Toyota Kirloskar Motor Unveils ‘Virtual Showroom’ For Customers To Experience Toyota From Anywhere

* Customers can now experience & book any Toyota vehicle online in just a few clicks on any device

In the true spirit of its Customer First philosophy, Toyota Kirloskar Motor (TKM), today launched a one-of-its-kind ‘Virtual Showroom’ to further digitalize customer experience in the new normal. The virtual showroom enables customers to seamlessly look through their favourite Toyota vehicles online, and also helps them book their dream car directly from the virtual showroom. It is already integrated with payment gateway and will soon facilitate the best offers, finance options, loan applications and other value-added services in the future.

To check out the virtual showroom, customers need not download or install any application - they can simply log on to www.toyotabharat.com/virtual-showroom/ on the Toyota Bharat website and start their car buying journey with just a few clicks on any device – smartphone, tablet, laptop, or desktop.

In the virtual showroom, customers can select the Toyota vehicle of their choice, get 360-degree external and internal views, check out all the available variants and colour options, switch on the lights, open and close the doors, virtually experience the top features in the day or night modes and get variant-wise prices. A crucial aspect of the new platform is that customers can see how a Toyota vehicle will look when parked in their garage or portico using augmented reality mode on their smartphones. More importantly, they can schedule a test drive or book their Toyota vehicle directly from the virtual showroom for delivery at their nearest dealership or the safe confines of their homes.

Talking about the new initiative, Mr. V. Wiseline Sigamani, Associate General Manager (AGM), Sales and Strategic Marketing, TKM, said, “Owing to the pandemic and growing access to technologies, customers increasingly prefer digital and contactless experience. Last year, as COVID-19 disrupted the purchase lifecycle, we took immediate steps to digitalize our sales process by making available pricing, offers and booking in the online realm. The virtual showroom further simplifies all the elements of car buying by digitizing and integrating the key touchpoints in a customer’s purchase cycle as a one-stop-shop solution. The core idea behind the virtual showroom is to empower our customers to access our world-class cars from wherever they want to. Moving forward, we will continue to listen to our customers keenly and introduce new solutions and tools leveraging digital technologies to further improve their buying experience.”

TKM has integrated all its dealer partners onto the new platform; and will soon make available the virtual showroom on the websites of all its dealer partners. Apart from the virtual showroom, customers can also connect with Toyota through WhatsApp on 83676 83676 for sales enquiries, vehicle exchange, booking of service appointments, breakdown services or sharing feedback.

Bounce Partners With Chara For Rare-Earth Free And Hyper-Efficient Motors For Its Fleet Electrification

* Bounce will use Chara’s locally produced electric motors for its owned fleet of EVs

Bounce, India’s first smart urban mobility solution, has signed a deal with Chara, a Bengaluru-based deep-tech startup that has developed motor technology which  is rare-earth free, hyper-efficient and easier/cheaper to build. The partnership will lead  to  locally produced electric motors for its owned fleet of EVs. The partnership will see Chara design and manufacture customized motors for Bounce based on Chara’s innovative motor and drive technologies. . This development is a part of Bounce’s strategy to develop its owned fleet of EVs deployed for its mobility solutions. With localization of the core component of the electric vehicle, Bounce will save a ton of imports : motors and its associated controllers are now imported in all EVs deployed in India.

Speaking on this announcement, Vivekananda H R, Co-Founder, Bounce said, “EV adoption in India has been hampered by dependence on imports for the core components of the drive-train.  We are excited to be partnering with Chara to source locally produced rare earth magnet free electric motors, which will go a long way in maintaining cost efficiencies while making India independent of the global supply of rare earth materials. We are entering a brand new age of electric mobility.”

The world is finally moving away from a hydro-carbon based (Petrol, Diesel, Natural Gas et al. ) economy to an electron (batteries, FCV et al.) based economy. This has led to, amongst many other things, greater dependence on rare-earths for building our motors, batteries and electronics. This partnership will make EV manufacturing sustainable and empower the local innovation ecosystem.

