Category: Uncategorized

Bram Rouws, the French man, who has made Mysuru his home, is making creative ripples in the world of wood-crafting.

He, in the short time, has become a name respected and known for bespoke furniture, elegant swings and solid wood products. Apart from this, Bram also runs a wood-crafting school in Mysuru.

On behalf of Star of Mysore, Sujata Rajpal met this master craftsman to speak to him about his journey and love for furniture. —Ed

I’m a carpenter by profession, says Bram Rouws, Founder-Director of Bram Woodcrafting Studio (BWS) and Woodcrafting School, as we meet in his office at his factory in Mysuru. Bram is a carpenter, cabinet-maker and furniture designer, states BWS’ website.

Bram’s journey from Limoges, a quaint town in SouthWest – Central France, to Mysuru began in 2011, when he toured India as a member of Les Compagnons du Tour de France, a guild of master craftsmen. This guild, a UNESCO World Heritage entity since 2010, promotes traditional skills and cross-cultural learning. During his time in Kolkata, Bram joined Terra Indica and was quick to wear his mentor hat when he trained orphaned and underprivileged children in carpentry, eventually employing them.

Kolkata also played cupid. Bram met his future wife, a Bharatanatyam and contemporary dancer and teacher originally from Assam. “She was the reason I chose to make India my home,” Bram confesses with a shy smile. The couple has a four-year-old daughter.

In 2017, Bram’s dream of transitioning from artisan to entrepreneur became a reality when he founded Bram Woodcrafting Studio (BWS) in Mysuru. Today, BWS employs 135 people, both men and women, including managers, designers, carpenters, architects and artisans.

“Before starting BWS, I had studied carpentry for ten years,” Bram shares with a hint of humility.

Why ten years? Why can’t carpentry simply be learnt on the job? I couldn’t help asking. 

“Wood engineering is a full-fledged curriculum that teaches how to craft cabinets, wooden homes, furniture and interiors. It’s not just manual labour, it’s a craft that demands precision and knowledge,” Bram explains while skilfully stirring the French press, the rich aroma of coffee filling his office with glass walls while their indie pet dog sleeps lazily by the large table.

BWS initially entered the market with furniture, gradually expanding to provide B2B solutions while also working directly with customers. “We collaborate with designers and architects to execute their visions,” Bram adds. Partnering with the Vagh Group gave BWS a solid footing in the competitive wood-crafting industry.

The studio’s work culture is grounded in four core principles: Conservation, innovation, sustainable development and education. Bram is passionate about blending high-tech processes with traditional techniques, ensuring that the artistry of wood-crafting is preserved.

“We import sustainable wood sourced from responsibly managed forests in America and Europe which prioritise replanting trees, ensuring no harm to livelihoods or environment,” he tells, a pride smile playing on his handsome face.

A Woodcrafting School

In August 2024, Bram Rouws incepted a Woodcrafting School with an aim to make carpentry a skilled and dignified profession. The school provides high-quality training in carpentry, cabinet and furniture making to professionals. It also offers one-week induction programme for hobbyists.

Currently, the school has six students, including three women, undergoing six months of apprenticeship. Recognised by Skill India, the school requires no prior formal qualifications — just a passion for woodworking.

“Carpentry in India is often learned informally, passed down from senior carpenters without structured training,” Bram explains.

“This oral transmission, coupled with low remuneration and lack of trust, discourages people from pursuing it as a career. Our school seeks to change that.”

Students from diverse disciplines, including accounting, engineering and game design, are now pursuing their passion for wood-working.

With its focus on transforming carpentry into a polished, well-respected profession, the school is poised to create a new generation of skilled artisans. I couldn’t agree more.

India needs such vocational institutes to elevate this craft and turn this profession from a blue collar job with small remuneration to a polished and dignified profession. May his tribe grow !

source/content: starofmysore.com (headline edited)

The Karnataka State Road Transport Corporation (KSRTC), renowned for its top-tier public transport services, has once again brought laurels to the state by securing both national and international awards. The corporation, known for its innovative digital technology and exceptional service, continues to set benchmarks in the transportation sector.

