Technopark to host a Conference on IT in Agriculture

Group of Technopark Companies is organising a Conference titled ‘ Re-Engineering the Kerala Agriculture Sector: Information and Communication Technologies in Agriculture’ on 22nd of January 2010 at Technopark, Thiruvananthapuram, Kerala. The conference is being organised by GTech in partnership with NABARD, Kerala State IT Mission, Technopark and Indian Institute of Information Technology and Management in Kerala.

The conference would examine several ongoing projects that aim to provide IT based Services to specific sectors like Agriculture Marketing, Agriculture production and Extension Services. The Conference would bring to the fore the core issues of the Agriculture Sector and how ICT’s could be employed in addressing these challenges. The conference would bring together experts and thought leaders from the Kerala IT Industry, Senior Government Officials, Representatives from International and National Development Organisations, NGO’s, Representatives from the Kerala agricultural community and Media.

The invited speakers for the Conference include Dr. Ajay Kumar IAS , Principal Secretary IT , Government of Kerala, Prof. Rajeev Srinivasan, IIM Bangalore, Mr. R Madhavan, Agriculture Management Consultancy, Dr. V Balaji, ICRISAT, Dr. Gopi Ghosh, Food and Agriculture Organisation and Mr. Guenter Dresruesse, German Technical Cooperation

The Conference would have three sessions dedicated to the use of ICT’s in Agriculture Marketing, Production and Extensions Services.

India IT Summit in Kerala

Kerala is all set to host the first major International event titled India IT Summit in Trivandrum on 11th and 12th of December, 2010 at Kovalam. The event is being organised by CII in partnership with the Kerala State Government.

Key speakers being invited from the Industry and Government include Mr Kiran Karnik, Former President, NASSCOM, Mr Lakshmi Narayanan, Vice Chairman, Cognizant Technology Solutions, Mr S Mahalingam, CFO & ED, Tata Consultancy Services, Mr John R Joyce, Director, Hewlett-Packard Development Company, USA, Mr K Radhakrihnan, Chairman, Indian Space Research Organisation, Mr A Raja, Minister for Communications & Information Technology, Government of India, Mr Sachin Pilot, Minister of State for Communications & IT, Government of India, Mr V S Achuthanandan, Chief Minister, Government of Kerala, Dr Shashi Tharoor, Minister of State for External Affairs, Government of India, Mr R Chandrashekhar, Secretary, DIT, Ministry of Communication & IT, Government of India, Mr. V K Mathews, Chairman IBS, Mr. G Vijayaraghavan , Founder CEO, Technopark and Dr. Ajay Kumar IAS , Government of Kerala.

The event would showcase the emerge of Kerala as the new attractive destination for IT /ITES Players.

Kerala surging ahead in e-Governance Initiatives

Group of Technopark Companies (GTech) commended the IT Administration of Kerala for obtaining the highest number of awards in the CSI-Nihilent National e-Governance awards. The prizes were distributed to the respective winners in a function held at Pune on 9 October 2009.

Kerala has bagged four prestigious awards for unleashing the power of Information Technology to improve the Citizens quality of the life and also for creating an enabling environment of Economic Growth and Equity in the state. Kannur District has bagged the award of appreciation for outstanding efforts in demonstrating excellence in implementing e- Governance Project.

In the project category section, Higher Secondary Centralized Processing, e-Krishi Project and Sulekha Plan Monitoring System for De-centralized Planning have won awards for better implantation and providing value and quality of Service to the Stakeholders.

GTech in a press release said that the e-Governance initiatives being implemented in the state would provide an opportunity to take the benefits of the Information and Communication Technology to the Grassroots level in the state and also would create a strong technology infrastructure in the state to deliver a comprehensive set of services to citizens in the area of Education, Healthcare and Agriculture.

GTech complemented the efforts the State Government and the IT Department for spearheading the e-Governance initiative in the state and added that GTech and the IT Industry in the state would be keen to share the experience and know-how to further strengthen the e-Governance initiatives in the state.

Snake bites Apple

Snake and Ladder is an exciting traditional Indian game much played among the young and old alike. Now we have brought you this popular board game on your iPhone and iTouch.

The Snake and Ladder game was developed by Travancore Analytics, a Technopark, based company involved in the development of Software in the areas of Imaging Technology and Image Processing.

The Snake and ladder game developed by Travancore analytics has been the most favorite free-download in Apple store. This game has had 250,000 downloads in the last week, which is the highest for an iPhone application developed by any Indian Software company. More than 70% of the downloads are from Canada, UK and US.

Apple Corporation, the sought-after computer and software maker, allows users to access different software through its virtual market place called ‘App Store’. This free version of the game allows the user to be one of the players, while the iPhone itself takes the role of the second player. At present this Snake and Ladder application occupies the No-1 position in 12 App Stores worldwide.

Mr. T Harikumar, who is working as the CEO and Mr. Baas Mannarsala who is presently the CTO founded Travancore Analytics. . Products aimed at assisting radio diagnosis like detection of Breast Cancer, Analysis of Tumor, Wound Healing, etc. are on the development stage at the Travancore Analytics center in Technopark.

Group of Technopark Companies (GTech) in a press release said that Kerala based IT companies are evolving as strategic players providing cutting edge Solutions to Global Companies for sustaining their competitiveness.

