Tata Motors Aigns MoU With Delta Electronics And Thunderplus Solutions To Install 250 Fast- Charging Stations

Tata Motors, India's largest commercial vehicle manufacturer, today announced that it is collaborating with Delta Electronics India and Thunderplus Solutions Pvt Ltd to expand charging infrastructure for its electric commercial vehicles by setting up 250 new fast charging stations across the country. Strategically located in and around over 50 cities, including Delhi, Mumbai, Chennai, Bengaluru, Pune, and Kochi among others, these new charging stations will significantly increase the existing network of 540 commercial vehicle charging points.

E-commerce companies, parcel & courier service providers, among other industries, are increasing the adoption of commercial EVs for the last-mile deliveries to reduce their carbon footprint. Basis its understanding of commercial EV movement, Tata Motors will recommend optimal locations and nearest dealerships for setting-up these fast-charging stations. While Delta Electronics will supply the necessary hardware, Thunderplus Solutions will install and operate them.

Speaking about this collaboration, Mr. Vinay Pathak, Vice President & Business Head – SCV&PU, Tata Motors Commercial Vehicles, said, "Our endeavour is to make emission-free cargo transportation easily accessible. Expanding the available charging infrastructure on high-use routes will encourage more customers to opt for electric commercial vehicles and improve vehicle uptime resulting in higher revenues and better profitability, while contributing towards a cleaner, greener environment. Installing fast chargers at our dealerships makes it convenient for them to gain access at a familiar location with reliable charging facility.”

Representing Delta Electronics India Pvt Ltd, Mr. Niranjan Nayak, Managing Director, added, "Delta aims to provide innovative, clean and energy-efficient solutions for a better tomorrow. This collaboration with Tata Motors and Thunderplus allows us to contribute significantly to India's electric cargo ecosystem. Our advanced charging technology will play a crucial role in enhancing the electric commercial vehicle experience for users nationwide."

Mr. Rajeev YSR, CEO Thunderplus Solutions Pvt Ltd, stated, "We are excited to partner with Tata Motors and Delta in this groundbreaking initiative. Our focus is on enabling electric commercial vehicle customers with top-notch charging solutions that ensure convenience and reliability. This collaboration aligns perfectly with our mission to drive sustainable transportation solutions across India. This initiative completely falls in line with our campaign #HarGharThunder through which we intend to make the charge point affordable to each house; making electric vehicle charging abundantly available thus removing the charge anxiety.”

Tata Motors offers the Ace EV – India's most advanced four-wheel e-cargo solution for last-mile deliveries. It is supported by over 150 Electric Vehicle Service Centres across the country and is equipped with an advanced battery management system, Fleet Edge telematics system and robust aggregates for best-in-class uptime. Leveraging the immense capabilities of the Tata UniEVerse, the Ace EV benefits from collaborations with relevant Tata Group companies and partnerships with the country's leading financiers to offer customers a holistic e-cargo mobility solution. The Ace EV can be purchased at all Tata Motors commercial vehicle dealerships across the country.

About Tata Motors

Part of the USD 165 billion Tata group, Tata Motors Limited (BSE: 500570 and 570001; NSE: TATAMOTORS and TATAMTRDVR), a USD 44 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, fuelled 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, UK, South Korea, Thailand and Indonesia, Tata Motors markets its vehicles in Africa, the Middle East, Latin America, Southeast Asia, and the SAARC countries. As of March 31, 2024, Tata Motors’ operations include 90 consolidated subsidiaries, two joint operations, five joint ventures, and numerous equity-accounted associates, including their subsidiaries, over which the company exercises significant influence.

