Ather Energy Raises Fresh Round of Funding: $35 Million Led by Sachin Bansal

Ather Energy, one of India’s first intelligent electric scooter manufacturers, has raised an investment of $35 Mn in its latest round of Series D led by Sachin Bansal’s investment of $23 Mn. Ather Energy was one of the earliest start-up investments of Sachin Bansal when he invested $0.5 Mn in the firm as an Angel investor in 2014 and with this round, has made a total investment of $53 Mn. Hero MotoCorp has also invested $12 Mn as a part of the Series D round in Ather Energy. The continued investment by the existing investors is a manifestation of confidence in the brand and the sector. 

Ather Energy’s new line of products Ather 450X and Ather 450 Plus has been making news across the country. Ather Energy has been aggressively expanding, with the opening of 9 new markets - Pune, Ahmedabad, Mumbai, Delhi, Coimbatore, Kochi, Kozhikode & Kolkata in the coming days, and the installation of Ather Grid in all the new cities. To meet the projected demand in the coming years, Ather Energy is moving to a new manufacturing facility in Hosur, Tamil Nadu, which will be designed to produce up to 1 million vehicles a year. This round of investment will allow Ather Energy to accelerate its expansion plans and speed up the deliveries of the Ather 450X.

Ather Energy also unveiled their collector’s edition vehicle Series 1, the only two wheeler with transparent panels in India, in September. The Series 1 vehicle has been designed for early owners of the vehicle with only a limited group eligible to purchase it. In the past 6 months, Ather Energy has added multiple new financing plans - a one of its kind Assured Buyback option for the Ather 450X & Ather 450 Plus, new lease and loan programs and a two wheeler exchange plan. Ather Energy will begin deliveries of their smart electric scooters across India this Diwali.

Quote by Tarun Mehta, Co-founder & CEO, Ather Energy

“Electric vehicles are here to stay and Ather Energy is playing a leading role in driving this change. Sachin has been part of our growth journey and this investment is a strong endorsement of the momentum we’ve built over these years. Post the successful launch of our new product line, we are now looking forward to delivering the vehicles and seeing them across all cities. The pandemic has changed the landscape of personal transport and we hope that with high performance alternatives available people will choose electric vehicles for their daily commute.”

Quote by Sachin Bansal

“Ather Energy has set a new benchmark for intelligent electric bikes in the Indian automobile industry. Their new product line and expansion plans across the country will make EVs a part of the Indian landscape. Having been a part of the team since 2014, it's great to see their vision taking shape.”

About Ather: Ather Energy, one of India’s first intelligent electric vehicle manufacturers, was founded in 2013 by IIT Madras alumni, Tarun Mehta and Swapnil Jain. Backed by founders of Flipkart, Sachin Bansal & Binny Bansal, Hero Motocorp and Tiger Global, Ather Energy launched India’s first truly intelligent electric scooter - Ather 450 in 2018, followed by their new flagship offering Ather 450X in 2020. Ather has also installed a comprehensive public charging network, Ather Grid, built and designed in India. With 38 charging Points in Bengaluru and 14 charging Points in Chennai, Ather Grid is one of the largest fast-charging networks for electric vehicles in the country. Ather Energy currently operates in Bengaluru and Chennai and in 2020 expands to Delhi NCR, Mumbai, Pune, Hyderabad as a part of a national expansion plan. Ather has added multiple ownership and purchase options for consumers, making it easier and more affordable to shift to EVs :including petrol  exchange, private leasing, monthly subscription and model upgrades.

Tata Motors Unveils the XM+ Variant of Altroz With Touchscreen Infotainment at an Accessible Price

Tata Motors, India’s leading auto brand, today announced the launch of the XM+ variant of its premium hatchback – the Tata Altroz. The XM+ variant comes with a host of exciting features such as the 17.78cm touchscreen infotainment with Apple Car Play & Android Auto connectivity that provides a seamless driving experience. The steering mounted controls, voice alerts, voice command recognition, R16 wheels with stylized wheel cover and remote foldable key, all contribute to provide an enjoyable driving experience for the customer. The XM+ variant of the Altroz will be available in 4 colours – High Street Gold, Downtown Red, Avenue White and Midtown Grey.

This new variant has been launched at a price of INR 6.6 Lakhs (Ex. Showroom Delhi), in the petrol version. This announcement comes in on the back of the much-acknowledged success of the Altroz, after its launch earlier this year. With this variant, customers will now be able to take advantage of features that are typically only available in premium variants, at an attractive and accessible price.

