ADIPEC 2010 CSS Group Joins GPLN at ADIPEC 2010

ADIPEC 2010, the Abu Dhabi International Petroleum Exhibition & Conference, is set to be the largest show to date with all exhibition space now sold out in a record time.  With 17 percent more space on offer this year, the number of exhibitors has grown to over 1,600.

A number of key industry players have signed up to participate in ADIPEC 2010, from NOCs and IOCs to oilfield service companies offering a variety of innovative technology and services across all sectors of the industry.  Exhibitors will showcase the very latest in exploration & production, processing, refining, storage and transportation. The exhibition and conference will be falling from the 01st to the 04th of November 2010.

This marks the debut participation of CSS Group in ADIPEC with The Global Project Logistics Network (GPLN) at booth #110.  CSS is associated with GPLN, the premier non-exclusive professional projects logistics network of independent companies specializing in international projects movement by air, sea and land as well as specialized lifts and the special handling of oversized, out-of-gauge and heavy lift cargo.

Now in its fourteenth year, ADIPEC 2010 will encompass the whole space of the Abu Dhabi National Exhibition Centre (ADNEC) with over 31,000sqm of exhibiting space indoors and an extensive new outdoor area for equipment and machinery.

ADIPEC is now the second largest event for the oil and gas industry in the world, the largest outside of America, and the Middle East.

Come Join CSS and GPLN at ADIPEC 2010. For further information, please log on to:

www.cssgroupsite.com
www.gpln.net

Cargo Ball

CSS Group and NAFL(National Association of Freight and Logistics) in association with Arabian Reach to participate in the Cargo Ball charity gala dinner to raise funds for Al Noor Training Centre for children with special needs.

NAFL, founded in 1992 in Dubai, United Arab Emirates, is born to bring together in one body all major players in the UAE’s Freight Forwarding and Shipping Industry. NAFL strives to ensure UAE’s leading position and Dubai’s pre-eminence in the international freight and transportation fields.

This gesture by NAFL and Arabian Reach which is to be held on October 28th, 2010 in Dubai, UAE is aimed at reaching out something for the disadvantaged and this explains why Al Noor Training Center will be privileged to receive 20% of the profits from this gathering.

Al Noor Training Center for children with special needs has been in existence since 1981 and provides quality and effective training to the special needs community of Dubai. The center supports children with challenges such as Downs Syndrome, Cerebral Palsy and Autism. These are addressed through special education methods, physiotherapy, speech therapy and occupational therapy. Al Noor also has its own work placement unit, which trains children with an aptitude for open employment.

CSS Group since its inception has continually worked closely with the Al Noor Training Center to raise awareness about children with special needs not only through gala dinners, but also by way of souvenir magazines, directories and advertisements.

Ahmed Al Rais, Sr. VP-Air Freight, CSS Group adds, “The Al Noor Center is one of the oldest special needs facilities in the United Arab Emirates. The dedication of the staff and the management towards its students and their families serve as an endearing example of hard work and determination for each and everyone of us in today’s world. We at CSS admire and thank the members of Al Noor Center and congratulate them on their achievements.”

Onakkazhcha

On Friday September 24th, 2010, Devas Holidays & Travel Services India Pvt. Ltd. a division of CSS Group was honoured to be the associate sponsor of the AKCAF Onakkazhcha 2010 where Padmashree Dr. ONV Kurup the chief guest of the event was felicitated for winning the highest literary award in India, ‘Njaanapeedam (Jnanpith) Award’ for the year 2007 and 2008. Since its inception 11 years ago AKCAF has been one of the largest organizations engaged in various social empowerment activities. Onakkazhcha 2010 was a celebration of the harvest festival, Onam for Keralites worldwide. The day gave a number of surprises for the nonresident Indian community in UAE; the traditional procession competition was one among them. With a variety of Kerala art forms like Theyyam (Popular Hindu Ritual for Worship), Chenda Melam (Kerala Drums), Kavadiyattam (a ritualistic dance form of Kerala), Shinkari Melam, Pulikali (a dance form with Tiger’s costume) etc showcased by the 50 member college alumnus affiliated to AKCAF made up a splendid evening.

