Monday 27 May 2013

Gujarat NRE on the road to recovery



 Gujarat NRE on the road to recovery

Kolkata: The Board of Directors of Gujarat NRE Coke Ltd, the largest independent met coke producer in India, at its meeting held today approved the financial results of the company for the fourth quarter (Q4) ended 31st March 2013 as well as the results for the financial year 2012-13.
The company has registered a net profit of Rs.5.15 crore against a loss of Rs.45.51 crore in the same quarter last year. The total income for the quarter ended 31st March 2013 stood at Rs 327.98 Crores.
The performance has been quite impressive on an annual basis. The annual profit recorded a jump of 10 times to Rs.30.97 crore in 2012-13 compared to Rs.3.09 crore in 2011-12. The total sales revenue for the year which stood at Rs.1713.04 crore also grew at a notable rate of 25% in 2012-13 compared to last year. 
Commenting on the results, Mr Arun Kumar Jagatramka remarked, “The year 2012-13 has been a challenging one. The Indian steel industry had passed through one of its tough times due to low demand, iron ore availability issues and other structural problems relating to the economy. I am happy that Gujarat NRE stood strong in this test of times and has been able to record a decent result”
On the future outlook, Mr Jagatramka said, “The iron ore mining permission would certainly be a breather for the steel industry in South India, many of whom are our customers. I expect the economy to perform better this year and the steel consumption and industrial activity to pick up. The monitory policy easing should also help the manufacturing sector”.  Mr Jagatramka further added, “SAIL has been our major customer in 2012-13 and continues to be the same this year as well, as we have continuous & steady orders from the steel PSU. We have a strong export focus in addition to serving the domestic market and I am confident to better the results next year. Our mine development in Australia is also progressing as per plan and with increased premium coking coal production, we have a positive outlook on our future performance.”

Wednesday 22 May 2013

NSHM launches B.Sc degree course in Fashion Design & Management


NSHM launches B.Sc degree course in Fashion Design & Management



Kolkata: NSHM College of Management and Technology (NCMT), one of the institutions of NSHM Knowledge Campus – a premier educational group of eastern India – today announced the launch of 3-Year B.Sc Degree Course in Fashion Design & Management at its Kolkata campus.

The course, affiliated to the WBUT (Government of West Bengal), combines fashion design with fashion management. From designing to management, the course offers diverse career options catering to the student’s creative aspirations and at the same time entering the world of glamour and fame along with a lucrative pay package.

Indian fashion has begun to makes waves in the International circuit, however, making inroads into the International world of high fashion calls for skill-sets that current fashion design curriculum fails to address. NCMT's 3-Year B.Sc degree course is tailored to cover the entire spectrum of fashion i.e., from craft-to-commerce which includes creativity, aesthetics, style, technical knowledge and skills and introduce management aspects like production, branding, marketing, merchandising and entrepreneurial zeal.

Announcing the launch of the course here today, Mr Krishnendu Sarkar, Principal, NCMT, said, “With the launch of this course NSHM has further expanded its already impressive educational portfolio. Fashion design, currently in vogue, offers lucrative career options for talented youngsters. The modern concept of fashion design, however, has undergone a sea change today. It is a lot more than just a craft and includes technical knowledge, skills and aspects of marketing and merchandising that each serious student must know. The 3-Year B.Sc course is in sync with the needs of the industry and is aimed at developing a smart array of skills in students by way of experiential learning to make them.”

Famous fashion designer duo Dev and Nil, designer Sucheta Merh and Sayon Mitra were present at the launch function. “Being a fast-changing sector, NCMT would maintain a steady link with the rising and established fashion designers of India who would be invited to the campus to impart skills to and share experiences with the students and keep them abreast of the emerging trends and concepts. The course would equip a student with a whole new range of skills and help develop entrepreneurial skills and set up manufacturing units for export of products and apparels,” said Mr Mriganka Dutta, Head of Department, NCMT, Fashion Design & Management. 

International and Indian designers with varied and exquisite craftsmanship are also headed to open up their stores in Kolkata. The contemporary course structure, the state-of-the-art infrastructure, highly qualified and experienced faculty bench, vibrant campus life and a secured career at the completion of the course make it all the more interesting.