About Delta Electronics India

Delta Electronics is a leading global power and energy management company. Delta Electronics India Private Limited is its wholly owned subsidiary and has been operating in India since 2003. Delta operates in three business categories: Power Electronics, Automation, and Infrastructure. It has a strong legacy in India, with market leadership in Telecom Power Solutions, EV Charging Solutions, and Display Solutions. Delta is also a leading provider of Industrial Automation Solutions, UPS & Datacenter Solutions, Renewable Energy Solutions, Rail Transportation Solutions, Energy Storage Solutions, Power Quality Solutions, DC Fans & Blowers, and Components. With fourteen regional offices, four manufacturing facilities (in Rudrapur, Gurgaon, and Krishnagiri), and two R&D centers (Gurgaon and Bengaluru), Delta has a Strong presence across India with more than 200 channel partners.

The company has been awarded ISO 9001:2008, ISO 14001:2007, and OHSAS 18001:2008 certifications for Quality, Procedures, and Environment management.

About Thunder Plus Solutions Pvt Ltd

Trinity Plus is amongst the leading EV Charging companies in the country. With its range of EV Chargers/ Fast Chargers, Thunder Plus is setting up EV charging network in partnership with the municipalities in Delhi, Chennai and in multiple towns and cities in Telangana.

With a network of over 800 full-functional EV Charging points at prominent locations, Thunder has laid a strong foundation for charging infrastructure through its intelligent substations for smart charging solutions for all EVs. TCPL has created more than 30mw of charging infra till date with Country’s largest Electric Vehicle Charging station of 5 MW under one roof where 60 electric buses could be charged simultaneously.

The company is into the business of manufacturing Chargers, deploying charging stations and also energy (battery) as a service, thus solving the charging anxiety problem in the Indian EV Eco system.

Sprite Introduces A Quirky Take To ‘Chill At Home’ After A Busy Day, Featuring Vedang Raina

* Campaign film: Sprite – Thand Rakh at Home (youtube.com)

Sprite, the iconic lemon and lime-flavored beverage, presents a fresh perspective to end-of-the-day ‘chill at home’ with its new quirky campaign. Teens are continuously striving to maximize their experiences by packing in more into their everyday. Balancing studies, extracurricular activities, social expectations and personal goals can be overwhelming. The day is spent meeting the expectations of others and living up to the benchmarks set by people around you. Even as one walks into their home in the evening, they carry this baggage in their backpack they carry. With the never-ending hustle of life, it makes it extremely crucial for the young generation to find moments to simply chill and refresh. Recognizing this need, Sprite is stepping in as the ultimate chill partner, offering a refreshing twist to help teens unwind after a long day.

Featuring the rising star Vedang Raina, the campaign speaks to the generation to unwind at end of a demanding day; and presents Sprite as the drink of choice when faced with unavoidable, and potentially annoying, moments that are part of the fabric of daily life. The campaign launches as a series of films that would resonate with the teen life integrating their college life, social circles, friend groups, societal hustles etc. People popping out of the bags, conversing refrigerators, and humorous exchanges – all contribute to the campaign’s clever humor. The campaign integrates AI to present 200 unique messaging that are crafted to deliver to the right context & right time integrating the moments that matter to the teens most.

Vendang Raina, the rising star and a GenZ icon, expressed his enthusiasm for the campaign saying, “I am thrilled to be part of Sprite universe. Working with such an iconic brand that resonates with the cool and vibrant energy of today’s youth is an exciting opportunity. I totally identify with the insight, and end-of-day chill is indeed critical for our generation, including me. Sprite’s cool and witty take always brings in a moment of calm in the chaos.”

Commenting on the campaign, Sumeli Chatterjee, Senior Category Director, Sparkling Flavours, Coca-Cola India and South-west Asia said, "Every day is a hustle to maximize and achieve. At the end of the day, every teenager seeks a moment to relax. But they walk into their homes carrying a bag full of baggage and stress from their day. The creative strategy uses this bag as the metaphor to cue the need to unwind. Chill-at-home is a witty take by Sprite, the ultimate refreshing drink, that urges the teens to unwind after a hectic day. Vedang brings that effortless cool vibe, making him the perfect fit to resonate with today’s teens.”