Commenting on the introduction of this new variant, Mr. Vivek Srivatsa, Head Marketing, Passenger Vehicle Business Unit (PVBU), Tata Motors said, “In alignment with our New Forever philosophy of maintaining the momentum of consistently bringing new and exciting products to our customers, we are delighted to announce the launch of the XM+ variant of the Altroz. With the Altroz, we have not only raised the bar in the premium hatchback segment, but also created a new benchmark for safety in the industry. We are confident that the introduction of the XM+ variant will further strengthen the appeal of the Altroz by giving customers an option to experience a variety of premium features at an extremely attractive price.”

Launched in January 2020, the Company made its entry into the premium hatchback segment with the Altroz and the product has been much appreciated by customers and the industry for its stylish design, drivability and best-in-class safety. The 5-star GNCAP adult safety rating that the Altroz received right at its launch, is a testament to the same.

The Altroz sports the Impact design 2.0 philosophy of Tata Motors and is the first vehicle to be developed on the ALFA architecture of the Company. The premium hatchback is also the official partner of IPL 2020 and was on display on-ground at all venues across the United Arab Emirates.

For more information on the product, please visit – cars.tatamotors.com. Customers can also enquire, request a test drive, make bookings and select their preferred financing option via the recently launched ‘Click to Drive’, an end-to-end online platform from the comfort and safety of their homes.

About Tata Motors

Tata Motors Limited (NYSE: TTM; BSE: 500570 and 570001; NSE: TATAMOTORS and TATAMTRDVR), a USD 35 billion organization, is a leading global automobile manufacturer of cars, utility vehicles, pick-ups, trucks and buses. Part of the USD 113 billion Tata group, Tata Motors is India’s largest and the only OEM offering extensive range of integrated, smart and e-mobility solutions. It has operations in India, the UK, South Korea, Thailand, South Africa, and Indonesia through a strong global network of 103 subsidiaries, 10 associate companies, 3 joint ventures and 2 joint operations as on March 31, 2020.

With a focus on engineering and tech enabled automotive solutions catering to the future of mobility, Tata Motors is India’s market leader in commercial vehicles and amongst the top four in the passenger vehicles market. With ‘Connecting Aspirations’ at the core of its brand promise, the company’s innovation efforts are focused to develop pioneering technologies that are sustainable as well as suited to evolving aspirations of the market and the customers. Tata Motors strives to bring new products that fire the imagination of GenNext customers, fueled by state of the art design and R&D centers located in India, UK, US, Italy and South Korea. Internationally, Tata commercial and passenger vehicles are marketed in countries, spread across Africa, the Middle East, South Asia, South East Asia, South America, Australia, CIS, and Russia.

This Diwali, Show Your Loved Ones You Care By Gifting Them Health & Wellness in India

The festival of lights, joy, and prosperity is around the corner. It’s that time of the year when people get excited about shopping, gifting, and eating lots of unhealthy food. Many of us think that it’s okay to binge-eat junk food during the festive season but don’t realize that a few days of unbalanced eating can ruin many days of hard work towards getting fit.

So, instead of following the age-old tradition of gifting expensive items like showpieces, unhealthy snacks, and desserts, metals, let’s show your loved ones that you care for them. Here’s the list of healthy gifts that we have specially curated to replace with conventional gifting options. After all, what’s better than the gift of health to show someone you love and care for them?

1. A Subscription to a Fitness App – It may be unusual but one of the best gifts for your friends and loved ones. Since the lockdown, the online fitness industry has seen a surge in enthusiasts enrolling and buying subscriptions. While working from home, people have become more conscious about their health and have been trying different fitness apps to monitor their calorie intake and learn new workouts. FITTR - an online fitness company that provides professional assistance for all fitness and health goals offers a 12 weeks’ subscription starting at Rs. 6000. What’s more, if you enroll before Diwali, you’ll also get 2 weeks extra!

2. Fitness Tracker – A perfect gift for people across age groups, fitness trackers are probably the ones that come to your mind when you think about gifting tech items. They’re a great option for the young and the young-at-heart who want that sporty look. And they do more than just count your daily steps - you can get many options within your budget with as many as 11 professional sports modes such as yoga, rowing machine, and free exercise. You can get many options within your budget on platforms like Amazon and Flipkart. Some of these include Mi Smart Band 5, Amazfit Bip U, Redmi Smart Bands, Samsung Galaxy Fit 2, etc.

