Here, the highlighted superhero is not an imaginary character and the story which has been recorded is not a fictional narrative, but everything is real and has the backup of materialistic evidence which has been collected from the most authentic source. It is the story of Lieutenant General Bhagat who represented our Indian army for the imperialistic England in the World War Two. It is the clear depiction of how bravely our Indian soldiers fought in the ruthless war. The story discusses his personal life, professional life and his achievements. It is a perfect war comic.

Irresistible: The Rise of Addictive Technology and the Business of Keeping us Hooked Author Price

T

: Adam Alter : Rs1,141

his book discusses the most sensational subject our world must know at this juncture: the behavioural addiction. In the present scenario, our generation is trapped by some irresistible products conceptualised by some brilliant businessmen. Our generation knowingly or unknowingly is too much obsessed with some products like Facebook, Twitter, films, TV shows, video games and much more. The book asks us do we release we are being purposefully and professionally targeted by some masterminds for their business needs. Interestingly, it advises some solutions in an effort to bring back a generation on to a humanistic culture from a machine culture in which men have no time to interact with human beings as they are busy with their lifeless friends.

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April - May17

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BOOK REVIEW

The Rise of Sivagami Author Price

: Anand Neelakanthan : Rs 200

T

he mesmerising story takes you to the imaginary world created by the most successful film of Indian film industry, Baahubali.

This book narrates the story of the most powerful character of the film, Sivagami. It depicts the dangerous journey through which she avenges her father’s death. The time taken to release this book narrowly coincides with the releasing date of the second part of SS Rajamaouli’s exceptional movie. Just like the film, the book is also expecting a huge commercial success. With the writer’s remarkable narrating skill, the book stands out from the contemporary fantasy novels written by the Indian writers. This summer, try to explore an Indian fiction.

Unfiltered: No Shame, No Regrets, Just Me Author Price

: Lily Collins : Rs 599

N

ot many people like motivation speeches. But, if it is from a beautiful actress, will you try to listen. You will. Then, you should know that the space has been filled with a beautiful motivational book by your favourite actress, Lily Collins. She speaks to the young women, through his honest narrative, about some complicated subjects ranging from family to relationship. She even discloses some of her deepest secrets in order to prove that she is no different from a common girl and she too has experienced bad times as well as good times. When you read this book, you will know how honest this young actress is. She is a genuine inspiration.

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Printed On 01/ 04/ 2017

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RNI Reg No. KERENG/2011/42633

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