Coca-Cola India head Venkatesh Kini quits, Krishnakumar to replace him

NEW DELHI: Coca-Cola made sweeping changes to its top India management on Friday, replacing Venkatesh Kini with T Krishnakumar at the helm as it looks to revive growth after a run of sluggish quarters. The timing of the change, in the middle of the critical peak season for cola companies, was a surprise. The summer months of the April-June quarter contribute over 40 per cent to annual soft drink sales.

Krishnakumar will take over from Kini as Coca-Cola India president. He’s currently chief executive of Hindustan Coca-Cola Beverages (HCCB), the bottling arm. Christina Ruggiero will succeed Krishnakumar at HCCB, becoming the unit’s first woman CEO. She’s currently CEO for bottlers’ sales and services at Coca-Cola System (North America). The changes are effective May 1. "This is a very important period in our company's transition globally," James Murphy, president, Asia Pacific Group, told a group of reporters on Friday. Kini has been India president for three years.

The company has seen at least six quarters of low single-digit growth in what it regards as a key market. Murphy said he expected Coca-Cola to return to double-digit growth over a threeyear period, adding that non-cola beverages would contribute "significantly" to expansion.

"We believe India is one of the few markets in the world that can materially change our systems," he said.

"Our focus is to come up with more consumer-oriented businesses and a stronger total beverages portfolio, spread in multiple categories, particularly in the developing markets."

He was accompanied by Bottling Investment Group (BIG) president Irial Finan. The two executives arrived in India on Thursday to make the surprise announcement. BIG, a global Coca-Cola entity, operates the company’s bottling operations.

"The Indian market has tremendous growth potential and we believe revitalising the system leadership structure will enable us to continue consolidating India as one of the most important growth engines for the company globally," Finan said. The company’s top priority is to "create and deliver growth," Murphy said. "As outlined by our president and COO James Quincey a few weeks ago, The Coca-Cola Company is designing a new operating model to support the next stage of transformation into a growth-oriented, consumer-centred, total beverage company," he said.

The changes at the beverage firm’s sixth-largest market by volume coincide with Quincey taking over the top job from outgoing chief Muhtar Kent starting May 1, as the company looks to shore up profitability and improve its balance sheet in critical markets such as India. Murphy described slowing consumption across markets as "short-term headwinds."

SUGAR TAX

On speculation that the Indian government could levy a sugar tax on cola makers, Muphy said: "We will wait and see how the final recommendations come through (on taxation). It's no secret that we have made representations to the government and made our point of view known to the importance of having a fair approach when it comes to taxation. We are one of the largest tax payers in India in the category. We appreciate and understand very well the overall objectives of the government. But we would like to see taxation being rolled out in a fair manner so that we are not singled out."

While India is a critical market for the Atlanta-based beverage giant, consumers here have been moving away from fizzy drinks consumption to healthier beverages and scaling back discretionary expenditure. Coca-Cola has posted negative volume sales for at least four of the past nine quarters. While the company has been expanding its portfolio to include non-fizzy drinks, each of the new brands remain small.

Kini has been associated with the beverage maker for 19 years, of which the past five have been in India. He said he was returning to the US for "personal reasons" and that he is pursuing opportunities outside the company.

Vamsi Mohan, currently BIG’s regional director for Vietnam, Myanmar and Cambodia, has been named southwest Asia regional director for HCCB.

Resource: http://retail.economictimes.indiatimes.com

Resource: http://grandiose.org.in/

Heritage Foods to start 5 more milk processing plants in the next 5 years

South India's one of the leading dairy companies, Heritage Foods has entered the northern region with the launch of its milk and milk products.

To achieve its mission of reaching Rs.6000 crore revenues by end of 2022, Heritage is going to start 5 more milk processing plants in the next 5 years, the company said.

To achieve this, Heritage said, they will ramp up its current volume of 14 lakhs litres of milk per day to 28 lakh litres. 

This growth is aided by recent acquisition of Reliance Dairy’s brands, Dairy Life and Dairy Pure in North India.

By entering the northern market the brand said the milk supplied in Delhi will be collected from farmers located just 5 hours away; thereby ensuring freshness and a consistent flow of good quality milk.

Brahmani Nara, Executive Director, Heritage Foods, said, "We are very happy to foray into Delhi and other states in the North and we would like to repeat the same success we have had in other markets where Heritage is a trusted brand. 

While we have aggressive expansion plans of being a Rs.6000 cr. company by 2022, we would like to stick to our core philosophy of our own procurement of milk from farmers 5 hours away from Delhi to ensure the freshest milk to the consumer, everyday."

Resource: https://news.franchiseindia.com

Resource: http://grandiose.org.in/

In India, skincare is a work in progress, says André Joseph Hoffmann

New Delhi: André Joseph Hoffmann, executive director and vice-chairman of global luxury spa and natural skincare brand L’Occitane en Provence, is bullish about the Indian market. Hoffmann, who is also L’Occitane (Far East) Ltd’s managing director for Asia-Pacific, was in India recently to look at stores and potential new shopping centres, besides meeting executives from some of the leading e-commerce firms in the course of a four-day visit. “The opportunity here is in digital,” he says. L’Occitane currently has 10 stores in India and also sells its products through three multi-brand Shoppers Stop outlets. Globally, the company operates 3,264 stores in 90 countries.

Excited as Hoffmann is about his India plans, he believes the country will not make it to L’Occitane’s top 10 markets anytime soon. In an interview, he outlines his expectations from the Indian market, expansion plans and how it’s not just women who prefer whiter skin. Edited excerpts:

How big is your business globally and where does India stand?

