Switch on the TV there is a special news section on Mullaperiyar dam issue. Front page news is on Mullaperiyar. Roads are barricaded with cutouts of political leaders with dam as background. Walls are occupied by posters of political parties, trade unions, associations, NGOs, school children and what not. Dam is discussed over a cup of tea by everyone at any hotel. Discussions are more agitated at bars. Public in Kerala is on a frenzy matched only during elections. Media is feeding it for their TRPs. Selfish politicians are on roads with all usual gimmicks in the name of common man. Why most of us are not able to see this through? Yes, it is a serious issue which needs a political solution. But is it as serious as media and political parties make this out to be. Definitely no. The biggest culprit here is media, who are feeding this frenzy and making public the lame duck. I am thinking of Japan now. They live in the constant fear of earthquakes and massive destruction...

Thank god the marketing blitzkrieg by Emmanuel Silks is over. The brand ambassador Shah Rukh Khan was on all advertising mediums (except social media) inviting people for inauguration of their branch in Kochi. Kochi was on a roll. Textile retailing in Kochi is an attractive market dominated by Jayalakshmi and Seematti for decades. They make the weddings happen in and around Kochi. Many players entered the market in the last 5-8 years like Kalyan, Chennai Silks and Joyalukkas. But none of them can claim to have made large enough market for themselves. They are well known brands but still most of the prospective customers are lenient towards Jayalakshmi or Seematti. This could be a wrong footed prediction but I believe Chennai Silks will close their branch in Kochi soon. There was a brand called Remanika that came up in 90s next to Seematti with much fanfare. They closed down with in one year. History tells that in last 25 years there was none who gave a decent f...

Coconut Development Board [CDB] has been on an overdrive creating a pool of trained coconut climbers. The results are now for everyone to see. CDB has put a list of coconut climbers with their mobile numbers on the website . This effort by CDB is much appreciable as climbers are hard to find these days. No training is available even for people who are interested to take this as their job. Hope the online directory will provide enough climbers on call. I have already found two people near my house.

Times of India's much awaited Kerala entry is on the rocks. Sources in the industry reveal that the alliance between Times of India and Mathrubhumi has gone awry. Apparently due to differences with Mathrubhumi, Times of India is going back to the drawing board to get the edition launched by it's own. The difference with Mathrubhumi would hurt Times of India. Times was getting ready for an immediate launch. They got an able editorial team on job now. The team is continuously churning out news from Kerala as never before. Malayala Manorama and Hindu were ready with their hoardings to counter the expected onslaught of marketing blitz from Times of India. The delay in the launch is only going to give some more time for competitors to prepare for offensive and defensive tactics.

Yes, the media behemoth is at last making an entry in to Kerala. It has been much awaited and was very much expected during Onam. Now it is clear that the Times of India will have an edition in Kerala from 3rd week of October. Times of India is trying to reach across Kerala, starting from Kochi. They have a tie-up with Mathrubhumi. Apparently there would be an introductory subscription offer of Rs.5 per day for both these papers together. No other state in India has such vigour to consume 'news' as seen among Keralites. More than 2/3rd of population in Kerala reads one of the top 10 dailies here (English and Malayalam). Somehow Hindu and Indian Express, two foremost English dailies for a long time, could not increase their readership, even though there exists a large population who would like to read an English daily. Deccan Chronicle recently entered Kerala and is doing its part to cater this demand. Industry will be keenly watching as Times of India is known...

Kochi will host an industrial meet titled - Emerging Kerala - to woo large scale investment in Kerala. More about it can be read here and here . Kerala was never considered an investor friendly state. Trade and labour unions almost always make it highly difficult for an enterprise to operate in Kerala. Recently we have many political, social and environment activists harassing entrepreneurs. Almost always they have unreasonable demands that make Kerala non-conducive for business. Keralites are only to blame for investors staying away from Kerala. Kerala needs a change in attitude. Emerging Kerala could be a step by Kerala government in the right direction.  Kerala is not a place to do manufacturing. Kerala has been more friendly towards businesses in the service sector. Kerala can attract investment in sectors like, Tourism, Healthcare, IT, BPO, Financial services, Legal services, Retail, Education, Logistics, Shipping & Ports, ...

As per this report on the web portal of Grenada government, a delegation of six people from Grenada will be in Kerala for a week. Grenada is the land for Nutmegs and Mace and their study tour in Kerala promises much for both.

