Toyota Kirloskar Motor Sells 11413 Units in the Month of April 2019

In the month of April 2019, Toyota Kirloskar Motor sold a total of 10,112 units in the domestic market. The company exported 1301 units of the Etios series this month thus clocking a total of 11,413 units.  Toyota Kirloskar Motor sold a total of 13037 units in the domestic market this month of April 2018. The company exported 834 units of the Etios series this month thus clocking a total of 13871 units.

Commenting on the sales performance, Mr. N. Raja, Deputy Managing Director, Toyota Kirloskar Motor said, “The industry is currently experiencing a slowdown due to uncertainty of upcoming general elections that looms over the market and this slow pace is expected to continue until the new government is formed. Consumer sentiments has currently dampened due to several factors like tight liquidity, high insurance, high costs.

We hope the sales growth momentum to pick up in the upcoming months post election results are out.”

Experience Dubai's Different Light this Summer with My Emirates Pass

Emirates customers across India will be able to unlock the best Dubai has to offer for less this summer with the return of My Emirates Pass. Passengers traveling to the booming metropolis will be able to use their Emirates boarding pass as an exclusive membership card providing travelers special offers and discounts of up to 50% off in more than 500 leisure and retail outlet locations across the UAE.

Passengers flying to and through Dubai between 1 May and 31 August 2019 can take advantage of My Emirates Pass by simply presenting their boarding pass and a valid form of identification* in any of the participating outlets.

Dubai offers some of the best retail and shopping options in the world and the My Emirates Pass makes those options even more attractive; passengers can redeem up to 30% off at international retail outlets including popular fashion and fitness brands. Going beyond retail the pass confers benefits at spas, restaurants and wellness centers. Boarding pass holders can redeem up to 50% off in over 400 fine dining restaurants and luxury wellness centers.

The pass also allows travelers to throw themselves into Dubai’s diverse and delicious dining scene.  And once they have eaten their fill passengers will find discounts on activities like indoor skiing and water amusement parks unlocked by the My Emirates Pass. There is no better way to get to the heart of all Dubai has to offer.

Mohammad Al Hashimi, Emirates’ Vice President, Commercial Products Dubai, said: “The Emirates Pass puts Dubai’s ever-growing list of attractions and experiences at our customers’ fingertips. Whether they are here for a week or weekend, there is something for everyone to experience and see – for less.”

Dubai is an ideal stopover and holiday destination for families and solo travellers. Visitors to Dubai will be awed by the eclectic buildings, iconic landmarks, world-class shopping and delicious international cuisine.

Essa Sulaiman Ahmad, Emirates’ Vice President, India & Nepal said, “We are thrilled to bring the My Emirates Pass to our Indian customers. We know they will be excited about this offer – they know how much Dubai offers – but even for those who think they know the city this year’s My Emirate Pass will allow them to discover more and go further than they have before.”

Emirates connects its passengers to more than 150 destinations, in 86 countries, across 6 continents via a seamless stopover in Dubai. Passengers travelling in all classes can enjoy regionally inspired meals, 4,000 entertainment channels on ice – the airline’s award winning in-flight entertainment system - and up to 20MB complementary Wi-Fi to stay connected with friends and family during the flight.

For more information on Emirates, including how to book flights and a complete list of terms and conditions for this offer, visit www.emirates.com.

*Local terms and conditions apply 

Buzz About 5G and What It Means for Cybersecurity?

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The buzz around 5G is reaching a fevered pitch – barely a day goes by where it isn’t in the news. We’ve heard about the data capacity and speed increases, lower latency and lower power consumption. But what exactly does 5G means?

According to Babak Beheshti, IEEE Member and Interim Dean, College of Engineering and Computing Sciences, New York Institute of Technology, “The very design philosophy of 5G is based on network heterogeneity. This means that the network can be a combination of technologies such as Wi-Fi® and LTE.”

