the republic at 63 - dubai

PUBLICaTIOn OF THE COnSULaTE GEnEraL OF InDIa In DUBaI VOL.4 ISSUE 1 | JanUary 2011

THE REPUBLIC AT 63On its 63rd Republic Day, India reflects on its goals of fulfilling aspirations of millions

while achieving equitable growth and justice for all

Congratulations!

CONTEN

TS

India Matters is a monthly publication of the Consulate General of India (CGI) in Dubai. All rights reserved. No part of this journal may be produced, stored or transmitted in any form or by any means – electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording or otherwise, without the permission of the CGI Dubai.

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SUPERBRANDS

IndianOil 14

ECONOMY

Furthering PartnershipThe recently held talks between India andSaudi Arabia take the current buyer-sellerrelationship between the two countries tothe next level of strategic energy coopera-tion and promises to further unleash thebilateral trade potential

10

FROM THE CONSUL GENERAL’S DESK

10 QUESTIONS

Micky Jagtiani India Matters in conversation with the Chairman of the Landmark Group, one ofthe largest retail conglomerates in the MiddleEast and India, which employs more than40,000 people across 15 countries in sectorslike retail, hospitality and mall management

The Republic Turns 63The Consul General on the occasion of the Republic Day reflects on the important role of overseas Indians in the nation-building process to ensure equitable growth and justice for all

18The 2012 Jaipur Fest, also known as the‘mahakumbh of the word,’ was a uniqueplatform where debutant writers rubbedshoulders with literary giants during thefive-day literary fiesta

SEPTEMBER 2009 32

4

Dear Reader,

Welcome to the first issue of the year. Republic Day, which symbolisesour sovereignty, was celebrated with patriotic fervour. It is a celebration ofsecularism and democracy which makes us feel proud of our culture, lan-guages, social norms, traditions, customs, religions, communitarian and theindividual distinctiveness that makes India a unique experiment of unity indiversity. Above all, Republic Day celebrates our Constitution which is theblueprint that guides a diverse polity.

The role of NRIs is becoming increasingly important in ournation–building process. Our President’s speech on the eve of the RepublicDay also stressed the role of NRIs in our development. The PravasiBharatiya Divas, an annual event celebrating the success stories of theDiaspora from all over the world, was held in Jaipur in early January. TheChief Guest was the PM of Trinidad and Tobago — Ms. Kamla Prasad-Bissessar, the first woman to hold the highest office of that country.

This issue also carries an interview of Mr. Micky Jagtiani, Chairman ofthe Landmark Group, who has been consistently listed as one of the mostsuccessful NRIs in the Middle East. This feature gives us an insight into hislife and business philosophy.

Happy reading!

RADIO MATTERSThe Consulate General of India in Dubai brings to you its weekly

radio programme ‘India Matters’ on Suno 102.4 FM. The purpose ofthe show is to highlight the services provided by the Consulate and talkabout the events and news related to India and the Indian communityin UAE.

India Matters is aired every Friday between 5 and 6 pm on Suno102.4 FM and repeated every Saturday between 12 and 1 pm.

For more details visit www.cgidubai.com and www.suno1024.com

Winner of the December 2011 monthly quiz contest is

Namrata MehtaThe winner gets a gift hamper.

Sanjay Verma

BOOKS

Carnival of Letters

IndiaMatters|January 2012 January 2012|IndiaMatters

54

COVER STORY

In his speech, the CGI reiterated PresidentPratibha Devisingh Patil’s call for nation-buildingand highlighted the significant role overseas Indians could play in achieving this goal


THE REPUBLICTURNS 63

As India celebrated her 63rdRepublic day with usual fervour and gaiety, thousands of Indian expatri-

ates gathered in Abu Dhabi andDubai to hoist the tri-colour onJanuary 26.

Indians from all walks of life — students, teachers, businessmen, professionals, workers, and others —attended the Republic Day celebra-tions held at the Indian High Schoolin Dubai, where Consul GeneralSanjay Verma hoisted the nationalflag.

After hoisting the flag, ConsulGeneral Verma read out excerptsfrom President Pratibha DevisinghPatil's message to the nation delivered on the eve of the RepublicDay. Touching on various challengesfacing the nation, the messagestressed upon the goal of nation-building process. It said that the roleof Non-Resident Indians (NRIs) hadbecome increasingly important for

the nation-building process and thereremained tremendous amount ofwork to be done to achieve this goal.“We are proud of the contributions ofthe Indian Diaspora, spread over many countries and across continents, to the economic, professional and political fields of thecountries where they live,” the ConsulGeneral read out from the President’sspeech.

Citing the example of the Fatherof the Nation, Mahatma Gandhi,CGI Verma said that the Indiancommunity could draw inspirationfrom his life and the challenges hehad to face in South Africa beforereturning to India to lead the free-dom struggle.

The Consul General also empha-sised that Independence Day andRepublic Day were the biggest festi-vals for a secular country like India.

Inspiring group performances bychildren, who showcased India’s cul-tural heritage through classical, semi-

classical dances and folk arts markedthe occasion.

Also present on the occasion were,Mohan Valrani, the Chairman of theIndian School, and other prominentmembers of the Indian community.

This year, Hon’ble UAE Minister ofEducation H.H Humaid MohammadAl Qutami was the chief guest at theRepublic Day reception that was heldin the evening. Nearly 600 guests,including the Chairmen of Dubai andSharjah Chambers of Commerce,prominent local dignitaries, diplomats, bankers and prominentmembers of the Indian Community,attended the event. The highlight ofthe evening was Bhangra, Kathak andcontemporary Indian dances per-formed by Indian artistes.

The Republic Day celebrationswere also organised in Sharjah,Ajman, Ras Al Khaimah andFujairah, which were attended by themembers of the Indian Communityand consulate officials.

Facing page: Consul-General Sanjay Verma saluting the national flag. This page:(above) Children performing a group dance; (below) Children performing Kathakalidance at the Indian High School in Dubai on January 26.

We believe that the Indian Diasporahas much more to contribute to thebuilding of modern India. We proposeto facilitate, encourage and promotethis engagement.”

As a measure of the government’sintent to help deepen and widen thisrelationship, the Prime Minister out-lined the key initiatives taken duringthe past year. In particular, hereferred to the improvements broughtabout in the law enacted in Parliamentto enable Non-Resident Indians tovote in elections in India. “Pursuant tothe law that was enacted to enableNon-Resident Indians to vote in ournational elections, the Governmenthas issued notifications for registra-tion of Overseas Indians under theRepresentation of People Act, 1950.This constitutes the first major step toenable Indians resident abroad to par-ticipate in our election processes.”