Followed by the procession a public meeting was held which was inaugurated by His Excellency Sanjay Verma, Consul General of India in Dubai with other dignitaries Padmashree Dr. ONV Kurup, Saroji, Padma Shri Mattanur Shankaran Kutty Marar and Dr. Roy C J. As a token of sincere gratitude towards the love and affection for one of the greatest Indian poet, AKACF honored him by presenting a Memento and ‘Ponnada’. As part of the AKCAF Onakkazhcha an Athapookkalam (Flower Carpet) competition held on 17th September, the prizes were given away for the winners of these competitions. The evening entertainment was followed by the musical fusion extravaganza led by the renowned percussionist Padmashree Mattanur Shankarankutty Marar, piano wizard Stephen Devassy, violin maestro Balabhaskar and Thavil (barrel shaped percussion instrument) expert Karunamurthy enthralled the audience.

CSS is proud to be a part of this celebration and auspicious occasion of the harvest festival which crossed the borders and entered the life of the Non Resident Indian Community in UAE.

A day in a life or a life in a day

Cock a doodle doo – no sorry, we live in Mumbai and the wake up call is the milkman or the newspaper vendor – with a “ting tong” bell at 6 am and there goes our sleep out of the window and enter the saga that is about to begin. Depending on your age and disease – you start the day – with the most ancient to the most modern form of exercises. Ya ok I know you are a rich man so please do not show off by telling you have a heart disease and that you do not eat sweets after your meals because you made a few millions in the last few years and developed blood sugar in the bargain. And if you are still healthy and have nothing of the above, I am sorry I do not speak to paupers – move on …

Like all good men, you hopefully bathe after your exercise and are ready to take the next step forward. For a moment you feel like you are watching Boss’s day out on NDTV, covering your days schedule but its ok please relax – we will crack jokes later. Some do and some do not – eat breakfast – but all are for sure in a morning rush – the battle to reach office has begun – the cars are out , the buses are packed , the trains overflowing and autos and taxis on full throttle

Time starts –^*( *%^%S***^&%(^&*&**^^#@$*&F^^^^*())MC8776%&( %$^&* – about 2 hours – Time ends – office arrived. Look at the mirror – ouch – who is it? Touch myself – it’s me – thank god!

Welcome to Windows XP – welcome to desktop (oh the exciting picture of the sultry actress) – start Microsoft outlook – send receive – downloading 1 of 176 – “tapak tapak” – issue 1 in inbox – tapak tapak – issue 2 in inbox – tapak tapak tapak – download completes – 37 issues in inbox – 18 spam emails making my nights longer – 111 emails (one ex cricket umpire can be seen jumping) which make some sense and rest can be ignored coz they are from your boss – like the diaper – full of shit and always on your ass.

Time starts – @$%66F**%%&*(BC%^^%^**(S**^%())*&$#@^&* – 8 – 9 – 10 hours – Time ends – pack up – no option – no energy – no reasoning – just take me back – start travel back home – F$^*&^&*()*^&$S^&(*&*(*)(0MCBC %&^*(&(*)*_)* – 2 hours –  reached home.

Parents, wife, children, chores – sleep. And then the dream – that you and me all had – the Alice in wonderland world – the oxygen in the air, the colour of the flowers, the scent of the grass , the touch of the cool wind, the sight of the rainbow, the echoing sound of the waterfall, the flow of energy in your spine – the high of life.

Good night, sweet dreams –
you have a few hours remaining before it is again 6!

The World Is Thinking… Go Green

The cell phone charger that stays plugged in, the DVD player that waits for the occasional playing, the TV that sits on standby all night and the laptop which pretends to sleep … Are these the simple things that need a little attention in your daily life?

According to ‘Chaos Theory’ the flap of a butterfly’s wings here can create a tornado half way across the world…So let us make it a commitment that we do our part.

Now poking into a broader concept: ‘Green Logistics’ ensures a natural way of doing profitable business. Corporate Social Responsibility has gained crucial significance in the business world during these years. Environmental aspects have gained importance as the global companies are now well aware of ‘greening’ their business. Greening in business will add to measurable financial business benefits like reduced cost due to lower energy consumption, green alliances and support from governments by giving rebates and subsidies.

According to recent research by Aberdeen Group more than 50% of companies indicate ‘reducing overall business cost’ as one of the main drivers in pursuing ‘green’ initiatives. The cost and environmental impact of the supply chain can be attributed to two basic areas: Warehousing and Transportation and the latter one in terms of carbon foot-print (a measure of the impact of our activities on environment) accounts for two thirds of supply chain’s overall energy consumption. The conceptual design of the warehouse has to be done with a clear understanding of the interconnections between the transportation and the warehouse. As always, warehouses are busy places where goods are constantly on move, both inbound and outbound. Businesses always focus on maximizing the returns of each dollar spent by focusing on reducing costs whilst increasing the Corporate Social Responsibility efforts. The three ‘R’s of reducing costs which is inline with the environmental focus are Reduce, Reuse and Recycle.

