Month: August 2023

The world is now feeling the rumble as made-in-India bikes earn accolades and admirers in international markets.

By Dr. Samir Kapur author of “When India Votes”

India’s two-wheeler market is no longer just big in volume terms; it’s a high-octane pursuit of premium perfection. With a staggering 18 million units sold in 2022, the country claims the crown as the world’s largest two-wheeler market. But that’s not all – the engine of potential is still roaring, hinting at even greater heights.

Buckle up for the thrill, as the Indian two-wheeler landscape shifts gears like never before. Gone are the days of monotonous small-capacity bikes. The winds of change are sweeping through, making way for the rise of the premium segment.

The revival is relentless! Despite the global pandemic’s hurdles, the demand for high-end motorcycles is blazing a comeback trail. ‘Revenge’ shopping, rekindled tourism, and an unwavering passion for biking enthusiasts are steering the market towards power and style. Gone are the days of settling for practicality and efficiency; riders crave an unparalleled experience.

Witness the ascent of the premium segment in FY 2023, capturing an impressive 18% market share while entry-level bikes still hold their ground at 51%. This revolution is rewriting the narrative of India’s two-wheeler market.

An Explosion of Luxury

The luxury two-wheeler market in India has witnessed an explosion of sorts. It’s a comeback story like no other. In the face of the pandemic’s challenges, high-end bikes have emerged triumphant, defying all odds. The allure of the premium segment has never been stronger.

The growth has been meteoric, driving India’s two-wheeler industry to uncharted territory. While overall growth saw a momentary slowdown in 2019, the pandemic ignited an unexpected surge in the luxury lane. As people sought personal mobility and freedom, the demand for premium motorcycles skyrocketed, shattering all expectations.

The market now revels in its prowess, reaching an astounding 18 million units sold in 2022. But the race is far from over. Projections point to an extraordinary leap to 48.1 million units by 2028, an unprecedented expansion that has the entire industry on the edge of its seat.

Brands Accelerating the Pace

Leading the pack is TVS Motor Company, shifting gears and doubling their premium motorcycle portfolio from 8% in FY14 to an impressive 16% in FY22. They’ve taken centre stage, showcasing the potential of high-end bikes.

But they’re not alone. The luxury market is drawing every major player to the forefront. The industry giants have shifted their focus and invested heavily in elevating their premium ranges. Hero, Bajaj, Honda, and others are unleashing a barrage of offerings that cater to the diverse desires of contemporary riders.

Racing with Global Alliances

In the fast lane, alliances with global giants are propelling brands to new heights. The partnerships between Hero-Harley Davidson, Bajaj-KTM, and TVS-BMW Motorrad are rewriting the rules and setting global benchmarks in design and technology. This convergence of expertise is driving the creation of cutting-edge, high-performance motorcycles that are captivating riders worldwide.

The Thrill of Experiential Marketing

The race isn’t just on the road; it’s in the minds of consumers. Brands are vying for pole position with strategies that promote their premium motorcycles as symbols of status and prestige. The thrill is real, and experiential marketing and motorsports are turning emotions into a tangible reality.

Conquering Global Markets

India’s luxury two-wheelers are not just racing on domestic roads; they are conquering global markets too. As India emerges as a manufacturing hub for premium motorcycles, the echoes of its engine are being heard worldwide. The world is now feeling the rumble as made-in-India bikes earn accolades and admirers in international markets.

So, ready your gear and hold on tight! The road ahead is an adrenaline-pumping ride, and the Indian two-wheeler market is revving into the premium segment with unparalleled power and style. Get set for the ride of a lifetime!

There has never been a better time for the motorcycling enthusiast in India.

CelerityX offers a bundle of tailor-made, personalised digital solutions for enterprise customers

India’s 4^th largest private Internet Service Provider ONEOTT iNTERTAINMENT Limited (OIL), the broadband subsidiary of Hinduja Global Solutions (HGS) announced that it is foraying into the fast-growing enterprise solutions segment in India, leveraging its expertise in technology and domain knowledge gained through its B2C business.

The new brand – CelerityX offers a portfolio of bespoke digital solutions for enterprise customers of any scale or strength.

“CelerityX” combines the word “Celerity”, meaning swiftness or speed, with the letter “X”, which connotes advanced, cutting-edge technology. The brand name reinforces the strong focus on speed, agility, and technology.

