Indian Takes off in Style
M Y Siddiqui
Indian Airlines, since its inception in 1953 as a public enterprise, has progressed from a monopolistic body to open sky and competitive outfit, triggered by the dynamics of free market forces where customer-care, cost-effectiveness, quality of services and responsiveness of the work force matter the most.New Identity
Rechristened as “Indian”, it provides not only a new name but also a new identity. Indian is reincarnated in a new look design with a contemporary graphic representation inspired by the Konark Sun Temple, symbolising timeless motion, convergence and diversions. It also reveals solidity and trust that has stood the test of time. The new identity combined with a new logo and livery reflects a change to a youthful, dynamic and vibrant colour, highlighting the whole hog readiness of the state owned airlines to take on competition and challenges ahead.
Faced with an ageing fleet of 77 aircraft of different denominations, lethargy, indifference and tardiness of its workforce, the Indian is now more and more user friendly and caring for its customers. It has also been able to sustain good industrial relations to maintain the morale of its workforce by introducing innumerable motivational factors.
Some of the fresh initiatives include leasing of A319 Airbus aircraft pending the acquisition of 43 new Airbus A319, A320 and A321 aircraft at a cost of US$2.5 billion, deal for which has already been executed recently. New marketing initiatives providing for several incentives to customers including cheaper fares vis-a-vis low cost private airlines and air connectivity to backward and hitherto untouched economically unviable routes have brought the airlines out of the wood. Now it is able to maintain its primacy as time tested and most trustworthy airlines of the nation.
The 43 new Airbus aircraft, to be added to the fleet of Indian, from this year onward, within a year or so, will be equipped with world class in-flight entertainment systems, newly designed aircraft interiors and cabin crew uniform to give the state-of-art new fleet an edge over the competition in the provision of luxury and comforts.
New Marketing Initiatives
Indian’s new marketing initiatives have given its passengers an enhanced product value by addressing the needs of segmented traffic offerings like price differentiation, dynamic fares, specialised discounts, online transactions in the form of Bid & Fly, Netravel, e-ticketing, establishing call-centres across the country, fog related CAT II, IIIA and IIIB operations by trained pilots, access system of on-flight information, fog advisory, upgraded departure control system, thus enhancing the services to the users. In this connection, popular schemes like easy fares (promotional fares), monsoon super-saver for lean season, smart super-saver (multi-coupon travel), corporate house travel scheme, flying returns scheme for frequent travelers, fly-away holiday passengers in India and abroad, pay-smart scheme for travel through accredited banks, co-branded cards with American Express, ABN Amro and others, J-smart travel (short term promotion), family ticket (now reintroduced to cover parents), new super-saver schemes with value additions, revised senior citizen travel, fortune safari, super-saver plan offer, unchecked fare offering varied special discounts on 146 domestic sectors, desh-videsh scheme 2006, and upgraded 24 hours all 7 days call-centres have succeeded considerably to help the airlines come in the black financially and enhance the growth of the passengers.Performance
The number of passengers carried by the Indian increased from 7.54 million in 2001-02 to 8.786 million in 2004-05. Indian posted a net profit of Rs.65.6 crores in 2004-05 compared to Rs.44.17 crores net profit in 2003-04. This was indeed a good achievement compared to a cumulative loss of Rs.602 crores during the three years preceding 2003-04. This has been accomplished despite stiff consecutive increases in the aviation turbine fuel prices. The buoyancy in the growth in the revenues of Indian is continuing to date.Strategies
The airlines have short term plans to provide better connectivity, increased frequencies, new packages for optimum utilisation of its resources, enhanced utilisation and deployment of aircraft. Its long-term plans consist of product upgradation like e-ticketing, automated revenue management, dedicated freighter operations, feeder network, expanding frequent flyer programme, global airlines alliance and international route expansion.Operations
Guided by its ethos of continuing expansion of fleet and services, Indian offers connections to 58 stations nationwide including the remote and economically unviable areas like Leh in Jammu & Kashmir, North Eastern states, and Port Blair. Its international flights have recorded a quantum jump with 178 flights per week to 18 destinations, of which the Gulf and South East Asian regions account for 75 per cent.Challenges
New airlines and low-cost operations have widened the scope of air travel in the country like never before. The number of passengers has increased manifold, the private airlines have by far concentrated only on the Metro airports and the traditional routes already established by the premiere national carrier, now the Indian. They are wary of navigating further routes with the result that no additional routes have been added. Tourism potential at untouched small airports is immense. With the induction of new Airbus aircraft and wide-bodied aircraft, Indian will embark on catering to new destinations with a focus on new areas and North Eastern sectors and to cover more and more tourist destinations abroad.Indian as a Brand
Indian has been acclaimed widely as an established brand. Economic Times in its February 15, 2006 report has given the best Brand equity award to the airlines. Besides, it has been given the title of a leading brand by MARG-ORG Survey. It has also bagged PATA Gold Award and MERA Brand Award from the Consumer World recently.It is high time for Indian not to rest on its past glory and laurels in its pursuit to reinvent itself with ever new initiatives and drives where customers will always be right and accorded the status of respected guests in keeping with the time-honoured custom of India, that is, Atithi Devo Bhava.
