metromart july 2013

July 2013 1www.metromartdaily.com

Volume 3 Issue 1 July 2013 `40

METROT H I R U VA N A N T H A P U R A Mmart

Master Plan

TOP 5

to leap ahead

online shopping websites

will be adding more colors to the fabrics

Czrina’sNRI Fest

of a taste well travelled

Chinapolis

Thiruvanthapuram

This monsoon exult yourself in

Celebratingcoloursof life

METROJuly 20132T H I R U VA N A N T H A P U R A M mart


Published, Edited and Printed by Hari Shanker A G and Owned by Haritha Media Pvt Ltd and Printed by him at SB Press Private Limited, Statue, Trivandrum 695001 and Published from Tharangam, Kodunganoor Post, Trivandrum 695003

Metro Mart is a monthly journal published from Trivandrum. Views and opinions expressed in the journal are not neces-sarily those of the Publishers.

Metro Mart reserves the right to use the information published here in any manner whatsoever. While every effort has been made to ensure the accuracy of the information published in this edition, neither the Publisher no any of its employees accept any responsibilities for any errors or omissions.

© All Rights Reserved RNI No: KERENG/2011/40037

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Volume 3 Issue 1 July 2013

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Sub Editor V Viswanath

Editorial Assistant Pooja Jaya

Gokul Prasannan

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Roopesh Shekhar

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Cover Feature

This monsoon exult yourselfin Thiruvananthapuram

Master Plan to leap ahead

Green-lungs have to be developed at different parts of the city - Leader Speak

Our city needs more such geriatric homes

Apps for your Mobile

One Day Workshop on Doing Business with Social Media

TCCI Awards for Business Excellence distributed

Chinapolis - Of a taste well-travelled

Recipe

Shopping

Beauty

Metro Bytes

The Last Leaf

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rdH

ari S

hank

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Published, Edited and Printed by Hari Shanker A G and Owned by Haritha Media Pvt Ltd and Printed by him at SB Press Private Limited, Statue, Trivandrum 695001 and Published from Tharangam, Kodunganoor Post, Trivandrum 695003

Metro Mart is a monthly journal published from Trivandrum. Views and opinions expressed in the journal are not neces-sarily those of the Publishers.

Metro Mart reserves the right to use the information published here in any manner whatsoever. While every effort has been made to ensure the accuracy of the information published in this edition, neither the Publisher no any of its employees accept any responsibilities for any errors or omissions.

© All Rights Reserved RNI No: KERENG/2011/40037

Dear Readers,

“If opportunity doesn’t knock, build a door”

To start this edition of Metro Mart I am using the quote of Milton Berle, an Emmy-winning American comedian and actor. Apart from being the capital city of our state, Thiruvananthapuram was always in the world map for its nature. Its beaches, hills, temples and the hospitality of cityites used to bring foreign tourists regularly back to the city, an industry grown without much human efforts.

Today things have changed. Tourism industry, being one of the major sources of income to our city is in need of critical attention. We are competing with global tourism destinations and also with our own national tourist destinations to woo the revenue. With complete information and statistics at their finger tips a tourist have different options to choose from for a perfect holiday. We have to accept the fact that we are not having global tourist-friendly atmosphere as well as the cost is slightly higher comparing to our neighboring destinations.

During the last meeting of South Kerala Hoteliers Forum, its Secretary General M R Narayanan emphasized the need of aggressive marketing to increase the inflow of tourists. We have to market our destination across the year with different packages, not only in the international market but to the tourists across our country. Domestic tourist numbers have grown for the last one decade, and now contribute a lot of revenue, which can still be tapped better. All stakeholders must come together to market our destination with the best guest services, following Kerala’s doctrine of “Athithi Devo Bhava”.

In this edition, we feature our city in rain, The Monsoon – a major attraction for tourists to come and experience the calm nature and pleasant weather in our city. Today we have to create opportunities to survive and be successful in the most competitive environment.

It’s your feedback that has always helped us to bring the better side of METRO. I look forward to hear from you. Your reviews help us to make METRO, Smart. Till then happy reading.


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COVER FEATURE



Be it the lazy and satisfied person, be it the active and adventurous individual, Monsoon provides an opportunity for ev-eryone to follow their whims.

Plants sprout back to life after the hot summer; hills get covered with lush green; mini waterfalls are formed. The season brings out the best in nature. A good season provides the agriculturist an ideal condi-tion for farming.

Prosperity is linked to a good monsoon. The common man finds it a respite from the harsh summer weather. The creative and regenerative elements in nature during monsoon provide a chance for people to celebrate. For some it brings back nostalgic remembrances of a time long past. Some experience an air of fresh energy and spirit.

In Kerala - God’s Own Country, the magic of monsoon brings out na-ture at its best. The season makes everything look anew. It gives the nature lovers a lot more to look out for such as waterfalls, blooming flowers, etc. The season gives a fillip to the tourism industry also. The cool weather is an

opportunity for those who want to travel domesti-cally. Of all the places to visit, international tourists find Kerala as a superior destination to visit during the Monsoon Season.

The serene waterfalls in and around Thiruvanan-thapuram such as Kallar, Courtallam are major attractions. Meenmutty waterfalls and Kombai-kani waterfalls at the upper reaches of Neyyar Reservoir gives the visitors a unique experience. Pon-mudi, the hill resort with its winding pathways, and spice and tea plantations is a popular getaway.

The mist-laden hills of Ponmudi is soul-stirring. The way to these areas is splendid with the rich trea-sure of flora and fauna.Peppara Wildlife Sanctu-ary is a major attraction for wildlife enthusiasts. Neyyar Wildlife Sanctuary - with its crocodile farm, lion safari park, deer park, and watchtower - has a pictur-esque dam site. Then-mala Ecotourism center is


V. Viswanath

“Monsoon season is propitious for Kerala. Our agricultural prosper-ity depends on a good monsoon.

We welcome visitors to experience this gifted season here in Kerala. This season is turning out to be advantageous for the Tourism sector.”

O T PrakashSecretary, District Tourism Promotion Council


another drawing card for the nature lovers to visit Thiruvananthapuram dur-ing monsoon. The leisure zone in Thenmala includes the sway bridge, sculp-ture garden, boardwalk. Adventure zone includes rock climbing, bird watch-ing, mountain biking, and rappelling. The deer rehabilitation center and the Shenduruney Wildlife Sanctuary also make the visit to Thenmala highly recommended.

The active travelers can go in for trekking along the various routes available in the hilly terrains. Mankay-am ecotourism zone is one such area. Mankayam River has two spectacular waterfalls – Kalakayam and Kurisadi. A half-day trek to the interior area would take one to Ayam-para waterfalls and might give a glimpse of wildlife. For the more adventure-some, there is a one-day trek to Varayadin Mottai. Sighting of Nilgiri Tahr is a possibility in this trek which goes through rolling valleys and shola forests. Trained guides provide camping options too at this place.The picturesque water body at Veli is a picnic spot where the lake meets the Arabian Sea.

Akkulam, an extension of Veli Lake has a calm and serene atmosphere with its natural beauty. The dam site at Aruvikkara is gifted with scenic beauty.

Moving on to the beaches, Kovalam - one of the finest international beaches dur-ing the monsoon gives one a purely divine experience. Those of you who want to rejoice in the fresh air along the beach, this is the right time. A walk along the beach where the sand is covered with sea water would elate the mind. The sight of swaying palm trees and the ocean waves hitting the shore would charge the mind.

A keen photographer would never miss a chance to photograph the Western Ghats during the monsoon season. The rains restore the true beauty of the Sahyadris from be-ing dry lands in summer. Viewing this through lens would give a sense of para-dise for the photographer enthusiasts.

Even those indoor people too would find Kerala as an apt destination to be dur-ing the monsoon. A visit to the museums such as Folklore museum at Koyik-kal palace, Kuthiramalika

palace museum, and Nu-mismatics museum, would be highly enlightening. For pilgrims Sree Padma-nabhaswamy temple and

“Being the first state in India to receive Monsoons every year, Kerala enjoys a good position for marketing the unmatched vibrance of the season and to attract travelers.

The rugged charm of rainy season with sunny interludes, along with the lush greenery, streaming waterfalls, re-juvenation with Ayurve-da etc..gives wide scope for an offseason cam-paign and Kerala Tour-ism has been promoting Monsoon Tourism as a grand season for a long time.”

Hari Kishore STourism Department Director


Attukal Devi temple are a must in their itinerary.

At Sree Padmanabhaswa-my temple one can view the fine blend of Kerala and Dravidian architecture styles. There are many performing art events conducted in the city, which includes Kathakali, Kutiyattam and Mohiniyat-tam. These enchanting art forms have had their origins in Kerala.

The monsoon season is also a time to rejuvenate the mind and the body. Kerala is the land of Ayurveda, which stands for the wholesome physi-cal, mental, and spiritual

growth of humanity. The placid climate, the avail-ability of natural herbs and medicinal plants, and Ayurveda being the specialty of the state has made Kerala the prime destination for Ayurvedic treatment.

Monsoon season is dust-free and moist. The body pores open up during this season, eventually being more receptive to the various herbal oils used in Ayurvedic treatment. International tourists as well as local people go in for Ayurvedic treatment during this season.

The state government too

has taken an active part in promoting Ayurvedic tourism across the world. Monsoon campaigns are carried out to woo visitors to the state during this rainy season. Not just to treat illnesses, Ayurveda can also be a health supplement at this time. Right from the drizzling to the pouring rain to post-monsoon, Kerala provides everyone experiences, which are unparallel. The freshness of earth, the pure air, the gurgling streams, the relaxing sound of rain, all offers an everlasting memory to the visitors to Kerala and Thiruvananthapuram.


Master Plan to leap ahead

V Viswanath

The draft ‘Master Plan’ for Thiruvananthapuram city stresses on various development activities to be carried out over the coming 20 years.