We operate 90 spas around the world, mostly in five-star luxury hotels. In India, we have six spas—some big independent spas in Mumbai and Delhi, and some in hotels. We work with luxury hotels around the world to supply L’Occitane products. We have about 10 stores in India in cities like Mumbai, Delhi, Chennai, Bengaluru, Chandigarh, Pune and Kolkata.

We will finish this year (2016-17) in excess of €1.2 billion. Globally, our L’Occitane branded stores contribute 75% to our revenue, e-commerce through L’Occitane.com contributes 11-12% and the rest comes from travel retail.

The plan for India is to dramatically expand footprint and increase business by multiples of 100%. The opportunity is that big. We have to put in place the structure we need to go ahead but looking at the size of the market today, we are very bullish on the opportunity.

What are your current India revenues?

Very low. But there is a need to be patient with India. It is a very challenging market. Certainly, a market with 1.4 billion people cannot be ignored but there are a lot of barriers for imported brands to do business here. There are very high duties and taxes, very complicated tax structure between the states and bureaucracy in India.

We believe that India can be a solid 3-4% of global revenue in a few years but it is extremely expensive to create a retail footprint here. Over the next three years, we can easily envision another five stores but we need the right location and commercial terms for that.

The opportunity here is in digital. A lot of people can’t buy our products because there is no store nearby. Digital will give multiple touchpoints and accessibility to hundreds of millions of potential consumers.

How big is your e-commerce business globally?

E-commerce is about 11-12% of our global business. In India, it is less than 5% of our business but the potential to multiply that is high. We have been laying the foundation by meeting a lot of digital partners and preparing an outlay. We have our own online marketplace (L’Occitane.com) and we will also be working with third-party sellers like Nykaa, Myntra among others. There is a tremendous opportunity with the explosion of online sales in India. However, we don’t want to be in the discounts game on digital.

Is it tough to sell luxury online?

It is a question of trust. Once the consumer has experimented and bought something from a certain website and he/she is satisfied, the barrier disappears. The need is to create the same experience online as you do offline. We can make sure that the products are delivered on time and the consumers have a frictionless experience in case of returns. All these things give seamless experience. That is why a lot of luxury brands are pursuing this omni-channel strategy online. Also, it is easier when it’s your own website. You can control the journey of the customer.

How has the Indian consumer evolved over the years?

All women want to be beautiful whether it is for their own self-respect, pride or to keep their man happy. If a woman feels that a skincare product will help her avoid having wrinkles or sunspots, she will use the product. It is the brand’s responsibility to make the product accessible and affordable.

India has traditional mass beauty brands and they are extremely big. As imported brands, we have to educate the consumer that instead of spending Rs500 for a jar of anti-aging cream, she should consider spending Rs5,000 for a global brand. In fact, our best-selling skincare product in India is Divine anti-ageing cream which is priced at Rs8,000 for 50 grams, while its premium variant Divine Harmony is priced at Rs12,000. Of course, there is a very small percentage of the population that is going to spend this much money. But there is an incredible amount of wealth in this country. It’s a question of consumers changing their habits and buying these types of products.

Which are your best markets?

Our largest market in the world is Japan, which contributes 18-19% to our global revenue. It is followed by US (11-12%) and China (close to 11%). We expect China to overtake US in one-two years owing to its strong growth. Skincare is 70% of the beauty industry in China.

If you look at the penetration of premium skincare in India, it is insignificant. Indian market is driven by colour cosmetics and fragrance. Skincare is still a work in progress. It is the smallest of the three legs of the stool but it is also the one that will have the biggest opportunity to grow because of the concern about the impact of pollution on the skin.

How has your men’s grooming range performed in India and globally?

Exceptionally well. India has one of the highest penetrations in Asia when it comes to men’s products, which include shaving creams, shaving oils, moisturizers and shampoos. Not just Asian women, even men like to have lighter skin because of which our whitening range tends to do well here.

Primarily, the men’s range of products do well in Europe and North America. In fact, many of our products are perceived as unisex and are equally good for men and women like our shea butter hand cream.

What are your personal favourite L’Occitane products?

I personally use the Divine Harmony serum. It was clearly intended to be the ultimate anti-ageing product for women because women’s needs are different. But I love it because the texture penetrates the skin and leaves a really nice glow. I also use the hand cream especially in winters if I go to the mountains or for skiing. The lips can get chapped very easily in the snow. I use the shea butter lip balm. I love the almond shower oil. It’s one of our best formulae. I have never ever met a woman or a man who tried it and didn’t appreciate it.

Resource: http://www.livemint.com

Resource: http://grandiose.org.in/

Bread manufacturer Modern Food eyes 25% growth in FY17

NEW DELHI: Leading bread manufacturer, Modern Foods on Friday announced that it is set to expand its business verticals, especially into the health and wellness, and packaged foods segments.

Speaking after the launch of its revamped brand identity, Modern Foods’ chief executive officer and Board Member, Aseem Soni said that the company was looking to grow its revenues four-fold by 2021, riding on the expansion of its portfolio.

“We are looking at a 25 per cent increase in revenue by FY17-18. We would like to quadruple it (the revenue by 2021),” said Soni, adding that the figure would hit Rs 1,000 crore by that year.

The company, acquired by Singapore-based Everstone Capital, registered Rs 270 crore in revenue in 2016-17. The company and its promoters, however, say they are going to be aggressive in expanding its reach, primarily through diversification.

The main focus will be on the health and wellness segment and value added products. It is also looking at branching our into other packaged foods like biscuits, noodles etc. The company is also considering collaborating or acquiring good local brands as part of the expansion.

“We will venture into new categories and markets, either alone or with collaborations. We are looking at entering the packaged foods market,” pointed out Everstone Capital Asia, managing director Rajev Shukla.

