Tata Motors Launches - Tata Punch - Sub-Compact SUV, Priced At Rs. 5.49 Lakhs

Key Highlights

* 1st SUV from the proven ALFA Architecture

* Offers the agility of a hatch with the DNA of an SUV

* Earned the 5-star safety rating of 16.453 points from Global NCAP, highest adult occupant protection rating points any vehicle has received in India

* Comes in 4 distinct ‘Personas’ with customization packs to match diverse lifestyles 

* ARAI certified Fuel efficiency – 18.97 kmpl on MT and 18.82 kmpl on AMT

* Enjoy a spirited Performance with absolute safety, class leading comfort, advanced infotainment and rich connectivity

Tata Motors, India’s leading automobile brand, today launched its latest offering in its ‘New Forever’ range of SUVs, Tata Punch, India’s first sub-compact SUV and the recipient of the much-coveted Global NCAP 5-star rating (16.453) for adult occupant protection and 4-star rating (40.891) for child occupant protection. With several industry-first features up its sleeves, the Tata PUNCH reinforces the four core pillars that define all Tata SUVs- Stunning Design, Versatile and Engaging Performance, Roomy and Spacious Interiors, and Absolute Safety. It will now be available for deliveries over 1000 Tata Motors showrooms nationwide, at a starting price of Rs. 5.49 Lakhs (ex-showroom Delhi).

Speaking at the launch of this exciting new offering, Mr. Shailesh Chandra, President – Passenger Vehicles Business Unit (PVBU), Tata Motors, said: “With PUNCH, we have created an entirely new category altogether to address a growing need for small-in-size cars with a true SUV character. Designed under Impact 2.0 design language, the PUNCH is a stunning, bold SUV. It’s tall stance, high ground clearance and commanding driving position provides an exhilarating driving experience even while navigating all the unexpected challenges that Indian roads throw in one’s way. The class leading comfort, advanced infotainment and connectivity match the high expectations of the increasingly discerning Indian car-buyers. Even ahead of its launch, the PUNCH has already got off to a great start by bagging the GNCAP 5-star rating for safety. This is a proud moment for us not only as an entity but also as an Indian carmaker as we continue to deliver on our promise of safety with almost every new product in the market. We are extremely confident that with the kind of differentiation, the feature package and the absolute safety the PUNCH has to offer, it will definitely make its mark in the dynamic Indian car market in the days to come.”

Tata Motors Design Studios in India, UK, and Italy collaborated to design this unique vehicle which was further engineered and developed by Tata Motors India team to herald the creation of India’s first sub-compact SUV, addressing a growing customer need for a small in size but large in space SUV. Built on the proven and modern Agile Light Flexible Advanced (ALFA) Architecture, the PUNCH incorporates several industry first innovations to enhance both functionality and driving pleasure. Furthermore, in a departure from the conventional industry practice of trims, Tata Motors has adopted a new age, human centric approach in developing the PUNCH family. It will be available both in Manual (MT) and Automatic (AMT) transmission options, in 4 distinct personas with - Pure, Adventure, Accomplished and Creative, to cater to the varied lifestyle of its customers.

The Pure persona has been designed for customers who appreciate minimalism and simplicity and prefer functionality without any complications. The Adventure persona caters to the customers who have a streak of adventure and love for the great outdoors. The Accomplished persona is for the city dweller who loves to make a style statement with host of features to complement the customers’ active metro life. Finally, the Creative persona is tailor-made for the digital native, who prefers information at his/her fingertips and is stacked with features to sync with this customer’s tech-savvy lifestyle. In addition, customers can mark their PUNCH by choosing from 7 vibrant colours and further personalize it with the Rhythm and Dazzle customization packs, in tune with their personality.

HCL Technologies Ltd: Weakness In Products Business Affects Overall Performance

 

BUY

CMP: Rs1251  

Target Price: Rs1380

■    HCLT's operating performance missed expectations in Q2FY22, largely attributed to the decline in Products & Platform business (-8% QoQ CC). Revenue grew 3.5% QoQ in CC terms, below our estimates. EBITM declined 60bps QoQ to 19.0%, missed expectations.

