Sharmila Qualifies for final stage of Ladies European Tour

The Indian young Golfer Sharmila Nicollet is playing in Ladies European Tour Q-School Tournament. A 20th year Bengaluru girl made a History in Indian Golf era. A tied 30th place is not something a golfer yearns for, but it was enough for India’s Sharmila Nicollet to script a new chapter in the history of Indian golf. As soon as she sank a six-foot birdie putt on the third play-off hole at the picturesque La Manga South Course in Spain, the 20-year-old Indian became the second and the youngest from the country after Smiriti Mehra to make the cut for the prestigious Ladies European Tour. Source: Medley News, Image: flickr.com

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World's Biggest School Assembly by BBC

Sam Daily Times: BBC is holding a unique event for the schools worldwide. In this online school assembly, schools around the world with share what matters to them. Schools from Burma, Ghana, China, Papua NewGuinea, Australia, Thailand, New Zealand, Ukraine, Indonesia, UK, and Spain participated in the assembly.The environment, the credit crunch, education, social media, whaling, drugs, poverty, families and Nicki Minaj got young people around the world talking. Source: Sam Daily Times ***

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Shorty Capone: Ramping up retail, adding new products

Fashion United: Known for offering a wide range of print-styles, Shorty Capone, an America-originated brand is planning to add 12 styles of Godfather T-shirts and 16 styles of semi-formal shirts to its existing range. The brand is also looking at ramping up its MBO presence. Explains Shahnawaz Sheikh, Chairman & Managing Director, Shorty Capone Fashion Corporation, “We have been retailing our shoe-range through MBOs and have signed up with 15 stores of Reliance Footprint. Each store is giving us some 50 sq. ft space, where we will display 35 styles. Gradually we will introduce denims and T-shirts in MBOs. And the focus for expansion would be north Indian cities like Ludhiana, Chandigarh. We are also considering large format stores apart from widening our international reach. Currently, we are selling in Holland, Canada and Spain and exploring opportunities in London and Serbia.” Commenting on the brand’s USP of offering so many styles, he says, “Making 45 styles is extremely difficult. And the more the consumer sees, the more they want. So we keep updating our styles as fast as possible. Ultimately we want to reach a cycle of 20 to 25 days from the current 40 to 45 day cycle. More than designing, manufacturing is the difficult part. You have to get everything connected to the basic theme and in India. Its difficult to build a brand solely on the strength of knits.” Shorty Capone’s journey started about five years back in Chicago with a hip-hop producer in his name. “I was a supplier to them then for originally I was into exports. Gradually, we saw a lot of scope for these products in India. There was a big void in the market of an international brand having a direct connection to the youth. So that’s how two years back we started acquiring the rights for the brand worldwide. We are involved from the designing to selling except for the American market, where we work on a partnership basis,” Sheikh elaborates. Talking about the initial hiccups in spreading their footprint, Sheikh says, “There was a lot of resistance towards the products because there is a difference in the thinking of youth and the trade. There was resistance at the visualization stage in terms of what it was going to look like. We had a reference brand in India, a colorful brand, that didn’t gel well with the youth for some reason. We wanted to give our collection a designer feel without going overboard. Gradually, we got it right and now we are getting a lot of acceptance in the market.” The product range includes everything from shoes to caps. “We have some 15 products in denim, which include skirts, three-fourths, shorts, jeans, denim shirts and jackets. There are some 20 product categories. Our intention was to fill the gap between the domestic brands and the hardcore international brands. We are avoiding the unisex concept and making it a distinct brand for men and women. The women’s products can’t be worn by a man and vice a versa in terms of styling,” Sheikh highlights. Right now, Shorty Capone has one brand store in Mumbai spread over 1,050 sq. ft. area, moving ahead, it is looking at bigger stores through the franchise route. Source: Fashion United

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Euro 2012: Spain 4-0 Ireland, Italy 1-1 Croatia