Resource: http://www.newindianexpress.com

Resource: http://grandiose.org.in/

Grofers launches offline stores, ties up with Oyo Rooms to set up tuck shops

In a shift from its core strategy, online grocery firm Grofers has set up around 15 offline outlets across Delhi-NCR, according to people privy to the development.

The company has launched two types of offline outlets -- tuck shops and franchise stores. It has tied-up with start-ups across Delhi NCR such as Oyo Rooms to place tuck shops in their office premises which will serve low ticket items like snacks and soft drinks.

The franchise stores have been set up near multiple residential areas in Gurgaon. These stores will offer fresh produce and dairy products to meet the everyday needs of the residents.

According to the people quoted above, as the shops are under a franchise model, the capital requirement to open such stores will be low.

However, there isn't any clarity if Grofers plans to expand this segment in a large manner to emerge as a potential competitor to the likes of BigBazaar and Spencer's.

"It is just in a pilot stage. These are just for brand reinforcement," said one of the officials quoted above.

"Instant gratification of employees could be satisfied through these stores. Thus, the tuck shops are also a value add for corporates and their employees," he added.

Recently, there were reports of merger talks between Grofers and rival Big Basket. But, in an interaction with Moneycontrol last month, BigBasket's founder Hari Menon categorically denied that the company had no plans to merge with Grofers.

This is not Grofers' first encounter with the offline segment.

The company that produces its private label products under the brand Freshbury and Best Value also sells them through multiple retail outlets.

Grofers currently claims to be getting 11000-12000 orders from the online segment on a daily basis with an average ticket size of Rs 1,000.

Last year, the company suspended operations in nine cities. It has now relaunched those cities and plans to expand to 70 cities.

The company had given pink slips to many staffers last year and was rumoured to be on the brink of a closure. But, it has managed bounced back and expanded to about 25 cities.

Resource: http://www.moneycontrol.com

Resource: http://grandiose.org.in/

Maroosh inks multiple franchisee deals for store expansion: Impresa Hospitality

NEW DELHI: Impresa Hospitality, which owns quick service restaurant brand Maroosh, is expanding its domestic and global footprint through a series of franchisee deals. 

It has signed a master franchise partnership with diversified hospitality and real estate group Lalin & Co for the Sri Lanka market, besides a similar deal for setting up stores in Singapore and Hong Kong with retail and licensing consultancy Franchise India. A third similar tie-up has been inked with an Abu Dhabi-based company for merger-cum-expansion in mid-east markets. 

Impresa Hospitality managing director and chief executive Ketan Kadam said: “Expansion through franchisees is an ideal route for expansion in the existing market environment. The business model does not require capex, so we can focus on brand building.” 

For expansion in the domestic market, the company has signed a master franchise deal with Franchise India for setting up stores in the Delhi NCR region besides Bangalore, with the plan to set up over a hundred stores over a three-year period, Impresa Hospitality said. 

Resource: http://economictimes.indiatimes.com

Resource: http://grandiose.org.in/

No F1 race in India since 2013, but Formula One has to pay tax, says SC

New Delhi: The Supreme Court on Monday held that Formula One World Championship (FOWC), which conducts Formula One car racing events, has a permanent establishment for its business in India and income accruing from it is taxable.

A permanent establishment (PE) is a fixed place of business, which generally gives rise to income or value-added tax liability in a particular jurisdiction.

“We have held that FOWC has PE in India and income that is attributable in India will be taxed. The amount that is to be taxed is to be assessed by an assessing officer,” said a Supreme Court bench consisting justices A.K. Sikri and Ashok Bhushan.

Advocate Ankur Saigal, who appeared for Jaypee Group, said that though the detailed judgement is awaited but the Supreme Court has held that an assessing officer will assess the income to be taxed.

Jaypee Group organized three Formula One races at its Buddh International Circuit at Greater Noida, Uttar Pradesh, from 2011 to 2013 before the Indian Grand Prix ran into tax troubles with the state government. Jaypee Sports International Ltd had signed a five-year contract with Formula One Management (FOM) to host the championship in India.

FOWC has challenged last year’s Delhi high court judgement which had ruled that a payment by Jaiprakash Associates Ltd for the use of FOWC logos and symbols to promote the Grand Prix couldn’t be considered royalty and be taxed as such.

The high court had also ruled that FOWC has a permanent establishment in India for conducting its business and set aside the finding of the Authority of Advance Ruling (AAR) on the issue. It had said the use of trademarks was “purely incidental” and as event organiser and host of the F1 Grand Prix Championship, Jaypee was bound to use the F1 marks, logos and devices.

FOWC and Jaypee group had approached the AAR to ascertain if the payment received by FOWC outside India from Jaypee could be considered royalty or not in terms of the double taxation avoidance agreement between the UK and Indian governments.

Another question for consideration before the AAR was whether FOWC had a permanent establishment for its business in India which it found that the payment was royalty and taxable and that Formula One did not have a permanent establishment in India.

Resource: http://www.livemint.com

Resource: http://grandiose.org.in/

Italy - India: High Profile Italian Business Mission at New Delhi and Mumbai; More Than 800 BTBS Organized

The high profile Italian business mission to India starts on 26th April, promoted by the Italian Ministries of Economic Development and Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation and organized by Italian Trade Agency, Confindustria (Confederation of Italian Industry), ABI (Italian Bankers' Association), Unioncamere (Union of Italian Chambers of Commerce) and Rete Imprese Italia (Network of Italian Enterprises) in collaboration with FICCI (Federation of Indian Chambers of Commerce and Industry) and CII (Confederation of Indian Industry). This year, the delegation is led by Deputy Minister of Economic Development, Hon'ble Ivan Scalfarotto, along with Michele Scannavini, President of Italian Trade Agency, Licia Mattioli, Vice President of Confindustria for Internationalization and Guido Rosa, Vice President ABI (Italian Bankers' Association) for Internationalization.

