Wednesday, July 4, 2012

Medvedev tough on disputed islands

Russian Prime Minister Dmitry Medvedev says he is determined not to give in over a territorial dispute with Japan.He made the comment during a visit to Kunashiri, one of the four Russian-held islands off Hokkaido that are claimed by Japan.

Medvedev landed on the island on Tuesday with the Sakhalin governor and the minister in charge of development in the Russian Far East.He visited port facilities, a hospital and a Christian church being built in the central city of Furukamappu. He told construction workers that Russia will not concede one inch of the island. He said even a small concession could lead to confusion and the demise of a nation.
His initial plan to visit Etorofu was changed to Kunashiri at the last minute due to bad weather.

Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov dismissed speculation about Medvedev's visit. He said the prime minister was on a routine inspection tour of Russian territory.Lavrov added that he wants to have specific and constructive discussions with his Japanese counterpart

Higgs boson subatomic particle gives mass to matter

An international group of scientists has announced that it has found a subatomic particle that may be the long sought after Higgs boson.The group is working with a theory which suggests the particle gives mass to all matter.

The Higgs boson, of which British physicist Peter Higgs hypothesized the existence in 1964, is the last missing building block which would help physicists explain the formation of the universe.

The 16 other subatomic particles whose presence has been hypothesized since the 1960s in the Standard Model of physics have already been discovered.An international group of scientists, including Japanese researchers, has been trying to discover the Higgs boson at the CERN research center near Geneva in Switzerland since 2008.

The group has been using the Large Hadron Collider, an experimental atom-smasher with a circumference of 27 kilometers, on the Swiss-French border.The experiments involve smashing head-on 2 protons accelerated to the speed of light and analyzing the numerous particles generated by the collision.The group has created some 2,000 trillion collisions, which produced about 2,000 unidentified particles.

The scientists told a news conference at the research center on Wednesday that they have likely observed the Higgs boson, judging by its characteristics.The discovery of the Higgs boson, known as the "God particle," is expected to be an important clue in shedding light on the origin of the universe

National Workshop on Hunar Se Rozgar

The workshop was organized to sensitize the stake holders on Hunar Se Rozgar initiative and motivate them into action mode. The workshop was also attended by Trade Associations, CEO,National Skill Development Corporation, Principals of Institute of Hotel Managements and eminent persons from Travel and Tour Industry

The Hunar Se Rozgar Scheme consists of six weeks training programme in Food & Beverage Services and eight weeks training programme in Food Production. Training is provided in batches of 25 to 30 students and is free of cost. In case the attendance of a student is above 90%, he is eligible to a stipend of Rs. 1500/- per month for F&B Services and Rs. 2000/- per month for Food Production. Uniform and tool kit are provided free of cost to the students. On completion of the training, course test is conducted and certificates are issued to the successful trainees.

In order to deliver maximum benefits to the society, ITDC has entered into tie-ups with eminent organizations and reputed NGOs viz. IL&FS Skills Development Corporation Ltd., DLF Foundation, Ark Shipping Management Goa, Prayas, Campus & Beyond, Martyr Flight Lieutenant Maheesh Trikha Foundation (M-Trix), NIPS School of Hotel Management, Kinship for Humanitarian Social & Holistic intervention in India (KHUSHII), National Institute of Applied Management (NIAM), Basix Academy for Building Lifelong Employability Ltd. (B-ABLE), Neemrana Group of Hotels, Desh Hriday Man Development Society, College of International Management-Nagpur (CIM) , Rural Institute of Skill and Enterprise Development of India (RISE India) and Childreach International India.

The initiative Hunar Se Rozgar has been well received and is one of the successful ventures of the Ministry of Tourism. Youth trained under this scheme have been absorbed in various prestigious hotel chains where they are performing commendably. Thus encouraged, ITDC, under Hunar Se Rozgar banner, has plans to start the training scheme in new trade courses which are designed to enhance the employability aspects based on the demand of the industry viz. Front Office, Security, Retail Marketing and Drivers.

ITDC has ambitious plans to impart training to more than 5000 candidates in the financial year 2012-2013 under Hunar Se Rozgar scheme. So far, the Corporation has trained 2351 students in the areas of Food Production and F&B services through ITDC’s various hotel units. Additionally, 1130 more students are undergoing the training programme in various Hotels of ITDC across the country.