Torres scores the opener

Fernando Torres scored two goals as Spain overwhelmed Ireland with a 4-0 victory. Spain dominated the possession and passing throughout the match. Torres scored an outstanding opener just 4 minutes after the start of the match when Iniesta run into trouble but Dunne couldn't gather himself as Torres got in like a flash, nicking the ball away, taking it at speed into the right-hand side of the box and rifling a shot past Given at his near post. Spain scored the second just at the start of second half Iniesta shoot came off Given but right to David Silva. He composed himself to beat a man, threading it through two pairs of Irish legs and passes into the bottom corner Torres got the second receiving a through ball in space on the right-hand side and taking a good touch and to slot it past Given. Torres Substitute, Cesc Fabregas scored the final goal on a corner, getting past Ward with ease to hammer it in between Green and Given into the far corner. Ialy 1 Croatia 1, Croatia claimed a crucial point against Italy to enhance their chances of progressing from Group C following an impressive opening 3-1 win against Republic of Ireland. Mario Mandzukic’s 72nd minute equaliser completed a second half recovery against an Italian team which had earlier looked to be coasting to victory.Andrea Pirlo’s exquisite free-kick had reflected the domination of Cesare Prandelli’s side, particularly in the first half. But a rare lapse at the back offered the Croatian a way back, although they’ll still need a point against Spain in their final fixture if they’re to earn themselves a quarter-final spot.Source: Sam Daily Times

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World Catching Up to U.S. in E-Book Buying Habits, Study Says

Beattie's Book Blog, By Jeremy Greenfield, Editorial Director, Digital Book World, @JDGsaid: The world has caught up with the U.S. when it comes to e-book buying and overall engagement with digital books, according to a new study. While the U.S. remains the largest e-book market, many readers in countries like Australia, Brazil and India have purchased e-books and intend to buy more in the future, according to R.R. Bowker’s Global eBook Monitor study. “The world is ready for digital books and it’s a far bigger marketplace than we thought,” said Kelly Gallagher, vice president of publishing services at Bowker. In late January and early February, Bowker fielded a 25-question online survey among 1,000 to 2,000 people in each of ten countries – Australia, Brazil, France, Germany, India, Japan, South Korea, Spain, the UK and the U.S. – asking them about their reading and book-buying habits. Australia, India, the UK and the U.S. led the world in e-book adoption rates but Brazil and India may represent the best opportunities for publishers to sell e-books in the future. Of survey respondents who indicated that they had never downloaded and purchased an e-book, only 16% of Brazilians and 11% of Indians said they would not try one. Compare that with 66% of French and 72% of Japanese people who said they had not tried e-books and did not want to try them. Cultural reasons for not wanting to transition to e-books could be the culprit in places like France and Japan, where the technology for e-reading is widespread, but the adoption is low and attitudes toward e-reading are relatively negative. Source: Beattie's Book Blog

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Mobbed and booed, Sarkozy hides in a bar

News Bullet, Courtesy: Sky News: Paris: French President  Nicolas  Sarkozy 

had to take refuge in a bar during a visit to the Basque region when he was mobbed and booed by protesters. According to a report which appeared in Sky News, Basque separatists and opposition Socialist party supporters crowded around the leader, throwing eggs and hurling insults.Riot police were on duty outside the Bar du Palais in Bayonne, where Sarkozy was on the campaign

