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Sunday, August 4, 2013
Saturday, August 3, 2013
Thursday, August 1, 2013
Indian travellers prefer online booking for hotels: MakeMyTrip
Mumbai: Indian travellers increasingly prefer to book hotels online, according to a survey by MakeMyTrip. 97 per cent Indians prefer booking a hotel online while 77 per cent have already booked a hotel online through an Online Travel Agent (OTA), the survey said. Interestingly, 40 per cent Indian travellers said they have booked last minute hotels for same day check-ins while 14 per cent Indians have used a mobile app to book hotels.
The survey was done on MakeMyTrip’s customer database of over 3,000 people, aged between 18 and 40 years. The survey aims at understanding the behaviour pattern and preferences of Indians for booking hotels for their domestic and overseas travel.
Rajesh Magow, Co-Founder and Chief Financial and Operating Officer, MakeMyTrip said, “We launched this survey to better understand the hotel-reservation behaviour of Indian travellers, and the triggers and concerns that shape their decision-making process. The survey has some encouraging findings for OTAs such as the increasing preference and propensity for Indian travellers to research and book hotels online. However, the results also reveal that payment/data security continue to be the topmost concern-area for a majority of Indian travellers when booking a hotel online.”
The survey reveals that when it comes to hotel booking, Indians are the least brand conscious with only 14 per cent Indians preferring brand name while price, location and service top their preference list. Price is the key decision making factor for Indians booking a hotel in India (49 per cent) or overseas (60 per cent) while amenities are the least important factor when booking a hotel. Indians prefer hotel location (49 per cent) over customer service (44 per cent) when booking an overseas hotel while service (49 per cent) triumphs over location (46 per cent) when booking in India.
Indians favour three and four star hotels over luxury properties both in terms of preference and for actual booking in India and overseas. More Indians prefer a luxury property when booking overseas than in India, the survey said. Home-stays too continue to excite the Indian traveller with more Indians (26 per cent) preferring home-stays to service apartments (18 per cent).
The survey was done on MakeMyTrip’s customer database of over 3,000 people, aged between 18 and 40 years. The survey aims at understanding the behaviour pattern and preferences of Indians for booking hotels for their domestic and overseas travel.
Rajesh Magow, Co-Founder and Chief Financial and Operating Officer, MakeMyTrip said, “We launched this survey to better understand the hotel-reservation behaviour of Indian travellers, and the triggers and concerns that shape their decision-making process. The survey has some encouraging findings for OTAs such as the increasing preference and propensity for Indian travellers to research and book hotels online. However, the results also reveal that payment/data security continue to be the topmost concern-area for a majority of Indian travellers when booking a hotel online.”
The survey reveals that when it comes to hotel booking, Indians are the least brand conscious with only 14 per cent Indians preferring brand name while price, location and service top their preference list. Price is the key decision making factor for Indians booking a hotel in India (49 per cent) or overseas (60 per cent) while amenities are the least important factor when booking a hotel. Indians prefer hotel location (49 per cent) over customer service (44 per cent) when booking an overseas hotel while service (49 per cent) triumphs over location (46 per cent) when booking in India.
Indians favour three and four star hotels over luxury properties both in terms of preference and for actual booking in India and overseas. More Indians prefer a luxury property when booking overseas than in India, the survey said. Home-stays too continue to excite the Indian traveller with more Indians (26 per cent) preferring home-stays to service apartments (18 per cent).
Japan Coal Energy keen to work on more power projects
Hyderabad: Japan Coal Energy Centre (JCOAL) has conducted efficiency studies on eight power generation units at seven power plants including that of NTPC, AP Genco and DVC and sees potential to improve performance.
It is planning to take up similar studies on power projects in some other States for follow-up works engaging Japanese companies.
Koichi Inoue, Senior Deputy Director of the Coal Division of the Agency for Natural Resources and Energy Ministry of Japan, said that JCOAL conducted studies on Ramagundam, Kahalgam, Unchahar, Badarpur plants of NTPC, Wanakbori of GSECL and AP Genco project of Narla Tata Rao Thermal Power Station and Durgapur plant of Damodar Valley Corporation.
