Apex Fares: Planes become democratic

The seasoned business flyer might consider the new genre of middle class travellers, making the most of the discounted apex fares introduced by all three domestic airlines, an unavoidable irritant. But the airlines aren't complaining. Hit hard by the fall in domestic air travel thanks to a host of national as well as international events, slashing prices is the only way they can fill up seats. For instance, a regular Chennai-Delhi ticket costs Rs 11,250; booked 30 days in advance, it comes for as low as Rs 3,600 (train fare on the Rajdhani Express is Rs 4,500). The results can be seen in the numbers: every day, some 2,500 people fly apex on the three domestic carriers. These 2,500 seats that may have remained unsold without the discount. Which is why the apex fare scheme may not end in November: airlines place a high premium on predictability of bookings and seats booked 30 days in advance are, well, priceless. If that means airports start resembling railway stations, so be it.

-T.R. Vivek

DASH BOARD

B+
Yes, we know another piece in this section doesn't have too many kind words for Prime Minister Atal Behari Vajpayee's China trip, but we still think the man deserves a good grade, not for the change in the Chinese stance on Sikkim or Indian mangoes, but for statesmanship.

D-
The July 14 deadline for the implementation of the Conditional Access System draws nearer but India's minister in charge, Ravi Shankar Prasad doesn't seem to be able to make any headway. Should we go out and buy set-top boxes? We don't know, and the minister isn't saying.

Brown Karnataka
17-hour brownouts, anyone?

Bangalore isn't all there is to Karnataka. Beyond the 365.6-square kilometre capital that is variously touted as pensioners' paradise, garden city, India's biotech capital, and Silicon Alley is, well, an area of darkness. Large parts of Karnataka go without power for between 11 and 17 hours a day. Why, till just the other week, even the capital had to do without power for two hours every day. M.G. Prabhakar, the Chairman of the Energy Committee of the Federation of Karnataka Chambers of Commerce and Industry, believes that the state government, obsessed with showcasing Bangalore and promoting the it sector, has paid scant regard to power. "Beyond Bangalore," he says, "it is a descent into darkness with even appliances such as refrigerators and fluorescent lamps that we take for granted in a civilised world not working.''

The state's Power Minister Basavaraj Patil Humnabad points to the demand-supply inequity-Karnataka needs 96 million units of power a day while the peak supply is around 72 million units-and rather proudly claims that "From June 19, we have decreased the rural power cut from 17 hours to 11 hours; in Bangalore we have done away with the two-hour power cut and in other urban areas the cut would be for just around five hours." Bravo. One reason for the brownouts could be the state's dependence on hydel power (a full 40 per cent of its requirement comes from this). That's strange, because, as one Karnataka Power Corporation Ltd executive points out, "Karnataka has the second largest arid area in India, after Rajasthan.'' Prabhakar attributes the state of Karnataka's small enterprises-40 per cent out of a population of 2.82 lakh is sick-to the state's power problems. The government, meanwhile, is groping for a way out in the dark. With elections scheduled for next year, it had better find one fast.

-Venkatesha Babu

New Economy Monument Maker
One firm is behind some of the new E's most impressive monuments.

John F. Welch Research Centre: New-e temple	V. Naresh Narasimhan: Architect in demand

Heard of Venkatramanan associates anyone? No? Let's reframe that question: would you like to know who designed part of Infosys' Bangalore campus, all of its Pune and Bhubaneshwar ones, The John F. Welch Research Centre, a new Biocon facility, and Astra Zeneca's R&D centre, all in Bangalore, the Reliance Technology Centre at Patalganga and a Reliance Life Sciences one at Mumbai? Well, now you know. For the record, Paranur Krishnamurthi Venkataramanan, who founded the firm 32 years ago, was the man who designed the Indian Institute of Science's campus and the ISRO centre, both in Bangalore and the Thumba Equatorial Rocket Launching Station at Thumba on the outskirts of Trivandrum. V. Naresh Narasimhan, one of the directors of the company (he is the founder's son) that employs 100 architects and designers believes it is that legacy that helps Venkatramanan Associates specialise in "creating an environment for life sciences and technology businesses". Narasimhan speaks of how the company designed extra-clean rooms for Pharmacia and Upjohn (now part of Pfizer) when it wanted to manufacture intra-ocular lenses in Bangalore, or the work it has done for Infosys, but a non-disclosure agreement prevents him from saying anything about the John F. Welch Centre. Last year, Venkatramanan Associates handled projects worth Rs 450 crore and it expects to do an additional Rs 100 crore this year. Narasimhan has more ambitious plans. "With remote project management becoming a reality, the day isn't far off when we will build campuses abroad," he says. From designing BPO-offices to becoming one itself, that's quite a leap.

-Vandana Gombar

Marico's H. Mariwala: Attrition blues

EXECUTIVE TRACKING
Marico Musings

What's it with Marico? In April this year, its high-profile coo Jaspal Bajwa-he had joined the company amidst much fanfare late last year-quit. In May, its marketing head Arvind Mendiretta quit to join Whirlpool. Now, in June, it is the turn of its head of hr Chetana Gargava to leave-she joins J&J Medical India as General Manager (HR). ''This was a great opportunity to work in the health sector,'' gushes the 39-year-old Gargava. And what of Marico, we wonder.

-Moinak Mitra