Category: Kharcha paani

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Trends

More women are buying jewellery online

Ease of shopping, higher spending power and a plethora of options has helped many women increasingly shop for jewellery online.
by The Editors | editor@themetrognome.in

Kavita Prabhu (26) leads a very hectic life – she works six days a week at her agency’s client servicing department, and has to travel a lot for work. She has hardly any time or energy left on her one weekly holiday to budge out of her house. “I can barely make a parlour visit once every two weeks,” she says. She can’t even remember the last time she checked out a Plain gold jewellery clothes sale.

So there’s one thing Kavita does to save on time – shop online. Recently, she had to make some quick purchases for an engagement party. “I bought clothes, shoes, and the best thing of all, a pair of dainty gold earrings. I wouldn’t have had the time to go to an actual store to pick these things up,” she says.

Like Kavita, Mumbai’s Mohana Shetty (34) has also taken to online shopping, and she is especially hooked on to jewellery shopping. “To tell you the truth, I love shopping alone, and I hate having an assistant breathe down my neck when I’m trying to select an item of jewellery,” the mother-of-two and Goregoan resident says. “A friend told me about shopping for jewellery online, and I love browsing so many designs at my ease and making the purchase without a fuss.”

Why shop online for jewellery?

According to an April 2013 report by the Internet and Mobile Association of India (IMAI), jewellery, personal and healthcare accessories have a 3.7 per cent market share at Rs 240 crore out of a total e-tailing market size of Rs 6,454 crore in January-December 2012. The e-tailing market for jewellery, especially costume and office wear jewellery, is only set to grow.

Says Gaurav Singh Kushwaha, Founder, bluestone.com, “We have observed an increase in the number of transactions made by women over the past one year. Jewellery is not an impulse purchase category and women like to take their time to select the right product and design before making their purchase. Online stores provide them the ease of browsing over days without compelling them to make a decision immediately. This comfort is absent in the offline jewellery buying space which becomes a reason for women to shop for jewellery online.

jewellery set“Secondly, industry-wide, more numbers of women have started to transact in the online space due to the ease of getting a credit card. As women have become much more independent and have started earning big bucks, banks have taken special measures to cater to their financial needs.” Naturally, this makes it easier for women to spend more and get the jewellery they want. Kushwaha says that though most women buy traditional jewellery online, the workwear jewellery space is also on the rise.

Says Preeti Shankar (27), “I once had a very bad experience with an online portal, so I am very sceptical about making expensive purchases online.” Preeti’s concern is echoed by a lot of other potential customers, who fear a lack of security for their transaction, and worse, not liking the jewellery they bought. “Sometimes some products look better in pictures, but when you touch them and see them, they may not look so nice,” Preeti says.

Understanding this trend, several online jewellery stores try to remove all obstacles in the purchasing process, so that the Ringscustomer feels assured. “We have to appreciate the concerns and challenges that jewellery as a category poses for the customer. We address the trust issue by making the ordering process smooth,” Kushwaha says. Another step in this process is the handing over of a certificate that clearly discloses the details of any item it accompanies, providing confidence for both buyer and seller.

If you are disbelieving of claims from online shopping portals about stores letting customers try on jewellery at home before buying it, you can breathe easy: reputed online jewellery stores make good on these claims. While they will not only offer you the chance to try the jewellery out before buying it, they will also allow you to return it in a certain amount of time with a refund.

How to make a good jewellery purchase online
– Browse only reputed sites.
– Compare prices of items on different sites.
– Look for user testimonials on the site.
– Ask for recommendations from women who’ve shopped for jewellery online. From them, you can find out how their overall experience with a particular portal was.Bangle
– Don’t be afraid to ask questions and clear doubts. Most reputed online stores will put you in touch with a customer care executive to answer questions.
– Research the overall purchasing process. Some sites promise a full refund on exchange of the purchased item within 30 days, but you may find that they refund only a part of the money, as per prevalent market rates.
– Find out about the portal’s money-back policy, exchange policy, try-before-purchase policy and whether a shipment charge is included in the price of the product.
– On purchase, check for BIS certifications for gold jewellery and certifications from third parties such as GIA for studded jewellery.
– Ask if the portal also has a physical store in your area so you can see the jewellery before you make the purchase.

