Archives February 2023

Andhra Pradesh government to host an investment drive in Bengaluru.

Bengaluru, 13th February 2023: Close on the heels of its successful Global Investors Summit Curtain raiser event held in New Delhi, Andhra Pradesh Government has announced a roadshow in Bengaluru on the 14th of February 2023. The roadshow has been driven with an objective to offer businesses and investors a taste of what’s to come at the Global Investors Summit on March 3rd-4th 2023 in Visakhapatnam.

Themed “Advantage Andhra Pradesh”, Global Investors Summit will highlight the state’s strengths that include its large manufacturing base, robust presence of MSMEs and startups, good infrastructure, business-friendly environment, and its pool of a talented, skilled young population. With a focus on key sectors such as IT, Manufacturing, Pharmaceuticals, Automobile, Tourism, and Energy, the summit aims to engage with investors, industry leaders, and government officials.

The Road Show at Bengaluru will be attended by dignitaries like Shri. Gudivada Amarnath Hon’ble Minister for Industries & Commerce, Infrastructure & Investment, Information Technology and Shri. Buggana Rajendranath, Hon’ble Minster for Finance & Planning.

Andhra Pradesh has consistently been ranked first in Ease of Doing Business (EoDB) for the last three years, which is significant given that this survey is based on perception survey. According to the numbers released thus far, it has the highest double-digit GSDP growth rate in the country in 2021-22, at 11.43 percent. It also has the maritime infrastructure, as it is India’s gateway to the southeast, with 974 km of coastline, the second longest in the country, 6 existing ports, and 4 upcoming ports. It has a favourable business environment and industry-focused policies, as well as a proactive government guiding the state. Three of the country’s eleven industrial corridors are being built in Andhra Pradesh alone. To name a few, the state has received the LEADS award for logistics 2022, the Inertia Award for Energy 2022, the ET award for port-led, and the infrastructure project 2022.

T-Hub and Suzuki Innovation Center Partner to promote open-innovation between India and Japan

India, 13th Feb 2023: T-Hub, which leads India’s innovation ecosystem, today announced its partnership with Suzuki Motor Corporation (SMC), a leading corporation in the automobile sector to accelerate the growth of the Indian start-up ecosystem. With this collaborative partnership, T-Hub Suzuki Motor Corporation aims to provide mentoring and support to Indian entrepreneurs to access Japan’s ecosystem.

Suzuki Innovation Center (SIC), which is an open innovation platform, will provide growth opportunities to T-Hub incubated start-ups. In addition, SIC provides an open platform for new connections and innovation between India and Japan among academia, industries, and startups. Entrepreneurs will get to engage and innovate with universities and industries from India as well as Japan in domains of sustainability, rural development, supply chain, agritech, and mobility. T-Hub through its robust innovation ecosystem will help SIC to gain exposure to a variety of innovative solutions from startups and help them boost their experiences and expertise in the innovation ecosystem. T-Hub and SIC will collaborate on events, leadership opportunities, workshops, and mentoring to bridge the gap between the Japanese and Indian startup ecosystem.

MSR (Mahankali Srinivas Rao), CEO of T-Hub, said, “Through our partnership with Suzuki Motor Corporation, we are aiming to address broad challenges on and beyond mobility, in India and Japan, on top of the synergistic combination of technology and design. The partnership will empower T-Hub entrepreneurs to scale globally enduring homegrown technology startups with access to mentorship, and guidance from Suzuki Innovation Centre.”

The MoU was signed in the presence of Mr. Hideaki Domichi, Former ambassador of Japan to India, and Director, Suzuki Motor Corporation, Mr. Kinji Saito, Director and Senior Managing Officer, Global Automobile Marketing, Suzuki Motor Corporation, Mr. Vipul Jindal, Execution Head, Suzuki Innovation Center, Mr. Srinivas Rao Mahankali, Chief Executive Officer, T-Hub, Ms. Prathyusha Koneti, Head – Corporate Innovation, T-Hub

A spokesperson, Suzuki Motor Corporation said, “Our partnership with T-Hub will synergize the startup ecosystem between India and Japan. Suzuki`s latest initiative, ‘Suzuki Innovation Center (SIC)’ will play an instrumental role in promoting open innovation with startups along with the support of partners like T-Hub”, said Mr. Kinji Saito, Director and Senior Managing Officer of Global Automobile Marketing, Suzuki Motor Corporation.”

