Consul General meets Crown Prince of Dubai

Consulate General of IndiaP.O. BOX 737, DUBAI, UNITED ARAB EMIRATES

Tel: +971 4 3971222/ +971 4 3971333, Fax: +971 4 3970453, Tlx.: 46061 CGIND EMEmail: [email protected]

CONSULATE HOTLINE NUMBERS: +971 50 9433111 (For women/housemaids in distress and counseling for stress and depression)

+971 50 7347676 (For death formalities on holidays and after office hours)600 522229 (Passport and Visa Services Centre)

Embassy of India, Abu DhabiPlot No. 10, Sector W-59/02, Diplomatic Area, Off the Airport Road

P.O. Box 4090, Abu Dhabi, United Arab EmiratesTel: +971 2 4492700, Fax: +971 2 4444685 / +971 2 4447768

Email: [email protected]

Sheikh Hamdan Bin Mohammed Bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Crown Prince of Dubai andChairman of Dubai Executive Council, received Consul General of India in Dubai VenuRajamony for a farewell call on January 17. Consul General thanked Sheikh Hamdan forthe patronage extended by the Rulers and Government of the UAE to the people of India

living in Dubai and for the personal support and cooperation extended to him in hiswork as CG. Rajamony invited Sheikh Hamdan to visit India and said such a visit will

take India-UAE relations to greater heights. The Crown Prince wished the ConsulGeneral the very best for his future career and expressed appreciation for all that he hasdone to strengthen India-UAE relations. Rajamony is returning to India on February 12

on completion of his three-year tenure in Dubai. He will be joining the Ministry ofExternal Affairs in New Delhi on a new assignment.

PUBLICATION OF THE CONSULATE GENERAL OF INDIA IN DUBAI

◆◆ Minister for New and RenewableEnergy Farooq Abdullah visitsDubai

◆◆ Exhibition of rare photographicprints of India

◆◆ 10th Auto Expo held in NewDelhi from January 5 to 11

India Matters on air on 105.4FM Radio Spice every Friday-Saturday @ 6pmand on Me Ranjani Telegu Radio 1152 AM @ 5pm

Consul General meets Crown Prince of Dubai

Special report on PravasiBharatiya Divas 2010, New Delhi

VOL. 2 ISSUE 1 JANUARY 2010

BOOK ON INDIA-UAE

TIESLAUNCHED

BOOK ON INDIA-UAE

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INDIA MATTERSJANUARY 2010

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LETTERS TO EDITOR

FROM THE CONSUL GENERAL’S DESKI am extremely happy to inform you that a book, authored by me, titled India and the UAE: In Celebration of a

Legendary Friendship, was released this month. It is my ode to my three-year tenure in Dubai. I have authored it after about 19 months of research and submit it as

a humble offering to the great people of the UAE and of India. I had the opportunity of presenting the first copy of the book to His Highness Sheikh Mohammed Bin Rashid Al

Maktoum, Vice President and Prime Minister of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai, on January 25, 2010, the eve of India’s61st Republic Day.

I have also presented copies of the book to the Rulers of Sharjah and Ajman and the Crown Princes of Dubai, Ras AlKhaimah and Ajman.

I met HH Sheikh Hamdan Bin Mohammed Bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Crown Prince of Dubai and Chairman ofDubai Executive Council, for a farewell call and invited him to visit India. I believe such a visit will take India-UAErelations to greater heights.

Pravasi Bhartiya Divas (PBD) 2010, which was one of the biggest highlights of the month of January has been cov-ered extensively in this issue. My special congratulations to Dr. Azad Moopen, physician-turned-entrepreneur, whomanages one of the largest healthcare networks in the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) countries for having been con-ferred the Pravasi Bharatiya Samman. His investment of over $200 million for setting up hospitals and eye-care centresacross India, including his home state of Kerala, will touch many lives.

Meanwhile, on the sidelines of PBD 2010, prominent Gulf non-resident Indians voiced their problems and sugges-tions at a session, ‘Indians and the Gulf: Gulf Session,’ in the presence of Minister for Overseas Indian Affairs VayalarRavi, Minister of State for External Affairs Shashi Tharoor and Minister of State for Railways E. Ahamed, details ofwhich are also in the magazine.

The Government is conferring the Padma Shri Award on Dr. J.R. Gangaramani, President and Executive Chairmanof the Al Fara’a Integrated Construction Group. The award will be bestowed on him for his business achievements,which have been marked by an exceptional journey of three decades. My heartiest congratulations to him. Pravasi Bharatiya Divas 2010

With two million visitors, the 10th AutoExpo in New Delhi emerged as the largest among such events, even sur-passing New York and Shanghai.

The economic reforms initiated in Indiahas helped mitigate poverty in the coun-try but still a lot remains to be done,Prime Minister Dr. Manmohan Singh tellsthe Indian Economic Association.

BUSINESS & ECONOMY

10th Auto Expo held inNew Delhi

INDIA-UAE

Minister for New andRenewable EnergyFarooq Abdullah visitsDubai

12

INDIA-UAE

India Ladies Association,Dubai, holds health camp

13

BUSINESS & ECONOMY

‘Economic reformsreduced poverty’

18

16

20TRAVEL: GOA

At the Pravasi Bharatiya Divas 2010, the annual conclave of the Indiandiaspora held in New Delhi on January 8-9, Prime Minister Dr. Manmohan Singh promised NRIs voting rights and social security.

contents

4

I am highly impressed with Consul General Venu Rajamony’s book, India and the UAE: In Celebration of aLegendary Friendship. The book portrays in writing/pictures and colours the true relationship between the twoclosely bonded countries where friendship began centuries ago but more so during the last and present century.While other local families had their own special connection, mine was an enduring one. The book, in all its formand grandeur, represents the true bond and friendship between the two closely knitted countries. It is so rich ininformation and knowledge that I highly recommend that it should be circulated in all government, semi-govern-ment and private institutions and offices.

Majid Abdul RazakChairman, Living Zone LLC

I often read the magazine online at www.cgidubai.com. I would like to complement the team on its efforts. Themagazine is comprehensive and keeps us abreast with the latest happening in the Indian community in the UAE.

Mohit SethBusinessmen. Ras Al Khaimah

It is interesting to read the travel pages in the publication. The travel options in India are many. I am glad a mag-azine like this showcases the real India, to the international community here in Dubai.

Stephen CashTourist. Dubai

India Mattersis a monthly publication of theConsulate General of India

(CGI) in Dubai. All rightsreserved. No part of this journal

may be produced, stored or transmitted in any form or by anymeans – electronic, mechanical,

photocopying, recording or otherwise, without the

permission of the CGI Dubai.

Editorial correspondence and manuscripts can be addressed to

[email protected]

Content and design by IANS(www.ianspublishing.com)

on behalf of Consulate General of India in Dubai.

Voting rights by the next gener-al elections, and social securityto tide over economic distresswere the highlights of Prime

Minister Dr. Manmohan Singh’s assur-ances to non-resident Indians as he askedthe vast diaspora to tap the opportunitiestheir country of origin now offers.

“I recognise the legitimate desire ofIndians living abroad to exercise their fran-chise and to have a say in who governsIndia,” the Prime Minister told the annualconclave for the Indian diaspora.

“We are working on this issue and I sincerely hope that they will get a chance tovote by the time of the next regular gener-al elections,” he said at the eighth editionof Pravasi Bharatiya Divas in New Delhi.

“In fact, I would go a step further andask why more overseas Indians should notreturn home to join politics and public life

as they are increasingly doing in businessand academia.”

The Prime Minister said security ofIndians abroad remained high on hisGovernment’s agenda. He promised a fundto help Indians returning to their countryafter facing financial distress caused by theglobal slowdown.

“Security of our overseas workers andstudents is top priority,” he said. “We areconscious of the need to structure an appro-priate return and resettlement fund. We areworking on a project to provide a socialsecurity net for the returning workers.”

This apart, Indian Community WelfareFunds have been established in 18 coun-tries to provide food, shelter, repatriationassistance and emergency relief to overseasIndians in distress, he said.

