Indian Aviation Industry Net Losses of Rs 21,000 in FY2021: Icra Reports

Credit rating agency Icra Limited in a recent report said Indian airlines will post net losses of about Rs 21,000 crore during the fiscal year (FY) 2021, a result of the travel restrictions and impact on passenger traffic due to the coronavirus pandemic.

Icra said Indian airlines would require additional fundings to the tune of Rs 37,000 crore over FY2021 to FY2023 to recover from losses and debt, adding that the agency maintains a "negative credit outlook" on the Indian airline industry.

The report read: "The Indian aviation industry's capacity and passenger growth have been significantly impacted since the Covid-19 pandemic, due to which the Ministry of Civil Aviation (MoCA) stopped international travel operations with effect from March 23, 2020 and domestic travel operations with effect from March 25, 2020. Post the initial recommencement of operations of the scheduled domestic flights with effect from May 25, 2020 to a limited extent i.e. maximum 1/3rd of their respective approved capacity of Summer Schedule 2020, the MoCA permitted increasing the capacity to 45% with effect from June 27, 2020 and further to 60% with effect from September 02, 2020. However, the recovery in domestic passenger traffic has been rather subdued, even though there is substantial sequential improvement. With effect from November 11, 2020, the MoCA has increased the permitted capacity to 70%,andfurtherto80%witheffectfromDecember03,2020".

The profitability of the Indian airlines remains adversely impacted during FY2021 due to lower revenues and high fixed costs even though passenger traffic continues to improve sequentially.

During FY2020, Indian airlines had reported net losses of Rs 12,700 crore.

The overall airline industry debt is expected to increase to about Rs 50,000 crore, excluding lease liabilities by FY 2022, Icra said in its report.

"The two listed airlines [ndiGo and SpiceJet Limited] have together lost about Rs 31 crore per day during H1 FY2021 [April-September 2020]," the report further read, adding that daily loss for airlines has been reduced to Rs 26 crore during the September quarter due to improvement in domestic passenger traffic, and cost rationalisation initiatives by the airlines.

The report added that the recovery of domestic passenger traffic is however dependent on several factors, which include containing the spread of covid-19 infections, development and availability of vaccines, willingness to undertake leisure travel, and recovery in macroeconomic growth, among others.

Increase in the number of infections, and expectations of non-availability of a vaccine on a wide scale until the second half of calendar year 2021 are expected to impact air travel, it added.

"ICRA thus expects FY2021 to witness a higher decline of 62-64% in domestic passenger traffic, than its earlier estimates of 41-46% decline. With this, the domestic passenger traffic will reach much lower than the FY2011 levels," it said. The report added that a recovery in air travel is expected to be gradual once the Covid-19 threat diminishes.

However, with the international air travel heavily dependent on opening up of scheduled international operations by the government of India as well as easing of quarantine norms and restrictions initiated by various countries, the impact of the coronavirus pandemic on international air travel is expected to linger on longer as compared to domestic flights.

"Thus, Icra expects the FY2021 international passenger traffic for Indian carriers to witness a significant YoY [year-on-year] decline of about 88-89%, higher than its earlier estimates of about 67-72% decline," the report added.

"In the near term, the balance sheets of Indian carriers will remain stressed until the carriers are able to reduce their debt burden through a combination of improvement in operating performance and/or by way of equity infusion," the report read.

Mzaalo Enters A Video Partnership with Dailyhunt in Indian Market

Mzaalo, a blockchain-based video streaming application in the gamified video and entertainment ecosystem, today announced its multi-year partnership with news and content aggregator, Dailyhunt. The association allows Dailyhunt users to access Mzaalo's content, along with providing a unique opportunity to engage with the brand. 

Under this partnership, Mzaalo will power the video entertainment section as a premium partner offering engaging short and mid-format, snackable content. Mzaalo’s content stream is featured prominently within the Dailyhunt app feed for all its users. Apart from engaging and rewarding the users, the partnership leads to a potential growth in advertisement revenue for both the platforms.

The deal enables users to watch content on Dailyhunt and earn reward points, which can be redeemed to purchase products and services of leading brands by downloading Mzaalo app. These rewards further get stored in the users' digital wallet and can be spent on premium experiences, physical merchandise, partner products and services, digital goods, games, and charitable giving, amongst others. 

