News

PM Narendra Modi will monitor projects via 'Pragati' sessions, says Nripendra Misra 

NEW DELHI: Prime Minister Narendra Modi will be starting a monthly conference call with state chief secretaries and secretaries of the Union government starting March 25 for the speedy redressal of grievances and monitoring and implementation of projects. 

The new governance programme has been dubbed Pragati — Proactive Governance and Timely Implementation. Nripendra Misra, the prime minister's principal secretary, explained the thrust of the initiative in a March 9 note to Union secretaries and state chief secretaries. 

"The PM has been quite anxious to design a credible mechanism for redressal of public grievances," he wrote. "He is equally keen to see that programmes and projects launched by the government(s) are monitored properly for timely implementation and desired outcome. In the same spirit and for holistic development of the country, it is also necessary to facilitate from government of India level the projects of the states." 

The programme will be tied together by technology, with information on projects being available at a click. The Pragati sessions will take place every fourth Wednesday. Misra's note elaborated on the architecture of the Pragati IT platform. 

"The design is that when the PM reviews the issue he should have on his screen the issue as well as the latest updates regarding the same," Misra wrote. "During the interaction, PM will discuss and understand the problem areas and will give suitable directions. These directions will remain in the system for further follow-up and review till finality of the matter." 

Thought for today

“When you’ve worked hard, and done well,

 and walked through that doorway of opportunity…

 you do not slam it shut behind you…

 you reach back,

 and you give other folks the same chances

 that helped you succeed.”

Marketing Article

In-flight entertainment is increasingly becoming a factor while choosing an airline

It’s not clear if the Wright Brothers took any entertainment devices along on their first flights, but it can be safely said that they wouldn’t have felt the need for them. 

However, with the growth of aviation and the novelty of flying wearing off, airlines’ found that passengers began to get restive just sitting in their seats. And so was born the idea of in-flight entertainment. 

Among the Indian players, only Jet Airways and Air India currently offer in-flight entertainment. But soon Indian fliers will have another option in Vistara, which is going to launch its own in-flight entertainment system. Experts say the longer the flight, the more that in-flight entertainment becomes a factor in choosing an airline. “In-flight entertainment today is not just a necessity on a long-distance flight, but a key differentiator,” said Amber Dubey, Partner and India Head of Aerospace and Defence at global consultancy KPMG. 

Jet Airways first introduced in-flight entertainment on its international flights in 2005, which it has now extended to domestic flights as well. “Our content is updated and refreshed a minimum of six times a year. It takes a week to 10 days for uploading content across the network,” a spokesperson for the airline said. The airline considers feedback from its guests while taking a call on what content to feature.

Air India did not respond to questions on its in-flight entertainment systems. 

Vistara promise

Vistara’s Chief Commercial Officer Giam Ming Toh promised that the entertainment on the airline will be integrated with world-class technology and be “refreshingly different”. 

News

Vistara offers hotel deals, loyalty programme as competition with Jet Air intensifies 

MUMBAI: Vistara, the joint venture carrier between Tata Sons and Singapore Airlines, has stepped up marketing campaigns and offers on its loyalty programme, intensifying the competition with Jet AirwaysBSE -0.16 % to woo and retain passengers. 

India's newest airline, which started services on January 9, is also looking at fly-and-stay tie-ups with Taj Hotels Resorts and Palaces, owned by Tata, and partnerships with international carriers. 

"We have begun a new marketing campaign since the last three weeks. It is mostly in the online, radio, print and outdoor space. There are no plans yet to launch a television campaign," chief commercial officer Giam Ming Toh told ET.

"We have tried to focus on the business traveller and on the high-end leisure traveller. Right now, the campaigns in the print space are limited to the route offerings, while digital and targeted outdoor speak of our differentiated offerings, to build preference," said Kapil Arora, president of Ogilvy & Mather, Delhi. 

The airline's loyalty programme, known as Club Vistara, rewards customers on the basis of how much they pay for tickets and not the distance travelled. "A business-class customer can earn four times the points of an economy-class traveller, whereas in case of traditional programmes, he would earn around 1.25 times an economy-class flyer," Toh said. 

