Sandalwood actor Sruthi Hariharan wishes Metrolife readers peace, joy, hope and happiness this Christmas.

Styling and costume: Nishara Kiran and Shravya; Makeup: Vydurya Lokesh;
Hairstylist: Alice; DH Photo: S K Dinesh; Location courtesy: The Oberoi

Ali Abbas Zafar is one of those Bollywood directors who has been producing successful films one after the other.

His first movie Gunday did quite well at the box office, but it was his last film Sultan that created a record. It was one of the only four Bollywood films that crossed the Rs 300 crore mark. Hes back again to break records with Tiger Zinda Hai, starring Salman Khan and Katrina Kaif which released this weekend.

In a chat, Ali talks about the pressures of making a big-budget film like this.

Tiger Zinda Hai is the sequel of Ek Tha Tiger. What were your expectations while making the film and how did it turn out with the final cuts?

It was an exciting film to make, a genre that any director will enjoy. Its a contemporary style of filmmaking and I had a lot of fun with it. After a film like Sultan, which is a personal and intimate film, Tiger... was a completely different one. But Im glad that it shaped out well in the end.

You shot in some of the most beautiful places. Which one was your favourite?

I loved shooting in Austria. It was absolutely stunning and our shooting location was in the Alps. What made those scenes interesting were the wild wolves we worked with. Yes, they are trained wolves but we had no idea how they would react to certain conditions. It was definitely challenging and a great learning experience.

After a film like Sultan, do you feel the pressure to do well in this film as well?

Of course! Whenever you do a film with superstars like Salman and Katrina, the pressure slowly builds on. Sultan was a very special film and Tiger..., especially being the sequel film of an already hit film, made it challenging. The expectations of the audience have also risen and it is my duty as the director to deliver. Nevertheless, Im happy with my team and everything from the promotions to the songs was executed brilliantly.

Theres a comparison of the film being similar to the Malayalam film Take Off. What do you have to say about that?

The basic plot might be the same - the abduction of Indian nurses - but my film is completely fictional. I started writing the film much before Take Off was released. I havent seen that film yet but Ive heard great reviews about it. Having said that, Tiger... has fictional characters like Tiger and Zoya and its about their emotional journey throughout the film. Its about the way the characters are dealing with situations in that particular place and how they handle the situation.

Sultan and Tiger Zinda Hai are compared to Dangal and Take Off, both of which are based on real-life stories. Do you think that you might be known as the director who makes fictional versions of realistic films?

The point of filmmaking is such that you can use fiction to show a real event. The cinematic effects allow you to broaden your horizon while keeping the emotions intact. Take Titanic for example. Its a completely fictional movie based on real events. So is Lagaan. Its the job of the director to portray things and use that creative freedom to tell that story.

Theres always something that actors learn from directors. Whats something you learn when working with actors?

The years of experience an actor brings on screen is a learning factor. I am open to improvisation and I give my actors complete freedom to do so. I let them know its their scene and its in their hands to keep the essence of the scene alive.

What are you planning next?

I just want to get a few days of sleep and then decide what I want to do.

There are a few things that set Dhwani Jain apart from other 13-year-olds. One is the seriousness with which the youngster speaks about her hobby. The other is the dedication she has towards arts and crafts, something best seen as a frivolous pastime by many others of her age.

"I started taking an interest in this field mainly to pass the time at my native place during vacations. I first got interested in quilling and joined a class for the same. Later I started seeing what all the others were doing online and loved those too," says Dhwani.

"Also, my mother Nimisha does a lot of crafting and I used to keep watching her. Slowly I started helping her and then started doing it myself," she adds.

Dhwani now dabbles in a range of activities like quilling, sponge craft, decoupage, doodling, zentangling and more. Though everything she does remains special for her, zentangles hold a distinctive place in her heart as she feels it requires a lot of patience and leads to a really good final product.

Her artefacts are quirky and colourful with the quilled figurines being a highlight. "I tried making quilled jewellery but I didnt really like it as it felt kind of common. I realised that making 3D figures was fun yet challenging and decided to give it a try," she says.

Now most of her spare time is spent in creating something or the other and when she cant think of ideas, which is rare, Dhwani turns to Pinterest for inspiration.

Asked if she asks her mother for help, she quickly says, "Not really, only if it is something important. She gives me feedback and tells me how I could have done something better. But usually I dont tell her what I am working on and only show the finished product."

She adds, "I also show it to family and friends. Most people praise my work while my close friends tell me how I could have done better in it. I always incorporate their suggestions. I have also gifted my creations to many people and they have all loved them. I adore watching the happiness on peoples faces when I tell them that the gift is handmade."

The class eight student of Ekya School also admits that most of her teachers are not aware of her artistic inclination as she really hasnt had a chance to showcase it. "We do have an art class but it takes place only about twice a year. But whenever we have projects, I try to make them as creative as possible."

Asked about her future plans, Dhwani says, "There are many things I want to learn in the future like hand lettering, proper pencil shading, advanced decoupage. I want to concentrate on what I do, learn more and more, and excel in it. There are no other plans as such."

(Dhwani can be contacted on 9901593056)

Actor Chirashree Anchan has done movies in Tulu, Telugu and Tamil and is really excited about making her debut in the Kannada industry. A fresh face in Sandalwood, she is awaiting the release of two movies Karigambaliyalli Midinaaga and Udumba in 2018. In a candid chat with Tini Sara Anien, she shares her excitement about her projects.

What is keeping you busy nowadays?

Ive taken a break for a while. I am excited about my releases as they will mark my entry into the Kannada film industry.

How excited are you?

I am very excited! I cannot put my emotions into words. I have my hopes pinned on Karigambaliyalli Midinaaga as it is a women-oriented role. While Udumba has all the elements to make it a commercial project, Karigambaliyalli... sees me playing a strong role.

Tell us a bit about your role in Karigambaliyalli Midinaaga.

I play a Hindu girl who is raised by a Muslim father. He gets kidnapped and the plot unfolds.

Was it difficult to play the role?

Apart from exploring myself as an actor, there was nothing majorly different about the project. I am used to doing women-oriented roles, I started my career by playing a beedi factory worker in a Tulu film. I didnt have to train for the role, I would go to the sets and just slip into the role. The director was very cooperative which helped me a lot.

Any fun moments on the sets of Karigambaliyalli...?

There was a lot of fun on the sets. Naveen Thirthahalli would crack a lot of jokes while we practised our lines. We would perfect each others lines while teasing each other. In another instance, the director would ask Vishwajeet, the villain in the project, to pay for my spa and parlour visits when he would keep taking retakes for his scenes.

What are some much-needed traits for fresh faces?

Acting skills are a must. Taking up classes for everything varying from martial arts to dancing is important.

Youve been a part of other South Indian industries. How different is Sandalwood?

I feel all film industries are the same. Language is the only thing that sets them apart.

Sandalwood has become more experimental now...

