The success story of Sashi Chimala

Sashi Chimala is no ordinary entrepreneur. He is not only the 'Jack of all trades,' but -- strangely enough -- even master of all. Even as a young boy Chimala dreamt of becoming an entrepreneur. And become he did. Chimala founded not one, not two, but many companies, and they are in diverse fields like software to coffee to cricket to gaming.

He is one of the founding members of Covansys; founder of Indigo Technologies (which was later acquired in a 2-way deal between SSI and Nasdaq); of Qwiky's Coffee, a pioneering retail venture in Asia; and of CricTV.com, the first social video network for cricket. His recent entrepreneurial venture is Interactive Media Technology Inc, which is to launch knibble.com, an online gaming company on July 11.

In this interview with Contributing Editor Shobha Warrier, he travels through his ventures, needless to say all quite successful.

Early dreams

It may sound very corny, but my inspiration was Mahatma Gandhi. I always dreamt of becoming an entrepreneur. This may have grown from my obsession with being independent. Both financial independence and independence of thought mean a lot to me.

As creativity is the core component of entrepreneurship, I want to tell you about my cartooning days. I started drawing cartoon, which appeared in almost all Telugu publications, as a schoolboy in Andhra Pradesh. The money I earned went towards my education. By now, I must have drawn around 5,000 cartoons.

After completing engineering at Kakinada in Andrhra Pradesh, I went to Bombay (now Mumbai) for my post graduation.

Moving to the US in 1979

Then in 1979, I went to the United States. I was a programmer at the Tatas. The story of Indian IT outsourcing actually started around that time. TCS [Get Quote] and Tata Burroughs were the only two companies engaged in it, and I was in the second batch and the 60^th person to go to the US, to be precise.

Those days were difficult because the Americans wouldn't understand our accent. We were treated as 'aliens'! The word alien was an official term to describe an immigrant. Your green card says 'permanent alien' even when we are all human beings and not residents of outer space!

Anyway, we were aliens; we were immigrants, but it was the beginning of Indians making it big in the US.

The US of the seventies and the US of today

America being a country of immigrants, as a rule, is more tolerant of outsiders. But there is a huge difference between the US of 1979 and the US of today. If we were aliens then, today we belong to the most sought after and richest segment. Indians and the Chinese are excelling in mathematics, spelling, and academics.

As an entrepreneur, I saw better chances in the US than in India in those days. If you have a good idea, nothing limits you as an entrepreneur in the US. You don't have to come from a rich family to create a big company; you only need to have a great idea.

Co- founding Covansys

In 1987 I helped Raj Vattikutti to start a company called Complete Business Solutions (later renamed as Covansys). Later, I joined the company and expanded it in the west coast of the US, while Raj was in the east coast. That was how I learnt the ropes of being an entrepreneur.

On the one hand, it was easy since we were among the very few Indian companies, and, on the other, it was difficult because we were trying to prove to the world that Indians were good entrepreneurs.

In a couple of years the message was out that ours was a good company. Immigrants, not just Indians, but all, work hard because they are out there to prove themselves and not enjoy life.

Founding Indigo Technologies

I always wanted to start a company that was into products as almost everyone else was focussing on services. In 1992, I founded Indigo Technologies in Cupertino, California. We built an audacious product to automate stock exchanges. I must say it was quite fulfilling.

Tandem Computers, the de facto providers of stock exchanges and banks liked our product, and they helped us sell it in Taiwan. Nasdaq was already their customer and they introduced us to them. The chief technical officer of Nasdaq went on record saying our product was ten times more saleable than what they had at that time.

Nasdaq Europe and Nasdaq Japan exchanges went for our product. We eventually sold our company when Nasdaq, in a joint venture with SSI, formed a company called IndigoMarkets, which used our software.

Back in India

After living in the US for 20 years, I came back to India because of Indigo Technologies. Tandem became Compaq Computers and took equity in our company, so we had to consolidate all our operations and business. Since we had quite a big team in India, it was suggested that I run the company from here as its chief executive officer.

The new India

And it was quite a homecoming. I came back to a hugely different India -- a new India -- in 1998. In the seventies, I would not have dreamt of launching a company in India. The new India has tasted the fruits of enterprise. It will never go back to the old ways. Launching a new company may take longer in India, compared to the US, but it's still an achievement.