It is estimated that Keralites would shop home appliances worth Rs.450 crore ($100 million approx.) this Onam season. This is the biggest shopping season in Kerala as Ramzan and Onam comes at a time of wedding season. Keralites predominantly shop textiles, jewellery, home appliances and automobiles during Onam. Every one doles out some sort of discounts and offers to their customers during Onam, but for Jayalakshmi and Seematti (two largest textile retailers). They stand out this season too like every other seasons without offering any discounts. The business acumen of people running Jayalakshmi and Seematti have to be well appreciated. Madness and hysteria created by competitors around them do not deter their strategy. The ruckus is not for them. They simply increase their ad spend and expect customers to turn-up at their expansive shops, not looking for any discounts. Yes, customers do turn-up every season. Competitors change their strategy, open new branches, offe...

Kerala government under Chief Minister Oommen Chandy announced 35 kg of rice per month at One Rupee per kg for all families Below Poverty Line. In an earlier post , I have said that this is a flawed economic policy. We do not need rice to be distributed like this. Such policies will only kill farming in Kerala. This blog by Dr. Suman Sahai  gives many reasons. It looks like men in Kerala need not work for anything, beg for 35 Rupees, stand in a queue every month to get the allotted rice. Why are we breeding a country full of men who are good for nothing? Every person who understands the toil that requires to cultivate a kg of rice would be sad. I am.

Inefficiency of Kerala government is exposed again throu gh a central government list of supply status of high-tech buses under Jawaharlal Nehru National Urban Renewal Mission (JNNURM). Kerala was sanctioned for 350 buses (200 in Kochi and 150 in Thiruvananthapuram). As of the end of July, 2011 we have procured only 243 buses (128 in Kochi and 115 in Thiruvananthapuram). Compare these figures with our nearby states like Tamil Nadu, Karnataka, Goa and Andhra. They all have procured almost all buses that was sanctioned. The list can be found here .

Treasure found at Sree Padmanabhaswamy temple has brought with it many challenges for us in Kerala. Recently, my relative suggested that why don't we encash this and distribute riches among all people. She would like to get a rightful share of the treasure as it belongs to all of us and what will any way God (Sree Padmanabhan) do with it. It is a separate question that why she gives some money to church every Sunday? Other serious challenges are discussed in this article by Reuters . After reading various suggestions and options in front of us, I believe we will have to opt one of these two or a combination of these. Keep the treasure where it was found. Provide security and let everything continue as it used to be. - This seems simple but it is not easy. Security provided will prove to be a nuisance for devotees and people living nearby. They will not be allowed to do everything they have been doing all these years. People like me would want to pay a visit ...

The Economic Review of Kerala indicates mounting burden of debt on the state. Key figures from that are, total debt of the State increased from Rs. 20,176.10 crore in 1999-2000 to Rs. 70,969 crore in 2009-10, debt/GSDP ratio is 30.81 per cent during 2009-10 and an increase in per capita debt from Rs.11,478 in 2004 to Rs.16,074 in 2008. The below table (Source: The Hindu) indicates yearly figures.  News reports can be read from Economic Times and The Hindu . Kerala is unique in many ways and so is the debt scenario. Successive governments keep adding to the existing burden and the 'hill' has become a 'mountain' now. It is now a 'serious concern', as quoted in the Economic Review. The only factor that we can showcase against this debt is our overall Human Development, be it healthcare and access to various natural resources and livelihood.

I recently had to endure Walayar - Vadakkancherry road. This two lane road is in a pathetic shape. I had been traveling on this road in regular intervals for more than 10 years now. It never was in a shape like it is now. It is a road now perfect for dirt races and rallies. A project to four lane this stretch of road is now approved . Let this happen at godspeed as this is one critical road that connects Kerala to other parts of the country. The road is crucial for the overall trade and economy of Kerala. It is also a transit route for majority of Keralites living in other southern states.

Census 2011 reveals that 47.72 % of population in Kerala lives in Urban habitats (Cities & Towns). It was only 25.96 % in census 2001. It is now for us to ask ourselves where are our villages. Kerala is witnessing rapid urbanization. Sadly, most of this is not planned. Waste management and disposal is the most serious issue in our hands today. Every municipality in Kerala is struggling to deal with waste. Dynamics are such that we need a policy from the state government to address the challenge that is facing us. If we do not act now, tourism will be the first sector to take a hit. It will be an irreparable face loss for 'God's own country'.

I am laughing mad as such is the situation of Kochi IPL team - Kochi Tuskers Kerala. The team never set their foot right, now even on internet. If you search for Kochi Tuskers or Kochi Tuskers Kerala in Google, it is most likely that you will come across more than 3 websites that can disguise people as the team's official website. It seems to me that the official website is www.kochituskerskerala.com . Fallibilities of this team never ends. Who would announce a team name without registering all possible website domains? Such was their state when they had to rename the team . But still? You may read my earlier blog on Kerala IPL team here .