Some 1,500 delegates from 50-pluscountries attended the conclave that the

country hosts annually to connect with its25 million diaspora in 130 countries.

The Prime Minister said, while peopleall over were legitimately proud of India’svibrant democracy, the Government hadnot been able to deliver in full measure onthe enormous promise and potential of thecountry.

“I recognise the frustration well wishersfeel when they lament why things don’twork faster or why well formulated plansand policies don’t get implemented as wellas they should be.”

He said there was a price India was paying to carry all sections of its peoplealong in national development, but thatwas a price worth paying. “It is probablytrue we are a slow moving elephant but itis equally true that with each step forwardwe leave behind a deep imprint.”

Referring to the giant strides being made

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A NEW BEGINNINGPrime Minister Manmohan Singh assures voting rights, social security for NRIs

Minister for Overseas Indian Affairs Vayalar Ravi welcomes Prime Minister Manmohan Singh during the opening ceremony of thePravasi Bharatiya Divas 2010 in New Delhi on January 8.

by India, the Prime Ministersaid the country’s economy willnot only register one of thefastest expansions in the worldthis fiscal but soon return andsustain a high growth path of 9percent. “During the year goneby, the world faced unprece-dented economic and financialcrisis. But the Indian economyweathered this crisis quitewell,” he said.

“We hope to achieve thisyear a growth rate of around 7percent, which is one of thefastest in the world. We areequally optimistic we can return to andsustain an annual growth rate of 9-10 per-cent in a couple of years,” the Dr. Singhsaid.

“The rapid growth of India’s economyin the last few years has helped lift millionsof people out of poverty. We have been ableto expand access to education, healthcareand economic opportunities to a vastmajority of our population.

“This is, however, a work in progressand much more remains to be done. I

solicit your assistance to achieve thosegoals. We wish to accelerate the efforts toeffectively address the key constraints inthe areas of infrastructure, agriculture,health and education. These are the keypriorities for the second term of ourGovernment,” he told the gathering.

“We seek the active involvement of theoverseas Indian communities in acceleratingthe pace of our economic and social devel-opment. In this context, it is important thatwe make efforts to connect the second gen-

eration of overseas Indians withtheir ancestral heritage andinvolve them actively in India'smarch forward,” he added.

“India is today one of the topinvestment destinations.Economic opportunities areexpanding everywhere. OverseasIndians, however, while beinggood savers tend to be some-what conservative investors.Most remittances are placed inbank deposits. Foreign directinvestment (FDI) in India byoverseas Indians is low and farshort of potential. I would urge

overseas Indians to take a careful look atlong-term investment opportunities now onthe horizon in our country,” he said.

“Indian industry is rapidly developing aglobal orientation. Many Indian companiesare transforming themselves into multina-tional corporations with global brandnames. As Indian industry steps outward,the Indian diaspora could do more to inter-link Indian industry with global markets.They could reinforce the improving brandimage of India. I sincerely hope that the

Prime Minister Manmohan Singh with Chief Guest Lord KhalidHameed of Hampstead at PBD 2010.

Create a new Indian model: PitrodaIndia’s knowledge sector offers a great

window of opportunity to overseasIndians to join hands with the coun-

try in its high growth trajectory andinvest in its future, technology evangel-ist Sam Pitroda said on January 8.

Though the country recorded morethan 7 percent growth over the last fiveyears, the next challenge is inclusivegrowth, Pitroda said at the PravasiBharatiya Divas 2010.

There is still a great deal of disparityin this country – disparity between richand poor, urban and rural and educatedand uneducated, he said.

“I request you to engage with India,knowing this is a great window ofopportunity,” he added.

Speaking on ‘Diaspora—Role andExpectations’ at a plenary session,Pitroda, regarded as the father of India’stelecom revolution, said it was impera-tive for the country to look at the future

of its population below the age of 25,who today number 550 million.

In this context, Pitroda recalled the

five aspects of education Prime MinisterManmohan Singh looked at four yearsago. “These are access to knowledge, producing teachers for the future, appli-cation of this knowledge, creation ofknowledge and role of knowledge in governance,” said the former chairmanof India’s Knowledge Commission.

“We now plan to build 30 newnational universities and 40 new innova-tion universities,” Pitroda, also an advis-er to the Prime Minister, said. He addedthat the Government had allocated $67billion for education in the 11th Five-Year Plan.

According to him, all these offered aunique opportunity for overseas Indiansto join hands in building new universi-ties and working at these institutions,while also improving vocational educa-tion system in the county.

“We have to create a new Indianmodel,” Pitroda added.

Sam Pitroda at the ‘Diaspora—Role andExpectations’ session at PBD-2010.

newly established Overseas IndianFacilitation Centre will become an effectivehub for promoting two-way interactionbetween the overseas Indian communityand our institutions,” Singh added.

On FDI, Singh said: “About 40 percentof the total remittances of over $50 billionin 2007-2008 came from skilled and semi-skilled overseas Indian workers. The securi-ty of our overseas workers and students is atop priority of my Government.”

“We are conscious of the need to struc-ture an appropriate ‘Return andResettlement Fund’ and we are working ona project to provide a social security safetynet for the returning workers.”

The Prime Minister added: “We havebeen negotiating with the governments ofcountries with large emigrant Indian pop-ulations to improve the welfare and protec-tion offered to our workers.

“Over the last year, we have signed labouragreements with Malaysia, Bahrain andQatar that create institutional frameworksto look into issues such as recruitment,terms of employment and workers' welfare.

“We also signed social security agree-

ments last year with Switzerland,Luxembourg and the Netherlands and arenow negotiating such agreements with anumber of other countries,” he added.

“We would like to benefit from the serv-ices of overseas Indian professionals andvolunteers to help Indian workers upgradeskills in specific trade where there is grow-ing demand,” Dr. Singh said.

“At the meeting of the (Prime Minister’sGlobal Advisory) Council, some very valu-able suggestions were made to upgrade thequality of higher education system in our

country,” he said. “We are now working to enhance work

opportunities for our skilled manpowerparticularly in the west. We are trying tobuild labour-mobility partnerships withkey countries in the European Union andhave finalised one such partnership withDenmark.

“These agreements will help to max-imise benefits from labour mobility whileaddressing host country concerns such asirregular migration and integration prob-lems,” the Prime Minister concluded. !

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Taking overseas Indians into con-sideration in the Government’sdivestment process and creating

Islamic-finance friendly projects to attractGulf investments were among the varioussuggestions overseas Indians from the Gulfmade to the government on January 9.

At a session on ‘Indians and the Gulf:Gulf Session,’ prominent Gulf non-resi-dent Indians voiced their problems andsuggestions in the presence of three minis-ters — Minister for Overseas IndianAffairs Vayalar Ravi, Minister of State forExternal Affairs Shashi Tharoor andMinister of State for Railways, E. Ahamed.

UAE-based EMKE Group’s ManagingDirector M.A. Yusuff Ali set the tone bysuggesting that the Government hold thenext edition of mini-PBD in the Gulf.

“Let the Government decide on thevenue and we Indians in the Gulf willfully help in its organisation,” he said.

Chairman and Managing Director ofQatar’s Behzad Group of CompaniesC.K. Menon said Gulf nations were sit-ting on huge investible funds and werelooking to put this money in emergingeconomies.

Director of the UAE’s ETA Ascon &Star Group Syed M. Salahuddin soughtthe Government’s help in setting up bet-ter schools for Indian students in theGulf.

Tharoor said that India would not takeGulf countries for granted. “Preciselybecause we have no problems in our tieswith the Gulf, we should not let it slipinto complacency,” he said.

M.A. Yusuff Ali.

From left, Ravi Pillai, MD, Nasser S. Al Hajri Corporation; Syed M. Salahuddin, Director,ETA Ascon & Star Group; M.A. Yusuff Ali, MD of EMKE Group; Minister of State forExternal Affairs Shashi Tharoor and C.K. Menon, MD, Behzad Group of Companies.

