India Begins Production of World's Most Expensive Civet Coffee

India, Asia's third-largest producer and exporter of coffee, has started producing the world's most expensive coffee, made from the poop of civet cat, on a small scale in Coorg district of Karnataka. The Civet coffee, also called as Luwark coffee, is expensive because of uncommon method of producing such a coffee. It is produced from the coffee beans digested by civet cat. The feces of this cat are collected, processed and sold. It is highly priced because it is claimed to be more nutritious and high cost involved in sourcing the animal dropping, wastage during processing and quality certification. Civet coffee, a drink of elite consumed widely in the Gulf nations and Europe, is sold for Rs 20,000-25,000/kg abroad. Here in the country's largest coffee-growing Karnataka state, a start-up firm, Coorg Consolidated Commodities (CCC), has made a humble beginning of making the luxury coffee on a small scale and has also decided to open a cafe to serve the brew locally.

"Initially, 20 kg of civet coffee was produced. After establishing the start-up firm, 60 kg was produced in 2015-16 and 200 kg last year. We hope half a tonne production from the new crop to be harvested from October," Narendra Hebbar, one of the founders of CCC the media. The exotic coffee is being sold locally under the brand 'Ainmane', he said that the company has only one outlet at Club Mahindra Madikeri Resort where it sells locally produced coffee, spices and other products. Hebbar also shared that the company sources the animal poop from plantations located close to forest from where civet cats come to eat the ripest coffee bean cherries. "Civet cat eats flesh of the coffee cherries and not the bean.

Natural enzymes in civet's stomach enhances the bean flavor and that's why this coffee is unique," he said. Now, farmers are understanding the importance of this coffee and "we produce it in natural form unlike other countries where civet cats are caged and forcefully fed with coffee beans," he noted. It is being sold at Rs 8,000 per kg here, while it is available at Rs 20,000-25,000 per kg overseas, he said.

Asked if the company plans to export, Hebbar said it is not viable to export in view of high certification cost given the current low production levels. "We want to promote this coffee locally. We will open a cafe soon. We will sell 'Coorg Luwark Coffee' along with other varieties like Cappuccino and Expresso," he said. A senior Coffee Board official also confirmed that civet cat coffee is being produced in small quantities in parts of Coorg and Chamarajnagar districts. "It is very small quantity, done by individuals. They produce and market as a speciality coffee, a niche product which is very expensive," he said.

Atul Auto, Greaves Cotton Sign to Develop New Generation of Last Mile Transport Solutions

Greaves Cotton, an industry leader in last mile transportation solutions, & Atul Auto, a leading 3-wheeler manufacturing company have signed an agreement to develop a new generation of fuel agnostic range of power train solutions meeting BS VI norms using Diesel, Petrol, CNG & Electric power.

Commenting on this occasion Chairman & Managing Director of Atul Auto, Jayantibhai Chandra said "Our relationship with Greaves has been spread over a decade and our joint efforts have borne successful results on the ground in transporting people and goods in the last mile transportation space. With this new agreement Atul Auto keeps its commitment to the Indian market to provide value driven solutions at the lower end of the market”

Speaking on the occasion, Nagesh Basavanhalli- MD & CEO, Greaves Cotton Limited remarked “The market needs to be ready for a technological, regulatory and business model disruption by 2020. Greaves is investing in new technologies and building capabilities to meet the demand for fuel agnostic, future ready solutions serving the last mile transportation market. These solutions will cover a range of fuels from diesel, petrol, CNG to electric. Greaves also has the advantage of a large network of 3500+ spares & service outlets which can be upgraded to serve the entire range of fuel agnostic vehicles. We are greatly encouraged by the response from our OEM customers like Atul Auto. Our solutions will continue to leverage the strength of the Greaves brand: reliable and affordable solutions backed by a nationwide service & spares network."

Infosys Completes Acquisition of Brilliant Basics - Digital Innovation and Customer Experience Studio

Infosys, a global leader in consulting, technology and next-generation services, today announced that it has completed the acquisition of Brilliant Basics, a London-based product design and customer experience (CX) innovator known for its world-class design thinking-led approach and experience in executing global programs. The acquisition is in accordance with the terms set out in the agreement announced by the company on August 3, 2017.

Through this acquisition, Infosys further expands its worldwide connected network of Digital Studios that are focused on fulfilling the needs of global clients for end-to-end Digital Transformation solutions required to meet customer demand for next-generation enhanced customer experiences. The addition of Brilliant Basics extends Infosys’ digital design services network to include Europe and the Middle East, and enhances the company’s expertise across financial services, retail and telco sectors. 

Infosys Inducted into the Index Component of Dow Jones Sustainability Indices (DJSI)

Infosys has been inducted into the prestigious Dow Jones Sustainability Indices (DJSI) announced on September 7, 2017 and is now part of the DJSI World and DJSI Emerging Markets Indices. This recognition is testimony to Infosys’ corporate sustainability leadership in the IT services & Internet Software and Services industry.

S&P Dow Jones Indices (S&P DJI) is one of the world’s leading index providers, and RobecoSAM, is an investment specialist focused exclusively on Sustainability Investing (SI). Launched in 1999, the DJSI World represents the gold standard for corporate sustainability and is the first global index to track leading sustainability-driven companies based on RobecoSAM’s analysis of financially material Environmental, Social, and Governance (ESG) factors and S&P DJI’s robust index methodology.

RobecoSAM assesses the world’s largest companies via its Corporate Sustainability Assessment (CSA), which uses a consistent, rules-based methodology to convert an average of 600 data points per company into one overall score. This score determines a company’s inclusion in the DJSI.

