General Affairs
Centre Favors Use Of Drones To Check Illegal Mining
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NEW DELHI: The mines ministry is promoting use of drones in a bid to curb illegal mining in the country and has asked states and public sector undertakings (PSUs) to consider using unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs).
The ministry's thinking is that drones can be leveraged for conducting aerial surveys at regular intervals to study difference in patterns that can be utilised for analysing mining activities, a senior government official said.
"Besides, these can act as a tremendous tool in checking illegal mining. We can use UAVs for tracking movement of illegal trucks. Also, drones fitted with thermal imaging sensors and cameras can also be deployed at night to check if any illegal mining activity or transportation is being carried out," he added.
The ministry has approached the state governments concerned as well as PSUs such as iron ore miner NMDC, Nalco, SAIL and manganese producer MOIL.
Most of these state-run companies either are in the mining sector or have captive mines, and drones can help them in checking illegal mining as well as loss of raw material, the official explained.
Last month, in a path-breaking move, the government launched the mining surveillance system (MSS), a pan-India surveillance network using latest satellite technology, to check illegal mining.
MSS is a satellite-based monitoring system that aims to check illegal mining activity through automatic remote-sensing detection technology.
The Indian Bureau of Mines, on behalf of the mines ministry, has developed MSS, in co-ordination with the Bhaskaracharya Institute for Space Applications and Geo-informatics (BISAG), Gandhinagar, and the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MEITY).
The ministry's thinking is that drones can be leveraged for conducting aerial surveys at regular intervals to study difference in patterns that can be utilised for analysing mining activities, a senior government official said.
"Besides, these can act as a tremendous tool in checking illegal mining. We can use UAVs for tracking movement of illegal trucks. Also, drones fitted with thermal imaging sensors and cameras can also be deployed at night to check if any illegal mining activity or transportation is being carried out," he added.
Most of these state-run companies either are in the mining sector or have captive mines, and drones can help them in checking illegal mining as well as loss of raw material, the official explained.
Last month, in a path-breaking move, the government launched the mining surveillance system (MSS), a pan-India surveillance network using latest satellite technology, to check illegal mining.
MSS is a satellite-based monitoring system that aims to check illegal mining activity through automatic remote-sensing detection technology.
The Indian Bureau of Mines, on behalf of the mines ministry, has developed MSS, in co-ordination with the Bhaskaracharya Institute for Space Applications and Geo-informatics (BISAG), Gandhinagar, and the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MEITY).
Rahul Gandhi, Arvind Kejriwal Head to Haryana For Army Veteran's Funeral
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NEW DELHI: Politics over the alleged suicide of an Army veteran over his pension shifts from Delhi to his village in Haryana today, with Congress vice president Rahul Gandhi and Delhi chief minister Arvind Kejriwal confirming that they are headed there for the funeral.
Retired Subedar Ram Kishen Grewal's funeral will be held in his village in Bhiwani, a little over a 100 km from Delhi. "Will go to their village and meet Ram Kishan ji's family there today," Arvind Kejriwal has tweeted this morning. He will be accompanied by other top leaders of his Aam Aadmi Party.
Rahul Gandhi is scheduled reach the village by 9.30 am. Derek O' Brien of Mamata Banerjee's Trinamool Party drove through the night and reached early morning.
The subedar, who served in the Army for 30 years, ate sulphas tablets on Tuesday afternoon in the lawns of a government building in the heart of the capital. He died in hospital on Wednesday.
The veteran's family and friends said he had been trying to get in touch with Defence Minister Manohor Parrikar with a petition to demand the pension promised to him under the government's One-Rank-One-Pension or OROP scheme.
Sources in Mr Parrikar's ministry have said his office had received no request for an appointment.
Opposition leaders have seized upon the opportunity to attack the government over OROP, which it implemented last year. In high drama on Wednesday, Rahul Gandhi was detained twice and was taken to multiple police stations in the capital, while Mr Kejriwal was detained in the evening and was at a police station for five hours.
Both were attempting to meet Subedar Grewal's family, which too was detained by the police, which alleged "disruption of work" at hospitals as the reason.
In his last phone call, recorded by his son Jaswant, Subedar Grewal said, "I have consumed poison, I am at Jawahar Bhawan". He called his death a "sacrifice for my jawans and country," and said, "What is happening to us is disastrous. Jawans haven't got justice".
The 65-year-old had participated in protests over OROP at Delhi's Jantar Mantar.
The government has said that Subedar Grewal's pension had not been held back. "The problem arose at the bank end," government sources said adding that of more than 20 lakh pensioners, only one lakh are still to get full disbursement of funds.
Retired Subedar Ram Kishen Grewal's funeral will be held in his village in Bhiwani, a little over a 100 km from Delhi. "Will go to their village and meet Ram Kishan ji's family there today," Arvind Kejriwal has tweeted this morning. He will be accompanied by other top leaders of his Aam Aadmi Party.
The subedar, who served in the Army for 30 years, ate sulphas tablets on Tuesday afternoon in the lawns of a government building in the heart of the capital. He died in hospital on Wednesday.
