After 6 Years Gap, Honda India Brings Back New Civic to Fill Gaps in SUV Portfolio

Honda Cars India expects to end the ongoing financial year with 8 per cent sales growth on account of good performance of its compact sedan Amaze, according to a senior company official.

The company, which has completed the sedan line-up with the launch of the latest version of its Civic sedan priced between Rs 17.7 lakh and Rs 22.3 lakh, is also looking to fill gaps in its SUV line-up going forward to make a bigger presence in the Indian market.

"In the April to February period this fiscal, our sales have grown 6.5 per cent. We expect to sell around 17,000 units in March taking our overall sales to 1.8 lakh units for the year," Honda Cars India Ltd (HCIL) President and Chief Executive Officer Gaku Nakanishi told the media.

He further said it would translate to a growth of 8 per cent from 1.7 lakh units sold last fiscal.

During the ongoing year after a good start, there has been a slowdown in automobile sales in the latter half due to various factors, including floods in Kerala, increase in fuel prices, low finance availability due to liquidity crunch faced by NBFCs.

"Our expectation is that (passenger vehicle) sales in March will be flat for the industry and the overall industry growth will be around 3 per cent, while Honda's will be more than double of that," Nakanishi added.

HCIL's sales growth this fiscal has been primarily driven by compact sedan Amaze, he added.

Commenting on the newly launched Civic, he said, "This completes our sedan portfolio in India."

The all-new Civic comes with both petrol and diesel fuel options. The petrol versions will come with a 1.8-litre engine mated with a CVT (automatic) transmission. The diesel trims will come with a 1.6-litre engine mated to a manual six speed transmission.

According to the company, the petrol variants deliver a fuel efficiency of 16.5 km per litre, while the diesel versions would offer fuel efficiency of 26.8 km per litre.

Honda had discontinued the Civic sedan in India in 2013 after selling around 55,000 units since its launch in 2006. The new Civic in petrol is priced between Rs 17.7 lakh and Rs 21 lakh, while the diesel option comes at a price range of Rs 20.5 lakh to Rs 22.3 lakh (all prices ex-showroom).

The company currently has sedans -- Amaze, City and Accord -- catering to various customers across different price points.

Like the sedans, he said, "We also want to have a complete range of SUV. We know there are gaps in our SUV portfolio which we are working to fill."

Nakanishi, however, did not elaborate when and how many SUVs would be launched in India. The company currently sells compact SUV W-RV, mid-sized B-RV and top end C-RV.

When asked about the hatchback segment, where the company does not have a presence following the discontinuation of its Brio model, Nakanishi said Honda doesn't have plans to fill it at the moment.

The Amaze will continue to be the company's entry-level model, he said adding that "the volumes that we lose out from not having Brio will be made up by sales from models such as the Amaze, Civic and others that we have in our portfolio".

Tamil Nadu Govt to Invest ₹230 Crore to Build Pattabiram IT Park

The Tamil Nadu government will set up a new IT park at a cost of ₹230 crore in north Chennai, a move aimed at creating more technology hubs in the city for job creation.

The project called Pattabiram IT Park will be built and managed by the TIDEL Park.

The Tamil Nadu government on Wednesday granted entry permit for the upcoming IT Park at Avadi-Pattabiram. As part of the permit, the government has given approval to transfer 10 acres of land to TIDEL Park for this project, a statement said.

The construction work is expected to begin in August and the IT Park will be built on 10 acres of a 38.4-acre government land parcel. The proposed facility will have a built-up area of 5 lakh sq ft.

“This project will be completed in 2021 and is set to transform Avadi into an IT hub of international standards, creating a plethora of job opportunities,” State Industries Minister MC Sampath said in the statement.

TIDEL Park has appointed a project engineering management consultant to oversee the execution of the project and it will take 30 months to finish the construction. Once completed, the project is expected to facilitate jobs for over 30,000 people.

“We have handed over the entry permit to TIDEL Park who will prepare the land for construction,” said State Minister for Tamil Development, Tamil Culture and Archaeology K Pandiarajan.

The project will reshape this industrial belt into an IT hub with thriving job opportunities for the people in the west and northern belt of Chennai. Many leading multi-nationals such as CTS and TCS, have already expressed interest in setting up businesses here, he added.

Manipal Fertility Launches ANKUR CLINIC, Affordable Fertility Services for Low Income Couples

Manipal Fertility, chain of infertility centers of Manipal Hospitals, in association with Dr. Bina Vasan Foundation has launched “ANKUR CLINIC”, affordable fertility services, with the aim of helping economically challenged patients to avail infertility treatment. Under this initiative, infertility treatment, particularly IVF that may cost as high as Rs. 2.5 lac will now be offered to poor people with more than 50% discount.

A couple, who have a monthly income of Rs.15,000 or less, can register their name in the Ankur clinic which will be providing comprehensive fertility services for men and women on consultations, blood tests, ultrasound, surgeries at a maximum discounted rate extent of 50%. As many couples will need IVF (regular cost: Rs.2.5 lacs), this procedure is specifically discounted to an all-inclusive price of Rs.1,00,000/- including medicines.

