The Chennai Angels Invests 1 Million USD in Chai Kings Retail Chain

The Chennai Angels (TCA) has announced an investment of 1 million USD in Chai Kings-Chennai’s largest Chai Retail chain along with Hyderabad Angels and TiE India Angels, who have also participated in this round.

“We are very excited to partner with Chai Kings in the bridge round. We believe the company has a strong leadership team with immense potential to grow and expand across India. The new investment reiterates our commitment towards building a sustainable and scalable Indian QSR.”, said Mr. Piyush Bhandari who lead the investment from TCA.

“We are happy with the success and progress of our brand “Chai Kings” in Chennai and this funding round will help us expand into newer cities. We hope to enter Coimbatore, Bangalore and Hyderabad in this current year and get closer to our target of 100 stores in 5 years. Apart from expansions, bulk of this funding will be utilized to strengthen our operations and supply chain management.” said Mr. Jahabar Sadique, CEO of Chai Kings,

Chai Kings, founded in 2016 is the Chennai’s largest Chai Retail chain operating with 40 stores. Chai Kings offers a sumptuous range of chai in exotic flavours, in the most hygienic ambience and at perfectly justifiable prices. Chai Kings also delivers Chai at your doorstep anywhere in Chennai, uses food grade use-and-throw heat retaining chai flask for safe consumption also ensuring the Chai is piping hot for at least an hour. With the vision to be the favourite chai place across India, Chai Kings is expanding rapidly with the target of 100 stores in 5 years.

The Chennai Angels (TCA, www.thechennaiangels.com) is one of India’s most active angel investing groups. Founded in the year 2007, it is comprised of successful entrepreneurs and business leaders with a track record of starting and scaling large enterprises. Additionally, several seed and venture capital firms hold institutional membership in the group. Though it is located in Chennai, TCA’s investing members and portfolio investments are not limited by geography. Unusually for an angel investing group, TCA has a diversified portfolio that goes well beyond a restrictive tech focus, reflecting the diversity of its members’ interests. TCA portfolio companies benefit from the collective expertise and rolodex of its members.

Plan your Holidays for 2020 with Emirates’ Special Fare Promotion

It is never too early to plan for the next adventure, travel to surprise or be with a loved one, or take a trip to celebrate an anniversary or a birthday. Travellers will have fun curating another bumper year of travel with Emirates’ 2020 global fare promotion.

For a limited time, jetsetters in India can look forward to great deals to key destinations on Emirates’ global network with special Business Class and Economy Class fares.

With return fares starting at only Rs.19,235 in Economy Class and Rs.60,068 in Business from select cities to select destinations, travellers have another compelling reason to embark on new adventures in 2020 and plan them in advance. The fares are available until 20 January 2020 and are valid for travel from 13 January to 30 November 2020.

Fly Better, unmatched inflight and on-ground experiences
Emirates believes in making every flight experience extraordinary. By making continuous investments in refreshing the world’s biggest fleet of Airbus A380s and Boeing 777s, Emirates ensures passengers Fly Better on every single flight. Fly aboard the iconic A380 from Mumbai, and the Boeing 777 from nine cities across India, for unforgettable journeys to destinations on Emirates’ global network spanning six continents.

Customers in both Economy and Business Class enjoy complimentary drinks and regionally inspired meals prepared by gourmet chefs to suit every palate. They can kick back, relax and choose from more than 4,500 channels of the latest movies, TV and on-demand content in multiple languages, including regional Indian languages, with Emirates’ award-winning ice inflight entertainment system. Customers can share their travel experience on social media and stay connected throughout the flight, with pre-loaded 20MB of free Wi-Fi data. Families and Business Class travellers enjoy priority boarding. Economy Class passengers get free baggage allowance of up to 35kgs based on fares.

With door-to-door chauffeur service and luxury lounges in select airports worldwide, travellers on Business Class Fly Better with a seamless travel experience even before boarding and after arrival at one’s destination. They socialise, make new friends and enjoy drinks and canapes at the A380’s iconic Onboard Lounge bar. Customers travelling on the Boeing 777 Business Class enjoy unprecedented levels of comfort with wider and more ergonomic seats.