Expo Riva Schuh India 2012 begins July,05


Expo Riva Schuh India returns with a new exciting selection of quality products,including shoes, handbags, gloves, belts and Leather accessories, skillfully manufactured by both India and International companies. President of Fair briefing the media today said, “The positive results of the first edition of Expo Riva Schuh India prove that we were right,” says Roberto Pellegrini, President of Riva del Expo Riva Schuh India. “The Indian trade fair scene has been missing an event dedicated exclusively to finished products, and our event is filling this void; we are meeting a specific need of Indian and international dealers. It was a gutsy decision, and one which has been rewarded by positive results. Now we are working on continuing down this path and growing even more.”
“Expo Riva Schuh India is an event which caters both to the Indian market as well having a strong international draw,” affirms Giovanni Laezza, Director of Riva del Garda Fierecongressi. “This is precisely what makes the difference, and what makes this event such a perfect business opportunity. Indian dealers have the opportunity to encounter an international audience who they can present their products to as well as offer local business experience and know-how – so indispensible for building a sales network on the Indian market.”
The most important news about this second appointment has to do with the new dates. These are in greater alignment with the Indian Market schedule and allow for better planning in terms of the festival season, the period which starts in September and which captures 60% of the Indian Market’s entire annual sales.
“For Indian companies, Expo Riva Schuh India is a unique opportunity to encounter all the players on the domestic market in one place,” says Carla Costa, Head of Exhibitions of Riva del Garda Fierecongressi. “The event attracts the main dealers from India’s production and distribution sectors: companies can present their products both to the buyers, and at the same time, to the business network which therefore has the opportunity to get to know the collections and better prepare for sales. The success of the first edition of Expo Riva Schuh India is tied to the fact that the Indian market was missing such a structured and comprehensive event.”
The validity of the multi-layered format that has made the Indian event so complete has been confirmed; it is one where products are exhibited alongside a series of dealer services. There are also several rounds of meetings, debates, and conferences to take stock of the international market, trends, and the latest technological developments in the footwear sector.
Expo Riva Schuh India confirms itself as the business event capable of synthesising the local Indian dimension with the international one; two dimensions which make this event the perfect opportunity to reinforce existing partnerships as well as build new ones.

The Foreign Secretary of India, Shri Ranjan Mathai and the Foreign Secretary of Pakistan Mr. Jalil Abbas Jilani began their talks this morning at the Hyderabad House in New Delhi.

As is customary on such occasions, they were assisted by senior officials of both sides, including the Indian High Commissioner to Pakistan, Shri Sharat Sabharwal and Pakistan’s High Commissioner- designate to India, Mr. Salman Bashir.

The Foreign Secretaries along with their respective delegations have had two full sessions of detailed discussions covering all aspects of the agenda under the items Peace and Security as well as Jammu and Kashmir. The talks started at 10.30 am and spread until a short time earlier, with a brief working lunch. The Foreign Secretaries also utilized the opportunity of the working lunch to cover a wide variety of issues.

At the end of the two sessions today the Foreign Secretaries have agreed to resume the talks tomorrow, 5th July, in the morning with a view to completing all the items scheduled for consideration.

The talks tomorrow will be followed by a Joint Media Interaction. Subsequently, the visiting Pakistani Foreign Secretary will call upon the External Affairs Minister Shri S.M. Krishna at his office in South Block. At the culmination of the official engagements of the Pakistani Foreign Secretary in India a Joint Statement will be issued.

Cloud Computing on Government Agenda: Kapil Sibal

The government is willing to collaborate with the industry and academia to develop a secure and progressive ecosystem for cloud services in India said Addressing cloud summit 2012 Shri Kapil Sibal, the Union Minister for Communications and Information Technology.Federal Minister  inaugurated the Cloud Summit 2012 today and the theme of the Summit is “Enabling the Indian Cloud Revolution”. Highlighting the need for outlining technical and other parameters for cloud providers, standardization of contracts, privacy and security conditions, the Minister urged the industry to work out details for setting up cloud services. 

