| Bangladeshi saris, pickles attract crowds at fair |
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Crowds are making a beeline for the fine hand-woven saris of Bangladesh at the ongoing India International Trade Fair (IITF) here.
Crowds are making a beeline for the fine hand-woven saris of Bangladesh at the ongoing India International Trade Fair (IITF) here.
Bangladesh has this year mounted its largest ever participation at the IITF to showcase a range of products that go beyond the country’s exquisite Jamdani saris.
F. Hassan, director of the Bangladesh Export Promotion Bureau, is happy with the good response to the large range of products on display at the 25 stalls put up mostly by private entrepreneurs.
While we have been participating in the IITF on a regular basis since 1972, last year we did not come. But this year we have helped to mount the largest participation from our country as also a larger range of products that would find appeal here, Hassan told IANS.
Hopefully many of the large number of queries received in the past week will translate into export orders.
There have been a lot of enquiries from Indian companies interested in participating in the month-long Dhaka International Trade Fair to be held from Feb 24, said Hassan.
Considering that most companies do not like to participate in long duration international trade fairs as it can affect domestic business, Hassan said the interest of Indian companies in the Dhaka fair was encouraging.
Currently our exports to India are much lower at around $83 million in 2002-03, compared to Indian exports of over $2 billion. There is a huge gap in trade so we are keen to step up our exports to India by showcasing products that would be of interest here, he said.
Looking at the good response generated by Bangladeshi products like finished leather, batteries, confectionary and biscuits, pickles and jams, jute products, textiles, melamine crockery, handicrafts and saris, Hassan is optimistic that many among the present participants would come back next year or even set up business in India.
Ahmed Food Products (Pvt) Ltd, specialising in pickles, jams and ketchups is among Bangladeshi companies that are planning a big foray into the Indian market.
We have been marketing our products in Kolkata for the past seven months and we are using this platform to make our products known in the northern region and to start distribution, said Mohammed Seraj Amin, marketing and operations director of Ahmed Food.
Considering that all our products got sold in the first two days, we are optimistic of the response. We are currently selling a sizeable amount of products in the Middle East and other overseas markets, said Amin.
Among Ahmed Foods’ basket of products are the only certified diabetic jams and jelly from Bangladesh.
The diabetic jams and jelly are available in flavours like guava and apple. We use sorbitol, a pharmaceutical product used as a sugar substitute for diabetics.
Our products are sold in many countries as they are much cheaper than diabetic foods from Switzerland, Britain and other countries, said Hassan.
The $600,000 turnover company sees a good market in India considering that its pickles are made in mustard oil with low salt content, much preferred in northern India.
Ahmed Foods has already found distributors in Mumbai and Andhra Pradesh and is seeking more in Delhi and nearby regions.
Some 7,500 delegates from 30 countries are participating in this year’s IITF, India’s largest trade exhibition.
--Indo-Asian News Service
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| South Africa 302 for 5 against India - Nov 22, 2004 12:53 IST |
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South Africa were 302 for five 5 wickets at lunch on the second day of the first Test against India at the Green Park Stadium here Sunday.
Andrew Hall was batting on 118 and Z. Bruyn on 27.
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| Myanmar comes bearing jewels to woo Indians - Nov 22, 2004 12:50 IST |
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Indians’ love for jewellery and the brisk sales enjoyed by a company from Myanmar last year has lured more participants to the ongoing India International Trade Fair (IITF) here.
The objective is of course to attract more importers to Myanmar. We came last year to test the market and discovered that Indians love to wear jewellery and like buying it too! So we came in bigger numbers this year, said May Wah Lwin of Kaung Sint Yadanar.
The firm is a family-owned business, and Lwin is one of several family members and relatives who have come to participate in the fair and manage the busy counters.
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| My guru is innocent: Vijayendra Saraswathi - Nov 22, 2004 12:49 IST |
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Chennai, Nov 21 IANS) Vijayendra Saraswathi, junior pontiff of the Kanchi Mutt,
firmly believes that his spiritual guru, Jayendra Saraswathi, is innocent of the charges of involvement in murder slapped against the arrested seer.
I have firm belief in one thing. My guru is innocent. Every allegation made against him is untrue, the junior seer said in his first interview since the Nov 11 arrest of Jayendra Saraswathi.
