I would like to use this opportunity to thank my other sponsors as well and share a little about them.
JAIN IRRIGATION
Jain Irrigation is a company based out of South India. My uncle is a farmer and he uses their Irrigation systems on his farm which explains what they primarily do. The thing I loved about the company is that it has a deep-rooted concern for nature and makes a concious effort in designing its products accordingly. Apart from their main product stream they also design Greenhouses, manufacture Solar Water Heating systems and my favourite; Solar light systems. They make traffic signals that works off Solar power. Brilliant!!. More so, Kudos to a company that is making advances in Agriculture in a country like India. The industry is not the most favoured by young entrepreneurs but I personally believe it has so much potential (Everyone’s got to eat right!!) that with some right efficiencies introduced in the industry, a lot could be achieved. Check out their website www.jains.com/
Jain Irrigation logo at the summit of Everest
FITNESS FIRST
My first relationship ever with a gym started at Fitness First. This is the place where I went to the gym 10 times in my first year of membership. But, this is also the place that took a guy who could barely run 2km to someone who could climb Everest. A lot of credit goes to that place. Once my attitude changed and I actually started making the effort to become fit, that place became my sanctuary for relieving stress and becoming fit at the same time. I especially like the place coz it is never too crowded, good locker and shower arrangements and a perfect place for afternoon workouts. I was also able to use the gym in London when I was working there for a short stint. More so, I started off with their personal training session without which I would have had no clue as to how to use a gym properly. Definitely the best place to work out in Singapore. www.fitnessfirst.com.sg
Fitness First logo at the summit of Lobuche East
WILDCRAFT
The first time I came across Wildcraft was in Bangalore when I bought a backpack for a close friend. He still uses it everywhere he goes. Ever since then, I have seen so many people in India and outside India use backpacks from Wildcraft. I had always wondered why an Indian company couldn’t make good backpack and climbing gear and these guys are it. I met the founder Dinesh and he is a climber/mountaineer himself. He is very very passionate about what he does and that alone is good enough to help this company grow. I have used thier products and I am sure some day they will make it super big. Check out their website for thier products and they have outlets across India. www.wildcraft.in
Wildcraft bag at Camp 2 – Lobuche
TVS CAPITAL FUNDS
TVS Capital Funds is a Venture Capital firm focused on developing and nurturing India’s mid-cap businesses, especially businesses from emerging cities, into world class companies. Indians have many brilliant ideas and those ideas transform into businesses. Once the business start off into something substantial, they need funds to expand and establish themselves. This is where TVS Capital comes in. They focus on companies with revenues of Rs.30 to Rs.250 crores in sectors with consumer consumption theme and require growth capital. They also actively participate on the board and provide industry expertise for further growth. The fund itself is sponsored by two well-known companies TVS group and Shriram group. More on their website. www.tvscapital.in
I wanted to share a little bit about our sponsors without whom this expedition and this blog would not have been possible.
IndusInd Bank, our lead sponsor for ClimbEverestWithMe, was one of the first new generation private banks in India, started in 1994. IndusInd Bank’s name has an interesting background – an inspiration from the Indus Valley civilisation – a culture described by National Geographic as ‘one of the greatest of the ancient world’ combining a spirit of innovation with sound business and trade practices. Furthermore, the bank is at the forefront in ‘Green Banking’ with several initiatives towards sustainable development. In fact, IndusInd Bank is the first bank in Maharashtra to open a solar-power ATM. Very cool.
At Camp 1 with IndusInd logo on my jacket
The Bank is driven by state-of-the-art technology since its inception. Recently, the Bank bagged the “Technology Bank of the Year 2009” award from IBA in the private & foreign bank category. The Bank has a tremendous reach and enjoys a patronage of over 2 million customers. A network of 210 branches and 427 ATMs spread over 168 geographical locations in 28 states and union territories across the country with multi-lateral tie-ups with other banks providing access to more than 21000 ATMs is by far an excellent status. The Bank also has a Representative Office in Dubai and London.
With over 5000 employees on board, I learnt that IndusInd continues to enjoy the highest P1+ rating for its Fixed Deposits and Certificates of Deposit by CRISIL, one of the top rating agencies in the country. The feedback from some of my NRI friends is also that they are well known for quick and efficient transfer of funds across the world. The following were thier popular NRI services.
1. Indus Speed Remit
2. Fast Remit for NRIs in USA and
3. E-remittance from Doha Bank, Qatar and Union National Bank, UAE to IndusInd Bank
I am proud to be associated with this Bank more because they are very active in identifying themselves with cause-related socially responsible activities viz. working to help mentally-challenged and underprivileged children, promoting Indian art and culture by patronising eminent musicians and dancers from across India besides environmental related activities.