Describing cloud computing as a fine economic solution in a complex knowledge economy, the Minister suggested that the focus could be on Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs) and the starting point could be clusters, which have commonality of purpose and vision. Shri Sibal also released the Confederation of Indian Industry (CII) White Paper on 'The Indian Cloud Revolution', on the occasion, saying that India was still in the process of evolving appropriate architecture to take advantage of the possible revolution." Later CERT Director-General Dr Gulshan Rai pointed out that concerns of privacy, security, compliance and vigilance with regard to cloud arose because of the absence of physical infrastructure at the user-end. He suggested that an alliance on the lines of the US-based Cloud Security Alliance be set up in India to answer all issues and concerns. He stressed on the need for setting up a framework for data sharing.

Cloud computing is a model for on-demand network access to a shared pool of configurable computing resources that can be rapidly provisioned and released with minimal management effort or service provider interaction. Cloud computing is an online service model by which hardware and software services are delivered to customers depending upon their requirements and pay as an operating expense without incurring high capital cost. Cloud computing is a set of services that provide Infrastructure resources using Internet media & applications and data storage on a third party server.

TiE program to nurture enterprising

TiE program to nurture enterprising
The Indus Entrepreneurs’ (TiE) program to nurture enterprising
Delhi senior school students
New Delhi NOIDA Gurgaon July 4, 2012
The Delhi-NCR chapter of The Indus Entrepreneurs’ (TiE) has announced its third TiE Young Entrepreneurs (TYE) program to nurture the spirit of entrepreneurship among senior school students from Delhi National Capital Region (NCR).
TYE, a TiE Global program for School students in classes IX to XII, serves to ignite the minds of young aspiring entrepreneurs. The exhaustive curriculum that begins with basics of Entrepreneurship covers Marketing, Finance & Taxation, Business Law and Intellectual Property Protection.
TYE program is run by senior members of TiE Delhi-NCR chapter who include successful entrepreneurs and professionals.
The 2-month program to be held on weekends, at a central location in Delhi, also helps improve Presentation Skills and Leadership besides teaching how to work in teams as part of a real-life business plan building exercises.
Learners get to develop their own idea, form a team from among others in the class and work under a TiE mentor ( Guru). The winning idea and the team gets a chance to compete with other teams from around the world in a competition held in theUSA.
TheBostonchapter of TiE that has been running this global program for seven consecutive years shared the know-how and curriculum with TiE Delhi-NCR two years ago.
Program Overview 
TYE program inIndiais run by senior members of TiE Delhi-NCR chapter. Enrollment of students closes on July 15, 2012 and classes commence in August 2012.
Two months of classroom teaching and workshops includes guest lectures by successful entrepreneurs and professionals. Post the classes, attendees will work in teams and brainstorm to generate business ideas. The TiE Mentors ( Gurus) assigned to each group will guide them build a successful business plan.
Students will present their business plan to a panel of judges comprising established Venture Capitalists and Entrepreneurs. The winning team will be announced in April 2013. The team will participate in the global competition with student teams from other TiE Chapters in May 2013 inUSA.
Team ‘Lavacro’ winner of the first TYE Delhi program of 2010-11 was placed at No. 3 in the Global TYE Competition held in theUSAin May 2011.
The team comprised students of St. Columba’s, Modern andDelhiPublic School.
The winning team in the second batch came from Ahlcon International andDelhiPublic School.
The course fee of Rs 6800.00 inclusive of taxes includes course content.
More about the Program
The business plan competition along with hands-on inspirational courses is geared to educate and groom senior school students as entrepreneurs and develop an entrepreneurial mindset.
The curriculum includes mentor based programs, taught by established industry leaders to foster innovation, leadership skills, creativity and self-confidence by helping:
  1. Develop business plan acumen and communication skills
  2. Discover the challenges and rewards of entrepreneurship
  3. Nurture a well rounded personality
  4. Instill confidence to lead in a global environment

 
BenQ showcase Gaming Monitor Prowess with XL & RL series - Built to conQuer @ BYOC - Summer 2012, India’s Largest Gaming Event 
 