Thought of the day

News

Tata Jaguar Land Rover plans to build first electric car in Austria 

LONDON: Tata Motors-owned Jaguar Land Rover (JLR) is set to build its first all-electric car in Austria. 

The luxury car-maker's Jaguar brand could begin production of the vehicle next year. 

JLR's electric debut would be the latest in a string of launches after its new XE "baby Jag" and F-Pace sports utility vehicle, as well as a new factory in China and one under construction in Brazil. 

The company is believed to be devising plans for a small production line in Austria, making about 10,000 cars a year, by leasing space in an existing factory, according to The Sunday Times. 

Jaguar wants to build an electric vehicle, in part to sidestep looming European Union emission fines. 

Manufacturers are racing to produce electric and hybrid cars, with Germany's BMW enjoying surging sales of its i8 and i3 petrol and electric plug-in hybrids. 

Thought of the day

Marketing Article

From a pushcart to a chain of plush restaurants…

Y. Aasife Ahmed was not much for bookish learning. “I knew what I was passionate about, and I set about pursuing my dream,” he says. And so at 18, he apprenticed with a biryani cook and later started his own wedding catering business.

Even then, he had his eye set on something much bigger, something he hardly dared to dream of, but he set about working towards it anyway.

What started with five kg of biryani on a thallu vandi (pushcart) on Butt Road in St. Thomas Mount 15 years ago has now grown to 500 kg of biryani per day, served out of four Aasife Biryani Centre outlets all around the city, the latest one being on Anna Salai.

“From the pushcart we moved to a hole-in-the-wall. We still serve take away from that shop. We then expanded across the road,” says Aasife, seated in the well-appointed lobby of the Alandur branch one evening.

I tell him I have fond memories of cycling down the road on my pink Ladybird to pick up biryani and kothu barotta for lunch.

His face lights up as he says, “You must have seen me there then; I was always behind the counter! It is good to meet old customers. In fact, there is one person who has been a regular from the beginning, and he still dines at our outlet frequently. It is the most satisfying feeling.”

Thought of the day

Thought of the day

News

Iraq's divide could strain anti-IS coalition: US
MANAMA: The international coalition fighting Islamic State extremists could be jeopardised if the Baghdad government fails to bridge Iraq's sectarian divide, the US military's top officer warned on Monday.

Iraq's political leaders have yet to deliver on promises to reach out to the Sunni population and have raised concerns in the region by forging closer ties to Shiite-led Iran, General Martin Dempsey said after spending several hours in Baghdad.

For the longer term, the solidarity of the anti-IS coalition -- which includes Sunni Arab states -- could be put at risk, Dempsey told reporters in Manama. 

In Cairo, Arab League chief Nabil al-Arabi called on Monday for the creation of a unified Arab force to battle Islamic extremist groups.

"There is an urgent need for the creation of a multi-purpose common Arab military force... able to intervene rapidly to fight terrorism and the activities of terrorist groups," he said. 

Dempsey, for his part, said: "I come away a bit concerned that it's going to be difficult to sustain the coalition for the rest of the challenge -- which is trans-regional -- unless the government of Iraq can actually form that national unity platform to which they committed." 

News

IT stocks under pressure: TCS slips over 3% on weak Jan-March outlook 

NEW DELHI: Tata Consultancy Services Ltd slipped as much as 3.1 per cent in trade on Monday, after the IT major said that its revenue for the ongoing quarter will be in line with that in the previous year.

The IT major expects revenue to shrink in its energy segment as its clients grapple with the low price of oil, TCS said in an investor concall. 

At 09:40 a.m.; TCS was trading 2.3 per cent lower at Rs 2634. It hit a low of Rs 2611.80 and a high of Rs 2642 in trade today. 

Infosys BSE -1.97 % also slipped over 2 per cent, while Wipro was down 1.1 per cent to Rs 660.

Falling oil prices have led drillers and oil services companies to clamp down on their spending, hurting Indian IT providers. Infosys and Wipro have also flagged weakness in the energy sectors, ET reported.

The third and fourth quarters of the fiscal are typically weaker than the quarters in the first half of the year. Earlier this week, Praveen Rao, chief operating officer of Infosys, had raised concerns over revenue growth in energy sector, added the report. 

Wipro has also said it expects slow growth in its energy business in the next two-three quarters. 