trail ahead of the presidential elections later this year. Some protesters jeered and booed and threw eggs at the bar as others shouted "Nicolas kampora!" which means "Nicolas get out". Nicolas Sarkozy was booed and mobbed as he walked through Bayonne. The president was booed from the moment he left his car in the centre of the city and was followed by a jeering crowd all the way to the bar, where he met local voters. He stayed inside the bar for an hour while police held off protesters, some of whom were holding the electoral programme of his rival, Socialist candidate Francois Hollande. Sarkozy condemned the incident and partly blamed the opposition. "I am saddened to see Hollande's Socialist militants associating with (Basque) separatists in violent protests to terrorise ordinary people who want just one thing: to meet and talk with me," he said. Amid tight security, protesters jeered and some threw eggs. His campaign spokesman, Nathalie Kosciusko-Morizet, accused the Socialists of organising "street protests" against the president. But Manuel Valls, a senior member of Mr Hollande's campaign team, said his boss condemned any violence and said no Socialists were involved in the Bayonne incident. The Basque region straddles southwestern France and northern Spain. Separatist movement ETA carried out years of shootings and bombings as part of a campaign for its independence. As Sarkozy visited Bayonne, Mr Hollande held his third major campaign rally in the eastern French city of Lyon. An opinion poll by IFOP earlier this week said the Socialist will receive 28.5% of the vote in the first round of elections in late April, against 27% for Sarkozy. It predicted far-right National Front leader Marine Le Pen would come in third with 17%.Source: News Bullet

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Nokia launches 41-MP camera smartphone

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News Track India, London, Feb 28 (ANI): Finnish mobile phone maker Nokia has unveiled a new smartphone with an unprecedented 41-megapixel camera.  The 450 Euros device, 808 PureView, runs on software that Nokia is reportedly phasing out in favour of the WindowsPhone.  The new smartphone, which was announced at the Mobile World Congress in Barcelona, is expected to launch in Europe in May, The Telegraph reports. With 41 MP, the phone is able to shoot images that Nokia claims can be

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Image Taken By Nokia 808, 41 Mega Pixel Camera Link: Flickr

printed in "poster size".  Files, however, condense four or five pixels into one, and Nokia claims they are smaller than equivalent products from rivals.  A Carl Zeiss lens shoots in continuous focus HD video, at 1080p.  Mary McDowell, the firm's executive vice president for mobile phones, said the company's engineers had been working on the product "for years".  She said it was "natural" to assume that its technology would be  used in other Nokia products in the future.  McDowell added that while the device was larger than its rivals, it was still sized to fit in pockets, rather than replace a full-size camera.  According to the report, the device uses a 1.3GHz processor, comes with 16GB of storage and runs a 4" screen at 360 x 640, which is below HD resolution. (ANI) Source: News Track India

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Aora to flip switch on Europe's first hybrid micro CSP power plant

Toby Price: The Israeli solar company, Aora, has announced that it will commission its second hybrid micro concentrating solar power (CSP) plant next month. After developing its first solar-gas hybrid plant in Israel in 2009, the company has been working to build a second plant in Spain capable of generating low-cost, continuous clean energy 24/7.Back in 2009, the Israeli firm, Aora, impressed the CSP community when it installed an innovative tower plant based on technology developed at the Weizmann Institute of Science in the Arava desert in southern Israel. The facility was immediately nicknamed the "Power Flower" station, due to its unique yellow tulip design developed of by Haim Dotan Ltd. architects. The plant consists of a field of 30 tracking mirrors (heliostats) situated on half an acre of land, with a 30-metre high tower standing in the middle of the complex at Kibbutz Samar, outside Eilat. Described as the world's first hybrid solar thermal gas turbine power station, the facility is capable of generating 100 kW of electric power in addition to 170 kW of thermal power. “This marked the first time that CSP stations can provide environmentally-friendly power 24 hours a day”, said Aora’s CEO at the time, Haim Fried. The patented receiver uses the solar energy to heat air to a temperature of 1,000 degrees Celsius and directs this energy into the turbine, which converts the thermal energy into electric power that is fed directly into the national grid. Besides solar energy, the power station can also run on other alternative fuel, including bio-gas, bio-diesel and natural gas. So the station can produce electricity when sunlight is insufficient, such as at night or when it is cloudy. "It can shift seamlessly between using the sun as fuel and a conventional or another renewable fuel," explains Pinchas Doron, Aora’s Chief Technology Officer Click Hear To Read Full At Renewable Energy Magazine

