TMILLAN Newsletter IX - TM International Logistics Limited
Transcription
TMILLAN Newsletter IX - TM International Logistics Limited
/ TMILLAN / 9th EDITION / OCT 2012 MESSAGE FROM MD Dear Colleague, We are almost through with half of this financial year and inspite of the doom that prevails throughout the world, our overall result is a mixed bag. While the difficulty factor has increased in all our areas, with ingenuity and hard work all of you have ensured that we are not far from our annual plans. Since TMILL has had a series of successful years and is constantly trying to expand into new areas, the onus on us to ensure that a robust risk management process prevails has increased, so that our hard earned cash is never depleted. CONTENTS Page 2 >Events ---------------------------------------------Page 5 > News from SBU’s ---------------------------------------------Page 7 > From the HR Desk ---------------------------------------------Page 8 > Employee Corner ---------------------------------------------Page 11 > Family Corner ---------------------------------------------Page 13 > Congratulations One of the most successful ways of risk management is to understand whom you are doing business with. While we are fortunate to have many Tata companies and well known multi-nationals as our customers, the need for such robust risk management process only increases with the higher variety of businesses TMILL indulges in. Capturing all experiences and drawing learnings out of them is an essential part of growth and we have to actively take part in this process. ---------------------------------------------- TMILL’s businesses and its health has always been a derivative of primarily iron ore, steel and coal businesses. Contrary to popular belief, 2012 will witness again a 5% increase in sea borne iron ore trade over 2011. Similarly sea borne thermal coal trade has also increased by 7% this year along with coking coal which has also shown a marginal increase. Therefore shipping demand per se has remained healthy. It is only a huge supply of new vessels that has made the shipping market softer and has affected our earnings and prospects of growth in the present condition. As a pointer to this, one cannot disregard the fact that today 55% of Capesize vessels are of the age group of 0–4 years, an aspect which even proud airlines like Singapore Air will find difficult to match. While markets will remain difficult, we will have to grow our earnings not only for shareholders benefits, but also for benefits of employees. Constant thoughts of research and innovation in whatever we do will see us through challenging times. We are fortunate to have a variety of revenue streams to fall back on and we must utilize the cross learning opportunities to ensure risk mitigation and sustainable growth. TMILLAN / OCTOBER 2012 Page 15 > Condolence ---------------------------------------------Page 15 > New Joinees ---------------------------------------------Page 15 > Puzzle ---------------------------------------------- Regards Dibyendu Bose PAGE 1 EVENTS PORT operation Maritime Day celebration at Dhamra GM Ports at the event with the team The maritime day was celebrated by DPCL at Dhamra on 5th of April, 2012. To mark the occasion – the DPCL DAV public school was inaugurated on the said day. Quizzes, antakshari’s and a most awaited cricket match were conducted all throughout the day. TMILL employees actively participated & performed well in all the events. Captained by Mr.Manoj Pradhan (who was also named the Man of the Match)-team TMILL managed to grab the Champions Trophy for the Cricket tournament. The celebration came to an end with a cultural evening. The first Occupational Health Check-up camp at Dhamra was conducted from 8 -12th May 2012. The camp had been organized with the help of Dr. A S Tripathy, Eye Specialist and Dr.B N Mahapatra, Occupational Health Consultant under the banner of Utkal Poly Clinic, Bhubaneswar. The camp covered Prescribed Occupational Health Tests, Computerized Eye test, Hearing Test, ECG, Computerized Pulmonary Function Test, Random Blood test for Sugar & Haemoglobin and Urine for Routine & Microscopic tests. All employees of TMILL Dhamra (including all contractual workers) were covered in the camp. The medical check-up was also extended to the officers and staff of DPCL posted at Dhamra. More than 550 people were examined. Blood Donation Camp at Dhamra “Donate blood, Gift Life” Mr.Pradhan receiving the trophy for Champions of the Cricket Tournament Occupational Health Check-up camp at Dhamra As a part of the Company’s social service drive, a blood donation camp was conducted in association with the Red Cross Blood Bank, Bhubaneswar at the Dhamra Port Township by TMILL on 13th June 2012. One of the major objectives of the camp was to make people aware of blood donation drives and remove the fear & misconceptions about donating blood. There were a good number of first time blood donors-we expect the message was taken well! A total of 107 units of blood were collected. This included 5 units of rare blood groups as well. TMILLAN / OCTOBER 2012 PAGE 2 EVENTS CHA & Il Tata Centre on 13th July 2012. GM Ports felicitated and congratulated them. Their families also attended the occasion. Customer Meet Mr. Susanta Basu with his two daughters Viswakarma Puja at Central Depot Mr. C V Sastry with GM, CHA & IL A customer meet was organized by TMILL CHA & IL Division on 18th April, 2012 at J.K Residency; Jamshedpur. It was attended by the entire MRO and procurement teams of Tata Steel. Eminent guests including Mr. C. V. Sastry, Mr. Ranjan Sinha, Mr. Sumit Subhadarshan & Mr. Shantanu Verma graced the occasion. The meet was followed by a cocktail and dinner party. On the occasion of Viswakarma Puja on 17th September 2012, lunch was organised by TMILL CHA & IL Division at Central Depot, Kolkata. Employees from Tata Steel, Tata Steel FAMD,TKM and TMILL thronged the venue to taste the traditional Biriyani, which has become the trademark of the occasion. TKM Global Logistics TKM INDIA Mr.Sumit Subhadarshan in the meet Reward and Recognition TKM