Interview in the Hindu on Carpooling

KOCHI: The response to the carpooling initiative that was launched for the State’s IT professionals about two months ago in Thiruvananthapuram has been described as “pretty good” by its promoters.
“We have around 850 registered users for the site. In fact the Technopark authorities said that there was a drastic reduction in the number of cars being parked within the Technopark campus. Out of the registered users, 80 per cent belong to Technopark and the remaining 20 per cent to Infopark (Kochi),” said Binu Sankar, Chief Executive Officer, Group of Technopark Companies (GTech).
With fuel costs rising and motoring along crowded city roads becoming a nightmare, the idea of carpooling did not come a day too late. The initiative was started in May 2009 by GTech in partnership with Palnar Transmedia, a software development firm in Technopark under a Green Computing Initiative. The web site www.parkcarpool.in is targeted at the IT Professionals of Technopark and Infopark.
Carpooling is a process by which a group of people share vehicles and take turns to drive so as to minimise fuel costs. With the launch of the website, described as the first of its kind in Kerala, IT professionals could register themselves and try to share vehicles with others to travel to mutually convenient destinations.
But carpooling also takes on a different dimension because of larger issue it seeks to address: cutting down on fuel usage and thereby helping in the world wide initiative to counter global warming.
May of those who use carpooling are often quite aware of this ‘green’ dimension to their activity.
The web site displays a list of daily trips and also other scheduled trips on its home page.
“About 85 per cent of the trips are confined to Thiruvananthapuram. Seventeen to twenty carpools have already been formed in Technopark. Close to 90 people are using this facility. It is to be noted that 80 per cent of the companies provide bus transport to their employees in Technopark,” said Mr. Sankar.
The scope of the carpooling initiative covers not only places within the State but also those outside like Madurai and Coimbatore, going by the list of places available in the options form on the web site. But the most commonly used long distance routes are Thiruvananthapuram - Kochi and Thiruvananthapuram - Kottayam. The maximum number of trips is in the offing generally on Fridays around 7 to 8.
Though a large number of Kochi-based IT companies figure on the website, the use of the service seemed to be largely confined to Thiruvananthapuram and Technopark.
“We are in the process of setting up a unit in Infopark and we plan to induct 20 members into this forum. I am meeting the CEOs of Infopark in the second week of August to solicit their support for the carpooling initiative and also to promote it within the Infopark campus,” said Mr. Sankar.
Carpooling initiatives in other parts of the country have been gathering momentum, with a number of carpooling websites being launched in recent years. Awareness about carpooling was an issue in Kerala compared to other metros and GTech was planning to undertake more programmes in this regard.
Security is an issue for some when it comes to carpooling: a good number of women professionals do not seem to regard it as a safe mode of travel, given the way they have responded to it in the big metros. And those who opt for it generally prefer women co-passengers.
“We have taken some precautionary measures like registration using the official company e-mail id and employee number while using the website for carpooling. For women carpoolers we have requested them to look at carpooling within the same company and also to meet up with the other carpoolers on the campus to avoid untoward incidents,” said Mr. Sankar.

Kerala positioned to leap into the Biotech Era

Kerala is all set to emerge as the next destination for the Biotechnology Industry. This was reverberated at a session on Kerala as the new Biotechnology Hub: Opportunities and challenges organised by GTech in partnership with Rajiv Gandhi Institute of Biotechnology, Kreara solutions and Technopark. Setting the tone, Dr. M Radhakrishna Pillai, Director, Rajiv Gandhi Institute of Biotechnology spoke on the importance of using Information Technology in doing research and Development work in the Biotechnology Industry. There is a distinct connect between Information Technology and Biotechnology and new areas have recently emerged in the sector where Information Technology is used for developing computational and statistical solutions for the Industry. Dr. Pillai added that the biggest risk being faced by the biotechnology Industry is lack of information regarding the analysis of genome.


Delivering the Inaugural address Sri Oomen Chandy leader of the opposition, Kerala Legislative assembly spoke on the innumerable benefits offered by Biotechnology and added that the state is better positioned to reap the benefits of Biotechnology and said that the sector offered a lot of scope for Biotech Entrepreneurs. Mr. Chandy observed that in recent years, the researcher-entrepreneur has become a role model in research institutions and business circles and added that most of these researcher-entrepreneurs who set up their own companies were scientists who had achieved recognition. Mr. Chandy further added that today, most are younger researchers who have specialist knowledge and are attracted by the capitalist adventure and therefore, to support the acquisition of such specialist knowledge in developing countries, courses with emphasis in molecular biology, Genomics, proteomics, bio imaging, and bio-informatics must be included in the curriculum. Mr. Chandy also noted that during a recent Kerala Ministerial delegation to US met up with US-based Biotech Company Solazyme that produces oil out of algae through the biotechnology process, and the oil in turn could be used for various purposes including fuel. Efficient sewage treatment and degradation of petroleum and management of oil spills by genetically modified microorganisms can be applied to improve the environment added Mr. Chandy.

During the panel discussion that followed, panellist spoke on the strategies that Kerala could adopt to create an enabling environment for the growth of Biotech Industry. Dr. Krishna Menon, Chief Scientific Officer, Cellceutix Biopharmaceuticals spoke on the importance of academia Industry Interface to nurture the growth of the Biotech Industry. Dr. Sanjay Hegde, Head clinical operation Piramal Life Sciences spoke on the importance of clinical Research and how can Kerala can be a hub for Clinical Research taking into account the availabilibilty of Human Resource in Kerala and also due to the presence of a large number of medical institutions.

Mr. Satish Babu, Secretary of GTech, said that GTech would be playing a proactive role in supporting the development of the Biotech Industry in the state especially in the areas of Bioinformatcis. Mr. Rakesh Kumar Gupta, COO Allianz Cornhill Information service while moderating the discussion said that GTech would bring out a document in consultation with the concerned Government Agencies as a follow up to the discussion which would facilitate the creation of a structural framework for the emergence of the Biotech Industry in the State. Mr. Mervin Alexander, CEO of Technopark spoke about the need for Entreprenuers to take up Biotech Industry related projects in the state.

Technopark based Kreara Solutions and Rajiv Gandhi Institute of Biotechnology has entered into an MOU for doing research on developing Predictive Software for Leukaemia and also for undertaking research projects of International Research Organisations on Clinical Bio informatics.

Kerala is all set to emerge as the next destination for the Biotechnology Industry. This was reverberated at a session on Kerala as the new Biotechnology Hub: Opportunities and challenges organised by GTech in partnership with Rajiv Gandhi Institute of Biotechnology, Kreara solutions and Technopark. Setting the tone, Dr. M Radhakrishna Pillai, Director, Rajiv Gandhi Institute of Biotechnology spoke on the importance of using Information Technology in doing research and Development work in the Biotechnology Industry. There is a distinct connect between Information Technology and Biotechnology and new areas have recently emerged in the sector where Information Technology is used for developing computational and statistical solutions for the Industry. Dr. Pillai added that the biggest risk being faced by the biotechnology Industry is lack of information regarding the analysis of genome.