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World's richest lottery to shower 3.6 bn euros

Hindustan Times, Madrid, Agence France-Presse: Millions of crisis-hit Spaniards are snatching up tickets for the world's richest lottery draw on Thursday, which will shower winners with a record 2.5 billion euros ($3.3 billion) in prizes. Undeterred by a 21.5-% jobless rate and the prospect of recession, four out of every five Spaniards are expected to snatch up a ticket to a lottery known as "El Gordo", or the "Fat One". Long queues snaked through the streets as people took a chance to dream of an escape from the economic crisis, each person buying an

File photo of a ticketholder of Spanish christmas lottery, known as El Gordo, is seen in Valencia. AFP/Jose Jordan

average of more than 60 euros' worth of tickets. In Madrid's main artery, the Gran Via, many waited for tickets at a small kiosk. "I am spending more than last year, 100 euros, and I am sharing the tickets with my friends and family," said a 48-year-old office worker, Victoria. "Some of them are having a very tough time financially and I want us to win," she said. A tradition that dates back nearly two centuries, "El Gordo" is an engrained Christmas ritual. Family, friends and 'colleagues can play the same number and share the gains if they are lucky on December 22, when pupils from former Madrid orphanage San Ildefenso sing out the numbers on national television. At Madrid's Dona Manolita lottery ticket shop, which is famed for having sold the winning number several times, superstitious players are prepared to wait for hours for a ticket. "And they say Spain is in a crisis," a passer-by could be heard muttering as he struggled to get past the huge queue. Spaniards' attachment to "El Gordo" allows the national lottery to rake in a fortune each year, of which 70% is shared out in prizes. It makes the draw one of the world's most generous, said Juan Antonio Gallardo, sales director of the national lottery. The jackpot has grown to 400,000 euros from 300,000 euros last year. With lottery ticket sales expected to amount to 3.6 billion euros, up from 2.7 billion euros last year, the total prize money to be shared out is expected to be 2.52 billion euros. "The Christmas lottery is written into Spaniards' DNA. No other lottery in the world sells so much," Gallardo said.Read Full: World's richest lottery to shower 3.6 bn euros - Hindustan Times

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Biggest spike ever in global warming gases: US

Indian Express, Agencies : Washington,The amount of global warming gases sent into the atmosphere made an unprecedented jump in 2010, according to the US Department of Energy's latest world data on carbon dioxide emissions. "It's big," said Tom Boden, director of the Carbon Dioxide Information Analysis Centre Environmental Sciences Division at the DOE's Oak Ridge National Laboratory in Tennessee. "Our data go back to 1751, even before the Industrial Revolution. Never before have we seen a 500-million-metric-ton carbon increase in a single year," he said. The 512 million metric ton

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increase amounted to a near six percent rise between 2009 and 2010, going from 8.6 billion metric tons to 9.1 billion. Large jumps, measured from C02 emissions released into the atmosphere as a result of burning coal and gas, were visible in China, the United States and India, the world's top three polluters. Significant spikes over 2009 were also seen in Saudi Arabia, Turkey, Russia, Poland and Kazakhstan. Some countries, like Switzerland, Azerbaijan, Slovakia, Spain, New Zealand and Pakistan actually showed slight declines from 2009 to 2010, but those nations were uncommon. Much of Europe showed a moderate uptick. The figures could indicate economic recovery from the global recession of 2007-2008, according to Boden. "At least from an energy consumption standpoint, companies were back to manufacturing levels that rivalled pre-2008 levels, people were travelling again so emissions from the transportation sector rivalled those of pre-2008," he said. But the data also raised concerns about the health of the environment. "This is very bad news," said John Abraham, associate professor at the University of St Thomas School of Engineering in Minnesota. Source: Indian Express

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Entire village except one wins lottery

