Hero Motocorp Launches Scooter with Fuel-Indection Technology – Maestro Edge 125 and New Pleasure+ 110

In keeping with its aggressive growth strategy for the scooter segment, Hero MotoCorp, the world’s largest two-wheeler manufacturer, today further strengthened its scooter portfolio with the launch of two powerful and stylish new scooters – Maestro Edge 125 and Pleasure+ 110 – for customers in India and across its global markets.

Following its successful foray in the 125cc scooter segment with Destini 125, Hero MotoCorp today launched India’s first scooter with Fuel Injection (FI) technology – the Maestro Edge 125. The FI variant of the scooter is priced at Rs 62,700/-* while the i3S (Carb) variants are priced at Rs. 58,500/-* (Drum) and Rs. 60,000/-* (Disc).

*Ex-showroom Delhi.

Hero MotoCorp’s popular Pleasure brand – which already enjoys a strong customer connect - made a powerful and stylish entry into the 110cc segment as the Pleasure+ 110. The scooter is attractively priced at Rs. 47,300/-*.

*Ex-showroom Delhi.

With these launches, Hero MotoCorp has now rolled out seven new products - including premium motorcycles and scooters - with youthful appeal and technological and design excellence, in a short span of time.

Closely following the launch of its all-new X range of motorcycles – XPulse 200, XPulse 200T and Xtreme 200S - the new scooters are targeted at rapidly growing Hero MotoCorp’s presence in the scooter segment.

The Company will commence the retail sales of the scooters over the next few weeks.

Commenting on the launch, Dr. Markus Braunsperger, Chief Technology Officer, Hero MotoCorp Ltd., said, “With the introduction of three strong products – Maestro Edge 125, Destini 125 and Pleasure+ 110 – within just a few months, we have laid out a strong roadmap to accelerate our growth in the scooter segment. The introduction of India’s first scooter with the FI technology – the Maestro Edge 125 – demonstrates the capabilities of our R&D ecosystem.”

Malo Le Masson, Head of Global Product Planning, Hero MotoCorp Ltd., said, “Our Scooter strategy is unfolding now with new models that have an edge over competition, be it in technology or style. The Pleasure brand created the women-dedicated segment long back and the new Pleasure+ 110 broadens its audience to all young customers aspiring for a stylish ride. The Maestro Edge 125 is bringing FI technology to the scooter category in India and sets a new benchmark in the segment. Along with the Destini 125, Hero MotoCorp now has a robust portfolio targeting customers of both 125cc and 110cc scooters and is geared up to enhance its presence in the segment.”

Sanjay Bhan, Head of Sales, Aftersales, and Parts, Hero MotoCorp, said, “We have already made a strong and successful foray in the 125cc scooter segment with the launch of Destini 125 recently. Together with Maestro Edge 125 and Pleasure 110, we are confident that our portfolio will appeal to a varied customer set and subsequently, contribute towards growing our presence in the scooter segment.”

THE MAESTRO EDGE 125

After a successful foray in the 125cc scooter category with the Destini 125, Hero MotoCorp is now introducing the ultra-premium and powerful new scooter – Maestro Edge 125. Designed for today’s young generation, the new Maestro Edge 125 offers the right amalgamation of optimum performance, sleeker design and best-in-class technology.

The scooter comes in two variants - the FI variant and an i3S (Carb) variant.

The Maestro Edge 125 FI brings several firsts, not only to the 125cc scooter segment but also to the entire scooter segment. It is the first and only scooter in the country to have the Fuel Injection technology. Its engine produces a power output of 9.1 bhp @7000 rpm and maximum torque of 10.2Nm @5000 rpm delivering the best-in-class Power to Weight ratio.

The i3S (Carb) variant that comes with a 125cc Energy Boost Engine, produces power output of 8.7 bhp @6750 rpm and maximum torque of 10.2 Nm @5000 rpm - while featuring Hero’s intuitive i3S (Idle-stop-start system) for higher efficiency.

