Category Archives: Business & Economy

For the love of coffee

Agriculture, Business & Economy, Coffee News, Coffee, Kodagu (Coorg), Green Initiatives / Environment, Nature

Is the modern day coffee cultivation threatening our biodiversity? Read on to find out how you can responsibly source your favourite morning cuppa

It’s the quintessential breakfast drink, the morning elixir, the ambassador for good days and the one drink with absolute power to wake you up. Yes, our morning cuppa coffee is what we all look forward to wake us up from a slumber hangover.

But, what if we didn’t have coffee anymore? Or, if the modern day production of coffee is impacting forests and wildlife, in turn, affecting our consumption? Alarming isn’t it?

ArshiyaBoseKODAGU03may2016

Arshiya Bose has set out on a quest to responsibly source coffee without making an imprint on our environment. She started Black Baza Coffee in an attempt to save biodiversity. Technically, coffee is grown under a marquee of trees.

But, because of deforestation, coffee is now grown under direct sunlight, giving way to monoculture which affects our biodiversity levels drastically. “After my Ph. D., I started spending time at coffee landscapes in India, mostly Coorg,” says Arshiya, a wildlife scientist.

“We found that compared to other parts of the world where forests had been clear-felled to grow coffee, India had retained forest trees and planted coffee underneath the shade of these trees. This meant that coffee farms in India have supported all kinds of beautiful biodiversity for decades. The challenge arises because, since the 1970s onwards, many farms have been removing shade trees in the hope of better coffee yields. The trade-off here is that the yields of coffee are actually higher when coffee is grown under direct sun (which is why in high coffee producing nations like Brazil, Vietnam etc., there are no shade trees). This was the problem we were trying to address. How can we make it economically viable for farmers to grow a more ecologically-friendly coffee?”

The first step involves identifying farms in places like Kodagu and B.R. hills, based on factors like potential of the farm to support biodiversity and willingness to participate in conservation projects. A conservation agreement is then drawn up with the farms that include maintaining 100 trees per acre, protection of water sources, restricting the usage of chemical pesticides and maintaining 60-80 per cent shade cover which means no cutting of tree branches.

“In 2009 I met a young scientist – Claude Garcia, a French, who spoke fairly good Tamil,” recalls Arshiya. “He told me: ‘if we can’t achieve biodiversity-friendly farming with coffee we probably can’t achieve with any other farming system either’. That sentence stuck on as I believe that coffee is the perfect crop to experiment with. Coffee gets the attention of people and then becomes a way to engage someone who previously never cared about conservation. I always say: we want to bring conservation to everybody’s breakfast table.”

Black Baza Coffee is already available at natural and health food stores, where they partner with like-minded cafes and institution who would want to serve great coffee with a story.

The bean cause - Working together for that perfect cuppa
The bean cause – Working together for that perfect cuppa

Aesthetic packaging and cheeky questions on their cover makes Black Baza Coffee a unique product. “What does moth-friendly coffee taste like?” “What does Otter-friendly coffee taste like?” – are some of the questions you get to see on their packages. “All of our coffee varieties are a tribute to the charismatic plant and wildlife species that share the Western Ghats landscape with coffee,” says Arshiya, “For example, the Otter coffee comes from two riverside farms in Kodagu where we are protecting the Cauvery River from effluents and degradation of riverside vegetation. The Luna Moth is a magnificent indicator of ecological health as well. So while we could test our coffees in the lab for chemical residues etc. (which we do), we also go out to the farm and count Luna moths or Ficus trees or Otters because these species tell us the whole ecological picture – lab tests don’t tell us whether farms are biodiversity-friendly or not.”

Black Baza Coffee now works with 30 farmers and there are over three lakh small-medium growers in India. While Arshiya isn’t sure about the future of the model in India, she is positive and fiercely relentless about being a major coffee player that makes biodiversity-friendly coffee a household staple instead of an exception.

source: http://www.thehindu.com / The Hindu / Home> MetroPlus / by Rehna Abdul Kareem / May 03rd, 2016

Bangalore Based Startup – Aromas of Coorg, Brewing Business with Coffee

Agriculture, Business & Economy, Coffee News, Coffee, Kodagu (Coorg), Famous Personalities of Kodagu / Coorg, Green Initiatives / Environment, Inspiration / Positive News and Features, Leaders, World Opinion

When Friedrich Durrenmatt once said “It is surely easier to confess a murder over a cup of coffee than in front of a jury.” he quite simply put across the magic of a good cup of brewing coffee!

