E mag june

Vol 3 Issue No.20 June 2013 | 30 | AED 5

A Tradition of

Excellence T S Kalyanaraman Exclusive

CMD, Kalyan Jewellers

Manappuram Miss Queen of India, 2013

Auto Review

Transformational Leadership, an Example

The Hot Hatch: Polo GT TSI

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

Cover Photograph:

T.S. Kalyanaraman

Managing Editor Ajit Ravi Editor Jebitha Ajit Associate Editor Bejoy George Legal Advisor Adv. Sreelatha Parameswaran Correspondents Dr. Thomas Nechupadam Tressa Varghese Denisha Sahadevan Sheela Abraham Sreerekha R. Nair Creative Design Ashique K Gilsha Bindosh

Marketing Vice President, Marketing Neeti Sharma, Ph: +918800922566 Jazz Media Services LLC Dubai, United Arab Emirates Bharath Kantham, Andrapradesh Ph-no: 9550054943 Charan Suvarna, Karnataka Ph: 07829904030

Pramod Mithun Mithraa - Trivandrum Jenson Antony Photographer Jinish, Photogenic Our Patron: Mr. V.P. Nandakumar Printed and Published by Ajit Ravi Pegasus L5-106 Changampuzha Nagar Kalamasserry, Kochi-33 Printed at S T Reddiar P.B. No: 3627 Veekshanam Road, Cochin Contact Ph: 0484 3242220, 3292223, 3046432 Mob: +91 98460 50283, 94470 50283 editor@uniquetimes.org

Our Patron Mr. V.P. Nandakumar

* All rights reserved worldwide. Reproduction in any manner without permission of proprietors is prohibited.

RNI Reg. No: KERENG/2011/42633

Editorial I want to thank you for the wonderful response that you have given to the last edition of our magazine. This edition we have an interview with TS Kalyanaraman, the CMD of Kalyan Jewellers.

Kalyan is century old reputed business group having showrooms all over India. In the interview, the business icon speaks about his beginning and the secret about his success.

Among the articles, we have review of the new Volkswagen Polo GT TSI. In our regular features, V.P. Nandakumar writes about transformational leadership and Jizz P Kottukappally writes about monetary policy. Dr.Thomas Nechupadom writes about entrepreneurship.

Miss Queen of India was held at Adlux international convention centre on May 18. We have an exclusive photo coverage of the event.

Unique Times is now available at more places in Delhi, Andhra Pradesh and Karnataka. We have already launched in Dubai and we are getting a good response in all the places. We firmly believe that all the hard work we have done is now giving us good results and we remain focused on the vision to become the favourite business lifestyle magazine in the world.

Happy Reading Thank you

Ajit Ravi

Letters

Hi I have been a regular reader of Unique Times since last January.

What I certainly see is an altogether different magazine, with a variety of contents. All among my family has appreciated the quality of the magazine. Hidden inside the simplicity is some brilliant writing and selection of articles. My best wishes.

Muthu R. Trivandrum Hi The cover photo of Dr. C J Roy made me buy this magazine. As I know that he is heading the Confident Group and I am planning to buy an apartment in Bangalore, Confident is one of my prime choices. Their brand is well known in Bangalore. I also found that all the articles are excellent, and UT was a good read.

Rejoy G. Pune

Dear Sir I am a retired Banker now enjoying my retired life. My son used to bring Unique Times when he is back from a business trip. I want to specially comment on the articles by VP Nandakumar and Jiz P Kottukappally are of great relevance. A retired banker like me finds the article with some nostalgia also. Other articles are also worth reading Radhakrishnan A.N. Bangalore

Hi I am subscriber from the beginning; I used to enjoy the book reviews and movie reviews, off late I am not seeing these reviews inside the magazine. Please include more of book reviews and movie reviews.

Smijo Paul Thrissur

Dear Sir, I got a copy of Unique Times magazine from my office; I was quite surprised to see that the magazine is based from my place, Kochi. All the articles are good. I have seen your online edition also. Please include more information about Dubai and Middle East. This is a great place of opportunity.

Philip Jacob Dubai The magazine is becoming better and better with each addition as I see. I like various ways in which the business diary is presented. The designing of the magazine is very creative. The magazines focus on many of the various topics is very helpful as I do not have to go to other sites to look for the different news whether its entertainment, business, health, or fashion. Unique Times has presented me with all the news which keeps me updated. Articles such as venturing into the business world and the world of googlers have been very enjoyable to read. Online edition of the magazine is even more convenient as it updates me with the news daily. From the cover to each page of the magazine the effort that is put in monthly to bring out news in quality and style is seen. Please continue doing a wonderful job!!

Amrita.K Bangalaru

Contents

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Unique Diary ................................ 08 Banking ......................................... 16 Beauty Tips ................................... 34 Travel ............................................ 36 Fitness .......................................... 40 Money Time .................................. 42 Gadgets ......................................... 46 Books ............................................ 50 Apps .............................................. 60

52 A tradition of

Excellence: T S Kalyanaraman

Interview with T .S. Kalyanaraman, CMD Kalyan Jewellers

Miss Queen of India

12

TRANSFORMATIONAL LEADERSHIP, AN EXAMPLE V.P. Nandakumar MD & CEO, Manappuram Finance Ltd.

32

26

Finding Capital for your first business

The Hot Hatch

Dr. Thomas Nechupadom

Polo GT TSI

Unique Diary

T RBS to Shut Down Retail and Commercial Branches in India

he Royal Bank of Scotland (RBS) will be reportedly shutting down 23 retail, and commercial branches in India by the end of 2013 in order to keep their focus on the big cities alone. Being part of a strategic business decision, RBS “has started the process of consolidating its retail and commercial banking business to maintain a presence in eight major business hubs,” the bank stated in a release. The bank had tried selling its network to its peer from the foreign lending space HSBC, however was unsuccessful in doing so.

It’s branches at Agra, Jodhpur, Jalandhar, Kolhapur, Manglore, Shastri Park (New Delhi) and Udaipur will be the first ones to be closed, while maintaining a presence in DelhiNCR, Mumbai, Chennai, Kolkata, Bengaluru, Pune, Hyderabad and Vadodara.

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he Department of Disinvestment (DoD) will now circulate a Cabinet note in June in which it will propose 10 percent government stake sale in the oil company through the offer for sale (OFS) route, according to officials. The Indian Oil Corporation (IOC) has turned down a proposal which was to buy back shares as part of the government’s 10 percent disinvestment plan saying that the company is already deep in debt leaving them with no money to spare. With plans to sell over 19.16 crore shares in the nation’s largest oil firm in order to rake in between 6,000-7,000 crore rupees to the exchequer, “DoD had written to IOC for a buy back,” however because buying back shares would require further borrowing of money, IOC refused the proposal, a top official told PTI.

RBI Plans to Ease the Norms for Exporters & Importers

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IOC Rejects Government’s Share Buy Back Plan

he Reserve Bank of India is planning to allow exporters and the importers to rebook and cancel up to 50 percent of their total hedged exposure from the present cap of 25 percent, said the executive director G. Padmanabhan in a speech in Singapore. According to Padmanabhan they “have decided in principle to relax a few things (which they hope) will cheer the market, these facilitations have nothing whatsoever to do with RBI’s perception about the exchange rate,” he said. Padmanabhan did not explain as to why the RBI was contemplating taking such measures. In July, RBI had allowed only exporters to cancel and rebook forward contracts up to 25 percent of hedged exposure.

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Country’s Rich Investors Returning Home for Stability

he world’s biggest investors are probably on the bouts of rethinking 20 years of boosting overseas holdings leading them to seek more stable cash income at home, as the aging societies and tighter regulation dull risk appetite.

This heralds a structural shift toward investments which produces long-term income in advanced economies, home to two-thirds of the money held by insurers and pension funds which happens to be some $55 trillion. Japan, where those aged 65 or older make up a quarter of the country’s population, offers a prime example of what conservative investors are doing with their money. Globally, pension funds spent the last 14 years expanding their investment frontier overseas, with the weight of domestic stocks in their portfolio falling to 46.5 percent last year from 64.7 percentin 1998.

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fter having its try in the fashion world and facing a fall, Yahoo wants to be “cool” again while they cater to the capitalistic demands of its shareholders. This particular goal led CEO Marissa Mayer to make a $1.1 billion bet on online blogging forum Tumblr in a risky acquisition which revolves around the vision and instincts of a 26-year-old entrepreneur who wanted to bring beauty and creativity to the internet. The deal being one of Mayer’s boldest move since she left Google 10 months ago, marking Yahoo’s most expensive acquisition since it brought online search engine Overture a decade ago for $1.3 billion.

Mayer told analysts that she is “making a sincere promise to not screw it up.”

