The KochiNow Blog

State-owned oil marketing firm Hindustan Petroleum Corp (HPCL) has lined up its retail foray in Cochin and Jaipur with assistance from property consultants Trammell Crow Meghraj (TCM).

HPCL plans to build malls with multiplexes, food courts, hotels, convention centres, amusement parks besides commercial complexes and premium residential apartments at the 60-odd acres of land available with it in the two cities.

The Cochin project will be the first to get off the ground and the projected yield from this project, excluding the sale of residential flats, is pegged in the range of Rs 30 to 40 crore annually. Sale of flats is estimated to add another Rs 100 crore to the company’s bottomline.

Of the four models proposed by its consultant, HPCL has zeroed in on the joint venture partnership model with a private developer for development and management of the property.

The JV partner will construct and market the retail facilities and HPCL will bring in land as equity. The net revenues will be shared between HPCL and the other party in proportion of HPCL equity (including land cost) and partner’s equity construction cost.

This arrangement, according to HPCL, offers the highest value for HPCL as it gives it proportionate profit sharing without any capital investment. However, a final decision in this regard will be taken only after the approval of the company’s board.

HPCL currently owns huge chunks of prime real estate in several cities in the form of oil depots, terminals, LPG plants, housing colonies and retail outlets. At many such places, the operations have been shifted to other locations resulting in vacant land lying unused.

The other three options proposed by TCM were: forming a joint venture with a real estate fund, tie-up with integrated retail developers on BOOT basis and investment by HPCL itself in the development and construction of the property besides carrying out its own marketing and management of the complex. HPCL’s retail consultant, TCM has been associated with leading malls in the country like High Street Phoenix, Centre One, InorbitCentral Mall, Forum, Metropolls and Inox.
Indian Reality News

does a commendable analysis of the
traffic scenario in the metropolis. As this blog has
been emphasizing, its Kochi that attracts most of the
investments in Kerala, hence this only metro of
the state must get maximum support infrastructure.
Otherwise, it will choke the growth of tax revenue
for Kerala govt - over 60% of the tax revenue is
generated from Kochi.

Massive investments in projects needed
K. A. Martin

Lack of urgency holds up implementation of a number of projects

Photo: H. Vibhu

ALMOST COMPLETE: The Pulleppady overbridge.

KOCHI: Kochi’s urgent requirement for massive infrastructure development stands in sharp contrast with the snail pace of project implementation in the city. From the 12-year delay in developing Sahodaran Ayappan Road to taking steps suggested by Rail India Technical and Economic Services (RITES) way back in April 1991, the city looks unable to catch up with its future.

Investments needed

Massive investments in a slew of projects, including the international container transshipment terminal, are knocking at Kochi’s doors and the crying need is for infrastructure like flyovers, rail overbridges and broader roads.

The Pulleppady rail overbridge, the key to linking the east and west halves of the city, awaits commissioning, three years after the completion of a major portion of the overbridge.

Twenty-five metres of the bridge remain to be completed by the Railways. Several other projects have not even been taken up despite their importance to the growth of the city.

This include the flyovers on National Highways at the Kundannoor, Vyttila and Palarivattam junctions.

Rail overbridges at Ponnurunny, Atlantis and Vaduthala-Pacchalam too need to be taken up in a time-bound manner. Full story

Infrastructure fails to keep pace with growing city

R. Ramabhadran Pillai

Rail, road connectivity to Vallarpadam faces hurdles; Metro in a limbo

Photo: H. Vibhu

CHOCK-A-BLOCK: The city streets are scenes of constant traffic jams these days.

KOCHI: Kochi’s image as a city of high growth potential has helped the real estate to grow, but the implementation of several infrastructure projects in the city has been on a slow pace. While some of the international projects initiated in the city have a time-frame for completion, the uncertainty over the infrastructure projects remains a matter of concern.

The work on the rail connectivity to the Vallarpadam container terminal has suffered major setbacks with the acquisition of land running into trouble. The issue pertaining to evictees at Moolampilly, one of the localities situated along the proposed route, had snowballed into a controversy. Though a scheme was drawn up to settle the issue, discontent has not totally died down.