‘Gulf a dream destination’

‘Bring mini-PBD to the Gulf’

The Gulf will remain a “dreamdestination” for Indians andthere is no serious impact of theglobal slowdown in the Middle

East, save for some problems in the con-struction industry in Dubai, well-knownNRI businessman M.A. Yusuff Ali said.

“Oil is a major income source in theMiddle East. The oil sector is very strongthere as prices of oil are improving,” said Ali,Managing Director of the Emke Group thatemploys 22,000 people in the Gulf coun-tries, Hong Kong and mainland China,Indonesia, Kenya, Tanzania and Thailand.

“If something happens to the oil sector,only then it would be true to say that

there’s a financial crisis in Gulf countries,”Ali, who was in New Delhi to attend thePravasi Bharatiya Divas 2010, said.

According to Ali, who is also a memberof the Prime Minister’s Global AdvisoryCouncil, some companies in Europe withtheir “opportunistic mindsets” had soughtto create panic that the Middle East was hithard by the global economic meltdown.

“Some companies operating fromEurope and the US sacked many employ-ees in the name of recession. They did soas they wanted to re-recruit employeescheap,” said Ali.

“But Gulf is and will remain a dreamdestination for Indians,” he added.

Moopen to invest $200mn in Indian health care

Gulf-based healthcare tycoonAzad Moopen is investing over

Rs. 10 billion ($200 million) for set-ting up hospitals and eye-care centresacross India, including his home stateof Kerala.

“There is a huge opportunity inIndia. India will become one of themajor powers in 25 years,” saidMoopen, who is the Chairman of theDubai-based Dr. Moopen group andthe Kozhikode-based MalabarInstitute of Medical Sciences.

“We have already started theMedicity project in 40 acres of landin Kochi. It is a Rs. 500 crore ($100million) project. It will be completedin three years,” Moopen said.

President Pratibha Patil gives PravasiBharatiya Samman to Azad Moopen.

Prime Minister Manmohan Singh with Pravasi Bharatiya Samman awardees.

With the worst of the global economic crisis over, Indiacan now achieve 9-10 per-

cent growth in the near future, FinanceMinister Pranab Mukherjee said, addingthe economy is expected to expand 7.75percent this fiscal.

“The Indian economy is on thegrowth trajectory path. We may expect7.75 percent growth this fiscal,”Mukherjee said, while addressing thefirst plenary session of the PravasiBharatiya Divas 2010 on January 8.

“I am quite confident if things go the way they are going, it is possible toachieve a growth of 9-10 percent,” hesaid, detailing the manner in which Indiahad ridden out the global meltdown.

“In January 2009, when I took over,the challenge was whether to go the tra-ditional way and wait for sunny days ortake steps that were not conventional,”the Finance Minister said, referring to the

Rs. 186,000 crore ($37 billion) stimuluspackages to generate internal demand.

“The risk paid off. In the first twoquarters of 2009-10 – in April-June the

growth was 6.1 percent and in July-September it was 7.9 percent. So, in thefirst six months, growth has been 7 per-cent against 5.8 percent in the correspon-ding period of last fiscal,” he added.

Tracing India’s growth path, theFinance Minister said, for the first time, afigure of 8.6 percent had been achievedbetween 2004 and 2009.

In this context, Mukherjee said thereforms process initiated since 1991 was“still continuing because its architect(then finance minister ManmohanSingh) is today the country’s PrimeMinister”.

Speaking about some of the recent initiatives of the Government, he saidconsensus was emerging on a new directtax code, with experts roped in to simpli-fy the forms so that one was able tounderstand the fine print it on his own.

“I hope to introduce it in 2011-12 astargeted,” he said.

Finance Minister Pranab Mukherjeeaddressing the gathering at the first ple-nary session of the PBD-2010.

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‘Join the growth ride’

President Pratibha Patil has urgedoverseas Indians to participate inand benefit from the country’s“unfolding” growth story.

“In the social infrastructure sector as alsophysical infrastructure development, Indiais looking at the investment increasingly inthe public-private partnership model.Financing needs are estimated to be over$500 billion in the next five years,” she saidwhile addressing the valedictory functionof the 8th Pravasi Bharatiya Divas (PBD)on January 9.

The Government has focused onimproving the quality and quantity of

education at all levels and expandinghealthcare infrastructure, Patil said,adding that this “presents an unprecedent-ed opportunity, including for our overseascommunity, to participate in and benefitfrom India’s unfolding growth story”.

“The Indian growth story is an absorb-ing, exciting and a continuing one. We area big and a growing market,” the Presidentsaid and added that the country’s banksand financial institutions are based on“best practices” in fiduciary responsibilityand are well-regulated. “All this has enabledus to cope with one of the worst economicdownturns in recent history, better than

many other countries and it has also meanta quicker recovery,” she said.

Patil specially congratulated the overseasIndian workers in the Gulf who contributenearly 40 percent of remittances from thediaspora.

“India’s remittances from overseasIndians, estimated at over $50 billion lastyear, were the highest in the world. What isless known, though, is the fact that nearly40 percent of these remittances – about$20 billion annually – come from overseas Indian workers in the Gulf con-sisting of temporary contractual skilled andsemi-skilled workers,” she said.

President Pratibha Patil hailed Indian workers in the Gulf for contributing nearly 40percent of remittances – about $20 billion annually – from across the diaspora

“They often face harsh living and work-ing conditions and are separated from theirfamilies for long periods of time. I take thisopportunity to salute Indian workers in theGulf,” the President said.

Patil said India was looking at an invest-ment potential of $500 billion in sprucingup physical infrastructure alone over the nextfive years. This apart, the country is alsolooking at expanding social infrastructure inhealth care and education. “The expenditureon healthcare infrastructure in the country isprojected to grow at 5.8 percent annually.This presents an unprecedented opportunityincluding for our overseas community toparticipate and benefit in India’s unfoldinggrowth story,” she added.

Earlier, Patil conferred the prestigiousPravasi Bharatiya Samman award on 14 distinguished members of the Indiandiaspora for their achievements in life andcontribution to the welfare of the communi-ty and enhancing India’s image overseas. !

PROFILES OF PRAVASI BHARATIYA SAMMAN AWARDEES

Upendra Chivukula is the first IndianAmerican to be elected to the New JerseyGeneral Assembly and only the fourthIndian American in the U.S. to be elected to state office in 2001. He cameto the US in 1974 and became involvedin politics after he graduated from theCity University of New York.

Mohinder Singh Bhullar, a successfulbusinessman in Brunei Darussalam, was instrumentalin the formation of the Indian Chamberof Commerce in Brunei Darussalam. Hehas assisted the Indian community inthat southeast Asian nation and hasacted as a bridge between India andBrunei Darussalam.

Yanktesh Piramal Reddy, an Indian-originbusinessman in Fiji, has promoted tourismto India in a big way from the entire southPacific region. He has also worked relent-lessly for the protection of the interests ofthe Indian community in Fiji.

Ryuko Hira, is the director of the prestigious Japan-India Association. He has supported several projects for the underprivileged in India. He has alsosupported the translation and publica-tion of the Mahabharata, Vedas andUpanishads.

Dr. R.U. Pawankar has focused on thefurtherance of India-Japan medical collaboration for several years.

Suresh Kumar Virmani, a successfulengineer, entrepreneur and businessman, is a founder member of the IndianCultural Association in Oman. He hasworked relentlessly for the welfare of theexpatriate Indian community in Oman.

Pravin Jamnadas Gordhan, FinanceMinister of South Africa, has distin-guished himself as commissioner of theSouth African Revenue Service. He was a political activist who took active part inthe anti-apartheid movement of thatcountry, organising and leading studentmovements.

Tholisah Perumal Naidoo is a publisher,journalist and founder of the IndianAcademy of South Africa in Durban. Hehas been promoting Indian culture inSouth Africa for the past 25 years.

Rajni Kanabar is a philanthropist whoinitiated the Tanzania Heart Babies project wherein Tanzanian children suffering from congenital heart defectsare sent to India for open heart surgeries.Over 1,300 surgeries were performed inthe last 27 years.