Rare-Earth minerals are unevenly distributed on this planet and their mining and processing is environmentally harmful. The price of Rare-Earths has increased by 100% over the past year alone. Geopolitical risks and rising global demand for Rare-Earth Magnets can result in supply bottlenecks and increased price volatility. Thus under the current circumstances, Chara’s motors come with various advantages. Decoupling from Rare-Earth magnets, Chara’s motors are made with more 100% locally sourced, sustainable raw materials, which can reduce the motor cost by up to 40%. Their simple construction and fault tolerant electrical design provide a robust motor with high temperature tolerance.

On this partnership, Founder and CEO of Chara, Bhaktha Keshavachar said, “This partnership is a testament to our ability to partner with innovative companies that are striving towards a common goal of a more sustainable future. It is necessary to invest in deep tech to build technologies that can help us move towards sustainability in the long term and also help the country to play a more significant role in the electric transformation than just to remain as consumers.“

The novel motors custom designed by Chara for Bounce will be locally manufactured and deployed in Bounce’s fleet at the beginning of next year. The motor, when deployed, will be the first of its kind in the world and opens up opportunities in other platforms, in  domestic and foriegn markets.

About Bounce

Bounce is India's first intelligent dock-less urban mobility solution with a mission of making daily commute stress-free, time-saving, reliable and convenient. Founded in 2014 by Vivekananda H.R., Anil G and Varun Agni, this Bangalore based start-up aims to decongest the roads by encouraging commuters to choose public transport and provide a seamless first/last mile connectivity. With its patented key-less technology, Bounce users can pick up/drop the bikes, bicycles or electric bikes anywhere in the city at any time. https://bounceshare.com/

About Chara

Founded by industry veterans, Chara is a deep-tech startup on a mission to make our electric future sustainable. Chara develops scalable, cloud-controlled, and rare earth magnet-free Hardware and Software platforms for the Switched Reluctance Motor and other magnet-free motor technologies. Backed by game changing IP in motor and control design, Chara’s motors are robust, high performance and hyper-efficient with low manufacturing cost. Chara has been backed by Kalaari, Ciie@IIMA and IISc. http://www.charatechnologies.com/

JK Tyre & Industries Ropes In Narain Karthikeyan As The New Brand Ambassador

* India’s first F1 driver will represent JK Tyre brand across platforms 

Indian tyre industry major & the market leader in Truck Bus Radial segment, JK Tyre & Industries Ltd., has assigned Padma Shri Awardee and India’s first Formula One driver Narain Karthikeyan as its brand ambassador. He will be the face of the brand to exemplify the company’s quest of driving innovation and excellence in the industry. 

In alignment with its brand values and strategy, JK Tyre has found an embodiment of trust, and high performance in Narain Karthikeyan. The highly admirable Narain, a legend for the Indian motorsport enthusiasts, personifies the commitment of the brand towards greatness, quality and technological innovations in their products and services.  

Commenting on the association, Dr. Raghupati Singhania, Chairman & Managing Director, JK Tyre & Industries said, “We are delighted to have Narain Karthikeyan represent JK Tyre brand in the country. Narain is committed to a large community of motorsports in India and his excellence aligns perfectly with the vision of JK Tyre. With his enigmatic persona, we hope to further enhance and strengthen the brand while building greater visibility.” 

Expressing excitement on the collaboration, Narain Karthikeyan said, “I am proud to be associated with one of the most respected and pioneer brands. JK Tyre has achieved great milestones in the past with its unwavering commitment towards delivering best in class products and services and I’m eagerly looking forward to embarking on this exciting journey together with JK Tyre brand.”

Narain Karthikeyan is the first racing driver to make his debut in Formula 1 from India in 2005. In his career, he has competed in A1GP, Le Mans Series and won multiple races in A1GP, British F3, World Series by Nissan, AutoGP, Formula Asia, British Formula Ford & Opel series.