The veteran's family and friends said he had been trying to get in touch with Defence Minister Manohor Parrikar with a petition to demand the pension promised to him under the government's One-Rank-One-Pension or OROP scheme.
Sources in Mr Parrikar's ministry have said his office had received no request for an appointment.
Opposition leaders have seized upon the opportunity to attack the government over OROP, which it implemented last year. In high drama on Wednesday, Rahul Gandhi was detained twice and was taken to multiple police stations in the capital, while Mr Kejriwal was detained in the evening and was at a police station for five hours.
Both were attempting to meet Subedar Grewal's family, which too was detained by the police, which alleged "disruption of work" at hospitals as the reason.
In his last phone call, recorded by his son Jaswant, Subedar Grewal said, "I have consumed poison, I am at Jawahar Bhawan". He called his death a "sacrifice for my jawans and country," and said, "What is happening to us is disastrous. Jawans haven't got justice".
The 65-year-old had participated in protests over OROP at Delhi's Jantar Mantar.
The government has said that Subedar Grewal's pension had not been held back. "The problem arose at the bank end," government sources said adding that of more than 20 lakh pensioners, only one lakh are still to get full disbursement of funds.
Lalu Yadav's Party To Counter PM's 'Mann Ki Baat' With 'Kaam Ki Baat'
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PATNA: RJD leader Raghuvansh Prasad Singh has scoffed at Prime Minister's 'Mann Ki Baat' programme and said that the Rashtriya Janata Dal would start 'Kaam Ki Baat' to highlight the promises that the Prime Minister has failed to keep.
The RJD national vice-president expressed surprise and dismay over a 'Mann Ki Baat' programme aired in November 2015, wherein the Prime Minister sounded ignorant about 'ASHA' workers.
"There are altogether nine lakh ASHA (Accredited Social Health Activist) workers in the country. But to my utter surprise, PM Modi in his 'Mann Ki Baat' programme, aired in November, 2015, said he came to know about the nationwide network of ASHA workers after Bill and Melinda Gates praised their work," Mr Singh said.
In order to counter Prime Minister's 'Mann Ki Baat', RJD has decided to start 'Kaam Ki Baat' every month to highlight the unfulfilled promises given by the PM to masses.
"By holding 'Kaam Ki Baat', we will not only be talking about issues, but would make efforts to get the works related to poor done, by putting pressure on authorities via agitation," he said.
To begin with, the former Union Minister said, RJD would start a stir for paying a fixed amount to ASHA workers and also for enhancing monthly payment to around 20 lakh Aganwadi workers in the country.
Besides, the party would also launch agitations for providing more subsidy to farmers and payment of wages to labourers working in fields from the account of MGNREGA scheme, Mr Singh, who is credited with starting the rural employment guarantee scheme during UPA I, said.
The RJD leader also sought to know about the fate of the second AIIMS promised for Bihar in addition to the one at Patna.
In reply to a query as to why Bihar CM and JD(U) national president Nitish Kumar was not going to Samajwadi Party rally on November 5, Mr Singh said, "If the CM is not going to the rally, what can I do?"
The RJD national vice-president expressed surprise and dismay over a 'Mann Ki Baat' programme aired in November 2015, wherein the Prime Minister sounded ignorant about 'ASHA' workers.
In order to counter Prime Minister's 'Mann Ki Baat', RJD has decided to start 'Kaam Ki Baat' every month to highlight the unfulfilled promises given by the PM to masses.
"By holding 'Kaam Ki Baat', we will not only be talking about issues, but would make efforts to get the works related to poor done, by putting pressure on authorities via agitation," he said.
Besides, the party would also launch agitations for providing more subsidy to farmers and payment of wages to labourers working in fields from the account of MGNREGA scheme, Mr Singh, who is credited with starting the rural employment guarantee scheme during UPA I, said.
The RJD leader also sought to know about the fate of the second AIIMS promised for Bihar in addition to the one at Patna.
In reply to a query as to why Bihar CM and JD(U) national president Nitish Kumar was not going to Samajwadi Party rally on November 5, Mr Singh said, "If the CM is not going to the rally, what can I do?"
PM Narendra Modi Chairs High-Level Meet, Discusses Steps To Reduce Oil Import
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NEW DELHI: Prime Minister Narendra Modi today chaired a high-level meeting to discuss a roadmap to reduce dependency on import of oil and gas.
During the meeting, the Petroleum Ministry presented strategies for achieving the objective by increasing production of crude oil and gas, promoting biofeuls and renewables, energy efficiency and conservation.
Home Minister Rajnath Singh, Petroleum Minister Dharmendra Pradhan, Environment Minister Prakash Javadekar, Vice Chairman and CEO NITI Aayog, Cabinet Secretary, and senior officials from PMO, Petroleum Ministry, MEA, Home Ministry, Finance Ministry and Defence Ministry were present at the meeting.
During the meeting, the Petroleum Ministry presented strategies for achieving the objective by increasing production of crude oil and gas, promoting biofeuls and renewables, energy efficiency and conservation.
