A concern over food price volatility globally:Jim Yong Kim

World Bank President, Jim Yong Kim has expressed concern over food price volatility globally and the impact it might have on the poor as a result of the drought like situation in countries like the United States and India.

The impact of the US drought on global markets is exacerbated by other countries also currently suffering from weather-related production issues.

Almost continuous rain is causing problems for the wheat crop in many European countries, whereas the wheat crops in Russia, Ukraine and Kazakhstan have been hit hard by a lack of rain.

"In India, monsoon rainfall is about 20 per cent below the long-term annual average. July is the critical planting month and there may be major negative implications if rains do not pick up," Kim said.

"When food prices rise sharply, families cope by pulling their kids out of school and eating cheaper, less nutritious food, which can have catastrophic life-long effects on the social, physical, and mental wellbeing of millions of young people, the World Bank Group President said.

In 2012, prices have risen across all the non-rice grains - wheat, corn and soybeans: wheat prices are up over 50 per cent since mid-June; price for corn has risen more than 45 per cent since mid-June; and soybeans are up almost 30 per cent since the beginning of June and up almost 60 per cent since the end of last year.

The World Bank, he said, is monitoring this situation closely so that they can help governments put policies in place to help people better cope.

"In the short-term, measures such as school feeding programs, conditional cash transfers, and food-for-work programs can help to ease pressure on the poor," Kim said.

"In the medium- to long-term, the world needs strong and stable policies and sustained investments in agriculture in poor countries."

"We cannot allow short-term food-price spikes to have damaging long-term consequences for the world's most poor and vulnerable," he added.

Though thus far, crop projections do not indicate the potential for actual shortages in the major grains; stocks are low, and the harvests will continue to be dependent upon global weather, which leaves prices more vulnerable to higher volatility, he said.

Food price volatility creates unpredictability in the market and poses fundamental food security risks for consumers and governments, he said adding that volatility also discourages needed investment in agriculture for development due to increased financial risks and uncertainty for producers and traders.

While the prices of many food staples have risen sharply, the Bank noted that the current conditions differ from the 2008 crisis.

In 2008, while other grains increased in price, rice and wheat prices rose the most, although the price fell quite substantially in 2009 due to a notable supply response by farmers seeking to benefit from higher price.

Press Conference: Syndicate Bank CMD declares Q1 Results 2012

Gagan Narang wins bronze

July 30, 2012

PM congratulates Gagan Narang on his Olympic medal. The Prime Minister, Dr. Manmohan Singh has congratulated Shri Gagan Narang on his winning the Olympic bronze medal in London: “I join the nation in congratulating Shooter Gagan Narang on his winning the Olympic bronze medal in the 10 metre air rifle event. I wish Narang more success in the two other events he is participating in.”
Shooter Gagan Narang ended India’s medal drought at the London Olympics 2012 after clinching bronze medal in the 10 metre air rifle event with an over all score of 701.1.
Narang shot 103.1 in a gripping ten-shot finals for an aggregate of 701.1 after scoring 598 in the qualifying round in which also he stood third.The gold was won by Romania’s Moldoveanu Alin George who tallied 702.1, which included 103.1 in the final, to upset world number 1 Niccolo Campriani of Italy who stood second with 701.5 at the Royal Artillery Barracks.
After a good start when he shot 10.7, Narang was off target with his second shot that fetched him 9.7.He gathered his wits and steadied his aim to collect 10.6 10.7 10.4 and 10.6 in the following four shots to at one stage remain on course for bagging even a silver.However, he slipped a bit and had to fight for the bronze medal with China’s Wang Tao who finished fourth with 700.4.After returning poor scores of 9.9 and 9.5 in the seventh and eighth attempts, Narang pulled up his socks to seal the bronze with impressive scores of 10.3 and 10.7.Narang’s compatriot and defending champion Abhinav Bindra had, however, suffered a shocking exit with his dismal show in the preliminaries in which he stood 16th out of 47 contestants with a score of 594 out of 600.Narang’s bronze medal is only the third in shooting on the planet’s biggest sporting event after Rajyavardhan Singh Rathore’s silver in double trap in Athens 2004 and Bindra’s gold in the last Games at Beijing.This was also India’s eighth individual medal in the Olympic Games.With Alin George and Campriani able to maintain their grip on the top two positions, the competition for the bronze medal had boiled down to a tense contest between the Indian and his Chinese rival over the last few shots in which Narang prevailed.There was stage when Campriani’s poor efforts of 9.9 and 9.4 in the eighth and the penultimate series gave Narang a whiff of chance of winning the silver, but the Italian fired a 10.4 in his last shot to dash the Indian’s hope of finishing second.
Earlier, Narang had kept alive India’s hopes by advancing to the medal round after Bindra crashed out.Bindra, who scripted history four years ago by becoming the country’s first-ever individual gold medallist in the Olympics, shot 594 out of 600 to finish a shocking 16th out of 47 competitors and lost the golden chance of becoming the world’s first shooter to win two successive gold medals at the mega event. Narang kept India in the hunt by finishing third with 598, a point behind Campriani and Alin George who both shot an Olympic record-equalling 599 to stand first and second in the qualifying round.
Steel Sports Council (SSC) of the Ministry of Steel has decided that medal winners at London Olympics 2012 will be awarded Rs. 50 lakh each for winning Gold Medal, Rs. 25 lakh each for Silver Medal and Rs.20 lakh each for winning a Bronze Medal.
The award to the medal winners will be disbursed by Minister for Steel, Shri Beni Prasad Verma, who is the ‘Patron’ of the Steel Sports Council.

