Karnataka Most Welcoming Indian State: OYO Travelopedia 2018

OYO Hotels, India’s largest and the world’s fastest growing chain of hotels, homes and quality living spaces released the OYO Annual Travelopedia 2018 today. The one-of-its-kind index revealed that Karnataka is the most welcoming state in India basis the number of travellers and bookings received throughout the year. The national capital was the most popular for visitors all year round, however, most Delhiites recorded the maximum number of travel cancellations followed by re-bookings which made it the most confused city of 2018. The analysis also recorded that an OYO was booked every 0.75 seconds in 2018.

The study revealed interesting facts like 22nd December 2018 was the most OYO’d day – where the hotel chain received maximum number of bookings of 1,38,000. The data also revealed that OYO recorded a 2.9X year-on-year jump in the number of bookings with an OYO being booked in every 0.75 seconds. Interestingly, Goa was the most-searched destination for OYO.

This year’s OYO King emerged from Pune who stayed in over 239 OYO hotels and OYO Queen from Ahmedabad who stayed in 125 OYO hotels across the year. Some fascinating facts that also emerged were that a single user stayed at an OYO property for 228 maximum continuous nights while another user travelled to 4 different countries and stayed in OYO properties throughout. The most popular time to book an OYO property in 2018 was 8:00pm.

Commenting on the findings, Abhinav Sinha, Chief Operating Officer (COO), OYO Hotels said: “We are really delighted to release OYO’s Annual Travelopedia which showcases some really unique booking and travel trends of 2018. One of the most interesting findings was that the maximum number of tourists visiting India were from the UAE. This reiterates the fact that we have been a great host to our valuable guests not just within the country but also internationally, this motivates us to constantly work towards our mission of providing great quality living spaces for our customers at affordable rates.”

The most preferred OYO locations in Mumbai and Delhi were around the airport whereas Koramangala in Bengaluru and Salt Lake in Kolkata topped the charts.

Additionally, the data also revealed that the top 5 OYO properties of the year 2018 were:

●      OYO Hotels namely Palette resorts - Le Pondy
●      OYO Townhouse 021 Bombay Exhibition Centre
●      OYO 9771 Hotel Glitz Westend Inn
●      Capital O 10212 Hotel West Willows Xanadu
●      OYO Townhouse 028 Corporate Suite

Showcasing how digitization and internet is turning out to be a boon for mobile users as well as for businesses, the data revealed that of the total online bookings made, around 92% of the hotel bookings were done through the mobile phone in the 2018. OYO further saw different types of travel enthusiasts, including:

●      The Lone Star Weekender - Solo travellers checking on a weekend
●      The Weekday Winner - Solo travellers checking in on weekdays
●      The Big Weekenders - Group travellers exploring a destination with their friends and family
●      The Mid-week Trippers - Group travellers, planning their vacations well in advance and taking weekday trips
●      The One Who Got Away - OYO is eagerly waiting to host these explorers in 2019. Whichever destination they decide at any time of the year - there’s always an OYO around!

TKM Bags CII-ITC Sustainability Awards 2018 for ‘Significant Achievement in Environment Management’

Toyota Kirloskar Motor (TKM) was recently honoured with the prestigious award for ‘Significant Achievement in Environment Management’ awarded by CII-ITC Centre for Excellence for Sustainable Development [CESD] under the category ‘Environment Domain’ of CII ITC Sustainability Award 2018. The company is awarded for its multifold efforts recognizing the eco strengthens in incorporating green technologies for production, optimization of renewable energy utilization within the plant, its green product portfolio and handholding its supply chain partners in enhancing their environmental performance.

Toyota leads through its long-term objectives towards carbon neutral value chain, thus creating a positive impact on the environment. TKM also engages with its dealer partners in establishing eco-systems to attain sustainability in its dealer operations at various regions across India.

Environment Conservation is inherent in the Toyota culture. Toyota Kirloskar Motor’s vision, philosophy and guidelines are true reflections of its commitment for a sustainable future. Its focused on achieving harmony between its manufacturing activities and the environment based on the concept of 'a plant that optimally utilizes natural resources while operating in harmony with the natural environment'.

