Posts Tagged ‘Indian’

ENGLISH SPRINGER & JACK RUSSELL Play at INDIAN LAKE, NY

ADIRONDACK MOUNTAINS beautiful INDIAN LAKE in September! The Dam allows the Lake to be drained a bit after Summer, revealing these sandbars. Mazy and Odie enjoy their camping vacation as much as we do!! Song is “INDIAN LAKE” by The Cowsills.

Camping Trip to Indian Caves Fall ’08

These are some pictures from the camping trip my friend and I took to Indian Caves State Park in Nebraska. I know that some of them aren’t the greatest, but whatever! If you want to see more of the dogs, then check out my friend’s videos, wolves68450, they’re great!! Thanks for watching, and.. I MISS YOU BUDDY!!!!!!!!!!!!!

South Indian Tours: An Exotic Ensemble of Enchanting Experiences

The peninsular region of South India beckons tourists with its breathtaking natural beauty and rich cultural and architectural heritage that is much older than North India. Surrounded by seas and oceans from three sides, it has some of the best beaches in the world. A complete amalgamation of panoramic landscapes; divine temples; magnificent art forms; entrancing backwaters; and best health tourism opportunities for those who want to experience meditation, yoga and ayurveda, South India tour packages offer a whole plethora of vacation and tourism options to try and explore.

Overwhelming grandeur of its temples and pristine natural beauty of its beaches fringed by palm trees swinging in the cool sea breeze present a mesmerizing sight. Warm and friendly, the people of South India are highly educated in general. The extreme contrasts of South India are its key attractions. Ornate temples and intricately carved monuments stand in contrast with rich humid mangroves and warm sandy beaches that retain the natural bliss of the region. Offering the most exotic expressions of South Asia, South India is full of surprises. Presenting an interesting past that dates back to thousands of years, the intriguing diversity of four major states – Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka, Kerala and Tamil Nadu – of South India is astonishing.

Closer to northern India, Andhra Pradesh bore the worst of the political invasions and external influences, out of the four states of South India. Today, it embodies secularism and Hindus, Buddhists and Muslims live in perfect harmony here. While Hyderabad is famous for its Mughal-era monuments, Tirupati Balaji is one of the wealthiest temples that exist, where religious frenzy can be seen at its zenith. The architectural and cultural legacies of various dynasties such as Mauryas, Pallavas, Cholas, Satavahanas, and Chalukyas can be seen here.

Besides the beautiful beaches, Karnataka is a treat for all the five senses. Carnatic Music, Incense Sticks or Agarbatti, and Coffee and Sandalwood Plantations of Karnataka are some of the most cherished achievements of the state. The most glorious of all states in terms of richness of literature, culture, traditions, history, architecture and artistic formsm however, is Tamilnadu. The ethereal charm of Tamil Nadu makes it a tourist paradise. Rightly known as God’s Own Country, Kerala has some excellent beaches to die for such as the Kovalam beach at Thiruvananthapuram. The backwaters of Alappuzzha and ancient churches of Kottayam are almost as famous as the Sri Padmanabhaswamy Temple and the Golden Valley of Ponmudi.

Besides these distinctive states, several South India tour packages include Andaman and Nicobar Islands, Lakshadweep Islands, Pondicherry and Goa in their itineraries. You may also opt for Golf tours in Ooty, Chennai and Bangalore. Romantic and laid-back Goa is known for its world-class music and white sandy beaches presenting the best tropical vacation tourism option. Inaccessible and mysterious, the islands of Andaman and Nicobar seduce tourists with their natural panoramas, dense forest covers and virgin beauty. The tiny archipelago of Lakshadweep has 10 inhabited and 17 uninhabited islands, 12 atolls, three reefs, 5 submerged reefs and attached islets that make for an ideal destination for those who love to explore new regions of the world. The splendid sea resorts of Pondicherry have a noticeable European outset with Portuguese, Dutch and French influence prominent throughout the Coromandel Coast. South India is an ideal holiday destination and the best tour packages will offer you an eclectic mix of magnificent beaches, hill resorts, natural backwaters and unrivaled specimens of temple architecture.

Going to the Indian Ocean? 10 Places You Have to See

The Indian Ocean has many places in Sri Lanka, Mauritius, Seychelles, Maldives, and India that you shouldnâ??t miss seeing when you go for a holiday to the Indian Ocean. In the tear shaped Sri Lankan Island, you would find a rich mixture of culture and history. The island has picturesque landscapes and beaches. The west coast beaches and resorts are very popular worldwide, especially the resorts Waikkal, Beruwela, Negombo, Bentota, and Ahungalla are all worth seeing. You should also see the Dalada Maligawa in Sri Lanka, and Dambulla and Sigiriya which are huge rock masses, and are more than two thousand years old. If wildlife fascinates you, then go to the Pinnawela Elephant Orphanage.

If you have long haul luxury holidays in mind, visit Seychelles which is popular for its white beaches and lush green forests. It has great five star resorts and also exclusive villas. For panoramic views amidst hills, visit the Le Jardin du Roi Spice Garden. There are also many national parks for the wildlife lovers.