Fourth International Forum on Investing in Technology champions sustainable technology-driven growth
Networking platform aims to introduce regional liquidity to viable long-term technoprenuerial ventures
01 April 2006 Arab Science and Technology Foundation (ASTF), a UAE based, independent, non-governmental and non-profit organisation established to promote the development of science, technology and entrepreneurship in the Arab world, is gearing up for the “Fourth International Forum on Investing in Technology” that is expected to form a key networking platform for over 100 leading technology investors in the MENA region. The forum will be held in Kuwait City from April 10th – 11th 2006 under the patronage of His Highness Sheikh Nawaf Al-Ahmed Al-Jaber Al-Sabah, the Crown Prince of Kuwait.
The fourth edition of the forum, titled “Developing an Arab Venture Capital Industry” will offer presentations on 20 viable start-up ideas that broach innovative ideas grounded in sound business planning. In addition, the forum will also see the culmination of the ASTF “Arab Technology Business Plan Competition” with the announcement of the selected finalists. The winning business plan will be eligible for a minimum US$ 50,000 investment to enable implementation. The competition is a first of its kind pan-Arab initiative that seeks to establish grass-roots technological innovation in a bid to boost the region’s competitiveness by fostering a knowledge-driven economy.
ASTF’s short-listed business plans include innovative mobile applications that empower subscribers with relevant information based on their location of access, enabling technologies in the field of human computer-interaction and ubiquitous computing, a bid to produce silicon-based anti-foaming, lubricants, polymers, etc from cheap silicon raw material available in Iraq, low-cost three-dimensional (3D) range cameras targeting automatic guided vehicles (AGV) and ground vehicles markets, and a UAE-conceptualized mobility platform that will aid in creating, deploying, controlling, and managing next-generation mobile applications. The forum seeks to facilitate networking between technology leaders, corporations, investors, venture capital funds, and other financial institutions to stimulate further investment in new technologies in the region, and will host discussion panels highlighting the importance of technological investment in promoting economic expansion.
Commenting on the technology investment forum, Dr. Abdalla Abdulaziz Alnajjar, President, ASTF, said, “Technology entrepreneurship is a key driver of regional diversification. Sustainable economic development and robust infrastructure requires the judicious channelling of regional liquidity towards long-term investments in technological initiatives. We expect the forum to play a key role in facilitating investment in the fields of information technology, communication, transportation, biotechnology, medical instrumentation, engineering, and oil and gas services, thereby setting the stage for viable long-term regional growth.” The “Developing an Arab Venture Capital Industry” forum will kick off with a first-day workshop on the need for due diligence in evaluating technology investments, headed by Mathew Pedley, General Partner of Minah Ventures, and aimed at inventors, venture capitalists, corporate venturing officers and entrepreneurs.
The forum is co-sponsored by the National Technology Enterprises Company (NTEC), Abdul Latif Jameel Co Ltd (ALJ), and the Islamic Development Bank (IDB).
Interview with Princes H H Al Haya Bint Al-Hussein.
DUBAI, 30 March (IRIN) - While the Middle East and Gulf nations are among the largest donors per capita to poor countries, more could be done to ease the suffering of needy people world-wide, according to WFP Goodwill ambassador, Her Royal Highness Princess Haya Bint Al-Hussein.
WFP Goodwill ambassador HRH Princess Haya Bint Al Hussein planting a tree in Ethiopia
Based in Dubai, in the United Arab Emirates (UAE), the wife of His Highness Sheikh Mohammed Bin Rashid Al-Maktoum, UAE Vice President, Prime Minister and Ruler of Dubai, said the city can also play an important role as a base for aid agencies.
In an exclusive interview with IRIN, Princess Haya, who is also the daughter of the late King His Majesty Hussein Bin Talal of Jordan, said she hoped to work closely with Arab governments to raise awareness and promote action on the fact that thousands of people die from hunger every day.