Mzaalo's algorithm empowers users to earn rewards that can be spent on more than 300 established brands across varied categories including health & fitness, fashion, accessories, electronics, travel & wellness, jewelry, amongst others. Over 280 monthly active users of Dailyhunt will have access to the entertainment platform that offers content in ten languages and has a library of over 50,000+ hours of content spanning across Movie titles, Original series, Live TV and more. 

Commenting on the partnership, Mr. Vikram Tanna, COO, Mzaalo said, "We are a content plus technology platform offering customized digital content in Hindi and 9 Indian regional languages. The collaboration with Dailyhunt allows us to expand our digital footprint by providing engaging content to users across the country. Today's, users are looking for good quality content, and as a brand, we aim to offer a unified experience in which users can consume premium content, get rewarded while having fun and purchase their favorite merchandise through secure and trusted blockchain-based video streaming platform".

 “The average Dailyhunt user spends 30 minutes every day. We are always pushing the needle to offer content experiences that make every one of those minutes count and, now with Mzaalo, be even more entertaining and rewarding for our users. At Dailyhunt, we witness firsthand the content aspirations of the local language user and Mzaalo allows us to meet those expectations in a more enriched manner.” Added, Mr. Umang Bedi, Co-Founder, Dailyhunt.

Tata Motors Delivers e-Buses to BEST; Helps Environmentally-Friendly Mass Mobility Solution for Mumbai

 

Key highlights:

* With the complete order of 340 electric buses, Tata Motors initiates deployment of 26 Tata Ultra Urban e-buses

* Event flagged of by Hon’ble Chief Minister of Maharashtra, Mr. Uddhav Thackeray

* As part of the ‘One Tata’ initiative – Tata Motors , Tata Power and Tata Auto Components will be working together to bring sustainable solutions for electric mass mobility

Tata Motors, India’s largest commercial vehicle manufacturer, today strengthens its relation with Brihanmumbai Electric Supply and Transport (BEST) and delivers 26 state-of-the-art electric buses. The delivery marks the commencement of the first ever Gross Cost Contract (GCC) electric bus service to BEST. The buses are delivered as a part of the larger order of 340 electric buses from BEST under the government of India’s FAME II initiative, with the rest lined up to be delivered in a phased manner as per schedule. The 25-seater Tata Ultra Urban 9/9 electric AC buses were flagged off by the Hon’ble Chief Minister of Maharashtra, Mr. Uddhav Thackeray in the presence of dignitaries from the Maharashtra state government, BEST and Tata Motors, at an event at Nariman Point, Mumbai. Tata Motors will be undertaking to build, deploy, maintain and operate the complete charging infrastructure along with the buses across four Mumbai depots of – Backbay, Worli, Malvani and Shivaji Nagar.

Under the unique ‘One Tata’ initiative, the company leverages the core competences of various group companies. Tata Power will be contributing by taking complete charge of upstream and downstream electrical facilities including supplies and shall also be responsible for the complete bus charging facility. Tata Auto Components will undertake collaborations, design, development, sourcing and supply of select components to Tata Motors under the initiative. The electric buses are indigenously developed by Tata Motors using the latest manufacturing technology to offer the best comfort for the passengers and low cost of operations for BEST.

Commenting on the occasion, Mr. Girish Wagh, President, Commercial Vehicle Business Unit, Tata Motors said, Tata Motors is delighted to have delivered the first 26 of the 340 electric buses for the city of Mumbai. The buses have been specially designed keeping the comfort and convenience of Mumbaikars including a “lift mechanism” for differently abled travellers. Tata Motors’ global standards of manufacturing processes and vehicle development centres have helped in innovating and leading the electric mobility solutions from the front. We will continue to play a proactive role in the government’s electrification drive.”

The 25-seater Tata Ultra Urban AC electric buses are equipped with advanced features for the comfort of the driver and the passengers like: ‘Lift Mechanism’ that extends an automated ramp for easy ingress and egress of specially abled passengers, along with ergonomic seats, roomy interiors, utility provisions like charging ports, WiFi hotspot for on-the-go connectivity and wide entry and exit passages. The full-electric buses come with Intelligent Transport System (ITS), telematics system, regenerative braking system, amongst other features for efficient and smooth operations. The buses have been tested and validated by Tata Motors across states including Himachal Pradesh, Chandigarh, Assam and Maharashtra to establish performance in diverse terrains.

