Apollo Health to expand network pan-India

Hyderabad: Apollo Health & Lifestyle Limited (AHLL), a wholly owned subsidiary of Apollo Hospitals Enterprise Limited (AHEL) is planning to expand its network across India across verticals.

The company runs the largest chain of standardised primary healthcare models- multispecialty clinics under the brand “Apollo Clinics” in India and the Middle East, Diabetes management clinics – Apollo Sugar and Diagnostic Centres – Apollo Diagnostics. The company also operates specialty formats – Apollo Cradle for women & child, Apollo Fertility for fertility treatments, Apollo Dialysis and Apollo Spectra for planned surgery.

AHLL which had 18 diagnostic labs last year has taken the number to 42 at present and plans to have over 70 labs by the end of March next year. The company has 135 collection centres at present and will have over 250 by next year. By April this year there will be six in vitro fertilisation (IVF) centres operational. There will be expansion in Cradle operations too. Both in Spectra and Dental space, the company has aggressive plans to grow.

Specialty-centric

AHLL CEO Neeraj Garg told Telangana Today, “There are four major trends that we see in retail healthcare. Time is money. Patients who are consumers need access to quality health care. They want specialty care. Specialties are emerging such as diabetes, women and child care and fertility. Apollo Cradle is redefining women and child care. Consumers are becoming brand conscious. They first see which hospital and then which doctor now. Retail healthcare is seeing a lot of new dynamics. ”

In the Diabetes care segment, the company has explored a new model wherein the company has partnered with non-Apollo Group hospitals to expand its presence. In Vijayawada, it has partnered with Andhra Hospitals. The company has also introduced a Sugar app that helps patients with better healthcare management. The company is implementing this strategy in Apollo Clinics space as well.

AHLL is helping the Central government is screening diabetes. It screens 24,000 people every month nationally. There is also some effort in the dialysis space in public private partnership route. Apollo is also contributing telemedicine at community service centres level. An Apollo entity is also helping build skill capabilities.

Within Apollo Group, across 400 locations across formats, nurse and technician training is imparted. Teams should also have quality systems to follow across functionalities. Efforts are also being made in soft skills space too. Teams should also have quality systems to follow across functionalities. “Also the staff should show empathy and as they deal with patients or caregivers, they should have soft skills,” he adds.

Geographic growth

In terms of the geographic expansion strategy, he said, the company has presence in diagnostics in Telangana, AP, Karnataka and Tamil Nadu. “We are going to tap smaller towns. We have covered South. We will expand to East. We have opened in Kolkata and Asansol, and we will cover entire East in next one year and then foray into North. For cradle, we will have a city-approach. We have presence in Chennai, Bengaluru, Hyderabad, Delhi, Amritsar and Pune. We may add more Cradles in Delhi and Punjab. In the Sugar segment, we are everywhere and we will have pan-India presence,” Garg informed. The company will expand its operations in the GCC nations in the diabetes space and will be mostly partnership-based.

Process systems

Apollo Health is building quality and process systems. Spectra business is built out of Nova Specialties acquisition two years ago. The clinical pathways and processes had been constantly improved. Two NABH accreditations had been received at Apollo Cradle and five more to come in three months, four diagnostic labs have received NABL accreditations.

Apollo is also voluntarily collating information on hospital infections and will release data in next six months.

Funding

International Finance Corporation (IFC) has invested recently into AHLL upto Rs 450 crore by picking up a 29 per cent stake. IFC has been providing guidance on several aspects that include best practices in healthcare, project designs and fire safety measures.

“In next five years, there will be requirement for additional funding beyond IFC’s investment. We could evaluate the financial needs in the next two years. We are yet to decide whether it will be through debt or equity,” he informed.

Resource: http://telanganatoday.news

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

Fastrack to launch its first smart band in India soon: Sources

The wearable will be available across all Fastrack stores and multi-brand outlets

NEW DELHI: Popular watch brand Fastrack has decided to enter the smart wearables segment. The company has revealed to Gadgets Now that it will be soon launching its first smart band in India.