The registration can be done in any Manipal Fertility center across India from Monday to Sunday 8 Am to 12 noon, which will help them avail the subsidised service. The only document to be produced is an Income certificate by revenue officer of the respective State Govt in India.

Dr Vasan S S, CEO and Medical Director, Manipal Fertility, “Male & Female fertility problems are on the rise irrespective of the economical strata. The modern lifestyle being the prime reason for infertility in the upper & middle class segment whereas for poor patients, infections like Tuberculosis, malnourishment, excessive smoking, drinking alcohol, living in a polluted environment, working in industries which are not fertility friendly & lack of awareness of early consultation put those patients on the back foot in seeking fertility services, which are always placed at a higher cost.

With our moto of “FERTILITY FOR ALL“, we believe that the cost of treatment shouldn’t be a hindrance for seeking fertility services. ANKUR CLINIC is our effort to address the issue of affordability of infertility treatment for lower economic strata of the society.” This is line with State and Central Govt policies of inclusive care.

The clinic aims to provide international quality service with success rates better than SART (USA) data and there is no compromise on any aspects of their treatment. Once the couple registers their name under this scheme, they will be given a green card, which will entail them to avail all the discounts under the clinic scheme.

Women Employees in India Earn 19% Less than Men: Monster Survey

Gender pay gap is still high in India, as women in the country earn 19% less than men, and wage inequalities in favour of men are present in all the relevant sectors, a survey said on Thursday.

According to the latest Monster Salary Index (MSI), the current gender pay gap in India stood at 19% where men earned Rs 46.19 more in comparison to women. The median gross hourly salary for men in India in 2018 stood at Rs 242.49, while for women it stood at around Rs 196.3.

According to the survey, the gender pay gap spans across key industries. IT/ITES services showed a sharp pay gap of 26% in favour of men, while in the manufacturing sector, men earn 24% more than women.

Surprisingly, even in sectors like healthcare, caring services, and social work, men earn 21% more than women, even as notionally these sectors are more identified with women, the survey said.

Financial services, banking and insurance is the only industry where men earn just 2% more, it added. Acording to the report, gender pay gap widens with the years of experience. In the initial years, the gender pay gap is moderate but rises significantly as the tenure increases.

For those with over 10 years of experience, the gender pay gap in favour of men reaches the peak, with men earning 15% more than women.In 2018, the gap has narrowed only by 1% from 20% in 2017.

“The narrowing of the gender pay gap by just 1% is not just a cause for concern, but a reminder to genuinely introspect if we are doing enough. It becomes pivotal to galvanize forces across corporates and industries to work towards gender pay parity,” said Abhijeet Mukherjee, CEO, Monster.com, APAC & Gulf.

Actress Shanvi Srivastava Unveils Bosch & Finish Range of Dishwashing Products in Bangalore

Finish, Reckitt Benckiser’s No.1 Auto-dishwashing detergent brand worldwide, today announced a mega launch in Indian market in partnership with their Global partner Bosch Household Appliances, World’s largest dishwasher brand.

While, Finish has introduced a range of tablets specially designed for auto-dishwashers, keeping in mind the Indian washing needs, Bosch has also designed India specific dishwashers keeping in mind the Indian cooking style that leads to oily kadhai with tough stains to clean.

Shanvi Srivastava unveiled the product range and the “#NoMoreDishStress” campaign by gifting a brand-new dishwasher for her mom to liberate her from dishwashing related stress.

Shanvi Srivastava said, “I am delighted to gift my mom a Bosch dishwasher. The level of cleaning and shine that you get with Dishwashers is in-comparable. I am happy to see that Finish and Bosch have taken this responsibility and through their #NoMoreDishStress will educate the consumer. Dishwashers will soon be the washing machines of our time. Thanks Bosch and Finish for making my Mom’s life simpler”

At the event, Sukhleen Aneja, Marketing Director, South Asia RB Hygiene Home said, we’d like to ignite a dishwashing revolution in India by helping families experience a new level of clean that handwashing dishes can never give. The dishwasher market in India stood at $30 million in 2017 and it is expected to reach $45 million by 2023. #NoMoreDishStress celebrates the technology of Finish tablets together with the Magic of Bosch dishwashers washing dishes that clean with water at 70 Degree Celsius to give consumers a never before hygienic clean.

Gunjan Srivastava, MD and CEO, BSH Household Appliances, said, “Globally, Bosch has been the pioneer in Dishwashers category. While the dishcare category is still at a nascent stage in India, we believe that the category presents a massive opportunity to scale. In the coming years, we plan to build and shape the dishcare category by helping Indian households reimagine dishwashing, with localised features perfected for Indian utensils, a robust route-to-market strategy as well as through collaboration with our global partner, FINISH. The #NoMoreDishStress campaign aims to educate consumers about dishwashers and its role in simplifying their busy lives by providing them convenience coupled with hygienic dishes which are 99.99% germ free.”

