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Contents
India-Ireland linkages enhanced...............................................................................................................................................................................3
The Ireland- India Business Association.................................................................................................................................................................4
New Government, new opportunities.....................................................................................................................................................................10
The first Budget under the Modi Government and what it means for business................................................................................................11
Modi, the profile........................................................................................................................................................................................................12
“Make in India” – made real.....................................................................................................................................................................................13
Ireland's focus on energy conservation attracts Indian conglomerate..............................................................................................................16
HCL Technologies: creating business value from Ireland...................................................................................................................................18
Ireland- India working together...............................................................................................................................................................................20
CRH seeks Indian opportunities.............................................................................................................................................................................22
Modi Government to launch $32.9 billion infrastructure projects......................................................................................................................23
Ireland-India horse breeding...................................................................................................................................................................................24
Food diplomacy.........................................................................................................................................................................................................26
Increase growth rate and reduce inflation - Modi's big food challenge.............................................................................................................28
An out of space first for India .................................................................................................................................................................................29
Sports news: Irish cricket gains multi-million Euro boost...................................................................................................................................30
Historic cricket launch – Ranji Trophy becomes Irish national fixture...............................................................................................................31
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Disclaimer: India-Ireland in Focus is a special publication. The views expressed in this journal are those of the contributors and do not
necessarily reflect the views of the Embassy of India in Dublin. The magazine is produced to promote India-Ireland ties. The journal has no
commercial value and is not for sale, it is for private circulation only.
Ambassador's Desk
India-Ireland linkages enhanced
A
H.E. Mrs. Radhika Lal Lokesh, Ambassador of India to Ireland addressing the
audience on the occasion of Independence Day 2014
s the Irish summer comes to an end, I extend my warm greetings to the readers of the publication
“India Ireland in Focus”. This is a joint effort of the Embassy of India and Ireland India Business
Association to promote and strengthen India Ireland business linkages.
It is heartening to note that the number of business focussed events and the level of interest in two-way
investment continue to develop. With the multiple initiatives being announced by the new government of
Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi to foster development and economic growth and with the stronger signs
of economic recovery in Ireland, there are significant opportunities to take our bilateral engagement forward.
Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi launched the ‘Make in India’ initiative on 25 September 2014 from
Vigyan Bhavan in New Delhi. The initiative was launched simultaneously at the national level, the state
level and globally through the Indian Missions abroad. It has its origin in Prime Minister’s Independence
Day speech where he gave a clarion call to “Make in India” and to initiate what he called the “zero defect
zero effect policy”.
Ease of doing business, focus on Public-Private partnerships, harnessing the potential of Democracy,
Demography and Demand –form the key focus of PM Narendra Modi's 'Make in India' campaign. Giving a
twin definition for FDI, Prime Minister Modi said that for Indians FDI or First Develop India is a responsibility;
for entrepreneurs and businessmen the world over, FDI or Foreign Direct Investment is an opportunity.
This issue brings you more about the Indian Government’s commitment to chart a new path wherein business
entities will be extended a red carpet welcome in a spirit of cooperation. Also included in this issue are
success stories of Indian companies in Ireland as well as Irish companies in India. We have tried to bring
together a range of articles to interest our wide variety of readers. I look forward to your continued feedback.
I would like to thank the contributors for their articles in this publication. I will continue to count on the
support of the IIBA in the future.
Mrs. Radhika Lal Lokesh
Ambassador of India
India - i rela nd in F oc u s
oc to b e r 2014
3
Bilateral trade
The Ireland- India Business Association
Linking two countries for trading opportunities
T
he Ireland India Business
Association (IIBA) was
founded in May 2008 to
foster commercial links between
Irish and Indian businesses.
The IIBA is a member-driven
non-profit organisation which
organises regular business and
networking events via its chapters
in Dublin, Cork and Mumbai.
The Association also organises
seminars and business briefings
with guest speakers from Ireland
and India. The organisation is
sponsored by reputed companies
like Etihad Airways, CRH, William
Fry and Bank of Ireland. It is also
supported by Enterprise Ireland
and the Industrial Development
Authority (IDA) as well as regional
Chambers of Commerce. Both
Ambassadors from India to
Ireland and Ireland to India are
its patrons and add the support of
the Embassies in both countries.
The primary aim of the Association
is to promote bilateral trade
between Ireland and India.
Interactions in various sectors
such as in ICT, Pharma, Medical
Devices, Engineering, Education,
Energy, Infrastructure, Agribusiness and Aviation are already
established and growing. New
members are always welcomed.
February–Cork. Seminar on ‘entering the Indian market'
M
ichael Dineen from Contracting Plus which
has offices in South India highlighted
the potential of India as the world's
outsourcing hub while noting the commonalities
with Ireland in Business, Education, Tax, Finance
and IT. The advantages of rural business locations
over the large metros were outlined: stronger
community relationships, staff retention and
competitiveness.
Mr. Dineen's Business Tips included:
• Researching and understanding Indian national and local history
• Targeting 1 Indian Market is a mistake - each state has its own
intricacies
• Build trust. Don't over-promise and plan for a 3-5 year process
• Gujarat is a great entry-point to India due to its infrastructure and
laws.
On Thursday 13th
February, Michael Dineen,
Contracting Plus shared
the journey of the
Contracting Plus business
expansion into India
February–Dublin Seminar on
‘entering the Indian market'
O
rganisations trying to understand why
and how to enter to India were treated to
a special lunchtime seminar in Alexander
House, Regus' Head Office in Ballsbridge, Dublin on
Wednesday Feb 26th. The seminar was also aimed
at companies already in India looking to be even
more effective and managers running cross cultural
teams between Ireland and India.
Daniel Ramamoorthy on India market entry
In dia-i re la nd i n F oc u s
oc tobe r 2014
4
Bilateral trade
Speakers on the day included:
Nilakanthi Ford of KFV Consulting,
Shaun Saurin of Regus and Daniel
Ramamoorthy, Entrepeneur and
advisor to the Department of
Enterprise Trade and Employment
on Entrepreneurship, Mr Raghav
Mathur a partner in the Corporate,
Private Equity and Finance Groups
with the Gurgaon Office of Desai
and Diwanji was a special guest
and joined the panel after the
presentations for a Q&A session.
March - Dublin. Roundtable discussion with His Excellency,
the Ambassador of Ireland to India, Feilim Mc Laughlin
O
n Tuesday, 4th March, the Ireland India
Business Association in association
with KPMG held a roundtable discussion
with His Excellency, the Ambassador of
Ireland to India, Feilim Mc Laughlin.
The event was facilitated by Nilakanthi
Ford of KFV Consulting and was held for
senior management of Irish companies
in India and Indian companies based in
Ireland.
Left to Right: George Kiely, Enterprise Ireland, His Excellency,
Feilim McLaughlin, Ambassador of Ireland to India and Sumit
Mullick, Chairman of Ireland India Business Association
Among a range of topics, the Ambassador
discussed inward investment opportunities
in India, reflecting on the influence that the
looming election is having on the foreign
investment market. He also reviewed the
present status of the ongoing Free Trade
Agreement negotiations between the EU
and India.
Left to Right: Sumit Mullick, IIBA Chairman, Nilakanthi Ford,
KFV Consulting and Mike Gibbons, KPMG
5
In d ia -ir e la n d in Fo cus
oc tober 2014
Bilateral trade
April-Dublin Seminar Series on ‘Business
Opportunities with India' and Launch of ‘India-Ireland
in Focus ‘by Ambassador Radhika Lal Lokesh, the
Embassy of India in Ireland and IIBA
the Radisson Hotel,
St Helens, Dublin
the event was sold
out with over 120
guests and a long
waiting list. The
two key themes
of the day were
communication and
collaboration.
Ambassador of India to Ireland Mrs. Lokesh with the speakers at the event
Monday April 14th was not
only sunny, it also proved an
auspicious occasion for the
launch of a new 'India-Ireland
in Focus' and seminar on
Business opportunities. Held at
Ambassador
Radhika Lokesh
invited both
Indian's businesses
in Ireland and
Irish businesses in
India to collaborate
in developing
substantial
opportunities for both economies
and through working together.
K
eynote speaker of the
day was Shri B.N.
