Kerala University of Fisheries and Ocean Studies (KUFOS), in the first phase of its efforts to spread vannamei shrimp farming in the State, will transfer farming technology to 30 farmers in Kerala.
Vannamei is an exotic white-leg shrimp, which is now widely farmed on the eastern coast of India.
A training programme for farmers selected from various parts of the State would be held at the Puthuvype fisheries station on Monday, said a press release from KUFOS here. KUFOS had started trial farming of vannamei shrimp, the first of its kind in Kerala, in March this year after getting permission from the Coastal Aquaculture Authority (CAA), Chennai.
The university has now decided to extend farming after a review of the trial, which has been a success in the brackish water ecosystem of the State.
KUFOS Vice Chancellor B. Madhusoodana Kurup will inaugurate the training programme, and Pro-Vice Chancellor K. Padmakumar will preside.
The training programme is aimed at educating the shrimp farmers in the State about the white leg exotic shrimp, Litopenaeus Vannamei, and precautions to be taken prior to farming in Kerala’s conditions.
The selected farmers will be trained in various aspects such as management, nutritional requirement, feed management and biology, and life cycle of the species.
source: http://www.thehindu.com / The Hindu / Home> News> Cities> Kochi / by Special Correspondent / Kochi – May 25th, 2015
The Kudumbasree Mission is set to start a new innings in Idukki, with women at the wheel of autorickshaws.
Eighteen women in Thodupuzha will soon get their driving licence.
Shine M. Cyriac, assistant district mission coordinator, told The Hindu on Monday that the beneficiaries had been selected from Thodupuzha municipality and the grama panchayats of Karinkunnam, Karimannur, Udumpannur, Vannapuram, Purapuzha, Manakkad, and Arakulam.
If successful, the other grama panchayats too would soon have autorickshaws of the Kudumbasree Mission, he said.
“The mission runs a taxi service in Thriruvanathapuram, where it is a success,” he said. But Idukki, with greater tourism potential, has so far not introduced Shetaxis.
“Hence there is scope for women autorickshaws. These will ensure safe journey, especially for single women passengers,” he said.
Mr. Cyriac said Kudumbasree would provide training in driving and arrange for loans to purchase autorickshaws. The feasibility of introducing women drivers in other areas would be looked into, he said.
Shanty Avarchan of Manakkadu, a member of the mission, said she learnt driving as it would give an additional income to her family of four.
Jaya Pramod of Edavetty said she loved driving, like any other work, and it would be an additional income to support the family.
“For a poor family, an autorickshaw is always a bread-earner.”
Kudumbasree to provide training in driving
Feasibility of scheme in other districts to be studied
source: http://www.thehindu.com / The Hindu / Home> News> National> Kerala / by Giji K. Raman / Kattappana – April 07th, 2015
Last week saw a mad rush by Indian-listed companies to appoint at least one woman director on their board before the deadline set by the Securities and Exchange Board of India (Sebi) expires on March 31, 2015, and Kerala companies were no exception.
Some of the noted Kerala-based companies which appointed women directors in recent days include AVT Natural Products, Kitex Garments, Manappuram Finance, Dhanlaxmi Bank, GTN Textiles, Accel Transmatic, Nitta Gelatin and Inditrade Capital (formerly JRG Securities).
The capital markets regulator Sebi had earlier asked all listed companies in India to appoint at least one woman director on their board before October 1, 2014, which was later extended to March 31. Some of the other Kerala companies which used the period to appoint woman directors include Muthoot Finance (November 11, 2014), South Indian Bank (October 1, 2014) and Muthoot Capital (July 28, 2014).
Interestingly, public sector Fertilizers & Chemicals Travancore Ltd (FACT) is the only major Kerala-based listed company that have no woman on its board. Though not made official, various reports have suggested that the companies which fail to adhere to the Sebi rule may face a penalty of Rs 25 crore. This would be the last straw for FACT, which is hoping for a financial dole from the Centre to revive its fortunes.
Pamela Anna Mathew, managing director of the Kochi-headquartered OEN India, is the most sought-after woman director for Kerala-based companies. She was appointed on board of Muthoot Finance and GTN Textiles (March 17).