Delivering the Inaugural address Sri Oomen Chandy leader of the opposition, Kerala Legislative assembly spoke on the innumerable benefits offered by Biotechnology and added that the state is better positioned to reap the benefits of Biotechnology and said that the sector offered a lot of scope for Biotech Entrepreneurs. Mr. Chandy observed that in recent years, the researcher-entrepreneur has become a role model in research institutions and business circles and added that most of these researcher-entrepreneurs who set up their own companies were scientists who had achieved recognition. Mr. Chandy further added that today, most are younger researchers who have specialist knowledge and are attracted by the capitalist adventure and therefore, to support the acquisition of such specialist knowledge in developing countries, courses with emphasis in molecular biology, Genomics, proteomics, bio imaging, and bio-informatics must be included in the curriculum. Mr. Chandy also noted that during a recent Kerala Ministerial delegation to US met up with US-based Biotech Company Solazyme that produces oil out of algae through the biotechnology process, and the oil in turn could be used for various purposes including fuel. Efficient sewage treatment and degradation of petroleum and management of oil spills by genetically modified microorganisms can be applied to improve the environment added Mr. Chandy.

During the panel discussion that followed, panellist spoke on the strategies that Kerala could adopt to create an enabling environment for the growth of Biotech Industry. Dr. Krishna Menon, Chief Scientific Officer, Cellceutix Biopharmaceuticals spoke on the importance of academia Industry Interface to nurture the growth of the Biotech Industry. Dr. Sanjay Hegde, Head clinical operation Piramal Life Sciences spoke on the importance of clinical Research and how can Kerala can be a hub for Clinical Research taking into account the availabilibilty of Human Resource in Kerala and also due to the presence of a large number of medical institutions.

Mr. Satish Babu, Secretary of GTech, said that GTech would be playing a proactive role in supporting the development of the Biotech Industry in the state especially in the areas of Bioinformatcis. Mr. Rakesh Kumar Gupta, COO Allianz Cornhill Information service while moderating the discussion said that GTech would bring out a document in consultation with the concerned Government Agencies as a follow up to the discussion which would facilitate the creation of a structural framework for the emergence of the Biotech Industry in the State. Mr. Mervin Alexander, CEO of Technopark spoke about the need for Entreprenuers to take up Biotech Industry related projects in the state.

Technopark based Kreara Solutions and Rajiv Gandhi Institute of Biotechnology has entered into an MOU for doing research on developing Predictive Software for Leukaemia and also for undertaking research projects of International Research Organisations on Clinical Bio informatics.

Committee on International Relations

Group of Technopark Companies (GTech) in the last meeting decided to set up a forum to facilitate International Relations for the IT community in the state. The objective of the Forum is to develop a strategic and long-term structural framework to build partnerships with Institutions and Business organisations in various countries to further fuel the growth of IT Sector in the state and help the member companies to scout for business opportunities.

The forum would be mandated with the following tasks
a. To work with stakeholders from a wide spectrum of business and academia in select countries to develop market and business opportunities for the members
b. Disseminate information to the members on the business opportunities available in Foreign countries
c. To identify champions in the administration in key countries of our business interests to support Kerala
d. To undertake trade missions to help members scout for Business opportunities
e. To network with the Foreign Trade missions and Embassy offices in India
f. To organise specific marketing campaigns, road shows and websites to promote KeralaTo ensure positioning of Kerala brand in line with the India Inc brand.

UK@Thiruvananthapuram

British Deputy High Commission and GTech in association with Nasscon, TiE Kerala Chapter and Kerala chamber of commerce and Industry is organising a one day session on UK@Thiruvananthapuram on 6th of August 2009 at Hotel Taj Residency. The programme is aimed at providing first hand information to companies in the IT Industry on oppourtunities and investments available in UK

An Inclusive and Pro-Poor Budget: GTech

Group of Technopark Companies (GTech) have expressed their appreciation to the Union Government for supporting the Technology Industry in the state by abolishing the Fringe Benefit Tax and also extending the STPI scheme for one year. GTech also welcomed the announcement on the exemption of excise duty and CVD on packaged software.

Terming the budget as an Inclusive one with a Social Focus, GTech in a press statement expressed their concern on the high fiscal deficit of 6.2 %. The strong emphasis in the Union Budget on Sectors like Agriculture, Infrastructure Development, Education and Rural development is on the right track for inclusive growth.

However, considering the current global slump in IT business as a result of the Economic Crises, GTech felt that the Government should have announced more schemes to help small and medium-sized Indian IT companies to bid for IT projects from the domestic market. GTech also felt that Government should consider extending the STPI scheme till 2015 to support the IT Industry operating in Tier 2 and Tier 3 cities.

GTech also felt that launching of the schemes like Mission in Education through ICT will help in the deployment of Information Technology to enhance the quality of education at the grass root level in the country.

