India

Federal Bank – The Private Indian Bank From Pre-independence Era

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Travancore Federal Bank was the name of Federal Bank of India when it was established in the year 1931. It was inaugurated at Nedumpuram near Tiruvalla Kerala (Tiruvalla is situated south of Kottayam). It had 14 founders with Sri Oommen Varghese as the Chairman and Sri Oommen Chacko as its Manager. It functioned successfully for 10 years and then stopped all of a sudden due to health problems of the Manager Sri Oommen Chacko.

Then a Lawyer of Perumbavoor took the charge and managed it efficiently. The name of the Lawyer was K.P.Hormis. later in the year 1945 K.P. Hormis also became the Managing Director and shifted its Headquarters to Aluva. In the year 1947 the name of the bank was changed to Federal Bank. In the year 1970, it became a Scheduled Commercial Bank. After a series of mergers and acquisitions including banks at Chalakudy, Thrissur, Alleppey, Puthenpally, Thiruvananthapuram, and Kurundwad, Federal Bank became even bigger with larger financial turnovers.

It is one of the largest private sector banks and the prominent one amongst the old private group of Indian banks.

PRESENT STATUS:
Now the bank has its Headquarters at Aluva, near Kochi in Kerala. It is presently running 743 branches across 24 states in India. It now has 803 ATM’s across India. Of these 803 ATM’s there are 108 in Metro Centres, 224 in Urban Centres, 384 Semi-Urban and 87 in rural areas. There has been several high-profile sponsorships and other modes of advertisement including the title sponsorship of the popular Indian cricket franchisee Kochi Tuskers Kerala of the Indian Premier League or IPL. It is also the fourth largest bank right now in India in terms of capital base and is also listed in the London Stock Exchange in addition to the Indian stock markets Bombay Stock Exchange and National Stock Exchange.

ACHIEVEMENTS AND AWARDS:

The Federal bank of India has received many awards during its long journey since 1931 till now. Some of them are:
1. The banking technology Excellence Award for the year 2010-2011.
2. The Excellence Award for Second best bank among traditional private sector banks in Kerala.
3. The Great Mind Challenging Award for implementing the most innovative solution in Business.
4. Ranked number one in Economic Times Intelligence Group Survey.

SERVICES OFFERED:
The bank renders the following services:
1. Savings Bank Account.
2. Current Account.
3. Loans.
4. Deposits.
5. Debit Cards.
6. Fund Transfer.
7. Inward Remittance.
8. Online Bill Collection.
9. Bank Guarantee.
10. cash Management.
11. Demat Accounts.
12. Federal Pure Gold.
13. Gift Accounts.
14. Mutual Fund.
15. Safe Deposit Lockers.
16. NRI Banking Services.
17. Merchant Banking.
18. ASBA.
19. Visa Bill payment.
20. Master Card Secure Code.
21. Verified By Visa (VBV).
22. Online Tax Payment.
23. Mobile Banking -FedMobile.
24. Internet banking -FedNet.
25. Corporate FedNet.

LOANS:
It also gives Loans for various purposes like: Business, Agriculture an Rural, Housing, Educational, Travel, Personal, Car, Medical and Home Loans.

WORKING HOURS:
The Bank runs from morning 9 to evening 4 from Monday to Saturday. Sunday is a holiday. The Bank is closed on Public holidays. the timings are different for its Abu Dhabi Branch which works from 9 AM to 5:30 PM and this branch also works on Sunday.

Horticulture Expert The Growth Driver Of Indian Agriculture Sector

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The horticulture sector, with a wide array of crops ranging from fruits and vegetables to orchids and nuts, mushrooms and honey – has been a driving force in the stimulating a healthy growth trend in Indian agriculture. India is currently producing 257.2 million tonnes of horticulture produce from an area of 23 million ha. What is significant is that over the last decade, the area under horticulture grew by about 3.8%per annum but production rose by 7.4% per annum. Given the increasing pressure on land, the focus of growth strategy is on raising productivity by supporting high density plantations, protected cultivation, micro irrigation, quality planting material, rejuvenation of senile orchards and focus on post harvest management to ensure that farmers do not lose their produce in transit from farm gate to the consumers plate.