Dhanlaxmi Bank appointed Susobhan Sinha, general manager, RBI, Bengaluru, while Nitta Gelattin complied with the Sebi rules when Kerala State Industrial Development Corporation (KSIDC), one of the promoters, replaced its board nominee T P Thomaskutty with Dr M Beena, IAS. Inditrade Capital brought Debanshi Basu on board on March 26 while Kitex Garments appointed Sindhu Chandrasekhar as whole-time director on March 12. Manappuram Finance appointed Amla Samanta, who is MD of the Mumbai-based Synermed Biologicals. The Thrissur-based South Indian Bank appointed Ranjana S Salgaocar, a former director of Syndicate Bank.
The board with most number of women (two) among Kerala companies are Geojit BNP Paribas Financial Services (Franciska Decuypere, nominee of BNP Paribas and Dr M Beena, representing KSIDC), Aluva-based Federal Bank (Shubhalakshmi Panse, an independent director, and Grace Elizabeth Koshie, a director) and Kochouseph Chittilappilly-promoted V-Guard Industries (Joshna Mithun, wife of MD Mithun K Chittilappilly, and Jayasree K, company secretary). AVT Natural Products appointed Shanthi Thomas on March 23. Pamela Anna Mathew, of OEN India, which was a listed company until 2007, said she wished the one-woman rule was introduced at least 15 years ago.
“Had it been, we would have seen many more corporates emerging to create wealth for the nation and for the people behind the initiative. The late introduction of the rule, which is an acceptance and acknowledgement of the capabilities and effectiveness of women in the corporate world, is certainly appreciated,” she told ‘Express’, in an earlier interaction.
source: http://www.newindianexpress.com / The New Indian Express / Home> Business> News / by Rajesh Abraham / March 30th, 2015
Many takers:Municipal chairman A. Sureshkumar with She Auto drivers in Pathanamthitta town.— Photo: Leju Kamal
Five pink autorickshaws ply on Pathanamthitta roads
Pathanamthitta is becoming a model in gender support, with the Pathanamthitta municipality pioneering She Auto service in the town limits.
Taking a cue from the Shetaxi scheme of the Social Welfare Department, the civic body here has introduced the State’s maiden She Auto scheme a month ago. Painted in pink, the She Autos are fast getting popular in the town, says A. Sureshkumar, municipal chairman, who is the brain behind the women empowerment programme.
The municipality has sanctioned 12 She Autos and the first allotment of five autorikshaws hit the road a month ago. The other seven beneficiaries are undergoing driving classes and vehicles will be allotted to them as soon as they qualify the driving test, says the civic body chief.
The municipality has provided subsidy to the tune of Rs.60,000 each to the beneficiaries belonging to Scheduled Castes sections and Rs.40,000 to those in the general category. The civic body has also arranged vehicle loan to all the 12 beneficiaries through UCO Bank.
“A majority of our customers are women and we earn a profit of Rs.650 to Rs.750 a day,” say Sindhu, Lonamma and Sathi Muraleedharan, She Auto drivers. Suchitra and Rajalakshmi are the other two She Auto drivers in the town.
However, the autorickshaw drivers at the autorickshaw stand near the private bus stand are up in arms against allotting a separate stand for She Autos in front of the private bus stand. District Collector S. Harikishore has intervened in the issue and an amicable settlement is expected soon, says Mr. Sureshkumar.
source: http://www.thehindu.com / The Hindu / Home> News> National> Kerala / by Radhakrishnan Kuttoor / Pathanamthitta – March 09th, 2015
‘Anti-cancer’ vegetable Broccoli is being cultivated in West Kodikulam, a sleepy village near Thodupuzha, by a small-time farmer named Jose.
The news of Jose Vattakkadu becoming the first farmer to successfully cultivate the crop in the district has thrilled people in the neighbourhood. “People are thronging my 15-cent farm in large numbers to have a glimpse of it,” Jose told ‘Express.’
“Broccoli is a great source of indole-3-carbinol, which boosts DNA repair in cells, and blocks the growth of cancer cells. The vegetable grows only between the months of October and March, and at least two crops can be cultivated during this period,” he said.
Jose has successfully cultivated 100 broccolis, each weighing over one kg. However, some of them wilted away. “The vegetable costs about Rs 200 per kg in supermarkets. As I was thrilled about growing it, I distributed them among neighbours and relatives,” he said.
Another farmer, 70-year-old Jose Cheruparambil who lives in West Kodikulam, said he was planning to start broccoli farming in October this year.