Referring to the People of Indian

Origin and Overseas Citizen of Indiaschemes, the Prime Minister said, “Inthe last session of our Parliament wehave introduced a Bill intended tomerge and streamline the People ofIndian Origin and Overseas Citizen ofIndia schemes by amending theCitizenship Act. This will rectify someof the anomalies in the schemes andprovide for an Overseas Indian Cardwhich will be given to foreign spousesof such card holders as well.”

MANAGEMENT OF DIASPORA

RELATIONS

In her address, Prime Minister ofTrinidad and Tobago Ms. KamlaPersad-Bissessar paid tribute toIndia’s management of Diaspora rela-tions. “I feel compelled to note thatIndia offers an impressive example ofexcellent leadership in the manage-ment of Diaspora relations and has ina significant way provided a model forother countries to beneficially engagetheir Diaspora community,” sheobserved.

Prime Minister Bissessar made spe-cial mention of the Ministry ofOverseas Indian Affairs: “Through theministry, you have created a pragmat-ic and effective platform for engagingwith the Indian Diaspora around theworld. Such a visionary approach toaddressing issues relating to theDiaspora has indeed borne fruit, andtoday India’s Diaspora is one whichremains strongly connected andengaged with India.”

THREE KEY INITIATIVES

In his address at the inaugural cere-mony, Minister for Overseas IndianAffairs Vayalar Ravi referred to threekey initiatives which the Ministry ofOverseas Indian Affairs had put inplace for the benefit of overseasIndian workers. The ‘IndianCommunity Welfare Fund’ or theICWF, a fund placed at the commandof the Heads of the Indian Missionsacross the world meant to extend ‘on-site’ welfare services to overseasIndians in distress; the IndianWorkers Resource Centre, establishedin partnership with the Governmentof the UAE, in Abu Dhabi, providing

electronic attestation of all work con-tracts, extending counselling servicesand operating a shelter with a helplinefor workers in distress; the establish-ment in Jaipur of an office of theProtector of Emigrants and a MigrantResource Centre to help young menand women of Rajasthan to avail of allservices related to migration overseas.

Referring to the landmark right tovote for Overseas Indians, Ravi said,“I would be remiss if I did not mentionthe longstanding demand of overseasIndians for voting rights. I am happyto inform you that we have made thisa reality.”

IDEA OF INDIAN IDENTITY

In an address at the Plenary Sessionon “Inclusive Growth: Two Decades ofEconomic Liberalisation”, UnionFinance Minister Pranab Mukherjeesaid, “I feel proud of the achievementsof our nation and of Indians. I amusing the word ‘Indian’ to mean muchmore than nationality. The gatheringtoday is a symbol of the larger idea ofIndian identity. This is an identity thatgoes beyond nationality. It refers toour common history and heritage. Inthat sense this is a gathering of familymembers who have spread all over theworld but who nevertheless share adeep common bond.” ExhortingOverseas Indians to be part of the ideaof India, Mukherjee said, “India pres-ents an opportunity for the world as awhole. Our overseas Indian familywith its multifaceted talents, excellentcapacity for adapting to and ability tooperate within different cultures andenvironments should make a concert-ed effort to connect with India’sgrowth and its prosperity in the timesto come.”

SESSIONS AND

INTERACTIONS

The event was structured withPlenary Sessions, State Sessions,Concurrent Sessions, Seminars,Interactions and Chief Ministers’Sessions on a variety of themes. Inkeeping with the larger theme of thePBD, the sessions largely focused oninclusive growth and development,investment opportunities in the

76

Pravasi Bharatiya Divas (PBD),India’s annual conclave to con-nect with its 30 million Diasporain some 130 countries was held

from January 7-9 in Jaipur, with thefocus this time being on inclusive growthand the youth. Inaugurated by PrimeMinister Dr. Manmohan Singh, theevent saw more than 2,000 delegatesfrom nearly 60 countries participating inthe three-day event, which was the 10thedition thus far hosted by the Ministry ofOverseas Indian Affairs. “The mainthrust of the event is to find ways andmeans on how to make the younger gen-eration of people of Indian origin under-stand India. We will discuss this atlength at the meet,” Minister of OverseasIndian Affairs Vayalar Ravi had saidahead of Pravasi Bharatiya Divas (PBD).

Welcoming the Chief Guest of theevent, Kamla Persad-Bissessar, thePrime Minister of Trinidad & Tobago,Prime Minister Singh paid tribute to the

great journey of the Indian Diaspora.“This year we are privileged to welcomeone of the most distinguished PravasiBharatiyas as our Chief Guest. MadamKamla Persad-Bissessar created historyby becoming the first woman primeminister of Trinidad and Tobago. Shedistinguished herself in her earliercareers in education and law.Subsequently, she responded to the callof public service and proved what a per-son of talent, dedication and commit-ment can achieve anywhere in thisworld. In welcoming Prime MinisterMadam Kamla Persad-Bissessar todaywe also seek to honour the large IndianDiaspora in the Caribbean. We areproud of their achievements.”

Referring to the role played by theIndian Diaspora around the world, thePrime Minister said, “The Governmentand people of India recognise and great-ly value the important role being playedby Indian communities living abroad.

CONNECT IS ALL

PRAVASI BHARATIYADIVAS 2012

The Tenth PravasiBharatiya Divas broughttogether over 2,000 delegates from nearly60 countries. The eventwas marked by a richlyillustrated outcome-driven meeting of mindsand intent


(L-R) Union Minister forOverseas Indian AffairsVayalar Ravi, PrimeMinister of the Republicof Trinidad and TobagoKamla Persad-Bissessar,Prime Minister Dr. Manmohan Singhand Chief Minister ofRajasthan Ashok Gehlotat the inauguration ceremony of the tenthPravasi Bharatiya Divas-2012, at Jaipur,Rajasthan, on January8, 2012.

98 IndiaMatters|January 2012 January 2012|IndiaMatters

states, youth, education, gender andculture, among a host of other themes.This year the PBD Oration, the thirdin the series since its inception, wasdelivered by Prof Kishore Mahbubani,Dean & Professor in the Practice ofPublic Policy, Lee Kuan Yew School ofPublic Policy National University ofSingapore.

VALEDICTORY ADDRESS

In her Valedictory Address,President Pratibha Devisingh Patilpaid tribute to the Indian Diaspora.“The footprints of the Indian Diasporaare widespread and its presence felt inevery continent. The Indian overseascommunity is not only large, but isalso becoming increasingly influentialin the economic, professional andpolitical fields, in the countries inwhich they are now living. We areproud of their accomplishments,” thePresident noted.

Referring to the relationship thatIndia has sought to build and deepenwith the Indian Diaspora, PresidentPatil said, “We deeply cherish ourrelationship with the Indian Diaspora.The Government of India is keenlyinterested in the well-being of thePeople of Indian Origin living over-seas. The year gone by saw majordevelopments in West Asia and NorthAfrica. This is a region of great impor-tance to India, because of our tradi-tional warm ties with these nations,and also because a large number ofIndian nationals live there. TheGovernment of India had to evacuateabout 19,000 Indian nationals fromLibya and Yemen. The Governmentsent special aircraft and ships to thesecountries to bring back Indian citizensfree of cost. Similarly, special flightswere flown out of Egypt for more than700 Indian tourists and Indiannationals working with various com-panies there.”

