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The Hindustan Latex Limited(HLL)of which Chairman is M.Ayyappan has ambitious plans.In an interview to "whispersinthecorridors.com"Mr.Ayyappan said " today HLL has nearly 10% share in the global condom market. The expansion of our production capacity by 25% is envisaged to enable us to maintain the global leadership for condoms. HLL is today one of the largest manufacturer of Condoms in the world, with an annual production capacity of over 1 billion condoms.

The new areas of business HLL plans to venture into are in the area of : Vaccines , LifeSpring Hospital Network, and Women's Health Care Products.
In the coming years, through technical collaborations, marketing alliances and joint ventures, HLL has drawn up a comprehensive plan to expand its portfolio in the area of Health Care and Contraceptives - its core areas, to achieve rapid growth. "According to the HLL Chairman the objective is to achieve through this process a turnover of Rs.1000 crores by 2010.

In reply to a question Mr.Ayyappan said "the HLL wishes to keep alive the dream of all humanity - of a healthier, happier world."HLL's major area of diversification has been in the area of Health Care.

HLL has entered into an agreement with the Female Health Company (FHC) of the US, to market their product - FC female condom in India In partnership with Becton and Dickinson (BD) - one of the world's leading Health Care companies, HLL recently introduced Bsure - reuse prevention syringe for use in the curative segment. HLL is investing heavily in the area of Research and Development. It is setting up a national centre for Research in the area of Contraceptive products.

HLL's LifeSpring Hospital is to provide cost effective quality care, particularly in the area of reproductive health for the low income population, The Company plans to set up the LifeSpring chain of hospitals in every major district in the country within next five years. Here are answers to questions raised by us.

1. What are your expansion plans at HLL?

Hindustan Latex's (HLL) journey started with its incorporation as a corporate entity under the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare of the Government of India on March 1, 1966

HLL is today a multi-product, multi-unit organization addressing various public health challenges facing humanity. With a vast array of innovative products and social programmes launched, Hindustan Latex Ltd. (HLL) year after year is taking a step closer to its vision of "Innovating for Healthy Generations".

HLL is today one of the largest manufacturer of Condoms in the world, with an annual production capacity of over 1 billion condoms.

Hindustan Latex is the only company in the world manufacturing and marketing the widest range of Contraceptives. It is unique in providing a range of Condoms, including Female Condoms, Intra Uterine Devices, Oral Contraceptive Pills - steroidal, non-steroidal and emergency contraceptive pills; Contraceptive Cream, and Tubal Rings.

HLL's major area of diversification has been in the area of Health Care.

HLL has entered into an agreement with the Female Health Company (FHC) of the US, to market their product - FC female condom in India. FHC is the manufacturer of FC female condom, the only female controlled prevention technology approved by the US FDA and the WHO. FC is distributed in over 100 countries around the world. HLL is in talks with FHC, for a possible transfer of technology to enable production of FC Female Condoms in the country.

In partnership with Becton and Dickinson (BD) - one of the world's leading Health Care companies, HLL recently introduced Bsure - reuse prevention syringe for use in the curative segment. This is a major step to address the public health challenge facing the nation. The Bsure syringe employs a unique plunger breaking mechanism that is 'clinician activated', to eliminate any possible reuse of the syringe. HLL had also earlier introduced the 'Autolok'- auto destructive syringe, for the national immunization programme.

HLL has teamed up with M/s Gambro BCT - a Swedish Company, a global leader in automated blood collection technologies, therapeutic aphaeresis, and leukaphaeresis, for cell therapy applications. HLL is marketing their Blood Component Therapy Aphaeresis Systems in India.

HLL has also introduced Closed System Blood Bags that are integrated with Leukocyte Filter - called LD Bags. These bags are intended for leuko-depletion immediately upon collection of blood from donors at blood banks.

Today, HLL's Health care product range include: Blood Collection Bags, Surgical Sutures, Auto Disable Syringes, Vaccines, Women's Health Care Pharma products, Hydrocephalus Shunt, Tissue Expanders, Needle Destroyers, Blood Bank equipment, Iron and Folic Acid Tablets, Sanitary Napkins, and Oral Rehydration Salts

2. Do you think that HLL will be able to expand while retaining its global
and domestic market?
Over the past fifteen years HLL has steadily set up a strong and sound infrastructure for direct marketing. HLL has put in place a vast distribution network covering the length and breadth of the country.
HLL's products today reach over five lakh retail outlets, including over a lakh villages, in the remotest corners of the nation.
HLL's products are today exported to over 70 countries.
HLL's association with world leaders include those with Okamoto of Japan; Finishing Enterprises, USA; Becton and Dickinson, USA; Female Health Company, USA, and Beijing Zizhu Pharma of China.