These studies were conducted involving operations teams from Japanese power companies and equipment manufacturers. Following detailed studies, they suggested turbine rehabilitation, operational control and changes in other aspects of power plants. JCOAL is now following up on the process introducing Japanese financial schemes and case studies on cost benefit analysis.
He said that Babcock-Hitachi and Toshiba will provide additional back-up and diagnosis for follow-up improvements on various power projects. This will improve the efficiencies of various existing power projects.
NUCLEAR PLANTS
Referring to the Great East Earthquake, when the Japanese nuclear plants stopped operation due to safety concerns, the power demand balance was destabilised. Now, power companies are compensating for the shortage of electricity by using coal-fired power plants. Some of the old stations using LNG were reopened.
The nuclear power stations may restart after their safety has been fully established, he said.
It is planning to take up similar studies on power projects in some other States for follow-up works engaging Japanese companies.
Koichi Inoue, Senior Deputy Director of the Coal Division of the Agency for Natural Resources and Energy Ministry of Japan, said that JCOAL conducted studies on Ramagundam, Kahalgam, Unchahar, Badarpur plants of NTPC, Wanakbori of GSECL and AP Genco project of Narla Tata Rao Thermal Power Station and Durgapur plant of Damodar Valley Corporation.
These studies were conducted involving operations teams from Japanese power companies and equipment manufacturers. Following detailed studies, they suggested turbine rehabilitation, operational control and changes in other aspects of power plants. JCOAL is now following up on the process introducing Japanese financial schemes and case studies on cost benefit analysis.
He said that Babcock-Hitachi and Toshiba will provide additional back-up and diagnosis for follow-up improvements on various power projects. This will improve the efficiencies of various existing power projects.
NUCLEAR PLANTS
Referring to the Great East Earthquake, when the Japanese nuclear plants stopped operation due to safety concerns, the power demand balance was destabilised. Now, power companies are compensating for the shortage of electricity by using coal-fired power plants. Some of the old stations using LNG were reopened.
The nuclear power stations may restart after their safety has been fully established, he said.
British iconic motorcycle brand Triumph set to enter India in November
Mumbai: After almost a year of delay, the iconic British Motorcycle brand, Triumph is all set to enter India this November. Announcing its entry into India on Wednesday, the company also declared the appointment of Vimal Sumbly as the managing director of the company to lead its charge in India.
The company is likely to begin with a portfolio of Bonneville, Daytona 675 and Rocket in India and it will eventually add more models to build its portfolio. Some of these models will be assembled at the company's CKD (completely knocked down) units in Manesar which is nearing completion. It is currently looking for dealer partners across strategic locations, said the company
Emphasising the significance India plays in the global strategy, Paul Stroud - director sales & marketing (global) said '2013 is a very crucial year for Triumph Motorcycles in India and as a company, we are confident about the timing of our market entry. In the past few months, we have carefully assessed the market landscape and will be making well-honed efforts to provide our discerning customers with a complete brand experience.'
Prior to joining Triumph, Sumbly was GM Sales at Bajaj AutoBSE -0.66 % Ltd and comes with close to 16 years of experience in the automobile space. An ardent biker himself, Sumbly will spearhead the sales development and growth of Triumph in India.
Established in 1902, Triumph Motorcycles completed 110 years of its operation in 2012. For more than two decades, Triumph Motorcycles has been based in Hinckley, Leicestershire, and has produced iconic bikes, known for its design, character and performance. Triumph is the largest British motorcycle manufacturer selling over 50,000 bikes in a year and has more than 750 dealers across the world.
The company is likely to begin with a portfolio of Bonneville, Daytona 675 and Rocket in India and it will eventually add more models to build its portfolio. Some of these models will be assembled at the company's CKD (completely knocked down) units in Manesar which is nearing completion. It is currently looking for dealer partners across strategic locations, said the company
Emphasising the significance India plays in the global strategy, Paul Stroud - director sales & marketing (global) said '2013 is a very crucial year for Triumph Motorcycles in India and as a company, we are confident about the timing of our market entry. In the past few months, we have carefully assessed the market landscape and will be making well-honed efforts to provide our discerning customers with a complete brand experience.'