“At present, I have only 50 cents of land, in which I am already growing beans, cauliflower, cabbage and other vegetables. I am looking for land on lease so that I can take up broccoli farming in a big way. It is said to be costing about Rs 250 per kg in metros. If I get Rs 100 per kg in Thodupuzha it will be a good price,” he said.
The Vegetable and Fruit Promotion Council Kerala (VFPCK) had made an unsuccessful attempt to cultivate broccoli at Erattayar near Kattappana. Jose, who cultivates vegetables, tapioca and plantain on his 50-cent land and 75 cents of leased land, is planning to continue with broccoli farming provided he gets seeds from the government. “Ten grams of seeds cost `2,000, which is too much. Using ten grams of seeds, about 2000 broccolis could be grown,” Jose, who is a member of VFPCK, said. “Once harvested, the crop sprouts from the roots of the earlier plant. Therefore, there is no need to sow seeds every time. My experience has encouraged others to take up broccoli farming. But, the government should come forward to provide the seeds free,” he said, adding that many people were not aware of the medicinal value of broccoli and its role in fighting cancer. Once awareness is created in this regard, there would be tremendous demand for the product.
VFPCK assistant manager Litty Thomas, who has been assigned to proliferate broccoli farming in the district, said that it was encouraging that broccoli could be grown in Idukki. “The VFPCK will hold discussions with regard to extending help to more farmers in the district for growing broccoli,” she said.
source: http://www.newindianexpress.com / The New Indian Express / Home> States> Kerala / by P .B. Jaysankar / March 09th, 2015
The need for proper branding and planning of marketing strategies has been highlighted by the speakers at the State level workshop on “Prospects and possibilities of njavara rice farming”.
Expert moots branding unique variety of Kerala rice
The need for proper branding and planning of marketing strategies has been highlighted by the speakers at the State level workshop on “Prospects and possibilities of njavara rice farming”.
The workshop organised by the Centre for IP Protection under the Kerala Agricultural University (KAU) took note of the mismatch between the high demand for quality njavara rice on one hand and the difficulty faced by genuine njavara farmers in selling their produce on the other.
KAU Registrar P.V. Balachandran, in his inaugural address, stressed the need to validate scientific data on the medicinal value of njavara to convince the international society. “Even though njavara has been traditionally used for treatment of multiple maladies and there are reports on its capability to thwart cancer, it has to be validated with scientific data. Medicinal rice is the unique product of Kerala. Ensuring universal acceptance, proper marketing strategies and product diversification are the best options for sustaining njavara rice farming,” he said. T.R. Gopalakrishnan, Director of Research, in his presidential address, called for collaboration between the KAU and the Ayurvedic research institutions to identify the genetic elements responsible for the medicinal properties of native varieties like njavara and pokkali.
“An action plan to encourage cultivation of these varieties and spread awareness of their qualitative superiority and value should be evolved,” he said.
Dr. Ramankutty Warrier, chief medical officer, Vydyarathnam Ayurveda Foundation, Thycattussery, explained the medical applications of njavara rice.
Dr.Warrier detailed the different treatments using njavara and the properties of which were exploited in dealing with different diseases. Njavara should always be grown organically, he said.
Technical sessions on “GI status of njavara”, “Cultivation practices of njavara” and “Marketing possibilities of njavara” were held as part of the workshop. It was attended by farmers, traders and industrialists from different parts of the State.
source: http://www.thehindu.com / The Hindu / Home> News> National> Kerala / by Staff Reporter / Thrissur – March 12th, 2015
It is 9 pm. Outside their house at Panathady in Kasaragod district in Kerala, Aleyamma and her husband Siby are hurriedly placing beehives inside a van. Later, they climb in and the van sets out towards the Coorg district in Karnataka, which is only 30 km away. Once there, they quickly place the hives in three-foot-high stands, below trees, at a distance of three metres. “We have to do this before the sun comes up,” says Aleyamma. “Because at sunbreak, the bees would want to come out in search of nectar and pollen. And if we keep the hives shut they will die of asphyxiation.”
Aleyamma is a breeder who practices migratory beekeeping. Once the honey is harvested at all the hives placed near her house from January to March, she sets off to Coorg and does bee farming there. “Somehow, the quality of the honey is far better there,” she says.
But there is a reason for that. In Kerala, the major source of nectar is from the leaves of the rubber tree. “This is called unifloral honey,” says Dr Stephen Devanesan, principal scientist, All India Coordinated Research Project on Honeybees and Pollinators, Kerala Agricultural University. “But in Coorg, the hives are placed in forests where there is diverse flora. So, the quality of this multi-floral honey is much better.”