Gionee India Achieves Sales of 1.5 Lacs Units Per Month in SW India

Gionee India, one of the leading smartphone brands for the youth is growing its regional impressions in the country with its technologically superior devices combined with the company’s emphasis on customer delight. Taking off high with sales worth Rs 150 crore per month in the South-West, Gionee India has developed its National distribution network in the region from 4 national distributors at the onset of the year to 10 national distributors at present. The company has also added 94 redistribution stockist in the last year.

South-West as a market stands out for Gionee India; achieving remarkable sales of 1.5 lac units every month. The brand claims a volume-wise share of 4.2% in the South, with more than 6,000 devices sold alone in Bengaluru every month. Besides, Gionee has seen a 68% value growth in Karnataka for April-June quarter over same quarter last year, joined by 53% value growth for the entire South region for April-June quarter.

Gionee, reputed as the nation's driving youth brand is not only increasing its distribution network but also building a direct connect with its customers regionally. With the commencement of the festive season, the brand recently launched products like A1 lite and X1 to participate and become a part of the celebration.

Focusing on the southern market, the company has increased its retail presence by 35% since last year. The organization now boasts of having nearly 16,000+ retail outlets in the South today and targets to build this number to 25000 in the coming 3 months.

Earlier this year, Gionee launched its flagship of the year – A1. Ever since, the company has introduced various propeller devices in the series such as A1 Plus and A1 Lite, emerging as one of the top players in the price section of Rs 15,000 – Rs 25,000. With plans to sell 7,000 A series devices in Karnataka every month, Gionee is consistently carving a niche for itself by offering the best of technology without going heavy on customer’s pockets.

Uber Unveils India’s Biggest Greenlight Center in Bangalore

Uber, the world’s largest ride-sharing company, today announced the launch of its biggest Greenlight Center in India at Wind Tunnel Road, Bangalore, in the presence of Dr. B. Basavaraju, Principal Secretary of Transport, Government of Karnataka. The 15000 sq.ft. facility is dedicated to driver-partners in Bangalore for best-in-class customer service and support. From new driver sign ups to offering subsidized services for existing driver partners, the center acts as a one-stop solution for all their needs.

Christian Freese, General Manager, Uber, South India said, “We are always working towards improving the experience of driving on Uber. We understand how important it is to have local Uber staff available when driver partners need help. Through the Greenlight Center, we are offering in-person assistance to more than 4,000 driver-partners a week. We’re continuing to invest in our in-person locations and have launched three other facilities at the Devanahalli, Yeshwantpur and HBR. These strategic locations will help driver-partners get the most out of their time on the road — because we know that every moment matters to them.”

The new facility is specially designed to meet the needs of drivers, with features like:

• Space for a team of Uber Experts, who will help new drivers get signed up and address any questions current partners have along the way
• UberBazaar offers driver partners several benefits on new vehicles, vehicle maintenance, health benefits, financial planning and many more services
• Dedicated training areas for driver partners to learn about the app, provide soft skills training to deliver a better ride experience and also highlight the importance of road safety

To make the driver experience easier, hassle free and safer, Uber has introduced several initiatives and partnerships nationally and regionally. Uber recognises that listening to their driver partners is one the most important methods to constantly enhance the driver experience on the app. The recent initiatives include:

• The country’s first ridesharing insurance program in partnership with ICICI Lombard General Insurance. The policy provides driver-partners with free coverage for accidental death and disablement, hospitalization, and outpatient medical treatment in case of an accident while online on the Uber App.
• “Night Support” for driver partners has now been extended from 12 hours (8 AM - 8 PM) to 18 hours (6 AM - 12 midnight) while continuing to offer emergency assistance from 12 midnight - 6 AM.
• Driver ‘Share Trip’ Feature now allows driver partners to share the trip information with loved ones, without implicating the privacy of the rider or divulging personal information or specific drop off or pick up points. It gives drivers a way to let their friends or family members know, not just their whereabouts, but also when to expect them home. This feature will be rolled out in Bangalore on Sept. 18
• Collaboration with startups like Pit Stop for subsidized car services, Clinikk for healthcare services, Cover Fox for car insurance, Fixmygadget for mobile phone services and Cab Dost for tax advisory
• Partnerships with OEMs like Hyundai, TATA, Maruti, Toyota for special discounts on new cars

Smart Driving Assistant - Kruzr by Indian Techies Launches Operations in US and UK

Kruzr, positioned as the world’s first technology powered smart driving assistant launches their operations in the United States and United Kingdom, to address the problem of increasing number of deaths and accidents resulting from mobile phone usage while driving. Kruzr, a startup promoted by Co-founders Pallav Singh and Dinesh Fatehpuria was conceptualized and designed on the principle of ‘safety first’ when it comes to driving.

The launch comes after several months of ground research and development to understand and address the requirements of the region. Following the success of their launch in India, the founders have decided to tap these markets considering the immense potential where the per capita adoption of cars is extremely high.

The smart app that leverages multiple technologies including pattern recognition, machine learning, natural language processing etc activates when one starts driving. The app then automatically manages incoming calls and messages to the owner (driver) with the personalized bot interacting and alerting inbound callers that one is driving at the moment and hence can leave a message for deferred attention.

Adds Pallav Singh, Cofounder, “The per capita adoption of cars in the United States alone averages close to 800 as opposed to India which is around 167. This large adoption coupled with the heightened awareness of driving safety in these markets provides ample opportunity for a product like Kruzr. Team Kruzr have also taken into account the high speeds in which cars are driven in the West, increasing the probability of accidents and collateral damage.”