There are many movies like Kirik Party which completed more than 100 days. There are a lot of new-age subjects being explored now. Realistic subjects are a hit among the audience. It all depends on the audience though. I feel movies click because of their songs and music. If the music is good then the movie is bound to gain attention. But the script is always the hero.

With so much talent in the industry, what do you feel are your best traits?

My acting skills, my will to accept and learn new things and my confidence.

Actor Sonakshi Sinha never really set out to be an actor. Her entry into the film industry as accidental.

The young stars perception about acting and films changed after her debut in Dabangg. She feels that every project that she has done so far, whether Rowdy Rathore or Action Jackson or Tevar or Force 2, has given her the chance to discover the actor in her. Sonakshi, who was in the city recently for Blenders Pride Fashion Tour, takes time off to chat about her life as an actor.

What do you have to say about your meteoric rise in Bollywood?

I have done 18 films in just seven years. Having worked with so many directors, I have learnt so much. Every project teaches you something new. I have now reached a stage where I can take my time and choose the characters.

What made you get into acting?

I never wanted to be an actor and it just happened to me. It is Salman Khan who wanted me to work in Dabangg. He believed that I had it in me to become an actor. I havent looked back since.

Which actor do you like to match your steps with?

Prabhu Deva sir is a big challenge to dance with. The open and carefree style of dancing is what I learnt from him. I also think Salman has his own style and Akshay Kumar has so much energy. Its a pleasure dancing with them all.

An actor you wish to work with...

I want to act with Hrithik Roshan because I find him to be a warm person and a wonderful actor. I have been following him since my school days.

How has your father influenced you?

He is a very genuine and honest man. As a person, I would like to be like him and speak my mind like he does. I would love to have a personality like my father.

How do you manage to stay lively at all times?

I am a big ball of energy. So when I get roles that give me that opportunity to expend my energy, I choose it because I really enjoy being on screen, singing and dancing. I feel acting is an outlet for my energy.

Tell us about your interest in singing...

Just like I enjoy acting, painting and sketching, singing is also an integral part of me. I am not saying that I want to sing every kind of song but there are a few songs that I am keen on singing.

How do you handle negativity?

I just block it out. I am always surrounded by people who are good and genuine. I think it helps to have a positive attitude.

Whats in the pipeline?

I have just finished shooting for a comedy with Diljit Dosanjh and Karan Johar. I am currently working on Happy Bhag Jayegi Returns which has a great cast and has me in an interesting role.

Thoughts on Bengaluru...

I have been coming to Bengaluru at least twice a year since my college days because some of my best friends live here. I stay with them and hang out with them.

My husband and I adopted our two dogs a while back. The first one to come into our lives was Cooper, an indie we adopted when he was just a little older than one month. He has now grown to be a much-loved dog with boundless energy. Bailey, on the other hand, is our little stealer of hearts who quietly crept into our lives.

Ive always been a dog lover and when I was in Delhi with my family, we had a labrador mix called Ginny. But when I moved to Bengaluru, I really missed my family and knew that I would get a dog in the future. I was just waiting to settle down in my professional life.

Three years ago, when my colleague showed me a picture of a little puppy that was up for adoption, I realised that I had seen the cutest furball ever! I asked my husband if we can get him home and he said yes!

We went to visit the puppy in the evening where we met the vibrant duo, Priya Chetty-Rajagopal and Harini Raghavan, who were looking after the new mommy and her puppies in the building where they worked. They took us to see the litter and thats it! We were floored and knew we belonged to that little handsome puppy. Little did we know that we were going to be his slaves.

Cooper used to suffer from separation anxiety during the first year he was with us. He used to howl the whole day and destroyed everything he could get his little paws on - from slippers and the couch to even the main door!
We could have given him up but that was never even an option for us. We had to figure out a way to get him out of his separation anxiety. We worked with him, day in and day out, till he finally realised that we were not going to abandon him.

Three years later, I can admit with great reluctance that we belong to him and suffer from separation anxiety ourselves when we are away at work. Its not the other way around anymore.

Bailey - a lab mix girl - just walked into our apartment block one day, scared and hungry. We asked around but couldnt find her owner â€" she had clearly been abandoned. She knew basic commands but was always scared and winced at the smallest of hand gestures, as if she had been previously abused. The guard of my apartment decided to adopt her and used to keep her with him all the time.

A couple of months later, my apartment got new tenants who did not like dogs and used to complain about Bailey and Cooper all the time. The guard was instructed to give up Bailey and that is when we decided to move houses. We knew we couldnt leave Bailey behind and took her with us.

We discovered a month later, after moving to a new house, that Bailey had epilepsy. That was a whole new journey for us - figuring out how to deal with an epileptic dog. But what helped, both for Coopers separation anxiety and for Baileys epilepsy, was that they had each other and took comfort in being with the other while we were out at work the whole day.

Both our dogs have taught us a lot - unconditional love and an inordinate amount of acceptance and patience being the foremost. Nobody wouldve faulted us had we decided to give up any of the two, but that was never even an option! We were a family and we trusted our dogs as much as they trusted us.

A pet will change your life forever, and you need to be ready for that kind of responsibility. They will bring unprecedented joy into your lives, along with a whole host of other emotions. But for every single emotion you give to your pets, they will give you so much more! All of us love each other in our own little way! Our little family may not be perfect but its ours.

It is the season of love and joy, it is Christmas! It is also that time of the year when fashionistas look forward to adorning their best outfits.

As fashion designer John Galliano once said, "The joy of dressing is an art." So what can one look for this Christmas? "Sleek and sophisticated monochrome is a big hit this year and makes one look effortlessly chic. In terms of trend, a little black dress is a classic winner for Christmas. Adding pearl accessories can give a royal look. One can also add an unexpected twist to their look. A shade of deep coloured lipstick or going for a simple outfit leaving room for some major accessorising is definitely the way to go," suggests designer Masumi of Emblaze.

While this year, statement sleeves and bold cuts kept fashionistas hooked on, Masumi says a few trends like off-shoulder tops and dresses, bomber jackets, slip dresses and high necklines from the previous year are still going strong and one can look forward to them this Christmas too.

Designer Kiran Behr of Krimson elaborates, "Christmas season calls for classy and subtle dressing with clean cuts and style, embellished with a minute amount of bling, it can be either in bold colours or nude tones."

She says that dramatic gowns in peplum style, drapes with ruffle, jumpsuits with attached skirts, and peplum tops with one shoulder ruffles can make one look classy and stylish.

"Tiered tasselled gowns, leather or sequins embellished fringes or deep velvet hues with classy cuts can be some of the styles to opt for. Though hues of red and wines are generally associated with this festival, selecting shades like grey, olive green and violet can make one the talk of the town," she adds.

Ask her if playing safe with colours like white, black or red can still win the show and she says, "These are all-time favourite colours. If you are somebody who is ready to experiment, then you can always look for some other shades and steal the show. However, while doing so its important to choose the right design."