: Anna begins indefinite fast at Jantar Mantar

On Day 5 of the indefinite fast, Anna Hazareji joined Arvind Kejriwal, Manish Sisodia, Gopal Rai and 400 anshankaris at Jantar Mantar. Supporters turned out in hordes at Jantar Mantar - according to estimates, the footfall at Jantar Mantar touched 1.5 lakh today.

In the evening, another 50,000 people assembled at India Gate circle and walked towards Jantar Mantar with a candle in their hand in support of Annaji. Prashant Bhushan led the rally.

In the morning, Anna ji released Swaraj book written by Arvind Kejriwal written today. Anna Hazareji said that people should read Swaraj and decide for themselves whether it is the government which has drifted apart from the path or the IAC movement. He said that a true democracy is one in which people make decisions and not politicians or bureaucrats. This is the true meaning of Swaraj.

He explained to the people that Gram Sabha was supreme. Its members - those who attain 18 years of age in a village - are the ones who elect MPs and MLAs and send them to Legislative Assembly, Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha. He explained that Gram Sabha are 'Swayambhu' or self sustainent.

Arvind Kejriwal while releasing the book Swaraj and said, “I would like to thank Vinod Mehta, Yogendra Yadav and Harper Collins. For this book, I travelled for two years and met people and tried to understand their problems. I travelled to Ralegan, Hiwre Bazaar, Kutambakam and to a tribal village called Lekha Medha. I met the sarpanches there. These villages earlier were in a very bad state and poverty stricken. But after these sarpanches took charge, they just did one thing which was different. They took all decisions in an open gram sabha meeting. Today, all these villages have become model villages."
He said, a similar practice of mohalla sabhas should be started in the cities as well.

Recalling his stint in Income Tax department he said, "When I was with the IT department, we had conducted a raid on a Japanese company. The CEO who was a Japanese warned us said that if he wished he could get any law passed in our Parliament and could get us transferred. A few days after that a senior officer was transferred. Then I had thought that maybe he had the power to get us transferred but was bluffing about the getting any law passed issue. My worst fears came true when during the voting for Nuclear Bill, some MPs waived bundles of cash in Parliament."

He said, "we conducted referendum in many areas and found that 90 per cent people wanted Jan Lokpal Bill. Despite that for one-and-a-half years we have been fighting for it and nothing has happened."

He concluded his speech with an appeal to all students to take leave for a week and come out on to the streets for just one week. 

Kiranji addressed the crowd in the afternoon and explained the need to make CBI independent. Prashant Bhushan spoke on the charges against Sharad Pawar, SM Krishna and Kamal Nath. Prashant Bhushan said he was not surprised by the large number of supporters since he knew people would rise up in support of the movement and that the right-thinking people want to save the country from the massive corruption, anarchy and chaos it is currently in.