Chennai team members had organized a fun-filled picnic at Goa from 28th to 30th April 2012. The three day trip was peppered with activities ranging from para-sailing, sea surfing to boat cruising. Trips to the Goa Museum and Fort Aguada were the highlights of the three day visit. The trip bolstered team spirit and helped the team members interact with each other on a personal level. Mr. Debasish Saha with his family At the end of the first quarter of FY 13, TMILL CHA & IL Division rewarded Mr. Susanta Basu and Mr. Debasish Saha as the Employees of the Quarter in an event conducted at TMILLAN / OCTOBER 2012 PAGE 3 EVENTS Partner meet at TKM Global, Hamburg, Germany Mr. Juzar Mustan, Country Head of TKM India and Capt S R Patnaik, CEO ISL, along with several other officers of TMILL and TKM India, also participated in this meet. Mr. Mustan presented the various economic and business parameters that were making India an area with ample growth opportunities. Spirit of sailing On 16th June 2012, the opening day of the international regatta “Kieler Woche” in the Baltic Sea, TKM Germany arranged its sailing event on board the “Atlantis”- a three mast barquentine, 57m long sail ship built in 1905. TKM Global, Germany, held a partner meet on 15th of June 2012 at Hamburg. The meet was attended by TKM´s partners from various overseas countries including some of their key suppliers and carriers. Mr. Dibyendu Bose, M.D TMILL, addressed the meet & while communicating the growth opportunities in India he also elaborated on how TKM’s partners can leverage the competencies we have developed in the country. Sailing on a ship with over 100 people on board needs strong winds but usually strong winds are accompanied by rain, especially in the North of Europe and while the guests boarded the bus at Hamburg to be transferred to Kiel, rain came in full force dampening the spirit of the participants. The people of Hamburg, to get over such gloomy weather, have a saying -“There is no bad weather but only bad clothes and some days you have to wear them”. The planning by the TKM team had taken all eventualities into account, so out came the bright blue sailing jackets and TKM´s “Spirit of Sailing” cap for the guests to put on and be ready to ride the tide. As we approached Kiel and were about to board the Atlantis, the sun appeared from behind the dark clouds, the horizon cleared and it was the most perfect day out in the sea. Welcoming the customers, partners and business associates, Mr Amar Patnaik, Global Head of TKM, highlighted the need for a more engaged co-operation with partners to meet the present day challenges. He expressed TKM’s strong commitment with its partners for a long term sustainable relationship where both sides have a fair share of the value being generated. Mr. Amar Patnaik, Global Head of TKM and M.D, TKM Germany said that this year’s event was bigger than the year before and hoped that the next one will be even bigger. “TKM with the support its customer and partners will sail through the current adverse winds of the economy and we are prepared to face the challenging tides” he said. While the meeting was held at a time of looming financial and economic crisis, especially in Europe, the participants were hopeful that with their combined efforts and drawing upon each other’s strength areas, they would be able to live up to the challenges . TMILLAN / OCTOBER 2012 Mr. Dibyendu Bose, M.D TMILL, in his address to the guests mentioned that TKM´s sailing event is important as it enables us to get together with our customers and partners in an environment away from office which helps develop & grow mutual relationship and understanding with one another. It’s a small way of expressing our thanks and gratitude to PAGE 4 EVENTS our customers for their patronage and to our partners and business associates for their support. NEWS FROM SBU’S Maiden Shipment at Sohar MV Mandarin Glory was the first vessel to call at bulk terminal Sohar, on July 1st 2012. It had been chartered by Al Batnah Quarries, which was established long ago in the Batnah region for export of stone aggregates (Ghabro) to Qatar. This is the first shipment of stone aggregates from Batnah region by sea. The region has a huge potential for movement of Ghabro and there is also a large demand for the same at Qatar. Guests had an exhilarating day in the high sea taking Rib rides on inflatable speed boats. The theme was Caribbean based with Latin music and dance performance with a live band. Guests were treated to a multicuisine onboard lunch and later on in true German spirit and culture to “Kaffee und Kuchen” ( coffee and cake) before we returned back to the pier at 1700 hrs with the sun still up in the North European summer sky. The terminal has a draft of 18m, which is much deeper than most of the ports in the region. The shippers from the region will be benefitted immensely, as vessels up to Post Panamax size (85000 MT) can be loaded to its full draft, thus averting dead freight altogether. This will facilitate shippers to remain competitive in the stone aggregate and other bulk mineral market. TMILL, along with our consortium partners Khimji Ramdas Shipping, have commissioned the temporary berth- Berth No. 14, which has been allotted by Port of Sohar for movement of bulk minerals. The temporary berth is likely to be operational for two years to export and import full range of bulk minerals such as Ghabro, limestone etc, to name a few. The permanent terminal will take about two years to be ready (at Berth No. 25). This terminal shall be equipped with high capacity ship loader & unloaders of innovative design. The terminal shall be linked to the yard with a 3.5 km long conveyor system. It is being designed for a capacity of approximately 10 Million MT. At the temporary terminal, the loading of the bulk minerals is being handled by the ship’s gear and should the throughput volume increase, the consortium is likely to add a mobile conveying system to speed up the loading operations. The terminal has about 45000 sqm area for storing minerals, for easy handling. Handling of the first