The Piano Tune: A 300 Year Old Legaley Still Going Strong

The piano market is booming in India. Experts in the music instrument retail business say that the piano market is expected to see further growth over the next decade.

The lobby of a popular luxury hotel in South Mumbai resonates to the sound of melodious piano music, post 7.00 pm every evening. A Steinway boudoir grand piano stands in the middle of the lobby adding a classy look to the place.

Special Report: How Farmers Can Put An End To Suicides?

It's time that farmers went back to subsistence crops and stopped worrying about making profits.

A farmer committed suicide in the heart of the capital at a rally meant to promise him a better future. I often wonder why we don't hear news of farmers from poorer states such as Bihar committing suicide, and why only those from rich states like Maharashtra, Kerala and Gujarat choose to end their lives.

To a large extent, I feel, farmers in Bihar depend on subsistence farming - they grow vegetables and cereals on most of their land.

Is Modi's Pet 'Swachh Bharat' Grounded Before Take-Off?

Prime Minister Narendra Modi's flagship programme to clean India through specialised Swachh Bharat Mission (SBM) may be doomed even before its proper take-off, due to lack of clarity in guidelines and inadequate funding.

In a presentation before the parliamentary panel that scrutinised grants for ministry of drinking water and sanitation, secretary Vijaylaxmi Joshi, not only lamented the inadequate budget, but also lack of clarity on funding pattern and guidelines of 'Swachh Bharat Kosh'.

Analysis: Kerala Politics - Emerging Political Realignment

The UDF needs an urgent re-working of its strategies with regard to the state’s economic development, entrepreneurship development and bettering of public perception about minority appeasement. 

An emergency cabinet reshuffling to save the disintegration of the UDF and further shrinking of its vote base is needed. The Congress should strongly assert its position regarding economy, finance, education and industrial development including taxation policy.

Focus: Crisis For India's Orphans As Adoption Is Being Abandoned By Parents And Neglected By Government

Abandoned by their parents and now neglected by governments — there is no end to the suffering of over 50,000 orphans in India. 

The adoption rate within the country as well as those by foreign nationals in India has gone down by nearly 50 per cent in the last five years. 

What adds to the grim situation is the disparity between South Indian states and the rest of the country in terms of adoption of children. 

Special Report: Global Brands Drive More Than 6,000 Crore In India’s Active Sportswear Market

If there is one market segment that is clearly marked by the dominion of global brands in India – it’s active sportswear. 

From a segment driven by a collection of largely unorganized and homegrown SMEs two decades ago, today these international icons have not just made the market much more organised but have bolstered its overall size to over Rs. 6,000 crores. Many pure-play brands today are also into sports accessories, gear & equipment, while others have expanded their offerings to include sports-inspired product lines.

The Quest For Gold: Who Will Get The Tonnes Of Gold In The World’s Richest Temple - Kerala, Modi Or Pakistan?

The Centre’s plan to monetise gold reserves in temples has again stirred a debate on what to do with the riches in the Sree Padmanabhaswamy temple.

The Modi government’s planned move to monetise gold reserves in temples has once again sparked a fierce debate in Kerala on how to deal with the treasure worth billions stacked in the underground vaults of the Sree Padmanabhaswamy temple in Thiruvananthapuram.

Weekend Leisure: Direct From 'Farm To Salad' On Table

We’re standing in what looks like a giant kitchen garden. Tomatoes dangle from vines, beetroot and spinach greens peek out of raised beds and bees buzz gently past our ears. Some of us head off with pairs of scissors to the patch of microgreens, others attempt to coax soil mix into a wheelbarrow. 

There is much wobbling, swearing and giggling amongst us debutant farmers. Later, three chefs cook us lunch with the ingredients we’ve spent the morning harvesting.

Analysis: Narendra Modi, Rahul Gandhi Or Sitaram Yechury - Who Can Claim To Speak For The Poorest?

One was being launched, another was being re-launched and a third was simply re-calibrating.

One was being launched, another was being re-launched and a third was simply re-calibrating. A political Sunday saw Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Congress Vice President Rahul Gandhi and new Communist Party of India (Marxist) General Secretary Sitaram Yechury all take to the stage to insist that they represent the people – putting in very different performances.

Spotlight: Is Forensic Medicine On 'Deathbed' In Andhra?

According to doctors, the taboo of dealing with dead bodies, lack of incentives and career prospects are the main factors deterring medicos from opting for forensic medicine.

Forensic medicine may be a highly interesting and challenging branch of medicine but new doctors in Andhra Pradesh seem reluctant to specialize in it. What else explains the fact that more than 60% of the post graduate seats in the departments of forensic medicine and toxicology in medical colleges across the state have no takers. Most of the posts of professors and associate professors are also vacant.

Spotlight: The 'Paradoxical World' Of The 'Gulf Malayali'

The Emirati employer of a Malayali expatriate in Dubai went to Kerala for herbal rejuvenation and treatment for some illness. The month-long sojourn in 'God's own country' included a few days stay at the 'humble abode' of his loyal employee of nearly 30 years.

The Arab was mighty pleased with the hospitality, but guilt and incredulity gripped him. His worker lived in a palatial mansion, 10 times the size of his own villa in Dubai's up-market Jumeirah neighborhood.

'Shift India's 3000 Tonnes Of Temple Gold To Banks': Modi Has A Unique Solution To Help Trade Imbalance In India

India is the world's biggest consumer of gold and its ancient temples have collected billions of dollars in jewellery, bars and coins over the centuries - all hidden securely in vaults, some ancient and some modern.

The two-century-old Shree Siddhivinayak temple in Mumbai devoted to Ganesha bristles with close circuit cameras and is guarded by 65 security officers. It is one of India's richest temples, having amassed 158 kg of gold offerings, worth some $67 million, and its heavily guarded vaults are strictly off limits.