(Pictures courtesy ripplelinks.com and bluestone.com. Pictures used for representational purpose only)

Categories
Kharcha paani

MTDC boosts Bollywood tourism plans

Bollywood tourism plan, which includes theme parks and a film school, among other film industry related ideas, gets MTDC fillip.
by The Editors | editor@themetrognome.in

Who doesn’t love Bollywood, right? Everybody does, even if some people won’t readily admit it. The biggest film industry in the world attracts one and all – while most of us choose to bask in the reflected glory of our favourite film star, there are others who try their level best to be a part of the industry itself.

Recognising that Bollywood tourism is actually a ‘thing’ – and megastars like Amitabh Bachchan and Shahrukh Khan coming to their balconies to give their fans a ‘darshan’ are just the start of this filmi love affair – Mahindra & Mahindra and the UK-based Pinewood Studios floated the idea (and a proposal for space) to the Maharashtra State Government, for a consolidated Bollywood experience in Mumbai. As per the plan, the two entities will set up a space for all things Bollywood at Kandivali, so that film buffs can have access to film memorabilia, technical knowledge on filmmaking, and if they’re really lucky, the chance to catch an actual film shoot. The plan includes the setting up of a Bollywood theme park as well, and an acting school will also come up in the area.

Now, the State Government has given this idea the required shot in the arm – PWD chief who also runs Maharashtra’s Tourism Department (MTDC), Chhagan Bhujbal, has promised that all assistance will be extended to the project. “We feel, given Bollywood’s rising success even in foreign countries, that this project will boost tourism in Mumbai and give people the chance to experience Bollywood,” Bhujbal says.

The project is to come up on a private plot at Kandivali.

(Picture courtesy travel.cnn.com)

Categories
Become

Creating beauty from junk

Mumbai designer Arjun Rathi creates some beautiful products from scrap, and says that his quirky products are finding several buyers.
by Rachel Tseng

Walking through the numerous by-lanes of the crowded scrap markets in Mumbai can be very exhausting and cumbersome. But for someone like Arjun Rathi, it is a creativity inspired adventurous experience. A casual walk through Bharat Bazar in Mumbai 2011 was what introduced Arjun to the world of product designing using scrap and recycled products.

Arjun RathiArjun (26) is a professionally-trained architect and a product designer by passion. After graduating from Kamla Raheja College for Architecture, Mumbai in 2010, Arjun took up a summer course in Switzerland and worked with a Swiss firm specialising in industrial buildings. In India, Arjun has worked with Indiabulls Real Estate and has been a part of their Panvel Greens township project and their mall projects in Jodhpur and Kota.

We interviewed Arjun and this is what he had to share with us about his quirky passion and new-found profession.

What inspired you to design products out of scrap and recycled material?
I was travelling around the scrap markets of Bharat Bazar in Mumbai and happened to stumble upon a retro Kelvinator refrigerator door. I immediately got an idea of converting it into a coffee table. Since then, re-using recycled materials for furniture design became a passion. The raw industrial look of recycled metal was very appealing to me.

Growing up as a child in the 1990’s, there are fond memories of a majority of the items we find in present day scrap yards. There is a lot of emotional connection to things like the Ambassador cars, retro fridges and the Walkman, as I have grown up with them. Re-using those items to give them functional purpose is great fun. Also, using scrap for functional design is a great way to recycle. Sustainable design doesn’t end with designing green buildings but zeroes down to micro-design of furniture as well.

How much money did you invest to begin work with?
I started experimenting with furniture and product design from my savings. More than the money, knowledge and good technical sense of what you’re doing is required. Furniture with recycled material is relatively cheap as your investment is in the core scrap product you want to design around. Negotiation is key at that point, if you’re purchasing them second hand or from scrap markets. The next step is either making the product yourself if you’re skilled enough, or getting it fabricated. Rates can vary from person to person.

How long did it take you to establish this business and make it functional?
As I lacked formal training in product design, I spent more than a year working hands-on with fabricators to understand the limitations of various materials like metals, plastics and glass. Knowing your material is key to designing a great product. It is also important to build multiple teams of different fabricators for orders of different scale and number. I am presently into my third year where I am professionally designing products, lighting and furniture.

Arjun Rathi Refrigerator TableWhat inspires you while developing/designing a product?
Usually by looking at the key recycled product you want to design around, one is able to give it a function. As a process it works in two simple ways – where you find an item and design something using it, or you look for specific items that fit your concept.