■    It signed 13 large services and 1 product deals across Life sciences and healthcare, telecom, and manufacturing, totaling new deal TCV of USD2.2bn (38% YoY). The strong demand environment and robust deal intake augur well for revenue acceleration.

■    The company reiterated double-digit revenue growth guidance in CC for FY22, implying at least a 2.2% CQGR over Q3-Q4. It also retained 19-21% EBITM guidance for FY22, considering planned investments in Mode 2 capabilities and in certain markets.

■    We lower our FY22E/23E/24E EPS by 3.3%/1.3%/0.8%, factoring in Q2 miss and higher payout. We maintain Buy with a TP of Rs1,380 at 23x Sept'23E EPS, considering attractive valuation (~3% dividend yield, double-digit earnings growth profile, >20% ROE) and anticipated revenue acceleration.

Brand ambassador Shraddha Kapoor Launches Melorra’s First Experience Centre In Mumbai

* With 8 experience centres in Bengaluru, Delhi/NCR, Bhopal, and Mumbai and a digital presence spanning every pin code, Melorra is harmonizing retail

Melorra, India’s fastest growing lightweight D2C fine jewellery brand designing affordable and trendy jewellery for everyday wear has recently announced the launch of its first experience centre in Mumbai. The store was launched by the brand’s ambassador, actor and influencer, Shraddha Kapoor at Phoenix Mall, Lower Parel. The launch takes Melorra’s experience centre count to 8 and the brand will be opening 350 more in the years ahead.

The experience centres are fresh and dynamic. Customers get a seamless choosing and buying experience including the touch, feel and trial of Melorra jewellery. Shraddha has been associated with Melorra since October 2020 and is an integral part of the brand’s fun, quirky, and new-age campaigns. The launch was also attended by Siddharth Talwar, Lightbox Ventures. Melorra is the only lightweight and trendy gold jewellery brand offering Hallmarked pieces to all 718 Indian districts ahead of the government’s mandate of 256. It is also spearheading a campaign to educate consumers about the importance of buying BIS Hallmarked gold jewellery in India in line with the government’s recent announcement.

Speaking about this, Saroja Yeramilli, Founder and CEO, Melorra, said, “It is a moment of great joy for us as we expand our experience centre presence pan India. It was natural for us to have our centre in Mumbai given how women in the city are dynamic and fashionable – and the stores are also new age. We wanted to give them access to both the physical and online experience. We are on our way to becoming the largest lightweight and fine gold jewellery company in India.” 

Adding her comments, Shraddha Kapoor, Actress and Influencer, said, “Melorra is my go-to brand since it resonates with my sense of anytime, anywhere fashion. The brand has proved that gold does not have to be boring but can be as trendy and fashionable as we want. I have admired the brand’s vision right from the time I got associated with them and now, with the extension of their online presence to these experience centres, she has taken it a notch higher. I wish Melorra the best for the times to come.”

Siddharth Talwar, Co-Founder and Partner at LightBox Ventures, added, “The journey of a brand speaks volumes about the founder’s vision and the breakthrough they are bringing in an age-old concept. In this light, Melorra has been a disruptor. It has made gold an everyday accessory and fashionable at the same time, something that Indians could probably never think of! Now, with these physical experience centres, they have come full circle. I wish the brand the best in their journey ahead towards further growth.”

All the experience stores are designed for any of the many journeys a customer may choose to adopt: shop online pickup in store; shop in store ship to home and everything in between. Melorra is also ramping up its team strength and adding people in technology, digital marketing, product management, and UX/UI. Given their rapid offline expansion as well, the brand is increasing its retail team strength, apart from adding designers and CAD and rendering experts. Since inception in 2016, Melorra has delivered to over 2700 pin codes in the country and made its mark everywhere. Going forward, the brand will be launching its international website as well. The brand has been growing at 200% year-on-year and currently stands at a revenue of INR 350 crore. It recently raised $24 million in funding from 9Unicorns, Symphony Asia, Value Quest, and other family offices. Melorra is aiming for $1 billion in revenue five years from now.

