‘Medical Transcription Outsourcing Capital !

There is more to Coimbatore than just being the ‘Manchester of South India' with its burgeoning textile and engineering industries. This third largest city in Tamil Nadu and home to the Formula 3 circuit has, over the years, emerged as one of the top destinations for the IT-BPO industry.

In fact, according to a recent study by Cyber Media's Global Services and investment advisory firm Tholons, Coimbatore has been ranked in the 17th position in the list of the top 50 Emerging Global Outsourcing cities. Industry associations have been making concerted efforts to turn this industrial hub into another Silicon Valley. The Coimbatore zone of the CII has been, for nearly a decade now, promoting this industrial hub as an ‘ideal IT destination' for engineering process outsourcing (EPO), among others. The region has carved a niche for itself in engineering, auto components and machine tools space.

Industry experts say the locational advantage that the city enjoys, its proximity to Chennai and Bangalore, the huge talent pool and its entrepreneurial culture differentiates Coimbatore from other destinations. A number of companies across the gamut of outsourcing (from EPO to legal and medical transcription) have started their operations to capitalise on the rich pool of talent and resources readily available here.

Statistics reveal that there are over 27 engineering colleges, 70+ arts and science colleges and 18 polytechnics in and around here, making it an ideal recruitment destination as well. Retention of talent pool has been a strong point for most of the players establishing a presence here.

IT major Cognizant, for instance, was one of the first major players to start a development centre here and has since expanded rapidly. Its Vice-President and Head, Vishnu Potty, admits to Coimbatore being a strong sourcing base for its operations across India. Cognizant's Coimbatore centre focuses on financial services, healthcare, manufacturing and retail, media and entertainment.The city is set to emerge as the ‘Medical Transcription Outsourcing Capital of India', say leaders in the medical transcription space.

Players such as CBay Systems and Spheris have expanded their operations here rapidly. CBay, for instance, has its largest facility here in an area of about 20,000 sq.ft. The company has, in the last eight months, opened up two centres, initiated tie-ups with local colleges to rope in students. A few others are exploring opportunities across the landscape as this (medical transcription) industry is predominantly South-based.

Being the chosen hub for MT, the city also has a number of people travelling from smaller towns such as Salem, Erode, Pollachi and Udhagamandalam attracted towards this steadily growing industry.

“The availability of quality manpower, large talent pool of almost 28,000 non-graduate engineers passing out every year from the 260-odd institutions has made Coimbatore an attractive destination for us,” says Suresh Nair, CEO and Managing Director, Spheris.

Industry leaders believe that with requisite training, the prospective candidates could be groomed to become world class medical transcriptionists to cater to the $200-billion healthcare outsourcing business world-wide.

Residential space: Coimbatore spins a growth story

The textile city of Coimbatore is witnessing initial signs of surge in demand for residential space. The pleasant climate and sweet Siruvani water had turned this centrally-located industrial city in Tamil Nadu into a retirement haven. But today the culture is changing and more people are buying homes here as an investment option.

Renowned for its cosmopolitan outlook due to influx of north Indians generations ago, the people in the city were mainly dependent on manufacturing industries. But with the development of infrastructure in IT space and enormous growth in retail, a huge flow of population is expected to come into Coimbatore in the next few years.

“The Tidel Park, which will be ready in 2010, is expected to bring in direct employment for 12,000 people and at least half of them will require residential space,” said Builders’ Association of India (BAI) Coimbatore chapter’s vice-chairman C T Narayanan.

He expects demand for residential space to improve drastically in the coming years. “By January 2011, the industry will be back to its good days,” he said.

Sankar Foundation, MD, Omkar Sankar, too painted a positive picture “The sector is slowly getting better as investor confidence has come back. We are seeing a lot of confirmations unlike a few months ago,” he said, adding that the builders were quoting 10% less on the price front compared to last year.

“The land rates are still high but we are trying to move ahead in business by reducing our profit margin,” said Mr Narayanan. He added that the prices never dropped in Coimbatore on the realty front even during the recessionary phase.

