Venkatram Mamillapalle Takes Over as MD of Renault India

The Indian Passenger Vehicle market which became the fourth largest in the world in 2018 by surpassing Germany is well poised to become the third largest automotive market by 2022. As a relatively new entrant in the Indian automobile market, Renault India crossed the 5,00,000 sales milestone last year, becoming one of the fastest automobile brands in India to achieve this accomplishment. India is a strategic market for Groupe Renault and the company has a clear ‘India strategy’ for the success of Renault’s medium-term plan.

Renault also announced Mr. Venkatram Mamillapalle as its new Country CEO & Managing He comes with over 28 years of automotive experience and will spearhead Renault’s operations in India and SAARC countries. Prior to this, Venkatram was the head of Renault-Nissan-AVTOVAZ in Russia where he was part of a major transition, steering growth and profitability for the company. Before joining Groupe Renault, Venkatram has held several leading positions with various Indian and global OEM’s.

Venkatram brings with him vast knowledge of the Indian automotive landscape including supply chain management, quality, manufacturing and logistics which will enable the company to implement a comprehensive expansion for Renault in India. He has also been part of the Executive Committee, Board and International Boards of his previous companies.

Talking about his initial mandate for Renault India, Venkatram Mamillapalle shares, “At the onset, I have outlined three broad objectives for the company. One, is that the organization, together with all the entities of the Alliance work as ‘one team, bound by one ambition’. This is the primary objective. The next is prioritizing a ‘consumer-first’ approach across all business verticals, which translates into delivering quality products (both manufacturing and perceived), with a sharp focus on engineering, manufacturing, suppliers as well as dealers. The third objective is to profitably double our sales volume to 150,000 units in the next three years as our mid-term plan.”

Renault is also readying for a new product launch this year, which will be a true game changer. With SUVs being Renault’s forte and the fastest growing segment in India, the product-offensive strategy will revolve around leveraging this strength, whilst catering to the growing segments to meet the evolving needs and preferences of the diversified Indian customers and create new segments and sub-segments in the Indian automotive industry. Renault’s upcoming products will be designed, engineered, developed and manufactured in India, for India.

Renault will also lay equal emphasis and focus to make dealer partners profitable, which in turn will lead to Renault's turnaround, by increasing the volume and offerings.

With a 120 year global heritage, Renault is part of the world’s largest automotive alliance. Renault has made heavy investments towards getting the basics right and thereby creating a strong foundation for Renault in India. These include a state-of-the-art manufacturing plant in Chennai (4,80,000 units annual capacity), a world-class technology centre, two design centres of global repute and 2 world-class logistics centres.

Although Renault currently has a restricted coverage of the Indian automotive market with its current portfolio covering less than 40% of the market, Renault is the number 1 European automotive brand in India and has a clear product strategy to cater to newer and growing segments of India’s automotive market.

The Indian automobile market offers tremendous growth opportunities led by lower car penetration and favorable customer demographics with rising disposable incomes, and Renault is well poised to shape the future of this growth.

NITI Aayog and ABB Facilitate Adoption of AI Technologies by MSMEs

Manufacturing in the age of AI, a workshop organized by NITI Aayog and ABB India, brought together entrepreneurs, policymakers, state government functionaries and technology experts. It was the culmination of a partnership between the two organizations to work together and make key sectors of Indian economy ready for a digitalized future and realize the potential of AI, big data and digital connectivity. Last year, NITI Aayog and ABB signed a Statement of Intent (SoI) to support the Indian government to realize its ambitious vision of “Make in India” through advanced manufacturing technologies that incorporate the latest developments in robotics and artificial intelligence.

The workshop, held at the ABB Ability Innovation Center (AIC) in Bengaluru featured MSME entreprenuers from the selected sectors of pharmaceuticals, textiles, electrical and electronics, food processing and manufacturing. While technology was a common thread running through the entire workshop, working groups focused on issues faced by the MSMEs, sorted into three key areas:

-          Addressing sector specific issues - regulatory, financial and policy concerns relating to adoption of automation by the MSMEs.

-          Exploring innovative business and economic models (plug and play, cluster approach, shared manufacturing approach) to accelerate technology adoption by MSMEs, while optimizing costs

-          Addressing potential impacts of automation and AI on the workforce and steps that could  be taken to educate, train and reskill the workforce.