This one-year agreement will act as a catalyst for revolutionizing open innovation and creating global avenues for the Indian Startup ecosystem. In addition, this will enable T-hub startups to access various benefits such as validating their solutions, building POC (Proof-of-Concept), funding opportunities, and access to a vast pool of global networks.

T-Hub’s programs have been successfully scaling startups in partnership with a robust ecosystem of partners. T-Hub, to date, has impacted over 2000 startups through various programs and initiatives, has over 600 global and national corporate partners, and has provided 2000 mentor connects to help the startup scale. T-Hub will continue to drive collaboration between startups and leading innovation ecosystems worldwide, providing global market-access opportunities to startups.

Great Place To Work India holds For All Summit 2023 in Mumbai

Mumbai, February 13: Great people managers deliver great results, create learners for life at the workplace, and reward of being resilient are some of the most interesting highlights of the recently held For All Summit, hosted by Great Place To Work® India in the economic city of Mumbai. Both speakers and attendees enjoyed 15+ packed sessions revolving around the theme: Agility, Innovation & Maximized Human Potential.

While the majority of the sessions received positive responses from the audience, a few segments with speakers like Sudhanshu Mani, Arunima Sinha, Ravi Venkatesan, and Kris Gopalakrishnan specifically piqued the audience’s interest. Their respective speeches, based on their experiences, left the audience with a unique perspective that can assist attendees in making decisions or even helping others in need.

“The For All Summit 2023 exceeded our expectations this year. The event has left all of us with a unique perspective that will help us, as industry leaders, create an agile, innovative, and healthy culture for our employees. Mr. Sudhanshu Mani has put it aptly that there is a need of purpose that leaders of today have to instill in their employees and innovation simply becomes a byproduct. Similarly, Mrs. Arunima Sinha’s story of achieving the impossible target has left us speechless, inspiring many to focus on achieving the most difficult target,” said Yeshasvini Ramaswamy, Serial Entrepreneur & CEO, of Great Place To Work, India.

She further said, “she really enjoyed the fireside chat with Mr. Krish Gopakakrishnan and the conversation around how it seems tough to believe now but Infosys once also was a startup once! I concur with Mr. Gopakakrishnan that the future is all about entrepreneurship and startups and that there is a large talent pool of great leaders out there.”

“Being said, today’s employee wants to be associated with a firm that has a social purpose. Companies understand this, and therefore, they are bringing ESG to the core of their business. In the long run, it is beneficial for the companies themselves as it assists them in achieving their sustainability goals while creating a better world.” Ramaswamy added.

Data shows that the employee sentiments over the last few years have moved north dramatically, i.e., 87% of employees in 2022 had a positive response, compared to 79% in 2016 that they feel good about the way they are contributing to society.

The conversations during the day-long summit revolved around topics like AIM in India – A Case Study on the Vande Bharat Express, Becoming ESG-Conscious: How do you make sustainability stick, How do Unicorns leverage Disruptive Innovation, Building a human-led, data-powered culture, Winning the War for Talent, and Science behind people management.

It is worth mentioning that the ‘For All Community India’ mobile app was also launched during the Summit. The app gives an insight into the best people practices across industries to enrich the workplace culture journey, and access to company members’ research papers, case studies, and blogs from the leaders of the Best Workplaces™ Global. The app also allows users to engage in meaningful discussions on our discussion forums and much more!

HSNC University Mumbai confers Degrees to Post-Graduate and BEd Students in the first Convocation Ceremony

HSNC University, one of the most promising multidisciplinary educational institutions in the country, held its First Convocation Ceremony at the Rama & Sundri Watumull Auditorium in K.C. College Campus, Churchgate on Saturday 11th February to award degrees to the first batch of students from completing their graduate and postgraduate programs from the university. The top rankers from 15 different programs were awarded a medal and a certificate.

