Karnataka News Archive: September 2007

Indian artist listed for coveted Artes Mundi Prize
Saturday, September 29, 2007 | MP

London, Sept 28 (ANI): Mysore-based N S Harsha is one of the nine artists short-listed for the coveted Artes Mundi Prize.The other artists short-listed are Kabul-based Lida Abdul, Vasco Araújo from Lisbon, Mircea Cantor of Romania, Dalziel and Scullion artiste duo of Scotland, Abdoulaye Konaté of Mali, Susan Norrie of Australia and Rosângela Rennó of Rio de Janeiro.The selected artists' work debates many of today's big issues, including human's destruction of the environment, AIDS' destruction of man and the problems of marginalised societies. (ANI)

Ponting’s cricket bat auctioned for charity
Friday, September 28, 2007 | MP

Bangalore, Sept 28 (ANI): An exclusive cricket bat autographed by Australian cricketer Ricky Ponting was auctioned at a function here on Thursday.The bat fetched whooping rupees 90,000 (2,267 dollars), and the auction money will be used for charity purpose.Jayaram Reddy, who bought the bat, felt elated that he had met his favourite cricketer. "It's a great initiative, something which I am going to work up in Australia as well," said Ponting.Australian team is on a tour of India for the seven-match One-Day series starting from September 29.The two sides would also be playing a Twenty20 match at the end of the one-day series. (ANI)

Ravi Shastri appointed NCA chairman
Friday, September 28, 2007 | MP

Mumbai, Sept 28 (ANI): The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) today appointed former Indian skipper Ravi Shastri as the chairman of the Bangalore-based National Cricket Academy (NCA).The decision was taken at the board's meeting here.Shastri will be taking over the charge of the chairmanship of the academy from Ajay Shirke, who was made the acting chairman after the board sacked Kapil Dev from the post.Kapil was dismissed after he joined the rival Indian Cricket League (ICL). (ANI)

BJP hopeful of smooth transfer of power
Friday, September 28, 2007 | MP

Bangalore, Sept 28 (ANI): Karnataka Deputy Chief Minister BS Yediyurappa has expressed the hope that there would be a smooth handover of power in the state, even as the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) is yet to convince the Janata Dal (Secular) in this regard. Yediyurappa said the BJP would hold talks with the JD(S) after September 30, the day when the results of the urban local bodies elections are scheduled to be declared. “At the moment the party is busy with the polls,” Yediyurappa was quoted by a website as saying. However, the BJP has doubts whether the JD(S) would continue to support the government for long. Yesterday, H D Kumaraswamy said that he would step down as Chief Minister on October 3 as per the power-sharing agreement with the BJP. Earlier, the JD-S pulled out of talks with the BJP on transfer of power. Former Prime Minister and JD-S president H D Deve Gowda said that he would not be talking to the BJP leaders on the issue until the latter created an atmosphere conducive for talks. At a news conference, Deve Gowda appeared to rule out the possibility of the BJP taking over the reins of governance in Karnataka from October 3, accusing it of behaving in a boorish manner. Striking a belligerent note after his son and Chief Minister H D Kumaraswamy faced criminal charges from his own cabinet colleague, Deve Gowda rushed back to Bangalore on Thursday morning in a huff calling off his parleys with top BJP leaders, including its president Rajnath Singh. "I will not resume talks till a congenial atmosphere is created by BJP leaders. The situation is not conducive for talks on power transfer. How can I do that when my son is facing grave charges of attempt to murder that too by a minister of his cabinet," Gowda told reporters here. Dropping clear hints that JD(S) will not transfer power to BJP on October 3, as per the agreement reached earlier, Gowda threw the ball back into the BJP court, saying "till the situation becomes clear there is no point in holding talks on power transfer with BJP national leaders." "The day when BJP leaders create a healthy atmosphere for such talks, I will go for talks, if BJP leaders like Rajnath Singh, Vajpayee call me," he said. State Tourism Minister Sriramulu had on September 25 lodged a complaint with Kaul Bazar police station in Bellary alleging that Kumaraswamy was behind a "conspiracy" to eliminate him. Gowda was in Delhi this week to meet Rajnath Singh to discuss the power transfer issue. (ANI)

