Volvo & Eicher Trucks Launch Multiaxle Dump Trucks for Indian Mining in EXCON 2015

Post the joint venture between Volvo Trucks and Eicher Motors, the two automobile majors have jointly launched two new large capacity 5 axle dump trucks for various mining applications viz The FMX 520 10x4 dump truck with 26.1 Cu.m body and FMX 480 10x4 dump truck with 24 Cu.m body.

Volvo Trucks is the only manufacturer to offer a higher capacity 5 axle mining dump trucks in India which is based on the successful and globally proven Volvo’s FMX platform. These new high capacity dump trucks are being introduced to enhance the productivity in line with the increasing demands of coal production. The FMX 520 10x4 dump truck offers a 33% higher capacity and the FMX 480 10X4 offers a 28% higher capacity compared to the current 8X4 solutions available in the market. Volvo Trucks also showcased a highly customized coal haulage solution with 33 Cu.m bodies which is the largest coal haulage truck in the Indian market along with their flagship model the FMX 440 8x4I shift.

Unveiling these trucks, Pierre Jean Verge Salamon, President Volvo Group Trucks India, added that he is very positive about Indian growth story and optimistic about the Government’s plans to double the coal production to 1bn tonnes by 2020. He believes that the next 5 years will open up several new opportunities in the coal mining which will redefine productivity and efficiency demands. 

Anticipating a paradigm change in the mining industry, Volvo has invested significantly in bringing in these new products that are ready to take on the future demands of coal mining.
Pierre Jean Verge Salamon further reiterated Volvo’s commitment to the Indian market and mentioned that Volvo Trucks is the No.1 preferred truck brand having around 65% market share in the high performance mining segment. Volvo Trucks has been driving progress by pioneering in introducing innovative products and services which has set new benchmarks in the Indian mining industry.  These trucks are technologically most advanced and the safest trucks to operate in the high demanding and toughest mining conditions.

Talking on customer value creation, Vinod Aggarwal, CEO, VE Commercial Vehicles, said “We believe in creating and delivering value to our customers with our comprehensive offering which helps to improve their productivity and profitability. Comprehensive offering includes Volvo’s best in class aftermarket onsite support with more than 130 touch points which is considered as the benchmark in the mining industry and also the recently launched Volvo Financial Services to meet the customer financing requirements”. 

Aggarwal further added, we  have made huge investments in the network and introduced path breaking offerings, to mention a few - Company owned and operated dealers, customer specific site support, comprehensive service agreements and various other value added services. Commenting on the Joint Venture he said “The VE Commercial vehicles JV between the Volvo Group and Eicher Motors have been extremely successful for the last 7 years due to strong collaboration and synergies between the two companies.”

 Speaking on the occasion Ramarao A S, Sr. Vice President, Sales, Marketing & After Sales, Volvo Trucks, VE Commercial Vehicles said “Volvo Trucks have pioneered in setting new benchmarks in introducing innovative products and offering total transport solutions – “one stop shop arrangement to meet specific customer requirements.” Our comprehensive customized offerings enable our customers to set new productivity benchmarks in the industry by facilitating them to clock more than 6500 engine hours in a year”. Mr. Ramarao A S also added that “Volvo lays a lot of emphasis on the skill enhancements of the drivers ensuring that the drivers are well trained to drive safely and in the most fuel efficient manner and trained 60,000 drivers thus far.”

GV Rao, Vice President, Product Strategy Brand and Marketing, Volvo Trucks, mentioned that these trucks have been developed by working very closely with the customers and taking their suggestions and feedback keeping in mind the emerging trends in the Indian mining industry. These products have undergone extensive field validation to ensure product performance in the demanding operating conditions.

 GV Rao also highlighted the key USPs of these models, prominent among them being - the all new state-of-the-art cab of Volvo FMX offering maximum driving comfort and safety thereby ensuring high driver productivity. Engine delivering best in class HP and torque to ensure excellent driving characteristics, high reliability and optimum fuel efficiency and further supplemented with Volvo patented Volvo Engine Compression brakes (VEB+) for safer driving. 

The new platform is fitted with 3 steerable axles and rugged suspension optimized for tough mining conditions along with customized high capacity body configurations of 26.1 & 24 Cu.m for overburden applications. He also added that the vehicles are offered with Volvo’s unique Dynafleet telematics system which enables drivers to further improve their fuel saving skills and to manage the fleet in an efficient and cost effective manner.