About Melorra

Melorra is the fastest growing trend-inspired fine jewellery brand in India. In operations since May 2016, Melorra creates BIS Hallmarked and 100% certified gold and diamond pieces in sync with global fashion trends that are fun, easy to wear and crafted to complement a woman's everyday wardrobe. They have over 25 quality check processes in place to make sure that all their jewellery pieces are of the finest quality. Melorra's jewellery can be experienced on desktop, iOS and Android, and through their new age digital experience centers in Delhi, Bangalore and Bhopal.

Tinder Opens This Season’s Hottest New Venue: Tinder Explore In India

Tinder opens its virtual doors to Explore, a newly-created hub within the app that hosts completely new, interactive ways to use Tinder.  With Explore, members now have more control over who they meet by giving them the option to navigate through profiles arranged by interest, while also allowing them to access a growing list of exclusive social experiences, such as Hot Takes, Vibes and Swipe Night - with many more to follow. Explore represents the biggest update to Tinder since the invention of the original Swipe feature, and in early testing nearly 80% of eligible Tinder members have flocked to try it. 

“A new generation of daters is asking for more from us in the post-Covid world: more ways to have fun and interact with others virtually and more control over who they meet on Tinder,” said Renate Nyborg, CEO of Tinder.  “Today’s launch of Explore is a major step in creating a deeper, multi-dimensional, interactive experience for our members that expands the possibilities of Tinder as a platform.”

Explore is a dynamic space that will consistently add new social experiences and will evolve its discovery options so members can find someone new for whatever they’re into.  At launch, the following options will be available:.

Now Members Have More Control Over Who They Meet

Mix It Up, Discover By Interest

In Explore, members can discover potential matches for every mood and activity.  Members can find a snack in Foodies, someone on their level in Gamers, or a partner to split their headphones with in Music Lovers.  Whether they’re looking to find a match to march with in Social Causes or to complete their power couple in Entrepreneurs, Explore will provide members the ability to direct their matching experience themselves. New interests will launch on a regular basis so members can find someone new for whatever they’re into.

Photo Verification, which is the most popular Trust & Safety feature on Tinder, allows members to self-authenticate through a series of real-time posed selfies, which are compared to existing profile photos using human-assisted AI technology. Photo Verified profiles display a blue checkmark and for the first time members can choose to see only Photo Verified profiles through a dedicated space in Explore.  

A New Home for Social Experiences

Participation in social experiences on Tinder has made it clear that Gen Z wants more ways to meet someone. Swipe Night, the first social experience Tinder launched, drew crowds of more than 20 million and led to a 26% increase in matches.  This success paved the way for more social experiences on Tinder, which have become an incredibly popular way for members to match and interact with new people.  Now Explore will be the home for this growing list of experiences, which includes Vibes, a weekly event that gives members a new way to express their opinions on everything from whether it’s normal to wear socks in bed to what’s happening in pop culture. As previously announced, the next installation of Swipe Night will be available in Explore in November.   

‘Hot Takes’ Now Part of Explore

Hot Takes, a nightly social experience, can now be joined directly from Explore. Hot Takes gives members the opportunity to chat with someone before they match in a low-stakes quiz on popular culture and opinions. As the timer counts down they’ll choose if they want to pair off as a match or let the timer expire to meet someone new. This is the first time members can chat before they match, letting their flirty banter be their first impression. Hot Takes has attracted millions of members since it launched in the US and the UK earlier this Summer and is available daily from 6 p.m. - midnight local time. 

Explore and Hot Takes will be available globally for all members by mid-October.  

*Tinder usage data from members in Australia and New Zealand, August 2021

Experts Highlight Damaging Effects Of Visual Impairment And Importance Of Eliminating Preventable Loss Of Sight

* On World Sight Day, aim to ‘Love Your Eyes’ and ensure good care. Millions of people in India live with preventable sight loss, making regular eye screening, enabling timely diagnosis and disease management crucial

* Widely prevalent yet under-diagnosed in India, common eye diseases include cataract, glaucoma, age-related Macular Degeneration (AMD) and Diabetic Macular Edema (DME)

* Holistic maintenance of eye health is important, even amongst the younger population

More than two billion individuals live with eye conditions globally, with India alone home to millions of people suffering from preventable vision loss. According to AIIMS’ National Blindness and Visual Impairment Survey India 2015-19, 1.99% of Indians over the age of 50 years suffer from blindness.[i] While the number of Indians facing potential blindness is alarming, an even bigger concern is that the contributing conditions are greatly under-diagnosed.