FEATURE ARTICLE

Thiruvananthapuram has been marching ahead to a higher position among cities with a wide range of projects in the last decade. Thiruvananthapuram being the capital city; setting up of one of Asia’s larg-est IT hubs Technopark; completion of Thiruvana-nthapuram international airport; envisaged interna-tional deep-sea container transshipment terminal

at Vizhinjam; increased tourists to the interna-tional beach destination Kovalam; the revelation of Sree Padmanabhas-wamy temple being one of the richest temples in the world – all these have propelled the city to the centre of attention nation-ally and internationally. This in turn is accompanied by increased inflow of people in to the city. The


result being enhanced demands in the area of water distribution, trans-port facilities, housing, healthcare, etc. In order to meet these requirements in a sustainable way, the city corporation with the motto ‘Sustainable City of Thiruvananthapuram’ has published a draft master plan for the capital. It elaborates upon the neces-sities of the fast develop-ing city and the means to achieve it through efficient coordination, decentral-ized planning and swift service delivery. The mas-

ter plan proposes division of the city in to four zones, which are city core, central city, outer city and city periphery. Each of the four zones has individual devel-opment strategies. Core city zone is envisioned to grow in service sector, healthcare, hospitality, tourism, and commercial sector. Regulated develop-ment is planned for this zone. Central city zone is planned for redevelop-ment viewing at the low population density. This zone would be ideal for extending the existing

commercial area of the core city. Future residential demands can be provided in the outer city zone since vacant plots are available. Hence, intensive develop-ment will be carried out in outer city. Agriculture area is concentrated in the city periphery zone and conser-vative development would be strategy for this zone. To avoid traffic congestion, a comprehensive road network in proposed in the master plan. This includes a bypass for NH66, inner and outer ring roads, first and second intermedi-


ate ring roads, and radial roads. It would also consist of junction improvement programmes, parking facil-ities, transport terminals, flyovers and cycle tracks. Improving rail travel facili-ties is another proposal. Running commuter trains between Kollam and Parassala, and establishing a rail link to Vizhinjam and a rail link to Thenmala via Nedumangad come under this proposal. The Mono Rail project from Technoci-ty to Neyyatinkara through the heart of the city is envisioned to be commis-sioned by January 2018. As an alternative mode of travel, inland transport network from Kovalam to Karamana and from Akkulam to Kadinamkulam Kayal is visualised. The requirement of connectiv-ity to Thiruvananthapuram Airport is focused upon.

A Multi Modal Mobil-ity hub is suggested in Akkulam to cater to the requirement of mode change facilities within the city and in the airport. Sidewalks, walkways, marked crossways, and overpasses and underpass-es are considered to sepa-rate pedestrian movement from vehicular traffic. The master plan also suggests

checking the feasibility of Light Rail Transit System with two circling routes covering the central city area.

Relocation of the Central Jail to Chenkottukonam and maintaining the cur-rent Poojappura Jail as a heritage structure, and shifting Regional Cancer Centre and Sri Chitra Tirunal Institute for Medi-cal Sciences and Technol-ogy to Chenkottukonam are also suggested. City centres are envisaged at Kazhakkoottam and Vizhinjam. Various civic amenity proposals are in-cluded in the master plan. This includes setting up community halls, libraries, electric crematoriums, fire stations, etc. The master plan also attends to the housing shortage in the city and development of slum areas. Disposal of solid waste being a major hardship in the city, adequate attention is paid to this section in the master plan. Launching of awareness programmes, processing of biodegrad-able waste at source-level, establishment of city-level storage facility for non-biodegradable wastes has been proposed. Recycling of waste is also consid-

ered. Seven parks are sug-gested in the master plan in an attempt to enrich the greenery of the city. Preservation of wetlands and sacred groves and pro-tection of coastal areas are stated in the master plan.The Vision 2031 Master Plan is prepared by Chief Town Planner Eapen Var-ughese and the planning team lead by Additional Chief Town Planner Jacob Easow, Town Planner S. Ajay kumar, and Town Planner Baiju K.

The draft ‘Maste Plan’ for Thiruvananthapuram city stresses on various development activities to be carried out over the coming 20 years. The plan which cuts into various as-pects of development such as transportation, traffic, land use, waste manage-ment, infrastructure readiness, etc. is currently being analysed in detail by different sections of the society. Hopefully, in the years to come, we would see many of the propos-als being implemented. Being a magazine which has kept the development of Thiruvananthapuram in mind always, we would continue to keep track of the evolving state of things in our city.


Gold rules God’s own country

“There is in this kingdom a great quantity of pepper and ginger, and cinnamon and turbot, and of nuts of India, and that ships from the east bring gold and silver and cloth and ex-change them for the prod-ucts of Malabar.” – Marco Polo. Even though Kerala occupies only 3 percent of India’s population, it gulps up 20 percent of the country’s gold every year. The recent discovery of $22 billion or Rs. 90,000 crore worth of gold treasures at the 16th century Sri Pad-manabhaswamy temple in Trivandrum is another proof that this craze for gold started much be fore.

Two hundred thousand people are employed

in this gold industry at Kerala. In plenty or a little, gold is available in almost all household sometimes as savings, either to be given away as wedding gifts for daughters or to raise cash by gold loans. The biggest of celebrity endorsements in India are not done by cars, soft drinks, mobile phones or cosmetics, but by Kerala’s jewellery brands. Glitter-ing stars like Maradona, Amitabh Bachchan, Sush-mita Sen, Aishwarya Rai, Mohanlal, Illayaraja, Sania Mirza, Hema Malin and Suriya came down to this God’s own country only to endorse jewellery brands.

However high the price of gold in Kerala,

people will keep buying it. Demand for gold is slug-gish due to marriage offseason and nervousness among investors. Even the sharp drop in rupee value against the dollar is not supporting the precious metal. The majority invests in gold, and on an average every household has at least a minimum of 30 gm of gold. The lower- and middle-income groups go for gold because they can liquidate it easily in an emergency. Demand for this yellow metal may not come down very soon in Kerala because both men and women of Kerala consider it as a mascot of pride among their fellow beings.

Dr B Govindan


E M Najeeb

monuments and historical landmarks. Thiruvanan-thapuram is known for its natural beauty, moderate and comfortable climate, and diverse natural attrac-tions like mountains, spice gardens, wildlife, beaches, backwaters, and so on.

The city is fast growing in its population and innumerable activities. Business, educational

institutions and highereducation centres, govern-ment offices, administra-tive centres, hospitality centres, tourism, Informa-tion Technology, medical centres, etc are creating unprecedented conges-tion in the city. For a streamlined scientific and comfortable planning and development of the city a detailed Master Plan was essential.

Green-lungs have to be developed at different parts of the city

Thiruvananthapuram is a unique city in many ways. The city stretches over an undulated land between the green mountains of the Western Ghats and the Lakshadweep Sea. It is strategically positioned on a major international sea route and it is also con-nected by air with all major global locations. It has a historical and heritage importance, with many

LEADER SPEAK


E M Najeeb

Hub with state of the art facilities in the existing educational institutions and also in the institutions to come up in future. Also the Master Plan envisages development of the city as a healthcare city with state of the art facilities. The Master Plan talks about green open spaces devel-oping green networks and developing a greenbelt defining the city limits. The goals and objectives are expected to be attained by 2031.

I am indeed disappointed that the stakeholders who are part of this city were not consulted in a meaningful way in the de-velopment of the Master Plan. It is a fact that most of the people involved in the planning are not well exposed to international city planning process. Mod-

Now, after much delibera-tions a draft Master Plan has been prepared to pro-ceed to a final Master Plan that would catalyze the development of a beautiful Trivandrum.The draft has covered al-most all important aspects for development. Main objective of the Master Plan is spelt out as, to make Trivandrum city an ideal state capital.

It envisages strengthening of the economic base of the city through hi-tech enterprises.The plan aims at making the city a multi-functional one with heritage, tech-nology, knowledge and healthcare as the main ar-eas. The draft Master Plan highlights the importance of preservation of the rich blue-green environment of the city. It also aims at developing a close-knit urban pattern for the city through planned development. It also aims at providing high-level infrastructure and facilities through good transporta-tion network and other basic facilities.

A very apt objective of the plan is to develop the city as a Knowledge

ern international norms for planning cities are not adopted in making the Master Plan. I strongly feel that international expert planners should have been consulted for this very important purpose.

It is also seen that zon-ing of the city should have been based on the prominent activities of the zone. Without such a study of the activities and the characters of zones, a jumble of zones are created, so that residen-tial zones, commercial zones, and green zones are mixed-up obstructing growth and development of the region. Essentially a scientific study to assess the activities of zones should be conducted to decide zoning.

While appreciating the

Rainwater management and watershed management have to be given priority. Ponds, wetlands, streams, rivers of this region have to be restored.


positive aspects of this plan, I would still be concerned about how fast the implementation of the development Master Plan could be. There is no dearth of Master Plans in our state, but it is the implementation plan that miserably fails most of the time.

Talking about the roads of Trivandrum, it needs a total road system combin-ing highways, approach roads, ring roads, road corridors, and their proper management. Rainwater management and water-shed management have to be given priority. Ponds,

wetlands, streams, rivers of this region have to be restored.

Greening the entire Trivandrum region through planned social forestry efforts should go with it. Planting trees should be a major initiative. Green-lungs have to be devel-oped at different parts of the city even at the outer areas.

Trivandrum city should be made a place good for outdoor activities, with squares, and open areas, where only pedestrians are allowed. It should have more recreational facili-

ties and centres. The city should have a continuous environment management programme taking care of the flora and fauna.The wealth and the strength of Thiruvanan-thapuram are heritage structures, monuments, and historical landmarks. Restoration, preservation and exhibition of these landmarks have to find place in the plan. Conges-tion on the roads, traffic jam and lack of parking facilities are the biggest problems faced. Private investors should be invited for joint venture projects for developing commer-cial parking. Though the


draft plan talks about the new methods for garbage disposal, new technologies are not discussed. New global technologies have to be acquired for garbage disposal, sanitation and hygiene.