TKM aspire to be the most loved and admired automobile company in India by following the Toyota-way philosophy. Toyota has consistently exhibited its relentless commitment to add value through its world class systems and processes. TKM works consistently towards making quality cars, built to international quality standards, yet keeping in mind the local sensitivities. Toyota is committed to manufacture technically advanced and environment-friendly products. TKM’s ISO 14001 certified plant at Bidadi, Karnataka is surrounded by a green belt and meets high environmental standards. The company embeds sustainability across all our business practices and constantly strived to implement best practices that promote reuse, reduce & recycle of wastes within the manufacturing plant.

TKM’s plant facility 2 has been established based on Toyota Eco-Factory Concept, designed to contribute towards reducing overall environmental impact based on the concept of “Monozukiri” (Manufacturing in Harmony with Environment]. Through its philosophy of “KAIZENS”, TKM drives continuous improvement in its environmental performance with active participation of employees in bringing the change. Through its globally advanced & innovative technologies - Toyota manufactures & offers world-class fuel efficient, quality vehicles such as Camry Strong Hybrid. Further, Toyota always looks forward to bringing in more of such technologies which aims to reduce the impact on the eco-system.

Speaking at the award ceremony, Mr. B. Padmanabha, Vice President - Toyota Kirloskar Motor said, “With our advanced eco-initiatives in 2017-18, we were able to source 85% of our total energy consumed from renewable energy. In the same year, we have met 94% of our total water requirement from recycled water and harvested rain water. We have also moved beyond our operational boundaries with a view to spread our eco-spirit throughout the supply chain and community. Through our efforts, we are glad that we are moving towards a sustainable future for all. This award further inspires to continue our focus on building a greener mobility for the nation.”

On receiving this award, Senior Vice President and Environment Director of Toyota Kirloskar Motor - Mr. Raju B Ketkale said, “Since its foundation, Toyota has continuously strived to contribute to the sustainable development of society through manufacturing of Innovative-Quality products and services leading the times.

Toyota always believes in the philosophy of ‘Respect the Planet’ and has meticulously endeavored to work towards the betterment of the environment. We are committed for our vision of greener tomorrow and have announced our long-term commitment towards the Society and Environment through our Global Environment Challenge 2050. TKM has been able to prove its eco commitments with continuous improvements in Environmental Performance year-on-year.

Moving beyond our boundaries of operations, Toyota is committed to establish the society that will be in harmony with nature and recognize the importance of Environmental Education in achieving this vision. In line with this belief, we have developed the program of “Education for Sustainable Development” and established an experience-based learning center “Ecozone”. The Ecozone will be a tool to spread Toyota eco-spirit to the society where our stakeholders including the school children will be educated on the current environmental issues and try to impart positive behavioral changes in the young citizens. We have recently started the education program in this 25-acre eco park for the Government school children and will be reaching out to other stakeholders in the days to come.”

Guided by Toyota’s Global Environmental Challenge 2050 that aims to reduce CO2 emissions to ZERO, Toyota Kirloskar Motor further up-scaled its various eco-initiatives in and around its manufacturing facility. Toyota has decided to challenge itself to reduce vehicles CO2 emissions to ZERO by 2050. From fuel efficient vehicle to developing ever better eco-technologies and approaches, TKM focuses on environmentally sustainable solutions in every business operation and every vehicle that is manufactured.

The Toyota Environment Challenge 2050, which is developed in line with the Sustainable Development Goals, aims to have new vehicle zero CO2 emissions; zero CO2 emissions throughout vehicle lifecycle, plants with zero CO2; challenge of minimizing and optimizing water usage; establishing a recycling based society and system and establishing a future society in harmony with nature. Toyota Kirloskar Motor India has aligned its environmental activities in line with these challenges and is recognized as a “Eco-model Plant” aligning with its second challenge of “Plant with ZERO Co2” among the Asia Pacific affiliates of Toyota.