The Convocation ceremony was presided over by the Honorable Governor of Maharashtra State and Chancellor of HSNC University, Shri Bhagat Singh Koshyari. The Chief Guest for the ceremony was Padma Vibhushan Dr Raghunath A. Mashelkar, FRA, Former Director General, of the Council of Scientific & Industrial Research (CSIR). Dr. Niranjan Hiranandani, Provost HSNC University, Prof Dr. Hemlata Bagla, Vice Chancellor HSNC University, and Dr Anil Harish, Trustee, and President of HSNC Board shared the dais with the dignitaries on this momentous occasion.

In her welcome address, Prof. Hemlata Bagla said, “We at HSNC University wish to continue our efforts in contributing to the process of nation-building, and also the overall societal welfare. We envision that the university leapfrogs into becoming one of the topmost universities in India in the times to come.” She emphasized the holistic pedagogy of HSNC University, built around projects, research experimentation, and experience that aids in the development of well-rounded individuals who can contribute constructively to society.

In his address, Dr. Niranjan Hiranandani, Provost, HSNC University Mumbai, quoted Honorable Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi, who had said, “If the seeds of good humanity and good culture are sown, the reward of a rich harvest can be reaped by generations to come.” He stressed the point that HSNC University Mumbai is probably the first university in the country to adopt suggestions given in the new education policy.

In his Convocation address, Padmasri Dr. Mashelkar congratulated the first batch of graduating students and stressed that the 1st batch is always special. He asked the students to focus on value-based education, and aspire to create the Bharat of their dreams, a Bharat that is Santulit, Su-Sanskrit, Su-vidya, Samruddh, Sushasit, Surakshit, and most importantly Swanandit Bharat.

He expressed his faith in the vision and aptitude of the current generation that wants to create indigenous tech giants such as Microsoft and Google within the shores of India. Since 2016, he said there’ve been 100 plus unicorns, the number touching 44 in 2021 – almost one unicorn per week! What is more promising, he said, is that “50% of the unicorns have been set from founders who hail from tier-3 cities –thus fulfilling our vision of inclusion, justice and democratization. He said that one must always remember the 3 P’s in life Purpose, Perseverance and Passion, and also stressed on the value of focus in one’s life.

In his Presidential address – Chancellor Shri Bhagat Singh Koshyari congratulated the management of the university and the first graduating batch of students. He elaborated that HSNC State Cluster University was formed under the vision of the Central Government to create smaller cluster universities for more efficient management. In his address, he said, The HSNC University is bound to be among the top-most universities in the country in the coming future. The VC and Provost are immersed into transforming the HSNC university and constituent colleges into sustainable world-class university. Realize the Prime Minister’s dream of India being a Jagat Guru.”

To the graduating batch, he extended his warm wishes. He said, “you are all excellent businesswomen, scientists, and researchers. Now, you have to work harder to prove your worth. If not unicorns, you are definitely unique! Because you have the privilege of studying at the HSNC university.”

Also present on the occasion were Shri Dr. Kishu Mansukhani, Immediate Past President of the HSNC Board, Ms. Maya Shahani, HSNC Board Trustee, Honourable Vice-Chancellors of Universities in Maharashtra, HSNC Board members, University Deans, University Officers, principals of the constituent colleges and HSNC board colleges and the members of the Dept of Higher Education.

*Switzerland celebrates Yash Chopra’s legacy, salutes his contribution to present the country’s beauty to Indians!*

Switzerland is paying tribute to the legendary filmmaker Yash Chopra, saluting his contribution of having showcased Switzerland’s beauty to Indians through the magic of his cinema.

The much-awaited Netflix docu-series, The Romantics is a celebration of the legacy of Yash Chopra, YRF and the cultural impact it has had on Indians over the past 50 years. It is set to release this Tuesday, the 14th of February.

Remo Käser, Director of Sales Jungfrau Railways, Switzerland, reveals, “The legend, Yash Chopra, has presented the beauty of Switzerland and especially the Jungfrau Region to Indians across the world for generations, through his beautiful, soulful cinema. Indians, who come to Jungfraujoch – Top of Europe year on year, have always spoken to us about how the romantic films of Yash Chopra have pushed them to visit the Jungfrau Region and Interlaken and make memories for a lifetime.”