The meaning of 5G depends on the context of the discussion, but it’s likely to include a combination of technologies. This heterogeneity makes security more complex. However, there are already some exciting developments in the pipeline for 5G and IoT device security.

“According to T-Mobile US, 4G information being carried across mobile networks was not always encrypted. In 5G, end-to-end encryption is intended to provide much stronger safeguards for data privacy,” Beheshti says.

“Since IoT devices don’t often have robust user interfaces, using a QR code lets manufacturers create security protocols that can be operated without the use of a keyboard. The QR code is just a way to encode data. Basically, you’re encoding a public key that then can be used to establish and bootstrap trust. Only the peer device that has the private key can decode that”, says Dorothy Stanley, IEEE Member and Chair of the IEEE 802.11 Working Group

So upcoming security technologies are promising. What can consumers do to make sure their current IoT setups are secure?

For Kayne McGladrey, IEEE Member and Director of Security and Information Technology at Pensar Development, “Consumers should use the ‘guest’ network of their home Wi-Fi routers as a dedicated network for IoT devices, so if one of those devices were compromised, the threat actor can’t easily pivot to more valuable data.” That’s the case for newer devices, he says. “For older, cheap, IP-based security cameras and digital video recorders (DVRs), the easiest way to secure them is to recycle them responsibly as there often are no security updates available.” The ability to update devices over their lifetime is essential to security, and should factor into buying decisions, he says.

Han Guangjie, IEEE Senior Member and professor at Hohai University, seconds this point: “Check and update the IoT device firmware. If IoT devices have exploitable vulnerabilities, manufacturers often identify and fix problems before the hacker can access the device’s environment.”

The XZ+ Variants of Tiago and Tigor Now Compatible with Apple CarPlay

Tata Motors’ best-selling hatchback – Tata Tiago and much-celebrated sedan, the Tigor are now being offered with Apple CarPlay. The update has been made available for the XZ+ variants for the both the cars. Existing owners of these variants can visit the nearest Tata Motors Service Center to get their infotainment systems upgraded with the latest version of the Apple CarPlay.

This new update has now equipped both these vehicles with a holistic connectivity experience. Tata Motors launched the new Tata Tigor and the XZ+ trim of the Tiago last year with a 17.78cm touchscreen infotainment unit, which was compatible only with Android Auto until recently. These cars also saw the additions of attractive headlamps and alloy wheels, among other features. With Tata Motors rolling out Apple CarPlay compatibility for the infotainment system, iPhone users can now explore their car’s connectivity features to the fullest.

The Tiago XZ+ price starts from Rs 5.71 lakh, the Tigor XZ+ price starts from Rs 6.75 lakh (all prices ex-showroom Delhi).

TECNO Celebrates Free Spirit of Youth in its First Brand Campaign of 2019 ‘Shine in AnyLight’

TECNO the fastest growing offline camera-centric smartphone brand of TRANSSION Holdings with presence in over 50+ countries, made its inroads in the country in April’17. As the brand is celebrating its two-year anniversary in the Indian market today it announced the commencement of the first brand campaign for the year viz. “Shine in Any Light” on the back of the recently launched CAMON i4. The 360-degree marketing campaign will start from 2nd May’19.

The campaign ‘Shine in Any Light’ includes a series of three documentary style films featuring Vicky Roy - A Rag Picker turned street photographer, Chandani Srivastava - A Street Dancer turned Choreographer, and Toshada Uma - The Hairless Style icon celebrating individuality and strength of mind and people who believe in paving their own way in life against all odds.  Each films visuals are a storytelling of ‘Shine in AnyLight’ factor of these individuals for whom Life is all about living their passion and following their dreams no matter the darkness.  The first film to go on-air is of Vicky Roy, the Ace Photographer and rest two will follow shortly.