Satpathy - Senior Advisor
in the Planning Commission
- Government of India. Mr
B.N.Satpathy provided an
excellent presentation on the
collaboration opportunities
possible between India and
Ireland. He specifically focussed
on the importance of innovation
and leadership in such ventures
between the two countries.
Her Excellency, Mrs. Radhika
Lokesh Ambassador for India and
Mr. Sumit Mullick, Chairman IIBA
proudly display the first edition of
India-Ireland in Focus
In dia-i re la nd i n F oc u s
oc tobe r 2014
6
Bilateral trade
O
ther speakers on the day include Venkatesh
Priyadarshi, Regional Manager, Tata
Consultancy Services (TCS) who gave an insightful
presentation on the skills and capabilities of Tata
Group, an Indian multinational conglomerate
company headquartered in Mumbai, Maharashtra,
India. It encompasses seven business sectors:
communications and information technology,
engineering, materials, services, energy, consumer
products and chemicals. He also anecdotally
noted that since 2012, with the appointment of the
current chairman Cyrus Pallonji Mistry, who has
an Irish passport, he is effectively working for an
Irishman!
Mr. B.N. Satpathy - Senior Advisor
in the Planning Commission Government of India
Left to Right: Venkatesh
Priyadarshi TCS, Her Excellency
Mrs. Radhika Lokesh,
Ambassador for India, Tony
Martyn, Bank of Ireland
P
hilip C Thomas, Director Client Relations, BPO Business
Services, HCL Technologies and
Sanjay Pahuja, AVP & Head, Ireland
Operations, BPO Business Services, HCL
Technologies, gave a joint presentation on
HCL Technologies and the work they are
doing both globally and in Ireland. HCL
has pioneered industry trends, such as
third-party Business Process Outsourcing
(BPO) operations, multi-country delivery
and providing next generation business
services to Fortune 500/Fortune Global
500 customers. The HCL team consists
of over 79,000 professionals of diverse
nationalities, who operate from 31
countries HCL set up European offices
in Ireland three years' ago. Today
the Company has 400 employees in
Ireland and has been delighted with the
development of its Irish business.
Mr. Philip Thomas and Mr. Sanjay Pahuja, HCL
7
In d ia -ir e la n d in Fo cus
oc tober 2014
Bilateral trade
T
he last group of speakers represented
an Indian and an Irish Bank -the State
Bank of India and the Bank of Ireland.
For the State Bank of India, European CEO
Suresh Bhat and Subhromoy Mukherjee,
Chief Financial Services, explained the
Banks' presence in Europe and the facilities
that it would make available for companies
planning to set-up in India. This included
introductions to potential partners as well
as providing a comprehensive market entry
service.
Left to Right: Mr. B.N. Satpathy; H.E. Mrs.
Radhika Lokesh, European CEO Suresh Bhat
and Subhromoy Mukherjee, State Bank of India
Mr. Derek Collins, Director, New Business and FDI from
Bank of Ireland talked of his experiences in India and
doing business with companies from India.
The "event" was chaired by Nilakanthi Ford, IIBA Vice
Chairmanand Director Europe and Asia for KFVC.
August - Dublin: Opportunities in India
In dia-i re la nd i n F oc u s
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8
Bilateral trade
O
Eve of India Independence Day - Dublin
n Thursday, August 14th, the Ireland India
Business Association (IIBA) gathered
together with the members of the Irish
Exporters Association's Asia Trade Forum (ATF) to
celebrate India's Independence Day in the offices of
the Dublin Chamber of Commerce. The room was jam
packed with attendees eager to hear about India. The
crowds are testimony to the recent surge of interest
in bi-lateral trade between Ireland and India.
"Our vision for Ireland is to emerge as one of India's
preferred trading partners for EU trade", said John
Nevin, Chairman, ATF. "The IEA believes that exports
have a critical role to play in Ireland's economy and,
in particular, exports to the emerging and fast growing
markets in Asia, which we aim to grow from 4% to
10%. Looking east for export growth is an imperative
for Irish companies.
Mr. Ravi Chandar, Commercial Secretary, Embassy of India
The breakfast talked openly about the pros
and cons of doing business in India. "A lot
of patience is needed to operate in India and
you must plan ahead" said Ravi Chandar,
the First Secretary, Bilateral Political,
Commercial & Consular at the Embassy of
India in Ireland. He also reminded us of the
similarities between the two countries and
that English being the language for business
and historically Ireland has cultural ties with
India since the days of the Irish missionaries
that set up schools and convents.
NilaKanthi Ford, Vice Chairperson of the
IIBA, and Director of KFVC emphasised
that now is the time to do business with
India . Her advice for those considering
bilateral trade with India is twofold:
• Plan, prepare and choose your business
partner wisely as relationships are very
important.
• Think outside the box. Grow to
understand the size of India and
explore all the opportunities that lie
outside of the main cities.
9
Richard Breen, a partner in William Fry
who spent 3 months in India this year,
emphasised that most businesses in India
are family run-relationships are key. George
Kiely, Enterprise Ireland advised companies
to visit the country to understand the
business climate.
In d ia -ir e la n d in Fo cus
oc tober 2014
New Government, new opportunities
The President, Mr. Pranab Mukherjee and the Vice President, Mr. Mohd. Hamid Ansari with the Prime Minister,
Mr. Narendra Modi and the other members of Council of Ministers after the Swearing-in Ceremony, at
Rashtrapati Bhavan, in New Delhi on May 26, 2014.
I
ndia's election has produced
a decisive majority for the
political alliance led by the
Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP).
Led by Mr. Narendra Modi it
was not just a land slide victory,
it also changed the Government
of 34 years. Turnout was higher,
as a percentage of eligible voters,
than in any election since 1984,
and exit polling showed an
overwhelming demand for change
from the 551 million Indians who
went to the polls.
The sweep of the BJP's victory
was striking and provide for a
majority which will allow easier
passage of legislation changes
going forward. The BJP won 283
seats in parliament, clearing a
simple majority of 272. With
its coalition partners it now
controls 336 out of 543 seats.
The ruling Congress party won
In dia-i re la nd i n F oc u s
oc tobe r 2014
only 44 seats (it previously held
209). Polls show Modi enjoyed
majority support from upperand lower-caste Indians, rural
and urban voters as well as
Indians in the populous north and
wealthier south.Highly publicised
governance issues and hopes for
change have united the world's
most diverse nation.
Modi cites his own record as
chief minister of Gujarat, which
has grown faster than China for
two decades, as an example of
the pro-growth, no-nonsense
management experience he will
bring to New Delhi as prime
minister. He also promises to
more forcefully pursue India's
interests abroad.
Prime Minister Modi provided
inspiration to a younger generation
with his rise to power from tea
seller to successful State Minister
of Gujurat. He has promised to
reinvigorate an economy whose
annual growth rates have halved
from near double-digit rates in
recent years. He has pledged to
tackle endemic corruption and
create a slimmed-down, more
effective state through what he
calls "maximum governance,
minimal government.”
Restoring economic vigour through
good governance and decisive
reform is the clear mandate
of India's new government. It
is appropriate that they have
voted in a prime minister who
has managed the economy of
India's most industrialised and
globalised state. Narendra Modi
is the first Prime Minister to be
born after Indian independence in
1949. The population at large has
extraordinarily high expectations
for his government.
10
Democratic India
The Prime Minister, Mr. Narendra Modi congratulating ISRO scientists after successful launch of Mars Orbiter
(Mangalyan) into the Mars orbit, at ISRO Headquarters in Bengaluru on September 24, 2014
The growth Modi promises should
restore energy to the bilateral
relationship. A flourishing India
undergoing vigorous reform will
be a better business partner. A
surging India is also more likely to
pursue a foreign policy that makes
it shape world events. India would
then be an example to the emerging
world of economic transformation
under democratic institutions. A
thriving India will uplift its region.
The first Budget under the Modi Government and
what it means for business
T
he Union Budget for 2014-15 has been announced by Mr Arun Jaitley, Union Minister for Finance,
Government of India, in Parliament on July 10, 2014. As the election of Narendra Modi in May
produced a seismic event, expectations of the first budget in many quarters were high. Like any new
prime minister, Mr. Modi emphasised the change but the reality has been that they are also building on and
accelerating the previous government's efforts – much easier now that they have such a sizeable majority
in Parliament.
What this first Budget did is mark out the direction and tone of what a Modi government plans to do over the
next five years, and how it will go about it. Here are a few highlights that will be incremental to improving
India's economic outlook and investment environment.
