From the article in Businessworld:The young and the restless view it as a “cool” place to hang out. Poovili Manan, a commerce graduate from Chennai, says it “allows us to experience different brands (of foods) each time”. You can take your pick of the fare on offer — Chinese, Italian, south or north Indian or blends such as Arabic and Continental. Or hang out at “brands” — McDonald’s, or a KFC.

From the article:The operative word in Nova’s model is ‘minor’. Need a heart bypass? Nova is not the place. But, need an appendix or a cataract removed? A stomach (or gastric) banding to lose weight? A hernia patched up? Or a facelift? That’s right up Nova’s alley. In other words, surgeries that are low-risk, don’t need expensive support systems, and where the patient can go home the same day.On

Edited extracts from Press Release:Real estate-focused PE investor Pragnya Fund has formed a JV with VGN Developers for a residential development project in Chennai. The project, covering an area of 6 lakh square feet at Paruthipattu on the Poonamalli- Avadi High Road, beside State Highway 55, will cater to the affordable housing segment of the market. The launch is scheduled for mid-2011.

Vinculum Solutions Private Limited has received investment from Accel Partners India. The funding will help Vinculum to enhance its suite of products and to accelerate growth in India and itsglobal operations. Mr. Mahendran Balachandran, Partner,Accel India (Ex Country General Manager India, Apple) has joined the Board of Vinculum Solutions.About Vinculum Solutions Limited: Vinculum Solutions

Economic Times has published a feature on the Moser Baer Group’s foray into the power generation business. (The group recently raised PE funding from Blackstone for one of the ventures.) It’s as big a reinvention the Puris have undertaken as any. Over the next five years, the Puris plan to invest Rs 34,000 crore — about 16 times the current revenues of Moser Baer India — to set up 5,000 MW of

Extract from our partner event Press Release): The key to investing in the alternative energy market is getting in quickly, identifying where the best yields can come from and securing those sites fast, says Timothy Nelson, Head of Carbon and Sustainability Strategy at AGL Energy, in this interview. A speaker at the marcus evans APAC Alternative Investments Summit 2010 taking place in Singapore,

© xiquinhosilva

Jeff Nolan (Venture Chronicles) blogged this week about his recent trip to Southern China.

Nolan takes a close look at China's Guangdong Province. He visited a number of manufacturing facilities and spoke with business executives in Chang'an, Foshan, Guangzhou, and Shenzhen. Conclusion number one: there is a labor shortage.

Nolan looks at worker compensation as one of the issues involved in the labor shortage. He sees wage inflation in Guangdong Province cutting into the relatively small profit margin that businesses in …

Since no one is really interested in interviewing me, I decided to do a self interview. This is my version of “self portrait”, especially since I can’t draw (or sing. or dance. Shows something about the qualities of VCs)

Why haven’t you blogged for since mid September?

Can’t really say. For some reason, I couldn’t bring myself to write. It’s not that I didn’t have anything to say. I actually had a lot to say, but my typing hands were heavy.

Do you think you are now officially back to blogging?

I can’t promise anything. But I will try. I will also be blogging at the Gemini blog.

Can you highlight the top 3 events that happened in your life in the past 60 days, just to fill the gap.

Sure. Business: We made another investment (eKoloko, an official post to come tomorrow). Music: I saw Pearl Jam live again, and I also saw Shalom Hanoch live. Sports: Patriots are back at it, Hapoel Haifa are not. Overall, seems like everything is “normal”.

Do you feel the Venture Industry in Israel is active again?

Absolutely. Deals are happening, especially since a lot of funds have dry powder to invest. However, Israel is part of the global venture industry, which is going through some turmoil. Nothing dramatic will happen in Israel in 2009/10, but we may see some changes in the local investment scene in 2-3 years.

What makes you optimistic?

AdMob. Mint. Gomez. Good companies are being acquired, and it feels that if we invest and support good companies, we will be rewarded.

• Fantasy football – WAGs
  
  Footballers have enviable lives, they earn mega-bucks playing the game they love, they win the adulation of their fans and they also get hold of incredibly beautiful women. Check out this gallery of the hottest WAGs.