Singapore and Kerala to enhance cooperation in the Information Technology Sector

Kerala is all set to intensify and strengthen the cooperation in the IT Sector with the city-state of Singapore. This emerged during the extensive interaction that Group of Technopark Companies (GTech) officials had with the Senior Government officials and the various industry chambers in Singapore. GTech, the strategic grouping of IT companies in Kerala has taken up this initiative to establish Global linkages for the IT Industry in Kerala to scout for business opportunities and also to provide first hand information on the advantages of Kerala to potential investors willing to set up Technology development centres in the state. The initiative of GTech has led to renewed interest among the business community in Singapore at a time when Singapore has emerged as India's top four investors, after the two countries signed a Comprehensive Economic Cooperation Agreement (CECA) in mid-2005 with bilateral trade between India and Singapore surging to $16.6 billion in 2008.
As part of the efforts, GTech held deliberations with the Government agencies like International Enterprise Singapore, Economic Development Board, Singapore, Singapore Management University and Infocomm Development Authority. GTech also had discussions with organisations like Singapore Indian Chambers of Commerce and Industry (SICCI), Singapore Business Federation (SBF), Singapore Infocomm Technology Federation, IIT Alumni Association of Singapore, Global People of Indian Origin and Singapore Malayalee Association.
SICCI have extended an invitation to GTech to participate at the Business meet of the Asia Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) Summit to be organised in Singapore in November 2009. Singapore Business Federation has also agreed to host a Business meet in Singapore for the IT companies from Kerala to network and to explore market opportunities.
GTech team was able to showcase to the Singaporean Business community the larger picture of Kerala Growth Story outlined by the emergence of a vibrant IT Industry which is seeking a bigger role on the global stage and strategically building relationships with important players.
GTech team also held discussions with the Institute of South Asian Studies led by Dr. S Narayan, Head Research and Former Economic Advisor of the Prime Minister of India and Dr. Iftekhar Ahmed Chowdhary, Visiting Senior Research Fellow and Former Foreign Minister of Bangladesh. Institute of South Asian Studies expressed their keenness to partner with GTech on exploring opportunities for organising Singapore Kerala interactions.
GTech team also called on Mr. Gopinath Pillai, Hon. Ambassador at Large, Singapore and Dr. K N Raghavan, First Secretary, Commerce, High Commission of India in Singapore.
Singapore Business community have expressed their keenness to partner with GTech in Students internship programme whereby Engineering and the management students from Singapore are given the opportunity to undergo training in new cutting edge technologies in Technopark.
In a press statement GTech Secretary, Mr. Satish Babu said that the organisation is developing a structural framework to build partnerships with Institutions and Business organisations in various countries to further fuel the growth of IT Sector in the state and added that GTech would consider positively the suggestions put forward by the business community in Singapore and these would be discussed and finalised at the GTech meeting scheduled later this month.

http://parkcarpool.in

Group of Technopark companies (GTech), the strategic grouping of IT Companies in Technopark under the Green computing initiative launched a Carpooling website (www.parkcarpool.in) for the IT Community in Kerala. The website was launched by GTech in partnership with Palnar Transmedia, a Software firm operating out of Technopark. The carpooling was conceptualised by GTech to reduce the carbon Footprint of the IT Industry in Kerala. The underlying objective of the website is to help the IT Community in Kerala to travel together, in order to save money, fuel, reduce global warming and traffic on the roads.

The website is aimed at the 30,000 IT Professionals working at Technopark in Trivandrum and Infopark in Cochin.

A carpool is an arrangement wherein commuters share a vehicle to travel together to their offices, thereby saving fuel, money, reducing global warming and traffic. The users can register for free in the website by giving the relevant information and can search for travel mates who commute to Technopark or Infopark. Once a request for registration is submitted at the website, it is verified as a safety measure by the GTech administrator and finally the registration is approved.

In a Statement, GTech President Mr. S Rama Rao said that there is an urgent need to create awareness amongst IT Professionals about the benefits of carpooling primarily to reduce the harmful effects of Carbon di-oxide emissions from vehicles which is aiding rapid global warming and also an avenue for the IT Community to reduce their dependency on fuel consumption.

Mr. Satish Babu, Secretary of GTech said the primary objective of the carpooling website is to enhance the environmental consciousness of the IT professionals and contribute towards creating an enabling environment whereby this unique model of GTech acts as a catalyst in promoting the cause of environmental sustainability in Kerala. It is also in tune with the National Policy on Conservation of Fuel.
GTech plans to take up similar activities under the Green Computing initiative to play a proactive role in Environmental conservation and to work with the key stakeholders in perpetuating such initiatives to all sections of the society.

Car Pool Scheme for Technopark Staff

Soon, people working in Technopark Thiruvananthapuram will be able to join a car pool to commute to work.

The Group of Technopark Companies (GTech), an association of the IT companies operating in Technopark, is setting up a Web site to facilitate car pooling among people working in the park. GTech is promoting this Web site in association with Palnar Transmedia, a Technopark-based company, as it wants to encourage the concept of car-pooling, Mr Satish Babu, Secretary, GTech, told Business Line. This project is part of GTech’s commitment to the Green Computing initiative.

Currently, there are no formal car pooling arrangements in Technopark, Mr Babu said. “The plan is to launch a Web site where registered users, especially IT professionals, commuting from the city and other areas within Thiruvananthapuram can find travel mates,” he explained. A user can search the Web site to zero-in on people who live in the same area as he or she does and commute to Technopark. Once a prospective travel partner is found, a user can contact him or her by sending in a request through the Web site’s administrator. Once two or more users are in touch, they can decide how their car pool will work; GTech will help them fine-tune the arrangement, if needed, he added.

Palnar Transmedia is developing the Web site and will also maintain it. The site is likely to be launched by the middle of April.

Developmental role
The car pooling project is one of several ventures that GTech is embarking on this year. All these activities are intended to establish GTech’s position that it is not just an industry organisation but also a catalyst for socio-economic development in Kerala, according to Mr Babu. So, besides looking after the interests of its members, the organisation will also play a developmental role. “In particular, GTech would like to highlight the need to be environment-friendly and society-friendly,” he added.

It is, for instance, planning to develop a corporate code on climate change, Mr Babu said. This code will be developed with an emphasis on practical measures to fight climate change at the individual and business levels. Similarly, the organisation plans to host a ‘development summit’ to craft strategies on how IT can be used for social and economic development. Also on the cards are ventures such as a study to understand how Kerala can be developed into a knowledge hub and the second edition of the Kerala Venture Capital Summit. Earlier this year, GTech held workshops on ‘a health lifestyle in IT workplaces’ and ‘food quality and nutrition’.

Kerala- The New Emerging destination for Entrepreneurs

Kerala is now emerging as the ideal investment destination for potential entrepreneurs. The World Bank revealed this in a recent policy Research Working paper submitted to the multilateral agency by its Finance and Private Sector Development Group headed by Mr. Giuseppe Iarossi. The Group has created a new Investment Climate Index (ICI) to study and map the Investment scenario in 16 Indian States. The concept of Investment Climate Index or ICI is based on the pretext that Entrepreneurs look at and compare a wide range of features of the business climate in each state when deciding on investing. More specifically the paper assume and also inks to the fact that investors take into account a host of factors closely related to the production process such as quality and reliability of infrastructure services, availability of finance, level of corruption, etc. The paper was prepared by collecting data from 4000 Entrepreneurs through face-to-face interviews and focused group Discussions. The researchers have identified 46 variables pertaining to the 16 states and categorized them into 3 namely- Inputs, Institutions and Infrastructure and later these were classified into six sub indices based on objective values (cost) and Subjective Indicators (perception). These sub indices are combined to form the Investment Climate Index.