As per this report , Viva Kerala is set to become Chirag Kerala with Chirag Computers acquiring 60% stake in Viva Kerala. The cash strapped Viva Kerala was seeking investors and sponsors for a long time now. Viva became a hotbed for new talents but couldn't keep them because of lack of available funds. Viva was striving with their ability to spot future talents with in Kerala and from foreign countries. With immense talent and support for football in Kerala, the only professional football club from Kerala has a bright future. Wish them all luck.

News is trickling. Now every news daily is widely covering the issue. It's a harrowing time for all customers of Apple A Day Properties. What next for customers? As far as the information that is available in the public domain, all customers can await a prolonged and unjust fight for their investment. First and foremost, all customers should come together and move collectively. Initiatives like this on Facebook  is good. If you are a customer, make good use of this and reach out to other aggrieved customers and fight for the common cause. Bring on board more customers. Hire a lawyer and seek advice. Reach out to Kerala Chamber of Commerce and Industry (KCCI) and seek help from the forum. Communicate with CREDAI (real estate industry association) and get them involved in your activities. Make them understand that the incident is a blotch on the entire industry and the developers association should support the cause of suffering customers. Communicate with CII and FICCI and seek the...

'Apple A Day' properties is one of the real estate developers in Kerala who uses all mass media for their marketing activities. Today Hindu and Express  reported about a police raid at their offices. Reports indicate that there are many buyers who are waiting for their projects to be handed over for more than two years. Complete picture of the issue is not known. The company website seems to be down and a Google search indicates that there are many people with complaints about the builder. What should make buyers and public worry is not the incident, whose exact picture is yet to be known, but the attitude of mainstream media towards it. Leading Malayalam dailies, Malayala Manorama and Mathrubhumi have avoided this information in their dailies and found space for everything parochial and frivolous. Who are they serving, reader's interest or advertiser's interest?

As per Ministry of Communications and Information Technology, there are 1,725 registered IT companies in Kerala as on 31st January, 2011. Kerala ranks 8th among Indian states with number of IT companies. Delhi, Maharashtra, Andhra Pradesh, Tamil Nadu, Karnataka, West Bengal and Gujarat ranks above Kerala in the same order. Totally there are 58,824 registered IT companies in India as on 31st January, 2011. That means Kerala accounts for 3% of registered IT companies in India. Kerala is well positioned to have a better figure. It is because of the lack of political will and below par outreach campaigns by the government machinery that we have fewer numbers. A conducive business environment exist in Kerala for IT companies. The general notion of Kerala as not a business friendly state is not true in the case of service sectors like IT, Financial Services and Tourism. People are still waiting for projects with magnitude as proposed by Smart City. IT parks developed as a hu...

After some rumours, it is now clear John Brittas is joining Asianet . He had announced his resignation from Kairali. Nikesh Kumar who left Indiavision is yet to announce his news channel. Meanwhile Raj TV announced Raj News Malayalam . The most awaited news channel is from Mathrubhumi, which would be announced soon. Add to it channels proposed by political parties and other media houses in Kerala. We will have a flurry of news channels . Mathrubhumi will start off with an edge because of their credibility, reputation and synergies with existing business. Nikesh Kumar could be the dark horse in the lot. It is only known that he has a different business model. In print media, Times of India is expected any time. It seems they are establishing a partnership with Mathrubhumi. Deccan Chronicle has started with lofty goals. This could be the last lap for New Indian Express. Hindu could keep their market. Kerala would be the first market in India which will see direc...

The most influential media conglomerate in Kerala, Malayala Manorama, may have to deal with 'skeleton in their family cupboard'. As per a report in Tehelka Magazine , Arun Mammen is believed to have parked illegal money (black money) in a Swiss bank, LGT Bank of Liechtenstein. If the report has some truth in it,  Manorama may have something to explain, as Arun Mammen is from the family that runs and controls Malayala Manorama group. I do not have access to exact and complete shareholding details of Malayala Manorama, but the perception of educated public in Kerala is that the Mammen family owns Malayala Manorama. Something that is in the public domain is the ownership of MRF Ltd. Arun Mammen is the Managing Director of the company that reported more than Rs.8,000 crore sales in the financial year 2010. Promoter and Promoter group shareholding pattern of the company available at MRF website shows, The Malayala Manorama Co Ltd, M. M. Publications Limited, M M Corporation and man...