KSRTC has been recognized for innovation and employee welfare programmes, earning accolades in categories such as best employer, healthcare initiatives, business leadership, and sustainability. The awards will be officially presented in Mumbai on February 17, 18, and 21.

KSRTC has been recognized with multiple prestigious awards for its excellence in various fields. The corporation has received the Best Employer Brand Award, along with honours for Workplace Health & Wellness under the ‘Dream Companies to Work For’ category. It was also awarded the Business Leader of the Year for Workplace & Human Resource Development. Additionally, KSRTC was honored with the Global Care Award for Excellence in Public Health Initiatives, the World Innovation Award for Outstanding Innovation in Health Technology, the Global Manufacturing Leaders Award for Excellence in Sustainability, and the Digital Technology Award for its advancements in the field.

In 2024, KSRTC received nine major awards, reaffirming its status as the best public transport corporation in India. Last year, it bagged six gold awards at the AdWorld Showdown, two Grow Care India Awards, and a PRSI National Award.

The AdWorld Showdown Awards further recognized KSRTC’s efforts in branding and public outreach. The Introduction of Ashwamedha Classic Buses won the Best Public Outreach Initiative, while the Ambari Utsav Bus received the Best Brand Experience award. The Ashwamedha Classic Buses also won for Best Corporate Communication & Management, and the Pallakki Buses were recognized for Best Customer Acceptance. Additionally, Prestigious Bus Services Branding was awarded for Best Public Outreach, and the Ashwamedha Classic Buses were honoured as the Brand of the Year.

Further recognitions include the Grow Care India Awards for Excellence in Environmental Management & Innovative HR Strategies, as well as the PRSI National Award in the Corporate Image Category. These accolades highlight KSRTC’s continued commitment to innovation, sustainability, and public service.

The AdWorld Showdown Awards were presented in New Delhi, the Grow Care India Awards in Goa, and the PRSI National Award in Raipur. KSRTC’s chief public relations officer shared the news, expressing pride in the corporation’s achievements.

source/content: daijiworld.com (headline edited)

A newly opened museum traces the history of traffic management by the Bengaluru police starting from the late 19th century.

Traffic, like the weather, has become a conversation starter in Bengaluru, a city notorious for its congestion. For a population of 1.4 crore, there are 1.2 crore vehicles in the city, the most traffic-dense in the country and ranked the third slowest city in the world.

With over 44,000 junctions, 432 of them are signalled, over 9,000 cameras watch over the city’s traffic, monitored at the high-tech Traffic Management Centre (TMC) and over 95% of the cases booked for violations are through contactless enforcement. The traffic police in their white shirts and khaki pants, the most ubiquitous persons on the city’s streets make up 30% of the city’s police force, highest for any Indian city.

Ever wondered when Bengaluru, once known to be a sleepy town and a pensioner’s paradise, got its first traffic policeman on the street? As early as the 1880s. And how has the Bengaluru Traffic Police evolved from there to the Artificial Intelligence powered traffic management and enforcement today?

Over a century

Bengaluru Traffic Police (BTP) has now opened a museum and an experience centre at the TMC, Infantry Road, detailing the evolution of traffic management in the city, from the 1880s to today, showcasing several photographs, archival materials, police uniforms, enforcement devices, bikes used by the traffic police in the city over the past century.

Though Captain E.D. Gompertz, first SP, Bangalore town, managed traffic across the whole town in the end of the 19th century, it was in 1908, with the enactment of Mysore Police Act, that traffic duties were for the first time entrusted to the civil police. They were asked to regulate traffic on the streets, ensure the public observed the rules of the road, prevent obstruction or nuisance committed by road users and keep the roads safe. The police had to also ensure that the vehicles carried and used lights between “half an hour after sunset and one hour before sunrise.” In 1930, a separate traffic division was created within Bangalore Police.

Days of hand signals

Then the police wore khaki shorts, and the first traffic signals were manual, where a traffic policeman stood on a two-foot-high pedestal at a circle and managed traffic through hand signals; umbrellas were introduced only in 1970. The first traffic signal was put up at N.R. Square in 1964, a year after B.N. Garudachar became the first DCP (Traffic) in the newly formed Bangalore Police Commissionerate.