Having said that, if you are tired of pulling out your same black dress every year, fret not! This Christmas is all about experimenting with unconventional colours and textures, says designer Sana Karim of label House of Zardoze.

"Pick up a sequin style or metallic satin dress to go all glam art deco this season. Colours like black, midnight blue and gold are trending. Pair these vibrant colours with black heels or nude ones with simple accessories and you are good to go," says Sana.

"Bring out the feathers and bling from the closet for an evening party and keep it simple and elegant with ruffles and bell sleeves for a day party. Layering will be something to look forward to and it will be interesting to see people mix and match their outfits to stay warm and trendy," adds Sana.

So, whether you are keeping your look classic with the little black dress or going all out with bold cuts and colours, the mantra this season is while you make those heads turn, dont let the cold weather get you down.

Rocking social media with her short film Chhuri, B-Town girl Surveen Chawla has now teamed up with ALTBalaji for its upcoming web series Haq Se.

The actor essays the role of a Muslim girl Meher who is a paediatrician. Keeping the intricate details of her character in mind, Surveen worked hard on her makeup and costumes. She will be seen in a de-glam avatar, donning some beautiful salwars and shawls in the series, which were handpicked by Surveen herself.

"When I read the script of Haq Se, I immediately had a mental picture of what my character would look like. I spoke to the makers and went shopping for clothes in the local bazaars of Kashmir."

"The experience was like a prep before the shoot started. I enjoyed bargaining and got stuff at an affordable price," reveals Surveen.

Also starring Rajeev Khandelwal, the Ken Ghosh directorial explores the ambitions and dreams of four Kashmiri sisters and how they are bound down by their geographical situation and the rising fundamentalism in the region.

This fast-fashion retailer aims to provide young Bengalureans with valuable fashion in affordable rates, while keeping in time with the trends of today.
Co-founder Metok Lachungpa, says, "We offer on-trend styles to young women and teenagers at a budget-friendly price. The brand has over 500 new styles every month not just in apparel but also shoes, handbags and accessories."

From overalls to dresses and skirts to tops, the brand has something for everyone. Metok adds that from party options to daily wear for the season, one can find a lot on the racks of the store.

"We have party and casual dresses in floral and shimmery options,
jumpsuits in solid colours or prints, crop tops and party blouses. In bottom wear, we have denims in skinny, high-waist, flared and raw hem options. Shorts and skirts are other pieces one can team for a snazzy look," says Metok.

The season calls for layers and the brand has a lot to offer in this style. "In outerwear, blazers, bomber jackets, varsity jackets, leather jackets, duster coats, long-lined blazers and trench coats," she lists out.

The latest collection includes festive colours and trending prints.

"Apart from layering, our dresses and ensembles also have embroidery, metallic additions or a shimmery touch to them. Red is the colour of the season but we have also played around with other colours," she says.

"In prints, plaid is a big hit. One can find them in blazers and pants. Velvet is another popular option," adds Metok. Black can be seen in most of the outfits. "Black is a classic colour. It is an evergreen addition to any outfit and is the perfect base for any look," adds Metok.

Ni Hao also houses varied options in footwear like high heels, ankle and
thigh-high boots. One will also find handbags and clutches according to their ensemble.

His song Dhating Naach from Phata Poster Nikhla Hero gained a lot of popularity as soon as it hit the television screens. This was followed by hit songs like Selfie Lele Re, Jabra Fan, The Breakup Song and Cutiepie, which gave singer Nakash Aziz a new space in the industry. Apart from Bollywood films, he has also sung in Bengali, Marathi, Gujarati and Telugu. In a conversation with Surupasree Sarmmah, the singer gets candid about his journey in the industry.

Coming from a family of singers, was music your first career choice?
Well, I always and even today want to produce films and make short films. Being creatively involved is something that I am always ready for. However, I am getting the opportunity to sing, thanks to all the wonderful composers I have been working with like AR Rahman and Pritam. They trust me and I am lucky to be singing for Bollywood.

Of the songs you have sung, which are your favourites?
Afghan Jalebi has to be up there. This apart, Beqasoor is another song I like. There is Tamizhselvi, a Tamil song, and Remix Qawwali, a Bengali song, that I am in love with.

What inspires you to write?
My ideas are purely emotion based. Its all about my experiences and emotions that I am going through in my personal life. I convert these into music.

It has been seven years in the industry. Do you still get nervous while recording a song?
I get a little anxious at times but after 10-15 minutes into the recording, its either going very bad or going great. For me, a bad recording is like a Test match, you have to play it out and a good recording is like a T20 match, you give your best to it.

What kind of songs did you listen to while growing up?
I used to listen to the songs of A R Rahman and Michael Jackson. And in my college days, I started listening to Coldplay. And then, I slowly started listening to S D Burman and R D Burman.

How do you spend your time when you are not in the recording studio?
I love watching TV and hanging out with friends. I recently bought a BMW bike and I am currently tripping on it.

Your discography is quite impressive, how do you feel being part of such popular tracks?
It is very normal to me. To be honest, I have not proved myself to myself yet. There is still a long way to go.

You are currently listening to...
Chinese pianist Lang Lang and songs by Yellow Claws.

This picture was taken in 2005 at our home on Bull Temple Road, just before we were leaving to church for the Christmas mass. Seen in the picture are my parents Richard Louis and Hariette, my sister Madonna and brother Oliver.

Christmas has always been a special time for the family because every member of the house gets involved in the preparation. I am usually given the charge of making the crib, my brother decorates the tree and my sister helps my mother in preparing all the sweets and savouries for Christmas.

My father is one of the seniormost scriptwriters in the Kannada film industry and he has made a lot of close friends over the years and they all come home for Christmas. Every actor or theatre artiste who comes home never leaves without performing.

Theres a lot of singing and dancing that lights up the festival. My brother plays the keyboard, sister is a good standup comedian and my mother renders the only Konkani song that she knows. Everybody who visits us is pulled into a celebratory mode.

Interestingly, we have had a regionalised Christmas celebration because ours in the only Christian household on our street. The noise and celebrations go on little beyond the wee hours of December 26, but nobody is ever heard complaining. Most of our friends who visit us on Christmas are Hindus and Muslims. Our celebrations have always been very secular.

The main menu for Christmas is catered to and I usually select the dishes. I make sure every conceivable traditional dish is included in the elaborate spread.

I have always made it a point to be home for Christmas. I completed my schooling from St Josephs Indian High School and did my pre-university at St Josephs PU College and degree from St Josephs College of Commerce.

I picked up my love for acting and theatre during my school days. I was the leader of the drama club in school and I remember my teachers telling me that I would become a good actor because I never studied as much as I was supposed to. The passion for theatre and acting continued through college. I found my best buddies in Vinay Rajkumar, Sunder Ram and Lakki Gopal.