Investor friendly Tax regime; India will bring in Goods and Service Tax by the end of the year.
FDI in defence to be allowed up to 49% with full management control for India;
Development of 100 smart cities
FDI in insurance to be allowed up to 49%;
Steps to open FDI in urban construction sector
E-commerce sales encouraged in the retail sector
Higher Education focus - 4 new All India Institutes of Medical Sciences (AIIMS) proposed in
Andhra Pradesh, Maharashtra, West Bengal and Uttar Pradesh; AIIMS in every state of the
country going on; 5 more India Institutes of Technology (IITs).
• Skill India Plan to increase vocational training.
• No new Retrospective Tax to be issued; however current cases to be scrutinised for resolution
(high level committee to be set up).
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
11
In d ia -ir e la n d in Fo cus
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Democratic India
Modi, the profile
Narendra Damodardas Modi is the 15th Prime Minister
of India. Born 17 September 1950, he is the first Prime
minister to be born after Indian Independence. A leader of
the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), Modi also served as the
Chief Minister of Gujarat state from 2001 to 2014. He is
currently the Member of Parliament (MP) from Varanasi.
Modi's laser focus on development and his proven ability to
deliver results have made him one of India's most popular
leaders. His promise is to build a nation that is strong,
inclusive and prosperous where each and every Indian
can realise their hopes and aspirations. He is praised for
his economic policies, which are credited with creating an
environment for a high rate of economic growth in Gujarat.
Born to a family of grocers in present-day Gujarat, Modi
was the third of six children. Modi has achieved his success
thanks to the values instilled in his childhood. He grew up in
a loving but poor family "without a spare rupee". He learnt
the value of hard work and from a very young age immersed himself in service to the nation. In 1978, Modi
graduated with an extramural degree through Distance Education in political science from Delhi University.
In 1983, while remaining as a campaigner in the RSS, he completed his Master's degree in political science
from Gujarat University.
In November 1995, Modi was elected National Secretary of BJP and promoted to the post of general secretary
(Organisation) of the BJP in May 1998. On 7 October 2001, Modi was appointed the Chief Minister of
Gujarat, with the responsibility of preparing the BJP for elections in December 2002.
As Chief Minister, Modi's ideas of governance revolved around privatisation and small government. The State
government worked to brand Gujarat as a state of dynamic development, economic growth and prosperity,
using the slogan "Vibrant Gujarat". He started financial and technology parks and during the 2007 Vibrant
Gujarat summit, real estate investment deals worth INR6.6 trillion were signed in Gujarat.
Modi is a "people's leader" dedicated to improving their well being. He has a powerful, personal connection
with ordinary people. In May 2014, Modi was unanimously elected as the leader of the BJP parliamentary
party following his party's victory in the Indian parliamentary elections and was subsequently appointed
the prime minister.
This was India's first social media election. Modi's charismatic leadership is complemented by a strong
online presence where he is known as India's most techno-savvy leader, Modi effectively used social media
like Twitter, Facebook and Google in his campaign, besides Google Hangouts and holograms for campaign
appearances. He even posted a selfie on Twitter and his victory tweet emerged as the most retweeted in India.
Narendra Modi was sworn in as Prime Minister on 26 May 2014 at the Rastrapati Bhavan. He exceptionally
invited all South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation (SAARC) leaders to attend his swearing-in
ceremony. The attendees included Afghanistan President Hamid Karzai, Sri Lankan President Mahinda
Rajapaksa, Bhutan Prime Minister Tshering Tobgay, Maldives President Abdulla Yameen Abdul Gayoom,
and Prime Minister Navin Ramgoolam of Mauritius (SAARC observer), Nepal Prime Minister Sushil Koirala,
Prime Minister of Pakistan Naz Sharif and Speaker of the National Parliament of Bangladesh Shirin Sharmin
Chaudhury.
To attract foreign investment in Gujarat during his time as chief minister, Modi made visits to countries
such as China, Singapore and Japan. Since his appointment as Prime Minister, he has continued to promote
close ties with neighbouring countries. His first foreign visit was to Bhutan. He later visited Nepal and the
Australian Prime Minister, Tony Abbott, in August followed by a 5 day bilateral visit to Japan. He is hosting
China’s President Xi Jinping in September and visiting the USA in October.
In dia-i re la nd i n F oc u s
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12
Make in India
“Make in India” – made real
PM Modi launches ‘Make in India'
The ambitious initiative seeks to make India a
manufacturing hub
The Prime Minister, Mr. Narendra Modi launching the website ‘makeinindia.com’, at the inauguration of the
“MAKE IN INDIA”, in New Delhi on September 25, 2014.
O
n Thursday 25th
September, a day after
India’s triumphant Mars
mission and hours before leaving
on his first visit to the USA,
prime minister, Narendra Modi
launched the “Make in India”
campaign in New Delhi. The
initiative is meant to cut red
tape, spur foreign investments
and transform India into a
manufacturing powerhouse. It is
intended to help create jobs and
boost economic growth. Basically,
this rolls out a red carpet to attract
industrialists to turn India into a
global manufacturing hub,
Stakeholders including leading
businessmen and CEOs of about
3,000 companies of 30 countries
were invited to a high-profile
launches worldwide.India’s top
industrialists, including Reliance
Industries chairman Mukesh
Ambani and Wipro chairman
Azim Premji spoke about the
new deal for foreign investors,
alongside Modi.The launch was
also attended by finance minister
Arun Jaitley; Minister of State for
Finance, Commerce and Industry
Nirmala Sitharaman; Power
Minister Piyush Goyal, MSME
minister Kalraj Mishra, Labour
Minister Narendra Singh Tomar
as well as Textile Minister Santosh
Singh Gangwar among others.
The Government's objective is to
13
get the manufacturing sector to
grow over 10% on a sustainable
basis. It has planned global
outreach through a digital
campaign, a facilitation window
of sorts for investors who want to
do business in the country.
The digital face of the initiative
is a freshly designed website—
MakeInIndia.com. The website
offers information about various
sectors. Behind it, is an agency
called Invest India. This is a
joint venture between industry
chamber FICCI (Federation of
Indian Chambers of Commerce
and Industry), the central
government’s department of
industrial promotion and
In d ia -ir e la n d in Fo cus
oc tober 2014
Maruti Suzuki’s Kenichi Ayukawa, Reliance Industries’ Mukesh Ambani, Wipro’s Azim Premji, Aditya Birla Group’s Kumar
Mangalam Birla and ICICI Bank’s Chanda Kochchar are seen at the Make In India launch
policy, and state governments.
Prospective investors can post
questions on the Make In India
portal and they should expect
to be answered by a panel of
experts within 72 hours. Twenty
five sectors have been identified
as priority areas in the portal.
Modi also came up with a new
definition for FDI. “For Indians
FDI is a responsibility, it means
to First Develop India, for global
investors FDI is an opportunity
in the form of Foreign Direct
Investment,” he said. Modi
does not want any industrialist
being forced to leave India, he
continued, "The most important
thing is faith”. He explained
that the Government Mantra is
“to trust each and every Indian.
The atmosphere of trust can
change a lot of things. The change
cannot only take place inside the
parliament, it can also happen
outside."
Stating that the biggest factor
is faith to attract investment he
said, "There should be rule of
law. Like there is corporate social
responsibility (CSR), there should
also be corporate-government
relations. We have to create
opportunities of employment. If
the poor get jobs the purchasing
power of families will increase."
He said India needs highways
and i-ways, which are information
ways to create a digital India.
PM Modi added, "India offers
democracy, demographic
dividend, demand and the world
is ready to come to Asia. The new
The Tata Nano and Isro's Mars mission have
captivated the world's imagination. What
India now needs to do is to take leading
edge technology and show the world how to
make a step change manufacturing.
In dia-i re la nd i n F oc u s
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14
era of economic growth is in Asia
and we have to see how to make
it India's. I want to take India
higher on Ease-of-Doing-Business
Index and want to enhance
Public-Private Partnerships in
skills development."
Referring to the successful launch
of Mangalyaan, (the Mars space
probe) he said, "Nobody can
question the talent of our people.
When we talk of a 'Look East'
policy, we must also talk about
'Link West'.”……."Industry does
not come when there are too
many incentive schemes. To bring
industries, we have to create a
development and growth oriented
environment. We have to increase
manufacturing and at the same
time ensure that the benefits reach
the youth of our nation and this
is the step of a Lion."
