BMW Motorrad Achieves All-Time Sales High In Indian Market

* 5000 motorcycles delivered to customers in 2021.

* ‘Made in India’ G 310 R and G 310 GS among the top selling models.

BMW Motorrad has continued its upward streak in the premium motorcycle segment with 5000 motorcycles delivered to customers. Overcoming the current sentiment in the two-wheeler industry, BMW Motorrad India will post a growth of over 100% in 2021 as compared to 2020.

Mr. Vikram Pawah, President, BMW Group India said, “Since its inception, BMW Motorrad has redefined the premium motorcycling scenario in India with its dynamic product range and bespoke riding experiences. 2021 has been a phenomenal year for BMW Motorrad in India. Despite the turbulence in two-wheeler industry, we have performed well and achieved exponential growth. We will continue cater to the requirements of the purists while also fulfilling aspirations of a new base of brand fans who want to enter the Motorrad world. We remain committed in our endeavor to excite riding enthusiasts with new launches and curated experiences that truly reflect our motto of ‘Make life a Ride’.”

The momentum was primarily driven by the hugely popular BMW G 310 R and the BMW G 310 GS motorcycles which commanded a share of nearly 90% of the yearly sales. The BMW C 400 GT, R 1250 GS / GSA, The BMW R18 Classic, the BMW S 1000 R and the BMW M 1000 RR were also a favourite among motorcycle enthusiasts.

Throughout the year, BMW Motorrad India kept up the pace with a strong product offensive. A slew of new launches such as the all-new BMW C 400 GT, the BMW R 1250 GS and BMW R 1250 GS Adventure, the BMW R nine T and BMW R nine T Scrambler, the BMW S 1000 R, the all-new BMW M 1000 RR and BMW R 18 Classic excited the motorcycling community with feature-rich, performance driven bikes with best-in-class riding dynamics.

BMW Financial Services India played a strategic role in expanding the footprint of BMW Motorrad in India. The customised and flexible financial solutions were significantly valuable to premium clientele of BMW Motorrad and helped tremendously in facilitating sales performance.

Photo Caption:: Image (L-R) : Mr. Shivapada Ray, Head, BMW Motorrad India, Mr. Siddharth Rai, BMW Motorrad Customer and Mr. Vikram Pawah, President, BMW Group India.

HFCL Announces Successful Completion Of Raising Of Funds Amounting To Rs 600 Crores By Way Of QIP Issue

HFCL Limited (HFCL), a leading innovation led telecom enterprise has raised ?600 crores via QIP issue. The QIP has shown   an overwhelming response from  the Institutional investors  like Reliance Ventures, Quant Mutual Fund, IIFL Wealth, Elara India, Discovery, Segantii, Millennium amongst others  who participated in the fund raise program of the Company.

The QIP proceeds shall be predominantly utilized towards funding of capital expenditure requirements for setting up of new manufacturing facilities, capacity expansions and expenditure on R&D and product development.

Earlier, the Board of Directors of the Company at its meeting held on September 03, 2021 had passed an enabling resolution to raise funds by way of private placement or preferential issue or public issue or rights issue or qualified institutional placement or through any other permissible mode and/or combination thereof, which was also approved by the shareholders in their 34th annual general meeting held on September 30, 2021.

The Fund Raising Committee of the Board of Directors of the Company decided to raise funds through QIP and the Issue was opened on December 06, 2021 and was closed on December 09, 2021.

The Fund Raising Committee of Directors at its meeting on December 10, 2021, approved the issue and allotment of 8,72,72,727 Equity Shares of Rs 1 each to 21 qualified institutional buyers at the issue price of   Rs 68.75 per Equity Share (including a premium of Rs 67.75 per Equity Share), aggregating to Rs 600 crores. The trading of the newly allotted equity shares will commence from today i.e. December 14, 2021 at the National Stock Exchange of India Limited and BSE Limited.