Over 60 companies, 6 Industrial Associations and Trade Associations, 4 Universities and Research Centers, 8 Banks, CDP (Cassa Depositi e Prestiti) group, a total of 150 participants and more than 800 business to business meetings (B2B) between Italian companies and Indian counterparts. 

These are the multi-sectorial mission numbers that will address the New Delhi and Mumbai stages with specific focus on Infrastructure and Construction, Machinery, Automotive, Renewable Energy and ICT. This is an important opportunity to boost economic cooperation between the two countries and to deepen the business and investment opportunities for Italian companies.

"We are going to India with a particularly robust and qualified delegation," says Italian Deputy Minister of Economic Development, Hon'ble Ivan Scalfarotto. "An indispensable feature for the relationship with a country of extraordinary importance, both from an economic point of view and from a geographic and demographic perspective. The sixth economy of the planet has also recently shown great dynamism, backed by public policies that open significant opportunities for Italian companies. There exist opportunities linked both to the ongoing infrastructure and to the development processes in the country and the presence of a growing middle-class with lifestyles and levels of consumption particularly suitable for the penetration of Italian excellence."

"The strong growth recorded in the recent years," points out the President of Italian Trade Agency, Michele Scannavini, "and the estimates of an increase of GDP by 7.2% at the end of 2017 make India one of the most dynamic economies in the world. Among the factors that supported this growth, are the progressive integration of the Indian economy into a global one and the greater opening up towards international trade, events that result in opportunities for the Italian System. The infrastructure sector, which is experiencing a strong demand, along with industrial machinery, automotive and renewable energy, are the most attractive sectors for our enterprises."

"We chose to return to India," explains Licia Mattioli, Vice President of Confindustria for Internationalization, "since the consumption continues to grow, driven by the dynamism of 'aspiring middle-class', mainly comprising of young people whose average income is rising steadily. The demand for high-quality products does increase with interesting opportunities for our enterprises. Thanks to the reforms of the internal market put in place by the Modi Government, India is a favourable investment environment due to the relaunch of industry and employment, the increasing liberalization of the national economy, the progressive opening up to international trade and, to the imposing infrastructure plan for the modernization of ports and airports."

"The Italian banking delegation," says Guido Rosa, Vice President ABI (Italian Bankers' Association) for Internationalization, "with the aim of strengthening the support offered to Italian companies, both from Italy and directly in India, will meet the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) and the leading local banks, led by their Banking Association (IBA) with the aim of focusing on the state of interbank relations."

With a trade exchange of over 7.5 billion Euros in 2016, Italy is India's fifth trading partner among the EU countries, with more than 500 companies present, with technological and production skills. The market size, demand growth, industry and foreign investment revival represent the priorities of government and the guidelines of the Make in India campaign, aimed at promoting a broad set of measures to boost Indian production and its international competitiveness with the aim of increasing the manufacturing share of GDP from 15% to 25% by 2022. The new technologies and partnerships with foreign partners are needed in every sector, especially in the most knowledge and technology-intensive industrial sectors and the Italian System can play a leading role in the process of industrialization and growth of the country.

Over the past two decades India has recorded sustained growth rates with an annual average rate of 5.8% and some peaks (7.3% in 2014, 7.5% in 2015, 7.6% in 2016) which have led it to be the first country among the BRICS and one of the first among the world's major economies. Among the origins of this rapid economic growth, is surely the progressive opening up of the Indian economy to the world and to international trade, coupled with a series of internal market reforms that have profoundly restructured the national economy.

The Programme of the Business Mission will include sectors' meetings for the Italian business delegation and in particular it will be focused on the following: on 27th April, in New Delhi, the Italy - India Business Forum 'Going forward on a common path' will take place, and it will be followed by a session of business meetings between Italian and Indian companies. The mission will then continue in Mumbai, where, in the morning of 28th April, the Italy - India Investment Forum will be held, followed by a further session of business meetings.

Resource: http://www.prnewswire.co.in

Resource: http://grandiose.org.in/

Reliance Jio News : Beta Launch Of FTTH Broadband, 108+ Mln Subscribers, 100 GB Free Data Offer With LG G6

Jio Planning To Expand FTTH Broadband Under Beta Program To Other States Soon

The company has been currently offering its FTTH (Fiber-To-The-Home) broadband services under a pilot program to select areas and housing societies in Delhi, Mumbai, Chennai, and Pune. However, according to an ET report, the company will expand it to cities in other states soon.

The FTTH services will be bundled with JioMedia share device, smart set top box, routers, and Power Line Communication (PLC) devices, which will allow Jio to offer HD TV services, VoD (Video-on-Demand), and JioCloud. Jio will also offer landline phone services along with this service bouquet.

The FTTH service will also enable new services like home automation via Smart Plugs, home surveillance, smart camera, smart doorbell, smart lock, and chime alarm. The best part about these services is that the user would be able to manage them via his/her mobile devices.

Jio Crosses 108 Million Subscribers; Plans To Add Another 1,00,000 Mobile Towers

After achieving a record 100 million subscribers in 170 days, Reliance Jio is growing at a very fast pace. The company had reached a subscriber base of 108.9 million subscribers as of 31 March 2017.

The company has over 1,00,000 mobile towers as of now, and it plans to double its towers by adding another 1,00,000 towers in the coming months. Jio wants to match Airtel and Vodafone in terms of cell sites and coverage, both of which already have close to 2 lakh cell sites each.