Thought of the day

Thought of the day

Thought of the day

News 

Under PM Narendra Modi unique opportunity to strengthen Indo-US ties, says Ed Royce 

WASHINGTON: With Prime Minister Narendra Modi at the helm in India there is a unique opportunity to strengthen Indo-US ties especially in the economic and security sphere, an influential American lawmaker has said. 

"With the election of Prime Minister Modi, the US and India have a unique opportunity to strengthen our economic and security relations. Our trade ties have made great strides in recent years, but we have yet to tap into our true potential," said Congressman Ed Royce, Chairman of powerful House Foreign Relations Committee. 

Royce is leading a bipartisan congressional delegation visiting India staring this weekend. 

In India, the delegation will visit New Delhi, where Royce will seek to further strengthen the US-India partnership, including encouraging stronger trade ties and counter-terrorism cooperation, a statement said. 

"Having played a key role in the passage of the US-India Civil Nuclear Agreement, I'd also like to see steps taken towards the implementation of this important agreement. I'll be stressing all of these issues in our meetings with top Government of India officials," Royce said. 

Thought of the day

Happy Holi!!

Enjy evry colour of Holi nd u will  gt every  happiness u desire. God is always wid u. Enjoy evry moment. Keep smiling.   

Happy Holi

News

'Make in India': Government urges states to establish industrial land bank by June for the drive

NEW DELHI: The Centre has asked states to develop a land bank by June end to ensure ready land availability for the industry, as it looks to accelerate the 'Make in India' drive. This is one of the 98 points on which states will be ranked to create a sense of competition among them. States have also been asked to develop a framework to earmark land parcels with industry type that can be set up on such land.

The other parameters relate to registering of property, starting a business, construction permits, environment compliances, etc, with timelines spread to December 31.

What the central government can do to boost domestic manufacturing was announced in the budget, but the real action lies in the states. We are closely working with states and have asked them to immediately begin action on these parameters,based on which they will be ranked," said a top DIPP official.

 

The move is seen in conjunction with the Union Budget announced late last week that had measures to promote local manufacturing in the country, including correction of anomaly in the duty structure and improving credit access for small and medium enterprises.

Finance Article

RBI cuts repo rate by 25 bps to 7.5%; keeps CRR unchanged 

NEW DELHI: In a surprise move, Reserve Bank of India on Wednesday slashed repo rate by 25 bps to 7.5 per cent from 7.75 per cent earlier. Consequently, the reverse repo rate under the LAF stands adjusted to 6.5 per cent.

The central bank kept the cash reserve ratio (CRR) of scheduled banks unchanged at 4.0 per cent of net demand and time liabilities (NDTL).

The central bank kept the cash reserve ratio (CRR) of scheduled banks unchanged at 4.0 per cent of net demand and time liabilities (NDTL).

Going forward, the RBI will seek to bring the inflation rate to the mid-point of the band of around 4 per cent provided for in the agreement, i.e., to 4 per cent by the end of a two year period starting fiscal year 2016-17, the central bank said in a statement.

Thought of the day

Thousands of candles can be lit from a single candle

and the life of the candle will not be shortened

Happiness never decreases by being shared.

HR Article

Language Training a Key to Global-Ready Workforces

Employers that offer language training to their employees often outperform their competitors that don’t provide such training, according to a new study from Rosetta Stone Inc., a company that markets software for learning more than 30 languages.

The company’s 2015 Business Language Impact Study found that businesses with language-training programs are more successful in developing productive and high-performing workers who have the tools and confidence to succeed in the global marketplace. The findings were based on surveys of nearly 1,900 employees from more than 300 companies located on six continents.

“It’s clear that businesses are looking for a competitive advantage, and language training can offer an edge,” said Judy Verses, president of global enterprise and education at Rosetta Stone in Arlington, Va. “We know businesses worldwide are facing language proficiency challenges, as they continue to move into markets where English is not spoken.”

Finance Article

5 smart things to know about disinvestment

Disinvestment is when the government sells the equity shares it holds in public sector units (PSUs) to individuals or institutions.

Disinvestment transfers the ownership of shares from government to another entity, at market prices and creates gains for the government depending on the price.