Commenting on  closure of QIP issue, Mr. Mahendra Nahata, Managing Director, HFCL said, “HFCL has successfully raised ?600 crores via QIP and I am thankful to all  the investors for their overwhelming support and faith posed  in HFCL’s  long term growth strategy. This capital raise will help in accelerating Company’s plan for setting up of new manufacturing facilities, capacity expansions, R&D initiatives and new product development.  With the establishment of new plant for manufacturing of telecom products and the capacity expansion of Optical Fibre, Optical Fibre Cable while also augmenting our Goa and Chennai plants, recent strengthening of the global leadership team and our new investments in product development, HFCL is geared up to capitalise on the upcoming growth opportunity in the decade of digital transformation that we are seeing across industry verticals. With the capacity expansion, the Company would reap rich dividends in form of revenue, market share and profitability gains. The PLI scheme announced by the Government, creation of 5G network, expansion of BharatNet Programme, rapidly growing fiber to the home segment and additional spectrum allocation to the telcos are set to amplify our opportunity spectrum. He also added that the capital expansion will also help in building up of new plant for the manufacture of products for supplies to Defence sector under AtmaNirbhar Bharat / Make in India initiatives and will enable the Company to capture opportunities in Defence segment as well”.

With the proactive Government policies, the Company expects the telecom sector to perform exceptionally well with creation of  new 5G network and increased in broadband penetration in India which is expected to grow rapidly. Policies like BharatNet (wherein the Government has taken the initiative to connect every village with optical fiber cable), PLI scheme in telecom and networking products will boost the Country’s manufacturing capabilities, exports and promote the “Atmanirbhar Bharat” initiative and provide impetus for the development of the telecom sector.

About HFCL

HFCL Limited is a leading technology enterprise engaged in manufacturing of high-end Transmission and Access Equipment, Optical Fiber, Optical Fiber Cables (OFC) and is specialized in setting up modern communication network for Telecom Service Providers, Railways and Defence.

The Company has state-of-the-art Optical Fiber and Optical Fiber Cable manufacturing plants at Hyderabad, Optical Fiber Cable manufacturing plant in Goa and in its subsidiary i.e. HTL Limited at Chennai along with FRP and ARP Rod manufacturing plant in its subsidiary at Hosur.

The Company’s in-house Centre for Excellence in Research located at Gurgaon & Bengaluru along with invested R&D Houses and other collaborators at different locations in India and abroad, innovate futuristic range of technology products and solutions. Some of the newly developed products through R&D are Wi-Fi Systems, Unlicensed Band Radios, Switches, Electronic Fuses, Electro optic devices, and Video Management Systems. There is a suite of products under development, which include Software Defined Radios, Routers, PON, 5G Transport and Radio products, Wi-Fi 6 access points, Point-to-multipoint Radios and Ground Surveillance Radars among others.

LTI Inaugurates Its New New Delivery Center In Madhapur, Hyderabad

* State-of-the-art center to deliver digital, data and cloud solutions to global clients

Larsen & Toubro Infotech (BSE: 540005, NSE: LTI), a global technology consulting and digital solutions company has expanded its Hyderabad operations by setting up a new facility in the city.

The 110,000 sq. ft. state-of-the-art Center is designed and equipped to house over 3,000 employees and will support company’s global operations. The Center will focus on delivering digital, data, and cloud solutions to global clients. The facility hosts new-age amenities related to the safety, security, and overall wellbeing of employees. Located in the Sky View Campus, Hitech City Main Road, Madhapur, the Center is LEED Gold certified by USGBS.

Shri K. T. Rama Rao, Honourable Minister of IT, Industries, MA & UD, Government of Telangana, conveyed: “It is our endeavour to consolidate Telangana’s position as the preferred destination for technology solution providers and talent. We have backed this resolve by the highest order of ease of doing business, resulting in increased entry of global corporations such as LTI, which in turn augment the overall ecosystem. I congratulate LTI on the launch of this new facility and look forward to more of such milestones in the future.” 

Nachiket Deshpande, Executive Board Member & COO, LTI commented: “The city of Hyderabad has a special place in the global technology space that is further complemented by the vast talent pool and an encouraging support by the government. LTI’s new Center in the city will strengthen our operations and play a critical role in our growth aspirations.”

LTI also signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with Indian School of Business, the prestigious business school in Hyderabad, to conduct a research on Digital Readiness. This Digital Readiness Index will serve as a tool to assess the state of digitization in enterprises.