Starting Qwiky's, coffee chain shop

After SSI Technologies bought Indigo, I started Qwiky's Coffee Pub. My wife and I missed a genuine coffee joint. In San Jose, we would often go to Starbucks and have a nice cup of coffee. That concept was non-existent in India.

Retail outlets, at that time, were new to India. Still, against a projected 100,000 cups of espresso in 12 months, Qwiky's sold 365,000 cups! In the first two years, Qwiky's had sold over one million cups of coffee. When I started Qwiky's I had no competition. The very concept was absent. It was frustrating and exhilarating too. I am glad that I could kickstart an industry.

Qwiky's has been remodelled into a franchisee format and will resurface soon in a new avatar.

Indian coffee house in the US and the UK

With Qwiky's I brought the western concept of coffee pub to India. Now I want to take the Indian concept of the coffee house to the US and UK. Coffee houses in India are places where writers, painters, artists and even businessmen met and had serious intellectual discussions.

This is the perfect time to take this concept to the West. Today India is no more an alien nation.

Launching interactive community networks

Since Qwiky's was on well-oiled rails, I decided to focus on the technology sector. The second wave of web technology is approaching and it is going to be very exciting.

That was how the Interactive Ad network and cricket social network (CricTV.com ) came into being. Social networks are going to be the next major thing and it caters to the youth market. As cricket is still an untapped market, we decided to start a social video network for cricket fans that serves as a video sharing platform (similar to YouTube) where anyone can post their personal cricket videos, video blogs and personal opinions. CricTV.com is a community network that is intended to motivate people to watch, share opinions, special moments and videos on cricket.

Online gaming

Soon, we are going to launch knibble.com, an online gaming site. I call it the Google of games. Knibble is for gamers of all ages and it's for free.

Internet, the new medium and the market

We also plan to create many more small niche verticals. Indian Internet advertising market is around 1.5 per cent of the total advertising market while in the US, the same is around 6 or 7 per cent, which is close to $100 billion. The future of the communication sector lies in Internet. Entrepreneurs should grab a pie of this segment and create new values and rules. I am very excited about the possibilities.

UK terror plot: Two Indian doctors held

Two Indian doctors have been held in Britain and Australia in connection with last week's failed terror attack in the United Kingdom as the hunt for the conspirators intensified across the globe.

An unidentified 26-year-old Indian medico has been arrested in Liverpool in Britain in connection with the plot to target London [Images] and Glasgow, a media report said in London on Tuesday.

He is a post-graduate trainee doctor from Bangalore, the Daily Telegraph said.

Another Indian doctor was detained in Brisbane, Australian Prime Minister John Howard said in Canberra. Australian media identified the doctor as 27-year-old Mohammed Haneef, who had studied in Rajiv Gandhi Institute in Bangalore.

'The person taken into custody is an Indian national who came to Australia sponsored by the Queensland health department under a 457 visa,' Howard told media persons without giving details about him.

'The man has been taken into custody and questioning is underway,' he said, adding: 'There is a second person who is currently assisting the police with their inquiries and the identity of that second person arose from the discussion that occurred with the first person taken into custody.'

A registrar at the Gold Coast Hospital, Haneef, was held on Monday night at Brisbane international airport when he was trying to leave the country on a one-way ticket, officials said.

"No charges have been filed yet (against Haneef)," Attorney General Philip Ruddock said.

Police in Bangalore said they were awaiting information about the detention.

Vice Chancellor of Rajiv Gandhi University of Health Sciences M S Prabhakaran said a student by the name Mohammed Haneef had passed out of the Ambedkar College Bangalore in 2002.

"This is what our record shows. However, as of now, we cannot confirm whether the arrested doctor and the student mentioned are the same. We can do that once we have the doctor's registration number. Moreover, it is a common name. There are two more similar names of alumni who passed out in the same year," he said.

India seeks information:

India has sought details about detention of its two nationals.

"We have sought information," External Affairs Minister Pranab Mukherjee told media persons accompanying him on a visit to Ethiopia during a stopover in Dubai.

Mukherjee said the identity of the persons held was yet to be conveyed to India.

The person held in Australia had tried to contact somebody in India, the minister said, adding that the inquiry will be completed in a couple of days.

Indian doctors shocked:

The British Association of Physicians of Indian Origin has expressed shock at the reported involvement of Indian doctors in the failed car bombings, describing them as 'bad apples.'

