Over 100 youngsters from 20 schools participated in a `Dream Car' contest for children below 15 years, conducted at Anaamalais Toyota, Mettupalayam Road, recently. Marketing Director of Anaamalais Toyota, Alagu Mageswari, inaugurated the event.
C.S.Vigneswar, Deputy Managing Director, made children discuss their dream car to bring out their creative talents.
Parents who accompanied them got an opportunity to test-drive certain cars. M.Raghuram, Director Operation, distributed the prizes. G.S.Prasad, General Manager (Sales), organised the event.
Source: The Hindu
Wednesday, December 06, 2006
Four-year wage revision in Tirupur garment industry
The garment industry and trade unions in Tirupur have agreed for wage revision once in four years, thus ending the six-month long stalemate over the issue.
The employers wanted a five-year period for revision, as against three years demanded by the trade unions. The present agreement took place at a tripartite meeting held yesterday before the Joint Commissioner of Labour, they said.
The Tirupur Exporters' Association secretary Karthikeyan, South India Hosiery Manufacturers' Association president Mohan Kandasamy and representatives of trade unions AITUC, INTUC, ATP, LPF, MLF and CITU participated in the meeting, the 19th in the series.
Source: The Hindu
The employers wanted a five-year period for revision, as against three years demanded by the trade unions. The present agreement took place at a tripartite meeting held yesterday before the Joint Commissioner of Labour, they said.
The Tirupur Exporters' Association secretary Karthikeyan, South India Hosiery Manufacturers' Association president Mohan Kandasamy and representatives of trade unions AITUC, INTUC, ATP, LPF, MLF and CITU participated in the meeting, the 19th in the series.
Source: The Hindu
Monday, December 04, 2006
CAT in Coimbatore!
The flurry has still not died down after the Common Admission Test (CAT). Institutions training students for the test have already embarked on grooming candidates likely to get through to group discussions (GD) and personal interviews (PI). Detailed analyses of CAT are being held and candidates are working out their chances of making it to top Indian business schools.
With Coimbatore becoming a centre for CAT this year, around 2,500 candidates appeared for the test in the two centres. "This is the first time that Coimbatore has become a centre for CAT," says Madhu Nambudiri, Director, T.I.M.E, Coimbatore.
However, candidates who took the test in the two centres in the city include those from neighbouring Kerala and other Southern districts in Tamil Nadu.
Training in GD and PI is important, as it plays a major role in the cumulative scoring followed during admissions.
While 70 per cent of the thrust is on the entrance score, 25 is on GD and PI and five on work experience. But, this varies with institutions, Mr. Nambudiri says.
Till last year, Chennai was the only centre for taking the test in Tamil Nadu. Now, with Coimbatore also becoming a centre, more candidates will get an opportunity to attempt CAT, says T.P. Senthil Kumar, Centre Director of PT Education, a training institute in Coimbatore. Even in a centre such as Indore in Madhya Pradesh, which has fewer educational institutions when compared to Coimbatore, around 4,000 students appeared for CAT this year.
However, even among the number of students who appear for the test, very few of them actually aspire to get into the Indian Institute of Managements (IIMs).
Last year, six students from the city made it to IIMs and around the same number is expected to make it to the top institutes this year too, Mr. Nambudiri says.
There is a general perception that it is extremely difficult to make it to IIMs, which is one of the reasons why most of the students come prepared to settle for B- and C-level management institutions.
Also, according to Mr. Senthil, more than 70 per cent of the students who make it to IIMs are from an engineering background, as they usually have a strong base in mathematics. "This year however, maths and logic sections were relatively easier when compared with English," he says.
Fat pay packet
"Compared to the northern states, there are not many who attempt the examination from South India even if the average salary for an IIM student in India is seven to eight lakh per annum. Last year, the salary even went up to even US$ 96,000 abroad, Mr. Senthil Kumar says. More students from the city can attempt CAT, as the potential is high here, he adds.
Going by the national figures, the number of students who appeared for CAT has gone up from 1.75 per cent last year to 1.9 per cent this year, Mr. Nambudiri says.
Source: The Hindu
With Coimbatore becoming a centre for CAT this year, around 2,500 candidates appeared for the test in the two centres. "This is the first time that Coimbatore has become a centre for CAT," says Madhu Nambudiri, Director, T.I.M.E, Coimbatore.
