Archive: March 1, 2022

udChalo forays into real estate space to exclusively serve the armed forces

New Delhi, India, March 01, 2022: udChalo, a consumer tech company that exclusively caters to the armed forces of India, announces its entry into the real estate business. All defense personnel and veterans can now purchase affordable houses at discounted market prices through udChalo. Backed by the brand’s commitment of ‘udChalo assurity’, all real estate purchases through udChalo will ensure investment in quality, affordable, and profitable housing properties. The Indian defense personnel can now purchase property through udChalo at a minimum 10 % discount from the actual market price.

With the focus to venture into all cities preferred by the armed forces, udChalo first ventures into the service in Pune city and subsequently plans to enter markets like Chandigarh, NCR Delhi, Bengaluru and Jaipur. The brand is in conversation with reputed developers in these cities which will further ensure better buying options and a hassle-free home buying journey for its consumer base.

For Pune city, udChalo joins hands with renowned Nyati developers to sell a ~100,000 sq ft area at the best-discounted rate to veterans and armed forces. Located at Wagholi Pune, a dedicated tower is designed by the builder for the armed forces of India. The property comes with the best of amenities and facilities available in the project, with proximity to schools, hospitals, markets, and other necessities.

Ravi Kumar, CEO, udChalo said, “This business diversification is a well thought and researched move by udChalo, 99% of tax filing executed last year through udChalo’s Tax Filing Facility, unveiled section 24 of the Income Tax Act that lets homeowners claim a deduction of up to Rs. 2 lakhs was missing, furthermore benefits under Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana (PMAY) were never utilized by our soldiers who dedicate their lives for the nation. We stand by our motto of ‘Service to the service men’ and this initiative will ensure all saving parameters are monitored and maximum benefits are offered to the defence community. Unlike civilians, home buying is a challenging proposition as the requirements are unique, how to identify the right property, loan facility, proximity to schools, Army cants, hospitals and other amenities, and above all will the builder deliver and follow legal formalities needs to be addressed during their vacation. The team at udChalo will identify the properties that fulfil the requirements and is committed to provide the best quality product, hassle free buying experience, at an unmatched price.”

To lead the real estate business of udChalo on boards, Abhijit Das as the Chief Business officer. In the past, Abhijit has been an entrepreneur and a corporate executive in Real Estate, Financial Services and Consumer Industries. He has been a driving force in building the JLL business in East India and comes with extensive knowledge of the real estate industry. His vast knowledge and expertise will help udChalo grow the new vertical that they want to expand into and cater to the consumer demands of the segment.

Speaking on his appointment, Abhijit Das, Chief Business Officer for Real Estate- UdChalo, said “For the longest time the real estate needs and demands of the defense forces were overlooked. With udChalo venturing into this space this consumer segment can now avail the best discounts with some of the finest developers in the key cities. I am very excited to be a part of udChalo’s journey and we look forward to disrupt the market space and service our servicemen.”

Since 2015, udChalo has been dedicated to serving the services of the country by facilitating convenient travel, utility bill payments, financial services, and access to consumer electronics. With this new segment, udChalo taps a consumer base of approximately 3 million who were only dependent on AWHO and Air Force Naval housing board that ensured quality and affordable homes catering to the segment’s need.

Team at udChalo will closely monitor the progress of the construction and will have it evaluated by internal and external auditors on varied parameters like legal, engineering, architecture etc.

OTO achieves 100 Crore disbursal for 11000+ Vehicles through its digital commerce platform

Bengaluru, February 29, 2022: OTO, the two-wheeler buying and financing innovator has strengthened its market position in the vehicle financing industry by financing 100 Crore worth of vehicles through its digital commerce platform in the last 33 months.

OTO has acquired a significant market share in the auto financing industry within a short span. Since its inception in 2018, the start-up has facilitated the sale and financing of over 11000+ vehicles, amongst which approximately 2700+ vehicles are electric with more significant sales generated from its headquarters in Bangalore.