Indian Construction Equipment Manufacturers to Add 2% to GDP; Add 50 lakh Jobs, Says Gadkari

Indian Construction equipment manufacturing has come of age in India and is likely to add 2 per cent to the country’s GDP over the next two years besides add another 50 lakh jobs in the next five years, said Nitin Gadkari, Union Road Transport, Highway and Shipping Minister on Wednesday November 25, 2015 at the inauguration of Excon 2015 in Bangalore.  

"We want to make this industry of international standards. We want to change our rules and regulations," Gadkari said.

"At the same time, our target is within two years adding of 2% by my department to the GDP of the country... It is 2% by road sector, by shipping, inland water ways and automobile industry," he added.

Gadkari was speaking after inaugurating the international construction equipment and construction technology trade fair, Excon 2015 here.

Stressing on the importance of creation of jobs, he said his agenda was to create 50 lakh jobs in five years.

He said there is a need for skilled manpower with the addition of new technology and innovation to the sector.

"We have 22% shortage of drivers...; we are now going to open a new scheme for training of drivers..." Asking industry to concentrate on skilling the manpower, he said, "Skill and scale both are very important." "By training the manpower in India we can encourage employment potential. This is one of the targets of my ministry and policy of our government," he added.

Listing out various projects undertaken by his department, Gadkari said that they have also decided to make our roads green.

A workshop in this regard has been conducted in Delhi, he said, adding that "from June we are going to start the scheme, it is a plan of five years, for Rs 5,000 crore." Advocating adapting technology of international standards, Gadkari said, "we are ready to accept any modern new technology, and an expert committee has been constituted to submit a report after studying things at various countries." 

Airbus Industries Sets up its Third Start-Up Accelerator in Bengaluru

The innovations arm of French aircraft maker Airbus, BizLab, and another France-based incubator Numa are getting together in Bengaluru with a plan to set up a start-up accelerator for Indian start-ups. 

This is the second stop after Hamburg, Germany, for Bizlab, which was originally set up in Toulouse in France. The investments in BizLab are part of a $2-billion annual spend by the aircraft maker into research and development. 

It runs hybrid accelerator programmes for co-development of ideas from its own employees, "intrapreneurs," external start-ups, and advancements from their partners and customers. BizLabs has a stated target to bring ideas that can create value for the aircraft maker quicker into that market. 

"In India, we are looking forward to a wide range of start-ups not necessarily in the avionics and aerospace sector so that we can explore interlinking opportunities," said Bruno Gutierres, head of Airbus BizLabs. Airbus has an engineering centre in Bengaluru where 350 engineers work. The accelerator would serve to grow ideas of these "intrapreneurs." 

Numa Paris, which had begun its India operations in July this year, has a 20,000 sq. ft facility which will be shared with start-ups that BizLabs will select from scores of start-ups applying for the opportunity. Start-ups will be mentored by dedicated coaches and have access to veteran entrepreneurs in their respective fields. While the opportunities of acquisition by Airbus look slim, Gutierres says chances of partnership and networking with the aircraftmaker are bright. 

Numa Paris, which had begun its India operations in July this year, has a 20,000 sq. ft facility which will be shared with start-ups that BizLabs will select from scores of start-ups applying for the opportunity. Start-ups will be mentored by dedicated coaches and have access to veteran entrepreneurs in their respective fields. While the opportunities of acquisition by Airbus look slim, Gutierres says chances of partnership and networking with the aircraftmaker are bright. 

Numa will offer an entire floor of workspace to BizLab alongside access to Numa's ecosystem of mentors, other start-ups, speakers and conferences. Numa, on the other hand, will also receive mentorship and guidance from BizLab in its area of expertise. 

Numa, by itself, has selected 11 start-ups for its own incubation offering. The selection of start-ups is sector-agnostic "It could be anything from college admin portal to mach-making websites," says Naresh Narasimhan, CEO of Numa Bengaluru. 

Agencies

Disruptive Pricing and Unique Ecosystem from Letv in the Indian Market

Letv the internet conglomerate is progressing steadfast in its expansion plans and is said to be ready to give the Indian users a unique internet experience through its disruptive technology and model. While entering the Indian market, Letv is said to be initially focusing on device and content offerings while continuing to build India ecosystem. The overall Letv Ecosystem has 7 sub-ecosystems of Internet, content, big screen, mobile, automobile, sports and Internet finance.