AromasofCoorgKODAGU29apr2016

Fresh, strong, steaming hot and hassle-free service are some of the words which come to your mind when you think of coffee and vending serivces, and these very words are the part of Aromas of Coorg’s philosophy.

In conversation with Abhilasha Dafria for YourStory, A.Chithra Uthappa, co-founder of Aromas of Coorg, tells us how they, at AOC, are full of fresh ideas, believe strongly in quality and customer satisfaction and have the best designed products for their customers so that they get the maximum value for their money.

Afterall, science may never come up with a better office communication system than the coffee break!

Hi Chitra, tell us about yourself and an introduction to Aromas of Coorg

Aromas of Coorg has been in business of Beverage solutions since 2009 & coffee cultivation for more than 3 decades. Our passion is to provide the most technology driven, innovative beverage solutions to both businesses and consumers.

I, A.Chithra Uthappa, am the founder & Managing Director of Aromas of Coorg and I’m an MBA from MIT MAHE University, Manipal and B.B.M From Mysore University. I have worked with large corporates like Kotak Mahindra Bank, Aditya Birla Minacs and iSeva/e4e. All my corporate roles have been with fast growing sunrise industries and have played significant roles in building the businesses and growing the companies to the next level. In my last assignment with the start-up open2save, I was a key team member and was instrumental in setting up new business channels ground-up.

Radhakrishnan M, my co-founder & Head of Operations is a seasoned professional with over a decade’s experience in large corporate before he set-up his own company, Aromas of Coorg. He has worked with large corporate like Dell, Infosys, Manpower Inc. etc and has extensive experience in building and managing businesses including sales, building teams and organizations. He is an MBA from Loyola College, Chennai and B.Sc. from Madras University.

So what triggered this idea?

There are four important factors that made our idea into a company, ie, My husband’s passion and support for my entrepreneurship, my son, our roots from Coorg and the corporate exposure.

First and foremost, to become an entrepreneur was always the dream of my husband and me … this is what we wanted to be. I was on sabbatical for my child and during the break; I conceived the business idea too! We decided that this would be the right opportunity to start something on our own sitting at home. This is where it all started.
We are basically from Coorg and we have been into coffee cultivation for more than three decades. This was the primary driver why we chose to build something unique in this space and we thought out of the box. Having worked with corporate for more than a decade we understand this world well and we were able to quickly identify the opportunity.

Thus the birth of “Aromas of Coorg”, as we wanted our company to bear the name “Coorg” in some part and also wanted a name where our targeted customers can easily relate to it. Quite naturally the first thing that attracts anybody to any form of food is the “Aroma”. That is how we finalized on the name “Aromas of Coorg” and this also marked our entry into the beverage solutions for corporate, institutions, etc.

Since when are you operational? How big is your team? Are you looking at hiring?

We are fully operational since August 2009. We are currently a 40 member team. Yes, definitely, we are looking to strengthen our sales force and simultaneously our operational support staff will have to go hand in hand with every new client that gets added.

What is your clientele like?

We service range of clients like large corporate across multiple cities to a one location company as well. We have a well spread out client base across industries and geographies.

Where are you based and where are your clients from?

We are based in Bangalore and are currently supporting clients in Bangalore, Mysore, Tumkur, Nelamangala, Hosur and Chennai. However, we are not present in retail segment at this point of time.

Where do you have your manufacturing units? Which cities do you provide the home-delivery services?

Our manufacturing unit is also in Bangalore; currently we provide home delivery service only within Bangalore city limits.

How does the supply chain work?

We are currently able to manage the supply chain internally, our raw materials are procured from different locations and the respective vendors manage the supply chain of the respective products. All these products come to our processing units in Bangalore from where the supply of finished products to the respective clients is managed by full time employees of AOC. Machines are manufactured under our complete supervision.

Did you fund-raise to start up? If not, are you looking at getting funded now?

We used our personal money and angel money. We are looking to get funding for our future expansions.

How does the revenue module work?

We work both on variable and a fixed pricing model where clients can pay based on usage or based on usage+ a fixed monthly costs. The pricing model is designed with the motive of win-win for us and clients.

So what were the challenges you faced while starting up? Tell me about your initial hurdles.

First and foremost challenge was how to differentiate ourselves from the others; there were several big brands and more than enough small vendors. We really had to come up with a differentiator from the existing. This is the stage were we re-invented our traditional filter coffee. The wave of western form of coffee was so popular that everybody is racing towards the Cappuccino, Espresso, latte, etc.