3. A Pair of Dumbbells & Resistance Bands – These is two of the best gifts for fitness enthusiasts who are building their home gym. With a set of dumbbells, there are a lot of exercises that one can do like biceps curls, chest flyes, or shoulder overhead raises. Similarly, resistance bands are great for those who want to exercise at home or who like to take their workouts along when they travel. If you can’t go to gym, these are the next best thing!

4. A Box of Fruits – If you don’t want to get into the specific gifting options and yet want to keep it healthy, fruit boxes come to your rescue. They’re not loaded with ghee and sugar like the usual Diwali sweets and offer invigorating and nutritious options. Be adventurous and go in for some exotic fruits that say you care. There are several options available for a basket of fruits, like Fruit Box & Company, Falhari, IGP, etc.

MSDE Expands Writes to States to Expand New Age Skills, 13 New Courses from 6 Months to 2 Years Announced

In an endeavor to skill and upskill the youth in relevant new age skills, the Ministry of Skill Development and Entrepreneurship (MSDE) under the exemplary leadership of Dr. Mahendra Nath Pandey, urged the Indian states to further expand the new age courses across their respective training centers.  The aim is to keep in pace with the changing digital technology age towards building ‘Atmanirbhar Bharat’ by meeting the local demand for skilled workforce in the State and also to increase the footprints of Indian workers in national and international markets.

Directorate General of Training (DGT), the apex organization of MSDE for development and co-ordination of the vocational training across the country will be providing all possible technical support to the States for formulation of new proposals and training of instructors/trainers for such new-age courses. In this regard, DGT has already introduced 13 National Skills Qualification Framework (NSQF) compliant New-Age courses that include Data Analysts and Scientists, Technician Mechatronics, Smart Agriculture, Cloud Computing, Process Automation Experts, User Experience and Human-Machine Interaction Designers, Blockchain Specialists, Software and Applications Developers, Geoinformatics Assistant, AI and Machine Learning Specialists, Big Data Specialists, Information Security Analysts, Robotics Engineers and Ecommerce and Social Media Specialists. The duration of these training courses varies from 6 months to 2 years.

The technologies in manufacturing and services are rapidly transforming and the mechanical and manual interventions are increasingly becoming digitally and artificial-intelligence led. This makes it imperative that the ITIs are able to train new collar workers who are adept in these technologies. The courses have been developed in consultation and active participation of industrial experts, indicating wide demand and robust curriculum. In this connection, DGT had also written to the Additional Chief/Principal Secretaries of Technical Skill Education vide a letter dated 12th June 2020 requesting launch of the new age courses in all ITIs.

Speaking about the initiative, Dr. Mahendra Nath Pandey, Minister of Skill Development and Entrepreneurship said, “The new wave of technology revolution is poised to change the nature of jobs and in order to keep pace with this changing nature, we need to undertake skilling of future workforce in relevant technology areas to meet the future demands of industries. The need of the hour is to restructure the current academic framework of ITIs to offer more robust technical programs in new technology areas of Industrial Revolution 4.0 like Data Analytics, Internet of Things (IoT), Artificial Intelligence, Cloud Computing, Blockchain etc.”

In an effort to align with the needs of industry and training in latest technology, DGT has signed various Memorandum of Understandings (MoUs) with technology companies to boost 21st century digital skill set training programmes as per Industry 4.0 revolution. The key players which DGT collaborated with include - IBM India Pvt. Ltd., SAP India, Microsoft Corp. (India) Ltd., NASSCOM, Quest Alliance, Accenture and CISCO etc. These MoU’s have enabled and initiated several tech trainings across the country.

REPL Selected for Formulation of GIS-Based Master Plans for AMRUT Cities in Karnataka

Karnataka’s Department of Town and Country Planning (DTCP) has selected Delhi-based leading infrastructure consultant, Rudrabhishek Enterprises Limited (REPL), for the formulation of GIS-based Master Plans for three LPAs in phase 2, package 5 of AMRUT cities in Karnataka. Under this project, REPL will have to formulate the GIS-based master plans for Vijayapura (525 sq km), Bagalkot (129.47 sq km) and Badami (15.91 sq km).

The agreement was signed between the Department of Town and Country Planning and Nodal Agency AMRUT, Government of Karnataka, and REPL.

