Mihir Joshi, besides being a PrintWeek India scribe, is a central defender and supporter of AC Milan. In his weekly column he immortalises the power of print with the same passion with which he gets excited about the world's greatest game.
TOI v/s ABP
If you’ve been to Kolkata lately this news won’t come as surprise for you, Bennett, Coleman and Co and Anandabazar Patrika are locked in a price war for supremacy in Bengali newspaper market. No stone has been left unturned as both the competitors have undertaken very extravagant advertising strategies. BCCL’s Ei Samay (Times Now) is a broadsheet paper while its opponent Ei Bela is the first tabloid in Bengali. Ei Samay has been priced at Rs 175, while Ei Bela is priced at Rs 150 for the first six months well below Re 1 per copy.
Anandabazar Patrika is the highest circulated Bengali newspaper with an estimated daily readership of roundabout 5.9 million. But, times aren’t rosy for ABP as they find themselves Rs 480 crore in debt.Figures of advertisement revenue also are skewed in BCCL’s favour as they get around 40% of advertising revenue while ABP only pockets 5% of the total advertising collections.
Bennett Coleman and Co looks in the driving seat to compete with ABP as largest selling Bengali daily in India. Watch this space for more...
Deccan's chronicles
If media reports are to be believed Hyderabad-based Deccan Chronicles Holdings “are in the deep end, with no respite in sight,” with outstanding due of well over Rs 3,270 crore. Unpaid term loans, commercial papers and non-convertible debentures adding up to the debt figures.
The lenders are seriously mulling over the possibility of forming a committee of senior lenders to negotiate the recovery of their dues with the DCHL promoters.Sale of collaterals like DCHL-owned Deccan Chargers is also a possibility, which the lenders fail to rule out. Responding to these reports DCHL’s share prices have hit an all time low of Rs 10.55 this week.
The DCHL promoters owe ICICI Bank Rs 490 crore, dues worth Rs 400 crore, Rs 330 crore, Rs 200 crore and Rs 175 crore are owed to Axis Bank, Canara Bank, Andhra Bank and Yes Bank respectively.
Print a home
Want a house? Get a printer! Professor Behrokh Khoshnevis from the University of Southern California claims to have developed a 3D printing technology that could be used to build a house in less than 24 hours - thereby reducing the cost of construction.
'Contour Crafting' construction method can build entire houses with all the fixtures and fittings. It works on the same principles of the 3D printers currently available in the market. Working on the same principle of layered fabrication technology it uses a huge moveable gantry to build a house in the same way that a 3D printer depositslayers of plastic.
Litho in Kolkatta
If you find yourself in Kolkata and with time to spare, you could walk in to Tejas Gallery on Mayfair road where they are showcasing 18th and 19th century prints from a private collection dating back to the British Raj.
The prints comprise lithographs, etchings and engravings. Lithography was invented in 1796 by German author Alois Senefelder. It includes the use of smooth stone or metal for printing. Etching is the process of using acid or mordant to cut into the unprotected parts of the metal to create a design in intaglio in the metal. Engraving is the practice of incising a design on a hard, on a flat surface by cutting grooves into it.
150 years of High Court through print
Bombay High Court completed 150 year of existence on 14 August 2012.To mark this event Milind Deora, minister of state for communication and information technology released a special postal cover.
An exhibition on the history and heritage of the High Court was also inaugurated on 15 August by Maharashtra chief minister Prithviraj Chavan. The exhibition is open to public and will last till the 18 of August at the Central Court Hall.
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