Sunday, 4 August 2013
Saturday, 3 August 2013
MeadowVille, Singaperumaal kovil, GST Road, Chennai
Posted on 12:00 by Unknown
Thursday, 1 August 2013
Indian travellers prefer online booking for hotels: MakeMyTrip
Posted on 03:38 by Unknown
Mumbai: Indian travellers increasingly prefer to book hotels online, according to a survey by MakeMyTrip. 97 per cent Indians prefer booking a hotel online while 77 per cent have already booked a hotel online through an Online Travel Agent (OTA), the survey said. Interestingly, 40 per cent Indian travellers said they have booked last minute hotels for same day check-ins while 14 per cent Indians have used a mobile app to book hotels.
The survey was done on MakeMyTrip’s customer database of over 3,000 people, aged between 18 and 40 years. The survey aims at understanding the behaviour pattern and preferences of Indians for booking hotels for their domestic and overseas travel.
Rajesh Magow, Co-Founder and Chief Financial and Operating Officer, MakeMyTrip said, “We launched this survey to better understand the hotel-reservation behaviour of Indian travellers, and the triggers and concerns that shape their decision-making process. The survey has some encouraging findings for OTAs such as the increasing preference and propensity for Indian travellers to research and book hotels online. However, the results also reveal that payment/data security continue to be the topmost concern-area for a majority of Indian travellers when booking a hotel online.”
The survey reveals that when it comes to hotel booking, Indians are the least brand conscious with only 14 per cent Indians preferring brand name while price, location and service top their preference list. Price is the key decision making factor for Indians booking a hotel in India (49 per cent) or overseas (60 per cent) while amenities are the least important factor when booking a hotel. Indians prefer hotel location (49 per cent) over customer service (44 per cent) when booking an overseas hotel while service (49 per cent) triumphs over location (46 per cent) when booking in India.
Indians favour three and four star hotels over luxury properties both in terms of preference and for actual booking in India and overseas. More Indians prefer a luxury property when booking overseas than in India, the survey said. Home-stays too continue to excite the Indian traveller with more Indians (26 per cent) preferring home-stays to service apartments (18 per cent).
The survey was done on MakeMyTrip’s customer database of over 3,000 people, aged between 18 and 40 years. The survey aims at understanding the behaviour pattern and preferences of Indians for booking hotels for their domestic and overseas travel.
Rajesh Magow, Co-Founder and Chief Financial and Operating Officer, MakeMyTrip said, “We launched this survey to better understand the hotel-reservation behaviour of Indian travellers, and the triggers and concerns that shape their decision-making process. The survey has some encouraging findings for OTAs such as the increasing preference and propensity for Indian travellers to research and book hotels online. However, the results also reveal that payment/data security continue to be the topmost concern-area for a majority of Indian travellers when booking a hotel online.”
The survey reveals that when it comes to hotel booking, Indians are the least brand conscious with only 14 per cent Indians preferring brand name while price, location and service top their preference list. Price is the key decision making factor for Indians booking a hotel in India (49 per cent) or overseas (60 per cent) while amenities are the least important factor when booking a hotel. Indians prefer hotel location (49 per cent) over customer service (44 per cent) when booking an overseas hotel while service (49 per cent) triumphs over location (46 per cent) when booking in India.
Indians favour three and four star hotels over luxury properties both in terms of preference and for actual booking in India and overseas. More Indians prefer a luxury property when booking overseas than in India, the survey said. Home-stays too continue to excite the Indian traveller with more Indians (26 per cent) preferring home-stays to service apartments (18 per cent).
Japan Coal Energy keen to work on more power projects
Posted on 03:37 by Unknown
Hyderabad: Japan Coal Energy Centre (JCOAL) has conducted efficiency studies on eight power generation units at seven power plants including that of NTPC, AP Genco and DVC and sees potential to improve performance.
It is planning to take up similar studies on power projects in some other States for follow-up works engaging Japanese companies.