The models come packed with a host of design elements including the stand out LED Signature, diamond-cut Cast Wheels, textured Seats, sharp Front Cover & Apron, sleek Rear Cowl, signature LED tail-lamp and frost Winkers while being also loaded with the best features pack in the segment.

Upping the convenience, safety and utility quotient, the scooter comes with a host of exciting features like the external fuel filling, mobile charging port, boot lamp, remote key opening, side stand indicator, service due reminder and digital-analog meter.

The Maestro Edge 125 FI comes in two color combinations -- Pearl White with Brown inner panel & Astro Gold front forks and Panther Black with a sporty Red inner panel.

Maestro Edge 125 i3S (Carb) variant is available in an all Matt color palette – Matt Blue, Matt Red, Matt Brown and Matt Vernier Grey.

THE PLEASURE+ 110

The successful Pleasure brand is now entering the 110cc segment as the powerful and stylish Pleasure+ 110.

Targeted at young students and professionals, the new Pleasure+ 110 packs a powerful punch with its retro design and performance. The scooter comes with a new 110cc engine that produces a power output of 8 bhp @ 7500 rpm, a highly impressive torque of 8.7 Nm @ 5500 rpm which combined with a light weight of 101 Kgs makes it fun to ride.

The Pleasure+ 110 carries the right balance of modern and vintage appeal with design elements like new retro front, sleek rear tail lamp and a dual texture seat

Keeping the convenience and safety aspects in focus, the scooter offers features like a USB charger located accessibly close to the front pocket, LED boot lamp, Integrated Braking System and a new backlit Speedometer with Fuel and Side Stand Indicator.

The Pleasure+ 110 is available in two variants – Sheet Metal Wheel (color options - Glossy Black, Glossy Blue, Glossy White and Glossy Red) and Cast Wheel (color options - Matt Red, Matt Green and Matt Vernier Grey).

The Data Literacy Project Partners with Qlik to Launch World-First Comprehensive Certification for Data Literacy

The Data Literacy Project, the community dedicated to making society fluent in data, introduced the first globally recognized certification that will enable individuals to document and demonstrate their data literacy skills. This free certification has been developed by leading academics and data literacy specialists at Qlik, supporting the company’s role in the Data Literacy Project’s mission to enable individuals at every stage in their data literacy journey.

The great challenge in the Fourth Industrial Revolution is not capturing data, but turning it into actionable insights. Companies across all industries need employees to gain insights from data to sustain their value and drive competitive advantage. There is a significant global skills gap, with just 24% of employees worldwide confident in their ability to read, work with, analyze, and argue with data. Data skills are in high demand, with Qlik’s Data Literacy Index showcasing that one-third (36%) of business leaders would be willing to pay more to data literate individuals.

This free certification, pioneered by the Qlik education team and led by Qlik’s in-house academic Kevin Hanegan, is the first comprehensive measure of an individual’s data literacy. Unlike the many existing technical qualifications for data analytics, data science and big data, this world-first exam will enable candidates from all walks of life to attain a physical certificate that attests they have the skills needed to succeed in an increasingly digitized workplace. These include both hard skills like understanding and interpreting data as well as soft skills like creativity, problem-solving and communicating. The certification design leverages Hanegan’s experience as a professor at the University of California and Oregon State University, along with his current work as Chief Learning Officer at Qlik, ensuring the certification reflects both business and academic requirements.

“The potential for data-informed decision making across all roles and business functions is massive,” said Kevin Hanegan, Chief Learning Officer, Qlik. “Data literacy has been proven to positively impact organizations’ enterprise value by up to 5 percent, so it is little surprise that this skillset is becoming highly valued. We’re excited to help individuals demonstrate their data literacy without embarking on more technical, data analytics qualifications that may not be appropriate to their level.”

The 70-question examination will measure performance in the data skills that support better business decision-making, including:

·         Analyzing, asking questions of, making decisions and communicating with data
·         Interpreting business requirements
·         Understanding how data is built, used and transformed in order to analyze and tie back to business objectives
·         Utilizing visualizations to make data-informed decisions

Following the two-hour examination, successful candidates will receive a physical certificate and a badge for their LinkedIn and CV certifying to employers their ability to read, work with, analyze and argue with data.