Investment Climate Index also gives an abstract on other parameters associated with factors conducive for attracting investors to a state. They are the following
A better ICI pertains to a higher level of domestic private investments
A better ICI means a higher growth and reduced poverty.
A better ICI means a climate for better investments.

Based on the ICI the 16 states ranked are as follows
Karnataka
Kerala
Gujarat
Andhra Pradesh
Haryana
West Bengal
Maharashtra
Delhi
Tamil Nadu
Punjab
Jharkand
Orissa
Madhya Pradesh
Bihar
Uttar Pradesh
Rajesthan


According to the ICI ranking of Figure 3the states with the best investment climate are Karnataka and Kerala, followed by Gujarat, Andhra Pradesh, Haryana, West Bengal Maharashtra and Delhi. The worst investment climate is on the contrary found in Bihar, Uttar Pradesh, and Rajasthan. While it is not surprising to see Karnataka as one of the states with the best investment climate in India the ranking of Kerala within the top tear appears a bit unexpected. A closer examination of the data shows that Kerala consistently scores better than average on most objective and perception indicators, although it appears that Kerala manufacturers and retailers perceive their state as having a better business climate than those in the other 15 states in almost all
categories of perception questions.

Nevertheless perception and objective questions do not contradict themselves in almost all dimensions of the investment climate. Hence although Kerala appears among the most optimistic Indian states, its high-ranking does not appears to be driven solely by their perception rankings. As a matter of fact Kerala performs very well on all the 3 categories of indicators, infrastructure, institutions and inputs. More specifically for both objective and perception measures of infrastructure Kerala performs better than average. In objective measures only Karnataka and West Bengal performs better than Kerala in all five indicators. Punjab also performs above average in all indicators but not as much as Kerala. Within the perception variables Kerala performs above average for all indicators as does Karnataka, Andhra Pradesh, Tamil Nadu, and Orissa.

In conclusion, it seems that firms in Kerala tend to complain less about constraints than in other countries. However Kerala is not the only state with above average perception on all indicators. Furthermore the perception and objective data do not contradict themselves. So, it is both perception and objective data that make Kerala second in the ranking.

Arbrit Safety Solutions

Arbrit Safety solution is the country’s leading Fire and Safety solutions Consultant. With the headquarters in Cochin Arbrit Safety solutions have been training people and placing them in multi national companies across the Globe. With a strategic tie up with NIFE in Kerala, Arbrit Safety solutions have been anchoring and offering solutions for the Fire and Safety Industry in India. Arbrit safety solutions have also been closely working with the top and middle level managements of some of the well known Private sector and public sector units offering them tailor made courses to suit their business requirements and help them to stay competitive in the Industry.
Over the course of time Arbrit have also diversified into Aviation courses to train personnel in all aspects in aviation safety.
Arbrit values its relationship with customers and people who are getting trained at Arbrit. Arbrit is unique in the sense Arbrit has been able to carve out an Arbrit community consisting of a loyal community of brand ambassadors.
Having reached an unassailable pole position in Kerala, Arbrit is constantly working towards consolidating its position in the market place. Arbrit believes that changing demographic profile of India with global ambitions, increasing urbanization and the empowerment of rural India will add responsibility to Arbrit to train them and help them embark on a global safety career. This would provide the growth ballast that would sustain Arbrit in the years to come.
Arbrit has a modern and well-equipped state-of-the-art training centre in Cochin, built with sizable investment. It is manned by an array of qualified and certified safety professionals, with a combined experience both in the Industry and academia.
Arbrit is now all geared up to tap the Global Market. Arbrit believes in building long-term sustainable partnerships with like-minded Institution and organisations through out the world. Our long-term vision is to be the leader in Fire Safety and Aviation Training in Asia. Arbrit is working on the Global vision titled Vision 2.0 to be one of the top players in the Fire Safety and Aviation training segment in Asia.
With a strong vision supported by determination and hard work Arbrit has delivered value to every aspect of the businesses.

GTECH organises a Session on Food Quality, Safety and Healthy Nutrition

Regular Training and Knowledge transfer among the hotel and the restaurant staffs are the two foundations for ensuring Food quality and Safety standards worldwide. This was the bottom line of a session on Food Quality, Safety and Healthy Nutrition organised by the Group of Technopark Companies (GTECH) in association with Technopark. The session brought together Food Quality and Safety Experts, Select CEO’s, Human Resource Professionals and the Restaurant owners in Technopark on a common platform and deliberated the importance of adopting highest Food Quality and Safety standards in Technopark and also to set up benchmarks for Healthy Nutrition within Technopark. The speaker dwelt on the need for creating an enabling environment to deal with issue of Food Safety and Quality and suggested the need for coming together of key stakeholders in addressing this crucial issue.

Dwelling on the need to provide a balanced and healthy diet, Mr. Anil Thricovil, CEO of Technopark based Alamy Images suggested that adding more Fruits and salads and cutting down the intake of high fat food would help the IT professionals in preventing the onset of life style diseases and requested the Food vendors in Technopark to publish calories of each kind of food which is sold at their respective outlets. Mr. Sunil Somarajan, Training Manager, KTDC suggested the need for Restaurants to adopt scientific practises in Food Safety and to ensure the highest quality to the customers. Ms. Katty Verrill, Manager Quality Assurance, Hotel Muthoot Plaza spoke on the need for restaurants to train their staff on the Food quality, Safety and hygiene aspects. She further added that adopting good hygiene practices would lead to higher productivity, higher customer satisfaction, reduced risk of food poisoning and higher profits. Ms. D Grace Gideon, Principal, Institute of Hotel Management and Catering Technology, Kovalam said that Food Safety and quality standards can only be attained if the entire supply chain from the basic washing of materials for cooking to the final stage of preparation and consumption is scientifically managed.

Mr. Satish Babu , Hon . Secreatry of GTECH moderated the discussion and Mr. S Rama Rao president delivered the inaugural address.