Most of the time when doing specific client work, it is important to understand the emotional and functional needs of the client before searching for the right materials or objects.

What is the approximate time frame to develop a product?
Designing a good product can sometimes take a lot of time. Working around a concept and finding the right recycled materials in the best condition is also a tedious task. Though once all the material is procured, we can generally assume two to five weeks for a project, depending on its size and complexity.

Apart from the Kelvinator fridge door converted to a coffee table (see featured image and pic on left), what are the other products that you have made using scrap or recycled material?

I have made desk lamps using Ambassador and Enfield motorcycle headlights. The natural casted form and raw industrial look of the headlights make for very interesting interior Arjun Rathi Enfield Lamp Product Design Desk Lampobjects, while the internal reflective surfaces of headlights are very functional for interior lighting.

I have also designed a shelving system using champagne bottles as structural supports. Champagne bottles, unlike most wine bottles, are made of much thicker glass, hence can be used as structural supports for a shelf if executed properly.

Another light installation is presently under production using 24 Ambassador headlights and pipes to create a very industrial look for a private client’s space.

You make very unique and interesting products. Who do you consider as your competitors?
Design is a highly competitive and saturated field. The market is flooded with designer products targeted at all income groups. Most of the products I design are due to self-initiatives or constant urge to experiment with processes or materials. Most of the products are a result of my emotional response to them. I design products for myself and if someone wants to buy them, they are welcome to do so.

Is there a growing interest among people for decor of this kind?
The trend for customisation is rapidly picking up in India. The client is able to get a unique product designed for their space at a fairly lesser cost than purchasing an expensive branded design. Also the fact that their piece will never be replicated again. There has been a lot of interest for lighting products through recent clients. Luckily all clients I have dealt with are open to experimentation with design concepts and materials. They have a clear understanding of what they want as well. Most products require some appreciation space in the apartment; hence clients so far who have commissioned highly customised work have larger homes.

How do you pitch for clients?
Most products are designed due to my emotional connections with recycled scrap. I tend to design them for myself, then approach design stores and websites if they’re interested in selling them. Many clients also approach me directly for a specific piece to be customised for their space.

Where do you retail?
Some of my products are being retailed at the design store Chromakey, opposite the Warden Road Church and on the website www.homehero.in. You can also view my products on my blog and the studio can be directly contacted on email for product inquiries.

We also do a lot of niche design work for clients who need specific pieces or furniture or accessories. These are usually exclusive lighting design or furniture customised and designed specific to their space.

Arjun Rathi Champagne Bottle ShelvesWhat is the price range of your products?
Most of the products are limited edition or one-off pieces as the same fridge door/ headlight sample or recycled item cannot be procured at will. Every product is handmade by fabricators and a unique piece by itself. Also, there is minimal interest in the studio for mass production as it deviates from the larger scope of urban and architectural proposals.

Limited edition products generally start retailing from Rs. 14,000 upwards. All client-specific jobs depend on the design and scale of the project.

What has been the most satisfying part of your work?
The satisfaction after a successful execution of a concept is unparalleled. The process of exploring materials, design and meeting new people is great fun.

What message would you like to give people wanting to start a product line like yours?
Be open to learning. I’ve learned a lot hands-on through the process of trial and error. Some technical knowledge is essential or you might get taken for a ride by the fabricator. I remember when I was making the Refrigerator Coffee Table, I changed my fabricator twice because I was unhappy with their quality of work. It’s also good to know the general market rates for materials, as sound budgeting is important for any business.

(Pictures courtesy Arjun Rathi)

Categories
Learn

Privatising BMC schools an assault on education: Experts

BMC’s proposal to allow privatisation in its schools will only worsen its flaws and introduce new ones, some experts feel.
by Nidhi Qazi

“World Bank’s agenda is demolition of public-funded school system and open gates for privatisation and commercialisation.”

“Education is not a component of social development but an investment for information society and market competition”- Ambani-Birla Report (2000)

These statements laid the tone for an evening dedicated to the current mess that our education is in. In a panel discussion titled ‘Neo-liberal Assault on India’s Education System and Corporatisation of Mumbai’s Municipal Schools under PPP’, Dr Anil Sadgopal and Simantini Dhuru, both educationists, spoke at length about the education system in India in general and of Mumbai in particular. The speakers also spoke against privatisation and how it is only going to worsen the system.

