Simple Energy Breaks Range Limit In The Indian Electric Scooters

* Launches additional battery pack option for Simple One to offer top range of 300+ km

·* Simple Energy extends its range leadership in the electric two-wheeler market with an extra battery pack

India’s leading electric vehicle and clean energy start-up Simple Energy launched an additional battery pack option for its flagship electric scooter, Simple One, to offer customers an unparalleled 300+ km of range on a single charge.  Customers would be able to opt for the additional battery pack option during the final payment, with deliveries beginning in June.

The additional battery will address range anxiety amongst customers, as it will help them cover longer distance while traveling. With a capacity of 1.6 kWh, the battery pack will enable the Simple One to cross the 300 km mark – a big step up from the 235+ km from the scooter’s standard configuration, which was already best in class. Notably, this battery can be easily stowed in the boot of the scooter, greatly aiding the user experience.

Commenting on the new battery pack, Suhas Rajkumar, Founder and CEO, Simple Energy, said, “When we conceived the Simple One, we had the aim of offering an electric scooter that could offer enough range for users to not have to worry about range or charging. Offering an extra battery will allow power users to reach destinations that no other electric two-wheeler in India can. This additional battery can easily fit in the boot of the scooter offering a range of over 300 km. This is a big milestone – not just for Simple Energy, but for the EV industry. This move will also go a long way in bolstering the perception of electric scooters.”

The Simple One, along with the advanced additional battery, is priced at Rs 1,44,999 ex showroom. The original variant without the extra battery will continue to be available at Rs 1,09,999.

Recently, Simple Energy announced that the scooter will come with an upgraded 8.5 kW motor, capable of producing 72nm of torque. The Simple One electric scooter has a real-world range of 203 km (up to 236 km in ideal conditions), fast charging support, a huge 30-litre boot and a host of smart features such as on-board navigation, riding modes, phone app, call and music control and much more.

Simple One can be booked on www.simpleenergy.in for a price of Rs 1,947 and will be delivered starting June, this year. There are additional upgrades in the pipeline, which will be announced in the coming weeks.

Simple Energy aims to be at the forefront of the ongoing global transition to clean transport. Its flagship product, Simple One, will be produced at phase 1 of the company’s manufacturing unit located at Hosur, Tamil Nadu. The state-of-the-art manufacturing plant has an annual production capacity of up to 1 million units. The factory is currently getting ready for mass manufacturing and will be operational in the coming weeks. The company has also commissioned a second plant in Dharmapuri, Tamil Nadu, which will spread across 600 acres and have a capacity of 12.5 million units annually — making Simple Energy the largest electric two-wheeler manufacturer in the world.

42% View PM Narendra Modi As The Best Suited To Handle India’s Internal & External Security, As Per Axis My India CSI Survey

* PM Narendra Modi Was Followed By Rahul Gandhi, Arvind Kejriwal, Yogi Adityanath, Mamata Banerjee Whose Strength Is In Single Digits

·        Over 10,151 people surveyed 70% is from rural India while 30% is from urban India

·        85% consider start-ups to be the backbone of the New India in the coming years

·        A combined 68% believes that digital currency will result in more safe and secure mode of online transaction/ transfer of funds

Axis My India, a leading consumer data intelligence company, released its latest findings of the India Consumer Sentiment Index (CSI), a monthly analysis of consumer perception on a wide range of issues. The month of February reveals that 50% agrees that the results of the upcoming 5 state elections will have a visible impact on the 2024 National elections. 41% believe that PM Narendra Modi is best suited to handle India’s internal & external security. Majority respondents are also certain that ‘start ups’ will be the backbone of New India in the coming 10 years. The survey also reflects consumer’s positive outlook towards RBI’s proposed digital currency.

The March net CSI score, calculated by percentage increase minus percentage decrease in sentiment, was up to +9, from +7 last month and reflecting an increase in the net score post the February drop because of the Omicron scare.