Commenting on the milestone, Sumit Chhazed, Co-founder, OTO, said, “With growing advances in digitization across sectors, there has been a significant demand in the ease of financing and buying vehicles online. We, at OTO, have witnessed a growth of 2.5x in our books serving 6200+ happy customers from 2400 customers being served in the last fiscal through our digital commerce platform. We are already serving 2500+ a month which has scaled 8X YoY.

Not only have we raised capital from various investors to expand our business operations to new regions, but we have also built significant partnerships with established companies to grow our financing capabilities and supply chain model. This strategic approach has expedited the exponential growth of the brand. The doorstep delivery of vehicles with easy financing with digital paperwork and utmost security has won our customers’ faith in our company. We have aggressive plans to venture into new cities and strike new strategic partnerships in the near future” added Chhazed.

Hariwansh Kumawat, CFO, OTO, said, “Over the last 2 years, OTO has been growing in a steady way keeping the portfolio quality best in the industry. From doing 1 Crore per month, we have grown to 15 crore per month and the vision from here is bigger and stronger. In the next 12 months, we are confident of disbursing 600 Crore. While talking about the growth, the credit quality should never deteriorate and that is the mantra being followed across the board. The retail book, by virtue of its nature comes with some baggage and the credit losses are bound to happen. However, we are successful in building a robust portfolio.

By showing a steady growth and uncompromised credit quality, we became one of the most preferred partners of many of the Financial Institutions. We have been able to stay up to our commitments to our lending partners and that is why we are adding 1-2 partners every quarter. Today we have secured a pending line of 500 Crore with our current lending partners, and we are looking to partner with some of the bigger lenders as well who have a bigger appetite to bring down the cost and to have long-term visibility towards this space.”

Starting in 2018, OTO operates on an innovative financing model for 2-wheelers where the buyer pays an upfront amount like any other finance options but gets up to 35% lower EMIs with an option to retain, return or upgrade at the end of the tenure. The platform works in partnership with various banks and NBFCs to provide the most hassle-free financing options to its customers. It also provides full auto lifecycle management, from credit underwriting to insurance, maintenance, and eventual resale of the vehicle.

The fintech startup is making strides to bolster its business growth and intends to sell 75K two wheelers and achieve 600 Crores of annual disbursement by the next financial year. The company also aims to intensify its presence in India and expand its workforce.

Indian Women Leaders charting a territory for a more accepting Society

WIN is taking forward the conversation on body positivity, self-love, and women empowerment in India, on March 2nd, 2022, at 11:30am on Facebook. In collaboration with Tressmart Marketing Pvt. Ltd., WIN presents to you an exceptional panel discussion with some India’s female changemakers and trailblazers such as Sargam Dhawan Bhayana– leading Businesswoman, Director & Founder: Tressmart Marketing Pvt. Ltd.; Neha Kalia– Digital Creator, Influencer & body positivity Coach; Dr. Shamoly Khera – Entrepreneur, Author, Founder: Speak to Inspire, One Take Media Co.; Sonalika Sahay- Fashion Model and Entrepreneur, Founder: Vianoirindia, Miafashionpopup and Stuti Jalan – founder of Women Inspiring Network.

The discussion is essentially an effort to celebrate women and their spirits- irrespective of their size, shape, sexuality and disability. The symposium aims to give some refreshing new outlooks and stances with respect to how today’s leading changemakers view self-love and embrace and build more realistic relationship with their bodies. The session will also shed light on matters, such as tips and scope for body positivity, as to how the concept evolved over the years and the connection between Body Positivity and Mental as well as Physical well being. Each panelist will bring forth a unique perspective to the table.

Talking about Body positivity, Sargam Dhawan Bhayana believes that “Body positivity is not only a concept, but it’s my way of life for me. Accepting myself as I am, irrespective of what people think has been a huge learning journey for me. I have faced many hardships that finally made me realise that I need to nurture my body, soul and mind for my growth, not for others.”