“At NITI Aayog we are no longer working on one-way policy plans, we have wide and deep interactions with those for whom the policies are intended to focus on. At ABB Ability Innovation Center we have brought all stakeholders of MSME value chain to identify the roadblocks they face in growth, be it in business models, financing or skilled labor, and together find ways in which we can address the same using tools ranging from policy to technology,“ said Anna Roy, Senior Adviser, NITI Aayog. “As India gets recognized as a global hub for AI technologies and Industry 4.0 reshapes global manufacturing in the coming decades, we look at companies like ABB with a legacy of global technology leadership to lead this revolution by enabling our vibrant MSME base,“ she added.

“India can leapfrog and show the way when it comes to innovative AI applications. Working with MSMEs and the eco-system is critical for the industrial and manufacturing adoption of such technologies. With its established history of working with them for several decades and driving the change with new digital solutions,  ABB would be the perfect catalyst,“ said Sanjeev Sharma, Managing Director, ABB India. “Just as we have embraced AI in different formats for our regular lives from maps to voice search and its integration with other applications, we believe with the right enablement and innovative business models, it could add significant value to the MSME manufacturing sector and help them navigate a continuously evolving landscape of regulatory frameworks, quality imperatives, climate change, global commodity and business uncertainties,“ he added.

Manufacturing industries across the world are in the process of incorporating artificial intelligence to reap productivity gains from automation in areas such as labour flexibility, better finishing, more reliable demand forecasting, agile supply chain and inventory optimization. The participating entrepreneurs for the workshop put in some practical suggestions coupled with insights on the levels of impact.

“The nature of AI solutions for MSMEs in manufacturing may differ by organization sizes, their stocks and inventory allocation. For example one might want to know as to who is doing the maximum winding function and wht is the right time for resource allocation inorder to  achieve same goals of increased productivity and lower costs. The other dimension of effectiveness is simplicity of access and use - like storing them on a cloud that we pay per use. Today Indian MSMEs face global competition and we want to use AI to make ourselves more competitive globally,“ said Uma Reddy, Managing Director, Hitech Magnetics & Electronics Pvt Ltd.

“AI solutions can also provide visibility to manufacturing irregularities in the initial stages without having to complete the process cycle to analyse the impact. AI would detect flaws immediately thus stopping value bleed and ensuring the required quality for global and local markets,“ said Sampath Kasirajan, Director, Hydra Micro Business Solutions Pvt Ltd.

Automation is also set to create new job streams all together, as well as exponentially increase the demand for medium to high skilled labour. India’s AI for All has been feted as an inclusive program for technology deployment, which creates a niche through innovative applications. India has been ranked among the top 3 countries globally after USA and China for workforce with AI skills and companies most looking forward to deploying AI technologies in the near term.

Indian Air Force Inducts First 4 Boeing CH-47F(I) Chinook Helicopters at Air Force Station, Chandigarh

Boeing has handed over the first four CH-47F(I) Chinooks to the Indian Air Force at an induction ceremony at the Air Force Station, Chandigarh. The ceremony was attended by the Air Chief Marshal B.S. Dhanoa, Chief of Air Staff, senior officers from the Indian Air Force and officials from Boeing.

The CH-47F(I) Chinooks arrived at the Mundra Port in Gujarat in February this year, ahead-of-schedule.  “The induction of the CH-47F(I) Chinooks is an asset to the Indian Air Force’s airlift capabilities,” said Air Chief Marshal B.S. Dhanoa, Chief of Air Staff. “This modern, multi-mission-capable, heavy-lift transport helicopter will enhance our heli-lift capability across all types of terrain to full effect.”

“The CH-47F(I) Chinook will prove to be a significant force multiplier for the Indian Air Force,” said Salil Gupte, president, Boeing India. “We are committed to working closely with the defense forces and government of India to deliver the right value and capabilities,” added Gupte.

“With its advanced capabilities and versatility, we are confident that the CH-47F(I) Chinook will be an important asset to the Indian Air Force,” said Michael Koch, vice president, India, Boeing Defense, Space & Security. “Boeing remains committed to working closely with India to support the modernization of its armed forces and fulfil the country’s current and future security goals,” added Koch.

The CH-47F(I) Chinook for the Indian Air Force completed successful first-flights in July 2018. The first batch of Indian Air Force crew began their training to fly the Chinook in the U.S. in October 2018.