While the anshankaris might have seen a fall in health, there is no depletion in their spirit. Despite forgoing food for 5 days, Arvind Kejriwal, Manish Sisodia and Gopal Rai are showing every sign of seeing this fast through till as long as it takes. Their vitals in the evening were:

Annaji: Pulse - 78, BP-160/102, Sugar-104

Arvind Kejriwal: Pulse-80, BP-110/67, Sugar-75, Ketone-4+

Manish Sisodia: Pulse-84, BP-130/81, Sugar-75, Ketone-4+ 

Gopal Rai - Pulse-76, BP-120/73, Sugar-88, Ketone-5+

Amongst the 400 anshankaris who are on the indefinite hunger strike, 11 had to be taken to hospital due to ill health. 90-yr-old Maniram was in high spirits though, and thanked Anna Hazareji for uniting people – even while he showed signs of weakness and had to be shifted to hospital. A 60-member medical team is constantly monitoring the health of al anshankaris. However, the callousness of the govt was marked by an absence of oxygen cylinders in the Delhi police ambulances which were transferring patients to Ram Manohar Lohia government hospital.

The donation collected was released in the evening. The collection for first 4 days was approximately Rs 12 lakhs.

The anshan carried on across the country as well.

In Chennai, more than 100 protestors sat peacefully in front of Chidambaram's house. They were  man-handled and detained. They were released by evening only.

Many roads of Mumbai were also choked by IAC supporters. Marine Drive was congested by protestors who had come out in droves to support the movement. A massive Car rally was organised today which was flagged off by Anupam Kher.

In Hyderabad, one volunteer (G Venkateshwar Rao, 65) who has become very weak was taken away by the police. Presently 5 volunteers are on Ankshan since the past five days.

In Ujjain, last night 2 anshankaris were brutally hit by unknown people and their tent was completely destroyed. They filed an FIR later in the day.

Agra saw large attendance as well, attended by children and adults. A rally of schoolchildren in support of the July Kranti and indefinite fast took place in Ajmer from Gandhi Bhawan till Collectorate Ajmer.

In Bhiwani, women came out in full support of the andolan and gathered at Nehru Park, Ghanta Ghar in large numbers.

Instituto Cervantes Nueva Delhi

2 de agosto de 2012 / August 2nd of 2012

CONCIERTO: MUSIC FOR THEM Jueves 2 de agosto a las 7pm en el auditorio, entrada libre. Sinopsis: La ONG “Streets of India” inaugura su gira de conciertos en el Instituto Cervantes. Tras cinco años de experiencia haciendo voluntariado en Calcuta, se dieron cuenta del poder curativo de la música y el entretenimiento en gente en situaciones vulnerables. Con esta premisa nace el proyecto musical “Music for them”, un espectáculo de música y baile que ya ha pasado por hospitales, centros de enfermos y orfanatos de Calcuta en 2009 y 2010, y en ciudades de Rajasthan (Jodhpur, Narlai, Luni y Khejarla) en 2011. Ya han sido más de 5.000 personas las que han interactuado con “Music for them”. Este 2012 el grupo de 6 músicos españoles se lanzan a conquistar los corazones de los niños y niñas en la gira que da comienzo en nuestro centro y que continúa en Antyodaya Niketan (Delhi), Naya Nagar (Gurgaon), y los centros de rehabilitación de la Fundación Vicente Ferrer (Anantapur). Más información sobre el proyecto en su blog. Video de la gira de 2011 de Music for them.   CONCERT: MUSIC FOR THEM Thursday 2nd of August at 7pm at the auditorium, free entrance Synopsis:  The NGO “Streets of India” is opening their concerts tour at Instituto Cervantes. After 5 years of experience volunteering in Calcuta, they realized that curative power of music and entertainment on the most vulnerable people. With this premise they created the project “Music for them”, a show of dance and music that has already been performed in hospitals, centers for the ill and orphanages in Calcutta during 2009 and 2010, and in the Rajasthan cities of Jodhpur, Narlai, Luni and Khejarla in 2011. More than 5.000 people have already enjoyed and played with “Music for them”. For this 2012, the group of 6 spanish musicians will conquer the hearts of the children in their tour, starting at our center, in Antyodaya Niketan (Delhi), Naya Nagar (Gurgaon), and the rehabilitation centers of Vicente Ferrer Foundation (Anantapur). More information about the project in their blog. Video from the tour of 2011 of Music for them.