London, ANI, Hindustan Times: A filmmaker living on the outskirts of Spain has become the unluckiest man in the village after he was the only one who didn’t buy a ticket in the Christmas draw. Costis Mitsotakis, who lives on the outskirts of Sodeto, was missed off as residents went round collecting money for the super-draw from the village’s 70 houses, the Daily Mail reported. A share in a single ticket would have cost him 4 pounds and would have won him an 83,000 pounds prize. According to the New York Times, the Greek national moved to the area after falling in love with a woman. When the relationship fell apart he stayed in the area and has been renovating a barn. However, Mitsotakis did not lose out entirely as the day after the Christmas draw was made a neighbour agreed to use their winnings to buy a plot of land he had been trying to sell. The Spanish lottery El Gordo, the Fat One, has a total of 1,800 winning tickets. Each ticket costs around 16 pounds but it is sub-divided into four participations that cost around 4 pounds each. Each one of the residents bought a ticket bearing the number 58,268 except for Mitsotakis. While some people won 83,000 pounds after buying a single share, other villagers won millions. Source: Hindustan Times

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Indian fashion in a great moment: Spanish designer

News Leaks: By Mohammed Anas, The Indian canvas appears like a paradise for those who love colour, according to veteran Spanish designer Agatha Ruiz de la Prada who believes Indian fashion is growing very fast and experiencing a great moment. The 51-year-old visited India as a part of the “Spain, New Urban Cultures”, an initiative to promote cultural exchange between Spain and India, and said: “I love colours, hearts, simplicity, freedom and avant garde and it’s dominant in my creations…” “It is not my first visit (to India), I have been here before and I love it. I’m a big fan of India because India is the paradise for colour lovers and that is exactly my style,” Agatha told reporter in an e-mail interview. An

old name on the fashion scene, Agatha began her fashion career in 1980 and showcased her first collection in Madrid in 1981. Since then she has been an integral part of international fashion shows, including those in Berlin, Japan and France. After making a splash on the world canvas, she now aims to impress Indian fashionistas with her collection. “I think Indian fashion is in a great moment and is growing very fast. It’s very popular and recognised by people all over the world. The designs here are vibrant and refreshing.” Lauding the Indian fashion industry, she said, it is in a “good position, not only because of the good prices but because of the Indian sensibility”.Source: News Leaks

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Antarctic Ocean Alliance: coalition to protect fertile seas of the South Pole

RTSea: It was many decades ago that several leading nations essentially carved up the continent of Antarctica, and so you had nations like the U.S. Russia, Great Britain, and others exploring and studying this hostile, austere, but starkly beautiful landscape. In 1959, the Antarctic Treaty was put into place which effectively demilitarized Antarctica, recognizing its primary value as a scientific  laboratory.  And  in  1991  (made

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fully effective in 1998), the Protocol on Environmental Protection to the Antarctic Treaty banned all mining and designated Antarctica as a "natural reserve devoted to peace and science." So much for the protection of the continent. But what about the seas that surround it? The oceans that surround Antarctica are extremely rich in marine life including krill which is one of the fundamental building blocks of a marine ecosystem. And it has been a source of major commercial fishing for several nations including Russia, Norway, Korea, New Zealand, the UK, and Spain. The Ross Sea, which hugs the Antarctica coast almost equi-distant between South America and Australia, is a particularly fertile ground for commercial fishing. However, as the rest of the world's seas are showing evidence of overfishing, it's only a matter of time for Antarctica to potentially suffer the same fate. To address the future of the seas of Antarctica, several leading conservation organizations have banded together to promote the Antarctic Ocean Alliance. The Alliance's mission is to establish marine protected areas (MPAs) and no-take reserves around the icy continent, thereby providing the same measure of protection for the oceans as is afforded the land. Read Full: Antarctic Ocean Alliance: coalition to protect fertile seas of the South Pole

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Tourism Ministry of India Plans To Woo Global Filmmakers | Easy Destination Blog