In warehousing there are many areas which needs attention where businesses can ‘R’educe consumption whether it is consumption of energy or resources. Packaging is a major attribute of warehousing. By reducing the packaging and also by the use of advance packing materials the weight can be reduced and also it increases efficiency. By reducing the weight we not only save shipping costs but also save energy for the movement of packed materials inside the warehouse. Biodegradable packaging is another advanced method to make sure that customers are not liable for disposing environmentally harmful packing.

‘R’eusing packaging is a traditional method which is followed in most warehouses globally. Pallets, cartons and boxes are examined and reused if appropriate. For certain products the packaging is expensive and each time the manufacturer will lose it once goods are sold out. Increasing the quality can increase the life of the packaging whereby the manufacturers can reuse and reduce the amount spent on packing material.The recent financial turmoil had opened the eyes of many businesses where we are forced to reduce the costs. This created more importance in ‘R’ecycle of many materials in warehouses.

However, despite the investment a company makes in order to improve its Corporate Social Responsibility, the employees need to change their work habits and follow new procedures that combined will help the environment and in turn help the company’s bottom line.

Chairman’s Message

If we think about it, whatever is happening in our lives “Time” plays a pivotal factor.  The concept of time is something we all accept but time doesn’t care about who is successful or who is not. Time gives equal opportunity to all. Our actions, decisions and as a consequence our lives all occupy only a brief space of time. Time is a very strict master. It doesn’t entertain excuses and it always keeps its urgency, with merciless progress.

I am privileged to an extend as I have taken the opportunity to explore my thoughts and beliefs about time and put them into practice. As practicing professionals we need to keep to the fore knowledge of time management. Many times I have heard others complaining about their busy schedule whereas in fact there is nothing actually defined as a busy schedule. One size does not fit all as it is ourselves who decide who or what makes our lives busy or idle. Time management may help you to improve your quality of life, reduce frustration and increase your energy levels.

Our CSS team has always achieved ascendancy by putting into practice definitive time management skills. The upcoming Breakbulk exhibition, to be held in Houston USA during October, will provide an ideal opportunity to demonstrate our expertise in time management. This will be at the forefront, when we are interacting with clients and associates, as it will accentuate our ongoing achievements. It will also ensure that our participation in Breakbulk will be a success and we are looking forward to this.

CSS At Breakbulk Americas Transportation Conference & Exhibition

CSS Group will be showcasing its products and services offered at the 21st Breakbulk Americas Transportation Conference & Exhibition to be held in Houston, Texas from October 12th until October 14th, 2010 at the George R Brown Convention Center.

CSS has previously participated in Breakbulk and Heavy Lift exhibitions in Europe, and Asia. Breakbulk Americas is a great opportunity for CSS to introduce its products and services to the North American market. During the long global recession, there are indications that the breakbulk and project cargo sectors are gathering steam as new contracts are awarded in most infrastructure developments around the world, North America being one of the major markets.

Breakbulk Americas Transportation Conference & Exhibition aims at providing shippers with the opportunity to meet and develop relationships with the leading specialized carriers, forwarders, ports, terminals and packers who have the expertise and resources to handle oversized cargoes with unique handling requirements. The conference includes an agenda in which industry leaders will review emerging markets as well as logistical challenges for breakbulk and heavy-lift shippers, their transportation and supply chain providers.Visit CSS at booth # 120. If you wish to set up an appointment at a specific time and date, kindly contact us by email: infoprojects@cssdubai.com

We look forward to meeting you in Houston!

For further information, please visit: www.cssgroupsite.com

Lucky winner

The CSS Thank-you incentive scheme towards our fellow-forwarders and customers, conceived two years back, has been nothing short of successful. The scheme allows one lucky name out of the scores of business cards that are dropped into the bowls placed at the D/O counter in the Corporate Office and CSLC-1, to be picked up and rewarded with a gift.

The winner picked out and rewarded for the months of July- August 2010 was Abdul Khader – Messenger from First Gulf Shipping L.L.C., Dubai, UAE who walked away with Gift vouchers sponsored by Lulu, presented by Amith Surya Horra, Marketing Manager, CSS Group.

Creating New Ideas And Initiatives

Business Development is among the foremost concerns of any organization; it typically involves nurturing a business and its elements through change. As change is constant, Business Development expertise is required to adapt to the changing market scenarios, expand existing business and its mode of operations or venture in an untapped market.