CelerityX is all about making networking as easy as using a couple of clicks. The brand offers a comprehensive suite of enterprise solutions, including cutting-edge Broadband over Satellite (BoS), Fiber, and 5G MESH networks, as well as zero-touch digitally enabled industry solutions, across on-premises, cloud, and platform economy environments. Irrespective of the size and scale of the enterprise, CelerityX solutions empower businesses to achieve new heights of efficiency and performance, including significant improvement in productivity and uptimes and definitive reduction in costs.  

Speaking on the launch, Vynsley Fernandes, Whole-time Director at HGS and the Head of the Digital Media business said, “We are thrilled to introduce CelerityX to the business world. The brand drives forward our value proposition of making networking faster and simpler for enterprises that demand speed, performance, and reliability. CelerityX will leverage the installed pan-India infrastructure, footprint and network of not only NXTDIGITAL and OIL, but also a host of partners who want to monetise their assets.”

Sameer Kanse, Chief Business Officer at OIL and Business Head of CelerityX said, “As an enterprise solutions business, CelerityX is committed to providing innovative solutions and exceptional customer experience. With CelerityX, complexity meets simplicity to empower enterprise businesses for unprecedented success. We provide a complete suite of enterprise networking and connectivity solutions to simplify, secure, and enhance the performance of applications in the cloud economy through a digitally enabled service experience.”

CelerityX is a digitally-enabled networking solution brand that leverages the 350+ city network built by OIL and works extensively with over 10,000 partners of NXTDIGITAL, the Digital Media division of HGS across India to create a pervasive, high-uptime, and managed network. CelerityX offers a single interface for feasibility, service delivery visibility, assurance, and billing, allowing enterprises to focus on business outcomes while it manages the network delivery.

●        Partnership aimed at offering tech in Digital Public Infrastructure (“DPI”)

●        To jointly set up centre of excellence for multi-sectoral innovation across ecommerce, healthcare, agriculture, mobility, financial services, and education.

●        To supercharge onboarding of buyers and sellers onto ONDC

●        Transform digital onboarding experience with Protean’s Identity & Data services built on Google Cloud

Protean eGov Technologies (Protean), a pioneer and market leader in universal, citizen centric and population scale e-governance solutions, has announced a partnership with Google Cloud which aims to accelerate DPI(Digital Public Infrastructure) deployment and the adoption of Generative AI (“GenAI”) and cloud in both public and private sectors in multiple ways.

With this partnership, Protean & Google Cloud shall set up a centre of excellence harnessing the potential of recently launched Google’s open commerce solution for ONDC combined with Protean’s ONDC Buyer and  Seller platforms to supercharge adoption of ONDC by participants. This partnership will further aim to strengthen Protean’s identity authentication solutions (eAuthentication, eKYC, eSign) and Data Services with Google’s cloud computing and  AI capability to scale-up its adoption, aiming to solve for end-to-end digital onboarding journeys across sectors.

This centre of excellence aims to spur innovation in delivering digital public goods across diverse sectors of ecommerce, healthcare, agriculture, mobility, education and financial services. Protean intends to leverage the advanced GenAI and VertexAI offered by Google Cloud to solve for a wide array of use cases and deliver eGovernance solutions across these sectors.

Suresh Sethi, MD & CEO, Protean eGov Technologies said, “We are excited about this partnership with Google Cloud as we believe it holds potential to accelerate India’s digital transformation agenda on the back of delivering digital public infrastructure and open digital eco-systems. This partnership will influence ONDC network adoption and the centre of excellence will power multi-sectoral innovations at population-scale. We eagerly look forward to unlocking the potential of this collaboration with Google’s products and people and staying committed to our mission of Building for Billions.”

Bikram Bedi, Managing Director, Google Cloud, India said, “Our partnership with Protean will enable them with our best tech and brightest minds to solve some of the toughest challenges in their digitization efforts across various sectors in India. This is a unique opportunity to unlock innovation at scale and create significant social and economic impact.”