Apple - America’s Largest Tax Avoiders

Yahoo Looking to Regain its “Cool”

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t seems that Apple has used subsidiaries to dodge billions in taxes. The top U.S. computer and smart phone manufacturer, used a complex web of offshore entities to avoid billions in taxes, a Senate panel has alleged. One of Apple’s Irish affiliates reported profits of $30 billion between 2009 and 2012, but because it did not technically belong to any country, it paid no taxes o any government. The panel said that Apple exploited the gap between the two nations, the U.S. and Ireland, through three of its subsidiaries the company claims are not tax resident in any nation in order to avoid paying taxes. “Apple claims to be the largest U.S. Corporate taxpayer, but by sheer size and scale, it is also among America’s largest tax avoiders,” stated John McCain.

June 2013 UNIQUE TIMES 09

Unique Diary

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Honda Car Launches Brio

onda Cars India has launched its new small car Brio which is being priced between Rs 4.12 lakh rupees and Rs 6.13 lakh rupees. The upgrades in the car include features like driver seat height adjuster and rear windshield defogger. Honda cars India Ltd (HCIL) has introduced the new Brio in six different variants. For metallic color of the model, an additional Rs 3,500 rupees will be charged. The new variants of Honda Brio is to make the car more convenient, comfortable and pleasurable to drive for its customers. Commenting on the launch, HCIL’s Senior Vice President of Marketing and Sales Jnaneswar Sen said “Brio is a significant model for Honda in India as the car added more than 32,000 happy customers in the last fiscal year.”

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he Cellular Operators Association of India (COAI) has approached the Department of Telecommunications (DoT) asking it to withdraw spectrum allocated to Tata Teleservices Ltd (TTSL) in 8 service areas and put them up for auction. According to COAI, 19 GSM licenses of TTSL were cancelled by Supreme Court through its order on February 2, 2012. “The allocation of spectrum of TTSL stood quashed by way of order dated 02-02-2012. As a result thereof, the said spectrum automatically stood reverted,” was the opinion of former Solicitor General Rohinton Nariman adding “there was therefore no question of a direction to DoT to take back the spectrum.

Huge Gas Discovery

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COAI Seeking to Cancel Tata Teleservices’ GSM Licenses

eliance Industries (RIL) has announced a huge natural gas discovery in flagging eastern offshore KG-D6 block which will serve to be the key to arresting falling output.

Encountering 155 metres of gas pay zone in the first exploration well drilled on the block in more than five years RIL and its partner BP Plc of Uk had the well drilled two kilometers below the existing producing D1 and D3 fields.

Although RIL-BP did not put any reserves to the discovery, the find may be possible the largest single discovery in the country. The discovery has been named D-55. According to sources the resource found may be more than a pre-drill best case gross prospective resource of 819 billion cubic feet of gas and 56 million barrels of liquids for the well.

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Infosys, TCS Ranked by PwC

s many as 16 Indian companies have reported to have made the list of top 100 software vendors in the emerging markets, commanding combined revenue of $797 million, according to a PwC report. IT giants TCS, was ranked 29, and Infosys, was ranked 27, being among the latest PwC global 100 software leaders topped by Brazil’s TOTVS in terms of revenue. The report also stated that in terms of revenue, India was ranked the fifth among the emerging markets in 2011. “Emerging markets are poised to play an increasingly pivotal role in the global software industry. Focus on innovation, growing talent pool and government support are just some of the advantages of this market segment,” the report said.

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op seven companies including SBI, RIL, ONGC, HDFC Bank, and ITC have lost 57,476 crore rupees in the market capitalization for the second to last week of May. In contrast, TCS, and Coal India Ltd have witnessed addition in their market value.

SBI’s m-cap nosedived by 18,705 crore rupees to 1,47,145 crore rupees making it the biggest loser in the list of the most valued companies. RIL took the biggest hit after SBI as it’s market cap dropped by 15,049 crore to 2,64,994 crore. The state run energy major ONGC value slumped down by 12,876 crore to 2,78,010 crore, while HDFC Bank lost 4,069 crore rupees to 1,66,953 crore rupees.

ITC’s plunged from 3,714 crore rupees to 2,60,760 crore rupees, ICICI Bank saw its value decline by 2,839 crore to 1,38,921 crore and Infosys saw a dip of 224 crore rupees to 1,34,767 crore rupees.

Yamaha’s New “Ray” for Young Men

Top Seven Companies Decline in Stocks in the Week

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he Japanese auto major Yamaha’s Indian subsidiary has launched a new automatic scooter Ray – Ray Z priced at Rs. 48,555. According to the company, Ray Z has been developed to target the young male users between 16 – 22 years with the concept of “aggressive sporty design.” The new model has come about after a year of the launch of the initial “Ray” model which was initially developed to target young women. However in order to expand and increase the sales in India, Yamaha felt the need to launch a sporty scooter for boys. The new model sports the same air-cooled four-stroke 113cc engine with continuous variable transmission with the initial model with a maximum power output of 7.1 PS. The model provides a mileage of 53 km per litre.

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Banking

TRANSFORMATIONAL LEADERSHIP, AN EXAMPLE

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“Success is not about doing extraordinary things but about doing ordinary things in extraordinary ways”

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ack in 1986, Manappuram was a single branch entity based at Valapad (Thrissur District) with total assets of Rs.25 lakhs and three employees, serving perhaps a couple of thousand customers. Today, we are a nationwide presence with over 3,300 branches across 26 states and UTs. Our assets under management (AUM) stand at about Rs.10,000 crore, we have 18,000 employees, and a live customer base of 15 lakhs.

The question may be asked, how did the transformation take place? The short answer is that the Manappuram story is about how transformational leadership succeeded in transforming the organisation by focusing on the four key transformations listed below.

IV. Transform the community’s perceptions

Manappuram was also the first gold loan company to invest in its own inhouse technology platform. Later, as the system was upgraded, it became among the earliest to adopt the “core banking” platform. Our investments in technology have helped in streamlining procedures to reduce turnaround times in gold loan disbursements and in implementing advanced risk management practices.

Transform the product

Transform the customer

“Success is not about doing extraordinary things but about doing ordinary things in extraordinary ways”

Gold loans have existed for ages without changing much. It was always a traditional activity carried on in the same age-old way by neighbourhood pawnbrokers.

I. Transform the product II. Transform the customer III. Transform the employees

Shri V.P. Nandakumar is the MD & CEO of Manappuram Finance Ltd.

essentially by offering progressively higher LTVs at higher price points. We were also among the first in the financial sector to advertise its gold loans. It happened sometime in the late eighties when we took out small “ear panel” newspaper advertisements.

In those days of credit rationing, banks and finance companies advertised their deposits but not their loans products. Another important innovation for which we can claim credit is the introduction of the oneday gold loan at a time when the norm was to recover interest for a minimum of seven days.

For a long time, Gold loans were sold as a “one-size-fits-all” product.

Manappuram has been a pioneer innovator in gold loans. As the first corporate entity to take up gold loans, we were the earliest to introduce variety to gold loans. This was done

There’s no denying that gold loans have long carried a negative perception about them. It was often seen as a distress loan and there was a social

June 2013 UNIQUE TIMES 13

Manappuram’s success owes not so much to extraordinary people as to ordinary people working together to deliver extraordinary results. stigma attached to pledging gold.

Consequently, rather than pledge gold, many preferred to go to moneylenders and borrow at exorbitant rates rather than take a gold loan.

Manappuram has been proactive in tackling this sensitive issue head on.

By introducing transparency in the gold loans process, confidence was instilled in the customer that they need not have worries about the security of their gold. A high power advertising campaign followed that featured credible local brand ambassadors who made it a point to talk to the people in their own languages about the virtues of gold loans. This campaign, initiated in 2010, was a milestone and it featured stars like Mohanlal and Akshay Kumar.

It is widely acknowledged to have transformed the general opinion of the people about gold loans and it has succeeded in increasing its acceptability.

company has a policy of rotating employees through different assignments and departments in order to groom them for leadership roles.

Employee skills are continuously upgraded through regular and intensive training programmes.

Transform the employee

Moreover, the company goes out of its way to offer incentives to the employees at branches and the HO that acknowledge the good work that is done, be it in mobilising NCDs or in improving gold loan recovery. It’s also a fact that Manappuram’s employees were given the opportunity to share in the success of the company, as when ESOPs were given to middle and senior management officials and other senior staff members. All our employees with five years of service are eligible to pursue an MBA degree sponsored by the company where they attend classes during office hours. The Company has recruited over 50 Chartered Accountants, ICWA’s and Company Secretaries to improve knowledge levels at the operating levels.

Manappuram’s success owes not so much to extraordinary people as to ordinary people working together to deliver extraordinary results.