It is done when the PSU is not profitable or the government does not want to continue in any business since the private sector has penetrated that business

When funds raised from disinvestment are used to meet routine revenue expenditure, it is undesirable as an asset is sold without creating another asset.

Disinvestment has become a significant source of revenue for the government; Rs 40,000 crore is the estimated amount to be raised in financial year 2014-15.

Thought of the day

HR Article

The Hidden Benefits of Employer Branding

Recent upticks in the economy and the labor market in particular have changed the balance of power between employers and job applicants, bringing the concept of employer branding to the forefront.

HR professionals with a strong understanding of the connection between effective employer branding and talent acquisition may still be surprised to learn that investing in building and marketing your company’s brand can have positive impacts on internal metrics such as employee engagement and turnover.

If your company has made branding a priority for 2015, you should begin by assessing the current strength of your brand. Neil Costa, founder and CEO of HireClix, a boutique digital recruiting firm, emphasized that your employer brand is not simply a company logo or career page. Instead, it is “the emotional reaction people have to the idea of working for your company.”

Once you’ve identified the central elements of your brand, it’s time to choose a communication medium that resonates with both job candidates and current employees. The use of logos, career pages and social media are all common ways to do this.

Don MacPherson, president of human capital consulting firm Modern Survey, asserts that social media is the perfect place to tout your brand and reach both audiences. He pointed out that “the relationship between level of engagement and social media activity is significant. About 80 percent of disengaged employees do not follow their company on social media, compared to 44 percent of fully engaged employees.”

News

Budget 2015: Government has embraced states as equal partners of growth, says FM Arun Jaitley

NEW DELHI: Stating that the NDA government has embraced states as equal partners of growth, Finance Minister Arun Jaitley in his budget speech said, "Every rupee of public expenditure, whether by centre or states will contribute to betterment of people's lives." 

Stating that Budget 2015 comes in the backdrop of a better growth environment than in the past, Jaitley on Saturday said, "World predicting that it is India's chance to fly." 

"India is going to take off on a faster growth trajectory." "While global growth forecasts have come down, India's forecasts have either been maintained or scaled up," Jaitley said in his Budget speech. 

On Friday, an upbeat Economic Survey penned by Chief Economic Advisor Arvind Subramanian said that India is headed for 8%-plus growth next year and on course for 10% expansion in the near future. 

Article

Companies recognise employees to pump feel-good factor

Information technology company HCL Technologies has taken recognition to another level. Under a programme called ‘Xtramiles’, peers, team members and managers recognise employees for their outstanding efforts.

Xtramiles are recognition points that the recogniser and the person being recognised receive when either one makes the appreciation. Accumulation of these points entitles them to earn rewards. “It is a platform aimed at propagating a ‘thank you’ culture and helps strengthen aculture of employee appreciation,” says Prithvi Shergill, chief human resources officer, HCL Technologies.

Similarly, learning outsourcing company NIIT has a recognition platform called HATS OFF, which has peer recognition as an integral part. Every NIITian can send an eWOW card using the online NIITian portal called iNIITian. The eWOW is shared with peers and first- and second-line reporting managers.

Article

How to make your employees feel valued

In today’s ambiguous and volatile work environment, employers need to do more than provide compensation and perks to make employees feel cherished. Offering stretch assignments to high potential talent, building a culture of transparency and clarity, and prompt rewards could build a sense of belonging, finds Anumeha Chaturvedi.

1) Challenge Them

Challenging employees within their routine tasks to deliver a higher quality output, or tackle a problem and take up more responsibilities can make a difference, according to Achal Khanna, CEO, Society for Human Resource Management. “Constant support from the manager during this challenging task will further make him or her feel valued,” says Khanna.

2) Reward Employees

HR Article

Going beyond basic Analytics: Making HR strategic

Advanced statistical modeling, data-based algorithms and analysis and its `predictive and prescriptive ability’ are hot requirements in the world of HR today.

Despite its process-driven approach HR has been largely dependent on the professional’s intuition. With increased focus on lowering the cost per employee, HR departments and consultancies are adopting a data driven analytics approach for greater accountability. Companies are increasingly relying on the strength this new data-based objectivity brings to businesses.