Fastrack's new smart band will come in three color variants - Purple, Blue and Black. The wearable will be available across all Fastrack stores and multi-brand outlets. As per rumors, the smart band will be priced somewhere between Rs 1,995 and Rs 2,995.

Apart from standard smart band features like step counter and sleep tracker, Fastrack's upcoming wearable will have trendy and fashionable design. It will let users make and receive phone calls and SMS alerts.

Earlier this month, an online claimed that ZTE is also working on its first-ever smartwatch. The wearable is likely to be called Quartz.

The device will run on Google's Android Wear 2.0 platform and is expected to come with Wi-Fi and 3G support. Connectivity options will enable users to access data and take calls using the smartwatch.

Bearing model number ZW10, it is expected that the company might unveil the wearable at the upcoming MWC 2017. No other details about the alleged smartwatch are available so far.

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

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

Motorola launches 5th generation Moto G5 Plus at Rs 14,999

NEW DELHI: Motorola today launched the fifth generation of its best-selling Moto G series -- Moto G5 Plus -- in the Indian market at a price of Rs 14,999 onwards.

Motorola will make available two versions -- 3GB RAM/16GB memory and 4GB RAM/32GB memory -- for Rs 14,999 and Rs 16,999 respectively. These will go on sale from tonight on Flipkart.

Equipped with a full metal design, faster processor and better camera functionality, the Moto G5 will compete with handsets from Xiaomi, Micromax as well as those from the stable of its parent -- Lenovo.

"This is our biggest franchise and the fastest selling as well. India is one of the first markets globally where we are launching the Moto G5 Plus," Motorola Mobility India Managing Director, Sudhin Mathur, told reporters here.

The Moto G series cumulatively has so far sold 6 million units in India, he added.

He said that the company will introduce Moto G5 -- the base model -- in India in the coming weeks.

The device was unveiled at Mobile World Congress in Barcelona last month. The Moto G5 Plus features a 5.2-inch display, 2Ghz Qualcomm Snapdragon octa-core processor, up to 4GB RAM, removable storage of up to 128GB, 12MP rear and 5MP front cameras and 3,000 mAh battery.

At the end 2016, Lenovo and Motorola had 8.9 per cent share of the Indian smartphone market, as per research firm IDC.

The Indian smartphone market has seen a significant shift in the last few quarters with homegrown brands being pushed out of the top five positions by Chinese brands like Lenovo, Xiaomi, Oppo and Vivo.

Motorola's e-commerce partner, Flipkart, has introduced a Buyback Guarantee programme. "Under this programme, the company guarantees to buy back smartphones that have been sold to consumers, at an assured price that provides consumers huge value, while helping them to upgrade/ buy the next smartphone of their choice on Flipkart," Flipkart said. Terms and conditions will apply.

The programme will be available for free for users buying it in the first week of sale. Later, the programme will be available for Rs 1,199.

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

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

BMW G310R India launch delayed; Likely to arrive by Q4, 2017

BMW G310R India launch has been delayed with reasons still being a mystery which is now believed to hit Indian market by the end of 2017.

BMW Motorrad revealed its naked roadster BMW G310R in the year 2015 which afterwards made some news at Delhi Auto Expo last year. The motorcycle was expected to hit Indian market next month, however, as per the report from BikeIndia, BMW Motorrad will be launching its smallest motorcycle by the last quarter of this year. The Bavarian bike maker has not clarified the reason for the delay, however, it will bringing bigger bikes to the market initially. The bike maker will be introducing R1200, K1600, R-NineT and S1000R as well as S1000RR which are believed to be priced competitively. In a bid to make an impact in the premium motorcycle space in India, the company aims to rival against Ducati, Kawasaki and Triumph. 