Timing was tough; given it was the time of deep recession, all around you there were companies going under losses, almost all the corporate were planning for major cost cutting, and so on. It was also very difficult for us to penetrate the companies with our new concept and service offerings.

Of course our innovative thinking helped us make good inroads. We took this to our advantage and came up with our very own filter coffee which is truly Indian, especially south Indian, and presented to the corporate the first of its kind fully-automated Vending machines which serves authentic filter Coffee and freshly brewed Tea. In our very first Demo we knew that we hit the nail on the head with our concept.

Are there other players in the market doing similar things? What are your key differentiators?

Yes there are several big names in the market providing beverage service, Coffee day, Fresh & Honest, Tata Cafe, Hindustan lever, etc. Our USP is our focus on technology, our zeal to innovate and our relentless passion for quality. Our Vending machine is the first its kind which is fully automated to serve freshly brewed authentic filter Coffee & freshly brewed Tea on a single press of the button. We are the first company in India to build coffee vending machine with both HOT & COLD option in the same machine. We are looking at adding more features around quality assurance here.

Our Coffee is a blend of six varieties of finest coffees beans hand picked from our own cultivation and we apply expert science, combined with traditional artistry, in order to maximize the flavor attributes of each roast. Our coffee roasting process is tuned to develop coffee flavors to the fullest for flavor profile, aroma and overall character in the cup. These factors make us the pioneers and front runners in providing the most hygienic and finest Coffee but at the same time affordable vending service provider in the market today.

Can you share with us some interesting trends about the market that you are trying to capture?

The market is looking for continuous innovation and personalization as much as possible.

An interesting trend is enhanced customer awareness and focus on health drinks like badam milk, green tea, milk shakes, horlicks etc. In some clients these new drinks are consumed lot more than traditional tea and coffee.

What are the challenges of scale in this business and how do you prepare to cope with them?

The biggest challenge in scaling is to maintain the same levels of service and quality. This is B2B2C market and end consumers decide what they finally like to drink. Having a continuous feedback loop and connection with end consumers is another critical aspect of this business.

Where and how do you see yourself going ‘bout this?

We aim to build our company to PAN India multi format Beverage Company. To serve 1 lacs cups a day is our immediate 12 months target.

For more information, please visit their website: http://aromasofcoorg.com/

– Abhilasha Dafria

source: http://www.yourstory.com / Your Story.com / Home> Entrepreneur / Team YS / by Abhilasha Dafria / December 30th, 2011

The New Brew Strategy

Business & Economy, Coffee News, World Opinion

NewBrewKODAGU26apr2016

Coffee is cool, and Indian coffee is cooler still. That’s the message a brave new breed of young coffee growers are taking to the world.

Youngsters with a family background in coffee, they are taking their products to the next level – incorporating quality produce with sustainable agriculture and state-of-theart production techniques and marketing. To them, the customer is king – and they are pleased to customise their coffees, reach out to educate and grow their customer base. Their final desired outcome is to make Indian coffee a thing of beauty at home and abroad. Meet some of the players.

Rishwin Devaya | 26
Riverside Coffee, Coorg

“A planter’s approach is usually to just maximise yield, but I am experimenting to control the end quality. I want to add value to Coorg coffee;I’m in it for the long run”

It was while Rishwin Devaya was working for a wine company that he realised he wanted to return to his roots to create a brand of world-class coffee from Riverside, his own 80-acre coffee estate in Siddapur, Coorg, along the Cauvery river. As he watched his employers go through the process of cultivating grapes, producing and selling wines, he realised he could do the same.

“My family has been growing coffee in Coorg since 1898, but we’ve always sold the beans to large-scale producers. In fact as I thought about it, I realised that very few coffee drinkers truly understand much about their preferred types of coffee (Arabica, Robusta) or different types of roasts.” He quit his job and started processing the 60 tonnes of coffee grown in his estate.

“I started sending out samples on a small scale to restaurants in Bangalore last year. I want my own strong brand, and to focus on customising coffee, so different restaurants get their own individual blends.” Devaya’s single origin coffee is UTZ and Wood certified, and has been launched in custom- designed tins in three variants – a 100 per cent Arabica, a 50/50 Arabica/ Robusta and the popular filter coffee blend which incorporates chicory.

“From April onwards, my coffee will be available on my website, besides gourmet stores. For my next phase I plan to offer blends and grinds according to customer requests — the ultimate customised coffee. What I love about coffee is that each person has his own way of enjoying it. I want people to understand how simple it is to make a really good cup.” Devaya recently launched Riverside Coffee with a tasting event at Red Fork, where he demonstrated different coffee-drinking styles for guests, a kind of show-and-tell on coffee.