Mauritius offers not only crystal blue lagoons with beaches like talcum powder, but it also has world class five star hotels along with the best spa facilities and golf courses. The seas are topaz which make the beaches look like paradise. You should visit Belle Mare, Le Morne and Flic-en-Flac. You should also go to the Port Louis. If you want to watch pink pigeons and big tortoises, go to Isle aux Aigrettes. Mauritius is the place where you can enjoy not only great sights but also idyllic sceneries.

Maldives is like a picture perfect place, and has great lavish resorts that offer all the facilities that would spoil and pamper you. There are more than a thousand islands in Maldives. You should see the gold dome of the landmark Grand Mosque in Male. In order to look at a collection of artefacts and thrones of sultans, go to the National Museum and the Sultan Park.

During your visit to the Indian Ocean, you should make sure that you go to India. India is the place which offers wildlife, temples, superb markets, monuments, and also luxury holidays. There are many places in various Indian cities that are worth paying a visit. For the beach lovers, there are beaches like Kerala and Goa. Goa has a laidback charm, and you can indulge yourself in a luxurious massage which is a great way to unwind. You can also find a great mix of culture and history in many of the cities.

On your visit to Rajasthan, you can have an elephant ride and explore the Amber Palace. The Water Palace in Man Sarobar is also a sight worth seeing. In Agra, there is  Taj Mahal which is one of the wonders of the world, and has great history. In addition, there is the Ganges Valley, the Himalayas, and the Badami caves.

During your visit to the Indian Ocean, make sure that you do deep sea fishing, trekking in the volcanoes, cruising in Maldives, and see the wildlife of the islands.
 

SFWMD Protects Water for the North Fork of the St. Lucie River and Indian River Lagoon

SFWMD Protects Water for the North Fork of the St. Lucie River and Indian River Lagoon
The South Florida Water Management District (SFWMD) Governing Board took action today to protect fish and wildlife within the North Fork of the St. Lucie River and support Indian River Lagoon restoration by adopting a rule that reserves water for the natural system.“The St. Lucie River and the Indian River Lagoon provide a foundation for our recreation and destination-based economy, and we must …

Read more on St. Lucie News Tribune

History of Indian Race

INTRODUCTION

Traditionally, the very beginning of the United Statesâ?? history is considered from the time of European exploration and settlement, starting in the 16th century, to the present. But people had been living in America for over 30,000 years before the first European colonists arrived.

When Columbus landed on the island of San Salvador in 1492 he was welcomed by a brown-skinned people whose physical appearance confirmed him in his opinion that he had at last reached India, and whom, therefore, he called Indios, Indians, a name which, however mistaken in its first application continued to hold its own, and has long since won general acceptance, except in strictly scientific writing, where the more exact term American is commonly used. As exploration was extended north and south it was found that the same race was spread over the whole continent, from the Arctic shores to Cape Horn, everywhere alike in the main physical characteristics, with the exception of the Eskimo in the extreme North (whose features suggest the Mongolian).

GENERAL BACKGROUND

Origin and Antiquity

Various origins have been assigned to the Indian race. The more or less beleivable explanation is following. At the height of the Ice Age, between 34,000 and 30,000 B.C., much of the world’s water was contained in vast continental ice sheets. As a result, the Bering Sea was hundreds of meters below its current level, and a land bridge, known as Beringia, emerged between Asia and North America. At its peak, Beringia is thought to have been some 1,500 kilometers wide. A moist and treeless tundra, it was covered with grasses and plant life, attracting the large animals that early humans hunted for their survival. The first people to reach North America almost certainly did so without knowing they had crossed into a new continent. They would have been following game, as their ancestors had for thousands of years, along the Siberian coast and then across the land bridge.

Race Type

The most marked physical characteristics of the Indian race type are brown skin, dark brown eyes, prominent cheek bones, straight black hair, and scantiness of beard. The color is not red, as is popularly supposed, but varies from very light in some tribes, as the Cheyenne, to almost black in others, as the Caddo and Tarimari. In a few tribes, as the Flatheads, the skin has a distinct yellowish cast. The hair is brown in childhood, but always black in the adult until it turns grey with age. Baldness is almost unknown. The eye is not held so open as in the Caucasian and seems better adapted to distance than to close work. The nose is usually straight and well shaped, and in some tribes strongly aquiline. Their hands and feet are comparatively small. Height and weight vary as among Europeans, the Pueblos averaging but little more than five feet, while the Cheyenne and Arapaho are exceptionally tall, and the Tehuelche of Patagonia almost massive in build. As a rule, the desert Indians, as the Apache, are spare and muscular in build, while those of the timbered regions are heavier, although not proportionately stronger. The beard is always scanty, but increases with the admixture of white blood. The mistaken idea that the Indian has naturally no beard is due to the fact that in most tribes it is plucked out as fast as it grows, the eyebrows being treated in the same way. There is no tribe of “white Indians”, but albinos with blond skin, weak pink eyes and almost white hair are occasionally found, especially among the Pueblos.