Trivandrum used to bea city with the highest number of educational institutions and students population. Trivandrum could any day be projected and sustained as a knowl-edge city as already envis-aged by the Master Plan. Tourism is a major activity in this region and the city will gain much because of this industry. All the tourist

centres in and around the city including Kovalam should be integrated well for developing an intra-region circuit. The beautiful Shangumu-gham and Veli should be developed as world class public recreation areas. Fixed locations should be allowed for exhibiting hoardings, posters and billboards, and they should not be allowed at any other places. Face-lifting of roadside vendor outlets can itself be an attraction.

The city should have habi-tat centres, convention centres and community centres of different dimen-

sions. The city develop-ment should also be linked with the major Vizhinjam Port Development project, for the future.

Above all, we should think of the continued manage-ment and preservation of the city. We need to de-velop “Thinking Forums” involving experts from this region for continuous thinking for development. Planning should have a sociological phase involv-ing the citizens and social groups and segments of stakeholders in the devel-opmental process.

Tourism industry including tour operators, hotels, airlines, media, and various service providers would always be ready to be part of this development initia-tive of the city.

It should be noticed that recently 35 leading hotels in Delhi have signed a document with the Delhi administration that they would go ‘green’ by intro-ducing eco-friendly facili-ties and practices in their institutions to integrate with the Delhi develop-ment. The tourism industry would choose to pioneer and go green first, as part of making the city green.

The beautiful Shangumugham and Veli should be developed as world class public recreation areas.


Our city needs more such geriatric homes

people were respected for their wisdom and experi-ence and they were given high reverence and priori-ties by the Society. Time has changed a lot. New generations,

may be in their spree to achieve more and to attain targets, tend to turn a blind eye towards the seniors. Just even a feeling of isolation from the mainstream can cause severe break down in their physical and emotional equilibrium. They are fur-ther exposed to atrocities like forcibly sending to un-recognized cheap old age homes, making the rest of their life really horrible.wThis indeed is a very sad

state of affair facing our society. Sometimes, the elders with good financial background may be lucky enough to relax in the posh comforts of their house, with attendants and home-nurses to look after. The other side of the picture, is quite dull and tragic. Governments are doing a lot for the wel-fare of old and sick people in the lowest financial strata. Old Age Home at Chakkai, Saanthwanam at West Fort etc. are examples of Government – run old age homes.

In between these two cat-egories come the so called middle class group. Their requirements are limited

R Murugan

Every morning, we see beautiful flowers bloom in our courtyard, with flashing colours, luster and fragrance. The shin-ing dew drops disappear within hours. After a daylong hectic struggle for survival, the flower starts fading and finally it falls down. Human life also take a similar course. The thrill and enthusiasm of child hood and youth soon give way to symptoms of aging and ailments. All we need at this juncture is a bit of love and caring and also a shelter to repose in confidence.

We, Indians boast of our golden past and the rich heritage, when elderly

LEADER SPEAK


to just a clean and tidy atmosphere to stay where they get reasonably good food and the facilities for entertainments, read-ing, and periodical health check up. Meeting friends and relations occasion-ally will certainly make them cheerful. We need such Geriatric Homes in Trivandrum.

Instead of looking for supportive action from Government machiner-ies, the voluntary service organizations functioning in the city like Lions Club, Rotary Club or Ys Men can take lead roles in this direc-tion. Joint ventures with like-minded organizations or some corporates having social commitment can also be ideal propositions.

A fine example is the “Li-ons Bhavan” at Thiruval-lam on the Kovalam By Pass Road. Lions Clubs in Trivandrum and Quilon Districts (District 318 A) de-cided to set up a Geriatric Care Home, and an adhoc body – Lions Foundation Kerala – was formed. Members of various Lions Clubs in the area took con-tributory membership in the Foundation, and raised a substantial amount. Lions Clubs International Foundation (LCIF), the

contributing arm of Lions Clubs approved the project and came forward with a matching contribution. The project was visualized designed and inaugurated within an amazingly short period of 12 months.

Today, this Geriatric Care Centre provides accommo-dation and other facilities to some elderly citizens and conducts regular medi-cal check-up and lab tests for inmates as well as the elders in the neighbour-hood. Lions Club, joining hands with the Alzhiemers and Related Diseases Soci-ety of India (ARDSI) is giv-ing shelter to 15 Dementia patients at the Lions Bha-van. A Vocational Training Centre for Autistic Children also functions here.

Lions Bhavan is just a guid-ing light. We need more such homes in our city in the near future itself. Of course, there may be hurdles and setbacks. But

a group of philanthropic people with clear vision and total commitment can definitely make the results.

Shri. R. Murugan is the Chairman of the PRS Group, Trivandrum, and the Execu-tive Director of Lions Bha-van. The project was his brain child; and executed when he was the Lions Dis-trict Governor in 2004-05. Presently Shri. R. Murugan is the Secretary cum Treasurer of Lions Co-ordination Com-mittee of India and he has also been endorsed to be the International Director of Li-ons Clubs International


Libraries in Trivandrum should be fully digitalized

Trivandrum must have more open spaces for people to unwind. ‘Gandhi Park’, located in the heart of the city and the museum premises is often crowded; this testifies that people are on the lookout for an open space to steam off their tensions and ease themselves from the hurry-burry life.

Open space is too precious an ingredient for healthy and sane urban living that it should not be sacrificed in the name of develop-ment.

Trivandrum Zoo can be relocated to another place, nearby by Neyyar dam or any other location and that

place can be converted to open space. If the zoo gets converted to open space, it will be a perfect blend of beauty and calmness where people can relax, walk, jog, play and picnic.

The city and suburbs have been acquiring such a con-crete hue that greenery has vanished from Trivan-drum city region. The artery of Trivandrum, the Thampanoor- Over bridge road is darkly lit after dusk.

The street lighting in the area must be improved and the roads in the region should be in the line of Kowdiyar–Vellayambalam road. The area in front of the Secretariat gates

will often have beehive of activities like dharnas, hunger strikes and so on. Separate place for agitations, stirs would be a good idea. As if now agita-tions often happen before secretariat road, thereby causing traffic congestions.

Development of Trivan-drum will be incomplete without development of its libraries. Libraries in Trivandrum should be fully digitalized and steps should be taken to pre-serve rare documents and many rare books.

Classification of books and the way in which the books are arranged should be made user-friendly.

N Balagopal

LEADER SPEAK


N Balagopal


Need more focus on tourism & service sector

Thiruvananthapuram basi-cally has a tertiary sector-oriented economy because of the many central and state government offices situated here. Compar-ing Ernakulam, Thrissur or Kozhikode, business centers are less here.

Commercial activities and associated businesses can increase with the upcom-ing Vizhinjam harbor.

There is a transformation of labor from agricultural to white collar jobs. Semi-skilled and unskilled labor-ers are turning towards

industrial trade unions. There is lack of manpower also due to brain drain to gulf countries.

This causes non-develop-ment of primary sector such as agricultural, forestry, dairy and allied activities. This eventually leads to dependence of Thiruvananthapuram on other states for food items like rice, egg and milk.

The city is mainly a consumer district. People from cities such as Kot-tayam give importance to agriculture and business,

whereas here we are satis-fied with white collar jobs. This work culture has been there for some time and it is establishing faster. Even those who come from agriculture background have an entirely different attitude after coming here.

Only a drastic change in developmental thinking can lead to focus on pri-mary and secondary sector advancement. Our dreams of development are roads, bridges, etc.

Road development boards in the city have done some

Sreekumaran Nair

LEADER SPEAK


road renovation and repair in the city. Organizations such as Kudumbasree are not going to bring about drastic change.

It can be continued only as a poverty alleviation program. A most favorable plan to develop Thiruvana-nthapuram is to promote service sector. Service sector includes Education, IT, Health, etc.

There do not seem to be a go-back for Thiruvanan-thapuram in the primary sector development. Even in the suburbs, real estate development is reducing agricultural land.

Scope for development in the secondary sector is also limited. Other than Vizhinjam harbor, there do not seem to be any more major industries coming up.

As an industry, there is scope for development in international tourism in

centres like Kovalam, Pon-mudi, Varkala, Neyyar Dam among others. Connectiv-ity to other destinations and infrastructure facilities in the city is much more when compared to other cities.

Concerted effort of Government and tourism officials can pave way for growth in Tourism. Domes-tic tourists should also be brought in.

Development of IT Parks would assist the tourism sector. Even though huge investment is made in tourism area, the develop-ment is not proportionate. Target-oriented approach is needed.

Systematic monitoring mechanism is not there. What we can do, what fa-cilities are required for the tourists, what is the gap?

Government initiative in this approach is less. For example, in Kovalam it is

mostly private players; government programs are less.

Pilgrim centers like Sivagiri should be further devel-oped by the government. Pilgrim tourism, Dental tourism, Eco tourism all these areas should be pur-sued. Government should initiate package tours con-necting all these sections to attract more tourists.

Comparing Ernakulam, even in 2030, Thiruvanan-thapuram will be lagging. At no time would the city be able to overtake Ernakulam.

Development approach in both cities is different. Business-oriented ap-proach to development is carried out in Ernakulam. Here we do not have it.

The current developmental gap of Thiruvanantha-puram to Ernakulam and Kozhikode will be the same even in 2030.

Being the capital city, the rate of infrastructure development will be more here than other cities. Focusing on tourism and service sector and aug-menting developmental activities in these sectors would be beneficial for Thiruvananthapuram.

“Being the capital city, the rate of infrastructure development will be more here than other cit-ies. Focusing on tourism and service sector and augmenting developmental activities in these sectors would be beneficial for Thiruvanantha-puram.”


Enjoy fast business card reading with this app. Names, phone numbers, email addresses, etc., could be transferred to a contact manager with this app and electronically shared. It is accurate with text and data processing and recog-nition.

This app provides the broadest language sup-port. It is optimal for peo-ple who have an extensive circle of contacts.

www.abbyy.com

A complete calendar app, which allows easy editing and makes the users more organized.

It provides well-designed graphical and textual pre-sentation.