As a result, a significant percentage of people suffer from permanent loss of vision due to factors including cataract (the clouding of the eyes’ lens), which is responsible for 66.2% of blindness cases amongst individuals aged 50 years or older,[ii] glaucoma (damage to the optic nerve) or retinal diseases like Age-related Macular Degeneration (AMD) and Diabetic Macular Edema (DME), which affect the layer of tissue in the back of one’s eye. AMD and DME, that are leading causes of blindness, are chronic and progressive retinal diseases that can be effectively managed with early detection and timely treatment. Glaucoma is also one of the leading causes of blindness for people aged 60 or older.

Common signs and symptoms

One must be alert and visit an Ophthalmologist or a Retina specialist in case of any of these symptoms:

• Blurred or fuzzy or distorted vision

• Impaired colour vision

• Decreased contrast or colour sensitivity

• Experiencing dark spots in vision

• Straight lines that appear wavy or crooked

• Difficulty seeing at a distance

• Gradual Vision loss

Dr. Mahesh Shanmugam, Head of the Department, Ocular Oncology and Vitreoretinal diseases, Sankara Eye Hospital, Bangalore said, “At our tertiary hospital, 20% of the patients are children and a majority of them benefit from glass prescriptions. In adults, among those with preventable blindness we see approximately 16% retinal disease patients, 15.8% Glaucoma patients and 21% Cataract patients in a month. Timely diagnosis and treatment is  key for effective management of these conditions. If the conditions such as glaucoma or diabetic retinopathy are not treated appropriately in time, they can result in irreversible blindness. Routine eye screening especially for the elderly and diabetic patients should be prioritized as it can help in early detection and diagnosis, which is imperative to enable timely care and prevent vision loss.”

World Sight Day, celebrated on October 14th, marks an opportunity to raise awareness about retinal diseases and showcase the community’s commitment to support the millions of people nationwide living with preventable vision loss. This year’s theme, ‘Love Your Eyes,’ re-establishes the importance of giving one’s eyes the due care they deserve. World Sight Day forms a key opportunity to promote the need for regular eye screenings. Building on this, enshrined as part of the United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goals, nations have made eye-health integral to their SDG efforts.[iii] Starting at a young age, undertaking holistic steps to maintain optimal eye health is vital to prevent the onset or progression of eye diseases. This includes timely eye exams, staying alert to early warning signs such as blurry or double vision, limiting continuous screen exposure and blocking harmful UV rays, and reducing behaviours that could induce eye complications, including smoking.

Untreated Eye Diseases: The Double Threat 

DME is a complication of diabetic retinopathy, affecting the back of the eye (the retina). It is estimated that by 2040, India will have the second highest number of diabetes cases in the world – with a proportionate rise in cases of preventable vision loss. According to research, 17.6% to 28.9% of diabetics suffer from diabetic retinopathy in India, largely affecting the country’s working age population. For a nation with a population of 1.3 billion people, this translates into significant disease burden as well as impacts on quality of life, productivity and the economy. A similar situation is evident in the case of AMD, which is the leading cause of vision loss among the elderly. Wet macular degeneration (wet AMD) is a chronic and degenerative disease. Timely commencement of treatment not only slows the degeneration, but also helps one maintain their eyesight.

Other diseases such as Glaucoma and cataract worsen with age and are medical conditions that may cause irreversible vision loss if untreated. Glaucoma is often neglected until a significant amount of damage has occurred. Those with a family history of glaucoma, or above the age of 40, are especially at risk.