Instituted in 2006, the CII-ITC Sustainability Awards recognizes and rewards excellence in businesses that are seeking ways to be more sustainable and inclusive in their activities. CII CESD has developed an awarding framework based on the EFQM [European Foundation for Quality Management] Business Excellence Model and the organizations are evaluated against this framework. Winners of this award are India's Most Sustainable role models creating benchmark, inspiring all business entities to follow. This award is a part of the continued efforts of CESD to create awareness on sustainability practices and to generate capacities in business.

In continuation to the above efforts, TKM also follows the approach of Learn, Perform and Drive to develop the Eco-Mind of employees. In addition to creating awareness, TKM also involve its employees physically in afforestation drives, environment month promotion and other Eco CSR activities with an intent to bring a sense of ownership towards the environment.

Some of the key sustainable plant initiatives are the afforestation drive which includes plantation of 2.75 lakh saplings inside the premises, utilization of best available technology and promotion of eco-activities such as on-site rainwater harvesting pond of capacity 51,000 cubic meter meets 19% of our total water requirement. In addition to this, our modern effluent treatment plant further recycles about 63% of treated effluent, thereby reducing the dependency on freshwater usage. TKM will further continue to evolve & adopt eco touch in its every business operation towards creating more happier society for people to live in.

Indian IT, Startups Likely to Hire 5 Lakh People in 2019: Mohandas Pai

India’s information technology (IT) services sector and startups together are expected to hire up to five lakh people in 2019 as demand for freshers are on the upswing, an industry veteran said on Wednesday.

Former Chief Financial Officer of IT major Infosys Ltd, T V Mohandas Pai said entry-level packages in the industry went up by as much as 20% in 2018, after stagnation in salaries for the past seven years. “Growth is coming back to the Indian IT services industry,” he said, talking about industry highlights in 2018 and prospects in the coming calendar year. Pai said 2018 saw “H-1B visa situation getting tougher,” Indian companies focusing more on Japan and Southeast Asia, massive expansion of captives and buy-backs by big companies.

Hyderabad has become a hot destination, with many new age companies coming to the Telangana capital, thanks to good infrastructure, and “very good marketing” by KTR (K T Rama Rao, who served as IT Minister in the previous TRS government), according to him.

He also said Indian companies were now trying to expand in markets in Asia.

Bangalore's Top 3 Most Attractive Brands 2018 – Samsung (Mobiles), iPhone, Maruti Suzuki

India’s Most Attractive Brands Report 2018 (MAB 2018), In its fifth edition, has listed the country’s Most Attractive 1000 brands by consumer choices, based on TRA’s proprietary model of Brand Attractiveness. The study is an annual syndicated primary research conducted with 2500 consumerinfluencers across 16 Indian cities. Much like the All-lndia list, consumers of Bangalore rank Samsung mobile phones as the Most Attractive brand in the city, followed by iPhone (All-lndia rank 3rd), and Maruti Suzuki (All-lndia rank 5th), at 2nd and 3′” places respectively. TRA Research has been scientifically measuring Buying Propensity conducting syndicated research on its’ proprietary matrices of Brand Trust and Brand Attractiveness since 2010.

However, the superficial similarities of the city brands with All-lndia ranks ceases after the third ranked, showing very different choices of the Bangalorean. Continuing the city ranks, ITC is 4th ranked (All-lndia rank 85th), Honda in four-wheelers ranked 5th (All-lndia rank 10th), Oppo Is 6th (All-lndia rank 12th), Titan is 7th (All-lndia rank 11th), Hewlett Packard is 8’h (All-lndia rank 36th), Vivo is 9th (All-lndia rank 1 5th) and Toyota is ranked 10th (All-lndia rank 19th). The other brands which surge ahead in city compared to All-lndia ranks – Pizza Hut (+799 ranks), Airtel (+681 ranks), Zomato (+572 ranks) & KFC (+490 ranks) (Bajaj Auto is at 4th rank and Toyota is 5th among the list’s most desired brands.