Koichi Inoue, Senior Deputy Director of the Coal Division of the Agency for Natural Resources and Energy Ministry of Japan, said that JCOAL conducted studies on Ramagundam, Kahalgam, Unchahar, Badarpur plants of NTPC, Wanakbori of GSECL and AP Genco project of Narla Tata Rao Thermal Power Station and Durgapur plant of Damodar Valley Corporation.
These studies were conducted involving operations teams from Japanese power companies and equipment manufacturers. Following detailed studies, they suggested turbine rehabilitation, operational control and changes in other aspects of power plants. JCOAL is now following up on the process introducing Japanese financial schemes and case studies on cost benefit analysis.
He said that Babcock-Hitachi and Toshiba will provide additional back-up and diagnosis for follow-up improvements on various power projects. This will improve the efficiencies of various existing power projects.
NUCLEAR PLANTS
Referring to the Great East Earthquake, when the Japanese nuclear plants stopped operation due to safety concerns, the power demand balance was destabilised. Now, power companies are compensating for the shortage of electricity by using coal-fired power plants. Some of the old stations using LNG were reopened.
The nuclear power stations may restart after their safety has been fully established, he said.
It is planning to take up similar studies on power projects in some other States for follow-up works engaging Japanese companies.
Koichi Inoue, Senior Deputy Director of the Coal Division of the Agency for Natural Resources and Energy Ministry of Japan, said that JCOAL conducted studies on Ramagundam, Kahalgam, Unchahar, Badarpur plants of NTPC, Wanakbori of GSECL and AP Genco project of Narla Tata Rao Thermal Power Station and Durgapur plant of Damodar Valley Corporation.
These studies were conducted involving operations teams from Japanese power companies and equipment manufacturers. Following detailed studies, they suggested turbine rehabilitation, operational control and changes in other aspects of power plants. JCOAL is now following up on the process introducing Japanese financial schemes and case studies on cost benefit analysis.
He said that Babcock-Hitachi and Toshiba will provide additional back-up and diagnosis for follow-up improvements on various power projects. This will improve the efficiencies of various existing power projects.
NUCLEAR PLANTS
Referring to the Great East Earthquake, when the Japanese nuclear plants stopped operation due to safety concerns, the power demand balance was destabilised. Now, power companies are compensating for the shortage of electricity by using coal-fired power plants. Some of the old stations using LNG were reopened.
The nuclear power stations may restart after their safety has been fully established, he said.
British iconic motorcycle brand Triumph set to enter India in November
Posted on 03:25 by Unknown
Mumbai: After almost a year of delay, the iconic British Motorcycle brand, Triumph is all set to enter India this November. Announcing its entry into India on Wednesday, the company also declared the appointment of Vimal Sumbly as the managing director of the company to lead its charge in India.
The company is likely to begin with a portfolio of Bonneville, Daytona 675 and Rocket in India and it will eventually add more models to build its portfolio. Some of these models will be assembled at the company's CKD (completely knocked down) units in Manesar which is nearing completion. It is currently looking for dealer partners across strategic locations, said the company
Emphasising the significance India plays in the global strategy, Paul Stroud - director sales & marketing (global) said '2013 is a very crucial year for Triumph Motorcycles in India and as a company, we are confident about the timing of our market entry. In the past few months, we have carefully assessed the market landscape and will be making well-honed efforts to provide our discerning customers with a complete brand experience.'
Prior to joining Triumph, Sumbly was GM Sales at Bajaj AutoBSE -0.66 % Ltd and comes with close to 16 years of experience in the automobile space. An ardent biker himself, Sumbly will spearhead the sales development and growth of Triumph in India.
Established in 1902, Triumph Motorcycles completed 110 years of its operation in 2012. For more than two decades, Triumph Motorcycles has been based in Hinckley, Leicestershire, and has produced iconic bikes, known for its design, character and performance. Triumph is the largest British motorcycle manufacturer selling over 50,000 bikes in a year and has more than 750 dealers across the world.
