Recently, I visited Surat as a part of karROX to be a guest at the ‘Business Opportunity Aapke Ghar‘ workshop. This got me thinking about the future prospects of the Information Technology industry in the state. According to the Department of Information Technology (DIT), the IT  industry grew six times over eight years. Skilled and cheap workforce form the basis of this ‘IT hub’ tag bestowed on us. Companies look at India as a destination for outsourcing too, of which information technology outsourcing forms the backbone. Apart from Bangalore, Hyderabad, Pune …

India‘s ‘Sulabh Sauchalaya’ going global
New York, May 23: The low-cost Indian toilet system, popularly known as Sulabh Sauchalaya, will now be taken to 50 developing countries in Africa, Asia, Latin America and the Middle East regions.
The movement’s founder, Dr. Bindeshwar Pathak, announced his organisation’s plans in a keynote address at the four day at World Environment and Water Resources Congress at Providence in Rhode Island Friday.
Addressing civil engineers and technical experts at the Congress, Pathak appealed to technical experts to join hands with his organization to achieve United Nations‘ Millennium …

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Based on the is going to bring forth a never-before pair – Abhishek Bachchan and Deepika Padukone.
Mostly shot in the locales of Goa, ‘Khelein Hum Jee Jaan Sey’ is expected to hit the screens on December 3 this year. The film is co-produced by Sunita A. Gowariker, Ajay Bijli and Sanjeev Bijli and presented by Ashutosh Gowariker Productions Pvt. Ltd (AGPPL) and PVR Pictures. While the lyrics have been penned by Javed Akhtar, music is by Sohail Sen.
Unlike his previous films, Ashutosh is keen to keep the …

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The decision by New Zealand’s largest Sikh temple to hail as martyrs the three men who assassinated Indian Prime Minister Indira Gandhi has upset some members of the Indian community in Auckland.
The temple in Manukau has hung on its walls portraits of Gandhi’s bodyguards Satwant Singh and Beant Singh, who were killed in a gun battle after firing more than 30 bullets into her in 1984, and of co-conspirator Kehar Singh, who was sentenced to death, the Weekend Herald reported Saturday.
Entitled “Shaheed Bhai” – or martyr brother – they hang …

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Eurofighter Typhoon arrived in Bangalore on Thursday for a thorough evaluation by the Indian Air Force (IAF) as part of its medium multi-role combat aircraft (MMRCA) programme.
The field trials by six fighter jet makers for the Indian Air Force contract worth estimated 10 billion dollars should be complete by the end of 2010.
The Eurofighter is competing against Dassault’s Rafale, Saab’s JAS 39 Super Gripen IN, Boeing’s F/A-18E/F-IN Super Hornet, Lockheed Martin‘s F-16IL and Russia’s MiG-35.
“The aircrafts are on their way. They will start flight test from Monday at …

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Indian classical music is part of an ancient tradition in which music formed the core of worship rituals. Gradually it diversified into two main forms: music for the gods, marga-sangeet, and music for the people, desi-sangeet, the latter forming the roots of what we now know as folk music.
Another very gradual and long-drawn-out evolution through complex historical and social factors led to two distinct traditions of classical music in India — North (Hindustani) and South (Karnatic).
In Indian classical music there are no chords — only notes …

The Pentagon has notified the US Congress of a possible sale of 145 state-of-the-art light-weight towed Howitzers to India. The deal is worth $647 million.
Describing India as an important force for ‘political stability, peace, and economic progress in South Asia‘, the Defence Security Cooperation Agency told the Congress: ‘India intends to use the Howitzers to modernise its armed forces and enhance its ability to operate in hazardous conditions.’
‘The Howitzers will assist the Indian Army to develop and enhance standardisation and to improve interoperability with US soldiers and marines who use …

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The simian menace in Delhi and NCR seems to be going out of control as attempts to free the areas of monkeys have started getting on to residents of Noida and Ghaziabad.
For close to a year now, residents of many areas in Ghaziabad and Noida say they have been suffering from the menace. The priests of Shiv Mandir in Sector 11 in Noida say that nearly eight to ten people stand guard inside the temple with sticks during the Puja to make sure the devotees are not attacked.
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Demand for bulletproof cars has gone up in India ahead of the Indian general elections.
The increasing terror attacks have now forced the political leaders to seek shelter behind bullet proof cars.
The bulletproof vehicle makers are cashing in on the fear among the politicians. They are making a good business ahead of the general elections. The makers are expecting a double increase in their business this year.
The Sobtis in Jalandhar are armouring cars of the politicians in their Laggar Industries” workshop. This year comparatively they are armouring more cars than the …

A RECENT newspaper article talked about how some companies are making entrepreneurs of their own employees yet keeping them in their original jobs!
The new trend in corporate HR retention strategy is to encourage employees to turn to entrepreneurship while on the job!
This is interesting. The idea is to address a growing talent crunch by letting managers become entrepreneurs so they can do something different apart from their regular jobs.
If you had a choice, what would you do?
Have you thought of starting a business? Do you have what it takes to …

Fruit and Nut is a madcap comedy with a central character named Jolly Maker, who is a simple, hard working middle class struggling bachelor in search of love, money, friends and success. Jolly Maker works as a clerk/accountant in the office of a greedy and corrupt builder named Khandar. He is typically nerdy and un-stylish. He is also accident-prone and leaves a trail of disaster behind him. One fine day in broad daylight, Jolly Maker’s beautiful, sexy, smart and snobbish colleague, Monica, gets mysteriously kidnapped. Through a roller coaster ride …

Indira Gandhi with her two sons Rajiv (L) and Sanjay in 1977 Photo: AFP

The biopic of the former prime minister of India who was assassinated in 1984 has a budget of £40 million and an international cast and crew.
Helen Mirren is in talks to reprise her role as Queen Elizabeth II for the two films which are due to start filming in April next year in India, UK, Russia and the US.
Tom Hanks and Tommy Lee Jones are being lined up …

Kanak Gogoi, a 12th passed entrepreneur from Guwahati, has over a dozen innovations, from gravity-operated bicycle to a car which can run on air. But he regrets the government’s negligence towards scientific innovations, and refuses to commercialize any of his creations.
Gogoi said, “Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) offered to build a fully furnished lab for me in Guwahati. The Chief Minister had granted me about 1.6 acres of land in 2007, but the file is still lying untouched at the local administrative office.”
Talking about slow moving files, another of Gogoi’s …

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It was a show that had the entire nation intensely and personally involved in the search for the ideal groom for controversy’s child, Rakhi Sawant. This winter, Imagine presents Season 2 of this hugely popular Swayamvar. Taking centrestage as the groom-in-waiting is Rahul Mahajan. Accustomed to living his life in full glare of the public, Rahul has decided to take the plunge and search for his bride on television through Swayamvar – Season 2!
The search for Rahul’s ideal life partner begins with a nationwide audition process that starts …