Alarms, smooth scrolling, the full array of widgets, search function – all these and much more makes this app a powerful calen-dar app for people on the move.

www.appgenix-software.com

Express yourself – Put up on the pinboards all those interesting images you see on the net or those beautiful pictures you have taken. Organize your collections and share it. Decorations, scenic plac-es, wedding plans, per-sonal styles, inspirational quotes, recipes – every-thing that matters to you could be pinned on the board – open a window for the world to your in-terests.

www.pinterest.com

ABBYY Business Card Reader

Pinterest Business Calender

Apps for your Mobile

TECH MART


The influence of social media networking sites like Facebook and Twitter in branding, marketing, development of products and services is growing as lakhs of new people taking to social networking every day.

With over 6 crore Indians already using social media actively, business (and organizations) of all sizes, sectors, and purposes, find it important to know how to make use of the explosion of social media for business.

However, it is not just about technology. What can really determine the long term and meaningful success of social media are strategic, managerial and creative capabilities that are required to evolve and execute unique social action plans.

Organizations need to know why they should get into social media, how they can generate business value, what teams should they have, what social plat-forms would make sense,

and so on.

In this context CII Thiruvanantha-puram Zone is organizing a one day workshop on “Doing Business with Social Media” at 0930 hrs – 1700hrs on 12th July 2013 at Park Cen-tre, Technopark Campus.

The workshop would equip participants to think business when they think social media - or how social tools can help you achieve your business goals. The participants will be presented with the big picture of the seemingly simple consumerism of IT and the potential of social media in co-creation and crowd sourcing of entire business value.

At the end of the work-shop, participants will know how to evolve an end-to-end social co-creation strategy exclusively for their own organizations to address their immediate and long term business challenges

One Day Workshop on

Doing Business with Social Media

by collaborating with external stakeholders like customers.

For more details contact

Anoop Babu Confederation of Indian Industry, Trivandrum Zonal Office, TC 5/2458 (1), No.2 Golf Links Road, Jawahar Nagar P.O, Kawdiar Trivandrum 695003 Ph: +91 471 3003999 M : +919846465454 Email: [email protected]


TCCI Awards for Business Excellence Distributed

TRIMA HLL CorporateSocial Responsibility AwardThe Trivandrum Manage-ment Association (TMA), the professional body of practicing managers in the capital city, affiliated to the ALL India Manage-ment Association (AIMA) has invited nominations from business establish-ments for the TRIMA HLL Corporate Social Respon-sibility Award for 2012-2013. The award has been instituted in association with global healthcare public sector organization HLL Lifecare Ltd., to honor organizations that have contributed immensely for the socio-economic development in the State of Kerala. All firms in the commercial, industrial and service sectors including private companies, public sector undertakings and cooperative institutions are eligible for the award. TMA also announces maiden TMA Award For Innovation to be given this year for commend-able initiatives in waste management in the State. The award is instituted to recognize innovative prac-tices and approaches by business establishments

or individuals. Both the Awards carry cash prize of Rs. 25,000 and citation. The awards will be distrib-uted during the flagship event of TMA, TRIMA 2013-the annual convention of the Association to be held on 22 July 2013.

The objective of the award is to recognize the efforts by various member compa-nies towards community development and thereby motivate other compa-nies to invest in similar initiatives. It will also help sharing of best practices amongst all the companies that could help increase impact of such initiatives. With the alarming rise of dengue and other diseas-es, finding a lasting solu-tion to the waste manage-ment problem in Kerala is going to be critical. “TMA is taking initiative of recog-nizing the most appropri-ate model for sustainable waste management suitable to the geographi-cal and other conditions of Kerala, thereby ensuring a sustainable habitat in our State”, Dr. Babu Thomas added.

“TMA has always been in the forefront in promoting excellence in management and development of human resources”

Babu ThomasPresident - TMA

Nomination for the Awards may be sent to Execu-tive Director, Trivandrum Management Association, TMA House, Jawahar Nagar, Thiruvananthapuram-695003 (Tel: 0471-2726644).

The last date for receiving applications is 15 July 2013.


TCCI Awards for Business Excellence DistributedTrivandrum Chamber of Commerce & Industry (TCCI) has honored suc-cessful businesspersons with the business excel-lence awards on 12 June at Trivandrum.

Governor of Kerala, Nikhil Kumar inaugurated the function and presented the awards. Biju Jacob (PTC Group), T Biju Kumar (Mukthi Pharma), Chan-drasekharan Nair (Ambadi Tyres), Gireesh Chandran (Sree Padmanabha The-atre), J Hareendran Nair (Pankajakasthuri Herbals), V N Jayasankar (Babas Colour lab), S Manikandan (wholesale dealer, Chalai market), J D Mohan (Sravia Advertising), E M Najeeb (Air Travel Enterprises), P Radhakrishan Nair,

Sudheesh Kumar (Hotel Sea Face), Y Vijayan (Vijaya Press) and S Vijayakumar (Vijayakumar and Easwar Chartered Accountants) are the winners of this award. Special awards were presented to architect Jayachandran (posthumous) and South Indian Bank chairman and managing director V A Joseph.

During the inaugural ad-dress, Governor insisted that the close interaction between the government and commerce, trade and industries is needed for the development and prosperity of the state.

TCCI president C Chan-dramohanan presided over the function. INKEL Ltd managing director and chief patron of this year’s award committee, T Balakrishnan IAS also addressed the function.

The report was presented by award committee chairman P Ganesh. Trivandrum Chamber of Commerce and Industry managing committee member R Sridhar, sec-retary N Raghuchandran Nair and treasurer Suresh Mathew spoke.

“I am happy to state that we had an overwhelming re-sponse from the membership and we received all applica-tions on time for scrutiny and further processing. After careful evaluation the com-mittee decided to bestow awards to 13 outstanding businessmen. ”

“Business excellence award is given to encourage and motivate the business field in Trivandrum since 2010. Last year 26 awards were given and this year there are 13 awards and 2 special awards. TCCI is also planning to take up charity related projects. TCCI is supporting the govern-ment in resolving problems like waste management and spread-ing of disease.”

P GaneshChairman Award committee.

C ChandramohananTCCI President

METRO FOCUS

TRIMA HLL CorporateSocial Responsibility Award Gukul Prasannan


Top 5 online shopping websites

After almost 6month of dominating at number 1 ebay has come down at number two on indiafreestuff.in list. eBay.in is the Indian version of the popular online shop-ping portal eBay.com – world’s online marketplace. Ebay has a diverse and passionate community of individuals and small businesses. Ebay offers used and fresh items with a wide network of international shipping.

Tradus.in is owned by ibibo from books to clothes they sell you everything and after buying Buytheprice.com they have become more bigger. Tradus offers the Online Shopping in India to buy Books, Mobiles, Cameras, Watches, Apparel, Home Appliances, Ipods & Many More at Lowest Price & Free shipping all over India but still at no 3 on our list.

Shopclues is famous for their heavily discounted Jaw Dropping deals. Shopclues is one of the best online stores that offers a wide variety of cameras, Computer accessories, Mobile, Gift, Jewellery, Cosmetics, toys, clothes, books and bag. Their Jaw Dropping deal has become most liked deal of past year.

Here you find large range appliances, kitchen, cameras, mobiles, laptops, site, indian, gifts, apparel, buy, online, gifts. and more, HomeShop18 is a venture of theNetwork18 Group, India’s fastest growing media and entertainment Group. HomeShop18 has also launched India’s first 24 hour Home Shopping TV channel.

Not only books online through Flipkart, but also mobile phones & mobile accessories, laptops, computer accesso-ries, cameras, movies, music, televisions, refrigerators, air-conditioners, washing-machines, MP3 players and products from a host of other categories. After takeover of letsbuy.com now flipkart is largest player of e-commerce of India.

compiled by Roopesh Shekhar


Chinapolis - Of a taste well-travelledThere has always been a historical connection between China and Kerala, dating back to as early as the 7th Century when Chi-nese maritime expeditions came to our shores and brought with them, their silks, spices, and above all, the first taste of their cuisine. The Cheenavalae or Chinese fishing nets of

Kochi still stand – as but one testament to those times. Consider experiencing all the subtle flavours and aromas of China together under one roof, quite like it would have been in the royal kitchens of yore. That would be a privilege reserved for Chinese Roy-

alty where, centuries-old secret recipes from across the length and breadth of the Chinese em-pire regaled the princely palate in the Forbidden City. Our Specialty Chef Wang Wen comes from Beijing, and having travelled and worked extensively in China himself, he recreates

DINING


that regal dining experi-ence for Chinapolis with consummate ease. Putting his well-honed skills to practice, Chef Wen rustles up his magical creations using authentic spices and ingredients from several of China’s provinces.

With his recipes, drawn from the Sichuan, Hunan, Canton, Shanghai and Shandong provinces. All in all, the food we’ve come to know and love as Chinese, will now take

on an air of understated refinement. The ambience at Chinapo-lis too, quite literally, takes you there. Done is a neo-classical style, the interiors have been created using a palette of black and red. The seating and tables are minimalistic, with simple designs reflected in Chinese architecture. Wall motifs speakof Shanghainese art while the entire area is sparsely dotted with red stand-up lanterns. Red drapes offset the dark-polished wood lattices while the occa-

sional blue hand-painted Ming-style vases punctu-ate the place. An appropri-ate setting, for what is to follow. Hot Pot Set off on a delightful culi-nary journey at Chinapolis, the speciality Chinese fine-dining restaurant! The menu features delicacies from different provincial cuisines of China. In June diners can savour a delicious Chinapolis hot pot. Placed in the

centre of the table, the pot simmerswith a variety of vegetables, meats and condiments, wafting appetizing flavours and de-lighting diners with is light, delicious and nutritious ingredients. A memorable dining experienceThe Chinese hot pot has a history of more than 1,000 years, Frozen meat is sliced thinly to prepare it for hot pot cooking. Slicing frozen meat this way causes it to roll up during cooking, and it is often presented as such. Meat or vegetables are loaded individually into

the hot cooking broth by chopsticks, and cooking time can take from 1 to 15 minutes, depending on the type of food.

Meat should be cooked at the very least 20 seconds depending on the thick-ness of meat. Other hot pot dishes include leafy vegetables, mushrooms, seafood, and noodles. It can be eaten bland to very spicy, depending on how much spice has been put in the stew.