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Easy Destination Blog: Tourism Ministry is looking  for ways to attract  global 

fimmakers to India. Ministry of Tourism of looking for possibility of promote India as a destination abroad with the help of international movies. The government has decided to form a national body with members from NFDC and Tourism Ministry to discuss possible solutions to the issues foreign filmmakers face in India. While Bollywood is playing major role for several countries  to attract   Indian

"Octopussy" One Of Hollywood Movie Was Shot In India,  Image Link Flickr

tourists, government want Hollywood and other film industries from around the world to shoot movies in India and promote destinations to global audience. The government has  taken  decision  keeping  the  importance  of

"The Bourne Supremacy" One Of Hollywood Movie Was Shot In India, Image Link Flickr

Cinema in the tourism industry. Indian government would look to sort out issues related to film tourism in India. Government is looking to speed up visa process and custom clearence for  foreign filmmakers. Other  proposed

"The Myth" One Of Hollywood Movie Was Shot In India, Image Link Flickr

ideas include tax reimbursement on film expenditure. Another major issue which government is looking at is the security. Indian government wants to ensure tighest security  possible  for  the  foreign  film crew while they  shoot

Bollywood Movie "Zindagi Na Milegi Dobara" Advanced The Spain Tourism

movies in India. Tourism Ministry wants to raise awarness about Indian destinations with the help of films. Ministry cited the example of Zindagi Na Milegi Dobara and its impact on the Spain Tourism. Source: Easy Destination Blog

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Fresh Turkiye Fruits a popular event

Fresh Plaza: Fresh Turkiye Fruits, Vegetables, Organic Harvest, Storage and Logistic fair was under the auspices of The Republic of Turkey Ministry of Food Agriculture and Livestock and had support from the Mediterranean Exporters Union, Turkey Vegetable and Fruit Brokers Federation, Anatolia Fruit and Vegetable Brokers and Businessmen's Association, Istanbul Fresh Fruit Vegetable and Garden Brokers Association, opened its doors on 17   November.  Fresh  Turkiye  ’11  opened   with   the   participation  of  160 

companies. The event opened its doors to visitors on Thursday November 17 at 14:00 pm. The fair experienced a very intense visitor traffic. With domestic and international senior managers the opening was quite spectacular. The fair saw visitors from the USA Bulgaria, Greece, Iran, Iraq, Romania, Kazakhstan, Spain, Sudan, Ukraine, Uzbekistan, Africa, Kosovo, Libya, Macedonia, Italy, Pakistan, Jamaica, Canada, United Kingdom, Slovenia, Saudi Arabia, Brazil, Albania, Algeria. 12,000 visitors visited the fair between 17 November – 20 November. Visitors included buyers for supermarkets and of course, Mr Corn , Ms Apple and Ms Tomato added a magic touch. Source: Fresh Plaza

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Paris Hilton Can Now Add 'Motorcycle Race Win' To Her Resume - Star Pulse

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Paris Hilton is celebrating after a member of her MotoGP racing team won the Valencia Grand Prix in Spain on Sunday. The socialite has expanded her business empire by launching her own motorcycle racing team, called SuperMartxe VIP by Paris Hilton, and she was trackside to watch as Maverick Vinales took first place at the MotoGP championship final. Hilton shared her delight with fans in a series of posts on her Twitter.com blog and and even posted a photograph of herself posing with the race trophy. She writes, "OMG (Oh my God)!!! My Paris Hilton Racing Team rider Maverick Vinales just won first place in the MotoGP Grand Prix Finals! Yessss (sic)!!!!! So exciting!... Standing up on the podium at The MotoGP Finals with all the winners felt amazing! So proud of my rider for winning first place! Yes!... So happy and proud of my team!" Read Full: Paris Hilton Can Now Add 'Motorcycle Race Win' To Her Resume - Starpulse.com

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Indians most bullish on video conferencing !

