Canon India Plans to Bolster Printing Industry Presence in Southern Market

Canon India, one of the leading digital imaging organizations in country, is planning to strengthen its retail presence in the southern region for its Consumer System Products Division and will reach out to 5000 retailers pan India in tier II and tier III in the next two years. Recently, Canon India introduced a unique concept store for showcasing Canon Inkjet printing technology in Chennai. This year, the company is planning to introduce 19 PIXMA Zones in South to familiarize consumers with the range of inkjet printers, cartridges and photo media according to their usage and needs. By providing a personalized demo experience with an excellent sales support, PIXMA zones are a one-stop shop solution for all printing requirements.

Currently, the company has reached out to over 1300 retail outlets (distributors, retailers and national retailers) in South India and aims to expand the retail presence for the Inkjet printers and system integrators for laser printers. In 2018, Canon India launched six new ink tank models which redefined the inkjet business with lower running cost and high capacity or ink. The cost per print is now as low as nine paisa per print with the launch of the new inkjet models. Canon grew the highest in the Inktank category in 2018 and is targeting to consolidate its leadership position in the segment. 

According to Mr. C Sukumaran, Director, Consumer Systems Products (CSP), Canon India, “We continue to be the industry leaders specializing in crafting consumer centric technological innovations in India. South is one of the most highly consumer centric markets for us. The contribution of the region in the overall growth for 2018 stands at whopping 29%. Bangalore, Chennai and Cochin are the top cities that define Canon’s business. Having reached out to 3000 retailers, Canon’s distribution stands strong in the market and we will continue to penetrate in tier III and tier IV markets by keeping Bengaluru as the base market for South India.”

Canon has more than 200 service centres across India and covers over 90% pin codes, giving the company deep reach. To further strengthen the customer service, Canon is now planning to launch 75 PIXMA Zone experience across the markets in 2019. So far, the company has launched four zones in Delhi, Chennai, Ludhiana and Hyderabad.

Tata Motors Touched Over 7 Lakh Indian Lives in the Last 12 Months

Key Highlights

Emphasizes on four pillars- Health, Education, Employability and the Environment

·         Health: 3.8 lakh people benefitted and over 90% of malnourished children treated and healthy

·         Education: 1.4 lakh students engaged, pass percentage improved from 55% in FY2015 to 80% in FY2019

·         Employability: 1 lakh youth skilled, of which over 56% found employment, led to annual increase in family income by ₹1 lakh.

·         Environment: Planted 11 lakh saplings (of indigenous varieties) and ensured 85%  survival rate

·         Volunteering: 40% of total employees invested 60,000 volunteering hours for social cause

In line with the vision of ‘all stakeholders’ wellbeing as the very purpose of our existence’, as conceived by Jamsetji Tata, the Tata Group founder, Tata Motors has been pioneering its corporate social responsibility agenda to promote Health, Education, Employability and the Environment. Community development as well as the scope and depth of its operations have grown exponentially over the years. Reinforcing its commitment towards nation building, Tata Motors has touched over 7 lakh lives of which nearly 40% belong to the SC and ST communities

Here is a snapshot of the company’s CSR interventions across four key thrust areas:

1.       Building and Strengthening Healthcare Facilities ‘AROGYA’

The focus in this programme has been on eradicating malnutrition in children under five year age and providing safe drinking water especially in drought prone tribal hamlets/habitations. The company has created a strong cadre of community health workers who provide basic health services at the doorstep. In Pune, Jamshedpur and Lucknow, the mobile medical van ferries the neighborhood on a regular basis and has arrested many health issues. As a result, the number of parents availing the services have reduced over time.

Overall Impact:

-          In FY19, over 3 Lakh people benefitted from this programme
-          Over 90% of the malnourished children brought to sustained healthy zone
-          Water security ensured across 450 habitations

2.       Augmenting Primary Education System ‘VIDYADHANAM’

This programme is engineered to improve the academic performance of secondary/college going students through targeted approach by instituting need-based financial support, special coaching classes, etc. Tata Motors is the first corporate in India to support IIT Bombay under Affirmative Action (AA) for Financial Aid Programme (FAP) program.