Instituto Cervantes Nueva Delhi 48, Hanuman Road Connaught Place 110 001 Nueva Delhi India

12th Osian’s-Cinefan Festival of Indian, Asian and Arab Cinema

12th Osian’s-Cinefan Festival of Indian, Asian and Arab Cinema

The 12th Osian’s-Cinefan Film Festival of Indian, Asian and Arab will be held in collaboration with the Government of NCT of Delhi from 27th July 27 to 5th August 2012 at the Siri Fort Complex and Osianama and Blue Frog at The Kila, New Delhi.
In its 12th year Osian’s-Cinefan has finally chosen the turtle as its future symbol for a number of reasons, one key reason being that Delhi stands on the River Yamuna and the turtle happens to be her vahana (spiritual vehicle). Turtles also represent longevity and wisdom.
The exciting and eclectic programme will showcase the best of Asian, Arab and Indian Cinema, all within an all-embracing framework which focuses on our freedom of creative expression and thought. First Features and Short films will be given special platforms. The art of creating Animation films will be intensively discussed and the ingenuous works will be presented for both the young and old. Our new ’7.4′ section on Environment films will be a precursor of a summit on natural and manmade heritage.The countries like China, Estonia, Indonesia, Iran, Israel, Japan, Philippines, South Korea, Taiwan, Thailand, Turkey, Morocco and Algeria are set to be screened at the festival.

09:30 | 29.07.2012 Screening	Death For Sale	Siri Fort 1
19:15 | 29.07.2012 Screening	Baby Factory	Siri Fort 4
16:45 | 29.07.2012 Screening	Palas In Bloom	Siri Fort 4
16:15 | 29.07.2012 Screening	The Orange Suit	Siri Fort 1
21:45 | 29.07.2012 Screening	Three And A Half	Siri Fort 4
16:30 | 29.07.2012 Screening	Café Regular, Cairo	Siri Fort 3
13:30 | 29.07.2012 Screening	Cosmic Sex	Siri Fort 1
10:00 | 29.07.2012 Screening	Drapchi	Siri Fort 2
16:30 | 29.07.2012 Screening	Kore	Siri Fort 3
10:30 | 29.07.2012 Screening	Man Arising From The Surface	Siri Fort 4
11:00 | 29.07.2012 Screening	Youth H2: Hyper Villain	blueFROG
14:00 | 29.07.2012 Screening	Are We Really So Far From The Madhouse?	blueFROG
22:00 | 29.07.2012 Screening	Salò, Or The 120 Days Of Sodom	Siri Fort 3
16:30 | 29.07.2012 Screening	What’s For Dinner?	Siri Fort 3
21:45 | 29.07.2012 Screening	Underwater Love: A Pink Musical	Siri Fort 1
19:15 | 29.07.2012 Screening	As The River Flows	Siri Fort 3
16:30 | 29.07.2012 Screening	Four Walls Sarajevo	Siri Fort 3
16:30 | 29.07.2012 Screening	The Hemingway’s Pen	Siri Fort 3
14:15 | 29.07.2012 Screening	The Miscreants	Siri Fort 4
16:30 | 29.07.2012 Screening	Short Films Programme 1	Siri Fort 3
13:45 | 29.07.2012 Screening	Sentimental Animal	Siri Fort 3
19:00 | 29.07.2012 Screening	Tatsumi	Siri Fort 1
22:00 | 29.07.2012 Screening	Roadside Fugitive	Siri Fort 2
16:30 | 29.07.2012 Screening	Modern Family	Siri Fort 3