About LTI:

LTI (NSE: LTI) is a global technology consulting and digital solutions Company helping more than 460 clients succeed in a converging world. With operations in 33 countries, we go the extra mile for our clients and accelerate their digital transformation with LTI’s Mosaic platform enabling their mobile, social, analytics, IoT and cloud journeys. Founded in 1997 as a subsidiary of Larsen & Toubro Limited, our unique heritage gives us unrivalled real-world expertise to solve the most complex challenges of enterprises across all industries. Each day, our team of more than 40,000 LTItes enable our clients to improve the effectiveness of their business and technology operations and deliver value to their customers, employees, and shareholders. Find more at http://www.Lntinfotech.com or follow us at @LTI_Global.

eXp Realty Has Exceeded 70,000 Real Estate Agents Globally

* Milestone Represents 69% Agent Growth Since Start of 2021

eXp Realty®, the fastest-growing real estate brokerage in the world and the core subsidiary of eXp World Holdings, Inc. (Nasdaq: EXPI), today announced it has exceeded 70,000 agents globally, representing an increase of 69% when compared to 41,313 agents at the start of 2021. 

The milestone follows a record third quarter in 2021, whereby revenue increased 97% to $1.1 billion and gross profit increased 70% to $79.5 million when compared to the third quarter of 2020. 

“Our agent-centric focus and continuous innovation has allowed us to continue adding real estate agents to the eXp Realty platform in greater numbers every year,” said Glenn Sanford, Founder, Chairman and CEO of eXp World Holdings. “As the fastest-growing real estate brokerage on the planet, we will look to enhance the agent value proposition to continue our eXponential growth well into the future.” 

In 2021, eXp Realty expanded into nine new international locations, including Puerto Rico, Brazil, Italy, Hong Kong, Colombia, Spain, Israel, Panama and Germany. In addition, eXp established SUCCESS® Lending, LLC, a residential lending joint venture with Kind Lending, LLC, as well as the eXp Innovation Hub, a collaborative environment to create services and capabilities that make a difference in the day-to-day life of eXp Realty agents. eXp ended the third quarter of 2021 with a global Net Promoter Score of 69, a measure of agent satisfaction, through the company’s intense focus on the agent experience.

Following are some of the recent teams and agents who have joined eXp Realty in 2021:

Kathy Helbig in St. Louis

Kathy Helbig and her 30-person team joined eXp Realty in April 2021. Her team closed on 303 transactions for $87 million in 2020. 

Chris Fritch in Minneapolis

Chris Fritch and his 12-person team joined eXp Realty in April 2021. In 2020, his team closed 234 transactions for $78 million in sales.

Viet Le and the Pinnacle Team in Minneapolis 

Viet Le and the 44-agent Pinnacle Team, which operates across Minnesota, Wisconsin and Florida, joined eXp Realty in May 2021. The Pinnacle Team closed $107 million in gross sales on 373 transactions in 2020.

Jose Esparza in Northwest Arkansas

Jose Esparza and his 10-person team joined eXp Realty in June 2021. Esparza’s team closed on 215 transactions for $40 million in gross sales in 2020. 

Susan Duncan and High Vistas Realty in Asheville, North Carolina  

Susan Duncan and her 105-agent team joined eXp Realty in July 2021. High Vistas Realty completed $102 million in sales volume on 405 transactions in 2020. 

Alejandro Lopez and GL Capital Team in Mexico

Alejandro Lopez and the 26-person GL Capital Team joined eXp Mexico in August 2021 with operations in Chihuahua, Cancun and Tulum. 

Eric Gedalje and The Janecek Gedalje Group in Lake Havasu City, Arizona

Eric Gedalje and his 12-agent team joined eXp Realty in October 2021. The Janecek Gedalje Group closed $136 million in sales on 346 transactions in 2020.

Shashank Chauhan and Team URRBO of India

Shashank Chauhan and his 8-agent team, URRBO, joined eXp India in November 2021. 

