Wednesday, April 10, 2019

Standard Chartered Turbo Charges Open Banking Capabilities


Standard Chartered is turbo charging its open banking capabilities, with a focus on driving innovation and technology culture through openness and partnerships with developers, corporations and fintechs to co-create better client products and services through the sharing and use of Application Programming Interface (APIs).

The bank announced three new initiatives aimed at the developer community:

·         aXess Platform 

The aXess platform (https://axess.sc.com/) will offer developers open access to the Bank’s open source code for banking products and its APIs, applications, and libraries. It serves as an adaptive layer in its technology architecture to drive more connectivity and partnerships between developers, corporations and fintechs, so innovative solutions can be co-created.

·         aXess Labs

The Bengaluru-based test lab is a physical space where the Bank’s in-house developers can experiment with cutting edge technologies, accelerate ideation to service delivery, enable new business models, and share open banking best practices, capabilities, and tools across the Bank.

·         aXess Academy

The developer academy aims to upskill the Bank’s developers with the technical skills required for open banking through training programmes, hackathons, and technology leadership roundtables. It is also a forum for networking with tech networks in other industries.

Dr Michael Gorriz, Group Chief Information Officer of Standard Chartered said: “Open banking is about putting more choices in the hands of our clients. They can decide what data they want to share, increasing their options of suitable services or products and how they are delivered. From the Bank’s perspective, this also opens many opportunities, because we can now offer banking services through other platforms which are already integrated in our clients’ lives, whether its social media or ecommerce, for example. This connectivity is made possible through APIs.”

Dr Sebastian Wedeniwski, the Bank’s Chief Technology Strategist said: “The future of banking is changing fast with massive technology-led innovations. Our aXess initiatives to boost our open banking capabilities aims to enhance the developer experience and upskill the technology expertise of the Bank, while guiding developers on our journey to build for openness and integration.”

Standard Chartered has been driving innovation in the banking space, co-creating solutions to improve client experience and establishing new partnerships and solutions to change how it approaches and thinks about banking. Following the successful pilot launch of its digital retail bank in Côte d’Ivoire last year, the Bank has further rolled out digital-only retail banks across Africa this year, in Uganda, Tanzania, Ghana and Kenya. Most recently, the Bank announced the establishment of a strategic joint venture with PCCW, HKT and Ctrip Finance to deliver a new standalone digital retail bank in Hong Kong. It also recently announced the SC Ventures Fintech Bridge, a market-first online platform, through which the bank seeks partnerships with fintechs to solve business challenges which meet current and future client needs. It will soon be launching an open digital platform for Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs) in India, to help them grow by providing access to a range of financial and business solutions. 

Tata Motors Group Global Wholesales at 145,459 in March 2019


The Tata Motors Group global wholesales in March 2019, including Jaguar Land Rover, were at 1,45,459 nos., lower by 5%, as compared to March 2018.

Global wholesales of all Tata Motors’ commercial vehicles and Tata Daewoo range in March 2019 were at 57,163 nos., higher by 1%, over March 2018.

Global wholesales of all passenger vehicles in March 2019 were at 88,314 nos., lower by 9%, compared to March 2018.

Global wholesales for Jaguar Land Rover were 70,171 vehicles (*JLR number for March 2019 includes CJLR volumes of 4,812 units). Jaguar wholesales for the month were 20,985 vehicles, while Land Rover wholesales for the month were 49,186 vehicles.

*CJLR – It is a JV between JLR and Chery Automobiles and is an unconsolidated subsidiary for JLR

Indian Hotel Industry’s RevPAR to See 9.5% Growth in 2019 - HVS ANAROCK Report

Key Highlights

Approx. 8,574 keys to hit the market in 2019; nearly 19% increase over the last 2 years
Revenue per available room (RevPAR) sees 17% growth between 2016 and 2018
Average daily rates saw a 6.25% rise in 2018, faster than 4.5% long-term inflation rate
Goa saw the largest signing of keys in 2018 at nearly 2,209 keys, eclipsing Bengaluru by just 192 keys
Hotel transaction volume hit an all-time low in 2018 at INR 5,354 mn since 2007; 2019 likely to witness the sale of high-value hotel assets valued USD 800 mn across key markets

With demand finally outpacing supply, the Indian hospitality industry is on an upswing. The 'India Hospitality Industry Review 2018' report by HVS ANAROCK predicts RevPAR to grow by 9.5% in 2019.

