Honda Cars India Registers Over 17% Growth In Domestic Sales In February’24 With 7,142 Units

* Clocks highest ever monthly export volume of 5,936 units with 510% growth

Honda Cars India Ltd. (HCIL), leading manufacturer of premium cars in India, registered monthly domestic sales of 7,142 units in February 2024 with a strong growth of over 17% in comparison to the corresponding month last year. The export numbers for HCIL stood at 5,936 units in Feb’24. This is the highest ever monthly export volume clocked by the company that has been fuelled by strong export performance of cars made in India and exported to multiple global markets.     

Sharing thoughts on Feb’24 sales performance, Mr. Yuichi Murata, Director, Marketing & Sales, Honda Cars India Ltd. said, “Our performance in February has been as per our plan. The Honda Elevate maintains its strong performance, further strengthening its presence in the market. The Honda City and Amaze also continue to perform well in their respective segments. In addition, our export performance has also been robust.”

The company had registered 6,086 units in domestic sales and exported 973 units in February’ 23.

About Honda Cars India Ltd.

Honda Cars India Ltd. (HCIL), a leading manufacturer of premium cars in India, was established in December 1995 with a commitment to provide Honda’s passenger car models and technologies, to the Indian customers. HCIL’s corporate office is based in Greater Noida, UP and its state-of-the-art manufacturing facility is located at Tapukara, District. Alwar, Rajasthan. 

Honda’s models are strongly associated with advanced design and technology, apart from their established qualities of durability, reliability, safety, and fuel-efficiency. The company has a strong sales and distribution network spread across the country. 

Besides the new car business, Honda offers one stop solution for buying and selling pre-owned cars through its business function Honda Auto Terrace. The Honda Certified Pre-owned cars come with an assurance of quality and peace of mind that caters to the diverse and burgeoning needs of pre-owned car buyers across the country.

Helios Mutual Fund Launches Helios Balanced Advantage Fund NFO Opens From March 11-24, 2024

Helios Mutual Fund has announced the launch of Helios Balanced Advantage Fund (BAF), an open-ended dynamic asset allocation fund. NFO will open for subscription on March 11, 2024 and close on March 20, 2024.

The fund aims to capitalize on the potential upside of equities while attempting to limit the downside through dynamic portfolio management. This will be done by investing in equity & equity related instruments and active use of debt, money market instruments and derivatives. The equity portfolio will be built basis Helios's Elimination Investing (EITM) philosophy - based on eight fundamental screening factors that have repeatedly proven to be effective in weeding out poor performers, gravitating towards winners, and creating a sustainable outperformance profile.

The investment strategy will be to normally maintain gross equity and equity-related exposure between 65%-100% and the net equity exposure between 30% to 80%. Various derivative strategies would be used for hedging against market headwinds.

Helios Balanced Advantage Fund (BAF) will be benchmarked against CRISIL Hybrid 50+50 – Moderate Total Return Index (TRI). The scheme will be managed by Mr. Alok Bahl and Mr. Pratik Singh for equity investments and Mr. Utssav Modi for debt portfolio management.

On an average, Bengaluru has been among the top three cities in terms of contribution towards mutual fund growing AUM with BAF category industry AUM standing at ~INR 14,900 cr as of Jan ’24 (Source: MFDex). The city being the IT and ITES hub, large corporates and even their employees invest in mutual funds. The young demographics and high disposable income levels show a huge growth potential for mutual fund penetration in Bengaluru.

Speaking on the launch, Mr. Samir Arora, Founder, Helios Capital, said, “Helios Balanced Advantage Fund is suitable for investors looking for long term wealth creation or building corpus for goals such as retirement or child education. Investors who wish to build an all-weather portfolio may consider this scheme after consulting their financial advisor”.

Why should you invest in Helios Balanced Advantage Fund?

·         Growth Potential with balanced allocation

·         Attempts to limit downside risk by hedging, tweaking debt

·         Endeavors to allocate =/> 65% into equities, which will provide the Scheme with Equity Fund taxation

·         Units can be redeemed on any Business Day at NAV based price

·         Risk Mitigation and Rigorous Screening

·         Fund Managers with more than 25 years of combined experience

·         Consistency and Disciplined Investing

The Minimum application amount will be Rs 5000 and in multiples of Re 1 thereafter.

