Honda 2Wheelers India is Fast Becoming the First Choice in Shared Mobility

Honda Motorcycle & Scooter India Pvt. Ltd. (HMSI) - the most preferred brand in South and West India today announced its latest business deal with Drivezy – a leading last-mile self-drive rental service.

Honda’s fleet of 3000 scooters including India’s largest selling two-wheeler Activa 5G and CLIQ will now serve as new options for metro commuters in Bengaluru and Hyderabad.

Announcing this business deal at the mega delivery in Whitefield area of Bangalore today were Yadvinder Singh Guleria, Senior Vice President- Sales and Marketing, Honda Motorcycle and Scooter India Pvt. Ltd, Ashwarya Pratap Singh, CEO and Co-Founder, Drivezy and Mohammed Hafeez, Director, Sapphire Honda.

In India, rapid urbanization and limited public transport infrastructure is leading to increased traffic congestion in cities. Shared mobility on two-wheels is fast evolving and fuelling this demand are the young demographics including more women entering the workforce.

Elaborating on the customer trends in the shared mobility segment, Yadvinder Singh Guleria, Senior Vice President- Sales and Marketing, Honda Motorcycle and Scooter India Pvt. Ltd. said, “Driving the shared mobility story in India is the young and digital savvy generation who is looking for convenient last mile connectivity solutions for their daily commute. In our understanding, high utilization of the asset – that is the two-wheeler itself, is the key for the success of this business model.  Scooters with universal acceptance due to their unisex appeal, comfort and convenience and are the most preferred choice of customers availing shared mobility services. As a result, more and more shared mobility companies are inducting Honda scooters - the undisputed first choice of scooter customers in their fleet. We thank Drivezy for trusting in Honda for their latest fleet expansion of 3000 units and wish them the very best.”

From initial business with 10 shared mobility players in 2014, Honda is now the first choice of over 30 shared mobility players operating in key towns like Bangalore, Delhi, Mumbai, Hyderabad, Kolkata, Jaipur, Kochi, Ahmedabad, Gurgaon, Goa etc.

Honda’s products are preferred by shared mobility players across all 3 types of operations – be it aggregators, two-wheeler rentals or even the digitized self-ride rentals.

Making Honda even more desirable is the high trust that the consumers of shared mobility providers repose in the brand. Further on, Honda 2Wheelers is aggressively supporting these mobility players with value additions and insights on increasing customer satisfaction while giving high quality two-wheelers which give the low operating and maintenance cost benefit over the long term.

Speaking on the occasion, Ashwarya Singh, CEO and Co-Founder, Drivezy said, “The sharing economy in recent years has attracted significant attention due to its potential to generate new markets and employment by making use of idle assets. The future of world belongs to shared, connected and zero waste mobility and we look forward to working closely with Honda Motorcycles and Scooters are driving towards this mission.”

SOTC Travel Introduces “Holiday Essentials” a Retail Portfolio for Hassle Free Travel

Choosing the right travel gear for your trip can feel overwhelming. With the Indian traveller becoming open to newer experiences, SOTC has witnessed a rapid change in how a tourist now wants to experience his vacations.

To make these experiences easy to enjoy for the customer, SOTC has launched “Holiday Essentials” keeping in mind the type of vacation and destination requirement. The ‘Holiday Essentials’ range is an integral part of SOTC’s services and have been designed to make every vacation worry free by understanding the customer’s minute necessities.

SOTC Travel has witnessed the change in travel experiences over the years and has observed a growth in queries for the inclusion of various kinds of experiences which is about 30% to 35% as compared to the last year. Being a new age travel curator, SOTC strives to make holidays a priority for every Indian. To accommodate these new requirements of the present day traveller, SOTC has included a strong line up of their own Holiday Essentials range of travel merchandise along with a few other Indian and international brands on their website https://www.sotcholidayessentials.com/.

This merchandise website currently provides around 70 unique products across categories. Bringing together a range of accessories to help relieve discomfort and boredom are a fantastic way to beat the travelling blues! SOTC ‘Holiday Essentials’ line offers a wide array of products, from neck pillows to hand warmers, adaptors to backpacks. There are plenty of nifty gadgets too; such as compact portable luggage weighing scales, padlocks and waterproof pouches. It includes SOTC’s private label under the brand name of “Holiday Essentials” and mix of international brands like Osprey, Nrit, Trekmates and award winning Indian brands like Tag8. Customers can also place orders at their nearest SOTC store.

