Smriti looks to extending lead in fifth leg of Hero-WGAI Women’s golf

Smriti looks to extending lead in fifth leg of Hero-WGAI Women’s golf

Gurgaon, September 17: Smriti Mehra will look to extending her lead on top of the Hero-WGAI Order of Merit, as she gets ready for the fifth leg of the Hero-WGAI Women’s Pro Tour at the DLF Golf and Country Club.

The fifth leg gets underway on Wednesday, though the golfers went through their practise round on Monday. The club is closed on Tuesday and the first round gets underway on Wednesday.

On Monday it rained a bit in the morning but the course conditions at DLF Golf and Country club were near perfect as the golfers are eager to tee off.

Smriti Mehra has won two of the four legs held so far, while Vani Kapoor and Sharmila Nicollet have won one each. Sharmila, however, has not played since the second leg.

Last week at Srinagar, Smriti was in excellent form and it will be hard for others to catch up is she continues in the same vein. Smriti has won twice, finished third once and fourth once.

The one to catch the eye has been Rookie Vani Kapoor. The 18-year-old has won once, the third leg, and was also runner-up, losing in play-off to Sharmila Nicollet in the Opening leg. Vani was fifth in the other legs, the second and fourth and is now second on the Money List, behind Smriti.

Nalini Singh Siwach has been consistent without winning. She has been second once, third twice and fourth once. But she will be looking for is her first win of the year at DLF Golf and Country Club this week.

Tee times: First round on Wednesday:

8:30 AM: Nalini Singh Siwach / Preetinder Kaur

8:40 AM Vani Kapoor / Ankita Tiwana / Priya Puri

8:50 AM Neha Tripathi / Saaniya Sharma / Smriti Mehra

9:00 AM Rani Sonti / Meghna Bal / Nikki Ponappa

9:10 AM Pallavi Jain / Shraddhanjali Singh / Vandana Agarwal

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Sep

17

Realty cash crunch may end soon

Realty cash crunch may end soon

Govt sends positive signs

·         Banking Secy discusses housing industry issues with IBA, CREDAI

·         Developers call for easing funding norms

·         Bankers agree to address the issue

·         Focus on speeding up approvals across the country

MUMBAI, September 17, 2012: Sending positive signs from easing the cash crunch for the realty sector, Secretary for Financial Services Mr D K Mittal today asked the commercial banks to focus on funding partially completed projects on a priority basis and development of projects in small towns.

Presiding over a joint meeting of Indian Bankers Association (IBA) and developers apex body CREDAI at SBI in Mumbai, Mr Mittal asked the realty industry to conduct a survey of unsold housing stock in cities in batches so that a decision would be taken on unlocking their value.

He also asked CREDAI to come with norms for development in consultation with the NHB and standards for funding the projects.

He told CREDAI to work on rating the real estate projects for the benefit of bankers as well as buyers.

The meeting was called to understand the issues of housing sector and the problems being faced by developers in terms of funding the projects. Apart from SBI, many leading bankers like HDFC, NHB, Bank of Baroda attended the meeting.

Describing the outcome of the meeting as “positive”, CREDAI Chairman Mr Pradeep Jain said: “We are happy that a good beginning has been made and we hope this will send positive signals to the real estate market as such. As we move on, we hope to solve the various issues one after the other.”

Briefing media on the meeting, CREDAI National President Mr Lalit Kumar Jain said “we highlighted the problems related to supply aide as well as demand side. All bankers more or less agreed that besides banking, the other factors like project approval delays, limitation on land availability for real estate and even the FSI restrictions should be addressed for the development housing sector.”

Bankers also felt that the knotty issue of speeding up the approval process should be addressed across the country by sensitizing all the States since real estate is typically a local issue and the rules differ from state to state and even city to city, Mr Jain said. This will help create adequate housing stock in the country.

On the issue of restructuring the realty debt, it was felt that it has to be addressed by the regulator RBI.

Bankers on their part also insisted on the one-project one-bank norm and opening escrow accounts. In metro cities, the developers should have one lead banker for funding. They also suggested incentivising the rated projects through lower rate of interest.

Mr Lalit Kumar Jain said at the meeting that credit limit for realty projects should be raised to 25% of the total credit from the current 2.8%. In other countries, the norm is as high as 30%.

Referring to the reduction of CRR by the RBI today, Mr .Jain said “This is not enough.”He said there could two options to contain inflation: Either to cut monetary supply or increase the supply of products.”The second option is the right one since it will generate employment and contribute to growth of GDP,” he said.

