Monthly Archives: December 2012

Another IT hub emerges in Andhra

Business & Economy, Science & Technology

HOT SPOT: Madhurawada, Vizag

Madhurawada, located along the north-east of Vizag or Visakhapatnam, along  National Highway – 5 , is an upcoming residential area, thanks to the major developments driven by the Information Technology (IT) sector. It is located on the Visakhapatnam-Vizianagaram stretch of N-5, around 16 km from Visakhapatnam city.

IT companies have been allocated land in this area to develop and start their operations. There is a biotech  SEZ  and industrial developments like the steel and power plants in the south. The growth corridor is northwards, along NH-5 towards Vijayanagaram. The area is witnessing many apartments projects along NH-5 and Beach Road, with the foray of IT/Ites industries in the city. Realising the high demand in this sector, the  Visakhapatnam Urban Development Authority (VUDA) is developing multiple residential projects through public-private participation mode with reputed local developers. Residential property rates  are around Rs 4,500-5,000 per sq ft. Rates in the less central areas range from Rs 2,000-2,500 sq ft. Bungalows can be picked up from anywhere between Rs 45 lakh to Rs 90 lakh. Plots for residential development are priced between Rs 5 lakh to Rs 1 crore.

Madhurawada is developing as a major destination for sports, education and business establishments. An International Cricket Stadium, the ACA-VDCA Stadium, is located in Madhurawada making the place a major sports destination. A fantasy park called ‘Jatara’ and constructed by the Andhra Pradesh government is a famous tourist attraction. The Durgalamma Ammavaru temple is another added attraction.

The city has an industrial economic base with large-scale industries like Vizag Steel Plant, Hindustan Petroleum Corporation Ltd, National Thermal Power Corporation, Bharat Heavy Plates and Vessels, among others. Moreover, the eastern command of the navy is located in the city. The presence of these major industries and naval Defence base caused immigrants from all parts of the country to head towards Vizag, giving it a cosmopolitan feature.

Vizag is emerging as the next IT/Ites hub in Andhra Pradesh after Hyderabad because of the availability of required skilled labour, infrastructure and comparatively cost-effective real estate in the city. The government has been very proactive in attracting IT/Ites companies into Vizag. The city’s other prime residential areas are Siripuram, Dwarka Nagar, Rani Bagh and Beach Road. The city is witnessing many apartments projects being developed in these areas.

Relatively affordable property rates, decent appreciation potential, pleasant weather and the fact that it is a coastal region with many sea-facing property options available, make it an attractive investment destination.

source: http://www.Business-Standard.com / Home / by Sandip Patnaik / December 03rd, 2012

Cathay Pacific launches Hyd-Hong Kong direct service

Business & Economy, World Opinion

Hong Kong-headquartered  international carrier Cathay Pacific has launched its direct flight between Hong Kong and Hyderabad.

The first flight of the four-day weekly A-330-300 service landed at the GMR-operated Rajiv Gandhi International Airport (RGIA) in Hyderabad on Sunday.

With the Hyderabad service, Cathay Pacific now has 46 flights departing each week from India to Hong Kong, according to Tom Wright, country manager (South Asia, Wet Asia and Africa). The airline company had recently increased the frequency of its Chennai-Hong Kong-Chennai flights to daily service from the four-days-in-a-week service.

“Introduction of this new destination will play a very important role in promoting tourism, as Hyderabad has always been the favourite holiday destination for residents abroad. Similarly, it will open a direct window for the people of Hyderabad to choose Hong Kong as an exciting holiday destination and enjoy the dynamic city,” said Vikram Jaisinghani, chief executive officer of GMR Hyderabad International Airport Limited (GHIAL).

In fact, the recent rise in the international traffic has partly offset the steep fall in domestic passenger numbers at the Hyderabad international airport, which saw a 3 per cent dip in the overall passenger traffic in the first half of the current financial year, according to Jaisinghani. The airport operator expects few more international flight services to commence from Hyderabad in the coming months.

GHIAL is aiming at transforming the Hyderabad airport into a gateway of south and central India. The airport has been active with a unique campaign called ‘Fly Via Hyderabad’, launched in 2010, where 18 Indian cities in the catchment area of Hyderabad are being connected seamlessly, according to the company.