AGS Transact Technologies Aims To Issue 25 Lakh National Common Mobility Cards (NCMC) Over The Next Two Years

In a circular dated 23rd February 2024, the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) has permitted licensed bank and non-bank managed prepaid payment instruments (PPIs) to issue prepaid cards for use across various public transport systems, without the mandatory KYC verification. One of the prominent PPI offerings is the National Common Mobility Card (NCMC), an open-loop card that offers interoperability across different transport networks in India such as Metro.

AGS Transact Technologies, one of the largest omnichannel integrated payments solutions provider in India, has partnered with RBL Bank to issue NCMC for Bangalore Metro Rail Corporation Limited. Following the recent announcement of RBI, the company expects an uptick in NCMC adoption to about 2 lakhs by June 2024, once the new process for issuance of NCMC is implemented, expectedly by mid-March. Overall, AGS Transact Technologies plans to issue around 25 lakh NCMCs over the next two years.

RBL Bank BMRCL NCMCs are secure and contactless open loop prepaid cards on Rupay platform that can be recharged easily through BMRCL RBL Bank NCMC app or a web portal and across BMRCL Metro stations and select RBL Bank branches. NCMCs are developed to work even in low network coverage areas, such as underground parking and metro stations. In addition to public transport payments, the cards can be used for fuel, bill payments, dining as well as retail & ecommerce platforms that accept RuPay payments.

Current Steps to apply for RBL Bank BMRCL NCMC powered by AGS Transact Technologies:

Mobile App: Download "BMRCL RBL Bank NCMC" app on the Google Play Store or

Web Portal: Visit the web portal at https://nammametro.agsindia.com/

Register on the app / web portal. A registration number will be generated upon successful OTP verification.

Now visit the ticket counter at the nearest Bengaluru Metro Station or RBL Bank Branch and provide the registration number. Your NCMC will be activated, and a physical card will be given following OTP authentication. The card is now ready for transactions such as shopping, ecommerce and dining.

You can top-up the NCMC via UPI, wallets, credit/debit card and internet banking or visit the nearest metro station.

To avail transit services like metro, transfer the fund from your online wallet to offline wallet on your app or web portal.

Tap your NCMC on self-service kiosk at BMRCL Metro station and enjoy the seamless commute experience.

About AGS Transact Technologies Limited (AGSTTL)

Established in 2002, AGS Transact Technologies Limited (BSE: 543451| NSE: AGSTRA) is one of the largest integrated omni-channel payment solutions providers in India in terms of providing digital and cash-based solutions to banks and corporate clients. AGS Transact provides customised products and services comprising ATM and CRM outsourcing, cash management and digital payment solutions including merchant solutions, transaction processing services and mobile wallets. The company operates in three broad business segments, namely, Payment Solutions; Banking Automation Solutions; and Other Automation Solutions.

AGS Transact Technologies serves diverse industries such as banking, retail, petroleum, toll and transit, cash management and fintech in India and other select countries in Asia. As of December 31, 2023, the company has deployed 2,48,126 payment terminals and was one of the largest deployers of PoS terminals at petroleum retail outlets in India, having rolled out 45,525 terminals at various petroleum retail outlets

Austrade Concludes EdTech Trade Mission To India 2024 In Bengaluru, Strengthening Collaboration Opportunities

The Australian Trade and Investment Commission (Austrade) has successfully concluded its inaugural EdTech Trade Mission to India 2024, which took place from 26 February to 1 March 2024. This ground-breaking initiative was designed to tap into India's rapidly expanding online education market and to foster partnerships that enhance collaboration between Australia and India.

The mission provided a dynamic platform for Australian EdTech companies, universities, and training organisations to deepen their understanding of the Indian online education landscape and the EdTech ecosystem. By engaging with key stakeholders, potential collaborators, investors and clients, the mission facilitated meaningful discussions and networking opportunities.

A highlight of the mission was the participation in the India Digital Summit 2024 (IDS) held in Mumbai on 27 and 28 February 2024, which offered Australian delegates invaluable networking opportunities. 15 delegates from 5 Australian EdTech organisations and 3 Australian Universities joined the mission’s itinerary which included visits to Mumbai and Bengaluru. These cities were chosen for their vibrant ecosystems and as a representative of the opportunities available for Australian entities looking to expand into the Indian market.

Dr Monica Kennedy, Senior Trade and  Investment Commissioner at Austrade, commented: "The Australian EdTech Trade Mission to India 2024 was a resounding success, creating a unique platform for Australian companies to explore the Indian market and establish  connections. The engagement and partnerships formed during this mission are testament to the synergies between the Australian and Indian EdTech sectors."