'Five Star Chicken' All Set For 300 Outlets India Expansion

SPONSORED: Five Star Chicken comes from Thai Multi-National Conglomerate, CP Foods with over $13billion sales in Agro and Food Industry, globally. Its products are sold in over 50 countries worldwide. 

CP Foods is a pioneer in this industry and is also known to be the world’s largest feed manufacturing company, as well as the largest shrimp/prawn manufacturing company in the world. In terms of poultry (chicken), it is one of the top 5 companies in the world. 

Five Star Chicken was launched in 1985 at Ladprao 80 Street in Thailand.

'Bhatkal' And Its Struggle With History And Radical Islam

Flush with funds from overseas and rich community leaders, Bhatkal is now home to some of the finest and most opulent mosques and religious institutions, including Jamia Islamia Bhatkal, the campus of which boasts of an imposing set of buildings: a mosque and the Qur'an Museum nearby, where you may see copies of the Qur'an in 55 languages.

Magnificent heritage buildings owned by rich Muslims of Bhatkal showcase the prosperity as much as the influence of Central Asian architecture here.

Analysis: Congress Party Plans To Go For 'Crowd Funding' To Combat 'Acute Financial Crisis' To Raise Funds

Facing its worst-ever financial crisis, the Congress has devised an elaborate plan to raise funds directly from the public through its 3.86 crore members all over the country.

It is currently brainstorming various ideas, among which one is that a Congress activist should be allowed to keep 5% of the collected donation money as incentive or commission. So says the presentation given by the party’s treasurer Motilal Vohra to a meeting of general secretaries.

Innovations In New Packaging: Many Brands Offering Condoms Hidden In ‘Books’, 'Wallets & Pouches'

Innovations are necessary to give newness to the consumer in this category, which is normally hidden from public view at a majority of retail outlets. Condom makers, it seems, are scripting an innovative chapter to make plain rubber sexciting. 

They are still addressing a largely virgin condom market in India - annual sales total just about 53 lakh condoms - necessitating brands to think out of the box. 

KamaSutra has Wallet packs where the major part of the couple's image remains hidden. It also boasts of Hardwear packs which are plastic packs easy to carry; Honeymoon packs that bundle condom with fun accessories such as satin blindfold and feather tickler; and Skyn that resembles a high-end perfume pack. "Consumers seek excitement in sex, and packaging innovations go a long way in giving a positive emotional appeal to the users," says Ranjukumar Mohan, director and business head at JK Ansell, the company that manufactures and sells KamaSutra condoms. 

Innovation is the need of the hour, say marketing experts. With an ever-evolving sex landscape, society is becoming more open, couples are getting bold and experimentative and sexual attitude is undergoing huge transformation. "When it comes to sex, monotony sets in fast and couples looks for novelty or variety all the time," says Vyas. Skore's 'book' makes an effort to address this issue as well, while helping keep the other contents hidden. The first chapter warms up the readers with do's and don'ts on wearing a condom. 

While the second chapter titillates them with various kinds of condoms, the next arouses them with adventurous sexual poses. And, the last section takes them to climax, where they get to see four packs of condoms.

'Heritage Fresh' Targets A Whopping Turnover of 1k Crores

SPONSORED: Heritage’s milk products have market presence in Andhra Pradesh,Telangana, Karnataka, Kerala, Tamil Nadu, Maharastra, Odisha and Delhi and its retail stores across Bangalore, Chennai and Hyderabad. Integrated agri operations are in Chittoor and Medak Districts and these are backbone to retail operations and the state of art Bakery division at Uppal, Hyderabad, Telangana.

From dairy, agri and bakery to a chain of 80 food and grocery retail stores, the Heritage Group has diversified business operations. Jagdish Krishnan, COO, Heritage Retail and Bakery Divisions, talks about their food and grocery retail arm Heritage Fresh and it’s strong brand positioning and ongoing expansion, with INNLIVE. Here are the edited excerpts:

Why Asian-Arab Cricketers Galore In UAE Team At #CWC15

The cricket team of the United Arab Emirates (UAE) is the flotsam and jetsam of international cricket. Its players are mostly rejects of their native countries' cricket selectors. They played cricket once. But they gave up the sport and the dreams it once promised them to take up jobs in this oil-rich Gulf country. Now, they are playing the sport once again, and that too, at cricket's marquee tournament: the ICC World Cup.

Among members of this UAE team of Emiratis (just two of them), Pakistani and Sri Lankan salesmen, flight attendants and bankers who moonlight as cricketers, is a receptionist at a construction company from India who was given a promotion as sales executive when he was selected to play for the UAE.

How Private Enterprise Is Changing Non-Cricket Sports?

India Inc has entered the country's sporting arena, and is changing the way the nation plays.

There was a time, not too long ago, when it was taken for granted that an aspiring sportsperson in India would have to do any or all of the following: 

• Secure a job in a public sector company, or a large private sector one, for a regular income.
• Scramble for corporate sponsorship to be able to compete at international or even national tournaments.

INNLIVE Impact: Govt Cancels Licences Of 1,142 AP NGOs

As an impact of our news, the government has cancelled the licences of 1,142 NGOs belonging to undivided Andhra Pradesh for not filing their annual returns for three consecutive years. INNLIVE published the story of 'Seeking Money and Meaning in the NGO World' in these columns and the late impact made the change in present scenario.

The home ministry's foreigners division had served notices to NGOs on October 16, 2014 for not filing their returns for 2009-10, 2010-11 and 2011-12 under the Foreign Contribution (Regulation) Act and had asked them to reply within 30 days.