Transform the community’s perceptions

The company has cultivated a culture of openness where all transactions are routed through the books and nothing is hidden. Therefore, it can easily maintain trust in its employees. The

It’s common knowledge that many people are prejudiced against private finance companies that are popularly referred to in Kerala as “blade” companies.

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Manappuram has an extensive corporate social responsibility (CSR)mission focussed on the area around Valapad where the company’s Head Office is located. The Manappuram Foundation provides free Health Insurance to 20,000 BPL families in the seven Panchayats adjoining its HO. In the three years it’s been in existence, more than 5,000 families have benefited and nearly Rs.6 crore have been reimbursed to them.

The programme has been an outstanding success in terms of meeting a critical need of the local people, and also in terms of improving the image of the company. Moreover, Manappuram has also become a preferred avenue for employment among the local youth. We recruit ordinary graduates who are then trained and groomed for rewarding assignments. In a state where job prospects are scarce, the company’s presence in Valapad is a reassurance to the local youth.

Final word: Over the last nearly three decades, Manappuram has grown to acquire national stature and it’s become a household name in India.

The Company has both transformed and reinvented itself. Today, as the conditions in the market change, these skills are needed more than ever.

Banking

Jiz P. Kottukappally

Monetary Policy Statement 2013-14

What is in

store for you?

The author is working as Asst General Manager, Catholic Syrian Bank and the views expressed are the personal opinion of the author.

Author can be reached at jizpauls@gmail.com

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Dr. D.Subbarao, Governor, Reserve Bank of India had on 03rd May,2013 announced the Monetary Policy Statement 2013 -14. Apart from the Union Budget announced every year, this is one of the policy statements which I keenly follow, not only as a banker, but even as an individual. If the Union Budget affects the family budget of the people of the country, the Monetary Policy Statement announced by the Governor of RBI can impact the way in which the people in the country do banking.

Even though I look at the monetary policy very keenly from two perspective - as an individual and as a banker, for keeping things simple and straight I am limiting most of my observations and analysis as an individual. Thus I will not be mentioning anything about global and macro economic developments, GDP growth or Current Account Deficit(CAD), Money Supply ( M3) etc that fascinates the banker in me. But the announcement that Wholesale Price Index (WPI) inflation is expected to be range-bound around 5.5 per cent during 2013-14, as against an average of 7.3 per cent in 2012-13 cheers me both as a banker and an individual. I hope lower inflation would help me in managing my family budgets better. For protecting retail customers from being adversely impacted by undue interest rate fluctuations arising out of changes in economic cycles and policy rates, the monetary policy has suggested banks to introduce longterm fixed interest rate loan products.

Such products, as and when introduced by banks could surely be an instant hit in the financial market. I am waiting for the launch of such products to protect my long term savings from interest rate risk.

Reasons for borrowers to cheer.

Observing wide variations in the rate of interest charged to retail borrowers by banks, even when the loan was sanctioned on the same day RBI have asked banks to have a management oversight on such practices and also frame policies that ensure pricing of loans, especially

retail loans, is transparent, realistic, and related to the risk perception of the borrowers. Such a move could result in uniform pricing of retail loans

(MIS) at every supervisory level which should be critically evaluated on a regular basis. This would indirectly put pressure on banks for reducing the

The loan limit for an advance granted to micro and small enterprises in the services sector, for being classified as priority sector has been increased from Rs 20 million to Rs 50 million per borrower. by a bank, and thus the pricing would be more fair and transparent. The proposal to carve out a sub-sector of ‘Commercial Real Estate (CRE) Residential Housing’ within the CRE sector with appropriate prudential regulatory norms on risk weights and provisioning could see banks increasing their willingness to lend to these sectors and companies being able to raise funds for residential housing projects at a lower cost.

Would this translate to lower cost to purchasers of residential houses is a moot point to be seen. If that happens , then coupled with additional income tax benefit of Rs 1 lakh introduced under section 80EE in the union budget 2013, there could be a definite fillip in the demand for residential houses.

Micro and Small Enterprises (MSEs), dealers of fertilizers, pesticides, cattle feed etc also have reasons to cheer.

The loan limit for an advance granted to micro and small enterprises (MSEs) in the services sector, for being classified as priority sector has been increased from Rs 20 million to Rs 50 million per borrower. The individual loan limits for indirect lending to agriculture also has been increased from Rs 10 million to Rs 50 million per borrower for bank loans to dealers/ sellers of fertilizers, pesticides, seeds, cattle feed, poultry feed etc . For addressing the concerns emerging from the deceleration in credit growth to the MSE sector, Banks have been asked to strengthen their existing systems of monitoring credit growth to the sector and put in place a systemdriven comprehensive performance management information system

turn around time and rejection rate of MSE loans.

Considering the restrictions on granting of advance against gold bullion, the Monetary policy 2013 proposes to restrict the facility of advances against the security of specifically minted gold coins by banks to 50 grams per customer. This could affect your ability to raise loans by pledging gold , if a significant portion of your savings in the form of physical gold is by way of specially minted coins by banks. This point may be borne in mind, the next time you want to buy specifically minted gold coin from a bank.

For RBI, customer is the King.

The monetary policy 2013 also mentions certain customer service initiatives to be undertaken by banks.

Thanks to the decision by RBI to implement the recommendation of the Dhamodhar committee on uniformity in intersol charges, it might be possible soon for customers to transact with a bank , than with a branch. RBI has felt that the practice of some banks discriminating against their own customers on the basis of one branch being designated as the ‘home branch’ where charges are not levied for products and services and other branches being referred to as ‘nonhome’ branches where charges are levied for the same products and services is contrary to the spirit of the Reserve Bank’s guidelines on reasonableness of bank charges. With a view to ensuring that bank customers are treated fairly and reasonably without any

June 2013 UNIQUE TIMES 17

discrimination and in a transparent manner at all branches of banks/service delivery locations, banks have been advised to follow a uniform, fair and transparent pricing policy, and not to discriminate between their customers at home branch and nonhome branches. This if implemented in letter and spirit by Banks, would simply mean that Any Branch Banking would be totally free to all the customers.

For better currency management and distribution of bank note and coins, the policy spells out various measures like review of incentives and penalties, exploring the possibility of engaging the services of Cash in Transit (CIT) entities and Business Correspondents (BC) for the purpose of distribution of banknotes and coins and identification of lead banks. Involving CITs and BCs in currency and coin distribution would definitely help in addressing the last mile connectivity issues of reaching out to rural masses.

The Banking Laws (Amendment) Act, 2012, had inserted Section 26A to the Banking Regulation Act, 1949 which, inter alia, empowers the Reserve Bank to establish a Depositor Education and Awareness Fund (DEAF). Banks will be required to transfer deposits remaining unclaimed / in operated with them for more than 10 years to this fund within a period of three months from the expiry of ten years. DEAF will l be utilised for promotion of depositors’ interest.

However, the provisions of Section 26A do not prevent a depositor from claiming his/her deposit or operating his/her account or deposit after the expiry of the period of ten years and the banking company should pay the deposit amount and claim refund of such amount from DEAF. As per the monetary policy announcement the DEAF would be se up by September,2013 and shortly thereafter we can expect various measures being initiated for protecting the interest of depositors, including for spreading of financial education .

In order to educate the general public and also banks, the Reserve Bank has been placing on its website Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) on

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various topics. The existing FAQs guidelines on KYC/AML were placed on the website in May 2011.

Involving CITs and BCs in currency and coin distribution would definitely help in addressing the last mile connectivity issues of reaching out to rural masses.

Considering the new developments that have taken place in this area including simplification of KYC norms for further enhancing financial inclusion, RBI has proposed to replace the existing FAQs on KYC/AML/CFT with a comprehensive set of questions and answers by June 2013. This would facilitate understanding of KYC/AML/CFT requirements and compliance thereof in a hassle-free manner by banks and the general public.

Many banks have been currently offering wealth management services to their customers through referral services, investment advisory services or portfolio management services. RBI has observed that banks offering wealth management services are exposed to reputational risks on account of mis-selling of products, conflict of interest, lack of knowledge and clarity about products and frauds.

Accordingly RBI proposes to shortly issue draft guidelines for stopping practices which may lead to misselling of insurance and mutual fund products by bank employees.

Guidelines on wealth management services offered by banks also will be issued. Banks have also been asked to carry out customer due diligence as required under extant KYC/AML/CFT guidelines wherever third party products are sold as agents. These measures could result in banks having a more long term customer centric view in selling of third party products.

Hopefully we can look at days where banks are selling third party products which are best suited for the needs of the customer , rather than for the

third party vendor or the bank or the employee.