Holiday Essentials enables customers to have all of their travel merchandise needs under one roof along with a wide range of options to choose from. The prime objective is to provide complete solution and 360 degree approach to travelling, which makes vacationers feel safe, trendy and comfortable.

Speaking about the website’s offerings, Daniel D’souza- Head of Sales, India & NRI Markets & E-Commerce SOTC Travel said “In our constant endeavor to enhance customer delight, SOTC Travel has introduced ‘Holiday Essentials’ a one-stop solution for all travel retail needs. Travel retail is an extremely dynamic channel that represents a huge untapped opportunity in the marketplace. We have observed huge potential to penetrate in this intrepid market by creating something new and exciting for travellers and that primarily includes making it easy for our customers to find a one-stop solution for all their travel needs. Whether travelling on business or for leisure, passengers will find their choice of travel accessories at SOTC Holiday Essentials.

This feature will open doors to something bigger and create a system of ease and comfort while a customer finds that we offer multi-category credentials to the industry with the promise of efficient functionality. While travelling, practicality leads the way. With this wide array of travel and lifestyle solutions, we aim to be a trustworthy companion on everyday’s adventures. Wherever the destination is, we aim that ‘Holiday Essentials’ will be an indispensable part of our discerning customer’s journey.”

Tata Motors Showcases the Future of Sustainable Public Transportation

Reaffirming commitment towards sustainable public transportation, India’s leading bus brand Tata Motors is all set to showcase five new public transport vehicles at the BusWorld India 2018, biggest B2B bus and coach exhibition in the world.

The new range of transport solutions on display will be - Starbus Ultra AC 22-Seater Push back, Starbus 12-Seater AC Maxi cab, WINGER 12-Seater, Tata 1515 MCV Staff Bus and MAGNA intercity coach. Equipped with state-of-the-art technology and advanced safety features, these new variants will exhibit superior design, excellent fuel economy and a longer service life, making commute enjoyable and safer.

Commenting on the occasion Rohit Srivastava, Product Line Head – Passenger Commercial Vehicle, Tata Motors said “Buses from Tata Motors are a hallmark of excellence and the range has adapted innovations to suit both Indian and global travel conditions. Under our Turnaround 2.0 strategy, we are aggressively focusing on introducing new range of products with improved features and state-of-the-art technological advancements. Our priority is to provide efficient, clean, safe, accessible and affordable value propositions to our customers. Our exhibits at the BusWorld 2018 is a testament of our best-in-class solutions tailored to the bus segment in India, with special focus on driver and passenger comfort and safety.”

Sandeep Kumar, Head Sales & Marketing - Passenger Commercial Vehicle, Tata Motors adds "We are pleased to associate with BusWorld India 2018 as a platinum sponsor. It is an excellent platform to showcase our revolutionizing range of buses providing the customers with the perfect blend of convenience, comfort and smart travel options. Through our product offerings, we are shifting the paradigm for new age products and mobility solutions, not just for the passengers but for drivers too.”

Key Highlights:

* Offered as a complete solution for intercity application, MAGNA is India’s First Bus Body Complaint (BBC) luxury intercity bus. It is available in two power nodes (180 HP and soon to be launched 230 HP). The new age coach with a 35-44 ranging seating capacity and a generous boot space of 7.5 cubic meter; is backed by reliable aggregates like Cummins ISBe 5.9 engine, TATA G750 gearbox, VOITH Retarder and Marcopolo bus body. MAGNA’s eye-catching exteriors and well-appointed interiors ensure passengers arrive refreshed from the journey.
* Targeting the staff and tourist segment, Starbus Ultra AC 22-Seater Push back and Starbus 12-Seater AC Maxi cab are built by Tata Marcopolo offering a refreshing look and best-in-class features such as individual charging points, hand rest on all seats, Push back luxury leather seats with maximum comfort, power steering, air brakes and LED lighting to enhance the interior look.
* Starbus Ultra AC 22-Seater PB comes with the New Generation Turbotronn Engine 140Hp offering 7 Lac kms first overhaul life and lowest NVH in its class. On the other hand, Starbus 12-Sseater AC Maxi cab comes with 4SP CR engine offering smooth operations. Other aggregates like GB-550 gearbox fitted with cable shift mechanism, radial tubeless tyres, parabolic suspension and tiltable steering ensures best ride comfort for both passenger as well as driver.  
* With a 2.2 L DICOR Engine and a Flat Torque curve, the Winger 12-Seater is a game-changing product that will address the pressing need of product performance and fuel efficiency for the Tour and Travel operators.
* Keeping in mind the demand for a Fully Built Bus from STU or Staff application Tata 1515 MCV bus emerges as an ideal business partner for any operator. Made on proven 1515 chassis and supported by trustworthy aggregates like Cummins ISBe 5.9 engine, TATA G600 Gearbox and Tata Marcopolo body; the vehicle showcases features like three point seat belts, reverse camera with display, USB mobile charging points and GPS with Wi-Fi.