N. Chandramouli, CEO, TRA Research, emphasizing the unique differences in each of the cities said, “Choices of consumers based on attractiveness show their desire quotient for brands, and In turn reflect the city’s personality. The Most Attractive Brands brands chosen in Bangalore are completely different from that of the All-lndia ranks, showing that the Bangalorean has thinks and acts differently. Not knowing such nuances consumer behaviour is different cities can mean the difference between success and failure of brands.”

Brands which score very low by Bangalore as compared to All-lndia ranks are Apollo Pharmacy ranked 614th in Bangalore (49th in All-lndia), Land Rover ranked 582nd (82nd All-lndia), Yahoo ranked 567th (91st All-lndia), Bank of India ranked 616’h (146’h AllIndia) and Fanta ranked 546th (116th All-lndia). Other significant brands which face the scorn of Bangalore are Blue Star ranked 465th in Bangalore and 92nd All-lndia, Apple ranked 360th in city versus 46th in All India, Big Bazaar ranked 396th by city and ranked 80th All-lndia.

“The consumer of the Garden city behaves and acts differently as different cultural, environmental, political, social and terrain they encounter. For a city that spends much time beating the traffic, Bangalore adores its phones and its cars. Arguably, the most cosmopolitan of all Indian cities with Kannada, Tamil, Hlndi, English and, sometimes Telugu, are well understood. Their relationships with brands is low with brandconsumer compatibility at -20%. The city loves tech – but less of fancy gizmos and more of the useful tech”, Chandramouli added.

US Startup Fines $900,00 for Launching Rogue Satellites on ISRO's PSLV in Jan 2018

If the American Federal Communications Commission (FCC) tells you not to do something — like launching satellites without their approval, for instance — it's probably in your best interest not to do that thing.

And if you ended up doing it anyway, as US-based startup Swarm Technologies did, you'll likely be hung up to dry and fined an inordinate amount of money — $900,000 in the case of Swarm Technologies, Quartz reported.

The American startup was fined for having launched four unauthorised satellites on an Indian Space Research Organisation 31-satellite rideshare mission in January 2018. Along with ISRO's 100th satellite to be launched into orbit, the mission also held room for 30 commercial satellites, coordinated by ISRO's commercial arm, Antrix Corporation.

Swarm's four 'SpaceBEE' satellites were deployed on ISRO's PSLV rocket despite having its application for launch denied by the FCC a month earlier.

The regulators expressed that the satellites were far too small to be detected in space by terrestrial detectors, threatening the many other satellites in orbit with a higher risk of colliding into them.

An investigation into Swarm Technologies began in March earlier this year, in which the FCC dug up more surprises. The FCC discovered quite a few "unauthorised weather balloon-to-ground station tests and unauthorised tests of its satellite and ground station equipment" following the launch of Swarm's SpaceBEEs.

Over the course of FCC's investigation, the agency gave Swarm approval to start communicating with their satellites in August this year. It also allowed a second, approved launch of the ultra-small satellites in November — this time, on a SpaceX rocket. This, because despite the FCC’s initial concerns, it was possible for Swarm's SpaceBEEs to be detected consistently by commercial radar stations since their (unlawful) January launch, which was the crux of FCC's concerns about the satellites, to begin with.

However, Swarm's illegal launch came home to roost in a case that was settled by them paying a hefty $900,000-penalty to the FCC. This, the FCC said in a statement, was because the “unauthorised deployment and operation of satellites" poses a risk of "satellite collisions and radio frequency interference, threatening critical commercial and government satellite operations.”

Interestingly, Swarm received grants (including one from the American government's National Space Foundation (NSF)) for their technology.

According to the grant, the satellites commissioned by the NSF were intended to support “the world’s smallest two-way communications satellites and associated ground hardware,” with applications focussed in “Internet of Things” devices.

Given the NSF's investment in the “unique launch economics afforded by the miniaturised satellites,” as the grant award calls it, funding from the American government appears to have played a part in the unauthorised satellites' launch.