The surveys were carried out via Computer Aided Telephonic Interviews with a sample size of 10,151 people of which 70% belonged from Rural India while 30% belonged from urban counterparts. In addition 63% of the respondents were male while 37% of the respondents were female

Commenting on the CSI report, Pradeep Gupta, CMD, Axis My India, said, “With greater relaxation from the government in terms of mobility and increased encouragement from corporates to return to physical setting, we can witness the country’s effort to go back to the ‘old normal’. PM Narendra Modi being voted as the leader best suited to guide India’s internal & external security in the wake of the current Russia-Ukraine crisis is also not a surprise. Attracting consumers’ interest is also the five state elections, as they are expected to have an overall impact on the country’s economy. In addition, positive outlook towards RBI’s proposed digital currency also reflect the nations wider acceptance towards this change.”

Key findings:

·        Finally, 41% of respondents believe that PM Narendra Modi is best suited to handle India’s internal & external security, a factor which gains prominence considering the current Russia-Ukraine crisis.

·        The CSI – Survey furthermore captured consumer’s views on upcoming five state elections of Uttar Pradesh, Punjab, Uttarakhand, Manipur and Goa. A huge majority of 50% strongly believe that the results of these 5 state elections will have a considerable impact on the 2024 National Elections. These are the views of people residing across the nation & not just the election states.

·        In an attempt to understand consumers view on a series of Budget announcement, Axis My India discovered that 68% believe that RBI’s proposed Digital currency/Digital Rupee will encourage safer and secure mode of online transaction/ transfer of funds. This positive outlook could mean a wider acceptance of the proposed digital currency upon its introduction. A minority of 13% and 6% believes that the digital rupee will ensure reduced dependency on cash/physical notes; and stimulate increased global as well as rural transaction respectively. 

·        Exploring consumer’s views on the start-up ecosystem, the survey discovered that 85% believes that start-ups are going to be the backbone of ‘New India’.

About Axis My India:

Axis My India is India’s foremost consumer data intelligence consultancy that has revolutionized the field of election polling in the country, with an accuracy rate of ~92% spread across 28 states and 8 union territories and 2 national elections. The company has a presence in over 737 districts and has touched 85 million Indian households. It counts some of India’s largest corporations, state governments as well as Union Government in its clientele and offers a repertoire of research related services, including consumer insights, product validation, market segmentation, on-ground brand activation, personalized media solutions and micro marketing. The company publishes an annual Consumer Trust Index – spread across 45 consumer and product categories, and 1 million respondents.

For more information: https://www.axismyindia.org/

CAMLA Barcelona Prêt-à-Porter Introduces Fresh Fashion Collection Designed For Young India

CAMLA Barcelona, a well-known fashion apparel and clothing brand by the Jain Amar Group, showcased its stylish collection for both men and women at the Pret-a-Porter roadshow on Thursday. The roadshow was preceded by an elaborate Fashion Show    in Delhi, presenting the brand’s latest styles from the season’s new collection. The show displayed the vibrant and unique range of fashion clothing by the brand designed keeping in mind the needs of Indian youth committed to leave an impression through their style.

Renowned buyers – Myntra, Tata Cliq &, and the brand’s other key distributors attended the much-anticipated fashion show and roadshow to get a glimpse of the collection on display. This year, the show brought forward brand’s exclusive collection of women’s clothing in various fabrics like twill, knit, jacquard, fur, velvets, and lurex. The collection showcased includes colours like nude pinks, browns, pear green, maroon, beige, and teal hues.

For men, the latest collection comprises of colour hues like military green, black, light grey, olive, wine, and navy using fabric like pique, tie & dye, taffeta, and scuba. The brand had recently launched its latest Spring/Summer 2022 collection which caters to the latest fashion trends popular among the youth.

“The Pret-a-Porter was a successful event attended by the biggest buyers and has received appreciation from fashion enthusiasts. We are extremely delighted because of the response we have received, and the excitement shown by our customers for CAMLA Barcelona’s latest collection,” said Ashish Jain, Director, CAMLA Barcelona.

Brand’s Spring/Summer’22 collection is available in shop-in-shop stores across the country and on e-commerce platforms like Myntra and TATA Cliq and its own stores and the online store – Glamly.com.

Bizongo To Participate In Fabrics And Accessories Trade Show, Bengaluru From March 4-6, 2022

* Full stack B2B trade enablement platform Bizongo will participate in the 24th edition of Fabrics & Accessories Show to be held on March 4, 5, 6 at Trade Centre, KTPO, Whitefield.