vessel marks a new chapter for Oman and particularly for Quarries in Batnah, who can look forward to increasing the volume of production and gain a share in TMILLAN / OCTOBER 2012 PAGE 5 NEWS FROM SBU’S the growing aggregate market in Qatar. This will facilitate an improved turn-around of the vessels calling at the port, where there is no waiting time, making it an attractive proposition for the bulk carriers. Three more vessels have been handled since the first one in the months of August and September at the temporary terminal. CHA & IL DIVISION Visit to mines port operatiON BMHS Dhamra New Mode of operation TMILL engineers have developed a new mode in PLC wherein SR (Stacker Reclaimer) -1 and R (Reclaimer) -1 can run simultaneously. The requirement for such an operation was felt when an Iron Ore Rake of M/s JSW needed to be tippled and simultaneously an Iron Ore vessel of M/s Rungta needed to be loaded. The function could not be carried out as the said mode / selection of operation was not available in the existing design. A 4th mode of operation was developed by our Dhamra team (additional to the already existing three modes) to aid the simultaneous operations at SR-1 & R-1 thus enabling continuity in vessel loading as well as Wagon Tippling. Wagon tippler-1 tippled the material which was stacked through SR-1 and simultaneously, material was reclaimed through R-1 and loaded in the vessel. Second Wagon Tippler The second WT (Wagon Tippler - Rotaside) type started operations in Dhamra on 30th August 2012. The rated capacity of the WT is 20 tips per hour (designated capacity 25 tips per hour), tippling of a rake therefore can be finished in less than three hours. For the first operation-3870 MT of Thermal Coal was tippled for account M/s Adani. Appreciation for Agency Department M/s Bengal Energy is a prime customer of TMILL’s Agency Department at Dhamra & Haldia. MV GRM Princess , owned by the group ,called at Haldia Port to discharge coal on account of M/s SAIL. Since this was the maiden voyage of the vessel to Haldia, a gettogether was organized by the ship owners on 18th July’12 which was attended by senior Port officials, bankers, TMILL officers and a hundred odd employees of the Bengal Energy Group. The event was coordinated by TMILL Agency Division with utmost efficiency and that has earned appreciation from all quarters. TMILLAN / OCTOBER 2012 Team members of TMILL, CHA&IL division visited the offices of Tata Steel at Noamundi on 22-23rd August 2012, with the objective of discussing various process improvements for faster import clearance. They also conducted a trip to the Katamati mines and learned about the Iron-ore mining processes. Training for Tata Steel, MRO Division A training was organised by TMILL CHA&IL division to guide their counterparts in Tata Steel MRO Division on TMILL’s process flow for Import clearance. There were sessions conducted by TMILL officials on Customs House Rules & Regulations, Procedure for Bill of Entry Filing, Transportation Contract, Re-export and all other necessary components. The members of the MRO team also visited the Kolkata Port, Kolkata Airport and the Customs House to better understand the entirety of the process, including physical despatch of cargo. TKM TKM Kolkata - New office premises The new office of TKM Kolkata was inaugurated on 10th August 2012 by MD TMILL. The event began with the ceremonial ribbon cutting and lighting of the auspicious lamp. The TKM-Kolkata office premises were shifted from the existing setup at Harrington Mansion to Kankaria Estate, Kolkata. PAGE 6 NEWS FROM SBU’S New office of TKM China TKM has opened a new office in Qingdao, China headed by Mr. Frank Chen, with an objective to further explore & develop business opportunities in the Chinese Market. The new office was inaugurated on 20th Aug 2012. The initial focus of the office will be on Sales & Business Development activities in the North China Region (mainly Qingdao) and it will gradually aim to grow as a full-fledged Branch office for TKM China. Half Yearly Review meeting of TKM TKM’s half yearly review meeting was held on 21st and 22nd September 2012 at Tollygunge Club, Kolkata. The meeting was attended by Mr. Bose (Chairman TKM & MD TMILL), Mr.A.Patnaik (Global Head TKM), Mr.Juzar Mustan (Country Manager TKM India), Branch managers & representatives of all TKM India offices. Over a period of two days- the branch performances, strategy of TKM as a group, sales philosophy of the company and many other important issues that surfaced during the consecutive sessions were discussed and debated. Mr. Manish Agarwal, Head of Finance TKM, addressed the financial aspects of the freight forwarding business in his presentation. The first day session was followed by a sumptuous dinner party which was also attended by some of the senior leaders of TMILL. The event was a learning experience for all the participants. It helped foster a common understanding of what the group stands for and also aided in developing a better understanding of the macro parameters contributing to an end-to-end solution. FROM THE HR DESK FROM THE HR DESK The first Essentials of Excellence (EOE) In-House Programme was held in Dhamra from the 19 - 21st of July 2012. The programme was conducted by trainers from Tata Quality Management Services (TQMS) and was attended by around thirty participants from TMILL Dhamra and TMHSPL Dhamra. The programme was aimed to help business managers learn and apply the principles of excellence in their work. The structure of the program drew from the TBEM criteria and tried to demystify the complexity associated with it. The sessions were case based and interactive and were customized based on the business needs of TMILL Dhamra. TBEM Application Writing at Dubai The TBEM Application Writing for the year 2012 was held in Dubai from 3rd May to 9th May, 2012. A cross-functional team of nine officers from TMILL and TKM, India along with two officers from ISL were part of the exercise. The trip was an amalgamation of work and fun as the hectic week-long programme was well interspersed with sight-seeing in Dubai