“The constant quest of `getting the right people for the right job at the best cost and time’ is getting more algorithm-based analytics,” says Yeshaswini Ramaswamy, e2e people solutions. “Corporates are looking to HR for a more strategic role in business operations. With this development the expectation today is to adopt a more data-based objectivity, a language that businesses understand, for the entire HR process.”

HR consultancies that have adopted this scientific method have been able to highlight the benefits of using data while making people decisions, thereby providing greater trackable objectivity. These processes are increasingly being incorporated by not just large MNCs and fast growing SMEs but even startups.

Article

On-the-job training boosts employee morale: Survey

Over 40% employers voted on-the-job training for increased productivity and 35% for enhanced employee morale in the organization in a survey concerning training and development, conducted by TJinsite, research and knowledge arm of TimesJobs.com. A considerable share of the surveyed employers also claimed to reduce attrition by using training and development methodology.

"Training is critical for growth and development of employees in the organisation and also to retain talent", expressed Vivek Punekar, Chief Human Resource Officer-HCL Infosystems. Referring to his company's strategy, he adds that their comprehensive training programs ranging from entry level to the highest-level executives focuses on all-round development of the people. "To strengthen our process, we analyse and identify key development areas for training - skills, technical and product learning - on regular basis. New technological upgrades and business needs are also taken into consideration in this approach."

News

NOFN giving only half of promised 100 mbps broadband speed

Village panchayats connected with the National Optical Fibre Network are getting broadband speed of only 50 mbps, which is half of what the government has committed under the project, says a study. 

"The NOFN promises bandwidth of 100 mbps. However, during our study, we found that the average speed is 50 mbps," said a Digital Empowerment Foundation report released today at Convergence India 2015. 

Government has earmarked Rs 20,000 crore for NOFN project to connect all 2.5 lakh village panchayats by December 2016 with broadband speed of 100 mbps at each panchayat level. 

DEF conducted its study in three blocks -- Arian in Ajmer district (Rajasthan), Parvada in Visakhapatnam (Andhra Pradesh) and Panisagar in North Tripura district (Tripura), that were covered by Bharat Broadband Network Limited under its pilot project.

News

Companies ordered to pay taxes on ad, marketing & promotion expenses incurred over & above industry average

It would appear that not everyone's got Finance Minister Arun Jaitley's oft-repeated message seeking a reversal in the aggressive policies of the tax department that prevailed under the previous government as the Narendra Modi administration looks to improve India's investment climate and make it more attractive to overseas companies. The transfer-pricing bogey that has haunted multinationals over the past few years still hasn't been entirely laid to rest.

The income-tax department has ordered several MNCs, mostly fast moving consumer goods (FMCG) companies, to pay taxes on advertising, marketing and sales promotion (AMP) expenses incurred over and above the industry average.

This hard line has been adopted in the latest transfer pricing audit as demands have intensified with January 31 being the last date by which these can be made. The tax department's argument is this: If the Indian subsidiary spends more than the average AMP expenses, then this additional amount is going towards promoting the brand and not the product, justifying the levy. The concept of pegging advertising spend as a proportion of turnover against industry average is an example of the 'bright-line test', a rule set by precedent that's inflexible.

HR Article

Creative Recruiting – It’s Time to Think Outside the Box

America is coming out of a long period of recession and virtually no hiring. For companies, that means that there are many eager candidates as their hiring picks up this year. After years of trying to find jobs in the same places, many eligible candidates no longer bother to check the same newspapers and internet websites that were popular nearly a decade ago. Many of the highly trained candidates that companies are interested in have stopped looking for better opportunities, making it difficult to find good employees.

That means that companies will need to get creative if they’re going to find qualified candidates. If your company is looking to hire in the coming year, try these ways to attract new talent.

1. Set up social networking accounts.

Instead of spending money on college fairs, you can meet plenty of new college graduates through Facebook and LinkedIn. Younger people are a lot more comfortable approaching a company through these methods, and they’re a lot cheaper than traveling to meet possible candidates. Furthermore, building up your online presence is a good way to add to your company’s public profile.

HR Article

Increase Employee Morale with Web-Based HR Systems

Implementing a web-based human resources management system (HRMS) can help just about any company to function more efficiently. While the benefits to employers are extensive, there are also many ways in which a web-based HRMS can make employees’ lives easier. Having a simple, web-based solution for different aspects of human resources can increase employee morale and sometimes even help reduce turnover. Industries across a broad spectrum are bringing their companies into the future with web-based HR systems.