However, candidates who took the test in the two centres in the city include those from neighbouring Kerala and other Southern districts in Tamil Nadu.
Training in GD and PI is important, as it plays a major role in the cumulative scoring followed during admissions.
While 70 per cent of the thrust is on the entrance score, 25 is on GD and PI and five on work experience. But, this varies with institutions, Mr. Nambudiri says.
Till last year, Chennai was the only centre for taking the test in Tamil Nadu. Now, with Coimbatore also becoming a centre, more candidates will get an opportunity to attempt CAT, says T.P. Senthil Kumar, Centre Director of PT Education, a training institute in Coimbatore. Even in a centre such as Indore in Madhya Pradesh, which has fewer educational institutions when compared to Coimbatore, around 4,000 students appeared for CAT this year.
However, even among the number of students who appear for the test, very few of them actually aspire to get into the Indian Institute of Managements (IIMs).
Last year, six students from the city made it to IIMs and around the same number is expected to make it to the top institutes this year too, Mr. Nambudiri says.
There is a general perception that it is extremely difficult to make it to IIMs, which is one of the reasons why most of the students come prepared to settle for B- and C-level management institutions.
Also, according to Mr. Senthil, more than 70 per cent of the students who make it to IIMs are from an engineering background, as they usually have a strong base in mathematics. "This year however, maths and logic sections were relatively easier when compared with English," he says.
Fat pay packet
"Compared to the northern states, there are not many who attempt the examination from South India even if the average salary for an IIM student in India is seven to eight lakh per annum. Last year, the salary even went up to even US$ 96,000 abroad, Mr. Senthil Kumar says. More students from the city can attempt CAT, as the potential is high here, he adds.
Going by the national figures, the number of students who appeared for CAT has gone up from 1.75 per cent last year to 1.9 per cent this year, Mr. Nambudiri says.
Source: The Hindu
Recruitment drive in Coimbatore
In a two-day recruitment drive conducted by Wipro Technologies in Coimbatore, 250 graduates who would pass out in 2007 were recruited. They were selected out of the 1,800 students from Coimbatore, Pollachi, Udumalpet, Udhagamandalam, Erode and Salem, who appeared for the aptitude tests.
The selected students also included those from physics, maths, computer science and information technology backgrounds.
They would be taken in for the Wipro Academy of Software Excellence programme, said Viswanathan Venkatasubramanian, Manager, Fresher Hiring, Wipro Technologies.
Through this programme, the students would be given an opportunity to do MS in Software Engineering from Birla Institute of Technology and Science (BITS), Pilani.
Faculty
Faculty members from BITS would take weekend classes for the students. By the end of the four-year programme, they would be trained on the job (software development) and they would have an MS degree as well, Mr. Viswanathan said.
Students from all over the country are recruited for this programme. This year around 1,300 students are undergoing it and the number was likely to become 4,000 by next year, he added.
It is offered at Chennai, Bangalore, Hyderabad, Pune and Kolkata. The candidates would also be given incremental stipend at Wipro so that they could support themselves while studying and working.
Coimbatore had immense potential to supply manpower for the industry and it was one of the most important destinations during such recruitment drives, Mr. Viswanathan said.
Smaller towns
They would also go to smaller places such as Thiruchengode. "Talents are available every where. Our job is to choose the best from the lot."
The selection is based on the fundamental skills of the students, their communication skills and their attitude.
They should have the willingness to learn and also be able to adapt according to the changes taking place in the industry, he said.
Good communication skills were necessary as the job demands students to interact with customers who are mostly from North America, China and Japan. They might have to write to the clients in addition to taking conference calls, he added.
With programmes such as these, even maths, physics and statistics graduates can become trained software developers attached to companies such as Wipro, said George Joseph Alapatt, Director of Placements, CMS College of Science and Commerce, one of the colleges in which the recruitment was held.
The selected students would join work in June 2007.
Source: The Hindu
The selected students also included those from physics, maths, computer science and information technology backgrounds.
They would be taken in for the Wipro Academy of Software Excellence programme, said Viswanathan Venkatasubramanian, Manager, Fresher Hiring, Wipro Technologies.
