TransGenez all set to tap the rural BPO market - One Hubli-Dharwad

Bangalore: TransGenez , an outsourcing firm with their expertise in Business Consulting, BPO,KPO and other services are all set to establish Business process Outsourcing(BPO) units in rural areas. The company has already established BPOs in two villages in North India and is now intending to set up their BPOs in tier 2 and tier 3 cities of Karnataka like Hassan, Hubli and Dharwad.

"We would definitely face problems in dealing with issues like electrification, poor bandwidth and management of human resources, but we see huge potential in the rural market and are quite hopeful that it will pick up the trend soon,said Dhaval Kumar Gat, CEO, TransGenez.

They would be concentrating on areas related to live education, data entry jobs and other voice based activities. The Executives at TransGenez feel that, there is immense potential in rural India and it would not only generate employment among the rural population, but would also bring down their costs.
Many people can be recruited by the company if they have some command over the English language. At the BPO front, minimum knowledge about English is quintessential and at the voice based activities front, graduates would be preferred. "We are willing to train people, who will show their interest in learning. Once we are convinced about a person's capability, we will help him or her improvise," said Pavan Kumar, Business Lead, TransGenez.

Nearly, 250 to 300 employees will be recruited at the educational front and the initial employee size at the BPO front has not yet been decided but it is estimated to be somewhere around 100 employees.
In terms of the impact of recession on rural BPOs Dhaval said they are trying to create a diverse customer base in order to avoid huge dependency on any one country and since the cost incurred on the service rendered by these employees would be lesser, international clients reeling under recession would prefer their service at a lower cost.

The BPO industry in Philippines is one of the major competitors of the Indian BPO market. Comparing the Indian BPO industry to the one in Philippines, Vishal Verma, Business Partner with TransGenez said that, "The human capital available at Philippines might deliver good voice and seem more presentable but they cannot match the intellectual standards of the skilled Indian human capital."

TransGenez claims it biggest strength to be their 'Capability Development Team', which will train the employees to be very competent. "Our aim is not only to make the rural or semi urban youth employable in rural BPOs but to make their skills worthy for the BPOs in urban areas," said Pooja Saxena, Vice President, Education Outsourcing

Karnataka to boost electronic hardware growth - Hardware parks in Bangalore, Hassan, Mysore and Hubli

Bangalore: As India's premier IT destination, Karnataka is pitching for rapid growth of the electronic hardware industry to replicate its success in the software sector achieved over the last decade.

"We will soon have a new electronic hardware policy to attract investments in the manufacturing of electronic products, consumer durables and components for the ICT industry," state IT Minister K. Subramanya Naidu said at Asia's primer IT event here Wednesday.

To woo investors in the emerging IT hardware sector, the state government will set up four electronic hardware parks near Bangalore, Hassan, Mysore and Hubli across the state and offer a slew of incentives for prospective investors.

"We have identified about 1,000 acres at each of the four cities for setting up the hardware parks to create the ecosystem required for setting up electronic manufacturing units, start-ups and even incubators," Naidu told about 800 delegates participating in the 12th edition of Bangalore IT.biz 2009 trade show.

Noting that about 90 percent of the electronic goods sold worldwide are manufactured in China, South Korea, Taiwan, Singapore and Malaysia, Naidu lamented that India remained far behind with a share of mere 1.5 percent of the global market.

"Though India has emerged as a global software major, the hardware sector has not kept pace with the growth of the software sector. There is no dearth of talent or resources to repeat the success achieved in software in hardware," Naidu asserted.

In spite of consumption of electronic goods and consumer durables growing exponentially, product manufacturing has not scaled up to bridge the demand-supply gap.

"Over the last decade, the software sector in the state has Bangalore on the world map and accounted for about 34 percent of India's total IT exports the last fiscal, which grew to Rs.75,000 crore from Rs.60,000 crore in fiscal 2008-09," he said.

"With a resilient domestic market and huge potential for exports, the hardware industry should do the same to leverage the synergies between the two sectors."

The state government is also planning to set up a huge IT investment region near the Bangalore international airport on the outskirts of the city with central government support for attracting global investments in the ICT sector.

In his address on the occasion, Wipro chairman Azim Premji called upon the central and state governments to appoint chief information officers for the increasing use of ICT in administration, delivery of services and to interface with the citizens.

"The state governments should make education, innovation and ICT as a part of their economic policy agenda. Instead of each state doing its own projects for e-governance and citizen services, they should pool their resources to develop IT products and services that can be shared and replicated instead of duplicating them," Premji said.