Rakesh Menon, Senior General Manager – Business Development has recently taken over operations at CSS Logistics as Senior General Manager. Affirmative to take the business forward, Rakesh says, he has always been upbeat about creating new ideas and initiatives by adopting a team approach in pursuing common organizational goals. He sternly believes that Business Development is an on-going process and an organization aiming to withstand competitors never stops engaging in business development.

For any business to grow there is a continuous need to formulate strategies based on business performance and goals, and to achieve the desired goals a proper planning process is required. Planning mainly involves market intelligence and making use of the readily available resource to seize every given opportunity. Moving further, once the plan is in place an organization needs to ensure the managed implementation of the plan and be flexible to incorporate changes in the process.

Furthermore, Rakesh explains business development techniques and strategies as quintessential when it comes to attracting new customers and penetrating existing markets. Particularly to generate sales, business development expertise may focus on developing strategic-channel relationships with clients and partners to foster mutual trust and growth.

“As a Senior General Manager, much of my attention is devoted to developing and utilizing the business opportunities that are presented to me and my company”, says Rakesh. Rakesh believes in guiding a business through tasks by giving advice and acting as a mentor to provide direction. He adds that CSS is always on a look out for people who can create new concepts, people who can acquire new concepts and take them forward by good management. Market challenges always count on Business Development strategies to outgrow the monotonous and routine jobs and reach new heights by proper planning and efficient execution of the strategic plans along with effective management and financial plans, concludes Rakesh.

An optimistic CSS Kolkata

If you ask about recession or economic crack down to a common man, roaming through the streets of Kolkata, he may ask you back, “What is that?” The entire world has been talking about recession, but many are reluctant to admit that it has hit India. Console Shipping Services, Kolkata may unfold some facts and figures to convince you that business has not become stagnant. CSS Kolkata management and staff takes pride for being considered as one amongst the first three players, in terms of business by the shipping fraternity in their region. A result they achieved only because of hard work and commitment.

Arup Ray, Director- CSS India says that they give priority to start their own warehousing facility in the near future to bring in total solution for servicing their clients. Kolkata is a region where the CSS Management eagerly looks at in this regard. Presently CSS India from its operational base in Kolkata caters to the need of the entire West Bengal region, Orissa, Tripura and Assam. They extend their servicing to the neighboring countries of Nepal and Bhutan as well. “The only way to penetrate the interiors and some remote locations in the North Eastern region is to have a strong and efficient transportation network. Concur service is available in some parts but it only depends upon the load factor and it cannot guarantee timely service” Arup Ray adds. There is a rise of 5 to 7 % in the cargo movement in Kolkata. The timely intervention by the government authorities and the port ensures a steady growth of cargo movement.

For the Kolkata Port management, tariff flexibility was not the only strategy. It worked towards attracting new types of cargo that would also give a boost to the economy of its hinterland. For instance, it found out that West Bengal had an annual surplus of 2.5 million tons of vegetables and flowers, and they were routed for export to Singapore, Far East, Middle East and European markets which would otherwise had gone to waste or be sold in the domestic market at a negligible price. Another such move was to create special linkages with ports in Chittagong and Narayanganj in Bangladesh. Those were all aggressive measures to attract more cargo for the Kolkata port system and are certain to improve its performance. CSS Kolkata is optimistic and has taken a strong measure to tackle the greater opportunities lying ahead. They have well trained professionals to fulfill this. Hence there is nothing called looking back for Arup and his team in Kolkata.

Oh! Spectacular, Amazing, Unbelievable

Those were the words that came out from one of the British ladies who were one amongst the innumerable tourists who have boarded the banks of Lake Punnamada to witness the mesmerizing boat race for the prestigious Nehru trophy. It was truly amazing, the world’s biggest team event, the snake boat race. A real feast for the thousands gathered around the venue. Nehru trophy 2010 was inaugurated by the first lady of India, H.E. Smt. Prathibha Devisingh Patil on the 14th of August at Punnamada Back waters in Alleppy. “Devas” Snake boat, made its debut and finished first in the Second Finalists. The performance of Devas paddled by the St. George boat club team was well noted.

The boat captain Swan Chacko of CSS Group and the team captain Karthikeyan were amongst the oarsmen encouraging and guiding them at the race. A 40 meter long snake boat can carry up to 111 people including the oarsmen, cheerleaders and the direction controllers. Devas Snake boat is one of the very few boats, who made an impressive performance in its first appearance. In the women’s category, “Devas thekkan odi” retained its title, defeating its challengers. Cheerleaders for Devas consisted of the CSS Group staff members, their friends, well wishers and the Group Chairman, T S Kaladharan himself.