About JK Tyre & Industries Limited

The flagship company of JK Organisation, JK Tyre & Industries Ltd is amongst the top 25 manufacturers in the world. Pioneers of radial technology, the Company produced the first radial tyre in 1977 and is currently the market leader in Truck Bus Radial segment. The Company provides end-to-end solutions across segments of passenger vehicles, commercial

A global force, JK Tyre is present in over 105 countries with over 180 Global distributors. The Company has 12 globally benchmarked ‘sustainable’ manufacturing facilities - 9 in India and 3 in Mexico – that collectively produce around 35 million tyres annually. The Company also has a strong network of over 6000 dealers and 650+ dedicated Brand shops called as Steel Wheels and Xpress Wheels.

JK Tyre’s unwavering commitment towards innovation is reflected through its state-of-the-art global research and technology centre – the Raghupati Singhania Centre of Excellence - in Mysore, which houses some of the world’s finest technologies and techniques.

JK Tyre launched India’s first ever ‘Smart Tyre’ technology-and introduced Tyre Pressure Monitoring Systems (TPMS) which monitors the tyre’s vital statistics, including pressure and temperature. The company recently rolled out its 20 millionth Truck/Bus Radial tyre becoming the first and the only Indian company to achieve this milestone.

It is the only Indian tyre manufacturer to be included in the list of Superbrands India in 2019 for the seventh consecutive year. JK Tyre has been conferred the Sword of Honour for Safety across its plants by the British Safety Council, UK. The company entered the Limca Book of Records with the country’s largest off-the-road tyre - VEM 04.

JK Tyre is also synonymous with motorsport in the country. For over three decades, the Company has relentlessly worked towards shaping India’s positioning as the motorsport hub of Asia, developing the right infrastructure for the sport and promoting young talent in the arena.

Riding On Its Success In The SUV Segment, Tata Motors Launches The XTA+ Variants Of Harrier And Safari

* Offers a 6 speed Automatic Transmission & a Panoramic Sunroof at an accessible price

Tata Motors, one of India’s leading automotive brands today launched the XTA + variants of its flagship SUVs Harrier and Safari. These new variants will come with 6-speed Automatic Transmission & a Panoramic Sunroof, and will be priced at INR. 19.14 lakhs for the Harrier XTA+, INR. 19.34 lakhs for the Harrier XTA+ #Dark and INR. 20.08 lakhs for the Safari XTA+. The Harrier and Safari are collectively leading the High SUV segment with a 41.2% market share (as of Q1 FY22) and the XTA+ variants will further add more dynamism to the entire offering, strengthening the portfolio in this fast growing segment.

Commenting on the introduction of these new variant, Mr. Vivek Srivatsa, Head - Marketing, Passenger Vehicle Business Unit, Tata Motors said, “We are ecstatic at the response received by the Harrier and the Safari. The sheer love of our customers has helped us attain the pole position in the high SUV segment. Keeping our customer’s requirement as the top most priority and in line with our New Forever philosophy of continuously updating our portfolio with new products and features, we are delighted to introduce the latest variants - The Harrier XTA+ and The Safari XTA+. Equipped with two of the most demanded features, these XTA+ variants will come equipped with a  6 speed Automatic Transmission providing an effortless driving experience and a Panoramic Sunroof with functionalities like Global Close, Anti Pinch & Rain Sensing closure to name a few.”

Powered by the Kryotec 2.0 diesel engine, the new XTA+ variants come equipped with a host of other features like the projector headlamps, dual function LED DRLS, R17 alloy wheels, floating island 7” touchscreen infotainment system with 8 Speakers (4 Speakers + 4 Tweeters), Android Auto & Apple Car Play connectivity, push button start, fully automatic temperature control, reverse parking camera, auto headlamps and rain sensing wipers and more. Additionally, the Safari offers iRA connected car features, mood lighting, cruise control & tyre pressure monitoring system. Keeping in mind the safety of passengers, the new XTA+ variant in both the products offers Dual Front Airbags, an advanced ESP, fog lamps & reverse parking camera as standard features.

Built on the very reliable OMEGARC architecture, which in turn is derived from Land Rover's legendary D8 platform, the Harrier and Safari possess the perfect combination of stunning design and performance, meeting the needs of today's SUV customers, who want plush and comfortable interiors, unparalleled versatility, go-anywhere experience, top-notch safety and most up-to-date connected car technology for a modern, multifaceted lifestyle.