Vishwesh Krishnamoorthy, Director, Corcoise Films said, “In today’s digital age, the day never really ends. Everyone follows you back home on your phone, in your bag, in your head. This gives a great visual device for the film. To make the people who pester you pop out of the backpack was a fun challenge! The world in Sprite is filled with interesting facets like that - talking fridges, people jumping out of backpacks and Sprite bottles zooming around the room. It’s unique and entertaining.”

Ritu Sharda, Chief Creative Officer at Ogilvy India (North) said, “Sprite has always understood the pulse of the youth. This film captures the everyday annoyances that college students face, symbolised by the weight of a backpack. It represents the stress and burdens they carry throughout the day. Sprite steps in as the perfect way to unwind, turning those end-of-day moments into something truly refreshing and rewarding."

Sprite invites teens across India to take a break from their busy lives and ‘Chill at Home’ with a refreshing bottle of Sprite. As the pressures of daily life builds up, the need to unwind becomes ever more important. Whether you’re cooling down after a long day or simply enjoying a moment of peace, Sprite’s crisp, lemon-lime flavor provides the ultimate refreshment. So, kick back, relax, and let Sprite help you find your chill at home.

About The Coca-Cola Company

Coca-Cola in India is one of the country’s leading beverage companies, offering a range of high-quality and refreshing beverage options to consumers. The company, in line with its vision of ‘Beverages For Life’, offers a wide portfolio of products which includes hydration, sports, sparkling, coffee, tea, nutrition, juice and dairy based products. In India its beverage range includes Coca-Cola, Coca-Cola Zero Sugar, Diet Coke, Thums Up, Charged by Thums Up, Fanta, Limca, Sprite, Maaza, Minute Maid range of juices and juice beverages. The Company also offers hydration beverages including Limca Sportz, Smartwater, Kinley, Dasani and Bonaqua packaged drinking water and Kinley Club Soda. Premium products constitute Schweppes range and Smartwater. In addition, it offers Costa Coffee and organic green tea based beverage- Honest Tea amongst its range of coffee and Tea. The Company is constantly transforming its portfolio, from reducing sugar in its drinks to bringing innovative new products to market.

The company along with its owned bottling operations and franchise bottling partners has a strong network of close to 4 million retail outlets through which it refreshes millions of consumers across the country. It seeks to positively impact people’s lives, communities and the planet through water replenishment, packaging recycling, sustainable agriculture initiatives and carbon emission reductions across its value chain.

Globally together with its bottling partners, The Coca-Cola Company employs more than 700,000 people, helping to bring economic opportunity to local communities worldwide. Learn more at www.cocacolacompany.com and follow us on Twitter, Instagram, Facebook and LinkedIn.

Dassault Systèmes Empowers Magic Myna With The 3DEXPERIENCE Platform On The Cloud For Drone Innovation

·         Dassault Systèmes’ 3DEXPERIENCE platform on the cloud helped Magic Myna to quickly adapt to market demands

·         Magic Myna has reduced development time by 20% and IT infrastructure cost by 25%

Dassault Systèmes (Euronext Paris: FR0014003TT8, DSY.PA) today at Cloud Summit announced that Magic Myna, a leading Indian manufacturer of customized drones for healthcare, agriculture, logistics, and other applications, has adopted the 3DEXPERIENCE platform on the cloud to optimize its design and development processes.

Magic Myna is leveraging Dassault Systèmes’ industry-leading applications powered by the 3DEXPERIENCE platform to streamline the design of unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) for diverse applications. The platform provides a collaborative environment for design, simulation, and data management, enabling faster product development cycles and improved product quality. For example, SIMULIA applications empower Magic Myna with advanced structural simulation capabilities to optimize the design of lightweight yet structurally stable drones.

The fast-growing drone sector is encountering significant challenges due to intense market fragmentation driven by numerous startups competing alongside emerging large players. This environment necessitates rapid innovation and swift market entry, presenting startups with obstacles related to design efficiency, time-to-market, and competition from established companies.

