‘ASEAN Countries eyeing Kerala as major Business & Investment Destination’

A high profile delegation from ASEAN led by His Excellency Mr Nguyen Thanh Tan, Ambassador of Vietnam and Chairman of ANDC (ASEAN- New Delhi Committee) visited Kochi today for promoting and harboring Business Ties between ASEAN Nations and Kerala. The delegation consisted of Ambassadors, Trade & High Commissioners from 7 ASEAN Countries including Vietnam, Singapore, Thailand, Brunei, Philippines, Indonesia & Myanmar. With this background, Confederation of Indian Industry (CII) Kerala had organized an Interactive Session with the ASEAN Heads of Mission at Hotel Casino, Willingdon Island.

ASEAN region has emerged as an important trading partner of India over the last one decade. India and ASEAN signed a Free Trade Agreement in 2009, which came into force from January 2010. Negotiations for agreement on services and investment between India and ASEAN countries have been concluded recently. India has also signed Comprehensive Economic Cooperation Agreements (CECA) with Malaysia and Singapore and is currently negotiating CECA with Thailand and Indonesia.

CII has been actively engaged with the ASEAN region for over two decades and even supported the recently held ASEAN India Car Rally 2012 which covered 8 of the 10 ASEAN Nations. Also, the recently held Emerging Kerala has truly managed to grab the World’s attention to Kerala and has been successful in transforming the image of Kerala into a Business and Investment friendly destination. The delegation’s visit to Kerala was aiming for two-way dissemination of information among the local industry on business opportunities in the ASEAN region and to strengthen the local industry and as well as to explore possibilities of collaboration and investment.

The Meeting was attended by the top Business Heads of Kerala including Muthoot, Dhathri Ayurveda, Ernst & Young; Fruitoman’s; Glass & Glazing Systems; Escapade Resorts; Synthite;
V-Guard; Western India Cashew and others. The delegation also interacted with the corporates regarding the potential avenues of Business in ASEAN countries and How Kerala could benefit from it.

Geojit BNP Paribas announces 75% interim dividend

Geojit BNP Paribas today (15.3.13) announced that the Board of Directors of the
Company has approved the payment of an interim dividend of 0.75 Rupees (75
paisa) per equity share of Rs.1/- each.

The Board has fixed 21st March 2013 as the record date for the purpose. The
dividend will be paid to all eligible shareholders whose names appear in the register
of members of the Company and in the records of the Depositories as beneficial
owners of the shares as on the close of business hours on Thursday, 21st March
2013, the record date.

Budget aims at Holistic development of Kerala: CII’

‘Budget aims at Holistic development of Kerala: CII’

Mr K M Mani, Finance Minister today presented the State Budget for the year 2013-14. Mr Mani was

pleased with the rate of growth of Kerala‘s GDP at 9.51 % and said this was a very promising sign of

good things to come for Kerala.

Meanwhile, Confederation of Indian Industry (CII) had organized a live Budget Viewing Session in

their new office at Abad Nucleus Mall, Maradu, Kochi. The session was attended by top Industrialists

of the state including Mr C J George, Chairman, CII Kerala State Council & Managing Director, Geojit

BNP Paribas Financial Services Ltd; Mr Jose Dominic, Managing Director, CGH Earth; Mr Shivdas B

Menon, Managing Director, Sterling Farms Researches & Services Pvt Ltd; Mr KKM Kutty, Managing

Director, Sealings & Jointings Ltd; Mr Gigo Joseph, Chief Executive Officer, Infopark Kochi; Dr S

Sajikumar, Managing Director, Dhathri Ayurveda Ltd; and others.

Mr CJ George, Chairman, CII Kerala & Managing Director, Geojit BNP Paribas Financial Services said

that the Budget aimed at facilitating Holistic development of the State. The Industry overall welcomed

the Budget terming it as a very balanced budget formulated keeping in mind the future growth path of

the state. He also appreciated the growth rate of the state and said that Kerala achievements as a state

were commendable when compared to more developed states in the country. Mr George also praised

many of the initiatives planned by the Government including the proposal of Mobility Hubs across all

Districts in Kerala. He also mooted the government’s proposal to promote the use of Solar Energy and

said this was a step taken keeping the future of the state in Mind.