The "Make in India" initiative will
be a reference point for foreign
investors on regulatory and policy
issues. Already, the Government
has allowed 100% Foreign Direct
Investment (FDI) under the
automatic route in construction,
operation and maintenance in
rail infrastructure projects and
Make in India
recently increased FDI in defence
from 26 to 49 per cent.
The Tata Nano and Isro's Mars
mission have captivated the
world's imagination. What India
now needs to do is to take leading
edge technology and show the
world how to make a step change
manufacturing.
Twenty five “thrust” sectors
The Government has identified 25 key sectors
in which India has the potential of becoming
a world leader. These include, automobiles,
chemicals, IT, pharmaceuticals, textiles, ports,
aviation, leather, tourism and hospitality,
wellness, railways, auto components, design
manufacturing, renewable energy, mining, biotechnology, pharmaceuticals and electronics
The Government has identified
25 key sectors in which India has
the potential of becoming a world
leader. These include, automobiles,
chemicals, IT, pharmaceuticals,
textiles, ports, aviation, leather,
tourism and hospitality, wellness,
railways, auto components,
design manufacturing, renewable
energy, mining, bio-technology,
pharmaceuticals and electronics
among others. Along with this,
the Government will also identify
some domestic companies having
leadership in innovation and
new technology, in order to
help them turning into global
champions.The prime minister has
involved all ministries related to
manufacturing.
What they said?
Economic Times : NEW DELHI: India Inc promised support to the government's Make in India initiative
but sought better governance, removal of infrastructural bottlenecks, stable tax regime and less restrictive
labour laws to help India merge as a manufacturing hub.
Cyrus Mistry, who heads the diversified Tata Group, led the industry in soundly endorsing Prime
Minister"This programme offers a unique and timely opportunity to make India global," said Mistry,
while cautioning that the country's aspirations on the global manufacturing arena will only be fulfilled
if certain challenges were addressed on priority.
"These factors will include buildup of critical infrastructure across the country supported by stable
policies, transparent and competitive tax and duty structure, efficient and time-bound administration
through the use of e-governance, cost effective and reliable energy coupled with logistics, critical for the
competitiveness of industry," he said.
Mukesh Ambani, chairman and managing director of Reliance Group, said his group commits to the
'Make in India' movement, and added that his company's over 1.8 lakh crore investments will fructify
in 12-15 months. "These investments will help in creation of 1.25 lakh jobs," he said. "It is important to
connect village clusters with the international markets and not only domestic markets by building the
physical infrastructure and virtual infrastructure, so that all our goods and services are connected to all
markets," he added.
Chairman of the Aditya Birla GroupKumar Mangalam Birla said manufacturing has to become the next
big wave.
15
In d ia -ir e la n d in Fo cus
oc tober 2014
Indian success in Ireland
Ireland's focus on energy conservation
attracts Indian conglomerate
C
G is an Indian company
that very few people in
Ireland would be aware
of. However CG Ireland has been
contributing over €22 million to the
Irish economy on a yearly basis
and has created around 500 jobs
in the local market. Furthermore,
stakeholders alike. For almost
eight decades, CG has delivered
advanced turnkey solutions for
transmission and distribution
of power that has helped to
transform the electricity scenario
across the world. Its portfolio
encompasses electrical products,
systems and services for utilities,
power generation, industries and
consumers. With manufacturing
facilities, solutions and services in
India, Canada, USA, Brazil, UK,
Ireland, France, Spain, Sweden,
Belgium, Hungary, UAE, Saudi
Arabia and Indonesia, and more
than 15,000 employees across its
operations in around 85 countries,
CG is a key player today in the
global power transmission and
distribution (T&D) industry.
The business offerings in CG
Ireland can be broadly classified
into two main units- Distribution
Transformation and Automation
Solutions. Over the last 15 years,
CG’s facilities in Cavan, Ireland
have delivered state-of-the-art
distribution transformers from
the 15 kVA to the 5 MVA range.
The 5 MVA transformers were
a major achievement with the
Research and Development
(R&D) unit in Ireland playing a
critical role in its development.
CG has also developed and
successfully implemented several
substation type transformers
with end-to-end applications
that include Miniature Circuit
given the fact that the current
global economic scenario reflects
a shift in focus from the West
to the East, Ireland has greatly
benefited from being a part of
an International Conglomerate
headquartered in India.
CG envisions a planet empowered
by renewable energy. It is a
truly global organisation. It is
also people-centric so CG places
great value on its relationships
with both internal and external
In dia-i re la nd i n F oc u s
oc tobe r 2014
16
Indian success in Ireland
“Ireland’s Relentless Pursuit of Energy Conservation and its
Growing Presence in the European Industrial Landscape has
been Instrumental in Drawing CG into the Country to set up
one of its Largest Units"
Breakers (MCBs), switchgear
and cabinets adhering to IP54
standards. Special Distribution
Transformers that are developed
through extensive R&D and
customisation on the basis of
customer requirement have also
been an important part of CG’s
portfolio in Ireland.
The Automation Solution Division
of CG, with its research and
software units located in Dublin,
is another key indicator of CG’s
growing focus on Europe. CG is
investing significant capital and
time to understand Ireland and
Europe’s market potential and the
challenges faced by utilities and
other businesses.
Caption: The graph shows the
potential in the Irish market
for companies in the power
sector. For CG, this also opens a
great opportunity to enhance its
network in the Irish power domain
and create strategic partnerships
with companies to deliver value
to end users.
Towards a smarter planet
CG Ireland constantly strives
for a greener planet running on
power that is managed smartly
and efficiently. It supplied the
very first IEC 61850 solution
into East Africa in the form of
a total substation automation
solution for 132kV and 33kV
substations. The unit in Ireland
was also instrumental in the
development of the S Series that
changed the image of transformers
significantly.
Research by Energy Needs Ireland
(eni) shows that there is an
immediate and growing need for
smart meters in Ireland. In fact,
surveys of the end consumer
also indicate significant interests
to convert to smarter electrical
systems. For CG this is a clear
indicator of how the end consumer,
looking to save on electricity bills,
can be the key growth driver and
influencer in the smart meter and
smart grid business in Ireland.
Future outlook
With Ireland actively looking
for more sustainable sources of
energy and ways to generate more
power to fuel its rapidly growing
economy, CG foresees the perfect
opportunity to make a multilayered impact in the Ireland
market that will positively impact
lives as well as the economy
on the whole. The key to CG’s
strategy in Ireland will incorporate
cutting edge innovation and
ground breaking technology to
enable inclusive and sustainable
growth.
17
References
http://eni.ucd.ie/2013/ENI_2013_
White_Paper.pdf
http://www.eirgrid.com/media/
All-Island_GCS_2013-2022.pdf
http://www.cgglobal.com/
others/joint-ventures/CG-PowerSystems-Ireland-Ltd.html
http://www.finfacts.
ie/irishfinancenews/
article_1027779.shtml
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/
India%E2%80%93Ireland_
relations
http://www.iiba.ie/
In d ia -ir e la n d in Fo cus
oc tober 2014
Indian success in Ireland
HCL Technologies: creating
business value from Ireland
F
ounded in 1976 as one of India's original IT garage
startups, HCL is one of the fastest growing IT and
BPO services organisations – a growth based on a
disruptive approach to business and its unique ‘Employee
First Customer Second’ philosophy.HCL has been in the
Republic of Ireland since 2010 and is very encouraged
to see a clearly improving economy.
HCL is part of a $6.5 billion global technology and
service provider group with 95,000 people focusing on
‘transformational outsourcing’ underlined by innovation
and value creation.HCL Technologies (HCL) has been
one of the fastest technology companies not only in
India but in the world – even during the depths of the
economic downturn.
HCL operates across 31 countries and has an extensive
global network of delivery centres to provide seamless
service to customers worldwide. HCL’s “Think Global,
Act Local” Management is a framework which marries the
global service delivery framework to the local interface
based on geo-adapted ecosystem. HCL has 95 different
nationalities among its employees. The company value
of putting the ‘Employee First’ has been at the core of
creating a common ground for employees from diverse
backgrounds to connect.