Prior to joining Triumph, Sumbly was GM Sales at Bajaj AutoBSE -0.66 % Ltd and comes with close to 16 years of experience in the automobile space. An ardent biker himself, Sumbly will spearhead the sales development and growth of Triumph in India.
Established in 1902, Triumph Motorcycles completed 110 years of its operation in 2012. For more than two decades, Triumph Motorcycles has been based in Hinckley, Leicestershire, and has produced iconic bikes, known for its design, character and performance. Triumph is the largest British motorcycle manufacturer selling over 50,000 bikes in a year and has more than 750 dealers across the world.
Rate of interest subvention increased from 2% to 3%
New Delhi: Presently the rate of Interest Subvention for credit obtained by exporters is 2%. There has been persistent demand to both increase the rate of subvention and also to widen the coverage. At present, all exporters who are micro and small enterprises, irrespective of the export sector, are beneficiaries of this scheme. In addition, the exporters belonging to the following sectors are eligible to receive interest subvention : (i) Handlooms (ii) Handicraft (iii) Carpets (iv) Toys and Sports Goods (v) Processed Agricultural Products (vi) Readymade Garments (vii) 235 tariff lines in Engineering Sectors, and (viii) 6 tariff lines in Chapter 63 of ITC(HS) (textiles made ups).
The Commerce Minister had taken up this issue with the Finance Minister. Both the Ministers have met on Friday 26th July to consider this request from our exporters. It has now been decided by the Government to increase the rate of Interest Subvention from the existing 2% to 3%. All pending claims would also be cleared immediately.
This will benefit the exporters of small and medium enterprises and also the most of the labour intensive sectors. Their cost will come down appropriately by increase in the rate of interest subvention. The Commerce and Industry Minister has convened a meeting of Board of Trade (BoT) on 27th August, 2013 to review the current situation and the international trade scenario.
The Commerce Minister had taken up this issue with the Finance Minister. Both the Ministers have met on Friday 26th July to consider this request from our exporters. It has now been decided by the Government to increase the rate of Interest Subvention from the existing 2% to 3%. All pending claims would also be cleared immediately.
This will benefit the exporters of small and medium enterprises and also the most of the labour intensive sectors. Their cost will come down appropriately by increase in the rate of interest subvention. The Commerce and Industry Minister has convened a meeting of Board of Trade (BoT) on 27th August, 2013 to review the current situation and the international trade scenario.
Single Window Clearance to promote India as a films hub and destination – Secretary (I&B)
I&B Ministry Develops Sop for Film Shooting in India Online Portal and Website to Facilitate Applications Ministry Convenes National Workshop on ‘Single Window’ Clearance
New Delhi: The Ministry of Information & Broadcasting will be working to mainstream a synchronized ‘Standard Operating Procedures (SOP)’ for obtaining permissions for films shooting in India for both Indian and foreign film producers. This would lead to institutionalization and standardized benchmarks for each critical stakeholder involved in the process. The benchmarks identified in the SOP would clearly identify the responsibility of critical stakeholders in terms of clearances / timelines/ permissions required for films shooting. This was stated by Secretary (I&B), Shri Bimal Julka while delivering his inaugural address at the National Workshop on ‘Single Window Clearance for Film Shooting in India’ here today.
Regarding the initiative of the Ministry, Secretary mentioned that the Ministry was in the process of developing a dedicated online portal for operationalising the ‘Single Window Clearance’ System. The website would include the data on various requirements such as custom clearances, visas, cultural sensibilities etc. A Production Resource Guide highlighting different aspects of production as well as logistics and a digital location library of panaromic images of potential production locations would also form an important component of the online portal. The website will also include information on state-wise facilities like transport, hospitality, medical and other local information for the applicants.
Highlighting the importance of Social Media in the changed communication paradigm, Shri Julka said that the Ministry would actively utilize the new media platforms to provide real time information and facilitate active engagement and interaction with key stakeholders on the single window clearance mechanism. This would enable the seamless transition to online application process.