Karnataka State likely to clear Rs 5,000 cr investment

Source: http://www.business-standard.com/india/news/state-likely-to-clear-rs-5000-cr-investment/359370/

Karnataka government is likely to clear various projects with an investment of close to Rs 5,000 crore shortly. Raj Kumar Khatri, commissioner for industrial development and director, department of industries and commerce said that since January they have received 25 major industrial investment proposals that are expected to be cleared by the high level committee (HLC) next month. HLC clears major investment projects involving an investment of above Rs 50 crore.

Among other major investment projects that are waiting for approval by the state government include a proposal from Sri Renuka Sugars Limited to expand sugar crushing capacity from 5,000 tonnes crushed per day (TCD) to 10,000 TCD at two of their units at Burlahatti in Athani taluk in Belgaum district and Afzalpur in Bijapur district at a combined investment of Rs 250 crore, Khatri told Business Standard. He said the government has also received an application from Bosch Limited to set up a new manufacturing facility for automotive components at an investment of Rs 400 crore. The company intends to set up a new unit near Toyota Kirloskar’s car plant at Bidadi.

The department has also received an application from Premium Farmfresh, a Lalit Suri Group company to set up a terminal market chain for fresh fruits and vegetables at an investment of Rs 400 crore.

The company intends to set up modern marketing chain in places like Belgaum, Hassan, Hoskote and Mysore.

In addition to these, two US-based non-resident Indians (NRIs) have shown interest to set up thermal power projects in Karnataka involving a combined investment of Rs 2,500 crore for generating a total of around 770 MW. The two companies are planning to set up set up thermal power projects in Bijapur district, a senior government official said.

Khatri said the state government is planning to organise the global investors meet in Bangalore in December this year. The meet, which was earlier scheduled to be held in January this year, had to be postponed due to economic slowdown. The government intends to keep ready a land bank of around 160,000 acres across the state before the investors meet. Currently, it has completed the process for acquisition of around 35,000 acres.

Karnataka plans to develop 250 toll roads

Source: http://mangalorean.com/news.php?newstype=broadcast&broadcastid=125794

BANGALORE, May 22, 2009: Karnataka Government on Friday decided to develop more than 250 state highways and major district roads with private participation and levy toll on road users.

The State Cabinet meeting presided by Chief Minister B. S. Yeddyurappa fixed toll rates for the four-lane and two-lane roads for various category of motor vehicles.

Minister for Rural Development & Panchayat Raj Shobha Karandlaje told reporters here that the basic toll rate per kilometre on a four-lane road for cars, jeeps, light motor vehicles, vans would be 65 paise and on two-lane roads it would be fifty paise.

Mini-buses and mini goods vehicles will have to pay Rs 1.05 per km for using four-lane road and 75 paise for two-lane. The toll would be Rs 2.20 for buses and trucks on four-lane road and Re 1.50 on two-lane road, she said adding that heavy construction machinery vehicles would be charged Rs 3.45 per km on four-lane road and Rs 2.25 on two-lane roads. Toll will be collected on roads where more than 10,000 vehicles ply, she said.

However, toll will not be collected on existing roads, Karandlaje said.
At an investor’s meet held in January 28, 2009, the Government had decided to develop a Core Road Network (CRN) of 66,000 km at an estimated cost of Rs. 1,77,000 crore under the public-private partnership module in the next six years (2009-15).

In the first phase, it was decided to upgrade 10,000 km of State highways and major district roads (MDRs) apart from 12,600 km of village roads in the first phase. The estimated cost for development of 10,000 km of State highways and MDRs is Rs. 31,400 crore. About 40,000 km of roads will be developed in the second phase at an estimated cost of Rs. 1.08 lakh crore and 16,000 km in the third phase with an investment of Rs. 36,800 crore.

Officials said the 66,000-km CRN would connect Bangalore with other IT hubs such as Mysore, Hassan, Davangere, Hubli, Dharwad, and Mangalore. The objective of the CRN was to promote industrial and urban development and integrate economically backward and remote areas.
All these roads would be toll roads, and toll booths would be established every 50 km. The toll would be based on the rate fixed by the National Highways Authority of India, he said.

Agricultural non-transport vehicles, two and three-wheelers and local short-distance vehicles used only for passenger transport would be exempted from payment of toll. Service roads would be provided for local traffic, he said.