This covered the entire production process, from picking the ripe ‘cherry’, to the pulping and washing stage, to getting the ‘parchment’, followed by hulling and polishing to get the green bean and finally grading (AA, A, B or peaberry, while BBB – blacks, browns and bits – are usually sold in bulk to make instant coffee.) “A planter’s approach is usually to just maximise yield, but I’m experimenting to control the end quality. I want to add value to Coorg coffee; I’m in it for the long run.”www.riversidecoffee.in

Tejini Kariappa | 28
Halli Berri Coffee, Chikmagalur

“We sold our coffee in handwritten aluminium foil packets to start with. Then the name was suggested by my sister and my mother liked it, saying, ‘We should be proudly Coorg.”

Tejini Kariappa’s idea of creating her coffee brand Halli Berri happened because “we were giving away too much free coffee,” she says. Her family-run coffee enterprise is based in Chikmagalur and is headed by her mother and herself — India’s first all-women run coffee business.

Her estate, Kambihalli, in the foothills of Chikmagalur’s Bababudan hills, has been in the family for generations, with Kariappa also running a PR firm, Estrada, in Mumbai. Halli means village in Kannada, and when juxtaposed with ‘berry’ makes the name sound ethnic, meaning ‘the village berry.’ Halli Berri grew almost organically, as visitors at the estate café run by her mother started asking for fresh-ground coffee powder to buy and take home.

Kariappa explains, “We sold our coffee in handwritten aluminium foil packets to start with. Then the name was suggested by my sister and my mother liked it. ‘We should be proudly Coorg,’ she said.” So Halli Berri was born and now remains a frontrunner in India’s single-origin coffee story. Today Kariappa sells a single variant full-bodied 100 per cent Arabica coffee made from premium graded beans under the Halli Berri brand. She prices it affordably, “in fact not much more than instant coffee,” she points out.

The brand is Rainforest Alliance certified, one of the highest certifications worldwide. She also runs a CSR initiative, ‘Be Berri Conscious’ tied in with her coffee business – it is mandatory for all her workers to send their children to school, and families are given free meals. Halli Berri also supports wildlife initiatives — tiger conservation and 296 species of migratory birds in the estate. “I want this to be a legacy for my children and their children,” she says. The estate also offers a responsible luxury’ homestay experience.

Juggling two different lifestyles has been tough, more so given the innumerable subsidies, certification and licences a business needs for survival.But Kariappa finds the journey “interesting… Indian coffee must get its due recognition. And the youth in India should realise that Indian coffee is cool. This (coffee) has really been my life from the start – so you could say I’m trying to start a revolution.” halliberri.com
________________________________________________________________

EXPERT SPEAK

“Indian single estate coffee is an idea whose time has come. The growth of India’s coffee story has been generational. Earlier generations saw coffee as a commodity, pooled to sell so there was no individual identity. For today’s new generation, whom I call ‘marketpreneurs’, marketing is important. They are more passionate in their approach.

It’s not about production alone now — there are value adds, customised blends, quality packaging, niche brands with back stories happening along with the additional benefit of e-commerce. This is excellent.

However, the new generation must be aware of a few factors. They must not ape the biggies — the Tata Coffees or Unilevers — but focus on the ‘small is beautiful’ dictum. They must also concentrate on physical distribution of their product, not only the virtual via e-commerce. And they need to focus on quality, not get overwhelmed by only branding.

Finally, customisation divides markets into choice segments: do this with scale in mind, don’t create nano-niches which are unsustainable by themselves. This is the way ahead to lift Indian coffee to world recognition”

-Harish Bijoor, coffee expert & brand consultant
_________________________________________________________________

Abhijit Shetty | 30, & Advith Shetty | 33
Seven Beans Coffee Company, Chikmagalur

“India is the sixth largest coffee producer in the world, but two-thirds of our coffee is exported to Europe, where the beans are roasted and sold; no one knows that’s Indian coffee”

Civil engineers by profession, the Shetty brothers, joint managing directors at Seven Beans Coffee Company, realised early on that their heart lay in producing the best coffees sourced from their five estates in Chikmagalur (their premium estate Woddaegudda is 450 acres and Rainforest Alliance certified). “We grew up spending summers on the estate — here coffee was grown but sold to coffee houses to process and sell,” says Advith, who handles sales.

