eMERG SPEAKS | 1

eMERGSpeaks

We are happy that Mrs. Ratnaprabha has been appointed Chief Secretary to the Government of Karnataka!A champion of women, advisor, mentor and strong supporter of women entrepreneurs, we congratulate her wish her a wonderful stint in this post.We look forward to her help and support and assure her of our continued efforts to nurture and grow the community of women in business.On behalf of eMERG, I and my team are proud to be associated with such a dynamic lady who will do justice to her new position.R.Rajalakshmi, President, eMERG

Quarter 4, October – December, 2017

Hi friends,

rdI'm happy to greet you once again, through this 3 edition of our News Letter – eMERG Speaks!

So much has happened in the last three months, keeping us emergians on our feet.

Warm Regards, Rajalakshmi Rajasekhar

President, eMERG2 | eMERG SPEAKS

eMERG, a not for profit organization is dedicated to training and the dissemination of

information to women entrepreneurs and professionals. In its efforts in this

direction, eMERG partners with several Government and Non-Government

departments in order to reach out to women entrepreneurs who can be part of the

growing community of Women in Technology, Business, Professions & Services. The

purpose of eMERG is not just to “be there” as members of an Association, but mainly

to focus on building relationships, partnerships, creating platforms for

entrepreneurial women to network, learn, share and grow! We love to encourage

women to buy from other women & motivate each other.

Some of the Key opportunities and learning's during the last three months

brought many women entrepreneurs together and these include:

th?FLLN 2017 on 14 September 2017 at Sir MV Auditorium, FKCCI, Bangalore.

It was a vibrant day with some useful workshops and address by eminent

speakers.th

?Our AGM was held on 29 September . In the open house after the AGM,

several good ideas were discussed for conducting monthly members' meets

and many of our members came forward to anchor these activities.

?In October 2017, a group of 9 women entrepreneurs form Karnataka attended

the BRNO FAIR in BRNO,CZECH REPUBLIC, Europe. Travel was subsidized by

VTPC, Government of Karnataka .

Sri R.V.Deshpande,Honourable Minister for Large and Medium Industries, and

Smt.RatnaPrabha, ACS (now CS)Government of Karnataka led the delegation. It was

a great experience and exposure to International business for many of the delegates

on their first trip abroadth

?Some of our members who attended Think Big 2017 on November 13 2017

at Kingdom of Dreams, Gurugram, Haryana, learnt and shared their

experiences on how to be part of mainstream business . eMERG was an

outreach partner for this event. It was an opportunity for our members and

other women from the districts of Karnataka to showcase their

products/services.

?eMERG Delhi Network has taken off with many new members joining and

enriching the eMERG profile. A meeting of these new and potential members

was held in Delhi before Think Big, and we have found some really enterprising

women in Delhi & NCR.

As we multitask and play a variety of roles, we remain an integral part of the family,

and it is imperative that we learn to balance all aspects in order to retain equilibrium

and stability in life. And for all this, each one of us needs a generous dose of

motivation, learning and fun.

Best wishes to each of you for the Christmas season, and wish you and your

family a very Happy New Year 2018.

Message from

President, eMERG

eMerg Committee Members

eMERG OFFICE BEARERS

R.Rajalakshmi President

Uma Reddy Founder President

Rekha Gopal Vice President

Dr SumithaNayak Hon Secretary

SrideviKalyan Jt Secretary

Vidhya Vinay Treasurer

EC members

Ms Uma Reddy Founder President

Ms Rajalakshmi President

Ms Rekha Gopal Vice President

Dr SumithaNayak Hon Secretary

Ms Vidhya Vinay Treasurer

Ms SrideviKalyan Jt Secretary

MS PratibhaNakil EC Member

Ms SharadaNuthakki EC Member

Ms ShilpaSharad EC Member

Ms NidhiTatia EC Member

Ms Geethadevi EC Member

Ms Priya Mohan EC Member

Ms RathiShrinivasan EC Member

Ms Revati Gore EC Member

Newsletter Committee

Dr. Alice Abraham Chairperson

Editorial team

Chief Editor: Ms SeemaVerma

Ms ShivakamiRajan

Ms Pearl Jindal

Ms SheelaJalihal, Ms. Savitha,

Hosamani, Dr.Shubha B N,

Ms Richa, Ms Monica,

Ms Ushashri, Ms Vijaya

Design Head: Ms Tina Garg

eMERG SPEAKS | 3

Dear eMERGians,

Dr. Alice Abraham President, IMPACT Group of Institutons, Bengaluru Chair, eMERG Newsleter Commitee