and was rounded off with a trip to Abu Dhabi on the last day. The programme also provided an opportunity for the team from India to interact with colleagues from Dubai. The TBEM Application 2012 for TMILL has now been uploaded on the HRIS Portal. It can be downloaded by logging on to https://smarthr.hrservicesonline.com. The document will be available on the portal only for the next few days. Essentials of Excellence (EOE) Programme - Dhamra TMILLAN / OCTOBER 2012 PAGE 7 EMPLOYEE CORNER Piracy – viewing with Eyes By Capt. Sudhir Kunnath, ISL, Dubai “Do you have eyes or marbles? ” Were the words out of my First Captain in his late 50’s with an oversized physique and an unkempt French beard ,round-rimmed glasses & a cheerful demeanour. He was chiding the second mate for having plotted a straight line course from South of Sri lanka to Gulf of Aden on a voyage from Singapore to Suez, during the Peak South West Monsoons . After the initial volley of words, the Captain called him closer and advised the young second mate about the huge mountainous swell which would be encountered at the entrance of Gulf of Aden where it meets the Arabian Sea, if the said route were to be taken. Hence, as per the time tested practice and the guidance by the Routing guides, the vessel had to head to the southern part of Somalia and then coast along Somalian waters to turn into Aden, this route would keep the vessel off unwanted stress and heavy weather damages . Being a witness to this entire episode as a fresh cadet, I stood in the corner and squirmed like a worm -all the while noting the time tested advice and setting my mind that never shall I go direct in the South West monsoons. But nowadays, any individual, even without any connection to sailing would advise you to take the route of Gulf of Aden; such has been the turnaround of events in the past twenty years. Now the effects of the mountainous swells have turned into child’s play as the resurgence and fear of the age old profession of piracy has turned these waters into one of the most treacherous sea routes in the world. Even after applying all the best practices to counter the threat of attack (including the advice from armchair navigators about patrols and rigging fire fighting hoses to counter the grenades and Ak47) if the pirates have planned an attack, they shall capture! After capture: After the pirates gain control of a vessel, it is taken to the sheltered waters of Somalia. Upon reaching the anchorage, additional reinforcement of guards are sent on board to safeguard against the threat anticipated from the attack of rival groups. A negotiator (usually educated and fluent in English) visits the ship regularly to speak to the crew and the pirates. He acts as the middle man between the vessel owner and pirates. The life after capture, as narrated by the numerous released sailors, reveal inhuman treatment of innocent seafarers including continual exposure to searing heat and brutal abuse at the hands of their Somali captors- mostly comprising of TMILLAN / OCTOBER 2012 youngsters under the influence of the drugs; carrying rifles and ammunition. Mostly the captives are chained and given rationed water and food. There is no access to any basic amenities. Even though for all these years, the pirates haven’t been executing the seafarers, but as evident from the recent encounters, they have now proceeded to perform mock executions whilst the Captain is in conversation with the vessel owners, thereby putting pressure on the negotiation process. Response and Release: Lucky are those seafarers whose employers or governments respond swiftly-including some parties agreeing to deliver the Ransom amount within the said timeline. Though, on the other hand, numerous overnight owners with junk vessels and without insurance haven’t responded to the pirates’ demands, further aggravating the agony of the seafarers. However once the ransom is agreed upon, it is dropped through the helicopters on to the vessel deck, to be collected by the pirates. The amount could be anything from 5million or above. The earned booty is shared among all. This is the most dangerous period of the seize as it has led to various shoot out incidents amongst the pirates and their support staff, wherein the seafarers are sometimes caught in the cross fires. After the release, the seafarers return to the safety of their homes, but the fear and shock still remains. In many cases, they have to resort to counselling to overcome the agony and pain of their torture Future Ahead: Maritime piracy costs the international economy about 12 billion dollars, annually. Experts predict that there may be a scale down in such events in the years to come, as prospects of exploration for oil and gas is being expected in vast expanse of Somalia. This may ultimately benefit the citizens of Somalia and thus change and improve their living standards and means of earning their livelihood. It’s with hope that we anticipate that the situation shall normalize and the age-old practice of navigating along the coasts of Somalia will become relevant again. In the distant future another new cadet may hear his captain chiding his second mate for plotting a course directly to Gulf of Aden and not along the Somalian waters and snarling at him “Do you have eyes or Marbles ?