Ronaldo is fed up at Real Madrid'

The Portuguese has been linked with a move to Manchester United next year and former president Ramon Calderon has fanned the flames of speculation

Former Real Madrid president Ramon Calderon claims Cristiano Ronaldo has become "fed up" with life at the club.

The prolific Portugal forward moved to the Spanish giants from Manchester United in 2009 and has since won a Liga title, the Champions League and the Copa del Rey twice.

Ronaldo has become the club's talisman over the past five years due to his phenomenal goalscoring record, but Calderon has launched his latest attack on the man who replaced him at the Santiago Bernabeu, Florentino Perez, by suggesting Ronaldo has become disillusioned under his reign.

Key men Xabi Alonso and Angel Di Maria both moved on in the summer and, although Madrid have recruited world-class replacements in Toni Kroos and James Rodriguez, Calderon believes the Ballon d'Or winner is unhappy with the departures.

"My impression is he is fed up with the policy of the current president," Calderon told Talksport.

"When he came to Real Madrid with Arjen Robben he thought he would be a good colleague for him in the team but then Robben was sold.

"Two years ago it was Gonzalo Higuain sold and he didn't like that. Last year he thought it was a mistake to let Mesut Ozil leave and the last straw was selling Xabi Alonso and Angel Di Maria this summer."

Rumours have been prevalent since the summer transfer window closed that Ronaldo could be tempted to join either former club United or rivals Manchester City should he opt to call time on his career at Santiago Bernabeu.

I was never going to join Manchester United - Muller

The 25-year-old had an impressive World Cup with Germany but, despite rumours linking him away from Bayern Munich, he insists he was always happy at the club

Bayern Munich forward Thomas Muller claims his rumoured transfer to Manchester United was never realistic.

The World Cup winner was linked with a move to Old Trafford in the summer and a possible reunion with former coach Louis van Gaal. But, in an interview with The Guardian, Muller explained it was always unlikely.

"I know there was interest, but Man United were interested in a lot of players this summer," he said.

"It never really got anywhere because I had just renewed my contract [until 2019], and Bayern were clear that they saw my future here. The decision for me was an easy one."

Muller was involved as Bayern beat Stuttgart 2-0 on Saturday to continue their unbeaten start to the new Bundesliga season.

United ultimately secured the signing of striker Radamel Falcao on transfer deadline day to bolster their attacking options, with the Colombian poised to make his Old Trafford debut against QPR on Sunday.

Value-added products: Poultry industry faces hurdles, but expansion plans go on

A number of foreign experts have also been hired to help treat chicken under the watchful eye of poultry nutrition, health and housing specialists. PHOTO: AFP

LAHORE: The concept of processed chicken is not new in Pakistan. Many firms are now coming up with innovative means of providing healthier poultry and its byproducts for consumers.

Though the brands supplying value-added chicken products to local and multinational retail outlets are numerous and the trend is on the rise, the pioneers of this industry are facing many obstacles because of import duties. Owing to this many have quit production and have found it more lucrative to import value-added chicken and market it under their name. However, some local players are still committed to pressing on with their operation.

“Import duties are a hurdle. Indonesia and Malaysia have zero import duty, while China has 25%. But still we would like to grow and continue as per our future expansion plans,” said K&N’s Chief Executive Officer Khalil Sattar in an interview to The Express Tribune. “For a progressive company, there is never an end, whether conditions are favourable or not.”

K&N’s was established in 1964 by Sattar when he was still studying in college. He started with an aim to provide better nutrition to people, with a broiler chicken farm and a thousand chicks, providing them the best feed.

He established the first state-of-the-art environmentally-controlled shed in 1982. Initially, people thought the idea was ridiculous, but later other industry players followed suit and started making investment.

The company has 97 outlets nationwide and its products are sold in other retail stores as well. Over the years it has added more products and business activities to its portfolio and is entirely self-sufficient; right from poultry breeding to producing ready-to-cook products. The only exceptions are a few spices that are imported to meet requirements of local clients.

A number of foreign experts have also been hired to help treat chicken under the watchful eye of poultry nutrition, health and housing specialists. Chicken is kept in large, clean and airy sheds equipped with latest heating, cooling and ventilating equipment, making K&N’s a leading player in the processed chicken segment.

In coming years, Sattar feels it might be difficult to purchase live chicken from open market as with growing health consciousness, people are making healthier choices. Increased urbanisation and higher disposable income will help further, as people will spend a chunk of their incomes on healthier food options.

“Majority of the public is still unaware of what processed chicken really is. Annual growth of the industry is merely 3% to 4%, which is not enough.”

In Pakistan, there is still a lot of room to expand, since the processed chicken industry is in its infancy and comprises only 1% of total chicken market of the country, Sattar said, adding a 1% improvement in the gross national income leads to a 2% rise in chicken demand.

The company currently is not contemplating processing other meat items like mutton and beef. Sattar believes that there is still much to be covered in processed chicken items.