Interestingly, Q1 2019 itself saw unexpected growth in the India hotel industry. The successful transaction of the Leela Hotels & Keys portfolio in Q1 2019 set a healthy tone for the start to the year, and trends indicating that 2019 could see transaction volumes reach around USD 800 mn.

However, some current headwinds – general elections-induced cautiousness and an increased supply of nearly 8,574 keys – could dampen the sector’s performance turnout for the year even as the overall trend remains positive in 2020.

Mandeep Lamba, President (South Asia) - HVS ANAROCK says, “The ongoing general elections could dampen some of the sector’s otherwise upbeat performance in 2019. However, the tide is set to change this year as market sentiments can recover with the aid of a stable Government post elections to support the required economic growth. Banking on this important factor and also considering the limited new supply in 2020, the hotel industry can record its highest-ever recorded occupancy and is expected to outpace 2006, which was a superlative year for the hotel industry.”

The report analyses trends of the past three years which suggest a 'new normal' in the Indian hospitality industry. Brands are opting for the least-risky projects with the highest prospects for timely completion, rather than for greenfield projects which pose a higher risk of cancellation.

International operators continue to proliferate, building large-format hotels compared to the majority of their domestic peers who typically churn out lower-inventory products. In 2018, international hotel operators also signed more hotel keys than their domestic peers.

At the city-level, Goa saw the largest signing of keys in 2018, outpacing Bengaluru (albeit by a margin of a mere 192 keys). “It is heartening to see Goa top the list, since this is normally considered to be a high-entry barrier destination; and has for that reason seen a much slower growth in inventory - even though it has been the top-performing market for a very long time," says Mandeep Lamba. 

The report confirms that 2018 was a slow year in terms of hotel investments, with total hotel transactions volumes in dollar terms contracting to their lowest since 2005 – from USD 158 mn in 2005 to a mere 78 mn in 2018. However, in terms of Indian Rupee value, the total transaction volume recorded was 6% higher than in 2005.

Shobhit Agarwal, MD & CEO - ANAROCK Capital says, “In 2019, we expect the Indian hospitality market to see an upsurge in transaction volumes due to distress pricing of hotel assets. This year is likely to witness the sale of high-value hotel assets in almost all key Indian hospitality markets. The expected transactions volume is approx. USD 800 million, potentially setting a record for hotel transactions in the country. The successful listing of the Lemon Tree and Chalet IPOs, as well as the recent transactions of the Keys and Leela portfolio, can prompt further investments in the hospitality sector. The Chalet Hotels IPO issue early this year raised INR 1,641 crore - subscribed 1.57 times - on account of strong interest shown by institutional investors. This trend is likely to continue.”

Other Report Highlights:

Rapid urbanization is increasingly making Tier 3 markets more relevant for hotel brands, with nearly a third of their new hotel signings emerging from these cities (despite hotels being smaller than the Tier 1 variants). More hotel management companies are setting up shop in smaller towns.

Value-driven volume customers seeking full-service hotels continue to drive growth in mid-scale hotels space, which is the highest growth sector for new hotel and rebranded hotel openings and signings in the Indian market.
The relatively 'new kids on the block' such as Oyo, Treebo and Fabhotels - previously considered outliers - now dominate the economy hotels segment, setting the stage for a further drift for mainstream brands.
Indian Hotel Industry’s RevPAR to See 9.5% Growth in 2019: HVS ANAROCK Report

With demand finally outpacing supply, the Indian hospitality industry is on an upswing. The 'India Hospitality Industry Review 2018' report by HVS ANAROCK predicts RevPAR to grow by 9.5% in 2019.