SAMMAN AWARDS

President Patil also conferred thePravasi Bharatiya Samman Awards on14 eminent overseas Indians, includ-ing Trinidad and Tobago PrimeMinister Kamla Persad-Bissessar, anda Canada-based institution.

As the Prime Minister of Trinidadand Tobago, Bissesar has the

distinction ofbeing the firstwoman PrimeMinister of hercountry and theonly woman PIO head of govern-ment in the world. She has held sev-eral positions including Leader ofOpposition, Attorney General,Minister of Legal Affairs andEducation and acting PM. She hasbeen promoting bilateral relationsbetween India and Trinidad &Tobago.

KAMALA PERSAD-BISSESSAR, T&T

SAMMAN AWARDEES SAMMAN AWARDEES

As a renowned historian andwriter, Dr. Sachinand Sahai

has authored a num-ber of books thatenhance the under-standing of India’scivilisational connec-tions with Combodiaand other countries of Asia. Hiswork on the Ramayana contributesgreatly to enhance knowledge aboutIndian culture in this part of theworld. He was adviser to theCambodia government for restora-tion of the Angkor Wat temple.

DR. SACHINAND SAHAI,CAMBODIA

In his capacity as HonorarySecretary of the Bahrain Keraleeya

Samajam, Dr P V Radhakrishna Pillaiwas instrumental intapping into the vastcultural traditions ofIndia, bringingIndian art, music,

dance, theatre and cinema to theexpatriates living in Bahrain. In hissix years of chairmanship of theIndian School, Bahrain, he raised theprofile of the school and was instru-mental in building of a new academicblock in the school.

DR. P.V RADHAKRISHNA PILLAI,BAHRAIN

Established in 1977, the Indo-Canada Chamber of Commerce

(ICCC) pro-motes busi-ness, profes-sional and general well-being ofIndian-Canadian people. It is thelargest and the oldest organisation ofthe Indian diaspora in Canada. Itsmain objectives include promotingand facilitating trade and commerceand building bridges between Indiaand Canada. The ICCC successfullyorganised the PBD Canada inToronto in 2011.

INDO-CANADA CHAMBER OFCOMMERCE

As head of the Pelagic BiologyDivision of the Alfred Wagner

Institute of Polar and Marine inB r e m e r h a v e n ,Germany, Dr.Smatacek hasdone commend-able research inpelagic biologyand marine ecology. He has pub-lished numerous papers, has con-ducted path-breaking research andhas coordinated and participated injoint Indo-German research effortswith Indian institutions active inoceanic studies.

DR. VICTOR SHAHEDSMETACEK, GERMANY

Shivdasani runs a prominentbusiness house in Côte D’

Ivoire. He continues to assist theGovernment of CôteD’ Ivoire in meetingits many develop-mental challengesthrough commer-

cial and industrial activities. Hewas instrumental in mobilising theentire Indian community duringthe aggression on Kargil.Shivdasani also helped evacuateIndians from Sierra Leone toAbidjan during the civil war inSierra Leone.

Lohia is the group chairman ofthe Indorama Corporation.

During his tenure as the Chairmanof the India Committee of theIndonesian Chamber ofCommerce, he was instrumental inpromoting trade links between

India andIndonesia. As thefounder of the BaliIndia Foundation,

Lohia has encouraged and promot-ed Yoga, Sanskrit courses and tra-ditional music and dance fromIndia. Through his business andsocial activities, he has enhancedthe standing of the Indian commu-nity in Indonesia.

PRAKASH LOHIA, INDONESIA

Asher is Managing Director ofthe AI Group of Companies.

He has coordinated with the localgovernment to pro-mote investment inIndia and encour-aged Indian busi-nessmen to under-stand the local market. He hascontributed towards integration,social harmony and welfare ofIndians in Oman. He is theChairman of a body governing themanagement of 16 Indian schoolseducating about 20,000 students.

KIRAN NAVINCHANDRAASHER, OMAN

Paraykin has joint ventures withthe Government of Mozambique

in sectors such as defense, infrastruc-ture and logistics andis Adviser to Ministerof Defence and theHome Minister in mat-ters related to logistics. He is widelyappreciated for promoting the Indiancommunity’s interests inMozambique. He supports twoorphanages and junior schools inMozambique where over 300 orphanchildren are looked after and provid-ed elementary education.

JOSE PARAYANKEN, MOZAMBIQUE

Prof Kaushik was appointed asthe youngest person to each full

professor rank at Pace University inthe US in 1984-85. Hehas authored and co-authored numerousbooks and academicarticles in economicsand finance. He is awell-known philanthro-pist who founded Helena KaushikEducation Foundation to help thegirl child pursue higher education inRajasthan. He is recognised forenhancing the Indian community’sstature abroad.

PROFESSOR SURENDRAKUMAR KAUSHIK, US

Nathan is an extremely distin-guished Singapore public ser-

vant who served for two terms asthe President of Singapore tillAugust 2011. From1983-88, he wasChairman of theHindu EndowmentsBoard. In April 1988he was appointed Singapore’sHigh Commissioner to Malaysiaand in 1990 he became theAmbassador to USA, where heserved until 1996. On his returnfrom the USA, he also served asAmbassador-at-Large.

S R NATHAN, SINGAPORE

Dr Guntupalli is professor andHead of the Department of

Pulmonary Critical Care and SleepMedicine at the Baylor College ofMedicine in Houston. She hasserved on the Critical Care Board ofthe American Board of Internal

Medicine. She is thefirst women to headmany public bodiesof doctors such asAAPI and American

College of Chest Physicians. She hasalso served on the Board ofDirectors of Pratham, USA.

DR KALPALATHA KUMMAMURIGUNTUPALLI, UNITED STATES

DEEPAK NARAINDASSHIVDASANI, CÔTE D’ IVOIRE

Chougule is the Managing Partner ofthe Emad Group of Companies. He

has set up two schools that impart edu-cation as per Indian syllabus in Qatar.He has also played a key role in settingup three apex Indian community

organisations in Qatar.He heads all the threeapex community bod-ies which function inclose collaboration

with Indian Embassy, namely, theIndian Cultural Centre, the IndianCommunity Benevolent Fund and theIndian Business and ProfessionalNetwork.

HASSAN ABDULKARIMCHOUGULE, QATAR

Suraiya runs a major trading com-pany in Ukraine. To promote

Indian culture, he contributed some$3 million to buid a cultural centre

called Sanskriti inKyiv. He has organ-ised and sponsorednumerous perform-ances by major

Indian classical virtuosos and othercultural festivals and seminars. Hesponsored cataract operations of1,200 economically backward per-sons in Pune, India. Suraiya also con-tributed generously to the orphanageof Chernobyl affected children inUkraine.