Stuti Jalan, founder of Women Inspiring Network, states that “The vision of our society has been blurred for years. The Perception had been influenced by myths surrounding the beauty industry. It’s high time we create positive self-image which shatters the negative picture to one’s body. I believe we all are beautiful, just the way we are.”

Sargam Dhawan Bhayana, 27 year old entrepreneur, started Tressmart in 2017, when she was only 22 years old. She had a chance meeting with the inventors and promoters of DAFNI, the Original Hair Straightening Brush, which she then went on to launch very successfully in India, and the rest as they say is history. She has been untiringly advocating body positivity in all the possible landscapes.

Neha Kalia, known as ‘Curveswervebyneha’, is a Delhi-based fashion and lifestyle content creator, body positivity coach, plus size model. She has collaborated with multiple reputed and renowned brands like Amydus, allplussize, Datotta,nykd by Nykaa, mamaearth, zyan & Myza etc. She has bagged a massive fan following on social media platforms. Through her work she tries to bring awareness towards body Positivity.

Sonalika Sahay, is a fashion model and an entrepreneur. She harnesses her industry experiences for her fashion portal Maia and successfully runs a multibrand online store Style Arrest.

Dr. Shamoly Khera is a multi-faceted speaker. She is a TV presenter, Producer, public speaker and Speaking coach. Born and raised in Mumbai Shamoly has global exposure and a rich experience of addressing audience in international markets. Having been the face of various television networks like UTV, Zee TV Middle East, MBC Bollywood and having studied theatre and stage acting, presenting

Snapmint raises USD 9 Million to power dreams of millions of shoppers across India

Mumbai: Snapmint, a Mumbai-based fintech start-up, announced that it has raised $9 million in its Series A funding from a clutch of marquee investors and industry leaders led by Prashasta Seth, CEO & CIO of Prudent Investment Managers. The round also saw participation of 9 Unicorns, Anicut Capital, Negen Capital, Livspace founder Ramakant Sharma, Usama Fayyad – Chairman of Open Insights and head of Institute for Experiential AI at Northeastern University, among other angel investors.

Snapmint, a BNPL (Buy Now Pay Later) platform, makes it easy for Gen Z consumers to buy any lifestyle category product, be it clothes, accessories or mobile phones, using small installments and no-cost monthly payment options. It has over 4 million consumers on its platform, many of who are from Tier 2/smaller towns, and serves over 27,000 pin-codes across India. Not only does Snapmint let retail consumers buy with instant credit and realise savings, it also helps merchants tap into a significantly larger customer base and get greater bang for the buck on marketing spends. This win-win approach has helped Snapmint grow over 4x in the last six months and it is fast becoming the most preferred way-to-buy for its consumers and merchants.

With this round of investment, Snapmint plans to expand its network of merchants, launch a suite of innovative BNPL products and power the purchases of over 450 million consumers in India.

IIT batchmates and serial entrepreneurs Nalin Agrawal, Anil Gelra, Abhineet Sawa and Rahul Agarwal, founded Snapmint in 2017. They researched the market on the observation that only a handful of their employees actually had a credit card and many were afraid of onerous credit card terms. As per industry estimates, although there are nearly 450 million bank account holders, there are less than 35 million active credit card users. On the other hand, over 15 million young consumers join the workforce every year, and they aspire to buy a range of lifestyle products. Snapmint was founded to give customers the option of paying using convenient installments, thus letting them manage their monthly cashflows without burning a hole in their pocket.

Nalin Agrawal, Co-founder of Snapmint said, “We are excited to partner with marquee investors and industry leaders in our growth journey. This investment will boost our expansion plans as we look to grow our merchant partners 50x pan-India and bring a unique shopping experience to our customers. Our transaction-led underwriting models allow us to democratize access to credit, provide fair financial terms and give the freedom of choice to our consumers.” 