Elaborating further, Shri Julka said that the challenge before the ministry was to outline steps that would encourage producers to avail of the facility. The roadmap needed to include steps involving the simplification of the process, incentivization of various principles and inputs which would lead to India as a filming hub and synergize the link between films and tourism as the case world over.
During the inaugural session, Shri Raghvendra Singh, Joint Secretary (Films) made a presentation on facilitation of film production in India highlighting the growth of Indian Film Industry in view of the surge of domestic theatrical revenue which grew by 24% and contributed 76% to the Rs.124 billion Indian Film Industry. The relevance of digital dominance was also touched upon highlighting the share of digital format increasing to 80% in 2012. The presentation also touched upon the revenue assessment in view of the exponential growth in theatrical revenue. An overview was also provided regarding the increasing number of co-productions in the country and the deliberations of the Inter-Ministerial Committee constituted to fast track the process.
The day long workshop included interactions with key stakeholders including senior officers from key departments involved at the central level, state government representatives, film producers/ line producers and bodies such as FICCI. A first of its kind, the workshop was organised to review the experiences of the past and the obstacles that many a times led to delays in providing timely clearances/ permissions.
New Delhi: The Ministry of Information & Broadcasting will be working to mainstream a synchronized ‘Standard Operating Procedures (SOP)’ for obtaining permissions for films shooting in India for both Indian and foreign film producers. This would lead to institutionalization and standardized benchmarks for each critical stakeholder involved in the process. The benchmarks identified in the SOP would clearly identify the responsibility of critical stakeholders in terms of clearances / timelines/ permissions required for films shooting. This was stated by Secretary (I&B), Shri Bimal Julka while delivering his inaugural address at the National Workshop on ‘Single Window Clearance for Film Shooting in India’ here today.
Regarding the initiative of the Ministry, Secretary mentioned that the Ministry was in the process of developing a dedicated online portal for operationalising the ‘Single Window Clearance’ System. The website would include the data on various requirements such as custom clearances, visas, cultural sensibilities etc. A Production Resource Guide highlighting different aspects of production as well as logistics and a digital location library of panaromic images of potential production locations would also form an important component of the online portal. The website will also include information on state-wise facilities like transport, hospitality, medical and other local information for the applicants.
Highlighting the importance of Social Media in the changed communication paradigm, Shri Julka said that the Ministry would actively utilize the new media platforms to provide real time information and facilitate active engagement and interaction with key stakeholders on the single window clearance mechanism. This would enable the seamless transition to online application process.
Elaborating further, Shri Julka said that the challenge before the ministry was to outline steps that would encourage producers to avail of the facility. The roadmap needed to include steps involving the simplification of the process, incentivization of various principles and inputs which would lead to India as a filming hub and synergize the link between films and tourism as the case world over.
During the inaugural session, Shri Raghvendra Singh, Joint Secretary (Films) made a presentation on facilitation of film production in India highlighting the growth of Indian Film Industry in view of the surge of domestic theatrical revenue which grew by 24% and contributed 76% to the Rs.124 billion Indian Film Industry. The relevance of digital dominance was also touched upon highlighting the share of digital format increasing to 80% in 2012. The presentation also touched upon the revenue assessment in view of the exponential growth in theatrical revenue. An overview was also provided regarding the increasing number of co-productions in the country and the deliberations of the Inter-Ministerial Committee constituted to fast track the process.
The day long workshop included interactions with key stakeholders including senior officers from key departments involved at the central level, state government representatives, film producers/ line producers and bodies such as FICCI. A first of its kind, the workshop was organised to review the experiences of the past and the obstacles that many a times led to delays in providing timely clearances/ permissions.
Wednesday, July 31, 2013
Apollo does 700 cochlear implants
Hydearbad: In its efforts to provide hearing aid to the needy, Apollo Hospitals has achieved a milestone of implanting 700 cochlear devices.
A cochlear implant is a small, complex electronic device that can help to give a sense of sound to a person who is severely hard-of-hearing. Unlike a hearing aid, these implants bypass damaged portions of the ear and directly stimulate the auditory nerve.
