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/