Frank Gray and Abby Realty in Houston 

Frank Gray, founder of Abby Realty, a 472-person independent brokerage, joined eXp Realty in November 2021. The Abby Team completed $399 million in sales on 2,358 transactions in 2020.

About eXp World Holdings, Inc.

eXp World Holdings, Inc. (Nasdaq: EXPI) is the holding company for eXp Realty®, Virbela and SUCCESS® Enterprises.

eXp Realty is the fastest-growing real estate company in the world with more than 70,000 agents in the United States, Canada, the United Kingdom, Australia, South Africa, India, Mexico, Portugal, France, Puerto Rico, Brazil, Italy, Hong Kong, Colombia, Spain, Israel, Panama and Germany, and continues to scale internationally. As a publicly traded company, eXp World Holdings provides real estate professionals the unique opportunity to earn equity awards for production goals and contributions to overall company growth. eXp World Holdings and its businesses offer a full suite of brokerage and real estate tech solutions, including its innovative residential and commercial brokerage model, professional services, collaborative tools and personal development. The cloud-based brokerage is powered by Virbela, an immersive 3D platform that is deeply social and collaborative, enabling agents to be more connected and productive. SUCCESS Enterprises, anchored by SUCCESS magazine and its related media properties, was established in 1897 and is a leading personal and professional development brand and publication. 

For more information, visit https://expworldholdings.com.    

Kalyan Jewellers To Expand Its Footprint With Launch Of A New Showroom At Lulu Mall, Bengaluru

* Located at Lulu Group’s Global Malls in Rajajinagar, the new showroom will be inaugurated on 17th December

* Brings tally of showrooms in Karnataka to 15

Kalyan Jewellers, one of India’s most trusted and leading jewellery brands, today announced that it will open its new showroom at Lulu Group’s ‘Global Malls’ at Rajajinagar, Bengaluru. The new showroom is scheduled to be inaugurated on 17th December 2021, will be the brand’s 15th showroom in Karnataka (7th exclusive outlet in Bengaluru). The showroom launch is part of the company’s larger strategy to expand its footprint in the region, thereby making the retail shopping experience more convenient and accessible for its existing and new customers.

As part of the launch offer, customers can maximise the value of their purchases with upto 25% off on diamond jewellery and upto 20% off on uncut and precious stone jewellery. Kalyan Jewellers has also announced huge discounts on the making charges for its gold jewellery segment. As part of its Gold Rate ‘Big Bachat’Offer, customers can avail an instant discount of Rs. 225 per gram on the prevailing gold price of the day. This unique offer is applicable on purchases above Rs 2.5 lakh, on select plain gold jewellery and can be claimed against making charges. These offers are valid until 31st December 2022 at Kalyan Jewellers showrooms across Karnataka.

Talking about the new showroom launch, Mr. Ramesh Kalyanaraman, Executive Director – Kalyan Jewellers said, “The cosmopolitan diversity makes Bengaluru one of the most interesting locations for our brand and we see huge potential in this market. From preserving its heritage and holding onto its traditional values to adapting the new-age technological advancements, this city is a melting pot of cultures. The wide range of jewellery collections and hyperlocal designs offered at our existing showrooms in Bengaluru clearly reflect the city’s ethos. We aim to continue providing our customers a personalized and service-backed shopping experience in a world-class ambience with highest standards of hygiene protocol.”

The jewellery retailed at Kalyan Jewellers are all BIS hallmarked, and go through multiple purity tests. Patrons will also receive the Kalyan Jewellers 4-Level Assurance Certificate which guarantees Purity, Free Lifetime Maintenance of ornaments, Detailed Product Information and Transparent Exchange and Buy-back policies. The certification is part of the brand’s commitment to offering the very best to its loyalists. 

The showrooms will also stock Kalyan’s popular house brands such as Tejasvi (Polki jewellery), Mudhra (handcrafted antique jewellery), Nimah (Temple jewellery) and Glo (dancing diamonds). Other sections at the showroom include Ziah (Solitaire-like diamond jewellery), Anokhi (uncut diamonds), Apoorva (diamonds for special occasions), Antara (wedding diamonds), Hera (daily wear diamonds) and Rang (precious stones jewellery).