CSR at CSS AKCAF Onakkazhcha 2010

CSS has always been committed towards social welfare and empowerment of the Indian community residing in the UAE. AKCAF Onakkazhcha 2010 is the recent CSR event sponsored by Devas Holidays & Travel Services India Private Limited, a division of CSS Group. Hosted by the All Kerala Colleges Alumni Forum, UAE (AKCAF), Onakkazhcha 2010 is a celebration of the harvest festival: Onam, for Keralites worldwide. Onam is the biggest festival in the South Indian state of Kerala; it unites people from various walks of lives, irrespective of creed, caste, religion and political ideology. This harvest festival crossed borders and entered into the social life of the non-resident Indian community in the Gulf, especially in UAE. Several cultural events like traditional Onam feast, design of decorated flower carpets and wearing of traditional attire make the Onam season very special.

Affiliated to the Indian Community Welfare Committee (ICWC), AKCAF UAE was established in the year 1998, under the patronage of the Consulate General of India, Dubai. It is an integrated apex body of about 50 active alumni associations of Kerala colleges, possibly the largest socio-professional organization functioning in the UAE.

AKCAF Onakkazhcha 2010 will feature Athapookkalam (Flower Carpet) Competition on Friday, 17th September at Millineium School, Al Ghusais and Onam Grand Finale will be held on the following Friday, 24th September, 2010 at Al Nasr LeisureLand, Dubai. The Grand Finale will comprise vivid cultural events, traditional Ona-sadhya, procession, public function in the presence of celebrity guests like Padmashri O.N.V.Kurup, Padmashri Mattannur Sankarankutty Marar, Stephen Devassy, Balabhaskar, Karunamoorthy, Ajeesh, Rejiya, Thari from Kerala and Consul General of India for Dubai, H.E. Sanjay Verma.

CSS Group is delighted to be a part of this auspicious celebration and wishes AKCAF Onakkazhcha 2010 great success.

Know me better

This section of the CSS Portal awareness initiative shows how to use the Sailing Schedule module.

Sailing Schedule

The sailing schedule module lists the inbound as well as the outbound cargo schedules, this is mainly for the sea cargo operations. The sailing schedule module can also be used to book cargo in the listed schedules.

From the top ‘Select’ area you may choose the ‘Inbound’ or ‘Outbound’. Select the ‘ORIGIN’ port as well as the ‘DESTINATION’ port from the list and click on the ‘Search’ button to get the desired schedule.

The above listed schedule is a routed schedule via ‘KUWAIT’. You can even book cargo to this particular schedule by clicking on the ‘Book Now’ button’ which will take you to the ‘online booking’ screen with the selected schedule.

Go Green – Save Mother Earth Care for the environment

There was once a very wealthy man – he had all the money but all the wrong money habits too – so he ensured that he eroded all his wealth – step by step – slowly but surely – till the day he knew that there is no recourse and that a financial disaster awaited him with a garland of orchids. So as his neck came closer and closer to this garland – he started to jabber even more and more about money – you know the oratory storm before the eternal lull of poverty

But why am I talking about this man – stupid me – slap myself – the IN thing to talk about today is going green – caring for the environment and all the jabber on the subject. So let me sound a little IN before you throw me OUT

Primitive man roamed naked – I mean free of inhibition. Then inhibition prevailed and he covered himself – with a little of greed lust fear anger and other clothing. Then many years passed. He got a second layer of clothes by Armani and Gucci. Now he is a doubly clothed superman playing with machines and moving fast ahead

At the same time as the above hierarchy, Nature was fully clothed with her own beauty. Then she was forced to shed her inhibition for feeding her children (we idiots) and started to get off these clothes – we helped strip her – slowly of all her minerals, forests, snow mountains, rivers, flaura and fauna. Once we saw her sensuous beauty, we abused her, 24*7*365 – for centuries. Today she is somebody who has nothing remaining – but for us and our concrete exhibits

We know of the above, so what. But we also know that our pit is dug, our garland is ready. And now our necks are nearing it with each passing day of DEVELOPMENT. So check your jabber, on Mother Earth – hahaha – on going Green – hahaha

I will attend your funeral and shed a tear too – don’t worry

Rahat Talreja –
Extreme writings & behaviour services

Hills and Houseboats Revive Kerala’s Tourism

Tourism is not new to Kerala, thanks to the state’s booming economy, world-class infrastructure, warm hospitality, cultural heritage and breath-taking natural beauty. Renowned international hotel chains have set up facilities here, offering top-of-the-world services at relatively inexpensive rates. Humongous banquet halls, multipurpose halls, convention centers and a series of entertainment clubs are available under one roof at Kerala’s top-rated hotels and luxury resorts.