With the vibrant and dynamic city of Dubai as its hub, Emirates provides travellers with direct connections to more than 150 destinations in 85 countries and territories including 43 destinations in Europe; 17 in the Americas; 23 in Africa; 13 in the Middle East; and 17 in South Asia.

Emirates serves nine cities in India: Ahmedabad, Bengaluru, Chennai, Delhi, Hyderabad, Kochi, Kolkata, Mumbai, and Thiruvananthapuram, with 170 weekly services to Dubai and onwards.

Hero Motocorp Team Rally Builds Up Momentum in Stage 2 of the Dakar 2020

Paulo Goncalves rode steadly today with an aim to get his bike to the finish without any damages or technical issues. He finished the stage in 12th position and 14th in the overall standings at the end of stage 2. It was the super marathon stage today for Paulo, being an elite rider. This meant that he got only 10 minutes to work on his bike before depositing it in the Parc Ferme for the second part of the Super Marathon stage, tomorrow.

Buhler also brought home a solid stage fighting through the dust and technical rocky sections to finish the stage in 21st and overall in 25th place. Santosh, nursing a hand injury from yesterday’s crash had to bear the brunt of the rocky sections, impacting his ability to ride fast today. Battling through the pain and his impaired ability to hold the bike, he managed a gritty 53rd place finish in the stage rankings and 48th place in the overall rankings.

Joaquim Rodrigues, re-started today at the end of the entire starting line. As a result, he rode in the dust for the entire stage, but managed to bring the bike home in 48th position. His overall results will not be counted under the wild card regulations.

In the stage 3 scheduled for tomorrow, the Rally will do one more loop around the city of Neom covering 404 kms as a part of the special stage, including the highest section of the Dakar 2020 at an altitude of 1400m.

Paulo Goncalves (Comp No. 8) said, “We finished the stage 2 of the rally today. It was also the super marathon stage for the elite riders and I arrived without any issue with the bike so we are in a good shape to finish the second part of the super marathon tomorrow. I tried to ride safe today especially this being the marathon stage but I have a good feeling with the bike so we are in a good place at the moment. I will try to increase my pace day by day without making mistakes to get the team to a good finish.”

Sebastian Buhler (Comp No: 32) said, “It was a very good stage for me. The stage was very rocky but also fast. There was a lot of dust today making it more difficult to ride. I started with another rider so it’s very difficult to ovetake in dust but I hope to start a bit in the front in the coming stages so that I can out ride this dust and gain some time.”

Joaquim Rodrigues (Comp No. 27) said,” Well as expected, it was a really tough day for me, starting last and then riding behind in everyone’s dust for 367 kms was horrible. I am happy to make it to the finish line. The team is doing well and that’s what counts. Now 10 more days to go!”

CS Santosh (Comp No: 50) said, “It was a really difficult day for me with all this pain in my hand from yesterday’s crash. The stage was really rocky and all the impact was coming onto my hand making it really difficult to hold the bike. I will get this checked now and hopefully will have a better stage tomorrow.”

Provisional Stage 2 Rankings

1.  Ross Branch           Bas Dakar KTM Racing Team    03h 39m 10s
2.  Sam Sunderland        RedBull KTM Racing             +01m 24s
3.  Pablo Quintanilla     Rockstar Energy Husqvarna     +02m 21s
12. Paulo Goncalves      Hero MotoSports Team Rally   +09m 32s
21. Sebastian Buhler    Hero MotoSports Team Rally     +20m 03s
48. Joaquim Rodrigues Hero MotoSPorts Team Rally     +55m10s
53. C S Santosh          Hero MotoSports Team Rally    +01h 20m 34s

Provisional Overall Rankings

1.      Sam Sunderland      RedBull KTM Racing Team        07h 05m 22s
2.      Pablo Quintanilla   Rockstar Energy Husqvarna       +01m 18s
3.      Kevin Benavides     Monster Energy Honda            +01m 32s
14. Paulo Goncalves      Hero MotoSports Team Rally      +13m 10s
25. Sebastian Buhler    Hero MotoSports Team Rally         +48m 37s
48. C S Santosh               Hero MotoSports Team Rally    +01h 57m 52s