Financial inclusion initiatives Considering the need of branch expansion in rural areas for achieving the financial inclusion goals and for ensuring seamless roll out of the Direct Benefit Transfer (DBT) Scheme of the Government of India, banks have been advised to front-load the opening of branches in unbanked rural centers. This could see more bank branches coming up in unbanked rural areas in the next one to two years. The thrust on banks to put in place an effective mechanism to monitor and review the progress in the implementation of Direct Benefit Transfer (DBT) for the delivery of social welfare benefits by direct credit to the bank accounts of beneficiaries could see banks conducting more and more camps for opening financial inclusion accounts and linking old accounts with Aadhaar numbers. The decision to bring all districts in metropolitan areas under the Lead Bank Scheme (LBS) will provide an institutional mechanism for coordination between government authorities and banks, facilitating doorstep banking to the excluded segment of urban poor, and to implement DBT in metropolitan areas also.

RBI has also taken the initiative of spreading financial literacy by preparing a comprehensive financial literacy material consisting of a Financial Literacy Guide, a Financial Diary and Financial Literacy Posters. It is really good to see how instead of direction, direct actions have been coming from the regulator. It is also an indication of how serious RBI is about spreading financial literacy and financial inclusion in the country.

Increased financial literacy levels would definitely see changes in the banking habits of the rural people and they liberating themselves from the clutches of private money lenders and moving on to an organized banking systems. With such initiatives I feel “A bank account for every Indian� would be a reality soon.

Interview

A tradition of

Excellence: T S Kalyanaraman Interview with T .S. Kalyanaraman, CMD Kalyan Jewellers

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K

alyan Jewellers is one of the largest jewellery chains in India. It is headquartered in Thrissur in Kerala. Kalyan Group is the holding company of Kalyan Jewellers. It employs around 4,000 people all over India. Their first jewellery shop was started in Thrissur with the capital of Rs 75 lakh. Later Kalyan Jewellers expanded to 36 showrooms all over India. Bloomberg has valued Kalyan Jewellers at about $1 billion in January, 2013. Amitabh Bachan, Dileep, Aishwarya Rai Bachchan, Nagarjuna Akkineni, Prabhu Ganesan and Shivaraj Kumar are the brand ambassadors of the Kalyan Jewellers. Earlier Miss Universe 1994 Sushmita Sen was the ambassador.

T S Kalyanaraman heads Kalyan Jewellers. The vision he shares is to do business with the primary objective of common social good through fair and ethical business practices. He also wants to give the customer much more than what he wants and asks for in jewellery retailing in all the key areas of quality, value for money, transparency and customer service through innovative means and tools which in turn will make Kalyan Jewellers the most trusted jeweller. In a talk with Bejoy George T S Kalyanaraman speaks about his group and gold retailing industry in general.

The beginning of Kalyan Jewellers?

Kalyan Jewellers has its origins in Kalyan Textiles, a century old firm in Thrissur, engaged in textile retailing.

Kalyan Jewellers are presently engaged in retailing of jewellery in gold, silver, platinum, diamond and pearls. The company was founded in 1993 and is based in, Thrissur, Kerala.

Mr. T. S. Kalyanaraman is the Chairman and Managing Director of Kalyan Jewellers. His journey as a businessman started at the age of 12 when he was taken to his family owned textile shop to learn the basics from his father. After managing Kalyan Textiles, he set up Kalyan Jewellers on his own in 1993 with an investment of Rs 75 lakh and in a span of less than two decades the company has grown to be India’s largest and most trusted jewellery retail company.

The ancestors of the present management of Kalyan Jewellers come from a pious family of saints and priests, called ‘Trikkur Madom’ in Thrissur district of Kerala. They migrated from Tamil Nadu generations back and lived as saints and advisors to kings.

The family entered in business for a noble cause inspired by a senior relative who was a Dewan to the Maharaja of Kochi, Raja Bahadur

Ramachandra Iyer. In those days of pre-independence India, the Dewan encouraged Indians to start business and enterprise to create employment and also to become self-sufficient as a country. He realized the social impact of business and therefore had stressed the need to do it in a fair and honest manner.

It was this inspiration for nationbuilding and social commitment that led to the forefathers of the Kalyan family to enter business through one of the first textile mills in Kerala.

Subsequently they entered into textile retailing and the present Managing Director Mr. T. S. Kalyanaraman still owns the textile store he inherited called Kalyan Textiles.

T S Kalyanaraman got inducted into business by his father when he was a school going boy of 12. His father would encourage him to watch the business at the textile shop, after he was finished with his lessons and games. He would be assigned small tasks like counting cash and taking stock – which he enjoyed very much.

Thus, he learnt the basics very early in life. Over a period of time, the textile business flourished. At some point, customers suggested that they needed a trusted jeweller and that is how this business was born, in 1993.

June 2013 UNIQUE TIMES 21

Rajesh kalyanaraman Ramesh Kalyanaraman with T.S. Kalyanaraman

I always belive that we should aim at understanding the customer more than he understands himself and aim at giving him what he needs even before he realizes it and asks for it.

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UNIQUE TIMES June 2013

What are the values that drive your company forward?

The company spent a huge amount of money and installed state-of-the-art carat meters to test the purity of any customer’s gold jewellery, wherever it may be purchased from, so that they knew who were the honest jewelers and who were not.

to be affordable. BIS hallmarking had a cost attached to it as hallmarking charges, it meant more inventory cost which also increased price of the jewellery. The company realized that it had to absorb a major portion of this to get the customer to buy BIS. It also meant sacrificing whatever margins we made in an era of increasing overhead costs. If the volumes didn’t increase to expected levels, the company’s business would be adversely impacted.

But Kalyan Jewellers trusted the good sense of the customer and made the hard decision to slash Value Addition (Making charges + wastage), we tightened our purchase policy and passed on margins in bullion trading to the customer. It could have backfired and killed the company but we did it against conventional wisdom, on the belief that if the customer benefitted, they would gain. The company never had to look back after that.

To make the BIS concept work, it had

Kalyan Jewellers decided to reward

The company’s ancestors came from pious background of priests, saints and advisers I stand by the principle of Honesty, fair play, trustworthiness.

The first step we took was to only sell BIS (Bureau of Indian Standards) hallmarked jewellery. Kalyan has been at the forefront of pioneering efforts to educate the public of cheating and malpractice in gold quality and pricing through their campaign ‘Fight against Impure Gold”.

Kalyan Developers and we are also planning to step in to the field of 7 star schooling and also have plans to enter the entertainment sector through a chain of multipluxs.

their loyal customers. Not the ones who would just form a temporary relationship due to our schemes and gifts. And this was the principle behind the first ever comprehensive loyalty programme in jewellery retailing – the Kalyan Gold Card.

Kalyan Jewellers was the first company to put rate tags on its products. Every product we sold had its price marked on it. The real price itself. That we could not change and neither could our salesmen. We went to the extent of publishing the average price, of basic categories of ornaments so that the customer would know the average costs and compare the same with the higher prices of competitors.

We incurred the wrath of our own trade body as they felt Kalyan was ruining the trade. At Kalyan Jewellers we believed that nothing that benefits the customer would ever ruin the trade.

How do you adapt your company with the changing requirements of the new generation?

I always believe that we should aim at understanding the customer more than he understands himself and aim at giving him what he needs even before he realizes it and asks for it.

Because if he is already asking for it, someone else is already giving it to him

and that someone else is the one who is going to benefit as he thought of it first. Hence we need to stay ahead of not just competition but also of the customer and time itself. This is the Kalyan philosophy. So according to me we should be the trend setters and should exceed the expectation always and if you see our latest commercial with Mr. Bachchan and Dileep, it is this philosophy which has been portrayed.

The advertisement featuring Amitabh Bachan and other popular actors appealed to the hearts of millions of Consumers in India. What is your marketing and advertising strategy for Kalyan Jewellers?

At kalyan we believe in trust and transparency for which we use the male brand ambassadors and for product related campaigns Mrs. Aishwarya Rai Bachchan is being used.

How many retail stores are you planning to open for FY2013-14?

Ans: We are planing to launch 16 showrooms in India and 6 in UAE this year.

Which all cities you are planning to open stores in the next one year

June 2013 UNIQUE TIMES 23

We will be launching showrooms in delhi, Punjab, UP, Rajasthan and gulf.

What is your outlook of the jewelry industry?

Are there any plans for diversification into other business verticals, other than retailing?

The jewellery industries is moving to the organised sector because believe in big brands and big chains rather than an unorganised jeweller.

We have already diversified to real estate development in the name and style, Kalyan Developers and we are also planning to step in to the field of 7 star schooling and also have plans to enter the entertainment sector through a chain of multiplexes.

Gold prices took a hit recently. Is Gold gradually losing its luster? How do you see the dip in gold prices?

It is only a correction which was really necessary and I don’t think gold has lost it s luster. The showrooms were over crowded when the gold price is came down by just 10% which it self is an answer for your question.

Where are the gold prices headed to?

The gold will come back to 2900 range before the next financial year end.

