Guwahati Takes The Green Route With 100 Tata Motors Electric Buses

* The advanced Tata Ultra electric buses come equipped with the latest features to make travel safe, comfortable and emission free

Tata Motors, India’s largest commercial vehicle manufacturer, today announced that it has supplied 100 electric buses to Assam State Transport Corporation (ASTC). The 9-metre, air-conditioned Tata Ultra electric buses that will ply on the roads of Guwahati are designed to provide a safe, comfortable and convenient intra-city commute. These zero-emission buses are indigenously built on a next-gen architecture, equipped with the latest features and are powered by advanced battery systems. The buses were launched by the Hon’ble Chief Minister of Assam, Dr. Himanta Biswa Sarma on 1 January 2024.

Commenting on the announcement, Mr. Rohit Srivastava, Vice President & Business Head – CV Passengers, Tata Motors, said, “Making public transport more effective and efficient is our mission and we are thankful to the Assam State Government and the ASTC for giving us the opportunity to supply a modern fleet of electric buses. Built with cutting-edge technology and rigorously tested under varied conditions, these buses are eco-friendly and will make public transportation safe, comfortable, tech driven and more efficient. We are elated to have our Tata Ultra electric buses inducted and operational to serve the residents of Guwahati.”

Till date, Tata Motors has supplied over 1,500 electric buses across multiple cities in India, which have cumulatively clocked more than 10 crore kilometres, with an uptime of over 95%. The Tata Ultra EV, is a cutting-edge e-bus that sets new benchmarks for urban city commuting. With its full-electric drivetrain, this state-of-the-art vehicle optimises energy consumption, resulting in low energy usage and operational costs. It offers features like ease of boarding, comfortable seating and driver-friendly operations, while ensuring zero emissions. Equipped with electronic stability control, electronic brake distribution, air suspension, Intelligent Transport System (ITS) and panic button among other advanced features, it prioritises comfort and safety for its commuters. This electric bus embodies the commitment to cleaner public transport and is an ideal choice for urban passenger transportation needs.

About Tata Motors

Part of the USD 128 billion Tata group, Tata Motors Limited (BSE: 500570 and 570001; NSE: TATAMOTORS and TATAMTRDVR), a USD 42 billion organization, is a leading global automobile manufacturer of cars, utility vehicles, pick-ups,  trucks, and buses, offering an extensive range of integrated, smart, and e-mobility solutions. With ‘Connecting Aspirations’ at the core of its brand promise, Tata Motors is India’s market leader in commercial vehicles and ranks among the top three in the passenger vehicles market.

Tata Motors strives to bring new products that captivate the imagination of GenNext customers, fueled by state-of-the-art design and R&D centres located in India, the UK, the US, Italy, and South Korea. By focusing on engineering and tech- enabled automotive solutions catering to the future of mobility, the company’s innovation efforts are focused on developing pioneering technologies that are both sustainable and suited to the evolving market and customer aspirations. The company is pioneering India's Electric Vehicle (EV) transition and driving the shift towards sustainable mobility solutions by developing a tailored product strategy, leveraging the synergy between Group companies and playing an active role in liaising with the Government of India in developing the policy framework.

With operations in India, the UK, South Korea, Thailand, South Africa and Indonesia, Tata Motors markets its vehicles in Africa, the Middle East, Latin America, Southeast Asia, and the SAARC countries. As of March 31, 2023, Tata Motors’ operations include 88 consolidated subsidiaries, two joint operations, three joint ventures, and numerous equity-accounted associates, including their subsidiaries, over which the company exercises significant influence.

Bank of India Brings Attractive Fixed Deposit Rate For 175 Days

As a New Year gift to its customers, Bank of India, one of the leading public sector banks in India, has introduced a Super Special Fixed Deposit at very attractive rate of interest of 7.50% p.a. for its customers & general public (for Rs 2 Crs & above to less than Rs.50 Crs) under specific maturity period of 175 days with effect from 1st January, 2024.