Sasi is an auto-rickshaw driver at Vyttila junction in Kochi. He has seen the transformation Vyttila underwent in the last 25 years. When he started, he was the 3rd auto-rickshaw driver in the junction. Among the earlier two, one passed away and the other moved to goods carrier auto in some other part of city. Thus, Sasi would be the senior most driver in Vyttila. It was a regular on-the-trip conversation for me. My inquisitiveness, sometimes bizarre, led me to think of the Vyttila then and now. According to Sasi, Vyttila was then a 'Y' junction with roads to City, Thammanam, Aroor and Tripunithura. It is now probably the biggest traffic point in Kerala with most number of vehicles passing in a day. Vyttila now has 4 main roads connecting City, Tripunithara / Vaikkom, Allappuzha, Palarivattom and two smaller roads connecting Aroor and Thammanam. Sasi remembers 7 autos at the junction then and it is now more than 200 autos. Sasi fondly remembers listening to the songs played b...

An estimated 5 crore (50 million) people undertake the 68-day Sabarimala pilgrimage every year. Pilgrims donated a staggering Rs.120 crore (Rs.1.2 billion) last year and is estimated to have crossed Rs.130 crore (Rs.1.3 billion) this year. It is a huge business. Travancore Devaswom Board (TDB) is the administrative body of as many as 1,208 temples across the Kerala State and the board manages Sabarimala too. People in the board are often known for their proximity towards either of the two large political parties in Kerala. Corruption, embezzlement and misappropriation of funds are alleged against all successive boards. Makaravilakku (a light seen on another hilltop from Sabarimala on one of the last few days of annual pilgimage season) is indeed a man-made phenomenon . Pious people throng Sabarimala on that particular day believing it as an act of a supreme power. Railway board ran 674 special trains this Sabarimala season. This was in addtion to 660 sleeper coaches and 30 AC sl...

Dear Friends, We have enough jokers around us here in Kerala and we do not want the service of Kochi IPL team management. I'm convinced that IPL team for Kochi is not for Kochi or Kerala for the following reasons. You can be aware and make your own choices. Indi Commandos - All teams in IPL have their city name part of the team name. One exception could be Deccan Chargers, but Deccan clearly display the region they represent. Why Indi Commandos? Management immediately corrected saying the name essentially is Indi Commandos Kerala. My question is why then the logo they released didn't have Kerala in it? We are not children to believe this. Venue Changes - The management has already requested for Ahmedabad to be its permanent venue . They seem to have several issues with Kochi - quality of the pitch and outfield, no permanent stadium, 36% entertainment tax, poor air connectivity. Hello my dear, Kochi was like this only. Why didn't they do their due diligence ? Kerala is ...

According to this report in Times of India , promoters of Varkeys Supermarket are open to sell 35% to stay afloat. They are primarily looking at Private Equity [PE] for the immediate fund infusion and to consolidate business. Nothing much has changed since the earlier post on this blog. It has been more than 5 months since they reported to be looking for fund infusion . Executive director seems not being open to a buy out from another chain. It is probably a brave decision, which only time can tell. Every one in Kerala seems to be waiting for their revival. Shopping experience has not been the same here since the 84 year old brand went 'out-of-stock'.

In the month of November '10 National Consumer Helpline [NCH] recorded 5413 calls. Maximum number of calls were received from Delhi followed by Uttar Pradesh, Haryana, Maharashtra and Rajasthan. Kerala, even with high literacy and consumer awareness, is probably not making use of this service well. Call 1800-11-4000 (from MTNL & BSNL lines). Toll-free helpline provides information, advice or guidance for dealing with his/her consumer problems in the following sectors/products: LPG, Electricity, Telecom, Banking, Insurance, Credit cards, Automobiles, Postal, Courier, water, Transport, Education and Medical etc. Domestic Home Appliances in the range of computers, handycam, Acs, Microwave, Television, Coolers, Fans, Washing Machines, Gas burner, Water Purifier, Mobile Phone, VCD/DVD/CD Player, Food Processor, Invertors and Shoes etc.

Here are select posts from the year 2010. Hope you like them. Karunakaran, a far sighted economic reformer and institution builder Cosmetic creams made out of rubber latex New Kerala Tourism campaign fails in multiple ways Kerala, after K. M. Mathew Varkeys Supermarket: Is end nearby? Innovation Varsity in Kerala Gold loan business minting money for investors Read this before you are in Dubai Muziris Heritage and Culture Circuit: New dimension to Tourism in Kerala GKSF has more to do to convince corporates