The first Ittiam’s IP video phone that will enable a family of five to talk simultaneously from anywhere in the world to each other, will be out in the market by December 2007. The only requirement is that they all have to have a broad band internet connection. Mr Srini Rajam, chairman and CEO of Ittiam in an interview with this newspaper said they have licensed two customers in Europe and Asia who are expected to put this in the market by December 2007. India is a primary market for them.

It’s a lifestyle product and will enable a family with internet connections to make video calls where five people can talk to each other simultaneously on a split screen. With more and more family members living in different cities round the world this will be a boon," he said.

Typically a customer who goes into volume production would have an assembly capacity of a million units per year. They will be looking at countries like China, India, Korea and Japan. According to Mr Rajam the market projection for the IP video phones globally is 10 million units annually by the year 2009 with each unit selling at $300. Ittiam has invested $ 2 million over three years to develop this technology.

The company has already released this technology to Windows called Win Ce 6.0 and is one of the first applications in consumer electronics in the video area.

This video phone can be bought as a stand alone product or you can buy it as an attachment to the television or the set top box and this would bring the price down, he said. With the penetration of broadband interest for this technology is coming from all over the world, he said.

The other two major product lines which are already selling in India are the portable media players with video capabilities using Ittiam’ technology. The other line is inflight entertainment systems where the next major shift is that all systems will become on demand for the each individual passenger. In each seat the passenger can use the unit as a personal VCR and receive music, movies and games whenever he or she wants to.

These new digital on-demand systems are just being upgraded by various airlines and will become a common feature in 2007-08, Mr Rajam said. The new aircraft are already taking the on-demand system.

So what’s cooking this winter in Gujarati households? Well, with Uttarayan nearing, can Undhiyu be far behind? Then there’s khichdo, stuffed ravaiyo, add to it a dash of Kariavar, Akhand Saubhagyavati and garnish it with Sau Daada Sasuna! But wait, aren’t the last ones mentioned names of popular Gujarati TV serials. They indeed are but tradition being the flavour of this season, the accent is on ’Gujarati-ness’, be it on the thaali or on the telly.

So while undhiyu parties have already begun over a month before Makar Sankranti, Gujarati sitcoms too are jumping on the popularity bandwagon, with resident Gujaratis and NRGs all harking back to good ’ol Gujarati times.

“Undhiyu is symbolic of the change in season. I remember my mom calling all our relatives and friends for a undhiyu feast when I was a kid. The fashion is back, with a bang,” says Namrata Patel, a resident of Naranpura. “Even our relatives from abroad simply love the matla undhiyu (simmered in a pot on a tandoor) and tikho (spicy) or galyo (sweet) khichdo (a dish made of soaked wheat, tuvar, with toppings of coconut, cashew nut, raisins), served with stuffed brinjals and yummy, I am already famished,” she gushes. At 65, Urmilaben Vimawala, a resident of Satellite area, keeps the tradition alive by inviting her friends over for undhiyu parties.

For Dakshaben Patel, from Shahibaug area, it’s gundar paak and adadiya paak (sweet made from edible gum, almond, cashew nut, raisins) that her family, friends and relatives look forward to. “I don’t compromise. If I invite my friends over, then I see to it that undhiyu has every vegetable and all spices. And with all the more traditional sweets to go with it, one feels draped in true Gujarati colours,” smiles Dakshaben. “Even my daughter in Ontario in Canada tries to get the true flavour of the delicacy when she throws a party at her place,” she adds.

And what do TV production houses have to dish out? “We are not competing with Hindi sitcoms. The idea is to come up with something parallel to the already famous soaps. And so, you’ll find an equivalent of Parvati from Kahani Ghar Ghar Ki or a Prerna (Kasauti Zindagi Ki). Our serial Kariavar boasts of an excellent starcast,” says Sweety Jain, executive producer, Zee Gujarati.

The proof is in the packaging, says Nirav Purohit, Senior Production Co-ordinator, ETV. “If a programme is presented well and has glossy look, then it will show on the TRPs,” he says. And what do viewers want? “It’s Sau Daaada Sasuna, followed by Akand Saubhagyawati, Kariavar, that’s a hit with majority of families. Even I like to watch them,” says Surendrabhai Shah, a cable-operator from Naranpura.

Meanwhile the undhiyu parties have a pan-Gujarati appeal. For instance, Sheer-khurma with undhiyu was the flavour of the party at Dr Sheroo Zamindar’s place in Shahibaug. A gynaecologist at Apollo Hospitals, she invited some 15 friends of hers for a undhiyu-party last Saturday as they couldn’t make it for Eid.

And with Amdavadis hitting off a trend, can NRGs be far behind? “We planned an elaborate Gujarati spread at the wedding of my friend from Australia two weeks ago. The marriage took place in Bardoli and with three types of undhiyus ( tava, matla and Saurashtra undhiyu— more sweeter with oodles of muthiyas) on the menu to tempt the guests’ palate, the entire affair was an instant hit,” says Alan Ohol, operation head, Red Events India Pvt Ltd.

“As far as NRIs are concerned, our programme Lets Learn Gujarati is on popular demand in UK and US,” says Jain. Purohit too echoes the same saying “Gujarati sitcoms ride the success wave in Singapore and Dubai as well.” Food and soaps, must say, do work up an appetising lather, and with Gujarat beckoning, time to take look back and say, Halone Apda Malakma!

Source : Expressindia.com