Swarm appears to be at the tail end of its controversy and gotten away with having four illegally-launched satellites orbiting Earth for all intents and purposes for the time being. But, another takeaway from the episode was the lack of communication between two closely-related arms of the US government, the FCC and the NSF.

With space startups burgeoning in the US, particularly in Silicon Valley, the case has thrown a spotlight on the approaches taken by the US government to regulate space. Both US lawmakers and the Trump administration have announced that they are working to address this gap.

SpaceX’s US National Security Space Mission has an Indian Engineer Touch

SpaceX’s first national security space mission for US, launched on Sunday night (IST) had an Indian link. A young Indian-American engineer, Siva Bharadvaj, who works for SpaceX as an integration and test engineer for the company’s Falcon-9 rocket, co-hosted the nearly two-hour international webcast.

The mission carried the GPS 111 satellite for the US Air Force. During the webcast, Bharadvaj explained the details of the mission, which kept viewers engaged. He was selected in early 2018 to be a part of the SpaceX webcast team. It was his second live webcast of a SpaceX mission. On November 15, 2018, he co-hosted the launch of the Es’ Hail-2 communication satellite by SpaceX for Qatar.

Bharadvaj studied at University of California, Berkeley and Cornell University. He has worked in Boeing, where he was selected as one of the “14 Young Engineers of Tomorrow”. His father, Bala Bharadvaj, is the managing director of Boeing India. An hour after the successful deployment of the air force satellite around 10pm (IST) on Sunday, his mother Ramaa Bharadvaj tweeted: “My son, Siva, is once again face of SpaceX as he co-hosts the international webcast of the Falcon-9 as it takes into space a GPS satellite for the US Air Force. Yayyy!”

On December 5, 2018, SpaceX launched a satellite ExceedSat-1, designed in Mumbai and integrated in Hyderabad, which is mainly for the benefit of ham radio operators.

SpaceX’s ties with India is not restricted to rockets and satellites alone. Bollywood actress Deepika Padukone had, a few days ago, reacted to SpaceX chief Elon Musk’s tweet about ‘Bajirao Mastani’. Elon shared the song ‘Deewani Mastani’ and a GIF featuring Ranveer Singh.

Indian Domestic Airlines Carry 11.5% More Passengers in Nov 2018

GoAir reported the best on-time performance in the month of November 2018. The domestic airlines flew 1.16 crore passengers in November registering a year on year growth of 11.5 per cent over the 1.04 crore passengers flown by the industry in the same period last year.

The latest data released by the Directorate-General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) show that IndiGo topped the list with 50.06 lakh passengers. Jet Airways took the second position carrying 14.87 lakh passengers while SpiceJet carried 14.55 lakh passengers giving it the third spot.

Air India flew 14.18 lakh passengers, GoAir (10.19 lakh), AirAsia (6.18 lakh), Vistara (4.15 lakh) and JetLite (1.75 lakh) during November.

SpiceJet reported the highest Passenger Load Factor (PLF) among all domestic carriers at 91.1 per cent followed by GoAir (87.6 per cent), AirAsia (86.5 per cent) and IndiGo (84.9 per cent). Passenger load factor shows how many of the total seats on offer by each airline are getting filled.

GoAir reported the best on-time performance (OTP) at 87 per cent at the four metro airports — Delhi, Mumbai, Hyderabad and Bengaluru. Vistara at 86.1 per cent took the second position followed by IndiGo (79.2 per cent). Jet Airways, Jet Lite (76.6 per cent) and Air India reported an OTP of 64 per cent at the four airports.

The industry paid over ₹3.34 crore to the over 1.44 lakh passengers affected by cancellations, delays and those who were denied boarding in November this year. This includes paying over ₹1.5 crore to over 2,600 passengers from among the 1 lakh who were denied boarding. The industry also paid over ₹1.27 crore to over 1.15 lakh passengers affected by delays.

"Fall in oil prices and holiday sales by airlines will ensure stable airfares and will continue to shoulder the passenger traffic growth in the month of December,” said Aloke Bajpai, Chief Executive Officer and Co-founder ixigo.