Mr. Yeddyurappa said at present the State had a road network of nearly 2.09 lakh km: 3,978 km of national highways, 20,738 km of State highways, 37,973 km of district roads and 1,47,212 km of village roads.

The CRN would be an all-weather, smooth road network with a minimum two-lane carriageway and feeder roads and four to six lanes near urban settlements.

The roads would be developed under various PPP models such as build operate, transfer; design, build, operate, transfer; and viability gap funding. The developer would be given one acre of land for every five km of road developed for business activities. Land acquisition and development would be undertaken by private entrepreneurs.

A State-level task force headed by the Chief Minister had been constituted to monitor the progress of roads, and committees headed by the deputy commissioners had been constituted for fixation of compensation rates for land acquired for roads.

Farmers to get credit at 3 pc from nationalised banks

BANGALORE: The Karnataka government on Friday decided to ensure credit to small and marginal farmers at three per cent interest rate through nationalised banks, but with a loan cap of Rs 50,000.

The state Cabinet chaired by Chief Minister B S Yeddyurappa approved the extension of the subsidised interest rate scheme for farm credit to nationalised banks with effect from April 1 last and decided to earmark Rs 250 crore towards reimbursement of the difference interest amount to banks. The Government has decided to disburse crop loans at three per cent rate of interest in the State budget for 2009-10.

Addressing presspersons after the Cabinet meeting, Minister for Rural Development and Panchayat Raj Shobha Karandlaje said that it has been estimated that about six to seven lakh farmers avail credit from nationalised banks in the state.

About 13 lakh farmers in the state who get credit from cooperative institutions already enjoy the low interest rate credit, she said.

Farmers’ loans up to Rs 50,000 would be eligible for the low interest rate. Continuing its populist schemes, the government decided to extend the scheme of awarding cash incentives to meritorious higher secondary boy students hailing from SC and ST communities, a benefit already given to their girl counterparts to enable them continue higher studies.

The Centre had instructed nationalised banks to grant crop loans at the interest rate of seven per cent. The State Government would reimburse to banks the difference of the amount which would be Rs. 1000 crore in 2009-10.The cooperative institutions would disburse crop loans at rate of interest of three per cent to small and marginal farmers. The cooperatives had disbursed Rs. 3,290.3 crore in 2008-09 for 13,17,983 farmers in the State. Cooperatives are expected to disburse Rs. 3,500 crore loans to farmers in 2009-10.

Cooperation Minister Laxman Savadi said elections to various cooperative bodies, including Karnataka Milk Federation, would be held between May 23 to July 27 in different phases.

A onestop shop for you at the rly station @ Bangalore City, Shimoga, Hassan, Bellary, Dharwad

Source: http://www.topnews.in/onestop-shop-you-rly-station-2130722

The Indian Railway Catering and Tourism Corporation Ltd (IRCTC) is planning to set up one-stop food stores in railway stations across India by June this year.

And here's the best part. Bangalore will be the first city to have such a facility. "Passengers have to go stall-hopping for colas, snacks and books. We are trying to integrate stalls scattered across stations into six to seven large format stores where passengers can buy everything under one roof," IRCTC chief regional manager (South Western Zone) S Gagarin said on the sidelines of the CII 9th annual tourism summit. IRCTC is also trying to rope in KFC and McDonald's for standalone outlets at the stations.

With 85 percent of IRCTC's revenue coming from the food segment, Gagarin expects the kitty to grow with the plan. IRCTC is also planning to roll out fast food joints across nine stations in Karnataka —Bangalore City, Shimoga, Hassan, Bellary, Dharwad.

Sobia Khan/ DNA-Daily News & Analysis Source: 3D Syndication

WB-aided scheme to help revive lakes (The Jala Samvardhana Yojana (JSY))

Source: http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/Hubli/WB-aided_scheme_to_help_revive_lakes/articleshow/4138517.cms

DHARWAD: The government has chalked out a special scheme to develop over 1,200 lakes in eight districts in a span of four years at a cost of Rs 306.98 crore. The Jala Samvardhana Yojana (JSY) will cover 1,224 lakes in Belgaum, Bijapur, Chikamagalur, Davanagere, Dharwad, Hassan, Shimoga and Uttara Kannada districts.

The state has over 36,000 lakes with a capacity to irrigate 6.85 lakh hectares of land. These tanks have also been the main source of water for animal husbandry, drinking water and underground water. But most of them are in bad state due to silt formation, encroachment and unscientific way of management.
The scheme, launched by the department of minor irrigation, aims at involving community in maintaining the lakes through formation of Lake Management Associations at the village level. These associations will, besides taking up measures to keep the lakes in good condition, employ locals belonging to economically weaker section.