Reduces Waiting for Information

While all HRMS are not exactly the same, most web-based systems will reduce the amount of time that an employee has to wait for information about some important aspects of employment. This may include pay rate, paycheck amount, tax filing status, benefit information, and information about bonuses. Some systems may also include scheduling functions, allowing employees to access schedules as soon as they are available. Employees benefit from having access to this information as soon as it is available no matter where they are, without having to go through the human resources department or consulting managers. This can help employees to save time and find out scheduling and other information in advance, greatly reducing work stressors and helping to strike a better work/life balance.

News

Infosys, Tata Group donate Rs 200 crore to expand reach of Bengaluru NGO’s school lunch programme 

he philanthropic arms of Infosys and the Tata Group are together writing cheques for over Rs 200 crore to fund Akshaya Patra, a Bengaluru-based organisation which runs the largest school lunch programme by an NGO in the world. The money will be used to expand the reach of Akshaya Patra, and equip it with the latest food technologies to help it cook meals faster and cheaper while improving quality.

The Infosys Foundation, headed by Sudha Murty, the wife of the software company's founder, will contribute Rs 127 crore to build three modern kitchens and run operations and a further Rs 20 crore for the corpus. The Jamsetji Tata Trust will contribute Rs 55 crore to help the non-profit acquire the latest technology and improve food safety.

Akshaya Patra, which US President Barack Obama commended in 2008 as a model for other countries, is run by the International Society for Krishna Consciousness. In Hindu mythology, the Akhshaya Patra is a vessel with unlimited stores of food that was gifted by Lord Shiva to the Pandava king Yudhishtira. With the grants, the organisation, over the next five years, will target 5 million school children from the current 1.5 million in 10 states. 

News

HCL rewards 130 top performers by offering them a paid holiday abroad with family or a Mercedes 

Around 130 of the top performers of HCL can either drive home a Mercedes or take their family and friends on an all-expenses-paid international or domestic holiday as a reward for their contribution to the company.

"We realise their need to celebrate their impact on the growth of the company along with their friends and family," said Prithvi Shergill, chief human resources officer at HCL Technologies.

HRD experts feel the novelty of being given a luxury car or an all-expenses-paid holiday as a token of appreciation strikes a deeper chord than increased remuneration.

"The newness of a reward will have a larger appeal (than extra cash)," said Anandorup Ghose, performance, rewards and talent practice leader at executive search firm Aon Hewitt India.

Article

Navigating BIG Data

Now more than ever, knowledge is power to every type of company that exists. With data increasing at exponential rate every few years, however, it can be difficult to mine all of that data and extract information that is pertinent to your business. It is important to implement effective systems for mining through big data in order to glean the freshest and most helpful information without placing undue stress on employees and staff.

What is Big Data?

The massive influx of new data that is being created is referred to as “big data.” Data is created every time a social media interaction occurs or any other type of information is created using any form of media. In 2012 approximately three zettabytes of data existed, according to International Data Corporation (IDC.) Since that time, data has multiplied at such a fast rate that it is difficult to calculate how much data exists at present. It is estimated that approximately 2.3 zettabytes were being created every day as of 2014.

Article

Vibrant Gujarat: How a state-level promotional event has turned national

Prime Minister Narendra Modi was his usual eloquent self at the Vibrant Gujarat summit and made his by-nowfamiliar sales pitch on India as the new investment destination for the world. But he added something new, this time around. A justification for the hype that is the hallmark of such investment summits increasingly held by practically every big state: while gargantuan sums of investment are promised, only a tiny fraction actually gets translated into projects, plant and machinery. But that does not matter, on two counts. One, the sums promised are so huge that even the tiny fraction that materialises as realised investment is substantial. Second, and this is where the Prime Minister offered an insight, such hype prods the government to be on its toes, as well.