Treating & Managing Eye Diseases

Early detection is vital to prevent vision loss, and recognizing its symptoms and undergoing screening can be key to this. There are various treatment options available that can limit disease progression and consulting an ophthalmologist to discuss available treatment modalities is a key step to understanding options that can be beneficial for maintaining eye health. Some of the options available in India include laser photocoagulation, anti-VEGF (Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor) injections, surgery and combination therapy which includes laser and anti-VEGF treatment. These are especially important to consider now, considering the gaps in treatment and routine eye care during the COVID pandemic, which led to health complications for affected patients, including the younger population. 

Strictly adhering to prescribed treatments and recommended lifestyle modifications will help individuals keep their eye diseases in check, so they can benefit from improved outcomes. 

#CricketTwitter: A Look At India’s Cricket Fever In Numbers

In India, cricket fever is a phenomenon, and it soars higher during big-ticket tournaments. In fact, cricket is a massive conversation on Twitter in India with fans coming to the service for a second-screen experience like no other. Amidst nail-biting finishes and thrilling catches, Twitter’s virtual stadium is always echoing with fans’ cheers - sharing ball-by-ball updates of matches, supporting their favourite teams, and most of all - spreading their collective love for the sport. 

As cricket’s winning streak continues to grow on the service, Twitter took a look at cricket conversations from the past year - finding that, between 01 July 2020 - 01 July 2021, there have been over 75 million conversations about cricket on the service in India. Here’s what fans on Twitter have been talking about the most over the past year (July 2020 - July 2021) -

* Top Hashtags: With cricket conversations heating up during bigger events and cricket leagues, fans take no breathers from expressing their support. From the most used hashtags, it seems like CSK fans have been cheering the loudest on Twitter!

#whistlepodu

#ipl2020

#yellove

#ipl2021

#csk

* Top Emojis: Fans’ passion for cricket inspires a roller-coaster of emotions, and they take to Twitter to express these through emojis. Whether it was the nerves of a last-over thriller, or favourite players slamming fours and sixes, these were the emojis that fans used the most. 

* Top Athletes: Waves of support continued to pour in through the year as fans came together to share love and encouragement for their favourite players. From on-field MVPs across matches to eternal legends off the field, these were the most talked about athletes - 

Virat Kohli (@imVkohli)

MS Dhoni (@msdhoni)

Rohit Sharma (@ImRo45)

Sachin Tendulkar (@sachin_rt)

Suresh Raina (@ImRaina)

* Top Cities: Fans across cities in the country chimed in with their interests and insights around the nationally-loved sport, keeping Twitter abuzz with conversations. These cities roared the loudest in cricket conversations on Twitter - 

Mumbai 

Kolkata

Bengaluru

New Delhi 

Chennai 

* Top Cricket Events: Big-ticket matches and tournaments remained at the forefront of cricket conversations on Twitter, and these were the events that had fans Tweeting the most - 

ICC Cricket World Cup 

Indian Premier League 

ICC World Twenty20

International One Day Cricket 

International Test Match Cricket

Priya Nixon, Sports Partnerships Manager at Twitter in India, said, “Cricket is undoubtedly one of the most celebrated sports in India, and Twitter has been the centre-stage for fans to talk about it. Our service provides a front-row seat to cricket fans across the world, and we’re always working towards enhancing how people experience this conversation about their favourite sport. It’s exciting to see how fans have been enjoying the #CricketTwitter conversation and it encourages us to continue building on this momentum to let fans make the most of Twitter and enjoy what they care so much about.”

Recently, Twitter had also launched the #CricketTwitter campaign to support fans’ passion for the sport and help them with several new ways to participate in the conversation. Fans can follow the Cricket Topic on Twitter - which uses AI and machine learning to deliver specific interest-related Tweets to people’s timelines. They can also stay tuned into the latest from the world of cricket through Event Pages, as well as by creating and following Twitter Lists of their favourite teams and players like these - Cricket, India Cricket, Delhi Capitals IPL team, Chennai Super Kings Team, among others.

