ABT X Travels will launch Bangalore-Chennai and Chennai-Bangalore omni luxury bus service in the second week of January.
According to a release, the company started operations in the Coimbatore-Chennai and Chennai-Coimbatore sectors last November. It also launched Bangalore-Coimbatore, Bangalore-Pollachi, Pollachi-Bangalore and Coimbatore-Bangalore services recently.
It planned to offer special packages to pilgrim centres across the country and also ply 25 buses connecting all major cities by the end of March 2007. It would invest about Rs. 11 crores for this purpose.
The company had introduced e-ticketing and travellers can book their tickets through the website: www.abtxtravels.com
Source: The Hindu
Friday, January 12, 2007
LG Balakrishnan plans Asia, S. America plants
Auto parts maker LG Balakrishnan & Bros. Ltd. plans to invest $12 million (535 million rupees) to set up three plants overseas by March 2010, a top official said on Friday.
Each plant would initially have sales exceeding 700 million rupees a year, Managing Director B. Vijayakumar told Reuters over telephone from Coimbatore.
The first of the three units -- in Indonesia -- was expected to begin production by March 2008, he said. Units would be set up in China and South America in 2008/09 and 2009/10 respectively, Vijayakumar said.
Source: NDTV
Each plant would initially have sales exceeding 700 million rupees a year, Managing Director B. Vijayakumar told Reuters over telephone from Coimbatore.
The first of the three units -- in Indonesia -- was expected to begin production by March 2008, he said. Units would be set up in China and South America in 2008/09 and 2009/10 respectively, Vijayakumar said.
Source: NDTV
Retail chain Odyssey plans expansion
Chennai-based retail chain Odyssey, which sells products such as books, toys and multimedia, has chalked out a Rs 125 crore nation-wide expansion plan.
This was unveiled at the opening of the firm’s first store in Bangalore today.
“Odyssey is a well-known brand in south India. We intend to have a pan-India presence this year by increasing the number of stores,” said Odyssey India Managing Director T S Ashwin.
Odyssey has 14 stores in six cities — Chennai, Hyderabad, Salem, Coimbatore, Trichy and Varanasi — occupying a retail space of 75,000 square feet.
By the end of the current financial year, the company plans to increase the number of stores to 20, with more stores coming up in Noida (Uttar Pradesh) and Kozhikode (Kerala).
Ashwin said the firm was targeting a total retail space of 5.5 lakh square feet by 2008-09. “We are moving into new cities, IT parks and malls. Fifteen stores will be commissioned in the next financial year. In 2008-09, another five stores will be opened,” he added.
The new stores will come up in Bangalore (6 ), Mumbai (3 ), Pune (3 ), Ahmedabad, Gurgaon, Nagpur, Thane, Hyderabad, Kochi, Chandigarh, Amritsar, Ludhiana, Mohali, Rajkot, Surat, Mangalore, Thiruvananthapuram, Visakhapatnam and Mysore (1 each).
It will also expand in existing markets like Chennai, Hyderabad and Coimbatore.
According to company executives, demand for specialised products sold through Odyssey is propelling the growth of the firm. Apart from books and toys, cards, music, stationery, educational CD-ROMS, playstations and gifting are also available at Odyssey stores.
Books contribute around 30-35 per cent of the firm’s total turnover. The stores stock a wide range of books on subjects ranging from popular fiction, non-fiction, computing, self-help, health, management, travel and coffee table books.
While the average number of titles in a Odyssey store is 30,000, some of the large format stores have up to 80,000 titles.
Odyssey, which started off in 1995 as a book store in Chennai, was acquired by Deccan Chronicle Holdings in September 2005 for Rs 61.2 crore. The retail chain’s revenue is expected to touch Rs 110 crore this financial year.
Source: Business STandard
This was unveiled at the opening of the firm’s first store in Bangalore today.
“Odyssey is a well-known brand in south India. We intend to have a pan-India presence this year by increasing the number of stores,” said Odyssey India Managing Director T S Ashwin.
Odyssey has 14 stores in six cities — Chennai, Hyderabad, Salem, Coimbatore, Trichy and Varanasi — occupying a retail space of 75,000 square feet.
By the end of the current financial year, the company plans to increase the number of stores to 20, with more stores coming up in Noida (Uttar Pradesh) and Kozhikode (Kerala).
Ashwin said the firm was targeting a total retail space of 5.5 lakh square feet by 2008-09. “We are moving into new cities, IT parks and malls. Fifteen stores will be commissioned in the next financial year. In 2008-09, another five stores will be opened,” he added.