EDITORIAL

Women have much to be proud of, having made huge strides in the entrepreneurial world. Even if only 14 percent of business establishments in the country are being run by female entrepreneurs, (against the 37 percent women owned business entities globally)our women are surely making their way up in the statistics.If there was a great gender equaliser, that would be the internet. The internet has opened up immense opportunities that disregard gender biases, by empowering them to do what they are passionate about. Add to this, the various policies of the Government to encourage and support entrepreneurial growth, together with greater societal support, the world appears to be the oyster for the independent woman with the drive and passion to create a niche for herself. Having said that, the one way to harness all that is available, and overcoming anything that stands between her and success is an essential step : execution. Focussed goals, tenacity to stay the course, willingness to face failure, ability to pivot, foster partnerships are few of the essentials that are common to our successful women entrepreneurs. Kudos! And may more join the tribe.

Health is wealth. For women expected to be mothers, homemakers and independent businesswomen all at once, prioritising wellness and

self-care is essential to success. This edition of of eMERGSpeaks, has placed its focus on health and wellness. We have an insightful article

on the various micronutrients by Dr.Sumitha, consultant paediatrician and Secretary , eMERG as well as an interview with Dr.

PritiManjunath, a successful doctor entrepreneur, Director ofNethra Eye Hospital. This edition also gives you glimpsesof the quarter that

went by, from the FLLN conference to several other events that eMERG and its members participated in. Read on to know more.

Dr SUMITHA NAYAKMD, DNB, PGDMLS, PGDGC Consultant Pediatrician, Bangalore,

, shares with us a very useful information on the

essentiality and composition of our daily food.

Small Micronutrients for great health

The most important ingredient of a good life is good health. What we eat, determines the

state of our health. Hence, it is of utmost importance to understand the value of each

ingredient of the food we consume. Vitamins and minerals play an important role in

maintaining the normal functions of the body. These are required in minute amounts and

must be consumed regularly in the recommended doses.

Vitamin A

The recommended daily allowance (RDA) for vitamin A is 900µg/day for men and 700µg/day for women and requirements do not change

with age. The tolerable upper intake level for adults is 3000µg/day. Concentrations of vitamin A decrease during aging and lack of dietary or

micronutrient intake of vitamin A may further exacerbate this deficiency. Many times individuals who face economic decline frequently do

not consume foods sufficient in vitamin A. Retention of this vitamin seems enhanced in aging, especially in older adults who consume large

amounts from supplements and fortified food. There are implications that vitamin A may be helpful in age-related immune dysfunction

Vitamin D

The RDA for vitamin D in men and women 51 years and older is 600 IU/day, and for those over 70, requirements increase to 800 IU/day

In clinical practice, higher doses may be prescribed without apparent undue effects. The tolerable upper intake level for adults is 2000

IU/day. There is an increased need for vitamin D in older adults due to age-related changes.Vitamin D status can also be negatively impacted

by use of sunscreen, being home-bound, and northern latitude. A mild to moderate deficiency is defined as a serum level of 25(OH)D level

of 30–50nmol/L and optimal vitamin D levels as 75nmol/L.Vitamin D deficiency results in impaired bone metabolism, and also muscle

weakness predominantly in the proximal muscles group.

4 | eMERG SPEAKS

FOR GST?Vitamin E

Vitamin C

Thiamin (vitamin B1 ), riboflavin (vitamin B2 ), and niacin (vitamin B3 )

The RDA for vitamin E in adults is 15mg (22.4 IU) and does not change with age. Alpha tocopherol is the most bioavailable form of vitamin E.

Vitamin E absorption and utilization does not change with age, but dietary intake of vitamin E has been shown to be below recommended

levels in older adults may be due to a reduction in high-fat foods containing vitamin E, such as vegetable oils and nuts. For optimal

antioxidant function, vitamin E dietary intake needs to be supported with adequate intake of vitamin C, niacin, selenium, and glutathione.

However, obtaining vitamin E via supplementation is not recommended. A recent meta-analysis concluded that high doses of supplemental

vitamin E, more than 150 IU /day, may be linked with increased all-cause mortality, and supplements exceeding this amount should be

avoided.

The RDA for vitamin C is 90mg/day for men and 75mg/day for women, irrespective of age. The tolerable upper intake level for adults is

2000mg/ day. Intake of vitamin C is highly variable among older adults. While most older adults consume generous amounts of vitamin C

and achieve nutritional adequacy, some groups have been identified as having increased risk of deficiency, such as those with dental

problems, dementia, and those in hospitals and nursing homes. The clinical significance of vitamin C deficiency includes scurvy and may be

significantly associated with all-cause mortality related to coronary heart disease. Even with modest changes, the beneficial effect of

vitamin C may be helpful in decreasing the risk of coronary heart disease.