The talk came in the context of BMC’s recent proposal to allow public-private partnership (PPP) in the management of civic schools. The Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC), on January 23, 2013 took a decision to hand over all of its 1,174 schools to private organisations and companies under a ‘Public Private Partnership’ scheme of ‘School Adoption’.

At present

Dr Sadgopal and Ms DhuruSimantini Dhuru, Director, AVEHI ABACUS Project and member of Mumbai Samaan Mulbhoot Shikshan Hakk Samiti, talked of the present scenario of BMC schools.

She said, “The number of children going to non-BMC schools has been on a rise for a long time and thus, there has been a decrease in the number of teachers and children going to BMC schools. Also, the number of students going to English-medium schools has increased even though the percentage of English-medium schools remains low.”

There are two main reasons attributed to the decline in the number of students going to BMC schools. First, there has been a lack of secondary BMC schools for the past 25 years. Second, a large number of students drop out after Class 7.

Some concerns
Coming to the BMC’s proposal, Dhuru raised questions and concerns over the conditions under the Public Private Partnership Model.

There are four models of partnership: Type-i is Full School Management with Private Partner Teachers; Type-ii is Full School Support; Type-iii is Specific Services Partnership and lastly, Type-iv is School Input.

Dhuru pointed out that under the objective of PPP, there has been no mention of ‘Right of Children to Free and compulsory Education’ Act 2009. Also, the period of the PPP arrangement is 10 years, which Dhuru said “could ensure that the handover will acquire permanency.”

Dhuru also critiqued the arrangement for the proposed ground checks, under which supervisors of the Education Department are to visit the handed over schools four times a year. “This condition is contrary to the present practice wherein Government officials walk in to the schools as and when they feel like throughout the year. Why should the PPP schools  be visited by officials only four times?” said Dhuru.

Further, the clause that ‘Teachers appointed by the PPP schools will not do any administrative work and will not leave school for any work’ is contrary to the present practices in our schools.

For Type-ii of the model where NGOs appointed and BMC teachers work in combination if the BMC fails to appoint staff by August 31, the NGO may appoint its own staff. “This amounts to systematically disbanding BMC permanent staff and creating another layer of contractual teaching staff,” said Dhuru.

She also pointed out some clauses as a means of coercion: The first clause mentions that the PPP partner organisations will be allowed to evaluate the performance of the teachers appointed in their school and can demand that non-performing teachers be sent/transferred to another MMC school. Second clause mentions that the PPP organisation will have the right to record its remark in the teacher’s confidential report along with the head teacher.

“Besides coercion, the NGOs/Corporate houses will be allowed to lure teachers monetarily into supporting and continuing the PPP arrangement,” she said.

The overview of education

Dr Sadgopal (in pic on right), of the All India Forum for Right to Education (AIFRTE) and former dean, Delhi University, gave a critical overview of how the education system has deteriorated over Dr Sadgopaltime.

“In the last two years, expenditure by BMC schools has increased. That may be good news but do we question why or for whom has it been increased? It is simple. Funds are given to deck up these schools for corporates so that they don’t have to spend from their pockets,” he opined.

According to Dr Sadgopal, these private players comprise NGOs, corporates and religious bodies who will “worsen the disparity in education by increasing the cost of education under the garb of improving quality.”

Dr Sadgopal is a pioneer in the field of education and has been instrumental in successfully running the Hoshangabad Science Training Programme (HSTP), a first-of-its-kind national-level initiative for pedagogical improvement. Having been part of various government bodies like Central Advisory Board on Education (CABE) and NCERT, the septuagenarian views education through the Constitution. “The BMC, due to its failure has decided to abdicate the entire constitutional responsibility in order to improve the quality of education, but how can it do that when the Constitution of India mandates it to run good schools and not bad schools?”

He talked of how this move is nothing but brushing off one’s responsibility. “The onus of improving Government schools lies with the Government but it seems to have given up before even trying.”

A supporter of the ‘Common School System’, Dr Sadgopal added, “Such a system is the most feasible system in our country which suffers from huge disparities. With such a system, all the students, irrespective of class and caste can study together. Besides, when schools ask fees, the very idea of equality gets violated and that is contrary to what the Preamble stands for.”

Referring to the Bihar tragedy where students of a primary school died after consuming food under the Mid-Day Meal Scheme, Dr Sadgopal critiqued the many school systems India has. “Such tragedies strike the poor. Media editorials suggest better participation of parents and teachers, better transparency, etc. But none of them question the layers having been created in this unjust system,” he said.