HLL has today, three state of the art manufacturing facilities with ISO 9001, ISO 14001- quality and environmental management system certifications. HLL's Peroorkada Plant was also awarded the OHSAS 18001 Certification for its efficient Occupational Health and Safety Management System. Products manufactured at its Plants also have the 'CE' marking.

HLL is investing heavily in the area of Research and Development. It is setting up a national centre for Research in the area of Contraceptive products.

3. Do you contemplate to diversify? If yes then list those areas.

The new areas of business HLL plans to venture into are in the area of : Vaccines LifeSpring Hospital Network, and Women's Health Care Products.

HLL has ventured into the area of Vaccines - to take on the challenge posed by communicable diseases, which are responsible for a significant share of the global burden of diseases, particularly in developing nations. The need to have affordable high quality vaccines for preventing communicable diseases is a public health priority in India. The company has initially launched the marketing of Hepatitis B and Typhoid Vaccines.

HLL's LifeSpring Hospital is to provide cost effective quality care, particularly in the area of reproductive health for the low income population, The first LifeSpring Hospital was launched at Hyderabad in December 2005. HLL has since set up hospitals at Kanpur and Agra in UP. The Company plans to set up the LifeSpring chain of hospitals in every major district in the country. This is a unique social franchising initiative for creating access to good quality reproductive health services to poor people, at affordable prices.

HLL had set up last year, a dedicated 'Women's Health Care Pharma Division' to cater to the reproductive Health Care needs of women - covering all age groups. The division will focus initially on the Gynaec segment, the products of which will be promoted through Doctors. All products for this Division are being manufactured at HLL's Kanagala Plant, near Belgaum in Karnataka. The product range will cover all sectors of women's health viz., autoimmune diseases, gynaecological infections and sexually transmitted diseases, hormone-related disorders (including menopause, contraception and sexual dysfunction), osteoporosis, cancer, and urinary bladder disorders.

4. What kind of competition do you envisage for HLL and how would you
counter that?

As one of the key manufacturers of our product range we are fully confident of meeting any challenge of the competition. Our products have the highest quality standards and have a strong presence today in the global market.

We are continuously upgrading our technology and directing all our efforts to provide total customer satisfaction through continuous innovation and improvements to our product mix.
Our objective is to offer to our customers in the coming years far superior products through our R&D efforts.

HLL today has nearly 10% share in the global condom market. The expansion of our production capacity by 25% is envisaged to enable us to maintain the global leadership for condoms.

In the domestic sector HLL is the market leader. HLL commands a market share of over 65% in the nation's overall condom market. In the premium commercial segment HLL has acquired a market share of 19%.

Yes, we have been investing heavily to sustain our leadership and towards increasing the user base for this prophylactic - which remains to this day the only product to combat STD's, including the deadly HIV.

We have also the market leader for our Blood Transfusion bags, with a market share of over 40%.

While focusing on quality we have been able to effectively implement cost management in all our operational areas. This is a key factor that will enable us to take on the competition particularly from countries such as China and the other countries in the region, in the global scenario.

HLL is today the leading provider of contraceptive and health care products for various public health programmes managed by international agencies like - UNFPA, Mission Pharma, PSI and IDA. HLL is partnering with the Government of India in the National Rural Health Mission, Reproductive and Child Health Project and the National AIDS Control Programme.

In the coming years, through technical collaborations, marketing alliances and joint ventures, HLL has drawn up a comprehensive plan to expand its portfolio in the area of Health Care and Contraceptives - its core areas, to achieve rapid growth. The objective is to achieve through this process a turnover of Rs.1000 crores by 2010.
With nearly 1900 highly skilled and learned manpower, and several world leaders as partners, HLL has over the past four decades stood to uphold its mission to achieve and sustain a high growth path.

5. Are you satisfied with the role of HLL in the social sector?

HLL's contribution to social development is borne out through the various activities initiated by the company to reach out to the less privileged in our society.

Hindustan Latex set up the Hindustan Latex Family Planning Promotion Trust (HLFPPT) a not for profit organization, for reaching health care and contraceptive aids to the poor and marginalized in the country. The Trust has also been undertaking well co-ordinated efforts in population stabilization and HIV AIDS control.