'We are obviously shocked that Indian doctors have been named. However, we believe that militants have an abnormal mind. They can come from any profession. We also know examples like Shipman who killed more than 200 of his patients,' BAPIO president Dr Ramesh Mehta said in a statement in London.

'There are bad apples which can be found anywhere. By and large Indian doctors have given sterling services to the National Health Service for over 50 years. That is why they are respected and appreciated,' he said adding, 'I am sure that British public will have common sense to understand this and ensure there is no backlash on Indian doctors.'

Now fly to Singapore at Rs 1,600!

Singapore-based low-cost airline, Tiger Airways, announced its first flight between Chennai and Singapore on Tuesday at a cost of Rs 1,600 one-way.

Tony Davis, CEO of Tiger Airways, said that the airline would operate four flights per week from Singapore to Chennai from October 28 and three flights per week from Singapore to Kochi from October 30.

The Tiger Airways CEO said that it will operate the most comprehensive international network of any low fare airline in the region, with services to countries with a combined population of over 3 billion.

One-way fare for both routes starts from Rs 1,600, he said, adding, "with its low-fare model, which offers prices that are almost half of the current published fares of other airlines, we are confident of strong demand for our services."

"The airline has now established an extensive network of low-fare routes across the Asia-Pacific region offering services from as far as Melbourne to Chennai," he added.

"Tiger Airways is now the only low-fare airline to offer services across the whole of Asia, encompassing China, South East Asia, India and Australia," he said.

The strategic location of Singapore as an operating hub means that the entire Tiger Airways network could be operated using a single fleet of Airbus A320 aircraft, providing cost efficiencies that translate into lower costs for the customers, he said.

The airline had concluded an order for an additional 50 new Airbus A320 aircraft, bringing its total fleet to 70, he added.

Wake up India! Time's running out

How do you explain to headquarters that you need a little extra cash this quarter to set up your own power plant? Or that there's no water at the factory site because you refused to bribe the officials at the local corporation office?

When multinational companies set up manufacturing bases in India, they usually know that things will be different here: how different, they find out the hard way. Of course, they aren't alone in their suffering: Indian companies too have to run the gauntlet of a creaking infrastructure, a lax bureaucracy and harsh trade unions. Industry's litany of woes only grows louder every year.

All that has to change, and fast. A new report says it is high time manufacturing in India developed to world-class level; that will help domestic manufacturers expand further even as it attracts increased global investment.

The study, "Globalising Indian Manufacturing", has impeccable credentials: developed by Deloitte Research in collaboration with the Indian School of Business, the Stern School of Business at New York University, Purdue University and the National Science Foundation, it is based on the discussions among the 200-odd business executives and academics who attended the Indian Manufacturing Competitiveness Summit in Hyderabad some months earlier.

What do the report's findings and recommendations mean for Indian manufacturers? the strategist takes a look.

The whys have it

For some years, analysts have written the Indian economy's success story as one based on services and low-cost manufacturing. That may be a fairy tale: services account for half of India's GDP, but the sector employs only a quarter of the country's people.

If prosperity has to reach across the population, manufacturing will have to take centrestage. That means growing its share from the current 17 per cent of GDP to around 30 per cent, which is closer to the developed-country norm.

There are other, just as compelling reasons for Indian manufacturing to upgrade to international standards. "Driven by a need to cut costs while preserving quality, change is underway: production is moving to low-cost locations with good service infrastructure and services are moving to locations with low-cost, skilled manpower," states the report.

As industries increasingly adopt a vertically segmented business model where parts and components are produced by different divisions or companies, often in different countries, it is easier than ever for India to get its share of the bounty. Equally, though, it is more critical than ever that India gets its foot in the door ahead of competing nations.

Of course, the country is already ahead on several counts. Skilled, English-speaking manpower? Check. Low wages? Check. Strong home market to drive demand? Strategic location to play role of trans-shipment hub? Existing high growth levels? Check, check, check.

So, what is needed? As a first step, it would be a good idea to stop depending on the low-cost manufacturing advantage. "At some stage, all low-cost countries stop being low-cost," warns Kumar Kandaswami, manufacturing industry leader and a director with Deloitte Touche Tohmatsu India.

"If you consider the costs relating to poor infrastructure, logistics, and so on, it is reasonable to conclude India will not be able to compete effectively with low-cost countries like China." Which means if India is to become globally competitive, it has to improve efficiencies, quality and productivity.