“Coimbatore’s property market is showing signs of recovery with several companies seeking a presence in the city. However, the word of caution is that prices should remain reasonable due to sustained demand and more investments,” said Jones Lang LaSalle Meghraj MD Ramesh Nair. He told SundayET that the year 2010 definitely looks better than 2008 and 2009. “Compared to other cities in the tier II and III arena, prices were realistic in Coimbatore and there wasn’t any major downward trend seen during recession,” he added.

Sreevatsa Real Estates MD C S Ramaswamy said, enquiries have increased and conversions are happening now. Even big players in the realty segment like Sahara, which announced projects long back in Coimbatore, have expedited construction activity, he added. Recently, Rakindo too announced the starting of Kovai Hills project in the city. The residential projects are mainly taking place in the outskirts of the city like Saravanampatti, Vadavalli and Mettupalayam Road as the main areas such as Race Course cannot support anymore projects.

“The increasing enquiry in the last three months doesn’t mean that the industry has recovered from recession. The enquiries will have to be converted into sales or occupancy,” Mr Nair cautioned. He, however, credited the city for its adaptability to changing market conditions. “The builders reduced the sizes of apartments and cut down on amenities to make sure apartments are more affordable,” he said.

BAI Coimbatore chapter chairman D R Sekar added, the houses in the Rs 20-40 lakh range are moving well. “It is only the higher budget ones that are seeing sluggish movement,” he added. The enquiries on the commercial front are yet to pick up, added Mr Nair. “Most of the SEZ projects planned in Coimbatore haven’t taken off. But we expect demand for office space to grow in the coming months,” he sai

Industrial estates for smaller units sought

The Coimbatore Tirupur District Micro and Cottage Entrepreneurs’ Association has appealed to the Coimbatore Corporation to relax the punitive action taken on micro and cottage industries based on complaints from residents of a locality against the units.Association president S. Ravikumar has said in a release that recently the Corporation asked a few units to shift operations from a residential area as there were complaints against the establishments.

The Corporation should give time to the units move out as the Government had announced the establishment of industrial estates for micro and cottage enterprises.Most of these complaints were regarding noise pollution.

Machines

A large number of micro and cottage industries here had just one or two machines and were functioning in residential areas. The workers of these units were also residing in nearby areas.Representatives of the association had met the Deputy Chief Minister and Rural Industries Minister and appealed to them to expedite the process of setting up industrial estates for the smaller units.

In the wake of complaints, the officials should form a team with industrial representatives too and study the complaint before initiating action on the units, said M. Loganathan, secretary of the association.

IOPS launches services

International Organic Processing Standards (IOPS), a textile certification company, has launched its services here.

According to a release, IOPS is a textile testing, verification and certification company with offices in Canada and India. The company focuses on organic manufacturing processes in textiles and conducts training and awareness programmes, disseminates information and helps in networking. It assists textile units comply with environmental regulations and assesses the environmental performance of its clients.

KSRTC opens online ticket reservation counter

The online advance ticket reservation counter of the Karnataka State Transport Corporation (KSRTC) at the State Express Transport Corporation bus Stand at Gandhipuram in the city was inaugurated by Collector, P. Umanath on Monday.Passengers wanting to travel to various destinations in Karnataka could book their tickets 30 days in advance on-line, in all classes of service operated by KSRTC from Coimbatore to different destinations in Karnataka and also to various other places in Southern India, wherever KSRTC was operating its service. The counter would work on all the seven days a week from 6 a.m. to 10 p.m.

According to R. Jayabalan, in-charge of KSRTC operations, the service provider was operating three different types of services i.e., Express, Rajahamsa (Ultra Deluxe) and Volvo and to the same destination via various routes.

From Coimbatore, there are seven Express and Rajahamsa services to Bangalore, six to Mysore, two services each to Mercara and K R Nagara besides one each to Mandya, Tumkur, Chikkamagalure, Hunsur, Gundalpet, Chitradurga, Gudulpet, Mangalore, Shimoga, Sringeri and Harihara.In addition, 14 services including Volvo and Rajahamsa are being operated to Bangalore via Salem and Hosur daily from 00.25 hours to 23.45 hours.

Beautification of Coimbatore begins !