The Swiss authorities will celebrate Yash Chopra’s legacy across the country, especially in places where the filmmaker shot mega-hits like Darr and Chandni. His son Aditya Chopra also shot the all-time blockbuster, Dilwale Dulhania Le Jayenge in Switzerland.

Every Indian has been enchanted by Switzerland’s snow-capped mountains, lush valleys and pristine lakes in large part because of Yash Chopra’s films. It is said that he visited Switzerland for his honeymoon and was smitten by the country instantly. The Swiss government has continuously honoured the legendary filmmaker through the years.

In 2011, Switzerland’s Jungfrau Railways inaugurated a train named after him — an honour shared only with the railway’s founder, Adolf Guyer. The train featured his signature and name on a signboard. In May 2016, a bronze statue of Yash Chopra was installed by the Switzerland government as a tribute, near the Congress Centre in Interlaken, a popular tourist spot.

At the prestigious Victoria-Jungfrau Grand Hotel & Spa, a special deluxe cinema-themed suite was named after Yash Chopra. In 2011, the film-maker inaugurated the suite. Lake Lauenen, in the Canton of Berne, is referred to as Lake Chopra! The Swiss government honoured Yash Chopra with the title of Ambassador of Interlaken, making him the first recipient of the award. He was also bestowed the Swiss Ambassador’s Award.

Remo adds, “Switzerland and India have a great bond of mutual respect and admiration and Yash Chopra has played a monumental role in solidifying the relationship between our great nations. Switzerland is only too proud to celebrate his legacy here.”

From Aamir Khan to Salman Khan, Shah Rukh Khan to Ranbir Kapoor, Amitabh Bachchan to Ranveer Singh, Rani Mukerji to Hrithik Roshan, Katrina Kaif to Anushka Sharma, the mega-stars and icons of Hindi cinema have come together to speak about Yash Chopra and YRF’s contribution to Indian cinema in The Romantics.

The Romantics has been directed by Oscar & Emmy-nominated film-maker Smriti Mundhra, who returns to Netflix after the phenomenal success of Indian Matchmaking and the *Never Have I Ever Season 3*

Netflix, in this four-part docu-series, will feature 35 leading personalities from the film industry, who have closely worked with YRF through its 50 year glorious existence.

Interestingly, the reclusive head of the iconic Yash Raj Films, Aditya Chopra, has also recorded his first on-camera interview for The Romantics! Hearing him share insights about YRF and the Hindi film industry in this docu-series is bound to be a huge highlight for the film fraternity, cinephiles & Hindi cinema audience at large.

The trailer of The Romantics has been appreciated globally. Netflix will release The Romantics on Feb 14, 2023 as a tribute to Yash Chopra, who is regarded as the ‘Father of Romance’ in India because of his iconic romantic films like Silsila, Lamhe, Kabhi Kabhie, Veer-Zaara, Dil To Pagal Hai, Chandni, Jab Tak Hai Jaan, etc.

Mars Wrigley India enters dark chocolate segment with GALAXY® FUSIONS

Pune/Gurgaon, 13 February 2023: Mars Wrigley India, the Indian business of the world’s leading manufacturer of chocolates, chewing gum, mints, and fruity confections, and the treats and snacks segment of 100-year-old US-based Mars Incorporated, is proud to announce the launch and local production of GALAXY® FUSIONS Dark chocolate with 70% cocoa in India. This marks Mars Wrigley India’s foray into the dark chocolate segment in India and significant expansion of local production of the 60-year-old globally loved brand, GALAXY®. The company is also confident that offering a dark chocolate product will be welcomed by many consumers who want a variety of options in their snacks, from pure indulgence to ‘better for you’ treats including dark chocolate.

With the dark chocolate’s addition to the GALAXY® brand portfolio of indulgent variants, Mars Wrigley India seeks to consolidate its position in the molded chocolates category. The company announced the local production of GALAXY®, one of the iconic brands in its portfolio, in October 2021 at its world-class manufacturing facility in Pune. This was a significant milestone for the company as GALAXY® became the second global chocolate brand to be locally made in India for the Indian market, after SNICKERS® in 2016.