The new stores will come up in Bangalore (6 ), Mumbai (3 ), Pune (3 ), Ahmedabad, Gurgaon, Nagpur, Thane, Hyderabad, Kochi, Chandigarh, Amritsar, Ludhiana, Mohali, Rajkot, Surat, Mangalore, Thiruvananthapuram, Visakhapatnam and Mysore (1 each).
It will also expand in existing markets like Chennai, Hyderabad and Coimbatore.
According to company executives, demand for specialised products sold through Odyssey is propelling the growth of the firm. Apart from books and toys, cards, music, stationery, educational CD-ROMS, playstations and gifting are also available at Odyssey stores.
Books contribute around 30-35 per cent of the firm’s total turnover. The stores stock a wide range of books on subjects ranging from popular fiction, non-fiction, computing, self-help, health, management, travel and coffee table books.
While the average number of titles in a Odyssey store is 30,000, some of the large format stores have up to 80,000 titles.
Odyssey, which started off in 1995 as a book store in Chennai, was acquired by Deccan Chronicle Holdings in September 2005 for Rs 61.2 crore. The retail chain’s revenue is expected to touch Rs 110 crore this financial year.
Source: Business STandard
Airlines from Singapore can operate to Coimbatore
India and Singapore have agreed to increase the number of seats being offered by their designated airlines in a phased manner till winter 2009.
The designated airlines of Singapore will now be allowed to operate regular flights to Coimbatore, there by increasing its footprint here. This was firmed up at the conclusion of bilateral air services agreement between India and Singapore here late on Tuesday night.
The agreement not only permits airlines from Singapore to increase the current number of flights that they operate to some cities here but also allows similar freedom to airlines from India.
In August 2005, when the last round of air services between India and Singapore were successfully exchanged airlines from Singapore were allowed to increase frequency to Bangalore, Hyderabad and Kolkata.
At present, Singapore Airlines and its subsidiary Silk Air operate regular flights to Delhi, Mumbai, Hyderabad, Kolkata, Chennai and Ahmedabad Kochi among others.
Air India, Air India Express, Indian, Air Sahara and Jet Airways operate regular flights from various points within the country to Singapore, while Singapore Airlines operates regular flights to India.
Source: Moneycontrol.com
The designated airlines of Singapore will now be allowed to operate regular flights to Coimbatore, there by increasing its footprint here. This was firmed up at the conclusion of bilateral air services agreement between India and Singapore here late on Tuesday night.
The agreement not only permits airlines from Singapore to increase the current number of flights that they operate to some cities here but also allows similar freedom to airlines from India.
In August 2005, when the last round of air services between India and Singapore were successfully exchanged airlines from Singapore were allowed to increase frequency to Bangalore, Hyderabad and Kolkata.
At present, Singapore Airlines and its subsidiary Silk Air operate regular flights to Delhi, Mumbai, Hyderabad, Kolkata, Chennai and Ahmedabad Kochi among others.
Air India, Air India Express, Indian, Air Sahara and Jet Airways operate regular flights from various points within the country to Singapore, while Singapore Airlines operates regular flights to India.
Source: Moneycontrol.com
Wednesday, January 10, 2007
Measures to improve Safe drive in Coimbatore
The Coimbatore Corporation began on Wednesday painting a reflector road marking at the centre of main roads in the city to make them safe for driving at nights.
Mayor R. Venkatachalam said a 2.5 mm thick coat of thermoplastic paint mixed with glass beads was painted as divider markings to provided a high-level reflection during night.
The markings were made on Brooke Bond Road and LIC Road on Wednesday.
The Corporation would provide these markings on Huzur Road, Goods Shed Road, Dr. Radhakrishnan Road, 100 Feet Road, Race Course Road, D.B. Road, the main roads in Bharathi Park.
The Mayor said the markings would be made on every other major road with heavy traffic so that accidents were avoided when the lighting was poor.
Suource: The Hindu
Mayor R. Venkatachalam said a 2.5 mm thick coat of thermoplastic paint mixed with glass beads was painted as divider markings to provided a high-level reflection during night.
The markings were made on Brooke Bond Road and LIC Road on Wednesday.
The Corporation would provide these markings on Huzur Road, Goods Shed Road, Dr. Radhakrishnan Road, 100 Feet Road, Race Course Road, D.B. Road, the main roads in Bharathi Park.