Major Cultural Areas

From prehistoric times until recent historic times there were roughly six major cultural areas, excluding that of the Arctic (see Eskimo), i.e., Northwest Coast, Plains, Plateau, Eastern Woodlands, Northern, and Southwest.

·        The Northwest Coast Area

The Northwest Coast area extended along the Pacific coast from South Alaska to North California. The main language families in this area were the Nadene in the north and the Wakashan (a subdivision of the Algonquian-Wakashan linguistic stock) and the Tsimshian (a subdivision of the Penutian linguistic stock) in the central area. Typical tribes were the Kwakiutl, the Haida, the Tsimshian, and the Nootka. Thickly wooded, with a temperate climate and heavy rainfall, the area had long supported a large Native American population. Salmon was the staple food, supplemented by sea mammals (seals and sea lions) and land mammals (deer, elk, and bears) as well as berries and other wild fruit. The Native Americans of this area used wood to build their houses and had cedar-planked canoes and carved dugouts. In their permanent winter villages some of the groups had totem poles, which were elaborately carved and covered with symbolic animal decoration. Their art work, for which they are famed, also included the making of ceremonial items, such as rattles and masks; weaving; and basketry. They had a highly stratified society with chiefs, nobles, commoners, and slaves. Public display and disposal of wealth were basic features of the society. They had woven robes, furs, and basket hats as well as wooden armor and helmets for battle. This distinctive culture, which included cannibalistic rituals, was not greatly affected by European influences until after the late 18th cent., when the white fur traders and hunters came to the area.

TRIBES: Abenaki, Algonkin, Beothuk, Delaware, Erie, Fox, Huron, Illinois, Iroquois, Kickapoo, Mahican, Mascouten, Massachuset, Mattabesic, Menominee, Metoac, Miami, Micmac, Mohegan, Montagnais, Narragansett, Nauset, Neutrals, Niantic, Nipissing, Nipmuc, Ojibwe, Ottawa, Pennacook, Pequot, Pocumtuck, Potawatomi, Sauk, Shawnee, Susquehannock, Tionontati, Wampanoag, Wappinger, Wenro, Winnebago.

·        The Plains Area

The Plains area extended from just North of the Canadian border, South to Texas and included the grasslands area between the Mississippi River and the foothills of the Rocky Mts. The main language families in this area were the Algonquian-Wakashan, the Aztec-Tanoan, and the Hokan-Siouan. In pre-Columbian times there were two distinct types of Native Americans there: sedentary and nomadic. The sedentary tribes, who had migrated from neighbor ing regions and had initally settled along the great river valleys, were farmers and lived in permanent villages of dome-shaped earth lodges surrounded by earthen walls. They raised corn, squash, and beans. The foot  nomads, on the other hand, moved about with their goods on dog-drawn travois and eked out a precarious existence by hunting the vast herds of buffalo (bison) – usually by driving them into enclosures or rounding them up by setting grass fires. They supplemented their diet by exchanging meat and hides for the corn of the agricultural Native Americans.

The horse, first introduced by the Spanish of the Southwest, appeared in the Plains about the beginning of the 18th cent. and revolutionized the life of the Plains Indians. Many Native Americans left their villages and joined the nomads. Mounted and armed with bow and arrow, they ranged the grasslands hunting buffalo. The other Native Americans remained farmers (e.g., the Arikara, the Hidatsa, and the Mandan). Native Americans from surrounding areas came into the Plains (e.g., the Sioux from the Great Lakes, the Comanche and the Kiowa from the west and northwest, and the Navajo and the Apache from the southwest). A universal sign language developed among the perpetually wandering and often warring Native Americans. Living on horseback and in the portable tepee, they preserved food by pounding and drying lean meat and made their clothes from buffalo hides and deerskins. The system of coup was a characteristic feature of their society. Other features were rites of fasting in quest of a vision, warrior clans, bead and feather art work, and decorated hides. These Plains Indians were among the last to engage in a serious struggle with the white settlers in the United States.

TRIBES: Arapaho, Arikara, Assiniboine, Bidai, Blackfoot, Caddo, Cheyenne, Comanche, Cree, Crow, Dakota (Sioux), Gros Ventre, Hidatsa, Iowa, Kansa, Kiowa, Kiowa-Apache, Kitsai, Lakota (Sioux), Mandan, Metis, Missouri, Nakota (Sioux), Omaha, Osage, Otoe, Pawnee, Ponca, Sarsi, Sutai, Tonkawa, Wichita.

·        The Plateau Area

The Plateau area extended from above the Canadian border through the plateau and mountain area of the Rocky Mts. to the Southwest and included much of California. Typical tribes were the Spokan, the Paiute, the Nez Perce, and the Shoshone. This was an area of great linguistic diversity. Because of the inhospitable environment the cultural development was generally low. The Native Americans in the Central Valley of California and on the California coast, notably the Pomo, were sedentary peoples who gathered edible plants, roots, and fruit and also hunted small game. Their acorn bread, made by pounding acorns into meal and then leaching it with hot water, was distinctive, and they cooked in baskets filled with water and heated by hot stones. Living in brush shelters or more substantial lean-tos, they had partly buried earth lodges for ceremonies and ritual sweat baths. Basketry, coiled and twined, was highly developed. To the north, between the Cascade Range and the Rocky Mts., the social, political, and religious systems were simple, and art was nonexistent. The Native Americans there underwent (since 1730) a great cultural change when they obtained from the Plains Indians the horse, the tepee, a form of the sun dance, and deerskin clothes. They continued, however, to fish for salmon with nets and spears and to gather camas bulbs. They also gathered ants and other insects and hunted small game and, in later times, buffalo. Their permanent winter villages on waterways had semisubterranean lodges with conical roofs; a few Native Americans lived in bark-covered long houses.