The Coimbatore Corporation launched on Monday a Rs. 4.15 crore project to create roadside parks and lay pavements for pedestrians at 21 places as part of efforts to beautify the city before the World Classical Tamil Conference in June this year.Mayor R. Venkatachalam, Corporation Commissioner Anshul Mishra and Deputy Mayor N. Karthik launched the works.

Footpaths

The Mayor said many areas in the city did not have good footpaths and pedestrians faced the risk of getting hit by vehicles.He cited the case of Dr. Nanjappa Road that had heavy traffic.Apart from town bus services, buses to Salem, Tiruchi and Madurai took this stretch from Avanashi Road to reach the Central Bus Stand.

This would be among five to six main roads that would be provided with good pavements.

The Mayor said as many green spaces as possible would be created before the conference. South Zone Chairman P. Pynthamil Pari provided an image of a pavement and roadside park that would come up in his zone.As many as 15 important locations, including junctions, would have parks.The parks and pavements would be among a slew of measures that the Corporation was embarking upon to showcase Coimbatore as a clean and green city during the conference.

Slum-free city

The image-building exercise also included a project to create a slum-free city.Recently, the State Government allocated Rs.26 crore to widen and relay 71 roads in the city before the conference.

Official sources said most of the works being taken up now were aimed at improving the infrastructure facilities in the city, mainly the roads, so that traffic bottlenecks did not crop up during the conference.

Traffic diversions in city today

In view of the ISKCON Jagannath Yatra to be taken out in the city on Saturday (January 16) from 1 p.m. to 8 p.m., the city police have planned to enforce certain diversions in traffic.

A release from City Police Commissioner P. Sivanandi said that vehicles entering City from Palakkad Road, Pollachi Road via Ukkadam should enter at Ukkadam Junction and not Oppanakkara Street, the vehicles should either take the Valankulam Rail Over Bridge or the Perur Bypass Road and proceed further.With Vincent Road having been made one way, vehicles should not enter Vincent Road from Ukkadam side. Vehicles and heavy vehicles from Avanashi Road flyover and Lanka Corner going to Palakkad Road/Pollachi Road should take the Goods Shed Road, Big Bazaar Street, Vincent Road and Ukkadam.

Buses could be operated on the usual route to reach Ukkadam Bus Stand.However, they should not enter Raja Theatre, Judka Corner (Oppanakkara Street) to reach Vysial Street.Vehicles from Old Flyover bound for Thadagam Road, Mettuppalayam Road should not enter Sukrawarpet Street instead should take the Brooke Bond Road.Vehicles from Mettuppalayam Road, especially trucks and mini cargo vehicles, should take the Brooke Bond Road near Chintamani and proceed via Old Flyover.

Vehicles from Thadagam Road bound for Palakkad Road and light vehicles should go via Ponniahrajapuram, Chokkampudur, Shivalaya Theatre Junction, Perur Bypass Road and Ukkadam.Vehicles from Perur side for reaching Palakkad Road should take the Perur Bypass Road and reach Ukkadam.Vehicles to other places should take the Shivalaya Theatre Junction, Chokkampudur, Ponniahrajapuram and go via Thadagam Road and Gandhi Park.

Truck traffic would remain banned from 8 a.m. to 11 a.m. and again from 4 p.m. to 8 p.m. as usual.People are requested to co-operate with the police in managing the traffic situation.

Coimbatore Corporation to build bridges, improve roads

The Coimbatore Corporation is set to take up a number of road and bridge works in the city over the next few months.Funds have been sanctioned by the State Government and the Corporation Council too has cleared proposals to take up some key roads for improvements and also to provide foot path for pedestrians.Some main roads and link roads in the city will be improved with Rs.26 crore sanctioned by the State Government from the State Infrastructure and Amenities Fund.

Widening and black topping of roads in the city are some of the works, according to Corporation Commissioner Anshul Mishra.As many as 71 roads, totally measuring 75 km, would be taken up for widening or black topping.These would include D.B. Road at R.S. Puram, Nallampalayam Road, Villankurichi Road and Thanneerpandal Road.The Corporation Council approved at its urgent meeting on Wednesday four proposals for widening of roads, construction of bridges and laying foot paths at Rs. 3.59 crore. A 40 ft scheme road would be laid near Ranga Vilas Mill The scheme road would connect Avanashi Road with Tiruchi Road.