UN arms-trade treaty fails opts for talks

 Delegations across the world failed on Friday to agree a landmark UN arms-trade treaty to regulate the more than $60 billion industry, opting for further talks and a possible UN General Assembly vote by the end of the year, diplomats said.
More than 170 countries have spent the past month in New York negotiating a treaty, which needed to be adopted by consensus, so any one country effectively could have vetoed a deal. Instead, no decision was taken on a draft treaty.
But this leaves the door open for further talks and a draft arms-trade treaty could be brought to the 193-nation UN General Assembly and adopted with a two-thirds majority vote. Diplomats said there could be a vote by the end of the year.
“We feel that we could have agreed (a treaty). It is disappointing that more time is needed. But an arms-trade treaty is coming – not today – but soon. We’ve taken a big step forward,” said a spokesman for Britain’s delegation.
One person every minute dies from armed violence around the world, and arms control activists say a convention is needed to prevent illicitly traded guns from pouring into conflict zones and fueling wars and atrocities. They cited conflicts in Syria and elsewhere as examples of why a treaty is necessary.
While most UN member states favored a strong treaty, activists said there was a small minority of states, including Syria, North Korea, Iran, Egypt and Algeria, who loudly voiced opposition to global arms control throughout the negotiations.
But ultimately, arms-control activists blamed the United States and Russia for the inability to reach a decision on Friday, as both countries said there was not enough time left for them to clarify and resolve issues they had with the draft treaty.
“Moving forward, President Obama must show the political courage required to make a strong treaty that contains strong rules on human rights a reality,” said Scott Stedjan, a senior policy advisor at Oxfam America, which fights poverty and other injustices.
It covered all conventional arms in the categories of battle tanks, armored combat vehicles, large-caliber artillery systems, combat aircraft, attack helicopters, warships, missiles and missile launchers, and small arms and light weapons.
The treaty would only have come into effect after it was ratified by 65 countries.
The draft arms-trade treaty under negotiation required countries to assess if a proposed arms export could be used to commit or facilitate a serious violation of international humanitarian or human rights law.
“The conference’s inability to conclude its work on this much-awaited ATT, despite years of effort of member states and civil society from many countries, is a setback,” said

UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon expressed disappointment the meetings were inconclusive but was encouraged UN members will continue pursuing “this noble goal.”
“There is already considerable common ground and states can build on the hard work that has been done during these negotiations,” he said.

At final day of the talks on Friday, major weapons producers, including the United States and Russia, said more time was needed to examine the chairperson's draft proposal.The talks started on July 3rd at UN headquarters in New York. The goal was to introduce controls on the global trade of conventional weapons, which are not regulated internationally unlike weapons of mass destruction.A French representative expressed disappointment that talks failed when an agreement appeared so close.

Japanese representative Yoshiya Muto said holding a month of discussions was, in itself, a great achievement and that he believes it will lead to the next stage.He said Japan will push for restarting the talks by working with more than 80 countries that are seeking the treaty.Resuming the talks will require a decision at the UN General Assembly, but there is no such prospect at the moment.UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon said in a statement that he was disappointed they had failed to agree on a treaty, which would have become a common standard for the international trade of conventional weapons.