Magic Myna specialises in building customised drones for sectors such as agriculture, logistics and healthcare. In India, the drone sector is expanding, driven by government initiatives and new market developments, particularly in agriculture. One of the major challenges Magic Myna faced was limited flight time and range, along with the initial development cost. Dassault Systèmes’ 3DEXPERIENCE platform has been instrumental in overcoming these challenges by providing solutions for lightweight drone development and ensuring structural stability during flight.

Using the 3DEXPERIENCE platform with other solutions has streamlined Magic Myna's design processes, ensuring timely launches of innovative drone products. This has allowed for design optimisation, quick adaptation to market demands, and increased productivity.

“Dassault Systèmes’ solutions empower us to innovate, ensuring quicker product launches and improving the structural stability and productivity of our drones. Their user-friendly platform and advanced simulation capabilities have streamlined our design processes, allowing us to develop lighter, high stability drones in less time. We are confident that this will make us a leader in the Indian drone industry, reinforcing our commitment to pushing the boundaries of UAV technology for enhanced efficiency and reliability. Our partner EDS Technologies has played a crucial role in this journey, providing exceptional implementation support and helping us get up to speed quickly," said Sunil S. Nair, Co-Founder, Magic Myna.

"Integrated industry-leading solutions from Dassault Systèmes enable Magic Myna to innovate their drone products rapidly, ensuring quicker product launches, improved structural stability, and increased productivity. This demonstrates our commitment to providing virtual twin experiences and advanced applications that support customers in emerging and competitive sectors such as drones,” said Deepak NG, Managing Director, India, Dassault Systèmes.

MVIT Hosts 3-Day Seminar On Energy Empowerment, Sustainability, And Climate Change

The Department of Electrical and Electronics at Sir M. Visvesvaraya Institute of Technology (MVIT), Bengaluru, in collaboration with the All India Council for Technical Education (AICTE), successfully organized a three-day seminar on “Energy Empowerment, Sustainability, and Climate Change through Innovations in Vernacular Languages” under the AICTE-VAANI project. The seminar took place from August 19 to August 21, 2024.

The seminar was inaugurated by Mrs. Lata N. Patil, Assistant General Manager at Karnataka Renewable Energy Development Limited (KREDL), who shared her expertise and insights on the topic, emphasizing the importance of sustainability and energy innovation in local languages.

The event was graced by Dr. H. L. Suresh, Head of the Electrical and Electronics Department, Dr. Mahesh K., Professor, and Dr. K. S. Shanmukhradhya, Head of the Mechanical Department. 

The seminar attracted participation from faculty members of various universities, industry representatives, and hundreds of students, all contributing to vibrant discussions on the role of vernacular languages in advancing energy empowerment and sustainability.

Motorola Launches “moto g45 5G” – The Segment’s Fastest* 5G Smartphone Powered By Snapdragon® 6s Gen 3 Processor

Highlights

The moto g45 5G launching with segment’s fastest* 5G performance with latest Snapdragon® 6s Gen 3 Processor, plus segment’s highest 13 5G bands at an incredible starting price of just ?9,999#

The moto g45 5G boasts a stunning look with ultra-premium design featuring Vegan Leather finish in 3 vibrant Pantone curated colour variants - Brilliant Blue, Brilliant Green and Viva Magenta

The moto g45 5G also features 120Hz refresh rate 6.5” bright display with incredible protection of Gorilla® Glass 3 coupled with Dolby Atmos Stereo sound (Dual speakers) for immersive entertainment experience.

The moto g45 5G offers an advanced 50MP Quad Pixel camera along with the highest-in-segment 16MP selfie camera.

It also comes with Motorola’s signature software features like moto secure, Smart connect^, Family space, moto unplugged and more.

The smartphone will be available in 2 memory variants, namely 4GB+128GB and 8GB+128GB variants at Rs. 10,999 and 12,999 respectively.

Consumers will also be able to get an additional Rs. 1,000 off on select credit cards or on exchange of an old device as part of the launch offer, making the effective price of the device just Rs. 9,999 and Rs. 11,999 respectively.

The moto g45 5G will go on sale on Flipkart, Motorola.in and leading retail stores across India, starting 28th August 2024, 12PM onwards.