They decided to leverage their engineering skills to develop their business, raising the bar through research and export. “India is the sixth largest coffee producer in the world, but two thirds of our coffee is exported to Europe, where the beans are roasted and sold under different international brand names. There, they command exorbitant prices, except no one knows that’s Indian coffee,” says Abhijit, who looks after production and operations, adding that they wanted to create a globally recognised brand. They incorporated Seven Beans Coffee in 2013, a complete bean-to-cup enterprise, and started the search for a global partner.

They zeroed in on Dr Dante Cagliari, a noted Italian master roaster, and the association recognises Seven Beans for a unique USP in the custom- made single estate coffee market. Seven Beans pre-blends and then roasts their coffee at their own customised Chikmagalur roastery, grinding and packaging both whole coffee beans, powder and capsules. They have begun exporting three variants under their own brand names — Mishta (70/30 Arabica/Robusta), Urja (60/40), and Eka (50/50) — and the packaging is deliberately very Indian. They also import signature Italian blends by Cagliari. Abhijit explains the historical growth of coffee, “The early 1900s saw the patenting of technology forinstant coffee. It was followed by consumers, especially those in the US, seeking better quality and asking about origin; terms like ‘fair trade’ became important. The most recent trend saw the term ‘artisanal coffee’ coined. Artisanal producers control every step of coffee production, from bean to cup.”

Seven Beans started production in 2015 and now sells its custom coffees to corporate offices and restaurants, as well as online and in gourmet stores. They offer end to end services, including renting and sale of imported Italian coffee machines. Aiming to bring the perfect cup to consumers, they offer barista training, from grinding coffee to frothing milk. “Indian consumers learn quick, want quality and are aspirational, therefore they are aware of artisanal Indian coffee,” adds Abhijit. sevenbeans.co

Meet the others

Specialised coffee brands like Flying Squirrel (flyingsquirrel.in) and Blue Tokai (bluetokaicoffee. com) have been making their presence felt among coffee lovers in India with customised coffee straight from estates in Chikmagalur and Coorg, sold online and instore. Other players include the Indian Bean Company (theindianbean. com) and Bengaluru’s Estatecraft coffee (estatecraft.in).

source: http://www.newindianexpress.com / The New Indian Express / Home> Business> News / by Ruma Singh / April 25th, 2016

Coffee Growers Feel the Heat

Agriculture, Business & Economy, Coffee, Kodagu (Coorg), Green Initiatives / Environment, Nature

Somwarpet :

The rising temperatures and a lack of rain have caused a desperate situation for coffee growers.

According to an estimate, nearly 30 per cent of the coffee plantations received blossom showers during March and April, while the remaining 70 per cent are yet to receive the first rainfall.

This situation might have a bearing on the prices of coffee and pepper in the coming season.

Last year, the total production of coffee in the country was 3.5 lakh tonnes while the district produced around 1.6 lakh tonnes of coffee, on an area of 1.10 lakh hectares. According to sources, this year, coffee production will be reduced by at least 20 per cent, due to insufficient and delayed rain, as well as rising temperatures.

Madikeri Coffee Board deputy director Ananth Kumar said delayed rain adversely affected young coffee plants and crop this year.

He said the Coffee Board will conduct pre-monsoon surveys in the month of May every year, to ascertain the production.

He said growers should maintain shade in estates, as temperatures had risen to 32 degrees in some parts of the district, causing dryness of soil.

In some dry areas where annual rainfall is below 50 inches, young plants wilted and died, even under the shade of trees.

In Banavara, Abburkatte, Yedavare and Yedavanadu, coffee growers are worried about crops wilting and dying. Coffee grower M L Ravi from Aigoor said growers are in distress owing to falling prices of coffee, and that delayed rains have added to their woes.

He said last year 50 kg Arabica coffee sold at Rs 10,000-Rs 10,200, but now, the price had fallen to Rs 8,200.

source: http://www.newindianexpress.com / The New Indian Express / Home> States> Karnataka / by Coovercolly Indresh / April 22nd, 2016

Delayed blossom showers, rising mercury rob coffee crop of aroma

Business & Economy, Coffee News, Coffee, Kodagu (Coorg)

CoffeeKF20apr2016

Bengaluru :

The unusually high temperatures and the delay in arrival of pre-monsoon or blossom showers could shrink the robusta coffee crop for the 2016-17 season, starting October.

Growers in the key regions of Coorg and Chikmagalur are concerned over the delay in pre-monsoon showers, crucial for blossoming of the coffee floral buds, and fear that it could impact robusta output by up to a fourth.

Blossom showers and subsequent backing showers are crucial for a good crop. Traditionally, the robusta and arabica areas should receive pre-monsoon showers by March 15 and April 15, respectively, for a good blossom.