SportzPower Daily July 27

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July 27 Vol 01, Issue 988 TODAY'S TOP HEADLINES 'Important that the widest possible audience is inspired by the great sporting moments' INDUSTRY SPEAK - ESPN STAR Sports MD Peter Hutton pens his perspective on London 2012: "In all the hours of coverage, my hope is for one truly memorable moment. The Olympics rarely disappoints in the search to provide such occasions." India Already An Olympics Winner; Corporate Support Could Help Bring In More Medals SPORTZPOWER VIEW - This is the time for corporate world, especially the ones standing on the sidelines and rushing in only to felicitate few winners, to contribute to the larger cause of creating a sporting nation. Will to Win BY INVITATION - With the athletes now getting support, exposure and motivation from public and private quarters, India’s Olympic team in London is the best that has ever been fielded and winning is high on their agenda. Inspiring A Generation? INSIDE OUT - Build-up to London 2012 affirmation that India should continue to try and host global multi-discipline events once infrastructure attains a certain level of sophistication. International horse racing league on anvil An international horse racing league spread across 12 global cities involving 12 prominent jockeys is being planned and Mumbai could be one of the cities hosting a race. Big sporting events key to attracting investment: Study In Latin America, 74% of business leaders believe major sporting events are important in attracting investment to their economy and across the BRIC nations 54% hold this view. Sahara announces 'golden incentive' for London 2012 medal winners Sahara will be awarding a 5 kg medal of pure gold to those winning gold medals, 3 kg medal of pure gold to silver medalists and 2 Kg medal of pure gold to bronze medalists. HI announces a high performance coaching programme Hockey India in association with FIH will organize a high performance coaching programme from 4 September to "enhance the skill set of coaches in the country". Current Affairs - Gridiron Games: Analysing the NFL Concussion Litigation With an average team value of over 1 billion USD, the National Football League (“NFL”) is the most valuable sports business in the world. Formed in 1920, it is divided into two conferences - the American Football Conference and the National Football Conference, with each conference consisting of 16 teams.
FROM THE HOME PAGE   COMMENTARY German GP: Alonso Strengthens Championship Lead PIT STOP PUNDIT - Force India split tyre strategies between their drivers who fight excessive tyre wear to eventually finish 9th (Hulkenberg) and 11th (Di Resta). INTERVIEW Gosper: Media help spread the Games across the world Kevan Gosper, the chairman of the IOC Press Commission
BUSINESS INTELLIGENCE
ED may impose penalty on Reebok for Fema violation(Business Standard) Reebok franchisees seek clarity from Adidas CEO Herbert Hainer(Economic Times) The growing clout of media agencies(Business Standard) Smartphones power record Samsung profit of $5.9 bln(Reuters ) Toshiba India eyes Rs50bn from digital space by ’14-’15(Financial Chronicle) Hyundai reports Rs126bn revenue from India in H1, 2012(Financial Chronicle) 3 top FMCG companies raise ad spend in first quarter(Hindu Business Line)
CRICKET
Rajasthan Royals terminates agreement with RN Sports(SportzPower) Trinidad & Tobago caught in club vs country debate(Hindustan Times)
FOOTBALL
Better rated but little recognition(Hindustan Times) Training camp shifted to Noida(The Hindu) Bin Hammam banned again as FIFA starts new probe(Reuters)
LONDON OLYMPICS
McDonald’s officially opens flagship restaurant in Olympic Park(SportzPower ) Brands too hope for a golden run during the Olympics(Hindu Business line ) Olympics gets £1 b in sponsorships (Hindu Business Line ) London Olympics could net British economy profit of 13 billion pounds(DNA ) London’s move to curb ambush marketing raises hackles(Hindu Business line ) All eyes on London and spectacular Games opening(Reuters ) Superyachts anchor in the Thames as 1% visit Games(Mint ) Expecting a rain of medals in London, advertising companies shower money(Economic Times ) Cash-strapped Britain eyes Olympic business bounce(Reuters ) Wish you were here? Olympics hoped to be tourist draw(Reuters ) The Games begin(Mint ) India at the opening and beyond(Mint ) London’s Recession Olympics to Open With Host Targeting Top Four(Bloomberg ) Blunders begin even before the Games do(Mint ) Bhopal victims protest against Dow with own 'Olympics'(Reuters )
OTHER SPORTS
NBA, SAP announce multiyear marketing partnership(SportzPower) Sports Ministry clear's 5-member Indian team for World Junior Golf Championship(SportzPower) Sports ministry to set up new SAI centre at Rohtak(Times of India)

Indian Air Force Mountaineering Exepedition Team Sucessfully Summits Three Unclimbed Peaks in the Ladakh Region

The Indian Air  Force has achieved an extraordinary milestone in the field of mountaineering  by safely and successfully summiting three unclimbed peaks in the Ladakh region  which was recently  cleared for climbing  by the Indian Mountaineering Federation. The  team of 18 highly motivated Air Warriors led by Wing Commander Namit Rawat  was flagged-in today  by the Chief of the Air Staff Air Chief Marshal NAK Browne.  This is the first ever expedition to unclimbed peaks at altitudes of  20112 Ft, 21200 Ft and  21010 Ft, and also  the first of its kind where  three  peaks have been successfully summited in one expedition. The team consisted of 11 first time climbers and an Air Force Civilian which is also a first of its kind.             The Indian Air Force is likely to approach the Indian Mountaineering Federation for naming these peaks after Air Force legends  :- Sl No. Peak Proposed Names (a) Peak – I (20112 Ft) Mt. Nirmaljeet (named after Flying Officer Nirmaljeet Singh Sekhon, the hero of 1971 war and the only recipient of Nation’s highest gallantry award, Param Vir Chakra in Indian Air Force) (b) Peak – II (21200 Ft) Mt. Arjan (named after the Marshal of the Indian Air Force Arjan Singh DFC (Distinguished Flying Cross) (c) Peak – III (21010 Ft) Mt. Subroto (named after the First Chief of  the Air Staff of the Indian Air Force, Air Marshal Subroto Mukerjee OBE, DFC  (Distinguished Flying Cross)

