Opulent Bus travel

A logistic company has launched a bus service called Luxuria, between Chennai and Bangalore ,which boasts of offering facilities that even a business class air travel doesn't offer .The bus service is launched by the Blue Hill Group which runs the Nilgiris Supermarket retail chain. The air conditioned bus has just 21 leather upholstered  reclining seats that can recline up to 140 degrees with calf , thigh supports,and adjustable arm rests at the push of a button .Each seat is equipped  with a panel to control seat movements and lights . Each seat has a large individual 10-inch LCD display TV with remote control and head phones.The Volvo buses are WiFi enabled and  allow passengers to watch on-demand movies and songs.The bus has Dish Tv connectivity with 100 plus live TV channels.The bus also provides laptop chargers and a foldable table before each seat. The Luxuria buses also have airline-style pursuers who will serve food and beverages .A bathroom with wash basin is located at the back of the bus.The seats are arranged in 2+ 1 rows.  The Bus has been specially designed by famed designer Dilip Chabria. They have pressed in to service 12 buses initially between Chennai and Bangalore and plans to increase the fleet strength and connect key Indian cities with Luxuria buses later.Luxuria could become  the  favourites of the corporate world,since the fare is almost three fold of a normal multiaxle volvo A/C bus between the two cities. With better roads and better buses luxury buses of this type could become popular soon.

The young face of India - Suhash Gopinath

The World Economic Forum at Davos announced the Bangalore based Suhash Gopinath for the "Young Global Leader" award for 2008-2009 along with A.R.Rehman.Gopinath is just 23 years old now.He is the youngest to recieve this award in the history of World Economic Forum.This years YGL award features two other Indians(by birth)Hotmail.com's Sabeer Bhatia and Lousiana State Governor Bobby Jindal.But this post is about Gopinath.

Suhash Gopinath became the youngest CEO at the age of 14.A class IX student,he floated his own web solutions company,Globals Inc,headquartered at California .Today his company is a multinational company with presence in 11 countries with a multi billion turnover employing over 250 persons mostly of his age.Globals Inc has over 200 clients worldwide.His clients include some Fortune 500 companies also.Gopinath's company offers world class quality solutions in web,mobile and softwares.He had to float his company at US,since Indian laws does not permit minors floating companies.The first employee he hired for his company at the age of 14 was 30 years old.When he was 16, CNBC and e-Business canada recongonised him as world's youngest enterpreneur.At 17 he was recogonised as World's youngest CEO by BBC,Washington Times and The Age. Other milestones in young Gopianth's career so far are given below.


In 2005 the karnataka government awarded the State Rajyotsava Award to Gopinath.

In 2007 the European Parliament and International Association for Human Values conferred "Young Achiever Award " on Gopinath.The European Parliament invited him to address the European parlimentarians and businessmen at Brussles.

In 2008 World Bank President invited Gopinath to be part of World Bank's Advisory body for Kenya and Nigeria for increasing employee ability and fostering student skills.

In June 2009 Incerdible Vienna conferred the "Make a difference Award " on Gopinath.

In October 2009 Global Social Innovatos Forum,Singapore conferred the SIP Fellow Award on Gopinath.

Gopinath completed his Engineering at Bangalore. His father is a defence scientist at Bangalore. Gopinath had his share of embarassments initially,for many people refused to believe the boyish Suhash as CEO of a company.In many forums and meetings the organisers could not recogonise him. International companies refused to have business with Globals because the CEO did not even have a proper moustache.Gopinath's Engineering college lecturer at Bangalore even applied for a job in his company.But Suhash could not oblige him since 'the emphasis was on skills'.

Gopinath is a much sought after speaker around the world now.He delivered lectures to students in Islamabad.He has delivered lectures at IIM Ahmedabad,IIT Kanpur,IIT Bombay, IIT Madras and Anna university,Chennai.He is delvering lectures in Enterprenureship across the globe.He has delivered lectures at European Business School,Germany,university of Cologne and university of Colombo. Gopinath's idol is surely Bill Gates.But when he met Bill gates, he found a humble Gates telling Gopinath "I should be afraid of you.I started my company at 20, but you started at 14".

Gopinath is the resource person for IIT Ahmedabad,Advisory board member of IIT Bombay for enterprenuership.He is the youth Ambassador for Indo-Pak Leadership Program organised by School of Leadership,Pakistan.

There could be many more budding young Gopinath's in India.Gopinath has set a benchmark for present day young enterpreneurs.One hopes Government would come forward to help young enterpreneurs through a single window enterprenuership cell.This could unearth budding enterprenuers and will surely be a step forward in realising vision 2020.

Changing face of Bangalore

In Chord Road from Attiguppe to vijayanagar there were lot of trees lined on either side of the road.These trees have been axed to widen the roads and also for the metro rail project.There were trees in the road side parks on either side of the chord road leading to the vijayanagar bus stand.Some of these trees in the road side parks have also been felled.A Big tree near the Vijayanagar bus stand has also been axed recently.A ride in this road was pleasant until recently with good tree shades on either side.Trees have been axed in other parts of Bangalore also for the same reasons.Big trees have been cut in the West of chord road,Residency Road,Race course road,MG road and elsewhere.At this rate,soon Bangalore will lose its sobriquet as the 'Garden city'.Many would say this is all inevitable when the growing needs of the city has to be addressed.But at what cost? Is it not ironical that on one side the government at the centre is very serious about climate change,its effects ,talks about steps to combat greenhouse gas emmissions and on the other side all over the country on the plea of developmental projects trees are cut indiscriminatley and the green cover of the country is continously eroded.All our city's are continously becoming warmer year after year .Authorities forget that tress are Capital Assets for a city.Trees are imperative, on the other hand at roads where the estimated pollutant uptake is high,especially near signals where a host of vehicles wait at the same time and emit greenhouse gases to a greater extent.No wonder at signals,one feels suffocating,especially if you are travelling in a two wheeler.It is said a mature tree absorbs nearly 48 lbs /year of CO2 and releases oxygen sufficient for two human beings in to the atmosphere.I understand permission is granted to fell trees by the government authorities after ensuring planting of two tree saplings for every single tree that is axed.I think this could be the most absurd theory.The experts say it takes years for a tree to start absorbibg CO2 at significant levels.Only a mature tree absorbs more CO2.So the theory of planting two trees for every single tree felled does not in anyway solve the issue.It is high time envoronmentalists and green peace activists of Bangalore come together and chart out plans to save atleast the remaining trees in Bangalore,before it is too late.

Chandrayan -1

Chandrayan 1 is India's first unmanned lunar exploration scheduled to be launched on Oct 22 by ISRO.Likely to be launched at 0621Hrs from Sriharikotta on Oct 22.Project Chief M. Annadurai hails from Pollachi in Tamilnadu. This mission by ISRO is Indian only in terms of launch vehicle and the space craft.The instrumentation is jointly provided by ISRO,NASA,ESA and Bulgaria.Cost of the project is Rs 386 Crores.The signals from the Satellite will be recieved at Bylalu village 40 Km from Bangalore .This will be the master control facility for Chandrayan 1.The 1.5 ton space craft will take 8 days to reach its orbit, 60 miles away from moons surface.t The distance to be covered from base is around 240000 miles.So far ISRO has sent Satellites only to the earths orbit at a height of about 40000Kms .But the moon orbit would be around 386000 kilometers.Chandrayan -1 will have a 2 year operational life.Other Asian countries who have achieved this feat are China and Japan.China put its unmanned moon mission in orbit in 2007.Same year Japan also succeded in doing so.This project has not been insured,though it is in vogue internationally.ISRO has plans for a manned moon mission in 2014.