To know more about The Harrier and the all-new Safari, please visit our website https://cars.tatamotors.com/suv/.

9 In 10 Top Sellers In India Use Sales Tech To Close Deals In Hybrid World: LinkedIn State Of Sales APAC 2021

* 7 In 10 Sellers In India Agree That Sales Tech Helps Them Build Trust And Stronger Relationships With Buyers

LinkedIn, the world’s largest professional network, today launched the third edition of the ‘State of Sales’ APAC 2021 report to understand how these times of change are challenging the world of sales today. Based on the responses of 400 buyers and 400 sellers in India, survey findings reveal seven enduring trends that can help sales organizations stay one step ahead of change. 

Selling changed forever in 2020, and this year, virtual selling has in fact become the norm. 74% of Indian buyers say that working remotely has also made the purchasing process easier. This year it has become evident that sales organizations and sales managers must prepare for an ongoing hybrid working world moving forward. This trend comes at a time when 90% of India’s sales managers say that the ability to cope with change is more important now, than 5 years ago.

LinkedIn data also states that sales leaders indicate that hiring may also change in two more crucial ways. First, with the rise of remote work, sales organizations will be able to hire talent from virtually anywhere in the world — not just the cities where their offices are located. Beyond diversifying the locales of their sales professionals, companies can also expand the diversity of their sales teams when it comes to gender, race, and other characteristics.

As communication, trust, and sales tech becomes imperative in the virtual world of sales, the LinkedIn State of Sales APAC 2021 report highlights 7 trends that showcase how sales professionals are leaning on data-driven strategies and intelligence tools to understand buyer needs, build trusted relationships, and close business deals. 

Virtual selling is good for sellers; it’s even better for buyers

Sales organizations are preventing sellers from putting buyers first

Sales organizations and sales managers must prepare for an ongoing hybrid working world

Misleading product information and low understanding of the situation block deals

Sales technology provides the key pathway to building trust

Evolving sales operations roles are reinforcing data-driven strategies

Buyers and sellers are finding greater connection on LinkedIn

“When the pandemic arrived, it moved the needle for sellers who had previously kept virtual selling at arm’s length. Today, nearly 90% of top sales professionals use sales technology to close deals, a strong indicator of how sales intelligence tools such as Sales Navigator are helping buyers build trusted relationships in the remote world. For sales orgs, data is more crucial than ever, and sales leaders are increasingly using real-time data and insights to inform their planning and sales strategy,” says Abhai Singh, Head, LinkedIn Sales Solutions, India.

Here are some of the key findings from The State of Sales 2021 report:

Virtual selling is good for sellers; it’s even better for buyers: India saw a 7X jump in remote job postings on LinkedIn since the start of the pandemic. As a result, buyers have been difficult to reach anywhere but virtually. This online shift has cemented the future of virtual selling in India, encouraging many sellers to embrace tech solutions such as sales enablement and sales intelligence tools in these times of change. Buyers in India appear to like this arrangement as 74% say working remotely has made the purchasing process easier. 

Sales organizations are preventing sellers from putting buyers first: The pandemic has urged salespeople to consider the buyer’s economic and emotional condition, before making a sales pitch. This ‘buyer-first’ approach is critical to attracting more customers, but the report suggests that it’s yet to come into practice. Around 77% of sellers in India say they ‘always’ put the buyer first, but only 41% of buyers agree. This disconnect is particularly prevalent across sales organizations who unwittingly put up barriers that prevent their own sellers from serving their buyers’ needs such as active engagement, product trials, and price transparency.

Sales organizations and sales managers must prepare for an ongoing hybrid working world: This shift to remote operations has also enveloped the sales landscape as India witnessed an 11x increase in the number of postings of remote sales jobs on LinkedIn, ever since the pandemic struck. As COVID-19 continues to accelerate change in the world of sales, 90% of sales managers in India agree that the ability to cope with change today is more important than it was, 5 years ago. Against this backdrop, data reveals that sales operations, sales enablement, and customer success will remain a hiring property across sales organizations today, and in the near future.