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UNIQUE TIMES June 2013

What is your opinion of Kerala, when it comes to doing business? Are we now becoming more business friendly?

Kerala is always been friendly for us because we are there in the business field for the past 100 years.

About your family?

I have two sons, Rajesh Kalyanaraman who heads the inventory and finance team and Ramesh Kalyanaraman heads the marketing and operations.

My daughter Radhika is a house wife and my son in law Karthik R is the MD of Kalyan Developers. My wife Ramadevi is house wife. Also are my daughter in laws Maya Rajesh and Deepa Ramesh. I have 2 grand sons and 3 grand daughters.

Auto Review

Polo GT TSI

The Hot Hatch 26

UNIQUE TIMES June 2013

The dual tone interior is retained but this car gets Superior 'Milan' TitanSchwarz fabric upholstery and apparently to boost the sporty imagery of the car, the seats also get contrast white stitching and slightly better bolstering on the sides.

M

ost of us like to take a dash through the streets to have that little extra doze of adrenaline. Volkswagen the German automobile major now presents in India the Polo GT TSI. The GT label is derived from the Italian phrase gran turismo and TSI is the name for turbocharged petrol engines from Volkswagen with direct petrol injection.

Everybody knows Volkswagen is the original and top-selling marque of the Volkswagen Group, the biggest German automaker and the second biggest automaker in the world. Volkswagen has three cars in the top 10 list of bestselling cars of all time compiled by the website 24/7 Wall St that includes the Volkswagen Golf, the Volkswagen Beetle, and the Volkswagen Passat.

Volkswagen ranks first in spending the most money of any automaker on research and development.

Polo GT TSI Appearance Externally, there is nothing novel in terms of design to distinguish this car.

There is the GT badging in the bonnet grille, the GT TSI sticker on the Cpillar and the chrome GT TSI badge at

the bottom of the hatch door. In fact, the only differentiator is the conspicuous absence of the Volkswagen and the Polo badges. By the way the polo badge is absent.

Inside the luxurious cabin also there are some very finer changes. To give you the feel of a high performance car, there is also the drilled aluminium inserts for the brake and accelerator pedals. The dual tone interior is retained but this car gets Superior 'Milan' TitanSchwarz fabric upholstery and apparently to boost the sporty imagery of the car, the seats also get contrast white stitching and slightly better bolstering on the sides. The aircon system is also improved and the vents get a chrome touch. The gear lever is with the polished aluminium base is neatly incorporated into the GT TSI’s centre console. The regular gear shift positions (P, R, N, D) apart, there is a sports mode with an option to operate it in triptronic manual mode (+/-). So the drawback is that the Polo GT TSI zooms past you, we won’t blame you for not noticing it at first.

You have to drive one to feel the performance.

June 2013 UNIQUE TIMES 27

Auto Review

During the test drive of the Polo GT TSI, the two points that immediately strike you is the amount of power that’s available and about how quickly it is delivered.

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UNIQUE TIMES June 2013

Engine

Performance

Volkswagen has earlier attempted to bring a powerful hatch with Polo 1.6 L, but this time it is much better. VW, this time has included more high-tech technology to give the hatch a superior edge. The Indian customers are very demanding about fuel economy. The engine is a powerful four-cylinder 1.2litre TSI engine, which is the smaller sibling of the 1.4L TSI of the Jetta. To make it more exciting Polo GT TSI is paired this engine with the famous 7speed DSG gearbox in the Polo GT TSI. The turbocharged engine produces a peak power of 105 PS a good 30 PS more than the regular Polo. While comparing with elder sibling, the 1.4 litre Jetta, it is just 17 PS less. The Polo engine feels very calm and composed even you rev it a little harder. Not that it just powerful, The Polo GT TSI’s engine is tuned to be a responsible performer. There is more power, lesser emissions and increased fuel economy. The power delivery is linear. The torque available is also packed into the low and midrange. The engine rpm-meter shows the redline start at 6,000 rpm going all the way to the 8,000 mark. But the gearbox doesn’t let the needle stray beyond the 6,000 rpm mark.

You will be amazed by the amount of power of power that is available with this car and how quickly it is delivered.

There is no lag and the engine responds quiet well, as said earlier the power delivery is very linear. The turbo responds in double quick time. Peak torque of 175 Nm is available from a low 1,500 rpm and stays on till 4,100 rpm. Ideally stay in the 2000-4000 rpm band and keep the power for some fireworks. The resultant acceleration is drastic but certainly a big change.

The powerful engine is coupled with a super efficient 7-speed direct-shift gearbox. This dual clutch gearbox of VW is built around the dual-sequential principle where one clutch works the odd-gears and a second one engages the even gears, this direct-shift gearbox surprises with the speed at which it shifts up. So, while one clutch is engaged, the other is on standby to engage the next gear and the shift time is said to be barely 10 milliseconds.

The shift speed is quite visible while you drive in triptronic mode. The shift is so quick and the gear box selected the next higher gear in an overtaking manoeuvre without any loss of power.

The ESP and the hill climb function make the car extremely safe to ride.

In contrast with the manual gearbox, where any change in gear will lead to an rpm of minimum 1000, this does not happen with the 7-speed directshift gearbox. In Sport mode, the Polo GT TSI’s power train becomes a bit livelier, with the gearbox staying in gear longer all the way to 6,000 rpm, both in triptronic mode and in fully auto sport mode.

Ride Quality The suspension of the new Polo GT TSI has been tuned softly and it ensures comfortable ride in the bumpy Indian roads. The soft suspension will dilute the bumps and you will not know the hard road. The suspension of PoloGT TSI was tweaked for improved ride dynamics. The suspension does tend to harden up at high speeds. The steering is direct and quite precise, though a bit more feel would have been welcome. The new Polo GT TSI runs on the same 185/ 60 R15 tyres that the current Polo variants sport.

The Polo GT TSI is available only in Highline trim which means it gets all the bells and whistles VW can offer on its hatchback.

Verdict VW is starting a new war in the hot hatch segment and with virtually currently rival, the GT is the sole car available. VW has priced the Polo GT TSI at Rs 7.99 lakh (ex-showroom, Delhi) The Polo GT TSI is an amazing car to ride. It is fast and comfortable and breeze to handle around the corners. It’s a good car to for city rides and with improved mileage, it will have enough takers. Are you looking for an elegant sporty car, there is no looking beyond this.

June 2013 UNIQUE TIMES 29

Auto Review

30

UNIQUE TIMES June 2013

Entrepreneurship

Finding

Capital for your First Business Dr Thomas Nechupadom heads Metanoeo, a total transformation/ grooming company that has been the by word for grooming and dressing, personality enhancement and Social/Corporate Etiquette for many pageants including Ms.South India and Mannapuram Ms. Queen of India contest 2012.

Interview with T .S. Kalyanaraman Sir CMD Kalyan Jewellers 32

UNIQUE TIMES June 2013

When customers are few, earnings are scarce and business assets are immaterial, it takes energy and creativity to locate the necessary funds.

“

You have an idea, you have written down the business plan, you have talked your friends and family, but have you found the capital to start your business�. Yes, it is at this point where almost all entrepreneurs stumble. It is a known fact that most entrepreneurs find it difficult to find capital for their business. Even though one is able to find the capital and start the business, the going forward will be tough. The customers will be few in the beginning, the cash flow will be meagre. Finding funds emergency transactions will be tougher. Especially for the first time entrepreneurs getting credit will also be very hard.

While angel funding, and other natural sources like family, friends and relatives work for certain people but for some people it may not work out.

After all the confidence which the entrepreneur has about his business plan, may not be shared by the investors. While the entrepreneur looks at the positive aspects, the investor will primarily look at the risk factors.

Securing a loan from the bank is one of the obvious options, but it is quite difficult also. Several government agencies promote entrepreneurship and finding a bank loan through them will be a better option. Apparently

there will some more hurdles while you are going through the procedures for the first time. For a normal bank loan you will have to get hold of guarantor, provide collaterals and will have to go through many other formalities. All of these procedures will be difficult for a first time entrepreneur, this is where the government backing is important. The government of India has many programs to support budding entrepreneurs. The state governments are also actively supporting entrepreneurs.

Financing from family and relatives is a good option, but unless you are among the very lucky, it is also extremely difficult. The primary problem is that they will try to account your inexperience and try to dissuade you even from starting a business. As I have said earlier, unless you are among the lucky few with rich relatives, it is almost impossible to get funded through this source. It is better to keep this option open once you have started the business for emergency funds. But there are also examples in the history of so many multinational company started with funds from friends and family.

businessman with a proven record than a young entrepreneur who does not have any experience. But a young entrepreneur has always a chance to get funded with rather amounts. The young investor should try for a big amount at first, but try to get small amount in succession. Ones the investor is confident of your business, he may well bring in more funds.