The EdTech Trade Mission 2024 has laid a solid foundation for future collaboration between Australian and Indian EdTech innovators. As demand for innovative educational solutions continues to rise in India, Australian EdTech firms are well-positioned to meet this demand. Austrade remains committed to supporting Australian companies in navigating the Indian market and seizing the opportunities for growth and collaboration that lie ahead.

About The Australian Trade and Investment Commission

The Australian Trade and Investment Commission (Austrade) is the Australian Government’s international trade promotion and investment attraction agency. We deliver quality trade and investment services to businesses to grow Australia’s prosperity. We do this by generating and providing market information and insights, promoting Australian capability, and facilitating connections through our extensive global network.

We position Australian education internationally by highlighting global relevance, practicality and quality of Australia's education providers, along with their innovation, creativity and focus on the future.

To discover how we can help you, visit https://www.austrade.gov.au/

To know more about Study Australia, visit www.studyaustralia.gov.au

Going To School And BT Group Kick Off Match Day 2024 In Bengaluru

·       Going to School in partnership with the Government of Karnataka and BT Group work together to equip girls with football and digital skills to solve for climate change

·       The ‘Outdoor School for Girls’ program delivers sport (football) with digital, life, STEM, Sustainable Entrepreneurial skills through integrated skills curricula to girls in Government Schools in Grade 5-10.

·       Going to School’s goal is to equip 2.7 million girls across India with the skills they need to solve for Climate Change, by bringing the great game and skills content to school for girls.

·       Match Day 2024 was simultaneously organized across Mumbai, Goa, and Raichur, apart from Bengaluru.

Going to School, a creative not-for-profit trust, in partnership with the Government of Karnataka and BT Group, organised ‘Match Day 2024’ to celebrate the power of sport to equip girls with digital and life skills to succeed in life and solve for the biggest challenge of our time, Climate Change.

Going to School has signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the Government of Karnataka to run the Outdoor School for Girls, a skills sports educational program for girls in Government Schools.

Placing girls at the centre of their story, the day began with an engaging discussion with the Team of 11 Girls who feature in the upcoming TV series. The dynamic conversation moved between the power of play to learn skills and the enterprising solutions girls had designed to solve for how to enable girls to play football in India and practice their digital skills to design enterprise solutions for Climate Change.

Guests present at the event included representatives from Going to School, BT Group, Principals of Government Schools and more than 500 girls from across the city. Additionally, Bengaluru FC Head Coach, Mr Gerard Zaragoza, Assistant Coach and former India International, Mr Renedy Singh, Team Players Aleksandr Jovanovic, Namgyal Bhutia, Ashish Jha, Director of Football, Mr Darren Cladeira and girls from Bengaluru FC’s U15s Women's Team also graced the event.

It was a ‘zero plastic’ event, with sustainable street stalls serving snacks on leaf plates and juice. A sustainable shade umbrella photo booth with palm trees got everyone excited to click photos and interact with the media and representatives on the ground.

The Outdoor School for Girls project delivers sport (football) with digital, life, STEM, and Sustainable Entrepreneurial skills through an integrated curricula to girls in Government schools in India. From Grades 5-10, during school hours, the program is designed to equip girls with the skills they need to complete their education, moving from the game they have designed on the pitch to the wider canvas of the city, kick-starting sustainable enterprises, solving for Climate Change and create jobs solving for two of the city’s biggest challenges: youth unemployment and Climate Change.

Going to School aims to equip 2.7 million girls with football, life, sustainable and enterprise skills they need to complete their education and move from the pitch to leading enterprises that solve for Climate Change in the city and create jobs.

In partnership with BT Group, the Equinix Foundation is also supporting the Outdoor School for Girls program by providing funding, mentorship, volunteering, and expertise towards the development of the digital learning platform used by the girls to build their digital skills and design climate solutions.

Ian McBride, Head Responsible Business – India, BT Group said, “We have a long standing partnership with Going to School and the Outdoor School for Girls is a terrific opportunity to bring digital skills at scale via sport that support BT Group’s global manifesto goal to ensure technology is inclusive and for everyone to benefit.”

"As a football club that cares about the community, the environment and is completely behind empowering women through our sport, we are delighted to be associated with this fantastic initiative led by Going to School. Bengaluru FC has championed the cause of sustainability and awareness about climate change, and to be able to harness the power of football to spread this message is something we are very happy to do. Let’s all play our part in being the change," said Bengaluru FC Head Coach, Mr Gerard Zaragoza.