Announcing the launch, Kalpesh Parmar, Country General Manager, Mars Wrigley India said, “We are extremely delighted to launch GALAXY® FUSIONS dark chocolate with 70% cocoa in India. It is a matter of great pride that we are making the global brand in India at our world-class chocolate production facility in Pune. This marks an important milestone for us as we expand our local manufacturing capabilities to make globally loved brands in India with the same quality and signature recipes. This undoubtedly allows us greater production and fresh availability and brings this chocolate delight to a larger number of Indian consumers. GALAXY® FUSIONS is a unique amalgamation of the new-world experience of dark chocolate and the signature smooth taste that GALAXY® stands for and we are confident that offering a dark chocolate product will be welcomed by many of our consumers who want a variety of options in their snacks, from pure indulgence to ‘better for you’ treats including dark chocolate.

India is a key market for Mars Wrigley, and we are committed to growing the category. Over the years, we have been launching our globally loved brands and innovating to develop a portfolio fit for India. Our endeavor has been to bring high-quality chocolates and confectionary into Indian households.”

Varun Kandhari, Marketing Director, Mars Wrigley India, said, “We are convinced that GALAXY® FUSIONS dark chocolate will delight our Indian consumers. GALAXY® FUSIONS will elevate the dark chocolate experience with its premium signature recipe, 70% cocoa content, and its rich, smooth texture. This smooth dark variant is sure to offer a superlative multi-sensory experience to chocolate lovers and connoisseurs alike.”

GALAXY® FUSIONS dark chocolate will be available across traditional, modern retail outlets and all e-commerce portals across the country at various price points starting at INR 90. Mars Wrigley’s diverse portfolio of globally loved brands includes SNICKERS®, BOUNTY®, M&M’s®, SKITTLES®, ORBIT®, DOUBLEMINT®, BOOMER®, SOLANO®, and many variants.

AXISCADES registers highest-ever quarterly Revenue and completes acquisition of Mistral Solutions

Bangalore, February 13, 2023AXISCADES Technologies Ltd, a leading end-to-end engineering and technology solutions provider, catering to Aerospace, Defence, Heavy Engineering, Automotive, Energy, Medical & Healthcare sectors, serving Global OEMs, today announced results for the quarter that ended Dec 31, 2022.

Performance Highlights

(All Numbers in INR Millions except % data)

Particulars Q3 FY23 Q3 FY22 Q2 FY23 YoY QoQ 9M FY23 9M FY22 YoY
Operating Revenue 2,134 1,693 1,937 26% 10% 5,904 4,165 42%
EBITDA 296 192 374 54% -21% 936 407 130%
EBITDA Margin 13.9% 11.4% 19.3% +250 bps -540 bps 15.8% 9.8% +600 bps
PAT -102 79 211 NA NA -208 120 NA
Adjusted PAT* 134 79 211 70% 37% 472 120 293%

*In Q3 and 9M FY23, the consolidated P&L statement recognizes an ‘exceptional item’, with a net negative impact of INR (236)Mn and INR (680) Mn respectively on account of additional consideration and interest cost on acquisition awarded by the Arbitration Tribunal for the Mistral acquisition, which was not part of earlier purchase consideration and interest on Optionally Convertible Debentures relating to Mistral acquisition.

 Key Operational Highlights:

  • The company was awarded an enhanced contract by Airbus for the fourth time, continuing the long-standing relationship with Airbus for niche engineering services in the aerospace sector
  • Completed the acquisition of Mistral Solutions Private Ltd., a leader in Semiconductor, Embedded Electronics, Defence, and Product Engineering capabilities. The acquisition, which was initiated in the year 2017, was executed over 4 phases at an aggregate acquisition cost of INR 296 crores

Commenting on the performance, Mr. David Bradley, Chairman of AXISCADES said:  “We are delighted by the momentum built in the business, quarter on quarter, and are happy to report highest ever quarterly revenue in this quarter. We continue to execute and strengthen our strategic positioning. As underlined in our key objectives, we have concluded the acquisition of Mistral Solutions in this quarter. This is a value-accretive asset for the Company, which will help us expand our capabilities and offerings in semiconductors, defense, and homeland security. We are also happy to announce additional contract wins in our new focus areas and the extension of our long-standing relationship with Airbus for the fourth time.”