Europe is now HCL’s fastest growing geography, with
25% growth over the last 12 months. Furthermore, HCL
has been named European Employer of the Year for
eight years, since 2006. In the Republic of Ireland, HCL
boasts some of the largest global strategic outsourcing
relationships in Ireland within the Telecoms, Financial
services & Technology sectors. HCL has invested in
setting-up Centres of Excellence in both Dublin and
Kilkenny and has now some 700 professionals delivering
transformational services to our clients.
‘Ireland is a focus market for
us, where we want to serve
some of the largest clients in
the region. It is also a rich
source of capabilities and
competencies to service clients
not only for Ireland & UK, but
also for our global customer
base.’ – Udayan Guha, Head
of HCL Business Services,
Europe.
In dia-i re la nd i n F oc u s
oc tobe r 2014
EMPLOYEE CULTURE
IDEAPRENEURSHIP
HCL is called the world’s largest Ideapreneurship.
As an organisation HCLhas always sought to give
its employees the license to ideate. Grounding all
actions in this belief, HCL hascreated its own culture
of Ideapreneurship, which supports and encourages
grass-roots, business-driven, customer-focused
innovation and recognizes that every employee is an
ideapreneur. This vibrant entrepreneurial culture has
led to institutional and grass-root programs that help
in seeding ideas, mentoring creativity and harvesting
innovation.MAD JAM is one such enterprise wide
engagement supporting this culture.
MAD JAM
MAD JAM allows people to seed and nurture
outstanding ideas from within HCL. It is focused
on celebrating innovation by recognizing employees
with talent (innovative ideas) and supporting
them to harvest these by having them showcased
for adoption across the organization.MAD JAM
has successfully served as a platform to enable
the company from the bottom-up to holistically
experience better business, growth and reputation
among its peers and external partners.
HCL Ethos
The HCL ethos is Employee First, Customer Second
(EFCS) it believes an engaged employee will go
above and beyond to wow the customer. In Ireland
HCL is working towards ‘Excellence through People’
external accreditation programs, Sports Social
programs, Charity (SSC) events and wellness
events. HCL people in Ireland have been actively
involved in many community initiatives from cake
bakes and fun runs to Red Heart day and midsummer events. HCL is also giving back to the
community by partnering with Vincent DePaul,
Temple Street, Marie Keating Foundation and
the Irish Cancer Society.
Relationship beyond contract
HCL is committed to assisting clients in driving
Transformation through continuous improvement,
18
Indian success in Ireland
standardization and automation
resulting in significant year on
year improvements.At the same
time, HCL is taking its client
relationships to the next level
with its ‘Relationship beyond
the Contract’ approach. In an
uncertain business landscape,
no contract can predict what
will change tomorrow; HCL
believes that real value lies in
the relationship that gets created
between customer and provider.
HCL firmly believes that a
relationship is not just about two
parties signing a deal on a piece
of paper, but it is about people
coming together to create ideas,
and more importantly, to create
value.
HCL has been impressed with
the strong skills and specialised
software companies in Ireland.
The company believes that
by leveraging on the strong
educational infrastructure and
19
talent pool in Ireland there are
also opportunities for large Global
service providers like HCL to
partner together with niche Irish
software product companies to
take their capability jointly to
global clients. HCL is definitely
looking forward to continue to
grow its operations in Ireland and
says the future looks bright.
In d ia -ir e la n d in Fo cus
oc tober 2014
Scientific co-operation
Ireland- India working together
Ireland ranks second in
the world for research into
Immunology and Probiotics
T
oday Ireland is one of
the top 20 countries in
scientific global rankings
for the quality of its research.
(Source: Thomson Reuters
Essential Scientific Indicators). It is also second in the world
for the quality of its research
in the fields of Immunology
and Probiotics, 6th in the world
for Nanoscience research and
eighth in the world for research
quality in Materials Science.
In 2013, Nature Magazine, the
scientific publishing journal
‘Nature Magazine’ described
Ireland as one of five ‘Up and
Coming’ destinations for high
level research.
companies based in India, such
as Achira Labs, and Connexios
Life Sciences.
Trinity Dean of Research
Prof. Vincent Cahill
Science Foundation Ireland
(SFI) acknowledges the value
of building strong links with
India in education, science and
technology. This has led to more
than €1m funding over two years.
In turn, this has strengthened joint
research undertakings between
India and Ireland, particularly
in the areas of Photonics, Plant/
Agricultural Biotechnology and
Digital Humanities.
Professor Mani Ramaswami
Recently this has also opened
collaboration opportunities
in the areas of robotics,
embedded systems and wireless
networks, pharmaceutical
development, nanotechnologies,
photovoltaics, biomdecial
sensors and biomedical implants
Nanotechnology, Material
Science, Energy, Environmental
and Civil Engineering, Bioscience,
Biomedicine, Computer Science
and Policy Research.
EXAMPLES
new and existing research-based
collaboration between Ireland’s
Higher Education Institutions
(HEIs) and partner organisations
in four designated countries
including India. The other partner
countries are Brazil, the People’s
Republic of China, India, and
Japan.
The ISCA India consortium is a
portal for any Indian academic
or industrial group interested
in expanding their activities
to Ireland. It provides a
coordinated national approach
to present Ireland´s scientific and
technological reputation in India.
The envisaged outcomes include:
Since 2011, the Science
Foundation Ireland (SFI) has
invested €5m in the International
Strategic Cooperation Award
(ISCA) programme. This supports
Joint applications to the EU
framework programme have
been submitted, and students
have been co-supervised by
academics based in Ireland and
• increased impact. Combined
Irish and Indian research
will deliver significant results
through combining scale and
complementary expertise.
Investment in Research and
Development is a high priority
for the Irish Government. The
Government Action Plan for Jobs
is continuing to build upon major
Irish achievements in scientific
research to work with global
industry to support the process of
turning innovative concepts into
commercial reality. International
collaboration between researchers
in academia and industry
plays a key role in delivering
excellent research. These types
of collaborations are very much
part of Irelands’s eco-system and
have delivered significant results.
In dia-i re la nd i n F oc u s
oc tobe r 2014
20
Scientific co-operation
• increased access continued
funding to for both countries
from international and private
sources.
• increased involvement of
skilled Indian students and
scientists in Irish R&D.
• increased communication
and improved relationships
between the two countries.
Vincent Cahill and Professor
Mani Ramaswami. The other
Irish institutions involved are
Cork Institute of Technology,
Dublin City University, Dublin
Institute of Technology, NUI
Galway, Waterford Institute
of Technology and University
College Cork.
In India collaborating Indian
institutions include some of the
best universities and academic
laboratories.
Trinity College Dublin is leading
the ISCA India Consortium
under the direction of Professor
21
In d ia -ir e la n d in Fo cus
oc tober 2014
Irish business
CRH seeks Indian opportunities
C
RH, Ireland's largest
industrial company,
is gearing up for an
acquisition spree following its
strong annual results. Based in
Dublin, Ireland the company
employs around 76,000 people
in 35 countries. It manufactures
a range of building products to
service the construction industry.
From its Mumbai headquarters, the
CRH development team is actively
seeking further opportunities
for expansion in India.CRH
also operates a construction
accessories business (Halfen)
in India. This supplies a wide
range of construction accessories
for building and infrastructure
projects.
CRH entered the Indian market in
2008 with the acquisition of a 50%
stake in MHIL, a cement business
located in Andhra Pradesh in
South India. MHIL has an annual
cement capacity of 4.8 Mtpa from
two plants and is the lowest cost
producer and a leading player
in its market. The collaboration
has led to significantly increased
business.
In August 2013, CRH announced
that it had bought a stake in
India’s Sree Jayajothi Cements.
A unit of the Shriram Group,
Sree Jayajothi Cements has a 3.2
million-ton cement plant in the
southern Indian state of Andhra
Pradesh. Shriram said the deal
valued Sree Jayajothi at 14 billion
rupees (€175 million).
CRH said its 50:50 joint venture
in India, My Home Industries
(MHIL), reached an agreement
to acquire 100 per cent of the
shares of Sree Jayajothi. The
investment was financed from
MHIL’s existing debt capacity
and by equity inputs from the
joint shareholders (€70 million).
CRH’s equity interest amounts to
approximately €35 million.
