Emirates to Expand Reach to Six Indian Cities with SpiceJet Codeshare Partnership

Emirates and SpiceJet have signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to enter into a reciprocal codeshare agreement, which is set to open new routes and destinations for passengers travelling between India and popular destinations across Africa, America, Europe and the Middle East.

Subject to necessary government approvals, the partnership will enable Emirates’ passengers to enjoy seamless connectivity on flights to India, leveraging SpiceJet’s strong domestic presence and adding six new destinations: Amritsar, Jaipur, Pune, Mangalore, Madurai and Calicut - to the nine existing cities in India served by Emirates. This will bolster Emirates’ already-extensive network adding a total of 67 weekly connections between Emirates’ hub in Dubai to these six fast growing destinations in India. This includes increased domestic connectivity  from Emirates’ nine Indian gateways to points such as Goa, Hubli, Guwahati, Vishakhapatnam and Tuticorin which would allow for a greater variety of travel options between both Emirates and SpiceJet flights.

“Our journey in India has been defined by progressive investment, partnership and growth. We constantly try to improve and provide our customers with greater flexibility and travel choices. This partnership with SpiceJet and the mutual expansion of our network will go a long way in further enhancing the travel experience of our customers in India as well as those heading into India, benefiting travellers and businesses alike,” said Adnan Kazim, Emirates’ Divisional Senior Vice President, Strategic Planning, Revenue Optimization and Aeropolitical affairs.

Passengers travelling from India will have more choice to travel seamlessly with minimum connection times, when flying to destinations in Emirates' Europe network such as London, Paris, Frankfurt, Manchester and Amsterdam. The codeshare agreement will also open up flights for Indian travellers to North and South American destinations such as New York, Washington, Toronto, and Sao Paulo as well as Middle Eastern destinations such as Jeddah, Kuwait and Amman, operated by Emirates.

SpiceJet passengers travelling from Delhi, Mumbai, Ahmedabad, Kochi, Amritsar, Jaipur, Pune, Mangalore, Madurai, Kozhikode and 41 other domestic destinations that the airline operates to, will be able to access Emirates’ expansive network across the globe..  Optimized scheduling will allow for minimal transit times between India and these global destinations and travellers on these codeshare routes will be able to book connecting flights using a single reservation.

 “I am delighted to announce that as part of SpiceJet’s international expansion strategy, we have signed a MoU for a codeshare agreement with Emirates. This new partnership should immensely benefit passengers travelling on both airlines. While SpiceJet passengers from across India will be able to enjoy seamless connectivity leveraging Emirates vast network across Europe, Africa, America and the Middle East those travelling to India on Emirates will be able to travel to 51 destinations across our domestic network,” said Ajay Singh, Chairman and Managing Director, SpiceJet.

SpiceJet is India’s second-largest airline in terms of domestic market share.  Founded in 2005, it now serves 51 cities in India and nine international destinations.

If Data is Oil, Business Information is is Petrol! Expert Opinion

By Heramb Thuse,
Head Cloud Solutions & Presales
Crayon Software Experts India

Funny title! Isn't it? IT world is always chasing new phrases and new tech jargons, fancy new ideas and new ways to apply new tech concepts. Every technology innovation is better than a previous one, and helps in solving current business problem effectively. Every new cool thing/innovation attracts both - the presenters and recipient. Both of them spend time and resources to understand the entire process before getting into business value, TCO analysis, and transformation journeys etc.

Cloud is the new normal
There was a time when Cloud had been just a buzz word and IT professionals were trying to understand concerns associated with it. There were a lot of security related myths initially, lot of eye brows were raised when enterprises had to move their in premises workloads to Cloud. Cloud as a solution stood tall and proved its value, helped answer questions on security effectively and efficiently. But those days are long gone and today, 'Cloud is the new normal'. Enterprises don't feel abnormal now to put their critical applications, data in cloud. Board room discussions are now revolving around Multi Cloud strategy.

So now what's next?
As advancements kept on happening, the large-scale compute power, ability to crunch peta bytes of data in quick time and development in ability to solve business problems with algorithmic approach brought two new fancy tech terms - Machine Learning (ML) and Artificial Intelligence (AI). Today, AI is a hot topic of discussion in boardrooms, as professionals seek to improve profitability, monetise value of data, and capture new market share. Every enterprise would wish to use these technologies to gain competitive edge, better their products and services and quickest possible go to market decisions.