The Super Special Fixed Deposit offers a very lucrative rate of 7.50% p.a. for 175 days, which is high yielding avenue for HNIs & Corporates to deploy their surplus funds for the short term. This special fixed deposit is offering one of the most attractive rate for short term (175 days) deployment/ placement while comparing with other fixed deposit of similar tenure. The special fixed deposit is for domestic rupee term deposit only. The special fixed deposit is introduced as a limited period offer.      

Murty Trust's Maitri Initiative Aims To Foster Compassionate Coexistence And Improve The Lives Of Community Cats

Murty Trust, the family foundation of Mrs. Sudha Murty and Mr. Narayana Murthy, in partnership with Compassion Unlimited Plus Action (CUPA), has announced the opening of a state-of-the-art community cat sterilization centre. The clinic, launched under the name ‘Maitri’ (meaning goodwill, friendship, amity), is set to address the challenges encountered in the animal welfare sector in Bangalore. This will be one of India’s first sterilization centers dedicated to community cats.

The Maitri initiative is a collaborative cat sterilization effort between the local community and CUPA that can help manage stray cat populations in the city, while also addressing the One Health challenge of overpopulation. CUPA, through their community enablement model for cat ABC, has already sterilized over 5000 community cats since its inception in 2018. With the Maitri initiative, The Murty Trust seeks to amplify CUPA's remarkable work by providing essential resources, allowing them to scale their efforts in community-cat population control.

The  clinic commenced operations on 1st Jan, 2024 and was inaugurated by Mrs. Sudha Murty and Ms. Aparna Krishnan, in the presence of CUPA trustees, Ms. Suparna Ganguly, Ms. Sanober Bharucha, and Ms. Rajani Badami.

Mrs. Sudha Murty, while talking about the Maitri initiative said, "Although animals do not have a voice, they have feelings and emotions. When the population of cats increases in a neighbourhood, they fight for resources like food and shelter. This leads to problems for the cats and the residents of the community. We hope to provide them with the resources to scale CUPA’s work for the wellbeing of the animals and community. “

Ms. Rajani Badami, Hon. Trustee, from CUPA remarked, "We are delighted to partner with Murty Trust for the Maitri initiative. Together, we can make a significant difference in controlling the community cat population and creating a more harmonious environment for both cats and the residents of Bangalore."

Compassion Unlimited Plus Action (CUPA) was founded in 1991 by Ms. Crystal Rogers, Ms. Suparna Ganguly and Dr. Shiela Rao, who have dedicated their lives to rescue and care of Bangalore's stray animals. CUPA operates multiple centres across the city, addressing diverse animal welfare aspects such as birth control, trauma response, large animal rehabilitation, and rehoming abandoned animals. With over 30,000 animals receiving medical care annually, CUPA remains at the forefront of animal welfare in Bangalore.

The Murty Trust, under the leadership of Mrs. Sudha Murty and Mr. Rohan Murty, is a not-for-profit organization dedicated to preserving and celebrating art, cultural heritage, science & research, Indian books & manuscripts, and knowledge systems born out of India.

The Trust’s philanthropic initiatives centre on improving education, healthcare, awareness of art and culture, and animal welfare. Over the past 2 years, the Trust has supported 12+ prominent organizations dedicated to the well-being of animals in the animal welfare and wildlife conversation space, further fortifying the Trust’s dedication to the cause of promoting humane treatment and care for animals. Over the next decade, the Trust will have these two areas as its focus. These welfare efforts extend to various programs and projects aimed at positively impacting communities and fostering sustainable development, one of which is Maitri.

If you would like to get your community cats sterilized, you can write to cupaprojects@cupaindia.org

Samsung Galaxy A25 5G, Galaxy A15 5G With Awesome Camera And New Editing Features Goes On Sale In India

Galaxy A25 5G and Galaxy A15 5G, the latest addition to the immensely popular Galaxy A series, has gone on sale starting January 1, 2024. The 2024 Galaxy A series is aimed at offering the latest Flagship experiences and innovations at an affordable price, making awesome technology accessible to everyone.

A15 5G is the successor of Galaxy A14 5G, India’s no.1 selling 5G smartphone, according to Counterpoint Research. Galaxy A25 5G stands out with Super AMOLED display with Vision Booster technology, 50MP triple camera setup that comes with a host of Awesome photo-editing features, a massive 5000mAh battery and security tools like Knox Vault.