The road project to connect the container terminal too has met with major roadblocks. The residents of Vaduthala, a place along the planned road, had opposed the route right from the beginning. Full story

Traffic snarls a regular feature

G. Krishnakumar

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Unscientific planning remains the bane of the city. Road widening projects have come to a halt in many areas, thanks to red-tapism and lack of funds.

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KOCHI: It is 9.30 a.m. Decibel levels at Sahodaran Ayyappan Road have long exceeded the acceptable ranges. The entire stretch is teeming with persistently honking vehicles.

A screaming ambulance tries desperately to steer its way through this route locked in both directions. Inside the ambulance, Ramesh, the driver, is sweating and stretching out to the drivers seeking help. After a painful wait, he somehow manages to squeeze his way out from the bottleneck.

“It has become a regular thing to get trapped in this congestion. It takes at least 20-25 minutes for an ambulance to reach Pallimukku junction from Vyttila on a busy day. The toughest part is to clear the Kadavanthara-Panampilly Nagar-South Railway over bridge stretch,” says Mr. Ramesh. Full story

Elamkulam bridge to be widened soon

K.S. Sudhi

Many more infrastructure projects to be taken up

KOCHI: The widening of the bridge near Elamkulam along the Sahodaran Ayyappan road, the first road infrastructure project to be implemented for Kochi, will begin within a fortnight.

Kochi is banking heavily on the projects that are implemented with the support of the Asian Development Bank and the ones sanctioned by the Jawaharlal Nehru National Urban Renewal Mission for materialising its infrastructure dreams. Kerala Sustainable Urban Development Project (KSUDP) is the nodal agency for the projects sanctioned by the two agencies.

The Rs. 3.5 crore-bridge widening project at Elamkulam will be completed within 18 months. The project is expected to ease the traffic along the road by widening the road and bridge in the area, according to authorities.

Other than the bridge widening project, projects for widening some of the important roads connecting major roads and those between MG road and Chittoor roads have also been planned. These projects will be implemented without acquiring any land. The improvement of the inter-connecting roads will be taken up by the KSUDP. The following are the roads that would be benefited from the scheme:

Karshaka Road (first 150 metres from South Road overbridge), Palarivattom-Vyttila road, Chittoor road, road between MG road and Chittoor road from Padma junction, road between MG road and Chittoor road from Ground Junction, road between MG road and Chittoor road from KSRTC junction, road between MG road and Chittoor road from Jose junction, Thoppumpady-Paravana-Fort Kochi road, Paravana-Mattanchery, TD road, Church landing road, Durbar Hall road and Mullassery canal road. Full story

Parallel roads are the key

Shyama Rajagopal

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Several entry points to the city suggested

Urban master plan yet to be completed

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KOCHI: Town planning experts suggest that several entry points into a city area are a must for a bustling commercial place that is growing. However, Kochi city has grown over the last decade with only a few entry points into the main commercial area.

The North and South overbridges were the only two entry points though Thevara became another one because of the Kundanoor bridges. But, the traffic mostly travel across the first two bridges.

Development of a few parallel roads to the North-South corridor and the East-West corridors will decongest the arterial roads of the city considerably, said a town planner. Thammanam-Pulleppady Road is one such that was started with a big fanfare. However, this very important infrastructure remains unfinished as the rail overbridge is not completed. Full story

India on the Maritime Map
India is booming and its population is gradually catching on to the marine lifestyle. At a rate of growth of 9.4% per annum, India’s economy has now swelled to a trillion dollars, making it only the 12th nation to reach this milestone.

Statistics show that the luxury goods market in India is growing at 30-32% pa.
Today’s affluent Indian consumer is going overboard in his urge to splurge.

Stats & Facts:

* In 2007, there were an estimated 120,000 Indians with assets over US$ 1 million.

* 13,000 new Indian US$ millionaires were added in the past year alone - a 15% p.a. increase over the previous year.

* With a population in excess of 12 million, Mumbai is said to have more millionaires per square mile than Manhattan.

For marine businesses, India is looking more like a potential boating hub every year. Mumbai is known as the ‘Gateway to India’ and its commercial and business epicentre. Mumbai has a natural harbour with miles of sheltered coastline with great places to sail to. The city houses the diamond, finance, IT and film industries – Bollywood is the world’s largest film producing centre.