HLFPPT programmes underway in AP, Bihar, Orissa, Jharkhand, Maharashtra and Kerala are based on intense behaviour change communication based models. The Trust also manages the largest social marketing programme in the country with a rural coverage of over 30,000 villages, with population below 5000.

HLFPPT has been implementing the HIV AIDS Control Programme in partnership with Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, in nine districts of Coastal Andhra Pradesh and partnering with NACO and State AIDS Control Societies in the states of Kerala, AP, MP and Orissa. Condom promotion programmes are also being implemented among the populations vulnerable to HIV in the states of Maharashtra, AP and Kerala.

The Trust is expanding the Life Spring Hospital Network through franchising, with assistance from development agencies and the Government of India.

HLFPPT also does advocacy, research, communication and product development for NGO's and other Development Sector organizations. This serves to enhance the impact of their development programmes. The Trust has presently on hand a major initiative with OXFAM in India.

The Company is also on the forefront to extend assistance to Hospitals and Schools in the city for improving their facilities- programmes it has been undertaking as part of its community welfare initiatives. It is also assisting in managing the Blood Bank run by the IMA in the city.

HLL is one of the principal organizations in the state that has been extending assistance to various Educational, Cultural and Social organizations for their various activities.

HLL wishes to keep alive the dream of all humanity - of a healthier, happier world.

HRD Ministry turns Congress Party Ministry ?
Has the HRD Minister Arjun Singh turned the Ministry for the benefit of the Congress Party? If insiders are to be believed NGOs run by Muslims, Christians, Tribals and Backward class throughout the country are openly being funded at the instance of Arjun Singh. It is said that Arjun Singh has turned the Ministry into 2nd Congress headquarter, first being at 24, Ashok Road? There is general feeling in the HRD Ministry at the Shastri Bhawan that Congress members drawn from all over India were being benefited to a great extent.

Figure of 1977 batch IAS to be around 50 !
If top sources are to be believed, figure of 1977 batch IAS officer to be empanelled to the rank of Additional Secretary in the Government of India will not cross 50 mark. Empanelment is going to take place this month.

Dr Rajagopal is new NPA Director & Acting SS Home
Dr G S Rajagopal has been appointed new Director of the National Police Academy,Hyderabad.1971 batch Rajasthan cadre IPS officer Dr Rajgopal has also been appointed Special Secretary Home in the Government of India for a period of three months beginning November 1.

Desa gets UN assignment
Anthony J C Desa has been appointed Director of the UNIDO International Centre for South-South Industrial Cooperation at New Delhi. He is 1980 batch IAS officer of Madhya Pradesh cadre. This centre is first of 4 UNIDO centres proposed to be established the other 3 will be in China, Brazil and South Africa.

Justice Sabharwal may be next NHRC Chairman
Grapevine has it that CJI Justice Sabharwal may be appointed as the next Chairman of NHRC. He is retiring in January. Till then an acting chairman would take care of the institution.

Sanjeev Kumar to be JS Defence
Sanjeev Kumar will be Joint Secretary Ex-Servicemen Welfare in the Ministry of Defence. He is 1986 batch IAS officer of Assam-Meghalaya cadre.

Three dozen IRS officers quit the job
About three dozen officers of the Indian Revenue Service, who were based in Mumbai have so far joined the private sector.

MEA, Finance ministry clash over foreign postings
A tug-of-war, between the Ministry of External Affairs and the Finance Ministry, is said to be going on over the foreign postings of IRS officers. While the External Affairs Minister Pranab Mukherji is said to be in favour of sending a panel of three officials, Finance Minister P Chidambaram is against the interference. He says that the MEA has nothing to do with these postings.

Cadre of Shruti Singh changed
Cadre of 2004 batch IAS officer Shruti Singh has been changed from Sikkim to Punjab.

Siraj Hussain is JS Food
Siraj Hussain has joined the Government of India as Joint Secretary Food and Public Distribution. He is 1979 batch IAS officer of Uttar Pradesh cadre.

K P Singh to return to MP
K P Singh is returning to the parent Madhya Pradesh cadre this week after completion of central deputation tenure. He is 1985 batch IAS officer.

Government may appoint counsellers in forces
With the rising no of incidents of suicide and fratricidal killings, government has decided to enroll psychiatrists for para military and armed forces to keep the personnel stress-free through proper counselling.

60 IRS officers empanelled for Commissioner rank
As many as 60 IRS officers belonging to 1986 and 1987 batch are reported to have been empanelled for Commissioner rank. Out of these 46 belong to 1986 batch while the remaining belong to 1987 batch.