RAJESH KUMAR SURAIYA, UKRAINE

Amedical practitioner in SouthAfrica, Dr. Rustomjee was

actively engaged inthe struggle againstapartheid there. Shehas been closelyassociated with thework of various high-level commit-tees on health and human resourcedevelopment in the government.She also served as South Africa’sAmbassador to Italy after the end ofapartheid. She is a highly respectedand senior member of the Indiancommunity in KwaZulu, Natal.

DR. KHORSHED N. GINWALARUSTOMJEE, SOUTH AFRICA

The Minister also emphasisedstrategies to be developed forincreasing the volume of bilateraltrade in traditional items and diver-sify the trade basket.

Sharma said that India would liketo participate in the petroleum andgas sectors in Saudi Arabia bothupstream and downstream andinvited Saudi Arabia to invest inIndian petroleum and gas-basedmega industrial estates, fertilisersand petrochemical plants andrefineries.

1110

Expressing satisfaction over theeconomic ties between Indiaand Saudi Arabia, India onJanuary 4, pledged to elevate

the current buyer-seller relationshipbetween the two countries into strate-gic energy cooperation.

Following the bilateral talks with Dr. Tawfiq Bin Fawzan Al-Rabiah,Minister of Commerce & Industry,Saudi Arabia, India’s Minister forCommerce Industry & Textile AnandSharma said, “The economic tiesbetween India and Saudi Arabia wouldconstitute a very solid foundation forthe development of StrategicPartnership.”

Saying that while the trade betweenthe two countries was already quitesubstantial, Minister Sharma observedthat there existed immense potentialfor taking the bilateral trade relationsto a higher level.

“The total trade between India andSaudi Arabia has increased from $15.9 billion in 2006-07 to $25.6 bil-

lion in 2010-11,” informed Sharma. While India’s exports to Saudi

Arabia have increased from $2.59 billion in 2006-07 to $5.22 billion in2010-11, her imports from SaudiArabia have also increased substantially from $13.35 billion in 2006-07 to $20.38 billion in 2010-11,which included petroleum (crude and products), organic chemicals, artificial resin, plastic, metaliferrousores, metal scrap and inorganic chemicals.

The principal items of India’s export to Saudi Arabia included petro-leum (crude and products), Basmatirice, dyes/intermediates, coal tar chemicals, machinery, instruments,primary and semi-finished iron andsteel.

Minister Sharma during the bilater-al meeting observed that the focus wasnow to be shifted to investment andjoint ventures for enhancing the tradeas well as services between the twocountries.

FURTHERING PARTNERSHIP

ECONOMY

Trade between Indiaand Saudi Arabia isalready quite substantial, however,there exists immensepotential to take it to ahigher level, says AnandSharma, Minister forCommerce, Industryand Textile

$64.50 billion is the expected expenditure in the roadsector during the 12th Five Year Plan, starting April 2012.

$ 20 billion will be invested by the Government in proj-ects related to creating the information highway. This includesUS$ 3 billion for setting up the knowledge network and anoth-er US$ 6 billion for the National Optic Fibre Cable Network.

$ 19.44 billion worth MoUs were signed at the 3-day CIIPartnership Summit 2012 in Hyderabad, in the power, refinery,

gas, mining and education sectors.

$ 11.74 billion worth of sales were recorded by thedomestic pharmaceutical retail sector in the year 2011.

$ 1.95 billion was spent by Pune-based SudarshanChemical Industries to buy the natural mica pearlescentbusiness from Eckart Effect Pigments, a German group.

$ 500 million to be invested by the Aditya Birla Groupto set up a viscose staple fibre factory in Turkey.

BUSINESS BUZZ

OVERSEAS INVESTORS PUMPIN OVER $1.78 BN IN 2012


Saudi Arabia’s Minister ofCommerce and Industry Dr.Tawfiq Bin Fawzan Al-Rabiahwith Minister for Commerce,Industry and Textiles AnandSharma in New Delhi onJanuary 4.

Foreign institutional investors(FIIs) have been bullish overIndian equity market in 2012,

as declining inflation and a clearsignal from the Reserve Bank ofIndia (RBI) that interest rates willbe cut, buoyed up their businessconfidence.

According to the data availablewith the Securities and ExchangeBoard of India (SEBI), FIIs havebeen net buyers to the tune of $1.78billion till January 27.

Indian equity market started offwell in 2012 with benchmarkindices rallying over double digitsin percentage terms in January.

The 30-scrip sensitive index(Sensex) of the Bombay StockExchange (BSE) gained 1,779.06points or 11.51 percent to close at17,233.98 points on January 28.

At the National Stock Exchange,the 50-scrip S&P CNX Nifty movedup 12.5 percent or 580.4 points inthe first four weeks of 2012 and

closed at 5,204.7 points on January 27.

FIIs were far from optimisticabout Indian stocks last year as theeconomy showed signs of slow-down and interest rates shot upafter the RBI hiked key interestrates 13 successive times to tameinflation. Last year, FIIs’ net saleswere worth $357.8 million in equity, a far cry from the record$28.83 billion they pumped intothe Indian markets in 2010.

The latest data, however, showsinflation coming under control.India’s annual food inflation con-tinued to be in the negative for thefourth straight week.

It was recorded at -1.03 percentfor the week ending January 14,compared to -0.42 percent for theweek ending January 7, and -2.9percent and -3.36 percent consecu-tively in the previous two weeks.

Overall inflation, based on thewholesale price index (WPI), wasdown to a two-year low of 7.47 percent in December.

While the RBI in the third quarterly review of the monetarypolicy on January 24 did not cutthe repo rate, it did reduce the cashreserve ratio by 50 basis points toinfuse `3.2 billion to address theliquidity crunch.

The dovish stance of the centralbank and a clear indication thatfurther policy reviews would concentrate on driving growth hasalso helped investor confidence.

Bombay Stock Exchange

1Please tell us about your life beforecoming to the Gulf?

I have lived in the Middle East for most of mylife. I was born in Kuwait, and studied inLebanon. After completing my early education,I went to London to pursue a course in account-ancy but I was not very good at it. So, Ireturned to my home in Bahrain, to start abusiness.

2You are extremely successful despiteany formal business education. What

would you attribute your success to? Isan MBA degree overrated?Formal education is important and gives you astrong foundation to build on, with the rightexposure and experience. It was a lot of hardwork for me in those days, but I always had ateam of professionals as an integral part of theLandmark Group’s growth.

3What is your businessmantra?

Simplicity, speed and good customer service.

4Has the global recession affectedretail and hospitality sectors?