Ganguly missed Twenty20 World Cup
Friday, September 28, 2007 | MP

Bangalore, Sept. 28 (ANI): Former India captain Sourav Ganguly has said that he missed being part of the Twenty20 World Cup. “If India wins, you miss being part of the team. Yes, I missed being part of the Twenty20 World Cup,” Ganguly said. Ganguly, who had a word of appreciation for Dhoni's captaincy, said the Australians were good, but Indian bowlers were also doing well.When asked about Twenty20 cricket, he said, “One has to get adjusted to the three formats being played.” He, however, felt that India must not rest on its laurels and not take Australia lightly in the upcoming seven-match ODI series. The left-hander along with Sachin Tendulkar and Rahul Dravid had opted out of the tournament in South Africa to give youngsters a chance.On Thursday, Ponting said that India's cricketing big guns Dravid, Tendulkar and Ganguly would be targeted by his team during the forthcoming seven one-day internationals in India. According to him, India's win in the Twenty20 World Cup is "past" and both teams are now looking forward to the one-day series. (ANI)

Wipro form partnership for semiconductor market
Friday, September 28, 2007 | MP

Bangalore/ Tokyo, Sept. 28 (ANI - Business Wire India): Oki Electric Industry Co. Ltd. of Japan and Wipro Technologies today announced their strategic partnership in the area of design services for the semiconductor market. "We have been looking for a global partner to improve our efficiency in semiconductor design through outsourcing, as we focus on improving our core designing capabilities," said Masahiko Morioka, President of Silicon Solutions Company at Oki Electric Industry. "The capability at Wipro will enable Oki to provide high-quality technologies and products to its customers in a timely manner."As part of this partnership, Wipro has signed a definitive agreement to acquire Oki Techno Centre Singapore Pte. Ltd. (OTCS) including its own Intellectual Property Rights in all cash deal over a period of one year. Wipro will also establish a dedicated Development Centre for Oki.OTCS is a wholly owned subsidiary of Oki focused on wireless design and has demonstrated innovative capabilities in radio frequency and baseband design. OTCS is a 40-member center with SGD 8.8 M as the revenues of the fiscal year ended on March 31. 2007. The company has key customers in Japan in product engineering space.The development center set up by Wipro will enable Oki to utilize design resource efficiently and enhance product development capabilities. This will enable Oki to expand its semiconductor business and increase its competitive edge in designing semiconductor products in the global market. Wipro is a leading solutions provider in the semiconductor design services space and has been strengthening its presence by complementing its digital expertise with analog and radio frequency skills.Wipro's NewLogic acquisition in 2005 strengthened its position in the area of wireless designs in CMOS radio frequency and IPs. The acquisition of OTCS further strengthens our capabilities in radio frequency and baseband design and gives deeper domain strengths in the area of DTV standards, WiMedia UWB, RFID and Wireless LAN 802.11 technology areas. "The wireless communication IC marketplace today is demanding integrated SoC solutions requiring expertise in digital and radio frequency domain. The acquisition also provides a solid base for addressing the large market in Japan and East Asia," said Ramesh Emani, President, Telecom and Product Engineering Solutions Division, Wipro Technologies. Commenting on the acquisition, Sudip Nandy, Wipro's Chief Strategy Officer said, "Wipro sees this transaction as a strategic fitment in building niche competencies which would enhance our presence among technology companies in Japan. As part of this acquisition, we will also set up a dedicated Development Centre for Oki."The entire transaction is expected to be closed during the next one month. The closing of the transaction is subject to customary closing conditions and regulatory approvals. (ANI)

Kumaraswamy to step down on Oct 3
Friday, September 28, 2007 | MP

Bangalore, Sept.27 (ANI): H D Kumaraswamy today said that he would step down on October 3 as the Chief Minister of Karnataka as per the power-sharing agreement with the Bharatiya Janata Party.Meanwhile, the Janata Dal-Secular has pulled out of talks with BJP on transfer of power.Former Prime Minister and JD-S president H D Deve Gowda today said that he would not be talking to leaders of the BJP on the issue of a transfer of power in Karnataka until the latter created an atmosphere conducive for talks.Addressing a hurriedly called news conference here, Deve Gowda appeared to rule out the possibility of the BJP taking over the reins of governance in Karnataka from October 3, accusing the right-wingers in the State of behaving in a boorish manner.Striking a belligerent note after his son and Chief Minister H D Kumaraswamy faced criminal charges from his own cabinet colleague, Deve Gowda rushed back to Bangalore on Thursday morning in a huff calling off his parleys with top BJP leaders, including its president Rajnath Singh. "I will not resume talks till a congenial atmosphere is created by BJP leaders. The situation is not conducive for talks on power transfer. How can I do that when my son is facing grave charges of attempt to murder that too by a minister of his cabinet," Gowda told reporters here.Dropping clear hints that JD(S) will not transfer power to BJP on October 3, as per the agreement reached earlier, Gowda threw the ball back into the BJP court, saying "till the situation becomes clear there is no point in holding talks on power transfer with BJP national leaders." "The day when BJP leaders create a healthy atmosphere for such talks, I will go for talks, if BJP leaders like Rajnath Singh, Vajpayee call me," he said. State Tourism Minister Sriramulu had on September 25 lodged a complaint with Kaul Bazar police station in Bellary alleging that Kumaraswamy was behind a "conspiracy" to eliminate him. Gowda was in Delhi on Wednesday to meet Rajnath Singh to discuss the power transfer issue. (ANI)