“We are delighted to kick off ‘Match Day 2024’ in Bengaluru today. We sincerely thank the Government of Karnataka for giving us a chance to engage with girls at school in the state and BT Group for their unwavering support for this dynamic digital skills, sports project for girls. For the first time in the Government Education System in India, girls are playing football and learning integrated skills to solve for Climate Change at school. With a fierce focus on girls’ retention in school and transition from school to the sustainable enterprise of her choice, after she completes her education, she has the chance to become an entrepreneur who starts an enterprise that solves for Climate Change and creates jobs, we are already awe-inspired by the potential of girls and look forward to seeing what she achieves when she moves from school to the wider challenge of the city,” added Lisa Heydlauff, CEO, Going to School.

Going to School has also signed MoUs with the Government of Karnataka, Maharashtra and Goa to implement The Outdoor School for Girls program in Government Schools during school hours. They also run Experiential Business School Crash Courses for young women, age 18+, to be able to learn sustainable enterprise skills on site, outside in the city with start-up entrepreneurs. City Business Schools for Young Women, run outside like the Outdoor School, is part of their Youth Venture Fund program supported by J.P.Morgan. Once she completes a crash course, she can elect to begin researching a business that solves for Climate Change that she can pitch for support for start-up seed capital grants from Deutsche Bank.

The commitment to enable her to learn the skills she needs at school and to transition from school to sustainable enterprise of her choice solving for Climate Change, is a multi-partner initiative and underscoring girls and women’s decisive role in all of our futures.

About BT Group

BT Group is the UK’s leading provider of fixed and mobile telecommunications and related secure digital products, solutions and services. We also provide managed telecommunications, security and network & IT infrastructure services to customers across 180 countries.

BT Group consists of three customer-facing units: Consumer serves individuals and families in the UK; Business covers companies and public services in the UK and internationally; Openreach is an independently governed, wholly owned subsidiary wholesaling fixed access infrastructure services to its customers - over 650 communications providers across the UK.

British Telecommunications plc is a wholly owned subsidiary of BT Group plc and encompasses virtually all businesses and assets of the BT Group. BT Group plc is listed on the London Stock Exchange.

For more information, visit www.bt.com/about

About Bengaluru FC

Bengaluru Football Club is an Indian professional football club based in Bangalore, Karnataka. The club competes in the Indian Super League (ISL), the top flight of Indian football. The club was established on 20 July 2013, and began its first competitive season in the I-League on 22 September the same year. Since its inception, the club has won two I-League titles including one in its debut season, two Federation Cup titles, one Indian Super League title, and a Super Cup championship making it fourth-most successful club in Indian football.

About Going to School

Made in India, celebrating 21 years, Going to School is a creative-not-for-profit education trust that makes design-driven stories to equip millions of young people at school and outside with the skills they need to design enterprise solutions for the biggest challenges of our time. With an audacious goal of equipping millions of girls with the digital, life, STEM, Sustainable Enterprise skills she needs to solve for Climate Change while she is at school, Going to School is celebrating this 21st Year by adding play to the match of our lives. Football is going to school to equip girls with the skills they need to solve for Climate Change. Join us in this audacious goal that we can only dare to make happen through magical, inspired partnerships offline, online, on air and outside, see you on the pitch. www.goingtoschool.com wwww.outdoorschoolforgirls.com

Photo Caption: Bengaluru FC Head Coach, Gerard Zaragoza and Going to School CEO Lisa Heydlauff with girls and representatives from BT Group at the event in Bengaluru.

viaDOTS Unveils Its One-Of-A-Kind Digital Meter Taxi Services In Bengaluru

* Whether one is in the heart of the city or on the outskirts, riders simply need to approach a nearby ‘Driver Entrepreneur’ and inquire if they have a digital meter

In a bid to revolutionize digital ride-hailing services, viaDOTS, a key player in the ride-hailing industry, has announced the launch of its one-of-a-kind Digital Meter Taxi Services in Bengaluru. This pioneering move is aimed at ushering in a new era of transparency and fairness in cab services, benefiting both drivers and passengers alike.

The Bengaluru-based firm has been a frontrunner in working towards a transparent and cost-effective service delivery system. With a Digital Meter Taxi Model, viaDOTS restricts price surge and price volatility during low demand as the fares are meter-calculated. The digital meter displays the estimated price before the journey commences. This feature empowers riders to make informed decisions by providing them with complete awareness of the cost beforehand. This not only benefits the drivers by providing them with a fairer and predictable income but also enhances the riders' overall experience by providing clear and reliable pricing.