TRIBES: Carrier, Cayuse, Coeur D’Alene, Colville, Dock-Spus, Eneeshur, Flathead, Kalispel, Kawachkin, Kittitas, Klamath, Klickitat, Kosith, Kutenai, Lakes, Lillooet, Methow, Modac, Nez Perce, Okanogan, Palouse, Sanpoil, Shushwap, Sinkiuse, Spokane, Tenino, Thompson, Tyigh, Umatilla, Wallawalla, Wasco, Wauyukma, Wenatchee, Wishram, Wyampum, Yakima. Californian: Achomawi, Atsugewi, Cahuilla, Chimariko, Chumash, Costanoan, Esselen, Hupa, Karuk, Kawaiisu, Maidu, Mission Indians, Miwok, Mono, Patwin, Pomo, Serrano, Shasta, Tolowa, Tubatulabal, Wailaki, Wintu, Wiyot, Yaha, Yokuts, Yuki, Yuman (California).

·        The Eastern Woodlands Area

The Eastern Woodlands area covered the eastern part of the United States, roughly from the Atlantic Ocean to the Mississippi River, and included the Great Lakes. The Natchez, the Choctaw, the Cherokee, and the Creek were typical inhabitants. The northeastern part of this area extended from Canada to Kentucky and Virginia. The people of the area (speaking languages of the Algonquian-Wakashan stock) were largely deer hunters and farmers; the women tended small plots of corn, squash, and beans. The birchbark canoe gained wide usage in this area. The general pattern of existence of these Algonquian peoples and their neighbors, who spoke languages belonging to the Iroquoian branch of the Hokan-Siouan stock (enemies who had probably invaded from the south), was quite complex. Their diet of deer meat was supplemented by other game (e.g., bear), fish (caught with hook, spear, and net), and shellfish. Cooking was done in vessels of wood and bark or simple black pottery. The dome-shaped wigwam and the longhouse of the Iroquois characterized their housing. The deerskin clothing, the painting of the face and (in the case of the men) body, and the scalp lock of the men (left when hair was shaved on both sides of the head), were typical. The myths of Manitou (often called Manibozho or Manabaus), the hero who remade the world from mud after a deluge, are also widely known.

The region from the Ohio River South to the Gulf of Mexico, with its forests and fertile soil, was the heart of the southeastern part of the Eastern Woodlands cultural area. There before c.500 the inhabitants were seminomads who hunted, fished, and gathered roots and seeds. Between 500 and 900 they adopted agriculture, tobacco smoking, pottery making, and burial mounds. By c.1300 the agricultural economy was well established, and artifacts found in the mounds show that trade was widespread. Long before the Europeans arrived, the peoples of the Natchez and Muskogean branches of the Hokan-Siouan linguistic family were farmers who used hoes with stone, bone, or shell blades. They hunted with bow and arrow and blowgun, caught fish by poisoning streams, and gathered berries, fruit, and shellfish. They had excellent pottery, sometimes decorated with abstract figures of animals or humans. Since warfare was frequent and intense, the villages were enclosed by wooden palisades reinforced with earth. Some of the large villages, usually ceremonial centers, dominated the smaller settlements of the surrounding countryside. There were temples for sun worship; rites were elaborate and featured an altar with perpetual fire, extinguished and rekindled each year in a â??new fireâ? ceremony. The society was commonly divided into classes, with a chief, his children, nobles, and commoners making up the hierarchy. For a discussion of the earliest Woodland groups, see the separate article Eastern Woodlands culture.

TRIBES: Acolapissa, Asis, Alibamu, Apalachee, Atakapa, Bayougoula, Biloxi, Calusa, Catawba, Chakchiuma, Cherokee, Chesapeake Algonquin, Chickasaw, Chitamacha, Choctaw, Coushatta, Creek, Cusabo, Gaucata, Guale, Hitchiti, Houma, Jeags, Karankawa, Lumbee, Miccosukee, Mobile, Napochi, Nappissa, Natchez, Ofo, Powhatan, Quapaw, Seminole, Southeastern Siouan, Tekesta, Tidewater Algonquin, Timucua, Tunica, Tuscarora, Yamasee, Yuchi. Bannock, Paiute (Northern), Paiute (Southern), Sheepeater, Shoshone (Northern), Shoshone (Western), Ute, Washo.