While everyone is trying to understanding ML and AI, we see enterprises still struggling to see business value out of these two. Even people confuse and interchangeably use ML, AI, data analysis terminologies. While decision makers are going through workshops, presentations and brain storming sessions, there is a large chunk of enterprises not even aware the size of disintegrated data islands exist in their own enterprises. This heap of data they are generating, maintaining and spending money for is even not used for analytics to take any decisions.

Many times enterprises are unable to derive the value of data due to lack of knowledge, lack of information and wrong notions of how it can work. Many times , it is even considered not possible that two dispersed, isolated, inherently different data sources like databases, excels, op premise and in cloud etc., can talk to each other and produce information.

Extracting Business Information from Raw Data
There are many solutions that can help convert 'Oil' (Raw Data) into meaningful and more valuable 'Petrol' (Business Information). CXO's will see lots of value in this petrol and would love to see this Crude oil producing Petrol.

Enterprises can go for business analysis / data visualisation tools or solutions like Microsoft Power BI, AWS Quick sight or Tablue, etc. Interestingly, most of these tools follow 'pay-per-usage' model and can be subscribed on a monthly basis. So, enterprises need not to invest in them perpetually before they even see the value in them. Application of these tools / solutions can not only bring value out of Data but an entire new way of looking at collaborative effort to achieve more in less. Suddenly Data starts speaking, for example, Data of Financial system and applications start adding value to CRM, CRM Data adds value to purchase department, two diverse entities and departments start new ways and means to work in tighter processes. Adds a lot of value to decision makers to see inter related, inter dependent departments with their own and isolated data ponds producing meaningful information on an integrated, orchestrated, intuitive platform for effective live decision making.

It is very interesting journey to see the hidden value of data. These tools help in finding new meaning to data and help decision makers take an informed decision. The ability to intuitively analyse data helps to comprehend it quickly. Various statistical models, which otherwise look impossible to use for different and huge volume of data, suddenly become easy to use and experiment with. These tools bring lots of value and use cases, especially when they collaborate and can help in predictive analysis for business, which any decision make would love to have.

By no means the Data visualisation tools are alternatives to MI / AL, but surely can bring a lot of value and direction to decision makers to decide the priorities, business models and areas of business focus where ML/ AI can be used for business advantages more effectively.

So in a nutshell, even before one thinks about ML and AI, one to ask ourselves and other business stakeholders, have we made an attempt to convert our Oil (Data) into Information (Petrol).

Sanjay Manohar Appointed Managing Director of McAfee India

McAfee, the device-to-cloud cybersecurity company, announced the appointment of Sanjay Manohar as managing director, India. He will be responsible for building and leading teams to drive product revenues, increase adoption of cloud-based products and strengthen customer relationships. He will report directly to Craig Nielsen, vice president, APAC, McAfee.

Sanjay brings over 25 years of proven industry experience spanning leadership roles across the APAC region. His career has been marked by continuous growth and recognition in marketing, sales and channel strategy. His core strengths include go-to-market strategy and execution, supplemented by his expertise in the areas of SaaS, enterprise software and networking.

Commenting on Sanjay’s appointment, Craig Nielsen said, “Sanjay will work closely with our leadership team to further accelerate our growth in India, which is a strategic market for McAfee globally. He joins us at a time when enterprises are realizing the significance of cybersecurity and making it a part of their boardroom discussions. His extensive knowledge of the industry and the region will help our customers find the best solutions for optimizing their security infrastructure, reducing risk and increasing operational efficiencies.”

“There is an increasing need today for robust cybersecurity protection for both enterprises and individuals with the fast-evolving threat landscape. I look forward to helping customers address this challenge and I’m pleased to join McAfee which remains committed to making the connected world more secure while being a trusted partner for all our stakeholders across the region,” said Sanjay Manohar.

Prior to McAfee, Sanjay held roles as regional vice president - Asia Pacific Japan, Carrier Business at Akamai Technologies, and MD of the Greater China region spearheading a cross-functional team of over 100 employees across 5 offices. Sanjay has been associated with leading MNCs when the industry was at the cusp of cloud offerings for businesses.

India's Online Retail Market Likely to Cross $170 Billion by 2030: Jefferies Report

Online retail in the country that is growing at a faster pace, is expected to be $170 billion by FY30, growing at a CAGR of 23 per cent, according to a Jefferies report. Currently, the total online retail in the country is pegged at $18 billion.

The online retail, which is currently around 25 per cent of total organised retail market in India, can potentially increase to around 37 per cent of the total organised retail market during this period, the report said.

Currently, the total online retail in the country is pegged at $18 billion.

Spends per online shoppers, which is estimated at Rs 12,800 is expected to increase to Rs 25,138 by FY30, with consumers shopping online for other segments, beyond electronics and apparel.