Fruits:

With a production of 76.4 million tonnes, fruits accounts for about 30 per cent of the total production of horticulture crops. The area under fruit crops during 2011-12 was 6.6 million ha, which is almost 29 per cent of area under horticulture in India. The area under fruit crops has increased from 4.0 million ha in 201-02 to 6.7 million ha in 2011-12 with corresponding increase in production from 43.0 to 76.4 million tonnes. A large variety of fruits are grown in India. Of these, banana, mango, citrus, papaya, guava, grape, sapota, pomegranate, pineapple, aonla, litchi, pear, plum, walnut, etc are important. India accounts for 13 percent of the total world production of fruits and leads the world in the production of mango, banana, papaya, sapota, pomegranate, acid lime and aonla.

The leading fruit growing states are Maharashtra which accounts for 16.0 per cent of production followed by Andhra Pradesh (13.0%), Gujarat (10.0%), Karnataka (9.0%), Uttar Pradesh (8.0%), Tamil Nadu (7.0%) and Bihar (5.0%) altogether contributes for about 68.0 percent of the total fruit production in the country. Banana is the major fruit accounting for 35 per cent of total production followed by mango (4.0%), citrus (11.0%), papaya (6.0%), others (17.7%) in the country. It may also be mentioned that in the Himalayan states of Himachal and J&K the GDP from apples, plums, pears and stone fruits exceeds that of GDP from cereal crops.

Vegetables:

Vegetables are also an important constituent in horticulture sector which are mostly low gestation and high income generating crops. Many vegetables are now grown under protected cultivation like green houses and shade nut houses with a scope for off season production, which fetches remunerative prices.
Vegetables occupied an area of 8.9 million ha during 2011-12 with a total production of 155.9 million tonnes having average productivity of 17.4 tonnes/ha.

Vegetable production registered a quantum jump of 77 per cent between 2001-02 and 2011-12.

More than 40 kinds of vegetables belonging to different groups are grown in India in tropical, sub tropical and temperate regions. Important vegetable crops grown in the country are potato, tomato, onion, brinjal, cabbage, cauliflower, peas, okra, chilies, beans, melons, etc. The leading vegetables growing states are West Bengal which accounts for 15% of production followed by Uttar Pradesh (12%), Bihar (10.0%), Andhra Pradesh (8.0%), Madhya Pradesh (6.5%), Gujarat (6.4%), Tamil Nadu (5.8%), Maharashtra (5.7%), Karnataka (5.0%) and Haryana (3.0%) altogether contributes about 83.4% of the total vegetable production in the country. Among vegetables, potato is the major vegetable accounting for 27.0% followed by tomato (12%), onion (11.0%), brinjal (8.0%), cabbage (5.4%), cauliflower (4.7%), okra (4.0%), peas (2.5%) and others (25.4%) in the country. India is the second largest producer of vegetables after China and is a leader in production of vegetables like peas and okra. Besides, India occupies the second position in production of brinjal, cabbage, cauliflower and onion and third in potato and tomato in the world. Vegetables such as potato, tomato, okra and cucurbits are produced abundantly in the country.

Spices:

India is the largest producer, consumer and exporter of spices and spice products in the world. Over 100 plant species are known to yield spices and spice products among which around 50 are grown in India. India is known as the home of spices producing a wide variety of spices like black pepper, chilies, ginger, turmeric, garlic, cardamom and variety of tree and seed spices. Major spice producing states are Andhra Pradesh (19.0%), Gujarat (15.0%), Rajasthan (14.7%), Karnataka (8.0%), Madhya Pradesh (7.7%) and Tamil Nadu (7.0%). The spice production in India is currently estimated at 5.95 million tonnes from an area of about 3.21milion ha.

The production of spices in the country has registered a substantial increase over the last ten years with average annual growth of 5.8%. Chili is the major spice crop occupying about 25% of area under cultivation and contributing 22% of total spice production in the country. Garlic accounts for 8.0% of area with 21.0% share in production, while turmeric accounts for 6.8% of area with 19.6% share in production.

Flowers:

India has made noticeable advance in the production of flowers, particularly cut flowers, which have a good potential for exports. During 2011-12, floriculture covered an area of 0.32 million ha with a production of 2.6 million tonnes of loose flowers and 75066 million numbers of cut flowers. This sector is generating higher income and employment opportunities especially for women.