Conceptualised & executed by CreativeLandAsia, the campaign is targeted towards the youth of the country that is free and open-minded. They are the ones that do not get influenced and are rather liberal about the choices they make in life. It is from this attitude that stemmed the core campaign idea of 'Shine in any light’ focusing on the belief that for Indian youth life is not just lived, it is performed. Deep inside everyone there is piece of extraordinary waiting to be seen which can be discovered through TECNO’s ‘AnyLight camera’ lens, which help the consumer shine their best in any circumstance.

Commenting on the launch of the TVC Mr. Arijeet Talapatra, CEO, TRANSSION India said, “TECNO being a consumer-centric brand, listening and understanding the voice of our customers forms a part of our very DNA. We are committed to design products for the youth for whom ‘Life is a performance’ and this performance needs to be presented to the world in the best possible way. With CAMON i4, we have brought the best of smartphone camera technology to our consumers with a unique proposition of capturing superb photos with the help of a 16MP AI selfie and AI triple rear camera powered by Night Algorithm 2.0 and Super Quad Flash light making photos shine brighter no matter what the darkness. To strengthen the product launch we are kick starting our brand campaign #TecnoShineInAnyLight from 2nd May.  The campaign celebrates the free spirit of ordinary individuals who braved all odds to become successful in their passion areas and that TECNO smartphones enable the consumers to shine, no matter the darkness. No matter what light, you always keep shining.”

On the launch film Ms. Sudeepa Ghosh, Executive Creative director said, "The new campaign 'Shine in any light' speaks about three people who have struggled their way through adverse situations and have reached a point in their lives where they've become an inspiration for countless others. In a land of 1.3 billion people, there are those hiding behind their dreams, fighting for some bytes on social media. And then there are those who shine with perseverance, talent and grit."

To build the awareness for the #TECNOShineInAnyLight campaign and reach out to our core audience the brand has taken an aggressive approach of launching the campaign across touchpoints of TV, digital, on-ground & retail. The TV campaign will be available across 28 channels covering news, entertainment, movies like Colors, Sony Sab, &TV, Sony Max and regional channels like ABP Bangla, Star Jalsha to name a few.  The campaign will be further amplified on Social and digital platforms. To help consumers get a first-hand experience of the “AnyLight” camera smartphones the brand will carry on-ground activities covering 100+ towns enabling direct face-to-face engagement with 1 mn + consumers on-ground through-out the campaign period.

Amazon Global Selling Program Targets $5 Billion in E-commerce Exports from India By 2023

At the launch of the second edition of Amazon Exports Digest, Amazon has announced that its Global Selling program has now achieved the significant milestone of crossing $1 billion in e-commerce exports sales from India in just three years since its launch in the country! Launched with just a few hundred sellers in May 2015, more than 50,000 Indian exporters are now part of the Amazon Global Selling program, selling over 140M ‘Made in India’ products to Amazon customers across the globe through its marketplaces worldwide such as Amazon.com, Amazon.co.uk, etc.

“Six years ago, we started operating in India with a vision to enable every motivated Indian seller to reach customers across India and every country in the world. Amazon launched the Global Selling program in India four years ago, aligning with this vision. The program has scaled up extensively since then and has reached a cumulative $1 billion annualized from India. This program is helping government’s vision on exports, encouraging ‘Made in India’ products go global and enabling over 50,000 Indian MSMEs to reach the doorstep of 300MM+ global customers without leaving their homes. Over the next five years ‘India to Global’ has the potential to become huge and Amazon is confident that the Global Selling program will hit the $5 billion mark by 2023 fueling the growth of lakhs of Indian manufacturers, exporters and small enterprises.” said Amit Agarwal, Senior Vice President and Country Head, Amazon India.

He added, “The multiplier impact of this growth on the Indian economy will be significant with new infrastructure built-up, employment generation especially as the successful micro, small and medium-sized enterprises will in-turn reinvest in their local communities – creating jobs and supporting local economy- and thus boosting the entire ecosystem around them.”