Empowering Individuals Throughout Their Data Literacy Journey

The contribution of this world-first data literacy certification further enables the Data Literacy Project - launched by founding partners Qlik, Accenture, Cognizant, Experian, Pluralsight, Chartered Institute of Marketing and Data to the People in October 2018 - to achieve the goal of helping individuals at every stage in their data literacy journey.

Those starting on their data literacy journey can access e-learning resources on the Project’s website, including 19 courses that were recently made available free of charge by Qlik. These courses support the development of core data literacy skills, including Understanding Data, Data Storytelling and an Introduction to Data-Informed Decision Making.

The recent launch of the Data Literacy Project community forum also enables individuals to engage with and ask questions of experts to support their continued learning.

“The creation of the first globally recognized certification to help more people document and demonstrate their data literacy skills is a hugely significant step in the right direction for the Data Literacy Project,” said Paul Malyon, Data Literacy Project Advisory Board Member and Head of Data Literacy at Experian. “Giving everyone the opportunity to become fully capable in, and certified, for their ability to read, work with, analyze and argue with data can only be positive for their careers, the businesses they work for and their day-to-day lives. Understanding data has never been more important and we’re delighted to be able to support this launch.”

HDFC ERGO Launches Cover for Vector Borne Diseases Across India

HDFC ERGO General Insurance Company, India’s third-largest non-life insurance provider in the private sector, today announced the launch of ‘Mosquito Disease Protection Policy’. This new policy will cover an individual against common mosquito-borne diseases like Dengue Fever, Malaria, Chikungunya, Japanese Encephalitis, Kala-azar, Lymphatic Filariasis and Zika Virus.

According to the report published by National Health Profile 2018, there has been an alarming rise in dengue cases in India, an increase of 300% between 2009 to 2017. These diseases also lead to hospitalisation adding burden on expense or affecting the No Claim Bonus of any standard health insurance. Keeping this in mind, HDFC ERGO launched this new policy which will cover hospitalisation expenses incurred during the treatment of any mosquito-borne disease. Alternatively, the policyholder may opt for a lump sum amount to be paid as a policy benefit on providing the proof of hospitalisation. In addition, the policy will pay the beneficiary the sum insured in case of the policyholder's death due to the disease.

Commenting on the launch of the new product Mr Anurag Rastogi, Member of Executive Management, HDFC ERGO said, “At HDFC ERGO, identifying and understanding a customer’s need is critical for product innovations. Given the exponential increase in mosquito-borne illnesses in metros and rural areas in India, we launched Mosquito Disease Protection Policy to address this growing concern. Through this policy, we aim to support individuals to avail quality healthcare, thereby mitigating any financial risk and protecting the No Claim Bonus of existing health insurance policy, if any.”

This cover is available for individuals between the age group of 91 days to 65 years. This policy also provides international cover to individuals and covers all the vector-borne diseases listed in the policy document. Additionally, the policyholders will have access to several wellness services like discounts and specialised programs like health tips, diet consultation and many more offered on my:health mobile application of HDFC ERGO. This further includes access to health coaching services in areas such as disease management, activity and fitness, nutrition and weight management.

For more information on the policy and details on the full range of insurance policies offered by HDFC ERGO please contact the Company representative. Also, for further details on risk factors, exclusions, terms and conditions please read the sales brochure before concluding the sale.

vivo Expands its V15 Family: Launches V15 Pro 8GB and V15 Aqua Blue Color Variant

Expanding its V series of smartphone range, vivo India today announced two new variants in the V15 series – V15 Pro 8GB and V15 Aqua Blue. The new V15 Pro is now available in 8GB RAM coupled with 128GB ROM and the younger sibling - V15 gets a new avatar with the stunning ‘Aqua Blue’ color.