Cracking the code

What is the best way of doing that? The report offers different prescriptions for domestic and multinational companies. It is relatively easy for overseas players to get their Indian act together.

Over-investing would be a good beginning: get more land and more people than you really need; explore initiatives like rainwater harvesting and alternative energy sources. You'll need them sooner than you think.

It is also a good idea to change the product offering for the market, based on local R&D: Samsung Electronics, for instance, sells washing machines with memory backup to compensate for frequent power cuts, and a special rinse cycle that prevents sarees from getting tangled. A final tip for global manufacturers: employ locally; residents understand the market and the government far better than newcomers.

The to-do list for Indian companies is more complicated. Eliminating waste in the manufacturing process is first priority. "On average, 95 per cent of what any manufacturing company does falls under the headings of non-value-adding activity, non-value-adding time or non-value-adding cost," states the report.

The solution: go lean. For instance, low-cost automation can bring down equipment cost by over 70 per cent; tracking systems and single-piece flow mechanisms can reduce inventories; employee productivity can be stretched through incentives and accountability.

Reducing waste is already an imperative with many Indian industries. The auto components industry is a well-documented case study. But also consider cement. A decade ago, 640 people were engaged for producing 1 million tonnes of cement; that number has been halved. Energy consumption is down from 100 kwh/ton to 80 kwh/ton.

Similarly, heat consumption has improved from 750-800 Kcal/kg of clinker to the current 690-700 Kcal/kg. "We have also started using waste-derived fuels, reducing coal consumption and helping in waste disposal," points out S K Maheshwari, group executive president, cement business, Grasim Industries [Get Quote].

There is another area of improvement: the supply chain. The Deloitte report recommends overhauling traditional networks of suppliers to take advantage of communication and technology innovations. That means, for instance, opting for "dynamic supply chains" that are formed to deliver a specific product or service and are dissolved once the task is completed.

Adopting auction technology would also be strategically wise, since it can help determine the true value of products and components. Improved negotiation and vendor selection will also increase efficiencies and, in the process, give manufacturing a much-needed leg-up.

Dig deep for higher ground

All these will be of little use, though, if R&D is not brought up to speed. One way of catching up with global best practices is by acquiring a recognised brand or company - Indian pharma majors are doing just that, while the auto sector is technology-shopping for specific projects (consider the Scorpio and Indica). But what will really yield value is increasing investment in R&D, specifically for innovation in product, process or business model.

"It is ironical that while multinationals use India as a base for innovation/engineering services, the Indian manufacturing industry does not take advantage of the available deep engineering skills. And while cost of innovation in India is a third that in developed markets, R&D spends of Indian companies is around 1.5-2 per cent of turnover, while that of global companies is around 3-4 per cent," points out Kandaswami.

Adds Grasim's Maheshwari, "By adopting current technology or technology that is being phased out, we will continue to be at a competitive disadvantage. We need to spend more on R&D and innovation. In fact, every company should have a manager for innovation." Even headquarters would approve that idea.

Case study: The multinational reality check

As national borders have blurred, the rules of doing business have changed rapidly. For 3M, this new reality is reflected in the fact that 61 per cent of its top-line sales come from outside of the United States - growing from about 35-40 per cent just 10 years ago.

A well-thought-out strategy has the company investing in the countries it does business in: it has 69 subsidiaries and 33 laboratories in different countries. Also, 99 per cent of the company's international employees are local employees of the country where the business is based.

Such a strategy helps speed up service in addition to saving on costs. By locating R&D and manufacturing near final markets, 3M is able to better tailor its products and services to local markets and respond faster to customer demands.

The low cost of labour, however, is not a key issue in the decision to source from a particular geography. It may be useful in a basic converting operation. Moving up the technology chain, however, the cost of labour is not as important as the skill level. In the absence of skills, the cost of mistakes tends to become very high.

From 3M's perspective, India's excellent academic structure is a major strength in considering it as a sourcing destination. The country has first-rate universities and a great network. Its other strengths are domestic entrepreneurialism and the base of local manufacturing.

A growing middle class is one of the keys to having successful manufacturing, particularly on a global basis. If you have a growing middle class, those are really the consumers that drive manufacturing. The challenge for India is to leverage and grow the foundation that it possesses, spread it across the country, and get more entrepreneurs to invest in manufacturing growth.