We would hang out at the Airlines Hotel and ride across the city on a Kinetic Honda. I remember old Bangalore was less crowded and it was easy to travel from one place to another.

This picture reminds me of how, despite our busy schedules, we have still managed to retain the family tradition and keep the spirit of Christmas alive in our home.

Jeevan Antony Louis (actor)

When aircraft manufacturers today are faced with a problem in a plane that has been in service for many years, they encounter a significant challenge " tracing the history of the suspected part or component and chronology of events surrounding it to find the right fix. These could be issues or damages fixed right from the manufacturing process, flight test observations, customisations by lease operators, maintenance observations and changes, damages due to in-flight incidents such as a hard landing or bird strike and pilot logs from in-flight observations and issues.

All this data is spread out in multiple systems across organisations in the supply chain, and data gathering and reconciliation becomes an extremely challenging exercise. Some airlines spend as much as 90% of the time and effort finding and organising the data chronologically, and only 10% of time in finding the fix. And the aircraft are grounded during this time - massive revenue loss for an industry with high asset utilization targets.

Now imagine the savings that would be possible, if there were a system of records that brought together all of the information from all of these sources in one place, all organised in chronological order. With such a system, aircraft could be back in the air within just 20% of the time taken earlier. Enter blockchain!

By enabling all the parties to share their data on a common network as and when the data is generated, and using a common identifier for a part or component that lets the entire history be traced, blockchain could just be the solution to this challenge.

The manufacturing industry is experiencing significant transformation as blockchain streamlines processes and brings accountability among stakeholders. The technology is a powerful recorder of transactions enabling provenance tracking of goods and its movement through the supply chain.

Organisations today face challenges in coordinating with their stakeholders in the value chain, due to information asymmetry caused by silo-ed databases, resulting in inaccurate forecasts and delays due to insufficient inventory. In a globalised world, organisations procure and sell goods in different parts of the world. Their partners in the supply chain have increased exponentially, raising the need for a single source of truth.

Consumers also demand products that are crime-free, sustainable and of the highest quality. The ability to validate the ethical production of products and to trace its origin not only provides transparency, but also increases brand loyalty, brand value and revenue.

Blockchain has come to be recognised for its potential to create a fundamental, disruptive shift in the way information is processed, making them faster, accurate and tamper-proof. Organisations are recognising the inevitable force of this technology, and its ability to build an ecosystem that would transcend geographical barriers, its automation capabilities and the enormous cost benefit.

While Blockchain offers enormous potential, manufacturing companies need to leverage it in chosen business areas, where the impact of this technology is the most.

The aerospace industry is one of the sectors which stands to gain a lot from blockchain. Blockchain has various applications in the aerospace industry, such as supply chain management enabling stakeholders to trace the sub-components back to its manufacturers and access its quality details.

It also helps the stakeholders to streamline their inventory management by tracking the production of assets and the monitoring the inventory of their suppliers and customers. And as mentioned earlier, it can help quickly provide aeronautical engineers access to the history of the aircraft, and the damage and repairs to help accurately identify the problem and design the solution for the aircraft. Other Blockchain applications include:

Supply Chain Management

Inventory Management: OEMs procure goods from across the world to meet the demands of local customers, but stakeholders in the same city do not have the information required to plan their procurement and production activities.

Blockchain promises to end the struggle to coordinate between stakeholders in the value chain by bringing them on a single platform and creating a sole source of truth. Blockchain helps track products as they move along the supply chain providing real-time inventory updates to all the stakeholders. This helps manufacturers plan their procurement and production activities.

Provenance Tracking: Customer awareness has resulted in the need for organic food, crime-free and environmentally-sustainable products. Customers can use the blockchain to trace products and its constituents back to its origins. They can view quality certificates and certifications from third parties to verify the sustainability or ethical practices of the company.

The airline industry needs to track several components within a part or section of the plane. The ability to track components of a section and verify its presence is crucial for the airline industry. Blockchain helps the airline industry account for every component and assigns accountability among its suppliers for missing parts creating safe skies for all air travelers.

Counterfeit Prevention

Manufacturers struggle to stop the global supply chain fraud and leakage, which accounts for losses of over $300 billion per year. By tracking products through the supply chain, organisations can ensure counterfeit products do not enter the supply chain and provide customers a tamper-proof record of the products lifecycle to verify authenticity.

Blockchain enables aerospace industry to track products through the value chain, thus preventing counterfeits from entering the market and enabling customers to verify the authenticity of the product.

Equipment Automation

Smart contracts on the blockchain can be used to automate payment to suppliers and service providers. They can also be used to automate equipment to perform functions at specific instances. Sensors on equipment can capture data which can be used to certify the quality of products or smart contracts can stop production of faulty products if an anomaly is detected.

Equipment Maintenance Tracking

By tracking equipment procurement and their breakdown, blockchain enables manufacturers to trace faulty components back to their suppliers and reduce the downtime of production facilities.

In the airline industry, for instance, blockchain could help track aircraft through production, servicing and its entire lifecycle tracking parts usage and damage history. Data can then be made available for damage detection, analysis and repair of parts.

The manufacturing industry is on the verge of a blockchain revolution. By connecting every company and every customer it helps create greater transparency and trust and enable businesses all over the world. As more and more companies deploy blockchain in their supply chain, an ecosystem free from information asymmetry and counterfeiting seems a real possibility.

(The writer is Vice President and Head of Center for Emerging Technology Solutions at Infosys)

Artificial Intelligence (AI) is intelligent behaviour by machines, rather than the natural intelligence of humans and other animals. It pursues creating the computers or machines as intelligent as human beings. AI is accomplished by studying how human brain thinks, learn, decide, work while trying to solve problems, and then using the outcomes of this study as a basis of developing intelligent software and systems.

Since the invention of computers, their capability to perform various tasks went on growing exponentially. Humans have developed the power of computer systems in terms of their diverse work domains, increasing speed and reducing size with respect to limited time.

Development of AI started with the intention of creating similar intelligence in machines that we find and regards high in humans. AI is a science and technology based on disciplines such as computer science, maths, engineering, biology and psychology.

It is believed that the global AI market is poised to grow at a CAGR of more than 2% in the next 10 years. It has been dominant in various fields such as gaming, entertainment, business intelligence, medicine, education, language processing, social media, bio-matrix, handwriting preconisation, etc. It seems that this ground-breaking technology has become an essential part of human life. The worlds tech giants like Google, Facebook, Microsoft and IBM are investing millions in AI, and it seems that the next generation would be all about AI.

Recently, Sony has unveiled a new version of the Robot Dog. It is equipped with the latest AI technology, allowing it to learn tricks, be aware of its surroundings and develop a bond with its owner through facial and voice recognition. These learned behaviours are stored on the cloud and are constantly updated as the dog comes into contact with other AI and humans.

Evolution of AI has pushed the boundaries of creativity. Not only does it predict trend and answer customer queries, but it also inspires visual and aural sense by understanding and providing an interpretation of data.