Jio is working with Samsung to bringing 5G services in India besides working on a massive 4G LTE network expansion project for the rural areas in India. Samsung is the only 4G equipment provider to Jio and has already bagged contracts to supply equipment for over 1,40,000 mobile sites in India.

As far as data speed is concerned, Jio has again emerged as the fastest 4G telecom operator in the country with an average download speed of 16.48 Mbps.

LG G6 Buyers To Get Additional 100 GB 4G Data From Jio

As we earlier predicted, Reliance Jio is offering complementary data benefits on flagships phones from brands other than Apple and Samsung. Now the company will be offering extra 100 GB to those who buy LG G6 by shelling out Rs. 51,990.

Jio was offering 448 GB data to Samsung Galaxy S8 and S8+ users for 8 months when they subscribe to Rs. 309 monthly pack. Similarly, for the LG G6, the extra 100 GB data would be valid for 10 months (10 GB/month) starting June 2017 until March 2018. The LG G6 users would need to recharge with Rs. 309 every month in order to be able to enjoy the extra data benefits.

How To Claim Extra 100 GB Data on LG G6?

The LG G6 buyers would need to insert their Jio SIM into the newly purchased LG G6 handset to be eligible for the extra data offer. But it must be noted that the extra data would be valid only that particular SIM on the same LG G6 smartphone (verified via IMEI number).

Reliance Jio is growing by leaps and bounds and is disrupting the market by launching amazing promotional offers and super affordable tariff plans. But would it be able to sustain its growth momentum? Or will it hike its tariff plans significantly post a few years once it has gained a strong foothold in the market? Only time will tell, but we would love to hear your thoughts about it. So kindly post a comment.

Resource: http://trak.in

Resource: http://grandiose.org.in/

Beer companies to collectively launch new brands in India to reverse sales decline

BANGALORE | MUMBAI: Heineken, Anheuser-Busch InBev, and Carlsberg are collectively introducing about a dozen new beer brands in India to slake the thirst of its summer-singed consumers. 

For the world’s top three brewers, which together control about 90 per cent of India’s beer market, new products could be the recipe for fending off an unhealthy cocktail of sales bans, shrinking store networks, and stagnant demand in a warm, tropical country with promising demographics and increasing affluence. 

India’s beer sales fell 2 per cent in the year to March 2017, but companies expect the segment to expand 5-7 per cent in the current fiscal, driven by premium products. 

“We need to strengthen our portfolio because consumers want to choose, and we want to be a part of their choice. In the next six months, we will come up with two strong beer brands in the premium segment, and an interesting portfolio of imported brands in the next six weeks,” said Shekhar Ramamurthy, managing director at United Breweries (UB). Heineken owns 43 per cent of UB, which sells KingfisherBSE 3.03 %, Kalyani Black Label, and Zingaro beers, and controls half of India’s beer market. 

UB will launch brands including Desperados, a pale lager beer, a wheat beer brand EdelweissBSE 0.00 %, Mexican brand Sol, and Dos Equis, a pale lager from Heineken’s international portfolio. 

“Then some more are being developed in India in the premium segment to further strengthen our market leadership. Kingfisher will continue to be our lead brand,” said Ramamurthy. The launch strategy appears ambitious, given that about 30,000 vends near highways accounts for a third of the total stores, and they were legally restricted from selling alcohol from April 1. 

With annual sales of about 300 million cases, India is the latest focus area for global brewers that are battling sluggishness in more mature markets around the world. Yet, average consumption of beer in India is about 2 litres per person a year, minuscule compared to the global consumption average of about 30 litres. Still, AB InBev, the maker of Budweiser and Fosters, said consumer sentiment continues to stay positive and its portfolio expansion will help re-stimulate growth. 

“The trend of consumers trading up has never been stronger in the country and the premium segment has been unaffected by the slowdown,” said Kartikeya Sharma, marketing director, AB InBev, India and South-East Asia. Imported labels such as Corona, Hoegaarden and Stella, which are limited to Mumbai, Delhi, and Bangalore, will now be taken to more than a dozen markets across India, he said. 

In India, the industry remains regulated with high taxation. In many parts of the country, wholesale or retail distribution is controlled by the state government. Also in 60 per cent of the markets, state governments dictate the price at which beer can be sold. Hence, companies are pushing for premium brands that earn higher margins. 

Also, India remains a country favouring strong beer, and global companies have been producing stronger variants of their flagship beer brands such as Carlsberg Elephant, Tuborg, and Budweiser. 

Last week, Carlsberg launched a premium strong beer with scotch malts, Tuborg Classic, which managing director Michael N Jensen claimed will be one of the biggest innovations to have hit the Indian beer industry. Apart from mainstream beer brands, experts believe the market could see a slew of new launches in the craft beer segment, an expanding niche. 

From just two craft breweries in 2008, India now has more than 50 across the country, with most centred around Gurgaon, Pune and Bangalore, as per Euromonitor data. There has been a global move toward craft beers, and India mirrors the trend. “We expect at least 20 new beers to be launched in the fiscal, as there is interest from Canada, New Zealand, Lithuania, and even Iceland," said Rahul Singh, who owns 40 beer cafes across 12 cities. 

Resource: http://economictimes.indiatimes.com

Resource: http://grandiose.org.in/

AccorHotels to expand its premium brands in India

NEW DELHI: Hotel chain Accor-Hotels which owns brands like Ibis, Novotel and Pullman in India said its primary focus is to expand the luxury segment in emerging markets like India. 

Accor-Hotels acquired luxury brands Fairmont and Raffles in a $2.7 billion deal last year and luxury is over one-third of Accor’s hotel revenues globally. 