No talking with BJP over power transfer: Gowda
Thursday, September 27, 2007 | MP

Bangalore, Sept.27 (ANI): Former Prime Minister and Janata Dal (Secular) president H.D. Devegowda today said that he would not be talking to leaders of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) on the issue of a transfer of power in Karnataka until the latter created an atmosphere conducive for talks.Addressing a hurriedly called news conference here, Devegowda appeared to rule out the possibility of the BJP taking over the reins of governance in Karnataka from October 3, accusing the right-wingers in the state of behaving in a boorish manner.Striking a belligerent note after his son and Chief Minister H D Kumaraswamy faced criminal charges from his own cabinet colleague, Devegowda rushed back to Bangalore on Thursday morning in a huff calling off his parleys with top BJP leaders, including its president Rajnath Singh. "I will not resume talks till a congenial atmosphere is created by BJP leaders. The situation is not conducive for talks on power transfer. How can I do that when my son is facing grave charges of attempt to murder that too by a minister of his cabinet," Gowda told reporters here.Dropping clear hints that JD(S) will not transfer power to BJP on October three, as per the agreement reached earlier, Gowda threw the ball back into the BJP court, saying "till the situation becomes clear there is no point in holding talks on power transfer with BJP national leaders." "The day when BJP leaders create a healthy atmosphere for such talks, I will go for talks, if BJP leaders like Rajnath Singh, Vajpayee call me," he said. State Tourism Minister Sriramulu had on September 25 lodged a complaint with Kaul Bazar police station in Bellary alleging that Kumaraswamy was behind a "conspiracy" to eliminate him. Gowda was in Delhi on Wednesday to meet Rajnath Singh to discuss the power transfer issue. (ANI)

HAL-CAE ink pact for helicopter simulator centre
Wednesday, September 26, 2007 | MP

Bangalore, Sep 26 (ANI): The Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL) and CAE, Canada on Wednesday signed an agreement to establish a joint venture company that will open a helicopter simulator training centre in Bangalore. The company, Helicopter Academy To Train By Simulation Of Flying (HATSOFF), will be owned equally by HAL and CAE. The training centre is expected to begin operations in late 2008 by providing both civil and military helicopter pilot and maintenance training services.As part of the joint venture, CAE will design and manufacture one full mission simulator featuring CAE's revolutionary roll-on/roll- off cockpit design, which enables cockpits representing various helicopter types to be used in the simulator'The two companies are planning to provide HATSOFF with cockpits for the three variants of the HAL-built Advanced Light Helicopter (ALH) dhruv (one cockpits each for the Indian Army/Air Force glass cockpits Dhruv, Indian Navy Dhruv, and civil variant of the dhruv), as well as cockpits for the Bell 412 and Burocopter Dauphin helicopters. Other military and helicopters platforms will be added as the market develops.HATSOFF plans to offer both, flight and maintenance training, and provide customers initials, conversion, recurrent, and mission training, a statement issued by HAL said, adding that the training centre will feature multimedia classrooms, computer- based training, and training management information system. The full-mission simulator will be full-motion certified to federal management information system. The full- mission simulator will be full motion certified to federal Aviation Administration (FAA) and Joint Aviation Authority (JAA), level D with ability to interchange all three cockpit modules for the HAL Dhruv, as well as any additional helicopter cockpits added in the future. When a cockpit is not in the full- mission simulator, it will be used as affixed based fight training device (FTD). (ANI)