Mr KKM Kutty, Managing Director, Sealings & Jointings Ltd termed the budget as commendable and

congratulated the State Government for the same. He spoke highly of the Finance Ministers initiatives

and vision of transforming Kerala into a developed and progressing state. He also said that the

government was trying to rewrite and rebrand the Kerala success story with the proposal of this years

Southern Region Headquarters: 98/1, Velacherry Main Road, Guindy, Chennai – 600 042
Headquarters: The Mantosh Sondhi Centre, 23, Institutional Area, Lodi Road, New Delhi – 110 003

Mr Jose Dominic, Managing Director, CGH Earth termed the budget as encouraging from the Tourism

sectors perspective. He praised the proposal of introducing flagship projects promoting Innovations and

Skills development. With reference to the recently concluded Emerging Kerala, Mr Dominic stressed on

the importance of Tourism and the role it played in boosting the GDP and growth rate of the state. Mr

Dominic also said that the governments vision of The Cochin Muziris Biennale –II AND THE Sea plane

project were truly game changers and would transform the tourism landscape of the state. The only

disappointment was that the State was not taking adequate measures to promote Responsible Tourism

and he urged the government to look in that direction as well.

Mr Shivdas B Menon, Managing Director, Sterling Farms Researches & Services Pvt Ltd said that

the Budget was a blessing for the Agricultural Sector of the state. He praised the Finance Minister in

being lavish in his allocation for the state’s primary resource, that is, agriculture. He also said that the

Government through this year’s budget was aiming more at value addition. He welcomed the proposal

of setting up of 1000 Greenhouses, as well as the proposal of introducing Fish mall, and promoting

High-tech agriculture. He said that in order for the agricultural sector to develop and grow, latest

advancement in technology must be implemented and utilized. He also appreciated Finance Ministers

gesture of complete waiving of interest on agricultural loans for farmers. He also spoke highly of the

proposal of setting up Thrissur Agricultural Complex and said this would be an ideal platform to promote

indigenous products of Kerala such as Coir , Rubber etc.

Mr Gigo Joseph, Chief Executive Officer, Infopark Kochi called the Budget as a very balanced and

calculative Budget in terms of the IT Sector of the state. Mr Gigo was pleased of the allocation of 125

Crores to funding of IT Parks in the state. He also appreciated the governments vision of setting up of

a ‘Innovation Zone’ which would act as a common umbrella for various sectors promoting Innovation

and said that this truly was a revolutionary concept. Mr Joseph also welcomed the initiative of opening of

various IT Parks across the various districts in the state.

Southern Region Headquarters: 98/1, Velacherry Main Road, Guindy, Chennai – 600 042
Headquarters: The Mantosh Sondhi Centre, 23, Institutional Area, Lodi Road, New Delhi – 110 003

To sum it up, The Industry has termed the Budget as an encouraging one with focus on Kerala

Strengths that is, IT & Agriculture, and at the same time planning for the growth path to be adopted in ‘Budget aims at Holistic development of Kerala: CII’

Mr K M Mani, Finance Minister today presented the State Budget for the year 2013-14. Mr Mani was

pleased with the rate of growth of Kerala‘s GDP at 9.51 % and said this was a very promising sign of

good things to come for Kerala.

Meanwhile, Confederation of Indian Industry (CII) had organized a live Budget Viewing Session in

their new office at Abad Nucleus Mall, Maradu, Kochi. The session was attended by top Industrialists

of the state including Mr C J George, Chairman, CII Kerala State Council & Managing Director, Geojit

BNP Paribas Financial Services Ltd; Mr Jose Dominic, Managing Director, CGH Earth; Mr Shivdas B

Menon, Managing Director, Sterling Farms Researches & Services Pvt Ltd; Mr KKM Kutty, Managing

Director, Sealings & Jointings Ltd; Mr Gigo Joseph, Chief Executive Officer, Infopark Kochi; Dr S

Sajikumar, Managing Director, Dhathri Ayurveda Ltd; and others.

Mr CJ George, Chairman, CII Kerala & Managing Director, Geojit BNP Paribas Financial Services said

that the Budget aimed at facilitating Holistic development of the State. The Industry overall welcomed

the Budget terming it as a very balanced budget formulated keeping in mind the future growth path of

the state. He also appreciated the growth rate of the state and said that Kerala achievements as a state

were commendable when compared to more developed states in the country. Mr George also praised

many of the initiatives planned by the Government including the proposal of Mobility Hubs across all

Districts in Kerala. He also mooted the government’s proposal to promote the use of Solar Energy and

said this was a step taken keeping the future of the state in Mind.