Artificial Intelligence is quickly becoming the next transformational technology. There are many instances that we may already be interacting with this ground-breaking technology without even realizing it.

Google was one of the early pioneers of AI. As per the Google database, it processes more than 3.6 billion search queries per day, and over 40,000 per second on average. The recent improvements in the search results are the direct result of advances in AI. In fact, Google is teaching its AI about human behaviour by making it watch lots of YouTube videos. It is training super smart algorithms to detect certain gestures, so it can identify action.

Anyone who has ever uploaded photos on Facebook, has likely seen a small window pop-up on their screen which asks if you would like to tag a friend in the photo and then it suggests the name of the friend who actually appears in the photo. This feature is the result of a complicated set of AI algos based in image recognition and specifically for facial recognition. The more you use the feature, the more accurate it becomes as AI keeps on learning.

AI is getting involved in healthcare and as per scientists, it can identify ovarian cancer which is the fifth most common cause of cancer deaths affecting women. It is estimated that women have a one in 75 chance of getting ovarian cancer in a lifetime, with the average age of diagnosis being 63 years old. An AI computer programme can pinpoint bowel cancer in less than a second.

AI fought law and won, it is also helping spies and defence personnel to do their jobs in a better way.

The question remains critical: Will it be a new form of life? And the way AI is being developed, AI robots will replace humans completely.

A lot has been said about AI. Few love it, while others hate it. But todays truth is that you cannot ignore AI. It has become a part of our life, and has helped companies exploit its power to provide the best customer experience.

AI was earlier used only in stock identification and other financial services, but is now making its way into Exchange Traded Funds (ETF), and recently, Canada got its first Artificial Intelligence-run ETF. AI can also understand the behaviour of someones trading by past records, and then throw the data to summarise or to suggest a change in the trading style to get a comparatively better return.

However, as we understand that everything has its pros and cons. Some experts say that human development of robots and computers will eventually reach a tipping point, when it will become a new form of life that will outperform humans. It sounds exactly similar to the Rajnikants movie Robot, in which the project backfires when Robot falls in love with the scientists girlfriend, once it has been upgraded to give it the ability to comprehend and exhibit human emotions.

AI is going to change the world in every domain in just a few years. We have become comparatively smart by using smartphones, and now we have to be more intelligent as to handle Artificial Intelligence.

(The writer is Derivatives and Technical Analyst at Motilal Oswal Securities)

Its been an action-packed year for the real estate sector. The year 2017 started on a slow note, with the sector still reeling under the shock of demonetisation, which was announced by the government in November 2016 to flush out black money from the economy.

Demonetisation had a negative impact on both, home launches and home sales. In the first couple of quarters following demonetisation, new home launches and demand for homes was muted across the country. The secondary or the resale market was hit more than the primary market, because of the predominance of cash transactions in the resale market. Transactions in the secondary market fell by as much as 50%. Demand for affordable homes was relatively better than that for luxury homes, which again has a high component of cash transaction.

In effect, demonetisation squeezed liquidity out of developers, forcing them to change their business models. For instance, developers now prefer to enter into joint development agreement with land owners over outright purchase of land. The sector started to recover in the second half of 2017. The positive impact of demonetisation from a home buyers point of view is a fall in home loan rates, and home prices. Land prices are however expected to remain the same. The other positive effect of this reform measure is an increase in regulation and tax compliance, though how much of this would translate into an increase in tax collection will have to be seen.

The year also saw Indias apex court come to the rescue of distraught home buyers in multiple cases filed against developers. RERA is expected to take care of all future buyer grievances. It has increased both the compliance level and cost for developers. Demand for luxury homes has taken a hit, while affordable homes continue to attract buyers.

In the office space, strong economic growth continued to generate demand. Vacancy levels in some cities such as Bengaluru, Chennai, Hyderabad and Pune is around 5-10%, while pan-India vacancy is at around 14-15%. On the supply side, there is a shortage of Grade A office space. It is less than half of the current office stock across the top eight cities at 280 million sq feet. The gap between demand and supply of good quality office space is keeping office rentals strong. In comparison, retail properties saw significantly less rental value appreciation, especially in the National Capital Region. Mumbai and Bengaluru fared better. While occupier demand continues to rise in the office sector, there was no change in demand in the retail segment.

Bengaluru exhibits strong potential

In 2018, the demand for office space is expected to remain strong. Pan-India vacancy levels will remain at 14-15%. We could even see a fall in vacancy levels in some cities, such as Bengaluru. Office rentals in the cities of the National Capital Region, Mumbai and Bengaluru will continue to outperform, thanks to strong demand. Bengaluru exhibits stronger office rental growth projections when compared with Mumbai and the NCR. Capital value expectations for the next one year for office, retail and industrial segments are slightly lower.

In the residential segment, we are likely to see fewer project launches, at least until developers are familiar with RERA. The supply of new homes will be hit, which is perhaps good for the sector, because it will help balance out the high levels of unsold inventory in major cities. RERA might even impact the business of smaller developers, because of the mandatory requirement to hold 70% of buyer advances in an escrow account. This could lead to a consolidation in the industry. Organised real estate developers, with access to institutional funding, will find it easier to comply with RERA. We are already seeing new business models emerge, wherein developers are doing joint development of projects with land owners. RERA is expected to do a lot to improve confidence of home buyers. It will usher in transparency, reduce delays, improve accountability, protect the interest of buyers and bring in standardisation in the sector.

Property prices will be under pressure in regions such as the NCR and Mumbai, which have high unsold inventory, more so in the luxury housing segment. Real Estate Investment Trusts, which were much awaited in 2017, did not take off during the year because of confusion over GST and other regulatory matters. Once the confusion clears, we will see REIT listings. We expect the first REIT listing to happen sometime in late 2018, or early 2019. The retail segment will maintain its status quo. Good developers, who understand the mall concept, will do well and the rest will struggle. In the home loan mortgage business, we expect newer players to give tough competition to older and more established players.

To sum it up, 2018 will continue to pose some challenges for the residential segment as far as home sales and prices are concerned. Developers will become more familiar with GST and RERA, and this should help them plan their businesses better. Compliance could be a problem for some developers, resulting in consolidation in the sector. The office segment will continue to do well with strong rentals. Home buyers will emerge as the ultimate winners with RERA acting as a panacea to most of their home-buying woes.

(The writer is the Global Managing Director for Emerging Business at RICS)

When Pete Samuels, a founder and the chief executive of Supermassive Games, began working on a survival horror adventure video game called "Until Dawn" in 2015, he knew he wanted the story to unfold like that of a horror film.

So he turned to Hollywood. Samuels sought out Larry Fessenden, an American screenwriter and director whose credits include the horror films "Wendigo" and "The Last Winter," and the screenplay for "Orphanage," an in-development English language remake of the Spanish horror film "El Orfanato" from director Guillermo del Toro.