Chinapolis – is an endeavour to bring to this city, its very first taste of cuisine that’s truly and distinctively Chinese.


Buttermilk Fried Chicken

Take a bowl and add in the chicken. Now add all the marination ingrediants in it and mix well.Let this marinate for 3-4 hours or overnight in the fridge.Now remove this fridge and let it come to room temperature.Take flour , salt chilli pow-der in a plate and mix well. Dip each chicken piece in a flour mixture. Coat it on all sides.Place them in a rack and leave for 10 minutes, so that it gets dry and the flour coat each piece well. Heat oil for frying. Drop few pieces of chicken in. Dont crowd the oil.Deep fry the chicken in medium flame for 15 minutes.Now increase the flame and cook for 5 min-utes, so that it gets nice colour. Drain the chicken in paper towel. Serve with hot sauce and ketchup.

I am Aarthi, I blog at Yum-my Tummy. My passion towards cooking started just few years back. From that day onwards I started creating new recipes which was really appreciated by my friends and family. I wanted to save those recipes in a place where it never gets destroyed. Hence Yummy Tummy is born. It started as my little space where I store all my recipes, but now it has a grown a lot more than I thought it would be. I up-date my blog on a regular basis with step by step pictures which helps my readers a lot and show the ease of cooking. Do drop at my space sometime, everyone is welcome.

My Blog : http://www.yum-mytummyaarthi.com

Chicken - 1kg

Oil for deep frying

Butter Milk - 2Cups

Ginger garlic paste 2 Tablespoon

Salt and pepper to taste

Garam Masala 1 Tablespoon

FOR FLOUR COATING

All purpose flour2 Cups

Salt to taste

Chilli powder2 tablespoon

RECIPE

METHOD INGREDIANTS


Aggressive Marketing has to be done to increase tourist inflowThe South Kerala Hotelier’s Forum (SKHF) an um-brella organization of the hospitality sector in South Kerala, held their monthly meeting on July 8th at SP Grand Days, Thiruvanan-thapuram. The meeting was presided by D. Chan-drasenan Nair. E.K. Bharat Bhushan IAS, Suman Billa IAS, S. Harikishore IAS, SKHF Secretary Gen-eral M.R. Narayanan and Chairman of ATE Group of companies E.M. Najeeb addressed the gathering. Presiding over the meet-ing, D. Chandrasenan Nair said effective garbage disposal has to be under-taken by the government in the Vizhinjam – Kovalam – Thiruvananthapuram stretch. He also told the members that SKHF has to do its part for the flood-hit people. The Secretary General

of SKHF said aggressive marketing has to be done to increase tourist inflow to Kerala. He viewed a collective effort is neces-sary for addressing the issues pertaining to the hospitality sector. Chief Secretary E.K. Bharat Bhushan recommended standardization of tourism products. He voiced the necessity of preservation of zones wit regulations. He commended on the spirit of private enterprises for leading the marketing of Kerala tourism. Tourism Secretary Suman Billa said lower rate of taxation for the hospitality sector during monsoon should be checked. He stated promotional ac-tivities for Kerala tourism should be held in other countries extensively. He said new airlines could be contacted to increase con-

nectivity to the state. Tour-ism Director S. Harikishore urged that diversifying the markets would bring people from different walks of life to Kerala.

He viewed Kerala could be promoted in the OPEC countries and Israel as a Sea destination. He stated that the distribution of bio-gas plants to households in Kovalam is underway. E.M. Najeeb said a last-ing solution for waste management is necessary. He stated that garbage disposal could be made ef-ficient if efforts are taken. He sighted the example of effective biomedical waste disposal by IMA at Palghat. Vivanta by Taj GM Mathew Thomas gave the Vote of Thanks. An open discus-sion by the members pres-ent on various topics was also held at the meeting.


Czarina’s NRI fest will be adding more colors to the fabrics

When your eyes catch hold of much celebrated discount sales and stock clearance sales in most of the garment shops at Trivandrum, city’s classy boutique . Czarina always comes up with innovative shopping concepts. This difference in customary for the last two decades po-sitioned this boutique in a unique status which made an exclusive customer base to the first boutique of this capital city.

Seasonal Kotta Festival for summer, Onam collections, Xmas sales and wedding collections were a few among those exclusive shopping extravaganza for the customers which are going to be succeeded by NRI fest on this July. This annual shopping experience intended for NRIs is exclusive with its

wide variety of collections focusing on those who do a bulk purchase for the coming one year. They fly back with a satisfactory shopping experience with a collection of exquisite sarees and salwars. Certain colors, materials and embroidery which are much rare in foreign countries become the key attention point for the whole festival season.

Even the foreigners who like the Indian traditional dresses, colors and materi-als are fond of this NRI fest at Czarina since they have the designs and weaves from almost all parts of the country.The concept of boutique was not that popular in Trivandrum when Czarina came in to being. The success of its journey for more than the past two decades owes

much to the matchless leadership of its captain Mrs. Sheila James who is always hopeful in bringing new equations of fashion to the city through her boutique.

“We won’t compromise in quality. If we take a silk saree, we can easily find at least fifty different variet-ies in its material quality. This difference in quality al-ways reflects on the price tag. Czarina always goes for higher quality and we have experienced that the customers find it worth”, says Sheila. She hails from a politically renowned fam-ily in Kerala which is always busy political discussions by her father, Late Baby John and now continuing through her brother and Minister for Labor, Shibu Baby John. But for Sheila, she admired the business-

SHOPPING

This annual shopping experience intended for NRIs is exclusive with its wide variety of collections focusing on those who do a bulk purchase for the coming one year.


man in her father rather than the politician and that inspiration might be the torch to all her success in textile industry starting from Body Tunes since 1988 till Czarina.

According to her, people find it very easy to iden-tify any new trend across globe through media. If purple is decided to be the color of a year, then we can see a growth in demand for the clothes of this particular shade, especially among the NRI customers. These NRIs are always the brand ambassa-dors of Indian fashion and design in foreign nations. Hence when they return

back home, they buy in bulk to their friends and family there. This verifies the prominence of NRI fest at Czarina.

When we look at the collection here, it will be an amazing experience to go through a very huge variety of saree collection including Kancheepuram, Chiffons, Georgettes and Tussars in fine weaves and designs.

It is understood that the traditional textile technologies and the artistic weaving skills of each state in India gets reflected here. This is because Czarina considers

the artisans like weavers, printers, embroiders etc especially from states like Tamil Nadu, Rajasthan, Uttar Pradesh and West Bengal are its backbone.

Unlike any other competi-tors of the same stream, Czarina is not planning for an expansion with multiple outlets in the city and therefore its future plan is only to stick on to the yardsticks of quality which always keeps this brand an all time hit among its cus-tomers. This season of NRI fest will be adding more colors to the fabrics of quality and perfection with much more passionate experiences in shopping.

In 1988, Ms. Sheila James started her first designer boutique ‘Body Tunes’ in Trivandrum. The responsibilities of sourcing fabrics and components, de-signing and production planning were handled by her. The customer base for the designer garments increased with the advent of Czarina. Ms. Sheila James has over 25 years of experience in the textile industry. She has trav-eled extensively to the textile cen-ters in the country and learned from leading craftsmen. She believes every entrepreneur should be ready to give attention to detail, gather knowledge and constantly update their knowl-edge. The designer boutique Czarina has sarees, salwars, trendy Indian dresses, ghagra cholis, etc. The re-cently concluded Tussar Trove


Pamper yourself at LekshmiEverything and every-one can be beautiful. It would depend on how one presents themselves to others. Right from the misty mountains to the lines on a grandmother’s face, beauty can be found everywhere. It is a per-ceptual experience which is felt as a result of the presenter’s self projection and the perception of the beholder.

Life brings up quite a num-ber of days when one has

to look their best. It could be a grand occasion or just a random day when one wants to be more beauti-ful. Beauty has become an important ingredient in daily life. This is where Lekshmi Beauty Parlour steps in. The talented and passion-driven stylists with a flare for beauty therapy and customer care work in tandem to make the wishes of their clients come true. Wholesome wellness from head-to-toe is provided at this beauty

salon. The trained and dedicated staff here takes rejuvenation to a whole new level and spreads wellness beyond the pam-pering sessions. Scientific methodologies are used to enhance your looks, shape and groom you up.

The very best quality products available in the market are used at this beauty salon. This includes well-known brands like Jean Nate, Maybelline, and Loreal.

BEAUTY


A wide range of treat-ments are offered at this beauty parlour that pro-vides a holistic approach to well being and beauty. Hair cuts and hair styling that makes one be stylish as well as enhance one’s personal image are done here. Efficient shaving and trimming of beard is provided.

Whether maintaining a current style or to attain a new look, the experts here assist in coloring their hair. Effective anti-dandruff and hair loss treatment is provided. Acupunc-ture method to promote natural hair growth and enhance recuperative power, immunity and health is offered. This also activates the body’s en-ergy. Ozone treatment can also be availed at Lekshmi Beauty Parlour.

The head and neck mas-sages at this parlour are designed to relax and calm the muscles of the head, face, neck and shoulders. After a hectic day, this would be highly beneficial to soothe the nerves and achieve total relaxation. Certified manicurists tend to the hands and restores to proper condition. Foot massage and pedicure are done by certified pedi-curists. This rejuvenates

the feet. The changing weather often causes the face to lose its shine and moisture. At times travel or exposure to sun would take a toll on one’s skin. A facial is the best way to put back into the skin what is taken out. The facial at this beauty clinic uses oils to help hydrate and revital-ize the skin while removing dead skin cells and giving the face a more refreshed appearance. 64 types of facials such as Regular Clean Up, Premium Clean Up, Pearl Facial, Silver Facial, Diamond Facial, Fruit Facial, Cucumber Facial, Orange Facial, and Chocolate Facial for the skin are offered at this par-lour. Nourish your hair and skin with professional hair products and the best skin care products available Lekshmi Beauty Parlour.