Bengaluru Home to 98 Ultra-High Net-Worth Individuals: Knight Frank

Bengaluru is home to 98 Ultra-High Net-Worth Individuals (UHNWIs), a growth of 36% over the last five years. Each of these individuals has a wealth of Rs 225 crore ($30 million) or more. In 2013, the technology hub had 72 UHNWIs, according to The Wealth Report2019 published by to Knight Frank. The report provides global perspectives on prime property and wealth.

The 13th edition of The Wealth Report2019 forecast said Bengaluru is expected to see UHWNIs growth of 40 per cent in the next 5 years.

The report identifies top cities across the world that supports wealth creation including innovation indicators, wealth forecasts and economic growth and those aspects that improve a city’s growth prospects, such as infrastructure.

Termed ‘Future Cities’ of the world, these cities demonstrate characteristics that will propel wealth creation as well as future property investment. Leading this table is Bengaluru, which is expected to see a UHWNIs growth of 40 per cent in the next five years and is followed by Hangzhaou 732 UHWNIs, growth of 34 per cent. Stockholm 559 UHWNIs, growth 23 per cent. Cambridge 68 UHWNIs, growth 19 per cent and Boston 426 UHWNIs, growth 15 per cent.

Bengaluru Uniqueness

Bengaluru which is the home to companies which includes Flipkart, Infosys and Wipro, and over 400 multinationals including Microsoft, Hitachi and Samsung have bases.

“This is supported by the fact that the city has been grossing the country’s highest office absorption volume consecutively for the last 10 years and is expected to lead the office growth trend both in terms of investments as well as absorption,” said the Knight Frank’s The Wealth Report2019.

Shishir Baijal, Chairman & Managing Director, Knight Frank India, said “Bengaluru is the first amongst five eye-catching ‘cities of the future’ based on their future economic potential. This growth backed by its intrinsic potential arising from strong economic fundamentals, will also attract investments both from domestic as well as institutional sources.”

Bengaluru has made a commitment to creating a knowledge economy by investing in education centres, including the Indian Institute of Management-Bengaluru (IIMB), the Institute of Science (IISc) and the National Aerospace Laboratories (NAL). The city’s broad ecosystem of innovation offers multiple opportunities for future growth, reflected in the rise of new age technology companies across sectors including artificial intelligence, food tech, fintech and robotics.

Nicholas Holt, Head of Research, Knight Frank Asia Pacific, said, “Despite softening momentum in the region’s economies, growth prospects in Asia remain favourable in the medium term. While China’s economy is expected to slow, emerging markets such as India and the Philippines will deliver some of the strongest growth over the coming years.”

Redmi Note 7 to be Available for Instant Delivery on Dunzo

Dunzo, the popular hyperlocal Bangalore based delivery service has announced that Redmi Note 7 will be available for instant delivery through Dunzo when it goes on sale in Mi Homes from 6th March 2019 onwards. This is in extension to its partnership with Mi Homes, exclusive brand stores by Xiaomi, India’s number 1 smartphone and smart TV brand for instant delivery of all their mobile phone devices. Redmi Note 7 product will be live for purchase on Dunzo, via Mi Homes the same day as other platforms, where Dunzo will deliver instantly from Mi Home stores in Bangalore.

This is the second step in a partnership that began on February 14th, when Dunzo partnered with the Mi Home Stores in Bangalore for instant deliveries of smartphones and major accessories to users across India.

Apart from the Redmi Note 7, other Xiaomi products can also be purchases on Dunzo fulfilled by Mi Homes:
Mi Accessories like Mi Band, Power Banks, Earphones etc. are already live for instant delivery by Dunzo fulfilled by Mi Homes in Bengaluru.

With Dunzo’s growing popularity across India, it’s very clear that Urban India gets what they want when they want it. Over the past few years, there has been a shift of transactions from the offline to the online world – what Dunzo does is bridge the gap allowing offline stores to provide the same convenience much faster. Ordering the latest Xiaomi smartphone or accessory follows the exact same process as ordering for your daily groceries on the Dunzo App. All you have to do is open the app and place your order on the home page, and Dunzo will have it picked and delivered to your home within an hour.

Kabeer Biswas, CEO of Dunzo said “We are excited on what the on-demand infrastructure being rolled out by Dunzo can truly deliver for consumers. We’ve always promised every part of your city is accessible within minutes and with this partnership we want every Xiaomi user to know that every Xiaomi product – including their flagship product Redmi Note 7 and Note 7 Pro- is now under 60 mins away, no matter where you are in Bangalore. Our goal is to have 1 out 10 local transactions occur on the Dunzo app – be it local commute, courier or shopping. We want to make transformative changes in the way consumers engage with every local store in Urban Indian cities and this partnership is a step towards that.”

Arvind Yadav, Head – Mi Home, Xiaomi India on the occasion said, “It’s a truly exciting moment for us to be extending our presence to all Dunzo users. Dunzo is a leading innovative one-stop solution to all consumer needs, which effectively connects with Xiaomi’s philosophy of providing innovation for all. We are confident that this association will serve valuably to all our Mi Fans and Dunzo users, further enhancing our Mi Home customer experience.”