"The gaming audience is growing, and tastes are broadening," Samuels said. "Great films and great television that tell good stories are more widely available to many more people than ever before, and theres definitely an increasing population of the gaming audience that are enthusiastic for games with a thoughtfully constructed narrative."

In an era of prestige television, high-quality streaming services and indie films that sometimes haul in blockbuster box office receipts, video games are facing stiff narrative competition. So video game creators are increasingly turning to film and television writers to help craft their stories.

In 2014, Sledgehammer Games worked with Hollywood screenwriter Mark Boal (his credits include "The Hurt Locker" and "Zero Dark Thirty") on the story for the first-person shooter "Call of Duty: Advanced Warfare." That same year, former Pixar writer Stephan Bugaj worked with Telltale Games to develop a narrative for the studios popular episodic adventure game series "Game of Thrones" and "The Walking Dead."

Last December, Naughty Dog, the studio behind blockbuster action-adventure franchises like "Uncharted" and "The Last of Us," announced that Halley Gross, a writer and story editor on HBOs "Westworld," would help write the studios coming game, "The Last of Us Part II." The game will follow its two protagonists, Ellie and Joel, as they make their way across post-apocalyptic America fighting off zombielike monsters.

Video game fans have long signaled their appreciation for narrative games. Action-adventure games, which typically have more complex story lines, are among the top three genres for PC games, console games and mobile games, according to Newzoo, a video game marketing intelligence company. In April, the Entertainment Software Association released a survey that found that 59 percent of gamers consider the story when buying a title; it was the third-highest influencing factor behind quality of graphics and price.

But writing for a video game can present hurdles for television and film writers. Thats because unlike film and TV audiences, gaming audiences are not passive spectators. With a story-based game, you expect to be able to exercise some agency over how the story unfolds - or at least to experience the story in a way that feels more intimate and personal than a film or television show. Writers have to take that interactivity into account.

With "The Last of Us Part II," Gross approached that challenge together with Neil Druckmann, Naughty Dogs creative director. Gross, who is a gamer, said she signed on for the project because it was an opportunity to learn more about making games while working with characters she was already familiar with.

"I believe storytelling in games has the opportunity to create an unmatched level of empathy," Gross said. "Youre not just a spectator. Youre experiencing someones journey firsthand."

At the outset, they approached the game similar to the way they would a season of television, said Gross, with the two brainstorming the entire story line and figuring out major milestones for the narrative. Once those were in place, the similarities between writing for television and games fell away.

"In television, youre collaborating with other writers," Gross said, and "only once the script is in a fairly locked form do other departments get involved," she explained. "At Naughty Dog, each narrative beat is infused with not just the ideas of the writers, but also by design, art, and more."

Gary Whitta, whose film-writing credits include "The Book of Eli," "After Earth," and last years "Rogue One: A Star Wars Story," said he had seen how storytelling went from nonexistent in games to becoming "more the standard." Whitta, who got his start as a gaming journalist, has consulted on narrative and story development for a number of video games, including Microsofts popular first-person shooter series "Gears of War."

Over time, Whitta said, he figured that his skills would be less needed in the video game industry. Thats because he expected storytelling to become more developed in the industry itself.

"As the skill sets become more mature, developers will devote more internal resources to it, developing their own story talent," he said.

For now, building robust and dynamic stories can still be difficult, especially in games that have several outcomes depending on what each player decides. When developing the story for "Until Dawn," for example, Fessenden worked with a collaborator, the writer and director Graham Reznick, whose credits include the 2008 experimental horror feature film "I Can See You." Together, they crafted a creepy cabin-in-the-woods story focused on a group of teenagers.

The game was conceived as a first-person game, which Reznick said felt "much less cinematic." Supermassive Games then decided to switch to a third-person perspective, and began employing techniques usually reserved for films, like fixed camera angles, editing between shots, and high resolution facial capture for the actors.

"This let us actually write dialogue and express ideas closer to how we would in film - a loaded glance in a cutaway could be much more powerful than a line of dialogue shouted from offscreen," Reznick said.

In the games final version, players can alternate among characters during the game, making decisions that affect the outcome. The game, which features the voices and likeness of actors Rami Malek and Hayden Panettiere, was released on the PlayStation 4 in 2015. It later won a British Academy of Film and Television Arts award for its originality.

How do New York Times journalists use technology in their jobs and in their personal lives? Hiroko Tabuchi, a climate and environment reporter for The Times, discussed the tech shes using.

Q: What are your most important tech tools for doing your job?

Being conscious of my carbon footprint, and whats in the environment around me, is a prerequisite to covering my beat - and there are several good apps for that.

The CO2 app from the International Civil Aviation Organization gives a good estimate of how much greenhouse gas emissions I cause by flying. For example, Im flying to Arizona for a reporting assignment. The app tells me that a small commercial flight from New York to Phoenix and back burns about 13,150 kilograms of fuel, which comes to an average CO2 footprint per passenger of almost 500 kilograms - thats more than an average car emits in a month. Theres also a great app called Haze Today, which tracks the air quality index in real time - thats ground-level ozone, particle pollution, carbon monoxide, sulfur dioxide and nitrogen dioxide, all of which can affect your health. The index rates most winter days in New York as "healthy" - but in the summer, you see the index start to creep up into the "moderate" and "unhealthy" ranges. It also becomes clear from the app that air pollution is much worse every day in California. I wrote earlier this year about why that has made California the leader on environmental policy. Its a necessity for the state.

Incidentally, Haze Today covers the entire world, and its sobering to track air pollution levels in countries like China and India, where coal power is more prevalent and the air quality index is perpetually stuck in the "unhealthy" or "very unhealthy" range.

As for gadgets, ever since I covered the Fukushima nuclear crisis in 2011, a mini-Geiger counter, which measures radiation exposure, has been part of my reporters tool kit. Its amazing how the crisis spurred Geiger counter technology. In the early days of the accident at the Fukushima plant, we paid hundreds of dollars to buy Russian-made counters; now Japanese electronics companies make really cheap ones that look like thermometers.

Q: Big tech companies have a major impact on the environment. How do you think they are doing, and what are the implications for the rest of us?

One of the tech companies biggest environmental footprints comes from the enormous centers that store and process the data that powers their operations - and there has been research to suggest that some tech giants may be underestimating the amount of energy they consume. Data centers also use lots of water to cool their hard-working server computers. I think there has been a lot of progress among the tech giants to address these issues, and most companies have some sort of commitment to powering more of their energy needs with renewables.

Of course, you can also shrink your own data carbon footprint with really simple steps, like remembering to turn off your work computer at the end of the day. Im still surprised by how many computer and TV screens are on in our own Times building at night and over the weekend.

Q: What tech product are you currently obsessed with using in your daily life?

Im a public transportation nerd and use travel-related apps a lot. My favorite is Exit Strategy, which tells you which subway car you need to be in to make sure you get off right by the exit you need. You would be surprised at how much time and stress that can save you.