A major handicap is the limited infrastructure that has not been able to keep up with industrial growth. Whereas the preoccupation in other geographies is with speeding up the supply chain and limiting inventory, in India the major concern is buffering inventory. Also, the different regulations in different states slow down the supply chain considerably. On top of a convoluted system, there is corruption to the point where it can have a significant financial impact.

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Case study: Container conundrum

The opening up of container movement by rail in India to private operators has ended Container Corporation of India's [Get Quote] (Concor's) monopoly in the sector. Rail movement, though, will still be open only to Indian Railways. (Concor, a high performing public sector enterprise, has a network of terminals and owns rolling stock. It has a strategic alliance with Indian Railways.)

Many players have entered the sector in various route categories, with 13 companies so far having signed up to provide rail-based services. But no models have yet emerged in terms of infrastructure for private operators.

Container movement by rail requires terminals with rail siding, fleet management, network operation and fleet sizing, cargo monitoring, customer interface and railway interface, and coordination of trucking and handling activities.

Freight movement by rail offers the advantage of economy of scale but it is cost-effective only for distances beyond 700 km. A profitable enterprise will estimate aggregate demand and plan services accordingly while considering the reliance on Indian Railways.

Three possible scenarios for the use of terminals include: 1. Leasing assets from Concor or other big players. This would presuppose only occasional use of the terminals. 2. Medium and long-term contracts.

These will permit ramp-up of services and ensure a certain level of service to customers in terms of asset availability. 3. Dedicated assets acquired by larger players with large enough demand.

Then comes the question of ownership of rolling stock assets. Containers are leased under an international scheme.

Rail wagons/flats are not manufactured in large enough numbers in India so that importing them, especially wheel sets, is an option that needs to be considered. Locomotives will have to be leased from Indian Railways.

Private players will also need to consider certain operational and pricing issues. They will need to come up with a network, and plan service levels after considering the frequency of service that they can provide, and whether they will provide services on demand or work by contract.

They will have to figure out short-term pricing, reserve some capacity for last-minute customers, lock in long-term commitments, and consider tie-ups with shipping lines.

In signing medium-term contracts, private players will have to consider asset availability versus uncertain demand. How does an asset provider allot capacity to multiple players based on specified service requirements? How does scale economy translate into detailed service requirements for individual chunks of demand?

Suggestions from private players include a penalty for delays in running trains and in supply of locomotives. They have also suggested an annual increase in haulage charges based on input costs, and that locomotives must be made available at two hours' notice.

In terms of strategy and industry structure, there are many possibilities for integration. For instance, shipping lines and rail companies can form alliances, as can trucking companies and manufacturers.

Also, it is essential to make the right level of investment in the network or at a given location. Growth possibilities exist but not for all players to invest in dedicated infrastructure. Some other issues that will emerge include the possible participation of players in railway infrastructure.

Extracted from Deloitte Research's "Globalising Indian Manufacturing"

Rain washes out India-Pakistan ODI

Tuesday's one-off One-Day International between traditional rivals India and Pakistan was called off without a ball being bowled because of inclement weather.

A handful of spectators who turned up at the Clydesdale Ground returned disappointed as the umpires decided to abandon the match after an inspection at 1400 local time [1830 IST], citing "unplayable" ground conditions.

Explosion rocks Lal Masjid; 7 killed

A huge explosion was heard outside the Lal Masjid in Pakistan capital Islamabad as security forces and radical Islamists of the mosque clashed.

People were seen running for safety after the sound of explosion was heard in the vicinity.

At least seven people were killed in the stand-off between the militant students and the security forces, a BBC report said.

Earlier in the day, after a six-month stand-off between the government and the radicals, the madrassa students holed up in the mosque exchanged fire with security forces deployed outside it.

A government spokesman alleged that the firing started after several madrassa students tried to barge into a building where the Rangers were lodged.

However, the mosque's administrator and militant cleric Abdul Rashid Ghazi alleged that violence erupted when Rangers moved close to the girls' madarassa and fired tear gas shells.

The cleric accused the government of starting the fighting and demanded the immediate withdrawal of about 1500 Rangers who surrounded the radical mosque on Friday.

The government has come under increasing pressure to act against the students and clerics who, last month, held seven Chinese captive in the mosque for 15 hours for indulging in 'un-Islamic' acts.