QUESTION: What do you hope to achieve through your role as UN-World Food Programme (WFP) Goodwill ambassador?
ANSWER: I would like to raise awareness in the Arab region and throughout the world about the fact that hunger still claims thousands of lives everyday. My goal is not only to show how shameful this is in a world of plenty where we have enough food for each and every person on the planet, but also to encourage individuals, communities, organisations and governments to come together and work for achieving sustainable solutions to end hunger. I know this is an ambitious goal, but this is why I am working on this issue with the largest humanitarian organisation in the world. If there is one organisation that is equipped and ready to engage in such an endeavour, it is WFP.
Q: Will you have a particular focus on attracting Arab/Muslim countries and donors?
A: Hunger is a global issue and any real answer to this issue should involve everybody, not only Arabs and Muslims. Obviously, I will be working more with Arab countries because I belong to this region, but my humanitarian and sports activities and interests take me to many parts of the world. I will seize these opportunities to advocate on behalf of the hungry and poor.
Q: You recently travelled to Malawi and Ethiopia with the WFP, was this your first trip to Africa? What were your impressions of the problems faced by the vulnerable populations there?
A: Certainly not, I have been to Africa before, but my missions to Malawi and Ethiopia were my first as a Goodwill Ambassador for WFP. By meeting and talking to the people,for example, the mothers whose children face severe malnutrition in Malawi, and by talking to those who are working tirelessly to build their communities and pull themselves out of poverty in Ethiopia, I came with a clear conviction that hunger and poverty can be overcome.
Q: Do you feel that the UAE provides sufficient assistance to such countries in times of crisis?
A: The UAE is one of the most generous donors and has reached out to people in crisis in every major disaster, most recently [those affected by the] Tsunami in Asia, drought in Niger, and the earthquake in Pakistan. In fact, HH Sheikh Mohamed was actually among the first to respond to the drought emergency in Niger. As to whether it is sufficient, we should always strive to do more within the international context because the need is tremendous.
Q: Sir Bob Geldof said at a press conference in Dubai in December that the entire region of the Middle East could do more to help the world's poorest in Africa. Do you agree with this statement?
A: The Middle East and the Gulf region in particular are among the largest donors in per-capita terms. Some may have this erroneous impression because they only look at donations that are internationally documented through the UN, for example. Most countries in this region, however, have traditionally opted to donate bilaterally. If those donations are included, you will see how involved and generous this region is. But I do agree with Sir Bob Geldof that it is in no way enough and much more needs to be done and very fast.
Q: It is said that food aid can perpetuate and prolong conflicts, such as in Sudan, by literally feeding all sides of the crisis. In what circumstances is it not a good idea to provide food aid?
A: Food aid should be provided on the basis of need and when using it enables us to send more girls to school, help a poor village fix their irrigation system or plant trees or harvest rain water as I have seen in my visits to WFP projects in Ethiopia and Malawi. Without food aid many people would have died in places such as Darfur and South Sudan. When food aid is provided in a transparent way, only on the basis of need, and not to armed combatants, then there is no way it can prolong a conflict that has its own causes and dynamics. It is too cynical to think that if the world left children and women and the elderly to die of starvation, the armed combatants (who are usually men) would resolve the conflict faster!
Q: As the first WFP female Arab Goodwill Ambassador - do you hope to highlight women's issues too?
A: It is indeed women and children who suffer first and most from hunger during conflicts or when poverty leads to chronic hunger, but I am a Goodwill Ambassador for WFP and I would like to advocate on behalf of all the hungry poor.
Q: You also established the first food aid NGO in the Arab world - why did you do this? And how many people has it reached out to and where?
A: I established 'Tkiyet Um Ali' in Jordan in memory of my late mother HM Queen Alia, as it was one of the ideas that she was looking to establish herself in Jordan 25 years ago. Her objective was to make sure that all Jordanians were provided with the basics for survival, and based on this vision, 'Tkiyet Um Ali' was established in 2003 and now provides food and social services to the less privileged segments of Jordanian society from its central location at the heart of the less privileged areas in Amman.
Q: As you are based in Dubai- although not a traditional choice for aid agencies we note that the city is promoting itself as a hub for humanitarian organisations. How do you view this and what would be your message to agencies wanting to base themselves here?