Tata Motors, under the FAME I initiative, has supplied 215 electric buses in 5 cities across India, which have been received well by the STU and the citizens alike. The electric buses cumulatively have clocked more than 4 million kilometres, thereby providing critical data and statistics to further innovate and upgrade Tata Motors’ electric buses product portfolio. In addition to the tenders under FAME I, Tata Motors has received orders from several state transport units in FAME phase II: 60 buses from AJL, 100 buses from Jaipur City Transport Services Limited and 300 buses by BEST in Mumbai. Apart from these, Tata Motors has also delivered 25 hybrid buses to MMRDA – India’s first specially-abled-friendly buses.

56% e-Commerce Order Volume Growth this Festive Season: Unicommerce Festive Trends Report

Unicommerce, India‘s largest e-commerce focused SaaS platform, has once again brought an insightful data-driven festive trends report to understand the changing dynamics of India’s e-commerce ecosystem. The report analyses shopping trends for the festive month of 2019 and 2020. The time period for the analysis is 30 days prior to Diwali with a sample size of over 44mn orders.

This festive season e-commerce industry reported ~56% growth in order volume as compared to the festive season last year*. The increasing order volume also led to the 50% growth in GMV as compared to the last year festive season. "The consumers have become more value conscious than before and now are shopping across new categories. The rise of new categories such as personal care and beauty products and higher sales of lower value products has led to a decline in average order value by 4% as compared to last year's festive season.

This was the first festive season after the world was hit by the pandemic earlier this year and the report deep-dives into sector-wise growth, rising demands from consumers from “Bharat” and trying to understand the new consumer behaviour. The report will also decode some interesting facts about the growth of brand websites and companies getting serious and focused on the D2C business model. 

What India Shopped during festive season

● One of the most promising signs for the e-commerce industry is the rising number of first-time online shoppers and the new emerging categories. Personal care category has emerged as the biggest gainer with ~176% order volume growth over last year's festive month. Beauty and wellness is another category that has reported ~52% order volume growth as compared to previous year’s festive season.

● As people plan to travel and meet families during the festive season, the number of consumers indulging in fashion shopping during the Diwali sale increases significantly. This festive season, fashion and accessories category witnessed an order volume growth of 71% as compared to previous year’s festive month, which is higher than the industry average.

● The electronics segment continues to be the highlight of festive season sales, with all marketplaces extensively promoting discounts and offers on electronic products. The segment saw a substantial growth of 65% in order volume as compared to the festive month of 2019.

● Returns continue to be a concern for e-tailers across India. The automation and increasing consumer awareness is leading to consistent decrease in returns. This festive season, the industry overall observed a 35% decrease in return orders as compared to the last year. The fashion and accessories category continues to the category with maximum return orders.

Brands Focused on going D2C

● This year we have seen brands getting serious about online selling with constant growth in brands developing their own website. Post lockdown, the brands have started adopting technology solutions to improve business efficiency.

● This festive season, not just marketplaces but brand websites have also reported huge growth in consumer demand. Big brands are now committed towards selling through their own websites. The brand websites witnessed ~77% order volume growth as compared to 60% order volume growth of the marketplace.

● It’s interesting to see that in spite of the disparity in order volume growth there is a marginal difference in GMV growth of brand websites and the marketplaces. The GMV for brand websites increased by 48% while for marketplaces the GMV increased by 50%. This signifies that brands offered more discount on their own websites than marketplaces to get more customers. This also led to a significantly low average order size on brand websites. The average order size on the brand website decreased by 16% as compared to 5% dip for the marketplaces for the period of last year's festive month.

Increasing shoppers from Tier-II and Tier III cities of India

● The Tier II and Tier III cities have been growing way-faster than metropolitan cities and its impact is also visible in the festive season sale as well.  The Tier II and beyond cities have witnessed a growth of ~99% as compared to last year's festive season. The growth in Tier I and metropolitan cities remain at around 20%. 

● The contribution of Tier II and beyond cities is increasing exponentially. In this festive season, Tier II  and beyond cities of India contributed over 59% of the online consumer demand of  India, while traditional metros and Tier I cities contributed around 41% to the overall online retail.