Misleading product information and low understanding of the situation block deals: In these times of change, many organizations have found it tough to keep pace with evolving customer demands. But it remains imperative for sellers to perceive the changing customer aspirations and adapt to them consistently. Because data indicates that misleading product information (53%) and inadequate understanding of competitors’ products and services (44%) are the top deal killers in India today. In fact, 40% of buyers also said that a lack of personalized messaging, not understanding the buyer’s company and needs, and not understanding their own product or service are some more deal breakers today

Sales technology provides the key pathway to building trust: In India, 97% of buyers in India consider their salespeople as trusted advisors. This indicates the importance of trust when closing business deals. But given the hard stop on in-person interactions due to COVID-19, sellers are leaning on tech tools to build trust among their customers as 68% of sellers agree that sales tech helps them build stronger relationships with buyers. Further, 88% of India’s sales professionals also state that their organizations have plans to invest in more sales intelligence tools, while 89% agree that sales technology is very important to help them close deals in this remote reality.

Evolving sales operations roles are reinforcing data-driven strategies: The digitization of sales operations and its growing role in strategic planning has put the spotlight on data-driven strategies today. Sales organizations are increasingly using data for a range of tasks, such as sales planning and sales strategy. The most common benefits of data among sales organizations include evaluating patterns from business win, assessing performance, and selecting industries to target. In fact, CRM has also emerged as a key source of data, with 78% of top sellers relying on its efficiency.

Buyers and sellers are finding greater connection on LinkedIn: With traditional ways of meeting and connecting with clients now on the halt, buyers and sellers are increasing their reliance on LinkedIn since the pandemic. Benefitting from the platform’s powerful sales insights, 85% of sellers say they are committed to expanding their LinkedIn network in 2021. Platform tools such as LinkedIn Sales Navigator help sales professionals to find the right client in the right market. In fact, 77% of top sellers in India plan to write ‘many more articles’ this year, to share content that can position themselves as thought leaders in their industries.

Aurabeat, USFDA Approved Anti-Covid Class 2 Medical Device For SARS-COV-2 Disinfection Launched In India

Aurabeat, USFDA approved anti-Covid Class 2 medical device for SARS-COV-2 disinfection was launched in India today.  Hong Kong-based Aurabeat has developed the patented AG+ five-stage sterilization purifying technology after extensive research in the field of air filtration for over a decade, Aurabeat’s AG+ Pro Silver Ion Antiviral Air Purifier cleans the air up to 3.4 times in one hour while actively eliminating bacteria and viruses from air and surfaces. Apart from USFDA, the product is it is certified by MRI Global, ATCC (American Type Culture Collection), SGS (General Society of Surveillance-Geneva), FC, CE, ISO, UL, RoHS, UKRI Medical Research Council, CEN European Committee for Standardization, . Aurabeat is used in over 200 hospitals, 200+ schools protecting the air from COVID-19 in more than 40 countries.

Phil Yuen, CEO, Aurabeat, Hong Kong, said during the India launch, “We launched Aurabeat Anti-Covid disinfection technology in response to the global pandemic. We realized the urgent need for enclosed environments to be disinfected of the Covid-19 virus if mankind is to be kept safe. We have had demand surge for our anti-Covid disinfection products, and we are ramping up production to meet global demand.”

Venkat Duddukuri, CEO, Aurabeat India, added, “We are witnessing a resurgence of Covid cases across the globe, as also in India, and if any semblance of normalcy is to return, people’s freedom to return to their normal activities must be restored. Offices, schools, colleges, restaurants, theatres, can be cleansed of the Covid-19 virus with Aurabeat’s globally proven and approved technology.” According to the actual experimental test results using COVID-19 viruses in a US virology laboratory, MRI Global, Aurabeat  AG+ Silver ion Antiviral air purifier proved to effectively eliminate 99.9% COVID19 in 15 minutes. Other experimental tests have also proven that Aurabeat AG+ silver ion air sterilization purifying technology can kill 99.9% influenza viruses, fungi staphylococcus aureus and E.coli.