ZEEL Announces New A-La-Carte Channel & Bouquet Pricing In Compliance With New Tariff Order (NTO) 2.0

* Reaffirms its commitment to offer highest value to subscribers across India with maximum flexibility and unlimited entertainment

Zee Entertainment Enterprises Ltd. (ZEEL), the leading Indian media and entertainment powerhouse, released its new a-la-carte channel and bouquet pricing in line with the Bombay High Court order dated 30.06.2021 with regard to New Tariff Order (NTO) 2.0, to serve the diverse entertainment preferences of the millions of viewers across India. The said pricing is being released without prejudice to ZEEL’s rights and contentions under all petitions pending adjudication before the Hon’ble Supreme Court w.r.t. New Tariff Order (NTO) 2.0.

Right since its inception over nearly three decades, ZEEL has built a strong and deep-rooted bond with its viewers across the country. ZEE offers the finest variety of entertainment across multiple viewer segments and genres, with the widest network footprint of 67 channels in 11 languages. With a pan India network encompassing a weekly reach of 606 million viewers and weekly consumption of 163 billion+ minutes*; it has one of the highest viewership bases across Hindi and regional language markets, including Marathi, Bangla, Kannada, Telugu, Tamil, Malayalam, Bhojpuri, Odia, Punjabi and English in the GEC, movies, news, music, lifestyle and HD genres.

Speaking about the new channel pricing, Rahul Johri, President – Business, South Asia, Zee Entertainment Enterprises Ltd. said, “ZEEL’s unparalleled success is an outcome of its strong bond with viewers spread across India and the deep relationship it has built with the entire stakeholder community. These extraordinary partnerships have led to our leadership across multiple markets for nearly three decades. We will continue to create value for the entire ecosystem by presenting the most entertaining and highest quality content, enriching national and regional channels and through innovative solutions for revenue monetization. We are confident that post implementation of NTO 2.0, ZEE channels will continue their growth momentum across markets and create higher value for the company.”

Commenting on the announcement, Atul Das, Chief Revenue Officer – Affiliate Sales, said “At ZEEL, we are committed to providing the best entertainment to our consumers. The new pricing regime in 2019 brought in a major shift in the way television was consumed in India. On one hand, it brought in transparency about MRP of channels, while on the other hand it offered freedom to consumers to select channels they wish to watch. With NTO 2.0, consumers will get even more flexibility     in selection of channels. We will continue to provide multiple bouquets to consumers across the country at different price points. Premium English channels like Zee Café and &flix will continue to be available in a separate bouquet. Each bouquet constitutes a mix of channels, including GEC, movies, news, music and lifestyle genres. We look forward to working with our Distribution Platform Operators (DPO) partners for a smooth transition.”

ZEEL’s expertise in creating pathbreaking and entertaining original content that resonates with millions of viewers has led to its compelling leadership. On average, it produces 419 hours of new content every week, making it one of the most invested consumer brands in India. Gearing up for the festive season, it has lined up to launch 40 fiction, 20 non-fiction new shows across multiple languages. Having the largest movie channel portfolio in Hindi, English, and regional languages, it will present 40 World Television Premieres across its channels over the next few months, making it a compelling entertainment option for the millions of consumers.

Besides holding a strong position in the Hindi speaking markets with household brands like Zee TV, Zee Cinema, &TV, &pictures and Zee Anmol; it enjoys long-standing leadership in Bangla and Marathi markets with Zee Bangla and Zee Marathi. It has a wide presence in the southern states with Zee Kannada, Zee Telugu, Zee Tamil and Zee Keralam and has further built leadership in fast-growing language markets like Bhojpuri, Punjabi, Odia with Zee Biskope, Zee Punjabi and Zee Sarthak, respectively. The company also has a very strong movie channel portfolio, with Zee Cinema, &Pictures, Zee Bollywood, Zee Action, Zee Anmol Cinema and Zee Classic in the Hindi speaking markets; Zee Talkies and Zee Chitramandir in the west; Zee Cinemalu, Zee Picchar and Zee Thirai in the south; and Zee Bangla Cinema and Zee Biskope in the east. Further, it also offers a select range of English movie, entertainment and lifestyle channel portfolio including Zee Café, &Flix and &PriveHD, music and youth channels Zing, Zest and 20 HD channels offering the finest viewing experience for the discerning audience.