K Uday Kumar, JSY district planning co-ordinator, said the World Bank-aided project implemented in the state in 2001 had shown good results. The action plan for another 1,224 lakes would ensure improvement in rural economy.

"The village panchayats concerned will have to contribute 12% of the lake development cost while 6% will be in the form of cash and the remaining should be in the form of labour," Kumar said. The Grama Sabhas should agree to contribute the amount so that lakes are included in the project.

The action plan involves creation of congenial atmosphere for participation of the community in lake management, taking up community development programmes to strengthen organizational set-up, physical development of lakes by way of repairs and construction, development of agriculture and horticulture in command area and development of fisheries in lakes among others.

The lake management societies comprising water users will be registered under Panchayat Raj Act. Once the lake is developed, the society concerned will have to maintain it. The district units of JSY, under the chairmanship of the respective DCs, will monitor the works of societies.

Kumar said the members of the society at village level will be educated and trained in lake management. A week-long special training camp began on Monday at Forest Training Institute in Gungaragatti near Dharwad.

Karnataka Transport corpns to recruit 18,000 personnel

Bangalore, Nov 4 The four state owned Transport Corportions in Karnataka would recruit 18,000 personnel including drivers, conductors and technical staff this year, Karnataka Minister for Transport R Ashok said today.

Directions have been issued to all the corporations to commence the process of recruitment, he told the press here.

The minister said the entire process would be transparent and in accordance with the rules.

The government has decided to establish driving training schools in Hassan, Hubli and Gulbarga and the work on a similar school in Bangalore was on.

Ashok reiterated that the government was firm on banning plying of private buses on nationanalised routes.(Agencies)

Karnataka clears industrial projects worth over Rs 49,000 cr

Sorce: http://mangalorean.com/news.php?newstype=local&newsid=71417

Bangalore March 18, 2008: Karnataka's High Level Clearance Committee today approved 28 proposals to set up new industries involving an investment of Rs 49,054.89 crore.
The areas of investment are in IT, cement, steel, education and electronics, a release by the Governor's Secretariat said.

The industrial units after commissioning would generate employment to 4.19 lakh people, the release said.

The investments are being made in tier II cities, including Hiriyur, Gulbarga, Mysore, Mangalore, Muddebihal, Gamanagatti, Hospet, Hassan, Afzalpur, Yadgir, Kunigal, Koppal, Sandur, Haveri in addition to some in Bangalore rural district.

The projects included an airport-based multi-product special economic zone at an investment of Rs 3,384.65 crore to be established by the Bangalore International Airport Ltd, which has built the new airport in Devanahally here.

Limitless Properties Ltd has got the approval for setting up a multi-product SEZ in Hiriyur in Chitradurga district at an investment of Rs 4,164.40 crore.

R M Steels Ltd will be setting up a Rs 15,700 crore integrated steel plant in Koppal while XINDIA Steels a similar plant in the same district with an investment of Rs 8,735 crore, the release said.

Scheme to give rural women a boost

BANGALORE: Forget political leaders making pious promises on the International Women's Day (March 8). In Karnataka, the authorities are truly giving a boost to Stree Shakti.

To connect villages with the virtual world and to provide self-employment to educated rural women, the state government is launching a scheme, E-Mahile.

The Women Development Corporation has already launched the pilot project in 10 districts. As many as 300 women (members of Self-Help Groups) are undergoing training. The training, which has begun, will end this month-end. The women would operate a kiosk, which will have a computer, digital camera, educational CDs, projector and a screen.

Governor's adviser P K H Tharakan and Women and Child Development Secretary Shalini Rajneesh told reporters here on Thursday that at the kiosks, the villagers will have direct access to information like weather data, agriculture produce marketing process, ticketing of railways or KSRTC buses. The women who run the kiosks will charge a nominal fee for giving the data. They are expected to earn Rs 7,000 per month.

The networking will have Healthcare Network with various hospitals providing round-the-clock ambulance facility for rural masses. The insurance scheme is extended to all villagers who become its members by paying Rs 90 per annum. The districts selected are - Chitradurga, Bijapur, Davanagere, Haveri, Dharwad, Belgaum, Ramanagaram, Hassan, Bangalore urban and Bangalore rural.