Tata Motors today offers a comprehensive range of buses catering to an entire gamut of day-to-day travelling needs - from luxurious intercity travel options, to safe transport and driver-friendly choices. Tata Motors has pioneered technological innovations in the bus segment, and is fully equipped with a range of buses powered by alternate fuels aimed at reducing pollution and promoting an eco-friendly transport system in India. 

The company has  also developed a range of mobility solutions such as Hybrid, Electric, Fuel Cell, LNG and Articulated buses to meet the future transportation needs of the ‘Envisaged Smart Cities’. With an extensive product portfolio of future ready buses, Tata Motors will continue to play an active role in mass public transportation, with a commitment towards striking the right balance between sustainable growth and profitability.

Siemens and Bentley Systems Strengthen Strategic Alliance and Joint Investment Initiatives

In the companies’ latest Alliance Board meeting, Bentley Systems and Siemens decided to further strengthen their strategic alliance. The two companies have decided to extend their existing agreement, to further develop their joint business cooperation and commercial initiatives. Therefore, the joint innovation investment program will be increased from the initial €50 million funding to €100 million. In addition, as a result of the continuous investment of Siemens into secondary shares of Bentley’s common stock the Siemens stake in Bentley Systems now exceeds 9%.

Klaus Helmrich, member of the Managing Board of Siemens AG, said: “I’m very pleased with how strong our alliance started. Now we are investing in the next collaboration level with Bentley, where for instance we will strengthen their engineering and project management tools with Siemens enterprise wide collaboration platform Teamcenter to create a full Digital Twin for the engineering and construction world.” 

He added: “Integrated company-wide data handling and IoT connectivity via MindSphere will enable our mutual customers to benefit from the holistic Digital Twins.”

Greg Bentley, Bentley Systems CEO, said: “In our joint investment activities with Siemens to date, we have progressed worthwhile opportunities together with virtually every Siemens business for ‘going digital’ in infrastructure and industrial advancement. As our new jointly offered products and cloud services now come to market, we are enthusiastically prioritizing further digital co-ventures. We have also welcomed Siemens’ recurring purchases of non-voting Bentley Systems stock on the NASDAQ Private Market, which we facilitate in order to enhance liquidity, primarily for our retiring colleagues.”

Siemens AG (Berlin and Munich) is a global technology powerhouse that has stood for engineering excellence, innovation, quality, reliability and internationality for 170 years. The company is active around the globe, focusing on the areas of electrification, automation and digitalization. One of the world’s largest producers of energy-efficient, resource-saving technologies, Siemens is a leading supplier of efficient power generation and power transmission solutions and a pioneer in infrastructure solutions as well as automation, drive and software solutions for industry.

 The company is also a leading provider of medical imaging equipment – such as computed tomography and magnetic resonance imaging systems – and a leader in laboratory diagnostics as well as clinical IT. In fiscal 2017, which ended on September 30, 2017, Siemens generated revenue of €83.0 billion and net income of €6.2 billion. At the end of September 2017, the company had around 377,000 employees worldwide.

Huawei Secured No. 2 Worldwide Smartphone Vendor Spot, Surpassing Apple in Q2 2018

In the second quarter of 2018, Huawei surpassed Apple to secure the No. 2 worldwide smartphone vendor position for the first time ever, according to Gartner, Inc. Apple moved into the No. 3 spot. Overall, sales of smartphones to end users grew 2 percent in the second quarter of 2018 to reach 374 million units.

"Huawei’s smartphone sales grew 38.6 percent in the second quarter of 2018. Huawei continues to bring innovative features into its smartphones and expand its smartphone portfolio to cover larger consumer segments," said Anshul Gupta, research director at Gartner. "Its investment into channels, brand building and positioning of the Honor devices helped drive sales. Huawei is shipping its Honor smartphones into 70 markets worldwide and is emerging as Huawei’s key growth driver."

Samsung maintained the No. 1 global smartphone vendor spot, declining 12.7 percent in the second quarter of 2018. "Samsung faces slowing global smartphone demand and ever-growing competition from Chinese manufacturers," said Mr. Gupta. "The slowing demand for its flagship smartphones left Samsung with lower profitability. It now expects the Note 9 smartphone to revive growth."