However, the collection of honey is not an easy process. First the bees have to be warded off using smoke. Then the honeycombs are removed from the hive. With the help of a honey extractor, the honey is taken out of the cells and stored in containers. All this has to happen in less than an hour, before the bees start stinging the person.
“In the beginning, the stings used to hurt a lot and there would be swelling as well,” says Aleyamma. “But now, though there is pain, there is no swelling. This is my bread and butter, so I have learnt to tolerate the aches,” she adds.
The biggest problem with honey is that it crystallises and ferments. To avoid this, Aleyamma uses the double-boiling method. In this technique, she pours water into a large container. Then she places a smaller bowl, which contains honey, inside it, resting on three bricks. The bottom container is heated, so that the temperature inside the smaller bowl reaches 45 degrees centigrade. Then the honey is taken out, and put through a sieve, to get rid of wax particles, dust and pollen. Following this, it is reheated to 65 degrees centigrade for about 10 minutes. “After the honey cools, it is filtered,” says Aleyamma. “Once this is done, the honey will last for years, without going bad.”
Interestingly, Aleyamma is the only woman beekeeper in Kerala. Last year, she produced 40 tonne of honey, thanks to the 5,000 colonies of Indian and Italian bees that she has.
And thanks to this high productivity, Aleyamma was recently conferred the Stephen Memorial Award for the best beekeeper of 2014 by state Agriculture Minister KP Mohanan. This award has been instituted by the Federation of Indigenous Apiculturists.
To get a high productivity, Aleyamma depends a lot on the Tamil workers, who are experts at bee collection. “They are sincere, hard-working and not afraid of being stung,” she says.
Aleyamma also credits her success to a workshop which she attended. This was conducted by Devanesan, along with Dr K Prathapan, director of the State Horticulture Mission. Devanesan says: “I have imparted training to Aleyamma and other breeders on how to maintain the health of the bees, manage colonies, and do high-tech apiculture. Today, they are all doing well.”
Like most good things in life, Aleyamma came to bee breeding by accident. When she got married and went to stay at her in-laws’ home in Thodupuzha, she saw beehives for the first time in the backyard. In the mid-1990s, she and Siby decided to move to north Kerala to improve their economic prospects. They tried pepper farming and rubber cultivation.
“It did not do well,” she says. “That was when I thought about bee farming. And now, here I am, the only woman in Kerala doing this work.”
source: http://www.newindianexpress.com / The New Indian Express / Home> Magazine / by Shevlin Sebastian / February 28th, 2015
Success story: Musthafa believes it was team work all the way that helped.
Musthafa P.C, a school dropout who went on to study at IIMB, quit his software job to start an enterprise that sold idly-dosa batter. His is a success story that has trickled down to his 600 –odd rural employees too
A young techie who could just about make himself daal, rice and papad in his bachelor days now runs a company with a 70 crore turnover that provides almost five lakh idlis a day to hungry Bengalureans. Most young working people in the city in a rush, simply fish out the now-famous “iD Fresh” readymade idly/dosa batter from their refrigerator for their quick breakfast fix.
While Bengaluru is where all this began for techie-turned-entrepreneur Musthafa P.C, his idlis and dosas find a place on the breakfast tables in households in Mysuru, Mangaluru, Hyderabad, Mumbai, Pune, Chennai, and even Dubai! And it’s not limited to idlys and dosas anymore. Their oeuvre now includes parotas, chapattis and chutneys too, all made without chemicals and preservatives, Musthafa is quick to add.
It started in a small corner of the city’s Thippasandra locality where Musthafa’s cousins ran a grocery store. “This was eight years ago, and a local supplier would sell idly/dosa batter in an unbranded plain plastic bag tied up with a rubberband, on weekends. There was a great demand, but they couldn’t keep up the quality. That’s when I felt there was a gap in the market,” says the 42-year-old Musthafa, CEO of iD Fresh Food, one of the new-age food startups in the city.
And then, one can conclude, the Malayali business instinct kicked in!