For more information on the brand, its collections and offers, visit https://www.kalyanjewellers.net/

T&C Apply*

MIT xPRO To Upskill Indian Professionals In The Field Of Cybersecurity

* Program launched in collaboration with Emeritus in India aims to make professionals adept at assessing cyber risks, improving defenses, and making their organizations cyber resilient with MIT xPRO. 

MIT xPRO, a professional education program from Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT)—ranked as the number #1 University in the world according to QS World Rankings, 2021 and affiliated with 98 Nobel laureates—has launched a 10-month Post Graduate Certificate in Cybersecurity program. This is the first-ever executive education program from MIT xPRO in collaboration with Emeritus in India. The program has been launched to meet the increasing demand for trained talent in the field of cybersecurity. 

According to numerous industry reports, cybersecurity is a growing challenge for businesses worldwide, and most businesses lack adequate cybersecurity practices. India is expected to have over 1.5 million unfulfilled job vacancies in cybersecurity by 2025 (The Economic Times, 2021). According to the State of Cybersecurity, ISACA, 2021, 32% of Indian organizations said that they experienced more cyberattacks in 2021 than the year before.  

In January 2020, the World Economic Forum had announced that the world is currently facing a dire upskilling emergency. At this crucial time, it’s essential that we significantly complement our knowledge gained through academic degree programs with hands-on experience and industry exposure to learn skills that show one’s worth to employers.   

The Post Graduate Certificate in Cybersecurity is designed to provide a holistic experience to professionals and includes a mix of live weekly sessions and recorded lectures by global faculty and industry leaders. The program structure also includes applying learnings to real-time scenarios and is ideal for mid-and senior-level professionals who have excelled in cybersecurity. The program provides a wider professional horizon for learners in addition to providing enhanced networking opportunities.  

Commenting on the launch, Sanjay E. Sarma, Vice President for Open Learning, MIT, said, “The need to address cybersecurity issues has increased dramatically. Almost seven in ten organizations see cybersecurity enhancement as a top priority this year. The MIT xPRO Cybersecurity program curriculum is designed to provide a comprehensive introduction to cybersecurity, focused on both defensive and offensive aspects of the technology. We are pleased to extend MIT xPRO’s global collaboration with Emeritus by bringing this program to India and empowering professionals to upskill their knowledge to be industry-ready in the field of cybersecurity.” 

The program starts on December 30, 2021, and has a fee of USD 3,500, with flexible payment options and discounts for multiple enrollments. The program is offered through Emeritus, a global leader in making high-quality education accessible and affordable, offering a digital-first, seamless learning and high engagement experience. Visit the program page for more details, and interested applicants should apply by December 29, 2021. 

About MIT xPRO:  

Technology is accelerating at an unprecedented pace causing disruption across all levels of business. Tomorrow’s leaders must demonstrate technical expertise as well as leadership acumen in order to maintain a technical edge over the competition while driving innovation in an ever-changing environment. MIT uniquely understands this challenge and how to solve it with decades of experience developing technical professionals. MIT xPRO’s online learning programs leverage vetted content from world-renowned experts to make learning accessible anytime, anywhere. Designed using cutting-edge research in the neuroscience of learning, MIT xPRO programs are application-focused, helping professionals build their skills on the job. 

About Emeritus: 

Emeritus Executive Education offers customised and open programmes in India, Singapore, Dubai and other global locations in collaboration with MIT Sloan, Columbia Business School, INSEAD, Harvard Business School (HBS), Kellogg Executive Education, Berkeley Executive Education, Wharton Executive Education, IIM Lucknow Executive Education, IIM Calcutta Executive Education and Emeritus. Our world-class executive education programmes, supported by eminent programme experts, provide an immersive learning experience integrated with actionable insights and practical business applications. The meticulously curated programmes are delivered in a different range of formats; in-class, online, as well as blended programmes. Our extensive portfolio also includes short 2-4 day in-class workshops, online courses of 2-3 months duration as well as comprehensive learning journeys that run over 6-9 months, customised to an organisation’s requirement. The Emeritus Group has more than 1,400 employees globally and offices in Mumbai, New Delhi, Shanghai, Singapore, Palo Alto, Mexico City, New York, Boston, London, and Dubai. Following its $650 million Series E funding round in August 2021, the company is valued at $3.2 billion, and is backed by the Chan Zuckerberg Initiative, Leeds Illuminate, Prosus Ventures, Sequoia Capital India, Bertelsmann, Accel and SoftBank Vision Fund 2. Learn more at Emeritus.org. 