He said the rollover facility for commercial real estate (CRE) should be on par with the industry since it is the safest sector to lend.

He reiterated CREDAI suggestion to reduce the rate of interest on housing loans to 7% to strengthen demand. All other expenses like stamp duty and the various taxes should be added to the overall cost of project and should be funded up to 90% of the total cost.

The real estate project funding should be at 10% instead of the prevailing 15.5% and even the costly funding by NBFC sector should be brought down, CREDAI said. CREDAI called for easing the RBI risk weightage of 1.25 given to real estate sector.

CREDAI expressed its happiness that the positive vibes generated by the meeting would help the home buyer as well as the developer as the revival of real estate industry would help rejuvenate hundreds of other industries, generate massive employment and contribute to the nation’s growth.

About CREDAI:

The Confederation of Real Estate Developers’ Associations of India (CREDAI) is the apex body for private real estate developers in India. CREDAI represents over 8,800 developers through 20 states and 114 city chapters across the country. Its numerous initiatives and activities help developers come together and work towards better practices, improved customer service and a stronger realty industry.

Acting as the voice of India’s Real Estate industry, CREDAI has been the guiding force for the growing Real Estate sector in India bringing more transparency to rid the sector of its most potent virus, Corruption and Red-Tapism.

After two-decade gap Suu Kyi set for US return

After two-decade gap Suu Kyi set for US return

September 16, 2012

by sagarmedia
Democracy champion Aung San Suu Kyi leaves Myanmar on Sunday for her first visit in two decades to the United States, where she will be garlanded by supporters keen to discuss the progress of reforms in the former junta-ruled nation.
The Nobel laureate, who was elected to parliament this year, will travel to Washington to meet US President Barack Obama whose government has been at the forefront of Western re-engagement with the long-time military dominated country.
She will also be showered in awards including the Congressional Gold Medal, the top honour bestowed by the US Congress, and meet Burmese diaspora groups as far apart as New York and San Francisco.
During her near three-week trip Suu Kyi is likely to be quizzed about reforms that have seen Myanmar take tentative steps onto the global stage after decades under a secretive military regime.
“I think Daw Suu can talk at least about the reforms situation in Myanmar. She will get this opportunity,” Nyan Win, a spokesman for Suu Kyi’s National League for Democracy party said, using a common honorific for the Nobel laureate.
The opposition leader will travel with just three other people, he added, and is expected to arrive in Washington tomorrow.
Despite the predicted red carpet welcome her visit is laced with potential political trouble.
Suu Kyi’s stay coincides with that of Myanmar’s President Thein Sein, who is due in the US later in the month to attend the United Nations General Assembly.
The 67-year-old could also face tricky questions on the treatment of stateless Rohingya Muslims after a wave of deadly communal violence in western Myanmar.
Suu Kyi has remained cautious in her comments about the group, who many in Myanmar believe are foreigners and therefore not entitled to citizenship.
Last week the US embassy in Yangon expressed its “great concern” at the humanitarian situation in Rakhine state.