The Executive Director of the Hospital, Sangita Reddy today announced the accomplishment of the Cochlear Implant clinic at the Apollo Health City.
She said the implant is expensive and appealed to donors and corporates to come forward and support several others who are in need of cochlear implants. Of the 700 patients treated till now 300 were supported by Arogyasree and 350 others got support from SAHI (Society to Aid the Hearing Impaired, Apollo Hospitals and donors.
A cochlear implant is a small, complex electronic device that can help to give a sense of sound to a person who is severely hard-of-hearing. Unlike a hearing aid, these implants bypass damaged portions of the ear and directly stimulate the auditory nerve.
The Executive Director of the Hospital, Sangita Reddy today announced the accomplishment of the Cochlear Implant clinic at the Apollo Health City.
She said the implant is expensive and appealed to donors and corporates to come forward and support several others who are in need of cochlear implants. Of the 700 patients treated till now 300 were supported by Arogyasree and 350 others got support from SAHI (Society to Aid the Hearing Impaired, Apollo Hospitals and donors.
GE Energy invests Rs 257 cr in Gati’s Sikkim hydel project
Hyderabad: GE Energy Financial Services India has invested Rs 257 crore in the Sikkim hydro-power project developed by Gati Ltd.
The investment was made through a share subscription agreement, according to Gati.
Gati Infrastructure Pvt Ltd, the energy initiative of Mahendra Agarwal, Founder and CEO of Gati Ltd, has developed the 110-megawatt Chuzachen hydro-electric project in east Sikkim to harness the water flow from the rivers Rangpo and Rongli. The project was commissioned in May.
The run-of-river hydel project has turbines and generators from Alstom India Ltd. The project built at a cost of Rs 1,188 crore is the first one of such size under private ownership in the North_East. IDFC is the lead financier with a loan at the project level. Capital Fortunes Pvt Ltd, Hyderabad, are the advisors and sole arrangers.
Mahendra Agarwal said, “Sikkim is a growing economy in the North-East with average rainfall higher than in several other Himalayan States. With glacial melt and the perennial rivers, Sikkim has a peak potential capacity of 8,000 megawatts of hydro-electric power.”
The investment was made through a share subscription agreement, according to Gati.
Gati Infrastructure Pvt Ltd, the energy initiative of Mahendra Agarwal, Founder and CEO of Gati Ltd, has developed the 110-megawatt Chuzachen hydro-electric project in east Sikkim to harness the water flow from the rivers Rangpo and Rongli. The project was commissioned in May.
The run-of-river hydel project has turbines and generators from Alstom India Ltd. The project built at a cost of Rs 1,188 crore is the first one of such size under private ownership in the North_East. IDFC is the lead financier with a loan at the project level. Capital Fortunes Pvt Ltd, Hyderabad, are the advisors and sole arrangers.
Mahendra Agarwal said, “Sikkim is a growing economy in the North-East with average rainfall higher than in several other Himalayan States. With glacial melt and the perennial rivers, Sikkim has a peak potential capacity of 8,000 megawatts of hydro-electric power.”
Government calls upon industry to invest in R&D in agrochemicals sector
New Delhi: The Government has called upon agrochemicals industry to invest in Research & Development and innovations in agrochemicals sector. Delivering the inaugural address at a two-day Third National Conference here today, the Secretary, Department of Chemicals & Petrochemicals, Ministry of Chemicals & Fertilizers, Shri Indrajit Pal said that in order to remain globally competitive, the industry needs to innovate in products, for which innovative state-of-the-art R&D laboratories and financial resources would be required. Shri Indrajit Pal said that the Indian chemical sector spends 1-2% of their total turnover on R&D as compared to around 5-10% by the chemical industry in the developed countries. One of the emerging areas for R & D is green agrochemicals and the Indian industry is the development of eco-friendly green agrochemicals, he added.