“The common refrain is that policies are good, their implementation is bad. On the contrary, I say policies are bad, they are anti-people but their implementation is good and with all dedication.”

 (Pictures courtesy www.afternoondc.in and Nidhi Qazi)

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Kharcha paani

Mumbai greenest in the country

Mumbai has most numbers of green building projects in the country, with over 229 million square free of green building space.
by The Editors | editor@themetrognome.in

As cities become more congested and more polluted, and as old buildings give rise to swanky office complexes and residential towers that consume a lot of resources, every real estate developer worth his salt is asking to incorporate ‘green’ elements in their projects.

Cynics argue that developers do this not out of a sense of obligation to the environment but because they earn several benefits for coming up with green projects. The reasons notwithstanding, the country is seeing a rise in the numbers of green building projects, and a majority of them are in Mumbai.

On Saturday, July 20, the  Indian Green Building Council (IGBC) announced that Mumbai has the largest stake in green building projects in the country. The IGBC and the Confederation of Indian Industry (CII) spearheaded the Green Building movement in India a few years ago. Since then, the movement has apparently gained momentum, with the country showing over 2,110 registered green building projects amounting to over 1.51 billion square feet of green building footprint. This has put India in the top 5 countries in terms of the world’s green building map.

Green Building seminarSaid Gurmit Singh Arora, Vice Chairman, CII (IGBC Mumbai chapter), “Today, Mumbai has over 295 registered green building projects, amounting to over 229 million square free of green building space, thus leading the green building movement in the country. As these numbers steadily grow, the State can reap significant ecological and economic benefits.

“Most importantly, these buildings can demonstrate energy savings to the tune of 40 to 50 per cent and water savings to the tune of 20 to 30 per cent, apart from other intangible benefits.”

The IGBC is also set to release the report on ‘Environment Guidelines for Public Buildings’ as Phase I and the same guidelines would later be released for private buildings under Phase II. In the context of green buildings, it must be noted that the Ministry of Environment and Forests (MoEF), Government of India, accords faster clearances for green buildings rated by IGBC. Additionally, the construction costs of a green building are 3 to 4 per cent higher than a conventional building, but the incremental cost gets paid back within three to four years with a substantial reduction in operational costs.

Arora added that since 75 per cent of buildings that would exist in 2030 are yet to be built, there exists a huge opportunity in design and construction of green buildings, “which not only addresses ecological issues and concerns, but also makes good business sense.”

(Pictures courtesy www.indianrealestatemarket.com, CII)

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Learn

SMSes to remind Mumbaikars on eco-friendly Ganpati

BMC is, once again, stressing on eco-friendly Ganesh idols and less banners this year. Question is, are the citizens listening?
by The Editors | editor@themetrognome.in

Ganesh Chaturthi is still two months away; September 9, to be exact. But preparations for the Raja of Mumbai are already underway, with idols being prepared and readied for private residences and public pandals all over the city.

And like every year, the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) is exhorting citizens to opt for eco-friendly idols, not Plaster of Paris (POP) ones.

Eco friendly idolsTo this effect, says Mayor Sunil Prabhu (in pic on left, inspecting eco-friendly idols in Vile Parle), the BMC will also send out regular text messages to people in Mumbai to create awareness of the issue – recently, the Chief Minister and Deputy Chief Minister of Maharashtra, Prithviraj Chavan and Ajit Pawar, had taken the phone route to send personalised voice messages asking people to save water during Holi. Prabhu says, “Apart from sending text messages, we are hoping to create awareness about the many benefits of purchasing eco-friendly Ganesh idols.

Not only do these idols dissolve completely during visarjan, thus sparing us the horrifying spectacle of half-dissolved POP idols still left behind in the city’s major water bodies, but these idols afford employment to several women’s groups and marginalised sections in society. We are even charting out a plan to go door-to-door in the city to ask people to buy eco-friendly idols – they are just as beautiful without any of the environmental hazards associated with POP idols.”

Interestingly, despite repeated requests every year, the city’s major Ganpati pandals still boast of POP murtis.

The BMC is also going to insist on only two banners announcing each sarvajanik Ganpati in the area, and will take strict action against those who festoon the streets with lots of banners.

(Pictures courtesy festivals.iloveindia.com, BMC)

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