Exim Academy

 Salem - My District My Pride I dare to say that entrepreneurial ecosystem begins from this district and goes through Erode, Tiruppur and Coimbatore.   There is so much of activity that goes on here. Salem is known as Steel City, but I would like to call it as Mango city.   The mango grown here is called as Malgova (I don’t know whether I spelt it right), the fruit is juicy and pulpy.   I checked up the Geographical Registry (GI), the fruit is yet to be registered.   It is time it is done to enhance its prestige in the world market.   Another distinct feature is Sago, native to Salem.   Recent times, Sago Serve, a State Government initiative in getting the farmers organized is doing well.    But much more needs to be in terms of marketing and branding.   The district is known for Granites, Fabrics, Readymade Garments, Egg and Coir and coir products.   In the state government’s One District One Product scheme, silver jewelry is taken up.  But Salem is much more than that.  It is of

 Cuddalore - My District, My Pride The export potentiality profile of this district is quite amazing.   The district looks quite and simple despite the presence of major industries like Neyveli Lignite Corporation (NLC), SanMar Chemicals and ONGC and number of sugar mills.   Beneath its calm surface, however, lie the vibrancy both in terms of religion, natural beauty, artistic dexterity and economy.   Perhaps, it is dwarfed by the presence of Pondicherry as its northern neighbor.   But instead of being overwhelmed by it like Villupuram, Cuddalore should strive to use international talent to its advantage.   Below is the list of export potential products and its location in the district Cashew Panruti Imitation Jewelry Chidambaram Organic chemicals Cuddalore Marine products Entire coastal area Ceramics Vadalur Coir Salaikarai Tourism Nata

Drone Logistics  It will come, it is question of time, it is coming and now it has come.   This is the saga of Drones!   Few years ago, whenever I saw drones in wedding receptions for photography, never did I imagine that one day drone would play such an important role in saving someone’s life! We saw its efficacy when drones were used to capture images of people struck in an ashram.   Now and then, we hear its role in defense.   Now it is official.   The Drone Liberalization policy is out that seeks to increase the pay load of drones from the current 300 to 500 kg.   Entry of drone in logistics will be a major disruptor never seen before.   Imagine, you order medicines and in a little while, a SMS comes to your mobile to come out of the house to pick up the medicines from the Delivery (Drone) boy after proving your credentials!   What are the advantages?   0  1.     Cut costs 0  2.     Reduce delivery time 0  3.     Optimizing human resources 0  4.     Minimize dependence

 Nagapattinam - My District, My pride This historical port city called Nagai was the launching pad of the mighty Cholas during the 10 th century.   The district is relegated to backwardness due to several reasons.   Chief of them is the continued neglect of once functioning vibrant port.   I still remember in my youth about the vessel ‘Chidambaram’ calling this port after chennai enroute to Singapore and Penang. Can this port be revived to its glory?   Doubtful.   Because, the neighboring Karaikal is now a developed port although a minor one.   The customs building at Nagapattinam is still looks majestic and it resembles the white house of USA. Leaving history, let me get in to international business.   Can this district be put in to international business map?   Most certainly yes.   Few products strike our minds right now.   The first one is Rattan furniture manufactured here.   The product awaits Geographical indications (GI) tag from the Government of India.   Presently being

India, the land of Papaya After studying about Papaya, I am confirmed that India is incredibly a contrite nation, a nation of dichotomies, a nation of divergences and of course a sleeping giant.   Perhaps, still continuing to be in slumber!   Otherwise, what else would you say of a country that is the maximum producer of papaya in the world but does not figure even in the top 10 list of papaya exporting countries. The uniqueness of this fruit is that it is served in all the star hotels of the world during breakfast.   So, there is year-round demand for the product.   There are 10 varieties of the fruit namely Pusa Dwarf, Pusa Majesty, Pusa ‘Giant, Pusa Delicious, Mahabindu, Solo, Ranchi, CO1, Ranchi, Washington and Taiwan 786.   In India, the fruit is grown in Maharashtra, Karnataka, Andhra Pradesh, Gujarat and West Bengal.   Surprisingly, Tamil Nadu is not in the list because, the soil suitable for cultivation is available here.   The required soil is alluvial that exist alongside r