The enterprising cousins set up a 50 square foot kitchen — “our so-called factory” laughs Musthafa, and started a trial in 10 stores in and around Indiranagar. “In a year’s time we were selling 100 packets of batter a day.” During that time, Musthafa had quit his plum job to study his MBA at the Indian Institute of Management-Bangalore (IIM-B). “I did a proper survey and found that Bangalore then had a production requirement of 5,000 kg of batter a day.” The sales and the survey gave them the confidence to set up a 600 square foot kitchen in Kaggadasapura, where Musthafa pumped in six lakh from his savings. They were still using regular household grinders to make the batter. “I had a high-profile job in Dubai. I had worked with Motorola, Citibank, had lived in the U.K., and then later even worked with Intel. But I wanted to come back to India to pursue higher studies, spend time with my parents, and give something back to society,” says Musthafa of making the proverbial switch.
It is with this intent that Musthafa is very particular that they identify “smart guys from rural areas who are unemployed” and provide them opportunities in their company. Today they employ 650 such people from the eight regions they work in across India. “I come from a life of poverty in Wayanad (Kerala) where my dad was a coolie, and breakfast was a luxury. I was a school dropout after I failed my sixth standard. The teacher persuaded me to repeat the class and continue my studies.”
No one supported his decision to quit the IT industry; it was a job that had brought stability to the family, helped him build a home and marry off siblings. Even his wife’s family was upset that he was becoming a “rice merchant”.
But by 2008, his company had expanded into a proper factory in Hoskote, with the help of the Karnataka State Industrial Development Council (KSIDC). Custom-made grinders were brought in from America. “With Indian grinders, cleaning is the most difficult task. Moreover the small grinders would take an hour to grind a kilo of dal. So we had to import these large, modified grinders that self-sterilise at the touch of a button.” Musthafa swears the actual batter making process is “the same that your mom uses at home, starting with the soaking”. “We are only professional assistants to the homemaker. Our products will always be ready to cook, not ready to eat. So they don’t reach the dining table; they first go into the kitchen. If the idli is good, the homemaker gets the credit; if the idli turns out bad, iD takes the credit!” All the products, he says, are first tested on his children aged 12, nine, and five.
Business is of course growing phenomenally with venture capital (VC) firms wanting to invest in them; 60 companies evinced interest in pumping money; mostly American. Finally Helion Venture invested Rs. 35 crore in their expansion plans. “We are targeting expansion to 10 Middle-Eastern cities over the next five years. As well as expanding into north India, especially Delhi.” While initially a friend named it iD for “idly-dosa”, Musthafa says it now stands for their “identity”.
Every employee in the company is an entrepeneur like he is, believes Musthafa.
Musthafa makes it a point to stress on the fact that it has been team work all along the way; first his cousins came on board, then his engineering classmates and then family friends, to start the operation in various cities. “We don’t work on an employment basis; there is no fixed pay. Every employee is a micro-entrepreneur. For example, each area sales team is given a vehicle and “they have to maintain their own profit and loss account,” explains Musthafa. Whitefield, Jayanagar, Indiranagar and Koramangala is where they do their best business, he says. They have a SAP-based backend platform so that they have a zero inventory model – 90 per cent of the products are sold on the same day; a mobile app keeps track of sales patterns in each store.
Musthafa’s personal favourite from his company is the wheat parota. “We eat our idli and dosa once a week at home, then three days of wheat parota,” he breaks into a boyish grin.
source: http://www.thehindu.com / The Hindu / Home> Features> MetroPlus / by Bhumika .K / February 26th, 2015
Women entrepreneurs under Kudumbashree in the city are all set to extend their successful entrepreneurship forays to a new level by venturing into the fast-growing fitness industry.
A group of five Kudumbashree members in Kozhikode corporation have decided to try their luck in the fitness segment by starting a health club at Eranhipalam exclusively for women, which they planning to develop as a one-stop fitness solution for women of all ages, in the long run.
Community development society (CDS) of the Kudumbashree, attached to the corporation, has decided to explore the potential in the fitness market after observing the interest of women in the ‘feel and look good’ factor.
The centre was set up with an estimated cost of Rs 9 lakh. Of the 9 lakh, Rs 3 lakh is the subsidy of the corporation provided to the beneficiaries.
The centre, which commenced its operation here on Tuesday, has a ladies gym and day care centre. The day care centre will function from 8.30am to 6pm while the gym will be operational from 7am to 7pm. Also, classes in cooking and tailoring will be offered. M Divya, a resident of Karaparamba, said that nowadays women are very keen in maintaining their fitness. “The day care centre attached to the gym will be a blessing for many women especially those who are worried about becoming overweight after pregnancy,” she said.