A variety of bridal pack-ages suiting the individual choices and tastes of bride and groom are offered at this beauty parlour. The package for the bride includes Full Waxing, Spa Facial, Aroma Pedicure, Hair Spa Treatment, Face & Neck Bleach, Swedish Mas-sage, Threading, Make-Up, Hair Set, and Mehandi. The Bridegroom Package in-cludes Haircut and Shave, Spa Body Massage, Hair Massage, Spa Facial, Face

Bleach, Pedicure, Make Up, and Hair Set. Creative artists are in charge of the makeup of the bride and groom while hair style professionals are respon-sible for the arrangement of the hair.

Bleaching, face lifting, wart removal, anti-ageing, glycolic peel, pimple treat-ment, body polish, and earlobe repair and piercing are also provided here. Special slimming, firming, tummy tucks, thighs tucks, body therapy and mas-sages at this parlour create symphony and balance of body, mind and soul. Men and women can also avail of herbal regeneration and organic skin care at this beauty salon.

At Lekshmi Beauty Parlour, with their high standards of beauty treatments and caring professionalism, focus is on the client. Special attention is given to train their staff on latest advancements in beauty care. Over the years, they have well established an extensive clientele base. The comfortable ambi-ence, caring approach, excellent service and professionalism at Lekshmi Beauty Parlour make it a one of its kind beauty salon experience.


Vedhika, Kerala’s first de-signer fashion store cel-ebrates the colors of life, through a kaleidoscope of fabrics,rejoicing the heart and soul of Indian heritage ,tradition and culture. A harmony of India’s rich and diverse cultures, tradition and modernity, weaving and handcraft –Vedhika portrays them in sublime beauty and style-celebrat-ing the art of creativity, also seen through the eyes of international fashion sensibilities!!!

Started on 29th October 2012,at SFS Icon in Vel-layambalam Road ,Trivan-drum ,is Vedhika’s flagship store.Within the short span of three months ,this brand

driven by its astute wom-en entrepreneurs enjoys an endearing patronage across Kerala ,many celeb-rities and a strong NRI and foreign clientele around the globe. Undoubtedly this also comprises win-ning many a connoisseurs’ hearts.Maithri and Anupama , two childhood friends chose to weave the fable in their hearts –the legend of heri-tage, beauty and celebra-tion. Choosing a world of their own, with an appetite to ‘innovate ‘ and the willing-ness to work tirelessly they dared to create “works of art” on textiles.The confluence of their creativity combined with

a burning passion, results in mind-blowing creations woven in an assortment of garments.Brand -“Vedhika”, captures and celebrates the colors of life with all their inno-cence, passions, and joys on the loom of innovation. Brand -“Vedhika” indeed is celebrating life with in-spired panache!

Maithri shares her journey with Vedhika with Metro Mart:-

Could you tell us that one strong reason which decided your destiny as an entrepreneur? The urge to satisfy my creative fantasies and fulfil the same suc-

“Celebrating colours of life”Vedhika by Maithri Srikant


cessfully .Realizing the need to utilize my God given potential to the fullest,entrepreneurship was my natural choice.

Why do you think that your brand is unique when com-pared with competitors?Here,we create most products and design them right from the shade of the threads to the final garment.Innovation is the USP here making each piece a piece de resistance

Do you think that being a business person has differ-ent meanings for a man and a woman?Not at all. Inherent quali-ties of a business don’t change and to keep it successfully running the person at the healm has to make the same efforts ,be it a man or a woman.

As a successful entrepre-neur, how do you assess the business environment in Trivandrum?The business environ-ment is in transition-new avenues are evolving .Nev-ertheless , more encour-agement from the part of the government would be appreciated to tap more opportunities and for new businesses .

Tell us a person whom you admire a lot in life and why?

My father-an eminent, innovative and successful businessman who finds time to strike the right balance between work and leisure.

What is that one particular thing which you like to change in life and why?I would like increase my pace in doing daily chores so that I have more time in hand and im able to accomplish more of my duties.

Would you please intro-duce your family to us and tell us how significant are they in encouraging this business woman in you?Father Srikant is a well known businessman,Chairman of SFS Homes and mother is a lawyer I owe my business acumen to my father,aesthetics to my mother.Husband Anand Sarma is a Chartered Ac-countant who lets me give the fire to my fancy .And

above all my three year old daughter,Vedhika co-operates and understands the many a time busy entrepreneur-mother.

How do you spend your leisure time?Reading, travelling, mov-ies.

What are the future aspira-tions in your trade?To carry Indian textile heritage to the rest of the world in different forms.

What is your message to those young women entrepreneurs who wish to weave a success story of their own?Live out your unrealized dreams, garner the cour-age to convince the world, cross out all challenges and hurdles.Like Paulo Coelho put it “when you really want something to happen, the whole universe conspires so that your wish comes true”. Then tomorrow ,paradise is yours.

“Celebrating colours of life”

Vedhika brand is created by two childhood friends, Anupama and Maithri.


Sustainable agriculture development by JaivasreeUnder the chairmanship of M.M. Hassan, Jaivas-ree caters to the sustain-able development needs of agriculture and allied sectors whilst supporting the farmers associated with the sector. It is cur-rently functioning with its headquarters in Trivan-

drum. The basic phi-losophy is to cater to the safe-food needs of the general population whilst simultaneously nurtur-ing the grassroots level farmers, agrarians and small-scale value addition producers by means of ensuring a reasonable

good income for their prod-ucts.Thiruvananthapuram, being a consumer city, will benefit greatly from the upcoming Jaivasree retail department stores. Jaivas-ree Homes programme would motivate members to develop their home-steads into organic farms

“Janasree is a self-help promoting institution based on family union. Prosperity, protection, self-suffi-ciency and economic independence of the family are our goals. Janasree promotes the coming together of self-help groups which act together and find solu-tions to poverty and unemployment.”

M M HassanChairmanJanasree Sustainable Development Mission

FEATURE ARTICLE


Sustainable agriculture development by Jaivasree

with multiple food crops required for the day-to-day requirement of the households.

Group farming through organic farming meth-ods will be taken up in panchayats. Technical, research and managerial support will be provided to the members in vari-ous Jaivasree activities. Processing units of Agricultural and Animal Husbandry Products will be set up.

Jaivasree procures and supplies agriculture materials. Jaivasree’s agricultural initiatives as-sure supply of toxin-free and hygienic foods while developing the market for the farmer’s produce.

Lukka T OChief Operating OfficerJanasree Microfin Limited

“Janasree Sustainable Development Mission spearheads various sustainable develop-ment activities. We have started Jaivasree Bazaar in Thiruvananthapuram. Comprehen-sive approach to make available toxin-free foods is Janasree’s concept. Four core areas will be covered under one umbrella – Café Jaivasree where toxin-free foods would be available; providing toxin-free vegetables; supplying toxin-free pulses and cereals; mak-ing available fertilizers and pesticides with less toxin. Training programs on safe and toxin-free food production will be provided.”


Startup Village firms win NASSCOM award for women’s safety appsTwo smartphone applica-tions developed by firms at Kochi’s Startup Village have been named among the ten best apps designed for the security of women, by IT industry body NASS-COM.Sentinel developed by MindHelix

Technosol Pvt Ltd and iFollow from Aucupa In-novative Solutions were among the winners of NASSCOM’s first all-India App Fame Contest to search for mobile tools to aid personal safety of women and to help deal with emergencies

.Sentinel is a GPS-based application developed by MindHelix for Android devices and iPhone.

It can make SOS calls and send text alerts and emails with location information to pre-saved emergency numbers and IDs at the touch of a button. The application works even

in situations where the user is unable to trigger the alert manually or the phone is destroyed or there is no internet access. It can be downloaded for free from Google Play and the App store.

Aucupa’s iFollow is an Android app that auto-matically dials voice calls to emergency contacts pre-configured on the device.

It is activated if the phone is shaken continuously for five seconds, and on standby mode it works silently in the background to reduce power consump-tion and CPU usage.

iFollow is also a free ap-plication that can be down-loaded from Google Play.MindHelix and Aucupa are both fledgling companies incubating at Startup Village. The latest award follows a series of honours and recognition for prod-

ucts and services devel-oped by young innovators at India’s first telecom technology incubator.

NASSCOM’s App Fame Contest received entries from around the country and a shortlist was made by the competition jury consisting of Stanford University Director Gerard J Rego; txtWeb India Busi-ness Head Srividhya Rama-rathnam; Mobidex360’s Prakash Sayini; and Pratap Reddy, IGP, Western Re-gion, Mangalore.

The shortlisted firms demonstrated their apps before the jury. The awards were presented at a function in Delhi on Wednesday (June 19).

NASSCOM will make the award-winning apps available to its member organisations.

Kerala’s Responsible Tourism Initiative Kerala Institute of Tourism & Travel Studies

KITTS, Residency, Thycaud, Thiruvananthapuram 695 014, Kerala, India.Phone: +91 471 2329468, 2329539, 2339178, Fax: +91 471 2323989, Email: [email protected]

www.kittsedu.org

27th-29th June, 2013.Kumarakom, Kerala, India.

Responsible TourismInternational Conference on

A conference on Responsible Tourism. So that you can make a difference.


Kerala’s Responsible Tourism Initiative Kerala Institute of Tourism & Travel Studies

KITTS, Residency, Thycaud, Thiruvananthapuram 695 014, Kerala, India.Phone: +91 471 2329468, 2329539, 2339178, Fax: +91 471 2323989, Email: [email protected]

www.kittsedu.org

27th-29th June, 2013.Kumarakom, Kerala, India.

Responsible TourismInternational Conference on

A conference on Responsible Tourism. So that you can make a difference.

Tourism value more important than visitor numbersGovernments are being advised to measure the success of tourism initia-tives not by the number of visitor arrivals each year but by the value these tourists bring to the local economies at each destina-tion.

As the three-day Interna-tional Conference on Re-sponsible Tourism (RT) at Kumarakom concluded on Saturday, a number of sug-gestions emerged on how the industry move towards achieving the triple bot-tom line of environmental sustainability, economic growth and socio-cultural conservation.