There are many websites which provided guidelines to get funding from investors. There are several books you can refer too. Be sure that you have a good business plan and cash flow statement before you approach any investor, be very sure about the industry and the competitors, and you have you should be able to answer all questions and should be very confident answering them.

Some of the don’ts while looking for a fund, include using credit card and borrowing from unorganized sector who charges heavy interests. Stay away from these two options as the cost included can break your start-up.

Angel investors are likely to invest large amount of money to a business, but usually they prefer an experienced

June 2013 UNIQUE TIMES 33

Beauty Tips

Grooming

Tipsfor

Men

Men are nowadays giving more priority to grooming because everybody wants to look younger and smarter. Men are now spending more money to have an edge .

In an ultracompetitive world, it is extreme importance for men to groom themselves well. It is quite likely that you will be judged according to your appearance.

Grey Hair?

Grey hairs play spoilsport with your appearance. Get rid of grey hairs by using a quality hair colour that matches with your hair texture. Use a high quality hair colour for colouring beard and moustache.

Balding?

Balding is also very common among men. You can opt for a modern short haircut that will easily fit you among with the modern men. Be double sure to trim or wax unwanted hair for a clean, contemporary look Protect your skin A good skin care routine will help you prevent wrinkles and other skin diseases.

Make sure you use daily moisturizer with sunscreen.

Hands and Feet Hands and feet also require great attention. A neatly manicured nails and toes are symbols of good hygiene and grooming. Foot odour is another common problem, make sure to use fresh sock and also insert a pair of Odour-Control sole to your shoes, which is able to absorb moisture and odour.

Tressa Varghese Director, Phoebe International 34

UNIQUE TIMES June 2013

Travel

The

Heart of

N E T H E R L A N D

Amsterdam

The tallest building in Amsterdam, the Rembrandt Tower, is situated there, as is the headquarters of Philips.

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Netherlands. Amsterdam is currently one of the best European cities in which to locate an International Business.

A

msterdam is the largest city and the capital of the Netherlands. The city has got a history of more than 800 years. The city is one of the most popular tourist destinations in Europe, receiving more than 4.63 million international visitors annually, this is excluding the 16 million day trippers visiting the city every year. The number of visitors has been growing steadily over the past decade. Amsterdam is the financial and business capital of the Netherlands. Amsterdam is currently one of the best European cities in which to locate an International Business. It is ranked fifth in this category and is only surpassed by London, Paris, Frankfurt and Barcelona. Many large corporations and banks have their headquarters in Amsterdam, including Akzo Nobel, Heineken International, ING Group, Ahold, TomTom, Delta Lloyd Group and Philips. KPMG International's global headquarters is located in nearby Amstelveen, where many nonDutch companies have settled as well, because surrounding communities allow full land ownership, contrary to Amsterdam's land-lease system. The tallest building in Amsterdam, the Rembrandt Tower, is situated there, as is the headquarters of Philips. The Amsterdam Stock Exchange (AEX), now part of Euronext, is the world's oldest stock exchange and is one of Europe's largest bourses. It is situated near Dam Square in the city's centre.

The most important museums of Amsterdam are located on the Museumplein (Museum Square),

located at the southwestern side of the Rijksmuseum. It was created in the last quarter of the 19th century on the grounds of the former World's fair. The north eastern part of the square is bordered by the very large Rijksmuseum. In front of the Rijksmuseum on the square it is a long, rectangular pond. This is transformed into an ice rink in winter.

The north-western part of the square is bordered by the Van Gogh Museum, Stedelijk Museum, House of Bols Cocktail & Genever Experience and Coster Diamonds. The southwestern border of the Museum Square is the Van Baerlestraat, which is a major thoroughfare in this part of Amsterdam. The Magere Brug ("Skinny Bridge") is a bridge over the river Amstel in the city centre of Amsterdam. It connects the banks of the river at Kerkstraat (Church Street), between Keizersgracht (Emperors' Canal) and Prinsengracht (Princes' Canal).

The central section of the Magere Brug is a bascule bridge made of white-painted wood. The present bridge was built in 1934. The first bridge at this site was built in 1691 as Kerkstraatbrug and had 13 arches.

Because this bridge was very narrow, the locals called it magere brug, which literally means "skinny bridge". In 1871 the state of the bridge was so bad that it was demolished and replaced by a nine-arched wooden bridge. Fifty years later this bridge also needed to be replaced. Architect Piet Kramer made several designs for a steel and stone bridge, but the city decided to replace

June 2013 UNIQUE TIMES 37

The Royal Palace in Amsterdam is one of three palaces in the Netherlands which are at the disposal of the monarch by Act of Parliament.

it with a new bridge that looked the same as the previous, only slightly bigger. In 1934 the bridge was demolished and replaced. The last major renovation was in 1969. Until 1994 the bridge was opened by hand, but now is opened automatically.

The Royal Palace in Amsterdam (Dutch: Koninklijk Paleis Amsterdam or Paleis op de Dam) is one of three palaces in the Netherlands which are at the disposal of the monarch by Act of Parliament. The palace was built as a city hall during the Dutch Golden Age in the 17th century. The building became the royal palace of King Louis Napoleon and later of the Dutch Royal House. It is situated on the west side of Dam Square in the centre of Amsterdam, opposite the War Memorial and next to the Nieuwe Kerk.

The 800 year old Oude Kerk ("old church") is Amsterdam’s oldest building and oldest parish church, founded in 1213 and finally consecrated in 1306 by the bishop of Utrecht with Saint Nicolas as its patron saint. After the Reformation in 1578 it became a Calvinist church, which it remains today. It stands in De Wallen, now Amsterdam's main red-

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UNIQUE TIMES June 2013

light district. The square surrounding the church is the Oudekerksplein.

The Albert Cuyp Market is a street market in Amsterdam, The Netherlands, on the Albert Cuypstraat between Ferdinand Bolstraat and Van Woustraat, in the De Pijp area of the Oud-Zuid district of the city. The street and market are named for Albert Cuyp, a painter from the 17th century.

The market began as an ad hoc collection of street traders and pushcarts. By the beginning of the 20th century, this had become so chaotic that in 1905, the city government decided to set up a market, at first only held on Saturday evenings. In 1912, the market became a daytime market open six days a week. Originally the street was accessible while the market was taking place, but for years now the street has been completely closed off to traffic during market hours.

Money Time

By Denisha Sahadevan

Entrepreneurship

MONEY MAKING TIPS

How to Make Money from Your Hobby the Entrepreneurship Interview with T .S. Kalyanaraman Sir CMD Kalyan Jewellers 40 12

UNIQUE TIMES June 2013

I

f you're looking for ways to supplement your income, then you should consider using effective money making tips for your hobby. You may not have any interest in launching and growing a business. Your goal may be to earn extra money to pay down debt, buy more groceries or pay for your children's activities. Your hobby can be a source of the money you need and you may change your mind about growing it into a business down the road. To be successful, you will need to understand various tips and tricks to make money from your hobby.

Step 1: Choose the Right Hobby You may have a list of hobbies to choose from. You should focus on a hobby that you're skilled at and can offer to clients with little or no additional training or experience. For example, if you've only taken one class on knitting, then that's probably not the right hobby to choose for making money. You need to cross the hobbies that you're passionate about but lack the skills in off your list. One of the tried and true money making tips that you should follow is to offer what you know well. Your expertise will help to establish your credibility with potential customers.

Step 2: Avoid Home Business Scams Focus on making income using legitimate methods. Avoid home business scams that relate to your hobby and promise you a certain amount in monthly income. You can always research companies using the Better Business Bureau's website and read reviews posted by others in forums and on review websites.

while you provide the service or products they need. For example, you can work as a freelance proofreader if editing is your hobby. Th businesses hiring you can do the work of marketing to prospective clients and employ their own money making tips for growth.

Step 4: Keep Expenses Low The rules for spending money on a hobby are slightly different from making money in a business venture.

Keep your expenses low and reinvest some money to make more money.

Find ways to make it work on a shoestring budget. Find trade articles in your industry and read the personal stories of others who have done what you want to do for ideas on how to launch your hobby on a frugal budget.

These are proven money making tips that will help you avoid pitfalls, such as going into debt. Keep an open mind once you get started because a hobby today may be a great source of full time income in the future

Step 3: Apply for Freelance Jobs You can make money from your hobby on a part-time basis by working as a freelancer. If you're not interested in the challenges of launching your own business, then this may be a great route. Find job boards that are centered around or connected to your hobbies and apply for jobs that you can do from home. Working as a freelancer allows you to let others take on the responsibilities of running a business,

June 2013 UNIQUE TIMES 41

Fitness

Helping Children to Develop

Healthy Habits

By Denisha Sahadevan 42

UNIQUE TIMES June 2013

diseases due to obesity. So it is better to start as soon as you can to help your child to maintain healthy habits such as consuming all parts of the food group, and to equal it up get a good amount of daily exercise.