Showcasing all-time leading range of LED gaming monitors XL2420T, R2240H & RL2450H 
New Delhi, July 04, 2012 – BenQ, an internationally renowned provider of world class gaming monitors and No.1 Projector brand in India was Gold Sponsors at the BYOC- Summer 2012  – India’s largest LAN gaming festival. The event scheduled during June 22nd-24th, 2012, got together more than 3000 gamers from across the country at one platform. Gamers of different profiles enjoyed every movement of this event by competing with the best opponent in their Play. Games such as Counter Strike, DOTA, Call for Duty, Battlefield, NFS and others were being played by the masses which have huge share of popularity. BYOC acts as a perfect ground for gamers of all ages to connect & socialize with each other while having fun & winning loads of prizes and goodies.
Speaking about the Gaming scenario in India Rajeev Singh, Country Head & General Manager, BenQ India, said "Indian PC and Online Gaming Industry in India are poised to grow at a healthy rate due to rising penetration of PC and internet connectivity. This trend is governed by the Young population in India which has the highest demand for gaming.  By being a part of BYOC, we showcase the best of Display technology through XL and RL series gaming monitors to the youth and gave them a firsthand experience of our world class products.."
Commenting on the partnership he added “We are pleased to partner with BYOC ones again this year. Our products offer a great visual experience for the gamers; our XL & RL Series monitors have certainly made their presence felt on the BYOC Summer 2012, the event has been a great success for all of us and for the gaming industry on a larger scale”
BenQ India has an extensive range of gaming monitors featuring world class technologies embedded in them, at BYOC BenQ presented its leading LED products from the XL and RL series. The XL2420T built with 120Hz, 2ms GTG response time and 12M:1 dynamic contrast ratio has exclusive features to provide FPS (First-person shooting) gamers with Full HD 3D gaming experience in addition to these the other gaming features include S Switch, Black eQualizer, Height Adjustment Stand, FPS Mode & HDMI connectivity. In addition the R2240H & RL 2450H are co-developed by internationally well-known StarCraft II team, StarTale to give you superior RTS gaming experience. These 22”W and  24"W LED monitor are packed with the latest features such as the Black eQualizer, Height Adjustment Stand, RTS Mode, HDMI and 12M:1 dynamic contrast ratio to give a complete experience to the gamers.
The Indian gaming industry is evolving as a promising industry for the creative and passionate gamers.  According to the latest FICCI KPMG report, the Indian gaming industry achieved revenue of Rs 13 billion, registering an overall growth of 30%. This is further forecasted to grow at CAGR of 26% to reach Rs 46 billion in few years.
For further information please visit www.BenQ.co.in
BenQ Corporation, a leading provider of networked digital lifestyle devices, is a multi-faceted company with strengths in product design, visual technology and mobile technology. BenQ offers unrivalled breadth and depth of products and integrated technologies across platforms through the brand promise of “Bringing Enjoyment and Quality to Life,” including digital projector, LCD monitors, laptop PCs, Netbooks, All-in-One PCs, LCD TVs, digital cameras, storage devices, eBook reader, mobile phones, storage media and human interface devices such as mice and keyboards. 
 
§   About BenQ Group
The BenQ Group is currently comprised of 16 companies that operate independently while sharing resources and leveraging synergies among them. The BenQ Group companies include BenQ Corporation, AU Optronics Corporation (world’s top 3 manufacturer of large-size TFT-LCD panels), Qisda Corporation, Darfon Electronics Corporation, Daxon Technology Inc., Daxin Materials Corp., Forhouse Corp., Light House Tech, SiPix Imaging, Lextar Electronics Corp. BenQ Guru Software Co., BenQ Hospital, Darwin Precisions, Ltd, Raydium Semiconductor Corporation, Cando Corporation and Wellypower Co., Ltd. 

Gujarat Government delegation makes a strong headway in Europe

 
Gujarat’s Opportunities of investment and policy framework well appreciated by leadership and industry in France, Germany and Switzerland. Twelve  member delegation comprising of Government Officials & Industry representatives completes the visit of Germany, France & Switzerland Investment opportunities in Gujarat, Promotes Vibrant Gujarat Summit-2013 and incubates tie up with industry and commerce
·        Meets political leadership including Ministers, City administrators to cement the developing relationships
·        Builds long term understanding and relationship with the Industry organizations including several Chambers of Commerce & Industry
 
1. Impressive Investment Promotion Road shows on Vibrant Gujarat organized at:
  • Hamburg and Frankfurt in Germany
  • Geneva, Basel and Zurich in Switzerland
  • Paris and Lille in France
 
2. Gujarat Delegation meets Mr. Frank Horch–Minister–Economy, Transport & Innovation of Hamburg, Mrs. Eveline Lemke-Minister Economic affairs-Rheinland, and Mr. Volker Hoff, Deputy Mayor, Frankfurt.
 