Yes, the recession did have an impact on theretail and hospitality sectors and we too wereaffected by it like many other organisations.However, Landmark Group’s offerings are inthe mid-market segment, which, combined withour philosophy to provide exceptional value toall our customers, played a key role in helpingus through tough times.

5Where does India figure in your busi-ness plans?

We are extremely excited about India. Ourcountry has come a long way and the organisedretail sector has vast growth opportunities.Today, we have a strong presence in India with

several retail and hospitality concepts, includ-ing lifestyle departmental stores, home centre,Splash and Fun City, among others. We startedwith our first store in 1999 and currently runover 170 stores. We plan to continue expandingour business in India.

6What message do you want to conveyto the young entrepreneurs starting

out in a challenging period as the present?My only advice to any entrepreneur would be to think like their customer and to build an offering that is tailored to their needs.

7Who inspires you and who are yourrole models? How do you define

success?I admire Sam Walton, whose entire life andphilosophy was to offer great value to his customers. His philosophy has greatlyinfluenced the direction we have taken as a business group.

8What drives your passion for business?

I would like to face each day as a new challenge.The adventure and learning involved in everynew business deal keeps me going.

9How do you relax? What films, booksor songs do you particularly enjoy?

I love watching inspirational movies. I am fascinated by the different worlds everymovie takes me through. It is the best way tounwind.

10Do you plan to retire anytimesoon?

No I don’t. I enjoy my work and see myselfinvolved with it for a long time ahead. Thereare many more heights still to be scaled.

10 QUESTIONS

1312

‘THINK LIKE YOUR CUSTOMERS’

Micky Jagtiani, who lives by the motto, ‘creating exceptional value for alllives we touch’, has been guiding the Landmark’s success as one of the

largest retail chains with footprints across 15 countries


MARKETOil and gas are two of the world’smost researched subjects; for bothare energy sources which drive thewell-being of a country and the ris-ing ambitions of its people. In 2010,India consumed 2.98 million barrelsof oil per day, making the countrythe world’s 11th largest consumer,importing more than 85 percent ofits requirement. Its production at878,700 barrels per day was the24th largest in the world. India’sproven oil reserves have been esti-mated to be between 5.60 and 5.80billion barrels. Given the insatiableappetite for energy Indian industry isdisplaying, the country’s consump-tion has been projected at some4.90 million barrels per day, adecade from now (Source: CIA WorldFactbook).It’s easy to see that the role of

India’s oil companies in securing the

country’s energy needs is a crucialone. In this critical area, IndianOilleads the national oil companiesshouldering enormous responsibility.The company owns and operates tenof India’s twenty refineries, whichoffer a capacity of more than 65.70 million metric tonnes perannum (MMTPA) of crude — corre-sponding to some 1.30 million bar-rels per day. This gigantic organisa-tion accounts for approximately 49percent of India’s petroleum productmarket share.Given the needs of the country,

IndianOil’s business interests strad-dle the entire hydrocarbon valuechain — from refining, pipeline trans-portation and marketing of petrole-um products to exploration and pro-duction of crude oil and gas andmarketing of natural gas and petro-chemicals. This flagship national oilmajor has subsidiaries in Sri Lanka,

Mauritius and the United ArabEmirates. Amongst its long-termambitions is to seek business oppor-tunities in the energy markets ofAsia and Africa.

ACHIEVEMENTSIndianOil Corporation Limited

(IndianOil) is the leading Indian cor-porate in the Fortune Global 500listing, ranked at the 125th positionin 2010. It is also the 20th largestpetroleum company in the world.Besides topping the corporate list-ings of leading financial dailies andperiodicals, IndianOil was ranked 3rdin refining and marketing and 14thin overall performance in Asia inPlatts’ 250 Global Energy Companyrankings for 2009/10. It’s a matterof record that IndianOil also ownsand operates the largest network ofcross-country crude oil and productpipelines, spanning about 10,900

1514

kilometres.For a company dealing in such

large numbers it’s easy to forgetthat it also owns several proprietaryformulations. The Corporation’sworld-class research and develop-ment (R&D) centre is, perhaps,Asia’s finest, holding 215 activepatents, including 109 that are alsoregistered internationally.This remarkable facility has won

recognition for its pioneering work inlubricants formulation, refineryprocesses, pipeline transportationand the search for alternative fuels.IndianOil has so far spent more than`10 billion (US$ 222.20 million) inR&D initiatives.Always concerned for its people,

the Corporation has in place compre-hensive safety, health and environ-ment management systems at all itsoperating units and installations.These are periodically reviewed andupgraded.Environment management sys-

tems of all its refineries and majormarketing and pipeline installationsare certified to ISO 14001 stan-dards.

HISTORYIncorporated in 1959 as IndianOil

Company Limited, it was renamedIndianOil Corporation Limited onSeptember 1, 1964, when IndianRefineries Limited was merged with it.IndianOil’s first refinery at

Guwahati was inaugurated in 1962by the then Prime Minister,

Jawaharlal Nehru, followed by thecommissioning of the BarauniRefinery in 1964 and Koyali(Gujarat) Refinery in 1965. In thedecade that followed, the companymade rapid strides in expanding itsinfrastructure. In 1981, the DigboiRefinery and Assam Oil Company’smarketing operations were vested inIndianOil.These became the Assam Oil

Division of the company. This wasfollowed by the commissioning ofthe Mathura Refinery in 1983. Inthe decade beginning 1984,IndianOil refineries embarked onlarge-scale revamping, modernisa-tion and de-bottlenecking projects toaugment capacities. Its seventhrefinery at Panipat was commis-sioned in 1998. In the same year,the company became a Navaratnaenterprise. In the millennium year itcrossed the magical mark of `1000billion (US$ 22.20 billion) in

turnover — the first corporate inIndia to do so.Stand-alone refining companies,

Chennai Petroleum CorporationLimited and Bongaigaon Refinery &Petrochemicals Limited (BRPL) wereacquired as subsidiaries in 2001 aswas the IBP Company Limited, thefollowing year. This was followed bythe launch of two overseas sub-sidiaries, Lanka IOC in 2003 andIndianOil Mauritius Limited in 2004.IBP was merged with the parentcompany in 2007, followed by themerger of BRPL in 2009. The eleva-tion to the enhanced Maharatna sta-tus in 2010 gave the Corporationgreater autonomy and operationalflexibility and opened a new chapterin IndianOil’s growth story.

PRODUCTIndianOil’s impressive numbers are

supported by a beehive of activity atthe ground level. The Corporation

Introducing India’s


IndianOil had already recognisedthat leadership could only beachieved through customer support.In this pursuit IndianOil introducedmulti-purpose distribution centres inselect rural and semiurban markets,which, in addition to petroleum prod-ucts also dispensed medicines, farmequipment and other essential daily-use commodities.Today, in keeping with the evolving

environment, it has unveiled exclu-sive XTRACARE petrol and dieselstations in urban markets while onhighways it has unveiled foodcourts, first aid, rest rooms, dormi-tories, spare parts shops, etc.But a part of India still requires

more basic support. To cater tothem, IndianOil has launched KisanSeva Kendra outlets, which whileacting as one-stop shops for petrole-um fuels and lubricants, also sellhybrid seeds, fertilisers, pesticides,farm implements, spare parts fortrucks, tractors and pump sets.