The Indian Ministry of Defence had finalized its order with Boeing for production, training and support of 15 CH-47F(I) Chinook helicopters in September 2015. The other CH-47F(I) will continue to be delivered as per schedule.

The CH-47F is an advanced multi-mission helicopter for the U.S. Army and international defense forces. It contains a fully integrated, digital cockpit management system, Common Aviation Architecture and advanced cargo-handling capabilities that enhance the aircraft's mission performance and handling characteristics. It is used by the U.S. Army, U.S. Army Reserve, National Guard and by the armed forces of more than 19 countries, including Canada, the United Kingdom, Netherlands, Japan, Italy, Greece, Spain, South Korea, Australia and the United Arab Emirates.

Fossil Announces The Archival Series in the Indian Market

This limited edition series launches alongside a global retrospective:

The (R)Evolution of the Fossil Watch

What is old is definitely new again. Fossil has long stood for the optimism and creativity that is at the heart of American culture. Inspired by vintage design, we take the best from the past and update it for today's consumer. Since 1984, we have shared our quality products with our fans as we celebrate living an authentic life.

INTRODUCING THE ARCHIVAL SERIES

For more than three decades, Fossil has been known and loved for our enduring watch designs. Given our history and in the spirit of our love of vintage, Fossil is proud to announce the launch of The Archival Series—a limited edition re-release of some of our most-loved timepieces. The Archival Series celebrates our most coveted and iconic watch designs from the last decades, and allows new and existing fans alike to discover a fresh (or classic) favorite to add to your collection.

There will be archival launches throughout 2019 starting in May, with a drop almost every month through the end of the year.  This series represents Fossil’s affinity for its beloved nostalgic timepieces, while giving modern interpretation to the brand’s long history of unique, forward-thinking fashion watch design.

A (R) EVOLUTIONARY RETROSPECTIVE

To mark the significance of this announcement, Fossil is debuting its first-ever brand retrospective: The (R)evolution of the Fossil Watch in Basel, Switzerland. This exhibit is a celebration of all that has made Fossil, Fossil. Fans of the brand will see first hand how vintage, nostalgia, innovation and creativity fueled the original fashion watch brand to transform the function of time-telling into something fun and fashionable. This retrospective invites guests to take a look at our past and visit our future.

‘’The re-launching of the Archival Series alongside this innovative retrospective is something that the brand has wanted to do for a long time,’’ says Steve Evans, EVP Fossil Group. ‘’Fossil fans are truly an incredible group, and have loyally stayed with us on our journey for almost 35 years. Following the successful re-launch of the Mood Watch last fall, we knew we owed it to our fans (new and existing alike) to bring back iconic watch designs for today’s watch–wearer. This exhibit allows us to celebrate our history with our global audience, give them visibility what makes Fossil decidedly Fossil, and share a first look at all the exciting things we have in store this year and beyond for the brand.’’

Visitors to the exhibit will experience a unique look at the origin story of Fossil, and learn about our inspiration and icons, like our logos and collectible tins. This exhibit will travel around the globe including other cities in Europe with stops in Asia and the US, and parts of the exhibit will take permanent residence at the brand’s headquarters in Texas in the future.

We’ve revolutionized the fashion watch. But we aren’t stopping there. Just as traditional watches can be fun and accessible, so can smartwatches, packaging and beyond. We’re bringing our unique design and creative spirit to a part of the industry where that just doesn’t exist; creating beautiful watches and technology that you’ll want to wear again and again.

CALLING ALL COLLECTORS

We’re excited to announce the revival of the Fossil Collectors’ Club, a one-stop-shop featuring our most-loved, most-anticipated vintage-inspired products. From limited editions to styles straight from the archives, we’re highlighting the innovative designs our fans have collected and coveted since our beginnings.

Starting March 25, fans can visit our Collectors Club landing page

(https://www.fossil.com/us/en/collectors-club.html) to learn more about the Collector's Club, sign up for early access to our latest launches, and pop-up events around the globe.