Deepak Mittal, an industrialist andfinancial expert, has successfully set upand operated many large state-of-the-artIndian joint ventures in Thailand. Hisefforts have led to expanded tradebetween India and Thailand.

Lenny Krishendath Saith is Minister inthe Prime Minister’s Office in Trinidad& Tobago. A strong advocate of bilateralties between India and Trinidad &Tobago, he has consistently promotedthe cause of the Indian diaspora in T&T.

Dr. Azad Moopen is a physician-turned-entrepreneur who manages oneof the largest healthcare networks in theGulf Cooperation Council (GCC) coun-tries.

Mani Lal Bhaumik is a scientist, author,educator and philanthropist, whosebooks and lectures at prestigious institu-tions have significantly contributedtoward a better understanding of the cul-tural and spiritual heritage of India.

President Pratibha Patil with 14 PravasiBharatiya Samman awardees in New Delhi.

Pravasi Bharatiya Samaan Awardees 2010

The Consulate General of Indiaand Empty Quarter Fine ArtPhotography Gallery, in col-laboration with Howard

Greenberg Gallery is hosting ‘Sacred Sitesof India’, an exhibition of rare, vintageand contemporary photographic prints ofIndia from January 5 to February 5.

“This is an exhibition of rare and spe-cial photographs by some of the top pho-tographers in the world on India,” ConsulGeneral of India in Dubai VenuRajamony said while inaugurating theexhibition on January 5.

“It showcases India in all its diversityand presents different aspects of the lifeand people of India. These pictures havenot been seen by the public in UAE tilldate. We invite members of the Indiancommunity as well as friends from theUAE and the international community tocome and see the exhibition in large num-bers,” he added.

In a country as vast as India that is richin culture, tradition and has a generosityof spirit, this remarkable exhibition bringsthe images from a world nearly forgotten,where the people continue to live theirtraditional lifestyles largely undisturbed.This fascinating journey explores a variedgroup of images from the late 19th centu-ry with an overview of Kolkata by theBourne and Shepherd studio as well asimages from Falkland Road, HenriCartier Bresson, Mary Ellen Mark andMark Riboud.

Owner of The Empty Quarter gallery,Elie Domit, expressed joy at the responsethe exhibition has received.

“This is the first major exhibition ofphotography ever to be held at TheEmpty Quarter, featuring vintage printsfrom some of the most iconic, pioneeringand influential 20th century fine art pho-

tographers, who helped shape the medi-um,” Domit said.

“Anyone with an interest in 20th centu-ry photography will find this exhibition fas-

cinating – a rare opportunity for collectorsto acquire vintage prints from these modernmasters, whilst lovers of the medium toenjoy seeing this rare work,” he said. !

The Photographers

Exhibitionof rare photographicprints of India

Maragaret Bourke White was sent toIndia by Life magazine at the time ofIndependence and the events surround-ing it. She also got to photographMahtama Gandhi only hours before hisdeath on January 30, 1948.

Samuel Bourne is the mostresearched and highly praised colonialphotographer. His works gave birth to astudio, Bourne and Shepard, that stilloperates in Kolkata. Bourne’s photo-graphs have what his contemporaries

describe a “luminescent quality” thatexemplifies classic Raj photography.

Henri Cartier-Bresson arrived in Indiain 1947 at the time of its Independence.Having made inside connections throughJawaharlal Nehru, he was able to capturethe essence of India’s soul. He pho-tographed Hindus in refugee camps afterthe Partition and, during six extended vis-its over a 20-year period, made astonish-ing images of the death and cremation ofMahatma Gandhi.

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The first copy of the coffee tablebook India and the UAE: InCelebration of a LegendaryFriendship, authored by Consul

General in Dubai Venu Rajamony, waspresented to the United Arab Emirates(UAE) Vice President and Prime Ministerand Dubai's ruler Sheikh Mohammed BinRashid Al Maktoum.

The book was presented on January 25on the eve of India’s 60th Republic Day,according to a press release issued by theIndian Consulate General. The release ofthe book comes ahead of Rajamony leavingDubai shortly at the end of his tenure, itadded.

The statement quoted SheikhMohammed as saying in a message: “Welook upon India as our neighbours and itspeople as friends; we consider India a forcefor peace. It is an active member of the non-

aligned nations organisations and the UnitedNations, as well as a great economic power,not only regionally but also internationally.

“With this in mind, we are keen tomaintain and enhance existing bridges ofcooperation with India for the mutual ben-efit of both nations, so that the security andthe economic stability of the Gulf region,the Indian subcontinent and the wholeworld can be achieved.”

The 260-page book explores the tiesbetween India and the UAE dating back toancient times. It is filled with insights into thehistoric, political, cultural and business aspectsof the association between the two countries.

The book is a pictorial chronicle of thegreat moments that have added up to thepresent and the reader is taken on a journeythrough time, where glittering vistas ofancient and contemporary narratives, rarephotographs as well as facts and figures are

juxtaposed against new developments, oppor-tunities and fascinating insider glimpses of thestories that prominent Emiratis and leadingIndian businessmen based in the UAE have totell, according to the statement.

With messages from the UAE’s rulersand interviews of senior ministers, thebook is a definitive narrative of the India-UAE ties, it added. Produced and pub-lished by Indian Expressions ManagementConsultancy in association with MotivatePublishing, the book will be availableacross India and the UAE soon.

Rajamony’s stint in Dubai has seen anumber of community and welfare initia-tives, cultural and business forums, launchof a monthly consulate news magazineIndia Matters and several other novel ven-tures on the part of the Consulate. TheUAE is home to around 1.5 million expa-triate Indians. !

Consul General’s book onIndia-UAE ties presented toRuler of Dubai Consul General Rajamony (left) with Sheikh

Mohammad.

CG CALLS ON CROWN PRINCE OF RAS AL-KHAIMAHHH Sheikh Saud Bin SaqrAl Qasimi, Crown Princeand Deputy Ruler of RasAl-Khaimah, received VenuRajamony, Consul Generalof India in Dubai onFebruary 1, 2010. Thediplomat paid a courtesyvisit to Sheikh Saud to bidfarewell at the end of histenure in the UAE. Themeeting reviewed ways ofboosting relations betweenthe two friendly countries.Sheikh Saud wished theoutgoing Consul Generalsuccess in his future mis-sion. The Consul Generalgifted him a copy of hisnew book, India and theUAE: In Celebration of aLegendary Friendship.

The seventh health camp organ-ised by the Indian LadiesAssociation (ILA) of Dubai, theConsulate General of India in

Dubai and the Getwell Clinic on January 8witnessed a turnout of over 500 people.

The event, held at the Consulate audito-rium, was exclusively for workers and otherneedy people in the community who didnot have medical insurance and whoseincome was AED2000 a month or below.

A panel of doctors, including generalphysicians, dermatologists, ophthalmolo-gists, optometrists, orthopedic surgeons,dentists, gynecologists, cardiologists, andother specialists offered their services forfree.

Like in previous camps, the IndianPharmaceutical Professionals Council sup-plied free medicines along with the servic-es of a team of experienced pharmacists.

The camps are organised every threemonths and are entirely managed by ILAvolunteers.

ILA is a social and charity organisation,which has been empowering and nurturingladies of the Indian community since1976. It conducts programmes to educatewomen on important issues and plays animportant role in providing a platform forwomen to express themselves.

It also has various clubs dedicated toreiki, cookery, gardening, photography andbooks. It participates in local charity andsocial campaigns like UAE Clean-Up Daywith Emirates Environmental Group,Children of Gaza with Dubai Cares,Funfair with Al Noor Training Centre forchildren with special needs, and awalkathon organised by the Gulf HeartAssociation. !

IINNDDIIAA--UUAAEE

|13JANUARY 2010


12|INDIA MATTERS

PTL Solar, experts in solar streetlighting solutions and part ofGreen Energy LLC has beenappointed as exclusive distributors

for the Middle East and Africa region forReliance Solar Group, part of RelianceIndustries, the largest private sector enter-prise in India.