Through this programme, the students would be given an opportunity to do MS in Software Engineering from Birla Institute of Technology and Science (BITS), Pilani.
Faculty
Faculty members from BITS would take weekend classes for the students. By the end of the four-year programme, they would be trained on the job (software development) and they would have an MS degree as well, Mr. Viswanathan said.
Students from all over the country are recruited for this programme. This year around 1,300 students are undergoing it and the number was likely to become 4,000 by next year, he added.
It is offered at Chennai, Bangalore, Hyderabad, Pune and Kolkata. The candidates would also be given incremental stipend at Wipro so that they could support themselves while studying and working.
Coimbatore had immense potential to supply manpower for the industry and it was one of the most important destinations during such recruitment drives, Mr. Viswanathan said.
Smaller towns
They would also go to smaller places such as Thiruchengode. "Talents are available every where. Our job is to choose the best from the lot."
The selection is based on the fundamental skills of the students, their communication skills and their attitude.
They should have the willingness to learn and also be able to adapt according to the changes taking place in the industry, he said.
Good communication skills were necessary as the job demands students to interact with customers who are mostly from North America, China and Japan. They might have to write to the clients in addition to taking conference calls, he added.
With programmes such as these, even maths, physics and statistics graduates can become trained software developers attached to companies such as Wipro, said George Joseph Alapatt, Director of Placements, CMS College of Science and Commerce, one of the colleges in which the recruitment was held.
The selected students would join work in June 2007.
Source: The Hindu
Ondipudur flyover will be open to traffic by March-end, says Minister
The flyover at Ondipudur will be open to traffic by the end of March next year, Minister for Highways M.P. Swaminathan said here on Sunday. The one coming up on the Sungam Bypass Road (along Valankulam) would be put in use by the end of April, he said after inspecting both structures along with Collector Neeraj Mittal and officials of the Highways Department.
Both flyovers were being constructed over the railway line as a solution to the traffic bottleneck at these points.
The flyover at Ondipudur was being constructed at Rs. 16.50 crore. The State's share was Rs. 58 lakh and the rest was the Railways' contribution. The cost of the flyover on Sungam Bypass Road was Rs. 15.40 crore and the State Government's share was Rs. 38 lakh.
Work progressing
He said the Railways' work on the Ondipudur flyover was progressing fast. The State's Highways Department would begin its work in 15 days from the completion of the one by the Railways.
At the present pace of work, the flyover could be opened to traffic by the end of March. The Highways' work on the Sungam Bypass Road flyover would begin by the end of January.
Assurance
The Minister's announcement came as an assurance to the city that had been agonised by the delay in the completion of the flyovers. With long-distance buses, trucks and other vehicles forced to take a detour through Irugur, areas unused to heavy traffic were put to hardship owing to the delay.
Source: The Hindu
Both flyovers were being constructed over the railway line as a solution to the traffic bottleneck at these points.
The flyover at Ondipudur was being constructed at Rs. 16.50 crore. The State's share was Rs. 58 lakh and the rest was the Railways' contribution. The cost of the flyover on Sungam Bypass Road was Rs. 15.40 crore and the State Government's share was Rs. 38 lakh.
Work progressing
He said the Railways' work on the Ondipudur flyover was progressing fast. The State's Highways Department would begin its work in 15 days from the completion of the one by the Railways.
At the present pace of work, the flyover could be opened to traffic by the end of March. The Highways' work on the Sungam Bypass Road flyover would begin by the end of January.
Assurance
The Minister's announcement came as an assurance to the city that had been agonised by the delay in the completion of the flyovers. With long-distance buses, trucks and other vehicles forced to take a detour through Irugur, areas unused to heavy traffic were put to hardship owing to the delay.
Source: The Hindu
Sunday, December 03, 2006
Now's the time to invest: TN Minister
Tamil Nadu Health minister K K S S R Ramachandran feels it is the right time for industrialists to take up new ventures in the state.
Declaring open SPEED-2006(Southern Prosperity through Enhanced Economic Development), organised by Confederation of Indian Industry (CII) here, he said Chief Minister M Karunanidhi was accessible and "you can get any concession by meeting him and convincing him".
The Chief Minister himself was interested in spreading industrial development to cities like Tiruchirappalli, Tirunelveli, Madurai and Coimbatore where the cost of living was cheap, life more peaceful and cost of labour, land etc was much cheaper, compared to bigger cities, he said.