·        The Northern Area

The Northern area covered most of Canada, also known as the Subarctic, in the belt of semiarctic land from the Rocky Mts. to Hudson Bay. The main languages in this area were those of the Algonquian-Wakashan and the Nadene stocks. Typical of the people there were the Chipewyan. Limiting environmental conditions prevented farming, but hunting, gathering, and activities such as trapping and fishing were carried on. Nomadic hunters moved with the season from forest to tundra, killing the caribou in semiannual drives. Other food was provided by small game, berries, and edible roots. Not only food but clothing and even some shelter (caribou-skin tents) came from the caribou, and with caribou leather thongs the Indians laced their snowshoes and made nets and bags. The snowshoe was one of the most important items of material culture. The shaman featured in the religion of many of these people.

TRIBES: Calapuya, Cathlamet, Chehalis, Chemakum, Chetco, Chilluckkittequaw, Chinook, Clackamas, Clatskani, Clatsop, Cowich, Cowlitz, Haida, Hoh, Klallam, Kwalhioqua, Lushootseed, Makah, Molala, Multomah, Oynut, Ozette, Queets, Quileute, Quinault, Rogue River, Siletz, Taidhapam, Tillamook, Tutuni, Yakonan.

·        The Southwest Area

The Southwest area generally extended over Arizona, New Mexico, and parts of Colorado and Utah. The Uto-Aztecan branch of the Aztec-Tanoan linguistic stock was the main language group of the area. Here a seminomadic people called the Basket Makers, who hunted with a spear thrower, or atlatl, acquired (c.1000 B.C.) the art of cultivating beans and squash, probably from their southern neighbors. They also learned to make unfired pottery. They wove baskets, sandals, and bags. By c.700 B.C. they had initiated intensive agriculture, made true pottery, and hunted with bow and arrow. They lived in pit dwellings, which were partly underground and were lined with slabs of stone – the so-called slab houses. A new people came into the area some two centuries later; these were the ancestors of the Pueblo Indians. They lived in large, terraced community houses set on ledges of cliffs or canyons for protection and developed a ceremonial chamber (the kiva) out of what had been the living room of the pit dwellings. This period of development ended c.1300, after a severe drought and the beginnings of the invasions from the north by the Athabascan-speaking Navajo and Apache. The known historic Pueblo cultures of such sedentary farming peoples as the Hopi and the Zuni then came into being. They cultivated corn, beans, squash, cotton, and tobacco, killed rabbits with a wooden throwing stick, and traded cotton textiles and corn for buffalo meat from nomadic tribes. The men wove cotton textiles and cultivated the fields, while women made fine polychrome pottery. The mythology and religious ceremonies were complex.

TRIBES: Apache (Eastern), Apache (Western), Chemehuevi, Coahuiltec, Hopi, Jano, Manso, Maricopa, Mohave, Navaho, Pai, Papago, Pima, Pueblo (breaking into: Acoma, Cochiti, Isleta, Jemez, Laguna, Nambe, Picuris, Pojoaque, Sandia, San Felipe, San Ildefonso, San Juan, Santa Ana, Santa Clara, Santo Domingo, Taos, Tesuque, Zia), Yaqui, Yavapai, Yuman, Zuni.  Am strongly thinking about

To read the full Article go to this LINK

EMERGING OPPORTUNITIES FOR INDIAN ENTREPRENEURS

It is high time out entrepreneurs realize the importance of being choosy in project identification. Till recently, we in India kept on exploring the possibilities of manufacturing almost everything, right from pins to planes and screws to sub-marines. Just as companies and individuals carry out SWOT analysis for identifying business opportunities for our entrepreneurs. The completing demands for our limited and meager resources are many and unless we apply a degree of selectivity in our approach in resource allocation, we will continue to be a nation of foundation stones. Given below are a few areas where we can think of concentrating more.

Tourism and Hospitality

India is a country of many countries. Our diverse culture, religions, languages, rich heritage and vast geographical area make the country a place of tourist attraction. Hills and beaches, temples and palaces, the deserts and the jungles are all these. There are not many countries in the world where you can surf the sand and the sea. Privatization of airports and aviation sector could further give boost to tourism industry. Tourism should therefore receive topmost priority.

Auto Ancillaries

India may not be the best car-manufacturing base, but we can certainly be the best ancillaries to the automobile industry world over. Our entrepreneurs are capable to developing global scale auto ancillaries. By all means, we should also continue car manufacturing, but we must do it at a scale and quality at which the world community takes us seriously.

Two Wheelers

As a nation we have excelled in production of two wheelers – be they cycles, scooters or motorcycles. We have the technology, the skills, and most of all, the critical mass to affect a breakthrough. We should aim at capturing the world’s two-wheelers markets.

Garments

India has the potential of becoming a leading supplier of garments, apparels, silk, hosiery and textiles. Indian textiles are well known world over. Our Ludhiana and Tirupur entrepreneurs have done proud to the country in the area of woolen and cotton industry. By understanding customer needs through extensive and systematic market research we can capture more markets world over.

Software

India has already made a strong dent in world’s software market. For us the most natural thing is to be number one software and consultancy services suppliers. Our country has the right resources in the form of vast population of educated youth. Other developed and developing countries with vast resources can perhaps continue making advances in manufacturing of computers, computer hardware and computer chips year after year. Software exports from India are growing more than 50 per cent per annum.