India, Mumbai particularly, has a strong boating heritage with the third oldest yacht club in the world, the Royal Bombay Yacht Club, set up in 1846.

Yet, the first marina development is only just underway – the Bolgatty Island marina in Cochin, Kerala. Awarded through a global bidding process undertaken by KITCO the project was won by Gulf Marinas, a leading marina manufacturer based in Sharjah whose Indian partners are Ocean Blue Marinas.

Kochi (known in Colonial times as Cochin) is situated on the south-west coast of the Indian peninsula in the scenic and prosperous state of Kerala.

Its strategic importance over the centuries gave shelter to Arabs, British, Chinese, Dutch, and Portuguese sailors, all of whom have left indelible marks on the region’s development.

Kochi has emerged as the commercial and industrial force and is perhaps the second most important city on the west coast of India (after Mumbai/Bombay). It boasts a world class port and international airport that link it to many major cities worldwide.

The entire 900km length of the Kerala coast is lined with sandy beaches, rocky promontories and coconut palms that definitely merit a visit in every tourist itinerary. Touring the beach sites of Kovalam can make any beach holiday a delightful one, as Kerala’s beaches are renowned for the gentle surf and blue waters.
Kochi has a buzzing shipyard, so in addition to bringing tourists to the region, the marina will provide job opportunities to hundreds of workmen in repairing boats and communication equipment. Only last weekend Koci was the stop-over point for the high profile round the world powerboat race Earthrace, now heading for Europe, aiming to break a decade old round the world record.

With the city already playing host to the Volvo Ocean Race in 2008, major investment in a deep draft marine is required the government is sure the country’s first marina will attract significant global maritime attention.

On 1 March, the chief minister laid the foundation stone for Bolgatty Island. The Kerala Tourism Development Corporation (KTDC) Chairman, Cheriyan Philip, announced the marina, situated between Marine Drive and Bolgatty Island, will have facilities for 50 yachts, a Marina House with all modern facilities, a Marina Museum and recreation and convention centres.

A golf course would eventually be developed adjoining it.

The total cost is Rs 8 crore (Rupees 80 million or AUD$2 million). Around Rs 4 million is from central assistance and the remaining is from the state government and loans.

The first phase will be completed this year and the second phase within two years.

‘So far, for many years, India has missed the boat, so to speak,’ Howard Moon, an Australian yacht owner, was quoted as saying.

‘Many yachts go to Sri Lanka because there is a small marina there. The Maldives has marinas. Malaysia, Thailand and every other country that I know has marinas. So, it is high time that India had a Marina.’

At present the cruising yachts need to berth their vessels in the backwaters and reach the shore in inflatable boats.

Seafarers from all over the world have visited the area and relied on the Bolgatty Palace Hotel for food, swimming and other needs.

It is estimated that cruising yachties generally spend an average of two weeks in Kochi, sight seeing, relaxing and carrying out necessary maintenance and the marina will make repairs and maintenance much easier.

The Marina will occupy five acres of land owned by the KTDC near the Bolgatty Palace Hotel. Supporting facilities like petrol stations, a restaurant, health club and car parking are likely to be built on land reclaimed from the backwaters.

Sailors – local and international – are said to be ecstatic over the project.

www.incredibleindia.org

by Jeni Bone
Marine Business News.com

By Sudha S Namboothiry
The Cochin Shipyard Ltd., the largest Greenfield shipyard in the country made history when five platform supply vessels were floated on June 2, 2008 at Cochin simultaneously. The ships launched were the seventh in a series of eight ships under construction for Deep Sea Supply, Norway, two out of 4 ships for M/s Hellespont Steamship corporation, Greece and M/s Tidewater Marine International Inc, USA. Cochin shipyard is one of the leading shipbuilding & repair yard in India, which has an infrastructure that combines economy, scale, and flexibility, and has ISO 9001 accreditation.

The yard is also constructing 20 similar ships for European/American clients valued at over Rs. 2000 crore. These projects are being undertaken exclusive of the Air Defence Ship for the Indian Navy which is also presently under construction. Cochin Shipyard’s proposal for creation of Small Ship Division has been approved by the Government. The project is expected to be completed by March 2009. On completion these facilities would help the shipyard to undertake concurrent construction of small commercial ships with the Aircraft carrier.