Motorola, India’s best## 5G smartphone brand announced the launch of the “moto g45 5G”. The moto g45 5G disrupts the affordable 5G smartphone market in India with its powerful Snapdragon® 6s Gen 3 processor, delivering incredible performance powered with the segment’s highest 13 5G bands with VoNR for superior connectivity.

The moto g45 comes with an ultra-premium design with Vegan Leather Finish in 3 beautiful Pantone curated colour variants for the first time in g-series smartphones while also being one of the thinnest and the lightest devices in segment. The smartphone also comes with other incredible and segment’s leading features like 50MP Quad Pixel camera with 16MP selfie camera, 120Hz 6.5" Display with Gorilla® Glass 3 Protection and Dual Stereo Speakers with Dolby Atmos® plus a host of differentiated software features such as Smart Connect^, moto secure, family spaces, moto unplugged, that make it one of the best* 5G smartphones in its segment.

Equipped with Segment’s Fastest* 5G Performance featuring powerful Qualcomm Snapdragon® 6s Gen 3 octa core processor, the moto g45 5G enables fast and fluid performance with effortless multitasking, and gaming capabilities, boasting an impressive 480K+ AnTuTu score which is the highest among the competition in this segment., Also, with its superfast 5G powered with the highest 13 5G Bands with VoNR and 4X4 MIMO and up to 4 carrier aggregation making it the segment’s best* 5G performer. The moto g45 5G comes with two RAM variants and ample storage with in-built 4GB or 8GB LPDDR4X RAM which can be expanded up to 16GB with RAM boost feature and a massive 128GB UFS 2.2 Storage expandable up to 1TB with microSD card.

In terms of design, the moto g45 5G stands out with its ultra-premium look and vegan leather finish. This design not only offers a premium in-hand feel but also ensures durability with IP52 water resistance, protecting against accidental spills, splashes, and light rain. Furthermore, the moto g45 5G boasts a sleek, ultra-slim profile at just 8mm thin and a feather-light weight of only 183 grams. It is available in three stunning, Pantone-validated colors: Brilliant Blue, Brilliant Green, and Viva Magenta.

The moto g45 5G enables users to experience smooth gameplay, multitasking and seamless scrolling on its 6.5” punch hole display with segment’s leading 120Hz refresh rate display Additionally, the phone is safeguarded by the segment’s best Gorilla® Glass 3 protection, ensuring durability and peace of mind. The expansive screen, boasting extremely thin bezels and a modern punch hole display, enhances viewing pleasure for movies, games, and video chats. In addition, the refresh rate adjusts automatically based on the type of content on the screen. With a low-latency 240 Hz touch rate, users can experience far more responsiveness than a standard display. This immersive viewing experience is further enhanced by two large stereo speakers tuned with Dolby Atmos® delivering multidimensional sound and studio-quality audio. For the first time in this segment, Hi-Res Audio is introduced, bringing your content to an entirely new level of audio excellence. This Hi-Res certified sound system ensures an extended dynamic range, providing unparalleled clarity for music enthusiasts. With intelligent power amplification and synchronized stereo speakers, this device ensures sharp, clear, and robust sound. It delivers a truly immersive entertainment experience for your preferred content.

The moto g45 5G sets a new standard in affordable smartphone photography with its advanced 50MP Quad Pixel camera, delivering exceptional clarity and vibrant detail in any light. The Quad Pixel technology offers 4x better low-light sensitivity, capturing stunningly detailed photos day and night. The moto g45 5G also comes with the innovative Image auto enhance feature that provides consumers the option to capture pictures in natural or enhanced/boosted colours depending on their preference, giving them the most advanced photography experience in the segment. Also, the moto g45 5G features best in the segment 16MP front camera for clearer than ever selfies and a dedicated 2MP Macro Vision camera further enhance your photography, enabling sharp self-portraits and intricate close-ups. Motorola has also introduced premium software features in the camera such as audio zoom, spot colour, auto smile capture, gesture capture and auto night vision mode.