GREENOPOLIS: Gurgaon’s first Green Residential Project

• 47 acres (approx) Residential Project in sector 89, Gurgaon
• To be developed by leaders of Green development, Orris Infrastructure and The 3C Company
• Project realization value Rs. 2250 Cr. – Total Units – (2317) @Rs.5250 per sq. ft.

Gurgaon, July 27, 2012: Renewing their commitment to developing world class green habitats and work places, The Orris Group along with The 3C Company, announced the launch of ‘Greenopolis’ in Sector-89 Gurgaon. Spread over an area of 47acres, this innovatively conceived integrated group housing project in Gurgaon is the first self sustainable development of this region. Strategically located in the close proximity to Dwarka Expressway, KMP Expressway, NH8, Airport etc., Greenopolis is all set to color code Gurgaon and bring in the much needed eco-responsible development concept. 

With a realization value of over 2250 crores, Greenopolis is aimed at revolutionizing Gurgaon real estate. 

Some highlights of this project are:

·         A rewarding green living experience with a varied range of 2, 3, 4 bedroom apartments.

·         Cohesive clusters / neighborhoods with each enjoying their own distinct green spaces.

·         Multitude of landscaped areas and themed gardens to bring the freshness of nature living to the fore

·         Efficiently planned apartments with segregated private and social areas.

·         Two sides open ‘breathing’ apartments with natural light and ventilation.

·         Master bedrooms with corner windows for two side view of the green spaces.

Besides the above, this project has been conceptualized to offer a host of other Green Benefits to make the Green Living concept a reality. Each element of the design and architecture has been meticulously planned to create sustainable, ecologically responsible residences. Elements like maximum Natural Daylight to cut down your electricity bills, to Heat Reflective Glass to control glare and solar heat resulting in reduced air conditioning load, a host of water conservation techniques, heat Reduction through Insulated roofs and External Solar Lighting in landscaped areas for optimum use of energy, all of these come together to provide the perfect ingredients for a truly Green living experience.

Mr. Vijay Gupta, Chairman & Managing Director, Orris Group said, “We have embedded the Green culture in our habits at Orris Infrastructure, from achieving design, structural and material efficiencies to equipping our buildings with water-energy-saving mechanisms. The Orris team is consciously committed to eliminate carbon footprint using all and every processes available. Our soon to be completed commercial project is a LEEDS certified first of its kind Green development in Gurgaon. For last over a decade we have been investing in Gurgaon to achieve mix use clustered development. With able direction and guidance from our State leadership and liberal and progressive policies initiated by them,  today we have proudly, been able to achieve it- 700 acres of mix use green clustered development, even at the cost of paying high premium.  As part of this, 700 acres of green development in New Gurgaon, about 35 acres is already under various phases of completion being developed by Orris. We at Orris have strategically opted for a dual approach of developing it ourselves, as well as, picking up reliable JV partners to achieve our humble objective of building a new India. Thus, in line with our thought through green strategy of developing mix use - 700 acres of our New India, we are pleased to partner with The 3C Company to develop this 47 acres of group housing and introduce a new energy efficient housing trend in Gurgaon as part of our 700 acres of vision. We are confident that, a green focused organization The 3C Company shall bring a lot of value for this elite project”

Mr. Vidur Bharadwaj, Director, The 3C Company said, “It is a very delightful moment for us to launch our first green residential project in Gurgaon with the Orris Group. Gurgaon which has already been acclaimed globally as a soaring real estate destination, houses various modern housing concepts. Our new project has been designed keeping in mind the ever increasing needs of society for energy efficient houses. It will bring a new level of elegance to Gurgaon and will further strengthen our endeavor of providing greener and healthier living by creating sustainable habitats for all sections of the society”.

Mr. Subash Bedi, Managing Director, Red Fort Capital said, “Red fort capital has been investing in multiple projects of The 3C Company and we are extremely happy to be associated with 3C yet again for their maiden venture in Gurgaon. The 3C company is an established Green Developer and we have the highest confidence in their capability to deliver green developments.”