Textile hubs of Karnataka, Tamil Nadu and Andhra Pradesh are witnessing a rapid shift in MSMEs embracing technology platforms to fast track their business. Bizongo, which offers Digital Vendor Management, Supply Chain Automation & Supply Chain Financing, has seen its annual revenue run rate grow 20 times to INR 600 crore in the last 11 months from these regions. At the F&A Show, Bizongo will be showcasing some of its key digital services like production planning, order delivery timelines, payment reconciliation to help businesses do away with manual tasks.

The F&A Show draws Indian and Overseas businesses in the textile value chain to converge, network and get access to the latest developments in Apparel Fabrics, Trims, Embellishments and related Services.

About Bizongo

Bizongo was founded in 2015 by three IIT graduates Aniket Deb, Sachin Agrawal, and Ankit Tomar, to digitally transform the fragmented and unorganized yet unique and ubiquitous B2B segment of customized goods. Today, the company focuses upon packaging, textiles, apparel & other contract manufacturing goods as its product portfolio and has a network of over 3,000 partner factories. Through its proprietary digital platforms, such as Procure Live, Partner Hub, and Artwork Flow, Bizongo offers Digital Vendor Management, Supply Chain Automation & Supply Chain Financing as key services to its enterprise customers. The B2B e-commerce platform services 300+ enterprise customers in fashion & lifestyle, pharmaceuticals, consumer discretionary, consumer staples, home & personal care, and e-commerce.

30 Defence Startups Present Their Funding Pitch Before Investors On Day-3 Of Ahmedabad Design Week 3.0

The Ahmedabad Design Week (ADW) 3.0 organised by Karnavati University culminated on a promising note as 30 defence-sector start-ups pitched in their business plans to the investors at the three-day design confluence, themed around ‘Design and Innovation in Defence and Aerospace’. Defence-sector start-ups at various stages pitched their ideas and innovations in various defence-related applications, including Unmanned Aerial Vehicle (UAV), drones, aeromodelling, surveillance and high-temperature firefighting applications, among various others. The presentations were attended by investors from GVFL, GCCI, CII and other industry experts.

The design convention has been organised by Karnavati University, in association with Department of Science and Technology, Government of Gujarat, and DRDO, Government of Gujarat and DA Group.

The day started with a speaker session by illustrious art director, Mr Nitin Zihani Choudhary, who shared his art exploration journey that landed him with a critically acclaimed movie, ‘Tumbbad’.

“To learn and then unlearn makes the entire process of design. I don't control my drawing. I don't guide my pen. I look for beauty in reality and take up films that challenges me. If you want to make a good film, you need time, money and passion,” Choudhary advised the eager youngsters who grabbed the opportunity to interact with him.

The second presentation was by Mr Kedar Nimkar, Head of Design, Jupiter, who delivered a detailed presentation titled ‘Back to Design for Everyone’, for budding designers and innovators.

The third speaker session by Satish Gokhale, Head of Product Design, Design Directions, left the students and design enthusiasts spellbound, as he showcased his latest product, a water drone. The device is a battery-powered self-propelled Life Buoy/ water drone — which will be demonstrated at the upcoming Defence Expo in Gandhinagar on March 10 and even tested at the Sabarmati Riverfront in Ahmedabad.

“We have made products that save lives, we have made products that can take life,” said Ghokhle while presenting his case study on product design. “Design is about tweaking a process,” he added.

The panel discussion on ‘Design Technology Innovation - A merger to intensify design for defence’ saw insightful discussions by renowned panelists like Mr Amit Krishn Gulati, an award-winning industrial designer, entrepreneur and educator; Prof. Dhiraj Kumar, Director at National Institute of Design (NID), Bhopal; Mr Satish Gokhale, Head of Product Design, Design Directions; Dr Sushil Chandra, Scientist 'G', INMAS, DRDO; and Mr Rahul Dutta, an NID alumnus who uses ‘art, design and technology to change perception of our reality’.

While Mr Gulati emphasizes that the outcomes from collaborations are better, Mr Gokhale explained the need for advance planning in design and that ‘there is no option of not designing’ in a world that is rapidly changing and demanding more efficiency by the day.