Light and Medium Engineering Industry

Many countries of the world are far ahead of India in manufacturing aircraft, ship and products of similar nature. Unfortunately, we in India try to manufacture everything and finally end up doing nothing well. Our strength lies in the light and medium engineering industry. We are in a position to provide a leading edge in this industry. India also has the capability of becoming world’s best foundry products maker. We should concentrate more areas where we have an edge rather than thinly spreading our limited resources and expertize in areas like manufacture of aircraft and flexible machine systems.

Trading/Supplies

Among India’s vast population there are communities like Marwaris, Punjabis, Gujaratis, Tamilians, etc., with acumen for trading and acting as suppliers. It is, therefore, logical on part of such communities to become global players in trading and operate at international levels. By doing so we will be doing something that we are good at.

Education and Training

India has some of the world’s best universities and educational institutes, i.e., JNU, IIMS, IITS, IISc, etc. The cost of education and training in India is nominal in comparison to developed countries. There is vast reservoir of talented people in the country. By pooling resources and networking with resource organizations we can create education and training facilities not only for Indians but also for scholars from abroad. Indian educational institutions, both government and privately managed, have the capacity and expertise to offer affordable education to persons from other countries.

Poultry

India holds lot of potential for developing its poultry and poultry – based industries. A vast population and export potential make this industry a lucrative activity for those who want to be in poultry allied industry.

Food Processing

India has emerged as one of the topmost food producing countries in the world. Indian climate is suitable for growing vast varieties of food grain. At present, most of the food grain is sold in raw form. In food habits the world over is undergoing change. As a matter of convenience, people, especially youngsters, prefer fast food or ready to eat food. Indian food is well known world over. We need to exploit this potential by processing our food grains. Processed food will have good market in India as well as abroad. Food processing would also help us earn must-needed foreign exchange.

Fruit and Vegetable Processing

Fruit and vegetables are grown in plenty in India. The country has emerged as a leading producer of fruit and vegetables. Because of poor transportation facilities, inefficient infrastructure, bumper crops and lack of marketing facilities, many a time, lots of vegetables and fruit simply go waste. We need to create fruit and vegetable processing facilities all over the country so as to harness the potential for their production. Fruit and vegetable processing offers potential for high value addition and potential entrepreneurs can earn a lot from such products. By processing of fruit and vegetables, our producers will get proper price for their products, entrepreneurs will have good business opportunities, masses will get employment and export of processed fruit and vegetables will increase. While processing fruit and vegetables, our entrepreneurs need to take all possible care so as to ensure quality and standard of their products.

Manufacture of Business Attires

Manufacture of business attires, especially for Indian women, is going to be a rewarding business in days to come. Women’s participation in white-collar jobs is on the increase. With the influx of multinational companies in India, workplace outlook and environment are improving. Well managed companies, whether MNCs or of Indian origin, expect their employees to look smart and dress well. Some of the organizations also prescribe a dress code. Increasing presence of women in various workplaces has given a boost to business attire market. Till recently, business attires, especially for women used to originate from developed countries and women used to pay hefty price for such dresses. The growing business attire market offers good business opportunities in this sector. Our potential entrepreneurs can think of getting into this business both for Indian and overseas clients.

Corporate Gifting

Corporate gifting has picked up in India in the recent years. Indian companies and business organizations spend crores of rupees on giving gifts to their employees, shareholders and business associates on occasions like Diwali, New Year and Annual General Meetings. As per rough estimates, corporate India spends approximately Rs.1000 crore every year on corporate gifting and the culture is on the rise. Potential entrepreneurs, especially those good in public relations, can easily get into such business. Other associated businesses in this line could be manufacture of greeting cards (Diwali, New Year, Christmas, Valentine day, Birthday, etc.) for various occasions.

Herbal Medicines and Skincare Products

India has the distinction of growing vast variety of herbs. Indian population of more than a billion ensures a sufficiently large market for herbal medicines and skincare products. People, world over, in general and in developed countries, in particular, are becoming increasingly aware of after-effects of allopathic medicines and synthetic skincare products. Women, in particular, are slowly switching over from synthetic skincare products to herbal-based products. India has an established tradition of growing and using variety of herbs. We need to go in for commercialization of herbal-based medicines and skincare products in a big way.

Mineral Water

Even though mineral water manufacturing was started in India during the 1960s, but the market did not pick up till 1985. During late 1980s and 1990s mineral water market in India increased by an impressive rate of 30-40 per cent annum. Market for mineral water in India is spreading very fast. People are becoming health conscious. We are going to enter in an era when potable bottled water would find place in almost all general stores and it will become an unavoidable expenditure for people at large. Statistics reveal that size of Indian Mineral water market during 1999 was of the order of approximately Rs.800 crore. Many small-scale entrepreneurs can find business opportunities in this fast growing market.

Paints, Enamels and Varnishes

India is presently experiencing an automobile revolution. Standard of living of the sizeable Indian middle class is also improving at a rapid pace. Both these trends indicate an increasing market for paints, enamels and varnishing. Industrial and household use of these products is quite promising and much better than many other products. Manufacture of these products in small-scale sector should therefore need to be considered as a viable business proposition.