Prashasta Seth, CEO and CIO of Prudent investment Managers said, “We are truly impressed by the team’s ability to underwrite young customers from Tier2/small towns instantly and seamlessly, which shows in the portfolio quality. This differentiates them from a vast majority of the other players in the space. We are proud to partner with Snapmint on this growth journey and look forward to powering the next revolution in digital payments and purchase financing.” 

The $810 billion Indian retail market is the fourth largest in the world, and affordable credit options will continue to boost the growth of this market. A 2021 report by Bain and Co. shows that 80% of the growth in new e-retail customers came from Tier-2/ smaller towns in India. Snapmint is looking to democratize access to credit by allowing these customers to buy on interest free installments, with no hidden costs. For online merchants, Snapmint’s platform gives upto a 25% boost to sales, opening up a brand-new segment of customers which were previously not shopping with them.

Nissan India wholesales 6662 vehicles in February 2022

New Delhi (March 01, 2022) – Nissan India announced on the strength of the successful launch of the all-new Nissan Magnite, Domestic wholesale of 2456 units and exports wholesales of 4206 units of Nissan and Datsun vehicles. The “Make in India, Make for the World” Nissan Magnite is being exported to 15 countries overseas, which includes Nepal; Bhutan; Bangladesh; Sri Lanka; Brunei; Uganda; Kenya; Seychelles; Mozambique; Zambia; Mauritius, Tanzania, and Malawi. In the export markets since the launch 7651 units have been exported. Nissan Magnite with its dynamic performance has achieved the second position in the sub-compact SUV segment with a 22% market share in Nepal. In South Africa, Nissan has achieved year-to-date wholesales of 4053 units. Nissan Magnite was the first product to launch under the Nissan NEXT strategy, the focus was on delivering high-quality products and providing the customers with best-in-class services.

“Nissan Magnite scored a 4-star safety rating in the latest round of ratings issued by Global NCAP, a testimony of Nissan’s commitment to safety and world-class quality standards. While the demand for the game-changer SUV Nissan Magnite continues to grow in India and Global markets on the strength of its strong value proposition and lowest-in-class maintenance, the challenge is on the supply side with shortages of semi-conductors which we foresee to continue for a few more months while we continue to take actions with the suppliers to improve the availability” said Rakesh Srivastava, Managing Director, Nissan Motor India Ltd.

In the Domestic market, Nissan Magnite has generated more than 88,000 plus bookings with 31% of bookings being generated through the Digital eco-system. Nissan India launched a first-in-industry innovative Virtual Sales Advisor for Nissan customers as part of its digital platform Shop@home, to enhance customers’ car buying experience. Shop@home, is a digital platform for an end-to-end digital contactless car buying experience for the customers. Starting with engaging exploration enabled through the virtual showroom and virtual test drive, the platform conveniently provides the options to personalize the car, evaluate the exchange value of the existing car, calculate, and compare EMIs and apply for finance before booking their personalized car.

Nissan India also offers a subscription plan that enables customers to own a vehicle with a ‘White Plate’ and a “Buy Back Option” in Delhi NCR, Mumbai, Pune, Bangalore, Hyderabad and Chennai. The plan comes with Zero Down Payment, Zero Insurance Cost, Zero Maintenance Cost, share back and save and an option to own.

The all-new Nissan Magnite comes with the best, lowest-in-class maintenance cost at just 30 paise/km (for 50,000 kms). Peace of mind comes with a warranty of 2 years (50,000kms) which can be extended for up to 5 years (100,000 kms) at a nominal cost. Nissan customers may also book services and even check costs online through the Nissan Service Cost Calculator via Nissan Service Hub or Nissan Connect, bringing utmost transparency to the process. Nissan India also provides 24*7 roadside assistance to the customers in need within 90 minutes in city limits, the service is available in over 1500+ cities. Keeping the health and safety of its customers in mind, Nissan launched the ‘Convenience of Doorstep Service’ and ‘Pick-up & Drop-off’ services of Nissan cars to and from dealerships which mitigates the risk of infection and minimizes disruptions in the schedule of customers.