The company is a global leader in air filtration technology and boasts of a strong presence in more than 40 countries across the globe. Aurabeat patented silver ion technology relies on a premium five-stage filtration mechanism which has previously been used in medical equipment making the Aurabeat products extremely reliable and trustworthy. Apart from this, pollutants like nitrogen dioxide, carbon monoxide, sulphur dioxide, formaldehyde, etc., can also be eliminated from the air using the Aurabeat air purifiers. This technology is highly efficient for indoor pollution in hospitals, homes, schools, movie theatres, restaurants, offices, among others.

73% Of Indian Organizations Expect To Experience A Breach Of Customer Records In The Next Year

* Trend Micro Cyber Risk Index shows organizations are at an elevated risk of attack

Trend Micro Incorporated (TYO: 4704; TSE: 4704), a global cybersecurity leader, today revealed that the risk of cyber attacks has increased in the last year. According to a new survey, 73% of organizations in India report they are likely to experience a data breach that impacts customer data in the next 12 months.

The findings come from Trend Micro’s biannual Cyber Risk Index (CRI) report, which measures the gap between respondents’ cybersecurity preparedness versus their likelihood of being attacked. In the first half of 2021, the CRI surveyed more than 3,600 businesses of all sizes and industries across Asia-Pacific, North America, Europe, and Latin America.

The CRI is based on a numerical scale of -10 to 10, with -10 representing the highest level of risk. The current index for India stands at -0.69, which indicates an “elevated” risk.

“Once again we’ve found plenty to keep CISOs awake at night, from operational and infrastructure risks to data protection, threat activity and human-shaped challenges,” said Vijendra Katiyar, Country Manager, India & SAARC, Trend Micro. “To lower cyber risk, organizations must be better prepared by going back to basics, identifying the critical data most at risk, focusing on the threats that matter most to their business, and delivering multi-layered protection from comprehensive, connected platforms.”

Indian organizations ranked the top three negative consequences of an attack as lost IP, critical infrastructure damage/disruption, and cost of outside consultants and experts.

Key findings for India from the report include:

57% said it was somewhat to very likely that they’d suffer serious cyber-attacks in the next 12 months.

34% suffered 7+ cyber attacks that infiltrated networks/systems.

20% had 7+ breaches of information assets.

30% of respondents said they’d suffered 7+ breaches of customer data over the past year.

“Trend Micro’s CRI continues to be a helpful tool to help companies better understand their cyber risk,” said Dr. Larry Ponemon, CEO for the Ponemon Institute. “Businesses globally can use this resource to prioritize their security strategy and focus their resources to best manage their cyber risk. This type of resource is increasingly useful as harmful security incidents continue to be a challenge for businesses of all sizes and industries.”

Among the top two infrastructure risks was cloud computing. Many respondents admitted they spend “considerable resources” managing third party risks like cloud providers.

In India, the top cyber threats highlighted in the report were as follows:

Ransomware

Watering hole attacks

Botnets

Malicious insiders

Advanced persistent threats (APT)

The top security risks to infrastructure include malicious insiders, cloud computing infrastructure and providers, organizational misalignment and complexity, as well as negligent insiders.

The main challenges for cybersecurity preparedness include organization’s IT security personnel having lack of sufficient knowledge, skill and expertise to protect data assets and IT infrastructure; IT security function complying with data protection and privacy requirements; as well as IT security architecture having high interoperability, scalability and agility.

Read a full copy of the report, produced by the Ponemon Institute, here: https://www.trendmicro.com/cyberrisk.

About Trend Micro 

Trend Micro, a global cybersecurity leader, helps make the world safe for exchanging digital information. Fueled by decades of security expertise, global threat research, and continuous innovation, Trend Micro's cybersecurity platform protects hundreds of thousands of organizations and millions of individuals across clouds, networks, devices, and endpoints. As a leader in cloud and enterprise cybersecurity, the platform delivers a powerful range of advanced threat defense techniques optimized for environments like AWS, Microsoft, and Google, and central visibility for better, faster detection and response. With 7,000 employees across 65 countries, Trend Micro enables organizations to simplify and secure their connected world.