QuEST Global to Launch Solution Accelerator for Development of AI Applications Using Deep Learning at CES 2020

Key Pointers

* Aims to automate the development process of computer vision applications
* Improves productivity and efficiencies of Data Engineers, Data Scientists and Data Analysts

QuEST Global, a global product engineering and lifecycle services company, will unveil a solution accelerator which will help to design, train, deploy and manage Deep Learning (DL) models for the development of computer vision applications at CES (Consumer Electronics Show) 2020. This solution that will be showcased at Booth# 1909, Westgate, will enable data scientists, data analysts and data engineers to develop deep learning based machine vision applications in a fast and efficient manner with minimum effort. It offers a simplified model creation process through a visual, menu driven interface, making development of deep learning solutions much easier and faster.

The solution developed by QuEST Global is specifically designed to automate key operations of model development workflow like data labelling, data augmentation and cross validation. Supported with intuitive dashboards, performance metrics and custom model creation capabilities, the tool provides easy re-training and deployment options for target devices. By automating and simplifying the AI development work flow, the solution accelerator will help data scientists, data engineers and data analysts achieve productivity improvement, and improve return on investment which in turn will help them to focus more on innovative methods for improving the accuracy and performance of the models.

Arun Pai, President - News Business Development, QuEST Global said, “At QuEST Global, our constant endeavor is to accelerate and develop innovative solutions for our customers across industries through latest technologies and tools. This accelerator for deep learning model development is one such robust solution which helps to achieve streamlined workflow for vision analytics within a shorter time period, adding value to customers across various industries.”

QuEST Global has more than two decades of experience across the complete product development lifecycle, helping customers develop better products, establish new markets and improve efficiency and quality. Using next-generation technologies such as edge computing, artificial intelligence, deep learning, big data and predictive analytics, the company aims to help semiconductor, consumer electronics and computing industries accelerate their product development and innovation cycles and make operations more efficient for them. As a trusted thinking partner, the company is committed to enhance the end consumer experience, enable business outcomes and simplify the digital journey for its customers.

The 6th Season of Imperial Blue Superhit Nights in Association with HERO Now Comes to Bangalore

Imperial Blue Superhit Nights is proud to present its 6th season - ROCK & LOL, an extensive 11-city tour across India. The tour kick started in Guwahati on the 24th November 2019 and after rocking Jorhat, Asansol and Jaipur it now reaches Bangalore on 11th January 2020. Through this new concept audience would witness true ‘Men Will Be Men’ moments where the energetic live music will be sandwiched between an overdose of comedy making it a perfect one-stop for a memorable night. Superhit Nights has performances by some of the most talented bunch of musicians and comedians on one stage, and with thoughtfully curated integration of both, it’s all set to make the audience Rock ‘n’ LOL.

Season 6 artists Vishal & Shekhar, Sunil Grover, Jassi Gill, B Praak, Zubeen Garg and KK-Mohan are all set to create a new benchmark in live entertainment. The tour will further move on to Ambala, Kolkata, Mangalore, Hyderabad, culminating in Vizag.

Announcing the new season, Ishwindar Singh, General Manager Marketing, Pernod Ricard India, said, “This year’s Superhit Nights is targeted towards the two passion points of our consumers - Humor and Music. This concept truly activates the emotion of ‘Men Will Be Men’ giving our consumers an electrifying experience with the combination of Bollywood superhit songs from Vishal & Shekhar and endless humor from Sunil Grover.”

Excited to perform in Bangalore, The dynamic music director duo, Vishal & Shekhar says, “We always try to give our fans a unique experience which we can all cherish together, and that’s what's most exciting for us about Imperial Blue Superhit Nights season 6. A seamless combination of music and comedy coming together on one stage will be an all-new level in live entertainment! “Performing for an audience alongside Sunil Grover’s unbeatable comic acts will be an experience to look forward to. Can’t wait to show the audience what we 3 have in store for them. We are ready to Rock and LOL”

Known for his memorable characters and impeccable comedy timing, Sunil Grover says, “I am very thrilled to be a part of Imperial Blue Superhit Nights season 6 and hoping to make the audience Laugh out Loud (LOL). I am curating some unique acts for the audience, something they will instantly connect with. Bringing together two genres is going to be very entertaining and also a one-of-a-kind experience for both Vishal & Shekhar and me. I am eagerly looking forward to meeting lot of people and interacting with them on stage in this mind-blowing event”.