Both the phones feature a powerful triple rear camera setup, stunning Ultra FullView™ Display and will run on Android Funtouch OS 9.0 out of the box. The new V15 Pro 8GB and V15 Aqua Blue will be available at an attractive price of INR 29,990/- & INR 21,990/- respectively. V15 Pro will now be available in both 6 + 128 GB and 8 + 128 GB options while the V15 (6+64GB) will now be available in new Aqua Blue and the existing Frozen Black color options. The vivo V15 series has been the fastest selling smartphone in the V series portfolio and has received an overwhelming response from consumers during its first week of sale on both offline and online channels.

Consumers will also get an array of attractive offers* on the purchase of the new V15 Pro 8GB and V15 on offline and online channels, such as–

·         Up to 12 months No Cost EMI including Bajaj Finance

·         IDFC First "ZERO DOWNPAYMENT" with 8 months EMI

·         HDB "ZERO DOWNPAYMENT" with 6 months EMI

·         Additional INR 2,000 off on Exchange

·         No Cost EMI Available up to 12 Months

*terms and conditions apply

Commenting on the launch, Mr. Nipun Marya, Director Brand Strategy, vivo India said, “We received an overwhelming response from the existing V15 series smartphones and we believe that the consumer will appreciate and enjoy the upgraded versions of V15Pro and V15 even more. Basis consumer demand and feedback, we have incorporated more RAM for an even better experience. The new variants will reinforce our stronghold in the Indian market by delivering on consumer expectations.”

Triple the fun with AI Triple Lens Rear Camera

The V15 series features an AI-enabled triple rear camera setup along with a 32MP Pop-up front camera. The powerful combination of 8MP AI-enabled Super Wide-Angle camera, a 5MP Depth camera and an upgraded AI algorithm allow for a wider 120 degrees view that results in better picture composition. The powerful hardware is complemented with AI to make professional photo-taking a breeze. The all-new AI Super Night Mode makes shaky night shots a thing of the past, as consumers can now capture amazing night scenery without a tripod or a DSLR camera. The AI Super Night Mode can instantly take multiple photos at different exposure. It also brilliantly combines them to greatly improve brightness and clarity allowing night scenes to be captured with great detail.

Get Your Game on with Game Mode 5.0

We know you love mobile gaming, so we made it more enjoyable with Game Mode 5.0. Play e-sports like a pro by entering Competition Mode, which allocates system resources that prioritize your game’s performance. And when it comes to speed, Dual-Turbo is the lightning-fast feature gamers need. It ensures smooth gameplay and reduces frame-drop by 300%, giving you the most enjoyable gaming adventure imaginable.

Product Shots

V15 Pro 8GB Variant – Link

V15 Aqua Blue Variant – Link

TechnoBind Announces Strategic Tie-Up with ESET for SMB's

TechnoBind, India's first specialist distributor for data and associated domains, today announced a new strategic agreement with ESET, a global leader in cyber security, to distribute ESET's award winning enterprise solutions.

With the boom of 'Digital India' - a flagship initiative launched by Government of India, to make citizens digitally connected, we can see a great push of digitization in SMB space. Organizations should deploy a full-fledged endpoint security stack with advanced threat detection and attack prevention mechanisms. This partnership will give organizations as well as individuals' access to complete endpoint security solutions, among a myriad of other solutions, to secure critical data.

Mr Parvinder Walia, Sales and Marketing Director for ESET Asia Pacific and Japan said, "We are delighted to be partnered with TechnoBind for our endpoint security solution. India is a critical market for ESET, with a massive potential for cybersecurity solutions. We believe Technobind's hybrid distribution model will help strengthen ESET's go-to-market strategy, as well as reinforce the channel network in India."

With the extensive understanding of current market scenario and having technical skills to address the disruptive security challenges, TechnoBind aligned with ESET to deploy overall endpoint security product lines. This partnership helps TechnoBind to deep dive into SMB market, not only in the metro cities but also foray into Tier - 2 cities.

Speaking on the tie-up with ESET, Mr Prashanth G J, CEO at TechnoBind said, "ESET has been a leader in offering endpoint security solutions for the SMBs and individuals. We are excited to announce the partnership with ESET and strive to maximize ESET's Endpoint security portfolio presence across various verticals. We strongly believe this association will yield us good results this FY."