Indian National Academy of Engineering to host 1st global conf Delhi

by sagarmedia on September 16, 2012 Dr R A Mashelkar, Dr R Chidambaram, Dr Arun Maira to lead deliberations aimed at fostering a Better Innovation Ecosystem
New Delhi September 16, 2012: Tech Czar Sam Pitroda, Chairman, National Innovation Council and Adviser to the Prime Minister on Public Information Infrastructure & Innovations will open a global seminar on technology innovation aimed at developing a better innovation ecosystem at New Delhi on September 20, 2012.
The 2-day Indian National Academy of Engineering (INAE) conference will have seven panel discussion sessions on creating and nurturing innovation mindsets, funding innovation and building systems and structures for an innovative India.
Eminent scientists, planners and academics like Dr R A Mashelkar, National Research Professor and President, Global Research Alliance, National Chemical Laboratory; Dr R Chidambaram, Principal Scientific Advisor to the Government of India and DAE Homi Bhabha Chair Professor; Dr Arun Maira, Member, Planning Commission and Dr Baldev Raj, President, Indian National Academy of Engineering (INAE) would lead the two-day deliberations by over 300 leading scientists, technology innovators, policymakers and CEOs from around the world including USA and Australia among others.
Speaking on the occasion, Dr M J Zarabi, Conference Chair and Vice President, INAE said, “Innovation is indispensable for organizations to remain competitive and is indeed a major driver of progress of any country. An Innovation Ecosystem that allows ideas to grow to fruition is the principal catalyst for fostering rapid innovation and scaling of these into successful businesses. The INAE conference is aimed at providing a platform for exchange of ideas and collaboration among various stakeholders.”
“Participation of international experts will afford cross-cultural exchanges to further stimulate our thinking on innovation and the ways to improve the Indian innovation ecosystem”, Dr Zarabi added.
The INAE Innovation Conference is supported by the National Innovation Council (NIC), the International Council of Academies of Engineering and Technological Sciences (CAETS), the Confederation of Indian Industry (CII), Department of Science and Technology (DST) and the Board of Research in Nuclear Science.
Leading research and consulting firm CyberMedia Research (CMR) has been retained by INAE as the Conference Support and Knowledge Partner to help the Academy host the Conference as well as to develop a background paper.
According to Mr Pradeep Gupta, Chairman, CyberMedia Group, “CyberMedia Research is proud to be retained as Conference Support and Knowledge Partner of INAE’s first conference on innovation. Our strengths in news gathering, market intelligence, research and analysis of technology innovation trends have placed us in a vantage position that provides us with a bird’s eye view of the most significant industry developments.”
“We endeavour to offer quality content and reports on the achievements of global scientists and technologists”, Mr. Gupta added.
The conference would afford delegates an opportunity to connect with their colleagues and peers during special networking sessions and a gala networking dinner.
INAE will also host an exhibition to showcase innovations by leading innovators from India and around the world, commended by scientific innovation journals such as MIT’s Technology Review, and tech business incubation organizations such as the National Innovation Foundation (NIF) and the Marico Innovation Foundation, amongst others.
Notes to the Editors: The CMR analyst team led by Anirban Banerjee, Associate Vice President, Research and Advisory Services, CMR and Prabhu Ram, General Manager, Research and Consulting, CMR worked in close coordination with the INAE team to develop a comprehensive background paper that covers – Drivers and Challenges for fostering a climate of technological innovation; Important elements of the innovation ecosystem; Role of international collaborations in fostering innovations: success stories; Innovation-driven Research & Development; Inclusive Innovation, and Creating and Nurturing Innovation Mindsets.
– ENDS –
About Indian National Academy of Engineering (INAE)
The Indian National Academy of Engineering (INAE) founded in 1987 comprises India’s most distinguished engineers, engineer-scientists and technologists covering the entire spectrum of engineering disciplines, and functions as an apex body to promote and advance the practice of engineering and technology and the related sciences and disciplines in India and their application to problems of national importance.
Among the aims and objects of the Academy are:
 to encourage and promote the pursuit of excellence in the field of ‘Engineering’;
 to offer the Govt. of India, the local Governments and others, the views of engineers in co-operation with other professional bodies in regard to all matters pertaining to ‘Engineering’;
 to promote the National Policy on Education of the Govt. of India;
 to present at all academic forums, the research and development activities on engineering on mutual interactive and cooperative basis both in India and abroad;
 to encourage inventions, investigations and research and promote their applications for development of both organised and unorganized sectors of national economy;
 to institute and establish Professorships, Fellowships, Studentships, Scholarships, Awards and other benefactions;
 to interact with Professional Bodies, Engineering and Scientific Academies etc. in India and abroad.
The Academy is registered under the Societies Registration Act 1860 and is an autonomous institution supported partly through grant-in-aid by Department of Science & Technology, Government of India. As the only engineering Academy of the country, INAE represents India at the International Council of Academies of Engineering and Technological Sciences (CAETS).
For more details, please visit www.inae.org or www.betterinnovationecosystem.in.
About CyberMedia Research
A part of CyberMedia, South Asia’s largest specialty media and media services group, CyberMedia Research (CMR) has been a front runner in market research, consulting and advisory services since 1986.
CMR offers research-based insights and consulting services – market intelligence, market sizing, stakeholder satisfaction, growth opportunity identification, incubation advisory, and go-to-market services – covering the Information Technology, Telecommunications, Semiconductors, Electronics & Smart Infrastructure, Government, Energy & Utilities and Lifesciences sectors, as well as the large enterprise, SMB and consumer user segments.
Cyber Media Research Ltd., an ISO 9001: 2008 company, is a member of the Market Research Society of India (www.mrsi.in) and senior CMR analysts are enrolled with the European Society for Market Research (www.ESOMAR.org).
CMR’s core value proposition encompasses a rich portfolio of syndicated reports and custom research capabilities across multiple industries, markets and geographies.
For more details, please visit http://www.cybermediaresearch.co.in or http://www.cmrindia.com
For media queries, please contact:
At Strategic Communications & PR
Sanjiv Kataria, +91-98100 48095, sanjiv.kataria@gmail.com
At CyberMedia Research
Vishaal Bhatnagar, Associate Vice President, +91-98101 91634, vbhatnagar@cmrindia.com
For conference registrations and industry queries, please contact:
At INAE
Pratigya Laur, Research Officer, Indian National Academy of Engineering, +91-11-2658 2635, registration@betterinnovationecosystem.in
At CyberMedia Research
Prabhu Ram, General Manager, CMR Incubation Advisory Practice, +91-98994 40380, pram@cmrindia.com