● States with metropolitan cities continue to be the dominating states with Delhi, Maharashtra and Karnataka being the biggest drivers of e-commerce. These three states combined contribute ~55% of India’s e-commerce volume in the festive month.

Speaking on the festive season report, Mr. Kapil Makhija, CEO Unicommerce said “The festive season is the most important and opportunistic time of the year for the e-commerce industry. However, this festive season was particularly more special as the world continues to deal with the effects of the pandemic. This festive month we have seen e-commerce grow beyond expectations, and it’s interesting to see the new emerging categories like personal care and beauty and wellness continuing their growth trajectory even during the festive season. With the rising consumer demand on brand websites, brands are now committed towards going D2C and offering great deals to attract more consumers. We are confident that with the rising number of shoppers from Tier II and Tier III cities, the ecommerce industry will continue to see the growth momentum in the coming years. This report is another step in our continuous effort of providing valuable insights about the e-commerce industry and helping sellers to simplify e-commerce selling.”

With e-commerce at its all-time high, Unicommerce is uniquely positioned to provide e-commerce supply chain technology cloud solutions to help industry players of all sizes to manage their business efficiently.  Established eight years ago, Unicommerce is a market leader processing over 20% of India’s e-commerce volumes in the country and works with leading online players across segments. The company processes 700k+ order items per day, amounting to US$ 2.5 Bn+ GMV for over 10,000 registered customers across India, Middle East and Southeast Asia.

About Unicommerce

Unicommerce eSolutions is India‘s leading e-commerce focused supply chain SaaS platform. Established eight years ago, Unicommerce is a market leader processing over 20% e-commerce volumes in the country. The company has disrupted the e-commerce and retail industry with clients like Myntra, Netmeds, Urban company, Jack & Jones, Vero Moda to name a few and has also started working with clients in international markets. The company has been profitable for over three years and aims to further deepen its presence in the country and expand aggressively in international markets.

Providing Employees with the Right technology, Security and Experience are Key to Successful Remote Working

* Majority of employees (58%) are confident that their employer needs to provide better tools to work remotely: Atlassian survey 

By Ross Chippendale, Head of Workplace Technology, Atlassian 

Within a few weeks, many workers around the world were forced to trade in their office - with all the benefits of a familiar IT environment, the convenience of having their own desk and personal contact with employees - for the home office.  

For companies, this transition also presented challenges on various fronts. In addition to maintaining both ongoing operations and the productivity, efficiency and motivation of employees, some employers decided to hire new employees despite the prevailing crisis. From recruiting to onboarding - alternative processes had to be created for these processes and technologies had to be used to enable them - just like the actual work itself - to be implemented remotely. 

Many companies struggled with the politically, economically and socially difficult situation during this period. Just what impact does such a change have on the onboarding of new employees, and what will this process look like in the future?  

Secure and consistent 

Two factors play a major role with regard to IT when a large number of employees work remotely, ensuring security on one hand and consistent IT usage - or the (digital) employee experience - on the other.  

Even if a company assumes that its network is basically resilient, it must be effectively secured against cybercriminal attacks despite several thousand connections. To counteract this, a zero-trust security strategy must be developed and implemented comprehensively across all business units and the entire IT landscape. 

While building a resilient infrastructure can prove relatively easy, maintaining a consistent employee experience can prove much more tricky. The modern employee insists that working from home feels and functions just as if he were in his traditional workplace. Although flexible working has proven its worth in recent months, there is a growing need for the right equipment such as monitors, (ergonomic) office chairs, mice and keyboards. Since most offices will only be used to around 50 percent capacity in the future, any equipment that may have been previously used should be handed out to all teleworkers, so that they are fully equipped and can work as usual.  

Onboarding in times of remote work  

This experience would vastly vary across organisations. However, in our case, since a portion of the workforce was already teleworking full-time before Corona, the company benefited from existing processes and continued to enhance the onboarding experience. 

IT teams as agile ‘product managers’ 

To gather more insights around remote work, a recent study by us showed that 58 percent of employees surveyed worldwide are confident that their employer needs to provide better tools, so that every employee can work remotely more effectively. 