Huawei Strengthens the One Storage Strategy and Presents New Data Infrastructure Products

[Barcelona, Spain, March 01, 2022] During the Mobile World Congress (MWC) Barcelona 2022, Huawei IT Product Line president Peter Zhou introduced Huawei’s One Storage strategy and some new data infrastructure offerings to global carriers. He said, ” Huawei strengthens its One Storage strategy to enable storage resource pooling, intelligent management, and interconnection with multiple clouds.”

By the end of 2021, Huawei storage had worked with 327 carriers around the world. Huawei has been named a Leader in Gartner Magic Quadrant for primary storage for six consecutive years. The rapid development should be attributed to Huawei’s long-held One Storage strategy. The OceanStor OS software platform works with diversified hardware to deliver carriers storage resource pools for all application scenarios, whereas the Data Management Engine, or DME, enables intelligent storage management throughout data lifecycle. The One Storage solution uses open application programming interfaces (APIs) to interconnect with multi-cloud ecosystems for maximum storage resource sharing between the edge, data center, and public cloud.

Huawei also presented new data infrastructure products to help carriers innovate their businesses.

• Huawei Next-Gen OceanStor Dorado All-Flash Storage integrates network-attached storage (NAS) with industry-leading storage area network (SAN) capabilities, providing premium processing efficiency, excellent data security protection, and always-on business continuity assurance. It is a perfect option for service systems such as R&D and production computer-aided design (CAD) and electronic design automation (EDA), carrier charging data record (CDR), medical picture archiving and communication system (PACS), and financial documents.
• Huawei New-Gen OceanStor Hybrid Flash Storage provides efficient data processing, supports evolution, and protects data for hybrid workloads such as enterprise virtualization, data exchange, and email, and emerging ecosystems such as containers and distributed databases, delivering optimal cost-effective data services.
• Huawei Ocean Protect Backup Storage redefines flash-based backup solutions, driving new opportunities for enterprises. It dramatically improves backup and recovery performance; securely stores data on third-party platforms; significantly accelerates the backup window and data recovery; expedites cold and hot data status changes; and reduces total cost of ownership (TCO).
• Huawei Next-Gen Datacenter Virtualization Solution (DCS) adopts a decoupled, modular architecture for data center IT resource deployment and consolidation. It effectively improves resource utilization and simplifies management, operations, and maintenance (O&M), making it an ideal option for building lightweight, flexible, diversified, and open infrastructure that drives successful digital transformation.

MWC22 Barcelona runs from February 28 to March 3 in Barcelona, Spain. Huawei showcases its products and solutions at stand 1H50 in Fira Gran Via Hall 1. Together with global operators, industry professionals, and opinion leaders, we dive into topics such as industry trends, GUIDE to the Future, and green development to envision the future of digital networks. For more information, please visit: https://carrier.huawei.com/en/events/mwc2022

Simple Energy breaks range limit in Indian electric scooters: Launches additional battery pack option for Simple One to offer top range of 300+ km

National, March 1st , 2022: India’s leading electric vehicle and clean energy start-up Simple Energy launched an additional battery pack option for its flagship electric scooter, Simple One, to offer customers an unparalleled 300+ km of range on a single charge. Customers would be able to opt for the additional battery pack option during the final payment, with deliveries beginning in June.

The additional battery will address range anxiety amongst customers, as it will help them cover longer distance while traveling. With a capacity of 1.6 kWh, the battery pack will enable the Simple One to cross the 300 km mark – a big step up from the 235+ km from the scooter’s standard configuration, which was already best in class. Notably, this battery can be easily stowed in the boot of the scooter, greatly aiding the user experience.