“One of our big focus is to expand our luxury platform. We see a significant scope for expansion in the luxury space. The next big wave of growth for us is going to come from luxury and emerging markets. Luxury is an important component in these markets,” said Gaurav Bhushan, global chief development officer, AccorHotels. Bhushan also said Accor is looking at expanding the Fairmont brand in India. India currently has one Fairmont Hotel in Jaipur. 

“We have got eight new brands in our portfolio in the past twelve months. We are looking at expanding the Fairmont brand in India. We are seeing good interest from the Indian market for our new luxury brands. We have active enquiries for Fairmont and Raffles. We hope to make some announcements soon,” Bhushan added. 

Resource: http://economictimes.indiatimes.com/

Resource: http://grandiose.org.in/

So, Pulse Needs a TVC After All, Here's Why

Giving a candy to the consumers instead of change is a widespread tradition that Indian shopkeepers have been following since ages. At times customers even get the privilege of picking the candy of their choice. And it was back in 2015, when maximum number of consumers started to prefer Pulse Candy over any other brand, making the brand clock Rs. 100 crore sales within 8 months of the launch.

What surprised the industry was the fact that DS Group, the parent company of Pulse Candy, achieved the mark without any advertising. However, the brand has now launched its first campaign for television. ‘Pran jaaye par Pulse na jaaye’, the campaign is crafted by J. Walter Thompson.

The less than a minute video opens with a protagonist sleeping in the house. Suddenly, his house mates wake him up, screaming that the house if on fire. The protagonist, in a blurred sleepy state on seeing smoke and sparks, actually assumes that the house is on fire, as he sees his friends running to collect their precious belongings. This is when our guy springs to action, rushing to save his hidden Pulse Candies; from inside a remote, the one hidden in a DVD drive, to some, hidden in a trumpet.

Once he has managed to get his hand on the stash, he rushes out. That’s when the plot unravels, a well-crafted ploy that has his friends creating the fire and smoke, amongst others. At the end, the plot succeeds and he has to give up his hidden stash of candies, but not until he manages to keep one for himself. The commercial ends with the tag line that says - ‘Pran jaaye par Pulse na jaaye’.

The brand plans to take a 360 degree approach for the campaign by releasing the advertisement in popular national as well as regional media with supporting the same on digital, BTL, events and other promotional platforms. Pulse enjoys a market share of close to 13-14% in the hard boiled candy segment.

Why now?

Television is one of the biggest platforms for mass communication. Brands also spend heftily on television in order to reach out to the maximum number of consumers. Pulse Candy, which is over two years old now, took a while to come onto the platform. Anyone would wonder why?

“We believe this was the right time to launch the TVC as now we are at a situation when we are catering to the demand of the markets across India. The TVC now will help us in reaching out to more consumers,” narrates Shashank Surana, VP, New Product Development, DS Group.

Surana states, “When the product was launched, there was a supply and demand gap. The product was an instant hit and consumers loved it. It took us some time to meet the demand of the markets. We did not do aggressive ATL marketing then however, the launch was supported by BTL activities like, In-shop display, exclusive merchandise promotion and focussed sampling through various consumer contact activities to gather visibility and reach. While in-brand building process, we used digital media effectively not only to promote the brand but also to connect with consumers.”

Not only Pulse, but in the recent times, we came across several brands that took a while to launch their first television campaign. Leading fashion brands like BIBA, Max Fashion and Firstcry are some of those brands who strategically figured out a ‘right time’ for their debut TVC. All of these brands reached a milestone before they rolled out their first campaign on Television. And Pulse Candy is no exception here.

What Next?

DS Group, the parent company of Pulse Candy had a turnover of Rs. 7,700 crore in FY 2015-16 and Pulse Candy’s turnover in FY 2016-17 was over Rs. 300 crore. Pulse plans to spend close to 6-7% of its annual turnover on advertising this year.

When asked about the brand’s plan further, Surana says, “The new Pulse Pineapple has already hit the market, and we will launch 2-3 new variants of Pulse candies in the current year.”

While commenting on the brand’s plans into beverage segment, he says, “We now plan to extend our presence in the beverage category with our mango drink, Pulse Mango, Masala Maar Ke. We have test marketed the drink and the response has been encouraging. We are now launching it in Delhi and some parts of Punjab in the first phase and slowly go pan India.”

Pulse has been playing around the tangy flavour of the candy. The brand added two new variants – Orange and Guava – into its portfolio lately but Kachha Aam remains the most loved flavour among all three.

Resource: http://www.adageindia.in/

Resource: http://grandiose.org.in/

Indus OS, regional language operating system looks to raise market share in India

NEW DELHI: Indus OS, which claims to be the world’s first regional language operating system, is planning to step on the gas to grab a larger market share in the country. On the anvil is a next version of the operating system which will have more local features and advanced offerings on the translation and transliteration aspects. 

The company is also planning to open an office in China by May end, Co-founder & CEO Rakesh Deshmukh told ET in an interview. 

The aim behind setting up an office in China is to explore tie-ups with leading Chinese phone makers such as Xiaomi. Currently, Indus OS has partnerships with brands such as Micromax, Intex and Karbonn and the company is looking at expanding its footprint further by bundling with Chinese players which dominate a significant market in India. “It’s going to be a small operations for mostly sales and business development with around 30-40 people,” said Deshmukh, adding that since most of such brands are headquartered out of China, it makes sense for the company to have operations there. “We currently have partnership with six brands in the country. Our target is to have tieups with the top 10 phone companies and effort is going on, on that front,” said Deshmukh. 

In October, the company raised a round A funding from VenturEast and JSW Ventures which came on board as new investors, while its investor from the Series A round — Omidyar Network — also took part in the round. The funding round was officially closed in March. The company had then said that it would invest some part of the proceeds towards setting up an office in China. 