BRAND VALUESIndianOil prides itself on being an

‘academy company’ with a score offull-fledged training centres acrossthe country that help build skills andcompetencies of its people. Besidesthe IndianOil Institute of PetroleumManagement at Gurgaon, theCorporation’s apex learning centre,the IndianOil Management Centrefor Learning at Mumbai and theIndianOil Management Academy atHaldia have emerged as world-classtraining and management institutes.As a leading public sector enter-

prise, IndianOil has successfullycombined its corporate socialresponsibility with its business offer-ings. The Corporation takes pride inits continuous investments in inno-vative technologies and solutions forsustainable economic growth and indeveloping technoeconomicallyviable and environment-friendly prod-ucts and services.www.iocl.com

touches the lives of millions of peo-ple every day through a countrywidenetwork of 35,600 sales points, 140bulk-storage depots, 96 aviation fuelstations and 84 Indane liquefiedpetroleum gas (LPG) bottling plants.It operates 18,890 petrol and dieselstations in the country and enjoys adominant share of the bulk con-sumer business provided by the rail-ways, aviation, state transportundertakings and industrial- agricul-tural and marine sectors.Its powerful brand, SERVO, offers

a range of lubricants and greasesand enjoys the approval of majororiginal equipment manufacturersand major automobile companies.Breaking its India confines, SERVOis fast emerging as a global brandwith wide acceptance in the MiddleEast, Africa and the CIS region.The Corporation’s LPG brand,

Indane, is India’s largest cookinggas brand serving the needs of 60million households in 2,879 mar-kets. The gas cylinders are deliveredthrough a network of 5,253 distribu-

tors. Given its vast validation,Indane was accorded the covetedSuperbrand status in 2009.A more recent entrant in

IndianOil’s armoury is Autogas. Thebrand, available at 300 stations, isalready a leader in the auto LPG segment.IndianOil’s ISO-9002 certified

Aviation Service commands 62 percent market share in the rapidlygrowing aviation fuel business whileXTRAPREMIUM petrol andXTRAMILE diesel, its high octaneofferings, have made a significantimpact in the market.

RECENT DEVELOPMENTSCoinciding with its Golden Jubilee

in 2009, IndianOil adopted a newcorporate vision — to be recognisedas ‘the energy of India’ and toemerge as ‘a globally admired company.’To achieve these objectives, the

Corporation has developed a welllaid-out road map using vertical integration — upstream into oil

exploration and production anddownstream into petrochemicals —diversification into natural gas mar-keting and globalisation of its down-stream operations as its corner-stones. IndianOil has also made for-ays into alternative energy optionssuch as bio-fuels, hydrogen, wind,solar and nuclear power.With substantial investments in

state-of-the-art world-scale plants atPanipat and Koyali, IndianOil, today,offers a full slate of petrochemical prod-ucts under the brand name PROPEL.In oil exploration & production,

IndianOil’s domestic portfolio com-prises eleven oil and gas blocks andtwo coal-based methane (CBM)blocks, besides nine overseasblocks spread across Libya, Iran,Gabon, Nigeria,Timor-Leste andYemen. With sales nudging 1.90 mil-lion tonnes per annum, natural gasmarketing is another thrust area forIndianOil.

PROMOTIONAs far back as the 1970s,

n IndianOil is India’s largest com-mercial enterprise with salesturnover of `2710 billion($60.20 billion) and profit of`102.21 billion ($2.30 billion)for the year 2009/10

n The Corporation is investing`434 billion ($9.60 billion)between 2007 and 2012 forbusiness expansion and productquality up gradation

n IndianOil has been conferred thecoveted Reader’s Digest TrustedBrand Gold Award under thePetrol Station category, for thefourth time in a row

n Two of IndianOil’s energy brands— SERVO lubricants and IndaneLPG cooking gas — have alsoearned the coveted Superbrandstatus

n IndianOil is the second largestmarketer of LPG globally, deliver-ing 1.20 million cylinders each day

n Between one sunrise and thenext, IndianOil Aviation Servicerefuels over 1500 flights withover 1.30 million cards in circu-lation

n IndianOil’s XTRAPOWER fleetcard is the largest loyalty pro-gramme in the country

n IndianOil’s Digboi Refinery, com-missioned in 1901, is the oldestoperating refinery in the world

n At 18,380 feet above sea level,in a remote part of the world’shighest motorable road in LehLadakh, IndianOil operates thehighest altitude petrol and dieselstation in the world

n IndianOil offers consultancy inrefinery and pipelines projects,refinery revamp, turnaround,operations and maintenance andrefining process technologies

THINGS YOU DIDN’T KNOWABOUT INDIANOIL

(Reproduced with the permission of Superbrands India Private Limited — copyright owners)

1716 IndiaMatters|January 2012 January 2012|IndiaMatters

The five-day Jaipur LiteraryFestival (JLF) that began onJanuary 20 will be remembered

for its many incandescent momentswhen poetry intersected withpolemics, science duelled with spiritu-ality and rationalists coexisted withmystics.

Billed as the “mahakumbh of theword,” a metaphor for redemption andtranscendence through words bred inthe solitude of writers, the fifth editionof the festival, which exposed an eclec-tic crowd of over 100,000 people to lit-erary giants, star intellectuals andcelebrity playwrights like TopStoppard, Ben Okri, Michael Ondaatje,Richard Dawkins and Steven Pinker,was by far the biggest since the festivalstarted on a tentative note in 2008.

Going by the count of footfall,122,000 people, more than double thenumber last year, came to savour thisfeast of stories at Diggi Palace heritagehotel that has become a landmark inthis Pink City. The sheer logistics of thefestival were revelatory: There wereover 250 invited authors, more than500 journalists and around 2,500 invi-tees who participated as delegates.

On all five days of the fest, there werefive parallel sessions, with two to threeauthors and speakers from 10 am to7.30 pm. And 24 corporate giants,including Tata Steel, Google and Bankof America stepped in generously tobankroll creativity. The two bookstores at Diggi Palace sold books worthover `600,000 in these five days.

“I feel so happy here. The Indians areso open to the beauty of words,”Argentinian writer Pola Oxoriac, said.“It’s an absolutely unique, spectacularshow. It’s amazing how literature canconnect to people,” said KaminMohammadi, the London-basedIranian writer and journalist.

The themes chosen for discussion cutacross genres and geographies, display-ing a exhaustive range. “Debut writersand unheard voices share the sky withinternational stars and popular best-sellers here,” said Namita Gokhale andWilliam Dalrymbple, noted writers andorganisers of the festival.