A: I believe that it is an ideal place for aid agencies, especially those involved in emergency response. Its location, within a two-hour flight to major crisis areas in Africa and Asia, means that emergency teams can bring life saving assistance quickly and on time. Dubai's capacity as a major regional supplier also means that aid agencies can procure what they need quickly and cost effectively. More importantly, there is a commitment at the highest level in Dubai to facilitate all procedures for aid agencies to enable them to deliver help and save lives. This combination of factors indeed makes Dubai an ideal platform for humanitarian agencies.
Human Rights Watch Urges UAE to Address Abuse of Migrant Workers
No Free Trade Pacts Without Reform
(New York, March 30, 2006) ·The government of the United Arab Emirates should take immediate steps to end the abusive labor practices that have helped spark recent unrest by migrant workers in Dubai, Human Rights Watch said today. During the past year, migrant workers have increasingly resorted to public protests and strikes in an attempt to improve working conditions. UAE government figures show that between May and December 2005, at least eight major strikes took place. The latest, in Dubai last week, quickly spread from construction workers who rioted at one skyscraper to others working on a new airport terminal.
?ne of the world? largest construction booms is feeding off of workers in Dubai, but they?e treated as less than human,·said Sarah Leah Whitson, Middle East and North Africa director at Human Rights Watch. ?t? no surprise that some workers have started rioting in protest. What? surprising is that the government of the UAE is doing nothing to solve the problem.Though the skyscraper strike was settled, the UAE government has been unwilling to make a real commitment to stop systematic abuses by employers, including the extended non-payment of wages, the denial of proper medical care, and the squalid conditions in which most migrant workers live.
Migrant workers comprise nearly 90 percent of the workforce in the private sector in the UAE. They are denied basic rights such as freedom of association and the right to collective bargaining.
Human Rights Watch urged the UAE government to drastically expand its staff overseeing migrant labor treatment. According to government sources, the ministry of labor employs only 80 inspectors to oversee the activities of nearly 200,000 businesses that sponsor and employ migrant workers.
The UAE government should also reform its labor laws to conform to international standards set by the International Labor Organization, and become a party to the International Convention on the Protection of the Rights of All Migrant Workers and Members of Their Families, Human Rights Watch said.
The UAE is not a party to key international human rights treaties such as the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights.
Employers routinely deny construction workers their wages. Officials with the UAE Permanent Committee for Labor and Immigration told Human Rights Watch that last year alone, nearly 20,000 workers filed complaints with the government about the non-payment of wages and labor camp conditions.
Most construction workers secure work in the UAE by taking loans from recruiting agencies in their home country. A typical construction worker uses a large portion of his wages towards repayment of such loans on a monthly basis, and without wages he falls further into debt. The result is virtual debt bondage.
Death and injury at the workplace are also on the rise. Independent research published in local media found that as many as 880 deaths occurred at construction sites in 2004. These numbers were compiled by surveying embassies of countries that have large number of workers in the UAE. Government figures contrast sharply with these findings, stating that the total number of deaths in 2004 was only 34.
?he government is turning a blind eye to a huge problem,·said Whitson. ?f it doesn? start taking drastic new steps to improve conditions, further unrest seems inevitable.·
The governments of the United States, the European Union, and Australia are currently negotiating free trade agreements with the UAE. Human Rights Watch called on these governments to require improvement of UAE? labor practices and legal standards before signing such agreements. Human Rights Watch also urged these governments to include in any free trade agreements reached with the UAE strong, enforceable workers·rights provisions that require parties·labor laws to meet international standards, and the effective enforcement of those laws. Human Rights Watch recently conducted a fact-finding mission on the conditions of migrant workers in the UAE and will be releasing its full findings in the next few months.
RTA begins 7th phase of Parking Control System project in Dubai
Project costing around AED 16 million includes installation of 470 parking meters across the Emirate
29th- March 2006 The Roads & Transport Authority (RTA) announced today (Wednesday, March 29th, 2006), at a press conference, the commencement of the 7th phase of its Parking Control System project in Dubai. The AED 17 million project will include the installation of 470 parking meters across the emirate. The Authority also announced the renewal of its contract with Transguard, the Emirates Group? security service provider, for the collection of money from parking meters, on behalf of RTA.
The department? project plans include the installation of 42 parking machines on Sheikh Zayed road between the 1st and the 2nd interchange; 100 machines in Hor Al Anz east; 146 machines in Port Saeed area; 30 machines in Karama and 14 machines in Umm Hurair. In addition, 42 machines will be installed behind Lamcy plaza and Yasmeen Mall; 10 machines will be put up for the parking area of Dubai courts; 5 machines on Oud Metha road; 50 machines on Jumeirah 1 and 75 machines in Garhoud area. The department plans to finish this 7th phase of the Parking Control System project in a span of 330 days. These parking meters will be functional from September 2006.