Amidst reports that there is a move to install the 35-year-old Vijayendra Saraswathi as chief of the powerful Shankara Mutt in Kanchipuram, the mutt has blamed the media for false reporting.
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| Murder charge outrageous: Kanchi mutt - Nov 22, 2004 12:48 IST |
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Describing the murder charge that led to the arrest of Shankaracharya Jayendra Saraswathi as outrageous, the Kanchi Kamakothi Peetam hoped that the pontiff would be vindicated and would come out of what it sees as the order’s darkest hour.
It is indeed the darkest hour for his (Shankaracharya’s) devotees and those interested in following the tenets of Hindu dharma (faith), said a half-page advertisement -- The Guiding Spirit... -- brought out by the mutt in Chennai-based The Hindu.
The simple, selfless saint of the masses is now facing an outrageous charge.
Such a charge is directed against the very Acharya whose compassion has reached millions with his helping hand, it said.
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| Aishwarya to act in film on Buddha? - Nov 22, 2004 12:47 IST |
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Bollywood actress Aishwarya Rai and Hollywood star Brad Pitt have apparently shown interest in acting in a film based on the life of the Buddha, the head of a Buddhist group has said.
Bhupendra Kumar Modi, the newly elected president of the Mahabodhi Society of India, said the film, which would convey a strong message about Buddhism, would be directed by Shekhar Kapur while motivational guru Deepak Chopra would write the script.
Modi said that Aishwarya would play a powerful role in the film on Buddha.
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| Manisha Koirala in Kamal Haasan’s next project - Nov 22, 2004 12:46 IST |
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Tamil Nadu’s maverick performer Kamal Haasan is on to his new thrill. And it’s called Mumbai Express.
In the thriller Kamal Haasan plays a cop. And he’s found himself a surprising leading lady in Manisha Koirala.
Says Kamal Haasan, We’ve finally zeroed in on Manisha Koirala.
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| Apunba Lub gives Dec 10 deadline for repealing anti terror law - Nov 22, 2004 12:45 IST |
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Protest groups in the troubled north eastern state of Manipur Sunday said they have asked Prime Minister Manmohan Singh to repeal a controversial anti-terror law by Dec 10, failing which they would intensify campaign for its withdrawal.
We have asked the prime minister to repeal the Armed Forces Special Powers Act (AFSPA) act by Dec 10 failing which we shall resume a vigorous mass movement across the state, Apunba Lup spokesman Y. Devadutta said.
The people of Manipur want the act to be repealed and the prime minister’s assurance that it will be reviewed by a committee within six months is not acceptable to us, he said.
The Apunba Lup has announced its decision to boycott teaching of Hindi language in schools and colleges as part of the protest until the Dec 10 deadline for repealing the Act.
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| Of dubious holy men and their murky ways - Nov 22, 2004 12:44 IST |
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The arrest of Hindu pontiff Shankaracharya Jayendra Saraswathi on a murder charge renews the spotlight on the seamier side of religion where money, power and sex litter the path to god.
In a deeply spiritual country with multiple faiths and sects, religion has over the years been a convenient hideout for criminal elements, with police records chronicling scores of murders, rapes and robberies by and for men in holy garbs.
Shankaracharya Jayendra Saraswathi of the Kanchipuram monastery has been accused of hiring killers to finish off his former accountant Sankara Raman, who was allegedly on the verge of spilling the beans on financial corruption in the management of the mutt in Tamil Nadu.
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| Politicians blocking sand mining project: experts - Nov 22, 2004 12:43 IST |
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Politicians were trying to stymie a mineral sand mining project that could generate precious revenue for Kerala, experts have alleged.
Experts say a proposed mineral sand mining project in Kerala’s Alappuzha district, which Chief Minister Oommen Chandy has shelved following widespread protests, will not harm the environment.
The private Cochin Minerals and Rutiles Ltd (CMRL), along with the state-owned Indian Rare Earths Ltd (IREL), had received sanction this year for mineral sand mining at Alappuzha. The beach sand reportedly contains rich deposits of minerals like ilmenites, rutile, zarcon, garnet and monazite.