Galaxy A15 5G and Galaxy A25 5G showcase Galaxy’s signature design philosophy for a premium feel. The new key island design on the side panel and the flat linear camera housing creates a unique silhouette for enhanced grip. Galaxy A15 5G's 6.5-inch Super AMOLED display, enhanced with Vision Booster, creates smooth, bright and vivid viewing experiences. The Galaxy A25 5G's 6.5-inch, Super AMOLED display with 120Hz refresh rate expresses rich colours and details up to 1000 nits brightness while enhanced with Vision Booster for clear outdoor visibility.

Galaxy A15 5G sports a 50MP triple camera setup with VDIS to reduce blur or distortion in videos from unsteady or shaky movements. Galaxy A25 5G features a 50MP (OIS) triple camera setup to shoot high-resolution and shake-free photos and videos, eliminating blurred images caused by hand tremors or accidental shakes. It has a 13MP front camera for crisp and clear selfies.  The Galaxy A25 5G comes with Awesome photo-editing features like  Single Take, Remaster and Object Eraser to reimagine your photographs with easy-to-use editing tools.

Galaxy A15 5G and Galaxy A25 5G also come with the Knox Security platform, built at the chip level, ensuring users are in full control of their data with features like Auto Blocker, Privacy Dashboard, Samsung Passkey and others. Both the smartphones also feature Knox Vault chipset, designed to safeguard your sensitive data. Taking privacy to the next level, Knox offers Secure Folder, which is a safe space for storing your private photos, videos, documents, and more.

Galaxy A15 5G and Galaxy A25 5G come with a host of exciting features that elevate the Galaxy Experience. The Quick Share feature enables you to instantly share files, photos and documents with other devices, including your laptop and tab and even privately.

Galaxy A15 5G and Galaxy A25 5G have been designed to stay future-ready with up to 4 generations of OS upgrades and up to 5 years of security updates. Both Galaxy A15 5G and A25 5G get the all-new Samsung Wallet, which lets consumers enjoy a seamless experience to store IDs and redefine payments convenience .

Galaxy A15 5G is powered by MediaTek Dimensity 6100+ processor, while Galaxy A25 5G is powered  by Exynos 1280, which is built on the 5nm process and offers more power and speed for seamless multitasking experience. Both Galaxy A15 5G and Galaxy A25 5G come with 5000mAh battery that lasts up to two days. Galaxy A15 5G and Galaxy A25 5G support 25W fast charging and are equipped with adaptive power-saving mode that automatically adapts to your usage to ensure optimal power savings.

Galaxy A15 5G and Galaxy A25 5G will be available across retail stores, Samsung.com, and other online players starting January 1, 2024.

About Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd.?

Samsung inspires the world and shapes the future with transformative ideas and technologies. The company is redefining the worlds of TVs, smartphones, wearable devices, tablets, digital appliances, network systems and memory, system LSI, foundry, and LED solutions. For latest news on Samsung India, please visit Samsung India Newsroom at http://news.samsung.com/in. For Hindi, log on to Samsung Newsroom Bharat at https://news.samsung.com/bharat. You can also follow us on Twitter @SamsungNewsIN

Tata Motors Registered Total Sales Of 234,981 Units In Q3 FY24

Total CV Sales of 96,526 units, +1% YoY

Total PV Sales of 138,455 units, +5% YoY

Tata Motors sales in the domestic & international market for Q3 FY 2023-24 stood at 234,981 vehicles, compared to 228,169 units during Q3 FY 2022-23.

Domestic sales of MH&ICV in Dec 2023, was 16,851 units vs 15,244 units in Dec 2022; In Q3 FY24 it was 44,365 units, compared to 40,391 units in Q3 FY23.

Domestic & International sales for MH&ICV in Dec 2023 was 17,591 units vs 15,756 units in Dec 2022; while in Q3 FY24 it stood at 46,534 units vs 42,369 units in Q3 FY23.