Letv’s Superphones are said to be developed with state-of-the-art technologies and innovative new features that are all supported by Letv's unique content interface and ecosystem. Letv’s mobile ecosystem is said to redefine the mobile experience for the connected age and offering Indian consumers a better way to get most out of their mobile devices. The availability of Le superphones is yet to be disclosed; however, the company has its plans to hit the market with its exceptional devices.

Le Superphone is the first smartphone to use a Type-C USB connection. This adapter is a flexible USB that charges faster and moves data more quickly, demonstrating Letv's ability and desire to lead smartphone innovation. The Le Superphones are rumoured to offer an exceptional screen experience and enhanced audio controls with industry leading hifi – audio quality. Le Superphones will run on Letv’s self-developed mobile phone UI - TV producers, video creators and automakers, among others, can tap into Letv's ecosystem to offer users an entry point to Letv-owned and partnered content.

Over the past decade, Letv has celebrated a number of worldwide achievements. Those include: 1^st in China's user scale professional long video site, first Internet company to launch its own self-developed and branded smart TV, first Internet company to own a large-scale film company, China's first employed self- made content strategy company.

3D Trial Room to Indian Fashion Lovers at abof.com

In a pioneering effort that redefines the shopping experience of Indian online fashion shoppers, abof.com has introduced 3D trial room to Indian fashion shoppers. In the first couple of months since launch, it has already resulted in achieving 95 percent accurate product fit for consumers. Consequently, for the products that have this feature enabled, the return rates are close to zero. In addition, being the first e-commerce fashion player in India to use the technology, the conversion rate for products available with 3D trial is 400% higher than the industry norm.

With Indian e-commerce market being predicted to be worth $50 billion by 2020, the biggest challenge for the fashion ecommerce players is their struggle to provide appropriate size recommendations for customers. With 3D trial room, which is enabled for most of the women’s apparel, abof.com’s customers can virtually try products by inputting just three basic body measurements. The tool allows users to visualize the garment on a customized 3D avatar-type model and get the right size recommendation. In addition, the tool also allows users to layer garments providing a complete outfit view.

“We take great pride in being India’s first fashion portal to launch such advanced technology – our 3D trial room. Technologies like these are amongst the world’s best and can significantly upgrade online shopping experience for our customers across India,” said Prashant Gupta, President & CEO, abof.com. “With 3D trial room, we aim to simulate the on-ground buying experience of checking appearance and fit”.

A pan-India survey conducted by abof.com showed that the quick and user-friendly 3D trial room has helped personalize shopper’s experience thereby vastly improving customer experience. The tool is extremely engaging as it allows women to try out various looks, thereby doubling the average time spent by a consumer on the website. Customers have also begun to purchase higher priced products such as evening dresses more confidently using this tool.

“The average return rate in the apparel industry is 20% with the most common reason being unsatisfactory fit. Moreover, in a recent survey of users who have never shopped online for fashion, we discovered that more than 50% gave size concerns as the biggest barrier to shopping online. Therefore, we decided to provide a user-friendly tool based on 3D technology to address the issue of fit visualization and size recommendations” said Vikram Bhat, Chief Product Officer, abof.com. “Shopping with 3D trial room has helped our customers to see what works for their body shape and thus make more informed purchases,” he added.

This technology has been deployed in a few global markets like UK, Brazil, and Far East. It took a few months to adapt this technology for Indian women body shapes. But the effort seems to have paid off in terms of higher consumer engagement, and better fit and size recommendations.

Powered by the leading online fitting technology company, Metail, the 3D trial room has helped to unlock the wide range of data that has helped in constantly designing and creating a better fit garments for the customers. “We are thrilled to be working with abof to bring the best customer experience to their shoppers. It is crucial for consumers new to online shopping to feel confident in their purchases and we believe that the Metail Experience delivers an unparalleled personalized solution whilst solving a fundamental worldwide problem of not being able to try on clothes online.” said Tom Adeyoola, CEO, Metail. “We are excited about bringing this feature to the Indian market with abof and being part of their future online,” he added.

Over 2200 Women Technologists to Attend the Grace Hopper Celebration India 2015

The Anita Borg Institute (ABI) India, a non-profit organization focused on the advancement of women in computer science and engineering today announced that a record 2200 women in technology including corporates, academia, professionals, entrepreneurs and students, are expected to attend the 6^th edition of the Grace Hopper Celebration of Women in Computing India (GHCI) 2015 conference.  This is a 38% increase in participation from GHCI 2014, which was attended by 1600 women in technology.