India’s Minister for New and RenewableEnergy Farooq Abdullah inaugurated thefirst exclusive international RelianceShowroom at the Dubai Creek Towers inDeira on January 22.

The event was also attended by Ali BinTowaih, Executive Director of ENPARKand Sustainable Energy and EnvironmentDivision (SEED) at TECOMInvestments, and Rabindra Satpathy,President of Reliance Solar Group, asguests of honour.

Business partners, suppliers, and cus-tomers of PTL Solar, as well as a few mem-bers of a delegation from the Confederationof Indian Industry (CII), and media mem-bers also attended the event.

Prabissh Thomas, Managing Director ofPTL Solar, said: “We are proud of beingselected as the exclusive Middle East andAfrica distributor by Reliance Industries.This alliance is a perfect match for us as itwill bring synergy to our operations andhelp us meet our objectives in offering thebest energy solutions. We are looking for-ward to extending the benefits of this part-nership to a wide base of stakeholders inthe entire region.” On his part, Ali BinTowaih said that ENPARK’s mandate was toensure that its business partners were provid-ed with an optimal environment and theresources to grow the green energy industryin the region.

“We are confident PTL Solar will playa crucial role in driving forward the greenindustry and positioning the UAE as aleading player in the global energy sec-tor,” he stated. Reliance Solar Group spe-cialises in developing and offering prod-ucts, systems and solutions ranging fromsolar lanterns, home lighting systems andstreet lighting systems to water purifica-tion systems, refrigeration systems and

solar air conditioners – all based on solarenergy.

PTL Solar is part of Green Energy, aleading solutions provider for solar andrenewable energy products in Middle Eastand Africa.

In the course of his visit, Minister

Farooq Abdullah also attended an eventorganised by the Indian Business andProfessional Council (IBPC), Dubai onJanuary 22, where, Gauri Singh, JointSecretary, in the Ministry of New andRenewable Energy gave a presentation on‘Green Energy Opportunities’. !

India’s Reliance Solar Group appointsits MENA distributors

ILA organises 7th free health campfor workers

Minister Abdullah with Executive Director of ENPARK Ali Bin Towaih.

Minister Abdullah with former Ambassador of India in the UAE Talmiz Ahmad at theIBPC function.

The Central govern-ment will bid out8,000 km of road

construction contracts inthe current fiscal, PlanningCommission DeputyChairman Montek SinghAhluwalia said on December 22.

“In comparison, the Government bidout 2,000 km of road construction con-tracts during the last three years,”Ahluwalia told a CII-organised nationalconference on leadership.

Speaking via video conferencing fromNew Delhi, Ahluwalia said he was not “dissatisfied” with the pick-up in infrastruc-ture which saw larger government fundingbecause of the economic downturn.

He said the success of the infrastructure

investment made by thegovernment could bejudged if the position wasreviewed 18 months fromnow. Giving an outline ofthe thrust in the govern-ment’s economic policy,

Ahluwalia said: “We want to create an envi-ronment where competitive forces remainstrong and ensure economy becomes open.”

The government would also ensure therewas no unfair competition and create infra-structure by taking help of the Public-PrivatePartnership (PPP) model. Recalling that the11th Five-Year Plan had envisaged that 30percent of the infrastructure spending shouldbe through the PPP, he said: “There should bean increase in infrastructure spending includ-ing in expanding rural infrastructure.” !

Indians are notches above other immi-grants in the United States, says Forbes.Pepsico Chief Executive Indira Nooyiinevitably topped the list of what

Forbes called “Eight Indian-FlavouredCEOs” who lead US corporations with rev-enues of at least $2 billion, as the premierbusiness magazine chronicled the rise ofIndians in corporate ranks in America.

“The chief executive of PepsiCo wouldbe prominent no matter what. The factthat the current one — Indra Nooyi — isan Indian immigrant (and female, in caseyou’ve been living under a rock) makes herall the more noteworthy,” it said.

“It’s not a surprise that we’re seeingIndians rise in corporate ranks,” Forbesquotes Richard Herman, co-author of abook on migrants to the United States,Immigrant, Inc, as saying.

Of the featured eight, Nooyi, 53, saidHerman, is part of a growing trend whereUS companies are being created, or led, byforeign-born individuals who bring insomething special.

Vikram Pandit, CEO of Citigroup, is theother prominent native Indian in the corneroffice. “Prior to joining the ailing bank hewas president of Morgan Stanley’s invest-ment banking, fixed income and capitalmarkets businesses and cofounded and was

the chairman of a hedge fund, Old LanePartners,” Forbes noted.

Third on the list is Kenya-bornFrancisco D’Souza who heads CognizantTechnology Solutions, that outsources ITservices for its Western world clients.

D’Souza, 40, joined the company in1994 when it was founded and, withinthree years, had gone up the ranks tobecome director of North American opera-tions. Next comes Shantanu Narayen, 46,at the helm at Adobe Systems. The compa-ny’s flagship Internet video tool is Flash.“At least one top boss of Indian descent isplotting a growth strategy,” says Forbes ofQuest Diagnostics’ head Surya Mohapatra,fifth on the list. Also featured are DineshPaliwal of Harman International, Jai P.Nagarkatti of Sigma-Aldrich and AbhijitTalwalkar of LSI.

Paliwal, a native of the city of the TajMahal, joined Harman, a sound-systemscompany in Stamford, Connecticut, as chiefexecutive in 2007. Nagarkatti joined Sigma-Aldrich in 1976 as a development chemist,and after heading the company’s scientificresearch business, was appointed COO inAugust 2004. Talwalkar was appointedChief Executive of LSI of Milpitas,California, in May 2005. Earlier, he was atIntel’s digital enterprise group. !

BBUUSSIINNEESSSS && EECCOONNOOMMYY

|15JANUARY 2010


14|INDIA MATTERS

8 Indian-born CEOs in Forbes’ list

PepsiCo head Indra Nooyi and Citibank CEO Vikram Pandit.

" IN SHORT "

The Government has called uponagricultural scientists to increase

the production of protein foods to prevent an increase in their prices owingto demands of an increasingly calorie-conscious population. “If production ofvegetables, pulses, milk, meat and staples do not catch up with the needsof a young and successful population,price pressure will hurt the poor, and thelow-income group,” said Minister ofState for Agriculture K.V. Thomas.

Foreseeing a stabilised population by2050 in the country, the Minister said:“The demand for protein foods is goingto grow exponentially.”

Demand for protein foodsset to grow, says Minister

Key sectors of the economy grew 5.6percent in November, according to

Commerce Minister Anand Sharma.“The six-core index registered a growthof 5.3 percent in November 2009 ascompared to 0.8 percent in the previ-ous year,” said Sharma while unveilinga draft of the comprehensive policy onFDI. The month saw steel productionincreasing 11.7 percent, cement 9 per-cent, coal 3.3 percent, petroleum refin-ery products 4.9 percent and electricitygeneration by 1.8 percent.

Core industries grew 5.6% in November

The Government is unlikely to with-draw the stimulus packages now as

domestic firms would be hit in case theglobal economy collapses, FinanceMinister Pranab Mukherjee said.“Exiting from the stimulus packagesnow may not be the correct approachbecause if the world economy collapses,the depression would be deeper. I amnot hinting at anything,” Mukherjeesaid. He, however, said the stimuluspackages would widen the fiscal deficit.

Stimulus likely to stay for now, says Pranab

‘8,000-km road construction contracts this fiscal’

Indian IT market torevive on recovery signs

Amid signs of economic recovery,the Indian IT and IT-enabled services (ITeS) market is projected

to grow by 15 percent in 2010 as against amodest growth of 5.4 percent in 2009, areport by market intelligence firm IDC(International Data Corporation) Indiasaid on December 31.