Orange County opens resort in Karnataka
Wednesday, September 26, 2007 | MP

Bangalore, Sept. 26 (ANI-Business Wire India): Orange County Resorts & Hotels Ltd. has announced the opening of its new luxury resort on the banks of river Kabini in Karnataka.Retaining Orange County's values of respect for the purity of nature and culture of the land, this resort, inspired in design by the mud-walled Hadis (Village) of the Kadu Kurubas, is built on the banks of the Kabini River, in the land of the Kadu kuruba tribe of Nagarhole forest in Karnataka. "Our resort at Kabini is our second offering to our patrons. With this, we have once again accomplished our motto of developing luxury without disturbing the nature and maintaining its sanctity", said Abe T. Ramapuram, Vice Chairman of Orange County Resorts & Hotels Ltd.The property is spread across 20-acres of land and has been built in 16 months, with an investment of Rs. 20 crores.Truly tribal in character, the cottages have been built using a high degree of environment friendly material, to blend-in with the surroundings.Orange County - Kabini offers two kinds of tribal themed suites, 26 Jacuzzi Huts and 8 Pool Huts. Both feature a spacious bedroom, en-suite bathroom, a separate living room and two sit outs designed in the inimitable style of the Hadis (Kadu kuruba homes). Private Pool huts - offer a private space of 2332 sqft, inclusive of a private pool with a built in Jacuzzi in an open-to-sky courtyard. Jacuzzi huts - offer the finest comforts in 1233 sqft of private space. They come with a private Jacuzzi in an open-to-sky courtyard. "Keeping with the brand's key values of eco-sensitivity, plastic mineral water bottles are discouraged at the resort. A Reverse Osmosis (RO) plant, installed in each room, provides 100 per cent safe drinking water while reducing the negative impact of over 50,000 plastic bottles every year. State of the art sewage treatment plant, with an output of stream water standards, ensures least impact on the environment. A dedicated windmill at a cost of Rs. 3.2 crores ensures that our resort uses clean environment friendly power," said Abe T. Ramapuram. The comforts and conveniences provided help in enjoying very luxurious live-in experience, he added. (ANI)

Country's first bio-metric ATM in Bangalore
Monday, September 24, 2007 | MP

Bangalore, Sept. 22 (ANI): Canara Bank has added another feather to its cap by taking technology beyond the periphery of the literate world.The bank recently launched the country's first bio-metric Automated Teller Machines (ATM) at Devanahally near here which uses the fingerprint instead of PIN number.The ATM was inaugurated by Reserve Bank of India (RBI), Deputy Governor Usha Thorat in the presence of Regional Director for Karnataka RBI, Devaki Muthukrishnan and Chairman and MD of Canara Bank, M B N Rao.“The ATM enables the transaction by customer's finger print instead of PIN and guiding the customer through the process of transaction with the help of pre-recorded voice system in the regional language,” said Thorat. The technology initiatives of the bank namely mobile biometric ATM with a handheld device to capture finger impressions, smart card with ATM facility and mobile ATMs with biometric facility are the first of its kind in the country.Technology power has helped bank to take technology to the doorstep of the customer and also reduces transaction cost to the bank and ultimately benefits reaches people.And biometric is very significant, it safeguards the identity of card user and the voice message is a big source of comfort.Rao said that the ATMs have business potential and make the 'financial inclusion' policy more effective.”Our Bank has launched total financial inclusion in 23 lead districts and in Karnataka, Davangere is declared under total financial inclusion. And the bank has extended its total financial inclusion campaign to 1639 villages across the country,” said Rao.Around 6.5lakh accounts were accounted for by cansaral, a no-frills account in the last fiscal, he added. The bank is also planning to deploy more number of biometric ATMs in rural and semi urban branches in the near future. (ANI)