While emergency has been declared in all hospitals, the government has called for police reinforcements from nearby Rawalpindi city.

The firing started around 1300 hours and periodic gunfire has been heard from different sides of the mosque.

Madrassa students armed with sticks and Kalashnikov rifles rushed towards some of the pickets of the Rangers, who in turn fled.

The police have not cordoned off the boys madrassa, Jamia Faridia, located about less seven km from the mosque. The roads on the sides of the mosque in central Islamabad were open for over two hours after the firing began.

Also as firing started, Rangers were seen withdrawing into the nearby streets, while the heavily-armed students took the streets. Hundreds of students stood in front of the mosque, shouting slogans of jihad, while scores of onlookers and media persons gathered.

Later, police in fortified vehicles were seen moving in large numbers firing tear gas shells to disperse the students. Geo TV Bureau Chief Afsar Alam was also injured in the violence.

The students later attacked government offices while some students wearing gas masks were seen carrying rocket launchers on their shoulders to the pickets set up on the walls of the mosque.

Students were seen attacking the buildings of Ministry of Environment and National Safety Commission close to the mosque.

Meanwhile, repeated announcements have been made through loudspeakers in the mosque that 'jihad has been declared.'

The chief cleric, Maulana Abdul Aziz, was heard asking the 'suicide bombers' to take their positions.

Speeches are being delivered through loud speakers installed in the mosque accusing the government of starting the violence.

More than 50 injured women, believed to be madrassa students, were admitted to hospitals, reports from hospitals said.

Even in this grim situation, Ghazi insisted that girl students should be treated only by women doctors in the hospital.

Lal Masjid is located near Abpara Market and as the fighting started, all shops in the area downed their shutters fearing that a major operation may begin later in the day.

Though the fighting was confined to the area around the mosque, the Pakistani capital remained tense.

President Pervez Musharraf [Images] recently said students of the banned Jaish-e-Muhammad were holed up in the mosque and expressed apprehension that any raid would cause lot of bloodshed.

The clash was being covered live by most television channels including the state-run PTV.

Movies go online

Movies on the net! No. We’re not talking about pirated versions available in the internet to be downloaded. The new era of online-movies is in. Gone are the days of never-ending queues to book a ticket, and for that matter, online ticket booking too. The future is online-movies.

With the record number of views that Sivaji promo managed in Youtube.com the film industry is all set to explore internet as a medium to release movies. UTV the global distributors of “Fear” will release the movie online on July 13, 2007. The film is directed by Vikram Bhat and produced by Rohan Sippy.

Another movie of the same genre is Heyy Babyy, which will be released on August 24th, 2007. Directed by Sajid Khan, starring Akshay Kumar, Fardeen Khan, Ritesh Deshmukh, Vidya Balan the movie pulled-off a staggering 10,000 hits within two days its promo was released in Youtube.com.

Some of the benefits of online movies include large viewer-ship needless to say that it saves time and cost. With some biggies looking to get a pie of the digital space, the others may soon follow.

The Sivaji of Television

Looks like blockbusters and hype fever is not merely confined to movies alone, as television soaps are also entering the fray vying for smash hit status. Kanaa Kaanum Kaalangal, telecast by Vijay TV, is so different from the other soaps that it is now ruling the roost with the highest TRP.

Directed by Prabhu Kanna, the serial attracts audiences of all age group. While youngsters identify and relate to the characters on screen like Vineet, Raghavi, Bala, Pandi, Joe, etc., and the older generation reminisce their school days and at the same time looks out for hints to know their children better.

As the students in the serial are promoted from eleventh to twelfth standard, a new set of youngsters were recently selected for the new batch. Among the 5000 and odd applicants auditioned, 225 were selected for the first level. Based on their acting skills and looks, the director of the serial along with Ravi Raja (Head of the Department of Director's, DFT) filtered the number down to 11. The chosen 11 are: Poornima, Vaishnavi, Haritha, Dinesh, Ravikumar, Sarath, Chander, Amesh, Kiran, Sriram and Ragavendra.

These newbies have been put through rigorous training sessions in order to mold them to suit their respective characters in the show. The story will now revolve around these two groups and how they meet each other and so on. With the beginning of the new season, the refurbished Kanaa Kaanum Kaalangal will be rocking with more fun and frolic. So watch out for the show between Monday and Thursday, 8 PM on Vijay.