The formulation of the master plan would include zoning of land use for residential, commercial, industrial, agricultural, recreational, educational and other purposes together with Zoning Regulations. It will also include a complete street pattern, indicating major and minor roads, national highways, and state highways, and traffic circulation pattern, for meeting immediate and future requirements with proposals for improvements.  

This would enable authorities to monitor the land-use changes in real-time in a Geospatial enabled environmentand keep a check on violations. With this spatial tool, the thematic maps including existing land use will also be created hence a sector-wise database would be put-together. All these would further coincide with the master plan formulation. Furthermore, the authorities will be able to  identify and rectify problems faced by them in development, maintenance and governance of the cities which are consequences of planning in the past such as Water logging and flooding, Sanitation – UGD,  hotspots for Road accidents, frequent traffic jams, and slow moving traffic.

Mr. Pradeep Misra, CMD of REPL said, “The technology is playing a defining role in the infrastructure development of the country. We have been working on various projects across India using advance and innovative Geospatial technology for quite a long time. Our expertise has enabled us in executing these projects with greater efficiency and now that experience will help us in Karnataka too."

Dr. Harish Sharma, Executive Director,REPL said, " For the given project we will also collect and collate critical sectoral plans prepared and/or under preparation by relevant government agencies for the project area and extract the various plans and proposals and identify any mismatches with the current master plan. For smooth execution of the project, we will evaluate the existing master plan and prepare base map and existing land use map with the help of GIS technology using high resolution satellite data. We will also undertake surveys and studies of existing-conditions, major problems and development issues of the cluster towns.

Besides that REPL will also evaluate the problems faced by various departments and organizations in development, maintenance and governance. The range of problems to be evaluated will include waterlogging and flooding during rainy season, problems faced by the local bodies but not limited to revenue section on properties, engineering section on roads, stormwater drains, culverts, bridges, etc. and sanitation, problems faced by traffic Police in respect of vehicular traffic on different roads in the LPA, including long and frequent jams at different road intersections, spots where accidents happen frequently, effect of haphazard developments that might have taken place within the LPA and its effect on the network of hierarchy of roads etc. We will analyze each of the problems, identify the genesis of the problem, and shall bring out the measures that can be addressed in the master plan at the macro or micro level. He further added.

About REPL

Rudrabhishek Enterprises Limited (REPL), with a legacy of more than 28 years, has become an established brand in the domain of Urban Development & Infrastructure Consultancy. REPL is listed on National Stock Exchange (NSE), under NSE, emerge platform and an ISO 9001:2015 certified organization for quality management in services.

The Group has successfully planned and delivered complex assignments of diverse nature such as Residential, Commercial, Group Housing & Integrated Township projects; Hospitals, Hotels & Recreational facilities; Water Supply, Sewerage & Sanitation Systems; Regional Plans and Master Plans. REPL is extensively associated with GOI’s flagship programs such as Smart Cities, PMAY, AMRUT, NULM & JalJeevan Mission at multiple locations under various capacities. The company’s strength lies in integrating a range of services and providing end-to-end solutions to the clients. Providing customized, technologically advanced, innovative, and yet cost-effective solutions are company’s trademark approach.

Tata Motors Introduces Harrier CAMO Edition of Its Flagship SUV Starting Price of INR.16.50 Lakhs

Tata Motors, India’s leading automotive brand, today announced the launch of the CAMO, a special edition of Harrier- its flagship SUV, this festive season at a starting price of INR. 16.50 lakhs (ex-showroom Delhi).

The Harrier CAMO edition is the ultimate personification of the SUV, unifying all product aspects into a single, high-presence design. The all new CAMO Green is created to stand out while blending in while the Steel Grey reflects the inner strength of the OMEGARC on which this indestructible product is based.

The CAMO edition will be available in manual transmission from XT variant onwards, and in the automatic transmission from XZ variant onwards.

Further, to accentuate the dynamism and functionality of the CAMO edition, the company has also introduced a host of special accessories:

These accessories will be available in two pack options - CAMO Stealth and CAMO Stealth+, prices starting at INR 26,999/-.

Commenting on the launch of this latest edition, Mr. Vivek Srivatsa, Head, Marketing, Passenger Vehicles Business Unit, Tata Motors said, “Living up to our promise of New Forever, we are delighted to introduce an absolutely stunning rendition of our Flagship SUV- The Harrier CAMO Edition. The Harrier, in its CAMO avatar pays homage to the ultimate inspiration of this SUV i.e the Great Indian Outdoors, and the spirt & grit of the armed forces who spend a majority of their time in these outdoor locations, keeping our borders safe and secure. We are confident our customers will appreciate the strong, unique form of the Harrier, rendered even more robustly in the CAMO Edition, this festive season.”