The first traffic signal in the country with a timer was adopted at Cauvery Theatre junction in 1999. In the 1950s itself, many roads like Royan Road, Avenue Road, Chickpet, Cottonpet and Commercial Street were designated one way.

Earlier, the traffic police were not authorised to collect fines on the spot when they caught violators. There used to be mobile courts in police vans stationed across the city, where one had to go and pay the fine to get their vehicles back. From there, we have now progressed to contactless enforcement through cameras that spot the violations and auto-generate challans.

The traffic museum has on display the various devices the police have historically used to book violators, from the large radars to check speeding, alcometers, challan-vending machines, including Blackberry phones to body-worn cameras being used now. A walk through the museum convinces one that BTP has always been an early adopter of technology and has stayed ahead of the curve.

Traffic experience centre

Housed in the museum is one-of-its-kind the state-of-the-art Traffic Experience Centre which offers an interactive experience, showcasing the technological evolution of traffic policing and road safety in the city. You can even test your driving skills through simulated traffic scenarios for hands-on learning. A real-time digital model of Bengaluru traffic on a video wall is a wonder to interact with. There are also several interactive quizzes and games on road safety for the children and adults alike.

M.N. Anucheth, Joint Commissioner of Police (Traffic), whose initiative the museum is, said that there was no record keeping of the history of BTP and they had to work with not only the State government but multiple newspapers including The Hindu to access their archives, source reports and photographs documenting the history of BTP.

“While celebrating the legacy of BTP, the initiative aims to use interactive displays and fun exhibits to help citizens understand the science and effort behind traffic management and inspire visitors, especially students, to appreciate and support traffic regulations and the people who enforce them,” he said.

The museum will be open for the public between 11 a.m. and 5 p.m. on all working days.

source/content: thehindu.com (headline edited)

HAL expects its Light Utility Helicopter (LUH) to be the main attraction at its pavilion.

For the first time, a full scale model of India’s fifth-generation fighter jet Advanced Medium Combat Aircraft (AMCA) will be on display at the upcoming Aero India.

The 1:1 model of AMCA will be placed at the Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL) India pavilion.

AMCA was designed and developed by the Aeronautical Development Agency while HAL will be the production agency. The Cabinet Committee on Security has approved the project for the design and development. The first prototype of the aircraft is expected to roll out in the coming years.

HAL expects its Light Utility Helicopter (LUH) to be the main attraction at its pavilion along with a functional full-scale engineering demonstrator of Combat Air Teaming System (CATS) Warrior at the upcoming Aero India 2025.

The Bengaluru-headquartered PSU’s would showcase its indigenous products and technologies centred on the theme ‘Innovate. Collaborate. Lead’ at the air show beginning on February 10 at the Air Force Station at Yelahanka.

“HAL’s indigenously designed and developed Light Utility Helicopter (LUH) will be at the centre stage. Various innovative products conceived and developed by HAL R&D divisions in the area of avionics, mechanical systems, engines and aerospace for manned and unmanned aircraft will also be the highlight at the HAL stall,” said Dr. D. K. Sunil, Chairman and Managing Director, HAL.

The major attractions at its indoor pavilion (HALL-E) will be the LUH, Hindustan Turbo Trainer (HTT)-40 Simulator, scaled models of LCA Mk1A fighter, LCA Mk1 Trainer, Hindustan Jet Trainer (HJT)-36, HTT-40, LCH and ALH Mk IV. The scaled models of Hindustan 228 and its amphibian variant will also be displayed.

The outdoor display adjacent to HAL stall will feature the LCA Mk 1A and HJT 36. HTT-40, LCA Mk 1 Trainer, Hindustan 228, Do-228 and LUH will be on static display.

The flying display will witness a unique LCA Mk 1A formation, HJT 36, HTT-40 and LUH.

According to HAL, the central theme of the India pavilion is ‘Flight of Self Reliance’. A functional full-scale engineering demonstrator of Combat Air Teaming System (CATS) Warrior will be the highlight of the India pavilion along with Advanced Light Helicopter Next Generation (ALH NG) and RUAV. ALH NG will be placed in front of the India Pavilion to signify HAL’s entry into civil aviation.

There will also be sections for new technologies and future marquee products.

source/content: thehindu.com (headline edited)