The attitude is well expressed in the message of the Shipyard Chairman & Managing Director Commodore Shri M.Jitendran, “Ours is an endeavor to emerge as an internationally competitive yard and facilitate the emergence of India as a dominant ship building and ship repair centre of the region. Cochin Shipyard promises quality service, outstanding workmanship, timely delivery, reliable personnel and excellent coordination that does not leave you feeling at sea …” True to the message, the Shipyard is moving ahead in leaps and bounds to achieve its goal.

It has been a saga of records for the Shipyard since the past five years. Like a phoenix the Shipyard has arisen from its not-so-good times to a profit making company. The total turnover of the company has increased threefolds ie, from Rs.235 crore in 2002-03 to Rs.720 crore in the year 2006-07. Record ship building turnover of Rs.478 crore was achieved in the year 2006-07.

This achievement was again surpassed in 2007-08 with the shipbuilding income reaching Rs 600 crore(provisional). The performance of ship repair department has also been commendable and the Ship repair turnover crossed Rs. 240 crore mark in the year 2007-08. The net profit of the company registered a three fold increase in 2006-07 ie., from Rs. 18 crore in 2005-06 to Rs. 58 crore in 2006-07. The financial performance in the year 2007-08 is expected to surpass all previous records.

Cochin Shipyard was incorporated in the year 1972 as a fully owned Government company. In the last three decades the company has emerged as a forerunner in the Indian Shipbuilding & Shiprepair Industry. This yard can build and repair the largest vessels in India. It can build ships upto 1,10,000 DWT and repair ships upto 1,25,000 DWT.

The yard has many a feather on its hat like it has delivered two of India’s largest double hull Aframax tankers each of 95,000 DWT , has built various types of vessels including Tankers, Bulk Carriers, Port Crafts, Passenger Vessels etc. CSL has secured shipbuilding orders from internationally renowned companies from Europe & Middle East.

Shipyard commenced ship repair operations in the year 1982 and has undertaken repairs of all types of ships including upgradation of ships of oil exploration industry as well as periodical lay up repairs and life extension of ships of Navy, UTL, Coast Guard, Fisheries and Port Trust besides merchant ships of SCI & ONGC.

The yard has, over the years, developed adequate capabilities to handle complex and sophisticated repair jobs. It is ISO 9001-2000 certified for Design and manufacture of small & medium crafts upto 900 GRT , construction of ships upto 1,10,000 DWT, Repair of ships upto 1,25,000 DWT, Training of marine engineers & conducting of fire fighting courses. The Shipyard also trains graduate engineers to marine engineers who later join ships both Indian and foreign as 5th Engineers.

Sudha S Namboothiry is a Media & Communications Officer of PIB, Cochin
Commodity Online

Kochi, Jun 16 (PTI) The ‘Queen of Arabian Sea’ and home to one of the most ancient natural ports in the world, Kochi is gearing up to host the India stopover of the prestigious Volvo Ocean Race 2008-09, the world’s premier offshore yachting event.
The nine-month Volvo Ocean Race is the most spectacular round of the World Marathon Ocean Yacht Racing competition and is seen as the ultimate in extreme adventure sporting, N Ramachandran, Chairman, Cochin Port Trust, said.

This is the first time in its 35-year history that the race would be stopping over in India, he said. On its third leg, the race would stop here in December this year.

The race will commence its round-the-world marathon sailing in October and cover over 39,000 nautical miles, visiting 11 ports across the globe.

Starting from Alicante in Spain, it would stopover at Cape Town, Cochin, Singapore, Qingdao (China), Rio de Janeiro, Boston, Galway (Ireland), Gotebord and Stockholm, before reaching the finishing line at St Petersburg in July 2009.

Cochin Port was chosen for the stopover after extensive evaluations by the race officials and negotiations that went on for over an year, Ramachandran said.