The Corporation said the scheme road would enable easier access for people residing along Tiruchi Road to offices and educational institutions on Avanashi Road.The Corporation allocated Rs.75 lakh to construct a bridge that would link the road with Sowripalayam Road and facilitate the access from Tiruchi Road to Avanashi Road.The Corporation would lay a road from Chinnaswamy Road to reach Avanashi Road through S.N.R. Sons College and Avarampalayam Road.

A bridge across Sanganur Canal would be built at Rs.75 lakh as part of the road work.Pavements for pedestrians would be laid from Anna Statue to Lakshmi Mills on Avanashi Road at Rs.59 lakh.A sum of Rs.75 lakh each would be spent on laying pavements from Hosur Road to Puliakulam and along Krishnaswamy Road.

Land acquisition

The Corporation also received a boost to its Pilloor Phase II drinking water scheme in the form of Government clearance for acquiring land from the Department of Forests for a collection well.Mr. Mishra said the Government had cleared the acquisition of 1.83 acres for the well.The Department of Forests would be compensated with 3.66 acres of revenue land at Tenkarai, costing Rs.10.12 lakh.

While the district administration would hand over the land to the Department of Forests, the Coimbatore Corporation would pay for it.The clearance by the Government would help in speeding up the implementation of those components of the scheme that related to creating infrastructure in the forests.

New fire tenders for Coimbatore Airport

The Coimbatore Airport on Wednesday received the first ROSCNBAUR, International AG Austria, Air Field Crash Fire Tender costing Rs 3.35 crore. Two more will reach in a day or two, Airport Director M.R. Vasudeva said. Mr.Vasudeva told that the airport has conventional fire tenders that could throw the jet up to 60 m. ROSCNBAUR could throw a jet up to 90 m with pressure measuring up to 10 Bar.

Air crash Fire Tender could carry 10,000 to 12,000 litres of water and 1,500 litres of foam. It could accelerate from 0 to 80 kmph in just less than 30 seconds. The vehicle could spray the extinguishing medium at 4,500 litres a minute.

Airport Authority of India (AAI) inducted these vehicles first in 2007-08 and at present there are 15 vehicles.

AAI would have 55 such fully computerised vehicles in airports across the country by May 2010.

Power cabels t go underground !!

The Tamil Nadu Electricity Board has started work on Avinashi Road and Tiruchi Road here to shift overhead cables underground.

Chief Engineer of the Board C. Thangavel told that the work, covering a total of 36 km, would be completed by the end of March. Mr. Thangavel said that starting near the Uppilipalayam flyover, the underground cables would be laid on the entire stretch of Avinashi Road, till the Neelambur bypass.

For Tiruchi Road, the cables would pass through the Collectorate Road and the Government Hospital Road from the Uppilipalayam flyover and continue through Tiruchi Road till the L & T Bypass.

Route divided

The estimated cost for the work was Rs. 52 crore. He said the entire route was divided into stretches of about one-and-a-half km each and tendering process was going on.For some stretches the bidders had been selected and they had started work. The board was co-ordinating with all the other Departments.

There might be power disruptions while switching over to the underground cables. The consumers would be informed in advance, he said.An official of the board added that on Tiruchi Road, the board was working in co-ordination with the National Highways that was carrying out widening and strengthening of NH 69, a part of which passed through Coimbatore.Thus, the road would not be dug up again to lay the underground cables.

On both Avinashi Road and the Tiruchi Road the underground cables would be given protective covers using concrete slabs so that the cables would not be damaged when the roads would be re-laid.

Eclipse Watch !!

The Coimbatore Astronomy Club and Perk’s School have organised a viewing of solar eclipse for January 15 on the school grounds.

For details, contact the club on the following phone numbers: 97904-57568 and 98434-25945.

Army recruitment announcement

The Indian Army has announced recruitment of junior commissioned officers in the Army as religious teacher in various categories.