Amazon today released the second edition of its annual Export Digest, revealing a growth of 56% in the number of global sellers from India in 2018. Amazon's international marketplaces also saw a rise of 55% in the selection of Indian products offered globally and 71% growth in sellers who are part of Fulfilled by Amazon program this year vis-a-vis last year. Amazon Exports Digest in its second edition, reveals interesting insights and reflects significant increase in demand for Indian products across global marketplaces, growth of Indian exporters selling globally, and most popular and emerging product categories offered by Indian exporters abroad.

This year’s report also includes performance numbers about growth of Indian sellers exporting to Australia, a new marketplace for Indian sellers which was added as part of Global Selling Program in 2018. Within a short span of time, more than 500 Indian exporters are now offering over 12M products to customers across Australia. The report also highlights the growth of the Global Selling B2B program which allows Indian exporters to serve business customers across the globe. The Global Selling B2B program in just one year has over 6000 Indian B2B sellers.

The Annual Exports Digest showcases top Indian states & cities with international exporters and most popular product categories abroad. Delhi, Rajasthan, Maharashtra, Gujarat, Uttar Pradesh and Haryana emerged as the leading states with most international exporters on Amazon in 2018. Home, Books, Apparel, Jewelry, Kitchen and Health & Personal Care witnessed a huge demand from international customers across ethnicities.

2018 has been a breakthrough year for the Amazon Global Selling program in India which accelerated with partnerships with various trade bodies such as FICCI, CII, FISME and with export associations from Tiruppur, Karur, Agra, Surat, Guwahati and other towns and cities to empower micro, small & medium enterprises. Connecting Indian sellers to customers worldwide, Amazon has a dedicated team as part of the Global Selling program which currently enables thousands of exporters of all sizes and scale to sell across eleven Amazon marketplaces worldwide.

Gopal Pillai, Vice President, Seller Services, Amazon India said, “Amazon Global Selling program is a unique initiative that enables MSMEs to reach over 300MM global customers, empowering them with tools and technology and leveraging Amazon infrastructure in destination countries. It’s interesting how the program has scaled in the country, with more than 80% of these exporters coming from non-metro and tier 2 and below cities. Amazon wants to expand and grow the program further to bring more and more small businesses to unleash the potential of ‘Make in India’ initiative by enabling e-commerce exports and leveraging global customer access.

Amazon Exports Digest 2019 highlights-

Overall growth:
• Amazon witnessed a growth of 56% in the number of e-commerce exporters from India in 2018
• Amazon's international marketplace saw a phenomenal increase of 55% in selection of Indian products offered globally
• 71% growth in Indian exporters using Global Fulfilment by Amazon (Amazon’s own fulfillment channels)
• Delhi, Rajasthan, Maharashtra, Gujarat and Uttar Pradesh emerged as the top 5 states with most e-commerce exporters
• New Delhi, Jaipur, Mumbai, Indore and Surat topped the charts with most e-commerce exporters along with emerging cities such as Cuttack, Darjeeling, Kankroli, Peermade, Rampura Phul with exporters selling globally
• Emerging product categories- Art and Crafts, Musical Instruments, Baby Products, Video DVD, Pet Products
• Major sale events – Prime Day saw an increase of 69% in number of sellers, Cyber Monday saw an increase of 30% in seller base and Black Friday also witnessed an increase of 30% in seller numbers

Region-wise top emerging categories exported:

• North India – watches, camera, pet products, outdoors, home entertainment
• South India – board games, shoes, home entertainment, sports gear, camera bags
• East India – watches, furniture, personal care appliances, tools, electronics
• West India –  Arts & Crafts, Music, Luggage, Videos & DVDs, Personal Care Appliances

Top 5 cities in the US from where Indian sellers are receiving maximum global orders from and the top Indian products bought in the US:

• Top 5 cities - New York, Los Angeles, Chicago, Brooklyn, Houston
• Top Indian products – Home, Health & Personal Care, Books, Beauty, Apparel