Even before the pandemic, employees preferred different tools and approaches to perform their daily work. Now, as remote work becomes more widespread, IT teams need to ensure that everyone has access to the technology they trust, including existing and new telecommuters. A 'product management approach' can be used to identify these needs. IT professionals, whose primary concerns used to be implementation effort and costs, should adopt a user-centric approach. Instead of asking whether a project is within budget, they can now find answers to questions like "What do my colleagues want? What do they need to get their work done? Where are their biggest pain points?" By doing so, they can prevent employees from getting frustrated by using their personal devices and software that have not been approved by the IT department, thus posing an increased security risk. 

The use of agile methods can help the IT team to approach a project. To do this, they need to think outside the box and look for working methods that are different from the traditional practices of many IT teams in other areas. 

Conclusion 

Despite the prevailing crisis situation, it is possible for companies to hire new employees and offer them a simple onboarding process - and all this remotely. Employers must also provide new employees in their home offices with the right technology - both in the form of devices and accessories and software. The home office environment must be made as secure and consistent as possible. Good virtual onboarding is most successful when you take advantage of the solutions that are available to you. Introductory videos and access to ample digital resources make it easier for new employees to find their way around both the company itself and its IT landscape - even if they have never seen the team in person. For a successful implementation, end user requirements must be given high priority. This often means establishing working methods and practices that differ from traditional ways of working.

TECNO POVA - a Powerful Smartphone with Helio G80 Processor & 6000 mAh Battery @ INR 9,999

 

▪       ‘POVA’ smartphone offers fabulous gaming and multitasking experience with a powerful processor, hyper engine gaming technology and big battery

▪       POVA smartphones are available in two variants 4GB+ 64GB and 6GB + 128 GB starting at Rs 9,999 onwards on Flipkart (https://rb.gy/4sikdh)

TECNO, the global premium smartphone brand, today launched POVA, a new product line of smartphones aimed at providing speed, performance and excellence to its consumers at a competitive price point. TECNO POVA is available in two variants: 4GB + 64GB & 6GB + 128GB featuring a high-performance MediaTek Helio G80 Octa-Core Processor, an in-built Hyper Engine Gaming Technology and a 6000 mAh battery with 18W Dual IC Fast Charge lending an uninterrupted gaming and multitasking experience. 

Brand TECNO is known for its ‘ahead of the curve’ approach and a product philosophy that believes in introducing ‘segment-first’ features across smartphones in 6-15K segment. With the launch of POVA, TECNO India portfolio now consists of three distinct product propositions: Bestseller ‘SPARK’ series, designed and developed, keeping in mind the aspirations of young India, looking for valuable smartphone experience in 6-10k segment; ‘CAMON’, the popular camera-centric series with outstanding camera features targeting mid-to-premium segment; and now ‘POVA’ that offers more powerful smartphone experience that meets the needs of multi-taskers, gaming enthusiasts among others, all within the mid-budget 8-12K segment.

Commenting on the launch, Arijeet Talapatra, CEO of TRANSSION India said, “Since the brand’s entry into India, TECNO’s mantra has been to disrupt the sub-15K smartphone category by introducing the features which are not available at such price points. We are committed to our diverse consumer base and the debut of our new product line POVA adds another dimension to our expansive product portfolio. This time we are focused on providing Indian consumers with an ultimate powerhouse series that will give access to speed, performance and excellence that will distinctly deliver what our consumers care for most in their smartphones. Designed for young millennials and Gen Z consumers, TECNO POVA is currently holding the crown of bringing together the most competitive smartphone offering Helio G80 processor with 6000 mAh battery, dual IC fast charger & Dot-In display starting at just INR 9999.”

Speaking about the launch, Aditya Soni - Senior Director, Mobiles, at Flipkart says, "In today’s world, customer expectations from a smartphone are evolving rapidly and this encompasses a range of uses from work, learning to entertainment. As people spend more time on their smartphones to stay connected with each other, the gaming community is only growing and the demand for high-performance affordable gaming smartphones is therefore on the rise. We remain consumer-first and with the launch of Tecno POVA on Flipkart, are only strengthening our portfolio that caters to a wide range of evolving requirements"

POVA by TECNO is available in two variants: 4GB+ 64GB @INR 9,999 and 6GB + 128 GB @INR 11, 999 in the exciting colours of Dazzle black, Magic Blue and Speed Purple.  The first sale starts from 11th Dec 12 noon onwards at Flipkart.

