Economy

Most of us Bangaloreans consume eggs, whether as fried eggs or in cakes. But did you know where the egg on your plate comes from? From a factory or a farm? India is among the top five poultry producers in the world today; we did about 45 billion eggs in 2009, from 200 million caged hens. Life for the hen in an industrial poultry farm is inhuman, to put it mildly. Treated as mere egg-producing machines, these hens get less than an A4 sheet of space to live their entire lives; are fed with steroids in order to make them…

Based on a Public Interest Litigation (PIL) filed by Bangalore-based Institute of Public Health (IPH), the Karnataka High Court (HC) has issued notices to the Karnataka state health and family welfare department, and the union ministries of commerce and health. The PIL challenges the sponsorship and participation of the Tobacco Board of India (a Government of India entity established under the Ministry of Industry and Commerce) in the Global Tobacco Networking Forum (GTNF), scheduled to be held at ITC  Royal Gardenia (near Kanteerva stadium) between October 4th - 8th, here in Bangalore. The Global Tobacco Networking Forum is scheduled to…

Today, mentors, investors and angel investors are available in plenty in Bengaluru. There is a lot of energy and excitement in the air. While a great mentor and investor can do wonders to take your company from one orbit to the next, a bad one can deplete your energy and dilute company value. Here are some thoughts from Gyan, the super-mentor on the current scenario.. "to trigger thinking":•·        Think through the long term impact of the investors/mentors/advisors on your business when you decide to give away equity, both positive and not so positive•·        If there is a mix of investors/mentors…

Fresh out of college, they chose to tread the path less-taken. These are Bengaluru's young entrepreneurs who have broken away from 'regular' careers. They have started from scratch, gathering capital, customers and clients. These bold and daring women in their early twenties have turned their dreams into reality and started their own enterprise. Twenty-three-year-olds Eshanya Karle and Savita Vijayakumar are one such pair. Their not-for-profit 'So, What Now?' was started in May 2009 and is an extension of the duo's vision to provide a platform for creative young minds to "meet, develop and implement their ideas." 'So, What Now?' sells…

We usually notice them at construction sites of private or commercial buildings or public infrastructure projects. They often speak different dialects of Telugu, Oriya, Hindi or a mix of these or other languages. And their kids (sometimes only partly clad) play in the sand or water lying around. A few of them live in tin shacks, thatched huts or tarpaulin tents nearby. Or in similar accomodation by the roadside elsewhere, commuting in open trucks or by walk to their place of work. These people are among those categorized as the unorganized sector. And are typically daily or weekly wage labourers…

UNITES Professionals is perhaps the first and only registered union for employees in the IT (Information Technology) and ITES (Information Technology Enabled Services or Business Process Outsourcing) industry in India. The organization is working on better work environment and setting standards in the industry Karthik Shekhar (L). Courtesy: Karthik Shekhar. With its headquarters in Bangalore, UNITES Professionals has offices in New Delhi, Mumbai, Hyderabad, Kochi, Thiruvananthapuram and Kolkata. Pushpa Achanta interviewed Karthik Shekhar, the General Secretary of UNITES Professionals over email. Tell us more about UNITES? UNITES Professionals strives to create a distinct and cogent link between employers and employees…

The May edition of Startup Saturday Bangalore saw a full house with around 130 people attending it. This is one of the highest number of turnouts in all Startup Saturdays ever. It is held on every second Saturdays of every month at the Indian Institute of Management (IIM), Bangalore since March 2008. Startup Saturday is a monthly networking hub for entrepreneurs. It provides a monthly platform where local entrepreneurs, professionals and students get together around engaging talks from veterans in the startup industry. The audience plays an active role in shaping the discussions and brain storming sessions are to be…

If Corner House ice creams continue to be sought after despite the many competitors in the market, it is due to the characteristics of this brand. Quality, quantity, consistency, value for money and the importance of customer feedback. All maintained over the years by the values that A Narayan Rao, the founder of Corner House, lives by. Lack of greed and contentment in life is the way he puts it.Launched in 1982, as a bakery and fast food place, Corner House saw some rough times in the beginning. Though items like chicken rolls, burgers and pizzas did very well, the…

Ladies and gentlemen, boys and girls and foodies of all ages - It's showtime. In the blue corner, priced between Rs 249-299, claiming to offer "old Dilli" cuisine, please welcome More than Paranthas (MTP). Its challenger, in the red corner, with their Set-Menu priced always at Rs 299 and claiming to offer authentic Mughlai cuisine, put your hands together for Umerkot! Veg Starters at Umerkot. Pic: S K Shivashankar. Round 1 - Decor and DecorumWhile MTP offers a much better lit and aesthetically pleasing decor, it loses out in terms of customer service which is simply not brisk.Round 1 is…

Malleshwaram Circle was a very beautiful junction, where lovely avenues criss-crossed. Huge trees lined up on all the four roads and made this place a literal heaven. A grade separator made its way about five years ago and hundreds of trees were bidden good-bye. We could not see the sky in those days. But today, people walk under the scorching sun. Many businessmen at the junction, who were running their business for the last 50 to 100 years, have lost their business.For example, there was this beautiful flower shop which was more than hundred years old. I saw the concept…