Overall Impact:

-          Over 1 lakh students were engaged through this programme
-          Pass % in government schools improved from 55% in FY 2015 to 80% in FY 17
-          44% of class 10th students secured first class marks

3.       Enhancing programmes on Employability ‘KAUSHALYA’

The programme focuses on training unemployed youth in three segments - auto trades, non-auto trades and agriculture & allied activities. On receiving NSDC certification, students find employment opportunities in open market (including Tata Motors' ecosystem). The company also engages with community based groups of women and farmers and helps them earn supplementary income through agriculture and allied programs. In Pune, Tata Motors ran an exclusive driver training batches of 50 women in partnership with Ambika Motors. Currently, Tata Motors in collaboration with Pimpri-Chinchwad Municipal Corporation (PCMC) is training another batch of 50 SC women.

Overall Impact:

-          Skilled over 1 lakh youth and farmers
-          56% have found employment in selected trades post training
-          4% of the trained youth started their own enterprise
-          Increase in the annual income by ₹ 1 lakh



4.       Nurturing sustainability through environmental programmes ‘VASUNDHARA’

Concentrated efforts to increase the green cover through sapling plantation and also enhanced environmental awareness among communities.

Overall Impact

-          Over 11 lakh saplings were planted and ensured their survival rate remained significantly high (85%); 90% plants are indigenous
-          Over 89,000 people (mostly young children) were sensitize about the cause
-          27% reduction in wood demand due to adoption of fuel efficient cooking stove

5.       Inclusive, Equitable and holistic development of society through ‘AADHAR’

To promote inclusivity, Tata Motors has institutionalized Tata Affirmative Action Programme (TAAP) known as “Aadhar” that practices positive discrimination for Scheduled Caste (SC) and Scheduled Tribe (ST) in case of Employment and & Entrepreneurship and higher coverage in CSR led programmes.

Under the concept of Integrated Village Development, which focuses on holistic development of a tribal village/hamlet, Tata Motor collaborated with Sahabhag (the CSR Cell of Government of Maharashtra). This pilot project saw improvement in the quality of 3000 tribal lives of Pathardi gram panchayat in Jawhar block of Palghar district where 70% of the resources for village development came from the government.


No. of SC/ST lives touched by 5 ‘E’s:

-          Essential Enablers: 1,88,091 Lives Touched

-          Education: 37,463 Lives Touched

-          Employability: 25,280 Lives Touched

-          Employment: 11% employees are fromSC/ST community.

-          Entrepreneurship: 26 (SC/ST) vendors have been developed

6.       Volunteering Programme:

·         10500 employees (40% of total workforce) invested 60000 volunteering hours for social development

·         95 Fast trackers under ‘Leadership One’ engaged in CSR projects for 8 weeks

·         106 managers signed up for Pro-Engage. Dedicated 6 months to address social causes

Microsoft India Aims to Drive Growth in Premium PC Market with Affordability Program

Microsoft Surface devices will now be available across premium retail stores in India for customers with EMI options. Through this initiative, Microsoft aims to make the Surface line of devices become more affordable to everyone. This affordability initiative extends to the latest Surface devices such as Surface Pro 6, Surface Laptop 2 and Surface Book 2. Additionally, the Surface Go is being launched in select premium outlets by Microsoft’s authorized Distributor HCL Infosystems Limited. Citibank will offer additional limited period cashback till June 30th, 2019 to all Citibank credit card customers in India on purchase of Surface devices shipped within India. Store details can be viewed at www.microsoft.com/en-in/retailers/surface

Apart from making the Surface line-up more affordable, Microsoft also announced offline retail availability of the recently launched Surface Go, Microsoft’s smallest and most affordable Surface device yet, to make the device more accessible to everyone. Surface Go is now available in Croma, Reliance Digital, Vijay Sales, and other select retailers in India.

Surface Pro 6: Your Device, Your Way

Surface Pro 6 features redesigned architecture under its hood that delivers astonishing power. The quad-core, 8th Generation Intel Core processor device is an instrument of versatility, portability and power. It is 1.5 times faster than its predecessor, while offering the same all-day battery life. Surface Pro 6 features a 12.3” PixelSense display that is perfect for rendering designs on a photo editing software, or for binge-watching serials on your favorite streaming apps.