Organic Farming

The concept of organic farming is of very recent origin in India, Many developed countries grow food organically. Health conscious persons prefer organically grown food. In India also, people are becoming increasingly health conscious. They are well aware of after effects of food and vegetables, which are grown by making excessive use of chemical fertilizers, pesticides and insecticides. Some companies and individual farmers have started organic farming in India. To ensure better health for our people we need to promote organic farming in a big way. Our potential entrepreneurs with interest in agricultural related activities would perhaps find good business opportunities in this area.

Music and Entertainment

Music and entertainment are required the world over. With a large number of channels in operation and a revolution in satellite technology the music and entertainment industry has thrown open numerous opportunities. Potential entrepreneurs should grab opportunities in the fast developing music and entertainment industry.

Writing Instruments

Literacy rate in India is slowly improving. Some of the conventional writing and learning materials are fast becoming obsolete. Also because of economies of scale and cheap labor availability, we as a nation are in a position to manufacture writing instruments at affordable prices. Now with access to better technologies and huge Indian and overseas markets, our entrepreneurs have an opportunity to exploit this market.

Plastics

Per capita consumption of plastics in India is hardly 2-5 per cent of per capita consumption in developed countries like the US. Use of plastics in India, both in Industries and households, is going to pick up in coming years. In spite of ill effects of use of plastics, it is rather impossible to manage without it. The Indian plastic market is presently experiencing a growth rate of more than 10 per cent per annum. It provides scope for setting up small-scale plastic processing enterprises for manufacture of variety of plastic products.

Toys

Toy manufacturing (especially stuffed toys) is a low technology based less capital intensive and highly labor intensive industry. Superstores abroad usually source toys from China, Korea and Hong Kong. Consumption of toys in India and abroad is increasing. In India, the toy market grew 10-12 per cent per annum during the late 1990s. It is estimated to touch an annual growth rate of 15 per cent soon. India has potential to manufacture cost effective toys largely for Indian market and also for world toy market. If China and Korea can do it why cannot we? Our entrepreneurs need to consider toy manufacturing as a rewarding business.

Floriculture

Indian flowers are becoming increasingly popular in the world market. Flower market, especially exports, is becoming favorable to Indian florists. Improvements in infrastructure and transport facilities would further brighten the prospects of Indian flowers abroad. At the same time, florists need to concentrate on domestic flower market as well.

Health-care Sector

India’s population to hospital bed ratio is a very poor compared to World Health Organization’s standards. (India’s population to hospital bed ratio is 1300: 1 against the WHO recommended ratio of 250: 1). With the funds receding in government kitty, private sector will be required to play major role in the health-care sector. Health-care, both in corporatized sector (Organized sector) and also in informal sector, has potential for high growth in India.

Biotechnology

It is believed that early twenty-first century will belong to biotechnology and software in India. In India biotechnology has just started picking up. Application of biotechnology especially in the areas of agriculture, horticulture, sericulture, poultry, dairy and production of fruit and vegetables will pay an important role in future. We should go for commercial application of biotechnology in various sectors of economy wherever it is found feasible. Biotechnology would therefore throw open many opportunities for entrepreneurs in future.

Information Technology (IT) Enabled Services

Business to Business Portal Solution (B2BPS) Services would be needed in a big way to address the emerging needs of IT enabled services sector. IT enabled services is a US$ 180 billion business. The sector includes services like GIS digitization, medical and legal transcription, medical billion, and insurance claim processing and archival and indexing of records. All these, and many more services, could be provided by Indian entrepreneurs. The pool of smaller service providers from India can meet the needs of outsourcing from US, and other developed countries.

The InfoTech industry is the fastest growing sector in India. Indian IT industry is of the size of US $5 billion at present and it is slated to grow to 20 times its current size of $100 billion by 2010. Prof. Michael Dertouzos, Director, Computer Science Laboratory at MIT (USA), visited India in February 2000 in connection with IT Asia 2000 conference. He was highly impressed by number of English literate people in India and spread of IT enabled services. He said that India can funnel a majority of new $3 trillion business opportunity being generated in the area of IT-enabled services – outsourcing basic white collar office work – by harnessing its 50 million English literate populations. Mr. Dertouzos feels that after call centres and medical transcription, a new business opportunity of outsourcing office work – accounting, legal, finance, marketing, claim forms – to developing countries is gaining popularity and Indian stands a good chance, right away, to grab a major share of this business. “Office work is estimated to be around $3 trillion annually and can fetch a decent $20,000 per annum to individuals in this business.

Education Portals

Application of information technology to education sector has started revolutionizing the process of education in the country. MNCs and Indian Internet companies have started setting up education portals in the country. In days to come professional education like management, medicines, engineering, law etc., would be taught by making extensive use of internet. Under the new innovative and emerging concept students would study and learn educational courses both at school and college level online, i.e., through internet. Some companies have already set up their web-sites, which offer various courses for school level students. IT-friendly potential entrepreneurs can look forward to getting franchise of major players in providing IT based educational courses.