Music Licensing Marketplace ‘Hoopr’ Secures $1.5 M In Seed Funding Led By 9Unicorns, Venture Catalysts & Inflection Point Ventures

* Founded by IIM-A alumnus & music producer Gaurav Dagaonkar along with serial entrepreneur Meghna Mittal, Hoopr aims to monetize the various aspects of the $104Bn creator economy ~

Music licensing marketplace ‘Hoopr’ that allows video creators and businesses to license royalty-free music for their videos, ads and films, has secured $1.5 Million in seed funding. The round was led by 9Unicorns and Venture Catalysts and saw participation from Inflection Point Ventures and 91Ventures. Marquee angels including Ashneer Grover (BharatPe), Anshoo Sharma (Magicpin), Sahil Barua (Delhivery), Giri Malpani, Anuraag Srivastava (Rainshine Entertainment) and Pradyumna Agrawal (Temasek) also participated in the round.

The startup will utilize its newly acquired funds towards strengthening its tech offerings including an AI powered engine that helps video creators find the right soundtrack for their videos in a matter of mere minutes. It will also utilize the funds towards building its library which comprises thousands of themes, songs and sound effects geared towards individual creators, brands, agencies, and platforms.

For Hoopr, the round comes at a time when the creator economy is experiencing meteoric growth across the world and especially in India. With market size estimated to be $104 Billion, over 50 million creators globally are creating content daily. Starting with sync licensing, a $3.7 Billion market worldwide, Hoopr plans to monetize various aspects of the creator economy, with a focus on Indian creators.

Hoopr is a part of the parent firm GSharp Media - a music-tech company started by Gaurav Dagaonkar, a well-known music producer and IIM-Ahmedabad alumnus and serial entrepreneur Meghna Mittal (ex- Hubilo, Yesssworks), that aims to build media-tech products. The company also plans to grow its IP offerings with the expansion of its content arm ‘Songfest’, that counts brands such as Mars Wrigley, Nestle, BharatPe, Hike and Magicpin amongst its clients. 

Hoopr aims to bring a revolution in the music industry by opening a new way of monetization for the music creators as well and democratizing the space by bringing the buyers on one platform. Through Hoopr, an independent artiste can now be discovered at a global level.

Speaking about the funding, Gaurav Dagaonkar, Co-founder and CEO of Hoopr said, “We’d like to thank our investors for their belief and conviction in us. At GSharp Media we believe in creating data and technology driven products and brands that help creators. We will continue to invest in growing our library and building features on the Hoopr platform across the next 12 months. For me personally, the fact that Hoopr provides millions of music creators a new source of income, is a very satisfying feeling.”

Dr. Apoorva Ranjan Sharma, co-founder, 9Unicorns & Venture Catalysts said, “Content creators, social media community builders and curators have been some of the exceptions that have witnessed additional growth fueled by the pandemic. Work- From-Home has enabled a lot of fence-sitters to join the creators’ bandwagon and generate a primary / secondary source of income. Given this backdrop, we envisage immense potential for Hoopr due to its royalty-free model which reaches to the grassroot level of the creator economy in India”.

Mitesh Shah, Co-Founder, Inflection Point Ventures says, “Hoopr is a marketplace for video creators which uses AI to help the creators find the perfect music for their videos. With huge market size and millions of users creating content daily, Hoopr has stepped in at the right time to monetize this space. We believe in the Founders and their tech expertise to lead this initiative, and we are sure our extensive network will be of immense help to them.”

About GSharp Media:

GSharp Media is a content and technology company focused on creating media-tech platforms and content brands. The company was incorporated in January 2018 in Mumbai. GSharp owns two brands under its umbrella, Songfest India and Hoopr. The company’s vision is to create disrupting products in the content creation space with the future technology and trends.