In a Press Release GTECH said that based on the discussion with the Food quality experts, GTECH would establish a Food quality committee in consultation with the Technopark authorities comprising of all the stakeholders to implement some of the suggestions that came out of the session.

GTECH reaction to the Kerala state Budget

GTECH welcomes and appreciates the move of the Government for the deferrement of 50% of rent to the financial year 2010-11. However, considering the impact of the recession on the Knowledge Industry in Kerala, the move may not be of substantive help to the affected companies, as they would still have to provide for this rent, though this would help in cash flow management.

It is also not clear how this deferred rent would be recovered from the year 2010-11. A 12-installment recover would lead to a severe burden in the financial year 2010 – 2011. On the other hand, a 50 % rent waiver for the period of the recession would have brought the much-needed relief to the IT Industry. In addition, a waiver of the additional electricity charges for the 25% excess consumption over the previous year would also significantly benefited the IT Industry.

Technopark to adopt a Healthy Life Style

Technopark is all set to adopt a healthy life style at the Workplaces. This was reverberated at the session on Healthy Life style at IT Workplaces organised by the Group of Technopark Companies (GTECH) in association with the Kerala State IT Mission and Technopark. The session brought together the Human Resource Professionals, Health Experts and Health organisations on a common platform and discussed the concept of maintaining a healthy life style at the workplace and sensitised the Technopark Community on Health and Wellness at the IT Workplace. The session included discussions and presentations on the foundation of creating a healthy workforce, which dwelt on prevention of life style diseases, Healthy Nutrition and Stress Management.

Stressing on the need for a healthy life style, speakers stressed on the need to balance the different components of life style like the workspace, family space, Social Space and personal space. Dr L Vijayalekshmi, HOD, Applied Nutrition, Trivandrum Medical College, stressed on the need for IT professionals to re-engineer the life style on a regular exercise and healthy diet.

Dr. V Mohanan Nair, State Nodal Officer, National Programme for Prevention of Diabetes, Cardiovascular Diseases and Stroke stressed on the responsibility of the IT firms to provide healthy food options at the cafeterias and also on the importance of taking precautionary measures to fight the onset of Non-communicable diseases.

Mr. R Narayanan, Chief Mentor, Faith Infotech spoke on the need for the professionals working in the IT Sector to embark on a personal mission to be healthy.

Other speakers at the session included Mr. Mohan Kumar, Industrial Psychologist, Tiger India, Mr. Anil Thricovil, CEO, Alamy Images, Mr. S Rama Rao, President GTECH and Mr. Satish Babu, Secretary, GTECH.

In a Press statement, GTECH stated that such sessions would be an ongoing activity and will strive for creating a platform in Technopark to regularly communicate with the medical fraternity in the state.

Recession Proof: Spirit and Spirituality in Kerala

An interesting article appeared in Indian Express which is truly a thought provoking one- A peice of Economics.

The intoxicating industries of spirit and Spirituality in Kerala seem to have beaten the economic downturn.
Liquor sales registered a robust growth in the last three months, though the period had been marked by the loss of employement for many and crash in the prices of agricultural produce. Spirituality too seems to be on a high in recent months if the record revenue at pilgrim and retreat centres is anything to go by.
The Kerala State Beverages Corporation (KSBC), the sole distributor of Indian Made Foreign Liquor (IMFL) in the state, has registered a 29 per cent increase in the sale of liquor for the quarter ended December 31 compared to the corresponding period last fiscal.
Managing Director Shanker Reddy said the economic downturn has had little impact on the sale of IMFL. Total IMFL sales in the last fiscal stood at Rs 3,669.49 crore. The figure likely to touch Rs 4,500 crore in the current fiscal, added Reddy.
Compared to IMFL sales of Rs 971.27 crore from November 2007 to January 2008, KSBC had sales of Rs 1175.83 crore from November 2008 to January 2009.
One of the highest liquor-consuming districts is Kottayam, also the largest grower of natural rubber in the country. Though rubber prices have plunged from Rs 140 per kg to Rs 65 in last five months, the mood is still upbeat in the IMFL outlets and bars in this Christian heartland.
Bacchus isn't the only God on people's minds either. Though the flow of tourists has come down due to the recession, pilgrim and retreat centres are still doing roaring business.
Sabarimala Ayyappa temple, one of the most famous pilgrim centres in India, had an all-time record revenue from its two-month annual festival season which ended in the third week of January.
According to the temple governing body, the Travancore Dewaswom Board, this season's revenue was Rs 112.22 crore, while the figure of the last season stood at Rs 83 crore. This is the first time in the history of the hill shrine that the collection has crossed Rs 100 crore. A major chunk of the revenue came from pilgrims' offerings at the temple.
The picture is also rosy at the Christian spiritual centres. The Catholic Church has 89 affiliated retreat centres in the state, which run five-day meditation camps every week throughout the year.
The Divine Retreat Centre at Chalakkudy in Central Kerala is one of the most popular. At least 3,000 people attend the weekly retreat session here. "We have not reported any drop in attendance," said A B Mathews, accountant at the centre. Coincidentally, Chalakkudy is also the leader in IMFL sales in Kerala.
We expect more people to turn to God during the economic crisis. Hence, a heavy turnout is expected in the coming months," said a spokesperson of the Sehiyon Retreat Centre, Palakkad.
"In Kerala, people have a tendency to heavily depend on God and liquor during a crisis. The trend is likely to go up when the impact of recession becomes more severe," says Dr C J John, a consultant psychiatrist in Kochi. "The state has a migrating community which moves from one retreat centre/pilgrim centre to another in search of panacea for their problems. That group keeps the spiritual centres filled throughout the year," added John.

Technopark gets Healthier

Concerned with the rising health issues among the young professionals working in the IT Industry, the Group of Technopark Companies (GTECH) in association with the Kerala State IT Mission, is organising a Session on ‘Healthy Life style at IT Workplaces’ on 12th February 2009 at the Technopark Campus. Represented by CEO’s of all companies in Technopark Trivandrum, GTECH is an apex organisation founded in 2000 to promote the cause of the community of IT companies in Kerala.

According to Binu Sankar, CEO of GTECH, “The main objective of this session is to bring together the HR professionals, Health Experts and select health organisations on a common platform, and to discuss the concept of maintaining a healthy life style at the workplace. I hope we will be able to sensitise the Technopark Community on Health and Wellness at the IT Workplace”.

