Royal Enfield Rising To Be A Global Brand Again

Royal Enfield! Many a man would sigh at the mere mention of the legendary motorcycle as memories come racing in.

Royal Enfield is a name that never fails to stir a few strings in any heart. Many are the stories built around its famous ruggedness and reliability. Royal Enfield is the motorcycle around which memories have been built - memories and experiences that endow the brand and the bike with a certain halo.

Royal Enfield is fast acquiring a global image and presence again and re-staking a claim to its status as a world class motorcycle. It is expected that by 2012 Royal Enfield would be present in the martkets of about 40 countries and that the exports of Royal Enfield would make up 6% of its total annual sales.

Enfield Manufacturing Company, established in 1893 at Redditch, Worcestershire, UK, manufactured bicycles initially. By 1899 they started producing motorcycles under the name 'Enfield'. In 1890, the British Crown licensed the company to prefix the word 'Royal' to the brand. In 1968, the company was sold to Norton-Triumph-Villiers which, again, was liquidated in 1971 - the production having ceased a year earlier.

The company was called upon to manufactrure motorcylces for the use of the British army during World War II. Its Indian incarnation was to perform a similar role later in India. 

Royal Enfield started selling its motorcycles in India from 1949. In 1955, the Governemnt of India picked Royal Enfield Bullet 500 cc as the motorcycle that could meet the needs of its armed forces operating in the rough, unfriendly terrains of its borders, and the requirements of its police force. One might well say that a legend was born.

'Enfield India' was established at Madras in 1955 to manufacture the Bullet from imported componets under license from the British company. In 1957, they started manufacturing some of the components locally and by 1962 all the components were being made in India itself. In 1995, Enfield India acquired rights to use the name "Royal Enfield".

Enfield India was acquired by the Eicher group in 1994.

Long after the closure of the British company, the Indian company with its plant at Tiruvottiyur, Chennai, is still going strong and Royal Enfield is a revered - yes, revered, and, if you insist, deified - motorcycle brand in India - thanks to the legendafry Bullet which is available in 350 cc and 500 cc variants. Royal Enfield Bullet has the distinction of being the oldest motorcycle to be in production till date.

Royal Enfield is presently exporting bikes to about 29 countries. It has more than 180 dealers in India.

The company has made fabulous growth in the last five years. Royal Enfield has established a redoubtable presence worldwide. In 2010 Royal Enfield was among top 10 selling 125-500 cc motorcycle brands in UK - in the august company of intenationally famous brands like Kawasaki. In January 2011, Popular Mechanics ranked the Royal Enfield Classic Chrome and Bullet 500 among its Top 10 picks from the Progressive International Motorcycle Show in New York.

Dr.Venki Padmanabhan, CEO, Royal Enfield remarked, "Interest in our brand in developed markets such as the U.S., U.K., Germany, Italy, France and Australia stems from the desire for some to own a piece of history; a true British Single. When they discover that vintage styling can be had at an attractive less-than-antique price, the interest heightens.

Then, when they ride a Royal Enfield and are thrilled by the way in which their senses are engaged, they reach to find the rational reason to buy. There are many rational reasons now: close-by dealer and service, more reliable bikes with regular side shifting and quietly, more than 70 miles per gallon fuel efficiency!"

"We are now figuring out the right brand and value positioning needed to appeal to the vastly untapped "developing country" markets that, owing to our success in India, we are well prepared to handle," Dr.Padmanabhan added.

Tata Nano Launched in Srilanka

Tata Motors has launched the Nano in Srilanka. Thus starts the international launch of Tata Nano which is the pride of Tata Motors and India too.

Three variants of the Nano have been introduced into the Srilankan market, the prices starting at LKR 9.25 lac (INR 3.80 lac, approx) A duty of 110 per cent levied by Srilanka on the car accounts for the price in Srilanka.

 

Five hundred units of the Nano have already landed on Srilankan soil and the bookings commenced today, i.e.29th May 2011.