Gas exploration: PPL announces second hydrocarbon find

Discovery takes place in Hala block, follows the one in Gambat South. PHOTO: STOCK IMAGE

KARACHI: 

The Pakistan Petroleum Limited (PPL) has announced a gas and condensate discovery in Hala block, located in Sindh’s Sanghar and Matiari districts. This is its second hydrocarbon find within six weeks.

The company said that it found 18.6 million standard cubic feet per day (mmcfd) of gas and 31 barrels per day (bpd) of condensate in exploratory well Adam West X-1.

“Exploration well Adam West X-1 was spud on May 21, 2014 and reached final depth of 4,057 metres on July 29, 2014,” the company said.

“At current estimates, flow potential of Adam West X-1 translates into approximately 3,200 barrels per day in oil equivalent, resulting in potential foreign exchange saving of $355,000 per day.”

Hala is a joint venture between PPL and Mari Petroleum Company Limited, with 65 and 35 percent working interest, respectively. It covers as area of about 395 square kilometres. The exploration licence for Hala was granted to PPL in March 2004. Subsequently, the first exploratory well Adam X-1 was drilled in 2007, resulting in the discovery, according to PPL’s website.

The recoverable gas reserves from the field are stated to be around 18 billion cubic feet. Hala supplies gas to Sui Southern Gas Company and condensate to National Refinery Limited.

PPL currently produces 10 mmcfd of gas and 150 bpd of condensate from another well in the same block.

It announced two other discoveries in the Gambat South block, located in Sanghar district of Sindh, last year.

In August, the company discovered 42 mmcfd of gas in the Gambat South block, its third and biggest discovery in that particular block. At the time, production from the well was expected to go up to 60 mmscfd.

“Two additional zones have been identified that will be tested later, resulting in an expected cumulative production of 60 mmscfd, translating into approximately 7,400 barrels per day in oil equivalent and foreign exchange saving of $0.75 million per day,” the company announced.

PPL has a portfolio of 47 exploration blocks and has been aggressively searching for new hydrocarbon finds since last year to compensate for the decrease in production from its established fields like Sui. It has also been trying to cut the depletion rate of its fields by installing compressor plants and drilling more wells.

The company accounts for 22% of the country’s gas production. In fiscal year 2013-14, it posted a profit of Rs51.41 billion, up 23% over the previous year. During last fiscal year, Rs10 billion were earmarked to be spent on exploration activities with focus on Gambat South.

PPL’s six producing fields include Sui, Kandhkot, Adhi, Mazrani, Chachar and Hala, while it has working interest in eight partner-operated fields. It also has working interest in offshore fields in Iraq and Yemen.

Microsoft to buy Minecraft creator Mojang for $2.5 bn

PHOTO: FILE

STOCKHOLM: The creators of the videogame Minecraft, the Swedish company Mojang, on Monday announced a takeover by the US software giant Microsoft worth $2.5 billion (1.93 billion euros).

The founders of Mojang, the main beneficiaries of the deal, also announced their departure from the company.

“Mojang is being bought by Microsoft,” the Swedish company confirmed after a week of media speculation about the takeover.

Minecraft is one of the world’s most popular videogames – often described as digital Lego, where players fight to survive in a hostile world populated by monsters while having the power to re-design the environment as they progress.

Despite far less sophisticated graphics than many successful competitors, the game has succeeded in attracting both children and more seasoned video gamers.

Since its release in 2009, over 50 million copies have been sold for a range of platforms including Microsoft Xbox, PlayStation Sony, PCs, tablets and smartphones, ensuring enormous wealth for its creators.

Microsoft is already an established player in the videogame business with its Xbox console although its latest version (Xbox One) has fared less well than PlayStation 4, released at the same time last year.

However the acquisition of Minecraft is expected to boost the company’s rating with gaming enthusiasts.

“The founders: Notch, Carl, and Jakob are leaving. We don’t know what they’re planning,” wrote the Swedish company on its website, adding that “the vast majority (if not all) Mojangstas will continue to work at Mojang for the time being.”

Founder Institute’s initiative: Bringing Silicon Valley to Karachi

Young professionals, graduates to be trained by experienced startup CEOs. CREATIVE COMMONS

KARACHI: If you are an aspiring entrepreneur who plans to launch his own venture but lacks the knowledge essential to build up a successful technology company, you might want to show up at “Bringing Silicon Valley to Karachi, an overview of what it takes to startup in Karachi”.

The event, which promises to bring the collaborative knowledge-sharing of Silicon Valley to Karachi, is being organised by Founder Institute (FI), the world’s largest entrepreneur training and startup launch programme based in the US.

The institute, which is in the process of launching its Karachi chapter, helps aspiring founders across the globe to build technology companies. It runs an early-stage accelerator and global launch network that helps entrepreneurs create meaningful and enduring technology companies, its website says.

While entrepreneurs in many countries made the most from this programme, the nearest chapter Pakistanis could go to was in Ahmedabad, India.