Vrindavan Tech Village signs lease
Wednesday, September 19, 2007 | MP

Bangalore, Sept.18 (ANI/Business Wire India): Vrindavan TechVillage, one of the largest notified IT/ ITES SEZ in Bangalore today announced their agreement to lease 280,000 square feet to Outsource Partners International (OPI). Vrindavan TechVillage is a 106 acre notified IT / ITES SEZ approved commercial development in Bangalore. "We at Outsource Partners are aggressively expanding our capacity in India to keep up with the ever increasing demand for our services," said Kishore Mirchandani, President of OPI, and CEO of OPI's Indian Subsidiary, Business Process Outsourcing Pvt. Limited. "We are pleased to partner with Assetz Property Services for the development of our latest facility in Bangalore.OPI's new 280,000 square foot facility is being built to eventually to accommodate 3,000 seats by early 2008 and will offer advanced state of the art technology, security, and privacy. This facility, together with OPI's other facilities in Bangalore and Kochi, allows it to accommodate more than 6,000 professional staff throughout India. Vrindavan TechVillage has begun leasing with a commitment to deliver the first 1.3 million sq ft of the total 9 million sq ft of IT/ ITES premises by January 2008, as well as a 1,300 multilevel car park by March 2008. Vrindavan offers tenants scalability with time so that they can begin with an incubation space and increase square footage as needed. Developed by Assetz, the master planning, architecture and landscape of Vrindavan TechVillage is an international collaboration resulting in a modern, flexible, forward-looking environment designed for local end users as much as multinational tenants. "We are delighted to have Outsource Partners International in Vrindavan TechVillage. The Tech Park will offer amenities and facilities of international standards and provide the ideal environment for employees", said Michael Holland- CEO, Assetz Property Services. (ANI)

Mysoreans protest against thermal plant
Tuesday, September 18, 2007 | MP

By K G Vasuki Mysore, Sept. 17 (ANI): A mammoth demonstration was held here recently against the proposed 1200 MW coal-based thermal plant at Chamalapura.Farmers, writers, intellectuals, politicians and people congregated outside the town hall to protest against what they called an unmindful act of the government. Addressing the gathering, noted writer and Jnanapeetha awardee Dr. U R Ananthamurthy, criticised the government move to commission a thermal plant in a eco-sensitive zone.Chamalapura, a tiny village just 30 kms away from Mysore, is generating enough heat to take on the Janata Dal-BJP Government's decision to acquire over 3000 acres of pristine land.Chamalapura lies on the ridges of the Cauvery and Kabini rivers. The River Kabini is just eight kilometres away, and people feel that the land and its culture will be destroyed once the plant comes up. Chamalapura also 20 kms away from two of the environment-friendly world's wildlife parks - Nagarahole and Bandipura, which contain elephants, tigers and other wild animals. There is also a fear that the heritage city of Mysore will be covered with smog and fly ash dust if the plant is commissioned. The over Rupees 5000 crore project would need 600 tons of coal and two million litres of water everyday. The proposal to draw water from the Kabini Reservoir could affect water supply to Bangalore and other towns and cities in the State. The farmers, who are dependent on tank irrigation, fear that these tanks could become ash ponds, causing permanent damage to nature. For Javaramma, a small farmer, her land means everything to her. She says she will die, but will not give up her land for a thermal plant. The Malleshwara Betta symbolizes the cultural spirit of the people in the area. The government has declared this area as barren land. Dr. R Balasubrmanian, the President of the Swami Vivekananda Youth Movement, an NGO that has been working for the past two decades for the upliftment of tribals, has strongly criticised the State Government over the thermal power plant project in an eco-sensitive zone, housing forests rivers, dams, tanks, tribals, besides people.According to government sources, the Tatas and Reliance are frontrunners for acquiring rights to build this thermal plant. (ANI)

Karnataka ban mobile phones in schools
Tuesday, September 18, 2007 | MP

Bangalore, Sept. 17 (ANI): The Karnataka Government's decision to ban the use of mobile phones in schools and colleges for children under the age of 16, has evoked a positive response. Christy Vijir, a student from St. Joseph Boys School, said that the using of mobile phones distracts and corrupts students mind, and the ban was a good decision.K. Nagaraj, the Principal of the Poorna Prajna School, said: “Mobile phones should be banned in schools as it would help students to concentrate better.” Sunaina Gupta, a student of the Sophia Girls School, she was not happy about the ban.The State Government says mobile phones are a nuisance, and that the move to ban them is based on medical advice. The cell phone industry, however, says there is no evidence of cell phones causing health-related problems.According to a BBC report, India has the fastest growing mobile phone market in the world, with over 170 million subscribers. Every month around seven million new subscribers join the list, and a large number of them, are children. Last year, colas were banned in school and college canteens. (ANI)