Key USPs of TECNO POVA:

·         Extraordinary performance with Helio G80 Gaming Processor

The TECNO POVA is powered by a Helio G80 an Octacore 2.0 GHz Processor paired with a Mali-G52 GPU for high-end graphic crunching, making it apt even for heavy gaming.  The in-built HyperEngine Game Technology provides superb image quality, smooth game-play and ensure uninterrupted connectivity for dedicated gamers as well as smooth daily operations with a faster response rate

·         Powerful 6000mAh battery beast with 18W Dual IC Flash Charge

TECNO POVA comes packed with a long-lasting 6000 mAh battery that provides 30-day standby time. Better yet, the device offers 18W dual IC fast charging support which charges 20% faster than single IC fast charge.  The in-box fast charger provides 20 hours’ music playback or 4 hours of calling time in just 10 minutes of charging.  Topping it off, there is a 3D multilayer graphite and thermal conductive gel heat dissipation solution that ensure game experience optimisation with reduced charging temperature.

·         Witness an immersive Visual Experience with 6.8-inch display

Streaming video is a delightful experience on TECNO POVA with its 6.8-inch dot-in screen and 20.5:9 aspect ratio. Enriched with a 1640 x 720 HD+ resolution, 480 Nits brightness and 90.4% screen to body ratio, it gives more screen space that allows users to see more. In landscape mode, watching movies, TV shows, and games becomes much more engaging.

·         Multi-focus Quad 16MP AI Rear camera

POVA is equipped with an AI Quad Rear Camera (16 MP + 2MP + 2MP + AI Lens) complemented with a ‘Super Quad Flash’ provides professional grade photography options with its user centric multi AI Photography modes like Bokeh, Macro, Slow Motion, Short video, 2K video recording, AI body shaping, Google Lens, Document scanner etc

The MediaTek Helio G80 processor provides a range of in-chip accelerators and powerful AI processing capabilities that supports hardware depth sensing, camera control unit, image stabilization and rolling shutter compensation technologies. Thus capturing spectacular and bright photos even in low light conditions, it also supports slow motion videos at 120 fps continuous recording at 720p HD Quality.

·         Ample storage with multitask efficient RAM

TECNO POVA is available in two variants: a 4GB RAM with 64GB ROM and 6GB RAM with 128 GB ROM, enabling more space to store your favorite files, video captures and plenty of games. LPDDR4X high speed memory allows more fluid multi-tasking and faster switching between apps without facing any lag issues.  The performance of this device is incredibly reliable. The 12nm technology help in making the smartphone faster and power efficient.

·         The New HiOS 7.0  

TECNO POVA sports the new HiOS 7.0 that is more efficient and delightful than ever with its unique features such as ‘Game Space’, ‘Game Mode’ and ‘Game Assistant 2.0’ that also include a ‘do not disturb’ function, performance boosting modes and quick-access toolbar among other things.

Godrej Makes the Winter Warmer with Launch of 5-Star Rated Hot Wash Enabled Washing Machines

* Introduces Germ Shield technology certified to eliminate 99.9% allergens and bacteria, in the top loading Eon Allure Washing Machines

* With the launch of 12 new SKUs in washing machine category, the brand targets to achieve 10% market share

* India’s first semi-automatic washing Godrej Edge Digi with in-built water heater and digital display

COVID-19 has impacted consumer behavior shifts in many different spaces - cooking, cleaning washing, etc. Washing needs to have clearly increased as consumers are forced to wash clothes more often – each time they step back home. Consumers are paying attention to preventive measures and rightly so. In line with the increased demand, the brand has introduced a range of 5-star energy efficient Godrej washing machines -12 new SKUs including Eon Allure, Eon Allure Classic and Eon Audra in the fully automatic top load segment and Edge Digi & Edge Ultima SteelNox in the semi-automatic segment, ensuring the new line up is for everyone. 