We also use buses a lot where we live in Brooklyn, so I use the MTA Bus app, which is much more accurate than services like Google Maps.

I also love podcasts. With a good podcast, like Michael Barbaros The Daily or the S-Town podcast from "This American Life," its easy to tune everything out.

Q: What could be better about any of your favourite transit apps?

Google Maps is a major headache for me. It just doesnt integrate with New York City Transit very well. So it might suggest a route on a train thats shut down for maintenance, for example. If Google Maps was better at flagging even just scheduled maintenance, the subways and buses here would be so much easier to navigate. I tweet about transit woes a lot, but its because I believe in the importance of public transportation. It lies at the heart of any vibrant city.

Q: What are some simple tweaks people can make in their tech lives to be more environmentally responsible?

There are a couple of apps and services that can help you both be environmentally responsible and protect your health. GoodGuide lets you scan products in the store to look up ingredients and see overall product ratings based on health or environmental impacts. Apps like Oroeco let you track your daily carbon footprint and turn it into a game, making suggestions on how to do better. Another area to think about from an environmental perspective is e-commerce. Most online shoppers have probably wondered what the impact of all those deliveries, and all that cardboard, might be.

Im the first to admit that I probably couldnt live without e-commerce, but there are simple things that can help reduce your environmental impact. For example: Do you really need your new headphones and external batteries overnight? Express delivery options can add to e-commerces footprint, because shipments might be sent in multiple packages from various locations to meet a rushed order.

But from a carbon perspective, driving to and from the store can be even worse. Thats often more emissions-intensive than any other leg of that products journey. Delivery services, on the other hand, transport in bulk and tend to find the most efficient routes, keeping their fuel costs and emissions down.

It is a very common practice in our Indian society that when one barely starts earning, he/she will start getting lot of advices on where to save and how to save. But, what has worked for them may or may not work for you.

For example, Ajay has learned this the hard way. Around 8 years ago, when he was 35-years-old, he wanted to start saving for his childs education. He arduously reviewed many financial products and consulted with financial consultants before narrowing down on investing 65% of his savings in equity mutual funds and 35% in debt mutual funds.

Since 8 years was a good long term horizon for investments, it was expected that he would do just fine, if he used his monthly Systematic Investment Plan (SIP) of a fixed amount for the next 8 years. He did further research to selected some five-star rated funds and started investing in them.

Fast forward 8 years. He found to his horror, that he was not getting 12â€"15% annualised return from his investments as advocated by all the experts even though he followed their advice and invested with good discipline. He was disappointed that he had to go for a bank loan for his childs education and this would be a strain on his finances.

When he shared this with his friend Suresh, his friend advised him that equity markets are very volatile and not everyone actually makes money by investing in equities.

That is the main reason why he keeps himself away from such products and invests only in Fixed Deposits (FDs). Sureshs biggest concern was his lack of knowledge to invest in equity markets and the volatility associated with it which makes him nervous. Even though Ajay understood what Suresh was telling him, he knew in his heart that in long term investments some risk should be taken to get higher returns; and that longer the investment tenure, higher are the returns. While he also doesnt know much about equity investments, he understands that this aspect is taken care of by the mutual fund manager. However, since his investments has not worked for him, he was confused as to what actually went wrong with his investment choices.

Identifying the goal and setting its duration was planned well by Ajay. Also, assigning 65:35 allocation in his overall portfolio, based on his risk profile was smart thinking. While choosing the products to invest in, one should not only take care of ones own risk profile but also the duration left for reaching the goal date. In this case, it was Ajays child education. Goals such as childs education are non-negotiable goals and that one can seldom change their year of utilisation of funds. So, if there is any shortfall, then one has to either take a loan or liquidate some other asset.

Let us see, what Ajay could have done better to manage his long-term investments:

Ajay started his investment journey well by planning. However, one of the key thing missing was regular tracking of his funds and corrective actions based on the performance of the funds, on a regular basis. For example, he should have removed the non-performing funds and replaced them with the better mutual funds.

Secondly, in case of markets performing very well, the equity to debt ratio of his portfolio needs to be rebalanced to maintain his initial allocation of 65:35. This should be done at least on a yearly basis. Without doing rebalancing, the overall risk increases considerably.

Also, there was no definite plan to exit his investments. Ideally, one should start increasing the debt allocation as and when the goals maturity date comes nearer. This ensures that even if markets were to become volatile at the time of nearing the goal, the investment amount will be least impacted. If tenure left is nearly a year, one should ideally consider keeping even 100% of the goal amount in debt funds.

To summarize, many of us are quite contended with selecting an investment to get returns. However, we seldom assign a goal to those investments which will force us to plan for their exit as well. Planning an exit is especially important when you choose riskier investment such as equity mutual funds. One should avoid being an Abhimanyu of Mahabharata who entered the chakravyuh with no plan to come out of it. Goal-based planning approach helps you to come out of the risky investments successfully and also increases the probability of achieving the set goal.

(The writer is Co-Founder of FinAtoZ. With inputs from Prof V Sridhar, IIIT-B )

Supersonic passenger travel, which died out with the Concordes demise in 2003, will make a comeback by the mid-2020s if three entrepreneurial US-based companies can make jets quiet and efficient enough to win over buyers and fliers.

Fifteen years ago, Boeing Co cancelled plans to build the near-supersonic Sonic Cruiser, the last big attempt by a major manufacturer to speed up commercial travel.

Now Japan Airlines Co Ltd and Virgin Group are backing one of the three US supersonic projects, Denver-based Boom Technology Inc, which plans a 55-seat all business class jet.

Lockheed Martin Corp is partnering with Aerion Corp to develop smaller supersonic business jets, with Spike Aerospace Inc also targeting the private jet market given many see the super-rich as the likeliest early adopters of supersonic travel.

Concorde was developed in the 1960s, meaning this is hardly a new technology. But the programme was government-backed, with only 14 jets ever delivered to then-government owned British Airways and Air France. Other airline orders evaporated as the purchase price soared and they were eventually retired as maintenance costs rose and passenger revenue fell.

New players are relying on venture capital funding models. "This is more about engines and economics than it is about airframes," Richard Aboulafia, the vice president of analysis at aerospace research firm Teal Group, said of the challenges of a supersonic revival.

To make the project economics stack up the engines need to be far more fuel efficient and less noisy than those used by Concorde or fighter jets.

That has proven tough to engineer, especially at higher speeds like the Concordes Mach 2, which halved the travel time from London to New York to 3.5 hours. Aerion, the most advanced of the proposed supersonic jet projects, is working with GE Aviation to develop an engine based on a core used in F-16 fighters and Boeing 737s that was developed in the 1970s, a GE spokesman said.