Home for abandoned AIDS children
Saturday, September 15, 2007 | MP

By KG VasukiDodda Gubbi (Karnataka), Sep 15 (ANI): There is a home in Karnataka, which brings a smile to the faces of over fifty abandoned children suffering from AIDS. 'Infant Jesus Home for Children’, founded by a German philanthropist, Vinniguard, in Dodda Gubbi village, has taken up this cause."Most children are abandoned and their parents died of AIDS. I like to serve these children. These children are of different age group”, said Veronica, caretaker of the home.The abandoned children say they are happy with their lot."I feel happy, I don't have a biological mother. I like to stay with mother (Vinnigaurd, founder of the children's home). I have everybody," said Jaisilta, a child at the home.According to the Karnataka AIDS Prevention Society, the HIV prevalence rate in the state is 1.56 percent, nearly three times the national rate. Most cases are from 12 high-risk districts of the state.According to the health ministry, at least 21,000 children are infected every year through mother-to-child transmission of the virus. Discrimination of AIDS victims in predominantly rural India is on the rise, which India's AIDS control authorities have been trying to fight. There have been instances of doctors denying treatment to AIDS victims or schools throwing out students with HIV positive virus.India has the world's third highest HIV caseload, after South Africa and Nigeria, with around 2.5 million people living with the virus -- of whom around 70,000 are under 15 years old. (ANI)

Cisco appoints Naresh Wadhwa
Thursday, September 13, 2007 | MP

Bangalore, Sept 12 (ANI-Business Wire India): Cisco has appointed Naresh Wadhwa as President and Country Manager of its India and SAARC region (South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation). He will report directly to Owen Chan, President of the Cisco, Asia Pacific Operations.Wadhwa has been with Cisco for almost ten years and was most recently based in Hong Kong heading the Marketing organization in the Asia Pacific region. Prior to this, Naresh was responsible for Channels, Commercial, Sales Operations and Marketing across North Asia based out of Hong Kong. Before Naresh moved to Hong Kong in 2004, he was the sales leader for the Western Region of India, overseeing Cisco's largest region in the country. "We are very pleased that Naresh will assume the role of President for India and SAARC Operations," said Chan. "A long-time Cisco veteran, Naresh's impressive and diverse skills are suited to this important leadership role. India is a very strategic market for Cisco and Naresh is the right leader to steer our team in accelerating the growth momentum in India," Chan said.Wadhwa is an industry veteran with over 18 years of experience in the technology industry. He joined Cisco India in 1998 as a Sales Manager for the company's Enterprise, Commercial and IT services Business, and successfully grew the business four-fold.Subsequently, Naresh architected several strategic wins for Cisco when he managed the Service Provider business in India. Prior to Cisco, Naresh worked with 3Com Asia Ltd and Wipro Infotech in India.Wadhwa has a degree in Engineering in Electronics from Mumbai University. (ANI)

Wipro to open New Global Centre in Mexico
Tuesday, September 11, 2007 | MP

Bangalore, Sept 11 (ANI/ Business Wire India): Software major Wipro Technologies today announced opening of the company's first development centre in Monterrey, Mexico. Wipro made this announcement today coinciding with the visit of Mexican President, Felipe Calderón Hinojosa, to India. The Monterrey facility would provides Wipro with the dedicated resources to service clients in North America, Latin America and Europe with bi-lingual talent in a convenient time zone and close proximity. It would further strengthen the company's global delivery model capabilities and joins such new facilities already on the network such as development centers in Brazil, Europe, China, US and Canada."This facility will help establish our capabilities in the Central time zone which allows us to better serve our North American clients and their operations in Latin America. In addition, this centre will also strengthen our market presence in the region," said Dr AL Rao, Chief Operating Officer, Wipro Ltd."I am sure that this relation that has now begun will also enhance the partnership between the people of India and Mexico," said Felipe Calderón Hinojosa, President of the United States of Mexico.Wipro chose to establish a presence in Mexico because of the broad language skills available in the region, its geographical proximity to Canada, the U.S. and Europe. Latin America is a strong emerging market and one where many of Wipro's clients have operations. "We are very optimistic about the growth opportunities and potential of talent available in this region. We will recruit the best people and provide them with extensive training in our high quality delivery processes and methodologies that we deploy to successfully deliver to our customers across the globe," said Ramesh Emani, President, Telecom and Product Engineering Solutions Division, Wipro Technologies.During the first phase of operation, Wipro will have 100 seats. All hires will participate in the Wipro training programs to ensure global consistency. As part of the visit, the Mexican President also met the Mexican employees who are currently in India for their induction and training. (ANI)

Bangalore designer makes money with household garbage
Sunday, September 9, 2007 | MP