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| Tourism boom creates imbalance in hotel demand, supply - Nov 22, 2004 12:43 IST |
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India’s tourism industry is booming like never before this season, with hotel rooms at several major destinations, including the national capital, going for hefty premiums owing to supply constraints.
The country in fact, hopes to finally cross the three million mark this year with inflows of 2.6 million tourists till October. In volume, the growth in tourist traffic this year is over 25 percent and in value around 40 percent, said a tourism ministry official.
The travel industry has reported business growth of anywhere between 20-70 percent this year following an increase in airlines’ capacity and consequential growth in tourist traffic.
Thus, for those who like to travel at a whim, this is certainly not the time to do so, warn industry bigwigs.
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| Kashmir solution stares one in the face - Nov 22, 2004 12:39 IST |
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Every recent visit by an Indian prime minister to the troubled state of Kashmir has infused new hope into the situation.
While Atal Bihari Vajpayee’s earlier trip paved the way for what has been described as the first free and fair elections in the state since 1977, his successor Manmohan Singh’s visit has the makings of the opening of a new chapter mainly as a result of his decision to begin withdrawing troops from the state.
Arguably, even more than the Rs.240 billion ($5.3 billion) package of assistance promised by the prime minister, it is the departure of the soldiers that will be welcomed by the local people.
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| South Africa seen as India’s rival in outsourcing - Nov 22, 2004 12:38 IST |
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South Africa may emerge as India’s rival in business process outsourcing, thanks to its better infrastructure, low labour costs and cultural advantages.
The number of call centres in South Africa will double in four years, says a study, South Africa: An emerging offshore location, conducted by Britain-based independent market analyst Datamonitor.
Offshore agent positions are also expected to quadruple from the current levels, says the report made available to IANS. Agent positions are terminals from which call centre operators make and receive telephone calls to internal or external customers. Multiple agents can use the same agent positions during varying shifts in a day.
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| Radio helps reach out to Indian expatriates - Nov 22, 2004 12:37 IST |
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An attempt to reach out to the Indian diaspora via the airwaves of Australia is drawing attention as an encouraging success story.
Indian expatriates in Australia can hear their own languages on the air - even if only for a few hours each week.
Australia officially argues that community radio initiatives can play a role in enhancing the mutual understanding and cooperative spirit that underpins the tolerant and harmonious Australian society.
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| South Africa 230/4 at stumps - Nov 21, 2004 13:27 IST |
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South Africa Saturday were 230 for four at close on the opening day of the first cricket Test against India at the Green Park Stadium here.
Andrew Hall (78) and Boeta Dippenaar (46) were together at stumps.
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| Muslim leader opposes Kanchi seer’s arrest - Nov 21, 2004 13:25 IST |
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All India Muslim Personal Law Board general secretary Maulana Syed Nizamuddin flayed the arrest of Kanchi Shankaracharya Jayendra Saraswathi.
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| Manmohan wins Manipur hearts amid shutdown - Nov 21, 2004 13:23 IST |
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Prime Minister Manmohan Singh Saturday sought to win hearts in Manipur with promises of peace and development and was loudly cheered even as a boycott call by rebels ensured a shutdown in most parts.
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| Manmohan launches historic Manipur railway project - Nov 21, 2004 13:21 IST |
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Till Saturday, bizarre as it may sound, the northeastern state of Manipur had a mere 1.5 km of rail track.
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| Jubilation as Manmohan hands over historic Kangla Fort - Nov 21, 2004 13:17 IST |
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Hundreds of people in India’s troubled northeastern state of Manipur shed tears of joy as Prime Minister Manmohan Singh Saturday formally handed over to the local government the historic Kangla Fort, a symbol of Manipuri culture and pride.
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| Give up arms, Manmohan urges Manipur separatists - Nov 21, 2004 13:15 IST |
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Prime Minister Manmohan Singh Saturday appealed to all separatist groups in Manipur to give up arms and open peace talks with the government.
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| Bohra cleric goes missing - Nov 21, 2004 13:11 IST |
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A leading cleric of the Bohra sect has been missing for two days, police said.
Amil Saheb Abdul Qadir, 28, an influential figure of the sect, went missing Thursday while returning to Surat from Mumbai by Ajmer Express.
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