“The blossom shower has been very sporadic and scanty this year and it is definitely going to affect the crop, both robusta and arabica,” said Baba PS Bedi, Chairman of the Karnataka Planters’ Association.

“Small growers, who cannot afford to take up sprinkler irrigation, are going to be hit hard,” Bedi said, adding that the planters’ association will soon urge the State government to take up cloud seeding to create artificial rain in the key growing regions.

Water crisis
Though most of the robusta area is irrigated, with growers deploying sprinklers to irrigate their estates without waiting for the blossom showers, the lack of sufficient water storage this year has turned out to be a cause for concern.

Two back-to-back droughts triggered by successive deficient monsoons have created water stress thereby affecting the availability for irrigation, Bedi added.

“The delay in blossom showers and the prevailing unusually high temperatures across all the growing regions is a real cause of worry. It will have a significant impact on the crop loss, but it is too early to quantify the impact,” said Y Raghuramulu, Director of the Balehonnur-based Central Coffee Research Institute (CCRI).

The Coffee Board is expected to take up crop assessment sometime in mid-May.

In addition, the depleting shade pattern in some areas is aggravating the problem this year, Raghuramulu added.

“The situation is terrible in South Coorg. With temperatures ruling 2-3 degrees higher than normal, there is a fear of coffee plants dying in some areas,” said N Bose Mandanna, a planter in Suntikoppa, near Madikeri. About 30 per cent of the robusta area is impacted by the delayed rainfall, he added.

“The overall situation is not comfortable. Though it has rained in some pockets, the quantum of rainfall is not sufficient. The water stress and high temperatures will affect the blossom, thereby impacting the crop,” said Nishant Gurjer, a planter in Chikmagalur.

Plants under pressure
Another factor that could affect the output this year is stressed out plants. “In the last two years, we have been picking some good crop. As a result, the plants are relatively stressed and the output could be impacted,” Gurjer added.

The Coffee Board has estimated the 2015-16 crop’s output at 3.5 lakh tonnes, a 7 per cent increase over the previous year’s 3.27 lakh tonnes.

source: http://www.thehindubusinessline.com / Businessline.com / Home> Economy> Agri Business / Vishwanath Kulkarni / Bengaluru – April 19th, 2016

Briefly

Arts, Culture & Entertainment, Business & Economy, Education

WORLD CONSUMER DAY

The World Consumer Day was celebrated recently in Madikeri under the joint auspices of Kodagu district administration, Food and Civil Supplies Department and Kodagu District Consumer Forum.

Mir Anis Ahmed, DC of Kodagu, inaugurated and V.A. Patil, President, Kodagu District Consumer Forum, presided over the programme which was attended by more than 150 people.

C.V. Nagaraj, retired Senior Chemist, Regional Agmark Laboratory, Bengaluru, demonstrated simple tests to detect adulteration in various food items. He also spoke about the harmful effects of various types of adulteration and on the laws that exist in India against food adulteration.

Associations interested in arranging such lecture-demos can contact C.V. Nagaraj ( 2521640, 9945651990).

CULTURAL FEST

The Department of Tourism and Hospitality Management, Pooja Bhagavat Memorial Mahajana Education Centre, has organised an inter-collegiate cultural festival on April 12 and 13. For registration contact festival convener Paul Iruthayaraj on 9739824423, Faculty coordinators Gunarekha B.S. on 9480438394 or Priyadarshan Bhat on 8867204780.

source: http://www.thehindu.com / The Hindu / Home> National> Karnataka / Mysuru – April 11th, 2016

The urban escape

Arts, Culture & Entertainment, Business & Economy, Green Initiatives / Environment, Nature

coorgKF07apr2016

With a sweltering summer on the threshold, Bengalureans are eager to get packing. Idyllic beaches, trekking adventures, wildlife tours and culinary trails, the possibilities are immense.

With airfare and hotel prices set to rise, they are trying to get the best deal without breaking the bank. Tour companies and adventure groups while pointing out how holiday-goers are exploring newer destinations, spell out whats ticking and what’s not!

By all accounts, summer holidays are the perfect time to revisit childhood. Keeping that in mind, ‘F5 Escapes’, a Bangalore-based, alternate travel company, which specialises in designing and executing all-women travel experiences, is holding a ‘Mom and Kids’ Trip’ to Coorg this summer.