Commenting on the results and outlook, Mr. Arun Krishnamurthi, CEO & MD of AXISCADES said As I complete my first year in AXISCADES, I  am pleased to report that the journey that we have undertaken in AXISCADES to transform and de-risk the business has translated to vastly improved business and financial performance. Our three-pronged strategy of vertical diversification, customer diversification, and digital-first is well on course. We have achieved the highest-ever quarterly revenue in 3rd quarter and continue to record healthy operating margins. The conclusion of the acquisition of Mistral Solutions brings forth opportunities to deliver an enhanced bouquet of services to our Global client base, thereby enhancing revenue and profitability, going forward”.

Haier Launches Kinouchi 5 Star Heavy-duty Pro Air Conditioners, Featuring Supersonic Cooling in 10 Seconds

New Delhi, 13th February 2023: Haier, the global leader in Home Appliances & Consumer Electronics and the World’s Number 1 brand in Major Appliances for 14 Consecutive Years* announced the launch of the Kinouchi 5 Star Heavy – Duty Pro Air Conditioner series in India. The Kinouchi AC series is equipped to deliver powerful performance with the supercooling feature and comfort control with Intelli Smart features and Haier Smart App.

Haier’s commitment to producing innovative products for Indian consumers has remained at the core of the business, and the brand has constantly evolved to meet consumer demands for inspired living. Haier has been strengthening its focus on producing premium products through local manufacturing in India. Haier’s state-of-the-art facility in Greater Noida, Uttar Pradesh, has continued to evolve the brand to innovate for Indian customers, especially with premium and high-end products.

Speaking on the launch, Mr. Satish NS, President, of Haier Appliances India said, “At Haier, we believe in designing products powered with innovative technologies that make our consumers’ life simpler and more convenient. India experiences extreme weather conditions, especially the harsh summer season. Keeping the conditions in mind we have launched the new range of Kinouchi 5 Star Heavy-Duty air conditioner series ensures optimum cooling in extreme temperatures, and even takes care of cost efficiency with Triple Inverter Plus technology to maximize comfort, reliability, and performance.

He further added, “We are fully geared up to cater and assist the consumer demand for air conditioners in India and we are confident to achieve a double-digit growth trajectory in 2023”

In its endeavor to bring ultimate comfort to Indian homes, Haier has combined the perfect blend of innovation, design, and energy proficiencies in the Kinouchi Heavy-Duty Pro Air Conditioner series. Consumers who are seeking to upgrade their lifestyle with the latest technology need to look no further.

Speaking on the product, Mr. Shaffy Mehta, Director-Air Conditioner Business, Haier Appliances India said, “At Haier, our focus is to design products that are inspired by customer needs. The Kinouchi 5 Star Heavy-Duty Pro Air Conditioner series is the perfect AC for customers who are looking for smart appliances that not only provide comfort but is also cost-effective. The supercooling feature and comfort control with Intelli Smart features and Haier Smart App of the Kinouchi AC series is the next upgrade customers are looking for.”

Frost Self-Clean Technology

With the rising threat of air pollution, aggravating the spread of diseases, clean and healthy air has become a necessity and not a luxury in today’s scenario. Understanding this need, Haier India has introduced Frost Self-Clean Technology in its entire inverter air conditioner range which offers 99.9% sterilization. Through this technology, users can get a complete indoor wet wash with the press of a button, in the comfort of their homes. Once you activate the Frost Self Clean feature, a frost is formed on the AC’s evaporator which traps all the dust present on the coil. After some time, the frost melts and washes out all the dirt in the form of water out of the drainpipe. Through this, users can get an actual indoor wet wash and breathe clean & healthy air.

Supersonic cooling in 10 seconds

The new air conditioners come with a supersonic feature that cools the room 20x faster. In addition to this, the series provides optimum cooling even at extreme temperatures of up to 60 degrees Celsius.