The Harrier, which is built on the OMEGARC and derived from Land Rover's legendary D8 platform, is the perfect combination of stunning design and excellent performance. Based on the IMPACT 2.0 philosophy and powered by the cutting-edge Kryotec 170 PS 2.0L Diesel engine with a 6 Speed Manual/Automatic.

Transmission and Advanced Terrain Response Modes, the Harrier assures an exhilarating performance and effortless driving experience.

26 WhiteHat Jr Students from India, USA Present to Global CEOs as Part of WhiteHat Jr Silicon Valley Challenge

Silicon Valley, as we know it, is the epitome of Innovation, a personification that nothing is off-limits. WhiteHat Jr crafted the Silicon Valley program to reinforce this idea with kids to make accessible industry veterans and to help kids understand that nothing is out of bounds if one dares to dream.

The program entailed getting kids to create an app to solve real-life problems. The kids were shortlisted from the exhaustive list of over 7,000+ entries from across the globe.

"The concept of getting these bright kids to interact with thought leaders was to reduce these conditional barriers that we have placed on our kids. When kids are equipped with the right set of tools to learn in environments that don't restrict their creativity, the results are always astonishing," said Karan Bajaj, Founder and CEO, WhiteHat Jr.

Twenty-six bright young minds presented their innovations to the Silicon Valley team, of which 22 were Indians and four students from the USA. The panel included industry veterans like Amit Patel, Managing Director of Owl Ventures,  Arun Saigal, Co-founder and CEO, Thunkable and Suvir Sujan, Managing Director of Nexus India Capital Advisors.

Meeting and interacting with innovators is at the core of what I do, but there's always a stark difference when discussing ideas with young minds. Their purist perspective on complex issues is always refreshing," said Suvir Sujan, Managing Director at Nexus India Capital Advisors. "While the applications may be far from functional, the expanse of their horizons is what makes these dialogues truly enriching."

"It seems as if the new generation was born to learn. But what's most endearing is that these kids aren't just keen to learn but to use that knowledge to make a difference to the world they live in," said Amit Patel, Managing Director at Owl Ventures. "If the future is entrusted to these kids, then we know we are in good hands."

“Our original goal when we created Thunkable was to lower the barrier of entry to coding. Little did we imagine the creativity kids as young as six would unleash. What brings us joy is that the platform that we created has become a catalyst for other creators, a true testament that innovation is age-agnostic”, said Thunkable Co-founder and CEO Arun Saigal.

*WhiteHat Jr. students have created apps available on Google Play Store, with a vision to solve real-world problems. The apps represent the students' original concept and may not be viable for immediate commercial use.

Brinda Darshan Jain (Bengaluru)

8-yr-old Brinda Jain has developed an app that helps ambulance drivers quickly navigate the busy streets of metro cities. Brinda, who hails from a family of doctors, has often heard conversations about emergencies at hospitals. On numerous occasions, she has also observed ambulances being stuck in bumper-to-bumper traffic. Wanting to do something about this, she was motivated to develop an app called Ambulance Whizz.

App: Ambulance Whizz | Download Link

It’s impossible for traffic police to be aware of every situation in every corner of the city to help an ambulance navigate faster. With the app’s help, the ambulance driver first selects the type of emergency he is transporting from the various options like cardiac, accident, pregnancy, etc. Then the driver updates his current location before he starts to drive. On the other side, personnel at the Traffic Control Management Centre receive this information and help the driver navigate better. They can help create a fast track corridor for the ambulance to reach its destination on time by deviating traffic accordingly, thus saving lives.

About WhiteHat Jr.

WhiteHat Jr. has been launched with a singular mission of enabling kids to become creators of technology versus its consumers. We believe in kids' holistic development and propagate that Coding should be done alongside all important life-skills, including sports, music, and crafts.

WhiteHat Jr.'s proprietary activity-based coding curriculum journey for kids begins with simple drag and drop programs and ends with complex logic apps. Kids are introduced to code through personal training based on creativity, engagement, and applied-learning.

To date, we have trained more than 125k students across the globe, including countries such as India, the USA, UK, Australia and New Zealand. Our 11,000 strong women-only teacher workforce conducts more than 40,000+ 1:1 LIVE online classes every day on our proprietary platform.