These function as coenzymes in energy metabolism. This may lead to the notion that requirements for these vitamins diminish with

declining energy requirements in older adults. However, available evidence suggests that requirements for these nutrients are unchanged

with age. Potential causes of low blood levels include chronic alcohol use (thiamin) and low consumption of dairy products (riboflavin).

Niacin status is likely to be adequate, although older patients with food insecurity have been reported to have low intake levels of B vitamins.

The RDA for folate in men and women 51 years and older is 400µg/day. The tolerable upper intake limit for folate has been set at

1000µg/day. Requirements for folate do not change with age; however, inadequate folate status contributes to hyperhomocysteinemia,

which may increase the risk of coronary disease, and other chronic diseases common in older adults. A reduction in the stroke mortality rate

was seen in North America after folic acid fortification. Folate intake has increased due to food fortification programs to the point of raising

concerns about excessive intake in older adults who consume a large amount of fortified foods such as breakfast cereals, breads, and

products made from enriched flours. This may mask a B-12 deficiency that is associated with neurological sequelae and also may reduce

the response to anti-folate drugs used in the treatment of rheumatoid arthritis, psoriasis, malaria, and some forms of cancer. As a result,

higher folic acid intake may not benefit some patients

The RDA for vitamin B12 for men and women 51years and older is 2.4µg/day. Requirements for vitamin B12 do not increase with age, but

low stomach acid secretion, secondary to atrophic gastritis, may seriously impair the absorption of vitamin B12 in those over age 50. To

assure nutritional adequacy, supplements containing vitamin B12 or good food sources of vitamin B12, such as animal and dairy foods, as

well as foods supplemented with vitamin B12 (soy milk), should be consumed daily. Widespread use of vitamin B12 injections is no longer

necessary if the free form of B12 is given as an oral supplement at 2000 µg/day. Patients taking the anti diabetic drug, metformin have been

shown to have poor vitamin B12 absorption.

Folate

Vitamin B12

Vitamin D supplementation in vitamin D-deficient older adults improved muscle strength, walking distance, and functional ability, and

results in a reduction in falls and non-vertebral fractures.

Studies also show a protective relationship between sufficient vitamin D status and lower risk of colorectal cancer.

eMERG SPEAKS | 5

MEET OUR MEMBER: Dr PritiManjunath

eMERG Speaks shares our conversation

with our member Dr. PritiManjunath,

an Ophthalmologist and

Director at Nethra eye hospital

What made you choose the vocation to become a Doctor? Was it a childhood goal?Given one more chance I would again like to choose the same profession. To me no other profession can be more noble and rewarding than this profession .The smile on a patients face when they recover is worth more than a Billion.Yes it was a childhood goal. Born in a family of doctors I always wanted to become one .I was however never forced to take up this profession. No one should be ever forced to take up this profession .Only the fire and passion inside can help you go through the long almost a decade of studies and sleepless nights and round the clock duties.

When did you start the hospital/clinic? Tell us about your journey. What made you take the step of becoming an entrepreneur as well?After finishing my MBBS IN 1994 From Govt. medical college Nagpur and post-graduation in Ophthalmology(eye) from Bangalore Medical College in 2000, I worked in Aravind eye hospital, Madurai for 3 years .I also did my MRCO UK (Royal college of London )degree at that time. With an interest to understand how Ophthalmology is practiced outside India I went with my family to Singapore. There I did my fellowship in Cataract and Refractive Surgeries and was working there for few years.

Professional life was at its peak however the urge to come back to my own kingdom was higher .It was not an easy decision to leave a smooth

sailing ship and start everything from scratch. But yes as they say“ If you do what you enjoy doing then Nothing can stop you”. We came back

to India (Bangalore) and ..there was again a dilemma- work for somebody or start own- sail on a calm Sea or explore an unknown Ocean. I

wanted the liberty of decision making and implementing my ideas- Landed up on my own- thus was born Nethra Eye Hospital, a

specialty eye hospital (at Sanjay Nagar Bangalore) that provides state of the art curative, preventive, restorative and research services.

Glaucoma, diabetes and child health are few fields where hospital has preventive and community programs. In addition, workshops on

nutrition, mental health and life support skills are conducted.

What do you find most challenging and what is the most satisfying about being a woman entrepreneur?The most challenging of course is the multitasking which a woman has to do 365days in a year and 24hours in a day. Every time a woman has to keep switching her roles, both when at home and also in the work place. Though challenging I think only woman can do this efficiently.Apart from the strong relationship of trust with my patients the most beautiful thing about being a woman entrepreneur is that I could understand the woman from different social and economical perspective .Interacting with my woman staff I have learnt a lot as to the hardships and challenges they face. It has been my constant endeavor to not only bring confidence in them but also help them to go ahead in their life.