The session on ‘Healthy Life style at IT Workplaces’ will include discussions and presentations on the foundation of creating a healthy workforce, which will dwell on prevention of lifestyle diseases, Healthy Nutrition and Stress Management. The half day programme will see a leading Cardiologist, Diabetologist and also an Industrial Psychologist, among others, making presentations on preventive strategies to the Techies.

Spreading the awareness on preventing lifestyle diseases associated with the IT industry seems to be the best HR initiative which companies can offer. After all, prevention is better than cure!

The Global Economic Slowdown and Kerala's IT Industry

The Global Economic Slowdown
and Kerala’s IT Industry
The Urgent Need for a Stimulus Package

Kerala IT Industry

An annual turnover of about Rs. 1,500 crores
Direct employment to about 60,000 people
30-35,000 Technical workforce, of which 20,000 are in
Technopark and 8,000 in Infopark
10,000 non-technical workforce estimated conservatively
A much larger number of indirect jobs
A “high-quality” employer

Still much smaller than Karnataka, AP and TN which are
Each over 30 times Kerala’s IT industry
With the right blend of policies, Kerala can attract a higher Share of the industry
Conversely, if the policy regime is uncompetitive, the Industry will experience poor growth

Technopark

The first IT Park in the country
The prime destination for IT in Kerala, and a centre of
Excellence in the country
A major share of IT industry in Kerala (80% of IT turnover)
Largest IT employer (70%)

GTECH

A charitable society registered under the 1955 Act.
Members are Technopark companies
Has a full-time CEO and programmes for members as well as community
Companies have direct programmes for CSR and joint programmes for the larger community through GTech

GTECH Recent Programme

Some recent programmes include:
SafeDrive@Technopark (Dec 2007)
Investment opportunities in Germany (May 2008)
Green Computing Initiative (July 2008)
Employability Enhancement for People with Disabilities (7 Aug 2008)
Interaction with Venzuelan Minister (24 Aug 2008)
Session on TerraCotta (12 Sept 2008)
Venture Capital Summit (10-11 November 2008)
HIV/AIDS Awareness (12 Dec 2008)

GTECH Programme Planned for 2009

Programmes planned for 2009 include:
Healthy Livestyles in IT (12 Feb 2009)
Session of Food Quality in Technopark
Session on Corporate Governance
Social Conclave: IT in Development
Conclave on Changing Role of HR Professionals
Session on CSR and Global Reporting Initiative
Vision 2020: Kerala As a Knowledge Hub
Kerala Venture Capital Summit 2009

The Slowdown

steep drop in GDP throughout the world
Negative growth in many parts of the world
India, however, expects to retain growth at about 6-7%
Most target countries of Indian IT exports are hit
The impact on Indian companies will be differential—some companies will continue to grow, while others may scale down
Overall, the Indian IT Industry’s growth may come down to around 10
Expected to last until end of 2009

Impact on Kerala

Many export-oriented industries in Kerala (including Tourism, IT, spices, seafood and rubber) may be hit
For firms in the IT Industry, survival depends upon Retaining global competitiveness
Cost control becomes an imperative for the IT industry, and this requires operational flexibility

Response from the Industry

During this period, IT Companies may have to resort to Serious cost cutting, through steps such as:
Reduction of operating costs
Reduction or stagnation of remuneration
Reducing recruitment
Enhancing productivity
As a last resort in protecting the remaining employees,
Termination of services of some employees

Government Response

All over the world, governments are supporting their Industry to cope with the slowdown
GTech fully understands the concerns of GoK such as Equity and social justice in employment
However, GTech maintains that operational flexibility and Freedom is of paramount importance competing in global Markets
In any case, no company likes to get rid of people that they have invested in


This is the time

We stress that the GoK should take immediate action that is decisive and substantive
We enumerate below some steps that could make a Positive difference


Specific Measures

Incentivize new companies for infrastructure (for example, a 6-month rent holiday)
For existing companies, immediately stop rent escalation
Rentals are rapidly falling in different parts of the world. IT
Parks should also consider reduction of rental to the tune of about 30%
Ease restrictions on the use of power

Treat Technopark as an Essential Service to minimize Disruption
Clarify the legal frameworks that companies are requested to comply with
Where laws are anachronistic, amend them, re-legislate, or provide exemptions for the IT Industry
Be more sensitive in dealing with companies so as not to Hurt their reputations. In particular, directly going to the Media without a due process should be avoid

Have a dispute resolution mechanism within Technopark, with industry participation, so as to resolve internal issues
Have an out-placement mechanism for placing people in Other companies
To protect local jobs, modify the IT policy guidelines to Permit Technopark companies to take up e-governance Projects for the GoK and quasi-government agencies
Based on clearly stipulated criteria Persuade the Government of India to extend the STPI Framework for another three years
Withdraw sales tax on software products and services

Technopark Administration

Companies are the primary stakeholders within the Technopark Community
It is strange and undemocratic that the Technopark Governance systems completely keep out the primary Stakeholder
For this reason, Technopark companies request that there is representation in the Technopark administration from the Companies

In Summary

The worldwide economic scenario is grim
Kerala’s fledgling Software Industry is facing serious Threats that may set it back substantially
However, it is also clear that once the downturn is over, the IT Industry will bounce back
Starting immediately, and for the duration of the downturn, IT Industry seeks a stimulus package
This will protect the Industry, protect jobs, and ensure that the Industry is still robust when the downturn is over

Kollam to get a New Information Technology Park

February 10th will be a stepping-stone for the Kollam District. The Chief Minister of Kerala will lay the foundation stone for setting up a Technopark on a 40-acre land on the outskirts of the city. Truly in a sense the development of the park will herald a new age of inclusive development in the state. Researchers often pointed out that, two industries, which can co-exist in Kerala, are Tourism and the Knowledge Industry. This particular move from the Government can change the economic landscape of the district by providing opportunities for the youth to embark a career in the IT/ITES space. The toughest thing in the entire framework of the development of the park would be to market the park to potential investor. One plausible thing, which could lure potential investors, would be the rentals, which can come as cheap as Rs 10 per square feet. And also clubbing the IT/ITES Industry with the tourism Industry would go a long way in marketing the parks to potential investors. The proposed park can be a hub for Entrepreneurship by creating an enabling mechanism through which young Entrepreneurs are nurtured and supported by the Government with the necessary market linkages being established. And also many companies operating in Technopark can outsource a part of their operations to these new build parks. In the era economic recession and global meltdown companies keen on cutting cost can pursue this option.