Shriram, is a conglomerate with
assets of $9 billion, was said
to have had talks earlier with
investors including Blackstone
Group and KKR for selling its stake
in the cement business. Blackstone
decided not to proceed, leaving
CRH India
Atul Khosla – Managing Director; Partha Gopalan – Chief Operating Officer; Sunita Fernandes – Office Manager; Sajid Zia
Khan – Senior Vice President – Business Development; Rashmi Agarwal – no longer working with us; Sudha Bhushan –
Manager – Finance & Taxation; Nicky Hartery – Chairman – CRH plc;
Jay Wasson – repatriated to Ireland; Rahul Oke – Vice President – Business Development
In dia-i re la nd i n F oc u s
oc tobe r 2014
22
VGU Plant
CRH and its French rival, Vicat,
to fight things out.
Now MHIL has grown from a
single factory with 3.2 million
tonnes capacity to a group with
a total cement capacity of 8
million tonnes at 3 locations. The company operates two
fully integrated cement plants
in Mellacheruvu and Kurnool
with a 3.2 million tonnes cement
capacity each. Additionally,
MHIL owns a state of the art
cement grinding plant with 1.6
million tonnes capacity in the
coastal town of Vizag. In the
last six years, MHIL has also
become a cost efficient cement
business. Its operations include
two modern captive power plants
with an annual power generation
capacity of 75 mega Watts.
Modi Government to launch $32.9
billion infrastructure projects
T
he Government is looking
to build two lakh Km of
roads under public-privatepartnership (PPP) mode which
includes widening of existing
one lakh km of highways. It has
allocated funds for the projects
as well as seeking more funds
through securitisation of toll
revenues.
A number of steps have been
initiated to bring in wide reforms
in the highways sector including
launch of 350 electronic toll
plazas by December and
building amenities for drivers
and commuters on every 50
km stretch. Bids have already
been floated for consultancy and
design of 270 such facilities. The
Government is also focusing on
boosting waterways for cargo
transportation.
In order to reduce bureaucracy,
Prime Minister Narendra Modi has
announced that various ministries
can now approve projects up to
Rs 1000 crore without Cabinet
approval. This fivefold increase
in the discretionary spending
power of ministries is meant
to allow faster clearances of
projects, particularly those related
to infrastructure.
The infrastructure sector is a
key focus area for the Modi-
23
led government. The Centre is
keen to speed up infrastructure
development and investment
to boost economic growth. It is
reported that the government
is set to finalise the policy for
implementing its ambitious plan
to convert 100 existing cities into
smart cities, where it will allow
large-scale participation of private
sector.
Apart from the 100 existing
cities that will be retrofitted to
smart cities, the government
is also considering developing
three-four Greenfield cities. The
future certainly looks bright for
construction companies in India.
In d ia -ir e la n d in Fo cus
oc tober 2014
Irish business
Ireland-India horse breeding
At Pune racecourse every October, Coolmore sponsors the Coolmore Juvenile million. On the same evening, the
feature race is the Group 2 Irish Thorough bred Marketing & Goff’s R.W.I.T.C. Limited Gold Cup.
T
he thoroughbred industry in
Ireland is highly successful
and globally competitive.
It directly employs approximately
14,000 individuals and thousands
more indirectly. It made a direct
economic contribution of nearly
e1.1 billion to the Irish economy
in 2012. Racehorse owners are
the key drivers of wider industry
economic activity supporting
hundreds of breeding and training
operations spread throughout the
country.
Ireland has the unique opportunity
to be the best in the world with
unmatched bloodstock, world
class personnel and excellent
horse racing infrastructure.Ireland
is the largest producer of thorough
breds in Europe. Irish breeders
have a well-earned reputation
for producing tough, durable
and sound horses that go on
to perform at the highest level
all over the world. A temperate
climate and calcium rich soil
provide ideal conditions for
developing young stock. Irish
bred horses consistently celebrate
In dia-i re la nd i n F oc u s
oc tobe r 2014
international success and as
a result, bloodstock exports
continue to thrive each year.
There are almost 7,000 registered
breeders in Ireland with some of
the most successful breeders in
the world choosing to base their
operations in the country. This
includes Sheikh Mohammed
Bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Sheikh
Hamdan Bin Rashid Al Maktoum,
HH the Aga Khan, Prince Khalid
Abdulla, and the Weinstock
family who all invest significant
resources in building up large
stud farms and broodmare bands
throughout the country.
Recently, the Chinese Government
selected Ireland as its horse racing
and breeding partner as part of
a multi-billion dollar project. As
part of the agreement, Ireland will
help China to establish its first
national equine facility at Tianjin
as it hopes to develop a successful
horse breeding industry. It will
boast 4,000 horse stalls, a horse
clinic, 150 trainers’ offices, 5
training tracks, two international
standard race tracks, a grandstand
and clubhouse, as well as an
International Equestrian College
and a horse auction house.
As it stands, Ireland’s horse
breeding industry is already
hugely export-oriented as it
produces more than 40 per cent of
all thoroughbred foals in Europe.
Talks are also underway for up to
800 horses for the racing venture
and racecourse to be sourced
from Ireland.
Speaking for Coolmore Stud, JP Magnier said:
“The sector plays a huge part in the Irish economy,
currently generating €1.1 billion annually. This
industry is something we are good at.”
24
Ambassador for India visits Coolmore
Fast Facts
• The Irish bloodstock breeding and
racing industry is of major importance
to Ireland in terms of employment
(especially in rural areas) as well as
in exports and tourism.
• Ireland recorded a population of
28,289 thoroughbreds in 2010.
• Ireland is the third largest breeder of
thoroughbreds in the world.
• Approximately 17,300 people are
employed in the thoroughbred industry
in Ireland,
• The gross value of the industry
exceeded €1.1 bn in 2013.
• Irish jockeys, trainers and owners
regularly succeed at the highest
international levels.
• Horse Racing Ireland (HRI) is a state
body establish to represent key sectors
of the industry.
• Irish Thoroughbred Marketing (ITM)
is a division of Horse Racing Ireland
which provides the service and support
to overseas visitors interested in
the Irish thoroughbred racing and
breedingindustry.
Ambassador of India to Ireland,
H.E. Mrs. Radhika Lal Lokesh visits Coolmore
C
oolmore Stud, in Fethard, County Tipperary
in Ireland, is the world's largest breeding
operation of thoroughbred racehorses.
Coolmore also has extensive operations at Coolmore
Australia in the Hunter Valley, New South Wales
and Coolmore America based at Ashford Stud,
Lexington, Kentucky. As well as standing many of
the beststallions in Europe, Coolmore offers a first
class boarding service which is used by many leading
breeders in Europe and beyond.
Indian breeders have chosen Ireland as the country
for developing their broodmare bands and stallion
ranks for many years. One of the best fillies ever
seen in India was called ‘Jacqueline’. She dominated
the racing season in 2010. Following a brilliant
racing career which included an unprecedented four
Classics, Jacqueline now lives at Coolmore in Ireland.
She currently is being bred with the world’s leading
sire called ‘Galileo’.
25
In d ia -ir e la n d in Fo cus
oc tober 2014
Culinary delights
Food diplomacy
I
ndian cuisine is a reflection
of 500 years intermingling
of various communities
and cultures combined with
influences caused by the arrival
of the Mughals, the British, and
Portuguese.
Indian cuisine also played its part
in shaping international relations.
The spice trade between India
and Europe was catalyst for
Europe's Age of Discovery. It also
influenced other cuisines across
the world, especially those from
Southeast Asia, the British Isles
and the Caribbean.
Flavours of India
Herbs and spices, or masalas,
play a vital role in Indian food.
Masala means a 'blend of several
spices’ which varies from dish to
dish. Garam masala is the most
important blend and an absolute
essential for Indian preparations.
Each state in India has its own
particular blend of garam masala.
The story of Indian spice is more
than 7000 years old. Centuries
before Greece and Rome had been
discovered, sailing ships were
carrying Indian spices, perfumes
and textiles to Mesopotamia,
Arabia and Egypt. It was the
lure of these that brought many
seafarers to the shores of India.
use of cream in dals and yogurt
in marinades.
Wheat is produced in the north
and therefore a range of breads naan, tandoori roti, chapattis or
parathas are traditionally eaten
with foods of this region.
The best known North Indian
food is Mughlai cuisine. Mughlai
cuisine is a style of cooking
developed by the imperial kitchens
of the Mughal Empire and broadly
non-vegetarian in content. This
cuisine is characterized by the
use of yogurt, fried onions, nuts
and saffron. There are tender
kebabs, creamy kormas, and rich
pasandas.