Any parent should know that every child needs all the nutrition in their bodies. To keep them immune to the cold’s and cough’s, start your child off with freshly squeezed orange juice.

Orange juice helps build a healthy immune system.

Make sure that your child eat tons of fruits each day. There are some kids who may not like fruits one bit, but find a way to make them eat it either by making fruit salad, or mixing fruits with homemade ice cream, or adding fruits to custard or healthy cakes which you can bake.

G

enerations today are not what they were of yesteryear as fast food has become more of a norm in society when compared to healthy home cooked food as there is no option for those who have office hours. Life is a rush which causes everyone to be more careless causing them to neglect their health. This will eventually influence their families eating habits as well. These habits are what lead to health problems which are caused by obesity. You have to realize that more than anything it is important to not only look after your health but your children’s as well.

Today children are becoming more prone to sitting in front of the television, playing video games, or usually hanging out at the malls rather than getting some type of exercise.

They eat all the junk food which they can get their hands on eventually making themselves sick and become a potato couch who plays games on the computer or television all day.

The more they continue these habits, the worse it will be when they are in their 20’s. It is a fact which everyone knows that the eating habits which children develop at a young age will continue into their adult hood making it more likely to them contracting

When it comes to vegetables, it is probably one thing kids detest, especially when they see anything green. So to get your kids to eat vegetables, make sandwiches or salads which contain a bit of cheese or any of their favorite sauces or meats, which will make it easier for them to eat.

Rather than letting them see what the vegetable is, mix is with one of their favorite dishes. If your kid loves chapaiti then mix vegetables in with the chapiti dough and roll it out. Or use vegetables as a filling for chapiti instead of aloo.

Make sure that your kid has milk, or any dairy product everyday. Dairy products are very essential for children, as they are still growing, and it helps strengthen their muscles. Now if your kid hates the sight of milk as I did when I was a child, it is best to mix some type of flavoring such a rose syrup or mix in saffron with some sugar. And sometimes it maybe that your child does not like warm milk, if that’s the case just heat the milk up, mix it with rose syrup and let it cool in the fridge.

It is very important that children eat meat, however there are vegetarians who can substitute the meat protein received from meat with beans. But for those children who do eat meat, it is best to go very light on meat products such as beef, pork and mutton and eat June 2013 UNIQUE TIMES 43

Have your kids drink plenty of water. If you start this at a young age, then it’s better, avoid giving them sodas such as Cola or Pepsi, it’s will lead to much sugar intake, and obesity. chicken. Beef, pork, and mutton is very high in fat, and it is safer to avoid.

Chicken is better to eat especially when grilled or broiled.

Try to get your kids used to eating fish at an early age, if they simply don’t like the taste then you should just leave it, because there are some kids who cannot even stand the smell of fish. If you can somehow try to get the fish smell out and don’t tell your kids it’s fish. Just make cutlets, or dumplings using the fish mix it with some herbs to take the smell out and make a snack out of it for them. Fish has oils which are good for the skin and for the body.

Have your kids drink plenty of water. If you start this at a young age, then it’s better, avoid giving them sodas such as Cola or Pepsi, it’s will lead to much sugar intake, and obesity. Cola, Pepsi and such is very unhealthy as it does not quench their thirst but rather make them hyper, though the regular ginger sodas or plain soda’s is not a problem.

Join your kids into some sport activity, whether it maybe cricket, football, basketball, hockey, or track. Make sure that they are involved in sports activity, don’t worry about them playing in the sun too much, just put sunscreen on for them and let them go out, it’s healthier for them to be out in the sun running around playing rather than

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UNIQUE TIMES June 2013

sitting at home in front of the computer, or television. Always make sure that your children are involved in some after school activities which keeps them running around and active. Remember that eventually when it comes time for college, they will look to see if your kids have had extra circular activities. Though there are scholarly programs which will give your children that credit, sports and such can also earn them the extra points.

As parents it is your duty to teach your children what they should do. Because they look up to you and follow what you do. If you continue your bad eating habits, this will have them doing the same at a young age. Changing your food habits and getting involved in physically activities will not only serve to be a benefit for you but for your children as well. And this does not mean to diet or keep your children on a diet, but to have them eating healthy.

There’s a difference between eating healthy and being on a diet. Eating healthy is something which will keep your kids fit lifelong. Diet is only temporary and it is not the safest method to teaching your children healthy eating habits. Instead of placing fried foods as snack give them fresh vegetables or fruits, and a glass of fruit juice.

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Galaxy Grand Quattro 16,570/Key Features 0.3 MP Secondary Camera Wi-Fi Enabled Dual Standby SIM (GSM + GSM) 1.2 GHz Quad Core Cortex-A5 Processor HD Recording 5 MP Primary Camera Android v4.1.2 (Jelly Bean) OS 4.7-inch TFT Capacitive Touchscreen Expandable Storage Capacity of 32 GB

Micromax

Canvas Doodle A111 12,990/Key Features 0.3 MP Secondary Camera Wi-Fi Enabled Dual Standby SIM (GSM + GSM) 1.2 GHz Quad Core Cortex-A5 Processor HD Recording 5 MP Primary Camera Android v4.1.2 (Jelly Bean) OS 4.7-inch TFT Capacitive Touchscreen Expandable Storage Capacity of 32 GB

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Alcatel

Scribe OT8000d 12,090/Wi-Fi Enabled 5 MP Primary Camera 0.3 MP Secondary Camera Android v4.1.2 (Jelly Bean) OS Expandable Storage Capacity of 32 GB HD Recording Dual SIM (GSM + GSM) 5-inch Touchscreen 1.2 GHz Dual Core Qualcomm Scorpion Processor

LG

Nexus 4

25,990/-

4.7-inch WXGA (1280 x 768) True HD IPS Plus Display Photo Sphere Camera 2100 mAh Sio+ Battery Snapdragon S4 Pro 1.5 GHz Quad Core Processor (Adreno 320 GPU) 8 MP Primary Camera with LED Flash and 1.3 MP Secondary Camera 16 GB Internal Memory Wireless Charging (Use any Qi-compatible Charger) Android v4.2 (Jelly Bean) OS

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Gadjets

Sony

Xperia Z Tablet 44,990/Key Features Full HD Recording 1.5 GHz Quad Core Snapdragon S4 Pro Processor FM Radio Expandable Storage Capacity of 32 GB 2.2 MP Secondary Camera Android v4.1 (Jelly Bean) OS 8.1 MP Primary Camera Wi-Fi Enabled

Huawei

MediaPad 10 Link Tablet 24,990/Key Features 0.3 MP Secondary Camera Wi-Fi Enabled Dual Standby SIM (GSM + GSM) 1.2 GHz Quad Core Cortex-A5 Processor HD Recording 5 MP Primary Camera Android v4.1.2 (Jelly Bean) OS 4.7-inch TFT Capacitive Touchscreen Expandable Storage Capacity of 32 GB

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Lenovo

A2107 Tablet

12,499/-

Key Features Full HD Recording 1.5 GHz Quad Core Snapdragon S4 Pro Processor FM Radio Expandable Storage Capacity of 32 GB 2.2 MP Secondary Camera Android v4.1 (Jelly Bean) OS 8.1 MP Primary Camera Wi-Fi Enabled

Huawei

HP Elitepad 900 Tablet 24,990/8 MP Primary Camera and 0.3 MP Secondary Camera 1.8 GHz Processor SIM Slot Windows 8 Pro OS 10.1-inch Capacitive Touchscreen Wi-Fi Enabled

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Books

One Up on Wall Street: How to Use What You Already Know to Make Money in the Market (Paperback) Author: Peter Lynch Publisher: Simon & Schuster (2000) Rs. 450

Peter Lynch is America's number-one money manager. His mantra: Average investors can become experts in their own field and can pick winning stocks as effectively as Wall Street professionals by doing just a little research.

Now, in a new introduction written specifically for this edition of One Up on Wall Street, Lynch gives his take on the incredible rise of Internet stocks, as well as a list of twenty winning companies of high-tech '90s. That many of these winners are low-tech supports his thesis that amateur investors can continue to reap exceptional rewards from mundane, easy-to-understand companies they encounter in their daily lives.

(Paperback) Author: Sheryl Sandberg Publisher: WH Allen (2013) Rs. 499/-

Ask most women whether they have the right to equality at work and the answer will be a resounding yes, but ask the same women whether they'd feel confident asking for a raise, a promotion, or equal pay, and some reticence creeps in. The statistics, although an improvement on previous decades, are certainly not in women's favour of 197 heads of state, only twenty-two are women. Women hold just 20 percent of seats in parliaments globally, and in the world of big business, a meagre eighteen of the Fortune 500 CEOs are women.