As per the latest statistics, backwater cruise and mountain trekking are the most popular activities a regular tourist looks forward to while holidaying in Kerala. Panoramic sights worth a thousand photographs, is what allures travelers to the breath-taking backwaters and misty hills found only in India’s greenest destination – Kerala.

Kumarakom, Alappuzha (Alleppey), Cochin (Kochi), Kottayam and Kollam are the main backwater destinations for any tourist looking for a house boat cruise in Kerala.  Kerala’s tranquilizing charm is best enjoyed from aboard a fully-furnished “Kettuvallam” (houseboat). It is not an uncommon sight to see a Kettuvallom glide across the vast expanse of serene backwaters, taking care not to disturb the sanctity of the path with as much as a ripple. What’s more enchanting is spending a full day or two inside a fully-furnished, air-conditioned houseboat. These kettuvallams are made in the traditional Kerala style architecture and journeying aboard one will guarantee a memorable experience worth cherishing. A cozy, intimate ambiance is created inside the houseboat with flamboyant sunsets and whispering lake music waiting to be explored outside. Couples can cruise in comfort, grace and style as the houseboat glides past the main attractions around Alleppey, Kuttanad and Kumarakom. A tantalizing platter of local beverages and gourmet Kerala meal will be freshly prepared on board by a specially-assigned culinary expert and served piping hot. Stopovers can also be arranged at the local villages to enjoy a friendly chat with the local community and taste the authentic local cuisine at their humble abode.

For those who are looking for the ultimate hill-station indulgence, Vagamon and Ponmudi offers more than just a holiday. While the first promises an exhilarating experience amidst deep valleys and magnificent hues, the latter abounds in natural beauty, refreshingly cool climate, rich tropical vegetation and mountain streams. Ponmudi is one of the best locations for trekking, hiking and exotic wildlife safari. Golden Valley, Kallar river, Agasthyarkoodam and the mesmerizing tea gardens are among the other wonders this heavenly place has to offer. Talking of tea gardens, nothing beats the gorgeous plantations one gets to see at Munnar. Enveloped by dense jungles and gorgeous blue-mountain peaks, the mere mention of Munnar is enough to make one’s soul dance in ecstasy.

Of late, the supremacy of Kerala in the MICE market is also being explored due to the distinctly different conference possibilities the land is able to offer at a single destination point. A board meeting on a houseboat, product launch atop the highest hill or convention amidst exotic fauna can be easily conjured up in Kerala, by blending the purpose of a meeting with the requirements of the participants. With the Commonwealth Games in the horizon, Kerala will be playing the perfect hostess for several large-scale business tours from all over the world.

Devas Holidays and Travel Services India (P) Ltd is one of the fastest growing and trusted tour operators in India. The company offers a bouquet of experiential tour packages covering exotic destinations, beaches, backwaters, wildlife, monuments, hill stations, houseboats, ayurveda and so forth that suit every budget. Backed by an excellent team of tour planners and organizers, Devas Holidays offers holidays that are memorable and hassle-free. Right from air-ticket reservation, transportation and vehicle bookings to the choice of accommodation and fascinating itineraries, Devas ensures a comfortable travel experience without compromising on quality.

Call +91 484 4131000 to book holidays with Devas Holidays.

Chairman’s Message

The current focus of ideas about “Organizational Culture” has meant this term has started to reverberate within corporate gatherings. Recently, whilst informally meeting some company heads, the same term came up for discussion. Some of my friends, with a degree of pride, told me that their companies had been following the same organizational culture for the past 20 to 25 years or so, without any change. My immediate thought was how can this be possible? I believe organizational culture places a demand on us to review our corporate and cultural beliefs, ideas, standards and behavior so as to achieve our goals. All of these attributes are constantly changing, some more quickly than others but the change is on-going. Consequently it is responding to these changes which give companies enough knowledge to withstand unforeseen economic challenges. Gone are the days when organizational charts and reporting structures must be rigidly followed. The present business climate demands that people come out of their cocoons and innovate for development. Staff should be encouraged to improvise commands and responses so as to ease and stimulate returns. CSS is responding admirably to the needs of our time as our pro-active view of “organizational culture” will provide for our success. Wish you all the best and happy reading.