Mr KKM Kutty, Managing Director, Sealings & Jointings Ltd termed the budget as commendable and

congratulated the State Government for the same. He spoke highly of the Finance Ministers initiatives

and vision of transforming Kerala into a developed and progressing state. He also said that the

government was trying to rewrite and rebrand the Kerala success story with the proposal of this years

Southern Region Headquarters: 98/1, Velacherry Main Road, Guindy, Chennai – 600 042
Headquarters: The Mantosh Sondhi Centre, 23, Institutional Area, Lodi Road, New Delhi – 110 003

Mr Jose Dominic, Managing Director, CGH Earth termed the budget as encouraging from the Tourism

sectors perspective. He praised the proposal of introducing flagship projects promoting Innovations and

Skills development. With reference to the recently concluded Emerging Kerala, Mr Dominic stressed on

the importance of Tourism and the role it played in boosting the GDP and growth rate of the state. Mr

Dominic also said that the governments vision of The Cochin Muziris Biennale –II AND THE Sea plane

project were truly game changers and would transform the tourism landscape of the state. The only

disappointment was that the State was not taking adequate measures to promote Responsible Tourism

and he urged the government to look in that direction as well.

Mr Shivdas B Menon, Managing Director, Sterling Farms Researches & Services Pvt Ltd said that

the Budget was a blessing for the Agricultural Sector of the state. He praised the Finance Minister in

being lavish in his allocation for the state’s primary resource, that is, agriculture. He also said that the

Government through this year’s budget was aiming more at value addition. He welcomed the proposal

of setting up of 1000 Greenhouses, as well as the proposal of introducing Fish mall, and promoting

High-tech agriculture. He said that in order for the agricultural sector to develop and grow, latest

advancement in technology must be implemented and utilized. He also appreciated Finance Ministers

gesture of complete waiving of interest on agricultural loans for farmers. He also spoke highly of the

proposal of setting up Thrissur Agricultural Complex and said this would be an ideal platform to promote

indigenous products of Kerala such as Coir , Rubber etc.

Mr Gigo Joseph, Chief Executive Officer, Infopark Kochi called the Budget as a very balanced and

calculative Budget in terms of the IT Sector of the state. Mr Gigo was pleased of the allocation of 125

Crores to funding of IT Parks in the state. He also appreciated the governments vision of setting up of

a ‘Innovation Zone’ which would act as a common umbrella for various sectors promoting Innovation

and said that this truly was a revolutionary concept. Mr Joseph also welcomed the initiative of opening of

various IT Parks across the various districts in the state.

Southern Region Headquarters: 98/1, Velacherry Main Road, Guindy, Chennai – 600 042
Headquarters: The Mantosh Sondhi Centre, 23, Institutional Area, Lodi Road, New Delhi – 110 003

To sum it up, The Industry has termed the Budget as an encouraging one with focus on Kerala

Strengths that is, IT & Agriculture, and at the same time planning for the growth path to be adopted in ‘Budget aims at Holistic development of Kerala: CII’

Mr K M Mani, Finance Minister today presented the State Budget for the year 2013-14. Mr Mani was

pleased with the rate of growth of Kerala‘s GDP at 9.51 % and said this was a very promising sign of

good things to come for Kerala.

Meanwhile, Confederation of Indian Industry (CII) had organized a live Budget Viewing Session in

their new office at Abad Nucleus Mall, Maradu, Kochi. The session was attended by top Industrialists

of the state including Mr C J George, Chairman, CII Kerala State Council & Managing Director, Geojit

BNP Paribas Financial Services Ltd; Mr Jose Dominic, Managing Director, CGH Earth; Mr Shivdas B

Menon, Managing Director, Sterling Farms Researches & Services Pvt Ltd; Mr KKM Kutty, Managing

Director, Sealings & Jointings Ltd; Mr Gigo Joseph, Chief Executive Officer, Infopark Kochi; Dr S

Sajikumar, Managing Director, Dhathri Ayurveda Ltd; and others.