The basic eligibility is that candidates should not be below 27 years or over 34 years as on July 12.For various categories, the educational qualifications differ. Shortlisted candidates would be have to undergo a written examination on March 14.

For further details norms, categories of posts, educational qualifications, the interested candidates could approach the nearest Headquarters Recruiting Zone. For candidates in Tamil Nadu, the Recruiting Zone Headquarters is at Fort St. George, Chennai. Last date for receipt of filled in applications is January 23 (Saturday), a release from the Indian Army-Recruitment Headquarters Zone said.

Ministers review arrangements for the Classical Tamil Meet

Ministers Veerapandi S. Arumugam (Agriculture) and K.R. Periyakaruppan (Hindu Religious and Charitable Endowments), on Saturday visited the CODISSIA Hall and reviewed the plan and arrangements for the ensuing World Classical Tamil Meet to be held there in June 2010.

The Ministers were accompanied by District Collector P. Umanath, City Police Commissioner P. Sivanandi, Vice-Chancellor of Tamil Nadu Agricultural University P. Murugesa Boopathy and other officials from various departments.They asked the officials to plan a decorative arch at the entrance of CODISSIA and also for elaborate arrangements for parking of vehicles especially for VVIPs, delegates and visitors in separate areas.

Discussions were based on the already prepared rough sketch.Ministers also offered suggestions on setting up the expo pavilion, stage and pandal for the nearly one lakh audience.Officials were asked to focus especially on seating arrangements and also for planning a system wherein the proceedings could relayed live on large screens outside the conference venue for the benefit of the audience seated there.

Similarly, arrangements for putting temporary shelters for those accompanying the invitees and delegates were suggested.The Ministers along with officials discussed the plans for creating space for the visitors to eat, drinking water provision and convenience facilities.The arrangement for a hitch free flow of traffic was also discussed.

CODISSIA Hall would have 20 enclosures for the conduct of various plenary sessions while outside the auditorium there would be arrangements for seating nearly one lakh people.

Encroachment removed to restore road link

Ending a long drawn battle, the demolition squad of the Coimbatore Corporation and revenue authorities on Thursday removed an encroachment on a revenue land on Valluvar Street in Tatabad.

According to authorities, a tiled roof structure was encroaching upon a revenue land measuring 300 ft width and 300 ft length. This led to the disconnection of a link between two roads. Even as the authorities tried to remove the encroachment, the alleged encroacher, who had applied for a patta, resisted it by creating legal hurdles, officials said. The last attempt to remove the encroachment had gone in vain because of a stay order obtained by the encroacher from a court.

On Monday, when officials reached the scene with the demolition team of the Corporation, the official machinery faced resistance and a lawyer entered the scene. The officials were told not to remove the structure till the issue of patta and legal dispute was resolved.

At one stage, the officials preferred a complaint against the lawyer stating that he was preventing them from discharging their duty. The police removed the advocate and after removing the belongings of the encroacher who was said to be an ex-serviceman the official team began the demolition work.

Masakkalipalayam road widening work begins

Corporation officials on Saturday conducted an on the spot inspection of the Masakkalipalayam road to explore the possibilities for widening it into a 80 ft scheme road.Mayor R. Venkatachalam; Deputy Mayor N. Karthik; Corporation Commissioner Anshul Mishra; elected representatives – councillors and chairmen of various committees, Town Planning Officer, M. Soundarrajan visited the road.

The road width at present is just 40 ft thus leading to congestion and traffic snarls and it is a crucial road branching off from Avanashi Road.There is a pertinent need to widen the road to serve the residential areas beyond the road.Officials negotiated with the land owners there to give 40 ft for 800 m to widen the road to its original plan width of 80 m.The residents said that sparing 40 m of land would be difficult and added that they would be content with the scheme road measuring 60 m length instead of the present 40 m.

Officials have planned to take the proposal forward through the Local Planning Authority and District Collector to see whether the road be widened into 60 ft or viable options could be worked out to ensure that the road is restored to the original plan of 80 ft scheme road.

Widening of this Masakkalipalayam road is paramount for melting the traffic on Avanashi Road which is increasingly becoming congested.The focus is on widening of the roads branching off from Avanashi Road.