Interestingly, Q1 2019 itself saw unexpected growth in the India hotel industry. The successful transaction of the Leela Hotels & Keys portfolio in Q1 2019 set a healthy tone for the start to the year, and trends indicating that 2019 could see transaction volumes reach around USD 800 mn.

However, some current headwinds – general elections-induced cautiousness and an increased supply of nearly 8,574 keys – could dampen the sector’s performance turnout for the year even as the overall trend remains positive in 2020.

Mandeep Lamba, President (South Asia) - HVS ANAROCK says, “The ongoing general elections could dampen some of the sector’s otherwise upbeat performance in 2019. However, the tide is set to change this year as market sentiments can recover with the aid of a stable Government post elections to support the required economic growth. Banking on this important factor and also considering the limited new supply in 2020, the hotel industry can record its highest-ever recorded occupancy and is expected to outpace 2006, which was a superlative year for the hotel industry.”

The report analyses trends of the past three years which suggest a 'new normal' in the Indian hospitality industry. Brands are opting for the least-risky projects with the highest prospects for timely completion, rather than for greenfield projects which pose a higher risk of cancellation.

International operators continue to proliferate, building large-format hotels compared to the majority of their domestic peers who typically churn out lower-inventory products. In 2018, international hotel operators also signed more hotel keys than their domestic peers.

At the city-level, Goa saw the largest signing of keys in 2018, outpacing Bengaluru (albeit by a margin of a mere 192 keys). “It is heartening to see Goa top the list, since this is normally considered to be a high-entry barrier destination; and has for that reason seen a much slower growth in inventory - even though it has been the top-performing market for a very long time," says Mandeep Lamba. 

The report confirms that 2018 was a slow year in terms of hotel investments, with total hotel transactions volumes in dollar terms contracting to their lowest since 2005 – from USD 158 mn in 2005 to a mere 78 mn in 2018. However, in terms of Indian Rupee value, the total transaction volume recorded was 6% higher than in 2005.

Shobhit Agarwal, MD & CEO - ANAROCK Capital says, “In 2019, we expect the Indian hospitality market to see an upsurge in transaction volumes due to distress pricing of hotel assets. This year is likely to witness the sale of high-value hotel assets in almost all key Indian hospitality markets. The expected transactions volume is approx. USD 800 million, potentially setting a record for hotel transactions in the country. The successful listing of the Lemon Tree and Chalet IPOs, as well as the recent transactions of the Keys and Leela portfolio, can prompt further investments in the hospitality sector. The Chalet Hotels IPO issue early this year raised INR 1,641 crore - subscribed 1.57 times - on account of strong interest shown by institutional investors. This trend is likely to continue.”

Other Report Highlights:

Rapid urbanization is increasingly making Tier 3 markets more relevant for hotel brands, with nearly a third of their new hotel signings emerging from these cities (despite hotels being smaller than the Tier 1 variants). More hotel management companies are setting up shop in smaller towns.
Value-driven volume customers seeking full-service hotels continue to drive growth in mid-scale hotels space, which is the highest growth sector for new hotel and rebranded hotel openings and signings in the Indian market.
The relatively 'new kids on the block' such as Oyo, Treebo and Fabhotels - previously considered outliers - now dominate
the economy hotels segment, setting the stage for a further drift for mainstream brands.

Pioneer in Financial Inclusion Space - Dvara KGFS Acquires Varam Capital


Dvara KGFS (formerly IFMR Rural Channels and Services), a pioneer in the financial inclusion space, acquired Varam Capital Private Limited, a NBFC – MFI, to create growth capacity at Dvara KGFS.

Dvara KGFS, an NBFC, works with a mission to maximise financial well-being of every individual and every enterprise by providing complete access to financial services in remote rural India; Dvara KGFS has strong presence in Tamil Nadu, Uttarakhand, Karnataka and Odisha, spread across 33 districts with 221 branches and more than 8,44,845 enrolled customers today.

Varam Capital has a robust digital and data science capability that aligns well with the KGFS strategy and commitment to using technology and data science to better serve remote rural customers. Varam Capital has a significant presence in Tamil Nadu and Chhattisgarh with 28 branches, presence in 12 districts, having more than 1,28,478 enrolled customers.