While India has been known for growing traditional flowers such as jasmine, marigold, chrysanthemum, tuberose and aster, the commercial cultivation of cut flowers like roses, orchids, gladiolus, carnation, gerbera, anthurium and lilium has become popular in recent times. The important flower growing states are West Bengal, Karnataka, Maharashtra, Andhra Pradesh, Tamil Nadu, Odisha, Uttar Pradesh, Jammu & Kashmir, North East, etc. Major area is devoted to production of marigold, jasmine, roses, chrysanthemum, tuberose, etc. The area under cut flowers having stems has increased manifold. Orchids, anthurium, lilium, gerbera and seasonal bulbous flowers are increasingly being grown both for domestic and export markets.
Growth in Exports:

Not only have these impressive production figures ensured a steady supply for the domestic market, they have also made Indian horticulture exports globally competitive. Over the last decade, there has been a significant improvement in export earnings in horticulture.
The horticulture division is working closely with APEDA and state governments to ensure that infrastructure and institutional support for export is available to ensure that farmers can leverage export markets for higher incomes.

Agriculture Playing Important Tole In The Life Of People

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India is a land of traditions and beliefs. Indian tradition is very much found of scriptures and mythology and also of art & literature, painting & folklore. India is the country where 60% of the wealth comes from farming. Agriculture and farming are the only two aspects which gives the Indian farmers health and wealth. It plays a very vital role in the economy of the country as it is the only practice which the farmers can do as it can be done on large as well as on small scale.

The word agriculture is short but its need is very vast as it plays a great role on different aspects of our lives. It provides the foundation through which people survive through the provision of food to both humans and their animals. Without agriculture, chances of survival would be minimal as both people and livestock would die out of starvation. As a result of this, agriculture has gained interest among many people, ordinary, policymakers and even researchers due to its important contribution to humanity.

Farming is done in three different categories such as Primitive Farming, Intensive Subsistence Farming, and commercial Farming. As the name suggests primitive subsistence farming is done on a small piece of land with the help of the small farming tools such as hoe and digging sticks including the family members as the labours and sometimes the community members play the part of the labours. Intensive Subsistence farming is done on high intensive area and a huge land with the help of the huge labour intense and high doses of biochemical fertilizers with the help of spraying machines and with the advanced agriculture tools and machines for the higher productivity. Commercial Farming uses the higher doses of fertilizers, high yielding variety seeds, pesticides and insecticides for the higher productivity

Agriculture industry is the basic need for many other industries such as food industry, ecosystem, and the main which is economic sector. Any country in the world that wants to be stable must provide its citizens with the food supplements. Through the different agricultural practices that are there, agriculture is the main source through which countries are able to feed their people. Through crop and livestock production, we are able to get food which is rich in nutrients needed by our bodies. As a result of agriculture, people are able to live free from deficiency diseases.The extent of destruction is influenced by the activities going on in a particular ecosystem. As population grows, more land and forests are now being cleared to create space for agricultural activities.

Agriculture Not Be A State Subject

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CII today organized a Seminar on Reforms in the APMC (Agricultural Produce Market Committee) Act , and its impact in the Southern States. This is an initiative of the Agri Business Sub-Committee, CII-Southern Region. Speaking at the occasion, Mr. Shankarlal Guru, Chairman-International Society for Agricultural Marketing said Agricultural sector is in urgent need of reforms by the respective State governments to help drive the economy to a higher growth rate that is expected by the policy makers, but a comprehensive agenda for reforms in this crucial sector is yet to emerge. Hence, the need for Agriculture to be made a central subject and not a state subject, thus alienating it from politics, said Mr. Guru. Contract farming should be encouraged as it will help bring technology and modern practices into the agriculture sector – opined Mr. Guru.

The APMC Act in each state of India requires all agricultural products to be sold only in government – regulated markets. These markets impose substantial taxes on buyers, in addition to commissions and fees taken by middlemen, but typically provide little service in areas such as price discovery, grading or inspection. A key impact of this regulation is the inability of private sector processors and retailers to integrate their enterprises directly with farmers or other sellers, eliminating middlemen in the process. Farmers also are unable to legally enter into contracts with buyers. This leaves no incentives for farmers to upgrade, and inhibits private and foreign investments in the food process sector.

Also addressing the audience was Mr. Sivakumar, Chairman Agri Business Sub-Committee, CII-Southern Region and Chief Executive – Agri, ITC Ltd. Said that Agri business in India is at a transition point. Having sailed through the shortage economy to an economy with surplus in grains, it is important that Governments at the Centre and State recognize the need for inclusive growth to take agriculture forward in India. Setting the context for the day’s discussion, Mr. Sivakumar emphasized that in spite of employing about 57% of the population of the country, agriculture on contributes 27% to the GDP of India. This distortion makes agriculture not a lucrative employment generator and hence, keeping with the global view, India needs to carve out opportunities in agri-exports sector. Contract farming and direct marketing to retail chains and processing units are the need of the hour he said.