With the rumors doing rounds in the market, it is speculated that the bike manufacturer is unable to decide the price point of the bike which if priced too low could impact the brand image of the company. On the other hand, if priced too high, the bike may not attract the number of buyers the company is aiming. Another take on this is that the bike competitors are also retailed at very attractive price point. Moreover, the bike has been spotted numerous times in India while testing devoid of any camouflage as it was believed to be in the final stage of testing.

BMW’s most anticipated street fighter will be powered by a 313cc fuel injected, liquid cooled engine which can easily produce 33.5bhp of power @ 9500 rpm against the peak torque of 28Nm @ 7500 rpm that will come mated to a 6-speed transmission. This powerful motorcycle from BMW is claimed with a top speed of 145kmph. Other major highlights of BMW G310R are a multi-function instrument cluster, ABS and USD front forks.

In terms of features, the bike will be seen carrying TVS Draken inspired fuel tank, headlamp cluster, bigger radiator grille, single projector headlight, side mounted exhaust system and much more. Likely to be priced in the bracket of INR 2 lakh – INR 2.75 lakh (ex-showroom), the upcoming street fighter is likely to be seen in two avatars – ABS and Non-ABS variants. Once launched, this street fighter will be taking on the rivals such as Kawasaki Z50, KTM Duke 390, Bajaj Dominar 400 and Benelli TNT300.

Resource: http://www.india.com

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

LeEco will not exit Indian market, to launch new products in 2017

Chinese handset maker LeEco today said that it would continue to launch new products in the smartphone and LED TV segments in 2017 while reiterating that it would not exit from the Indian market.

The company, which today strengthened its presence in the LED TV segment by launching three models under its new Super4 Series, said that it is aiming to corner at least double digit market share in the segment in FY 2017-18.

Besides, the company is also considering to foray in some new segments. However, it did not share the details.

He further added: "We did have some change in the strategy but we want to be consistent and have sustainable business in India. This is a long term strategy... We would streamline our operations here."

LeEco had registered total sales of Rs 1,400 crore last year. The company had sold above one million handsets and 12,000 units of smart TV in the domestic market.

"We are growing 45 per cent every year," said Li, adding "We would have double digit market share in the TV segment in FY 2017-18".

According to the company, this year TV market is expected to be around 11.2 million, in which the TV sets above 40 inch screen size would be around one million.

Besides, the company which has presence in smartphone and LED TV, has plans to expand its offerings in more segments. However, Li denied to share the inputs about the new segments in which the company has plans to foray in.

The company, which had last year applied for opening single brand retail shops in India from Foreign Investment Promotion Board (FIPB), has no plans to open exclusive brand outlets in India.

"As of now, in 2017, we do not have any plans to open such exclusive outlets. The strategy has not been finalised yet," he said adding "We would go there only when we would know the business." 

LeEco would continue its offline retail presence in multi brand format besides strengthening its online presence.

"We would have some offline retail primarily for TVs and they would be with the partners which we have here." Besides, the company is also looking to invest into the new IT development region coming up in Pali, Rajasthan.

"I am very supportive of the current government policy... They are setting up manufacturing facilities in different regions. We have to utilise all the resources, it would develop our business here and we would avail all the opportunities in the market," he added.

Over the markets in next few years, Li said: "Phone business would be more competitive. India is the fastest country but the growth rates of countries as China has slowed down.I would see less players in next 3 years."

LeEco has priced its Super4 X40, Super4 X43 Pro and Super4 X50 series at Rs 46,990, Rs 63,990 and Rs 86,990 respectively. 

Resource: http://www.zeebiz.com

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

New Nokia 3310 launched along with Nokia 3, Nokia 5, Nokia 6 Android-based smartphones

Finland-based HMD Global announced the Nokia 3, Nokia 5 and Nokia 6 Android-based smartphones for global markets on Sunday at the Mobile World Congress in Barcelona. The Nokia 3, the Nokia 5 and Nokia 6 will globally be available for buying in Q2 2017 for 139 euros, 189 euros and 229 euros respectively. The company will also be offering the Nokia 6 in a limited Art (piano) black edition for 299 euros.