It noted that electronics, including mobile phones, has grabbed the market share from physical retailers, largely due to heavy discounting and cash-back online in electronics.

“Apparel and electronics have been present as categories in online retail space quite some time now in India, but online grocery is increasingly witnessing new consumers as companies such as Big Basket and Amazon Pantry are heavily advertising there discounting days, which takes place at the start of every month.

We believe that new customers will continue to enter the online grocery, given low differentiation in grocery and convenience for consumers. However, penetration of online retail in grocery will continue to remain lower,” it said.

Personal care, including make-up, too is gaining its market share online.

Jefferies noted that increase in online penetration has been a function of both discounting and convenience, however, over the medium term, discounting in the system should rationalise and convenience will be the key driver.

However, it observed that product quality remains a key concern for most of the consumers shopping online and there have been lot of instances in the country where consumers have got a counterfeit or a fake product, especially in categories such as perfumes and cosmetics.

“Quality remains a key issue for consumers while shopping online. Though online retailers are taking steps to address this issue, it will take some time and hence some consumers will continue to stay away from online shopping, especially for big-ticket, branded items.

The adoption of online retail should continue at a fast pace, as convenience seems even more important. Apart from quality, breach of data and data security are also key issues hampering adoption of online retailing,” it added.

Jet Airlines Assures Value of JPMiles Will Remain Secure and Intact

We would like to assure our members that the value of their JPMiles are secure and remain intact. With our air reward offering, “Select Flights”, members have the choice to redeem their JPMiles to fly free across more airlines, any destinations, any flights and any seats in India and globally, starting with the same JPMiles requirement as before which was applicable on Jet Airways and its partner airlines.

As always, our members can also continue to use their JPMiles on hotel stays, fuel & 2500+ merchandise options on the JetPrivilege Reward Store. We consider it our foremost responsibility to safeguard the faith our members have placed in us and remain steadfast in protecting and creating more value for our members through JPMiles. We are constantly expanding our vast partner network to offer diverse JPMiles earning opportunities across 10+ categories to our members.

Jet Privilege Pvt. Ltd. is a separate, independent entity, part of the Etihad Aviation Group formed with the sole purpose to market, develop and grow JetPrivilege – an internationally acclaimed award-winning loyalty and rewards programme.

Jaguar I-Pace Wins Unprecedented Treble at 2019 World Car Awards

The all-electric Jaguar I-PACE has completed an historic treble at the 2019 World Car Awards. Not only has it won the coveted 2019 World Car of the Year and World Car Design of the Year titles – equalling the success of the F-PACE in 2017 – it has also been named World Green Car.

I-PACE is the first model ever to win three World Car titles in the 15-year history of the awards.

This latest win for the I-PACE, awarded at the New York International Auto Show by a panel of 86 motoring journalists from 24 countries, comes just weeks after it claimed the European Car of Year title, and affirms its status as the most desirable premium electric vehicle (EV) in the world.

Prof. Dr. Ralf Speth, Chief Executive Officer, Jaguar Land Rover, said: “It is an honour that the Jaguar I-PACE has received these three accolades from the prestigious World Car jurors.

“We started with an ideal, to move towards our Destination Zero vision; zero emissions, zero accidents and zero congestion. I-PACE is our first step to achieving this, and it was conceived when EVs were little more than a niche choice.

“So we started from a clean sheet of paper to create a new benchmark - the world's best premium electric vehicle, and a true Jaguar driver's car.

“For I-PACE to be awarded 2019 World Car of the Year, World Car Design of the Year and World Green Car gives our first all-electric vehicle the ultimate recognition it deserves. I would like to thank the team who have created I-PACE for their passion in making it so outstanding.”

Designed and developed in the UK, I-PACE is attracting new customers to the Jaguar brand, for many of whom it will also be their first EV – to date, over 11,000 customers in more than 60 countries worldwide have taken delivery. Its combination of sports car performance, zero emissions, exceptional refinement and true SUV practicality make I-PACE the stand-out choice in its segment.

Ian Callum, Jaguar Director of Design, who was in New York to accept the awards, said: “Designing Jaguar cars is probably the best job in the world, and I can honestly say that no other project I’ve worked on has been as rewarding as I-PACE. Electric vehicles offer designers unprecedented freedom to rethink the proportions, the profile and the packaging, and it’s an opportunity that my team has exploited in full. Winning the 2019 World Car Design of the Year award, as well as World Car of the Year and World Green Car, is true recognition for their achievements.”