In order to ensure a healthy living, Greenopolis will boast of a unique recreational centre, Club 89 which will offer world class amenities along with sublime meditative healing of the green adobe that would take away the stress of hectic routine life. The Club will feature an array of recreational and health facilities such as modern health club with swimming pool, gymnasium, cards room, yoga/dance, squash room and banquet, to name a few. 

The project which aims to redefine the modern living standard in an eco-friendly manner, will offer host of amenities i.e. Primary School, Nursery School, Clinic, Jogging Park, Shopping Plaza, Sports Plaza, Club and meditation zone all weaved together in the fabric of a green community life.

Greenopolis at Gurgaon will not just be a green building but would have the hues of sustainable living. Reflecting integrated sustainable green township approach, Greenopolis is being developed with a focus to foster the social connection of residents. This pre-registered green marvel under Indian Green Building Council (IGBC) would provide its residents a sense of community life and will be surrounded by spaces like parks, play areas, plazas, shopping and entertainment hubs.

The basic architectural layout plan of Greenopolis has been designed by renowned architectural firm Design & Development (D&D), with a vision to create a positive ecosystem for the neighborhood & the community and to reconnect the residents with nature. The project will be equipped with a range of energy conservative technology to ensure the preservation of natural resources like land, air and water.

Greenopolis not only offers green benefits and nature living to its residents but also demonstrates Orris and The 3C Company’s commitment to supporting people in saving their hard earned money using various energy efficient options. Installation of energy conservative measures in Greenopolis including heat reflective glass, water conservative fixtures, insulated roofs, etc would minimize the load of electricity & water bills to a great extent.  Each apartment is planned in a manner to make it highly climate responsive so that every home receives ample obstruction-free sunlight & air. Also the use low VOC paints, heat reflective glass and insulated roof helps ensure improved indoor light & air quality. In addition to these numerous facilities, the project would also facilitate residents with round the clock efficient power and water supply and 24-hrs security to all residents.

About Orris Infrastructure:

We, at Orris are an eclectic team with interests in different verticals, poised to bring a paradigm Shift in the way quality is seen and perceived. With our projects making news for all the right reasons, we have become known for our standards of quality and services we provide, so that you can expect the best. At Orris, we have a clearly defined and well planned strategy for organized growth and deliverables. We are among few companies who have managed to get approvals for its time based projects on its reputation built over years and commitments to deliver the best. Hence we are ready with our blue print of all projects that have to be delivered and by what time. Commitment has always been core of our functioning.

About The 3C Company:

Leading the “Green Revolution” in Delhi/NCR, The 3C Company is creating landmark developments, which work in harmony with the environment to add real value to lives. The  accolades of being the sole squad in the entire Asia Pacific, which has THREE PLATINUM & FOUR GOLD RATED LEED certified green buildings by IGBC (Indian Green Building Council) under the umbrella of USGBC (US Green Building Council), not only testifies the impeccable  architectural excellence of the company but also echoes its concern for the environment. Driven by the motto to “Create, Care and Conserve”, The 3C Company has excelled and achieved milestones by having already delivered, more than 13 million square feet of niche developments. Company’s Green Family consists of about 12000 members and is growing rapidly with people joining hands as associates, extended teams, customers etc.

About Red Fort Capital

Red Fort Capital is a leading private equity real estate firm focused on India. The firm's institutional investors include sovereign wealth funds, global investment managers, insurance companies and pension plans. PERE magazine ranked Red Fort Capital as a "Top Ten Emerging Manager" worldwide in 2008.

Red Fort Capital's management team and advisors have prior institutional leadership experience with firms including Larsen & Toubro, DLF, Unitech, General Electric, IL&FS, JP Morgan, South Asian Real Estate Fund, Morgan Stanley, Millennium Partners and ICICI Bank. Together, Red Fort Capital's management team and advisors have over 215+ years of professional experience in India and globally within the real estate, infrastructure, private equity, venture capital, asset management, investment banking, investment advisory and Fortune 100 sectors. Red Fort Capital's management team and advisors' development track record exceeds 300 million square feet of completed and in-progress real estate and infrastructure projects.

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