In a sign of the challenges involved using an older engine core rather than spending $1 billion-plus to engineer a new one, Aerion has reduced the jets planned speed from Mach 1.6 to 1.4. Todays top business jets fly at around Mach 0.9 and commercial jets at Mach 0.85.

Boom founder and CEO Blake Scholl said the company was examining an adaptation of an existing engine as well as a clean-sheet option, with more to say next year. Spike CEO Vik Kachoria said his company was in talks with two engine suppliers.

Both are working on smaller demonstrator aircraft with different engines designed to prove the concept is achievable within their proposed timeframes.

Engine maker Rolls-Royce Holdings PLC said it was interested in supersonic work. United Technologies Corps Pratt & Whitney division said it was "not currently" working with Boom and did not respond to a question on Spike, while GE did not provide comment on either project.

Scholl said airlines need a speed of at least Mach 2 to make the supersonic business case stake up because that would shave one day off a trans-Atlantic itinerary and two days off trans-Pacific trips. For now, only over-water itineraries are under consideration due to widespread bans on civilian supersonic flights over land. "Faster speeds not only are better for passengers, they are better for airlines, who get to turn the plane around and fly more segments in the same day, possibly even with the same crew," Scholl said.

Japan Airlines and Virgin Group, which declined to comment, have a combined 30 options over Boom jets, with three other as-yet-unnamed customers signed on for another 46.

Former British Airways chief Concorde pilot Mike Bannister said the biggest hurdle for Boom was to develop jets at a price that would stack up for airlines, or early orders would evaporate as they had with Concorde.

"The technical challenges, whilst great, are surmountable," said Bannister, who was the captain of the last-ever commercial Concorde flight and has advised Booms team.

"It is an absolute delight to be able to see on the horizon the prospect of another supersonic airliner, particularly for my family because my daughter who is 24 is a commercial pilot. I would love to see my daughter flying it."

Sony Corp is poised to report its highest-ever profit this year on strong sales of image sensors after years of losing ground in consumer electronics and hopes to develop the technology for use in robotics and self-driving cars as competition heats up.

The results will mark a significant turnaround for the conglomerate, once famed for leading the world in consumer gadgets such as its Walkman music player, but now finding a new focus on image sensors and gaming.

Sony forecasts that operating profit in the year through March will more than double to 630 billion yen ($5.6 billion) compared with the year earlier and expects the chips division, most of which is made up of the image sensors business, to be the conglomerates biggest growth driver.

Executives say a technological breakthrough in image sensors and seachange in the companys thinking are behind the success. The breakthrough, creating a sensor that captures more light to produce sharper images, coincided with soaring consumer demand for better smartphone cameras for sharing photos on social media.

The breakthrough, which involved reconfiguring the sensor layout and known as backside illumination, allowed Sony to grab nearly half of the market for image sensors.

"We knew we wouldnt be able to win if we did what our rivals were doing," said Teruo Hirayama, technology chief of Sonys chip business, recalling initial scepticism around the technology that is now used widely. Japanese names such as Hitachi Ltd, NEC Corp and Fujitsu Ltd, which dominated mainstream chips through the late 1980s, have lost business to Asian rivals such as Samsung Electronics.

Sonys success "is really a function of having decided a long time ago to focus on that niche within semiconductors," says Andrew Daniels, a Tokyo-based managing director at Indus Capital, an investment management firm. He declined to say whether his fund owns Sony shares.

"The process technology is very much that kind of takumi-no-waza," he said, using a Japanese phrase for the pursuit of manufacturing perfection. The sensor business was also helped by being an "outsider" within the company. By selling to companies outside Sony, it was insulated from declining sales of the companys own smartphones and other consumer electronics.

Tributes to veena maestro

Veena Vidwan L. Raja Rao (1909-1979) was one of the prominent Veena players of the "Mysore Baani" (Mysore School of Veena) and an able teacher, author and composer. When he presided over the music conference he received the coveted title Ganakalabhushana from the Karnataka Ganakala Parishat. In his memory, the Veena Rajarao Memorial Foundation conducts a music programme every year apart from presenting awards. This year Rudrapattana Brothers - R.N. Tyagarajan and R.N. Tharanathan, received the awards, last week.

Vidwan D. Balakrishna, who gave a veena concert after the awards presentation is one of the senior Veena players of the country, a recipient of several awards including "Ganakalashri". One of his disciple Manjula Surendra supported him on Veena, in this concert.

Balakrishna opened his concert with a familiar varna "Maathe" of Dr Muthaiah Bhagavathar. A popular composition of yesteryears "Manasuloni of Tyagaraja, was rendered with vintage flavour. He elaborated briefly Srikantimatim in Hemavati, which Dikshitar has called "Desi Simharavam" raga. The Kokilavarali is not a familiar raga, which is a janya of Natabhairavi and a "Ubhaya Vakra Sarmpurna". It is also known as an Eka Kriti raga, and the only available composition in this raga is "Samugaana Nilva" of Tyagaraja again. It was very brief but attractive with its sweetness and gracefulness. Balakrishna capped his efforts with a matured exposition of the majestic raga Shankarabharana for a detailed elaboration along with the brisk thana. The well-known devaranama "Pogadiralo Ranga" glowed with a variety of swara prastharas. Thanks to Balakrishnas training under his father Dr V. Doreswamy Iyengar, he once again proved that he does not compromise on the classical format and tradition. Indeed it was a lively concert. Manjula Surendra shared the honours with her guru. Young percussionists Anirudh Bhat and Raghavendra Prakash accompanied on mridanga and ghata, respectively. Gayaki Vanamale of Sadashiva Brahmendra and jinjoti thillana of Veena Seshanna - were the last few compositions he rendered.

Nrithya kalashilpa

Three dance schools presented their selected students in the Nrithya Kalashilpa organised by Natya Kalakshetra.

Shilpa Shankar, a disciple of Prashanth Sastry, opened her programme with a fine keertane of Dikshitar "Kanjadalayathakshee", followed by a swarajathi in the raga Kamatch. After "Chandra Shiva", she concluded with a thillana of Dr. Padma Subramanyam. She is pretty young and deeply interested in dance. Hence can reach great heights with some more higher training.

Talented dance students

Four students of Nupura (Ajay Viswanath, Poojitha Padmanabhan, Srividya Somayaji and Suma Aithal) presented "Marga Taranga" with Kalinga Mardhana, Shurpanakhi, Mareecha, Seethapaharana and finally chose a thillana. Under the direction of Dr. Lalitha Srinivasan they performed with ease and confidence and their career is worth watching.

Beautiful Krishnamrutham

Divya Hosakere, Siri Chandrashekhar and Anupama Mandya, students of P. Praveen Kumar (Chithkala School) chose "Krishnamrutham" for their dance programme. Few episodes like Krishna Janana (Krishnas birth) Puthani Samhara and Geethopadesha were proof of their good training.

All these young students of dance must continue their training and witness-observe the performances of senior dancers, to become versatile dancers.

Mysore V Subramanya