Home Minister Rajnath Singh, Petroleum Minister Dharmendra Pradhan, Environment Minister Prakash Javadekar, Vice Chairman and CEO NITI Aayog, Cabinet Secretary, and senior officials from PMO, Petroleum Ministry, MEA, Home Ministry, Finance Ministry and Defence Ministry were present at the meeting.
India Summons Pak Envoy, Protests Against Increasing Ceasefire Violations
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NEW DELHI: India today summoned the Deputy High Commissioner of Pakistan, Syed Haider Shah, to register protest over the recent escalation in ceasefire violations by Pakistan at the Line of Control and the International Border in Jammu and Kashmir, which have resulted in more than 10 deaths.
The government said it has also registered "strong protest" regarding the mutilation of the body of a soldier by terrorists near the Line of Control.
Pakistan has violated ceasefire nearly 60 times since India's surgical strikes in Pakistan-Occupied Kashmir on September 29. In the repeated shellings - which sometimes took place even thrice a day -- 22 civilians have been injured. The villages in the targeted areas have been evacuated.
The summons to Mr Shah came hours after Pakistan pulled out four officials posted at the High Commission in New Delhi. Last week, India expelled a Pakistani official for espionage activities, following which Pakistan expelled an Indian official.
The four had reportedly been named by expelled Pakistani high commission staffer Mehmood Akhtar during his interrogation.
Mahmood Akhtar, 35, was caught by the police at the Delhi zoo while receiving sensitive intel and documents from two men from Rajasthan.
Akhtar was recruited by Pakistani Inter-Services intelligence or ISI three years ago and later posted in the High Commission in Delhi, the police have said. He worked in the Visa section, allegedly so he could recruit potential spies.
During his interrogation by Delhi Police and intelligence agencies, Akhtar had claimed 16 other employees of the diplomatic mission were in touch with spies for extracting sensitive information and documents pertaining to army and Border Security Force or BSF deployment, said a senior police officer privy to the probe.
His claims are still being verified and, if found to be true, the police might write to the Ministry of External Affairs to take the matter forward, the officer said.
The government said it has also registered "strong protest" regarding the mutilation of the body of a soldier by terrorists near the Line of Control.
The summons to Mr Shah came hours after Pakistan pulled out four officials posted at the High Commission in New Delhi. Last week, India expelled a Pakistani official for espionage activities, following which Pakistan expelled an Indian official.
The four had reportedly been named by expelled Pakistani high commission staffer Mehmood Akhtar during his interrogation.
Mahmood Akhtar, 35, was caught by the police at the Delhi zoo while receiving sensitive intel and documents from two men from Rajasthan.
Akhtar was recruited by Pakistani Inter-Services intelligence or ISI three years ago and later posted in the High Commission in Delhi, the police have said. He worked in the Visa section, allegedly so he could recruit potential spies.
During his interrogation by Delhi Police and intelligence agencies, Akhtar had claimed 16 other employees of the diplomatic mission were in touch with spies for extracting sensitive information and documents pertaining to army and Border Security Force or BSF deployment, said a senior police officer privy to the probe.
His claims are still being verified and, if found to be true, the police might write to the Ministry of External Affairs to take the matter forward, the officer said.
Business Affairs
Sensex opens flat, Nifty hold above its 8,500-mark
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The S&P BSE Sensex on Thursday opened flat after falling over 300 points lower in previous trade, while the broader Nifty50 held above its 8,500 level.
The headline indices were trading lower as Asian shares joined the US dollar on the defensive on Thursday as the nail-biting U.S. presidential race saw the S&P 500 suffer its longest losing streak in five years as investors sailed to safer harbours.
At 9:20 AM, The 30-share index was trading at 27,523, down 4.05 points, while the broad-based 50-share index was ruling at 8,512 down 1.65 points.
ONGC extended losses for the second day being the top loser on BSE and Nifty.
Among the Asian Markets, China's Shanghai Composite gained 0.57 per cent and the Hang Seng Index lost 0.24 per cent. While Japan's Nikkei dipped 1.76 per cent.
The US Federal Reserve left interest rates unchanged as widely expected. Although, with the narrowing gap between the presidential candidates, Hillary Clinton and Donald Trump, along with a possible rate hike in December, took a hit on investor sentiment.
The S&P BSE Sensex on Thursday opened flat after falling over 300 points lower in previous trade, while the broader Nifty50 held above its 8,500 level.
The headline indices were trading lower as Asian shares joined the US dollar on the defensive on Thursday as the nail-biting U.S. presidential race saw the S&P 500 suffer its longest losing streak in five years as investors sailed to safer harbours.
At 9:20 AM, The 30-share index was trading at 27,523, down 4.05 points, while the broad-based 50-share index was ruling at 8,512 down 1.65 points.
ONGC extended losses for the second day being the top loser on BSE and Nifty.
Among the Asian Markets, China's Shanghai Composite gained 0.57 per cent and the Hang Seng Index lost 0.24 per cent. While Japan's Nikkei dipped 1.76 per cent.