“ PAGE 8 EMPLOYEE CORNER Rupee Mayhem- Loosing Direction Fall in FDI (Foreign Direct Investment) in India Unstable Political situation of the country By Mr. Ashok Sanghvi, Finance and Accounts, Kolkata The value of Rupee has had significant turbulence so far in this calendar year. It started from a low of INR 53.3 per USD at the beginning of January 2012, recovered to a level of INR 48.67 per USD early in February 2012 but lost it’s strength and went past the fifty mark again in March 2012. The slowdown which began since then, further continued as Rupee reached a level of INR 56 per USD in July 2012. Today Rupee is hovering at a level of INR 53 per USD. Chart below depicts the Rupee-Dollar movement over the last nine months: How it is going to impact... Inflation: Rupee slide is going to further add to domestic inflation Oil and other commodities: India is structurally a highly import intensive nation. The Rupee depreciation will particularly hit the industrial sector and put higher pressure on their costs as items like oil, imported coal, metals and minerals and imported industrial intermediate products will get affected. Despite fall in the international prices of Crude Oil, importers will not get the benefit of same as they have to pay more in Rupee to buy the same quantity of oil. Foreign Borrowings: Deprecating Rupee has also made foreign borrowings costlier. As per recent publication by RBI, India’s total external debt has increased to 336 billion USD. The corporate had been resorting to ECB (External Commercial Borrowings), FCCB (Foreign currency Convertible Bonds) route to fund their requirements since there was a huge liquidity problem and rising interest cost in the country. However, a sharp fall in Rupee has made repayment of foreign loan costlier. Comparative Exchange rate movement: To understand whether the Indian currency is the only one which has faced such a downturn or if there are other nations whose currencies have also suffered such setbacks, an analysis has been made below which shows that the currency of the emerging economies have also depreciated against the USD. (Source : RBI) Reason behind such untoward movement: There are varied reasons for the Rupee becoming unstable: Acute global risk aversion and continued apprehensions about the domestic macroeconomic landscape. Adverse Budgetary proposals – GAAR (General AntiAvoidance Rules) Worsening BoP (Balance of payment) position- The causes of Rupee depreciation can be traced to the country’s worsening BoP situation. Trade deficit during 2011-12 amounted to USD 184.9 billion, as compared with USD 118.7 billion during 2010-11. Higher Inflation FII (Foreign Institutional Investor) exiting India- With global unrest and fall in stock markets FII ‘s are also pulling out money from India and back to their native countries. TMILLAN / OCTOBER 2012 Currency Brazilian Real Equivalent to 1 USD Lowest in last eight 26.09.12 months 1.70 2.03 % Decline 19.41% Chinese yuan 6.27 6.31 0.64% South African Rand 7.44 8.23 10.62% Mexican Peso 12.59 12.87 2.22% Russian Ruble 28.90 31.18 7.89% It is evident from above, that unrest in the western countries has affected the economy and thereby the currencies of the nations in the other parts of the world deeply. Suggestions – What the authorities can do: Introduction of a special USD buying window for oil companies Issuance of a Dollar denominated bond to boost NRI inflows if the Rupee does indeed come under significant pressure. The government can take initiatives which encourage and increase the flow of foreign investments into India PAGE 9 EMPLOYEE CORNER Relaxing ECB (External Commercial Borrowings )Norms The government can make investments attractive and invite long term FDI (Foreign Direct Investment) debt funds in infrastructure sector. Government can consider temporary import compression. FDI (Foreign Direct Investment) in the aviation industry, retail can also attract foreign investors. World Risk Day By Mr.Pranab Roy Chowdhury Internal Auditor,Kolkata Governance and Management Lessons from the Financial Crisis; How Taking Smarter Risks Will Drive Value and Growth; The Importance of Organisational Risk Culture; Effectively Integrating Practical Risk Assessments into an Organization’s Strategic Decision Making Process; The Connection between Enterprise Risk, Business Continuity and Insurance; Managing the Risk of Government. Supporters World Risk Day has attracted supporters from around the globe (viz. Active Risk, The Association for Federal Enterprise Risk Management (AFERM), The Institute of Risk Management (IRM), The Institute of Risk Management South Africa (IRMSA), the Major Projects Association (MPA), The Risk and Insurance Management Society, Inc. (RIMS), The Risk Management Institution of Australasia Limited (RMIA), The Risk Management Association e.v. (RMA) and many more) who believe that taking smarter risks based on superior risk intelligence can drive innovation and competitive advantage. Speakers Speakers included representatives from The Coca Cola Corporation, Crossrail (Europe’s largest infrastructure project), Pricewaterhouse Coopers, Active Risk and risk trade bodies from around the world. Content from the World Risk Day Virtual Summit will be archived and made available ondemand and free of charge to all registrants. World Risk Day, launched on June 26, 2012, focused on the benefits of taking smarter business risks, kicked off its Virtual Summit with sessions featuring over twenty expert speakers, twelve live presentations, and a range of on-demand content all focused on sharing global best practices around enterprise risk management (ERM). World Risk Day presentations began at 5:00 P.M. in Sydney, Australia (3:00 A.M. EDT*) and covering Africa, Europe and the USA scheduled to end at 10:00 P.M. in the UK / 5:00 P.M. EDT / 2:00 P.M. PDT**, enabling risk practitioners and participants from all around the world to be involved. The Virtual Summit has over 1,200 webinar registrations. What is World Risk Day? World Risk Day is the first ever awareness day focused on the opportunities which come from taking smarter risks supported by the right intelligence. Through a Virtual Summit and ongoing conversation, World Risk Day provided a global forum for business leaders to share best practices on how taking smarter risk drives strategy, confidence, and ultimately, profitability within the organization. World Risk Day Virtual Summit topics include, among others: TMILLAN / OCTOBER 2012 In addition to the Virtual Summit, other World Risk Day highlights include: World Risk Day Resource Center - This online resource center features a consolidation of the most relevant and informative risk information from around the world. World Risk Day Blog - The World Risk Day blog, updated regularly, covers the hottest topics related to enterprise risk management and features expert commentary from guest bloggers. World Risk Day