For Them, Each FB 'Like' a Ring in Cash Register

When Vidya Mukundan gave up her Mumbai job for the sake of children she thought of opening a shop in Kerala to tap into her fashion designing skills.

A mother of two from Kannur, Vidya wanted to open a store in Kozhikode city, but she could not zero in on an apt spot. That’s when the young CA professional thought of opening a  virtual storefront on Facebook to sell designer sarees.

The page ‘Devu’s Boutique’, started in May last year, now brings her a revenue of Rs 35,000 per month. “I design sarees at home and put up their pictures on FB. Since I am getting a good response I have decided to start a website,” said Vidya who has now bought a domain name.

Vidya says opening a store involves several complexities including finding a prime spot which ensures visibility and heavy investment. “None of this matters when it comes to Facebook marketing,” says Vidya.

Not long ago, starting a clothing boutique or an accessory store was a risky affair for most women in Kerala. They had to think about the investment that would go into starting a shop, the marketing it would require and then wait for sales and response. They had the talent but no platform to showcase it, let alone make a fortune from it. The picture has changed drastically with women entrepreneurs like Vidya realising the potential of the social networking sites like Facebook.

Two years ago, Tenaz and Fidan, two sisters from Kozhikode decided to start an online shop called ‘Head Over Heels’ to kill boredom.

They started a Facebook page and put up pictures of trendy footwear. Soon enough they started a tiny shop in the heart of Kozhikode city.

Pictures of their aesthetically decorated shop soon caught the attention of facebookers.

Country's First Electric Bus Launched in Bangalore

The Bangalore Metropolitan Transport Corporation (BMTC) introduced the country’s first electric zero-emission bus in the city on Thursday.

Although the bus has been in Bangalore for over a month now, it was officially launched by Transport Minister Ramalinga Reddy after getting the required permissions from the Transport Department.

The bus will run on a trial basis for the next three months. During this time, it will operate along various routes, beginning with one from Majestic to Kadugodi that is likely to cost `80.

Plans are also afoot to run the bus along the airport routes. The charging point for the bus is at the Volvo depot at Majestic.

“We will study whether the bus is economical and if it can function efficiently in the city. When the battery is fully charged (six hours), the bus can run for about 250 km, which is ideal for BMTC. However, this needs to be tested. We also need to see how it fares on various roads in the city and which routes are best suited to operate the bus,” said BMTC managing director Anjum Parvez.

Transport Minister Ramalinga Reddy said that though the bus is expensive, it is likely to be a good deal as a long-term investment.

“The bus costs about `2.7 crore and this is expensive. But this is one bus in the entire country. Once the demand for the bus goes up and more people express interest in purchasing it, the rates are likely to come down. Moreover, the research and development wings of various bus manufacturers are working on this and it is some only time before the initial cost of the bus is reduced,” he said.

When asked if the state government would be willing to share the cost or offer subsidies, Reddy said, “We will consider various options if the bus is found to be suitable for the city. At present, it is on a three-month trial and following this, a decision will be taken on whether or not to purchase the bus,” he said. He added that what was important was that pollution levels would be brought down by using electric buses, hybrid or CNG-operated buses. The bus, manufactured by Build Your Dreams (BYD), was brought to India by Utopia Pvt Ltd. At least 5,000 such buses are operational in countries such as the United States, Netherlands, Switzerland and some European countries.

GOING GREEN

Zero emission

No oil required

Costs Rs 2.7 crore (Volvo Rs 88 lakh)

Fare from Majestic to Kadugodi - Rs 80

Runs for 250 km with 6 hours of charging