Bangalore, Sep.9 (ANI): An innovative woman industrial designer has designed clay pots to conveniently and hygienically make compost and organic waste at home. These eco-friendly pots basically help prepare and keep organic waste to a value-added product.With her concept, based on age-old wisdom of utilising waste, Poonam Kasturi has also set up a Daily Dump Company. It designs products and services that manage home waste. Poonam said: "It has a lot to do with how people perceive this. How Indian housewives actually look at waste. We noticed people were not interested in an expensive product for this purpose beyond rupees 600. Anything beyond it is not paid attention to."Today, this young entrepreneur is a big a success due to her earthware pots and concept is catching up. Poonam said: “We didn't want to use a factory production system to produce this specific product. If you want to start something, it has to be really simple. It has to fit and the whole thing of garden and terracotta and even the material is also very good for taking compost."These attractive earthenware pots, punched with holes for aeration and one set atop another. The Organic compost is filled in the topmost pot and then interchanged as the bulk of the garbage matures and declines.The units need to be stirred at least once within three to five days. Maintenance involves using natural 'Neem' spray to mask any odour and the addition of an organic culture to accelerate the decomposition process.A full cycle may take up to two months or more for significant decline in volume. Daily Dump offers service support and information on knowing and segregating home waste.Poonam found a great demand for these eco friendly products in over 100 countries. She claims that her eco-friendly initiative has an advantage in an urban situation. These products have a great demand and Rag pickers association from Delhi has come forward to start a business in daily dump products. There are serious inquiry from U.K., Australia, Denmark, and Ireland, Poonam added. (ANI)

Sai Baba, Sunita flavour of the season
Saturday, September 8, 2007 | MP

Bangalore, Sep.7 (ANI): With the Ganesha Chaturthi festival just a week away, idol makers in Bangalore are going out of their way to popularise Sai Baba and Indian American astronaut Sunita Williams.Ganesha idols resembling Sai Baba and Sunita Williams are everyone's favourites here.Local markets here have at least 500 varieties of Ganesh idols."This year the statue of Ganesha with many hands is in vogue. Besides, wehave a Baba Ganesha and an 18-foot-high Ganesha. The ranges of Ganesha idolsat this shop vary from rupees 50 to 30,000. This year around 30,000 to40,000 idols would be sold," said M Srinivas, a retailer dealing in Ganeshaidols.Artisans start making idols from the day of Pongal (14 January)."This year we have got special Ganesha with Sunita Williams besides other idols of Ganesha," said Muninanjappa, another Ganesha idol-maker."Vinayaka Chaturthi" or "Ganesha Chaturthi" as it is described popularly in different regions of the country, is actually the birthday celebrations of Lord Ganesha believed to have born in the lunar month of Bhadrapada as per Hindu almanac. It comes sometime between August 20 and September 15.The 10-day long festivities conclude on "Ananta Chaturdashi" with the immersion of the worshipped Ganesha idols into any major source of water like river or sea or even lakes or a well.This year, Vinayak Chaturthi or Ganesha Chaturthi is falling on September 15. (ANI)

IBM open innovation center in Bangalore
Saturday, September 8, 2007 | MP

Bangalore, Sept.7 (ANI/Business Wire India): IBM and the Innovation Group have opened a new Innovation Center for Global Insurance here. The new center will help the companies innovate on next generation core systems, develop new business models, and tap emerging technologies to create competitive advantage and improve the customer experience. Based at IBM's Bangalore campus, the new center provides clients with access to hardware, software, and services, including IBM System z mainframes, IBM Information Server and DB2 Data Server software, and Innovation Group's Innovation Policy and Innovation Claims insurance applications that deliver high quality, low-risk, and cost effective solutions for the enterprise. "The Innovation Center and the increased focus on our IBM relationship is a response to the success of the partnership in the last 24 months," said Ed Ossie, President, Innovation Group. In 2005, both companies entered a five-year agreement to create a new client-focused global delivery center and strengthen client site capabilities in key markets. The new center 'builds on the original agreement."Insurance companies require core systems that are open, flexible, scalable and secure," said Norbert Dick, General Manager, Insurance Industry, IBM. (ANI)

Chinese ship precariously tilts on Mangalore coast
Friday, September 7, 2007 | MP

Mangalore, Sept 6 (ANI): A Chinese freight ship, carrying 6,1000 metric tonnes of iron ore, is in a precarious condition after its engines snapped, tilting it on one side off the Taneerbavi coast near Mangalore.Caught in the shallow water, M.V. Chang Lemin, is carrying 21 sailors of various nationalities as crewmembers.According to the deputy conservator of the New Mangalore Port, Captain V.K. Vasvani, the ship left the dock today morning and after two hours there was an SOS call from the ship, saying their engines had stalled.The Coast Guard immediately swung into action and got in touch with the sailors and are presently continuing rescue efforts. Eritrean Frieghter M.V. Den Den had capsized in the same locality on June 23 this year. Marine engineers are closely monitoring the situation as dangers of oil spill looms large. (ANI)