Traders Bharat Vyapar Bandh on 20 September, 2012 evoked good response

Traders Bharat Vyapar Bandh on 20 September, 2012 evoked good response

September 16, 2012

The Bharat Vyapar Bandh called by the Confederation of All India Traders (CAIT) on 20th September, 2012 in protest against FDI in Retail has evoked good response from all over the Country. Nearly 10 thousand Trade Federations & Associations are expected to participate in the Bharat Vyapar Bandh.The traders have sought support to their Bharat Vyapar Bandh from all political parties and organisations of farmers,transporters,labourers,employees and other sections of the people who are dependent upon retail trade for their livelihood. The FDI in retail will create un-even level playing field in the country which will be tilting towards the MNCs and will prove to be a nightmare for trade and consumers.The Trade leaders demanded that Govt should withdraw the permission of FDI in Retail & constitute a Joint Committee of all stakes holders to make indepth study of the Retail Trade & to look into the recommondations of parliamentry standing committee.
CAIT National president B.C. Bhartia & National Secretary General Praveen Khandelwal questioned the need of FDI in Retail Trade. The Indian retail sector which is being successfully run by the indiginious capital is registering an annual growth of about 15% p.a. and contributing nearly 10% to the GDP has an impressive track record and therefore no foreign investment is required. The shortcomings on the infrastructure front is purely a failure of the Government and for such a failure the small traders can not be made scapegoat who has a fear of being wiped out once the MNC’s begin their operations in India simply of the reason that they operate on predatory pricing policy to wipe out the competition. They will compete with each other as they are doing in other countries. When in controlling situtation they also choke free supply of merchandise as they play refree and decide what products should go to consumers and what not. The dictum “ When Elephants fight, the ground below gets trampted” will prove true.
The foreign retailers can open in big cities. But they will source from mandis across rural India and small towns. With their money power, over time, they can corner the supply of produce and dominate the sourcing side. This will devastate the Indian trade in rural and small towns. If Gangotri is cornered, then the water supply in the plains will not be there. This is what the government is permitting. Competition is not only at retail. It will be at source of supply. PLEASE NOTE THAT 50% OF RURAL ECONOMY IN INDIA IS SERVICES, AND A MAJOR PART OF THAT IS TRADE, BOTH WHOLESALE AND RETAIL. This will be devastated.

       Datawind launches 4 New Tablets in the Ubislate series

·         Showcasing at the Mobile and Tablet Fair-ICOMM 2012 on 14-15 September 2012!

·         7 Inch Multi-Touch Tablet cum Smartphone embedded with latest android version, over 150,000 apps, widgets, connectivity options and lot more……..!

New Delhi, 14 September, 2012:  Datawind, a leading provider of wireless web access products and services rolled out a new line of Low-Cost tablets under the Ubislate range. 

“The new range of Ubislate Tablets is packed with anytime anywhere Low-Cost Internet connectivity, UbiSurfer browser based on 18 international patents that can deliver internet access on traditional GPRS networks and a powerful combination of content and applications raising the bar in terms of meeting customers’ mobility needs. These tablets are of the gold standard when it comes to low - cost tablet cum Smart phone space being offered at an exciting price to our customers,” said Mr. Suneet Singh Tuli, CEO, Datawind Pvt. Ltd.

This brand new Ubislate range comes with a sleek look and enhanced hardware specifications. These Lightweight tablets will support smart phone communication, internet access, tablet computing and multimedia entertainment.