For users who use Surface for ideation, they can continue to lean on the new generation to take their ideas to the next level by combining digital inking features and Surface Pen with everyday Artificial Intelligence (AI) features available on Office 365. With helpful time-saver features on Windows 10, including the password-free Windows Hello sign-in and Windows Timeline, users can get more done on their Surface Pro 6.

Surface Laptop 2: Perfect Balance, Perfect Work and Life Partner

The all-new Surface Laptop 2 continues to deliver outstanding performance for users seeking a stylish yet conventional device. Sleek and light, with improved speed and performance enabled by the latest 8th Generation Intel Quad Core processor, Surface Laptop 2 is 85 percent more powerful than its predecessor.

With up to 14.5 hours of battery life[1], Surface Laptop 2 is meticulously crafted with its premium design, PixelSense Touch Display, and best in class keyboard and trackpad. Surface Laptop 2 is more than a workhorse – it is a style statement.

The Most Powerful Surface Ever: Surface Book 2

Surface Book 2 is up to five times more powerful than the original. With a stunning PixelSense Display, Surface Book 2 gives you the power of a laptop, the versatility of a tablet and the freedom of a portable studio all in one beautifully styled device. Removing the barrier between a conventional desktop and laptop, the Surface Book 2 featuring the latest 8th Gen Intel Dual-Core or Quad-Core processors, and NVIDIA GeForce GPUs.

Every detail of the iconic Surface Book 2 design has been refined, from the dynamic fulcrum hinge for a more stable touch experience, to the improved, backlit keyboard and flexibility of both USB Type-A and USB Type-C ports. It’s designed to deliver the ultimate in performance and versatility without compromise. For those seeking flexibility in the way they use their device, the Surface Book 2 supports four different modes, including Studio Mode, Laptop Mode, View Mode, or even Tablet mode by simply detaching the screen.

Surface Go - A full laptop on the go, and a workstation at your desk

Powered by an Intel Pentium Gold Processor 4415Y, users can expect to seamlessly launch an application like OneNote, or stream videos from Netflix. The processor, which has been chosen to manage performance, battery life and thinness, provides the portable power to get stuff done. Surface Go also offers up to 9 hours of battery life[2], which brings users from their work desks to their couches – all on a single charge. Weighing at just 1.15 pounds and 8.3mm thin, the 10-inch, Surface Go offers laptop performance and tablet portability for individuals seeking a versatile form factor. Surface Go addresses what people wanted from a smaller device – lightweight, productive and accessible.

Surface Go fits snugly in most bags and is ideal for everyday tasks. Surface Go brings to consumers what is already expected from a Surface device: a productive 2-in-1 device that supports inking with the Surface Pen[3] with 4,096 levels of pressure sensitivity; a 3:2 high-resolution PixelSense custom calibrated display which is designed to render the pages of most school textbooks; a built-in with full friction hinge that extends to 165 degrees helps you stay in your flow from tablet to studio mode, and support for type and mouse input with our Signature Type Cover.

Castrol India and 3M India Announce a Strategic Collaboration for Vehicle Care Products

Castrol India Limited (Castrol), one of India’s leading automotive and industrial lubricants brands, along with 3M India Limited (3M) - subsidiary of the globally recognized technology company, today announced a strategic collaboration to bring a range of market leading vehicle care products to the automotive after-market.

The collaboration agreement was signed by Omer Dormen, Managing Director, Castrol India Limited, and Debarati Sen, Managing Director, 3M India Limited, in Mumbai today.

A range of 3M-Castrol branded bike and car care products including shampoo, glass cleaner, cream wax, dashboard and tyre dressers will be available across India.

Commenting on the collaboration, Omer Dormen, Managing Director, Castrol India Limited said, “Castrol is excited to combine our technological expertise, marketing and distribution strengths with 3M, a global leader in vehicle care innovation. Through this collaboration we enter into the $200 million vehicle care market in India, a move which aligns with Castrol’s approach to developing and embracing new business models in the ever-evolving automotive landscape.”

Debarati Sen, Managing Director, 3M India Limited added, “We are really pleased to see this collaboration come to life between two globally respected and trusted brands.  Castrol and 3M, both have an established presence in India and share values of customer-centricity, with innovation and technology at the heart of everything we do. This collaboration will help us leverage our common strengths to meet the changing needs of Indian consumers and bring unique value offerings through the 3M-Castrol range of vehicle care products.”