Source: Chennai Online
Declaring open SPEED-2006(Southern Prosperity through Enhanced Economic Development), organised by Confederation of Indian Industry (CII) here, he said Chief Minister M Karunanidhi was accessible and "you can get any concession by meeting him and convincing him".
The Chief Minister himself was interested in spreading industrial development to cities like Tiruchirappalli, Tirunelveli, Madurai and Coimbatore where the cost of living was cheap, life more peaceful and cost of labour, land etc was much cheaper, compared to bigger cities, he said.
Source: Chennai Online
Friday, December 01, 2006
Singapore Airlines increases flight frequency
Singapore Airlines has launched its sixth weekly fight from Bangalore up from five weekly flights. With the addition of the sixth flight the airline will now offer 1816 seats per week from Bangalore.
Singapore Airlines is also looking at Tier II cities like Coimbatore, Vizag, Nagpur and Tirchy. Addressing mediapersons in Bangalore on Tuesday Foo Chai Woo, GM of Singapore Airlines (India) said, "We are looking at many developing cities in India with our subsidiary regional airline, Silk Air. Tier II cities are on our radar screen and at the right time we will evaluate those markets."
SilkAir currently operates daily flights to Kochi and four flights to Thiruvananthapuram. Excluding SilkAir operations, Singapore Airlines operates 48 weekly flights to eight destinations in India.
Mr Woo said, "We are waiting for the traffic rights to operate daily flight to Bangalore. And with demand picking up we are also looking at operating daily fight to Hyderabad as well." As of now Singapore Airlines operates four flights to Hyderabad.
"The airline also wants to increase its frequencies to Delhi and Chennai," added Mr Woo. Currently it operates daily fights to Delhi, Chennai and double daily flights to Mumbai. Average load factor of the airline across eight destinations in India is around 70-80 per cent. 30 per cent of the airline's passengers out of India are Singapore bound and 70 per cent are onward passengers, said Mr Woo.
Singapore Airlines is also offering a return fare of Rs 6,666 (excluding tax & surcharges) from Bangalore to Singapore, Rs 7,777 on Bagalore-Kualalumpur and Bangalore-Penang route and Rs 8,888 for travel from Bangalore to Bangkok. The offer is valid for outbound travel on Tuesday only from November 28, 2006 to January 31, 2007. Inbound travel can be on any day as per availability.
Singapore Airlines will become the first airline in the world to operate commercial flights on the Airbus A380-800, super jumbo aircraft when it comes into service. The airline has ordered 10 A380-800 and another 15 on option worth $8.6 billion. First A380-800 is expected to be delivered in October 2007.
Source: India Times
Singapore Airlines is also looking at Tier II cities like Coimbatore, Vizag, Nagpur and Tirchy. Addressing mediapersons in Bangalore on Tuesday Foo Chai Woo, GM of Singapore Airlines (India) said, "We are looking at many developing cities in India with our subsidiary regional airline, Silk Air. Tier II cities are on our radar screen and at the right time we will evaluate those markets."
SilkAir currently operates daily flights to Kochi and four flights to Thiruvananthapuram. Excluding SilkAir operations, Singapore Airlines operates 48 weekly flights to eight destinations in India.
Mr Woo said, "We are waiting for the traffic rights to operate daily flight to Bangalore. And with demand picking up we are also looking at operating daily fight to Hyderabad as well." As of now Singapore Airlines operates four flights to Hyderabad.
"The airline also wants to increase its frequencies to Delhi and Chennai," added Mr Woo. Currently it operates daily fights to Delhi, Chennai and double daily flights to Mumbai. Average load factor of the airline across eight destinations in India is around 70-80 per cent. 30 per cent of the airline's passengers out of India are Singapore bound and 70 per cent are onward passengers, said Mr Woo.
Singapore Airlines is also offering a return fare of Rs 6,666 (excluding tax & surcharges) from Bangalore to Singapore, Rs 7,777 on Bagalore-Kualalumpur and Bangalore-Penang route and Rs 8,888 for travel from Bangalore to Bangkok. The offer is valid for outbound travel on Tuesday only from November 28, 2006 to January 31, 2007. Inbound travel can be on any day as per availability.