Commenting on the new battery pack, Suhas Rajkumar, Founder and CEO, Simple Energy, said, “When we conceived the Simple One, we had the aim of offering an electric scooter that could offer enough range for users to not have to worry about range or charging. Offering an extra battery will allow power users to reach destinations that no other electric two-wheeler in India can. This additional battery can easily fit in the boot of the scooter offering a range of over 300 km. This is a big milestone – not just for Simple Energy, but for the EV industry. This move will also go a long way in bolstering the perception of electric scooters.”  

Recently, Simple Energy announced that the scooter will come with an upgraded 8.5 kW motor, capable of producing 72nm of torque. The Simple One electric scooter has a real-world range of 203 km (up to 236 km in ideal conditions), fast charging support, a huge 30-litre boot and a host of smart features such as on-board navigation, riding modes, phone app, call and music control and much more.

Simple One can be booked on www.simpleenergy.in for a price of Rs 1,947 and will be delivered starting June, this year. There are additional upgrades in the pipeline, which will be announced in the coming weeks.

Simple Energy aims to be at the forefront of the ongoing global transition to clean transport. Its flagship product, Simple One, will be produced at phase 1 of the company’s manufacturing unit located at Hosur, Tamil Nadu. The state-of-the-art manufacturing plant has an annual production capacity of up to 1 million units. The factory is currently getting ready for mass manufacturing and will be operational in the coming weeks. The company has also commissioned a second plant in Dharmapuri, Tamil Nadu, which will spread across 600 acres and have a capacity of 12.5 million units annually — making Simple Energy the largest electric two-wheeler manufacturer in the world.

Man Matters launches #LetsTalkMan; reiterates the importance of sharing and self-disclosure for healthier living and better well-being

National, 1St March, 2022: The Epiphany – Who do you go to, to talk about your wellness problems? The last two years have been unprecedented for everyone, and people across age groups have found themselves grappling with multiple uncertainties and challenges. Given this Man Matters – India’s leading digital health platform for men, has come up with a new campaign #LetsTalkMan. The campaign reflects on how men sometimes refrain from opening up and do not allow themselves to be vulnerable, which then leads to bottling up of emotions. The latest digital film executed by Spring Marketing Capital features ‘Taare Zameen Par’ and ‘Shor in the City’ famed actress Girija Oak Godbole encouraging men to self-love and talk about their problems.

The first scene of the video begins with the actress asking her partner to open up about his problems. Cut to the next scene, she continues asking men why they don’t open up as women do. The video highlights how men shy away from speaking about basic issues like hair loss or stress. They consider their partners to be their better halves but at the same time, they are often seen dealing with all the emotional baggage alone. The video shows companionship as more than just working together on household chores or planning the finances. It’s equally important for men to talk about their physical and emotional issues with their partners and peers. The campaign focuses on breaking societal gender stereotypes and redefining the importance of men’s care.

Commenting on the campaign, Anuroop Nair, Director of Brand Marketing at Mosaic Wellness said, “With this campaign, we are one step closer to our brand’s vision. The idea is to encourage the men to come forward and talk about their challenges without any hesitation or societal pressure. We have seen that society has always perceived and internalized men to be tough, physically strong, and for some reason, not emotionally forthcoming. Men opening up about their feeling and problems is considered to be ‘weak’. Through this campaign, we want to break those gender biases and at the same time make sure the film is worth repeat-watching and entertaining.”

Sandeep Balan, Branded Content Partner at Spring Marketing Capital, said, “We are always excited to associate with Man Matters, as the brand has always pushed the boundaries on how we should open up and feel. The pandemic has taught us the importance of self-care and how we should prioritize ourselves. We have always seen men hesitant in expressing themselves thinking of being judged by their partners or other male friends. I think most of us have felt this way some or another time, but someone needed to say this and hence we finally did through this film.”

Launched in May 2020, Man Matters (manmatters.com) is operated under parent company Mosaic Wellness, focused on offering curated services & products across health & wellness. Having completed more than 2L unique medical consultations across areas like hair loss, dandruff, sexual wellness, nutrition, skin, and more, Man Matters is now the largest health and wellness platform for Men in the country.