Rajasthan govt neglects development
Rajasthan government seems to be neglecting development in all the spheres be it Forests, Housing, Rural development, Health and medical field, Education and Labour and Employment and Cooperatives. It has not been able to spend Rs 160 crore meant for various developmental works in the above areas.

Justice Sharma is new CJ of Delhi High Court
Dr Mukundakam Sharma has been appointed new Chief Justice of the Delhi High Court.

IPS changes in Uttar Pradesh
There is IPS reshuffle in Uttar Pradesh. New postings are :- Msses V K Maurya DIG Saharanpur,Avinash Chandra DIG Allahabad,Rajendra Pal Singh DIG Varanasi,Kripashankar Singh SP Jyotibafule Nagar,Pramod Misha PAC Meerut,Bhola Nath Singh SP Bijnore and Alok Singh SSP Kanpur.

FORUM

Housing policy - Need for review

The housing policy is evidently vividly skewed. The figures taken out from the site of the directorate of estates is really revealing. For the sake of comparison only officers having pay Rs18400/- and above as on 1/1/96 are being compared. Eg.

Type Waiting(Tenure pool) Waiting (General pool)

D I 38* 126(24500/- still waiting)
DII 1* 73 (22925/-still waiting)
IV(S) nil 15 (above 16400/-)

* already allotted but request for change.

Further it is seen that while in the case of tenure pool the officers who have become eligible only recently are getting allotment of Type DI and DII, the general pool officers who became eligible on 1/1/96 are still waiting!

The logic of tenure pool is probably that the officers of all India services come for short duration (5 years or so) as against central and other services. But what about officers in the general pool who are to retire within 5 years? Such officers admittedly have tenure less than 5 years. These should also be considered in tenure pool by that logic. Is it that in this country for every thing people have to approach courts. Is it not the responsibility of decision makers to detach themselves from service considerations and frame policies? If they cannot detach themselves then the moot point is should they be allowed to frame such policies in which they are themselves a party.

Raj

So much for equality

The constitution guarantees that equal work would grant equal pay. In the post of Deputy Secretary, for instance, an IAS officer on deputation, would get a higher salary whereas an officer of any other service will get less. So much for equality.

Sanath

Aaj Ki Aawaz

Woefully only kabhi kabhi paidaa hothe hai Kalam and Manmohan jaise insaan,
Thankfully only kabh kabhi paida hothe hai Laloo, Mulayam aur Amar jaise shaitaan.

India sure could do with some more Kalams and Manmohans!!! Fact of the matter is that the bad outweigh the good!!! And we the Public are to blame……. no wonders people like Laloo, Mulayam and Amar thrive!!! The adage that 'we deserve the people we vote for' is abs right!!!! And imagine Laloo and Mulayam dram of becoming India's PM…… will be the darkest era if any one of these two Shaitans becomes PM!!!

There should be a stringent code of conduct for MPs and MLAs……. enough is enough,
Propriety and probity no longer should they be able to rough!!!

Soren's conviction has been a rude awakening!!! Laws should be made so that people facing such cases cannot stand for election!!! Politicians say that many of them face politically motivated cases…… the standard excuse given by politicians when they get into a jam is 'political conspiracy'!!! Laws should be made stringent and let the politicians tackle the political conspiracy angle themselves!!!

Kabhi kabhi paida hotha hai Amrinder jaisa vinashkaari,
And imagine he wants another baari ( turn)!!!

The Yatra that he undertook shows this man's mindset!!!! They say if there has been any Vikas its for Amrinder and his gang!!!! During his entire tenure he refused to meet Punjabis and as elections neared Humpty Dumpty got off the fall and ran to the people….. what a fall….. when he came people hade hope that a ex Royal would provide an honest Sarkaar…….. but today all his men cannot correct his tattered image!!! Now the cry in Punjab is……. Eh Raja khandaa hai ghoos, sadha khoon leya isne choos ( This Raja takes bribes, he's sucked our blood)!!!

Shouldn't Laloo take moral responsibility and resign???
He doesn't even show remorse ka any sign!!!

Such carelessness and such indifference can only be shown by someone like Laloo!!! And imagine despite being in Bihar he did not even visit the accident site!!!! What else can you expect form a man whose priorities are selling off his horse or feeding fruits to his bull!!!

Rajiv Shukla's upper maala mein there is grey matter ka famine,
Apna head this man ko karwaana chaiye examine!!!