Vibrant Gujarat started off as an event to project the state of Gujarat as an investment destination and, of course, its chief minister. But today, the event has become something much bigger. It has grown into India’s showcase to the world. World leaders have flocked to the summit, from US secretary of state John Kerry and the UK trade minister to the secretary general of the United Nations. Many large corporations of the world send their representatives to the meet, not so much to invest in the state as to mark their presence and network with the higher echelons of Indian business and Indian policymakers who are invariably present. The big kahunas of global politics and business congregate in Gujarat not so much on account of their interest in one particular state of India as because of India’s growing importance in the world economy.

News

230 hotels join Prime Minister Narendra Modi's Clean India drive

Vikramjit and Arjun, heirs of the Oberoi Group, picked up brooms and pushed wheelbarrows along with some of their employees the other day to collect all the garbage along the streets of Civil Lines in Delhi. "For our general managers, it wasn't a choice," said Vikramjit Oberoi, chief operating officer and joint MD of the group's flagship EIH Limited. "And we went beyond just the cleaning process.

We even started to paint walls in the areas in the vicinity." While he and his cousin didn't venture out on any such exercise after that day, hundreds of employees of Oberoi and several other luxury and mid-market hotel chains, including the Taj, ITC, Leela, Carlson and the Park, have started cleaning roads around their hotels as part of Prime Minister Narendra Modi's Swachh Bharat Mission.

In what the industry calls a firstof-its-kind initiative, 230 hotels, including 170 major ones, under the Hotel Association of India, have pledged that more than 500 of their employees will clean about 230 km of road around their hotels and clean up around 53 monuments in the country. "It is a big country and the only way a movement resonate beyond just lip service, is, when everybody embraces it," said Oberoi, who is also the president of the Hotel Association of India.

News

Ahead of Barack Obama's visit, big sales pitch awaits US for Make in India

Ahead of President Barack Obama's visit, the government is readying a big sales pitch in the US for its Make in India initiative and simultaneously holding parleys with officials in Washington to unveil some big announcements during the trip later this month.

Department of industrial policy and promotion ( DIPP) secretary Amitabh Kant will head the team travelling to the US for an outreach on Make in India in Washington to drive investments in smart cities, industrial corridors and defence manufacturing. In New Delhi, a series of official-level talks, including video-conferences on intellectual property rights and investment in manufacturing are planned to show progress on key issues."

The fact that the US is holding talks signals improving ties, which will provide a big boost to the Prime Minister's economic vision. A series of meetings is planned to fast track discussions on various issues, including intellectual property rights, investment in manufacturing, totalisation pact, market access for agri products, easier visa regime etc.," a government official said.

Article

Birth of a new institution

In line with the Government of India’s approach of less government and a move away from centralised planning, the NITI Aayog with a new structure and focus on policy will replace the 64-year old Planning Commission that was seen as a vestige of the socialist era. The new body, conceived more in the nature of a think-tank that will provide strategic and technical advice, will be helmed by the Prime Minister with a Governing Council of Chief Ministers and Lt. Governors, similar to the National Development Council that set the objectives for the Planning Commission. The NITI Aayog seeks substitute centralised planning with a ‘bottom-up’ approach where the body will support formulation of plans at the village level and aggregate them at higher levels of government. In short, the new body is envisaged to follow the norm of cooperative federalism, giving room to States to tailor schemes to suit their unique needs rather than be dictated to by the Centre. This is meant to be a recognition of the country’s diversity. The needs of a State such as Kerala with its highly developed social indicators may not be the same as that of, say, Jharkhand, which scores relatively low on this count. If indeed the body does function as has been envisaged now — and the jury will be out on that — States will, for the first time, have a say in setting their own development priorities.

News

Consumer demand, capital flows to push e-tail growth in new year 2015

The year witnessed a flurry of activity with online majors like Flipkart acquiring online portal Myntra and raising fund over $2 billion. Japan’s SoftBank invested $627 million in Snapdeal and Ola, which offers car rentals through its mobile platform along with website and call centres.

Not to be left behind, US-based Amazon announced that it will invest $2 billion in the e-retail segment in India. Exclusive partnerships with online players for launch of brands like Xiaomi and Motorola reflected the growing popularity of the segment.

With a sharp increase in the participation of consumers from non-metro cities and the huge investment that was pumped into the sector, e-commerce came of age in 2014, when people ordered exotic products like Newby Flowering tea with as much enthusiasm as traditional goods including consumer electronics and books.