 Tiruvannamalai District Export Profile The term ‘Tiruvannamalai’ is magic, for its very pronounce, the image of grand temple comes to view.   Per contra, the district is designated as backward area and receives grant for the same from the Central Government.   This post is looking for export opportunities from the district.   Although of late, since the district is close to Chennai, had seen upcoming of industrial activity, the district has still immense scope for agriculture and other allied activities.   Paddy, Millets and Flowers are grown chiefly in this area. Particular mention must be made of Millets and flowers.   Millets can be exported in ready to cook and ready to eat format.   Such value-added products have not only higher shelf life but also good market abroad.   Consumption of millets is associated with wellness industry.   Similarly, flower cultivation led to scent industry in this district.   This opportunity can be exploited in the form of export of essential oil.

 Sri Lankan Debt Crisis and Indian Exports Back in my college days, in Economics class, my professor used to link the rise in price of vegetable in chennai to war in Vietnam.  Now, fast forward to 21s century, world shrunk to palms.  Sri Lankan forex crisis is beginning to hurt Indian exporters.  That Sri Lanka borrowed left, right and centre much beyond their servicing capability is a matter well known to all. Of course, the road from airport to city built with Chinese funds and assistance is gleaming and so other infrastructure projects like port expansion and not to speak of Hambantota.  Infrastructure development through debt financing is a gamble.  It is well known to everyone.  Any accountant would tell you that infrastructure projects have long gestation period and therefore the funding must be either on grant or soft terms. For example, in India the Metro rail have been funded by the Government of Japan on 0% interest payable over a period of 50 years   We cannot leave the

Micro Fulfilment Center (MFC) – The Current Reality Last week, I visited my daughter living near my residence.  It was a evening and we planned for dinner at her home.  I felt like having banana after my food in the night.  My son in law searched for banana at home and found that they ran out of stock. So, he ordered bananas online.   In another half an hour so, bell rang.  The bananas were at the doorsteps.  How was that possible?  Micro Fulfilment center is the answer!   Large e Commerce companies like Amazon and Flipkart hire warehouses to stock their goods. Since volumes are big, huge spaces are required and such large spaces are available only in suburbs or outskirts of main cities.  While this is feasible under the present circumstances, it presents logistics challenges.  Last mile delivery takes extra time to reach.  Particularly, in India, when we order online, the time promised is 4 to 5 days, but we do get the products within 2-3 days.   Our shopping habits are changing v

Economics of Cow You may be baffled by the fact that India is home to maximum cattle population in the world.   The country is so diverse that it is reflected in the varieties of cattle.   This post is all about indigenous cows native to India, Tamilnadu in particular.   There are 38 districts in the state of Tamilnadu.   Each district has its own variety.   But it is also a pity that slowly these indigenous varieties are on the way to extinction because they are bad in economy and maintaining is no longer sustainable.   Why? Because they yield less milk and hence, they are not viable as a economic unit.   There are many organisations trying to save these varieties but I came across a couple so passionate about saving these cows through a sustainable model based sound economic principles.   The farm is located on suburb of chennai, Pallikaranai!   It is really hard to believe that a cattle farm of this size (1 acre) exists!   This social enterprise breaks all conventional ways of mak

Driver’s Day (17th September)  The inspiration for this post is from Mr Ramesh Kumar, Drivers’ Duniya.   He almost singlehandedly espouses the cause of Drivers. Just this morning, I came to know about Driver’s Day.   I decided to pay my respects to the Drivers community.   I am pretty sure that unless we, the community recognize the role of drivers and acknowledge their contribution, pretty soon, you may have to import drivers from somewhere (I don’t know from where). We are already short of 50% less of requirement. By and large, the society has certain stereotypes of them:        01.                     They are rude and uncultured      02.                     They have no background      03.                     They have no ambitions      04.                     They are irresponsible      05.                     They are not clean      06.                     They are drunkard   The whole of yesterday, I was on road travelling from Madurai to Tuticorin, on an official work on behalf