GHCI is India's largest gathering of women technologists. The conference will be held in Bangalore from  2 - 4 December, 2015.  Day 1 of the conference will be held at the White Orchid Convention Center (next to Manyata Embassy Business Park) and Day 2 and 3 will be held at Vivanta by Taj – Yeshwantpur. For the detailed agenda of the conference.

ABI India also announced the distinguished women business leaders, Kimberly “Kim” S. Stevenson Corporate Vice President and Chief Information Officer (CIO) of Intel Corporation and Roopa Kudva Partner of Omidyar Network and Managing Director of Omidyar Network India Advisors as the keynote speakers for GHCI 2015.

“We are delighted to welcome Kim and Roopa to the 6th edition of the Grace Hopper Celebration India,” said Geetha Kannan, Managing Director, Anita Borg Institute India. “Both are true inspirations for all women in technology and their remarkable achievements in their respective careers epitomize the GHCI 2015 theme of #OurTimeToLead.”

“It is an absolute privilege to be part of an amazing celebration at India’s largest gathering of women technologists.  We are at a historic tipping point, as women we are uniquely positioned to drive change and lead the way for a new paradigm in technology. This is a remarkable time for us to band together and shape the future of innovation for girls and women around the globe,” said Kimberly S. Stevenson Corporate Vice President and Chief Information Officer (CIO) of Intel Corporation.

“I am truly honoured to be a part of this incredible movement that inspires women to embrace opportunities, actively participate and contribute equally in an era driven by innovation,” said Roopa Kudva, Partner and Managing Director, Omidyar Network. “This is indeed our time to lead and when women in technology come together, amazing things happen.”

The highlights of Grace Hopper Celebration India 2015 include sessions on the latest technology with a focus on Made in India, Emerging Technologies, Systems Engineering (Software & Hardware), Data Science and Machine Learning. GHCI 2015 will also offer Back to Work (BTW) sessions and access to the Career Fair for women who want to make a comeback to their corporate career after a break. The registrations for the BTW sessions is open. To register visit:  http://ghcindia.anitaborg.org/back-to-work-sessions-at-ghci-2015/.

There is the Students Career Fair (for women students only), the Tech for Good 2015 Hackathon finals, a Poster Session and the Women Entrepreneur Quest 2015 Top 6 showcase event. At the Hands on Lab attendees can experience the latest technology with live demos and one on-one interactions with tech experts.

Attendees can also look forward to sessions on management, leadership, entrepreneurship and soft skills. Women students from IT and engineering backgrounds attending GHCI 2015 are encouraged to submit their profiles in the Resume Database. This will help organizations to reach out to them with internship and full-time job opportunities. Those who are not attending the conference can also submit their resume.

foodpanda to Enter into Partnership with IRCTC

foodpanda, India’s leading online food ordering platform proposes to associate with Indian Railway Catering and Tourism Corporation (IRCTC), a subsidiary of the Indian Railways that handles the catering, tourism and online ticketing operations of the Indian railways. The association will enable consumers to order meals of their choice through foodpanda’s aggregator model, and allow them to order from a wide variety of cuisine options. To ensure that food reaches consumers in the best condition, foodpanda will deploy its own delivery fleet to fulfil all deliveries.

The pilot of this proposed association is being planned to be launched at the New Delhi Railway station and after successful roll out in the metro city, the service will be extended to more cities like Mumbai, Bangalore, Pune and Chennai in due course of time. The customers will have the choice to order meals at-least 2 hours in advance of the travel. The delivery will be aligned to the train arrival time at the station and consumers can pay for the order in advance online or make on the spot cash payment as per their convenience.

Speaking about the association, foodpanda CEO Saurabh Kochhar, Said,“Foodpanda is an innovative business model which caters to an important consumer need. Our association with IRCTC will be an offering which addresses a huge consumer need prevailing for years. For long, consumers had limited food options to choose from while travelling with Indian railways but the newly launched e-catering service by IRCTC (approved by Ministry of Railways) is set to change the way Indians eat while travelling. We are excited to begin action with the Delhi station by December and are looking forward to extending this offering to other stations like Mumbai, Bangalore, Pune and Chennai in due course of time.”

Robin Kalita, Director, Catering Services, IRCTC, “At IRCTC, it has been our endeavour to extend best possible services to our passengers. Food forms a very important part of the travel experience and IRCTC takes immense care to offer healthy and hygienic food to its travellers on-board. With progressing times, we aim to offer wider choices to our consumers and are extremely thankful to foodpanda to have offered partnership with us. We are happy that we will be able to offer wider food choices to our consumers with this association and once our pilot project is successful, we will extend the service to more locations.”