With its robust 5000mAh battery, the moto g45 5G redefines power, ensuring all-day performance and quick recharges with TurboPower™ 20W technology. Designed for those who need reliable, extended battery life, the device supports uninterrupted playlists, video calls, and binge-watching. Users can also rapidly fuel up and stay worry-free about battery life while on the move.

The moto g45 5G is launching with additional innovations such as Smart connect (available only in the 8GB variant) for the first time at this price point. Smart connect helps you share any content effortlessly or Stream anything on the bigger screen including the desktop, laptop and tablet. also, it comes with Ready For PC (available in the 8GB variant) which allows users to enjoy their favorite mobile games and entertainment on a big-screen TV or access phone apps and PC files on the same display. The Moto g45 5G also promotes digital well-being with Moto Unplugged and offers ultimate personalization through the latest My UX, complete with popular Moto gestures. For effortless security, the device features a side-mounted fingerprint reader/power button combo.

The moto g45 5G comes with the Android 14 and a guaranteed upgrade to Android 15, along with three years of security updates, the moto g45 5G stands out for its blend of personalization, protection, and accessibility. The device’s latest software enhances user experience with privacy updates for health, safety, and data, as well as expanded accessibility features. It integrates Moto Secure 3.0, featuring new anti-phishing and auto-lock functionalities, and includes Family Space 2.0 to create a secure environment for children.

Speaking on the launch, Mr. T.M. Narasimhan, Managing Director, Motorola India said “We are thrilled to unveil the moto g45 5G – Motorola’s  fastest* and most capable 5G smartphone in the affordable segment. We believe in democratizing technology and our aim is to bring best in class 5G experiences to a wider audience across the country at an accessible price point. This smartphone is a complete, no compromise 5G device that provides Indian consumers with best in class performance, design, display and camera, along with the most advanced 5G connectivity. We are confident that moto g45 5G will set new benchmarks in the affordable 5G smartphone segment in India by enabling consumers to access premium 5G features at an accessible price point.”.

To know more about the product, visit:

Flipkart: - https://www.flipkart.com/moto-g45-coming-soon-store

Motorola website: - https://www.motorola.in/smartphones-moto-g45-5g/p

Availability:

moto g45 5G will be available in three beautiful colours: Brilliant Blue, Brilliant Green and Viva magenta, featuring the premium vegan leather design in all 3 colour variants.

The moto g45 5G will be available in two memory variants with built-in 4GB RAM and 8GB RAM + 128GB Storage; and will go on sale on Flipkart, Motorola.in and leading retail stores starting 28th August 2024, 12PM onwards.

Launch Price:

4GB + 128GB: Rs. 10,999

8GB + 128GB: Rs. 12,999

Affordability Offer:  Applicable from 28th August 2024 till 10 September 2024

Rs. 1000 instant discount on Axis Bank, and IDFC First Bank credit card and credit card EMI Transactions.  

Effective Price with offer:

4GB + 128GB: Rs. 9,999

8GB + 128GB: Rs. 11,999

Operator Offer:

Operator Name: Reliance Jio

Total Benefits worth Rs. 5,000

Rs. 2,000 CASHBACK + Rs. 3,000 Vouchers

To know more about the offer: https://www.jio.com/en-in/jio-motorola-g45-offer-2024

Union Bank of India Pays Record Dividend of Rs 2054 Crore to Government of India for FY 2023-24

Union Bank of India (UBI) has paid a record dividend of Rs 2054 crore to the Government of India for the financial year 2023-24, marking the highest dividend ever paid by the Bank in any financial year. Ms. A. Manimekhalai, Managing Director & CEO of Union Bank of India, presented the dividend cheque to the Hon’ble Finance Minister, Smt. Nirmala Sitharaman. Joint Secretary (Banking) Shri Sameer Shukla was also present at the occasion.