The company is likely to begin with a portfolio of Bonneville, Daytona 675 and Rocket in India and it will eventually add more models to build its portfolio. Some of these models will be assembled at the company's CKD (completely knocked down) units in Manesar which is nearing completion. It is currently looking for dealer partners across strategic locations, said the company
Emphasising the significance India plays in the global strategy, Paul Stroud - director sales & marketing (global) said '2013 is a very crucial year for Triumph Motorcycles in India and as a company, we are confident about the timing of our market entry. In the past few months, we have carefully assessed the market landscape and will be making well-honed efforts to provide our discerning customers with a complete brand experience.'
Prior to joining Triumph, Sumbly was GM Sales at Bajaj AutoBSE -0.66 % Ltd and comes with close to 16 years of experience in the automobile space. An ardent biker himself, Sumbly will spearhead the sales development and growth of Triumph in India.
Established in 1902, Triumph Motorcycles completed 110 years of its operation in 2012. For more than two decades, Triumph Motorcycles has been based in Hinckley, Leicestershire, and has produced iconic bikes, known for its design, character and performance. Triumph is the largest British motorcycle manufacturer selling over 50,000 bikes in a year and has more than 750 dealers across the world.
Rate of interest subvention increased from 2% to 3%
Posted on 03:24 by Unknown
New Delhi: Presently the rate of Interest Subvention for credit obtained by exporters is 2%. There has been persistent demand to both increase the rate of subvention and also to widen the coverage. At present, all exporters who are micro and small enterprises, irrespective of the export sector, are beneficiaries of this scheme. In addition, the exporters belonging to the following sectors are eligible to receive interest subvention : (i) Handlooms (ii) Handicraft (iii) Carpets (iv) Toys and Sports Goods (v) Processed Agricultural Products (vi) Readymade Garments (vii) 235 tariff lines in Engineering Sectors, and (viii) 6 tariff lines in Chapter 63 of ITC(HS) (textiles made ups).
The Commerce Minister had taken up this issue with the Finance Minister. Both the Ministers have met on Friday 26th July to consider this request from our exporters. It has now been decided by the Government to increase the rate of Interest Subvention from the existing 2% to 3%. All pending claims would also be cleared immediately.
This will benefit the exporters of small and medium enterprises and also the most of the labour intensive sectors. Their cost will come down appropriately by increase in the rate of interest subvention. The Commerce and Industry Minister has convened a meeting of Board of Trade (BoT) on 27th August, 2013 to review the current situation and the international trade scenario.
The Commerce Minister had taken up this issue with the Finance Minister. Both the Ministers have met on Friday 26th July to consider this request from our exporters. It has now been decided by the Government to increase the rate of Interest Subvention from the existing 2% to 3%. All pending claims would also be cleared immediately.
This will benefit the exporters of small and medium enterprises and also the most of the labour intensive sectors. Their cost will come down appropriately by increase in the rate of interest subvention. The Commerce and Industry Minister has convened a meeting of Board of Trade (BoT) on 27th August, 2013 to review the current situation and the international trade scenario.
Single Window Clearance to promote India as a films hub and destination – Secretary (I&B)
Posted on 03:23 by Unknown
I&B Ministry Develops Sop for Film Shooting in India Online Portal and Website to Facilitate Applications Ministry Convenes National Workshop on ‘Single Window’ Clearance
New Delhi: The Ministry of Information & Broadcasting will be working to mainstream a synchronized ‘Standard Operating Procedures (SOP)’ for obtaining permissions for films shooting in India for both Indian and foreign film producers. This would lead to institutionalization and standardized benchmarks for each critical stakeholder involved in the process. The benchmarks identified in the SOP would clearly identify the responsibility of critical stakeholders in terms of clearances / timelines/ permissions required for films shooting. This was stated by Secretary (I&B), Shri Bimal Julka while delivering his inaugural address at the National Workshop on ‘Single Window Clearance for Film Shooting in India’ here today.
Regarding the initiative of the Ministry, Secretary mentioned that the Ministry was in the process of developing a dedicated online portal for operationalising the ‘Single Window Clearance’ System. The website would include the data on various requirements such as custom clearances, visas, cultural sensibilities etc. A Production Resource Guide highlighting different aspects of production as well as logistics and a digital location library of panaromic images of potential production locations would also form an important component of the online portal. The website will also include information on state-wise facilities like transport, hospitality, medical and other local information for the applicants.