The 7” screen tablets support the latest Android 4.0.3 operating system that delivers a rich and much smother touch-screen user experience. With a Cortex A8, 1 GHz processor and 512MB RAM, these devices will deliver high speed surfing experience to its users. The embedded HD video co-processor delivers high quality video content making it a perfect multimedia device.

“With the upwardly mobile workforce, hands-free communication has become extremely important. Our tablets are the most durable offerings under the Ubislate umbrella. Features like HD video, great sound quality, touch screen, high speed processor, USB port, camera, G-Sensor with a long battery life are a complete value for money option for our customers,” stated Mr. Tuli.

Specification Sheet –

Model No	UbiSlate 7Ri	UbiSlate 7R+	UbiSlate 7Ci	UbiSlate 7C+
Type	Tablet	Smartphone Tablet	Tablet	Smartphone Tablet
Touch Panel	Resistive	Resistive	Capacitive	Capacitive
Processor	Cortex A8; 1Ghz	Cortex A8; 1Ghz	Cortex A8; 1Ghz	Cortex A8; 1Ghz
RAM	512MB	512MB	512MB	512MB
Display and resolution:	7” display with 800x480 pixel resolution	7” display with 800x480 pixel resolution	7” display with 800x480 pixel resolution	7” display with 800x480 pixel resolution
Flash	4GB	4GB	4GB	4GB
Android OS	4.0.3	4.0.3	4.0.3	4.0.3
Camera	Front - VGA	Front - VGA	Front - VGA	Front - VGA
Sensor	G-Sensor	G-Sensor	G-Sensor	G-Sensor
Ports	Micro SD & Mini-USB	Micro SD & Mini-USB	Micro SD & Mini-USB	Micro SD & Mini-USB
Network	WiFi	WiFi & GPRS	WiFi	WiFi & GPRS
Power and Battery Life	Up to 180 minutes on battery. AC adapter 200-240 volt range	3200 MHz battery (claimed to offer 3-4 hours of backup)	Up to 180 minutes on battery. AC adapter 200-240 volt range	3200 MHz battery (claimed to offer 3-4 hours of backup)
Audio	Audio out: 3.5mm jack / Audio in: 3.5mm jack	3.5mm jack / audio in: 3.5mm jack	Audio out: 3.5mm jack	3.5mm jack / audio in: 3.5mm jack
Storage	External 2GB to 32GB Supported

*All models are Safety and other standards compliance and Ce certification / rohs certified.

In India the devices will offer unlimited web-browsing using DataWind’s breakthrough web delivery platform for under Rs.100/month on traditional mobile networks.

The UbiSlate 7Ri, UbiSlate 7R+, UbiSlate 7Ci, UbiSlate 7C+ models will be all available at MRPs Ranging from Rs.2, 999 to Rs.4, 499.

CCEA approves disinvestment in 4 PSUs, to raise Rs 15,000 cr

The government on Friday approved sale of its minority stakes in four public sector firms -- Hindustan Copper, Oil India, MMTC and Nalco-- to raise up to Rs 15,000 crore.

The Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs (CCEA) has, however, not taken any decision on disinvestment of Neyveli Lignite, that was also on the agenda.

The government has approved the proposal to sell 10 percent stake in Oil India Ltd and another 9.59 percent disinvestment in Hindustan Copper Ltd, sources said.

Further, the CCEA also cleared the proposal of 12.15 percent stake sale of Nalco and 9.33 percent in MMTC through Offer for Sale (OFS) route.

However, the 5 percent stake sale of Neyveli Lignite was not taken up by the CCEA, sources added.

Finance Minister P Chidambaram had last month asked officials to expedite the process of disinvestment so that state-owned companies could hit stock markets in time and help the government achieve the target of Rs 30,000 crore in the current fiscal.

Although five months have passed in the current fiscal, the government has not been able to come out with a single public issue. Raising adequate funds from disinvestment was necessary to keep in check the fiscal deficit which is facing pressure due to rising food, fuel and fertiliser subsidy bills.

The government earlier deferred the initial public offer (IPO) of Rashtriya Ispat Nigam Ltd (RINL) due to weak stock market conditions. The Rs 2,500-crore RINL issue was originally proposed to hit the markets in July.

Due to uncertain market conditions, the government in the last fiscal could raise only Rs 14,000 crore from disinvestment against the target of Rs 40,000 crore.

(DD-14.9)