If you could change one thing about the profession of Doctors what would it be?

In the recent time I feel the doctor-patient bond which was very strong earlier has weakened .Not sure where things have gone wrong

.The modernization has affected this relationship adversely. The previous “My Family Doctor” image is vanishing .This is one change

which I would like to bring about

Tell us about someone who has influenced your life?

My father, who himself is an eye surgeon and professor of Ophthalmology, happens to be my model in childhood. His life wasn't smooth

sailing. He has battled against odds and succeeded. Mother a doctor has always taught me to give equal importance to work and family .Post

marriage, it's my mother in law who held the ladder I tried to climb.

How do you keep a healthy work/life balance? How does your family cope with your demanding profession.One principle which everyone should adhere to is to keep work and family as two separate entities.Never mix them. Only then we can have a fair balance. Neither should our personal matters affect our work performance and our behavior with our colleagues and staff nor should anything that happens in the work place should be at the back of our mind when we are at home. Regardingthe question,how does my family cope, I dare not ask them!!Well everyone goes through ups and downs and not all days are the same. I have always involved my complete family in my professional decisions. .We definitely enjoy the success together but it is equally important to share your tense moments and small failures with them .That helps them not only to understand you better but also teaches the children that road to success is not always smooth.

What do you do when you aren't working?I love to spend time at home with family and friends. Among some things which I like is Meditation and exercising.

What is your opinion about social networking for Women?Social Networking provides opportunity to meet women from different professions under one roof. It not only helps to understand, meet and interact with different people but also provides the strength to work together for betterment of society. Organizations like eMERG will also provide guidance to starters.

If you had one advice to someone who is just starting out as an entrepreneur, what would that be?My advice would be if anyone wants to start their own business most important is to be very passionate about it . Money and famefollow .First is the passion for it and then plans fall in place.

6 | eMERG SPEAKS

RECENT EVENTSeMERG Conducted Forging Links Leveraging Networks at Sir MV Hall, FKCCI on September14,2017

Every year, eMERG has its flagship event, entitled Celebration of Womanhood, which salutes the spirit on women's entrepreneurship. thThis year, Forging Links Leveraging Networks- Reaching Outwas organised at Sir MV Auditorium , FKCCI on September 14 , 2017. The

one day business convention included panel discussions on procurement, product , processes and services, networking and marketing

opportunities. The convention was inaugurated by Sri Santhosh Lad, Hon'ble Minister for Labour, Government of Karnataka. The guests

of Honour were Ms. RatnaPrabha, the Chief Secretary of Karnataka

Signing of Memoranda

Aims of the event:

E MERG Members and delegates at FLLN

REACHING OUT

Release of the newsletter

Taking the oath to work for Women Empowerment

?To provide a networking platform for women entrepreneurs, women managers and women professionals to interact, share and learn.

?To empower women to be part of mainstream business.

?To bring forward the initiatives taken by the Government of Karnataka and the large corporate companies like INTEL for encouraging

women entrepreneurs.

?To provide women entrepreneurs and professionals some insights on Marketing and Scaling Up.

The days event included panel sessions based on the theme, with the objective of triggering

viewpoints by experts and eliciting new ideas from the delegates. The panel sessions saw

participation of eminent speakers from diverse industries, Government bodies and the

academia

Panel 1: Government initiatives for women entrepreneurs in Karnataka

Anchored by : Uma Reddy, Founder President, eMERG

Panellists:

Mr Bk Shivakumar, MD,KUM,

Mr Ac Sahu, GMSIDBI

Mr Srivatsan , AGM,NSIC

A conversation: Vendor Diversity Initiatives from the Corporate Sector

Anchored by : RajiRajasekhar, President, eMERG

Expert :Mr Gowrishankar, Sr Manager , Purchasing, Greater Asia, INTEL

LEVERAGING NETWORKS

Anchored by: SumithaNayak, Secretary, eMERG

Panellists

Dr Naveen D Kini, Consultant Pediatrician

Ms BhavnaToor, Consultant, Shenomics

Dr H Muralidharan, Dean MSRIMS

Anchored by : Vidya Vinay, Treasurer, eMERG

Panellists:

Ms Shubha Ganesh, Founder, Moneyshiksha

Ms AnjanVivek ,Director, Venturebean

Ms Geeta Ramamurthy, Ceo,Giga Innovation Center

Mr Jeffrey Rakesh,Executive And Leadership Coach, Athena Academia

Corp Solutions

The one day business convention saw an excellent attendance

by eMERG members and other women entrepreneurs. The

event included stalls showcasing products. The second eMERG

newsletter was released by the the Hon'ble Minister, Sri

Santhosh Lad on the occasion. Women achievers were

recognised on the occasion with the distribution of eMERG

Women Achievers awards.