Highlighting the importance of Social Media in the changed communication paradigm, Shri Julka said that the Ministry would actively utilize the new media platforms to provide real time information and facilitate active engagement and interaction with key stakeholders on the single window clearance mechanism. This would enable the seamless transition to online application process.
Elaborating further, Shri Julka said that the challenge before the ministry was to outline steps that would encourage producers to avail of the facility. The roadmap needed to include steps involving the simplification of the process, incentivization of various principles and inputs which would lead to India as a filming hub and synergize the link between films and tourism as the case world over.
During the inaugural session, Shri Raghvendra Singh, Joint Secretary (Films) made a presentation on facilitation of film production in India highlighting the growth of Indian Film Industry in view of the surge of domestic theatrical revenue which grew by 24% and contributed 76% to the Rs.124 billion Indian Film Industry. The relevance of digital dominance was also touched upon highlighting the share of digital format increasing to 80% in 2012. The presentation also touched upon the revenue assessment in view of the exponential growth in theatrical revenue. An overview was also provided regarding the increasing number of co-productions in the country and the deliberations of the Inter-Ministerial Committee constituted to fast track the process.
The day long workshop included interactions with key stakeholders including senior officers from key departments involved at the central level, state government representatives, film producers/ line producers and bodies such as FICCI. A first of its kind, the workshop was organised to review the experiences of the past and the obstacles that many a times led to delays in providing timely clearances/ permissions.
New Delhi: The Ministry of Information & Broadcasting will be working to mainstream a synchronized ‘Standard Operating Procedures (SOP)’ for obtaining permissions for films shooting in India for both Indian and foreign film producers. This would lead to institutionalization and standardized benchmarks for each critical stakeholder involved in the process. The benchmarks identified in the SOP would clearly identify the responsibility of critical stakeholders in terms of clearances / timelines/ permissions required for films shooting. This was stated by Secretary (I&B), Shri Bimal Julka while delivering his inaugural address at the National Workshop on ‘Single Window Clearance for Film Shooting in India’ here today.
Regarding the initiative of the Ministry, Secretary mentioned that the Ministry was in the process of developing a dedicated online portal for operationalising the ‘Single Window Clearance’ System. The website would include the data on various requirements such as custom clearances, visas, cultural sensibilities etc. A Production Resource Guide highlighting different aspects of production as well as logistics and a digital location library of panaromic images of potential production locations would also form an important component of the online portal. The website will also include information on state-wise facilities like transport, hospitality, medical and other local information for the applicants.
Highlighting the importance of Social Media in the changed communication paradigm, Shri Julka said that the Ministry would actively utilize the new media platforms to provide real time information and facilitate active engagement and interaction with key stakeholders on the single window clearance mechanism. This would enable the seamless transition to online application process.
Elaborating further, Shri Julka said that the challenge before the ministry was to outline steps that would encourage producers to avail of the facility. The roadmap needed to include steps involving the simplification of the process, incentivization of various principles and inputs which would lead to India as a filming hub and synergize the link between films and tourism as the case world over.
During the inaugural session, Shri Raghvendra Singh, Joint Secretary (Films) made a presentation on facilitation of film production in India highlighting the growth of Indian Film Industry in view of the surge of domestic theatrical revenue which grew by 24% and contributed 76% to the Rs.124 billion Indian Film Industry. The relevance of digital dominance was also touched upon highlighting the share of digital format increasing to 80% in 2012. The presentation also touched upon the revenue assessment in view of the exponential growth in theatrical revenue. An overview was also provided regarding the increasing number of co-productions in the country and the deliberations of the Inter-Ministerial Committee constituted to fast track the process.
The day long workshop included interactions with key stakeholders including senior officers from key departments involved at the central level, state government representatives, film producers/ line producers and bodies such as FICCI. A first of its kind, the workshop was organised to review the experiences of the past and the obstacles that many a times led to delays in providing timely clearances/ permissions.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)