RGIA is the first greenfield public-private partnership in the Indian airport infrastructure sector and is eventually designed to handle over 40 million passengers and 1 million tonne of cargo in future.

source: http://www.Business-Standard.com / Home> Companies & Industry/ by BS Reporter / Chennai, Hyderabad / December 03rd, 2012

Urdu university pays tributes to its first chancellor Gujral

Arts, Culture & Entertainment, Leaders

Hyderabad:

The Maulana Azad National Urdu University Friday paid rich tributes to former prime minister Inder Kumar Gujral, who was also its first chancellor, saying he had left an “indelible mark” on the institution.

Vice-Chancellor Mohammad Miyan described Gujral, who passed away Friday, as a true representative of Urdu language and culture. “He left indelible mark during the formative stages of this university,” he said in his condolence message.

Gujral was appointed as first chancellor of the university on May 24, 1999. He inaugurated the administrative block of the university campus here on Dec 28, 2002.

“Mr Gujral was an avid lover of Urdu language. He was appointed as the Chairman of Gujral Committee in the 1970s. The committee was envisaged the task of finding means and ways to promote the Urdu language and to provide adequate facilities for Urdu speaking people in educational, cultural and administrative matters.”

Mohammad Miyan recalled that the recommendations of Gujral Committee provided the base to ponder over establishing a national Urdu university.

Gujral will long be remembered as a seasoned diplomat, articulate speaker and a true champion.

source: http://www.ummid.com / Home> National / Friday, November 30th, 2012

Times Hyderabad cultural feast begins today

Arts, Culture & Entertainment

Hyderabad :

It is that time of the year again when all roads in the city lead to The Times Hyderabad Festival. After its roaring success last year, the cultural carnival is back this winter with a power-packed week of entertainment, complete with upbeat musical concerts, scintillating stage shows and a mouth-wateringly delicious cooking fiesta. And coming to town to take Hyderabadis on this titillating journey, which kickstarts on Sunday, are some of the finest names from the world of music and performing arts in the country.

Giving a heady start to the festival on December 2 will be the much-popular fusion band ‘Colonial Cousins’ featuring musical geniuses Hariharan and Leslie Lewis who have been creating waves the world over for more than a decade now. The duo will perform with the historic Quli Qutub Shahi Tombs in the backdrop. Day 2 of the event (December 3) will see the cast of Lillete Dubey’s English play August Osage County take centrestage at the Shilpakala Vedika. The Pulitzer Prize  winning act, featuring Kitu Gidwani and Sandhya Mridul among a host of others including Dubey herself, have opened to packed houses at various locations since its inception and has been lauded for its sardonic humour element.

The theatrical experience will continue on December 4 with Shabhana Azmi’s Kaifi Aur Main that will bring together the celebrated artist and her acclaimed lyricist husband  Javed Akhtar  on the same manch, again at the Shilpakala Vedika. The narrative of the play that apart from mapping the poetic expedition of the renowned Urdu writer Kaifi Azmi also encompasses the soulful romance between him and his wife Shaukat Azmi, a noted theatre and film actress, is written by Akhtar and premiered in Mumbai in 2006.

There on, the musical journey will resume with some powerful rock, folk and Bollywood performances. Delhi-based ‘Parikrama’, the band known for its original tracks like Till I’m No-One Again and Tears of the Wizard will open the show at the Quli Qutub Shahi Tombs on December 5 and will be followed by Ghazi Khan and Raghu Dixit the next day (December 6). The two stalwarts, who have kept the flag of folk music flying high, will be seen weaving together a perfect evening for music connoisseurs from the city. At Rock Heights on December 7, the band ‘Euphoria’ will make an appearance to belt out some its catchy and hugely popular numbers like Dhoom Pichak Dhoom, Ab Naa Jaa and Aana Meri Gully among many others. The cultural bonanza will draw to a close on December 8 in perfect Bollywood style with a melodious performance by the Mitwa singer  Shafqat Amanat Ali , at the Quli Qutub Shahi Tombs.

Alongside the concerts, the Times Festival will also play host to an array of cooking events beginning December 3 at ITC Kakatiya’s Kebabs & Kurries. Top chefs here will dish out lessons in North Indian food. This will be followed by a quick tip or two on Hyderabadi cuisine at The Golkonda on December 4. Those willing to try their hands at Italian cooking can walk in to Via Milano on December 5. For lessons on whipping up a scrumptious Indian meal, denizens need to look out for the culinary class scheduled for December 7, set to be held at Aish by The Park.

Readers can collect complimentary passes for these events from the Times of India office, Road No. 3, Banjara Hills on a first-come-first serve basis between 10am and 6pm.

source: http://www.timesofindia.indiatimes.com / Home> City> Hyderabad / TNN / December 02nd, 2012