Barracuda Intel Exposes the Latest Strategies Cybercriminals Are Using to Get Past Email Security Gateways

Highlights:

Brand impersonation is being used in 83 percent of spear-phishing attacks
1 in 3 business email compromise attacks are launched from Gmail accounts
Sextortion scams, a form of blackmail that makes up 10 percent of all spear-phishing attacks, continue to increase
Employees are twice as likely to be the target of blackmail than business email compromise

Barracuda, a trusted partner and leading provider for cloud-enabled security solutions, today released key findings from a report with the title Spear Phishing: Top Threats and Trends. Barracuda researchers evaluated more than 360,000 spear-phishing emails in a three-month period, identifying and analyzing three major types of attacks: brand impersonation, business email compromise, and blackmail.

The report takes an in-depth look at how these three types of attacks work, why traditional email security can’t stop them, the latest techniques scammers are using, and how organizations can protect against these attacks.

A Closer Look at Evolving Threats

Barracuda’s research uncovered fresh insights into how these popular attacks are evolving and the tactics they are using to evade detection.

Impersonating Microsoft is one of the more common techniques used by hackers trying to take over accounts.
Financial institutions are impersonated in nearly 1 in 5 attacks. Finance department employees are heavily targeted, as they are most likely to deal with banks and other financial institutions.
The majority of subject lines on sextortion emails contain some form of security alert.
Attackers often include the victim’s email address or password in the subject line.
Subject lines on more than 70 percent of business email compromise attack emails try to establish rapport or a sense of urgency; many imply the topic has been previously discussed.
Scammers use name-spoofing techniques, changing the display name on Gmail and other email accounts to make the email appear to come from a company employee. This tactic can be especially deceiving to those reading the email on a mobile device.

“Spear phishing attacks are designed to evade traditional email security solutions, and the threat is constantly evolving as attackers find new ways to avoid detection and trick users,” said Asaf Cidon, VP, Content Security at Barracuda Networks. “Staying ahead of these types of attacks requires the right combination of technology and user training, so it’s critical to have a solution in place that detects and protects against spear-phishing attacks, including business email compromise, brand impersonation, and sextortion”

Barracuda Sentinel uses artificial intelligence and deep integration with Office 365 to detect spear phishing attacks and stop them before they reach your mail server. Total Email Protection takes that protection a step further, combining Barracuda Sentinel with Barracuda Essentials, Barracuda PhishLine, and Barracuda Forensics and Incident Response for a complete email security, archiving, and data protection solution.

Tata Motors Announces its Upcoming Harrier VIVO IPL TV Campaign

In a build up to the commencement of the much-awaited VIVO IPL 2019, Tata Motors has announced a TV campaign comprising a ‘Mini-Series’ of TV Ads, that hinges on the story of 'Love At First Drive'. After an extremely successful partnership last season, Tata Motors will showcase its newly-launched, flagship SUV –Harrier, at the vaunted tournament this year.

Depicting the superlative quality of the Harrier, the Mini-Series will feature the highly acclaimed and celebrated Bollywood talents, Siddhant Chaturvedi from Gully Boy and Fatima Sana Shaikh of Dangal fame.

Scheduled for a nationwide release on 23rd March, this campaign is set to add a further dash of glamour to the Harrier and tell the story of how the SUV with its stunning and bold design, impressive road presence and performance creates an impression which is beyond ‘love at first sight’. Highlighting the Company’s association with the league for the second consecutive year, these TVCs will be played throughout the 50 days of the IPL season, well supported on ground and digital platforms.

Tapping on the pan India following of the game, this campaign will be advertised across the Star Sports network of 21 channels (National & Regional) to ensure the brand resonates with the audiences across the country. Conceived by 82.5 Communications, the films for the TVCs have been produced by Storytellers.

Commenting on the campaign, Mr. Vivek Srivatsa, Head - Marketing, Passenger Vehicles Business Unit, Tata Motors, said, “The first year of our association with the IPL proved to be a game changer for our much celebrated, compact SUV, the Tata Nexon which won many hearts and is now one of the leading players in its segment. We are confident that the 12th season of the IPL will be much bigger in terms of viewership and spectators at the stadiums. Through the ‘Love at First Drive’ campaign for the Harrier, we want to capture the audience’s attention in a manner that is both clutter breaking and eye-catching. Furthermore, Siddhant and Fatima embody the spirit of the Harrier and lend their individual style and appeal to the campaign. We are confident that the TVCs will project the right imagery for the Harrier and will help the brand to capture the imagination of a billion plus audience, just like the IPL itself.”