Intelli Convertible – 7 in 1

The Smart convertible feature allows users to reduce the AC’s tonnage capacity from 1.6 Ton to a minimum of 0.8 Ton. This unique feature can be activated with just a press of the ECO button on the remote. This will help the users to choose the tonnage of the AC as per their requirement, resulting in more energy savings.

Triple Inverter Plus

This technology helps in delivering up to 65% energy savings to the users. Compared to conventional inverter technology, Haier Triple Inverter Plus integrates TLFM inverter control, PID inverter control, and A-PAM inverter control to achieve smart control of the air conditioner to maximize comfort, reliability, and efficiency.

Intelli Smart features

Haier air conditioners with Smart features let users monitor and control air conditioners on the smartphone or smart devices including Alexa and Google Home operational through just voice command. With the Smart Haier App users can create their own 7-day cooling schedule, get reminders on clean or change filters and monitor daily energy consumption.

Price and availability

Haier Kinouchi Heavy Duty Pro 5-star air conditioner, available pan India at a starting price INR 47,990
Available on Haier e-commerce store, Flipkart and Amazon, and other retail outlets.

GALAXY® Chocolate launches #MyGalaxyGirls Campaign to celebrate Female Friendships this Galentine’s Day

India, 13th February 2023: The month of February is truly the season of love to celebrate the special bonds shared with the special ones. Celebrating friendships with your girlfriends is equally important as celebrating your romantic love. This Galentine’s Day, February 13th, go all out and shower your best gals with love and Galaxies to celebrate Galentine’s like never before. Mars Wrigley’s GALAXY® Chocolates has launched a campaign ‘#MyGalaxyOfGirls’ to finally reveal those secret girls’ group names and the hilarious stories behind the same.

When the world is going gaga over the upcoming Valentine’s Day, GALAXY® Chocolate is giving a perfect excuse to cherish the un-breakup-able bonds of female friendships. A chance to celebrate the ones who are found in those special group chats and are going to make it till the end! The contest will be run on the brand’s social media handles, celebrating the bond that brought girlfriends’ together, revealing the darkest of secrets in their group chats and hilarious group names. The consumers will have the chance to win personalized digital packs and much-loved GALAXY® chocolate hampers along with a message celebrating their love by participating in the contest.

Talking about the launch of the campaign, Mr. Varun Kandhari, Marketing Director, Mars Wrigley, India, said, “At Mars Wrigley, India, we are thrilled to launch this fun campaign and to celebrate women and women’s friendships. What better way to do so than with good chocolate? GALAXY® chocolate is loved across the country and globally as well. We have curated sweet Galaxy® Chocolate hampers with beautiful packaging to soothe our women consumers. We hope to continue driving the relevance of our brands for our consumers while finding newer ways for them to celebrate their most cherished relationships.”

The campaign is being launched on social media platforms of the brand, under multiple legs, with collaborations with content creators from across the country.

Yamaha Launches 2023 Motorcycle Line-up with Traction Control System (TCS)

Bangalore, 13th February 2023: Promising a more exciting and thrilling ride experience to biking enthusiasts across the country, India Yamaha Motor (IYM) Pvt Ltd. today announced the launch of the 2023 version of FZS-Fi V4 Deluxe, FZ-X, MT-15 V2 Deluxe, and R15M with an enticing new appeal and class-leading features.

Leading the 150-cc class segment, the Yamaha FZS-Fi V4 Deluxe, FZ-X, and MT-15 V2 Deluxe models will now get Traction Control System (TCS) as a standard feature, in addition to the Yamaha R15M and R15V4. The Traction Control System controls the ignition timing and fuel injection volume to instantly adjust engine power output to avoid excessive slippage. This ensures efficient delivery of power to the wheel and minimizing wheelspin, adding to the thrill that modern-day bikers truly deserve.