The car will be sold through its 50-year old distributor in the country -- Diesel & Motor Engineering PLC (DIMO) with whom Tata has an association dating back to 1961 are the disrtributors for Nano in Srilanka.

Incidentally, Tata Motrors began their international operations in 1961 with exports to Srilanka - then called Ceylon. Tata Motors has once again chosen Srilanka to commence its export of Nano to the world markets.

On the occasion of the launch of Nano in Srilanka, Carl- Peter Forster, Managing Director and Group CEO, Tata Motors, said: "We are celebrating 50 years of our relationship with Sri Lanka with the Nano."

"The Tata Nano will play a major role in the next phase of growth of our international business," he added.

P.M.Telang, Managing Director (India Operations), Tata Motors, said: "We have already formulated plans to introduce Nano in several countries." He said further: "The stupendous international response to the unveiling of the Tata Nano in 2008 established that customers across the world are awaiting such a car. With the launch in Sri Lanka, we begin that journey."

Google to Launch 'Google Wallet' Soon

Google has announced that it would be launching 'Google Wallet' soon.

GoogleWallet is an Android application that allows one's mobile phone to assume the functionality of one's wallet.

According to the webpage of Google Wallet, it "will be able to do more than a regular wallet ever could, like storing thousands of payment cards and Google Offers but without the bulk. Eventually your loyalty cards, gift cards, receipts, boarding passes, tickets, even your keys will be seamlessly synced to your Google Wallet."

One can use Citi Card, MasterCard and Google Prepaid Card with Google Wallet. One can only expect many more cards to be compatible with Google Wallet over a period of time.

To start with, Google Wallet will be compatible with Nexus S 4G by Google, available on Sprint. More phones are going to be supported over time.

Google Wallet says: "This is just the beginning, but we believe that, in time, your phone with Google Wallet will be the one thing that holds everything you need to carry."

Given our experience with currency and credit cards, it seems to be neither a wild dream nor a farfethced claim.

Kuch Love Jaisa – Movie Review

‘Kuch Love Jaisa’ is a refreshing and good time pass movie. The film is about a bored & lonely typical housewife, Madhu Saxena (Shefali Shah) who is not happy with her husband (Sumeet). She wanted to a total makeover in pursuit of finding her happiness and freshness again.

One day she met a guy Raghav (Rahul Bose) whom she thought a secret investigator but in reality Raghav is a criminal and running from cops.

After some tantrum and funny situation Madhu offers Raghav to let her accompany him on his secret mission to which he agrees after much speculation. The rest of the film is based on the incidents that they both encounter and present a roller coaster ride of fun and thrill to the audience.

‘Kuch Love Jaisa’ is a simple story with very good presentation. Debutant director Barnali Ray Shukla did deserve compliments for narrating the story so well and connecting to the audience.

Shefali was very good in her roles, first time as bore housewife and second time after new makeover avatar. Rahul has done an excellent job. His acting skills are brilliant and its awesome feelings to see his natural acting. Remaining casts also justifies their roles.

The story is fresh and well presented. A good fun to watch this movie.


Director: Barnali Ray Shukla
Producer: Vipul Amritlal Shah
Cast: Rahul Bose, Shefali Shah, Neetu Chandra, Sumeet Raghvan
Music: Pritam

Rahul Dholakia's next movie based on Nandigram Issue

Nandigram is in news again, and this time award winning director Rahul Dholakia is going to make this social conflict into a big celluloid movie. Rahul Dholakia is known for taking references from real social incidents and make screenplay based on that.

His national award winning movie “Parzania” (2005) based on Godhra massacre. The film Parzania received rave reviews from all quarters of lives. His last movie "Lamhaa: The Untold Story of Kashmir" (2010) also was based on terrorism and social scenario in today’s Kashmir.

He is all set to venture his next movie, influenced by 2007 land takeover by government and followed by Nandigram massacre in West Bengal. He is concentrating on writing the courtroom drama "Kanoon" based on this event.

Dholakia was signed for this movie by B.R. Films a year ago, but got delayed as producer Ravi Chopra was undergoing some major health problems.