The OS, which claims the number two spot in terms of marketshare in the Android dominated Indian market ahead of  Apple iOS and Microsoft Windows, is working towards the 3.0 version of its operating system. “We are just few months away from launching it,” said Deshmukh. He added that the next version will be more “Indian” in its features, with sharper ability for translation and transliteration available at the swipe of a finger. It will also have unique features for showing pre-paid balance consumed with each call apart from options such as details of data consumed etc. 

Atul Nigam, CIO at Micromax, which was the first brand to launch Indus OS, said the Indus OS was the first product for the mass market which enables people to access the content in their native languages. “They are working on the new version with advanced translation and transliteration features and there is a lot of opportunity to do more in this space,” added Nigam 

Indus OS has been angel funded by the likes of Kunal Bahl and Rohit Bansal from Snapdeal, Amit Gupta and Naveen Tiwari from Inmobi and Pranay Chulet from Quikr, according to the company. Though in the initial stage, Indus OS is also looking an expansion in international markets — after a launch in Bangladesh — such as Sri Lanka, Indonesia and South Africa which have the same local language issues such as Sri Lanka, Indonesia and South Africa which have the same local language issues such as India. “Just like here, English is not the first language in those countries and we think we can take the same solutions there.” 

Resource: http://economictimes.indiatimes.com/

Resource: http://grandiose.org.in/

Singer-actor Gurdas Maan to launch restaurant brand

New Delhi: Punjabi singer-actor Gurdas Maan has partnered with Delhi-based Now Capital firm to launch a restaurant brand The Studio - by Gurdas Maan.

It will highlight both culinary and performing arts, providing a fine-dining experience combined with especially produced and curated live musical performances.

The menu will highlight Punjabi cooking through a 'farm to fork' approach. The music will range from live improvised collaborations between established artistes promoting the organic and natural feel of live music, to planned musical-theatre productions that will feature new and upcoming talent.

"Through my years of recording, performing and travelling, I have been blessed to meet talent from various cultures and backgrounds. I have always wanted to provide a platform to groom, mentor and promote those dedicated to arts," Gurdas said in a statement.

"And throughout my journey, I have always wanted to share with the world -- my cherished childhood memories of the fresh food of the farms in Punjab and the wonderful experiences of newer takes on Indian food I've enjoyed around the globe."

He believes that to create a complete dining experience all senses must be engaged -- "and music helps achieve this. The Studio is the perfect coalescence of my two dreams -- creating a perfect place to celebrate food and music".

Gurdas and the restaurant brand's media partners will do a nationwide talent hunt.

The final selected few will be guided by him and his team. The artistes will be given a chance to perform on the stage at the flagship restaurant and will receive help in recording and launching their album.

Tushar Gulati, partner, Now Capital, said: "Along with the music, we are spending a lot of time and resources on developing a rare high quality food menu featuring freshly ground flour, in-house churned butter and farm fresh produce. Each dish has its own origin story -- be it the chilli chicken from the hinterlands of Punjab, the famous Amritsari chhole or the fusion rice pudding from London -- giving each dish heart and depth."

Sahil Baweja, founder and partner, Now Capital, added that they plan to open the flagship restaurant in the first quarter of 2017 and establish the brand across Delhi, Chandigarh, Punjab and Mumbai before entering international markets.

Resource: http://retail.economictimes.indiatimes.com

Resource: http://grandiose.org.in/

Scatter Solutions will soon tell brands what they should talk about: Rajan Srinivasan

Scatter Solutions, a growing content marketplace, is all set to launch a new content marketing tool for brands this year. 

Scatter is at the forefront of shaping the conversations brands have with the audience. The company was founded by former IBNLive CEO Rajan Srinivasan along with Mahip Singh (Srinivasan’s colleague from Network18). The core team at Scatter comprises Martha d’Souza (Operations), Indraja Punna (Director-Technology), Garima Sharma (VP - Product and Content), and Abishek Sharma (VP - Customer Success).

The company, which is in its third year, is preparing to add a new dimension to content marketing in India - a talking tool that will tell brands what conversations to have with their audience based on the data gathered by listening tools.

Exchange4media caught up with CEO and Founder Rajan Srinivasan for the complete lowdown on Scatter’s journey from 2014 and what is in store for 2017. Excerpts

Where did the idea for Scatter come from?

Scatter in its initial days grew out of the idea “why are brands not using relevant third-party content”. Brands were worried about sharing that content because of the concern about sharing third-party content where a competing brand’s ad might be playing on the page. We wanted to enrich the conversation and take it beyond sale and product launch.

Can Scatter be classified as native advertising?

Content marketing puts the consumer at the centre of the conversation whereas native advertising put the brand at the centre of the conversation. What Scatter does is not advertising at all. Content marketing is about making sure that you have a continuous conversation in an area where your brand/service and where the consumer’s interest overlap.

How is Scatter different from Taboola, Outbrain and the likes?

We actually partner with Taboola, Outbrain etc. There are two sides to content marketing: content creation and content distribution. The relationship between a company like Taboola and us is like a car and a road, we can’t do without each other. Companies like ours help brands make content that is engaging and useful enough to make sure that the distribution platforms are able to take that message forward and complete the whole marketing task.

What kind of content do you create and procure?

Currently we create 90 per cent of the content and syndicate/procure the remaining 10 per cent. And the syndication part is growing. Scatter is format agnostic. We create all kinds of content: text, video, infographic, white papers, reports, how to guides, podcasts… The syndicated content from neutral third party websites helps with more time spent, stickiness, faster refreshing, etc.

What does Scatter have in store for its clients this year?