Explaining the concept, Malini, founder and chief travel officer, says “As children, we have all chased fireflies. There was a certain magic in those quick, shining flickering lights in the dark. Of course, with time, glaring neon lights took over our night sky. With the concept ‘Chasing the fireflies in Coorg’, moms and kids will have the opportunity to explore the rainforests of Coorg. We help relive the childhood and watch the fireflies. It is also an occasion to learn about organic cultivation and solar living. We are organising the trip on April 23 and 24. Apart from that, we are also planning day trips in May.”

For the wanderlust-struck, any chance to get away from the cacophony is a winning deal. Across the country, the options are unlimited with every nook and corner having a story to tell and every nondescript hamlet something to offer. Himachal Pradesh has been high on the list of Bengalureans for some time now, be it for adventure or for the serene locale.

“When it comes to domestic travel, Kashmir has bounced back this year to be the top trending destination for domestic travel followed by Himachal Pradesh, Sikkim and Ladakh,” informs Karan Anand, head, relationships, Cox & Kings. As far as overseas destinations are concerned, “Switzerland and France continue to be hot favourites this summer. A new addition this year is Russia whereas Thailand, Malaysia, Singapore, Hong Kong and Macau are the most popular destinations in Southeast Asia among Indian travellers. Cambodia, Philippines, Vietnam and Bali are offbeat lovers’ paradise,” he adds. Planning a vacation is no easy task, but for the many nomads in the city, an escape from the city has become inevitable. In fact they are happily infected by the travel bug.

“Summer has always been a popular time to travel amongst many Indians,” points out Ravish Doctor, manager- growth strategy, Skyscanner India. “Be it for a long weekend or an extended holiday, we have witnessed an increase in the number of travellers making the most of the holidays during the summer,” he says.

“From Bengaluru, there has been a steady rise in search for destinations within Southeast Asia. Much like the majority of Indians, travellers from Bengaluru also favour summer travel to more popular destinations such as Bangkok, Singapore, Bali and Kuala Lumpur.

While across the country, London and Paris continue to be the most searched destinations in Europe; in spite of the soaring temperatures, Dubai is emerging as a destination. This may be attributed to Dubai as an all-round family destination which makes it perfect for children during their summer vacations,” he says. In spite of the recent happenings in Europe, surprisingly, there is still a sizable chunk who wants to explore its picturesque locales. “Europe is the perfect holiday destination for Indian travellers who want to escape the summer heat and we are observing an upward trend for this destination. While, destinations such as France, UK, Ireland, Switzerland and Italy continue to be favourites, there are many small regions within these countries that are getting very popular such as Charmonix in France,’’ adds Karan. Clearly, this summer seems to hold plenty of choices and surprises.

source: http://www.deccanherald.com / Deccan Herald / Home> Supplements> MetroLife / by Anupama Ramakrishnan / DHNS – April 05th, 2016

Coorg green cardamom to join select club

Amazing Feats, Business & Economy

It is to get the GI tag soon, says Spices Board

Fresh Impetus: H.S. Srinivas, Joint Director, Spices Board, addressing farmers at the seminar in Kodagu on Monday.
Fresh Impetus: H.S. Srinivas, Joint Director, Spices Board, addressing farmers at the seminar in Kodagu on Monday.

Appangala (Kodagu Dt.) :

Coorg green cardamom is expected to secure the geographical area indicator (GI) tag very soon as all formalities have been completed, according to Joint Director (Development), Spices Board, Sakleshpur, H.S. Srinivas, here on Monday.

He was speaking to presspersons on the sidelines of a regional seminar held at the Indian Institute of Spices Research (IISR) here, on pepper and cardamom. It was organised by the IISR and the Spices Board. Coorg green cardamom is to join the select group of 34 crops in the State for which GI tag applications have been registered, Mr. Srinivas said. The process would be complete once the gazette notification is made soon. The tag would help the product carve out a niche for itself in the market, besides getting all priorities for its production.

He said that Indian spices export had reached an all-time high during the period April 2008 to January 2009, touching a whopping Rs. 4,500 crore. However, the contribution of pepper was slightly down, Mr. Srinivas said. As much as 475 MT of cardamom was exported, which was up by 75 MT compared to the previous year.

Increase in production

In three year’s time, cardamom production would be raised to around 15,000 hectares in Kodagu district, he said. Diseases such as ‘Katte’ and others had accounted for the destruction of cardamom crops in the district in the past. Mr. Srinivas said crop insurance too would be introduced for the commodity in the district soon.

The Spices Board was providing subsidies for cardamom re-plantation, construction of drying yards, and for digging wells and tanks, Mr. Srinivas added. The board had also opened new offices at Bhagamandala in Kodagu and Vanajoor in Hassan.