At the same time Nokia also launched a new Nokia 3310, the company's new take on an old classic. This phone is a feature phone made for Nokia fans and it will sell at a price of Euros 49.

The all-familiar Nokia 6 -- which was a China-exclusive until now -- is an all-metal smartphone -- boasting of 6000 series aluminium -- with chamfered edges and curved 2.5D Gorilla glass on the front. It has a physical home button on the front that also houses a fingerprint scanner, and is flanked by touch-based capacitive keys which are backlit. The power button and the volume rocker lie on the right, while the SIM card slot rests on the left. It comes with a standard Micro USB 2.0 port (and no USB C-Type) and also supports USB OTG.

Hardware specs include: a 5.5-inch 1080p display, a Qualcomm Snapdragon 430 processor clubbed with 4gigs of RAM under the hood, and 64GB of internal memory which is further expandable by up to 128GB via microSD card slot. The speaker setup on-board the Nokia 6 comes with dual amplifiers and supports Dolby Atmos sound technology.

The Nokia 6, moreover, carries a 16-megapixel camera on the rear with f/2.0 aperture, Phase Detection Autofocus and dual-LED flash. On the front, it comes with an 8-megapixel camera. The phone is backed by a 3,000mAh battery.

The Nokia 3 and the Nokia 5 are simply toned down versions of the Nokia 6. In a way, they can be seen as a more affordable Nokia 6 boasting of similar design, but, slightly different specs. While the Nokia 5 is a 5.2-inch phone, the Nokia 3 comes with a 5-inch screen.

The Nokia 5 is closer to the Nokia 6 in that it comes with a full-metal body and a front-mounted fingerprint scanner. It is also powered by a Qualcomm Snapdragon 430 processor but gets 2GB of RAM and 16GB of internal memory which is expandable. The Nokia 5 sports a 13-megapixel rear camera and an 8-megapixel front-facing camera.

The Nokia 3, meanwhile, boasts of a polycarbonate body with an aluminium frame. It is powered by a 1.3GHz quad-core MediaTek MT6737 processor clubbed with 2GB of RAM and 16GB of internal memory which is also expandable. The Nokia 3 sports 8-megapixel camera on the front as well as on the back.  

The Nokia 3, the Nokia 5 and the Nokia 6 will all run a vanilla version of Android Nougat and will be "pure, secure, and up to date," according to HMD Global. All the three smartphones will also come with Google's AI assistant inside.

Lastly, HMD Global, also announced a revamped version of the iconic Nokia 3310, in tune with the new generation. The Nokia 3310 which will be available in a bevy of eye-popping colours will also come with the retro classic hit: Snake out-of-the-box. And just so you know, it comes with 22 hours of battery life.

The refreshed Nokia 3310 comes with a 2.4-inch QVGA -- colour -- display and runs Series 30+ software inside. The dual-SIM feature phone comes with a 2-megapixel camera on the back and support for expandable memory via a dedicated microSD card slot. The Nokia 3310 will also be globally available for buying in Q2 2017 for 49 euros.

Resource: http://indiatoday.intoday.in

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

Parle to launch Frooti Fizz, the first extension of the brand in 32 years

New Delhi: Parle Agro Pvt. Ltd is launching a fizzy version of Frooti—the first brand extension for the popular mango drink launched 32 years ago.

Frooti Fizz is an attempt to build on the success of the original fruit beverage, which is Parle Agro’s largest revenue earner, making up more than 60% of the company’s sales.

Frooti Fizz, priced at Rs15 for a 250 ml PET package, Rs30 for a 500 ml PET package and Rs25 for a 250 ml can, will be retailed across 1.2 million outlets of the estimated nine million outlets in the country, according to the firm.