Premium Choices And Big Days Accelerate Growth For Modern Retail: NIQ

* India Leads APAC with Double-Digit Growth Across FMCG and Tech & Durables

* 41% of surveyed urban Indian shoppers see a product online but purchase it in-store

* Premium-plus pricing segment accounts for nearly 40% of FMCG sales and 30% of T&D sales

NielsenIQ (NIQ), the world's leading consumer intelligence company, released the Full View of Modern Trade Retail Trends in India across the FMCG and Tech & Durables market. NIQ Market Intelligence reveals significant trends that highlight India's dominant position in the Asia Pacific region. India emerges as the only market consistently delivering double-digit growth in both the FMCG (Fast-Moving Consumer Goods) and Tech & Durables (T&D) sectors, underscoring the resilience and evolving preferences of Indian consumers.

Modern Trade Remains a Preferred Channel Amid E-Commerce Growth

While online channels continue to grow, modern trade formats remain an important channel among consumers. The latest data from NIQ for the period MAT March 2024 vs 2023 shows a 2% increase in FMCG Modern Trade salience in urban India, along with a 4% rise in T&D Modern Trade, underscoring the importance of Modern Trade as a channel for marketing and sales execution.

Sonika Gupta, Executive Director, Customer Success – India at NIQ, stated, "According to our NIQ Consumer Life Global study, 41% of surveyed urban Indian shoppers see a product online but choose to purchase it in-store, while 43% delay purchases until they find sales or special offers. The Modern Trade channel continues to offer a consistent and convenient shopping environment, which remains attractive to consumers, even during periods of inflation."

Pricing Dynamics: Mass and Premium Segments in Modern Trade

Despite inflationary pressures, Modern Trade has shown resilience, with double-digit volume growth continuing regardless of price fluctuations. Interestingly, there is a growing preference for products in premium-plus pricing, which accounts for approximately 40% of FMCG sales and 30% of T&D sales, both experiencing significant growth. 

“Many new product launches in Modern Trade are within the premium-plus space, reflecting a growing consumer willingness to pay up to 2X the average price for superior benefits and features.”, Sonika added.

Brands may consider optimizing their offerings within this segment to maintain competitiveness and meet consumer expectations.

Big Days or Festive Periods Continue to Drive Sales

Festive seasons and peak shopping periods remain key for both the FMCG and T&D sectors. NIQ's data shows that these periods contribute 20% of incremental sales for FMCG and 60% for T&D. Non-Food categories, in particular, grow 1.8 times faster than Food during these periods, driven by deep discounts and consumer preference for non-essentials.

Key categories such as toothpaste, toilet soap, and washing powder lead the charge, benefits with 20-30% incremental sales during big days.

Private Labels and Small Players Disrupt the Market

The report also notes changes in the competitive landscape within Modern Trade, with private labels (PLs) and small manufacturers gaining traction. Private labels are growing at a 1.5 times faster rate than large manufacturers, particularly within the mainstream pricing segment. Small players, on the other hand, are driving 70% of new launches in MT, focusing on natural ingredients and luxury pricing that is more than 200 times of the category average price.

In the T&D sector, emerging brands are also experiencing high double-digit growth, bringing innovative features that appeal to the modern consumer. Marketers should remain vigilant as consumers increasingly explore new brands offering unique benefits and cutting-edge features.

Small Packs on the Rise

While large packs have traditionally dominated Modern Trade, there is a noticeable shift towards smaller pack sizes, which are now growing at double the rate of large sizes.

Sonika Gupta added, "The growing presence of small players, private labels, and the increasing popularity of small packs are contributing to a more competitive Modern Trade environment, placing significant pressure on shelves that now accommodate over 78,000 items. This trend is evident across both Food and Non-Food categories, offering brands the opportunity to optimize their existing assortment for higher ROI while also innovating with smaller packs to encourage consumer trials.”

To stay competitive, businesses must strategically optimize their product assortment, ensuring enhanced visibility and maximizing ROI from the Modern Trade Channel. Brands can effectively leverage the channel's consistent double-digit growth and secure a stronger foothold in this evolving market.