In Lean In, Sheryl Sandberg Facebook COO and one of Fortune magazine's Most Powerful Women in Business looks at what women can do to help themselves, and make the small changes in their life that can effect change on a more universal scale.

India: The Future is Now

The Yes Book: The Art of Better Negotiation

(Hardcover) Author: Shashi Tharoor Publisher: Wisdom Tree (2013) Rs. 495

(Paperback) Author: Clive Rich Publisher: Virgin Books (2013) Rs. 550

This one-of-a-kind book brings together India's young parliamentarians, cutting across ideologies, geographies and political affiliations. These nation-builders provide perspectives on a wide range of issues from cutting-edge technology to rural development; from world-class healthcare to affordable bio fuels; from infrastructurebuilding to cyber security; from sweeping political reforms to education for all. Despite the seemingly contrasting paths, they all stand united in their desire for the upliftment of each and every Indian. The voices of these young men and women cannot be ignored, for they are the leaders of tomorrow, the ones who will chart the course of India's future.

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Lean in: Women, Work and the will to Lead

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Have you always got what you wanted from your deals?

Have you ever felt under too much pressure when negotiating or wished you had more skills to agree your desired terms?

Negotiation is fundamental to our lives; whether it’s getting your kids to eat their greens, making your case for a pay rise, or trying to secure a multi-million pound deal for your company. In The Yes Book, Clive Rich builds on his popular seminar The Secrets of Negotiation and his vast professional experience including playing an instrumental role in arbitrating a major joint venture between Simon Cowell's Syco and Sony BMG to reveal top negotiating strategies.

How Stella Saved the Farm: A Tale About Making Innovation Happen (Paperback) Author: Vijay Govindarajan, Chris Trimble Publisher: Pan Macmillan (2013) Rs. 399

Inspired by George Orwell's Animal Farm and the international bestsellerOur Iceberg is Melting, How Stella Saved the Farm is a simple parable about embracing change and managing innovation in difficult times.

Bankruptcy, or the grim prospect of being acquired by a hostile human competitor, threatens Windsor Farm. But when a young sheep called Stella comes up with a bold idea, will the other animals be able to respond to her ambitious call to action?

Grounded in over a decade of academic research, How Stella Saved the Farm will resonate for organizations of all types, from global corporations to small companies looking to embrace change.

THE STATE OF THE NATION Hardcover Author: Fali S Nariman Publisher: Hay House (2013) Price: Rs.379

A definitive, analytical and meticulous account of the present state of the nation – from a constitutional perspective – by one of India’s most respected legal luminaries An ardent defender of the Constitution of India, Fali Nariman has today attained the status of an outstanding lawyer who strongly believes in the rule of the law and stands by his convictions. In this timely volume, the author highlights crucial issues that the legislature, the executive, judiciary, the bar and the common people have to deal with virtually on a day-to-day basis. His main focus is on corruption at various levels and in ‘hallowed’ institutions, including the judiciary.

Global Tilt: Leading Your Business Through the Great Economic Power Shift (Hardcover) Author: Ram Charan Publisher: Random House Business (2013) Rs. 699

In recent years, growth in mature economies has headed towards zero while countries such as China, Brazil, and India have grown ever stronger. This 'tilt', argues Ram Charan, coauthor of the classic Execution, offers great opportunities to those savvy enough to take them, and in his new book he shows you how.

The global economic landscape is 'tilting': countries such as China, India and Brazil are racing forward while established American and European companies struggle to keep up. To survive in this new climate, CEOs need to respond quickly and effectively, and in Global Tilt, best selling coauthor of Execution Ram Charan shows how.

The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People New Edition (Paperback) Author: Stephen R. Covey Publisher: Pocket Books (2004) Rs. 475

With his book, The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People, Stephen Covey initiated a shift in the focus of self-help books written in the 20th Century.

In the book, Stephen Covey lists seven habits that each person should develop in order to be effective. These are sequential steps that need to be carefully followed for overall personal development.

Skills - They give us the ability to put our knowledge to practical use Knowledge - It provides the necessary information and forethought Desire - A key motivating factor, it serves as the catalyst for all human actions.

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Event

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The 3rd edition of Miss Queen of India 2013 was held at Adlux International Convention Centre, Cochin on 18th of May 2013. The Pageant helped to discover the freedom of expression and talent of the women of India. This edition of the pageant brought together the youth of India reflecting the culture & tradition of Indian in its truest colour and showcase India in its entire splendor.

The pageant is an exciting blend of culture, tourist destinations and natural beauty to the entire world. Main Title sponsor of the event was Manappuram Finance Limited - a company which has more than 3301 branches in 26 states and union territories of India and is the First listed and highest credited rated gold loan company in our country.The Miss Queen of India pageant is conceived and executed by Pegasus event Makers.

A Miss India Beauty Pageant by Pegasus

EXCLUSIVE June 2013 UNIQUE TIMES 53

The Grand Ramp

Babu Antony

Toshma Biju Parvathy Omanakkuttan

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Niyathi Joshi

Aishwarya Devan

Khalid Siddique

Roy Manappallil & V.P. Nandakumar June 2013 UNIQUE TIMES 55

Ajith Pegasus & Jebitha

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A Miss India Beauty Pageant by Pegasus

CONGRATULATIONS WINNERS

Hair & Makeup Partner

Gift Sponsor

Hospitality Partner

18th May 2013

Apps

Fotopedia Fotopedia is an iPad application aimed at photographers and artists, and it helps them showcase their works in mini digital magazines. After downloading the app you will have to sign in and each of the mini magazines should six images before you can publish them. The mini magazines can be picked from the featured list and you can swipe through these featured magazines, tap on them to expand the image and accompanying text, and send out to friends using the traditional sharing methods.

Sugarsync Sugar Sync is an excellent cloud storage application. It is not popular as Google Drive or Microsoft Skydrive.

Recently Sugar Sync had a major revamp in the iPad app. The new app has a new interface and can connect with other apps for purposes like document editing.

Every user gets a free 5GB account. The new application is feature rich and apparently more user friendly than the popular ones.Sugar Sync can be accessed across multiple devices. You can also share your files privately or publicly.

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Teamviewer TeamViewer Pro HD is an iPad app which provides easy, fast and secure remote access to Windows, Mac and Linux systems. TeamViewer is already used on more than 100,000,000 computers worldwide and with the TeamViewer Pro HD app for iPad you will be able to on the fly support your clients and colleagues, have access to your office desktop with all of its documents and installed applications, remotely administer unattended computers and transfer files from a remote pc to your iPad and vice versa.

MyScript Calculator MyScript Calculator is an easy to use iPad application that lets you perform mathematical functions using your own handwriting. The application is easy in install and also very easy to use. You can make the best use of it, if you know logarithms, trigonometry and inverse trigonometry. You have to scribble the numbers and equations into the screen, the app will convert that into digital text and gives you the end result. You can also share your calculations via mail and other social media.

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Graphic News

Time Line of Indian Telephone

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*All logos belong to their respective owners shown for representative purpose only.

Beginnings Pre-1902 – Cable telegraph 1902 – First wireless telegraph station established between Sagar Island and Sandhead.

1907 – First Central Battery of telephones introduced in Kanpur.

1913–1914 – First Automatic Exchange installed in Shimla.

1927 – Radio-telegraph system between the UK and India, with Imperial Wireless Chain beam stations at Khadki and Daund.

1933 – Radiotelephone system inaugurated between the UK and India.

1953 – 12 channel carrier system introduced.

1960 – First subscriber trunk dialling route commissioned between Lucknow and Kanpur.[citation needed] 1975 – First PCM system commissioned between Mumbai City and Andheri telephone exchanges.

1976 – First digital microwave junction.

1979 – First optical fibre system for local junction commissioned at Pune.

1980 – First satellite earth station for domestic communications established at Sikandarabad, U.P..

1983 – First analogue Stored Programme Control exchange for trunk lines commissioned at Mumbai.

1984 – C-DOT established for indigenous development and production of digital exchanges.

1995 – First mobile telephone service started on non-commercial basis on 15 August 1995 in Delhi.

1995 – Internet Introduced in India starting with Mumbai, Delhi, Calcutta, Chennai and Pune on 15 August 1995

Telephone Subscribers (Total) (2012) 960.9 million (May 2012) Fixed lines (May 2012)31.53 million

Present Status

Mobile phones (2012) 929.37 million Monthly telephone additions (Net) (May 2012)8.35 million Teledensity (2012) 79.28 % Rural Teledensity 33 % Projected teledensity by 2012, 84 % India has 67M smartphone users India now has 867.80 million mobile users India’s broadband subscriber base increased to 15.05 million in March June 2013 UNIQUE TIMES 63

RNI Reg. No: KERENG/2011/42633