Prof. Dhiraj shed light on accessing threat and making design for solution whereas Mr Rahul Dutta called for use of latest technologies for better life experience and work experience. Dr Chandra termed Metaverse for defence a ‘wonderful thing’. The panel discussion was moderated by Prof Lolita Dutta from Karnavati University.

The valedictory ceremony of ADW 3.0 saw speakers from the industry, government and academia. Addressing the audience during the concluding session, Dr Rutvij Patel, Executive Director, United Group and co-spokesperson, BJP Gujarat, said: “ADW 3.0 has accelerated the efforts to realise the vision of Hon’ble Prime Minister of Atmanirbhar Bharat. Young innovators and designers must make our India strong through the ‘Make in India’ in defence and contribute to making our country a global hub of manufacturing in defence sector.”

Hailing the young designers and innovators at ADW 3.0, Mr. Harsh Sanghvi, Minister of State for Home Affairs, Gujarat, said:  Drone technology is one of the most sought-after sectors in defence and has a lot of scope. I have seen many ideas today at ADW that can be developed for the safety and security of our Gujarat and the country.”

The concluding session also saw inspiring words by Mr Milapsinh Jadeja, Founder, Iroller Capital Pvt Ltd; Mr Vaibhav Shah, Chairman, TiE Ahmedabad and MD, Monarch Networth Capital Ltd; Mr Vinod Agrawal, Chairman, CII Gujarat State Council and MD, Arunaya Organics Pvt Ltd; Mr Pathik Patwari, Sr. Vice President, GCCI and director, Nexus Infratech Pvt Ltd and Mr Chiranjiv Patel, Managing Director, PC Snehal Group and Chairman, taskforce Committee (Construction and Infrastructure), GCII.

KSB Limited Achieves All-Time High Sales” For The Year 2021

* The Sales value for 2021 is registered for INR 14,973 million which is about a 24% increase over the previous year 

* The sales value of INR 4,446 million achieved for this quarter is about a 20% increase over the corresponding quarter of the year 2020 

* Achieved ROS of 14% for the year and 13% for the quarter 

* Orders on hand for about 7 to 8 months 

Acknowledging the yearly performance Mr. Farrokh Bhathena, Director Sales and Marketing, KSB Limited said, “This year we have achieved ground-breaking sales of INR 14,973 million despite the hindrance from the pandemic. We have registered a sales growth of 24% over last year and a growth of 20% over the corresponding quarter of the year. 

I believe demand trends are gravitating back to pre-Covid times, it is evident from our all-time high figures. With the ease of restriction from Govt. our supply chain remained intact and I am sure we will continue to achieve exponential growth in sales in coming quarters too.” 

Major Highlights 

KSB Limited, India has crossed the all-time high sales of INR 14,973 Mio.  

Steady inflow of orders for pumps required in Flue Gas Desulphurisation application 

Good number of orders received for Gamma pumps 

Good order intake at Central Warehouse, Chinchwad- Pune   

Annual medical check-up for employees was held at certain plant locations 

Complete vaccination of almost all employees done 

Mr. Milind Khadilkar, Chief Financial Officer said that the Company could deliver healthy growth due to our meticulous planning, resilience, focused efforts in these difficult times.  As a result, we are pleased to give a sumptuous return on healthy profit achieved by the Company for the year FY 2021, to our shareholders by declaring a dividend of INR 12.50 per share (125%). 

The Company is further strategizing its Solar Business and resultantly observing an increased inflow of orders in this segment.  

Adding updates on other developments, he informed that the additional Factory Shed at Sinner Plant is nearing its completion. 

He informed that the Company inaugurated its independent “Innovation Lab” at its Sinnar, Nashik plant. This initiative will help us to bring value to our customers, and all our stakeholders. With the innovation team here in India, it will help us to have the competitive edge in the market.  

On the ESG-sustainability front he communicated that, out of the targeted reduction in Green House Gases (GHG) emission by 50 % over the actual GHG emission of 2018 by 2023, we have already achieved 40% till 2021. 

About KSB Limited 

KSB Limited Founded in 1960 in India is a part of KSB SE & Co KGaA., - one of the world’s leading suppliers of pumps, valves and systems. Combining innovative technology and excellent service to provide intelligent solutions, the company has been offering innovative and sturdy solutions to cater to the myriad needs of the Indian Customer may it be in power, oil, building services, process engineering, water treatment, water transport, etc. The activities of KSB’s in-house research centre focus on the areas of hydraulics, sealing technology, materials, production technology and automation. 