Regulations to keep pace with these needs are required, which need alternative marketing mechanisms. Hence, reforms in the APMC Act are recommended in various fields, he added.

Making a presentation on “Aligning State Policies with emerging new marketing models”, Prof. S Raghunath from the Indian Institute of Management-Bangalore, emphasized the need for an effective and efficient distribution system for agri-produce and provision for supply-demand transparency. Since the main objective of the APMC Act was to prevent exploitation of farmers by various intermediaries, reforms were required in the Act, with changing face of agriculture and the agricultural supply chain, opined Prof Raghunath. India is the largest producer of vegetable in the world, with a total share of 15% of global produce. 8% of world’s fruits are produced in India, ranking it second in the world market. In spite of this, there is a high cumulative wastage of 40% in India, informed Prof. Raghunath. Inadequate infrastructure and lack of organized supply chain were the main cause for such a disparity, he said. Thus, reforms in this sector need to catch up with the pace of development in the economy and dis-intermediation and participation of organized players in the sector will remove the lacunae, opined Prof. Raghunath.

Centre asks states to amend APMC Act

In a move to allow farmers to directly sell their produce to industry, contract farming and setting up of competitive markets in private and cooperative sector, the Centre has asked the state government to amend the Agricultural Produce Marketing Act.

Under the present Act, the processing industry cannot buy directly from farmers. The farmer is also restricted from entering into direct contract with any manufacturer because the produce is required to be canalised through regulated markets. These restrictions are acting as a disincentive to farmers, trade and industries.

The government has recently approved a central sector scheme titled Development/strengthening of agricultural marketing infrastructure, grading and standardisation.

Under the scheme, credit linked investment subsidy shall be provided on the capital cost of general or commodity specific infrastructure for marketing of agricultural commodities and for strengthening and modernisation of existing agricultural markets, wholesale, rural periodic or in tribal areas.

The scheme is linked to reforms in state law dealing with agricultural markets (APMC Act). Assistance under the new scheme will be provided in those states that amend the APMC Act.

The Centre has asked the state governments to inform as to whether necessary amendments to the APMC Act have been carried out, in order to notify the reforming states for applicability of the scheme.

Along with the Centre, the industry is also interested in the amendment to the APMC Act as it restricts the growth of trade in agricultural commodities.

The policy regime pertaining to internal trade is particularly restrictive. The agricultural sector continues to be hamstrung by a plethora of controls, which were introduced during the era of shortages, said the PHDCCI.

Meanwhile, a decentralised system of procuring wheat and rice would make the Public Distribution System more cost effective, the government has said.

Agriculture Institute in India Economy is Mainly Based on Agriculture

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Indian economy is mainly based on agriculture. Most of the people live in villages and their main source of income is agriculture. There are a number of agriculture based companies are there and they play a huge role in the development and reforms in agriculture. Due to the presence of these agriculture majors, there are plenty of jobs available in this sector.

To get a god and interesting agriculture job, you need to get a good degree from a reputed institute. There are a number of good Agriculture institute in india those provides management degree in agriculture. You can either earn a degree or can get on-the-job training. Either of these manners of preparation will work to help you with your career, although formal education is over and over again more helpful for finding higher-paying jobs.

An MBA degree in agriculture will surely help you to get a high-paid job. If you are choosing to acquire a college degree in agriculture, there are quite a lot of options. There are several top agro business colleges in India from where you could get a degree in anything from agri business management programme, to animal sciences, to herd management or crop and soil development. Many colleges offer general courses in agriculture to assist students make a decision what they want to accentuate in their educational career. It is always obliging to talk with advisers for information about classes, career options, and course requirements. This option is well-liked for many because it allows students to choose their own area of study that suits their interests. Many agriculture students also get scholarships and internships to help them learn more about the field.

The top agriculture institute in India also provide on-the-job training facility for students. You can also get these facilities at many organizations. You can easily focus more on agricultural methods and practice. This option also pledges that you have a job after you are done training. Often, the more training you collect the more skills you obtain and the more opportunities you have for receiving higher pay rates. Employers also get to know you and often provide optimistic references for other job opportunities that come along.

As the agriculture sector in India is getting new heights due to the insertion of new technology and methods, it demands a skilled workforce for them. Agri business colleges in India are providing some of the best MBA graduates for agriculture sector.

Alder Helmat has been offering agri business management programme and management advice for quite some time. To find top agriculture institute in India and Search management online that best suits for more information you can visit here: http://www.afmiworld.org/.