The Parking Department had signed an agreement with Transguard in 2003 for the collection of revenue from parking meters and depositing the same with the concerned bank account of RTA. This year RTA has renewed its contract with Transguard for seeking their services.
Speaking at the press conference, Engineer Mehdi Ali, Director of the Parking Department at RTA, said, ?e at RTA are committed to continuously work towards improving and modifying the traffic system in Dubai. We work in close coordination with all departments within RTA to realize our ambitious vision of finding quality solutions that help in sustaining the high standards of the road and transport sector of Dubai.·o:p>
The ever-increasing number of vehicles on our roads has created a need for more parking areas across the city. Paid parking zones will allow for orderly and safe parking, and more importantly will help raise significant revenue that will be utilised for financing various transport infrastructure development projects,·he added.
The Parking Department? responsibilities include processing requests for installtion of parking meters, providing temporary footpaths and car parks to increase safety and convenience of the public and supervision and maintenance of parking meters on a 24-hour basis. As part of its plans for improving the transport infrastructure of Dubai, the department is considering introducing a one-card system that facilitates customers to access all public transport services in Dubai with a single card.
V S Achuthananthan Shunted Out by Corporate Communists
THIRUVANANTHAPURAM - At a time when the communist movement all over the world has been facing a credibility crisis after the collapse of the corrupt Soviet empire and the East European dominoe, the Communist Party of India (Marxist) which retained the popular support is undergoing an acid test. The most popular communist leader in Kerala, V S Achuthananthan, who is one of the remaining apostels of value based red politicians like EMS Nampoothirippadu and A.K.Gopalan has been dumped by his arch class enemey within the party Pinarayi Vijayn and Company, who has been deeply involved in various scandals including the multicrore SNC Lavlin case in which the Comptroller and Auditor General clearly mentioned his dubious role in a power contract. The CPM State Secretariat has named Paloli Mohammed Kutty as the future Chief Minister candidate, who is known to be a loyalist of Pinarayi group. With the support of other corporate communists who form majority of the CPM State Secretariat, the Pinarayi group has managed to sideline the popular leader from contesting the next general election to the state assembly. The degeneration and degradation of CPM which has the honour of being the first communist party in the world to capture power through ballot has reached a crucial stage, as popular resentment is echoed from different parts of the city In gulf countries too where overseas Keralites supporting the ousted leader are murmering their future plans. The rouge mafia dons who are the unidentified VIPs in various sex scandals that rocked the state politics including the Kiliroor sex scandal and Calicut ice cream parlour cases are controlling the state secretariat . The big business commuist leaders who have been moving away from the masses to establish profit generating water theme parks, television channels, hypermarkets and super speciality hospitals, found the eigty years old VS as an irritan in their secret plans to share the booty. . There is strong public sentiment against the removal of a man who spearheaded anti corruption crusade against the sand mining mafia, the land grabbers of Mathikettan, the Kiliroor sex scandal which involved many VIPs including the offsprings of prominent communist leaders and many other struggles, from the future chief ministerial candidature. No wonder VS Supporters have burnt the effigy of Pinarayi Vijayan and leaftlets and notices supporting the old man is spreading like wild fire. In various parts of the state, processions are taken out and their demands include formation of a new party by VS. Whenever the Marxist leader contested electiions in the recent general elections, a cotery within the party used its clout to ensure his defeat! The Kerala mafia which is behind various scandals - Kovalam, Sand Mining, to name a few are jubilant ...
Achuthanandan and Vijayan not to lead LDF in Kerala assembly election
Thiruvananthapuram, Kerala, CPI (M) leaders, V. S. Achuthanandan and his rival in the party Pinarayi Vijayan are likely to be kept out of the loop in the forthcoming assembly elections in Kerala as the party will fight the election under a new leadership. Sources in the party indicated, that in today's meeting it was decided that both Achuthanandan and party state secretary Vijayan should not be fielded in the assembly elections and soon the party will decide on a new name as its chief ministerial candidate. Full Report/More News -
KM Mates
MRTPC Notice to GE Money
A complaint was filed before the Monopolies & Restrictive Trade Practices Commission (MRTPC) alleging that an advertisement issued by GE Money in print media was misleading/ misrepresenting. The MRTP Commission has issued notice to the GE Money for filing its reply. Director General (Investigation & Registration) has been directed to take up the matter further.
'Saudi secretly working with Pak experts'