Mr Harold Goodwin, who summed up the proceed-ings of the conference at the valedictory function on Friday, said the RT move-ment in Kerala is in great

shape at the moment.

Achievements over the past five years have included enduring partner-ships between panchay-ats, self-help groups, the local communities and the industry; a new tourism policy focused on RT; the RT classification system; generation data on the RT experience in Kerala; and demonstrable and measur-able benefits going to local communities.

He said while it was a good start, there was much that could be done and advised the state government to focus on measuring, reporting and looking at the yield and not just the number of arrivals.

“It is not the number of people but the amount of profit that is made from

each visitor that matters. Don’t worship numbers, it is about the value tour-ism brings to the local economy,” he said.

The conference, organ-ised by the Department of Tourism in partnership with RTSchool@KITTS, concluded on Saturday after a day-long by del-egates around Kumarakom following two days of discussions.

Shri. B K Saroop Roy, State Project Co-ordinator, Responsible Tourism Initia-tive, KITTS, who summed up the discussions at a session held on Friday on the environmental respon-sibility of RT, said experts, specialists groups and organisations must come forward and contribute ideas on carrying out reli-able impact assessment


of tourism and capacity studies on destinations – an exercise that is vital for planning strategies for sustainable and respon-sible tourism.

Among the key recom-mendations at the session was the need for a pool of ideas and resources that can be accessed by all stakeholders in RT and bet-ter documentation of best practices from the tourism industry, case studies and reports that can be learn-ing tools for practitioners.

He said the official RT web-site of the Kerala govern-ment could be a resource to post these ideas and reports for all stakeholders to access.

“We also need to develop best practice guidelines for tourism construction, how energy and environment friendly the buildings must be. And we require more

experts and organisations to assist us with carrying out reliable carrying capac-ity studies,” he said.

There was also a sugges-tion to set up a specialised Sustainability University’ in Kerala to focus on academ-ics and research related to the subject.

The inclusion of RT as part of the curriculum or as an extra-curricular activity car-ried out through tourism clubs in schools and colleg-es was an idea supported by a number participants at the conference. Shri Roy said KITTS will soon introduce a certificate course in RT specifically for practitioners.

Shri C Jayakumar from the Thiruvananthapuram-based NGO Thanal said RT should address, besides air, water, soil and aesthetic pollution, the problem of light pollu-

tion caused by excessive, environmentally-damaging use of artificial light.

A number of similar sug-gestions were put forward at the session focused on economic responsibility.

The lead speaker, Dr B Vi-jyakumar, Principal, KITTS, said there was a need for support mechanisms for micro enterprises started by women in RT destina-tions.

Also, existing marketing strategy for RT had to be strengthened and pro-moted so small businesses linked to it could earn a sustainable income. “In-novation should be linked with RT initiative, particu-larly in developing niche products and entering into niche market areas. Such innovators must be given support,” he said.A number of entrepre-neurs are interested in


entering into and investing in production, marketing and other areas of tourism; but they require techni-cal support for preparing projects and implementing them in a feasible manner, he added. Among other major recommendations were, public-private partnership in promoting investment at the local level; and en-suring public health, safety and security systems at tourism destinations for sustainable growth.The issue of “restructured ethnicity”, the cultural adaptation for the purpose of tourism, was a major discussion point at the ses-sion on the socio-cultural aspect of RT.

As a result of this adapta-tion locals lose their individual and cultural identities and it causes the public to become annoyed with tourism, said Shri M S Venugopal, Deputy Direc-tor, Department of Tour-ism, who led the talk. “This irritation may lead to protests and eventually the loss of the destination.

A collective effort involv-ing hosts, locals as well as the guests has to be made to minimise cultural dete-rioration,” he said.

Shri Jose Dominic, Manag-ing Director, CGH Earth, proposed the idea of a “mentorship clinic” where industry experts could come, hear out ideas from entrepreneurs wanting to set up micro enterprises, and provide them with advice on how to start the business.

He said sustainable and innovative ideas such as “eco-camping” could also be promoted. “This requires very little land, maybe an acre and a half. Guests can come with their own camping gear. All you need to do is provide them with basic facilities like wa-ter, toilets and some lights; attach Kudumbashree to that and maybe they can pro-vide a simple meal too,” he said.

Shri. U V Jose, Addl. Direc-tor (Planning and Projects) said the Department of Tourism was fully support-ive of eco-friendly projects. In Kumarakom the Depart-ment plans to develop six kilometres of cycling track along the canals this year, he informed.

“We have identified the locations and it is a testa-ment to the strength of

responsible tourism that the local people are happy to open up their land for this initiative,” he said.

Delegates participated ac-tively in the conference’s open forum on Friday with suggestions including focus on “geriatric tour-ism” as part of RT in view of the changing demo-graphics around the globe; including transport modes such as flying into the sustainability scheme and encouraging group travel to reduce pollution; train-ing for RT guides; setting targets for and reporting on carbon footprint of tourists at RT destinations.

Dr Rajashree Ajith, Direc-tor, KITTS, delivered the welcome address at the valedictory function. Dr Adama Bah, the Travel Foundation project coordi-nator for The Gambia also spoke on the occasion.

An exhibition was held along the sidelines of the conference featuring handicraft and indigenous products made at RT des-tinations across the state. The conference concluded on Saturday with site visits by the delegates around Kumarakom.


Social media is a best tool for tourism marketing

Social media and online marketing were the focus of today’s discussions at the International Confer-ence on Travel Technology (ICTT) India which was inaugurated on Friday at The Leela in Kovalam.

As travel decisions become increasingly influenced by peer reviews and opinions on social networks such as Facebook, Twit-ter, Google+, LinkedIn, Instagram and Pinterest,

experts are advising busi-nesses to factor in the internet in their marketing strategies.

“Social Media has become a constant presence throughout the traveller life cycle – from decision and planning stage, to the actual vacation, to post holiday,” said Ms Selina Power, a social media spe-cialist from Australia.

“It has become our infor-

mation network and our source of news.” A large proportion of travellers today use smartphones when they are travelling, to take photos, use maps or search for restaurants, she said. “They post photos and reviews for others to see and be influenced by; which travel businesses need to take seriously.”Her advice to those in the industry is: “create engaging social

India’s first conference on travel technology got underway today with a call to tourism and allied businesses to utilise social media, the blog world and digital apps for marketing their services to the new, tech-savvy global traveller.

METRO EVENT


conversations with the traveller, ask customers to share images with you on social media, ask them to get in touch with you for new deals, create mobile applications for tourists, and write content for the traveller’s friend”.

Ms Power also put empha-sis on quick response to complaints. “There is lot of power in what people say.

There are surveys that show more than half of travellers revise their original plans if there is negative social media feed-back about their chosen destinations.”Mr. Chad Wiebesick, Director of So-cial Media and Interactive Marketing for the tourism agency of Michigan state in the US, who spoke

about opportunities in tourism marketing using social media commended Kerala Tourism’s use of Facebook to engage with customers, both existing and potential.

“Kerala Tourism is doing a phenomenal job by making its fans heroes on Face-book. By posting good, user generated content, particularly photographs it is able to constantly generate likes, shares and interest from people,” he said.

Mr Wiebesick pointed out that smartphones have for the first time overtaken desktops and laptops as the most popular device for using social media. “Companies can drive traf-fic to their website from

multiple platforms if they have a responsive web design – a template that looks the same whether it is on the desktop, or a tablet or a mobile phone.”

He said firms should mea-sure social media impact not simply by the total number of followers, but by the number that are ac-tually talking about them and the demographics of the followers.

Blogs were also cited as one of the best tools for increasing visibility online. “Google SEO loves blogs because they have fresh content and lots of it,” said Mr Wiebesick said.

“A blog is the only social media channel you own. Facebook and Twitter


change their algorithms periodically so you need to keep up with it, but a blog is your own space. Integrate it with your main website and you will gen-erate more leads, opportu-nities and customers.”

Mr Adam Franklin, Mar-ketMr Philip Calvert, an au-thor and social networking entrepreneur from the UK, spoke about the benefits of LinkedIn for travel pro-fessionals and companies. “LinkedIn is a massive mine of data and one of the best social networks for lead generation,” he

said. “It allows you to demonstrate expertise, increase visibility, network-ing and contacts, research target markets and is an excellent search engine.” He said one of the biggest advantages of social media for businesses is that it “humanises brands”.

More than 250 delegates, including tour operators, travel professionals and bloggers, from around the country and abroad are attending the conference which features 17 eminent speakers from countries such as the US, UK, Austra-

lia and UAE.

Over two days the confer-ence will cover around 23 topics including mobile applications, pricing and distribution strategies, managing reviews and handling competition, revenue management, business intelligence and the future of technology.

An exhibition is also being organized on the side-lines of the conference to provide an opportunity for travel and tourism busi-nesses to showcase their products and services.

Products used


Uday Samudra Leisure Beach Hotel & Spa (UDS) - the complete wellness resort in the International tourist destination, Kova-lam - has been nominated for the prestigious World Luxury Hotel awards in 2013. UDS had bagged this award in 2010, 2011 and

2012. The UDS’s philosophy of combining the best elements of nature with the convenience of today’s modern world, through exceptional standards of luxury, elegance and service, together with ISO 9001 - 2000 standards and impressive manage-

ment tools, has created a powerful presence in the hospitality sector. The universally acknowledged World Luxury Hotel Award is intended to celebrate excellent achievements in the luxury hotel industry. This year the award – regarded as the highest ac-colade that a property can receive within the global luxury hotel industry – is to be announced and pre-sented with their recogni-tion at the annual World Luxury Hotels Awards Gala Ceremony to be held at In-digo Pearl Phuket Resort, Thailand, on November 1, 2013.