"It has a close reference to the Nandigram issue. It's a courtroom drama on corporate crime. Actually, it shows how common poor people suffer, lose their lives, in the political or corporate clashes. It's something around those lines. It's a fiction set in Kolkata.

Nandigram would be too direct to say. It's not Nandigram but a similar situation. But it definitely had to do with Kolkata.” Dholakia told in an interview recently with the press.

"Almost after a year the B.R. Films has revived it again. Actually Ravi (Chopra) was not keeping well, so it got delayed. We are ready with the first draft of it. We are sitting and reviving that. Hopefully, we will finish that very soon and after that we would approach the actors," Dholakia adds.

Dhilakia has previous exposure and experience with Bengali people, Bengali culture and its art & literature as he made a documentary film "Calcutta Chronicle" in 1995.

As the movie based on west Bengal Dholakia is looking for few Bengali actors and music director for the roles as he needs people who understand the flavour of soil and feelings of the region. It is expected to all star started film like his previous encounters.

Honda Motorcycle (HMSI) to Commission Second Plant and Set Up the Third

Honda Mototrcycle & Scooter India Limited (HMSI) has announced that it would set up its third Indian plant near Narasapuram near Bangalore, Karnataka.

Honda Mototrcycle & Scooter India Limited (HMSI) whose first plant in India was set up at Manesar, Haryana, with an installed capacity of 16,00,000 units is going to inaugurate its second plant at Tapukara Industrial Area, Rajasthan, on 1st June 2011.

The plant at Tapukara is going to have an installed capacity of 6,00,000 motorcycles p.a and the capacity will be doubled to 12,00,000 units p.a. by March 2012.

The proposed third plant at Narasapuram in Karnataka is expected to be ready by June 2013 with an installed capacity of 12,00,000 units per annum. On completion of the third plant, the installed capacity of HMSI would be 4 million motorcycles per annum.

The plant at Manesar has been producing Honda Activa, Honda Dio, and Honda Aviator (all scooters) and CB Unicorn, CB Shine, CB Twister, and CB Stunner. The plant at Tapukara is going to produce Activa, Twister, and Shine. The proposed plant near Bangalore will also be producing Activa, Twister, and Shine.
India is the second largest motorcycle marketr in the world - China being the largest market. In 2010, a total of 11.32 million motorcycles were sold in India - reflecting a 30% growth in the market over the previous year.

A press release by HMSI states: "In order to fulfill the diversifying needs of customers in the growing market of India, HMSI is enhancing its product lineup with last year's introduction of CB Unicorn Dazzler, its first model in the 150cc class that was targeted toward young consumers, and by introducing CBR250R, HMSI's first 250cc sports bike. HMSI will continue fulfilling the expectations of its customers by enhancing its product lineup and expanding the production capacity."

Jaguar Land Rover (JLR) Commissions First Plant in India

Jaguar Land Rover (JLR), owned now by the Tata Group, commissioned its first plant in India at Chikli near Pune on Friday, 27th May 2011.

The Land Rover Freelander 2 SUV's imported in Completely Knocked Down condition from their plant at Halerwood, Liverpool, UK, will be assembled at the Pune plant.

JLR intends to establish its retail presence in 12 principal cities in India by appointing 14 dealers.

Ralph Speth, Chief Executive officer, JLR, said: "We are excited about the prospect of assembling cars in Pune for the India market where we have achieved significant growth since we opened our first showroom in 2009. it is a great time to be expanding our operation in India due to the increasing demand for luxury products and the strength of the Indian economy." He added: "The reason as to why the brand is making a headway in India is because it has contributed 1,043 million GBP to the Tata Motors brand."

Carl-Peter Forster, MD & Group CEO, said: "Tata motors has made a huge step forward as a group in overall capability. Also, there are benefits for JLR by using what has to offer and by using the engineering capabilities in India by tapping into the India-based community of engineering services." Forster said further that JLR aimed to develop a R&D centre which will aim to design new body chassis, engine derivatives, and also introduce new vehicles itself.