Organized Retailing

As per industry estimates, total consumer spending in India is of the order of Rs.3, 80,000 crore. Current volume of organized retailing in India is about Rs.5, 000 crore. The organized retail industry business in India is expected to grow between 50-60 per cent each year during the next few years. Organized retail industry is likely to achieve sales volume of Rs.30,000 crore by 2005 and would move into smaller cities in India, given that there is beginning to be some comb lance of competition among organized retailers in the big cities. Retailing as a business, till recently, was confined to small-scale shopkeepers but now even large business houses have started considering it a potential opportunity. Venture capital and bank finance is also now available for prospective retailers. Experts in retail industry feel that retail business is truly globalization, and common patterns are emerging. Electronic retailing is yet another emerging area. Electronic retailing is happening more in business to business space than in the business to consumer space.

Processing, Refrigeration and Transportation of Food, Vegetables and Fruits

India has long suffered the lack of a comprehensive cold chain. A large Purdon of agricultural and other products produced in the country perish due to the lack of a serviceable refrigerated storage and distribution network. A detailed study conducted by the government on the agricultural and food industry has revealed that one-third of the products are ruined due to the lack of adequate storage and preservation facilities. Meat, poultry, fresh produce and dairy can only be distributed within limited geography and need to be consumed in a short period. Also, sensitive medical requisition like vaccine and pharmaceuticals are suffering due to the lack of refrigerated distribution. This state of affairs needs to be changed. Food and other precious resources in our country must be preserved at all costs. The refrigeration industry would be required to come through providing a wide range of industrial and commercial refrigeration services that can serve the entire gamut of cold storage and refrigerated transport to retail display and preservation units.

Cruising Business

The cruising business is gradually picking up in India. The Rich and the Famous has led to immense popularity of cruises in last four years (1996-1999) with numbers increasing to 15,000 in 1999 from practically zero in 1996. The business of cruising represents enjoying the luxury of dining in fine restaurants, casinos, excursions to golden beaches and exotic islands. The perception of Indians about cruising business is changing. People no more consider cruising as meant for elderly and retirees alone. The concept of a cruise holiday is becoming immensely popular in India. The number of Indians holidaying on cruising trips in increasing due to enhanced awareness through better marketing and advertising by our operators, fatter pay packets, and a growing tendency to splurge.

To site an example of what kind of services cruises offer, Mr. Gautam Chadha, Chief Executive Officer of Discover the World Marketing (this company owns two famous cruise lines, Royal Caribbean Cruises and Celebrity Cruises) said P “You will never, ever be bored. You simply find a corner on ship’s library, relax in a deck chair or lounge on private veranda. For fun loving people, ships organize various activities such as flower arrangements, art auctions, cabarets, casino – Las Vegas style, guest singers, live bands, and the like”. He expects a growth rate of 25-30 per cent per annum in cruising business. At present, India does not represent even a fraction of the total world market for cruises. There are more than four million passengers onboard various cruise lines worldwide every year, he added. Recently developments in cruising business clearly indicate good opportunities in this sector.

Courier Services

E-commerce related business is poised for exponential growth in the early 21st century. Expansion of E-commerce in India and world over has given a boost to courier business. Recent increase in share prices of leading courier companies (1400 per cent increase in share price of Elbee Services in just six months and 400 per cent increase in share price of Blue Dart) is a clear indication of growth potential of courier related businesses. The logic is very simple. The service industry is expected to grow in leaps and bounds in the near future for the simple reason that physical delivery of goods will be primarily handled by courier services companies. Corporate in Net business will not be in a position to support a massive network of distribution, whose job in future will be reduced to just delivering the goods manufactured from the manufacturer’s doorsteps to the consumers. Besides maintaining a large network of distributors is expensive when even the big wigs in the industry are cutting costs. Due to these difficulties courier companies with an elaborate network would have enough business to transact. Their network is going to be particularly beneficial to Fast Moving Consumer Goods (FMCG) companies who, at present, depend on a network of sales persons to make their product reach the retail levels. If recent trends serve any indication, courier services, both in organized and unorganized sectors ensure a promising future.

Summer Solution Related Business Opportunities

Summer and power cuts are synonymous in India. Gone are the days when standby solutions to power cuts in the form of ‘Hat and Pankha’, ‘Khas ki Chik’, ‘Surahi’, etc. used to be kept handy. With the advent of technology solutions to frequent power cuts are immense. And for the times when power is regular life can be bliss with a variety of cooling devices in the form of high tech air conditioner and coolers. With latest state of the art technology being imbibed in these gadgets, healthy air and healthy food are a de rigueur in today’s AC and refrigerators. Silent invertors and one-pull generators are another lot becoming an essential buys for almost every household. Depending on the demand a variety of invertors and generators can be manufactured by small-scale entrepreneurs. Servo voltage stabilizers online UPS, line interactive UPS, automatic voltage stabilizers, constant voltage transformers, manual voltage regulators, isolation transformers, high voltage regulators, high voltage break down testers, electronic air conditioner protectors, spike suppressors and busters are the other products related to summer solutions which can easily be manufactured in small scale units.