The Mayor said the markings would be made on every other major road with heavy traffic so that accidents were avoided when the lighting was poor.
Suource: The Hindu
Tuesday, January 09, 2007
Coimbatore Administration to continue with Demolition
The administration here has made it clear that the ongoing demolition of unauthorised structures will not be halted. Wilful violations cannot be spared from action while an opportunity can still be provided to those who are willing to demolish their structures. The drive aims to bring about a culture of compliance with rules.
Absence of any open resistance so far to the drive by the Local Planning Authority (LPA) is being attributed to the lack of political interference. Efforts by traders or building owners to meet persons at the highest level of the Government too have failed.
Business circles
It is learnt that a team tried to meet Chief Minister M. Karunanidhi in Chennai on Monday to request for some respite but could not meet them. Sources even among the business circles here say that such efforts are not being entertained. This, by itself, is said to be providing tremendous support to the drive. Traders and owners of lodges, however, managed to meet Minister for Urban Development and Town Planning Parithi Ilamvazhuthi and submit a petition that calls for the regularisation of buildings on which Property Tax is being collected.
The petitions says 75 per cent of the buildings in the city will have to be demolished if that is the only solution to correct building rule violations.
Out of the 573 buildings targeted, two have been taken up so far. And, there are reports of only behind the scenes effort at moving the Government.
The sources say that the action has been initiated in view of a public interest litigation filed in the High Court by the Coimbatore Consumer Cause. The consumer body's petition, however, only seeks measures to prevent violations in the future. But, the sources say that action has been initiated now on the existing structures also in view of the case coming up for hearing.
Source:The Hindu
Absence of any open resistance so far to the drive by the Local Planning Authority (LPA) is being attributed to the lack of political interference. Efforts by traders or building owners to meet persons at the highest level of the Government too have failed.
Business circles
It is learnt that a team tried to meet Chief Minister M. Karunanidhi in Chennai on Monday to request for some respite but could not meet them. Sources even among the business circles here say that such efforts are not being entertained. This, by itself, is said to be providing tremendous support to the drive. Traders and owners of lodges, however, managed to meet Minister for Urban Development and Town Planning Parithi Ilamvazhuthi and submit a petition that calls for the regularisation of buildings on which Property Tax is being collected.
The petitions says 75 per cent of the buildings in the city will have to be demolished if that is the only solution to correct building rule violations.
Out of the 573 buildings targeted, two have been taken up so far. And, there are reports of only behind the scenes effort at moving the Government.
The sources say that the action has been initiated in view of a public interest litigation filed in the High Court by the Coimbatore Consumer Cause. The consumer body's petition, however, only seeks measures to prevent violations in the future. But, the sources say that action has been initiated now on the existing structures also in view of the case coming up for hearing.
Source:The Hindu
Monday, January 08, 2007
High attrition rate worries industries in Coimbatore
Engineering units here, including some of the large-scale ones, are worried about the high rate of attrition, with the problem worsening during the last six months to one year.
On an average, it was about 15 per cent even three months ago and has gone up further now, says C.R. Swaminathan, Chief Executive of the PSG Industrial Institute. "The only reason is better remuneration," he says.
Earlier the problem was felt at the shop floor level - workers and trainees. Now, the units face a number of manager-level people too moving one unit to another.
"They get a huge elevation. It is a dramatic jump," says Vanitha Mohan, Executive Director of Pricol.
"The job market is full of opportunities. Yet, at the social level those who constantly switch jobs should look at issues such as stability at career and home too," she laments, adding that the only solution is to have constant back up of people exclusively trained by units for their needs.
Mr. Swaminathan feels that the problem is temporary. The Coimbatore units too will gradually start offering more facilities.
Source: The Hindu
On an average, it was about 15 per cent even three months ago and has gone up further now, says C.R. Swaminathan, Chief Executive of the PSG Industrial Institute. "The only reason is better remuneration," he says.
Earlier the problem was felt at the shop floor level - workers and trainees. Now, the units face a number of manager-level people too moving one unit to another.
"They get a huge elevation. It is a dramatic jump," says Vanitha Mohan, Executive Director of Pricol.
"The job market is full of opportunities. Yet, at the social level those who constantly switch jobs should look at issues such as stability at career and home too," she laments, adding that the only solution is to have constant back up of people exclusively trained by units for their needs.
Mr. Swaminathan feels that the problem is temporary. The Coimbatore units too will gradually start offering more facilities.
Source: The Hindu
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