Lots of Money dot com

Lots of Money dot com

Rahat Talreja

Dy. GM – CSS Mumbai

This is not an article on IT. Nor is it an article on Money. Writing like this is a habit. Habits – which you and me, both have.

They say people live longer these days, a phenomenon undoubtedly made necessary by the 30 year mortgage they have taken on. It’s in the clauses of the agreement. This mortgage could be for anything ranging from their house to wedding to car to business to vacation to shoes or ahem – for another mortgage!

The man who saw tomorrow – does not exist today. So the glorified sayings like we live only once, live life to the fullest, do it now, why wait for tomorrow are the norm these days. People have shelved the postponement of gratification. All the action must happen today. Coffee is instant and 1000 miles is not too distant.

Paul Heyne says that this gap in our economy is between what we have and what we think we ought to have – and that is a moral problem, not an economic one. This behavior reflects all over the world economy and it discounts future values of businesses into today’s euphoria.
And it leaves simple businessmen and workers stressed and thoroughly confused in the bargain. A salesman on the road is not too sure how he could deliver the 27% growth target his management sets him up every year. Each thing takes its time, after all, even today, the Earth takes 365 days to circumvent the Sun. But the moral obligation stressed by the saying “The show must go on” compels one to continue this thinking – no matter what the end result on him. And therefore this becomes one of our “ Habits” of pushing oneself to the limit, up the wall.

Economists will vouch that this habit has tremendously positive economic repercussions. Sectors like insurance grow because people are always in fear and not too sure what’s happening next , healthcare grow because this anxiety introduces them to designer diseases of today , apparel and lifestyle sector grows because you still want to show that everything is perfect and okay with you. In the bargain there is a lot of movement of goods and services and therefore our dear logistics sector feels the warmth of the whole growth story. There also crops a new breed of middlemen called venture capitalists and investment bankers (don’t worry they too have only 2 hands and 2 feet) who then play your excitement to a level where you start seeing tomorrow, get nostradamical about the business and make beautiful looking balance sheets full of hope and rosy corners – whatever happened to doomsday predictions! And therefore your value is unlocked – it’s like honoring a 5 year old child with a lifetime achievement award.

This is how it is – black and white – never mind the green with envy color of money that it is for. Now the question we need to ask ourselves is how far our habit will take us. If it is a brighter tomorrow, please let me know and I’d like to learn and if it is a dim light at the end of the tunnel, please let me know and I’d like to shun.

So with the fate of this greenbuck in your hands, a small tribute to it at this juncture:

Lots of Money dot com
That we all love you is no exception, it is the norm
You are not just paper, much more than a mere form
We wish the ones who curse you, must soon be members of the dorm
Dedication in our mind and commitment in our soul
Serving you forever is our lives ultimate goal
I want to marry you and want you to stay with me for life
Tell my dear parents that money is today’s best wife
Hell with the priests who speak of your vices
What is life without the spices
Here for you
A million poetries
A billion songs
Come to me – oh lots of money dot com
In your arms I feel so warm!

CSS GROUP PORTAL

Online tracking option which is very important comes under the e-services of CSS portal. Online Tracking enables clients to track their sea, air and land transport shipments online. To track a shipment the only necessary data is the HBL or HAWB number.The result will be based on the shipment type, if it is a transshipment then both the import shipment details as well as the export shipment details will be shown on the screen, otherwise the particular movement type details are shown. Listed here is a snapshot of a transshipment job.

CSS India Budget Meet 2010

Devas farm house, Thrikkunnappuzha, hosted once again the Budget Meeting for CSS India during the month of May. Managers  from all over the country participated and presented their budget figures, achievements and forecasts for the next financial year, which was attended by the  Senior Management,  The Group Chairman, T. S. Kaladharan and the Directors, Jairam K. R. and Arup Ray. The meeting analysed the achievements and short falls in detail and discussed about strategizing new programmes for the future.

The onset of monsoon in Kerala was welcoming and this was perfectly enjoyed by the participants who attended the meeting. To add charm to the overall ambience, Chef Vijayan’ and his team at Devas created some exquisite dishes for the lunches and dinners there. Delegates got the rare opportunity to enjoy a ride in the Bay liner, speed boat along the back waters of Thrikkunnapppuzha where they enjoyed the scenic view of the Chinese fishing nets.