The US Federal Reserve left interest rates unchanged as widely expected. Although, with the narrowing gap between the presidential candidates, Hillary Clinton and Donald Trump, along with a possible rate hike in December, took a hit on investor sentiment.
Reliance Jio effect: Airtel could lower the price but no free voice calls for its subscribers
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India's largest mobile operator Bharti Airtel has indicated that entry of newcomer Reliance Jio could lead to lowering of prices to some extent, but ruled out across-the-board free voice calls for all mobile plans.
India's largest mobile operator Bharti Airtel has indicated that entry of newcomer Reliance Jio could lead to lowering of prices to some extent, but ruled out across-the-board free voice calls for all mobile plans.Terming the telecom sector as a "brutally competitive market", Gopal Vittal, MD and CEO, India and South Asia, Bharti Airtel, said that while competitors kept the company on its toes, it was not "obsessed" with them.
"If the question is are you going to see price erosion…I think given that you have a new entrant on the horizon, yes, you will see some price erosion. Because that is the game new entrant will play," Vittal told PTI.
Reliance Jio had stormed its way into the telecom sector by announcing a Jio Welcome Offer beginning September 4 with free voice calls and data on Jio mobile phone services that will be available till December 31, for those users who buy subscription by December 3.
In September, while announcing the launch, billionaire Mukesh Ambani had said that voice calling on Jio will be free for life and data would be charged at rock-bottom rates after the `welcome offer' ends.Vittal pointed out that while Bharti Airtel had already offered free voice calls on its Infinity plan (priced at
Rs 999), a similar freebie would not be possible across all segments of the market.
"There will be a large number of customers who are on basic feature phones and low end smartphones who will want to buy services differently. They will want to de-couple voice and data. Equally, there will be a set of market where they will want (it) bundled…If a guy is not paying for data at all, he will pay for something," he said.
Asked if the company will be announcing voice free for life, just like rival Jio has, Vittal said, "If you are only buying voice, how will one do that?"
Terming the market structure as "dual", Vittal said that the company would play at the bottom end, where people want de-coupled pricing between voice and data, and at the high end which prefers bundled offers like `Infinity'.
On how long Bharti anticipate the competitive pressures to last, Vittal said the market will continue to be competitive, but exuded confidence that the company "will compete".
"With competitive intensity you could see some pressure on the mobile revenue growth because if pricing comes down it may not all get compensated by volume. That is something we have to be prepared for… we have to see how we grow our other businesses faster and if pricing comes down, how do we create more capacity, so customer experience does not degrade," he said.
India's largest mobile operator Bharti Airtel has indicated that entry of newcomer Reliance Jio could lead to lowering of prices to some extent, but ruled out across-the-board free voice calls for all mobile plans.
India's largest mobile operator Bharti Airtel has indicated that entry of newcomer Reliance Jio could lead to lowering of prices to some extent, but ruled out across-the-board free voice calls for all mobile plans.Terming the telecom sector as a "brutally competitive market", Gopal Vittal, MD and CEO, India and South Asia, Bharti Airtel, said that while competitors kept the company on its toes, it was not "obsessed" with them.
"If the question is are you going to see price erosion…I think given that you have a new entrant on the horizon, yes, you will see some price erosion. Because that is the game new entrant will play," Vittal told PTI.
Reliance Jio had stormed its way into the telecom sector by announcing a Jio Welcome Offer beginning September 4 with free voice calls and data on Jio mobile phone services that will be available till December 31, for those users who buy subscription by December 3.
In September, while announcing the launch, billionaire Mukesh Ambani had said that voice calling on Jio will be free for life and data would be charged at rock-bottom rates after the `welcome offer' ends.Vittal pointed out that while Bharti Airtel had already offered free voice calls on its Infinity plan (priced at
Rs 999), a similar freebie would not be possible across all segments of the market.
Rs 999), a similar freebie would not be possible across all segments of the market.
"There will be a large number of customers who are on basic feature phones and low end smartphones who will want to buy services differently. They will want to de-couple voice and data. Equally, there will be a set of market where they will want (it) bundled…If a guy is not paying for data at all, he will pay for something," he said.
Asked if the company will be announcing voice free for life, just like rival Jio has, Vittal said, "If you are only buying voice, how will one do that?"
Terming the market structure as "dual", Vittal said that the company would play at the bottom end, where people want de-coupled pricing between voice and data, and at the high end which prefers bundled offers like `Infinity'.
On how long Bharti anticipate the competitive pressures to last, Vittal said the market will continue to be competitive, but exuded confidence that the company "will compete".
"With competitive intensity you could see some pressure on the mobile revenue growth because if pricing comes down it may not all get compensated by volume. That is something we have to be prepared for… we have to see how we grow our other businesses faster and if pricing comes down, how do we create more capacity, so customer experience does not degrade," he said.
TCS, RIL the two most valuable companies of 2016
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Tata Consultancy Services has ranked top in a list of the most valuable Indian companies of 2016, with Reliance Industries coming second and HDFC Bank finding itself on the third spot.