Mr CJ George, Chairman, CII Kerala & Managing Director, Geojit BNP Paribas Financial Services said

that the Budget aimed at facilitating Holistic development of the State. The Industry overall welcomed

the Budget terming it as a very balanced budget formulated keeping in mind the future growth path of

the state. He also appreciated the growth rate of the state and said that Kerala achievements as a state

were commendable when compared to more developed states in the country. Mr George also praised

many of the initiatives planned by the Government including the proposal of Mobility Hubs across all

Districts in Kerala. He also mooted the government’s proposal to promote the use of Solar Energy and

said this was a step taken keeping the future of the state in Mind.

Mr KKM Kutty, Managing Director, Sealings & Jointings Ltd termed the budget as commendable and

congratulated the State Government for the same. He spoke highly of the Finance Ministers initiatives

and vision of transforming Kerala into a developed and progressing state. He also said that the

government was trying to rewrite and rebrand the Kerala success story with the proposal of this years

Southern Region Headquarters: 98/1, Velacherry Main Road, Guindy, Chennai – 600 042
Headquarters: The Mantosh Sondhi Centre, 23, Institutional Area, Lodi Road, New Delhi – 110 003

Mr Jose Dominic, Managing Director, CGH Earth termed the budget as encouraging from the Tourism

sectors perspective. He praised the proposal of introducing flagship projects promoting Innovations and

Skills development. With reference to the recently concluded Emerging Kerala, Mr Dominic stressed on

the importance of Tourism and the role it played in boosting the GDP and growth rate of the state. Mr

Dominic also said that the governments vision of The Cochin Muziris Biennale –II AND THE Sea plane

project were truly game changers and would transform the tourism landscape of the state. The only

disappointment was that the State was not taking adequate measures to promote Responsible Tourism

and he urged the government to look in that direction as well.

Mr Shivdas B Menon, Managing Director, Sterling Farms Researches & Services Pvt Ltd said that

the Budget was a blessing for the Agricultural Sector of the state. He praised the Finance Minister in

being lavish in his allocation for the state’s primary resource, that is, agriculture. He also said that the

Government through this year’s budget was aiming more at value addition. He welcomed the proposal

of setting up of 1000 Greenhouses, as well as the proposal of introducing Fish mall, and promoting

High-tech agriculture. He said that in order for the agricultural sector to develop and grow, latest

advancement in technology must be implemented and utilized. He also appreciated Finance Ministers

gesture of complete waiving of interest on agricultural loans for farmers. He also spoke highly of the

proposal of setting up Thrissur Agricultural Complex and said this would be an ideal platform to promote

indigenous products of Kerala such as Coir , Rubber etc.

Mr Gigo Joseph, Chief Executive Officer, Infopark Kochi called the Budget as a very balanced and

calculative Budget in terms of the IT Sector of the state. Mr Gigo was pleased of the allocation of 125

Crores to funding of IT Parks in the state. He also appreciated the governments vision of setting up of

a ‘Innovation Zone’ which would act as a common umbrella for various sectors promoting Innovation

and said that this truly was a revolutionary concept. Mr Joseph also welcomed the initiative of opening of

various IT Parks across the various districts in the state.

Southern Region Headquarters: 98/1, Velacherry Main Road, Guindy, Chennai – 600 042
Headquarters: The Mantosh Sondhi Centre, 23, Institutional Area, Lodi Road, New Delhi – 110 003

To sum it up, The Industry has termed the Budget as an encouraging one with focus on Kerala

Strengths that is, IT & Agriculture, and at the same time planning for the growth path to be adopted in the future.

VODAFONE’S E-MAMTA INITIATIVE HELPS REDUCE INFANT MORTALITY IN GUJARAT

Wins Golden Peacock Award 2013

Mumbai, March 12, 2013: Vodafone’s ‘e-Mamta’ initiative, a mother - child tracking

programme, in association with the Govt. of Gujarat, has helped in reducing the infant

mortality rate in the state. The infant mortality rate in the state has reduced by 4 base points

to 44 points compared to 48 points earlier, which is the highest improvement in Gujarat

in more than a decade. Recognising its contribution, ‘e-Mamta’ has been conferred the

Golden Peacock Award for innovative product/service in telecom category. This the second

consecutive Golden Peacock Award for Vodafone, which also won the award last year for

the “Resolve” programme in the Corporate Social Responsibility category.

