Wednesday, January 2, 2008

Valley gets third Cotton County retail outlet

BABA UMAR
Srinagar, Jan 01:
Players in the retail apparel section are constantly vying for the lucrative Kashmiri market — and it was ‘Cotton County’, a men’s wear brand, which increased their brand presence by opening their third outlet in the Valley.
Pic by: Abid Khan
The outlet was inaugurated here in the city’s Court Road and the chief guest on the occasion was Member Legislative Council, Syed Basharat Bukhari.Bukhari who was also the first customer of the day said, he wishes to see more brands launching their outlets in the valley.“Everybody would love to have on branded clothes,” he said. “And yes we are waiting for other brands to establish their outlets here.”About the discount and rates Cotton County is offering, he said “the rates are genuine.” “I bought a branded track suit which is not expensive,” said he. Cotton County’s winter collection includes pullovers, woolens, tracksuits, sweat shirts, thermals and jackets. Cotton County offers complete product range in men’s wear like shirts, t-shirts, trousers, cargos and covers formals, semi formals and casuals.Cotton County is a part of Ludhiana-based multi-crore Nahar Group and is emerging as one of the leading men’s wear brand in India.Raman Sonie, Cotton County’s Area Field Manager said he was ecstatic to see the response from people who visited the outlet on the very first day. “We might do well till late afternoon,” he said as the customers started pouring in swarms.
However, many believe brand understanding among potential customers is an essential ingredient for these outlets to become successful in non-metro areas. Said Niyaz Ahmad, a lawyer, “I shopped for 3000 rupees here, but the thing is how many people know about the existence of such brands here.” He said it again depends on the brand conscience of the customers. In the wake of the winter season and New Year, Cotton County -the name synonymous with quality cotton apparels had come up with up to 70 percent discount on its complete range of apparels. “It will last for two months and the company might put on ‘Buy two get two free or 50 + 50’ offer,” said the outlet’s franchisee, Shabir Ahmad.

He said it is cheaper and more successful to adopt a discount option rather than appointing expensive brand ambassadors. Ahmad said the brand might open another outlet in South Kashmir’s Islamabad in the coming days.


J&K Bank dates 2008 for Kashmir enterprise

BABA UMAR



Srinagar, Jan 01: It’s a calendar choreographed anew on Kashmir. With ‘Kashmir Everywhere’ as its catchphrase, the Jammu and Kashmir Bank has come out with its latest calendar. What’s more is that it is an “upgrade” of what the bank has been bringing out from the past several years.This time the lens has been shifted away from the pictures of Kashmir’s flora and fauna, shrines, brides, landscape etc to a new spectrum. The new look is a portrayal of the Kashmiris with their merchandise clicked in the sundry markets of India. It’s all about Kashmiris slogging there in the plains of India and bringing home a new experience plus affluence. Chairman Jammu and Kashmir Bank Haseeb Drabu describes the schema of this year’s calendar as a move to “re-ascertain Kashmir’s cultural legacy”. “This is basically a new cultural proliferation and something what we can say an attempt to restore Kashmir’s rich heritage,” Drabu says.
The May page reads a beautiful one-liner of a Kashmiri shawl vendor in Kolkatta, “We don’t just sell shawls, we sell stories.”The January page comes with a one liner of three Kashmiri boys who are engaging a Delhite on a roadside deal: “Every customer is a new experience.” These quotes apart from the images of Kashmiri entrepreneurs which depict their fortitude are carried till the last month of 2008.And many deem it wise to agree on the distinctiveness of this year’s calendar. They say it is one of the best ever calendar the bank has ever brought out.“It simply shows the life and struggle of Kashmiris who are out there beyond our borders,” says Imran, a student of photojournalism. “I feel encouraged while looking at its all leafs.”
The New Year calendar provokes the onlooker to seek for the mastermind who has taken adequate care while finalisation of the artefact from its enduring themes and images, aesthetic designs to selection of fonts, finest quality paper and the best statements of the home grown entrepreneurs.“The idea,” says Drabu, “is to demonstrate how our common Kashmiris have gone ahead.” He says this year’s calendar is a tribute to such entrepreneurs and their fortitude. “I salute them as they are my idols,” says he.And about the bank’s New Year resolution, he says it is “to contribute utmost in a short span of time”. The calendar seems not just a bundle of leaflets meant for hanging there on walls but it’s being seen as an eternal sort of spirit to Kashmiris through their own culture.Moreover it syncs with the mission statement of the bank to empower the promising entrepreneurs of the Valley.

http://www.risingkashmir.com/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=51&Itemid=41



One media versus another

Pitted against one other, both trying to outsmart, it was spectators who emerged real winners as they enjoyed the match between local and national media, comments
BABA UMAR



In Kashmir, the local press and the national media have always been at loggerheads with each other. And on 29 December they opened up a new battle. Both parties took the clash out of their print and broadcast desks into the city’s SP College turf. They had earlier traded rhetoric of defeating each other in cricket and on the D Day: ‘Play or perish’ was the chant of the day. After the arch rivals are done with the hurdle, and, it is time to toss up a coin to fix on who will bat first.
“Get the coin,” shouts a lenseman working for local press. One of the players from the other camp takes out a dime (Canadian coin) and hands over it to the umpires, as if his salary is deposited in the foreign currency. “Scribes are running short of coins,” mumbles one of the umpire. Within five minutes the umpires are done with their first job of the day.
“Put on the pads,” orders the national media captain to his openers. Everyone knows that each side is playing less for the trophy and more for the pride. “We defeated them in the last match, and today we will teach them a new lesson,” says the local’s team guru confidently, who later doned the commentary cap. The burly long-bearded man, a lenseman by profession, is seen as a sort of spiritual leader in the opposite camp.
“They respect him,” says a National media player. “He’s their mentor.” The national side too has their adviser. They would also seek his blessings before running out there on the pitch. The opening pair is ready in the gears and it’s the time to have a word with their guru who offers dates to his opening players. “Have it and do well there,” he tells them. “We can’t afford to lose today’s game. Mind it,” he warns.
The national media is proud of their voice that transcends across all Indian States. However, the local press team calls themselves as the true voice of Kashmir. And on the cricket pitch both sides would settle scores, using services of their eleven players who would score runs by hitting a small hard leather-covered ball with a bat, and running between two sets of wickets. Both the balls and bats are English made. “Who won’t love to play with English willow?” quips one of the openers while leaving the makeshift dressing room.
It’s the bowling side which dominates the first inning. Scribes from the national side posed a mild score. Though there middle order showed some character in the middle overs but the score was not daunting. Now the first stipulated overs are completed it’s the time to hurdle and discuss strategies. Twenty four men, two separate circles including two gurus, and a swarm of crowd clapping and getting pleasure out of the game. The cricketers disperse and the second inning begins. The ‘spiritual guru’ starts commentary surprisingly after his team’s innings. And the kids would surround him to listen his teasers. “Aur yeh hamara batsman out –nahi huwa!” he taunts the other team as the first catch of the second inning has been dropped. The crowd enjoys and kids around the guru giggle.
The local press openers made it an easygoing. The mild score is chased in 14 overs. The national team loses the match to their counterparts and the crowd is on their toes. Meanwhile VADI channel’s (a regional TV channel) reporting team emerges out from nowhere and starts demanding the score cards from each side. The national side is bruised and equally loath to show their score card. But the local press doesn’t hesitate; after all they have retained the pride. The winning team had her revenge. And VADI got a sports story.