“As the economy recovers, both consumers and enterprises will demand serv-ices and solutions that allow them to domore with less. The structural changesundertaken in 2009 will propel the domesticIT-ITeS market to grow in 2010,” IDC IndiaCountry Manager Kapil Dev Singh said.The changes were effected by the resilient ITindustry to overcome the impact of econom-ic slowdown and accelerate the industrytransformation towards a new market order.

The domestic IT-ITeS market in 2010 isprojected to be at Rs. 120,666 crore (Rs.1206.66 billion), a growth of 15 percentover the growth of 5.4 percent in 2009 atRs. 104,906 crore (Rs. 1,049 billion).

The combined market size was Rs.99,654 crore (Rs. 996.54 billion) in 2008.

“On stand-alone basis, the domestic ITmarket is expected to grow by 13 percentin 2010 to Rs. 107,655 crore (Rs. 1076.55billion/Rs.1.08 trillion), while the ITeSmarket will grow by 35 percent to Rs.13,011 crore (Rs. 130 billion) in the NewYear,” the report pointed out.

The report, titled ‘India Domestic ICT(Information and CommunicationTechnologies) Market Top 10 predictions2010’, said the new phase of growth anddevelopment was evolving along trendsthat were different from the previousgrowth phase during 2003-08. !

The Indian economy could grow at 9percent next fiscal, helped by a

rise in domestic demand and higherindustrial output, even as high fiscaldeficit remained an area of concern, saida senior analyst with Ernst and Young.

“If we have a normal monsoon nextyear, we can expect the economy to growat 9 percent. We already have a goodindustrial production and we expect it tobe higher during 2010-11,” said AshvinParekh, national director of Ernst andYoung Financial Services.

“We also expect India’s exports to riseand its industrial growth at around 10percent by the end of this fiscal,” Parekhsaid, agreeing with Finance MinisterPranab Mukherjee that the economy cangrow 8 percent this fiscal.

The predictions on India’s growthwere altered upward after the officialdata on gross domestic product showeda 7.9 percent expansion during the second quarter this fiscal, against 7-7.5percent that was expected earlier.

There were further signs of a recoverywhen the country’s merchandise exportsgrew 18.2 percent in November after asmany as 13 successive months of declinesince October last year. Industrial pro-duction, too, was up by a robust 10.3percent in October.

Previously, the country’s growth hadslipped to 6.7 percent in the last fiscalfrom over 9 percent in the three precedingyears. In the first quarter of the current fis-cal, the growth in the country’s grossdomestic product was 6.1 percent.

The domestic IT-ITeS market in 2010 isprojected to be at Rs.1206.66 billion.

‘Indianeconomy cangrow at 9%’


|17JANUARY 2010INDIA MATTERS

JANUARY 201016|INDIA MATTERS

India’s emergence as a major marketand a hub for the global auto indus-try was reinforced at this year’s AutoExpo that concluded on January 11in New Delhi, which saw thelaunch of an unprecedented 72

vehicles in virtually every segment bydomestic and multinational companies.

In tune with the global concern for theenvironment, ‘clean and green’ was clearlythe flavour of the seven-day event wherehybrids and battery powered vehicles wereshowcased in equal measure along withthose that run on conventional fuels.

According to the organisers, Auto Expo2010 also emerged as among the largest suchshows even surpassing those at New Yorkand Shanghai, as it managed to attract asmany as two million visitors.

The Expo had about 125,000 squaremetres of exhibition space and about two mil-lion visitors, while Shanghai drew 600,000visitors and New York 1.2 million. Organiserssaid this was the largest such auto expo.

This apart, 2,100 companies from 30countries participated in the show with largecontingents from Germany, the UnitedStates, South Korea, Japan and China.

Speaking at the concluding ceremony,Minister of State for Commerce and IndustryJyotiraditya Scindia said the number of newmodels launched at the Expo underlined therobust recovery of the Indian auto market andits growing stature in the world.

“The Government aims to give full support to the automotive small and medi-um scale enterprises, and particularly totechnology upgrade. The nation is fastbecoming a manufacturing hub for passen-ger cars, especially small cars,” he said. !

(From clockwise) Ian Callum, chief designerof Jaguar, with Tata group Chairman

Ratan Tata unveiling the Jaguar-XJ car atthe 10th Auto Expo; actor Shah Rukh

Khan unveils the Hyundai i10 electric car;Skoda’s newly-launched Yeti SUV; A newly-launched Volkswagen Polo car; and Honda’s

new small concept car at the Auto Expo.

India,With two million visitors, the 10th Auto Expo in New Delhi emerged as the largest among suchevents, even surpassingNew York and Shanghai

the globalauto hub


|19JANUARY 2010


18| INDIA MATTERS

The economic reforms have helpedin reducing poverty in India,Prime Minister Dr. ManmohanSingh said on December 27, but

admitted a lot more needed to be done aspoverty remained a “major challenge”.

“There is no doubt in my view thatpoverty remains a major challenge. Ourpoor are still too poor and we need to domuch more to improve their standard ofliving,” he said, in his address at the 92ndannual conference of the Indian EconomicAssociation in Bhubaneswar, Orissa.

“The economy has to grow fast enoughto create new job opportunities at a ratefaster than the growth of labour force,” hesaid, supporting high growth rate forreduction of poverty and stressing on“inclusive growth” as brought out in the11th Five-Year Plan.

For inclusive growth, the PrimeMinister suggested that the country mustpay greater attention to sectors like educa-tion, health and rural development.

“We need to pay greater attention toeducation, healthcare and rural develop-ment focusing particularly on the needs ofthe poor – scheduled castes, scheduledtribes and minorities,” he said, urging effi-cient and economic use of scarce naturalresources like land and water.

“Special attention has to be paid inincreasing agricultural productivity-partic-

ularly of small and marginal farmers,” headded. The Prime Minister, however,denied that the economic reforms hadadversely affected the poor. “There is noevidence that the new economic policieshave had an adverse effect on the poor,” hesaid.

“It is true that the rate of decline has notbeen as it should have been,” he saidadding that the economic reforms have

rather helped in bringing down the num-ber of people living below poverty line.

“Ideally, facts are quite clear. The per-centage (of people) below poverty line hasnot increased. In fact, the populationbelow poverty line has declined after eco-nomic reforms, at least at the same rate asit was before... Greater emphasis has to belaid on reforms in governance to reduce thescope for corruption,” he added. !

Prime Minister Manmohan Singh addressing the 92nd Annual Conference of IndianEconomic Association (IEA) in Bhubaneswar, Orissa, on December 27.

‘The decade that was India’s’

Calling it ‘The Decade That WasIndia’s’, a leading US daily saysIndia’s ability to make the success of the last 10 years the

norm across regions and industries, “couldwell pave the way for an Indian century”.

“Nobody knew what would happenwhen 1999 ended. Would computer systems crash and paralyse machines,power lines, lights, life as we know it?” theWall Street Journal said recalling how theworld turned to India to take on the dread-ed Y2K bug.

“This was the decade that defined India– and India defined. Think back to themid-1990s, as software services entrepre-neurs assure me, and Americans didn’tknow India at all,” the leading daily said.“Ten years later, the world is in panic modeagain – and some economists think Indiawill come to the rescue yet again,” it added.

“This time, it’s from the evolution ofthat nascent outsourcing model into theengine of a robust global player that can domore than serve US companies; Indianscan buy their products, too,” the Journalsaid noting, “The bookends of this decade

are significant for India and its place in thenew economic order.”

“The backlash against outsourcingremains a very real threat, intensifyingamid 10 percent unemployment in theUS,” it said. “But outsourcing – and theidea that companies must operate cheaply,efficiently, globally – has come to be anaccepted, inescapable reality.”

“A plurality went as far as to say the USwill be surpassed by China in 20 years asthe world’s top power.”

“India can hardly be far behind, given itspopulation projected to exceed China andits democratic form of government,” theJournal said, noting, “That would havebeen unthinkable in 1999.” !

Rs. 10 tn investment in foodprocessing by 2015: Minister

The central government plans aninvestment of Rs. 1 lakh crore (Rs.10 trillion), including from the pri-

vate sector, in the food processing sector by2015, union Food Processing MinisterSubodh Kant Sahai has said.