Business Today's annual BT 500 rankings of the most valuable companies in the country saw as many as seven changes in Top 10, and 19 in Top 25.
The rankings of the companies - both private and public enterprises - across sectors were made on the basis of their average market capitalisation, besides a host of other financial achievements over the past one year.
Tata Consultancy Services showed its mettle yet again, topping the chart, despite a tough economic climate and slowdown in the US and other markets that were the favourite hunting grounds of the IT and ITeS companies.
Reliance Industries retained its No. 2 ranking by maintaining a healthy bottom line and even increasing its assets from just short of Rs4 lakh crore to nearly Rs4.6 lakh crore during the period under consideration.
HDFC Bank also showed character with a stellar performance to retain its No. 3 rank, while its promoter, HDFC Ltd, was the biggest gainer among the Top 10, jumping three places from 10th to 7th, as its net profit grew by nearly Rs1,100 crore on a base of Rs6,000 crore last year.
Lower crude oil and commodity prices directly benefited user industries, such as ITC. It maintained its No. 4 slot as its margins swelled without raising prices, while Infosys grew the fastest compared to its (Tier I) peers, "the fastest in several years".
This was possible because of its 'Renew and New' strategy, which provided greater value in existing offerings by 'freshening' them up and investing in newer ones.
Overall, Indian companies did a great job despite the tough times, and most experts are of the opinion that they will do even better next year, given the signs of a recovery.
Till next time, check the BT 500 to find out how the others have performed.
Business Today's annual BT 500 rankings of the most valuable companies in the country saw as many as seven changes in Top 10, and 19 in Top 25.
The rankings of the companies - both private and public enterprises - across sectors were made on the basis of their average market capitalisation, besides a host of other financial achievements over the past one year.
Tata Consultancy Services showed its mettle yet again, topping the chart, despite a tough economic climate and slowdown in the US and other markets that were the favourite hunting grounds of the IT and ITeS companies.
Reliance Industries retained its No. 2 ranking by maintaining a healthy bottom line and even increasing its assets from just short of Rs4 lakh crore to nearly Rs4.6 lakh crore during the period under consideration.
HDFC Bank also showed character with a stellar performance to retain its No. 3 rank, while its promoter, HDFC Ltd, was the biggest gainer among the Top 10, jumping three places from 10th to 7th, as its net profit grew by nearly Rs1,100 crore on a base of Rs6,000 crore last year.
Lower crude oil and commodity prices directly benefited user industries, such as ITC. It maintained its No. 4 slot as its margins swelled without raising prices, while Infosys grew the fastest compared to its (Tier I) peers, "the fastest in several years".
This was possible because of its 'Renew and New' strategy, which provided greater value in existing offerings by 'freshening' them up and investing in newer ones.
Overall, Indian companies did a great job despite the tough times, and most experts are of the opinion that they will do even better next year, given the signs of a recovery.
Till next time, check the BT 500 to find out how the others have performed.
Baba Ramdev doesn't believe in making profit on everything, says Patanjali's Balkrishna
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The rise of Patanjali Ayurved as a serious contender in the Indian fast moving consumer goods (FMCG) sector has shaken the well-rooted FMCG majors. Acharya Balkrishna, the MD and the primary stakeholder of Patanjali, tells Sonal Khetarpal how people's trust is the reason behind their phenomenal success. Edited excerpts
Patanjali has been rolling out a range of products in health care, hair care, dental care and others at breathtaking speed. What is the basis of such fast product innovation?
We essentially focus on what people in rural areas need. That would be things they need in day-to-day life such as soap, edible oil, spices, etc. The idea is to get them access to good quality products at the right price.
The basis of such fast innovation is the people of the country. We have several direct touch points. We are connected to them through our sangathan. Across the country, we run more than one lakh free yoga classes and have network in 600 districts and more than 10 lakh teachers who are in constant touch with us. We also have a hospital, apart from 1,500 chikitsalayas and 5,000 seva kendras. So, we get direct feedback from the whole country. So, whatever is in demand, we analyse it, and make a plan around it. It is because of our quality that even rich people have started seeing value in our products.
Patanjali has also launched some products that aren't really Indian such as jeans and chocolates. What was the premise behind their launch? Traditions have to change to suit the modern day context. Chocolate is very much a part of today's life. It is something that children will continue to consume. But it also leads to obesity. So, we thought we will add grains and nuts to it so that it becomes healthy and has no side effects. That way we can give both taste and health.
Similarly, we will make loose jeans, for Indian climate. We will use cotton so that farmers benefit. Most farmers who commit suicide are cotton farmers and the reason is use of BT cotton and dependence on MNCs for seeds. If we use organic cotton, we can grow it from their own seeds. This will revive our traditions and improve our health. We want to bring natural and organic back into people's lives.
One of the value propositions of Patanjali is its competitively priced products. What are your profit margins like?The right price is a direct benefit to consumers. There are also indirect benefits. Big MNCs that are well-established have reduced prices of some of their products and have started giving more offers. They have also brought out new variants of Ayurved products that are competitively priced. This shows the big profit margins they have.