Mumbai : Indians are most bullish on prospects of video conferencing which is becoming a ‘way of doing everyday business’ with more than 70 per cent saying it will become a regular practice at workplaces this year. Currently, video conferencing (57 per cent) is the third most preferred method for communicating with clients, after face-to-face meetings (82 per cent) and email conversations (60 per cent) at Indian workplaces, a research conducted by Cable&Wireless Worldwide revealed recently. The emphasis on face-to-face communications appears stronger in Asia as compared to Europe. As high as 98 per cent respondents in India agreed that seeing a business contact is important while carrying out a significant business deal. Indians also believe that a face-to-face or a video conference with their bank manager, travel agent, or their insurance company, for instance, would be more impactful than an email or a telephone conversation. C&W Worldwide’s survey also revealed that a majority of Indians put in an extra effort into their appearance to make a good impression while taking part in a face-to-face or a video conference meeting with business associates. This figure was the highest amongst Indians (98 per cent) when compared to UK (90 per cent); Spain (94 per cent); Singapore (97 per cent) and Germany (90 per cent). Interestingly, Indian males (64.2 per cent) put in more effort to look good when compared to Indian women (55.6 per cent)!  Apart from the business angle, the survey also found that more than 54 percent of people in India would be happy to deal with their doctor or health provider on a video call, while 31 per cent would want to meet their employer over a VC! Read Full: Indians most bullish on video conferencing !

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Super-rich grow in style

The signals came early when we saw sales of luxury cars shooting up. And, when glossies invited Indians to buy jewellery watches and take holidays in exotic overseas locations went back and forth, the signals grew louder. This week, numbers told the story clearly. The Capgemini and Merrill Lynch World Wealth Report 2011 said that India’s high networth individual (HNWI) population (those with investible assets of Rs.4.5 crore or more) rose by more than 26,000 to 153,000. India, having pushed behind Spain, now stands 12th in millionaire headcount and is only a few thousands short of Italy and Brazil. The count grew the fastest in India in 2010 as the economy expanded. India’s millionaire growth rate was 20.8%, against a world average of 8.3%. Where is the money going? Those managing the money say that while the rich Indians are careful in their investment decisions, they are getting flamboyant in their spending manners. “Since the equity market has performed poorly over the last one year, a lot of money has gone into fixed income instruments and real estate,” said C Jayaram, ED, Kotak Mahindra Bank. “On the other hand the ultra-HNIs are willing to be a little more flamboyant in their consumption—buying property in Europe, high-end cars etc.” According to the “Top of the Pyramid-2011” report by Kotak Wealth and Crisil Research, 37.2% of the investments by the folks variously called HNIs or HNWIs went into real estate while 33.1% flowed into equities. Fixed income instruments constituted 20.4% of their investments. “A lot of money has gone into debt over the last six months as yields have been attractive. However in the slightly longer term of around two years, there has been a steady increase in equity investments,” said Atul Singh, MD, Merrill Lynch Global Wealth Management, India. Jayaram added that as and when the pressures of inflation and interest rates ease, money will start flowing back into equities. For the moment, lavish spending is in order. In the past one year alone, luxury and sports car makers such as Bugatti, Maserati, Aston Martin and Ferrari entered India. Rolls Royce sold 70 of its top-end vehicles in 2010, growing seven-fold in a year. Indians are also buying up swanky homes in Europe. “The share of Indians is gradually growing. Indians as of now constitute about 10 to 15% of the buyers in Europe and their number is set to grow fast,” said Ashish Dhume of Europe-Interface, a London-based real estate firm. Anshuman Magazine, South Asia Chairman at international property consulting firm CB Richard Ellis (CBRE) said higher exposure to Europe and growing Indian wealth will sustain this trend. Experts say millionaires will grow on as both national income and market capitalisation of stock markets are expected to stay strong. With inputs from Sachin Kumar and Sachin Dave, Source: Hindustan Times

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