The high infant mortality rate recorded in many Indian states has been a cause of concern

for the Indian Government and community. For the Gujarat state Rural Health Mission’s

e-Mamta Mother - Child tracking system, Vodafone developed a voice-based closed user

group (CUG) solution and provided 42,000 SIM cards to ASHAs (Accredited Social Health

Activist), Doctors and Health workers. ASHA workers are health-care professionals who

work as a key bridge between the expectant mothers and the medical staff to ensure

timely and pro-active pre-natal and post-natal care is provided at all stages of the delivery

process. They actively engage with the expectant mothers, collect health related data of all

community members in their allocated areas and feed it into a centralised system, which is

programmed to send timely updates to all ASHAs and mothers on their mobile. Thus there is

continued and regular monitoring of health status of mothers and infants.

Commenting on this achievement, Sunil Sood, Chief Operating Officer, Vodafone India said,

“At Vodafone, we understand the need to engage in sustainable practices and consciously
adopting such practices has become a way of life for us. ‘e-Mamta’ has made a significant
difference in rural Gujarat, where distances and lack of medical facilities impede quick
access to capable help for expectant and new mothers, at a time when they need it the
most. It has been extremely satisfying for us to note the visible drop in infant mortality rate
since we first executed the programme. The Golden Peacock Award 2013 is a testimony
of Vodafone’s conscious efforts to contribute towards making a positive difference to lives,
through the use of technology. It is just one of the many unique initiatives Vodafone has
actively started with a view to helping those who are less privileged, either demographically
or economically”.

Since its inception in 2010, the e-Mamta programme has reached more than 20,000 villages

in 26 districts of Gujarat, covering 1,090 primary and 283 community health centres in the

state. The closed group of 42,000 ASHA workers on a daily basis consume approximately 2

lakh minutes within the group and 5 lakh total outgoing minutes. Since its inception, e-Mamta

has seen over 15 crore minutes being used within the closed user group with over 40 crore

minutes of outgoing calling being recorded.

About The Golden Peacock Awards

The Golden Peacock Awards, instituted by Institute of Directors in 1992, are now regarded as holy-
grail of Corporate Excellence worldwide. Today Golden Peacock Awards Secretariat receives over
1,000 entries per year for various National and Global awards, from India and over 25 countries
worldwide. The Golden Peacock Awards Committee is chaired by Justice P.N. Bhagwati, former
Chief Justice of India and acting Chairman, UN Human Rights Committee. The Award applications
are assessed at 3 three levels by independent assessors and finally by a grand Jury. The Global
Awards are finalized by a Jury headed by Dr Ola Ullsten, former Prime Minister of Sweden. The
Award Scheme for Sustainability has been instituted to encourage initiatives in promoting sustainable
development. The aim of Golden Peacock Global Award for Sustainability is to stimulate and help
organisations to rapidly accelerate the pace of stake-holder oriented improvement process. The
preparation for the award helps to inspire and align the entire work force, and management functions
to this end.

About Vodafone India

Vodafone India is a member of the Vodafone Group and commenced operations in 1994 when
its predecessor Hutchison Telecom acquired the cellular license for Mumbai. The company has
operations across the country serving around 147 million customers. Vodafone India has firmly
established a strong position within the Vodafone Group too, making it the largest subscriber base
globally. This journey is a strong testimony of Vodafone’s success in a highly competitive and price
sensitive market.

Vodafone India in its long-term commitment to India has been providing innovative, customer friendly
and reliable products and services by continuously differentiating itself with a strong brand, best
quality network, unique distribution and great customer service. For this contribution, the company
has been receiving several awards and recognition across different segments. The company received
the award for the Value services -Rural Innovation category for its Low Balance Services at the
Telecom Awards by a leading business daily. Vodafone India has also been making significant strides
with its wide retail presence in the country. In the mobile and telecom category, the company won
the ‘Retailer of the Year’ at the Asia Retail Congress 2013 and ‘Best Modern Retailer award’ at the
India Retail Forum 2012. The company has been recognized as one of the ‘Best Employer of Choice’
in telecom sector by ‘Great Places to Work’ and in another survey conducted by Nielsen; Vodafone
India was the only telecom player in the Top 10 ‘Most Exciting Youth Brands’ in India. Vodafone
Business Services has been awarded the “Best Enterprise Service Provider” at the Frost & Sullivan
Awards for two consecutive years in 2011 and 2012. On the technology front, the company has also
won the imp Enterprise & IT Infrastructure Global Excellence Award for its Business Intelligence (BI)
transformation project.