“We have an investment plan of Rs.1lakh crore by 2015. We are looking at it tohappen through private participation,” hesaid on the sidelines of a business summiton the Northeast in Kolkata.

In the last five years, food processing inIndia has grown nearly 10 per cent, he said,adding it aims to register a growth ofaround 20 percent by 2015.

Sahai said his Ministry was concernedabout the Goods and Services Tax (GST).

“Food cannot be taxed. Ours is the only

Ministry to have brought down food relat-ed taxes to negligible level. With the GSTcoming up, our effort will be to push thefood taxes in 0-4 percent band and restrictit there,” the Minister added.

He also urged the states to formulate afood processing industry policy to fur-ther strengthen the activities within thesector. !

Exports from micro, small and medi-um enterprises (MSMEs) are on

the rise despite the rising cost of rawmaterials and stiff global competition,says the Confederation of IndianIndustry (CII).

According to the CII MSME OutlookSurvey on Exports, 42 percent of respon-dents said their exports rose over the pastsix months, 49 percent saw a declinewhile there was no change for theremaining 9 percent.

The principal findings of the surveywere based on responses from a broadspectrum of industry groups and MSMEmembers of CII. India’s exports duringNovember rose to 18.2 percent after 13successive months of decline sinceOctober last year. Industrial production,too, was up by a robust 10.3 percent inOctober.

The CII survey was undertaken toanalyse the actual export performance ofthe MSMEs during the first half of2009-10 to understand the future exportprospects during the second half.

“This is besides identifying key factorsthat are limiting exports, and the emerg-ing export markets for the IndianMSMEs,” CII said in a statement.

The survey said 50 percent of respon-dents expected an increase in exportsbetween October 2009 and March 2010,15 percent foresaw no change, while 35percent believed their volumes woulddecline.

The key limiting factors for exportorders over the next six months forMSMEs are rising cost of raw material,international competition, price compet-itiveness and delay in payments, CII said.

Exports from MSMEson the rise: CII

Poverty declined after reforms: PM

Germany wants to work in sectorssuch as roads and infrastructuredevelopment in Kerala, German

Ambassador in India Thomas Matusseksaid on December 29.

“Germany is keen to cooperate withKerala in the areas of roads, infrastructuredevelopment, ports, urban planning andalternate energy besides education and weare really keen to make this happen,” saidMatussek.

The Ambassador, who invited KeralaChief Minister V.S. Achuthanandan to visitGermany and also met Transport MinisterJose Thettayil, said he was not looking at

German behemothssuch as BMW,Mercedes-Benz orSiemens setting upshop in the state.

“Those big guysknow how to han-dle their affairs.Instead, I want the

small and medium enterprises to comeover to Kerala for business and there aremany areas this can be done. The bestway forward is through the Indo-GermanChamber of Commerce,” he said.

Another area of interest, he said, was

the education sector, and added that theGerman state of Bavaria was keen tocooperate with stakeholders in Kerala.

Matussek was accompanied byGerman Consul General Rolf Saligman,who oversees issues related to Karnatakaand Kerala. The German team also visit-ed the Technopark IT campus inThiruvananthapuram.

“There are a good number of doctorsand nurses from here in Germany and oursis an ageing society. There are immense jobopportunities in the medical field there,”said Matussek, adding that his son wasbaptised by a priest from Kerala.

Germany looks at business cooperation with Kerala

In the last five years, food processing inIndia has grown nearly 10 per cent.

Thomas Matussek.

Averitable paradise for bothdomestic and internationaltourists, Goa dances to thetune of the mandos, and sways

to the rhythm of the fisherman’s oar andthe soothing sounds of heaving and crash-ing sea waves.

Palm trees, white-sand beaches, colour-ful festivals, a vibrant nightlife, exotic sea-food and magnificent architecture – it ishome to the happy-go-lucky Goan. Oftencalled ‘The Rome of the East’, it is wherethe Portuguese blended with India, givingbirth to the colourful and lively Goan cul-ture. Goa was a Portuguese colony fornearly 450 years.

A KALEIDOSCOPEGoa is a kaleidoscope of different reli-

gions, ethnic groups, races and faiths butevery Goan celebrates the joi de vivre oflove and harmony. They are also at oncesimple and flamboyant.

Hindus form nearly 65 percent ofGoa’s population, Christians 26 percent,and Muslims, Sikhs, Buddhists, and Jainsform the rest (2001 census). Tourism isGoa’s lifeline and the bulwark of its econ-omy.

Konkani in the Devnagari script is thesole official language of Goa whileMarathi is also widely used for officialpurposes. The other languages spoken byGoans are English, Hindi and Portuguese.

The weather in Goa is pleasant but ishot and humid during summer. Goalooks exquisite when the first showers ofthe southwest monsoon swamp the hotsands of Goa. Soon it is awash in green.Monsoon arrives here in early June andlasts till September.

BEACH PARADISEThink beaches, think Goa... Glittering

sands, tall palms, pleasant breezes, surfing,sunbathing, scuba diving – Goa’s beachespromise you the ultimate fun and roman-tic holiday experience. Every beach isworth a visit.

Some of the most popular beaches hereare Anjuna, Agonda, Arambol, Baga,Benaulim, Bogmalo, Calangute,Candolim, Cavelossim, Colva, DonaPaula, Majorda, Miramar, Palolem andVagator.

ANJUNA BEACHOften known as ‘Goa’s Freak Capital of

the World’, it is nearly 18 km fromPanjim, the capital of Goa. The beachboasts of the amazing AlbuquerqueMansion. Built in 1920, it has octagonaltowers and Mangalore-tiled roofs.

ARAMBOL BEACH Arambol, a secluded beach, is around

50 km from Panjim. Nearby, there is alsoa freshwater lake fed by hot spring water.The cliffs near the beaches make the placea great adventure sports spot makingpara-gliding possible. You can also enjoy

dolphin sighting while having a fun boattrip.

CALANGUTE BEACHNearly 16 km from the capital,

Calangute, known as the ‘Queen ofBeaches’, is Goa’s most popular resort. Alively nightlife, bars, restaurants, cafes,parasailing, water skiing, surfing, swim-ming and parties make Calangute a greathangout.

ARCHITECTUREGoan architecture is fabulous. The

ancient walls and curves of the forts, man-

sions and churches tell stories of the cen-turies-old Portuguese era. The beauty ofthe Goan architecture lies in the fusion ofIndian, Portuguese and Islamic traditions.

CHURCHESGoa boasts some of India’s most gor-

geous churches. Some of them are theChurch of Mary Immaculate Conception,Reis Magos Church, Se Cathedral, St.Anne Church, Church of St. Augustine,St. Cajetan Church, Church of St. Francisand St. Paul Church.

BASILICA OF BOM JESUS

A UNESCO World Heritage Site andabout 10 km from Panjim, the church ishome to the mortal remains of St. FrancisXavier, the co-founder of the Society ofJesus. The church is a classic example ofBaroque architecture, which originated inlate 16th century Italy. The church wasconsecrated in 1605. SE CATHEDRAL CHURCH

Standing tall at 115 feet, its walls paint-ed in white, it’s Old Goa’s most sparklingadornment. It was under Afonso deAlbuquerque that Portugal conqueredGoa in 1510. Se Cathedral was built tocommemorate the Portuguese victory andwas consecrated in 1640. Built in thePortuguese-Gothic style, it is one of thelargest churches in Asia.

TEMPLESGoa’s temples have also drawn exten-

sively on Portuguese architecture, thoughaltered or reconstructed after 1961.Temples like Mangueshi Temple,Mahalasa Temple, Shanta Durga Templeand Ananta Temple are among the mostfrequently visited and popular ones. !

GOAThe Rome of the East

TTRRAAVVEELL

|21JANUARY 2010


20|INDIA MATTERS

By Air: All leading airlines such as Air India, Indian Airlines, Jet Airways, Air Sahara con-nect Dabolim Airport in Goa. Even chartered flights are operated directly to and from Goa.By Rail: Madgaon is the main railway station. Vasco-da-Gama, Tivim and Karmali areother stations that are also well-connected by trains with the rest of the country.By Road: National Highways 4A, 17, 17A, and state highways run through the state.