Speaking on this campaign, Mr. Anuraag Khandelwal, ECD, 82.5 Communications from Ogilvy Group, Mumbai said, “The Harrier is one outstanding SUV. We wanted to do something disruptive. Not only in the category but across categories. So, we came from a simple observation, that when one saw the Harrier, one fell in love with it. More so after test-driving it! Hence the idea #LoveAtFirstDrive.”

As an official partner, the all-new Harrier will be showcased in across stadiums. As part of this association, Tata Motors will continue to strengthen its existing IPL properties the ‘Harrier Super Striker’ and ‘Harrier Fan Catch’. Harrier Super Striker Award is for the player with highest batting strike rate in every match. In addition, the Harrier Super Striker of the season will drive home the all-new Harrier at the end of the season. The Harrier Fan Catch award of INR 1 Lakh is for the fan who takes a single-handed catch of a six during the match. Also, one lucky fan who wins the most popular Harrier Fan Catch of the season will drive home a Tata Motors car.

Launched in January this year, the Harrier based on the OMEGARC architecture derived from Land Rover’s legendary D8 platform offers a perfect combination of design and excellence. It is a flagship product from Tata Motors’ passenger vehicle range, boasting of extraordinary exterior design, thoughtfully and intelligently designed plush interiors, future ready connectivity and best-in-class infotainment.

Worldline India Launched “Digital Payments Report” on March 25, 2019

Worldline India is proud to present “Digital Payments Report”; an in-depth analysis of payment trends across traditional channels like debit and credit cards and new payment methods like mobile based payments, e-wallets etc for the year 2018. The report also analyses the consumer spending pattern across all categories based on the transactions facilitated by Worldline India. In addition, report also analysed the payments landscape in China as well as on how UPI 2.0 will lead to the development of a new ecosystem.

Key Highlights:

·         The Indian e-commerce market has the potential to grow more than four folds to US $150 billion by 2022 supported by rising incomes and a surge in internet users.

·         December witnessed the highest number of transactions while November 4 ranked as the day with the highest number of transactions followed by June 16 due to the highly celebrated festivals Diwali and Eid-ul-Fitr respectively.

·         The merchant categories with the highest volume and value of transactions in 2018 were Grocery Stores and Supermarkets, Restaurants, Service Stations, Clothing Stores and Hotels which accounted for about 45% of transactions.

·         The transactions at POS terminals increased from 4.6 billion transactions in 2017 to 5.8 billion transactions in 2018 (up by 26%), the share of card transactions at POS terminals to total card transactions remained constant at 35% to 38% only.

·         The value of transactions at POS terminals have increased from INR 8.8 trillion in 2017 to INR 11.3 trillion in 2018 (up by 27%), the share of value of money spent through cards at POS transactions to total money spent through card transactions at POS terminals and ATMs went up from 25% to 26% only.

·         The number of POS terminals increased by 17% while the number of ATMs reduced during the year indicating that despite advances being made in digital payments; cash is still king.

·         29% of all transactions done on POS terminals were done through credit cards and they translated to 50% of the total amount spent on POS terminals.

·         NETC transactions in 2018 stood at 221 million, a jump of 110% over 2017 and the value of transactions was INR 51.5 billion, an increase of 79.7% over 2017.

·         The number of ATMs decreased from 0.22 million in 2017 to 0.2 million in December 2018. However, cash withdrawals have bucked the trend of reducing ATMs; in 2018, cash withdrawals stood at INR 32.69 trillion, a rise of 21.2% over 2017.

·         The number of transactions done on mobile wallets in 2018 was 3.98 billion, an increase of 33.4% over 2017 while the value of transactions in 2018 was INR 1.73 trillion, an increase of 81.46% over the previous year.

·         In 2018, the total number of credit card transactions was 1.68 billion transactions, an increase of 24% over the previous year and the total number of debit card transactions was 13.62 trillion transactions, an increase of 16.1% over the previous year.

Deepak Chandnani, Managing Director, Worldline South Asia & Middle East expressed, “It is heartening to see that Indian consumers are switching to non-cash methods for making payments and we at Worldline have a front-row seat to these fast paced changes. While innovative payments services providing convenient payment products have been successful in transforming the way we make payments today, the biggest change undeniably is that it is now 'normal' for people to make digital payments and for small merchants to accept them – this is what is making the digital payments revolution in India sustainable.”