benchmark survey - How well are organizations managing risk? Participants who complete the World Risk Day benchmark survey at WorldRiskDay. com will gain access to the results for a better understanding of how their risk maturity compares to others around the globe. To learn more about World Risk Day, please visit www.worldriskday.com or email info@worldriskday.com. * EDT – Eastern Daylight Time ** PDT – Pacific Daylight Time PAGE 10 FAMILY CORNER We introduce the Family Corner section for the first time in this edition of TMILL. This section will feature contributions from the family members of employees of the TMILL Group. We invite participation from all - articles, prose, poetry, paintings...anything imaginative and new is welcome! Hindsight By : Ms Aditi Bhowmick, D/O Mr K. L. Bhowmick “The future belongs to those who believe in the beauty of their dreams”. -Eleanor Roosevelt When I was a little kid, my world comprised of Malory Towers, Darrell Rivers was my heroine and my dreams knew no limit. Though, somewhere in my sub conscience I had accepted that certain things are probably beyond my reach. Therefore, I grew up in reverse. Normally, when one grows up they realize their dreams cannot be true and accept reality. My life has sort of been an odyssey from reality to dreams. I was terribly pragmatic when I was a child, but now I trust my most idyllic dream because I believe, that if our belief is honest enough and if we want things for earnest, there isn’t any looking back. So I joined Welham Girls’ School when I was twelve. Boarding school made me understand the essence of walking the extra mile and not only for oneself, for others as well. I grew up with values which are hard to find in the age of commercialized education. I had never planned to study abroad initially; I had set my heart on Stephens like many Indian kids. However, in class 10, I was selected for a month long exchange with St. Edwards School, Oxford. To put it as simply as possible, I fell in love with the city of Oxford, the dreaming spires, pristine sky and the smell of history, art, literature and culture in the air. Oxford seems like a distant dream when one is young, not only today, but even during our grandparents’ times. I realized that there is something very inviting about a multicultural atmosphere. One feels more conscious of their Indian identity once placed in a globalized milieu. I came back convinced I wanted to teach in Oxford. But as the years rolled, I realized it was not easy at all. Places like Oxford and Cambridge are very selective in their admissions process and offer the same restrictive courses as the Indian curriculum. Moreover, with ISC and no IB or GCSE experience, it is a long shot. Also, it is expensive, this is not to discourage at all, but these are the hard facts. Nevertheless, during my second last year of school, a very close friend of mine who is now studying in Yale opened my mind to the brilliant liberal arts institutions offered by TMILLAN / OCTOBER 2012 the United States. The Ivy League schools are actually not unassailable. If you have dreamt of being a Princetonian, a Cornellian , and a Stanfordian and so on as a kid, it’s actually not a futile daydream. It is very possible. The Ivy League schools of US are need blind and if they think you are good enough for them, they’ll do anything to ensure you get to study in their schools, and that includes giving out massive financial aid. The application process is very simple and comprehensive. Most colleges require SAT and at least two SAT subject tests. However, this is not the only criteria for admission. Students who have scored 2400 in SAT cannot be sure of getting into Ivies. The essay and letters of recommendation are equally essential. If you have been an all rounded person in school and are passionate about what you do, it’s your call. It’s not only about getting all the algorithms in Math right, you could be a brilliant cartoonist or a remarkable photographer, and these universities are looking out for you. Nevertheless, I worked hard on my applications. I had a tougher time than usual because I was in a boarding school and boarding comes with innumerable responsibilities. I was also involved in Intensive debating, writing, music, art and was a student editor. So my bag was pretty much overflowing. In addition to that, I had to deal with the drudgery of preliminary examinations and ISC preparation. I managed finishing my applications before the deadline somehow. But in the end, the toil paid off. I got accepted by Cornell with the Tata Scholarship. I also got accepted by a few other remarkable schools. I managed a surreal ISC score and things worked like a dream. I am months away from beginning my undergraduation at Cornell and could not be more thrilled. The feeling is as if the world is my oyster. So if your parents are supportive, and you have nurtured dreams since you were a child, don’t resist the urge to do well in life, and take the chance. Best of Luck! Aditi has been awarded the TGELF Fellowship and is presently pursuing her undergraduate studies at Cornell University, USA. My foray into the wilds By : Ms. Anisha Bose D/o Mr. D. Bose It was on 31st of March, that my family and one of our close friends decided to go to Madhya Pradesh to explore the jungles of Bandhavgarh and Kanha. We took an overnight train to a placeGondia (Maharashtra). It was wonderful to have a trip like this. Our youngest member -Ishika was very excited. PAGE 11 FAMILY CORNER It was quite a long journey from that place to Kanha .We were all tired and so we went to our rooms. This was the funniest, there were no rooms, and instead there were tents! They were a little far from the reception. They were huge and beautiful with an attached patio. The atmosphere did have a wild look with tiger grass all around and bright sun shine each day. We, the children, or ‘bachha party’ as coined by Jaya aunty, went for a swim. We had ordered the most delicious milkshakes for each of us, which later made a hole our parent’s pockets. Next day, or rather I, would call it dawn-5:30 am, we got ready with