Singapore Airlines will become the first airline in the world to operate commercial flights on the Airbus A380-800, super jumbo aircraft when it comes into service. The airline has ordered 10 A380-800 and another 15 on option worth $8.6 billion. First A380-800 is expected to be delivered in October 2007.
Source: India Times
Study on foundry sector conducted
Coimbatore foundries have more export opportunities to tap with growth in the end user segment, according to a draft report of a study on Indian foundries by the ICRA Management Consulting Services.
The Coimbatore foundry cluster has about 600 units and most of them are small-scale. They produce 40,000 to 45,000 tonnes of castings a month. In the last five years, output of the Coimbatore foundries has grown at 15 to 20 per cent and it is estimated that Coimbatore contributes nearly 15 per cent of the total casting production in the country. A large number of these units make castings for the pumps, valves and auto industry. Further, a majority of these are ferrous castings (nearly 60 per cent).
According to C.R. Swaminathan, chief executive of the PSG Industrial Institute, the final draft of the study will be ready by the end of December. The study aims to assess the potential of the Indian foundry sector, review performance of key foundry clusters in the country (such as Coimbatore) and recommend interventions to enhance competitiveness.
It also aims to benchmark manufacturing cost competitiveness of Indian foundries as against those in China, Brazil, Mexico and the CIS countries. It will also prepare a SWOT (strengths, weakness, opportunities and threats) analysis of the Indian units. The number of units in Coimbatore and casting output has gone up during the recent years with growing market.
This exercise will help the Coimbatore foundries since it will study the units here vis-à-vis their counterparts in some foreign countries and suggest how they can improve, he adds
Source: The Hindu
The Coimbatore foundry cluster has about 600 units and most of them are small-scale. They produce 40,000 to 45,000 tonnes of castings a month. In the last five years, output of the Coimbatore foundries has grown at 15 to 20 per cent and it is estimated that Coimbatore contributes nearly 15 per cent of the total casting production in the country. A large number of these units make castings for the pumps, valves and auto industry. Further, a majority of these are ferrous castings (nearly 60 per cent).
According to C.R. Swaminathan, chief executive of the PSG Industrial Institute, the final draft of the study will be ready by the end of December. The study aims to assess the potential of the Indian foundry sector, review performance of key foundry clusters in the country (such as Coimbatore) and recommend interventions to enhance competitiveness.
It also aims to benchmark manufacturing cost competitiveness of Indian foundries as against those in China, Brazil, Mexico and the CIS countries. It will also prepare a SWOT (strengths, weakness, opportunities and threats) analysis of the Indian units. The number of units in Coimbatore and casting output has gone up during the recent years with growing market.
This exercise will help the Coimbatore foundries since it will study the units here vis-à-vis their counterparts in some foreign countries and suggest how they can improve, he adds
Source: The Hindu
Thursday, November 30, 2006
Tidco to set up SEZ for auto parts
Tamil Nadu Industrial Development Corporation Ltd (Tidco) will soon join hands with a well-known entrepreneur to set up an auto component special economic zone (SEZ). The sector specific SEZ will come up in about 2,000 acres of land with an investment of Rs 400 crore.
According to a government official, “Auto companies in the US and Europe, to keep their prices at reasonable levels, have started outsourcing auto component manufacturing to India. They will only do the assembling at their country. An auto entrepreneur, to give leverage to this outsourcing wave in the automobile industry, has come up with the idea of setting up a project exclusively for the auto industry. The auto entrepreneur is scouting for 2,000 acres of land to house the project. Application has been filed with board of approvals, ministry of commerce for obtaining SEZ status for the project”.
The entrepreneur has approached Tidco to be the local partner. The government agency will take part in the project with minimum investment. Tidco will pick up anywhere between 2% and 11% stake in the equity of the project. The project will call for an investment of about Rs 20 lakh per acre. The debt-equity ratio of the project could be 3:1 or 2.5:1.5, which is yet to be finalised.
The idea behind Tidcopicking up stake in the huge project, they said, is basically to focus on large projects. The state agency has decided to invest in big projects instead of investing in many small projects. The agency has about 10 SEZs at various stages of implementation including Hosur, Perambalur, Reliance ADAG, Ascendas, Nanguneri and Ennore SEZ. It is also planning for two more SEZs in the state, one in Coimbatore and another in the outskirts of Chennai.