The talking tool - Scatter Recommends a paid subscription service. We have listening tools that tap into consumer sentiment, with the talking tool we will use the conversations that are taking place to generate meaningful content and initiate relevant conversations to plug into ongoing conversations. We are going to make sure brands never fall short of thing to say. This service will be launched in a 3-4 categories in initial stages. We will be launching this tool before October 2017.

Where does India stand in the content marketing space right now?

Brands in India are already in the field of content marketing and in comparison to global markets India stands fair and square in the centre. Indian brands are very much open to adopting content marketing. Content marketing is where social was in its early days. Today brands are hiring content marketers just like they hire people for the Search and Social teams. In two years we may see a rearrangement in teams, maybe content will be the pivot.

What is your vision for content marketing?

Eventually as content marketers, we want brands to own the audience and be a publisher. Today people are willing to listen to brands sharing meaningful content. A classic example of this is Johnson & Johnson’s babycenter.com.

Tell us about Scatter’s growth over the last three years.

We have gone from a full platform service to a completely human service and now we are at a place where we are both human and platform - which is where we should ideally be. We started out with doing only third-party content and now we are at a stage where maybe only 10 per cent of our content is third party.

We currently have two offices in Delhi and Mumbai. By the end of 2017 we will have another office in Bangalore. The team has grown from 8-20 over the years to currently being a team size of 30. We will be a profitable company this year. At last count we worked with 89 brands across category verticals. Scatter also has a very high incidence of re-purchase - almost 60 per cent. 

Resource: http://www.exchange4media.com

Resource: http://grandiose.org.in/

JNU advises students against organising events violating HC rules

New Delhi: The Jawaharlal Nehru University (JNU) has issued a notice advising all stakeholders to refrain from organising any event that is in violation of the rules, regulations and relevant court orders.

"Disciplinary action will be taken as per the university rules against the violators," the notice said.

The notice has come in the wake of an upcoming public meeting that was to be addressed by a Member of Parliament at the Administrative block of the university on Tuesday at 5:30 pm.

The university has also expressed doubt over the possibility of the MP being aware of the interim court orders related to holding such events in the JNU campus.

The notice further said that the invited speaker of Tuesday's event was informed and apprised of the situation.

"The president of the JNU Students Union has also been advised to discourage students from organising such events at prohibited areas in the campus," the notice added.

The JNU has seen unabated turbulent months with several crackdowns resulting in arrests of students and media chaos which led to a state of a crisis in the campus.

Resource: http://www.asianage.com

Resource: http://grandiose.org.in/

IPL 2017: Parineeti Chopra, Tiger Shroff & Shraddha Kapoor to Perform at Opening Ceremonies

New Delhi: Bollywood A-listers like Shah Rukh Khan (also owner of Kolkata Knight Riders), Hrithik Roshan, Priyanka Chopra and Deepika Padukone have over the last nine years mesmerized fans across the world during the opening ceremonies of the Indian Premier League. And this year, it is the turn of the upcoming crop of stars like Parineeti Chopra, Tiger Shroff and Shraddha Kapoor to set the stage on fire during the 8 separate opening ceremonies across the eight host cities.

IPL chairman Rajeev Shukla had already told Cricketnext on Monday that there would be eight separate opening ceremonies and now it has been learnt that the latest crop of Bollywood stars will perform across Delhi, Kolkata, Hyderabad, Gujarat, Mumbai, Pune, Bengaluru and Indore.

Apart from Parineeti, Tiger and Shraddha, the likes of Amy Jackson and Riteish Deshmukh are also expected to perform. While Amy is set to perform at the den of the defending champions Sunrisers Hyderabad, Riteish is expected to perform for the fans of Pune Rising Supergiant.

Speaking to Cricketnext, Ravinder Manchanda, IPL head of events committee of the Delhi and District Cricket Association, confirmed that none other than Ambala girl Parineeti will set the stage ablaze at the Ferozeshah Kotla Stadium ahead of Delhi Daredevils’ opening game of the tournament on April 15 against Kings XI Punjab.

A Cricket Association of Bengal official said that both Shraddha and Monali Thakur would be wooing the Kolkata Knight Riders fans.

“With Shah Rukh Khan, you never know if he will be part of an impromptu jig if he is present at the Eden Gardens. But as of now, Shraddha and Monali have confirmed their participation. We are very excited and hope to put on a great show,” he said.

Gujarat Lions are set to have the acrobatic Tiger perform stunts as well as Bollywood numbers for the fans in Rajkot.

“We will have the super talented Tiger performing at the Saurashtra Cricket Association Stadium. Apart from him, we will also have Sachin-Jigar and the Ram-Leela fame singer Bhoomi Trivedi. It should be a fascinating night and one that all will remember,” an SCA official said.

A Hyderabad Cricket Association official who is in the know of things said that Amy is set to perform at the Rajiv Gandhi International Stadium in Uppal on the opening night of the 10th edition of the cash-rich league.

Interestingly, the Mumbai Cricket Association and the Karnataka State Cricket Association are yet to get the blueprint of the opening ceremonies. While Mumbai Indians play their first home game against KKR on April 9, Royal Challengers Bangalore play their first game at home against Delhi Daredevils on April 8.

Speaking to Cricketnext, a senior KSCA official said: “We have just been told that the event shall be hosted between 6pm and 6:50 pm and that is all that we are aware of. We have not been told anything about the performers and what all can be expected in the show. But we are confident that it will be nothing but the best.”

An MCA official echoed the same sentiments. “We have not been told anything by the organising committee as yet,” is all he said.

With KXIP playing their opening game at the Holkar Cricket Stadium in Indore, the Punjab Cricket Association said they weren’t concerned with the opening ceremony details. On being contacted, the Madhya Pradesh Cricket Association said they hadn’t been briefed yet.

Resource: http://www.news18.com

Resourec: http://grandiose.org.in/