The meeting was attended by Rampal Tandon, (Vice President), Prabhakar Maniyan (Vice President), Rahat Talreja (Dy. General Manager) from Mumbai, Rajesh Arora (Asst. General Manager) from Delhi, Eugene (Branch Manager) from Chennai, Sunil (Branch Manager) from Tirupur, Kiran (Branch In-charge) from Tuticorin, Sandeep Anthur (Branch Manager) from Bangalore and Latha (Branch In-charge), Jinu (Head Corporate Accounts) from Cochin attended the meeting.
Anantha Krishnan (Auditor) and Unnikrishnan G, (Head- Corporate Communications – CSS Group) also attended the two day Conference.

Devas Snake Boat ready to race

After an impressive victory at the last year’s Nehru Trophy boat race, in the Thekkan Odi category, Devas is gearing up for the launch of their new Chundan Vallam (The majestic Snake Boat) on the 19th of July 2010. Devas Snake Boat will participate in all the major boat races, including the Nehru Trophy this season. Devas Chundan is on its last touch ups and finishing works at Thrikkunnappuzha, its home town.
A 40 meter long Devas can carry up to 111 oars men including the routers and the cheerleaders. The most awaited function of the launching ceremony is a traditional ritual among the snake boat lovers and the local community. People who have offered a helping hand during the process of the boat making will be present with enthused mind and elevated spirits.
The Snake Boat will touch the water; rather float for the first time this day. After the inauguration, the Snake Boat will be taken to a nearby temple where offerings will be done to the local deity. Umamaheshwaran, the master crafts man and his team of more than 25 skilled workers took roughly 250 days to complete
“Devas Chundan Vallam”.

Breakbulk announcement

CSS Group will be showcasing its products and services offered at the 21st Breakbulk Americas Transportation Conference & Exhibition to be held in Houston, Texas from October 12th until October 14th, 2010 at the George R Brown Convention Center. The conference includes an agenda in which industry leaders will review emerging markets as well as logistical challenges for breakbulk and heavy-lift shippers and their transportation and supply chain providers.

Visit CSS at booth # 120
For further information, please visit: http://www.joc.com/conferences

Change in Delivery Order Counter timings

CSS Head office announces the revised timings of its Delivery Order Counter for your reference and convenience.
The new timings are :

Sunday to Thursday :
8:00 AM to 5:00 PM

Saturday :
8:00 AM to 12:00 PM

The UAE Open Badminton Tournament

CSS is proud to be associated with ‘The UAE Open Badminton Tournament’ which was held at the India Club, Dubai from the 31st May until the 25th June, 2010. CSS has always been passionate when it comes to encouraging sports activities amongst its employees and sports enthusiasts. It has been actively involved in participating and sponsoring sporting events be it badminton, football, cricket or any other challenging game promoting social welfare. The UAE Open Badminton Tournament started in the early 1980’s and thereafter was held without any gap to uphold social interest amongst badminton lovers. In order to encourage UAE talents, this year, for the first time in the event’s 25 year history, the tournament was restricted to UAE resident players only. However, the event attracted top players of different nationalities within the emirates. A total of five hundred and one players were registered in the Men’s, Ladies, Boys and Girls, Veterans and Senior Veterans category as compared to a record number of 360 entries registered last year. All players vied for the Top Honors and AED 50,000 prize money in 24 categories at this annual event. Students of Special Needs Family (SNF) & Dubai Autism Centre also participated in the tournament. As a part of India Club’s and Consolidated Shipping Services drive towards Corporate Social Responsibility, separate matches were organized for children and adults with special needs.

As many as 15 – 20 matches were played on a daily basis from 10am to 9pm and each player was restricted to participate in three events. This gave an opportunity for more players to make it to the top rather than a select few taking the top positions. All matches were played in the 21 point format in line with rules and regulations of the World Badminton Confederation.

Badminton 21 Points

Before the 2006 Thomas / Uber Cup, the official scoring format was the 15 points format. The IBF (International Badminton Federation) then tested a new scoring format which is the 21 points rally format in the Thomas / Uber Cup. This 21 points rally format has since become the official one replacing the 15 points format.


The board rules for this format are as given below:

  • To win a match, you have to win 2 out of 3 games
  • To win a game, you have to score 21 points
  • The side winning a rally shall add 1 point to its score
  • If a score becomes 20-20, the side which scores 2 consecutive points shall win that game
  • If the score becomes 29-29, the side that scores the 30th point shall win that game
  • There are no “service over”, meaning you can score a point no matter who serves
  • One service only for doubles
  • Other rules shall remain the same