So, people who use Patanjali get benefit from our products, while those don't use our products get the benefit of lower prices.
Swamiji doesn't believe in making profit on everything. Some of our products are sold at par, some even at a loss. One of the products that we sell at a loss is our ayurvedic chai. It is sold at a loss because our karyakartas drink it and it is in high demand in villages. Wheat flour was also being sold for a loss initially, but as volumes increased, we stopped making losses on it. Food items such as flour and pulses are a game of volumes. Profit usually ranges from two per cent to 20 per cent. Highest profit is on items such as soaps and shampoos. On average you can say we make 10 per cent profit on our products.
Are there any specific markets or areas where you are looking to expand? Our focus is not on any specific location. We are trying to expand wherever we can as we have product shortage and are gradually increasing our capacity by setting up new units. We have expanded capacity at our facility in Haridwar and are also putting up new facilities in Nagpur, MP, Noida and Assam. In Nepal, our unit will start soon. So, the focus right now is on setting up more units, launching new products and expanding the market.
We look at three things before deciding the location of the unit. One, where we can help farmers the most. When we heard about problems in Vidarbha in Maharashtra, we went there. I myself travelled there, roamed around in the farms and jungles there. We thought we should build a unit there so that we could buy the produce from farmers and process it there. Second is availability of raw material. So, in MP, we will focus on wheat because it is present in abundance. For mustard oil and aloe vera it will be Rajasthan.
The rise of Patanjali Ayurved as a serious contender in the Indian fast moving consumer goods (FMCG) sector has shaken the well-rooted FMCG majors. Acharya Balkrishna, the MD and the primary stakeholder of Patanjali, tells Sonal Khetarpal how people's trust is the reason behind their phenomenal success. Edited excerpts
Patanjali has been rolling out a range of products in health care, hair care, dental care and others at breathtaking speed. What is the basis of such fast product innovation?
We essentially focus on what people in rural areas need. That would be things they need in day-to-day life such as soap, edible oil, spices, etc. The idea is to get them access to good quality products at the right price.
Patanjali has been rolling out a range of products in health care, hair care, dental care and others at breathtaking speed. What is the basis of such fast product innovation?
We essentially focus on what people in rural areas need. That would be things they need in day-to-day life such as soap, edible oil, spices, etc. The idea is to get them access to good quality products at the right price.
The basis of such fast innovation is the people of the country. We have several direct touch points. We are connected to them through our sangathan. Across the country, we run more than one lakh free yoga classes and have network in 600 districts and more than 10 lakh teachers who are in constant touch with us. We also have a hospital, apart from 1,500 chikitsalayas and 5,000 seva kendras. So, we get direct feedback from the whole country. So, whatever is in demand, we analyse it, and make a plan around it. It is because of our quality that even rich people have started seeing value in our products.
Patanjali has also launched some products that aren't really Indian such as jeans and chocolates. What was the premise behind their launch? Traditions have to change to suit the modern day context. Chocolate is very much a part of today's life. It is something that children will continue to consume. But it also leads to obesity. So, we thought we will add grains and nuts to it so that it becomes healthy and has no side effects. That way we can give both taste and health.
Similarly, we will make loose jeans, for Indian climate. We will use cotton so that farmers benefit. Most farmers who commit suicide are cotton farmers and the reason is use of BT cotton and dependence on MNCs for seeds. If we use organic cotton, we can grow it from their own seeds. This will revive our traditions and improve our health. We want to bring natural and organic back into people's lives.
One of the value propositions of Patanjali is its competitively priced products. What are your profit margins like?The right price is a direct benefit to consumers. There are also indirect benefits. Big MNCs that are well-established have reduced prices of some of their products and have started giving more offers. They have also brought out new variants of Ayurved products that are competitively priced. This shows the big profit margins they have.
So, people who use Patanjali get benefit from our products, while those don't use our products get the benefit of lower prices.
Swamiji doesn't believe in making profit on everything. Some of our products are sold at par, some even at a loss. One of the products that we sell at a loss is our ayurvedic chai. It is sold at a loss because our karyakartas drink it and it is in high demand in villages. Wheat flour was also being sold for a loss initially, but as volumes increased, we stopped making losses on it. Food items such as flour and pulses are a game of volumes. Profit usually ranges from two per cent to 20 per cent. Highest profit is on items such as soaps and shampoos. On average you can say we make 10 per cent profit on our products.
Are there any specific markets or areas where you are looking to expand? Our focus is not on any specific location. We are trying to expand wherever we can as we have product shortage and are gradually increasing our capacity by setting up new units. We have expanded capacity at our facility in Haridwar and are also putting up new facilities in Nagpur, MP, Noida and Assam. In Nepal, our unit will start soon. So, the focus right now is on setting up more units, launching new products and expanding the market.
We look at three things before deciding the location of the unit. One, where we can help farmers the most. When we heard about problems in Vidarbha in Maharashtra, we went there. I myself travelled there, roamed around in the farms and jungles there. We thought we should build a unit there so that we could buy the produce from farmers and process it there. Second is availability of raw material. So, in MP, we will focus on wheat because it is present in abundance. For mustard oil and aloe vera it will be Rajasthan.