Previous season of Imperial Blue Super Hit Nights had seen the queen of dancing numbers, Neha Kakkar perform across 7 cities where more than 1,00,000 audience attended the concerts of Imperial Blue Super Hit Nights and were left entranced.

About Seagram’s Imperial Blue

Seagram’s Imperial Blue is the largest brand of Group Pernod Ricard by Volume. The brand was born in 1997. The brand has become synonymous with the word Man thanks mainly to its iconic communication line ‘Men will be Men’ built on the insight – Confident men take on life with optimism.

About Pernod Ricard

Pernod Ricard is the world’s no. 2 in wines and spirits with consolidated Sales of € 8,682 million in FY16. Created in 1975 by the merger of Ricard and Pernod, the Group has undergone sustained development, based on both organic growth and acquisitions: Seagram (2001), Allied Domecq (2005) and Vin &Sprit (2008). Pernod Ricard holds one of the most prestigious brand portfolios comprising of : Blenders Pride, Royal Stag, Imperial Blue, 100 Pipers, Absolut Vodka, Ricard pastis, Ballantine’s, Chivas Regal, Royal Salute and The Glenlivet Scotch whiskies, Jameson Irish whiskey, Martell cognac, Havana Club rum, Beefeater gin and well known wines like Jacob’s Creek, Brancott Estate, Campo Viejo and Kenwood. Pernod Ricard employs a workforce of 18,500 people and operates through a decentralized organisation. Pernod Ricard is strongly committed to a sustainable development policy and encourages responsible consumption. Pernod Ricard’s strategy and ambition are based on 3 key values that guide its expansion: entrepreneurial spirit, mutual trust and a strong sense of ethics. Pernod Ricard is listed on Euronext (Ticker: RI; ISIN code: FR0000120693) and is part of the CAC 40 index. 

Celebrating 15 Years Toyota Kirloskar Motor Opens Bookings for BS-VI Compliant Innova Crysta

Highlights

* Available in Petrol and Diesel, in both MT and AT variants, BS-VI Innova Crysta and Touring Sport are competitively priced in the range of Rs 15,36,000 and Rs 24,06,000 Ex-showroom Delhi
* Pioneering the MPV segment in India for the last 15 years, the Innova has sold close to 9,00,000 units since its launch in 2005
* Innova Crysta has sold close to 2,70,000 units, conquering about 40% of share in its segment
* Vehicle Stability Control(VSC), Hill Assist Control(HAC) & Emergency Brake Signal(EBS) are standardised across all grades of BS6 Innova Crysta
* Supply of the BS-VI compliant Innova Crysta will begin February 2020 onwards, across the country (subject to BS-VI fuel availability)
* With BS VI rollout, the regulatory limits of the most harmful vehicle emission i.e. the Particulate matter 2.5 (PM 2.5) are the same for large or small cars and for CNG, petrol, and diesel run cars
* Bookings for BS-VI Innova Crysta are now open at a celebratory price for a limited period and customer orders for limited number

Strengthening its commitment to Government of India’s vision of a green and sustainable environment, Toyota Kirloskar Motor (TKM), has opened bookings for the BS-VI compliant version of its flagship MPV, Innova Crysta. The petrol and diesel variants of the BS-VI compliant Innova Crysta will be available in both Manual as well as Automatic Transmission options.

Launched in 2016, the Innova Crysta has been the undisputed leader in the MPV segment known for its luxurious features, comfort, safety, powerful performance, low maintenance and high resale value, delivering Toyota’s legendary promise of Quality, Durability and Reliability (QDR).