Parle Agro has set for itself the target of increasing annual revenue to Rs5,000 crore by 2018, from Rs2,800 crore, said Nadia Chauhan, joint managing director and chief marketing officer.

The firm has experimented with a fizzy variant in the past. In 2005, it launched Appy Fizz—the country’s first fruit-based fizzy drink that has grown at more than 20% a year in the past five years.

“Parle Agro created the fruit plus fizz category in 2005 with the launch of Appy Fizz. Today, we hold maximum market share in this category. The launch of Frooti Fizz is a step towards taking this category to the next level. Mango continues to be India’s largest consumed fruit flavour and there’s space for the fizzy version of the mango drink in the market,” Chauhan said in an interview.

Parle Agro’s decision to launch Frooti Fizz, comes four months after the Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) set new standards for carbonated fruit beverages.

According to regulations, beverages with a fruit juice quantity below 10% but not less than 5%, and 2.5% in case of lime or lemon, should be called carbonated beverages with fruit juice.

FSSAI’s norms came about two years after Prime Minister Narendra Modi, in September 2014, urged multinational carbonated beverages firms like Coca-Cola Co. and PepsiCo Inc. to mix natural fruit juices (at least 5%) in aerated beverages to help boost fruit sales for Indian farmers.

Firms lined up to launch carbonated fruit drinks even before FSSAI set the standards. In July 2016, Real juice maker Dabur India Ltd launched Real VOLO, a fizzy drink that has 20-25% fruit juice content. In February, Bisleri International launched Bisleri Pop, an aerated fruit-based drink, to re-enter the carbonated beverages market that it exited in 1993.

Coca-Cola India, the local arm of the American beverages maker, sells Fanta Green Mango, a carbonated drink that has 10.4% fruit content. Its rival PepsiCo India Holdings Pvt. Ltd sells Nimbooz Masala Soda that has 5% lemon juice. 

The carbonated beverages category has experienced a decline in sales in recent years as juices and fruit-based drinks grew at a brisk pace.

In 2015, the juices category posted a volume growth of 20.06% and a value growth of 25.78% over the previous year.

Fizzy drinks, in the same period, grew 8.42% by volume and 10.82% by value, according to market research firm Euromonitor International.

Next year, Parle Agro will get into new categories and launch products in its existing business lines. Besides Frooti and Appy, Parle Agro sells Bailey branded water and soda and Hippo branded snacks, among others. More than 81% of its revenue comes from beverages, while water accounts for about 12.5% and the remaining comes from food and other products, according to the company’s website.

The company will be spending about Rs100 crore on the launch of Frooti Fizz, including the marketing expenses, said Chauhan.

Some analysts are skeptical about the potential of Frooti Fizz. “It’s a bit surprising why the company is launching a fizzy version of a successful brand when the carbonated beverages market is witnessing slow growth. It could have, instead, looked at the fortified drinks segment. As an extension of a successful mass brand, it might work, but eventually, the company will have to focus on fortified drinks,” said Rajat Wahi, partner and head (consumer markets), at consulting firm KPMG in India.

Mango-based drinks account for the largest chunk of the juice-based drinks category in India. Coca-Cola’s Maaza, which the American firm acquired in 1993 from the Chauhan family-owned Parle Bisleri Ltd along with other brands such as Limca, Citra, Thums Up and Gold Spot, is still the market leader. Other brands in the category include PepsiCo India’s Slice and recent entrant Manpasand Beverages’ MangoSip.

Maaza led the Rs11,922 crore juices (up to 24% fresh juice content) market with a 36.1% share (retail volume), followed by Parle Agro’s Frooti (24% share) and PepsiCo’s Slice (22%) in 2016, according to data compiled by Euromonitor International.

Coca-Cola is targeting more than doubling annual sales of Maaza to $1 billion by 2023, from $400 million in 2015, Mint reported on 18 February 2016.

Resource: http://www.livemint.com

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