The most notable ingredient in
Kashmiri cuisine is mutton, of
which there are over 30 varieties.
Traditional Kashmiri cooking
is, almost like an art called
Wazwan reflecting strong Central
Asian influences. The Wazwan
experience means primarily non
vegetarian dishes, each aromatic
with herbs and the fresh produce
of the region. Unique to Kashmiri
cuisine is the use of boiled rather
India’s culinary styles
Cuisine differs across India's
diverse regions.
North India
This cuisine is perhaps the most
popular and widely served in
restaurants around the world.
It is broadly characterised by
meats and vegetables cooked in
the tandoor (coal fired barbecue),
In dia-i re la nd i n F oc u s
oc tobe r 2014
26
than fried spices. This gives them
a unique and distinctive flavour
and aroma.
Punjabi cuisine is not different
from other cuisines in the sense
that most of the cuisine is inspired
by the Central Asian and Mughlai
cuisines since it was the entry spot
for Muslim invaders. Punjab has
also bequeathed the institution
of dhabas, wayside eateries
especially on highways. Mah ki
Dal, Sarson Da Saag and Makki
Di Roti, meat curry like Roghan
Josh and stuffed parathas are
some of the popular dishes of
this cuisine.
Awadhi cuisine bears similarities
to those of Persia, Kashmir,
Punjab and Hyderabad. The
bawarchis and rakabdars of
Awadh gave birth to the dum
style of cooking. Dum is the
art of sealing ingredients in a
large handi or pot and cooking
over a slow fire. The richness of
Awadhi cuisine lies not only in
the variety of cuisine but also in
the ingredients used like mutton,
paneer, and rich spices including
cardamom and saffron.
Culinary delights
South India
In South India, food is characterised
by dishes cooked on the griddle such
as dosas, thin broth like dals called
sambar and an array of seafood. The
region is also known for its heavy
use of 'kari' leaves, tamarind and
coconut.
Andhra Pradesh is known for
its Hyderabadi cuisine which is
greatly inspired by the Mughlai
cuisine. Some of the most traditional
Hyderabadi dishes are biryani,
chicken korma and sheer khurma.
subcontinent that is similar to
the modern service à la russe
style of French cuisine. Bengali
cuisine has a high emphasis on
chilli pepper along with mustard
oil and tends to use high amounts
of spices. The cuisine is known for
subtle flavours with emphasis on
fish, vegetables, lentils, and rice.
Fresh sweet water fish is one of its
most distinctive features; Bengalis
prepare fish in many ways, such
as steaming, braising, or stewing
vegetables with sauces based on
coconut milk or mustard.
Gujarati cuisine is strictly
vegetarian and tends to be sweet.
The popular dishes in this cuisine
are oondhia, patra, khaandavi
and thhepla.
The flavours of Oriya cuisine
are usually subtle and delicately
spiced. Fish and other seafood
such as crab and shrimp are
very popular. The food of India's
eastern states such as Sikkim,
Manipur, Meghalaya, Mizoram,
Assam, Nagaland, and Manipur
varies quite dramatically due
to their geographical location.
These areas are heavily influenced
by Tibetan, Chinese, and even
Western Cuisine.
spices are ground with vinegar
and coconut. Some examples of
this cuisine are Balcao, Xacuti,
Vindaloos, Sorpotel and Moehlos.
Parsi food is the hallmark of
India's Zoroastrian community ancient Persians. The Parsis’ main
dish is Dhansakh (caramelized
onions and brown rice served
with a mix of dals, vegetables and
meat). Goan cuisine has a strong
Portuguese influence since it was
previously a Portuguese colony.
The gravy will be chilly-ho while
The cuisine of Karnataka
has similarities with its three
neighbouring South Indian states,
as well as the states of Maharashtra
and Goa to its North. Karnataka
has two main styles of cooking,
the Brahmin cuisine that is strictly
vegetarian and the cuisine of Coorg
which is noted for its pork dishes.
The Chettinad cuisine of Tamil Nadu
has transcended the boundaries
of the state to carve a worldwide
following. Generally the dishes are
hot and pungent with fresh ground
masalas.
The rich intermingling of cultures
in Kerala has contributed to a vast
melting pot of mouth-watering
delicacies that are churned out.
Appam and stew, ulli theeyal and
of course the ubiquitous banana
chip! In the northern region of
Kerala or the Malabar coast Muslim
Moplah cuisine rules the roost.
Arab influence is predominant in
many of its dishes like the Alisa,
which is a hearty wheat and meat
porridge. South of Central Kerala
is where the art of Syrian Christian
cooking remains the pride of many
a homemaker. Their contribution to
the Kerala cuisine has been manifold
and the most noted are the hoppers,
duck roast, meen vevichathu (red
fish curry) and the isthew (stew).
East India
Bengali cuisine is the only
traditionally developed multicourse tradition from the Indian
West India
Rajasthani cuisine is quite diverse.
On one side of the spectrum,
there is the love for shikaar (a
good hunt). On the other side, is
the equally grand all vegetarian
food of Marwar or Jodhpur with
popular dishes such as choorma
laddoo and daal baati.
27
Malvani/Konkani cuisine is the
standard cuisine of the Hindus in
the Konkan region of Maharashtra,
Goa and northern parts of West
Karnataka. Although Malvani
cuisine is predominantly nonvegetarian, there are many
vegetarian delicacies. Malvani
cuisine uses coconut liberally and
is usually very spicy; however, the
‘Konkanastha Brahmin’ style of
food of the region is quite bland
and also vegetarian.
So, a rapid tour of the many
States and varieties of Indian
cuisine. Now its influences can be
seen in kitchens and high street
restaurants the world over.
In d ia -ir e la n d in Fo cus
oc tober 2014
Food business
Increase growth rate and reduce
inflation - Modi's big food challenge
I
n India, the inflation that
the economy witnessed is
primarily because of two
reasons. In the first place, the
inflation is predominantly food
inflation due to distortion and
inefficiencies in the supply chain
of India's agriculture sector and
all its middlemen. On one hand
agricultural reforms are a must.
On the other hand, the entire food
grain procurement policy will be
given a makeover.
During the election, Prime Minister
Modi made it clear that he wanted
to restructure the Food Corporation
of India to reduce the high
level of wastage of food grain
in India. India's agriculture
needs massive investment
and more participation from
the private sector for which a
new wave of policy initiatives
is needed.
In the past, Modi had
advocated creating a real
time database of agricultural
commodities, an initiative
that may help in better
commodity management
and decision making on
issues of what agricultural
commodity to export and what
not to export.
The highlights of a report prepared
by Mr. Modi prior to the election
included splitting up the operations
of the Food Corporation of India
in terms of procurement, storage
and distribution functions, and
installing a Price Stabilisation
Fund so that procurement and
distribution at State level could
be improved. Another suggestion
was to increase participation of the
organised sector and cooperative
bodies in retailing, including
farmers’ markets, agro-processing
In dia-i re la nd i n F oc u s
oc tobe r 2014
and proper storage chains for
wastage control.
Food and drink – the Indian
story
In other areas, India is fast
overtaking other countries in
food production. According to the
Ministry of Finance paper on the
economy in July 2014, India has
now overtaken the European Union
in milk production. Recording
an annual rate of just over 4%
- double the rest of the worldIndia saw 132.4 million tonnes
of peak milk production in 2012.
India is also the world’s largest
producer of mangoes,bananas,
coconuts papayas, cashew nuts
and pomegranates in addition to
being the largest producer and
exporter of herbs and spices.
Meanwhile, India’s meat industry
is also booming. Euromonitor's
data shows that India had 221
million animals in 2013. It ranks
as the world’s fourth largest beef
producer behind the US, China
and Brazil. It is also the 15th
largest exporter of beef generating
revenues of some US$3.5billiion
in 2013. It must however be
pointed out that the country
28
focusses on water buffalo meat
both for domestic consumption
and export.
Food and Drink – the Irish
story
The value of Irish food and drink
exports has approached €3 billion
for the first time in 2013. This
represents an increase of 40%
since 2009. Export values for dairy
products and ingredients exceeded
€3 billion, meat and livestock
comprised €3.3billion and prepared
foods were €1.65 billion.