Apple’s performance was flat in the second quarter of 2018 (0.9 percent growth). "Minimal incremental value in Apple's current-generation flagship iPhones led to slower growth in the second quarter of 2018," said Gupta. “Demand for the iPhone X has started to slow down much earlier than when other new models were introduced.”

"Growing competition from Chinese brands and consumers’ greater expectations for phone value is putting immense pressure on Apple to deliver enhanced value on their premium iPhones to foster growth," added Gupta.

Xiaomi’s focus on expanding its portfolio and adopting a unified retail model by integrating offline and online retail is driving growth in a slowing global smartphone market. This helped Xiaomi secure the No. 4 spot in the global smartphone market in the second quarter of 2018.

In the smartphone operating system (OS) market, Google’s Android further extended its lead over Apple’s iOS in the second quarter of 2018, securing 88 percent market share to 11.9 percent share for iOS.

Bajaj Allianz Life Creates Milestone with 49% Growth in New Business Premium in Karnataka in Q1 FY19

Bajaj Allianz Life Insurance Company, one of India’s leading private life insurers, achieved a milestone by registering 49% growth in New Business Premium in Karnataka in Q1 FY18-19 over the corresponding period of the last fiscal.

The total number of policies in the region stood at 2,097 registering a 47% growth, as compared to 1,425 in Q1 FY17-18.

Commenting on the growth achieved by the company in the state, Bajaj Allianz Life’s MD and CEO Tarun Chugh said, ”Our growth in the state is a testimony of the faith our customers have reposed on us. Karnataka is a key market for us, and through innovative products, and customer friendly technology we will continue to offer life insurance solutions for our customers, to help them achieve their life goals. We are continuously investing in our outreach programs to help us reach new customer segments, as well as to further delight our existing partners and customers.”

To ensure each customer’s life goals are met, Bajaj Allianz Life Insurance launched value-packed investment solutions - Bajaj Allianz Life Goal Assure and Bajaj Allianz Life Goal Based Savings. Bajaj Allianz Life Goal Assure is a life goal based investment plan  (ULIP)  which  provides the customer with a choice of eight funds, four investment strategies, return of mortality charges on policy maturity, tax-free returns on investment and life cover, making it one of the best investment solutions.

Furthermore, one can opt for maturity benefit in installments by staying invested in fund(s) of one’s choice and get the benefit of Return Enhancer, which is an addition of 0.5% of each due installment.

Bajaj Allianz Life Goal Based Savings is the latest ULIP added to its product portfolio for customers who are keen to take advantage of the country’s equities market. The product comes with a host of unique features for customers who would like to invest towards their life goals in a regular manner. The ULIP comes with features like Return of Life Cover Charges and Return Enhancer that enhances the customer’s corpus on maturity.

India’s First Biofuel Powered SpiceJet Flight from Dehradun to Delhi

SpiceJet on Monday flew the country’s first biofuel-powered flight, which took off from Dehradun for Delhi this morning. Around 20 people, including officials from aviation regulator DGCA and SpiceJet, were in the test flight.

According to sources, the low-budget carrier used a concoction of 75 per cent of bio-fuel and 25 per cent of turbine fuel to power SpiceJet’s Q400 turboprop flight. The fuel, made from Jatropha crop, has been developed by Indian Institute of Petroleum, based in Uttarakhand’s Dehradun. Biofuel flights make air travel cleaner and more efficient by reducing carbon emissions, thereby also marking a huge reduction in the cost of airline operations.

Around 20 people, including officials from aviation regulator DGCA and SpiceJet, were in the 78-seater aircraft. The duration of the test flight was around 25 minutes, according to an airline executive. Union Petroleum Minister Dharmendra Pradhan, who was present at the Delhi airport, called the flight a “big achievement in the aviation sector.” “On 10th August, PM Modi announced the new biofuel policy and today we have successfully implemented it in the aviation sector. It’s a big achievement in aviation and clean energy sector. GST has been decreased on Biodiesel and ethanol,” he said, reported the media.

The biojet fuel has been recognised by American Standard Testing Method (ASTM) and meets the specification standards of Pratt & Whitney and Bombardier for commercial application in aircraft. The development assumes significance as high air turbine fuel (ATF) prices have dented India’s domestic airline sector with all the major players reporting losses for the first quarter of 2018-19.

SpiceJet Chairman and Managing Director Ajay Singh said biojet fuel is low cost and helps in significantly reducing carbon emissions. “It has the potential to reduce our dependence on traditional aviation fuel by up to 50 per cent on every flight and bring down fares,” he said.