torches in our hands as it was pitch dark and the only light present was coming from the fire flies. The parents had porridge with wine, as the staff of Kanha called it an ‘eye opener’. I took Esha’s (Ishika’s elder sister) advice and had hot chocolate. It was yummy! Around-5:45a.m. we started from the campus. On our way, our naturalistMr.Akash or the children’s-our favourite Akash uncle was telling us about the rules and regulations of the core jungle areas that must be followed. My eyes fell on a strange tree with at least 80 bee-hives in it. I took lots of pictures of that tree. I specially have interest in such wonderful things as they will remain as the most precious memoirs of my life. Our first day in the jungle was quite adventurous, although that day it was hard to spot the Big Cat. Although the big cat eluded us, Wild boars, Peacocks, Hawk eagles, Red jungle fowl, Barasinghas, Sambar deer waited for our attention. The next day too turned to have bad luck for us. That evening we went for a small trek near the Banjaar River flowing next to our cottage. I had heard about wild boars and that they could attack and injure a person severely. At that time we heard a roar and a tiger call given by the monkeys. We were all alarmed about the thought that the tiger could cross the river and could come this way and attack us. At that moment, Esha asked everyone what calls each of us knew. I answered “Tiger calls” Naturalist - “All the calls”. At the end she answered she knew only about phone calls! The third day, was our last day in Kanha. We left early morning for our drive to Bandhavgarh. In between we saw very scenic places adorned with trees. As we arrived, we found that the hotel had a very innovative way of welcoming guests-the staff was waving, and there was a smile in each person’s face. We had seen this same way of welcoming in Kanha as well. A very interesting fact-in Kanha, we were staying in tents near the Banjaar River, so the place was called Banjaartola. In Bandhavgarh, we lived in cottages-so called ‘Kothis’ with Mahua trees all around, thus the name ‘Mahuakothi’.It had been a pleasant stay at Kanha,I wondered if our luck would change in Bandhavgarh. TMILLAN / OCTOBER 2012 On our first day in Bandhavgarh, we visited a village, where they provided us information on the sloth bears- how they attacked for having Mahua. When we were coming back, the children were waving at us. It was a wonderful feeling, as though they were our close friends. Next day, our routine remained the same. We all got up at 5:30 am, ready to go. As soon as we entered the forest, we saw a jungle cat which crossed our gypsy. From that time I had a feeling that this time I would get to spot a tiger. For a long time we were roaming all around the forest, till the time our naturalist- Olvin uncle (an extremely serious person with a huge ‘Air India Maharaja’ like moustache)got the news of a tiger nearby. So all the other gypsies along with ours’ ran to see the star of the jungle. I was very fortunate to see a tiger-no-wait, to see two tigers on the same day. My day was surely made. The second time, when we spotted the tiger, you wouldn’t just believe that we saw it coming out of the jungle, crossing the National Highway and entering the next forest. It was a wonderful day. We all were stunned, but the star tiger was oblivious of the fact that his audience gave their topmost attention, kept clicking his pictures in their cameras. He walked away like a huge celebrity. On our way back to Kolkata, we stayed at one of my Dad’s friend’s house. They had a huge bungalow and a very intelligent dog - Dobby. We had a flight from Benares to Kolkata, so we stayed there for a day too, enjoyed the puja in the temples and had their special dish made out of milk. My Mom bought a few Benarasi sarees for our relatives. In the flight, I kept thinking about the day when I had spotted two tigers on the same day. I was surely lucky and felt overexcited. Next day I found myself on my bed. We then met Esha, Ishika, Jaya aunty and Ashish uncle at their place for lunch and watched the videos and had a lot of fun. ...in Kanha, we were staying in tents near the Banjaar River, so the place was called Banjaartola. In Bandhavgarh, we lived in cottagesso called ‘Kothis’ with Mahua trees all around, thus the name ‘Mahuakothi’.... PAGE 12 CONGRATULATIONS Congratulations to Mr. Samarendra Mohanty (TMILL Dhamra) on his wedding. We wish him all the best for a prosperous life ahead Congratulations to Ms. Sudipa Bhattacharya (CHA & IL,Kolkata)on the birth of her beautiful daughter Ahana on 12th April 2012. Heartiest congratulations to Mr. Swarup Tripathy (TMILL Dhamra) on his wedding. We wish him all the best for his future. We congratulate Mr.Samy Hamed (TKM GMBH) and his wife Noha on the birth of their son Malek, who was born on the 20th of June 2012 in Hamburg, Germany. Mr. Janmejay Panigrahi (TMILL Dhamra) & Ms Nibedita Swain(TMILL Dhamra) tied the knot on 24th June 2012. May they have a blessed life ahead. Our heartiest congratulations to Mr. Ashish Baghel (ISL Dubai) for having been blessed with daughter Sharvi on 3rd June 2012. TMILLAN / OCTOBER 2012 Heartiest congratulations to Ms. Madhumita Bal (TMILL Dhamra) and Mr. Sitansu Bhusan Sahani (TMILL Dhamra) on their wedding and wish them the very best for their future. PAGE 13 CONGRATULATIONS achievements We applaud the efforts of Ms. Madhumita Sahani of TMILL Dhamra, who collected INR 25000 towards the building of the shelter for Bibekbharati Sebasram, Kupri, Balasore-an orphanage which is home to thirty five young children. A big thanks to all the members of TMILL family who contributed their bit towards this effort. This is a great initiative and we hope that many more such endeavours will be undertaken in future. We congratulate Mr. T.L. Satyaprakash of TKM Chennai for receiving a token appreciating his consistent performance in clearing CEBO shipments of M/s Titan Industries Ltd, on time. May he win many more of such accolades in days to come! Congratulations to Mr.Aritra Mitra, S/o Mr.Partha Pratim Mitra for securing 82.3% in