The teams have to deal with face dangers like storms, icebergs, ocean debris and whales as they race day and night for more than 20 days at a stretch in some of the legs, he said. PTI
Press Trust of India

>

Photo Courtesy US Department of Energy Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy

Shown here in Cochin, India

Credit: Lance Wordsworth/Earthrace

Earthrace, a 100 per cent bio-diesel powered boat on its quest to break the world record for the circum navigation of the earth, today called at the Cochin Port for repair and refuelling purposes

Bio-Fuels ForumPress Trust Of India

Kochi, June 14, 2008

First Published: 22:19 IST(14/6/2008)

Last Updated: 22:27 IST(14/6/2008

Earthrace, the Ecoboat, which is attempting to break the round-the-world speed record, arrived in Kochi for a re-fuelling.

The Earthrace, is a ‘78 feet wave piercing trimaran’, a sailing boat like a catamaran but with three hulls, which runs exclusively on bio diesel and has net zero carbon footprints, thus making it one of the world’s most environmentally friendly powerboats.

Pete Bethune, the captain, told reporters that the boat had covered about 19,300 nautical miles after it started off on its journey from Spain in April. The vessel arrived in Kochi from Singapore.

There are four crew members. While Paul alighted here, a new member David Howard joined the boat from Kochi. After nearly an hour, it left.

Bethune underwent liposuction to donate his own fat to be processed into biofuel. “The aim is to show to the world that the best technology can also be sustainable’, he said.

Bethune auctioned off his home to fund the 1.5 million pound project.

Earthrace is attempting to break the world record set by Cable and Wireless in 1998.

Hindstan Times

Earthrace eco-boat aims for fastest refuelling

Friday, 13 June 2008, 10:26 am

Press Release: Earthrace

Earthrace eco-boat aims for fastest refuelling of world record attempt in India

London/Cochin (Kochi), 12 June 2008:

Earthrace, the world’s fastest eco-boat, is expected to arrive at Cochin Port on Saturday 14 June, for the tenth port stop of its world record attempt.

The boat, which is currently 1,700 miles ahead of the current world record holder, is currently battling Monsoon weather and 3m waves off the coast of Sri Lanka, and has reduced her speed to 16kn as a precaution against stressing the boat’s superstructure following major repairs in Singapore.

The crew are hoping for the fastest port stop in the race, aiming for a rapid 90 minute turnaround with the help of local supporters.

Earthrace is a 24m tri-hull wavepiercer that runs on biofuel and is on day 46 of its attempt to break the world record for a powerboat to circumnavigate the globe. The boat is currently 1,700 miles ahead of the world record pace, set by the British Cable and Wireless team in 1998.

The boat had sustained damage after hitting sea debris on departure from Palau and had to have its drive shaft and propeller replaced in Singapore. Although the crew remained ahead of the world record time, they lost about 1,500 miles from their lead. The speedy turnaround in Cochin will help the crew to claw back valuable time which was lost during these essential repair works.

The crew has relied on the generosity of a number of local companies that have stepped forward to help Earthrace have the fastest port stop in the race – a record within a record! The Cochin Port Trust, GAC Shipping Agents, Incredible India Tourism and Michaels Land Resort have all played a vital role in boosting Earthrace’s chances of smashing the world record.

“We’ve been overwhelmed by the local support here in India,” said Skipper Pete Bethune. “If we manage to refuel the boat, stock up on provisions and get on our way again within the 90 minute target we’ll claw back some vital lost time.

“

We’re proud to be stopping in Cochin, as they have a strong connection to one of the greatest figures in nautical history. Vasco da Gama was the first person to ever circumnavigate the globe, and he died and was buried here in Cochin. We’re following in his footsteps over five centuries later, but with a couple of engines and a lot more horsepower!”

When Earthrace leaves Cochin it will head to Salalah, Oman, with British Guest Crew, David Howard, joining the team. Keep up-to-date with Earthrace’s progress via the live satellite tracker at www.earthrace.net

- ends -

Scoop.co.nz

Rohini Mariam Idicula KOCHI: Young, charming women armed with the gift of the gab and are modern, yet uphold traditional Kerala values, can try their luck at this year’s Miss Kerala pageant.

The pageant will be held on July 11, in Kochi.
The event was announced by the reigning Miss Kerala, Rohini Mariam Idicula, and Ram Menon, director of Impresario event managers, by unveiling its logo.