Kallingal Bajaj as a part of their Corporate Social Responsibility conducted several programmes on World Environment Day. Environment day seminar, distribution of saplings, customer meet, smoke emission checking, etc., were held by Kallingal Bajaj, the dealers for Bajaj on June 5, 2013 at Nedu-mangad. Nedumangad Circle Inspector S. Suresh-kumar inaugurated the meeting on environment

UDS nominated for World Luxury Hotel Awards

day and the distribution of saplings. Ward Councilor Sindhu Krishnakumar received the first sapling. Kallingal Bajaj Managing Director

Kallingal Shafeeq, Aravind Agarwal of Mahindra Finance, Directors Kallingal Shafeer and Kallingal Sha-keer spoke at the event.

Kallingal Bajaj celebrates World Environment Day

Products used


Kerala has to balance energy and environment needsThe Kerala government is open to all practical mea-sures that will help the state generate clean, af-fordable power for future needs, and balance its energy requirements and environmental concerns, Chief Minister Shri. Oom-men Chandy said today.

Inaugurating a day-long workshop on ‘Energy & En-vironment - Challenges & Solutions’ organized in the state capital by the Kerala State Industrial Develop-ment Corporation (KSIDC), Shri Chandy said the state can neither block develop-ment in the name of con-servation nor destroy the environment to pursue growth.

“Finding a balance be-tween the two is our big-gest challenge today. The

Government will see any recommendation from this workshop and from public forums on energy, waste management and other pressing issues very posi-tively and see if it can be practically implemented,” he said.

The Chief Minister said en-vironment concerns have meant that the state has had to rethink its energy options. “Our focus in the last century was hydel power; but today we find it hard to get environmental clearances for such proj-ects, which means we now need to concentrate on non-conventional resourc-es such as solar and wind power.”

In his keynote address at the inauguration Minis-ter for Industries and IT

Shri P K Kunhalikutty said Kerala’s challenge today is to generate power that is cheap, reliable and cost effective. “This is the big-gest discussion point and everyone must think about it,” he said.

“Waste to energy is a good slogan, but talking about is not going to help, we need to see what can be done practically,” the Min-ister added. “There are solutions out there, tech-nologies that have been developed and deployed successfully; the key is to find which of these will suit the specific needs of our state.”

Minister for Power & Trans-port Shri Aryadan Moham-med in his special address pointed out that although Kerala generates 28 times

METRO EVENT


more power than it did in 1957, the number of con-sumers has increased by a massive 100-fold.

“At this rate our power def-icit will only widen in the fu-ture. If we cannot address the issues of energy avail-ability and pricing urgently, we are heading for an even bigger crisis,” he said. “We have projects with total ca-pacities of around 700MW still awaiting environmen-tal clearances. Environ-ment is a genuine concern and we must do all we can to minimize the impact on it, but it is vital that these energy projects get off the ground if we are to sustain development.”

He said solar and wind en-ergy, as well as other non-conventional sources also needed to be explored, but there are limitations to overcome for Kerala in this area in terms of land avail-ability, population density

and financial viability.

“However, if the 84 lakh domestic consumers in Kerala install rooftop solar power units of at least 1-2 kWh each, we can signifi-cantly reduce the load on our grids. These are solu-tions we must consider seriously,” Shri Aryadan Mohammed added.

At the start of the work-shop, Shri. Manu Puri, Prin-cipal, Energy and Utilities, Accenture, set the theme for the workshop by listing out the energy options be-fore Kerala including gas-fired plants, coal-based sta-tions, hydroelectric power, solar energy, wind power, biofuels, energy from waste and nuclear power.

He said the current over-dependence on hydel power which is in turn re-liant on seasonal rains can be damaging for Kerala in the future. “There is a dire need for the state to

look at a more diverse mix, particularly sustainable power sources such as so-lar and biomass,” he said. “If Kerala utilizes all the re-sources available and takes advantage of its geogra-phy it can have sustained, uninterrupted electricity year-round and become a power surplus state.”

Shri K S Sreenivas, Secre-tary (Industries) delivered the welcome address. KSIDC Managing Director Shri Tom Jose was among the dignitaries present at the workshop.

In the first session of the workshop, Shri Preman Di-naraj, Director (Finance), Nuclear Power Corporation of India, made a presenta-tion on Energy Security from a national and state perspective. He said India needs to have sustained growth of 7-8% in the com-ing years which means power generation has to


be added rapidly.

“The planning process for energy has to start at least 10 years early if we have to match our demand with supply; and supplemental efforts must come from both public and private sector.”

He said nuclear power is an option that states like Ker-ala can consider since it re-quires less land, less fuel by volume when compared to coal, is cheap, reliable, has negligible emissions and has a far longer life relative to other renewables.

Dr A K Balyan, Managing Di-rector and CEO of Petronet LNG Ltd and Shri J Wason, Chairman, Kerala GAIL Gas Ltd made detailed presen-tations on natural gas as an energy source.

Dr Balyan pointed out that natural gas has been ac-knowledged as the clean-est and the most efficient fuel. He said across the

world new, massive gas reserves are being discov-ered every year; in the fu-ture more availability will translate into lower costs.

He said the way forward for the sector was having robust infrastructure, cre-ation of a sovereign fund to help companies acquire assets outside and better pricing and taxation to im-prove affordability of gas as an energy source.

Shri. Wason listed the wide applications of natural gas in various sectors ranging from power generation, industrial purposes such as in bakeries, cashew facto-ries, steel foundries, glass manufacturing; for trans-port; cooling and refrig-eration. He said the Kochi-Mangalore pipeline project will create a virtual river of energy that can drive eco-nomic growth.Shri. M Siva-sankar, Secretary (Power) and Chairman, KSEB, chaired the session.

The afternoon session fo-cused on non-conventional energy sources and waste management. Speakers in-cluded Dr. Rajan Khobraga-de, Secretary (LSG); Dr Kala Seetharam Sridhar, Head, Public Policy Research , Public Affairs Centre, Ban-galore; Shri. Narasimhan Santhanam, Co-founder and Director, Energy Al-ternatives India; Shri M S Unnikrishnan, Managing Director Thermax; Shri. Mohammed Hussain, Di-rector, Centre for Wind En-ergy Technology; Shri. Ajith Gopi, Joint Technical Direc-tor, ANERT; and Dr Prava Debal, Assistant General Manager, Indian Renew-able Energy Development Agency Ltd.

Shri K M Chandrasekhar, Vice Chairman, Kerala State Planning Board made the concluding remarks at the workshop.


“Rain is not only drops of water.It is the LOVE of sky for earth.They never meet each other but send LOVE this way.Enjoy the LOVE of nature”.

Monsoon tourism is gaining more popularity year after year. Monsoon tourism al-lows tourists to explore the intrinsic beauty of Kerala with a feel of adventure. It is still something of a new experience to our foreign tourists. Kerala is a cool monsoon destination in India with water falls, river rafting, boating and other thrills. The period from June to July and October to November used to be considered off-season due to monsoons. It is unfortunate that there are no foreign charter tourist flights to Kerala during monsoon season.

Government of Kerala and the tourism department should come forward with aggres-sive marketing plans to promote monsoon tourism and to attract more tourists dur-ing the season. More promotion campaigns need to be organized globally focusing on rain drops, water falls and other water effects.

Tourism Department and the resorts should launch special tourism promotional schemes during monsoon season. For example, the Leela Goa reduces it’s room rates by nearly 80% during the monsoon season.

The state tourism department and private players in the industry should re-schedule their campaign accordingly to promote monsoon & Ayurvedic health tourism as well.

Enjoy the love of nature,

Happy Monsoon!

Vyapaar 2012 will act as an exciting platform for Indian traders as it will feature a variety of exhibits from various sectors. It is a complete Trade Show on Technology, Electronics, Textiles, Tourism and Infrastructure.

The event will be held from 19th to 23rd December 2012 at Mascot Hotel, Trivandrum, to be featured with a wide variety of sessions that are related to one's specific areas of interest. Vyapaar 2012 will provide an ample opportunity for Traders & Brands to meet National & International authorized partners, agents, dealers and Customers.

It will be the perfect place to access products, suppliers and service provider from different industries. This 5-day event will not only serve the tangible business needs but it will also help in building bonds for the future by facilitating interactions between various traders.

By being a part of 'Vyapaar 2012' you are granted a chance to see the best, know the best and to learn from the very best. Moreover, it is also an opportunity to gain connections with new suppliers, customers and business partners, and stay up-to-date with the latest trends in your field of expertise. 'Vyapaar 2012' is going to be the region's largest gathering of traders, complete with high-powered seminars, interactive workshops and group discussions.

Looking forward to welcome you at the Exhibition.

The Last Leaf

METROmartT H I R U VA N A N T H A P U R A M

Vyapaar 2012 to begin on Dec 19 – Be a partof the region's largest gathering of Traders

follow me https://www.facebook.com/sijicn

http://in.linkedin.com/pub/siji-nair/14/70/4b7

Http://twitter.com/sijicn


Vyapaar 2012 will act as an exciting platform for Indian traders as it will feature a variety of exhibits from various sectors. It is a complete Trade Show on Technology, Electronics, Textiles, Tourism and Infrastructure.

The event will be held from 19th to 23rd December 2012 at Mascot Hotel, Trivandrum, to be featured with a wide variety of sessions that are related to one's specific areas of interest. Vyapaar 2012 will provide an ample opportunity for Traders & Brands to meet National & International authorized partners, agents, dealers and Customers.

It will be the perfect place to access products, suppliers and service provider from different industries. This 5-day event will not only serve the tangible business needs but it will also help in building bonds for the future by facilitating interactions between various traders.

By being a part of 'Vyapaar 2012' you are granted a chance to see the best, know the best and to learn from the very best. Moreover, it is also an opportunity to gain connections with new suppliers, customers and business partners, and stay up-to-date with the latest trends in your field of expertise. 'Vyapaar 2012' is going to be the region's largest gathering of traders, complete with high-powered seminars, interactive workshops and group discussions.

Looking forward to welcome you at the Exhibition.

The Last Leaf

METROmartT H I R U VA N A N T H A P U R A M

Vyapaar 2012 to begin on Dec 19 – Be a partof the region's largest gathering of Traders

follow me https://www.facebook.com/sijicn

http://in.linkedin.com/pub/siji-nair/14/70/4b7

Http://twitter.com/sijicn

metromart july 2013

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