Castrol and 3M look to harness a new business model with this collaboration. Castrol offers 3M’s market-leading vehicle-care products range to its customers and consumers, and 3M India will leverage the strength of Castrol’s robust pan-India marketing and distribution network of over 100,000 independent workshops and retail outlets.

Shyam Balasubramanian, Global Innovation Director, Castrol said, “We are bringing together Castrol’s extensive network with 3M’s innovation capabilities to improve the driving experience of our consumers. We are confident of being able to scale up the model.”

PT Mukund, 3M Automotive Aftermarket Executive Director, Asia said, “We are very excited to bring together 3M’s Automotive Aftermarket solutions with Castrol’s reputed lubricants offerings to enable superior automotive care for India customers.”

Tata Motors Collaborates with IOCL to Launch First-of-its-Kind ‘Saarthi Aaram Kendra’ for Driver Welfare in India

Enhancing our commitment towards the betterment of the driver community, Tata Motors, India’s largest commercial vehicle manufacturer, in conjunction with the Indian Oil Corporation Ltd. (IOCL), the largest commercial oil company in India, launched an innovative, industry-first driver welfare initiative, ‘Saarthi Aaram Kendra’. The initiative provides pit stops for drivers to take rest, thereby supporting their physical and mental well-being. The first of many, Saarthi Aaram Kendras, was inaugurated at Bawal today, which is located on India’s busiest National highway-NH8.

Enabling driver welfare and safety has always been the foremost priority for Tata Motors and Indian Oil. The Saarthi Aaram Kendra is a step forward towards recognizing the efforts of commercial vehicle saarthis by providing them access to basic amenities on the go. The facility has been comprehensively designed to have an end-to-end solution for the saarthis, which includes restrooms, restaurant, secured parking with CCTV camera, self-cooking, launderette, open bathing facility, barber shop, clean drinking water facility, TV and Wi-Fi. Saarthis can also avail truck related services from the vehicle service workshop available within the premises.

As a part of the commitment towards the saarthi community, Tata Motors recently also introduced an initiative, under the banner of ‘Tata Motors Samarth’, a program, which covers areas like accidental insurance, hospitalization cover, financial counselling and educational assistance packages for their children, in order to achieve economic, social and health wellbeing of the saarthis and their families.

Along the same lines, Indian Oil through its Large Format ROs and ‘Sarai’ has ensured comfort to long distance drivers. Regular eye check-ups under the name ‘Ujala’, training on safe driving practices, distribution of driver kits are few other initiatives Indian Oil has taken up for the welfare of drivers.

Commenting on the initiative, Mr Girish Wagh, President - CVBU, Tata Motors Limited, said, “At Tata Motors, ensuring road safety and comfort to our Saarthis is our priority. Saarthi Aaram Kendra is an initiative offering basic facilities on the go to the commercial vehicle saarthis. It offers an environment wherein saarthis will easily have access to their basic needs, this, in turn, will help them de-stress after long journeys and thereby improve their overall efficiency. We are glad to associate with IndianOil for this initiative bringing comfort and safety to the saarthis. In the initial phase, around 100+ saarthis will benefit every day at this facility, which will be gradually scaled up.”

Speaking on the occasion, Mr Vigyan Kumar, Executive Director (Retail Sales), IndianOil, said, “IndianOil and Tata Motors have come together for various business tie-ups in the past and this new joint initiative on driver welfare activity will further improve the goodwill towards driver community. IndianOil has always pioneered in taking various driver-centric initiatives at most of its highway retail outlets. Saarthi Aaram Kendra is another such unique initiative taken in this direction to cater to the daily needs of commercial vehicle drivers in a more efficient manner which will provide a feeling of homestay to them at our Retail outlets.”

Going forward, Tata Motors and IOCL plan to set up more such facilities on high traffic National Highways.

MSSI Launches World MS Day 2019 with a Photography Exhibition at Karnatka Chitrakala Parishat, Bangalore

To mark this year’s World MS Day (WMSD), and to highlight the invisible symptoms of Multiple Sclerosis (MS), MSSI, Bengaluru Chapter, in association with the Rotary Raj Mahal Vilas, Eisai Pharmaceuticals India Pvt. Ltd., Ubiqare, Honeycomb India Pvt Ltd,   and Sanofi Genzyme will be hosting a photography exhibition at the Karnataka Chitrakala Parishat till  May 31st, 2019 followed by an exhibition & at the Honeycomb Art Gallery, Koramangala from 1st June to 7th June 2019.