Earlier, the president of the Karnataka Planters’ Association, K.M. Nanaiah, inaugurated the regional seminar on pepper and cardamom at the IISR premises. The president of the Codagu Planters’ Association, B. Duleep Nanjappa, who was a guest, called upon the farmers who had come in good numbers to ‘help themselves’ in saving the pepper vines from disease by proper management system.

He told the farmers to follow the advise of the scientists of the IISR and the Spices Board not only for saving the plants but also to obtain higher productivity.

source: http://www.thehindu.com / The Hindu / Home> Karnataka / by Staff Correspondent / March 26th, 2009

Youth associations told to focus on rural development

Arts, Culture & Entertainment, Business & Economy, Sports

Kodagu Cardamom Marketing Cooperative Association Vice President Kolumudiyana Ananta Kumar said young women should strive towards forming and strengthening their organisations.

He was speaking at a programme organised to mark the 51st anniversary of Galibeedu Yuvaka Sangha near Madikeri on Monday.Kumar said will urge the government to release of funds for the construction of a building for the association.

Galibeedu gram panchayat member M D Subhash Alva said youth associations should concentrate on rural development. They should conduct camps to create awareness among people on government schemes, cleanliness campaign and other activities, he added.

Gram panchayat Vice President B M Rani Muttanna said youth associations should have their own buildings and the gram panchayat members will join their hands in this endeavour.

Yuvaka Sangha President Ududoli S Girish, Government Primary School Headmaster Leela Shedthi, gram panchayat members A T Kumari and Jayalakshmi were present.

Children and youth took part in the taluk-level volleyball tournament, a mini marathon and rural games held at Government Lower Primary School playground in Galibeedu.

Results of competitions

Mini Marathon (men): I – Kodi Jeethan, II - Kodi Deepak, III – Kombarana Gagan
Mini Marathon (women): I – Bachana Dhanya , II – Poojashree, III – K U Mala.
Tug of War (men): I – Galibeedu Yuvaka Mandala, II – Snehithara Yuvaka Sangha
Tug of War (women): I – Galibeedu Friends Team, II- Galibeedu Cool Friends.

source: http://www.deccanherald.com / Deccan Herald / Home> District / Madikeri -DHNS, March 08th, 2016

Healthtech Startup Healtheminds Gets Undisclosed Amount From Robin Uthappa’s Caffeine Ventures

Business & Economy, Famous Personalities of Kodagu / Coorg, Science & Technology, Sports

HealtheMindsKF29mar2016

And joining in the ever growing list of sports personalities investing in startups, Robin Uthappa, through his VC firm Caffeine Ventures, has invested an undisclosed amount in Healtheminds, a healthcare technology startup.

These newly raised funds will be used by the company to launch a new product and to increase its reach across India. The company will also hire for its operations team.

Founded in 2013 by Ankita Puri – a former investment banker and Sunita Maheshwari, Yale-trained cardiologist, Healtheminds focuses on tackling mental and emotional problems of patients. The company also has an online platform through which users can connect with counsellors, psychologists and coaches through video, telephonic and chat communication systems.

It claims that currently, there are more than 70 professionals across India on its platform. It provides video counselling while keeping the identity of the caller anonymous. Until now, the company was bootstrapped and claims that of doubling its users every month. The company aim to do at least 5,000 online therapy sessions each month on the platform.

Robin Uthappa, who invested in this round, said,

I invested in HealthEminds to help break this barrier that is holding people back from reaching their full potential. Today, online is a great medium for people to easily reach out for help whether it is to overcome depression, blocks or break barriers in their lives with the right help.

Commenting on investment from Robin, Sunit Maheshwari, co-founder of the company, said,

It’s wonderful to have an investor on board who understands the importance of the mind in sport and in health.

The company is charging between ₹500 and ₹1500 per session depending on the professional. It works with 45 mental healthcare professionals nationally and is targeting to increase this number to 100 by the end of the calendar year. Healtheminds panel of professionals comprises of renowned psychologists, counsellors, life coaches, psychiatrists and nutritionists, who are all equipped to help improve personal and professional development.

Users can book an online session with a professional of their choice at a time that suits them and have a video session from the comfort of their home.

As for Uthappa, this is not the first time he is investing in a startup. Earlier, he had invested close to Rs 1.5 crore in iTiffin – a Bangalore based healthy food/tiffin delivery service provider.

source: http://www.thetechportal.in / TheTechPortal.in / Home> News> Start-Ups / by Jeet Suthar / March 29th, 2016