his Secondary Board Examination. Congratulations team TKM Kolkata on securing the second runner up position in the six- a- side Cricket Tournament organized by Tata Steel Sports Club. The trophy was handed over to them in the Annual Social and Prize Distribution ceremony conducted by the Tata Steel Sports Club on Thursday, 14th June 2012. We wish the team a grand success in the next edition of the Tournament. We are pleased to inform that Mr Subhasis Biswas and Mr A K Kundu of TMILL Haldia participated in the Inter Company Fire Prevention Quiz at Indian Oil Refinery, Haldia. The TMILLTD team came third amongst twelve teams. We congratulate the participants and wish them all the best for such endeavours in future. Congratulations Ms. Priyanka Pramanik,D/o Mr.Robin Pramanik (TMILL Kolkata), for being awarded the The William E & Jean J Tucker Award for Leadership & Service for the year 2012 at Texas Christian University,two years in a row. We wish her all the best and are sure that she will continue to make us proud. TMILLAN / OCTOBER 2012 Kudos to the TMILL Jamshedpur cricket team who managed to secure the first runner up trophy in the 18th TAYO Cup Corporate cricket Tournament, in their first year of participation. They were also awarded for being the team with the “Best run rate”. May they bring back the Champion’s Trophy next time around! PAGE 14 NEW JOINEES Name Rosemarie Delatorre Month January 2012 Place Dubai SBU ISL Name Nick Cowles Month August 2012 Place London SBU ISL Name Place SBU M.O.J. Mr. Judes Anton Selva Raj Chennai TKM July Ms. Andrea Wentzien Hamburg TKM GMBH Mr. Frank Chen Qingdao TKM China August Mr.Amit Kumar Maji Haldia Port Operation August Mr.Vinay Kumar Singh Dhamra Port Operation September July ALSO JOINING US Name Place SBU M.O.J. Bangalore TKM April Mr.Sunil Kumar Singh Dhamra Port Operation April Mr.Sushil Kumar Rai Dhamra Port Operation April Mr.Bhagirathi Pati Dhamra Port Operation May Mr.Karunakar Das Dhamra Port Operation May Ms.Dipali Dinesh Purohit Baroda TKM May Mr. Ram Kumar Sunder Dubai ISL May Mr.Rathnakaram V. Subbaraju CONDOLENCE It is with deep regret that we mourn the sad demise of our dear colleague Mr. Sunil Jadhav of TKM,Mumbai. He passed away on 2nd September 2012. He is survived by his wife and three children-we offer our heartfelt condolence to the bereaved family. PUZZLE By Mr. Tridib Sircar, TKM, Kolkata Dear Friends, Mr.Pritam Poddar Kolkata TKM June Ms.Akansha Dwivedi Indore TKM June Mr. Ramesh Menon Dubai ISL June Ms.Snehal Shekhar Vaze Pune TKM June Mr. Chintan Kalpesh Desai Mumbai TKM July Mr. Judes Anton Selva Raj Chennai TKM July TMILLAN / OCTOBER 2012 Here is a quiz that will test your knowledge on some amazing and fun facts. If you can find the answers, write to us at: sohini_dasgupta@tmilltd.com and/or sbasu@tmilltd.com. The first three early bird entries to get all the answers correct will receive token rewards. 1. 2. 3. 4. Which is the Largest Living Animal without a Back Bone ? Which bird feeds its young one about 300 times a day ? What is the maximum time a total solar eclipse can last ? Which insect can see about 25000 images of an object at a same time ? 5. Which sea is only 13 mts deep at the its deepest point? 6. Which living being brain uses the same amount of power as a 10 Watt electric bulb ? PAGE 15 PUZZLE 7. Which tree can explode like a bomb if it is caught in a forest fire as the tree contains a highly explosive oil? 8. Which metal weights more after it has been burned as the ashes are heavier than the metal ? 9. Which is the living being that can walk forward but swim only backwards ? 10. Which is the only insect that catches it prey by forming its legs into the shape of a basket ? 11. Who was the first communist leader of Russia who owned a Rolls Royce Car that has been specially made for him ? 12. Which object will not dissolve in Acid, the only thing that can destroy it is intense heat ? 13. Which insect has 11 brains ? 14. Which insect never stops growing through it lifetime, the older they grew the bigger they get ? 15. Which part of human body contains more bacteria that any other orifice in the body ? 16. Which fish can discharge upto 650 electric volts around more than 50 times of an average car battery ? 17. Which animals tongue prints are unique just like our finger prints? No two animal have the same tongue prints 18. Which is only animal that sleeps on its back ? 19. Name the only animal that cannot swim ? 20. Which colour is used for danger in scientific laboratories? 21. Which mammal’s heart beats only 540 times in an hour ? 22. Which animal never closes its eye although it rests for 8 hours out of 24 in a day and is in a state of drowsiness during that time ? 23. Which part of human body continues to grow throughout a person’s life ? 24. Which famous King bathed every two days in a mixture of Wine and Cream ? 25. Which is the most widely used Vegetable in the World ? Solution for the word Jumble published in the last edition, is as follows: K R C X P S M P K O Z X K C V I J C H E N N A I L K N A B I L M F V K M T I E P R T N Y S W D U F L K H D L O A I D U A E V B M A H R L K O S V L G K C N O A B N V A A F W I A S H P Y N G P A J H K L M Z N V A M I K O C H I C I F U H J N P U P D A R K O C N V N I T P A M I O A P E M A A U D N M K T B P A R R C H E D N R J I O N A K O L K A T T A G A A P C A C T U T I C P E N N E M E C M A H A L D N M U N D E S O I M T A R F J V T U T I C O R I N The names of the sixteen ports are highlighted in yellow and the alphabets are marked in red. The early bird winners for this word Jumble are: 1) Mr.Ashok Raj Viswanathan (TMILL Haldia) 2) Mr. Subhasis Biswas (TMILL Haldia) 3) Mr. M. A. Patrudu (TMILL Haldia) Congratulations to all three of you! We will get in touch with you shortly for your rewards! We have also received many more correct responses to the puzzle; we thank all of you for your enthusiasm and hope that you will keep engaging with us similarly for all the future editions of TMILLAN. Please send your suggestion/feedback to sohini_dasgupta@tmilltd.com / sbasu@tmilltd.com TMILLAN / OCTOBER 2012 PAGE 16