From Africa to the Middle East, thestate of the world, specially its conflictzones like Kashmir and Palestine, fig-ured in discussions. Literature’s peren-nial romance with revolution and its

1918

Thinking, Fast and SlowAuthor: DanielKahnemanPublisher: AllenLanePrice: `499

Boomerang: TheMeltdown TourAuthor: MichaelLewisPublisher: AllanlanePrice: `599

NarcopolisAuthor: Jeet ThayilPublisher: Faber &FaberPrice: `499

Zero DayAuthor: DavidBaldacciPublisher: PanBooksPrice: `350

QuestAuthor: DanielYerginPublisher: AllanlanePrice: `1,199

The LitigatorsAuthor: JohnGrishamPublisher: HodderPrice: `350

Non-Fiction Fiction

TOP TEN

(Source: Bahri Sons, New Delhi, www.booksatbahri.com. All the books listed above are available online)

genius for subverting the status quocame in for a critical gaze and werereflected in discussions on the ArabSpring, writing and resistance, andthe democratic renaissance inMyanmar.

The shadow of God clearly loomedlarge over a secular fete of letterswith the presence of celebrity atheistsand sceptics like Richard Dawkins,Steven Pinker and A.C. Grayling.

Fittingly, the festival started withsessions on Bhakti poetry and endedwith a stirring debate on “This Housebelieves that Man has replaced God.”

The five-day fest was interspersedwith soulful devotional singing byShabnam Virmani, the famous singerof Kabir songs and Parvati Baul.

It was also a festival where revolu-tionaries rubbed shoulders with pris-sy socialites.

The festival had many lightermoments, fusing discourse and dis-cos, as it were. The performance byJaipur Kawa Brass Band and fire-eat-ing dancers of Rajasthan Josh wasmesmerising, getting many inspiredsouls to shake a leg or two.

The crowds were overwhelming,but in the end, it is the comminglingof crowds with creative geniuses thathave made the JLF such a powerfulbrand, a place to be seen and heard,and justifies the much-toutedmoniker by Tina Brown as “the great-est literary show on earth.”

Steve Jobs: TheExclusive BiographyAuthor: WalterIsaacsonPublisher: HachettePrice: `799

The Secret ofthe NagasAuthor: AmishTripathiPublisher:WestlandPrice: `295

BOOKS

By far the biggest interms of footfall, the2012 Jaipur Fest provided a unique platform where debutant writers rubbed shoulders with literary giants, says Manish Chand

Revolution 2020Author: ChetanBhagatPublisher: RupaPrice: `140

RahulAuthor: Jatin Gandhi andVeenu SandhuPublisher: PenguinPrice: `499


CARNIVAL OF LETTERS1. US television talkshow host Oprah Winfrey; 2. Nigerian poet andnovelist Ben Okri; 3. US author Amy Chua; 4. literary critic Arvind K.Mehrotra with author Professor Purushottam; 5. Sri Lankan debutNovelist Shehan Karunatilaka (C); 6. author Simon Sebag Montefiorewith former editor of The New York Times Joseph Lelyveld; and 7. participants listening to a conversation betwen author ChetanBhagat, Suhel Seth and parliamentarian Shashi Tharoor during theJaipur Literature Festival on January 22.

1 2 3

4 5

6 7

Baramulla town, Adil, 23, hadaccompanied his guests from Delhito Gulmarg for the celebrations.

“My friends from Delhi hadrequested that they would like tospend New Year’s Eve at Gulmarg andI accompanied them. We have beenenjoying every moment at the resort,especially the fireworks at Gulmargclub and the dance,” Adil said.

Recording a good number oftourists this year, a tourism depart-ment official said: “We did notorganise any sponsored event inGulmarg this year because thetourism has found its own momen-tum here. We have decided to allowthings to go about at their ownpace.”

In 2011, Jammu & Kashmirreceived nearly 600,000 tourists,excluding those who visited the stateon account of pilgrimage to VaishnoDevi and Amarnath shrine, signalling the return of good times inthe state.

— Sheikh Qayoom

2120

If there is heaven on Earth, it ishere, it is here, it is here,” wroteAmir Khusro. The declarationcould have been about Gulmarg

— the place truly epitomises heaven.Kings have venerated Gulmarg for thepristine beauty of its lush green mead-ows and snow-covered slopes of theAfarwat Hills surrounding the resort.While in the 16th century Sultan YusufShah Chak, inspired by the sight ofblooming flowers on its slopes, gavethe resort its name Gulmarg, or thepath of roses, it became one of thefavourite haunts of Mughal emperorJehangir in the 17th century.

With the abatement of militancy inthe area, the picturesque town, about60 km from Srinagar, is coming backto life with people flocking its snow-capped slopes.

According to a J&K TourismDepartment official, with winter setting in, visitors are crowding itsstreets and shops, and hotels are doingbrisk business. “The two dozen-oddhotels, with 1,200 beds, as well as thestate tourism department huts werebooked to capacity this New Year. Andthough some visitors left after the festive weekend, many are still stream-ing in,” the official said.

The resort also attracts a number ofadventure sport lovers from India andabroad. The Indian Institute of Skiing

and Mountaineering, run by Ministryof Tourism, Government of India, conducts various adventure sportcourses here, such as, snow skiing,water skiing, parasailing, hot balloon-ing, mountaineering, etc.

Learning how to ski, a tourist, whohad brought his two children along toGulmarg, said that it was “a good placeto get away far from the maddingcrowds of the cities.”

Famous for its winter sports, theslopes of Afarwat Hills are among thelongest and highest ski slopes in Asia.The total distance covered by ski lifts isfive km and the resort’s highest pointis at an altitude of 3,950 metre thatcan be accessed by a cable car called‘Gondola.’

On a clear day, one can see snow-capped Himalayas from a distancebeyond the flat valley where Srinagaris located. The resort offers an amazing serenity that is difficult tofind in many other famous tourist destinations in the country.

“We are from Delhi and are visitingthis place for the first time to welcome2012. We have been to many places inEurope for New Year celebrations, butour Gulmarg visit will always stand outbecause of the amazing beauty of theplace,” said Prakash Kumar, 27, a resident of Greater Noida.

A youth from north Kashmir’s

TRAVEL

With militancy on thedecline, the picturisquetown of Gulmarg in J&Kis bouncing back to life.Tourists are arrivinghere in good numbersto enjoy the serenebeauty offered by the place


The Gulmarg town surrounded by the snowclad Afarwat Hills

AIR: The nearest airport is SKAirport in Badgam district. RAIL: The Jammu railwaystation is the closest railhead,about 180 km away.ROAD: Gulmarg is about 6okms from Srinagar. Jammu &Kashmir SRTC operatesdeluxe and ordinary bus serv-ices from Srinagar. In winter,the buses operate up toTangmarg (11 kms fromGulmarg), the remaining dis-tance is covered on smallervehicles. Tourist taxis alsooperate between Srinagar andGulmarg.