TechnoBind has achieved significant milestones in the technology distribution market by defining the next-gen IT deployments for organizations. With its well established channel community, TechnoBind will help ESET to penetrate the untapped verticals and regions, assisting its product presence across various verticals.

Adani School Children Present Handwritten Letters on Mother’s Day

On the Mother’s Day, thousands of children in Adani Foundation-run schools across India got innovative to express their love. They got down writing it down on a piece of handwritten letter each on how they felt about their mothers.

A total of 2217 students from five schools took part in the exercise. Adani Vidya Mandir Ahmedabad, Adani Public School Mundra (Gujarat), Adani Vidyalaya Kawai (Rajasthan), Adani Vidya Mandir Surguja (Chhattisgarh) and Adani Vidyalaya Tiroda (Maharashtra) took up this innovative way to celebrate Mother’s Day.

Children were free to choose a language of their choice and comfort as the love for a mother is universal and it transcends any barrier of languages.

Deliberately, children were not influenced or briefed on how to articulate their feelings. The objective was to allow them express their genuine love in their own unique ways.

Students from class 3 to 8 participated in the campaign.

A few children had brought photographs of their mothers, which they pasted on the top of blank papers and then started penning down their feelings.

After the exercise, the children went home with the letters to show it to their mothers as a unique way to express their gratitude and love on the Mother’s Day.

“Mothers are superwomen but often it is difficult to express our love and gratitude in simple few words. Hence, celebrating Mother’s Day in such an innovative way is a great opportunity for our students to show gratitude to their mothers. It also teaches them the charm of handwritten expression which is becoming a lost art in today’s digital age,” said Ms. Shilin R. Adani, Trustee, Adani Foundation. 

Amit Kumar Entertained Audiences at Omkar Music Fest 2019 in B'lore

Omkar Music Festival, a 2-day musical extravaganza concluded today at the MLR Convention Centre in Bengaluru. The second day of the musical festival was titled ‘Aati Rahenge Baaharein - Unparalleled Jugalbandi’ and featured performances from Shri Amit Kumar, celebrated Bollywood singer, son of playback legend Kishore Kumar along with Classical Vocalist and founder of Omkar Music Trust - Pt. Imam Das.

Audiences also witnessed Smt. Sromona Chakraborty, renowned singer from Satyajit Ray movies, daughter of the proclaimed Indian actress Smt. Ruma Guha Thakurta pair up as the female vocalist with Pt. Iman Das to deliver a few melodious tunes, along with RJ Swagata adding a touch of nostalgia by narrating stories behind each song.

This edition of the music festival was in aid of Elderly Care, with proceedings from the event going towards ‘Omashram Trust’, an organization dedicated to supporting and nurturing the elderly.

Omkar Music Festival was co-sponsored by YouthPhoriya and Manipal’s American University of Antigua, College of Medicine with the venue MLR Convention Centre being sponsored by Celebrations Senior Living, Brigade Hospitality. Marriott International, Whitefield were on board as the Hospitality Partner to host celebrity artists - Amit Kumar as well as Ustad Sabir Khan and his sons. Manasum Retirement Homes and Portea Home Healthcare joined the bandwagon as Gold Sponsors. The Hindu – Metroplus, Radio Fever FM and TV5 showed support by becoming the media partners in their respective capacities. Bogineni Coffee a premium coffee experience zone, Indian Music Experience Museum and Cupcake Noggins offered their generosity to be the gift partners for the artists and guests. Silver Talkies chipped in to be the Elderly Care Partner by anchoring the event and moderating the panel discussions on both days of the festival. The creative materials were the result of dedicated efforts by digital promotion partner BrewMyBrand.

The festival was promoted, marketed and put together by Shilpi’s Voice & Visuals along with Omkar Music Trust. SVV is an organization that endeavours to promote performing arts and support social causes. SVV aspires to promote Indian arts, artists as well as bridge the gap between artists and philanthropists.