3. Gujarat Government signs an Intent of Cooperation with Swiss Indian Chamber of Commerce; reinforces the same with France-India Chamber of Commerce
 
4. European companies keen to invest in Gujarat particularly in infrastructure projects, engineering, renewable energy, pharmaceuticals, chemicals, textiles, agro & food processing, auto sectors
 
5. Companies keen to partner with Gujarat-based companies
 
 
03 July 2012 – India’s large market size and vast pool of young and talented manpower coupled with Gujarat’s proactive governance, robust infrastructure, friendly business environment drew the top leadership and industry representatives of the three countries towards a keen and focused dialogue with the Gujarat delegation. Several companies showed interest to make Gujarat as their next big investment destination and manufacturing base.
 
A high-level 12 member delegation of business leaders and government officials from the State of Gujarat, visited Europe between 18th & 28th of June, 2012. The delegation arrived in Hamburg on 18th  June for a day’s visit to meet with corporations, institutions and organizations. The delegation met Mr Frank Horch, Minister for Economy, Transport and Innovation of Free and Hanseatic City of Hamburg to discuss cross border partnerships, investment opportunities and bilateral trade between the two regions. On behalf of Gujarat’s Hon’ble Chief Minister, Narendra Modi, Mr. A. K. Sharma extended an invitation letter to the Minister and German business leaders, investors, corporations, academic leaders and policymakers to the upcoming Vibrant Gujarat Summit, January 11-13, 2013. The delegation also made presentation at a conference jointly hosted by Europe India Chamber of Commerce, Hanseatic India Forum and Hamburg Chamber of Commerce, in which more than 40 companies participated. The conference also included B2B interactions with companies who had interest in investing in the State of Gujarat.
 
The delegation then moved on to Geneva, where it attended a lunch on meeting hosted by the Hinduja Group (Europe). A large number of Global players including representative of the World Economic Forum, India’s Ambassador in the UNO participated in the event. The discussion was focused on various investment opportunities, particularly in the area of renewable energy, financial services, education, R&D and medical tourism. Later on the same day, the delegation also attended and made presentation at a conference organized by Swiss India Business Forum and the Geneva Chamber of Commerce & Industry, in which more than 25 companies participated.
 
 
From Geneva, the delegation moved on to Zurich, to attend and make presentation at a conference organized by Swiss Indian Chamber of Commerce (SICC). Mr. A.K. Sharma, IAS – Secretary to the Chief Minister of Gujarat signed a formal Intent of Cooperation with SICC, to promote information, bilateral investment, training and expert exchanges among businesses and agencies for economic activities, skill development and investment promotion as well as business associations, and to use the Vibrant Gujarat Global Investors’ Summit 2013 and later Summits and similar occasions as platforms for the above purpose. The event was well received by participants representing more than 35 companies. The delegation had similar presentation and meetings at Basel city of Switzerland.
 
Thereafter, the delegation proceeded to France. An impressive gathering of industrialists and CEOs was presented with the opportunities in Gujarat at Lille city of France. Thereafter, the delegation had a similar conference at Paris organized by the Indian Embassy, and France-India Chamber of Commerce & Industries. His Excellency Mr. Rakesh Sood, Ambassador of India to France was the chief guest for the event at Paris. Around 80 French companies and a number of NRGs participated in the conference. Since 2010, the France-India Chamber of Commerce & Industries has become an active partner of the Gujarat Government in promoting the investment opportunities and the Vibrant Gujarat event. They not only further renewed their commitment in this direction but have also started the activities towards promoting the Vibrant Gujarat event of 2013.
 
 
 
 
 
From Paris, the delegation moved to Frankfurt where a conference was organized by the Indian Consul General in cooperation with the Frankfurt Chamber of Commerce. The event was focused on augmenting mutual collaboration between German and Gujarat companies, where more than 75 companies participated. A meeting took place between Mr. Volker Hoff, Deputy Mayor, Frankfurt and the visiting Gujarat delegation.  Both the sides exchanged views on the possible avenues of collaboration between Frankfurt and Gujarat. The delegation was particularly appreciative of the great strides made by Frankfurt city in terms of infrastructure and facilitating the development of financial services.  During the meeting, Mr. Volker agreed that to encourage city to city level collaboration, Frankfurt city may enter into sister city agreement with Gujarat’s city(s) of similar size and nature. This will help the exchange of best practices and further the cooperation and collaboration. Mr. Sharma thanked Mr. Volker for the understanding and promised him that this could be formalized soon.
 