HOW TO REACH:

BACK TO GLORY(Clockwise from above) A touristskiing on the slopes of AfarwatHills, a view of the Gondola ropeway, fireworks on the NewYear’s eve, a road leading toGulmarg and tourist cottageslocated in the Gulmarg valley.

n Visit 110-year-old St.Mary’s Church that wasbuilt during the British era.It was given a facelift in2003.

n Visit Maharani temple alsocalled MohineshwarShivalalya, which served asthe royal temple of Dograkings of Jammu & Kashmir

n Visit Khilanmarg that offersan unparalleled view of theHimalayan range. At about600 metre above Gulmargtown, this valley is about 6kms from Gulmarg’s busstop

n Visit Alpather lake which islocated about 13 km fromGulmarg. This picturesquealpine lake remains frozenuntil mid-June.

n Shrine Of BabaReshi/Ziarat of Baba Reshi.The shrine is on the slopesbelow Gulmarg and can bereached from eitherGulmarg or Tangmarg. TheZiarat, or tomb, of a well-known Muslim saint whodied here in 1480.

WHEN IN GULMARG

2322

1. Born in 1889 in a princely family,Rajkumari Amrit Kaur actively participat-ed in the freedom struggle and becamethe first woman Indian cabinet minister.Which portfolio did she hold in the unioncabinet till 1957?

2. A number of prominent music loverscame together to build the largest audi-torium in India in 1964 when India’s firstprime minister lamented the lack of alarge auditorium in Mumbai. What wasthe name of this auditorium?

3. The recipient of Sena Medal and VishishtSeva Medal for her efficiency in the army,she became the first woman Lt. Generalof Indian Army. What is the name of thisoutstanding officer?

4. He is the first Asian whose symphonywas performed by John Scott of theRoyal Philharmonic Orchestra. A famousfilm composer, singer and lyricist, he hasthrice won the National Film Award forbest music director. What is the name ofthis composer?

5. It is a Buddhist collection of short poemssupposedly recited by early members ofthe Buddhist sangha. It consists of 73poems, organised into 16 chapters, andhas 522 stanzas in all. What is the name

of this anthology of India?6. Originally published from Quilon (in

Kerala) on October 20, 1578, it is arevised Tamil edition of the originalDoctrina Christa and one of the oldestsurviving Indian books. Name this book.

7. He was the elder brother of one of themost celebrated poets and writers of histime and the first Indian to join theIndian Civil Service in 1863. His firstposting was at Bombay Presidency.Name this person.

8. Situated at an altitude of about 3000metre, it is the highest commercial air-port in the world located in Jammu &Kashmir. Name this airport.

9. Created around AD 983 byChamundraya, a minister of the GangaKing, Rajamalla, this 55 ft high statuededicated to a Jain saint is the talleststatue in India. Where in India is this statue located?

10.It is also the second coldest place in theworld after Siberia where temperaturesdrop down to about -40 degrees Celsiusin winters. Located at an altitude of3,230 metre in Jammu & Kashmir, whatis the name of this coldest place inIndia?

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THE PICTURE QUESTION

A multipurpose and multi-disciplinaryinstitution of national importance, thismuseum was established at the AsiaticSociety, the earliest learned body in thecountry, on February 2, 1814. Transferredto the present building in 1878 with twogalleries, the museum now has over sixtygalleries of art, archaeology, anthropology,geology, zoology and botany sections,spreading over 10,000 square feet area.Many rare specimens, both Indian andtrans-Indian origin relating to humanitiesand natural science, are preserved and displayed in the galleries of these sections.Name this museum.

ANSWERS TO THE LAST CONTEST

1. Kanishka-i 2. The Chennai Open 3. Bandhavgarh 4. Hindustan Motors 5. Vivek Express 6. Kutch district 7. Siachen Glacier 8. Sushil Kumar

9. 10 m air rifle event 10. Lake Palace 11. Khirki Mosque, New Delhi

DubaiBLS Centre 105, 106 Al Khaleej Centre Opposite Al Ain Centre Mankhool Road Bur Dubai Tel: 04-3594000

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Indian Association Sharjah (I.A.S)Near Al Garb Police Station,Al ManakTel: 06-5610845

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AjmanIndian Association Ajman (I.A.A) Opposite Lulu Centre Tel: 06-7474212

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Indian Association Ras Al Khaimah (I.A.R.A.K)Near Mamourah Police stationMumtazar RdTel: 07-2288345

KalbaKalba Indian School and Cultural Club (K.I.S.C.C)Opposite Kalba Police StationNear Bin Moosa PharmacyTel: 092777357

FujairahIndian Social Club Fujairah (I.S.C.E)Opposite Hilton HotelAl Fazil RoadTel: 092221155

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Al AinIndian Social CentreAl Saroj DistrictTel: 037221080

The Indian Passport and Visa services, handled by BLS International Services

Their website is www.blsindiavisa-uae and for queries you may call 04-3594000

The Passport and Visa Service Centres located at the premises of the Indian

Associations/Indian Social Centres in the different Emirates will continue

to remain functional at their existing locations.

Locations of all Indian Passport and Visa Centres:

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HAPPY REPUBLIC DAY

An illuminated Rashtrapati Bhavan flanked by the North and South blocks of the Central

Secretariat during the Beating Retreat Ceremony in New Delhi on January 29. AFP PHOTO

Consulate General of IndiaP.O. BOX 737, DUBAI, UNITED ARAB EMIRATES

Tel: +971 4 3971222/ +971 4 3971333, Fax: +971 4 3970453, Tlx.: 46061 CGIND EM

Email: [email protected]

Consulate Hotline Numbers +971 50 9433111 (For women/housemaids in distress and counseling for stress and depression)

+971 50 7347676 (For death formalities on holidays and after office hours)

Passport: 04-3070741 Visa: 04-3070743 Consular: 04-3070782 Labour: 04-3070716

Embassy of India, Abu DhabiPlot No. 10, Sector W-59/02, Diplomatic Area, Off the Airport Road

P.O. Box 4090, Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates

Tel: +971 2 4492700, Fax: +971 2 4444685 / +971 2 4447768

Email: [email protected]/[email protected]

Indian Workers Resource CentreIndian Workers Resource Centre (IWRC) – the first of its kind grievance redressal and support centre – offers 24X7 toll free

helpline in Malayalam, Tamil, Hindi, English, and Telugu to assist needy Indian workers and provide free

professional, legal, financial and psychological counselling to Indian nationals.

IWRC Centre, Al Jawahara, 202, Above Habib Bank AG Zurich, Bank Street, Bur Dubai

Tel : 800 (India) 46342 Fax 043559309

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