Women Achiever Awards

eMERG SPEAKS | 7

The Trade fair was held at BRNO, Czech Republic from Oct 9-12, 2017

BRNO TRADE FAIR

The eMERG delegation that included President RajiRajashekhar, former president and Founder, Uma Reddy, Secretary, SumithaNayak and

Treasurer, Nidhi attended the BRNO TRADE Fare held at the Czech Republic from Oct 9-12, 2017. The Current Chief Secretary of Karnataka,

SmtRatnaPrabha was a distinguished delegate for the Government of Karnataka. The main focus of this trade fair was to bring together

various countries to showcase their capabilities in various engineering manufacturing fields.

The event proffered opportunities that included Display Stalls, Interaction with the Czech Women Business Association, Signing of MOU,

Factory Visits etc

eMERG Delegation at the BRNO Fair

Annual general body meeting on 26 Sept 2017

th The 11 Annual general body Meeting was

conducted on 26 Sept 2017 at the Bangalore Golf

Club. The meeting was attended by the registered

members of the association. The president Ms

Rajalakshmi conducted the meeting

Office bearers of eMERG

The official business was transacted in the presence of all the office bearers.

Some key decisions were taken. It was decided that the Members' day meets

would be planned well in advance for the next three months. It was

unanimously decided to involve more members to plan and anchor these

events.

As this was not an election year, it was decided that the same office bearers would continue to hold office.

The list of office bearers include:

Ms R Rajalakshmi- President

Ms Rekha Gopal- Vice President

Dr SumithaNayak- Hon. Secretary

Ms Vidhya Vinay- Treasurer

Ms SrideviKalyan- Jt Secretary

Audience participation in the AGBM

“ Seminar on 5G Wireless network and loT”theMERG and CLIK Partnered & conducted an event at WTC on 5 November 2017

theMERG and CLIK organised the Seminar on 5G Wireless Networks and IoT on November 5 at the WTC, Bangalore. The event included

welcome address by Ms. Uma Reddy, Founder President, eMERG, insights about the event shared by Mr. MOHANDAS, President, CLIK

followed by a technical session – on “5 g wireless networks & loT” by Ms. Shashi Mariputtana, director, Strategy & Business Planning, INTEL

corporation-USA.

About the workshop

Ms. Shashi ,explained how 5G goes beyond smart phones, in Enterprise driving new business opportunities with ultra reliability and low

latency, massive M2M connectivity and enhanced mobile broadband citing examples from Manufacturers, Healthcare and Airlines.

Lighting the lamp by the dignitaries

8 | eMERG SPEAKS

eMERG and Intel Procurement Supply Chain workshop for Women Entrepreneurs, in Hyderabad on 6th December 2017

eMERG in partnership with Intel conducted a procurement supply chain workshop to raise awareness of the procurement practices at Intel.

The event was anchored by Ms. Kalpana. Ms. Rajalakshmi Rajashekhar, President, welcomed the participants and gave an introduction to

eMERG. Ms. Uma Reddy, Founder President, elaborated on the background behind the Intel and eMERG partnership. She urged the

participants to not only reach out to Intel but also to their peer Women Entrepreneurs and give business opportunity to them. Ms. Uma

Reddy emphasized that the Whatsapp group was a good medium to help each other grow.Mr. Gowrishankar shared Intel's vision of having 1 billion dollars of the procurement supply chain coming from Women-owned businesses by 2020. A workshop on Digital Marketing strategies was conducted. Ms. Gowthami Kanumuru, marketing and customer experience head at Darwinbox, shared many factors to be looked at when deciding the digital marketing strategy such as whether aiming for reach, for acquiring customers or retaining customers. Ms. Hema Balakrishnan shared her experiences in leveraging social media for her company Color d Earth. She said it was something that needs to be done every day. The meeting was extremely fruitful for all the participants.

Events attended by eMERGIANS

th,Unlocking U.S.-India Trade Potential conference at the Taj West End on November 6 2017

rd thVendor Development & Investors Summit 2017At BIEC Bangalore on 23 and 24 November 2017

An Award to Ms Uma Reddy, M D Hitech Magnetics & Electronics An Award to Ms ShobaHiremath

Manufacture excellence award at the