Coimbatore airport expansion

The work on expansion and modernisation of the Coimbatore airport terminal would be completed in the next 24 months, an official said on Tuesday.

All the tender formalities had been completed and contracts awarded for the Rs 78-crore project.

As per terms of references, the construction activities should be completed within a period of 24 months from the date of award of the contract, Director of the airport K Hemalatha said.

Under the project, the carpet area of the terminal would be increased to 14,000 square metres from the present 6,000 sq mt, she said. Besides, provision would also be made for aero bridges, escalators and four elevators.

Once the expansion was completed, the passenger handling capacity of the airport would almost double from the present 350 at a given time.

The airport runway had already been extended to 9,800 ft and presently it was handling 28 flights per day operated by three international and six domestic airlines.

The cargo handling capacity of 40 tons was also to be doubled with additional infrastructure at a budget of Rs 1.5 crore and works had already commenced.

It was also proposed to lay a parallel taxi track and the detailed project report was being scrutinised by the Airports Authority of India Board, she said.

Sula Vineyard Story

Situated 180 km northeast of Mumbai, Nashik is India's largest grape-growing
region, but had traditionally never been used to grow wine grapes. Wondering
why, an enterprising, Stanford-trained engineer named Rajeev Samant quit his
hi-tech Silicon Valley job in 1993 to do some investigating.

A little research quickly showed that the Nashik climate was not only perfect for wine grapes, but was also on par with winegrowing regions in Spain, California, and Australia. His determination doubled, Rajeev returned to California in search of a winemaker. In Sonoma County he found Kerry
Damskey, an eminent Californian winemaker, who enthusiastically agreed to help start a winery on Rajeev's 30 acre family estate.

In 1997, the duo took the revolutionary step of planting French Sauvignon
Blanc and Californian Chenin Blanc, varieties that had never before been
planted in India. The first Sula wines, released in 2000, were widely
acclaimed as India's best white wines.

Since its inception, Sula has rapidly established itself as India's leading
premium wine brand, helping spark a wine revolution that has seen
consumption grow at 25% annually and several new wineries come up in the
Nashik area. In November 2002, Wine Spectator - the world's No.1 wine
magazine - did a five-page feature on Sula, a proud first for an Indian
winery.

A second winery with three times the capacity of the first was completed in
late 2004 to keep up with demand, and a third million litre winery started
operations in 2006. Sula has expanded from the original 30 acre family
estate to about 1500 acres (owned and contracted) under plantation, both in
Nashik as well as in nearby Dindori, India's upcoming wine region. Varietals
planted include Cabernet Sauvignon, Shiraz, Zinfandel and Merlot along with
Chenin Blanc, Sauvignon Blanc, Viognier and Riesling. In addition to having
a wide national distribution network within India, Sula also exports its
wines internationally, as well as importing and distributing wines from
leading producers worldwide.

In 2005, Sula proudly launched its first reserve wine, the Dindori Reserve
Shiraz, as well as India's first dessert wine, the Late Harvest Chenin
Blanc. The winery and vineyards are open to the public for educational
tours, and the beautiful Tasting Room invites visitors to enjoy their
favourite Sula wines amidst spectacular views of the vineyards and
surrounding lakes and hills. The nearby Sula amphitheatre is an impressive
location for events and social gatherings and is available for bookings.
Visitors can now spend a few nights in paradise at BEYOND, Sula's new
exclusive accommodation on the vineyards with a beautiful lake view.

Firmly committed to remaining at the forefront of Indian wines, Sula
continues to experiment with new varietals, engage in sustainable
agriculture, support the local rural economy, and, of course, make wines of
outstanding quality and superb value.