Top 5 cities in Europe from where Indian sellers are receiving maximum global orders from and the top Indian products bought in Europe:

• Top 5 cities –London, Manchester, Berlin, Madrid, Rome
• Top Indian products – Home, Health & Personal Care, Books, Office Products, Wireless

Top 5 cities in Asia Pacific from where Indian sellers are receiving maximum global orders from and the top Indian products bought in Japan:

• Top 5 cities – Tokyo, Beijing, Osaka, Busan, Seoul
• Top Indian products – Sports, Toys, PC, Musical Instruments, Health & Personal Care

Top 5 cities in Australia from where Indian sellers are receiving maximum global orders from and the top Indian products bought in Australia:

• Top 5 cities – Sydney, Melbourne, Perth, Brisbane, Portland
• Top Indian products – Books, Home, Beauty, Apparel, Health & Personal Care

Amazon unveiled its Global Selling program in India in May 2015 in an attempt to provide transformative opportunities for Indian sellers and help them grow & scale through e-commerce exports.  Currently, over 50,000 Indian manufacturers, traders and brands are using this platform to sell their offerings across eleven Amazon marketplaces worldwide. Through the program, Amazon provides the most comprehensive suite of services to sellers of all sizes and scale to enable them to sell across the globe. These services have been created to meet their specific requirements at every stage of their business lifecycle.

To smoothen the selling experience for MSMEs, Amazon offers fulfilment services under the program that allows sellers to focus on their product and pricing, offers imaging and cataloging support to sellers by getting their photo shoots done as per Amazon standards at nominal costs, provides access to third parties that can provide tax guidance services and other export related modalities by connecting them to concerned advisory agencies.

Furthermore, through its various spike sale events across the world, Amazon provides a lucrative platform for Indian sellers to engage with global audiences. Whether it’s Prime Day, Black Friday, and Cyber Monday, Amazon enables thousands of sellers to delight global customers with wide selection, greater value and a reliable and trustworthy shopping experience.

To enable sellers to familiarize themselves with the tastes & preferences of the destination country and to launch relevant selection, Amazon’s global teams also help sellers understand the demand patterns in various countries. The team also gives guidance on how sellers can improve discoverability of their products on each marketplace. Some of this includes guidance on the type of deals they can run, the kind of advertisements they can run on these platforms and how they can use social media channels to drive awareness about their listings on the various marketplaces. 

First of its Kind Bamboo Art Exhibition to be Held by Uravu in Bangalore

‘Hiraeth: A Pining for the Past’, a first of its kind 6 day exhibition of bamboo installation organized by ‘Uravu Indigeneous Science and Technology Study Centre’ will be held from May 2-7 at Karnataka Chitra Kala Parishat, Bangalore. The event will be inaugurated on May 2 at 4 pm by internationally acclaimed painter and Artist-Curator Bose Krishnamachari. The event is presented by Eleganz Interiors, pioneers in the general contracting business.

‘Hiraeth’ is an exploration in bamboo that aims to reinforce the credentials of bamboo as a sustainable medium of art. Lenin.CP, the chief designer at Uravu aims to recreate the forms and frames of life in bamboo. He expresses it through the idea of water and the flora and fauna of watery village lives.

‘Hiraeth’ is expected to set a platform for a series of exhibitions to be held at Chitra Kala Parishat, Bangalore, to showcase distinct artistic possibilities in bamboo that that would establish bamboo’s potential as a serious material of art.

Uravu is a not for profit, non-governmental organisation that strives for rural empowerment through sustainable solutions. Established in 1996, URAVU works with people, governments and businesses to facilitate initiatives with the   prime motive of sustainable development and implements focused end-to-end programs in the bamboo sector.

‘Hiraeth: A Pining for the Past’ is presented by Eleganz Interiors. Eleganz is a strategic management company specializing in interior solutions on a pan-India level pioneering in civil interiors and allied services.