S Salina, one among the five member group of the Meta Lady Health Club, said that the centre has already started receiving registrations for the day care and gym.
“The gym has a trainer -cum-dietician and steam bath facility.Children above the age of six months will be enrolled at the day care centre,” she said. “We have started with a small venture in the initial phase which will be expanded to include a ladies’ beauty parlour and spa in the long run on the basis of acceptance from the public,” she said.
Meanwhile, Shija Vinod, chairperson of south CDS said that Kudumbashree will set up similar ventures in other parts of the corporation area on the basis of public response. “We are planning to set up similar establishments in other location and identification of suitable locations has already commenced,” she said.
source: http://www.timesofindia.indiatimes.com / The Times of India / Home> City> Kozhikode / TNN / February 04th, 2015
Latha Ajith works with glass to great effect, producing traditional stained windows to designer pieces
Nothing about the building just off the Container Terminal road at Cheranellore suggests Krish Glass and Glazing. It is only when, inside the building, Latha Ajith points in the direction of her office we get an idea of the work she does. Each wall is made of glass panels each showcasing a different technique of glass work – painted, stained, embossed – one very different from the other.
Glass is an unusual choice of material to work with, for a woman and on this scale. “The closest I came to working with glass was at my husband’s steel storage units making plant where glass is bent for storage units such as the ones used in bakeries. I saw bent-glass so I had no clue about how it was done.” A visit to a trade show in Mumbai opened her eyes to the wonders of glass. She was struck by the creative options it offered. Glass made her curious and she started asking questions about it. At every trade show she attended with her husband she asked questions at the glass stalls. “After I finished asking questions about techniques in one stall I would move to the next and then to the next. Finally I would quiz myself on what each technique was and virtually learnt the process by myself.”
Latha is one among very few women in India who have glass as their business. “Even at trade fairs there aren’t too many women.”
Her passion for glass grew to such an extent that she set up a unit to fashion glass – stained glass, treated with acid, mixing processes, etching, colouring, fusing glass and fabric or glass and glass – Krish Glass and Glazing in 2004 and a showroom Krish Glass House in 2010. “Whatever I learnt, I learnt on the job.” Her initial plan was to start a dealership but she gave up considering the risks involved which included breakage during transportation.
A trip to Ghaziabad, known for its glassmaking units, got her the equipment and the workers with the know-how.
Latha’s manufacturing unit has huge, hulking machines which bend, mould and shape glass; in one part workers go about cutting glass while elsewhere in the compound is a huge China-made machine which laminates fabric with glass to stunning effect.
On the first floor an artist meticulously puts together a stained glass picture, glass by glass using Belgian glass. A huge flex print of a Ganesha seems to oversee the process. “Flexes are made in order to replicate them in glass, based on which a ceramic mould is made for embossing,” Latha says.
Glass is a popular option with interior designers and architects since it is cheap and aesthetic. Churches, from various parts of the State, comprise a major chunk of her clientele requiring stained glass panes, windows and backgrounds for altars.
Recently she got involved in the restoration of aged glass too. In a square basin lies a stained glass panel soaking in what looks like water. “The stained glass panels are more than 200 years old, from a church in Kottayam. They tried getting it cleaned at many places before finally coming here. I asked them to leave it here. It took some experimentation but it is working. We will get the panels clean.”
When there is a ‘project’, she works in the unit till the piece is packed, loaded and transported. There have been times like when the Last Supper scene on glass shattered while being packed for transportation. “It was the day before Easter and the client wanted it that day but he understood when I called and told him what happened. Within a few days I got it redone and had it delivered.”
At times such as these she stays back late and works along with her team. “Whatever we have done has been a team effort.” Although she has a creative team she is involved in the designing and innovations.
Krish Glass House near Edappally Toll is a testimony to her effort. Glass embossing is her pride as she shows each piece – a Ganesha, a pair of horses, abstracts – “there is so much that can be done with glass and the different ways in which it can be used.”
According to Latha, artistically worked on glass has many takers, it being a cheaper option and aesthetically appealing. Some of the other options , she says are cladding, flooring, partition, as wall pieces, tiles and even fabricating entire walls in the material. “There is so much one can do with glass,” she says. Latha, it appears, is not done with innovating.
source: http://www.thehindu.com / The Hindu / Home> Features> MetroPlus / by Shilpa Nair Anand / February 18th, 2015