Later that day, the delegation also met Mrs. Eveline Lemke–Minister of Economic Affairs, Climate Protection, Energy and Regional Planning of the Rheinland-Psalz State in Germany. Both sides discussed avenues of mutual collaboration. An invitation from the Hon. Chief Minister was extended to the Minister for the upcoming Vibrant Gujarat 2013 summit. The minister gracefully accepted the invitation for VG 2013 and conveyed her keenness to come to Gujarat and have a discussion with top officials and the Honourable Chief minister on opportunities of strengthening mutual cooperation on various aspects, including climate protection and energy. The delegation had detailed discussed on the current economic scenario in Europe and India and noted the learning for each other. The minister took keen interest in various potential sectors where both German and Gujarat based companies could forge partnerships.
 
 
At all the conferences a detailed and insightful presentation was made by Mr. A. K. Sharma which was appreciated a lot by the participants. The delegates also gave the industry and business perspective in Gujarat. This evoked keen interest in the   opportunities of investment, scope of partnerships, policy framework and recent initiatives of the Government of Gujarat led by Hon. Chief Minister, Mr. Narendra Modi. The importance of the State of Gujarat as an economic region and the strength of its companies can be seen from the fact that a large number of companies showed keenness for investing in Gujarat. In addition, much Government owned investment promotion agencies including at Hamburg, Basel and Frankfurt made presentation to the delegation to attract inward investment or form partnerships. The companies and organisations evincing interest in Gujarat’s investment opportunities were all invited to explore the same. They were also assured of all cooperation on behalf of the State Government, its agencies and industry partners. 

Metro Tyres Limited, one of the leading manufacturers and exporters of two wheeler tyres in India , unveiled a new logo along with a new advertisement campaign. The new identity is designed to profile Metro as a company that understands youth aspirations and reaches out to young people, India ’s dominant demographic segment, with cutting-edge products. 
 
 “Metro Tyres has evolved significantly over the years with a view to staying ahead of the dramatic changes in the Indian business sector.  Today, our company is present in more than 53 countries and is the largest exporter of bicycle tyres and tubes from India ,” said Rummy Chhabra, Managing Director, Metro Tyres Limited.   “Our new visual identity consists of a re-designed Metro name, appearing in italics to represent motion and speed. Complementing the logo, our advertisement campaign is a story of transformation: from a child to a youth. In doing so, it reflects who we are today and the company we aim to be tomorrow.”
 
Metro has an exclusive tie up in two wheeler tyres with Continental , Germany , one of the world’s largest tyre companies.  The link with Continental provides Metro with distinct advantages:  one, access to the latest technology in the field and two, exports to the most advanced economies of the world including USA , Canada and the European Union under Continental brand.
 
With a market share of 24 percent in India , Metro Tyres manufactures close to 30 million tyres and 30 million tubes annually in its seven state-of-the-art plants in North India . The company sells its products through a network of 10,000 dealers spread across India .   In addition, it is the sole supplier of tubeless tyres to Honda Motorcycle and Scooter India for Honda CBR 250R, a premium motorcycle made by Honda in India . Besides, Metro supplies to Bajaj Auto, Piaggio, Suzuki, Hero Cycles, TI Cycles, Atlas Cycles, Avon Cycles, among others.
 
About Metro Tyres Limited
Metro Tyres Ltd is a part of Metro Group having diversified business interest in automobile tyres and tubes and electrical appliances. The Rs. 700-crore group is one of the leading two-wheeler tyre manufacturers in India and has a technology tie-up with one of the world’s largest tyre companies, Continental of Germany. Metro Tyres manufactures 1, 50,000 auto tyres per month. With most coveted ECE Approval from European Union (EU), for exports, Metro Tyres has established a government approved export house, making its presence felt in over 53 countries.

Competitiveness, climate, security Finn’s priorities Ministry of Finance release Finnish road map of EU presidency. Finland i...