Orizin launches laptop-tracking system
Thursday, September 6, 2007 | MP

Bangalore, Sept. 5 (ANI/Business Wire India): Mysore-based Orizin Technologies Pvt. Ltd, a leading provider of Radio Frequency Identification (RFID) solutions, today announced the launch of an Active RFID system which Includes tags and readers for tracking laptops and other valued assets in the IT industry.The Active RFID based system would facilitate the collection of data over longer distance (15-20m) and with greater accuracy in metallic and water environment. Unlike barcode, data can be captured from assets and other items over longer distance without the need of physically going near to the system. This will enable real-time identification of laptops and other valued assets with their location. The system will also eliminate the painstaking and time consuming process of scanning individual items, increasing the staff productivity by ten to fifteen times."Active RFID gives capability to every object to be networked, to be identified whenever required without the need of line of sight." said Sunil Kumar, Vice President, Business Development and Sales, Orizin. Radio Frequency Identification (RFID) technology is a wireless technology that is being used for tracking and identification. RFID overcomes several limitations as inherited by traditional barcode system like tracking stationery items one at a time, inability to detect hidden items and limited read-range. (ANI)

Dharwad All India Radio to start magazine for farmers
Saturday, September 1, 2007 | MP

Dharwad (Karnataka) Aug.31 (ANI): All India Radio's (AIR), Dharwad Station plans to start a monthly magazine on farming to help farmers emerge out of the current crisis. C. U. Bellakki, the assistant station director with the AIR in Karnataka's Dharwad District, has invited agricultural experts, writers and farmers to use the medium of the magazine to project the farmers' plight.He made this offer at a recent two-day workshop here.Bellakki said that there was major scope, considering the high reach of the audio media. He told the audience that the AIR needs good stories which will have an impact on the farming community. A farm programme on radio can never be a success if it is designed and delivered inside the studio. Bellakki said: "A programme touches listeners only when it is created in the field with practical inputs. Journalists should pick up such stories from the field and disseminate it to a larger audience." He said that a good example of positive reporting by the media was Chennabasappa Shivappa Kombli of Natural Resources Development Centre in Haveri District's Kakol Village. Kombli's efforts as a farmer to recharge open wells through rainwater harvesting in his village was reported in various stages by newspapers. This, in turn, helped him to get the support of villagers and carry such activities forward. His effort was recognised at the State level and resulted in the overall development of the village including roads, hostels, a high school building and Suvarna Grama (village) projects. Nearly 100 villages around Kakol Village in Ranebennur sub-division have adopted a ground-water recharge method that has helped in a better water availability, increased soil fertility and forestation. It could happen all because of wide and consist media coverage. Besides, the workshop also provided the participants hands-on experience in visiting 'Sumana Sangama', the farmland of Dr Sanjeev Kulkarni and Pratibha, which is a mix of cultivated, semi-cultivated and non-cultivated farm land. This organic farm which Dr Sanjeev developed from scratch is now a biodiversity spot and suited the objective of the workshop. Positive reporting on issues related to farming can work wonders to help the farmers. Farmers' Plight-Media Response, a recent workshop held in Dharwad underlined just that, writes Anitha Pailoor. Even when farming is in crisis, hope is not lost. Alongside the suicide stories we also hear successful examples of farmers practicing sustainable methods. Exposure to such models would boost the morale of those who are in distress. Media can bridge the gap between stories of success and failure. The magazine opens up another media space for the farm writers of the Centre for Alternative Agriculture Media (CAAM) who converged at Dharwad. The Fellows and students of Centre for Alternative Agriculture Media correspondence (CAAM) course in farm and rural journalism use the print media to write on farm and rural issues. Their eagerness to use multiple media for wider reach and repetitive message delivery combined with the AIR's social concern to provide for additional space on the radio in reporting farm and rural issues. Well researched articles on such small-scale, positive efforts would enable other farmers to take up sustainable farming in their lands. Lack of understanding of their problems by the administrators has led to the failure of most farmer packages. The participants at the workshop, meanwhile, also had an opportunity to interact with experienced personalities like Dr. Ramachandra Sonwalkar, R. S. Patil and Dr. Prakash Bhat. (ANI)

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