This partnership comes at a time, where India is witnessing rapid digitalization across the public and private sector, and aims to contribute to the nation’s digitization agenda by providing AI-driven eGovernance solutions from Protean, powered by Google's cloud-based technology. Both organizations possess sectoral expertise in conceptualization, architecting, and implementation at population-scale. They will also collaborate to provide infrastructure products & processes and people which accelerates paperless and presence-less automations.

·         It has an ATM cum Cash Recycler Machine (CRM), available 24×7

ICICI Bank has set up a branch in Sector 1, Greater Noida. This is the 52^nd branch of the Bank in the city. Housed at Panchsheel Hynish, the branch has an ATM cum Cash Recycler Machine (CRM) to offer cash deposit and withdrawal services to the customers. The machine is available round the clock.

Mr. Saurabh Gupta, Chief Financial Officer, Dixon Technologies (India) Limited and Mr. Sourabh Sharma, Assistant General Manager, Dixon Technologies (India) Limited inaugurated the branch.

The branch offers a comprehensive range of accounts, including savings and current accounts, trade and forex services, fixed and recurring deposits, loans- business loan, home loan, personal loan, auto loan, and gold loan- along with remittance and card services. It also provides locker facility at its premises. It operates from 9:30 am to 3:00 pm on Monday to Friday and on the first, third, and fifth Saturdays of the month.

The Bank has a network of close to 360 branches and 1,280 ATMs in Uttar Pradesh.

ICICI Bank services its large customer base through a multi-channel delivery network of branches, ATMs, call centres, internet banking (www.icicibank.com), and mobile banking.

For news and updates, visit www.icicibank.com and follow us on Twitter at www.twitter.com/ICICIBank

For media queries, write to: corporate.communications@icicibank.com

·         Inaugurates new office in Gurugram further emphasising its commitment to the Indian market.

·         In India alone, the company has helped reduce 274 million kg of CO2 emissions, over the decade.

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Reaffirming its commitment to India, BYD India, a subsidiary of the world's leading New Energy Vehicles (NEV) manufacturer BYD, celebrated its 10^th year anniversary in the Electric Vehicle (EV) segment in India, a significant milestone of its 16+ years successful operations. The company marks its 10^th anniversary in the electric segment in India with a steadfast commitment to the Indian EV market and a vision of driving sustainable growth through cutting-edge technological innovations for a better life.

BYD started its India operations in 2007 in India with the electronics business, and later expanded to other businesses. On 20^th August 2013, BYD India's EV journey started with the arrival of its first electric bus in Chennai, which is also the first pure electric bus in the history of India’s automobile Industry,signalling the electrification of public transportation in India. This historic event marked a significant milestone in India’s pursuit of electrified public transportation, paving the way for cleaner, greener mobility solutions for mass transportation. Over the years, the company has expanded into a diverse range of products including electric passenger vehicles, e-buses, e-trucks and e-forklifts, thus reinforcing its position as an emerging market leader in the Indian EV industry.

On the 10^th anniversary of its EV journey in India, BYD India also inaugurated its new office in Gurugram further emphasising its commitment to the Indian market. This strategic location will serve as a hub for BYD's operations, innovations, and collaborations, further strengthening the brand's engagement with local partners, customers, and stakeholders.

BYD  manufactured over 5 million NEVs globally and is the first automaker in the world to achieve that milestone resulting in saving a staggering 38 billion kg of carbon emissions. In India alone, the company has helped reduce 274 million kg of CO2 emissions through its electric passenger vehicles, electric forklifts, electric trucks, and electric buses powered by BYD's battery, powertrain, and chassis technology. Among these, the total mileage of BYD’s electric buses alone has crossed 126,883,681 kms in India, with the single longest driving mileage over 469,668 Kms.

In the passenger vehicle business, the BYD ATTO3 and the All–New e6 also took leading positions in the premium eSUV and eMPV segment. These achievements demonstrate BYD India's unwavering commitment to the Indian market, towards environmental responsibility, and to sustainable practices

Sanjay Gopalakrishnan, Sr Vice President – Electric Passenger Vehicle Business – BYD India said “BYD India is proud to celebrate a successful decade in the Indian EV industry as well as the inauguration of our new office in Gurugram. It is a testament to our mission of leveraging technological innovations to create a better life for people and the planet. We are proud to have played a key role in India's EV revolution, and we remain committed to shaping a sustainable and electrifying future for the country. With a strong foundation built over the last 16+ years in India, BYD is poised to continue its transformative journey, creating value for customers, partners, and the environment. The company's dedication to India is rooted in its belief in sustainable innovations that enrich lives and create a positive impact on society.” 