Varam customers and its digital capabilities will seamlessly be merged with the KGFS model to enhance the ability of the combined business to grow profitably and serve remote rural customers in the most customer centric way as possible, driven by purpose-built digital platforms and deep learning assisted understanding of the customer.

Commenting about the acquisition, Samir Shah, Executive Vice Chair & Group President of Dvara Trust, said, “We aim to grow geographically and continue to build a strong digital platform and data science architecture that helps us understand our remote rural customers better and thereby offer them a full-service wealth management experience that would eventually create financial freedom to them. The key priority and focus is to execute on the growth strategy of Dvara KGFS. With the additional customers, talent and tech capability from Varam, we feel this enhances our ability to execute with greater confidence”.

He further added “The portfolios of both the institutions compliment with the current planned growth of Dvara KGFS. They help us to diversify within Tamil Nadu and at the same time diversify outside of Tamil Nadu in our chosen markets. The deal is funded from the strong balance sheet of Dvara KGFS. We have worked very hard over the last few years to strengthen our operational metrics and financial performance that gives us the confidence to explore strategic growth opportunities both organically and inorganically. The growth plans of Dvara KGFS are strongly supported by the excellent commitment of its shareholders”.

Speaking about the value addition of this deal, Joby, CEO of Varam Capital said “We see Dvara KGFS as an institution focused on the wealth management approach, multi- product offering and customer centricity. This combined with Varam’s fintech approach will pave way for new growth opportunities. As part of our growth strategy, we will stay focused on our unique USP of remaining remote rural and grow in other states. We are also looking at strengthening Orissa and Jharkhand. Our priority is to build expertise to develop multi product offering, give a lot more focus to Micro Enterprise Loan, affordable housing segments and relook at the entire Jewel Loan portfolio.

Post this acquisition, the board has appointed Mr. Joby as the CEO and Mr. LVLN Murty as the Deputy CEO of Dvara KGFS. Mr. N. T. Arun Kumar also joins as Independent Director to the board of Dvara KGFS. Arun Kumar has decades of world-class technology leadership and will bring immense value to the board of Dvara KGFS. Arun Kumar has been serving on the board of Varam Capital for the past few years.

Unity Technologies and Disney Television Animation Celebrate Tech and Engineering Emmy Award for Collaboration on “Baymax Dreams”

 

Unity Technologies (https://unity3d.com), creator of the world’s most widely used real-time 3D development platform, celebrated its first Technology and Engineering Emmy win for its collaboration with Disney Television Animation on “Baymax Dreams.” The series of broadcast quality shorts, based on the Emmy Award-nominated television series, “Big Hero 6 The Series,” were created significantly faster in real-time compared to a traditional offline production cycle and aired on Disney Channel, YouTube, and the DisneyNOW app.

“Working with Disney Television Animation was a dream come true for the team at Unity. To see the creativity of trailblazing in animation rewarded with a Technology and Engineering Emmy is amazing validation at how far Unity’s real-time technology has evolved,” said Isabelle Riva, Head of Made with Unity, Unity Technologies. “On behalf of Unity, I’d like to thank the Academy of Television Arts & Sciences for recognizing how our real-time technology has accelerated the innovation of broadcast quality productions.”

Tuesday, April 9, 2019

ACT Fibernet Forays into Consumer Product Category; Launches ACT Stream TV 4K Device in India

ACT Fibernet (Atria Convergence Technologies Ltd.) India’s largest fiber-focused broadband provider, today launched its first consumer product ‘ACT Stream TV 4K’ device powered by Android in India.  As part of the new brand strategy towards offering innovative customer centric solutions to enhance user experience, the streaming device will provide a 360 spin to all entertainment needs of a consumer.

Key Features and Offerings

ACT Stream TV 4K is a one stop entertainment solution for customers where they can enjoy their favourite movies, TV shows, sports, music videos from existing on-demand streaming providers and TV channels. Powered with ACT Fibernet’s high speed fibernet connectivity ACT Stream TV 4K has the capacity to transform a living space into a full-fledged entertainment zone.