There would be summer internships to make the students skillfully trained and certified before they take the professional plunge. Students would also get chances to prepare their professional portfolios and execute their final collections at the Finale Fashion Show before they are selected through campus interview.

PANASONIC INDIA SET TO REDEFINE THE SMARTPHONE SEGMENT








PANASONIC INDIA SET TO REDEFINE THE SMARTPHONE SEGMENT
  • Launches Smartphone P51
  • Eyes 8% market share in the smartphone category

Continuing its strong focus on India, Panasonic India today announced the launch of the P51, Panasonic smartphone, a first in the series of revolutionary smartphones marking the entry of Panasonic into the mobile phone segment in India. This phone is targeted at the young generation – the always-on-the-go college youth, and the premium executive class, who is always on the lookout for better, faster and savvier smartphones on the go!
The Panasonic P51 is a premium AndroidTM smartphone with sleek design and brings HD experience to a 5 inch screen with a resolution of 1280x720 pixels. Powered by a Quad Core1.2GHz processor and running on AndroidTM 4.2 (Jelly Bean), the P51 comes with a magnetic flip-cover stylus offering comfort and convenience to the consumer. This Wi-Fi enabled device also sports an 8MP camera (auto focus with flash) and a 1.3Mpxl 720p HD front camera making it an ideal phone.

The Smartphone is priced at Rs. 26,990.

Speaking on the launch, Mr. Daizo Ito, President, Panasonic India said, “Panasonic has a great legacy of being the pioneers of innovation in every segment. Continuing with our legacy, we are now launching our innovative smartphone which will redefine the Indian smartphone consumer experience. India has always been one of our alpha markets in the region and I take great pride in introducing our smartphone to India. We are confident that our product will provide the Indian consumer a great multimedia experience and the ‘best value for money’ proposition”.
Mr. Manish Sharma, Managing Director, Panasonic India commenting on Panasonic’s foray in the Smartphone segment said, “It has always been our endeavor to excel in all aspects of consumer technology. The launch of Panasonic Smartphone in India marks the beginning of our journey in the Indian mobile phone market and will bring together the ultimate smartphone user experience. The smartphone series will come power-packed with features and will cater to the consumers across the spectrum – from mid-tier to the premium class. With an aim to garner a market share of 8% in the first year, this product will showcase the convergence of Panasonic’s pioneering technology and consumer insight. We are hopeful that consumers will embrace our phones with the same zeal and enthusiasm that they have shown for our VIERA and LUMIX range”.
Panasonic has also collaborated with Jaina Marketing as the ‘Strategic Partner for Marketing, Distribution and Customer Support’ for their smartphone series. Speaking at the launch, Mr. Pradeep Jain, Managing Director, Jaina Group, said, “The smartphone market is growing at an incredible pace and is expected to reach 3.9 bn by 2017 globally. India is catching up fast with the smartphone race and with the launch of Panasonic smartphone. I am sure our expertise in the marketing & distribution, and customer care support will add value to an exciting proposition from Panasonic. We look forward to reaping the benefits of the intense smartphone demand in India”.
Panasonic smartphone’s brand ambassador, Varun Dhawan, said, “I am very happy to be associated with Panasonic India especially because of the legacy that Panasonic as a brand enjoys in India. The confidence that the consumers have today on Panasonic’s range of products is evident by the way the company has grown. I feel privileged to be a part of the unveiling of the P51 and as a consumer, I can confidently say that it is not just an interesting smartphone because of its price point and multiple features but it also provides a wonderful user experience”.
Panasonic smartphone will come equipped with amazing features like easy-to-use, ultra-responsive touch displays that allow users to check their social network updates, read SMS’s, check calendar, and answer/reject/mute calls. This phone will be available across national retail chain stores, multi-brand outlets and distributors across India from May onwards.
About Panasonic India
Panasonic makes available in India its wide range of consumer electronics, home appliances like LCD & Plasma TVs, DVD players, home theatre systems, cameras, camcorders, car audio systems, air conditioners ,washing machines, refrigerators, microwave ovens, automatic cookers, vacuum cleaners and a wide range of system products including communication ones like phones, high definition videoconferencing, professional audio video products like broadcast cameras, projectors and displays, business solutions including printers, whiteboards and security solutions. The company currently has a workforce of about 12,500 in India. For more information on the company and the Panasonic brand in India, please visit http://panasonic.co.in