Today the KSB group has a presence on all the continents with its own sales and marketing companies, manufacturing facilities and service operations. More than 15,000 employees generate annual consolidated sales revenue of over Two billion Euros. 

OTO Achieves 100 Crore Disbursal For 11000+ Vehicles Through Its Digital Commerce Platform

OTO, the two-wheeler buying and financing innovator has strengthened its market position in the vehicle financing industry by financing 100 Crore worth of vehicles through its digital commerce platform in the last 33 months.

OTO has acquired a significant market share in the auto financing industry within a short span. Since its inception in 2018, the start-up has facilitated the sale and financing of over 11000+ vehicles, amongst which approximately 2700+ vehicles are electric with more significant sales generated from its headquarters in Bangalore.

Commenting on the milestone, Sumit Chhazed, Co-founder, OTO, said, “With growing advances in digitization across sectors, there has been a significant demand in the ease of financing and buying vehicles online. We, at OTO, have witnessed a growth of 2.5x in our  books serving 6200+ happy customers from 2400 customers being served in the last fiscal through our digital commerce platform. We are already serving 2500+ a month which has scaled 8X YoY.

Not only have we raised capital from various investors to expand our business operations to new regions, but we have also built significant partnerships with established companies to grow our financing capabilities and supply chain model. This strategic approach has expedited the exponential growth of the brand. The doorstep delivery of vehicles with easy financing with digital paperwork and utmost security has won our customers’ faith in our company. We have aggressive plans to venture into new cities and strike new strategic partnerships in the near future” added Chhazed.

Hariwansh Kumawat, CFO, OTO, said, “Over the last 2 years, OTO has been growing in a steady way keeping the portfolio quality best in the industry. From doing 1 Crore per month, we have grown to 15 crore per month and the vision from here is bigger and stronger. In the next 12 months, we are confident of disbursing 600 Crore. While talking about the growth, the credit quality should never deteriorate and that is the mantra being followed across the board. The retail book, by virtue of its nature comes with some baggage and the credit losses are bound to happen. However, we are successful in building a robust portfolio.

By showing a steady growth and uncompromised credit quality, we became one of the most preferred partners of many of the Financial Institutions. We have been able to stay up to our commitments to our lending partners and that is why we are adding 1-2 partners every quarter. Today we have secured a pending line of 500 Crore with our current lending partners, and we are looking to partner with some of the bigger lenders as well who have a bigger appetite to bring down the cost and to have long-term visibility towards this space.”

Starting in 2018, OTO operates on an innovative financing model for 2-wheelers where the buyer pays an upfront amount like any other finance options but gets up to 35% lower EMIs with an option to retain, return or upgrade at the end of the tenure. The platform works in partnership with various banks and NBFCs to provide the most hassle-free financing options to its customers. It also provides full auto lifecycle management, from credit underwriting to insurance, maintenance, and eventual resale of the vehicle.

The fintech startup is making strides to bolster its business growth and intends to sell 75K two wheelers and achieve 600 Crores of annual disbursement by the next financial year. The company also aims to intensify its presence in India and expand its workforce.

About OTO:

OTO was founded in 2018 by IIT-Mumbai alumnus Sumit Chhazed and Harsh Saruparia to present a 10X simpler, faster and more convenient way for 20Mn Indians to buy and finance their 2-wheelers every year. The company is headquartered in Bengaluru, with its services also available in Hyderabad, Chennai, Pune, and Mysore. OTO has created a dramatically simpler leasing-like financing model for 2-wheeler purchases where buyers pay a similar upfront payment like any other finance company , pay up to 30% lower EMIs and have the option to own the 2-wheeler at the tenure end OR sell it back to OTO. Around this core of “10X better” financing model & experience, OTO has added an app-based layer to help 2-wheeler buyers to find all the top options in one place, schedule a home test drive at their convenience and then choose to finance with OTO and continue to manage it - all in one place. With its 300+ dealer partners, OTO has financed more than five thousand two-wheeler vehicles. Find more information about OTO on www.otocapital.in