Source: The Financial Express
According to a government official, “Auto companies in the US and Europe, to keep their prices at reasonable levels, have started outsourcing auto component manufacturing to India. They will only do the assembling at their country. An auto entrepreneur, to give leverage to this outsourcing wave in the automobile industry, has come up with the idea of setting up a project exclusively for the auto industry. The auto entrepreneur is scouting for 2,000 acres of land to house the project. Application has been filed with board of approvals, ministry of commerce for obtaining SEZ status for the project”.
The entrepreneur has approached Tidco to be the local partner. The government agency will take part in the project with minimum investment. Tidco will pick up anywhere between 2% and 11% stake in the equity of the project. The project will call for an investment of about Rs 20 lakh per acre. The debt-equity ratio of the project could be 3:1 or 2.5:1.5, which is yet to be finalised.
The idea behind Tidcopicking up stake in the huge project, they said, is basically to focus on large projects. The state agency has decided to invest in big projects instead of investing in many small projects. The agency has about 10 SEZs at various stages of implementation including Hosur, Perambalur, Reliance ADAG, Ascendas, Nanguneri and Ennore SEZ. It is also planning for two more SEZs in the state, one in Coimbatore and another in the outskirts of Chennai.
Source: The Financial Express
Metro Cash & Carry to expand to 8 more cities
German retailing giant Metro Cash & Carry is currently holding discussions for acquisition of properties in over eight cities – Chennai, Ghaziabad, Delhi, Gurgaon, Pune, Coimbatore, Vijayawada and Viskhapatnam – to launch its distribution centres.
“We are now keen to expand quickly across the country,” Metro Cash & Carry India Managing Director Harsh Bahadur said, adding that 35 Indian cities with over one million population are the company’s target. Besides the cost of land, each distribution centre involves an investment of around Rs 65 crore.
The wholesale company opened its first distribution centre in Andhra Pradesh and the third in the country here on Wednesday.
Bahadur said the company is about to sign acquisition deals in Delhi, Ghaziabad, Gurgoan and Chennai. Its Kolkata and Mumbai distribution centres, which are currently under construction, would be ready by the second quarter of the next year.
Spread over an area of 7 acre, the Rs 67 crore B2B distribution centre in Hyderabad has a selling space of 1 lakh sq ft including a 20,000 sq ft temperature-controlled space to handle perishables, such as vegetables, fruits, dairy, meat and fish. It has a range of 18,000 products. The share of local products is 98 per cent.
The land has been allotted on a 30 year lease to the company by the Andhra Pradesh government. The centre is expected to provide direct employment to 300 people and indirect employment to over 250 people.
Stating that the Hyderabad centre is expected to gross a turnover of up to Rs 300 crore per annum, Bahadur said about 75,000 small and medium retailers, traders, hoteliers, caterers and other businesses had already been registered with the distribution outlet as customers.
“We are now keen to expand quickly across the country,” Metro Cash & Carry India Managing Director Harsh Bahadur said, adding that 35 Indian cities with over one million population are the company’s target. Besides the cost of land, each distribution centre involves an investment of around Rs 65 crore.
The wholesale company opened its first distribution centre in Andhra Pradesh and the third in the country here on Wednesday.
Bahadur said the company is about to sign acquisition deals in Delhi, Ghaziabad, Gurgoan and Chennai. Its Kolkata and Mumbai distribution centres, which are currently under construction, would be ready by the second quarter of the next year.
Spread over an area of 7 acre, the Rs 67 crore B2B distribution centre in Hyderabad has a selling space of 1 lakh sq ft including a 20,000 sq ft temperature-controlled space to handle perishables, such as vegetables, fruits, dairy, meat and fish. It has a range of 18,000 products. The share of local products is 98 per cent.
The land has been allotted on a 30 year lease to the company by the Andhra Pradesh government. The centre is expected to provide direct employment to 300 people and indirect employment to over 250 people.
Stating that the Hyderabad centre is expected to gross a turnover of up to Rs 300 crore per annum, Bahadur said about 75,000 small and medium retailers, traders, hoteliers, caterers and other businesses had already been registered with the distribution outlet as customers.
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