HOW TO REACH

Glittering sand, tall palms, pleasant breezes, surfing,sunbathing, scuba diving – Goa’s beaches promise youthe ultimate fun and romantic holiday experience

1. Which premier annual Indian football tournament that start-ed in 1891 was last played in the 2000-01 season?

2. Which stock exchange of India was incorporated in 1992after being promoted by leading financial institutions of thecountry?

3. Which of the seven islands that originally formed the city ofMumbai was known as Candil during the time of Portugueserule?

4. Nagendra Singh, who served as the chief election commis-sioner of India in 1972-73, also served as the president ofwhich international body from 1985 to 1988?

5. The upper reaches of the Govind Wildlife Sanctuary inUttarkashi, covering an area of 472.08 sq km, was notified as anational park to protect which endangered species of animal?

6. Name this Bollywood actress who made her movie debut inthe 1997 Tamil film Iruvar, directed by Mani Ratnam, andtasted her first major commercial success in another Tamilfilm Jeans the following year.

7. The name of which team of the Indian Premier League (IPL)cricket tournament reflects the name of the newspaper thatowns it?

8. In 1960, which well-known litterateur became the first per-son to win the Sahitya Akademi Award for English?

9. Which well-known tourist attraction in Lucknow was builtby Muhammad Ali Shah, the third Nawab of Avadh, to serveas his own mausoleum?

10. Which university was first established in Aligarh in 1920,

shifted to Karol Bagh in Delhi in 1925 and upgraded to acentral university in 1988?

11. Founded by eminent freedom fighter Dr. Bhogaraju PattabhiSitaramayya, this bank, now a nationalised one, commencedbusiness on November 28, 1923, with a paid-up capital ofRs. 100,000. Name it.

12. Can you identify the premier Indian governmentautonomous apex organisation, the logo of which is shownhere?

This magazine will accept contributions from readers in the form of Q&As, factoids, quiz news,announcements of upcoming quiz events and also photographs.You can write in [email protected].

THE 13TH QUESTION

In Beating The Retreat, the closing ceremony of India’sRepublic Day celebrations, drummers play to the chimeof distant bells a famous 19th century hymn composedby English organist and church musician William H.Monk that is said to have been a favourite of MahatmaGandhi. Can you name the hymn?

1.Rovers Cup.2.The National Stock Exchange of India.3.Colaba.4.The International Court of Justice.5.The snow leopard.6.Aishwarya Rai (now Aishwarya Rai

Bachchan).7.Deccan Chargers, owned by The Deccan Chronicle.8.R.K.Narayan (for his novel The Guide).9.Chhota Imambara.10.Jamia Millia Islamia.

11.Andhra Bank.12.The Indian Council of Agricultural Research or ICAR.

The 13th Question:Abide With Me.

ANSWERS

QQUUIIZZ

JANUARY 201022|INDIA MATTERS

The Government of Indiahas introduced ‘TouristVisa on Arrival’ for citizens

of five countries – Finland,Japan, Luxembourg, NewZealand and Singapore – witheffect from January 1, 2010. The visa on arrival will be issuedonly at Delhi Mumbai, Chennaiand Kolkata airports and willhave a maximum validity of 30days with single entry. The fol-lowing terms and conditions willapply for such categories ofvisas: ! The sole purpose of visiting India on

tourist visa on arrival should be forrecreation, sight seeing, casual visit,visit to meet friends or relatives. and noother purpose or activity.

! The applicant does not have a resi-dence or occupation in India.

! The applicant’s passport has minimumsix months’ validity and a re-entry per-mit, if that is required under the law ofthe country of the nationality of theapplicant.

! The applicant should be of assuredfinancial standing (the production ofreturn ticket and availability of sufficientmoney to spend during his stay in India).

! The applicant is not a persona non-grata to the Government of India.

! The citizens from the above namedcountries who want to come to India forlonger duration will be granted visa bythe Indian missions concerned.

! The facility shall not be available to citi-zens of above countries (Finland,Japan, Luxembourg, New Zealand andSingapore) if either of his/her parents or

grand parents (paternal or maternal)was born in and was permanently resi-dent in Pakistan. Such persons can visitIndia after obtaining appropriate visasfrom the Indian missions concerned.

! The tourist visa on arrival can neither beextended not converted to any otherkind of visa during applicant's stay inIndia except in the following circum-stances with the prior approval of the

Ministry of HomeAffairs:! The touristvisa on arrival may beconverted to X (entry)visa if a foreigner whohas come to India mar-ried an Indian nationalduring the validity ofhis/her tourist visa onarrival. Proper docu-ments including a copyof registered marriagecertificate will berequired for this.

! Tourist visa on arrival of foreigners whofall ill after their entry into India andrequire specialised medical treatmentmay be converted to medical visa. Insuch cases, tourist visa on arrival of theattendant may also be converted intomedical attendant (MEDX) after submis-sion of medical certificate from govern-ment/government recognized hospitals.

! A fee of US$60 or equivalent amount inIndian rupees per passenger, includingchildren), will be charged from eachapplicant for grant of a tourist visa onarrival.

! Tourist visa on arrival shall be allowedfor a maximum of two times in a calen-dar year to a foreigner with a minimumgap of two months between each visit.

! This facility will not be applicable toholders of diplomatic/official passports.

The form for applying for this facility candownloaded from the websitewww.cgidubai.com.

TOURIST VISA ON ARRIVAL FORNATIONALS OF FIVE COUNTRIES

Consulate General of IndiaP.O. BOX 737, DUBAI, UNITED ARAB EMIRATES

Tel: +971 4 3971222/ +971 4 3971333, Fax: +971 4 3970453, Tlx.: 46061 CGIND EMEmail: [email protected]

CONSULATE HOTLINE NUMBERS: +971 50 9433111 (For women/housemaids in distress and counseling for stress and depression)

+971 50 7347676 (For death formalities on holidays and after office hours)600 522229 (Passport and Visa Services Centre)

Embassy of India, Abu DhabiPlot No. 10, Sector W-59/02, Diplomatic Area, Off the Airport Road

P.O. Box 4090, Abu Dhabi, United Arab EmiratesTel: +971 2 4492700, Fax: +971 2 4444685 / +971 2 4447768

Email: [email protected]

Sheikh Hamdan Bin Mohammed Bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Crown Prince of Dubai andChairman of Dubai Executive Council, received Consul General of India in Dubai VenuRajamony for a farewell call on January 17. Consul General thanked Sheikh Hamdan forthe patronage extended by the Rulers and Government of the UAE to the people of India

living in Dubai and for the personal support and cooperation extended to him in hiswork as CG. Rajamony invited Sheikh Hamdan to visit India and said such a visit will

take India-UAE relations to greater heights. The Crown Prince wished the ConsulGeneral the very best for his future career and expressed appreciation for all that he hasdone to strengthen India-UAE relations. Rajamony is returning to India on February 12

on completion of his three-year tenure in Dubai. He will be joining the Ministry ofExternal Affairs in New Delhi on a new assignment.

PUBLICATION OF THE CONSULATE GENERAL OF INDIA IN DUBAI

◆◆ Minister for New and RenewableEnergy Farooq Abdullah visitsDubai

◆◆ Exhibition of rare photographicprints of India

◆◆ 10th Auto Expo held in NewDelhi from January 5 to 11

India Matters on air on 105.4FM Radio Spice every Friday-Saturday @ 6pmand on Me Ranjani Telegu Radio 1152 AM @ 5pm

Consul General meets Crown Prince of Dubai

Special report on PravasiBharatiya Divas 2010, New Delhi

VOL. 2 ISSUE 1 JANUARY 2010

BOOK ON INDIA-UAE

TIESLAUNCHED

BOOK ON INDIA-UAE

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Documents

Consul General meets Crown Prince of Dubai