Session on Business Response to HIV/AIDS

GTECH in association with the Kerala State AIDS Control Society organised a session on Business Response to HIV/AIDS on 12th December 2008 in Technopark.
The companies in Technopark who attended the session nodded positively to the suggestion from KSACS that a module on HIV/AIDS should be included in the staff induction and training programmes
Inaugurating the meeting, Project Director of KSACS and Secretary Social Welfare Department, Government of Kerala Dr. Usha Titus IAS said that it was important to mainstream HIV through workplace initiatives and public-private partnership could go a long way in spreading the message on HIV. She also sought the active involvement of Technopark companies and its employees in forming Red Ribbon Clubs to promote voluntary blood donation.
Through workplace initiatives, KSACS is looking at forming partnerships to ensure that every organisation has a policy regarding HIV/AIDS. Such partnerships will also address issues of discrimination faced by HIV-positive persons at workplaces.
Satish Kumar Amarnath, Director, Manipal Cure and Care who led a technical session pointed out that HIV was indeed everyone’s business and that no persons or groups were free from risk.
Presentations were made on stigma reduction, challenges in implementing workplace initiatives. Those who led the sessions included Rita Cross, Joint Director (Care and Support), KSACS, K.B. Sudhir, team leader (Mainstreaming), KSACS, Binu Sankar, CEO, Group of Technopark Companies and S. K. Harikumar, consultant (Behaviour and Sexuality).
A programme protocol and work plan for the joint initiative will be discussed at the next meeting of the CEOs of Technopark companies.

India @ Risk 2008

A report published by the World Economic Forum highlighted the risks that the Indian Economy is facing the near future. The report was prepared by the Global Risk Network, an arm of the World Economic Forum which is composed of an unparalleled network of Industry, risk and country experts who work with Business leaders and policy makers to create a framework for assessing and prioritising existing and emerging risks to Global business over the short and long term.
The four areas of focus of the report are
* Energy Security* Agriculture and Food Security* Economic Security* National Security
Under the Energy Security the report finds that the gap between demand and supply has worsened in the last years. Energy demand increases as the population grows and the country develops; energy supply has increased at a slower pace. Over one-third of the power generated fails to reach consumers. Energy subsidy schemes discourage efficient use of energy and diminish the incentives to increase the use of clean energy sources. The report further adds that the production of crude oil has been stagnant and has boosted the dependency on crude oil imports. India imports more than 70% of its oil. The government has initiated several policies to cover the increasing demand and has intensified foreign relations with world energy suppliers in South and Central Asia, Russia and the Middle East. Energy supply is vulnerable to geopolitical tensions with energy suppliers and energy transit countries. Increasing consumption and increases in oil price would add more pressure to the current account deficit. Corporations and society at large are willing to increase their energy bill to benefit from a reliable energy supply, but generation and distribution infrastructures need to be in place and extraordinary investment is required. According to the World Bank, transmission and distribution losses account for 27% of the generated power and are the highest in the world. Various government agencies report losses between 30% and 40%. Those losses are associated with technical inefficiencies and mismanagement.
Liquid petroleum gas (LPG) subsidies in India are widespread; US$ 1.7 billion was spent in the first half of the current financial year on supplying fuel to poorer households. Nearly 40% of the subsidy expenses benefit only 7% of the population. Energy subsidies encourage consumption and waste, which generate harmful effects on the environment and represent an important liability to the government budget.
Under the Agriculture and Food Security concerns, the report dwells on how rural populations are highly dependent on agriculture and pressures are increasing to transform agricultural activity into a sustainable economic sector. Almost 65% of India's population is directly or indirectly dependent on agriculture, although it only accounts for approximately 16% of GDP. Despite current self-sufficiency in food production, approximately 25% of India's population is malnourished and lives below the poverty line. Child malnutrition is responsible not only for 22% of India's disease burden, but also for 50% of the 2.3 million child deaths in India each year. Agricultural output and rural communities face risks of changing weather patterns linked to climate change and threats from water scarcity and quality. Water for agricultural use currently represents 92% of renewable water resources, compared with 3% for industry and 5% for domestic use. The report identifies the major risk involved in the Indian Agriculture which is the biggest shift in the agricultural sector has been the move to more horticultural products. Rising demand for fruit and vegetables and shorter growing cycles, which allow several harvests a year, enable farmers to spread their risk over several crops. Horticultural produce is highly perishable and requires better storage, distribution and retail conditions. These crops also place pressure on water resources.
Under the economic security the report adds that the deterioration of the global financial Environment has affected the national economy and spillover effects on the real economy are still unfolding. India remains vulnerable to the vagaries of the world currency, commodity and financial markets. The report says that the India's dependence on capital inflows to finance its current account deficit is a Macroeconomic risk and the global crisis could generate a sharp increase in capital outflows and a reduction in the availability of finance. It could also weaken the balance sheet of the financial institutions, cause a further fall in share and asset prices, and challenge the macroeconomic situation due to shrinking Global growth. India has accumulated reserves of US$ 295 billion over the last years of economic expansion,providing a cushion to overcome a potentially pessimistic economic outlook. The level of reserves has decreased recently due to imports paid in US dollars, Reserve Bank intervention and equity portfolio adjustments abroad. The recent fall in commodity prices might help decelerate inflation and could thus benefit the imports bill, while also having a positive impact on reserves.
Under the National Security risks facing the nation, the report identifies the External and Internal sources of insecurity: India's security policies must address potential threats coming from outside its borders. India's security policies will need to combine economic, diplomatic and military aspects to protect Indian society and also secure energy supply and trade routes. Radical groups organized along ethnic, far left or religious lines are gaining ground, especially in disadvantaged districts. These need to be closely monitored to prevent the spread of unrest in certain regions and deter extremist attacks.