The I-PACE’s dramatic, cab-forward profile, short overhangs and taut, muscular haunches give it a sense of drama which set it apart from other SUVs. The spacious interior – enabled by the bespoke electric vehicle architecture – is finished with beautiful premium details and exacting Jaguar craftsmanship.

I-PACE has a state-of-the-art 90kWh lithium-ion battery and delivers a range of up to 292 miles (WLTP cycle). It’s capable of charging from 0-80% in just 40 minutes (100kW DC), or takes just over ten hours to achieve the same state of charge when using a domestic wallbox (7kW AC) - ideal for overnight home-charging.
A suite of smart, range-optimising technologies also include a battery pre-conditioning system: when plugged in the I-PACE will automatically raise (or lower) the temperature of its battery to maximise range ahead of driving away.
The I-PACE has also earned a five-star Euro NCAP safety rating. The body structure provides high levels of occupant protection, and is complemented by technologies designed to protect other road users and pedestrians, including a deployable bonnet and autonomous emergency braking with pedestrian and cyclist detection.

The I-PACE has received 62 awards since it was revealed little more than a year ago, including European Car of the Year, German, Norwegian and UK Car of the Year, BBC TopGear magazine EV of the Year, China Green Car of the Year, and Autobest’s ECOBEST Award.

Reliance Net Up 9.8% to Rs 10,362 Cr in Q4; Jio Net Jumps 65% Y-o-Y to Rs 840 Crore

Mukesh Ambani-led Reliance Industries on Thursday posted the highest quarterly net profit by any Indian private sector firm with a 9.8% rise in earnings in the period ended March 31 after robust business in retail and telecom sectors offset a dip in oil refinery margins.

The oil-to-telecom conglomerate reported a 9.8% rise in its consolidated net profit at Rs 10,362 crore, or Rs 17.5 per share, in the fourth quarter ended March 31, 2019, as compared with Rs 9,438 crore, or Rs 15.9 a share, in the same period of the previous financial year, the company said in a statement.

This is the highest quarterly profit by any Indian private sector company. State-owned Indian Oil Corp (IOC) holds the distinction of posting the highest ever quarterly profit by any Indian firm when it had reported a net profit of Rs 14,512.81 crore in January-March 2013 after it received the full-year fuel subsidy in just one quarter.

Reliance saw its revenue jump by 19.4% to Rs 154,110 crore in January-March 2019, even though they were 9.7% lower than Rs 170,709 crore revenue in the third quarter of the fiscal.

The company opened more retail stores and added 26.6 million new subscribers to its Jio mobile phone service that helped increase the profitability of the venture as its traditional oil refining business witnessed margin pressures on fluctuating international oil prices.

In full year 2018-19, the company posted a record Rs 39,588 crore net profit on a revenue of Rs 622,809 crore.

“During FY 2018-19, we achieved several milestones and made significant strides in building Reliance of the future. Reliance Retail crossed Rs 100,000 crore revenue milestone, Jio now serves over 300 million consumers and our petrochemicals business delivered its highest ever earnings,” Reliance Industries Chairman and Managing Director Mukesh Ambani said.

The record profit for the year came in a period of heightened volatility in the energy markets, he said, adding pre-tax profit has more than doubled in the last five years to Rs 92,656 crore.

“Focus on service and customer satisfaction led to higher numbers of subscribers and footfalls across our consumer businesses, driving robust revenue growth. Our endeavour is to create better experiences for our customers, leading to a better-shared future,” he added.

Its retail business, which comprises 10,415 stores with 510 being added in Q4, saw pre-tax business profit jump 77.1% to record Rs 1,923 crore.

“Reliance Retail is the only Indian retailer to be in the top 100 global retailers list and the 6th fastest growing retailer globally as per Deloitte’s Global Powers of Retailing 2019,” the statement said.

Jio continous to excel

Reliance Jio, the group’s telecom arm, posted a standalone net profit of Rs 840 crore, which was 65% more than the previous year, as subscriber base swelled to 306.7 million from 280.1 million at the end of the December quarter.

Earning per subscriber, however, declined to Rs 126.2 a month from Rs 130 in the previous quarter.

The petrochemical business saw pre-tax profits jump by 24% to Rs 7,975 crore on higher prices.

The operator of the world’s largest oil refining complex saw pre-tax earnings from the business decline for the fourth quarter in a row. Pre-tax earnings fell 25.5% to Rs 4,176 crore as margins dipped.

It earned $8.2 on turning every barrel of crude oil into fuel as compared to a gross refining margin (GRM) of $11 per barrel in January-March 2018.