The Secretary informed that for ensuring quality of agrochemicals, the Government has set up 71 pesticides testing laboratories across the country that include 68 state laboratories, 2 regional laboratories and 1 central laboratory. Manufacturing units should adopt GMP (good manufacturing practices) and take all such measures that are necessary to ensure delivery of quality products to the farmers. Shri Indrajit Pal also informed that the Institute of Agrochemicals Formulation Technology (IPFT), an autonomous body of the Department of Chemicals and Petrochemicals, has been developing state-of-the-art user and environment friendly formulations for the agrochemicals industry. During the last 5-6 years, IPFT has developed many formulations and transferred them to the industries. He urged the industry to take full advantage of the facilities offered by the institute.
The Conference has been organised jointly by Federation of Indian Chambers of Commerce and Industry (FICCI), Departments of Chemicals & Petrochemicals, Department of Fertilizers and the Department of Agriculture & cooperation, Government of India. Tata Strategic Management Services (TSMG) are Knowledge and Strategy Partners and a Knowledge Paper on the sector was also released.
With nearly a 1.2 billion population, India requires a robust, modernized agriculture sector to ensure the food security for its population. Scope for further increasing cultivable land is limited. In order to meet the food grain requirements of the country, the agricultural productivity and its growth needs to be sustained and further improved. Pesticides or Agrochemicals are recognized as an essential input for increasing agricultural production and preventing crop loss before and after harvesting. Their judicious usage is very important for the sustained growth of Indian agriculture and economy.
India has low crop productivity as compared to other countries. Average productivity in India stands at 2 MT/ha as compared to 6 MT/ha in USA and world average of 3 MT/ha. At the same time, India’s pesticide consumption is also low at 0.60 kg/ha as compared to the world average of 3 kg/ha and for Japan 10.80 kgm. Hence, increased usage of pesticides could help the farmers to improve crop productivity. This also portrays the huge growth potential as the Indian economy moves forward.
The two-day conference will cover topics of relevance to the sector, incl. new developments, innovations, export potential as also issues such as spurious pesticides, regulatory regime etc. A large number of Captains of the chemical industry, academia, policy makers as also the end-users viz: the farmers were present.
The Secretary informed that for ensuring quality of agrochemicals, the Government has set up 71 pesticides testing laboratories across the country that include 68 state laboratories, 2 regional laboratories and 1 central laboratory. Manufacturing units should adopt GMP (good manufacturing practices) and take all such measures that are necessary to ensure delivery of quality products to the farmers. Shri Indrajit Pal also informed that the Institute of Agrochemicals Formulation Technology (IPFT), an autonomous body of the Department of Chemicals and Petrochemicals, has been developing state-of-the-art user and environment friendly formulations for the agrochemicals industry. During the last 5-6 years, IPFT has developed many formulations and transferred them to the industries. He urged the industry to take full advantage of the facilities offered by the institute.
The Conference has been organised jointly by Federation of Indian Chambers of Commerce and Industry (FICCI), Departments of Chemicals & Petrochemicals, Department of Fertilizers and the Department of Agriculture & cooperation, Government of India. Tata Strategic Management Services (TSMG) are Knowledge and Strategy Partners and a Knowledge Paper on the sector was also released.
With nearly a 1.2 billion population, India requires a robust, modernized agriculture sector to ensure the food security for its population. Scope for further increasing cultivable land is limited. In order to meet the food grain requirements of the country, the agricultural productivity and its growth needs to be sustained and further improved. Pesticides or Agrochemicals are recognized as an essential input for increasing agricultural production and preventing crop loss before and after harvesting. Their judicious usage is very important for the sustained growth of Indian agriculture and economy.
India has low crop productivity as compared to other countries. Average productivity in India stands at 2 MT/ha as compared to 6 MT/ha in USA and world average of 3 MT/ha. At the same time, India’s pesticide consumption is also low at 0.60 kg/ha as compared to the world average of 3 kg/ha and for Japan 10.80 kgm. Hence, increased usage of pesticides could help the farmers to improve crop productivity. This also portrays the huge growth potential as the Indian economy moves forward.
The two-day conference will cover topics of relevance to the sector, incl. new developments, innovations, export potential as also issues such as spurious pesticides, regulatory regime etc. A large number of Captains of the chemical industry, academia, policy makers as also the end-users viz: the farmers were present.
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