Mr. Girish Wagh, Executive Director, Tata Motors Ltd. said, “Tata Motors Commercial Vehicles registered domestic sales of 91,735 in Q3FY24, marginally higher than Q3FY23 sales of 91,704. The M&HCV segment grew ~14% vs Q3FY23, with demand coming from government’s infrastructure initiatives, expansion in core industries, and sustained growth in e-commerce. The Passenger Commercial Vehicles segment continued to register consistent post pandemic recovery with sales rising ~19% vs Q3FY23. The YoY growth trend witnessed during past quarters paused in Q3FY24 on account of the higher base effect, impact of elections held across 5 states, and the post festive seasonal slowdown in rural consumption. Going forward, we expect demand to improve in Q4FY24 across most segments of the CV industry due to the Government’s continuing thrust on infrastructure development, the promising growth outlook of the economy and our demand-pull initiatives.”

Mr. Shailesh Chandra, Managing Director, Tata Motors Passenger Vehicles Ltd. and Tata Passenger Electric Mobility Ltd. said, “The PV industry is expected to post its highest ever sales in the calendar year 2023 (CY23), crossing the significant 4 million mark, supported by a strong supply situation, new nameplates launched in the SUV segment, and a robust demand during the longer festive period. Coming off a high base, the industry recorded a single digit growth overall with the key highlight of this moderate rise being the sharp growth registered in emission-friendly product categories. Both EV and CNG segments posted growth greater than 90% and 25% respectively, signaling a growing preference for green and smart technologies by Indian customers.

For Tata Motors, CY23 was the third consecutive year of posting highest ever sales of ~553K, led by its commanding position in the compact SUV segment and strong growth in hatches, despite the hatch segment degrowing at an industry level. 

In Q3FY24, we recorded wholesales of 138,455 units (up 5% vs Q3FY23). Our strong focus on retail sales during the quarter resulted in Vahan registrations significantly rising by ~14% vs Q3FY23 and ~24% vs Q2FY24. We significantly strengthened our market position, reduced channel stock sharply and received an excellent market response to the new avatars of the Nexon, Harrier and Safari, launched during the quarter. Sales of our emission-friendly products in the EV segment and innovative twin-cylinder iCNG range, also recorded steep growth during Q3FY24. EV sales posted a healthy growth of 21% vs Q3FY23 (domestic + IB), led by the launch of the new Nexon EV and continuing popularity of the Tiago EV, while the four products in the CNG segment cumulatively registered a substantial 214% growth vs Q3FY23.

Going forward, with multiple new products, including a new nameplate scheduled for launch in CY2024, we remain optimistic about continuing the growth trend in the quarters ahead.”

Air India's New Year Bonanza: Bookings Open For Airbus A350 Flights On Domestic Sectors

Air India today announced that its brand-new aircraft and India’s first, Airbus A350, will enter commercial service on 22 January 2024. The carrier today opened bookings for the flights to be operated by the A350, as a New Year tribute to the soaring aspirations of the nation.

Initially, while the aircraft is deployed on domestic routes for crew familiarization and regulatory compliance purposes, passengers from Bengaluru, Chennai, Delhi, Hyderabad, and Mumbai will have the opportunity to fly and experience the unparalleled comfort and state-of-the-art technology of the Airbus A350 aircraft in Air India’s bold new livery. Ushering in the most visible manifestation of Air India’s epic transformation journey, the A350 aircraft will be later deployed for longer-haul flights to destinations across continents.

On 23rd December 2023, the first of Air India’s 20 Airbus A350-900 aircraft, registered VT-JRA, was welcomed at IGI Airport, Delhi, flying in from the Airbus facility in Toulouse, France. The landing of the A350 marked the arrival of the first widebody aircraft from Air India’s record-setting 470 aircraft order – with scheduled arrivals of one new aircraft every six days throughout 2024. Fitted with the Rolls Royce Trent XWB engines, these aircraft are 20 per cent more fuel efficient than other similar aircraft, reducing fuel emissions and ensuring sustainable operations.