Health & hygiene is foremost in consumer minds – and the same has been the guiding principle in the design and development of these new launches. Powered by Germ Shield Technology the new range of Godrej Eon Allure washing machines ensure a superior sanitized wash performance through its smart wash algorithm and in-built heater technology for 99.99% elimination of disease causing allergens and bacteria. With integrated superior Germ Shield Technology, the new range of Godrej Eon Allure is certified by NCL empaneled lab for eliminating  5 common types of disease-causing bacteria (E.coli,  Staphylococcus aureus, Salmonella enterica, Salmonella typhimurium,  Klebsiella aerogenes) and 12 major allergen groups (Mite group 2, Der f1, Der p1, S.tropomyosin, Fel d1, Can f1, Mus m1, Rat n1, Bla g2, Alt a1, Asp f1, Phl p5). These common bacteria can cause various ailments starting with food poisoning, a variety of infections in the body, including boils, cellulitis, abscesses, wound infections, toxic shock syndrome, pneumonia and many more while allergens can lead to dust allergies, rhinitis and bronchial asthma. It is important to safeguard yourself and your loved ones against such ailments, especially in this disease-prone environment.

The premium end of Godrej EON Allure models feature 3 temperature modes that allow the users to customize temperature setting.

• Germ Shield Mode - Removes 99.99% allergens and bacteria, heats the water up to 60°C and works with a smart wash algorithm.

• Hot Mode - Suitable for heavily soiled clothes as it heats water up to 55°C

• Warm Mode - Suitable for moderately soiled clothes and heats water up to 40°C

In line with Godrej Appliances’ commitment to environment, this washing machine comes with Eco Mode which reduces water consumption by approximately 44 Liters as compared to a normal wash cycle. As water becomes an increasingly priced commodity with groundwater levels reducing, water conservation has to be at the heart of superior washing performance.

Godrej has also introduced many more variants beyond the premium Allure washing machines: the Eon Allure Classic and the Eon Audra, all with Hot Wash option and different feature combinations like 100% wash-resistant digital panel, in-built soak, tough stain removal, customizable wash programs, etc. to give consumers enough variety and choice this festive season.

With about 55% Semi-Automatic users, Godrej has also extended the 60 degrees Hot Wash Technology to Semi-Automatics with its Edge Digi Washing Machine - India’s first Semi-Automatic Washing machine with 60 degrees Hot Wash, Digital Controls and LED display. 

Godrej was the first to introduce steel drum in the semi-automatic segment and with Edge Ultima SteelNox series, it extends this segment further and promises hygienic thorough wash and faster drying with its superior wash motor and spin motor.

Commenting on the launch, Mr. Kamal Nandi – Business Head and Executive Vice President, Godrej Appliance said, “A sizeable chunk of Indian population continues to ‘work from home’ and with the reluctance in hiring domestic help still prevalent in larger cities, convenience and comfort aiding appliances like Washing Machines is expected to see increased demand in these cities. With more awareness of hygiene and preventive practices, people across India including the smaller towns are facing increased washing needs for their clothes. As Indian households continue to fight the pandemic, home appliances can go a long way in reducing their burden. Our newly introduced range of 5-star rated washing machines with Germ Shield Technology and in-built heaters across both top load and semi-automatic segments, place health and hygiene at the heart of its human-centric design. Guided by ‘Soch Ke Banaya Hai’ philosophy, these are being manufactured at our state-of-the-art factories in India, yet another step towards supporting ‘Aatmanirbhar Bharat’.”

Mr. Rajinder Koul, Product Group Head – Washing Machines, Godrej Appliances, further added, “At Godrej, we endeavour to bring meaningful technology and innovations that help improve the lives of our consumers, based on consumer insights gathered carefully. Our newly launched range of Godrej washing machines powered by Germ Shield technology and 60°C Hot Wash technology, among others, allow consumers to experience superior and hygienic wash. Stylish and sleek, these are uniquely designed to cater to the increasing need for protection against germs and allergens. We are confident these new machines which also comes with 5-star energy rating, will generate revenues excess of INR 135 Cr this year and help strengthen our position in the category. With this, we aim to gain 10% market share as well.”

Available in different capacities, these 5 Star Rated washing machines optimize electricity consumption and provide higher savings. Competitively priced, the new Godrej washing machine range keeps consumers worry-free with up to 10-year warranty on wash motor. The washing machines market size in India is estimated at 7.2 million units with penetration levels still hovering at a low 14 %.