Govt to launch clean energy equity fund of up to $2 billion
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The government and three state-run firms will jointly set up an equity fund of up to $2 billion for renewable energy companies to tap into to help New Delhi meet its clean energy goals, two government sources told Reuters on Wednesday.
Private and public companies will be able to dip into an initial amount of more than $1 billion starting next fiscal year, said the sources with direct knowledge of the decision taken after a meeting of government officials more than a month ago. India's government hopes the Clean Energy Equity Fund (CEEF) will attract pension and insurance funds from Canada and Europe.
Around $600 million of the initial pool will come from the National Investment and Infrastructure Fund, under the finance ministry, and the rest from state entities NTPC Ltd, Rural Electrification Corp and the Indian Renewable Energy Development Agency, according to one of the sources.
The sources declined to be named as they are not authorised to talk to the media. Officials at the finance ministry, new and renewable energy ministry, NTPC, Rural Electrification, and Indian Renewable Energy Development Agency did not immediately respond to requests for comment.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi has set a target of raising renewable energy target to 175 gigawatts by 2022, more than five times current usage, as part of the fight against climate change by the world's third-biggest greenhouse gas emitter and to supply power to all of the country's 1.3 billion people.
The programme will depend on getting as much as $175 billion in funding with 70 per cent of that likely in bank loans and the rest as equity, the sources said.
The government reckons loans are not a problem but providing equity to investors may be difficult due to uncertainties over returns, one of the sources said.
"As we expand our clean energy capacity, there may be a shortage of equity next year," said the source. "Private equity is seen as risky in India but if the government itself creates a fund, that gives a lot of confidence."
India's clean energy push was set back earlier this year when US solar company SunEdison filed for bankruptcy. The company is now looking to secure partners to see through its planned India projects.
Nevertheless, companies are still keen to invest in clean energy.
Japan's Softbank Corp, Taiwan's Foxconn and Bharti Enterprises have pledged to invest about $20 billion in India's renewable sector. Global solar giants like First Solar Inc, Trina Solar Ltd and Fortum are also expanding their presence.
The government and three state-run firms will jointly set up an equity fund of up to $2 billion for renewable energy companies to tap into to help New Delhi meet its clean energy goals, two government sources told Reuters on Wednesday.
Private and public companies will be able to dip into an initial amount of more than $1 billion starting next fiscal year, said the sources with direct knowledge of the decision taken after a meeting of government officials more than a month ago. India's government hopes the Clean Energy Equity Fund (CEEF) will attract pension and insurance funds from Canada and Europe.
Around $600 million of the initial pool will come from the National Investment and Infrastructure Fund, under the finance ministry, and the rest from state entities NTPC Ltd, Rural Electrification Corp and the Indian Renewable Energy Development Agency, according to one of the sources.
The sources declined to be named as they are not authorised to talk to the media. Officials at the finance ministry, new and renewable energy ministry, NTPC, Rural Electrification, and Indian Renewable Energy Development Agency did not immediately respond to requests for comment.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi has set a target of raising renewable energy target to 175 gigawatts by 2022, more than five times current usage, as part of the fight against climate change by the world's third-biggest greenhouse gas emitter and to supply power to all of the country's 1.3 billion people.
The programme will depend on getting as much as $175 billion in funding with 70 per cent of that likely in bank loans and the rest as equity, the sources said.
The government reckons loans are not a problem but providing equity to investors may be difficult due to uncertainties over returns, one of the sources said.
"As we expand our clean energy capacity, there may be a shortage of equity next year," said the source. "Private equity is seen as risky in India but if the government itself creates a fund, that gives a lot of confidence."
India's clean energy push was set back earlier this year when US solar company SunEdison filed for bankruptcy. The company is now looking to secure partners to see through its planned India projects.
Nevertheless, companies are still keen to invest in clean energy.
Japan's Softbank Corp, Taiwan's Foxconn and Bharti Enterprises have pledged to invest about $20 billion in India's renewable sector. Global solar giants like First Solar Inc, Trina Solar Ltd and Fortum are also expanding their presence.
General Awareness
Russia wants to team up with India on fast-neutron reactor project
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Russia’s state atomic energy corporation Rosatom hasinvited India to join in developing next-generation nuclear reactors and to participate in its fast-reactor research project.
About Russia,
Russia also officially known as the Russian Federation is a transcontinental country in Eurasia. At 17,075,200 square kilometres (6,592,800 sq mi) Russia is the largest country in the world, covering more than one eighth of Earth’s inhabited land area, and the ninth most populous, with over 146.6 million people at the end of March 2016.
- The European western part of the country is much more populated and urbanised than the East, about 77% of the population live in European Russia.
- Russia’s capital Moscow is one of the largest cities in the world, other major urban centers include Saint Petersburg, Novosibirsk, Yekaterinburg, Nizhny Novgorod and Samara.