Speaking on the occasion, Mr. Eishin Chihana, Chairman, of Yamaha Motor India Group of Companies, said, “As a part of the ongoing ‘The Call of the Blue brand campaign, Yamaha is committed to introducing exciting features from its global product portfolio in India and introduce initiatives to offer new experiences to our customers. In line with this commitment, we are today delighted to announce the Traction Control system as a standard feature in our 149cc – 155cc premium motorcycle range. Globally, Yamaha motorcycles are immensely appreciated for their impeccable handling and performance. And we are confident that the more evolved 2023 versions of our motorcycles with a list of highly desired features will surely entice our young consumers in India.”

Yamaha FZS-Fi V4 Deluxe & FZ-X

Building upon its legacy, the 2023 version of the FZS-Fi V4 Deluxe model will feature a brand-new headlight design with the addition of LED flashers adding to the premium appeal of the motorcycle in addition to TCS. The FZS-Fi V4 Deluxe variant is now also powered by Bluetooth Enabled Y-Connect Application.

The FZ-X now comes with TCS as standard with the addition of LED flashers and a brand-new color scheme -Dark Matt Blue with a golden color rim, adding the much-desired thrill and comfort that one seeks during riding, be it while commuting in the city or unwinding during the weekend ride.

Both the FZS-Fi V4 Deluxe and the FZ-X models showcase a single-channel ABS in the front with a rear disc brake, a Multi-function LCD instrument cluster, an LED headlight, a tire-hugging rear mudguard and a lower engine guard and are powered by the highly reliable and time-proven 149 cc engine producing 12.4 PS of peak power @ 7,250 rpm and 13.3 Nm of peak torque @ 5,500 rpm.

Yamaha R15M & MT-15 V2 Deluxe

The 2023 R15M will now feature the highly desired YZF-R1-inspired colored TFT Meter with a Gear shift indicator, Track & Street Mode selector, and LED flashers. Continuing the legacy, the R15M 2023 model retains all the features as the previous model. To create more excitement among the R15 customers, the company has also introduced the new Dark Knight color in version 4 of the supersport model.

Besides this, the 2023 Yamaha MT-15 V2 Deluxe will feature dual-channel ABS as standard, increasing the braking efficiency multifold in addition to brand new LED flashers to accentuate its styling further. The MT-15 V2 Deluxe will now be available in Metallic Black color in addition to the existing colors – Ice Fluo-Vermillion, Cyan Storm and Racing Blue.

Raw at heart, both R15M & MT-15 V2 Deluxe are powered by Yamaha’s legendary liquid-cooled, 4-stroke, SOHC, 4-valve, 155cc fuel-injected engine with Variable Valve Actuation (VVA) system. They also feature a slick-shifting 6-speed gearbox mated with an Assist and Slipper clutch for lighter actuation producing 18.4PS of peak power at 10,000rpm, with a peak torque output of 14.2Nm at 7,500rpm.

Pricing Information: 

Models New Color Ex-Showroom (Delhi)
FZS-Fi V4 Deluxe Rs. 1, 27,400
FZ-X Dark Matte Blue Rs. 1, 36, 900
R15M Rs. 1, 93, 900
R15V4 Dark Knight Rs. 1, 81,900
MT15 V2 Deluxe Metallic Black Rs. 1, 68, 400

While accelerating its commitment towards carbon neutrality, Yamaha today has introduced the FZS-Fi V4 Deluxe and FZ-X models with E20 fuel compatibility offering lower emissions without any compromise on performance. By the end of 2023, Yamaha also plans to make all its motorcycle models E20 fuel compliant. Apart from this important feature, the 2023 version of Yamaha motorcycles will also be equipped with onboard diagnostics (OBD-II) System that will support in monitoring the emission levels in real-time and ultimately contribute to reducing carbon footprint.

Commenting on Yamaha’s commitment to reducing carbon footprint, Mr. Chihana said, “While our present strategy is filled with activities to keep customers engaged and excited, we also never forget our responsibility to provide a carbon-neutral future for mobility. As the first step in that direction, today we have launched the FZS-Fi V4 Deluxe and the FZ-X models complaint with E20 fuel and by end of this year, we plan to make all our motorcycle models compatible with E20 fuel. We will continue to innovate and accelerate our efforts to manufacture eco-friendly products which can run on cleaner and greener fuels in order to achieve our carbon neutrality goals in the future.”