Some key features of the box include,

4K device with Dolby Passthrough - Future ready to enable users experience their favourite content in its fullest.
ACT Stream TV 4K will allow streaming content from popular apps such as Netflix, Hotstar, Sony Liv, Hooq, Zee5, YouTube, Sun NxT and from 3000+ apps available on Google Play Store.  Customers can also watch over 100 of their favourite Free to air TV channels.
Single click subscription: Customers can subscribe to premium content from existing OTT streaming partners and channels that have tied up with ACT Fibernet and pay for their subscription directly as part of their monthly bill.
Catch up TV: Customers can catch up on their favourite TV shows, matches and highlights for upto 24 hours.
Powered by Android 9 Pie: Brings the power of the latest Android Pie operating system with access to over 3000 TV apps in the Google Play Store.
Voice search powered by the Google Assistant: Easy to search desired content and control device with voice commands powered by the Google Assistant.
External devices: Allows to connect hard disk, USB, joysticks, camera to view family pictures, video chat with friends or play games and more.
Compact and Sleek Design

Combined with latest technology and design, the box has been customized to make it intuitive and user friendly.  The device is supported with a remote-control unit which can be used to operate the box. The remote has an ergonomic design with minimalistic keys making it extremely easy to use and helps users launch their favourite apps from any screen they are in.

Price, Availability and Offers

The ACT Stream TV 4K box is priced at INR 4499. It will be available with select plans and for purchase post commercial launch in May 2019. Customers can visit www.actcorp.in/streamtv4k for purchase.

As an introductory offer, ACT Fibernet will provide the ACT StreamTV 4K complimentary to select 5000 customers. Additionally, customers will get a bundle of other exclusive offers including, discounted rates on the VOD apps, extended trial periods on content apps, free access to pay-per-view content, download apps from Google Play store and more.

Land Rover Opens Booking for Locally Manufactured Range Rover Vellar at ₹ 72.47 Lakh


Jaguar Land Rover India, has announced the start of local manufacturing of Range Rover Velar. The Range Rover Velar will be available in 2.0 l Petrol (184 kW) and 2.0 l Diesel (132 kW) powertrains and priced at ₹ 72.47 Lakh (ex-showroom India).

Rohit Suri, President & Managing Director, Jaguar Land Rover India Ltd. (JLRIL), said:

“We continue to focus on providing the best of British design, luxury and technology at highly competitive prices and we are sure that local manufacturing of the Range Rover Velar will make it even more desirable. This also reaffirms our commitment to the Indian market and to our customers.”

Available in the R-Dynamic S derivative, the locally manufactured Range Rover Velar will be fully loaded with progressive design, technology and luxury features. Some of these features include Touch Pro Duo, Activity Key, Wi-Fi and Pro Services, Meridian Sound System (380W), Four-zone Climate Control, Cabin Air Ionisation, Premium Leather interiors, 50.8 cm (20) wheels with Full size spare wheel, R-Dynamic exterior pack, Adaptive Dynamics, Premium LED headlights with signature LED DRL, Park Assist etc.

Land Rover Product Portfolio in India

The Land Rover range in India includes the Discovery Sport (starting at ₹ 44.68 Lakh), Range Rover Evoque (starting at ₹ 52.06 Lakh), All-New Discovery (starting at ₹ 76.94 Lakh), the New Range Rover Velar (starting at ₹ 72.47 Lakh), Range Rover Sport (starting at ₹ 103.74 Lakh)  and Range Rover (starting at ₹ 181.86 Lakh) . All prices mentioned are ex-showroom prices in India.

Jaguar Land Rover Retailer Network in India

Jaguar Land Rover vehicles are available in India through 27 authorised outlets in Ahmedabad, Aurangabad, Bengaluru, Bhubaneswar, Chandigarh, Chennai, Coimbatore, Delhi, Gurgaon, Hyderabad, Indore, Jaipur, Kolkata, Kochi, Karnal, Lucknow, Ludhiana, Mangalore, Mumbai, Nagpur, Noida, Pune, Raipur, Vijayawada and Surat. 

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