RJ Melodee : Keeping with the theme of this year, a group of photographers based in the Bengaluru came together to depict what life looks like to live with MS and the emotional impact it can have on people with MS (PwMS).

The objective of this exhibition is to not only capture the emotions behind the condition, but to create awareness about it.  The general understanding of MS and how it can impact everyone differently is very limited.  MS is one of the most common neurological disorders and causes of disability in young adults worldwide. There are 2.3 million people with MS worldwide. Most people with MS are diagnosed between the ages of 25 and 31. with around twice as many women diagnosed than men. We estimate that around 2,00,000 MS persons of them are from India. The cause of MS is not yet known and yet there is no cure, though there are treatments available that can help some forms of MS and stop its progression. Symptoms can include blurred vision, weak limbs, tingling sensations, unsteadiness, memory problems and fatigue. MS makes life unpredictable for everyone. Therefore, as it is not a very common disorder in India it is very often mis-diagnosed and there is very little awareness of the same in the Society.

Commenting on the upcoming photography exhibition, MSSI’s WMSD representative Shankar Subramanian said, “They say a picture speaks a thousand words. Through the stories and images, we plan to bring an awareness of MS in a country where it is still difficult for people to come out in the open and share that they have MS. We plan to bring in the empathy required to care and support people with MS.”

A group of 6 photographers from India namely Arun Bhat, Girish Mayachari, Kshithidhar, Punkaj Gupta, Shankar Subramanian & Tanya Raj were given the task of interpreting the photographs to represent the Invisible symptoms.  Some photos have been made by PwMS, featuring MS Persons and some photos just have volunteers. One of the youngest photographers on the project, Kshitidhar S, says “As soon as I heard about the project, I was very happy that it was an amazing opportunity to work on symptoms of a debilitating disease i.e., multiple sclerosis. I felt capturing these invisible symptoms would be a great challenge and it would help people know the symptoms through the photographs.”

After the initial exhibition, the plan is to take this forward to other cities in the country as well. During the exhibition, interactive physical models will be created in the gallery for the visitors to experience these symptoms.  They will be provided with a sheet where they can tally the photographs with the corresponding symptom. The core objective of this exhibition is to end on a positive note and to showcase that despite all the challenges, the persons with MS always put up a brave fight.

Ficci Survey Puts Q4, 2019 India's GDP Growth at 6.5 Percent

India’s GDP likely grew 6.5% in the fourth quarter ended March 2019, said an economic outlook survey of industry chamber Ficci on Thursday.

The Central Statistics Office (CSO) will release the official data on Friday.

Ficci said survey has put forth an annual median GDP growth forecast for 2019-20 at 7.1% and the projection for fiscal 2020-21 has been put at 7.2%. “The minimum and maximum growth estimate stood at 6.8% and 7.3%, respectively, for 2019-20 in the survey, which was conducted in May 2019 among economists belonging to the industry, banking and financial services sector,” it said.

The median growth forecast for agriculture and allied activities has been put at 3% for 2019-20. Industry and services sector are expected to grow by 6.9% and 8%, respectively, during the year. The outlook of participating economists on inflation remained moderate, the chamber said.

The Wholesale Price Index (WPI)-based inflation rate is projected at 3.1% in 2019-20, with a minimum and maximum range of 2.1% and 4%, respectively.

On the contrary, the survey found that retail inflation has a median forecast of 4% for 2019-20.

Participants also expressed that concerns remain on the external front with median current account deficit forecast pegged at 2.1% of GDP for 2019-20.

Median export growth is pegged at 4% in the financial year 2019-20. Imports, on the other hand, are forecast to grow at 3.8% in the same year.

Ficci further said that the majority of the participating economists believed that the US’ decision to end waiver granted to countries amid sanctions imposed on Iran is significant and will affect major oil-importing countries, including India.

This becomes a major concern at a time when international prices of crude oil have been on the rise due to other factors such as supply constraints being undertaken by OPEC countries, the survey said.