- Extending across the entirety of northern Asia and much of Eastern Europe, Russia spans eleven time zones and incorporates a wide range of environments and landforms. From northwest to southeast, Russia shares land borders with Norway, Finland, Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania and Poland, Belarus, Ukraine, Georgia, Azerbaijan, Kazakhstan, China, Mongolia, and North Korea.
- It shares maritime borders with Japan by the Sea of Okhotsk and the S. state of Alaska across the Bering Strait.
- The nation’s history began with that of the East Slavs, who emerged as a recognizable group in Europe between the 3rd and 8th centuries AD.
- Founded and ruled by a Varangian warrior elite and their descendants, the medieval state of Rus arose in the 9th In 988 it adopted Orthodox Christianity from the Byzantine Empire beginning the synthesis of Byzantine and Slavic cultures that defined Russian culture for the next millennium.
- Rus’ ultimately disintegrated into a number of smaller states; most of the Rus’ lands were overrun by the Mongol invasion and became tributaries of the nomadic Golden Horde in the 13th century.
- The Grand Duchy of Moscow gradually reunified the surrounding Russian principalities, achieved independence from the Golden Horde, and came to dominate the cultural and political legacy of Kievan Rus’.
- By the 18th century, the nation had greatly expanded through conquest, annexation, and exploration to become the Russian Empire, which was the third largest empire in history, stretching from Poland on the west to Alaska on the east.
About the Fast-Reactor Project,
A fast neutron reactor, also known simply as a fast reactor, is a type in which nuclear fission chain reaction is sustained by fast neutrons.
- The multipurpose fast research reactor project, also known as MBIR, is coming up at the International Research Center in Dimitrovgrad, located in the Ulyanovsk region.
- MBIR could become world’s most powerful facility by 2025. And given that such a unique institution with the high neutron flux cannot be realized on a small scale, a high cost is inevitable.
- It is a regional “collective use centers,”in which one reactor can be used by numerous international clients, adding that Rosatom invites its Indian partners to join in and become pioneers in further research into nuclear processes.
- It is noted that Russia has offered India a new range of reactor units — the VVER-Toi(typical optimised, enhanced information) design — for the third and fourth units of the Kudankulam project that being built by Rosatom
Russia’s state atomic energy corporation Rosatom hasinvited India to join in developing next-generation nuclear reactors and to participate in its fast-reactor research project.
About Russia,
Russia also officially known as the Russian Federation is a transcontinental country in Eurasia. At 17,075,200 square kilometres (6,592,800 sq mi) Russia is the largest country in the world, covering more than one eighth of Earth’s inhabited land area, and the ninth most populous, with over 146.6 million people at the end of March 2016.
- The European western part of the country is much more populated and urbanised than the East, about 77% of the population live in European Russia.
- Russia’s capital Moscow is one of the largest cities in the world, other major urban centers include Saint Petersburg, Novosibirsk, Yekaterinburg, Nizhny Novgorod and Samara.
- Extending across the entirety of northern Asia and much of Eastern Europe, Russia spans eleven time zones and incorporates a wide range of environments and landforms. From northwest to southeast, Russia shares land borders with Norway, Finland, Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania and Poland, Belarus, Ukraine, Georgia, Azerbaijan, Kazakhstan, China, Mongolia, and North Korea.
- It shares maritime borders with Japan by the Sea of Okhotsk and the S. state of Alaska across the Bering Strait.
- The nation’s history began with that of the East Slavs, who emerged as a recognizable group in Europe between the 3rd and 8th centuries AD.
- Founded and ruled by a Varangian warrior elite and their descendants, the medieval state of Rus arose in the 9th In 988 it adopted Orthodox Christianity from the Byzantine Empire beginning the synthesis of Byzantine and Slavic cultures that defined Russian culture for the next millennium.
- Rus’ ultimately disintegrated into a number of smaller states; most of the Rus’ lands were overrun by the Mongol invasion and became tributaries of the nomadic Golden Horde in the 13th century.
- The Grand Duchy of Moscow gradually reunified the surrounding Russian principalities, achieved independence from the Golden Horde, and came to dominate the cultural and political legacy of Kievan Rus’.
- By the 18th century, the nation had greatly expanded through conquest, annexation, and exploration to become the Russian Empire, which was the third largest empire in history, stretching from Poland on the west to Alaska on the east.
About the Fast-Reactor Project,
A fast neutron reactor, also known simply as a fast reactor, is a type in which nuclear fission chain reaction is sustained by fast neutrons.
- The multipurpose fast research reactor project, also known as MBIR, is coming up at the International Research Center in Dimitrovgrad, located in the Ulyanovsk region.
- MBIR could become world’s most powerful facility by 2025. And given that such a unique institution with the high neutron flux cannot be realized on a small scale, a high cost is inevitable.
- It is a regional “collective use centers,”in which one reactor can be used by numerous international clients, adding that Rosatom invites its Indian partners to join in and become pioneers in further research into nuclear processes.
- It is noted that Russia has offered India a new range of reactor units — the VVER-Toi(typical optimised, enhanced information) design — for the third and fourth units of the Kudankulam project that being built by Rosatom
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