One of the standout features of this innovative offering is its accessibility. Riders no longer need to have the viaDOTS app installed to avail of a digital metered taxi. Instead, they can conveniently book a metered taxi from anywhere. Whether one is in the heart of the city or on the outskirts, riders simply need to approach a nearby ‘Driver Entrepreneur’ and inquire if they have a digital meter. Easy to install, the drivers can set up the viaDOTS digital meter all by themselves by meeting the KYC and safety norms set by the ride-hailing platform.

The driver remains seamlessly connected through the viaDOTS Driver App, which continuously tracks the rides. Each driver undergoes rigorous background checks before being onboarded onto the Driver App. This process aligns with their commitment to providing safe and secure rides to the customer.

“We strive to transform the existing cab services into a convenient, transparent and safe service,” says Vyshak Simha, CEO at viaDOTS. “Our GPS-enabled Digital Meter Taxis ensure safe and secure rides, placing both drivers and riders at the forefront of our priorities. At viaDOTS, we are committed to leveraging technology to consistently deliver exceptional customer experiences.”

Since its launch in 2023, viaDOTS has witnessed remarkable growth, having onboarded 10,000 drivers within just two months. The ride-hailing platform is experiencing a 20% ride conversion rate and has amassed 22,000 users on the app. The ride-hailing platform is currently experiencing a 20% ride conversion rate and has amassed 22,000 users on the app.

About viaDOTS:

viaDOTS is a ride-hailing SaaS platform which is revolutionizing the ride-hailing industry by implementing Driver Operated Transport Service (DOTS). Backed by extensive research and development to identify gaps in the ride-hailing industry since 2019, viaDOTS was founded in 2023 in Bengaluru, Karnataka. Since its inception, viaDOTS has onboarded 10,000 drivers and plans to onboard a staggering 50,000 drivers by the end of the first quarter of 2024.

Focused on transparency, viaDOTS aims to provide accessible, affordable, and convenient transport solutions. viaDOTS empowers drivers to operate as Driver Entrepreneurs and at the same time prioritize rides with no hidden charges and price surge.

Meta Launches ‘Know What’s Real’ Campaign To Create Awareness Against The Spread Of Misinformation

Meta has launched an integrated safety campaign ‘Know What’s Real’, in an effort to drive awareness around the importance of fighting misinformation in today’s digital age. The campaign aims to educate users on identifying and addressing misinformation on WhatsApp and Instagram by promoting digital best practices and highlighting available safety tools.

The 8-week-long campaign highlights in-built product features and safety measures present on WhatsApp like block and report, forward labels that equip users to spot misinformation and prevent its spread further, and encourages people to verify information that sounds suspicious or inaccurate via fact-checking organizations on WhatsApp Channels.

On Instagram, Meta teams up with a robust network of fact checkers to verify information. If something false, like deepfakes, is found, they put warning labels in the app to tell people it's not accurate. We also limit the reach of content that is labeled “False” by our fact-checkers so less people can see it. Through the campaign, Meta is encouraging people to not forward or share any inauthentic content and instead report the same to the Grievance Officer or any of the independent fact checking partners to verify information.

Meta’s fact-checking program in India includes partnerships with 11 independent fact-checking organizations which is one of the largest networks of fact-checking partners globally. These partners have the capabilities to fact check content in 15 Indian languages, including Kannnada, as well as English – enabling people to identify, review, verify information and help prevent the spread of misinformation on Meta platforms.

Commenting on the launch of the campaign, Shivnath Thukral, Director, Public Policy India, Meta, said, “Meta is committed to fighting misinformation online. We have invested in industry leading programs like setting up a robust network of independent fact-checkers that work to debunk false claims and help citizens access reliable information, including collaborating with MCA to launch a WhatsApp tipline to curb AI-generated misinformation. The campaign is an extension of our ongoing efforts to prevent the spread of misinformation and serves as a simple safety guide to educate people on the role they can play to combat it.”

Just last week, the company announced the launch of a dedicated fact-checking helpline on WhatsApp in an effort to combat AI-Generated misinformation – particularly deepfakes, and help people connect with verified and credible information. Meta also supports the cross-industry and multi-stakeholder led Misinformation Combat Alliance’s (MCA) initiative to set up a self-regulatory organization (SRO) for third-party fact checkers.