Ø  Complete medical cover for surgical, daycare and critical illness treatment-related expenses

Ø  The whole-life option offers health coverage until 100 years, including critical illnesses

Ø  Best-in-class, worldwide medical cover – with treatment options in India and 49 countries

Tata AIA Life Insurance (Tata AIA Life), one of India's leading life insurance companies, has launched Tata AIA Pro-Fit, an innovative and personalised health solution that caters to one’s unique needs. This exceptional plan provides comprehensive coverage for one’s medical expenses and health & wellness benefits and presents an opportunity for wealth creation, which doubles up as a health emergency fund.

As per the 2021 Indian Economic Survey, 65% of medical expenses are paid as Out-Of-Pocket (OOP) fees. In several cases, people dipped into their long-term savings during health emergencies as they found their basic health cover policy insufficient. Tata AIA’s Pro-Fit comes to the rescue with benefits that include:  

ü  Cover for more than 130 surgeries, daycare procedures and 57 critical illness

ü  Avail cashless claim services at network hospitals in India

ü  Reimbursement for diagnostic tests up to Rs. 25,000

ü  Cover for medical expenses related to treatments done in India and 49 countries.

ü  The Overseas Treatment Booster pays additional benefits up to Rs. 10,00,000 for Critical Illness treatment abroad (can be used for travel, accommodation, companion costs, etc.)

ü  Tax-free redemptions made for treatment-related expenses

ü  Unique benefits to encourage women and the younger population to start investing towards their health.

ü  ‘Pride’ discount for transgender people  

ü  Health & wellness benefits with the world-renowned programs – Vitality & Medix

ü  Photocopies of medical reports are accepted; no need for original papers

Announcing the launch of the new solution, Samit Upadhyay, President & Chief Financial Officer of Tata AIA Life Insurance, said, “ Critical illness can happen at any age and these often-extortionate living and medical costs. Even if treated entirely, many such diseases can recur. Further, the post-diagnosis and care payments cause a significant financial drain. The fact that 65% of all health spending in India is out-of-pocket expenses points to the significant gap in the nature and extent of health coverage in India. Tata AIA Pro-Fit Health plan is a plan that is designed to accompany your health journey and provide you coverage for up to your chosen term or even the whole of your life. The plan covers you from early detection to prevention and treatment to recovery, using value-added services such as of Medix and Vitality – a unique behavioural change programme that actively supports and rewards your healthy choices.”

When a registered medical practitioner recommends, health-related withdrawals from the plan will be tax-free (Income Tax benefits would be available as per the prevailing income tax laws). This would include expenses related to Complementary and Alternative Medicines such as Ayurveda, homoeopathy, panchakarma, nutrition etc. The solution even offers coverage for health-related costs in India or abroad. In addition, consumers can benefit from the Vitality wellness program, including rewards for following a wellness regime, free health check-up services etc. Consumers also get access to Medix's empaneled Doctors and consultants worldwide, thereby obtaining expert advice for treating critical illness with Medical Case Management (PMCM).

Looking at the investment side of the plan, Pro-Fit allows policyholders to grow their investments with market-linked returns offered under ULIP funds. Policyholders receive a lump-sum payout in case of Total and Permanent Disability due to an accident, apart from an in-built death cover that ensures financial protection for the loved ones in the absence of the policyholders.

Policyholders can enjoy all these benefits until they are 100, ensuring complete peace of mind. Moreover, Smart Lady Discounts provide female policyholders with a 2% discount on first-year rider premiums and 0.5% additional units in the ULIP fund. Consumers purchasing the plan before they turn 30 get an extra 2% discount on their premiums. A unique 2% ‘Pride’ discount is also available to transgender consumers for the first year.

Telangana team: Veera Manikanta Reddy Gade, Sudheer Yadav Boini, Tarun kumar, Siva, Tanayi, Sudheer Goud, Ghouse Basha, Kartheek, Ganesh, Pankaj, Santhosh Sandri, Nikhel, Ketan Joga, Avaneesh, and Bharath.
Coach: Praveen Reddy Chintala.