At Vodafone, sustainability is an integral part of the company’s mission and strategy, shaping the
conduct of business every day. Since 2011, in line with its Group philosophy, Vodafone India became
the first telecom operator in India to release an annual Corporate Sustainability Report for India –
Footprints. Vodafone India was awarded the ‘Green Telecom Company of the Year’ at the Telecom
Leadership Awards 2012 by a renowned media group recently and has also been awarded the
prestigious “Golden Peacock Award” for corporate social responsibility for 2012 and for Innovation in

Product/Service in Telecom category for 2013.

Vodafone Group is one of the world's largest mobile communications companies with over 403 million
customers as on December 31, 2012. Vodafone currently has equity interests in over 30 countries
across five continents and more than 40 partner networks worldwide. For more information, please
visit www.vodafone.com.

University of North Carolina’s Global Immersion Elective students visits Muthoot Groups Corporate Office

Kochi, March 11, 2013: A team of 19 first and second year MBA students along with faculty

leads Mr. Jayasankar M Swaminathan and Ms Patricia Collins from University of North Carolina’s

Kenan Flager Business School visited The Muthoot Group Corporate office, Kochi as part of

their Global Immersion Elective.

In a span of over two weeks the students will be visiting major companies across India &

UAE. Their visit to India is spread over three Cites namely, New Delhi, Mumbai & Cochin.

During their trip to India they have visited various conglomerates like Reliance Industries, Tata

Consultancy Services, The Muthoot Group, Interglobe, GMR & CGH earth Hotels. The team

was received by Mr. George Alexander Muthoot, Managing Director Muthoot Finance Ltd,

along with Mr. George M George, Executive Director Muthoot Group, Mr. George M Jacob,

Director Muthoot Group, Mr. George M Alexander, Vice President, Muthoot Group and Mr. K

P Padmakumar, Executive Director, Muthoot Finance Ltd.

Mr. George Alexander Muthoot MD, Muthoot Finance said “It’s been a pleasure to meet

students. This study visit will enable the students to get a glimpse of the rich civilization, culture,

business practices prevailing in the country.”

A Study Tour participant, said, "The study tour was an excellent trip which immersed the group

in the local culture, traditions and business practices of the Muthoot Group in particular. The

guest speakers provided invaluable insights into business theory and application, accentuated by

visiting its corporate office.”

GMR Infrastructure Ltd. led Airports in India have reasons to raise a toast!

Both IGI and RGIA have secured 2^nd positions in respective categories in ASQ by ACI

New Delhi  March, 2013: Delhi International Airport (P) Limited (DIAL) – the operator of the country’s busiest airport, has achieved yet another milestone as Indira Gandhi International Airport (IGIA) has been ranked 2nd in 25-40 Million Passengers Per Annum (MPPA) category in the World in the Airport Service Quality (ASQ) Awards announced by the Airports Council International (ACI) for 2012.

Commendably, Hyderabad’s Rajiv Gandhi International Airport, operated and managed by GMR Hyderabad International Airport (P) Ltd., also has been adjudged as the 2^nd  best Airport in the world for the same year, in the 5-15 million passengers per annum (MPPA) category by ACI; with this the airport improves its last year’s ASQ score as well!  

To mention, IGIA has made uninterrupted progress in terms of quality levels and rankings over the last 6 years since DIAL was appointed as the operator. The airport scored 4.83 on the ASQ scale out of 5 points and has been recognized as the 4th Best Airport in the world amongst 199 participating airports across all categories & 2nd Best Airport in its Category in 2012 which is a remarkable advancement from its earlier ASQ score of 3.02 in 2007, ranking last in an universe of 101 airports. Expressing his delight, Mr. I Prabhakara Rao, CEO-DIALsaid “It gives us immense pleasure to receive this award and we convey our heartiest thanks to the Airport Council International as well as the passengers who have participated in the survey. This recognition is a testimony to all our employees and partners who have consistently met the expectations of the industry and have delivered an altogether memorable and distinct experience for our customers. I’m thankful to the DIAL family for the support in all our endeavors and we will continue to strive for the best and deliver a world class airport experience to our passengers and keep up DIAL’s service quality.”