“Those who mirror the image of the modern Kerala woman — assertive and ambitious, but who uphold traditional values, stand the best chance to win the title and the sub-titles,” Mr Menon said.

This year, the International Education Council would give a Rs 2-lakh scholarship to the winner of the pageant that has been sponsored by the ITC-owned Vivel brand. Young women aged 16 to 24, with a minimum height of 5.2” can apply, before June 25. A profile, with a recent photograph must be sent to misskerala@misskerala.net.

Ms Idicula, a law graduate, spoke of how the grooming sessions and the title changed her life.

“It was not very easy though — ‘for uneasy lies the head that wears the crown’. It helped me learn more about nourishing inner and outer beauty, apart from conducting myself better in society. The urge to address problems of children and youth grew in me. I took the lead in organising five camps aimed at boosting the self-confidence of youth,” she said.

The Hindu

By K Kunhikrishnan

Cochin, described as the Queen of the Arabian Sea, was an important trading centre. Travellers and tradesmen of ancient times make copious reference to Cochin. Successive waves of migration over thousands of years made Cochin a cultural melting pot, a cosmopolitan city and a great trading centre.

The first European settlement in India was at Fort Cochin by the Portuguese, followed by the Dutch and finally the British. It was during the British rule, in 1857 (when the rest of the country was convulsed by the uprising against their rule), that three like–minded British businessmen set up the Cochin Chamber of Commerce to safeguard their trading and commercial interests.

It grew into a vibrant institution and later got involved in issues that had a bearing on national economic policy, as revealed in the commemorative volume of the Cochin Chamber of Commerce and Industry, A Journey Through Time — 1857-2007.

Compiled and edited by P Sethuram, M K Das and V N Venugopal, the book is in three parts. The first traces the history of the Chamber and the history and development of trade in Cochin. In the early days the role of the Chamber was mostly concerned with cargo export and import from the harbour. The history of the Chamber was entwined with that of the harbour. Legitimate business interests were the guiding principles of the Chamber, which became a member of the Madras Chamber of Commerce in 1920.

Since independence, the Chamber has been mainly interested in the principal export trade of the region like cashew, spices, marine products etc. and the plantation industry and in the common welfare of Cochin as an economic centre. Many stalwarts occupied positions of importance in transforming the Chamber into a dynamic forward-looking voluntary organisation. Each milestone of growth has been captured in the volume. The most informative part of the volume is the one dealing with Kerala’s economic history. which is unique. The welcome given to foreign traders was more an act of potential business, besides possible political and military help (p 158), thus negating the catholicism of the then rulers of Kerala.

It was the reciprocity of interests that got the better of any other consideration. The spinoff was cultural symbiosis. Though encomiums are paid in full to social development and land reforms, the moot point is whether the state has enhanced the productive sectors of the economy. The profile of trade unions and their godfathers spoiled the image of the state, which is still a land of hartals. The industrial policies were so heavily tilted in favour of labour that investors were apprehensive of a raw deal (190). Fiscal deficit is on the increase. Non-resident Keralites who work abroad are 1. 84 million and major numbers have moved only because of the lack of employment in the state. “Kerala crawls like the proverbial tortoise while the rest of the states run like the proverbial hare,” observes the author while analysing its problems with development policies. The maladies and stagnation of Kerala’s development have been analysed with a fine toothcomb, with deep insight and perception.

Kerala’s cultural heritage forms the final part of the volume. The resurgence of artistic forms during the last decade and the establishment of many institutions to promote them are positive factors. The literary history of Malayalam has been summed up and the names of legendary personalities mentioned. There are descriptions of the many art forms practised in various parts of Kerala. The social milieu deals with the caste and religion. The cultural tapestry chapter should have been part of the art forms. Among the illustrations, the colour photograph on theyyam is described as thira! The absence of an index is conspicuous in the otherwise laudable volume.