Shukla is always pro establishment!!! Nowadays he's totally pro BCCI…. Buffoons Controlling Cricket in India!!! The pathetic state Of Indian cricket is obvious!!! Unless he has inside info that now Head Buffoon Pawar is going to nominate a Committee of Cricketers from all around the World to find out what ails Indian cricket!!! He can listen to Indians and save BCCI money…… What ails Indian Cricket????? I'm sure the response in unison will be........ Pawar and gang!!!

Hrithik has acted marvellously in Dhoom Two,
And Abhishek 'Mr. Ash' Bachchan deserves a big boo!!!

Basically what does Abhishek have in him??? Apart form the surname nothing!!! You find guys with his looks dime a dozen in UP……. his acting is more like hamming……and his screen presence is only felt when he has his Dad standing next to him!!!! In Dhoom 2 Aditya Chopra has also acted pretty well!!! Seems post Abhishek's and Ash's marriage Abhimaan will from reel become real!!!

Bharat Kumar

CORPORATE WORLD

India being developed in Maritime sector
Delhi and industry honchos seem to be sailing in the same boat as far as developing India as a maritime country is concerned. Even the CII has urged the Indian government to strengthen ports including provision for repair of ships. This demand came close on the heels of dropping of anchor on the Indian shores by " Peter Dohle group" of Germany- one of the world's largest privately held ship owners. It is planning to add 60 owned ships to its fleet over the next four years. The group owns about 100 vessels and controls another 240 ships.

Mohan goes as National Head
Krishna Mohan is joining as as National Head - Training and Development for Ogilvy India.

VSNL to use Tata name
Videsh Sanchar Nigam Ltd (VSNL) is looking at adding the Tata brand name either as a prefix or a suffix to the existing "VSNL" name. This means the new company will be called either Tata-VSNL or VSNL-Tata.

63 new GMs in RSP
63 Senior Managers have been promoted to the rank of GM in the Raukela Steel Plant.

Naidu is Director of NCCF
B G Venkateshlu Naidu of Bangalore has been nominated on the Board of National Cooperatve
Consumers Federation.

Ahmed resigns from Gillette India
Zubai Ahmed has resigned as managing directore of Gillette India and is slated to take over as MD of GlaxiSmithKline by month end. P&G India MD Shantanu Khosla will be appointed as MD of GlaxoSmithKline.

Dalal is new CISCO President
Cisco has appointed Jangoo Dalal as president of its India and SAARC region operations.

Another IRMA faculty member resigns
After exit of Kameshwar Choudhary one more faculty member of Institute of Rural Management Anand Mr Prabal Sen is reported to have put in his papers.

THOUGHT OF THE WEEK

Avoiding Holiday Stress
For many people, the advent of autumn heralds the start of a stressful holiday season. From November to January, we feel pressured to be wonderful hosts, entertain scores of loved ones, and remain calm amid chaos. Yet much of the tension we feel during the holidays is a direct result of our own expectations. In our efforts to please others and to craft the ultimate celebration, we overextend ourselves and miss out on the spirit of the season. This year, consider transforming your approach to your celebrations.
Instead of striving for perfection, endeavor to enjoy the treats that only come once a year, the company of family and friends, and the little unexpected occurrences that make each holiday unique. Before you begin your whirlwind of seasonal preparations, ask yourself what aspects of each holiday are most important to you and what holiday-related goals you hope to achieve this year.
As the holiday season draws nearer, resolving to give up your dreams of perfection can help you avoid anxiety. If you strive to have a good holiday, you can take charge of arrangements without feeling that your loved ones' happiness is resting on your shoulders. Try to remember that you are unique, which means that your holiday experience need not conform to that of your parents, your neighbors, or the simulated families you see in the media.
Understand that you cannot please everyone. After all, what the people you care about likely want most during the holiday season is your time and attention. Allow yourself to decline invitations without guilt and to serve store-bought foods rather than homemade dishes if it means you get more time to relax in the company of friends and family.
If stress strikes, remember that holidays encompass but a few days out of each year. Enjoying those few days is often a matter of identifying your motives and shifting gears if necessary. Ask yourself whether your quest for perfection is a matter of impressing others or gathering the people you care about around you in celebration. A year from now, you'll have only a handful of vivid memories to look back on. If you take a realistic and heartfelt view of the holidays, you'll be sure to remember them fondly.

CONTRIBUTED BY :
Virag Gupta
Mumbai