However, that visit required a visa, making the process complicated and difficult. This was the reason the programme’s director, Hassan Qureshi, decided to bring this to Pakistan.

“I wanted such training for myself but none was available in Pakistan,” said Qureshi, explaining what led him to bring FI to Pakistan.

In its five years of operation, the programme has helped launch over 1,230 companies across 66 cities and six continents, making it the world’s largest startup accelerator. It was covered by prominent publications such as The New York Times, The Wall Street Journal, Forbes,Business Week and TechCrunch to name a few.

“We will teach our students the same things that are taught to the founders in Silicon Valley – how to find a company, the legal aspects and revenue models for example,” FI’s co-director Sumaan Azmi told The Express Tribune while referring to their four-month, part-time programme, which they plan to commence in January 2015.

Silicon Valley is respected all over the world for creating the world’s best technology companies, according to the officials. “Over the years, we’ve learnt that the Silicon Valley mindset can be replicated in other entrepreneurial ecosystems and we can benefit greatly from the growth of technology companies locally.”

Karachi has a fast growing startup ecosystem. However, what many people don’t know about all of the resources available to them is the differences between these resources or what resources are right for them, says the website.

“The programme will revolutionise the local startup scenario by bringing in global best practices through its extensive network and support from around the world,” it says.

The FI’s local representatives are in the process of organising information events for applicants. “We would like to have 30 people enrolled to start our first batch,” Azmi said.

While there is a $450 fee for the full course, FI will offer 100% scholarships to women – subject to their eligibility to the programme, according to Azmi. Those admitted will receive expert training, feedback and support from experienced startup chief executive officers (CEO).

The local CEOs understand the mindset of home entrepreneurs, thus best suited to mentor these aspiring founders, Azmi says.

The FI has already got on board some of the industry’s leading startup CEOs. Some of these mentors include Afaque Riaz Ahmed, founder and Chairman, Board of Governors, Karachi Institute of Technology and Entrepreneurship (KITE) – also the venue for the aforesaid event; Badar Khushnood, Google Country Consultant for Pakistan and Farzal Dojki, founder and CEO of Next Generation Innovation.

“We are talking to many other CEOs who are also the founders of their companies. We plan to have about 25 top CEOs on board to mentor this programme,” Hassan Qureshi, the director, said.

The target audience for this are young professionals and fresh graduates. “Our job is to create a startup eco-system and provide aspiring entrepreneurs with a platform,” Azmi said. These graduates will have to take it further because it is mandatory for them to form a company. “We [FI] are not building employees, we are building companies,” Azmi said.

Transforming Business

Traditional crafts need the government’s attention and support from financial institutions. PHOTO: EXPRESS

LONDON: The first part of this article, carried two weeks ago on September 1, discussed how different vendors, in many cases, offer their services in the same premises, but they do not join hands to build a joint business. It explained several factors that lead to this lack of organisation.

This second part will shed light on what could be done to encourage better organisation of business given the economic reality in Pakistan. At least, three key steps are required to be taken in this regard.

Capacity-building

It is absolutely important to offer better and more conducive environment for small businesses to help them grow into medium and large businesses. This can be done by developing business parks.

Instead of letting the clusters of businesses develop in a haphazard way in different parts of the cities, the government should develop business parks for different trades. For example, for tailors and stitching businesses that are normally found around fabric shops, there is a need to bring them under one organised premises to offer them support services.

Similarly, Hafeez Centre in Lahore has grown into a computer and IT hub without any proper planning or government action. There are hundreds of related businesses in and around Hafeez Centre offering goods and services related to computers, mobile phones and IT.

Although now the government of Punjab has developed Arfa Software Technology Park in Lahore to establish an organised IT hub, already existing IT businesses do not benefit from this facility. There is a need to develop more such facilities.

Financial services

There is also a dire need to develop financial services specific to micro and small businesses with an objective to help them grow. Unfortunately, while there is some limited focus on microfinance, small and medium enterprises (SMEs) remain underserved by banks and other financial institutions.

It is important that banks and financial institutions should have their presence in different business clusters to understand the nature of such businesses and come up with financial products specific to their needs.

For example, shoe-making in Charsaddah, durree manufacturing in Gakkhar Mandi and many traditional crafts need special attention of the government and support from financial institutions.

Branding

In recent times, a number of local brands have emerged especially in the telecommunications industry including the likes of Q-Mobile and G Five and the country has witnessed emergence of a few home-grown brands that have become recognised from the initial stage of almost non-existence.

These include Khaadi, Breeze and Junaid Jamshed in fashion and the likes of Bundu Khan and Salt n Pepper in the food industry.

There is a need to help small businesses to organise themselves into organised firms with distinct brands. Branding brings distinct quality controls that fetch added value for businesses. This would require government support as has been the case in some other countries, like Malaysia, where the government provides financial and technical advice for brand development.

These are only a few suggestions based on some anecdotal evidence. There is a definite need that local universities initiate research projects to understand the real nature of the firm and business organisation in Pakistan.