Kunhikrishnan is a former deputy director general of Doordarshan.
e-mail: kkunhikrishnan@gmail.com
The New Indian Express

ONE OF the biggest industries of India – tourism industry – has been badly affected by the ongoing chaos in the desert state of Rajasthan and north-eastern hilly district of Darjeeling. Usually in the summer months of May and June tourists from India and foreign countries visit the hill stations Himachal Pradesh and Darjeeling to get a welcome break from scorching heat of the plains. Situated thousands of feet above the sea level the hill stations of Himachal and Darjeeling take visitors close to mother nature. But, this year a major drop has been recorded in the number of tourists visiting Shimla, Kullu, Manali and Dharamsala. According to reports over 20 per cent of hotels and travel agencies in Himachal Pradesh are reeling under losses.

Despite the restlessness in Rajasthan and Darjeeling here is a good news for Indian tourism industry as monsoon season is calling the tourist from across the globe. In fact, people in many regions of the country have experienced the rainfall well in advance and got some relief from scorching heat of summer. Though the monsoon brings excessive rains and badly hit the normal life, but it has special significance for Indian tourism industry. Each year tourists from various parts of the world throng some special regions of India. God’s own country – Kerala – is one such place, which beckons tourists in the monsoon season for a wonderful vacation.

Backwaters, beaches, hills, wildlife etc are some of the popular attractions of Kerala. Here in Kerala tourists can refresh themselves in the invigorating and intoxicating monsoon reason. Besides, the houseboat trip across the tranquil backwaters add more to the experience of the tourists.

If you want to experience monsoon at its best, then combine the Ayurveda treatment in your itinerary. Also called the ‘Oushada mausam’ or medicinal season, monsoon is the time when people visit Kerala for their rejuvenation treatments. Kerala’s pleasant climate, abundance of forests especially herbal and medicinal plants makes it an ideal destination for Ayurveda treatment. Ayurveda in the monsoon is the finest way to refresh and rejuvenate your body and soul. In fact, Ayurveda practitioners say that monsoon season is the best time to undertake Ayurveda treatment as the body become most receptive to the therapeutic and restorative powers of herbs and oils.
Kerala is only place in the world where Ayurveda, the thousands year-old healthcare system is practiced with much dedication.

Ayurveda centres and resorts in Kerala offer the ayurveda treatment under the guidance of the expert doctors. Two types of Ayurvedic programmes are offered by Ayurveda centres namely rejuvenative and therapeutic. After a methodical evaluation, the doctors suggest individual programmes for each person.

During monsoon season tours operating in Kerala offer the especially customised ‘Monsoon Holiday Packages’ that cover all important destinations of the state. Most of the monsoon packages are customised keeping in mind the requirement of both the domestic and foreign tourists. If you want to experience the real charm of monsoon season then head towards god’s own country – Kerala. Surely you will find a rare chance of experiencing nature closely and return home with some lifelong memories.

For last few years ‘monsoon tourism’ has emerged as a new theme of tourism in India and it draws large number of tourists from across the globe. Monsoon has already knocked the door in Kerala and other parts of the country as well, which is good signal from the tourism point of view. Hopefully like previous years, this year too monsoon will attract global trotters to India. Besides, Indian tourism industry may also make up the loss due to chaos in north and north-eastern parts of the country.
Merinews.com

TajSATS to set up 15 kitchens at Rs 400 cr
14 Jun, 2008, 0007 hrs IST,Shruti Jain Ambavat, ET Bureau

MUMBAI: TajSATS, a leading air catering service company, has embarked on an expansion plan to set up 15 kitchens in five years. The joint venture between Indian Hotels Company and Singapore Airport Terminal Services will pump in close to Rs 400 crore to finance the entire exercise.

Sunil Taneja, Marketing and Business Development director, TajSATS, said the decision followed the recent spurt in air catering business. “The air catering business grew 20% last year, riding on a 30% growth in passenger traffic,” he said.

The company has recently set up kitchens in Goa, Bangalore and Amritsar. It may be looking at tier II cities like Nagpur, Guwahati, Cochin, Amritsar, Calicut and Pune where the existing airports are being upgraded. TajSATS generates revenues of around Rs 300 crore, which is nearly half of the total industry’s figures. Other players in this space include Oberoi, Ambassador and Skygourmet.

Mr Taneja said the expansion plan will be funded internally. “We know that the margin is under pressure, but our overall business is expanding in India. We think that we will be the first choice if we have operations in tier II cities,” he added.
Economictimes.indiatimes.com