Irish exports in the food and drink
sector are diverse. In
2013, exports to China
grew by over 40% and
are now Ireland’s sixth
largest market. India
also features strongly in
Ireland’s overall food
and drink profile. In
2012, the two way trade
was just €2.7million but
it is poised to grow.
2014 will see the launch
of Irish Dairy Board’s
Kerrygold cheese and
butter products. It will
also see the launch of
the first Butlers chocolates Café.
Kerry ingredients India is now
established as a leading supplier
of coating systems, meat and
snack seasonings, functional
ingredients, diary stabiliser blends
and the Davinci range of speciality
beverage solutions.
Drink is a growing market for Ireland
in India. Particularly popular is
Bailey’s Irish cream which created
a whole new category of liquors
on the India market as well as
is Jameson, a well-known Irish
whisky which is being distributed
by Pernod Ricard,India.
Current affairs
An out of space first for India
I
n true style, India launched
its ultra-budget spacecraft
and became the world’s first
nation to succeed in sending a
spacecraft into Mars' orbit on
its initial attempt. Twenty-four
hours into India's entry into
the elite space club, the Mars
Orbiter Mission, also known as
Mangalyaan, is circling the Red
Planet and sending back data and
photos to the command center.
Scientists and engineers working
on the Mars Orbiter vehicle
at the Indian Space Research
Organisation's (ISRO) satellite
centre in Bangalore were delighted
at this little-publicised success.
The Mars spacecraft will now
orbit the Red Planet, mapping
its surface and studying the
atmosphere. The observation has
already begun using its scientific
instruments
• The Mars Orbiter Mission at
$74 million cost less than
the $100 million budget for
the Hollywood space thriller
"Gravity."
• The Indian Space Research
Organization (ISRO)
reduced costs by using short
development cycles and taking
advantage of India's cheap
labour market.
• I t t o o k j u s t 2 y e a r s ! !
India's then-Prime Minister
Manmohan Singh announced
India's Mars aspiration in
August 2012. In a rapid
turnaround, the ISRO worked
at breakneck speed to engineer,
assemble and launch the Mars
Orbiter. By November 2013, it
launched from Chennai and 10
months later, it reached Mars'
orbit to inspire a nation.
One of the first images of the surface of Mars taken by the Mangalyaan, as
presented by ISRO Scientists to the Prime Minister, Shri Narendra Modi, in
New Delhi on September 25, 2014.
In comparison, NASA's MAVEN
was announced in September
2008, and reached the planet's
orbit earlier this week -- taking
six years.
For much of its 50-year
history, India's space program
has prioritised developing
technological capacity to help its
population, such as improving its
telecommunications infrastructure
and environmental monitoring
with satellites.
And it’s on Twitter!!@
MarsCuriousity
FULL DETAILS IN THE NEXT EDITION OF INDIA-IRELAND IN FOCUS
29
In d ia -ir e la n d in Fo cus
oc tober 2014
News
Sports news: Irish cricket gains
multi-million Euro boost
M
ulti-national Indian conglomerate Shanpoorji Pallonji Group is
investing in the future of Irish cricket and will take up naming
rights for Cricket Ireland Academy which will now be known as
"Shapoorji Pallonji Cricket Ireland Academy".
The multi-national company is owned by the Mistry family. Shapoorji
Pallonji is a diversified business group based in India.The partnership was
announced on Wednesday 17th September at Trinity College.
In his message on the occasion, Mr. Shapoor Mistry,
Chairman, Shapoorji Pallonji Group of Companies
said that as Irish citizens, he feels this is a small
contribution as a token of gratitude towards Ireland.
The development of the academy will help Irish
cricket create a pipeline of world class cricketers. He
urged the students of the academy to work hard to
take Irish Cricket to the next level of International
cricket.
Cricket Ireland CEO Warren Deutrom welcomed
the deal saying: “The development of our next generation of international
cricketers in the national academy is one of our most important tasks, and
requires significant investment, understanding and an ability to take the
long view”.
“In the Shapoorji Pallonji Group, we are immensely proud to have found
the perfect partner to share that vision, and help us mould our nation’s
cricketing future for at least the next 10 years. We are also proud that
Shapoorji Pallonji Group’s investment in cricket’s national academy
represents the organisation’s and the Mistry family’s inaugural investment
in Ireland, which we believe reflects our joint commitment to supporting
the cause of ‘Ireland Inc’”.
“We are delighted to welcome Shapoorji Pallonji Group to the Irish
cricket family and look forward to developing not just our players but our
relationship, and that of Ireland and India, over the next decade.”
The aim of the Academy will be to identify and support the most talented
young male and female players in the country, and provide them with a
bespoke world-class player development programme in order to have the
best possible chance of success on the international stage.
Pictured at the announcement are Indian
Ambassador to Ireland Radhika Lokesk and
Minister Paschal Donohue TD with Irish
International players, from left, George Dockrell
and John Mooney with Cricket Ireland Academy
player Jack Tector at The Pavilion, Trinity College.
The lucrative multi-million euro deal is for an initial period of ten years
and will ensure that Ireland keep producing cricketers to perform on the
world stage.
Cricket Ireland’s Head of Commercial Dennis Cousins said: “In addition
to the Academy Naming Rights Partnership, Shapoorji Pallonji will also
benefit by becoming one of an increasing number of official partners to
Cricket Ireland. This will enable the SP Group to leverage their association
with the Irish Cricket Team worldwide in territories where Shapoorji Pallonji
and Cricket Ireland share a global footprint. Irish cricket teams participate
regularly in tournaments in countries where SP have a presence, including
India, Sri Lanka, UAE and West Indies amongst others.”
“In an unprecedented year of cricket for Ireland, the SP Group will also
have plenty of opportunities to leverage the partnership in advance of the
2015 ICC Cricket World Cup in New Zealand/Australia and when Ireland
take on both England and Australia on home turf next year.”
The Minister for Transport, Tourism and
Sport, Mr. Paschal Donohue TD with
members of the Academy.
News
Historic cricket launch – Ranji Trophy
becomes Irish national fixture
I
Arthur Deeny, Chairman, Ranji Cricket Committee of Ireland, Kevin O’Brien, Irish cricketer, Her Excellency
Radhika Lal Lokesh, Ambassador of India to Ireland, Anne Chambers, Author of Ranji: Maharajah of Connemara,
Sumit Mullick, Chairman, Ireland India Business Association
rish and world leading corporations supported the launch of the
Ranji Trophy tournament in the presence of the Ambassador of India
to Ireland, Her Excellency, and Mrs Radhika Lal Lokesh. Senior
executives of the companies’ nominated teams, as well as Sport Against
Racism Ireland, the Ireland India Business Association and Malahide
Cricket Club were there together with Charity Partner ‘Educate Together’to
support the tournament itself played on Sunday June 22nd in Malahide
Cricket Club.
The Ranji Cricket Committee of Ireland was formed, with the support of
the Ireland India Business Association, SARI, UNITAS and Trinity College.
Its aim is to develop the Irish Ranji Trophy into a major multicultural
event, promoting community integration and harmony.
The event in Malahide was on a glorious summer family friendly day, with
no entrance fee, offering culinary and cultural entertainment for spectators,
supporters and friends of the teams. The tournament took the form of a round robin contest, with teams of six players each
representing 12 teams from leading Irish and global companies. Organisations competing included AIB, Amazon, Dell, ESB,
Facebook, Fidelity, Google, Intel, Microsoft, RaboDirect and Ulster Bank.
There was fabulous food from Jaipur, colourful teams and cheering supporters of upto 400. There were cultural performances
from Indian performers, including dancing children in
traditional costume and Sreya Sudheer a seven year old
singer with a fantastic singing voice, as well a group of
girls performing Irish tunes from Comhaltas Ceoiteori, for
the hundreds of visitors.
Author Anne Chambers’ book ‘Ranji: Maharajah of
Connemara’ (published in Ireland and India) brought
the story of the legendary Indian cricketer’s link with
Ireland to light. To honour Ranji’s efforts in bridging
racial boundaries during his lifetime and to promote
Irish-Indian relations today, Anne donated a perpetual
trophy – The Ranji Trophy – for an annual multicultural
cricket competition in his memory.
The winning team represented Microsoft. In second place
was Dell and AIB came third in what was a thrilling final.
The Vendors team finished in a close fourth.

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