Air India’s A350-900 aircraft comes in a three-class cabin configuration with 316 seats: 28 private Business suites with full-flat beds, 24 Premium Economy seats with extra legroom and other amenities, and 264 spacious Economy seats. All seats on the aircraft feature the latest-generation Panasonic eX3 in-flight entertainment system and HD screens to provide superior flying experience which will be offering an all-new content for our guests on board.

Air India has already rolled out its new global brand identity across guest touchpoints and unveiled its new collection of uniforms for cabin and cockpit crew designed by celebrity couturier, Manish Malhotra. Air India’s cabin crew and pilots will be seen in the new uniforms with the entry of service of the A350.

About Air India:

Founded by the legendary JRD Tata, Air India pioneered India’s aviation sector. Since its first flight on October 15, 1932, Air India has built an extensive domestic network with non-stop flights to cities around the world, across the USA, Canada, UK, Europe, Far-East, South-East Asia, Australia, and the Gulf. After 69 years as a government-owned enterprise, Air India and Air India Express were welcomed back into the Tata group in January 2022.

Air India is navigating through a major five-year transformation roadmap under the aegis of Vihaan.AI, with an ambition to become a world class airline with an Indian heart. The first phase of this transformation, the taxi phase was recently concluded, and focused on fixing the basics. These included bringing back to service many long grounded aircraft, addition of talent across flying and ground functions, rapid upgradation of technology and strengthening of customer care initiatives amongst others. A member of Star Alliance, the largest global airline consortium of leading international airlines, Air India offers seamless connectivity and facilities to passengers all over the world.

Godrej Properties Buys 4-Acre Land Parcel In The Prime Corridors Of North-West Bengaluru

* The project will have an estimated revenue potential of INR 1,000 * Crore with the scope to increase to INR 1,250 * Crore basis an additional 1acre land acquisition

Godrej Properties Ltd. (GPL) (BSE scrip id: GODREJPROP), one of India’s leading real estate developers, today announced that it has purchased a ~ 4-acre land parcel on an outright basis. The land is located in Yeshwanthpur abutting the National Highway - 75, one of the prime locations in Bengaluru.

This project is estimated to have a developable potential of approximately 0.7 million square feet of saleable area comprising primarily of premium residential apartments of various configurations with an estimated revenue potential of INR 1,000* Crore with scope to increase to INR 1,250* Crore basis additional 1-acre land acquisition, making it overall a ~ 5-acre parcel.

The site is strategically located with a huge frontage on National Highway - 75, Yeshwanthpur. The area offers well-developed commercial and social infrastructure and is in proximity to Goraguntepalya and Peenya metro stations providing access to the Central Business District, (CBD) and other parts of Bengaluru. The location also provides connectivity to the Kempegowda International Airport, Bengaluru, and other key areas of Bengaluru through Outer Ring Road – Hebbal. 

Gaurav Pandey, MD & CEO, Godrej Properties said, “Yeshwanthpur is an important micro market for us, and we are happy to add this land parcel to our portfolio. This will further strengthen our presence in Bengaluru and complement our strategy of deepening our presence in key micro markets across India's leading cities.”

* On the basis of the current business assumptions.

About Godrej Properties Limited:

Godrej Properties brings the Godrej Group philosophy of innovation, sustainability, and excellence to the real estate industry. Each Godrej Properties development combines a 126-year legacy of excellence and trust with a commitment to cutting-edge design, technology, and sustainability. In FY 2021, Godrej Properties emerged as the largest developer in India by the value and volume of residential sales achieved.

Godrej Properties has deeply focused on sustainable development. In 2010, GPL committed that all of its developments would be third-party certified green buildings. In 2020 and again in 2021 and 2022, the Global Real Estate Sustainability Benchmark ranked GPL #1 globally amongst listed residential developers for its sustainability and governance practices. In 2017, GPL was one of the founding partners of the Sustainable Housing Leadership Consortium (SHLC), whose mission is to spread sustainable development practices across the Indian real estate sector. In recent years, Godrej Properties has received over 400 awards and recognitions, including the Porter Prize 2019, The Most Trusted Real Estate Brand in the 2019 Brand Trust Report, Builder of the Year at the CNBC-Awaaz Real Estate Awards 2019, and The Economic Times Best Real Estate Brand 2018.