Sharing his thoughts on the announcement, Mr. Naveen Soni, Senior Vice President, Sales & Service said, “The Government, auto industry and oil industry have together worked tirelessly with full commitment to usher in the cleaner BS VI emission norms in a record time. Under these norms, the regulatory vehicle emission limits for particulate matter 2.5 (PM 2.5) will be same irrespective of the size of the car as well as for cars that run on CNG, petrol or diesel. At Toyota, we are committed to bring advanced and environment-friendly technologies to the Indian market and align our concerted efforts with the Government’s policies to create a greener and cleaner tomorrow. Since its launch, Innova Crysta has carved a niche for itself and maintained a leading position in the MPV segment. Often referred to as a segment creator for MPVs in India, it continues to be the most preferred MPV in the country with a segment share of 40%. It is indeed a proud moment for us to present BS-VI Innova Crysta, as we open bookings for it today at a celebratory price for a limited time period and customer orders for limited number.”

He further added, “The launch of the BS-VI Innova Crysta, is a crucial step towards achieving the goal of minimizing emissions for a sustainable future. Innova Crysta comes with BS-VI compliant engine, an improvement of the already powerful GD-Series engines, promising low emissions and higher efficiency. We thank our customers for their unwavering support and trust in Innova Crysta and believe this BS-VI Innova Crysta will offer them the best driving experience with powerful performance, luxurious features, comfort and most importantly safety.”

A perfect combination of flawless luxury and effortless power, over the years, Innova Crysta has set a benchmark for tough and sophisticated exterior, coupled with enhanced interior, powerful powertrain and uncompromised luxury. Taking the driving experience, a notch higher, the BS-VI Innova Crysta is both economical and efficient, ensuring lower emissions and a cleaner, better environment.

Salarpuria Sattva Group Strengthens its Community Involvement Program with Barricades to Kamakshipalya Traffic Police Department

Salarpuria Sattva Group, India’s leading Property Development, Management and Consulting organization, has been instrumental in making significant social impact in the communities it serves. As part of its community outreach program, the Group recently extended its boundaries in community engagement.

The company donated barricades to the traffic police department at Kamakshipalya, in order to promote awareness about traffic etiquette and to stress upon the importance of traffic regulations and safety to public life. As part of its community engagement initiatives, the Group has also renovated the Kalpalli cemetery in East Bengaluru. The renovation included upgrading the wooden furnaces, building new staff rooms, toilets, bathrooms, walkways and sitting benches.

Speaking on the occasion, PK Mishra, VP, Salarpuria Sattva Group said, “As a market leader, Salarpuria Sattva caters to the needs of its customers, with trustworthy and quality offerings. As a corporate, we are playing an active role in bringing a change in people’s lives. We are very happy to donate 50 barricades to the traffic police department at Kamakshipalya and hopeful that these barricades will be useful to the public, especially during peak hours. In addition, we also anticipate that the amenities provided at the Kalpalli cemetery will help the grieving families who bring their kith and kin to the crematorium for the last rites, as well as the families living there.”

Salarpuria Sattva has been actively involved in several CSR initiatives. Recently, the company had also handed out 60,000 hand made diyas to its customers and other projects in the vicinity, which were sourced from local vendors, to create awareness about Green Diwali and also to help the potters with their livelihood.  As a Group, the company believes in its commitment to contributing to the society, significantly. The Group also supports environmental responsibility through sustainable development, to lessen the impact of technology on the environment.

About Salarpuria Sattva Group:

Present over the past 3 decades, Salarpuria Sattva Group has grown into one of the most trusted builders in the country today. Headquartered in Bengaluru, India, it also a well-known name in Hyderabad, Kolkata, Pune, Coimbatore, Jaipur and Goa. The Group will soon be expanding its presence in Mumbai. With 48 million sq.ft spaces completed, 36 million sq.ft under construction and 32 million sq.ft in the planning stage, Group is one of the premium builders in India today. Salarpuria Sattva’s flagship commercial project and Asia’s Best IT Tech Park- Knowledge City is located in Hitec City, Hyderabad. The Group’s other cutting edge upcoming projects in Hyderabad include: Knowledge Capital, Knowledge Park and Image Towers (a PPP based model with the Telangana State Government). By further expanding into various ventures such as co-working, co-living, education, hotels, facilities management, D&B solutions and e-commerce, the Group today stands tall as a frontrunner, shaping India’s growth story. The Group’s unwavering adherence to quality has given it the “trusted” tag among builders in the country, and it is renowned for its “A Stable” CRISIL rating.