Keeping up with the laurels for GMR Group led airports, RGIA also had consistently raised its standards in terms of facilities and services for passengers and has made significant progress since 2009, when the score was 4.44 and subsequently 2011 score led RGIA to 4.58 in the 5-15 MPPA category. For the year 2012, RGIA has been placed No. 2 in the overall ranking with a score of 4.71, and very close to No. 1 position by 0.004 points away. Speaking on the occasion, Mr Vikram Jaisinghani, CEO-GHIAL, said, “An airport’s foremost responsibility is to improve facilities for passengers and offer them a convenient and comfortable transit. We are happy that RGIA excelled in all major parameters under ASQ ratings. We are working hard to make RGIA the best airport in the region and are pleased that our perseverance has borne results. This is no ordinary achievement and would not have been possible without the active involvement of all members of the RGIA family. GHIAL especially commends the contributions made by agencies like Customs, Immigration, BCAS and CISF. Also, immense efforts have been put in by other stakeholders like the airlines, concessionaires, ground handlers and other support staff. GHIAL also acknowledges each partner, namely Govt of AP and Airports Authority of India who have been steady pillars of support through the entire journey.”

RGIA recently has completed its second phase of modification of the terminal building and has consistently been enhancing passenger facilities and exploring new avenues to escalate the feel good factor for passengers transiting through RGIA. In the modified terminal, plush new world-class retail and F&B outlets have been set upoffering a wide array of products for passengers matching world class standards, at city prices! The third phase of modification happening at the international side is also progressing at a fast pace.

As the ASQ revolves around customer centricity, DIAL also remains committed to driving customer centric culture, thereby providing world class facilities in the Airport premises, uninterrupted comfort & timely services and upholding an interactive & courteous attitude towards customers. It is worthwhile mentioning here that in the CY’12, DIAL has managed to maintain OTP of 80% which is a substantial improvement over the past. IGIA has now reaffirmed its position as the premier airport in the country and the true gateway to India. The airport now boasts of an annual passenger capacity of over 60 million, including the state of the art Terminal-3 (T3). 34.2 million passengers passed through IGIA in 2012 CY. The airport also handled almost 550,000 tonnes of cargo and over 3,00,000  aircraft movements during the same period.

Like GHIAL, DIAL too commends the efforts made by agencies like the Customs, Immigration and the Central Industrial Security Force. Also, immense effort has been made every business partner like the airlines, concessionaires, BCAS, various service providers and support staff. DIAL also acknowledges its shareholders, namely, Airports Authority of India, Malaysian Airport Holdings Berhad and Fraport AG who have been steady pillars of support always.

About the ASQ Awards

Since its creation in 2006, the ASQ Awards have become the world’s leading airport passenger satisfaction benchmark with over 275 airports participating. The ASQ Awards recognize and reward the best airports in the world based on ACI's ASQ passenger satisfaction survey and represent an opportunity to celebrate the commitment of airports worldwide to continually improve the passenger experience.

Mr C J George Managing Director, Geojit BNP Paribas Financial Services Ltd Elected as Chairman, CII Kerala State Council for 2013-14

Mr C J George, Managing Director, Geojit BNP Paribas Financial Services Ltd is elected as the Chairman of CII, Kerala State Council for the year 2013-14. 

Mr C J George, has been closely associated with the CII and was the Vice Chairman and Convenor of the Membership Services Panel of Kerala State Council for the year 2012-13 and involved in many activities and initiatives of CII.

He has done M.COM and has got Industry Certification CFP^CM (Certified Financial Planner).

Mr Shyam Srinivasan, Managing Director & CEO, The Federal Bank Ltd is elected as the Vice Chairman of CII, Kerala State Council for the year 2013-14.

Mr Shyam Srinivasan has taken charge as the Managing Director & CEO of the Bank with effect from 23rd September 2010. He joined Federal Bank after having worked with leading multinational banks in India and overseas across Middle East, India and South East Asia, where he has gained significant experience in retail lending, wealth management and SME banking.